Five Times Jim Kirk Teaches Jaylah Something New and One Time She Returns the Favor

A/N: I just love these two so much. Jaylah easily took Uhura's spot as my favorite female character! She's so fierce, smart, beautiful and I love her relationship with Jim. Well this came into my mind thanks to Tumblr posts. It can be read as a friendship or as a romantic connection. You choose. Enjoy!

1. Behavior

"Jaylah!" Jim came running down the hall coming to a halt next to her, breathing hard. "What happened?" He asked as he held out a hand to pull her up from the spot on the floor. She took the gesture, letting him help her.

"I got thrown out of class. How could I know you aren't allowed to leave when you want during some boring speech? Nobody told me, James T.!" Jaylah crossed her arms in front of her chest, glaring at the classroom opposite of her.

Jim's jaw clenched shut. He should have told her the moment she enlisted. He had to made her understand how it works. A smile crept onto his face as he laid a hand on her shoulder: "I've an idea." She turned, a glint of confusion in her eyes.

"I do not understand how this can help me, James T.?" Jaylah eyed the hologram in front of her curiously. The History of Starfleet was listed in the blue light as well as on her PADD. "Just give me two seconds!" Came Jim's voice from the bathroom. He'd insisted that Jaylah got his and McCoy's old room at the Academy so he knew his way around.

"Now what do you do when a professor comes is?" Jaylah rolled her eyes, standing up. "I still don't underst-" But she was totally flustered as Jim entered the room. A laugh found its way past her lips at the sight. Her captain, her friend clad as a teacher from the twenty-first century. Glasses on his nose, hair slicked back with a huge amount of gel.

"James T…" Jim held up a hand. "Sir," she rephrased, "What is this?" He moved to his own PADD. "None of us thought about you. Though I'm not exactly the best example of a good student, I want to prepare you the way all of us were when we entered Starfleet.." He looked down to the ugly brown suit. "Even if it takes dressing up like an arse." Jaylah giggled, stifling it with her hand. Jim smirked at her, before making her sit down.

That was the last day any teacher ever criticized the 'white alien girl', as she was prepared for every possible order or situation.

Jim stood with a proud smile at the back of the class as Jaylah did her first presentation on Astrology. As the class and even the stuck-up professor clapped Jaylah's eyes reached Jim's. He gave her a small wink before disappearing into the hallway.

2. Lures

His communicator beeped loudly waking the captain of the USS Enterprise up with a jolt. He quickly checked the time on his PADD, noticing it was way pass midnight. Something must be wrong! He grabbed the yellow phone-like device, answering the call. "Captain Kirk here." He said still a bit drowsy

"James T.?" Jaylah's small voice activated his senses.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" The words stumbled out as worry took over.

A crackling sound could be heard from the other side making him even more anxious. "I'm lost, I don't know what to do!" Jim took in a deep breath, standing up. He grabbed his pants and jacket from the nearby chair. "I'm on my way, Jaylah. Just keep talking, okay?" A small word came from the other side of the line.

As fast as he could Jim dressed himself before running out of his quarters. He'd asked to stay a little longer at Starfleet before returning to the five-year-mission. He was lying to himself if it wasn't to wait for Jaylah's ensign to the ship.

"Where are you?" Jim demanded running out of the building. "I don't know. Some classmates asked me to join them to a bar, but they left me behind and I don't know how to get back." He nodded to himself, knowing where she was the second bar had left her mouth. "I'll be there in a few minutes. Okay?"

She replied: "Okay, James T.." as he shut off the device running in the local bar's direction. As he arrived he saw nothing but red-clad men surrounding someone. "Out of my way!" He yelled, making most students squirm. In the middle was Jaylah, slamming two heads against each other. "Cadet!" Jim exclaimed making her turn to him. "Ja-Sir!" She replied letting the boy go.

He nudged his head in the direction of the door. She walked past him out of the room, head turned to the floor. "Now get him patched up and go to your dorms!" He ordered setting them in motion.

"I shouldn't have trusted those cadets." Jaylah said to Jim who was knelt in front of her. He went with disinfectant-that he might have stolen from a certain Doctor-over the scratches on the girl's face. "You should never trust anyone around here. Most people are trying to get to me through you. They know how much you mean to me Jaylah." She smiled at him, wincing only slightly as the liquid burned in the gash.

"I won't let them wind me around their finger anymore, James T.. Thank you for coming to my rescue." Jim laughed, standing up. "Looked like you were handling it pretty good on your own." She smirked: "Well, I'm a badass as Montgomery Scotty says." Jim laughed, leading her to his bed. "You sleep here. I'll go invade Bones' privacy." She wanted to decline the offer but sleep was pulling at her. "It's okay, Jaylah." He tucked her in with a small grin. "Goodnight." She replied with his words as he shut down the lights. He couldn't help but feel glad she was safe.

3. Flirting

"You want me to do what?" Jim's lips were slightly parted a breath stuck in his throat. "I want you to teach me how to flirt." Jaylah replied toying with the chess piece she just gained from her captain. "I asked Leonard and he told me I should ask you."

Oh, he was so going to kill Bones. "Well," He began but didn't know where to start. Why would she want to learn flirting anyways? "Who do you want to ask out?" He pulled up his eyebrows in anticipation. Jaylah's eyes casted to the floor avoiding the ocean blues staring at her. "I don't exactly have a crush, James T.. I just want to know how to do it, in case I need it later." She didn't want to tell him and he was fine by that. He had to admit that Jaylah coming to him for this kind of advice was flattering.

"Okay, let's do this then." As her eyes lit up at his words he couldn't help but smile.

"That's it?" Jaylah asked a hint of disappointment in her voice. "It's that easy?" Jim laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "Just make sure you don't make it too cheesy." She clearly didn't know what he meant and he could mentally slap himself for it. "Too cliché, too big." He rephrased, gesturing with his hands what he meant. "But you'll be fine. Now tell me who you wanna ask out." Jaylah blushed a light blue color making Jim even more curious.

"So James T.," she whispered, before looking him dead in the eye. "You come here often?" Jim couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, I kinda live here."

A darker blue crept onto her cheeks, making him laugh even more.

"You do know you could have just asked me to go do something, right?" He liked being in the girl's company. It was relaxing to be around somebody else than his crew for a bit. "I know, James T.. I just wanted to try it out." He pushed himself up out of the chair. "Where you going?" Jaylah asked wide-eyed. He quickly turned around facing here. She must have thought he'd blown her offer off the table. With a small smirk playing on his lips, Jim held out his hand: "We're going out." He was met by a broad smile, before she took his hand dragging him out of the room.

As they ran down the plaza of the Starbase, Jim found difficulties catching up with the woman's pace. He didn't worry about it though, knowing no one would find out anyways.

Little did he know that from the top of the stairs a few members of his crew were watching. "Something brewing?" Uhura asked eyes locked onto McCoy. "She did ask me what flirting is. Didn't plan on her asking Jim out." A groan could be heard from the Doctor's other side. "What's up with you?" The lieutenant glanced at the Scotsman. "Why does he 'lways get the gals?"

"It seems to me Mister Scott is what you call jealous." Spock's stoic voice came, making the engineer cross his arms defiantly. "Ye', I am! It ain't fair."

The crew members ignored the grumbling following their captain and newfound friend as they entered the cinematic building.

4. Bullies

"Captain Kirk, requested in the Grand Aula." The message kept being repeated throughout the Starbase, making him wonder what the hell he did wrong now.

As he entered the huge parlor he was met by an old teacher he remembered from back in the day. "Miss Bradbury, you asked for me." Jim's jaw clenched shut. A nervous habit that often returned accompanied with anything even related to his old days at the Academy. "Yes," She said clearly not so pleased with the current situation. "I understand she's one of yours." The greying woman stepped aside to show Jim the white girl in the red uniform stained with bits of blue blood sitting on a chair. "James T!" Jaylah exclaimed, before catching herself in the act. "Sir, you've got to understand it wasn't my fault."

Jim nodded sucking in his bottom lip: "Miss Bradbury, you can go back to your class. I'll deal with my cadet." Jaylah shrunk under his harsh voice, but the woman seemed rather happy with the way he talked. "As you wish, Captain Kirk."

Once she left the room, Jim let go of the straight posture stepping in Jaylah's direction. "What the hell happened?" He demanded taking a hold of her chin to check the cut above the black line.

"It's not important." She replied, pulling out of his grasp. "I'm fine." He narrowed his eyes, head cocked to the side. "No you're not! Who did this?"

Jaylah's eyes moved to the ground. Jim, determinate to find out who hurt her, crouched down on eye-level. Blue connected with hazel and it all came spilling out. "These guys were picking on me because of my race and because of… you. They said I'm not worthy of this spot and I only got it because I'm fucking around with you." The typical earth language felt strange in her mouth. She never understood why all those songs she found in her home had them, but after spending time with humans she got it. It was to hurt someone you think is better than you. To break them down, bone by bone.

"Who were they?" Jim tried to keep his voice even, but it became harder and harder as the rage within him grew. "I've taken care of them."

"Well that's…" Jim held his breath for a second not knowing how to continue, "Neat!" Bones clearly thought different of it as he practically slapped his best friend in the face. "This ain't neat, Jim! I've four cadets with shattered bones who're bleeding onto my floor!" His eyes landed on Jaylah. "But good of you for kicking their asses like that." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Jim, you better teach her how to handle bullies the right way." The blond copied Jaylah's movements making McCoy roll his eyes. "You're unbelievable!"

"I thought Leonard and you were proud of how I handled them?" Jim took a place next to her on his bed, which had become their usual spot lately. "Yes, I kind of did the same. But it wasn't always them who lay in the medbay. Often it was Bones who'd to patch me up at three in the morning.
Look Jaylah, the correct way is to go to the council. Tell them and it will stop. I don't want to see you getting hurt." He pinched her shoulder in a comforting way. "You understand?" Jaylah nodded. "Thank you, James T., for the advice."

"Always."

5. Simulations

"Is it true you passed the Kobiyashi Maru test?" Jaylah studied his face with wide eyes. Jim dropped the chess piece back on the board, leaning back in his chair. "You planning on taking it?" She nodded eagerly at him. "Already did once actually. I failed."

Jim chuckled: "Well that's the thing. Succeeding is kind of impossible." He moved a bit closer to her. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but there's only one way to beat that simulation." Her lips were parted in anticipation. She'd been studying for ages trying to find out how to beat the test created by Spock and she was finally getting the answer. "You've got to cheat. As illogical as it sounds that's the only way." At her confusion Jim smiled: "I'll teach you."

"And the crew of the Kobiyashi Maru is saved." With a smile Jaylah turned to the teachers on the upper level.

"This is the second kid to beat you simulation." Spock turned to the man, the edges of his mouth slightly curled up. "Apparently no-win situations do not exist." He glanced down via the window at his captain congratulating the second one to succeed in the test.

6. Acceptance

"I don't understand why people are so fond of those things." Jaylah said as they came out of the theater. "It's not even holographic." Since he taught her how to flirt and their following date to the movies, they began to do it more often.

Jim nodded in agreement, but he still quite enjoyed the movies from the earlier days. "It sure is different, but I like the concept of it. I mean superheroes are still amazing!" Jaylah's answer surprised him: "Yes they are. But none could compare to you." He stopped mid-step, turning to the beautiful white girl. "You think I'm a hero?" The doubt in his voice made her confusion grow. "Well, yes James T.. I read your file at the Academy. You've saved hundreds of lives several times. Why wouldn't you consider yourself a hero?"

He just shrugged, unable to deny the facts.

She placed her hand on his shoulder. "You're a good man, James T.. Your crew knows it, the whole of Starfleet knows it, I know it. You've got to accept yourself as the man you've become, not the punk you were." He frowned at her. "Punk?" She pouted slightly: "Leonard calls you that when you're not around."
Jim mentally noted to murder his best friend when he saw him.

"Thank you, Jaylah." He said, pulling her in for a hug. "That was something I really needed to hear."

Frozen in shock, Jaylah stayed the way she was. When she felt Jim's grip tighten she couldn't help but blush before wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're welcome, Jim."

Their bodies rocked with laughter. Laughter that quickly filled the dark streets. "You sure are one of a kind, Jaylah." Jim sighed contently. For once he was happy the whole Krall-thing happened. Otherwise he'd never met the amazing person in his arms right now. One person he could no longer see his life without.

The End