Here it is! The Final chapter! See larger A/N below

Chapter Twenty: Begin Each Day Like It Was on Purpose

Ever so slowly the bright transporter room onboard the 23rd century starship USS Enterprise dissolved and the green lawn of Bristol University's Royal Fort House began to take shape, the sloping ground and mirrored maze looking just as they had two centuries before. The tan stonework of the mid-eighteenth century mansion stood tall and strong behind the women as white, fluffy clouds passed by above, unmovable in time. The sun was just setting behind the nearby hills, the area casted in a golden hue, reflecting off the mirrors occupying one side of the garden. Although it was beautiful sight to behold, Charlie could feel a sob of hysterics beginning to rise. In truth, she had no desire to leave the Enterprise, but after what occurred between her and Jim, she felt as if she was given no choice.

Just as she was about to take a breath and calm her breaking heart, the land around her dissolved again and the transporter room re-emerged through the mists of travel. Charlie blinked, unable to comprehend how she was back on the Enterprise after seeing Bristol laid out before her feet. Behind her, Kate and Philippa gave cries of dismay, also surprised to find themselves back on the starship. Charlie glanced around at the astonished faces of those expecting to see them gone.

"What the hell happened, Mr. Scott?" McCoy barked, coming to stand next to the engineer, his eye wide in disbelief.

"I don't know!" the man cried, fiddling with the controls. "They appeared ta make it through, but there wasna enough energy to complete the transport."

"The portal is closing," Spock announced, his face impassive as he read from the PADD in his hand. "We have only 2.3 minutes before it is lost."

Scotty's sympathetic gaze jumped to the women's, his green eyes telling Charlie everything she needed before he opened his mouth. "I'm sorry. I canna get all three of ya through. There just isna the energy for it. I don't know if the calculation is wrong, or if the transport just canna handle it."

Charlie heard Philippa and Kate give great cries of despair, their chance at going home cruelly ripped from their grasps just as they tasted freedom. She knew what she had to do, fate giving her the opportunity she thought she had lost forever.

Turning around, she grabbed each in deep bear hug, the tears she was holding back for Jim she know held for her friends. Releasing both, she ran off the transporter pad before either of them knew what was happening.

"Send them now, Scotty," she ordered, spinning around once she landed next to McCoy.

"Charlie, what are you doing?" McCoy barked.

"Now, Mister Scott!" she shouted ignoring him.

"Charlie, no!" Kate called, moving to run off the pad as well.

"Stop Kate!" the authority in Charlie's voice startling the redhead, stunning her in place. "You need to go back, to go home. You don't belong here, but I'm beginning to think maybe I do."

"You're supposed to come with us," Philippa cried. "You promised to get us home! All of us!"

"And I am, Philly. I'm just going to be a little late."

"We have less than forty-four seconds before the portal closes," Spock added. "We might want to send Miss Aldridge and Miss Turner on their way."

"Right-o you are Mister Spock!" Scotty acknowledged his fingers flying across the transporter panel as the lights began to circle around the two on the pad again.

"The future isn't always what it seems," Charlie said as her friends began to disappear before her eyes. "I love you both. Know I will always be with you."

Neither woman could say anything, but Kate gave the briefest of smiles before she was gone entirely.

"I need more energy diverted to the transporter!" Scotty called, his hands flying across the panel. An 'aye, sir!' was heard somewhere behind and Charlie watched with wide eyes as the transporter fluctuated before the white lights disappeared entirely and the light that had sprung up on the floor died away. Scotty sat back with a loud sigh, his arms dropping to the sides as his head fell back and his eyes closed.

"Are-are they through?" Charlie asked hesitantly.

"Oh aye," he groaned, sitting up and rubbing his tired eyes. "I'm sorry I couldna send you through as well, lass," he apologized, his sympathetic stare turning to Charlie's. "I donna know what happened. Ya appeared ta make it, but at the last moment the transporter brought ya back."

"It is strange," Spock agreed, coming to join the trio of Charlie, McCoy and Scotty. "I reevaluated the calculation, and it was correct for the three of you to be sent through the portal back to your time."

"Well apparently the transporter had other ideas," Charlie mused. She took a breath, the tension, anxiety, and heartache leaving with the air from her lungs. Yes, she was shocked to have stood in Bristol in 2013 moments before standing on the transporter pad of the Enterprise two hundred years later. She never dreamed that she would end up staying in the 23rd century, and now that she had no choice but to remain, she felt such a sense of liberation, she could have flown herself.

"It's alright," she said with a smile. "Maybe I just wasn't supposed to leave."

"Well you have no more choice, I'm afraid," Spock said. "The portal has closed and the last of New Red Matter was used to send Miss Aldridge and Miss Turner back."

"Guess it looks like we're stuck with you now," McCoy added gruffly, although a smile was playing at his lips.

"Looks like it," she responded. "Mister Scott, please inform the Bridge that the transport was successful."

"Aye," he nodded, although his confusion shown plainly.

"Shouldn't we let Jim know you're still here?" McCoy asked.

With a smirk, Charlie glanced up into the doctor's concerned gaze with a mischievous one of her own. "Not yet. I think our dear Captain could use a bit of a surprise."

"This is gonna be one hell of a surprise," he muttered as Charlie exited the transporter room toward her quarters.

She couldn't believe after everything that had happened, all of her anxiety at leaving and dreading the act that she was remaining in the 23rd century. A part of her was sad that she would never see her family or her friends again, and a small jolt of fear laced through her heart at starting a completely new life, but all of it was swallowed the resounding joy that she was where she knew she needed to be. She fit into the 23rd century in a way that she never did in the 21st, and while she was trying to do the right thing by returning to her own time, fate appeared to have other ideas for the American.

A lightness entered into the woman's steps, her smile wide across her lips as she practically skipped down the hallways toward her quarters. Hopefully, the makeup and other items she had been using while onboard were still there. She wanted to freshen and make herself up, not having the willpower that morning. Then she would go and find Jim, giving him the biggest (and hopefully best) surprise he could ask for. While she was aware there were things they needed to resolve, especially the last big fight between the two, she knew the fact that she stayed would heavily influence Jim's forgiveness of her actions.

Her thumbnail stuck between her teeth as she considered how best to surprise the Captain of the Enterprise, Charlie absently entered her quarters. Glancing up, Charlie paused mid-step, her amber gaze widening in surprise as she noticed the man standing in the middle of the main room, his back to her. His blonde head was moving back and forth as if taking in the scenery of an empty accommodation.

As the doors swished shut behind her, Charlie could only stare open mouthed, unsure how to continue since the very man who she was planning to surprise had surprised her instead.

"Please, Spock," Jim said, a pain unlike anything she had ever heard before lacing each word. "I know I'm supposed to be on the Bridge, but just give me a moment. Maybe you're Vulcan logic can figure out why later."

"Well I don't know about you," Charlie said, Jim spinning around at the sound of her voice. "But these appear to be my quarters so if you plan on making yourself at home you might want to take a seat."

His mouth opened in shock, Jim choked out, "Charlie?" unable to comprehend she was standing in front of him.

"In the flesh," she smiled.

"You . . . you came back," he whispered.

"I couldn't leave."

"You couldn't . . ." he trailed off.

"I found myself somewhere I - I never thought I'd be," she said, trying to ease the tension that spiked the minute Jim turned.

"Where was that?"

Trying to hold back the surge of emotion that rose up within her, she said, "wishing I was back on the Enterprise. I could still feel your breath on my skin," she began walking closer to him, drawn again as a moth. "I could still hear your voice calling for me, begging me to stay. God, how do I explain this when I don't know what to say? It's like nothing I've ever known."

"You don't need to," he whispered as she came to stand in front of him, close enough that their breath mixed in the space between them, but neither tried to touch each other.

"I couldn't stand the distance that would be between us," she confessed. "I can't dream alone anymore. I guess you could say I followed a star and it led me back to you. Jim, I'll always return to you."

"You told me you don't belong here, that your life was back there. That was the life you chose."

"You don't choose life; you live it, and I'm going to live it here. With you. I love you, Jim Kirk. I think I always have."

Without a second through, Jim wrapped his arms around the young woman's frame, his woman and brought his lips down to hers in a forceful and powerful kiss that seared the pair by the heat of the exchange they knew they were now fused together for eternity. Her arms reached up and wrapped around his neck, pulling him even closer, their bodies trying to fuse together by the heat of their exchange. Neither Jim nor Charlie knew how long time had passed; it could have been a minute or it could have been an hour before they broke apart, only the desperate need for air interrupting their reunion.

"I love you, Charlotte Noland," Jim whispered. "No matter where you are, I will always love you. But I wouldn't mind you sticking around for a while."

Charlie laughed, pulling him back for a quick kiss before muttering, "Trust me, Charming. It's going to take a lot more than time travel to get rid of me."

Jim grinned, feeling a lightness and excitement like he had never felt before. Bringing the woman he loves lips back to his, Jim made sure to let her know just how much he didn't want her to leave. Somehow, this 23rd century womanizing, maverick Captain was brought to heel by the least likely of all people. He knew wherever she was, he was home, and he couldn't wait to see what adventures laid ahead with her by his side. One heart, one way.

Hello! I can't believe this is done! Can you believe it?

Okay, so first an apology. I had every intention of getting this out to you all the minute I got back stateside last week. However, on my wonderful trip around Europe, my boyfriend decided to upset the status quo. That's right! On September 19 at Stirling Castle in Scotland he proposed! I was so shocked and excited, and then coming home we had so much to handle before he flew back to Florida. Therefore, my dear readers I am terribly sorry this is late and you can blame my fiance entirely :P

So, I am already thinking of squeal ideas if you all are interested? I was going to ask earlier but I didn't want to give too much away. So let me know what you think, and maybe ideas you have yourself.

Now, I bid you all ado for the time being. I have a wedding to plan!