Chapter Text
Sleep slowly melted away from him.
Sighing, Sulu stretched, spreading his arms and legs out as he yawned. As he did this, aches and numbness quickly captured his attention.
Wincing, he rolled his shoulders.
That's when it occurred to him that what he was laying on wasn’t soft, that it didn't have the feel of his bed.
That's when he really listened to his surroundings.
There was the sound of breathing, snores and the shifting of clothes.
It wasn't coming from him.
Adrenaline shot through his system, making him shoot up, his right hand shooting down for his phaser.
It wasn’t there.
Blinking, Sulu let his eyes adjust.
He was on the floor in a dim room.
The floor was cold and hard, his bones aching from where he had suddenly moved.
Around him was the crew.
He blinked, his eyes slowly adjusting.
The crew surrounded him, laying on the floor, looking like they were asleep. As the room became more clear, he saw that he was in a room that held multiple chairs, like an auditorium and most of the crew were asleep in them, going by the loud snores and other various noises.
The adrenaline in his system soothed when he didn't see any real danger but kept him alert enough to see that the main command crew were surrounding him, sleeping peacefully.
Next to him was Uhura, curled onto her left side, facing him.
After giving the room one more glance, he leaned over and shook her, noting that Scotty was behind her on his back and was stretching his own limbs, yawning.
“Hey, wake up”
Scotty let out a snort, startling himself awake.
Sulu, despite the situation, grinned.
Uhura responded to his shaking and gracefully opened her eyes, looking up at him tiredly.
Sulu saw the moment that the pair of them realised that they weren't in bed.
Scotty shot up, his hand going to his hip but when he didn’t find his phaser, he was immediately on his feet, scanning rapidly. Uhura raised herself up onto her arms and was looking around with wide eyes.
She was looking at the crew while Scotty was looking around.
“Where-” Scotty started.
“I don’t know, woke up a few seconds ago" Sulu interrupted, looking to the other side of him to see Spock laying on his back.
Uhura was the one to wake the Vulcan up, which Sulu felt thankful for as Spock reacted by grabbing her wrist, which was on his shoulder, with blinding speed, holding it tight.
Only after Uhura’s quick words of comfort did Spock release her, offering a soft apology as he did the same thing that Scotty was doing, standing up and observing the crew and their surroundings.
Sulu took the chance to stand, breathing out heavily when his back and legs protested.
As he stood, he could see that some of the crew had woken as well, looking around and waking those close to them.
“Captain”
Sulu turned.
Scotty was standing before the Captain, helping him up.
Jim was looking around with wide eyes, scanning everything and looking at every dark corner.
Bones was next to the Captain, groaning loudly as he stretched, eyes on the ceiling.
“Everyone alright?” Jim asked out loud, waking those who were still asleep and giving them a quick check.
Sulu nodded as he helped Chekov and an engineering Ensign to stand up “everyone seems fine but.. What happened? Last i remember was going to sleep on my bed.. On the Enterprise”
One of the beta bridge members gasped, drawing attention.
He straightened, looking to Jim with wide eyes “we just replaced you. There was a warning of an electrical pulse. We couldn’t find it. Next thing we know, warnings are going off and then there was this red flash”
“So, how are we all here?” Scotty asked, head tilted.
No one could answer him,
With most of the crew awake, and helping one another, Sulu walked around. He tried to find out what information he could but there was nothing new. Seats upon seats to his right, scaling upwards onto two floors. To his left was a huge vintage screen, seen in some of the holograms that he saw when researching what people in the 20th and 21st century did for entertainment.
After a few moments, most of the crew were in the seats, only the main alpha bridge crew standing before them.
Stretching his back, Sulu frowned.
Looking down at his hands, he turned them over, looking at his knuckles where he knew was a large cut.
His hand was clean and smooth.
Looking up, he scanned the people before him, noticing that they looked clean and normal, no wounds or scabs on them. Spock came to the same conclusion as he scanned the crew, tone tinged with intrigue "it seems that whoever brought us here has also helped us, i do not see or feel any aches and pains"
Bones was the one to speak next, his eyes expertly moving over them, scanning before moving to Jim and checking him over "yeah, i noticed that. Not a black eye or paper cut in sight. Whether its temporary.. God only knows"
The doctor shrugged, not looking particularly bothered at the lack of injuries but he did continuously scan them, eyes moving over cuts and bruises that were there before.
“So what now?” Chekov asked, twisting his finger.
Sulu felt for the young navigator, seeing how anxious he was but not knowing what to do about it.
“I suggest we-”
Spock was cut off but the familiar sounds of the transport.
Sulu tensed, knowing that everyone behind him was doing the same.
The lights slowly drifted away, revealing a PADD on the floor.
No one moved.
Sulu looked around, trying to determine if it was a trap but when he saw none, he breathed in and walked towards it, aware of the eyes that stayed on him.
He picked it up and after a quick look to his Captain, he turned it on.
There was a note.
Looking back to the Captain, and getting his nod, Sulu read the note out loud.
Do not be afraid.
You have been summoned here to be shown the making of your lives and how you all came together.
Sulu hesitated, feeling unease curl in his stomach.
He wasn't the only one as the crew before him shifted, looking to one another in worry or confirmation.
He saw Bones glance between Jim and Spock.
After a breath, he continued.
You have lived this so you know what will happen. The reason you are here is because to grow your future, you must accept and learn from the past. You'll see what made you.
"Vhat does that mean?" Chekov broke the silence that followed, shuffling side to side.
Spock answered, voice calm "i believe that we will be shown our past, but more specifically, how we have gotten here"
Sulu looked over just in time to see the Captain twitch, something close to panic filtering over his face before it faded away. Replaced by the calm soft exterior he always had.
Sulu found himself wondering.
Wondering about what made that twitch, about why McCoy immediately glanced to Jim, frowning in worry, wondering what secrets he hasn't revealed to them.
Part of him didn’t want to know, didn’t want to break the illusion he had of the Captain, of being able to overcome anything he put his mind to, as shown when he jumped off that drill to save him or the risks he took to get them all back home after Nero.
Looking down at the PADD, he finished off the last sentence.
Information you must know. In the right corner of the room, next to the screen is a room. This room is a safe, sound proof room. Some scenes you will see can be distressing. If you need to hide, scream, cry or just be by yourself, please use that room. Other than that, please take your seats.”
Sulu finished.
Blinking, he turned to his right. There, in the wall next to the screen was a door.
Sulu knew that in his search of the room, that room wasn’t there before.
He shivered.
Spock walked up to the door and with a raised eyebrow, pushed down on the handle. Sulu moved to look over the Commander’s shoulder, aware of how the other bridge crew members did the same.
It opened up to a big white room, filled with red couches.
It looked basic and boring.
Sulu backed away and looked down at his Padd.
It was blank.
Frowning, he tapped at it, trying to gain more information.
Chekov stood next to him, looking down in amazement at the blank screen.
Scotty let out a noise and before Sulu could blink, he snatched the PADD out of his hands.
“Ah Laddie, if anyone can get the secrets out of this thing..” Scotty started off cocky, smirking at Sulu but before he could press anything, the PADD lit up in sparkles.
Sulu watched as it transported away, leaving Scotty's hands open and empty.
After a moment's silence, Jim cleared his throat, looking to the empty seats in the first row “maybe we should sit. This.. is by my estimate.. Friendly and welcoming. We don’t want to disrupt that, do we?”
Bones muttered something but Sulu couldn’t hear it.
Scotty was the first to sit, choosing the chairs left open by the crewmembers.. Chekov sat next to him on the left, followed by Uhura and Spock. Bones was next but he didn’t look happy.
Jim was next to Bones on his left.
Sulu took the remaining seat next to Jim, the spaces next to him having been filled by the beta bridge crew.
Out of the corner of his eye, Sulu watches as Bones shifts on his chair, leaning close to Jim.
He whispers something in his ear.
Sulu feels his heart jump at the pain that briefly washes over the Captain’s face. Looking away, Sulu breathes out, straightening his shoulders and forcing himself to prepare, thinking of anything and everything that he might not be expecting.
With a small Bleep the screen slowly behind to brighten.
The scene opens with a wide shot of the USS Kelvin.
The ship floats by as it beeps and scans, flying close by a sun. Voices are heard, talking over one another and ranging in volume.
Next to him, Jim breathes out a sharp breath.
Heart racing in his chest, he looks to the Captain, aware of the crew behind him doing the same. Everyone knew where this was going. The destruction of the Kelvin and how her Captain, George Kirk, saved his crew with minutes to spare, including his pregnant wife, was popular amongst the students when he was at the academy. The academy used the Kelvin as a way to teach the students on how to save lives, what to do when under attack.
Looking away, Sulu felt shame crawl down his spine.
They were benefiting off George Kirk's death while his son had to live without him and the burden of his legacy on his shoulders.
“Uss Kelvin, go for Starfleet base”
“Starfleet base, we sent you a transmission, did you receive?”
“Can you double check those readings?”
“Gravational sensors going crazy here. You should see this. Looks like a lightening storm”
“What you said doesn't seem possible”
“Yes ma’am, i understand, that’s why i said it”
Jim looked down to Spock.
They locked eyes.
After a moment, Jim looked away.
The scene swiftly changes to show someone exiting out of the Terbolift, onto a bridge where the chatter increases in volume.
It shows Captain Robau, looking at monitors.
“Polarize the viewscreen” he orders, turning around to sit in his chair to see the viewscreen.
Someone reports “Captain, we have visual”
Someone asks if this could be Klingon.
“Captain, are you seeing this?”
The lightning increases.
“My God” The captain straightens, staring with wide eyes.
The scene changes to show a wormhole covered in lightning, a huge ship slowly pushing itself out.
The room, despite it being quiet, falls deathly still. The wound was still fresh and Sulu knew it, feeling it in his heart.
"Looks worse the second time around" Scotty mentions, voice low.
Uhura let out a noise that was half a laugh.
“I have a reading.. They’ve locked weapons on us!” the pilot explains.
“Red alert” Captain Robau orders immediately, keeping his eyes on the screen.
The scene moves away to show a young man with brunette hair “torpedo locked on us at 320 degrees mark 2”
"Woah" a yeoman gasps from behind Chekov.
He doesn't turn around, keeping his wide eyes on the screen. Uhura does turn and she watches as the yeoman lowers her head, turning red.
Looking back to the screen, Uhura scans the face, feeling her heart race.
She had only seen the face of George Kirk on PADDS or memorial plaques. To see and hear him while he was still alive brought tears to her eyes.
Holding her head up, she blinked until the tears dried. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Spock watching her but she refused to look at him, refusing to let herself feel emotional in his presence.
Instead, she looks over him to Jim and her heart jumps when the similarities between him and his father become startling clear.
The Captain, however. isn't looking at the screen.
His eyes are closed.
His right hand is on his lap.
Squinting, Uhura feels her heart shake when she sees his hand. It's clenched in a fist, his knuckles white.
Bones must have seen this as well as he moves his hand to cover Jim's and after a look of concern, the fist opens.
Bones moves his hand away but keeps it close.
A green torpedo shoots out of the enemy ship, straight at the Kelvin.
“Evasive pattern Delta-five!!” Robau immediately orders.
Other green torpedoes follow.
“Incoming fast!” the brunette yells.
The green torpedoes begin slamming into the Kelvin, casting small explosions on the hull. The Kelvin fires back but it’s not effective.
The acne moves to the inside of Engineering where there's an explosion, sending crew members flying.
Noises of uncomfortability reach Sulu.
He rolls his shoulders, feeling his heart race.
The scene moves back to the bridge where the Captain is yelling “fire all phasers”
Pressing the comms, he asks “damage report”
The scene moves to Engineering where a crew member is running, dodging other running crew members and burst steam pipes “Warp drive’s been knocked out. Never seen anything like it”. Comm held up in one hand, he makes it to a unit and quickly presses buttons on the console "weapons offline. Main weapons 38 percent”
The scene moves to the bridge again as the polite yells “they’re firing another”
“All power to forward shield"
The enemy releases torpedoes which aim for the saucer, smashing into it and exploding. The scene moves to the inside where the explosions are and crewmembers get caught in the blast. One crew member holds on as the metal is peeled back to show the expanse of space. The air sucks her in, cutting off her yelling. The scene follows her as all noise cuts out, showing the scene in silence as two ships shoot torpedoes and phasers at one another, explosions and debris cover the pair.
A mournful silence fills the room.
Jim lowered his head, the rest of the crew wordlessly following.
As the scene continued, Jim found himself thinking back to before they met Nero. Where they discovered the trap and warped into the mess of the shattered ships, of the sea of death and destruction. His heart shattered at the thought of other innocent crew members going through that, of the breathless moment before they're shot into space, of the knowing that they're going to die and be lost in space, forever.
Breathing in, he looked behind him to his crew, thinking of their mission and current drive home. They were broken and beyond exhausted but no matter the damage, they strayed strong.
His respect for his crew, even if they were only his crew until they landed back on Earth and he'd be kicked out of Starfleet, grew stronger.
The scene moves back to the bridge where multiple people are talking, asking about the shields and their weapons. They’re alert and calm.
“All remaining power to forward shields” Robau orders before turning to a crew member stationed at his side “prepare for an evacuation”
As he says it, all attention slowly moves to the viewscreen where a voice comes through.
“Hello”
The captain turns to it, silence falling on the bridge.
“My commander requests the presence of your Captain in order to negotiate a ceasefire” The face is distorted “you will come aboard our ship via shuttlecraft. Your refusal.. would be unwise”
The face disappears, revealing the enemy ship before them.
Silence reigns over the bridge as everyone turns to the Captain.
After a few moments of silence. He lowers his head “walk with me” he orders quietly to the brunette next to him before walking away.
The brunette follows.
Jim breathed in, wanting to shout.
Wanting to yell at the man to stop, to turn back and stay with the bridge.
Bones gave him a look, sadness mixed with comfort.
Jim appreciated it but he couldn't look at his friend, instead choosing to stare, ignoring his heart which squeezed with old grief and anger.
They walk down the hall as the Captain speaks, staring straight ahead “if I don't report in 15 minutes, evacuate the crew”
“Sir we can no-”
"There is no help for us out here” Robau interrupts.
As the Captain enters the Turbolift alone, he continues “use autopilot and get off the ship”
“Aye Captain”
Robau turns around, facing the brunette, a hint of softness in his tone “you’re Captain now, Mr Kirk”
The doors close.
The scene moves to Kirk’s face as he stares at the doors, swallowing.
Jim lowers his head.
Spock looks up at the Kirk on the screen, analysing him and what he knew about the man before facing the Captain down the row. As he thought about it, he mentally compared the two.
While George Kirk, in interviews and statements from surviving crew mates, was described as gentle and friendly while being determined and strong minded, Jim Kirk was eerily similar but instead of being gentle, he was more sarcastic and rough around the edges.
Looking down to the Captain, he wondered what the man was thinking. After a moment of consideration, he removed the thought from his mind, knowing that he could never correctly read Jim and understand his 'logic'.
Mentally, his human side shuddered at Jim's logic and how he demonstrated his thought process during the test of the Kobayashi Maru
The scene moves back to the Captain, following him as he moves through the ship, heading towards a shuttle. Silent, he drives the shuttle towards the enemy ship, driving through debris. Looking it over with viable fear.
The ship opens up for his shuttle to enter. The shuttle quietly lands inside the hip and the Captain slowly exits, looking around cautiously.
He stops.
The scene moves back to the bridge where it shows the outline of Robau’s body, giving them statistics such as heart beats, blood pressure.
The pilot reports “he’s heart rates elevated” he looks to Kirk who is in the chair, watching the scene intensely.
The scene moves back to the enemy ship where Rabau is being escorted. He is pushed before a Romulan in a chair.
As soon as the Romulan is shown, several noises come from the crew behind him.
Sulu nodded mentally, understanding where the crew were coming from. As he thought about Nero, he thought about the first Captain, Pike.
Blinking, he found himself looking around, wondering where the man was and if he was alright. Last he heard, Pike was laid up in medical, heavily sedated as the equipment sorted through his wounds and rejuvenated him. When he didn't see the man, he reasoned to himself that he must be somewhere safe if they were here.
Another Romulan, who’s standing next to the one in the chair, throws a hologram at Robau.
Looking to Jim, Bones watches as his friend rubs his throat, swallowing with a wince despite there being no marks or bruises.
He winces himself, having been told what that romulan did.
It’s a hologram of a futuristic looking ship.
“Look at this ship. Are you familiar with this craft?” the Romulan asks.
The captain ignores it and him, looking to the one still in the chair “who is your Commander?”
The screen zooms in on the Romulan in the chair who stares back, rageful.
“Is that him?”
The Romulan who asked the question answers “i will speak for Captain Nero”
“Then ask Captain Nero, what gives him the right to attack a Federation vessel?"
Nero looks up to the Romulan who talked.
The Romulan stares back before looking back to Robau, throwing another hologram at him, This time it is a face. A Vulcan.
“Do you know the location of Ambassador Spock?”
Uhura stares at the hologram, taking it in.
Chekov was the one who spoke, unsure "Commander, is.. is vat you?"
He didn't say anything, only raising an eyebrow as he stared at the screen.
When the silence grew, Scotty cleared his throat, sharing a look with Jim "well, we'll just have to see.. won't we?"
Uhura gave him a look, one she knew got men to back away and reveal their secrets.
Scotty chose that moment to pick at his nails.
Robau is silent as he stares at the Romulans but after a moment, he answers slowly “i’m unfamiliar with Ambassador Spock”
The Romulan steps closer “what is the current Stardate?”
“Stardate? 2233.04” Robau answers, clearly confused as he asks quietly “where are you from?”
Nero, holding a staff like spear, presses on his weapon and spikes at the top shoot out with a shing, capturing Robau’s attention.
Nero stares at him before he yells, shooting up in a rage, weapon extended. Robau immediately falls back, trying to get away.
The screen suddenly moves to the bridge where the screen showing Robau’s biology is covered in a big red sign TERMINATED and a loud continuous whine.
Jim couldn't stop his heart from jumping.
As he stared at the screen, he couldn't help but think of Pike and how he was in that exact situation. Breathing out, he found himself oddly thankful that the Romulans learned from this and used a different route, something that didn't result in the captive dying.
He knew, without doubt, that he would rather take Pike paralyzed and alive than dead.
Panic bursts out from the crew as Kirk stares at the screen, a navigator yelling to him “Sir, they’ve locked on to our signal”
“They’re launching again!” the pilot yells.
“Bravo six manoeuvre fire-!”
What Kirk is ordering is cut off as the scene moves to space, showing the enemy ship firing torpedo after torpedo after the Kelvin, the phasers shooting down as many as possible.
The scene moves to the inside of the Kelvin as fires and explosions erupt everywhere, throwing crew members all over the place. Sparks flying as wires fall from the ceiling, metal falling.
The air is tense enough that Bones feels like he can chew it.
Behind him, he can hear some of the crew members talking, saying how this was it and they were about to see one of the greatest Starfleet saves of their generation.
He felt his eye twitch when he heard the excitement in their tone.
Apparently, he wasn't the only one as a Lieutenant leaned over to them, criticising them in a harsh whisper "don't you have any respect? That man saved that crew, yes but you are forgetting one very important thing. He left a family behind. His son had to grow up without him and that son is sitting right there."
Bones saw Jim shake his head slightly, a pained look appearing on his face before it vanished. Bones was almost sure that it was a trick of the light but he knew his friend better than that.
The Lieutenant continued when all he got was silence "that man there knew what had happened with his father and he still chose to do this, still chose to lead us into battle to save Pike and the whole of Earth so shut up and give the man some respect"
Looking to his right, he saw Uhura nod, a look of understanding on her face.
As he looked at her, he smiled internally at the relationship she had with Jim and wondered how long they were going to play it. After Nero's defeat, the pair had continued their game of annoying one another, trying to one up one another and prove they were the best.
To anyone else, it looked like they hated one another but Bones, and the Alpha crew, knew that they were on friendly terms and were just doing it for fun so it was nice to see Uhura in Jim's corner, willing to defend him.
Kirk gasps against the chair, looking behind him as part of the ceiling fell on some crew members. He yells out an order as he moves to help them up.
“I’m issuing general order 13. We’re evacuating”
Chekov shuddered.
When he started his Starfleet career, he hoped that he would never have to hear those dreaded words. Hearing it now and seeing why, Chekov resisted another shudder, anxiousness biting at him as he wondered, not for the first time why he joined Starfleet.
Looking around, he saw how some crew members held onto one another, reassuringly. Looking to Spock, he thought of the Vulcan's mother and reasoned that he was the reason that the Vulcan was even here along with most of the council. Spock's mother flashed through his head and he winced, feeling grief and anger bite at him, anger that he didn't do better, that he couldn't save her.
Shaking his head, he focused on the crew about him. Uhura turned to him and gave him a smile, extending her hand.
After a moment's hesitation, he took it and squeezed, feeling his heart calm.
She smiled.
Handing the injured crew member off, Kirk sits in the chair, activating comms as an alarm begins wailing “all decks this is the Captain speaking, evacuate the ship immediately”
The scene abruptly changes to doors opening in a hall, a woman in a wheelchair is being moved by two crew members in crisp white shirts.
The woman is heavily pregnant.
Jim could feel the eyes on him.
He couldn't look at the screen. Couldn't see the face of his mother, the one who once smiled, who was soft spoken, who cared.
Unbidden, memories flashed through his head, showing him his mother who didn't look him in the eye, who called him a problem with alcohol on her breath, who pretended he didn't exist.
He had always wondered if it was him, if he was the reason she took long missions off planet, if it was because of him that she married Frank who she trusted to keep him in line.
After returning to Earth, after surviving Tarsus and protecting the remaining children, he knew that he wasn't the problem. He was just the kid who lost his parents on the same day.
“That’s George’s voice” she gasps, panic and fear heavy in her voice “What’s happening?”
One of the medical staff speaks to her “we’ll deliver in the shuttle. Go”
The scene moves away to show the other crew members, running for the shuttles, dodging the destruction happening around them, while helping one another to move to safety. One crew member isn’t lucky as they run into an explosion.
In the Turbolift with the pregnant woman, she opens her comms “George”
“You’re ok, thank God” Kirk’s voice is quick with his panic but stable.
“I have medical shuttle 37 standing by. Get to it fast, Everything is going to be ok. Do exactly as I say. Shuttle 37” he continued, commanding.
Winona holds her stomach tight “George, it’s coming. Our baby. It’s coming now”
"Always had the worst timing" Bones shook his head, a smile on his face despite the scene.
Uhura let out a small laugh as a memory played in her head of going to her room at the Academy and knowing that someone was with Gaila but not knowing who until the man presented himself.
He had picked the wrong day to have sex with her.
Like a wave, she held in a breath as she remembered. Gaila was gone.
She breathed out, putting her emotions behind a wall, telling herself that the time to mourn is later. It was getting harder and harder to push back.
“I'm on my way” as he says this, the screen moves to him onto the bridge. He is alone.
He moves to a console, flipping leavers and pressing buttons, half an eye on the viewscreen where it is bright with explosions.
“Autopoliot function has been destroyed. Manual operation only”
Kirk stares at the console, breathing heavily as realisation comes over his face.
The scene bursts to life as it moves back to the crew, full of people running and yelling.
Winona is being wheeled faster as she screams, holding her stomach “that's a big one”
“Just keep breathing” the man in white calmly speaks, eyes on a PADD “You’ll be fine”
“And the baby too, right?”
Bones couldn't stop the sarcastic laughter that burst out of him.
Holding his stomach, he rubbed his other hand down his face, trying to stop.
"Doctor, I do not see the humor. Perhaps you can shed some light on what is so funny?" Spock called to him, staring at him with an empty expression.
Calming, Bones quickly realised how his laughter might have come off as. Especially in such a tense scene.
Looking to Jim, who had rolled his eyes in understanding. He waited until the man gave him a nod before he explained.
There's a reason we don't recommend going into space while pregnant. Because of this, there's radiation and all sorts being aimed at Jim while he's at his most vulnerable and because of this, this infant has the weakest immune system in the whole solar system"
Bones ignored Jim when he let out an offended "hey!"
"Really?" Sulu asked, leaning towards Jim with a smirk.
Bones nodded and extended his arms as far as he could "that's how long his allergy list is. His system is completely shot because of this"
After a tense moment of silence, Chekov asked "do you remember all..of the allergies?"
He gave the navigator a nod, feeling proud "that's why I'm his doctor. Occasionally we get the odd surprise but I'm ready for anything"
Looking to Jim. He smirked at the pout the man had.
"It's not that bad" Jim eventually spoke, defiantly.
Bones spluttered.
“And the baby too” he responds a moment after hesitating.
Bones thrusted his hand towards the screen with a 'see?!' expression.
“Right here, go ahead and sit back” one of the nurses helps the woman onto the bed. The scene moves with the pilot as he sits down in the chair, preparing the shuttle.
“Captain to shuttle 37 is my wife on board?” Kirk's demanding voice came through.
“Yes sir, she is”
Kirk spoke fast, desperate “I need you to go now, do you hear me?”
Tension suffocated the room.
Jim refused to look up, keeping his eyes on his boots, aware of the glances he got from his crew.
“We're waiting on you, sir”
“No. just go take off immediately that's an order “
“Yes sir “
“Don’t go yet please ..stop.. George? The Shuttle’s leaving.. where are you?” Winona whimpered.
The scene moves to Kirk as he swallows, looking pained.
“Sweetheart, listen to me. I'm not going to be there”
The scene moves back to Winona as she freezes, her face crumbling “no”
“This is the only way you'll survive” Krik's voice is strained.
“Are you still on the ship? You have to be here” Winona’s trembling voice is quiet, Kirk’s voice much louder, much calmer.
“The shuttles will never make it if I don't fight them off“
“I can't do this without you”
“Okay I need you to push now you” the doctor instructs firmly.
Winona screams.
Impulsively, jim bursts up, breathing in sharply. Without looking at anyone, he moved to leave, walking to the door next to the screen and opening it.
Bones wanted to follow, make sure his friend was alright and not wanting him to be alone.
Jim looked back but his eyes stayed on Bones'.
He shook his head minutely.
Bones hated it but he understood.
He shifted deeper in his seat.
Jim gave him a small smile, a twitch of the mouth, before he disappeared, closing the door behind himself.
The only sounds in the room were the hitches of breaths and sobs, no one saying a word.
The screams fade away as the scene moves away, showing Winona pushing. Kirk is then seen, rushing about the empty bridge, pressing buttons and firing at the torpedoes, making sure the Shuttles were all safe.
Fire begins to engulf the bridge.
The scene moves constantly between Kirk and Winona, showing their panic and pain. Kirk sets the Kelvin on a collision course, sitting back in the Captain’s chair.
The scene moves to show the outside of the ship, showing the engines firing up. The ship bursts forward, heading straight for the enemy ship.
Kirk is sitting in his chair, breathing out in rapid breaths.
A baby’s cry comes over the comms.
The tension in the room bursts with the baby's cry.
Some crew members start openly crying, others murmuring comforting words. Sulu closes his eyes, knowing what's coming and preparing.
Bones breaths in and holds it.
Thinking back to their shared dorm room, Bones left himself in the memory of Jim sitting next to him on the floor, their backs against the couch. They were drunk, the memorial ceremony of the Kelvin happening in the hall at that exact moment.
Jim had gotten a PADD out and explained that the recordings of his mother and father were on there. How George Kirk's final words were immortalised.
Later admitting that Pike was the one to give him the recording, to give him something personal from his father.
They sat on the floor, drinking heavily as they listened.
Bones, days after that moment, felt his heart swell when he was told by Pike that Jim had never even opened that voice recording until that day, that Bones was the only.person he'd share his family with.
As he watched the scene now, he remembered the way Jim sat on the dorm floor, head tilted back as he listened, grief open on his face.
Kirk’s breathing settles, a smile making its way onto his face.
The scene moves to the shuttle where the doctor is placing a baby, wrapped in a blanket, into Winona’s arms. The baby immediately stops crying.
“What is it?” Kirk asks, staring at the viewscreen with wide eyes.
“It's a boy” Winona smiles, adjusting the blanket to look at the baby’s face.
“A boy?” Kirk smiles, voice happy “tell me about him”
“He's beautiful”
Kirk sniffs, eyes glowing.
Scotty stares at the baby, feeling his heart shatter. A baby brought into a world of death and destruction, not knowing where his life is going and making the best of what he had.
Looking to the door, Scotty felt his amazement and proudness for the man grow, asking himself that if he was in the same situation, would he do as well as the Captain.
He knew that he wouldn't.
“George you should be here” Winona whispers, sorrow on her face.
Impact alert the computer chimes in, showing 18 seconds till collision
“What are we going to call him?” Kirk doesn't look away from the countdown.
“We can name him after your father”
“Tiberious? You kidding me? No that's the worst.” he smiles but does not look away. “name him after your dad, let's call him Jim”
“Jim. Okay, Jim it is “ Winona smiles softly, running her fingers down the baby's cheek.
Behind him, someone gasps, sorrow in the voice "so that's why he has the T. It’s the last thing he got from his father"
The scene moves to show the Kelvin from the outside. It races towards the enemy ship but it is disintegrating, debris and fire being left behind.
The time is up.
“Sweetheart, can you hear me?” kirk calls, panic now audible in his voice.
Winona looks towards the comm, grief and fear overtaking her “I hear you“
“I love you so much. I love you-”
The Kelvin collides with the enemy ship. Kirk is shot forward and out of his seat, towards the view screen which explodes. The scene moves to the outside where the explosion follows, engulfing the rest of the ship, leaving nothing behind.
The sobbing grows in volume, mournful silence filling the room, making it feel suffocating.
Uhura closes her eyes, hearing an Ensign murmur a "poor Jim"
Chekov covers his face, ignoring the hand on his back.
Bones just closes his eyes.
Spock feels sadness crawling up his spine, making him shift uncomfortably. After a moment of reflection, he realises that now he understands, of how he emphasises with Jim on what its like to live without the guidence or love of a parent.
The scene moves to Winona who stares out the window, seeing the Kelvin smash into the enemy ship, sending explosions and debris flying. Sobbing, she looks down to her child, rubbing his face softly.
The scene moves away to show the outside, the enemy ship is surrounded by debris. The shuttles are flying away as fast as possible, only seen as shadows by the glare of the sun that's behind them.
The screen goes black.
The door opens and Jim is standing there, observing the crew. His own face is calm, having already shed his emotions about his father's death years before.
The room stays a respectful mournful silence, interrupted by the occasional sniffle or muffled sob.
Not looking at anyone, he moves back to his seat and just stares at the screen, mentally preparing.
Bones opens his mouth but quickly shuts it when Jim turns to him.
He doesn't know what his face is doing but it's enough for Bones to nod, smiling a soft encouraging smile.
Nodding, he breathed in and held it.
Relaxing back, he exhaled, feeling his heart calm.
After a few more breaths, he was ready.