1. I don't own Star Trek or any of the characters

2. Instead of making up new characters I used some that already existed in ST universe and gave them new positions and personalities

3. I don't have a beta so excuse the mistakes, I'm rereading each chapter before posting it but sometimes they just pull through

"Captain, a call from Earth just came in for you. From admiral Pike." A communication officer told Jim. The young captain turned in his chair to look at Uhura like she could give him an explanation why the admiral wished to speak to him when they talked just several hours ago when they departed from space station towards Tarsus VI. She gave him a look that showed she knew exactly what he was thinking and that she couldn't answer his unsaid question because she was as confused as he was.

"I'll take it in my ready room." he said and stood up "Spock, you have the bridge."

Jim walked to the adjusted room and sat down at the table before accepting the transmission. Only one way of finding out what was going on.

"Kirk, you are in the ready room? Good. Get your CMO in as well. He needs to know something." The admiral said before Jim managed to say anything.

Jim pressed the button to the ships comm. and waited for the response from CMO's office. But no answer came. Jim frowned and tried sickbay's comm. hoping for more luck. Someone was there at all times after all.

"Did something happened?" he asked while waiting for anyone from sickbay to finally answer. Here was always a hoard of nurses there; it's impossible that they were all busy at the same time. Unless it was that time of the week.

"Yes, something happened." The admiral confirmed.

"Is it Joanna?" Jim asked but before he got an answer a female voice finally answered the comm..

"Sickbay."

"Kirk here, I need to speak to doctor McCoy."

"Doctor is in the operating room captain. There was an accident in the engineering."

Jim shook his head. Figures. He would try the comm. in the operation room but on Bones' insisting it was fixed so it worked only one way and that was from the room. No one could comm. him while he was there.

"How much longer will he be in there?"

"He just started operating captain. But it shouldn't be more then an hour. Although serious looking, ensign Marcus' wound weren't that severe."

"An hour. Thank you." Jim said and cut the connection to sickbay before turning to the screen where admiral Pike was still visible "Admiral?"

"An hour is more then I can wait Kirk. Guess you'll have to give him the message. And to answer your question; yes, it's about Joanna."

Jim frowned. He knew very well the little girl was everything to Bones "I'm listening."

"Picard." The admiral said before turning the screen so the captain could see a cadet he was vaguely acquainted with "Retell the story one more time."

"Yes sir." The cadet said before focusing on Jim's face on the screen "Last night, at approximately twenty-three-hundred hours I accepted a call from a number unregistered in my and my roommate's phone book. I accepted it. A woman, in old twenties or early thirties, said she contacted me to inform me of a hearing that is scheduled in five days at o-nine-hundred EST. I tried to explain to her that she dialed the wrong number but she ignored my words. She said someone named Clay would adopt Joanna, admiral Pike told me the correct name since I misheard it, after the wedding. She also said I, or actually the person who she was supposed to call shouldn't bother showing up, since she already has everything covered. And that she did what the law required and called the last number. I am not certain what she meant by that."

"Thank you cadet Picard." Jim said as calmly as he could "Admiral?"

Pike turned the screen towards himself "Kirk?"

"Can Starfleet do something against this woman? She is obviously using some dirty tactic to get complete custody over Joanna if I connected correctly the part with the hearing and adopting."

The admiral shook his head "I don't think so. McCoy could try and fight it with a private law suit but Starfleet has its hands tied and can't interfere in the work of a public court."

"But someone should be able to do something." Jim pointed out "Bones told me of his divorce and how he ended up with nothing. Yes, he was completely wasted at the time, but he told me. There is some foul play going on in Atlanta."

"Only one institution has jurisdiction but without physical evidence they don't have a reason to act." The admiral didn't have to explain what he meant. Jim knew right away. And it gave him a ray of hope he needed.

"I'll contact someone I know who works there. If I'm lucky she'll agree to help."

"You look like you are volunteering to be in front of a firing squad." The admiral pointed out without asking whom he was referring to. If Kirk was that uncomfortable then it was someone from his rather colorful past.

"Yeah, well. I may have said some bad things to her the last time I saw her. So if she blows me off… I had it coming. I used to be a read ass." Jim admitted.

Admiral Pike nodded, he read in Jim's record just how he used to be "Good luck."

"Thank you sir. Kirk out."

Once the screen went black Jim ran a hand through his hair and stood up. He should comm. sickbay again, or go there to talk to Bones but he didn't want to go there empty handed. So he went back to the bridge.

As he stepped out of his ready room Spock stood up from the captain's chair but Jim waived to him that he should sit back down before he walked to lieutenant Uhura.

The beautiful woman looked at the captain curiously when Jim leaned on the console. She was curious what the admiral wanted but knew better then to ask.

"I need you to set up a transmission for me. This is the comm. number." He said giving Uhura a piece of paper with a number written on it. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him. She wasn't certain what to make of it "Admiral informed me of some events back home that Starfleet can't handle so I need to contact someone from the outside."

"What?" Uhura asked not understanding.

"Just do it, please. It's important." Jim said before adding "I'll explain later."

"Alright. I'll need a minute. Luckily we are still in the range."

"Thank you. Connect it to my ready room." Jim said before leaving the bridge again. Once he was gone several people turned towards Uhura but she just shrugged. Until the captain explained exactly what was going on all they could do is guess.

Jim was waiting patiently till the comm. chimer informing him Uhura managed yet another miracle and connected him in record time. All he can hope for now is the comm. isn't rejected when the person on the other side realize who is calling.

"Hey Jim." The voice of the lovely woman that appeared on the screen showed no sign of anger or resentment Jim had expected.

"Hey. Um… I wish I had courage to contact you sooner and for a different reason but I didn't. And I'm sorry. For that… and for the things I said and did the last time we met. I behaved like an ass."

"You did." she didn't bother saying otherwise.

"Look, I need help. My friend is actually the one that needs help. From what I gathered his ex-wife wants full custody of their daughter and is willing to get it by any means necessary. The only way she can do it is if the judge is in on it. And Starfleet can't do anything about it." Jim said as calmly as he could. The mere thought of Bones losing Joanna because his ex is playing dirty is making him furious "He's a good guy. Not an idiot like me who doesn't know how to keep people who want what is best for him in his life. After all I pushed you away. But I'm working on that part. I even made contact with Winona after the Narada disaster."

"You still aren't referring her as your mother?" the woman asked in surprise "Seriously Jim! If I could forgive you after everything I'm certain you could forgive her."

"You have forgiven me?" he asked not sure if he understood correctly.

A laugh escaped her "I'm still talking to you, aren't I?"

"So are you willing to help?"

"I need details and then I'll talk to my supervisor." That wasn't what Jim wanted to hear but he understood it was the best answer he could have got. It wasn't a 'no'. It was seeing if there is enough probable cause to react.

"Okay. Here is what we know so far…" and he started to talk about the call to the cadet and what Bones ex said. When he was done she was looking at him like he had grown a second head.

"Doing what the law requires? Bull. The law requires that she inform the right person of any court appointments, not just to call any number she has of him. That might have been so before but the law was changed cause too many were misusing it."

"So… are you going to do something? Oh, you have to talk to your boss first." Jim scratched the back of his neck "How long should that take cause I should-"

"One second." She interrupted him and vanished off the screen.

"Okay." Jim muttered and then moved closer to the comm. screen so he could maybe hear what they were saying. So he didn't noticed when she returned to her seat till he heard her voice.

"I'm really not interested in watching the close-up of your ear Jimmy."

"Sorry." He mumbled "So, what's the verdict? Is Bones getting help?"

"Bones?"

"All he got left after the divorce. So…?"

"My supervisor gave me clear instructions. He told me to take the itch down." she said smiling.

"Itch?" the strange use of that word surprised Jim.

"We are supposed to behave respectfully. That includes our language. But you can place either 'b' or 'w' in front of the 'itch' part. Which ever you feel suits her better."

Jim had to laugh "I'm not sure I can pick."

"No, it's impossible under this circumstances." She agreed.

"So, what happens now?" Jim asked seriously. He needed good news to tell his friend.

"I'll send you a document your friend needs to sign. I need him to give me the legal rights to represent him. After that I'll get the others in the team who aren't currently working on cases to help me collect evidence I need. You said the call was yesterday so now the hearing is in four days. That should give us plenty of time."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. I didn't do anything yet."

"But you will. I know you." Jim said fondly "You always knew how to fix things."

"Thanks for the trust. I'll get the right document and send it to your padd. Considering the distance it might take few minutes."

"How do you about the distance?"

"Do you honestly think I'm not following the news about you Jim? Because I have. Ever since I found out about what you did during the Narada disaster."

Jim smiled slightly "Wow, you ready did forgive me. And before I forget, could you please contact admiral Pike and let him know that you will deal with the case. We are almost out of range."

"Sure thing Jimmy." She smiled and disconnected the communication.

An hour has passed since the call from admiral Pike and ten minutes since the conversation with the only person Jim was afraid to talk to. Just that, right now, he couldn't understand why. It's not like she was the one to hold the grudge. No, that was his vice.

And just like she promised his personal padd beeped to let him know he has a new message. Jim looked at it in awe. She really wasn't wasting any time. He remembered that about her. He liked that about her. She was always prepared for anything and everything. Like some freaking law enforcing girl scout.

Before coming Bones he decided to check his whereabouts. He knew very well that if his CMO was still operating when he comm's he'll get yet another lesion that would start with 'Damnit, Jim'. They always do.

"Computer, where is doctor McCoy?" he asked. After almost two years it's still strange to talk to air and get an answer.

"Doctor McCoy is in the mess hall." The calm female voice answered.

Jim took a deep breath, grabbed the padd that contained the newly arrived message and left to find his friend. He considered getting Bones to join him in the ready room but perhaps talking to him with other people around will help a bit. Calm him a bit. Jim had no doubt that, although against any form of violence, Bones was more then capable killing the messenger.

Several crew members that were in the hallways respectfully greeted their captain as he was walking by and Jim automatically nodded to them all the while hoping none of them would stop him cause they have a question. And at the same time he was hoping someone would cause he really felt like postponing the inevitable.

But before he had any time to change his mind the doors of the mess opened and Jim stepped inside without really thinking what he was doing. He noticed his CMO sitting in the corner with Scotty. Jim knew they were probably discussing the last batch of injured ensigns from engineering. Bones once mentioned it was like they were pulling straws who gets injured cause once a week he gets four to six injured delivered from there and they were unusually punctual. Jim knew it was due to calibrating machinery that sometimes refused to cooperate but he let Bones think what ever he wants.

He once more took a deep breath and approached the table the two men occupied.

"Captain." Scotty greeted him "No hamburger tonight?"

"Later." Jim answered and earned himself a glare from the doctor. A lecture should be following in few seconds but Jim decided to get straight to the point "I was looking for you." He said focusing on Bones.

"I'll leave you two alone." Scotty was about to get up when Jim stopped him.

"No, you should stay. I could use some help."

"I don't know how I can help since I don't know what the whole thing is about. But okay."

The whole time Bones was looking at Jim strangely "Are you gonna tell me already why you were looking for me?"

Jim sat down and placed the padd on the table before he started to explain "I got a call from admiral Pike an hour ago. I commed you to get to my ready room cause he actually called to talk to you but one of the nurses said you were operating. To get to the point."

"I would appreciate that." Bones interrupted him in his usual grumpy manner.

"A call came to our old room in the academy and a cadet Picard accepted it. A woman he never saw before in his life told him a hearing was in five days at o-nine-hundred in Atlanta Courthouse. And that Clay will adopt Joanna after the wedding. She actually told him some other stuff too about doing what law required but this is the important part." Jim stopped talking and looked at his friend. Bones was looking at him in shock.

But before he managed to say anything Scotty interrupted him "Picard? He's in command course. Smart kid; needs to stop running his hand through his hair when he's frustrated or he'll get bald before he's thirty. Now what is this other stuff about?"

"Jocelyn." The doctor on his right answered and the Scotsman turned to him "I knew it was a matter of time but I always thought she would allow me a fair fight."

"Like she did the first time?" Jim asked, his voice overflowing with sarcasm.

Bones leaned in the chair and covered his face with his hands. They could hear him mutter "Now what?"

It was the first time Jim saw his friend like that. Like there was no way out.

"We could throw her out of the airlock? Accidents are common on starships." Scotty suggested even though he still hasn't connected all the dots.

Bones looked at him like he was intrigued by the idea and Jim just had to laugh. That is why he wanted someone else to be present. But he saw a few flaws in the plan.

"Unfortunately we can't because for one: she isn't on-board the Enterprise. Two: even if she was, do you have any idea how much paperwork I would have if something like that happens to a civilian on-board of a Starfleet starship? And three: it would be better if you tested transwarp theory on her. Who knows, maybe she'd find admiral Archer's beagle."

"This is serious Jim!" Bones exclaimed before Scotty managed to comment on the captain's idea.

And Jim, like a child, decided to defend himself by pointing out "He started it."

"Jim!"

"Bones, I'm your friend. And I owe you for all the times you got my ass out of trouble. I got your back." he tried to calm his friend.

"Are you telling me you found me a transportation back to Earth?"

"Ah… no. There are no starships in the area that will be going anywhere near Earth in the next days."

"And how do you plan on helping me then?"

Jim pushed the padd towards him. Bones took it and looked at his friend "There is a new message. It's a legal document you need to sign saying you are giving your new legal representative rights to speak in your behave."

"I have a new legal representative?"

Jim nodded "I talked to someone. She agreed with me there was some foul play going on in Atlanta and they will look more closely into it and fix things."

"They?" Bones asked.

Jim took a deep breath "They. You see I though Sarfleet could take care of it but they can't since the matter is in public court and before you got enlisted. They don't have the jurisdiction. But the other they do."

"Who are 'they'?" Bones asked again impatiently.

"One of the nine main prosecutors, and the group of attorneys in his team… of the Supreme Federation Court."

4. Big thanks to all those who reviewed the first chapter. And especially big one to SparklyLalala for the idea with Jocelyn and the airlock accident. Bet you didn't expected to see it in the story?