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Disclaimer: I own what rocks dream about.
Chapter 1
Jim was bored. It was Kentucky in the middle of nowhere, and there was nothing to do. Kentucky was one of the the few places that still had intensely rural pieces of land and forests. It was something they were fiercely proud of, but right now Jim would trade all the stinking trees for one good movie. At four, he wasn't really allowed to go anywhere by himself or operate the technology in the house. But there had to be something to do somewhere! But… nope. The universe was empty. His life was unfulfilled. The door creaked. Mommy was home!"Jimmy I have a surprise!" Jim ran over, sighing a little inside. He kind of liked being called Jimmy, but mommy called him that way to much in front of other people. Jimmy was okay when they were alone but… Jimmy was a little kid name. And Jim was a big boy. Mommy just didn't get it."Welum home mommy!""Oh, hey there, Jimmy I missed you! Oh guess what! You're going to get a friend!"This was cool! A friend! There weren't many kids Jim's age around, and anyway, they thought he talked too much. Jim thought they stupid. "Who is he mommy!" He gasped in horror at a thought. "He is a he, right mommy? I'm not gonna be friends with a girl."Mommy smiled and ruffled his hair, another thing she couldn't do in front of people. Jim would break her of the habit eventually though. "He's a boy. But he's from very far away. His name is Spock.""That's a funny name.""You know better than to make fun of other people for being different, Jim.""I wasn makin fun! I was just sayin.""Well you shouldn't say things like that, it could hurt someone's feelings. How would you like it if someone said your name was funny?"Jim thought about that. He stood up and took his mother's hand. "I wouldn't like it much, I guess. Can we go see Spock now?""Mmhmm. Just remember to mind your manners."They walked out the door, and Jim rolled his eyes. Mommy was always telling him to mind his manners. Of course he would! It wasn't like he could forget with her saying it a billion times. And he did. He just also said what he thought. Sometimes he had to go sit in the corner for that though. Jim was still contemplating the confusion of life and manners as they got into the car.
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Chapter 2
Just to clarify here, EVERYONE IS HUMAN. Spock is human. Spock's dad is human. Everyone is human. I figure I should probably put that down for clarity's sake.
Jim had to admit he felt a little shy. What if Spock didn't like him? It kinda hurt, everyone thinking he was annoying. What if Spock did too? Jim decided he would really mind his manners and be super nice and say 'please' and everything. He'd make Spock like him. But what if he didn't? Jim pushed the feeling away. Maybe Spock would really really want a friend because he was new and he'd take Jim. Jim hoped so. Being alone all the time was lonely.
The car stopped and Jim hopped out, trying to contain himself. He could see a small boy beside another woman who was probably the boy's mommy. Another man, probably his daddy, was off to the side giving instructions to the moving people.
The boy, probably Spock, had a really black hair. It was shiny. And he had a funny haircut. He also looked older than Jim. Not by much though. And he was taller. But that was okay. They were going to be friends… right? Jim took a deep breath and walked forward.
"Are you Spock?" The boy turned around. The boy's hand was fisted in his mother's skirt and he let it go at once.
"Yes. I am Spock."
"I'm Jim. I'm four years old. Do you want to be friends?"
Spock blinked. "I… I am five years old. I… okay?" He sounded scared, uncertain, and confused.
Spock was scared, uncertain, and confused. Who was this boy? Back home, where he came from, he wasn't popular at all. Everyone hated him. Certainly no one came up asking to be friends. Spock wondered if this was a trick. If when he said yes then someone would come out of hiding and laugh at him, like it was before. But… there was something about this boy with the blue eyes. Something that made Spock take a step forward.
Then he remembered his mother. Then he remembered his father. He remembered that he'd decided he wouldn't leave his mother because this was a big new place, and obviously she might need him to protect her. And he remembered that his father had said he didn't have time to be playing anyway, because he needed to work on his math. He took a step back.
"I…"
His mother, though, seemed to see his problem. "You know, Spock, I think it would be okay if you went off with Jim for a while. Maybe scout out the territory, see what it's like around here. It's important stuff to know."
Spock thought this sounded like the kind of logic his mother used that made father annoyed at her. But he didn't know what was wrong with it.
"Now why don't you ask Winona, Jim's mother how far you can go."
Jim broke out smiling, and ran forward grabbing Spock by the wrist and dragging him towards his mother.
"Mommy! Spock's gonna be my friend and his mommy says I can help him… scout of the terraroary. I think that means show him around. That's what it means, right mommy? She says you say how far we can go."
Winona smiled at the two boys. Spock looked a bit dizzy. "I think maybe Spock would enjoy seeing the Fairy Circle." She smiled comfortingly at Spock.
"Oh, he would mommy. I'll take good care of him I pwomise!" Jim addressed this to both their mommies, and promptly started dragging a confused Spock to a clearing in the woods he had deemed the fairy circle. He just knew everything was going to work out great.
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Chapter 3
-2 years later
"So I had to punch him in the nose. I had to! He was asking for it. He was."
"Jim…"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I shouldn'ta hit him. If it helps, the principal agrees with you. I got detention."
"How long?"
"2 hours. Spock, I'm gonna die. I can't just sit there for 2 hours!"
"Your problem isn't detention, it's what happens when you go home."
Jim fake collapsed into Spock's side. "Ohhhh. Mom. Spock, I'm running away. You coming?"
"You are going to detention and then you're going home."
Jim whimpered. "She's not gonna be happy I got detention, Spock."
"School's out. You need to go to the principal's office."
Jim wrapped his arms around Spock. "You're not gonna let them take me are you? 'Cause you're a wonderful best friend an' you won't leave me alone in detention?"
"You are going to detention."
Jim slumped dejectedly.
"But I will go with you."
Jim perked up. "Really?"
"I will tell them I am studying. And since I will study there it will be true."
Jim grinned. "Thanks Spock. You're my best friend."
"Right back at you."
Jim smiled brighter, and linked arms with Spock as he walked towards the principal's office. And that was how it was from then on. When one of them was in real trouble the other always showed up to either bail the other out or suffer with them. It brought them closer, and made them more careful knowing that their punishment would be shared. Or at least that was the way it would be. Right now, we're talking about what happened a week after Jim's detention.
"Spock we need a new game."
"Really?"
"Uh huh. One exciting. With lotsa shooting and action!"
"I'm not letting you play any game that uses a phaser. I am, in fact, sane."
"Not with a real phaser, dummy! We pretend with our hands!" Jim demonstrated, making gun shapes with his hands and pretending to shoot at things. "Ptew, you're dead Spock!" Jim cried.
"Jim you know you're not allowed to play games where you pretend to kill people. Your…"
"... games determine your mindset. I know, I know. So no killing. But we don't hafta kill people. We're smart enough to make an awesome game anyway."
"What kind of game do you want to play?" Spock was interested. Jim's ideas were never dull. Spock's life wasn't quite boring either, having moved up 2 grades he was a 4th grader now. It was a lot of work, but his main problem wasn't the work it was how no one liked him there either. After all, they saw him as a baby. But he had Jim. So his life was better than it had ever been. Still. Jim never let things get at all dull.
"Ummm STARSHIPS!" Jim leaped up, fist pumping the air with both hands. "YES! WE'LL PLAY STARSHIPS! THIS IS GONNA BE AWESOME!" Jim was leaping around ecstatically twisting around until he tripped on a stump and face planted in the dirt. Spock frowned worriedly, and moved towards Jim, but the younger boy just flew up still excited.
"I call captain! I called it Spock, you can't have it. I'm captain now."
"You do appear to be captain now."
Jim paused. He felt bad. Captain was totally the best job, and he had kinda taken it… but he'd really wanted to be captain… "... you can be captain if you want…" Jim glanced up, and Spock gave him one of his small gentle smiles. Jim loved Spock's smile.
"You may be captain. I can be second in command."
Jim beamed. "Really?"
"Of course."
"Yes!"
"What does one do on a starship?"
"Well… have adventures! Do cool stuff!"
"Like what?"
"Well…"
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Chapter 4
"Ptew, ptew, I got the aliens Mr Spock! Come on, we need to save the princess!"
Spock jumped after the young boy and followed close behind, dodging imaginary phaser fire before coming up short at the small boy in front of him. Spock didn't know who he was, but he looked younger than Jim, probably in kindergarten.
"Vat are zu doing?" he asked, the English coming as forced and rehearsed, his adorable face a mask of concentration.
"We're playing starships!" Jim announced, running over. "And we're rescuing a princess. I'm Jim and that's Spock. Who're you?"
"My name is Pavel Chekov." Pavel answered, the English still coming hard. "I am from very wig contry called Wussia."
"What's Wussia?" Jim wondered.
"You don't know Wussia?" Pavel asked agast.
"I am very familiar with Russia, though I have never been." Spock assured the small boy.
"Good. Everyone should know about Wussia! I just came fwom there. I'm new."
Jim giggled to himself at the cute boy's accent. "You wanna play with us Pavel? You can't be in charge cause we took care a that already, but you can point which way to go! That's important!"
"Weally?" Pavel asked.
"Really really! Spock, what's the wheretogoer called?"
"Navigator."
"All right, you're naminator!"
"Navigator."
"Namingator!"
Pavel grinned, and soon there were 3 little boys running around with imaginary phasers, striking down any vile aliens who dared raise hand against them.
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Chapter 5
"What are you doing?"Jim looked up immediately, pulled from the plight of the Enterprise. It was the cute girl from his class, Nyota."We're playing starships, but we don't have time for any girls." He said haughtily, defiantly not thinking about how much he wanted to kiss her."That's dumb, I can play if I want!""No you can't; it's our game, and I'm captain, and I say no girls allowed!""Well, that's a stupid rule!""Well, you're stupid!""No you are!""Are you Nyota?"Both participators in the fierce yelling match stopped in surprise at Spock's even voice."Uh, yeah." Nyota suddenly realized that that was the older boy from all those grades up who was super cute. She felt herself blushing. "I'm Nyota.""I am Spock.""I know." Nyota inwardly hit herself. She couldn't let him know she liked him! He was just... too cool!"I would not be adverse to you playing with us.""Uhh that means I can play?""You're faking!" Jim accused Nyota heatedly. "You don't know what he said! He used a big word and you don't know it!""I do so! I'm the best reader in class and you know it! I read on a 5th grade level!""Nyota's reading abilities are quite incredible." Spock intercepted again, and Nyota felt like both melting into the ground and flying. She settled for smiling uncontrollably at the ground. "She would be quite helpful in deciphering the alien message we just intercepted."Jim considered this. "Well... just for now. I guess. You're the talker, and talking is boring, so my job is still best.""Nyota is now Communications Officer.""That sounds impwortint." Pavel murmured. Jim thought it sounded important too, but he didn't say so. He didn't need Nyota thinking he actually wanted her around after all. She was too cute for him to lose points like that!It wasn't long after that a new kid arrived. They met on the playground."Charge!" Jim cried, launching himself onto the monkey bars, but fingers slipping over the smooth metal. Crying out, the 6 year old fell heavily to the ground, landing on his arm as he did so. The valiant Enterprise members gathered around their fallen captain, mortally wounded.Jim gasped, trying not to cry. His arm really hurt... Spock was checking it, Jim thought he was saying it wasn't broken, but it still hurt! Jim wondered if breaking his arm would hurt less than this. Then an older boy came running up."It's okay!" He reassured. "Ah'm in third grade and my dad's a doctor, so ah know all about this stuff."Jim looked up and whimpered. He bit his lip. This kid had a nice accent, he thought. He liked it. He held out his arm."Onea the evil aliens hit me with a phaser as I was climbing outta their fortress.""Uh huh." This new kid didn't seem to put off by Jim's odd answer, which Jim appreciated. The kid just kept working on Jim's arm. "It's not broken or anything, but it'll hurt like anything fer a while. Ya better keep of that arm, kid.""Okay. I'm Jim, that's Spock, that's Pavel, an that's Nyota. Who'r you?""Mah name's Leonard, but everyone calls me Len.""Kay. You sure my bones aren't bwoken?""I'm sure. Nice healthy bones.""Healthy bones?" Jim giggled. "You're funny, bones!" He'd meant the word 'bones' as an afterthought at the humor of Len's statement, but then he realized what it sounded like he'd said. "Hey! I called you bones! Heh. That's your nickname now, Bones!""Wha..." Len wanted to protest, but this kid had the cutest smile and the most brilliant eyes... and the way the other kids clustered around him was stinking cute too. He had to smile."An you need to check up on my bones later, wite, Bones?" Jim was giggling with the hilarity of the situation, hurting arm completely forgotten."I guess I might as well." Jim smiled, and their little band was complete. The crew of the Enterprise was together. The adventure was just beginning.
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Chapter 6
"Guys? I was thinking." 7 year old Jim mused. The year had been going on a bit, and, with the exception of Nyota, who had her birthday in the summer, they were all one year older."Whelp, we're dead." 9 year old Bones remarked sarcastically."Hey, it's a really good idea!" Jim protested, glaring at his second best friend."And involves the Enterprise, I presume?" Spock questioned, the 8 year old tilting his head slightly, brown eyes curiously fixed on the leg swinging 1st grader with his head cupped in his hand."Do ve haf a new mession?" Pavel asked in his quiet voice, his voice high and piping. He'd just had his birthday recently, and had decided being 6 years old meant he had a lot of responsibilities, and if this maybe mission involved doing something to help someone, that would be really great."Well, missions. That's what I was thinking about!" Jim said, hopping off the cave like rock he was sitting on. It was curved inward to the point where several people could sit inside it and make a campfire or something. Probably not make a campfire if there was more than one person. It wasn't that big. But it was really cool, and often a feature of their games."I was thinking that starship people do more than beat up bad guys. They help people too!"Spock tilted his head. "Do you intend to go into community service?""If that's the thing where you pick up trash, no. But I bet we can help lots of people, and do all sorts of stuff. And maybe we can catch real bad guys and...""Jim that's all good 'n well but we're just kids, or hadn't you noticed? It's all good 'n well to play that we've got phasers and that Spock is a demon, but in real life it's not true! Well 'cept for the Spock thing...""I am in no way a demon! I am a Vulcan.""Suuure, pointy. 'Yer a regular hobgoblin! You got creepy pointy ears and slanty eyebrows. Whatta think ya are?""A Vulcan. And my ears do not look creepy. You are just jealous.""Jealous of that? I'd rather...""Guuuys! I was talking!" Jim whined. He put his hands on his hips. "Cut it out.""I did not start it." Spock mumbled, glancing at Len."Ya..""I don't care!" Jim cried in exasperation. "Now cut it out! I want to do something important, and you're not helping!""Sorry Jim." Len offered, and Spock echoed the apology."I just don't know what we can do." Jim sighed. "There aren't just bad guys running around everywhere waiting to get caught!""I think zere are!" Pavel cried indignantly. "I vas at ze pwayground, and zis jerk pushed me off the svings, and got avay vith it! He vas a bad guy!""You should've told us, Pavel, we would've helped you." Nyota sighed, already having resigned herself to a room full of males, and not being able to get much in till they matured somewhat."Hey… maybe that's what we can do!" Jim cried in a fit of inspiration. "We can stop bullies and stuff!""Yeah!" Len cried in a sarcastic voice. "We'll just git us some phasers, and Spock'll start chopping people's necks, and we'll be all set! Yer' crazy.""You don't have to be so uncouraging." Jim whined, slumping. "It's a really good idea, and I like it.""I see no issue with combating injustice when it occures." Spock intoned. "However, I see no reason to seek it out. And you do realize we should become targets? Especially to the Klingons?"Jim wrinkled his nose. "Klingons are nasty. I don't like them. Stupid gang. But we can take 'em. Just tell a teacher or something if they do something too bad.""Jim, they get away with that stuff." Nyota informed her youthful captain. "They're parents are too important, and you know most of them are one step from juvie." 'One step from juvie' was a phrase Nyota's father used often, and Nyota was quite proud to know it."Well once we get onta them, they'll be one step from jail!""We are not authorized to arrest civilians." Spock pointed out."One step from a water balloon in the face!""That will incite them to anger.""One step to something untracable and annoying! Come on, Enterprise! Time to boldly go where no elementary schooler has gone before!"
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Chapter 7
The young, valiant, Enterprise crew lived up to their word, as well they could. The Klingons were super annoyed. Most of the younger kids thought they were weird, but cool. The adults thought they were cute. They thought it didn't matter what anyone else thought. They were of the Enterprise, and all that mattered was each other.
Jim got a chance to test his fine words one sunny day when a kindergartner came running around the bend panting. Jim was 8 years old.
"H-help!" The young boy gasped, looking up at Jim tearfully. "Theyw're chasing me. Pwease help!"
"Klingons?"
The boy nodded helplessly, throwing a terrified glance over his shoulder. Jim squared his shoulders. He hated Klingons. He wished his crew was here. But they weren't. So he had to take care of this himself.
"Hide in those bushes." He ordered, looking over toward to where the Klingons would be coming from any time now. He ran forward a ways so the Klingons wouldn't find the kid by looking right around him. And soon they came.
"Hey, look. It's the kid captain. Howdy, hero."
"Nice to see you too, Kor." Klingons had the dumb gang habit of giving themselves new names when they joined the game. The leader of this group was a nasty hood named Kor.
"Where's the squirt, punk?"
"Whatta you talking about?" Jim retorted stubbornly, crossing his arms, head tilted back to look at the much older Klingon.
"You know what I'm talking about. You had to've seen him!"
"I don't have to do anything!" Jim vaguely thought that wasn't really the right retort, but he didn't have much time to think about it.
"Grab 'im, boys."
Jim felt himself restrained by two older Klingon boys (there weren't many Klingon girls), and tried valiantly to land kicks on them.
"When I get free of you I'll-"
Kor socked Jim across the cheek. "Where's the brat?"
"Right in front of me!"
Kor hit him again. Jim was reminded that these Klingons were one step from Juvie. They would be at home in the far away land of Chicago, Jim figured.
"Don't get smart with me!"
"You're so dumb that kindergartner's smarter than you!"
Kor paused. "So you did see him."
Oops.
Eventually the Klingons left. They had better things to do than beat up small children. But Jim looked like raw hamburger. Lying on the ground, he twitched. Ow. He tried to sit up, then fell back on the ground. He considered himself, and decided nothing was broken. But he hurt so bad…
Small hands landed on his shoulders, and tried to roll him over. Jim helped a bit, and thudded onto his back. The small kindergartner was standing over him, tears spilling down his face. He reached for Jim's cheek.
"He hwurt you."
"'S okay kid. I'm a big starship captain. Protecting people's my job."
"You swouldn't be hwurt. What can I do?"
"Go. Get my crew. Spock and Bones, mostly. Others too, if they're there. Hurry. Know where…?"
The kid nodded. "Pawel is my fwiend. I'll get 'em. Stay okay!"
"JIM!" Spock and Len were, for once, in unison. Running to their friend, fallen in the line of duty, they rushed to help him. Spock picked Jim up and laid the boy across his lap. Len dug through his medical bag for anything he could use to help Jim.
"Jim, you gotta stop doing stupid stuff like that!"
"I must concur. Jim that was irrational. Illogical! You shouldn't do it. Don't do it." Spock gently brushed back Jim's bangs, the bright blond darkened in patches with red.
"I'm okay, guys. Really."
"You don't look okay Jim. At all."
"I think nothing's broken. I'll be alright."
"Why don't I believe you?"
"Bones…"
"Ya always do this, Jim! Ya always get hurt! 9 times out of 10 you're off getting blown up or beat up, and sooner or later I'm gonna need to patch you up with duct tape and glue!"
"Leonard, that is not logical."
"Yeah, well, it's right, and it doesn't need your stinking logical."
"To 'patch Jim up' with duct tape and glue would require-"
"Guys? Less talking more getting me home?"
"Yeah. Sorry Jim." Bones apologized. "Do ya think ya can carry 'im, Spock?"
"I believe so. My father ensures I exercise quite often. I am stronger than I look."
Len nodded. "Okay. I'll give him a painkiller."
"You have those?" Jim wondered, as Len handed him a pill.
"Only a little one, dad won' let me have anything bigger, or with a hypo, like a real doctor."
"That's fine with me." Jim grinned weakly from Spock's arms. "Don' wan' any big pills." He was so tired, being awake was so hard…
"I concur. You are in no need of any of Leonard's beads or rattles." Spock backed up. Jim smiled, wavering, before everything faded gently to black, knowing he was safe, with Bones beside him, and cradled in Spock's arms.