A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone! I'm excited for this! I will be doing Into Darkness after I finish this up. It will most likely be a sequel to this story though! If you have any other suggestions just let me know!
Please review and enjoy!
Jim walked into his ready room, closing the door behind him, to find Sophie on the couch with her feet curled up into her chest. Bones was across from her leaning against the pillar that separated his desk and couch areas just watching her. They both looked up at hearing Jim come in, in Sophie's case stood up, but Jim's eyes were trained on Sophie and barely spared Bones a glance as he walked straight to her and pulled her into a hug again.
This time however Sophie wasn't the only one with tears in her eyes. Jim buried his face in her neck this time while he had his break down. Sophie knew this was coming, she knew he was holding it all in, in front of his crew and the Admiral, but now it was just Bones and her. She started to feel Jim shake and clutch her tighter and all she could do was hold him, for words seemed to fail her. Five minutes had gone by of them holding each other before Jim pulled back to look at her before he dipped his head down and kissed her.
Jim kissed her softly but passionately trying to convey all his emotions to her, he was scared, worried, terrified and wished all of this had just gone away. Sophie's hands had gone to his hair while his went to her lower back and butt drawing her closer to him. He broke the kiss in favor of his kissing her neck lightly a few times, and then her forehead before looking her in the eyes, which mirrored his.
Sophie kissed him quickly one last time on the lips before tugging his hand and pulling him down on the couch next to her. Jim followed willingly sitting on the couch next to her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders bringing her close to him while she snuggled in close to him.
"Mr. Spock, how long until our guests arrive?" Jim asked over the intercom to him.
"I would estimate 20 minutes Captain." Spock replied.
"Alert me when they beam aboard and have them brought up to the bridge."
"Yes sir." Spock said before disconnecting the line.
"You ready to tell me the full story now? Not the abbreviated version you gave us in the hospital?" Bones asked.
"We might as well, because in about 15 minutes or so the entire bridge is going to know when our guest come aboard." Sophie chimed in.
"Fair enough. Let's hear it." Bones said softly sitting in chair opposite them.
"I was thirteen when I was shipped to…well that planet." Jim started off quietly not being able to say Tarsus. "Sophie and I were next door neighbors and were inseparable since we were ten. It was right after Sam had left and I had that run in with the police and the car. Frank, you know my step-dad right?"
"Yeah I remember kid." Bones answered softly remembering the things Jim said that Frank had done to him.
"He decided to ship me off to my aunt and uncle on…Anyways, it torn me up to leave Sophie. I left for the planet thinking I'd never see her again. Sure the first couple of months were fine, I actually felt like I belonged there with my aunt and uncle. It was like I actually had a family but I missed Sophie." Said Jim looking at her.
"Thankfully," Sophie started off after Jim stopped, "My dad got a job on...Tarsus about 4 months after Jim left. My parents knew Jim and I were best friends and had found a farm house in the country which happened to be right next to Jim's aunt and uncles farm. We were so excited that we were back together that the next 6 months flew by. I got to know his aunt and uncle and 2 little cousins and him my parents."
"It was then, 6 months after Sophie arrived that everything went to hell." Jim told Bones quietly. "Food was getting hard to come by, we'd have the same broth soup for weeks, and hardly had anything else in the house. Then the 'soldiers' came. I had been out in the back yard with my 2 cousins, Annabelle who was 6 and Luke who was 8. We all three heard gunshots and screams coming from the house and well…I wasn't stupid Bones, I know what it meant. When we heard the shots I took my cousins hands and ran to a cave that only me and Sophie knew about."
At this point Jim wasn't looking at Bones but instead at his and Sophie's hands that were intertwined his lap.
"They weren't one of the Nine were they?" Bones asked quietly.
"No." Sophie answered for Jim who turned his head into her hair at the question. "Bella passed about 6 months after that from scarlet fever I think. Luke passed from starvation and depression around a month after her." She finished quietly knowing it was a touchy subject for Jim.
"Jesus." Bones muttered.
"I had just made it to the cave with Bella and Luke," Jim started again turning his head to face Bones this time. "…when I heard some more shots coming in the direction of Sophie's house. So I dropped them in the cave and told them to stay put, luckily they did, and I took off running towards Sophie's. I didn't have to run very far though, I ran into her at the border of our two farms. She was…sobbing. The same thing happened at her house and she was coming to find me."
"So we went back to the cave to the cousins but realized we didn't have any supplies or anything. That night Jim and I went back to both of our house together and got anything we thought we might need, blankets, food and such." Sophie continued. "It was just us 4 for a week or two, we didn't let Bella and Luke leave the cave at all in fear that the patrol might find us."
"Kevin was the first survivor we found while Sophie and I were hunting for food 2 weeks later in the surrounding houses. He was sitting by his parents…trying to wake them up." Jim said softly. "He was only 8. We went on to find others kids in the town, in the end we found 14 kids not including Sophie and I. The 16 of us lived in that cave for months and months with limited food and supplies. Sophie mothered all the children while I tried to just keep them all alive."
"During those months Len, we lost…7 kids." Sophie whispered pain evident in her voice. "7 kids all under the age of 10. God it was horrible. They would just…pass and Jim and I would have to go find a place to bury them or else we'd all get infected and…"
Sophie trailed off as she remembered those times and tears came to her eyes.
"It's alright Soph." Jim murmured in her ear trying sooth her. "I'm here love."
"Anyways," said Jim continuing for Sophie while he still held her. "The only ones left were Tom, who was 11, Kevin who was 8, Julian who was 7, Max and Karina who were both 6 and Amanda who was only 3 years old and us. It was hard Bones, so hard watching and waiting for something, anything to happen. Sophie and I decided that we need to move, not only to get away from the memories of the cave and others but because the patrols were getting closer and closer. So we moved the kids to another cave that we had found that was miles and miles away. We knew they would be safe there, but we couldn't take everything at once so I was going to go back by myself but…"
"but I insistent on going with him." Sophie told Bones firmly.
"And it was the biggest mistake of my life taking you back with me and Kevin…God I shouldn't have let either of you come with me." Jim told her sighing. "We got caught when we were trying to go back to the cave by the patrols. They took us to Kodo's palace and Starfleet found us after that. I don't know have a clue how long we were there though Bones."
Bones winced, feeling his heart drop into his stomach. "What happened at Kodos' palace?" he asked, voice quiet.
"That video that they show just now," Sophie started her voice starting to shake. "That was me and the screaming you heard was Jim's."
Bones looked like he had been slapped in the face, his heart clenching just imagining what they had done to them.
"They had taken Kevin from me 15 minutes after they took Jim. It was the last time I saw Kevin." Said Sophie speaking quietly still. "I don't…God I hope he's still alive."
Silence over took the three for a moment before Bones spoke, "Jim those scares on you that you said are from Frank, they aren't are they?"
Jim sighed and shook his head, "Not all of them, no. Sophie's got some just as bad."
"Jesus." Bones muttered to himself before recovering. "What happened after they found you?"
"Starfleet found us, and Sophie and I some how managed to stay together. They asked us for our names but I just replied what all the kids called me, JT. I never told them my real name and the only one who knew it was Sophie. Sophie said her names was Fee, for most of the kids couldn't properly say Sophie, so she was known as Fee. We never gave last names because we knew Starfleet didn't really care about us, they just wanted to look good and become hero's." Jim told Bones somewhat angry.
"We spent a month or two in the hospital before being released. I went to my aunt and uncles and Jim went back to his step-dad's. Thankfully my aunt and uncle were understanding and let Jim come over and stay as long as he liked. We were both 15 by this time and I…I kept having nightmares and so did Jim so we would slept together…well in the same bed curled up and the nightmares wouldn't come. It was horrible for the first few months and even year back but I think we finally managed." Sophie said clutching onto Jim while he stroked her hair.
"Bones we haven't heard from any of the kids since we left them in that cave 12 years ago and Kevin when were taken." Jim told him. "We don't know who's coming on board and now Kodo's is back and trying to find us."
"Listen to me kid. I know you two probably don't want to hear that I'm sorry for what happen so I won't say it, but you aren't in this alone. You have me, and the entire crew behind you two so don't you dare think you have to go through this alone. Got it?" Bones told him as he walked towards them.
Sophie untangled herself from Jim and stood up, walking over to Bones and hugged him, "Thanks Leo." She whispered before stepping back.
"No problem, I mean it Sophie." Bones replied. She nodded in responds as Jim stepped forward and had a manly hug with Bones.
"That goes for you too Jim. I'm always here for you."
"I know Bones. It means a lot…to both of us." Jim told him wrapping his arms around Sophie's waist. "Just don't tell the rest of the crew or anyone what we told you. We'll tell them…just might not be that in depth."
"I get it kid. No one will hear it from me." He promised them. "You two want anything to drink? Especially you Sophie, you want some juice your blood sugar is probably really low."
"Sure Leo, I'd love some apple juice." Sophie said chuckling.
"Just water for me Bones."
Bones nodded and headed over to Jim's mini kitchen in his ready room, while Jim and Sophie talked quietly to each other.
"That went better than I thought it was going to." Jim told her quietly holding her.
"I thought so too." She replied leaning her head on his shoulder. "Who do you thinks coming aboard?" her muffled voice came.
"I don't know." He whispered back, "And that's what scares me. I wish they all were."
"Me too."
"Captain?" Spock's voice rang out through the room.
Jim moved from Sophie to his desk, leaving her with Bones and her juice to answer Spock, taking his water with him.
"Yes Mr. Spock?" Jim replied.
"Our guests have arrived and we are heading up to the bridge now." Spock told him.
Jim and Sophie exchanged a panicked look before Jim answered, "Very good Mr. Spock."
With that the connection was gone and the three stood there silently. Sophie and Bones moved towards Jim but neither said anything.
"You two ready?" Bones asked.
"As ready as we will ever be Bones." Jim replied before turning to Sophie. "I don't care if I'm Captain and you're Lieutenant, you aren't leaving my side during this alright?"
"I was hoping you would say that Jim." She answered with small smiles that conveyed her nervousness.
"Good." Jim told her kissing her again on the lips before grabbing her and hand and turning to Bones.
"I'll be right with you too." He reassured them.
Jim nodded his thanks to him, "Let's go then."