CHAPTER 54 – THE LANDING

Elizabeth assumed that the night's party would be like the farewell party when they had left the ship upon arrival at Coal Valley. That party - over a year and half ago - had been filled with food, champagne, laughter, music, and wild dancing.

And if she remembered correctly, which she did with a smile, it had been the first night that she and Jack had been intimate. They may not be able to repeat that tonight, but she still assumed that the party itself would be similar.

She couldn't have been more wrong.

It had started out fun. The talent show - which had been scheduled for weeks earlier - had been cancelled due to the numerous ship problems, but several people now put on impromptu performances. People laughed and clapped through the acts.

That part of the evening had been jovial.

But by the end of the evening, everyone was in tears.

Crew members whom the passengers had gotten to know for five months - many becoming fast friends with each other - would soon take their short leave and then be back on the next flight somewhere.

Passengers would soon return to their old jobs with new knowledge and insight about how to live on a distant colony planet. Or perhaps they would take their experiences and move on to different career to help make a better Earth.

While playing darts and talking to Bud, Jack had received a message that he had been promoted and had received his requested assignment to Liskow, Canada. Elizabeth, who had taken her biannual education assessment was already on the waiting list for a teaching position there, which was scheduled to open up in a year.

All was right in the universe.

Except everyone seemed to be either crying or on the verge of tears.

"I'm going to miss you so much," Abigail sniffled as she hugged Elizabeth.

"We'll visit often. And you'll come see the baby."

"Of course, I will. But it won't be the same."

"Ms. Thornton," a child's voice called out.

Elizabeth broke away from Abigail's arms and looked down at Tess Thady.

"Thanks for being my teacher," the young girl said.

Next to the girl, stood her six-foot three-inch tall father. He wrapped one of his huge muscular arms around Elizabeth's shoulder and gave her a squeeze.

Elizabeth remembered the first time she had seen Seth. It was twenty-five months ago when she had been arguing with Jack over who would get which bunk. She thought about how she had seen the well-built geologist stripping off his clothes that first day after the men had come back from the gym. How he had been there to help her when she had a nightmare. How he had put up with her and Jack navigating their relationship while he had been missing his own family. She thought about the beautiful geode, packed away for now, that he had given them as a wedding gift. She thought about the close bond which he and Jack had formed. Which they had all formed.

Seth gave her a small smile. "It's been quite an adventure for you these last two years."

Elizabeth's eyes grew more watery. "Thanks for everything, Seth."

"I always knew. I always knew from day one that you and Jack belonged together. I'm not sure when we'll see you again back on Earth, but keep in touch."

It was too much for Elizabeth and she started blubbering as she looked around at the crowd of people.

These people were her family. She had eaten countless meals with them, slept in the same small room with them, visited the same gym and lounge, and spent almost every minute with them.

"Ms. Thornton" another child remarked. "Don't forget to let us all know the baby's name."

"I will," she answered enthusiastically as she looked at the heads of all her students who now were crowding around her for farewell hugs.

And then the First Officer ushered everyone away from the front of the large room and into some folding chairs which the crew had brought out.

Music began quietly playing in the background and the holograms began.

Welcoming messages poured into the room from the flashes of people who appeared. Passengers in the audience began calling out names and gasping in happy astonishment when they recognized family members and friends.

The images spoke of upcoming graduations and new nieces and nephews for passengers to meet. They showed off babies and dogs and new homes.

Everyone shrieked in joy and clapped when the gossamer image of Star's boyfriend proposed to her and said that he'd be waiting for her answer in person tomorrow.

"I wonder if she saw that coming?" Jack asked comically.

And each hologram conveyed the same message. The passengers and crew had been missed. Loved ones would be waiting with welcoming arms.

Elizabeth didn't recognize the people in the messages but she was happy for her fellow passengers who shouted out when they saw a familiar face. And then she herself suddenly saw someone she recognized.

"We miss you, sister!" the image of a pretty red-haired woman shouted out with a smile. "See you tomorrow!"

"That's Julie!"

"And my mom and dad!", Elizabeth added when her parents came into focus and blew her kisses. They told her about the upcoming family picnic and how much everyone was looking forward to seeing her and meeting Jack, causing Elizabeth's eyes to water up again.

The Thatcher family images disappeared and were replaced by people she didn't know.

"That's my cousin, Susie", Jack yelled out when a cute woman appeared and told Jack how much the family was looking forward to his return.

As quickly as she appeared, Susie Thornton was replaced by family and friends of other passengers, but Jack and Elizabeth continued to watch the holograms, enjoying the happiness of everyone else in the room when they recognized people.

"Jack, I love your new in-laws," a woman's voice called out with a smile. Charlotte Thornton was holding the reins of a horse surrounded by other people and more horses. "See you soon! Can't wait to hug you."

"That's my ma! With your parents!" Jack turned to look at Elizabeth in astonishment.

"Our parents know each other!" Elizabeth said in surprise.

"I wonder how that went off?" Jack pondered.

"It looks like they're having a great time," Elizabeth said just before the images of the laughing and waving people disappeared. "They'll all be there tomorrow to greet us."

"That's my friend Linda, and Joyce! There's Angie and Ashley and Cindie!" a giddy Elizabeth exclaimed when five women in front of a school waved to Elizabeth and called out messages about planning a baby shower for her. "They're teachers."

She wiped away a happy tear as her friends disappeared.

More and more hologram images appeared. Faces and voices of people who would soon hold the travelers in a warm embrace.

"Gets them every time. They're crying like babies," the captain said with a chuckle when the last of the hologram images had disappeared and the sentimental music had stopped playing.

Elizabeth slipped her shoulders into the seat harness, clicked the two shoulder strap buckles into the lap belt, and then clicked the two parts of the lap belt together. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

It's going to be okay. In a few minutes, we'll be back on Earth.

After a restless last night in her berth, Elizabeth had visited the infirmary earlier in the day and been given the magnesium sulfate to reduce the likelihood of premature labor.

"Feeling okay?" Jack asked when he saw her moving her hand along her arm and rubbing the area where the IV needle had been.

Elizabeth gave him a reassuring smile. "Fine. Just excited to be going home."

She noticed Jack rubbing his own arm and wincing slightly.

Elizabeth chuckled. "Are you having sympathy pains?"

"Nah, got stung by a honey bee earlier today,' he said as he showed her a small puncture wound.

"Don't forget to tighten your lap belts", the flight attendant reminded the couple as she passed by.

"Sally?" Elizabeth called out, causing the slender woman to stop walking and turn back towards her. "How bad is it going to be?"

The crew member smiled. "Not bad at all. It will get really hot, but don't worry. As long as the heat-shields weren't damaged in the bombardment, we'll be fine."

"Were the heat-shields damaged in the bombardment?!" a wide-eyed Elizabeth interrupted.

Sally shrugged. "Let's hope not."

"Didn't you check?!"

"Not my job, but I'm sure someone did."

A gob-stopped Elizabeth looked at Jack. He didn't seem to be too concerned with Sally's response because he was busily looking at images of homes for sale in Liskow.

"Sally!" Elizabeth called out. "What if they were damaged?!"

"Then we won't have to worry about all the rumbling and shaking that's supposed to come next," Sally said pleasantly. She walked away leaving a stunned Elizabeth more anxious than before.

"Because we'll be dead!" Elizabeth hissed to Jack.

"We won't be dead." He shrugged off her concern and angled his laptop towards her. "What do you think of this one? It's got two fireplaces."

"We'll burn up into fireballs."

"In the fireplaces?" a confused Jack questioned. "Elizabeth, have you ever used a fireplace before? Because we don't actually go inside them ourselves."

"On re-entry! We're going to burn up if the heat shields were damaged!"

Jack looked around the room at the other passengers. "No one else seems concerned."

"Because they're idiots."

"I think most of them are highly educated scientists."

Jack picked up her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Do you remember the first time we sat in these seats? You were so hot for me but didn't want to admit it."

"I was not hot for you" Elizabeth protested with a small laugh. "I didn't even know you."

"You wanted me from the first time you saw me. And then you couldn't stop flirting with me."

"I was not flirting with you."

"First, you shoved your books onto me. Conveniently overpacking so that I would have to talk to you so you could eventually get your books back."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at him. "You were going to talk to me anyway. We were assigned to the same quarters."

"And after you flirtatiously gave me your romance novels, you followed me –"

"I didn't follow you," she interrupted.

"You followed me to the airport café where I was trying to enjoy a moment's peace before the flight."

"I was getting something to eat!"

"You tracked me down at my table –"

"It was the only one with an empty seat!"

"Yet you weren't concerned about sitting and eating. Instead you quickly mentioned that you were available."

"I never said I was available! I said I didn't have a boyfriend, and only because you brought it up."

"You insisted on telling me what a great catch you were," Jack continued as he recalled the first day they had met.

"What a great catch I was?" a shocked Elizabeth asked.

"Sure. You told me how you passed your mental examination, and you passed your physical examination, and you passed your security clearance. And then you mentioned all those eggs you had frozen from your lovely fertile body."

"I was just trying to be friendly!"

Jack chuckled. "And look where that got you. Two years later, you're married to me and pregnant with our first child."

Elizabeth smiled at her husband. "I know what you're doing."

"What am I doing?" Jack asked innocently.

"You're trying to distract me so that I won't worry about re-entry,"

"Is it working?"

"Maybe."

"I could kiss you instead. If you think that might work better. Just a suggestion," he offered with a grin.

"You didn't kiss me the first time we sat in these seats," she reminded him.

"But I wanted to."

And just like that, she felt herself falling under his spell again.

The thud was a welcome feeling to Elizabeth.

She squeezed Jack's hand and turned to face him with a huge smile on her face as the transporter's wheels moved along the runway.

"Well?" Jack asked.

"Fit as a fiddle," she answered with an even bigger grin. She looked out the small window to her right and saw the horizon she hadn't seen in more than two years. It was a welcome sight.

Jack leaned over and gave her a soft kiss.

"You know something?" he asked.

"What?"

"I'm glad that we were next to each other two years ago. Thank God for the alphabet."

He reached out and placed a palm on one of her cheeks as he looked at her tenderly.

"Are you going to miss space?" Elizabeth asked.

"Nope" he whispered in her ear. "Because when I'm with you, I'm over the moon."

Elizabeth would have laughed at his comment but she was too busy swooning at the combination of his words and his touch.

UP NEXT: CHAPTER 55

Dear Readers: I never intended this story to go past the initial voyage to Coal Valley, but I had so much fun and got such nice reviews that I decided to do the return voyage too. I have an epilogue planned as the next chapter which I will post as soon as I complete it, but after that I think I'll put aside the story for a while. It's been a fun voyage. A reader recommended I call the next segment "Out of Earth" and I have to admit it did get me motivated. I still have my Reversal story, where I left Jack and Elizabeth expecting their second child, and I still have my Vignettes under jellybean49 where I also left Jack and Elizabeth expecting their second child! I can't leave them pregnant forever! I also have a crazy idea for a totally unusual story. (Yes, I know all my stories are a bit unusual. :) )