Weeks passed smoothly with the new addition to their small, damaged family. T'Pol would often sit around the house and just type on her PADD, sending messages to the Vulcan Embassy while Sam and Jim studied on their respective homework.
At first, though, the Vulcan woman's simple, yet straightforward ways were not so welcomed by Jim, who would seldom leave his bedroom in order to eat. T'Pol had established a schedule for Jim to follow which had him showering every night, eating his daily three meals and studying.
However, making him leave the sanctity of his bedroom was a no-no.
She had commented that Jim spent an absurd amount of time in his bedroom and wanted him to enjoy the rest of the house and the gardens. Jim had told her that studying usually made him sleepy and so, he preferred to stay in his room and nap when he felt he needed it.
That very same night she had knocked on Sam's door to hand him a PADD battery, a bottle of water and a small plastic pot in case he might need to… relieve himself during the night.
Sam had gapped at her as she explained that if James wanted to stay in his bedroom all day long, he might as well have his wish granted thoroughly.
"I ask you to remain silent during the night at any cost, as James must stop relying on you for emotional protection," she said, her eyes cold.
Sam frowned.
"I want to protect my brother," he replied, arms crossing over his chest. "Whenever he needs my protection I will be there for him."
"I did not mean to offend you, Dr. Kirk," T'Pol said slowly. "What you stated is correct, you should protect your younger brother whenever he needs it, however, sometimes James will not need your protection but will seek it nonetheless as it is easier for him to hide behind you than to face whatever it is that is bothering him."
Sam clenched his fists, not wanting to believe that while he was doing his best to protect Jim from everything that might hurt him he was, in fact, hindering his recovering.
Was he really sheltering Jim?
"It is important for a young man his age to have a separate set of rules and roles," T'Pol continued. "And while it is only normal considering your particular familiar situation that you should take both as your responsibility, I was brought to this household for a duty that I intend to perform to my upmost best."
Sam shook his head.
"If this doesn't work, or if I see this hurts Jim…" he hesitated, biting his lip. "I swear I'll make you pay, old woman."
"I would expect nothing less, Dr. Kirk," T'Pol said with a small glint in her dark eyes that might have passed for fond amusement had she been human.
A few moments later he realized he had been locked in his room as the whole electricity of the house went out. Instantly he ran towards the wall to place his ear and see whether Jim was alright in his own room.
"Sammy?" Jim called, knocking on the door. "Mrs. T'Pol? Are you guys out there? What happened?"
"I decided after much meditation that granting your wish would be only logical, James," T'Pol explained from the hallway. "Since you find much security in your room and thus will not leave it without a struggle I decided to leave you to your rooms."
"WHAT!" Jim cried, banging his hands on the door. "LET ME OUT! WHAT IF I HAVE TO GO TO THE TOILET!"
"You can open a window and relieve yourself outside," T'Pol said simply. Sam tried to muffle his shock.
"SAM!" Jim screamed. "Tell her to let me out! Call Admiral Archer! SAMMY!"
"Your brother can't hear you," the Vulcan replied, almost mockingly. "I believe the human phrase would be: 'Enjoy the rest of your life, James'"
"YOU OLD WITCH!" Jim roared. "WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO IN HERE!"
"Your choices, James, though I would suggest sleep," T'Pol mussed. "I will go now to my own quarters to meditate. Good night, James."
Jim continued to yell and rave as he banged on his door for about two hours, maybe three. Then he tried to hack into the security system to open the doors, as Sam could monitor from his PADD, only to be followed around by small pop-ups in old Vulcan that had him shrieking in rage.
Finally, by midnight, Jim had huffed, sworn under his breath and decided he might as well go to sleep, as Sam could hear him muttering and the springs on his bed complaining under his weight.
The following morning T'Pol opened Jim's door to fin the young boy sulking, arms crossed.
"Will you come with me, now? Or would you rather stay in your secure bedroom?" She asked. Jim huffed.
"Got your point, Nanny," he snapped, getting his jacket and leaning over to kiss Sam on the cheek. "Careful with her, Sammy, she's really a witch!"
Sam had laughed a little, kissing his brother's cheek back.
"Have fun, Jimmy," he said gently. "I'll have breakfast ready when you guys come back."
Rule and roles, indeed.
Each morning since that fastidious night, T'Pol rose Jim from his bed at exactly 07:00 a.m. and dragged his sleepy brother to the local street market. Growing Terran children needed vitamins and proteins that were best served of freshly harvested vegetables, she told Jim and Sam, and since her age had left her weakened, she needed someone to carry the bags for her while she shopped for them.
Sam had offered to go shopping with the old woman himself, since Jim still was finishing high school and needed all the time he could to concentrate on his studies, but Jim had shaken his head vehemently and argued that while he was doing on-line courses, Sam had to go to college every single day and his time was, thus, more limited.
Plus he was a strong boy and he could help an old lady with a bag or two.
Sam had rolled his eyes and conceded, conveniently forgetting to inform Jim that while T'Pol might be as old as Admiral Archer, by Vulcan standards she was still quite young, plus, even if she was in the dawn of her life as she claimed, biologically she could carry the shopping herself, plus Jim and Sam, if she wanted to.
The old woman was planning something, Sam could tell, and he wanted to see what a logical Vulcan could be planning if she was forced to lie that way.
Two months later he realized Jim had gained weight as he wrapped his arms around his brother's back. His fingers, used to grace Jim's bony frame found a little soft sort of plump-ness in Jim's sides that brought tears to his eyes and a nearly inaudible sigh to his lips.
"You ok, Sammy?" his brother asked, snuggling into the embrace. Sam nodded, a tremulous smile on his face.
"You are getting a little meat on your bones, you know?" he told Jim, knowing from previous sessions with therapists that he should avoid words like 'fat', 'chubby' or even 'round' while referring to Jim, or he could trigger a relapse on his brother's condition.
Jim had blinked then, a small nervous smile stealing over his lips.
"It's all Nanny's fault," he admitted. "She says her Vulcan taste buds are too sharp and could make her ill, so I have to try all the fruits and veggies before we buy them, plus the meat and the milk and the cheese. By the time we are home I feel to full, it's weird."
Sam wanted to laugh, while it was true that Vulcan tongues were sharper than humans and that thus most spiced human foods were distasteful to Vulcans, it didn't mean T'Pol would get sick if she tied an apple.
Cunning old woman.
Plus Jim's tendency to call her 'Nanny' instead of the woman's name, as she often requested. It was T'Pol's fault really, and Sam wasn't really sure it bothered as much as she tried to make them think.
Sam couldn't help but smile as he saw the two of them arguing over lunch and homework. How he could tell T'Pol adored little Jim with all her Vulcanly logical heart and how Jim's eyes shone with mirth and warmth when the woman raised an eyebrow at his antics.
A good family of three, they had become.
While T'Pol disciplined Jim, Sam would coddle and pamper his little brother, as it was his nature and they both watched proudly as the little scared boy that had come back from Tarsus IV started blooming into teenage years gracefully.
Good team effort, if he could say so himself.
The only thing they could not achieve, no matter how much Sam fretted and hugged and kissed, and no matter how much T'Pol argued and set rules and logic, was for Jim to start interacting with other living beings beside themselves.
It didn't matter if T'Pol brought Jim to the park and had him stay for hours (current record was 15 straight hours) or if Sam convinced Jim of going to the hospital with him to help out at the children's ward. Jim remained separated and aloof, enjoying the sight of the children's happiness but never partook in it.
That is until that fatidic weekend Sam had silently dubbed 'THEN'.
One Monday morning Sam got a comm. From one of his most respected professors stating he was required for night shift at the hospital to deal with the yearly outbreak of Andorian Influenza. Common place cold for Andorians, a pain in the ass for humans.
And as he told T'Pol he would be gone from Friday until Sunday, he saw her purse her lips and frown almost imperceptively.
"T'Pau has requested I come back to Vulcan for that same date," she said. "Clan meetings."
Both stood in silence as Jim, now thirteen and almost going on fourteen looked at them with half of his breakfast smeared over his face.
"I can stay alone for a couple of days," he told them. "I'm not a baby."
"I can cancel at the hospital, I'm sure Professor Phlox wouldn't mind," Sam ventured, not really sure Jim could really behave himself while alone. It would be the first time his little brother had no one to run to if he needed it in years.
"But you need the credits!" Jim cried, taking his brother's hand. "I can do it, I promise."
"Maybe," T'Pol mussed. "T'Pau would understand that…"
"Nanny!" Jim growled. "You can't say no to T'Pau, she's a scary mot…. Woman. No, I'll stay alone and you guys will see how good I am and you'll feel silly when you come back on Sunday!"
Sam wanted to believe Jim, he had gone a long way from the shivering skeleton he had rescued from hell. But still… he wasn't sure he could be alone for such a long time.
What if he needed something? What if he fell and broke his arms? What if a rapist entered their little house and… no. Jim couldn't stay alone.
"Maybe Admiral Archer could check on you once in a while?" Sam offered, a small smile on his face at the thought of facing his mentor and his little brother. Jonathan Archer usually offered his help, specially when he saw that Jim preferred T'Pol's company to his own (Illogical Human Jealousy, T'Pol had sighed) but spending only a few hours every two or three months with Jim left the old man no idea how much of a little troublemaker his Jimmy could be.
It would be fun.
Jimmy seemed to think the same thing as he eagerly nodded his head.
"I know he's busy, he can check on me every day and if something goes wrong he can contact you, ok?" he said happily. "I'm sure an hour a day would be enough."
Sam fretted as he commed Admiral Archer and the old man just laughed at their predicament and waved a dismissive hand.
"Jim is really a good kid, Admiral," Sam said. "I want to believe that he can stay a day or two on his own but…"
"But you'll feel better knowing he has adult supervision," Archer interrupted. "I understand, Samuel."
"Are you confident in your ability to care for James' needs, Jonathan?" T'Pol asked, an eyebrow raised. "He can be quite rebellious."
"Unlike you, my friend, I think I can handle a teenager, plus Jim is a sweet little boy," he said. Sam and T'Pol looked at each other for a moment.
"Jim, promise me you will comm. us every three hours, just to be sure," Sam requested nervously. Ignoring the offended 'Hey!' from the comm. unit in favor of Jim's enthusiastic laughter.
"I promise," he said with a small smile. "Don't worry about me, Sammy!"
That Friday morning Sam couldn't tear his eyes off Jim's smiling face as he rode the car towards the hospital, readying himself for running antennae and mucus all weekend.
Jim waved at his older brother from his door until he disappeared down the road, same as he waved to 'Nanny' as she boarded the embassy's shuttle.
He was a big boy, almost an adult now.
Of course he could take care of himself.
Friday's shift went eternally for Sam as he spent most of his day taking care of ill Andorian and human children and checking his comm. for Jim's updates regularly.
Every three hours he got a small text from his brother that varied from:
- 'Still alive, having lunch now… burned the pot but still good.
- Yup. Still not dying. Admiral Archer called, he'll be here in an hour.
- Broke both legs when I fell from the tree in the backyard and …. Hah! Got ya! I'm still fine, stop worrying about me!
- It's almost time for bed… love you, Sammy.
- The house is quiet without you and Nanny around. Not all that sleepy.
- Can I use your bed tonight? Mine is… lonely.
- Got a glass of milk… I miss you.
- Sleepy, hope you don't mind I'm sleeping in your pajama's as well. Good night, Sammy.
Sam felt his heart break every time he read the comms. Jimmy was really lonely in their home. He tried to reply to the best of his ability but it was hard typing a coherent reply when he had an armful of screaming Andorians clamoring for attention, for more juice, more tissue, some pain killer.
Just a little more and he could go back home to his Jimmy.
Saturday morning he got his first comm. from Jim at 07:00 a.m.
- Going to the market on my own. Nanny will be happy when she sees the fruit.
Then a few hours later he read the description of Jim's studies for the day and his breakfast with satisfaction. And suddenly, by noon, he got:
- Admiral Archer is here… can't type. Bye!
Sam frowned.
Three hours passed without another comm., then six, then nine. By the time Sam had been relieved from duty to go back and take a nap he was so nervous he couldn't hold his food down.
Something had happened.
Jim had not commed. He was in danger.
Sam had to go… NOW!
Professor Phlox had stared at his crazy eyes and gasping mouth as he stammered reason after reason why he couldn't stay a minute longer at the hospital and why he needed to go back home now. Jimmy might be in danger. He shouldn't have trusted Admiral Archer with such a delicate child!
Jimmy needed him! He knew it!
Professor Phlox had laughed a little before dismissing him.
"Go and have fun, son," he said to Sam's rushing back as the young man left in a hurry, shaking his head.
On his way back he commed T'Pol and told her the news. Jim was not reporting back. Something terrible must have happened.
T'Pol told him she had tried to contact Jim herself and had not gotten an answer, which was the reason she was on a shuttle on her way as they spoke and that she would have to return at a later date since T'Pau seemed to be… displeased with her at the moment.
Amazingly enough for an old Vulcan woman, she was landing on their house's backyard by the time Sam was parking on the front.
Both looked at each other before rushing inside.
No one was there to greet them, however.
"JIMMY!" Sam cried, opening every door, peering under the beds in case his little brother was having one of his less frequent panic attacks.
Nothing.
T'Pol was on the kitchen, staring at the small back filled to the brim with the strawberries she was known to favor as if the fruit was breaking her Vulcan heart.
Jim had obviously gotten them for her.
But Jim was not home.
Jim had disappeared.
"Please," Sam choked. "Not again, Jimmy, don't disappear on me again!"
Tears pooled in his eyes as he ran a hasty hand over his hair, trying to control his panicked state and think, just think!
A car pulling down their driveway alerted them both that someone was there. Both human and Vulcan rushed to the door to see Admiral Archer stepping down the car with a bright smile on his face and helping Jimmy out.
Both were laughing.
"JIM!" Sam cried, falling to his knees in relief.
Jim turned to him, eyes wide.
"Sammy! You came back early!" he said happily, rushing to wrap his arms around his older brother's shoulders. Sam embraced his Jimmy tightly, trying to breath in his scent, to reassure himself that Jimmy was really there with him.
Admiral Archer stared at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I thought you two would be back by Sunday," he said, confused.
"Jonathan, you will explain what were you thinking by taking James away from home without consulting with Dr. Kirk and myself first," T'Pol growled, her arms crossing over her chest.
Admiral Archer laughed.
"Jim was really bored in this house all by himself," he replied with a shrug. "And then I thought back to the times you told me he had issues with people and interaction and, meh, I thought it would be a good idea to take the little rascal out of his comfort zone."
"We went to the Admiral's house! It's awesome, Sammy!" Jim beamed. Sam took Jim by the shoulders, not amused by the situation.
"Why didn't you comm. me! Do you know how worried T'Pol and I have been?" he demanded, eyes wide. Jim pursed his lips, pouting.
"I wanted to, but I dropped my unit on the way to the Admiral's place and then I tried another one but you re-routed your comms!" he defended himself. "I tried comming Nanny as well, but this snotty Vulcan guy said that Lady T'Pol was not to be bothered and that he would pass on the message!"
Sam blinked.
True, while on call at the hospital he usually set his comm. unit to re-route his calls until he was able to check them, only allowing Jim's personal unit to go through. He turned to T'Pol.
"There was an aide trying to contact me at the meeting," she admitted. "However, I was on my way to Earth and not willing to wait for him."
"It wasn't my fault, then," Jim grinned.
"You both knew he was with me," Archer mussed with a small smile. "Why didn't either of you call me to check?"
Sam flushed.
"I… wasn't thinking at the moment," he said, hiding his face on Jim's shoulder. Jim laughed gently, petting his hair.
"I'm sorry I worried you two," he said. "Sorry, Sam. Sorry, Nanny."
T'Pol placed a hand on Jim's hair and shook her head.
Archer laughed, but as he received a frigid look from the Vulcan he wisely chose to remain silent on the matter that Lady T'Pol had given T'Pau the finger and dashed back to Earth the moment she thought that illogical Jim boy could be in danger.
How sweet.
"Plus!" Jim grinned. "You two have to meet Artie!"
"Artie?" Sam asked, still not willing to let go of Jim's body.
Archer nodded, opening the door of his hover car.
"D'Artagnan, actually," he corrected. "Artie for short."
"You certainly wouldn't dare to…" T'Pol began.
"I certainly did," Archer interrupted.
A small whine came from the vehicle as a three month old beagle jumped into the yard and skipped happily towards Jim. The boy picked it up happily, rubbing his nose onto the soft fur.
"Can we keep him, Sammy? Please! Admiral Archer said it was a present, and look at him! He's so cute!" he begged, trusting the puppy onto his brother's face. "I promise I'll take care of him and I'll walk him and bath him and train him and please! Pretty pleaaaase, Sammy?"
"Tom's and Kevin's guardians said it was ok for them to keep one, so I guessed you wouldn't be less, Samuel," the old man commented.
Sam sighed.
"You kidnapped my brother, took him away from home without my permission nor knowledge, to meet his old friends and to give him a puppy?" he asked with a frown. Jim looked from his brother to T'Pol, as they were both glaring daggers at the old Admiral.
"Well, yes?" Admiral Archer said with a shrug. "He needed to get away from his comfort zone, plus it was time Jim and his little friends met up once more. And the puppy can be therapeutic for him?"
"Please, Sammy, Nanny?" Jim begged, his wide blue eyes bright and innocent.
Sam looked at T'Pol.
The Vulcan shook her head.
"You will need to train D'Artagnan to walk with us to the local market each morning, James, and to be a well behaved dog while you go to college," she said. "Do not expect the dog to be a leeway for you to avoid your chores."
Jim beamed.
"I promise!"
Sam sighed and shared a secret smile with the old Admiral.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, and it had been a while since Jim interacted so openly with another creature. He secretly thanked the Admiral for his thoughtfulness and decided he was going to leave the punishing and cold shoulder to T'Pol. She had enough experience with the old man to give him a quite logical 'kick in the nuts' for scaring them.
To be Continued.