A/N: Here we are. The final chapter. Which I stayed up about 2.5 hours too long to finish. I get to see Beyond Wednesday night after marathoning the first two in the theater, and I AM SO EXCITED. Also, I've heard that not only is Star Trek 4 confirmed (without Chekov, sadly - RIP Anton), but Chris Hemsworth is coming back as George Kirk, and as both a dedicated Marvel fan and Trekkie, I AM SO EXCITED.
Anyways, I hope you like the ending!
"Time to get up, kid."
Jim tucked his blanket more firmly over his head. Bones tugged it off.
"Come on, kid, the three of you agreed to this. Get up, sleepyhead."
Jim groaned, but he started to sit up, so Bones stepped away. Jim glanced around the room – it wasn't much, but he was going to miss it. It had been a great weekend, and Jim had probably had too much fun playing with the boys and completely forgetting adult responsibilities, but no one had stopped him. Nor had anyone separated Bones and Jane against their will. The little girl seemed to know that Bones needed her, and she had bonded happily with the curmudgeonly doctor, and he was happier than Jim had ever seen him. The relaxation and simple family time and no threat of imminent death had been good for them. Well, Jim tried cooking once, but only the stove had really been harmed…
Those simple times were over now.
Bones grabbed his suitcase, packed and ready by the door, and decreed "I'm going downstairs. If you're not there in ten minutes, I'll sic the twins on you."
"I'm up, I'm up," Jim insisted, shoving his blanket off and rolling to the edge of the bed. Knowing the twins were excellent shots with spitballs and rubber bands, he rushed to comb his hair, stuff his belongings into his suitcase, and pull on his dress uniform. But as he fought to smooth a stubborn group of hairs, he met his own gaze in the mirror. For a moment, he met the eyes of a ghost.
"Your father was captain of a starship for twelve minutes. He saved 800 lives, including your mother's. And yours. I dare you to do better."
"Congratulations, Captain. Your father would be proud."
Someone knocked on the bedroom door. "Sweetheart?"
"Coming, Mom," Jim called, quickly smoothing the hairs and stuffing his stuff in his suitcase. When he opened the door, Sam and Mom were standing there. Sam wore a simple tuxedo, while Mom wore an elegant blue dress. It wasn't a dark mourning blue; it was vibrant, almost electric.
Blue was the color of sadness. But it was also the color of the sky. It was the color of doctors and scientists. Blue brought tears, but it brought possibility and healing and discovery.
Mom took his hand and rested a soft kiss on his cheek. "Happy birthday, sweetheart."
"Happy birthday," Sam echoed.
Jim smiled. "Thanks."
Their happiness was muted, but it was there, untinged by resentment. And Jim suddenly realized that was all he had ever wanted for his birthday.
"Time to go," Sam reminded them.
Right. The memorial.
-LLAP-
A cloud drifted away from the sun, allowing golden light to shine down on a statue that rose above the field, its sleek silver surface shaped as the Kelvin, angled to fly into the stars, the names of the fallen etched into its nacelle in flowing calligraphy. Flowers sprouted below it, arranged in angled stripes of red, yellow, and blue, formed the Starfleet symbol, the point aimed in the ship's flight path, the rest flowing out behind it. On a normal day, it would soar in solitude above the emerald grass, but now it provided the backdrop for a crowd of people.
It was upon these people that Jim, standing on a temporary outdoor stage, looked. His mother and brother flanked him, while Bones, Aurelan, and the kids provided support from the front row. Two microphones stood on either side of the front row; each had had a line of people behind them, asking the family questions, but now the last person was returning to her seat. The hostess, a young African American woman with kind green eyes, rose from her seat on the side of the stage, a gentle breeze ruffling the skirt of her lavender dress.
"Any last words?" she inquired.
Mom and Sam both shook their heads, and Jim almost did the same, but his eyes scanned the audience. They all watched him intently, but he could see the weariness in some. It was the weariness of grief, of a hard life. But still they stood here, in the cold outdoors, to pay their respects to those who had died thirty one years ago today. Maybe they could see those same qualities reflected in him, or his mother, or his brother. He owed them something for that silent comradery.
"The only name that really gets mentioned," he began, "is George Kirk. The famous story of the man who sacrificed himself mere seconds after naming his newborn son. When I was a kid, that was the only name I cared about, too. But now that I have a ship and a crew of my own, I would be remiss to leave out the other important people: The crew. The man who was trying to reroute power to phasers when his console exploded. The woman who was running to free a trapped crewmate when the hull breached. The nurse who forgot his own safety to protect a patient. The shuttle pilot who left behind friends to save the lives in the back of her shuttle. The woman who brought a new life into the world as her love's life was sacrificed.
"Dozens lost their lives that day. Hundreds more were injured. A lucky few remained alive and whole. Their names are unknown to most, but to someone, they are a hero. Without them, another person would have died, would have left behind friends and family. It's not just because of my father that my mother and I survived; it's because of the nurses who guided her through her agony, and the shuttle pilot who ignored her cries and obeyed my father's order to leave without him. Without those people, I would have died in the womb, and my brother would be an orphan.
"There are many ways to be a hero. It can be something as simple as telling someone they look good today, or something as drastic as the ultimate sacrifice. Maybe you won't go down in the history books, but your life will impact someone. Maybe you'll even become that person's role model. Like my dad is mine. I'm proud to follow in his footsteps.
"But a word of caution. When becoming a hero, you can lose yourself. I went from unknown to a hero over the course of a single mission, just like my father, and no one could resist making the connection. So I spent the next few years trying not to be him. But recent events have made me realize that he and I are connected by more than blood, even though we never had the privilege of meeting. With this knowledge, I'm the happiest I've ever been in my entire life. My birthday will always be shadowed by this loss, but this year, I can also enjoy it.
"There's nothing wrong with wanting to be a hero. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be like your role model. Just remember that you are unique, and though you could very well go on to emulate your role model, you will always be your own person with your own life, no matter what anyone says. You'll make mistakes, and things will go wrong. So go out and be a hero. But stay true to who you are. Don't lose yourself trying to be someone you're not. All you have to do is the right thing at the right time. No matter how insignificant it may seem to you, I can guarantee you that you just made somebody's day. You've lightened their load, and that is the essence of heroism – not how many people remember you, but that one person's life was improved by you."
His speech ended in an audience silenced by tears, but slowly, they began to clap. Quietly. Respectfully.
"Thank you, Captain," the hostess murmured, smiling through her own teary eyes. "My father was the one piloting your shuttle. His best friend died by the warp core."
Jim dipped his head to her. "Tell him I said thank you. To both of them."
"From all of us," Mom added, nodding at the Kirks and McCoy in the audience.
For once, Jim left the stage happy and satisfied, not at the attention he'd gotten, but from the smiles he had seen.
-LLAP-
When they arrived at the transport station, Jim let Bones pull their suitcases out of the car, instead stepping aside with Sam.
"What I said about you copying Dad…" Sam began.
"Don't bother," Jim interrupted, shaking his head. "You had a point. You made it quite rudely, but you had a point."
Sam lightly slugged his shoulder, then threw one arm around him. "I'm gonna miss you, little bro."
"Dude, we'll probably vidchat every week. It'll be like I'm there, with the amount of times Mom calls."
"Darn. I was looking forward to being the only child again."
Now Jim slugged his brother.
Peter wandered over, his eyes glued to the sky. "Is the Enterprise really up there?" he wondered.
Jim looked upwards, too, grinning. "Yes, yes she is."
The boy sighed longingly. "I wish I could see her."
"Well, we don't have to leave spacedock for a little while yet. Maybe you can see her today."
"You've done it now," Sam whispered.
Peter's jaw dropped, and he sprinted over to Aurelan. "Mom! Uncle Jim says we can visit his ship!"
Henry's eyes widened. "Can we?!"
"More time with Uncle Bones?" Jane gasped excitedly.
Aurelan put her hands on her hips. "I suppose, if you really want to…"
The twins jumped up and down and high-fived. "Sweet!" they chorused.
"But only if you want to," Sam pointed out.
In response, the twins ran inside.
"Don't run into anyone!" Aurelan called, but they didn't slow. "Why do I bother?" she sighed.
Jim grabbed his suitcase from Bones, who shoved it into his hands with an annoyed look, and jogged after Sam to catch the twins. The family beamed aboard, and while the twins looked around the shining white transporter room with awe, Jim focused on a different sight.
"Hi, Carol," he greeted happily, stepping off the pad to hug her.
"And who are these cuties?" she asked, wriggling free and turning to the kids.
"What? You haven't seen me in a week and you focus on them?" Jim complained.
"That's Jane, Henry, and Peter," Bones introduced them. "And those two are Aurelan and Sam."
"So you're the woman who's stolen his heart," Aurelan observed, holding her hand out. Carol shook it, doing the same with Sam.
"You know, she might be your aunt someday," Mom whispered conspiratorially to Jane.
"Mom," Jim protested.
She just grinned at him.
"Where's the bridge?" Peter demanded excitedly.
"Is that the console? How does it work?" Henry asked curiously, calmer than his brother, walking over to where Scotty sat.
"Ye like figuring out how things work, do ye?" Scotty asked delightedly.
"He does," Aurelan confirmed brightly.
"Well, I'd be happy to show ye!"
"You can show off our ship another time, Scotty. We've got a schedule, remember?"
"Next time, then, laddie, I'll give ye a tour of Engineering."
Jim and Bones left their suitcases in the corner, to be picked up when Jim's family left, and started for the bridge. Aurelan clamped down on Peter's hand to keep him from running off, and Bones picked up Jane.
"Where's medbay?" Jane piped up as they stepped into the turbolift.
Bones grinned. "A couple decks up. When your brother gets his tour of Engineering, I'll give you a tour of my kingdom."
As the turbolift door slid open, a familiar voice announced "Keptin on ze bridge!"
Uhura and Spock, standing by his station, turned around. Uhura brightened at the sight of the kids, moving over to Bones, while Spock dipped his head coolly.
"Remarkably, you have arrived early for your shift."
"I'm even properly dressed," Jim added. "Well, sort of. Good to see you, Spock."
"It is good to see you as well, Jim."
"The captain's chair," Peter breathed, staring in awe at Jim's favorite chair.
"Go ahead and sit in it," Jim allowed, smiling when his nephew scrambled into the seat. He stepped over and leaned on the back of it, absorbing the view of Earth. Bones walked forward to acquaint Jane with Chekov and Sulu, joined by Sam. Behind him, Carol, Uhura, Mom, and Aurelan chatted. Henry pestered Spock with science questions, which the Vulcan happily answered, his unease around children forgotten. At some point, Scotty had followed them, and was also talking science with Jim's nephew.
Home, Jim sighed silently, perfectly at ease as his entire family mingled around him. And for the first time, he didn't know if he meant Riverside, Iowa, or the Enterprise.
Both. Both. Both. Both is good.