May 3, 2259

Rain, thunder and lightning raged on outside as Admiral Christopher Pike was looking out the window, to the storm, not being able to sleep. Chris kept thinking about what had transpired in the last four and a half years, especially with Jamie Kirk taking command of the USS Enterprise from him. His mind fully turned to the young captain who somehow attracted geniuses around her like a moth to flame. Her husband was one of the best Starfleet therapists ever and her cousin was one of the best doctors that Starfleet had gotten in the last decade.

Jamie, on the other hand, was basically queen of the geniuses as she had two doctorates in applied mathematics and engineering. Jamie had also gotten two masters degrees in military history and military science on the request of Admiral Jonathan Archer. And she has one more masters degree that she got while she was at the academy in political science. Chris was in awe of Jamie as she was smart, compassionate and didn't believe in no-win scenarios.

Jamie was definitely her father's daughter even though she had never met the man as he had died about two or three minutes after she was born. Though that didn't stop all of the men around her from stepping up to the plate when she needed it the most, which included Chris as he had a soft spot for Jamie. The no-win scenarios part of her thinking got her in trouble with Spock and the admirals when she took the Kobayashi Maru scenario test for a third time and won. Soon Chris's comm began chirping at him to answer it.

Chris moved to the comm, picked it up and placed it in the attachment for the computer screen so he could see who was calling. Admiral James Komack came to the screen not happy about his lack of sleep. If Chris had to take a wild guess, Komack's lack of sleep and him not looking all that happy had to do with an emergency call.

"Chris you need to come in." Komack said

"What's happening?" Chris asked

"I fucken hate the Kirk family so much right now." Komack said with a small groan in his voice.

"That doesn't really answer my question though. You're just stating a fact that everyone knows about." Chris said

Chris knew of James Komack's hatred of the Kirk family as Sam and Jamie liked to torment him while they were growing up, before doing anything with Starfleet.

"George Samuel Kirk sr." Komack said bitterly

George Samuel Kirk Sr was Chris's childhood best friend well before the whole Nero killing him and destroying the Kelvin thing happened 23 years ago. George and Chris always considered each other their brother, though it came official when they married sisters. Since George was in a serious relationship with Winona before Chris had met Lori, he had taken the brotherly roll when Chris and Lori began their relationship.

"About an hour ago I get a call, waking me up from a good dream about my kids mind you, telling me that I needed to come in by Marcus who then hangs up so I couldn't ask any questions. I get to the office and I come to see George sitting there surrounded by Marcus, Archer, Reed and Barnett. So I repeat, you need to come in." Komack said

Chris agreed, hung up the comm and walked into his room to change and saw his wife still sleeping peacefully in their bed. Chris had met Lori many years ago while recruiting with his advisor at Georgia State University and she was in her last year of grad school while he was finishing up with the academy. Chris had found it somewhat funny that Lori was the youngest sister to Winona Kirk and Eleonora McCoy and he had never known. The only reason why Lori didn't take in Sam and Jamie when Winona died in that accident was because, at the time, she was on an extended five year mission while on a ship that was too small, even for it's normal crew, and didn't allow kids on it while out on missions.

Not many people knew about the third and youngest Davis sister as she was the shy type who thought partying excessively, like the people who were in frats and sororities, made you drop out. And her family didn't talk about her in public a lot as she did have a few enemies once she had graduated from the academy and started her Starfleet career. Her family, outside of Chris and their children, didn't talk about their aunt to people that Lori doesn't know just yet. Sybok had been told about Lori after two and a half months of dating Jamie and he met with Lori a week later.

Chris quickly took a shower to wake him up a bit and got dressed in his uniform.

"Where are you goin'?" Asked the groggy voice of Lori Pike as her southern drawl leaked heavily from her tired voice.

"I got called in. Something about a security leak that I need to look over." Chris lied

"I don't believe you for a second." Lori said

"Well what is actually happening is classified at the moment. And if I tell you right now, I could get into a lot of trouble with the board." Chris said

"I thought you liked trouble." Lori said seductively as her lips were millimeters from her husband's lips and her fingers ran down his chest.

"Only if the trouble comes in a 5' 11" frame with blonde hair and sky blue eyes, then I do like trouble." Chris said before he leaned in and kissed his beautiful wife.

"You'll tell me when you can?" Lori asked when she pulled away from Chris.

"Of course I will. I tell you everything that I cam." Chris said before he left the room.

Chris was at HQ in less then 30 minutes and he found Komack waiting in the lobby for him.

"What do we have right now?" Chris asked as he continued to walk to the turbolift.

"He doesn't know anything. All that he remembers was him saying that he loves Winona and then a big ball of flame coming right for him." Komack said as he walked right beside Chris.

"Have you told Captain Kirk about the situation with her father?" Chris asked

"Not yet. She is still renegotiating the treaty we have with the Roylans while trying to keep Keenser on the ship and his people from recalling him to his home world." Komack said

Chris nodded to his colleague as he knew that Jamie was one of the best negotiators that Starfleet had on their payroll. She even learned a couple of more aggressive techniques about negotiating from her father in law, Sarek, as the Vulcan ambassador to earth had negotiated a few treaties in his time. Chris also understood Jamie's attachment to Keenser, as George had recruited the Roylan five years before the birth of his daughter. Keenser had always kept an eye on Jamie as he felt a little responsible for the girl after George was KIA near Klingon space.

Keenser had been on the Kelvin at the time of it's destruction, though he wasn't part of the normal day to day crew. He was on the ship as he was being transferred from an outpost near the Romulan neutral zone to headquarters. He had been asked by George to look after his family if he didn't make it out. Winona liked knowing that there were people out there watching out for her and her children and wanting to help if asked.

"What about Sam? Have you told him?" Chris asked as he and Komack stepped into the lift.

"I really don't know how to tell him about his father being alive like this. He's one of the civilian scientists that Jamie had requested for the Enterprise before she left. Same thing with his wife I think her name was, Aurelan. I may not like the Kirk's all that much, because they're evil geniuses, but I am starting to hate this part of my job right now." Komack said as he felt the lift going to the top floor where Marcus's office was located.

The dinging sound that said the lift had reached the floor soon went off and the two admirals walked off it and to the fleet admiral's office. Like Komack had said over vidcom, Chris had found George sitting there surrounded by Marcus, Archer, Reed and Barnett. And between Komack calling Chris in and now, Phlox had come in to give George a full physical to make sure that he was healthy and he had nothing in his system. When Chris's eyes locked with George's, his heart full on stopped like he had met the love of his life all over again.

All the memories of them together came rushing back into Chris's mind as he looked into the deep cerulean blue eyes of his best friend. At that moment in time, Chris finally understood why he was called into the office last by his coworkers. They didn't know how either of them would react to seeing the other like this, especially when there were no answers, no explanation on why George was here. Chris looked like he was about to faint on them and Phlox prepared for treating a bit of head trauma.

Fortunately for everyone in the room, Chris didn't faint on them as the lowest ranking admiral in the room had gotten his composure together and caught as much breath as he could.

"George?" Chris asked as his voice broke and feet seemed to be frozen in place.

George stood from his chair to his feet and walked over to where his best friend was standing.

"Hey Chris." George said with a small smirk on his lips.

The smirk wasn't the full on Kirk smile that Jamie and Sam both seemed to inherit, but it had a bit of an effect on Chris. The two hugged each other like there was no tomorrow and tears were falling from their eyes from not seeing each other. Chris didn't want to let go as he didn't know if George was going to vanish from him again or run away from all this exposure.

"I thought I lost you for good." Chris said with his voice still breaking, but even more so now.

Everyone in the room could hear the desperation, want and need in Chris's voice as they knew how deep his relationship with George went. They all seemed saddened at this sight.

"I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere." George said as he reassured his best friend.

George's heart shattered when Archer had told him that 26 years had past since anyone had last seen him and they all thought he had died on the Kelvin. The two friends stayed like that for another ten minutes before their attention was brought over to Archer when the older man had made a noise. George and Chris were still standing next to the other, but their attention was fully on the 139 year old former federation president. They knew that whenever Jonathan Archer spoke, you listened with no if's, and's or but's, especially when dealing with annoying diplomats who should know better.

Both George and Chris knew from experience that Archer didn't like to be kept waiting for anything, especially food. They knew from the fact that Lori and Winona were fleet kids, kinda like Jamie and Sam, because James David was the Georgia state university ROTC fleet supervisor. Commander Davis was still at that post, in a one room studio apartment, to this day. That was one reason why Leonard, Jamie and Sam went to Ole Miss. instead of Georgia state like everyone else in their family.

They all said that if they wanted to join Starfleet, they would do it after graduating and not during school. Everyone noticed that Chris and George were standing shoulder to shoulder as not to let the other go or run away.

"Yes sir?" Chris asked as he tried to stand still and calm his nerves.

Archer sighed as he knew what he was about to say would be the easiest thing on paper and said out loud but would be the hardest thing to do.

"We need to tell Sam and Jamie." Archer said

Chris knew that this was going to brought up by someone in the room and he prayed that it wasn't going to be him. He was so happy at that moment when Archer had said something when he did because Chris was having a mini heart attack while thinking about it.

"How would we do that? This isn't like opening a gift on Christmas." Reed asked

"I have no idea. But we need a plan otherwise either Sam or Jamie will blow." Archer said

Chris knew better any of the others in the room on the temper that the Kirk siblings held when they were angry. He had seen it before when someone had called Aurelan a slut when Sam wasn't around, but Jamie was, and Jamie had beat him up for his comment. That was a fun trip to the police station where Chris had to bail out his niece out before any of the others in the family were called and found out. Lori had laughed her ass off and almost lost all her breath when Jamie had told her about her little stint in jail later that night.

"I don't want to be there when they are told." Marcus said

"No one's making you." Barnett said as the dumbass was left unsaid.

Alexander Marcus had more right to fear the Kirk siblings then Komack did as the fleet admiral had gotten into many fights with George before. Chris, George, Komack, Archer, Reed and Barnett all started to plan on how they would tell Sam and Jamie everything they knew. Even though he wasn't going to be there, Marcus still helped plan everything as he was the person who taught strategy to cadets as a extracurricular activity at the academy. The strategy class happened only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons and was only open to command and tactical based cadets.

..

..

Jamie and Leonard were in the 'bar' of the ship drinking some beers all the while talking and hiding from the crew of hundreds and any world they come across. Though the bar was just an extra conference room they weren't using and didn't need that Jamie, Sam and Scotty had put a few alcohol stills in and had called it a bar. Jamie and Sam had been making alcohol since Oxford when Jamie was fifteen and Sam being nineteen with Leonard and Trip being their taste testers for it.

"I hate negotiations." Jamie mumbled a groaned as she buried her head in her arms.

"Then why do them?" Leonard asked

Jamie lifted her head weakly to look to her cousin like she had been dragged out of bed for an emergency while sick as a dog. Leonard hadn't seen her like this since her pregnancy scare their first year of the academy when her and Sybok went at it like rabbits every night. While Leonard had liked the thought of his cousin having kids like he did, the thought of her freaking out over it because she, quote, 'wasn't ready for a baby', unquote, was a bit unsettling.

"Because HQ believes me to be the best negotiator in the fleet. Which I'm not. There are better negotiators in the fleet." Jamie said all disgusted like.

While Jamie spent her fair share of time with diplomats and learned some tricks from them, she hated herself for how much knowledge that she soaked up while with them.

"That's no excuse though. They should know how you feel about doing negotiations. I can see that it's wearing you down." Leonard said

"When did you become a therapist? I thought that was Sybok's job." Jamie asked

"You know that I had to take psych classes to get my medical degree. Otherwise I wouldn't have graduated with you and Sam." Leonard grumbled

Jamie nodded to her cousin as she remembered how much he whined and moaned about his psych homework while at school. Soon the intercom came alive.

"Captain." Nyota announced

"Yes Ny?" Jamie asked

"You have a vidcom coming in from Admiral Pike. And he's asking to speak to both you and Sam." Nyota said

"Have the call go to the computer in my ready room Ny. And have Sam meet me there as well." Jamie answered

"Yes ma'am." Nyota said before the intercom went dead.

"Gotta see what Uncle Chris wants this time." Jamie said in fake happiness.

The only people on the ship who knew that Jamie, Sam and Leonard were related to Chris were each other, Keenser, Spock and Sybok. Though Kevin had a strong feeling about it with how much familiarity the three used while talking about or to Chris.

"Want me to tag along? Might be fun." Leonard asked

"I got this Bones." Jamie said as she turned to the door.

As Jamie walked down the corridor, she kept thinking on what her uncle by marriage wanted to talk about with her and Sam. There could be a million things he would want to talk about, like Lori's upcoming birthday next week. Or David and Eleonora's 50th wedding anniversary next month that Jamie had made plans on being on earth for the party that David is planning. Jamie saw that Sam outside of her ready room already and he was leaning against the wall next to the door.

The two walked into the room and sat next to the awaiting computer screen that had been activated when Jamie was in the turbolift. Jamie pressed a few buttons and Chris's grim looking face popped up.

"Uncle Chris what's wrong?" Jamie asked

"Where do I even begin?" Chris asked

"How about the beginning?" Sam answered

Chris then went on to explain that their father was somehow alive and perfectly healthy according to Phlox. To say that Jamie and Sam were shocked to find this out would be the understatement of the millennium. They had long gotten used to the fact that George sr was no longer on the mortal coil and had moved on with their lives. Once the call with Chris had hung up and Sam leaving for his room, Jamie had sent Sulu a message to have the ship go to earth.

While Sam was getting used to the fact that he was going to hug his father again, Jamie was thinking about questions she was going to ask that she wasn't comfortable asking Chris.