Disclaimer: They aren't mine, and this is unbetaed. Sorry.
Warnings…just like before. Torture. Genocide. Language. It's a dark fic right now, will be fluffy later. We're getting nearer the fluffy.
Actually, there is some fluff present in this chapter. Thought you could use a break from the angst. I know I needed one.
Pike materialized several meters from the edge of the group. He strode toward them, picking his way carefully.
He was immediately spotted by the young blond haired girl that had grabbed him about the knees the day before. She cried out his name and ran to him. Pike scoped her into his arms and settled her gently against his chest.
"Hey," he said. He thought briefly about calling her 'Princess,' but let it go. It didn't seem natural. But she reminded him of one. Or of a girl who had one time dreamed of being one. She had to be nearly as young as Kevin, a six year older at most.
She kissed his cheek.
Pike froze at that. He wasn't used to showing emotion. And he hadn't had much experience with kids. But she seemed to like him.
She was gazing at him, expectantly.
He smiled at her.
And then she beamed and threw her arms around him.
And all it had taken was a smile.
Maybe he could handle this after all.
Somehow he had gotten them all to sit down. Shit. This was going to be hard.
"We need to talk about JT," he said. That got their attention instantly. "You many not know, but he's sick." Now he had their undivided attention. Even the younger ones were listening with wide eyes. Pike continued, "That time, Matt thought he saw Kodos' men catch JT, he was right. He got beat up pretty bad then, and then he got beat up again after, trying to visit his cabin, with me. That was my fault. I should have been better prepared, but he told me it would be safe and I figured he would know. But he got hurt again. And now he's sick."
Pike had said the whole thing much faster than he had intended. It was affecting him more than he had expected or wanted.
The kids were quiet, mostly studying the ground. His announcement hadn't caused the mass outbreak of muttering that he had expected. In fact, none of them were looking at each other.
Finally, the little one, Kevin, asked the question that had to be on all their minds, "Will he be okay?"
And for the first time in over a decade, Pike, who had devoted his life to honest dealings, wanted to lie.
"I don't know," he said. "He's very sick."
The large brown eyes blinked at him before the child nodded. "But he might get better."
Pike sighed. It was possible. "It's possible," he said. He didn't add that it was unlikely.
Kevin nodded, and then with the stubbornness of a six year old, added, "Then he'll get better."
And just like that, most of the kids agreed and their dark mood seemed to lift. God what had Jimmy done for these kids that they believed he was capable of anything?
The group was suddenly an energetic ball of questions. When could they see JT? Could they play games with him? Could they take him anything? Did he have lots of blankets?
Pike answered, keeping his replies as general and non-committed as he could. He didn't want to destroy their hope, but Jimmy's chances were small. Before long, the group began to set about finding and listing small ways to make Jimmy better with a diligence that would have done any Starfleet captain proud, had they been his crew.
For a moment, Pike could not help but beam at them in pride. He couldn't wait to tell Jimmy. And exactly when, Pike wondered to himself, had he begun assuming that he would have a chance to tell Jimmy.
He should be maintaining his stoicism and keeping his distance, not cheering along.
Oh fuck it.
If he was going to hold onto hope that Jimmy recovered along with the rest of the kids, then he might as well go all in. He could afford to be optimistic for once in his life.
"Lieutenant Pike, Lieutenant Pike," one of the older boys was tugging at his sleeve, the same boy that had been standing sentry the day when Jimmy had brought him here. What had Jimmy called the kid? Oh yes. Josh. "We need to talk to you. We've got an idea."
Pike looked down at the boy in surprise. Josh was taller than Jimmy. He could well be older than Jimmy. Josh led him over to a small copse of trees where several of the older boys had gathered. They all looked to be about Jimmy's age. This had to be the command crew. There were five kids altogether, counting Josh.
"We know a way that can help JT."
Pike's eyebrows rose. "Oh."
"Yeah," Josh answered. "See, Matt was in JT's bunk…before, and he used to always be on the comm. with his mom." Pike knew he hadn't been able to keep his face from falling. Winona was dead. But the boys surprised him. "She died though, but then he still listened to the recordings she sent him."
Pike felt his eyebrows rise. Maybe…. it was just possible…. Would that help the kid?
He wondered…
If he could go back to the cabin and get those messages…what would happen?
Would it help?
And what would it cost?
Pike looked them over. "Which one of you is Matt?" A dark haired boy stood up from the other side of Josh and walked forward.
"I am, sir."
"You used to live with JT." Pike asked it as though it wasn't a question.
"Yes, sir." The kid was of a height with Jimmy, and he seemed a bit afraid of Pike.
"If I could get back to that cabin, you could show me what boxes to take, and anything else he might need?" He kept his expression stern, because he did not want anything he said to be taken lightly.
If he was going to do this, he was going to do it quick and fast and with a full detail of security men.
He did not want to be led into a trap again.
Matt nodded nervously.
"Okay, you all stay here." Pike stated.
He walked a small distance away and pulled his communicator from his pocket. "Pike to Constellation."
"Constellation here."
"Let me speak to the Captain."
A few minutes later the captain came on. Pike explained the situation and the need for a detachment of security. He had actually thought he would have to fight harder. But both he and Captain Moritari agreed that if the team was fully armed with phasers, then they wouldn't be at significant risk.
And since Jimmy was currently the only person they knew could identity Kodos, it was a risk worth taking.
Pike was also informed that Adamson was going to take Jimmy out of stasis. Pike didn't know what to think of that. It might be really good, but it might be really bad. But on a whole, it sounded like a good sign that the doctor felt the boy stable enough to try.
A few minutes later, a red-shirted security detail had beamed down and was waiting for Pike's command. The other boys from Pike's group, Josh in particular, were very put out when Pike told them they would not be coming.
He silenced their protests with a glare. "I do not want to put any more of you at risk than I have to. And plus, I need you to do something for me." At that, their expressions grew a little less hostile. "I need you to gather up the kids, and get everything out of the cave. We're gonna move you all aboard the Constellation, so you can get better treatment."
The boys exchanged glances and then slowly nodded. They had been mostly staying out in the open the last few days, in some portable tent-like shelters that the Constellation had beamed down, and while they were watched over night and day by the medical staff, they must have been eager for some more permanent surroundings.
Matt and Josh were exchanging looks though.
"Before we take everything out of it, though, sir…" the boy hesitated and seemed strangely shy, but then he drew a breath and continued. "You should see it. You should see what JT did for us."
Pike looked from one to the other, and then he glanced at his waiting security detail. The man nearest to him shrugged.
Pike sighed. "I'll be right back," he said.
The crewman nodded. "We'll be here. Take your time, sir."
After a small argument about who got the responsibility of showing their home to the Starfleeter, it was decided that Matt and Josh would do the honors together. The rest of the group, grumpily agreed to wait outside and watch over the kids.
The gap between the rocks was small, and Pike had to squeeze to fit. He was expecting it to be small and cramped inside, and it was for a few meters back, but then it opened into something—
"Oh my God." Pike did not even try to contain the exclamation. It was beyond anything he had imagined. It was a cavern. It had to be natural. It couldn't be man-made. There was a waterfall at the back and a small stream that flowed off deeper into the cave. There was a hole for light cut into the ceiling. Small niches, presumably for sleeping were cut into the floor along one of the walls. Each niche contained a nest of blankets. Pike was speechless.
One of the boys nodded. "Yeah."
Pike was incredulous. "He did this all himself?"
"He said he found it climbing, sir. JT cut the skylight and the door with a disrupter that he stole from Kodos' palace."
Pike couldn't stop the eyebrow raise. He still couldn't speak. How in the name of God…? But one thing Matt had said penetrated his astonishment.
"Kodos' palace?" he managed.
"Yeah, JT never told us what he was doing there, but Kodos sure wanted him back." That was interesting. So Jimmy had been important to Kodos. "We think it's cause he's so smart," the boy continued.
"Who?" Pike was still taken aback.
"JT." The boy said it like it was a statement of fact. It was a statement of fact. Pike had looked up the kid's test scores. "He could beat us all in chess."
Pike looked at the boy in amazement. "You play chess."
"Yeah, JT taught us all, because it was a quiet game. We could play even if the patrols were in the area." Pike nodded. Damn that kid was good.
"Can all of you play chess?" He'd have been shocked if the littlest ones could play; they couldn't have been much older than six and Pike didn't think any of them were over fourteen.
"Kevin and Diana usually just play checkers, but JT was teaching them the rules." Matt said all this like it was normal for thirty some odd kids to play board games while soldiers outside were hunting them down.
Pike shook his head.
He needed some sort of return to normalcy.
"What did you eat?" he stuttered, before remembering that in all possibility, there hadn't been much.
"JT set up a shift of patrols. We just gathered what we could. And sometimes, there'd be fish in the water." The boy gestured at the pool. "We had a fire sometimes, when we could risk the smoke, but not much. And the sick kids eat first, and then the smaller kids, we eat after them, and JT always eats last." Josh looked at the ground as he mumbled, "JT never ate much."
Pike nodded. He could well imagine.
"It's ok," he said. "We're trying to make him better." The boys looked vaguely reassured at that.
"Will we be able to see him?" Josh asked, though Pike could see that Matt was also very interested in the answer.
"I don't know," Pike answered honestly. He'd have liked to be able to just tell them yes, but instead, he offered, "We'll just have to see how he is."
The boys seemed okay with his answer, and without another word, lead him from the cave.
Please let me know what you thought.