The farewell tour lasted for three months. It was actually quite fun,revisiting old places they went to including the planets. It was sad that the Enterprise A docked for the last time. On their farewell tour they discovered at least two new planets that had seemingly appeared out of thin air. One of the planets discovered had people who used creatures called Pokemon for their everyday life. The second planet had talking transportation vehicles with their head lights operating as eyes. She hadn't seen Spock's eyebrow go up further than it had in what felt like years at the vehicles who turned out to the sapient beings on the planet. They didn't initiate first contact on the fears that the transportation vehicles would make a unnecessary entrance because how easy would it be for a hall to be crowded with humanoids and cars? And two, they hadn't developed warp drive yet.
The planet with Pokemon, they all wanted to start first contact, but it was not yet at the level of warp drive. Nyota had been sharing correspondence with T'Pring and Christine, both of whom were busy with their own business at the time. Christine was stationed on Starbase 1. T'Pring, well, T'Pring was tending to more important matters that required her attention. She had her duffle bag in one hand heading down the hall of the Enterprise. It felt final for Nyota. Time felt slower to Nyota going down the corridor. She was going through the good times they had on the namesake of the original Enterprise. She spent her prime on the Enterprise. And Nyota was good at what she did. Communications required a different level of command and authority. She avoided the rank of captain for a good three decades. And this time she couldn't avoid it. She had declined the command track for her reason following the most social aspect of Star Fleet. Christine and Chapel preferred to keep their last names upon being married. It was Jim who officiated their wedding in 2269. She had accepted promotion to Captaincy mostly due to Pavel and Jim's prodding. They were not going to be around forever.
She came to a stop at the transporter doors where at the center were three men. Jim was in the center, Spock to the left, and McCoy to the right. The younger man had his hands on the backside of the two older men at his side. This was a typical sight on any day aboard the Enterprise let it be at the rec room, the conference room, sick bay, the bridge, their quarters, engineering, or anywhere in particular. They were attracted to each other like magnets. If one of them were separated from one another then something bad was bound to happen. Nyota learned that part the hard way when separated with McCoy and Jim numerous times. She didn't know why it never became obvious this happened often but the hell it did back in the day but not as often during the farewell tour. It felt like when they were reunited the universe was corrected and in harmony. Their conversations were like one person arguing.
"You forgot?" McCoy's voice raised. "YOU FORGOT YOUR SON'S BIRTHDAY?"
"I was busy." Spock said.
"No,you weren't." Jim said, with a look of disbelief on his face.
"The hell you were." McCoy said.
"Leon-" Spock started.
"We are going straight to Vulcan where your son is livin' with Saavik," McCoy said. "Before we visit the two we are goin' shoppin' for a birthday present, and then, we are not gettin' a sehlat for him." He shook his finger back and forth preventing the Vulcan from interjecting. "We are gettin' a properly packaged birthday gift." McCoy paused, as a thought occurred to him. "What, how old is Shawk?"
"Six years, and he is in the progress of becoming a she." Spock said. "They are in the middle of transitioning."
"And we are getting them a proper birthday gift. Like, say, a little Eevee!" McCoy went through the doors taking his duffle bag with him.
Spock's eyes slightly widened then turned his head toward Jim with a certain look of plead in his eyes
"We will talk about impending birthdays while shopping." Jim said.
"Birthdays are illogical to celebrate." Spock said, then he turned his head toward Uhura with a fond look in his eyes toward her. She had seen this look often from Spock. She had seen that look when they came across Tribbles, the creatures called Pokemon, and when the Vulcan spoke of Commander Charvanek during the time Spock participated in a game of cards with other officers. "Greetings,Uhura." He nodded his head. "It has been an honor to serve with you."
"Likewise, Spock." Uhura said.
"T'hy'la," Spock said. "Should we tell her?"
"Nah," Jim said. "Who wants to hear they got a monument named after them anyway?"
"You did what?" Nyota said, baffled, as the Vulcan went through the doorway.
"We named a monument after you," Jim said. "You know. . ." He twirled his finger. "The screwdriver monument."
"Ohhhh," Nyota said. "The one set in the middle of the ocean."
Jim grinned.
"That monument." Jim said.
"I thought the natives called it Spoink island." Nyota said.
"We may have convinced a entire region to send a petition to rename the island." Jim said.
"Captain-" Nyota started but was cut off by Jim.
"It's going to be Admiral Kirk after I leave the Enterprise." Jim said.
"Again?" Nyota asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, again." Jim said, with a soft laugh.
"I find it hard to believe you are retiring from being a captain." Nyota said.
Jim had a warm, kind smile toward her.
"I am not sitting behind a desk if that is what you are thinking," Jim said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I got Bones and Spock to keep me busy."
"Spock accepting his Ambassadorship." Nyota said. "And McCoy accepting admiralcy. You, not in space, it is going to feel strange." She felt like a weight was taken off her shoulder getting this admission off her chest. "I used to think you were going to stay in space captaining your own ship until the day I became a admiral."
"Tell Chapel I said hello." Jim said, taking his hand off. "And watch your back. Who knows, you might come across Trelane."
Nyota laughed.
"As if." Nyota said.
"It is the thought that counts," Jim said. "Take care of yourself. . . Old girl."
"I am as old as your husband." Nyota reminded Jim.
"True." Jim said. There was a sad look in his hazel eyes as he considered something, briefly,that rested on his mind. Jim had a grimace at the thought. His eyes returned toward Nyota. "I believe this is where we make our farewells for the time being?"
"I'll see you at the 50th anniversary." Nyota said.
"2316." Jim said.
"On the launch date." Nyota said.
"I will be there." Jim said. "Goodbye, Captain Uhura."
"I will see you later, Captain." Nyota said.
Jim smiled back at her then went through the door. Nyota wiped a tear off her cheek and another. She briefly closed her eyes then reopened turning herself around to see the light gray hall of the Enterprise A facing her. These were the halls that reminiscent of the ones that Nyota and Christine used to walk down side by side holding hands when off duty. They couldn't keep their hands off each other back in private. She fell in love all over with Christine again after losing her memory and regaining it. Someone else would command the next Enterprise. And someone else would handle inter-ship communications. Who knows? There might be a station set on the bridge alongside the helm that was specialized in exactly that. With internal systems control and sensor systems, that would be incredibly useful. Different from what she usually dealt with back in the day, receiving reports of decks suffering causalities, damages, or dealing with hailing. Someone else was going to start at the beginning and work their way up, and serve the next Enterprise well.
Nyota turned toward the doors then went right through the open threshold.
Upon being beamed over, Nyota's fingers were wrapped around the duffle bag. One duffle bag that had what much she had brought over to make herself home. Jim, Spock, and McCoy were no where in sight. Right now, she was officially Captain Uhura of Star Fleet. She was greeted by a Vulcan at the transporter console who looked up with light green eyes. The unusual Vulcan hair style that was seemingly odd but much like one Nyota had seen on T'Pring over forty years ago. A gorgeous, and lovely woman. Age did not change that fact about T'Pring. T'Pring still had raven black hair while Nyota had graying blackhair. The Vulcan woman reminded Nyota just how long ago she had been that young.
Nyota stepped off the transporter pad. A streak of red, black, white, and light orange darted into the room. Nyota dropped her duffle bag than ran into the arms of the much younger woman with short brown hair. Christine's arms wrapped around the backside of Nyota feeling immense joy. Nyota's head was on the woman's shoulder. Christine felt her world was extremely bright and that she could fly. Nyota's arms were wrapped around the woman's backside.
"I missed you, honey." Christine said.
"I missed you more, sugah." Nyota said, as their hug broke. "Aw, you left out that you have gotten two new wrinkles while I was gone."
"That does not matter. What matters is your hair," Christine said. "It is whiter than usual."
Nyota laughed.
"I had to get Admiral Kirk and his husbands out of trouble more times than I can count because their universal translator broke." Nyota said. "I think they honestly sabotaged it to see sweet old me get more white hair." She stroked the side of the woman's face. "Have you been botoxing?"
"No," Christine said. "Have you?"
"No," Nyota said. "I have not been botoxing since ten years ago."
"Since the botox incident." Christine said, her hand clasped around Nyota's as the woman's hand parted from her cheek. "I thought you didn't learn from that."
"I did learn from that,sugah." Nyota said, with a purr.
"Let's get to my quarters, sweety." Christine said.
"Yes, lets!" Nyota said,letting go of Christine's hand then went over toward her duffle bag. She picked it up then turned toward her wife with a exhausted but relieved smile. "After you."
"No," Christine said. "Let's go together," They linked arms. "I want to hear all about the adventures you didn't tell me."
The two walked out of the transporter room as Pavel and Scotty appeared on the transporter pad holding their belongings. The female Vulcan engineer appeared to envy Nyota and Christine, having what she could not. A relationship that was built fundamentally on different levels. The female Vulcan had bags under her eyes indicating she had been up longer than necessary. There was a tinge of sadness and loneliness to the Vulcan's eyes that normally would never be seen from a Vulcan. Her eyes returned to the pair of men who were in deep discussion of what they would be doing after leaving the starbase. Pavel sounded excited. Scotty, on the other hand, seemed delighted about his future. The two men walked out of the transporter room leaving the Vulcan Engineer.
Christine was the nurse to her linguistics. They were inside Christine's quarters. Nyota had her head on Christine's lap. Christine was combing her hand through Nyota's hair listening to what her wife had to say. She had a smile at the part where Nyota mentioned Jim's hello. Nyota and Christine had their jackets off. Nyota was still in regulation blue uniform. Nyota's dufflebag was on the table. Nyota's eyes were heavy. They had answered the press corps regarding the unexpected farewell tour on the way back. But whatever the press painted the crew as, they would always be the best crew in the history of star fleet. She had kicked off her boots that were laid below the couch. They were together enjoying the silence with one another. It had been months since they had been together, physically, and just being together felt right. Christine had someone covering her shift in sick bay.
"Christine." Nyota said, softly.
"Yes?" Christine said.
"Do you want to go to the next step?" Nyota said
"I don't know what you mean. We are at the next step." Christine said.
"How about us getting a cat and calling us a family." Nyota said.
"I love cats." Christine said.
"Me too." Nyota said.
"That would be nice." Christine said.
"If you want one." Nyota said.
"One?" Christine said. "I want three! I want to be the crazy nurse with the cats, and the best friend I ever had to be happy."
"I want both." Nyota said, turning her head up toward Christine. She felt along the cheek of Christine's face. "I am glad I met you, sugah, it is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life."
"I feel the same way." Christine said. "You are probably tired, do you need help getting to bed?"
"All I need is to sit back and relax." Nyota said.
"More like lay down and take a nap." Christine said.
"Christine." Nyota said, teasingly.
Christine slid her arms under Nyota reaching to her side. Christine stood up as Nyota squealed. In her arms, Nyota was quite light. She always did follow the dieting recommendation down to the science. Nyota's wrapped her arms around Christine's neck with her eyes closed in delight half asleep and half awake. Christine kicked off her boots sending them to the rug that had other types of shoes. She came into her bedroom where there lay a queen sized bed. She came to the side of the bed attempting to get Nyota off. Unfortunately, Nyota dragged her into bed sending the two falling onto bed with a laugh. Their carefree, innocent laughter made them sound like young women rather than two older woman. We can see that Christine's hair is slowly turning gray but hey, it looked good despite the change. Nyota landed on Christine's stomach and promptly fell asleep. Christine could see see the curly black but grayed hair facing her direction and the light familiar snore coming from the woman. After all,they had a lot to decide on as their future together. Nyota had insisted that after the Enterprise A, she was going to be where ever Christine was for a change. For once, they were going to be in the same area of space.
Her light blue eyes slowly closed feeling intense over the top happy feelings.
Christine could nap and then help Nyota unpack, later,she had to enjoy the quality time with her space wife.