Disclaimer: Nope don't own them .
Winona Kirk stares out the window of the shuttle she's on board. She had been called back from duty again because of her son miss behaving. She just couldn't understand why Jim would act the way he would. She sighs softly and looks at the picture in her hand. Her son the last time she had seen him, right before she told him that she was going on this mission. Sometimes she regretted her choice to remain in Starfleet after George's death but she couldn't face her boys for long periods of time, it made her hurt even worse. She loved her sons dearly. Contrary to what a lot might think, Winona Kirk loved Jim more than the boy would ever know. He had been George's last gift to her and she cherished that boy.
The shuttle lands in Riverside, Iowa. She had gotten a call from a longtime friend telling her about Jim's actions and she got permission to catch the first transport back to Earth to deal with her son. Jim had been living with his grandfather Tiberius in Iowa for a number of months after his return from Tarsus IV, the first three where spent in a hospital. Winona shivers at the thought of that place and the hell that had occurred there. She turns her mind back to Iowa and to her father-in-law. The man had been more than happy to look after Jim and even managed to get George Samuel Kirk to come stay with him once they found him again. Winona sighs, her son George, though he had been going by Sam ever since his father's death, was a very conflicted kid as well.
Winona steps off the shuttlecraft and onto Earth for the first time in two. She sighs softly as she shoulders the bag in her hand and walks across the expanse of the shipyard toward the gate. She had told the manager to call her a transport hours before. Winona was not expecting the man that picked her up.
"John," Winona says softly as she sets her bag down and gently hugs the much older man. If she remembered properly the man is 137 years old this year. "Still looking good John."
"Thank you Winona," Admiral Johnathan Archer replies calmly hugging her back. From out of the vehicle T'Pol steps out in her uniform. The Vulcan is nearly thirty years Archer's senior but appears quite a bit younger.
"T'Pol," Winona says softly.
"It is good to see you again," T'Pol tells Winona. Winona, before her marriage to George, had served under T'Pol until she had been promoted again and became a teacher at the Academy for many years. "Tiberius called Admiral Archer, I accompanied to help with the Admiral's driving ability."
"My driving is just fine thank you," John grumbles. "Jim's out at Tiberius's place now. Sam's home as well. Shall we go?" Winona nods and puts her bag in the back before sliding into the vehicle. The trio go out to the old Kirk farm. Admiral Archer had been the one to clear Winona to return to Earth in the first place so she wasn't overly surprised. The elderly Admiral had been trying to keep an eye out for Jim over the years. When Jim ran away once right before the Tarsus incident but after the driving a car into a gulley incident, Admiral Archer had found the boy by using Starfleet resources. Jim proceeded to live with John for a year in San Francisco before his aunt and uncle on Tarsus IV offered to house him. Jim would never admit it but he did look to Admiral Archer as a father.
"It would appear Jim is not happy," T'Pol comments as they park in the drive of the old Kirk farm. Shouting can be heard inside the house.
"No! I'm leaving!" Sam Kirk shouts though it is muffled through the walls. "I need to go to school!"
"Don't leave me!" Jim pleads. "They'll send me away again!"
"Jim I have college to worry about. I'm sorry," Sam says loudly as he storms out the front door. He stops at the sight of his mother and the other Starfleet officers. "Mom!" Sam tackles the woman in a hug and she hugs him back. Jim runs out of the building and clings to his mother's waist.
"Don't send me away Mom please!" Jim cries. Sam looks at Winona who motions for him to go.
"I'll see you at Christmas Jim," Sam says and gives his brother a brief hug before leaving. Another vehicle is waiting with a young woman at the wheel.
"Jim, come on, let's go in the house," Winona says gently wrapping her arms around her son. T'Pol picks up Winona's bag from the ground and follow the pair into the house, Admiral Archer having already gone inside.
"Tiberius," Archer says looking at the man, "thank you for calling."
"I'm getting too old for this John," Tiberius mutters looking at the teenager clinging to Winona. "I'm trying my best but I just can't keep up with the boy anymore. He needs a better father than I can be. Can you talk to him?"
"I'll try my best Tiberius," John replies following Winona and Jim into the living room with T'Pol behind him. Jim is still babbling about being sent away.
"Jim," Winona says calmly. The teenager continues to babble. "James Tiberius Kirk will you stop your babbling and let me get a word in?" Jim calms down and leans back still obviously upset. "Jim are you all right? Nothing hurt too bad?" Jim shakes his head looking down at his lap instead of his mother. "Good. Now I don't care what happened Jim but you can't keep acting like this. I know you need me around but I can't come flying across the galaxy every time you get in trouble, Jim. Tiberius is trying his best to raise you in a good home."
"Are you going to send me away again?" Jim whispers. "If you don't send me away, I'll be a good boy Mom, promise. I'll be good." Jim's shaking visibly. Jim doesn't want a repeat of Tarsus IV.
"Jim I'm not going to send you away unless you want to leave Tiberius's care," Winona replies gently and strokes her son's cheek. Two cups of tea are suddenly held out to them. Jim looks up at T'Pol who is holding out the cups.
"Drink, it will help center your thoughts," T'Pol tells him. Jim takes the cup and drinks slowly.
"Why are you and John here?" Jim asks looking at Admiral Archer.
"Your grandfather called me," John replies. "And T'Pol insists I can't drive properly anymore so she accompanied me."
"Winona, care to give me a hand with dinner?" Tiberius asks. "T'Pol I could use your help as well." The pair nod knowing that Tiberius wants John to talk to Jim.
"I'll be back in a while Jim," Winona says and kisses her son's forehead. When the trio are gone, John motions for Jim to come over to the chair beside him. Jim does and looks at Admiral Archer nervously.
"Jim," Admiral Archer says calmly, "I also came because I am concerned. As your father's fleet commander, I knew him quite well. Helped recruit him actually. He was a good man. To see you without a father hurts me Jim. I know this is a hard life for you with your mother gone. I know that you need a good home. Yes Tiberius can provide such a home but he is getting quite old. Not as old as me, mind you, but old none the less. Jim, I can't house you full time but why don't you come out to San Francisco for a few months? Give your grandfather a bit of a break before your school year starts up again? I'm sure you can find interesting things to do over the summer. You could tend to the beagles. Maybe T'Pol will finish teaching you Vulcan and get you to finally pick up a few more languages. You have great potential Jim, don't be a trouble maker all your life."
Jim is quite for a few minutes as he thinks it over. "John," Jim says cautiously, "you're saying I could come stay with you for a few months?"
"Yes. Get you a change of scenery. I know that genius mind of yours could find some fun in picking apart the databanks in my house for everything you wish to learn. Then I'll bring you back in the fall. You have what, two, three more years of high school right?" John inquires.
"Uh no. I graduate this year if I don't get expelled," Jim replies hesitantly. "I skipped a few grades."
"Good job boy. You can still come out to San Francisco and return for your final year of school. Then you can go to college. Maybe come visit me on your breaks. Any way you want it Jim. Just don't keep going like this," John pleads gently. Jim is quiet a few more moments before smiling softly.
"Maybe I can finally get T'Pol to show more emotion," Jim chuckles. "As long as my mom and Tiberius are good with it, I'd like that." John smiles and motions for Jim to follow him. They walk into the kitchen. Old man Tiberius insisted on a home cooked meal every day. Winona is smiling and T'Pol is amused though she barely shows she is. Jim couldn't help but smile softly at the sight. Winona looks at them and walks over hugging her son softly.
"I love you Jim," Winona whispers in his ear as he hugs her back.
"I love you too Mom."
Two days later, Winona ruffles Jim's hair as he stands on the porch of Johnathan Archer's home. The Admiral stands to the side with T'Pol watching. Jim squats her hand away but smirks.
"Be a good boy," Winona says sternly, "or else young man. I love you. Be careful." She hugs him gently.
"I love you too Mom," Jim whispers hugging her close and closing his eyes to prevent the tears. "I'll see you when you get back, okay?"
"You got it. We'll go out for dinner," Winona insists.
"Be safe Mom," Jim tells her as she walks toward the transport. Winona looks back and smiles while waving at them. Admiral Archer sets a hand on Jim's shoulder.
"Come on Jim, I arranged for you to harass one of the tactical classes for the afternoon. Should keep you busy until dinner," John chuckles. Jim grins evilly. John had arranged for him to play a small war of pranks against the tactical class for the afternoon to see if any of the students could figure out where and when the next attack would come. For Jim it was just an excuse to douse unexpected cadets with water. Jim hurries to the car calling for John and T'Pol to hurry up.
"Are you sure it is wise to send him against a tactical class?" T'Pol inquires.
"Wise, no. Interesting and keep him out of illegal trouble for the rest of the day while I'm in a meeting, yes." John shakes his head as he hears the vehicle start up even though T'Pol had the activation key in her hand. "He hotwired the transport."
It was going to be one long summer.
Another idea that popped into my head. One shot. I actually computed the ages of Admiral Archer and T'Pol for this story. Archer would be 137 years old giver or take a birthday and T'Pol would be 161. Funny factoid, I wanted to see if it was feasible for Admiral Archer to still be alive at this time and if so if he'd been in a mental capacity to look after Jim so I looked up another Star Trek human I knew that lived to be a very old man, Doctor Leonard McCoy. In Star Trek The Next Generation Leonard McCoy is on the ship giving a final inspection with Data as his escort. It is stated then that he is also 137 years old. I find it odd that I just happened to pick the year that Archer would have been 137 and used McCoy as a reference on his physicality and mentality at that type of age which happened to be 137. *shrugs shoulders*
Send ideas my way please. I encourage them. This one actually stemmed from a review on another story by rosenquist. She had commented how she liked both the fatherly Archer and the good mom Winona.