Slow Way Home
Chapter 23

[Day 30 of 45]

Jim was just getting off of Alpha shift when her Padd. beeped. Glancing at it, before leaving the bridge, she found there was an order from Pike stating she was to report there… NOW. It was in all capitals with two exclamation points.

She had to hold back a groan of annoyance. She was pissed at him.

Still, she made her way to the infirmary, not about to disregard a direct order. Walking through nobody stopped her though some did notice her. She went to the private cordoned off room and she found Captain Pike lying there.

He was staring at the door when she entered.

"Sir," she said, standing there respectfully though seeing him brought back all of those memories she'd been trying so hard not to think about. She tried not to think of the Friday night dinners. She tried not to think of him giving the kids early birthday or Christmas presents (he never gave them late ones) and how they'd adored them. He understood her and that made everything hurt so much more.

"You have been avoiding me," Pike told her and she looked at him.

"I am here, sir," she said.

"No you aren't," he told her and she looked at him confused. "This docile 'no sir, yes sir' thing is not you. You are not this polite."

"Excuse me," she asked angry before she could bite her tongue.

"You let your emotions run you… and this is not that. So lay into me. Get it out," he told her, egging her on. He seemed to want her to yell but she bit her tongue. "You found the Padd I keep. Fine. You know I knew your parents. Great."

"You lied to me about everything," She snapped before she could stop herself. She was furious. She needed to speak.

"Like what. I told them you knew them," He told her.

"But not that you were friends – seemed like Best friends," she told him. "You've been manipulating my life from the beginning."

"Manipulating?" he asked.

"Yes, manipulating," she stated. "You paid for things. Why else would you do that?" Her voice was sharp and demanding because she needed to know. This was the man she'd looked to like a father since joining the Academy. It hurt more than she'd originally thought it would.

"Because they wouldn't," he said and she didn't understand. "I promised your father, while your mom was pregnant the first time, that I would be there if he couldn't. Your mom wouldn't let me but I kept an eye on you. I saw how Frank treated you and that you were brilliant. When I realized that he wasn't paying for something you either needed or wanted I took it upon myself. From then on I paid for trips or things you needed. They also kept me informed of your progress in school."

"Yeah… but why," she asked. "Why did you do all of this? Like you said, mom didn't want your help so why did you insist?"

"Because… George was my best friend," Pike told her and she froze. "Many ways, he still is." This confused her. "I've never trusted anybody like I trusted your father… from day one. Your mother was barely pregnant with Sam when I met them. They were seniors, and I was a measly freshman…." He drifted off with a smile for a moment. "We were similar to you and Spock. He looked without leaping and I thought things through. We shouldn't have been friends – our personalities should have clashed, but we didn't."

She snorted because, what little she knew of her father that sounded right. Her father, rebellious look without leaping sort did explain a lot about her. And Pike was a very logical, think things through and consider the consequences sort of man. Though he did throw that out the window every so often and be sporadic.

"They could have just brushed me off, instead he accepted me. We trusted each other from the go. In fact, we were close enough he named me your godfather. This I took very seriously," he told her. "No matter what your mother said, I would have been looking out for you. With the way they treated you… it became my job because nobody else would and you needed somebody to make sure you were okay."

"Why did you hide it?" she asked, the anger melting away into hurt. It's what it had been for the most part but she could no longer hold onto the pretense of anger.

"I didn't know how to tell you," he admitted. "It's not something easily said." She swallowed. "How close we were lets me know that… your father would be very proud of you. The woman you've become, the man you chose, the way you've raised the twins. He would be proud of all of it."

Jamie wanted to swear. She was crying now. Those were words she'd always wanted to hear but never had. Not from Frank. Not from her mom. Not from the adults that had mattered.

"Tell me about him… about them, please," she asked, moving to sit down. He smiled.

[Well, another chapter down, more to go. What did you think of the confrontation? Sorry about the delays. My muse has been bugging me but I got a job which hasn't left all that much time for writing. But no fears – this is the story it has been bugging me on. Anyways, thanks to everyone who has favorited and alerted this story and a special thanks to Red red red ribbon, , Guest, ElizabethMaeWinchester, alaine, medafo, MirrorFlower and DarkWind (4xs), CHANCEGAMBIT, Hope-sama, zeynel, Pixie Star Fire, Fire Dolphin, Yana5, beauty0102 (4xs), and BetahimeTsukiko for your reviews. I can't believe the amount of reviews and I can't thank you all enough for it. Anyways – to the next chapter.]