Gradually, the fleet admiral eased himself to sit down in the chair behind his desk after ordering the replicator to make him a mug of tea. Leaning across his desk he picked up the warm beverage and was about to to take a sip when the door chime to his office went off. “Come.” He croaked. 

The doors parted open allowing for his two visitors to enter. Each and everyone brought a smile to his face. Even after all of these years, the countless number of missions they had shared, their presence was one he never got tired of. Standing back up, he knew instantly why they were all there.

“Max, Alf,” Fleet Admiral James Preston McCallister said softly, “tell me it’s all over.”

Vice Admiral Maxwell Duncan just nodded to his superior. “It’s done, sir.”

Sighing heavily, McCallister had waited for this moment for over two decades. Walking around he approached his son and the two hugged briefly. “Thank goodness.” McCallister said.

“That’s not the only good news we have dad.” Commander Alfie McCallister-Reyas said after his embrace. “At the end we picked up someone you may want to go and see.”

Looking a bit startled, the aged admiral glanced between his son and his former first officer. “Are you telling me…did it actually happen?” He said with surprise.

Alfie just nodded. “She’s waiting for you on Bravo.”

“Then my dear son, you are dismissed and you now have a life to get on with, as I ordered you to do so over twenty years ago.” McCallister said with a smirk that he had not expressed in years. Turning to his old friend, the admiral asked him if he would journey with him to Starbase Bravo one last time.

Agreeing to the request, the three men left the office.

Hours later, McCallister greeted the one person he had missed for ages. There standing waiting for him in the middle of Starbase Bravo’s sickbay was the woman he had never given up waiting for. Instantly they moved across the room and embraced one another into a tight hug, followed by what seemed like a never-ending kiss. Keeping close to one another, their embrace turned into a slow dance.

Duncan looked on, smiled and finally knew that their mission was over.

It had been a long, long time coming. 

Tapping his combadge, he called up his husband and knew he could return to the life he once knew. 

He hoped the same would be said for James and Karyn now.