You Can't Be Too Careful [Star Trek/Leonard "Bones" McCoy Love Story]

[7.] All I Want For Christmas Is Your Company, Dangit!

A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry it's taken so long for me to update; life is super crazy! I'll try to be quicker now that all the insanity of this past week is over. Hope you all enjoy! It's unedited, so please let me know if you spot any mistakes :)

[7] All I Want For Christmas Is Your Company, Dangit!

This was it.

Today was the day.

Today was finally the day!

December 19. Last day of the semester as well as the day that my dearest Astrid Scott finally arrived for her visit. I could hardly contain my excitement as I got ready for my last class until next year. I actually took time to straighten my hair and brush a tad bit of mascara on my eyelashes before slipping on my cadet uniform and heading to Commander Haines’s computer lab. I couldn’t help but smile and add a slight skip to my step as I trekked across campus to building 12. As I stepped into class, I noticed Jordan glaring daggers at me as usual, but I was too happy to let him get to me. In a moment of courageous stupidity, I smiled and waved at him before taking a seat.

As I plopped into my chair, I realized how foolish that was of me to do. Now flaming with shame, I placed my chin in my palms and waited for class to begin. I soon forgot Jordon, however, and returned my thoughts to Astrid. A grin played at my lips once more. Astrid Scott, coming all the way from Scotland to visit me. I thought of her gifts that were wrapped and shoved underneath my bed for Christmas morning. December 19. It was truly December 19.

I snapped to attention as Commander Haines entered the room. After greeting us, he gave us our final assignment: decode ten pages of computer language and write down, by hand, what was written there.

“This is not so much an assignment,” he said, “but a test to gauge your understanding. You may begin on my word.”

I, as well as fifty other students, anxiously held twitching fingers above the keyboard and prepared our notebooks and pens.

“Begin,” Commander Haines declared.

The room was instantly filled with the sounds of frantic typing, clicking, and scratching as our fingers danced across the keys and we scribbled down the translations frantically. I completed the test in about six minutes. My computer made a ding sound as I finished.

“Cadet Taylor,” Commander Haines addressed me, “please come forward with your assignment.”

I did as I was told, gathering my notebook and coming to the front of the room. I handed him my writing and watched nervously as his eyes skimmed over my paper. He gave a small smile and handed it back to me.

“Congratulations, Miss Taylor,” he said. “You passed. A perfect score.”

I grinned triumphantly. “Thank you, Commander.”

“You may return to your seat now.”

“Yes, sir.”

I went back to my seat and waited patiently for the rest of my classmates to finish. Jordan finished two minutes after me. I noticed that he brought his paper up to the Commander with a familiar rage in his eyes. I shuddered. Within the next five minutes, everyone else had finished.

“Well done, everyone,” Commander Haines said. “You have all completed the test with flying colors. I have no doubt that you will continue to excel next semester.”

Everyone began to clap for each other.

“And please give a round of applause for Cadet Catherine Taylor, who finished top of the class this semester,” he continued.