Top Gun AU part 4b/4
The next morning Jim woke slowly and stretched. He froze when he realized he was alone.
That SOB! How dare he do all that stuff and then just up and leave without so much as a…note.
Jim spotted a square piece of parchment lying on the pillow next to his.
Stop freaking out you idiot, I left early. I have something to take care of for graduation and didn’t want to wake you. Don’t do anything to harm, kill or otherwise maim yourself while I’m gone.
- McCoy
Jim immediately felt guilty, for writing Bones off so fast. Just because it’d happened to him in the past didn’t mean it would happen with Bones. Bones was different.
Trying to tame his wild bed head, he looked over at the clock. About two hours until graduation. Climbing out of bed, he bet himself he’d be done in one.
He lost, but it really wasn’t his fault, the buttons on his dress whites would cooperate and then everything had to look just so. He was graduating from Top Gun. Holy shit he was graduating from Top Gun! Jim stared at his pale reflection in the mirror.
He would finally be able to restore his father’s name. Not only that but he’d come out of the whole experience a better pilot and with a kick ass team. He grinned a little and with one last tug on his collar he headed out of the room with a bounce in his step.
**
Jim stopped just inside the arch way that led to the garden graduation ceremony area. White chairs were set up in straight, trim rows. Workers were milling around putting last minute touches on everything. The rest of his team was already there along with their families. Pike was there with his wife and even Bones daughter was there and a woman that was probably his ex.
Jim felt a sharp pang in his chest. He was there but he didn’t have any family waiting for him. He felt suddenly lonely and a bit envious of the others. He shook his head to clear such thoughts away. It was supposed to be a happy day for everyone and Jim refused to bring the mood down. Pasting a smile on his face he took a deep breath and came out of the shadows.
The buzz of talk stopped as people began to notice him standing there. He just kind of smiled and ducked his head awkwardly. Why were they all staring at him?
“Mawick!” Moscow crowed before attempted to straggle his friend.
“I missed you too.” Jim choked, grinning.
“Oh sorry it’s just that ve veren’t sure you vere coming,” Moscow admitted sheepishly. Jim pulled on his imp grin.
“Like you guys actually thought I’d stay away.”
“Well you gave us plenty of reason to worry, lover boy,” Amazon pointed out sauntering up.
“Shut up princess,” He snapped back without any real heat.
“Oh be still my beating heart, your insults just keep getting worse. Is it that Bones is finally rubbing off on you?” Amazon asked sweetly, leaning against Spock.
“Shut up,” Jim said glaring at her before switching it to his lover, “That was an insult to you too you know.”
Bones just grinned and sidled up next to him bumping their shoulders together. Jim relaxed minutely into the touch.
They chatted and joked for awhile after that. He could tell everyone was relieved that he’d shown up. It made him feel a little guilty for making them worry, but truthfully he really hadn’t been sure himself. He still wasn’t completely over what had happened, he still had a shit load of stuff to work through, but it was comforting to think that at least he had Bones and his team there to back him up. He wasn’t there but he was closer.
**
About ten minutes before the ceremony was supposed to begin, a movement underneath the entryway caught his attention. Jim glanced up and froze, then did a double take.
“Jim what is it?” Bones asked, following his line of vision.
“Is that?” Wolfman sputtered.
Jim ignored them and the shocked looks on their faces he couldn’t see but knew were there. After all, he may have inherited his father’s determination, and jaw, but he had his mother’s eyes and nose. There was no mistaking who was standing timidly under the entryway, dressed in a blue sundress.
Jim slowed to a stop in front of her, as they eyed each other warily. She broke the silence first.
“I know we haven’t been on the best of terms for a while now, but when I heard you were graduating I couldn’t stay away. I had to see my baby at his crowning achievement. I can leave if you want me too.”
She was nervous he could tell, but still she looked him straight in the eye and never wavered, probably the attribute that had attracted his father to her in the first place. Seeing her standing there stiff and awkward, but standing there broke something in him. It must’ve been something good because before he knew it warmth flooded his chest and he closed the distance between them.
“Mom,” He choked out holding onto her for all he was worth.
He was a head taller than she was now, and older in many ways than when he’d left her, but her arms fit around him just as well as when he’d been a kid.
“I missed you so much baby.” Him mother sniffled rooting around for a tissue in her purse, once they finally pulled away.
“Me too mom,” Jim grinned.
“Truthfully I wasn’t sure you’d want to see me, especially after-”
“Stop,” Jim growled firmly grabbing her shoulders, “You were doing the best you could under the circumstances. None of us handled dad’s death well, I don’t blame you for anything.”
“Oh Jimmy,” his mother said with a watery smile. Jim was surprised to feel his eyes a little moist as well.
“Who are your friends?” She added looking over his shoulder.
He swung around to see the rest of the group standing behind them. They all had smiles and their faces and Amazon even looked like she’d been crying, he was totally going to tease her for that later. Instead with pride he introduced his friends to his mother. It turned out the ‘something to take care of for graduation’ Bones had mentioned was picking up Jim’s mother from the shuttle port. Damn sneaky man, but Jim did have a few ideas for payback, some that involved a bed, some chocolate syrup and some hand cuffs. No one could say he wasn’t kinky.
Soon after that the beginning of the ceremony began and everyone found their seats. His mother gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before going over to sit next to Pike and his wife.
A warm breeze ruffled his bangs and Jim looked up at the sky, he wondered if his dad could see him. See what he was about to do for the family, see that things were finally back on track for the Kirk family.
“You ready?” Bones asked standing at his shoulder.
“Yeah,” Jim answered truthfully watching his friends and family file to their seats. With a grin he joined them with Bones no more than a step behind.
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There you have it, the end! 38 pages and almost 17,000 words later and I can say I'm pretty happy with this. However there may be more oneshots in this universe. 1. Because it's fun to write in. 2. Top Gun and Star Trek are two of my favorite movies. 3. Mostly because there was a ton of stuff I wanted to include but there were time constraints. There was supposed ot be a scene with camping out in the desert and team bonding and then a epilogue of sorts where the group might not be stationed together. We'll see how that goes though.
Now that this is finished I should be getting back on track with Dragon's Keeper. Don't worry there will be more soon!
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this! :D