"Let me see," he whispered. Jamie looked at him and tried to hide the wince when she turned. Bones saved her from lying, "You're favoring your right side, darlin' and I can see the bruise on your neck forming. So, let me see." Jamie took a breath, changing into the guy's uniform was a good idea when she was in EVA gear and jumped on Vulcan but now the idea of taking it off seemed like an impossible task, it was harder to than the dress. Bones must've been reading her mind because he closed the short distance to her and gently pulled the black shirt over her head. Then he unwrapped her ribs. Jamie was black and blue and purple.

"What the hell…?"

She looked at him, "Fighting with Romulans in hand-to-hand combat is not recommended. It's not as bad as it looks but I always say that, so I doubt you'll listen." Bones checked her neck than her ribs.

"Who tried to choke you?" he asked.

Jamie took a breath, "Nero. He wanted to deprive me of my life… like he did my father. That's what he said, anyway." There were a ton of things still on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't get them out.

"Are you okay? I know we didn't get much chance to dwell on it but he is the man who killed your father," Bones said.

She nodded, "I'm guess. I mean, I'll cry about it later… maybe after I talk to Sam. George was more his father than mine." Even as she said it, she realized that it wasn't remotely true. George gave her a gift; he was a man looking at the universe through his last moments and gave his baby daughter the only thing he had in his power to give: a chance at life. Jamie was sure that there was a higher power looking over them because there was no way they should've survived. Bones looked at her as she grabbed the hand that was touching her side, "That tickles, Bones."

He smiled and pulled her against his chest, "That was close, darlin'." It really was. If they had been a few minutes later, they'd be mourning for Earth too. The doctor decided that they both had to get some sleep, Jamie opted for a sonic shower and pulled on one of Bones' uniform undershirts after he re-wrapped her ribs. "What I tell you about my clothes?"

She stuck out her tongue, "Which is why you got an extra from the quartermaster, I'm on to you, sweetheart." He chuckled as Jamie climbed into the too small bed with him and found herself more on Bones than on the bed. They were both too tired and too relieved to care. Jamie was asleep the second her head hit his shoulder.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. "Okay, computer, turn it off." The beeping stopped and the computer rattled off information like time and temperature. Jamie looked around the room and found herself alone. There was a PADD sitting on the stand next to Bones' bed. She picked it up:

Jim,
Pike woke up and I decided to let you sleep. Head on over when you get up, he's asking for you and I want to take another look at your ribs. Nyota dropped off a uniform from the quartermaster.
Your Bones.

Jamie smiled as she hopped up and pulled on the clean uniform that was sitting under the PADD. Funny how being clean and getting some sleep made her feel a hundred times better. Medical wasn't as bad as the last time she was there. Jamie looked around and saw Gaila talking to Uhura but she was diverted to Captain Pike's room before she could stop by.

"Reporting as ordered, sir." Bones looked over at her but didn't say anything. With Pike on the ship, technically, she wasn't the captain anymore, just the first officer.

"Report, Miss Kirk," the older officer said from his spot in the bed. Jamie gave him a rundown of what happened and then the condition of the ship.

"Where are we?" Pike asked.

"Five hours away from Andor. We're hoping to have comms up to alert Starbase Seven that we're incoming but I won't hold my breath. Duct tape and bubblegum, sir."

Pike laughed, "At least we're in one piece. Ouch, that hurts."

Bones looked at him, "Can't help that, sir. Your system is too compromised to give you anything stronger." Jamie had already been given the update on Pike and she was worried, there was a chance that he wouldn't have full use of his legs again.

Pike looked her over for a second, "I had no intention on you becoming the CO of my ship. That said, you did what you had to do and you saved a lot of lives. As you can see, I'm in no condition to lead this crew… and even if I wanted to, they aren't mine, they're yours. When we get to Starbase Seven, you'll have your hands full but you know that. I am very proud of you, Jamie. Now, get back to work, Captain."

She nodded, "Yes, sir." Bones was trying to do something and Pike was arguing with him. Jamie didn't move and chuckled, they both looked at her. "I guess everybody was right. I do take after my dad," she said before stepping out of the room and leaning against the wall.

"Why do you care? So, you wrote some paper on my father, congratulations, you know more about him than I do. Go away. I almost died, the only people who ever loved me are dead… just leave me alone. Leave me alone. Everybody always leaves me… you'll be here today and be gone tomorrow just like everyone else. Save me the effort of caring about someone for them to disappear on me. Hell, save yourself the trouble, Commander. I'm not worth it. I was never worth it." He sat down next to her on the floor, "I happen to think you're worth it. And if you're gonna yell at me, at least call me Chris." He put his arm around her shoulders, "I'm not going anywhere, kid. Not if I can help it."

"Lost in thought, Captain?" Jamie looked up to the nurse that patched her up standing in front of her.

She smiled, "More like caught in a memory. Nurse Chapel, right?" The woman nodded at her, "Was it anything good?"

Jamie smiled, "yea, it was good." There had been people who wondered just what Pike's relationship with her was. It was very clear that while it wasn't romantic, it was close. She knew that the vultures would descend when it came out that she was in charge of the ship. She looked over the were her friends were when she came in but they weren't there. "Chapel, do you know where Lieutenants Mitchell and Uhura went?"

The nurse nodded, "They said something about the communications system. Doctor McCoy signed off on Mitchell's release earlier." Jamie nodded and headed to the bridge just in time to be of use.

Uhura, Spock and Scotty headed to bed so Jamie, Chekov and Gaila got to work finishing up Uhura's project. Jamie was grateful when she learned that Ambassador Sarek and some of the Vulcans were helping out.

"Co… in…. terprise. USS Enterprise, do you copy?" came a voice from the comm system.

Chekov jumped up and hugged her, "Ve did it!" Jamie touched Gaila's shoulder and smiled. She looked at the guy Uhura replaced when this whole thing started.

"Hawkins, answer them." The communications officer responded to the hail and even managed to get the comm from HQ on the screen.

"Admiral Archer, Admiral Barnett, it is good to see you, sirs," she didn't even hide the big ass smile on her face. They both noticed that Jamie was sitting in the command chair.

"Kirk, where's Pike?" Barnett asked. Jamie gave them a full report and relayed the current command positions on the ship.

"We'll be arriving at Starbase Seven soon, sirs. We're short on options." Jamie knew that they would only be there long enough to replace the parts of the core that the ejected, warping back to Sol would only take an hour from the Andor system. The admirals made sure that the crew was as well as they could be and even talked to Sarek before they signed off.

"Comm us when you get to the Starbase. We'll let them know that you're incoming. Good work, Acting Captain Kirk," Archer told her. Jamie smiled as the transmission cut. That was the good part about getting the comms back, the bad part was that their casualty list was updated to the one on Starfleet's server. Jamie almost burst into tears on the bridge, Sulu looked at her, "You okay?"

Jamie shook her head, "I gotta talk to Bones, Sulu take the con."

AN: I'm revising chap 50 right now, and the list is breaking my heart.