A/N: Written for the SpaceWrapped Christmas community on LiveJournal
[Connecting... Please stand by.]
"Daddy!"
"Hi Jojo."
"Where's Jim?"
"Hell if I know. He's puttering around somewhere..."
"Hey! I'm coming! ... Hey Jo!"
"Hi Jim!"
"So, you excited?"
"Jim, it's only Christmas."
"Oh dear Lord..."
"What? Blasphemy! It's not only Christmas! It's the epic Kirk-McCoy Christmas Extravaganza!"
"...more like fiasco..."
"Hey, Bones! I heard that! Jo, don't laugh. It only reinforces his negative behavior."
"Oh, that is rich coming from you, Jim."
"Bones, I've been working hard on this, we're finally on Earth for Christmas, Jo'll be home and the par-"
"-I'm just saying that it never goes like ya plan -"
"Hey! Do you guys want to hear when your beloved baby girl is arriving, or not?"
"Oh, yeah. Sorry, Jo..."
"Yeah, Jojo, when do we need to come get you from dock?"
"Well, my flight gets in around 1030, so we'll be home just before lunch."
"So you don't need a ri- wait."
"...we?..."
"Yes, we. I told you I might bring someone with me and I thought you'd like to meet Peter."
"…Peter."
"Yes, Daddy. Peter, my boyfriend."
"…Boyfriend."
"Is there an echo in here? Jo, we'll be happy to meet him. I'll get the extra bedroom ready, okay?"
"…Bedroom?"
"Thanks, Jim. ... Um, is Daddy okay?"
"He'll be fine once it finishes processing. He's not as young as he used to be, these things take time, heh heh. Hell, remember how long it took him to get used to the idea of you having a license?"
"You have a boyfriend?"
"And he's back!"
"Yes, Dad, I thought I told you about him..."
"What's he like? He good to you? Do I need to have a chat with this boy when he gets here?"
"He's nice and he treats me well and you'll see that when you meet him! And even if I told you not to have a 'chat' with him, you're going to anyway, so I won't bother."
"Don't worry, Jo, I won't let him be too scary."
"Now, just you wait a minute -"
"Dad! It'll be fine. Trust me, you're gonna love him!"
"...Why are you chuckling? Jim, why is my daughter chuckling after a statement like that?"
"Dad, I really gotta go, okay? I'll see you on Tuesday!"
"Yeah, well, make sure he drives safe."
"Good Lord, Bones. We'll see you then, Jo!"
"Bye Jim! Bye Daddy!"
"Goodbye, sweetheart."
[Connection terminated. Saving call transcript.]
~()~
It was the morning of Joanna's arrival and Jim was standing in the hallway in full uniform.
"Where do you think you're going?" Leonard asked. There was no way that Jim was dressed like that to meet this Peter guy.
"Bones, I'm sorry-"
"Not yet, you're not. They call you in?"
"Pike said that he'd try to get me out by noon." Jim was walking toward him with an apologetic look on his face. He put his hands placatingly on Leonard's shoulders, but he was having none of it and stepped away.
"You're going to make me meet this Peter person on my own?"
"Yes, and you'll survive. And-" Jim smiled, "you'll be nice to him because I promised Jo you would and you wouldn't want to make me a liar." Leonard huffed and crossed his arms. Jim was supposed to be his back-up on this. His baby may be twenty already but he still didn't like the idea of her dating anyone, let alone some young upstart that he didn't know anything about. "I promise I'll be back as soon as I can."
By the time that Joanna and her boyfriend pulled up in the car and Joanna had bounded out of her seat and into her daddy's arms, Jim was still at Starfleet headquarters and Leonard had to face the young man who stepped out of the car on his own. Joanna introduced him as Peter Larsen, a third-year cadet in the Command track at Starfleet Academy. The blond was polite and greeted him as Commander McCoy, which made Leonard twitch but he had to respect the boy's sense of etiquette. When Jim finally got home, they were all comfortably seated in the living room with Joanna cheerfully telling stories about being at her daddy's alma mater and Leonard answering some of Peter's questions about the Enterprise's second tour in space.
~()~
Several things became evident over the next few days. One was that the reason for Joanna's statement during their vid call became clear; Bones did like Peter. He was polite and charming and Joanna was obviously happy to have him around.
He also handled parts of their unconventional lifestyle rather well. Since they'd spent the last five Christmases in space with the rest of the crew of the Enterprise, they'd decided to have a "family" Christmas on Wednesday and invited the Bridge Crew, Scotty and Keenser over for part of the "Kirk-McCoy Christmas Extravaganza". Peter got to see a side of the heroes of the Narada Incident that no one ever saw. He had a discussion on tactics with Spock and Scotty before Jim declared a moratorium on "shop talk." He got to listen to the newly minted Captain Sulu complain about the Chekov-Sulu custody battle, which apparently had culminated in Hikaru and Pavel spending Christmas in Russia and New Years' in San Francisco and, as Hikaru good-naturedly put it, not a single moment to themselves. And when Chekov sat down at the piano, Peter even joined Uhura and Joanna in singing Christmas carols (though he sat out on the ones that Uhura decided to translate into Vulcan on the fly, causing a raised eyebrow from her husband). As much as Leonard hated the thought of possibly giving his daughter away to this cadet, the boy was delightful to have around – an opinion shared by everyone he met that day.
Another realization was that Peter had a slight, but obvious, case of hero-worship when it came to Captain James T. Kirk; and Jim didn't like it. In fact, Jim just didn't like Peter much at all.
~()~
It wasn't until Thursday, the day before Christmas Eve, that Uhura mentioned something in a call to the captain that hit the reason for Leonard's affection for the young man – as well as Jim's dislike of him – dead-on.
"Is that all, Commander?" Jim was so ready for this conversation to be over. He'd only been home for a month and the Enterprise's refit had just started and they were already having problems? It was Christmas! They couldn't let it wait until January?
"Yes, Captain." Uhura didn't seem to pleased about the timing either. "I'll let you get back to your family. Say hi to them for me. Peter, too." She smirked when Jim grimaced.
"Yeah. I can't help it, but I do wish it was just Kirks and McCoys this year." Uhura laughed.
"You don't like to share, do you?" She laughed again at his indignant glare. "You really didn't see this coming? Joanna is so much like her father, of course she'd fall for someone like you! Leonard did, though I still don't know why." Jim knew that she didn't really mean that; after all, she teased him more than his older brother ever had and Jim now didn't have to imagine what it was like to have an annoying little sister. But Jim had trouble getting to his mind to shut up and let things go, and even long after the conversation was over, Jim couldn't let it go.
He thought about it through dinner and he thought about it while helping Leonard finish wrapping presents the next morning. And the more he thought about how similar he and Peter were, the more he thought about how closely their relationships and lives might mirror each other – and the more he couldn't keep his displeasure from showing. As happy as he was with Bones, he knew that he put the man through a lot. He knew that Bones still hated space and he knew that Bones knew that he would leave space for firm ground if Bones ever asked – but Bones never asked. Just like Jo would never ask Peter to give up the freedom, the adventure – the pure adrenaline rush – that was the vast black of space.
He didn't even realize that he'd been ignoring Peter until Leonard kicked him under the table during dinner and after, he kept his responses short, consisting mostly of "Is that so?"s and a variety of wordless noises, this time ignoring the looks he was receiving from both Jo and Bones.
~()~
"Okay, Jim, spill it. What the hell is your problem?" They were finally alone. Peter and Jo were watching a movie and Leonard had managed to corner Jim in their bedroom while they got ready for bed.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Damn him, how many times since they'd met had Leonard heard that tone? It was the Of course I know what you're talking about, but if I acknowledge it we're going to have a deep and meaningful discussion that I really don't want to have, partly because it will force me to acknowledge things that I'd rather ignore for the rest of my natural life, and partly because I'm emotionally stunted when it comes to intimate communication tone. Leonard had heard it before their discussion that had led to Leonard finding out the truth about Jim's pre-teen years and Tarsus. He'd heard it after Leonard had met Winona Kirk for the first time and witnessed a truly awkward moment. He'd heard it after their first night that had gone far past the boundaries of normal friendship and he'd heard it again the first time Jim had met Jocelyn. And just like every other time, Leonard wasn't going to just let it go. Jim would talk about it whether he wanted to or not.
"Like hell, you don't, Jim." God, Leonard was getting tired of this and he could hear the exasperation in his own voice. They were married for crying out loud and Jim still pulled this shit, still tried to pull away from him like he was afraid of Leonard finding out too much and deciding he wasn't worth it. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Now what the hell happened today? I thought you were warming up to the kid a little and then you just… You treated the kid like he was invisible all afternoon! You hurt him, you've upset Jo," that made Jim visibly flinch, "and I just… I don't get it. Do you know something that the rest of us don't?" A thought hit him. "Did Uhura say something to you during that call?"
The way that Jim seemed to deflate like a spent balloon and slumped down onto the bed answered it for him. That woman had definitely said something. But the way that Jim was hunched over and staring at his clasped hands didn't seem angry the way it would if he'd found out Peter was cheating on Jo or something. Leonard sat down beside him, close enough to reach out and touch him if he wanted to, but not enough to make Jim feel crowded. During conversations like these, Leonard had learned to give the kid his space or he'd shut down even further.
"Jim… what did she say?" He could barely hear Jim's answer.
"She said he's just like me."
Well, that wasn't what Leonard had expected. Strangely, he felt kind of let down, but that just seemed so anti-climactic after the way Jim had been behaving. The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. "That's it?"
Jim's head snapped up, eyes blazing. "'That's it?' What do you mean 'that's it'?" Again, the second the words were clear of his mouth, even in the light-hearted tone that Leonard belatedly tried to sneak into it, he knew they'd rile Jim up even further. Damn him and his natural snarkiness.
"Well, with your ego, one would think that you'd enjoy the fact that my little girl had picked someone just like you."
Today certainly seemed to be the day for surprises. Though normally Jim would take offense at the jab to his ego, he looked like he was trying to get angry, but just couldn't get the energy to. Instead, he just seemed hurt, like that comment from his husband had reached deep, reached the place that Leonard knew Jim kept his insecurities safely hidden.
"Yeah, Bones. He's just like me. And I don't get why you can't see that she deserves better." If Leonard wasn't so concerned by the tone and the words that had just come out of Jim's mouth, he'd want to get that boy's head examined. Yes, he was well-aware of the ball of insecurity that the blond had welled up inside him and the mask of bravado that he regularly had in place. But he'd thought that Jim had gotten past the worst of it, that he'd gotten better at seeing his own worth, especially after the two successful five-year missions the man had led.
"Jim, what are you-" What the hell do you say to something like that? "What do you mean she deserves better?" That got Jim on his feet, pacing in front of where Bones sat on the bed.
"Think about it, Bones! He's going to go into space, right? If Jo decides to not go into Starfleet, then she'll stay on Earth and get to see him, what? Maybe two times a year? Or even if she does go into Starfleet, even my influence and Pike's couldn't guarantee that they'd be stationed together unless they've been married for over a year and I seriously doubt that this kid would want to put off serving for that long, so he'll still end up on his first mission without her!" Leonard just watched him pace. How long had he been worrying about this to be so worked up? "We both don't want her to go through that! And if he's so much like me, then he's going to do whatever he thinks he needs to do to get his own ship, and once he has it, he'll do anything in his power to protect it and the people on it."
Jim had stopped pacing and was just staring at him now, eyes wide and a look of fear mingled with worry on his face. Leonard couldn't have looked away even if he'd wanted to and Jim continued in a quieter, but just as agitated voice. "We both know how that goes, Bones. If he's so much like me, then he'll be just as reckless as I know I can be. And Jo'll spend the rest of their life together worrying that she'll lose him the next time she lets him out of her sight, just like you worry about me. I know what that does to you, Bones, but God help me, you know I can't be anything different." At this Leonard had to interrupt. They'd had conversations about Jim's safety before and he wasn't going to let Jim think that he wanted him to change.
"Jim, I know that you are who you are and I told you, I accept that, even if it scares me sometimes. But it's up to Jo, not us, whether or not she can accept that too. All we can do is warn her and hope for the best."
"But we can't just hope for the best, Bones. You and I know it, and everyone else on the Enterprise knows it, but no one else seems to realize that the only reason I'm still alive is because I have you to patch me up. He won't have that."
"Jim, he'll have his own CMO-"
"But he won't be good enough! Everyone on the Enterprise is the best there is, you are the best there is, and even I've cut it too close a few times. If he tries some of the crap that I do, if he acts like me… she'll lose him. And I don't-" By this time Leonard was already on his feet and when Jim cut himself off, he wrapped his arms around him, feeling the blond bury his face in his shoulder. "I've seen what that does to someone."
Yes, he had. Leonard had met Winona over 20 years after she lost her husband and it was obvious through her mannerisms and her relationship with her children that she was still in pain. The loss of her husband had broken her, and Jim was right – he didn't want that for Joanna. But that also wasn't something that he could protect her from.
"Jim, as much as I want to protect my little girl from everything that could hurt her, there are some things that neither of us can do anything about. Jocelyn raised her well. She's a smart girl and she's strong. She could marry someone not in the 'Fleet and he could die in an accident the day after." He forced eye contact. "Some risks are worth it. You know that."
"Bones, she deserves better than someone who's married to Starfleet and his ship…" Not again…
"Jim- do you think that I deserve better?" At least that got a chuckle.
"Yes. I'm pretty sure I've even told you that before!"
"And yet I'm still with your crazy ass, aren't I? And I'm not going anywhere." Jim looked away, just like he always did. Leonard sighed, wondering if certain things would ever change. "He could have a worse role model, ya know..." Jim returned to eye contact again.
"What?" Leonard let go and stepped away, a wry look on his face. He hated saying stuff like this, but sometimes Jim needed to hear it.
"Well... dammit, your head's going to get even bigger... You're a good guy, Jim. Yeah, you've had your rough patches and yeah, if this kid follows in your promiscuous footsteps too much I'm gonna lose my license for performing an unnecessary orchiectomy, but really... my little girl could do a lot worse than dating someone like you. If he's anywhere near as loyal as you are, as understanding, dedicated, kind... If he shows half the amount of devotion that you've given to me, then... I couldn't ask for a better man for my daughter." Good lord, he sounded like a sap.
"You really mean that, Bones?" It was stated as a question, but the gratitude and love in Jim's blue eyes told Leonard that he already knew the answer.
"Of course I do, you idiot. I may bitch a lot, but that's only because you damn near give me a heart attack every other day when we're out in the black. And, hell, if I didn't approve, she'd be well within her rights to call me a hypocrite."
~()~
The morning of December 25th showed a significant change in Jim's behavior. He was still quieter than either McCoy was used to, and he was still slightly wary of Peter, but he was obviously making an attempt to be his usual cheerful self and the improvement of his attitude continued throughout the day. By evening, Leonard could happily say that Jim was finally more at ease with Joanna's boyfriend, and enjoying their family Christmas. It would take a while for either of them to truly accept this Peter Larsen (if, Jim still insisted on mentioning, Jo even kept him around), and time would only tell if any of Jim's fears came to pass, but for now Joanna was happy and that was really what mattered. It may not have been the disaster that Leonard had thought it would be, and it wasn't quite the "extravaganza" that Jim had labeled it, but as he looked around at the smiling faces of his daughter, husband, and guest as they all sat around the living room, sharing stories, sipping cider (or spiced wine) and listening to the carols playing in the background, Leonard was willing to call it a success.