Five Traits David Inherited from his Brilliant (And Gorgeous) Parents

blonde hair.

At birth, David Kirk was completely bald and remained in that hairless state for quite some time. As a result, He was showered with tiny hats of all kinds by adoring crew, who were quite taken with the captain's adorable son.

"His head will never be cold, at least," remarked Carol as she put on David a sweet little knitted cap handmade by Lieutenant Rogers.

"No it won't," Jim agreed with a hopelessly smitten expression on his face. He loved their little man with all his heart and was currently holding him in his arms looking decidedly sappy.

By David's first birthday, he'd grown in a tuft of very pale yellow hair that was very much the color of his mother's. It stuck up on the very top of his head in comical fashion and Jim joked he was trying for a Mohawk.

blue eyes

It didn't take a scientist to know David's eyes were going to stay blue, the only question was what color of blue would they end up as: Carol's pale blue/aqua or Jim's vivid ocean hue. When Winona Kirk came to visit and laid eyes on her year old grandson, she gasped at the gorgeous color that peered back at her from the shy fellow hiding behind his daddy.

"Well, he certainly has your eyes, Jim," she remarked, a little teary at the sight.

"I guess so," Jim replied. "Bones is already predicting that I won't be able to say no to those puppy dog eyes."

"You won't for a while, Jim, believe me. I've dealt with three sets of them already," she admitted. "Then, the other Kirk traits will start showing up and you'll have to."

disregard for bodily safety

By the time he was five, David had already given Bones quite a bit of business and caused his poor parents much trouble. He'd locked himself in the bathroom, broken his wrist pretending to space dive, and nearly cracked his skull playing Klingon Warriors with Jeffrey McCoy.

"Karma is coming back to bite me for all the stupid stunts I did," groaned Jim as he hauled his scared son back to their quarters after a wild romp through Jeffries tubes and a near run in with electrocution.

"No, it's just the Kirk boneheadedness coming out in him," said Bones bluntly, clutching a chastened Jeffrey (who had been in on the mischief) firmly by the hand. "Now you'll finally understand how I've felt all those years, watching you try to fly crazier and faster and fight species three times your size."

Jim hated it when Bones was right.

stubborn chin

"No, I won't go play with Soren and Seleste. They think I'm stupid." Pouted David, lower lip sticking out slightly. "Why can't I play with Jeffrey?"

"Because, darling," Carol explained for the umpteenth time, "You and Jeffrey proved you can't be trusted to behave yourselves. Daddy thinks you need some time apart to get to know other kids."

"But Soren's such a snoot," David mumbled. "He's always telling me I'm wrong about everything and Seleste says I'm illogical."

"Perhaps if you hadn't nearly choked yourself trying to stuff twenty marshmallows in your mouth, she wouldn't have said it." Carol reminded him, noting how uncannily like her he looked when he'd stick out his pointy chin in mule headed determination. She tried a different tactic.

"If you really don't want to go, you can stay here, but it will involve watching your baby sister for me."

David scowled. If there was anything more annoying than the know-it-all twins, it was his new sister, Emily, whom he had not yet forgiven for not being a brother.

"I guess I'll go," he huffed. "Even Soren is better than getting spit up on."

genius

"I canna believe my eyes! I spent months adding security codes to keep you mad rascals out of here and yet, here you are! What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Scotty was red-faced and furious as he paced up and down in front of the culprits he'd found wandering in engineering, far too close to the Warp core room for his comfort.

David and Demora didn't look very repentant as they stood listening

to the Scotsman's angry diatribe. Demora had dared David to prove he could get past security and he'd risen to the challenge. What was a little grounding and restriction to quarters compared to the thrill of success?

"A ten year old should not be able to do this! If your father's been teaching you how to hack into my systems, I'm going to have a very serious discussion with him," Scotty ranted.

David shrugged. "It wasn't Dad. It was Mom. She taught me some stuff and I figured the rest out from there."

Scotty groaned as he remembered that Dr. Marcus was every bit as good as her husband when it came to hacking and finding shortcuts.

"Well then, time for a talk with your Mum, then. Come along, you little miscreants."

+1

Jim and Carol discovered their son's secret talent when he was heard having a lively discussion with a Denobulan science officer in what sounded like very fluent Denobulan.

"Wow! who'd have thought Dave's into xenolinguistics?" Kirk said in some amazement watching his son discoursing easily with lieutenant Phleetch.

"I've noticed he's been spending more time with Spock and Uhura lately, but I had no idea she'd been tutoring him." Carol remarked. "Shows how well we know our son."

"Maybe he didn't want to tell anyone until he'd mastered the language," Jim suggested. "Didn't want to accidentally insult anyone."

"Maybe," Carol frowned, "but he usually makes it pretty clear what he's into, a lot like his father, I might add."

She winked at her husband, who shrugged and didn't try to deny it.

When David nervously told them of his plans to focus on communication and xenolinguistics at the academy, Jim hastened to express his support.

"That's great, Dave! Unexpected, but great!"

Dave looked a bit sheepish, gangly figure relaxing as he realized his parents were on board with his plans.

"I guess I didn't say anything, because I thought you'd be disappointed I didn't turn out to be a scientist or a captain," he admitted.

"Dave," Jim said gently. "Given my history with family expectations, the last thing I'd ever do is expect you to be a clone of me. If it's what you're good at and love doing, your mother and I will be proud of you."

"Yes, we will, David, very proud," Carol confirmed. "The only thing that worries me is the combination of Kirk and a red shirt."

David laughed outright.

"Yes, well, we don't believe in no-win scenarios, do we?"

"That's my boy," Jim declared, thumping David on the back with a grin.