Welp....This is it my lovelies! The 100th chapter! I have had an immense amount of fun writing this for you all! Alas, it must now come to a close. BUT! I am making a Kirk book off the chapter Protocol, coming fall of 2017 ;) THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR LOVE! Please continue to read, comment, vote, and share! Keep your eyes peeled for more stories in the future! Now, please enjoy the last chapter with my absolute favorite character and don't hate me that it's long... ;)

You were in desperate need of a haircut. You blew back the hair that fell into your face as you crouched down, bringing up your brush to dust away tiny rocks from the crevasses of the large egg you were looking at.

Normally in your line of work, you were taking care of pets on the Enterprise or documenting new animal species found on distant planets. Not forced to spend time with the one man who hated you while the two of you documented the life cycle of Mesozoic Era dinosaur eggs.

So there you were, using new and old technology together to see into grey, oblong eggs ranging from the size of your hand to twice your body in height and width. At first, you didn't want to be here and look at old dinosaurs that you had to study back at the academy but what you hated the most was who you had to go with.

Dr. McCoy sure had a way with women. Especially bossing them around.

"Have you dated that one yet?" His gruff voice called over to you as he stood on the other side of the large nest looking at two of his own eggs.

You rolled your eyes as you leaned your forehead against your egg, letting out a breath. Luckily he couldn't see you as you hid behind it.

"Yes Bones, I got it." You stood, gesturing to the rest of the two dozen eggs that laid in a neat pattern. "She lays them all at the same time. All thirty-seven. Just under three hours ago."

He just nodded, turning back to his PADD. You scoff, ripping off your gloves and turning to the makeshift lab tucked under an overhanging rock formation. You heard footsteps behind you but you didn't turn around as you made yourself some much-needed lunch.

"Look, Bones, why do we have to do this?" You shoved some food in your mouth. "They are just going to end up dying like they did on our planet."

"What in the world makes you say that?"

YOu turned to him, leaning back on the counter you prepared your food, waving your fork about as you spoke. "All this, the planet and the species, is far too similar to ours. I know this because I was chosen to give my final animal care decoration on dinosaurs of all things."

Bones looked up from his PADD with an incredulous look. "Then why in heavens name do you think I brought you, just because you looked pretty?"

You almost blushed but instead, you coughed on your food. "Whatever," you mustered between coughs.

Bones rolled his eyes as he handed you a glass of water which you secretly graciously accepted. He spoke as you got your breathing under control.

"We are doing a follow-up research for a colleague of mine, KR. He came here when the mother was born." Bones turned to the nest, signaling to the area around it. "He wanted to come back and see if she would nest in the same area but he got sick. So I offered to do it considering he's the one that got my ass into the academy."

You finished the drink and put down your food, not wanting to suffer anymore dangerous chewing and stepped up to him. "Kyle Ryjin," you nodded, "I used him as a reference once." You let out a breath and crossed your arms, a bit taken aback by the doctor's kind gesture. "But I take it that's not the only reason we are here."

The doctor shrugged as he walked back to the nest, his head bent over the PADD again. "I just so happen to like dinosaurs."

You dropped your arms as your jaw hung. So much for a 'kind gesture'. You jogged up to him, pointing harshly.

"We are down here risking exposure to severe climates and unknown bacteria and being something's lunch all because you like dinosaurs?" You tossed your hands up, turning to the forest that the nest bordered, placing your hands on your hips. "No wonder you haven't married again. You're a grumpy six-year-old."

You heard him snort. "Says the woman who'd rather date her pets."

You spun on him. "Oh I'm sorry, I just so happen to like being in the company of sensible beings. Of which men clearly are not." You puffed out your chest and raised your head a bit. "Besides, I'm not the only one who hasn't dated in a while."

Bones looked up, his eyes almost looking...hurt. "Ah yes, let's forget all those times I took time out of my busy schedule to stare at stars on the observation deck with you or took you to the bar to talk all things medical every other Friday night. I would hate to remind you we've been going on dates together."

You boiled, taking a few steps closer to him. "I didn't ask you to join me."

"You didn't ask me to stop joining you."

You bit your lip. Touche. "Whatever. I don't see why you're griping. It doesn't take a genius to notice all the woman who would love to snatch you up." You made a movement similar to a dinosaur snatching up its prey. You then cocked your head to the side. "Oh that's right, you're blind to it all. Because you're a grumpy six-year-old."

Bones rolled his eyes, the PADD in his hand now forgotten, hanging at his side. "Maybe I'm not so much as blind as I am focused."

"Oh yeah?" You sneered and stepped closer to him, leaning on an egg careful of its still soft shell from just being laid. "And what is that, pray tell, that makes you so bitter and blind to something so simple as getting the girl, hm?"

You were angry, you weren't sure why but you weren't exactly thinking straight. For some reason, you really wanted him to say he was just busy with work and not that he found someone already. But you held his gaze with your hard eyes, not daring to show a bit of insecurity. Especially being this close to him.

Bones let out a breath and rubbed his face then looked to you. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?"

You blinked, pushing off the egg. "Uh, come again?"

Bones looked over your shoulder at something, his eyes confused for a moment before he turned back to you. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Ah, you know what forget it. It's not like anything good would come from it. You're clearly not interested." He turned back around, scanning the last egg you took samples from.

You followed him, tugging at his white lab coat that matched your own. "Whoa now, what? Interested in what?"

Bones turned back around his mouth open with his answer when he stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes over your shoulder. You frowned and moved over into his line of vision.

"Hello? Interested in-" you were cut off by Bones playing his hand over your mouth.

"Shhh."

Your eyes widened and you let out a frustrated noise but Bones finally looked to you and what you saw freaked you out a bit. Uncertainty with a hint of fear.

He dropped his pad and wrapped that arm around your middle with his other hand still on your mouth. He moved you behind an egg, your back to it as he hovered over you, looking around like a madman. You shook your head from side to side while trying to push him away from you but he was stronger than you.

Bones turned to you, his eyes hard but earnest. "Calm down woman, I'm not going to hurt you. I just don't need you freaking out on me. More than usual."

You rolled your eyes at him but that must have been enough to satisfy him because he then gently let you go, but only just. He pointed off to the side, by the lab camp.

"There, right by the sleeping mats?"

You squinted your eyes and for a moment didn't see anything. Suddenly there was movement. Your hand shot up and took his arm as you watched a little human run around the camp, smelling, licking, and touching everything. The two of you watched him for a few seconds but your leg slipped, startling the three of you and making the child turn around.

You were right to guess it was a child because he instantly lit up upon seeing you two. You held onto Bones' arm as the child then came bounding up, his boyish figure nimble on the uneven ground. Bones' moved to sit up on his knees, pushing himself in front of you as the boy stopped just a few meters from your spot.

Bones looked back at you but all you did was shrug. You had no idea what to make of this. You guys didn't even know there were humans on this planet. But by the looks of him, he seemed to be indigenous to this place. Human, but not fully developed with a very strong neanderthal look to him.

Slowly Bones raised his hands as he spoke kindly. "I'm not going to hurt you, kid. Where did you come from."

The boy pointed off to the distance in the opposite direction of the forest. Suddenly his face fell and worry took over his once bright face. He took a step closer to Bones, pointing more frantically at the far-off field.

Bones looked over there but didn't see anything. He turned to the boy and lowered his hands. "You got a name?"

The boy nodded, his eyes darting off to the field every few seconds. "Tick."

Bones smiled, sorta, and stood, holding his hand over yours that was still on his arm as he pulled you up with him. But he didn't let you go. "Can we help you tick?"

The boy came up and started tugging at Bones' lab coat, pointing at the field again. "Tick. Tick. Tick."

You looked to Bones. "Maybe he wants us to help him find his family?"

Bones didn't seem to be paying attention to what you were saying but before he could say anything there was a sudden loud chorus of shouting. Both your heads turned to the field where the boy was pointing. Sure enough, there was a mass of dark objects coming toward the nest. Tick came up to you tugging your coat this time.

"Tick. Tick. Tick." He pointed to the eggs than to the mass of other indigenous people. "Tick. Tick." He started to pull you away from the eggs and to your camp. Bones close behind.

"He apparently wants us to hide."

You crouched down behind a rock and looked over at the coming people. "But why?"

Bones crouched down next to you, shrugging off his coat. "Let's just head back to the ship. We reported all that we could."

Trying to ignore the battle cries of the indigenous humans as pro quo, you sat back against the rock, looking over at him. "What were you going to say earlier?"

Bones leaned back, his shoulder touching yours, his arms propped up on his bend knees pulled to his chest. "I have this idea that a gal like you wouldn't want to be with a guy like me," he turned his head to you, one of his arms falling to his side as he smirked, "being a grumpy six-year-old and all that."

You blinked. "I thought you hated me," you whispered.

Bones chuckled. "Hardly."

Your heart stopped as you processed what he said. You could feel his fingers brush yours as you fought against tears and anger. You thought he couldn't stand you. And here he was being all tender and sweet and vulnerable. It scared you.

Suddenly a loud roar pierced the air. That scared you more. Trees rustled as the mother Parasaur burst out of the forest and ran at the coming men and woman. Her defined duck bill shaking about in her anger as she ran on two legs, her tail like a whip. She was nearly twenty feet tall and utterly terrifying. But the hunter and gatherers didn't seem to mind.

They waved sharp weapons and cried mightily. You shook your head and watched as mother defended her babies against hungry or destructive humans. But she couldn't catch them all as a few slid past her and between her legs, marching up to her eggs and stabbing their soft shells, shattering them to the ground in a heap of shell and goop, some more solid than others. Some men were on the mother now, stabbing at her and making her roar.

Bones turned to look at the chaos, his brows raised. "We need to make a path to that small outcropping of trees over there. " You looked where he pointed as he continued. "Only stun them if you have to."

You nodded, readying your gun and getting into position. You turned to the little boy next to you, his eyes wide as he looked at your phaser. You giggled while musing his hair.

"Thank you for saving us, little guy. But I'm sorry if we freaked you out." You had no idea if he understood a thing you said but he smiled, nodding, making your wonder.

The fighting was getting worse as more men climbed the mother dino. You heard Bones finish a call with Scotty, his back to the rock you were hiding behind. You turned to Bones and nodded.

"You take left and I take right."

Bones nodded in return, still silent. But right before you left the cover of the rocks you let out an 'oof' as you felt hands take your shoulders and press you against the rock. Your eyes went wide as you felt Bones, Dr. McCoy press his lips hastily to yours. they turned soft and ended with a gentle sigh. You just looked at him, your lips tingling.

"I could never hate you," he whispered as he stroked back some hair before he cleared his throat and left the hideout, rushing and shooting. All you could do was sit there and blink, your heart hammering like crazy.

Tick pushed you out there too, snapping you back to reality, your shooting going on autopilot. What in the world just happened? Too busy thinking, you didn't see the spear that was thrown at your arm by a hidden hunter. You cried out in pain as you felt blood ooze down your arm. Bones called out your name, but you kept firing. Soon enough they were all down, fast asleep and no longer destroying eggs.

The area was free of distractions to keep you guys from being beamed back. You really didn't want to be here anymore. You were too confused about your emotions to really want to do much of anything else than sit in your room and cry and sleep and eat all at the same time, all day every day.

Off to the side where your hiding place was you heard a little shout.

"TICK!" The boy yelled as he jumped up, fists in the air, and clearly happy.

You smiled but winced in pain. Bones came bounding over, his face full of worry. He collected you in his arms and you leaned into him heavily, wincing at your pain.

"I didn't think you'd be falling into my arms this soon."

You snorted, looking up at him as he called for Scotty to beam you guys back. "I guess there is a lot we don't really know about each other."

Bones chuckled as he helped you stand next to him. You spied something over his shoulder and pulled up your phaser, shooting a straggler before he threw his spear at the back of your man. Bones quickly turned around and saw the man fall. He then turned to you and shook his head, his face fairly close to yours.

"You better marry me, damn it," he whispered as he leaned closer.

You smirked as you closed the gap, feeling the transporter as well as Bones' lips on yours as you whispered with glee, "We'll see."

I may, in fact, open the book back up after a while. Who knows...