Fortunately or unfortunately, Khan wasn't completely isolated. Captain Keith informed me that Khan went through a few interviews with other members of Starfleet who were actually qualified to ask him questions. Captain Keith explained that it was for files and records that Starfleet was mandated to keep track of. I ask him if Khan had a court day or, really, what was going to happen back home. I didn't want to hear his answer but listened anyways.

"After more interrogation and documenting, Khan's set for an execution." I could feel my chest rip and veins pop. I want to scream. I wanted to hit him. And, more powerful than any other emotion, I wanted to sob.

"Why? Why can't they just keep in jail? Or, or-"

"No, he's done too much. It's too big a risk to leave him in jail." Captain Keith looked somewhat pained to tell me this.

"He won't do anything, I promise! I promise!" I was getting frantic and panicky now. I was already slapping my hands against his chest, making a racket. Other workers looked slyly at us, unsure of what to do.

"Hey, stop," the captain said. They were Khan's words. I cried harder. My hands slipped around the man and he hugged me back awkwardly. The pain in my chest came out wrangled and ready for a fight.

The period of time that I spent sobbing in my room wasn't that long, only a few days, but these were the scary days. The days I considered either murdering the workers who kept Khan away from me, along with Captain Keith, murdering myself or murdering Khan. This was a great sadness in my life.

We arrived back on Earth in a number of days. It took about two and half weeks in total for all the preparation, the actual trip and landing. December 9th was that day. Although some people were happy to be home, I was star-struck. As they brought out the people from the USS Odyssey, I couldn't be more excited. Khan and everything faded away and the only things running through my mind was the fact that I was going to breathe real air for the first time in years. My heart was beating like a maniac and I couldn't stop smiling. I remember this day perfect because it was simply so life-changing and beautiful. We landed the ship in a Starfleet regulated docking area. The landing was all so precise and steady. As I stepped out from that platform, heaven came upon me.

The brightness was way more than I could handle. I squinted my eyes, determined to see something at least. That's when it happened. A cold breeze rushed over my body, reminding me of the current month, and I swear, I was floating. I stood there, frozen, letting the wind surround me like water. I never felt so cleansed and refreshed. God, what was I missing down here?

I started crying. I seemed to do that a lot. It was a happy cry, though. A wowan looked at me carefully, touching my arm and saying something I couldn't hear. I nodded, knowing that she was probably asking about my sanity. Maybe I was lying. I don't care. I closed me eyes again and raised my arms a little. This was a moment to be dramatic.

I began reopening my eyes now, witnessing another glorious thing. It was snowing very softly. Little white fluffs made their way down into my hair and onto my skin, dissolving into tiny little droplets. I came forward off the platform completely. There were hundreds of people swarming around me, moving and always moving. I looked upwards to the great building entitled 'Vessel Unloading and Runway'. Continuing my gaze upwards, there it was. It was perfectly white, just like how I remember it being in the wintertime. The agonizing dark, empty space that I was used to seeing was no longer in my sight and I was happy I stopped again, letting the harsh chill rise up on my arms and my neck.

"Clear the way!" I heard someone shout faintly. I hadn't moved a muscle until a slight handle on my sleeve pulled me to the left.

"Mae, come on," Captain Keith muttered, standing me next to him. I looked to his gaze and watched as a group of armed men circled Khan, stepping to the platform. I stepped forward, wanting to be nearer and felt the captain's hand instantly grasp my shoulder. I didn't take a notice of him as I watched Khan's face. His eyes were closed as well, walking forward. He soon reopened them and finally met my eyes. I breathed roughly, unable to stop my smile. I dreamed about sharing this moment with him, except, in my dream, he was handcuffed and heavily guarded. To my surprise, he gave me a weak smile back, but soon returned his sight frontwards. I watched with Captain Keith as Khan as his escort group took him into the building.

"Where will they take him?" I asked.

"Standard procedure. They'll check him into the system, give him a change of clothes. Then it's off to the penitentiary."

"Oh." It was quiet. "What about me?"

"You'll have to go in their too." I nodded, beginning to walk about from him. "Mae?"

"What?"

"He's due on the 15th."

These were the words that ended me. I didn't say anything, just walked off.

6 more days. 6 more days. Only 6 more days.

I did what Captain Keith told me and went into that building. It was so busy in there, too. I actually enjoyed all the commotion. I loved human noise; voices and machinery, papers and phones ringing. I loved looking at the different faces. The different lights even intrigued me.

As the started taking an account into me, real reality started rushing back to me. Things that I haven't had to think about for years suddenly became insanely relevant and pressing. There were people I needed to call, furniture I had to reclaim, an apartment to sign off from because it was already bought out, friends I had ask to stay with. In a way, I didn't want to deal with any of it. There was a huge amount of responsibility placed on me and I wasn't sure if I wanted it. On the other hand, however, I loved it with all my heart. I wanted this for so long, yet, when I finally got it, I still wasn't satisfied.

It was most likely than when my new dream became this normal life, which included mortgages and family dinners and outings, came in with a life with Khan. I could close my eyes and pretend Khan and I were married and were at a restaurant, perhaps with some old friends, laughing about the times we had together, eating fancy dishes like a spiced steak or linguine pasta. We'd get back home late, a bottle of wine in my hand, given to us by a friend. Khan would pop it open and spill it into my cup. We'd clink our glasses and continue drinking, watching some late night program. As we slipped into our bed, we could complain about things we had to do the next day, like normal couples.

Starfleet didn't have a special option for kidnapped victims that are found. There wasn't any type of plan that was arrange for me to follow or any idea of how to help. The administrators of human resources and the directive admirals decided they'd gave me a grant of $500 to figure my life out. I had to find a place to live and food to eat from. For my first night back on Earth, I returned a room in the closest hotel nearest Khan's penitentiary, which wasn't very nearby at all. Understandable, though, why would they make a hotel beside a jail? Either way, I checked myself into the Starry Inn. It was almost as if the odds were purposely mocking me.

The only person I called was my dad, and it was a real nerve-wrecker. Even if Starfleet already called him, I wanted to speak to him myself, too.

Hearing his voice was, honestly, like a rebirth. His voice brought back every single meaningful memory I had of him, everything I knew about him and his personality, and overall, just how much I actually missed him. I cried while talking to him, as usual, and he cried, also. We didn't really talk about much just said 'I love you' back and forth. He demanded he come see me right than but I told him no. And there is was again, that controlling temper of his. It still makes me smiling thinking about it. I told him no and that I wanted to be alone until things were over. After explaining what I meant why that, he was little angrier than I thought.

"Who cares about the bastard?" Dad spat.

"I do. I love him." Dad was silent but I wasn't going to back down.

"Tell me where you are."

"No, you're not coming here."

"Mae, it's been four years and you're telling me I can't see you?"

"Yeah." I heard him sigh loudly over the phone. "Listen, I'm gonna go."

"We just started talking."

"I'm sorry, but, I have to."

"Okay. I love you, sweetie."

"I love you, too, Dad." I sniffed, quickly hanging up the phone and breaking down into a fit of sobs.

I repeatedly tried arranging another visit with Khan but the only day that was available was on the 14th. And this is always the hardest part to tell.