Matter of Choice - 12/18
Title: Matter of Choice (12/18)
Author: sunryder
Universe/Series: Reboot
Rating: PG (for cursing)
Relationship status: Friendship
Genre: Kid!Fic, Friendship, Drama,
Tropes: Bonding, Kid!Fic
Warnings: None at present, unless AUs make you uncomfortable
Word Count: 3839/32839
Additional Pairings: Sarek/Amanda, Pike/George (for now)
Summary: Jim Kirk runs away to San Francisco to find out more about his father, makes friends with Spock, pisses off the Romulan Empire, and crashes head first into a destiny he's not sure he's ready for.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
"Spock. It's carmel corn.">
A/N: I know, I suck for taking so long to post. Finals came upon me at the same moment my sister got put on bed rest with triplets, leaving her other two children to my care. I know, not a great reason since for some people that's life, but that's what got me. You have my promise that the next chapter will come on Friday. I swear.
As for the !8 total chapters, that's for the 'small children' arc. There will be a little down time in between this arc and the next, when they'll be 16-ish. And for those of you who've been made nervous by my erratic posting schedule, I promise I'll have the next arc completely written before I start posting, just to lower your blood pressure. ;)
If Spock had not been positive that it was impossible, he would have thought that Sarek was upset. He was permitting Captain Pike ramble about all the ways they could keep the Romulan Ambassador from gaining access to Jim, and didn't say anything when Number One suggested that she be allowed to terminate the Ambassador through violent means. Not even Takeru seemed immune to their human influence when he offered suggestions about where they could dispose of the remains without alerting the authorities. Spock was concerned by this thoroughly un-Vulcan turn of events, but Jim watched with glee as the conversation bounced back and forth. It was finally Amanda who interrupted their planning with a gentle reminder that none of them bore custody of James, and thus, were unable to make such long range plans for his care.
Captain Pike thunked down in his chair in what Spock took be an entirely James-like maneuver and groaned, "Well then, we're screwed. 'Cause it'll be a cold day in hell before Winona lets me make decisions about her son."
Jim giggled, and Pike winced, as though he'd just remembered that Jim was tucked into the overly crowed hovercar with the rest of them. "Sorry, kid."
"It's cool. She doesn't have very nice things to day about you either."
Pike snorted, then replied, "So what do we do about the lack of custody? Think we should blow right past the Federation hierarchy and take care of it all ourselves?"
"I believe that option has been removed from us," Takeru interrupted. He looked up from the handheld comm that never left his side and continued, "I have just been informed that Admiral Moran is at the Embassy waiting for the return of James. Apparently she is being rather vehement in her displeasure with what she sees as Vulcan interference in a Human affair."
Number One swore under her breath and Pike snapped, "It's a Federation affair!"
"I will never understand how Moran made it to Admiral with her level of Xenophobia." Amanda said.
"She was appointed right after the Kelvin and people were making a fuss about how we didn't have enough female Admirals. She'd made a name for herself as good in a fight, and at the time that was all anyone was looking for."
"You are a most troubling species." Spock said.
"Humans like to feel safe from the outside influences," Amanda interjected. "Often this feeling comes from trust that their leaders are capable of protecting them."
"It is a trait our people share Spock, and is the root of why we are such isolationists. It is one of the prices a society pays for becoming civilized." Sarek commented.
"So she's the thorn in our collective side." Spock quirked an eyebrow and Jim could see his imminently clever brain trying to decipher his meaning. Jim flashed a half smile and said, "The bee in our bonnet. The glitch in our subroutine."
Spock finally caved and furrowed his brow and said, in what anyone else would've taken for a whine, "I do not understand."
Jim grinned back, "I know. That's why I do it."
"I fail to understand what you seek to achieve by this."
"Achieve is too strong a word for it. I just like seeing you get frustrated."
"Vulcans do not get frustrated." Spock replied coolly.
Jim snorted, "Sure they don't Spock."
The corner of Takeru's mouth gave the tiniest twitch upward, which was the only sign any Vulcan in the room gave that they found Jim teasing Spock acceptable. Amanda, however, was watching the byplay with a gentle grin. She put a stilling hand on Spock's arm when he leaned forward to snap something about Jim being illogical and interrupted, "Shall we sneak James in through the back door, or are we just going to ignore her because she lacks an legal authority to claim him?"
"That's easy. I just won't go with her."
Amanda ran what was supposed to be a soothing hand through his hair and replied, "I'm afraid it's not that simple, James."
"Sure it is. Starfleet regulation 4417 Section 14(b) says that the guardian of a Federation citizen who's a minor cannot bestow guardianship rights until the prior guardian informs the minor of the bestowal in person. Then they've got a whole list of extenuating circumstances, but none of those apply here. I mean, Winona isn't dead or missing or anything. If anyone has the right to claim custody to me, it would be Chris. He's at least my godfather and you could make the case that his guardianship is implied. No matter what permission Winona gave Admiral Moran, it doesn't go into effect unless Winona tells me in person."
"Do I want to know how you know that?" Pike asked.
Jim fidgeted in his seat, trying not to look guilty, "Frank and I had some disagreements about whether or not he gets to stop me from... going on field trips."
"Lets just skirt right past the part where I'm sure 'field trip' is a euphamism for something that I don't wanna know about 'cause it'll keep me up at night and lets move on to whether or not we'll be able to pull that off without getting court marshalled."
Sarek spared Pike a look that screamed 'haven't you been paying any attention?' and flicked his eyes over to Takeru, who looked up from his comm and announced, "To-gav Vinak is on his way to the room where Admiral Moran is waiting. He has agreed to handle the preliminary matters so that when we arrive she will have nothing more to do than receive confirmation from James that this is his choice. Vinak informs me that should she dissent Captain Pike does hold the authority to assume custody of James, but such an action would be antithetical to her presumed goals and thus, illogical."
Number One smirked, "You spend more time texting on that thing than a first year cadet."
Whatever Takeru said in reply, Jim was too busy turning to Spock to notice. He shot Spock a look that ever so eloquently shouted, 'Huh?' and under his breath Spock explained, "To-gav Vinak is a master of Vulcan law. Both ancient and modern."
"So... he's a lawyer."
Spock actually flinched in distaste at Jim's translation and replied shortly, "No. A To-gav is unique to the legal field and is versed in almost every tenant of law throughout the Federation. Vinak himself is widely sought for his ability to find legal commonalities netween disputing species."
"And Takeru called him to help me make Moran go away?"
"Help us, but yes."
"This isn't another one of those svitan-nel-dath things, is it? 'Cause getting peolpe to do stuff they don't want to do is something only bad guys are supposed to do and it's tripping me out."
"Your status does not compel anyone to act in a manner contrary to their will. It is merely a matter of..." Spock paused long enough for his eyebrow to tick in the way Jim secretly refered to as the 'Smug Bastard' look, and continued, "having the stars align."
Jim burst out in a string of giggles and said, "You got it right!" The adults then ushered them out of the hovercar, obviously too involved in their conversation to pay attention to Jim and Spock's teasing.
When they stepped inside the Embassy Jim realized he was beginning to notice a pattern to Sarek's behavior when the Vulcan grew impatient with other people's stupidity. (Not that Jim thought he'd ever be ballsy enough to call Sarek impatient to his face.) But, when people grew too illogical Sarek would pull out his 'intractable Vulcan' expression, the kind that Jim remembered from the holos he'd seen of Vulcans in school. Sarek looked like he'd never even thought about anything so pathetically useless as emotion, and then he swept into a room like you should count yourself blessed that he'd descended low enough to pay any attention to you.
It was intense. And intimidating.
And Admiral Moran didn't seem to realize that.
The Admiral was short and dumpy, with an upturned nose that vaguely reminded Jim of a pig. Looking at her Jim figured that she had to have a temper, otherwise no one would listen to her. Though when Jim entered and she threw open her arms and cried, "Jimmy" like she was summoning him for a hug, Jim figured she was probably pretty sneaky too. She stepped towards him with the obvious intent to bundle Jim up in her arms, and Jim no-so-subtly stepped behind Sarek, who managed to look thunderous despite not having any expression at all.
"Oh Jimmy," she gushed, "Don't you remember me?"
Jim poked his head around Sarek's side (the only part of himself that he was willing to expose to her, and replied, "No ma'am, I don't. And I'm not sure why you think I should."
Moran tutted at him, "I'm friends with your mother, Jimmy, and I've been to your house on several occasions. I'm disappointed you don't remember."
Jim stiffled the urge to ask, 'Are you scolding me, lady?' and said instead, "My apologies, ma'am."
Her face instantly morphed from stern and shaming to a half grin that didn't suit her at all. "Don't worry about it, Jimmy. I forgive you." Jim flicked a look over to Spock and did his best to not smirk in the way that meant, 'This lady is ca-ra-zy.' Moran didn't quite catch the meaning, but she caught Jim's expression and dropped any semblance of her friendly demeanor. "Come along, dear."
She held out her hand to him and with pleading eyes Jim looked over at the Vulcan he didn't know, and thus assumed was Vinak. "Admiral Moran, this is a matter I have already explained to you. According to Starfleet Regulation 4417 Section 14(b)-"
"Yes!" Moran tossed up a hand to silence him, "I understand! But his mother gave me the authority to take him into my care until she arrives."
"Arrives?" Jim popped all the way out from behind Sarek, "Mom's coming?"
Moran turned back to Jim with a look of triumph, "Yes dear, she caught a transport and she'll be here tomorrow morning. She doesn't want to impose on these people any longer."
Jim might have been polite about the whole thing if Moran hadn't had the barest pause before she said 'people'. He was trying to be good and logical, he really, really, really was, and then Moran had to go and do something like that and make Jim lose his cool. "I'm not the one imposing."
Moran settled into a stone cold expression that Jim figured must have been what opposing ships saw right before she blew them out of the sky. "James. Your mother doesn't want you in their custody, she wants you in mine. Now come."
"Why?"
"Because your mother insists."
"But that's the thing, I don't know that's what my mom wants, that's just what you say."
"James!" She snapped.
"No really, I don't mean to be rude, but I can't just take your word on that. It would be breaking the law, and worse, it would be stupid. Without Mom standing right here in front of me saying that she wants me to go with you, it's not safe to trust you."
"And these people that picked you up on the street, they're safer to be with?"
"Yes ma'am. One's my godfather, and the others have looked out for me when they didn't have to. I know I can trust them. They've proven it." Jim caught the glint in her eyes that would've meant using her authority to press Chris to take Jim and leave with her, but Jim stepped in. "In this situation I'm the one who makes decisions about my custody, Mom had the papers drawn up to make sure and everything. Even Chris couldn't make me leave against my will without it being kidnapping."
The corner of Moran's left eye started to twitch and Jim figured someone in her command ought to tell her that she had a tell for when she'd lost and she knew it. Jim didn't think that person should be him though. He just smiled angelically and nodded along when Moran hissed, "Your mother will be here first thing tomorrow morning."
"And I'll be here... waiting for her."
Moran blew past them all and out the door, not bothering to stop and pay her respects to the Vulcan Ambassador standing right in front of her. As usual, Pike snorted and Number One muttered something crass while Jim turned to Vinak and apologized, "Sorry that Takeru dragged you downstairs over this."
"You have nothing to apologize for, Mr. Kirk. It has been several decades since I have been involved in a custody matter. One must use one's skills lest they atrophie."
Jim grinned at him in gratitude, "Necessary for preserving your skills or not, I'm glad you were here."
The boys said their goodnights and dashed up the stairs. Well, Jim dashed and Spock trailed behind at a much more sedate and respectable pace, but Chris liked to think that some part of Spock wanted to dash like Jim did. Pike was half tempted to follow them, just to be there when Jim finally took control of their night and decided to introduce Spock to how a human sleepover was supposed to go. The first lesson Number One had taught Chris in hot-wiring a replicator was how to make your favorite snack (which for Chris was a scotch neat with a twist), and considering the time Number One had spent whispering with Jim this morning, Chris was pretty sure it was a talent that Jim now shared. Considering Jim's aplomb with hot-wiring, Chris was pretty sure that when Amanda went to wake the boys up in the morning she was going to find candy and popcorn scattered around the room along with some vid Jim wasn't supposed to be able to download on the Vulcan's secure server. It would be one last perfect night before reality stepped back in and separated the boys. Which was a moment Chris was trying really hard not to think about.
Chris flopped down on one of the formal couches in the Vulcan sitting room, studiously ignoring how Sarek quirked an eyebrow in the exact same tone that Chris imagined he would say 'heathen'. Sarek and Amanda sat across from him while Number One paced and Takeru kept his attention on his comm. Pike ran his hands through his hair, ruffling it up in tufts. "So, other than abducting Jim and running off to a planet where they'd let me keep him, what are my options?"
"I've been told that Betazed has a particular fondness for adoptions, and given how dramatic this one would be, I imagine they'd welcome you with open arms."
"However, given the vibrant nature of Jim's mind you run the risk of seeing him married off to the most powerful telepath they can find."
"But Jim doesn't have any mental gifts."
"James has so striking a mind that I doubt you will find many people who care about the humanness of his genetics." Sarek explained.
"So we'll put kidnapping and a Federation manhunt on the back burner for now." Pike stated, more than a little awkward. "What am I supposed to do in the meantime?"
Amanda smiled, "I thought they were supposed to prepare you Starfleet captains for anything?"
"Oddly enough, one of the few things they don't go over in basic training is how you're supposed to be a parental figure. I assume it's something you pick up if you turn into one of the softer captains, but I'm not quite there yet."
Amanda laughed, but Pike got distracted watching the eyebrow war going on between Takeru and Number One from their opposite sides of the room. "Something you'd like to share with the class?"
Takeru raised his eyebrow so high that Chris was concerned it was going to carve right off his forehead, and Number One ceded the battle with a grumble. "Security at the Riverside shipyards has been upgraded."
"Upgraded? Upgraded how?"
"It's no longer a dumping ground for Fleet Security that's too stupid to be useful but not bad enough to get discharged."
Chris waited for a moment, knowing that wasn't all, then prodded, "And...?"
"And they've all been briefed on the Jim Kirk situation."
"Meaning that until he enters the Fleet his every move will be tailed by Federation Security." Pike sighed.
Number One shrugged like she wasn't embarrassed by this at all. "There are worse things."
"Indeed." Takeru interrupted. "Which is why I have taken the liberty to transfer Jim's records from the... school he was attending to an academy whose educational methods are preferable to those that have previously been inflicted upon him."
Chris snorted at Takeru's blithe dismissal of human educators and the Sarek explained, "Spock has expressed concerns about the status of James' education, particularly concerning the lack of accurate information conveyed concerning non-human species. The academy Takeru has chosen is staffed by doctors in their relative fields as well as several non-human professors. According to reviews, the institute will see James fully trained in all the standard elements of Federation education, as well as several languages, negotiations, inter-species relations, and tactics."
"I assume we're going the 'better to ask forgiveness than permission' route and hope Winona doesn't notice you're sending Jim to a whole different school?"
"I have discovered that more often than not that is the most logical approach to dealing with species governed by their emotions."
#######
"Ya know Spock, you're not supposed to poke at it, you're supposed to eat it."
"They are maize kernals superheated with pressurized steam until their hulls rupture, then saturated in a mixture of a gelantanized maize starch, a sucrose/molasses blend, and churned, fermented, cream. Presumably from an earth equine. It must be examined before it can be consumed."
"Spock. It's carmel corn. And you can say butter. It's okay. I won't report you to the logic police."
Spock looked up from his thorough examination of the bowl of carmel corn that Jim had placed in front of him and replied, "There is no such organization."
"You know, you say stuff like that and I'm not sure if you're messing with me or not."
"Why would I... 'mess' with you?" Spock said with a furrow.
"Never mind. Just man up and eat the popcorn."
"Given that I am not human I cannot-"
"Spock!" Jim interrupted. "Stop trying to distract me and just try the stupid popcorn!"
"It the substance is stupid then why would you want me to consume it?"
For all their ranting about logic being the true path, Jim was pretty sure Vulcans just used logic as an out for when they didn't want to do something. So instead of letting Spock get away with it, Jim pounced. He caught Spock in perfect tackling position and slammed him to the ground. Spock squeaked in surprise and Jim was so shocked at the wholly un-Vulcan noise that Spock easily pushed him off. Jim leapt back at him and Spock quickly used Jim's own momentum to spin him and trap the human with his superior Vulcan strength. "I am sorry, Jim! I did not mean to anger you."
Jim froze mid-thrash and stared at Spock in confusion. "Spock, we're wrestling. It's play."
"But... you used violence against me."
Jim pushed up with the tiniest amount of force and Spock all but jumped off. "It's a tussle, Spock. That's not the bad kind of violence."
"I do not understand. Humans have a good kind of violence?" Jim just heaved a sigh and stared at Spock as though he couldn't decide whether or not he could say what he wanted to. "You are troubled."
"I'm not, it's just..." Jim raked his fingers through his hair and sighed out, "We're different."
"Different from one another, or different from those who are not the two of us?"
"Both."
"I presume you intended to carry one meaning over the other, however."
"It's just, I'm always gonna be human, and you're always gonna be Vulcan, and stuff like this is gonna keep happening."
"You mean instances akin to where you initiate a tussle and I will interpret it as violence." Spock paused for a moment, "Or do you mean other instances where I wish to conduct a logical study of an unknown substance prior to exposing myself to the possible effects on my physiology, and you interpret it as fear of the unknown."
Jim very slowly to look at Spock, who just stared steadily back at him with a raised eyebrow. Jim snorted, "Are you always gonna be able to talk me down when I'm being an irrational human?"
Chapter 13
Author: sunryder
Universe/Series: Reboot
Rating: PG (for cursing)
Relationship status: Friendship
Genre: Kid!Fic, Friendship, Drama,
Tropes: Bonding, Kid!Fic
Warnings: None at present, unless AUs make you uncomfortable
Word Count: 3839/32839
Additional Pairings: Sarek/Amanda, Pike/George (for now)
Summary: Jim Kirk runs away to San Francisco to find out more about his father, makes friends with Spock, pisses off the Romulan Empire, and crashes head first into a destiny he's not sure he's ready for.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
"Spock. It's carmel corn.">
A/N: I know, I suck for taking so long to post. Finals came upon me at the same moment my sister got put on bed rest with triplets, leaving her other two children to my care. I know, not a great reason since for some people that's life, but that's what got me. You have my promise that the next chapter will come on Friday. I swear.
As for the !8 total chapters, that's for the 'small children' arc. There will be a little down time in between this arc and the next, when they'll be 16-ish. And for those of you who've been made nervous by my erratic posting schedule, I promise I'll have the next arc completely written before I start posting, just to lower your blood pressure. ;)
If Spock had not been positive that it was impossible, he would have thought that Sarek was upset. He was permitting Captain Pike ramble about all the ways they could keep the Romulan Ambassador from gaining access to Jim, and didn't say anything when Number One suggested that she be allowed to terminate the Ambassador through violent means. Not even Takeru seemed immune to their human influence when he offered suggestions about where they could dispose of the remains without alerting the authorities. Spock was concerned by this thoroughly un-Vulcan turn of events, but Jim watched with glee as the conversation bounced back and forth. It was finally Amanda who interrupted their planning with a gentle reminder that none of them bore custody of James, and thus, were unable to make such long range plans for his care.
Captain Pike thunked down in his chair in what Spock took be an entirely James-like maneuver and groaned, "Well then, we're screwed. 'Cause it'll be a cold day in hell before Winona lets me make decisions about her son."
Jim giggled, and Pike winced, as though he'd just remembered that Jim was tucked into the overly crowed hovercar with the rest of them. "Sorry, kid."
"It's cool. She doesn't have very nice things to day about you either."
Pike snorted, then replied, "So what do we do about the lack of custody? Think we should blow right past the Federation hierarchy and take care of it all ourselves?"
"I believe that option has been removed from us," Takeru interrupted. He looked up from the handheld comm that never left his side and continued, "I have just been informed that Admiral Moran is at the Embassy waiting for the return of James. Apparently she is being rather vehement in her displeasure with what she sees as Vulcan interference in a Human affair."
Number One swore under her breath and Pike snapped, "It's a Federation affair!"
"I will never understand how Moran made it to Admiral with her level of Xenophobia." Amanda said.
"She was appointed right after the Kelvin and people were making a fuss about how we didn't have enough female Admirals. She'd made a name for herself as good in a fight, and at the time that was all anyone was looking for."
"You are a most troubling species." Spock said.
"Humans like to feel safe from the outside influences," Amanda interjected. "Often this feeling comes from trust that their leaders are capable of protecting them."
"It is a trait our people share Spock, and is the root of why we are such isolationists. It is one of the prices a society pays for becoming civilized." Sarek commented.
"So she's the thorn in our collective side." Spock quirked an eyebrow and Jim could see his imminently clever brain trying to decipher his meaning. Jim flashed a half smile and said, "The bee in our bonnet. The glitch in our subroutine."
Spock finally caved and furrowed his brow and said, in what anyone else would've taken for a whine, "I do not understand."
Jim grinned back, "I know. That's why I do it."
"I fail to understand what you seek to achieve by this."
"Achieve is too strong a word for it. I just like seeing you get frustrated."
"Vulcans do not get frustrated." Spock replied coolly.
Jim snorted, "Sure they don't Spock."
The corner of Takeru's mouth gave the tiniest twitch upward, which was the only sign any Vulcan in the room gave that they found Jim teasing Spock acceptable. Amanda, however, was watching the byplay with a gentle grin. She put a stilling hand on Spock's arm when he leaned forward to snap something about Jim being illogical and interrupted, "Shall we sneak James in through the back door, or are we just going to ignore her because she lacks an legal authority to claim him?"
"That's easy. I just won't go with her."
Amanda ran what was supposed to be a soothing hand through his hair and replied, "I'm afraid it's not that simple, James."
"Sure it is. Starfleet regulation 4417 Section 14(b) says that the guardian of a Federation citizen who's a minor cannot bestow guardianship rights until the prior guardian informs the minor of the bestowal in person. Then they've got a whole list of extenuating circumstances, but none of those apply here. I mean, Winona isn't dead or missing or anything. If anyone has the right to claim custody to me, it would be Chris. He's at least my godfather and you could make the case that his guardianship is implied. No matter what permission Winona gave Admiral Moran, it doesn't go into effect unless Winona tells me in person."
"Do I want to know how you know that?" Pike asked.
Jim fidgeted in his seat, trying not to look guilty, "Frank and I had some disagreements about whether or not he gets to stop me from... going on field trips."
"Lets just skirt right past the part where I'm sure 'field trip' is a euphamism for something that I don't wanna know about 'cause it'll keep me up at night and lets move on to whether or not we'll be able to pull that off without getting court marshalled."
Sarek spared Pike a look that screamed 'haven't you been paying any attention?' and flicked his eyes over to Takeru, who looked up from his comm and announced, "To-gav Vinak is on his way to the room where Admiral Moran is waiting. He has agreed to handle the preliminary matters so that when we arrive she will have nothing more to do than receive confirmation from James that this is his choice. Vinak informs me that should she dissent Captain Pike does hold the authority to assume custody of James, but such an action would be antithetical to her presumed goals and thus, illogical."
Number One smirked, "You spend more time texting on that thing than a first year cadet."
Whatever Takeru said in reply, Jim was too busy turning to Spock to notice. He shot Spock a look that ever so eloquently shouted, 'Huh?' and under his breath Spock explained, "To-gav Vinak is a master of Vulcan law. Both ancient and modern."
"So... he's a lawyer."
Spock actually flinched in distaste at Jim's translation and replied shortly, "No. A To-gav is unique to the legal field and is versed in almost every tenant of law throughout the Federation. Vinak himself is widely sought for his ability to find legal commonalities netween disputing species."
"And Takeru called him to help me make Moran go away?"
"Help us, but yes."
"This isn't another one of those svitan-nel-dath things, is it? 'Cause getting peolpe to do stuff they don't want to do is something only bad guys are supposed to do and it's tripping me out."
"Your status does not compel anyone to act in a manner contrary to their will. It is merely a matter of..." Spock paused long enough for his eyebrow to tick in the way Jim secretly refered to as the 'Smug Bastard' look, and continued, "having the stars align."
Jim burst out in a string of giggles and said, "You got it right!" The adults then ushered them out of the hovercar, obviously too involved in their conversation to pay attention to Jim and Spock's teasing.
When they stepped inside the Embassy Jim realized he was beginning to notice a pattern to Sarek's behavior when the Vulcan grew impatient with other people's stupidity. (Not that Jim thought he'd ever be ballsy enough to call Sarek impatient to his face.) But, when people grew too illogical Sarek would pull out his 'intractable Vulcan' expression, the kind that Jim remembered from the holos he'd seen of Vulcans in school. Sarek looked like he'd never even thought about anything so pathetically useless as emotion, and then he swept into a room like you should count yourself blessed that he'd descended low enough to pay any attention to you.
It was intense. And intimidating.
And Admiral Moran didn't seem to realize that.
The Admiral was short and dumpy, with an upturned nose that vaguely reminded Jim of a pig. Looking at her Jim figured that she had to have a temper, otherwise no one would listen to her. Though when Jim entered and she threw open her arms and cried, "Jimmy" like she was summoning him for a hug, Jim figured she was probably pretty sneaky too. She stepped towards him with the obvious intent to bundle Jim up in her arms, and Jim no-so-subtly stepped behind Sarek, who managed to look thunderous despite not having any expression at all.
"Oh Jimmy," she gushed, "Don't you remember me?"
Jim poked his head around Sarek's side (the only part of himself that he was willing to expose to her, and replied, "No ma'am, I don't. And I'm not sure why you think I should."
Moran tutted at him, "I'm friends with your mother, Jimmy, and I've been to your house on several occasions. I'm disappointed you don't remember."
Jim stiffled the urge to ask, 'Are you scolding me, lady?' and said instead, "My apologies, ma'am."
Her face instantly morphed from stern and shaming to a half grin that didn't suit her at all. "Don't worry about it, Jimmy. I forgive you." Jim flicked a look over to Spock and did his best to not smirk in the way that meant, 'This lady is ca-ra-zy.' Moran didn't quite catch the meaning, but she caught Jim's expression and dropped any semblance of her friendly demeanor. "Come along, dear."
She held out her hand to him and with pleading eyes Jim looked over at the Vulcan he didn't know, and thus assumed was Vinak. "Admiral Moran, this is a matter I have already explained to you. According to Starfleet Regulation 4417 Section 14(b)-"
"Yes!" Moran tossed up a hand to silence him, "I understand! But his mother gave me the authority to take him into my care until she arrives."
"Arrives?" Jim popped all the way out from behind Sarek, "Mom's coming?"
Moran turned back to Jim with a look of triumph, "Yes dear, she caught a transport and she'll be here tomorrow morning. She doesn't want to impose on these people any longer."
Jim might have been polite about the whole thing if Moran hadn't had the barest pause before she said 'people'. He was trying to be good and logical, he really, really, really was, and then Moran had to go and do something like that and make Jim lose his cool. "I'm not the one imposing."
Moran settled into a stone cold expression that Jim figured must have been what opposing ships saw right before she blew them out of the sky. "James. Your mother doesn't want you in their custody, she wants you in mine. Now come."
"Why?"
"Because your mother insists."
"But that's the thing, I don't know that's what my mom wants, that's just what you say."
"James!" She snapped.
"No really, I don't mean to be rude, but I can't just take your word on that. It would be breaking the law, and worse, it would be stupid. Without Mom standing right here in front of me saying that she wants me to go with you, it's not safe to trust you."
"And these people that picked you up on the street, they're safer to be with?"
"Yes ma'am. One's my godfather, and the others have looked out for me when they didn't have to. I know I can trust them. They've proven it." Jim caught the glint in her eyes that would've meant using her authority to press Chris to take Jim and leave with her, but Jim stepped in. "In this situation I'm the one who makes decisions about my custody, Mom had the papers drawn up to make sure and everything. Even Chris couldn't make me leave against my will without it being kidnapping."
The corner of Moran's left eye started to twitch and Jim figured someone in her command ought to tell her that she had a tell for when she'd lost and she knew it. Jim didn't think that person should be him though. He just smiled angelically and nodded along when Moran hissed, "Your mother will be here first thing tomorrow morning."
"And I'll be here... waiting for her."
Moran blew past them all and out the door, not bothering to stop and pay her respects to the Vulcan Ambassador standing right in front of her. As usual, Pike snorted and Number One muttered something crass while Jim turned to Vinak and apologized, "Sorry that Takeru dragged you downstairs over this."
"You have nothing to apologize for, Mr. Kirk. It has been several decades since I have been involved in a custody matter. One must use one's skills lest they atrophie."
Jim grinned at him in gratitude, "Necessary for preserving your skills or not, I'm glad you were here."
The boys said their goodnights and dashed up the stairs. Well, Jim dashed and Spock trailed behind at a much more sedate and respectable pace, but Chris liked to think that some part of Spock wanted to dash like Jim did. Pike was half tempted to follow them, just to be there when Jim finally took control of their night and decided to introduce Spock to how a human sleepover was supposed to go. The first lesson Number One had taught Chris in hot-wiring a replicator was how to make your favorite snack (which for Chris was a scotch neat with a twist), and considering the time Number One had spent whispering with Jim this morning, Chris was pretty sure it was a talent that Jim now shared. Considering Jim's aplomb with hot-wiring, Chris was pretty sure that when Amanda went to wake the boys up in the morning she was going to find candy and popcorn scattered around the room along with some vid Jim wasn't supposed to be able to download on the Vulcan's secure server. It would be one last perfect night before reality stepped back in and separated the boys. Which was a moment Chris was trying really hard not to think about.
Chris flopped down on one of the formal couches in the Vulcan sitting room, studiously ignoring how Sarek quirked an eyebrow in the exact same tone that Chris imagined he would say 'heathen'. Sarek and Amanda sat across from him while Number One paced and Takeru kept his attention on his comm. Pike ran his hands through his hair, ruffling it up in tufts. "So, other than abducting Jim and running off to a planet where they'd let me keep him, what are my options?"
"I've been told that Betazed has a particular fondness for adoptions, and given how dramatic this one would be, I imagine they'd welcome you with open arms."
"However, given the vibrant nature of Jim's mind you run the risk of seeing him married off to the most powerful telepath they can find."
"But Jim doesn't have any mental gifts."
"James has so striking a mind that I doubt you will find many people who care about the humanness of his genetics." Sarek explained.
"So we'll put kidnapping and a Federation manhunt on the back burner for now." Pike stated, more than a little awkward. "What am I supposed to do in the meantime?"
Amanda smiled, "I thought they were supposed to prepare you Starfleet captains for anything?"
"Oddly enough, one of the few things they don't go over in basic training is how you're supposed to be a parental figure. I assume it's something you pick up if you turn into one of the softer captains, but I'm not quite there yet."
Amanda laughed, but Pike got distracted watching the eyebrow war going on between Takeru and Number One from their opposite sides of the room. "Something you'd like to share with the class?"
Takeru raised his eyebrow so high that Chris was concerned it was going to carve right off his forehead, and Number One ceded the battle with a grumble. "Security at the Riverside shipyards has been upgraded."
"Upgraded? Upgraded how?"
"It's no longer a dumping ground for Fleet Security that's too stupid to be useful but not bad enough to get discharged."
Chris waited for a moment, knowing that wasn't all, then prodded, "And...?"
"And they've all been briefed on the Jim Kirk situation."
"Meaning that until he enters the Fleet his every move will be tailed by Federation Security." Pike sighed.
Number One shrugged like she wasn't embarrassed by this at all. "There are worse things."
"Indeed." Takeru interrupted. "Which is why I have taken the liberty to transfer Jim's records from the... school he was attending to an academy whose educational methods are preferable to those that have previously been inflicted upon him."
Chris snorted at Takeru's blithe dismissal of human educators and the Sarek explained, "Spock has expressed concerns about the status of James' education, particularly concerning the lack of accurate information conveyed concerning non-human species. The academy Takeru has chosen is staffed by doctors in their relative fields as well as several non-human professors. According to reviews, the institute will see James fully trained in all the standard elements of Federation education, as well as several languages, negotiations, inter-species relations, and tactics."
"I assume we're going the 'better to ask forgiveness than permission' route and hope Winona doesn't notice you're sending Jim to a whole different school?"
"I have discovered that more often than not that is the most logical approach to dealing with species governed by their emotions."
#######
"Ya know Spock, you're not supposed to poke at it, you're supposed to eat it."
"They are maize kernals superheated with pressurized steam until their hulls rupture, then saturated in a mixture of a gelantanized maize starch, a sucrose/molasses blend, and churned, fermented, cream. Presumably from an earth equine. It must be examined before it can be consumed."
"Spock. It's carmel corn. And you can say butter. It's okay. I won't report you to the logic police."
Spock looked up from his thorough examination of the bowl of carmel corn that Jim had placed in front of him and replied, "There is no such organization."
"You know, you say stuff like that and I'm not sure if you're messing with me or not."
"Why would I... 'mess' with you?" Spock said with a furrow.
"Never mind. Just man up and eat the popcorn."
"Given that I am not human I cannot-"
"Spock!" Jim interrupted. "Stop trying to distract me and just try the stupid popcorn!"
"It the substance is stupid then why would you want me to consume it?"
For all their ranting about logic being the true path, Jim was pretty sure Vulcans just used logic as an out for when they didn't want to do something. So instead of letting Spock get away with it, Jim pounced. He caught Spock in perfect tackling position and slammed him to the ground. Spock squeaked in surprise and Jim was so shocked at the wholly un-Vulcan noise that Spock easily pushed him off. Jim leapt back at him and Spock quickly used Jim's own momentum to spin him and trap the human with his superior Vulcan strength. "I am sorry, Jim! I did not mean to anger you."
Jim froze mid-thrash and stared at Spock in confusion. "Spock, we're wrestling. It's play."
"But... you used violence against me."
Jim pushed up with the tiniest amount of force and Spock all but jumped off. "It's a tussle, Spock. That's not the bad kind of violence."
"I do not understand. Humans have a good kind of violence?" Jim just heaved a sigh and stared at Spock as though he couldn't decide whether or not he could say what he wanted to. "You are troubled."
"I'm not, it's just..." Jim raked his fingers through his hair and sighed out, "We're different."
"Different from one another, or different from those who are not the two of us?"
"Both."
"I presume you intended to carry one meaning over the other, however."
"It's just, I'm always gonna be human, and you're always gonna be Vulcan, and stuff like this is gonna keep happening."
"You mean instances akin to where you initiate a tussle and I will interpret it as violence." Spock paused for a moment, "Or do you mean other instances where I wish to conduct a logical study of an unknown substance prior to exposing myself to the possible effects on my physiology, and you interpret it as fear of the unknown."
Jim very slowly to look at Spock, who just stared steadily back at him with a raised eyebrow. Jim snorted, "Are you always gonna be able to talk me down when I'm being an irrational human?"
Chapter 13