Apologies for the posing delay, but the kids have been sick, which then meant I was sick, which mean I wasn't writing. I hope the new chapter was worth the wait, and there should be another chapter tomorrow. Thanks to the lovely people who reviewed, and to all of you who signed up to be notified about new chapters! I hope you like it!

"Spock, look at that!" Jim dashed off again to look at another display tugging Spock along behind. Jim had been bounding from point to arbitrary point around the Kelvin exhibit for the last twenty minutes, Spock's hand firmly clasped in his. (Despite Spock's efforts to explain Vulcan touch telepathy, and thus, the impropriety of holding hands, but Jim only managed to restrain himself for ten minutes before he started touching again.)

Amanda and Takeru followed behind them at a much slower pace, but their direct route still kept Jim in their sights. Amanda spent her stroll gracefully deflecting any unwanted attention, while Takeru simply glowered at those who were not complying with the message. A few Starfleet officers still stared at the boys as they went past, though Spock was unsure whether they found James himself worth the attention, or whether a Vulcan child hand in hand with a human was their focus.

Jim came to a halt in front of a large display of pictures documenting the youth of George Kirk, and Spock thought for a moment that Jim might finally be approaching the exhibit in a logical manner. However, rather than begin at the beginning, Jim pulled Spock to a small holo near the middle of the display wall, and stared at it with a stillness Spock had not thought Jim capable of.

The holo showed two boys, the elder carrying the younger in what Spock's mother would have termed a piggy-back. The boys were caught mid-laugh, apparently amused at whatever had splattered them from head to toe in mud. Spock did not need to ask Jim to know that the older boy with the dirty blonde hair and the bright eyes was George Kirk. The other boy was much smaller, and looked at George with joy and devotion.

Jim reached out and pointed to the smaller boy carried on George's back and whispered to Spock, "That's Pike."

"Pike?"

"Dad's best friend." Jim stared at the holo with hushed awe.

Jim stood rooted to his spot, so Spock shifted closer to the holo and read the caption underneath. "George Kirk (11) with Christopher Pike (8)."

Jim clenched Spock's hand and said, "They're our age. That's you and me, Spock." Spock squeezed Jim's hand back, and let the human stand in quiet and watch his father.

#######

"You can't talk to him if you're hiding." Number One jabbed.

Pike snorted, "I'm not hiding, I'm getting the lay of the land. It's basic tactics."

Since the moment security had informed them Jim Kirk was running around unsupervised, Chris Pike had been wound so tight Number One thought he was going to burst. And trailing Jim and the Vulcan Ambassador's boy through the museum hadn't helped that stress level any. The more he watched, the more he psyched himself out of approaching Jim.

"Talking to the kid isn't like taking out an enemy vessel, Cap. It can't be as bad as you think it's gonna be."

"Can't be as- He's George! Every inch of the kid is George all over again."

"And that's a problem?"

Pike sighed and Number One demanded, "Out with it, Cap. I'm not in the mood to watch you sulk."

"You know, one of these days you're gonna have to talk to me with some respect. I'm your captain now."

"You're afraid to talk to your godson, I'll mock you all I want, captain or no captain."

They sat in silence for a minute until Chris finally broke and murmured, "Winona and I... we weren't friends."

"I don't see what that has to do with the kid on that bench over there staring at a picture of you like it's the best Christmas present he's ever seen."

"Number One..." Pike groaned, and the woman threw up his hands and replied, "Fine, fine, you and Winona never liked each other, and Winona raised the kid, and now you're a Starfleet Captain who's scared to talk to the kid in case his mother taught him to hate you."

"Basically."

"Because, of course, Kirk's kid isn't gonna have a mind of his own, and he's going to do exactly what his absentee mother tells him to do. Because running away to San Francisco makes me thinks he's that kind of kid."

"You being a shit doesn't make this any easier on me, you know."

"I'm not here to make your life easier, I'm here to keep you from doing something stupid, Cap. If you stand here and stare at the kid for the rest of the night you'll never forgive yourself for not getting over there and talking to him, and not just because it's more than a little creepy to stare at him."

Pike broke his gaze from Jim to glower at Number One. "Really? You couldn't come up with a better way to put it than that?"

"Can you come up with something better? You've been stalking the kid for the last twenty minutes, Chris! I'm surprised the Vulcans haven't escorted you out of the building yet."

Pike rolled his eyes, ignoring how Number One grumbling under her breath, "Don't know why they turned the kid over to the Vulcans anyway. We can look after him without their help."

"Your assertion is flawed." Pike and Number One whirled back to see the small Vulcan who'd been hand in hand with Jim all day. They'd been too busy bickering to notice that Spock had left Jim's side with a whispered promise to be return in a moment, and made his way straight to Pike.

"Starfleet failed to realize that James had bypassed their security until after Vulcan security discovered him, and rectified the situation. That failure is extreme in and of itself without acknowledging the further failure to monitor James' movements at home and allow him to proceed to San Francisco unescorted."

Number One gaped, and Spock turned his attention to Pike before she could struggle past her surprise and say something rash. "James desires to see you."

"How did you-" Spock raised an eyebrow, and Pike answered his own question with a muttered, "Right, that damn Vulcan hearing."

"Indeed." Spock's reply was short, and he sounded entirely unimpressed with this man that Jim so wanted to see.

Pike caught the disdain creeping into Spock's voice and replied, "Look kid, it's complicated."

"James wishes to see you." Pike looked down at the small Vulcan who was silently demanding that Chris do what James wanted. The message that stern little face sent was clear: if you don't care about Jim enough to get over your own issues and go to him, you aren't worth his time. (Or some proper Vulcan translation of that.)

It all seemed so simple when Spock said it, and so Pike replied, "Then we shouldn't keep him waiting." Number One smirked, and Pike knew he'd be mocked for the rest of his career for getting brow beaten by a miniaturized Vulcan, but it would be worth it.

Jim was sitting on a bench in front of a wall of pictures, kicking his short legs back and forth while he stared at young George. Spock sat down on the far side of Jim, and Pike watched Jim's tension slip away and a genuine smile spread across his face. Pike realized that he hadn't even noticed Jim was faking calm until Spock made it better.

Jim bumped Spock's shoulder and asked, "Where did you go?"

"I believe the appropriate human phrase is, 'I come bearing gifts'." Spock gestured behind Jim and announced, "James Tiberius Kirk, I present to you Captain Christopher Pike."

Jim whirled around in shock and stared at Pike, while Pike fumbled to find something good to say. He had a little speech prepared, something formal and too stuffy, but those were the sort of speeches he had practice giving. (After all, Starfleet didn't teach a class on how to develop a relationship with your dead best friend's kid.) But despite his planning, all organized thought fled at the perfect blue of Jim's eyes and, "Holy shit," was all Pike could come up with to say.

Jim paled and sunk back into Spock at an adult cursing at him, a reaction Pike filed away for later study, and Pike dropped to his knees before Jim. "No, no, no, kid, I wasn't- not at you, well… at you, but not- I mean- you look just like him! Your grin, and your eyes, and shit kid, even the way you sit!"

Jim didn't calm at that explanation and stuttered out, "I-is that bad?"

"Bad?" Pike explained, "No kid, it's wonderful!" He reached up and gently touched his hands to Jim's cheeks and uttered a choked whisper, "You're perfect."

Jim slid from the bench and slammed into Pike's chest, throwing his arms around the captain. Pike wrapped one arm around Jim's ribs and pulled him tight to his chest, and threaded his other hand through Jim's hair.

Spock looked away from the emotional scene and watched how Number One and Takeru pointedly re-directed the attention of anyone who was foolish enough to stare. They stayed that way for a few minutes, Jim with his face buried in Pike's chest, and Pike running his fingers through the blonde hair. Eventually they pulled back, both flushed and pretending they hadn't just made a scene.

Pike clear his throat and patted Jim on the back in what Spock assumed was meant to be a masculine gesture for humans. "So, you... grew up."

Number One snorted, "Smooth, Chris."

"If you know how to have this kind of conversation I'd be thrilled to hear your opinion." Pike said with a glower.

Number One was about to snark back, but Spock intervened. "Perhaps it would be simplest to ask Jim what he would like to know."

Pike turned back with a grin and raised an eyebrow in question. "Aren't you not old enough to be a Captain?" Jim asked.

Number One grumbled something under her breath at the question, but Pike ignored his own shock and answered, "I'm 32, Jim. I'm not the youngest Captain Starfleet has ever had, but I'm close to it."

"How'd you get it?"

Pike assumed Jim was just working his way to the real questions, and so replied, "I was a good first officer to Captain April. When he got promoted to Commodore, I took his place as captain."

Jim kept staring, so Pike asked, "More?" Jim nodded, and Pike continued. "Okay. I went to Starfleet at 18, graduated at 22, and went straight to the Enterprise as one of April's tactical officers. When that officer became First Officer on another ship, April took a gamble on me and I took the spot of Chief Tactical Officer. I did a good job, and when the spot opened up he made me his First. Now, can I ask you a question, Jim?"

"Sure, Chris." Jim grinned.

"Where did you pick up a Vulcan security detail?"

"They picked me up actually. I could tell Fleet security was looking for me, so I ran, and I found Spock. He took care of everything."

"Why were you hiding from security in the first place?"

Jim unleashed the sheepish smile he always used on adults to make them think he was repentant and replied, "I didn't want to get in trouble."

Pike snorted in disbelief, "Kid, remember how I was in with your dad for every bad life choice he ever made? That smile may work on everyone else, but it doesn't work on me. So, why were you hiding from security?"

Jim stared pointedly at his feet while he grumbled, "Winona doesn't know I'm here."

"Uh huh, I could've guessed that. What about that fellow Winona is married to? The one who should be keeping track of you?"

"I don't need keeping track of!"

"Jim, you're ten. Federation law requires that you've got someone to look after you, whether he's irritating or not."

"He's not irritating, he's a bastard. Sam and I both hate him."

Pike just smirked and chose to ignore the vengeful nature of children and said, "He has to have done something to warrant that dislike, and to make you willing to cross half the country without telling anybody."

"He did do anything, he just wouldn't have let me come." Jim pouted.

"But what if something had happened-"

"He wouldn't have cared, alright!" Jim pulled back from Pike, and shouted, "And who are you to tell me I was being stupid!" Spock had known Jim for all of an hour and yet he knew that Jim despised being fussed over. To Jim there was little worse than implying he was incapable of seeing to his own wellbeing.

Before Pike could try and make it right, Spock stepped in between them, "Thank you for your time Captain Pike, but it is time for James and I to retire. Perhaps you may continue this discussion tomorrow."

Pike put on his captain face and tried to insist they stay, but Takeru appeared from nowhere, his hands on Pike's shoulders, firmly lifting him to his feet. At that, Number One reached for a weapon that was supposed to have been turned over at the door. Her movement pulled Takeru's men from the shadows, and their appearance tensed every Fleet officer in the room. Spock and James unconsciously shifted closer together, watching the adults around teeter on the brink of doing something rash.

Before anyone could do more than tense, Amanda swept into the room with a wide smile and no acknowledgment of the situation she walked into. "Ah, there you are, boys! It's getting late, are you ready to go?"

Spock tipped his head in respect and replied, "Yes, Mother. We were conveying our goodnights to Captain Pike before we left."

"Wonderful! Are you done, James?"

"Yeah, Ma'am. Pike and I are done."

Pain spread across Pike's features at Jim's subtle denouncement. He grabbed Jim's arm as he stepped away, sending everyone into a restrained fit once again, but he raised his fingertips to trace Jim's cheekbone and he whispered, "I do love you, Jim. No matter how terrible I am at everything else, I love you."

Jim flushed a bright crimson and grinned at Pike, forgiving him completely. He waived a small goodbye then grabbed Spock's hand and dashed over to Amanda. If any Starfleet personnel gave them baffled stares, Jim didn't notice it.

Amanda took Jim's other hand and the two of them kept Jim tucked safely in between, both knowing that Jim wouldn't realize their presence was shielding him from any further pestering. They made their way unhindered to the museum entrance, and there Jim saw the real reason why Fleet personnel had been skirting him all night.

Spock's dad was the scariest man Jim had ever seen.

Sarek was tall and imposing, with none of Amanda's gentle enthusiasm, or Spock's subtle ticks of emotion. The planes of his face were hard, with every line firm, and Jim could see why the Fleet had been avoiding everyone tied to Sarek. Jim clenched Spock's hand and tried not to freeze. Amanda tugged him along behind her, not giving Jim the chance to run away.

The three of them came to a stop directly in front of Sarek, still hand in hand, and even Jim noticed the suspenseful hush that fell over the room. Jim leaned away slightly when Sarek didn't even bother to raise an eyebrow at him. "Husband, this is James Kirk, he will be staying with us at the Embassy."

"I-If that's alright?" Jim interrupted, "I don't want to be a bother."

Amanda ran a soothing hand through Jim's hair and said, "You could never be a bother, James."

Jim tilted his head back to be able to look all the way up at Sarek, who confirmed, "My wife is correct. The probability of your presence being a hindrance rather than a benefit is low."

Jim looked unsure for a moment, so Amanda translated from Vulcan to human and whispered to Jim, "That means he likes you." Jim didn't know if it really went quite that far, but since he was being swept into a hovercar with his new best friend, he decided not to question it.