Alara's quarters had been the closest, which was the only reason Gordon had gone there. However, the minute he stepped inside he remember the last time he had stood there, the scene that had been placed before him.

It wasn't like that now. It had been cleaned and the broken furniture replaced. Still, he could see the damaged room in his mind.

He turned and looked at Alara, who was looking at him as if she knew exactly what was going on in his mind.

"It was taken care of when I returned," she said. "Everything right back where it belonged, as if nothing happened." She looked so small now, as if a light touch would knock her over. Gordon knew that this wasn't true, she was a lot tougher than that, but he couldn't help feeling that way.

Gordon took the two steps to Alara and wasted no time wrapping his arms around her. She looked up at him with those beautiful eyes and he couldn't help himself.

Alara had seen Gordon survey the room when he entered and knew then that he had been the one to find her room in shambles. For a moment she wondered what he had thought seeing the room. She could only imagine what it looked like as she and Malik fought. She didn't know why he had been coming to see her, but found that she didn't care as he took her in his arms. She looked up at him, wanting him to kiss her more than anything.

As if reading her mind, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, ending the torment they had both been feeling since reuniting in the lift.

If someone asked her to describe what it felt like to kiss Gordon, Alara would be unable to put that thought into words. The only word that would work was that it felt right, like this was the place she belonged.

Alara lifted her arms and wrapped them around Gordon's neck, her fingers going up into his hair. It was soft to the touch. His arms were around her, his hands pressing against her back, holding her small body against his.

Alara couldn't help the moan of satisfaction from escaping her, but unlike before Gordon didn't pull away. Instead he lifted her closer to him, lifting her almost off the floor.

Gordon was alive and kissing her. Alara almost wanted to cry she was so happy, or pinch herself to make sure this wasn't some elaborate dream. His body pressed against hers, the tightness of his arms around her, so tight that it was almost painful, proved to her that this was no dream. She held onto him, unwilling and unable to release him.

After what seemed like only a second but also forever, Gordon pulled back, his hands coming up to cup Alara's cheeks. Both of their breathing was heavy as they struggled to regain their senses, their foreheads touching as they breathed in sync.

"Gordon," Alara said softly, her heart pounding in her chest, her feelings for him overwhelming her in this moment. "I..."

"Marry me."

Alara's words froze in her throat. She pulled back and looked at Gordon, her eyes wide. He also looked surprised, as if he hadn't believed what he had just said. "What?" she said, despite hearing him clearly.

Gordon took a deep breath, his hands on her cheeks were trembling slightly, as if he was nervous.

"Alara," he said in a soft, low tone, his thumbs softly caressing her cheeks, "I will never be as strong, smart or attractive as you are. Everyone knows that you deserve only the best, but..." he swallowed, "but I could never forgive myself if I let you go. I love you, Alara Kitan. I cannot live without you. Please, say that you will marry me."

Alara felt her heart soar. Gordon loved her. Loved! Her! She couldn't help the joy welling up inside her. She reached up and took Gordon's hands in her own, holding them close to her heart.

"Nothing would make me happier," she said with a wide smile, "because I love you too."

Gordon let out the breath he was holding and a wide smile spread across his face. Without warning, surprising Alara, he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her into the air before spinning, as if they were living the happily ever after in some old Earth movie.

Alara laughed, her arms wrapped around Gordon's neck as he spun, her own wide smile matching his.

He sat her back on the ground and pulled back to look at her, his smile still wide and joyful. "I never anticipated that you loved me back," he said. "I was sure that it was all a play for your parents."

She shook her head. "I think that I was already in love with you before they came onboard," she said. "I just didn't realize it."

His hand reached out and took hers. "Same," he said. "I had to convince myself that you were playing a part for your parents and Malik so I didn't end up with a broken heart. When I was hurt and could hear you yelling at me to say something, I wanted to speak but couldn't. I realized that you had to care for me on some level to sound like that."

"Yes," she said. "The day Malik took me was the day I realized how I felt and wanted to tell you. I never expected anything to come of it, sure that you were just acting."

"Your parents saw right through us," he said, his smile even wider.

Alara thought back to her parents leaving, how her father had told her that they awaited her wedding date. Gordon had won over her father, a feat no other human male had ever done. That was an unexpected, but welcome, surprise. "Yes, they did," she agreed before pulling Gordon towards her gently. "Now that we are officially engaged, what should we do now?"

Gordon smiled. "I can think of a few things."

John chuckled to himself after watching Gordon and Alara rush away down the corridor. He hadn't wanted to interrupt them, but they had been in a very public place and looked like things were about to get pretty serious. Privacy was better suited to such a conversation.

He thought back to when Alara had announced to Malik that Gordon was the one she was dating. Gordon's expression the moment Alara's hand had touched his.

Gordon moved from confusion to understanding as he started to piece together the situation, although he didn't hide his discomfort well.

But in that moment between the confusion and the understanding, there was something else. A moment of yearning, longing that was quickly covered by understanding as the scenario played out.

John had been watching his friend a second longer before turning towards the Xelayans. That one second spoke more about what Gordon was feeling that anything else. Gordon may not have realized it, but on some level he had feelings for Alara long before Malik came on board the ship.

If John had to guess, he would say that it was possible that Gordon had been attracted to Alara since the day that she kicked him off the bridge. He had been angry, of course, but John felt that there was something else there, beneath the anger. Of course it was only looking back on it in retrospect that John noticed anything. At the time he had been just as angry as Gordon was. Now, there was something else there, something he couldn't explain or describe.

Whether they knew it or not, Gordon and Alara had become closer after that. John was sure that even without Malik coming onboard that one or both of them would realize they felt something more. Malik's arrival just sped up the process.

John smiled before heading back to work sure that Gordon and Alara would be fine just as they were.