Once again Thank you to Bookdragon01 for beta-ing. I definitely wouldn't be this far without you. No I don't own them, or this would be the plot of the new movie! lol
Just rereading and found a few typos and missed things that changed later in the story. Yes I'm still working on this, but RL has been kicking my rear! Then I lost the thumb drive with the story on it for several months! So hopefully I can get back in the swing of writing.
Chaoticmom
Winona Kirk, McCoy discovered when she met them at the shuttle terminal, was only slightly shorter than he'd thought. He figured she'd top Jocelyn's 5'3" by a good couple inches, her build was sturdier too, the kind of woman used to doing things for herself. It was even more evident she and Jim were related in person, especially around the eyes, as she broke through the small crowd and hurried over to them. Jim seemed to surprise her when he lifted her off the ground as he hugged her.
"Jim, put me down!" Winona demanded chuckling at his antics.
"Just glad to see you Mom, that's all," Jim told her with a grin that made her roll her eyes as he set her down.
"Oh you- you are definitely a Kirk." Winona told him as she looked up at him shaking her head in fond exasperation. Jim knew that when his mom said he was a Kirk that he'd done something to remind her of his dad, but there was no flash of sorrow in her eyes, just a small shift that was gone almost as fast as it came.
"Mom what else would I be?" he laughingly returned. "I want you to really meet Bones and his daughter Joanna" he continued, moving to stand beside them.
"It's good to finally meet you Doctor, after talking with you on the comm. so much the last couple of years," she told McCoy with a smile.
"You too Ma'am," he replied shifting Joanna so he could shake her hand. They had gotten to know each other a bit because of his calls after Jim's more spectacular mishaps.
"It's good to meet you too Joanna. Jim's told me a lot about you."
"He has?" she asked surprised, raising her head slightly to look at Winona through her tangle of hair.
"Yes, I think it kinda shocked him that your Dad had such a pretty girl," Winona said grinning at the look on her son's face; Joanna giggled as well.
"Uncle Jim's just silly, bout girls, least that's what Daddy says, Miz Kirk," Joanna replied shyly.
"Well we'll have to see about that won't we? And both of you call me Winona, after everything that's happened we're not standing on ceremony like a bunch of strangers. Now how about we get outta here?" she asked still smiling as she helped Jim and McCoy gather the bags, and start following her towards the old van just outside the gates.
"In that case it's Leonard. I get enough 'Doctor'-in' on the ship," McCoy told her as they walked, Joanna clinging to him like a monkey.
"Mom are you ever gonna get rid if this old thing?" Jim asked as he loaded their bags in the back of the van that had been around as long as he could remember.
"As long as it's running and I can get parts for it, no. We bought this almost twenty-nine years ago Jim. And you aren't going to run it into the quarry, like you did the 'Vette, so I'll have to," she told him.
"Mom I was what, twelve? And that idiot was gonna sell Dad's car while you were gone and then lie about it. At the time it made sense, but I kinda wish now that I hadn't done it," he replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he climbed in the front seat next to her.
"You mean that crazy story is true?" McCoy asked in disbelief, as they turned onto the road. Of course he'd heard the story, but he'd put most of it down to the alcohol talking, making a near miss that much more daring the way Jim embellished quite a few of his tales.
"Yes unfortunately, my ex-husband was going to sell a twentieth century Corvette that had been Jim's Dad's while I was off planet at the Lunar station; and then say that it had been stolen or something. My knuckle head here heard about the plans and took it for a joyride. The ex decided to say Jim had stolen it and called the cops. And somehow he decided to drive it into the old quarry full speed while being chased by a hover bike officer. The report said that he just barely managed to grab the edge when he bailed out. It wasn't long after that, that I filed for divorce." Winona finished, with a glance at the 'knuckle head' next to her trying to hide a slight blush.
"I always thought he was makin' that up just to get a rise outta me. I guess I shouldda known better, huh Jim? I mean there's no way that dare devil streak of yours just popped up when you decided to join Starfleet," McCoy said leaning forward to lightly smack Jim on the arm.
"Hey, Bones watch it. I never said it didn't happen or anything, you just assumed that I was exaggerating cause the first time I told you bout it we were drinking," Jim retorted looking back at his friend.
"Now no fighting you two; at least not in the car," Winona told them and glanced at Joanna in the rearview mirror. "Is she asleep already?" she asked concerned.
"Yeah she's still healin' some. That's also why she wouldn't really look at ya back there. She's scared that folks'll see the bruises and think Jim or I did it," Bones explained still worried about her and the delay in getting her treated. "I was surprised that she left her hair over her face, she usually hates it loose like this, till she told me that."
"How bad is it? And what can I do to help Leonard?" Winona asked concerned.
"She's got newly healed bruised ribs, a black eye that still looks bad, assorted other bruises, and the remains of a borderline level 2 concussion, that's why she's so tired. When we got her she was slightly dehydrated too but we've got that back under control, just need to keep an eye on her for a couple days to make sure everythin' else heals right. The rest, we'll have wait and see," McCoy told Winona who nodded, as they turned off the main road onto a narrower two lane one. A moment later, Jim reached for one of her white knuckled hands on the steering wheel, and held it as they continued on down the road.
A few minutes later Jim looked out his mom's window. "Hey Bones there it is, the old quarry. Somewhere down there is the Corvette," he said pointing to the top edge of a distant security fence, running parallel to the road.
"And how deep is that hole in the ground?" McCoy asked warily, not sure he really wanted to know.
"No clue really, I think it's something like 250 feet down. But I might not be remembering it right," Jim chuckled, giving his mom's hand a quick squeeze.
"Jim I am not goin' to go Corvette huntin' with you while we're here," McCoy retorted before Jim could ask. There was no way he was going anywhere near that quarry not with Joanna finally with him.
"Don't worry I wasn't even going to. I might go look at the quarry for old times' sake. I did spend a lot of time sitting on the edge of it the last couple years I was here, but that's all. I knew you didn't like shuttles but I didn't realize you were afraid of heights too," Jim chuckled.
"I'm not; I just don't like the idea of you fallin' in," Bones shot back over his friend's laughter.
"Ok you two enough. We're here," Winona said as they turned into the long gravel drive, only the very top of the house was visible over the crops and roll of the land.
"I never thought I'd be glad to get back here this soon. Whoa, you really did a lot Mom. It looks great," Jim said a few minutes later as they pulled up and got out.
"Thank you Jim. I've been trying to make it look the way it used to for a while now and just finally got the outside of it done," she replied softly, laying a hand on his arm.
"I'm glad you did it, the place looks a lot better." The house had been painted white with green trim, with wild flowers bordering the porch and walk.
"It was a lot of work. I got some help from some of the high school kids in the hands-on courses. There was no way I was going to climb a ladder to do the upstairs at my age. Well let's get unloaded and you three settled," she said giving Jim's arm a pat as she turned towards the back of the van. "Leonard, I can take Joanna if you want then you two can get the bags easier."
"That ought to work Ma-Winona. Just be careful of her ribs. They're fine but they and her ankle are still botherin' her a bit," he replied as he joined Jim at the tailgate. Winona nodded as she gently maneuvered Joanna out of the car, and headed for the front door as the guys followed.
"Mom, do you want me to take her for the stairs?" Jim asked worried about both of them, Joanna was quite an armful for his mom.
"No Jim, I'm fine, I managed to get you up these stairs when you were twelve and you were bigger than Joanna," Winona replied shooting her son a slightly sad smile as she crossed the porch. "You can enter the lock code for me Jim, if you want to help."
McCoy looked around at what must have been a fully working farm at one point but even surrounded by fields there weren't the signs of working the land that would be expected, though the barns were still standing and looked to be cared for. The house was older but was in good shape. It reminded him of the way the house felt when he was growing up, welcoming.
Jim stopped in surprise as he entered; she had been busy. The walls were repainted and the whole place looked brighter. As he and Bones followed his Mom and Joanna slowly upstairs he stared at all the changes. She'd hung some old school holos of him and Sam in the stairwell, as well as some of their grandparents.
Winona paused in the upstairs hall. "How are we going to do sleeping arrangements? I don't want to have anything awkwards" she whispered slightly out of breath from Joanna's weight while climbing the stairs. Joanna was definitely an arm load for Winona, but like she'd said she'd carried larger, just as precious, loads in the past.
"Mom we have time to work that out. Let's get JoJo in bed and then see what we can figure out," Jim said softly as he headed for his old room. It was almost the same as the last time he'd been home, the posters were different, thankfully he'd taken down the centerfolds and just the old cars and starships were left, but it looked better.
Jim tossed his bag on the top bunk. "I got top Bones. Tuck her in the bottom for now, Mom, it'll be easier."
As she and Leonard got her jacket off and laid her down, Winona got her first real look at the bruises on Joanna's face and arms. They were still faintly purple turning to green at the edges, and the swelling in her face was almost gone. For a moment Winona felt a sense of déjà vu, remembering when she'd done this before it had been Jim lying there.
The slight hesitation and fine tremble of Winona's hands as they put Joanna to bed, puzzled McCoy slightly, but he filed it away for later. It was more like the reaction to a flashback or a bad memory then a fear of causing his daughter any more discomfort, he realized as he moved towards the door watching as Winona gently smoothed Joanna's hair back and stood while Jim placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
As Winona turned to leave she saw Jim standing with his hand on Leonard's shoulder, and promised herself she'd do what she could to help soften the familiar anguished look in Leonard's eyes. She stepped out of the room and laid her hand on his shoulder next to Jim's in comfort. "We'll get her through this Leonard, she'll be alright," she whispered hoping that they wouldn't notice the tears threatening to clog her throat at the memories this brought back. Unfortunately she'd forgotten how perceptive her son was as Jim wrapped his free arm around her shoulders.
"Count on it," he replied, tightening his grip on both of them as he looked over his mom's head at Joanna.
"Boys let's go down stairs and let her sleep," Winona said softly clearing her throat.
Even though McCoy knew sleep was the best thing for Joanna, Jim and Winona had to practically drag him back down stairs, a part of him wanted to stay and watch over her. The understanding look Winona gave him as he finally followed them towards the living room and her reaction to Joanna's injuries, made him wonder just what he was missing.
Jim froze in the living room doorway for a moment, looking at the picture over the fireplace. He'd only seen a small version of his parents' wedding picture years before at his grandparents. Suddenly he remembered the plaque and bolted back out. Winona looked down hurt by his response; it only took a moment for Bones to realize what Jim was up to though.
"Winona, don't worry, he'll be right back," he told her even as he mentally cussed Jim out for just running off without saying anything.
"I hoped that hanging that there would help, somehow. I packed everything up in the attic when he was a baby. I just couldn't take the reminders; then after a while I just couldn't bear to talk about him, so I didn't and that just made it worse. For a while I think Jim hated me for it, I know Sam did. Then when you finally stopped that bastard Nero, all I could think about was the fact that he was so like G-George, even though he never knew him. And I realized that was my fault. After he went back to the ship, I finally made myself start going through the things up there. This was one of the first things I found, I had to put it back where it belonged," Winona explained running her fingers gently over the bottom of the frame.
"Mom, I'm sorry. Seeing the picture reminded me I left this upstairs, that's all," Jim said from the doorway. He slowly crossed the room never taking his eyes off the picture; his Dad in his dress uniform and a younger version of his mom in her wedding dress, smiling at each other seemingly oblivious to the camera.
"Here Mom, I wanted you to see this," he said handing her the plaque. "Adm. Pike said the Excelsior found it drifting three years ago. They'd picked up the transponder signal. From what he told me it took a while to figure out whose it was, 'cause the signal wasn't in the current system and markings were screwed up. He was going to give it to me at graduation but everything was so crazy. So he presented it to me at the end of the memorial to the Kelvin."
Winona could hardly believe that George's ring had been found after all these years. But as she looked closer she could hardly breathe; yes it had to be.
"Jim, I can't believe they found his rings. Oh God," she gasped running her finger over the marks, tearing up.
"What? Mom, there's only one." Jim asked as both he and Bones moved closer.
"Right here, see how the color's different? Like two colors mixed together, silver and faint tarnished gold?" she said pointing. Jim nodded as he saw what she was talking about.
"So that's Dad's -wedding ring?"
Winona nodded. "He wore them stacked because that was the only finger the transponder would fit, without driving him crazy; he couldn't stand to have a ring on his right hand for some reason. It was a new one; he'd somehow managed to lose the other down the septic system in the quarters we used at our last stop. We were going to get it resized for his middle finger as soon as we got back," she explained with a slightly watery chuckle at the memory of George's fussing about the ring.
"I saw it but I just thought that it got discolored during the crash or while drifting," Jim said in awe staring at the discoloration on the side of the remains of the other ring.
"It's ok, Jim. You weren't expecting it to be anything but one ring and I hadn't thought about it since you were born," she told him still staring at the plaque in her hand, grasping his arm.
"Ok so how are we going to work the sleeping arrangements?" Winona asked several minutes later after things had calmed down.
"I figured Bones and I'd take my room, Chekov and Sulu on the other side of the bathroom, Jo and Uhura next to them, if they want to share, and crap! That won't work. I think either Spock or Scotty would kill the other if we stuck them together," Jim scowled at the wall trying to work out something.
"Why would they have a problem Jim?" his mom asked.
"Scotty's all over the place. He's brilliant but erratic, think Jim on a permanent caffeine high. Spock, well he acts like a damn computer a lot of the time, still. He's real reserved I guess is the best human description. You really have to look to tell what he's thinkin', and ya still can't tell half the time," Bones explained trying to find the best way to describe the two polar opposite officers.
"Bones I keep telling you, you have to watch his eyes. If we leave the girls together and Sulu and Chekov, how about if Spock and I split that leaves you and Scotty?" Jim suggested.
"I don't think I've got enough sedatives with me," Bones replied rolling his eyes at the memory of the last time he'd had to bunk with their Chief Engineer.
"What do you mean?" Jim asked in surprise.
"Jim, I had to bunk with him durin' the evacuation of the settlement on Tantalus V. He snores, loudly; it's like some of those old cartoons they used to play on Saturday mornin' and if he's not snorin' he's mumblin' in what I can only figure is some form of Gaelic or some kinda mechanical engineerin' language. Up till then the only times I'd seen him asleep he was in the Med Bay, sedated or so exhausted I don't think he had the energy. I ended up sneaking in with Chapel the second night, just to get some rest, and we could still hear him snorin' but at least that was all we could hear," McCoy explained glaring at Jim as he snickered at the mental picture of his best friend hiding with his head nurse.
"So that was what the noise was. I could hear it too but I thought it was something native," he chuckled remembering the sound. "You could have bunked with Spock and me, Bones. Any ideas Mom?"
"That back bedroom is a bit small for two so why not put Spock there and we can put Scotty in the den down here; or the other way if they want," Winona suggested after a moment's thought.
"That might work Jim. We might need to lock the food up at night though," McCoy said as he thought about it. "I would have but there wasn't room for three in one of those tents Kid. Remember that's why I ended up with Scotty? There wasn't room for him in with anyone else."
"Speaking of food, anything I ought to know about everyone's eating preferences before they get here so I can do the shopping tomorrow?" Winona asked as Leonard's remark jogged her memory.
"You know about Scotty's sandwiches, Spock's a vegetarian, and watch the spices, otherwise I think the rest of us are pretty normal. Bones, you remember anything about who eats what?" Jim said glancing at his friend.
"Not off the top of my head, so it's nothin' serious, Joanna hates brussel sprouts, I'm not too fond of asparagus, but I'm not sure about anyone else. Oh yeah don't feed Spock chocolate, the sugar's not good for Vulcans. And I really don't want to find out what it does to one that's half human, Jim," Bones finished, glaring at him before he could suggest it.
"Bones I wasn't even going to," Jim defended himself.
"Good to know. So what do you want for a late lunch?" Winona asked looking between the two of them and the clock on the wall.
Lunch was soup and sandwiches, and afterward Jim took Joanna and Bones on a quick tour of the farm, after Winona shooed them out so she could clean up. When she was done, she went looking for them and after about ten minutes, found them in the old shed that her ex-husband Frank had used for working on, among other things, the Corvette; George had always used the barn. It was the noise that led her to them; tapping, banging, and other odd noises.
When she looked inside she had to grin; there was her son, rooting through an old rusty toolbox, Joanna at his elbow trying to help and adding to the din as she knocked several things to the floor. Leonard was leaning against the smaller workbench in the corner, smirking at them. As Joanna turned to look at her Dad, Winona saw that one of them had found an old bandana and tied her hair back, though the red didn't go well with the pink shirt she was wearing.
"So what are you looking for Jim?" Winona asked as she stepped in out of the afternoon sun.
"Nothin really, I was looking to see what was out here. And if any Dad's tools were still here; what's left of them is in pretty sad shape. Scotty or Chekov might be able to help me do something with the electronics but the rest is just a rusty mess basically," Jim said turning away from the toolbox and wiping his wrist across his damp forehead.
Winona chuckled at the smear of dirt and rust he left, he looked at her oddly then wiped at his face again causing McCoy and Joanna to start grinning too.
"What the he-ck? Did I get it or what?" Jim asked looking even more confused as he tried again.
"Jim you should see yourself." Bones gasped, as another wave of chuckles hit him.
"Oh Jim, it's priceless," his Mom added leaning against the door frame. Joanna sat down giggling like a maniac and pointing at him.
"Ok anyone going to tell me what's so funny?" Jim asked crossing his arms over his chest, looking between his best friend and his Mom.
"Mirror," Winona gasped out pointing at an old side mirror hanging on the wall above the bench.
When he reached for it Jim noticed that his hands were a mess and had an idea of what set them off. Looking at himself was kind of funny. He had a streak across his forehead, another from the right side of his nose to his chin, and another on the left side of his face from his ear almost to his chin. It did look odd and he had to chuckle at the mix of brown, red and black.
"You had your fun. Can you point me to the water faucet? You too JoJo," Jim said smirking at them. Joanna wasn't anywhere near as messy he was but she still had streaks and spots of rust and dirt on her skin and clothes.
"He's right Darlin' you do need to wash up," McCoy said chuckling a bit as Joanna pouted at the news.
"The one by the front of the house is probably the best. I turned the ones out here off a few years ago," Winona told him grinning as they headed back to the house. "Jim those aren't your Dad's tools, well some probably were but most of his are still locked up in that extra tack room in the back of the barn; the one with all the cans and stuff in front of the door. You can get them out if you want. Just put them back when you're done please."
"Thanks Mom I probably will at some point," Jim replied as he turned on the water faucet and slipped off his shirt. "Ok JoJo you're next," he said a couple minutes later wetting the tail of his shirt to use as a wash cloth for her face.
After washing and a change of shirts for Jim and Joanna, they decided to unpack and finish getting settled. Winona offered to help Joanna, and soon Jim and Bones could hear them talking quietly in the other room.
"You want the top two or the bottom?" Jim asked indicating the dresser in the corner.
"Don't matter to me," Bones replied, digging through his bag as Jim started putting his clothes away. "Why'd you call top before?" he asked as Jim finished and closed the drawers.
"Well, one, you won't forget and fall out of it in the morning like you did on that simulation second year; and two, if Joanna has nightmares you're easy for her to get to or you to get to her," Jim told him seriously sitting on the lower bunk, kicking his duffel under the bed as Bones filled his two drawers. "I think she was too tired to have any last night, but there is a chance she will tonight. Remember our first term, and how many I had?"
"Yeah didn't get a decent night's sleep for close to a month 'cause of you," Bones grumbled sitting next to him trying to figure out what Jim's nightmares had to do with Joanna having them.
"Yeah I'm still sorry bout that by the way. It was how different everything was, and the fact that almost all the teachers recognized me because of my Dad. The hand- to-hand started it I think, brought back memories. Finnegan coming after me every time he thought I showed him up, no matter what I did was too similar to Frank. So I ended up reliving the three worst years of my life every night. I know the fact that I could take him down in free fighting that quick pissed him off; and that he had no real advantage over me after a few weeks or so in the drills didn't help either. He just hated me for some reason," Jim explained.
"That wasn't really what I meant to get off onto though, Bones. After I got back from the hospital, when I was twelve, is when I started having those nightmares. Never had them at the hospital, but second night here and I was wakin up at least a couple times a night. I always woke up with Mom either by my bed or sitting on it, holding my hand. At times I blamed her for what happened but no matter what, she was always there when I woke up," Jim said quietly, looking at the wall next to the door.
"Hospital? Damnit Jim, stop talkin' riddles; I know you were in for something major but your records are sketchy at best right there. I'm already walkin' on eggshells with Jo. I know somethin' bout this got to ya, so talk to me," Bones told him, the thickening of his drawl a clear indication that he was worried
Jim looked at him and sighed. "Ok Bones I know you've never asked, but yes I've been through what JoJo has, only it went on for three years. Like I said they were the three worst years of my life. Mom married Frank Malone when I was nine, shortly after my Grandma Kirk died, and we tried to be a family. Hah that was rich. Frank was one of the guys at the 'Yards next to the labs where Mom worked. About six months later Mom got called to look at some plant or something that had been found. She'd been working at the science labs by the shipyards for almost nine years by then and they respected her, it always seemed like they'd call her first for that stuff, but this was the first time she'd left us with someone other than our grandparents. Anyway she went to help with the, whatever it was, for a couple weeks in Chicago. It was like day and night around here. Frank started drinking and Johnny and Sam and I tried to stay out of his way. It seemed to work until I left my ball and mitt on the stairs. All three of us slept in here afterwards, it was easier to keep me from waking Frank up crying. No one had ever laid a hand on Sam or me in our lives before. Well Mom, Grandma Mary and Grandpa Ty would swat our butts but that was it. We were ordered to say I'd fallen down stairs; it was mostly true, only I'd had help with the fall.
"That set the pattern for the next almost two years. Johnny and Sam tried to protect me when Mom left. I know they took the blame for me more than once. Then one morning Johnny was gone, he'd left a note saying that he'd be back for us as soon as he could. We never saw him again. It got harder after that. Mom and Frank called the cops and they looked but who knows where he went. That was roughly seven months after my eleventh birthday.
"About a year later Mom got called to the Lunar Station for a month. Frank decided to sell Dad's old Corvette without telling her so I drove off in it. Sam had left that morning, actually Frank threw him out, so I figured I had nothing to lose, Frank reported it stolen and the cops got after me, so I drove it into the quarry; that way Frank couldn't sell it." Jim said with a shrug.
"Frank was livid, thought that Sam had been in on it with me. When I, in his opinion, wouldn't tell him where Sam was he just lit into me harder. Last time I'd seen Sam he was hitch hiking but I wasn't going to tell Frank that. I ended up shut in the attic after a while. I still got no clue how long I was up there," Jim chuckled grimly, unconsciously running his hand over the faint scars on his left cheek.
"Only way up is a trap door and it's almost impossible to open from up there normally. I'd managed to get away from the door somehow and curled up in a corner. Frank had to report me and Sam missing, if he didn't the school summer programs we were in would have and that would have exposed what was going on. The news brought Mom back as soon as she could get a shuttle.
"For some reason she came up to the attic and found me. All I remember, is suddenly she was there crying and trying to figure out how badly I was hurt. I could hardly talk my throat hurt so much, but I guess I somehow told her Frank was responsible before I passed out again. Fact is I don't really remember a lot that happened after about a day after I drove the Corvette into the quarry. I woke up two days later in the hospital, Frank was in jail and Mom had filed for divorce and no one knew where Sam was still. I came home two weeks later and the nightmares started. Frank ended up in the state pen thankfully," Jim sighed staring at the wall, but not really seeing it.
"About eight months later, a few months after my thirteenth birthday, the news broke about Tarsus IV. Mom had been thinking of taking Sam and I there for a visit with her Aunt and Uncle and their family when she got back from the Station. That was before everything went to hell here, so it hit her kinda hard cause they didn't make it.
"Starfleet sent her, she argued and fought and finally got them to let her take me along. It was awful; we were part of the first group of ships to arrive after the news broke. All that devastation and death, because of a madman. The worst in a way was this group of kids that had been rescued and kept alive by another kid they called JT. No one knew what happened to him after Starfleet arrived, but they took to me because I was about the same age and to them we looked a bit alike I guess, we both had blonde hair, but from what they said his eyes were green. I ended up being sent with supplies and stuff to get them to come down out of the hills to the base and then working with Mom, Commander Pike, and a few others to take care of 'em and look for their families and all that for almost two months. They trusted me more than they would most of the officers. Pike got command of the Yorktown after the rest of the rescue force got back five months after we did. He and Mom were friends at the Academy but we never heard a word from him till he broke up the fight that night at the bar.
"After everything that happened, over the last year, I'd started fighting, getting into trouble more than I used to, to get away from the memories of Frank and what I'd seen and heard on Tarsus. I drove Mom crazy wondering what the next call might be about; some of them were pretty outlandish," he smirked, thinking of a couple things immediately.
"I was still going to school but I'd given up staying with the kids my age. I challenged my classes, and passed, I'd been working ahead anyway while we were on Tarsus to keep my mind off what was going on. I'd always been smart so no one really thought anything of it, since I'd already skipped a grade once, so I just kept going. I was going into my junior year at fifteen; but I was getting into more trouble than ever- drinking, girls, staying out all night. And Mom started taking more off planet jobs than usual, I found out later that some weird type of archeologist had found a bunch of stuff on Orion that translated into other fields, but at the time I thought she wanted to get away from me, so that made me that much worse," he said eyes still on the wall but seeing the past.
"My Dad grew up here so pretty much everyone knew him, and it felt like the whole town was always comparing me to him and I always came up short as I got older. So I made it my mission to remind Riverside that I wasn't my Dad, no matter what my last name was. I finished High School a few months past my sixteenth birthday and started taking some college courses both at Cornel College up in Mt Vernon, and their classes on the net; computers and a few mechanics classes. That's when I had to take the damn aptitude tests Pike got a hold of," Jim said shaking his head ruefully.
"Since the cops hadn't found anything about Sam or Johnny, I started my own search when I was eighteen. It was the one thing I found that I could use the computer classes for, at the time.
"I worked a bit as a mechanic for money, and kept taking classes, ended up finishing up a few degree courses, over the next six years. I actually finished one of the computer ones the day I met Pike again; I was out celebrating when 'Cupcake' started the fight. You know the rest," Jim just sat there, elbows on his knees waiting for Bones to say something.
"God Jim," Was all Bones said as he laid a hand on Jim's shoulder. "How bad were you hurt Kid?" he asked softly after a minute; it seemed almost impossible that Jim had managed to hide that kind of mental trauma from everyone, but it explained many of his quirks.
Jim's chuckle was humorless. "Pretty close to what I got two years ago by the time you got a look at me after Pike was stable. The concussion was just as bad but no skull fracture, and the ribs weren't just on my left side or as bad, plus a broken left collar bone and a dislocated right shoulder," Jim replied and saw his friend's eyes widen.
"I'm not even gonna to ask how you made it through that, Jim, but you're lucky to be here, you know that right?" Bones told him.
"Yeah I know," Jim replied softly.
"Who are Sam and Johnny? Your Mom mentioned Sam downstairs when you went after the plaque." Jim glanced down, then met Bones' gaze again.
"Sam's my older brother, George Samuel Kirk Jr., there's almost four years between us. Johnny is-was my step brother, Frank's son. He was two years older than me. It's kinda funny though folks that didn't know us thought that we were all Mom's kids; we looked enough like in coloring," Jim said quietly.
"You said you started looking for Sam and Johnny. Did you ever find them?" Bones asked, hoping that he'd had some luck.
"Yeah a week after we left space dock, I got a comm. from Sam. He'd been trying to get a hold of me since everything happened, just couldn't get through. He said that a lotta shit happened after he left and he didn't come back cause he thought I was dead. When I drove past him with the cop following he tried to follow us, cut across the fields trying to make a shortcut, so he missed me turning into the quarry. He back tracked when he saw the smoke but the cop had already taken me back here and he thought I'd gone over with it, he panicked and just kept going; he didn't want to face Mom or Frank. Sam only found out I was alive after that disaster of a survival course group that I ended up leading to safety our third year hit the news, but he never knew Frank was gone and that it was safe to come home. He's working on proving his thesis in botany down outside of Tampa Florida. He should be graduating from The University of South Florida this summer sometime. I hear from him about once a month or so, but we haven't managed to get together. I'm just glad we're talking; the last thing I said to him was to call him Johnny when I passed him in the Corvette. Nothing on Johnny though," Jim sighed then chuckled. "Not sure if I'm glad or sorry bout that."
They sat lost in thought for a few minutes. "Jim, I'm glad ya told me. I mean I've always wondered 'bout some of those scars and old injuries you've got, but I figured you'd say somethin' when you were ready. I know ya don't like to talk 'bout it b-. Hell I don't know what to do, Jim. I mean, shit, I've seen this I don't know how many times but damn it-," he broke off his drawl thickening slightly as he rubbed his hands over his face.
"Bones, we've got you. No problem," Jim reassured him, wrapping his arm around his friend's shoulders. "That's what family's for right?"
McCoy's head snapped up to look at him in surprise. "Yeah Jim, it is," he said. "Ya sure, bout countin' me as family though Kid?"
"I always have Bones. I told Pike when this started that you're the closest thing to a brother I've had since I was twelve. Nothing's gonna change that. I've needed someone to keep me in line and you- well needed someone to look after," Jim finished slightly nervous.
"Thanks Jim," Bones replied looking him in the eye. Jim nodded.
"Any time Bones. Why don't we go see what Mom and JoJo are up to? It's pretty quiet up here," he asked noticing how quiet the house was as they stood up.
They found them in the kitchen working on a shopping list for the next morning and making dinner.
"So what took you so long?" Winona asked when they stepped into the brightly lit kitchen.
"We got talking bout what's been going on and-" Jim started.
"Jim I understand," Winona said touching his arm, as Joanna walked over to hug her Dad. "Is there anything special you boys want me to pick up?"
"Not really, Bud Classic would be nice, but so would some Coke. The synthesizers just can't get it right, no matter what Scotty does to 'em," Jim chuckled as his mom mock glared at him. "I'm serious about the Coke, the beer's optional. If you still have a grill, stuff for a cook out: hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, veggie burgers for Spock. I've been hungry for that chicken and rice dish with the salad dressing and jelly lately for some reason."
"Salad dressing and jelly on chicken, are you sure that's edible?" Bones asked dubiously, he knew Jim ate some strange things if let to his own devices but that seemed a bit much.
"You'll have to describe it better than that Jim," Winona added, brows furrowed trying to think what recipe that might match.
"Let's see you put the rice in the pan, I think, chicken on top, then mix a red salad dressing, uh some mayo maybe, and some kind of chunky yellow-orange-ish jelly and water and pour over the chicken. There might have been that onion soup stuff in there too. What?" he asked as his mom started laughing.
"I know which one you mean; it was the way you described it. It's Russian dressing, and apricot pineapple marmalade and mayo. But you managed to cross it with another dish. That one you do put the rice in with the chicken, this one you don't. I'll put that down for sometime this week. It does sound good now that you mention it," Winona explained as she added what she needed to the list, and then started laughing again at the look on McCoy's face. "Don't worry Leonard it's a lot better than it sounds. Jim, get the family recipe book down after dinner and let him read through it. Wash up now, dinner's almost ready."
Later as he sat at the kitchen table and looked over the recipes in the old notebook, with Joanna curled up in his lap; he listened with half an ear to Jim and Winona's conversation about the local happenings while they washed the dishes.
"Jo, why don't you head on up and get ready for bed? I know you slept on the shuttle and after we got here but ya still need your rest," McCoy said as she started yawning.
"Ok Daddy. I'll be back down in a bit," Joanna said through another yawn, before kissing him and walking out, still limping slightly.
"She's a sweetheart Leonard," Winona said when Joanna was out of the room.
"I know, best thing in my life," McCoy replied honestly, Joanna was the only good thing to come out of his marriage.
"So did you find anything in there that sounded good or did you already have something in mind?" Winona asked glancing at the old cookbook in front of him.
"Actually I found a roast recipe in here that sounded good, reminded me of somethin' that my Grandma and Mama made when I was a kid," he told her flipping carefully to the page, as they leaned in to look over his shoulders.
"Hey I think I remember that one; isn't that the one Gramma Mary made every winter?" Jim asked as he finished reading.
"Yes it is. I'd almost forgotten about it. Well boys, what will it be first? Chicken or roast?" Winona asked a smile hovering at the corners of her mouth.
After a long glance they both announced "Roast."
"Ok I think I have everything already too. So I'll start it before I go shopping. Next question; who's going with me?"
After a bit of discussion it was decided that Jim and Winona would go alone this time so that McCoy could spend some time with Joanna.
When she came back down a few minutes later Joanna surprised and pleased Winona by shyly asking for a hug from her. After McCoy tucked her in, it wasn't long before the rest of them headed to bed as well.
A/N: The chicken recipe actually exists and tastes really good, a mild sweet and sour. It's called 'Not the Same Old Chicken'. My mom got it out of a microwave cookbook and I've adapted it for the oven. Bones' reaction is similar to my husband's the first time I read him the ingredients.