A New World for Erica
Title: A New World for Erica
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. Everything else is probably mine.
Warnings: AU (erica), absolute fluff
Summary: "Where are you going to take Erica first, Bones?"
Author's Notes: Erica was born on Pollux V, and her first trip to Earth was the Enterprise's first shore leave on Earth after her rescue. And yes, I know there's at least one zoo closer to Starfleet Command than the LA Zoo, but since I am more familiar with the LA Zoo, that's the one Erica wants to go see.
"Where are you going to take Erica first, Bones?" Kirk asked.
"Erica's made a list of all the places she wants to see during our shore leave on Earth, Jim," McCoy replied. "I haven't seen the list yet, but she's gotten everything all planned out, with help from Chris."
Kirk chuckled.
"Why the suspense, Bones?" he asked.
"Probably because you have a birthday party planned for me as a surprise and don't want something as trivial as my niece's plans for her first time on Earth to interfere," McCoy deduced.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Bones," Kirk insisted.
"Whatever you say, Jim," McCoy replied, clearly unconvinced by his friend's claim of innocence.
~*~
Several days later
"The Los Angeles Zoo, Erica?" McCoy asked.
"Mr. Spock recommended it, Uncle Leonard," Erica explained with an excited grin.
"You have got to be pulling my leg, Erica," McCoy insisted, unable to believe that the half-Vulcan was capable of providing his niece with suggestions of places to visit on Earth (let alone the interest in giving such suggestions).
"He did, Uncle Leonard!" exclaimed Erica, as they stepped up to the Admissions booth to purchase admission for the LA Zoo.
Once they were inside the Zoo, Erica opened a map of the zoo on her PADD.
"Where to first?" McCoy asked, looking over her shoulder at the map.
"At the beginning, Uncle Leonard," Erica replied, indicating the nearby harbor seal exhibit. "Where else would we start?"
"Just remember what I said in the shuttle, Erica, and don't wander off on your own," McCoy reminded her.
"I'm not Uncle Jim," observed Erica. "I don't need to hear things multiple times before I knowingly disregard your orders, Uncle Leonard."
"Thank goodness for small favors," McCoy agreed.
~*~
They were at the orangutan exhibit when McCoy realized that they were being followed.
Erica noticed her uncle's mood shift from happiness to annoyed, but couldn't figure out why her uncle was suddenly so annoyed.
"What's the matter, Uncle Leonard?" she asked.
"Nothing, Erica," McCoy quickly replied, earning him a dark look from his niece that clearly expressed her doubt in his claim.
"I highly doubt that, Uncle Leonard," she remarked, reinforcing her dark look.
"Don't worry about it, Erica," McCoy insisted. "It's probably just my imagination, playing tricks on me."
Erica feigned satisfaction at the doctor's words, and they moved on to the non-terran exhibits.
McCoy nearly had a heart attack when Erica suddenly vanished from his side without a trace. Certain that the person who had been tailing them had taken his niece, the doctor searched the vicinity in vain for any trace of Erica.
"What are you looking for, Bones?" an unexpected voice interrupted his darkening thoughts.
"Jim!" McCoy exclaimed in surprise. "Have you seen Erica?"
"Erica?" Kirk echo'd.
McCoy nodded, barely restraining the urge to throttle the blonde.
"Spock might know, Bones," Kirk mused.
"Why would Spock know where Erica is, Jim?" McCoy demanded.
"Probably 'cause I saw the two of them scamper off towards the picnic area just now?" Kirk offered.
"Why would Erica wander off without telling me first? Even if she's with someone she knows," grumbled McCoy as he headed off after his wayward niece, Kirk close behind on the doctor's heels.
"You'll have to ask Erica that yourself, Bones," Kirk observed helpfully, earning a scowl from his Chief Medical Officer.
"Happy birthday, Uncle Leonard!" shouted Erica as McCoy and Kirk entered the picnic area.
McCoy stared about him in shock, at the streamers and balloons that decorated the area. A banner along the rear fence declared in bright blue letters "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEONARD MCCOY!" Beneath the banner was a picnic table stacked high with gifts. Two other picnic tables had been moved together to form a longer table, on which a veritable buffet of finger foods had been placed--from baby carrots, celery sticks, and some kind of Vulcan vegetable that looked vaguely like cucumber to chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and potato chips, and everything in between. A yeoman was serving punch at another picnic table, while Lt. Uhura and Nurse Chapel hovered over a huge cake at a picnic table near the table of presents.
As the doctor looked around him, he suddenly realized that he knew every single person in the picnic area--they were all members of the crew of the Enterprise.
"What--how?" the stunned doctor asked.
"The curator and I go back a ways, Bones," Kirk explained. "And, well, when I told her we needed a large area for a party, she volunteered this lovely spot for our use."
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. Everything else is probably mine.
Warnings: AU (erica), absolute fluff
Summary: "Where are you going to take Erica first, Bones?"
Author's Notes: Erica was born on Pollux V, and her first trip to Earth was the Enterprise's first shore leave on Earth after her rescue. And yes, I know there's at least one zoo closer to Starfleet Command than the LA Zoo, but since I am more familiar with the LA Zoo, that's the one Erica wants to go see.
"Where are you going to take Erica first, Bones?" Kirk asked.
"Erica's made a list of all the places she wants to see during our shore leave on Earth, Jim," McCoy replied. "I haven't seen the list yet, but she's gotten everything all planned out, with help from Chris."
Kirk chuckled.
"Why the suspense, Bones?" he asked.
"Probably because you have a birthday party planned for me as a surprise and don't want something as trivial as my niece's plans for her first time on Earth to interfere," McCoy deduced.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Bones," Kirk insisted.
"Whatever you say, Jim," McCoy replied, clearly unconvinced by his friend's claim of innocence.
~*~
Several days later
"The Los Angeles Zoo, Erica?" McCoy asked.
"Mr. Spock recommended it, Uncle Leonard," Erica explained with an excited grin.
"You have got to be pulling my leg, Erica," McCoy insisted, unable to believe that the half-Vulcan was capable of providing his niece with suggestions of places to visit on Earth (let alone the interest in giving such suggestions).
"He did, Uncle Leonard!" exclaimed Erica, as they stepped up to the Admissions booth to purchase admission for the LA Zoo.
Once they were inside the Zoo, Erica opened a map of the zoo on her PADD.
"Where to first?" McCoy asked, looking over her shoulder at the map.
"At the beginning, Uncle Leonard," Erica replied, indicating the nearby harbor seal exhibit. "Where else would we start?"
"Just remember what I said in the shuttle, Erica, and don't wander off on your own," McCoy reminded her.
"I'm not Uncle Jim," observed Erica. "I don't need to hear things multiple times before I knowingly disregard your orders, Uncle Leonard."
"Thank goodness for small favors," McCoy agreed.
~*~
They were at the orangutan exhibit when McCoy realized that they were being followed.
Erica noticed her uncle's mood shift from happiness to annoyed, but couldn't figure out why her uncle was suddenly so annoyed.
"What's the matter, Uncle Leonard?" she asked.
"Nothing, Erica," McCoy quickly replied, earning him a dark look from his niece that clearly expressed her doubt in his claim.
"I highly doubt that, Uncle Leonard," she remarked, reinforcing her dark look.
"Don't worry about it, Erica," McCoy insisted. "It's probably just my imagination, playing tricks on me."
Erica feigned satisfaction at the doctor's words, and they moved on to the non-terran exhibits.
McCoy nearly had a heart attack when Erica suddenly vanished from his side without a trace. Certain that the person who had been tailing them had taken his niece, the doctor searched the vicinity in vain for any trace of Erica.
"What are you looking for, Bones?" an unexpected voice interrupted his darkening thoughts.
"Jim!" McCoy exclaimed in surprise. "Have you seen Erica?"
"Erica?" Kirk echo'd.
McCoy nodded, barely restraining the urge to throttle the blonde.
"Spock might know, Bones," Kirk mused.
"Why would Spock know where Erica is, Jim?" McCoy demanded.
"Probably 'cause I saw the two of them scamper off towards the picnic area just now?" Kirk offered.
"Why would Erica wander off without telling me first? Even if she's with someone she knows," grumbled McCoy as he headed off after his wayward niece, Kirk close behind on the doctor's heels.
"You'll have to ask Erica that yourself, Bones," Kirk observed helpfully, earning a scowl from his Chief Medical Officer.
"Happy birthday, Uncle Leonard!" shouted Erica as McCoy and Kirk entered the picnic area.
McCoy stared about him in shock, at the streamers and balloons that decorated the area. A banner along the rear fence declared in bright blue letters "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEONARD MCCOY!" Beneath the banner was a picnic table stacked high with gifts. Two other picnic tables had been moved together to form a longer table, on which a veritable buffet of finger foods had been placed--from baby carrots, celery sticks, and some kind of Vulcan vegetable that looked vaguely like cucumber to chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and potato chips, and everything in between. A yeoman was serving punch at another picnic table, while Lt. Uhura and Nurse Chapel hovered over a huge cake at a picnic table near the table of presents.
As the doctor looked around him, he suddenly realized that he knew every single person in the picnic area--they were all members of the crew of the Enterprise.
"What--how?" the stunned doctor asked.
"The curator and I go back a ways, Bones," Kirk explained. "And, well, when I told her we needed a large area for a party, she volunteered this lovely spot for our use."