A/N so yeah, definitely have time to write a new chapter, its shorter than I wanted but I felt it needed to end where it was, thanks to anyone who is still reading this. I'm admittedly a very slow writer, apologies.

Title: Taming the Lion

By: Dragonfire100

Chapter 6

It had been the longest three hours of Leonard's life. Medical aid got there just in time, as Jim had been dangerously close to cardiac arrest.

Young stuck around as long as she could and in the resulting rush he'd lost track of her. He didn't quite note it till Jim was safely tucked away on a biobed now out of the danger zone.

He currently stood there, watching his friend, eyes drifting back and forth from the readings to his sleeping form.

It had been way too damn close. And Leonard was so beyond tired. At this point he didn't know whether to hug Jim for surviving or throttle him for being such an idiot.

"Doctor." He looked over to see nurse Pletchet. She smiled tiredly at him. "Sir, you should get some sleep." Normally he would've snapped at whomever would suggest such a thing, but he really was dog tired and he really wanted to find out what happened to Young. She'd want to know if Jim was ok.

He sighed tiredly. "Yeah, I don't-"

"I'll contact you directly if anything changes." She said gently but with a firmness that allowed for no arguments.

Leonard nodded, feeling suddenly numb. Hell, he needed sleep.

After rechecking Jim's vitals and once again reassuring himself he was stable, he managed to pull himself away.

Exhaustedly, he left, feet feeling heavy, heart weighed down with guilt. He passed into one of the waiting rooms and blinked in surprise.

Allison was curled up in a chair having seemingly fallen asleep there. She stirred perking up at the sight of him, standing. "Hey," She hunched over a little, arms folded as if cold. "He okay?"

It took him a moment to reply. It wasn't so much that he was surprised to see her, no he would've been more so if she hadn't stuck around, relief is what he felt. He, wanted her there.

"Leonard?" Her voice trembled and he realized his silence had deeply concerned her.

"Yeah, yeah uh, he punchard a lung, had internal bleeding, fractured his wrist and wrenched his knee but, he's stable now."

Relief softened her features. "Good," She breathed, then all at once looked concerned again. "Are you ok?"

Tired, exhausted really, Jim had a way of doing that to him. Not only that but, he still felt guilty, he should've done more, something that kept this from happening. A hand on his arm drew him back.

Hazel eyes looked at him earnestly and his sudden raging emotions and tired body wanted nothing more than to seek comfort from her. To be closer.

As if sensing this she moved forward before tentatively wrapping her arms around his neck. He hesitated for a split second then gave in, reciprocating, practically burying his face in her neck. She smelled like lavender.

"You did good." She muttered into his ear breath tickling his neck. The embrace lasted a moment longer before he pulled away their eyes meeting. She did a lot today, helped him find Jim, pretty much helped him save his life. He never wanted to kiss her more. Instead he reluctantly took a step back. This was hardly the time or place.

A flash of disappointment seemed to cloud her eyes for a brief moment, before it was replaced by determination. "I think I found a way to catch the guys who did this to him." Her words had adrenaline he didn't know he still had coursing through his veins.

"What?"

"That alley, had a camera."

Well, his night just got better.

Allison never thought she'd find herself here.

Before her Captain Pike sat behind his desk brow furrowed, lips set in a thin line.

She didn't know the man well but could sense he was near livid. Beside her Dr McCoy was less subtle about his own anger, as it was plainly written on his features. The man was a walking well of emotions and passion, she wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

Allison blinked forcing herself to focus.

"We managed to pull the footage from the camera," Pikes gaze locked on her. "I have to thank you Cadet Young for noticing it, from what I understand Kirk has been struggling with this, problem, for some time."

"Try going on six months, maybe more." McCoy grumbled and Pikes jaw visibly clenched as he sat back in his chair. "I tried to get him to talk to me but-"

"Kirk can be stubborn." Pike nodded. "Getting him to give a statements gonna be like pulling teeth." He sighed, setting his elbows on the table with a shake of his head.

Allison frowned. "Isn't the video enough?"

Pike looked at her again. It was easy to see how the man had made Captain. He exuded confidence and authority, but he was also compassionate and understanding.

"Unfortunately it won't be enough to get the kind of reprimand that we want."

"They coulda killed him!" McCoy snapped harshly. "Hell when we found him he-"

Pikes gaze sharpened. "I am fully aware of that doctor," He interrupted and though he barely raised his voice it carried throughout the room. "and I want the men responsible for this punished severely as much you do but," At this he seemed to deflate a little, a feat Allison didn't think possible. "It gets further complicated when one of the cadets is the son of an admiral."

There was a brief moment of silence as they absorbed the information.

"That shouldn't matter." McCoy growled, but Allison could see some of his vibrato had fled at the revelation.

"You're right, it shouldn't, but this is an admiral I can guarantee will fight to keep their son in Starfleet, which will only further complicate things." Pike explained.

You could hear a pin drop in the ensuing silence before a thought struck Allison.

"Jim knew." The two men looked at her.

"What?" McCoy frowned, and she shifted a little uncomfortably under the sudden attention.

"I mean, maybe he knew that, that's why he didn't want help." She explained and they both looked thoughtful.

"Jim isn't usually one to be intimidated but, if this son of an admiral threatened to tell his daddy something about him, well Jim would be less inclined to talk."

"But we need him to, this can't continue," Pike paused seeming to contemplate something. "Doctor, when do you think he'll be well enough to talk?"

McCoy sighed. "Couple days maybe, but Jim's stubborn, could be sooner."

Pike smirked a little but sobered quickly. "As far as anyone knows, even once he's awake, he's not, I want these guys to think they still have the upper hand for as long as possible so we can build a better case."

McCoy nodded but still appeared deeply troubled. "How much of a chance do you think we stand?"

"With your knowledge of what's been going on previously, his testimony and the footage, I believe we have a solid enough one." Pike said confidently.

"He'll talk." McCoy said with such resolve, that Allison was certain he'd make Jim talk.

"I'm sure you'll see to that doctor." Pike acknowledged seeming mildly amused."Cadet Young, you are aware of Kirk's, unique, family history?" He looked at her now, serious once more.

Who wasn't? It was practically common knowledge amongst Starfleet cadets and officers alike. She nodded, reminding herself not to shift under his scrutiny. "Yes sir."

"All of this is strictly confidential and I trust that it'll stay that way, Kirk's career is on the line." She wondered if Pike was worried more about Jim's life then his career, she knew she was.

"He's my friend sir, my lips are sealed." McCoy's gaze was on her, she could feel it.

Pike studied her for a moment before his gaze softened, seemingly satisfied by what he saw. "Good," He sat back in his seat, sighing. "You two deserve some rest, I went ahead and dismissed you from classes for tomorrow."

"Thank you sir." She said with some relief, weariness pulled at her limbs and she couldn't imagine how tired McCoy was.

"Dr. McCoy, I have a feeling you'll have little inclination to do so but, try." Pike added kindly, he dismissed them after that and together they walked out into the hallway.

Allison felt as if a dark cloud hung over them, and she never wanted a drink more, voicing as such with a tired sigh.

It wasn't as if she was expecting McCoy to offer, but when he did, she couldn't help the little fluttering of her heart.

"Got a bottle of scotch in my room."

Luckily she managed to give a level headed answer.

"Well, if you're willing to share." She was glad to see the little smile that graced his tired features, though it only lasted a few seconds. It gave her hope that he wasn't entirely in a dark place.

He gestured for her to follow and she did so readily.

Leonard bit back a sigh resisting the urge to glance back at Young who trailed along behind. He was tired, that's why he'd made such an offer, his brain just wasn't working on all cylinders.

A little voice in the back of his head told him that he didn't really want to be alone right now, and that's why he'd offered.

He told it to shut up.

They were silent all the way to his and Jim's dorm room. He remembered the day Kirk had rigged the system to bunk them together, he'd been mad…

The door whooshed open softly. The beds were still neatly made, some of the medical supplies he'd intended to use on Jim the first time still laying on his bed.

He sighed, gesturing at the couch they'd somehow managed to fit in the small room. "You can sit there if you want." His southern drawl was always thicker when he was tired.

Young obliged, sighing softly. She reached up and pulled her hair from its increasingly messy bun, the sandy brown locks falling onto her shoulders.

He quickly turned to his dresser digging out the scotch and glasses hidden there, resisting the urge to clear his throat awkwardly.

McCoy wasted no time in pouring some into each, taking a grateful sip before turning. Young had her eyes closed and head tipped back on the couch but sat up as he turned.

"Thanks." She said accepting the glass he held out to her. He carefully sat next to her, taking another sip letting the liquid leech out some of the tension in his muscles.

Young hummed appreciatively as she took a drink herself. "Damn that's good." She sat back against the couch again looking just as tired as he felt.

Silence rained for a long moment as they both drank respectively. It was Young who broke the silence.

"He is going to be ok, right?" Her words were soft and thick with exhaustion.

Leonard sighed heavily. "Yeah, he'll recover."

Another silent moment. "He reminds me of my brother you know." She was looking down into her drink, carefully swirling the amber liquid. Her expression was thoughtful.

Leonard blinked in some surprise, curiosity peaked. Who? He almost said but his tired mind managed to realize it was Jim.

"Really." He said instead, hoping it would encourage her to continue.

A little smile graced her lips, sad almost. "Yeah, they're a lot alike, even wanted to be a Captain," She paused to take another drink. "Was the reason why I initially studied engineering."

He vaguely recalled her mentioning switching to xenozology during their conversation when she'd been recovering from Gatalis Fever. He hadn't put too much thought into it then, she just said she realized she had no real passion for engineering, and changing career paths wasn't an unusual occurrence.

"He would've made a great Captain." The words were muttered so softly he almost didn't catch them.

"Why didn't he?" Leonard blamed his loose lips on the alcohol and his exhaustion, it was obvious this was a painful memory for her.

She seemed to take a breath before answering, as if to steady herself. "Have you ever heard of Tarsus IV?"

McCoy's blood ran instantly cold. He swallowed thickly remembering a night when he'd returned to his shared dorm to find Jim drunk as a skunk, and an emotional mess. The kid had told him a story Leonard was sure he'd never tell if he hadn't been inebriated, an anniversary that haunted him.

McCoy had always made a point to be around on that particular day and keep Jim grounded. It wasn't easy, and Leonard did not wish Tarsus IV on anyone else, let alone her.

"I-yes." He managed to stammer, wondering why she was telling him this.

She didn't seem surprised. "I wasn't there," Thank God McCoy nearly said. "but Joe was."

Joe...the name tickled a memory. She'd said it before, when she'd been raging with fever. Leonard swallowed thickly.

"When my parents divorced, I went with my mother and he went to Tarsus IV with my father, to start a new life."

Leonard wished he'd poured himself more scotch. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the glass.

"You don't have to tell me this." He muttered softly and she shrugged looking at him, a small sort of sad half smile on her lips.

"Figured at some point you'd want to know why."

"Why what?" Leonard frowned.

"Why I wanted to help Jim," Her gaze returned to her glass. "He's just so much like Joe, of course there are some differences, but there's enough similarities that I," She huffed softly. "I couldn't ignore him."

At the beginning of this whole, everything, he had thought that it was a different kind of attraction, but from the moment she'd told him her and Jim were just friends and now this, his perspective had definitely changed.

She told him about a brash lively young man, who dreamed of traveling the stars and truly he thought of Jim too.

"He was alive, after Tarsus...but not for long he, he just uh couldn't recover from it." At this point they'd refilled their glasses twice and a familiar buzz settled over Leonard. It didn't stop him from feeling compassion for her at the loss though, especially having almost just lost Jim.

"I'm sorry." He muttered, swallowing thickly upon seeing the unshed tears in her eyes.

She cleared her throat, blinking rapidly. "S'why I don't care for hospitals, spent too much time watching him slip away there." A tip of the glass and she finished her drink. There was a pause as she seemed to consider pouring more, but set her glass down instead. "Luckily, Jim won't meet that fate now."

Yes, luckily Jim had not, due to Tarsus IV or now.

Leonard finished his own drink, also deciding against another. He felt sleep dragging at him, eyelids growing heavy, but he wanted to make sure she knew.

"I appreciate what you've done for him." He muttered softly. Jim needed more people looking out for him, kid was a walking trouble magnet. Especially since all he'd managed to do was drive Jim away, some doctor he made...some friend he made...

"Mmm not just me." She said, voice heavy with sleep.

Leonard felt guilt rise further at her words. It sat like a lump in his throat. He blinked rapidly in frustration, clearing the mist from his eyes.

A hand settled on his wrist and he looked at her.

"This wasn't your fault." Her eyes were surprisingly clear and earnest.

"He coulda died." He said bitterly, angry at himself, trying to pull away but she held on gently.

"But he didn't, you saved his life," She squeezed his wrist. "I think he'll forgive you. "

Damn, who was this woman? He wanted to rant, to rave like he usually did...but she'd reeled him in with a touch and a few words.

He lifted his eyes from where her hand rested on his wrist, not sure how to reply, and found her asleep. Well, that saved him.

He briefly contemplated waking her, but couldn't bring himself to, she looked exhausted. In that case he should move to his bed...his body felt heavy though, wrung out from the night's events and emotional turmoil….he'd move, in just a moment…..

A/N I do so miss writing for these characters, hopefully my muse will stick around this time but honestly no guarantees, shes a flighty little thing, hopefully you enjoyed