Overboard (remix) 6/6
Title: Overboard (remix) 6/6
Author: rogueangel1998
Rating: PG-13
Characters/pairings: Jim/Bones, with appearances of Spock, Gary Mitchell, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov and Winona. Passing mentions of Rand, Chapel, Uhura, and Riley.
Word count: 34,000+ (I just can’t write short fics!)
Chapter 6
Jim was all smiles the next morning and Leonard couldn’t help responding in kind. There was something inside Leonard that just settled whenever he looked at Jim. Whether he was cleaning up the breakfast that Leonard had cooked, or helping Hikaru in his garden, Leonard’s eyes were just drawn to him. And Jim seemed to sense when he had Leonard’s attention and enjoyed teasing him with a wink or shimmy of his hips, or the quick darting of his tongue over his lips.
It was decided that after a morning spent outside in the sweltering heat that it was time for ice cream. Though Jim and the boys wanted him to join them, Leonard decided to remain at the house and let Jim take the boys into town. With a stop at the hardware store to get some more seeds for Hikaru and then the diner, Leonard figured he had at least two hours to do what he should have done weeks ago.
Jim was disappointed, but didn’t push, probably sensing that Leonard needed some space to think and come to grips with the change in their relationship and Jim’s decision to disregard his memory loss.
Still, it was with a worried look that Jim waved good-bye from the cab of the truck as he drove off.
Leonard watched until they turned onto the main road and then went into the living room. His PADD was on the coffee table and he picked it up warily, a frown marring his features. With a heavy sigh, he powered it on and brought up the search engine. Not letting himself hesitate, he typed in ‘James Kirk’ and tapped enter.
Within a second he had over four million hits. What surprised him, but really shouldn’t have, was that there were pictures of Jim - James - on the first page, followed by article after article about him and Kirk Enterprises. He hadn’t even needed to search through dozen of other James Kirks.
Not one to really pay attention to the business world, the name Kirk Enterprises didn’t sound familiar to him, but many of its holdings did - a spaceline, several brand names of common home and office electronics, a communications network, a luxury hotel chain, a pharmaceutical company and much, much more.
Leonard was shocked. He knew Jim was rich. He knew that Jim was innately intelligent, but he hadn’t figured he was the heir apparent to a multi-trillion credit conglomeration that spanned all of Earth, the moon, and had vested interests in several space stations within the Sol System. It just didn’t make sense. He’d been here with Leonard for weeks now, why hadn’t anyone come looking for him?
A picture caught his eye on his main search; a photo that wasn’t of Jim, but his friend Gary who had also been on the boat. Following the link, Leonard read with a heavy heart of the dark-haired man’s arrest for corporate espionage and insider trading. He saw quotes and pictures of Jim’s mother. There was even a brief glance of the Vulcan, Spock, who had nerve-pinched Leonard and left him the dock.
Feeling voyeuristic, but unable to stop himself, Leonard watched an interview of Jim’s mother in front of a courthouse in New York City. She was a handsome woman, but her eyes were a much colder blue than her son’s. She spoke of the swiftness of their action when they suspected what Gary was up to and how they intended to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law. When she was questioned about her son and his thoughts on the matter, her eyes had narrowed fractionally, but she had only said that James was currently on vacation; that he knew what was happening and fully supported the company’s actions.
That had led to a follow up question regarding James’ relationship to Gary Mitchell and the insinuation that they were more than business associates. If looks could kill, that would have been the end of that particular reporter, though she did answer him. “It was in fact my son who first brought Mr. Mitchell to the attention of our security team,” she said haughtily. “His continued friendship with him was simply a means to an end.” Without taking another question she ended the press conference.
Resting his head against the back of the couch, Leonard’s stomach clenched painfully. He knew what he had to do. He had to tell Jim the truth. Jim had a life and obligations that he had to fulfill. His mother had acted as if he really was on vacation, but they had to be worried about him. The heir to a business like Kirk Enterprises could not go incommunicado for this long and not have people searching for him. It just didn’t seem possible. He realized that they might not want to advertise his absence, but they sure as hell had to be looking. Why the hell they hadn’t found him already was a mystery to Leonard, but he knew he had to get Jim home; he had to give him back his life.
Hearing the truck pull up rather sooner than he expected, Leonard stood up, his heart in his throat. There was no time like the present. He’d send the boys out into the backyard or let them put in a vid and then he’d pull Jim aside and show him everything. And he’d apologize. He’d apologize profusely and beg if he had to. He didn’t want Jim to hate him, not after what they’d shared, but he honestly couldn’t see it happening any other way.
Slowly he made his way to the front door and out on to the porch, only to stop short in shock. Parked in front of his house was not his truck with Jim and the boys in it, but a long black limousine. As he stepped out onto the porch, the front passenger door opened and out stepped a familiar Vulcan.
For a moment Leonard just stared at him in disbelief as Spock walked around the limo towards him. Then his temper flared. “You have got to be shitting me,” he said angrily, crossing his arms and glaring balefully.
Spock didn’t respond, only raised one eyebrow imperiously, which only angered Leonard further.
“You’re showing up now?” he demanded, stomping down the steps. He didn’t know what he planned to do, but the urge to hit the Vulcan was strong. “After all this time, you fucking show up now?”
“Indeed,” Spock finally spoke. “We had thought to wait for James to contact us, but as his liaison with you has continued longer than was expected, it became necessary to retrieve him. We saw him driving in town with your children. We thought it best to confront him here, rather than where there might be witnesses.”
“You knew he was here all along?” Leonard demanded incredulously, his anger turning to confusion as he stopped.
“Of course,” Spock replied.
“How the hell…” Leonard began, but was cut off by the sound of his truck coming up the drive, his heart sinking. This was it. Everything was going to come crashing down now.
The boys’ chatter and excitement at seeing the limo in the front yard was background noise. Leonard had only eyes for Jim as he exited the truck, a grocery bag in his arms.
He smiled up at Leonard, and then turned his attention to the limo, taking in Spock standing stiffly by the limo’s back door. “Hey Spock,” he grinned, slapping him on the shoulder as he passed him. “Let me get this ice cream into the freezer and I’ll be right back,” he said congenially. Bounding up the steps he passed Leonard. “I got peach,” he told him with a wink.
Spock’s head cocked slightly as he watched Jim enter the house. He turned his piercing gaze to Leonard. “That is not the reception I expected,” he admitted to Leonard, picking up something from Jim’s brief touch, or possibly his cheerful greeting, that made the imperturbable Vulcan look uneasy.
“He lost his memory,” Leonard told him thickly.
Both Spock’s eyebrows rose. “I had not expected such an occurrence.”
Leonard heard the door open and turned slowly to face Jim, his whole body tense with anxiety.
“Spock,” Jim repeated in awe, looking at the Vulcan as he went down the porch stairs. “You’re Spock.”
“Indeed,” Spock nodded. “I had not expected the loss of your memory or I…”
“Oh my god,” Jim said, ignoring the Vulcan, as a grin spread across his face. “I remember. I mean, I didn’t before, but then I walked into the house and then it was just…wham! And I remember everything! Bones, I remember!” he said with delight and he rushed over and pulled Leonard into a hug. “You don’t have to worry any more. I have my memories and…”
Jim’s cheerfulness faded as he pulled slowly away from Leonard, who couldn’t help frowning as he watched everything fall into place as Jim’s eyes began to harden.
Leonard winced as Jim’s grip on his shoulders tightened painfully before he let go with a small shove.
“You’re that doctor,” he stated flatly.
Leonard could only nod.
Jim made a small sound in his throat, a hysterical laugh cut off or a growl, Leonard couldn’t tell. “Not engaged?” he snapped. “That’s what you…” he ran a hand through his hair and looked around at the house and the yard and his expression hardened further. “You didn’t even fucking know me,” he whispered hoarsely. “And you let me believe…made me cook and clean and watch your kids.”
Something in his voice broke on those last words and Leonard found himself reaching out to the younger man. “Jim…”
“No one calls me that,” Jim said stiffly, pulling away from Leonard’s touch.
Pavel came up between them and took Jim’s hand. “Jim are you okay?” he asked softly, his voice hesitant. He’d obviously sensed the tension between the two men and like any child wanted to be reassured.
Jim made a pained sound in the back of this throat. “No Pasha, I’m not,” he said thickly. Slowly he pulled his hand away from the little boy, not once looking down at him.
“Jim?” Pavel questioned in confusion.
“Pavel, come here,” Leonard said, pulling the boy to stand in front of him, his hands on his shoulders holding the small boy in place. “Jim, I’m sorry…” Leonard tried again. The pain and betrayal in Jim’s eyes was breaking his heart and he could feel Pavel trembling under his hands.
“How long have you known?” Jim asked, his lips pursed tightly, his face carefully blank.
“I only just…”
Jim’s bitter laugh cut him off. “I’ve been here for weeks and you expect me to believe you ‘only just’ figured out who I was?”
“Yes!” Leonard argued, though he couldn’t help feeling guilty. He should have checked sooner. “Had I known…” he trailed off with a shrug, unable to look into Jim’s eyes.
“What? You would have fucked me sooner?” Jim asked caustically. “Alerted the press to your new houseboy? Tried to get some money out of all this instead of just manual labor?”
“No, Jim…” Leonard shook his head, horrified that Jim would think such things about him.
“That’s not my name,” Jim cut him off. “Say it,” he ordered suddenly. “Say my name.”
“Jim,” Leonard pleaded, wanting him to remember the good times, not just what Leonard had selfishly done. The need for revenge had started this whole thing, but once he’d gotten to know Jim he hadn’t wanted to let him go. It was selfish, but he’d come to truly care for Jim and hadn’t wanted to lose him.
“Say it,” Jim bit out, his jaw tense.
Leonard closed his eyes briefly. “James Kirk,” he said on a sigh.
Jim nodded brusquely. “That’s who I am.”
Leonard wanted to protest. That wasn’t who he was; not only who he was, but he held his tongue knowing that nothing he said could soothe the man he had hurt so deeply.
“James, get in the limo,” a woman’s voice, one Leonard recognized as Winona Kirk, called out.
Jim shuddered, and then looked Leonard directly in the eyes, his own hard as diamonds and just as emotionless. “I am James Kirk,” he said, drawing himself up. “I don’t belong here. I don’t belong with you and I don’t belong with them,” he nodded to the boys who were now standing around Leonard. There was a small flicker of pain in his eyes as he glanced at the boys, his voice catching, but he managed to cover it.
Without another word, he turned and walked over to the limo, nodding stiffly at Spock.
“Jim?” Pavel called out, his voice wavering plaintively. “Where are you going?”
Jim paused, his shoulders hunching slightly, but didn’t turn around. Instead he slid into the limo, his eyes straight ahead as he waited for Spock to close the door.
“Jim, don’t leave!” Hikaru called out, surprising Leonard. He thought he saw Jim flinch, but the door closed.
As if that was a signal, Pavel broke away from the Leonard’s grip and ran to the limo, beating on the window and calling for Jim. Spock ignored him as he circled the vehicle and got in. Hikaru rushed over, tears streaking down his face as he pounded on the window with Pavel. “Jim! Jim! Don’t leave!”
Monty didn’t join in. Instead he stepped forward and took Leonard’s hand offering him some small comfort. They stood there as the limo backed up and then drove down the drive, Pavel and Hikaru chasing it. He wanted to stop them, to pull them back and hold them, but Leonard couldn’t move. He could only stand there, his eyes blinking rapidly as he watched Jim drive away from them, breaking his heart and the hearts of his boys. The only thing he could think was that it was all his fault.
~
Jim sat facing the view of the New York City skyline from his office on the ninety-fifth floor of the Kirk building. It was a sight he had always enjoyed, but now he found himself yearning for something else; something more welcoming, like the elms and dogwoods of Georgia.
He missed the boys. And he missed Bones.
His mother had chastised him repeatedly over the two months that he’d been back. He was too morose. He was pouting. At first she had attributed his moods to Gary and his actions. But Gary was the furthest thing from James’ mind. When the depths of the other man’s machinations had been revealed to him, he’d been pissed and hurt. But the anger had been the overriding emotion. He’d already begun to purge Gary from his psyche when everything had happened with Bones.
He’d settled back into work well enough. As far as anyone but his mother, Spock and probably Uhura knew, he’d been on vacation on one of the Kirk yachts all summer. He liked being back at work and he thrived in a corporate atmosphere, but the more time passed, the more he felt like something was missing and it was getting harder and harder to hide.
“James,” his mother said as she breezed into his office and sat down in one of chairs in front of his desk.
“Mother,” James replied, trying to hold back a sigh as he turned away from the view.
“This simply must stop,” she demanded primly.
“What must stop?” James asked, one eyebrow rising in inquiry. It was like clockwork, these conversations with his mother and he wasn’t going to make it easy on her.
“This…pining…that you insist on indulging in,” she told him with a small frown. “It’s unseemly. After what he did…”
“I know what he did,” Jim felt himself snap. It was what bothered him most. He could not reconcile the Bones he had come to care for with the doctor who had initially used and taken advantage of him.
His mother crossed her arms and stared at him, a look of consternation on her face. “I just don’t understand why, James. Why does he hold such fascination for you? He used you as a common servant, for God’s sake!” She sighed, and then leaned forward slightly, her expression softening. “Why James? Why are you still thinking about him? Why are you still…” she trailed off and shrugged.
“Missing him?” James finished for her. “Maybe because he didn’t know who I was and he still…he liked me.”
“He said he didn’t know who you were,” Winona pointed out.
“He didn’t,” Jim argued. “He said he didn’t know until just before you and Spock showed up.”
“And you believe him?” she asked incredulously.
“I do,” James admitted.
“Why?”
James thought about it for a moment. Thought of Bones’ hesitance to make love with him, even though Jim was more than willing. How he’d always kept a certain distance between them, even though James knew that he was attracted to him and wanted him just as badly. “Because he’s a good man,” he finally told his mother, though he knew she wasn’t going to like that answer. He believed it though.
As he expected, she scoffed at him. “He used you to clean his house and take care of his children.”
“He let me be a part of his family,” James countered. “Yes, it started as…something else,” he admitted. “I realize that. But things changed. He accepted me. He liked me. And I liked him. We could talk to each other and it wasn’t about business and it wasn’t about money or what car to buy or the latest society scandal. It was about his day and my day and what the boys had done. It was normal.”
“Normal,” Winona said with a disdainful sniff. “We are not normal. You are not normal. You were born with a birthright and I’ve held it in trust for you; I’ve grown it from what your father started into something bigger than he had ever dreamed.”
“Did you love him?” James found himself asking, not really caring what she had done for Kirk Enterprises.
“Did I…?” she looked at him in shock.
“Did you love him?” James repeated slowly, waiting for an answer that he’d always wondered about. “Did you love my father?”
“Of course I did!” she snapped. “Of all the things to…”
He watched her, saw the flush to her cheeks, the sudden shininess in her eyes and he believed her. “Okay,” he nodded.
“That’s it?” she gaped at him. “Just okay?”
“Yeah,” James shrugged. “I’ve always wondered. Do you think this is the life dad would have wanted for me?” he asked curiously.
“He would have wanted you to follow in his footsteps,” Winona said surely, “to take over the business.”
“Would he have dedicated his whole life to it?” James asked. Winona opened her mouth and he was sure she was going to say ‘of course,’ so he cut her off. “Would he have only focused on Kirk Enterprises and left everything else - me - for someone else to deal with?” It was a low blow, but it was an honest question.
“James,” Winona frowned. “That was unfair. How many times can I apologize for the mistakes I made while you were growing up?”
James shrugged again, sitting back in his chair. “I don’t know. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard an apology. Not that I really want one, I don’t think.” He paused for a moment, thinking it over and then shook his head. “Doesn’t matter.”
“Then why are you bringing it up?” she asked, her jaw clenched angrily.
“I spent my whole childhood trying to make you happy; trying to earn your…acceptance and love,” James told her bitterly. “You were never around, not when I needed you. Why was I never enough for you? Why wouldn’t you just…love me?”
“Of course I loved you,” she said in exasperation. “But Kirk Enterprises was in a very precarious situation throughout your childhood,” she told him, her spine straightening as she spoke to him, like she was speaking to the board members. “I was fighting off corporate raiders and trying to build a strong base. Your father had such hopes for this company and I wasn’t going to see it fail or be bought out. I did it for you, James. And it’s not like I left you alone.”
“True,” James agreed. “I had nannies and tutors.”
“Excellent ones,” Winona agreed regally with a small nod.
“And lots of them,” James countered. “Funny how whenever I got close to one of them they tended to move on,” he said pointedly.
“That’s not true!” Winona protested, though she didn’t quite meet James’ eyes. “You were a very intelligent child. Your educational needs were always changing and I had to adapt.”
“Fine,” James didn’t want to argue the point. He’d done a lot of thinking since he’d left Georgia; a lot of self-reflection, and he found when he looked deep inside himself that what he really wanted was someplace to belong; acceptance. A family of his own. And he’d had that with Bones and the boys.
Her eyes narrowed, Winona threw up her hands dramatically. “This is just like Carol,” she said in frustration.
James frowned slightly. “Yeah, maybe,” he agreed, which totally threw off his mother. “I want a family,” he admitted. “I want to belong.”
“You have a family,” Winona told him in frustration, as if it should be obvious.
“I have you, who only took an interest in me once it looked like I’d be a good asset to Kirk Enterprises.”
“You were a difficult teenager,” she pouted.
“And I have Spock,” James continued, ignoring her. “Though, I’m not sure he counts since he’s on your payroll.”
“You are just like your father!” she declared, and it didn’t sound like a compliment. “A romantic who never looks at the bigger picture.”
“Thank you,” Jim said, a small smile on his face.
Winona glared. “I built this for you, James,” she told him, holding her arms out to encompass everything around them. “I took the tiny kernel of a business your father had started and made it into a force to be reckoned with; a business that spans our solar system and that you, with your brilliance, can take even further. You can conquer the galaxy James.”
“I know,” James nodded. He had every confidence in his abilities. “But I don’t plan on sacrificing my life to it, Mother. I’m not like you. I am a romantic and I want a family. I want to find the balance that you didn’t even bother trying to look for.”
“Then where is he? Where’s your doctor?” she asked vindictively.
“I don’t know,” James admitted, his eyes drifting away from his mother and back to the window. “I thought…If he…”
“If he truly cared for you, James,” Winona said, “He would have been here by now.”
James sighed. “I know.” As the wounded party, James felt that Bones should be the one to come to him. He had his pride, after all. But the more time passed and Bones didn’t contact him, the more unsure he became. Maybe he was seeing something that wasn’t there. It wouldn’t be the first time. “You can leave now, mother,” James told her, though not unkindly. He was tired of arguing with her constantly. It was like being a teenager again. He hadn’t been home much after the age of fourteen, at least not at the same time that she was, but when they’d somehow managed to be in the same room at the same time it hadn’t been a good thing.
Standing, she came around his desk and put a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t mean to hurt you, James,” she said softly. “And I don’t like seeing you hurt. But you have to be realistic. After what he did…I don’t think he’s coming. He would have already been here by now if he shared your feelings. If you want a family…I fully support that. I do,” she repeated when she saw his incredulous look.
“It’s what your father and I wanted, after all,” she said with a weak smile.
Reaching up, James squeezed her hand. “Thanks, mom.”
He watched her leave, not feeling much better. She was right though, it was time to get on with his life and focus on something else besides Bones. There was a biomedical research facility he had been looking at. Maybe they were willing to sell now.
~
Once again, James was sitting in his chair watching the New York skyline from his office, but this time he was on the comm. talking. It had been over a week since his last chat with his mother and he’d been busy working on an acquisition. Kirk Enterprises owned a very successful pharmaceutical company, but they hadn’t entered the biomedical research field yet. James thought it was high time. After all his talks with Bones and learning what exactly the man was working on, he believed it was a good investment.
“Yes,” he nodded, though no one else was in the room with him. “I’ll have our lawyers contact yours. Trust me, Mr. Bengali when I say that your research will be in great hands. I know that this is the perfect partnership that will significantly advance neural research.” He listened some more and then finally said good-bye.
He was feeling hopeful. This was an excellent opportunity for Kirk Enterprises, though Winona had looked at what she called his little pet project with a jaundiced eye. But Spock’s research had supported what James was proposing so she had given in. James claimed that the acquisition had nothing to do with Bones specifically. He was only trying to capitalize on what he had learned from the man, but in the back of his mind James had the idea that he could use Bengali-Malhotra Research to build a connection with Bones once more.
The stubborn bastard still hadn’t shown up and James was beginning to get frustrated. He still believed Bones should be the one to make the first move, but most likely it was going to have to be James. The more he thought about their last weeks together, the more James was able to recognize Bones’ growing guilt at what he had done and the feelings he was having. He didn’t doubt Bones’ feelings for him; he didn’t think the doctor was that good of an actor. He knew Bones felt the same way that he did, but the man was too grouchy by half and the other half was all stubbornness.
The grouchy bastard still blamed himself for ending his father’s suffering, though it had been the humane thing to do. The fact that he’d purposely set out to use James was going to be a major stumbling block, no matter what their feelings were now. He just wasn’t capable of seeing past his own feelings of guilt. In fact, if history taught Jim anything, Bones loved to wallow in his guilt, using it as a shield to keep people at bay. If it wasn’t for the presence of the boys in Bones’ life, Jim doubted he would have managed to climb out of the proverbial bottle he had once drunk himself into.
Jim was definitely a different creature than Bones. Like he would in the business world, James had decided he wanted Bones and he wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of his goals. Not even Bones himself. He’d been willing to wait, but his patience was stretched pretty damn thin. He was going to give the other man until the weekend and then that was it. He’d already told his pilot to stand-by. If Bones wasn’t going to come to him, then he’d just have to go to Bones.
He was reaching for his comm. to contact his driver when he saw a flash of something outside his door and heard what sounded like giggling.
“Riley?” he called out. He was all for his secretary finding a girlfriend, but he wasn’t going to put up with any serenading outside his office again. There was no answer. Then a pair of blue eyes and dark blond curly hair peeked at him through his partially open door. He caught a flash of a gap toothed grin before the head pulled back.
“I found him!” he heard a familiar voice call out excitedly. Then there was a scuffle and Pavel and Hikaru raced into his office followed by a red-faced Riley holding Monty by the arm.
“Jim!” they smiled at him, racing to stand in front of his desk.
“I’m sorry, sir,” Riley panted. “I caught them sneaking around and I managed to catch two, but the little one got away and…”
James stared flabbergasted at the three boys now in front of him, his heart suddenly trying to beat its way out of his chest. “Pasha! Hikaru!” He rounded his desk and pulled them into a fierce hug. “Riley, let go of Monty,” he ordered.
Riley did as he was told and Monty grinned up at him before sticking out his tongue and giving him a kick in the shin. “Keep your hands to yourself, boy-o,” Monty told him.
“Monty, be nice,” James scolded, though he couldn’t stop grinning.
Monty simply shrugged and walked over to where James was kneeling with the other two boys. “Hi, Jim.”
“Hi, yourself,” Jim stood up and pulled the preteen into a quick hug. “How the hell did you get here?”
“We flew!” Pavel declared.
“In a shuttle,” Hikaru clarified, his grin almost splitting his face. Jim noticed that he’d lost a tooth and felt a pang that he’d missed it. Hikaru had been so jealous of the fact that Pavel had already lost several while he still had all his baby teeth. “But we didn’t break atmosphere because it was too short of a flight.”
“And Leo didn’t even get sick,” Pavel added.
“He did turn an interesting shade of green when we took off,” Monty commented with a grin. “And he got really, really pale when we landed.”
“And he swore a lot,” Pavel nodded. “He says we can’t repeat any of it.”
“And you shouldn’t,” James agreed with a grin. “I didn’t know he was afraid of flying.”
“Hates it,” Monty told him.
Looking around expectantly, James finally turned to look at the boys. “Where is he?”
“Security wouldn’t let him up,” Monty explained. “They said you weren’t taking appointments and he wasn’t on the approved list.”
“So he’s down there yelling at them,” Pavel piped up, grabbing James’ hand and swinging it as he bounced on his toes, obviously happy to be here.
“He’s not yelling,” Hikaru corrected him. “He’s speaking firmly.”
Monty grinned at James and rolled his eyes. “He was yelling when we left.”
James was still having problems accepting that Bones was actually here, in New York, in his own building. “You left?” he asked, a slight frown on his face.
“Uh, well, you see,” Monty started hesitantly, his grin fading slightly. “They weren’t letting him up.”
“So we decided to find you so that you’d tell your guards that it was okay,” Hikaru finished.
“It was pretty easy,” Monty continued. “We just pretended Pavel had to use the bathroom and they left us alone and we got on an elevator.”
“It took us awhile to find you though,” Pavel admitted. “We thought you’d be on the very tippy-top, but that was all big rooms with tables.”
James had a sudden sinking feeling in his chest. “How long ago did you sneak away?” he asked. Bones was going to be furious - and worried - when he realized the boys were missing.”
“Uh,” Monty hesitated, glancing over at the chrono on the wall and then back at James, his expression sheepish.
“Monty?” James gave him a look that demanded an answer.
“’Bout a half hour,” he admitted.
“Shit,” James ran a hand over his face. “Bones is going to be pissed.” Reaching across his desk, he hit the button for the front security desk.
“Yes, Mr. Kirk?” a voice answered promptly.
“Is there a man down there by the name of Dr. Leonard McCoy asking to see me?” James spoke.
“There was sir, but we just had him escorted from the building,” was the quick answer.
“You what?” James asked incredulously.
“He was causing a scene and would not leave, sir,” the security guard replied.
“And did he happen to mention anything about his children being missing?” James asked coolly.
The guard paused, realizing that something wasn’t right. “He did, sir.”
“And yet, you escorted him from the building - without his children.” There was a definite chill to James’ voice now.
“We thought…he was most insistent in seeing you and we thought it was just a ruse,” the guard said after a pause, his confidence waning.
“And you didn’t think to contact me?” James bit out.
“We didn’t want to disturb you, sir. Besides, his name was on the list.”
“The list? What list?” James demanded.
“The list of people who are not allowed access to the building.”
Now James was pissed. “Who exactly put his name on this list?” he demanded.
“Uh,” the guard paused. James heard clicking and then, “Your mother, sir.”
Of course. “I see,” James managed to reply. He took a deep, calming breath. “This is what you are going to do. You are going to go get Dr. McCoy. You are going to apologize profusely and you are going to escort him back into the building. I will be down in the lobby in three minutes and he better be there.”
“But sir!” the guard sputtered. “NYPD is on the way and…”
“Then I suggest you hurry,” James told him. “If he’s not there by the time I arrive it’s your job, do you understand?”
“Yes, sir!”
Turning away from the comm. James was met by the wide-eyed stares of Monty, Hikaru and Pavel.
“That was awesome,” Monty said in awe. “You totally told him what was what!”
“I did, didn’t I?” James grinned crookedly. “Come on,” he said, grabbing Pavel’s hand. “Riley,” he said as he passed his secretary in the outer office. “Call my elevator.”
“Already done, sir,” Riley responded.
“Good man,” James nodded, as he hustled the boys down the hallway and to the executive elevator. Stepping inside as the doors opened, James jabbed at the ground floor button. “Come on,” he whispered under his breath, waiting for the doors to close.
The trip down from the ninety-fifth floor was ear-poppingly quick. The boys had their noses pressed to the transparent aluminum walls that allowed them to see outside the building as they descended, but James only had eyes for the floor numbers that spun by.
“Stay close,” James ordered the boys. “And do not leave the building under any circumstances,” he added for good measure, before he hurried out of the elevator, not even letting the doors open fully. He practically sprinted down the hall to the main lobby. Luckily at just after three in the afternoon it was fairly empty. At first he couldn’t see Bones, but then he heard him.
“Now, you believe me,” he was saying loudly at the two guards who were escorting him in the main doors. “And take your hands off me,” he demanded as he tried to shrug them off. “Where are my sons? What the hell…”
“Bones!” James called across the large room, his voice echoing.
Leonard’s head shot up, his expression hopeful as he looked around. “Jim!” he yelled back, trying to get rid of the guards’ grip on him.
“Let him go,” James called out as he hurried towards the other man, smiling like a fool.
“Jim, the boys…” Leonard said worriedly as the met in the middle of the lobby, all eyes on them.
“I know,” James nodded, still smiling. “They found me. They…”
“Thank god,” Leonard sagged in relief.
“Bones,” James said softly, his heart racing. Bones had come this far, all James wanted to do was pull the other man into his arms and never let him go, but he waited.
Realizing that the next move was up to him, Leonard frowned. Then, shaking his head, he reached out and pulled James into his arms. “Christ, Jim, I missed you,” he whispered into his neck. “I…I don’t think I can live without you.”
James pulled back slightly, his smile blinding. “It took you long enough, old man,” he whispered before leaning forward and kissing him with everything he had.
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Epilogue