Fill: That's What Adas Are For 2/2
The final bit of the story.
More than happy to be home after a long day at the hospital, McCoy breathed deeply as he opened the door and smelled the enticing aroma of Italian food. Stepping into the kitchen he saw the delivery bags stuffed into the garbage. Jim had ordered in from his favorite restaurant. Normally this would make him happy, but considering what had happened yesterday, it only served to make him suspicious.
“Jim,” he called, moving through the kitchen and into the small dining area. The table was actually set and there was a bottle of wine breathing next to an arrangement of flowers.
“Bones,” he heard his partner call out from the hallway. Soon enough he heard the thud-shuffle of Jim walking towards him.
Folding his arms over his chest, McCoy stood and waited. “What did you do now?” he asked when Jim came into sight.
Jim gave McCoy his patented innocent look. “What? I didn’t do anything.” He shuffled over and gave McCoy a quick kiss before retreating to one of the stools in the kitchen.
“Pull the other one,” McCoy replied, raising an eyebrow as he continued to wait.
“Seriously, nothing happened,” Jim replied, this time using his wounded look. “Look around. The toaster is fine, the replicator is fine. There is no smoke in the air or anything; just the lovely smell of your favorite lasagna and garlic bread.”
McCoy was still suspicious, but uncrossed his arms and reached for the wine. “You want a glass now or with dinner,” he asked, “because you only get one.”
“With dinner I suppose,” Jim replied with a frown, watching as McCoy poured himself a glass and then swirled it around and sniffed it before taking a sip.
“You got the good stuff. What’s the occasion?”
Jim shrugged. “No occasion. I just figured you wouldn’t want to cook and we haven’t had Fortelli’s in awhile so I thought I’d do something nice.” Again, he was trying to look innocent, but McCoy wasn’t buying it. Jim seemed up to something, but he’d learned over the years that sometimes you just had to let him play out his hand.
“So that’s why you set the table - when we usually eat at the counter,” McCoy pointed out wryly, taking another sip of his wine. It really was good. “And let’s not forget the flowers that you obviously had to order in too.”
Jim grinned at him. “Would you believe that Fortelli’s now delivers flowers?”
“Not a chance,” McCoy shook his head.
“Well, they do if you ask them to stop by the florist just down the street,” Jim mumbled. Standing up, Jim began to shuffle around the kitchen island. “Sit down and I’ll…”
“Oh no you don’t,” McCoy put down his wine and in three steps reached Jim and stopped him from going any further.
“Bones, the lasagna is ready and I’m hungry,” Jim pouted. “I was just going to…”
“You’re not ‘just’ going to do anything,” McCoy growled at him. “Now go sit at the table and I’ll get the damn lasagna.”
Jim beamed at him and then began shuffling to the table. “And don’t forget the garlic bread. And the salad. And I bought a bottle of their house dressing you like. It’s in the door of the refrigerator.”
McCoy sighed. “Yes Jim. I think I can figure out where everything is. Sit your ass down.”
“Yes, doctor,” Jim teased playfully.
Once the food was on the table and they each had large slices of lasagna, conversation wasn’t the first thing on either of their minds. The food was just that good. Jim was reaching for a second helping, but stopped when McCoy frowned at him, both of his eyebrows narrowing into a V. Instead he reached for the salad. Picking out the onions, he glanced over at McCoy who was dredging his garlic bread through the leftover sauce on his plate.
“So, I talked to Jojo today,” Jim said nonchalantly, spearing an olive on his fork.
McCoy nodded. “How she doing? Has she heard from Emory yet?”
Jim shook his head, putting the olive in his mouth and carefully chewing around the pit. “I don’t think she’s interested in going back to Georgia, Bones,” he commented once he spit out the pit.
“It’s a top ranked business school,” McCoy countered, just as Jim knew he would. “And she’d be near family.”
“She’d be near us if she goes to UC Berkeley, Wharton School or the Presidio,” Jim said by rote. They’d had this conversation before.
“That’s all well and good until we’re back on the ship and halfway across the universe.”
Jim’s next line was, ‘she managed four years of undergraduate studies without us nearby,’ but instead he said, “I think she and Jeremy are getting along pretty well, she might want to stay near him.”
McCoy set down his wine glass. “That’s all well and good, he’s a good kid, but she needs to make the decisions for herself, not him. Emory is good and I’m sure Jocelyn would like to have her nearby.” The last part was said with a bit of a frown, but it was well meant. Joanna had actually started school at a private college chosen by Jocelyn just outside of Atlanta, but two years into her studies, she had transferred to UC Berkeley without telling either of her parents.
“I really don’t think she wants to live near Jocelyn any more, Bones,” Jim said honestly, “and I don’t see why you keep pushing the idea.”
McCoy stood up and began clearing the dishes, a sure sign that he was uncomfortable with the conversation. “I know that. But she’s got other family there - aunt and uncles and cousins. And my mom and her sisters.”
“Ah well, it’s not up to us to decide,” Jim commented, with a shrug. “She’s a grown woman. She’ll do what she wants to do. Not much we can do about it, really.”
McCoy snorted, but didn’t comment, at least not loud enough that Jim could hear.
“Can I help?” Jim offered. He really hated being restricted.
“I got it,” McCoy told him. “Just sit and relax. You can have your glass of wine. It’s good.”
“I’m saving it for dessert,” Jim said with a smile.
“Dessert?” McCoy perked up from where he was loading the dish washer.
Jim’s smile widened. “Of course. You don’t think I’d order from Fortelli’s and not get their cheesecake, do you?”
“Seriously, Jim,” McCoy put his hands on his hips and looked at Jim suspiciously. “What’s up? What did you do?”
Jim rolled his eyes in exaggeration. “Nothing Bones, but after seeing Joanna I just thought…”
“Wait,” McCoy interrupted him, holding up one hand, his suspicious look magnifying ten-fold. “You said you talked with Jo today.”
“Well, I did,” Jim admitted, sheepishly. “When she was here.”
“What was she doing here on a Wednesday when she has classes?”
Jim ran a hand through his hair and offered McCoy his innocent smile again. “Funny you should ask,” he began slowly. “Why don’t you…”
The sound of a barking dog and a frantic cat interrupted whatever Jim was going to say and they both looked out the window into their backyard where the neighbor’s dog had treed a cat, who was currently hissing and spitting at the canine from the lower branches.
“God damn dog,” McCoy muttered as he headed for the back door to rescue the stupid cat again. This was the fourth time this month. Jim stood up and moved towards the couch in order to get a good view of the action. Casey, the neighbor’s German Shepherd did not like giving up his prey, and considering his owner probably wouldn’t be home for another couple hours, rescuing the cat usually involved McCoy getting out the hose and the dragging the chastised dog back into its yard while the cat escaped to taunt another day.
Apparently this time Casey’s owner, a lovely young woman by the name of Bryn, was home and with her help they managed to remove the shepherd from the yard. McCoy spent a moment trying to coax the cat down, but gave up when it took a swipe at him. Jim could just imagine the invective he was treating the cat to as he walked back towards the house.
“My hero,” Jim sighed as the door slammed behind. McCoy just huffed and frowned at him.
Jim gripped his cane and began to shuffle closer to his partner, deciding dessert could wait a bit longer, when something caught McCoy’s attention and he began moving away from Jim and over towards the coffee table.
“Jim,” he asked warily, “why is my tricorder out on the table. What did you do to yourself?”
“I didn’t do anything to myself, Bones,” Jim told him. “I already said that.”
“Then why…Oh god,” he looked over at Jim with a horror filled expression. “Is something wrong with Jo? Is that why you ordered in and got cheesecake and wine? Is she sick? Is something…”
“No, no, no,” Jim shook his head as he did his best to get over to McCoy as quickly as possible. “Jo’s in…she’s in perfect health. Better than, really. She’s fine, she’s just…”
“Then why the tricorder?” Bones asked, reaching down to pick it up. “If you aren’t hurt and she’s fine, then why…” As he was talking his fingers were tapping on the screen, obviously searching for the latest diagnostic test. “Oh my god, she’s…” he looked over at Jim, his expression aghast.”
Jim smiled widely, if a bit forced, and clapped the stunned man on the shoulder, giving him a squeeze. “Congratulations Bones! We’re going to be grandpas!”
Still wide-eyed and bewildered, McCoy looked over at Jim and then back at the tricorder. “Jo’s…she’s…my baby girl is…”
“I believe the word you are looking for is pregnant,” Jim finally took pity on him. “Enciente, knocked up, bun in the oven, prego, with child, up the…”
“Yes, Jim, I get it,” McCoy finally snapped.
“Just wanted to make sure,” Jim smiled at him. “Now why don’t you sit down before you fall down,” Jim told him as he used his free hand to push the stunned man towards the couch. Without protesting McCoy let himself be led over and forced to sit. He moved over when he realized Jim would have to climb over him to take a seat, but other than that he looked blankly down at the tricorder still in his hands.
After settling, Jim gently took the tricorder and set it on the coffee table and turned so that he was facing his partner, taking one of his hands in his, while the other came to rest on the back of McCoy’s neck, offering silent support.
“You okay?” Jim eventually asked when it seemed that McCoy wasn’t going to say anything.
He shook his head. “No, Jim, I’m not,” he said softly. “My baby girl is…”
“Going to have a baby,” Jim finished for him. “I know.”
“But she’s just…she’s just a kid.”
“She’s twenty-two,” Jim countered.
“She’s got so much ahead of her and to have a…”
“She’s still got a lot ahead of her, Bones,” Jim interrupted him. “This isn’t the end of the world.”
“How did this happen?” McCoy asked.
Jim grinned slightly. “Well, when a man and a woman…”
“Jim,” McCoy growled.
“Sorry!” Jim immediately apologized. “I just couldn’t help it.”
“Who?” McCoy asked specifically. “Jeremy?” His face was beginning to turn red and Jim gave him a worried look.
“Yes.”
“That little shit,” McCoy made to launch himself off the couch, but Jim held him down.
“What are you going to do, Bones?” he asked, holding on tightly to the other man’s arm. “He’s all the way across the city. Beside, I thought you liked him.”
“I did,” McCoy grumbled, “but that was before he impregnated my daughter!”
“Impregnated?” Jim said under his breath. “Way to make it sound clinical, Bones.”
McCoy ignored him. Shaking off his hand, McCoy crossed his arms but remained seated. “That’s it. She has to go to Emory, or some other school back in Georgia now.”
“What? Why?” Jim asked in surprise.
“So she has family to help out,” McCoy bit out.
“What are we? Chopped liver?” Jim asked indignantly.
“Jim, she’s going to need some serious support and we can’t count on this Jeremy guy,” he started to rant. “If she’s going to finish school she’s going to need a lot of support and I don’t want my grandchild growing up in a daycare. Not to mention…”
“Just hold on there,” Jim stopped him. “First of all, why do you think we can’t count on Jeremy? I’ll have you know that after we talked she went and had lunch with him and told him that she was pregnant and he proposed.”
“He what?” McCoy asked, his eyes bugging out, and not in a good way.
Jim held up his hand to stop McCoy from saying anything. “She said no, for now,” he reassured him. “She likes him, but she’s not stupid. She isn’t going to rush things. My point is, he’s being supportive.”
“We’ll see how long that lasts,” McCoy muttered. “And what happens when he decides that a kid is just too much along with medical school and…”
“Bones!” Jim spoke loudly in exasperation. “Will you stop being so negative?”
McCoy stopped mid rant and gave Jim an incredulous look. “How long have you known me?”
Jim chuckled. “Good point. But my original point still stands. Joanna needs us now. She’ll work things out with Jeremy. I have a good feeling about that.”
“Oh, you have a good feeling,” McCoy commented throwing his hands in the air and slouching back onto the couch in disgust.
“I do,” Jim said, ignoring the sarcasm directed at him. “Let’s just say a little birdie told me.”
“She told you?” McCoy looked over at him hopefully.
Jim nodded smugly. “She said out of all the guys she’s dated, Jeremy’s the first one that she thought could actually be it. Now, granted, getting pregnant right now isn’t the best thing, but I really think they can work it out. It will be tough, but they’ll have us.” He ran his hand reassuringly down McCoy’s thigh.
“Will they?” McCoy finally asked, looking at Jim expectantly. “Once your leg heals…”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Jim answered immediately. “First of all, I have some amazing doctors, but we both know that it’s long odds that I get back to one hundred percent. I have a lot of therapy to get through before the admiralty can officially decide anything.”
“But Admiral Dagg said that you could have a ship anytime you wanted, even at less than one hundred percent,” McCoy stated. “And I know how much you love it up there.”
“I do,” Jim agreed, “but I also like it here. We been on three missions; well, two and a half since we had to cut the last one short. We’ve already lost Sulu and Chekov to the Excelsior. Spock and Uhura will follow me up again if I decide to go, but I think Uhura is wanting to have a baby and she can’t if we’re on the Enterprise. We’ve seen a lot and done a lot, if I take up a teaching position, who knows, it might be another grand adventure. I get to mold young minds and prepare them for what space is really like.”
McCoy shook his head as he looked up at the ceiling. “Lord help us! You teaching.”
“I could do it,” Jim protested. “And I think I’d like it. I’d be the cool professor that everyone wants to have, and who the girls flirt with.”
“Need I remind you that you are married?” McCoy asked caustically.
Jim grinned. “I know. Just because they flirt with me doesn’t mean I have to take them up on it. And besides,” he said seriously. “It means we get to stay here and support Jo and babysit little Jimmy. I can work a split schedule, like only Tuesday and Thursdays, and you can work something out at the hospital and we can totally be the cool grandparents who go to the zoo and the aquarium and spoil the kid with all kinds of sweet treats that you never let me have, but it’s okay because you’re a grandpa now.”
McCoy just shook his head, a small smile on his lips as he took in Jim’s enthusiasm. “Little Jimmy?” he finally asked with a quirky smile.
Jim looked over at him as if to say, ‘well, duh!’ “You like little Lenny, better? I mean seriously Bones, if she’s going to name the kid after anyone it’s got to be me. Naming the kid Leonard is just…wrong, no offense. And it’s not like she’s going to name it after Clay.” He laughed.
“What if she wants to pick out a new name?” McCoy questioned with a raised eyebrow.
“James works as a middle name,” Jim answered without a pause. “I got it all figured out Bones, don’t worry.”
“You’d really…You’d really give up space for this?” McCoy asked hesitantly.
“Give up? Dude, we’re going to be grandpas,” Jim smiled. “That is so totally worth it. I’m not giving up anything. It’s going to be totally awesome.”
“Nobody over the age of twenty-five should be allowed to say ‘totally awesome,’ Jim,” McCoy said wryly.
“I’m just young at heart,” Jim replied impishly. “Come on, Bones. Admit it. You’re just a little bit excited by the idea. Come on…” Jim poked him in the ribs. “Admit it. Admit it. I know you are. You can frown at me all you want, but…You like the idea of having a little baby to hold and love.”
McCoy frowned for a moment longer, but then let his eyes soften as he looked over at Jim. “Yeah, I guess. If everything works out for Jo and…”
“No negativity,” Jim put a hand over McCoy’s mouth. “It might not be totally easy, I’ll give you that, but everything is going to be fine. We’ll see to that. We’ll help. We’ll do whatever they need us to.”
Taking Jim’s hand away from his mouth, McCoy gripped it tightly. “If you’re sure about staying and not going back up.”
Jim squeezed back. “I’m more than sure. I’m positive. This our little girl, Bones.”
“I love you, Jim,” McCoy told him with not a little awe in his voice.
“I know,” Jim grinned. “I’m totally awesome.”
“You totally are,” McCoy agreed, before leaning forward to give him a kiss.
To the Epilogue!