A/N: This idea has been floating around in my head since I saw the new moving in August. Only now, have I had the time to write the story. Thank you for reading!

"Dammit, Jim! Why am I here? You're telling me you couldn't handle a little retrieval mission without me?" McCoy complained from behind the young captain of the Enterprise.

"Oh, Bones, you know I enjoy your optimism and willingness to improvise." Kirk laughed as he continued to trod down the dirt path.

McCoy stumbled slightly behind Kirk and glared daggers in the captain's head. "I'm a realist. If bad things didn't happen when I'm with you, then maybe I would be an optimist."

"Relax, Bones. This planet has been silent in the three days we've been orbiting it." Kirk assured.

"That's what worries me." McCoy replied.

The men followed the path to the edge of a cliff where it descended into a canyon with a small river coursing through the bottom. The red walls of the canyon left the river in shadow and hid the object Kirk and McCoy were meant to find.

Kirk turned to McCoy, and with a boyish grin said, "After you," and gestured to the steep path to the canyon floor.

"Yeah, right. If you wanted someone to go first you should have brought Spock." McCoy argued.

"At least Spock would appreciate my offer to go first." Kirk mumbled as he started down the path. McCoy followed without a word, knowing it would be ignored.

Reaching the bottom of the canyon, Kirk admired the natural beauty of the newly discovered planet. He was mesmerized by the intricate designs naturally carved into the walls from decades of erosion.

McCoy rolled his eyes. "Whenever you're done gazing at rocks, I would like to find this drone and get back to the ship."

"Don't you ever just stop and smell the roses, Bones?" Kirk clapped McCoy on the shoulder as he passed him.

"Roses don't have a scent. And even if they did, I have plenty of better things to do than smell a damn flower." McCoy replied.

"Oh, I get it," Kirk maneuvered around a boulder following the trail projected on his hand-held device, "you can't enjoy roses because of your ex-wife."

"This has nothing to do with her." McCoy denied.

"I bet it does. Tell me, what did she leave you with again?" Kirk smiled at his companion. McCoy didn't reply. "Oh, right! 'All I got left is my bones.'" Kirk imitated his friend.

"Bastard." McCoy grumbled.

"I love you, too," laughed Kirk.

They walked in silence as Kirk led them through fallen boulders and the gravel terrain of the canyon floor. As they approached a cave, Kirk could hear the beeping of the lost drone coming from inside. Kirk made a move toward the cave, but McCoy stopped him.

"What?" Kirk questioned.

"Aren't you curious as to how the drone ended up in a cave at the bottom of a canyon?" McCoy asked.

"It probably hit the wall and malfunctioned before skidding into the cave. Who cares?" Kirk moved toward the cave again. "I thought you wanted to finish this mission and get back to the ship. This is how we do it." Kirk stepped into the cave, continuing on the path to the drone.

McCoy looked around the canyon before following his friend into the near darkness of the cave. Up ahead, he could see the flashing of a blue light signifying the drone. Kirk was the first to reach the drone and looked it over. The outside armor was dented in places and scratched across the bottom where it had skidded across the rocky ground of the planet. The panel housing the electronics was opened and the wires from inside were draped across the nose of the drone.

"That panel has to be manually opened, Jim." McCoy noted.

"Relax. It probably came open during the crash and the wires popped out." Kirk explained.

"But if it came open while it was crashing, the wires would've been blown backward toward the tail." McCoy rationalized. "And those dents look like the drone was hit before it crashed."

Kirk studied the drone as he listened to his friend. Some dents seemed to be made before the long scratches were made on the body of the drone. "Okay, Bones. I think you're right. We should go."

McCoy and Kirk ran back the way they came in and out into the open canyon. Kirk flipped open his communicator. "Chekov, I need you to beam me and McCoy back to the Enterprise."

"Aye, aye, Captain. Locking in on your signal. Do not move."

A phaser shot hit a boulder close to Kirk's head and they both took off running in the opposite direction.

"What the hell was that?" McCoy asked.

"Someone's firing at us." Kirk replied.

"I thought you said this was a new planet."

"New to us, but apparently old to someone else." Kirk looked back to see a group of humanoids chasing them. "Chekov! Beam us up!"

"The rocks are interfering with the signal, Captain. You need to get to the top of the canyon."

More shots hit close to Kirk and McCoy's feet as they ran, causing bits of rock to hit them. Kirk, who was slightly faster than McCoy, reached the steep path to the top of the canyon first and sprinted to the top. A few steps behind him, McCoy was near the top when pain seared through his left side. He stumbled as he put a hand to his rib cage, and felt the heat left over from the phaser shot.

"Bones!" Kirk yelled at his friend. "Come on!" Kirk could see the natives getting closer as McCoy struggled to get up the path. The flashing lights from the transporter began to encase both men. McCoy was two steps from Kirk when something latched onto his leg and pulled his feet from underneath him.

"Jim!" McCoy yelled as he was dragged down the path toward the natives that had gathered at the bottom.

Kirk was there long enough to see Bones reach the group of natives before he was beamed back aboard the Enterprise. He looked at Chekov at the control panel. "Send me back."

The young boy stared at his captain without moving.

"Send me back! I have to get Bones! That's an order, cadet."

"Do not press that button, Mr. Chekov." A new voice filled the room.

"Spock, Bones is still down there. If I go now I could still save him." Kirk replied.

"Captain, I must disagree. Going back without proper calculation could lead to the demise of not only you, but also Dr. McCoy."

"He could be dead now!" Kirk yelled.

"I am tracking Dr. McCoy's signal now, Captain. He is currently alive and with the natives."

"Captain, I believe our best option is to continue to observe the natives and formulate a rescue for Dr. McCoy, when we know we can succeed." Spock remained expressionless as he finished his explanation.

Kirk stared at the emotionless Vulcan. Spock was getting better at forming relationships with others, but he had not formed a friendly relationship with Bones; however, Kirk knew Spock only made decisions based on the safety of the entire crew and the last thing he would want would be a dead chief medical officer.

"Fine," Kirk nodded, "Chekov, keep tabs on Dr. McCoy. If his vitals change or his location changes, let me know."

"Aye, aye, Captain." Chekov went back to the bridge to locate Bones, leaving Spock and Kirk alone in the transport room.

"I understand you care for Dr. McCoy, Captain. We will get him back." Spock reassured him.

"I know we will, Spock," Kirk sighed, " I just hope he's alive when we do."