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At the end of their third five-year mission, the Enterprise is temporarily decommissioned for retrofits, scheduled to take a year. Jaime bargained with the admiralty to keep her crew together by getting them two semesters' auxillary commission at the Academy, leaving six months for travel and visiting. The exception was the command team. Between Jaime, Amanda, and Sarek, they lobbied for the command team to be given a full year's leave in exchange for Jaime coaching human captains with Vulcan crew. Despite the job not being strenuous, there were still many days where her time was consumed with her job.
The first six months of their leave, they had all gone to Vulcan. Amanda and Sarek were delighted to see their grandchildren again and became very close with them. T'Lya in particular was lavished with attention and most sought out her human namesake. So infectious was the girl's joy that Sarek would indulge her tenancy to hug adults' legs. He had caught his father petting her ruddy hair more than once, silently delighting in how easily his granddaughter purred at his touch.
Christopher looked most like his mother and most possessed her roguish charm. His bright eyes and golden hair won him many Vulcan hearts - not least of which was T'Pau.
It was deeply ironic (and vaguely hurtful), then, that Georgia was not received as warmly outside of the family. The most Vulcan of the three in blood and mannerism, she nonetheless was too human to truly bond with other Vulcans and usually too Vulcan to bond with other humans. Having inherited his ink-black hair and eyes, her mother's bronze skin, and her uncle's sarcastic humour, she was the strangest mix of both worlds. Watching her struggle, he found himself deeply touched and re-wounded. He found himself in Sarek's position, wondering if his choice in mate and career had robbed his daughter of some abstract completeness.
In response to her quiet distress and his own re-awakened feelings, he spent more time with her. She had taken on many of Leonard's personality traits to little surprise - she spent so much time with the man, it was a miracle that she didn't swear too. His company seemed to soothe her, and he found himself more and more often sharing fruit with her in the water gardens, her head resting on his knee and his hand in her hair.
However, if Vulcan was a painful exercise in ostracism, Earth was a trial of overstimulation. T'Lya and Christopher took to it with enthusiasm, but Georgia cringed away from the noise and chaos. It bombarded her sensitive hearing and regimented sensibilities. As such, he took to holding her hand in public, mentally guiding her through suppressing her senses and remaining calm. It remained an ordeal even so.
As such, he decided to take the initiative to spend individual time with her while Jaime and Leonard visit Leonard's daughter.
"T'Vera?" He knocks and enters her room.
"Ah, Father." She sits up. "Hello."
"There is a gravity exhibit nearby. Your siblings and mother have gone. Does this interest you?"
She perks up. "Yes, I would like to go."
He nods. "Dress and meet me at the door."
She nods emphatically and rushes to do as she's told. It takes her 4.27 minutes to arrive at the door, fully dressed and prepared to depart.
"Where is the exhibit?"
"A museum, 1.8 kilometres from here." He raises a cheeky eyebrow because it makes her giggle. "Shall we walk?"
"Yes." She smiles, grabbing his hand. "I like how many birds Earth has. There's so many, and they're so pretty."
"Indeed." He agrees, keeping a deliberately slow pace so she might enjoy the scenery. Having grown up aboard the Enterprise, she is unfamiliar to the sights and sounds of nature and finds them endlessly fascinating. If he examines his feelings too closely, he will find himself melancholy that the idea of home is linked to a starship and not a place. Waking to sunrise or falling asleep to rain is not something she associates with home, safety, or peace as her parents do. Born so early in their careers, it is possible that she will never know permanent residence until she is an adult, her childhood memories filled with white hallways and stars. It brings an ache to his side that he cannot fully articulate. However, one cannot miss or regret that which one has not had - Georgia will never know any different.
One advantage Earth has over Vulcan is the diversity of species. On Vulcan, her human qualities stood out, even minor as they are. However, Earth hosts many species as permanent residents and humans themselves care little about most differences so long as it does not interfere with cooperation. Georgia gets no extra or unwanted attention from those who pass them, and neither does he.
He pays the entry fee when they arrive and they begin a leisurely tour of the exhibits. He patiently explains some of the displays they encounter and in turn Georgia relays a significant amount of information she has retained from Leonard in the biology wing - a decent portion of which he had not known.
"Fascinating." He comments, somewhat surprised at the way she flushes in embarrassed pride.
"It's nothing."
"Untrue." He passes how impressed he is along their joined hands. "Your passion for biology is admirable."
He feels her desire to argue and minimize her accomplishment, but she is also aware that he cannot lie to her like this and would not even if he could. Instead, she leans into him. He takes a cue from Jaime and bends down to kiss the top of her head.
"I remain in awe of the beauty and talent of my children, whatever that may be. It is my honour to be your father."
"I love you, Father." She replies, choked up by humble joy at his praise.
He tips her head back and allows himself a small smile. She grins back. "Shall we head to the gravity exhibit?"
"Yes."
They idly roam the exhibit, taking in the pre-recorded explanations of astrophysical phenomena and the graphic displays. Some alien rock samples are laid out under warm lighting with descriptive plaques underneath them. A few were even recovered by the Enterprise crew and loaned out from Starfleet. She flushes with pride as she looks at them.
They are at a scale model of the Terran solar system when a scuffle breaks out between three boys - two elder children and another who appears a few years younger. The room that contains the model is largely empty, so it is clear that the youngest boy is being bullied.
He is about to step in when Georgia's hand tightens around his. Her expression is closed when he looks down at her, but her feelings are roiling.
"Father," She says solemnly, "I have learned many things from you, Mom, and Uncle Bones; many life lessons and philosophies. I love and appreciate you for all of them."
He nods, unsure of her intention.
"You will understand, then, why I must do this." She lets go of his hand, walking over to the boys. He anticipates that she may attempt to de-escalate or intervene on the boy's behalf, perhaps even threaten them with his intervention.
Instead, without a word, Georgia punches the taller bully in the mouth hard enough to send him sprawling onto the floor. She punches the other one in the stomach, winding him.
"Desist." She states primly, then offers her hand to the boy in the exhibit. He seems nervous about her, but accepts her help anyway.
"Thanks." He says shyly.
"You're welcome." She nods, but he can tell something is happening telepathically between them.
The bullies recover, the bigger one hissing curses between his teeth, then some very unkind slurs about Vulcans. He decides to step in now and prevent injury.
"Begone." He commands, looming over them. "Trouble them no further."
The boys do leave, but it is not long before they return with their parents.
"I would have expected better of a Vulcan than to allow violence." One's father states as he approaches.
"Violence is permissable in the correct circumstances." He raises an eyebrow archly. "Such as bullying."
"Anthony would never do such a thing." The other one's mother speaks up, somewhat shrill.
"I bear witness to that which you do not." He notes.
"Along with your own daughter's violence?" She accuses. "He's bruising already!"
"They pushed Mikhail into the exhibit." Georgia says, voice tinted in irritation. "He scraped his hands on the concrete and hurt his knees."
"He must have fallen." The father retorts.
"I watched them do it."
"You don't know that for sure."
"Vulcans do not lie."
"Oh, sure. Pull the alien card." The mother rolls her eyes.
Georgia's eyes narrow. "Parents are meant to impart love and wisdom onto their offspring, but it appears you have no wisdom to offer nor sufficient love to rectify poor behaviour."
"You have some nerve." The man hisses.
"I am correct." Georgia snaps back. "If all you have to offer are excuses, begone."
In a twist of irony, the parents look to him to curtail Georgia. He stares back at them placidly.
"You're just gonna let her speak to us like that?" The man asks.
"Yes." He replies easily.
"You're serious."
He raises an eyebrow. "Wounded pride is an insufficient reason to restrict speech."
The woman's face twists. "Who do you work for? Who is your boss?"
In Leonard's parlance, he finds the question to be 'a hilarious opportunity'. "Starfleet Captain James Kirk of the USS Enterprise."
"You'll be hearing from us, just you wait." She hisses, then both of them drag their children away.
Georgia is still holding Mikhail's hand when she turns to him, frowning solemnly. "I'm sorry, Father. I- I didn't intend to get you in trouble."
"Rest assured, child, you did no such thing." He offers her a small smile just to see her break into a grin. "Now, to find Mikhail's parents."
Jaime is laughing so hard she can barely breathe, doubled over in the living room of their rented home. Georgia looks pained watching her wheeze, but he knows better. Leonard, too, sits on Georgia's other side with a relaxed countenance.
"I can't- They actually-" Jaime dissolves into more hysterics.
"Indeed." He hums.
"I'm sorry, Mom." Georgia winces.
"Oh, she's not mad. This is funny." Leonard grins.
"Very funny." He adds to reassure his daughter.
"Oh my god." Jaime wipes her eyes. "I'm okay, I'm okay. Oh my god. This is amazing."
"What are you going to say to them?" Georgia asks.
"Imma tell them to go fu-" Jaime says, then realizes her words. "Uh, I mean I'm going to tell them you did nothing wrong and Starfleet isn't responsible for hurt feelings."
"Okay "
"Go call Mikhail and tell him it is okay." He suggests. Georgia nods and leaves the room.
"I swear," Leonard starts, "she's just like you."
"Indeed." He agrees. "I could not be more proud."
Jaime rests her cheek on her fist. "Mom always used to say she hoped I'd have a daughter just like me as a punishment. I have no idea what she was talking about - Georgia is a delight."
"Winona had nothing of value to say." Leonard huffs.
"I know." Jaime concedes. "Still nice to be proven right, though."
"She is like you in more ways than one." He muses.
"Oh? How so?"
"The boy, Mikhail. She offered him her hand." He sips his drink. "Many similarities to ponder."
"Yeah, I guess so." Jaime smiles softly at him, then turns back to her computer. "Anyway, time to tell this bitch to fuck off."
"I'll drink to that." Leonard raises his glass.
He stands and kisses the top of Jaime's head, brushing his two fingers over the back of her hand just enough to make her shiver. In her ear, he whispers, "Georgia is a quick learner. Perhaps she will learn this lesson faster than we did."
Jaime smirks back. "Perhaps."