Kirk and McCoy had been excused from their respective classes specifically for this moment.

They had been watching since they got word that Enterprise had come out of warp and was proceeding at impulse speed to Earth.

When Peter was returned to Earth, following the deaths of his parents on Deneva, Joanna was excited to meet the nephew of the man she called Uncle Jim. The two started up a quick friendship; talking over com screens and visiting each others homes whenever possible. They soon became as close as the elder Kirk and McCoy aboard the Enterprise. Although their occasional verbal sparring sometimes sounded more like the Doctors relationship with a certain Vulcan science officer.

Now they stood waiting to see the heavy cruiser that would bring their family to them.

"Five years since I've seen them on anything but a view screen," Joanna said.

Peter nodded. "Four for me." He chuckled. "I still have the kid sized uniform he gave me after I got out of sick bay."

Joanna looked at her own reflection through the view port, still excited to be in a cadet uniform. "Well soon you'll have one of your own." With a sly smile she added, "Just like mine."

He knew an invitation to play when he heard it. "Yeah, yeah, you're a year older than me and you're going to hold it over my head, forever aren't you?"

"Oh, you know it. I'll never give that up," she added, "I'll make sure to pick on you relentlessly when you're a freshman."

Peter replied, "Oh I don't think you will. Don't forget, I know all your tickle spots. You're going to be very polite." He looked down to emphasize their height difference.

She paused in mock contemplation. "Hmm, I see your point." She conceded, though showing no signs of intimidation. "I'll keep my teasing to a minimum."

"You'd better... And besides, my uniform won't be exactly like yours. I'm aiming for command division. Once you sit in the center seat, you're hooked."

"Center seat? You were thirteen. He was letting you play."

Peter smiled at the memory. "Yeah, I guess so." He recalled that day. He told Joanna, "Uncle Jim would whisper something like 'Personally I recommend a course change to, oh say, 174 mark 6.' and he wouldn't let Mr. Sulu make the change until I gave the order."

She really wished she could see a picture of him in that uniform, sitting in uncle Jim's seat. 'Must have been the cutest thing in the world'. She thought to herself. Then she said to him. "Well the next time you sit in a seat like that you won't be playing."

Peter couldn't resist some more mischief. "Yes, too bad it's a feeling you'll never have."

She scowled up at him. "Damn it, Pete, I'm a doctor, not a soldier. You just wait until you're laid up in MY sick bay. Then we'll see who's in command."

The two just started laughing, putting their arms around each other in a friendly embrace. "You were really trying hard to work in that 'I'm a doctor' line, weren't you?"

"Oh, you know it. And don't you dare tell daddy."

He rubbed his chin. "Hmm, well what's in it for me? To not tell your daddy?"

She put her hands on her hips and looked at him sternly. "Well what do you want?"

Before he could come up with some answer though she caught something in her peripheral vision. She looked. "Is that it?" She said pointing to a white dot about where they were expecting to see Enterprise approach.

"I think so," he said.

The two turned to face the view port side by side. His arm around her shoulder and hers around his waist, as they watched the small white speck becoming larger.