Author's Note: This was inspired by a prompt on the Buckle-up meme on Live Journal. However since the actual fill of the prompt won't happen for a while to prevent spoilers I won't reveal what the actual prompt is until most of the prompt has been filled.

Warning! This fic will contain eventually contain suicide attempt, implied/referenced child abuse, medical experimentation and trauma, and child abandonment. A large fraction of this fic will be very dark.

I'm also 100% not an expert in many of the themes covered in this fic. Some of the themes I have experience with while others I do not. I sincerely hope I do not offend anyone. I will accept any advice wholeheartedly.

There is also some hand wavy science to make the premise of this fic work.

Please enjoy.

Fractured Lives: A Place Called Tarsus IV

Chapter 1

In the wake of World War III, the nuclear blast that had eliminated a large fraction of the world's population had also changed the ideology behind reproduction. It seemed that the old adage that the universe strove to maintain its constant was once again proving to be true.

Gender classification became more difficult. Since the dawn of time, the popular belief was that males were classified as those with XY chromosomes which allowed for the formation of male sex organs while females were classified as those with XX chromosomes which allowed for the formation of female sex organs. Prior to the war, a few people with genetic defects possessed more Xs and Ys than biologically suitable. However, they were mostly sterile or a select few were fertile in one direction.

With the dawn of the new era, an onslaught of children born in the wake of nuclear warfare possessed the genetic makeup of both XX and XY. They were born with both eggs and sperm, and they possessed a working uterus and testicles. Purists claimed that these children were unnatural and a byproduct of unethical eugenics experiments. They lobbied for these children to be rounded up and purged from society.

By the 22nd century, this genetic anomaly had long been believed to be eradicated by medical advancements and gene therapy. However by the 23rd century, male pregnancy was thrown into the forefront of medical research. Male-male bonded mates longed to have biological children of their own. Most turned to surrogacy and gene splicing. However there were some that longed for that nine month bonding experience shared between a mother and her unborn child. This research became classified as Plan R.

Even at a young age, Jim Kirk knew he was different. He knew his daddy died the day he was born, and it made his mommy sad. While most children received the comfort of their parents growing up, his mother couldn't bear to even look at him. All she could see in him was his dead father.

His older brother Sammy was two and a half when their daddy died. Jim saw it in his brother's eyes. Jim and their mommy had come home, but their daddy did not. Jim grew up knowing that his brother blamed him for their daddy's death. That somehow it was Jim's birth that had caused their daddy to die. There were more times than Jim could count when Sammy would start to play too rough. Jim always wondered if Sammy thought he could switch Jim for their father.

There was also Jim's little gift. At least that's what Granny Davis called it. She was the only one that saw it as a gift. His mommy didn't talk about it, and Sammy was too angry and too bitter. Granddad Jim was old and a little senile. Grandma Kirk would burst into tears, for she could only see her dead little boy with so much lost potential while Grandpa Tiberus just seemed to want nothing to do with him.

Jim always thought that everyone was like him. It was only one scorching Iowan summer day when he was seven that he learned differently. Sammy had just turned ten. Sammy had proudly proclaimed he was a big boy now not like Jimmy. He had two digits to his age.

Their mommy was home. She was always home for Sammy's birthday. She seemed sad and aggravated every time Jim tried to get her attention. He had made her a drawing of the stars and Daddy's starship. They were all on Daddy's bridge: Jim, Sammy, Mommy and Daddy. They were all smiling and going to see worlds that no man had gone before.

"Take your brother with you, George," Mommy finally said after the fourth time Jim tugged on her pant leg.

"Aww, Ma, do I have to? He'll only get in the way." Sam was already one foot out the door.

Jim guessed it was the look their mommy gave him, but Sammy agreed to let Jim tag along. It seemed to take less persuasion than normal. They were well past the edge of the farm and walking down the only gravel path in Riverside when Sammy stopped them. He turned around and stared at Jim.

"We're going skinny dipping, Jimmy. Don't do anything funny." Sammy poked him hard in the chest.

Jim opened his mouth to protest. Mommy had always told him to keep his clothes on, but the look in Sammy's eyes and that Sammy hadn't ditched him on the edge of the farm like he normally did. Sammy was letting him play… no… hang out with the big kids. Jim immediately closed his mouth. "I won't Sammy. I promise."

When they finally arrived at the pond, it seemed all the kids in the neighborhood that Sammy always said were cool were there. Most were already in the water. Jim's eyes widened. He couldn't help from staring. He had never seen so many bodies. None of them were wearing any clothes. He probably should have realized then. Sammy punched him in the side. "Stop staring, Jimmy," Sammy hissed into his ear.

Jared, Sammy's best friend, was the first to notice them. "George," he called out. Jared had a loud voice. Everyone else called Sammy George. It was his real name. It was also their daddy's name. Sammy pulled him along by the shirt sleeve. Jim tried to pull free, but Sammy's grip just got tighter.

"You brought Jimmy?" Jared wrinkled his nose. Jared never liked him. Jim figured that Jared saw him only as a bratty little kid like his own little brothers and sisters. Jim didn't like Jared or his siblings. He went to school with Jared's little brother. He wanted to be Jim's best friend just like Jared was Sammy's, but Jim wasn't interested in digging in the sand or playing with cars. Jim liked the stars, and he wanted to explore new worlds. He was going to be a Starfleet captain like his daddy, but he never said that anymore. Sammy had given him weird looks and said that his head was still stuck in the stars. His mommy had never looked sadder, not even on his birthday.

"Yeah," Sammy shrugged his shoulder. He had a twinkle in his eyes. He always had that look in his eyes when he was going to do something bad or devious. Sammy pushed him forward. "Go on, Jimmy. Go change." He said it a little too loudly.

Jim tugged on his shirt hem. He really didn't want to. Jared must have noticed. He smirked. "Yeah Jimmy. I thought you wanted to hang with us. Everyone is changing behind that tree." Jared pointed to a large willow tree. It was away from everyone else. It was also along the edge of the pond. He could easily jump right into the water.

Jim nodded. The willow was bigger than it looked as he walked closer. Once he was sure that he was away from peering eyes, he started to undo his belt buckle. He wasn't sure how he didn't hear, but just as he was pulling off his underwear there was a loud shriek behind him. He immediately turned around. His underwear bundled in his hands. Alison Carmichael was standing behind him. Her face was as pale as snow. "Jimmy has girl parts!" She finally managed to scream out.

All the other kids surrounded them at that point. He saw Sam chuckling in the distance. However, when they started screaming crueler things the smile on Sam's face fell.

Jim wasn't sure who the first person he punched was. His face was red and blotchy. His blue eyes were blazing and blaring. Salt tears and mucus from his nose had dribbled down and combined together as they trailed down his face. He felt like a feral animal. It took two pairs of arms to finally pull him off of Peter Jenkins. Jim was kicking and screaming. His only consolation was that Peter looked worse than he felt.

Old man Rockabee drove them home. He had looked murderous when he wrapped Jim in a thin woolen blanket. He had barely looked at Jim as he handed him his mud soaked clothes and pushed him into the back of his hover truck. Sam looked sullen the whole way home, and that okay for Jim. Jim refused to look at Sam and spent the whole ride looking out the window. Jim's face was still splotchy, and his nose was starting to hurt when Rockabee pulled up in front of the Kirk farm house.

Jim pulled the blanket tightly around his body as he trudged up the stairs. The doorbell barely rang once before their mommy answered. She looked tired, and suddenly Jim felt sorry for what he had done. "James! George!" Jim saw his mommy purse her lips as she scanned them. She rarely called him James. She only did it when she particularly angry with him.

"Found the boys by the pond. A fight broke out." Jim wondered if his mommy's eyes could get any wider. "They appeared to have been skinny dipping."

She nodded. She looked at Sam. Sam kicked a rock next to his foot. "Thank you." She managed to say. It seemed to take a lot of energy out of her.

"No problem." Rockabee tipped his hat and left. They stood in silence as Rockabee backed his truck out of the gravel drive way and drove away.

His mommy pulled him forward at that point. She looked at him. Jim wondered if his mommy had ever looked at him for such a long time before. She finally sighed. "Go to your room, Jimmy." His mommy whispered. She looked so sad and tired. She never disciplined him. He thought that for once she would. It seemed she never knew what to do with him. Jim nodded. He walked into the house. He heard Sam follow him. "Not you, George. We need to talk."

Jim saw from the corner of his eyes his brother's scowl. "Jimmy's the one that started it," he grumbled out.

"George." His mother really did sound mad. Jimmy quickly scuttled up stairs.

Jim didn't know what their mommy said to Sam. She never disciplined in the house. She always took Sam away, deeper into the field. When they returned, he saw that Sam was favoring his left side, and his hazel eyes were teary.

Dinner that night was quiet and somber. It was only Jim and Mommy. She placed a plate of replicated food in front of him. She never cooked. He figured it was because she spent so much of her time in space where she only ate replicated food.

Sam found him on the roof after dinner. It wasn't that he was hiding. He liked going up onto the roof. He felt it was the closest he could get to his daddy.

"Hey, Jimmy."

"Go away." Jim muttered.

"Jimmy." Sam sighed.

Jim whipped around. He wasn't stupid. He knew. He knew Sam had done it on purpose. "Go away Sam."

"Jimmy look, I know I messed up."

"You think." Jim rubbed his shirt sleeve over his blazing blue eyes. He stood up. Even at seven-years-old, he was almost the same height as Sam. His brother backed up. Jim glared at him before he pushed him. He pushed Sam hard. It felt good. No wonder Sam was always coming home with letters from school that he had been caught fighting. Sam faltered and landed hard on his butt. He let out a loud howl as he jolted back up. Jim laughed.

He noticed a small scowl start to form on Sam's face, but it quickly disappeared. "Feel better?"

"Not really, but that was pretty funny." Jim laughed again.

Sam scratched the back of his neck. He always did that when he was nervous. "Yeah, I guess it was. Look, Jimmy." He toed the back of his right heel. "I've been a jerk." Jim crossed his arms. "For your whole life," Sam quickly added. "You don't deserve it. We're brothers: the only Kirk's left. It's us… together… against the world Jimmy."

"Grandpa Tiberus and Uncle James and …"

Sam slapped his forehead. "I'm trying to make a dramatic speech here, Dummy."

"I thought you were apologizing." Jim tried to sound mad.

"And you're making it really hard, Jimmy."

Jim glared at Sam. The glare didn't last long before they both cracked large smiles. They collapsed onto the roof. They lay there side by side. It had been a long time since Sam came out here to star gaze with him. Sam never liked the stars very much. "Together always," Sam whispered. He curled their fingers together. Jim smiled. As they stared up into the night sky, life was suddenly looking good. It seemed even the stars were twinkling extra bright.

Author's Notes: According to some online Star Trek encyclopedia (memory ?), it stated that Winona's maiden name was Davis. Unfortunately, I could not find any of Jim's grandmothers' first names anywhere. I will attempt to avoid needing to use them. However if it gets too strange later on, I will make some up unless it's actually stated in some novel or comic.

Also, Memory Beta stated that George Kirk Sr. actually has a brother named James. Original I know.

Thank you for reading. I will attempt a weekly update.