Come Here Often?

Chapter 7: Just Another Day at the Office

"Jim.. Jess.. You gotta look at this," Leonard McCoy said as they looked out of the shuttle window.

"This is it guys," Jess said excitedly. She couldn't believe it. She was leaving the Academy and headed straight into the Engineering section on board the Enterprise.

Leonard reached across the seating area to take her hand, momentarily ignoring the ship out the window, or the whiny Jim beside him.

"Listen, darlin', it looks like things are going to get pretty hectic pretty fast up there. I've got to get Jim to sickbay and hidden before the Vulcan or Pike see him."

"What are you going to do? Once you have him on board?"

"I hadn't really thought through that far."

"That's not like you, Len."

"Yeah," he said, glancing at Kirk and rolling his eyes as the man held up his hands in front of his face and counted his fingers. He turned back to Jessica. "Yeah, I know. You should have seen how pitiful he looked. And even if I think what he did was crazy, don't you think he deserves to be up here as much as we do?"

Jess smiled and reached over, gently placing a hand on Leonard's cheek. "Yes, I do. You're a good friend Leonard McCoy. And a good husband."

He chuckled. "I've only been that a few minutes, you may change your mind real quick."

"Wait... did I hear you say husband?" Jim said, still sounding drunk from the side effects of the shot Bones had given him.

"Yeah, you did." Leonard said, sitting back in his seat. "It's a long story, one you'll hear later."

"Actually," Jessica said with a snort laugh, "It's a pretty quick story. Really quick actually."

Leonard smirked. "Yeah, well, if we tell him now, he'll probably forget anyway. We can explain later, once it doesn't feel like we're walking into our imminent deaths."

Jessica sighed. "You know, we still have to work on your positivity."

"I'm positive this is dangerous, darlin'. So you be safe, and we'll catch up as soon as we can."

She nodded just as the shuttle was touching down in the starship.

**********

"Lt. Jessica Patton, reporting for duty, sir."

"Lt. Patton," the chief engineer stopped in mid run to greet his new assistant. "Chief Engineer Olson. When the Captain told me he'd pulled you back over from the Farrugat, I could have kissed the man. You were a damn good cadet and we both wanted you on this ship. Welcome aboard. Now, pleasantries aside, let's get to work, the ship's taking off in a matter of minutes."

"Aye, sir!" Jessica said with a nod and followed him. She had no idea she was being watched so carefully through her Academy years, no idea that Pike was fighting with another Captain over her assignment. Of course, she also had no idea she'd walk aboard her first ship assignment as a married woman.

**********

The Red Alert alarm sound blasted in Jessica's ears and soon after the ship was jerking about.

"What the hell are they doing to my ship up there!" Olson shouted as he ran to another console and checked hull integrity.

"Patton, I'm headed on the away team, the ship is yours. Treat her right."

"Sir! You—you're going to leave me here? In charge?"

"That's right. I am. You can handle it, Lieutenant."

**********

"Jess, are you alright?" McCoy said when he noticed her come into Sickbay looking out of sorts. She didn't immediately respond, so he bent slightly to look in her eyes. "Jess, are you injured?"