Inspired by the song he didn't have to be by Brad Paisley

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related these characters or Star Trek. I do not own the music of Brad Paisley.

It was another night that she was going on a date, a date with a man who was not my father. She had been trying to find happiness down her broken road, a broken road that she has been down too long. Mom prepared herself for another night of failure, bringing home men who wanted her for her body and not for her. Keeping in mind she picked the men who had no interest with me, making her even more down.

At the time of 8pm the door buzzed signaling that he was here. I gave a great sigh that to relieve my stress of the night as I sat in the chair.

"Jim please get the door." She commanded from the other room. I obliged by with another sigh. I walked to the door, pressing the button to open, it slid open to show a tall man. He was one of the best looking men that she has chosen, with his head full of brown hair and welcoming a smile.

"Hello kiddo, you must be Jim." The man said with a rich voice.

"Yup." I replied.

"I have heard much about you. My name is Christopher Pike, my I come in?"

"Sure whatever." I moved out the way for the guy to come through. I shut the door and led him to the living room. Pike stood looking at me with a stupid smile, I could not understand why. Mom came into the living room looking beautiful as usual, but this creep didn't deserve her. She greeted Pike with a hug and kiss that sent Pike on his toes.

"Hi Chris. I see that you met my son."

"Oh yes. Looks everything like you." He replied.

"Listen I have a problem. The babysitter just canceled and I think I should stay home with him."

"That's not necessary, why doesn't Jim come with us?" I was surprised that this man really wanted me to go, something like this has never happened.

"Umm, I don't know." She replied,

"Please mom can I come?" I asked. She considered again for a moment.

"Ok that's fine. Go put your jacket on."

Pike looked at me again and then placed a hand on my shoulder. I ran into my bedroom to search for my coat, but it was not easily found under all the junk cluttered everywhere.

"I hope you like pizza Jim." Pike said from the living room.

I woke up to my mom and Chris talking in the living room. I rolled over onto my side to hear what they were talking about. He was talking about how much he loved her and wanted her and me to spend our lives with him. Was he going to ask her to marry him? I peeked from the side of the door to see him on his knee in front of her.

"Will you marry me?" he asked as he held a ring in his hand. I prayed for her to say yes.

"Please say yes mom." I said to myself. She wiped away a tear and nodded to his question. He slid the ring on her finger and kiss her hand. She knelt down to hug him, wrapping his arms around her pulling her close he kissed her. I jumped on my bed with excitement, I was so happy that I almost broke the springs in my bed, but I didn't care I was going to have a complete family.

Alayna Kirk my beautiful wife of three years was ready to give birth to my baby girl. I paced the halls of my ships medical wing for hours waiting to see that newborn's face. My first officer Mr. Spock and his wife Nyota Uhura waited with me trying to calm me down, but it was not going to work. The swish of the medical wing doors opened and came in was my mother and Chris with smiles on their faces. I was shocked to see them, I did not know that they were coming. I hugged them both tightly and kissed them. Twenty minutes past when my friend Doctor McCoy came in to give me the news.

"You a father of brand new baby girl Jim." McCoy said. He brought me to the window where I could see nurse Chapel pushing my girl to the window. The others came to the window to look at her. She looked tiny in her pink blanket and hat lying in her bed. Tears filled my eyes as I gazed upon her. I felt so complete like I was as a kid when I met Chris. Pike stood next to me and placed his arm around my shoulders and smiled.

"Come on Jim, no time for tears. You're the Captain of this ship." Pike said. I wiped my tears away and looked at him.

"I know dad. I'm trying to keep myself in check." I replied. I looked at the reflection of me and my father from the glass. As I look at our reflection I began to reflect back on the things he did for me.

"Come get into the lake." Chris stood in the lake water that came to his waist. I stood in my red trunks with my floaters on my arms. I was scared that I could drown in the large lake or the lake monster that my cousin told me about would get me.

"I'm scared." I said to him as I stood on the deck of the lake looking down.

"Do you trust me?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Jump in and I will catch you." I thought he was crazy, that was a big step for me. "You can do it." I walked closer to the edge of the deck. My heart raced, it felt like it was in my throat. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Pushing with great force I jumped into the cool lake water. Chris kept his promise and caught me with his large hands. The water had splashed me in my face, his large hand wiped the water from my eyes. "I got ya buddy." he said.

"Jim can you come here for a moment?" Chris called me into the living room. I walked in to find him sitting on the sofa with a box on his lap.

"Yeah dad?"

"I have something to show you." I walked around the coffee table to sit on the sofa next to him. He opened up the very old box that had to be at least a hundred years old. "I know tomorrow is your 18th birthday and I wanted to give you a early birthday gift." He pulled a small metal round object that had a matching metal chain attached to it. He opened a small part other shinny object to show an old style of a clocks face. "This was past down through five generations of men in my family. It's a old pocket watch that my old man gave me and I want to give it to you." He placed the watch into my hand. "Now I know it's not a cool hovercraft or some gadget, but I thought you were old enough to have it."

"This is a cool gift. I just think your awesome enough that your giving me something like this. Thanks dad."

I knocked on his office door, then heard him tell me to come in and so I did. Chris sat at his desk working. I sat in the empty chair that was in front of his desk.

"What can I do for you?" He asked.

"I wanted to thank you again for letting me to talk to that recruiter from Starfleet Academy."

"You don't have to thank me Jim. You have great potential that you can use. I know you will make it, I bet you can have your own ship in four years if you do your best."

"Make it three years."

"That's pushing it, but I have confidence in you."

"Jim." Pike called. I was back in the nursery looking at my baby.

"Yeah?"

"You alright there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Umm…Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"This having a baby thing is pretty big."

"Of course, I know you have what it takes to be a great father to your girl." Kirk looked turned to his father, his eyes is filled with tears again.

"Looking back... all I can say about all the things you did for me, is I hope I'm at least half the dad that you didn't have to be."