“We are approximately nine years, seven months, and fifteen days away from the Sol System.”

The crew sat around the team room dejectedly, their sour mood making even Seamus depressed. The small human slumped on the couch between his parents. He glanced up at one first, then the other. Pulling on his father’s uniform sleeve, Seamus asked, “Daddy?”

Seth didn’t react, lost in his own thoughts.

Confused and worried, Seamus glanced up at his mother. “TJ?”

TJ patted his head absently. “Why don’t you go find the gizbot, dear?” she asked quietly.

Seamus pouted. “Don’t wanna play with gizbot.” He glanced around the room at the sullen crew. “Uncle Harlan? Auntie Cat? Aunt Rosie? Uncle Radu?”

“Seamus, come here.” Seamus toddled over to Lokaia who pulled him up onto her lap and hugged him close. “Shay, sweetie, everyone’s a little sad because we won’t be getting back to the Sol System for a lot longer than we had thought.”

The small human’s brow furrowed. “How long is lots longer?”

Lokaia winced. “About nine years.”

“Nine years, seven months, and fifteen days,” Bova recited monotonously. He sighed and leaned back against the couch. “I don’t know why I expected anything better.”

“Don’t want babies?” Seamus asked his Uranusian uncle.

Bova glanced up at him sharply, surprised. The morose look on his face faded to simple blankness and he took Rosie’s hand in his. Tousling Seamus’ hair, he replied, “I wanted my kids to grow up at home.”

Seamus’ brow furrowed. “Why won’t they?”

“Because we won’t get back for nine years,” Lokaia answered softly.

“Won’t go home for nine years?” Seamus demanded, upset.

TJ shook her head, holding her arms out to her son. “No, honey. We already told you that.”

Sniffling, Seamus ran to her and his mother enfolded him in her arms. “Mummy, I don’t want to leave Christa and Thelma and gizbot!” he cried, wrapping his arms around her middle.

“What makes you think you have to leave them?” Seth asked, prying his son from TJ and holding him.

TJ was staring, eyes wide. “What did you call me?!” she demanded.

Seamus ignored her and spoke to his father. “You said we can’t go home,” he whispered, running a fist across his nose.

Seth smiled kindly and wiped the tears from his son’s cheeks. “Well, we can’t, Shay. But we’re not going to leave the Christa. We just can’t go home.”

Seamus stopped crying, but watched his father’s face, confused. “But… Christa is home.”

Fifty-six glances ran across the room as the rest of the crew contemplated that sentence. And not one of them could think of what to say.

*FLASH*

“I was three weeks shy,” Commander Seth Goddard cried, frustrated. “Three more weeks and my career as a teacher would have been over. I'd have been back out in space, with a crew. Instead I'm…”

“Back out in space?” Catalina asked.

“With a crew?” Radu added.

*FLASH*

“I’ve got you!” Radu yelled over the growing noise, pulling Harlan back into the Christa. “Trust me!”

*FLASH*

“Harlanband doesn’t hate you, Radu,” Elmira said in her quiet voice to the Andromedan standing far away from her. “He’s afraid of you. Yes,” she countered, in response to his laughter. “Every time he looks at you, he's afraid that everything he knows is wrong. And so are you, every time you look at me.”

*FLASH*

“Do you think we’ll ever see her again?” Catalina asked, speaking of the Spung oracle they had just met.

A far-off look in his eyes, Radu nodded. “I think so.”

“Did she predict that?” Harlan wondered.

“No,” Radu said, shaking his head. “I’m predicting it.”

*FLASH*

“I guess we’re lucky they don’t remember anything,” Radu murmured to Catalina.

The Saturnian shrugged. “Maybe lucky. Although, you know, it might have done them some good. Remembering what it was like to be kids again?”

*FLASH*

“A mess!” Harlan cried.

“It’s a great mess!” Radu added helpfully.

*FLASH*

“Radu!” Harlan raised his voice to catch the Andromedan’s attention.

Radu was shaken out of his reverie and looked at the human. “What?”

“I said thank you! I - I thanked you!” No one could have been more surprised at this comment than Harlan himself.

Except, perhaps, Radu. “Oh, uh, you're welcome.”

*FLASH*

Catalina smiled. “I learned that I can do things on my own if I have to, and, I also found out what kind of friend Suzee is.”

Thelma cocked her head, interested. “What kind?”

The Saturnian grinned. “The best kind. We're friends because we wanna be friends.”

*FLASH*

Catalina rounded on Harlan angrily. “You think without Suzee I'm dumb, don't you?”

Harlan scoffed. “No, of course I don't. I think you're dumb with her, too!”

*FLASH*

"Have you flipped your rainbow?!" Harlan yelled angrily.

*FLASH*

“Miss Davenport, I thought I'd turn in my assignment early. My family tree.” Radu turned on the telescreen, indicating to a picture of the Christa’s crew.

“Oh, Radu!” Rosie cooed. “That is so--”

“Sappy!” Harlan interrupted, disgusted.

*FLASH*

“Rest well, little rock,” Thelma told the lump happily. “Tomorrow you’ll be space dust!”

*FLASH*

“Can you tell?” Harlan demanded.

Radu glanced at him quizzically, while putting on his vest. “Can I tell what?

“That I'm trying to watch what I say to you, because it's not always going right. And I -”

“Just wanted me to know?” Radu asked quietly.

The human was silent for a moment before saying, “Yeah.”

“Why are you telling me?” Radu demanded.

“Because it's - it's your birthday,” Harlan began haltingly, “and, it's not like I can go out and shop for you or anything, so my present to you is - honesty. And just treating you like one of the guys. Okay?”

“Honesty,” Radu repeated.

“Yeah.” Harlan paused a moment before adding, “That's not too tough, is it?”

“Uh, no, no, not at all,” Radu said, shaking his head. “Uh, thanks.” As Harlan turned to leave, Radu added, “It’s what I always wanted.”

*FLASH*

"I heard that!" Radu called back.

"How could you not with those ears?" Harlan mumbled.

"Heard that too!"

*FLASH*

"Rainbow-head!"

*FLASH*

"Hair-Do!"

*FLASH*

“What happened?” Ms. Davenport demanded.

“Well, we, uh, we slipped into an alternate dimension -” Harlan began.

“- started changing into Spung -” Catalina added.

“- argued over what to do -” Radu put in.

“- managed to see all sides of the problem, and found a solution!” Rosie finished happily.

Bova snorted. “Barely.”

*FLASH*

“I'm itching!” Ms. Davenport cried.

Goddard shrugged. “That's not usually the kind of problem that requires a command decision, but OK: Scratch it!”

*FLASH*

“Commander, you’re not funny!” Davenport cried.

“I hear that a lot.”

*FLASH*

Sighing, Catalina turned to the android. “Thelma, you think anything is possible, don’t you?”

“Almost!” Thelma said happily. “It is an exciting cosmos, isn’t it?”

*FLASH*

“You’ll smite me?” Goddard demanded, disbelieving.

“Smite!” Harlan laughed. “Or he ‘smite’ not!”

*FLASH*

“Just think about all of those frighteningly dangerous criminals,” Davenport said with a shudder.

“They're locked up,” Bova pointed out. “Usually, its the ones that are free you have to worry about.”

*FLASH*

“Why are you being so mean to us?” Rosie demanded.

Amirge shrugged. “New planet. New friends. I’ve got a little time to kill.”

*FLASH*

“I won't talk about my parents anymore,” Bova told Radu. He paused for a moment before adding, “I can't believe they're not home!”

*FLASH*

“Space pirate,” Seth growled. “Yo. Ho. Ho.”

*FLASH*

“Nagging voice? Power sucking? Sapping energy?” Davenport finished listing MA’s qualities and cried, “That sounds like MY mother.”

*FLASH*

Radu gaped. “I never thought it would end like this.”

Bova shrugged and sighed. “I did.”

*FLASH*

When she looked up again she was smiling, shyly. “Hi, Rosie,” she whispered a little louder. “My name is Lokaia.”

*FLASH*

“What?” Bova demanded.

“You didn’t say anything pessimistic,” Harlan told him.

Bova rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He turned to Rosie. “There’s probably something wrong at Yensid which is making her snap at the rest of us, but she’s not going to tell us because she’s Suzee and whatever it is is probably going to get us all killed.” At Rosie’s look of dismay he quickly said, “But it’s not your fault!” Bova turned to Harlan, looking disgusted. “Happy now?”

Harlan shook his head. “No. But now everything is right with the universe.”

*FLASH*

“Oh, I love surprises.” Rosie closed her eyes hardly able to contain her excitement. She waited for a few seconds and then felt something. It was something soft and on her face. Actually on her lips. Actually Bova was kissing her!

*FLASH*

Elmira sighed. “Why don’t I ever have any good news for Radu?”

*FLASH*

Radu sighed. “Why don’t you ever have any good news for me?”

*FLASH*

Goddard sighed. “Why doesn’t Elmira ever have any good news for us?”

*FLASH*

“A future we have both foreseen has vanished with a tiny gleam, me for you and you and for me is how we shall eternally be…”

*FLASH*

“Oh, that’s easy for you to say!” Suzee snapped at Rosie. “You aren’t stuck an entire dimension from home, now are you? You don’t have to stay in a ship full of delinquents when you’re an engineering genius! Not everything is like a fairy tale, Rosie! Not everything works out just the way you want it to every time you want it to and the sooner you learn that, the sooner you can lose that stupid optimistic attitude you have and focus on the real world! Not everything has simple answers! I can’t just turn around and say, ‘Oh, great creator, why don’t you just switch me and Cat back right now,’ and then it would happen. I can’t just go up to Thelma and say, ‘Hey, Thelma, can you create an interdimensional rift between us and Yensid so that Cat and I can switch back into the right dimensions?’”

“Yes.”

*FLASH*

“Jalan called me, Radu,” she cried. “H-he f-found an heir.” Lokaia met his eyes with tear-stained ones. “He found an heir, Radu. I-I’m getting married!” And with that, she ran sobbing out of the mess hall.

*FLASH*

“Commander?”

“Yeah?”

Lokaia bit her lip. “Um… well, a while back you asked me if anyone in the crew was being attacked, could I help them without breaking Elvian law.”

Goddard nodded. “I remember.”

“W-well,” she continued looking at her feet. “The a-answer is ‘no.’ I-I couldn’t help you without breaking my people’s laws.”

Their faces fell. “Oh,” Davenport said quietly.

“But, um…” Lokaia met their eyes. “My answer is ‘yes.’ I’ll do it anyway.”

*FLASH*

Bova’s eyes narrowed. “Thelma, is it possible that Lokaia could actually be a very advanced form of strawberry yogurt?”

“Yes, that is possible as well.”

*FLASH*

“Did I really just do that?” Lokaia whispered.

“Yes,” Radu whispered back.

“Did I just win that?”

“Yes.”

She paused for a moment and, still looking at the viewscreen, muttered, “Did you say you wanted to marry me?”

Radu blushed, and licked his lips nervously. He turned Lokaia to face him and looked into her eyes. “Yes,” he whispered to her.

*FLASH*

“Then by the power vested in me by the starship Christa, I pronounce you man and wife.”

*FLASH*

Cat sighed. “’Actual size,’” she muttered.

*FLASH*

“Yeah, sure you were, genious.”

“No need to be annoying, incompetent.”

*FLASH*

"By the power vested in me by the starship Christa, I pronounce you man and wife."

*FLASH*

“Oh, Bova, I want my parents to meet you, too, so let’s call ours together!”

Bova shrugged. “I don’t know, Rosie,” he began. “My parents and yours? Meeting? Talking…?”

*FLASH*

“I’m not sick. I’m pregnant.”

*FLASH*

Rosie smiled and examined the monitor. "I think it's a girl."

*FLASH*

That is the way I feel about you…. Did that mean… Surely it didn’t… Suzee turned slowly to face Cheiron’s smiling face, who had called back immediately. “Has it clicked yet?” Cheiron inquired.

*FLASH*

“No, Seth, I think you should stay so that you can experience every. Single. Contraction. With me.”

*FLASH*

“A boy,” Seth mused, stroking the baby’s soft brown hair and looking into his green eyes. “I have a son.”

*FLASH*

“You’re my son,” Seth told him. “And I’m never letting you go.”

*FLASH*

The priest moved on to Harlan, moving in confidentially. “And who are you, my Lord? I do not recognize you in your disguise.” Harlan smiled, enjoying this decision. “I am Phoebus Apollo,” he answered quietly. “God of the Sun.” The priest nodded and turned to the crowd at once. “The God, Phoebus Apollo, who has taken the form of a slave to remind us that what seems worthless can be very precious indeed!”

*FLASH*

The android smiled brightly at Bova and Rosie. “By the authority vested in me as the King of Thieves, I now pronounce you freak and radish. You may goose the tide.” She jerked and a spark shot from her head. “Miss the gride.” Spark. “Kiss the bride.”

*FLASH*

Bova shrugged. “I guess it couldn’t pick a worst fear.”

*FLASH*

“Mine!” Cat cried, without thinking. “It’s my sonogram! I’m pregnant!”

There was silence in the room following that and suddenly a dull thump as Harlan fainted.

“Baby!” Seamus cried loudly.

*FLASH*

Seamus’ expression became confusion. “Baby?”

“Uh-huh.”

Seamus stood up suddenly and bent over Cat, opening her mouth and peering inside. After a moment he sat back down and shook his head. “No baby.”

Seth and Harlan burst into laughter as Cat put her hands on Seamus’ shoulders and said, “Okay, you’re going to have to trust me on this one, kid.”

*FLASH*

“May the Divine light your way.”

*FLASH*

Harlan kissed her cheek. “You’ll be great. If anyone could make pregnancy easy, it’s you.”

“And if I don’t make it easy?”

“Then my pity for the female race grows.” Harlan ducked as his wife swung at him.

*FLASH*

“Gwamma Arrie.” Seamus’ voice was barely a whisper when he beckoned for his grandmother to lean towards the microphone so he could speak quietly. “I like you better than Grandmother.”

Ariadne nodded. “Of course you do, dear.”

*FLASH*

“We are approximately nine years, seven months, and fifteen days away from the Sol System.”

*FLASH*

The crew glanced around at each other, Seamus’ statement still hanging in the air: “Christa is home.”

Slowly, Seth smiled, hugging the boy in his lap. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess you’re right, Shay. The Christa is our home.”

TJ smiled and took Seth’s hand in hers, kissing Seamus’ head. “This is home.”

Rosie grinned brightly, squeezing Bova’s hand. “Home.” Bova smiled.

“Home,” Harlan said, running a hand over Cat’s belly as she grinned.

Radu slipped his hand into Lokaia’s, squeezing gently. “Home.”

Seamus watched them all, confused. “Christa is home?”

Seth turned his attention back to his son. “Yeah, Shay. Christa is home. Any more questions?”

“I have one,” TJ said, pulling Seamus into her arms. She met his little face with a frown. “I heard you say it before, so don’t you dare deny it, Seamus Aiden Davenport Goddard--Call. Me. Mum.”

Seamus opened his mouth to protest before his mother turned a total-warface-frown on him. The little boy gulped nervously. “’Kay, Mummy.”

Seth grinned, tousling Seamus’ hair. “Oh, yeah. Now it feels like home.”