Chapter Five
To Have And To Hold

KIRK'S PERSONAL LOG STARDATE 61842.2

We've been in our new home for nearly three months now. The furniture that Quinn ordered blew my mind when it arrived. We're living like a wealthy twentieth century couple now, but it's perfect. He knew exactly what to do to make me happy, and I was both shocked and proud to learn that he'd helped Chad with his furniture order as well. Though not as wealthy as ours, Chad has a twentieth century house as well.

Starfleet still hasn't held their ceremony. We know now that it will be held at Starfleet Command here on Alta Venus and that it is an award ceremony. I am to be awarded, but no one has told me why or which award I am to receive. They're planning to hold the ceremony on the second day of January. Starfleet is still utilizing the Earth calendar, so we are too.

Wedding plans have been under way since we arrived. I've pretty much stayed out of it. I did have a good laugh over Quinn's frustration when his mother showed up to help Katie and Kathryn plan the event. We've set the date to January 6th on the Earth calendar, because that was the day that Quinn admitted that he was in love with me three years ago. I'm even starting to feel better about my parents not being able to be there. I'm trying to imagine that they would be happy and proud.

Tom and B'Elanna are all set up on the station. Che' Sandrine's is a hit with the passing crews of starships that come in and out of the system. They're all required to dock at the station and undergo inspection if they are not Federation vessels. This is just a precaution against Maquis. We've heard nothing from them so we're all a bit tense where that's concerned.

"Tell me why you're here again?" Kathryn was asking Q when Jim came through the front door.

"Kathryn Janeway," said Q, eyeing her with contempt. "I don't have to explain myself to you. I'm here to talk with my future son in law."

"And if I decide not to let you?" Kathryn asked, stepping closer to Q.

"Kathryn," said Jim as he came into the living room. "It's fine. Really."

"If you say so," she said, shaking her head.

"Hello, Jim," Q said, smiling. Jim saw that affection again as she looked at him. He still couldn't decide if that was good or bad. "How are things going with your ship?"

"Fine," he replied, smiling back at her. "They're working very hard on her."

"Well, I think I might have something that will interest you a bit more than the ship," she said, smiling wider.

"Oh really?" he asked, cautious.

"Don't trust her, Jim," said Kathryn from behind him.

"Honestly," sighed Q. "I don't see how you put up with this woman, Jim."

"What was it you were going to say before?" he asked, trying to ward off any fighting between the Admiral and Q. He knew as well as she did that fighting with a Q was never a good idea.

"If you'll just come back outside with me," she said, taking him by the hand. "It's just across the street."

"I've seen the houses across the street," he said as she led him through the living room and hall and then out the front door. What he saw directly across from his house stopped him short.

It was exactly perfect in every horrifying detail. From the white clapboard siding to the chimney on the slate roof with it's missing bricks. The two car garage had the basketball hoop, and the porch swing was on the front porch. The bushes were even perfect in their slightly un kept row. Un kept because he'd always been so bad at remembering to keep them trimmed. His heart ached as he looked at the house he'd grown up in standing across the street as if to mock him.

"What is this?" Kathryn asked.

"It's cruel," moaned Jim, nearly crumpling there and then. "Q, why?"

"Trust me, Jim," she said, holding fast to his hand as she led him across the street with Kathryn right behind them.

"Q, I don't want to go in there," he said in a voice just above a whisper. "If you only knew how hard it's been for me to put this out of my mind."

"I do, Jim," she said. "Believe me, I do, but this is important."

"What is this place, Jim?" Kathryn asked again.

"It's the house I grew up in," he said sadly as they took the front steps to the porch.

"Of all the cruel things, Q," she hissed.

"Jim, are you sure I can't send her off to the market or something?" Q asked sweetly, her hand on the doorknob.

"I don't want to go in there," he said again.

"You must, Jim," said Q. "I promise I'm not doing this to hurt you. Please trust me."

"Mother!" cried Quinn from the sidewalk. "What've you done?"

"Oh, good," Q said, smiling wide. "He should be here for this, too."

"I can't believe you did this," Quinn said as he came up to the porch. "After the edict, I thought you were going to behave."

"I'm not going to hurt him," she said. "You and I had a discussion about his sadness, if you recall. I said I couldn't do anything about it at that time. Now I can."

"But this will only make it worse," he said in a desperate voice. "Oh, Jim, I'm so sorry."

"Stop that," she snapped. "Let's all go inside."

There was a woman inside that Jim had never seen before, but on first sight Quinn moaned, so he was sure that Quinn knew who she was. She had a stern face with steel gray hair that was pulled tightly into a bun. Her clothes were from the twentieth century; powder blue slacks and a large, comfortable white sweater. Quinn's uncle was there, too. He smiled at Jim. Jim didn't have eyes for either of them. Instead he took in the country blue wallpaper of the hall and living room with it's brick red pin stripes. The coat tree was beside the door with his father's overcoat hanging there. The little table on the other side of the door held the glass dish his mother kept there and his father's car keys were inside it.

The pictures above the mantle were wrong. Instead of ten pictures there were only three. There was the picture of him when he was fifteen. That was first. Then there was a picture of a young girl. Beside that was a picture of an even younger boy. It wasn't right. She'd gotten this part wrong. He turned to look at her compassionate smile for a second.

"This is wrong," he said. "These are pictures of people I don't know."

"But you will," she said.

"You remember what I told you?" asked the gray haired woman.

"I do," said Q. "I can't prevent a life from happening. It was simple really. I chose the day before the earthquake in that reality. April 15th of 2001."

"Very well," said the older woman. "We can begin."

"Begin what?" Jim asked. He looked from Q to Quinn and back again. "What's going on?"

"The answer to your sadness," said Q, smiling at him.

"Mother," Quinn said in a worried tone of voice.

"Quiet, Junior," she said. "We have to do this precisely."

The male Q stepped up to them then and took the female's hand. Then he took the older woman's hand. Jim was sure this woman was a Q as well now. When they were all three holding hands they closed their eyes. For a long moment nothing happened. Then in a brilliant burst of white light four people appeared in the room and Jim gasped. Standing in front of him were both of his parents with the two younger children from the pictures!

"Jimmy!" cried his mother and then she had crossed the distance between them and he was in her arms. She held him so tight he thought his ribs would break. "Oh, God, Jimmy!"

"But what happened?" asked his father, looking around the room.

"It's me, Dad," Jim said, and until that moment he hadn't realized that he was crying.

"But you're a man now," his father said. "They haven't found the cure yet. How can this be?"

"Oh, Jimmy," his mother moaned through tears and hugged him again. Then she pulled back and looked at the two stunned children. She smiled at them. "Casey, Mickey, this is your brother, Jimmy."

"But you're a man now," his father said again.

"Dad, I was revived from stasis in 2107," Jim said slowly. "There's so much to tell you."

In the end it was Q that explained it to his stunned family. He and Kathryn only looked at each other as the female Q sat his parents down and explained all that had happened. She demonstrated her powers for them twice before his father would accept it. Then she had them outside to look around so that they could see that they were no longer on Earth. The hardest thing for his father to accept was the alternate timeline.

"We have to go now, Jim," said Q as she stood, leaving his mother and father on the sofa. "We have to get to Chad's house now."

"You're going to do this for him, too?" he asked, beaming a smile at her.

"Yes," she said, smiling back. "We're going to do this for him, too."

"Jim, Kathryn and I are going back across the street," said Quinn. "Visit with your family for a while."

"But, Quinn," he said, the smile on his face growing wider. "I want them to know you."

"They will," he promised. "But after you visit for a while. Don't worry, Captain Kirk, I won't let you get away with not telling them about me. Just do it when you're ready."

He hugged Quinn but let him leave with Kathryn. Then he was sitting between his parents again. He couldn't believe that Q had done this for him. He just couldn't stop smiling at them. They asked so many questions, and he answered them as quickly as he could. His mother was sorry that it had taken over a hundred years to revive and cure him. His father said he was sorry he'd missed out on his growing up.

"It's just so good to be here with you now," his father said, smiling at him. "We were so sure that the cure would be found in five years. Jimmy, you have to know that we . . . "

"Stop, Dad," he said quickly. "I don't blame either of you for anything at all. My life is perfect now that I have you back. I'm going to get to know my little sister and brother, and I'm going to spend time with my mom and dad. You have no idea how wonderful just saying that and knowing that it's true really is for me, Dad."

"And a Captain in Starfleet," his mother said, beaming at him.

"I've had an interesting four years," he said, smiling back at her.

Then for two straight hours he told them everything from waking up in 2107 in the other timeline aboard the starship Voyager to creating Lexus and ending up in Andromeda for real. He told them about being sent to this timeline and going to the academy. He told them how Kathryn had taken guardianship of him, Chad and Quinn.

His mother cried when he told them about being attacked by six other students in the quad at the academy in San Francisco. She became terrified for him when he explained about the Maquis and that two of those students were members of the rouge group. He assured her that he was completely safe and told her about the new Lexus, everything he knew about it so far.

Then he was telling them about Quinn and how much he loved him. They became excited when he told them about Kathryn, Katie and Q planning a wedding for them that would take place on the sixteenth of January. His mother hugged him when he told her why they'd chosen that particular date.

"I wanted to get married on either your birthday or Dad's," he said softly. "It would have been too painful though."

"Jimmy, your day should be yours and Quinn's," his mother said. "We're blown away that you've been here for four years and all of this has happened to you."

"I would have traded it all to be back with you and Dad," he said. "Now that you're here with me it's just going to be perfect."

* * *

"This is a very nice thing the Continuum has done for Jim and Chad," said Kathryn while she and Quinn sat in the kitchen across the street having coffee.

"Yes," he said. "But I can't help wondering what they'll expect from them for this."

"You think they have an agenda?" she asked.

"Judge Q always does," he said.

"I just hope that Jim and Chad will know what to do when the shoe drops," she said with a sigh. "What's done is done, and I wouldn't have it undone for anything in the universe. I haven't seen Jim that happy since you admitted your feelings for him."

"He is happy," Quinn said, smiling. "He's been so miserable with the wedding date getting closer and closer. The fact that his parents weren't going to be there with him was weighing on him very heavily."

"I know," she said. "But now that's changed. His parents are here, he's found out about a brother and a sister, and they're going to be right across the street."

"This might make it harder for him to go back to commanding the Lexus," he said.

"Oh, I don't think so," she said, smiling. "He's the captain after all. He can invite his family along as guests, depending on the mission."

"He's promised Katie and Chakotay quarters on the ship, too," he said. "I'm sure Chad will want to bring his family along, and Jim would never deny him."

"We'll have to wait and see what happens," she said as Jim came in with his family.

"Mom, Dad, this is Kathryn Janeway," he said in introduction. "She became my guardian when we got back to Earth. She helped me through the academy."

She stood up and shook their hands. "It's very nice to meet you both. Jim's told me so much about you."

"He's been telling us about you as well," said his mother. "Thank you so much for taking care of him."

"Oh, no thanks are needed," Kathryn said, smiling. "Jim has always been a joy."

"I'm sorry," said his father. "He's too excited I think. I'm Mark Kirk and this is my wife, Kara. These are our youngest children, Casey and Mickey."

"Very nice to meet you, Mark," she said, shaking his hand again.

"And this is Quinn," Jim said, beaming.

"Quinn, it's so great to meet you," said Kara, hugging him when he stood. "Welcome to the family."

"Thank you," he said, smiling at her. "You have no idea how happy I am to meet you."

"Quinn, it's great to meet you," said Mark as he shook his hand. "Jimmy tells us that was your mother that helped to bring us here."

"It was," he said. "But I'm not a Q anymore."

"He told us that, too," Kara said, smiling. "But to be immortal and with so much power would be something."

"Believe me, being a Q isn't all it seems," he replied, thinking about warning them.

They talked for a few hours about what had been going on in their lives in the other timeline. Both Kara and Mark were still a little shell shocked about being in an alternate timeline. They wondered about school for the children and jobs for themselves. Jim told them that school wasn't too hard to figure out, and he was sure that his father would find work very easily. His mother told him about the new holo novel she was working on, and he suggested that she talk to Tuvok, making Kathryn laugh.

"For a Vulcan he's sure good at the writing," she said.

"Don't worry," Jim said when he saw his mother's face change at the mention of a Vulcan. "They're not like they were in our timeline. I promise."

"Jim has told me about how the Vulcans of the other timeline acted toward humans," said Kathryn. "Believe me they're not like that here. Vulcan is a member of the Federation in this timeline."

"They're a member of the Federation in that timeline, too," said Jim. "They just act superior to every other species."

Kathryn had a nice laugh over that, saying that Jim shouldn't let Tuvok know about the Vulcan of the alternate timeline. He was happy that his parents were getting along so well with Kathryn and Quinn. He still couldn't believe they were there. He couldn't believe that Q had done this for him. How would he ever thank her properly?

"You said that you and Chad were both here," said his mother. "I keep remembering how close the two of you got at Genicorp before you were put into stasis. Jimmy, where is Chad?"

"He's two streets away from us," laughed Jim. "I suspect that he's having the same kind of night that I'm having. Q and her friends were headed to Chad's to do this for him as well."

"You mean they're bringing Eric, Kim and Carter to this timeline?" his father asked.

"Dad, for some reason the Q have decided to grant me and Chad our families," said Jim. "I don't pretend to understand why, but I'm thankful beyond reason. I know Chad is too."

"Carter was so depressed without Chad," said Kara. "He was such a sweet boy when we knew them. I was worried for Eric and Kim when he started to act out after the two of you were put to sleep. They moved back to Los Angeles after that, and I rarely got to talk to either of them."

"I'm sure that's about to change," said Kathryn. "You'll be what's familiar to them in this timeline. I'm sure that you'll all be very good friends very soon."

Jim and Quinn began to replicate plates of food for everyone and then the party moved to the dining room. Jim made sure to consult with his younger sister and brother as to what kind of food they wanted to eat. He noticed that his mother was about to say something when Mickey asked for ice cream, but Jim quickly talked him into hot dogs with carrot sticks.

Once again Mark expressed worry over what he would do for work in this timeline. This time Kathryn told him that she would put in a good word for him at Starfleet Command. Being a Vice Admiral counted for something, she said with a smile when he asked what that might do for him. They'd all laughed at that.

When it came time for his family to return to their home across the street, Jim went with them. Quinn was afraid that he might spend the night over there, but a half hour later he returned with a blissful smile on his face. He hugged Quinn and kissed him. Quinn couldn't have been happier for him, but he still wondered what the Continuum wanted in return for this grand show of kindness. His mother had said that Jim and Chad were special, but she hadn't said in what way they were special or even how the Continuum knew about it.

The next day Jim, Quinn and Kathryn got to see Eric, Kimberly and Carter Dodds. The two families got together for a rather extravagant lunch while Jim and Chad beamed at everyone. Kathryn extended the same offer to Eric Dodds, though in the alternate timeline he'd gone to the academy. She was pleasantly surprised to learn that he was a Lieutenant Commander who had been stationed on Earth at the Los Angeles branch of Starfleet Medical.

"Can you believe it?" Chad asked when he and Jim were in the kitchen replicating drinks for the two families. "I can't stop smiling. I only slept last night out of exhaustion. I was afraid that if I slept I'd wake up to find that this was all a dream."

"I know the feeling," Jim said, smiling at him. "They're here, Chad. We've got them back."

"I just can't get over that it was the Q who did this for us," Chad said, shaking his head.

"But they did, Chad," Jim said. "I don't know why, and I'm sure we won't like it when we find out why, but I'm still so thankful to them for what they've done for us."

They didn't see any of the Continuum over the next month. Kathryn was true to her word and put in a references for both Mark Kirk and Eric Dodds at Starfleet Command. She was pleased when both men were offered jobs on the planet through Starfleet. Mark told them over dinner a few nights later that he would be attending classes in the evening at the Alta Venus branch of the academy as well.

Jim and Chad took their parents on shuttles to see the magnificent new starship that would be the Lexus B once they learned that construction had been moved from Alta Vera to the space dock in orbit of one of the planet's moons. They had finally learned that the ship would no longer be an Intrepid-class. This time they would be on the huge Prometheus-class. The only classes larger than the Prometheus-class were the Sovereign-class and the brand new Cochrane-class, of which there was only one vessel. The USS Enterprise F was of this class, and Jim and Chad had only seen her a handful of times. That was all it had taken for both of them to know how mighty the ship was. The USS Enterprise NCC-1701 F was the flag ship of the Federation for a reason.

Jim couldn't help wondering what kind of missions Starfleet had in store for them when he was told that he would be in command of a Prometheus-class starship. He'd read about them on the computer as soon as Kathryn had told him the news. The ship would have three completely self sustaining sections with ten decks on each section. When ultimately threatened, the ship could separate into three smaller attack ships. This was called the Multi-Vector Assault Mode. Because of this he would have to have three complete bridge crews to operate each section at the same time when needed.

It was a mighty ship. In Jim's opinion the ship was built for war and nothing else. Kathryn assured him that the ship had everything it needed for scientific exploration as well. She reminded him that the Federation was peaceful, but ships like his were built to stave off threats that came from species such as the Borg who would not have peace in their agendas. She told him to be proud that Starfleet had such faith in him.

He also got his first look at the newly built Delphina System Defensive Starships. They were familiar enough to him. The fleet of one thousand Nova-class starships were on the ground at the ship yard on Alta Vera and in space docks in space above the planet. There were two other smaller shuttle type ships that he knew very well also. The Delta Flyer and Delta Flyer II had been built in mass quantities along with the brand new Delta Flyer III. The Delta Flyer II and III, like the Nova-class had been upgraded with Arminian Armor and very powerful weapons. The Delta Flyer I got the weapons upgrade but the shuttle wasn't compatible with the hull armor. All of this was a reminder that the Maquis was out there still, and whatever they were planning would affect the system soon.

"You look tense," his father said when he got back to the planet and was logging the return of the shuttle.

"Just got a look at the defensive ships for the system," he replied. "It was a reminder that these aren't exactly peaceful times. It just smarts a bit that we finally get to settle down on this planet and it just happens to coincide with war being declared by the second Maquis."

"Well I'm done here for the day, and I don't have a class tonight," said his father. "Want to grab a bite to eat and talk about it?"

He was about to turn down the invitation to head home and talk to Quinn about it. He'd gotten so used to talking these kinds of things out with him over the years, but he remembered the talks he and his father used to have and how much better he'd always felt after one. He also remembered that this was his father asking to talk to him. He'd wanted the man back for four years, and now he had him.

"That sounds great, Dad," he said, smiling.

He watched as his father turned in his tools and logged his hours. He smiled as he took in the sight of his father, all six feet and two hundred, thirty pounds of him. The only things he shared in common with the man were his dark hair, though his was starting to recede and just a touch of gray was infiltrating, and his blue eyes. The rest of his looks came from his mother. She had the same dark hair, maybe a shade lighter, gray eyes and stood at five feet and six inches in height. She was a healthy woman, but he was thankful that he took his height from his father's genes.

He thought of his little sister and how she had their father's darker hair. He smiled as he pictured her in his mind with her hair tumbling over her shoulders, her blue-gray eyes sparkling with delight as he tickled her. Mickey was a carbon copy of his father's dark hair, blue eyes and patent smirk. The six year old was all boy and loved it when Jim had picked him up and spun around to make him laugh.

"Ready to go?" asked his father, breaking into his thoughts with a smile.

"Sure," he said as he followed him out of the building and across the promenade to the deli.

Over coffee he told his father all about the Second Uprising of the Maquis, who they were and what they were angry about. He told him that after hearing of some of the planetary disasters caused on Pemera as the twin Delphina stars shifted he was sympathetic to their plight. He also said that if conditions could be changed on Alta Var, the planet would be an ideal place for the Skrreea to build a colony and flourish.

"Even if a natural occurrence caused the planet they settled on to change in some ways that were not ideal to the Skrreea, does that make it right for them to band together and form a militia?" asked his father.

"No, I'm not saying it gave them the right to do any of the things they're doing," he said. "I just think that if the escaped prisoners hadn't incited them none of this would be happening. Granted we'd still have to find the escapees and put them back in prison, but at least the Skrreea wouldn't be involved."

"So what you're saying is that you feel for the Skrreea and would like it if there was some way to separate them from the escaped prisoners and sort this whole thing out?" asked his father.

"That's exactly it," Jim agreed quickly. "But with people like Janice Sparks and Anthony Barclay keeping them angry none of that can happen."

"They were still involved in the thefts of a lot of starships," his father pointed out.

"Yes, but would they have been if the escapees hadn't put them up to it?" he asked. "We don't know for sure if they're even acting of their own accord or if they're under duress."

"How many prisoners escaped from the colony at Aukland?" asked his father.

"Thirty-seven," he replied.

"And how many Skrreea were there on Pemera?"

"Four hundred thousand," he replied slowly. "I see where you're going. They had to have at least decided to do something or thirty-seven prisoners wouldn't have been enough to incite them to this degree."

"Exactly," said his father. "So what you're really upset about is?"

"Killing the Skrreea in a senseless war," he replied without hesitation.

"But, Son, all wars are senseless," said his father. "This one is no different than any other."

"Well yes, but I'm more upset about the way this is happening," he said slowly. "The Skrreea were angry, but they were mostly a peaceful people. Humans did this, Dad."

"Jimmy, humans are still selfish and vengeful as a species," said his father. "We haven't evolved so far that we've left all of that behind. You're a good man, one I'm proud of. Don't let what these humans have done eat at you, son. You'll do what is right. That's all that's important."

"What about you and Mom?" Jim asked after a silence had stretched between them. "How do you really feel about being in this timeline?"

"Well it was strange and a bit daunting at first," he admitted. "Your mother is more than happy to be here. She told me to consider it as if I'd just moved from Earth to Alta Venus."

"And did that help?" Jim asked.

"It helps," replied his father. "There are times when I just can't escape the fact that this timeline is so different from the one we came from though. Starfleet is different."

"I don't know Starfleet any other way," Jim admitted. "I know the dates that everything happened in our timeline are drastically different than in this timeline. I know that there has to be a great difference between the two because of that, but I've only been involved in Starfleet in this timeline other than the three months I was on the original Lexus."

"Well then you can help me with my last minute Christmas shopping," laughed his father. "You and Quinn are coming to our house for dinner that day right?"

"We are," said Jim. "I hear that Chad and his family are going to be there as well."

"That's right," he replied, smiling. "Your mother and Kim have gotten close again."

"That's good to hear," Jim said. "Mom told me that they got close while Chad and I were in the medical unit of Genicorp. She said she was sorry to see Kim and Eric leave after we were put into stasis."

The two of them headed for the strip of shops in Olde Town. Mark went straight to the jewelry store, so Jim knew who his father was shopping for. He was happy to help him pick a gift for his mother. He'd already finished all of his shopping. It had proved to be a lot more fun than he'd thought it would be. Quinn had been shocked to find him so eager for Christmas. In the last four years he'd wanted nothing to do with the holiday. Now that he had his family back it felt right to celebrate the holiday again, because for him Christmas was about family.

The inside of the shop looked like a twentieth century house. There were different types of jewelry in each room, but his father went straight to the jewelry made with the rare Alta Var crystals. The crystals came in many different colors, but the fact that they were harder than diamonds and a lot harder to find made them very expensive. Jim was prepared to help his father pay for the items he chose if it came down to it. He knew that the salary of an engineer who wasn't enlisted in Starfleet wasn't great.

The shop was owned and operated by two Antarans. The female came to help them decide on a piece that would reflect the love in Mark's heart when he gave it to his wife. She was shorter than both of them with long flowing dark hair and dark eyes. The cranial ridges on her forehead were less pronounced than they were on the male. The ridges on the sides of her neck were covered by the way she wore her hair over her shoulders. She had a pleasant smile as she helped them. Jim was happy that the smile put his father at ease. In their timeline Antarans were not members of the Federation and many humans had never seen them before.

"Your wife likes diamonds?" she asked, turning her smile on Mark.

"She does," he replied. "However I'd like to get something different. These Alta Var crystals are beautiful."

"Yes," she agreed. "They're mined in the caves of Alta Var when the stormy weather permits an expedition," she explained. "They're very rare."

"Can I see the necklace?" asked Mark, pointing to a very delicate looking chain with a tear drop lavender stone suspended from it. The setting around the stone were tiny white stones. It was very beautiful.

"Ah, a very beautiful choice," she said as she opened the glass case to extract the piece. "The smaller stones around the Alta Var crystal are diamonds. A total of two karats."

They discussed the price and Jim was shocked when his father said he'd take the necklace. He thumbed the pad to pay the amount of credits required, she placed the necklace in a jewel box and even wrapped it in very strange shimmering paper. Mark filled out the card and they were on their way.

"Was that it?" Jim asked as they walked along the strip of stores. "Did you need to get anything else?"

"No, that's it," Mark said, smiling. "I should get back to the house for dinner. Your mother wouldn't be happy if I was late. What are your plans this evening?"

"Quinn and I have to go to Command for a Christmas party with the crew," he replied. "I'd invite you and Mom, but I'm not sure the party will be appropriate for Mickey and Casey."

"Don't worry," said his father. "You and Quinn have a good night, and say hello to Chad for me."

"I'll do that," said Jim as they got into their separate transport vehicles.

At the Christmas party for the crews of Lexus and Voyager, Jim talked with Alex and Austin about the possibility of both of them commanding Nova-class ships for the Delphina System Defensive Fleet. It seemed that Admiral Hammil had contacted both of them to advise them of the possibility. Jim shivered as he thought of a conflict with the Maquis.

"It sounds like the threat is getting more serious," said Austin Chang as he sat with Jim for a moment. "Admiral Hammil told me that I might get to command one of the ships. I have to tell you that the idea of command is appealing, but to hold it only because of a conflict with the Maquis is less than desirable."

"I agree," replied Jim. "I'll be in command of the Hunter. Admiral Paris told me that yesterday."

"This is really going to happen, isn't it?" asked Austin.

"I think it is," replied Jim. "It's horrible and wrong, but I think it really is going to happen. I just hope the stand off holds until after the wedding."

Admirals Hammil, Paris and Batanides were in talks with the Skrreea about a peaceful settlement. So far Kathryn had told Jim she wasn't all that optimistic about the outcome of the talks. She said that part of the problem was that the Skrreea didn't want to betray their human counterparts. She said that she'd learned that Janice Sparks was very outspoken about not turning themselves over to the Federation.

When the talks were still going on by Christmas Eve, Jim decided to go ahead with his plans or the holiday. The evening was spent with Quinn and Kathryn as they drank steaming mugs of hot chocolate and talked about the preceding year. Jim found it fascinating that cadets at the academy had been talking about him, Chad and Quinn like they were legends while they were missing in the Borg Timeline.

"The talk around the academy ranged from time travel to secret Starfleet missions in the Delta Quadrant," she laughed. "Each class is taken on a tour of the original Lexus and told about your time in Andromeda. It doesn't help to stop the rumors."

"Well maybe the three of us will stop in at the academy one day and talk to the cadets," said Quinn, smiling at Jim. "Everyone can always use a little hero worship."

"Not me," Jim said, seriously. "I just want to get married and live my life. I don't need a fan club."

"Well you have one," said Kathryn, smiling at him. "And not all of it's members are cadets."

"That's what I was afraid of," replied Jim. "I want to be judged on what I do for Starfleet rather than what people think I've done."

"But you have done the things that commissioned officers are in awe of, Jim," said Kathryn. "You traversed Andromeda and came back from the Delta Quadrant unscathed. You made first contact with a species that none of them has ever seen before. You helped to settle a dispute between the Kazon and the Ocampa. All of that was you, Jim."

"Well the conflict being resolved was more Quinn than me," he said truthfully. "But none of this was done in any way to make myself seem more than what I am."

"That's the reason that people think what you've done is so amazing," she said. "You don't try to bring it up, and you seem almost embarrassed when people talk about it."

They talked about that for a while, but Jim still insisted that people should be more focused on bettering the Federation and doing their own jobs based on their own abilities instead of holding him up as a template for success. Quinn agreed with that, but he thought Jim should be a bit more proud of his achievements than he was.

The next morning they had breakfast together and talked about the coming evening that would be spent across the street with Jim's family as well as Chad's. They exchanged gifts after breakfast and Jim was speechless when he opened Quinn's gift to him. It was a herringbone necklace with a pendant in the shape of the letters "J" and "Q". The letter "J" was cut from a sky blue Alta Var crystal while the letter "Q" was cut from a ruby red Alta Var crystal. He put it on while he watched Quinn open the gift he'd bought for him. Quinn's eyes lit up when he opened the black box and found the medical symbol cut from the same crystals. The blue was used for the staff and the snake was made from the red crystal.

Kathryn's gift from Jim was almost exactly like the necklace his father had bought for his mother. The tear drop crystal was her favorite jade green with tiny ruby red crystals holding it in place. She thanked him with a hug and a smile and then opened her gift from Quinn. His wasn't jewelry. It was a made from Alta Var crystal but it was a clock. The base of the clock was made from a large cutting of smoky dark crystal while the numerals were red and the hands were white.

Her gift to Jim was a large wooden box with a glass front. Inside were golden ships. They were the original Lexus, the Forerunner, the Leviathan and the Lexus A. Under each was an engraved plate that held his rank and the dates of his command of each ship. It was amazing and he loved it. For Quinn she'd found a large golden egg that opened to reveal a picture of Quinn and Jim from when they'd announced their engagement. The golden starships and the egg went on the mantle while Kathryn put her necklace on.

They went across the street to the Kirk Family home at 1830 hours. The scent of home cooked food hit them as they walked through the door. Kara had insisted that the conventional stove and oven remain in the kitchen when Q began to upgrade the house to the standard of the time period they were living in.

When everyone had arrived they sat around the dining room table and had a dinner of baked ham with pineapple, mashed potatoes with gravy and green bean casserole. There were many different pies and pastries for desert, and they laughed when Kara admitted that she'd had to replicate all of the ingredients before she could cook.

Gifts were exchanged in front of the Christmas tree in the living room. Jim and Chad were overwhelmed with all of the gifts from their families. It seemed that both families had bought their sleeping sons gifts every year for ten years. Jim's presents from over the years ranged from comic books he'd been interested in to books about Starships from the other timeline. He was nearly in tears as he thought about who he'd been in that timeline and all of the mistakes he'd made.

After that night he spent a lot of time with his little brother and sister. Casey had given him a five by seven picture frame that she'd made in school. The kids, with the help of their art instructor had melted sand until it turned to glass, poured it into molds and made the frames. They were supposed to put their school picture in it for their parents, but Casey had put the family portrait that Jim had joined his family to take shortly after they'd arrived in the timeline into the frame. It sat on his night stand next to his side of the bed.

His family were given invitations to the Starfleet Award Ceremony at the Alta Venus Starfleet Command division building. Jim, Quinn and Kathryn stood in their dress uniforms while Kara commented on how dapper the men looked and told Kathryn that the uniform looked great on her as well. They thanked her for the compliments and nervously headed out to the transport vehicles.

The ceremony was more of a banquette with a special meal before the awards were to be handed out. Jim and Quinn met up with Chad and talked with the members of their extended crew. Both Jim and Chad introduced the senior staff of both crews to their parents just before everyone was seated for dinner. The Delegation Hall was filled with people who danced to the live music and mingled amongst each other.

The room had been decorated for the occasion. The walls were covered with some kind of white fabric that matched the tablecloths. The potted Moncora trees had twinkling red and white lights wound around their palm tree like tops and a stage had been set up at the back of the room with a podium. The live band of Risan musicians played to the left of the stage while the guests danced.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said Admiral Hammil once the empty dishes were removed from the tables. "We are here tonight to honor the service of a group of Starfleet Officers who have shown bravery and heroism far beyond the scope of their duties. First, join me in a round of applause for the rescued crew of Voyager from an alternate timeline."

The room erupted in a applause as several people looked around to find the members of that crew. The members of the crew, including Chakotay and Katie O'Claire stood and nodded their heads in several directions. Jim knew that it had to be hard for Chakotay to stand for the applause. The man was still grieving over the loss of his Seven of Nine. The fact that he had come to the banquette at all showed Jim that the man had integrity.

"The award Starfleet is bestowing tonight is the Citation for Conspicuous Gallantry," continued Admiral Hammil after the applause had ended. "Four Officers are being awarded this citation tonight for their pivotal roles in the rescue of the stranded Voyager crew. Gentlemen, when I call your names please come to the stage to collect your award. We'll start off with Starfleet Captain of the USS Lexus, Captain James Randall Kirk. Next is the First Officer of the USS Lexus, Commander Alexander Munro, Chief Medical Officer for the USS Lexus, Commander Quinn Janeway, and Conn Officer for the USS Lexus, Lieutenant Chadwin Dodds."

Applause broke out as Jim and the others stood and left their tables to walk across the dance floor and join Admiral Hammil on the stage. The admiral handed each of them a large wooden plaque with their names on them. Under the names was the title of the award and the named mission, which was "Project Terix". The Federation Seal was engraved in the tops of the plaques and filled with gold pressed latinum.

"Congratulation, gentlemen, and, on behalf of Starfleet I say thank you for a job well done," said Admiral Hammil as he shook hands with each of them in turn.

They returned to their seats and listened as the admiral gave a speech about the uprising of the new Maquis and the threat over the Federation that they posed. He told them that negotiations were under way aboard the USS Titan. No settlements had been reached as of the night of the banquette, but Admiral Hammil told them to rest assured that Starfleet was doing everything they could to end the stand off peacefully.

"In four days we'll be married," Quinn said to Jim as they were getting ready for bed that night.

"Are they going to tell us what plans they've come up with for the wedding?" Jim asked.

"I doubt it," laughed Quinn. "They did say that we won't be in uniform and that Admiral Hammil will officiate, though."

"What are they going to have us wear?" he asked as he climbed into bed.

"Probably tuxedoes," sighed Quinn. "I told your mother that all we wanted was a beach wedding; nothing fancy. She said she'd do her best. That's as much as I know."

"Well they've sent out all of the invitations," said Jim as they snuggled together. "Chad, Alex, Austin and Carter are all wondering about fittings and stuff like that."

"So are Gerron, Axum, Chell and Tom," laughed Quinn. "I told them to talk to Kathryn, Katie and your mom."

They got their answer three days later as a tent was erected on El Rio Beach just down from Starfleet Medical. Katie and Kathryn told Jim that he and his group would be getting ready in the right side of the tent while Quinn and his group would be to the left. They would walk along the path that would be there the next day that would lead to the platform that had also been erected.

Jim found himself pleasantly surprised the next morning when he was standing in the right side of the tent dressed in a white cotton shirt and pants that his mother knelt down to roll at the ankles. There were no shoes, he was told and everyone in the wedding party would be dressed the same. Richi flowers were pinned to the breast of their shirts to hide their communicators. The groomsmen all had blue flowers while the grooms themselves had white flowers dipped in gold.

"You look great," said his mother, smiling at him as he stood before her. "You have you vows?"

"Memorized," he replied, smiling back. "This is it."

"It is," she agreed. "I'm so happy for you, Jimmy."

"Thank you, Mom," he said, hugging her.

"Be careful," she scolded lightly. "Don't crush the flowers. They're very delicate once they're picked."

"Thank you for everything you've done," he said, smiling still.

"Don't start or I'll cry," she warned, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Go get married."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, turning to Chad. "Let's do this."

"You're sure?" Chad asked, smirking at him. "I'm sure we could get out of here pretty quick."

"None of that," he said, laughing as his mother left the tent to inform the Risan musicians that it was time to start the music and take her seat next to his father.

They came out of the tent at the same time. Jim and Quinn locked hands and took seven steps down the path before Chad and Gerron followed. The procession made it's way down the path lined with Elven vines. Little white glass crystals were placed inside the cone shaped leaves to glisten in the sun. Jim and Quinn said nothing to each other as they made their way down the path to the platform.

Very tall potted Moncora trees were at the four corners of the platform. Sheer white gauze like fabric was wrapped wound the tops of the trunks, connecting them and providing a base for the Elven vines to be draped over. It looked like a small forest with twinkling lights that Jim later found out were Q's doing. He smiled when he saw them.

Three hundred chairs had been set out with one hundred, fifty on each side of the path. Virtually everyone Jim and Quinn knew was seated in those chairs, smiling at them as they passed them. Jim's heart began to beat faster as they mounted the steps to stand on the platform in front of Admiral Hammil. He was dressed in his Starfleet dress uniform and smiled at them as they came to stand before him. He waited until the entire wedding party was on the platform before he began.

"Friends, beloved family and guests, we're gathered today to witness the marital commitment of James Randall Kirk and Quinn Janeway," he said. "They come here as two men alone. They'll leave here today as two men united. It is said that marriage is the single most important commitment two people can enter into. Both James and Quinn have tested the strength of their love and found that they are ready to take this step in their lives."

He reached out with both hands to grasp the left and right hands of both Jim and Quinn, smiling at them as he squeezed each of their hands lightly. Jim and Quinn looked at each other and beamed radiant smiles at each other. They'd waited for this day to arrive for nearly a year. Now they were here to celebrate their love and commit to a life together forever.

"I've been told that these young men have written their own vows to profess their desire to join their hearts," said Admiral Hammil as he placed their hands together and stepped back when they gripped each other. "James and Quinn, if you would face each other. We'll hear James's vows to Quinn."

"I crossed time and space to find you," said Jim, smiling at the love of his life. "I really believe that destiny brought you to me. Both your struggles and your passions brought us closer every day. Then you told me that you loved me and I knew then that I was the luckiest man in all of space and time. You complete me in a way that I never knew was possible. Today, in front of our family and friends I profess to love you for all of eternity. I join my heart to yours forever."

There was so much love in Quinn's eyes that Jim could barely stand it as he spoke the words. When he was finished, he smiled at him and waited for the vows that his lover had written for him. He was happier in that moment than he'd ever been in his life. He couldn't believe it was finally happening.

"If anyone had told me that I would fall so deeply in love with a human I wouldn't have believed them," said Quinn, getting laughs from the crowd. "Then I saw you for the first time on the bridge of a starship, striving to survive in a world you didn't know. Then I was with you, and human myself. I never knew life could be the way it has been with you at my side. I gave you my heart before you even knew that I loved you. In front of the universe I profess to love you and honor you, James Kirk. I join my heart to yours forever."

Chad and Gerron handed them their matching golden rings with the tiny Alta Var ruby red crystals set all the way around them and stepped back into place as Jim held Quinn's hand and prepared to put the ring on his finger. They'd talked with Admiral Hammil about what to say at this point and Jim smiled as he began to speak.

"I give you this ring as a perpetual symbol of my eternal love and faith," he said as he slid the ring onto Quinn's finger. "The circle is unbroken as my love for you can never be broken. I love you, Quinn Janeway. I now seal my heart to yours."

"I give you this ring as a perpetual symbol of my eternal love and faith," Quinn said with a shaking voice and tears glistening in his eyes. "The circle is unbroken as my love for you can never be broken. I love you, James Kirk. I now seal my heart to yours."

"In the name of the United Federation of Planets, I pronounce you both bonded in marriage," said Admiral Hammil, smiling at them. "You may show your love."

Their arms wrapped around each other as their lips met. The crowd cheered as they clung to each other. Their heartbeats pounded together in their chests. When they separated they only had eyes for each other. They'd done it. They were married.