"All right Chekov we're ready to take off," he told his navigator bleakly. Just one more week was all he needed, just one, and the Starfleet didn't give that to their best captain.
"It does not appear that way Captain," Spock called from Uhura's station.
"And why would that be?" James asked tiredly, rubbing a hand over his eyes.
"It appears we are being hailed by Commander Pike, Captain."
"All right then, let's get this over with," James told him blandly. Pike wasn't his favorite person right now.
"Will do Sir."
The screen ahead blinked on and Pike appeared before him smiling away. "Captain Kirk, while I know I'm not your favorite person right now, I need a favor."
"You are my commanding officer Pike, anything I don't do you can order me to do."
"Yes well, it's no that big of a favor, you might actually call it a gift."
"A gift?"
"I just need you to take two more people aboard the Enterprise. Well, more like one and a half."
"Did you cut ones head off so he didn't complain about being sent into space a week early?" James asked sarcastically.
"Not really," Pike trailed off, "but they should be arriving about now. I want you to go down and meet them and make them feel at home."
"Sir, I'm not sure I'm the right one to be doing that right now."
"Oh, I think you're the perfect one captain. Pike out!" And the screen went blank.
"Well sir, I think you know what is in order of action next," Spock informed him.
"I know, I know," James irritably, getting up out of his chair. Pressing the button for the lift, he turned back to Spock. "Oh, and Spock?"
"Yes Sir?"
"Shut up."
The lifts door closed and the bridge was silent for a minute.
"Do you zink ve should haff told him?" Chekov asked suddenly.
"No, he'll be much happier this way," Uhura answered. Everyone turned to look at her with looks of surprise in their faces. "What? Just because I don't love the man doesn't mean I wish unhappiness on him. What is it with you people?" And she turned back to her station mumbling.
Meanwhile James had made his way down to the aircraft hanger. Before him was the expected standard transport aircraft. What took him by surprise was the person getting off of it, with a hand from Bones.
"Maddy!" he yelled running forward, grinning like an idiot.
"James!" Madeline grinned broadly taking the final step off of the stairs and opening up her arms. James slowed and carefully wrapped his arms around her in a lose hug.
"James Tiberius Kirk, I am not made out of glass! Give me a real hug, and a real welcome and don't give me any nonsense about being the captain of the ship and," Madeline started, but never finished her little rant, her lips being occupied with other things more important then reprimanding her husband.
"Oh god, Maddy," He whispered pulling her in as close as he could without hurting her. "You must have me whipped; I've been irritable all day from being called to duty early, which reminds me to ask you this. How on Earth did you, and don't get me wrong I am happy to see you, get on to the Enterprise? I thought Pike said,"
"Pike said that so we could surprise you. I had gone in earlier that day to convince him to let me on."
How did you convince him?"
"I pulled so many cards. The 'don't mess with me, I'm a pregnant woman card', the 'I want my child's father to be at my child's birth' card, but you know the one that finally won him over?"
"What? The 'if you don't get me a brownie dipped in peanut butter I'm gonna throw something at you so help me god' card?"
"Hey! That was a one time thing idiot! Seriously now, it wasn't any of those. It was the 'my husband wants to be at our kids birth cause his father wasn't at his' card that finally made him break," she finished softly.
He looked at her, blinking slowly. "Really?"
"Really, really," she said with a smile.
"You, are, too, good, for, me," he told her punctuating each word with a kiss.
"Well we already knew that. Now introduce me to your crew. I have heard too much about them to not have met them."
"Whatever you want Mads," he answered, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
"Wow," a voice interjected. James and Madeline both jumped, having forgotten Bones was there. "She really does have you whipped."
"Shut up Bones. I don't need a constant reminder."
"Really? 'Cause if my memory serves me correctly, and it normally does, you need a constant reminder that,"
"Leo, stop it. James stop smirking and will both of you just knock it off? For Pete's sake it's like dealing with two five year olds," Madeline interjected irritably.
Bones and James turned to each other and mouthed 'yes mother'.
"And don't do that yes mother thing behind my back! I hate it!"
Stepping off the lift and into the bridge she was greeted enthusiastically by Uhura, who she had met during her days in school. Bones said a quick goodbye to James and headed back down to the medical area.
"It's going to be so nice having another female around to chat with. I am constantly getting annoyed by all the 'guy' jokes up here." At this point she turned and glared at the men behind her. They just got back to their work busily.
"Yeah, I'm gonna need some feminine support soon," Madeline joked.
"Oh my gosh! Wow, things go by quickly when you're off planet! We need to have a sit down, girl's night soon missy!"
"Let's make that later rather then sooner. I'd rather not be a house when we do it."
"Trust me honey, it looks like the latest fashion on you."
"Can you please send some of that wise word power t my husband? Whatever he says just digs him deeper and deeper."
"With relish!" And they both started laughing like old times.
"Mads, I want you to meet my very good friend, and head of scientifical things on this ship, Spock. Now Spock, pretend to be nice for once."
"James Kirk! Shut yer trap and go sit down in that chair of yours and get out of the way. It's Nice to meet you Mr. Spock," She said shaking his hand and smiling warmly.
"It's just Spock, and it is very nice to meet you Mrs. Kirk," he replied smoothly.
"Please don't call me Mrs. Kirk, call me Maddy or Madeline if you must."
"All right then Madeline."
"And this is Pavel Chekov, our navigator." Nyota said as James went to go check something.
"I haff heard many great vings about you."
"And I about you, all of you, from Mr. Wise Guy over there," Maddy laughed, pointing to James. He looked up from some screen he was reading and gave a smile and a wave.
"And this is Sulu, our helmsman."
"A pleasure to meet you," he called from his work station.
"Well that's about it, Chekov, are we clear to go now?" James called.
"Yes sir. I zink we are all set."
"All right then, let me just tell the rest of the crew." Sitting down on his chair he pressed the intercom button.
"Kirk in, we are ready for take off, all crew members to their stations. Kirk out."
"Mads I'm going to get things settled up here then I'll go get you settled into our rooms, all right?"
"Sounds good to me. Now I actually get to see do something instead of sleeping all day and pigging out all night."
"Ve are going into hyper speed in three, two, vone," Chekov called out before they were hurled into space.
"Sir, our mission is quite simple and we are set on a course for…"
As Spock went in Madeline found herself spacing out. She was thrilled to be on the Enterprise with Jim. Maybe she had gotten a little too temperamental with Pike earlier but it got her where she wanted to be. Suddenly her thoughts were cut short by a wave of pain crossing her abdomen. Nyota saw her little grimace and gave her a look. She gave her a quick little smile to reassure her that nothing was wrong and Nyota turned back to her station. Madeline thought she was fine until she felt another wave of pain pass through, this one longer by a few seconds and full of more pressure. It passed to and she began to get worried as another few passed through. She noticed James and Spock were just about finished and began standing from the chair she had found when she felt another wave of pain and a wetness spread about her upper thighs.
"Ready to go see your home for the next couple of months Mads?" James asked turning to Madeline.
"Yes, but I think we'll have to take a detour," she told him quickly as another wave of pain crashed into her abdomen.
"What is it Mads? Are you all right?" James began frantically rubbing his hands over her stomach, over her cheeks, through his hair, and back to her stomach.
"James, I need you to remain calm. My water just broke."
"Oh, okay, I thought something was about to happen like the baby coming right now," he answered, laughing shakily.
"James, her water breaking means she is going into labor, which means she is having the baby," Nyota told him worriedly.
"What?! Spock comm. Bones and tell him to get a wheelchair up here immediately!"
"James! I can walk!" Madeline yelled impatiently.
"I know, I know, I'm just not going to take any chances babe," he told her gently, kissing her forehead.
"I know James but,"
"Maddy, don't argue with him, you two would be at it until the baby popped out. Now let me get your spare room card Jim and I'll go get her some clothes to change into," Nyota called out, getting up and coming forward.
"And I'm here with the wheelchair, so let's move out!" Bones called from the doorway of the lift.
Half a hour later, lots of cursing, a bruised James Kirk, and a lower self-esteem for the nurse assisting her, Madeline was ready.
"All right Maddy, when the next contraction comes, I need you to push as hard as you can and breathe with nice, big," Bones began.
"I know what to do Leonard! Just get this baby OUT OF ME!" Madeline shouted clutching James hand in a vice like grip.
"James you are never, ever allowed to touch me a-AHHHHHHH!"
And with that Madeline began pushing as hard as she could.
"Vaht are ze doink in zhere? She sounds as ife she iz dyink." Chekov spoke worriedly outside the door, to all the other bridge members.
"Chekov, please don't mention the word dying around the sickroom, its bad luck," Nyota told him tiredly, running a hand over her face tiredly.
"He canna be blamed for speakin' the truth, now can ya laddie?"
"How did you know what was going on Scotty?" Nyota asked, confused.
"Well, one of me engineers heard this missus screaming to high heavens and when he asked what it was all about I knew the missus must be aboard with the bairn comin'."
Meanwhile, back in the room, Maddy was getting tired and sore.
"Please, Leo just let me rest, five minutes please, AHHHHHHHH! Shat! Shat! Shat! James Kirk you are not to touch me ever again unless it's with a ten foot pole!"
"All right babe, whatever you want," he told her, absent mindedly kissing her forehead.
"All right Maddy! I can see the head! One or two more pushes Maddy!" Bones shouted excitedly from the bottom of the bed.
"Come on babe, don't you want to see our little girl?" James asked.
"For the last time, it is going to be a BOY!" And with that she gave one more final push and was greeted with the sound of an infants crying.
"You did it Mads! You did it! Oh, I am so proud of you right now! I love you so much Mads!" James began sprouting words and kisses of affection all over her.
"James as much as I love you I want to see our little boy," she said with a tired smile.
"Here's the baby, I didn't look, you'll have to tell me," Bones said, handing the baby to Maddy.
"And it's, a boy! Oh I knew it! James we have a boy!" Maddy cried excitedly, tears beginning to fall as she hugged the tiny body closer to her, covering it with kisses.
"He's so tiny," James said in amazement.
"I'll tell you from experience, he's not that tiny," Maddy told him with a slight laugh.
"What are we going to name him?" James asked, still looking over the baby.
"I was thinking, George," she told him softly.
"Really? After my dad? What about yours?"
"I am not saddling any kid of mine with the first name of Winston. It can be his middle name."
"I like it. George Winston Kirk," he said with a smile.
And with those words, George opened his eyes and stared at his parents for the first time. With amazement they stared down at the blue eyes they both knew so well.
"I told you he'd have your eyes," she joked lightly.
"Yeah, but he has your hair."
"Poor kid."
'Well, I don't think so," James told her, nuzzling that chocolate colored hair he had grown to love so much.
"So Mads," James began, a smile on his face.
"What?"
"When do we want another one?"