It was late, and she considered going to his quarters. But she decided not to wake him; he would need the rest.

He surprised her though; she found him sprawled across her bed.

Neither of them spoke as she undressed and she went to him … they made love fiercely, desperately aware that this could be the last time.

Later, as they held each other, he whispered, "Will it work?"

"Yes." It had to work because she couldn't live with the alternative. She hadn't told him … she couldn't tell him … that he was one of those who would be lost if this journey of the damned continued.

"I don't know if I could be so self-sacrificing," she continued, mostly to dispel the previous thought..

"Well, in a sense, this admiral is you, or at least a version of you, so I'd say the answer is yes."

She snorted at that as he sat up.

"Kate, I'll get us through, I promise," he said.

She swallowed and laid a hand on his arm. "I know you will, Tom. That's the only thing I can count on."

He smiled slightly, gathering his courage as he watched the star shadows play across her face.

He took her hand. "Kate, when we get out of this, will you ..."

"Oh God, not that … not now !" She shot up and placed two fingers over his mouth.

"I love you, but don't ask that … not tonight."

He jumped a bit, letting go of her hand, and her heart contracted at the confusion and rejection she saw in his face.

She cupped his jaw, forcing him to look at her. I can't … I won't … lose another man that I've promised to marry," she thought, silently willing him to understand.

"It's not you, I swear. I'm being irrational, but if I answer the way I want to ... I'm afraid we'll jinx things."

She slid her hand down his jaw until only the touch of her fingertips remained. "If you still feel the same, ask me when we are out of this… when we can see Earth. Then I'll know we have a future."

Finally, he nodded. "And what makes you think I won't feel the same way in the morning, or when we get home?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You'd better not change your mind, Mister," she teased as she pulled him down. "I'd hate to cancel the homecoming celebration I had planned for us."

He gave her a quick kiss. "Funny, I was planning a special homecoming for us, too."

"Well then, we'll just have to combine them," she murmured.

And just before she fell asleep, she sent up a silent plea to the universe that they be allowed to do just that.