"Come on Cap, I hear you singing all the time, I know you're good!" Sulu laughed taking a swig of his replicated beer. Jim scoffed at the man as he sat with Bones' arm around his shoulders so relaxed that he wasn't even noticing the odd looks directed his way from other crew members in the rec room.
"I don't sing all the time."
"Well let's count, laddie," Scotty brought his fingers up, voice slightly slurred from his own alcoholic consumption. "You sing to yerself when ya work in engineering. Ya hum in the lifts when yer goin' for more' four decks. Sometimes I even hear ya whistle to yerself when ya walk down the hall!"
"And he sings in the shower," Bones smiled at Jim, the blonde swatted him upside the head. The table broke out into laugher, even Spock's eyes twinkled in slight mirth.
The rec room was loud as people moved around the stage for the Enterprise's annual Talent Show Night. The request had come through Jim's PADD during the first year of their five year mission at a time when morale was particularly low after a Klingon attack that left extensive hull damage and casualties. At the time the argument was made that a talent show would boost morale and get people's minds off the harsh realities of ship life. Even Spock had spoken to the decline in productivity and said the show would be a good way to boost it. Jim had agreed and the first Taken Show Night had gone by without a hitch and productivity rose.
That had been three years ago and each year Jim had to fend off the crew as they tried to get him on stage. He'd beg them off saying he wasn't particularly talented at anything other than giving orders and even that was mediocre at best. But his jokes only lasted so long before the masses started to push and prod harder. This year it seemed like he wouldn't be getting out of his stage time.
"I bet the captain doesn't want to get up there because he's scared," Uhura did everything but stick her tongue out at Jim as she laughed.
"I'm not scared! I just… I have a lot to do is all. Wow," Jim looked down at where a wristwatch would've been if this was the twentieth century. "Look at the time, I should really go look into that batch of new ensigns we got today. I didn't get to read who we got…" He went to stand up when hands wrapped around his shoulders pinning him to his seat. Jim looked over at Bones' smug face.
"You can see who's new to the ship tomorrow morning."
Spock most certainly did not smile as he angled his body towards Jim with a certain gleam in his eye.Oh no, he had that face on. The one Jim knew that he was in for it. "If I recall the reason you joined Starfleet was on a dare. What if we were to dare you? I dare you to sing to the crew." Spock then gave the Vulcan equivalent of a shrug. "Unless you are too frightened, of course."
A chorus of Ohhhh's went around the large table, loudest from Chekov who Jim wondered if he'd had a little too much of the Spirits from Scotty's still that Jim didn't know about. Bones looked at him with a raised eyebrow and Jim knew there's no way he was getting out of this one. "The hobgoblin has spoken."
Jim closed his eyes, took a deep breath and surrendered. "Fine, fine, fine." He slapped his knees standing up muttering about a mutinous crew and throwing them all in the brig for insubordination. They laughed behind them but Jim ignored it as he walked towards the stage. As he ascended the steps calls and cheers went up around the room as those present saw that their captain was to perform. Jim looked around the stage for a second before turning back to the crowd.
"Anyone have a guitar I can barrow?" One was quickly handed up to him. "Thanks, Andrews." He smiled at the Lieutenant. He found a seat and drug it to the microphone. Jim picked at the guitar a few cords finding his sound before sitting back hiking his leg up on one of the rungs of his chair. Shit, he was too sober for this.
"So, uh," Nice Jim, smooth. "I don't know a lot of songs."
"Come on Captain!" Someone yelled coming from the security section. Jim shook his head rolling his eyes adjusting the microphone more out of nerves than necessity.
"Alright well, here's a song I used to sing to some, uh, kids… when I was younger." The I used to sing this lullaby to the children I sheltered during a massacre didn't sound like the right words to say. The room was so quiet a glass clinking against the counter from the back of the room could be heard. "Here goes."
And Jim sang. Softly at first then louder as the melody progressed.
I see the moon, the moon sees me
shining through the leaves of the old oak tree
From somewhere in the back a person stood, Jim could see it was a man walking towards the stage, he kept up his song.
Oh, let the light that shines on me
shine on the one I love.
His strummed the guitar with nimble fingers letting the tune wash through him out to his crew.
Over the mountain, over the sea,
back where my heart is longing to be
The person walking towards him got close and Jim thought he looked familiar but didn't stop.
Oh, let the light that shines on me
shine on the one I love.
He went through the next verse in the song getting slightly louder but still keeping tune when a voice sounded next to him. Jim looked up expecting Bones to have jumped on the stage, the older man was the only person other than his kids that knew the old song. But when he looked over it wasn't Bones who sang along but – Kevin?
Over the mountains, over the sea
back where my heart is longing to be
Kevin Riley walked closer singing the same tune just as if this were a night on Tarsus. Jim had to force the words out as his throat started to close. How? How was Kevin here?
Oh, let the lark that sings to me
sing to the one I love.
They finished together and cheers exploded in the crowd but Jim heard none of it. His eyes were wide and unbelieving as he gently laid the instrument on the ground and got up. He took two steps towards the ghost in front of him. "Kev..?"
The man smiled looking just like that kid Jim had held in his arms for hours as they walked across miles of desert looking for safety. "Hey Jimmy."
Jim felt the breath leave his chest as they both lunged forward wrapping arms around each other like lifelines. Jim clung to Kevin just as the younger man squeezed Jim's chest hard. He felt tears sting his eyes but he buried his face into Kevin's shoulder to hide it.
"So a Captain, huh?" Kevin laughed when they separated.
"Yeah," he chuckled scratching at his neck becoming all too aware of the rest of the crew staring at him. Kevin patted him on the back getting close to his ear.
"I always knew you'd grow up to save people, Jimmy."