2274: San Francisco General Hospital

"Last time I was all about the natural birth. Never again. This time I'm having an epidural. Grant Michael Coleman is going to give me a lot less pain entering the world than his sister did."

"Anything you want, honey," said Arthur, holding my hand and smiling down at me.

"You're really happy it's a boy this time, aren't you."

"I truly am," he agreed, "and when he's older I'm going to do all those father/son things with him my own Dad never had time to do with me. I'm looking forward to it more than I can say."

""""""

2278: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

"It's been more than a year now and I still can't believe it," I said. "A traffic accident. Who gets killed in traffic accidents anymore? Arthur died before the paramedics could get to him. He'd been gone too long for any possibility of resuscitation by the time they did."

"I'm so sorry I couldn't get back to see you before this," said Janice. "I feel like I let you down by not being here for you then. At least now that I've decided to pursue officer training rather than remain a transporter technician I'll be at Starfleet HQ for the next few years."

"My job as a civilian lecturer in xenoarcheology at Starfleet Academy helped keep my mind off things," I said, "but having you here would've been wonderful. I understood why you weren't. The Enterprise was on an important mission in deep space at the time. They needed you out there."

"Yes, and you needed me here, too. There are times when being able to be in two places at once seems like the best of all possible abilities you could have.

"You're here now, and that's what matters. Tea?"

We were having a picnic in the park. Grace was playing with her little brother nearby. It was a glorious day, so when Janice wanted to get together I suggested we do so here rather than in our apartment. I also had another motive, one which was making my palms sweat.

"Thank you," said Janice as I poured. " So how are you handling it?"

"Surprisingly well, actually. I've mourned Arthur, and now I'm ready to move on with my life."

"Does that mean you're involved with someone else?"

"I hope to be soon. How about you? It's five years since you and Jamie split up. Why did you call it quits, anyway? You never did tell me."

"She thought I was in love with someone else."

"Were you?"

"Yes, though I've never told her," she said, sounding uncomfortable and unable to look me in the eye.

This was the moment. Nervously, I placed my hand over hers.

"She knows," I said.

Janice looked both startled, and afraid of what might come next.

"Something about my feelings for Arthur that I've only realised since his death," I said, "is they weren't real. Oh, they felt real enough at the time, but since his death...nothing. When I created my new personality I must have programmed in feelings for him, because since his death I've had no sexual thoughts about men at all, only women."

"Does that mean...?" said Janice, staring at me intensely, eyes full of hope.

"It means that when I think about the person I want to be with, that person is you, Janice, and that if you want me..."

I never got the chance to finish the sentence because Janice pulled me to her, her lips seeking mine, and then we were kissing passionately.

"I think I fell in love with you when I saw you naked that time we shared a cabin on the Enterprise," said Janice when we came up for air, "You were so perfect you took my breath away."

"I've had two children since then," I said, glancing over at them. Grace was watching us with a big smile on her face.

"I don't care. You're still as beautiful to me today as you were when I first laid eyes on you eight years ago. A few stretch marks won't change that."

"This is a big leap we're about to take," I said, "But it could be the start of something wonderful."

"Oh, it will be," said Janice, leaning in to kiss me again, "I'm sure of it."