Cerberus

by Starsinger

No, this isn't about Joanna's time on Cerberus, it's about the aftermath. McCoy's desperately needing to help his little girl and turns to the two people who can help her. They stop by New Vulcan to pick up a third who also understands. Don't own them.

McCoy watched as Joanna disconsolately picked at her food. She was slowly gaining back the weight she'd lost during the famine, but it was an uphill fight, and she didn't want to go back to her mother. She wanted to stay on the Enterprise. Heartbroken, Jocelyn had given McCoy custody of the girl and withdrew. She blamed herself for what happened to Jo, and McCoy was in no mood to forgive her, neither was their daughter.

McCoy watched as she cut her food into small portions and slowly ate her way through it. She had to be reminded to eat, and she had to be reminded that she didn't need to hide her food, no one was going to take it away from her. She had hidden in dark corners and closets for close to three weeks before feeling secure enough to come out and eat with her father. McCoy was desperate. He turned to Kirk and Spock for help. "Jim, you know what she's going through, can you help?"

Jim nodded, "I think, maybe, we should stop by New Vulcan, there's someone else who exhibited this behavior until recently, and she's more Jo's age." Spock nodded his approval as they set out to plan.

Jo sat in the Officer's Mess, trying to eat again, as she heard a familiar voice, "Hey, Jo, mind if we join you?" She glanced up, startled to find Uncle Jim, Kevin Riley, a Vulcan girl she didn't recognize. The girl looked to be her own age. Jo nodded. "Good," Jim said plopping down into the seat next to her, "I don't know about you, but I don't like eating standing up." Joanna gave a small, tight smile. "Jo, this is Saavik. She's a friend of your Uncle Spock and Uncle Sarek." Saavik nodded at Jo.

Jo spent long minutes eating her food when she suddenly noticed that all three of her companions exhibited similar habits. They cut their food into small bites, then chewed very slowly before swallowing. They also wore watches around their left wrists. "How…why are you copying me?" Jo asked stricken.

Jim sighed, "Jo, you've studied history, right." Jo nodded, "Remember the bit about Tarsus IV?" Jo stared at her Uncle Jim, "Kev and I are survivors of Tarsus IV. In fact, Kev is a member of the Tarsus 9." Kirk conveniently omitted that so was he, but he didn't feel she needed to know that right now. "While Saavik's ordeal was different, she also suffered from starvation."

"I was born on Hellguard," Saavik said. "I am half-Vulcan and half-Romulan. We were the results of a failed experiment and were abandoned as children to fend for ourselves. Hellguard is not a good planet to grow up, and it was hard to find and keep food." Saavik said it simply, absently pushing a stray curl behind a pointed ear.

"You mean someone deliberately let you starve?" Jo blurted out.

"Worse, Jo, Kevin, our families, and I were on Kodos' extermination list. We should have died. Kev was in the square and can identify Kodos if he was ever found." Kevin glanced at him quizzically, Kirk shook his head. "If it weren't for the brave actions of one boy, JT, we would all have died."

"Did JT die?" Jo asked.

"No," Kevin answered. "He's still alive. He wishes to remain anonymous, fearing retaliation if Kodos is found. Kodos was very angry at him for successfully managing to keep us alive. There were thirty of us who finally walked out alive. Thirty children for the four thousand sentenced to die."

Jo sat, deep in thought, "Does it get easier?" she finally asked.

"You know that point when you were so hungry you finally stopped feeling that hunger?" Jim asked. Jo nodded, "It's kind of like that. It's not really easier, you just get used to it. We spent so long fighting to stay alive that we didn't know how to stop. It took a Vulcan, Ambassador Sarek as a matter of fact, to get us to come out and trust the Starfleet personnel who were with him. All we knew was that humans had tried to hurt us, and he wasn't human."

"He was so very gentle with us. He had cousins on Tarsus IV, you see, he wanted to see to their safety and well-being. JT saved their children as well," Kevin said. Jo blanched at the thought that even aliens weren't safe from Kodos' reign of terror.

"Anyway, Jo," Kirk continued, "you see these watches we're all sporting?" Jo nodded. "Mr. Scott and Mr. Spock made these especially for us. They go off at specific intervals to remind us to eat. Because we do forget to eat, and I fear, so will you." He handed Jo another watch. She swallowed and slipped it on, thanking her Uncle Jim as she did. They continued to eat, taking the better part of the lunch hour to finish. She later talked to Saavik about her experiences. The young Vulcan assured her hiding her food was normal, and it would get easier, just give it time. Saavik left her a number where she could be reached if she wanted to talk. Jo knew she'd made a strange, new friend. She also appreciated that she was no longer alone.

Years Later…

Jo watched as Saavik held young Sopher in her arms. Named for the late Christopher Pike, the baby had a calm disposition, and was beautiful beyond words. Jo and Saavik had remained in touch over the years, and Saavik had attended her wedding, and sent presents on the births of her four children. While Jo had been there for Saavik's betrothal with her father, the wedding had been so abrupt that she hadn't made it.

Babies had their own agenda, Jo knew. Saavik looked up and nodded before handing the infant off to Jo. Jo smiled at the sleeping baby, it had been years since even her grandchildren had been this small. She had promised each of them that they wouldn't have to suffer what happened to her and her Uncle Jim many years ago. She looked up across the family living room as her father and Uncle Jim got into yet another squabble.

"Some things never change," Saavik said with understanding. Jo nodded, this was the perfect ending to a perfect day.