AN: To my guest reviewer, I'll have to think about doing an Amanda/Sarek. If I can get the right story in my head, I'll do it.
Now, on with the story.
"You know, you both didn't have to come with me," Jim said as they pulled into the parking lot of the Iowa State Penitentiary.
"I have an eidetic memory," Spock said by way of explanation. Jim smiled and Leonard figured that it was some inside thing between the two of them.
"I'm not actually working, I can do what I want," Leonard told her.
"You wanna spend your time off visiting a prison?" she gave him a look.
"Not really. Maybe I'm just trying to watch your back," the southerner shrugged.
"That's what I brought Spock for," Jim chuckled, motioning to the tall man.
"The more the merrier," Leonard smiled.
"If you say so," she shook her head with a small smile as they walked into the building.
Leonard wasn't sure what he was expecting but this didn't look like any prison he'd ever seen, granted all of those were on television or in the movies, but still. This place reminded him of a secure hospital wing more than a prison, at least until you got to security. He looked around as they all walked over to a man who was probably a few years or so older than Chris.
"Lieutenant Kirk," the man said with a nod.
"Warden Komack," Jim said. "Is he ready?"
"Yes. I'll need you to sign in and secure your weapons before the sergeant can take you back," Komack told her.
"Understood," she said.
One of the guards checked their IDs before directing them to sign in. Jim signed the log book and got a visitor tag before putting her gun and Spock's into one of the small gun lockers in the wall, sticking the key in her pocket. Leonard and Spock both signed, got their tags and followed the guard through a corridor and into a room.
"I still don't know who we're here to see," Leonard whispered as soon as the guard told them the emergency procedure and left.
"That's because I didn't tell you," Jim said. Her eyes were closed and she was counting. Not counting, multiplying by six.
"You okay?" Leonard asked.
"Somebody's trying to kill my mother, so..." she smiled just as the door opened and the guards led a man inside. Leonard watched as this man stared at Jim. He almost thought it was a leer but there was a softness about it that he didn't understand.
"Well, well, well. Look at you. They told me that I had a visitor but I thought it might've been Sammy," the man chuckled.
"You know good and damn well that I'm the only person allowed to call him that," Jim said as the guards left the four of them alone.
"Come on, Jimmy. I'm stuck in here, I gotta have some fun. Why don't you sit on daddy's lap and we'll talk about the first thing that pops up?"
Who the hell is this guy? Jim looked like she couldn't decide if she wanted to hit this man or laugh at him. She let out a chuckle, "You're not my dad. And you couldn't handle me when I was little. You have no chance now, Francis."
"Francis?" the man smiled. "Come on, Jimmy-girl, you can do better than that."
"Want me to just call you an asshole, Frank?" she smiled. Frank? As in her abusive ex-step-dad? And she was joking with him?
"Oh, somebody's all grown up. You look more like your mom then the last time I saw you. You haven't come to see me since my father died four years ago, so I'm guessing this isn't a social call," Frank chuckled. "What do you want?"
"These women have all been raped, strangled and mutilated in the last month," Spock said, putting the pictures of the dead girls on the table.
"I wouldn't know anything about that. Even if I wasn't in here, it's not my style," Frank shrugged.
"Oh, I know. You're more of a hair trigger, grab whatever's close and beat the shit outta someone kind of guy," Jim smirked.
"So, why are you here, Jimmy?" her former step-dad asked.
"Why would I ask you questions about murders that you obviously couldn't commit?" she asked.
"You think whoever did this might be after your mother," the inmate said. Jim nodded and Frank's whole demeanor changed. He was no longer the cocky jerk that sat down with them, there was genuine worry on his face. "What do you need to know?"
Leonard had to do a double take. This man, who used to beat up on Jim and George, was offering to help them. Maybe he really did love Winona and he just had a crappy way of showing it. Hell, he might've even loved the Kirk siblings. Jim obviously didn't hold much of a grudge against the man and Leonard was really curious as to why.
"Does anyone with pull on the outside have a gripe with her?" Jim asked.
"I don't know. I can try to ask around. As far as these guys are concerned, she's still my old lady. Your father wasn't a cop long enough to make any real enemies. Hell, unless you made a bunch, I don't know who would hurt Winnie. She's not the nicest woman you'll ever meet but she's not bad. That was my job."
"What about you? You got enemies?" Leonard asked.
Frank glanced at him for a second before looking at Jim, "Nobody outside these walls. And nobody dumb enough to go after my family, divorce notwithstanding."
"Okay," she told him.
"That's it? You drove an hour and that's all you got?" Frank asked. She made a motion with her hand. "How's everybody doing?"
"I'm chasing a murder. Chris got stabbed, might be paralyzed. Sam donated part of his liver. Winona has a deputy following her around. And I saw your mom at church on Sunday. She looks good," Jim said.
"She told me she sees you every week. Said you lost your voice but I guess you got it back. Chris… I can't tell you how many times I wished that man would die," Frank said. "He was always a better dad to you than I tried to be. I hope he gets better, I mean that."
"We'll pass it along," she nodded.
"You doing alright?" Frank asked her.
"I've been better but I'm not complaining," Jim said. "I better get back up to Washington County."
"Yea," the man nodded. "Hey, before you go. I, uh… I joined this program. Like a group therapy. They're having a family thing. I know I'm not really your step-dad anymore but I, uh… I would like it if you came to the next one. It's on the twelfth."
"I…" she started.
"It's not a bad idea, Jim," Leonard said. He could see the refusal on the tip of her tongue. "Not just for him."
"I will try. Hopefully, I'll have my murderer in custody by then," Jim smiled.
"You will," Frank said. "You don't believe in no-win scenarios, remember?"
"You told me that was dumb," she chuckled.
"I also tried to choke you into submission, so I wouldn't take my advice if I were you," the inmate told her. "Your number's still the same, right?" Jim nodded. "I'll call you if I find out anything."
"Okay," Jim said with a small smile. "You need anything? Want me to put some money on your books?"
"You don't have to," her former step-dad said.
"Not what I asked," she smiled. "Your mother doesn't have a lot of cash on hand and I know you need stuff."
"I'd appreciate it, sweetheart," Frank smiled.
"Alright then. I'll take care of it on my way out," Jim said. "Don't get yourself in trouble looking into this."
"We'll see," the man chuckled.
"What is with me and stubborn men?" she smiled. "Thanks for doing this, Frank."
"Don't thank me. I owe you much more than asking a few questions. This is the least I could do," Frank told her just as the guards came back in.
"What just happened?" Leonard looked at Jim.
Jim chuckled, "You just met my step-dad. Come on, boys. We got work to do."
"Are you okay?" Leonard asked Jim during the drive back to Washington. She was sitting in the backseat and he had a feeling that she was trying to distance herself from them.
"Fine," she said as she tapped out something on her phone.
"Which is woman speak for anything but fine," the southerner said. "How'd he'd end up in prison? Because of you?"
"No," Jim answered.
Leonard rolled his eyes and looked at Spock in the driver's seat, "Do you know?"
"Francis Bower was incarcerated eight years, nine months, one week and three days ago for the involuntary manslaughter of Lance Cartwright," Spock answered.
"What happened?" Leonard asked.
"He beat him to death in a bar fight. Took a plea bargain. Got twenty years. With good behavior and time served, he'll only do a total of fifteen and a half. He'll be out by the time I'm your age," Jim said. "I don't like seeing him but at the same time…"
"He was your step-dad," Leonard said. "You have to have some good memories of him."
"A few. In a way, I understand him more than I do Winona. Frank was never the greatest person but at least he was always honest with me. Mean and a drunk but still honest."
"And now I understand your problem with your mother. She won't admit what happened but he does," Leonard said.
"Yep. When I was younger, I thought she was just being obtuse. After Old Man Bower died, I got to talk to Frank a bit and realized that she was just in denial. It started out with her not wanting me to see Frank at all but I wanted to tell him about his father's death in person. I don't even know why it mattered to me at the time, just that I thought I would want the same courtesy. When he requested to go to the funeral, I volunteered for the guard detail. Sat next to him in that van and talked the whole way up to Riverside and back again. He admitted what he did, even apologized to me and, later, to Sam. I'm not gonna say my memories don't hurt or piss me off sometimes but I realized that I couldn't spend my life being pissed at him. So, I'm working on my forgiveness as far as Frank Bower is concerned," Jim told them.
"You should forgive yourself too," Leonard said.
"This I gotta hear," she scoffed.
"You blame yourself for every bad thing that happens," he told her.
"I do not," Jim said.
"You do," Spock countered. "You somehow believe that your involvement is the cause of many issues. You blame yourself for the abuse Mister Bower inflicted on you and your brother when you were children. You also blame yourself for the distance that your mother's denial has placed on your family. Neither of which is your fault."
"Except it was. If I were a better child…"
"By all accounts, you were well behaved until the abuse began," Spock said.
"Who's account?" Jim asked.
"George, Chris, Arlene, Gaila, a few other people who knew you back then," Leonard said. "They all say the same thing; what happened wasn't your fault. And before you say it, letting it go just to appease your mother would've been disingenuous. You're a lot of things, darlin', but a liar ain't one of 'em."
She chuckled, "Is this the part where you boys tell me that I should just ease up on myself?"
"Yes," Leonard and Spock said at the same time.
"Save your breath," Jim sighed.
"We'll let it go," Leonard said. "For now."
"I thought you'd be here earlier, kid," Chris chuckled weakly when Jim walked into his room. After a stop at the station to change into uniform, check on the deputies on duty and send Spock home to sleep, Jim and Leonard headed to the hospital.
"Went to see Frank," she told him.
"How was that?" the sheriff asked.
"It was okay. He sends his best. He's gonna see what he can find out without drawing too much attention to himself," Jim sighed.
"Do you trust him?" Chris asked.
"I don't trust anyone but you two and Sam," she answered honestly. "That said, Frank has always loved Winona, there's a threat to her life and he'll do anything he can to prevent anything from happening to her. Besides, he gave me some advice on where I haven't looked yet. Which is where I need your help."
"What do ya need?" Chris asked her.
"Can you remember if George senior had any enemies? Anyone with a grudge against him?" Jim asked.
Chris sighed, "You're talking about twenty-six plus years ago. Georgie was a good cop, I'm sure he rubbed someone the wrong way." The sheriff thought about it for a moment. "I didn't recognize the person. I couldn't actually see their face but I feel like I should've recognized something. Maybe you should head over to ICPD. You remember Robbins?"
"Your old partner. Of course I remember her," she nodded with a knowing smile. Leonard was going to have to ask her later.
"Got promoted to watch commander. Works from the precinct over in Beat Three. If you think this is connected to your dad, then you'll have to go through some of our old reports. Number One will give you anything you her ask for."
"Okay. I can work with that," Jim said before she smiled brightly. "You know she's gonna come over here as soon as she gets the chance."
"I know," Chris chuckled. "Go, the faster you catch this guy, the faster you can stop beating yourself up."
"I'm not…"
"You are," Leonard and Chris said together. Jim looked at both men with a raised eyebrow.
"It's what you do, kid. Now, go, you got work to do," the sheriff said. "Which reminds me; the county board is gonna have to hold an emergency session sometime in the next few days."
"You got stabbed yesterday and they have until end-of-business Thursday to officially appoint an acting sheriff," Jim said. "It can wait."
"No it can't. I'm not walking outta here. I see your hand on my leg but I can't feel it. Everything from the waist down on my right side is just… numb. They have to officially replace me, it's a law, you know that," Chris said.
"Iowa code three-three-one point six-five-one section one," she sighed. Leonard looked at her with a smile. Well, someone downplays her brainpower. How many people can rattle off state laws like that?
"Iowa code one-four-eight point three section two?" Leonard asked. It was one of the only ones he knew off the top of his head. Chris gave him a look.
"'An application for a license shall be made to the board of medicine. All license and renewal fees shall be paid to the board.' That one's easy," she smiled.
"Just wondering if your state law knowledge was limited to police codes," the doctor smiled.
"Three-three-one are actually the state laws for county home rule implementation. One-four-eight codes are for medicine and surgery and osteopathic medicine and surgery. Iowa codes eight-oh and four-oh-oh are for public safety and civil service, respectfully," Jim chuckled.
"Not as smart as Spock and Scotty my ass," Leonard smiled.
"She does a crappy job of hiding her genius," Chris chuckled. "Look, if the board is smart, they'll just swear you in as the acting sheriff and call it a day. That was my recommendation when Vice-chairman Barnett came to talk to me this morning."
"I don't wanna take your job, Chris," Jim said with a chuckle.
"I don't want them to put some idiot in my department. You know what you're doing and the men respect you. Besides, I'm not going anywhere. If you need advice, all you gotta do is ask."
She glanced at Leonard before she gave the older man a look, "Chris..."
"Jamison," the sheriff said. "Go catch this guy and worry about the politics later."
AN: I took the whole 'Jim rattling off laws' thing is from TOS Gary Mitchell's description of Kirk being a "stack of books with legs" and from the AOS comic version of The Galileo Seven. Ferris tries to get Kirk to abandon Spock, Scotty, Bones and a few other people in the middle of a quasar by throwing regs at Jim. Jim counters by rattling off a different regulation (the whole thing, by section and line numbers) that maintained his command. With some help from Uhura, they save the day and delivered the medical gear on-time. It's a side of Jim that gets alluded to in the AOS movies and I wish we had gotten to see it.