5Title: Ready, Set, RUN! (6/?)
Author: klmeri
Fandom: Star Trek AOS
Characters: Kirk, Spock, McCoy
Summary: Playtime!verse one-shot, set between Playtime and The Good Life. Pike spends a weekend with the boys.
Previous Part: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Part Six
As much as Pike would love to tell Jon to take his beagle and his sorry ass home, the man is not suicidal. He knows very well that, despite the return of Winona and Amanda tomorrow, he is less likely to survive until then on his own. Archer has his usefulness, Pike supposes. Even if the bastard is conniving, irritating, and much too arrogant.
Then again, hasn’t Pike always known these things about his friend?
Christopher shakes his head at his reflection in the bathroom mirror as he wipes his wet hands on a faded green towel.
Damn. He likes Jonathan Archer, has liked the man since their first meeting…
Two men stood together in a crowded room of chatting people – the Educators of Today convention in San Francisco, at the one-hour mark of its two hundredth and fiftieth anniversary. The shortest of the pair nudged his companion and pointed out the bellowing man at the edge of a group and said, “That’s Jon—the one teacher adults are guaranteed to hate and teenagers to idolize.”
“You mean the Jonathan Archer?” A young Christopher Pike turned to observe the way Archer winked broadly at a sour-faced woman and she frowned in obvious annoyance. “He must be doing something right to keep winning the city awards for excellence in teaching.”
The other shrugged in response. “His students score off the charts—so yeah, I guess so.”
Pike feigned interest as the fellow switched subjects and began to belabor a topic of discussion Christopher had very little interest in. Only two days settled in San Francisco and Pike was already picturing himself as a miserable, graying old man with a dull set of friends and an even duller career. This is not what he imagined for himself after graduation.
“Stop torturing the fellow, ” a voice interrupted.
Chris jerked forward, unprepared, at the bruising slap on his back. An arm hooked around his shoulders to maneuver him upright and save Pike from the embarrassment of stumbling in plain sight.
The famous Jonathan Archer was grinning. “You’re new.” He said it in the way crazies mean ‘fresh meat.’
Most people would probably shrug off the man’s arm, affronted at intimacy between strangers, or balk under Archer’s strong personality. Christopher Pike has never been like most people. He lifted an eyebrow. “I’m not straight off the boat, so whatever far-fetched wisdom you’re about to impart… Don’t waste your breath.”
“New and spunky,” clarified his recently (within the last five seconds) acquired friend.
The man who had been interrupted in his diatribe—and his goal to bore Christopher—said in a voice laced with hint of venom, “Go pester the Board of Directors to fund another one of your pointless ‘educating trips down memory lane,’ Archer.”
Mr. Archer replied, “Already done that.” He smirked at them both. “Money acquired—on the condition that I leave the poor woman alone for at least ten minutes.” The older man, early forties Pike would guess, shook the watch on his wrist for effect. “Her time’s almost up.”
Pike couldn’t help himself. He laughed.
Archer seemed to think that was a good sign. “If you are a decent soul, you’ll save her from my abominable presence.”
“How do you propose I do that?” asked Pike.
“Find me some good whiskey.”
“At a teacher’s conference?”
“The place where it’s needed most, besides the classroom.”
Pike looked at him and said slowly, “How about I punch you and roll your unconscious body under a table. I imagine people would be grateful enough to pretend ignorance of my crime.”
“At a teacher’s conference?” Archer tossed his words back at him, then pulled away. He held out his hand, smiling. “Jonathan Archer, mean old man extraordinaire.”
Pike shook it. “Christopher Pike. I’m afraid I’m not much of anything at the moment.”
Jonathan eyed him. “So… which age group are you aiming for then?”
“Straight out of toddler-dom.”
Jonathan didn’t react as most men would. (Women were usually thrilled and lauded Pike—or tried get his phone number.) “Hmm. Interesting. Tell you what, let’s go find the hotel bar and you can explain the appealing nature of brats to a hard-hearted bastard like me.”
“Somehow I think this is just a ploy so you can a drink on another man’s dime.”
“Oh, that’s definitely part of it,” Archer agreed mildly. Then he added with a bit of seriousness that surprised Pike, “Besides being a guy who loves liquor, I am also a discerning man—and I discern an interesting air about you, Christopher Pike.”
Archer didn’t wait for his reply, simply marched off in the clear expectation that Pike would follow.
Christopher did, tuning out the upset “Hey, the meeting isn’t over! What about the announcement of this year’s budget—”
Archer was waiting for him in the lobby. “C’mon. I just saw a pair of the most gorgeous lady legs walk by.” Pike was hauled by his jacket at an alarming speed towards the elevators. Managing to plant his feet enough to cause Archer pause, the older man asked blankly, “What?”
Pike put on his best glare. “Since when does a drink include picking up women?”
“Since when does bar lounging exclude picking up women?” Jonathan asked in return, eyebrows raised. “With your good looks and my charm—”
He sighed. “Forget it.” As Pike pivoted on the ball of his foot, already chastising himself for his gullibility, a hand landed on his arm, not restraining him but asking permission. Christopher paused and looked over his shoulder to find an unreadable look on Archer’s face.
“I meant it… when I said you seemed interesting, Chris,” the man explained. “I’m, for lack of a better term, socially challenged. We’ll get a drink, nothing else. You like brandy?”
His shoulders relaxed and he decided to go with his gut instinct. “Sure. Brandy’s good.”
Yet it was not surprising to Pike when they settled at the bar that a wicked look was back in Archer’s eyes. Jon said to his new friend, “At the next bar we can pick up ladies, right?”
Pike snorted over his glass and refused to answer. Instead, he made good on his end of their deal and began to talk about his long-held desire to teach and guide budding young minds towards their potential.
Jonathan Archer drank, made ribald comments, but most of all, he listened.
… “Mr. Pike!”
A fist bangs on the bathroom door and he comes back to the present with a snap.
The abused door rattles on its hinges. “Mr. Pike!” It’s Lenny’s voice. “It ain’t normal to have ta pee that long!” Then, “Spock, maybe he died and fell in the toilet or sumthin’. Can’tcha—”
BOOM BOOM BOOM—
Pike jerks the door open before it has a baby Vulcan fist-sized hole in the middle. “I’m fine.”
Lenny eyes him, then nods as if satisfied that Pike looks fit for his very old age. “Jimmy’s in the car ‘n we’re ready to go but you gotta come to, Mr. Pike.” Both boys turn as a unit and lead the way to the garage. Pike dutifully follows.
Jimmy has his little fists wrapped around the steering wheel, tongue peeking from between his lips as his feet struggle to pump the pedals of the car. Pike automatically feels for the keys in his pocket to reassure himself of an averted disaster. The keys are still on his person—a miracle in itself.
That is when, of course, as he opens the door—telling Spock to be gentle with his convertible, “It’s an antique, Spock, and hard to fix when it breaks”—that Pike finds Jonathan in the backseat, Porthos almost clutched to the man’s chest. The dog’s head droops over Archer’s arm, a long trail of drool already puddling on the car’s leather seat.
Jon grunts quietly “Hi.”
Pike looks at his friend and goes with his gut instinct as he did all those years ago. He plucks Jimmy from the driver’s seat and slides into the car. While adjusting the rear-view mirror, he says, “Do you really have to bring the dog, Jon?”
Jon meets his eyes in the mirror. “He can stay in the house if you want.”
After a moment, Pike’s mouth lifts at the corner. “Might as well let Porthos come along. He’s family too.”
Archer nods, saying nothing but understanding easily enough that Pike forgives him.
Lenny interrupts, “Hey, I don’t wanna sit next to the dog!” Then with every ounce of disgust a seven year-old can muster, “EW, he’s slobbering—why can’t Jimmy sit back here!”
And so ensues a diversion involving rampant children in the car—entangled limbs, loud protests, scratched upholstery and all.
Pike is honestly surprised when they make it out of the garage and into traffic in one piece. Then the realization settles in: their afternoon outing has only begun.
Jon says, “How high can you kids count?”
Spock’s smooth answer is “To an infinite degree.” Jimmy says proudly, “Over a’hundred!” Lenny and Pike groan.
With a cheerfulness that bodes ill, Archer begins to sing, “Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer…!”
McCoy asks if beer tastes good.
Pike, staring straight ahead onto a seemingly endless road, starts to understands why a good and decent family man is more liable to crack than most.
I have no idea why this story doesn’t stop growing. D: And this time, I blame Pike for the storyline tangent.
Related Posts:
- Ready, Set, RUN! (9/9) – from February 18, 2011
- Ready, Set, RUN! (8/?) – from February 16, 2011
- Ready, Set, RUN! (7/?) – from February 10, 2011
- Ready, Set, RUN! (5/?) – from January 31, 2011
- Ready, Set, RUN! (4/?) – from January 23, 2011
Love that Chris and Jon hit it off from the first! And, that even then Chris was calling Jon on his B.S. &hearts
Question/issue for you, WN, because I need some insight from a reader as well as an author… This fic is taking a slightly direction than I originally anticipated. I suppose you could say that the atmosphere is more adult-centered – which I’ve been pleasantly surprised by. Everyone has grown, the kids included. Pike is moving past his familiar teacher-child relationship and facing parenthood. It makes him see the boys in a different light, so to speak, because he realizes that the trio are going to become a permanent fixture in his life. I rather think the poor man is… excited, nervous, and terrified all at once! Also, something is hinting to me that he is trying to work out how this is going to affect his current relationships – Archer, work, etc. So… is this too disturbing/heavy for the readers? Woe as me, the author attempting to find the balance between crazy fun (and fright) and introspection!
I don’t see any of that as disturbing/heavy. I see that as a reality. To any of us that are parents or becoming parents, or really, to anyone facing a life changing decision, its scary. And deserves thought and consideration. And, just because this was a light-hearted tale of the young boys doesn’t preclude bringing in those issues. This is Pike’s tale so all of that is relevant and important. And that’s stuff I love to see. *hugs* Hope that helped!
Lord yes, it’s reality! And what generally happens when I play too long in a world. :) Pike is a sweetheart; sometimes I just want to soothe him after Jimmy’s turned his world upside down for the umpteenth time. Thank you so much! Your words are very helpful. I’ll feel a little less guilty for the drama ahead.
I have two nephews, 3 and 5. Man when the three of us are alone together it’s a miracle no one gets injured, guitar hero and breakables are not a good combination, and I always give them chocolate which adds fuel to the fire. I never learn.