Title: Dear Jim
Universe/Series: What Shouldn't Be (But Ultimately Is)
Rating: PG to PG-13
Word count: Anywhere between 100 and 6000, fluctuates
Plot: Family bonding through correspondences.
Warnings: language, sappiness and references to child abuse
Summary: Jim reads the letters from her brothers and sisters throughout her five year commission on the USS Enterprise.

WISCONSIN - EARTH
STARDATE 2249
GEORGE - AGE 6

Dear Jim,

Hi.

My name is George Samuel Cunningham. I am six years old, and I like candy.

Momma won't let me have any cause she says it makes me crazy.

Sometimes I eat it and then I can't sit still.

Momma says that your in Iowa, and that your in high school. What's that like?

We live on my daddy's ranch up near the lake where it gets cold and sometimes he takes me ice-fishing. Momma doesn't like that, I think she thinks I'll fall in that water and drown.

We have cows, and they are all ugly. We got some horses too, and I have a dog that I named Comet. I like space, do you like space? I also got a lizard, and I named him Thomas. He don't do much, but I like to pick him up and pet his skin.

Momma says your my big sister, and that your really smart like your daddy. I wanna be smart like you, not my daddy. My daddy doesn't think about anything but blood and guts. He's a doctor, so he kinda has to, I guess. I cant really do math good, but I can read and write better than anybody else.

Momma used to read to me, but now I read to her. I'm trying to get better, cause one day I want to write my own stories.

My favorite book is Thomas and the Flying Comet.

What's yours?

Love,
George

WISCONSIN - EARTH
STARDATE 2249
GEORGE - AGE 6

Dear Jim,

My birthday is coming up real soon. I don't know what I wanna do yet.

I asked mom for a PADD so I could have something to look up constellations and planets all day long without having to borrow my dad's or mom's. She just frowned at me, and when she makes that face, I know she wont get it.

Do you have a PADD? It'd be cool if you do, but I know they're expensive. Well, that's what mom says anyway. She's really picky when it comes to buying things. I don't know why. I think its cause of how she used to live. Dad told me some things cause mom wont say much about when she was little. She gets sad and quiet. Dad says I shouldn't ask her, but to ask him. That's weird right? Why ask someone else about themselves?

Mom says I'm too smart for my own good. I don't feel all that smart. At least not as smart as Shawna Panabaker. She's a girl in my class that is really, really, really, really smart. She already knows her timetables, like, all of them. I don't like math. Not one bit.

But I know the sky better than she does. Yup, I know all the stars and most of the planets. Shawna doesn't know the sun from the moon. She's pretty though. I like her skin, it reminds me off hot chocolate.

Do you like hot chocolate? When's your birthday?

Love,
George

WISCONSIN - EARTH
STARDATE 2250
GEORGE - AGE 7

Dear Jim,

We're gonna have another sister or brother!

I don't know which one yet. Mom wants it to be a surprise, and my dad's real excited. I think he wants a boy. I want momma to have a boy too, so I can have a little brother and be a big brother like you.

I think you and I should name it. I like Thomas, do you like Thomas?

I told momma that and she just smiled at me and asked what if she has a girl. Then I said we'll name her James too, just like you. She stopped laughing and didn't smile for the rest of the day.

Do you have parents where you live? What are their names? What are they like?

I really hope momma has a boy. I'm tired of playing by myself at home.

Love,
George

P.S. Thanks for the PADD! Momma didn't know who sent it, but I knew it was you.

WISCONSIN - EARTH
STARDATE 2250
GEORGE - AGE 7

Dear Jim,

How come you never write back?

Maybe your not getting my letters. That would make me sad if so.

My dad says it happens like that some times when you mail your letters the old way and not with your PADD. I wanna send you letters with my PADD but momma says that it would make you happier if I wrote them myself. She says it makes it seem like I put a lot of thought into what I talk about.

I really hope you get my letters and they don't get lost.

Momma looks as big as a cow. Her stomach is really big, but don't tell her I said that cause she threw a whole bowl of apples at my dad when he called her plump this one time.

She gets moody and its scary. Yesterday she showed me a picture of you when you were a baby. She gets pictures from Uncle Frank and she lets me have them.

Uncle Frank doesn't take good pictures, but that's okay, I'll keep them all. I took one of my pictures and I'm giving it to you so you can have it.

You're really pretty, I'm glad you're my big sister.

Love,
George

WISCONSIN - EARTH
STARDATE 2250
GEORGE - AGE 7

Dear Jim,

It's a girl! Yuck.

No offense Jim, I like you best, you're my favorite girl.

But what am I gonna do with a little sister? My best friend Peter has one, her name's Aurelan, and he says she cries all the time. And she gets him in trouble when he's the reason that she's crying. There was this one time where I remember she was mad at Peter so she dumped all her finger paint all over his room.

Save me Jim. Little sisters are evil.

I wanted to name her James like you but momma named her Slyvia Lynn Cunningham. My grandma's name was Sylvia, and dad really wanted to name her after his mom, and mom didn't put up a fight about it so she let him. She's got dark brown hair like me, but green eyes like my dad. I've got blue eyes like you Jim, and like mom. Sylivia stares at me, I don't like it.

Come see how evil she is.

Love,
George

WISCONSIN - EARTH
STARDATE 2251
GEORGE - AGE 8

Dear Jim,

She's not so bad for a little sister. She doesn't cry all the time either, guess I'm lucky. She's older now, she's gonna be one years old soon. I took a picture of her for you.

Sylvia said her first word. Wanna know what it was?

Jim.

Mom went green in the face when she heard. She knew that I'd been the one to teach her, and she got real mad at me and wanted to send me to my room but dad wouldn't let her. He talked to her, but mom didn't look at me or Sylvia for the rest of the day.

Does she not like you? I don't understand it, and mom won't answer me if I ask her.

Well I like you Jim, even if you don't write back to me. I'll teach Sylvia to like you too, I'll tell her all about you and when she's older I'll get her to write to you too.

Momma's pregnant again.

I hope your Christmas is good.

Love,
George

Author's Note: You can find pictures in my live journal. Link to my homepage is in my profile, you have to copy/paste. More to come, please comment.