Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek
Everything was tense the next day. Jim woke to a message from Spock, informing him that he had a meeting with the head of the Public Relations department and Admiral Archer at ten o'clock, leaving him not much time before he had to report; even less since he had to figure out how to get past the press that was likely still loitering outside Cochrane Hall.
Jim left Carol and Tom in his apartment, and headed out a full half hour early, hoping to sneak around the press without them seeing him.
Unfortunately, there weren't any access points to the administrative building that weren't surrounded by at least two reporters, so Jim just ducked his head and ignored all the shouts of questions or requests for comment.
The noise died down significantly once he was inside, and he knew he wasn't imagining the sympathetic look the woman at the front desk gave him. He offered her a responding smile, and headed for the 'lift.
There were two strangers with Jon in the Admiral's office when Jim arrived, and they introduced themselves quickly as Admiral Wilkens and Commander Pillay, before everyone sat down and discussed the newest press challenge.
Wilkens was the head of Starfleet PR, and he had come prepared with a list of talking points that had been addressed by various news outlets over the few days since Jim's presence on Tarsus had leaked.
"The best thing for us to do here is face this head on," Jon said ruefully, a hint of apology in his voice.
Jim frowned. "The best thing would have been if people hadn't started spreading rumors in the first place."
"Indeed," Wilkens cut in. "But we can't change what's happened. We need to address these rumors. Otherwise, they'll just keep sniffing for blood."
Jim still didn't like it, but he agreed, and they spent the next few hours discussing everything that had been in the news. Jim had to share something about his childhood, which never made him happy, but he condensed it into as few words as possible. "I'll admit that the car thing is true," he sighed, shaking his head. "It might actually still be at the bottom of that cliff. But it was in no way a suicide attempt. I was just… angry."
Wilkens nodded and made a note on his PADD. "And the allegations of sexual abuse?"
Jon winced at the frank words, but then, Wilkens didn't know Jim. He was completely professional. It was harder for Jon, because he remembered Jim as a baby – even if they hadn't met officially until Jim was in his early twenties, he had still known the kid practically his whole life. Jim was his friend, and he hated the idea that that bastard had hurt Jim like that. Well, he hated the idea that the bastard had hurt Jim at all, but still.
Jim quickly shook his head, glancing at Jon briefly before looking back at Wilkens. "Someone trying to make for a juicier story," he promised. "Frank was an ass, but the worse he ever did was give me a concussion and a couple broken ribs. I think he fractured my collarbone once, and I definitely have a few scars that can be attributed to him." He shrugged. "Broken beer bottle, backwoods town in Iowa without a proper hospital nearby, you know how it goes. But that's it."
Wilkens nodded again. "We should also address your presence on Tarsus. Thus far the Admiralty has been relatively quiet about that fact, but I can guarantee the press will continue digging, and they will find something. The best strategy to cut them off is to give them part of the story while making it seem like they're being told everything. They won't completely buy it, but it should push them back a little."
Jim pursed his lips. "I can't say I like it, but if it'll get them to stop harassing my crew, I'll do it."
With everyone in agreement, they spent some more time cobbling together a statement that Jim could get behind. It was sufficiently vague, but informed the public that Jim had gone to live with his maternal aunt roughly eighteen months before the crops had failed. After that point, he had hidden out with a group of kids aged three to seventeen, as they survived against all odds until Starfleet had gotten word of what was happening, and came to assist.
All of them knew that it wouldn't hold anyone off for long – Kodos had been gathering information on Jim, and the press would want to know why, what was so special about him as opposed to the other few thousand Tarsus survivors. It wouldn't be that long before someone connected the dots and realized that he was one of the few people to have seen Kodos' face. Maybe even quicker if someone actually used a few brain cells and put JT together with James Tiberius. It wasn't like that had been the most covert nickname he could have chosen.
The meeting ended quickly after that, and Jon promised that the statement would be released with the next news cycle, so hopefully the frenzy would die down soon, as the press got something to chew on.
Jim didn't share much of that hope, but he agreed readily, and headed back to his apartment, not surprised to see the rest of his command crew, plus Carol, Kevin, April, and Tom. Lunch had been set out on the coffee table, and the news was playing on low volume in the background.
Jim filled a plate quickly, before he glanced around at the group. "You know, if you keep hanging out here, I'm going to need to put in a request for a bigger apartment."
Sulu and Chekov laughed, while the others offered more contained smiles, and they all dug in to the lunch spread with relish.
Jim's stationary comm. chimed just as they were settling down, and the Captain couldn't hold in his sigh as he set his plate aside to go answer it. The only people who called his stationary comm. were officials. He really didn't want to deal with any official business right now.
When the screen cleared to show his caller however, Jim immediately sat back in shock. "Sam?"
His voice definitely sounded more strangled than he was comfortable with, and had the side effect of everyone in the room turning to look at him.
His brother winced slightly. "I'm sorry, Jim. I didn't have your personal comm. number, and this was the only one I could get from Starfleet. They didn't want to give it to me, but you're my brother, so –"
"So you used a relationship you vehemently denied the last time I saw you to coerce someone into giving you private information?" Yeah, Jim wasn't annoyed at all.
Sam bit his lip. "I saw the news. I just wanted to talk to you."
Jim glared. "Yeah, I wanted to talk to you too. Twelve years ago. You told me to stay the hell out of your life. I wanted to talk to you nineteen years ago. You walked out of my life and left me with Frank. You never even thought about taking me with you." Sam's expression fell, and Jim wouldn't let himself feel bad about that. "I don't have time to waste on empty apologies right now. Sorry."
He signed off without waiting for a reply and went back to his seat like nothing had happened.
No one wanted to let that slide, but Jim just picked up his plate and speared the last bite of potato salad on his fork. "Next thing you know Winona's going to call, 'just to check in'," he muttered disparagingly, and ate the salad.
Chewing slowly, he saw the worried look McCoy was throwing him, and knew that most people didn't speak so derisively about their family. He shrugged and swallowed. "They're not in my life anymore, Bones," he attempted to assuage the doctor's concern and head off any uncomfortable questions. "I don't need people who look at me and can't see me. I already have enough people comparing me to my father, but at least I can expect it from Starfleet, the general public. I shouldn't have to deal with my own family looking at me and seeing a dead man."
"No, you shouldn't," Carol cut in quickly. She shot McCoy a glare, and everyone went back to their meal, obligingly not commenting on the short conversation Jim had just had.
Jim was always so compassionate and caring, hiding any of his turbulent past from both friends and strangers, that it was easy to forget about everything he must have dealt with as a child. Losing his father like that, the way his mother had handled it, his brother's bitterness over losing a father to gain a brother… none of them could imagine what it must have been like, growing up with a family that resented him from the moment he had been born. Jim was so good at keeping all that in, that they only realized how horrible it must have been in moments like this, when the mask slipped ever so briefly and they were treated to just a hint of the force of emotion that was kept so carefully tucked behind his bright blue eyes.
It only made his friends want to do more, but Jim wasn't one to respond well to overt gestures, so they all just had to be content with silent promises to keep an eye out, and step in however they could, whenever they could.
XXX
The Endeavor docked without fuss or fanfare late that night, and they were able to slip Kodos into his holding cell without the press being alerted.
Of course it didn't stay quiet for long, once the public became aware of the fact that the ship was back at Earth, but at least they had managed to get the prisoner secured without interruption.
The few days before the trial passed quietly, with news reports and speculations. Jon's statement was dissected over and over, but thankfully it seemed to have done what they had hoped – the press wasn't digging quite as hard into the facts surrounding Tarsus and Jim as they had been before.
The day before the trial, all the witnesses were sequestered; they would be kept away from the public until the trial was over. Each group of witnesses was separated – the Starfleet responders, and those who had seen Kodos' face.
The responders would go first, Robbins had told them, and they would end with those who could identify the former governor. Jim would go last, since Robbins believed that his testimony would be the real nail in the coffin. Out of all the witnesses, he was the one who had the largest scope of everything Kodos had done.
It took a day and a half for all of the Starfleet responders to testify. Jim and the other civilian witnesses weren't privy to their testimonials, but Jim was aware that Chris and Shay were both on the witness list. He knew that a couple of doctors were also on the list, and a few more officers that had had major roles in the rescue.
With such a high profile trial, Robbins wasn't taking any chance of risking the appearance of impropriety, so he separated each witness; he didn't want anyone suggesting the witnesses were conspiring to make sure their stories were all straight. He didn't expect anyone to be working extra hard to get Kodos off the hook, but he couldn't afford any bad press. Starfleet was already dealing with a lot of flak for their lies in reporting the governor's death all those years ago. Apparently the public did not like being lied to. Imagine that.
XXX
By the time Doctor Karakas finished with her testimony on the third day, telling the courtroom of being in charge of all the injured and malnourished civilian survivors before they started getting people off the planet, it was time for lunch. Considering the only people left to testify were the six witnesses who could identify Kodos, the judge decided to adjourn for the rest of the day and start fresh in the morning.
No one wanted to draw it out any longer, but it was likely that they could get all the remaining testimonies in one day, so the judge felt it would be better to hold off until the morning.
Jim waited alone in a small office until after lunch, when there was a knock on the door and his name was called. "We're ready for you," the aide said professionally, and led him down the hall to the courtroom.
As he entered and took a seat, he knew that, while the other five witnesses had given their testimony in just one morning, it was all too likely that it would be the end of the day by the time they finished with him.
He was sworn in quickly, and then Robbins started asking questions. It was straight forward for a while. Jim talked about how he had met the governor, summarizing those eighteen months quickly, before moving on to discovering the fungus, telling Kodos six weeks before the crops failed, and everything that had happened afterwards. He didn't go into much detail, but it left no doubt in anyone's mind that the man had known and had the ability to act far sooner than they had been led to believe based on what had happened. If he had taken steps when he had first learned of the fungus, they could have likely saved the entire colony before it got too bad. The documents that Jim had sent to Starfleet had shown that he had been set on using the situation to his advantage, but it hadn't been clear before now just how much time he had spent plotting.
When Robbins was finished, Kodos' lawyer stood up and began his cross examination. "Captain Kirk, you were fourteen when the fungus hit, correct?"
Jim nodded. "Yes."
Jeff Malak had always wanted to be a lawyer. He had known ever since he was a kid, and practicing law while serving with Starfleet had been a dream come true. Never in his job description did he see 'represent psychotic mass murderer and attempt to destroy the credibility of a decorated Starfleet Captain'. But he had taken many oaths to represent his clients to the best of his ability, and his office had assigned him to represent Kodos. So he would do it, and hate himself just a little bit more with each question he threw the Captain on the stand. "Things must have been emotional for you. I understand you did not have a stable home life before your move to the colony on Tarsus IV. How can we be certain that your story is more than the emotional ramblings of a teenager? When you broke into Kodos' office, how could you possibly understand what was in the documents you stole?"
Seriously? Jim knew that the lawyer needed to represent his client professionally, but did he have to make it out like Jim was the criminal? "Do you know what it's like to have an eidetic memory?" he asked curiously.
Malak raised an eyebrow. "I hardly see how that's relevant."
Were he in a less professional setting, the look Jim shot the lawyer would have been called a glare. "Aerie, Brittany. Aerie, Paul. Adella, Monika. Adrian, Amanda. Adrian, Eloise. Adrian, Eric. Adrian, George. Austin, Charlotte. Austin, Drew. Austin, Jonathan…"
He continued for another minute, making it about halfway through the B's, before Robbins stood up. "That's enough, Captain. You don't have to continue."
Jim cut himself off and raised an eyebrow. "But I can." He looked at Malak. "I could tell you the names of all four thousand twenty-two people who were slated for execution. I can tell you the names of the two hundred thirteen people on that same list who survived. I can tell you the names of the one thousand and twenty people who were deemed worthy to live, who died anyway, as well as the three thousand and fifty-five people from that list who survived. That's an eidetic memory. That's how my mind works. I saw those lists for approximately thirty seconds when I was fourteen years old. I remember it more than fifteen years later. Every single name."
"And just how do you have all those names of survivors, Captain?" Malak asked curiously. "That information was not made public."
Jim shrugged. "Like I said, I saw the lists all those years ago. I read them, and I remember them." He pursed his lips. "As for knowing the names of the survivors?" He let out a small chuckle. "Well, I was a pretty angry kid back then. It wasn't that hard to find the information in Starfleet's files."
Jon immediately stood. "The court will strike that from the record."
The judge nodded. "So stricken."
Jon sat back down, and Jim looked contrite. "Sorry. But I can assure you, I knew what I was seeing on that computer. Just like I knew what I was seeing when I sent all his files to Starfleet. That man is Kodos, the former governor of Tarsus who sentenced over four thousand people to death. I spent two days a week in the presence of that man for eighteen months, and another two weeks being tortured by him. I will never forget his face."
He grit his teeth and forced himself to stay emotionless. He didn't want Kodos to know that he had gotten to him. He didn't want Kodos to know that he still had nightmares about him. The man had said and done nothing but sit quietly throughout his entire testimony, but the look he wore showed nothing but sadistic pleasure, when Jim managed to muster up the willpower to actually look at him.
Malak caught onto one word in particular. "Torture?"
Jim flinched minutely, and told the room about the jamming signal Kodos had erected, to stop anyone from potentially calling for help. He told them how he had gone to take it down, and been caught. He summarized those few weeks as concisely as possible, not wanting to go into detail.
When he finished, Malak took a moment to gather his thoughts. He might be Kodos' lawyer, but that didn't mean he really wanted the man to get off, or even get a lighter sentence. What the psychopath had done was truly horrifying, and he was only hearing the details on one particular case. There were thousands more, whose lives had been snuffed out or irrevocably damaged, because of the man he had sworn to defend. "What were your reasons?" When Jim just looked at him confused, he elaborated, "if you were as close as you say to the governor, why would you risk such protection? Why would you risk getting caught? Surely you would have been safe from the famine and the aftermath."
Jim smirked, though there was absolutely no hint of humor in the expression. "You're assuming I was meant to live."
That appeared to throw several Admirals for a loop. They had all assumed that. Kodos had taken a personal interest in the young teenager, surely he had wanted the kid to survive; at least until he started to make trouble for the governor and his guards. Right?
Malak blinked, startled. "It appears no one has asked you this question then, Captain. Which list were you on?"
Jim shrugged. "Neither. I was different. Special." He spat the word out but it left a bad taste in his mouth. "I knew too much. Kodos wanted to deal with me personally." He leveled a glare at the former governor, full of malice. "His mistake."
Malak knew that nothing else he asked would help his case. "I have no further questions."
The judge nodded. 'You may step down, Captain Kirk."
Jim immediately stood up and made his way out of the courtroom. The aide that had collected him for his testimony was still waiting, and led him down the hall to a larger conference room, where the other five witnesses were gathered. Now that they had all testified, there was no need to keep them separate. They would all wait here until the verdict was delivered. A small viewscreen was set up, showing a wide view of the courtroom, where they could watch the remainder of the trial.
Kevin and Tom greeted Jim warmly when he arrived, making room next to them at the table. the other three witnesses nodded, but didn't say anything. None of them really knew each other well, so Jim didn't read anything into it.
The last person they called to the stand was Kodos himself. For some reason, the former governor had decided not to waive his right to speak, so they all had to listen to him talk about how he owned Jim. How Jimmy would never be able to escape him, how he had belonged to him ever since he was twelve.
Robbins was clearly disturbed, listening to the man talk, but he wanted to know why Kodos had collected information on Jim. If the Captain was in danger, they needed to know.
But as Kodos rambled on, it was clear that his information gathering had been little more than the obsessiveness of a psychotic mass murderer, and not a larger plot to destroy or harm Captain Kirk.
Tom and Kevin both pressed closer to Jim as Kodos stepped down, offering what comfort they could. It couldn't be easy to listen to someone talk about you like a piece of property.
Jim just clenched his jaw and tried not to let the words get to him. He would never have to see the asshole again after this. There was no chance that he would get off, so it didn't matter what he thought.
The deliberation barely took fifteen minutes, and no one was surprised when the judge remanded Kodos into custody, to serve out a life sentence on the penal colony Elba II; the planet itself was inhospitable, and therefore unoccupied, except for the penal colony for the criminally insane that Starfleet had set up there a hundred years earlier.
The Federation had done away with the death penalty within the first fifty years after its inception, but as Kodos was led from the room, Jim wished they'd bring it back, just this once. On a philosophical level, he didn't really believe in the death penalty, but considering what that man had put him and so many others through, Jim understood the comfort that came from knowing that the one who had hurt him was gone, and would never draw breath again. Even on a remote penal colony, however slim it was, there was still a chance – escape, finding and working with a partner, there were always ways, if one wanted it badly enough.
The aide who stood at attention in the back of the room cleared his throat. "Attorney General Robbins would like to speak with you briefly, if you'll wait a moment. I believe the press is still gathered outside, so you will be escorted out a back entrance, to minimize the risk of being spotted."
A few of them nodded in agreement, while the rest just looked like they wanted to get the hell out and back to their lives.
Robbins did his best not to keep them waiting; he arrived a few minutes later, with Jon in tow. "Thank you all for your testimony," the Attorney General said, smiling tightly. "I know that nothing I say can give you back anything you've lost, but your testimony helped put a mad man away for good."
Jon nodded quickly. "No one outside that courtroom knows any of the details; they broadcast the sentencing, and I'll go out there in a minute to talk to the press myself, but there were no cameras with live feeds before that point. All of your testimonies will be classified, and everyone in the courtroom has signed a nondisclosure agreement. If you ever need anything from Starfleet, please don't hesitate to ask."
There were a couple of nods, and then Jon gestured for the aide who had remained in the room to guide them to the back door, so that they could avoid the press camped outside.
Jim hung back for a moment, after giving Tom and Kevin a nod, telling them he'd meet them back at his apartment.
Jon waited until they were alone before he sighed wearily. "Don't listen to what that psycho said, Jim. He's crazy, and he's never leaving Elba II."
Jim grimaced and shrugged. He just needed some time to process and tuck all the emotions away, but he'd do it. He had done it once before, after all. "I'm just glad it's done," he replied.
Jon winced. He knew how difficult this was for the kid. He hated how badly the past had come back to bite them all, and he knew that they had screwed up back then. It had been wrong, to lie to everyone and claim that the governor was dead. A necessary wrong, maybe, but still wrong.
"Go relax," the Admiral implored. "At least, relax as much as you can. I should get outside and deal with the press."
Jim nodded, and the two separated out in the hall, Jon to the front entrance, and Jim to the back.
XXX
It was obvious when Jim got back to his apartment that the large group waiting for him had watched the sentencing, as well as Jon's statement, which he was still giving when Jim arrived. Everyone was there, including Cory, who had taken the days of the trial off of work, not trusting himself to actually get anything done while all this mania was going on.
McCoy was quick to turn the vidscreen off when the Captain entered, and a heavy silence descended. Tom and Kevin had arrived before him, and though they had clearly given the group the basics, Jim would have to be an idiot not to see that they all wanted more.
But no one was willing to push, so McCoy just suggested dinner at a restaurant off campus. Everyone agreed, and decided to meet back in ten minutes after they all changed.
And true to plan, when they all gathered once more, everyone was dressed casually in jeans and t-shirts; not one hint of Starfleet could be found.
McCoy had even fetched Joanna, who took a running leap and nearly tackled her pseudo uncle in her excitement. Jim was prepared though – she had done this quite a bit back when she was younger, every time she had to go more than twelve hours without seeing him. It had gotten a bit overkill when she greeted him that way every morning for over a week, and McCoy had had to talk to her about proper levels of enthusiasm. But Jim loved it, even if she was no longer a small child and it took a bit more effort to actually pick her up. She was too big for him to actually carry easily by now, so he set her down and let her hold his hand instead, as they walked.
There were people outside, but thankfully no one who looked like a member of the press; those that were around didn't seem to pay much attention to Jim or the group around him, perhaps because, out of uniform, they were less noticeable.
So no one bothered them as they headed off campus, McCoy steering them to a small restaurant just a short walk from campus.
Jim was confused when they entered the establishment. The restaurant was clearly open, but no one appeared to be sitting down or eating. There was a small group standing in the back corner, talking amongst themselves. They turned as the newcomers entered, and Jim furrowed his brow.
"What…"
There was a low moan from somewhere in the group of strangers, and then they all seemed to shift towards him. "JT," was a soft murmur that came from one of the men in front.
Jim's eyes widened, and then he was moving forward quickly. He soon disappeared from view, surrounded by bodies.
The man in front was the first one to grasp him in a tight hug, but several others couldn't stop themselves from reaching out, grasping his shoulder or arm, as if to prove to themselves that he was real.
"Kieran?" Jim's voice barely qualified as a whisper.
The man in his arms nodded weakly, the movement rubbing against his chest. "God, we never knew. When you called last week… oh God, JT." That appeared to be the extent of his coherent thought, and Jim just rubbed his back soothingly.
But Kieran couldn't take up all his time, so Jim moved to each newcomer, in time. Sha'al was there, as was Percy, and Rose, and Jenny, and Mattie… Sven and Callen, Diana… when Jim was done greeting them all, he could see that every single one of his kids were here.
Tom, April, Cory, and Kevin moved forward then, and the group descended into tearful hellos once more. When they finished, Tom came to a rest at Jim's side. "I asked Pike if he could track any of them down," the scientist admitted softly. Jim looked at him, startled, and Tom smiled. "I know you contacted some of them, and Pike did the rest. I thought it might be nice to see them all again. No matter how bad things got, JT, just look around at all of them and remember what you did. You saved us. And don't go protesting that I helped. Yeah, I know I did. So did April, and Anya, and Cory. Your very first command crew. But you led us. You did this. Jim, you're the reason we're all here. Don't ever doubt that."
Jim smiled, a few tears building up in his eyes before he managed to blink them back, and nodded.
As they all sat down at the tables that had been set up for them, Jim found himself with Kieran on one side and Percy on the other. There were several tables, each set for six, so they all broke into smaller groups, the Enterprise crew mingling easily with the rest.
"I still can't believe you're all here," the Captain admitted, helping himself to one of the dishes that the wait staff had set out. Each table had large platters of various foods, enough to feed all of them several times over.
Kieran shrugged and grinned. "Like Tom said, he and Admiral Pike worked together to get us all here. Starfleet even paid for transportation, for those who weren't already in the area." He glanced around at the group. "I think Sha'al was the farthest, she came from Andoria. Most of us were on Earth or in the sol system, so it wasn't too much of a challenge. Tonight was completely set up by Pike and your Doctor McCoy, though. Pike's footing the bill, from what I could tell, but McCoy was the one to organize."
Jim looked over at his best friend. The doctor was busy trying to get Joanna to eat her vegetables. "Huh." Jim turned back to his own table.
Kieran's grin widened. "He's an interesting one. He likes to complain, doesn't he."
Jim snorted. "Don't get him started on how much he hates space. I honestly have no idea why he decided Starfleet was the way to go when he was starting over all those years ago. Not that I'm upset about it, he's a great friend."
Kieran nodded readily. "I could tell. He seems to really care about you." He paused and looked down at his plate. "I'm really glad everything's worked out for you. After we got back to Earth, and everyone separated to go try and rebuild their own lives… I missed you. I missed everyone. But I didn't even know how to begin going about looking for you. I didn't even know your real name."
Jim winced. "I didn't want anyone to know," he admitted. "When I first moved there, I was so sick of being compared to my father, so my aunt and uncle let me use their last name. And then after…" he sighed. "It was safer if no one knew." Kieran nodded again, and Jim offered him an understanding smile. "I am sorry." Forcing the conversation in another direction, he asked them about their own lives. He had kept an eye out over the years, making sure they were settling in after all the shock and trauma, and then that they were doing all right and didn't need him for some reason; but he wanted to hear from them, their trials, triumphs, and achievements. There was only so much he could learn from cold words on a computer screen.
All of them were successful, devoting their lives to helping others whenever they could. Kieran had gone to college to study law, and was working as a public defender in Nevada. Percy was running an orphanage for Starfleet dependents. Diana and Jenny had both enlisted in Starfleet within the last couple of years – Jenny just this year, and Diana was in her second year now. There were a couple scientists – one studying crop science, the other, ecology. They were all like that: each and every one of them taking the compassion and determination that JT had shown them, and channeling it to their own lives.
It was awe-inspiring, for Jim to realize just how deeply he had affected their lives. He knew that he had saved them, but he hadn't even thought that maybe the paths they had taken had been motivated by him, were because of him.
After everyone had eaten, they began moving chairs around, mingling with others, and the evening passed quickly as friendships were re-forged and new ones made. For reasons Jim couldn't quite understand, Percy and McCoy got on like a house on fire. Maybe it was the take no bullshit attitudes they each held as gospel.
Sulu was eager to give Jenny a few flying tips, as she was going for the Navigations Track with a focus on piloting. Diana was studying Communications, so she and Uhura quickly disappeared into a conversation in what Jim was fairly certain was Melkotian, but he only spoke a few words of the language, so he wasn't positive.
Pavel enjoyed talking with Percy a lot; Percy and Anya had worked closely together on Tarsus, as she was in charge of making sure the younger kids had everything they needed, while Percy handled watching them on a daily basis. The older man had many stories to share, and for his part, he was thrilled to meet the younger brother that Anya had spoken so much about, during those long fearful months.
He didn't stick to just one group though; Pavel moved between all of Anya's friends, speaking with each one for at least a few minutes. He was so happy to meet all of these people who had known his sister. And most of them were just as excited – Anya had talked about her brother a lot.
Joanna was a quick hit with everyone, her childlike excitement and eagerness to meet those who were clearly close to her uncle Jim, as well as the woman she was really hoping her dad would hurry up and marry already. It proved to be completely exhausting for the girl though, as she curled up in an empty booth and fell asleep shortly after dinner; McCoy was amused to note several watchful gazes on his daughter, and not just from the crew she called family. Several of the newcomers – it was weird for him to think of them as Jim's kids, but he had to admit that it fit; that's what they were, or had been, at least – also kept a close eye, making sure she didn't want for anything.
When he mentioned it to Percy offhandedly, the man chuckled and took a deep swig of his beer. "You're JT's family," he said simply. "You and Joanna, the rest of his crew. We might not have known his real name back then, but that doesn't change who he was to us. Who he still is. He's family to us, and you're family to him."
It was so simple, and yet McCoy could see how it made sense. Percy leveled the doctor with a wicked smirk. "Besides all that, you're dating April. She's just as much family as Jim is. Don't you dare break her heart."
McCoy rolled his eyes but nodded, and took a sip from his own drink, a higher end bourbon that he really liked. Hey, if Pike was footing the bill, he'd milk it for all it was worth. The Admiral had even told him, when they had set this up, not to worry about price.
It was amazing to watch, even as they all interacted and formed and reformed new groups, conversation flowing easily and happily. No matter who they were talking to, or how far away he was, Jim's crew could see the way the survivors all kept one eye on their Captain. As if waiting for orders, or to make sure he was still there. Those behaviors had been learned at the height of terror for all of them, but even now years later, it was still their first instinct.
It was very late by the time the gathering broke up. The goodbyes took a while, but plenty of comm. numbers were exchanged, and Jim knew they'd all keep in touch. Most were sticking around for another couple of days, so they made plans to meet up again before they all had to leave.
Eventually, it was just Jim, Carol, McCoy, April, and Joanna, the other Starfleet officers all having headed back to campus earlier. Jim watched as McCoy picked up his daughter; she barely stirred in her father's arms, and he smiled softly as she stuck a thumb in her mouth.
"Thanks, Bones," he said softly, joining the doctor and the others as they all began the short walk back to the Academy.
McCoy glanced over and shrugged. "I thought you could all use that," he admitted, embarrassment coloring his voice. He didn't want praise or gratitude. He had done it for his friend because he knew that Jim still carried the guilt of all he hadn't been able to do. He needed to remember all he had done.
Jim nodded slightly, knowing what the doctor was thinking. "I think I did need it," he replied. Carol slipped a hand into his, squeezing gently in reassurance. "I've kept track of them over the years, but every time I even thought about contacting any of them, I lost my nerve. I guess I just convinced myself that they blamed me for… I don't know, not doing more. I know it's not true," he rushed on when he could see all of them gearing up to argue. "I just let my own insecurities twist it all in my head."
"I'm glad you know that," Leonard commented shifting Joanna in his arms so that he had a better grip. "I know it couldn't have been easy, and I hate how much you tear yourself up for things that you couldn't have helped, so I'm glad that you can understand that not everyone is as hard on you as you are."
Jim smiled softly, while April snorted and Carol nodded in agreement.
"I think I'm starting to get that," he murmured under his breath, and the rest of the walk passed in silence.
XXX
Things settled down more as the week went by. The press continued their reporting, bringing Jim's name into it as often as they could. Someone had finally connected the dots, and he was outed as the child savior JT, which only brought more of a spotlight; Jim rarely ventured out into the common areas of the Academy during the day, not wanting to deal with either the press or the Starfleet officers and Cadets who spotted him on campus and didn't even bother to lower their voices or wait until he passed before they started talking about him.
The press also noted the contingent of young adults that had been seen around Jim several times – the group had stuck around for a few days, catching up, before they all headed back to their lives. It didn't take a huge leap of logic to name them as the kids Jim had saved on that planet. Tom and Kevin had been outed as survivors during the trial, and someone somewhere had recognized Cory's last name and made the connection to Jim through that. With April also hanging around this group of strangers, it wasn't hard for the press to figure out that she was as survivor as well. And of course, Pavel's presence was noted, but they had already been hounding him about his sister, so he didn't have quite as big a spotlight on him. The rest weren't thrilled to be recognized, but nothing could be done about it now, and they all left within a couple of days, worried about how their friends back home might react to the news, but trying not to think about it too much.
After they were gone, when Jim did leave his apartment, it was generally to head up to the Enterprise, to work with Scotty on finishing the repairs and upgrades. They were set to leave in just over two weeks, and Jim was chomping at the bit. He had spent too long on Earth, he was ready to get back to the stars.
At least after the first week, Jon was able to ban all the press from the Academy grounds. The trial was over, Kodos had already been shipped off to Elba II; there was no need for them to still be here. They could report all they wanted from outside the gates.
XXX
The Yorktown ended up shipping out first, with Chris officially on board as a diplomatic officer, looking years younger in his eagerness to get on board, when Jim met him and Shay in the shuttle hangar to say goodbye before they left.
Their shore leave was supposed to be longer, but after everything that had happened with Harrison and Marcus, the schedules all got shuffled around, and the Yorktown ended up getting a shorter break than they had expected.
Chris grasped Jim in a tight hug, as Shay stepped back and waited her turn. "Take care of yourself up there," Jim implored, pulling back with a smile. It was usually Chris telling him that, the last few times they had been in this setting. Jim was so happy for the man, to be able to get back on a ship, to continue living his dream.
Chris laughed lightly. "Definitely," he agreed, and let Shay move in with her own hug.
When they pulled apart, Jim couldn't stop smiling. He really liked having a family.
Shay beamed. "You're leaving in a week, right?"
Jim nodded quickly. "We're just about done with the upgrades. I can't wait to get out of here."
Chris grimaced slightly at the reminder of the frenzy and the press still sharing his story with the universe. He had no doubt that Jim was ready to get the hell off Earth. Even though it had been a surprise to his crew, they at least wouldn't treat him any differently. He was incredibly impressed and humbled to hear about how much pressure Jim's entire crew had been getting, how many reporters had been attempting to get an exclusive scoop; but not one of Jim's crew had even thought about selling their Captain out. Chris knew that that kind of loyalty couldn't be bought. It was the result of years of trust and confidence; belief and conviction. Dependence and faith. Jim had turned his crew into a family, and that wasn't easy. Not every Captain had that ability. And Chris was so incredibly proud. He felt privileged just to count Jim as part of his family.
Unfortunately, they didn't have much time to spare, so Jim gave each of them one last hug, and watched as they boarded a shuttle along with a few other officers from the Yorktown. He waited until the shuttle had departed before he headed back towards Cochrane Hall.
Jon had called him in for a meeting to discuss their next five-year mission, and Jim was eager to hear what the Admiral had to say.
Jon didn't keep him waiting, and jumped right in as soon as Jim arrived. "Forget all the stipulations you had to follow last time," he said with a large grin. "I know you want to get out there and explore. So go. Explore. We'll see you in five years."
Jim blinked, startled, and then beamed. "Seriously?"
Jon nodded. "You're an exploratory vessel, Jim. I know five years ago the Admiralty wanted to make sure you could handle it, plus the ship was new… but that's over. You've proven to those that needed proving that you can do the job. So go do it."
Jim was still smiling as he met the rest of his command crew for dinner that night. They were all thrilled to hear their new orders – though McCoy showed his excitement with his usual grumbling about space and danger.
And with just under a week to go, each of them was busier than ever, packing, preparing their departments, tidying up and tying up loose ends with their dwellings on Earth. They wouldn't be back for five years, so no one wanted to accidentally leave anything behind.
XXX
Everyone was early to report for duty on the day the Enterprise departed. This last shore leave hadn't exactly been peaceful, but they were all happy to get back to their jobs. Jim had even bent regulations and allowed several of their younger inhabitants access to the Bridge as they prepared to ship out.
Joanna looked entirely at home in the Captain's chair, while thirteen-year-old Carlie Hansen sat on her father's lap at one of the science stations off to one side. Joanna's friend Sheri Conway was watching Uhura intently, soaking up all the information the Communications officer had to share. Her mother was in the Communications department, though she wasn't high enough on the ladder to ever work a shift on the Bridge. But Sheri was fascinated, and already planning on following in her footsteps. A few consoles over, Carol was playing host to her own audience – Matt Twycross, the seven-year-old son of a Lieutenant in Navigations.
Spock joined Jim in front of the large window, as Sulu maneuvered them out of spacedock. "Have you decided on a destination, Captain?" The First Officer asked curiously.
Jim glanced over, and then looked at Sulu. "Pick a direction, Lieutenant. Let's get out of here."
Sulu grinned. "Aye aye, Captain."
Jim turned to Joanna, who was watching him eagerly. "Jo, what do we say?"
Joanna looked from him to Sulu, and back. The Pilot turned slightly in his seat, waiting for orders from the ten-year-old.
Joanna beamed, showing off gap where she had recently lost a tooth. "Punch it!"
Finally done. Thanks everyone for sticking with me!
This was definitely a longer chapter than I intended. It was supposed to be divided into a last chapter and an epilogue, but the epilogue was really short and just felt weird, so I combined it into one chapter. I have gotten some questions about tying the third movie into this storyline, but I don't have any plans to do that as of right now. I'm not saying no, I think it's definitely a possibility, and I've started to brainstorm a little, but at the moment, I really have no time in between work and grad school. However, I will be spending the summer doing an internship in Africa with possibly sporadic access to the internet, so I might not have much else to do in my free time except write… so maybe?
But in the meantime, please review and let me know what you think!