Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek.
Chapter Three.
James sat on the second step from the base of the stairs, his arms resting on his knees as he stared at the sight before him. In the hallway, by the front door, were three suitcases.
His mother was leaving.
She had been given a five year mission in deep space.
It had only been a year since she had promised him she'd be there for him and his brother, in that hospital room. Sam hadn't believed a word of it, he'd even told him not to believe it either. But James hadn't listened, he wanted to believe his mother would stay, that they could be a normal family.
At first it had been fine, great in fact.
Winona had returned home with them, she acted like any normal mother would and seemed happy. She had forced Frank to get his act together, threatening to get a divorce if he didn't. So Frank had stopped drinking, he'd stopped gambling too and had even started treating James and Sam like a father would and should.
He wasn't as angry anymore.
He didn't get mad at their mother and he didn't beat her or yell at her like he used to. Of course the tow of them still the odd argument, but it was over simple matters, like forgetting to put the bins out or to check the mail.
Due to his mother's praise and encouragement, James had gone up two grades at school in one year and was set to go up a third before the summer. Winona had even taken it upon herself to teach James basic hand-to-hand combat, so he wouldn't be such an easy target for the bullies who didn't like his intelligence and quick wit.
Frank had got a job.
He worked at a computer repairs shop in the city and had started to teach James some of the basics in his free time. It only took James a month or two before he could take apart a PADD and put it back together correctly. Sam still refused to be any part of it, claiming it would only end in tears.
And then slowly Winona seemed to distance herself from them and Frank began drinking again. James had found multiple beer bottles in the bin and could smell the scent of alcohol in the air, which seemed to hang around his step-father like a cloud.
Then Frank lost his job.
He began to drink more and more, he didn't even bother to try and hide it. He started smoking on occasion too, which annoyed the hell out of Winona, he started yelling again too. He started getting angry and slowly began turning violent once more.
Then came the orders from Starfleet.
Winona had a new mission.
Five years in deep space.
She had quickly accepted it with little to no hesitation, she hadn't even told her sons until the week before she was due to leave. James had been devastated and Sam had just snorted an 'I told you so'. Winona promised she'd stay in contact and that she'd be back for good as soon as the mission was over, but this time James didn't have the heart to believe her.
James took one last look at the suitcases before getting up and running up the stairs, two at a time. He crashed into his room and slammed the door behind him. He sat heavily on his bed and tried as hard as he could to keep his tears at bay.
His mother may not have been his mum for the first seven years of his life, but they had gotten closer... They were mending the broken bond. She was more like an aunt you see every holiday, but they were getting there.
But now, it all seemed pointless.
Sam was right, he should never have gotten his hopes up. But he'd been so happy. He'd finally gotten a family he'd always dreamed of.
A mum who was there.
A dad to teach him things.
An older brother to tease him, prank him and just have fun with, well Sam had always been there for him and James hoped and preyed he always would be. And now it was going back to what it was before.
A mother who was never there.
A step-father who didn't care and would sooner push him in front of a bus than save him.
And an older brother, who tried so hard to protect him, but could never quiet succeed.
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"Hello James," They greet. "Long time no see."
The knife drops from Jim's hand and clutters to the floor. Taking a step back, Jim shakes his head. This was impossible, the person standing before him was dead and had been for a long time.
"Is this some kind of sick joke?!" He demands.
The person before him tilts their head to the side slightly and studies him.
"My appearance does not please you." They state, sounding surprised.
"What?" Jim questions, thrown off slightly by their statement.
The person before him frowns. "Why does my form not please you?"
Jim just stared at them for a moment.
"What do you mean 'form'?" He finally asks, deciding to play stupid in hopes of finding out more information. The person didn't appear hostile, but looks can and have been deceiving in the past.
"I chose this form," They answer. "It is from your past."
"Why?" Jim asks, edging forward and picking up his knife, not taking his eyes off the person before him for a second. "Why choose that form?"
"Because it is the form of someone you trust." They answers. "And trust is what I need."
"You need trust?" Jim questions. "Why do you need trust?"
"I do not need trust. I need you to trust me." The person answers.
Jim takes a step back. "And why should I trust you?"
"I was sent here, by an old friend of yours." The person answers. "They have some information you will need, if you are to win, but could not deliver it in person."
"Who?" Jim questions. "And what information?"
The person smiles. "I believe you know them by the name of Thomas Leighton. As for the information he asked me to give you, I do not know."
Before Jim has a chance to answer, there is a crash outside the doors to the room.
"You do not have much time," The person speaks. "You must take these and run, follow the passage hidden behind the mirror. Once you are clear of this building your ship will be able to beam you up."
Jim stares at the data cards the person was holding out to him. Very few people knew he knew Thomas Leighton and many of those people were no longer alive and those who were alive had every reason to want him dead. But the form this being had taken… Thomas and Kevin Riley were the only two living people who knew he knew them before they died.
Walking forward and taking the data cards, Jim nodes his thanks and runs.
On the far side of the room was a full length mirror and true to their word there was a passage behind it. Trusting someone blindly was not something Jim did often. He often leapt before looking, but placing blind faith in someone was not something he did. But he trusted Thomas and Kevin and they were the only two who could have possibly known...
... But then nothing is a secret, if you know where to look.
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James hid in his room.
Frank had passed out on the floor downstairs and Sam had stayed at a friends after school. It had been a year since his mother left and like she promised, she stayed in contact. Everyday his PADD would light up with a new message or his comm would beep and he and his mother would talk for hours.
She had even sent him holo vids of some of the planets she had beamed down to. She sent him data on the species she had encountered and star maps of the different systems she had entered. James learned everything and studied everything, his mother sent him. And his mother would ask him about his day at school, and what he'd learnt since they had last spoke.
He was progressing through school so fast, his teachers couldn't keep up. James wanted to make his mother proud, so he learnt anything and everything. His high IQ simply meant he was learning at a much faster rate than most.
Plus locking himself in his room to escape Frank's anger, drunken yells and bellowing, meant he had little else to do but find information on his PADD. He'd learnt how to hack computers, not that his mother needed to know that, so gaining more information wasn't that hard.
He'd grab his old music player, put on his headphones and block out the world as he studied. It was his way of escaping from his home life. A way to get away from Frank and Sam yelling at each other, when Sam refused to do what Frank told him.
James ran home from school most days, not only to escape the bullies, but to get home before Frank started drinking. If he arrived home too late, he'd be Frank's target for empty beer bottles. He had ducked out the way so many times, simply entering the house made him flinch and duck down... Even when the house was empty and he knew no one was home.
Sam had started causing trouble at school.
He started picking fights and arguing with teachers. He started sneaking out of school and getting into trouble with the police, nothing serious though, just minor crimes like petty theft. His grades had started to drop, and James was set to pass him in grade, within the next year.
Of course he couldn't tell his mother any of this.
Frank had told him time and time again, that if he did tell his mother, he'd be a dead kid quicker than a blink of an eye. And when James pointed out that would be impossible, Frank had simply backhanded him and told him he was too smart for his own good and his smart-ass comments would only get him in to more trouble.
The only good thing was, Frank hadn't gotten truly violent yet.
He may throw the odd punch and give ether odd beating, but he usually drunk until he passed out, yell and throw beer bottles at the wall or James or Sam, if they happened to be passing. But he hadn't started hunting for him and Sam yet. Staying hidden in his room meant James didn't risk crossing paths with his step-father, he knew if he did, it would end badly.
Suddenly his comm beeped.
He was quick to pick it up. The caller ID showed it was his mother. James smiled a small smile and answered it.
"Hello, mum."
"James, sweetheart, how was your day?"
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Hey, hope you liked that chapter. Next chapter will be up soon.
Blessed be,
TreeOfLife1997.