A/N: Yes this chapter is relevant. It explains things for later chapters.
March 3rd, 2249
A 16 year old Jamie Kirk was in the quad of The University of Mississippi when she caught the eye of a Vulcan student who was a couple of years ahead of her in his schooling. This Vulcan was the eldest son of the Vulcan ambassador to earth and his name was Sybok. Now Sybok had a whole different view on how Vulcan's should view emotions and logic and how his species should use them together. Sybok was one of the Vulcan's that had a perfect balance of emotions and logic and knew how to use both perfectly.
And while Sybok was still allowed on Vulcan and to interact with his family, he was on thin ice in regards to how he viewed emotions. But while he was on his home planet, Sybok tries to keep a tight lid on his emotions to keep away from further persecution. Because of him trying his best with keeping a lid on his emotions was the biggest reason why Sybok was never banished from Vulcan. It was also his father's influence in Vulcan society that kept Sybok from getting banished away like a common criminal.
Jamie was sitting on the grass as she read her messages and replied back to all of them as the best she could. She was remembering the past six years of her life that was a total dumpster fire of a mess that still gave her nightmares. When she was ten her mother, Winona, was killed in an engineering accident and she along with her older brother, Sam, were sent up to live with Hoshi Sato up on Tarsus Four. Their aunt and uncle in Georgia couldn't take them because they had four kids to feed, to make college funds for and had no room in their house for two more kids to live there permanently.
Though Jamie did talk to them every day and would constantly be messaging her older cousin who she nicknamed Bones. Bones's real name was Leonard, but with Jamie being who she is, she never uses his real name with anyone. Their family had learned pretty early on who she was talking about when she said Bones as a name instead of a thing. By the time Jamie had gotten to Tarsus, she had already graduated from high school and was working on finishing up her first doctorate in applied mathematics.
A year after the arrival of the kirk siblings, the massacre happened and what happened to Jamie, Sam and the other kids they saved should have never happened in the first place. Hoshi survived due to the fact that her friend had come at the right moment and killed the people who were dragging her out to her yard. Hoshi had then moved them to Georgia, next to the kid's aunt and uncles house, when the Federation had decided to close down the colony for good. That made them both happier.
Sybok had seen the girl he was looking at in a engineering class of his. Being Vulcan, Sybok's mind could process information quicker then humans and could stay up days on end if need be to do his homework. It was because of what species he was that Sybok was getting two doctorates at the same time, one for psychology and the other for sociology. Soon Sybok decided to walk over to the girl who had caught his interest.
When Sybok was basically over Jamie, the blonde looked up to the tall Vulcan and gave a startled jump when she finally noticed him.
"You should have said something doofus." Jamie said as she turned back to her pad.
"Sorry. I just had this pull to talk to you that I completely forgot to actually talk." Sybok said
"Aren't you going to introduce yourself if you really want to talk with me?" Jamie asked
"Sorry about that. I'm S'chn T'gai Sybok. But most just call me Sybok." Sybok said
"Well hello S'chn T'gai Sybok, I'm Jamie Kirk." Jamie said
Sybok was astounded at the fact that a human had gotten his family name right on the first try and the look was plastered on his face. Jamie stood up as she wanted to look the Vulcan in the eye more clearly.
"What's that look for?" Jamie asked as she crooked her head to the side.
"You said my family name right. Most humans can't say the name and some have to have practice to even get close. My stepmother says it like she has a stutter, which she doesn't have normally." Sybok said
"Well I grew up speaking Vulcan and the Vulcan I know, T'Pol, made me practice your family name when your father became the new Vulcan ambassador to earth several years ago." Jamie said
T'Pol told both Jamie and Sam that ambassador Sarek was the aid to his predecessor when he met his wife and had his second son. He became the ambassador about two week after Hoshi moved the kids to Georgia.
"You know T'Pol?" Sybok asked awestruck
T'Pol was a personal hero of Sybok's as he always wanted to join Starfleet and serve on a starship in any capacity. And T'Pol was basically the first Vulcan to ever serve aboard a human made space vessel as the science officer. She also served on a human vessel during a period of time where 90% of Vulcans had never set foot on human ships before. That was one reason why Sybok was getting the degrees he was as he knew therapist were common among fleet vessels.
"Of course I know her. I can't live in the same house as Hoshi Sato and not know the original senior staff for the NX-01." Jamie said
Jamie wasn't going to say anything about the fact that Trip Tucker, the original chief engineer of the Enterprise, was still alive and well and annoying the shit out of her. Or the fact that Trip is allowing her, Sam and Bones to live at his house while attending ole miss.
"But the rumors about you that I heard were of you being with family after your parents died." Sybok said
"My aunt Eleonora and uncle David had four mouths to feed along with four college funds to make. And there is also the fact that they didn't have that big of a house. And the fact they were secretly putting money into the bank accounts of me and my brother after they paid everything off that month." Jamie said
Of course Jamie and Sam knew about the transactions their aunt and uncle were making to their accounts. Hoshi had taught them money management which included going on their bank apps to see how much money they had that month. The kids usually got five transactions at the beginning of the month. One from Winona's life insurance, one from George senior's life insurance, one from the jobs the kids had at the Starfleet outpost, one from Hoshi for their allowance and the one from their aunt and uncle.
For the year on tarsus, the money usually totaled around five thousand to fifty five hundred dollars a month, most of which was saved. Now the money they get now usually totals around forty five hundred a month.
"Is there something you wanted to ask me besides my jaded past?" Jamie asked
"Yes there was. I wanted to ask you if you would like to accompany me to dinner tonight." Sybok said with a slight smile
"As in a date?" Jamie asked
"Yes, as in a date." Sybok confirmed
Sybok was hoping that the woman in front of him would say yes to his request and after a minute of silence, Jamie finally spoke up.
"Hand me your comm." Jamie said as she stuck her hand out.
Sybok did as he was told and handed his Vulcan embassy issued comm. over to Jamie and wanted to know why she wanted it. After a minute or two Jamie handed the comm. back to Sybok with a smile on her lips.
"Message me what time and I'll be ready." Jamie said before walking off.
Jamie had disappeared from view before Sybok even looked at the new contact in his comm. and messaged her to be ready by 6:30 pm. And be dressed in an outfit that could be for fancy dining or casual dining. Jamie replied back to the Vulcan with the address she was staying at while attending her classes. Sybok found it weird that when he looked up directions, it didn't lead him to student dorms like he was expecting, but a house a couple miles off campus.
At 6:30 Sybok walked up to the door of the house he was told to be at and after a minute of getting his courage up, he knocked on the red door. It didn't surprise him that someone opened the door as Jamie might have lived with family or had a roommate. What did surprise him that the guy may have looked older, but still looked like he could get a girl and was wearing gym clothes. Sybok could see callouses on his hands indicating that he may be an engineer or have some other job that he had to work with his hands.
"Can I help you?" The man asked with an obvious southern accent.
When Sybok was talking with Jamie, he noticed that she had a southern accent, but it wasn't as pronounced as this man's accent.
"Hi. I'm here to pick up Jamie Kirk for a date." Sybok said shakily.
The man looked him up and down like a father would for his daughter's date.
"You must be Sybok." He said
"Yes sir I am." Sybok nodded
"Come on in. We've been expecting you." The man said
Sybok nodded as the man stepped aside and the Vulcan entered the home to see two younger men one with darker hair and the other with blonde hair, both were on the couch. When Sybok was in the home, he saw that there were holos of Jamie with her family and friends with some holos at the fair or at football games. Though there were a select few holos of just the blonde, like at what looked like debutant balls or some other event. There were even some holos of what looked like 1800's civil war reenactments and Jamie was in a dress from that specific time period.
On the tv was a video game that had been paused when there had been a knock at the door and the door being opened. Sybok understood video games as his stepmother, who was a human, liked to give them to him and his younger brother Spock all the time. Spock liked the games as it gave his brain a shut off before taking a second look at his homework. Sarek, Sybok's father, didn't care what his sons did in their limited free time.
The man who had opened up the door for Sybok was now standing next to the 6' 5" tall Vulcan who both looked like and didn't look like the typical Vulcan at the same time. Sybok had this habit of adopting human hairstyles and wearing human clothes while on earth kind of like his stepmother.
"So you're here to take my niece on a date?" The older man finally spoke up.
Sybok straightened his back, turned to him and stood like his father had taught him to do at diplomatic events.
"Yes sir I am." Sybok said
There was a look on Sybok's face that was trying to figure out who the man in front of him was and the man caught onto the look quickly.
"You don't know who I am, do you?" The man asked
"No sir, I don't." Sybok said all embarrassed like.
"Well, I'm Trip, I'm not going to tell you my last name." Trip said
Sybok found it odd for someone to not give their name to someone else when they are introducing themselves. And Trip doesn't sound like a real name that a parent would willingly give to their kid when they are born. But Sybok didn't say anything out of respect just in case things with Jamie goes the way he wants it too.
"The blonde guy sitting over there is Jamie's older brother Sam Kirk. And the brunette is their cousin Leonard McCoy, but Jamie calls him Bones because he is halfway through medical school and is going to be a doctor and the fact that there is some old doctors slang word that influenced the nickname." Trip said
"The slang word is Sawbones Trip." Leonard said
By the sound of Leonard's, everyone in Jamie's family may have a southern accent.
"And how would you know that?" Sam asked
Sybok was correct.
"Unlike some people in this room, I actually looked it up." Leonard said
Sam faked hurt feelings at his cousin because of the comment he had just made about not looking things up. Sam and Leonard usually made fun of each other as they acted more like brothers than cousins. Eleonora sometimes didn't correct people when they called Sam and Leonard brothers because of how annoying they were that day.
"How rude." Sam scoffed
"Oh shut up. I did not hurt your feelings you big doofus." Leonard said
"Sam is getting three doctorates in physics, chemistry and biology." Trip told Sybok.
"Though Jamie did beat me in being Dr. Kirk first with her getting her first doctorate in applied mathematics." Sam said grimly
Sam, even though he liked that his sister was smart and could do anything she put her mind to, hated the fact that Jamie got something he was dreaming about.
"What degree is she getting now?" Sybok asked
"She's getting a doctorate in engineering. Jamie always loved math and engineering and getting her hands dirty." Sam said
"Though John did convince her to get two masters degrees in military history and military science in these last four years." Trip said
"Is he still trying to get her into the fleet?" Sam asked
When Hoshi had brought Sam and Jamie back from Tarsus, John made every attempt to get Jamie and Sam into Starfleet. More so Jamie then Sam because Jamie already had one degree at that time and was starting with another one already. It also didn't help that Jamie was basically a super genius that got her first doctorate in five years and undergrad for her second in two. Though Jamie did have a gap between degrees that consisted of two years right after Tarsus to get help from a therapist and getting her nightmares under control.
Jamie and Sam still go to therapy, but it's less frequent now as the only thing left from that year in their lives was anxiety and the eating habits they have. Jamie was not really picky about food she ate and basically ate anything edible that was sat in front of her. But Sam, on the other hand, had these mood swings where he didn't want to eat for a day or two and worried everyone during those days. The eating part of their therapy involved Jamie making sure she doesn't over eat and getting Sam to eat every single day.
"It's not only him, it's also Malcolm and Phlox who are trying to get her in as well." Trip said
Sybok just stood to the side and listened to the family in front of him bicker back and forth with each other over small things. His own family never bickered with each other like this as they go all or nothing with their arguing and it was backed up by logic. Soon Jamie came down in a Dorothy from the wizard of oz inspired sundress and her hair was curled and pulled back in a low half ponytail. There was little to no makeup on Jamie's face, but to Sybok, she still looked beautiful.
"Hi Sybok." Jamie said blushing
Leonard, Sam and Trip all turned to Jamie to see what she looked like.
"Hi Jamie. You look beautiful." Sybok said laying into his charm.
The two don't talk for a minute but give each other quick glances as to check the other out.
"Have her home by 11:30 and no later." Trip said breaking the silence.
"Yes sir." Sybok said nodding
Jamie and Sybok left the house for restaurant that Sybok had picked out for the evening for the date. The date between the human and Vulcan went so well that the two of them continued to date each other. When Sybok got his doctorates two years after first meeting Jamie, he immediately joined Starfleet as a fleet therapist. Jamie was okay with it as she wanted to go into the fleet herself after graduation as a command cadet even though she had a engineering degree.
After a week of dating Sybok, Leonard had married his fiancé, Joycelyn, who was three months pregnant with twins at the time. Jamie, Aunt Ella and Leonard's two sisters, Leah and Laura, didn't like Joycelyn but they kept their mouths shut out of respect for Leonard. Leonard had graduated from medical school at the same time as Sybok and interned at the hospital near the McCoy/Sato/Kirk houses. When Jamie graduated herself, Leonard and Joycelyn divorced and Leonard got full custody of his children.
Leonard only got full custody was because the guy Joycelyn had cheated on Leonard with and was planning on staying in a relationship with didn't like kids. Jamie did everything in her power to help her cousin with his kids, especially when Leonard had announced to the family that he wanted to join Starfleet. Just before Jamie and Leonard had gone to sign up for Starfleet, Sybok and Jamie had gotten married so they could stay in the same apartment. On the shuttle to San Francisco it took both Leonard and Jamie to keep the kids under control so they wouldn't annoy the other people on it.
Sybok had somehow convinced the quartermaster to allow him, Jamie, Leonard and the kids to have the same apartment together. After three years at the academy and basically killing Nero, Jamie became Captain of the USS Enterprise. When she got the Enterprise, she made Leonard her Chief Medical Officer and Sybok the ship's therapist. To not break regulations, and instead of making Leonard or Sybok first officer, Jamie made her brother in law her chief science officer and first officer.