[ He'd been on Earth when the Enterprise went warping off to rescue her lost crew from a Gorn colony; somewhere in the middle of mind-numbing reiterations of temporal protocols (being from an entirely different timeline where he couldn't give advice about future or past events didn't spare him from the lectures) and discussion of just, what, they were going to do with him.

James still isn't sure if the fact that he was able to steal a ship and link back up with Enterprise as she made her journey back to starbase one for repairs helped or hindered his position; but it did endear him to one Captain Pike and prove his usefulness to the crew.

And it meant he could hold La'an when she needed it most. Could listen to Sam in a way his actual brother couldn't when he needed to talk. It laid the foundation for this. Now.

He meets her smile with his own, and his widens even as he manages to look slightly sheepish. This is--probably too much. But it's like the sweets and the stolen moments; he's still not used to having a lot to celebrate. When you live in war, you take the time you can. He plans to, and he plans not to waste it. ]

If I can read your ridiculous stardate calendars right [ he's kidding, but yeah, maybe they'd been confusing at first ] It's officially half a year since you decided to save my life instead of leaving me dead in twenty first century Toronto.

Figured that might be worth celebrating.