Eheheh. I thought I'd finished this fic. Shows how much I pay attention, huh?
Anyway, now it's really done. I might revise in the future, but for now...complete! Be so happy and proud of me.
I didn't want to have a nice, clean 'I love ya, Dad' ending. That's so cliché. So, it's close, but not quite...
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Chase was leaving. He'd made sure he'd said all of his good-byes well in advance and was now on his way home. He'd see Maggie, and he'd be able to tell her about everything that had happened. She'd be glad that he didn't go through with any of his master plan.
He still couldn't find himself able to forgive Trip for all he'd done. But couldn't bring himself to hate the man, either. It was odd how those things worked. You spend so much time trying to think one way, and you end up confused and disorientated about everything. But now at least he knew Trip and knew that he was a decent guy after all, rather than some cold-hearted jerk that would abandon his children. It was wonderful, truly wonderful, to be able to think of his father in a different light.
So why couldn't Chase forgive him completely? He knew that Trip wasn't evil, but he still couldn't get over a decade of hatred. Maybe in another decade he'd actually be able to adore his father, like Maggie did. Maybe.
His fingers flew across the panel before him, and the shuttle was once again engulfed in an aura of electricity, it's deflector opening the wormhole he needed to get back home. He stared at Enterprise for what seemed like ages, going over the past few days in his mind.
His journey here hadn't been for nothing. He'd learned things he never had known about his father. His favorite food, favorite ice cream, what his own family was like... In a way, he felt like he'd come home so many years ago and actually got to show his father his blue ribbon.
And as Chase disappeared into that wormhole, he actually felt content with his life for the first time in ages.
((I love Chase. I don't want to give him up. O.o I'm going to attempt to find a way to bring him back in another fic, because I just plain love the kid.
On another note, review, please. I'd like to hit forty... and I'd like to see if you guys thought this was crap.))