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He felt a searing pain in the back of his head as they materialized on the transporter pad, and realized that it was coming from the bonds he had with his Vulcan children. The last thought he had before passing out was that he needed to know if his kids were alive, because he couldn’t lose anymore.
He opened his eyes, squinting at the bright light. He managed to open them and saw that he was in the sick bay. Realizing that Bones wasn’t in his immediate vicinity, he quickly escaped the sickbay and returned to the bridge.
Nero was gone, Pike had been rescued, thank god he was okay, and Jim was acting captain of the Enterprise. Spock had taken his leave, going to be with his mother. Jim wanted nothing more than to go try and find his kids, but apparently being the captain of a starship means that you have a whole lot of paperwork. He quickly signed everything he needed to before filling out his report. It took him around 45 minutes, and the second that he was done he handed over the conn to Sulu and jogged to the room that the remaining vulcans were currently occupying.
He frantically searched the room, looking for his kids.
“A’nirih.” Jim turned quickly and was relieved beyond description to see his kids.
“I thought you guys might have died too. I felt- The bonds hurt so much, I thought they’d broken. It was just like with-,” he broke off, the names Rovalat and Skon left unsaid.
“Do not fret, A'nirih, we are alive,” said T’Karik.
“You simply felt the backlash of the loss of the psychic presence of the Vulcans who didn’t make it,” T’Risa continued.
Jim, realizing that Sethan hadn’t spoken, turned to him. He was able to clearly see distress on his face, which was how he knew that something was wrong. Even with all the time he spent with humans, Sethan rarely showed any emotion, and almost never in public.
“Seth, what’s wrong?” he asked.
When he didn’t get a response, he put a hand on his shoulder and led him to the edge of the room and sat on the floor, the three vulcans following his lead.
“C’mon, kid, let me help,” he said softly, “You can use me as an anchor point. Get your thoughts back in order.”
Sethan nodded and reached out a hand, placing his fingers on Jim’s face and melding with him.
Sethan reveled in the calmness of the mind of his A'nirih, using it to center his thoughts. He could feel him pushing love and peace through the bond, and he sent back his gratefulness.
Ashal-kan, are you well? Jim asked him.
Sethan could feel his concern, and quickly responded, I am adequate now, A’nihir. Lesek. he responded, removing his hand from his father’s face and breaking the meld.
JIm repeated the process with T’Karik and then with T’Risa, who insisted on going last.
Now that they were able to think rationally, he looked at his kanu and offered them the ta’al, saying, “Tushah nash-veh k'dular.”
Seth, still fairly distressed, hugs Jim, much to his surprise. He recovers quickly from his shock and wraps his arms around his sa-fu. He looked around and saw the entire room looking at them, and he glared at any that made eye contact.
Spock, who had been with his mother, must have noticed the shift in the room's atmosphere, as Jim saw him making his way toward him.
The half-vulcan, though confused, convinces the others to leave Jim alone. He was about to ask him about the three vulcans he was with, but was interrupted by an announcement of where the vulcans would be staying. He lost track of his friend in the crowd and ended up going back to his quarters.
Jim decided to take his kanu back to his quarters with him instead of sending them with the rest of the vulcans.
“Alright,” he says, opening the door, “You guys are going to sleep on the bed.”
He goes to his closet and pulls out an extra blanket and pillow for himself, setting them on the ground.
“A’nirih, you should not sleep on the floor, this is your bed.” T'Risa states.
“It is only logical that I do,” Jim said, “You have experienced a tragedy, and need the rest more than I do.”
Seeing no argument, they all get into the bed and Jim, being their A'nihir, was happy to see that they laid touching each other, drawing comfort from one another. He laid down on the ground and drifted off to sleep.
He awoke around five hours later when he heard a knock on the door. At first he thought that it was his main door, but when he listened closer he was able to hear that it was actually coming from the door that attached the first officer's quarters to the captain's.
He stood up and walked to the door, opening it for Spock.
“What can I do for you Spock?” he asked, gesturing for him to come in.
They both sat on the floor, and Spock was surprised to see the three vulcans from earlier cuddling in Jim's bed. He raised an eyebrow at Jim, confused.
“Why are there three vulcans in your bed, captain?” Spock questioned.
“Call me Jim.”
“Alright, Jim. Before you answer my question, I would like to ask if you are aware of the risks of melding to a vulcan that you are not bonded with while they are in distress?”
“They are my kanu, Spock. We are bonded.” Jim said, “That should answer both of your questions.”
“Vulcans very rarely form familial bonds with anyone other that their parents or siblings, and almost never with members of another species.” Spock stated.
“I am aware of that, Spock.”
“How did you come to be the A'nirih of three vulcans, Jim?”
Jim opened his mouth to answer when T'Karik began to toss and turn, before shooting upright in bed. Vulcans didn't normally dream, but living through two genocides is enough to give anyone nightmares.
He quickly stood up and went to her, kneeling on the floor next to the low bed.
“Kari,” he said, getting her attention. “You're alright, ashal-kan.”
She moved towards him and he placed his hand on the back of her neck, trying to send her calmness. She opened her mind, allowing him to see her dream. She had seen him die, not making it off of Vulcan in time. She experienced Va'Pak all over again. Then the massacre. He continued to push calm and sleep through their bond.
“Go back to sleep, Kari.”
He moved his hand so that his fingers were just gently touching her forehead and continued to project peace as she fell back asleep.
He stood up and returned to Spock, making sure to keep his mind peaceful as to calm his kanu if any of them were to reach out to his mind.
At this point, Spock’s eyebrow was underneath his hair, no longer visible. Now he just had even more questions.
“I was unaware that full vulcans dreamed,” Spock stated.
“Most don’t, but living through a genocide will give anyone nightmares, and they’ve all lived through two,” Jim said, sighing.
“The only genocide involving vulcans that I am aware of was Va’Pak.”
“I met them on Tarsus IV, Spock.”
“You are JT, the leader of the Tarsus Nine,” Spock said, and that was the missing puzzle piece to so many of his questions about Jim.
“Yeah.”
“Are your bonds with them the reason that you lost consciousness during Va’Pak?”
“Yes,” he said, “They said that the pain I felt through the bonds was the backlash of the loss of the psychic presence of the Vulcans that died, but at the time I thought that they were dead too.”
“Why would you assume that they had died? There are multiple reasons for a bond to cause pain.”
“I’ve felt a bond hurt that bad twice, Spock, and I lost a child each time.”
“Tushah nash-veh k'odu.”
“Lesek, Spock, and tushah nash-veh k'du for Va’Pak.”
“Lesek. I will leave you to sleep now, Jim,” said Spock, standing up and going back to his quarters.
Jim, exhausted, barely had time to lie down before falling asleep.
He awoke to a rustling noise, and was reaching towards a knife before he realized that it was just his kids.
“Good morning, A’nihir,” said T’Risa, standing up.
Jim stood up, grabbing the blanket and pillow off of the floor and putting them back in his closet. T’Risa sat on the floor, quickly joined by T’Karik and Sethan, and Jim went to the replicator. He returned with four bowls of plomeek soup, and set a bowl in front of each of his kanu. They stared at the bowls, and Jim internally sighed, having hoped that this wouldn’t happen, but expecting it anyway.
“You have to eat,” he said calmly, taking a few bites from his own bowl.
He had hoped that the would follow suit, but they didn’t.
“Eat, please,” he said, looking at them sadly.
They began to eat their soup, and Jim watched them carefully. Once they finished and Jim had gotten rid of the bowls, Jim realized that he didn’t know why T’Karik was on Vulcan.
“Why were you even on Vulcan, Kari?”
“I was on an approved break from the Academy and I wished to visit my siblings.”
“I’m just glad you guys are all okay.”