He Broke My Heart
by Starsinger
Just a moment of Jim being really sweet. Don't own them.
"He told me that he loved me," Debbie told Jim. It was barely a whisper. Jim sighed. Debbie was one of his dedicated Operations officers. Unfortunately, she was caught in a bad situation. A relationship with a former crewmember had resulted in her being pregnant. The crewmember decided that instead of the doing the right thing, abandoned her. He'd been transferred off the ship two weeks after she'd learned her condition. He'd even asked for the transfer.
Jim put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "I know. I did hear him say it once, remember?"
Debbie sobbed. "What do I do now?" she asked.
"You have several options," Jim told her. "No one's going to force you to do anything you don't want you to do."
"I'm not having an abortion," Debbie said.
"Okay, so you're going to have the baby. Starfleet Regulations state that if you keep the baby we have to take you back to Earth. This ship is not particularly equipped for single parents," Jim said. She sobbed. "Talk to your family, maybe someone will take the child in. You still have three years left in your contract to Starfleet."
"But…" Debbie said.
"Bones has contacted Starfleet JAG," Jim told her. He turned to face her, putting her at arm's length with both hands on her shoulders and looked in her eyes. "Child support is something that he will be responsible for. He'll probably ask for a DNA test, and from what I understand, it's best that it's performed. That way he can't claim he's not the father later on."
"If you decide to put the child up for adoption, Starfleet will be able to help you there too. You have time to decide. No need to rush into anything," Jim told her. Debbie burst into tears as Jim held out his arms. She willingly dissolved into them.
Hours later Bones found him in the Observation Room. "How'd it go with Debbie?" he asked.
"She'll be alright," Jim told him. "Although I want to punch the man who did this to her," Jim told him. Bones didn't say a thing. He agreed. There was a special kind of hell for men who did this. He only hoped that the other man learned that before it was too late. "I grew up without a father, and he had no choice in the matter," Jim said with a sigh. "This one does. I just hope he eventually learns what he's missing."
Bones agreed. Jo was millions of miles behind them, but he'd never run away from her. Joss was a good mother, and Bones was doing everything he could to ensure Jo knew that he loved her. "One day, Jim, you'll make someone an excellent husband and father," Bones told him with a grin. Jim grinned back. Today was turning out to be a pretty good day.
