"Mark, are you ok?" Marianne asked when she found the man in the mess rec module looking out the window to the Earth below. He was seated backward in the chair, chin resting on the back of the chair.

"Hmm?" He said, shaking his head and turning to the doctor.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just taking in my last views of home from space. They're never going to let me up here again. While I'm okay with that for the most part, I will miss this. There's just something about this view. I remember the first time I saw it I was on a quick trip up to the ISS2. It wasn't a long trip. I think I was there for a week. I spent every chance I could get in the cupola, just like I do here. I couldn't see it from my seat on the spacecraft. I'm not important enough to be near a window and we weren't out of our seats for long. We only did two orbits and then docked. I remember floating into the ISS2 and then into the cupola for the first time. I mean I've seen the pictures taken of Earth from space for years. All of the pictures that have been released, all the way back to Gemini or Mercury. I'm not sure which, but I've seen them all. Still, there's something about seeing it with your own eyes, and now I know I never will again. I'll never be able to float like I do here. I know I've been spending most of my time in one G like I'm supposed to. I don't want to get down to Earth and not be able to walk, but I'm going to miss floating."

"I'll be honest, this mission will be my last. I figure I'll go back into private practice or stay on at NASA as a flight surgeon but I don't see another trip to space in my future. This trip was long enough for me," Marianne replied, "so I understand what you mean."

Mark nodded, "You never know when your last mission will be honestly unless you've chosen to retire from the astronaut corps. You have to take the time while you can and enjoy it. I'm just trying to eke out every last second I can."

"At this point, I think that's what we're all doing. By the way, you'll be fine when we get to Earth, walking I mean. You know we've raised the gravity in the modules gradually since we left Mars. We're actually above a single G now. Alannah and I talked about it with the flight surgeons back on Earth at NASA. We decided we'd give it a try. It's something they've been discussing for a while. The astronauts from the previous missions, including your former crewmates, walked just fine when they got back to Earth but we still spend so much time floating here in hallways and whatnot, that there is still a noticeable loss in bone density. It's been speculated that if we went just slightly higher than one G it might offset the time spent floating. It was agreed for us to try it. The rest of the crew knew we were going to do it before we even launched. Somehow with everything we forgot to tell you. I'm sorry."

Mark cocked his head to the side."Huh, I thought I felt heavier, but I also thought it was just me, you know after all that time on Mars in one-fourth G. As for not telling me, no big deal. We've all been a bit busy, and that whole getting me off of Mars thing took priority."

"Yes we are heavier than usual, but only by point one five Gs so it may not make a difference at all, but we'll find out. Are you all packed?"

Mark nodded. "Everything but this flight suit I'm wearing and my pressure suit," he replied. "It's all put away in the second spacecraft, secure for the trip."

"Last I heard, we're one hour from boarding. The Commander wants us to meet one last time in thirty minutes right here. So I guess you can just hang out here and keep watching the view. I'm going to go check on everyone else."

"Okay," Mark nodded. "See you soon."

The crew gathered around the table in the mess for the final time.

"I want to do one last review of the events up to and including landing before we board our craft," Alannah told the crew. "This won't take long, I promise. I'll take the Ares IV module craft we brought from Earth with Lawrence, Pat, and Jack. Taylor will take the supply craft back with Mark and Marianne. All of the materials going back have been distributed accordingly to be sure the weight of the two crafts is as close to the same as they can be. We wanted to simplify the job of those on the ground determining our reentry angles. Our craft will undock first and head for reentry. Taylor, Mark, and Marianne, you are to be in your craft strapped in and waiting. As soon as we've splashed down, you'll be notified. Once we're safely aboard the recovery vessel the call will come for the second craft to undock. We will be on two different recovery crafts as we will land in different locations. Both recovery crafts' personnel have spent a month without leave or putting into port to safeguard all of us. So we're essentially in quarantine as soon as we board those vessels. We'll meet on base in Hawaii where we will board a plane and fly on to Houston together. Any questions?"

When no one spoke she continued, "Then everyone into your space suits and your seats. We want to be ready to go when the call comes."

The two crews said goodbye to one another and headed off to the spacecraft that would return them to Earth.

Mark strapped into his seat and gazed out the window into space. It was unusual to be in a seat where he could see out. Normally he was on the lower deck or the seats that raised out of view of the window. He looked at the operating panels in front of him. As they sat three across, he, Taylor, Marianne, could access all systems and every panel, there was little for him to do. Most of the flight process was now automated and should it become necessary to take over, Taylor would do so as the pilot. They listened as the first group was given the go for undocking and reentry. They waited tensely through the three minutes of communications blackout to hear that their crewmate had made it safely through the atmosphere. During the shuttle era, the blackout no longer occurred but the return to the capsule-style spacecraft of the early NASA era also saw the return of the blackout. Soon they heard static and Alannah reported that the parachute had deployed. When splashdown was reported all three cheered. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as they waited to hear that the four crew on Earth were safely aboard their recovery ship. Finally, it was their turn.

"Ares 4.2, This is Houston. You are go for undocking."

"Houston this is Ares 4.2, acknowledged. We are undocking now."

Mark sat looking out the window as the voices of Houston and Taylor began to run together in his head. He watched the distance grow between them and Hermes. Soon they were in the upper atmosphere slowing down, and flashes of light began to fly past the window until it looked like they were flying through a tunnel of flames. He couldn't come up with a better metaphor. They were now in blackout. This was the last most dangerous part of his mission, and yet he didn't feel nervous at all. Taylor and Marianne handled the rest of the fight.

Slowly he could see the blue sky between the flashes and then the flashes were gone and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. He felt a small jolt as the drogue parachute enlarged and slowed them. This was followed by an even larger jolt as the full parachute expanded to slow them even more.

Mark braced himself for a third, but the capsule slid into the water with a surprising gentleness. It seemed like no time at all and they heard the call from the helicopter pilot hovering above them. Now Mark did have to brace himself as the swaying of the craft at the end of the line that attached it to the helicopter made his stomach turn.

"Here, breathe into this," Marianne said, passing him a paper bag.

Mark scowled but accepted the bag and followed the doctor's directions.

The capsule was set on the deck of the carrier. Mark stowed the paper bag and began to unbuckle his restraints. He sat up as best he could and waited his turn to exit the craft. Marianne who had sat in the center seat was first. Taylor was next. Finally, he crawled carefully to the hatch, accepted a hand from each of his crewmates, and stepped out. He was greeted with enormous cheers. He squinted as his eyes were blinded by the sun and waved, receiving more cheers. Mark and his crewmates were then whisked off to the medical bay to be examined.

Taylor and Marianne's examinations went quickly and smoothly, as expected. His took a bit longer. Marianne consulted with the ship's doctor though not loud enough for Mark to hear anything. He didn't care what they had to say right now. He wasn't worried about anything other than the fact that he was back on Earth. Before long, they were given a berth on the ship, ate in the officer's mess, and within a few days, landed at Pearl Harbor.

Seeing their four fellow cremates at the end of the gangplank brought huge smiles to all three of their faces. Again, they were greeted by cheers. All seven crew members were taken immediately to an airplane and flown to Houston. Mark spent the entire flight peering out the window at the farmlands and cities below. He was sure the others spoke to him at some point, but he had no idea what they said. Upon landing, they filed out of the plane one by one, down the stairs to the tarmac. Mark did exactly what he'd been thinking about for months. He dropped carefully to his knees, carefully so he wouldn't hurt himself or panic anyone, and kissed the blacktop. He stood and was immediately wrapped in his parents' arms. Tears streamed down his mother's face. His father choked out, "Love you."

It felt incredible.

"You are so grounded," Grace insisted.

Mark chuckled as he held her tight and rested his head on hers. "I'm not going anywhere, Mom. I'm here to stay."

"You'd better be," Timothy added.

"I promise," Mark replied as he looked over at the smiling faces of both of his crews. "I'm home."

A/N And so we reach the end. Yes, it was a short last chapter, but I just couldn't bear to make anything else go wrong this close to the end. As I said in the last chapter, I have an idea for a Christmas story. I also have the germ of an idea growing in my head of life in quarantine for Mark and the gang. For now, I'm going back to working on my original fiction. I am determined to finish at least one of the two novels I've started. After this one, that seems a bit easier. This is the longest thing I have ever written.

Thank you to everyone who has read, subscribed, and reviewed. You kept me going with this story until I found the end.

Huge, tremendous, and enormous thanks go to my amazing beta Finnegancat. Everyone, please thank her as well. This story wouldn't be nearly as readable without her help.