Fic: Stars and Earth
Title: Stars and Earth
Author: linelenagain
Wordcount: 4029
Beta: The insightful and brilliant pixelmayhem.
Warnings: Mentions of child abuse
Summary: "Even then, Jim tried to protect him, to make him stars from earth. To make something distant and beautiful out of the ugly and filthy and real."
Notes: Submitted for prompt 5 over at team_jones - the theme was 'fairy tales.' Also, special thanks to mga1999, who is always beyond tolerant of my crazy ramblings, particularly while I was writing this. ;)
Disclaimer: All content within is property of its respective copyright holder. No infringement is intended.
“I fold.” Sulu threw down his cards with a disgusted look.
“Me too,” Chekov sighed.
“I, too, shall stop increasing my wager.” Spock said.
“C’mon, Captain,” Scotty said. “Y’can beat him. Do it for the rest of us poor, broke buggers.”
Jim looked down at his cards, then towards the tiny pile of credits in front of him. He bit his lip.
“Face it, Jim,” Bones taunted. “You’re busted.”
Jim eyed him shrewdly. “Will you take an IOU? You know I’m good for it.”
‘And you’d owe me what?” Bones said, suspicious.
Jim smiled, like he knew he’d won. “Anything. I’ll leave it open. I’ll owe you one anything.”
Scotty whistled, and Spock raised an eyebrow. “Done!” Bones said, quickly. He threw some chips into the pot. “I’ll call.”
“Should have folded, Bones,” Jim smirked. “This is the best hand of my life.” He lay down his cards - four aces.
“You’re right, Jim,” Bones said, showing his straight flush. “You shoulda.”
Jim stared at the cards for a long moment. “Well, that fucking figures.”
---
“Bones, my man!” Jim said, clapping him on the shoulder and ushering him into his quarters. “Here to claim your prize?”
“Might be,” Bones said, holding up a bottle. “Brought this to make it go down easier.”
Jim grinned. “Won that off Scotty last night, didn’t you?”
Bones smirked as he poured two glasses. “You’d think a man of such mathematical genius would know better than to try for an inside straight.”
“What’s life without a little risk?” Jim said, raising his glass.
“Peaceful.” Bones dropped down onto the couch.
“Okay, Bones,” Jim said, swirling his drink restlessly. “What’s it going to be? A hundred new allergy tests? My solemn promise that I will take all the vaccines and boosters and shit you want to give me for the rest of my life? Do I have to airlock Spock?”
The corners of Bones’ mouth quirked up. “Nothing like that, Jim.”
Jim smiled. “Is it sexual? Why Bones, I didn’t think you had it in you! After all this time!”
“Jim!” Bones sighed. “No, it’s not sexual.”
“Wise move,” Jim nodded. “Why waste your IOU on something you could have for free?” He threw himself on the couch next to Bones.
“No more jokes, Jim.” Bones said, suddenly serious. “And no more evasions. Tell me.”
“Tell you what, Bones?” Jim asked.
“Everything.”
“Everything,” Jim repeated, still confused.
“I’ve been waiting for you to want to tell me,” Bones said, quietly. “About you, and your life. But you never do. Pretty sure, by now, that you never will.”
“Do I need to?” Jim asked flatly, all levity gone from his tone.
“I’ve known you for four years now. I’d like to know who your people are, where you come from. I’d like to know why you wake up at night, breathing like you’ve run a marathon and looking for a place to hide.” Bones kept his voice low, and level, and free of any trace of judgement.
“And you think I owe it to you,” Jim asked. “You think I owe you... everything?”
“You don’t owe me anything, Jim,” Bones said, quietly. “But you’re my friend. You can trust me with your secrets.”
Jim looked at him for a long moment, and Bones forced himself to hold the gaze. Jim sighed, and looked away. “Okay, Bones,” he murmured. “Okay. But not tonight, please? Just let me think about how to say it.”
Bones wanted to reach out, to touch Jim on the shoulder, or put a hand on his knee. “Whenever you’re ready, Jim. I’ll be here.”
---
Until he heard the door chime, Bones was sure Jim wouldn’t come. He said as much, when Jim entered his quarters. “Thought you might not show.”
Jim frowned at him, dropping gracelessly into a chair. “I keep my promises, Bones. Especially to you.”
Bones nodded, but said nothing, waiting for Jim to take the lead.
Jim leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “I thought about what you said, and you were right. You’ve earned the story. But-” he held up a hand, “you have to let me tell it in my own way. I won’t leave anything out, and I won’t lie, but it has to be my way. All right?”
“All right, Jim.” Bones said, leaning back in his chair. “However you can do it, that’s what we’ll do.”
Jim closed his eyes, then opened them, and took a deep breath. “Once upon a time,” Jim began. He paused, and looked at Bones.
Is this okay? His expression asked.
Bones nodded. If this is how you need to do it.
Jim continued. “Once upon a time, there was a beautiful kingdom in the stars. It was lead by a King and Queen, and they ruled it wisely, and well.
“One day, the kingdom was attacked by the Dark Wizard, Nero. The King ordered all his people to flee, including his beautiful wife, who was with child. She refused, and the King’s Guards had to drag her, kicking and screaming, from his side. He told her, before they took her away, to name their son Jimmy, and his last words to her were words of love.
“Just before he died, his wife gave birth. The last thing the King heard in this life was his son’s first cry, echoing through the dark hallways of their empty castle, and he died giving his people and his family time to escape.”
Jim stopped, and stared at his hands, and the room was silent for a few moments. When Bones made no move to interrupt, he went on.
“The Queen took Jimmy and his brother, Sam, back to the land where she’d been raised. They lived there peacefully, and Nero never found them. It could have been the start of a new life, but the Queen was bitter. She missed her husband, and she hated being shackled to the hot and dusty ground, longing for the cool, bright beauty of the stars.
“Jimmy, for all he’d been born among them, had no memory of stars. They were distant things, without meaning; he was a creature of the earth. He loved their home, and he loved his family, and he thought they loved him.”
“Didn’t they?” Bones broke in. His voice was soft, as if he hadn’t meant to speak.
Jim shrugged. “I think so. As much as they could.” He waited, and when Bones said nothing more, went on. “After a time, the Queen could no longer stand the weight and pull of sand and dirt. Jimmy begged her not to go, but she looked through him like he was a ghost she was trying to banish.
“She sent her sons to their Uncle, her brother Frank, and she gave him all the treasures she’d salvaged from their kingdom in the stars, to hold in trust for them.
“Then she left, and Jimmy would always remember that as she walked away, she was smiling.
“So Jimmy and his brother lived with their uncle. They were good boys, but they missed their mother, and Frank was not a gentle man. Jimmy, who had been ready to love him, had to give all that love to Sam, instead, along with all the love he used to save for his mother.
“Sam was Jimmy’s older brother, and he took care of Jimmy as well as he could. When Frank gave them too many chores, more than Jimmy, who was small, could ever hope to finish, Sam worked twice as hard, doing his own share and most of Jimmy’s. Jimmy crawled into Sam’s bed at night, and Sam told him stories about knights, and castles, and neither of them mentioned stars.
“And, when Frank was drunk and over-full of anger, Sam taunted him, pulling his rage away from Jimmy, or shielding his younger brother with his body.”
Jim stopped again, his eyes locked on Bones’ hands, which were gripping the arms of his chair so tightly that his fingernails were white.
“You asked for this story, Bones,” Jim whispered.
“I know, Jim,” Bones said, his voice rough and hoarse. “Keep going.”
Jim looked at him steadily, as if he were trying to gauge whether or not Bones meant it. Then dropped his gaze to the floor, and spoke again.
“Jimmy loved his brother with all of his small heart, and he cried when Sam told him he was leaving - running away. He told Jimmy he was going to find someplace safe for them, someplace special, where they could be together always.
“He told him that he’d try to find their mother.
“But Frank was always watching. They needed a distraction for Sam to escape. Then one day, Jimmy overheard Frank talking to a man about selling their father’s last treasure - an antique car. And a plan came to him.
“He told Sam to be ready to go that day, but nothing else. Then he stole the car, and drove it towards a nearby quarry, as fast as it would go.
“Frank and his guards were just behind him, but he knew they wouldn’t catch him before he reached the drop. As the edge approached, he almost, almost believed that he wouldn’t fall, but fly. But he knew, deep down, that he was a creature of earth, and never meant to touch the sky, and he jumped clear at the last moment, clinging to the dusty ground.
“That night Frank beat him, and for the first time there was nothing between Jimmy’s small body and the dull impact of Frank’s fists. But Jimmy never cried, because each blow was a reminder that Sam was somewhere far away, and that Jimmy had helped to save him.”
Bones made a strangled sound, like a cough, and Jim looked up. He was staring at Jim intensely, as if he were a thing entirely new to the world.
“That’s enough for tonight, Bones, all right?” Jim said, not forcing a smile for once. His voice was utterly exhausted. “We’ll do the rest tomorrow?”
Bones blinked, and shook his head a little, brought himself back to the moment. “Okay, Jim,” he said, voice barely above a whisper. “Tomorrow.”
Jim nodded, and left the room without another word.
---
Bones wasn’t surprised when Jim came back the next night, slipping into his quarters without a sound. He’d almost hoped he wouldn’t come, but Jim had been right, yesterday: he always kept his promises.
They skipped the pleasantries. Jim lowered himself into the chair across from Bones, and looked at him, expectantly.
Bones nodded, not knowing what to say to break the tension, and Jim began.
“Jimmy stayed with Frank for a long time, because he had to. Sam told him he would send for him, and where else would he know to look? So Jimmy stayed, and waited, and tried to be invisible.
“The work was hard; Frank had a farm to run, and there was only Jimmy to help now, but it was honest and it made him strong. And when Frank beat him, he’d close his eyes and imagine how wonderful it would be when Sam came for him, and how happy their mother would be to have her boys all grown up and with her among the stars.
“The day Frank broke his arm, Jimmy stopped believing.
“He ran away the next morning, and devoted himself to finding trouble. He’d spent his life being steady, and it had been worthless as dust. And if he threw himself blindly into the fists of the world, who cared enough to make him stop?
“Until one day, when he met a man who’d known his father. The man looked at what Jimmy had become, and was filled with shame.
“‘There’s a war coming,’ he told him. ‘The Wizard who killed your father will be back someday. You could help us, if you took the ship to our city.’
“‘I can’t,’ Jimmy said, but what he meant was ‘you don’t want me.’ ‘I can’t, I’m only a creature of earth.’
“‘You could be made of stars,’ the man said. ‘Do better.’
“So Jimmy got on the ship. And sitting next to him was a man who looked just as frightened and angry as Jimmy felt.
“‘I may throw up on you,’ the man said.
“Jimmy introduced himself, and stuck out a hand.
“‘I’m a sawbones, and you broke your arm.’
“‘I haven’t!’ Jimmy said, and he waved his arms. ‘See?’
“‘Not lately,’ the sawbones agreed. ‘But you have, and it never set right.’
“‘What’s a sawbones?’ Jimmy asked, because the stranger must have some magic to know that.
“‘A healer who can fix that,’ he answered. ‘Now are you going to let me, or are you going to keep being stupid?’ And with a wave of his magic wand, he did, and they travelled to the city together.
“Jimmy didn’t fit in there, surrounded by star-people, bright and vivid and so far above him that they could never fall far enough for him to touch. And even his new friend, whom he’d thought was of the earth, like him, shined easily among them.
“Jimmy worked hard, and threw himself into his studies with all the energy he used to waste trying to destroy himself. And he did well, by anyone’s measure. The others still looked down on him, but he had a mission, a purpose. To learn all he could, because Nero was coming.
“He knew he needed allies, besides his old friend, Sawbones, who had stayed close by him even after he became a star. So Jimmy thought and planned, and tried to come up with a way to show the others they could put their faith in him.
“And then he thought, ‘I’ll beat the Prince’s test.’
“So he went before the Prince, as everyone in the Kingdom did, and told him he was going to beat him, pass his test.
“And the Prince said, ‘Ha! I created this test to be unbeatable! No one has ever won against it, and no one ever shall! You have three chances!’
“‘And what can I use to help me?’ Jimmy asked. ‘Anything you wish!’ The Prince replied. ‘Nothing will help you!’
“So Jimmy tried, and he used all of his strength and cunning. But he failed.
“He tried again, this time using all of his intelligence, and all of his wisdom. But once again did not pass the test.
“And Sawbones told him, ‘Jimmy, you’re being a fool. You don’t need to impress this Prince, or pass his test.’ But something told Jimmy that he did. He knew he couldn’t beat the test by brawn, and he couldn’t outthink it. It truly was unbeatable.
“But the Prince had said it himself - he was free to try anything to win. There had been no restrictions. So he found the witch that helped the Prince cast the spell to create the test, and he charmed her with his smile and his laugh, and she gave him all her secrets.
“Jimmy broke the spell. And when he tried for the last time, the test collapsed at his feet like tumbling rocks.
“But instead of impressing the Prince, as he’d hoped, and earning his help to defeat Nero, the Prince was enraged. He punished Jimmy, and ordered him thrown into the dungeon, far below the ground.
“‘Don’t do this!’ Jimmy yelled as they dragged him away. ‘The Wizard is coming! Let me help you! I need to help you!’ But the Prince didn’t listen, and soon Jimmy was locked in the dark.
“He almost gave up, then, in that cold place. But the door to his prison rattled and shook, and opened, letting in a blinding light, and there was Sawbones, to sneak him out.
“And it broke Jimmy’s heart, a little, or maybe put it back together again. Because ever since Sam left, he’d never expected anyone to come back for him.”
Jim stopped. He stood, moving quickly towards the door, and wouldn’t meet Bones’ eyes. “That’s enough for tonight, Bones, okay? We can finish tomorrow. There’s only a little more.”
No more, Jim, you don’t have to say any more, it was wrong of me to push, I should never have tried to steal your secrets. “Whenever you’re ready, Jim,” Bones said, hoarsely. “Not until you’re ready.”
Jim didn’t look up, just nodded once and walked out.
---
“So Sawbones broke him out of prison,” Jim began, the next night. Bones wanted to tell him to stop, that he didn’t have to finish, but he couldn’t. They’d already come so far, wouldn’t it be better to finally have it over and done with?
“Jimmy ran back up to the castle, which, true to his word, had been besieged by Nero’s forces. And Jimmy went to the Prince, and said ‘See? It’s just like I told you. Let me help you, we can defeat him together.’
“The Prince looked at him, coldly. ‘No,’ he said, ‘We have but to wait. It would be illogical to risk our forces when we hold a defensible position. We will wait him out.’
“‘That’s madness!’ Jimmy cried. ‘He’s been planning this for twenty-five years! Your only hope is to fight.’
“And the Prince sneered at him, and ordered him banished, and no one said a word in his defense.”
Bones ran a hand over his eyes. It wasn’t the first time he’d felt the hot sting of tears during this strange ordeal, but the other times had been from sadness, not shame. At that moment, he would have given anything to turn back time and stick up for Jim, instead of becoming another on the long list of people who’d given up on him.
“The Prince banished Jimmy to an Ice Kingdom. And Jimmy had other adventures there, with monsters, and gnomes, and wise-men. But he knew he had to get back to the kingdom in the stars, and help them, whether they wanted him or not.
“A gnome he met on his journey helped him sneak back into the city, and it broke his heart to see that he’d been right. The city was sacked, Nero’s forces ran rampant, and the people were afraid.
“Jimmy ran to the Prince, who was deep in mourning, for Nero had killed his mother. He begged him to take action. He goaded, and prodded, and said things that would later make him weep with shame.
“And finally, the Prince said, ‘Take the kingdom, if you must. I cede the throne to you.’ And Jimmy ordered the attack. They had surprise on their side, and the Prince and Jimmy fought back to back, and soon it was Jimmy and Nero, alone.
“‘I remember you,’ Nero told him. ‘I remember your cry. You should have been made of stars, but look at you. Look at my power! I turned you into earth!’
“‘Too bad for you, then,’ Jimmy said, ‘A star might be above this.’ And he killed him.
“Jimmy had saved the city, and the people were jubilant. They gave him command over the kingdom, and he knew he would do anything to protect them. But he never forgot, even out among the stars,” Jim said, leveling his gaze at Bones, “that he was made of earth.”
There was a pause.
“That’s it.” Jim looked away, off into the distance. “That’s the story.”
They sat in silence for a long time.
“I didn’t think much of the friend,” Bones said, eventually. His voice felt thick and his chest was heavy. “Didn’t seem to do much but doubt and waver.”
Jim shrugged. “Is it better to doubt someone with love, or believe in them with hate?”
Bones forced himself to keep his eyes on Jim. “If you love someone, you ought to believe them.”
“I know,” Jim said.
Finally, Bones looked away.
“He wasn’t a bad guy,” Jim said, gently, “Just worried for his friend.”
Bones almost laughed, because after everything they’d been through over the past three nights, the last thing he could stand would be Jim’s comfort. “It had a happy ending,” Bones said, but it sounded like a question.
“You think so?” Jim answered, and his eyes were far away, seeing something, somewhere, that Bones could never touch.
“Well,” said Bones, raising his voice, trying to bring Jim back again. “He saved everyone, didn’t he?”
“He did,” Jim nodded, once. “But that’s their happy ending. He was as alone as ever.” And with that, Jim walked away, without once looking back.
---
Bones wanted to follow, to grab Jim and tell him that he was as far from earth as anything Bones had ever met in space. That maybe he was sturdy as rock, but he shone like a star, so brightly that Bones sometimes had to look away. That no one was going to hurt him again, because Bones was going to lock him up safe in the empty place above his heart.
He couldn’t help pushing, it was the doctor in him. He’d thought he was doing this for Jim; that it would do Jim good to cough up his secrets, open the wounds in front of someone he could trust would never, ever judge him.
He’d known it wouldn’t be a happy story, but he hadn’t been prepared. Jim had tried to warn him, done everything he could to shield him from it. And even then, after Bones pushed and prodded and cheated and forced and given Jim no choice but to tell him, even then, Jim tried to protect him, to make him stars from earth. To make something distant and beautiful out of the ugly and filthy and real.
Bones wanted to follow him. But he couldn’t charge in blindly again. He had hurt Jim enough, more than enough for one evening, one lifetime. If he was going to chase Jim, he had to have a plan for when he caught him.
And these stories, these ridiculous fairy tales, didn’t they only ever end one way?
---
Bones walked into Jim’s quarters the next night without knocking, and Jim shot him a surprised look over his PADD.
“Made of earth, huh?” Bones asked, before Jim could say anything.
“Yep,” Jim pulled himself up into a sitting position. “Plain as mud.”
Bones laughed, not loudly, or for long, but it was genuine. “That’s the last thing you are.” He sat next to Jim, who was watching him with wary eyes.
“It’s true, Bones,” Jim said, and he wasn’t smiling.
“Even if it is, Jim,” said Bones, who was smiling, just a little, “even if it’s true. You know how much I love the Earth.”
Jim said nothing, just watched, and waited.
“I don’t think he was worried for his friend,” Bones said, after a time.
Jim didn’t feign confusion; he knew what Bones meant. “No?”
Bones didn’t close his eyes, or waver; he owed Jim this, at least this. “No. I’m pretty sure he was under a spell.”
“What kind of spell?” Jim said, expression carefully neutral.
“A sadness spell,” Bones improvised, because he hadn’t quite planned this far. “A wicked witch cast it on him. Turned him into quite a beast. And cursed his eyes, so that he couldn’t see what was right in front of him.”
Jim’s eyes were wide and knowing, like mirrors. “Did he break it?”
“Not yet,” Bones whispered, leaning in close and touching their foreheads together. “Almost.”
“Hey Bones?” Jim said, not breaking their gaze. “Do you believe in happily ever after?”
Bones smiled softly, with an unaccustomed sweetness. “Ask me again at the end of ever.”
When they kissed, it was like waking up from a long sleep.
Author: linelenagain
Wordcount: 4029
Beta: The insightful and brilliant pixelmayhem.
Warnings: Mentions of child abuse
Summary: "Even then, Jim tried to protect him, to make him stars from earth. To make something distant and beautiful out of the ugly and filthy and real."
Notes: Submitted for prompt 5 over at team_jones - the theme was 'fairy tales.' Also, special thanks to mga1999, who is always beyond tolerant of my crazy ramblings, particularly while I was writing this. ;)
Disclaimer: All content within is property of its respective copyright holder. No infringement is intended.
“I fold.” Sulu threw down his cards with a disgusted look.
“Me too,” Chekov sighed.
“I, too, shall stop increasing my wager.” Spock said.
“C’mon, Captain,” Scotty said. “Y’can beat him. Do it for the rest of us poor, broke buggers.”
Jim looked down at his cards, then towards the tiny pile of credits in front of him. He bit his lip.
“Face it, Jim,” Bones taunted. “You’re busted.”
Jim eyed him shrewdly. “Will you take an IOU? You know I’m good for it.”
‘And you’d owe me what?” Bones said, suspicious.
Jim smiled, like he knew he’d won. “Anything. I’ll leave it open. I’ll owe you one anything.”
Scotty whistled, and Spock raised an eyebrow. “Done!” Bones said, quickly. He threw some chips into the pot. “I’ll call.”
“Should have folded, Bones,” Jim smirked. “This is the best hand of my life.” He lay down his cards - four aces.
“You’re right, Jim,” Bones said, showing his straight flush. “You shoulda.”
Jim stared at the cards for a long moment. “Well, that fucking figures.”
---
“Bones, my man!” Jim said, clapping him on the shoulder and ushering him into his quarters. “Here to claim your prize?”
“Might be,” Bones said, holding up a bottle. “Brought this to make it go down easier.”
Jim grinned. “Won that off Scotty last night, didn’t you?”
Bones smirked as he poured two glasses. “You’d think a man of such mathematical genius would know better than to try for an inside straight.”
“What’s life without a little risk?” Jim said, raising his glass.
“Peaceful.” Bones dropped down onto the couch.
“Okay, Bones,” Jim said, swirling his drink restlessly. “What’s it going to be? A hundred new allergy tests? My solemn promise that I will take all the vaccines and boosters and shit you want to give me for the rest of my life? Do I have to airlock Spock?”
The corners of Bones’ mouth quirked up. “Nothing like that, Jim.”
Jim smiled. “Is it sexual? Why Bones, I didn’t think you had it in you! After all this time!”
“Jim!” Bones sighed. “No, it’s not sexual.”
“Wise move,” Jim nodded. “Why waste your IOU on something you could have for free?” He threw himself on the couch next to Bones.
“No more jokes, Jim.” Bones said, suddenly serious. “And no more evasions. Tell me.”
“Tell you what, Bones?” Jim asked.
“Everything.”
“Everything,” Jim repeated, still confused.
“I’ve been waiting for you to want to tell me,” Bones said, quietly. “About you, and your life. But you never do. Pretty sure, by now, that you never will.”
“Do I need to?” Jim asked flatly, all levity gone from his tone.
“I’ve known you for four years now. I’d like to know who your people are, where you come from. I’d like to know why you wake up at night, breathing like you’ve run a marathon and looking for a place to hide.” Bones kept his voice low, and level, and free of any trace of judgement.
“And you think I owe it to you,” Jim asked. “You think I owe you... everything?”
“You don’t owe me anything, Jim,” Bones said, quietly. “But you’re my friend. You can trust me with your secrets.”
Jim looked at him for a long moment, and Bones forced himself to hold the gaze. Jim sighed, and looked away. “Okay, Bones,” he murmured. “Okay. But not tonight, please? Just let me think about how to say it.”
Bones wanted to reach out, to touch Jim on the shoulder, or put a hand on his knee. “Whenever you’re ready, Jim. I’ll be here.”
---
Until he heard the door chime, Bones was sure Jim wouldn’t come. He said as much, when Jim entered his quarters. “Thought you might not show.”
Jim frowned at him, dropping gracelessly into a chair. “I keep my promises, Bones. Especially to you.”
Bones nodded, but said nothing, waiting for Jim to take the lead.
Jim leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “I thought about what you said, and you were right. You’ve earned the story. But-” he held up a hand, “you have to let me tell it in my own way. I won’t leave anything out, and I won’t lie, but it has to be my way. All right?”
“All right, Jim.” Bones said, leaning back in his chair. “However you can do it, that’s what we’ll do.”
Jim closed his eyes, then opened them, and took a deep breath. “Once upon a time,” Jim began. He paused, and looked at Bones.
Is this okay? His expression asked.
Bones nodded. If this is how you need to do it.
Jim continued. “Once upon a time, there was a beautiful kingdom in the stars. It was lead by a King and Queen, and they ruled it wisely, and well.
“One day, the kingdom was attacked by the Dark Wizard, Nero. The King ordered all his people to flee, including his beautiful wife, who was with child. She refused, and the King’s Guards had to drag her, kicking and screaming, from his side. He told her, before they took her away, to name their son Jimmy, and his last words to her were words of love.
“Just before he died, his wife gave birth. The last thing the King heard in this life was his son’s first cry, echoing through the dark hallways of their empty castle, and he died giving his people and his family time to escape.”
Jim stopped, and stared at his hands, and the room was silent for a few moments. When Bones made no move to interrupt, he went on.
“The Queen took Jimmy and his brother, Sam, back to the land where she’d been raised. They lived there peacefully, and Nero never found them. It could have been the start of a new life, but the Queen was bitter. She missed her husband, and she hated being shackled to the hot and dusty ground, longing for the cool, bright beauty of the stars.
“Jimmy, for all he’d been born among them, had no memory of stars. They were distant things, without meaning; he was a creature of the earth. He loved their home, and he loved his family, and he thought they loved him.”
“Didn’t they?” Bones broke in. His voice was soft, as if he hadn’t meant to speak.
Jim shrugged. “I think so. As much as they could.” He waited, and when Bones said nothing more, went on. “After a time, the Queen could no longer stand the weight and pull of sand and dirt. Jimmy begged her not to go, but she looked through him like he was a ghost she was trying to banish.
“She sent her sons to their Uncle, her brother Frank, and she gave him all the treasures she’d salvaged from their kingdom in the stars, to hold in trust for them.
“Then she left, and Jimmy would always remember that as she walked away, she was smiling.
“So Jimmy and his brother lived with their uncle. They were good boys, but they missed their mother, and Frank was not a gentle man. Jimmy, who had been ready to love him, had to give all that love to Sam, instead, along with all the love he used to save for his mother.
“Sam was Jimmy’s older brother, and he took care of Jimmy as well as he could. When Frank gave them too many chores, more than Jimmy, who was small, could ever hope to finish, Sam worked twice as hard, doing his own share and most of Jimmy’s. Jimmy crawled into Sam’s bed at night, and Sam told him stories about knights, and castles, and neither of them mentioned stars.
“And, when Frank was drunk and over-full of anger, Sam taunted him, pulling his rage away from Jimmy, or shielding his younger brother with his body.”
Jim stopped again, his eyes locked on Bones’ hands, which were gripping the arms of his chair so tightly that his fingernails were white.
“You asked for this story, Bones,” Jim whispered.
“I know, Jim,” Bones said, his voice rough and hoarse. “Keep going.”
Jim looked at him steadily, as if he were trying to gauge whether or not Bones meant it. Then dropped his gaze to the floor, and spoke again.
“Jimmy loved his brother with all of his small heart, and he cried when Sam told him he was leaving - running away. He told Jimmy he was going to find someplace safe for them, someplace special, where they could be together always.
“He told him that he’d try to find their mother.
“But Frank was always watching. They needed a distraction for Sam to escape. Then one day, Jimmy overheard Frank talking to a man about selling their father’s last treasure - an antique car. And a plan came to him.
“He told Sam to be ready to go that day, but nothing else. Then he stole the car, and drove it towards a nearby quarry, as fast as it would go.
“Frank and his guards were just behind him, but he knew they wouldn’t catch him before he reached the drop. As the edge approached, he almost, almost believed that he wouldn’t fall, but fly. But he knew, deep down, that he was a creature of earth, and never meant to touch the sky, and he jumped clear at the last moment, clinging to the dusty ground.
“That night Frank beat him, and for the first time there was nothing between Jimmy’s small body and the dull impact of Frank’s fists. But Jimmy never cried, because each blow was a reminder that Sam was somewhere far away, and that Jimmy had helped to save him.”
Bones made a strangled sound, like a cough, and Jim looked up. He was staring at Jim intensely, as if he were a thing entirely new to the world.
“That’s enough for tonight, Bones, all right?” Jim said, not forcing a smile for once. His voice was utterly exhausted. “We’ll do the rest tomorrow?”
Bones blinked, and shook his head a little, brought himself back to the moment. “Okay, Jim,” he said, voice barely above a whisper. “Tomorrow.”
Jim nodded, and left the room without another word.
---
Bones wasn’t surprised when Jim came back the next night, slipping into his quarters without a sound. He’d almost hoped he wouldn’t come, but Jim had been right, yesterday: he always kept his promises.
They skipped the pleasantries. Jim lowered himself into the chair across from Bones, and looked at him, expectantly.
Bones nodded, not knowing what to say to break the tension, and Jim began.
“Jimmy stayed with Frank for a long time, because he had to. Sam told him he would send for him, and where else would he know to look? So Jimmy stayed, and waited, and tried to be invisible.
“The work was hard; Frank had a farm to run, and there was only Jimmy to help now, but it was honest and it made him strong. And when Frank beat him, he’d close his eyes and imagine how wonderful it would be when Sam came for him, and how happy their mother would be to have her boys all grown up and with her among the stars.
“The day Frank broke his arm, Jimmy stopped believing.
“He ran away the next morning, and devoted himself to finding trouble. He’d spent his life being steady, and it had been worthless as dust. And if he threw himself blindly into the fists of the world, who cared enough to make him stop?
“Until one day, when he met a man who’d known his father. The man looked at what Jimmy had become, and was filled with shame.
“‘There’s a war coming,’ he told him. ‘The Wizard who killed your father will be back someday. You could help us, if you took the ship to our city.’
“‘I can’t,’ Jimmy said, but what he meant was ‘you don’t want me.’ ‘I can’t, I’m only a creature of earth.’
“‘You could be made of stars,’ the man said. ‘Do better.’
“So Jimmy got on the ship. And sitting next to him was a man who looked just as frightened and angry as Jimmy felt.
“‘I may throw up on you,’ the man said.
“Jimmy introduced himself, and stuck out a hand.
“‘I’m a sawbones, and you broke your arm.’
“‘I haven’t!’ Jimmy said, and he waved his arms. ‘See?’
“‘Not lately,’ the sawbones agreed. ‘But you have, and it never set right.’
“‘What’s a sawbones?’ Jimmy asked, because the stranger must have some magic to know that.
“‘A healer who can fix that,’ he answered. ‘Now are you going to let me, or are you going to keep being stupid?’ And with a wave of his magic wand, he did, and they travelled to the city together.
“Jimmy didn’t fit in there, surrounded by star-people, bright and vivid and so far above him that they could never fall far enough for him to touch. And even his new friend, whom he’d thought was of the earth, like him, shined easily among them.
“Jimmy worked hard, and threw himself into his studies with all the energy he used to waste trying to destroy himself. And he did well, by anyone’s measure. The others still looked down on him, but he had a mission, a purpose. To learn all he could, because Nero was coming.
“He knew he needed allies, besides his old friend, Sawbones, who had stayed close by him even after he became a star. So Jimmy thought and planned, and tried to come up with a way to show the others they could put their faith in him.
“And then he thought, ‘I’ll beat the Prince’s test.’
“So he went before the Prince, as everyone in the Kingdom did, and told him he was going to beat him, pass his test.
“And the Prince said, ‘Ha! I created this test to be unbeatable! No one has ever won against it, and no one ever shall! You have three chances!’
“‘And what can I use to help me?’ Jimmy asked. ‘Anything you wish!’ The Prince replied. ‘Nothing will help you!’
“So Jimmy tried, and he used all of his strength and cunning. But he failed.
“He tried again, this time using all of his intelligence, and all of his wisdom. But once again did not pass the test.
“And Sawbones told him, ‘Jimmy, you’re being a fool. You don’t need to impress this Prince, or pass his test.’ But something told Jimmy that he did. He knew he couldn’t beat the test by brawn, and he couldn’t outthink it. It truly was unbeatable.
“But the Prince had said it himself - he was free to try anything to win. There had been no restrictions. So he found the witch that helped the Prince cast the spell to create the test, and he charmed her with his smile and his laugh, and she gave him all her secrets.
“Jimmy broke the spell. And when he tried for the last time, the test collapsed at his feet like tumbling rocks.
“But instead of impressing the Prince, as he’d hoped, and earning his help to defeat Nero, the Prince was enraged. He punished Jimmy, and ordered him thrown into the dungeon, far below the ground.
“‘Don’t do this!’ Jimmy yelled as they dragged him away. ‘The Wizard is coming! Let me help you! I need to help you!’ But the Prince didn’t listen, and soon Jimmy was locked in the dark.
“He almost gave up, then, in that cold place. But the door to his prison rattled and shook, and opened, letting in a blinding light, and there was Sawbones, to sneak him out.
“And it broke Jimmy’s heart, a little, or maybe put it back together again. Because ever since Sam left, he’d never expected anyone to come back for him.”
Jim stopped. He stood, moving quickly towards the door, and wouldn’t meet Bones’ eyes. “That’s enough for tonight, Bones, okay? We can finish tomorrow. There’s only a little more.”
No more, Jim, you don’t have to say any more, it was wrong of me to push, I should never have tried to steal your secrets. “Whenever you’re ready, Jim,” Bones said, hoarsely. “Not until you’re ready.”
Jim didn’t look up, just nodded once and walked out.
---
“So Sawbones broke him out of prison,” Jim began, the next night. Bones wanted to tell him to stop, that he didn’t have to finish, but he couldn’t. They’d already come so far, wouldn’t it be better to finally have it over and done with?
“Jimmy ran back up to the castle, which, true to his word, had been besieged by Nero’s forces. And Jimmy went to the Prince, and said ‘See? It’s just like I told you. Let me help you, we can defeat him together.’
“The Prince looked at him, coldly. ‘No,’ he said, ‘We have but to wait. It would be illogical to risk our forces when we hold a defensible position. We will wait him out.’
“‘That’s madness!’ Jimmy cried. ‘He’s been planning this for twenty-five years! Your only hope is to fight.’
“And the Prince sneered at him, and ordered him banished, and no one said a word in his defense.”
Bones ran a hand over his eyes. It wasn’t the first time he’d felt the hot sting of tears during this strange ordeal, but the other times had been from sadness, not shame. At that moment, he would have given anything to turn back time and stick up for Jim, instead of becoming another on the long list of people who’d given up on him.
“The Prince banished Jimmy to an Ice Kingdom. And Jimmy had other adventures there, with monsters, and gnomes, and wise-men. But he knew he had to get back to the kingdom in the stars, and help them, whether they wanted him or not.
“A gnome he met on his journey helped him sneak back into the city, and it broke his heart to see that he’d been right. The city was sacked, Nero’s forces ran rampant, and the people were afraid.
“Jimmy ran to the Prince, who was deep in mourning, for Nero had killed his mother. He begged him to take action. He goaded, and prodded, and said things that would later make him weep with shame.
“And finally, the Prince said, ‘Take the kingdom, if you must. I cede the throne to you.’ And Jimmy ordered the attack. They had surprise on their side, and the Prince and Jimmy fought back to back, and soon it was Jimmy and Nero, alone.
“‘I remember you,’ Nero told him. ‘I remember your cry. You should have been made of stars, but look at you. Look at my power! I turned you into earth!’
“‘Too bad for you, then,’ Jimmy said, ‘A star might be above this.’ And he killed him.
“Jimmy had saved the city, and the people were jubilant. They gave him command over the kingdom, and he knew he would do anything to protect them. But he never forgot, even out among the stars,” Jim said, leveling his gaze at Bones, “that he was made of earth.”
There was a pause.
“That’s it.” Jim looked away, off into the distance. “That’s the story.”
They sat in silence for a long time.
“I didn’t think much of the friend,” Bones said, eventually. His voice felt thick and his chest was heavy. “Didn’t seem to do much but doubt and waver.”
Jim shrugged. “Is it better to doubt someone with love, or believe in them with hate?”
Bones forced himself to keep his eyes on Jim. “If you love someone, you ought to believe them.”
“I know,” Jim said.
Finally, Bones looked away.
“He wasn’t a bad guy,” Jim said, gently, “Just worried for his friend.”
Bones almost laughed, because after everything they’d been through over the past three nights, the last thing he could stand would be Jim’s comfort. “It had a happy ending,” Bones said, but it sounded like a question.
“You think so?” Jim answered, and his eyes were far away, seeing something, somewhere, that Bones could never touch.
“Well,” said Bones, raising his voice, trying to bring Jim back again. “He saved everyone, didn’t he?”
“He did,” Jim nodded, once. “But that’s their happy ending. He was as alone as ever.” And with that, Jim walked away, without once looking back.
---
Bones wanted to follow, to grab Jim and tell him that he was as far from earth as anything Bones had ever met in space. That maybe he was sturdy as rock, but he shone like a star, so brightly that Bones sometimes had to look away. That no one was going to hurt him again, because Bones was going to lock him up safe in the empty place above his heart.
He couldn’t help pushing, it was the doctor in him. He’d thought he was doing this for Jim; that it would do Jim good to cough up his secrets, open the wounds in front of someone he could trust would never, ever judge him.
He’d known it wouldn’t be a happy story, but he hadn’t been prepared. Jim had tried to warn him, done everything he could to shield him from it. And even then, after Bones pushed and prodded and cheated and forced and given Jim no choice but to tell him, even then, Jim tried to protect him, to make him stars from earth. To make something distant and beautiful out of the ugly and filthy and real.
Bones wanted to follow him. But he couldn’t charge in blindly again. He had hurt Jim enough, more than enough for one evening, one lifetime. If he was going to chase Jim, he had to have a plan for when he caught him.
And these stories, these ridiculous fairy tales, didn’t they only ever end one way?
---
Bones walked into Jim’s quarters the next night without knocking, and Jim shot him a surprised look over his PADD.
“Made of earth, huh?” Bones asked, before Jim could say anything.
“Yep,” Jim pulled himself up into a sitting position. “Plain as mud.”
Bones laughed, not loudly, or for long, but it was genuine. “That’s the last thing you are.” He sat next to Jim, who was watching him with wary eyes.
“It’s true, Bones,” Jim said, and he wasn’t smiling.
“Even if it is, Jim,” said Bones, who was smiling, just a little, “even if it’s true. You know how much I love the Earth.”
Jim said nothing, just watched, and waited.
“I don’t think he was worried for his friend,” Bones said, after a time.
Jim didn’t feign confusion; he knew what Bones meant. “No?”
Bones didn’t close his eyes, or waver; he owed Jim this, at least this. “No. I’m pretty sure he was under a spell.”
“What kind of spell?” Jim said, expression carefully neutral.
“A sadness spell,” Bones improvised, because he hadn’t quite planned this far. “A wicked witch cast it on him. Turned him into quite a beast. And cursed his eyes, so that he couldn’t see what was right in front of him.”
Jim’s eyes were wide and knowing, like mirrors. “Did he break it?”
“Not yet,” Bones whispered, leaning in close and touching their foreheads together. “Almost.”
“Hey Bones?” Jim said, not breaking their gaze. “Do you believe in happily ever after?”
Bones smiled softly, with an unaccustomed sweetness. “Ask me again at the end of ever.”
When they kissed, it was like waking up from a long sleep.