fic: Haven 5/?
Title: Haven
Rating: Teen to R
Pairing : No Pairing, gen,
Summary -- Christopher Pike is on the crew of the ship that relieves Tarsus IV. He finds a young orphan Jim Kirk in a cell, and decides to adopt him. Very dark at first.
WARNING. ....Torture. Genocide....Also, language. It's a dark chapter. The fic will get lighter eventually, but for the next couple chapters, it's a way dark piece of fiction. If this is going to bother you, please don't read it.
Notes: Please review. They are the reason I keep writing.
back to: part one / part two / part three / part four
When Pike reported in, Moritari had sent a full team of security men and a full medical team down to help in caring for the kids. Jimmy was steadfastly demanding not to receive treatment until all his kids had been cared for.
A decision had not yet been reached about what to do with them.
Aside from the thirty odd children Jimmy had saved, there were some 4,000 colonists remaining that Kodos had deemed worthy of life. Starfleet couldn’t leave any of them here, there wasn’t any food. And two ships, helpful as they were, could not transport that many colonists to a new home.
Plus, Starfleet was going to have to do an investigation into what had happened here. No one knew who Kodos had been before the revolution. And if the Federation couldn’t find him, then they couldn’t hold him accountable for his crimes. All the people that had seen him were dead.
Why had no one stopped this? Why was Jimmy Kirk the closest thing they’d found to a dissident leader? It suddenly occurred to Pike that that could be the reason Jimmy had been in the prison cell.
So there was going to be bureaucracy. Pike hated bureaucracy.
It took a long time. It was estimated that the Constellation might be here for up to six solar months. Ugh.
But on the plus side, he’d get to spend more time with Jimmy. Pike had found himself drawn to the kid. He just liked him.
Pike kicked himself. Chris, he isn't yours.
He really needed to find out what had happened to Winona. Where was she?
Pike had been off duty for about an hour, but he had not yet beamed back to the ship. He was reluctant to go until he knew that Jimmy was receiving proper treatment. Although Pike was pretty sure that a med-pac would not be able to do much for Jimmy. They were going to have to treat the kid on the ship. And he was sure that Jimmy wouldn’t like that. He wasn’t going to want to be separated from the other kids.
Pike couldn’t help but notice that none of the kids called Kirk Jimmy. Every single one of them called him JT. Pike was still curious about that. Maybe he’d ask when he got the kid alone. He wondered if maybe the boy thought that Jimmy sounded too vulnerable; too young. Jimmy was a boy’s name; JT could have been a man’s. Maybe that was it. Jimmy didn’t want to show any weakness or vulnerability in front of his charges.
Pike understood that concept. If one was going to lead, there could be no crack in the façade.
The only kid who didn’t call the boy JT was a tiny blond boy. Jimmy had introduced him to Pike as Kevin. He’d run to Jimmy had clung to him, weeping. Jimmy had picked him up, and hadn’t put hid down since they’d arrived at the cave.
How strange that the boy he’d carried not an hour ago was now carrying someone else. And Kevin looked like he also had a hell of a grip on him. That could not have been easy on Jimmy’s back. Pike winced just watching the two of them.
He had volunteered to relieve Kirk of his burden, but Jimmy had just waved him off. Evidently, this was pain his was willing to shoulder. Kevin had apparently seen his whole family die before Jimmy had saved him.
No wonder they worshipped him. Pike didn’t blame them. It was kind of catching.
Pike slapped himself mentally. He’d already attached far too much to this kid, and it hadn’t even been a day.
As Pike watched, one of the nurses was able to bribe Kevin off of Jimmy with a promise of peach pie and a teddy bear.
Good decision, Kevin.
Most people would have done almost anything for her pie.
Pike corralled Jimmy before someone else could grab him. The kid was in desperate need of rest. And the other kids were in good hands.
“Hey Chris.” Pike could see the exhaustion clearly on the boy’s face.
“JT,” Pike acknowledged.
Jimmy nodded gratefully,” Yes, sir?” The look was speculative, curious.
“I’d like to let a doctor check you out.” He held up a hand to forestall the protests that he knew would be forthcoming. “It doesn’t have to be here, kid. I’d like to take to you back to the ship. None of your kids would see. And they’ll be safe with my people.”
Kirk stared back at him, thinking it over. Jimmy looked back at the group of kids and the Starfleet crewmen. Some of the children were subdued and withdrawn. But all of them were eating. A couple of the braver ones were engaged in a game of freeze tag with one of the Ensigns from security. Pike made a mental note to give that man a commendation.
Jimmy sighed then. “Okay. But, I gotta get something first. And I have to tell a couple of them that I’m going. The older ones’ll watch the younger ones.”
Pike nodded, “Take all the time you need.”
Let someone else take the conn a little while, kid.
Jimmy came back a few minutes later.
“Did you get what you needed?” Pike asked.
Jimmy shook his head. “It isn’t here. It’s about a half mile. Should be safe.”
Pike nodded. “You sure?”
Jimmy nodded, solemnly.
Pike debated grabbing one of the guys from security, but in the end decided against it. They had their hands full with just the kids.
Pike gestured outward, “Lay on, MacDuff.”
“Macbeth, Act 5, Scene Eight,” said Jimmy.
Any other child would have smirked at the look of astonishment on Pike’s face. Maybe before all this shit when down Jimmy would have smirked as well. But the boy was solemn and blank faced again.
Pike hated that look. He sought to distract the kid from whatever dark thoughts the boy was lost in. “So where we going?” Pike wasn’t sure why, but he felt like he needed to keep his voice quiet.
“Cabin.” Jimmy grunted. “A bunch of us used to live there. Before.”
Pike waited but evidently nothing else was going to be forth coming.
“You haven’t been back?” he was just curious.
“No. Couldn’t risk it. Not with all the kids. But I need to do this.” Pike understood, if Jimmy was killed or captured then the kids would be on their own.
The sun was setting as they reached the cabin. It was in a clearing overlooking a lake. The fading light caught the water reflecting the hundred myriad glowing colors of the crimson-purpled sky. Pike’s breath caught in his throat. Once upon a time, this place must have been a paradise.
Jimmy had been watching him. “Yeah, it has that affect on me, too.”
Pike nodded, breathless. How could something so terrible happen somewhere so beautiful?
Jimmy smiled at him. It was the first real smile he’d seen on the kid’s face. “Glad you like it.” He looked so much like George when he smiled.
But Pike could see Winona in him as well.
“Can you just wait here a second? I just have to get something. I won’t be long.” Jimmy’s eyes were pleading.
Pike was loath to allow the boy to leave his sight, but against his better judgment, he acquiesced. Sometimes you needed to do things on your own. Maybe that was what Jimmy needed now.
“Take your time.” Pike settled himself on the grass about twenty feet from the cabin to wait.
A few minutes later, Pike thought he head a scuffle from the direction of the cabin, but he wasn’t sure. He checked the time. It had been ten minutes. Jimmy should've been out by now. He pulled his phaser out and inched toward the cabin. Better to err on the side of caution, after all.
He had a bad feeling about this. And he always trusted his intuition.
The cabin door was partly open. Pike could hear voices. Adult, male voices. Fuck.
Pike’s heart was in his throat. He inched slowly, gradually onto the porch, praying the steps wouldn’t squeak and something could go right today.
It did. They didn’t squeak.
Pike tried to keep his sigh of relief internal.
He paused at the door, trying to assess the situation. Snatches of the conversation floated out to him. Someone was speaking. …knew you’d come back here. The governor was right. He said you were sentimental and would want that stuff of your mom’s.”…
Pike could not believe his ears. Jimmy had seen Kodos. No. Jimmy knew Kodos.
Pike shook himself back to awareness as the voice continued. “…why you allied yourself with those stupid fucking kids...damn fool thing to do…”
There was a thud from inside, the sound of flesh hitting flesh, followed by a groan. The groan had been too high pitched to be an adult.
Damn.
Pike inched forward. He needed to see what was going on in there. He risked getting closer to the door.
The failing light threw shadows over the people in the room, but Pike could make out three men in there with Jimmy. Two of them had the boy by the arms and the third was leaning against the wall not far away, expounding at length on whatever it was he was talking about. It was pretty obvious that one of them had just hit Jimmy in the ribs from the way the boy was panting. The kid's head was down, as though he longer had the strength to lift it.
The third man was still talking. “Don’t know what Kodos sees in your sorry ass. I’d have killed you as soon as I could have. Stupid fucking traitor. “ He hit Jimmy again.
Pike couldn’t risk calling for help on his communicator. The guards would hear him. They might hurt Jimmy more. Pike wouldn’t risk it.
So he was stuck here, listening, until he could do something to help the boy.
“I know he’s here, because you are wearing his shirt, dumbass. Genius, my ass.” The speaker spat in Jimmy’s face and punched him again. Pike’s vision went red.
“Now for the last time, WHERE IS THE FLEETER?” The scream was punctuated with a kick. Pike heard a snap as it connected, and Jimmy fell. They hauled the kid to his feet.
They were asking about him, Pike realized. Jimmy was protecting him. Jimmy was getting hurt protecting him.
Pike couldn’t have that.
He stepped forward. “He's right behind you.” He said, firing his phaser at the leader. Pike only regretted that it was set to stun.
He got one of the men holding Jimmy before the other one yanked the child forward, using the boy as a shield.
Pike circled slowly to the left, not looking at Jimmy, but keeping his eyes on his remaining opponent. The other man's eyes found something just above Pike's left shoulder, just as Jimmy screamed “Behind you,” and Pike wheeled as he felt a knife slip past his shirt. Pike’s spin made the cut worse; the blade caught against his ribs and sliced through his skin as he spun.
Fuck. It hurt.
Pike cracked his elbow against the attacker’s head, and the other man’s eyes glaze. Pike fired his phaser and the man dropped like a shot. Three down.
That just left the one with Jimmy.
Pike wheeled back.
The man had an arm around Jimmy’s throat, with some sort of weapon to the boy’s head. It looked to be an old style projectile weapon. Pike hated those. There was no point to them anymore. They were so messy. There was possibility of stunning a person. Either you shot to kill or to wound. Guns were just…unnecessary.
If it was possible, the boy’s coloring was even greyer now than it had been when Pike had first seen him. He looked about to pass out. Pike figured it might be a mercy if he did.
The guard’s hands didn’t shake as he held the gun to Jimmy’s head. Not a good sign. Either the guard was very good with the weapon, or he had killed before with it. Possibly both.
Pike cursed.
His own was nothing, but he couldn’t risk the kid. Aside from being the son of his best friend, Jimmy had seen Kodos. Could identify Kodos. That meant his was the most valuable life on the planet right now.
Pike lowered his phaser.
part six