Jim, Korax, Grakar, and Omakh appeared on Kronos at the coordinates that Dapodi had sent. Jim was surprised to be facing a whole troop of Klingons. He felt like he was surrounded, but they were all soon walking down the corridor of the Great Hall. "Take this prisoner to cell fourteen," Grakar commanded. "Keep him in stun cuffs and guard him…vigorously. If he tries to escape…relieve the court of this trouble."

Dapodi slapped his fist across his chest. "It will be done," he said.

Jim watched them all march away with Omakh in the middle. "Come," Grakar said.

Jim went with Grakar and Korax to the dining room where Chancellor Gorkon sat at…breakfast? Jim was not sure what they called it on Kronos. "Good morning, Admiral Kirk!" Gorkon said in his hearty greeting. "Join me!"

Jim sat down at the table. "Good morning, Chancellor," he said.

Grakar and Korax sat on each side of Jim. He thought they really meant it when they said they would guard him. "Bring food for our guest and his guards!" Gorkon commanded.

Jim thought Gorkon was very cheerful and loud for so early in the morning. When his food was brought, it was Earth food. He was glad of that, but he could not help but notice the food that was brought to Grakar and Korax, which they dug into immediately.

"Eat!" Gorkon said. "We will discuss this matter while we eat!"

Jim just nodded and took a bite of the food, which was an egg. He thought the Klingons could cook Earth food very well to have never had it before. "The Federation agrees to let the Klingons be over the prosecution of Omakh," Jim said.

"This is good!" Gorkon replied. "Klingon justice is harsh enough for his crimes. He will never capture you again! He will be prosecuted for his war crimes and his crimes against you and your friends! Illegal bounties! His list of crimes has already been written. You will testify and seal his coffin."

"There are others who can testify. They were there too."

"They may all have their say!"

"Chancellor, do you think this will end the civil war?" Jim asked.

Gorkon considered that for a moment. "It is hard to say," he said. "Another may step into his place. However, they will not succeed. They are becoming fewer in number."

"I agree with that. There are still several Klingons in the brig on the ship."

"They will be executed along with their traitorous leader!"

"Will they also get a trial?"

"NO! There will only be one trial. Klingons do not waste time in details."

Jim started eating and did not ask anymore questions. "How is your little one?" Gorkon asked.

"She's doing well," Jim replied. "I miss her…"

"You will be on your way soon. When the morning meal is over, the trial will begin."

Jim found out that it was exactly that way because as soon as they were done eating, they went on to the courtroom. Jim contacted the Enterprise and told Spock to come down with Uhura, Bones, and Solan to testify at that trial. They soon arrived.

Solan walked over to Jim. "Admiral, I'm sorry I wasn't around to be your bodyguard," he said. "I wasn't well."

"You alright now?" Jim asked.

"I feel better, but not a hundred percent."

"Well, when we get this over with, we'll have three days to recuperate before we get back to Earth."

"I'm gonna use all of it. I guess when you struggle so much without getting any rest, it finally catches up with you."

"Right. It caught up with me last night."

"You still hurting?"

"Of course, but I feel like I can take a deeper breath now."

"Me too." Solan frowned. "I just wish I had been more wary."

"Of what?"

"Cax."

"You're not still blaming yourself for that, are you? There's no possible way that any of this is your fault. Stop it! That's an order."

Solan rolled his eyes slightly. "Okay then. Just so long as you don't blame me."

"I never have. This is no one's fault. It's just something that happened."

"I keep thinking it over and over and wonder how I could have…"

"I said stop it! That's an order."

"So, how do you think this trial is gonna go?"

"I think it's gonna go against Omakh."

"There is no other way for it to go," Grakar declared. "He has plagued the galaxy long enough. He will plague it no longer."

As the Klingon Court came to order, Jim found out that when the Klingons knew someone was guilty, they only listened to witnesses against them, and there was not much attention to defense. He was glad he did not have to go before a Klingon Court on trial.

As Jim took the stand to testify, Omakh yelled something at him in Klingon, which visibly troubled Solan and Uhura. Jim sat and told everything that had happened including previous encounters with the rogue Klingons. Omakh yelled more insults at him in Klingon, but Jim kept on talking remembering the grief and fear that those Klingons had caused to his family. Everyone else involved testified as well, and Omakh was sentenced before they left the court room.

Spock, Uhura, and Solan stood with Jim in the stone corridor. "I don't want to stick around for that execution," Jim said. "There's no reason for us to stay here."

"I will have the other prisoners transported to the surface as well," Spock replied.

"Good. Let's get everything out of the way and get home."

"Jim, do you know what Omakh said?" Solan asked.

"No."

"He said you would never make it back to Earth…among other insults."

Jim shrugged. "Well, we're going anyway," he said.

"What if they attack us before we get out of Klingon space?"

"We'll fight our way out."

Korax came from the courtroom. "I would like to go to Earth with you, Admiral," he said.

"You're welcome to," Jim replied.

"I would also like to bring my mate, Odreli. I would like her to see Earth, and when we leave there, we will visit our son."

"That'll be fine. How is your son?"

"He is doing well. He is learning. He will not only be a warrior, but he will be a disciplined warrior."

Jim smiled. "That's good."

"Perhaps I will have another son soon. We may betroth our young ones."

Jim was surprised by that suggestion. "Betroth?"

"Yes. Then our houses will be joined. We will be family."

Jim was not sure what to say to that but he could see the amusement on Uhura's face. "We'd have to discuss that," Jim said, for nothing better to say.

Jim was surprised at that suggestion, but he was sure Carol would be more than surprised. He would definitely have to get it over to Korax that they did not betroth children on Earth. Everyone chose who they wanted on their own. He hoped Korax would understand that but Klingons were pretty set in their ways.

Jim waited for Korax and his mate, and then they were all transported to the Enterprise. Jim was glad they were about to leave Klingon space…not that he did not enjoy seeing his Klingon friends but he wanted to go home.

They were soon on their way, and everyone who monitored space was watching for mines which would jerk a ship out of warp and leave it stranded. However, if they were vigilant, they could detect them before they hit them.

Jim lay on his bed in his quarters. He intended to rest most of the way home. By the time he got there, he intended to feel like spending time with his family without feeling tired. Bones had worked on those wounds again to try and speed up the healing process. Jim thought they felt better as he lay on the bed but were still a little sore.

Solan was also resting. Doctor McCoy had demanded that he do so. He wanted to feel like spending time with Priscilla as well. He stared at the ceiling as he lay on the bed thinking about Priscilla. He was seriously thinking of asking her to marry him. He could see how happy his married friends were, and he wanted that kind of happiness too, and he thought Priscilla was the perfect woman for him. He smiled as he thought of her rather feline ways. He thought it was what attracted him to her more.

It took them three days to get back to Earth. Jim did not think he had slept so much since the five-year mission. He felt well-rested and he was ready to get off the Enterprise. They were soon on a shuttle on their way to Earth, and when it landed, Jim hurried to the ramp. There were quite a lot of people outside since they were in a busy terminal.

Jim walked out and began scanning the crowd for Carol, and then he heard her yell, "Jim!"

Jim turned and saw her. He smiled as he thought he was already forgetting all the trouble he had been in. He hurried toward her and she jumped into his arms. "Oh, Jim, I missed you so much," she said.

He set her down and wiped tears off her face. "Don't cry," he said.

"These are happy tears."

They kissed. "Where are the kids?" Jim asked.

"They're with your mother today. Let's go get our babies and go home."

Jim smiled. "I'm with you on that."

They left the terminal and went to his mother's house which she had purchased and moved out of the apartment she had lived in before. Of course, she was glad to see Jim and greeted him with a big hug.

"Daddy!"

Jim looked to see Alex running toward him. He grabbed him up in his arms. "I missed you so much," Jim said but he realized Alex was crying. "Hey, why are you crying?"

"He knows what happened, Jim," Carol said.

Jim frowned. "Everything's okay now, and I'm back home."

"I was afraid you wouldn't come back," Alex said.

"I am back, so let's not cry. Okay?"

Alex looked into his father's blue eyes and then nodded. "Good," Jim said. "I want to see your little sister."

Jim went over to the crib where Joy was sleeping. He wanted to cry himself when he saw her. He picked her up not caring if she was asleep. He did not know how many times he had thought he might not see her again. Carol smiled. "Are you ready to go?" she asked.

Jim nodded and looked at his mother. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mom," he said.

"You best not forget that," she replied.

"I won't."

Jim and Carol left there and went home. Jim stood at the window looking out at the view while he held Joy. "We have to get a house," he declared.

"A house?" Carol asked as she walked up beside him. "Where?"

"I don't know, but I want a house…like we had once."

Carol leaned on his arm. "It was nice, wasn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah, and we built it with our own hands."

Just then, someone rang the door chime. "I'll get it," Carol said and went to the door.

Doctor McCoy was at the door. "Hi," he said. "I just wanted to check up on you and the baby since I've been gone on one of our excursions of death."

Jim rolled his eyes at that remark. "Come on in, Bones," he said. He waited while Bones checked Carol over and then examined the baby.

"Well, looks like you're both doing well," Bones said.

"Thank you, Doctor," Carol replied.

"I guess I'll get going now."

Jim went to the door with him. "Shouldn't you be with your wife?" he asked.

"I wanted to get all this out of the way first," Bones said. "Don't bother me anymore for the rest of this day…or night."

Jim chuckled at that. "See you later, Bones…much later."

"Maybe not for two days."

Jim closed the door and looked at Carol. "And now, my love," he said. "You and I are going to have a little time together."

"Are we?" Carol asked.

"Get the kids ready. I'm taking them over to Mom's house, and I'll be back shortly."

"You're not letting me go with you?"

"No. You're going to lie here and rest and do nothing until I get back."

Carol folded her arms. "What are you planning?"

"Now, if I told you that, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?"

"A hint?"

"No. Now, get the kids ready while I change into something else."

Jim went into the bathroom. Carol smiled and started getting things together for the children. "Alex, pick out a toy to take with you," she said. "You're going with daddy, and he's taking you to grandma's house."

They were soon ready, and Jim gathered up everything. "Are you sure you don't need help?" Carol asked as she looked at him with Joy in his arms, a diaper bag hanging on one shoulder and a duffle bag on the other.

"No, I'm fine," Jim said.

Carol smiled as he walked out the door. "I'll be waiting for you," she said.

"Good. Now, relax."

Jim went on down the hallway to the lift. "Daddy, why are we going back to grandma's?" Alex asked.

"Because your mom and I need some time together," Jim said as he pushed the button for the lift. "Tomorrow, we're all going somewhere."

"Where?"

"You'll see."

Carol closed the door of the apartment. She had no idea what Jim had planned, but she was anxious to see. She lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She really felt like she had nothing to do with neither of the children there. She felt like she should be up doing something but she took a deep breath and tried to relax. She thought about Jim and how much she loved him. She supposed she would never have thought she would be with Jim Kirk like this when she sneaked aboard his ship, although she had used his attraction for women to manipulate him. However, by the time she had spent some time on that ship, she had found out that he was much deeper than she had heard.

When Jim returned home, Carol was dozing on the bed, but she heard the doorbell chime. She smiled as she hurried to the door. She almost gasped when she saw the dozen roses that he was holding, but she giggled as he looked over them and said, "Will you marry me again?"

"Yes!" Carol said. She grabbed his arm and pulled him into the apartment. They shared a long kiss and then Carol took the roses and headed for the kitchen. "So, where are we going?"

Jim just stood there a moment. "We're going out to eat," he said as he followed her. "And then we might take in a show or we might just come back here and create one of our own."

Carol put the roses in water. She knew Jim was standing behind her and it made her feel like they were dating again. She turned around to face him.

"Are you teasing me again?" he asked. He touched her cheek. "I think your blush is showing."

"You can still make me blush."

"Well, why don't we go in there and I'll try to make you blush even more?"

Carol could not help but giggle. "Stop."

"Stop," Jim mocked.

Carol got from between him and the counter and ran toward the bedroom but she stopped at the door. "You're trapping yourself now," Jim said playfully.

Carol laughed and ran on into the bedroom. Jim ran in there and found her sitting in the middle of the bed. He crawled onto the bed and kissed her. "I love you, Jim," she said.

"I love you madly, Carol." He wiped a tear off her face. "I'm sorry for causing you so much worry."

"Oh, Jim, just shut up and make love to me."

"I can do that."