#daddy!bones

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I couldn't,” he answered gently. “I wasn’t sure I was going to make it here in time.”

“But now I didn’t get to look forward to having you here for the Family Days!” Joanna pouted, even as the big grin made its way back across her face. “Or register for all the competitions we could do together.”

“I’m sure they’ll make an exception for us, and we can still register, sweat pea,” McCoy kissed the top of her head and set her back down on the ground. “I really couldn't tell you before, you know. Because daddy only ever makes promises he can keep. You understand that?”

“Yes, daddy,” she sighed and, quickly losing interest in their discussion as she spotted her grandma waving at them from the cake and pie stall, grabbed the doctor’s hand to pull him along.

“Welcome home, Leonard,” McCoy’s mother smiled when they’d reached the stall, wrapping him in a big hug. “I’m so glad you made it!”

“Granny knew?” the frown was back on Joanna’s face. “You told her? Don’t you have to keep your promises to her?”

“Of course, I do, honey,” the doctor laughed, ruffling her hair. “But I never promised her I’d come. I just told her I’d try.”

Joanna seemed satisfied with his answer and turned around to search the sports grounds for a suitable activity they could participate in.

“Are you a fast runner, daddy?” she asked, looking at him appraisingly.

“That depends,” he chuckled. “If the cookie monster is threatening to eat the last piece of my favourite peach cobbler, I sure am fast as lightning!”

“You’re silly, daddy,” Joanna giggled. “There is no cookie monster, and you’re standing right next to a gazillion peach cobblers.”

“Oh, right,” McCoy feigned surprise, looking around the stall with all its cakes and pies. “So, what were you thinking of?”

“I want us to do the water bucket relay race over there. Can we, please?”

“Of course, we can,” the doctor smiled, winking at his mother and hurrying after his little girl to their first competition of the day.

x-x-x-x-x

Several activities and competitions later, an exhausted McCoy and his daughter were about to settle down on the grass near the cake and pie stall with cold drinks and an ice cream for Joanna, when a boy, looking close to tears, almost slammed into them, apparently trying to get away from four girls who were chasing him and laughing at him over something.

The girls came to stand right next to Joanna, and one of them pointed a finger at the boy, who’d sat down on the grass, face covered in his hands.

“My dad’s great,” he cried indignantly. “He just has to work, and he does love me!”

“Look at him, Jo!” the girl sneered. “No one likes him. Not even his own dad. Finn registered them for so many competitions, but his dad didn’t even show up today.”

“He can’t help it, if he has to pull an extra shift!” the boy, Finn obviously, murmured defeatedly, but the girls weren’t even listening, too busy taunting him.

McCoy was watching the scene closely, waiting for the right moment to intervene. It was clear that Joanna didn’t agree with the other girls who tried to get her to join in. He knew the outraged look on her face, when she was disgusted by something, only too well, and couldn't wait to hear her set those girls straight.

Joanna, however, just turned around and quietly walked away. The doctor was very disappointed to see his daughter abandoning the poor boy. He’d have to talk to her about this later. But right now, he had to put an end to the bullying. So, he went over to Finn and, crouching down next to him, disapprovingly fixed the girls, one after the other, with his eyes.

“Do you ever stop to think before you speak, girls?” he asked sternly. “Have you even considered that his dad might not have had a choice? That maybe he is needed at work more than other dads are? Some people have important jobs they can’t just leave at any given time.”

McCoy turned towards Finn and put a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder. “What does your dad do, kid?”

“He’s a paramedic,” Finn answered shyly.

“Oh wow, that’s one of the most important jobs of all! Just like fire fighters and other heroes!” the doctor exclaimed, looking back up at the girls, who were awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other now. “Just imagine if one of your dads or someone else you love had an accident, and there were no paramedics on duty to help them, just because they’d all decided they’d rather spend time with their families.”

The girls looked away, adequately chastened by the doctor’s words. All but one, who spoke up, looking at him defiantly.

“But still, there are plenty of other paramedics. Surely his dad could have made time for the Family Days, if he’d really wanted to!”

“It’s not always that easy, my dear,” McCoy replied more gently now, grateful to have got the girls thinking at least. “Sometimes there are emergencies, and they always take priority over private engagements. I’m a doctor myself, and this is the first time I could make it to the Family Days.”

“But that’s different! You work in space!”

“How is that different? Saving lives is always important, no matter where – space, Earth, or any other planet!”

x-x-x-x-x

After the girls had toddled off, and Finn had run off with a grateful little smile, too, McCoy had gone to find Joanna, who’d been watching from around the corner of the cake and pie stall.

It had been evident that she was proud of him while clearly less than proud of herself, and since the doctor hadn’t wanted to spoil the rest of the day for her, he’d just hugged her to him, brushed a kiss on her hair, and smiled, “Let’s talk in the evening, sweetheart, shall we? Because right now, I want to have some more fun with my darling daughter!”

So here they were, sitting on Granny’s comfortable couch after dinner, when McCoy brought the issue up again.

“Now tell me, pumpkin, why did you just walk away from Finn this afternoon?” he asked, trying not to sound too reproving.

“Well, I didn’t join in, did I? I hate when my friends make fun of him!”

“So, those were you friends, eh?” the doctor raised a quizzical eyebrow.

“Yes. They can be really nice, you know, dad,” Joanna sighed. “But for some reason, they always have it out for Finn.”

“That sounds like they’re bullying him, Jo. Are they?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“So, you didn’t join in,” McCoy went on. “I’m proud that you don’t just follow your friends’ lead and make your own choices instead. But, Joanna, in this case, not joining in wasn’t enough, you know that, don’t you?”

“What else could I have done?” she asked, but he could tell that she knew the answer perfectly well.

“Stand up for him, of course!” he spelled it out for her anyway. “And if those are your friends, it should have been particularly easy for you to make them stop.”

“But I didn’t really know what to say, dad! After all, you’re not often around, either,” his daughter countered with a helpless little shrug.

Joanna was just trying to explain, of course. McCoy was aware of that. She didn’t even sound accusing, and knowing her, probably didn’t mean it that way, either. But it was still like a punch in the gut. Because she was right. He wasn’t there for his little girl nearly as much as he should. Or would like to be.

Joining Starfleet had seemed like the logical choice at the time, putting some distance between him and his ex-wife after giving in to Jocelyn’s demand of full custody instead of dragging Joanna through a long and ugly battle in court. But maybe he should have fought harder.

Suddenly, the meaning behind Joanna’s words struck home.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart! Did they give you a hard time, too? Have you been bullied for not having your dad around?”

“No, never,” Joanna shook her head vehemently. “They’re my friends, and with you, it’s totally different. You’re a cele … a celeb … kind of really famous!”

“A celebrity?” McCoy couldn't help but smile at that, relieved that his daughter hadn’t been bullied because of him.

“Yes, that,” Joanna nodded. “And besides, Finn’s not even my friend!”

“So?” the doctor asked, the conversation back to the topic of bullying now. “If someone gets bullied, we stand up for them! That’s what we do! No matter if they’re a friend or not. We don’t just ignore it and hope it’ll simply go away again. You’d want someone to stand up for you, too, if it happened to you, wouldn’t you?”

“I guess so.”

Having made his point and knowing that Joanna was feeling bad enough about the whole thing anyway, the doctor moved on to the next question.

“Why are they bullying Finn anyway?”

“I’m not sure,” his daughter responded. “Probably because he’s such an easy victim.”

“I see,” McCoy said thoughtfully. “So, that’s where we have to start. Tonight, we’ll make a plan how to help him be less of a victim, all right? You can be quite bossy, sweet pea! I’m sure there’s a lot you can teach him about self-confidence!”

“I probably could,” Joanna grinned.

“Perfect!” the doctor smiled, holding up his hand for her to high-five. “And we’ll also figure out a way to convince your friends that bullying is a horrible thing to do.”

“Yes, daddy, let’s!” his daughter nodded enthusiastically, clapping their hands together, then proudly added, “We’re McCoys after all, we can make a change!”

“Where did you get that from?” McCoy chuckled, lovingly pressing a kiss to Joanna’s forehead.

“Granny always says that,” the girl explained, snuggling comfortably into her daddy’s arms.

Ah, good old mom! the doctor thought. She’d taught him all about values, and apparently, she was also making sure that Joanna got hers right, too.

“And, Jo,” McCoy returned to the subject of bullying one more time, “if your friends won’t listen to you, and the bullying goes on, you have to tell a teacher, ok? Bullying is a serious matter, and it often needs an adult to deal with it. You understand?”

“Yes, daddy,” his daughter nodded earnestly, “I understand. If I have to, I’ll probably tell my French teacher. I’m sure she’d be happy to help. And I promise I won’t just walk away again.”

“Glad to hear that, sweetheart!” the doctor smiled, immensely enjoying having this conversation with his daughter while holding her close instead of just seeing her face on a screen. “One more question, though. Why didn’t I get to meet the fabulous Ms. Annie, today?”

“Oh daddy!” Joanna giggled, playfully hitting his arm. “Why do you always get her name wrong? And you’d better not let her hear you calling her Ms. Annie – she hates that! Her name’s Ms. Anne. With a silent ‘e’.”

“All right, all right, pumpkin,” McCoy chuckled, impressed by his daughter’s linguistic expertise, and couldn't resist teasing her a little. “I’ll make sure to always call her Ms. Anne with a silent ‘e’ from now on.”

“Daddy!” his daughter exclaimed, rolling her eyes, “You’re so embarrassing!”

“Oh, am I now?” the doctor grinned, rolling his eyes, too, in perfect McCoy manner. “Well, maybe if I finally got to meet her, I wouldn’t get confused over her name anymore!”

“You’ll meet her tomorrow, daddy, I promise,” Joanna beamed. “She couldn't be there today. Something to do with her family. I think she had to go look at some colleges with her son or something. But after all the sports today, tomorrow is quiz day. And Ms. Anne always has the best quizzes! It’ll be quite a challenge for you to win them!”

“I can’t wait!” McCoy laughed, groaning inwardly at the quiz part, but looking forward to finally meeting this fabled teacher. “And make sure to introduce me!”

“Sure thing, Lee,” you smirked, brushing your hand against his arm. He tensed slightly under your touch and you winked as you turned out of your patient’s sight. Leonard had you up on his desk within seconds of walking in. It was quick and rough, all hands and teeth, so you knew there was something on his mind. He fell back into his chair, panting, and ran a hand down his face.

“Everything okay, babe?” You hopped off his desk, pulling your skirt back down and smoothing out the wrinkles in your uniform.

“Yeah, just not sure when we’ll be able to do that again.”

You froze. “What do you mean? Are you sick, Len?” You pressed a hand to his forehead. Still, your mind ran away with possibilities of all the horrible diseases you’d read about through med school.

“No, no, I’m not sick, sugar,” he said, taking your hand and pressing a kiss to your palm. “Jocelyn said she’d drop Jo off at my mama’s house in time for shore leave, so I’m gonig to spend it there.”

You pulled your hand back and crossed your arms. “That’s it? Jesus, and you call Jim dramatic. He’s never acted like he was dying because he didn't get to bone someone for a week.”

“You didn't live with him at the academy.”

“No, but I do live with you now, so I know exactly how dramatic you get. I’ve never seen someone cry over a broken coffee machine.”

“That was one time and it was a bad day” Leonard scowled. He crossed his arms, grumbling under his breath, and you couldn't help but laugh.

You leaned forward to put your hands on his thighs, face hovering inches from his. “How ‘bout I apologize to you at your mama’s house?”

“I’m not sleeping with you when my parents and daughter are in the next room.”

“So we ask them to take Jo to the park. Then you and I can have to whole house to ourselves to be as loud as we want.”

Leonard’s breathing picked up again and his eyes dropped to your lips. “How are you so damn perfect?” He brought his hand up to caress your cheek. You tilted your head to catch his fingers in your mouth, dragging your teeth along his skin. “We should get back to work,” Bones breathed, eyes still on your mouth.

You kissed him again, pulling back to rest your head against his. “Yes, Dr. McCoy,” you whispered. He groaned softly, watching your ass as you walked away and wondering how he got so lucky.

You were good with kids. You're sister had two already, and you spent a lot of time with them before you got stationed on the Enterprise. Plus, you're training as a nurse made it easier for you to talk to people. Still, you felt nervous pulling up to the McCoy’s house. You’d never met Joanna before, but you knew how much she meant to Leonard. If she didn't like you that would be the end of things.

Leonard had barely gotten out of the truck he rented when Joanna came sprinting out of the house. She jumped off the ground straight into Leonard’s arms, and he spun her around once, blowing a raspberry against her cheek. She giggled wildly as she pretended to struggle against his grip.

“I missed you, daddy,” she smiled, planting a kiss on Leonard’s cheek.

“Missed you too, sweetheart.” He held her in one arm and motioned for you to join them. “Jo, there's someone I want you to meet. This is Y/N. She's my best nurse.”

“Only because I have the best doctor to teach me,” you smiled. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Jo, but you’re a lot cuter person.”

Joanna giggled. “You’re cute too. Isn’t she’s cute daddy?”

“Not as cute as you, pumpkin,” Leonard said, blowing another raspberry on Joanna’s cheek before setting her on the ground. Joanna hesitated for a moment before hugging your legs and sprinting back to the porch where her grandparents were waiting. Leonard slung his arm around your shoulder, pressing a kiss to the side of your head as you walked up together.

They were much friendlier than you were used to coming from the North. His parents both hugged  and kissed you before ushering you inside to a full meal. You’d never tasted food so good, and you ate until you felt like you couldn't move. After dinner, you curled up against Leonard’s chest on the couch while Joanna sat on his lap, recounting every detail about her time at school and her friends. You didn’t see Leonard’s smile drop once the whole night.

It was surprisingly easy getting along with Joanna. Turns out you both had the same passion in life: annoying Leonard. You thought he was going to kill you after you and Jo surprise attacked him with water balloons when he came back from the grocery store, but he only laughed, grabbing his own balloons and jumping into the fray. He even let you and Joanna give him a makeover, complete with glitter eyeshadow, painted nails, and a poor attempt at a Mohawk. You and Joanna laughed for hours at the sight of him. You made sure to snap a few pictures to show Jim when you got back. While all of that was fun for you, none of it compared to how amazing it felt just to be curled up on the couch with the two of them watching a movie. Jo was sitting on your lap, now, as you leaned against Leonard. He had an arm around your shoulders, rubbing his thumb in circles over your shirt. Jo was just starting to doze off, head against your chest and clutching tight to the front of your shirt. Seeing her like that, you wondered how Leonard managed to be apart from her for so long. You’d do anything for that face.

The movie wasn't even halfway over when Leonard started snoring beside you. You watched him sleep for a few moments before sliding the remote gently from his hands. The motion woke Joanna, and you gently shushed her, telling her to go back to sleep as you turned the television off.

“But what about our sleepover,” she said, voice still heavy with sleep.

“Your daddy’s asleep to, so I think it's time for bed.”

Joanna shook her head, “I’m not sleepy! I wanna play some more.”

An idea popped into your head, and you grinned. “Well, there's an old sleepover tradition we had growing up where you draw on the face of whoever falls asleep first.” You tilted your head toward Leonard. “Do you have any markers?”

“Even better,” Jo whispered before climbing off you. She tiptoed carefully up the stairs and to her room, returning with an unopened pack of temporary tattoos. She beamed as she handed them to you, and you almost blew the whole thing by laughing then and there.

The two of you went through the whole pack, putting butterflies and flowers across every inch of skin Leonard left uncovered. Your favorite was the bright pink butterfly Joanna put smack-dab in the middle of Leonard’s forehead. You were still amazed Leonard hadn't woken up in the middle of your and Joanna’s plan, but he had always been a heavy sleeper. When you were done with him, you put the rest on yourselves and went upstairs to hide.

That's where Leonard found you, wrapped around each other in the middle of the bed. He'd woken up splayed across the couch, not quite sure where he was at first, but standing in the doorway watching the two of you sleep...Leonard knew there was no place he’d rather be.

Slowly, you started waking up, careful not to wake Joanna. You smiled down at her, stroking her hair. She looked more like her mom, but you could see she had Leonard’s nose and her hair was starting to turn brown like his. It made you wonder what your kids would look like. Would they be as outgoing as you were? As kind as Leonard? Would they have his smile, his eyes? The way he always touched his mouth when he was thinking? If they were anything like Jo, you knew they’d be perfect.

Movement at the door frame caught your eye and you jerked your head up, finally noticing Leonard smiling down at you and Joanna. You burst out laughing as soon as you looked at him. Joanna whined as she woke up, but you couldn’t tell her what you were laughing at. You pointed vaguely in her father’s direction, and as soon as Joanna caught sight of him - hair standing on end and butterfly tattoos still scattered over his skin - she burst out laughing too.

You tried desperately to catch your breath, but it wouldn’t come to you. Leonard’s smile quickly turned to a scowl as he stomped towards the bathroom. “What the hell is this,” he shouted when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.

Leonard turned to stalk out of the bathroom towards you, but you collected yourself enough to grab Joanna and pull her off the bed. “Run, Jo, run!” Joanna squealed as she bolted ahead of you. You sprinted down the hallway, but Leonard caught your arm right before you turned into the living room. The sudden stop sent you tumbling back into him, and he fell straight on his ass before rolling you both over so he was on top of you.

“Help me, Jo. He’s crushing me.” Leonard cut of your cries for help with a kiss, propping himself up on his elbow to keep his weight off you. His other hand reached up to brush the hair out of your face as he pulled away. He was too busy staring at you to notice Joanna sneaking up behind him until she jumped on his back.

“I got him! I got him,” Jo yelled. Leonard stood up easily, though, with Joanna clinging to his back. He pulled her over his shoulder and tickled her as she giggled in his arms. You brushed yourself off as you stood, and Joanna reached towards you to escape Leonard’s tickling clutches.

“You ready for some breakfast, Jo,” you said, bumping your nose against hers, “I hear your daddy makes some amazing pancakes.”

Joanna nodded furiously. “They’re the best in the whole world! You’ve gotta make them before you go, daddy!”

Leonard smoothed Joanna’s hair down in the back and kissed her head. “Anything for you, princess.”

“What about Y/N’s kiss,” Jo called after Leonard as he moved towards the kitchen.

Leonard chuckled as he made his way back to you, kissing you straight on the lips. Joanna made fake gagging noises in your arms until Leonard finally pulled away. “Love you, sugar,” he said, pecking you on the lips and ruffling Joanna’s hair before heading to cook breakfast.

“I love you too,” Jo said, kissing you messily on the cheek. She squeezed you gently, and you pulled her into a tight hug to avoid letting her see you all misty-eyed. You blinked a few times to clear your vision and saw Leonard hovering in the doorway beaming. His eyes were just as misty as yours.

“What do you say we go help your dad make those pancakes?”

Of course, there were many advantages to spending every day with your daughter. You never missed a milestone, and your bond with her was stronger than you would have ever imagined; but there were disadvantages as well. These didn’t become apparent until she had aged more and became more independent. Now she threw fits, and screamed when she didn’t get her way. She could walk and get into things you never had to worry about before. Just a few days prior, she had snuck into Leonard’s dresser and put his shirt on. As cute as it was, you had to work and she was being very distracting.

This day was no different. You were in the middle of translating and filing messages and other documents while Violet was going through every drawer she could open. You had already had to stop working several times to help her when she had fallen, or to keep her from getting into something that could result in her getting injured. Each time you stopped her, she flung herself to the ground and wailed. The tantrum would last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, but you just had to let her cry.

“Mama! ‘ook!” She said, trying to get you to look at whatever object she was holding. You groaned and continued to type.

“That’s nice sweetie. Give mama just one more second” You said as you saved your translation and turned away from the device. Before you could fully turn and find where she stood you heard a concerning sound.

“Oh, owwie. Mama!” She yelled, her voice starting to shake as she walked to you, holding a steak knife in her hand. “Mama!” She yelled again and you saw a gash on her hand.

“Vi! Baby!” You gasped and took the knife from her then looked at the gash. As the blood started to heavily flow, Violet started to panic. “It is okay baby. Let’s go find Dada hmm?” You picked her up quickly and put a clean towel in her hand before rushing her to medical.

“Leo! Leonard, god damnit where are you?” You yelled and a nurse jumped. She moved to you quickly and Bones came out from behind a closed curtain.

“Mrs. McCoy, let me take her. What happened?” She asked calmly and you put your hand on your forehead.

“I don’t know. I was working, she had a knife.” You started and Bones then rushed over to your daughter who was sobbing on the biobed in front of you.

“A knife?! Y/N! How did you not notice her getting into the kitchen utensils?!” He yelled, obviously worried and caught off guard. He was always grumpier when he was feeling protective. You looked at him in shock and you felt our stomach and chest fill a dark and crushing emotion.

“I don’t know Leonard! I have to work too and I am stuck in there all day. She gets into everything. I was almost done. Almost!” You yelled back and the nurse looked between the both of you.

“Doctor. Can you please inspect the wound? I think I will be able to patch her up and get her back home. You two need to talk elsewhere, this isn’t helping little miss Vi.” She said and you both looked at her.

“Dada! Dada!” Violet pulled her hand from the nurse and tried to make her way to Leonard.

“I got this. Can you show my wife the way out? I will talk to her later” He spoke to the nurse as if you weren’t even in the room. He had never treated you this way. You just stood there in shock and the nurse looked to you.

“I got it… make sure she gets a sticker after please?” You whispered and walked quickly out of medical. You looked around, feeling your chest tighten as cries threatened to come out. You spotted a random closet and moved to hide in it. You put your hand over your chest and took a few deep breaths before letting out a quiet sob.

He knew you had been struggling. Being a mother and a member of Starfleet was far more challenging that you had anticipated. Just a short few weeks after you got back to work, you started to show signs of depression. You no longer read as a hobby, or found joy in old activities. You worked, and then took care of Violet, there was nothing else. Bones knew this, but instead of pushing on the subject he simply picked up the slack around your quarters.

After few minutes of sobbing to yourself, your communicator went off. It was a message from Leonard telling you that he had Violet for the rest of the day. Your heart sank more and you calmed yourself before slowly making your way to your quarters. Once you arrived, you looked around at the messy living space and felt numb. Slowly you went around and cleaned the space till it was spotless, then you went to your bedroom and laid down. You brought your knees to your chest and just waited. The day seemed so empty without Violet.

~~

As you left medbay, guilt set in. He didn’t mean to be so harsh towards you, he spoke without thinking. Violet watched you leave and then proceeded to cry harder. Bones watched her as tears fell down her cheeks. She looked so much like you when she cried, and it pulled at his heartstrings.

“Alright little sunshine” He started and wiped her cheeks before he sat on the biobed and pulled her into his lap. “Let’s get you all better and then we will see what we can do for Mama. Sound good?” He whispered and rocked her gently as a nurse brought him everything he would need. “You have been giving Mama a run for her money, and I think she just needs a night to herself.” He whispered as he cleaned Violet’s wound and then took her to a regenerator.

“Mama?” Violet asked and Bones smiled.

“Yes, your Mama. Now” He smiled once her treatment was finished and he put a sticker on her polka-dot shirt. “We need to go to the bridge” He said and Violet’s eyes lit up. She always loved seeing her uncle Jim and everyone else.

~~

Leonard quickly moved through the hall to the turbo lift. Once to the bridge he sat Violet down and she ran in squealing. She quickly made her way to Jim and lifted her arms.

“Uhh! UH!” She said and he laughed, pulling her up and into his lap. He looked at her hand that was still wrapped for precaution and raised a brow.

“Uh, Bones? Whats this? Why is my precious little niece injured?” He asked and then tickled her tummy which made her giggle happily.

“Usual toddler shenanigans. Anyways, I uh I have a favor to ask. Can you watch her tonight? I have a feeling that Y/N needs a break. She seemed pretty frazzled when she brought Violet in.” Bones spoke quietly and Jim kept his eyes on Violet as he spoke.

“I uh…” Jim started and then looked at Bones with a soft smile.

“You have plans. Typical” He grumbled and Sulu used the opportunity to spin around. He beamed at Bones and Bones raised a brow in response. “Mr. Sulu? Is there something you would like to say?” He asked

“Yes Doctor, there is. I have plenty of experience with toddlers, as Demora is older than Violet, and I am free this evening.” He said with a bright smile. Violet looked at Sulu and wiggled away from Jim to run over to him. Sulu picked her up with ease and held her gently. “We could watch movies, and have a good time. Plus, I am needing a baby fix.” He finished and Leonard nodded.

“Well Mr. Sulu, I am going to have to take you up on that offer. Come pick her up from medical when you finish your shift?” He asked and Sulu nodded in agreement before letting Leonard pick Violet back up. “Thank you” He said and Sulu waved him away, there was no need to thank him.

“Bye bye!!!” Violet yelled and waved to the crew, which cause smiles and waves to come from every member before Bones took her to the turbo lift, and eventually back down to medical.

~~

You stayed in bed for the rest of the day. You couldn’t bring yourself to even get up to grab water. It must have been 4 hours since you last saw Leonard. Ever since you came back from your break down in the hall, you had been thinking constant negative thoughts. What if you were an irresponsible mother? Was this going to be the breaking point in your marriage? Were you to blame for Violet getting hurt? Did Leo think you were a bad mother?

All these questions floated through your mind, even as the doors to your quarters opened. You looked towards your bedroom door but didn’t hear Violet at all. The silence made you sit up and go to the main living space.

“Vi?” You asked and Leonard stood at the door, alone, with flowers from Sulu’s personal collection in his hands.

“Sulu has her for the night. Y/N, listen” He started and you looked to the ground.

“I’m sorry I’m a bad mother” You cut him off and he dropped the flowers on an end table before he walked quickly to you. He stood in front of you and reached to tuck his index finger and thumb under your chin. You let out a quiet sob and the events from earlier came to mind.

“Y/N. Darlin’” He said and gently pulled your chin up so you looked at him. He moved to cup your cheeks and wiped the tears away. “You are not a bad mother. I know you have been struggling, and I haven’t been providing you with the support you need. I am so, so sorry that I reacted the way I did today. My god woman, seeing you so frazzled, and seeing Violet so scared, I didn’t know what to do.” He said and you blinked away tears as you looked up at him. “Y/N, you are an amazing mother. You have been there constantly, you have put part of yourself to the side just so you can cater to her every need.” He continued to speak and you sniffed hard, leaning into his hand.

“Oh Leonard” You responded and moved to hug onto him and he held you tight. “I’m sorry I have been so “

“None of that. You don’t need to apologize. Things happen, kids get hurt. I want to help you more. I want you to feel like you can be you again, not just a mom.” He spoke gently and moved to pet your hair gently as you leaned against his chest. “I love you so much Y/N” He whispered and placed a tender kiss to your hair.

“I love you too Leonard.” You said with a soft smile. You looked up at him again and he leaned down to press a gentle kiss against your lips.

“Now, get that perfect ass on the couch, I am going to prep dinner while you read the new book I got you” He said and handed you a wrapped hardcover book with a soft smirk on his lips.  

“Daddy, guess what?” Joanna burst out excitedly before the channel had even opened properly.

“And hello to you, too, sweetheart!” Leonard laughed, his heart brimming over at his daughter’s unbridled happiness. “I don’t think I can guess. You’ll have to tell me!”

“I wrote the best French test of everyone in my year!” she proudly announced, and the doctor couldn't have been more impressed, if she’d just won a Nobel prize.

“Did you now, honey,” he nodded his approval. “That’s wonderful news! I’m so proud of you!”

“It wasn’t really that difficult,” Joanna went on, rolling her eyes a little, “but most of my class mates just don’t get the subjonctif, even though it’s completely easy and logical.”

“I’m sure it is for you,” Leonard smiled, “but not everybody is as bright as you are, sweat pea.”

“You always say that, Daddy,” the girl giggled, melting her father’s heart with the musical sound. “But I’m lucky, I have the nicest French teacher, too!”

“Is that so?” the doctor raised an interested eyebrow. “What’s her name again? Ms. Anita?”

“Oh, Daddy, you always get that wrong!” Joanna groaned, treating her father to another one of her trademark eyerolls. “That’s our Spanish teacher. And she’s weird.”

“Don’t say that, pumpkin,” Leonard gently chided. “You know I don’t like it when you speak disrespectful of people. Especially your teachers.”

“I know, Daddy. Sorry!” his daughter replied, looking at him contritely. “It’s just that she’s really a bit … scary. But Ms. Anne, my French teacher, is really, really nice. She’s my favourite teacher of all!”

“She must be really nice, then!” the doctor smiled. “I think I’d like to meet her someday!”

“I’d like that, too!” Joanna squealed, delighted at the thought. “She’s so much fun! She tells the most amazing stories, and she has this lovely cat she sometimes brings to class, and she starts every lesson with a really bad joke and says her cat invents them. Can you imagine?”

Leonard had to laugh at his daughter’s enthusiastic ramblings. This Ms. Anne really sounded like a wonderful teacher. He was glad his little girl enjoyed school so much.

“Maybe you can come home right before the summer holidays next year?” Joanna asked hopefully. “Then you could come to our family days at school and enter some of the father-daughter competitions with me!”

“I’d love to, sweetheart,” Leonard sighed, “but you know how it is. I can’t make any promises other than I’ll certainly try. But I promise we’ll have a lovely time during my next home leave, even if I can’t make it to the family days.”

“It’s ok, Daddy,” Joanna said mildly, the doctor’s heart melting at the understanding in his daughter’s voice, “I’m sure I can get Ms. Anne and her band to give us a private bagpipe concert whenever you come.”

“A what?” Leonard spluttered, not sure if he’d heard right.

“A bagpipe concert!” his daughter repeated, looking at him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“But we’re talking about your French teacher here, right?” he asked again, just to make sure.

“Yes, Daddy,” Joanna confirmed, heaving an exasperated sigh. “But she’s good at everything! Just like you! You’re a doctor, and yet you make the best peach cobblers!”

“So I’ve been told,” Leonard laughed, feeling ridiculously pleased that his daughter thought so highly of him.

But of course, only someone who knew that peach cobblers were Joanna’s favourite food in the world could appreciate the high praise.

“Time’s almost up, sweetheart,” he said softly, always dreading that moment and hating how it seemed to dim the bright sparkle in Joanna’s eyes a little.

“Already?” she asked, frowning as she checked the chronometer on her screen.

“Afraid so,” Leonard sighed, “But we’ll talk again next month, pumpkin!”

“Can’t wait, Daddy!” the bright smile was on again.

Then Joanna’s face turned serious, and she briefly looked around, probably checking that her mother was out of earshot.

“I know that mom gives you a hard time when you miss our calls,” she whispered conspiratorially. “And I used to be really upset when I was little. But I’m a big girl now. I get that doctors sometimes can’t get away from treating people.”

Leonard had to swallow hard to find his voice again.

“I’m a grown up, and I still get upset when I miss one of our calls, sweat pea. But sometimes it can’t be helped. I’m very glad you’re old enough to understand that now. Just know that I’d never miss a call for anything less than a real emergency.”

“When I grow up I want to be a doctor just like you!” Joanna beamed. “I want to help people and make them well again, too! My friends are all so jealous that I have a dad who lives in space and helps all sorts of aliens get well again.”

“It’s certainly interesting and a big adventure,” Leonard smiled, trying not to give away what he really thought about living in space.

“Mom says it’s a stupid job and you can’t have a proper family. But you can! You have me and grandma, and I love you lots!”

“Love you more, sweetheart,” the doctor grinned, unable to keep his eyes from filling up any longer.

Joanna was so warm-hearted. So incredibly kind and loving. Basically, everything her mother was not. The girl really was the light of his life, and he was so proud of her. She made every pain Jocelyn had ever put him through worthwhile.

“Got to go now, pumpkin. And you need to go to bed. You’ve got school tomorrow,” Leonard told his daughter, then jokingly added, “Say hi to Ms. Anne from me, darling!”

“I will, Daddy! Did you know it’s her birthday tomorrow? She said she was going to bring a French cake. Some tarte, she called it.”

“That sounds awesome, sweat pea! Enjoy! Love you to the other side of the galaxy!”

“And I love you to the other side of the galaxy and back!” Joanna replied, giggling at their usual good-bye ritual, while Leonard made a face as if he couldn't believe so much love even existed.

“Sleep well, sweetheart! Talk to you again soon!”

“Merci! Bonne nuit!”

“Late to what, my dear sister?” He was teasing you. Typical.

You pinched the bridge of your nose, trying not to make a scene in front of Bones and his daughter. “You complete and total douche yacht. This was your plan all along wasn't it?”

Jim laughed at your weak insult. “Douche yacht?”

“Yeah like a douche canoe but bigger.” You heard the comm drop as Jim laughed harder. “This isn't funny Jim! What the hell am I supposed to do alone with Bones at the zoo?!”

Jim scrambled to pick up the phone before replying, still laughing, “As if you've been thinking about anything but what you’d do when you got Bones alone.”

“Well it's not like I can just jump his bones in front of his daughter!! What the hell do I even do with a kid!”

“Y/N,” a small voice beside you said, “what does ‘jump his bones’ mean?”

You froze, and you heard Jim cackling louder than ever over the comm. “You're a dead man, J,” you whispered before hanging up the phone. You took a breath to collect yourself before crouching to face Joanna. “Well, Jo, it means...It means I want your daddy to, uh…give me a piggy back ride is all.”

“Hm, okay!.” Joanna smiled and hugged your leg. You relaxed a little, glad something was at least going your way. Now, you just had to figure out how to swear her to secrecy.

You were devising a plan that involved a lot of ice cream, when Joanna bounded back to her father. “Daddy, daddy. Auntie Y/N said she wants a piggyback ride.” Oh God, you thought desperately.

Bones crouched down in front of his daughter, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “I don’t know, Jo. I think Y/N’s a little old for piggyback rides.”

Joanna shook her head, hair swinging in waves around her. “She said so, Daddy, she said so! She wants to jump your bones.” You were frozen mid-step, hoping to cut Joanna off before she could say anything. A few passersby turned to look at the three of you as Joanna’s voice carried. It felt like all the blood in your body got a one way ticket right to your cheeks. At this point, best case scenario for you was falling into the wolf pit and getting eaten. You couldn’t bring yourself to look at Bones, but out of the corner of your eye you could see him smirking.

“Well, Jo-bear, Y/N’s piggyback ride’ll have to wait, ‘cause this back is reserved for my princess today,” Bones said, ruffling Joanna’s hair. She giggled and swatted his hand away before he picked her up, carrying her on his hip. “Oh, and Jo.”

“Yes, Daddy,” she said, still working on straightening the bows in her hair. “Let’s not say, ‘jump your bones’ again, okay, sweetheart? Ain’t lady-like,” Bones directed the last part of the sentence to you, with a wink. Yeah, definitely time to throw yourself to the wolves.

With your embarrassment soon forgotten by all but you, the rest of the trip was pretty enjoyable. Once you got down to it, it was surprisingly easy to talk to Joanna. She kept asking you questions about Leonard and life on the Enterprise, the two things you were most passionate about. Right now, she was propped up on your shoulders, braiding your hair as you walked and talking about her own dreams to join Starfleet and become a medic like her dad. Bones couldn’t help but smile at the two of you.

He looked at his watch with a sigh, really not wanting the day to end: “Well, ladies. I think it’s time we hit the road.”

Joanna slumped over your head dramatically. “But daaaaddy, I haven’t finished braiding Y/N’s hair, and we haven’t even been to the reptile house. I wanna see the Filian pythons!”

Bones reached out for Joanna, pulling her off your back and setting her on the ground. He knelt in front of her, straightening out her jacket and smoothing her hair down. “I know, sugar, but the animals have to sleep too. You can finish braiding Y/N’s hair in the car, okay, pumpkin? Don’t you have your spare bows in there?”

“Plus, I think there might be a Filian python in the gift shop with your name on it,” you said, dropping to Joanna’s level and throwing her a wink. She immediately brightened, throwing her arms around your neck and knocking you backwards.

You barely managed to catch your balance before Jo was tugging on your and Leonard’s hands, pulling you towards the gift shop. “Come on, come on! Why are grown up so slow?” She stopped for a moment, staring at the two of you in horror. “Am I gonna be that slow when I grow up?” You and Leonard laughed.

“You can run on ahead,” Leonard replied, “just stay close, and be careful.”

“Thanks, daddy,” Joanna said, hugging Leonard’s leg. “Will you guard this for me Auntie Y/N?” Jo handed you her backpack, not giving you time to answer before skipping off ahead.

“So,” Bones started, still staring straight ahead at his daughter, “‘bout earlier.”

“Hm,” you hummed, eyes still trained on Joanna. You shifted her backpack higher onto your shoulder. Leonard took your hand in his, gently tugging you to a stop. Your breath caught, eyes dropping first to your hands entwined and then looking to his face. The smug bastard had that eyebrow raised again and you were sure you’d melt on the spot.

“You really gonna pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about?” Leonard ran his hand up from yours to your elbow, pulling you closer to him. His other hand brushed your cheek, and then back into your hair, running his fingers over the braid Joanna had put in.  

“I dunno. I don’t think my brain’s getting enough oxygen right now. Maybe I need a little mouth-to-mouth to kickstart my memory.”

Bones laughed. “I hope you know more about xenolinguistics than you do about medicine, or our ship’s doomed.”

“Oh, trust me. I’m very skilled with my tongue.” You slipped a hand around the back of Leonard’s neck, pulling him towards you. You could smell his cologne already and the thought of his stubble brushing against your cheeks was making you a little lightheaded. Your lips brushed together, and you were expecting fireworks. There was a scream instead.

You whipped your head to the right, eyes immediately going for Joanna. You heard a splash of water and before your brain processed what happened you were already sprinting to the pond. You pulled the backpack off as you went, dropping it by the side of the pond before tumbling in arms first, not wanting to hit Joanna. You reached blindly, hitting a koi fish before grasping the front of Joanna’s jacket. You quickly stood, hoisting Jo over your head and putting her on the rocks at the edge of the pond. She was soaked but seemed to be in otherwise good condition.

Leonard was there in a heartbeat, fussing over her. He insisted on pulling out the tricorder he’d put in Joanna’s backpack and scanning the both of you twice. When the scans came up clear, he pulled both of you against his chest, kissing the tops of your heads. He hoisted Jo up, cradling her in his arms, trying to calm himself down more than her.

“Uh, Bones,” you said, still lying on your back at the edge of the pond, “I appreciate your concern and all but maybe we could go? I’m kind of freezing here.” A small breeze hit you, making a shiver run through your body as if on cue.

“Jesus, yes, of course. I’m so sorry.” Bones reached his free hand towards you, pulling you up against his chest. He held you there for a second, pressing another kiss to the top of your head. “Thank you,” he mumbled. Joanna giggled.

“Daddy likes Y/N!” She gasped as a thought struck her. “Does that mean Y/N’s gonna be my mommy too?”

“It’d be an honor to be such a beautiful little girl’s mommy,” you said, reaching out to Jo. She jumped from Leonard’s arms to yours, but you caught her easily. “I think that’s a decision your daddy and I are going to have to make later, though, okay, sweetie?”

“Yeah, okay. I forgot grown ups are slow.” You chuckled again as Joanna snuggled up against your shoulder. She was asleep by the time you reached the car, so you carefully climbed into the backseat, not wanting to wake her. Bones chanced a glance at the two of you before pulling out of the parking lot, only to find you curled around Joanna, the two of you sleeping soundly. The smile didn’t leave his lips the whole ride home.

As always, let me know if you want tagged or if you want not tagged!

Tags!

@jimtkirkisabitch @imamotherfuckingstar-lord @outside-the-government

@martinawalker @thevalesofanduin @goingknowherewastaken @daybreak96

Your pregnancy was easy compared to what came after. It had only been two weeks since your daughter was born and Violet could be as much of a pain as she was a blessing. Your body still had some aches as your internal organs shifted back into place. Your breasts were raw, and nipples nearly chapped from breast feeding; and it seemed to only get harder.

On this day, there was not a thing you could do to sooth your precious little angel. With each tear, cry and wail, your heart continued to break. She had eaten, she had been changed and there was still nothing you could do. You had just finished a soothing lavender bath with her when the sound of the door opening broke through the cries. Leonard had finally finished his shift. You must have given him a face just as sad as your daughter’s, because the moment he laid eyes on you he filled with worry.

“Y/N?” He asked and came over, gently pressing his hand on the small of your back. “How long has she been upset?” He asked and you let out a soft sigh before leaning into his hand.

“Since you left this morning.” You said and she let out another wail. This wail was desperate, and the sound alone made your eyes fill with tears as you continued to rock her slowly from side to side.

“Hey, hey, hey. Hand her over. I will try to work some magic.” He said and slowly started to lift the little bundle out of your arms. You hesitated, you hated not holding her when she was having a meltdown. He scooped her up and held her head in the crook of his elbow. “Go get some tea, change into something comfortable and try to relax. Go” He continued before he nudged you gently and you nodded. You changed into clothing that was comfortable but concealed the changing shape of your body. You quickly walked through the door and stood for a moment in the hall.

You looked shocked as you saw sympathetic looks from people passing by, but then quickly realized that they could hear her wails as well. You walked quickly to the mess hall to get something to snack on, trying to ignore the cries that pulled at your heart strings.

After a few moments to gather yourself you came back to your door, and heard nothing. Relief seeped from your heart, down your spine and into the furthest reaches of your body. You blinked as ache suddenly filled your back and arm muscles. How long had you been so sore?

Quietly you entered the room, only to have your heart melt at the sight in front of you. Bones had sat on the couch near your small window that looked out at the space that surrounded the ship. He had his knees pulled up and she laying back on them, watching him. A smile spread across your face as you heard the most wonderful sound. He was singing to her. He switched from singing classic rock, to lullabies. Jim would be so proud. You stood still and watched as the love of your life was occupied with soothing your daughter. After a few moments, she was sound asleep. Bones looked up to see you which caused a blush crept up his neck to his cheeks.

“You are the most amazing father and husband” You whispered as you made your way over to the pair. He beamed and moved to cradle her in his arm again then wrapped and arm around you so you could snuggle to his side.

“I am lucky to have a wife and daughter to make me the best man I could be.” He said and kissed your temple. You relaxed again and reached to gently take Violet’s hand. You looked up at him to see him looking at him lovingly at you. “I love you so much Y/N” you giggled quietly in response.