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“Jim?” Bones asks worriedly, staring at his best friend who has stopped mid stride and gone rigid beside him.
“We have to go. Now,” Jim breathes out sounding strangled.
Bones knows something is seriously wrong when Jim suddenly grasps his forearm and starts tugging him backwards frantically.
“Jim!? Jim what’s wrong kid?”
“He’s here,” Jim hisses, panic dancing clearly in his eyes.
“Who? Jim who are you talking about?”
Bones looks around the open campus square he’s being dragged away from in bewilderment; he can’t see anyone other than the usual crowd of red-clad Cadets and a sprinkling of Academy staff and fellow officers.
“I- I can’t!” Jim stutters, “Bones, we have to go before he sees-!”
Jim breaks off his sentence with a choked off gasp, and comes to a dead stop beside him once more.
And that’s when Bones sees him.
The man with the sickening eyes.
He’s fairly unassuming otherwise. Plain, sandy brown hair, unremarkable American-style civilian clothing, Caucasian-toned skin and features. Nothing that would make him stand out, nothing that draws attention.
Nothing except the glint in his eyes.
“Jim. Come on, you’re right, we should go.”
But Jim remains routed to the spot, trembling even as Bones tries to tug him away.
They’re staring at each other, Jim and the stranger. Their gazes equally unwavering.
The strangers lip curls up in a sneering smirk, and every single one of Bones’ mental warning alarms start going off.
“Jim we’re leaving now,” he commands sternly, gripping his best friend’s shoulders and pulling him forcibly towards the nearest building. Even as he shoves him through the front doors though, Jim does not break eye contact with the unsettling man.
“Spock, we need to find out who that guy was and do something about him.”
Spock not-frowns at the security footage playing on loop on the screen before them both, and then cocks his head very slightly to the left.
“You say he threatened the Captain, Doctor?”
“Well not verbally, but he gave me the heebie jeebies just looking at him. He was not looking at Jim in a friendly manner, not at all.”
“But you believe he had violent intentions towards the Captain?”
“Oh definitely. No man grins like that at another without meaning to inflict some misery.”
“I shall see what I can find about the individual Doctor. I suggest you do not allow the Captain to be alone in the meantime.”
“Oh you can bet I’ll watch that idiot's back for him alright.”
And with that, he walks out of Spock’s office and hurries in the direction of Nyota’s apartment, where he’d left a still shaking, but stubbornly silent Jim earlier.
“He’s still not talking,” Uhura tells him quietly as he’s ushered into her kitchen.
“So I can see,” he sighs, “Spock’s on it, Nyota darling. Hopefully this mess will be sorted soon.”
“Well I gave him tea and biscuits and put the holoplayer on for a bit, but he’s just been staring at the wall over the mantel piece mostly.”
“We’ll give him twelve hours,” Bones mutters with a glance into the front room at his friend. “If he’s still like this, or if he goes into manic-over-cheery mode, we’ll send the Sulus to get the big guns.”
“I’m fine Bones!” Jim grins barely an hour later, throwing his arms wide. “Totally peachy, relax!”
The grin doesn’t reach his eyes, and Bones groans internally.
He’s most definitely not fine.
[Doctor, I have identified the man from the footage. It would be wise to ensure the Captain remains inside and away from his own accommodations.]
[Who is he Spock?]
[Frank Gorbit, the Captain’s stepfather.]
[Goddamit, I was afraid you were gonna say that. No wonder Jim brought out the statue act.]
[I will contact the Admiral immediately unless you have any other immediate concerns.]
[No, go ahead Spock; I was about to call him myself anyway just before your message came through. Uhura and I are taking Jim to the Sulu’s. Hopefully Demora will keep him calm and cheer him up a little.]
[A wise course of action Doctor. I will endeavour to keep you informed.]
Ben has just handed him a rather large plate of carbonara when there’s a short series of raps on the front door.
Hikaru is on his feet and into the hallway before anyone else can move, and so they all sit tensely until they hear the familiar rumbling greeting echoing into the front room.
Jim is standing and rushing towards the front door in an instant, plate of food hastily shoved at an amused looking Demora, who had been sitting on the floor beside him.
“Well that was a satisfying afternoon,” Bones hears Pike laugh somewhat muffledly (probably because Jim has enveloped the older man in a hug).
“What are you doing here?” Jim asks, stepping back into the front room with the old Admiral following behind him. “I thought you were staying in the Mojave for the foreseeable future?”
“I got a notification that an old arrest warrant was about to be fulfilled finally. I decided I couldn’t miss the golden opportunity to smugly watch the bastard be taken away in cuffs.”
Jim looks at Pike with a frown, and then glances sideways at Bones with the same expression.
“Have you been interfering again Bones?” Jim asks rather sternly.
“No more than Spock has,” he replies with a smirk, turning sideways in the couch and throwing one leg over the arm. “Neither of us could let a known criminal wander around Campus unchecked after all. Even if he does happen to be related to you. Sort of.”
“Oh, you got Spock in on it too did you?” Jim grumbles in annoyance. “Great. Thirty-eight and I still can’t deal with my own problems without you lot shoving your noses in.”
“Too damn right you can’t son,” Pike snorts, poking Jim in the ear playfully. “Now let an old crippled man sit down before he falls down and tell me all about how you have decidedly not damaged my ship again.”
“I know Scotty told you we only came in for a scheduled refit,” Jim sighs through a smile, finally relaxing to Bones relief. “Besides, she’s not your ship anymore. Not since Krall shredded her beyond repair.”
“You promised me you wouldn’t mention that,” Pike pouts dramatically, “Not unless you were finally ready to be bullied into the promotion you desperately deserve.”
“Sorry old man, I’d rather keep on flying!”
Bones chuckles himself, glad that the twinkle has reappeared in Jim’s shining blue eyes.