Connelly let her hair fall, wrapped her arms around Robert and kissed him hard on the lips. He moaned with ecstatic pleasure. She pulled away and quickly put her hair up. "You mentioned dinner?"

"It can wait," Robert said with a wry smile.

"But the ship can't," she said. "We head home in a few hours. This is going to be our last meal for three months."

"I suppose we will be waiting for each other on the other side." Robert wrapped his hands around her waist.

Connelly kissed his forehead, took his hand and pulled him toward the door. "C'mon, let's go eat with the others. The fact that we all survived is miraculous. I think it's fitting that our last memory of this voyage should be with the entire crew."

*   *   *   *   *

The crew sat around the table enjoying a meal of fettuccini alfredo and blackened chicken, served with spinach salad, garlic bread and ice water; all compliments of Harris, who was as good a cook as captain. The conversation was relaxed and full of laughter. Even Choi had let herself go. Connelly had heard that near death experiences could bring people together. It appeared to be true. Though she had met some of these people only months ago, they all felt like family now.

Only Peterson remained distant. Connelly wasn't sure if he was still groggy from his long sleep or if he was feeling guilty for the crimes he committed while under Europhid control…but she knew it wasn't either of those. Upon waking, he had requested to see Connelly. When she entered the med-lab, he reached out to embrace her. Connelly had dodged his advance and quickly said, "What happened between us was a mistake."

That's when he had noticed Robert waiting outside the door, his arms crossed tightly across his chest. "Moved on while I was out?" Peterson asked.

"Just opened my eyes," she replied.

Connelly left Peterson alone to lick his physical and emotional wounds.

"Pass the greens, please," Willard said, bringing Connelly back to the present.

"On a diet?" Robert asked and handed the salad to Willard.

"I don't trust those impact chairs to give me all my vitamins." Willard heaped a large portion of the salad onto his plate.

"The impact chairs are flawless and they were not damaged," Choi said. "You'll be fine."

"As long as you're tucking me in again," Willard said with a grin.

"Whatever it takes to get the job done," Choi said with a straight face, then broke into a smile.

Harris shook his head at the antics of the crew and stood up, reaching out for a collection of empty plates. "You guys seem more like…sib…lings…than…."

The world around Connelly froze. Everyone had stopped moving and talking in the same instant, as though they were animatronic puppets and someone had pulled the plug. "Guys?" No one moved.