Now for something truly daring - trying to write a "Boston Legal" style balcony scene.

Usual disclaimers: All rights belong to various and sundry creators and copyright holders, who may tell me to cease and desist whenever they wish to.

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3 - Boston

Two people sat in comfortable lounge chairs on a penthouse balcony overlooking the Boston Harbor Spaceport. The man lit a cigar and settled back. He smirked at the woman. The woman smirked back.

"We won, of course. And we were on the side of the angels this time. No waffling over the merits of our client or his cause on this one. I hate moral ambiguity," said Denny.

"Yes, it is so ambiguous," agreed Elaine.

"You're looking remarkably smug, Elaine."

"Yes, well, let's say Jim Kirk's reputation is well deserved. I have no complaints." She spread one hand over her lower abdomen. "And I believe I have found the right candidate to father the next generation of Shores."

Denny raised his eyebrows at this. "Really? How did you manage that?"

"The usual way," she said dryly. "A little jiggery-pokery in the medicine cabinet, and then, well, you are certainly the last person who needs a diagram."

Denny leered at her. "Diagram? There's pictures?"

"In your dreams, Denny," replied an unruffled Elaine.

"If it's a boy, it will be named Alan, of course," said Denny.

"Of course. It's a tradition," said Elaine. "As I was saying before you libido interrupted, he's smart, ambitious, and is willing to interpret rules creatively for the greater good. Yes, an excellent candidate indeed. I have to train someone to keep an eye on you - that takes time."

"Any luck with our client?" he teased her.

"Not in the way you mean," she replied. She pulled out a small holopicture display and pressed the switch. An image came to life. It showed McCoy, Kirk, and some other members of the Enterprise's crew at the front entrance of the Academy. The camera swung around to show a ground car coming to a stop at the entrance. The driver got out and opened the back door of the vehicle. A small girl, no more than eight years of age popped out. She looked up at something to the right of the camera.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed. There was the sound of steps, and then there was McCoy, dropping to his knees to give his daughter a hug.

"Jo-Jo!" he exclaimed and then buried his face in her hair. "I've missed you so much."

"I missed you more," said Joanna. She pulled back a bit from her father. "Everyone at school says the people on the Enterprise are heroes and saved Earth. Does that make you a hero, too? Mama says no. Grandma McCoy says Mama is just being difficult."

McCoy snorted at that. "If you want to see the real heroes, look up there." He pointed at Jim and the other crew members. "Jim and Spock snuck aboard the Romulan ship and rescued Captain Pike. And Mr. Sulu there? Did you know he fought a big, scary Romulan with a sword?"

"Like in a storybook?"

"Yeah, sweet-pea, just like a book. All I did was patch 'em up when they were finished."

There were the sounds of footsteps, and then Kirk stooped down, so he was closer to Joanna.

"Your daddy is a hero, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, Jo. I can say that none of us would be here if it weren't for him."

"I knew Mama was wrong!" she said, and threw her arms around McCoy again.

Elaine switched off the projector and settled back in her chair. She took a sip of juice.

"Skipping the whiskey?"

"For the next several months," she answered. She studied her partner closely. "So, Denny, what was the real reason you wanted this case?"

"Over the years I've had my share of personal divorce court dust-ups. I felt for the man. And it's our patriotic duty to support our men in uniform."

"Yes, yes, they saved the planet. Your real reason?"

Denny gave her a sly look. "You may have noticed that his friend, the Captain, looks a bit like me?"

Elaine studied him for a moment. "Family?"

"Great grandson, I think, or maybe great-great. When you get to my age, it does tend to all run together,"

Elaine shrugged. "Still, saving the planet is a good enough reason. If it weren't for McCoy sneaking Kirk onto the Enterprise, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"You, maybe," said Denny.

"Immortal or not, I think even you might have had some problems being sucked into a singularity, Denny."

"Do you really think so?" Denny took another sip of his whiskey.

She looked at him in fond exasperation. "What was I thinking? A black hole versus your ego. Obviously you would be the winner."

Denny smiled and raised his glass to her. "Of course I would. Denny Crane."

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Denny being over 300 years old? This is not so far-fetched in Trek canon - remember the TOS episode "Requiem for Methusalah"? No one noticing that the same guy has been running the law firm for over 200 years? That is what moves this in crack-fic territory (or at least a suburb thereof). But of course no one notices - because in the Boston Legal 'verse, they not only jump the shark, they go double-dutch jumping with the shark.

Oh, and speaking of doppelganger crossovers - why, oh why have I yet to see this crossover: Transporter accident lands McCoy in Middle Earth. Everyone notices how much he looks like Eomer. Hilarity ensues.?