Bones was a nickname. He'd first gotten it after meeting the young startling blonde of a boy who just loved to tease him. His real name was McCoy. Leonard McCoy. The gruff old man who drank too much and loved too little. But Bones was a bit of a different name. That name was a loving term. One used out of affection as much as it was used for teasing. It had taken awhile for him to get used to it, but after awhile, Bones grew to like it. Soon it came to the point where he responded to the nickname more than he did his actual one. But he had another name, "Doctor". This name was all business. It was a healer's title, one skilled in medicine and knowledgeable in saving lives. The name was worn with use. The constant cries of "Doctor, doctor!" had worn the title out. The way it was used in the late hours of the night to wake him from his bed. The way it was shouted in terror by some poor soul in need. The title was stuffy, formal and important. It made him feel older than he was. Like the weight of all his troubles rested in that name.

But Bones was a newer name. Filled with a sort of fondness that he never tired of. He thought the way it was sounded was similar to that of "Father" and though he was a dad, he never got to see his daughter much. So being a father to those who called him "Bones" suited him just fine.