January 2256
Hobelia
He was the cutest little thing she had ever seen. Baby Charlie was a spitting image of his dad with the exception of having his mother's bright blue eyes. At the moment, he was being held by Spock, who was sitting next to a napping Jamie on the couch. The young Vulcan seemed to have taken a liking to the small child and was often whispering to him in his native language. When none of them could figure out what Spock was talking about, Jamie just smiled, "he's telling Baby Charlie about Vulcan history". A few days after they got home, Jamie managed to take a holo of Spock almost smiling at the baby and sent it to his mother.
It had been an interesting month to say the least. Jamie and Baby Charlie spent three days in the hospital, before being released. They didn't know how, but someone had gotten word that she gave birth so there were tons of people trying to see her and the baby. The reporters outside the hospital made getting Jamie and little Charlie out a covert operation; Spock had come up with a simple solution, use the transporter; all it took was a comm. to Admiral Archer. Jamie and baby were beamed up to a ship and then beamed to their condo where Cody and Zane were waiting; Kevin stopped by after class.
Admiral Archer also released a statement on Jamie's behalf; Hobelia wondered why he didn't just let P.R. handle it. Jamie told her that because he released the statements himself, no one would be dumb enough to print anything else; the man is scary when he's upset. She watched the old admiral confirm that Jamie gave birth to a healthy baby boy on December thirtieth . That was all he told the reporters.
This month also saw Jamie turn twenty-three. Instead of a party, Cody and Zane told Chris to take her somewhere and they would babysit. Of course the new mom argued but she was outnumbered. Chris took her out to one place none of them would have guessed, Riverside Shipyard. They came home with a huge smiles and covered in grease. Everyone gave Chris a look but he just shrugged, "I know my wife." Hobelia was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Chris quietly laugh.
"Ever thought about having kids, Spock?" her son asked.
The Vulcan looked up from Charlie, "I have not."
"You would be a good dad," Hobelia added. Jamie, who woke at Chris' laugh spoke before her friend could.
"Leave Uncle Spock alone. He'll live a lot longer than we will, he has time," Jamie said.
February 2256
Jamie
"Jamison, there is a student I wish to introduce you to. While I am aware that you are no longer assigned to the academy, I believe it would be beneficial for this cadet to speak with you." Jamie had returned to active duty a few days ago, officially, she was working on the Enterprise again but, unofficially, she had been working with Spock; their new Kobayashi Maru exam was going live in September.
Jamie agreed to meet with the cadet that Spock told her about and found herself sitting across from Kevin's curly haired friend, Pavel Chekov. The fifteen year old Russian was the second youngest cadet in the history of Starfleet; like her and Kevin, he was command track with a knack for engineering. The kid talked a thousand miles an hour and Jamie was glad she spoke Russian because he switched languages on her a few times. He reminded her so much of herself at that age.
Being in a school with so many people who were older then you meant that there were those who took their insecurities out on you. One guy got in her face at Berkeley expecting her to back down; she gave him a black eye when he went too far. Before he could do anything else, Zane stepped in, "Not only is she younger and smarter then you, she throws a mean right jab." Chekov was having a similar issue, one of his classmates hacked the system to his dorm. They locked the door and flooded his room, with him in it. Jamie would have offered to help but he insisted on finding the culprit himself. Jamie had agreed to help him out if he needed it, "My advisor was good, but I learned so much from interacting with other officers."
"Can I ask you a question, ma'am?" the cadet asked. He continued when she nodded, "Why didn't you join Starfleet sooner? You worked for them, but you could have joined when you were younger?" It was a question that Jamie answered a lot when she was in the academy.
"I didn't want to do what everyone expected me to do. When I joined Starfleet, it was because I was ready to, not because everybody was waiting for me to. You're brilliant, Pavel, don't ever let others decide your future."
April 2256
Leonard
What the hell was he doing here? It's not like Pike to order him to do anything, ever. For some reason he had been told by the captain to show up at the Pike residence that night, it was a pain because all he wanted to do was go get a drink. Leonard didn't get a chance to knock when the door opened, "Hey, McCoy."
"Sir," that earned him a frown Pike.
"I told you that you didn't have to call me that in my home, I meant it," the captain said. Could he make up his damn mind? He was the person that ordered him here. Before he could ask, he heard a very girly squeal coming from the nursery. Pike just smiled, "Go on back." Leonard looked at the captain and made his way to the youngest Pike's room.
"Jim," he knocked on the door before opening it.
"DADDY!" Leonard was almost knocked over by the little girl that was so like him. How was she here? Jim smiled from her seat next to the crib, as little Charlie gurgled.
"How did you…?" he asked. His friend chuckled as she stood with the baby in her arms.
"I happen to have a good lawyer in the family and Chris is friends with the new deputy Judge Advocate General of the fleet. After you told me what happened with your ex in court, I asked Cody to take a look. Nobody should be forced out of their child's life, growing up without parents sucked," Jim told him.
It was on Christmas when he spilled his guts to Jim about Jocelyn taking everything he earned and the only person he cared about, his daughter, Joanna. She was almost seven but Leonard hadn't seen her since she was four, her mother kept him and his family away and then used it against him in court. He fought, hard, but in the end, she had better lawyers and family friends in the courts back home.
"Daddy, you should have seen mommy's face when Aunt Jamie showed up. It was funny." Leonard raised an eye at Jim as they made their way back into the main room.
The blonde shrugged, "I went to get her, told her I was your friend, so she dubbed me 'Aunt Jamie'."
"What Jocelyn did violated a ton of your rights. Cody and Bradley, the deputy JAG, had the case moved to fleet legal and reevaluated. You have time with her three times a month, more when you're on leave. I ordered you here because I figured it would be the easiest way to get you to show up, sober," Pike said from his spot on the couch. Leonard had never been so happy to get an order.
Jim handed Charlie to her husband and grabbed a PADD, "Everything you need is in here. You owe Cody a drink, by the way. You'll have her all weekend and I'll fly her back Monday, take someone with you when you go get her, just in case. Boyce had your schedule cleared for the next few days and that's her bag by the door, packed it myself. Baby Charlie likes her so don't be shy." Reading over the info she just handed him, Leonard wanted to cry, he could see his daughter. He looked over at Joanna; she was sitting next to Pike, making the baby giggle with her funny faces. He didn't know what to say, so he pulled his friend into a hug.
"Thank you, Jim. Thank you," he whispered.
"Anytime, Bonesy."
August 2256
Chris
He stood inside the door and just smiled. "Daddy thinks mama doesn't notice that he's watching us, what do we think about that little man?"
Jamie was rewarded with, "Da da da," from their son. Chris had come home to find his wife dancing around the living room with Charlie in her arms. Even though she looked a little tired, she was so beautiful.
"We should ask daddy why he's staring at us?" she asked. Chris pulled Jamie and Charlie into his arms.
"I'm staring because mommy is beautiful," he said before he kissed their son on the head, which earned him a smile from the eight month old, and kissed Jamie on her lips.
"I look…" Jamie started but Chris cut her off.
"Beautiful. You aren't going to change my mind. I don't care that you're wearing one of my shirts and jeans. You standing here with our son in your arms is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
"I think that holo of the two of you sleeping on the couch has me beat, just my opinion." He had to chuckle at that, his step-mom got a holo of him passed out on the couch with little Charlie asleep on his chest. Jamie told him that it took her back to when they were on the Aldrin, "It's not like Kevin to take to anyone that fast, but he liked you enough to sleep on you."
"You all packed, J?"
She nodded, "Yep. This is going to be weird isn't it? I mean, I've left him before but never for this long. Is it crazy that I'm a little scared?" The Farragut was ready to go out into the black again and they would be gone until January. Jamie would miss baby Charlie's first Christmas and his first birthday.
"He'll be fine, I'm here and so is Hobelia and dad, Cody and Zane and even Spock and Scotty. I'll be more worried about you to be honest. But you'll comm and you better keep yourself safe, I already talked with Gary about you staying out of trouble."
Jamie chuckled, "Gary is trouble."
December 2256
Jamie
"What the…? Sir, I have an anomaly incoming," Jamie didn't like the look of this.
"Fire a few phaser shots, Kirk," Garrovick gave the order after the science officer did her best to figure out what was heading their way and couldn't make an identification. It was supposed to be a routine mission; scan Tycho IV. This thing, a creature of some kind was heading their way.
"No damage, sir. It's still coming," she told him. The captain called a red alert and everyone scrambled; Jamie held her position at tactical. She and Gary looked at each other, there were life signs dropping all over the ship. "Sir? Sir?" Jamie turned in her chair, half the bridge crew was out, Garrovick was breathing heavily.
"Kirk, take the con," her captain ordered. He could barely say it before he stopped breathing, one of the science officers tried to bring him back while Jamie and what was left of the bridge crew worked to get them away from this thing.
"Mitch, set a course for the nearest Starbase and get us the hell out of here," she ordered. Even though she had the con, she stayed a tactical, issuing orders and helping the others however she could.
"Aye, ma'am," Gary nodded.
"Who has the con?" Commander Chenowyth eventually made his way to the bridge, as soon as he was brought up to speed and relieved Jamie, the situation went from bad to worse. The ship was hit by something that didn't even register on sensors and even more lives were lost.
"Sir, we need to get out of here," she told him. Jamie did the math in her head, half the crew was dead, if they didn't get to the Starbase, they were all goners.
"Mitchell, you are authorized to exceed warp safety protocols, get us out of here now," the first officer, now acting captain, ordered.
Of the five hundred and fifty crew members on the ship, two hundred and forty-three made it; their captain among the dead. Chenowyth advanced to CO and named Jamie as Acting First Officer. The ship used everything it had to the Starbase, but it still took a week to get there.
At one point, Jamie looked at Gary, "Chris is going to kill me. He'll kiss me, then, he'll kill me."
March 2257
Chris
She was alive. The surviving crew of the Farragut was three weeks late getting back from their mission, having to hitch rides on other ships since the Farragut was down for repairs. With half the crew lost, most of the survivors were taking orders to other posts; the ship would be back in the black this time next year with Chenowyth as commanding officer. Chris was informed of what happened during the attacks on the ship before the public was made aware; his wife was the acting XO. 'Damn lucky' was the term Richard used, 'badass,' is what Cody and Kevin thought, 'determined,' was Spock and Charlie.
After Jamie got back, he watched as she blamed herself for everything no matter how he, Gary and Chenowyth told her not to. "Are they fucking serious?" Chris looked up from the PADD he was reading.
"What?" he asked his wife.
"They promoted me to Lieutenant Commander. Are they high?" she looked like she was ready to pull her hair out.
"J, there are two hundred and forty-two people who owe their lives to you. Yes, you lost people but you can't keep blaming yourself. You can't carry the world on your shoulders, beautiful. Too heavy. Besides, if the brass and Chenowyth thought you deserved to be promoted, then you do." Something he said must have gotten to her.
"I keep seeing Garrovick die and it's like being back on Tarsus or in that shuttle with Johnny, I couldn't help him," she whispered. Tears welled in her eyes. Chris took her face in his hands and made her look at him.
"You kept yourself and the rest of his crew alive. As a captain, there is no better feeling then knowing that your crew can do what's necessary, even if you can't. As a tactical officer, I think what you did was genius. Most importantly, as your husband, I am so proud of you and happy that you're alive." He kissed her lips and pulled her into a hug.
May 2257
Jamie
"Wanna be my Tactical and First Officer?" he asked Jamie. She almost chocked on her drink.
"Can you do that?" she asked him.
Chris nodded, "Yes, the brass won't like it but it's within regulations. They're talking about sending the ship on extended missions, five years or longer. Joint assignments and children are authorized."
It was an idea that had been brought up before the Kelvin but was shelved after the ship was destroyed. Over the last decade, the idea was reintroduced; Jamie was a prime example of why it was a welcome idea. The Admiralty understood that her childhood wasn't pleasant, a result of being far from her mother who was serving on a ship. She wasn't the only one, just the easiest to reference.
"You, me and baby Charlie on a ship?" Jamie smiled.
"What do you say? Wanna see the universe with me?" he asked. Jamie thought about it for a few minutes.
"You have to formally request me, I don't want it to be different than anyone else you ask to join the crew. If you do that, I can say yes."
Chris smiled, "Done. Now all I gotta do is fill out the rest of the crew."
Chris had a bunch of people on his hit list; Spock for science officer and Scotty for engineering were both done deals. Gary was undecided; he had other offers on the table. There were some cadets on the list; Kevin and his friend Chekov for navigation and their buddy Sulu for helm. Spock had two students that he thought would be logical additions to the crew; Chris smiled when Jamie told him about Uhura being the girl in the bar and how she'd been keeping an eye on her progress through the academy, "She's a walking universal translator. I think Spock has finally met his match." The other cadet was Uhura's roommate, an Orion girl named Gaila she was a computer expert. McCoy was tapped for medical; Chris managed to snag Doctor Puri for chief medical officer since Boyce had taken a job at Starfleet Medical Command. This was going to be a kick ass crew.