A/N: Second part of my series Names In Time (first part had been story of title Frank - if interested, check my profile to look it up!). This story is already finished - but because I'm sucker for pageviews and reviews, I'm going to post it in shorter parts, to escalate the tension, add some cliff hangers and things like that.

Overview: I'm told that Frank is sort of a AU, because I didn't make him abusive bastard but a decent guy, Jim's uncle, who takes care of him and Sam, when their mother decides to run into space (making herself rather absent in their lives).

Disclaimer: I own or won nothing, but if you have any additional Spocks Prime, feel free to give me one! *gets nosebleed for only thiking about THAT*

01. Intro

One of the first things he could remember – when he thought really, really hard about it – was a deep voice, singing him a lullaby, and the feeling of absolute safety the owner of the voice brought to him. It's the voice which always followed him around, talking, singing, humming… always there, wrapping him in the soft tones.

He never was alone when he was little. There was his older brother Sam and, of course, his mother.

Sam was his big brother, who taught him things.

Mother was the woman who gave birth to him – and also the only female in their house. She never looked at him directly, never talked to him in the same warm tones she sometimes talked to Sam. And, of course, she always disappeared when it was his birthday.

And then, there was Frank. It was his voice which soothed him into sleep when his teeth were keeping him awake, his arms he nestled into when he missed someone's touch or woke up to nightmares. The man always had a smile for him ready, his arms always welcoming him to a warm and comforting embrace.

Almost too suddenly – although not overly unexpectedly even to his young mind – mother left them for space. Only Frank and Sam stayed with him, yet sometimes, there had been something very sad in the depths of Sam's brown eyes, when they happened to speak about mother and her absence.

One day, they were playing with other kids in schoolyard in the afternoon when the school ended. That was when Jim bested one of the older boys in some basic math few hours prior. It was a really easy exercise, most of the class had no problems with it – but it was still him, Jim, who had solved it first. And the meanie decided that no normal kid of Jim's age can be so smart to solve that so quickly, unless there is something very wrong with him. Sam stepped in, shielding his younger brother from the bigger boy, who had been flailing his fists around wildly.

"And you! You both are freaks! No wonder your father rather died and mother left, so neither of them would have to suffer your presence!"

It was like a slap to their faces; even the boy realized that it was too much but it was already too late to take it back. Wordlessly, Jim and Sam grabbed their schoolbags and left the suddenly quiet schoolyard, almost running home, being completely silent the whole time before Frank opened doors and let them in. He was already preparing dinner, as usual, when he noticed something was wrong with them. And as usual, he chose his direct approach.

"Alright, boys, what's wrong?"

"They say that we are freaks, so our momma doesn't want to be with us," blurted Sam.

Frank's eyes widened at that. "Who the hell did say that?"

"They were picking on Jimmy, and I told them to stop and…" And Jimmy suddenly knew what was wrong. This wasn't the first fight they ever got into – there had been several of those already. This one had been the worst by far. And all of these always started with something he did or didn't do.

"How did papa die, uncle?" he quipped, almost too afraid to say, to hear more.

Frank took a deep breath. "I do not know any details," he confessed. "I mean, I know the info which made it public, James, but not everything. So I can tell you a part – but for more you would have to wait some time. And then, I will tell you everything, would that be okay for you?"

Sam gave him an odd look. It was quite normal that Frank didn't know something but promised them to look it up and answer them. But never, never had the matter of their inquiry be so personal and Jim thought that Frank will maybe wait long enough for them to forgot about everything and that will be that.

Two weeks later, when they got from school, Frank waited for them, package of printed documents and datapads on the desk in front of him. He hasn't forgotten. Part of Jim, and obviously Sam as well, is amazed by the fact. They all sit around the table, sipping hot chocolate, holovids of interviews with Kelvin survivors flashing in front of their eyes, with Frank adding some additional commentary to each holovid they have seen. It wasn't until later when they noticed Frank eyeing one last disc.

"What is on that disc, uncle?" asked Sam.

Frank was silent for a moment, making his heart twitch painfully in his chest. "It's recording of the final call from Kelvin to the medical shuttle. You two sure you want to hear that?"

Hear the voice of their father? Jim and Sam exchanged a look. Sam remembered their father, Jim never set his eyes on him, never heard his voice. It's almost magical to hear voice of their mother, full of emotion, his baby cries and their father saying "I love you so much" in voice so tender it hurts. Sam disappeared shortly after the recording ended. He stayed, his eyes trained on Frank, who looked back, his face unreadable. For a moment, he hesitated what to do now. Were it his mother, he wouldn't dare to do anything – but this is Frank, man who took care of him ever since he was a small baby. He hugged him.

"Thank you," he whispers, and Frank's eyes show understanding.