Out of the woods

A broken promise comes to light

"Jim, you don't have to blame yourself for this." McCoy Prime said.

"I made people die, Bones." Jim said.

"If you are not going to listen to me then listen to Spock." McCoy Prime said.

McCoy left the room.

"Doctor MCoy is right," Spock said, shortly entering the room. "Blaming yourself for the death of others is unwise."

Jim sighed.

"We could have done something about it. If I stalled him just a little more. . . ."

Spock Prime put one hand on Jim's shoulder.

"There is nothing you could have done, Jim," Spock Prime said. "Nor for Nero." Spock took his hand off Jim's shoulder. "We are fortunate that the many of the civilization have survived."

"But what we do to deserve this from Nero?" Jim asked.

"As I understand, in the far future, quite possibly, I will be at fault for the destruction of a planet," Spock Prime said. Jim lowered his head. "I will not allow that to happen."

Jim raised his head up.

"But what if it does happen?" Jim said.

"Then it will be a closed time loop in time and space." Spock Prime said.

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                                        "Why are you so important to him?"

                                            "I raised him,kid."

Spock Prime let go of the Psi points of Kirk's head after he had explained his story. His hands lowered down to his side consuming in the shock that rattled his mind. It was awfully strange, ninety-four years believing Jim had died, and then seeing him in the mind of his counterpart. It was impossible. Illogical. There wasn't logic. Those kind warm, ancient eyes were still there. Those hazel eyes were full of humanity, warmth, and a certain captain aged edge to it.

There was a look of shock in the elder Spock's eyes.

"Jim." Spock Prime said.

"Yes?" Kirk said.

"That man is my Jim." Spock Prime said.

"What man?" Kirk asked.

"The one you met." Spock Prime said.

Kirk raised his eyebrows.

"But he claimed to be my long lost grandparent." Kirk said.

"He is not," Spock Prime said. "He is following the Prime Directive by not telling you anything unlike how dire my situation is. . . where did you get him?"

"Vulcan." Kirk said.

"Jim. . . on Vulcan?" Spock Prime said. "That is highly unusual."

"I take it he doesn't live on Vulcan in your timeline." Kirk said.

"He never did," Spock Prime said. "If anywhere not being a captain, he would be in Iowa on Earth. A majority of the time . . . in space." There was fondness in the elder Vulcan's eye. "I would often joke he was married to the Enterprise." Spock's face turned into a defiant one. "Where you belong."

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"Commander." Jim said.