Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek or any of it characters, they belong to Paramount Studios. The OCs are my own.

"Jim, wake up." A familiar, feminine voice said.

But that was wrong, he shouldn't hear her voice, feel comfortable in his old bed. The softness of the 1,000 thread count sheets. The salty smelling air. He died, he had re-aligned the warp core. Died of radiation poisoning.

"James, we have company. I'd suggest you get up." The voice said.

Turning over, Jim looked at the face of the person trying to wake him up. Long, chocolate brown hair, light brown skin, Caribbean blue, almond shaped eyes. The woman's petite frame sat on the edge of the eternity bed. A hand resting on his chest.

Blinking his eyes, disbelieving the site before his eyes. It was her, but it couldn't be. She died almost six years ago. Along with their unborn child.

"Denise?" He asked sitting up.

Tilting her head causing her hair to fall to the side she closed in and captured his lips. Confused at first, he didn't return the kiss.

Sensing the young man's confusion, she pulled away and looked at him.

"What is wrong love?" She wore white dress, covered with a sheer, gray blue robe that had long, flowing sleeves.

"I'm dead." He said, he quickly turned away from her. Afraid that she might think him crazy for saying something like that, when clearly he wasn't.

A hand rested on his shoulder. Looking back at the woman, he saw her eyes glisten with tears. "You are."

Jim closed his eyes, and she continued speaking, "So am I, our son. Your mentor, Admiral Pike, your father. Their waiting out in the living room for you."

Bringing his hands up to his face, Jim took a deep breath. Looking up at her, he said, "What is he like?"

Smiling she questioned, "Who, love?"

"Denis, our son." Jim clarified.

"You'll just have to find that out for yourself." She pulled him up from the bed as she stood. Opening the door, she led the man down a familiar hall.

"He's awake she called just before the two entered the living room were two men and a six year-old boy sat."

The two older men stood up, while the younger child continued play with toys on the floor.

Pike smiled and pulled his almost-son into a hug. "Ya did good Jim. I'm proud of you."

"Jim, this is-" Denise started but was cut off by the said man.

"My father." Jim looked the man standing across from him.

He had golden-blonde hair like Jim's with a hint of gray on the sides, electric blue eyes and a womanizing smirk.

Looking back at his once upon a time fiancée for conformation. When she nodded a small smile and a shine in her eyes. "I found it odd that, though you've never met each other, you look and act almost the same exact way."

"You, my son, have made me proud." The elder Kirk pulled the younger into an embrace. The pride and joy shown clearly on both of their faces.

"Jim, there is someone else for you to meet." Pulling away from his father, Jim looked back at her.

Whispering into the little boy's ear, whom she held in her arms. She then proceeded to step closer to him, offering the child to the father to hold.

The little boy who was incredibly shy, had kept his face averted so that Jim couldn't see his features. Taking the kid out of the woman's arms, the young Kirk held him up so he could see the child's face.

Electric blue eyes, and brown waved hair, pale -but not sickly- skin, light pink lips. The child was dressed in brown pants and blue shirt and socked feet. The boy, no, his son, Denis looked just like his mother, in every way, accept for his eyes.

A smile slowly bloomed on Jim's face as he brought the child closer to him, and Denis began to grin.

"You're Daddy. Momma said you would come home someday." The boy said poking his father's cheek.

"I am. I'm Daddy. I'm home" Jim responded. He looked around the familiar room. The Bay House, located on the Laurel Family Estate in Southern Florida. The couch sat facing the French double doors that lead out to the balcony.

The balcony, were he and Denise had spent so much of their time. Partying, entertaining guests, holding business dinners, or just relaxing. Enjoying the view of the bay that let out into the great wide blue.

Setting the five year old down, Jim walked out onto the balcony that over looked the ocean.

Looking over the railing, fifteen feet below, the waves lapped serenely at the shore. The sun was high, its heat undeterred by the clouds that sailed thru the sky lazily.

"I've missed this view." Jim said after a long time of quiet. Looking to his left were Denise stood, he gave her a small smile. "And this one." He pressed his lips to hers and pulled her close.

()-()

"I don't get it Spock. His brain activity is beyond what is expected, his vitals all show he should have been awake days ago. His body is healing. But he's not awake!" Leonard "Bones" McCoy explained frustrated at the situation. For the last week and a half, Captain James T. Kirk had been stable, good. However, three days ago he was expected to return to consciousness, but he hadn't. They had taken him off the drugs that had been keeping him under, and even after they had been totally flushed from his system, he still didn't come to.

"It's like he's stuck in a dream with no way out." McCoy said looking over at the revived Starfleet Captain.

()-()

"Jim, the reason I-" Denise said pulling away from the kiss, and gestured to the two men still sitting in the living room, "we, here, are to help you make a choice. You can stay here with us, in the Afterlife, or return to the physical world. Live on and see the universe, experience things you can't when you're here."

"I can't go back." Jim stated, grabbing both her hands and holding them tightly in his own. "I lived through genocide, five years without you, fought Romulans from another Universe, and died at the hands of an old man from the past. Now I'm here, with you, my son, the father I never knew and the one who was like a father, and you want be to go back. Back to a place that has dished out the worst shit it could muster. Why would I go back?"

Denise pursed her lip for a moment, "Because of Bones, the man who has stuck by your side like a true brother. The crazy brother, who makes sure you don't self-destruct."

"Spock, the man who points out the flaws in your so-called, 'brilliant' ideas. Challenges your resolve, but looks to you, to set an example of what he should and shouldn't do. You teach him how to deal with the human race and help him understand his emotions. How will you carry out those lessons if you're dead?"

"Sulu, the friend who will stand loyal to you, even in the darkest of times. He is a man who has put his whole-hearted trust in you. You can trust him, Jim. Would you break something of such value?"

"Uhura, you need more people like her in your life. Unafraid to put you back in your place and take your ego down a couple of pegs. Honestly, she's good for you, in a platonic way."

"Let's not forget about young Chekov. He looks up to you, you're his hero. You see him as a young man, not a young child. Everyone respects him, because you do." Bringing her hand to rest on his cheek, Denise smiled mischievously. "Try and set a good example for him."

"What about Scotty." Jim asked with a chuckle.

"He likes you because your engineering genius, and you saved him from Delta Vega, gave him a job aboard the Enterprise. I think, if he were gay, he would have married you on the spot.

Pike, having been silent throughout the two's exchange, let out a bark of laughter. "God, wouldn't that have been a scene." Becoming serious, Pike walked up to his pseudo-son and laid a hand on Jim's shoulder. "You are closer to becoming the man I know you can be, will be. Don't stop now, not here. You can go above and beyond what I expect you to, but that isn't going to happen if you're here. I will be proud of you no matter what you do, know that. How could I not be?"

Taking a deep breath, Jim looked around. From Pike and his father, to his son who was looking out at the sea, brown hair being ruffled by the light breeze. How could he leave this? He could finely have the life he dreamed of growing up. His father would be here, he had a wife and child.

His heart ached, but he knew what he needed to do. He would be needed, to save the day again, to give up another part of himself, but how much would be left, especially after this.

But Denise was right, there were people who still depended on him.

"What do I have to do?" Jim asked

()-()

Dr. McCoy, was sitting in a chair next to Jim's bed, looking through files. Trying to find something about the coma the young captain was in. So far the search had been in vain.

Propping his elbow on the armrest, and letting his head rest on his upturned palm. The doctor let out a sigh of frustration. Why, why did Jim have to go against the laws of nature? Just to prove he can?

Standing up, McCoy started recording his patients' vitals. Going down the list of results, McCoy began to see a change in brain activity, this change could be good or it could be bad. They'd just have to wait it out and see.

"God, Jim. Hurry up and come back to us."

()-()

Hand in hand, Jim and Denise walked along the beach. The crystal blue water coming up to their ankles. Not saying a word, but enjoying each other's company for the short while they had left together.

"I think you should find someone else." Denise said, stopping in the middle of a large stretch of coast. The only thing that could be made out was a small dot far off to the left of the couple, which had been the place where they had set off from.

Turning his body to look out at the ocean, Jim though of what she had said. Another silence fell upon them. Still holding her hand, Jim turned his and looked at her.

"If that's what you want, I'll do it. But my heart will always, always, belong to you first and for-most." Jim said pulling her close, leaning his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes.

"Jim, it's time." Denise said, a tear spilling down her cheek.

Giving her a watery smile Jim, gave her one last kiss. "Were do I go?"

Pointing over his right shoulder, she told him what to do, "Fallow the beach. That all."

Looking forward, he took a deep breath, "I love you. Till we meet again." Giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, he set off.

Walking down the beach for some time, he turned and looked back. In the distance, there stood his saving grace, the woman who helped him when he needed it most. She had come into his life after Taurus IV, helping him heal physical and emotional wounds.

Walking backwards, Jim kept his eyes on her. Suddenly she was enveloped in a bright light. Stopping to watch the phenomena, his body began to ache. The light seemed to grow, until it consumed him, and the physical pain brought him to his knees.

Inside, his heart ached, the aching more overwhelming then the pain of the body. The glowing surrounded him for a few moments before it flashed, and everything went dark.

()-()

God! Everything was loud, it was like a friggen ship yard.

Flickering his eyes open to make sure that he wouldn't be blinded when he tried to open his eyes all the way. Opening his eye all the way, he let them adjust to the low light. Taking in his surroundings, Jim noticed the machines, IV's all hooked up to him.

A few seconds after, his head began to hurt and his eyes began to burn. Closing them, he brought his hand to his face, but his muscles protesting. It felt as if he had finished going through strength training. It wasn't that came from over taxing your muscles, but one that made you feel like you really accomplished something.

Which he had, just it wasn't a strenuous two hour workout, it was his being alive that had brought on the feeling.

Letting out a groan, whether in pain or accomplishment, he didn't know.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, literally." A gruff voice said.

Without opening his eyes, Jim smiled and greeted the Doctor, "Good to be back, Bones."

This is my first time trying a Star Trek fic. Hopefully it is ok. I hope that it is a little different from most others with OC's. I made it this way so that there will still be a chance at romance between Carol and Jim. I thought that maybe by having my OC's death six years before Jim became a captain, it would give him a year, year and half to act out and gain that repeat offender record he had when Pike picked him up. The cause of that being that his fiancée died and was the only thing keeping him grounded for so many years. Still being young and volatile, he reverted to the same self-destructive actions he had when his brother ditched him. Also the same actions that my OC helped him break away from after Taurus IV.