Day Four, New Earth, evening:

"Fetch, Dobby!"

The black lab puppy gamboled across the grass as he chased the stick Raul had thrown. When he reached it, he pounced at it with all his puppy might, and rolled right past it, a black ball of fur and gangly legs sticking out everywhere. He quickly righted himself and turned back to the stick, yapping victoriously as he grabbed it with his sharp teeth. Then he settled down in the grass and began chewing.

"Dobby, when I say 'fetch' you're supposed to bring it back to me!"

Jim patted Raul's shoulder. "He's young. He'll learn."

"I guess he can just play with it right now," Raul said, while Dobby gnawed at the stick as if it was a steak bone. "Jim, you don't think his name is silly, do you?"

"Nah. He looks like a Dobby to me."

"It's a very good name, I think."

Raul smiled broadly at his father, pleased by the praise. Kajee sat beside Michael on one side of the firepit, settled on a soft blanket Kajee had brought with her, while Celes and Angelo sat across from them. It was dusk on a warm summer evening, where, on any planet in the galaxy, the best place to be was outside. The air was redolent of meadow grass, sea salt, and a myriad of foods recently cooked on barbecues and in open firepits. The breeze carried a welcome hint of coolness, and the argon glowlamps spaced throughout the colony site began to blink on, their warm yellow light spilling over the shelters and illuminating the first permanent structures around the common square.

Jim shared the edge of Celes and Angelo's blanket. He was pleasantly full from the Bajoran meal Kajee had prepared for everyone. For now they were taking turns preparing the group meal. Once permanent housing was erected, many would make their meals in their homes, with both fresh and replicated ingredients, but Jim figured on enjoying the communal atmosphere for awhile. Perhaps even through the summer.

"I think I'll get a beer," Angelo said. "Anyone else want anything?"

"You can bring me some hot tea," Celes said, and Angelo smiled at her as if he'd bring her not only tea but anything else she might ever ask for.

"I'm fine," Michael said, as Kajee also shook her head.

"I'll take a coke," Jim said.

"Just coke?" Angelo asked, surprised.

"Something wrong with that?"

Angelo shook his head. "Can't stand that old drink myself, but if that's what you want."

Angelo walked toward his shelter, giving Jim a searching look, then a brief smile. Jim sensed the others watching him and kept his gaze on Raul and Dobby. He didn't see any reason to voice what they were thinking. So he was giving up synthehol for a while. He just didn't have a taste for it right now.

"Mom! I'm back!"

Lajen was running, which was her regular mode of locomotion, with someone trailing further behind her. "Tamil's dad made shish-ka-bobs for dinner. They were great! Tamil's coming over tomorrow night for dinner, if that's okay? Where's Angelo?"

"I'm glad you had fun. That's fine. And Angelo is...hi, Neusha. Please join us."

Jim had been watching Kajee's remarkably facile response to her daughter's random conversation, but he turned to see that Neusha Patel was the person lagging behind Lajen.

"Neusha!"

"Hi, Angelo." Neusha smiled at him as he rejoined the group, handing Jim his coke. "I just brought the blueprints for the meeting hall foundation, so you can check it before we start tomorrow morning."

Angelo took the blueprints with his free hand, and set them on the ground as he settled down again next to Celes. "Thanks. Sit down and join us. I was telling Michael a bit earlier about the community pool."

"Which is a fine idea," Michael said. "But I think we need a good sport field first."

Kajee patted the blanket beside her, and Neusha sat down, looking around the group with a quick smile of greeting. Her eyes met Jim's last, and her was glance cursory at best before she returned her attention to Michael.

"We already have enough recruits to make up half a dozen soccer teams, and I've been hearing a lot of interest in baseball, too."

"Baseball's a tired old game," Angelo said. "Soccer's okay, but we need some water polo teams."

Michael shook his head. "I just never got the attraction of water polo. All that boring swimming back and forth."

"Boring?" Angelo looked at Michael askance. "It's a fast, action-packed game. It's baseball where you spend ninety percent of your time standing around. Talk about boring."

"Baseball is a classic sport," Michael said. "It's all about grace and finesse, not brute strength, like water polo."

"I have to disagree with you, Michael," Neusha put in. "Water polo certainly takes strength and stamina, but there's a lot of grace involved too. I got through Mehran University on a water polo scholarship. We won the Pan-Asia regional three times."

"Aha, so you'd have a ringer on your team!" Michael accused Angelo.

"Or on your team," Neusha told him, winking.

"You should think about it, Michael," Jim said. He grinned slyly at Neusha. "We are talking about a sport that involves sleek, body-hugging swimsuits versus a sport of loose jerseys and cleats."

Neusha raised a supercilious eyebrow, though there was a hint of amusement in her eyes. At least Jim thought he saw one. Neusha Patel had been one of the few who hadn't found his flirtatious manner charming on Pioneer. Quite the opposite in fact, though she didn't seem inclined to tell him off tonight.

"Three to one against, Michael!" Angelo chortled triumphantly.

"I'm thinking this colony can accommodate several sports," Kajee said. "Maybe water polo and baseball."

"Water polo? Does someone actually like that sport?"

Angelo rolled his eyes as Melia Gend approached. "Quit making fun of water polo!"

Melia laughed at his exaggerated protest. "Sorry. Stann and I are just taking a walk, and letting everyone know that there's going to be a party in the common tomorrow night to officially commemorate the founding of New Earth colony."

Stann stood a bit behind Melia, and he smiled shyly at the group. Though he'd been on Pioneer for two months he still had an air of timidity about him. Jim had decided it was just be his natural disposition.

"It sounds like fun," Michael said. "Should we bring anything?"

"I don't think so. We haven't figured out all the details yet-okay, we haven't figured out any of the details-" she flashed a wry smile "-but we'll let you know more in the morning."

"I'm afraid it will be on dirt," Celes said. "We won't have the landscaping ready to set down for another couple of days."

"I'm sure we'll manage," Kajee said. "If you need help putting everything together, I'll be happy to contribute, Melia."

"As will I," Neusha said.

Melia looked grateful, though Celes spoke before she could. "Stann, we heard your good news. We're so happy for you."

Stann looked flustered. "Thank you," he said. "It is...an unusual situation. But nothing that has happened to me recently has been usual."

"Well, it's wonderful," Angelo said as Stann's voice faded a bit. "We're all looking forward to the arrival of your little ones. And we'll be happy to help any way we can."

"Thank you again," Stann said. "It will be another week before Doctor Ibrahim is ready to begin the procedure. But in a few of your months the babies will arrive, and I'm sure I will need much help. I don't know yet if I will be a good father."

"Of course you will," Michael said. "We all wonder that at first. It's natural for you to be nervous, but when you hold your babies in your arms, all those doubts will disappear, believe me. Right, Angelo?"

Angelo grinned. "I hope so." He looked at Stann. "I'm going to be a father also." He put his arm around his wife. "Celes and I will be having a baby in about seven months."

Stann's face broke into as big a smile as Jim had seen from the little guy. "But that is wonderful!"

"We think so too," Angelo said. His expression was beatific, but it had been that way all night, since he and Celes had revealed their news just before dinner.

"Our babies will be raised together," Stann said, then immediately looked distressed, as if he'd uttered a faux pas. "I mean, if that is all right with you."

"Absolutely," Angelo said. "And before you know it, there will be other babies coming along. It's one of those things we humans do well."

Celes elbowed her husband in the side, only slightly puncturing his self-satisfied grin. Stann looked pleased too, and Jim noticed for the first time that the little guy's color was...Well, it was gray, but a more shimmery, vibrant silvery-gray, as if he was glowing with health.

Jim realized with a start that Stann was happy. Like Celes, he was radiating a definite glow of contentment. At least for the moment-and probably for longer moments as time went by-he could think of something besides the devastating loss he'd experienced.

"We've got to spread more invitations around," Melia said, putting a gentle hand on Stann's arm. "We'll see you tomorrow. Congratulations, Celes, Angelo."

Dobby chose that moment to bound into the middle of the group, yapping. Stann jumped, startled, then remained perfectly still as Dobby sniffed him.

"It's okay, Stann," Raul said. "He likes you."

Stann nodded, not looking too certain. "He, er, seems to be a fine animal, Raul."

"He is," Raul said. "He loves to play, but when he gets big I'll teach him to protect your babies if anything ever tries to hurt them."

Dobby was chasing his tail at the moment, giving zero impression of fierce protectiveness, but Stann looked touched. He patted Raul gently on the shoulder. "Thank you."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," a warm voice said, and Dobby bounded straight for the newcomer.

Kimanji Zaji, dressed in robe of bright oranges and tawny yellows and browns, greeted everyone, including Melia and Stann before they departed. She smiled indulgently at Dobby as he sniffed her robe, then finally looked at Jim. "I know it may be a bit early, but I am wondering if you are taking commissions yet."

Jim's brow furrowed. "Commissions?"

"Yes. For the wall murals you're going to be painting. I hear your designs are quite distinctive. I'd love to have one for the archeologist's common room."

There was total and utter silence when Kimanji finished speaking. Jim could hear the clicking noise of the stick insects nearby, and laughter somewhere in the distance. He could also feel everyone's eyes on him, and he knew if he looked most of their mouths would be hanging open.

"Paint?" Michael's voice was bemused. "You paint, Jim?"

"It's-it was a hobby," Jim said. "I really haven't painted in quite a while." A long while. Not since those early days on the Equinox, before the ship had been flung into the Delta quadrant. He rarely thought about it anymore-no, that wasn't true. He thought of it occasionally, but as part of his "before" life. Before Equinox, and everything that came after.

"Angelo?"

Celes put a hand on Angelo's arm. He was staring at Jim, his eyes wide, as if he'd come to an amazing realization. "I'd forgotten," he said. "I'd completely forgotten."

"Forgotten what?" Celes asked, sounding vaguely alarmed.

"The mural, in your quarters, Jim," Angelo said. He looked at Celes. "Jim painted it, during the first month we were on Equinox. He wanted something to counteract the 'Starfleet drab.' And it did. It was amazing, with all these swirls of color and light..." He turned to Jim again. "It was such beautiful work. I don't know how I could have forgotten so completely."

Jim shrugged. "I guess we all forgot a lot of things, later. And since my first quarters were rendered uninhabitable, along with half the ship, it's not so surprising."

"I see my request was premature."

Jim had almost forgotten Kimanji's presence, but now he looked at her curiously. "How did you know..."

Kimanji glanced at Raul, who was now holding Dobby. Raul gave Jim a wan smile. "Remember, that morning you said you'd paint a mural in my bedroom when we got to New Earth?"

Jim vaguely remembered that morning. He'd been half-asleep, after staying very late in the aft lounge the night before. Raul had been chattering about his art class. Jim had said something about painting murals once upon a time, and it had gone from there. It had seemed a throwaway conversation at the time. "I said 'maybe.' And I said it was between you and me."

Raul looked sheepish. "I forgot. I'm sorry." He bent his head and hugged the wriggling Dobby. "And when adults say 'maybe' it always means 'yes.'"

There were several chuckles at Raul's slightly defiant addendum, though Michael gave him a reproving look. "Jim, I'll talk to you about this later," Kimanji said. Her lips twitched. "Unless you want to give me a 'maybe' too."

"Maybe," Jim said softly. "I will think about it, Kimanji."

"Good enough," Kimanji said. "Goodnight, all."

Jim watched Kimanji stride away, her robe flowing regally behind her, wondering if he was really thinking about painting again. Mentioning his past work to Raul had been a spontaneous response-or maybe it hadn't. But it had been so long-

"Hmm. So there are actual depths to you, are there, Morrow?" Neusha asked dryly.

Jim met her curious gaze and gave her a roguish smile. "Depends on how far you're willing to dig."

"Excuse me."

It was like the Starfleet Command Central Transport Station here tonight, Jim thought, though with no rancor, as two young boys approached. They looked solemnly at Michael. "Hello, Mister Ayala. Is Luis here?"

Luis, as if on cue, popped his head out of the Ayala shelter. He'd gone in there after dinner, but Jim had the feeling he'd been seeking the privacy a normal teenager craved, rather than hiding out. Now he walked over to greet the boys. "Hi, Tiran. Hi, Dirk."

"Hey, Luis," the taller, blond boy said. "Do you want to come down to the bluff? We're having a bonfire."

Luis glanced at his father. "Who's down there?" Michael asked the two boys.

"There's a bunch of people on the beach, Mister Ayala. The MacKenzies are there, and Tiran's family, too. They can see us up on the bluff."

Jim didn't miss how Luis's eyes lit up at the name MacKenzie. Michael glanced at Kajee, who nodded. "I guess it's fine then," Michael said. "Behave yourselves, and be home by eleven, Luis."

Luis rolled his eyes. "Dad..."

"Eleven."

Luis shrugged, and the two boys gave him commiserating smiles. The things you had to keep the parents happy. "Fine," Luis said. "See ya later."

"Can I go?" Raul asked.

Luis looked at his father beseechingly. "Stay here tonight, Raul," Michael said. "Dobby needs you. He's still getting used to us."

Dobby was chewing voraciously on one of Lajen's sandals he'd dragged out of the shelter earlier, plenty comfortable with his new family, but Raul took the hint. He and Lajen took turns trying to wrestle the sandal away from Dobby, while Luis and his friends jogged happily toward the beach.

"Look," Celes said shortly. "The fireflies are coming out."

The 'fireflies' were tiny insects that, like the fireflies of Earth, lit up with phosphorescence. They were especially active in the early evening hours. While the fireflies of Earth flitted about in individual, random movements, these insects flew together in a synchronized manner, in a sort of choreographed group dance.

"It's amazing the way they stay in such perfect formation," Angelo said.

"It's like they're painting the sky," Jim murmured as several dozen of them swept to and fro in shimmering pinpoints of light, like brushstrokes across a canvas.

Then Dobby jumped at the insects, yapping and trying to catch those intriguing specks of light in his mouth. They were out of his reach, but the noise was enough to send them racing away, to dance somewhere else.

Much later, after Neusha had departed-glancing back once at Jim with that curious gaze, as if she was trying to figure him out-and everyone else had gone inside, the fireflies returned, and Jim watched them from the doorway of his shelter. He looked too at the stars, their formations unfamiliar as yet, with Pioneer shining bright and steady in its orbit straight above the colony. He looked across the colony site, where the glowlamps had been dimmed to half-illumination. It was quiet, the only sounds those of nature; trees rustling in the breeze, insect chirps and clicks, a distant monkey call...oh, and the occasional bark of a dog. No hum of engines, beeping of monitors, rumble of machinery, or whine of transporters. None of the trappings of extensive and ever-present technology.

Oh, they would be here, but in the background. This was to be his life now, one quite a bit simpler than he'd experienced growing up on Earth, and later in Starfleet. Simpler, but more basic, and more true, at least for him. For the first time since Equinox had been flung into the Delta Quadrant-ironically right back here in the Delta Quadrant-he felt a sense of complete and utter peace, as if he'd finally found where he belonged. Or had finally found himself again.

Jim took a final, satisfied look at his surroundings. He was sorry to leave the peaceful setting, but he knew he would see it again tomorrow night, and for the many nights to follow. He stood and stepped into his tiny shelter. It was time to write a letter that was overdue.


Epilogue:

Stardate 57897.5 Datastream queue, personal letter n17.
From: Jim Morrow, New Earth, Delta Quadrant

To: Noah Lessing, Luna City, Sol System
Routing: DQ Sec837-AQ Sec1 Rn554334.9Dj

Hi, Noah,

It was great to hear from you. It always is. I'm glad things are going so well with the flower shop, and that you've been able to spend a lot of time with Hannah. She's a really sweet kid.

Thanks for keeping me updated on the latest from the Alpha Quadrant. I can't quite say "from home." I haven't felt like I've had one of those for a long time, except for a brief time on Voyager. Since then it's like I've been drifting with the galactic winds, seeing where they will take me and never getting anywhere. But I think I might have finally found a real home here. Or I'm about to make one here, if I put in some effort. It's about time I did that, I suppose. (Wait! I can hear your shout of triumph from 45,000 light years away!)

I'm glad to hear Marla is staying in touch with you. I didn't agree with her choice, but if she's found a sense of peace, then good for her. I don't know if Harry read her letter, since I haven't had much contact with the other ships during the journey. If they have a future, I have to believe it will work itself out. Hopefully Harry will understand that Marla had to be happy with herself first before she could be happy with him.

Speaking of happy, I don't know if Angelo has written you yet (right, we both know Angelo is almost as slow as I am at writing letters!), but he and Celes are doing great. Before dinner tonight they told us they're expecting a baby. Yep, it's true! And they aren't the only ones. Get this: I know Angelo told you about Distor Stann, the fellow whose home planet was destroyed by that Cyclops machine? Well, it turns out his children will be the first born on New Earth, followed closely by the Tessoni baby.

I'm sure you're wondering how this could be. I'll skip the details on that until next time. (Gives you something to look forward to!). Anyway, you can probably tell that it's going pretty good here for everyone. Oh, there's been a glitch or two, like the Romulan centurion abducting Luis Ayala. (That worked out fine, and Luis is doing really well!) For the most part though, New Earth is even better than anyone imagined. I think we'll all be happy here. Even me. And I think I deserve it.

I know that's a surprise to hear. It's taken me this long to believe that I do. I was furious about Marla being made to feel like an outcast, and about the way Celes's family was treating Angelo. I told you to accept the good things you have in your life now because you've paid dearly enough for them. I seethed at the idea that people would treat any of you as less than the decent people you are, just because you made mistakes under unbelievable pressure. Serious mistakes, I know, but you were only human. Yet, for some reason, I couldn't apply any of that philosophy to myself.

So, you were right after all, though no saying 'I told you so'! And I'm going to apply that philosophy now. At least I'm going to try. I'll keep you updated on my progress. This time I promise I won't wait two months to write.

Still no word from Sofin? I didn't expect there would be. I honestly don't think we'll ever hear from him again. I think he's found a new life somewhere where he can pretend it all never happened. And we're just a reminder that it did. I can understand, but I'm glad the rest of us have stayed in touch.

Speaking of staying in touch, write back again soon. Tell me how you're doing, and how Hannah's doing. Give my love to Marla when you talk to her, and tell her I'd like to write her too (you can forward the letter). And you take care of yourself, Noah.

From New Earth, starting my new life, for real,

Jim.


THE END...and the beginning.

And so, this is where we left everyone and everything hanging almost 10 years ago. This is now the season 3 finale.

Because, as it turns out, there is more...