It was quite odd, being dead and all. Distressing for someone who had no idea how to deal with it. Jim was passing through people. He was transparent to them. Non existent to them. The first thing he had seen was the quarters of his bond mate S'Chn T'Gai Spock. At least he assumed so. He saw belongings that not many Vulcan's would have. There was pieces of a shattered golden vase in a closed box with bits of dried green blood. He saw there was a holo-picture on the wall of the command crew. He saw there were trinkets of their exploits together strewn about the small rounded room with a equal circular window. He saw a closed closet across from the bed. There was a laundry laundry hamper alongside the bed that was empty. He felt himself be tugged. He had a path to follow which was oddly familiar to him. It was familiar in a way that he knew where to go.

"Why am I here?" Jim asked himself. "Why is Spock here?"

He went through the closed door where he fell abruptly to the floor.

"What just happened?" Jim got up, then expecting for a solid surface he held his hand against the frame only to see his hand slip on through. "What the--!" He yanked his hand back. "I am. . ." Jim turned around, dramatically, horror. "I am dead." He couldn't feel Spock through the bond. The bond was cut, clean. Jim's eyes widened as it started to occur to him this problem. He remembered the last few seconds of his life. The image of Sock on the grass with McCoy by his side. A spear pointing from the shoulder blade of the captain. A tinge of guilt swept over him. He hurt Spock, accidentally, under amnesia. "Spock."

How long had he been dead?

Jim walked down the hall seeing various doors spaced from one another. He recognized some of the decorations as Vulcanian in design. He went through the final door into the humid temperature of Vulcan. He looked down toward his hands to see he was in the green wrap around shirt. Which explained why he was comfortable. He saw the mountain ranges. He strode down the steps. He saw that were was mostly dirt, the Vulcan equivalent of cactus's, and large dark gray scorpion like bugs resembling a certain bug insect from the world of Pokemon without the wings. They were in the distance. But there was one in particular that was close by. It resembled Vibrava except it walked on its hind legs. He saw there were paths that split off to in the country Vulcan houses in the distance. He remembered Vulcan quite well on his brief visit. The hot sand against his skin. Rubbing against Spock's leg. Their legs entangled together across from the wedding procession across from them.

Why was Spock on Vulcan?

He saw signs alongside the path. He took a stop and peered at them, squinting his eyes, struggling to understand them. There were few words he understood. Three letters stood out: Gor. The letters stood out to Jim. Spock and Jim had taken time to plan their shore leave when the Enterprise was being refit. Spock had explained to Jim the various other cities on Vulcan that they could go to. Gor sounded rather interesting to Jim so Spock took half an hour to explain how inappropriate Gor was. He droned on about logic, isolation, and the history regarding it. The rich, deep gorgeous voice kept Jim on the edge of his seat. It became clear at the end of the story what the location was. And why it was inappropriate. It was not at all romantic to couples. He didn't feel hot. He didn't feel exhausted but what he did feel was annoyed. Why did he appear on Vulcan? Why was Spock on Vulcan? Spock would never go there. Not unless he was actually driven to it under immense circumstance. Which could be emotionally. Would grief drive Spock to Gor? Jim resumed path while on his train of thought pondering if Spock was capable of doing so. The idea of Spock forsakening emotion was horrifying.

Jim walked his way into the city. He passed by several Vulcans. One of them was riding a large Sehlat that was fat and furry. There were Vulcan motorcycles parked alongside some buildings left on park mode. Jim looked up to see a few Dirt Flyers flying through out the city in the sky. ShiKahr was a large city. Vast and decorated with unique apartments throughout through out the city varying in design. Not all the Vulcan houses were the same theme. There was was a smaller city up ahead called Vulcana Regar that held the Vulcan Katra Ark facility. He saw there were Vulcan children in small groups sharing conversation. Jim felt as though he was being ushered forward into a direction. He noticed Vulcans heading up the street. He noticed a familiar figure exiting a entrance way. Jim came closer to the figure. He saw the long,black jaw length hair. The unkept bangs. The shaggy eyebrows. The lack of the familiar blue eyeliner. He was in a black long robe with light brown dirt covered chest plate. It was clearly distressing to see him in that outfit. Jim was more accustomed to see him in bright clothes. When Spock was meditating, he would be in his black meditation robe. Jim fondly remembered attempting to meditate alongside the Vulcan.

"Spock!" Jim called, running after the Vulcan. "Spock!"

Spock looked both ways.

"Spock . . . " Jim said. He was beside the Vulcan placing one hand on Spock's shoulder.

A Desert Flyer parked in front of the Vulcan.

"I cannot be that far." Jim looked over to see that he was several blocks down the city. All he could see from afar was moving figures and the shapes of Vulcans walking about. He could not see where the city ended. Just how long had he been walking? It felt as though it had been thirty-five minutes. "This is . . ." He turned in the direction of Spock who was ducking into the vehicle. "Why am I here?" He watched Spock vanish into the light blue space craft. He looked back in the direction of the doors feeling drawn and confused. "This is interesting."

Jim ducked half way in to see Vulcans in the waiting room with stoic masks on their faces. It wasn't noisy compared to the 21st century. There was a Surak historical program being aired on the curved large screen in the middle of the room. Jim came completely into the building. He saw several of the chairs were occupied. He walked into the waiting room. He saw there was three Vulcan females reading comic books in their seats with communicator devices sticking out of their right ears. He waved his hand in front of the youngest Vulcan who appeared to be seven years old. The Vulcan looked up with a flash of alarm on their face. There was a brief glimmer of hope that arose for Jim. If a child could see him then they can tell him what the stardate is. Being able to talk and being able to seen went hand in hand to speaking with a stranger. Some people tend to believe they are mad when they did not see the source of voices and often went to the doctor because of it for any existing problems that recently developed.

"You can see me?" Jim said.

"Father?" The child said, looking over toward the Vulcan with a long chin.

"Yes, my son?" The father said.

"And he can't hear me." Jim said.

"Did you wave my hand in front of my face?" The child said.

"So Vulcan children are capable of seeing ghosts at a early age like humans. Huh." Jim rubbed his chin. "That is interesting."

"High illogical to wave my hand in your line of view." The father said.

Jim felt the strong tug occurring. He turned toward the wide, huge doorway that lead into the other half of the building. The waiting room was massive big enough for approximately a thousand Vulcans or at least it seemed that way to Jim. He walked through the sliding double doors. He entered into a hall of silence. His boots echoed down the hall. The doors to several Vulcan's room were open letting them see the hall with a haunting pace. The turbo lift was not able to be used. He made his way up the emergency stairs. He heard his footsteps echo back. Being a captain required being capable of climbing anything, at least in Jim's perspective, and weathering out the external factors was a ease. He didn't feel tired climbing up the stairs. He went up five floors considering why he was going up there. He was being tugged up there. And he had no control over it. None what so ever. He came to the door labeled in Vulcanian numerical.

"Here I go again." Jim said.

Jim walked through the door. There was silence in the hall. His boots echoed as he walked down the hall. He experienced some form of familiarity. His pace quickened. So do the speed of the footsteps. A Vulcan healer came out of nearby room hearing the sound grow louder and louder. The Vulcan stopped raising an eyebrow tilting his head with hands under his sleeves. Jim came to a stop seeing the Vulcan looking at his general direction. Jim was almost tempted to speak with the Vulcan as he started with, "Greetings, I am--" when suddenly the healer went through him. Jim stepped back with a gasp. He looked back in the direction of the walking Vulcan. Jim reminded himself, "You are a ghost." Jim continued his way. He came to a stop down the hall at the nearest door. He went through the door feeling like he fought his way through a barrier.

There was McCoy walking toward T'Pring rubbing his hands together. He had a smile on his face. McCoy suddenly looked older than the last time he had seen this man. Roughly a decade older. He wore a beard and a fancy outfit. Jim came over to the foot rest of the biobed feeling the world had become dizzy. He closed his eyes regaining his composure. Nothing was quite reasonable. Spock was out of Star Fleet. McCoy was on Vulcan with a beard. Nothing was quite right. Why did he have to stay on the planet surface? Admiring the beauty of the planet, sure, that was quite a realistic reason. He had been yearning to be on paradise. Being in space for so long came with it's pains and its tears of joy. Finding the love of his life. Sure, he did like to be on shore leave but he would like to share it with Spock. Spock refused to go on Shore Leave. So Jim, in the beginning, decided to gradually wean him to the idea of being on Shore Leave. Before Spock's revelation that they were T'hy'la.

"Bones." Jim finally said. "Bones!" Jim walked forward, placing a hand on the doctor's shoulder. "What happened to you?"

"Do you wish to hold the child, Doctor McCoy?" T'Pring inquired.

"I would be honored to." McCoy said. T'Pring gently handed the little one into the doctor's arms. "Coochie cooh coochie cue." Praang's nose wiggled and frowned then yawned. Jim took his hand off the man's shoulder feeling dismay. McCoy could not hear him, too. "Aww, you are so cute." He looked toward T'Pring. "What is their names?"

"Praang and Lynn." Christine said. "The one you are holding is Praang."

"A fittin' name." McCoy said.

"Indeed." T'Pring said.

"This one is Lynn," Nyota said. "Lynn Horatia Uhura."

"You are a godfather," Jim said, as a smile spread on his face. "You are a honorary godfather."

Jim walked over to the nearby chair then sat down. So there was good that came out of the change in his fate. The fault in his stars, so to speak,had gone to effect everyone. For the best and for the worse. The conversation went to imply that T'Pring had done something that none of the women were approving of. It also sounded life threatening. One that wouldn't Jim would approve of, either. Jim was dumbfounded when he heard McCoy had mind meld based problems. How could McCoy not tell him? He could always talk to him. Did he view it as a personal problem? McCoy was a man known to deal with personal issue in the background.

He was well aware Praang's full Vulcan name would be T'Kosa S'Vakh Praang. Kosa came from the god of war Khossa while Vakh (which could also be spelled Vach) in meant bold. Spock had taken the time to explain T'Pring's clan and it's history to Jim. It was rather compelling and bold let alone the part of betrothing their youngest daughter Pring to Spock at the age of seven. T'Pring's clan historically had rooting's in Surak's followers. Spock had taken the time during his youth to learn about her clan. The way Spock explained it to Jim had been over a game of chess in the rec room. They played 3-D chess to level up the difficulty in the game. Personally, Jim believed beating the Vulcan aroused Spock. He would deny agitation.

Jim stood up, then walked over to Nyota's little bundle.

"Hello, little Lynn," Jim said, looking over toward the newborn shadowing Nyota. "The name is Jim, Jim Kirk."

He tilted his head looking at the newborn.

"You would make a great officer." Jim said. "A expect no less from you in the future."

Lynn was a small Vulcanian hybrid and she looked damn cute.

"Brr," McCoy said. Jim looked up in alarm as he saw Praang was in T'Pring's arms. "Is it supposed to be cold this late?"

"I do not believe so, Doctor." T'Pring said. "If you need any help, you can call."

"I got the help of Spock's parents." McCoy said. "If there is somethin' you can do, I will call you girls in a heartbeat."

"This issue must be important to them if they are willing to help you." Nyota said.

McCoy nodded.

"Sure," McCoy said. "Where is the temperature adjuster?"

"Vulcanian hospitals are built to let in heat from the outside in the winter periods of Vulcan when it is far from the sun," T'Pring said. "This room has no temperature adjuster unlike the ones you have in your medical facilities." Nyota and Christine were sharing a fond laugh. "And it is unusually cold in here."

"Bones!" Jim said, approaching the man. "It's me! I am making it!" He took the doctor by the shoulders. "I am here,I don't know why, and I was drawn here." He searched the eyes of the confused doctor. "Bones." McCoy went through the man making a comment about "It is not even winter yet." Jim turned int he direction of the older man. "If he can't see me. . . But they can experience perks of there being a ghost around. . ." Jim rubbed his chin then looked up. "Not the first time I have been invincible."

He cringed.

The last time he was invincible was being in a different level of time and speed. Everyone could not speak with him. When people moved it was hours later. He was briefly the consort of a queen, the Scalosians, and he only had sex with her to give what she wanted. The Scalosians had a dying gene pool or at least that is what he understood. He preferred the company of Spock, McCoy, Scotty,Pasha, Hikaru, Christine, and Nyota. His family. He could see that something was quite off about McCoy. He had scars along his forearms. Ones that had been quite healed fully and they appeared roughly three years old. McCoy was a doctor not the kind who let it heal naturally. He would use a thermal regenerator. There was nothing that Jim was aware of that could instigate injuries and McCoy refuse to repair it. It wasn't self inflicted but it appeared to be medical related.

"Doctor," T'Pring said. "Did you hear a Scalosian came with Captain Kirk's grandchild?"

"Yes," McCoy said. "I did. Except with the blue eyes, the boys could have fooled me."

"Aw," Christine said. "I am sure Jim would have been overjoyed."

"I am a grandfather?" Jim said. "Grandchildren?" So he did help. "Me?. . ."

It made Jim feel good inside.

"Shame they never got to meet Spock," McCoy said. "I would have given anything for Arnold and James to greet him at the same time." He had a laugh to himself. "Perhaps it is for the best that he was not there to see them. He would have thought one of them was Jim, just like I did, easily fooled me."

"Didn't they go into Star Fleet?" Nyota asked.

"Yes," McCoy said. "They are goin' under the medical corps."

"I did not expect that." Nyota said.

"Me too," McCoy said. "They send me holo-vids about their progress."

"Have you seen their progress?" Christine asked.

"We miss each other more often than you think," McCoy said. "They take care of the mass problems."

"Aww, you watch over them." Christine said.

"Who would?" McCoy asked. "They are related to someone who got in trouble ninty-eight percent of the time."

"He had a knack for standing up for what was right." Christine said. "Remember that one mission I went down to a planet with you and the commander? The planet that radiated auras off them."

"I remember," McCoy said. "Jim was the brightest."

"That was you, Bones," Jim said. "And Spock."

He remembered how bright the two men were in his eyes. How not as bright the security officers were and were slowly killed off. Jim's hand went into the hand of the doctor and carefully squeezed his hand. McCoy felt his hand grow cold. It felt as though a hand was squeezing his hand which should not be the case. He was adoring the little one. McCoy looked over in the direction of the Vulcan woman of color. T'Pring roughly looked like the equivalent of a Vulcan from South America. Despite there being no eyeliner, she appeared to be majestic and very pretty.

"She has your face." McCoy said.

"Bones." Jim said. "I never got to say goodbye. . . I'm sorry about that. Maybe I will see you in the next hundred years, hopefully, face to face." He smiled, softly. "I hope so. Because you should live a long and loving life doing what you do best." Jim felt a hard tug as he let go of the man's hand. Jim's hand, instead, traced along McCoy's rear then he took his hand off then went off in the direction he came in. Jim almost fell to his feet still not used to it. He didn't get a bruise from it. He got none of it as inside the McCoy stiffened and grew tense with alarm.

"MY GOD," McCoy yelped, with a bounce that apparently made him turn around. "What the hell was that?"

Lynn started to wail. The door opened before the doctor who was looking around in alarm and surprise. Someone touched his ass. And it wasn't pleasent. He heard the wails of the twins joining at once and then were was more wailing. McCoy looked both ways then turned his head in the direction that Jim was going with his hands locked behind his back. McCoy started to feel uneasy seeing a familiar yellow a green shirt with matching black pants walking away with Star Fleet regulated boots. There was foot steps walking away from the doctor. McCoy started to go after him.

"Jim?" McCoy's pace quickened. He felt his heart beat faster. Spock was right. The Vulcan was damn right and McCoy was wrong. He had to inform Spock and apologize for how he acted. How could he survived such a catastrophic event? Jim was alive, that was important now, and let the mental barriers down experiencing pure joy. He let it flow through the bond to Spock. Happiness. "JIM!" McCoy cried out in sheer joy, his hand out reached, tears coming from the corner of his eyes. He saw the figure turn toward his direction with a sad, sorrowful smile. The hazel eyes were kind and compassionate. He was, in fact, wearing the green wraparound tunic. Not the golden uniform that was often too tight to the weight he gained on the third year of the five year mission. He had a short stature compared to McCoy. McCoy fell through him landing on the floor on his knees and hands. McCoy's eyes widened as he looked over his shoulder to see that no one was there. Jim turned around resuming the path he was making not seen by the weeping doctor. McCoy raised the mental shield back up. Christine placed a hand on the retired doctor's shoulder, gently.

"It is all right," Christine said. "There were times I thought I saw him in Sick Bay."

"I can't believe he is gone." McCoy said.

"Me too, Doctor," Christine said, kneeled by his side. "Me too."

The scene transitioned over to show Spock in the Dust Flyer. In front was a black Vulcanian woman with a unique curly hair style. She had gentle blue eyes and had tattoos that were apparent on her skin that was left exposed by her attire. She had trimmed gorgeous slanted eyebrows and pretty eyeliner. Spock experienced joy, utter joy, coming from a unknown source. It was a brief emotion that alarmed the Vulcan. He searched for the source only to find where it was coming from was a large wall. Spock raised his eyebrow. Fascinating, Spock contemplated, I am experiencing emotions through a non-existent bond. Spock looked out the window leaned against the frame. He felt a cold breeze enter the room. He looked over to see nothing there then returned his attention.

Jim was sitting along Spock's side and he couldn't be seen.