Disclaimer: Star Trek and characters are Paramount's property, I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. Any original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. Copyright 2006 by Lou Ellen. Rated PG.

Family

Lou Ellen

Jim Kirk pulled Spock free of his perch on the ladder and they both tumbled into the San Francisco Bay. Jim laughed with almost boyish glee. After what they had been through with Khan, Spock's death and rebirth, David's death, the destruction of the Enterprise, the near destruction of the Earth and the trip to Earth's past; they all deserved a few minutes of pure joy.

George and Gracie frolicked in the bay and gradually worked their way out to the open ocean. These two whales would be safe as an entire world would protect and cherish the two beings who saved Earth from destruction.

Jim rolled on his back and floated comfortably as he watched the sun come out and glisten through the last of the rain drops. They all gasped at the perfect double rainbow which appeared over them. Jim's view of the rainbow was obstructed by the passage of a Starfleet shuttle as it circled and prepared to pick them up.

"Well, that really kills the moment," Jim muttered as he rolled over and swam to the Klingon ship and pulled himself onto the ledge.

Spock looked around and noticed Jim standing on the ledge, watching the shuttle work its way closer to them. A shadow moved across his face, a look which said their time of freedom would soon be over. Spock swam to Jim's side. "I'll join you if you can guarantee I will not find myself back in the water again." Kirk smiled down at Spock and offered his hand. After a brief moment of consideration, Spock grabbed Jim's hand and pulled himself onto the ledge. They stood in companionable silence while the shuttle drew closer.

"Spock."

"Yes ... Jim."

Kirk smiled at hearing Spock call him by his first name. "Would you do me a favor?"

"Certainly, if it is within my ability."

"Ask your father to place Gillian under the protection of the Vulcan embassy."

At Spock's raised eyebrow, Jim explained, "I don't want Starfleet to treat her like an oddity of the past. With Vulcan's protection, I know she will be treated with respect instead of being studied like a lab rat."

"It was her choice to accompany us."

"And, it is our duty to protect her."

"Indeed! I believe my father would be honored to assist."

* * *

The shuttle rescued the crew of the HMS Bounty/former Enterprise crew. At Starfleet Headquarters, Sarek greeted Spock with barely concealed relief on his face. He was introduced to Gillian Taylor and agreed to take her under the wing of the Vulcan Embassy. The rest of the crew was escorted away by security.

Spock and Sarek spent the next several days offering assistance and lobbying for support from Federation delegates and Starfleet personnel. Instead of the brig which they had anticipated, Kirk, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty, Chekov and Sulu were sequestered in Starfleet guest quarters. At first, they were relieved to be together but a jail cell is still a jail cell when there is a guard at the door. The mood was tense as they decided as a group to plead guilty to all charges. Initially, Jim tried to convince everyone to let him take the blame. He received a very strong reaction from his team. Chekov said it best when he stated, "Admiral, I'm no longer a raw ensign. I did not follow you blindly. Ve each made our own decision. Do not lessen the sacrifices ve made." Jim looked at each of his former crew members and friends, no, more than friends, and he realized Chekov was right.

The tension of days of waiting caused the group to break up and contemplate their fate. Sulu paced, Scotty tried to read a technical journal, Uhura and Chekov talked quietly in the kitchen area. Jim stood by the window and watched the gentle rain hit the window as he gazed at the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.

Bones walked up beside him. "Chekov was right. They each made their own decision. You and I had no choice but to go to Genesis but they chose to help us."

"I know Bones. I guess it is just a long-standing habit to try and protect my crew."

"I don't think you can this time."

"I know, I know." They both turned as they heard the door open to admit Admiral Harry Morrow, former Fleet Commander of Starfleet. When Jim made no move to acknowledge him, the Admiral moved to stand by him at the window. Bones crossed the room to give them some privacy.

"It is an amazing sight from here, but we could do without the rain," Harry commented as he tried to break the ice.

"Get to the point, Harry. Did Abe send you?" Jim was referring to Abraham Lincoln Cartwright the current Fleet Commander of Starfleet. Harry Morrows' tenure as Fleet Commander had ended shortly after they had arrived on Vulcan with Spock. Jim first met Abe Cartwright and Harry Morrow in his Academy days. He and Harry had hit it off immediately, but he had never really liked Abe Cartwright. Jim found him too rigid in his thinking and not open to new ideas. Abe's command of a constitution class ship had been short. Jim was not surprised as he knew from his own experience, a Captain had to adapt quickly to new situations. But, as always, Abe had landed on his feet and had been promoted upward.

"Yes, he did. He is very busy at the moment."

"I'll bet." They had been allowed visitors and there was talk that the current Fleet Commander would be forced to step down.

"He is not only dealing with the mess this Probe left, he is dealing with the mess you created."

Jim stared at Harry, "The mess I created?"

"Yes, if you had come back, right after dropping Spock off at Vulcan, I might have been able to help you and avoid our current problems."

Jim interrupted, "I didn't risk my entire career to just drop Spock off. I couldn't leave until I knew Spock and Bones were okay."

Harry stared at their reflections in the window. "Couldn't, or wouldn't?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes it does. Not only did you break a ship load of rules and regulations and destroy the Enterprise, you nearly caused a rift between the Federation and the Vulcan people."

Jim turned to glare at Harry. "I think Cartwright did that on his own when he threatened to send troops to Mt. Seleya to drag us back. Do you know how hard you have to work to piss off all of Vulcan? Thanks to Abe, the Vulcans offered us asylum. The first time in their history they have offered to protect non-Vulcans and humans to boot." Jim turned back to the window. "But, Vulcan is a little too hot for my blood."

"Jim, Vulcan threatened to withdraw from the Federation. Do you realize the seriousness of that situation if it had happened? If Vulcan withdrew, many other planets would have left as well. What would the Klingons and the Romulans have done? Abe went ballistic at the thought of the Klingons getting a foot hold in Federation territory."

"That wouldn't be my first choice either but it is no longer my problem Harry. And I repeat, I'm not the one who threatened to invade Vulcan with troops. When will we be brought before the Federation council?" They both turned at the sound of the door opening. Spock and Gillian took in the tense nature of the situation and moved to Jim's side.

Harry ignored their approach and said, "You will be brought before the Federation Council in three days. But, tomorrow you and your crew are scheduled to be interviewed by Starfleet Medical."

Jim gave Harry a sidelong glance, "Why?"

"Jim just cooperate for once. It might help in the long run."

"Really! Are you telling me Starfleet hasn't already decided our fate? They had several weeks to mull that one over."

"I don't know what the Federation Council has decided at this point. I'm here to ask you to cooperate with Starfleet Medical."

Spock interrupted, "I would assume the council is taking into consideration Jim's actions in saving this planet from the Probe's attack. Without his actions Starfleet would have been underwater and possibly irreparably crippled."

"Ambassador Sarek most eloquently presented a defense of all charges."

Bones' suspicious nature forced him to interrupt. "Okay, let's get back to Starfleet Medical. Who wants to talk to us and why?"

Admiral Morrow did his best not to squirm and to look Bones in the eyes but failed. "The Psychiatric Branch of Starfleet Medical is scheduled to interview each of you individually."

Bones snorted, "If Webber is still in charge of that section of Starfleet Medical then heaven help us because they're going to throw the book at us."

Admiral Morrow turned toward Bones, "Whatever report we receive will be well after the Council's decision is announced. The report will have no bearing on the Councils final decision."

Jim cut off Bones' reply as he foresaw a sarcastic remark coming. "What's behind this interview if not at the Council's request?"

"Let's just say that Starfleet is a little shook up with six career officers throwing their commissions away and blatantly disobeying orders. And, they want to know why?"

"Of course, independent thinkers can't be allowed in Starfleet." Bones was perched on the edge of a tirade.

Gillian interrupted Bones this time. "Jim, I'm very grateful for all you did to help bring me to this wonderful future. Please cooperate if it will help you in the long run."

Gillian was another problem Starfleet was not happy about.

"You, Ms. Taylor, are another problem for Jim."

"I don't believe so, Admiral. Ms. Taylor is now a Vulcan citizen and no concern of Starfleet." Spock managed to shock Admiral Morrow with that information.

Harry managed to close his mouth and recover his demeanor. "Nevertheless, you brought a person from the past and may have changed our present."

"Admiral, we would have been aware of any changes in this time line upon our return. No such changes were created." Very few people are willing to challenge Spock's statements of fact.

Gillian jumped into the conversation again. "Please Jim, you helped me, now help your self and do what they ask. At this point cooperating can only help your situation."

Jim smiled at Gillian and nodded his head. "Very well." Jim turned to Morrow, "Harry, I will cooperate but it's up to everybody else whether they will agree to the interviews." By now the others had gathered around and they shrugged their shoulders in resignation.

* * *

The next morning, the crew was escorted to a conference room by security to wait for their interviews. Bones noted everyone, but Jim, alternated from nervously pacing too impatiently sitting. Jim sat away from the others and refused to talk. Bones' long experience with his friend told him this was not his normal behavior. In fact, the easy way he agreed to these interviews was not his usual attitude. After years of dragging him into a sickbay for physicals, Bones knew Jim would never normally agree to an interview with Starfleet Medical so easily. Bones sat next to Jim and said, "Tell me, why did you agree to this interview?"

"Bones, why don't you just drop it." Jim was not in the mood to discuss anything with anyone.

Bones knew Jim well enough to detect signs of depression. They had all been through a lot, especially Jim, and with very little time to adjust to each new trauma. "Jim, you can't just give up, you have to fight for your life, your career. Being a starship captain and exploring the universe has been your life's dream."

"My life, that is a joke. I have no life, no family and now no career." With the latest crisis over, Jim could not stop thinking about the loss of his son, David. What did a man ultimately have without a family?

Bones could guess Jim was thinking about David. McCoy knew there are few words to console a parent when a child died no matter the age, but Jim had the added grief of never truly knowing his son. "Jim ... there isn't much I can say about the loss of David except I'm truly sorry. I can only imagine my feelings if Joanna were to die. But, David is not your only family. You have a family. They are the people right here in this room and Spock of course. We have served together for more than twenty years through the good times and the bad times. This is one of the bad times and if you let us help, we will get through this together. Just think about that for a while." Bones moved away and left Jim to mull over his words.

At that moment, an aide for Admiral Webber came in carrying a data pad. "Gentlemen and Ma'am, the Admiral is ready to get started." He checked his pad and said, "Dr. McCoy, the Admiral would like to interview you first. This way, please."

Bones gave his companions an encouraging smile and followed the young man into the next room as he tried to remember why he had agreed to the interview. Five individuals sat at a table which resembled more a court martial set up than a medical consultation. In the center of the table was Admiral Derrick Webber the head of the Psychiatric branch of Starfleet Medical. On his right side was Admiral Marc Stevens assistant to the head of Starfleet Medical and Captain Philip Edwards who had many years of shipboard experience. And, on the left was Captain Steven Lewis who also had shipboard experience. The panel was rounded out by Admiral T'San, the only Vulcan Admiral in the medical branch of Starfleet with degrees in Vulcan and human medicine, deep space medicine and psychiatric medicine. McCoy was surprised to see Admiral T'San included. He wondered if a couple of tricky Vulcans of his acquaintance had something to do with his inclusion. Bones was glad to see Lewis and Edwards as they had served on starships for more than six months. The minimum requirement for a Starfleet Medical Officer was six months of service on a starship and Bones had a theory that most Starfleet Medical Officers who made Admiral had only met the minimum requirement of service.

"Dr. McCoy, thank you for participating in these interviews. We are interested in your thoughts and professional opinion in making the decision to head to the planet Genesis." Admiral Webber didn't waste any time in coming to the point, and neither did Bones.

"I was a little confused at the time with that whole Vulcan katra in my head thing."

Captain Lewis interrupted to ask, "Dr. McCoy, we do not fully understand this business with the katra. Do I understand correctly? You supposedly carried the soul of Captain Spock?"

"Not supposedly, Spock placed his katra into me prior to his death. Gentlemen, do we really have to go through all that again? I know you have access to the entire report and I am sure Admiral T'San can fill in the details if he chooses." Bones looked at T'San but his face was impassive in the best Vulcan tradition. Bones shrugged and continued, "What you need to understand is I had no choice but to go to Genesis. Spock's katra compelled me, no, demanded I return to Genesis."

Admiral Stevens jumped in, "What compelled Admiral Kirk and the rest of the crew to go with you to Genesis?"

"You will have to ask each of them, as I understand you plan to do today."

"Dr. McCoy, your expertise in evaluating and maintaining the mental health of your crew is well known. In your medical opinion, why did the Admiral and the crew return to Genesis?" Captain Edwards asked.

"Have any of you spent an extended tour on a starship?"

Admiral Webber interrupted, "We'll ask the questions, Doctor."

"I thought not. First, you need to understand the dynamics of a starship crew, especially the ships and crews of more than twenty years ago. We are talking about more than 400 men and women on a starship often totally bored with routine tasks and many times in danger of total destruction."

Admiral Webber was becoming frustrated, "What does this have to do with our question of why the six of you went to Genesis?"

Admiral T'San interrupted, "Admiral, you asked Dr. McCoy to explain and I would like to hear his explanation." Admiral Webber waved his hand indicating Bones could proceed.

Bones nodded a thank you to Admiral T'San, "To get back to these crews. We were often weeks away from contact with Starfleet. The captain had to be diplomat, policeman, judge, and sometimes jury to the crew and the planets we visited. All of these duties were placed squarely on the shoulders of a young man barely into his thirties. His first officer only a year older, myself elderly in comparison as I was ten years older. The majority of the bridge crew, Uhura, Chekov, and Sulu were in their twenties. Did you know the average age of the crew during that first tour was twenty-nine years old?" Bones did not even pause to let them answer. "We only had fifteen individuals who were forty years old or older, one hundred crew persons were in their thirties and the rest were in their twenties. These young people faced unknown situations and looked to one man to pull their butts out of the fire. And that man, Captain James T. Kirk, saved this crew numerous times. He brought his crew and ship home when many others had been destroyed."

Admiral Webber was getting irritated as he felt he was not getting the answers he wanted. "Doctor, I understand the dynamics of starships but you still have not answered our questions."

"No, Admiral, I don't think you do understand. Jim Kirk made an impression on his crew. More often than not, Admiral Kirk led the away missions as he was unwilling to place his crew into dangerous situations. His crew knew he was trying to protect them. And, Jim Kirk felt every death under his command. We all saw how hard he took the deaths. The Admiral would do anything to protect his crew and they would do anything for him. And as time passed, we began to function more as a family. We had very few chances to see our own families and shore leave occurred on whatever planet or space station we happened to stop at. Human beings have a need for family and in the absence of our real family we will form family units with our friends and companions. Over the last twenty-two years we six, and Spock, have served together probably eighteen to twenty of those years, and when it was time for shore leave we took it together. Through chance, Starfleet brought together a group of people who developed a strong connection to each other."

Admiral T'San leaned forward as he asked, "Are you saying this crew's loyalty is to James Kirk rather than to Starfleet."

"Dammit, we are the most loyal officers Starfleet has, but sometimes when your family is hurting they take precedence." Bones normally would not have been so blunt but he did no anticipate Starfleet allowing them to keep their commissions.

"Interesting," was the only comment T'San made before leaning back in his chair.

"Calm down, doctor," Admiral Webber glanced at the panel of officers as he said, "I believe this interview is finished unless anyone has any other questions. All of the officers shook their heads indicating they did not have any other inquiries. "Very good, Doctor you may be excused. Lieutenant Spears," Webber looked at his list and said, "Escort Dr. McCoy to the waiting room and send in Commander Uhura."

Bones was furious at being dismissed so quickly, "Calm down, you say. What is your agenda? What are you really trying to do with these interviews? Because, if it is to put the blame squarely on Jim Kirk's shoulders, you are all wrong."

"Lieutenant Spears, escort the Doctor to the waiting room." Webber glared at McCoy and it was apparent his interview was over. Bones glared at Webber but finally left the room and began to seriously wonder about the real purpose of these interviews.

Uhura passed Bones and he whispered, "Watch yourself, I'm not sure what they're up to." Nyota nodded her head and followed the ensign through the door. Bones surveyed the room and noticed Jim had not moved from the chair he occupied earlier. Bones moved across the room and pulled a chair next to Kirk and had a seat. He noticed the others casually moving as far away as possible to give them some privacy.

They sat in silence until Bones asked, "Aren't you going to ask me how it went?"

"Nope," Jim sat staring at the floor. He refused to look at McCoy and continued to go over the events leading to the death of his son. He was sure if he had done something different his son would still be alive. The picture of his dead son would not go away.

"Well, you had better be interested. I think they are looking at putting us away, for good. I just haven't decided whether it is a penal colony or a rehab facility."

"Contact Dr. Cory, maybe he can save me a room next to Captain Garth," Kirk said without emotion or looking up.

Jim's attitude not only concerned Bones. It was making him mad. Knowing an angry tirade wouldn't help Jim, McCoy controlled himself. "That's not very damn funny! If you don't start fighting for your life and career, you just might wind up next to Captain Garth. I don't think you really want that to happen. Do you? Jim?" The captain refused to look at McCoy or talk to him. Bones sighed but chose to keep Jim company. He leaned back in his chair and tried to determine what Admiral Webber's motives were with these interviews.

* * *

With some trepidation, Commander Nyota Uhura entered the room. "Please have a seat, Commander." Admiral Webber smiled and Nyota took an immediate dislike to him. She had dealt with the leering looks of men all her life and that is exactly the way Webber was looking at her now. Uhura decided to ignore Webber and sat in front of the panel with no comment.

Webber began by asking some initial questions. "Ms. Uhura, could you tell us how many years you served with Admiral Kirk."

"We have served together, off and on since 2263, the beginning of the Enterprise's five year mission." Uhura had decided to answer any questions with the bare minimum of information.

Webber continued with his questions, "What is your impression of Admiral Kirk?"

Nyota continued to be cautious in her answers. "You will have to be more specific. Do you want my impressions of him as an individual or a Commander?"

Webber sighed as he realized Kirk's crew would not be forthcoming with the information he wanted. Webber put on what he considered his best smile and said, "Let's start with your impression of Kirk as a Commander."

"Well, I lost track of the number of times he saved our butts and pulled victory out of defeat. Is there any other Commander with a record to parallel his?" She wasn't able to keep the defensiveness out of her voice.

Webber smirked to himself, if he could get Kirk's crew angry he hoped they would tell him something he could use against Kirk. "Now, my dear, there is no reason to get upset."

Uhura felt her face beginning to burn, she took a deep breath and in her best condescending voice replied, "And, Admiral Kirk never called me my dear. He held a great deal of respect for all of his crew and we respected him as well." She enjoyed the small victory of watching Webber's face turn red from the neck up.

Admiral Stevens jumped in with his question. "Commander Uhura, why did you think so many crew members have shown such loyalty to Admiral Kirk?"

Uhura turned to face Stevens, "Admiral, as Captain of the Enterprise, James Kirk always put his crew first. He was first to face any danger, first on away missions, and last to take shore leave."

"Sounds like a case of being a workaholic to me," stated Captain Edwards. "As a CMO on a starship, I saw more than one Captain who nearly worked himself to death."

Uhura countered with, "Admiral Kirk felt responsible for his crew. Starfleet put him in command of a ship of more than 400 people and sent him out into unexplored areas of the galaxy. We were sometimes weeks away from communication with Starfleet. We were truly alone for weeks at a time. I'm not surprised only one ship returned from that first five-year mission."

Admiral T'San leaned forward and asked, "Why do you think the Enterprise was successful in returning from that first five-year mission?"

"Admiral Kirk is the reason we returned from the five-year mission. But, do not think he is proud or arrogant about his success? We celebrated with nonstop parties once we were three days out from Earth. While we were celebrating, the then Captain Kirk was writing letters to the families of the last two crew members who died on our last mission. I'm not sure he considered the five-year mission a success due to the many deaths we incurred. He felt he could have, should have, prevented every death." Uhura regretted saying so much as she was uncertain how the panel would use the information she provided.

Captain Edwards jumped in and said, "Taking so much responsibility on your shoulders can lead to psychological issues in some individuals."

Uhura glared at him and responded by saying, "That was never an issue with Admiral Kirk."

"I believe Admiral Kirk's recent actions may question your statement." Admiral Webber smirked to himself as he was starting to get some of the information he was after.

"I know Dr. McCoy's reputation and I'm confident he would not let a captain's mental instability go unreported," replied Captain Lewis. Uhura was grateful for his support.

Admiral T'San decided to pull the discussion back on track. "Commander Uhura, why did you choose to help Admiral Kirk defy orders?"

"I know enough about Vulcans to realize you value family and hopefully you will understand when I say there was no other choice. There are times family supercedes my duty as an officer with Starfleet. Captain Spock is a part of our family and if there was any chance he could be rescued we had to help. There is no other answer I can give you." Nyota addressed her comments to Admiral T'San and watched his face for a reaction but could not tell what he was thinking.

The room was very quiet until Admiral Webber cleared his throat and said, "That will be all Commander Uhura. Lieutenant Spears please escort the Commander to the waiting area, give us ten minutes and then we will see Commander Scott next."

Lieutenant Spears stepped forward to escort Uhura from the room. Nyota stood and paused as she considered whether she could make the board understand why they all needed to help Jim Kirk. She looked at their faces and only saw doubt or indifference. With a sigh, Uhura left the room.

Admiral Webber waited until the door closed before bringing up a subject which he hoped would put the nails in Kirk's coffin. "I think we have overlooked an area we need to explore. We need to take a look Kirk's last psych scan as well as those of the rest of his officers."

Captain Lewis leaned forward to gain eye contact with the head of Starfleet medical services. "Admiral my understanding of our orders is that we have the authority to interview Kirk and his officers only."

"Captain, we have been given the duty of determining why these officers disobeyed orders, we can explore any area needed to gain that information. I'm authorizing a look at their psych scans." Webber's tone was enough to silence the captain.

Before the Admiral could continue, Admiral T'San volunteered to obtain the scans, "Admiral Webber, I have had considerable experience analyzing psych scans, specifically scans of star ship personnel. I will have my aide obtain the scans and review them after we are done with the interviews today. I will be ready with a report tomorrow by 0700."

Admiral Webber was not pleased as he had hoped to review the scans and put his own slant on the report. But, he could not find a legitimate reason to refuse to allow T'San to obtain the scans. He was well aware the Vulcan Admiral's qualifications surpassed those of everyone in the room. "Very well, Admiral T'San, I will look forward to hearing your report." Webber pushed the button to summon his aide. Spears entered and the Admiral ordered him to request Commander Scott's presence for the next interview.

When Uhura returned to the waiting room, she joined Scotty, McCoy, Chekov and Sulu to let them know about her interview. Nyota looked around the doctor at Kirk. "How is the Admiral doing?"

McCoy shrugged and said, "I can't get him to talk to me. He hasn't had enough time to deal with the stress of the last few weeks let alone handle the pressure of these interviews. I'm afraid he will put the nails in his own coffin unless he pulls out of this funk."

Chekov snorted, "Is funk a new medical term? I have never heard that one before."

McCoy glared at Pavel and then asked Nyota, "What do you think they are after with these interviews?"

Uhura summarized her experience and the many questions about the Admiral's mental state. Sulu jumped in and asked, "Do you think they are trying to accuse Admiral Kirk of being mentally incompetent?"

A worried Bones replied, "Possibly."

"Well, I'll nae help them," Scotty chimed in but he didn't have time to say any more before he was summoned to the other room. Scotty entered and took the center seat.

Admiral Webber opened the interview with the same question he had asked Uhura. "Commander Scott, how many years have you served with Admiral Kirk?"

"All together, I would guess twenty years." Scotty tried to gauge the expressions of the board members.

Admiral Webber continued, "What is your impression of Admiral Kirk?"

"I hae never known a starship captain more in tune with his crew an' his ship as Admiral Kirk. I hae a great deal o' respect for him as a commander an' a mon." Scotty didn't know what this committee wanted but he wanted to make it clear where he stood.

"Very commendable, Mr. Scott." Admiral Stevens took over the questioning. "Why did you jeopardize your career by helping Kirk steal the Enterprise?"

Scotty's accent was as thick as it could get. "Ach, I had no choice, the laddie needed my help. An' if it was possible that we could save Mr. Spock none o' us had a choice. He was one o' us and we had to go find him. Dr. McCoy was hurting as well, if we dinna find help for him, he could hae died." Scotty doubted they would understand and he was right.

"What was Admiral Kirk's attitude during this time?" Admiral Stevens continued to question Scotty.

"I dinna believe I understand your question, sir." Scotty wasn't sure what the panel wanted from him but he didn't like the sound of the question.

Admiral Stevens continued the questioning, "How would you compare Admiral Kirk's actions to actions taken on a mission when he was in command of the Enterprise?"

Scotty thought for a moment before answering, "The Admiral was in control o' the situation as much as he ever was during a mission."

Webber leaned forward to ask, "I understand your nephew was killed in one of Khan's attacks. Do you blame Admiral Kirk for your nephew's death?"

Scotty's face clouded as he remembered that fateful day. 'The pur wee lad, so excited, feeling so grown up. I'll never forget his burned face. It was just a training program, th' only way anyone should hae been hurt is if they tripped o'er their own feet. I promised my sister nothing would happen to the lad. I know she will probably never forgive me. For a moment, I think I did blame th' Admiral but just for a moment. It was not his fault. I've been in Starfleet long enough to know th' dangers o' space travel. But those wee laddies, they dinna deserve to die on a training mission. How dare they try t' put a wedge between th' Admiral and I?' Scotty looked Webber in the face until he adverted his eyes. Then, Scotty said, "No, is that clear enough ... Sir."

Before Webber could respond, Admiral T'San jumped in to change the line of questioning. "Your expertise with starships and respect for your ships is legend. It is not logical that you would sabotage the Excelsior."

"Ach, that bucket o' bolts. The problem wasn't how to sabotage it but which method to use. I hae respect for ships wi' some craftsmanship to them. Trans warp drive, what a joke. I predict in ten t' twenty years we will look back at it an' laugh. The Excelsior class ships will never hae th' longevity of th' Constitution class ship. I hope I never see th' day when there is an Excelsior class ship named Enterprise. That would be a day, I would mourn." Scotty was prepared to continue on the merits of the Constitution class ship for as long as he could get away with it. Let them think he was too obsessed with machinery to be of any use to them.

Admiral Webber interrupted, "I believe we were talking about Admiral Kirk, not the merits of different classes of ships. Let's keep to the subject at hand. Did Admiral Kirk coerce you or any member of your party to help him return to the Genesis planet?"

"Are ye daft? Admiral Kirk dinna hae to coerce anyone. Ye just dinna understand."

Captain Edwards jumped in, "You voice your admiration for the Constitution class ship but you helped to destroy the Enterprise, how is that possible?"

Scotty's face showed his sorrow over the death of the Enterprise. He considered every ship as having a soul and his grief over the death of this ship was severe. "Do ye think I wanted t' let th' ship be destroyed. We had no other options. As bad as I feel about th' destruction o' th' Enterprise, Admiral Kirk feels worse. When we were on those long missions, there were always down times. Times when we were bored days on end. We used those times t' practically overhaul th' ship. The Admiral would be by my side overhauling th' engines. He is the only captain I ever served wi' who could work side by side with me an' understand what I was doing. He did admit he couldn't always follow th' more technical aspects but in an emergency I believe he could hae done as fine a job as any o' my laddies. He loved that ship as much as I did. The bottom line is, I would never refuse t' help this man. It wasn't only Admiral Kirk but Mr. Spock an' Dr. McCoy who needed help."

Admiral T'San had been hearing the same story from the other Enterprise crew, so he decided to ask, "Commander Scott, do you consider Admiral Kirk, Captain Spock, Dr. McCoy, Commander Uhura, Commander Chekov and Commander Sulu as family?"

Scotty had never really thought about it in those terms before but yes he did feel as close to his shipmates as family. "Aye sir, we are family."

Admiral T'San nodded and looked at the rest of the panel. Admiral Webber leaned forward, "That will be all, Mr. Scott. Lieutenant Spears, we will see Mr. Chekov next."

Scotty was more than happy to end his interview and exited as quickly as possible.

Lt. Spears entered the waiting room with Scotty close on his heels. "Commander Chekov, the panel will see you next."

From his spot by the window, Pavel looked up and grimaced. Each person's report of the questions they were asked and the attitude of the panel did not help him to look forward to his interview or interrogation as he had begun to think of it. Sulu gave Pavel an encouraging smile and pat on the back

Scotty joined the rest of the gang and Jim Kirk continued to stay separate from the group. "Leonard, I agree with you, I think they are building a case of the Admiral being incompetent."

"Well, what do we do about it?" Uhura asked.

"First off. We work on Jim. He has to get his edge back if he wants to save his career," Bones looked pass Uhura and Jim still ignored them. "The only question is how do we get his attention."

Uhura stole a quick look at Kirk and then suggested, "What about Mr. Spock, he might listen to him?"

"Aye lassie, that's a good idea." Scotty couldn't think of anyone else who could talk sense to the Admiral.

"I'll talk to the lieutenant and see if he can get a message to Spock." Bones moved over to Spears' desk and let him know he needed to contact Spock. Spears said he would relay the message immediately.

Commander Pavel Chekov took his place in front of the panel of physicians as he tried to remember why he had agreed to the interview. His main thought was to just get it over with as quickly as possible.

Admiral Webber started the interview with the same question he had asked the other Enterprise crew members. "Commander Chekov, how many years have you served with Admiral Kirk?"

"I have served with the Admiral since I left the Academy. Of course, I vas on the Enterprise during the refit vhen the Admiral vas at Starfleet Command. And, I vas First Officer for Captain Terrell for several veeks but the majority of my service has been vith Admiral Kirk." Pavel usually could turn his accent on and off as he wanted but when he was nervous or under pressure it became more pronounced and he hated that.

Webber followed up with a second question, "What is your impression of Admiral Kirk?"

"Vhat do you vant to know? No other Starfleet Captain can compete vith him. He was my captain right out of the Academy. I never thought the captain of my first ship vould even know my name. Admiral Kirk met vith every crew member and made an effort to get to know the entire crew. I have never been able to figure out how I caught the Admiral's attention. Vhatever I did. He took an interest in my career. But that is only one part of the story, Admiral Kirk is an amazing commander. Being the Captain of a ship is his first, best destiny. Every being has their niche in life, and Admiral Kirk's is commanding a starship." Pavel hoped he could make this team of physicians understand how important it was to return Admiral Kirk to command of a starship.

"Commander, why did you choose to disobey Starfleet orders and follow Admiral Kirk to the Genesis planet?" Admiral Stevens leaned forward as he waited for an answer.

"Because he couldn't do it alone," it was that simple for Chekov.

Webber jumped in, "Excuse me."

Chekov turned to face Webber, "I said, because Admiral Kirk couldn't do it alone." Chekov spoke each word slowly as if he was talking to someone a little slow on the up take.

Admiral T'San interrupted what he anticipated would become an emotional exchange. "Commander Chekov, I understand the Admiral could not return to Genesis without help. Why did you determine you were the individual to help Admiral Kirk?"

"I ... I don't know ... maybe because ve are like family. Admiral Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, Sulu, Uhura, and Scotty ve are like family. There vas no way I could refuse to help. How could I even consider saying no after every thing Admiral Kirk has sacrificed over the years? He has never left a man behind and if there vas any chance Mr. Spock could be saved ve had to go." Pavel had felt insecure over the years about his command abilities and felt he would never reach the standard set by Admiral Kirk. But with his recent experience with Khan he found he had the inner strength to stop himself from killing Admiral Kirk. And, a grieving Kirk had taken the time to talk to him and reassure him there was nothing he could have done to stop Khan. The thought of refusing to help Kirk had never even entered his mind.

Captain Lewis asked, "Were Admiral Kirk's orders reasonable during the trip to Genesis?"

"Reasonable? I don't think I understand, there vasn't much to order us to do on the trip to Genesis?" Chekov could see what Nyota was talking about, they appeared to want information on Admiral Kirk's emotional state.

"I understand, Admiral Kirk's son was killed on the Genesis planet. How did the Admiral deal with his son's death?" Captain Edwards asked.

Pavel was becoming disgusted with this line of questions, "How do you think he reacted? He vas horrified and sick vith grief but he did vhat he had always done. He put his grief aside and did vhat he had to do."

Admiral Webber looked at the other physicians and they shook their heads indicating they had no other questions. Webber buzzed for the Lieutenant and said, "That will be all Commander Chekov." As Lieutenant Spears entered Webber ordered him to escort Chekov back to the waiting area and summon Commander Sulu.

While Pavel was being interviewed, Hikaru was contemplating his fate. After all the rain, the grass looked greener and the flowers more plentiful in the sunshine. His thoughts were far from the beautiful view. He had been waiting for his first command for a long time. It was within his grasp until this incident. The last information he had was his promotion to captain would occur after the training mission. The ill-fated training mission as it would turn out. The Excelsior was the next ship needing a commander and he had convinced himself the ship would be his.

Sulu didn't notice McCoy, Scotty and Uhura moving toward him until they were at his side. Scotty spoke up first, "Well laddie, it won't be long."

"Yeah, I know." Sulu could understand the depression the Admiral was feeling. They were all watching their careers go down the toilet. He didn't want the others to catch onto his mood so he changed the subject. "Did you get a hold of Mr. Spock?"

Dr. McCoy had just talked to the lieutenant and reported, "I left a message for him with his father's aide. They are expected to return there later this afternoon."

Nyota was not fooled and knew Hikaru well enough to see the worry in his eyes. She touched his arm, "Hikaru, it will be okay."

"Will it, will it really?" Sulu turned at the sound of the door opening and saw Chekov and the Lieutenant entering.

Lt. Spears announced, "Commander Sulu, the panel will see you next."

Chekov smiled as he met Sulu in the center of the room and lied when he said, "A piece of cake, no problem."

Sulu grimaced and followed Spears into the room. The lieutenant indicated the center seat and Sulu sat down and faced the committee.

Admiral Webber asked the first question as he had with all the other interviews. "Commander Sulu, I have two questions I would like to start with. First, how long have you served with Admiral Kirk?"

Sulu cleared his throat slightly, "I served on the Enterprise a couple of years prior to the Admiral becoming captain. With the two years the Admiral was with Starfleet Command, I would say we served together twenty years or so."

Admiral Webber asked his second question, "What is your impression of Admiral Kirk?"

Sulu took his time in responding, "The Admiral is a mentor and one of the finest captains in Starfleet. And frankly, if Starfleet does not recognize his value they will be very short sighted."

"Very commendable, Commander. We have picked up on the fact that Kirk can con his crew to follow him into hell and back," Admiral Stevens added.

"Excuse me!" Hikaru was dealing with the results of his decision to help Admiral Kirk and having someone accuse him of blithely being lead by the Admiral just made him furious. "The Admiral did not order us to go with him. He did not con us. We helped our friends in need. We knew what we were doing and the possible results of disobeying Starfleet orders. So, do not imply we were tricked into helping Admiral Kirk."

"Commander, that is enough. We still have more questions." Webber smirked at getting a rise out of Sulu.

Captain Edwards tried to pull the interview back on track. "Commander, I understand you were scheduled for promotion at the end of your last mission. In light of that fact, why did you go with Admiral Kirk to the Genesis planet?"

"If there was a chance we could save Mr. Spock and help Dr. McCoy I didn't have a choice. It is that simple. I full well knew the consequences of breaking Dr. McCoy out of detention, stealing the Enterprise, and going to a restricted area of space. I know I have trashed my chances of any promotion in the near future. That is assuming we are still in Starfleet when this is all over." Sulu hoped he still had a career when this was all over. It would be humiliating to be an ensign again but that would be preferable to the stockade or a rehab facility. He couldn't imagine the Admiral without a ship to command. He tried that after the first five year mission and that was a disaster. Scotty was still grieving over the death of his nephew. If he didn't have his work, he would possibly succumb to depression. Dr. McCoy could certainly find work in the private sector but would he be okay without Kirk and Spock. No one talked about it but everyone knew McCoy, Spock and Kirk were a team which needed each other. Nyota, what regrets would she have with her career in shatters. Pavel was still recovering from his encounter with Khan's creatures. He needed to get back into a normal routine to fully recover.

Admiral T'San pulled Sulu out of his reflections. "Commander Sulu, do you consider the Admiral and your crew mates as close as family?"

Sulu had never thought of it before but with all the time and experiences they had been through, yes he did feel as close as family. "Yes sir, I would consider us a family not from blood but from choice."

Admiral Webber looked at the rest of the panel and they all shook their heads indicating no other questions. "Lieutenant, you may escort the Commander back to the waiting room and due to the late hour have the security guards escort them back to their quarters. We will review our notes and determine if we need any additional information and complete the interview with Admiral Kirk."

Sulu followed the lieutenant to the waiting room. He reflected on the interview and Admiral T'San's question. He had never thought about the others as family before and that thought was comforting. He joined his crew mates in returning to their quarters.

Admiral Webber informed the rest of the panel they would meet at 0700 hours to review the psych scan reports and determine if they needed to interview anyone a second time. Admiral T'San bowed his head slightly and left to check on his aide's progress in obtaining the psych scans.

* * *

After sitting in the waiting room all day, Jim was pacing the living area like a caged animal. Bones and Scotty sat on the sofa watching him and waiting for Spock's arrival. Sulu and Chekov flanked them sitting in chairs. Uhura was in her room changing clothes. They all wanted to help but were at a loss of what to do. Jim reached the windows and stood for a while before pacing to the door and back again. The guards knocked and Spock entered. "Thank God," Bones muttered to himself.

"Gentlemen, I wanted to check to see if there is anything you require." Spock moved over to the windows to stand near Jim.

"Yes, Spock, I need to get out of here, now." Jim turned to face the window and Spock raised his eyebrow at McCoy and the others. Bones shrugged his shoulders and Scotty shook his head in resignation.

"Actually, I believe I can handle your request. The security guards are of my acquaintance and would be willing to accommodate." Spock looked from Kirk to McCoy.

Bones spoke up from the sofa, "Please get him out of here for a while, he's driving the rest of us nuts." Jim turned to stare at the doctor and then gave Spock a bemused look.

Spock and Jim headed to the door, Spock talked with the guards briefly and they were soon outside. "Is there any location you had in mind?"

"No place in particular, I just needed to get outside and feel the wind. It looks like the fog is starting to come in. Let's walk toward the bridge." Spock and Jim took the path which sloped gently down to the bay and would lead them to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The two friends walked in companionable silence for several minutes. "Jim, they are distressed for you. I am distressed for you."

"I know." Jim continued in silence.

"You have never admitted defeat before. Why now?" Spock never had a desire to learn how to be subtle.

Jim continued to walk and tried to look at Spock in the twilight. "Why not now?"

"Your life is not finished."

Jim stopped and looked at Spock, "But my career is."

"That is not a certainty, either." Spock returned the stare.

Jim refused to respond and continued to walk along the path. The setting sun was a firework of red, yellow and orange but Jim hardly noticed. He was too wrapped up in his troubles. They reached the bridge as darkness descended on the bay. The fog was thicker over the water than on the land. Jim walked a short distance onto the bridge and leaned on the railing. "The fog will be thick tonight."

"Jim, we need to discuss your circumstances."

"Not now, I just want to watch the fog roll in." Jim leaned on the railing as he stared at the water. He turned to Spock, "Can you give me some time to myself? I haven't been alone for days and I need some time to think." Jim moved away from the railing. "I want to walk for a while, I promise I'll be back soon."

"Very well, I will wait here." Spock was not concerned about Jim returning and hoped the walk would help him to think more clearly about his situation. Bones had given Spock a refresher course on the signs and symptoms of depression in humans and Jim fit the profile. Unless he began to fight for his career, even Spock could not ascertain a way to save Jim's career.

Within a few steps the fog was so thick Jim could no longer see a concerned Spock standing at the entrance of the bridge. Years of close contact had enabled him to see Vulcan emotions which others could not. Most people thought Vulcans were without emotions but Jim knew they were much more proficient at mastering their emotions. As he walked further into the fog, he kept his hand on the railing. His thoughts were a jumble of past failures and the faces of those crew people who had died on his watch, the destruction of the Enterprise and foremost in his mind was the death of his son. Suddenly he reached the center of the bridge and the fog had unexpectedly disappeared. Both ends of the bridge still vanished in a thick blanket of fog but where he was standing was clear. Benches dotted the length of the bridge with lights every few feet and Jim found one close by and sat down with his face in his hands.

He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting when he felt a hand on his shoulder, "Okay Spock, I'm ready to head back."

What he heard was a voice from his past, "Jim, darling…"

Jim looked up and what he saw was the face of his one true love, Edith Keeler. "Oh God, I'm in a bigger mess than I thought, now I'm hallucinating. I really will wind up in that room next to Captain Garth."

Edith took his hands into hers and sat on the bench beside him. "Jim, you are not hallucinating. I was permitted to come to you so that I may help you. Over the years, I have watched you and protected you as much as I can but now I knew you needed me." She brought his hands to her face.

Jim cupped her face and said, "Edith, it can't be, but it is you. I can feel the warmth of your skin." Jim gently pulled Edith to himself. "Oh Edith, I love you." Her hands went around his neck and their lips met in a moment Jim had dreamed about for years.

Edith smiled as she pulled back so she could see Jim's face. "I have loved you ever since the moment I saw you in that dirty basement. But, we must talk, and I don't have much time."

"Edith how can you be here?"

"I can't explain and I only have a short time to be with you. We must not waste a single moment. You must listen to what I have to say."

Jim continued to hold Edith's hands in his. He felt if he let go she would disappear, he needed to feel her warmth to convince himself she was really here. "I have dreamed of this moment for years. Edith, I'm so sorry, I should have saved you. I could have told you how you would change history. I should have begged you not to start the peace movement. If you wouldn't listen, I should have brought you to the future with me." Jim realized he sounded less than coherent as the words tumbled out of his mouth. For years, Jim had gone over and over the events which led up to Edith's death. He never thought he would be able to talk to Edith about the consequences of his decision to let her die.

"My love, I don't blame you. I would never have believed you. I would have continued to work to stop our entry into the war. You did the right thing, I wanted to save thousands but you were saving the future." Jim had refused to look at Edith during her speech. Edith gently turned his face to look at hers.

Jim gazed into Edith's eyes and did not see blame but he still condemned himself. "If you didn't believe me, I could have brought you to the future."

"What would I have done in the future? I would have been out of place and out of my time. You had your career. I could not have stayed with you on your ship. Jim, it was my destiny to die at that time and your ship was your destiny." She pulled Jim into another long embrace. She leaned back and said, "Now, you must listen to me. You have blamed yourself for too long. You have always done what you must do. Khan, McCoy's accident, my death, Spock's death, the destruction of your ship, and David's death, none of it was your fault. You did the best you could with the circumstances you were given. Do not beat yourself up over these happenings. You have taken terrible events like the probe and V'ger and turned them into good for your universe. You saved the future when you returned from my time, a future which deserved to be saved. You've saved your future and friends, many times, over the years."

Jim interrupted, "But, I let my son die. A son I never knew and will never know."

"Throughout time, people have wondered, why me, why my child? There is no answer to that question unless it is, why not my child? What would you have changed? Would you have killed Khan when you first met him? Would you have left Spock on the Genesis planet? Would you have wished David was never born? Would you have sacrificed this universe to stay with me in the past? Events happened and you did what you had to do. I don't blame you and neither does David. Do you wish you had never become a starship captain? If you had not been present how many events would have been changed, how many planets would have suffered. With the help of your family you have always recovered from the disappointments and failures. You must find the strength to overcome these trials again." She drew his hands to her and kissed them.

Jim pulled his hands away and stood with his back to Edith. "I have no family to speak of, my Mother is dead, my nephew and I have not seen each other more than a handful of times over the last twenty years. Carol and I were never really family and she never even let me be a father to my own son."

Edith walked around in front of him, "This self pity is not you, Jim Kirk. Don't you think I had reason to feel sorry for myself? My parents had very little family, and I was an only child. They died in a car accident and I was alone. My father left me millions but most of it was lost in the stock market crash. I decide I could feel sorry for myself or I could take what was left and help others. I sold everything including the big mansion and moved into that neighborhood where you stumbled onto me. I found myself in that grimy little mission. I learned to worry about others first. So many people needed help, a good meal, some warm clothes and a place to sleep. Those people became my family, as much a family as my parents. Jim, you have a large family who loves and care for you, never forget you have Leonard, Spock, Nyota, Pavel, Scotty, and Hikaru. You also have all the men and women you have worked with over the years. They care for you and many offered their support while you were at Mt. Seleya. Didn't they?" Edith place her hand under Jim's chin and raised his head until he looked her in the eyes. His eyes told her he agreed with her. "Jim, you have so much work left to do. You will face other trials and hardships but you must not give up. Gain strength from your friends, from your family. I must leave soon. Promise me you will continue to fight for your life and your career, my love."

Jim pulled Edith into an embrace and buried his face into her hair. He wanted to remember everything about this moment. "I will fight, Edith. But, can't you stay with me awhile longer."

"No, I must go but promise me you will always fight, someday we will be together but you have many more years before that can happen. Remember. I will be watching over you, my dear." Edith began to pull away from Jim, and as she backed up, he continued to hold her hand. He was finding it difficult to keep a grip on her hand and the fog seemed to engulf her. "Not yet, Edith."

In the distance he heard his name being shouted, "KIRK!" He turned to see who was calling him and noticed the fog had completely cleared on that end of the bridge. In the distance he could see Spock, Admiral Cartwright, and several security guards approaching.

Jim turned back and looked at Edith, she seemed to fade in front of his eyes. He tried to maintain his grip on her hand but there was nothing to hold onto. "Edith, I love you!"

"Jim, I love you! I will see you again ... someday..." With those words, Edith faded from view. Jim did not notice Spock or Cartwright's approach.

"What the Hell are you doing Kirk, just like always, defying orders? Prisoners don't usually go for a night time stroll." Jim did not respond which only angered Cartwright.

Spock stepped in front of the Admiral, "Jim, are you okay? I assured the Admiral he did not have to be distressed that you would escape but he chose not to believe me."

Spock's words finally pulled Jim back to the present. He blinked a couple of times and focused on Spock. "Yeah ... I'm fine. Did you see her Spock?"

Spock looked at Cartwright and then at Jim. "See who, Jim? You were the only one on the bridge until we approached."

"Instead of interviewing you they should commit you. Kirk, you are a real nutcase just like I always thought." Cartwright was livid that the guards had let Kirk out of confinement for this little jaunt. The security guards just wanted to be somewhere else.

Jim was more himself than he had been in weeks when he responded, "You're an ass, Admiral Cartwright. It's Jim to my friends and family but Admiral Kirk to you. At least at this moment as I'm still an Admiral. Shall we go?" Jim turned on his heel and picked up the guards as they headed back toward the shore. Spock fell in behind the security guards which left Cartwright standing alone on the bridge quietly fuming.

Spock moved ahead of the guards to fall in step with Kirk. "Jim, who did you see on the bridge?"

"You'll never believe me Spock. But, it has given me a new perspective on my situation. I think I'll be ready for my interview tomorrow. Whatever happens, I know I will be able to handle it." Jim walked on at a pace just short of running. The security guards were winded by the time they reached the guest quarters where the Enterprise crew was sequestered. Spock was satisfied that whatever happened on the Golden Gate Bridge. Jim Kirk had regained his former strength and confidence.

Fleet Commander Cartwright slowly walked back toward the guest quarters where the Enterprise officers were detained. He quietly wondered how he had totally lost control of the situation. "It still amazes me how Kirk always comes out smelling like a rose. During his five-year mission, he always seemed to turn the worse situations to his benefit. He had accepted a ground assignment and promotion then V'ger came along and command of the Enterprise is given to him again. He steals the Enterprise and breaks every rule in the book and what happens? When he heads back to Earth, he manages to save the Earth by time traveling to the past to get two whales. Now the Federation Council will decide his fate, just because I threatened to invade Mt. Seleya. I gambled the Vulcans would refuse to protect a group of humans. Well I can gain control again. Once the Council makes their decision, I will use the information gained by Webber to destroy Kirk if the Council is lenient. And, if they aren't lenient I will use the info to put him away for the rest of his life. Once Kirk's gone, my worries are over."

Fleet Commander Abe Cartwright climbed the steps to return to his office. And as he came even with the buildings, he caught a movement in the shadows. His training kicked in as he jumped to the side in anticipation of someone accosting him. "It's only me, Cartwright," Admiral Webber stepped out into the light.

"Derrick, you nearly got your head knocked off. What do you think you are doing skulking around in the shadows? You should have just called me." Cartwright pushed Webber closer to the building. Being seen with the head of Starfleet Medical did not fit into his plans at this point.

"The last thing we need is a trail of communication logs showing we have talked ... frequently." Webber moved even closer to the building he doubted anybody could tell who he was as the fog had moved in land but he wasn't taking any chances. "Okay, update me and then we can get out of here." Cartwright kept an eye on the walkway but no one was coming.

"At this point, I think we can build a good case for Kirk being mentally incompetent. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get my hands on his psych scans. I was hoping to be able to doctor them but Admiral T'San interfered. He volunteered to obtain the scans and I couldn't come up with a reason to say no."

"Webber you were supposed to handle this." Admiral Cartwright's expression revealed his displeasure.

"I'm handling it. But, Vulcans can out logic anyone." Cartwright had moved closer and Webber backed up until he could feel the rough brick of the building.

Cartwright grabbed Webber's shirt and shoved him hard against the wall. "You remember, if I go down so do you. I have enough on you to take you with me."

Webber shoved Cartwright hard enough to make him let go of his shirt. "Listen to me, Abe. I'm doing all I can. I told you not to threaten to invade Vulcan and so did half of your staff. But, you wouldn't listen to me or anyone."

"Just don't forget Kirk needs to go down and I mean hard." Cartwright turned on his heel and headed off into the night. Webber looked around and made sure no one was watching and headed in the opposite direction.

Even though Admiral Kirk was the only one ordered to appear before the panel, his friends and crew mates went with him to the waiting room. The guards chose not to make an issue of everyone going with Kirk. Mr. Spock joined them shortly after they arrived in the waiting room. They formed a circle with their chairs and quietly talked about their interviews. Until the previous night, Kirk had been unwilling to even listen to their accounts. Jim Kirk had returned to his old self and was taking charge of his life and his crew was greatly relieved.

While Kirk and crew waited, the medical board members; Admirals Webber, Stevens, T'San and Captains Edwards and Lewis met to review the psych scans before their interview with Jim Kirk. "Admiral T'San, what is your analysis of the Enterprise officers psych scans?"

"Admiral Webber, after consulting with members of the Federation Council and reviewing Starfleet regulations, I established this panel was not given the responsibility of reviewing these scans. Regulations are very specific in regards to protecting Starfleet personnel. I will quote from Starfleet regulation 78/7 paragraph three. Unless a formal court martial is summoned, no Starfleet personnel other than his medical officer is empowered to examine a psychiatric scan without the consent of the individual and his current medical officer." Admiral T'San leaned back in his chair and did not appear to react to the rage on Admiral Webber's face.

"Admiral T'San, I am running this inquiry and I will decide what evidence we need." Webber was beyond angry as he shouted at T'San. "I will send my own staff to obtain those scans and we will review them!"

"I don't think so, Derrick." The Federation President walked in during Webber's tirade. "I agreed to this inquiry to determine why these Starfleet officers made a conscious decision to jeopardize their careers. I also wanted to know if they were more loyal to James Kirk than to the Federation and Starfleet. Gentlemen, your assistance in this matter is appreciated but your services are no longer required. Admiral Webber, you and I will have many conversations until I find out exactly what your purpose has been with this inquiry." The President had moved across the room until he was standing directly in front of the Admiral. Webber's face went from livid red to a pale white.

Admiral T'San interrupted "Mr. President, Admiral Kirk is waiting in the adjoining room for his interview. Perhaps he should be informed his presence will no longer be needed."

"An excellent idea Admiral, Lieutenant Spears bring Admiral Kirk."

Lieutenant Spears nervously stepped forward, "Mr. President, you should know Admiral Kirk's command crew is also waiting with him."

"Excellent, now would be a good time to apologize to them for any discomfort or embarrassment which may have occurred. Ask all of them come in." The President leaned on the desk and ignored the glares of Admiral Webber as they waited.

Lieutenant Spears entered the room and stuttered a little as he informed the Enterprise crew, "Uh ... the Admiral, uh ... the President will see you now."

"About damn time, I'd say," muttered McCoy. "Good luck, Jim."

"Actually, the President and the board want to see the entire Enterprise command crew." Lt. Spears informed them.

"The President, well, that is an interesting twist," Kirk looked at the rest of his crew.

"Indeed, Admiral." Spock was as surprised as the rest of them.

"Shall we?" Kirk led the way into the next room.

The President stepped forward and greeted Admiral Kirk with an extended hand. "Admiral Kirk, I would like to extend my apology to you and your crew. Admiral Webber was instructed to conduct an informal interview with you and your command crew to determine your thoughts and motives for your actions in this incident." Kirk accepted his handshake. The President starred at Webber, "No one was to be intimidated or accused of misconduct at this time. Weren't those your order's Webber?"

Webber defiantly refused to respond. "WEBBER," the President barked in a voice which would have made any Admiral proud.

Webber jumped but did respond with a weak, "Yes."

Kirk looked at McCoy and the rest of his crew. Their faces indicated agreement and Jim answered for them, "We accept your apology, Mr. President. But, I would like to complete my interview. I'm willing to explain my motives and thoughts about this incident."

"It is not necessary Admiral," the President wanted to close this incident as quickly as possible. He suspected Admiral Cartwright of being behind this Webber's actions and he planned to pursue his suspicions with Admiral Webber. Cartwright had inundated him with suggestions and the common theme was crucifying Admiral James T. Kirk.

Admiral T'San interrupted, "Mr. President, with Admiral Kirk's input we could complete a report addressing the goal which was initially outlined for us."

"Admiral Kirk, if you are willing, I believe the officers will allow you to tell your story in your own words." The President turned to look at the officers, "With no questions. Agreed?" The Admirals and Captains nodded assent. Admiral Webber stared ahead and did not acknowledge the comment. The President moved to the side and motioned Kirk to the center seat.

"I would like my crew to stay," Jim requested. He felt they deserved to hear his story after the way he had been ignoring their offers of assistance. The President nodded his agreement and Spock, Uhura, Scotty, Bones, Chekov and Sulu moved to stand behind Jim Kirk.

"Before last night, I'm not sure I could have explained or answered your questions well enough to clear up while I ... we needed to return to the Genesis planet." Kirk waved his hand to include his crew behind him. "Over the years, I have had to leave crew members behind on a number of planets. Many have died and we couldn't bring their bodies home. My son..." Kirk paused to recover his composure, "My son, his body will never be brought home. I was not going to leave Spock on that planet after finding him alive. Over the years, there have been so many deaths. I know it is part of the service, but these people behind me are family. I would sacrifice my life for any of them." Kirk had everyone's attention.

"But, you want to know why we went to the Genesis Planet. First, Starfleet has never understood the Vulcan disciplines. Granted, Vulcans are not open about their culture but I knew after my initial request no one would listen. I knew with a certainty Spock could be alive. I also knew with a certainty, I was the only one who could go after him. Dr. McCoy had no choice but to go as he carried Spock's Katra. But even without the Katra, I know he would have gone." McCoy nodded in agreement and patted Jim on the shoulder. Admiral T'San leaned forward with interest.

"When it came time to find a way to travel to the Genesis Planet, I turned to my family for help. I asked them to help me get the doctor and the Enterprise ready to go. I did not ask them to go with us. It was no surprise to me that they refused to stay behind. We did not jeopardize anyone but our selves. The destruction of the Enterprise tore out a piece of my heart. But, if we hadn't returned to the Genesis planet there would have been two more deaths, no three more deaths. Lt. Saavik, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy. We have pleaded guilty and are willing to take the consequences of our actions. Our decision to disobey orders was the result of very unusual circumstances. If I could have made it to the Genesis Planet without their help, I would have. But I know they would never have forgiven me for not telling them what was going on."

Scotty stated, "Aye!" emphatically. The Captain's listened with interest to the obvious loyalty of the Admiral's crew.

"If you check our records, we have had to choose between orders and saving lives in the past. It has never been an easy choice. Starfleet made it an impossible choice by not listening. We are trained to be tolerant of the many cultures and customs we encounter but Starfleet command has lost their edge. It has been so long since they have been out there, they have forgotten there are more things in this universe that we cannot explain than those we can explain. If I could have taken the blame alone, I would have, but my crew over ruled me on that point." Kirk glanced over his shoulder at his crew.

"That's right, Admiral!" Chekov spoke for all of them.

"As for our actions, some things transcend our loyalty to Starfleet. I can't say I will never disobey Starfleet orders again. But, I don't think Starfleet wants tin soldiers who only follow orders. At least, I hope not, as Starfleet has too many ships who are out of contact and you need men and women with the ability to think for themselves and to uphold the ideals of the Federation. Above all else, we need to learn from our differences and grow from the experience."

"An excellent explanation of the Vulcan concept of IDIC, Admiral Kirk." Admiral T'San had dealt with emotional humans for decades but he could appreciate Kirk's obligations to family. Vulcans commitment to family was one of the strongest in the galaxy.

"If I had an opportunity to go back and change my decision to go to the Genesis Planet, I would still go. If that disqualifies me from further service in Starfleet so be it." Jim stood and looked at every member of the board one at a time. He looked at the President when he asked, "Is there anything else you needed to know, Mr. President?"

"No, Admiral, I think you told them what they needed to know. If you and your crew will return to your quarters, we will see you tomorrow in the Council chambers. I would like to thank you and your crew for cooperating." Admiral Kirk and his crew filed out of the room.

The President called two security guards into the room. "Please escort Admiral Webber to my office and stay with him until I return." He waited for Webber to exit the room and then turned to the rest of the board. "If the four of you can put together a report for me with recommendations of any changes in Starfleet policy you can come up with, it would be greatly appreciated. Admiral T'San if you would head up the team, I would be grateful."

"Mr. President, one common theme throughout these interviews has been the need for family in the absence of your own family and the need to care for family. Vulcan ships normally carry family groups and I would like to pursue a recommendation for Federation ships to do the same."

Admiral T'San thought he had found a key element which led to the loyalty Kirk's crew felt for him.

"An interesting idea, Admiral. Analyze the interviews and send me the report but you should realize any major changes in Starfleet's policy as with any bureaucracy moves at a crawl."

"Indeed." Admiral T'San and the other members of the board gathered their data pads and followed the President.

Jim Kirk and his command crew sweated out one more night of confinement awaiting the decision on their lives and careers.

As soon as the verdict was read by the Federation President, Kirk and his command crew boarded a shuttle to their new ship. The shuttle boarded a constitution class ship named for their beloved Enterprise, an elated Jim Kirk sent the rest of the bridge crew to prepare the ship. He left a puzzled McCoy and Spock in his wake as he made a trip to the botanical garden on board and gathered a handful of flowers. The ensign on duty caught him, "Hey, what are you doing? Oh, Captain, I'm sorry. Can I help you?" She turned red when she realized she almost chewed out her new captain.

"I have what I need. Thanks." Jim felt like he had as a child when he was caught stealing the neighbors apples. He quickly exited the room.

The ensign shrugged her shoulders as she assumed the Captain took the flowers to give to a woman. She had heard the many stories of this Captain's romantic exploits.

Jim almost made it back to the transporter room when Spock and Bones caught up with him. They followed him into the room and McCoy asked, "Are those for Gillian? I thought she had already shipped out." Bones leaned against the console.

"No, they're not for Gillian."

Spock stood beside the transporter panel as he had dismissed the transporter chief. "We wanted to make sure nothing was amiss. Are you returning to Earth, before our departure?"

"Yes." Jim moved over to Spock and leaned an arm on the console.

"Are you giving those flowers to someone?" Bones turned to face Kirk.

"Sort of." Jim was enjoying their discomfort.

"Damn it, Jim, tell us what is going on. You've made a big turn around, what happened?"

"Okay, Bones, I was going to tell you after we shipped out. But I'll tell you now. The night before my interview, I saw Edith Keeler on the Golden Gate Bridge. We talked and she helped me to resolve a few issues and pull myself together. You can call it a hallucination or my imagination or whatever but I know what I saw and felt."

Bones looked skeptical and a little worried but Spock jumped in before he could say anything. "We have seen many strange phenomena over the years, much of which we could not initially explain. What do you plan to do with the flowers?"

"Something I have wanted to do for years but never had the courage to do, until this moment. I found the cemetery where Edith is buried. She's buried in a small town a few miles from New York City." Jim sobered a little as he spoke. "I want to take these flowers to put on her grave before we leave Earth. I would welcome the company of friends to go with me." Jim handed Spock the coordinates.

"Let's go then." Bones stepped up on the transporter pad. Jim followed and Spock set the controls and joined them. They materialized outside an ancient cemetery with a stone wall and wrought iron gate. Much of the cemetery was overgrown with weeds but the front of the grounds had been recently mowed. Jim opened the gate which creaked with age and walked toward the center of the cemetery, it took only a few moments to find the grave he was looking for. Spock and Bones hung back and let Jim have some time alone.

Jim placed the flowers on the grave, and he brushed grass and dirt off the tombstone until he could read her name: Edith Keeler. "Edith, you were right, I had given up. I won't do that again. I have been given another chance to command the Enterprise and I will make the most of that chance." He touched his lips and then Edith's name. "Until we meet again my love."

Spock and Bones walked up to flank Jim. "Are you okay?"

"I'm better than fine, Bones. I'm ready to head out there again. Let's go." Jim opened his communicator, "Three to beam up and tell the Bridge I will be there in a moment and be ready to head out immediately." Three figures faded away, and began yet another adventure.

Fin