It was almost night time. Kirk was sitting on the farmhouse steps with Fred on one side and Joanna on the other. Kirk had a turtle on his lap and a pile of tools strewn near his feet. He had taken two clamps and glued them on either side of the cracked turtle's shell. He stretched out a hand and Joanna passed him a zip tie as she watched his actions with avid fascination.

Kirk fed the zip tie through the clamps and slowly cinched the fastener tight until the crack came together. "Doesn't that hurt?" Joanna asked.

Kirk shook his head. He gave one last pull and then put a few pieces of duct tape across the now-sealed crack before he was satisfied with his work. He passed the slightly damp reptile to Joanna.

The little girl was delighted. "You fixed her!"

"Yeah, just keep the clamps on for a few months and don't play around with it too much."

Joanna nodded vigorously, before jumping to her feet taking the turtle to a shallow pan of water. Kirk started to gather the tools by his feet. He dropped a handful into the tool box as heard Joanna say "thank you." He glanced up and noticed the little girl had come back. Kirk was even more startled when she threw her arms around his neck hugging him and gave him a kiss on his cheek. He flinched at the contact, and then awkwardly he hugged her back. The gesture was uncomfortable and yet pleasant. Kirk bit the inside of his cheek at the memories the action had evoked.

After a moment, Joanna released him and went back to her turtle. Kirk gathered the rest of the tools, put them away and then came back to the steps. He watched as Joanna let the turtle crawl and walked behind. The joys of childhood. Kirk sighed and contemplated his hands, thinking.

Fred broke the silence. "What's your story really?" Kirk pretended like he hadn't heard the comment. They had left the pond almost two hours ago and after Fred and Donna's attempts to find out what was going on Kirk hadn't said a word to either of them. Why couldn't they get it into their heads he didn't want to be bothered?

Fred continued. "You come here acting like you don't have a care in the world, everything's' a joke, you randomly decided to visit your friend's family. You're great with kids but you don't want to talk about why and you have scars everywhere. What's the deal?"

Kirk didn't say anything. He glanced at Fred then looked away pointedly. The man continued "You can't be that old and those scars are from awhile ago. So you probably got them when you were a kid."

"No sh— Sherlock. I think I told you a lot of them happened when I was a kid, but I told you they were accidents." Kirk stood up as Fred opened his mouth to speak again. "And what does it matter!" Joanna glanced at them. Kirk continued more quietly but still as intensely. "It's none of your business. I haven't had the best life. My dad is dead...ever heard of George Samuel Kirk? Well, I'm his son."

Fred's eyes widened slightly.

Kirk continued. "I lived with my mother and my a—hole stepfather and he wasn't a really nice guy, so quit with the questions!"

Fred didn't speak.

Kirk turned away from him and said "I was happy I came here for Joanna. It's nice... but you're a buzz kill." Kirk ended the statement lightly with just enough seriousness to let Fred know he wasn't going to take anymore probing questions about himself nicely.

Fred however had caught onto the first part of what Kirk had said. "You came for Joanna?"

Kirk realised he had accidentally revealed his real reasons for visiting and decided to explain before he wound up on the end of Donna's rolling pin again. "I came for Joanna because its Father's day weekend and Bones is thoroughly miserable. He won't come to see her himself . His ex-wife sent him a nasty comm.-message telling him if he came back in town she was coming to see him. I don't think he wanted to bother Joanna with all the drama . So he chose not to come at all." Kirk shrugged and continued. "But now , he's grumpy as hell and damn depressed. I decided to bring Joanna back for the weekend to visit him as a surprise."

Fred stared at Kirk with disbelief then chuckled. "That's really nice of you. You sound like a good friend but when were you planning on telling us this? Or were you just going to kidnap Joanna and leave a note on the kitchen table explaining? That wouldn't go over to well with my wife."

Kirk was about to speak when Donna came out the house and asked in a slightly dangerous tone "What wouldn't go well with me?"

Fred threw his hands into the air and told Kirk "I'll let you explain."

Kirk quickly summarised his plan and at the end Donna said. "First off No!"

"No? But Bone is your brother. Is it right for him—"

"I wasn't finished." Donna neatly cut him off. "I'm not letting Joanna go anywhere by herself with a stranger."

"Okay, two problems here. You just said she would be going by herself then you said she would be going with a stranger which obviously negates that she's going by herself." Kirk grinned enjoying himself. "Second, stranger? Really Donna I'm a stranger?"

"Yes, Jim you're a stranger. As odd as this may sound to you apparently: Knowing somebody for about eight hours does not qualify them as anything but a stranger."

"I'm hurt." Kirk said grinning more.

"Secondly, I haven't seen my brother for awhile." Donna pursed her lips. "And I really need to have a conversation with him about the company he keeps."

Kirk could tell she was joking. But he said "Now, I'm really hurt you said no and called me a stranger. Then you're insinuating I'm bad company but I'm sensing something pointing to a yes in your tactless comments." He grinned in what he thought was an ingratiating and charming way.

Donna said "Stop that. You just look creepy, when you do that."

Kirk dropped the grin and tried to look neutral. It would have helped if Donna didn't have a pretty floral apron on and hadn't pinned her hair up. Kirk tugged his eyes away from her body and tried to focus on her words.

"I'm saying yes, Joanna can go, but a responsible adult namely me is coming with."

Kirk ignored the jibe. "Yes" He punched a fist into the air revelling in having succeeded.

Fred and Donna both were a little surprised at his reaction. Donna said dryly. "I've never seen somebody so excited to get the privilege of taking a little child on a cross country trip."

Kirk ignored the comment. Instead he turned to Fred and asked "You coming too? I'm sure Donna would feel much safer if she had somebody to keep creepy me in check."

Fred laughed and said "I'd love too, but I have to leave for a meeting tomorrow morning it's mandatory."

Kirk shrugged. "Oh well." But he wasn't really disappointed. A few hours alone with Donna should be enough to wheedle a kiss from her.

Donna disappeared back into the house and after a few moments repapered with a platter of sandwiches and a pitcher of lemonade. Under one arm a chequered red-and –white table cloth was tucked.

Kirk tugged the tablecloth out and laid it on the glass. They all settled down to eat dinner and thanks to Donna carefully asking Kirk what he was allergic to the meal was allergy-free. The sky was finally dark and Fred turned some lanterns on as Donna brought desert. It was cookies. Kirk took one and chewed for a moment before an odd look crossed his face. He swallowed the bite and set the cookie down.

Donna didn't miss the action. She said in a concerned voice. "I checked the ingredients, carefully. You shouldn't be allergic to them."

"It's not that" Kirk muttered. He added "I just don't like them." Donna didn't push the issue.

Kirk didn't dislike the cookies, themselves it was the memory the sweet grainy taste had brought back. He remembered finding a dusty package of the same cookies on a looted shelf and bringing the package back to a group of children. He remembered the delight of their faces as they ate what for some of them would be their last meal. Kirk blinked to clear his eyes which suddenly were a little blurry. He stared into the darkening night sky and then a greenish-light winked in and out of existence, then another. Fireflies.

Kirk turned to Donna. "Do you have a jar?"

Donna appeared a little startled by the request, but said. "Yes, in the cabinet near the back door, there—

Kirk jumped up abruptly and said "I'll be right back" before he dashed into the house. , leaving Donna and Fred staring after him bemusedly. Kirk reappeared with two chipped mason jars in his hands.

Fred asked the question that all of them wanted to know. "What are those for?"

"Fireflies. " Kirk replied simply before offering Joanna a jar and saying "want to help me catch some." Joanna crammed the rest of a cookie into her mouth before nodding eagerly. Soon her and Kirk were chasing the bugs across the dewy grass. Donna and Fred had retreated to the farmhouse steps and watched as Kirk and Joanna filled the jars laughing and shouting. Soon the task of catching fireflies degenerated into a game of tag that ended with Kirk and Joanna collapsing in a laughing heap in the middle of the yard.

Kirk got to his feet after a moment or two and scooped Joanna up. He noticed her eyes were fluttering and had seen her yawning even though she tried to hide it. Kirk walked back to the porch and settled on the swing. Joanna yawned widely and rubbed her eyes, as she struggled to stay awake. She glanced up at him from where she was sitting in his lap and said "I'll see my dad tomorrow?"

"Yep."

"I wish it was tomorrow now." Joanna murmured sleepily.

"Close your eyes and when you awake up it will be."

Joanna eyes fluttered shut again but she forced them back open. For several minutes she tried to stay awake. Kirk slowly felt her body relax, before her she fell asleep she drowsily murmured "I love you."

Kirk went very still. He watched as she surrendered to sleep. Her mouth was slightly open and her face was perfectly calm. Her warm weight had settled in his arms, bringing back memories. Kirk closed his eyes and allowed himself to see the images ebbing forward. After a moment he opened his burning eyes and stood up being careful not to jar Joanna. He walked over to Donna and Fred who had quietly watched the interaction without comment and said 'It's getting kind of late. I think I'll go to bed."

He passed the still sleeping Joanna over , and turned to walk into the house—Fred and Donna had already said he could stay the night. He brushed a hand over his eyes, wiping away the moisture that had developed. He had placed his hand on the doorknob to open it when Donna said "We have a spare bed room upstairs. I'll go—"

Kirk shook his head cutting off her words. "Nah. I'll take the couch."

Donna appeared unsure and said "It would be no trouble."

"It's fine I prefer the couch."." Kirk walked into the house and retrieved a pillow and blanket from where he had put them earlier and turned off the lights. He flopped down on the couch and stared into the dark. It had been a pleasant day, but at the same time there had been too many reminders of the past brought into his present. Kirk laid there long into the night letting jumbled memories tumble through his mind.

XXXX XXXX

Kirk awoke long before everybody else. He grabbed a quick breakfast of coffee and an apple and changed back into his clothes which Donna had apparently freshly laundered. He left a note on the kitchen counter and went to return his rented motorcycle and arrange an air skimmer to the shuttle port.

When he returned Joanna and Donna were almost ready. In fact they would have been ready if Donna wasn't obsessing over what she should take, Kirk bit his tongue and resisted with difficulty pointing out that she wasn't going on a three month mission in deep space, but a simple-cross country trip for the weekend. He shifted impatiently as Donna kissed her husband good-bye and Joanna gave her uncle a hug. Sh- you would have thought they weren't ever going to see each other again. Kirk bit off the uncharitable thought and stubbed his shoe in the dirt. For some reason the whole display of affection was bothering him.

Finally Joanna and Donna started toward the vehicle. Kirk followed after carrying one of Donna's bags. He glanced down at the heavy bag and wondered whether she intended on taking in on the shuttle or could be persuaded to transport it ahead. Before Kirk had taken more than a few steps toward the shuttle he was stopped by Fred who said "I'd like a word with you before you go."

Kirk obligingly walked over to the man. Fred without preamble began. "I expect Joanna and Donna to be in San Francisco within a few hours and I expect them to be back Monday morning or we'll be having a problem. Do I make myself clear?"

"I guess this means they can't take a detour to checkout out the Martian colonies like I was planning huh?" Kirk quipped. Fred tried and failed to look completely serious at Kirk's remark.

Fred continued "And I'm going to say this again. No flirting with my wife."

Kirk couldn't bring himself to appear convincingly offended and instead settled for acting like the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. He said" so is that all now or do you have something else to warn me about?"

Fred surprised him by saying. "No I also want you to know it was nice meeting you. You're a good guy and a good friend. And...you're welcome back...just let us know when you're coming next time okay?"

"Why so you can avoid me? Or hide the valuables?" Kirk thought about adding or hide Donna? But decided that definitely wouldn't go over well.

Fred chuckled and shook Kirk's hand then said "you'd better go." The driver of the air skimmer was waiting impatiently and Kirk could see Donna trying to buckle in a fussy Joanna.

They made it to the shuttle port with three minutes to spare. When they boarded the shuttle, remembering Fred's warning Kirk took the seat farthest from Donna. Joanna settled between them and fell asleep midflight, her head resting against Kirk's arm and soaking his sleeve with drool.

Donna pulled out a ball of yarn a hooked stick and started finishing up something that looked like a slightly misshapen sock. Kirk stared out the window watching the scenery streak by.

When they got to San Francisco, they walked from the shuttle port to the academy. Joanna was excited at almost everything and stared as they passed the exotic shops and aliens filling San Francisco. Donna had to admonish her several times for pointing.

They arrived at Academy Medical and Kirk asked a nurse where McCoy was. The nurse recognised him and turned away from where she was calibrating a bio bed and pointed towards McCoy's office with an irritated look on her face. She added as Kirk moved forward. "But if I was you I wouldn't bother him. He's in a very bad mood."

"He's always in a bad mood." Kirk said.

She nodded "True, but I'm telling if you want to get your head chewed off then shoved up your you-know-what then bother him now."

Kirk shrugged off her words. He was used to McCoy's ill-disposition. He glanced at Joanna and Donna and told them to wait outside before he started towards the office.

XXXX XXXX

McCoy was not happy. He had spent the entire afternoon the day before treating a series of what he considered idiotic injuries. Anybody else would have considered a depressed skull fracture with a subdural hematoma, a hemothorax with flail chest and blunt force abdominal trauma with a tear of the mesenteric artery serious. But McCoy although he had treated all three cadets who had sustained the injuries in a professional manner, he couldn't bring himself to think of the injuries as anything else but stupid.

It had turned out that the climber of Nimitz hall who had sustained a tibial fracture wasn't alone in apparently going insane. Several other cadets had come in shortly after sporting numerous injuries and it was all due to idiocy.

As he had treated the moaning cadets he had yelled at them and insulted there family down to the early ancestors for creating such dumb progeny, when they had been sedated and were unconscious McCoy had continued railing at the individuals until the surgeries were finished. The staff had wisely kept out of his way as he had walked throughout medical alternating treating patients and criticizing other the other staff's work.

The morning hadn't been any better. A small army of cadets had appeared with hangovers, food poisoning and injuries from drunken fights. McCoy was fed up of people thinking the weekends were a good time to take a temporary leave of good sense and he had used the time spent administering hypos and medicine to give the cadets a good dose of his mind also

One nurse had finally convinced him to retire to his office to work on some paperwork after he had reduced a tech to tears and told her she was fired for not knowing all one-hundred common signs and symptoms of Andorian shingles.

McCoy had stalked into his office leaving the sobbing tech to be comforted by the nurse and slammed his door yelling through the closed panel "And don't come in and bother me with anymore sh-!"

McCoy settled at his desk and pulled up a photo of Joanna on his computer then after staring at it broodingly he angrily flicked it off. He started working on a report he was compiling and noticed his notes were disturbed, and then he remembered Kirk the day before had been sifting through his papers. McCoy bit of a string of curse words as he thought of his friend.

Kirk had went off campus they day before without bothering to get a pass and to cover for him McCoy had been forced to lie saying he had a doctor's appointment out of town. McCoy was tired of Kirk not taking anything seriously and acting like he didn't care about anything, he resolved to give a piece of his mind when he turned up.

A half knock sounded and before McCoy could respond the door burst open, revealing Kirk. His typical careless grin was plastered to his face and he appeared incredibly excited and rather pleased with himself.

"Hi, Bones."

"Don't hi me Jim. Did it occur to you while you were off doing whatever stupid sh—you wanted to do that you didn't get a pass to leave campus?

McCoy watched as Kirk's face fell a little at the less than pleasant greeting then Kirk said "Uh, no." He hadn't even thought about getting a pass. Kirk shrugged it off after a second of thought and his expression returned to its previous excited level.

McCoy didn't miss Kirk's easy dismissal of breaking yet another rule and irritably said "You're lucky I covered for your irresponsible a-."

"That's really nice of you but listen Bones—"

"No you listen. I can tell by your expression you've got something up your sleeve." McCoy narrowed his eyes and said "And Jim I'm-not- in- the- mood for whatever crap you're planning."

Kirk wasn't fazed by McCoy's comment. "You're in a really bad mood that nurse wasn't lying...Good thing I brought you something to cheer you up."

"What nurse said I was in a bad temper?"

"I'm not telling so you can start yelling at her."

"So it's a her. Was it Violet? Christine? Ne'dar?" McCoy asked already half-rising from his desk.

Kirk shook his head "I said I'm not telling."

McCoy scowled. "Go away Jim."

"I'm not I came to cheer you up."

"I- Don't-want-to –be-cheered- up!" McCoy growled through gritted teeth.

"Sure you do and if you ask nicely I'll go bring your surprise in." Kirk came over and perched on the edge of McCoy's desk. "You can say please, anytime now Bones." Kirk waited expectantly.

McCoy gave him an evil glare. "Jim, I know how your ideas of cheering people up work." He continued "Cadet Rivers failed three classes after her family died in that shuttle crash and she was worried she was about to fail the academy. So you decided to organize a water balloon fight that involved half the academy and coerced her into helping you fill the faculty swimming pool with dye just as the three faculty who were failing her were about to swim."

Kirk grinned. "Professor Relik looks great with blue skin. I really think it's his colour."

McCoy continued. "Did it ever occur to you that if she was caught she would have been expelled for sure?"

Kirk failed to look contrite. McCoy added. "Everybody was feeling down when those four cadets were killed during an EVO exercise. So you thought it would be a good idea to take everybody's mind off the situation by toilet papering Nimitz Hall, spiking the water in the mess hall with brandy and altering all the academy screensavers so they continually displayed jokes."

"That worked. I think Renfield was being really unfair chastising me for that, everybody's morale was boosted."

McCoy snorted " Two weeks ago you saw Noel crying and so you somehow thought filling her dorm with over twenty puppies would help her feel better."

Kirk shifted at that recount a little uncomfortably "How was I supposed to know she was crying because her dog had died?"

McCoy said. "Four days ago, two teachers who happened to be failing half the class suddenly had to leave class after two embarrassing episodes in class and came to medical with digestive difficulties and the day before a certain person—" McCoy stared pointedly at Kirk, who innocently held the doctor's gaze. McCoy continued. "helped me organize the medicines and I found four bottles of potent laxatives missing. So pardon me if I don't want you cheering me up!"

Kirk sighed "I'm just fated to be thought of badly." He muttered in a mock sad voice. Then added "Since you grouse and grumble about everything Bones, I'm going to take your irritable refusal for agreement and proceed with the plan." Kirk flashed McCoy a sly grin before slipping off his friend's desk.

"Jim you had better not!"

But Kirk was already leaving out the door. McCoy got up to lock the door against whatever hare-brained scheme Kirk had planned and paused staring at Kirk.

He was standing in the doorway next to Donna , with Joanna in his arms. As McCoy stared in uncomprehending disbelief, Kirk gently disengaged Joanna's arms from around his neck and said something nodding towards McCoy. Joanna twisted around at Kirk's words.

McCoy didn't say anything; he stared at Joana like she was an apparition. Then the little girl's eyes widened and she said "Daddy!". Before stretching her arms towards him. Kirk held her out and McCoy swung her up and gave her a tight hug. He savoured the feel of her in his arms. She was bigger than he remembered. Her hair was longer and darker. He pulled her a little away after a moment so he could look her in the face ;she was prattling away as fast as she could trying to fill him in on all that had happened since he had last seen her. McCoy listened to her with interest; he couldn't talk his throat was filled with a lump and his eyes were burning. He couldn't believe she was there, he held her tightly wishing the moment wouldn't end.

After several minutes he realised Donna and Kirk were still standing there. He glanced up and started to speak. A nurse walked by before he could speak and stopped in her tracks at the sight of the usually irascible doctor showing affection.

Kirk eyed the woman approvingly before leaning towards the wide-eyed half-Cygnusian nurse called Seila and saying helpfully. "That's Bones' daughter Joanna."

Seila's eyebrows went up in surprise then she smiled at the doctor and said "Oh really? So you have a soft side. I'll remember that when you're trying to ream us all new um—" She glanced at Joanna then said delicately "execratory holes.". Kirk snickered at her word choice.

McCoy blushed; he knew he was going to be teased mercilessly after it was all over.

Seila eyed McCoy for another moment then walked over to him and Joanna and said to the little girl who had turned to stare at the nurse. "Well, Joanna I'm Seila. I work with your father, and if he says it's okay, would like a lollipop?"

Joanna glanced at her father who gave a reluctant nod. Before he could set her down Joanna had wriggled from his grip and grabbed Seila's hand. McCoy watched them walk off before clearing his throat and wiping his eyes. The he glanced back at Kirk who was grinning like an idiot.

"Well, Jim. Thanks for—"

"Let's not get all mushy Bones." Kirk glanced at Donna who had tears in her eyes and said "You shouldn't be thanking me for bringing Joanna you should be thanking me for putting up with your sister! She tried to kill me twice!" He ducked his head slightly, parting his hair to reveal a small bump. "You see this lump here? She hit me with a rolling pin hard!"

McCoy didn't appear very concerned. "Knowing you, you deserved it."

"For god sakes that's all I hear. I deserved it! I should have a complex by now." Kirk said in a false injured tone. He gave a sideways glance at Donna and said coyly. "There's something else I deserve too. But I'll never get it."

"What's that?" McCoy asked.

"A kiss, your sister is awful stingy Bones."

Donna fake swatted Kirk who dodged out the way. She blotted her eyes and glared at Kirk, before turning back to her brother. "I don't know how you put up with him Leonard." But she was smiling slightly.

"The same way I put up with you, I have a high tolerance for crazy people." McCoy said.

Kirk's interjection was cut off when Seila reappeared with Joanna who was sucking a large lollipop. Joanna pulled away from the nurse when they were near and gazed adoringly up at her father. McCoy picked her up again not minding that his uniform was about to become covered in sticky goo from the piece of candy Joanna was sucking.

Seila stopped by Kirk and said "Joanna was telling me how you brought her to see her father. That was nice of you."

"Yes, it was wasn't it?" Kirks agreed shamelessly. Equally as shamelessly he added. "Say Seila, since I'm such a nice, generous person want to go out with me tonight?"

Seila just smiled and walked to where an intern was repairing a scalp laceration. Kirk watched her leave then turned back to McCoy.

McCoy was saying to Donna "I'm cancelling my appointments for the weekend. There's a place we can..." McCoy continued talking explaining his plans for the weekend. Joanna was busy clinging to her father and staring at him like he was about to disappear. Doanna was smiling and filling in her brother on everything that had happened.

After a few minutes they paused for breath and Donna glanced at Kirk who was hovering awkwardly and wistfully nearby. She didn't miss the expression on his face and paused only a second before saying, "You can come with us too Jim if you'd like."

Kirk hesitated then shook his head. He felt like his presence would have been an imposition and even though McCoy was quick to agree with his sister's statement he suspected his friend really didn't want him tagging along. Kirk casually replied "I appreciate the offer , but I've a got a lot of things to work on."

"Like what?" Donna asked, not missing they way he had hesitated.

"Oh , homework, some papers." Kirk smiled at Donna and raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Nurse Seila."

Donna blushed at Kirk's remark. Kirk continued. "I have a feeling she's a lot less stingy than you." He winked at Donna. He missed the disapproving shake of McCoy's head because he had already turned away and started toward the silver-haired nurse.

McCoy stared after his friend as he boldly sauntered up to the nurse. Kirk may have been irritating, childish, and generally an a—hole sometimes, but nobody could accuse him of not being a friend...

-The End-

This is the last chapter. No more updates. Feedback is appreciated , speak now or forever hold your piece. Questions for this chapter: How did you like the ending? Was Kirk IC for this chapter? What were your thoughts when McCoy finally saw his daughter? Any favourite parts of the story? Thanks to all my followers, favouriters and reviewers. And thanks to the repeat readers who check out my stories time and time again.