I’m trying this again, a fan fiction site separate from the one I use on AO3. For now I’m not widely advertising it while I see what I do with it.
I’m posting a work in progress that takes place after Star Trek Beyond, called Where My Demons Hide.
I’ll probably post photos and stuff that inspire me. Right now I’m fixated on a picture of Zachary Quinto in the snow that I just have to use for Spock.
This is sort of an Easter flash.
“Jim, what are you doing?”
Jim frowned as he looked up from the hard-boiled egg he held in his hand. “Huh? I’m making Easter eggs with Joanna.”
Bones made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a snort. “Yeah. About that. Can we speak privately, please? And bring the egg with you.”
Jim glanced at Joanna. The five year old was busily brushing an egg with a pain brush dipped in pink.
“I’ll be right back, okay?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Jim rose and followed Bones out of the dining room where they’d set up their egg dying.
“What’s up?”
“Why are you here?” Bones asked.
“Because you asked me to come with you for Spring Break. Are you going senile, Bones?”
Bones smirked. “I know I did. Because you were weeping and wailing back in San Francisco and acting like the world was over.”
Jim felt himself flush. “I did not. There was no weeping. And hardly any wailing.”
“Uh-huh. I thought coming along with me was better than you moping back there for the week but now you’re moping here so I’m not sure there’s much improvement.”
“Well…”
“Let me see that egg.”
Jim reluctantly let Bones take the egg.
“How did you get that dismal gray color on it? I thought it was pink and purple and green.”
Jim scowled. “I don’t know. The colors sort of ran together.”
“And are those eyes and a mouth? Why did you do a frightening face?”
“It’s not frightening. It’s supposed to be a bunny.”
“Only if it’s some kind of rabbit horror movie for Halloween. Geez, Jim. Don’t quit the Academy and decide to be an artist.”
“You’re a big help, Bones.”
“Look, kid…”
“Uh-oh. Whenever you call me kid I’m in big trouble.”
Bones ignored that. “I get why you didn’t want to go to some party town for Spring Break. I know you’re upset about what happened between you and the hob…Vulcan.” Bones quickly corrected. “But you walking around here with your hang dog face isn’t helping anyone.”
“I’m not trying to bring anyone down, Bones,” Jim protested. “Okay, so I thought maybe Spock and I could possibly make some sort of relationship between us work, but I was wrong.”
“Well you couldn’t be any more wishy washy even when just talking about it. Did you actually talk to him about your expectations?”
Jim shrugged. “I started to. And that’s when he said he was going to spend Spring Break on Vulcan visiting his parents.”
“And what did you say?”
“Maybe I should come with you.”
Bones winced.
“Too soon, right? I know. I think that’s what scared him off. He mumbled—and believe me Spock does not mumble—that wouldn’t be wise or something like that. And then he was gone in a flash and I haven’t heard anything since. So, yeah, pretty sure we’re done almost before we got started.”
“Yeah,” Bones agreed. “Not sure seeing each other for a week counts as much of a relationship, Jim. Did you even…I mean… you know.”
Jim rolled his eyes. “No. But we were working our way toward that. I think. We’d kissed. You know both ways. And I actually thought we might spend Spring Break together and it might happen then, but then that’s when he said he was going to Vulcan and I said my idiotic thing.”
“I get it. But you’re acting pretty broken hearted for something that wasn’t even much of a thing yet. That’s not like the Jim I know.”
Jim blew out a breath. “Yeah. I just…I really liked him, Bones. A lot.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll try to be more cheery. Let me go back in there and finish those Easter eggs with Jo and then I think day after tomorrow, I’m going back to San Francisco.”
“That’s a couple of days early. You don’t have to do that.”
Jim smiled. “I know. But I want to. Get a good start on studying for the classes coming up.”
“Now I know you’re delirious. Okay, Jim. I’ll let you do what you want to do.”
“Thanks, Bones. Now why don’t you come help us with those eggs.”
Bones nodded. “Will do.”
Two days later, Jim opened his dorm room and stepped inside. He tossed his carryon bag into his bedroom and went into the kitchen to get himself a cold beer.
Now he had a few days before classes started back to decide what to do with himself. The truth was the whole domesticity in Georgia had been starting to get to him.
He took a swig of his beer and was about to take another when there was a knock on his door.
He set the bottle on the counter and made his way over. Not for the first time he wished there was a peephole in the door because there were at least a dozen individuals he did not want to see.
With a sigh, he cracked open the door and peeked out.
“Sp-Spock?”
Yes, Spock stood there at his door, dressed in black slacks and a navy sweater. Too hot for this time of year, but that was Spock.
Only Spock was not alone. Next to him stood a Human woman, with a flowery headscarf covering a lot of her dark hair, and dark eyes that resembled Spock’s or maybe the other way around because he very much feared this was Spock’s mother. On his doorstep. Unannounced. While Jim looked like something the cat dragged in.
“Jim?”
Jim swallowed and opened the door wider, hoping he didn’t look nearly as freaked out as he guessed he did.
“Spock, uh, what are you doing here?”
“I learned you had returned from Georgia and wished to invite you to have dinner with my mother and me.”
And just like that Jim’s ability to think crashed out. He blinked stared.
“Can-can you excuse me? I’ll be right back.”
Jim turned and left them standing at the door. He went into his bedroom, shut the door and sat on the bed, head in hands.
A moment later the door opened and in walked Spock.
“Jim? What is wrong?”
Spock now knelt in front of him, and he reached over to remove Jim’s hands from his face.
“Talk to me.”
“I-I…I think I’m having a panic attack.”
Spock nodded. “Why?”
“Wait. How’d you know I was back from Georgia?”
“Your friend Leonard McCoy advised me. As it turns out, my parents came to San Francisco, so I did not go to Vulcan, however by the time I had this information you had left to Georgia.”
“You-you really want me to have dinner with your mother? I thought…maybe you didn’t want that. I know it was too soon. But I figured maybe you didn’t want me to ever meet them.”
“I did think, perhaps, that it would be too soon to bring you to Vulcan for a variety of reasons. However, it was fortuitous that they came here and when I spoke of you, Mother wished to meet you.”
“You mentioned me to your mother?”
Spock was silent for a moment. “Was I in error? It was my understanding that expressing an interest in my family meant a specific interest in me, but…”
Jim grabbed Spokc’s face and kissed him hard.
After a moment Spock pulled away. “Then I am not wrong?”
“No, you aren’t. But Spock…I’ve been traveling all day. I look like—”
“You look good.”
Jim puffed out a breath. “I do not. I haven’t showered. I’m sweaty. My hair is a mess.”
“She will like you,” Spock said quietly.
Jim shook his head.
“She will. Because I do.” Spock stood up and helped Jim to stand. “Come. It will be all right, Jim.”
“All right. Okay.”
Spock led Jim back out of his bedroom and saw that Spock’s mom was at least standing inside his dorm instead of outside waiting.
“I’m, uh, I’m really sorry for that,” Jim said to her. “I was a little overwhelmed.”
She smiled. “And no wonder. We just showed up with no notice. I’m sorry about that. I’m afraid that was my eagerness to meet the man Spock won’t stop talking about. My name is Amanda. Forgive me?”
Jim returned her smile. “There’s nothing to forgive. And I’m Jim.
Jim Kirk.”
“And what do you like to eat Jim Kirk?”
“Anything but hard-boiled eggs.”
“What?” She laughed.
“Never mind. Italian?” He glanced at Spock, who shrugged.
“Very well. Italian it is. Let’s go.” She put one arm in Jim’s and one in Spock’s and off they went.
Happy Easter if you celebrate.
Tomorrow is the last post for March and is an update to my story regarding Jim going to Orion with his mother. It’s also now posting on A03 (with a little less enthusiasm from readers than I anticipated but what are you going to do? Seems like overall Spirk enthusiasm is down or my Spirk anyway).
With it now eventually making it’s way to AO3, do you still want me to continue here or would you rather I return to Flash Fic format where each flash is a little story all its own. I won’t be offended either way so please provide honest opinions here. It’s all good.
Totally unrelated, AI once again missed the mark. I asked for an Orion female with blue eyes and well…yeah. The fake chick is fairly attractive but an Orion…no. Thought I’d share that with you for laughs.
Continuing our story—
“I had trouble sleeping,” the teen explained. “I couldn’t stop thinking about meeting the two of you and what it might mean for the future. My uncle is…” She paused, her voice cracking. “Was good to me. He and my aunt were decent, and they loved my cousins and me. I was never mistreated.”
“But?” Jim’s mother prompted.
“Uncle Tolar got involved with the syndicate. I used to hear them talking about it and how he got in too deep. I don’t know what happened exactly but it all went bad. That house we just left? We’d only moved there a short time ago. We had to flee our old house because they knew where we lived. My uncle thought we were safe at the new place.” She let out a little sob. “But I guess they found us.”
Jim saw his mom put her arm around the girl’s shoulders. He turned to look forward.
“How did you end up in Spock’s hover car?” he asked.
She hiccupped. “Because I wasn’t sleeping, I heard them arrive. I knew-I knew someone shouldn’t be coming to the house then. I knew it was bad. I wanted to warn everyone but there wasn’t much time. Uncle Tolar came out of his room, he’d heard them too. He saw me and told me to run.”
“Easy,” his mother said. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say more.”
Jim bit back a denial on that.
“I went out the window by the kitchen and tried to figure out where I could run, how I could get away with them right there in the house. Then I saw the Vulcan coming toward your window. I saw his vehicle. I knew he had to be coming for you, so I got in the car and hid there.”
“Thank goodness you did,” Mom said.
Spock had remained silent until then. Now he said, “Who is she exactly, Jim?”
Jim blew out a long breath. “Remember Gaila, from the Academy. She was Uhura’s roommate.”
“Yes, I recall.”
“We were involved…before the test. Before everything with Vulcan. I guess…she was pregnant and never told me. Desda is that child.”
“And yet you found her when you were here,” Spock replied.
“Coincidence, I think. We’re here for those kids. My mom’s grandniece and nephew. Gaila’s brother, Tolar, recognized me as the man Gaila had been involved with and brough Mom and me to his house. I don’t think he knew what was about to happen.”
“He didn’t,” Desda insisted. “I think he wanted us to meet, though. That maybe you would take me with you when you left Orion.”
“You must have other relatives here.”
“Jim!” His mother admonished.
Jim pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just…I need time to think. Time to get this in my head.” He glanced at Spock. “Wait. How are you here? Your dad said you were undergoing Kolinahr.”
“Yes.”
“Was it successful?”
Spock looked at him, his expression unreadable. “We are about to arrive at the school where your relatives are alleged to be. Please prepare for arrival.”
Happy Birthday. Enjoy your hurt/comfort
Spock ran through the open doors and past a protesting Nurse Chapel.
“He’s in bed two, Mister Spock!” she yelled after him.
Spock turned and went toward bed two and discovered Jim attempting to sit up.
“Do not strain yourself,” Spock urged.
Jim made a face at him. “I’m fine. There’s nothing wrong with me.”
“I was told you collapsed in the medbay.”
“I fainted.”
Spock stared. “Fainted? But why?”
“Continue resting, Captain. Doctor McCoy wants to check you over.” Nurse Chapel appeared on the other side of the biobed Jim rested on. She took out a hypo.
“What’s that?” Jim asked, warily.
“Fluids,” she said cheerfully and then injected him. “He fainted at the sight of blood.”
Jim scowled. “It was a lot of blood. Ensign Wu tried to cut his hand off at the wrist in engineering and I happened to be here when Scotty brought him in.”
“He did not try to cut his wrist off, Captain,” she admonished. “He got caught in machinery and got a nasty gash.”
“It was dripping on the floor.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “But it’s cleaned up now.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me so I should be able to leave.”
“Doctor McCoy wants to look you over,” she said again.
“Oh Bones can stuff it.” Jim sat up and began to get off the bed, but as he went to stand his legs gave out and Spock had to keep his upright.
“My instructions were that he stay in bed!” McCoy exclaimed, suddenly appearing at of seemingly nowhere as Spock got Jim back onto the biobed.
“I told him,” Nurse Chapel said. “You know how he is.”
She moved off and Doctor McCoy took over.
“Damn it, Jim, do as your told.”
“All I did was faint,” he protested.
“Your vitals are all over the place, you’re dehydrated and you’re suffering from severe exhaustion.” McCoy glanced at Spock. “Aren’t you supposed to be looking after him?”
“Bones.”
“As Nurse Chapel just said, you know how he is,” Spock retorted.
McCoy shook his head. “You’ve earned yourself a night in the medbay.”
“What? Come on, Bones. I’m fine.”
“I say you aren’t.”
“I promise to rest in my quarters. I’ll drink fluids until they come out my eyes and ears. I swear.”
“No reports even.”
“Bones—”
“He will not,” Spock spoke up. “He will spend all evening and night in bed, eating and drinking properly.”
Jim opened his mouth, obviously to protest, but then saw the shared look between McCoy and Spock and sighed.
“Fine. Okay.”
“Do you think you can handle getting him back to his quarters or should I get a wheel chair?”
“No, no. No wheel chair!”
“I can assist him,” Spock replied.
“Okay. I’ll give you a list of instructions including food I want him to eat.”
“I’m right here,” Jim said.
“Uh-huh.” McCoy walked off.
Jim made a pouty face. “We were supposed to go to Frederick’s birthday dinner.”
Spock nodded. “I will notify them of our cancellation.”
“Well. You could go.”
“And leave you to disobey doctor’s orders? I think not.”
Jim smiled a little as Spock helped him off the bed. “You know me so well.”
“Of course.”
“That’s because you share a brain,” McCoy cracked as he came back. “I sent the instructions to your PADD, Spock.”
“Thank you, Doctor. Come along, Captain.”
And Spock got his captain back to their quarters, with only minor grumbling.
Jim couldn’t believe Spock was there, outside the window, hand outstretched toward them. He wore all black and blended in with the ominous darkness out the window.
Within the rest of the house Jim could still hear blasts and explosions.
Jim glanced toward the bedroom door, heart pounding.
“Tolar and his family.”
Spock gave barely a shake of his head. “They are beyond help. You must hurry. They will come your way within minutes, perhaps seconds.”
Jim swallowed down the sorrow at the thought of Desda, a daughter he never knew about, gone already. He could see the mirroring sadness in his mother’s gaze and also fright.
“Jim—” Spock began.
“Go, Mom. Now. Spock’s right. We have to get out of here now.”
Jim helped his mom scramble out of the window and into Spock’s arms to help her out and onto solid ground. Just as Jim was climbing through to follow her, the door to their room was blasted open. Spock pulled him the rest of the way out.
“I have a vehicle ready.”
“We need to get to Kinavvern to get my niece’s children,” Mom said as she hurried into the hover vehicle.”
“It is wise to leave the Orion colonies,” Spock replied.
“Sure is,” she agreed. “But not without them.”
Jim exhaled. “Yeah, she’s right. We need to get them.”
“Very well.” Spock’s hover car shot away from Tolar’s house and the massacre that had occurred there.
“What was that?” Jim asked, when he could find the words.
“I am not sure.”
Suddenly Desda popped up from the back of the hover car. “I can tell you.”
“Desda!” his mother exclaimed.
“It would seem we have a stowaway,” Spock remarked, speeding up ever faster.
“Yes. Jim’s daughter.”
Spock glanced his way, his eyes widening in surprise.
Jim shook his head and turned to Desda.
“All right. Spill. What did we walk into there when Tolar brought us there?”
Dinner at Tolar’s house was awkward, honestly, and most of the time Jim was in something of a fog. Fortunately his mother managed to carry any conversation Tolar and his family looked for from them.
Jim sort of remembered providing a couple of brief responses. He felt…bad…guilty he didn’t know. He had never known he had a daughter nor ever wanted one, honestly. He couldn’t recall having any conversation with Gaila about kids. But based on her not telling him about Desda, maybe she had known after all.
He was glad she was being raised by her uncle and his wife. That was good. He didn’t know the first thing about raising a Human kid let alone an Orion one, and despite her blue eyes, Desda looked passable as full Orion.
Jim didn’t want to interfere with anything to do with Gaila’s family. Obviously Tolar had feared that he would but he definitely would not.
After dinner his mother and Desda talked in the corner and he could hear Desda asking if she might be able to keep in touch via messaging.
Jim wanted to tell his mother not to get her hopes up that she would have a relationship with her granddaughter. He was pretty sure Desda’s family did not want that.
“Your mother seems taken with my niece,” Tolar said, walking up to where Jim stood to observe them.
“She, uh, sorry. She doesn’t have any with either of her children. Or I guess she doesn’t know with my brother. The point is, she’s a little eager. But I promise we aren’t interested in taking over. I know you are her family.”
Tolar nodded. “We are. But if Desda wants to message your mother or you, I find no objection to that. You must be tired and you must get an early start to collect your family from the school; Let me show you to your room for the night.”
Jim did not sleep well. He woke every fifteen minutes with a sense of foreboding he could not shake. He dozed off and on but never had a restful sleep. His mom had wanted to talk about Desda but Jim told her they’d talk in the morning. It had been a long trying day and he could see she was as exhausted as he was.
He was glad she had been able to fall asleep. But he dozed sitting up, phaser at the ready. He felt no real threat from Tolar and his family but Jim had learned over the years you couldn’t be too careful.
So given all that, Jim was surprised to find himself waking to the sound of gunfire.
“Jim?” His mom’s frantic voice.
“Ssh. Get down.” He sprang up and scanned the dark room, but he saw no one in their room. But he also realized it was coming from within other parts of the house and mixed with the gunfire he could hear screams.
“Jim, what is it?” she whispered.
“I don’t know, but it isn’t good.”
The window to the room opened and Jim turned raising his phaser.
“Come with me. Now.”
Jim’s heart felt like it might explode. “Spock?”
Jim was on high alert the whole way to Tolar’s house. He saw looming dark silhouettes everywhere. He wasn’t sure if they were his imagination or real, but he kept his hand on his phaser and his gaze darting everywhere.
He felt a weird pressure in his head he couldn’t quite explain. He hadn’t eaten or drank anything since they’d arrived in the Orion colonies. It wasn’t pain exactly, but he noticed it, and it was somehow familiar, but the source eluded him.
At about fifteen minutes after they’d left the area of the jail, they reached a home built under a large leafy tree.
“We’re here,” Tolar announced.
He opened the front door and preceded them in.
His mom glanced his way. “Okay?”
“Not entirely sure we have a choice, but yeah, let’s go.”
They stepped inside to the smell of cooking food and the sight of three children playing in the central room. Two were young, one appeared to be fourteen or fifteen, Jim guessed.
Tolar came forward with an Orion woman who looked to be around the same age as him.
“This is my wife, Myrla. This is James Kirk and his mother…”
“Winona,” his mother supplied.
“Welcome to our home. I was just preparing dinner,” Myrla told them. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll return to it.”
Jim smiled. “Sure.”
“And these are our children.” Tolar looked intently at Jim then. “Actually, the oldest is my sister’s daughter.”
“Gaila?” Jim asked, surprised.
“Yes. As I said, she survived because she missed getting on the Farragut. After the battles, she chose to leave Starfleet and returned here. Desda was three when her mother passed and we took over care of her.”
Jim nodded. “I see.
“Desda, come here. I would like for you to meet someone,” Tolar called.
The teenager rose from her place sitting on the floor and approached them. She had the same red hair Gaila had. She had bright blue eyes though. Jim blinked. He glanced at his mother who stared at the girl.
“Desda, this is James Kirk and his mother, Winona.”
Desda gave them both assessing looks. “You are my biological father, is that not correct?”
“I…uh.” Jim’s stomach twisted as he looked to Tolar.
“It is true,” Tolar replied. “Gaila arrived here pregnant. She told us that you were the father. When I saw you earlier I feared you came for Desda. She is part of our family now.”
Jim shook his head. “No. No. I…I didn’t even know. Are you sure?”
He was having trouble breathing.
Tolar shrugged. “Look at her eyes. Do they not seem familiar?”
Jim moistened his lips with his tongue. “This is…unexpected. But no, as I told you, we came for my cousin’s children. I…I wouldn’t removed Desda from her home.
Myrla returned. “Dinner is served.”
I’m a bit under the weather so I’m going to have to skip any updates here and on AO3 for a couple days. Should be on track again next week. I hope then to finish A Cup of Cheer and get two installments of mu blog story up.
Spirk (with a small dose of Pinto) 