Hikaru flew over the common toward the bridge. The sun bounced off the orange causing Jim to squint as he looked out the side window. "Can you fly over the affected area? I would like to see what happened."

Pavel looked back. "Aye Captin." He punched in the request to the flight controller for the clean up and recovery teams. It was less than a second when the all clear came through. No one wanted to say no to Captain Kirk.

Jim took Cal's hand as the shuttle banked towards the north. It wasn't long before the devastation spread out under his gaze. Alcatraz and Fisherman's Wharf were gone. On the island was a large pile of white rubble where the prison museum had stood. The food stalls that they all frequented over the years were crumbled like a child's play village destroyed in a temper tantrum. The fires had long since been put out and the smoke had cleared but the decimated structures half stood as a testament to one man's blind anger. "Could we fly over the rest of the city before we head home?"

Sulu was already headed that way. "Not a problem Captain." The shuttle's flight path took them directly over the wharf, the destroyed science building on the edge of campus, over the medical building, along the business district. Most of the business district lay in rubble, glass and metal still hanging from the skeletal structures that once held the Federation's off planet financial and humanitarian offices. They circled over the area that was once high-rise apartments. Jim could see Scotty, Cal, Pavel, and finally Spock and Uhura's buildings. How they managed to salvage anything from that mess was beyond him. He could see the coffee shop unscathed, bustling with activity. Finally, he saw Ben and Hikaru's place. The building would have to be razed. It listed to the right and looked as if all it needed was a good breeze to implode on itself.

Amidst all of the rubble was the black metal of the USS Vengeance. Parts of it jetted toward the sky seemingly asking why this had happened. Scotty noticed Jim fixating on the nacells. He walked over to the younger man and bent down so they were both looking out the same window. "She was a beauty. Not like my girl, but a beauty none the less."

"Too bad she died this way."

"Aye, but we are salvaging some of her and some of her technology will be incorporated in our refit."

"Really?"

"Aye, though most of it will go into the new ship they are starting to build at Yorktown."

"Do you have those plans?"

Scotty gave him a look that said he shouldn't ask such stupid questions. "You know Jim that is classified?"

"So, we can look them over while we are at the farm." He turned from the window to smile at his chief engineer.

"Absolutely!" With that Scotty squeezed Jim's shoulder before heading back to his seat."

"I never should have introduced him to Owen. That man has been a bad influence."

Cal had been studying Jim's body language. He wasn't as tense about the city as she thought he would be, but there was definitely something there. "On both of you."

"No, Honey I came preprogramed." Kirk looked out the window the entire flight to Georgia.

The farmland of the Midwest stretched out under them. The Grand Canyon gaped up towards the shuttle as they swooped down for a better look. Sulu and Chekov were having fun touring on the way home. Jo was standing between the two men as they told her what she was seeing out of the front window. They spoiled her but in a good way. Pavel was pointing to some thing Jim couldn't see. "Jo, what do you think that is?" Jim had felt the shuttle pull up for a larger view of the topography.

"Wait, they taught us this in geography. That's a caldera. Wow! That is huge."

Evan had come to stand behind her. "What do you think about it?"

"It is a huge volcano?"

"Do you know what kind of volcano it is?"

"Ummmmm… A really big one?"

All three men started to laugh. "There is a term, supervolcano, but that's not the real name." Evan continued the lesson explaining the types of volcanos and how this was a crater lake caldera that was caused by a stratovolcano collapsing into its magma chamber.

"So, Uncle Evan, if it erupts, won't it destroy most of North America?"

"It was made inert a century ago by some of the planet's geological engineers."

"Are you a geological engineer?"

"I only have a Master's degree in it, my PHD is in civil engineering. I like to build roads, tunnels, and bridges."

"Oh, I thought so but I wasn't sure. What is that?"

"That is a geyser. They are here because of the volcano. When it was made inert, the scientist designed the geysers and hot springs so people would know what it was like in the past. Maybe we can go there one day."

"That would be fun!"

Hikaru punched in a few more commands. "Alright you two, back to your seats. We'll be crossing the Mississippi and then I have to set up to land at home."

Jo sat next to Owen as Evan sat next to Len. He touched the other man's hand. "So, you still don't like shuttles?"

"Hey, I'm better about starships; baby step, baby steps brother." They laughed as the shuttle banked toward the Florida air traffic routes. They would follow one of them to Georgia. "Jo and Crystal enjoyed the coffee house this morning."

"Thanks for taking them so we could pack faster."

"Crystal loved the chocolate milk. Mrs. Grandy let her keep the sippy cup."

"I'll make sure it gets hand washed. I thought we could take a look at the stream after we've been home for a little. I think parts need dredging. Len?"

"Yeah, I think you're right." The doctor was leaning back with his eyes closed.

"Probably, no, I was wondering what those boxes are that some very scared looking cadets put in the cargo hold."

McCoy was chuckling. "Kahn's blood, well all but two vials. They were scared because I told them if they ruined the specimens I would have them separated."

"From the Academy or from their bodies?"

"You know, I think I forgot to be specific."

"No wonder you have a reputation. Janice called Mama."

"Really?"

"I heard something about you coming back to Emory."

"Janice has dreams. She would love to have me on her staff; bring some prestige to her reign. She can go fuck herself. But that is very useful information."

Evan's eyebrow shot up. "Now you sound like Tucker. What are you thinking?"

"That I could use a fully equipped lab and there is one at Emory."

"You can be a real prick you know?"

"I am fully aware. But there is no reason not to string the bitch along to get what I want."

"True. I know Mama and George have nothing but contempt for her."

"Yeah, we'll talk. There is a lot of family gossip you should be caught up on."

"You, me, and some scotch in the cellar."

"Sounds perfect." The shuttle banked toward Georgia.

Pavel had plugged in the coordinates to the farm. This was his and Hikaru's gift to Jim. He would not have to worry about anyone gawking. The press would more likely than not be waiting at the shuttle port. They had the medical personnel and transportation crafts waiting at the far pasture behind the breeding stables. Pavel called out to the group as they came in for their landing. "Welcome home everyone. Captin we thought you would prefer to come straight home."

"Thank you, Pavel. I appreciate it more than you know." He squeezed Cal's hand. Jim couldn't explain why he was nervous, but the warmth of her small hand in his calmed him.

Len took a deep breath. Seri cold feel and hear the conflict and fear that pervaded his thoughts. "You aren't in this alone. You never were."

"I know."

"Do you?"

"To a point. What if this is all wrong?"

"Look at them." She motioned to Cal and Jim. "It isn't wrong."

"Sure." He took another long breath as the shuttle touched down.

The back doors opened to Tucker in front of a group of farm hands and Starfleet medical personnel. His smile lit up the cabin more than the Georgian sun. "Hey Jim, ugly as ever." He turned to Len. "Nice to see you, asshole. These idiots thought they could come here and tell me how this was going to work."

McCoy stood to greet his cousin. "I assume you corrected them."

"You know it. Jim will come off first. His transport will hold him, the medical team, and one other person."

Without looking the doctor called over his shoulder. "Cal, you go with Jim. You're small and will fit better." He smiled at his cousin. "Alright jackass, what about the rest of us."

"Well, as far as I'm concerned you can walk your sorry ass back to the house. But I don't want the rest of the gang to suffer so our guys will drive you all back." He shifted his attention to the others on the craft. "Hi Aunt Lena. Hey Seri, your still with this idiot? I thought you would have wised up by now."

"Well lucky for you two, Meg and I have questionable taste in men." Seri stood up to give her favorite cousin a hug.

He kissed her cheek as those around them began to get ready to leave. The medical crew had already started to move Jim out and some of the farm hands were unloading the cargo hold. Its contents would go to the main house for distribution. Len watched as the bustle around them increased. "Tuck thanks, I mean it."

"You don't have to thank me. Oh, my mom is here. Good luck."

Len laughed. "That may be more of an issue for you."

"Yeah, she always did love you best." He turned as he put his hand on his cousin's back. "Come on, you two are with me."

The three climbed into the old farm truck. "I don't rate the hover craft?"

"Yeah, about that, one of the young hands drove it into the back pond. It is in the shop."

"That sounds about right. Nothing like home." By the time they pulled up to the house Meg was watching Jo and the boys as they tried to help with the luggage. The medical boxes were being carried off just as McCoy got to the stairs. "They go into the office. Please plug their cords into the socket near the desk."

Every thing was a flurry of activity. The crew were shown to their new homes and rooms. Jim was taken up to his room. It would feel good to be back in his own bed. There was a hover chair next to the hall door. Sarah walked in as they were transferring the captain to his bed. "Don't let him order you around. He may be a captain, but the ladies rule this house." She laughed as the men smiled at her. "So, Jimmy, we'll get you situated and then I know Len will be in."

As she finished her sentence Len walked into the room. "Already here. Make sure those monitors are hooked up in the other room." Sarah glared at him. "Please."

"Lenny it's getting late, why don't you head down, we've got this." She wanted both men to relax before bed.

Len walked over to Jim. "You look tired."

"I am a little. At least you didn't puke on this shuttle."

"Asshole." He ran a bio scanner over Kirk. "Everything looks good. I'm going to have Cal keep an eye on you overnight. She's up at all hours anyway."

"I don't need a babysitter."

"Yes, you do. But now you need one more than usual. Aunt Doris is here so I wouldn't give anyone any shit."

"Oh, fuck."

"I know."

Sarah joined the men as the technicians made sure everything was set before they left. "I'm going to stay until Cal comes, then you're her problem. Dinner will be up soon. Len get out of here he's fine. You can start your fussing again in the morning." With that she shoved McCoy towards the door.

Len left Jim's bedroom. The kid would eat dinner then most likely fall asleep. The trip from Starfleet medical had been exhausting. Cal had offered to stay with him all night. McCoy was going to suggest it; truthfully, he doubted anything could keep her away. But making it look like the doctor had set it up for practical reasons would make things easier. One day he hoped Jim would get up the nerve to tell him what he already knew about his best friend and little sister. Seri had grabbed some food and gone to bed; she needed rest, as did the doctor. But for now, he doubted rest would come, at least for him.

The medical craft had left after the emergency transport personnel helped get the captain situated in his bed. The front of the house was finally calm and blessedly silent as Len ate a sandwich and walked out the front door to deposited himself on the couch facing the pecan grove. He put one foot on the edge of the coffee table that sat between the couch and the porch railing. It was a crisp evening, but the winter cold had not yet begun to set in. Hell, it was barely October, winter rarely reached Georgia until just before the new year.

The trees still had their leaves which filtered the glow from the full moon as it passed through them to the ground below. The moon and the stars as viewed from the farm had lost their magic for McCoy after the nightmare of Kahn. He never told anyone, but until then they looked like diamonds against black velvet. Now they looked like work.

The front door closed as someone walked into his solitude. Not that Len minded particularly, he was too numb to mind anything; but he had been enjoying the peace. Next to his ear came the clink of a large ice cube in a glass. "Here Cuz, you look like you could use it." The glass was taken from Tucker's hand with no other acknowledgement. Tuck came around until he was leaning against the rail, slightly to the right of where Len was sitting. "You look great." The sarcasm was thick.

"Yeah, fucking terrific." Len took a long drink of the amber liquid. "Thanks again, by the way." They both knew he wasn't thanking his cousin for the drink.

"Don't mention it. Seriously, it was no trouble."

"The hell it wasn't. You were how many star systems away when Evan called you. It took you two weeks to get here."

"Like I said, no trouble at all." The younger man tried to gauge how far down the proverbial rabbit hole his cousin had fallen. He hadn't seen Len like this since right before the divorce, and no one wanted a replay of that. "You want to tell me what's going on in that fucked up head of yours, or should I just take my best guess?"

With that, Len switched his attention from the trees to the man in front of him. Growing up they had been as close as brothers, time and life had caused them to drift apart. Now the man was standing in front of him asking him to open himself up as if none of those years existed. What did Tuck know about the man Len had become? He definitely thought he knew enough to more than inconvenience himself by coming light years away to help out his cousin. No matter how many years had passed the feelings of closeness and love never left. "I don't know if I fucked up."

"In what respect. You've fucked up a lot of things. Exactly which one are you referring to this time?"

"Thanks. Bringing Jim back. He isn't progressing the way I hoped he would. I don't know. I mean physically he is coming along but…"

"He's too quiet?"

"Yeah. I don't know. There is something there, or rather there is something missing."

"Alright." Tuck sat next to Len. This felt a lot like their talks over the holidays when they would come home for Lena and Doris' huge family Christmas dinners. They would hide on this couch and listen to the family debates as the sisters enjoyed one another's company. Now they were the grown-ups and nothing seemed as clear cut as it was then. "Tell me about what he was like before. I didn't really get to know him."

"That's about to change. You'll know him soon enough. I have to thank your mom for coming."

"You couldn't keep her away, not after Aunt Lena called asking for help. Tell me about him, what makes all of you follow him? What made you risk everything for him?"

Len took a sip. The burn felt good. "I didn't risk anything."

"Really? Give me a minute." He left his glass, ran in the house then came out with a PADD. "Let's look at the evidence. You signed on as CMO of the Enterprise after graduation because Jim asked; even though, knowing you, you didn't feel quite up to the task; and we won't even get into your love of space travel."

"It was a good career move."

Tuck raised an eyebrow. The two looked more like brothers than cousins some days. "Let's move on." He scrolled down. "Oh, here's a good one. Want to tell me about Nibiru? Jumping off a cliff into the ocean then swimming down to the Enterprise. And that was before it flew into a volcano to get Spock."

"It wasn't exactly into the volcano." Tucker turned the PADD to show Len what it said.

"Oh, and here, the Kobiashi Maru…"

"In my defense I didn't know what he had done."

"No, but after you did, you still pulled an Owen to get him onto the Enterprise."

"That worked out in all of our favors. Because of that I'm still here and so is Earth."

"I'll give you that one. But you do see what I'm talking about. And this is just a sampling of the past few years. Len, why do you follow a man like this?"

"Because he would die for us, all of us. Anything he asks of us he would do himself. He was right there with me when I jumped off that cliff."

The younger man had a smirk on his face. "And when you took a senior position on the fleet's flagship."

"Yes."

"So, what is missing?"

"He is more sedate."

"Now you just need to see why. Is it because he lost something, or because he's gaining something?"

"Tuck?"

Tuck took a sip. "Yes?"

"How long can you stay?"

"Meg assumed I would be here about a month. That's why we're staying in the grey bungalow with the boys. You don't think she would let me get away with not helping around the house all these weeks?"

Len smiled. "No, she wouldn't do that. Plus, she still has to go to work."

Tucker got serious. "I'll talk to her. I think she'll be okay with me helping out. You know she loves you and Cal."

"I know. God, I've missed you; I've missed this."

"So, have I, more than you know. Mom always said we do better as a team."

"I don't think my father saw it that way."

Tuck finished his drink in one gulp. "Fuck him. Who cares what the fuck he thought?"

"Evidently not you."

"And you shouldn't either. Now Aunt Lena, that's a different story. I hear Uncle George asked her to marry him."

"Thank God, yes he did. They haven't set a date yet, but I am assuming it will be soon. You know he commed me for my blessing before he popped the question. It was a nice gesture."

"It was, old fashioned, but nice. I'm assuming you all will be home for awhile. Have you come to a conclusion yet?"

"About?"

"Jim."

"You think I'm expecting too much?"

"No."

Len looked deep into Tuck's eyes. "You think I'm expecting him to go back to who he was before?"

A smile lit up the other man's face. "And what do you think about that?"

"I'm an idiot."

"Something we can agree on."

"Tomorrow the physical therapy team will be here for at least an hour. They have my prescription and the notes from the team at Starfleet medical."

"So, they don't need you."

"They don't. How about we take a look at the stream? Evan said it needs to be dredged in spots."

"Alright." Tuck knew better, Len trusted Evan and really didn't need to see the stream. But he needed to walk away from being doctor McCoy for at least a couple of hours. "Come get me. I am working with the team I sent to replace me."

"It will be around lunch time if that is alright."

"Perfect now go get some sleep. You look like hell." He offered Len a hand up.

McCoy took it but didn't let go once he was up. "Tuck I meant it when I said thank you."

Tuck pulled him into a hug. "I know. Len we are all in this. It isn't just Jim who needs help. This is what family is for."

Len relaxed in the other man's arms. "I know; I tend to forget it."

"And that is why I'm here. Now get your ass to bed."

Len pulled out of the hug. "Yes sir." The older man walked into the house as the younger one made his way down the front steps and along the lane that led to the bridge Evan had put in to make life easier. The next months would be hard but Tucker knew his cousin would not only get through it, but would come out stronger than before.