There are big ships and small ships. But the best ship of all is friendship. - Author Unknown
Disclaimer:....... Still not mine, even after my tantrum...
A/N: The chapters simply continue to get longer.. I created a monster in this fic... Maggiacomo is pronounced 'Muh-jock-a-mo'. Lt. (j.g.) is a lieutenant, junior grade. It is, to my knowledge, the rank just below lieutenant. Lt. Cmdr. is lieutenant commander and comes in between lieutenant and commander, obviously. I get my info from the Star Trek Wiki Memory Alpha. Now on with the ficcy!
Chapter Four: Heroes Don't Come Home
The maiden voyage of the Starfleet heavy cruiser USS Enterprise had been historic to say the least. Bones was amazed they even made it back to Earth alive at all. It was all such a blur. The only thing he recalled in perfect detail was the aftermath. He'd been patching up Jim from his encounter on the Narada. The door to the med bay suddenly whooshed open, revealing Cmdr. Greg Maggiacomo, Minnie's cousin, supporting none other that Lt. (j.g.) Minerva Black. She grinned dizzily as her Chief Weapons Engineer cousin deposited her on a biobed and explained that she had overworked herself and collapsed, hitting her head in the process.
"Crazy Minnie tried to get up and go to work again, patchin' things up," he said, smirking, "You know how she is… Take good care of her, Doc. Get her to rest and eat something. I'm countin' on you."
The man hadn't even turned to leave before Bones was getting the IV and ice pack for his latest patient, hooking her up to the bag of fluid and slapping the pack on her head, telling her to hold it there. He then went to back to patching up Jim, who was so covered in cuts, abrasions, and scrapes that he looked as though he'd been in car wreck, until a strange sniffling noise reached his ears. He turned. Minnie's lip was quivering. Her eyes were glistening with tears. Bones and Jim rushed over to her.
"What's wrong?" Jim asked, "What's the matter?"
"Is it your head? Do you need a painkiller?"
She shook her head once before saying, "Two of my cousins died. One was on the Farragut, and one was on the Niagara. Me and Greg are really lucky. I… I-"
Minnie burst into tears, unable to continue. Jim immediately wrapped his arms around her, and Bones reached out to stroke her disheveled hair, careful to avoid the knot where she hit her head. The doctor vaguely wondered if she would've broken down in front in front of them if she hadn't smacked her head on something; she probably had a concussion. Eventually, Jim had to let go because of his ribs, laying down on a nearby biobed and leaving Bones to comfort Minnie alone. When the young woman dragged her sleeve across her face, he saw shades of little daughter Joanna, who also had perfect curls and bright expressive eyes. He felt a sudden rush of something akin to fatherly affection and dropped a chaste kiss to the top of the girl's head. She smiled up at him tearfully. After that, about seven crewmen came in from engineering, and everything blurred again.
A week after that fateful day, they were going to graduate from the Academy… as Cadets 2nd Class. Tomorrow they were going to graduate. Today, however, had been far more interesting. It was the first time in Starfleet history that a cadet had given a press release. The circumstances surrounding it were none other than the events of the Enterprise's maiden voyage. Pike, who was technically still captain of the Enterprise, had received numerous requests for interviews with Jim, which Jim categorically refused. While everyone who desired interviews thought of James Kirk as a hero, James Kirk thought otherwise.
"We're not heroes, sir!" he told Pike emphatically, "We were just doing our jobs! You know that!
Indeed, the entire crew of the Enterprise were seen as heroes by the Cadets 3rd and 4th Class. They looked up to the green crew as though they were the toughest and the best. Eyes followed them everywhere they went. Jim, Minnie, and Bones sat outside under a tree two days after arriving back on Earth, trying to ignore the stares and whispers of the younger cadets. Jim was lamenting the unwanted media frenzy, so Minnie offered up her wisdom.
"Civilians just don't understand," she explained, "Trust me. They believe that we're doing the extraordinary when we're only doing the job we were trained to do. Sure, the job is slightly more dangerous and requires great skill and intelligence, and only one percent of the population ever serves in the military in its various entities, but that certainly doesn't make us heroes. I mean-" she rose and began pacing in front of them, gesturing wildly, "the two of you don't feel like heroes, and I sure don't. Not only that, but every crewmember I've talked to said the same thing.
"They just don't get it. See, I learned that at an early age. I was six when I went to my Uncle Freddie's funeral. There was a weapons malfunction. He was the CWE on the USS Monssen, so he was trying to get everyone out of the weapons bay and just as he was about to get out, it blew. He was real badly burned. All the guys he rescued said he was a real hero, even the guy who went in to try and save him. At the funeral, one guy said that real heroes are the ones who don't come home… like your dad, Jim."
"Yeah, but how do we even begin to tell people that?" Jim asked.
Minnie paced once more for a few moments before falling to her hands and knees in front of them, exclaiming, "I've got it! We'll hold a press conference!"
"What?!" Bones replied, "We can't hold a press conference! We're just cadets!"
"Why couldn't we?"
"Because it's never been done!"
"That simple idea has never before stood in the way of great people. Ordinary people that did extraordinary things," she explained, "When the first women ran for public office, it was because it had never been done before. When man first sent rockets into space, it was because it had never been done. Humans have a history of doing things they've never done. Why not us?"
"Well, I'm not giving any speeches," Jim said flatly.
"Neither am I," Bones stated.
"Fine, I can do it myself. I'm not half-bad at giving speeches. I've done it before."
"This would be a lot more than a simple valedictorian speech in front of your high school class and their families," Bones explained in a rather intimidating tone, "You'll be speaking to the entire U. S. of A. Maybe even the whole world! It's a major responsibility!"
Minnie simply grinned at him in a way that said she knew that… and relished the thought. Bones sighed, shook his head, and flopped backwards, sprawling on the grass, hands behind his head. Jim leaned against the tree they were under, looking up at the sky pensively. Minnie had moved up between them, lying on her stomach, head resting on her folded arms. They remained in this companionable silence for some time (dusk was settling around them) until, at long last, Jim said, "I suppose we'll have to go to the PR office tomorrow morning then, huh?"
Bones and Minnie both replied, "I reckon," as the three of them stood and went inside the dorm. The next day, they trooped down to the public relations office. Minnie was confidently in the lead while her two gentlemen trailed behind slightly, trying to talk her out of it; she ignored them. A pretty young woman with pale lavender skin and lime green hair and eyes sat behind a desk. Minnie walked straight up to her.
"Cadets Minerva Black, Leonard McCoy, and James Kirk. We would like to see Lt. Cmdr. Moore."
The woman's eyes widened, and she asked, "James Kirk? The James Kirk?"
After a nod from all three, she rose and scurried to the office. She returned a moment later with a redheaded woman who had very short hair, very green eyes, and very pale skin: Lt. Cmdr. Moore. She surveyed them quickly, then asked them into her office.
"Cadet Kirk," she said in a thick Boston accent, "I have been waiting for you. The press is absolutely eating this story up. We've had nearly fifteen requests for-"
"That's not why I'm here, ma'am."
The green eyes narrowed.
"Explain, Kirk."
"I am here with Cadet McCoy to support Cadet Black in her request, ma'am."
"And what request would that be?"
"Ma'am," Minnie replied, "I request that I be allowed to hold a press conference on the events of… the recent events. Cadet Kirk has no desire to be interviewed, and I am more than willing to address the nation on several points. Indeed, ma'am, it would be an honor."
"Black, I don't think you understand exactly what you're asking. A press conference of this magnitude would have the attention of the world. The whole damn world. That's a big audience and a big responsibility. Think you can handle that?"
"Yes, ma'am, I do."
The officer sighed, running a hand through her hair. Silence reigned over the room as she sat down. Finally, she said, "Never in the history of Starfleet has a cadet held a press conference. Too little experience with handling touchy questions. Reporters are vicious… goddamn sharks. Tell ya what… I'll let ya give your speech, but I'm gonna be right there with ya. As soon as the sharks start circling, though, you're done, and I'm getting' ya out of there. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good. I suppose I oughta ask what kind of speech you wanna give."
"Oh, a very simple one, ma'am. One about heroes. About how they are made and who they are… and especially who they are not."
"I like it," Moore said with a smile, "Something tells me the media will, too, at least before they start tearing it apart. I've got one scheduled in two days time. That's the day before your graduation. You'll give it then."
"Understood, ma'am."
"Wonderful. Dismissed."
The three of saluted and left. Once in the corridor, Minnie let out a breath.
"You did very well, Minnie," Bones said, "I'm quite impressed."
She simply grinned at him, then linked arms with him and Jim to go back to the dorm. Minnie basically lived with Jim and Bones now. She took one of their beds for herself (which they let her do), and they shared one. The three of them were much like a family. Minnie began to worry over her speech immediately, constantly asking them for advice on the structure of a sentence or a synonym of a word without revealing anything about the overall structure. Bones had to half-drag her to meals because she was so focused and secretive. However, the evening before the big day, she let out a loud exclamation of joy, signaling that she had finished it. Jim tried to initiate his usual form of celebration (read 'drinking'), but the other two talked him out of it (read 'hit him'). Then, Minnie got an idea and disappeared for about thirty minutes, returning with two shopping bags.
"Whatcha got?" Jim asked upon spying them.
Minnie smiled and produced the contents.
"I got cupcakes and soda! Oh, and chips, too. I thought it would be a good way to celebrate."
"It's a bit early to celebrate, don't ya think?" Bones asked.
"No, it isn't," Minnie stated decidedly.
Cupcakes may not have been the best idea. In a matter of minutes, everyone had icing on their faces, mainly thanks to Jim. Even Bones was smiling and laughing. After they got cleaned up, they all flopped on Bones' bed, where Jim proceeded to tell embarrassing stories about Bones from their first year at the Academy. Bones retaliated with tales about drunken Jim that had Minnie rolling with laughter until they fell asleep. When the doctor awoke the next morning, the three of them were tangled on the bed. Minnie's head was resting on his shoulder, and Jim's legs were flung over both of theirs. Bones tried carefully to disentangle himself from them. Minnie woke up; Jim snorted lightly and rolled over without waking.
"What time 's it?" she mumbled groggily.
"Still early… about eight or so. Go on back to sleep, Minnie."
"Can't. Just realized what today is."
She rubbed her eyes and yawned widely. Her curls stuck up at odd angles, but Bones knew he looked no better. He suggested they go to breakfast; Jim wouldn't wake for a while. Twenty minutes later, they had left Jim a note and headed to the mess. Bones was surprised to Minnie piling a tray with food, which she quickly shoveled down.
"I'm a nervous eater," she explained when he gaped at her.
Her leg jiggled anxiously the entire time they ate. Bones tried to divert her attention from the upcoming major speech by asking her what she did aboard the Enterprise.
"Oh, it was all very interesting," she said, "I'm with Tactical, y'know, so I get to work with weapons and everything. I helped make sure the weapons were okay for use, that the crewmen were doing everything by protocol and weren't gonna blow us to high heaven. I armed the phaser cannons and the photon torpedoes, all that fun stuff. How'd you hold up?"
"Surprisingly, it wasn't much different from the emergency room and trauma bay at Atlanta General. All kinds of injuries, too little staff to handle it all. Nothing I'm not already used to. The injuries were slightly more gruesome, but pretty much the same, though."
The doctor calmly sipped his coffee after that, despite the fact that those memories made him far less than calm. What he had not told her was that he had never in his life lost so many patients at once, never so many kids, never felt so helpless. It sucked. However, no matter how skilled he was at hiding his feelings, Minnie was still overly perceptive to everyone's feelings. She gazed at him for a moment, her eyes full of unabashed pity and sadness for him, before she suggested they return to the room, saying, "I feel like everyone's staring at me, 's all. Come on, Bones. Please?"
Bones quickly agreed. Jim was (barely) awake when they got back, pouting that they hadn't waited for him or woken him up. There were still nearly four hours until Minnie had to give her speech, but she was amazingly calm once back in the room. No pacing, no tapping, no leg jiggling. Bones thought it a bit strange, but Jim didn't even seem to notice. They talked until it was time to go. Minnie linked arms with them once outside, and they headed to the main auditorium, where they would watch Minnie give her speech. Lt. Cmdr. Moore was already there, waiting for them. She shooed Jim and Bones away but not before they received hugs from Minnie. The room was filling up at a good pace with a myriad of races and beings. A lieutenant (j.g.) arrived shortly and told them that he would lead to spot where they could watch the whole thing in peace after everyone came in. It only took fifteen minutes. Jim looked around, vaguely impressed by it all. Bones had to admit it was pretty intimidating.
"Bones, when is Minnie coming out?" Jim whispered.
"Calm down, Jim. We've only been here five minutes. Be pat- here she comes!" he hissed.
Minnie looked as calm as she'd ever been he whole day. However, Bones remembered that the stage was as much a home to her as the weapons bay on a starship; she'd done several stage shows in South Jersey. Lt. Cmdr. Moore stepped up to the microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the press, I now present to you Cadet 2nd Class Minerva Black, a lieutenant aboard the USS Enterprise."
Minnie smiled politely and shook Moore's hand. She adjusted the microphone calmly.
"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen of not only the United States of America but also of the world and the Federation. I have come before you today simply to clear up a rather great misconception. That of what exactly a hero is.
"You see, it was at the tender age of six that I learned what a hero was. I attended the funeral of my uncle, Lt. Cmdr. Fred Black, a hero in the truest sense of the word. He willingly gave his life in order to save the lives of others. I learned that day that heroes are the ones who never come home, who never get to claim the medals and commendations awarded them. It went the same with my brother, Phillip Black, only two years before I joined Starfleet. It went the same with my cousins, Michael Black and Vincent Maggiacomo, not even a week ago at the hands of Nero and the Narada. These people are heroes.
"It is inherent in human nature to seek out a spark of hope and cling to it during times of turbulence and despair. However, in our search for hope, we must not forget the darkness that led us to seek it. While every eye and ear on Earth has been turned to the victory of the Enterprise, everyone seems to have forgotten the immense losses suffered. The entire planet of Vulcan was utterly destroyed, killing billions, billions, of beings. Seven Federation ships were lost: the USS Fenton, USS Farragut, USS Niagara, USS Leyte Gulf, USS Ives, USS Challenger, and USS Arkansas. Seven ships with a total of 4,000 crewmembers, all of whom were killed in action. These were the heroes, are the heroes.
"I therefore urge you all to not seek out the living as heroes. Instead, seek out the 4,000 grieving families. Let them know that their son or daughter, or mother or father, or husband or wife, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, or cousin was a hero. The crew of the USS Enterprise cannot be heroes. Heroes never make it back home. Thank you."
Reporters began clamoring to ask questions. Moore picked one out.
"Tell us, Cadet Black, how did James T. Kirk, a mid-western rough-houser and rogue, become the acting captain of the USS Enterprise? He seems to have gotten into a great deal of trouble in his youth for hotheadedness and fighting."
"I cannot answer for Cadet Kirk's behavior in his youth," Minnie answered calmly, "I can only express my confidence in his skills and ability to command. He is more than capable in my opinion."
"How can you be so confident? It's the greenest crew in all of Starfleet!" another shouted.
"Every one of us aboard that ship went through a baptism of fire. We learned by doing, arguably the best way to learn. We had to quickly figure out what would work and what wouldn't in order to stay alive. I believe us to be an extremely capable crew, regardless of previous experience."
"How do you explain the fact that Kirk made it aboard when he was on academic suspension?" a voice piped up from the back.
"His attending physician believed him to be developing an illness which manifested itself that day. Said physician was not comfortable with leaving Cadet Kirk at the Academy, so they brought him along to keep an eye on his health and treat him. The doctor was perfectly within their rights to do so."
"No more questions!" Moore quickly interrupted, "Have a good day, everyone!"
The reporters clamored in disapproval, upset that they couldn't get any dirt out of the green cadet. Bones and Jim hurried out and down the corridor to the stage door, mainly for Jim's sake, and found Minnie waiting for them. She was grinning like a fool, obviously pleased with herself.
"Hey, Minnie! You were great!" Jim said, "Good job keeping my image intact."
"Of course. It was my job, after all."
"Yeah," Bones replied, " You even managed to keep my name out of it."
"Oh stop it! Let's just go have lunch already! I'm starving!"
She stayed with them again that night, the night before graduation. Realization sank for all three of them. The combined classes of 2258 and 2259 were the smallest ever to graduate. Jim, Minnie, and Bones all sat on Bones' bed, silently reveling in one another's presence.
"Y'know," Minnie said after a while, "I heard some scuttlebutt that they're really gonna make you a captain, Jim… and you're gonna be a lt. cmdr., Bones. Wouldn't that be cool?"
"I guess," they replied in unison.
"What about you?" Bones asked.
"Dunno… I heard the other stuff from my cousin. He works in Security."
They fell silent afterwards for a great period of time until they decided to go to sleep. Just as they had done the night before, they fell asleep in one bed. The next morning, Bones woke to find Minnie snuggled into his chest. Jim was behind her, his arms wrapped around her. The doctor's arms were in a very similar position, mirroring Jim's. He smiled to himself and decided to stay put until they woke up.
"Go 'way," Jim mumbled at the alarm twenty minutes later, rolling over.
Minnie sat up rapidly, her hair sticking up in every direction. She peered at Bones through half-lidded eyes, stifling a yawn. Then, after muttering something incoherent about the bathroom, she crawled over Bones and out of bed. Half an hour later, they were sufficiently awake and in dress uniform, heading to breakfast. The doctor's two companions characteristically piled their trays with food that was shoveled down. It never failed to amaze Bones that remained so thin and lean.
"Whass'matter, Bones?" Jim asked around a mouthful of potato, "Not 'ungry?"
He shook his head and popped a forkful of food in his mouth. Most of the graduating cadets were chatting enthusiastically, creating an excited hum in the mess. Bones preferred to remain silent, reflecting and watching his friends eat ravenously. (Jim was still using his fork to shovel food in his mouth, while Minnie was now making egg-bacon-potato sandwiches with her toast.)
"Oh, I forgot to tell you guys," Minnie said when she had finished eating, "Practically my whole family's gonna be here for graduation today. Mom can't wait to meet you. I've told her loads about you two. She's gonna hug you, by the way."
"Why?"
"Because that's how she is. 'Any friend of yours is as good as my own child.' Said that to all of us. She's great. Couldn't ask for a better mom. My dad is gonna try to intimidate you, though. He does with all my guy friends. Thinks they all wanna date me. Don't worry, though; he's great, too. Knew your dad, Jim."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah! They served on the Kelvin together. My dad got transferred off just before my brother Spencer was born. Actually, I've been told that the Kelvin tragedy is the only reason Phillip and I were born. Inspired my parents to have a bigger family. They won't be all weird about it, though. They know how it is."
Bones glanced at Jim. The younger man looked quite uncomfortable about the whole thing, but they both knew he wouldn't get out of it easily. They realized it would've been hopeless once they met her family. Her father was handsome, in his early fifties, and had most of her pale features such as hair and skin. He was tall though and had warm brown eyes. Mrs. Black was just a hair taller than her only daughter, with thick black curls, olive skin, and Minnie's grayish-blue eyes and sharp yet soft features. True to Minnie's word, Mrs. Black embraced them both while Mr. Black glared at them and shook their hands. Minnie grinned and introduced them. Several young men hovered around, all in Starfleet uniform, all cousins or brothers, and all with the same mix of pale and Mediterranean features. A small, elderly, Italian woman with pure white hair was introduced as her grandmother. Both she and Minnie's mother had strong North Jersey/NYC accents.
"Oh, Minnie has told us so much about you two!" her mother exclaimed, "It's so wonderful to meet you at last! I'd invite you boys to dinner, but we're not at home… maybe for a holiday…'
"You're George's boy, right?" Mr. Black asked Jim, "Great guy. Knew him well. I served with him on the Kelvin for a time. You look just like him. He'd be mighty proud of you, y'know."
"Now, Matthew, we're not here to pester the boy. I'm sure he already gets enough of that. Well, we'll all leave you three to get ready. It's a big day, after all. See you later!"
She linked arms with her husband and led him off, the crowd following behind. Minnie was beaming. Bones remarked how like her mother she was; she hit him on the arm. One and a half jittery hours later, they were seated for the graduation ceremony: by ship, position on the ship, and then alphabetically within and if they had no ship. They couldn't even see Minnie. Jim's leg jiggled nervously beside Bones' because Spock, as first officer, 'graciously' allowed Bones to trade places with him and sit beside Jim. (The entire Enterprise was there regardless of Academy status to receive commendations and possibly promotions.) They were almost surprised when Minnie's scuttlebutt proved to be true. Jim was to become the youngest captain in the history of Starfleet and would receive command of the Enterprise in a later ceremony. Bones got the rank of lieutenant commander and position of CMO of the USS Enterprise. Then, Minnie was promoted right to lieutenant commander and given the position of Chief Tactical Officer, the youngest ever for both positions. She looked ready to faint. Ensign Pavel Chekov was given a commendation, as was Cmdr. Spock. Lt. Montgomery Scott was promoted to Lt. Cmdr. and given a commendation, while both Hikaru Sulu and Uhura became full lieutenants and were given commendations. Even Bones was smiling by the end of it.
Minnie's family attacked her after the ceremony, offering up hugs, kisses, and flowers. Her grandmother said something like a prayer or blessing in Italian, then declared that they were going out to dinner before going home to South Jersey.
"Oh, there's the best place for Japanese food in the city!" Minnie exclaimed, "Cook the food right in front of you, and it's delicious! They've got seafood, too, grandmom."
"Alright, then! That's where we'll go," Mrs. Black said.
Bones and Jim started to say good-bye when Mrs. Black interrupted them, saying, "Well, what makes you boys think you weren't invited? You're perfectly welcome to come along! Come on… I won't take no for an answer."
They opened their mouths to protest, but Minnie whispered, "She really means that. Just come on," and pushed them along by the smalls of their backs. They were glad they did later. Dinner was a riotous affair as Minnie's family was hilarious. Bones almost fell off his chair when Ms. Maggiacomo, Minnie's grandmother, complained loudly about the way the chef cooked and offered to do it for him. Jim actually did fall off his after hearing how Minnie almost blew up her basement. They had Bones and Jim roaring with laughter. Then they discovered that the two men were staying in San Francisco during their two-week leave while the Enterprise was being patched up. Minnie's family immediately suggested that they stay with them in South Jersey. They protested but to no avail. Minnie grinned in triumph once they agreed. Hell, did she really expect Bones to turn down two weeks of homemade Italian food forever?
If you're alone, I'll be your shadow.
If you want to cry, I'll be your shoulder.
If you want a hug, I'll be your pillow.
If you need to be happy, I'll be your smile.
But anytime you need a friend, I'll just be me. ~Author Unknown
There it is! Hope you all enjoyed it. I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next simply due to the fact that I actually have to type up the chapters from my handwritten copies and there's very little time for me to do so. Plz to bear with me. If you see me posting little oneshots and not updating, it's because the oneshots are shorter than my chapters for this. But don't worry, I'm not neglecting this one. It's just quicker to type up the oneshots. If you have any questions, ask them! And remember: reviews make me happier than my Rottweiler in a white bread factory.... which is really, really happy.