Pike tweaked the steering yoke and the car slid into the space between two other vehicles. The powercells and anti-grav pads faded till they stilled as Pike and Jim alighted from the two front seats. Christopher Pike swept his eyes over the familiar network of buildings and sighed in appreciation; more than one held fond memories of the lieutenant's cadet years. This time however, he was returning without George Kirk but with best friend's son. It was uncanny; Jim Kirk looked so much like his father after a shower and haircut. It was as if the person he had come to the academy with really was George Kirk – only, one of them had gone through some absurb de-aging process.

In comparison, Jim Kirk scowled as he saw the academy grounds. It really couldn't look more pathetic on their advertisements than in real life, he mused. Truthfully, he could have scorned the place out loud but he had grown to respect Christopher Pike and didn't want to offend him after all he'd done for Jim since Tarsus IV.

'You ready?' Pike asked from the pavement, twisting his head around to glance at the teenager still standing beside the car.

Jim grunted in response and plodded over to join Pike on the footpath. Satisfied that Jim was content to follow, Pike turned and walked towards the parade grounds where the memorial service was being held. Pike in his formal Starfleet uniform, and Jim in simple jeans and a long sleeved shirt. Jim had refused to wear anything 'impractical' and the long sleeves worked to cover his scars. Majority of the lines were on his torso but he had a few running over his arms although they were little more than silver streaks.

The grounds were filled primarily with cadets although they respected the Kelvin memorial service and steered clear of the parade grounds as much as they could. Pike occasionally spotted flashes of midshipman uniform; from the basic grey of first-year plebes to the metallic shirts of upperclassmen. He smiled when he spotted a handful of cadets wearing a red, familiar looking uniform.

'You miss this place, don't you?'

Pike turned in surprise. The pair had been walking in silence and he had indeed been caught up reminiscing. With Jim following so quietly he had all but forgotten that the teenager was accompanying him.

He had grown so use to attending these memorial services by himself, deprived of a friend who had given his life to save the boy beside him.

'Yes,' Pike admitted, 'I spent four years at the academy. Your father was my roommate for one of those years'.

That caught Jim's attention.

'Really?' he asked.

Pike smiled in Jim's sudden burst of interest.

'Yeah,' he said wistfully, 'he was a great friend, your father. Incredible ingenuity and damn smart too – all the teachers knew he was going to go far. He'd be the perfect student in class but if you caught him on a Saturday Night…'

Pike trailed off cryptically and chuckled at the memory.

'Chris!'

Pike looked up at his name and grinned when he caught site of a familiar face.

'Alex!' he called gleefully, 'it's been too long - how've you been?'

Jim wandered to the side and gazed around the parade grounds while Pike walked a few metres ahead to converse with his friend. Jim assumed that the grounds had been dressed for the memorial and he noticed the telltale signs of typical Starfleet order in the layout of the venue.

There was a wide stage facing neat rows of plain, grey chairs. On the stage were a clear lectern and a single line of the same simple chairs, presumably for those who would be using the stage.

Once Jim took in the surrounding environment and ensured that there was no present danger, he tore his gaze from the furniture and walked over towards Pike and his friend.

'…I actually only came back to earth a few weeks after you arrived,' Alex was telling Pike.

Alex noticed Jim approaching and he looked pointedly at Pike who turned around and noticed Jim.

'Oh! Alex, this is Jim. Jim, this is Alex; he was the one who talked me into joining Starfleet; you can call him Captain Marcus,' Pike explained

Jim raised his eyebrow and nodded his greetings towards the older man. Other than that, he stayed silent. Talked, eh? So that was how Starfleet managed to recruit decent blokes like Chris, he thought.

If Alex thought Jim's unenthusiastic response was unusual he said nothing of it. Instead, the middle-aged man smiled at him and then swiveled his head around, seeming to search for something.

'Ah! There she is!' he exclaimed to himself, 'Carol, honey, come over hear and say hello to Lieutenant Pike,' he called to a teenage girl talking to a Tellarite next to the rows of chairs.

He beckoned towards himself and Carol walked over to the trio.

'Too long indeed!' Pike agreed with his previous statement, 'she's grown so tall, Alex!'

Alex chuckled and Carol smiled at Pike's observation.

'Hello, lieutenant,' she greeted, 'I didn't know you were earthside'.

Pike inclined his head in apparent agreement.

'Yes, well I've finally used house for the past few months. Been looking after Jimmy here'.

Marcus threw his friend a knowing grin and placed a hand on Carol's shoulder.

'This is my daughter, Carol,' he told Jim.

'Hello,' Carol smiled.

Jim gave her the same greeting he'd given Marcus. A Starfleet Captain was no different from his Barbie daughter. The only people who deserved respect were those who'd earned it. Otherwise, he'd be giving everyone an excuse to think that they owned him in some way. No way was he ever making that mistake again.

Not like he had with Kodos.

He knew all too well that even without respect, Kodos could manipulate you into going so far as to grovel at his feet regardless whether you intended to or not.

Pike coughed apologetically at Jim's cold response and brought him back to the present.

'Sorry, it's not you two,' he muttered and meaningfully touched the Starfleet insignia on his shirt as discreetly as he could.

Alex's mouth opened to emulate the shape it would form if he had verbalized the word 'Oh' and he nodded minutely. Pike smiled to himself, satisfied that his friend had successfully received his excuse and that Jim hadn't seen the exchange.

Jim almost scoffed. The naivety of people these days; they thought their actions went unnoticed as long as the third party failed to interject.

'So, Carol,' began Pike, hoping to move on from the awkward pause in conversation, 'have you decided when you'll be joining the academy?'

'Hopefully after I've finished my schooling but I think I might probably join a few years after graduation – want to see my options, you know?' she replied.

Pike nodded thoughtfully.

'Well, all I can say is that you're father will be proud on the day you graduate from the academy. Although, you may not be able to get a spot on his ship – I'm certain he'll be an Admiral by then!' he joked.

Jim felt as if he'd been punched in the gut. He knew Pike had meant no harm but he's words had cut deep. You're father will be proud on the day you graduate from the academy remembered Jim, Pike's words reminding him of his own deceased father and personal stubbornness against Starfleet. All this time he hadn't been considering his father's opinion. If dad were alive today, thought Jim would he approve of my actions? Or would he be disappointed? Would he rather be proud of a son who graduated from the academy, and not one who soldered metal for the rest of his life?

The doubts were taking a toll on Jim's self-confliction and he decided to leave the conversation before he made an emotional outburst. Silently, he walked away from the trio towards the rows of chairs. Pike noticed his departure although the expression on Jim's face stopped him from going after the troubled teenager.