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 XIV

Hell Hath no Fury

For once, the trouble didn't follow Jim, nor was he responsible for any bit of it. In fact, the whole entire fiasco wouldn't even have happened if it wasn't for Bones' ex-wife, Jocelyn.

It all started with a simple call from Jocelyn to McCoy, telling – not asking – the doctor to take Joanna off her hands for a couple of days. Her current husband, Clay Treadway, and she were going on a spontaneous business trip and it was too short notice for Jocelyn to find anyone to take care of her daughter.

Bones, of course, couldn't refuse, and brought it up to Jim despite knowing that the Enterprise had no business in Georgia. He had fully expected Jim to apologize sincerely and tell him that it couldn't be done, that they had their duties as commanding officers of Starfleet, but without another word, Jim had stalked off halfway through their conversation, leaving behind a very confused Bones.

An hour or two later, Jim had sauntered back up to the Bridge with a smug look of satisfaction on his face and a slightly dirty uniform. He had proceeded to report to Starfleet that there was a sudden and unexplainable malfunction in the Engineering department and that they would have to dock at Earth. (Later, the Command crew would discover that Jim had collaborated with Scotty to screw something up in Engineering, forcing the Enterprise to need to land soon, and they had fun with it, which never meant anything good.)

Jim had called various people, pulling in all sorts of favors until finally, it was set that the Enterprise would stay at the Georgia branch for a couple days before they set off for their next mission. They were immensely lucky that they were between missions; otherwise, nothing Jim did or pulled could have let them land in Georgia.

When they did dock, Jim was still stuck on Bridge, frowning over his PADD because he had to work through a vast amount of complicated documents regarding a treaty for Komack – the price that Jim had to pay in order to get what he wanted.

Of course, Bones didn't know everything that Jim had done to get this temporary leave, but he knew enough to feel extremely touched and thankful to him. It was just like Jim to go above and beyond what was called of him for people that he cared about.

But it was because he was suddenly swamped with so much work that Jim wasn't able to personally welcome his unofficial goddaughter onboard. He was still so focused on his work with Spock right by his side, helping out as much as possible, that he didn't even hear the turbolift whirl open behind him.

All of a sudden, only the shrieking of a nine-year-old girl could be heard on the Bridge. "Uncle Jimmy!" screamed little Joanna, breaking away from her father's grasp to rush towards Jim.

Much to everyone's amusement, Jim flinched at the sudden noise, completely caught off-guard, but a bright smile almost broke his face open as he immediately swung around to catch a bundle of whirlwind in his arms. His movements knocked his PADD off his chair, but Spock moved quickly to catch it and shift out of the way before Jim or Joanna accidentally smacked him.

"Uncle Jimmy!" laughed Joanna when Jim lifted her and hugged her tightly.

"Hiya, Princess!" grinned Jim. "You've gotten so big since the last time I saw you!"

It was true. The girl was still as brunette as always (like her father), but she had lost some of the pudginess that children had. She was an active kid and her arms were so slender that Jim was almost worried that his strength would break her apart. Almost. It didn't stop him from hugging her to an inch of her life. Her cute little dimples only encouraged him.

She resembled her father in his handsomeness; those brown eyes were almost exactly the same, except hers was full of innocence and wonder. There was so much awe and amazement in her eyes whenever she looked at Jim, and it just made him feel all fuzzy and warm inside – feelings that Jim almost never had.

Bones just chuckled at the two. A genuine smile was on his face and all semblance of his usual grouchiness was gone. There was a lightness in his body language that no one had ever seen (except for Jim, of course). For the first time in a long time, Leonard McCoy was relaxed, and it was definitely because of the presence of a certain little girl.

"Jo, don't break your Uncle Jimmy," McCoy joked.

Joanna turned her wide, innocent eyes to her father. "But if I do, you'll just fix him right up, right, Daddy?"

Jim actually groaned. "Don't encourage him, Princess. You know how he gets with his hyposprays."

The Bridge laughed at that, remembering all the times that they had seen Jim run from McCoy and the games that he played to get out of vaccinations.

"Hey, Princess, have you eaten yet? You should go down to find Scotty. He makes the meanest sandwich on this side of the universe."

"She ain't goin' down to that god-forbidden death trap," McCoy warned. "Aren't repairs still bein' made?"

"Nah, they can't figure out what went wrong," Jim replied. There was a twinkle in Jim's eye when he spoke.

Spock raised an eyebrow. "Captain, should I know what you and Mr. Scott did to the engines?"

Jim was a picture of innocence. "Why, I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Spock."

Sulu came up to Spock, "Trust me, ignorance is bliss."

"And I suppose you know what the Captain did, Mr. Sulu?"

"No, but Chekov does, and he still giggles every time he tries to talk about it, which can't mean anything good."

They all turned to look at Chekov. The Russian was grinning like a loon.

Uhura rolled her eyes. "Alright, no questions it is."

Jim smiled. "Anyway, Bones, you can just take Princess to the mess hall. Use replicator number three and get her something good."

"What's so special about replicator three?" wondered Sulu. "And how come I've never heard about it?"

"There's something called regulations, Sulu. Got to uphold it and all," quipped Jim.

"What did you do, Jim?" sighed Spock.

"I didn't do anything, I swear. Scout's honor." Jim raised his left hand to make the Scout's sign.

"That's completely wrong, idiot," Bones said, but the amusement could easily be heard.

Jim ignored him and set Joanna on the ground, straightening her pastel blue dress and her hair that was tied up in a half-ponytail. The soft smile on his face wasn't something that people usually saw. He looked at Joanna like she was his biological daughter, and it was endearing to say the least.

"How about it, Princess? You hungry?"

"Are you going to join us, Uncle Jimmy?" she asked.

"Sorry, Princess, I can't. I've got some work I need to finish up, but I'll meet you guys there, okay?" Jim looked up at McCoy, "Thirty minutes?"

"Yeah, we can wait for you that long. Come on, Jo. Let's leave your Uncle Jimmy to do his work."

Joanna nodded. "Thirty minutes, Uncle Jimmy. I'm counting!"

Jim chuckled. "I got it, Princess. See you soon." He leaned down so she could plant a kiss on his cheek before she scampered off towards her father.

Bones immediately lowered his hand so she could hold it and together, they entered the turbolift. Jim took the PADD from Spock and started to work again before the doors even closed. He'd have to get a head start if he was going to finish by Joanna's timeline.

"So…'Uncle Jimmy'?" Sulu teased.

Jim rolled his eyes. "Don't start, Sulu."

"What about 'Princess'?"

"That's starting, Sulu. What did I say about that?"

Uhura grinned and joined in. "You ever think about having kids, Kirk?"

"You offering, Uhura?" taunted Jim, unable to stop his cheekiness.

"I'm going to hit you."

"Is that a promise?"

Uhura smiled sweetly at him. "Of course, Captain. I still owe you for our dare from last time."

Jim consciously crossed his legs and covered his groin with his PADDs. "Uh…I think I'll pass then. Thanks."

"So, kids?" Uhura asked again.

"Nope."

Surprise was clear in her face. "Never?"

"Nah, don't think I'd be a good father," he replied, looking back down on his PADD.

He said those words so aloofly and carelessly that the crew just knew that there was a deeper meaning to what he said. Jim always sounded like that when the topic geared a little bit too close to his past – to something that should never be spoken of.

So they just let it be and let him continue to work in silence, even though their curiosity burned.

From just the brief interaction with McCoy's daughter, anyone could see that Jim would've made an amazing father. Jim was great with kids and kids loved him. He knew how to be a father; he knew how to take care of children. Hell, all he ever did on Tarsus was act as a father to all "his" kids.

So why would he think otherwise?

It was Joanna's idea to beam down to Earth. She had already explored every nook and cranny of the ship, with Jim, Scotty, and Chekov's help, of course. The Command crew had gotten along with Joanna like oil and fire – inseparable from the moment they met.

Uhura was her big sister; Spock indulged her curious mind and answered all the questions that she could ever come up with. She and Chekov were like siblings, both running around like the young ones they were with Sulu and McCoy chasing after them to make sure they didn't hurt themselves. Jim and Scotty were the instigators and the enablers, giggling with Joanna as they squirmed through the Jefferies tubes.

Whatever the crew did with Joanna, Jim did it all and more. He was never more than a couple of feet away from her. He played with her, explained the secrets of the universe under a fortress of blankets and pillows, and waged war on Bones and anyone else who dared to come close to their "kingdom".

Everyone could see exactly how Jim became "Uncle Jimmy". He was the fun uncle that every kid dreamed of having and every parent was worried about. In fact, the crew was almost curious how McCoy just sat back and let Jim bring Joanna around the Enterprise, teaching her all the various skills that he was ever so famous for.

Knowing how overprotective McCoy was his little girl, the crew was slightly baffled and alarmed to see Jim swinging Joanna around in the air while McCoy just stood there, grouching like usual, but making no movements to stop them.

But then they took a closer look.

With everything that Jim did with Joanna, he watched her like a hawk. His blue eyes never left her and the nearby surroundings. An infinity of calculations flashed behind those cerulean irises; his body was tense like he was ready for a battle at any moment.

Despite the activities that Jim and Joanna did, Jim was extremely careful with her, judging and gauging her safety with each movement. He was ready to jump in at any second to protect her. And if any of their past missions said anything, it meant that he was willing to even give his life for her.

It would have been more worrisome if it wasn't for the fact that they were on the Enterprise and everyone was keeping a closer eye on Jim just because he was always around Joanna.

Still, the ship could only be entertaining to a nine-year-old girl for about a few hours. It was summertime in Georgia and Joanna was just aching to go to the beach and try out her new two-piece, much to McCoy's alarm. Everyone, including Jim, said no at first, but when she turned her big brown eyes them, they (meaning Jim) melted.

So now, the Command crew, except for Spock who offered to stay behind and finish up the extra work, found themselves enjoying themselves on the beach. Uhura was lying on a beach towel, sun-tanning in her bikini; Scotty sat next to her, wearing civvies and eating a sandwich. Sulu, Chekov, and Jim were all in swim trunks and standing by the beach, each with their own surfing boards. No one had any idea where they procured that from, but with Jim, Chekov, and Scotty's skills, it wouldn't be beyond them to replicate surfing boards.

Like Scotty, McCoy was simply wearing his civvies – a form-fitting t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. Oddly enough, the crew learned that McCoy didn't exactly like water. It wasn't that he couldn't swim. He just didn't like the feel of water on his skin. Unusual, yes, but it seemed almost normal with everyone else's quirks, especially Jim's.

Joanna, on the other hand, was dressed in a cute frilly, pink two-piece, and practically clinging to Jim in excitement. Without further ado, she, Jim, Chekov, and Sulu pranced into the ocean. Sulu, having grown up in California, was in charge of teaching Chekov how to surf while Jim teamed up with Joanna and freely surfed around on the low waves.

"I can't believe that you're letting Kirk take Joanna surfing," commented Uhura from where she lay watching her friends having fun.

McCoy turned and glanced at her briefly before looking back out at the ocean. "Jim may be reckless, but he'll never let Jo come to harm."

"It's just, Kirk ends up in the Sickbay a lot."

"Aye, that's true, but Jim is more careful when it comes ta someone else," Scotty mumbled around his sandwich.

"Just watch," McCoy said.

And sure enough, a large wave came around and overbalanced Jim's board. Instantly, Jim reached out for Joanna, tucking her against his chest as he curled around her. He rotated in midair so that his body was a shield for Joanna, which was quite a feat, considering that he barely had three feet to maneuver in before he hit the water.

Seconds later, Jim resurfaced with Joanna sitting comfortably on his shoulders as he tread water, keeping them afloat. She giggled, shaking the drops of water out of her face, and had fun making Jim swim around like her personal taxi. Laughter was evident on their expressions – clearly, their little mishap did nothing to dampen the amount of fun that they were having.

"See?" McCoy said to Uhura with a small smile.

She nodded, smiling back. "Yeah, I get it."

"He's got a soft spot for kids."

"Yeah, about that. Kirk said that he wouldn't be a very good father, but he's a natural at it. Why would he think that he's not cut out for it?"

McCoy shrugged. "He's said that to me too, but he's never explained it further. I think that he's afraid."

"What do you mean?"

"This is all conjecture, but statistically, kids who were abused generally grow up to do the same to their own, and Jim knows it. He's always been afraid of turning into a monster."

"That's ridiculous." A man like Jim who cared about others unconditionally could never turn into a monster, no matter what he done or experienced in the past.

"That's what I said, but you know Jim. You start talkin' about emotions and he runs like an angry badger is nippin' at his heels."

Uhura raised an eyebrow. "Angry badgers?"

"We're in Georgia. Makes sense here." McCoy turned back to the ocean and shouted out to Jim and Joanna. "Jo! Jim! Come back in. Let's go get some ice cream!"

Distantly, McCoy heard Joanna excitedly respond and waited patiently for her to come back to shore.

Jim grinned when he heard Bones' proposal and reached up to let Joanna down from his shoulders. He held her up, keeping her afloat. "You think you can get back on your own?" he asked. "I'm going to go save our surfboard."

She nodded fervently. "Come quickly, Uncle Jimmy, or I'm going to eat all your ice cream!"

Jim chuckled. "Not if I beat you to it, Princess. Now get. Your dad's waiting for you."

He gave her a gentle push and watched her swim confidently and strongly for a minute. They hadn't been too far away from the shore, but Jim still never would've let her swim back alone if Sulu had purposefully surfed closer to the two of them when they heard McCoy yell.

It was important to give Joanna freedom and independence so that she didn't feel stifled by how overprotective the crew was of her – Jim personally knew how frustrating that could be, making him feel like he was incapable of doing anything without someone hovering his shoulder. He didn't mind it most of the time because it meant that they cared (and honestly, Jim got less injuries this way), but when it was time to relax, like now, being smothered was the last thing that anyone wanted. But the crew already had so much practice pretending to not be watching when they actually were (they were friends with Jim, after all), so Joanna never suspected a thing.

Jim made sure that Sulu had an eye on Joanna before turning round. It took a few powerful strokes to reach his board. It would've been a pity if he let it wash away. Chekov and he had done some extensive rewiring and configuration to the replicators to make them. They were an absolute stroke of genius and Jim would have been a bit disappointed if his board met its end by sailing out to the ocean where no one would see it.

He climbed onto it and lay down on his chest, spreading across it like a cat. He floated for a brief moment, just enjoying the feeling of happiness that made him feel like he was on cloud nine.

The first time he heard about Joanna, it was when he and Bones were both drunk out of their minds on yet another missed birthday. The shine in Bones' eyes when he spoke of her was something that Jim was intimately familiar with. He didn't have any biological children – a miracle in itself with how many people he had slept with – but he knew what it was like to love someone so unconditionally that it was almost like they were extensions of himself.

By no real choice of his own, Jim had become a father to many kids on Tarsus IV. He knew each of them by name, by their faces and features. He knew their past, their likes and dislikes, and their dreams that never came to be. More than anything, Jim knew what it felt like to have his heart ripped out by the loss of a child.

No parent should ever have to feel that pain – that blind-stabbing agony that could break even the strongest of souls.

It was for that reason alone that Jim didn't want to have kids, despite saying that he wouldn't make a very good father. After losing so many on Tarsus, there was simply nothing left in Jim to give – no more soul to break.

But Joanna was a different story. From the first moment they met, she had healed him on so many levels that Jim didn't even know which way to turn, just as her father did. She touched him with her innocence and her childish love of everything that came her way. She was a bundle of light and warmth that Jim so desperately hoped would remain untainted.

It was too late for Jim, but if the world turned black, all that mattered was that she remained white.

He watched her reach shore and jump happily into Bones' arms, knowing full well that she was getting him wet. He could imagine Bones grouching about it with an amused twinkle in his eye and the laughing expression on Jo's face. Not for the first time, Jim felt a rush of gratitude that they had so easily accepted him into their family when he had none to start with.

"Uncle Jimmy". It was the one title that Jim was never going to give up. He could forsake his Captaincy and his fame and reputation, but "Uncle Jimmy"? Jim was going to take that one to the grave.

Smiling, Jim got to his feet when he sensed a wave coming and let its momentum push him towards Jo and Bones. By the time Jim got to shore, Joanna and Bones were a few feet away from the ice cream stand that was set at a good distance from the water, away from the highest tides. He knew that Bones was going to get him a mint-chocolate chip cone – it was his favorite after all – and he was more than excited to run up to the doctor and take it off his hands.

Sulu and Chekov both came in around the same time as he did and quickly fell into step with him.

"You're so whipped, Kirk," grinned Sulu, "She's got you wrapped around her pinky."

Jim scoffed. "As if you aren't either. Don't think I didn't see you keep an eye out for her while on the water. Chekov wouldn't have tipped over as much if you weren't so distracted."

"Vhat? Is zat true, Hikaru?" asked Chekov, his eyes wide and confused.

"Of course not, Pavel!"

Jim laughed as Sulu started to backtrack and defend himself against Chekov, but that cut short as an ominous feeling suddenly washed over him. Without really thinking about it, Jim started to catalog his surroundings: Uhura lying on the beach on her stomach, perfect content; Scotty on probably his fourth sandwich (ham and swiss); Sulu and Chekov next to him bickering and Bones and Joanna taking their cones from the ice cream stand.

The beach was relatively empty except for them; there were more people in the distance, but they were too far to be relevant. Beyond the sand were small bushes that served as a border between the beach and the paved parking lot.

A movement caught Jim's eye and he watched as an unmarked, large, black hovercar roll up near the ice cream stand. Immediately, gears began turning in Jim's mind.

"Kirk, you okay?" asked Sulu.

Jim had suddenly stopped moving without realizing it, looking at both McCoy and Joanna in the distance with a calculating frown on his face.

That caught Chekov's attention. "Keptin?"

"Sulu, call Spock and backup," Jim replied, his voice distant.

"What? Why?"

Jim suddenly sprung in action, shouting, "Now, Sulu, now!" as he sprinted away, surprisingly not towards McCoy or his daughter, but towards Scotty.

He barely even paused before he leaned down and grabbed a communicator that Scotty had before disappearing off into the distance, beyond the shrubbery.

Simultaneously, the door of the hovercar near McCoy opened and out popped three large masked men. One slammed the butt of a gun against the back of McCoy's head. He went down, unconscious, before he even saw them. The other two snatched up a screaming Joanna, dragging her into the hovercar.

Sulu and Chekov were already running when McCoy fell, but they knew that they were going to be too late to save Joanna.

At the sight of the two sprinting like their life depended on it and Joanna's sudden cries for help and her daddy, Uhura and Scotty sprang up, the former pulling out a phaser from seemingly out of nowhere. But by the time they were on their feet and making their way to McCoy, the car was already pulling away, tires screeching in its haste.

Uhura was instantly on her knees, checking Leonard's health. He was bleeding sluggishly where he was hit and was going to have a nasty headache when he woke up, but he was going to be fine.

"Shit!" swore Sulu as they skidded to a stop beside the unconscious doctor. "Where the hell is Kirk?"

As if to answer his question, a rumbling sound reached their ears, growing louder as the noise got closer to them. It turned out to be Jim – completely shirtless and shoeless – on a probably stolen motorbike, speeding off, chasing after the culprits who had his little "Princess".

"Oh, that's not going to end well…" murmured Sulu.

"For who? The idiots who took Leonard's girl or the idiot who ran off without a shirt, shoes, weapons, or a plan?" snapped Uhura.

"All of the above. Hell hath no fury like a Kirk scorned."

"And then whatev'r McCoy'll do whenever he wakes up," Scotty added.

Uhura sighed. "Someone call Spock. We're going to need a security team too, preferably before Kirk rips apart the entire state to get to Joanna."

"Chekov's already on it," said Sulu, nodding to the Russian who was busy speaking into his own communicator. "Man, those people are in for a rude awakening. No one messes with Kirk's family."

No one touched Jim's little Princess and hurt his best friend without consequences. Consequences that was far too severe for any normal human being to handle. Check that – for anyone to handle.

Sulu was certainly right.

Hell hath no fury like a protective Kirk.

As Jim watched the black hovercar slowly approach Bones and Joanna, he could feel his skin crawl. Instantly, his instincts screamed at him, telling him to move and protect, but his mind had yet to make the connections.

A blink later and Jim just knew that whoever was in the car was after either Bones or Joanna. It was unmarked and its presence in the vicinity of people meant that it was a kidnapping, not just a hit. It could still very be an ambush, but no matter what Jim did, he wouldn't have enough to time to stop that. All he could do was go after the sons of bitches that even dared to touch his family.

He blinked, and instantly, the world around him materialized in his mind as he remembered every single detail that he had seen, searching for something to work with.

Recalling a motorcycle parked a parking lot away from where Jim and his friends had beamed down in, Jim immediately took off towards it. He barely noticed the fact that Sulu was still yelling at him while he grabbed the communicator – Spock would need a way to track him – and leapt over the bushes.

Jim felt a rush of immense relief and gratitude that the person that owned the bike hadn't left yet. With no hesitation, Jim jumped onto it, his nails scratching against the metal as he pulled away a compartment to reach the wires. A few crisscrosses and a spark later, the bike roared to life beneath him. He glanced up briefly to see the men drag Joanna into the car and drive off.

The clutch beneath Jim's hand almost broke as he revved the bike. It took off so fast that Jim's body jolted, even though he had expected the lurch. As he chased after the black car, Jim noted his crew reaching the downed doctor.

Bones was lying on his side, completely limp, with his arm outstretched as if reaching for his daughter. Concern and panic ripped through Jim as he saw the slack expression on his best friend. His mind jumped to the worst. Raw, shattering grief overwhelmed him. The simple thought of having to return back to his normal everyday life with Bones was heart-wrenching, tearing open a void in Jim's barely whole heart. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think. He wasn't even sure if his blood was flowing though his veins anymore.

Bones couldn't be dead. He just couldn't, because there wouldn't be a Jim without Bones. Jim was only who he was because of Bones. He would have long ago drowned in his father's shadow, his mother's hatred, and the torment of his past if it wasn't for Bones.

He couldn't do this if Bones wasn't with him, laughing, grouching, and just being there for him.

Jim felt his eyes burn with tears, but he wouldn't let them fall. Almost as quickly as the despair had filled him, anger quickly replaced it, like a hot air balloon full of hydrogen gas that was seconds away from exploding.

How dare these people, whoever the fuck they were, hurt (because he refused to think the worst anymore, not when Jo was in danger) Bones and take Jo?! How dare they harm his family?!

Jim wanted so desperately to just overtake the stupid car and do something completely reckless that would result in a flaming accident, but Jo was in there. The one thing Jim could still save and protect, and he was damned if he would let her come to more harm.

With more willpower than Jim thought he had, he shoved all his fears and grief about Bones behind a thick, metal wall. His focus narrowed to only one thing: Joanna.

He eased on the clutch to stay a car or two behind the one that he was tracking. Surprise was easily his greatest asset right now and he made sure that he was unnoticed while he tailed his targets.

Silently, he followed Jo's captors for a good twenty minutes before they turned into a collection of large, abandoned warehouses. Jim parked a couple of warehouses away, just to stay out of sight. Wheeling the bike into an alley, Jim quietly crept to the corner and watched the goons pulled a still screaming and fighting Joanna out of the car and into a warehouse.

Training immediately kicked in. Jim surveyed the perimeter, taking count of all the men positioned outside. There were two men watching the entrance – both with archaic AK-47s and wearing those cliché black suits that one saw in twenty-first century mafia films. Jim could easily take those down, but he was sure that they weren't the only ones. Jim's luck always meant that something more difficult was just waiting on the horizon.

Eyeing the buildings themselves, Jim realized that these were like airplane hampers: generally empty behind the four metal walls with a walkway towards the top that went around like a running track above the space below. There could be other rooms within the warehouse where more henchmen could be hiding out in, but Jim couldn't be sure until he was inside.

These types of places were always difficult to completely secure. There were too many openings, too many weak points, not that most criminals would know. Because there was only one entrance, the culprits usually thought that that was the one point of entry.

But of course, not everyone could be a genius like Jim.

Jim knew for a fact that the weakest points of these warehouses were its roofs. If there were windows, they were weak and did not hold up against much weight. These buildings weren't built to protect against attacks or people like Jim. They were meant for storage, which made Jim's job much easier, though it would help if Jim had thought to grab some shoes before he left.

Like a cat, Jim easily scaled the sleek, metal walls, using the ridges to maintain his grip. Having bare feet made it easier to cling to the building, but the harshness and hardness was painful against his unprotected feet. If he kept on going, he was sure that his feet were going to be bloody by the end of this, but that was a small price to pay if it meant Jo's safety.

Quietly, Jim balanced carefully on the edge of the roof. He was right: raggedy glass windows lined the surroundings, allowing Jim a clear view of what was going on inside.

There were at least four men with guns guarding the upper catwalk; ten more on the bottom guarding seven large trucks with their shipment containers. Desks lined the center of the warehouse, forming a sort of office with lamps, bulletin boards, and papers lying about them. There weren't any rooms, like what Jim had thought, but he guessed that was what the trucks were for. As a spy for Starfleet, Jim couldn't help but feel an innate burning curiosity to know what were in them.

With great difficulty, Jim motionlessly watched Joanna being thrown roughly into the far left container – one that Jim assumed was empty. She never gave up, kicking and shouting every second – Jim was immensely proud and terrified for her at the same time.

He eased the window open slightly and voices started to drift up towards him.

"You run into any trouble?" said one man, the Southern drawl familiar. It was almost exactly like Bones'. He was dressed smartly in a suit, his brown hair slicked back.

"Naw. They never suspected a thing," responded a goon who was dressed similarly.

"Send the message out to Treadway. Tell him we have his daughter and if he ain't payin' up, then we'll return her slowly, piece by piece."

Treadway? Wasn't that the last name of the man who remarried Bones' ex-wife? Dots started to connect again. Treadway must've gotten into some financial trouble with these men who were now using Joanna as leverage. Jim wondered if Jocelyn and her husband knew of this imminent attack and chose to run. It explained why they left in such a rush and why they had insisted on Bones to take care of Jo.

"Already done."

"Good. Trask?"

"He'll be coming soon with the new shipments."

The man nodded. "Keep an eye out on the brat. Don't let her get out."

He signaled to two of his men who immediately posted themselves at the door to the truck.

Jim could hear Joanna yelling and banging against the walls of her entrapment. She was clearly more angry than afraid. Jim wasn't surprised – it seemed like Bones' gutsy courage was genetic.

The head honcho started to move away and out of sight. Jim kept still for a few minutes, categorizing and memorizing the guards' patterns. Only when he was absolutely sure that he could slip in unnoticed did he make his move.

He edged the window open further, just barely enough for him to fit through. He did it carefully, going headfirst as he slid downwards. Pressing his palms against the metal grating hard, he pushed all his weight onto his arms, almost thrusting his body into a handstand, but he paused at the last second and kept his raised foot in place to keep the window from snapping shut. Slowly, and with great control, Jim lowered his foot and the glass pane with it until there was no trace of him ever entering the warehouse.

Jim immediately crouched low, keeping out of sight, but he knew that he wouldn't remain unnoticed for long. There was nowhere for Jim to hide. He would have to get rid of the men on the walkway before someone sounded the alarm.

With almost inhuman speed, Jim darted forward a few feet to where the walkway turned a corner and launched himself into the air. He used the three connecting walls to hold himself up like a spider's web that was hidden unnoticed high up by the ceiling. As the first man wandered into his territory, Jim let himself go, dropping straight down onto the goon's shoulders with his hand already covering the man's mouth. He wasted absolutely no time and twisted the man's neck so hard and fast that he was dead before he even reached the ground. In the same movement, Jim stole the simple handgun from the man's holster.

The thud attracted the attention of the three other guards and before they had a chance to shout or pull out their guns, Jim had already taken aim and shot straight and true – each bullet making its way into the men's heads.

There was no chance that the men below didn't hear the commotion, and almost automatically, they raised their heads and guns to the catwalk. Only, all they saw were the unconscious bodies of their comrades and nothing else.

Out of absolute nowhere, Jim pounced off the walkway, diving down as if there was water beneath him. He rotated midair and rolling as the men started shooting at him; his movements dodged most bullets. It helped that the people were lousy shots.

Twisting one last time, Jim flipped and his outstretched leg landed heavily on a goon's head, knocking him out immediately. Jim used the man as a cushion for a soft and safe landing, but he didn't stay still for very long.

He sprinted to the nearest shelter, which was one of the trucks, and clambered into the front seat. He ducked under the dashboard and he popped out every so often to shoot back with his stolen weapons. Glass shattered all around him, cutting through his bare skin. Blood trickled down his brow and scratches all over his torso, but Jim barely even felt it. There was too much adrenaline rushing through his veins.

He took down six out of the ten counted men before his gun ran out of bullets. Fuck. He hated twenty-first century weaponry for that particular reason alone. The clicking of his empty magazine echoed in the large warehouse.

"You outta bullets?" shouted someone. Jim recognized the voice to be the man in charge.

"Why don't you come on over and check?" Jim yelled back.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Jim was so tempted to ask them who they were. He didn't even know their goddamn names! "I'm your worst fucking nightmare," Jim snarled.

"Yeah? You really think you can take down the rest of my men with an empty cartridge, no shoes, and no shirt? Clearly, there's somethin' you want. Come out. We can come to a compromise."

"What if I want your head?"

The man obviously had no interest in Jim's taunts. Annoyed, Jim dubbed him Pickles (he always hated those things).

Pickles kept talking. "What're you after? Money? Arms?"

Jim looked around, improvising as he formulated a plan. He shifted around, reaching under the wheel for the wires. "I just told you what I want," Jim said as he started to reconfigure the settings.

"Are you Treadway's man?"

"He can go fuck himself for all I care." Real hatred burned through Jim. He didn't know the whole story, but he knew enough to know that Joanna wouldn't have been in danger in the first place if Treadway didn't do something stupid.

"Then why're you here?"

Jim didn't reply, too focused in what he was doing.

"Wait, are you here for the girl?"

That made Jim pause and he glanced up, peeking at Pickles curiously. "What if I am?" he asked cautiously.

"If you have no connection to Treadway, why do you want her?"

"I have no interest in what you want from Treadway. All I want is her safety."

"Come on out. Let's discuss this like men."

The anger was back. "Says the ones who kidnapped a little girl."

"Come out or we shoot the girl."

Panic started to rear its ugly head before Jim shoved it down. The threat was just a ruse – one that he normally wouldn't pay any attention to, but his plan was set. He was ready and it was time to make an appearance.

"Alright, alright! I'm coming out. Don't shoot her." Slowly, Jim raised his head, kicking open the door and stepped down. He had his arms held up in a surrender.

Four men had their guns trained on Jim. Pickles was a few feet behind his thugs.

"Who're you?" he demanded.

Now Jim was insulted. "Are you serious? How do you not know who the fuck I am?"

"Hang on. I think I recognize him," said one of Pickles' men. Jim named him Bozo. "That's Captain James T. Kirk of the Enterprise!" he exclaimed, his tone and body language completely panicked.

"Thank you," Jim caustically sniped. "It's good to know that one of your men has brains."

"What the fuck is a Starfleet Captain doing in the middle of bum-fuck country town?" shouted the guy next to him, or Goose, as Jim decided to call him.

Jim's expression twisted, turning cold like a cobra about to strike. He took a step forward, completely disregarding the fact everyone flinched at his movement. It helped that his rumors were widely exaggerated (slightly) – it made him seem so much more formidable even when he was half-naked.

"The man that you guys took out to get the girl? He happens to be one of my men – my best friend, in fact," Jim hissed, venom in every single word. The metal wall he had constructed in his mind cracked at the thought of Bones, or maybe that was what was left of his damaged heart. At this point, he wasn't sure.

He clenched his fists, concentrating more on his pure, unadulterated fury at the fuckers before him. Fire blazed in his blue eyes. "I'm sure that if you've heard of me, you've heard of what I do to those that hurt or threaten my people," Jim snarled.

Pickles laughed loudly. "What the hell can you do empty-handed, Captain?"

Jim smiled, his head cocked menacingly. "Do you really want to find out?"

Goose, as expected, started to shift around nervously. "Boss, this guy's crazy. I heard he took down an entire cell of convicts that attacked the Enterprise with a communicator and PADD."

"Actually, it was just a PADD," Jim corrected. "Look, I don't give a damn about what you do with Treadway. Give me the girl and I'll leave you guys in peace. I won't report you or anything. All I want is the girl."

Pickles contemplated it for a second before nudging Bozo. "Get the girl."

"Boss, you sure?" Bozo questioned.

"Get her now."

Jim felt his heart leap. Perhaps things were actually going to go smoothly for once in his fucking life?

Bozo nodded and passed his gun to Pickles. Cautiously, he walked in a giant semi-circle around Kirk whose blue eyes seemed to freeze his soul from the inside out as they followed his every step. He disappeared behind Jo's truck and suddenly, her screams and indignant yells of "My daddy and Uncle are going to kick all your butts!" could be heard.

Bozo's grunts filled the air. They came into view: Bozo was carrying Joanna like a puppy under his arm. She was kicking and struggling every second. Then she looked up. Her brown eyes widened in surprise.

"Uncle Jimmy!" she exclaimed. The sight of him made her fight with more fervor and one of her elbows got a lucky shot in, striking Bozo in his ribs. He was so caught off guard by the surprise pain that he actually dropped Joanna.

Instantly, she made a run directly for Jim who quickly swept her off her feet and hugged her tightly to his chest. He tilted his body, his new position shielding Joanna fairly well.

Rubbing her back comfortingly, Jim whispered into her ear. "That's my girl. It's gonna be alright, Princess. Promise." He purposely added a tint of Southern accent into his words to better soothe her. "Your Uncle Jimmy is going to take care of this and bring you back to your dad, so please, keep quiet, okay? Please?"

He felt her nod against him. He leaned down and kissed her on the head. "Good girl."

"See, she's safe," Pickles smiled, completely unworried.

Jim glared at him. "You're not going to let us walk out of here, are you?"

"Too much leverage in one place. I'm not an idiot, Captain. Even if I can't get Treadway to pay up, I'm sure Starfleet will pay a large sum for your safety."

"You have four men left. You think they'll be enough to stop me?" The ice in his threat froze all the men to their places and unexplainable fear began to consume them.

Uncertainty flickered on Pickles' face, but a loud honking interrupted the conversation and a wide grin replaced the doubt. The doors to the warehouse opened electronically with the remote that Pickles' pulled out of his jacket pocket.

Jim felt his stomach sink as three convoys came driving in. He counted at least twelve men in each one, all carrying AK-47s. Fuck. The shipment that Trask was bringing in – the one that Pickles was checking on when Jim was still doing recon – wasn't goods or money. It was hired hands.

Oh, shit. Jim was good, but he wasn't that good. He clutched the silent Joanna tighter to him.

"Good to see you, Trask. Good timin' as always," said Pickes.

Trask – a middle-aged, bald man in a leather jacket – sauntered up to Pickles. "What's going on here? Is that Captain Kirk?"

"Yeah. We really hit the jackpot now."

A tint of worry started to lick at Jim's gut. He felt Scotty's communicator burning his skin where it was hitched to the back of his swim-pants. He knew that Spock and the others were tracing it, but at this point, Jim wasn't sure if they'd make it to them on time. He had stalled for as long as he could.

Seconds were ticking down. It was going to be too close. Far too close for comfort.

Jim had a tiny window of opportunity and he was going to take it, despite what was going to happen to him.

He curled over Joanna, ducking his head so his entire body shielded hers, and took off sprinting away from Pickles and his men. Shouts erupted from behind him as did sounds of gunshots. Sharp pain lanced Jim's side; he could feel immense heat and blood trickle from the graze, but he ignored it and kept going.

Three.

Two.

One.

And then all that anyone in the warehouse knew was fire, pain, and darkness.

McCoy came awake to a sharp pain in the cheek followed by a resounding throbbing in his head. He groaned, sitting up as he tried to make sense of the chaotic mess in his mind. Echoes of Joanna's screams grew louder and louder until McCoy was snapping to complete attention with fear, worry, and panic.

"Jo!" he gasped, his sudden movements almost making him head-butt Uhura in the face.

Relief was evidence in her expressions. "Good, you're awake. Sorry for slapping you, Leonard, but we need to get moving."

McCoy looked around – they were still on the beach, but they were now joined by Spock and a fully decked out security team who stood beside a large hover-van. Uhura, Scotty, Sulu, and Chekov had already changed into their Starfleet uniform.

Uhura was holding out an extra one to McCoy. "Get dressed. We have to go."

"Wha…?" Confusion was still evident in Leonard's face. "Wait, where's Jim? Where's Jo?"

"The idiot went after the morons who took Joanna," Sulu replied as he walked up to them. There was wonder in his next words. "He knew that something was going down before it even happened and he took off running. Seconds later, he's driving a motorcycle and chasing after car."

Alarm spread through McCoy. "Did he see me go down?"

Sulu frowned. "Yeah, why?"

"Did he check on me before he left?"

"Nope. He was right on the car's tail before they both disappeared from view."

McCoy surged to his feet, pulling on the uniform as he did. "We have to go."

"That's what I've been saying!" Uhura said, exasperated. "Spock has already tracked down the communicator Jim took and we're ready to move out. Joanna's going to be safe, Leonard, especially if Kirk's there."

"No, you don't understand," growled McCoy. "Jim doesn't know if I'm dead or alive."

Realization dawned on Uhura and Sulu and then fear filled them too. If Jim thought that McCoy was dead, then he was going to raze this city to the ground.

"Spock!" yelled Uhura, keeping her eye on Leonard even as she started to run to the Vulcan. "Spock! We have to go, now!"

The urgency in her words and movements made Spock and the rest spur into action without another question. Everyone piled into the van with Sulu in the driver's seat and Spock in the passenger's. The Vulcan had his PADD out with a map on it. He kept his eyes focused on the blinking red dot that they were slowly getting closer to and gave crisp and accurate directions to Sulu.

Eighteen minutes later, they arrived in an array of warehouses.

"Which one is it, Spock?" demanded McCoy.

"I do not know," the Vulcan responded.

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?!"

"The trace is not accurate enough to determine which one Jim is in."

"Doesn't matter," Sulu said quickly, already scanning the warehouses. "Look for the one that's smoking, burning down, or I don't know, covered in weird purple goop. This is Kirk we're talking about. He's flashy wherever he goes."

An explosion nearby rocked the air, shaking the van and all the occupants in it.

Chekov looked sheepish and pointed out the window. "I zhink I found him."

Sulu was already moving the car towards the warehouse on fire. The security team and everyone were out and moving about before the car was parked completely. They stormed the open doors to see a number of men groaning and shifting around listlessly as they tried to escape the pain. Many were bleeding from shrapnel; others were slowly being eaten by fire, but they wouldn't feel the agony ever again.

Four trucks and their shipment containers were lying on their sides like cows that were tipped over; two more were left upright, but slightly scorched. The one closest to the men seemed to have been completely blown apart from the inside out. No doubt Jim's work there.

"Secure the room," Spock commanded to the team. "Search for Captain Kirk and Miss Joanna."

The crew spread out quickly, swarming and searching, while half of security handcuffed the remaining live criminals.

"What the hell happened here?" breathed Sulu. With each step he took, something crunched under his feet.

"Jim happened," McCoy said simply. Those two words were enough to explain everything.

"Ze explosion vas wery large," Chekov commented. "Ze Keptin must've forced the engine of ze truck to explode."

Uhura delicately stepped over the body of an unknown man. "So where is he?"

"How much do you want to bet that he's hiding behind one of those trucks?" Sulu said lightly.

Banging suddenly burst out from the back corner of the warehouse, but it was clearly not from behind the trucks.

"Or he could be inside one," commented Spock with a tinge of a sigh in his words.

McCoy sprinted to furthest truck with the rest of the Command crew on his heels. "Jim! Joanna!" he shouted, his fingers fumbling with the lock on the doors.

The instant he unlocked them, he flung it wide open to see a bloody and slightly singed Jim staring at them with suspicion and wariness. His entire body was poised and ready to attack any intruders even as he still remained curled around a completely unharmed Joanna.

Then he recognized the man standing before him: it was Bones – completely alive and well. His brown eyes were blazing with worry and fear for Jim and his daughter. Sweat was dripping down his brow from running around; he was breathing heavy and his hair was windblown.

All in all, it was the look of a man who was more alive than how Jim felt.

Bones was alright. Bones was alive and Joanna was safe. Those words repeated over and over again in Jim's mind like a mantra.

And just like that, Jim's world righted itself right then and there. He had been so focused on saving Joanna that he hadn't let himself think back to the sight of Bones lying so limply on the ground. But the thought of losing his best friend had seeped into his subconscious. He hadn't even been aware of how lopsided he was until Bones was standing before him. He hadn't realized how tight his chest was, threatening to suffocate him where he was.

But as he watched Bones shout his name and Joanna's, he found that could breathe again.

A goofy, soft look spread across his face as he grinned brightly at Bones and his friends.

"Hey!" Jim greeted with a smile, his cheekiness all about him. "What took you guys so long?"

McCoy's relief was so strong that he actually fell to his knees.

Jim's happiness quickly morphed into alarm. "Bones! You okay?" just as Joanna leapt out of Jim's arms to wrap hers around McCoy.

"Daddy!" she cried happily.

The solid presence of his daughter pushed McCoy out of his reverie and he hugged her so tight that she could barely breathe. "Oh, Jo. I'm so glad you're alright."

In front of him, Bones heard Jim speak to Sulu. "You guys stopped and changed? What the hell, guys?"

"Unlike you," Uhura said, rolling her eyes, "We had the sense to not rush into a potentially dangerous situation without any shoes or shirt."

"Enjoying the view?" quipped Jim.

Uhura glanced at Jim's rock-hard abs. "Hmm. I've seen better," she shrugged.

"What a liar," Jim chuckled. "You bring me any clothes?"

"Nope," grinned Uhura. "We were too preoccupied with the search for Joanna."

"This is mutiny, I tell you, mutiny!"

"How did you even get stuck in this container?" asked Sulu with a sly grin. "Was that part of your plan, Kirk?"

Jim heard the implications easily. "Excuse you, my plans are always awesome. And I didn't exactly think that the stupid lock was going to latch in the midst of the explosion."

It was Scotty who realized that something was off. For all that Jim was saying, he hadn't moved a muscle. "You okay, Jim?"

Instantly, six heads snapped around to stare at Jim and really looked at him. He was covered in soot and blood, but they couldn't be sure if it was Jim's or the people he took down. No details could be discerned while Jim kept himself hidden in the shadows of the truck, which was worrisome to say the least.

Jim shook their concern away. "I'm fine."

Now that Joanna was clinging to her father like a monkey, Jim was free to move, though he did it mostly to show his friends that he was alright. Keeping in the dark, he scooted to the edge of the truck. He remained sitting, even as he slyly grasped the corner of the vehicle for support. The gesture did not go unnoticed by Sulu, who happened to be the closest to Jim. Sulu frowned and was about to take a step forward to help him when Jim shot him a surreptitious glare that stopped him in his tracks.

Whatever it was that was wrong with Jim, he didn't want anyone to know. At least not yet.

Jim eyed Joanna carefully, noting that she was staring at him with something akin to guilt and worry. Tears had started to accumulate in those pretty brown eyes and Jim felt himself squirming with unease. If he made her cry, he was going to throw himself into the Brig and never come back out. Of all things, he didn't want Joanna to see any of his injuries – dire or not. Even if she was just nine-years-old, she would still blame herself for Jim's injuries. She was just like Bones in that way so he clamped his mouth shut and refused to move further into the light, staying plastered to the wall of the truck.

He could feel his friends dissecting his actions and trying to figure things out, so he quickly started talking, hoping to get them distracted.

"Uhura, bring Bones and Jo back to the Enterprise and keep them sequestered onboard, just in case there're loose ends floating around. And give dear old Jocelyn a call, will you? I have some questions I'd like to ask her husband." Jim shifted and turned to his second-in-command. "Keep this under wraps, Spock. I think Pike is going to get an ulcer if he learns that we messed with the Georgian mafia."

"Would you like me to imprison the men in the Brig?" Spock asked. Bless his soul. He didn't even question Jim's decision to sweep everything under the rug. He was learning to just go along with Jim's insane ideas.

"For now. Figure out who they are and specifically, look into the guy called Trask. He may be a part of a bigger play. And then give the rest up for the local authorities. I'm sure they've been wanting their hands on these jackas–" Jim paused and glanced warily at Joanna. "These jerks," he amended, "for a while now."

"Understood," Spock nodded. "I assume that you will be staying here for the time being."

It wasn't a question, but Jim took it as one all the same. "Yeah. I'd like to poke around for more information on these guys. And before you all tweak out, I'll keep Scotty, Sulu, and Chekov for security purposes. Leave me a couple of men from the security team too. You guys can take the van back with you. We'll beam up when we're done."

His voice trailed off and for a second, Jim looked very confused. It was not an expression that they saw on his face often.

"What?" snapped Uhura, concern making her tone sharp. "Did you hit your head, Kirk?"

"It's just...why the he-heck did you guys bring a van? Did you rent it or something? Where it even come from?"

"Ze GPS on your communicator vas not as clear as it should hawe been, Keptin," explained Chekov. "Zhere must hawe been a jamming signal somevhere because ve could only get your generalized location. Ve did not vant to beam down in the vrong place. Ze van allowed better mobility."

"And yeah, we rented it," finished Sulu.

Jim was too baffled to be satisfied with that. "Who rents out vans anymore?!"

"Of all things, you're hung up on that? How about a thank you for saving you?" Uhura sniped.

"Uh, I had everything taken care of before you showed up, thank you very much."

"Which is why you were locked in a truck when we arrived, right?" She smirked, knowing full well that Kirk had nothing to say against that.

"Fine, you win this round, Uhura. Now get. The sooner we deal with this shi-crap," he changed, "the better. Bottom line: no one tell Pike, got it?"

Uhura snorted. "As if he isn't already aware of all your shenanigans, Kirk. Come on, Spock, Leonard. Let's head back before we get blamed for his messes."

McCoy hesitated, still a bit unwilling to leave Jim behind.

"Go, Bones. I'll be fine," Jim smiled reassuringly. "Take care of Jo, alright? And Princess, don't give your father too much trouble. He was worried sick over you, okay?"

"Yes, Uncle Jimmy," she mumbled. Her small hands were still clutched against Bones' shirt.

"Good. I'll see both you guys later." Jim waved at the two as Uhura and Spock led them towards the van. By then, the security team had already loaded up the remaining felons and formed a sort of physical barrier between the front and back of the van. A few instructions later, three Redshirts jumped out while Spock, Uhura, Leonard, and Joanna climbed in. They were all gone in the matter of minutes.

"So, no kiss goodbye?" teased Sulu.

Jim grimaced. "I would if I could."

"Jim?" questioned Scotty, approaching him.

"It's nothing serious, I swear," Jim frantically said as he recognized those looks of anger and worry in Scotty's, Sulu's, and Chekov's faces. "My feet are a bit messed up. Can't really walk right now."

He shifted and finally came into the light, allowing his friends to see his injuries. There was a small growing puddle of blood around his hips. Burns covered what little of his back that they could see. His feet were torn; in the right one, there was a jagged piece of glass buried within it.

"Ouch," winced Sulu in sympathy.

"It's not bad, Sulu," Jim said again, "But I may need some help getting up."

Wordlessly, Scotty and Sulu leaned forward – each taking one of Jim's arms and heaving him up. Jim couldn't stop a small hiss as they moved towards a more uncluttered region.

They set Jim down carefully on a box that a security officer had set up for him.

"Thank you, Ensign," breathed Jim, settling down. "Hoover, right?"

Hoover snapped to attention. "Yes, sir."

Jim chuckled. "No need for that, Ensign. You and Chen dig around a bit. Find out what was in the trucks and see if there's anything that we can use against them."

"Yes, sir!" replied both Hoover and Chen who turned to obey, leaving their last member standing by Jim.

Jim smiled at him. "Lipinski, loan me that emergency Medpack that I know you always carry around."

It was honestly quite amazing how Jim knew everyone on his ship, and not just by name. He knew their lives, their dreams and habits. He took the time to get to know his crew; the more he knew, the more he could care about them. It was just one of the many reasons why his entire crew respected and loved him.

Lipinski quickly drew out a miniaturized first-aid kit and handed to Jim. "Do you need help, sir? I'm trained in emergency triage."

"No, thank you. That's not necessary."

"Sir, that wound on your foot will require the dermal regenerator or at least some stitches. A bandage alone will not suffice."

"Has Bones been talking to you about my self-preservation instincts? Because I can assure you that I have more than an ant."

"He said it was a mayfly."

Jim chuckled. "My bad. It's fine, Ensign. I can take care of this myself. Please help Hoover and Chen look around. I want to be out of here within an hour or less."

"Understood, sir. Please call me if you need assistance."

"I will, Lipinski. Thank you."

At the silent dismissal, Lipinski joined his comrades in combing the warehouse with a fine-tooth comb.

Jim opened the kit and took out tweezers and gauze. His blue eyes settled on Chekov, Scotty, and Sulu. "If you guys get nauseous from blood, I suggest you look away."

But he didn't give them much time before he lifted his foot, reached down, and wrenched the piece of glass out. Blood immediately gushed out and Jim quickly pressed the gauze onto the wound as he fumbled around the kit, pulling out a portable dermal regenerator. A few seconds later, the machine was whirling and healing his injury.

It took a few minutes. Jim wasn't even aware of the silence until it was broken.

"Doesn't zat hurt, Keptin?" breathed Chekov, his face a little white.

Jim shrugged. "Not really. I've had worse."

"Why didn't you tell McCoy about this?" questioned Sulu.

"I didn't want Jo to see anything and he should really take care of her first."

His vague statement made absolute sense to his friends. They all felt the same protective instincts towards the girl as Jim, though perhaps not quite as strongly as Jim. She was a symbol of purity among them, and the last thing they wanted to do was soil her with blood.

Scotty eyed the rest of Jim's wounds. Most were superficial cuts that had already stopped bleeding. The worst of all the injuries was a graze against Jim's side that was still steadily dripping blood. "Do ya need Lipinski ta help out?"

"Naw, I'm certified in emergency triage, remember?"

The foot had healed and Jim moved on to the graze, pinching together his flesh to make it easier on the dermal regenerator to heal the skin.

"Why are you doing this here again?" asked Sulu. "Couldn't you have waited until you were back onboard where it's sanitary and there aren't dead bodies lying around?"

"Never took you for a squeamish man, Sulu," Jim quipped. "By the way, no one tell Bones about this, got it? I swear to God that I'll make your life a living hell if you do because that's what Bones will do to me. An eye for an eye, got it?"

They chuckled. "Got it."

"Sir, there are weapons in the trucks," Hoover said, coming up to them.

Jim glanced up, taking in Hoover's tense body language. "And their significance, Ensign? I assume you wouldn't have that dark look on your face otherwise."

"They're stolen, sir, from Starfleet."

Instantly, Jim straightened up, ignoring the twinge he felt in his side. "How do you know that?" He distantly recalled a report about an entire shipment of phasers, grenades, and many other types of weaponry disappearing out of thin air. Those weapons were supposed to go to USS Akira to replace all the arms that they had lost during an attack.

"The serial numbers have been scraped off, but a few still have their barcodes. We scanned them and a red flag popped up."

Jim grinned broadly. "Well, I guess we can tell Pike after all."

"Vhat do you mean, Keptin?"

"I just uncovered an underground arms smuggling ring."

"Accidentally," Sulu added.

"Accidental or not, I think I deserve some credit for this."

"How the hell do you always end up walking into these sorts of situations? Last time, you got knighted even after being sentenced to death!"

Jim stood, his weight heavy on his left foot to eliminate any extra pain on his right, and patted Sulu on the shoulder. "I'm just awesome, that's all. Don't be jealous." He nodded to Hoover, Chen, and Lipinski. "Gather everything up and catalog it. We'll help."

The security men hesitated. "Sir," Chen said, "I think you should rest while we take care of this."

Jim looked down at himself, frowning. He was still covered in cuts, bruises, and blood, but it was nothing now that he had healed the more serious injuries. But he couldn't very well go back onboard the way he was at the moment. The whispers would reach Bones' ears and he'd have a whole new problem to deal with. "Sulu, give me your uniform."

"What?"

"Come on, now's not the time to be shy. Pass me your uniform so people stop staring."

"Never thought I'd see the day that Jim Kirk wants to put on more clothes," smirked Sulu as he pulled his gold uniform off and handed it to Jim.

"Har, har. Hilarious, Sulu," Jim deadpanned. Luckily, Sulu was the same size as him; it covered the majority of all the lacerations and bruises on his torso. "Now get to work. I want everything wrapped up in half-an-hour. Chekov, Scotty, work together to make sure we can beam all this stuff up."

Hoover, Chen, Lipinski, and Sulu were much more efficient than Jim had expected. He had an inkling that they just didn't want him to do any heavy lifting, especially since he still had no shoes, so they worked twice as faster as they would've normally, which was just plain silly. Jim was fine – feeling a little bruised, of course, but it wasn't anything he could handle. He'd had worse.

Through the entire process, Jim was unusually distracted – his focus never stayed at one place for long – and his brow was crinkled from the perpetual frowning expression on his face. Sulu and Scotty both recognized the signs: Jim was getting antsy and impatient, but they had no idea why. They had thought that it was because Jim wanted to check on Joanna, but when they beamed back up to the Enterprise, Jim was already on the move with apparently, no intention on seeking out Joanna or Bones.

They must have made quite a sight: Sulu with his bare chest and his toned abs (he was Jim's normal sparring partner after all) and Jim was still wearing his swim trunks and no shoes with spots of red peeking out through the gold cloth. He was covered in soot and grime and definitely looked as though he had been involved in an explosion.

Jim immediately waved off his concerned crew and briskly started to walk out of the transporter room.

"Where are you going, Kirk?" Sulu shouted after him.

"Things to do, people to see," Jim replied absentmindedly. "Run interference on Bones for me, will ya?"

Sulu and Scotty shared a worried look. They could only imagine how McCoy was right now. How the hell were they going to keep McCoy away from whatever the hell Jim was going to do?

"Oh," Jim suddenly said, jolting them all in surprise. "And for all that is good and holy, someone find me some shoes!"

About an hour later, Jim was still sitting in his ready room, wearing a new and clean uniform. He was leaning back in his chair with his now shoe-covered feet propped up on the table. His hands were folded on his stomach. Though there were still bruises and cuts on his face, Jim was the epitome of smugness.

After Jim dug around a little bit on his own on Trask and all that he was involved with, he had called Pike to tell him what happened. And now, Pike was on screen before him with an expression of disbelief and exasperation.

"Just to clarify, though you were supposed to be docked in Georgia for repairs - which, by the way, means that there's no need to beam down - you still found yourself caught up with a well-known mafia group that has been causing problems for Starfleet for the last five years," restated Pike.

"And proceeded to take them out," grinned Jim, "Wearing nothing but swim trunks."

Pike pinched the bridge of his nose for a brief second to gather some semblance of calm before looking back up at Jim. "And you also brought back Arnold Trask. The man that has been selling arms to terrorists since the Nero incident."

"Yep. And since Trask is notorious in working alone, his whole entire operation collapses without him. So technically, I took down a mafia and a major arms dealer in nothing but swim trunks." Jim smirked. "You're a little impressed with me, aren't you? Admit it, Pike. I'm awesome."

Pike rolled his eyes. "You stole a motorbike, blew up and entire warehouse..."

"Who told you about the motorbike? It was Spock, wasn't it? That tattletale," Jim interrupted with a pout, though Pike paid no attention to him and kept going.

"Not the mention all the legal ramifications because you went off the grid and exploded places on a whim. I wouldn't call that 'awesome', Jim."

Jim shrugged. "I like explosions. You know that. Besides, I got the job done."

"What job? You weren't assigned any!"

"But I did solve two major problems for Starfleet, didn't I?" Jim's eyes sparkled. He just knew that he was going to get recognized for his deeds, despite everything being off the books.

Pike sighed. "Starfleet's going to give you a medal."

"No fucking way!" Jim laughed. It slipped out before Jim had a chance to stop his mouth from running.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't let it get to your head, Jim. I expect a written report by tonight."

A trace of steel entered Jim's light-heart expressions. "Can you wait until tomorrow?" he asked innocently.

Pike's eyes narrowed. "What are you going to do?"

"There's something I need to take care of."

"And what's that?"

Jim shrugged, trying to come off as nonchalant. "I gotta fulfill my duties as godfather."

Pike nodded, knowing full well Jim's relation to Joanna McCoy. That little girl saved more of Jim than anyone could ever imagine. After the shit that happened on and after Tarsus, Jim had needed to relearn what innocence was. Joanna represented a world untouched by the corruptness of human life – a purity that Jim had long ago forgotten before her, which meant that Jim would bring hell to its knees if it meant protecting her.

"Fine. Turn in the report whenever you're done," Pike said. He gave Jim a warm smile – the one that he knew made Jim's heart flutter from parental love that he never had before. "Good work, Jim."

The screen zipped black before Jim had a chance to make a fool of himself stuttering out a thanks. Pike knew that Jim didn't do well with emotions because, well, Jim was an emotionally backwards child, so out of kindness, Pike hung up so that Jim didn't have to respond.

Jim didn't linger long. He left his PADD lying on the table when he left the ready room. The moment he stepped onto the Bridge, Chekov came up to him with his phaser and its holster. The young man had dark look on his face – it was quite similar to the one that Jim had on his.

With just a nod as thanks, Jim holstered his phaser and was already moving towards the turbolift. Wordlessly, Sulu and Spock followed him. Both were armed as well.

Once in the turbolift, Jim said into the tense atmosphere, "You track them down?"

"Yes, Captain. Mr. Scott already has the coordinates inputted into the transported," Spock responded, his tone just as monotone and aloof as Jim's.

"Are they expecting us?"

"No, I do not believe so."

A feral grin spread across Jim's face. "Good."

The Treadways were never going to know what hit them. Not until it was far too late.

The chatter in the lobby of the prestigious, glamorous hotel suddenly fell reticent as eyes noticed the three men who walked up to the front desk. Though there wasn't anything ostentatious about the Starfleet uniforms that they were wearing, it wasn't everyday that an armed Captain James T. Kirk, Commander Spock, and Lieutenant Sulu walked through the doors of a hotel located in downtown Savannah, Georgia.

Stopping by the desk, Jim gave the concierge a brilliant and dazzling smile. "Hello, how are you this fine day?" he said, his bright blue eyes beckoning. He couldn't help it – being flirtatious was his default setting.

She gave Jim a shy smile back and tucked her long hair behind her ear. "How may I help you, Captain Kirk?"

"I'd like to know the room number for a Mr. Clay Treadway."

She gave Jim a slight frown. "I'm sorry, Captain, I don't think I can give out that information."

Jim glanced quickly at her name badge as he leaned in a little more, letting his handsome face do all the work. "Pretty please with a cherry on top, Felicia?"

Felicia giggled and quickly typed into the database. "Mr. Treadway is in room 2138. Will you need a key, Captain?"

"No, the room number is enough. Thank you, Felicia. I appreciate it. Oh, and can you keep this our little secret?"

She nodded, smiling.

"Thanks!" Jim gave her a little wave before he walked off with Spock and Sulu following him.

People stared until they disappeared around the corner to board the elevator.

A few minutes later, Jim was knocking on the door to room 2138.

"Who is it?" came a muffled male voice.

"Hotel manager," Jim lied.

The door burst open as Clay Treadway poked his head through, snarling, "What do you want?!"

Jim smiled, coldness rolling off him. "I'd like to have a little chat with you, Mr. Treadway. May I come in?"

Treadway – a handsome man with slightly graying hair – swallowed harshly as he realized who it was that stood before him. His faced paled as he numbly nodded. "Y-yes, of course. Come in, Captain Kirk."

"Thank you," Jim said, gracefully sliding past Treadway to saunter into his hotel room.

It was a nice, large one-bedroom suite with a living room and a kitchen. Though plain, there was an elegance to the monotone-colored theme.

Jim didn't really wait for Treadway to offer him a seat and sat down in the armchair closest to the windows. He faced the entirety of the room with his back to the walls. Crossing his legs, Jim straightened his back and placed his hands on the arm rests. Spock and Sulu came around to stand at guard behind him; both had stoic, stone expressions and one hand resting near their phaser.

"Clay, honey, who is it?" came Jocelyn's high-pitched voice. She walked into the living room, her hands in motion of putting in an earring. When she saw Jim, she instantly froze, fear touching her eyes.

"Hello, Jocelyn. Long time no see," Jim greeted serenely.

Jocelyn nodded nervously as she moved closer to her husband, hiding slightly behind him. "Long time no see, James. What're you doin' here?"

"I'm here to speak to your husband about the under table dealings he's been doing."

Seeing his wife cowered, Treadway found more gusto to throw at Jim. He lifted his chin in defiance. "What's it to you?"

Jim shrugged. "Nothing much. I'm here to give you a warning. An ultimatum, if you will. I know everything, Treadway, and you're going to stop it all. I don't care if you lose millions doing it, but you're going to stop and cut off all ties to anything that is even remotely off the books."

"You goin' to make me? You who brought your dogs in to protect you," snarled Treadway. "What're you gonna do to make me?"

"Don't get me wrong, Mr. Treadway. They are not here to protect me. They are here to protect you. Do get the distinction right."

"Yeah? What the hell can you do to me?"

Jim didn't move, but his smiling expressions became more feral. "With your line of work, I'm sure you've heard of a branch of the Russian mafia, called the Bratva? I'm the one that took them all out, and I did that when I was twenty-one. What do you think I'm capable of now?"

With fear freezing his insides, Treadway became reticent.

Jim continued when he knew that he had rendered Treadway speechless. The cordial tone that Jim had started out with was quickly dissipating. "Because of your shady dealings, I saw my best friend get struck down and your daughter get kidnapped all in the same breath. I even thought that Leonard was dead until after I had saved your daughter." He refused to use 'Bones' in front of these people, even if 'Leonard' felt so foreign on his tongue.

Anger sparked as he continued, but it was subdued – barely contained. "And then I find out that you two knew that there was going to be an imminent attack on you so you pawn off Joanna to McCoy while you hide in this nice, fancy hotel, safe and sound. Do you know how that makes me feel?"

Jim leaned forward, a snarl clear on his face. "It infuriates me." He took a deep breath to steady himself. When he spoke again, his tone was slightly calmer, though it definitely didn't end calmly. "I told you that my friends are here to protect you. I want you to know that they're here to protect you from me. And trust me when I say this: it is taking almost all of my willpower to not get up from this chair and rip your fucking face off."

Treadway and Jocelyn visibly flinched.

"Now, here's what I don't know: why the hell did you leave Joanna behind and not run with her? Surely, you knew that she could be held as leverage or for ransom."

"I knew that Leonard could keep her safe. And if not him, you could. She was going to be safe on the Enterprise," Jocelyn responded shakily.

"And you didn't think to tell us that she was in danger?" The anger was quickly rising in Jim's voice again. "We could've prepared better if you told us! She never would have been taken in the first place!"

"I didn't think that you would leave the ship!" Jocelyn wailed.

"I wouldn't have let her leave the ship if you had fucking told me!" Jim shouted back, rising slightly in the chair, only to have Spock's steady hand push him back down. Jim closed his eyes and exhaled, forcibly calming himself.

"You know what, that's not the fucking point anymore. This is what's going to happen: Leonard is going to get full custody of Joanna. Joanna can choose if she wants to continue to live with you when Leonard isn't on leave, and if she does, you better clean up your act. Shit like this is never going to happen again, do you understand me? If it does and Joanna or Leonard is ever put in danger again, I don't give a damn if Starfleet boots me or if Leonard never speaks to me again, but I swear, I will come for you, and it won't end well. I will spend every second making you suffer. Do you understand me?"

Both nodded their heads vigorously, clutching each other like their lives depended on it. Their lives probably did, seeing how they were dealing with a livid Jim Kirk.

"Good." All of a sudden, Jim was full of decorum, like he had just finished dealing with a client. "Mr. Treadway, I expect to hear back from your regarding your business plans within two days. I will personally come to check things out before I decide to release Joanna back into your care."

Jim rose, dusting off his pants and strolled casually to the door. Spock and Sulu were right behind him. "It was nice speaking with you."

He paused right before he left. "Oh, and Mr. Treadway? I am very serious about my threats. If you still don't believe me, ask any of your contacts about me. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to break things off with you if you tell them that I'm not pleased about your transactions with them."

Jim smiled – that same fake smile that froze a person's soul from the inside out. "Have a good day. I expect to hear from you soon." And he calmly shut the door in Treadway's face.

Sulu shivered beside Jim as they walked down the hallway. "You can be damn terrifying when you're angry, Kirk."

Jim shrugged, his body language completely relaxed now that he was out of the room. It was like a switch had been flipped – Jim was an entirely different man than he was literally a few seconds ago. Not for the first time, Sulu could see how Jim became one of Starfleet's best undercover agent.

"You said that you took down the Bratva mafia, Jim?" asked Spock, his natural curiosity coming out.

"Oh yeah, I heard about that," Sulu said. "It was a whole big deal because they were untouchable for hundreds of years. You were involved in that?"

"In a way," Jim replied. He pressed the button to the elevator.

"Care to elaborate?"

"It's classified. The only thing I can tell you is that it was the first mission that Komack sent me on. It was my trial run."

The elevator dinged open. Jim, Spock, and Sulu piled in quickly, leaving Jim to press the button for the ground floor.

"And Admiral Komack kept you under his tight grasp for the five or so years since then," Spock commented. "Which means that you were more involved than 'in a way' as you say. Am I correct?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny that," Jim replied. He pulled out his communicator and called Scotty. "Scotty, you have a lock on us, right? Beam us up."

"Yes, sir. Give me two minutes," came Scotty's reply.

"I thought we were going to wait until we hit the lobby," Sulu mentioned.

"We made too much of a scene when we got here. I'm not in the mood to deal with the ogling eyes."

"Yeah? I'm sure that concierge wants to see you again."

Jim shrugged. "I can't help it if people love me more than you, Sulu," he grinned lightly.

The transporter lights whirled around them, swallowing any indignant response that Sulu might have had.

By the time the elevator reached the lobby, it was empty, much to the disappointment of the small throng of young women who had gathered by the entrance, just waiting for a glimpse of the famous and dashing Captain Kirk.

Of course, the real Captain Kirk just wanted to go back home and hug a certain nine-year-old. And maybe a nap. Definitely a nap.

The ship was bustling when Jim, Spock, and Sulu beamed back up. People were scrambling around and the chatter was louder than usual. Chekov and Uhura were nowhere to be seen while Scotty spent the whole two minutes that they were back shouting at some poor Ensign.

Jim immediately stepped in, jumping off the transporter pad. "What the hell is going on, Scotty?!" he shouted. "And the rest of you, calm the hell down!"

Almost instantaneously, all men within the vicinity snapped to attention and at the sight of the majority of their Command crew before them, they started to shift nervously around.

"Er. Don't get upset, Jim," Scotty said into the silence.

Jim took a few steps closer to the Engineer, his expressions hard. "What. Happened."

"Well, Nurse Chapel was treatin' Trask and tha rest of tha men and 'eard him curse Treadway. She recognized tha name and mentioned it to McCoy, just outta curiosity."

Jim didn't need to be a genius to know what happened. Bones had probably snapped at the mention of his ex-wife's husband. He was moving towards the turbolift before his brain caught up to his body. Scotty, Sulu, and Spock followed him like shadows. "Shit. Where's Joanna?"

"Chekov's got 'er in SickBay," Scotty responded.

"And where's Bones?"

"Uhura's holdin' him in your quarters."

That almost made Jim break his stride. "My room? Why?"

Scotty shrugged. "It was closest? Ah don't know."

"The Brig is closer to Uhura's quarters…" Jim said slowly.

"She didn't wan' him to mess it up!"

"So she brought him to mine?"

"You did teach 'im how to fight."

Jim sighed. "Fine. Sulu, go keep Chekov and Joanna company. Spock, you have the conn. Work with Scotty and play damage control. I'm not letting Bones get in trouble just because he's human. I'll send Uhura your way too. You might need her help."

"Understood," Spock replied. "Are you sure you will not need assistance with Dr. McCoy? If he is emotionally compromised, your safety may be in jeopardy."

Jim gave him a tight, wary smile even as he pressed the button in the turbolift for the deck to his quarters. "You really think so?" he asked innocently as the door closed.

Spock thought back to when Jim confronted Komack, took down Kalians, and threatened Clay Treadway and his wife. Unwittingly, Spock shivered slightly.

Sometimes, Spock forgot that Jim was a lethal weapon – one that Starfleet loved to utilize for the most dangerous of missions.

And when McCoy was involved? Nothing riled Jim up more.

The low murmur of voices came to a complete stop as Jim made his way forward. Ensigns nervously glanced at each other. Rumors of what had happened down on the surface had already reached their ears. The crew of the Enterprise was more than aware of how protective Jim was towards his crew, and even more so when it came to Dr. McCoy. Everyone knew that there was nothing Jim wouldn't do to keep McCoy safe, and that went doubly for Joanna. Not everyone had met the McCoy's little girl, but word spread quickly about how much Jim adored her.

With his reputation, the crew knew that Jim would bring hell down to earth if anything ever happened to McCoy or his daughter. And now that Jim was approaching the very men who had kidnapped Joanna and hurt McCoy? Quite frankly, they were scared that the prisoners wouldn't survive the encounter. And after what McCoy had done to Trask? They weren't sure if they were going to be able to keep their jobs if another one of their commanding officers rails on the prisoners that they were supposed to be keeping safe.

An Ensign intercepted Jim before he reached the prisons. "Sir, I'm sorry, but after what Dr. McCoy did, we have been forbidden to allow anyone near the prisoners. Even you, sir."

Jim waved him off, his cold, blue eyes already focused on Trask's bruised face. "Don't worry, Ensign Lowell. I just want to talk to him."

Ensign Lowell hesitated. "Sir, I was given explicit orders."

Slowly, Jim turned his cold gaze onto Lowell. The Ensign felt his insides freeze, as if he had been dunked into negative twenty degree waters. Seeing the fear flicker on Lowell's expressions, Jim let his hard look soften slightly. "If it makes you feel better, Lowell, I can give you my weapon."

"Honestly, sir, you and I both know that you don't need a weapon to be lethal."

Jim gave Lowell a tight smile that made the Ensign very nervous. "That's exactly what I'm counting on," he said, turning his attention back onto Trask who shifted a bit anxiously under Jim's gaze.

Swallowing harshly, Lowell stepped aside to let Jim pass. Deliberately, Jim slowly stepped towards Trask, each step invoking new fear in the prisoners. He stopped at the glass, inches away.

"Do you know who I am?" Jim asked Trask lowly.

Trask pulled on the last strands of bravado that he had. "You think me stupid? I'm trapped on your goddamn ship, Captain Kirk." He spat out Jim's name like a curse.

Jim closed another inch. "No, I'm asking if you know who I really am." His tone was low and threatening.

Trask jutted out his chin. "And who are you?"

"You've heard whispers of me in the underground from where you're from. I'm the one that everyone fears: the shadows that haunt and nip at your heels. In your world, I am known as Dante's Inferno, the one who brings hell to earth."

Almost immediately, Trask's face pales. "Dante's Inferno? He's just a legend," he gasped.

"Legends are borne from truths, Trask."

"You're lying. You're the fucking Captain of the Enterprise! There's no way that you were ever mucking around in the dirt with the rest of us."

"'Through me you go into a city of weeping; through me you go into eternal pain; through me you go amongst the lost people,'" Jim recited. The quote from the ancient book came as easily as it did years ago. His gaze became steel as he added on an original part – one that would solidify his identity as Dante's Inferno. "And through me, hell is born."

Trask gasped and took a step back. "No…you couldn't be…!"

The prisoners gaped at Jim with sheer, utter fear, shaking so hard like a leaf in a gale. Jim was even sure that a couple of them had wet themselves. For once in his life, Jim was glad that Komack had sent him on so many missions in his past. So much to the point that he had became one of the most feared men in all of Earth.

"The Treadways are off-limits. No one shall touch them; no one shall deal with them. They are under my protection. Spread the word. If anyone should touch a single hair on their head, they will have to deal with me. And I will not be kind. There will be absolutely no mercy. Nod if you understand me."

They all quickly nodded.

"Good." Jim stepped away and waved Lowell over. He pointed at one of the quivering messes of a man. The hapless man was just a grunt – not even remotely significant in the eyes of Starfleet law; it was the only reason why Jim could do what he was about to do. "Release him."

"Sir?" frowned Lowell.

"I said: release him," Jim commanded. "I need him to send out a message."

"I don't think I'm authorized…"

"I am your Captain, Lowell. I authorize it. Release him and tell Scotty to beam him down to the warehouse." Jim's voice bore no room for argument.

Lowell nodded curtly. "Yes, sir."

"I'll leave it to you. Thank you, Lowell."

Jim didn't even spare another glance at Trask and the prisoners now that he had completed his task. Even if Treadway didn't keep his promise, Jim had ensured that no one would deal with him anymore. Joanna's safety, at least from her step-father's shady business deals, was officially guaranteed from here on out.

All that was left now was her father.

This was going to be the hardest part.

The moment the door to Jim's quarters opened, Jim could see Bones sitting on the end of his bed, his head in his hands, and Uhura standing a distance away, leaning against the wall beside the bathroom. She was relaxed, but at the same time, ready to pounce at any given moment.

Jim pressed his shoulder against the doorframe, crossing his arms against his chest. "So I hear that you beat up some poor mafia man. Care to elaborate on that, Bones?" he asked, almost cheerfully.

Bones stiffened at Jim's voice and instantly curled up in shame.

"Thanks, Uhura. I can take it from here. Please go and help Spock. He'll fill you in."

Uhura silently nodded and like a lithe cat, she gracefully moved around the bed to leave, but she paused before McCoy. She leaned down and kissed McCoy on the cheek, patting him comfortingly on the shoulder. Wordlessly, she smiled, hoping to convey reassurance with the small gestures.

She approached Jim and noted the tenseness in his body language that was left over from him donning the persona of Dante's Inferno. "You okay?" she asked, her eyes shining with concern.

He smiled, purposely relaxing his body more. "Yeah, thanks."

She reached up and kissed Jim's cheek too. "Take care of him. And yourself."

Jim watched her leave before he let the door close behind him. Quietly, he moved to sit in his desk chair and swiveled around to look at Bones.

"Want to tell me what happened, Bones? Explain to me why you're locked up in my room when you could be spending more time with your daughter."

Bones didn't move when he answered. "Did you know that Clay was the reason why Jo got kidnapped?"

"Yes."

McCoy's head jerked up, anger glittering in his eyes. "You knew?!"

"Not at first. I figured it out when I was at the warehouse."

"Of course you did," McCoy sighed. "You're always two steps ahead of everyone."

"Not this time. But I will be from now on."

"What do you mean?"

Jim changed the subject. "How did you get past Lowell and the other guards to punch Trask in the face?"

"You taught me well, Jim."

"Which makes me curious on who brought you down. There aren't that many people onboard that can do that anymore."

"Uhura."

"Seriously? I would've thought that it was Spock."

"She got a lucky shot in."

"She doesn't have lucky shots, Bones. She aims to maim. You're lucky that you managed to escape without parts missing."

"I'm not you, Jim. You're the only one who's ever in danger of that."

"True. I'm loveable that way." Jim paused as he tilted his head, considering his friend before him. "So, have you calmed down? I'd like my room back."

The anger was back. "How are you so calm, Jim?! Jo's in danger because Clay and Joce are fucking morons!" McCoy rose to his feet. "Jo was kidnapped, shot at, and injured because of them!"

Jim was unperturbed by McCoy's reaction and started to pick at his nails. He didn't even bother looking at Bones when he spoke. "Sit down, Bones."

"She had bruises, Jim! My baby girl had bruises!"

"Sit down, Bones, before I make you."

Bones bristled. "Jim!"

"Sit. Down." Jim's voice never rose above his normal speaking volume, but there was a hardness in his words that had never been directed towards McCoy.

Out of sheer shock, McCoy sat down and suddenly, he realized that there was something different about Jim. Jim was always a touchy guy. If McCoy was upset, Jim was sure to be sitting right next to him, making sure that their shoulders were touching. The Jim before him was cold, aloof. More distant that McCoy had ever seen him.

There was something wrong, but Bones couldn't put a finger on it.

"First of all, Joanna is safe. Treadway won't be doing anything dangerous anymore," Jim said.

"How can you be sure about it?"

"I put my reputation on it."

"And that means something to me?"

"It something to the people involved. She's safe, Bones. I can promise you that. As for you, I might have to take some sort of disciplinary action for punching Trask, but I wouldn't worry about it. You should still be set to take full custody of Joanna."

"Wait, what?"

"Oh, I didn't mention it? Jocelyn has agreed to give you full custody of Joanna whenever you're on leave. Joanna can continue to live with her mother if she so chooses during the times that you're on duty. Of course, if you decide to resign your commission and take care of her full time, I'll tender the paperwork today."

Oh. So that was why Jim was so distant now. He was afraid; he was preparing himself to have his heart ripped from him again. Given the choice, Jim knew that Bones was going to choose Joanna over him. Jim didn't think there was any contest: McCoy would and should pick Joanna. Jim was a damaged soul with nothing to give while Joanna was the epitome of sunshine, love, and warmth. Jim was never going to stand between McCoy and his daughter, no matter how much he wanted Bones to stay. Add on to the fact that Jim had thought that McCoy had died before his eyes just earlier today? Well, it was more than what the emotionally damaged Jim could handle.

He was going to just let McCoy walk out of his life, right here and now.

What a selfish guy, making decisions for McCoy without consulting him.

"You're an idiot, Jim. You wouldn't last a week without me."

"I lasted twenty years without you, Bones," Jim reminded him lightly.

"As tempting as that sounds, I can't just rip Jo from the life she knows. She loves Joce, for reasons that are beyond me. I won't have her hating me for pulling her away from her mother. What we have now works, and I'm not going to change it. My home is here, Jim. Don't go pushin' me away just 'cause you got scared."

As expected, Jim reacted badly to the direct bluntness of Bones' words.

Snarling, Jim snapped to his feet. "Don't make this about me. You never wanted to be in space in the first place! You're the one who gets fucking wasted on every birthday, recital, or some other shit that you couldn't be present for! I'm giving you an out. You've been getting my fucking nerves anyway. If you want to be a father, go be one for your fucking daughter and get her off my ship!"

Bones didn't rise up to the bait. He knew Jim far too well. The more afraid Jim got about losing something that he cared for, the more Jim would fight and push, shoving until he was the only one left in a place where no one could hurt him anymore.

"Jim, I'm not leaving," Bones said calmly.

"And I'm telling you to! Go be with your family!"

"I am!" Bones suddenly shouted back. Exasperation was clear in his voice now. "How many times do I have to tell you, Jim? You're family. You're my family. You're Joanna's 'Uncle Jimmy' and my brother. I'm not letting you go, despite what you think, so stop acting like an idiot, Jim. I followed you to the stars, Jim, and I'm not leaving without you."

Bones kept going without even taking a breath, barely noticing Jim falling back down into his chair with a stupefied expression. "Look, I get that you've had a long day. Joanna got kidnapped and you thought I was dead for a good hour or so. You panicked like a normal human being, but for you, that's equivalent to having a fucking panic attack. But I'm okay and you said that you've ensured Joanna's safety, so you need to calm the fuck down and stop thinking that I'm going to leave you behind like Sam or any other bastards that walked out on you. Now, I've got my shit together, thanks to you. The question now is: do you have your shit together?"

Jim's eyes were wide; those big blues were so open and vulnerable that Bones just wanted to wrap Jim into a tight blanket and hide him from the big bad world. There was true fear and grief in Jim's features. "I thought you were dead, Bones," he whispered. "I saw the men and I knew what they were going to do, but I was too far away to save you. I couldn't…I couldn't save you." He gave a shuddering gasp. "And then I left you lying there with blood on your face, but I couldn't even stop to check on you."

Bones moved forward, slightly cautiously so that he didn't scare Jim. He put both hands on Jim's shoulders, the weight grounding Jim in his chair. "Now you know how I feel whenever you throw yourself into danger. But I'm fine. I'm alive and so is Joanna. Stop throwing the drama queen fit, Jim."

It took a second, but Jim suddenly threw himself forward, hugging Bones tightly around the waist. The need for personal comfort was childish and he knew it, but he couldn't stop himself. Bones didn't help either when he hugged Jim back tightly.

A few moments later, when they were both comforted and alright, they pulled apart, feeling a little awkward at the chick-flick moment that they just had.

"I uh…" Jim started, his words trailing off.

Bones was immediately to the rescue and changed the subject entirely. "We're good now, right? Good. Let's go find Joanna. I'm sure she's wants to see you. Of course, that's if I'm allowed out now?"

"I'm sure Spock and Uhura have it handled by now. They're very good at getting people out of trouble," Jim replied, getting up now and heading towards the exit.

"They should be. Their Captain is you."

"Exactly."

The door whooshed open and the two stepped out. "Did you threaten Trask, by the way?" asked Bones.

"Yeah. Don't worry. They're too scared of me to not listen to me."

"Why is that?"

"I told you, I staked my reputation on it."

"You're going to have to elaborate more on that, Jim."

"You remember the missions that I was on during the Academy?"

"Yeah, of course. You'd disappear for weeks at a time."

"Well, I became a sort of big-shot in the underworld. Rumors spread and sooner or later, I sort of became a legend."

"And let me guess, you had some sort of cheesy-ass name that everyone is petrified of now, like the boogie-man."

"Why must you be so hurtful, Bones?"

"Wait, so I'm right? You had a codename? What was it? Boogie-man? The Invincible Man?"

"I'm not telling you. You're just going to make fun of me."

"I'll make fun of you regardless, Jim. You don't have to tell me. I'll have fun making names up. Rocket Man? The Godfather? How about the Almighty Tiberius?"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, it was Dante's Inferno!"

A pause. "Like the book?"

Jim rolled his eyes. "Yes, like the book. Got the nickname because people started up rumors that I brought hell to earth wherever I went."

"Wow. Cheesy."

"Yeah, I know."

"I mean, that's just awful."

Jim sighed. "Jesus. You're like a dog with a bone. Pun intended."

Bones just grinned. "Dante's Inferno. You really strike fear into a man's heart with that name?"

"Hey, if it works, it works."

"Still corny, Jim."

Jim didn't get a chance to retort. They were just a few feet away from the door to the Sickbay when it suddenly burst open, revealing a fairly panicked Chekov and Sulu with an escaping Joanna.

The young girl ran smack into Jim's legs and would've fallen if Jim didn't quickly lean down and swoop her up in his arms.

"Hey there, little Princess. Whatcha doing?" he asked with a smile.

"Uncle Jimmy!" Joanna cried, tears in her eyes, "Daddy!"

Jim saw the water bubbling up and he panicked, immediately giving her to McCoy. She was absolutely wailing in Bones' arms.

"Shh, shh. What's wrong, baby girl?" soothed McCoy.

"Did Sulu and Chekov do something to hurt you?" Jim demanded. He took a threatening step towards the two. "Do you need Uncle Jimmy to hurt them back for you?"

"Wait, what?" protested Sulu, raising his hands in surrender. "We didn't do anything! She just wanted the two of you! You guys disappeared for hours and she was getting worried."

Jim blinked. "Oh."

"Yeah, you jackass," Sulu snapped, clearly offended, but he was still more amused than anything.

Jim smacked Sulu in the back of the head. "Language," he admonished. "You hear from Spock and Uhura?"

Chekov nodded. "Yes, sir. He said zat Doctor McCoy is cleared, but uh…you vill owe Admiral Pike."

"Godda-arn. I hate owing Pike. He's going to make me do something ridiculous, like clean his attic for him."

"He did mention something like that," Sulu said. He peered closely at McCoy rubbing the back of Joanna's back. "He okay?"

"Yeah," Jim said with a small smile. "He's good now."

Sulu stared at Jim. "How about you?"

Jim frowned. "Why do you ask that? I'm fine."

"We're not idiots, Kirk. You okay?"

Jim paused, planning to deny everything, but he knew that his friends could see right through him. There was no point in lying. At least they weren't prying like they used to. Or maybe they could see Jim handling things in a healthier manner. Either or, Jim didn't feel like putting up a front anymore.

He looked back at Bones and Joanna and allowed the warm fuzzy feelings replace the anxious fear that had been sitting at the bottom of his stomach since the whole entire fiasco started. "Yeah, I'm good too."

"Oh, Uncle Jimmy?" teased McCoy, "Jo here wants to say something to you."

"Yeah? What's up, Princess?" Jim asked, coming up closer to her.

"Thank you for saving me and my daddy, Uncle Jimmy," she said with a sincere smile, tear tracks still on her little cheeks. But at least she wasn't crying anymore.

Jim reached out to grasp her small hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed her hand gently. "Always and forever, little Princess. Always and forever."

She reached her small arms up and Jim willingly picked her up, hugging her tightly against his chest. "Come on, Princess. Let's go see the stars."

He walked off without another word with McCoy right by his side. Sulu and Chekov followed closely. They had already settled in the observation deck – Jim was sitting between McCoy and Sulu with Joanna in his lap – when Spock, Uhura, and Scotty joined them. Chekov was the only one who moved (he waved) when they arrived, but they were sure that the rest had heard them approach and just chose not to react to their arrival.

They sat down too, all in a row. Chekov next to Sulu, Scotty next to Chekov; Spock took the other side beside McCoy and Uhura sat next to him. Various conversations started – one was about Jim's underworld name, another was about teasing McCoy on how Uhura so easily took him down. Slowly though, as time passed, the chatter trickled down to a comfortable silence as Joanna fell asleep, nestled warmly in her Uncle Jimmy's arms and lap.

Minutes later, McCoy felt a weight against his left shoulder and glanced over. Jim had fallen asleep, his head leaning on McCoy's shoulder. Worry rushed through McCoy a little. Jim never slept in front of others, especially not in an open area like the observation deck. It was a trust issue Jim had – it had taken years for Jim to actually sleep naturally and deeply before McCoy. And here he was, sound asleep against McCoy.

For a minute, McCoy thought it was because Jim had had an injury and finally succumbed to it. The alarm must have shown on his face because a second later, Spock was whispering into his right ear.

"Doctor, Jim has been awake for more than forty-nine hours now and after the events of today, I am not surprised that he has fallen asleep here. Do not worry. Mr. Scott and Mr. Sulu have assured me that Jim was uninjured," Spock said quietly. "Let him rest."

That attracted the rest of the Command crew's attention. Sulu leaned over, staring. "I don't think I've ever seen Kirk asleep before." His voice was no louder than a whisper.

"I'm sure you have, Sulu," replied Uhura, her volume matching Sulu's.

"No, seriously. Think about it. The only time we've ever seen Kirk sleeping is when he's drugged up or just straight up unconscious. I don't think we've ever seen him fall asleep willingly."

They all thought about it. "He is right," Chekov said with wonder.

Scotty nodded. "Yeh, the laddie might be onto something."

And they all smiled fondly. Finally, Jim trusted them. There was no question that Jim had always trusted them with his life, but he didn't hold that quite as precious as his heart. Now? He trusted his friends enough to actually be at his most vulnerable before them. It was a testament of Jim finally feeling as though he truly belonged in this small functionally dysfunctional family.

McCoy shifted to let Jim rest better on his shoulder. With a warm smile, he gazed at the two most important people in his life and poured all his feelings into his next words.

"Thanks for everything, ya ingenious idiot. Love ya, too."