A/N: So I wasn't gonna do a sequel until someone mentioned one in a review of Family, and then I couldn't stop thinking about how the reunion with Sam would go, so this is happening. I hope it's a worthy sequel, especially since I've never actually written a sequel to a fanfic before (heck, Family was the first multi-chapter fic I've ever finished in several years of writing fanfic. Here's hoping I get this one done in a timely manner, too.).


"I don't wanna go," Jim muttered.

Leonard sighed. It had been a bit over a year since Jim reconnected with his mother, and they'd maintained steady contact when the crew wasn't busy exploring, fighting for survival, or escaping away missions gone wrong. Their bond was stronger than ever, though it hadn't been easy to get there. And now, in the most sensitive week of Jim's year, Jim had been invited to stay at Sam's farm. He had fought to find an excuse not to go, but between Winona and Leonard, Jim had eventually relented.

"You agreed to go, Jim," Leonard pointed out.

Jim shook his head, taking a step back from the transporter pad. "I was coerced into going. Does Sam even know?"

He barely managed to not roll his eyes. "We've been through this, Jim. Sam agreed to this, too, and neither one of you are backing out now."

"But neither of you mentioned the dates," Jim protested. "This is the worst time to try this."

Jim turned a pair of distressed blue eyes on Leonard, and any and all traces of impatience vanished at the sheer anxiety in Jim's face. This was the one week a year during which Jim withdrew from his crew, barely talking during shift and immediately disappearing afterwards, only to reappear right on time, sometimes suffering from a hangover. During this week, he avoided away missions, leaving other senior crew members to lead them if there was no significant expectation of danger. The only ones who dared seek him out between shifts were Leonard, Spock, Carol, Uhura, Scotty, and Chekov, because they were essentially the only ones on the ship he had a very good reason not to order to leave him alone. Even when they did manage to find and talk to him, though, it was like talking to a wall: Unresponsive and unchanging.

"I know this is sucky timing, Jim, but maybe that's why we chose it."

"So you want to torture me?" Jim asked, not even half joking.

Leonard rested a hand on his shoulder. "No. We just want you to be part of your family again."

Jim shuffled his feet. "I've already got one."

It was meant as a protest, but Leonard smiled anyway. "I know, and you're never gonna lose us. But there's a difference when it comes to your blood family, you know? It's that sense of shared origins. As much as we love each other like brothers, Sam was the one who grew up beside you, grew up in the shadow of your father's death, grew up an Iowan farm boy. No matter what you two go through, you'll always have that in common, and that isn't just something you throw away if you can keep it."

Jim dropped his gaze to the floor, resolutely not moving.

"Look, the Enterprise is gonna be in orbit the whole time. If it gets real bad, we can always come back and try again in a few months or so, ok? But you need to give it a shot."

Finally, Jim succumbed. "Ok," he mumbled.

"Go on," Leonard urged when he still didn't get on the pad. Casting a pouty glance at Leonard, he picked up his suitcase and stepped up. Leonard stepped up beside him, and Jim hesitated a moment before signaling the ensign at the console they were ready.

-LLAP-

Winona picked up the car keys, calling "I'm going to pick up Jim and Doctor McCoy!" to Aurelan, her daughter-in-law, who was in the kitchen cooking dinner. Sam and her grandsons, Peter and Henry, were outside playing catch. Her granddaughter, Jane, was sleeping upstairs, getting over a bad cold. Winona found herself wondering if Jim would join the boys soon, or if she would forever be divided between two sons.

It's too early for that kind of thinking, she scolded herself.

Aurelan walked into the living room, wiping her tanned hands with a towel. Her long brown hair was tucked into a ponytail, her hazel eyes glimmering with a mixture of anticipation and concern – she had never before met Jim, and it was only after Winona's time on the Enterprise that she had started hearing much about him. Of course, she had known of his existence, but anything beyond that had been too painful for Winona and too angering for Sam to speak of.

"What's he like again?" she asked curiously.

Winona smiled. "You'll see for yourself soon enough. I think," she added, biting her lip.

Aurelan tilted her head. "You think?"

"Well, he never really had this," Winona pointed out, waving a hand at the house. They stood in the living room, which was small enough to be cozy but big enough to be roomy. A beige sectional couch sat in the middle, framing a wooden coffee table, upon which rested a flower vase and an assortment of toys. Sharing the same wall as the front door was the wall-mounted, 50-inch holographic TV and a couple paintings of horses done by Winona's grandmother. To the left of that wall was the brick fireplace, the wood shelf above it filled with pictures of everyone but Jim (there was even a picture of Aurelan's deceased parents), except for one Winona had added a couple months ago of Jim, McCoy, and Spock. On the wall to the right of the front door was the coatrack and a few bookshelves filled with old-fashioned paper books.

"And?" Aurelan prompted when Winona didn't immediately continue.

"And I don't know how he'll react. Peter, Jane, and Henry have the perfect childhood he was deprived of because of how Sam and I felt about him and his father. The only time in his life he's felt truly at home is when he's captaining Starfleet's flagship, and, well, this ain't that. This is what he always wanted but never got. Seeing that, living in it for a week… I just don't know."

Aurelan went up to Jim's picture. He was laughing, McCoy's arm slung around his shoulders, while Spock looked on in mild confusion. At least, that's what Winona thought that expression was. "Well, if he's anything like you've made him out to be, I'm sure he'll be fine. I'm more worried about Sam, honestly."

Winona sighed. "I know. It's my fault, for letting him believe Jim abandoned us, but maybe when he sees who Jim is now…"

Aurelan hugged her briefly. "He'll come around. He usually does when it's something we care about."

Faint prickling in the back of her eyes signaled the beginning of tears she rapidly blinked to suppress. "We?"

"He's my brother-in-law. And the kids should know their uncle, and I have a feeling they'll love him."

Winona raised an eyebrow. "You mean his stories of space?"

"Close enough," Aurelan joked. "And you're going to be late if you don't leave now."

She shot a glance at the clock. "Right. I'll see you soon."

"Can't wait."

-LLAP-

Jim's heart pounded nervously as he rematerialized on Earth. God, this week would've been bad enough without the added pressure of living with his brother's family – his family – during it. He couldn't curl up in a hidden corner with a bottle of Scotty's scotch and try to forget his origins now. Try to forget what had happen 31 years ago on Monday.

Bones inhaled deeply, closing his eyes to bask in the moment. "Earth."

Jim rolled his eyes. "Bones, living on a ship isn't that bad."

"Speak for yourself, kid."

Adjusting his grip on his suitcase, Jim headed out of the transport station. "I always do."

Bones jogged after him. "Even you can't deny that being on solid ground surrounded by breathable air is relaxing. No worrying the wall next to you is gonna blow up right before you get sucked into the vacuum of space."

"Speak for yourself, Bones."

"I always do."

They stepped into a bustling courtyard. The Iowan sun shone high above them from a cloudless blue sky. Picnic tables dotted the grassy area, which was walled in on three sides by holographic glass covered in ads that changed every few seconds. A simple circular fountain stood in the middle of it, water spurting sporadically from it. Since the picnic tables were all taken, Jim led Bones over to it, perching on the stone rim.

"When did Winona say she'd be here?" Bones asked.

Jim shrugged. "I dunno."

"I hope you won't act this indifferent when she gets here," Bones rebuked him gently.

Jim just shrugged again, swirling one finger around in the water.

Bones eyed the finger. "Do you even know how many germs could be in that water?"

"Nope, but you've dosed me up with every vaccine you can find that I'm not allergic to, and I know you've got your specialized Jim Kirk medkit in that suitcase, so I'm pretty sure I'll be fine."

Bones rolled his eyes. "You're such a child."

As Jim flashed a cheeky grin, the holographic ads all simultaneously flipped to the same ad, and suddenly the Kelvin was plastered everywhere, accompanied by his father's uniform photo, the grinning face almost identical to Jim's own. Over the tune of Starfleet's theme song, a robotic voice began to say "As a reminder, this coming Monday is the annual Kelvin memorial ceremony. It starts at eight o'clock in the morning. Purchase your tickets now, and have a Happy New Year."

Jim was up and running before the first sentence was halfway done, ignoring the stares of the strangers, the whispers of "Hey, was that Captain Kirk?" from those who recognized him. Bones didn't yell after him, just grabbed their suitcases and followed, finding him around the corner huddled against the wall, his head between his knees.

The grass crunched as Bones knelt beside him. "Jim…"

Jim shook his head. "I can't- I don't- I want to go home," he rasped.

"Jim, this is your home," Bones insisted gently.

"No, the Enterprise is," Jim protested.

"You said you would give this a shot."

"I did. I want to go home."

Bones squeezed Jim's shoulder. "Look at me, Jim."

Slowly, Jim tilted his head to meet Bones's gaze.

"You knew going in there would be references to your dad, even before you knew that you would be spending your birthday with your family. Just give it until the end of tomorrow, ok? If you still can't stand it, we can go back to the ship first thing Wednesday morning. Deal?"

"Deal," Jim whispered.

"Good boy," Bones congratulated, ruffling his hair.

Jim reached up to smooth it. "I'm not a dog."

"Jim?"

He looked up, conflicted feelings rising within him when he saw his mother. On the one hand, her arrival meant he couldn't run back to his ship now. On the other hand, he had missed her.

"I heard the announcement on the radio…" she began, trailing off uncertainly. "I should've mentioned it…"

Jim stood up and hugged her, relieved when she hugged him back. "Not your fault," he murmured half-heartedly. She sighed, breaking free to look him over.

"That's a new scar," she observed, brushing a fingertip over what he knew was a pale white line on his throat. Some alien version of a lion had attacked him a few months ago, stopping only after Spock phasered it repeatedly – with the phaser set to kill. Honestly, it was a miracle he'd survived with only the one scar. He'd had to suffer a two-week stay in medbay afterwards. Although he hadn't really been conscious for the first few days.

"Later," he promised. "Can we just… get this over with?"

His mom winced slightly at his choice of words, but nodded in compliance. "Car's this way."