The Stars Above Us

Chapter 16

"He's gonna kill him," Pippa muttered.

"No he won't," Charlie said.

"I'm not there to protect him, so it's possible," Jim told her grandfather. "This is all my fault."

"You didn't have much of a choice," Gramps said. "They weren't gonna let him go back with us unless we said something. I like the boy but no one would believe he was my husband." Jim laughed when he gave her a wink.

"Plenty of people have argued about that stupid regulation for decades. Who defines family?" Pippa sighed. "Once Lenny explains, Chris'll let it go."

"Or tease us mercilessly for the rest of our lives," the younger woman shrugged.

"We're all gonna do that," the doctor told her. "Misses McCoy."

Jim laughed, "I already have two last names, I'm not changing it again."

"You say that now," Bones said as he stepped into the hallway with them. "I can be very convincing."

"Not that convincing," she muttered.

"We'll see. He's asking for Gramps," Bones said. Her grandfather nodded and went to her dad's room while Bones took his vacated seat.

"You're alive," Pippa snickered.

"Barely. First, he reamed me out for not asking him for your hand like a good southern boy should. Then, he grumbled about not being invited to the wedding. Lastly, he made me swear that I'd never, ever, do anything to hurt you," he said.

"Then you told him," Jim said.

"Yea," her boyfriend chuckled. "He looked at me for a whole three minutes before he burst into laughter. I explained why you told the doctors that we were married."

"What he say?" Pippa asked.

"Good job for thinking on our feet but his point was still valid," Bones told her.

"In others words, don't get engaged without asking him and don't elope," Jim said.

"Yep," he chuckled.

"Is that on the radar?" Pippa asked.

"What?" Jim and Bones said in unison.

"Getting married?"

"We got things to do and places to see before we get around to that," Jim sighed.

"What she said," Bones added.

"I'm just asking. Being a couple in an apartment at a civilian college isn't the same as being a couple in Starfleet," Pippa warned them.

Bones was right about Jim's master's degree only taking a year. Unfortunately, it was almost up and he still had a few more years to go before he got his doctorate. So, she was heading to the Academy for a term before she hit the fleet while he stayed at Ole Miss. Where they'll be after that, no one knows.

"She has a point," Bones sighed. "We're about to be split up."

"That doesn't mean we'll break up. It just means we'll have to work on it," Jim said.

Pippa looked at them, "You guys didn't have this conversation yet, did you?" They both shook their heads. "Oh. I didn't mean to bring it up but you might want to talk about it."

"Nothing's gonna change," Jim said.

"Everything's gonna change," Bones countered.

"I'm gonna go grab a cup of coffee," Pippa said, leaving Jim and Bones staring at each other in the lounge.

"What do you mean by that? Everything's gonna change?" she asked.

"It will. We won't want it too but it will. You're gonna be where you're supposed to be and I'm still gonna be at Ole Miss."

"It's not gonna be that long, Bones. Besides, I still have to do a term here. A shuttle ride to Mississippi doesn't take that long," she told him.

"Then you'll be who knows where," he told her.

"It's not gonna be that bad," she told him.

"You always say that," Bones groaned.

"I was right last time and the time before that," Jim pointed out.

"And wrong the time before that," he said. He didn't have to elaborate but she knew he was talking about Tarsus.

She looked at him, really looked. "You're scared."

"I'd be an i***t if I wasn't. Aren't you?"

"Not really," Jim shrugged. "But that's because I love space. Bones, we can't stop bad things from happening to us, it doesn't matter where we are."

"Doesn't make me feel better."

"Wasn't meant to. But I don't think that's what's bothering you," she said. The look on his face told her that she was right. "I'm not gonna dump you."

"You can't guarantee that, darlin'," he sighed.

"Uhh, you have met me, right? I'm Jim Kirk, I can do whatever I want if I put enough energy into it. You know this, you've seen me do it," she said and Bones cracked a tiny smile. "It doesn't matter where we are, I'm your girl and you're my Bones. That's been us since before we got together. It's always gonna be us."

"Until you get around all the officers like you and realize that you could do better than me," Bones muttered.

"I could be that girl and say 'I'll never find anyone better than you' but we both know that's a bunch of crap. Maybe I can do better than you," Jim said. He looked at her with wide eyes. "Doesn't mean anything."

"Oh, it doesn't?"

"Nope. I. Love. You."

"That's it?" he asked.

"That's it. I love you. Being here, there or anywhere doesn't change that one bit. Whoever I meet won't change that either. I know that we're young but we're both wise enough to know how we feel. This," she motioned between them, "meant to be."

"How do you always do that?" he said, fighting a smile.

"What?"

Bones chuckled, "You always know what I need to hear."

"It's annoying, I know," Jim smiled. "Truth is that I never know what to say. I just… spill my guts and hope I sound half as good as you do when I'm freaking out."

"You really think it's gonna be okay?" he asked.

"Of course I do."

He smiled, "I love you, you crazy girl."

"Love you too, Bonesy."

"Hand me that PADD, Misses McCoy," her dad said. Jim rolled her eyes and handed him the small device. She knew he was baiting her, so she didn't say anything. Of course, that only encouraged him. "Nothing to say, Misses Bones?"

"You can't use 'Bones' and you know it," Jim chuckled.

"She speaks," Chris said.

"When I have something to say."

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

"My father was in a coma, I still have work to finish for my master's and my boyfriend thinks that we won't be able to handle being apart."

"Well, I'm awake now. You work fast. He might be right," her dad told her. Jim gave him a look. "People a lot older than you haven't been able to keep it together and you know it." She nodded. "What's the problem?"

"It doesn't have to be like that. I mean, tell me someone stays together," she muttered. So, she wasn't as sure as she told Bones but he didn't need to know that.

"My folks were together twenty-seven years before mom died. Technically, your folks count too," he smiled. "All hope is not lost, kiddo."

"So, I'm not crazy in thinking that it's possible that we won't…?" Jim made an exploding bomb noise at the same time she made a gesture with her hands.

"No, that's not crazy. It's actually pretty tame for you," he chuckled. "You guys just gotta remember to talk and you'll be okay."

"You're sure?"

He smiled, "Of course I'm sure, I'm your dad."

"Thanks for making me feel better."

"Anytime, kiddo."

"So, Rules of Separation…" Jim said.

"You're serious?" Bones asked.

"Of course I am. Gramps said that he and Grandma Willa had some rules and it worked out well for them. She wasn't fleet, so they were apart a lot. The rules can be anything we want as long as we both agree to them."

"So, if I say that we have to talk to each other at least twice a week, you would say…?" he asked.

"I would agree to that. Comms blackouts and stints in medical would be exceptions," she chuckled.

"Deal. We both have to hang out with our friends, time permitting. No wallowing around," Bones said.

"Isn't that my line?" Jim chuckled. "I like it. We tell each other how we feel. How we really feel."

"Okay. We'll make plans," he said. Jim raised an eyebrow. "Like make-up birthdays, anniversaries and stuff like that."

"I like that one," she smiled. "No matter what, we have each other's backs, even though we're separated."

"I think we can handle that," Bones smiled. "That it?"

"I think so. Seal it with a kiss?"

He smiled and pressed his lips against hers. "Sealed."

"Shut up, Mitchell," a girl behind Jim said.

"Oh, come on. You know you're curious," the guy said.

"Curiosity isn't an excuse to be rude. And asking someone about their long deceased father just to satisfy your curiosity is rude," the girl said.

Cadets was Jim's guess about the duo. She's been on the USS Republic long enough for the novelty of her family to have mostly worn off. People either asked her about it or they wanted to but didn't, there wasn't much of a middle ground with the regular crew members. She took a peek over her shoulder to look at the pair. The guy –Mitchell- was almost as tall as Bones with brown hair, brown eyes and a mischievous grin on his face. The girl was about the same height as Jim with her long black hair in a braid and eyes the color of sea foam.

"But Yudrin," Mitchell whined. "She's right there."

"It's okay," Jim finally said. "He can ask."

Mitchell smiled bright, "What's it like being George Kirk's daughter?"

"Annoying. I never met him and people keep asking me that question," she answered.

"I told you," Yudrin said. "Ignore Gary. Someone let it slip that you'd be here and he's been chompin' at the bit to ask you that."

"It's okay. Lieutenant Jim Kirk… but I suppose you already know that," Jim shrugged.

"I'm Phelana Yudrin and the i***t is Gary Mitchell. We're cadets at the Academy, this is our first training cruise," the girl said.

"Nothing like that first cruise," Jim smiled.

"I can't believe you're already an officer," Yudrin chuckled. "You're like twelve."

"ROTC at Ole Miss. And I'm sixteen," Jim said. "Youngest officer in the fleet was fifteen years and three days old when he got commissioned. There are two dozen officers between me and him on the list."

"That's pretty cool," Mitchell said. "What's your branch?"

"Command," Jim said as they walked into the section of the ship where the crew quarters were. "Tactical with a secondary specialty in agricultural engineering," Jim told them.

When it came time for Jim to decide what direction to take her master's in, she picked agro. She came up with some bullshit for the rest of the world but Bones, her dad and the rest of their tiny family knew that Jim was gonna work her ass off to find a way for Tarsus Four to never happen again.

"I'm helm and Yudrin is navigation," Mitchell said. "You're some kind of prodigy, aren't you?" Gary asked as Jim got to her assigned quarters.

"Yep," Jim smiled. "You should get some rest and get settled. If memory serves, you're both on Gamma shift with me."

"Yes, ma'am," both cadets said before they headed off to their quarters.

Jim stepped into her room and sighed, "I'm never gonna get used to being called ma'am."

"Hey, darlin'," Bones said over vid-comm.

"Hi," she smiled. For a long moment, they stared at each other. Then they started talking at the same time before they burst into laughter. That's how it's been every time she talked to him since she graduated, did her term in San Fran and was assigned to the Republic.

"You first," he chuckled.

"No, I went first last time. You talk first," Jim said.

"Ladies first."

"I hate it when you pull that. I guess it's a good thing that I know what you're gonna ask. I'm getting some sleep. Not nearly as much as you think I should get but it's better now I'm on the ship. I can't have you so I'll have to settle for the hum of the warp core," she said with a smile. "Nothing too big going on. I get to man the con."

"That is big. Gamma shift?" he smiled.

"Yep. I got added to the duty officer roster, so every third Gamma shift, I get the big chair. Not that I get to do much of anything but file the duty log. If I do well, Captain Bannock might move me to Beta shift. I also took up a shift down in engineering just to keep myself busy and my skills sharp. Lieutenant Brown is such a badass. I learned so much about the ship just watching him work."

"Uh huh," Bones said. There was a look on his face that Jim recognized.

"Don't be jealous. If the whole nineteen years between us wasn't a problem, his husband works in commuter programming. The other Lieutenant Brown is also a badass. I gotta get him to teach me some stuff too. How are you?"

"I might graduate from med school sooner than I thought. I'm getting a lot of work done now that I'm here by myself," he sighed.

"You saying I took up all your time, Mister McCoy?"

"All my free time, Miss Kirk. I didn't even notice until last month just how bad it was. I'll go to ask you something and I have to catch myself. It's crazy," Bones chuckled.

"I know the feeling. I woke up yesterday and forgot that you weren't here for a few minutes," Jim sighed. She reached out and he wasn't there. Jim barely stopped herself from calling his name. Her roommate, Lily, already thinks she's crazy. "The only thing keeping me sane is the knowledge that you miss me as much as I miss you."

"I do. I know this is necessary but there's a part of me that just wants to say screw it and get my commission so I can be out there with you," he said.

"You know that there's no guarantee that you'll get this ship. I honestly think you'll get the Yorktown when the time comes," she told him.

"Really?"

"Despite his protective fatherly instincts, my dad is impressed by you. You're a natural care taker and anyone with eyes can tell you're gonna be an amazing doctor," Jim said. "He also loves you."

"More like he loves you too much to let anything happen to me," Bones quipped.

"That too."

"Lieutenant Kirk, report to the captain," the ship wide comm system called.

"Duty calls," he smiled. "I love you, darlin'. Be safe."

"I'll try. I love you too."

"May I ask why you picked me for this, sir?" Jim asked the captain.

Bannock nodded, "You look like a high school student. No one would see you as a threat but I know just how wrong an assumption like that is, I served with Chris Pike and I'm friends with Nechama Rabin. She speaks very highly of you."

"It was an honor to serve under her command, even if it was only for a short time," she smiled at the memory of that crazy training cruise.

"She told me that I could trust you. And Rabin doesn't say that very often. Pick your team," he told her.

"Ensign K'ras Thonen and Cadets Mitchell and Yudrin," Jim said.

"I give you free reign of the crew and you pick an ensign and two cadets?" Jim watched as confusion and exasperation crossed his features.

"The look on your face is exactly why I picked them. We're all 'too green' for anyone to expect us to be more than observers to the Axanar Peace Conference. In reality, we're all very well trained and no one would suspect what is essentially a bunch of teenagers to be there to stop an assassination."