AN: Here I am, at it again. I was writing one story and this one started nagging at my brain. So, here's my OTP, FKirk/Bones. Modern AU style. As always, I don't own them, I just play with them. Don't own the song either, it's a good song though.

I needed somewhere to hang my head
Without your noose
You gave me something that I didn't have
But had no use
I was too weak to give in
Too strong to lose
My heart is under arrest again
But I break loose
My head is giving me life or death
But I can't choose
I swear I'll never give in
I refuse

Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?

Has someone taken your faith?
Its real, the pain you feel
The life, the love you'd die to heal
The hope that starts the broken hearts
You trust, you must
Confess

Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?

Best of You – Foo Fighters

"There you are," the bubbly redhead said with a smile from his new porch. "I was beginning to worry that you might've gotten lost. I'm Gaila Avery."

"Leonard McCoy," he smiled. "This is my daughter, Joanna."

"Well, nice to finally meet you both. Misses Thorne gave me your keys and I have the last of your paperwork."

"More paperwork. What I've always wanted," Leonard chuckled.

"It's not too bad. Just be glad they're not forcing you to drive up to Iowa City to do it," Gaila smiled. "Our clinic is part of the University of Iowa system. You'll have privileges up at the main hospital. You will need to go up there for an ID but you have about a week. I also have a list of places you'll need to know and numbers you should have as the only full-time doctor in town."

"Only?" he gave her a look as she let him and Joanna into the old -but nice- house.

"You know that Doctor Boyce is retiring. He'll work through the end of the year but after Christmas, you're mostly on your own. There's a doctor and a nurse practitioner, M'Benga and Chapel, that rotate down from IC but you'll be the only full-time permanent physician. Don't worry, we're not usually too busy. Sick kids, old people, the occasional tractor mishap. Welcome to Riverside," Gaila chuckled.

Leonard could admit that the small farm town -with less than a thousand people in it- was not his first choice of places to live but when he and his ex-wife, Jocelyn, divorced, she destroyed the one thing he cared about other than their daughter; his career. Overnight, the thirty-two-year-old went from being an up and coming surgeon in the Atlanta area to woefully unemployed. Leonard doesn't know how she pulled it off but nobody in any of the major medical systems back home would hire him. After reaching out to an old professor from Ole Miss, he ended up agreeing to take a job at the small clinic in Riverside, just south of Iowa City.

Even though she was against the move, his mother agreed that a change of pace might be good for him. He could admit that he needed a breather from the chaos he had back home and Riverside was close enough to a few bigger cities for the small town to be the perfect place to relax, maybe even to stick around if he and Joanna like it.

On the topic of his daughter, he was shocked as all hell when Jocelyn handed him the papers giving him sole custody of Joanna. Leonard honestly thought that Lyn would hold that child over his head for the rest of his natural life. The shock wore off when he found out from his mother, who talked to Jocelyn's mother, that the man his wife cheated on him with didn't like kids. Jocelyn would rather keep that asshole happy than take care of her daughter. As far as Leonard was concerned, it was a good thing, especially for his eight-year-old. As much as he wanted to strangle Lyn, he was just glad he didn't have to deal with her.

"Anything else I should know?" Leonard asked as he signed the stack of papers on the coffee table. Hooray for mostly furnished houses.

"Umm, the grocery store is okay but since you're from a big city, you might find it lacking. There's a couple Walmarts around, all within half an hour of here going north, south or east. Riverside doesn't have a police department but the county sheriff and his people are great. The school is small but awesome. Your daughter will have Miss Uhura, she's amazing and way too good for us but she likes being able to teach on a personal level."

"That's always good," he sighed.

"It is. Everyone goes to church, even if they don't believe. We all go to the football games too. As the town doctor, you'll be expected to show up to both. There's a casino out by the clinic but most of the locals avoid it like the plague. If you want a drink, either buy your own and drink here or go over to Quark's. Oh, don't run over any livestock unless you wanna pay for it. The weather's okay now but it can get cold, you will need a heavy coat by mid-November, at the latest. I think that's all the important stuff."

"Okay, great," Leonard said, looking around the room.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to this place. Then you won't ever want to leave."

"We'll see."

His mother warned him that moving to such a small town meant he was going to be the center of attention until the locals got something else to focus on but Leonard thought she was just trying to discourage him from moving. He should've listened. He could feel the eyes on him as he sat in his car outside the small elementary school waiting for his little girl to be dismissed. Leonard did get a kick out of the giggling moms the first few days he was in town but now, almost two weeks later, he found it to be a little annoying. It was like people never saw a single dad before.

He hopped out of his car and leaned against the door just as he spotted Joanna running down the stairs. She looked up, spotted him and waved like she always does, this time, however, she missed the step in front of her. Leonard moved to catch her, knowing good and damn well that he wasn't close enough to make it count, when a pair of arms shot out and caught his little girl around the middle before she hit the ground. Almost like he was frozen in place, he followed the sweater clad arm up to long and wavy blonde hair framing a beautiful face with full lips and a pair of deep blue eyes.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" the woman asked his daughter as he rushed over to them.

"I'm okay. You're a good catcher," Joanna smiled.

"Practice," the blonde smiled back. And what a smile it was, her whole face lit up and her blue eyes sparkled. She was gorgeous… and probably way too young for him.

"Daddy," Joanna ran over to hug him. "Did you see that?"

"You almost bit the concrete, I saw," he chuckled, checking her over, even though he was sure she was fine. "Thank you for catching her."

"Happens around here all the time," the woman said. "You just learn to catch 'em on the stairs. One year, kid fell and took out half the kindergartners. Made for a fun few days."

"I'll have to remember that," Leonard said with a smile. "You work here."

"Uh, no. I love kids but not that much. I'm just picking up my nephew," she smiled and offered her hand. "Jim Kirk."

"Jim?" he raised an eye brow as he shook hands with her. "That's an odd name for a girl."

"But it's mine. It's short for Jamison but my mother is only person who dares to call me that to my face," Jim smiled. "Nice to finally meet you, Doctor McCoy."

"You know who I am."

"I know a lot of things. Besides, you're new; the gossip train started rolling as soon as you crossed into town."

"Am I ever gonna get used to it?" Leonard asked, more to himself then her.

"Maybe, maybe not. You never know if you don't try," Jim said.

"Aunt Jimmy, come on," a boy, maybe a year older than Joanna, with reddish-brown hair and blue eyes said, tugging at Jim's arm.

"Okay, Pete, okay," she ruffled the kid's hair before looking up at Leonard. "I should get him home. See you around, Doctor McCoy."

"Miss Kirk," Leonard smiled and watched as she walked away.

"You think she's pretty," Joanna smiled.

"What? I do not."

"Yes you do."

"How would you know that?" he asked his daughter as they walked to his car.

Joanna smiled, "You're staring at her."