Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews! I know this is really fast to have a chapter up but school was cancelled because of a hurricane warning so I had the time to get this in. The next chapter should be in by Monday. This one is in Sulu's perspective. One thing I need to clear up before you read. Yes, it is canon that Sulu has a husband/partner, so I am gonna write it that way. That being said, I have no clue what his name is so I had some creative liberty there so don't get mad if I missed something or if they tell us it later on. His daughter is in the Original Timeline so I just used her name. Please let me know what you think in the reviews and remember to follow or fave!

And we're off:

Hikaru Sulu was definitely someone whose respect you had to earn. He will obey command as well as the next guy, but to him, respect has to be earned, not just given.

His respect for Captain James T. Kirk was earned when he jumped off a drill to save him on the off chance his shoot might work.

As far as Sulu was concerned, that was one hell of a way to get his respect.

After following him through missions at the helm, he also saw how he was a great captain. Especially under pressure.

He had trusted the Captain with his life.

Which is why he took it so hard when he died.

He and the captain had never been drinking buddied per se, nor had they been super tight on the ship, but that didn't mean that Sulu didn't respect the hell out of him. And yes, he cared about him. Even if he didn't show it.

Being at the helm let him see things that other crew members didn't see. Like when Marcus was about to blow the Enterprise out of the sky, and Kirk was prepared to offer everything and blame himself. Or when Khan had Jim on the other ship and was demanding a trade. And Jim still tried to save them.

There had been other, more subtle things that Jim had done to earn Sulu's respect. His vast knowledge of the Enterprise and its inner workings, even though he technically didn't have to know these things to be captain.

The way that sometimes on his off time he would chat with other members of the crew or help with repairs even though he didn't have to.

The way that when Sulu or Checkov made a mistake he would never act condescending towards them like others had, instead he would work with them or joke about it.

His willingness to do what needed to be done, even though it might cost him his life.

Also his ability to do all that while looking bad ass impressed the hell out of Sulu.

And then he goes and dies for the entire ship.

No one directly told Sulu or the rest of the members on the bridge at first. The first clue Sulu had to the fact that something was terribly wrong was when the ship suddenly was fixed. Sulu didn't believe in miracles, so there must have been something done to fix it.

And then engineer Scott called Spock down to engineering with a broken voice and he knew it was bad. Uhura left shortly after Spock did, and next thing he knew, they were hailing for McCoy and putting the captain in a body bag. That had been tough on Sulu.

Even if he didn't show it.

Sulu made it a point to visit Kirk in the hospital at least once. But he decided to go the extra mile and invite his family with him too. His little family of three that he held so dear.

McCoy, no surprise was there with Jim when Sulu and his family arrived.

"Doctor McCoy," Sulu said," I would like to introduce you to my family. This is my daughter Demora and my husband John."

John shook hands with McCoy, but Demora still hid behind John's leg. McCoy bent down to see her.

"Hey there little one." He said in a tired voice. "How old are you?"

Demora held up three little fingers.

"Three? You know I got a little girl at home who is five. You and her should meet up sometime, would you like that?"

Demora nodded her head yes and Sulu couldn't help but smile. Even though McCoy has been through hell and back, he still takes the time to talk with his daughter, another man he respects.

Sulu breaks the silence. "I wanted them to meet the Captain. He saved my life. Twice. I owe him a lot."

"Sulu, you know that you owe Jim nothing." McCoy said looking at Sulu.

There was an awkward silence between the two men but Demora broke it.

"Is this the man that saved the ship, daddy?"

"Yeah, sweetheart. It is?"

This time Demora looked at McCoy.

"Is he a superhero?" she asked.

"Sure is." McCoy responded with a smile.

"Can you tell me about him?" She asked.

And McCoy did. He told her stories about Jim at the academy, about how he cheated. He made sure to mention that cheating was NOT the right thing to do, much to Sulu and John's amusement.

"Well, I hate to interrupt but we have to get going. There is a diner at my parent's house tonight." John said apologetically.

Sulu looked at his watch. "Oh shi-"he stopped looking at Demora. "Shoot. We better get going. Thanks for letting us see him, McCoy."

"Please, start calling me Leonard. We've been through too much for you to call me anything else."

If that wasn't the truth.

"Please stop by again if you can. All this talking will hopefully get Jim up again." McCoy said as he led them to the door.

"Will do. Thanks again," Sulu hesitated as if trying the word out for the first time "Leonard."

It was two days before Sulu stopped by again.

"No family this time?" McCoy asked.

"Dem has a dance practice and John is working. Thought I would come by and see how he is doing."

"Same as before." McCoy sighed. "There has been no change at all. I don't even know if he'll have brain damage when he wakes up. For all I know he could have experienced memory loss or something crazy like that. With his luck, I wouldn't put it past him."

"I'm sure he'll be okay." Sulu said not sure what else to say.

"I wish I had your optimism."

"If there was anyone I would bet money on coming back from the dead, it would be the captain."

Leonard nodded his approval. "He is too stubborn to stay dead. If he doesn't want to go, he won't go."

There was an unspoken silence between the two men. "Did I ever tell you the time he saved my life?"

McCoy looked like he was thinking. "I don't think so. Tell me about it. I could use a distraction."

"So we were on the planet Vulcan on the drill. Kirk and I manage to fend off Nero's men, but in the process I lost my shoot. I don't think it is a big deal, until they pull the freaking drill up."

McCoy smiles.

"So, there I was without a shoot, and I go tumbling off the edge of the drill. Before I go, I get one look at Kirk. I yell out his name and next thing I know, I'm falling and he's swan diving off the damn drill to get me. He doesn't think about whether or not his shoot with hold the two of us, which it didn't by the way, he just jumps off thinking that there is a chance of saving me. Someone who he had never met before that day. Checkov managed to beam us aboard but if he hadn't." Sulu stopped and shook his head. "I was so panicked during the fall that I couldn't speak. If Kirk hadn't been there to message the Enterprise…. Let's just say I wouldn't be here."

McCoy looked at Sulu. "Damn. That is one hell of a story."

"All I did was say thanks and you know what he said. He said 'don't mention it'. Like it was something he did all the time, throwing himself off drills high in the air to save strangers. That was the day I knew I could trust him with my life and I respect the hell out of him."

"That is the thing about Jim." McCoy said. "He is not afraid to risk his life to save another's. Or the entire Enterprise." He said.

Sulu nodded.

"He has the survival instinct of a freaking fly." McCoy grumbled making Sulu laugh.

The two men talked for a little bit and then eventually Sulu left.

It was about four days later when he got the call that Kirk was awake.

He got his family together and once again, the three of them were about to set foot in Jim Kirk's hospital room.

But then they heard the glass break from inside and a yell from one very pissed off doctor.

"Damnit Jim! You need to take this!" McCoy yelled.

"Look Bones, I'm telling you, I don't need that!" Kirk said back. He did not have the energy to yell yet.

"Yes you do you corn-fed imbecile! You died two weeks ago!"

"But I'm not dead now!" Jim said back.

It was at this point that Sulu entered earning a huge grin from his captain.

"Sulu!" He said. "It is good to see you!"

McCoy then left the room muttering something but the only words McCoy was able to get out were 'damn child' and 'hyposray his ass' making Sulu grin.

"Is this your family?" He asked.

"Yes. This is my daughter Demora and my husband John."

"Well hello there little one!" Kirk said mentioning to Demora.

And just like that, Kirk, Demora, John and Sulu engaged in conversation. They were talking for about an hour when McCoy came back in.

"The doctor said that you are a superhero!" said Demora.

"Did he now? Do you think I'm a superhero Demmy?" Kirk asked with a smile.

"Yes!" She responded. "When I grow up, I wanna be in Starfleet like you and daddy." She said.

"That is great!" Kirk said looking over at Sulu.

"I hate to cut this short, but Jim needs to get some sleep." McCoy said.

Both Jim and Demora let out simultaneous 'awes'.

"Come on Dem. Thank you Jim. Hopefully we can meet up later?" John said.

Kirk gave a nod. Sulu could tell that he was getting tired and was worried that they had pushed him too far.

"Well, I guess I will see you later Sulu." Kirk said yawing.

"Before I go," Sulu said. "Thank you. Not just for saving the entire ship, but back on Vulcan. I owe you my life."

"Don't mention it." Kirk said with eyes half open. "Although, if you can somehow sneak me some decent food or a beer I would be eternally thankful." Kirk said earning a stern glance from McCoy.

"I'll see what I can do." Sulu said smiling.

"Thanks buddy." Kirk said.

Then he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

That's the end! Don't forget to review. If I messed anything up please let me know!

~StoneyT