Welcome to Starfleet ;; Nextgen Fic
Title: Welcome to Starfleet
Author: ayeellelleye
Rating: PG-13, for alcohol
Summary: The magical seven send their children off to Starfleet Academy, some for the first time, and others for the last time.
Characters/Pairings: Bones/Uhura plus two kids, Gaila/Kirk plus one kid, Sulu/Chekov plus one kid, and Spock/Chapel with one kid
major props to imamandajulius for coming up with lila, jim, and demmy :3. and a special awesome possum shoutout to her, cory1313, nectarousness, joytotheworld, and quemadura for being so awesome :3
Years of preparation led to this day, and the two men standing in front of her could not have been more proud. “Now, don’t get into too much trouble…” one of them said, looking down at his daughter with a small smile. “I’m not going to pretend that Jimmy isn’t going to show you some wonders of Starfleet Academy, but just concentrate on your studies. That’s what it’s all about, y’know.”
“And do not take studies lightly,” the other said, putting his hands on what hips he had. “Zis is vhy you are here, at Starfleet. To be proud pilot. Or, if you vould like, nawigator.” He smirked down at the beaming young woman, and he patted her shoulder.
The two men, Captain Hikaru Sulu and Commander Pavel Chekov, could not have been more proud of their little girl. She’d expressed interest in Starfleet before, of course, having grown up on Starships with her friends, but had only begun to get serious the past few years. She studied harder than anyone she knew to get into Starfleet Academy at the tender age of fifteen, just a year older than Chekov had been.
Demora Sulu-Chekov smirked up to both of her parents before hugging them both at once, taking in a deep couple of breaths and nodding. “I know. I’ll do well…I promise.” She pulled apart from the two men, only to be brought into another hug by Chekov. She winced at the sudden intensity, and she could have sworn she felt a few tears on her neck.
Sulu just sort of smirked and attempted to pry Chekov off of poor Demora, not that she minded. She always loved being hugged by Chekov. “Like I said, though, just don’t get in too deep with the party scene. If you feel like you need to loosen up, there’s really good rec rooms around for fencing. I know it always helped me when I got stressed out in Academy.” Sulu rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at her and smiling graciously. “You’ll do great, Dem. Make us proud.”
“And do not forget to brush hair one hundred times a day, eet keeps roots healthy and strong.” Chekov pecked her on her forehead. “Am so proud, Demora.”
Finally, he pulled apart from her and the two of them walked off, Chekov waving like a mad man back at his daughter. Demora stood there, waving back just as silly, before finally her fathers disappeared in the crowd and she was left standing there with a bag, looking a bit lost in the sea of red.
A similar scene was playing off a few hundred yards away. A nervous blonde woman was talking a million miles an hour down at a young woman just a few years older than Demora. “I know you’ll do great, you’ve always done great at everything, but you know how I worry, sweetheart. Just promise me you’ll take this very seriously. I got into things at Academy that really distracted me, and I just don’t want to go down the same road I did. I won’t go into details, but I almost slipped down in my class because of a certain young man.”
“Father?” she asked. Her voice was light and whispy.
Dr. Christine Chapel blushed. “Well, no…but that’s not the point. The point is I know you have a good head on your shoulders, I’ve always known that, and I know that you’ll make us both very proud. The science department won’t know what hit them! And whether or not you go into Life Sciences or Research doesn’t matter to either one of us, you do what you want.” Christine put her hand on her daughter’s cheek.
“But if you do want to go into Life Sciences, then I would recommend trying to get into Dr. Reese’s class if you can, he’s a really good professor. But, if you do choose to go into Research, that’s understandable, too.” Christine finally took a breath, the grip on her daughter’s shoulder tightening with each lingering moment. “I’m going to miss you so much. You know you can always contact your father or me. We’ll be here for you whenever you need us to. I mean, of course we work, but-“
“Christine.”
Spock’s cool, even tone had an instant calming affect on her. Christine pulled back from her daughter, looking as if she was about to burst into advice and affection all at once. He looked down at his daughter, nodding respectfully. “Your mother is correct, Amanda. And I do believe that whichever path you choose, you will be successful in your endeavors.”
Finally, she spoke. “Thank you for your support. I’ll be doing the best I can. And I will have my friends along with me.” Amanda was taller than Christine was at this point, but maintained her mother’s blue eyes. Her hair was dark and sleek, a rude contrast to her pasty skin. Her ears were slightly pointed, though certainly not as much as her father.
“I love you, sweet girl,” Christine said gently, and pulled her in for another hug. “I love you. Work hard.”
“I certainly will.”
“Amanda,” came Spock’s voice once more. He looked down at his daughter with a very serious, but surprisingly warm face. “I have faith in what you will accomplish here. You have a gift for discovery and a passion for knowledge I have seen in no other person, human or Vulcan. But do not allow anybody to put a wedge between your two cultures. Remain faithful in yourself, and you will go far.”
Spock’s hand found Christine’s, and after a few last desperate goodbyes coming from Christine, the two of them left her in the sea of red just like Demora.
A third family was also going through similar circumstances. Leonard McCoy was glancing down at his son with a frown. “I just don’t see the point in letting Lila spend the night here with Jimmy, she’s too young…” he was dropping one single, pink bag for his daughter. “I get why they have this preview program, but I just don’t know…” he glanced around at the school, raising his eyebrow skeptically.
“Relax, Leo,” cooed Nyota Uhura, smiling up at him. “She’ll love it here. And it’s the best time…her brother will be here to look after her for the week, so she won’t get into any trouble.”
“Yeah…that’s what I’m worried about, is her brother finding the trouble for her,” he said, grumpily, and looked back at his two children. James McCoy-or Jim, as he’d wanted to be called-was a tall, muscular young man. Leonard was quite proud of the man he’d grown into being. He took after both parents equally, getting Leonard’s strong build but with Nyota’s curly hair.
So far, it seemed as if Dalila McCoy had inherited most traits from her mother, which pleased Leonard to no end. The same age as Demora, she was growing taller and slightly curvier by the day. She walked up to her parents with Jim, glancing around and trying to look for someone she might just recognize. So far, nothing. “So where am I staying?” she asked, glancing up at the two of them.
“You’re staying with me,” Jim interrupted, pulling both bags over his shoulder.
Nyota walked up to both of her children, pecking them on the forehead and smiling. “You two be good. Dalila, pay attention to all of the things they’re telling you, it would be nice to be in the know for when you do come back.” She grinned down at her daughter before turning to her son, who beamed. This was not his first year, but he enjoyed the affection he received from his mother anyway. “And you pay attention as well. Take this seriously…and no distractions.” She looked pointedly at Demora, who was waving goodbye to her fathers.
Leonard smirked. “Maybe a little,” he said, and offered his hand, which Jim shook firmly. “Try not to get too caught up, though. You’re training to be a doctor, not…well. You know.” He pulled back his hand, clapped it on his shoulder, and finally pulled apart. Leonard looked down awkwardly to his daughter, nodding. “What your mother said. And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. And…maybe even more things I would do that you shouldn’t.” He flashed a cheeky smirk, which was returned with one identical to his.
The two of them pulled back, having it on good authority that the two of them would be just fine. They hoped.
That night, Jimmy found himself unpacking while Dalila sat on the floor, painting her toenails. Jimmy was looking through some pictures his mother had packed for him. A lot of these were of him and his friends on either the Enterprise or the Excelsior. He smiled at one group shot of all of them. Demora was giving a big grin and peace sign, he and his sister both had their arms around each other, and Amanda was sitting, trying not to smile.
Suddenly, his door opened quickly and he looked up. Before him stood the slightly green Michael. His hair was a light blonde and almost red color, and all throughout his body was a pale green color, almost like a pastel. “I heard Dalila was hanging around for preview week,” he said, plopping down on Jimmy’s bed. He opened up a magazine, looking, as usual, the epitome of cool. Dalila glanced up to him with a twinkle in her eyes.
Despite being absent in the picture, he was one of Jimmy’s best friends, and even though Michael wasn’t exactly “planned” by neither Gaila nor Kirk, his parents fit him into the group flawlessly. He’d been hanging around Jimmy since he could remember. Jimmy frowned. “Yeah, she’s staying here for preview week…”
Dalila smiled and looked up, waving at Michael. “Hey, there,” she said, gently, and leaned back against the bed where Jimmy usually slept. Her smile seemed to stay put.
“So, in honor of all of us being here…” Michael smirked. Jimmy looked over, and his face fell expectantly. “I was thinking…”
“Well, stop thinking,” he said, shaking his head in a disapproving way. “When are you going to take Starfleet seriously?” Jimmy asked with an incredulous expression. He turned back around, looking straight at him, and folding his arms over his chest. A part of him was, of course, trying to put on a good front for Dalila-like maybe he would be and always did take school as seriously as he seemed.
“I do take it seriously! Jeez, Jimbo, loosen up a bit,” Michael said, and smirked, throwing a shoe that he picked up into Jim’s back. Jim let out a deep, gruff sigh, but looked as if he was close to caving. Michael knew that Jimmy couldn’t deny fun all of the time. “Seriously, I just thought it would be fun if we all hung out before Lila had to go.” He looked down to her, as if asking her to chime in. It was perfect timing.
Dalila beamed up to Jim. “I think that would be fun. Demmy could come, and Amanda too. If she’s into that sort of thing. I can never tell.” She blew on her toenails, closing the bottle of polish and smiling. “It’ll be fun, Jimmy. Loosen up…jeez.” She stood up and yawned, pushing back some of her curly, jet black hair. “Getting together with all of our friends again…” Her eyes went wide at the thought.
Jim frowned. “I…” he began, and he shook his head. “You two, I swear…” he put down the photo and stepped back, admiring the photo for the moment. There was one other person missing from the photo, but Liam Scott was probably too busy working on some old junk in the repair shop to join them for a get-together today.
“Alright. I suppose we should contact everyone through the PADD-“
“Done and done, Jimboy. In fact, they’re probably waiting in the quad right now.”
“You had this planned…?” he asked, and grimaced as he watched his sister and his best friend walk promptly out the door together.
When Jim arrived, he saw precisely what he thought he would see: Michael had his hand wrapped around a bottle with absolutely no label on it. His sister was sitting down, talking with Demora, who looked happier than ever. Amanda was looking around the quad and trying to ignore the alcohol. He smirked, looking around at everyone and walked a bit closer.
Jim approached Demora and his sister, plopping down in the middle of the group. “I suppose this was a good idea…” he turned up to Amanda, smiling. “So I guess we might have some classes together, huh?”
“I am unsure of the path I will choose,” she replied. Despite her cold-sounding voice, she had a grin on her face. “But I am leaning towards the idea of Research, as my father did. But…I am still not completely decided.” She put her hands in her lap, and looked back up at him. “However, if I do choose to go for more of a medical approach, I will look forward to enjoying classes with you, James.”
Jim smirked, nodding. The entire time he knew her, she had called him James. Even after years of begging her to call him Jimmy, and recently, Jim. “Yeah…well, I hope you do.” He shifted slightly, and looked back down to Demora once Amanda took a curious sip from the unlabeled bottle Michael had offered her. “So, um…” he began, rubbing the back of his neck. She looked eager to listen to what he had to say. This made him even more nervous. “So, you’re going to love Academy. I have, so far…are you, um, excited?” he asked, chuckling. God, he was an idiot.
“I’m really excited. I can’t wait to start training! I wanna be a pilot, so bad. I remember when my dad let me drive the Excelsior for just a minute, it was the best!” she exclaimed, and looked back around to Dalila, who was busying herself talking to Michael, now. “Are you excited to start your medical training?”
“Pretty excited, yeah,” he replied, nodding. “I hope Amanda decides to go medical, then, y’know…I’d have an old friend there.” He looked down to his lap, frowning. “But I’m excited to have both of you here, finally. I can’t believe you got in when you were fifteen…but, I guess you’ve always been really smart, haven’t you?” he asked, smirking down at her. That seemed like a nice compliment.
“Ooh, well…” she began, and smirked to herself. “Thanks, Jimmy.” She looked up at him, chuckling. “I wonder how long it’ll take Amanda to realize that she’s drinking alcohol. I’d pay money to see her stumble around drunkenly.” Demora smirked, a smirk that was quite a lot like Sulu’s smirk.
“Ooh, I know, right?” he asked, laughing slightly. “I just hope she doesn’t hurt herself…Mike has a tendency to go overboard with other people.” He looked back over to the two of them, watching them talking animatedly. “But it looks like he’s already got a hold of her. God help her soul.” He laughed, shaking his head.
Demora smirked. “Maybe it’ll loosen her up. She could use that.” She looked back up at him, frowning to herself. “I’m glad you came out tonight. I’m glad you’re here…I was really nervous. I didn’t tell my dads that, but I was so nervous about coming here…it just feels so much bigger than me, know what I mean?” she asked, smiling slightly. She looked as if she didn’t mean to mention that.
“I felt the same way.” At the look, Jim’s reply came quickly. “You’ll get used to it…and then it starts feeling like something you can actually do, and handle. And before you know it, it all becomes second nature.” He smirked down at Demora, who looked as if though she would be taking notes if she had her PADD. “Give it a few weeks, and it’ll become second nature…just like everything else.”
He looked up as Michael approached them, and offered them the bottle. “No, no, I’m fine…really…” Jim said, giving him an annoyed look for interrupting their conversation.
“No, you’re not. Come on, live a little, Jimboy.” He handed Jim the bottle, waggling his eyebrow suggestively. “You too, Demmy.”
Jim stared at the bottle, looking over the amber liquid. “What is it?” he asked, looking beyond skeptical.
“Does it matter?” Michael pushed the bottle closer to him and smirked down at his friend. “You can trust me, Jimboy, I promise. Now come on. Just a quick drink.” He put the bottle up closer, and finally, Jim took it. He sipped it and winced before handing it over to Demora, who did the same.
Michael smirked. “Why is everyone so against alcohol, anyway? It makes the party more fun.” He took the bottle back, winking. “Anyone want a second sip? After this, I start charging…” he waved the bottle in front of them, raising his eyebrows and grinning wildly.
Jim frowned, and took just one more sip. He offered it to Demora, who shook her head, and he grinned. Well, that was a good sign, anyway. He thanked Michael who mumbled something about lovebirds before going to hang out with Dalila. Jim felt a curiosity in his gut as to what exactly Michael was doing with his sister, but his attention was diverted immediately back to Demora when she spoke.
“I’m glad we all ended up in Starfleet, y’know?” she asked, grinning. “I mean, I would have joined Starfleet anyway, even without everyone, but it’s a good thing you were all in it with me. Or…I dunno…” she smiled up at him. “It might have been a little harder without all of you involved.”
Jim looked down on her, smiling softly to himself. “I dunno, Demmy, you would’ve been able to handle it. You’re really strong.” He took her hand, which seemed to surprise her, but didn’t scare her or worry her. She looked like she liked it. He held it firmly, but without harming her. “I’ve always thought you were cut out for Starfleet. You’re really strong, and…” he laughed, shaking his head. “I just said that. Now I’m rambling.” He blushed, very lightly.
“No, you’re not,” she replied, grinning. “I’m just glad you think that…” she mumbled, glancing up at him. “I’m also happy to hear that you think so highly of me…” Demora looked like perhaps she hadn’t expected it, but accepted it anyway.
“Are you surprised? I mean, hell, Demora, look at you…”
She blushed suddenly. “Thanks, Jimmy.”
The two of them stared at each other for a moment, before finally Jim leaned forward and pecked Demora on her lips. He opened his eyes and pulled back, glancing down at her. She looked so pretty in the starlight…she looked as if she was still kissing him, before a grin escaped out of her and covered her pretty little face.
He cupped her cheek in his hand, hit lips parting slightly at the sight of the moon bouncing off of her eyes. “Was that…” he began, hoping he hadn’t overstepped any boundaries with her.
She nodded gently, smiling on one side of her face. “Ees best.”
Demora looked up and pressed her lips against his once more, allowing the feeling to wash over her quickly and make her feel like maybe she could actually do this.
Hours later, Amanda found herself wandering back towards her dorm. This was her first experience with alcohol, and she hoped it would not be her last. She walked through a path on campus, glancing around and trying to observe everything, but it was all moving too fast and too slow for her at the same time. She let her mouth hang open at everything. The raucous laughter from Michael and the others filled her ears, and she had to remind herself why she chose to leave in the first place.
She stumbled into a wall, blinking. “Ooh, hamburgers…” she mumbled to herself.
“Now I haven’t hear you say that in quite a spell.”
Amanda looked up and saw Liam Scott walking around with motor oil on his face and a wrench in his hand. She looked him up and down, frowning curiously and with concentration. She was trying not to fall on her face at the moment. “Well, hello there, Liam. It is nice to see you again.” She swayed slightly, shaking her head. “I apologize for my state-“
“Yeah, I just finished talking to Mikey. He wanted me to make sure you got in okay.” Liam’s hand went around her shoulders gently, steadying her and leading her towards her building. “So how d’you like Starfleet so far? Looks like you’ve been having a good time…” he snickered.
“I have only experienced the campus while sober for a few hours. Making a premature assessment would be…”
“Illogical?”
“Yes. That.” He looked down to her and smiled gently, steadying her still. “I am grateful for your services, Liam. You are kind.” She looked back up to him, and he grinned down at her. “So, I would like to…thank you, Mr. Scott. Thank you. Mr. Scott.” After deciding that is when she intended to say, she grinned up at him.
He laughed. “Yer welcome, Ms. Chapel. Welcome to Starfleet Academy.” He frowned. “I just hope you don’t keep making the mistake of listening to Mikey again…you deserve better than the poison he has to offer, Miss Amanda, and that’s the truth.”
She looked up to him, and even cracked a smile. “Is that a fact, Mr. Scott?”
“Aye, it is…” he looked down at her, smiling slightly. “’S what I always liked about you. And I suppose if this is what you’re like inebriated, well…” he mumbled, realizing she might not remember any of this in the morning. A part of him hoped she didn’t. How do you ask someone who tried to appear unfeeling if she felt fond feelings for him? “I suppose it could be much worse, believe me.”
Amanda chuckled, allowing him to lead her to her new dorm. When she stopped in front of her door, she glanced up at him. “Thank you, Mr. Scott. I appreciate you, and what you have done.” She stared for a moment. “But, I suppose I’ve said that already and am now repeating myself. That might be a clue as to how much I do mean it, however.”
Liam looked back up to her. He ran his hand through his light brown hair, shifting slightly. “Course, Miss Chapel. You head on to bed, now. Gotta sleep that poison off.” He finally removed his arm from around her, opened her door, and watched her collapse in her bed. As he thought about spending the next year with her around, Jim was kissing Demora for the last time that night, and Michael planted the most sincere kiss he’d ever planted on anyone right on Dalila’s lips.
It would be a nice year, Liam decided.
Author: ayeellelleye
Rating: PG-13, for alcohol
Summary: The magical seven send their children off to Starfleet Academy, some for the first time, and others for the last time.
Characters/Pairings: Bones/Uhura plus two kids, Gaila/Kirk plus one kid, Sulu/Chekov plus one kid, and Spock/Chapel with one kid
major props to imamandajulius for coming up with lila, jim, and demmy :3. and a special awesome possum shoutout to her, cory1313, nectarousness, joytotheworld, and quemadura for being so awesome :3
Years of preparation led to this day, and the two men standing in front of her could not have been more proud. “Now, don’t get into too much trouble…” one of them said, looking down at his daughter with a small smile. “I’m not going to pretend that Jimmy isn’t going to show you some wonders of Starfleet Academy, but just concentrate on your studies. That’s what it’s all about, y’know.”
“And do not take studies lightly,” the other said, putting his hands on what hips he had. “Zis is vhy you are here, at Starfleet. To be proud pilot. Or, if you vould like, nawigator.” He smirked down at the beaming young woman, and he patted her shoulder.
The two men, Captain Hikaru Sulu and Commander Pavel Chekov, could not have been more proud of their little girl. She’d expressed interest in Starfleet before, of course, having grown up on Starships with her friends, but had only begun to get serious the past few years. She studied harder than anyone she knew to get into Starfleet Academy at the tender age of fifteen, just a year older than Chekov had been.
Demora Sulu-Chekov smirked up to both of her parents before hugging them both at once, taking in a deep couple of breaths and nodding. “I know. I’ll do well…I promise.” She pulled apart from the two men, only to be brought into another hug by Chekov. She winced at the sudden intensity, and she could have sworn she felt a few tears on her neck.
Sulu just sort of smirked and attempted to pry Chekov off of poor Demora, not that she minded. She always loved being hugged by Chekov. “Like I said, though, just don’t get in too deep with the party scene. If you feel like you need to loosen up, there’s really good rec rooms around for fencing. I know it always helped me when I got stressed out in Academy.” Sulu rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at her and smiling graciously. “You’ll do great, Dem. Make us proud.”
“And do not forget to brush hair one hundred times a day, eet keeps roots healthy and strong.” Chekov pecked her on her forehead. “Am so proud, Demora.”
Finally, he pulled apart from her and the two of them walked off, Chekov waving like a mad man back at his daughter. Demora stood there, waving back just as silly, before finally her fathers disappeared in the crowd and she was left standing there with a bag, looking a bit lost in the sea of red.
A similar scene was playing off a few hundred yards away. A nervous blonde woman was talking a million miles an hour down at a young woman just a few years older than Demora. “I know you’ll do great, you’ve always done great at everything, but you know how I worry, sweetheart. Just promise me you’ll take this very seriously. I got into things at Academy that really distracted me, and I just don’t want to go down the same road I did. I won’t go into details, but I almost slipped down in my class because of a certain young man.”
“Father?” she asked. Her voice was light and whispy.
Dr. Christine Chapel blushed. “Well, no…but that’s not the point. The point is I know you have a good head on your shoulders, I’ve always known that, and I know that you’ll make us both very proud. The science department won’t know what hit them! And whether or not you go into Life Sciences or Research doesn’t matter to either one of us, you do what you want.” Christine put her hand on her daughter’s cheek.
“But if you do want to go into Life Sciences, then I would recommend trying to get into Dr. Reese’s class if you can, he’s a really good professor. But, if you do choose to go into Research, that’s understandable, too.” Christine finally took a breath, the grip on her daughter’s shoulder tightening with each lingering moment. “I’m going to miss you so much. You know you can always contact your father or me. We’ll be here for you whenever you need us to. I mean, of course we work, but-“
“Christine.”
Spock’s cool, even tone had an instant calming affect on her. Christine pulled back from her daughter, looking as if she was about to burst into advice and affection all at once. He looked down at his daughter, nodding respectfully. “Your mother is correct, Amanda. And I do believe that whichever path you choose, you will be successful in your endeavors.”
Finally, she spoke. “Thank you for your support. I’ll be doing the best I can. And I will have my friends along with me.” Amanda was taller than Christine was at this point, but maintained her mother’s blue eyes. Her hair was dark and sleek, a rude contrast to her pasty skin. Her ears were slightly pointed, though certainly not as much as her father.
“I love you, sweet girl,” Christine said gently, and pulled her in for another hug. “I love you. Work hard.”
“I certainly will.”
“Amanda,” came Spock’s voice once more. He looked down at his daughter with a very serious, but surprisingly warm face. “I have faith in what you will accomplish here. You have a gift for discovery and a passion for knowledge I have seen in no other person, human or Vulcan. But do not allow anybody to put a wedge between your two cultures. Remain faithful in yourself, and you will go far.”
Spock’s hand found Christine’s, and after a few last desperate goodbyes coming from Christine, the two of them left her in the sea of red just like Demora.
A third family was also going through similar circumstances. Leonard McCoy was glancing down at his son with a frown. “I just don’t see the point in letting Lila spend the night here with Jimmy, she’s too young…” he was dropping one single, pink bag for his daughter. “I get why they have this preview program, but I just don’t know…” he glanced around at the school, raising his eyebrow skeptically.
“Relax, Leo,” cooed Nyota Uhura, smiling up at him. “She’ll love it here. And it’s the best time…her brother will be here to look after her for the week, so she won’t get into any trouble.”
“Yeah…that’s what I’m worried about, is her brother finding the trouble for her,” he said, grumpily, and looked back at his two children. James McCoy-or Jim, as he’d wanted to be called-was a tall, muscular young man. Leonard was quite proud of the man he’d grown into being. He took after both parents equally, getting Leonard’s strong build but with Nyota’s curly hair.
So far, it seemed as if Dalila McCoy had inherited most traits from her mother, which pleased Leonard to no end. The same age as Demora, she was growing taller and slightly curvier by the day. She walked up to her parents with Jim, glancing around and trying to look for someone she might just recognize. So far, nothing. “So where am I staying?” she asked, glancing up at the two of them.
“You’re staying with me,” Jim interrupted, pulling both bags over his shoulder.
Nyota walked up to both of her children, pecking them on the forehead and smiling. “You two be good. Dalila, pay attention to all of the things they’re telling you, it would be nice to be in the know for when you do come back.” She grinned down at her daughter before turning to her son, who beamed. This was not his first year, but he enjoyed the affection he received from his mother anyway. “And you pay attention as well. Take this seriously…and no distractions.” She looked pointedly at Demora, who was waving goodbye to her fathers.
Leonard smirked. “Maybe a little,” he said, and offered his hand, which Jim shook firmly. “Try not to get too caught up, though. You’re training to be a doctor, not…well. You know.” He pulled back his hand, clapped it on his shoulder, and finally pulled apart. Leonard looked down awkwardly to his daughter, nodding. “What your mother said. And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. And…maybe even more things I would do that you shouldn’t.” He flashed a cheeky smirk, which was returned with one identical to his.
The two of them pulled back, having it on good authority that the two of them would be just fine. They hoped.
That night, Jimmy found himself unpacking while Dalila sat on the floor, painting her toenails. Jimmy was looking through some pictures his mother had packed for him. A lot of these were of him and his friends on either the Enterprise or the Excelsior. He smiled at one group shot of all of them. Demora was giving a big grin and peace sign, he and his sister both had their arms around each other, and Amanda was sitting, trying not to smile.
Suddenly, his door opened quickly and he looked up. Before him stood the slightly green Michael. His hair was a light blonde and almost red color, and all throughout his body was a pale green color, almost like a pastel. “I heard Dalila was hanging around for preview week,” he said, plopping down on Jimmy’s bed. He opened up a magazine, looking, as usual, the epitome of cool. Dalila glanced up to him with a twinkle in her eyes.
Despite being absent in the picture, he was one of Jimmy’s best friends, and even though Michael wasn’t exactly “planned” by neither Gaila nor Kirk, his parents fit him into the group flawlessly. He’d been hanging around Jimmy since he could remember. Jimmy frowned. “Yeah, she’s staying here for preview week…”
Dalila smiled and looked up, waving at Michael. “Hey, there,” she said, gently, and leaned back against the bed where Jimmy usually slept. Her smile seemed to stay put.
“So, in honor of all of us being here…” Michael smirked. Jimmy looked over, and his face fell expectantly. “I was thinking…”
“Well, stop thinking,” he said, shaking his head in a disapproving way. “When are you going to take Starfleet seriously?” Jimmy asked with an incredulous expression. He turned back around, looking straight at him, and folding his arms over his chest. A part of him was, of course, trying to put on a good front for Dalila-like maybe he would be and always did take school as seriously as he seemed.
“I do take it seriously! Jeez, Jimbo, loosen up a bit,” Michael said, and smirked, throwing a shoe that he picked up into Jim’s back. Jim let out a deep, gruff sigh, but looked as if he was close to caving. Michael knew that Jimmy couldn’t deny fun all of the time. “Seriously, I just thought it would be fun if we all hung out before Lila had to go.” He looked down to her, as if asking her to chime in. It was perfect timing.
Dalila beamed up to Jim. “I think that would be fun. Demmy could come, and Amanda too. If she’s into that sort of thing. I can never tell.” She blew on her toenails, closing the bottle of polish and smiling. “It’ll be fun, Jimmy. Loosen up…jeez.” She stood up and yawned, pushing back some of her curly, jet black hair. “Getting together with all of our friends again…” Her eyes went wide at the thought.
Jim frowned. “I…” he began, and he shook his head. “You two, I swear…” he put down the photo and stepped back, admiring the photo for the moment. There was one other person missing from the photo, but Liam Scott was probably too busy working on some old junk in the repair shop to join them for a get-together today.
“Alright. I suppose we should contact everyone through the PADD-“
“Done and done, Jimboy. In fact, they’re probably waiting in the quad right now.”
“You had this planned…?” he asked, and grimaced as he watched his sister and his best friend walk promptly out the door together.
When Jim arrived, he saw precisely what he thought he would see: Michael had his hand wrapped around a bottle with absolutely no label on it. His sister was sitting down, talking with Demora, who looked happier than ever. Amanda was looking around the quad and trying to ignore the alcohol. He smirked, looking around at everyone and walked a bit closer.
Jim approached Demora and his sister, plopping down in the middle of the group. “I suppose this was a good idea…” he turned up to Amanda, smiling. “So I guess we might have some classes together, huh?”
“I am unsure of the path I will choose,” she replied. Despite her cold-sounding voice, she had a grin on her face. “But I am leaning towards the idea of Research, as my father did. But…I am still not completely decided.” She put her hands in her lap, and looked back up at him. “However, if I do choose to go for more of a medical approach, I will look forward to enjoying classes with you, James.”
Jim smirked, nodding. The entire time he knew her, she had called him James. Even after years of begging her to call him Jimmy, and recently, Jim. “Yeah…well, I hope you do.” He shifted slightly, and looked back down to Demora once Amanda took a curious sip from the unlabeled bottle Michael had offered her. “So, um…” he began, rubbing the back of his neck. She looked eager to listen to what he had to say. This made him even more nervous. “So, you’re going to love Academy. I have, so far…are you, um, excited?” he asked, chuckling. God, he was an idiot.
“I’m really excited. I can’t wait to start training! I wanna be a pilot, so bad. I remember when my dad let me drive the Excelsior for just a minute, it was the best!” she exclaimed, and looked back around to Dalila, who was busying herself talking to Michael, now. “Are you excited to start your medical training?”
“Pretty excited, yeah,” he replied, nodding. “I hope Amanda decides to go medical, then, y’know…I’d have an old friend there.” He looked down to his lap, frowning. “But I’m excited to have both of you here, finally. I can’t believe you got in when you were fifteen…but, I guess you’ve always been really smart, haven’t you?” he asked, smirking down at her. That seemed like a nice compliment.
“Ooh, well…” she began, and smirked to herself. “Thanks, Jimmy.” She looked up at him, chuckling. “I wonder how long it’ll take Amanda to realize that she’s drinking alcohol. I’d pay money to see her stumble around drunkenly.” Demora smirked, a smirk that was quite a lot like Sulu’s smirk.
“Ooh, I know, right?” he asked, laughing slightly. “I just hope she doesn’t hurt herself…Mike has a tendency to go overboard with other people.” He looked back over to the two of them, watching them talking animatedly. “But it looks like he’s already got a hold of her. God help her soul.” He laughed, shaking his head.
Demora smirked. “Maybe it’ll loosen her up. She could use that.” She looked back up at him, frowning to herself. “I’m glad you came out tonight. I’m glad you’re here…I was really nervous. I didn’t tell my dads that, but I was so nervous about coming here…it just feels so much bigger than me, know what I mean?” she asked, smiling slightly. She looked as if she didn’t mean to mention that.
“I felt the same way.” At the look, Jim’s reply came quickly. “You’ll get used to it…and then it starts feeling like something you can actually do, and handle. And before you know it, it all becomes second nature.” He smirked down at Demora, who looked as if though she would be taking notes if she had her PADD. “Give it a few weeks, and it’ll become second nature…just like everything else.”
He looked up as Michael approached them, and offered them the bottle. “No, no, I’m fine…really…” Jim said, giving him an annoyed look for interrupting their conversation.
“No, you’re not. Come on, live a little, Jimboy.” He handed Jim the bottle, waggling his eyebrow suggestively. “You too, Demmy.”
Jim stared at the bottle, looking over the amber liquid. “What is it?” he asked, looking beyond skeptical.
“Does it matter?” Michael pushed the bottle closer to him and smirked down at his friend. “You can trust me, Jimboy, I promise. Now come on. Just a quick drink.” He put the bottle up closer, and finally, Jim took it. He sipped it and winced before handing it over to Demora, who did the same.
Michael smirked. “Why is everyone so against alcohol, anyway? It makes the party more fun.” He took the bottle back, winking. “Anyone want a second sip? After this, I start charging…” he waved the bottle in front of them, raising his eyebrows and grinning wildly.
Jim frowned, and took just one more sip. He offered it to Demora, who shook her head, and he grinned. Well, that was a good sign, anyway. He thanked Michael who mumbled something about lovebirds before going to hang out with Dalila. Jim felt a curiosity in his gut as to what exactly Michael was doing with his sister, but his attention was diverted immediately back to Demora when she spoke.
“I’m glad we all ended up in Starfleet, y’know?” she asked, grinning. “I mean, I would have joined Starfleet anyway, even without everyone, but it’s a good thing you were all in it with me. Or…I dunno…” she smiled up at him. “It might have been a little harder without all of you involved.”
Jim looked down on her, smiling softly to himself. “I dunno, Demmy, you would’ve been able to handle it. You’re really strong.” He took her hand, which seemed to surprise her, but didn’t scare her or worry her. She looked like she liked it. He held it firmly, but without harming her. “I’ve always thought you were cut out for Starfleet. You’re really strong, and…” he laughed, shaking his head. “I just said that. Now I’m rambling.” He blushed, very lightly.
“No, you’re not,” she replied, grinning. “I’m just glad you think that…” she mumbled, glancing up at him. “I’m also happy to hear that you think so highly of me…” Demora looked like perhaps she hadn’t expected it, but accepted it anyway.
“Are you surprised? I mean, hell, Demora, look at you…”
She blushed suddenly. “Thanks, Jimmy.”
The two of them stared at each other for a moment, before finally Jim leaned forward and pecked Demora on her lips. He opened his eyes and pulled back, glancing down at her. She looked so pretty in the starlight…she looked as if she was still kissing him, before a grin escaped out of her and covered her pretty little face.
He cupped her cheek in his hand, hit lips parting slightly at the sight of the moon bouncing off of her eyes. “Was that…” he began, hoping he hadn’t overstepped any boundaries with her.
She nodded gently, smiling on one side of her face. “Ees best.”
Demora looked up and pressed her lips against his once more, allowing the feeling to wash over her quickly and make her feel like maybe she could actually do this.
Hours later, Amanda found herself wandering back towards her dorm. This was her first experience with alcohol, and she hoped it would not be her last. She walked through a path on campus, glancing around and trying to observe everything, but it was all moving too fast and too slow for her at the same time. She let her mouth hang open at everything. The raucous laughter from Michael and the others filled her ears, and she had to remind herself why she chose to leave in the first place.
She stumbled into a wall, blinking. “Ooh, hamburgers…” she mumbled to herself.
“Now I haven’t hear you say that in quite a spell.”
Amanda looked up and saw Liam Scott walking around with motor oil on his face and a wrench in his hand. She looked him up and down, frowning curiously and with concentration. She was trying not to fall on her face at the moment. “Well, hello there, Liam. It is nice to see you again.” She swayed slightly, shaking her head. “I apologize for my state-“
“Yeah, I just finished talking to Mikey. He wanted me to make sure you got in okay.” Liam’s hand went around her shoulders gently, steadying her and leading her towards her building. “So how d’you like Starfleet so far? Looks like you’ve been having a good time…” he snickered.
“I have only experienced the campus while sober for a few hours. Making a premature assessment would be…”
“Illogical?”
“Yes. That.” He looked down to her and smiled gently, steadying her still. “I am grateful for your services, Liam. You are kind.” She looked back up to him, and he grinned down at her. “So, I would like to…thank you, Mr. Scott. Thank you. Mr. Scott.” After deciding that is when she intended to say, she grinned up at him.
He laughed. “Yer welcome, Ms. Chapel. Welcome to Starfleet Academy.” He frowned. “I just hope you don’t keep making the mistake of listening to Mikey again…you deserve better than the poison he has to offer, Miss Amanda, and that’s the truth.”
She looked up to him, and even cracked a smile. “Is that a fact, Mr. Scott?”
“Aye, it is…” he looked down at her, smiling slightly. “’S what I always liked about you. And I suppose if this is what you’re like inebriated, well…” he mumbled, realizing she might not remember any of this in the morning. A part of him hoped she didn’t. How do you ask someone who tried to appear unfeeling if she felt fond feelings for him? “I suppose it could be much worse, believe me.”
Amanda chuckled, allowing him to lead her to her new dorm. When she stopped in front of her door, she glanced up at him. “Thank you, Mr. Scott. I appreciate you, and what you have done.” She stared for a moment. “But, I suppose I’ve said that already and am now repeating myself. That might be a clue as to how much I do mean it, however.”
Liam looked back up to her. He ran his hand through his light brown hair, shifting slightly. “Course, Miss Chapel. You head on to bed, now. Gotta sleep that poison off.” He finally removed his arm from around her, opened her door, and watched her collapse in her bed. As he thought about spending the next year with her around, Jim was kissing Demora for the last time that night, and Michael planted the most sincere kiss he’d ever planted on anyone right on Dalila’s lips.
It would be a nice year, Liam decided.