The Rescue

by jysellahorn22

This is how Jim rescues his father in law and finds out just how much trouble his twins can get into

Anna sat in her quarters, re-reading the letter that she had gotten from her mother, Teva.

iAs the Ambassador's Personal Assistant,/i she had written, iit is only to be expected that I would be accompanying him on his sojourn to Starbase Seventeen, that he may observe the wormhole with which your Starbase is in charge of monitoring. However I would be lying if I did not reveal that I undertake this visit with somewhat of a personal enjoyment as well. There are things we must discuss, and I look forward to seeing my grandchildren as well as meeting your husband, the distinguished Captain James T. Kirk./i

Anna frowned, puzzled at the vagueness in her mother's letter. She didn't have much time to ponder over it though, as she looked up at the clock and realized she was due in Sickbay soon. She was scheduled for a physical that would deem her fit for duty, because her extended maternity leave was officially over as of today.

She saw the twins on the floor playing with a ball and gave them a tickle as she picked them up, one in each arm, and put them in the stroller before heading off for Sickbay.

center***************/center

When she got to Sickbay she saw Jackie just finishing up with snack time in the daycare area. Anna stopped just outside the door and thought, /Tomorrow morning Jim and I will be dropping the kids off to the Daycare Center right here in Sickbay./ She looked down at her twins, and saw their smiling faces. What would her mother think when she looked at them? Would she see any of her features in their faces? They were growing so fast. . . Then the twins waved their arms excitedly. "Jackie! Ja! Jackie!" they squealed.

"Hey there!" Jackie called as she walked over and picked up Amanda Grace. She noticed Anna was a little spaced out.

"Hey there?" Jackie said, ducking her head to meet Anna's eyes.

"Oh, sorry," Anna replied, shaking her head. "I'm just thinking about dropping the twins off here tomorrow morning while Jim and I go to work," she said to her friend as concern lined her face.

"Hey don't worry about it; they'll be fine!" Jackie soothed. "I understand you've been reluctant to leave them, but two-year-olds are pretty resilient." She grinned indulgently. "Now how about we do that physical so you can get back to work tomorrow?" Jackie put Amanda back in the stroller and led Anna to a nearby examining table, motioning for her to lie down. Anna complied and waited while Jackie hit a button and the table stood straight up. After a brief scan, Jackie played with a few more buttons and then the physical was done.

"That is it," Jackie told Anna pleasantly as she signed the report card. "You are all set to go back to work tomorrow, you just need to turn this in to the Captain." Jackie handed Anna the card. "Tell Jim I said hi, and if you two need a sitter sometime for a night to yourselves, let me know," she said with a wink and a smile.

"Will do," Anna smiled back. She wheeled the double stroller through the door and left sickbay to go see Jim.

center***************/center

When the three of them got to Operations, she noticed Jim in his office looking at his viewer screen. She took a deep breath to calm herself before going in, but was interrupted by a voice from her right.

"Hello, Commander," Lieutenant Saavik said to Anna politely.

"Hi, Lieutenant, how are you doing?" Anna asked her.

"I am doing well. I can't wait to get back to my regular duties though."

Anna nodded. "You will be able to do that first thing tomorrow- I got permission to go back to work. I just have to give this to the Captain. . . and talk to him about a couple of things."

I HiH

"He is right in his office," the Lieutenant said to the Commander.

Anna smiled briefly and nodded in response. "Thanks. I'm sure I'll see you later." Then Anna walked into her husband's office, bracing herself, but not knowing she was in for what was going to be another shocking discovery.

center****************/center

"Hello darling," Anna said with a smile on her face.

Jim looked at his Vulcan wife of three years and smiled a tight smile as he turned the viewer off.

"Hi," he said as he got up from behind his desk and made his way toward her. "I just finished up for the day." He kissed her softly on the cheek, then turned his attention to his kids, who were calling out "Da da!" and squirming, trying to get to their father. Anna looked on lovingly as Jim took them out of their stroller; he gave each of them a big hug before he set them down to let them run around and stretch their legs.

"I had my physical this morning- I'm cleared for duty tomorrow," Anna said. "Jackie sends her greetings, and wanted to let us know she's willing to babysit if we need 'a night to ourselves,'" she teased.

"Anna," he said slowly, straightening up. "I'm not putting you back to work tomorrow. Your father is coming to Starbase Seventeen. I don't know why; he didn't give me any reason, just a notice informing me of his visit," Jim said to his wife with concern on his face. "It's unsettling. . . so for their sake I'll need you home with the kids tomorrow."

Anna blinked in surprise. "Jim, my mother and Ambassador Sarek are also coming tomorrow. I got a letter from her this morning, and while I do know that the Ambassador wants to see the wormhole, I don't know the real reason why my mother is coming," Anna frowned. "The letter she wrote was very cryptic and did not say why." She looked up to see her husband's shocked face.

"Well, then it looks like we are going to have a family reunion. With a father that did not approve of me marrying you and a mother who was too busy to attend her daughter's wedding." Jim's lips compressed into a thin line and he shot a somber glance at his wife. Anna's eyes betrayed her nervousness, and Jim's expression softened as he gathered his wife into his arms and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

Anthony David, of course, had hitched his way to where they were standing and had started to pull on his father's pants. "Dada," he cried plaintively. Jim bent down and picked his son up. Watching them, Amanda suddenly wanted her dad as well. She stood on her tiptoes, letting out a whimper, and opened her outreached arms to be picked up, too. Anna laughed.

Jim put Anthony in one arm and then scooped up Amanda in the other so he could hold both of them. He gave them each a squeeze and the put them in their stroller before turning back to Anna.

"Anna, do you think your mother is coming here because your father is coming here?" Jim asked Anna as they walked to the office door.

"That might be one reason, Jim. The other is that she finally wants to meet her son- in – Law," Anna told him teasingly.

"Hmm; either way, this place is going to feel a bit crowded very soon. How about we drop the kids of at Jackie's and have 'a night to ourselves,' Mrs. Kirk?" Jim grinned as he took Anna back in his arms and gave her a slow long kiss.

"Well, since you put it like that," Anna smiled, breathless, and then added, "Let's go." And they headed for Jackie's on their way home.

(CHAPTER BREAK?)

In the morning, Jim whispered in Anna's ear, "Good morning."

"Good morning to you too," Anna replied with a smile. "Did you sleep well, darling?"

"Like a rock," he affirmed. He slipped his arms around his wife's bare shoulders, which were just showing above the satin sheets that were wrapped around both of them.

"I don't want this to end. . . Do we have to get up?" Jim asked his wife, nuzzling her neck.

"Yes, we do- we have a busy day today." Anna reminded him, grabbing her robe at the end of the bed and sliding it on. She planted a quick kiss on his forehead, then made her way to the bathroom.

Jim sighed, then saw his boxers on the floor and got up put those on and get ready as well.

center***********************/center

Jim walked out into the kitchen and saw Anna in a long gray dress with sliver buttons going up one side all the way to the neck. He also noticed her pointed ears. He still had to pinch himself sometimes to remind himself that this was not a dream, that he was really married to a Vulcan.

"Not one word, or so help me you will be on the couch for the next iweek/i, Jim Kirk," Anna told him.

"I am not saying anything," he said, holding up hands and smiling. He walked up to her and kissed her softly on the cheek before sitting down at the kitchen table for some coffee. "I spoke with Jackie a few moments ago; the twins are still asleep and she said she's fine watching them for us for the day, while things get settled."

"Mm," Anna replied distantly. She sat down at the other end of the table and sipped her coffee, too. After a few minutes of silence and a couple of unnecessary swipes to brush imaginary dust off her dress, she cleared her throat. "Well," she said with false cheerfulness, "it is time we go and greet our guests for the next few days. Do you know what time my father is coming?"

"Not a clue, but I'm sure we will know when he does come," Jim grunted as he got up from the table. He was just about going to walk over to her and pull out her chair when she waved him away.

"I got it; thank you anyway," Anna said as she stood. Jim gave her a sympathetic smile and squeezed her hand in silence. She smiled half-heartedly and squeezed him back.

Then they left their quarters and went to pick up Anna's mother and the Ambassador.

center************************/center

"Anna, you're fidgeting. Are you sure you're alright?" Jim asked, concerned. They'd been standing in the Hangar Bay for a little over-Jim checked his watch-three minutes, waiting for the Ambassador's ship to arrive. It was literally due to dock at any minute, but when Anna wasn't restlessly tapping her foot, she was wringing her hands or fussing with her hair as though she'd been waiting for hours.

"I am fine, Jim," she snapped. When she saw the surprise on her husband's face, she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, darling," she said with chagrin. "My nerves about my mother's visit are causing my emotions to run unchecked. That was rude of me, and I apologize."

Jim nodded sympathetically. "It's alright. I understand you're under a lot of stress about this visit, especially with your father due to drop in as well. It is a lot to deal with, all at once, and-"

Jim was cut off from saying anything further when an iAntares/i-type craft suddenly slid smoothly into the Hangar Bay and docked. The airlock opened, and Ambassador Sarek was suddenly walking toward them. Trailing close behind him was a Vulcan woman with surprisingly familiar eyes- Anna's eyes.

"Mother!" Anna exclaimed as she walked forward, her arms open for an embrace. Anna's mother's eyes widened and she smiled slightly as her arms encircled her daughter. The Ambassador stood looking on with slight disapproval on his face, and cleared his throat.

"Oh, I am so sorry!" Anna said as she stepped back. Sarek raised his hand in the traditional Vulcan greeting. "Salutations, Anna daughter of Teva. We come to serve."

Anna inclined her head slightly in respect and copied the Ambassador's gesture. "Your service honors us," she replied demurely. Taking a deep breath, she gestured to Jim. "May I introduce my husband, Captain James Kirk?" she said.

Jim nodded and raised his hand in the Vulcan salute as well. "It is an honor, Ambassador. And an honor to meet you as well, Teva," Jim said, acknowledging Anna's mother.

"It is most enjoyable to meet you at last, Captain," Teva smiled warmly. "I trust we shall become better acquainted over the course of the next few days during our visit.

Jim smiled back at his mother-in-law. "Please, call me Jim," he said good-naturedly, placing an arm around his wife's waist.

"Very well," she agreed.

Ambassador Sarek raised an eyebrow at Jim's public display of affection, but his speculation was interrupted by Anna's nervous voice.

"Shall we show you to your quarters so you may refresh yourselves before we have dinner?" she asked.

Sarek nodded. "That would be most agreeable."

A few other Starfleet members were on hand to transfer the Ambassador and Anna's mother's things, and they made their way out of the Hangar Bay.

center***************/center

Anna, Jim, Sarek, and Teva stopped in a long hallway, in the section of the Starbase reserved for private quarters. Jim gestured to a door on his right.

"Ambassador, this suite of rooms has been prepared for you. We've made arrangements for your assistant," he said, nodding at Teva, "just across the hallway here, three doors down."

The Ambassador inclined his head and addressed Anna's mother. "Teva, we will meet here before dinner and then go for a tour of the Starbase- if," he added, "that is acceptable with the Captain and your daughter."

"That would be fine, Ambassador," Jim nodded.

"Very well." And Ambassador Sarek turned and walked into his quarters.

Jim and Anna walked Teva the few yards to the door of her quarters. "Here you are, Mother," Anna said.

After a brief check to ensure the hallway was clear, Teva turned to her daughter and her son in law. "Please, come in. I want to talk to you before you pick up the twins for dinner tonight."

"All right," Anna said as she glanced nervously at Jim. They followed Teva in, and waited until the door slid shut behind them.

Once inside, Teva pulled out a small, tissue-wrapped package. "I received this from an informant from Romulus," she said, handing it to her daughter.

Anna unfolded the piece of tissue to see an information chip- the encrypted type of data chip that would be inserted into a viewer- and showed it to her husband.

Jim looked up at Teva. "Did you watch this yet?" he asked.

"No- and the Ambassador does not know that I have it," Teva told him. "Jim, this is from a personal informant; he is not used for work. I used him to help track down Anna after she was taken from Vulcan."

"Well, let's find out what's on it," Jim said as Anna placed the chip in his open palm. He walked over to the view screen and slid the chip into the correct slot.

There was no introduction as the screen suddenly lit up, showing what looked like some type of cell- and then they saw him. Adam O'Shay, lying chained to a bed, looked directly into the camera and said desperately, "Please, get this to my wife on Vulcan. She can help get me out of here. The Romulans cloned me. . . and they sent my clone back to Vulcan. Teva, I-" Then the screen went blank and there was nothing.

Jim turned back to see his wife's and mother-in-law's faces ash white. Anna inhaled sharply, but Teva simply stood silent, her eyes wide with terror.

Jim clenched his jaw. "Right," he said authoritatively. "First things first, we have to get this verified to see if it is legitimate."

"And if it is?" Anna demanded, horrified.

"Then we have a clone among us," he said grimly as he took out the chip. "Don't worry, I know just who to help us with this issue."

He turned to his wife and kissed her lightly on the cheek, then squeezed his mother-in law's hand. "I am going to contact the iEnterprise/i; they have the equipment and the crew to verify this as soon as possible. Why don't you go pick up the twins, and focus on them while you get yourselves ready for dinner with the Ambassador?"

Teva and Anna exchanged glances, then Anna nodded. Jim smiled encouragingly at them and then he strode purposefully out of his mother-in-law's quarters.

center**************/center

Once Jim was in his office, he went to his viewer and typed in the appropriate numbers to contact Spock. He sat back and waited, turning the data chip over in his hands and studying it. It looked like such a harmless piece of silicone, but if the information it contained was accurate, the potential consequences could be disastrous.

"Captain Kirk," Spock said as he appeared on screen. "It has been a while; what can I do for you?"

"I need a favor, Spock," Jim began. "Could you verify the authenticity of a data chip, to make sure it is official? There is a chance that the man we know as Admiral O'Shay could be a clone, and the Romulans could have the real Admiral O'Shay."

Spock's eyebrows raised slightly in an uncharacteristic display of surprise. "I will have Commander Uhura get right on that," he assured Jim.

"Great," Jim nodded. "Just hold off on informing Starfleet until we know more. Oh, and you're welcome to join us on the Starbase; I am sure that your father would love to see you," Jim told Spock.

A brief chime interrupted them. "Hold on one minute, Mr. Spock," Jim said.

"Jim, the children don't recognize me at all! They won't go near me," Anna's voice said frantically through the comm.

"Captain," Spock spoke up, "pardon me, but I think I know why Anna's having trouble. If Teva and my father are present, Anna might be dressing in accordance with what they are accustomed to, to accommodate them and make them feel more. . . welcome. It's possible the twins don't recognize their mother in her traditional Vulcan garments. Try letting them familiarize themselves with the material and see if that helps."

"Good idea," Jim acknowledged.

"We're on our way to help with everything we can. iEnterprise/i out," Spock said, and then cut transmission.

"Jim, are you there? Please come in," Anna said tearfully.

"I am right here, darling. I'm going to stop by your mother's quarters and pick her up, then I'll be at the nursery as soon as I can," he promised. "I have an idea of what might be wrong with the kids. Just hold on." He cut off communication with his wife and left his office immediately.

center**************/center

(CHATPER BREAK?)

When Teva and Jim got to the nursery, Jackie greeted them and led them into the nursing room where the twins were.

"Just let me get the play area tidied up and I'll meet you back in your quarters to watch them while you enjoy your diplomatic dinner," Jackie said cheerfully over her shoulder as she walked away. Jim and Teva saw the twins in a corner of their playpen, crying and huddled together, with Anna looking down them. Tears filled her eyes because they would not go near her.

"It's Mommy! See? Mommy!" Anna pleaded as she pointed to herself. "You know Mommy!"

The twins squinted at her, then resumed bawling in unison. "Mama!" Anthony David cried in frustration.

Jim and Teva hurried over.

Teva smiled lovingly. "So these are my grandchildren. Anna," Teva said thoughtfully, "have your children ever seen you in your traditional Vulcan garments before?" She gestured to the broad-shouldered, high-waisted robing that sheathed her daughter so beautifully.

Anna shook her head. "No, never," she replied.

Teva nodded knowingly. "It might just be that need to let them adjust to you in that style of dress. Perhaps you could try mind-melding with them," Teva suggested. "Your ikatra/i is like your own personal signature; they would recognize it from being in the womb. Jim could hold them and let you try."

Jim took one look at the shock on his wife's face. "I have another idea," he said hastily. "Anna darling, will you go get one of the bed sheets from the cribs in the sleeping room?" he asked, picking up the twins. They stared curiously over his shoulders at their grandmother.

"A bed sheet, Jim?" Anna asked incredulously.

"Trust me," he said, making his way toward the small sofa against the nursery wall.

"Alright," Anna said, disbelief coloring her voice.

When she returned with a sheet from Amanda Grace's crib, Jim had her stand and draped the yellow-patterned cloth over her shoulders, around her clothes. He had her sit on the couch and placed Anthony David on her lap.

"Mama!" he cried out as he wrapped his arms around her neck and buried his face in her chest.

"Now, slowly, pull the sheet up so he can see your dress," Jim told her.

Anna's eyes lit up in understanding as she parted the sheet to reveal the a few square inches of her Vulcan ceremonial dress.

Anthony David saw the glint of the metallic material and recoiled, but curiosity got the better of him as he hesitantly reached his small hand to the cloth that covered his mother's leg. "Shiny," he observed with glee, grabbing a fistful of it. Gradually, incrementally, Anna let the sheet fall from her body until she was hugging and laughing the little boy on her Vulcan robe-covered lap.

"There we go!" Jim said, pleased. "Now it is Amanda's turn!"

He set Anthony David down on the floor and picked up Amanda Grace while Anna repositioned the sheet about her shoulders.

She patted her lap invitingly, holding the sheet close with her other hand. "Come to Mother," she said. Jim tried to put their daughter down, but she only clung to her father and started to cry again.

"Anna, if this does not work, then we could always just put you in a human dress. Like that blue one," Jim offered.

"You love that blue dress, darling; the twins would ruin that dress in a heart beat." Anna said. She took a deep breath and looked up to Teva.

"Alright Mother. Walk me through this mind meld," Anna sighed in defeat.

Teva said patiently, "First, place your hand on your child's face, like this." She had Amanda sit comfortably in Jim's lap and showed her the places to put her fingers. "For this to be most effective, have her place her hand on your face." She placed Amanda's hand on her mother's cheek and held it firmly, since the child was still squirming in discomfort.

"Now," Teva instructed Anna. "Try to meld your mind with your daughter's. Let your happiest thoughts and memories flow, from your mind to hers."

Anna closed her eyes in concentration and, soon after, her daughter's eyes slid shut as well. After a moment, Amanda Grace's eyes fluttered open and she smiled. "Mama," she said.

Jim breathed a sigh of relief when both twins climbed into Anna's lap and she was able to hold them close again.

"Thank you, Mother," Anna said gratefully, looking up to her mom.

"You're welcome. I am glad I was able to help, and I cannot wait to spend more time with my grandchildren. Now if you will excuse me, I have to go check in with the Ambassador." Teva smiled at them as she walked out.

"Jim, how did you know?" Anna questioned, turning to her husband.

"It was Spock's idea," Jim remarked offhandedly. He pulled Anna close and kissed her on the forehead. "Now what do you say we take the kids home for the night. Uncle Spock and Uncle McCoy will be here soon enough," he announced to his children over his wife's shoulder.

"Unca Spock! Unca McCoy!" the children chanted as they were picked up and carried back to their quarters for the night.

center***************/center

"It's good to see you, Anna," Spock said as he gave her a Vulcan salute and a friendly smile. "Jim, you as well."

Jim gave the Vulcan a hearty handshake and clapped him on the back before turning to do the same to Dr. McCoy.

"How have you been, Bones?" Jim asked the doctor.

"Oh, you know, peaceful and relaxed, without you around," McCoy retorted teasingly.

"You know you miss me!" Jim said.

"I miss seeing this lovely wife of yours!" McCoy answered. "How are you, Anna? And the twins?"

"I've been well, thank you, and the twins are fine. They're staying in this evening," she replied. Her eyes flashed to Spock briefly and Jim noticed.

"Ah, why don't we make our way to the Ambassador's quarters before going to the dining hall? Dinner should be served soon. Spock, a word?"

Anna and McCoy struck up a cordial conversation while Jim and Spock followed a few paces behind.

"What information did you get from the data chip?" Jim asked, glancing at Spock.

"It is authentic," Spock confirmed quietly. "The information it contains is the truth, and it explains a lot of the Admiral's actions over the years. Do you know what this means, Jim? Not only is there an impostor in a position of command at Starfleet, but the real Admiral O'Shay is being held captive by the Romulans."

Jim nodded grimly. "We don't know how many people are involved with this, and until we do, we're going to have to keep this quiet from some people at Starfleet because we don't know who we can trust. But even worse, 'Admiral' O'Shay is scheduled to arrive here on Starbase Seventeen later this evening. We'll have to figure out how we are going to neutralize the clone and come up with a rescue plan for the Admiral. It also means," Jim said with sudden realization, "that Anna doesn't even know her real father!"

They had since reached the hallway where the Ambassador was staying, and he stood talking with Anna, Teva, and Dr. McCoy. His ears picked up on the word "father", and he turned his head to regard Jim and his son walking toward them.

"Greetings, Spock," Sarek said with a slight smile as he extended his hand in the Vulcan salute.

After a few more minutes of catching up and making friendly conversation, they made their way to the turbolift that would take them to the dining hall.

center***************/center

(CHAPTER BREAK?)

When they got to the dining hall, the group stood silently for a moment in admiration of the decor and ambiance. Fragrant flowers and plants had been set up at intervals along the walls, and, combined with the subtle lighting and the fine music playing, the overall effect was pleasing to the nose, eye, and ear. Jim escorted them to an equally beautiful table, where candles in jevonite holders softly lit place settings of pure white china. Bones warily eyed the assortment of greens on each plate and said, "This is it, just salads?"

"What were you expecting Doctor, meat?" Jim said to Bones.

"Jim!" Anna exclaimed chidingly.

"No offense to anybody," Jim added at the last minute.

"None taken, Captain; it is very lovely." Teva told her son-in-law.

"Lovely rabbit food," Bones grumbled under his breath.

"Thank you," Jim said loudly, ignoring Bones. "Now if we all take our seats, we can eat," he told everyone with a smile on his face.

No sooner had Jim sat down than the comm buzzed.

"Captain, Admiral O'Shay is here and he is demanding to see you at once. I told him that you were in the dining hall and could not be disturbed but…." But Lt. Saavik was interrupted by the sound of sliding doors as Adam O'Shay strode angrily into the dining hall.

"Admiral O'Shay, how are you sir?" Jim asked the admiral as he stood up.

"Where are my grandchildren?" the Admiral demanded.

"They are. . . being watched by a friend right now," Jim answered cautiously.

"Not for long they're not. I am taking them back to Earth," the Admiral declared.

"No you are not- they are staying here with me and their mother," Jim shot back.

"iMy/i grandchildren will not be raised by my daughter and her Vulcan ways," O'Shay sneered as he looked across the table to Jim and Anna's guests.

Teva's face visibly paled and indignation rippled across Sarek's face as Spock began to rise from his seat. Then the Admiral turned quickly, throwing out a punch to Jim's temple.

"Father!" Anna cried out.

Jim ducked and literally came up swinging as he landed a solid blow to the Admiral's jaw. Before O'Shay could retaliate, Jim shoved his elbow into the Admiral's gut and knocked him backwards. As he reeled from the impact, the Admiral stumbled back and fell- right onto the table, which up-ended like a seesaw. Sliced cucumbers, diced tomatoes, and various greens went flying everywhere. O'Shay gave a groan from the floor as his head fell back, and he went still.

Jim announced to Lt. Saavik, who was still on the comm, "Lieutenant, have security down to the dining hall now."

"Yes, sir," Lt. Saavik said.

Anna shook her head, as if to clear it from a stupor. "Darling, are you alright?" she asked as she hurried over to Jim.

"Yes, I am fine." Jim took a deep breath and straightened his shirt. "I apologize for my behavior, everyone," he said to the crowd who was standing open-mouthed in shock.

Security came rushing into the dining room. They took one look at the Admiral unconscious on the floor and salad everywhere but on the table.

"Captain?" The Chief of Security looked quizzically from the mess to Jim.

"Take the Admiral away and put him in the brig for the attempted kidnapping of Anthony David and Amanda Grace Kirk," Captain Kirk said.

"Not to mention disturbing the peace," Bones muttered in mock disgust.

Jim rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Yes, sir," the Chief replied. A couple of guards rolled the Admiral over and held him in place while cuffs were placed on his wrists. Hefting the Admiral's unconscious form over several shoulders, they carried him to the brig.

"Boy, did I miss this!" Bones said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at him like he was crazy.

"What? I did!" Bones said to everyone.

center***********/center

"Jim, do you have any idea what you just did?" Anna exclaimed.

"Yes darling, I know what I just did- and I don't regret it," Jim told her. Then he added, "Why don't you take the ambassador and your mother back to their quarters? Dr. McCoy, Mr. Spock, and I will check on the twins."

"Very well, I will check in with you there once I've escorted them back safely," Anna said. Teva was still silent in shock and the Ambassador looked nonplussed as she motioned them to follow her towards the turbolift. . .

Leaving Jim, Bones, and Spock standing there, looking at the once beautifully decorated dining hall.

center***********/center

(CHAPTER BREAK?)

When they got to the nursery Jackie greeted them.

"Oh, it's you three. I was hoping for Anna," she said apologetically.

"Sorry, it's just us. There was. . . a bit of an incident that delayed her. Why do you ask?" Jim inquired.

"Amanda will not go down; she wants her mom. She's been fussing for over half an hour now, just inconsolable. It's like she knows that something bad happened, because she won't stop crying," Jackie told Jim.

"It is the mind meld," Spock announced. "She is attached emotionally to her mother now, so that when Anna is upset Amanda will sense something is wrong," Spock explained to the three of them.

"Why didn't you tell me that Spock? It might have been good to know!" Jim snapped at him.

"I thought you knew that from past experience." Mr. Spock told him lightly.

"Well, let's see if we can calm her down before she wakes her brother," Jim said with a sigh, and Spock and Bones followed them into the nursery.

center************/center

Anna and Teva stood with Sarek outside the door to his quarters.

"I trust the atmosphere on this Starbase is generally less inclined to such dramatic outbursts?" Sarek asked Anna reproachfully.

Anna lowered her gaze, ashamed, before taking a deep breath and looking Sarek in the eye. "Yes, Ambassador; life on Starbase Seventeen is usually quite quiet. Is there anything I can do to make your night more pleasant? Our replicators make an excellent iplomeek/i soup," she suggested. "I could have someone bring some to your quarters if you like."

"Considering our dinner was so rudely interrupted, I think that is an excellent idea," Sarek agreed before turning to his assistant. "Teva, I just remembered I was supposed to have a subspace relay conference with some members of the Vulcan High Council regarding some characteristics of the wormhole. Given the interruption of our plans, will you make arrangements to reschedule the conference? I believe I shall retire to my quarters for the evening and" he looked back to Anna for confirmation "continue our little diplomatic visit tomorrow."

Teva nodded. "Yes, Ambassador," she replied.

"Yes, Ambassador," Anna echoed. And she was left alone in the hallway with her mother.

"I meant what I said, Mother- life here is usually wonderful. All the work we're doing, the research and the observations! Not to mention how much my family means to me here," Anna said.

"But I, too, am your family," Teva admonished her softly.

Anna's shoulders wilted. "I know, but the time we spent apart makes me feel like I'm having to learn how to be your daughter all over again. It's like I don't really know you. So much of me feels human. . . but there are Vulcan aspects of my life I can neither deny nor ignore."

Teva smiled. "You should talk with Spock. He dealt with much of the same distresses you are dealing with now. His mother was human, you know," she reminded her daughter.

"But his father was Vulcan," Anna countered. "And my father. . . If that clone has been masquerading as the man I thought was my father, then I don't really know my father, either!"

Anna was interrupted by a chime from her communicator. She fished it out of her pocket, but when she opened it there was no response. Sighing, she put it back in her pocket.

"Sorry. I thought it might have been Jim," she said. "I guess I don't really know imyself/i at all, either."

"I am afraid I cannot simply grant you the peace you seek, Anna," Teva said sadly. "You must find it from within. Start with your love for your children. I am pleased to see how much your son and daughter care for you, and you for them. You are a good mother, Anna," she said firmly. "And a wonderful Starfleet officer."

"Thank you, Mother," Anna replied gratefully. "If you aren't too tired, would you like to come by the nursery with me to pick them up? I know I told Jim I would meet him there after dropping you and Sarek off, but I think I could use a little peace right now. If you come to our quarters with us, you can get to know the children while Jim and I can privately discuss all that has been happening."

"I would enjoy that," Teva nodded.

"Wonderful. Just let me tell Jim we're on our way," she said, reaching into her pocket for her communicator again. "Jim?" she asked. When there was no response, her brows furrowed in confusion. "Jim?" she tried again. "Captain?" Nothing. A lump of anxiety lodged itself in her throat and she looked wide-eyed at her mother.

"It's probably a malfunction. Sometimes the wormhole can disrupt Communications," Anna explained, more to herself than her mother.

"Let us simply meet your husband at the nursery," Teva suggested. "We can inform Jim that there is an issue with the communicators."

Anna nodded slowly as they boarded the turbolift that would take them to the nursery. "Alright. But. . . Just a moment. Lt. Saavik?" Anna asked, trying to activate her communicator again.

"Yes, Commander?" came Saavik's answer, clear as a bell, just as they arrived outside the nursery door.

Anna blinked in shock. "Is there. . . is there an issue with Communications? Has anyone reported any communicator malfunctions?"

"No, Commander. Everything appears to be in working order. No one has submitted any complaints or reports of any errors."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Anna said, flipping her communicator closed. Anna and Teva hurried into the nursery- only to find it empty.

"Jackie?" Anna asked aloud, panicked. There was no response. Anna suddenly felt an elusive yet steady mental pull and whirled around to re-board the turbolift.

Teva hurried to follow her daughter. "Anna, what is going on?"

"I can't explain it, Mother," she said as she dashed off the turbolift and bolted through the door into her and Jim's quarters.

"Jackie!" she sighed with relief as she saw her friend sitting on the floor with the twins. Jackie looked up as Anna scooped Amanda Grace into her arms and held her close.

"Hello," Jackie greeted them. "Glad you're here, Amanda Grace just started crying nonstop for you again."

"That would be an effect of the mind meld," Teva spoke up, discarding the shawl from about her shoulders onto a table in the entranceway.

"I felt it," Anna admitted. "It was like. . . a tugging sensation, but from within. Wait, again?" Anna asked, confused.

"Well, yes. Didn't Jim tell you before he left?" Jacked asked, matching Anna's puzzled expression.

"Left?!" Anna exclaimed.

Jackie opened her mouth, shut it, then opened it again. "Well, yes. Didn't he tell you? He received a message from the brig- something about Admiral O'Shay waking up and making all sorts of threats and demands about going back to Romulus- and then he took one look at Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy and just left. He let me know to bring the twins home to you before he went, though. When I arrived and no one was here, I figured I would just wait until you arrived. Anthony David just woke up," she said, nodding to Anna's son who was playing on the floor with a toy spacecraft.

Anna sat weakly on the couch and lifted her gaze to her mother. "Where could he have gone?" she wondered.

Teva, who had gone very still, looked her daughter directly in the eye. "I think he went to Romulus," she said matter-of-factly. "I think he went to go rescue your real father."

center***************/center

(CHAPTER BREAK?)

Spock gently guided the shuttle out of the Hangar Bay and flipped a switch to dim the interior lights, doing his best to ignore the arguing going on.

"What are you thinking, Jim? This shuttlecraft doesn't even have warp drive! How do you expect us to get to Romulus on impulse power?" Dr. McCoy demanded.

"We don't need warp drive," Jim replied nonchalantly. "We're going to use the wormhole."

"We're WHAT?" McCoy exclaimed.

After they had interrogated the clone pretending to be Admiral O'Shay, they had gotten him to reluctantly admit that the real Admiral was indeed being held captive in the Prison Caves of the Romulan city of Rateg. Beyond that, the clone had refused to offer up any information, including why the Admiral had been cloned in the first place. He had only laughed, revealing that the plans to kill the real O'Shay were already in motion, since the clone had successfully arrived at Starbase Seventeen. "It's too late," he'd laughed mockingly. "Your Admiral will be dead in a day's time now, regardless of what happens to me." Those words had spurned the team into action and now they were on a course for Romulus- though what exactly that course would be hadn't quite been figured out yet.

Spock swiveled around to face his friend. "Jim, I do not think that is a wise course of action. How much do you actually know about this wormhole?"

"I know that the other end to it is located at the border of Federation space and the Romulan Empire. Part of the research we've been doing with the wormhole is determining where it ends, of course! If the codes I have are accurate, we have a great chance we can program this shuttlecraft to arrive in Romulan space and get to Rateg in under five minutes," Jim replied confidently.

"A great chance?" McCoy asked incredulously.

"May I look over your information, Captain Kirk?" Spock inquired.

As Jim handed over the data chip and a PADD, and Spock studied the information in silence for a moment. "Jim is correct. If we input the coordinates on this chip, we have a seventy-four percent chance of success."

"What about the other twenty-six percent?" McCoy asked sarcastically.

"That is a variable which cannot be determined at this time," Spock replied.

"Fantastic," McCoy muttered. "Are we really doing this?" he demanded.

Spock looked at Jim. "There is also another option," he said mildly. "You are aware we have another ship- one which is fully warp-capable." He gestured to the viewer, to where the iEnterprise/i was looming near the port entrance of the Hangar Bay they had just emerged from. "Although it wouldn't be as fast as traveling through the wormhole, it is a one hundred percent guarantee of arriving at Romulus safely."

"Hallelujah, someone's got a brain!" McCoy smiled. He glanced at Jim. "So what's it going to be, Captain?"

Spock inclined his head slightly and raised an eyebrow, but stayed silent.

"Well, it looks like we take the iEnterprise/i," Kirk said to his men.

When the three of them arrived on the bridge of the iEnterprise/i, everyone was in shock to see Jim on board.

"Captain Kirk, what is going on?" Commander Uhura asked, standing up at her console.

"We have. . . an issue," Kirk said, looking between Spock and McCoy, "that the iEnterprise/i has to go take care of, and I am going with you," Kirk said.

"Uh, Jim? What about the Ambassador, and your mother-in-law?" Bones asked suddenly.

"Anna can handle them for right now; we need to get the real Admiral back. We do that, he can patch things up with Spock's father- not to mention my mother-in-law," Jim replied.

"Yeah, but that still leaves you in the doghouse with your wife for doing this without telling her," Bones said with a mocking grin on his face.

"Not if we get her real father back," Jim said. He turned and looked at Spock. "Captain?" he smiled.

"Chekov, set course for Rateg in the Romulan Empire. And engage Warp Nine," Spock said as he took the Captain's chair.

Then they were gone.

Back on Starbase Seventeen, Anthony started screaming, "I wan Dada!" And sure enough, Amanda soon started in with the same thing, "I wan Dada!"

Anna took one look out of her window and knew at once where Jim had gone. She couldn't blame her husband, but she couldn't blame herself, either. After having been with the man even for the few years they'd been married, she knew Jim Kirk through and through- his loyalty, his bravery. . . and his impulsiveness. She went over to the viewer and hit the Enterprise button.

"We are being hailed from Starbase Seventeen, Captain Spock," Commander Uhura said.

"On screen, Commander," Spock said to her.

"Dada, I wan you!" Anthony Kirk said all of a sudden, as the image of him pushing his mother out of the way appeared on the viewer. Anna lost her balance and toppled off of her chair.

"Anthony what do you say to your mother?" Jim said sternly as he saw his wife on the floor where she had landed.

"I wan dada!" Anthony yelled again.

Anna stood up and straightened her clothes out. "Jim, just do whatever you are doing and then get home," she said and then the viewer clicked off.

"Wow, now that was a tantrum," Bones said as he arrived on the bridge from checking in on Medical.

Jim turned to his friend. "He is two years old, what do you except? I went through this with David and I made it, and I'll make it through my twins, too," Jim said.

"What about Anna, did you tell her that we were going to rescue her father?" Bones asked.

"Well no, but when we get him home all will be forgiven," Jim told them cheerfully, then he turned and walked to his guest quarters.

(CHAPTER BREAK?)

The night was quiet on Romulus when the iEnterprise/i pulled out of warp. From what little information the crew had been able to find, the Prison Caves in Rateg were not going to be easily accessible. Nearly ten miles away from the city itself, the twisting network of tunnels and crevices were both heavily guarded and deeply underground. Jim, Spock, and Dr. McCoy huddled near an outcropping of rock about ten yards from the Prison Caves' main entrance, and even that was so well camouflaged it had been hard to find after the team had beamed down to the surface of the planet. Two armed guards paced near the low opening that led into those dark cells. The atrocities committed by the prisoners within weren't the sorts of crimes for which trials were held, so the prospect of any sort of intake center was unlikely. Enough energy was moving to and from the place to have shown up on initial scans, though, so the odds were good that there was a central computing area, which would hopefully help pinpoint Admiral O'Shay's location.

"It looks about as guarded as expected," Jim said soberly. "Let's go ahead with the plan we discussed earlier."

Spock nodded and walked confidently toward the Prison. He had covered his Starfleet uniform with a simple tunic, and they were hoping that the guards wouldn't notice his ears were Vulcan instead of Romulan until it was too late. Jim followed, not too closely, and stopped to hide behind another boulder, setting his Phaser to "stun" while Spock kept walking forward.

Suddenly the guards noticed him approaching, and two sets of disruptor pistols were quickly aimed at his head. "Identify yourself," one of the guards barked. Spock didn't answer, but immediately turned to the right and reached out, catching the guard in a nerve pinch. He followed through as the Romulan fell like a rock, and knelt beside him in a coordinated movement as he heard the phaser go off and the guard to his left dropped to the ground with his coworker. Jim stood and motioned McCoy forward, then jogged toward Spock and helped him strip the guards of their weapons.

"That was almost too easy," Bones grinned as they made their way into the Caves. The large main entrance had three tunnels branching out from various directions, and they stood in brief confusion as they tried to figure out where to start. One tunnel led straight before curving to the left, the one directly in front of them seemed to go upwards and then descend sharply, and the one farthest on the left sloped downward gradually and disappeared as it curved right.

"Any idea of where the Admiral could be?" Jim asked Spock.

"Considering all the trouble they went to, to keep him hidden for so long, it would only be logical to find him in the most secure, deepest part of the caves," Spock said. "But," he cautioned as he noticed his friends immediately make their way towards the downward-sloping tunnel on their left, "the Romulans are known for their duplicity and misdirection. Do you see that outline on the wall there?" He pointed to their right, and set flush against the wall was a barely discernable circular shape. He strode over and pressed his palm to it, and immediately a section of the floor slid away and a set of stairs was revealed.

"Nice thinking!" Jim praised as they made their way down. The stairs reached a landing, where another guard was dispatched, and then more stairs kept going down before ending in a long tunnel that seemed to go on forever. Another guard opened his mouth to shout angrily as they appeared at the tunnel at the foot of the stairs, but Bones was quick to blast him with his phaser. The guard slumped to the floor and the three friends quickly hurried along. The tunnel was poorly lit and damp but it was large, wide, and straight. As they continued along, they saw two doors at its end- as well as three more guards.

"You boys look a little pale," Jim called out. "Must not get much sun, guarding the Admiral all the time!"

Two of the guards aimed and fired their weapons, but one guard glanced quickly at a panel near the door on the right before he had the chance to bring his weapon up. Jim, Spock, and McCoy were quick to return fire, each blast firing true as the guards fell over, unconscious.

A dull pounding quickly sounded from behind the right-hand door. "I'm in here!" the Admiral's voice called out.

Jim and Bones rushed to the door set into the wall, but there didn't appear to be any way to open it- no hinges, no keyhole, not even a crack underneath. "Admiral? It's Jim Kirk! Can you hear me?" Jim shouted.

"Who?" the Admiral yelled back.

"We're with the Federation!" Jim hollered.

"We're with Starfleet, and we've come to get you out!" Bones added.

"Admiral, this is Captain Spock," the Vulcan announced loudly but calmly. "Do you see anything to help us open the door?"

"No," came the tired reply. "I only ever hear a beeping before the Romulans come in to torture me. Today was supposed to be my execution day, but the Head Guard of the prison got some kind of important communication and just left. I don't know how to get the door open, and I don't know when he's coming back, either!"

"I can answer that," snarled a voice behind them. Spock, Kirk, and McCoy wheeled around to see a panel in the wall sliding shut and a large-muscled, heavily-armed Romulan striding towards them. Two guards followed him, weapons aimed and ready.

Bones turned to Jim. "You wanna tell me how we're getting out of this one?" he demanded.

(CHAPTER BREAK?)

"Okay, fire," Jim answered nonchalantly. Then Jim used his phaser and fired on the Romulan Head Guard that stood before them. The element of surprise was clearly in their favor as he went down without a grunt, and Spock and McCoy took advantage of the other guards' confusion and fired at them. They quickly joined their boss on the ground.

"Now, maybe we can get into the cell," Jim said thoughtfully.

"There's some sort of slot in the wall here, Jim," Bones said, kneeling before the door. Spock bent to analyze it and Jim turned quickly to the fallen Head Guard, where he found a card attached to the Guard's belt. He handed the card to Spock, who handed it back to Jim after passing it through the slot. Moments later, a series of beeps was heard and Jim grinned in triumph as he put the card into his pocket. The cell opened- and the triumphant smile quickly fell from Jim's face as he saw the Admiral tied to an electric chair that had shock pads on his chest arms and legs.

"Spock, figure out a way to get him out and do it quickly," Jim yelled at his friend. Bones looked back at the guards, who were surely only down for a little while.

Spock studied the arms of the chair in silence, and then started to feel his way down the back of the chair. All of a sudden he hit a hidden panel, and after a few moments of prying and pulling he then got it to open, revealing various buttons and knobs. A satisfied smile lit his face as he recognized the system; he hit a couple of buttons and then the Admiral was free.

"Thank God," Admiral O'Shay said, yanking the shock pads from his bare chest.

"Admiral." Spock acknowledged the man and offered him the tunic that had covered his uniform.

O'Shay accepted it gratefully, then stood rubbing his chafed wrists. "I'm a bit malnourished but I think I'll be alright," he smiled.

"Now that we have you free, shall we get out of here?" Bones said to the four of them.

"Sounds good to me," Jim answered.

They stepped out of the cell and the Admiral stopped to take a couple of weapons from one of the fallen guards.

"Just in case we need some heavy phasers," the Admiral told them.

"Good thinking," Bones said to him.

They had almost made it to the end of the hallway when they saw some of the guards that they used their phasers on earlier, as well as a phalanx of reinforcements coming toward them from the opposite end of the broad, tunnel.

"Oh, boy, do they look mad, Captains," Bones said, stopping short.

"Yeah, well I think we will let the Admiral do the honors then," Jim said with a smile as he looked toward his father-in-law.

"THERE THEY ARE!" A guard hollered, pointing their way.

Admiral O'Shay took stock of the horde coming towards them and compared it to their available weaponry. There was no way they'd have enough phaser charges to dispatch all of them, but with enough power aimed at the right places… He saw some cracks in the walls of the caves, aimed, and fired- and stones and pebbles rained down on top of the advancing guards.

When the dust had settled and the guards were still beneath the rubble, the Admiral grinned at his rescuers. "Everybody, up and over," O'Shay told them, and one by one they made their way over the guards and towards freedom.

When they reached the outside of the cave the Admiral got a good look at his saviors.

"Now you are an interesting bunch," the Admiral said, amused.

"You don't know the half of it yet, Admiral," Jim told him.

"Can this wait until we get back to the iEnterprise/i please?" Bones told them.

"Fair enough. Spock, contact the Enterprise and have us beamed up now," Jim said to his friend.

"Spock to Enterprise."

"Enterprise here," Scott's voice chirped.

"Mr. Scott, four to beam up now," Spock said.

"Energizing!"

And just like that, it was over- the Admiral was back on a Federation ship. Spock stepped off the platform. "I'll be on the Bridge," he said, nodding at his friends.

Bones, Jim, and the Admiral nodded back and headed for to Sickbay, so the Admiral could get looked over.

On the bridge, Spock addressed his crew. "Sulu, set a course for Starbase Seventeen, Warp Nine.

Sulu nodded and his fingers flew as he made the appropriate plans.

"Energize. And Commander Uhura," Captain Spock said, turning to his Communications Officer, "get me Commander Anna Kirk on the viewer."

"Yes, Captain," Uhura replied with a knowing smile.

Back on Starbase Seventeen, Anna was in her husband's office looking at their wedding photo, when the comm went off. "Yes," Anna said, looking up from the silver-framed portrait.

"The iEnterprise/i is on the viewer, Commander," Lt. Saavik announced.

"I am on my way." She clicked off the comm.

When she emerged, she saw Spock in the Captain's chair of the iEnterprise/i.

"Captain Spock, please tell me you have some news?" Commander Kirk asked.

"I do. We are on our way back- with the real Admiral O'Shay," Spock said.

Anna took a deep breath and felt as if her heart had re-started. "I am relieved to hear that everything went well. Is my husband available?" Anna asked the Captain.

"I am right here, Anna," she heard.

"Permission to come onto the Bridge, Captain," Jim asked Spock.

"Permission granted, Captain," Spock replied with mirth in his eyes.

"Jim, I am relieved to see you in one piece, but I had to reinstate myself for duty because you left the base," she said sternly. "So I suggest you come home quickly so I can get some peace, because in addition to the work I've had to do, the twins have been giving me some major trouble. You will be on the couch for a while because of this," Anna told him with exasperated affection. She turned around and signaled to cut off the conversation.

CHAPTER BREAK

Jim had just emerged from a nice hot shower when he heard a chime go off from the door to his guest quarters. "Enter," he called out.

Admiral O'Shay strode in, also recently showered, still looking a bit gaunt but happier than he'd seemed when Jim had first set eyes on the man. "Captain," he acknowledged gruffly, holding out his hand. Jim walked forward and clasped his father-in-law's palm warmly.

"I'm honored and proud to finally meet the real you, Admiral," Jim said sincerely.

"And you as well, Captain Kirk," the Admiral nodded.

"Please, call me Jim," he told the Admiral kindly.

"Very well. . . Jim. My son-in-law," Admiral O'Shay said, trying out the words.

"Proud to be that, too, sir," Jim said. "I mean that- I love your daughter very much, and by some crazy galactic miracle, she loves me as well."

"I'm glad to see she ended up with at least one stable man in her life," O'Shay said bitterly. "When I think of how that lying bastard stole my life from me, how much of Anna's past I should have been a part of, and the things I can't fix, it's. . ." He broke off suddenly, his throat thick with emotion. He shook his head quickly, as if to clear his eyes of the angry tears that had unexpectedly welled up.

"Did Anna tell you she was only four when that clone stole her from her mother?" he demanded.

Jim nodded. "She said you. . . er, the clone, that is. . . didn't want her raised in the Vulcan way, and took her away from Teva to raise her as a human."

"God, Teva," Adam O'Shay sighed. He said his former wife's name like a caress. "There's nothing I wouldn't have done for her, either," he said firmly, locking onto Jim's eyes with his own. "Yet another relationship that was stolen from me. And I don't know how, if at all, I can fix it." He seemed to slump in dejection.

"Come, why don't we sit down," Jim suggested. "Can I get you anything to drink?" he asked, nodding to the replicator.

"No, no, I'm fine, thanks," the Admiral waved his hand dismissively as he joined Jim on the couch in the living area of his quarters. He stared into the middle distance silently before he spoke in a voice that was just above a whisper.

"When my daughter was eight days shy of her fourth birthday," he began, "I was on a two week assignment to Romulus, a diplomatic mission to begin outlining a set of accords that I later found out would go on to become the Treaty of Algeron. Some of the Romulans I met during these negotiations came to me in the guise of friendship, asking about my life and role in Starfleet. When a Romulan Senator who I thought had been my friend asked me to dine with him, I arrived at his house only to be abducted and taken prisoner." He shook his head, remembering.

Jim sat back, amazed at the truth that was finally being revealed. "Didn't anyone notice you were gone? Did they ask for any sort of ransom?" he asked, incredulous.

"They didn't even want a ransom for me," he said with disgust. "Their original plans were to hold me hostage and demand that all Federation ships and crewmembers leave their planet immediately, with the threat of my life in the balance. But when they realized I could be used for a much greater purpose- infiltrating the Federation itself- I was kept in that damn cell until the Senator and several of his friends arranged to have me cloned. He even had the gall to arrive at the negotiations later with a report that I wasn't feeling well and would be resting at his house until I felt better. The story they went with was that I'd had a severe allergic reaction to a bite I'd gotten on my arm from the Senator's pet iset'leth/i. It was an excuse the used later to explain the scar on my clone's arm, that matched my own from where they'd drawn my blood and taken tissue samples to make the wretched clone to begin with."

Jim glanced down as the Admiral unconsciously rubbed his left forearm.

"It took eight days for the clone to be fully ready," O'Shay continued. "During that time I was tortured, interrogated, and forced to reveal my home and the names of my wife and daughter. When the clone was finally ready, he took my place in Starfleet with the excuse that I'd been severely contagious and was lucky to have survived to explain my absence. My Commanding Officer authorized what he thought was my request for leave. The clone was permitted to go my home for after being cleared for leave by Sickbay from the ship I'd been on. When that blasted imposter showed up at my house, he took my daughter away and had tried ever since to steer her into thinking that being Vulcan was something to be ashamed of, to reject and to avoid associations with other Vulcans at all times.

"The decisions he made while in my position of command were all subtly skewed to reflect poorly on Vulcans in general, and," he added sarcastically, "to extol the virtues of all things Romulan. How good they were in their honest embrace of emotions, how much could be learned from their militaristic society, and how much we as humans should admire their vigilance, instead of seeing them for generally being paranoid and mistrustful." He grimaced. "The worst part of it, though, was how much my own daughter was brought up to believe- by a stranger!- that she was something less than worth caring about, because her mother was a Vulcan. I'm sure that wretched clone made sure she felt secure in her life, but only as it pertained to her human side. He made her grow up with the constant scrutiny of all things Vulcan, the literal other half of herself, and the rejection of her own mother's ways and people." He raised his anguished eyes to Jim's. "How can I ever fix that? How can she even look at me without being reminded of all the things that clone put her through?"

"Admiral. . ." Jim said hesitantly. "I think. . . the best thing you can do when we get back to Starbase Seventeen is sit down with Anna and just. . . be honest with her. Your daughter is a loving, smart woman, and I think if you let her hear your side of things, she'll surprise you. It might not happen overnight, but. . . give her a chance to give iyou/i a chance."

Adam O'Shay's eyes wandered to the stars that were flying by beyond the viewports that lined the far wall of Jim's living area. "Do you really think she will?" he asked, his voice a mixture of hollowness and hope.

"Only one way to find out, sir," Jim said lightly.

The Admiral turned to his son-in-law. "If she's smart enough to have married a man like you, I think I'm willing to take my chances that she'll hear me out," he nodded with that spark of hope spreading to his eyes. "And please, call me 'Adam'." At least in a private capacity," he winked. "In the company of other Starfleet crewmembers, I'm still 'Admiral,'" he said with mock seriousness.

"Yes, Admiral," Jim replied with a crooked smile.

center***************/center

Two minutes. That's how long it would be until the iEnterprise/i was due to arrive. Anna stood in the transporter room and fussed with her hair for the eighth time. She checked her dress again, unnecessarily. What would she say to the man who had actually given her half her very being? /Would he be at all like the clone I've known as my father?/ she thought anxiously. /How will he feel about me? What if-/

"Anna, dearest, you're fidgeting," Teva said gently, smoothing a hand down her daughter's back. The dress Anna had chosen to wear to greet her father in was the same Vulcan ceremonial gown she had worn to the dinner that had turned out so horribly wrong, and Teva would have been lying if she said she was displeased with her daughter's subtle display of choosing to acknowledge her Vulcan heritage.

"Sorry, Mother," Anna replied. She took a deep breath. "I'm just so nervous about-"

"The iEnterprise/i has docked, Commander," the Transporter Chief announced, wheeling around in his seat to face the two women who were waiting behind him. "They'll be beaming Captain Kirk and Admiral O'Shay- er, the real Admiral- aboard shortly; Captain Spock and Dr. McCoy have stated they'll be joining their comrades sometime later."

"Understood, Chief," Anna nodded.

Teva felt a stirring of pride for her daughter. She was a competent Commander as well as a wonderful wife and mother. The gods help her- if the man she had truly married looked at their daughter with even a hint of revulsion, she would find a ipleenok/i and hit him over the head with it. She could very well blame her reaction on never having completed her ikolinahr/i. Indeed, Teva had chosen instead to dedicate herself to logic via intense study and mediation, and found the idea of ikolinahr/i somewhat a destruction of the essence of being Vulcan. To face your emotions and master them as they came, she felt, took more strength and was therefore more admirable than purging all emotion to begin with.

A flurry of activity on the transporter pad interrupted her thoughts, and the men she and her daughter had each married appeared suddenly before them.

"Jim!" Anna cried, rushing into her husband's arms. "You incorrigible scoundrel!" she said, holding him close.

"I'm sorry, darling," Jim said, pressing his lips to her hair. "I know, I know, couch for a week," he teased.

"Oh, if you knew the half of it," she scolded mockingly.

Both of them went abruptly silent as they took in the form of Admiral Adam O'Shay making his way slowly off the transporter platform. After a moment he stood before his wife, gazing at her in wonder and adoration.

"Teva," he breathed, closing his eyes and swallowing back a lump in his throat. He held his arms open wordlessly, eyes still closed as if preparing for a rebuff or rejection. When Teva slid into his embrace, tears slid silently down his face and he tightly held the woman he hadn't seen in nearly two decades.

"Adam," Teva murmured, relief washing over her features. She stepped back, smiling lovingly into her husband's eyes, and extended an arm to where her daughter- i their/i daughter- had suddenly pulled away and stood next to their son-in-law. "I would like to introduce you to-"

"Anna!" Adam O'Shay exclaimed softly. He looked over the beautiful young woman who stood so nervously before him. His little girl, now a Starfleet Commander. . . with children of her own! And in a Vulcan dress! He fought to hold back tears as he felt his heart would burst with pride, that after all that wretched clone's efforts, she would still embrace her Vulcan legacy.

"Of course," Anna replied softly. Admiral O'Shay realized he must have spoken out loud. "Every time I look in the mirror," Anna continued, unaware of just how Vulcan she sounded, "I am reminded of who I am. Of what I am. To deny it is unthinkable."

"Thank God," Adam said hoarsely. "Oh, thank God. You. . . You're beautiful!" he enthused. "My daughter is beautiful!"

"Oh, Father!" Anna rejoiced as they stepped toward each other, meeting in a fierce embrace. Looking on, Jim and Teva released sighs of relief and approval.

And then it was Anna's turn to try to hold back tears. . . which she happily didn't really try to do at all.

CHAPTER BREAK

All of a sudden the station rocked. Anna went flying, and Jim caught her in his arms. The comm beeped.

"Commander, something is firing at us through the wormhole!" Lt. Saavik shouted to her.

"Commander, this is Captain Kirk. Raise shields and arm phasers; I am on my way," Jim said to the Lieutenant.

"Understood, Captain!"

"Anna, get your mother and father to their quarters and then meet me in Ops," Jim said.

"Yes, sir. And Jim, don't hog all the fun- save some for me," Anna said with a smile on her face.

"Yes, ma'am!" Then Jim walked out of the transporter room.

Anna stood with her parents outside her father's door.

"Father, your quarters are right next to Mother's. If you need anything you can ask her; she is starting to know her way around this station pretty well," she grinned. "I have to get to Ops and help the Captain."

Adam and Teva smiled after their daughter as she walked away.

"Teva, how did you find her?" Adam asked wonderingly.

"The same way I found you," Teva replied, quickly becoming serious. "I have a personal informant whom I have been keeping in touch with her through the years, thankfully without the clone knowing about it."

Adam shivered subconsciously as he thought of the alternative, but the warmth in his wife's voice calmed him as she spoke again.

"Now, I have to go check in with the Ambassador, but then I will be right back, Adam."

Adam closed his eyes as he nodded, pulling Teva to him in a quick embrace. Then Teva went a few doors down and disappeared from sight into Sarek's receiving room.

Back in Ops, Lieutenant Saavik looked up from her station. "Captain, we are being hailed," she said.

"On viewer, Lieutenant," Captain Kirk said to her.

"Well, Captain, you look good for a man that was just in our prisons." The Romulan Head Guard's voice was seething with barely-checked anger as he impatiently toyed with the Subcommander rank insignia on his uniform.

A vindictive smile briefly curled the Captain's lips upward. "Thank you. What do you want?" Jim asked in a stern tone.

"We want the Admiral, Kirk!" the Guard thundered.

Jim paused thoughtfully, then responded, "Okay. I will give you the Admiral. I just need. . .time. He's been sedated from the shock."

"Very well. You have five minutes- and then then we blow up the station," the Romulan sneered.

Then the Comm went dead.

"Captain, what are you going to do?" Anna's voice suddenly spoke up from the turbolift.

"I am going to give them the clone, naturally," Jim answered before nodding at his wife. "Commander, you have Ops until I get back."

"Understood, Captain," Anna responded and then watched with an approving smile as husband left Ops.

When James arrived at the brig after a quick stop to retrieve his father-in-law's old clothes, he saw Spock and McCoy already there.

"We anticipated there would be trouble from the Romulans, so we figured we would give you a hand," Spock said.

"Thank you very much, both of you; now let's take care of this clone, " Jim said to his friends.

They entered the brig and saw him on the bed sleeping, still in his Admiral's uniform.

"Perfect," Jim said, and then he pressed a button and entered the cell with Bones, who quickly injected the clone with a sedative to help him sleep for a few more minutes. Then Spock, Bones, and Jim changed him out of the uniform and into the prison clothes that Adam had been wearing.

They carried him to the transporter room and lowered him down. With a quick huff of exertion, Jim straightened up and nodded at the Transporter Chief. "Let's get that impostor back to the Romulans," he said, pointing to the clone lying on the platform.

"Too bad we don't have a 'Return to Sender' stamp for him," Bones quipped as the clone was beamed back to the Romulan's ship.

The three of them returned to Ops and met in the center of the room. "We are being hailed again, Captain," Anna told them.

"On screen, Commander," Captain Kirk told her.

"Hello Captain. You were wise to surrender to our superior position and you shall live to see another day. Unfortunately the same won't be true for your Admiral," the Romulan Subcommander smiled viciously. "We thank you for you cooperation in this matter and we will leave you alone- for now." And then they were gone, right through the wormhole.

"Well, now we have to notify Starfleet command about this, and security is going to be a whole lot tighter now Jim," Anna said to her husband.

"Yes, it will," Jim added as he looked at the wormhole.

"Well, I am going to pick up the twins now and introduce them to their grandfather. We will need to host our diplomatic dinner again, and we still have show the wormhole to our guests, so you might want to start planning that," Anna reminded the Captain.

"Right, that, okay; I'll get to work on it now. I will be home soon, I hope, darling." Anna nodded and then Captain Kirk watched his wife walk out of Ops.

CHAPTER BREAK

"Are you ready for this, father?" Anna asked seriously as she stood outside the nursery door.

Adam O'Shay swallowed back his nervousness. He was a Starfleet officer, a strong man who had endured over twenty years of solitary imprisonment and torture, for goodness' sake. Yet the idea of meeting his grandchildren set his nerves on edge as though he were a new father, himself.

"You could always just meet us in the dining hall with the others, when dinner is ready," Anna offered.

When she had dropped by his room to ask if he wished to join her in picking up the twins and bringing them back to their quarters for the evening, he had immediately been on board with the idea. Now that he was face to face with the reality of the situation? But no, those Romulans had taken damn near everything from him. He wasn't going to let something as trivial as Post Traumatic Stress rob him of this chance to hold his own flesh and blood in his arms.

"No," Adam replied firmly. "I'd love to meet them now, even if it's only just to see them for a little while. Now is the perfect time for me to meet them!"

Anna smiled and opened the nursery door.

"Mama!" the twins squealed as they came running. Anna's grin broadened as she knelt to scoop them up and held them close.

"They've already eaten and they're just about ready for bed," Jackie updated Anna. "If you can give me a few minutes to clean up here and finish some things up in Sickbay, I can be back in your quarters in half an hour, to watch them this evening. One of the engineers fell and suffered a minor sprain today; I want to double-check on how it's healing up."

"That's not a problem," Anna assured her. "Take all the time you need; I have a little business of my own to take care of with the twins," she said, nodding in the Admiral's direction.

Anthony David was the first to notice their grandfather, who still stood nervously in the doorway.

"Who dat man?" he asked curiously, pointing to Adam.

Anna's father just stared at the children in his daughter's arms.

Anna explained gently, "That man is a very important man. That is your grandfather."

Amanda Grace slid out of her mother's arms and came running up to the Admiral. "Hi!" she said, smiling.

Adam knelt to the floor and smiled back as tears welled up in his eyes. "Hello there," he said kindly.

"Dat's my brodder," Amanda announced importantly, pointing back to where her twin was still shyly clinging to his mother.

"I know," Adam replied. "And I'm her Daddy," he said, pointing to Anna. "And that makes me your Grandpa."

Amanda's eyes grew wide, and she wheeled around, beckoning to Anthony David. "Grampa!" she shrieked in excitement. She wrapped her small arms around him and Anthony was soon bounding up to Adam to follow his sister's example.

Anna stood, emotion rushing over her as she took in the sight of her children being hugged by their grandfather. She walked over to them and said, "Do you want Grampa to help give you a bath before bedtime?"

"Bubble baff!" the twins demanded in unison.

"Alright," Anna chuckled. "Bubble bath it is! Are you alright, Father?" Anna asked, noticing as her father struggled to control his composure.

"I'm just fine. They are wonderful children, Anna." He patted their heads and smiled at them. "It has been so long since I have seen anything with any sort of beauty or innocence. They are truly wonderful children. Let's go get them their bubble bath!"

"Bubble baff! Bubble baff!" the children started chanting.

Grinning, Adam carried them out to help Anna get them ready for bed.

***************

One by one the guests filed into the dining hall and stood again in silent appreciation of the decor and ambient lighting.

"You're not going to start throwing punches again, are you Admiral?" Bones asked with mock seriousness.

"Again?" the Admiral protested laughingly. "I can hardly be blamed for what that clone tried to do to wreck your dinner, but I most assuredly will be on my best behavior."

They followed Jim to the beautiful table and sighed appreciatively at the sight of cut crystal bowls of iplomeek/i soup.

"Even I'll admit this looks good," Bones declared.

Jim turned to Ambassador Sarek. "Sir, why don't you sit at the head of the table?"

The Ambassador gave a gracious nod and seated himself, and the others soon followed suit, with Jim and Spock at Sarek's right and left. Anna sat beside her husband, with her father on her right, and Bones was placed beside Spock so that Teva was seated across from the Admiral. Once the napkins were unfolded and the water glasses were filled, conversation naturally flowed around the table. Jim filled Sarek in on the research surrounding the wormhole, and Spock updated his father in on the latest adventures on board the iEnterprise/i, with Bones adding things here and there. Bread was passed, jokes were shared, and Anna was filled with a quiet pride for all her husband had accomplished. Because of him, her father now sat at her side. She looked at Jim in the candlelight and squeezed his hand slightly, a small smile turning up the corners of her lips. Jim winked knowingly in response, and was about to speak when Admiral O'Shay spoke up loudly.

"And that's not even the half of it!" he said to his wife.

"Adam, you are too kind," Teva said.

"But it's true!" he protested. "You're still as beautiful as the first day I laid eyes on you. Even more so, in fact. Without you I had nothing to hold on to while stuck in that terrible place! And without you we wouldn't have had Anna to begin with, and without her I wouldn't be a grandfather! Have you seen our grandchildren? They're incredible! Beautiful and brilliant as their mother. . . and you. And I wouldn't have any of that if you weren't in my life. I love you, Teva," he said earnestly.

"Oh, Adam," Teva said softly. Her eyes darted to the Ambassador, only briefly concerned at such an emotional display in his presence. Not to mention the presence of his son, Spock, and all the other guests at the table. But it was nothing compared to what came next, as Adam put the napkin from his lap onto the table and came to kneel by her side.

"Teva, you are and always have been the love of my life. Will you marry me. . . again?"

Anna gave a slight gasp and her eyes misted with tears. Teva clasped Adam's hands. Her lips trembled but she held her husband's gaze steadily as she replied with a quiet but firm "yes."

Bones whooped and Spock grinned. Sarek leaned his head slightly to speak to his son. "I am puzzled. Are they not already joined?" he asked Spock.

"Yes," Spock replied discretely. "But given the Admiral's absence, he wishes to renew his vows of marriage in affirmation of his choice of Teva as a wife. It is a human custom," Spock explained.

Sarek nodded in acknowledgement and looked pleasantly at his assistant. "I suppose you shall be seeking a temporary absence so you may prepare for your renewal ceremony?"

"Yes, Ambassador; that would be most appreciated," Teva responded.

"Of course," Sarek agreed.

"To the new old couple!" Bones toasted, raising his glass.

"We're not old!" Adam laughingly scolded as everyone joined in the toast.

"Captain?" Lt. Saavik said suddenly over the Comm. "The wormhole has come into its active phase. We have already begun analyze the data we're receiving, and it happens to be in view right now."

A hum of excitement arose from the group and they all looked to Jim. Pushing his chair back from the table and his half-finished dinner, he cleared his throat. "I'm on my way, Lieutenant! In fact," he said, looking at the excitement and curiosity on everyone's faces, "we all are."

When they all got to Ops, Jim said, "Well come on in, let's have a view of the wormhole, Lieutenant."

"Yes, Sir. I am putting the viewer on now, and opening the bay windows as well," Lieutenant Saavik told them.

They all looked in awe at the beauty that Jim and Anna had protected for the past two years. It was then that Spock said, "It is truly a wonder, Jim."

"Yes, Captain Spock- it is indeed a wonder," Jim replied to his friend.

When Jim and Anna came back to their quarters, Jackie was waiting for them.

"Hey, I heard it went well! And you did not punch anybody at all tonight- congratulations," Jackie teased Jim.

"Thanks," Jim smiled. "I am glad that it's done with. Now maybe I can get some sleep! I am so tired," Jim told them.

"You're tired? You ain't seen nothing yet, darling. Your bed is waiting in the living area," Anna told Jim.

"Oh, come on, Anna," Jim pleaded. "How many times do I have to say I am sorry, but I had to go otherwise you father would be dead?" Jim put on his best pout.

Anna just looked at Jackie, and said, "Thank you. Jackie, for watching the twins. I hope they were not too much trouble."

"No problem, anytime! And I hope you both sleep well," Jackie said with a wink, and then walked out of the Kirk's quarters.

"Now Jim, I am going to sleep in our bed. Have a good night, darling," Anna said airily. She turned and went into the bedroom, closing the door behind her, leaving Jim opened-mouthed and shocked.

Jim stared at the made up couch for a moment, and sighed in resignation. He said to himself, "Well, I guess I did this to myself." Then he peeled off his uniform shirt and laid down on the couch, not knowing that the twins had a surprise for him.

Meanwhile in their nursery, Anthony said to his sister, "Dada in da wivving room. Let's see Dada!"

"Otay!" Amanda squealed.

Then Amanda started to climb out of her crib. Anthony watched her and then quickly copied his sister. After they were out of their cribs, the opened the door and could see their father's feet on the end of the couch from where they stood in the doorway. One at a time, they crept out of their nursery to go see their Dada.

When they got into the living area the saw their father asleep on the couch. "Me tun," Amanda whispered. Then she tiptoed up to Jim and leaned over. "Dada," she said quietly in his ear. Without opening his eyes, Jim waved his hand to brush her away. Amanda turned her head to Anthony and said, "You, tun."

"Tenks," Anthony said, scrambling closer. Amanda noticed her mom poking her head out of the bedroom. Anna put a finger to her mouth to make sure that neither Jim nor her brother saw her.

"Dada," Anthony said softly. Jim brushed him away.

"Daaada," Anthony said, a little louder. Jim snored softly; still sleeping.

"Dada!" Anthony screamed, and this time Jim jumped up in shock as he saw his twins smiling up at him.

"Hi Dada," his children said cheerfully.

"How- What are you two doing in here?" Jim asked his twins in shock.

"Cawed oudda kib," Anthony said proudly. "Come see you, Dada!"

Jim's brow furrowed in concentration. "Say that again Anthony," he asked his son, still half-asleep.

"Cawed oudda da kib!" Amanda spoke up insistently.

"Let me guess- you two crawled out of your cribs." Jim said to them, his shoulders slumping.

"Yeah, dat!" Amanda said with a smile on her face.

Their father gave a tired smile and shook his head. "Right, okay. Well it's late, and Dada," he said, "is tired. Let's put you both back to bed." He wrapped his arms around their waists as they giggled, and held one in each arm and carried them back into the nursery, while behind his back the twins were waving to their mom.

The End