Author's Note:

Hello everyone. Here is chapter three for you all and you get to know a bit about Jim and Winona's history. This story has definitely been more difficult than my other ones to write but as I've said before challenge is good. Thank you for you continued support of this story and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

I own nothing.

A Story

Pavel had eventually cried himself to sleep and awoke very late the next day.

The day passed much the same as the one before as people came and went quietly. McCoy had returned to the hospital at some point and Scotty returned to the Enterprise. Hikaru had again gone to the crash site to help there and Nyota and Winona both spent the afternoon visiting Jim. With everybody out, Pavel stole out of his room.

He had taken to coming out when no-one was around so he didn't have to talk to anyone and had used these rare times for eating food and general hygiene purposes. He made his way to the kitchen, being careful to check that none of the Command Crew were around, and grabbed a small bite of food. He then quickly retreated back to his room via the bathroom before anyone came back. He nibbled slowly at the food he had taken as he really didn't feel hungry and thought about what happened. Like all the other times he had thought about it he found his mind coming up with ways that it was his fault, little things that just might have prevented it had he'd done them properly. Eventually he just stopped thinking about it and fell back into sleep.

When he next woke it was late night and the apartment was silent. His room suddenly felt close and unwelcoming and feeling the need to just get out he quietly made his way to the door and gently opened it. Peering out he saw that the way was clear and he softly padded to the living room. He didn't know why but Hikaru wasn't sleeping there like he had the last couple of nights so Pavel took the chance and settled himself next to the large window.

Winona had found herself unable to sleep.

She had been with Jim most of the day and Leonard had almost excitedly told her that her son was recovering quicker than they thought and should be off life-support by the next day. Though this was great news and alleviated many of her worries it also made her focus more on how Pavel was acting. She had contemplated several times how best to approach him but couldn't come up with a suitable way, especially since he wasn't listening to the rest of the crew. Knowing she wasn't going to sleep anytime soon Winona got up and, putting on her dressing gown, made her way to the kitchen thinking that she might get herself something to eat.

As she entered the living room she noticed Pavel sitting next to the large window and stopped in surprise, "Pavel?"

The boy jumped and his head shot round to look at her, his eyes then widened dramatically as he realised who she was. Winona slowly made her way towards him taking in his appearance. His hair looked a little messier than it usually did and his clothes were rumpled. The bags under his eyes were evident even in the half light of the room and he became more and more nervous as she approached. She gently lowered herself next to him before speaking, "Why don't you want to see Jim?"

He appeared caught off guard by the question and quickly looked down.

"Pavel?"

He looked back towards her before answering, "I just can't see him vhen eets my fault he's zere."

She nodded and looked out across the city and he did as well. They sat in silence for a while and Winona thought about how best to proceed, then a thought came to her and she spoke again, "Do you know why me and Jim were out of contact for so long?"

Pavel looked at her confused and shook his head.

"I'm not surprised." She paused before continuing, "After Jim was born it was difficult, I still worked for Starfleet and was off-planet for long periods of time. I left my sons with my brother Frank but he didn't care for them properly. I tried to do what I could but Jim's older brother Sam left him to stay with his Grandfather instead. In the end I thought it best to send Jim elsewhere and at first it seemed to be fine, then something terrible happened where he was and he experienced terrible things. When he got through it he was so ashamed he felt that he couldn't see me again, the guilt of what he had to do caused him lose contact with me. I heard nothing from him for years, in fact I thought he hadn't survived and it wasn't until after the Narada that I heard anything about him."

She managed to hold back her tears at the thought of what her son had been through as she spoke to the boy beside her, "He felt similar to how you do now, that is why we didn't speak for years. You're a good person Pavel, that's why you're blaming yourself for what happened, Jim did the same but you should think about how you're handling this. Jim's guilt meant he didn't speak with me for years but it also meant he didn't let go of it either, not until Christopher Pike and the rest of you helped him to. I know you feel that it's your fault and that's why you can't see Jim or speak to the others but that is the very thing that's preventing you from getting through this."

She looked at Pavel beside her and saw him thinking about what she had said, he then spoke quietly, "Vat should I do?"

She placed her hands on his shoulders, "Go and see Jim, I know you feel that's the last thing you want to do but you need to." She pulled him into a hug, "Believe me, it's the best thing you can do and who knows it might help speed Jim's recovery as well."

The next morning Winona was gently guiding Pavel through the hospital corridors.

After their talk she had stayed with Pavel for the rest of the night and felt a huge amount of relief when he'd requested to see Jim that day. She'd been adamant in not letting anyone else come with them; Pavel did not need an audience for this. She felt him tense and pull back as they approached the door to Jim's room and she placed a comforting arm around him. He looked up at her encouraging smile and took a deep breath and opened the door.

The room was quiet as different screens showed Jim's various vital signs as McCoy stood beside the bed. He looked up as Pavel entered and gave him a comforting smile, "It's good to see you here kid. Jim was taken off life-support this morning; he's being a pain and ignoring what the doctors have been saying as usual. They had estimated timings for his recovery and naturally he has to be ahead of their schedule."

Strangely enough the doctor's words comforted him and Pavel found himself moving closer to the bed. He stood next to it and looked at his Papa's face, though it was no where near its normal colour Jim's face looked a lot healthier than it had before and Pavel was reassured by the steady rise and fall of his chest. He suddenly felt McCoy gently place his hand on Jim's chest and he could feel the weak but steady beat of his Papa's heart.

He didn't realise he had sat down on the chair next to the bed as he stared at his Papa who was very much alive. Just the fact that he had seen it for himself started to ease Pavel for if his Papa was alive then he could cope, he could take comfort in that alone and for now that was all he needed.

McCoy and Winona had left them be and returned later that morning. When they got there they saw that Pavel had fallen asleep with his head on Jim's bed. What really surprised them was that at some point Jim's hand had moved to rest on the boy's head as if to give his son what little protection he could while he slept.

PS-So there you have and you may be pleased to know it's only going to get happier from here on out and the fluff will return.