Longer than normal chapter coming up! Enjoy!

"'Well, I'm back'. The end." Christine closed the book. "Is that enough for today?"

"Yes, thank you." said a disembodied Christine Chapel nodded and left the sound booth.

She walked down the hall. And then she saw someone farther down the corridor. Someone with pointed ears.

"Spock!" she ran up to him. She almost hugged him, but realized before she did how awkward that would be. "You're back."

"I am, I returned three hours ago."

"Oh. I'm glad your back!"

"...How have your duties been while I was gone?" asked Spock.

"Actually, I haven't been doing much work on the station." she said. "The day you left, I received a communique, you know how the computer voice is really nasty?"

"James and Leonard have commented on it." said Spock.

"Well, I was offered a chance to record for a new voice." she said. "Isn't that amazing?"

"How were you chosen?"

"In our files there's a brief sound clip of us talking. They recorded them when we entered the academy. And I think they redo them every two years. But that's how they found me." Spock observed her. This seemed to be exciting for Christine.

"I am.. pleased...on your account." said Spock, her smile grew.

"Well," she brushed a hair away from her face, "tell me about your break, how's Jim and Bones? What's Emony Dax like?" she gently grabbed Spock's arm and almost pulled him down the hallway. "Tell me everything."

I wish I could. Such as how pretty you are-No. I will remain in control of my emotions.

"I'm nervous." said Emony. They were walking to the transport room. "Oh, my stomach is turning!"

"It's just nerves, You'll be fine, it's not as if your competing." reassured Bones.

"If a competitor messes up, no one cares much. If a judge messes up, it's a bigger problem." she bit her lip, "and I've had this headache, I'm really tired too."

"How late were you awake and why do you have a headache? It's really easy to get rid of." fussed McCoy.

"I stayed up alter than I should have and I don't want to mess with my body for something simple as a headache, it's just stress. I'll be fine." She hugged him. "I wish you could come."

"So do I. But, duty calls, right?" they had reached the transporter room.

"Yeah. Bye, Leonard." she kissed him.

"I'll see you tomorrow." he said

"Can't wait!" she went into the room.

James walked along the country road to his house. It would have been easy enough to get a ride, but this was kind of nice.

He had been given two choices for the remainder of the semester: go back to school or go home as if the summer had started.

He decided to do both. He was going to spend a week at home and then go back to school to meet up with the other sophomore cadets returning before going home themselves, as if he had finished his training like normal.

As if he hadn't been attacked by Klingons.

What was the last thing I said to Neeraz? I think it was 'Yeah, sure.' he was giving me advice on something. The last thing I said to Paula was 'It's a date.' I need to stop thinking about this.

He had reached the house. Archer came running up barking happily.

"Hey, boy!" Kirk stooped and petted his dog. "Come on, Archer, let's let Mom and Dad know I'm back." Archer loyally followed Jim up to the house.

"Hello?" he called after opening the back door into the kitchen. He loved this kitchen, it wasn't small, but it still felt cozy, very fitting to the old farmhouse it belonged to.

"Jim!" his mother ran into the room, she gave him a hug. "Oh, it's so good to have you home!"

"It's good to be back." he said. "I'll bet it's been lonely around here, now that Chris is gone."

"Not for much longer." said Winona. "your father gets home in three days."

"I really hope he was coming home already, I don't want him taking leave just for me." said Jim, heading around the corner to go upstairs to put his bag away. "Because, seriously, I'm fine. It's not like before, with, you know."

"Actually, sweetheart. He's retiring." Jim tripped.

"James, are you alright?" James grabbed the handrailing and pulled himself up

"Retiring? Now? he said. "But, he so young to retire, and he that medal he was always after, he hasn't-" Winona put up a hand.

"James, how old are you now?"

"Twenty, until July."

"How old does that make your father?"

"Fifty-five."

"Officially a senior for a human. And with both you and your brother off at school, he knows it's q bit quiet for me around here by myself."

"I guess." replied Jim. "It'll be awesome to see him though! And then, it'll be summer and Chris will be home, and I'll be home." Winona smiled.

"And I suppose we might be seeing some of Spock and Leonard this year too?"

"I hope so!"

"Good, I like those boys. Go put your things away, we'll talk during dinner." he nodded and ran upstairs. He walked slower on his way back down, looking at the pictures on either side of the stairs, they were mostly from when he and his brother had been little. It suddenly struck Jim, My dad is fifty-five? But he never seemed as old as that, ever. But that means mom is fifty-two. He peeked around the corner to look at his mother, who was finishing dinner. Winona said she liked cooking because she never cooked for just herself, so if she was cooking it meant she was with someone she liked.

And for the first time, James' mother actually looked fifty-two to him.

But I'm ten anymore, either, and Chris isn't some geeky eight-year old twerp I think of him as. I'm not even really the same person I was when I entered The Academy. Does anything stay the same?

"Are you going to stand on the steps all night? Come sit down, I'll be ready soon." said Winona. Jim listened. The doorbell rang.

"I've got it." said Jim. hopping up. he ran to the door and opened it.

"Hey!"

"Chris! What are you doing here?"

"Glad to see you missed me, Jimmy." said the younger Kirk boy. Jim laughed and hugged his brother.

"Mom! Chris is here!"

"Both of you come in here then!" they did, Winona hugged her younger son. "It's just wonderful to have both of you here. But Chris, you have school."

"They know I'm gone until tomorrow afternoon, and I'm not missing any exams."

"Well then, come sit down! But grab another place setting for yourself first, Chris, okay?"

"Sure mom." a few minutes later they were sitting and talking, and laughing. It had been so long since Jim had eaten a meal with just his family, it felt nice.

This stays the same.

Bones paced nervously. Just back and forth, back and forth.

This is awful, this is should never had happened! She said she had a headache, she said she wasn't sleeping right, and that her stomach hurt! I should've made her go to the hospital!

"Leonard McCoy?" Bones stopped and looked at the doctor.

"Is Dax-"

"-How much do you know about Trill biology?" interrupted the doctor.

"More than most humans, I learned a lot after Emony and I started dating.

"Good, get in here."

"What?"

"It's going poorly, cadet, the symbiont is hurt, so anyone who can help, we'll take." McCoy nodded and followed the doctor into the surgical bay.

Bones had been watching the tournament and had seen what had happened. They had finished a round, and Emony had gotten up to leave the judges table, and just collapsed.

He had told a nurse he was leaving and ran out. Stupid, but now it was turning out to be a good thing.

Now here he was, standing over Emony (contained in a surgical field) with her chest cut open, revealing what really was a large brown slug nestled between her lungs.

I'll do what I can to help you, Dax. And Emony too, I love you both. He took a breath and began.

Communique from Spock to Leonard McCoy

Greetings,

I am not quite sure why I am choosing to send this as I will see you in a week, but nevertheless,

I heard from James about Emony's recent surgery, it is well that she recovered, normally I would find it illogical to dismiss ones duties as you did in this situation, but I am told it was to a greater good in the end, which is justification enough. I know she is leaving Earth today. I do not know how your relationship stands now, but I am sure you will make-or more likely have made- a logical decision.

I have fallen back into a routine here, but have also discovered that I believe I would prefer working on a ship rather than a station. I know there are others of our peers who have learned the same. Montgomery, for example.

I am needed in one of the labs, I will see you next week.

Live long and prosper.

Spock

"I'm going to miss you tons." said Emony Dax.

"We'll write. Right?" asked Bones.

"Sure!" she sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm still so tired."

"You've been through a lot. It's okay."

"It's just so awful, Mykar's disease! I knew it ran in my family, but for it to just set in like this..."

"Hey, the doctor and I held it back, and it's curable once you get home."

"Yeah, home." she sighed again. "I've got everything packed now, I really should go."

"Yeah, you probably should." they sat still.

"Should we be leaving things like this?" asked Emony. "Honestly, It sucks right now."

"It can suck now, or it can suck later." said Bones. "Lets be honest, neither of us will be able to keep up this relationship, it's just how it is. We can be friends still though. I hope."

"Of course! Always." she said. She hugged him. "I really do need to go now. I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine!" she got up off the couch to leave the apartment. Leonard jumped up,

"Dax-" she turned. "Um, can I kiss you?"

"...Yes." he did. She hugged him again.

"I'm gonna miss you so much!"

"Me too. I'll miss you." She smiled at him one more time, and then left.

Leonard remembered at that moment something he'd heard once. He couldn't remember where though

Grandmother Jayden. She said it. 'When something special ends, we carry it forever in our souls. And it defines us just as much as the things that only end for us with our deaths.' Well, you were right Grandmother, you were so right.

Bones went and began his own packing.

Maybe, if I'm very lucky, my friendship with Spock and Jim can be one of those things that never ends.

Next chapter they'll all be at the academy again! Also, this story now has over 150 reviews! Thanks to all my readers, especially: ZenaraTheDragon, DragonsRme, Book girl fan, Danzinora Switch, Minecraft Guardiansaiyan, and 2Trek. Thank you! Also, to celebrate 150 reviews, I'm doing another round of story requests! I'm into many different (fairly geeky) things which are all listed on my profile. So anything you see on there, I will write for! BYE!

~Remi