Fic: Standard Deviation, Chapter 1
Title: Standard Deviation
Author: gixxer_pilot
Beta: The most supremely awesome wicked_jade
Summary: Cop!AU ‘verse. The best opportunities are often borne of chance. The key, especially for impulsive people like James T. Kirk, is knowing when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em.
Author’s Notes: I love people who are unpredictable or multifaceted. I also love music. And (obviously) I love Star Trek and writing (duh!). So, it seemed rather natural that I’d combine all of that in a shaker, give it a whirl, and serve it with a side of cop!verse AU. Chronologically, this fic takes place about a year and a half before Accidentally on Purpose. Kirk’s been a cop for all of six months, and the honeymoon period for Jim and Bones is about to end. Fortunately, Pike’s there to help avert the nuclear disaster that could end the best partnership in Iowa City before it really even gets going.
Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable in this story - not Star Trek or any of the music you’ll see. I do this for fun and will never make any kind of profit from it. I just enjoy it, and I hope you all do, too.
Chapter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4A | 4B |
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Chapter 1
So this was what an ethical dilemma looked like.
When he was blasting through the compulsory classroom training, Jim’s professors warned him that one day, he would inevitably face some sort of test of his character. It was something that all cops went through; whether the situation was the subjugation of bad apple peer pressure or just plain shitty luck, nearly every police officer was well aware that the temptation to be dishonest would always be a black spot in the world of law enforcement, or in any position of power. How he would respond to that test would be a benchmark for the rest of his career, in both his own mind and in the eyes of his peers.
However, Jim wasn’t entirely convinced that anything his college instructors taught him about ethics was exactly applicable to his current conundrum. In his hands, Kirk held an object. It was something that did not belong to him, nor was the rightful owner aware he possessed it. Though it was taken in honest error, that fact would not deter the sole proprietor’s feelings of anger, irritation or even embarrassment, should he know that the item was in the possession of the department’s smart-assed noob. What he did with the aforementioned object, however, would likely define him as a cop, and as a person.
Jim got up and snagged a beer from the fridge. He popped the top and took a sip, letting the overstuffed couch cushions soak up his body weight. A frustrated puff of air left Kirk’s lips as he replayed the events of the day in his head.
It truly was a simple mistake, a comedy of errors that lead the young officer to his test of character. Jim was sitting Lieutenant Pike’s office after a nice post-shift workout when the pair noticed the paddy wagon pulling in to drop off its latest round of drunk and disorderly charges. All was well for about five minutes, but as in most cases where alcohol was the main factor of causation, it only took a couple of correctly lobbed insults to re-ignite the powder keg all over again. Apparently, patrons from a wedding brawl decided they weren’t done with the fireworks the cops had already broken up. They also thought that continuing their disagreements in the intake of the county jail was a good idea. The cops at the station, however, begged to differ.
Still in their running shoes and workout clothes, both Kirk and Pike ran down to the holding area to assist the overwhelmed intake officers. Jim and Chris, along with McCoy, Serdeski, and the officers assigned to the jail eventually identified and separated the combatants, sending each side to separate cells to cool off. The crisis averted, Kirk hit the showers before he left for the night. He and McCoy had the next two days off, and Jim fully planned on using them to their every last extent. With the Labor Day holiday one week past, no one had gotten much of a chance for rest or relaxation leading up to and during the long weekend. With his days off, Kirk was looking forward to being simply Jim for a few days instead of Officer Kirk.
Jim hung out for an extra ten minutes to help out the shift change at the jail. When he was relatively sure all the combatants were safely tucked into their time out chairs and the jail back firing on all cylinders, he ran back to Pike’s office to snag his iPod from the lieutenant’s desk where he dropped it before the melee began. Kirk tossed it in his bag, snatched a piece of chocolate from the dish Pike had squirreled away in the corner of his office and waltzed out the door. Jim studiously packed and tied down all his gear on the tail of his bike before setting out for home. It wasn’t until he was unloading his rank and disgusting clothes from the bag did he realize his mistake, and that brought all his plans for the evening to a screeching, shaking halt.
He should, at this point of the evening, be working his way through his voluptuous black book in search of a bit of companionship. And by ‘companionship’, what Jim really meant was ‘blow job’. But instead, he was sitting alone in his apartment, staring at the inadvertently obtained gadget, all the while wondering if the pain of a dislocated shoulder would be worth any type of embarrassing secrets the little piece of technology might hold. If he caved to his desires and peeked, he might find a treasure trove of blackmail-worthy material that could provide him a trump card for years to come. But, it might also get him the most severe beating of his life. Even with a surgically reconstructed right leg and enough titanium in his body to cause major concerns with the TSA, Lieutenant Pike could still open up a can of whoop ass like nobody’s business.
Kirk tapped his chin with the end of the beer bottle, wincing when he accidentally whacked his teeth with the lip. He stood up and started pacing again, staring at the black device sitting innocently on his coffee table. Jim nearly laughed out loud. The irony of the situation was that, for once in his life, James Kirk, whose middle initial Bones often swore stood for ‘Trouble’, wasn’t trying to cause a ruckus. He wanted nothing more that to disappear for the weekend and be an anonymous person much like the rest of the population. On one hand, Kirk knew he should respect Pike’s confidentiality (especially as a three month old rookie cop), stick the device in his bag, and give it back on Monday.
But the proper thing was not the Kirk thing. However, Jim did at least give himself a small pat on the back for at least pondering whether to hack the damned thing in the first place. A few years ago, it wouldn’t have even crossed his mind that he was about to invade another person’s privacy. He’d have just done it. Now, at least he felt a small measure of guilt for what he was about to do. Granted, his thoughts were a bit narcissistic and borne of the pragmatic desire not to be shot, but they were there. He blamed his training officer for that, dammit. Jim rolled his eyes at the thought. Thanks, McCoy.
Jim cracked his knuckles loudly in the kitchen of his apartment. He turned around and glared at the iPod sitting on his coffee table. Fuck it. Kirk smiled evilly and made his choice, walking quickly over to the table and snagging the device from where it sat perched on top of the latest copy of ESPN: The Magazine. He powered the iPod on and started snooping with gusto.
Oh yes, Pike might kill him, but it would be a beating well worth it.
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Next Up: McCoy wishes that he wasn’t so curious, and Kirk proves that despite the badge and gun, he hasn’t quite purged himself of his delinquent ways.