I apologize for my absence. My computer got malware on it and I haven't add access to another one to use for Fanfiction, as my fanfiction world is a secret…tehe. I finally am able to use someone else's computer.

Anyhoo, here is the epilogue that completes the story. Kirk might be a little OOC in this chapter, but I hope it fits enough and doesn't turn you away. Enjoy, and thank you so much for those who have read, followed, and reviewed. Love to you all!

Side note…in case you were wondering, the 'Mina' in this chapter is Sulu and Ginger's daughter, who would be about two in this chapter. It's not very clear when Kirk mentions her, so I just wanted to throw that out there.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek

Kirk found it funny that he always seemed to think so much when he first woke up. It was a time of reflection for him, a time where he could think about fixing problems or when he could smile at memories. This was one of those times he couldn't wipe a smile off of his face.

Looking down, his heart constricted wonderfully at how beautiful his wife was. She lay against his bare chest, one of hands curled into a fist beneath her ear, her other arm draped across his torso. The red waves he loved so much fell down her back, looking disarrayed, but still soft to touch. She was a little small, but it made him feel like a protector while holding her, so he didn't mind.

He still couldn't believe they were married. First, they had stopped on a very populated planet for resupply, where Kirk got Ginger's help finding a ring. He had proposed that night. Thankfully (it saved him a ton of embarrassment) Cordelia had said yes.

Second, they'd come across a solid planet. Upon landing, they found a small, completely forested planet with jet black dirt, just as black trees, white sanded beaches, turquoise waters, and a pink toned sky. The whole thing had been so ridiculous that Kirk demanded they get married then and there, rather than wait the three more years before they would get home.

"My parents would have a fit!" Cordelia had argued (she was part of the exploration party—as if Kirk would leave her behind). "We can't get married here."

"Frederick can walk you down the aisle," Kirk had grinned. "Spock can officiate, little Mina can be the flower girl...it'll be simple, but special to us. Look at this ocean, look at these skies! It's bizarre, it's spontaneous, and it's beautiful! We can have a ceremony when we get back home to satisfy your mother."

Cordelia bit her lip. "You really want to marry me this evening?"

"More than anything," he said as sincerely as he could manage. With his thumb, he smoothed the wrinkled expression from her forehead and then leaned in to kiss her. "I don't want to wait three years. I love you, and I want to truly be with you. Right now."

"Okay," Cordelia said slowly. She began to smile and threw her arms around him in a passionate kiss. "I love you too. We'll get married. Today."

It felt like millions of days had passed (in what was really only about three hours) before Kirk was standing at a makeshift altar. He watched with a warm feeling in his bones as Cordelia walked down the beach in a white, floor length sundress on her brother's arm. The aisle was created by the space between the entire crew of the Enterprise, who loved their Captain and cherished Nurse Cordelia.

"Hey," she said when she met him at the front.

"Hey," he grinned at her. "You look beautiful."

"And you are unbelievably handsome," she smoothed down the collar of his official StarFleet uniform. "You look spectacular in grey."

He chuckled. "Spock?"

Spock straightened his spine. "We gather on this beach this evening to honor Captain James Tiberius Kirk and Nurse Cordelia Jennings in a union of..."

After the ceremony, they had returned to the Enterprise to discover Uhura and Ginger made the dining hall into a reception room. Cordelia had of course squealed and jumped at her friends in delighted surprise. Kirk then danced for the first time with Cordelia as his wife.

Wife.

Wife.

The word sent a warm hum down Kirk's back. For twenty four hours he had been getting romantic, fuzzy feelings at the word, or any time he looked at Cordelia. He'd finally realized who the right girl for him was. She wasn't overly spunky and sassy. She wasn't curvy and blonde, with blue eyes the same shade as him. She wasn't just as flighty as he was in bed. She was definitely nothing like his mother.

Cordelia was quiet and loving. She was small, with deep, copper colored curls and green eyes. She was sincere and emotional, and only looked for committed relationships. She wasn't perfect, but she was perfect for him.

"What are you looking at?" Cordelia murmured from her spot on his chest. She stretched like a cat. "You've been staring at me for five minutes."

Kirk shrugged. He couldn't find the words. Cordelia leaned a hand up and brushed something from his cheek. "James, why are you crying? Has something happened?"

"No," he whispered. He hadn't realized tears were in his eyes because he could see her so clearly. "I waited my whole life for you, for someone who understood me so completely and loved me anyways. I waited to find that woman who could make me realize all I wanted was to be a part of something special. Look at me now. I'm captain of the best ship in the fleet, and I'm married to the best woman in the world. Cordelia...I can't find the words to tell you how much I love you. I just..."

"Come here," Cordelia whispered. They wrapped themselves around each other in an intimate embrace. He held her close, stroking her hair and pressing gentle kisses to her temple and cheek.

"I love you," he whispered. "And I will never stop loving you."

"Good," she replied. "Because I won't let you."

James pressed a button beside the bed, and a screen pulled back to give them a view of space, the endless amount of stars right before their eyes. They laid together then, not needing words as they looked out the large window and took in space, where their adventures and life lay ahead.

"What are you thinking about?" Kirk whispered to her after a while.

She turned and looked up at him. "How I've always wondered what home meant to me, what it meant to you, and how now I get it. Home isn't about where you are, it's about who you have with you. Here, with you, I'm home."

Kirk felt himself grin widely. He kissed her. Home had nothing to do with the Enterprise, or earth, or space. It was all about each other.

"That's right," he whispered. "We've found our home."