A/N: Well folks, this is the last stop this train makes. Everyone wave goodbye to our friends on the Enterprise. I wrote most of this chapter listening to "Times Like These" by Foo Fighters, so I couldn't be too sad. Seriously, thanks to everyone that reviewed and added this story to favorites. Special thanks to OceanFae and bringmetheangie for your constant support and humor through this draining process. You all have been merciful and patient to make it this far. I hope I made most of you happy by finally giving the Doc a name and spelling 'captain' correctly for the last few chapters…lol. Cheers and thanks again!

Chapter 25- The Last Hurrah

Not even corpses rested as well as I did. I quickly peeled off my soiled uniform and showered when I returned to my quarters. I could barely stand long enough for the hot water to rinse away the blood that had stained my skin. I watched it all swirl pink down the drain until the water ran clear. Then I ran a towel over my flesh just long enough for it to count before falling into bed. When I regained consciousness, it was some 17 hours after I had left the sick bay.

I turned to face the ceiling and it began to sink in that in less than a day's time, I would be back on Earth. Would I even be able to recognize it as my former home? How much had changed in the last 250 years? I sat up and looked out at the blackness illuminated by pinpricks of light. Before, those lights seemed abstract and were only thought of as random balls of burning gas that had no real purpose. Now I knew that at least some of them were circled by planets that contained other life forms beyond a doubt. What before seemed so isolating when I first arrived now seemed a vast expanse of opportunity. I soaked it in, not knowing if it was to be the last time I would ever be in space. The truth was, I suspected I would be left behind on Earth. Why would Jim keep me onboard when I wasn't part of his crew? As Spock would say, it was only logical.

I was filled with overwhelming sadness. In the short time that I had been on the Enterprise, I had come to respect the crew for their loyal dedication and consummate professionalism. But more than that, I considered them my friends. I had nothing on Earth, I knew no one. Even people who carried segments of my DNA as family members would likely not know anything about me. People's memories just did not run that long. What would I say to them anyway? Even in an age where the existence of other species of beings were common knowledge, how well would an explanation of an accidental temporal rift go over? While alien abduction may have seemed rational to them, time travel probably wouldn't.

As confused as I was, I was sure that the other humans in the sick bay were really scratching their heads. I didn't know what their experience or extent of knowledge about their circumstances were, but I was never going to find out laying in bed and feeling sorry for myself. I recycled my uniform and made a new one using the replicator before heading down to deck 5.

I was surprised to see many of them awake. But then again, I remembered how I lost my sense of time too. I sat in the middle of the room and got to know them. In listening to their stories, two things became clear: we were all taken from the hospital and being transported was a very odd and distasteful feeling. The two men resembled each other because they were brothers who had come to visit their mother. The redhead Jim was flirting with worked in the mail room and had been delivering packages to Debbie. The third woman was an office administrator who had brought paperwork for one of my colleagues to sign. It would seem Saren was busy. I assumed the others who did not make it were from the hospital as well, but I didn't ask.

They peppered me with questions and I answered them to the best of my ability. I told them about each of the crew members and how Spock was an alien, but a good one despite his mannerisms that sometimes unwittingly unnerved humans. I told them what I knew about the Romulans and relayed my experience with the Klingons. I told them we were going back to Earth and would arrive soon, but not to expect it as they had left it. The time differential proved to be just as difficult for them to handle as it was for me. At least they had each other, I thought I was alone until the day before. It seemed that they knew of their destiny on Romulus and were largely held grouped together in a cage. Occasionally they were blasted with water, but only once did they witness overt violence when the younger brother had almost successfully picked the lock to the cage and he was viciously beaten for his efforts.

I laughed when almost all expressed trepidation regarding McCoy. "Just do what he tells you and you will be fine." I advised. "And whatever you do, don't argue with him. He can be a little vindictive at times. Believe me, you do not want to feel his wrath."

I spent the entire day on deck 5. McCoy eventually showed up around 2:00pm looking somewhat better. He made the rounds and seemed sufficiently satisfied with the progress of his charges judging by his unintelligible grunts. At 4:30pm, Spock came down to consult with McCoy regarding the fitness of the former captives. Between them they decided to transfer them to a Starfleet medical facility for further observation upon arrival, which Spock informed us would be within two hours. My heart sank, but I kept a brave face. At 6:45pm we disembarked into the glittering mass of lights that I was told was San Francisco. It felt strange to have my feet on solid ground again, I seemed slightly weighed down and movements appeared to require more effort.

I stood alone by a small reflection pool and watched a steady stream of red, yellow, and blue uniforms steam off the ship and pack into shuttles that would ferry them to the city proper. They all seemed so jubilant and who could blame them? The last three weeks had been intense and they were lucky to be alive. They deserved the time off and I wondered where they would all go. Some probably had family or friends to see. Some might go out on a long bender at local bars. A few might even travel to far flung places to relax. At any rate, all of them probably had ways and means, which I did not. I had never felt so alone.

"A little shallow for a swim." Jim said walking up behind me with Spock a few steps behind.

I looked up in time to see Scotty run down the deck and tackle Sulu, the two of them laughing like maniacs while they rolled on the ground. Uhura and Chekov chased them and pummeled them with their soft sided standard issue bags. Spock also took in the spectacle but obviously didn't find it nearly as amusing as they did. Jim traced his First Officer's line of vision and scolded, "Aw, let them go, Spock. They are off duty. They have earned it for Christ sake." He looked to Jim and then settled on me with no amount of pleasure.

"Well," Jim said to me, "what did you think? Pretty exciting stuff, 'eh?" He crossed his arms and smirked. "Ready to join Starfleet and be part of the crew?"

It was all I could do not to punch him or run away crying. Was he purposely trying to be a heartless ass or did it come naturally? "Yeah, good times." I choked out. "Now if you can just tell me where I am supposed to go from here…"

His eyes faltered and his voice took on the same tone it did when I first met him. "Right," he sighed, "you know that we can't send you or the others back." I didn't understand what he meant at all. "I mean, Starfleet is looking into temporal mechanics, but it is in the early stages and far too dangerous to attempt. I think it is something we will eventually have, but probably not for awhile."

I laughed and it caught him by surprise. "Back? Jim there is no going back for me! How can I be expected to just forget everything I have seen and done? How can I regress to a time when we thought we were utterly alone in the universe? How can I look up at the sky and live with the knowledge that we are absolutely not? It was painful at first, but growth often hurts. I don't regret what happened. I would have never met you or your crew and I would never have seen individuals like Spock, the Klingons, or even the damn Romulans! There is no way but forward from here. It is like a virtual Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy out there and I consider myself lucky to have seen it, no matter how it happened." I said gesturing to the night sky.

"I was unaware the humans had a manual on galactic travel." Spock deadpanned.

Jim laughed and told him, "It wasn't a real guide, Spock. It was a book, a fictional story written by a drunk Englishman."

"It was perhaps the finest work in English literature of the entire 20th century." I defended with mock indignity, "At the very least an entertaining cult classic."

"Ok," Jim chuckled, "so I get it, you wouldn't go back if you could. What would you say if I offered you your old job on the next mission?"

Spock turned sharply toward him as though he had committed heresy. "Captain, doing so would cause the Admiral to become even more displeased with you. Her assignment was to be temporary."

"Do you think she is ill suited for the job?" Jim asked.

"On the contrary. I received nothing but exemplary commendation from Dr. McCoy during her tenure, but you are aware of the regulations prohibiting a civilian from taking a commissioned post." Spock protested in his neutral tone.

"Yeah, but I have a plan." He said as his blue eyes twinkled. I had been around him long enough to know that this probably wasn't going to be entirely on the up and up.

"As you wish, Captain" Spock sighed. He knew it too. "Dr. Collins," he said reaching in his bag and pulling out the Rubik's cube. "I have solved your puzzle. It was a most interesting challenge."

"Ha!" Jim exclaimed. "It didn't seem so fun when you spent days pacing your station and swearing in Vulcan!"

"I assure you, I was not cursing." Spock refuted.

"Whatever," Jim dismissed, "you weren't exactly singing either. Whatever you were or were not doing, it certainly was not in English."

While they were arguing, I took the opportunity to scramble the cube and hand it back to Spock. "It is a gift that keeps giving." I said with a smile.

He stared at it with an intensity that reeked of hatred or perhaps dread. He placed it back in his bag and quietly said, "I will wait by the shuttles."

After he turned to go Jim emphatically said, "He was swearing. No one does math with that kind of tone." He turned to see Spock waving him off dismissively. "His hearing is pretty good." He explained. "So, what do you say? Ready for your next mission?"

"How are you going to make this legit?" I asked suspiciously.

He scratched the back of his neck and admitted, "I don't know. Maybe I can marry you off to Chekov or something. Then you would have a legit reason to be onboard." He smiled wickedly.

"Wait," I said laughing, "isn't Chekov 17 or something? Wouldn't that be statutory rape? If that is your grand plan, no thanks!"

He laughed with me and replied, "Alright, Bones then. Pick your poison. Let me figure out how I will get it past Starfleet. If you want to join us, I would love to have you. If nothing else you keep Bones somewhat reasonable and that alone is worthwhile."

I looked up at the night sky just as I did when I was a girl. "I think it is where I always wanted to be." I admitted.

The End!!