Among The Stars

Part 10

 Jim was on shore leave for two and a half weeks. When he came back he was pale and withdrawn, with a black armband on his left arm. Maggie and McCoy took turns being on the bridge keeping an eagle eye on the Captain.

 
After two weeks of Jim being back, Maggie knew it was time for him to talk and to process what he was going through. She knew he wouldn't want to talk in the office where he first disclosed Chris's fate. Instead Maggie brought him to the arboretum so they could sort through what he was feeling and thinking.

 
They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the stillness and the smells that only the arboretum could bring. Jim smiled wistfully, "This is where Chris first told me he loved me. He didn't say it often given the positions we held but when he did it made it all the more special." He looked down at his left wrist, the soulmark that indicated his bonding to Chris had turned black, indicating the death of a soulmate or in rare cases the severance of a bond. With a heavy sigh Jim continued, "When Chris was in the automatic lock down he knew he had very little time left, and with that time he made a recording for me. In essence he said it was his privilege to know me, and to love me. That I was his one true love. He knew I would mourn him, and he expected as much - he wasn't so noble or self sacrificing as to not ask me to mourn him" with that Jim let out a watery laugh and quickly wiped his eyes. Maggie gave his hand a quick squeeze and waited for him to continue. "He said not to mourn him forever, to keep him deep in my heart but to allow love in again when the time, and person was right." Jim stopped and Maggie knew that he was done, that he couldn't share any more of the message that Chris had left for him.
Maggie sat for a moment, allowing Jim to recover before speaking. "Jim, I won't pretend to know what it is like to lose my soulmate, I know I would be in pain beyond imagining if Monty were to die before me. What makes your situation unique is that Chris still lives but has communicated to you to go on without him, to explore and to make this Federation stronger as only you can. You both have beautiful, noble souls, which is why I think you two were meant for each other - even for this short time." Maggie paused before speaking again, unsure how to broach this topic. "Jim, you know that Chris had two soul marks correct?" Jim nodded his head. "Well, I don't believe you ever heard the story of our mission to Talos IV?" When Jim didn't respond, Maggie took that as her signal to continue. She told Jim the story in detail, then concluded by saying, "Spock and I were discussing this mission and Captain PIkes position..." before she could finish her sentence Jim's eyes lit up for the first time in over a month, and emphatalicy said, "Yes, absolutely. We will bring Chris to Talos IV, it is the best possible solution and would put my heart at ease." Maggie gave his hand a squeeze, then they talked about Chris and all their memories of him till the early hours of the morning. Within a week they had Fleet Captain Pike on the planet of Talos IV. Jim would continue to wear the black armband for many months to come but Maggie could see his heart had been lightened.

 
Life continued on for the crew of the Enterprise, much as it had before the incident with Chris Pike. Monty and Maggie continued to have regular date nights, including the usual double dates with Spock and McCoy, and an occasional double date with Uhura. Maggie kept an even closer eye on Jim, and for several months had him come see her on a professional basis twice a week. He slowly started to become the Jim Kirk everyone remembered but would never again be quite as reckless or quite the flirt he once was.