Fic: Surviving Young Service Part 4/4
Part 3
Ambassador Spock stood beside T'Pol and Ambassador Sarek as they appeared on the transporter pad. Captain Kirk smiled at them. "Welcome aboard." Jim stepped forward and smiled at him. "Thank you for saving her."
He smiled back and enjoyed the faint disapproval on the faces of the other Vulcans. "Jim. It is good to see you well." He stepped forward and hugged the boy-man that wasn't his Jim, but was close enough. They parted. "She was very loud and insistent that she find her Father."
"That'd be Spock. The children call me Dada and they call Bones Dad." Jim turned and they headed for Sickbay. "Spock says that T'Eila should be awake by now, but she's still holding onto one of the boys, a Betazoid."
"Neither have woken?" T'Pol was looking around them as they walked.
Jim gestured for them to proceed them into sickbay. "Not since we found them and T'Eila insisted on holding the boy."
Spock stopped at the foot of his younger self's biobed. "Commander."
"Ambassador." His younger self turned to glare at McCoy. "You will allow me to help now."
McCoy shook his head. "No." Then he held up his hands. "Look, I know, okay? I get it, but I can't have you keeling over because you won't rest. What do you think that'd do to T'Eila?"
Ambassador Spock slipped his thumb under the covers and touched the bottom of his younger self's bare foot. He sent his thoughts on what T'Eila appeared to be doing and then moved away before McCoy turned his head enough to notice. Jim was staring at him with narrowed eyes which meant he'd seen.
His younger self lay back on his bed. "It would not be conducive to her recovery."
"Yeah." McCoy patted the Commander's hand. "If I thought you could and not hurt yourself, I'd let you up, you know that."
Spock moved away as his younger self was nodding. Sarek and T'Pol began to ask questions of the Doctor as Jim followed him into T'Eila's room.
"She is smaller than I anticipated."
Jim nodded. "We have real trouble getting her to eat sometimes." He brushed his hand across her head. "I sometimes wonder what she'd be like if any of her family had survived Vulcan's destruction."
Ambassador Spock slipped his fingers into the meld points on both the children's faces. "She would not be nearly as strong." Then he dove into the double meld.
The blackness was thick and he could hear a faint sound of a name being called. He moved there. T'Eila started and backed away from him.
/Not-Father./ She spun in a circle. /Yaern is missing from his mind and I can't find him./ She turned back and came to tug on his robes. /Help me find Father. He can find Yaern./
He knelt down and embraced her, carefully shoreing up her energy and shielding. /Father was injured and Bones is caring for him./ He lifted her into his arms. /I will find Yaern and then we will go see your Father./
She tucked herself against him. /Okay./
He cast about in the meld that was with the boy looking for his mental signature. He finally found a faint echo. Following it swiftly, they came upon a small glowing boy that was huddled near several broken and dead trees. He was weeping and holding onto the biggest of the trees.
T'Eila squirmed and he sat her down. /Yaern!/ She knelt beside him and touched his shoulder gently. /Yaern?/
The boy turned his tear stretched face towards them. /They've all broken. I'm alone./ He curled around the base of the dead tree.
Spock moved forward and knelt next to the boy. /You are not alone. I can make it so that you are never alone./
Yaern shook his head. /I will not endanger anyone else. I must die so that I will not hurt my Imzadi./
/Yaern?/ T'Eila moved so she was just in front of him. /Why don't you see me?/
Spock pulled her back. /His mind is ignoring you in an attempt to shield you from harm./
She glared at Yaern and then turned worried eyes to him. /Please, Not-Father, can't we help? T'Pol helped my mind. I can even meld properly now. Can't we make Yaern's mind stop hurting him?/
He took her tiny hands in his. /If you agree I will bond you both as betrothed. His people may demand we break this bond later and that would hurt both of you if it happened./
She thought about it for several moments. /Bond us if he'll agree. I will not lose him now even if we are parted later./
He nodded and turned back to the boy. /Yaern./
The boy lifted his head. /How do you know my name?/
/T'Eila told it to me. I am a relative of sorts to her. I propose to form a parental bond between us and a betrothal bond between T'Eila and yourself. Would that be enough bonds to stabilize you until you can be taken to Betazoid?/
He blinked. /Bonds? Like the links I had?/
/Indeed./
He stroked the trunk of the dead tree and then turned to Spock. /Very well./
****
Spock opened his eyes to the glares of several people. He backed away from the children as they roused.
T'Eila opened her eyes. "I want Father." She saw Jim. "Dada!" She lunged for him and Jim quickly grabbed her up. They touched foreheads as she sighed. "I shot several men."
Jim kissed her forehead. "I saw them. You did good, T'Eila."
She pulled back. "This is Yaern. He helped me reach Not-Father."
Jim blinked. "Not-Father?"
T'Eila looked at him and Spock inclined his head. "Indeed."
She pulled Yaern to sit next to her as a nurse tried to separate them. "Dada, I bonded to Yaern so that he would live and Not-Father made him his son."
Jim covered his eyes and sighed. "Why is my life never easy?"
Jo came barreling into the room followed by the Commander. "T'Eila!"
The girls hugged and T'Eila watched the other Vulcans as they did. Then she reached for her Father and clung to him as he eased himself down to sit on her bed.
Jo turned to Yaern. "I can hear you echoing down sibling bond from T'Eila. Will you always do that?"
Yaern looked sheepish. "I shouldn't now. I can't shield quite right."
McCoy stepped in. "Everybody out." He smiled down at Yaern. "We'll see what we can do about that."
****
Jim handed the older Spock a drink. "How many laws did you just break exactly?"
The older Vulcan cocked an eyebrow. "Am I to count only Vulcan laws or Betazed laws as well?"
He plopped into a chair across from Spock. "It doesn't matter though, does it? They'll stay bonded forever, won't they?"
"Jim. I fear that Yaern is your future son-in-law."
He rubbed his chin. "Well, that isn't weird at all. You're his father according to what he told Bones. And Spock is her father." He took a gulp of his drink. "I don't think I've heard weirder."
"Hmm. Perhaps we should visit a certain planet. I think you will find that enlightening."
****
Leonard held his daughter's hand as Jo stared up at the lopsided donut looking thing. T'Eila and Yaern were between Jim and Spock. Ambassador Spock stepped towards the donut thing.
"Guardian of Forever. Greetings."
"Greetings, Ambassador Spock."
Jo tucked in tighter to his side as the thing spoke. Jim pushed T'Eila more behind himself as Spock did the same to Yaern.
"I would like to speak to Zar, but I fear that should I go through you to his location in space-time that I would not make it back to this point. Would you please bring him to me?"
"All things are possible."
Leonard edged closer to Jim as the ring started to glow. From inside galloped a horse like thing with a man on its back. The man stared down at them. Ambassador Spock held his hand up in the ta'al.
"Zar. It is good to see you well."
The man jumped down from his animal and sent it back into the still glowing ring. He hugged the Ambassador and then pushed back. "Father. What's this? I don't remember the uniforms ever looking like that."
"Indeed. There has been a...mishap with the timeline. Please come met Captain Kirk and his family."
Zar stared at them and Leonard said the first thing that came to mind. "Spock's your father?"
"Yes. It is a little complicated." Zar turned to the older Spock. "What'd you do?"
Jim snorted as Commander Spock tilted his head. "Why do you assume that it is the Ambassador's fault?"
Zar smiled at them as he swept his long hair behind his pointed ears. "Experience. There's the time with the whales, and the several times with the Guardian."
"I was not solely responsible for any of those events."
"Saving your mother's ancestors so that you'd be born. Oh, what about the time you had to save yourself when you were seven?" Zar raised his eyebrow. "Father the timeline could not possibly be in a bigger knot."
"You have been speaking to the Guardian."
"Well, he does like you the best." Zar knelt down and held out his hand to Jo. "Hello, I'm Zar."
Jo shook hands. "I'm Jo. How are you Father's son if you're older?"
Zar glanced at Commander Spock. "I'm not your Father's son. It is a little hard to think about, but your Father quit being my Father the instant my Father..." Zar gestured to the Ambassador. "Came back in time."
T'Eila pulled away from Jim. "You do not appear to be from the future. How then is Not-Father your father?"
Zar glanced up at both Spocks and then back to T'Eila. "Well, there was an accident and my father ended up in the past where he met my mother. Jim and Bones came after him and they didn't even know my mother had me until a long time later."
T'Eila looked up at Leonard. "He calls you Bones just like Dada does."
Leonard brushed her hair back. "Yes, he does."
****
Jim watched Zar stare around the ship as they walked from the transporter room. "It is so different."
"I saw images of a ship when the Ambassador melded with me and they seemed less advanced."
Zar touched the lift's wall as they entered the turbolift. "It would appear so."
Jim picked up Jo before she begged and headed towards Sickbay. Behind him Zar ended up with T'Eila hanging off his hand as she kept a hold of Spock with her other hand.
Bones told them all to sit while he started checking them over. Zar held still better than Spock usually did. Jim watched T'Eila stare at Zar and then look at her Father.
"T'Eila, what are you thinking?"
She turned wide eyes to him. "He is mostly our brother, correct?"
Jim exchanged looks with Bones. Then he turned back to T'Eila. "Pretty much."
T'Eila squirmed down off the biobed and whispered in Jo's ear. They nodded to each other. Jim watched Spock's eyebrows go up. T'Eila came to Jim's knee.
"Dada, we are in agreement that we like having a brother. We would like another."
Bones dropped his hypospray. Jim picked up T'Eila and sat her next to him. "How do you think we'd get another child?"
T'Eila gave him that same look Spock did that said he was an idiot. "Dada. You understand how children are made. We think that Nurse Chapel would make a proper mother."
Chapel, who had been laughing until then, coughed. She gave him a pleading look. Jim smiled at her before turning back to his children. "Well, I don't think Nurse Chapel wants to have a baby right now. How about we think about it for a while, okay?"
Jo sighed. "But, Dada, Yaern feels overwhelmed with just girls."
Yaern shook his head and Jim smiled at him.
Spock touched Jo's head. "He does not, Joanna. We will discuss the possibility of more children at a later time."
Jo beamed up at Spock. "Okay." She pulled on T'Eila's foot and they gathered up Yaern and went to the corner of Sickbay that had been modified for them to stay in when he or Spock were injured.
Zar smiled. "They are well disciplined. The boy is linked to T'Eila, correct?"
Ambassador Spock nodded. "Correct."
****
Leonard tugged the covers up across Yaern's lower back. "Good?"
/Yes. Thank you, Dad./
"You're welcome, little one." Leonard pressed a kiss to Yaern's forehead and sat back. "You don't mind being brought up beside T'Eila instead of going back to Betazed?"
/I don't want to go back. Most children never get to grow up with this much love./ Yaern turned over to hug him and Leonard hugged back.
"Okay. Is the not talking helping your telepathy?"
Yaern nodded and then he yawned. Leonard smoothed the blanket across him and smiled down at the boy.
"Good. You sleep well and try not to wander into Jim's head during the night, alright?"
"Okay." Yaern closed his eyes.
Leonard moved on to Jo and T'Eila's room. They suggested making another room for Yaern, but the girls had suggested this instead. It seemed to be working well. Jo smiled at him.
"Dad." She hugged him as he sat down on the edge of her bed. "I like Zar."
"I do too." Leonard kissed her cheek as she kissed his and they worked together to tuck her in. "Good night, little lady."
"Night, Dad."
He turned to T'Eila. She lay stiffly in her bed. He sat beside her. "T'Eila."
She pressed her lips together before looking up at him. "We should no longer exchange physical expressions of affection."
"Why? Because your classmates from New Vulcan are just as annoying this generation as they were for your Father?"
She blinked. "Father's classmates harassed him?"
Leonard was going to kill T'Eila's teacher. "Yep. He even punched one once. He's not proud of it and I'm not supposed to know, so you won't say anything until he tells you about it, okay?"
With wide eyes, T'Eila nodded. "Alright."
Leonard hugged her to him tightly. "You will always be allowed to express affection with your family, pretty lady. I won't have it any other way, understood?"
She nodded. "Understood."
Leonard left them and went into the bedroom he shared with his bondmates. Spock was flushed already from Jim's sucking. Leonard shucked his clothes as he watched Jim bob up and down. Spock was cradling Jim's head and was melding. They both were moaning breathily.
Leonard settled next to Spock and slid his hand down Spock's arm to echo his hold on Jim's face. They moaned as Jim opened his eyes. Spock pulled away from Jim's face and slipped his hand onto Leonard's face.
The meld was hot and made his body tight. Leonard could feel Jim's mouth on Spock through the meld. Leonard gripped the back of Jim's neck.
"Suck him harder, boy."
Jim shivered and pulled hard on Spock's shaft. In turn Spock's meld with him went white hot and Leonard smiled as he nipped at Spock's neck. With a grunt, Spock broke the meld and pulled Leonard to him.
"Speak to him again, Leonard."
With a smile, Leonard pulled Jim off Spock. "What do you want, boy?" He pushed Jim up into Spock's lap. "Want to ride Spock while he melds with you?"
Jim gasped and ground himself down against Spock's hard cock. "Please, Bones."
"Or would you rather turn Spock into a puddle of goo?" Leonard bit at Jim's neck. "I want to mark you, boy. I want to help him fist you."
With a whimper, Jim bit at Spock's ear tip. Spock pulled Jim down against him harder. Leonard tugged on Jim until he came off Spock's lap. "Kneel for us, boy."
Jim knelt and let him bind Jim's cock and balls so they were bound and separated. Spock watched this with interest as he rubbed the head of his dick slowly. Leonard spread Jim's asscheeks and worked the lubed dildo into him. With a quick twist he had it seated and Jim gasping.
He left Jim kneeling and pushed on Spock's legs. "Spread your legs wide." Leonard waited until Spock was settled and then he wrapped up Spock's balls with the same small binding ties. Spock watched as Leonard prepped a sound. Jim moaned from his position on the floor.
Leonard carefully feed the sound into Spock's shaft.
"Oooh." Spock blinked and gently touched where Leonard was holding him to feed the sound in further. "That is a most unique sensation."
Leonard exchanged grins with Jim. He feed the last of the sound into Spock. "It'll get better." Leonard spread Spock's legs further and began washing him. When he was done he pushed Jim forward. "Make him feel good, boy."
Jim smiled and bit at Spock inner thigh before moving on to his ass. With little stabbing licks, Jim traced circles around Spock's hole.
Spock gasped and curled forward. "T'hy'la." He lay back with a moan as Leonard pulled up his shaft. "Beloved."
Leonard fingered Jim's hair. "Good, boy. Make him slick and wet."
With a grunt, Jim pressed in closer. Spock gasped as Jim started fondling Spock as he licked. Leonard rolled a condom onto Spock's shaft. Then he opened Jim's ass up with a couple of lubed fingers.
Carefully pulling on Jim, Leonard got him straddling Spock's torso and he pulled out the dildo. "You'll stay still once you're on him, boy. Understand?"
Jim trembled and nodded. Together they eased him down onto Spock's dick as Spock arched up with a small cry. Leonard pressed on Jim's thighs to get him tight against Spock. "That's a good boy." He kissed the back of Jim's neck and then started pressing into Spock with his fingers.
He fucked Spock slowly, twisting and pressing as he went in with three fingers. Spock's hands gripped Jim's ass and kneaded. Jim whimpered and curled forward to share kisses with Spock. Leonard added another finger.
"Feel good, love?"
Spock tilted his head and Leonard could see his outer eyelids where partiality closed. "Beloved." Spock pulled Jim tighter to him by the hold on his ass. "More..."
Leonard tucked his thumb in and pressed forward. They all groaned as he spread Spock's ass open.
Jim gasped. "God, Bones. He's pulsing in me."
"Squeeze him, boy."
Spock arched as Jim tightened his ass and Leonard shoved the last little bit into Spock's body. It was hot, but not as hot as Jim. Leonard curled his fingers into both spots inside and Spock shuddered.
"Fuck yourself on him, boy." Leonard rasped into Jim's ear and then he sucked up a spot on Jim's shoulder as he started to roll his hips. Spock's fingers were making indentations into Jim's skin and Leonard pressed hard against the spots inside Spock that made him gasp. He used his other hand to fondle Jim's cock as he bounced on Spock's dick.
Leonard kept thrusting slowly as Spock started pulling Jim down onto himself. "Perfect, both of you."
Jim reached up and pinched his nipples. "Can Spock come yet?"
Leonard slid his hand up to Jim's nipple and pulled. "Not yet, boy." He pressed deep into Spock's body and jiggled his hand. Spock's mouth came open and his fingers flexed against Jim's skin. "Off, boy."
Jim pulled off Spock's shaft and knelt looking at Leonard.
"Pull the condom off and jack his sound, boy."
With a moan, Jim hurried to do what he'd been told. Leonard pulled his hand back as Jim pulled the sound up and then they pressed in together. Spock ripped the sheet under his hand as they repeated the movements several times.
Then Leonard pulled his fist out slowly. "Kneel here, boy." Jim moaned as Leonard helped him line up. "Fuck him hard, boy." Leonard pulled the sound out slowly as Jim fucked Spock with fast, sharp jabs.
Spock lolled his head to the side as Leonard blew a stream of air across the hole of his cock. Then Leonard wiped his hand and spread Jim's bruising asscheeks.
"Pretty little hole."
Jim leaned back into him as Leonard thrust deep. "Love it... when you fuck me, Bones."
Leonard pressed Jim tightly to Spock's ass with his hips. "Unwrap his balls, boy."
Jim groaned and pulled the bindings from Spock's balls and Spock arched hard as Jim kept fucking him. Leonard waited until Jim was whimpering from Spock's organism and then he pulled the bindings from Jim's balls and cock. Jim arched hard and came with a low grunt.
Leonard buried himself deep as Jim's ass started to pulse. He came with a gasp, pressing Jim into Spock as he did. They collapsed onto each other and Leonard helped Spock get his hand up to Jim's face. He gently pulled out as they shuddered together beneath him.
With quick efficiency, Leonard cleaned them up being careful to not touch Spock with his fingers so he wouldn't disturb their meld. With a careful push, Leonard got them over onto their sides.
Spock's hand slipped from Jim's face. "Leonard."
Leonard eased down to lay against Spock's side. "Yeah?" He laid his face against Spock's shoulder as Spock lifted his hand to his face. He leaned into the hold and fell into the meld. Spock shared Jim's feelings with him and Leonard had an echo of an organism as Spock overlaid his own feelings into it. He moaned and spread his hand across Spock's chest.
They drifted off like that as the meld slowly dissolved.
****
Jim wasn't surprised that Ambassador Spock managed to get Command to agree to allow the Ambassador and Zar to stay aboard indefinitely. Zar was getting along with the kids great which meant that Zar had become their default babysitter.
He hugged T'Eila one last time before stepping up onto the transporter pad. "Be good for Zar."
All three children nodded and Jo smiled at him. Jim glanced at Spock and Bones as the transporter engaged.
They appeared on the surface of the planet and the Tailiens greeted them with smiles. It made Jim a little twitchy. The last six missions had ended in injuries and he wasn't sure this was going to go any better.
They settled at the long table to start negotiations when a young boy was lead to them by a servant. He tugged on the leash attached to the boy's collar and the boy dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead to the floor.
"Please accept this gift from our government." The Tailiens' Overlord smiled at them winningly and Jim just wanted to punch him. The boy was about Ki's age when he started on the streets. He glanced up at them through his hair and his eyes were wide.
Jim took the leash. "We will require the return of our gift to the ship."
The Overlord blinked. "You consider the gift to be for more than one person?"
He licked his lip. "Umm. I am bonded to my husbands. If you are giving the gift to me you are giving him to all of us."
There was a whispered conversation as Jim leaned towards Spock. "Did I just get us killed?"
Spock gave him that what the hell look with his eyebrows. "I do not know, Captain."
The Overlord snapped his fingers and two more boys were lead to kneel with the first. "This will be acceptable?"
Jim swallowed. "Oh, uh, of course. Again, we will require the gifts to be taken to the ship."
The Overlord nodded. "Acceptable."
Jim bowed as they bowed and they quickly gathered up the boys' leashes and the transporter was a welcome thing. Jim turned to Spock with two of the boys between them as Bones started checking over the other one. "What the hell was that? No one said anything about gifts that are people!"
Spock handed the leash to his boy to Bones as he made grabby hands. "I do not know, Captain. Command did not indicate this would be a normal occurrence."
Bones looked up from scanning the third boy. "They are all about seven. Two are human and this one," He pointed at the smallest boy, "is half human, half Vulcan."
Jim knelt down in front of the hybrid. "Hi, I'm Jim. Do you have a name?"
The boy stared at him for a long time. "Lorin."
"Okay. Hi, Lorin. Do you have family at all?"
Lorin fingered the leash where it was melded to the collar. "They were killed. I do not have any relatives left with the destruction of Vulcan."
The brown headed human boy stepped in front of Lorin. "Leave him alone. I'll do whatever you want."
Jim smiled grimly. "What's your name?"
"Matthew." The boy frowned at him. "Why aren't you making us do things for you?"
"I'll explain in a minute. What's your name?" He looked at the boy that was holding onto Bones' pant leg as he stared at Jim.
"Ramos." The boy fingered Bones' knee. "Can I be his servant? I like him." He looked up at Bones hopefully.
Jim sighed. "Okay, here's the situation. The Tailiens gave you to us, but no one told us this was going to happen. We don't use children as servants like they've told you." He frowned. "If none of you have parents or family that we can return you to we'll see about finding you new families."
Lorin leaned out around Matthew's shoulder. "Why could we not stay with you?"
Jim glanced up at Spock and Bones.
Bones shrugged. "Well, the kids did say they wanted brothers."
Jim laughed as Spock's eyebrows climbed his forehead. "We'll see."
****
Zar helped Lorin climb onto the biobed. "What do you think of living here?"
Lorin settled himself carefully and pushed his hair back behind his ears. "Everything is very clean."
He nodded as he held the stepstool still for Matthew. "Yes, it is. Are all three of you sure you want to become siblings to T'Eila and Joanna?"
Matthew settled next to Lorin on the bed. "It is good here. No one makes us serve them and everyone does things for us."
"That is an agreement." Lorin moved over so Ramos would fit between them. "Please explain why our possible addition to a family has resulted in several communications involving raised voices."
Zar raised an eyebrow and sat down next to Lorin. "The adults have been arguing with Command about having so many children aboard. When it was just the two girls there was a lot of paperwork signed so that they could be here. Then there was a fight about Yaern staying that lasted several weeks."
"Why doesn't this Command place just give in?" Matthew leaned forward to look at Zar around Lorin's shoulder. "They aren't out here so they don't know anything. Why don't they let the people out here decide since they know stuff?"
Zar let his lips curl into a smile just a little. "I'm sure Command will figure it out eventually."
****
Winona blinked. The children ranged down from maybe seven and they were all glaring at her. Even the little Vulcan girl. The other girl stepped forward and angled her face up to continue glaring.
"We had a discussion."
Feeling like she should ask if there were any adults around, Winona rubbed the side of her face. "Okay."
"You can visit and we will treat you as a beloved grandparent on several conditions."
Blinking again, Winona knelt down. "Grandparent?"
"Several conditions." The girl tilted her head. "You will not upset Dada. At all. We will be watching." She stepped back and the rest of them crowded closer to her back. "You are allowed one affectionate gesture towards us for every one towards Dada."
"Who's Dada?" Winona grabbed the side of her head as a sudden headache bloomed.
/Stop being stupid. Jim is their parent and my guardian. You are only here because it will make Jim happy to know you care that he lives./ The boy nearest the Vulcan girl tilted his head and Winona's headache worsened. /Now that you have been significantly threatened, welcome aboard./
Winona started as the door swished open. She lifted her chin slightly as the Vulcan, Commander Spock, barked an order to the children in Vulcan. The human girl gave her a smile that Winona thought was threatening as she lead the group past Spock. She waited until the children were gone and Spock started to turn towards her. "I'm not here to upset Jim."
"Upsetting Jim would be an unfortunate event." He ushered her out into the hall and towards the turbolift.
"You do know he invited me, right?" She watched Spock's shoulders stiffen.
"He has expressed his reluctance and was convinced in this course of action by Dr. McCoy."
She nodded because she knew something had to have gotten Jim to call her. He'd had plenty of years to do so before and hadn't. Not even a message. "And you think I shouldn't have come?"
Spock lead her down another hallway. "I do not posses enough data at this time to form an opinion." He pressed a button next to the door and all but shoved her inside when the door swished open.
Winona turned from glaring at the door closing between her and Spock and found her boy, all grown up, straightening his tunic. She rarely felt weepy, but she was getting there fast. "Jim."
He pressed his lips together and stepped forward slowly. "Hi."
She swept him up into a bear hug. God, he looked like George. "Jim."
With an awkward pat on her shoulder, Jim started to squirm out of her hug. "Mom."
She let him slip away and gingerly settled on the nearest chair. "So." She bit her lip as he tried to wipe his eyes without her knowing it. "You have a scary group of children roaming your ship."
He grinned and sprawled in the chair across from her. "They are all mine. Well, except for Yaern. He's the son of a Vulcan ambassador that's traveling aboard."
She shook her head. "You don't do anything by half, do you?"
Jim frowned as he shrugged. "You looked for me."
Winona cocked her head as he made it a statement and not a question. "Yes, I did. I renewed the missing person's report and followed every lead until you hit majority. Suddenly you were in the Academy and I was fending off a pissed off pair of old ladies." She watched him blink and then lean forward.
"They commed you?"
She snorted. "No, Jim. They caught me at a Starbase and yelled at me for several hours." She waved him off as Jim started to open his mouth. "No. I deserved it. I know that. I was mad they'd let you live mostly on the streets until Ruth showed me the balance of your account."
He tilted his head. "Really? Huh." He stood up and fidgeted for a moment before heading for the door. "Come on. I promised Bones you'd stay for dinner."
She sighed as she followed him.
****
"Damn it, Jim! I'm a doctor, not a family therapist."
Jim flopped down on their bed. "Jo-jo bit my mother, Bones! I didn't even know she'd bite!"
Spock pulled Jim's shift up and off. "I have observed that children who feel threatened frequently choose the most effective means to defend themselves."
With a sigh, Jim kicked off his boots before Spock could get through folding his shirt. "Mom hadn't done anything to Jo-jo."
Bones settled beside him on the bed. "Jim, love, Jo was defending you."
He drew his eyebrows together. "What..." Spock tugged on his pants so Jim lifted his hips. "She was what?"
Bones trailed his fingers across Jim's stomach. "You are totally dense, Jim."
Spock fingers slid into place on Jim's face and suddenly he could see the whole dinner from Spock's viewpoint.
"Oh." Jim snorted as they stripped his underwear off. "She wasn't trying to sound like a bitch."
Bones kissed Jim's throat. "Well, she did."
Jim bared his neck for more kisses. "So Jo-jo bit her and Spock kicked her off my ship? That was the answer?"
Spock slid his hand across Jim's chest. "Commander Kirk was detrimental to the ship's morale."
Jim's protest was lost as his mates concentrated their efforts on his body.
****
Ruth sat down beside Commander Kirk as the nice old Vulcan settled on Kirk's other side. "He loves you."
Winona leaned back against the wall behind her and rubbed her nose. "Right."
"James does not cease to love easily."
Ruth leaned forward and stared at the old man. "And you know this how?"
The old Vulcan smiled slightly. "You do not wish to know." He stood and looked down at Winona. "I would suggest sending messages. James will answer you. I am certain of that." He turned more towards Ruth and spread his hand in the ta'al. "Live long and prosper."
Ruth forced her achy fingers to spread correctly. "You too, Spock." The old Vulcan smiled at her and headed off to catch the last shuttle back up to Jim's ship. Ruth slung an arm around the weeping Winona. "I once told your boy he didn't have to go home to face his attackers if he didn't want to."
Winona sniffed and wiped at her face. "Why tell me this?"
"He decided, girl. He figured that what horrible things he knew could happen were better than going home." Ruth pulled her up and started her towards the shuttle that would take them to Earth. "You, for whatever reason, gave up on parenting and now you have to face that you failed your child."
Winona nodded and allowed Ruth to steer them. "I failed him so badly he felt whoring was better tha..."
Ruth shook out her hand as she stared down at Winona's crumpled form. Her boy rolled around the corner and she frowned at him. "You're supposed to be on that shuttle with the old Spock."
He blinked up at her from his wheelchair. "How'd you...Never mind. Mom, why do you always feel the need to punch people in the temple?"
Ruth flexed her hand and allowed Chris to check it himself, the worrier. "She'll get reassigned, won't she?"
Chris sighed. "Mom. You know that Admiral Archer has already assigned her. It isn't under my..."
"Where?"
"Somewhere unpleasant I'm told. She'll have a headache from that, Mom."
Ruth grinned. "I sure do hope so, my boy." She smiled wider as Chris just shook his head at her. "Thank you for helping arrange it with your sister to keep Jim from having to go back to that neglect."
Chris gave her that look that Ruth thought showed just how much of her was in him. "Like you would have let anything make him go back. I hear you taught him how to give head, Mom."
She flashed a smile at Chris. "Honey, I taught him a lot of things."
"Ewww." He batted gently at her arm. "Mom!"
"Nothing that graphic. Goodness, but you have a dirty mind." Ruth settled on a bench and waited until Chris had rolled around to face her. "You knew what the boy was doing?"
Chris stroked her cheek. "Yes, Mom. Just like I know what you and Tella did to survive until your planet was retaken and you moved back to Earth."
She leaned into his touch. "Oh." He pulled her forward and Ruth hugged him back. They finally parted and Ruth smiled tearfully at him as she stood up. "Don't tell your sister."
****
Christopher Pike smiled up at his mother as he listened to the report in his ear that Commander Kirk had been taken to Medical. He turned his attention back to his mother and started them towards their shuttles again. "Sure, Mom. As long as you don't tell her I'm dating a Vulcan."
She smiled down at him and shook her head. "Don't tell me it is that lovely old man. He's that nice Commander Spock, just not somehow. It was very disconcerting really."
He shook his head and started to explain as they continued on.
****
T'Eila checked the video one last time. Her fathers were engaged in sexual activities that would keep them relaxed and calm. She turned to Jo, who had curled up in her bed after their fathers had left. "They will not be angered when they next speak to you."
Jo relaxed and stretched out on her bed. "That's good." She planted her chin in one hand and stared at T'Eila. "Think we can talk them into a Mom?"
T'Eila mentally sighed as she readied the long standing objections to another parent. Three were plenty. There was a chuckle in the back of her mind as Yaern agreed with amusement. T'Eila absently listened to Jo outline her choices a she focused telling Yaern to tell Jo a mother was an undesirable addition to their family. She was content with her life as it existed now.
****