Spock looked up from his PADD to gaze dispassionately at his nephew.
“I haven’t given it much thought.”
“Correct. And that is the problem.”
“Excuse me?” Spock arched a brow.
Vanik sighed heavily. “Last Christmas was a dismal failure on your part.”
Spock frowned and leaned back in his chair. “I presented Jim with a razor.”
“Precisely. A practical present.”
“Indeed. It was quite logical. It included a shaving kit.”
“And that’s the issue. Humans do not want practical, logical presents. They want something…romantic.”
Spock blanched. “I do not know how to choose a romantic gift.”
“Yes, you made that clear last Christmas.”
“I suppose you have a suggestion?”
Vanik screwed up his face. “Perhaps a ring?”
“Are you suggesting that I propose marriage for Christmas?”
Vanik gave him a half smile. “I think Jim would be surprised.”
“What would Jim be surprised at?” Jim asked, suddenly appearing in the living room of the apartment he shared with Spock. “Other than being surprised to see you here, Vanik. Again.”
Vanik blushed. “I came to see Uncle Spock.”
“Umhmm.”
“Vanik was critiquing my Christmas gift to you last year.”
“The razor and shaving kit?”
“Yes.”
“I loved that.”
Spock arched a brow once more at Vanik who deflated.
“See you later kiddo?”
Vanik nodded. “Very well. I do have some homework.”
Jim watched Spock’s nephew leave and then he went around the desk and planted himself in Spock’s lap.
“Did you really enjoy the razor?”
“Of course I did”
“Vanik wants us to get married.”
Jim laughed and kissed him. “In due time, in due time.”
It was at times like this, Winona missed George the most. He’d always been so good with their older son, though the time together had been all too brief. When George and Winona had been assigned to the Kelvin, they’d made the reluctant decision to leave their son George behind with her parents. Winona had expected to depart the Kelvin when it got closer to her time for Jim to be born, but the Kelvin had been destroyed by a rogue Romulan ship, Jim had been born prematurely, and all her dreams of happily ever after with George and their two sons had been destroyed with the starship.
Of course, George hadn’t been able to spend time being great with little Jimmy. He’d barely been alive long enough to know their son had been born.
But it was Christmas and Jimmy was six now. After the new year, fortunately after his seventh birthday in January, Winona had to leave Riverside on an assignment to a science vessel. She hoped it wouldn’t be long. A few months up to a year. Maybe.
So this Christmas was important to all of them.
And unfortunately, Jimmy was outside avoiding his grandparents and brother. Sam, as most everyone called her older son, had gone out to try to coax hid brother inside with promises of hot chocolate and cookies.
He’d returned inside the house a short time ago without Jimmy.
Winona grabbed her six-year old’s coat and scarf and headed outside.
She spotted him huddled on a row of old pallets she probably should have had removed a long time ago. No doubt they were warming with spiders.
“Jimmy, those are all dirty!”
“I don’t care,” he said sullenly.
“You’re gonna catch a cold out here in this weather.”
“Don’t care about that neither.”
“Either. And I do. Put your coat on. Come on. Stand up and put it on.”
He looked vaguely defiant, even as his bottom lip trembled and his little eyes seemed unnaturally shiny. No doubt the tears he was attempting to hold back. But he rose from the pallets and shrugged on his coat. She wrapped the scarf around his neck as he reseated himself.
She wrinkled her nose and decided to stay standing.
“Everyone misses you inside.”
“Even grandpa?”
Winona sighed. She could have kicked her dad for his careless teasing joke at her all too sensitive son’s expense.
“He was just teasing you. Everyone loses their baby teeth you know.”
“Both front teeth at the same time?”
It all came out lispy.
Both teeth had managed to become loose at the same time and then an ill-timed ball thrown that hit her son in the face took care of them both at once. They were growing back but too slow for Jimmy.
When her parents arrived in Riverside for Christmas, her dad teased Jimmy about not having his two front teeth.
“It happens. It did to you. But it’s temporary, honey. Your grandfather’s really sorry he upset you. You’re named after him, you know.”
“I know. The kids at school make fun too.”
“Kids are like that. But it’s Christmas and the whole family wants you to be inside with us. You’ve got lots of presents to open.”
“All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth!”
Winona smiled. “I’m not even sure Santa could make that happen.”
“Mom, there’s no such thing as Santa.”
“Maybe not but the spirit of Santa endures in all of us. Come on.”
She reached down and pulled him to his feet.
“Hot chocolate and presents await.”
She put her arm around his shoulders and was relieved when he finally went with her toward the house. She’d make sure the rest of the day was magical.
“I’m sorry, Keptin,” Chekov said, looking sad as Jim and Spock surveyed the damage to the rec room and the destroyed holiday party decorations, including every decorated tree. “It took an indirect hit from those three Klingon ships, sir. Destroyed everything.”
“Yeah.” Jim sighed. “Can’t be helped. Get someone to trash all of this, would you? Scotty’s trying to get a much smaller celebration set up in the mess.”
“Yes, sir.” Chekov turned away.
“At least there were no casualties, Captain,” Spock said. “And repairs are already underway.”
Jim smiled faintly. “Right you are, Mister Spock. I’m going to help clean up a little. You have the bridge.”
“Yes, Captain.”
It wasn’t until much later that Spock realized Jim had not reported to the bridge and was still in the rec room. After handing command over to someone, Spock made his way back to the damaged room.
The damaged room was vacant except for his captain and everything had been removed except one small Christmas tree. Every ornament had been smashed into pieces, but Spock was surprised to note that the lights on the tree were on, and Jim sat on a chair nearby, staring at it.
As Spock approached he detected tears in Jim’s eyes.
“Jim? What has happened?” Spock asked, alarmed.
Jim shook his head and wiped at his eyes.
Spock knelt on the deck, directly in front of Jim. They were newly relationshiped and Spock was still getting used to Jim’s moods.
“I know the attack of the three ships was distressing but—”
“No. You were right. We got lucky. It could have been a lot worse. I’m grateful no one was killed.”
Spock took Jim’s hand in his. “Yet something still upsets you.”
“Just…” Jim swallowed heavily. “Memories.”
“Memories?”
“My stepfather was a dick. If Mom wasn’t home we didn’t get to celebrate…well…anything. One time when she was home though, he got drunk and fell into the tree. Completely destroyed it. Including a glass ornament my dad had given her. She tried so hard not to break down in front of us.” Jim blew out a long breath. “I never hated anyone as much as I hated him that year.”
“What was the ornament?”
“A starship.” Jim smiled and squeezed Spock’s hand. “Blown glass. He’d got it at a shop in New York. I guess I should get back to the bridge.”
Spock stood, lifted Jim up, and set him back in his lap as they stared at the tree together.
“It can wait.”
Later, Jim found a wrapped package on his bed. Upon opening it, he found a glass starship.
“Jim,” his mother’s tone was urgent, and immediately drew his attention away from the display of stinky perfumes he had been eyeing dispassionately. “That man just took my purse.”
Instantly alert, Jim turned to see the man she pointed out who was hurrying from the store, Winona Kirk’s small black purse in his hand.
They’d gone to the mall for Black Friday shopping since his mother was visiting him in San Francisco for the Thanksgiving holiday.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Jim! Be careful. He could have a weapon,” she yelled after him as he took off running.
He was gaining on the guy in no time, after all back in high school he’d been on the track team, but the guy had become aware Jim was chasing him and had began to shove people out of his way and Jim didn’t want to see anyone getting hurt.
“Hey! Stop that guy! He’s a thief!”
He didn’t have much hope anyone would listen to him until suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a hand reached for the thief’s arm and down he went.
Jim came to a standstill a few feet away to see that the thief had been stopped by a tall, good looking Vulcan who stood next to a beautiful dark-haired Earth woman wearing a blue head scarf.
Just then, his mother rushed up to him.
The Vulcan, Spock was his name, Jim knew, reached down and removed Jim’s mom’s purse and handed it to her.
“Yours I believe.”
She beamed at him. “Thank you so much.”
A security guard appeared with the lady with the blue scarf. She pointed down to the still unconscious man.
“There he is. He stole this woman’s purse.”
The security guard lifted the thief to his feet and took him away.
Jim smiled and leaned in to give Spock a very quick, though not particularly discreet kiss. “You always have perfect timing.”
Spock’s dark eyes sparkled. “I do try. This is my mother, Amanda.”
“And my mother, Winona.”
“And to think our lunch was almost ruined by that thief,” Jim’s mom said, as she took Spock’s mom’s hand in her for a quick press of welcome.
“We were just leaving that store when Mom stopped to look at something,” Jim told Spock as they all fell into step. “The restaurant is this way.”
My days of going out into crowds for Black Friday shopping are LONG OVER, Thank God
“What? What do you mean the kitchen’s got a leak?”
Jim heard the exasperated sigh in his mother’s answer.
“Just what I said. One of the pipes behind the stove burst and it’s ruined everything in the kitchen.”
He took a big sip of his coffee and glanced around the shuttle he was riding from San Francisco to Riverside. Most looked curiously at him except for the two sitting directly next to him. One gave him a disgruntled side-eye and the other arched a brow.
“Can’t you fix it?”
His mom laughed. “Can you?”
“Well…no.”
“Anyway, it’s all ripped up.”
“What’s ripped up?”
“The kitchen, honey.”
“The whole thing?”
“Uh huh. No walls, no appliances. Nothing.”
“Not even the stove to roast the turkey?”
“James Tiberius, are you not understanding?”
“Mom, I’m coming for Thanksgiving and you’re saying we have no way to have it?”
“Not at the farmhouse, no. Fortunately, Ray has agreed to have us there.”
His stomach sinking, Jim stuttered out, “Who is Ray?”
“I told you I was seeing someone. He lives very close and invited us there. Including Spock and Leonard. It’ll be fine. See you soon.”
“Mom—”
“You might pick up some instant coffee on the way here.”
“What? No coffee?”
“No coffeemaker, Jim. I know, I know, it’s going to take a while to get used to this. Can’t wait to see you. And anyway isn’t that what holidays are all about?”
Jim sulked down into his chair.
“Problems?” Spock asked tonelessly.
“No kitchen. No Thanksgiving at Mom’s.”
Bones grumbled. “Should’ve gone to Georgia as I said.”
“You still can,” Jim snapped grumpily.
“Restaurant?” Spock asked, seemingly uncaring or unfazed by Jim’s distress.
“No. Ray’s.”
“Who the hell is Ray?” Bones demanded.
“Her boyfriend or something. He’s expecting us all over there.”
“What’s he going to cook?”
“How should I know?”
Spock reached over and took Jim’s hand, touching their palms and fingers together. Jim felt calmness flow through him.
“All will be well, T’hy’la. After all, aren’t we most thankful for each other?”
“I think I might throw up.”
Jim ignored him, leaned close to Spock, and kissed him.
Jim’s gaze flew to his. “What exactly are you imagining you’re saying?”
Spock glanced around the observation deck. “I am not certain this is the place for this kind of conversation. Any moment someone else could come and…may we adjourn to either my quarters or yours?”
“Spock—”
“Please.” Spock straightened. “I ask that I am given the chance you gave my counterpart from that universe.”
Jim looked heavenward, but then nodded. “Yours then. I can leave then if necessary.”
Spock tried not to let that sharp comment sting but it was difficult. Still he took some relief in Jim’s ready agreement.
They didn’t speak as they left the observation deck and headed to the turbolift that would talk them to deck with officer quarters.
They bypassed the door to Jim’s and went right to Spock’s. He entered his access code and the door opened to let them inside.
Jim preceded Spock inside, but the moment the door closed he turned to face Spock, arms crossed in front of his chest in a clear defensive matter.
“The hell I’m not,” Jim insisted to Bones, who had grabbed onto him to prevent him from going into the farmhouse after the Klingon.
“I’m your doctor and I forbid it. Now I know Spock did his mumbo jumbo to your head and now you mostly remember, but you were injected with a drug that wasn’t meant for you and you had a bad reaction. I need to thoroughly examine you back on the ship before I clear you for regular duty!”
“This is hardly normal circumstances and I need to…where’s Spock?” Jim looked around the immediate area and sure enough his husband and first office was nowhere to be seen.
But before he could panic too much, the Vulcan appeared carrying the other now unconscious Klingon.
Jim turned to Bones, giving him the stink-eye. “You deliberately distracted me while Spock went in there, didn’t you?”
“You bet I did. I meant every word too.”
“This isn’t over.”
Bones snorted. “Seems over to me. Now let’s get the other one and get back to our time. And our mess. Let’s leave theirs to them.”
Jim looked back at the farmhouse. The pumpkins and the scarecrows. A much earlier version of the same house he had grown up in.
He suddenly felt such sorrow it nearly brought him to his knees. This had been a happy place once.
“Jim?” Spock spoke softly.
“Yeah, I’m coming.”
****
“This is the place?”
“So it would seem.”
Jim eyed Spock. “How do we do that with twiddle dee and dum here? Do we have to go through all five us at once? How is that going to work?”
“I am fairly certain I can carry them through with me, you two just need to keep up.” Spock sounded amused. Jim was anything but.
“Ha ha.”
“Can we speed this up?” Bones asked. “I’m getting nervous. I don’t want this thing to close on us so we can’t go back.”
“Okay, okay. You’re such a weenie,” Jim teased.
“Just call me Doctor…you know what? Never mind. You totally would.”
“Ready?” Spock asked.
“Wait! I can’t leave.”
Bones and Spock gaped at him.
“Not until I find out who shot JR.”
“It was Kristin,” Spock said calmly.
“Kristin? Are you sure?”
“Who’s Kristin?” Bones asked. “Who the hell is JR?”
“Yes, Kristin. Let’s go, Captain.”
“I can’t believe it. I mean I guess it makes some sort of sense,” Jim said, then he said, “Go!”
A moment later they ran back out of the Guardian of Forever.
But there were only three of them. Spock, Bones and Jim.
“Damn! The Klingons!”
“Fear Not,” the booming mechanical voice of the Guardian spoke. “The Klingons have been returned to their Bird of Prey in their sector. They will have no memory of their time in Earth Nineteen Eighty.”
“Are you sure?” Jim asked.
“Yes, Captain Kirk. When you return to your ship, you too will have no memory from your time there. We will see to that.”
“And did I change history? Did they? My ancestor…James Kirk…”
“He is once more alive in Riverside at the farmhouse in 1980.”
That made Jim happy.
“Thanks. Is he okay?”
“He is in good health and has no recollection of any adverse events.”
“You mean of being dead?” Jim asked, dryly. “Did they do that?”
“Your appearance necessitated his temporary removal. Had you remained, he would have ceased to exist as he was known.” There was a long pause. “As would many others. You are responsible for the lives of millions having been saved, Captain Kirk. Do not take that lightly.”
“I don’t.”
“Goodbye.”
And the Guadian went dark.
Still Jim lingered and after a moment he realized he and Spock were alone. Bones had gone off to the beam up point.
“Jim?”
“I’m just…in a lot of ways, I really liked living in 1980. I liked the house. Decorating for fall. The simplicity. Free of all the complications in my real life. It was…good for a while.”
Spock shook his head and drew Jim into his arms. “I am not certain you would adapt to such a life long term. You are not a sedentary sort who can spend his nights on the couch watching television.”
“But see, Spock, that’s exactly what I did. And I don’t know, for the time I was there, I really wasn’t bored.”
“It was an escape from reality that perhaps you required.” Spock tilted his head. “And Becky?”
Jim smiled. “She was a nice lady but to be honest I don’t even remember that much about her or the time I spent with her. She…never felt right. Not for me.”
“And?”
Jim kissed him. “You’re the only one who’s ever felt right.”
“I am gratified.”
For a long time they just held each other.
“There is no where I would not go to retrieve thee,” Spock said softly in Vulcan.
“I know.” Jim briefly touched their foreheads together.
“Shall we?”
“Mm. Still it would have been nice to remember all that happened there. It’s already fading though.”
“Indeed.”
They started walking away from the Guardian.
“I don’t think she’s right for him either.”
“Becky?”
“Uh-huh. She wants him to move to Colorado. I don’t think he should.”
Spock made a humming sound. Jim looked at him.
“You know something?”
“You are quite correct. He does not go to Colorado with Becky.”
“I knew it! That’s great.”
Spock shook his head, took Jim’s hand, and led him to where Bones stood waiting. Spock handed Jim his communicator.
Jim was surprised to realize that he wanted to take Spock’s outstretched hand. So he came around the wood pile, stepped over the…creature or whatever he was lying on the ground…and placed his hand in Spock’s.
He was even more surprised when Spock drew him near and embraced him, holding him close as though he were precious to Spock.
Jim swallowed hard. “That’s not a Halloween costume that guy is wearing, is it?”
“It is not. He is a Klingon.”
Jim drew back to see Spock’s face, but he didn’t pull away entirely. “Klingon. This should all freak me out more, shouldn’t it?”
“I believe you are getting your memories back, though slowly.”
“Memories?”
Spock shook his head. “It is difficult to explain.”
“Try me.”
Spock glanced down at the Klingon. “First we need to secure him before he revives. There is yet one more like him we will need to capture before we can depart.”
Jim did move out of the embrace now. “I think I saw some rope in the barn there. Hang on.”
“Be careful, Jim. We don’t know the location of this one’s companion.”
Which of course made the butterflies in Jim’s stomach take flight, but he walked over to the door of the barn and threw it open.
“You don’t happen to have a flashlight in your arsenal, do you?” Jim asked. “It’s pretty dark in here.”
Spock put his hand on Jim’s arm. “Wait here. I’ll go in since I have a phaser.”
“What if that guy wakes up?”
“He will not. I will be out in a moment.”
Jim watched Spock go inside the barn for the rope. He turned around and crouched down by the Klingon and spotted what looked like some kind of gun.
He lifted it off the unconscious Klingon just as he heard the scuff of a footstep. He raised the gun.
“Hey, hey, hey. I’m on your side.” McCoy had his hands up. He had obviously come outside to see what was going on. “No hypospray, I promise. Put that disruptor down before you hurt someone. Namely me.”
Jim looked at the weapon in his hand. “A disruptor, you say?”
“Yeah. A Klingon weapon.”
Jim straightened and stood but he didn’t put the disruptor down. He figured it might come in handy if the Klingon woke.
“Where’s Spock?”
“Getting some rope.” Jim eyed McCoy. ”You want to give me your story?”
“Well.” McCoy crossed his arms over his chest and tapped the fingers of his one hand on the other arm. “I was on the bridge—”
“The bridge?”
“You are the captain of a starship.”
Jim laughed. “A what?”
“It’s complicated. Anyway, there was an incident on the bridge with another crew member and when I tried to medicate him there was a scuffle and it ended up being injected into you instead. You had a very bad reaction. You transported yourself down to this planet—”
“Earth?”
“Not really. A version of past Earth accessed through this portal called Guardian of Forever. Basically you’re on the planet with that portal.” McCoy paused. “I think. Look, I don’t know the science of it or whatever. I just know you somehow got hit on the noggin after the shot and you’ve lost your marbles.”
Jim sighed. “You’re giving me a headache, Bones.”
McCoy whooped. “You just called me Bones!”
“Huh?”
“Your nickname for me.”
Jim suddenly turned and looked toward the barn. “Spock’s been gone a long time looking for rope. I’m going in.”
Jim found himself being helped off the floor by the strong arms of his mysterious savior, Spock.
For a moment, Jim found himself gripping Spock’s forearms and clinging to them as he slammed the back door closed with his foot. He peered through the dark window out at the night.
“Jim?”
“Something’s out there.”
“Where?”
Jim pointed with a shaky hand. “Out in the back. I heard it breathing.”
Spock pushed Jim behind him. “Stay here. I will look.”
Jim reached for and grabbed him again. “You aren’t going out there, are you?”
“How else am I to look for the breather?”
“Haven’t you seen Halloween?”
Spock frowned. “Halloween?”
“Yeah. Michael Myers.”
Spock gave him a look and once more pushed Jim away. “I am not afraid. Wait here.”
Spock opened the back door and went outside.
Jim looked around and found his crowbar and then followed Spock outside, crowbar at the ready.
“Spock? Where are you?”
“Here, Jim.”
Spock’s voice came from the side of the house, so Jim made his over there. Spock stood by himself.
“Nothing?”
“Negative. I hear no breathing either.”
Jim frowned. “I heard it. Something or someone was chasing me. Where were you, Spock? I called out.”
“I was in the front yard making certain everything was secure while you slept. I apologize, I did not hear you had risen.”
He blew out a breath and nodded.
Spock encircled Jim’s arm with his hand. “Let’s go back inside. You shouldn’t be running around, exerting yourself after your concussion.”
Jim allowed Spock to draw him back into the house, but he still felt uneasy.
“This isn’t right.”
“Jim?”
He looked around, turning in circles. “I don’t live here. Not like this. This is too…new.”
“New?”
“The house should look older than this.” He stopped turning and put his hand over his face. “Where’s Becky?”
“I do not know Becky.”
Jim lowered his hand and looked at Spock. “I don’t think I do either.”
“Jim—”
“What’s going on here, Spock? Is someone gaslighting me? Are you?”
“I am not.” Spock reached up to the beanie on his head. “However…”
Spirk (with a small dose of Pinto) 