The Stars Above Us

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Home, sweet home," Jim said as the shuttle sat down at the large port between the Academy and HQ.

"This place is massive," Bones muttered.

"You have no idea. This is just the main shuttle port, there's another one on the other side of the bridge. That's the Academy," she pointed out the viewport at some stuff. "Training Command and Enlisted Basic Training, FleetHQ, MedComm, TacComm, Corps of Engineers and a bunch of other stuff is here. There's a residential area for personnel with families, that's where we'll live. There's also a school, a rec center and the daycare center, which we're too old for… I'm sure I'm missing something."

"I bet we'll figure it out," he said. "You think Aunt Pip will show me around the medical buildings?"

"If you ask, she'll probably take you on a tour. Next to MedComm is the hospital and there's a clinic at the Academy," Jim said.

"You already explored this place, didn't you?" Bones asked.

"Not as much as I wanted to. Last time we were planet-side I was nine. I didn't have as much free-reign as I do now," she said with a shrug. "Or a friend to go with me."

"Why does it sound like we're about to do something that's gonna get us in trouble," he groaned.

"I'm not… Well, maybe a little."

"Why did I agree to this? Why did I agree to this?" Bones muttered.

"Seriously? This is one of the safest things you could do. You asked where my favorite spot in the city was. Besides, it's just a walk," she chuckled.

"Yea. God only knows how high this thing is from the water," he grumbled, his hand tightening around hers because he was just that scared. Jim could admit that holding hands with him wasn't the worst thing that's ever happened to her.

"Sixty seven point one meters," Jim said.

"That's what, over two hundred feet?" her friend asked.

"Two twenty," she sighed. "As long as you don't hop over the guardrails you'll be fine. People have been walking across the Golden Gate Bridge for centuries. It's not even two miles long."

"How do you know that?"

"I walked across it before with dad. FleetOps and some Academy training facilities are on that side of the bridge. I was curious, so I asked," Jim pointed in the direction they were going. "Seriously, Bones, we'll be fine, we're already halfway across."

Bones looked around and realized that she was right. "You distracted me."

"Of course I did. Close your eyes," she told him.

"Why, so you can push me over?"

"That would probably kill you and I'd hate to have to break in a new best friend. Come on, close 'em," Jim sighed. Bones gave her a look before he decided that she wasn't gonna murder him and closed his eyes. She guided his hand to the railing and turned him towards the bay. "You can open your eyes. I give you my favorite view of San Francisco."

For a long time, he just looked out over the bay. From here they could see Alcatraz through the light fog and the sunlight that made through made the water shimmer.

"Okay, that's pretty," Bones smiled.

"We can head back now if you want," she said.

"No, it's peaceful. Can we stay for a while?" he asked her.

"Yea. We can stay."

"Get your hands in there, Jim," Bones chuckled.

"I hate you so much right now," she mumbled.

"You'll get over it," he told her. "This is dinner for Mister Chris and Aunt Pip, so I suggest you get to it."

Bones was teaching her the easiest thing he could think to cook; pasta. Making it from scratch it was literally just the right amount of flour, salt and eggs. Jim had her hands covered in the mixture trying to make pasta dough. It wasn't really working and she was ready to wash her hands and go with the prepackaged stuff but Bones wouldn't let her. Something about his mama rolling over in her grave. Jim raised an eyebrow.

"There're some Italians on my mama's side. She always made her pasta from scratch. You can do this, Jim. If you can teach me really basic computer coding, I can teach you how to make pasta," Bones said. He was making some kind of sauce but she wasn't paying enough attention to know what he put in it.

"We're the kids. The old people are supposed to cook," Jim pouted.

"Not where I come from. My mama said I had to know how to cook so that I could eat real food when I left home. Oh, and to impress the girls with my mad skills when I got older," he shrugged. "Making my mama breakfast on mother's day was pretty cool too."

"I don't think I've ever celebrated mother's day. I was so little when she died," she muttered. "In a perfect universe, she would probably be teaching me how to cook. Chris is horrible at it."

"That's means you're stuck with me teaching you, so, put some elbow grease in it, Kirk," Bones ordered.

"Yea, yea," Jim said with a smile.

"Jim," Bones called behind her. She slowed her steps and let him catch up. "Miss Highland is an i***t. You okay?"

"I'm fine. Apparently, that's the problem," she muttered.

The USS Kelvin came up in advanced history class and their teacher looked Jim dead in the face before the woman started insulting everything about George Kirk's final actions. It was a Starfleet operated school, so the topic wasn't a surprise but there has to be a rule somewhere about being disrespectful to Federation heroes, especially if their children are in your class. Jim was sure the woman hated her and she had no idea why. Leonard attempted to steer the conversation to the more positive outlook but Miss Highland kept on going. She would have to ask her dad if the woman was, or knew someone who was, on that ship.

"That happens a lot, doesn't it?" he asked after they walked in silence for a few minutes.

"All the time. Mostly adults and more on Earth than on the ships. On ships they get it, being out in the middle of the unknown where all the options you're taught at the Academy are worthless. But on Earth, everyone thinks they're a tactical and shipboard combat expert. I'm so sick of people criticizing a man they didn't know. He saved his crew, the least people could do is respect that fact," Jim said. "I'm ranting."

"You have every right to," Bones told her. "I'm sorry she was being a b***h about your dad. It's wasn't your fault and she had no right to take her issues out on you." Jim looked at him. "What?"

"I don't think anyone has ever said that to me. I've been blamed and teased and even ignored but I don't think anyone other than dad has ever said it wasn't my fault," she said.

"Well it wasn't and if people don't get that, it's their problem," he said. "I think I have to do something nice to take your mind off of this, right?"

"Something like that. My favorite burger place is a few blocks away. I'm gonna drown my sorrows in beef, cheese, fries and milkshakes if you want to join me."

"I'm in," Bones chuckled "I think I like this city."