Alright, I wrote this months ago, and figured it was too lame to post at that time. But now I'm posting it, even when it's not Beta'd at all, mind you. Enjoy anyway.
Word count: 2,569
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or songs used in this work.

I. The day had been particularly bad. Too many had died, too many were dying. McCoy slumped into his chair in his office as soon as the last crewmember had finished surgery. The young ensign, only twenty, had damage extensive enough to force the removal of his hand. McCoy couldn't look at his own hands afterward. He needed a drink and some sleep. But just as he started to fall asleep at his desk, next to a bottle of whiskey and the accompanying shot glass, he heard a noise. The strange chords of an old earth instrument drew his attention, hypnotizing him, and leading him away from the comfort of sleep. When he saw what was going on in the recovery room, the doctor thought that he had a little too much to drink.

The ensign, who lost his hand, was awake and not sulking. Far from it: he was grinning stupidly. Beside him was the all too familiar gold shirt sitting, with a worn, ebony guitar in hand. McCoy knew better then to interrupt this moment, choosing to lean in the doorway and simply listen to their conversation.

"It's possible to play with one hand," the captain said. The ensign's eyes lit up,

"Really sir?"

"Yeah, I broke my arm once as a kid and taught myself how. It's strange at first, but you get use to it."

Kirk laid the guitar across his lap and held his left arm behind his back, much to the amusement of the ensign. He then strummed across the frets, before playing some notes of an old Earth song.

McCoy grinned as the kid's enthusiasm skyrocketed. He'd never seen a patient so happy in his life. Just as the captain told the ensign too, the doctor would keep his friend's ability a secret.

II. He was stressed out more than usual. Not even a chess match with Spock could ease away some of said stress. The damn Klingons had injured practically half his crew in the most recent attack. On top of that, the negotiations between the Federation and the counsel of Altima had failed. So, he did what he always did when he was stressed; grab his guitar and a bottle of illegal liquor, courtesy of Scotty.

As Spock walked towards his captain's room, he heard the faint sounds of the string instrument. He cautiously slinked towards the room, listening very closely to the sounds of a song his mother use to enjoy. The Earth instrument known as a 'guitar.' The captain plays? he thought. He rapped his knuckles on the door, "Captain?"

"Come on in, Spock."

The hybrid entered to see the calloused hands of the other placing the guitar back in its case with the utmost care. He raised an eyebrow,

"Might I inquire your possession of the instrument?"

"Long story short, my brother and I had a crazy notion that we'd start a band one Summer, and I've been playing guitar ever since. What's on your mind, Spock?" he asked, attempting to avoid the subject of the ebony instrument.

"I was requested by the doctor to make sure you were mentally stable. There have been many hardships as of late," the Vulcan replied, his eyes flickering between the captain and the guitar.

"Yeah, I'm fine Spock. Tell Bones that too."

"As you wish, Captain. By the way, your rendition of 'Blackbird' was…enjoyable."

Spock allowed himself a quick upturn of his lips exiting, as Kirk was rendered speechless.

III. Scotty had heard the rumors that the captain played guitar, yet he didn't believe them. He just didn't seem like the type that would take up an instrument. But, once he heard the chords of an old rock'n'roll song, he was a believer. Carefully, he poked his head around the corner and looked into the almost abandoned observation deck to see Kirk idly looking out into the vastness of space while playing guitar. Scotty knew the song by heart, and had to resist joining in as the captain started to sing,

"Words are flying out like endless rain into a paper cup/They slither while they pass/They slip away across the universe/Pools of sorrow waves of joy are drifting thorough my open mind/Possessing and caressing me..."

Scotty looked away as the doleful song echoed in the empty space. His mother had recently passed, and that was her favorite song from the old band. He even found that she had died listening to that, while she was in the hospital. The Scotsman's eyes began to water. He nearly had a heart attack when Kirk spoke,

"I know you're there. You're kind of loud."

The engineer smirked and quickly rubbed his eyes as he entered the observation deck, "Can' get anythin' past you, Cap't."

"Very rarely, unless there's Romulan ale involved."

"Ye're really good, sir. Might I ask when you learned to play?"

"When I was a kid. My brother, Sam, and I figured we should do something productive over the summer, for once."

"'For once?'"

"Summer was boring, unless you're causing mischief around town. We were notorious as children," he grinned. "Don't let anyone know that."

"Ai, sir. 'Tis a good song…me mum's favorite…" he muttered, looking at the floor. Kirk nodded in understanding,

"I'm sorry, Scotty. If there's anything I can do-"

"Ah Cap, you don't hafta. It's a kind offer though, just wish I could be there…"

"Good, because I already got permission to make a u-turn for Earth."

Scotty's head snapped up, "Really?"

"Of course. We're getting a week of shore leave, so, make the best of it."

"How?"

"Cashed in a favor. Again, tell me if you need anything."

Kirk walked away after giving the engineer a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Scotty stared out at space, waiting for his home planet to come into view. Mum…I'll be there.

IV. Leave it to Chekov and Sulu to find an old Earth videogame and convince the others to play it. The aptly named 'Guitar Hero' drew the attention of many members of the crew. The two young navigators were astoundingly good at it. They held the high score, and were determined to perfect every song. One evening, after Alpha shift had ended and they'd eaten dinner, they flew to the rec room and turned on the old Playstation and started up. Slowly, the group watching them grew, as usual. If not for watching them, the crowd listened to the old 20th and 21st century music, and enjoyed it.

"It's nothing like the real thing though," they heard from behind them, after they completed a song. The two turned to see their captain, obviously amused by the game.

"Sir?" innocent Chekov questioned.

"On the real instrument, you…well, you more or less feel the music. And before you say anything Spock, I mean that actually playing it on a real instrument invokes an emotion," he said, glancing over at the First Officer to his left.

"I understand what you mean, Captain," Spock replied quickly. The two 'heroes' exchanged looks.

"We wouldn't know, we don't play, sir," Sulu said, smirking slightly. Kirk quickly realized his little slip of the tongue.

"Well, that's what my brother told me. He played bass. Give others a chance to play," he told them before exiting the rec room. The two then cast a wondering glance at Spock, but the Vulcan was impassive as ever. Of course, that only confirmed the idea for them.

Late that night, after discussing their suspicious with Scotty, the two crept to the upper deck where they did indeed hear a guitar.

V. Everyone noticed that Uhura had been quite distant from them recently. She hardly talked to anyone, except to relay incoming messages. She had also taken to going straight to her room after meals and avoiding contact with all crewmembers, even Chapel. One evening, after she fled after finishing dinner like usual, Scotty asked,

"What's wrong with the lass?"

Chapel sighed, "I read a message she got, don't tell her. Her boyfriend, of two and a half years, broke up with her. Because she wasn't beautiful to him."

Everyone paid attention then. When something was wrong with one of them, they were all there to back the other.

"I've half a mind to go to Earth right now an'-"

"You speak for all of us, Scotty," Bones said.

"So, she's not talking to anyone, not even you, Christine?" Sulu asked.

"I've tried to get her to, but nothing's worked."

Later that evening, Nyota could hear her friends trying to talk to her, heck, even Spock was there. Go away… she thought. But, none of her friends were telepaths it seemed. She couldn't talk to them, not after what her now ex-boyfriend said. If he had been with such an ugly woman for three years, how did they truly view her? Were they really her friends? She buried her face in a pillow, determined not to cry herself to sleep again. Suddenly, the voices of the others ceased. She picked her head up as she heard strumming. What's this? she wondered. Then she heard someone,

"Dear Nyota, won't you come out to play/Dear Nyota, greet the brand new day/The sun is up, the sky is blue/It's beautiful and so are you/Dear Nyota won't you come out to play"

Slowly she stood up and moved towards her door, and pressed an ear to it. That's…it can't be! she thought.

"Dear Nyota open up your eyes/Dear Nyota see the sunny skies/The wind is low the birds will sing/That you are part of everything/Dear Nyota won't you open up your eyes?"

Carefully, she allowed the door to open. She saw everyone there, looking at her, welcoming her. Though, she was admittedly taken aback when she saw who was singing and playing guitar. Kirk gave a little shrug and continued,

"Look around round round/Look around round round/Oh look around"

Cautiously, she stepped out into the hallway, only to have many arms wrap around her in a giant hug.

"Dear Nyota let me see you smile/Dear Nyota like a little child/The clouds will be a daisy chain/So let me see you smile again/Dear Nyota won't you let me see you smile?"

She couldn't help it but grin a little as the others gave her warm smiles.

"Dear Nyota, won't you come out to play/Dear Nyota, greet the brand new day/The sun is up, the sky is blue/It's beautiful and so are you/Dear Nyota won't you come out to play."

Kirk strummed the last few notes before ending on a chord. He gave the linguist a grin before walking away.

The next day, just before shift began, Nyota came over to him as he enter the bridge and wrapped her arms around him. For a moment he was surprised, but understood and returned the hug.

"I forgot to thank you," she said.

"No thanks is needed. Just come to us when a-holes like him tell you such lies. We'll take care of him."

Nyota laughed for the first time in a long time it seemed. How could she have forgotten that her family would always be there for her?

I. He could barely look at the guitar, much less play it. His eyes were drawn to the writing carefully etched on the back. 'We may not have started a band, but we sure as hell started something - Sam.' The guitar had been given to him on his fifteenth birthday and that was the only guitar he used since. It had always reminded him of those happy childhood memories. But now, those memories only brought him sorrow upon the death of his brother. And as much as he wanted to keep the ebony instrument, there was someone else who needed it. So, he placed the worn out treasure in an equally worn out case and brought it with him down to the bridge, where his nephew was waiting for him.

"Uncle Jim, what's that?" the kid asked. Kirk gave a sad smile,

"It's a guitar, one your father gave me when I was a kid."

"Dad use to play…he tried to teach me, but then he and mom…" Peter trailed off, looking at the floor.

"Yeah, he told me. He said you were good and had a lot of potential."

"The guitar he gave me broke," his nephew mentioned, eyes trailing over to the case that had been set on the floor.

Jim hadn't really known that Peter was learning, but that made this slightly better,

"I know, that's why I'm giving you this guitar. Your dad signed this one."

"Uncle Jim, I can't take it. Dad gave it to you," Peter said.

"But I'm giving it to you so you have something to remember your father by, and so you can continue learning. We Kirks have a natural musical talent you know."

"That's what dad said. Do you think I'll be as good Slash one day?"

The captain rolled his eyes, "Leave it to my brother to teach you about hard rock. If you practice enough, you will be, and probably better."

Not soon after acquiring the guitar did the younger Kirk leave to live with his father's partner, absolutely beaming with his gift in hand. The bridge was silent for the rest of the day. Wordlessly, the crew knew what he had given up for his nephew.

One month later...

He never made a big deal about his birthday, even when he was a child. He did reply with a quick 'thank you' when he was wished a happy one. He didn't expect much other than that. So, his surprise was genuine when he saw a neatly wrapped (he suspected Uhura had done that), rectangular present resting on his bed. He quickly set aside the cup of scalding hot coffee and inspected the present. He found a note on the side, written in the chicken scratch that was McCoy's hand writing.

Jim,

Happy Birthday. Don't try saying thank you, just enjoy.

~ Everyone.

The note was discarded as the wrapping paper was quickly torn off. Beneath the bright green paper was a black leather case, the silver latches gleamed in the light. He let out a slow breath,

"They didn't…"

With a click the latches were undone and the case opened. Red velvet cradled an ebony instrument of wood and strings.

"They did…"

The Fender Stratocaster acoustic-electric guitar seemed to smile up at him, begging to be tuned and played. A calloused finger slowly traced the edge of the fretboard and the wire strings. One note sang out in the room. The guitar was then removed from it's cozy resting place and into the hands of it's new owner. He smiled as he saw the silver Starfleet insignia imprinted on the back of the black alder[1].

Outside his door, the Alpha shift bridge crew and the CMO held their breath waiting, listening. Each of them smiled, even Spock's lips twitched upwards, as they heard their captain playing his favorite song (they knew it was his favorite as he had a habit of whistling it while on the bridge). A few began to laugh as they heard him singing at the top of his lungs,

"Asked a girl what she wanted to be/She said baby, can't you see/I wanna be famous, a star on the screen/But you can do something in between/Baby you can drive my car/Yes I'm gonna be a star/Baby you can drive my car/And maybe I'll love you. And those standing outside my room laughing, there's no way in hell I can thank you enough for this."

It was his best birthday ever.

[1] Alder has been used as the wood in the body of Fender Strats since the 1950s. Fun fact.

And there you go. It was written a bit quickly, so it's not as good as I hoped it to be. I'd love to hear what you reading this have to say about it.