So, who's surprised I'm back this soon? I never intended to make you wait a whole year again, I promise. I did consider waiting another couple of weeks, maybe a month, but in the end I just wanted so much for you all to read this, I just couldn't wait any longer. So... here we are!

Unlike the other parts of this series (both past ones and future ones) this is a multi-chaptered piece. Three chaptered to be precise, they'll be posted weekly and I really hope you'll enjoy them.

Like I'd mentioned before, this is my take on Into Darkness... and I promise you it's like nothing you've ever seen before... at least nothing I've read and hopefully that'll be enough. I did ask my reviewers to guess what might happen, no one came anywhere close, then again, I pretty much took a left turn almost at the start and went down a completely different road, so that's probably to be expected. I do hope you'll enjoy it.

The past fic ended just before the mission to Nibiru, this one starts just after that, though, just so we're clear, while the mission happened basically the same as it did in canon (yes, including Spock's willingness to die and Jim going nuts over it), they both submitted completely honest reports, so there was never any disagreement and fighting about that.

I love Chris, and I love his pairing with Number One, so yes, I went there. Also, I made up a lot about Number One, based on many fics I've read, and some things that were just convenient for me. None of it is really canon, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.

Finally, a bit of a warning, James is a tad OOC, just remember this is a very different man from the one in canon, not just from the Original series, but from the KTL movies. He was raised differently and he's been through a hell of a lot of stuff that neither his counterpart, nor the canon version of him did, and that's made him different. There's a reason I sometimes refer to him as James, rather than Jim.

Buk

By: Lalaith Quetzalli

Some believed fate was written in stone, James believed each person wrote their own destiny. He might have failed in the past, but that didn't mean he would do so again, especially not when it came to protecting his family. He'd protect them, from danger, from darkness, from cruelty and, if necessary, from fate itself.

Part 1. Fate

It began with a trial, of sorts. And a part of Jim couldn't help but enjoy the irony. Yes, he was in trouble, a hell of a lot of trouble. But then again, it had been the same when he was put on that Academic Hearing for cheating on the Kobayashi Maru, and things hadn't exactly gone bad for him following that… Of course, there were people who just wanted an excuse to get rid of him, from those murmuring about sending him back to the Academy, all the way to those who'd rather he be dismissed from Starfleet entirely. A part of James couldn't help but wonder what their reactions would be if they ever learned their threats didn't really scare him.

Don't take him wrong. He loved Starfleet, very much, but it wasn't his life, not anymore. There might have been a time when he believed he'd live and die in Starfleet, much like his Father and his M… Winona did. And he liked it, he took great pride in being a Captain, loved the Enterprise and every single member of the crew… but if they were to tell him he couldn't go back, he would not die. Because Starfleet wasn't the 'be all, end all' for him anymore. Spock was.

He was quite certain that at least Amanda would love it if they were to spend more time in Vulcan, as would the children… even if not everyone liked them, the youths definitely did. And T'Pau would no doubt be eager (or as close to eager as Vulcans got) to have both Spock and James attend the New Vulcan Science Academy (apparently James's results when testing for the Shi'Khar Institute during their somewhat eventful last visit to the colony were really good, among the very best on record even, much like Spock's own).

So, Amanda would be happy, Sarek would probably be happy (for Amanda being happy if nothing else), T'Pau would accept them (and quite possibly find a way to, in a very Vulcan way, stick it to those who'd once doubted Spock, how talented both of her great-grandsons were), and James was reasonably sure that the teenagers and children would help them win the rest of the adults over if necessary.

He would miss the crew, they were his family, almost as much as Spock was, as much as M'aih had once been, certainly more than Winona, Frank or even Sam (and thus his own wife and children) had been in a very long time, if ever. He only hoped that, if it did come to that, Chris would take back captainship himself. He probably wouldn't want to, not now that he'd finally gotten his head out of his ass and married Numer One (it was about time!). Also, the baby was expected to be born any day… but James would so hate for someone like Komack or Barrows to take over the Enterprise and ruin the crew. They were all so amazing, but they well knew they weren't exactly orthodox, not many would be able to be their captain and not try and make them be the generic, boring, Starfleet officers they simply weren't meant to be…

"K'diwa (Beloved)?" Spock called quietly.

Of course, since some bastard had decided that, despite the fact that the two of them were the topic of the trial (the 'accused' as Komack insisted on referring to them), the Trial was to be behind closed doors, and they didn't have the rank to be present. In James's opinion it was absolutely ridiculous. How were any of them expected to clarify any details if the two involved weren't present at all? Besides, most of the panel was formed by idiots who hadn't been in Space for decades, if ever, what did they know about the choices Starfleet officers like himself and Spock (like their crew) had to make when out there? Yes, he'd technically violated the Prime Directive, but there was just no way he'd have left Spock, his bondmate, down there. And before that, they'd made each choice seeking to protect a young, primitive species that deserved the right to live, as all sentient beings did. Why exactly was that wrong? (Also, if anyone thought there was any chance any of them would have stood back and done nothing, after everything, after Vulcan -and they may not have been able to stop Vulcan from being destroyed, but it sure as hell hadn't been for lack of trying-, then they didn't know them, at all).

"I'm alright ashaya (love)." James reassured him.

"No, you're not." Spock knew him too well to believe that. "You worry about what the Admiralty might decide."

"Not as much as I thought I would." His telsu (bonded) admitted. "And nowhere near as much as I'm sure Komack would want me to. No, I'm more… annoyed, that they would judge us without even knowing us, without learning why we did the things we did."

"You know I've been guilty of that too." Spock reminded him softly.

And he was, when he'd chosen to pursue Jim's 'crime' of cheating on the Kobayashi Maru, rather than go to him and ask why he'd done it.

"You understood, even if it took us a while to get there." James face showed a small smile. "I don't think the Admiralty is interested in doing that."

"If they don't, that'll be their loss." Spock did his best to console his telsu.

It was at times like those that he was so very thankful for the depth of the bond they shared. For it allowed him to comfort his mate even when he couldn't find the right words to say; and what's more, he didn't doubt himself for he could feel as his beloved brightened.

"Yes, it will." James agreed.

xXx

Hours later James was having his second (and last) drink of the night. The first he'd had in the company of his Command Crew, who'd insisted on going all together to the bar to celebrate that Sulu had finally decided to pop the question. The best part? Ben had said yes. Everyone was very happy for him, and thus, ready to celebrate.

Spock had left early on in the celebration, as he wasn't the kind to enjoy places like bars and such. Though he'd insisted that James stay as long as he liked, he was planning on doing some long, deep meditation. So James stayed.

The crew had just left and James had turned down the third person to attempt to seduce him Was there no respect for people's marriages anymore? And they knew he was married, the whole galaxy had found out when he and Spock got married! (And that one wasn't even on him, it had been all Starfleet, trying to give the public something good for them to focus on instead of the tragedy of the loss of Vulcan, as if a wedding could compare to the loss of millions of innocent lives at the hands of a madman… though of course Starfleet just hadn't wanted people to begin asking why, if the deed had been done by the very same man responsible for the loss of the Kelvin, why hadn't Starfleet found him before he destroyed Vulcan?) In any case, James was considering just taking off, despite the fact that Spock would still be in deep meditation and therefore unavailable, when none other than Chris made his appearance. Apparently his Number One was becoming crankier the closer she got to the end of her pregnancy and Chris had pretty much high-tailed it out of there at the first opportunity. Jim couldn't stop cackling over that one, especially at how put out that made his old mentor.

So the two shared a drink. Talking about how different married life was from what each of them had imagined. Chris had avoided it for the longest time, mostly because he had been terrified of Number One telling him no. She'd told him once that she intended to never marry, believing that her husband would want to ground her, and she simply refused to allow that. Also, before James and Spock, Starfleet had had very specific rules about two people in Command Structure being allowed in a relationship together, believing that they'd be compromised and liable to put the life of their paramour above their duty, and that simply couldn't be allowed. At the same time, they also had rules that kept them from separating Vulcan telsu (bonded), and the whole crew of the Enterprise, when submitting their reports after the 'Nero Incident' had expressed their desire to serve in the Enterprise, with James Kirk and Spock in charge, and no one else. So Starfleet had allowed it. And it had worked pretty well, at least until the mess in Nibiru.

"It's not your fault kid." Chris told Jim quietly.

"I don't think it is." Jim assured him. "I promise you Chris, I'm not drowning in guilt here, or anything like that. I was celebrating with the crew, Sulu just got engaged. Then I was making time, Spock is in deep meditation and I didn't want to interrupt him. What happened in Nibiru… I don't regret it, and nothing the Admiralty say or do will ever make me do so. The things I did, that we did… we did to save a civilization that deserved better than utter annihilation, and to keep a brave officer safe after he risked his own life to achieve that. Even if it hadn't been Spock in that volcano, I'd have done the exact same thing."

"I know kid." Chris nodded. "It's one of the things I like about you. You make the hard choices and you stand by them." He exhaled. "I did my best to make them understand that, not sure I managed. In the end they sent me out, said I was… too invested."

Jim snorted before taking a last sip from his drink.

"Yeah, you tell me." Chris scoffed himself before kicking back the remains of his own drink.

The rest of the Admiralty had no idea. Even those who said such things, who believed that Chris and Jim cared too much about each other, they didn't understand. They didn't know, and didn't care too either. They hadn't been there, on that ship, all those years ago, when nine small, emaciated children had been brought on board, each of them barely hanging to life and to sanity by a thread, and by their own shared bonds…

Neither of the two men ever spoke about it, about their first meeting. Most in Starfleet believed that the two had met in Riverside, following a certain drunken brawl. That their connection originated from Pike's research into the Kelvin for an old paper of his, and the fact that he'd been the one to convince Jim to join Starfleet. Less than a handful knew that hadn't been the first time the two had met (even if the first time Jim had been hardly a teenager, and Chris himself so very young, on his very first mission as a Captain…). And no one other than Chris remembered what a young Jim had looked like, emaciated and yet so very strong, almost feral as he stood guard before his friends, before the kids he'd managed to keep alive against all odds. The look in his eyes when he'd finally accepted, finally believed that they were safe, that He was safe… Number One could barely catch him the moment the kid let go and collapsed as his body was finally allowed to shut down.

"So… One driving you completely crazy then?" Jim asked with a smirk.

Chris knew the kid was changing the topic, and why he was doing it, but it was alright. It wasn't like talking about the 'closed doors trial' neither of them were allowed into was going to change things any. Better to focus on better things, like their respective spouses.

"Absolutely." He agreed. "No idea why I married her in the first place."

That was a lie of course, and they both knew it. Chris loved his Number One, had for a very long time… even if he hadn't dared act on it until he was so high on pain drugs following the Narada incident he could barely tell up from down, and he certainly couldn't remember why exactly he hadn't said a thing to her before. Also, discovering that she was miraculously alive, after having spent hours believing her to be among all of those lost to space and the Narada… the relief of that discovery had been a high all on its own.

"Cause you love her like crazy." James stated in a very no-nonsense tone. "And she's a goddess who's decided you may just be worth it to bless you with her love."

"You are way gone kid." Chris was no doubt that the kid was speaking from his own experience.

"You've no idea." Jim snorted into the glass of sparkling water the bartender had placed wordlessly in front of him.

He'd connections in all the bars he frequented in San Francisco, they knew to never give him more than two drinks, even if none of them knew why exactly. Some might suspect he was a recovering alcoholic, others that he was simply a conscientious man, it didn't matter.

They were interrupted by the ringing of Chris's comm, his personal comm. It had been James's wedding gift to him, so One would always be able to reach him, even if his official comm was tied up with an official call (it was also encrypted to hell and back so no one, not even the highest ranked in Starfleet, would ever be able to hack into his personal calls; he'd given one to Number One as well, for that matter).

Because the bar was getting louder as more and more people arrived, Chris took the comm and walked towards the hall leading to the bathrooms, the quietest spot in the place, to take the call. Jim kept drinking his water as he waited, deciding he'd be leaving the bar once he'd finished it; he had no doubt Chris would be leaving soon as well. The one on the comm could only be Number One, and there was no doubt Chris would be going back to her immediately.

James was pulling out some credits to pay when a ringing distracted him. He hadn't even noticed that Chris had left his Starfleet comm when going to answer his personal one. Jim didn't even stop to think about it before flipping it open. Didn't get the chance to say his name either, and the message was a recording (which was probably good, considering that they'd taken his comm and he wasn't sure if there wouldn't be orders to keep him out of whatever was going on):

"To all Admirals, Captains and First Officers, an Emergency Session has been called at the Main Conference Room in Daystrom. Priority 1."

Jim could only stare at the comm unit as the message cut off. Priority 1 basically meant: 'drop whatever the hell you're doing and get here now!'. The last time there had been a Priority 1 situation at Starfleet… it had been about Nero. Jim had a very bad feeling all of a sudden.

"Jim!" Chris called right then.

Jim opened his mouth, he had every intention to tell Chris what he'd just heard. The man was an Admiral so of course he had to be at that meeting. Jim himself was still considering if he should go, with or without an invitation… but Chris didn't give him a chance, he just kept talking:

"My baby is about to be born!" The man cried out, an exuberance in his voice Jim had never heard before, not even when he was about to get married (though that was probably because back then he'd been absolutely terrified, convinced One was going to change her mind and choose not to marry him).

"Then what the hell are you still doing here Chris?" Jim asked, unable to hold back his own laughter. "Go! Go, I'll cover your tab."

Chris just nodded, probably half lost in his own thoughts already.

"Jim!" He called back as he was already beginning to leave. "You'll come, won't you?"

"As soon as One says it's alright." Jim assured him. "I doubt very much she wants anyone but you right now, and I don't wish to intrude."

"You wouldn't be intruding kid." Chris assured him. "You know you're family."

Jim just nodded, not quite able to find the right words to reply to that. He knew that both of them had considered him family for a while, probably ever since Tarsus. One had been so protective of him since that very first day, and the fact that she was the very first person he'd allowed to get anywhere close to him and his kids… It had been significant, very much so, even if he'd never explained to anyone what exactly made him trust her before anyone else (or the fact that the only reason he began trusting Chris was because she convinced Jim he was a good man).

Truth was that One reminded Jim of M'aih, with the way she held herself, seemingly so cold, aloof, almost emotionless. But it was just a facade, she felt, a lot, and he could see it in her eyes. Jim could see how she worried about them, yet she didn't treat them as children; she could see that after everything they'd been through they couldn't really be children anymore. One wasn't Vulcan, of course not, she was from Ilyria; she was basically a human, though with some differences. According to history, some alien race had abducted hundreds of humans over a lapse of decades, had used them as slaves, until eventually either said race had died or simply lost interest in the humans, leaving them in Ilyria, where they'd evolved as a separate species. They looked perfectly human, and were mostly the same, except for the fact that they were a tad stronger, faster, more enduring, all because of how their ancestors had to adapt to living in a different planet. They had also learned to conceal their emotions, at a time when showing emotion made them vulnerable; and that was something that had stayed with them. Ilyrians for the most part kept to themselves; far as Jim knew One was the only one who had ever chosen to serve with Starfleet, and only two people knew why she'd chosen to do so…

Jim waited until Chris left before finally pulling out his credit-chip, covering both their tabs then, after thinking about it some more, he pocketed Chris's official comm. He'd made up his mind: he'd go to that meeting, find out what the hell was going on. He briefly considered calling Spock and letting him know what was going on, then decided not to, from what he could sense through the bond his husband was still deep in mediation and James did not want to interrupt. In any case, it was only a Command meeting, what was the worst that could happen?

xXx

Less than an hour later Jim was revising that opinion. Things had gone to hell in a hand basket so fast his head was almost reeling.

He'd known from the very start something was wrong. 1) Who the heck was Harrison? Jim couldn't remember hearing so much as a whisper of him ever before, and if he was that good, he should have; Jim had made it his business to know the names of everyone that was considered gifted, important, etc., in Starfleet (and that had been even before joining!). 2) Why attack an archive? Of course Jim had considered the possibility that there might be something more than an archive there, he'd heard the whispers (and more) about secret divisions of Starfleet, though he'd never gotten definite proof of anything. And yet, if there was more going on, why were they only being told about the archive part? Also, he was fairly certain there was indeed something off going on there, otherwise why had Harrison hung around; he clearly was there to make sure the place blew, which meant it was important for him that it did. 3) What the hell was in the bag? There was clearly something because the man wouldn't let go of it for anything. But what was it? 4) What was coming next? A man with the talents Admiral Marcus claimed Harrison had… there was no way he'd stop at blowing up an archive (or, alternatively, a top-secret base), there had to be more, but what? What else was he planning? And 5) Why the hell was no one asking all those questions? It seemed as if no one other than him even noticed that such questions needed to be asked in the first place. And Jim was keeping himself to a corner of the room, mostly out of sight, suspecting at least some of those present wouldn't like him being there. So he said nothing and just observed… At least until the lights came, and the explosions and, yeah, all hell broke lose.

*T'hy'la!* James's head was still ringing when he heard his husband's voice calling.

"I'm… fine…" He murmured, not quite noticing that he was talking out-loud. "Spock…"

*Fine has a myriad of connotations, and you're most definitely not fine…* Spock replied mentally, in a tone that showed how on edge he was.

*You're using contractions.* James noticed, which also served to show him just how badly his beloved was taking everything. *I'm alright Spock, I promise. Just give me a second to get this bastard…*

Even as he spoke Jim was already working on taking down Harrison. He shot at him from one side, and when that proved not to be enough, James made a half-baked, crazy plan and, his insane luck holding, it worked. The problem? Harrison somehow managed to beam out of the transport he'd been on before it crashed, and Jim hadn't the slightest idea how he'd managed that exactly. He hated not knowing things.

*I'm heading home.* He informed his mate mentally. *Be there in a few minutes. Don't go out, and if anyone asks, tell them that as far as you know, I'm still at the bar.*

*James…* Spock knew something was very, very wrong.

*This was not the end Spock, it was just the beginning.* James informed him grimly even as he made his way out of the building, dodging everyone. *As of this moment I trust no one but you.*

*You can always trust me k'diwa.*

*I know ashayam. Be there in a few minutes.*

Spock stayed deep in the bond, practically inside his telsu's head, until James arrived to the apartment. Then, once they were sure the other was okay James stood in front of his husband, a quirk of his brow enough to signal what he wanted. With a nod of acquiescence Spock went into his telsu's mind, they didn't even need to touch, their bond was so deep, so strong, they were the clearest example of the old Vulcan mantra: 'Parted and never parted. Never and always touching and touched.' All they needed was to wish it, and they could go into each other's minds. They each knew how to shield, definitely, yet they never did, each believing that a bond such as theirs deserved the most absolute trust, and thus they never tried to shield any part of themselves from the other, instead they embraced all each of them were.

Spock saw everything then, beginning with the drink James had shared with Christopher Pike, the call he got when One went into labor, the call Jim himself intercepted, and then the meeting at Daystrom, and everything that had happened there. Spock agreed with most of James's thoughts, though he had nothing further to offer. In the end they decided they might as well get some sleep. They wouldn't be able to do anything for the time being anyway.

xXx

They were woken the next morning by the ringing of Spock's personal comm. It was Scotty, he'd somehow managed to get involved with the team who'd secured HQs after Harrison's attack, and he'd been the one to find what he'd used to get out of there. He told Spock everything, before warning him that the information would be reaching the remaining members of the Admiralty very soon. Which meant things would be happening soon.

The call had just ended when the phone rang.

"Kirk speaking." Jim answered automatically.

They were in a Starfleet-issue apartment, so it wasn't like the number was exactly personal. But since Starfleet had assigned them that apartment, it wouldn't be hard for anyone there to know how to reach them. Even then, their friends all knew their personal comms, and no one else had any reason to contact them so…

"Captain Kirk." The man on the other end of the line spoke. "I want to talk to you and your Fist Officer, come see me at my office at your earliest convenience."

Which was a polite way of saying 'come here right now'.

"Of course sir." Jim replied automatically. "We'll be right there."

Spock arched a brow. The bond meant that, of course, he knew exactly what had been said, and just what his telsu was thinking about the whole thing. Marcus's words, after what Scotty had just told them made them both reach the exact same conclusion at pretty much the same time: Something was very, very wrong.

xXx

To say that the meeting with Marcus went badly would have been a huge understatement by both human and vulcan standards. Jim was quite sure that the only reason he didn't go off at the man was that his husband was helping him keep his temper in check. The way the man 'offered' Jim the chance to go at the insane bastard who'd fired upon Starfleet HQs… no capture, no trial, Marcus wanted Jim to pretty much murder the man, and not only that, he expected Jim to agree, no questions asked! His offer to 'ensure' he would keep his captainship, and Spock as his first officer… as if either of them would have ever allowed anyone to separate them! And how could he have called himself captain when he was expected to go against both the rules and the very spirit of Starfleet! It was absolutely ridiculous. And the thinly veiled threats that had been made against Chris… that was right about when Jim would have snapped, if his personal comm hadn't rang right then.

The distraction gave Spock the chance to very stiffly (and with barely enough politeness) to remind Admiral Marcus that he and his Captain were both under suspension pending the ongoing investigation and trial over their actions in Nibiru, and taking the Enterprise could be considered as insubordination at the very least, outright treason at worst; as thankful as they both were that the Admiral was willing to aid them, they just couldn't ask such a thing of him, as all Admirals should remain completely objective and unbiased.

In the end Marcus had dismissed them, claiming to have 'prior engagements' and making a not-small dig at their refusal to take on his 'mission', especially when it'd have given them the chance to make justice for their loved ones…

They were halfway through the plaza outside HQs when James abruptly froze mid-step. Spock stopping a second later, staring at him.

"Holy Shit…" James gasped in absolute disbelief.

"James…? K'diwa?" His telsu's mind was firing in so many directions at the same time Spock was having trouble following his line of thought.

"The bastard actually believes Chris is dead." James breathed out.

Spock's eyes widened, as abruptly every thought in his mate's head became crystal clear, and then the half-vulcan could see what had lead his human husband to that conclusion and its implications (some worse than others).

"That's why he expected me to take the mission, and not just that but probably to even convince myself it was all my own idea." James began speaking out-loud even as he rushed down the path. "Chris… he was supposed to be at Daystrom for that meeting. He would have been if I hadn't intercepted the message. And since it was a recorded message, one that required no reply, chances are no one knows he never got it, that he was never at HQs last night. Furthermore, the comm was destroyed during the attack, so there's quite a big possibility that Chris is among those considered MIA, likely dead. No one would know to search for him in the maternity ward of Starfleet Medical… he probably doesn't even know the mess everything's become out here and…" Jim broke off, freezing again.

"T'hy'la…?" This time Spock could follow his telsu's line of thought, and they horrified him, both in how true they sounded, and how terrible the consequences…

"Spock..." When James spoke next he was extremely serious. "Find Uhura. Tell her… as much as you think is necessary to tell her. Warn her that things are going to get worse before they get any better, and that it might be safer for her to make herself scarce. Give her one of our encrypted comms. Then… ask her how much does she trusts Gaila, Scotty, Sulu and Chekov. If you agree, warn them as well. Then do the same with your mom. Remember, always use encrypted channels, or speak in person and away from any Starfleet building." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm going to go see One and Chris, and their baby. Make sure they'll be safe before anyone finds out Chris wasn't at Daystrom last night. Then I'm going to find Bones and warn him as well."

Spock didn't even ask his telsu if he really thought things were so bad that such actions were necessary, it was obvious he did, and while a part of Spock did not want to believe that Starfleet could be thus compromised, that they could all be in the kind of danger that made it preferable to hide… he trusted his mate's intuition. Also, and while nothing had been said about it, Spock had no doubt that ensuring their friends' safety could only be the first part, James was planning something, and Spock would be right there to help ensure both the success of the plan, and the welfare of his t'hy'la.

xXx

It was ridiculously easy to get inside Starfleet Medical, even without using his ID (and he most definitely couldn't, if he wanted to make sure there would be no trail that could be used to track him, or the Pikes, down). Jim would have cursed all the supposed security to kingdom come if it hadn't been oh so convenient for him right then.

The moment he reached the waiting area for the maternity ward, the blonde confirmed that Chris had no idea of what was going on outside the hospital (for that matter, he wondered if anyone in the hospital knew at all). The moment his eyes laid on Jim Chris smiled, big and bright.

"I have a son!" He cried out in absolute delight.

Soon enough the Admiral was practically pulling Jim down the hall and inside a room, where One was sitting up in a bed, holding a baby in a green blanket (because she refused to follow the 'old paradigms' and use a blue one just because it was a boy).

"Hello James." She nodded at him, her eyes smiling even if the rest of her face didn't, she twisted just enough for her half-sleep baby to become visible. "Meet Jamie."

Jim was quite sure something had lodged into his throat the moment he heard that.

"Are you… are you sure?" He asked, not knowing what else to say.

"Completely kid." Chris assured him clapping his back enthusiastically. "James Euan Pike."

"Christopher also hopes you might agree to being the child's godfather." One added for good measure. "You and Spock."

"We'd be honored." James didn't even hesitate. "Anything for the little Number Two."

One actually smiled at that, while Chris chuckled. Jim knew Number One wasn't her name, of course he did. Though Ilyrians were so private that their first names were only shared with those they considered family. It was why Starfleet records only had her last-name: Robbins. Which she still went by, considering that taking the husband's name was 'an outdated and ridiculous tradition she had no interest in taking part of' (her words). Jim was half-sure she only chose to keep her original surname because it was easier. Though most people called her Number One anyway, since Chris did most of the time.

A nurse came into the room right about then, announcing that it was time for the baby's check-up. One had no intention of staying in the hospital longer than absolutely necessary, being Ilyrian meant she recovered from labor faster than normal humans, which might allow her to leave that same day… as long as the doctors agreed that she and the baby were both healthy enough to be discharged. So she allowed it, though not before giving Chris specific instructions to go with the nurse and never let their baby out of his sight. He shook his head, probably thinking it was all unnecessary, but it wasn't like he wouldn't have gone anyway. Already he was very much attached to his son and didn't want to leave him out of his sight any longer than absolutely necessary, and since the nurse had no problem with Chris accompanying her…

One waited just long enough to make sure the others were really gone and not coming back before staring straight at Jim, dead serious:

"Tell me what the hell is going on." She ordered.

Even dressed in a hospital night-gown and sitting up in a bed with way-too-fluffy pillows behind her back, she made an imposing figure and Jim had no doubt she'd find a way to force any and all answers out of him if he so much as thought about refusing… not that he would ever do something that idiotic…

"What gave me away?" He asked, unable to help his curiosity.

"You look like you're preparing for war." She informed him.

"Chris didn't seem to notice." He couldn't help but point out.

"Christopher is still lost in the joy of becoming a father. He probably doesn't see anything's wrong because he doesn't want to, doesn't want anything to break into his joy."

Jim had to admit she was probably right. So he went into the story. Beginning with the call he'd intercepted without quite planning it, the meeting at Daystrom, the attack, and ending with the meeting with Marcus earlier and his talk with Spock on the way to the hospital. One had reached pretty much the same conclusions as him by the time they came to the end, and something more:

"Thank you…" She whispered, taking Jim's hands in hers.

For a few seconds, James had no idea how to react to that, he'd never seen and heard so much emotion coming from her.

"What for?" He eventually mumbled.

"For Christopher." She explained, finally letting him go. "If you hadn't done what you did… he would have been there. He'd probably be dead right now…"

And she'd be a widow, Jamie would have lost his father before ever getting a chance to know him, much like Jim himself did. James could only be thankful such a thing hadn't happened; and he had to make sure it wouldn't.

"How soon can you get out of here?" He asked One.

"A couple of hours if I press the right buttons." She knew where he was going already.

"You need to go to ground." Jim said it anyway. "All three of you. Get out of San Francisco, tell no one where you're going, nothing at all. Whatever you need to tell Chris, just make sure he doesn't report to anyone. As long as he's still considered MIA, you're safe. If you need anything, call Nyota Uhura, Bones, or Amanda Grayson."

"They know what's going on?"

"Spock is with Nyota right now, and then he'll get in touch with his parents. I'm going straight to see Bones once I'm out of here."

"What are you going to do James?"

He couldn't give her any details because, to be honest, he himself had no idea. All he knew was that something was very wrong, and he needed to find out what it was. Something was rotten in Starfleet, aside from the Pikes, Nyota, Bones and Spock's family James wasn't sure he trusted anyone at the time (his crew was a maybe, but he hadn't known them long enough to be certain). He needed to know what was going on exactly, and how to stop it, before those he loved ended up hurt. He had no idea how he was going to do that exactly. Though one thing he did know: Harrison was the clue for unraveling the mystery, so that's where he'd start.

"It's like you said." Was all he said in the end. "I'm going to war."

xXx

Jim was on his way back to the apartment. It had been a headache, convincing Bones of how serious things were, without telling him so much he'd be irremediably in danger. In the end he played the family card. One of Jim's oldest friends: Josef, was a lawyer, one of the very best, James had gotten him interested on Bones's case, his daughter's custody. Of course Bones could not get full custody, not when he spent so much time in space, but he certainly got a better deal, and much improved visitation rights.

It was supposed to be a surprise for his birthday in a few weeks, but Jim decided he might as well get the cat out of the bag already. Also, putting the new deal into effect would effectively get Bones out of San Francisco at least for a while, which was perfect.

Spock had already warned him through the bond that Nyota had refused to go into hiding, though she'd very publicly agreed to teach a seminar about adapting into new languages and new races, as well as joining two intensive courses for a couple of the newest languages to be learned by Starfleet. Gaila was with her. Hikaru had filed for some slightly extended leave in order to spend time with his fiancée, while Chekov had agreed to go visit his family in Russia for a little while. Spock was still on the comms with his mother, trying to instill on her the importance of staying in New Vulcan, of not listening to any news that might come from the Admiralty or Starfleet in general in the coming days (because there was no doubt that the moment Marcus, and whoever else was with him, realized they were interfering, things would get bad, fast), without causing her to take the first shuttle to Earth and try and help (they definitely did not want her anywhere near that mess). Which left only Scotty…

Jim was about to turn a corner to the building where his current apartment was located, when he unexpectedly found himself being pushed back and into some bushes. He reacted instinctively, taking hold of the arm of the person manhandling him, twisting, spinning and then pushing said person against the nearest wall, arm twisted behind his back.

"Hey!" A voice cried out in distress.

"Scotty?!" Jim so wasn't expecting that one.

He let go of his Chief Engineer immediately, watching in silence as the Scotsman shifted this way and that, trying to relieve himself of the pain Jim's actions had caused. Really, it was his fault for 'attacking' the blonde like that!

"What the hell man?!" Scotty snapped.

"You attacked me first Scotty." Jim retorted, eyes narrowed.

"I wasn't attacking you, I was saving you." Scotty replied, self-satisfied.

"Saving me?" Jim was puzzled by that.

"From the very suspicious men loitering like vultures outside your apartment."

That made the blonde react. As he hurried to the very edge of the building they were by, peeking out very carefully. Scotty was right, there were two men, dressed like Starfleet officers, except they moved nothing like anyone at Starfleet did, more like…

"Mercenaries…" Jim practically spat in realization.

It appeared things were escalating faster than he'd expected.

"What the hell is going on Jim?" Scotty demanded. "I mean, I just got notice that the Enterprise is officially grounded until further notice. Most of the crew has been temporarily reassigned, Chekov, Sulu and McCoy left San Fran hours ago, and you're skulking around like… like… I've no idea but it's mighty suspicious man!"

"It's bad Scotty, it's really, really bad." Jim admitted grimly. "Remember what you told Spock and I this morning about the attack on Daystrom?"

"Yeah…" Scotty hesitated, he'd a feeling he really wasn't going to like it.

So Jim told him. Not everything. Not how deep he thought things went. The fact that he was sure Marcus wasn't acting for the good of Starfleet. Instead he let Scotty believe that his refusal came from a desire to keep his crew safe, which was the same reason why they'd all been temporarily reassigned, so no one else could send them out after Harrison (Jim hadn't actually planned that far, but he was sure either Spock or someone else in the Command Team had thought of it and made sure it got done, his people were that awesome). He told Scotty that he was planning on doing some digging himself, find out who was behind it all, without revealing that he suspected the ones responsible were Starfleet themselves (and that it wasn't just Marcus). Chances were, Scotty would arrive to the same conclusion himself, sooner or later, but Jim would rather not put that kind of burden on him, not yet.

"Well, I've been waiting for an excuse to make several adjustments and improvements to our fair lady sir, if you allow me…" Scotty offered.

"Send me the paperwork and I'll sign on it before I leave." Jim agreed instantly.

That would definitely guarantee that the Enterprise stay grounded, as well as give Scotty and whoever was left, something to do.

"You know how you're going to get off-planet without Starfleet finding out?" Scotty inquired, curious about what Jim might be planning.

"Oh Scotty…" Jim actually smirked.

If Scotty just knew the kind of things Jim had planned, the things he was capable of.

Thanks to the warning, Jim managed to avoid the vultures. It's not like there was anything in the apartment he really needed. And a quick mental message to Spock would ensure he stayed away too. They'd be meeting in the outer-districts, on the very limits of San Francisco, an area that was mostly abandoned factories and old warehouses. In one of those Jim kept a bike and a cache with clothes, food and money, in case he ever needed to run. After Tarsus… Jim had made a point of being ready for anything. Granted, he never expected to end up using it while working to reveal a conspiracy at the heart of Starfleet (and possibly the Federation itself), but he'd make do.

"Good luck Captain." Scotty wished him with a dramatic salute.

"And to you Scotty." Jim nodded, he pulled off his jacket, turned it inside out (to change the color), messed up his hair a lot more than usual, and changed his posture into a slouch. "Good luck to us all."

xXx

Things worked mostly as planned. James and Spock met on the warehouse and from there they rode on James's bike to a transport (an unofficial one) which got then got them to Portland.

"I thought the purpose of our unannounced departure was to ensure we wouldn't be followed." Spock commented. "If we're on a Starfleet dock…"

"We're not going to the Starfleet dock." James cut him off calmly.

He lead Spock to a gym, saying a quick thanks to someone on the way in, before opening one of the lockers and pulling out two bags. Inside, he knew, there were clothes for both him and Spock, credit chips, and more importantly: papers. Fake papers, the good kind (it paid to know the very best on both sides of the law).

"Leelee is a smuggler." James explained. "I made arrangements and my ship will be ready for departure. By tonight we'll be off planet with no one being the wiser."

Spock didn't comment about James knowing a smuggler, though James could sense his thoughts about it. He wasn't being judgmental, not really. He was mostly curious. He also knew what his telsu thought about having connections everywhere. And really, as long as Spock didn't see anyone smuggling things that could hurt others, he was willing to, as humans would say, turn a blind eye to it.

"It's nothing like that." James assured his husband. "For the most part, Leelee smuggles luxury items into places where they're not so easy to obtain. Also, she's a great help to Kat where it comes to smuggling escaped slaves, prisoners, and the like."

Spock blinked at that, clearly not having considered that possibility.

James was walking fast, so much Spock was barely managing to keep pace with him. Until all of a sudden he froze mid-step:

"K'diwa…?" He asked, confused.

But James was paying no attention to him, he was completely tense, and looking around, as if seeking an escape route…

"Don't even think about it!" A female voice snapped.

Spock's eyes turned in the direction of the voice immediately. What he found was a petite girl with long, curly hair that seemed to have been dyed every color of the rainbow, her eyes were small and dark and she was dressed in a black jumpsuit and platform black boots.

James deflated all at once, not quite in defeat, but in resignation. Spock believed the newcomer wasn't dangerous, though his mate clearly hadn't expected to see her there.

"Leelee…" He began.

"Don't Leelee me JT!" The woman retorted, then proceeded to throw her arms around him in a very exuberant hug.

The most surprising to the vulcan though, was the fact that, despite his apparent misgivings, James returned the hug just as strongly. And then Spock focused on what she had called him. JT… his dark eyes widened as he remembered that only a very specific group referred to him by that particular nickname.

"It's good to see you." Jim murmured quietly.

"Don't try those tricks on me mister, I know you tried to avoid me." She retorted. "Not sure how you thought it would work though. I mean, you sent Riley away. You called Katja and asked her for a favor! You! Did you really think I wouldn't do something when learning you were planning on getting the Suvwl' out?"

"I didn't want to get you involved." James admitted.

"Things really are bad then." She exhaled, shaking her head. "So… you going to introduce me any time soon?"

"Right. Leelee, this is my telsu, Spock. Spock, this is Leelee."

"Live long and prosper." She offered the vulcan a greeting, though in Standard, as she knew no Vulcan. "I offer you my name, Leah Walter, though the brat likes to call me Leelee."

"Peace and long life Leah." Spock greeted her. "My name is Spock."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Spock." Leah assured him, before turning once more to Jim. "You should know, Thalia is liable to kill you. You got married and didn't even introduce your hubby to us?! She's not happy with you. Nayda of course has been trying to remind her that we usually keep our distance for a reason, while Grant reminded her that she wasn't even on the planet when you got married, so even if you had told us, it's not like she was here to meet him anyway. None of us were."

Which James had been oh-so-thankful for. He'd worried enough with the stakes as they'd been, he couldn't imagine focusing on the mission if he'd had to worry about his children getting killed as well. They'd survived Tarsus, and did not deserve to end up killed by another madman. Then again, the vulcans and all his former classmates hadn't deserved it either, it hadn't changed a thing in the end.

"What is really going on JT?" Leah finally asked, softly but strongly, she clearly wasn't going to allow for any evasions.

So James told her the truth. All of it. More than he'd told anyone else except Spock; more than he'd told even One.

"You need us?" Was the first thing Leah asked once he was finished. "You know we can all be gathered in less than 48 hours."

"No, I actually want you as far away from this shitshow as you can get." James answered bluntly. "It's why I was trying to avoid you. I know you want to help, I know all would come if I just called. But I don't want to involve you. I don't know how bad this is going to get, but it will be bad. Also, you know I've experience in space none of you have."

And he wasn't talking just about Starfleet, even Spock knew that, even if he wasn't aware of all the details. Close as they might be, strong as their bond might be, there were just things he didn't know about his telsu yet. They'd come in due time, he was sure. It wasn't like James was keeping secrets from him, some things just hadn't come up yet.

"Very well." Leah clearly didn't like it, but she did not press. "But if things do get worse you better let us help. In any way we can."

"If something happens I believe you can help with, I'll call you." James assured her.

It was why he'd called Katja, told her about the Pikes and what might be necessary if at any moment One decided they just weren't safe on Earth anymore…

"Go then." Leah waved them past. "Go and save the galaxy, or whatever it is you're doing now."

She said it in a teasing tone, though a part of Spock couldn't help but think she might not be that far off. John Harrison was an unknown, but Admiral Marcus's actions showed there was a lot more going on than just a rogue officer turning against Starfleet, possibly joining the Klingons against the Federation. In any case, that was why they had to leave Earth, and travel to Qo'noS. They'd find Harrison, and hopefully get the answers to their questions. Insane as it might seem, it was likely to be easier than trying to find out things on Marcus's end; and not just because if they so much as tried to investigate the man they were liable to be seen as the traitors… A part of Spock couldn't help but wonder when his life had gotten that insane: treasonous officers, an attack on an archive that was actually more of a secret base, an attack on HQs, assassinations, a possible conspiracy inside Starfleet… insane just wasn't strong enough a word.

xXx

A few hours later all pre-flight check-ups had been finished and Jim settled on the pilot's chair of his little ship. He knew it didn't look like much from the outside (little more than a hastily put together piece of scrap, was how Thalia had described it once; but that was just aesthetically. On the inside, his ship was probably one of the very best in the quadrant, certainly the best privately owned machine by someone who wasn't a rich bastard coughThomascough). Jim had personally seen to everything that made it work, rebuilt the engine a piece at a time, and even added some things that weren't exactly 'usual' for ships that size (or ships that weren't from Starfleet for that matter). All in all, Jim was really proud of his baby.

"Warrior this is Control." A voice called through the radio.

"Control this is James Ravanok from the Warrior, requesting permission for take-off." James spoke into his head-set.

"Permission granted Warrior." The person in the Control Tower replied. "You have a two minute window starting… now."

James had never known what it was they did exactly to keep Starfleet off their asses, and he honestly did not care to find out. It'd allow them to get off planet without anyone finding out and that was enough for him. It took a minute or two but soon they were out of the atmosphere and James was putting in the coordinates for a planet in the edge of the Neutral Zone, where they'd re-group before going to Qo'noS.

Spock, sitting on the one other chair in the cockpit, waited until the coordinates had been entered to speak, though James knew he'd been pondering a great many things for a while:

"Okay, that's done." Jim announced, turning towards him. "Shoot."

"I see no reason at present to injure you, k'diwa…" Spock stated.

"No reason at present?" James repeated with a snort. "Should I be watching over my back then? In case you someday decide there might be a reason?" He knew, of course, that his husband was teasing, even if he didn't do it often. "I know you have questions, many of them."

"Miss Leah… she's one of the Nine." Spock stated rather than asked.

"Yes, as are her wife Katja, Josef, who's married to Nayda, and Riley, who's part of our own crew." James enlisted.

"You told them more about what's going on and what you… we suspect, than most of the crew, even Dr. McCoy." It wasn't an accusation, Spock was just curious.

"I did. Much as I might care for our crew, see them as family, especially Bones, I don't know them as well as I'd like. My kids and I… we went through hell in Tarsus, I know you've seen more than a little about that in my head. I trust them with my life, with all our lives. Only you I trust more than them."

Spock said nothing to that, just offered two fingers to his telsu for a vulcan kiss, which James was delighted to correspond to.

"You really think Admiral Pike and his family to be in danger?" Spock inquired next.

"I'm probably being paranoid on that front." James admitted with an exhalation. "But I'd rather err on the edge of caution than have my namesake grow up too much like me… not that I think One would ever be like Winona; she's more likely to be like M'aih… but I'd rather spare the kid from growing without a father, and One from being without her husband."

"And yourself from losing another father figure." Spock added softly.

He was right of course, though they both knew that James would have done exactly the same even if he hadn't cared for Chris as he did. Though, chances were, if that kind of connection hadn't existed, Chris would have been in Daystrom during the attack, and the rest bare not thinking about.

"Is that all?" The blonde human inquired, though he had a feeling it wasn't.

"The name you and Control used for this vessel, it wasn't the same Miss Leah and you used earlier when talking about it." Spock pointed out.

"Indeed." James had known that part was coming, though he still had no idea how to go about it, exactly. So he decided to do what he did best: he winged it. "Control prefers to use the Standard translation of the name, as its easier for them. Suvwl' isn't exactly an easy word for them to pronounce you know?"

"Suvwl'..." Spock repeated slowly, as if tasting the word. "James, isn't that…?"

"Klingon?" His telsu finished for him. "You bet it is."

"Why would you give your ship a Klingon name?"

"On the one hand, because I won it off a Klingon, or at least the original ship, before I fixed it up and added a few things myself. On the other… I suppose it seemed right, considering where I was at the time." He knew the natural follow-up question and answered it before it was even made: "Remember how I told you that after returning from Tarsus, I spent years traveling around? Well, eventually Earth just wasn't enough for me, I decided I wanted to see more. So I hopped on the first transport going off planet. As luck would have it we ended being attacked by pirates, and then later on saved by another ship… A Klingon ship."

Spock could only blink, mentally wondering just how it was possible for his mate to have had such a life. Were it anyone else it'd seem just too impossible, but it was James Kirk, and his James was a most extraordinary individual, as Spock himself and many others could attest to. So not only Spock did not doubt it was possible, but he was sure his telsu hadn't just survived such a life, but he'd managed to thrive.

"I know, sounds insane." James nodded with a smirk. "And that was just the start of it! Most of those who got rescued left as soon as they could. Me? Well, it's not like I had anything better to do. Tsernono Qern, that was the captain of the ship, the Bat'leth was its name; he apparently had seen me join the fight when they infiltrated the pirate ship, offered me a place in his crew. Apparently they were all outliers, members of Minor Houses who had no interest in Klingon politics, who instead chose to satiate their usual bloodlust by fighting pirates and the like on the edges of the Empire, and sometimes in the Neutral Zone."

"A very noble pursuit." Spock stated, even as it was obvious he'd a hard time comprehending assigning such a description to the actions of Klingons.

"Precisely, so I said yes. Like I said before, I had nothing better to do. Also, I liked the idea of helping others. It was during my time with them that I learned Klingon, all its dialects."

"And why you can speak it like a native."

Spock had noticed that of course, the one time they'd had trouble with Klingons during one of their missions, early on their comission. Things had been complicated, though surprisingly enough, they hadn't lasted long. Still, there being any trouble at all had caused a delay on them making it to their next destination, which made it necessary for them to hurry, once they were sure the Klingons would not trouble them further. The need for speed had distracted them and later on Spock had somehow forgotten to inquire about the lack of his husband's accent when speaking Klingon. He knew it took even Nyota some effort to keep any accent from slipping in as she spoke such a complex language, yet James seemed to do it so naturally…

"Indeed. Not many people know I speak Klingon, and even those who do, do not know that I am fluent in all its dialects."

"I will never understand why you insist on keeping so many of your talents hidden."

"Safety, my own, and that of those I care for. See it from my point of view Spock. As long as people don't know all I'm capable of, they underestimate me, which in turn gives me a better chance to protect myself. Like with Marcus for example. If he'd known all I can do, all I'm capable of, he would have never let us out of his office after I refused his offer of taking the Enterprise and going after Harrison."

It was, indeed, the truth, Spock knew. Though he'd never considered things in such a light. He knew his telsu found it easy to keep parts of him concealed until necessary, that it was natural for him; yet he'd never stopped to consider how he'd come to be that way, just being happy that James never did it with him.

"There's one thing I fail to understand." The vulcan admitted eventually. "Klingons are known to be a quite insular society. Much like vulcans, they value history, tradition and clans above all. So I find it… curious, that they would so easily take to an outsider. Enough to offer you a place in their crew."

"Ah, but you sort of answered your own question, in a way. It's all about the clans."

"I do not understand."

"Clans aren't just blood family. Adopted family counts as well."

"Your M'aih was Vulcan."

"Indeed, but her husband… he was something else. It doesn't matter that I never met Van. He was M'aih's telsu, and that makes him family. And Van? He was half human… and half Klingon."

So... surprise! The name Ravanok is actually Vulcan, just so you know, I say different in the fic because it was convenient, it sounds enough like some Klingon words. I took what I could find about Klingons in wiki (haven't watched much of anything ST related but the reboot movies, sorry about that) and extrapolated from there to create the Klingon culture I'm using here. I hope you'll enjoy it even if it ends up being hugely different from canon.

The words in Klingon were taken from a number of the Klingon Dictionary online, and a couple other websites; just like the ones in Vulcan in both this fic and all the others.

Full sized cover in DeviantArt where I go by Princess-Lalaith.

Hope you all liked this, please don't forget to review/comment and like/kudo and I'll see you around!