Epilogue

He padded over soft grass, careful not to step on soil that housed a casket of someone else's loved one beneath it.

"Hey Dad." Jim called out softly into the quiet day as he approached one of the tombstones. "Happy Birthday." He greeted as he brushed imaginary dust off the marbled epitaph.

He sat on the cold ground and added the flowers he brought with him to the pile. "I see mom's been here." He said softly. "I bet she's told you what's happening tonight. I bet she's even told you the moment she found out. I bet she said: Guess what? Your son's getting married and I'm giving him away." Jim said animatedly, wide grin plastered across his face.

There's a rustle of leaves behind him and Jim turned to find himself looking up at his groom to be.

"Jim." Bones exclaimed, slightly shocked to find his lover there. "Didn't think you'd be here."

"Just talking to my Dad." Jim told him, grin still plastered on his face. He patted the grass beside him and Bones moved to sit next to him. "So what brings you here, Bones?"

"I-uh. Came to see your dad."

"I figured. Just wondering the reason why."

"I came to ask permission."

"Permission?"

"To marry you."

"We're getting married tonight, Bones. My mom's probably asked permission for you." Surprised but completely touched by the gesture.

"We've been away for the past five years. Will probably be away for the next five more. Haven't really had the chance to ask permission." Bones explained softly as he laid his own bouquet of flowers next to Jim's.

Jim smiled and gave him a short nod.

Jim turned to continue talking to his dad. McCoy listened.

Jim regaled his father's grave of tales of adventures. Bones sat back and let Jim's voice wash over him. None of them had done this before. It was both their first time visiting George Kirk's resting place. But it seemed as if they were both meant to be here on this day.

So, McCoy asked his permission. Asked it in form of a silent prayer. Added a thank you to the man who gave up his life so that the Universe can have a James Tiberius Kirk in their midst. There's a promise in there that'd he'd take care of his son, too.

-oooOOooo-

They were in the cemetery for over an hour. So, it wasn't a surprised to find a scowling Admiral Pike meeting them at the transporter room as soon as they beamed up.

"Late for your own wedding. Unbelievable." Chris berated.

"Just went to visit dad's grave, Pop." Jim said with a grin as he moved to give his Pop a hug.

McCoy couldn't help sending a smirk Pike's way. Every time Jim called the Admiral 'Pop' or 'Pa', his face would soften and a goofy grin would threaten to come out of the usually formal expression.

McCoy couldn't blame him, though. The day his daughter learned the word daddy, he lost count of the number of times he turned to goo. He remembered how he had always been willing to do anything just to get Joanna to call him 'daddy' over and over again. Bones would have to warn Pike of the dangers it would pose if Jim caught on to this getting-soft-when-being-called-Pop thing.

McCoy had ended up buying Joanna not one but two ponies when she found out she could manipulate him with just one word. Buying two ponies for a two-year-old wasn't the best decision and the reason why he bought two ponies in the first place was because she wanted a unicorn. If only they had existed.

Bones chuckled at the memory. Yup, he better warn Pike before Jim asked for a back-up USS Enterprise or something.

"Isn't there supposed to be a rule about not seeing the groom before the wedding?" Winona Kirk's voice rang out as she entered the transporter room with a chastising grin.

"It wasn't planned, mom. Bones went to the cemetery too because he wanted to ask dad's permission to marry me." Jim replied as he went to give her a kiss.

Pike shot Bones a mirthful grin and mouthed the word "extra cheesy" at him. Bones just scowled back and grumbled, "Better get to the bridge, Admiral. If you're going to officiate the wedding, you're going to have to be there ahead of us, Pop."

Pike just laughed at him fondly and decided to leave it at that. Bones decided right then and there not to warn the sucker about the 'daddy' thing.

Let him scour the Universe for that 'unicorn'.

Although, deep down Bones knew a warning wouldn't help.

It had been five years since Jim had his last name changed to Kirk and decided to add a 'dash Pike' to it for good measure. The adoption papers Pike had hesitantly shown Jim spurred the younger man to proudly change his name from James T. Elcott to James Tiberius Kirk-Pike on the very same day he was presented with the documents. An act which surprised everyone especially Admiral Pike.

But Jim had done it without hesitation, telling Pike that he did it for himself. That he did it because he had lost a father he never knew; only knew a father he never loved and had miraculously gained a father that he had learned to love.

So yeah, Pike would always turn to goo whenever Jim would call him 'Pop' or 'Pa'. Jim was his. He was a gift Pike would always treasure. A legacy he would always protect.

There was a lot of George Kirk in Jim. Jim was brash, witty, charming and bold. It was in his nature. In his genes. But Bones knew for a fact that Jim had learned to be calculating, wise, enigmatic and refined, too. Pike had engrained that in him all through their academy years. Pike had nurtured Jim just by being around him all those years. There's a lot of Christopher Pike in Jim, too.

Bones wasn't surprised

After all, Jim was his father's son.

The End.

Thanks for reading.

A/N: There you go. Some semblance of reconciliation and a happily ever after. And proof that I suck at endings. And as a whole, long fics. *facepalms*

If there are glaring mistakes, story-wise, or if I missed out on things that are important to the storyline, please don't hesitate to point it out and I'll see what I can do to rectify it. The whole thing is unbetaed so there are bound to be mistakes. Hopefully, they aren't too blatant. Again, thanks for reading.