Thank you to everybody who read or reviewed the last conversation. You are all so fabulous. This is the final daily update in-universe. I am glad to be skipping days again after this. We've been doing daily chapters since Day 290, AKA chapter 122. I'm also happy to be returning to chapters under 2000 words. I know you all love the 4000-word chapters, but I was exhausted.

Day 315: Now Returning to Normal-ish

Midmorning January 2, 2261

Ashley 2.0: Hey, can I come over? Mom has night shifts this cycle, and it is hard to stay quiet all day. It's also very boring.

Ashley 2.0: I never noticed this before because usually, we have classes when she's on the night shift. She's up and about by the time I get back.

JUM: Yeah, that's hard. I think this is why mom and dad try to do their night rotations simultaneously. Although being a doctor, dad is used to sleeping in the middle of the day. It's really hard to wake him up.

JUM: Of course, you can come over. You can bring Jay as well. Peter is already here. We're working on finalizing our special project for Gina.

Ashley 2.0: I don't want to be disruptive if you and Peter have homework. What did you decide to do anyway?

JUM: Something we can get the parents to verify our facts on, and let's leave it at that.

Ashley 2.0: Obviously, the battle of Vulcan is a good choice because you have first-person sources. It's what I would've gone with. I still have many questions, and I think the answers will only be in the Vulcan Archives.

JUM: Talk to Uncle Jim. He can probably convince Spock to give you access. See, I knew your boyfriend was overreacting when he told us not to tell you.

Ashley 2.0: He was just being sweet.

JUM: You should definitely come over. We will stop soon anyway because the great grandfather should be getting out of the med bay in 20 minutes. We were going to build the Lego Enterprise together. The bigger playset. But we can do something else.

Ashley 2.0: I definitely want to build the Lego Enterprise. So does J. I loved doing legos as a kid.

JUM: Well, that's good because I'm still a kid.

Ashley 2.0: You're a preteen, a very cool preteen who I feel is already a teenager psychologically. You're a hell of a lot more mature than Chris three.

JUM: That's not saying much. Some tribbles are more mature than Chris three.

Ashley 2.0: Tribbles are more useful. Rumor has it that your dad used one to save Jim's life. Although he refuses to talk about that. I think it might be too classified to tell me instead of just too traumatic.

JUM: I think you're right. I have to find out what happened to Uncle Jim during the Vengeance incident. I know he ended up in the hospital for weeks. Uncle Spock ended up with him because of their mental bond. It must've been bad because even Kevin won't talk about what happened, and the incident made Winona decide to get clean for good.

Ashley 2.0: Rumor has it he was clinically dead, not heart stopped for 10 seconds dead, but they had to put him in a cryo-chamber dead. Do we have cryo chambers? I definitely wasn't going to ask Jim about that rumor. You don't talk about some things with your support group mentor until they are ready to talk about them.

JUM: This definitely goes in the too classified to talk about category.

Ashley 2.0: You mean like the real reason our captain's grandfather looks like his geriatric clone? It was really noticeable yesterday at the not a birthday party. I'm sure it's a coincidence that they were both born on January 6.

JUM: I can't answer your question in writing. I'm required to get you to sign an NDA if I ever do in person in one of the classified conference rooms. The whole fiasco involves red matter. Also, Back to the Future was wrong. Marvel was right.

Ashley 2.0: I'll take that as variants are real. That totally explains why your uncle is having your dad take over the case of the Elder.

JUM: No, that would have been grandma Winona after making the Vulcan in question realize that maybe he shouldn't give up just because this is his second life. Grandpa backed her up. She made him see he should at least try to be around as much as possible for us great-grandkids. That got through to the Elder. So, he's at least checking with my dad to see if there's something that the other doctor missed. They might be familiar with Vulcans, but my dad has had a master class on hybrids the last few years.

Ashley 2.0: This is true.

JUM: Ashley three's Aunt Olivia is also helping.

Ashley 2.0: That makes sense. Also, I just want to say that Peter's grandmother scares me.

JUM: She's very protective of us kids. I think she's making up for past mistakes.

Ashley 2.0: Since I know what those past mistakes are, I think she really does have a lot to make up for.

JUM: She made me another one of her grandbabies. It was nice to have another grandmother. It was a fun visit.

Ashley 2.0: I'm glad you had fun with the extended family. Have they already departed, or can I look forward to baby fun time?

JUM: Sorry, the babies departed the ship about an hour ago. I have a video of both the babies crying when they had to say goodbye to their daddy. It kind of broke my heart a little bit.

Ashley 2.0: They'll see each other again at the wedding in six months. But yeah, as a lifelong Starfleet brat, this always sucked. Especially because you don't know when it will be the last time.

Ashley 2.0: I didn't even say goodbye to my dad for his last deployment. I was so mad at him. If mom can take a planet-based assignment to be with me, why couldn't he? The last words I said to him were, I hate you.

JUM: Oh God. Did you get to write to him before the incident happened?

Ashley 2.0: No, Vulcan happened a few days later.

Ashley 2.0: Don't tell me he knew I didn't mean it because everybody has told me that. I don't believe them.

JUM: I'm not going to.

Ashley 2.0: So when does your great grandfather return to the colony?

JUM: Tomorrow. He wants to leave before G day. He doesn't want to stress out Uncle Jim too much since he knows it's a bad day for him.

Ashley 2.0: It really is a bad day for him for several reasons. So, it's good that he's respecting that. The anniversary day is never good. I feel it won't be that much better in 25 years.

JUM: I didn't deal well with the day my mom wrapped her car around a tree. Especially because I was goofing off at Disney land of Georgia with my dad and new mommy when she wrapped her car around the tree. It feels like I have aged five years since then. I don't expect things to get better.

Ashley 2.0: It was a little better the second year, but it will never be easy.

Ashley 2.0: I will get dressed as quietly as possible and be over in 30 minutes. Ashley three wants to come too. She just texted me.

JUM: Of course she did. You might as well invite Jacqueline and Ashley one. I'll go replicate popcorn. That actually tastes like popcorn.

Ashley 2.0: Ashley one, Chris squared, and Reyes have formed their own little clique. I think someone managed to get the good lemon bars.

JUM: Not from us. We'll see you soon.

XXX

Starfleet priority message from Commander Ling-Chen to Lieutenant Commander Sulu

Subject: We are safe aboard an undisclosed ship

Hey, I just wanted to let you know that we are safe on the ship. I can't tell you what ship for operational security reasons, but know that we're safe and everybody arrived in one piece.

Well, everybody but Kevin and Zoe. Kevin was beamed back to New Vulcan to wait for Discovery to pick him up in a few days. I feel like he's telling Jim's father-in-law all the best stories. Zoe is getting ready for her new job at the VSA. She will stay with the ambassador until her apartment is ready.

I want to ask the Elder why he's really grateful Kevin's new ship hasn't disappeared yet, but I'm afraid to ask.

I'm just going to accept this timeline might be better than we think it is. There are just some things you don't want to know.

Anyway, I promised to send you another rapid message when we settled in Yorktown. Also, please tell you're big bosses that we are all OK. We felt it was best just to send one email. Winona prefers to write messages that won't get a response for at least two weeks. Considering the family dynamics This surprises no one. My sister is messaging her boyfriend.

PS: You should know that your sister is already trying to get Ben and me to sit down for more wedding planning. Are you sure you want us to do the rest of it without you?

PSS: She's trying to get me to switch it into a Poly ceremony. I love you both in different ways, but I'm not marrying either of you. You're too high maintenance. We have children together; that's enough. Some people are not marriage people, and that's me. However, I'm still committed to being your best person.

XXXXX

Starfleet priority message from Lieutenant Commander Sulu to Commander Ling-Chen

Subject: Re: We are safe aboard an undisclosed ship

And you will be the absolute best person I can dream of. You and I made a ton of decisions while you were on the ship. You know what I like and can represent me. Also, it will be easier for you to communicate with the big sister from Yorktown. You can do real-time videoconferences without getting special permission from your captain. So you and Ben should take point on this until the wedding. Please keep her from doing something stupid like shipping a hundred white doves to Yorktown.

I've realized not to ask questions when it comes to the Elder. I think it's good that he's leaving tomorrow after Leonard meets with his medical team, or Leonard is going down to meet with his medical team. I don't know the details. Actually, I don't want to know the details.

I really miss all of you already, and it's only been a few hours. These two months with you on the ship have been great. We definitely are going to have to serve together at some point. I think we'll get another opportunity. The Hamilton wasn't the right fit for us.

Nyota isn't a marriage person either, probably because of her parents' bad example. But she is 1000% committed to Josephine, and that's what matters.

Anyway, I'm expecting lots of pictures. Also, Yorktown means more frequent emails, at least. Possibly a video chat or two might be possible. Anyway, I love you guys so much. I'll talk to you soon.

PS: I'm not expecting a rapid reply. Go have fun with the babies.

To be continued…