Epilogue

The rest of the week flew by faster than anyone was really prepared for. Preparations were made, food was cooked, outfits were fitted and refitted, and decorations were put up. On the day of the wedding, everything was in place and ready to go.

"Dammit Jim stay still!"

Everything but the groom, that is.

George and McCoy were wrestling with a pacing Kirk as they desperately tried to get him ready for his wedding. His hair was half gelled, half dry, and stuck out at awkward angles. The black bow tie that should have sat perfectly under his collar was cocked to the side and loose. His cummerbund trailed behind him like a tail as he never had the chance to properly fasten it around his waist.

George rushed in front of Kirk and blocked his path while McCoy held him by his shoulders from behind to keep him from turning back around. Kirk was finally rendered motionless, and once he was, the fright in his eyes shined brightly.

Wheezing, Kirk said, "I can't do this! Getting married in front of an entire Vulcan colony was nerve wracking enough! But getting married in front of the whole of Starfleet including my entire family and my old friends?!? I can't do this!"

When news hit Earth that Kirk and Spock were getting married, news spread faster than wildfire. Everyone in Starfleet that had known either Kirk or Spock made plans to be there; every Kirk in existence crawled from every nook and cranny to see "little Jimmy Kirk" get married (which no one ever expected would happen). Even more surprised were his friends from over the years who lined up in droves to see Kirk say his "I do"s. People he had only briefly met and interacted with had sent in their RSVP as well to see the event of epic proportions take place.

"Breathe Jimmy, breathe!" George said, grabbing his younger brother's arms and giving him a shake. "Last thing we need is you passing out over this! You took out Nero with not a day of real experience under your belt! You ran from rabid monsters on Delta Vega! Hell, you've already been through one marriage ceremony in front of a bunch of pointy-eared strangers, no offense to your husband! This is nothing!"

"Nothing?!?" Kirk laughed nervously. "This is everything! Celebrities have had smaller weddings than this one! Have you looked at some of the people out there right now? There are aliens from other worlds I've never even been to out there waiting for me to say 'I do'!"

"Jim, I got a bag full of hypos with your name on them!" McCoy threatened. "If you don't calm down and I mean right now, every single one of them is getting jabbed in your neck!"

Kirk cringed, but clamped his mouth shut. Regardless of the fact that he was about to walk down the aisle before an expansive audience for the second time, he knew that a hypo threat from McCoy was valid and should be taken seriously.

"Listen little bro," George said in a soothing voice as he gelled down his brother's hair, "it's going to be okay. Just pretend like no one is there, breathe deeply, and focus on Spock and Spock alone. If you do that the ceremony will end before you know it and you'll be heading to the reception."

"But…"

"…no buts," George cut him off. "You're a Kirk; act like one."

Kirk took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, you're right. I'll be fine. This will go off without a hitch and then Spock and I can go to Montana for our honeymoon. We'll have a nice long two week honeymoon in a cabin in the woods with no one else to bother us. No ambassadors, no red alerts, no crew members, nothing. Just peace and quiet. It'll be perfect."

Kirk stood still long enough for his cummerbund to be fastened and his bow tie to be tightened and centered. His hair had been smoothed down and styled elegantly for the occasion. The only thing that needed to be done was to add a yellow iris to the front pocket of his jacket. Unfortunately for George and McCoy, his apprehension swelled once more without warning and he zipped away with a loud "GAAAH! I CAN'T DO THIS!!!"

Both men rolled their eyes and looked at each other in exasperation. "Has he always been like this?" McCoy asked.

"Since he was little," George answered, shaking his head. "He loves attention, but ironically if there's too much, he freaks."

Crossing his arms, McCoy said, "Seeing him like this now, I'm amazed he was able to go through the award ceremony after the Nero incident. I bet Nyota and Christine aren't having this trouble with Spock…"

Spock stood straight as a rail as Uhura adjusted his bow tie. To his left, Chapel placed a blue Forget-me-not in his breast pocket and arranged it so that it faced outward. As a mirror to Kirk's dark tuxedo, Spock wore a pure white tuxedo that made his dark hair and eyes stand out while complimenting the creamy coloring of his skin. His breathing was smooth and slow, revealing a completely calm exterior.

Uhura knew better though. Being as good a friend to Spock as she had become, she could tell when Spock was holding back his emotions. She saw though his serene façade and saw the trembling, frightened man inside of him. Giving him her most warm, reassuring smile, she said, "Don't be nervous. You'll be fine."

"I assure you I have no idea what you are talking about," Spock said. "And fine is not an adequate description for an emotional state, it can have any of numerous meanings…"

"Hush," Uhura said, cutting the rambling Vulcan off. She smirked at him as his lips clamped shut. Chapel cut an eye at her that wordlessly told her to "be nice". Uhura countered with her own look which said "I am being nice". Spock was too busy focusing on the wall across from him and didn't catch this non-verbal exchange.

After the ceremony on New Vulcan, Spock decided that shutting Kirk out from his mind would be the only way he could get through the ceremony without getting overly nervous. However, as with Kirk, the thought of so many people being in attendance (many of them of high importance) triggered his own feelings of nervousness and what humans referred to as "stage fright".

Being the "bride" in this ceremony meant that his entrance would be the mark of the ceremony's start. The more he thought about it the more illogical fears of tripping in front of everyone or having a part of his attire ridiculously out of place gnawed at him. He wanted to just hide in a corner and meditate away until he could internally match his exterior calmness, but he knew there was no time for it.

A knock came at the door that nearly scared Spock out of his skin. Uhura left Spock's side to answer the door and was greeted with the faces of Sarek and Winona Kirk. Winona was smiling brightly in her form fitting gold dress while Sarek, dressed in a brown formal Vulcan robe, allowed the tiniest of smiles to grace his aged face.

Seeing his father and Winona gave Spock an unexpected sense of relief. Somehow seeing them both soothed him, which was a much wanted feeling at that time. When Winona caught sight of Spock, who was looking like a lost child, she opened her arms wide and walked toward him. Wrapping him gently in a warm embrace she said, "You look absolutely lovely Spock."

Spock returned the hug and buried his face in Winona's shoulder. He needed his mother-in-law more than ever at that moment. She had been very open and accepting of her alien son-in-law and made him feel as though he had always been a part of her family in the small amount of time they had spent together. With the absence of his mother, both she and Uhura were the source of maternal comfort he needed most.

"Thank you Winona," Spock said, his voice betraying the depth of emotion he felt. He straightened up and looked at his father. "Please forgive me Father. I am experiencing a great deal of anxiety regarding the upcoming ceremony. I have tried some of the calming techniques but none seem to be having any affect on me."

"That is normal my son," Sarek said as he walked closer to him. Winona released Spock and stepped aside to allow them to interact. "You have already gone through one marriage ceremony, but it was familiar to you. This is a brand new experience and is on a far grander scale than any Vulcan marriage has ever been. You should permit yourself to feel as you do."

Spock nodded at his father. He fidgeted nervously with his hands, a habit he had picked up from his spouse in the last few weeks. Sarek extended his arms and placed them on his son's shoulders. This physical contact calmed Spock down enough where he stopped wringing his hands together. Smiling slightly more, Sarek said, "All will be well my son. The ceremony will be over before you know it."

Though slight, the worry on Spock's face lessened. He looked at Winona and asked, "How is Jim doing?"

"I haven't seen him just yet," Winona answered, "but knowing him, he's probably a bundle of nerves."

A crash and a howl were heard by all in the room, followed by a muffled cry of "Dammit Jim, you're like a bull in a china shop!" A worried look appeared on the faces of everyone except for Winona, who simply gave a sigh of exasperation.

"Speak of the devil," she said. "I better go check up on him."

Spock's composure crumbled noticeably as it usually did when Kirk was in trouble. "Allow me to go with you," he said with urgency in his voice.

"No, no, you stay here," Winona said. "It's bad luck for the bride to see the groom before the wedding ceremony here on Earth. I promise I'll come back and let you know whether he's okay or not."

"But…"

Winona cut Spock off. "No buts. Jim had to adhere to the ways of your culture for the Vulcan ceremony and you have to do the same for this one."

That shut Spock up, but not without making him look like a kicked puppy. Winona's voice softened, "I'm sure he's alright. When he gets overly nervous he tends to become a little accident prone. I'll go check on him and then come back as soon as I know what happened and how he is, okay?"

Spock sighed. He hated not being able to check up on Kirk when it seemed he was hurt or in trouble, but he was bound to the rules of the Earth wedding ceremony. It would seem ungracious of him to throw that aside for what may be nothing simply because of his own selfishness.

"As you wish," he said. "I will remain here until you return."

Winona gave a reassuring rub of his arm before disappearing from the room. Sarek remained by Spock's side in order to help him keep calm. Spock was tempted to reach out to Kirk and see how he was, but he felt that even that would dishonor his promise to remain distant from him before the ceremony. He hoped with all his heart that Kirk was okay, but he had a bad feeling sitting in his stomach about the howl that was distinctly Kirk's.

When Winona walked into the room her jaw dropped. A table that held a beautiful bouquet of flowers in a white vase was toppled over. The vase was broken, spilling water and flowers all over the floor. Next to the table lay her youngest son with his head in his older brother's lap and his foot being held by Doctor McCoy, who had his medical kit open. His pants leg was rolled down, and both his shoe and sock were removed. The area around his ankle was puffy and pink, meaning her accident prone son had sprained it.

Blinking in bewilderment, she managed to ask, "What happened?"

Sighing in frustration as he pulled out a hypo and a splint, McCoy said, "Your darling son decided to go bonkers and was tromping all around the room! In his infinite grace he managed to collide with this defenseless table and twist his ankle as he fell down with it. Now I gotta give him a pain killer for his ankle as well as an anti-inflammatory and support it so he can get through what will probably a twelve hour day on his feet!"

Her older son looked at her and said, "Jim got a little over excited about the number of people that are going to be present for the wedding. At least when he fell he didn't get his suit wet from the broken vase."

Winona put a hand over her face and walked over to the three men. She kneeled down next to her son and began to stroke his forehead as she usually did when he got like this. As she touched his forehead, she noticed that a thin line of sweat was forming at his hairline. He looked up at her helplessly and said, "I screwed up Mom. I haven't even gotten to the aisle yet and I've already screwed up."

"Shhh, don't worry honey," Winona said calmly. "Doctor McCoy will be able to fix you all up and everything will be fine. You won't even notice that your ankle hurts."

As she said this, McCoy jabbed the pain killing anti-inflammatory hypo directly into Kirk's ankle. Kirk's back arched in pain and his leg shot straight up. McCoy barely dodged the foot that nearly kicked him in his chin. Kirk gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and growled loudly.

"Dammit all to hell Bones, that hurt!" he yelled.

"Don't give me any lip Jim!" McCoy snarled. "It's not my fault you decided to sprain your ankle!"

Kirk was about to spit out a nasty retort but his mother pushed him back down into his brother's lap. One hand on his chest and the other on his forehead, she shushed him again. "You've got to stay calm sweetheart. I know it hurts, but in a few moments you won't feel a thing."

Sure enough, the pain in Kirk's ankle slowly faded away to nothing. When he looked down, the swelling had also decreased too, though it was still somewhat puffy and pink. McCoy secured the splint on his ankle and then replaced the missing sock and shoe.

"There," he said, "all done, you big baby." He looked at Winona and gave her a smile. "We could really use your talents in sick bay aboard the Enterprise. If we had someone like you dedicated to calming our patients down, a lot of the difficulty in treating them will be cut out."

Winona laughed. "I appreciate the compliment, but I'm not made out for the medical field, let alone Starfleet. Besides, if all I hear is correct, you have plenty of talent aboard the Enterprise that you can tap into without bringing an old woman like me up there."

"You'd be surprised," McCoy replied. "And you're not old; far from it."

Kirk glared at his best friend. "Quit flirting with my mom Bones."

McCoy returned the glare. "That's one hell of an accusation coming from the biggest flirt in Starfleet history."

"Yeah, which means I know flirting when I see it!"

"Boys, boys!" Winona said, interrupting their squabble. "This is hardly the time for you two to fight. Jim, you should be thanking Doctor McCoy; if he weren't here we'd have to figure out how to get you through the wedding with a sprained ankle. Doctor McCoy, you better than all of us should know that aggravating your patients is bad practice. Jim's under enough stress as it is and teasing him is only going to make things worse. Now you two quit bickering and finish getting ready, you hear?"

The two men looked down guiltily and said in unison, "Yes ma'am."

George shook his head and smiled at his mother. "Funny how even on Jim's wedding day you have to play the part of mediator."

Shaking her head and returning George's smile, she rose to her feet and dusted off her the front of her dress. "Well, I'm going to let Spock know that you're alright," she said. "Try not to hurt yourself any more before the ceremony sweetie."

Receiving a nod from Kirk, she turned and left the room, leaving the three alone. McCoy rose to his feet and extended a hand to help Kirk to his feet. Carefully and with the help of George, Kirk managed to stand on both feet.

"Now don't go thinking you can go running around like you're not hurt," McCoy warned. "It's only a temporary fix and though you don't feel the pain, your ankle is still busted. If you can help it, stay off your feet and prop it up whenever you can. Normally I wouldn't do this, but since this is your wedding day I'm making an allowance."

"I got ya," Kirk said with a smile. "Thanks Bones."

"You're welcome," McCoy said. "Just try not to lose your cool again or you'll make things worse."

"I know, I know," Kirk said as he ran his hand over his face. "Usually I'd have Spock helping me stay calm but since we can't be in contact before the ceremony I'm having a rough time."

"Well, well," came a familiar voice from outside the door. "I never thought I'd see the day where Jim Kirk is nervous about being the center of attention."

The three heads turned toward the door Winona had just walked through minutes before and were amazed at the sight before them. The formally paralyzed Admiral Pike stood on his own two feet in his best dress uniform. The marks of honor on his chest sparkled magnificently at the shell shocked trio.

McCoy and Kirk instinctively snapped to attention despite their amazement while George simply stared with a slack jaw. Smiling, Pike waved a hand and said, "At ease gentlemen; we're not on duty."

"A-Admiral Pike," McCoy stuttered, "h-how are you…"

Kirk stuttered as well, "Weren't you…"

"How am I walking? Weren't I paralyzed?" The two men nodded. With a laugh, Pike explained, "The medical division has been working vigorously on a way to allow those with paralysis below the waist to walk again. I've been the guinea pig for their experiments and today marks the public test run of their results. I'll be under the watchful eyes of a few key players in the research to see if or when I lose the ability to walk again. I won't bore you three with the full details of it all; all you need to know is that I will literally be walking you down the aisle Jim."

In his shock, Kirk managed to smile. Laughing, he said, "That's amazing!"

Crossing his arms proudly, McCoy said, "Modern medicine always manages to create miracles. Today we're helping the paralyzed walk, tomorrow we'll help the blind see!"

Smirking, Pike said, "One step at a time Leonard. Let's just see how long I can stay on my feet." He returned his attention to Kirk and asked, "So Jim, you ready to tie the knot by Earth standards?"

Relief washed over Kirk, calming his nerves. Dazzling Pike with a smile, Kirk said, "Yes I am."

There were so many people in attendance for Kirk and Spock's wedding that they couldn't use the same amphitheater where Kirk was both tried with cheating the Kobayashi Maru and awarded his captaincy. Instead the wedding was taking place in a special amphitheater reserved for larger events such as these. Normally a wedding of such magnitude would implicate that an admiral was to be wed, but ever the history maker, Kirk was the first Captain to have so many anxious people arriving to see him tie the knot.

The windows outside streamed in early afternoon sunlight which made the decorations shimmer like stars in the sky. In the audience people of all walks of life and creatures from distant worlds chattered anxiously in anticipation of the event. Those related to Kirk in a more personal way readied cameras to capture the momentous occasion. The Starfleet String Orchestra performed to the side of the altar to provide background music in the meantime.

Then all at once, the hall grew silent. At the far west end two parallel lines of Starfleet officers entered the amphitheater. All sets of eyes snapped to the train of men and women in uniform and watched as they marched in unison. They formed two lines, creating an aisle for the wedding procession to walk down, and faced each other.

From the same entrance came Admiral Barnett, donning his cream colored dress uniform instead of his gray Council uniform. He stood in the center of the amphitheater and stared out at the crowd before him. Being used to a mass of people of this size, he showed not an ounce of nervousness or anxiety. This wasn't his first Starfleet wedding and it wouldn't be his last, not for a long while.

Once he was in position, the orchestra began playing Canon, a song traditionally performed at weddings. On cue, the wedding procession made their way down the aisle. At the front of the line was Surok and Winona with Aurelan and T'Maire trailing behind them. Aurelan wore a stunning golden dress that made her look like a Grecian goddess, T'Maire wearing an identical one in blue. Each pairing split and moved to their designated sides of the admiral, leaving adequate space for those to come.

Admiral Pike and Captain Kirk, both positively beaming as they walked, emerged from the entrance into the well-lit amphitheater. If one didn't know any better, they'd think that Pike was the proud father of the young Jim Kirk the way he smiled. Unable to hide their surprise at seeing Pike walking on his own two feet, the audience broke out into excited whispers in various languages.

Smirking, Pike said of the side of his mouth, "Looks like I'm stirring up quite a bit of excitement."

Giving a chuckle, Kirk replied in the same manner, "You might steal the show from me at this rate."

Grinning like a pair of fools, they moved to the right side of Admiral Barnett, who gave them a smile and nod as they moved in to their positions. Pike gave a smile as he stood next to Winona, eliciting a bright blush on her face.

McCoy then walked down the aisle and stood next to Kirk, rolling his eyes at the goofy grin on his face, but still smiling in return. Sam also walked down the aisle and took his place next to McCoy who he was slightly envious over since he had been picked as Best Man.

Dressing in beautiful strapless baby blue dresses that flowed behind them, Chapel and Uhura walked down the aisle, small bouquets of forget-me-nots and lilies in their hands. They took their place to the left of Admiral Barnett and smiled at the men across from them.

When the last pairing of people disappeared from in front of him, Spock looked nervously at his father. "Father," he said, his heart thudding loudly at his side, "I feel as though a million winged insects are attempting to escape my stomach."

Crooking his arm in the way he had been showed prior to the ceremony, he said, "You need not fear. I am by your side. So is your mother."

When he heard his father say this, he felt a presence on his right. He could not see her with his eyes, but he knew that his mother stood next to him, her arm wrapped warmly around his. Outside the orchestra changed the song to the traditional wedding march played when the bride entered. Hooking his arm with his father's, he forced down the lump in his throat and gave a nod. Giving a nod back, Sarek faced outward and began walking out with his son.

Spock was thrown back by the flashes that erupted the moment he and his father stepped into the amphitheater. It seemed that all in attendance wanted to record the event for prosperity. The flashes mercifully distracted Spock from the butterflies in his stomach, which now seemed more violent in their attempt to break free. Beginning to feel his human side to get the better of him, he retreated into his Vulcan shell and blocked out the external stimuli. Though he glided with all the grace of a blushing bride, he was completely calm and composed…

…until he saw Kirk's smiling face at the end of the aisle.

Something about approaching Kirk in such a manner with so many people around them made the blood immediately rush to his face and his caged in emotions break free. The fluttering in his stomach, which had calmed to a gentle fuzziness, erupted into a buzz of activity that brought on a strong wave of nausea. Spock's face turned green, both from sickness and from being flustered. The world around him seems to sway unnaturally with each step.

Sarek sensed the turbulent feelings in his son and placed a warm hand on his arm to steady him. "Be calm Spock," Sarek said.

Spock bit the inside of his lip and gave a stiff nod. From where he stood, Kirk could see the "deer caught in the headlights" look on Spock's face. He laughed as his love approached him at the altar; and he thought he had been a wreck…

Sarek and Spock stood before Admiral Barnett by Kirk's side and the music came to a halt. Spock looked helplessly into Kirk's eyes and said through their link, I am experiencing a great deal of anxiety that I am unable to control.

So am I, Kirk replied, but that's part of the ceremony.

Love flowed from Kirk to Spock through their link and settled the jitteriness that Spock felt. Love and appreciated flowed from Spock to Kirk as they shared a smile before facing Admiral Barnett. Admiral Barnett looked at the two youths, now two years older and more mature than when he last saw them face to face. The one who surprised him most was Kirk, who had matured by leaps and bounds in the time since he became Captain. He swelled with pride as he looked at them and smiled warmly.

"Family members of the two beloved and friends of the Federation, we are all gathered here today to see Captain James Tiberius Kirk and Commander Xtmprszntwlfd S'chn T'gai Spock joined in matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men."

Kirk and Spock exchanged impressed glances as Admiral Barnett's perfect pronunciation of Spock's full name. Surely he spent a great deal of time practicing it, as it was extremely difficult for humans to pronounce.

Barnett continued on without noticing them, "And therefore – is not by any – to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly – but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly. In the years they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured, and these two persons present now come to be joined before you. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together – let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

To both of their relief, there was complete stillness all around them. Taking the stillness as his cue to continue, Barnett asked, "Who supports this couple in their marriage?"

Slowly, one by one, each of their family and friends beside them gave their confirmation of support for the couple, each giving a warm smile as they did.

Barnett spoke, "The love that James and Spock share transcends trivial matters such as gender and species. This is a love that was inscribed in the very stars themselves. It is a pure and true love that will overcome any and all obstacles. Marriage is full of trials and tribulations that if not met with full commitment will end in failure. However it is my belief that these two men, who have faced many a great challenge in their lives, will have a long and happy marriage.

"James and Spock have decided to share their own vows during this ceremony." Barnett turned to Kirk and gave him a nod, signaling him to begin his vows.

Kirk returned the nod and swallowed hard. He was suddenly very nervous as he looked at Spock. The light shining in from the windows gave him a heavenly glow he wished he could see more often. Beautiful moments like this were hard to come by on a starship, so Kirk made sure to drink the moment in as much as he could.

He extended his shaky hands and held on to Spock's, which radiated their usual warmth. The instant their hands met, their feelings flowed back and forth through their connection. Drawing a shaky breath, Kirk began his vows, which he was completely making up on the spot.

"It's funny," he began. "When we first met, we seemed to mix like oil and water. We were thrown into an unfamiliar and scary situation together without knowing what the other was capable of. Despite our rocky start, we got to know each other and learned about each other's culture. We quickly realized that we had far more in common than we originally thought and we fell in love.

Kirk paused, dropping his head down as his throat became tight. He swallowed hard and continued, "Spock, you've made me realize just how empty my life was before I met you. I always felt like there was something I was destined for and someone I was destined to achieve it with, and it brings me joy beyond measure to know that person is you. I wouldn't be the man that I am today if you weren't by my side. You are the first person I have ever truly loved, and I give all of myself to you, heart, body, and soul."

A smile flashed quickly on Spock's face at Kirk's heartfelt words. Even in such a setting where a display of one's true emotions was allowed, even for a Vulcan, he felt a need to maintain himself in front of so many people. He was after all still an ambassador's son, regardless of whether he was getting married or not.

He drew in a large breath before he began his own vows. "Jim, you are the first person with whom I felt I could completely be myself. When I am with you, I do not feel as though I must put on a false façade, for you accept me the way I am. In all my life, that is the only thing I have desired for myself. Though I have found that one thing in someone I had never expected to find it with, I could not have asked for a more loving mate.

"I love you Jim Kirk. I always have and always shall, even after death takes me from this universe. I say this before all in attendance as a testament to feelings I hold in my heart." Spock reached out for Kirk's hand and placed it on his side where his heart was. "Do you feel my heart beating? Each time my heart beats, it beats solely for you."

Kirk breathed a laugh as he felt Spock heart beating against his palm and looked into Spock's eyes. The sun that shined through the windows illuminated his eyes, making the chocolate brown of his pupils dance with sparkles of light. As Spock gazed into his love's shimmering blue eyes, electrified by the sunlight, he saw them well up with tears of happiness.

Admiral Barnett observed this display of love and couldn't help but feel moved himself. Likewise, the entire audience was moved to the point of tears for many. Winona, Chapel, and Uhura dabbed their eyes with their handkerchiefs. To Winona's pleasant surprise, Pike placed a strong arm around her and held her as she wept quietly. Even Bones, who was thought of by many as a cranky old man, found himself sniffling and furiously swiping a rogue tear away from his eye, though if anyone brought it up later he'd firmly deny it.

He turned his head to either side of him and said, "Will the best man and maid of honor please present the rings?"

McCoy pulled Spock's ring out of his breast pocket while Uhura pulled Kirk's ring out from a small draw purse she held in her hand. The two rings were beautifully crafted; Kirk's was gold with a single sapphire embedded into it, Spock's was silver with a yellow diamond. Both Kirk and Spock took the rings in their hands respectively and faced each other.

"Kirk," Barnett said, "place your ring on Spock's finger."

Obediently, Kirk took Spock's hand and slipped the ring on his left ring finger. Holding the hand gently with both of his, he said, "With this ring, I thee wed. I pledge my life to you, for better or for worse, through sickness and in health, until death do us part."

Kirk released Spock's hands and watched as his left hand was raised with Spock's trembling hands. The ring slipped on, a little looser than he'd like at first, but then settled underneath his knuckle perfectly. In a voice that matched his hands, Spock said, "With this ring, I thee wed. From this day forth my life and love is yours alone, for better or for worse, through sickness and in health, until death do we part."

They shared a smile before turning back toward Admiral Barnett. Barnett spoke loudly so all could hear, "By the power vested in me by the Federation, on behalf of Starfleet and the planet Earth, I now pronounce you two married. You may now seal your joining with a kiss."

Kirk grinned. This was the part of the ceremony he had been waiting for. He stepped forward, cupped Spock's face in his hands, and kissed him tenderly, yet tastefully considering his audience. Spock placed his hands softly on Kirk's hips and returned the kiss, enjoying the buzz of love and excitement he felt in his head. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but an enjoyable one.

When the two parted, Barnett placed his hands on the two men's shoulders and said in the same loud voice, "I present to you the newly married couple James and Spock."

The amphitheater erupted in joyous applause and cheers, some in other languages. Cameras flashed and smiles were abound. The ending wedding march played almost inaudibly compared to the noise of those in the audience. Kirk and Spock rather sheepishly waved their thank yous and lead the wedding procession out of the hall down the aisle.

Once out of the amphitheater, Kirk said, "Jesus that was insane! My heart's pounding!"

"As is mine," Spock said, "but at least now we are officially married by both Vulcan and Earth standards."

"That we are," Kirk smiled. "Come on Spock; let's go get some food!"

Everything after the ceremony had gone beautifully. Warm words were said about the new couple, everyone said their congratulations, Kirk saw friends and family he hadn't seen in years, and everyone was having a good time. Winona had her first dance with her new son-in-law and Kirk and Spock had their first dance as newlyweds.

After the last of the formalities was done and dinner had been eaten, everyone was allowed to dance to the music and schmooze freely with one another. Kirk beamed as he danced with his mother on the dance floor. She flashed the trademark Kirk smile at her darling son as they slowly swayed to the music.

"I'm so happy for you Jimmy," she said, pride and emotion thick in her voice. "I thought my heart would stop beating as I watched Admiral Pike walk you down the aisle."

"Speaking of which," Kirk began, "Admiral Pike just so happens to be available."

Winona's eyes grew large. "Jim!"

"What?" Kirk said innocently. "I saw how you looked at him while he walked me down the aisle! Shoot, I'm surprised you even noticed me at all!"

"James Tiberius Kirk you stop right this instant!" she said, clearly flustered as the color flew to her cheeks.

Kirk laughed lightheartedly at his mother. "Mom, it's alright, I'm a big boy now! You can tell me if you think my superior is attractive!"

"I'll do no such thing!" she fussed under her breath. "And would you please lower your voice!"

Smirking, Kirk simply shook his head. As the song ended, he spotted Pike sitting at a table with some dignitaries not too far away from where they stood. Pulling away from his mother he called out, "Admiral Pike! Could you borrow a moment of your time?"

Winona swatted at Kirk and gave him her best "intimidating angry mother" look. Lowering the glass of champagne in his hand and excusing himself, Pike approached the two on the dance floor. Kirk simply smiled as Winona became increasingly fidgety the closer Pike came.

"What can I do for the man of the hour?" Pike asked.

"I was just dancing with my lovely mother and I thought to myself, 'I wonder if Admiral Pike would like to dance with her?' So I called you over to ask if you'd like the honor of dancing with the wonderful woman who gave birth to me." He smiled innocently and tried to ignore the daggers his mother was shooting at the side of his head.

Pike now more than ever thanked his teachers for enforcing the importance of diplomacy while he was in the Academy. Seeing how he was in a situation where the utmost delicacy was needed, he had to think of a good answer and fast to avoid a conflict. On the one hand, he could humor Kirk and dance with his mother, who he had to admit was quite stunning. Looking at her and having known his father, it was plain to see how Kirk could have gotten away with being the playboy he once was. On the other hand, the look in Winona Kirk's eyes was that of a woman who was willing to murder her son in front of many witnesses. While he would sorely regret not dancing with her, he also wanted to ensure Kirk lived long enough to enjoy his honeymoon.

Giving Kirk his best smile, he took the neutral route. "I would love nothing better than to dance with your mother Jim, who might I say is the epitome of beauty. With that in mind, it wouldn't be very gentleman like of me to assume she feels the same."

Pike turned to Winona, who was steadily turning redder and redder, and bowed gracefully, a movement he hadn't had the opportunity to make for quite some time. "Mrs. Kirk, may I have the honor of dancing with you?"

Winona had so much blood pumping to her head it was a wonder her head didn't explode from the pressure. Shooting a glance at Kirk that screamed "You're lucky he's so charming or else you'd be dead," and taking a deep breath, she finally managed to say, "You may."

Pike's face turned upward toward Winona and aimed a smile that rivaled Kirk's directly at her. She swallowed hard as she realized that he was even more attractive up close than he was from afar. Rising from his bow, Pike extended a hand toward Winona. Slowly she lifted her arm and delicately placed her hand in his. With the utmost care, he raised her hand to his lips and placed a feather light kiss on her knuckles.

Face still red, Winona found herself with an unexpectedly dreamy look on her face from the kiss that had been planted on her hand. It had been so long since a man had wooed her she had almost forgotten how intoxicating it could be. He moved his hand so that their hands were cupped together and placed his other hand softly on her waist. As though in a trance, Winona placed her left hand on Pike's shoulder and began to sway with him to the music. She was so fixated on the man she danced with that she didn't catch the Cheshire cat-like grin on Kirk's face and didn't notice him walking away from them.

Kirk walked over to Spock still grinning and said, "They should change my name to 'Cupid'."

Raising an eyebrow at his husband, Spock asked, "Why do you say that?"

"Oh, I just played Matchmaker with my mother and Admiral Pike, that's all."

The eyebrow rose further on Spock's forehead. "Is that so? You do realize that if your ploy does not work that it could reflect poorly on you?"

"Yeah," Kirk said, crossing his arms and watching his mother dancing from afar. "It's worth the risk though."

The longer Winona looked into the gray streaked blue eyes of Admiral Pike the more she felt as though she were floating in mid-air. True, the eyes of her long departed husband were bluer by far, but something in his eyes made something stir inside her that had been dormant for years. Everything about him, his charm, his grace, his voice, all of it made her heart flutter like a butterfly floating in the wind.

As Pike gazed at the lovely Winona, he realized what it was that drew Kirk's father to her in the first place. She was gorgeous even at her age, with a timeless beauty most women would kill for. Even in her nervousness she was radiant. Were it not for the fact that he knew his legs couldn't support him for much longer, he wouldn't stop dancing with her if only so he could live in that one moment for all eternity.

Realizing that he should engage in some sort of small talk to lessen the intensity in the air, he said, "I'm sorry if it seems I put you on the spot earlier."

Blinking out of her trance, Winona laughed lightly and said, "Oh no, you did no such thing. I'm glad you were kind enough to take my feelings into account, unlike my son."

Smirking, Pike said, "Well, if it's one thing I've observed about your son it's that he acts before he thinks far too often."

"Unfortunately so," Winona agreed. "Though I am glad I agreed to dance with you. It's not every day I'm able to dance with an Admiral."

"Very true," Pike said. "It's also not every day I get to dance with a woman as beautiful as you."

Winona bowed her head in adorable embarrassment and gave Pike the famous Kirk smile. Pike was surprised to find his heart skipping a beat upon having her direct such a smile at him. Though he remembered seeing her late husband smile at him the same way and had just witnessed her son smiling at him before dancing with Winona, seeing it on her face did something magical to him inside.

Unfortunately it also did something to the chemistry in his brain that was counteracting with the very thing that was allowing him to dance with her. The change he felt reflected on her face, immediately causing Winona to look at him with concern. "Admiral? Are you alright?"

"I'm afraid not," he said sadly, the strain of remaining on his feet beginning to wear on him. "I'm sad to say I will have to cut this dance short."

He moved his hand from Winona's waist and tapped what appeared to be red badge. In reality, it was the emergency alert button to let the medical staff know that he had run out of time. On cue, the head of the medical team walked over to him and slipped a hand around his waist. Reluctantly Pike put his right arm around the man's shoulders and allowed the man to escort him back to the tables.

Interestingly enough, the left hand that had cupped Winona's was still in her grasp. Like a devoted wife, Winona held on tightly to his hand and followed him to the table. The medical officer lowered Pike into a chair and tapped a similar badge on his chest. "Bring the wheelchair," he said while making eye contact across the room.

As another medical officer made their way around the crowd with the wheelchair, he asked Pike, "Can you tell me what you felt before you signaled us?"

Looking in Winona's eyes and giving a smile, he answered, "I guess you could say I felt weak in the knees."

Winona blushed both at Pike and at the head medical officer. Stifling a grin, the officer nodded and said, "I think I understand what happened. Sorry to say this but it looks like you'll be wheelchair bound for the rest of the night. The treatment isn't safe enough to give you another dose so soon."

"That's fine," Pike said, still making eye contact with Winona. "I was able to stand long enough to enjoy myself."

The woman with the wheelchair arrived and assisted the head officer with moving Pike into it. They made the necessary adjustments and then stood up straight. Giving Pike a salute, the head officer said, "We'll leave you to enjoy the rest of your evening Admiral. Please let us know if you need anything else."

"I will," Pike said in a soft tone. "Dismissed."

Obediently the two officers walked away and let Winona and Pike be. Winona moved to the chair Pike had just sat in and said, "I'll stay with you for the rest of the evening."

Pike shook his head. "You don't have to do that. This is your son's wedding; you should be enjoying yourself, not staying by a cripple's side."

"It's my fault you're not able to stand on your feet," she said sadly. "The least I can do is keep you company."

Her hand lay warmly atop of his on the arm of his wheelchair. He took his free hand and rested it atop of hers. "I wouldn't feel right making you feel obligated to be with me just because I'm wheelchair bound again."

She thought for a moment and then asked, "What if I said I would prefer staying by your side?"

Pike's eyebrows rose on his forehead, then he smiled. "The choice is yours Mrs. Kirk."

"Please," she said. "Call me Winny. It's short for Winona."

His smile broadened. "Winny. I won't force you to stay with me, but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't enjoy spending more time with you."

She returned his smile with one of her own. "I'm glad to hear that Admiral."

"Chris," he corrected. "It's short for Christopher obviously. It's only fair that you call me by my nickname if I'm calling you by yours."

Smiling again, she said, "Chris. I like that name."

"Thank you," Pike said as a dreamy look not unlike the one Winona gave him earlier appearing on his face.

Back on the dance floor, Spock's bridesmaids were dancing with their respective significant other. Uhura stared lovingly into Scotty's eyes and smiled at him. Scotty stared back with his magical hazel brown eyes which seemed like a kaleidoscope of color. At any given moment they could look dark green, at another look dark brown, and at yet another moment look dark blue. With the current lighting of the room, they shimmered with all three colors, as well as what looked like flecks of gold.

Scotty spoke, "Nyota, have ye…do ye ever think about gettin' married?"

Uhura tilted her head in amusement at Scotty's question. "Getting married? Monty, are you dropping a hint?"

Scotty blushed. "A-ah was just wonderin', you know, fer future reference. We've been gettin' along swell an' all, but ah just wanted ta see where we stand is all."

Uhura laughed and gave Scotty a kiss. "It's an idea that certainly worth entertaining," she answered rather vaguely.

"C'mon," Scotty said, "ah'm bein' serious. Ah love ye Nyota. Ah want ta have wee ones with ye an' buy a home back on Earth. What d'ya say? Are ye interested?"

She took a deep breath and took some time to think before she answered. Still avoiding answering the question somewhat, she simply stated, "Hard for me to give you an honest answer when there's not a ring to go with your question. How did that song from the 21st century go? Oh yeah, 'if you like it then be sure to put a ring on it'. Ask me the question again with a ring in hand and I might be able to give you a better answer."

Uhura smirked at Scotty, who returned the smirk with one of his own. The light twinkling in his eyes, he said, "Ah think ah get wha' yer sayin'."

"Good," Uhura replied. "Now spin me."

Obediently Scotty lifted Uhura's hand over her head and spun her around twice before wrapping his arm back around her and dipping her. She gave a laugh and kissed him sweetly on his lips.

Not far from where Scotty and Uhura danced, Chapel and McCoy were having a similar conversation as they danced. Chapel batted her pretty blue eyes at McCoy, who simply smirked in response. In her musical voice, she asked, "Lenny, would you ever want to get re-married someday?"

McCoy raised an eyebrow at her as the smirk disappeared from his face. Instead of answering, he asked his own question. "What is it about weddings that get women to thinking about marriage themselves?"

Chapel pouted. "How can we not? It's kind of hard not to when you see a friend of yours saying their vows at the altar. You mean to tell me that seeing your best friend getting married doesn't get you to thinking at all about it?"

"Well I didn't say I wasn't thinking about it, I was just wondering…"

"…so were you thinking about it?"

McCoy's eyes shifted away from Chapel's penetrating gaze and he cleared his throat. "I…well…maybe…"

The smile returned to Chapel's lips. "And?"

"'And' what?" McCoy scowled.

Chapel sighed and pushed McCoy away. "Really Leonard, are you that dense?"

She turned around and was about to storm off when Leonard grabbed her wrist. When she faced him again, her eyes glittered with angry tears and her beautiful face was contorted into a frown. He pulled her back into his reach and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Now hold on just a minute, don't stalk off just because I'm not talking about booking our own wedding after watching Jim tie the knot," he said, frustration clear in his voice. "I love you and you know it, but dammit I'm not ready to run off and get married again so soon!"

"Let me go," Chapel said, the tears in her eyes getting heavier by the second.

"No," McCoy said. She looked up at him, half irritated that he wouldn't let her leave and half relieved that he didn't. "I never said I wasn't interested in marrying you Christine; I just want this to last a bit longer the way it is. There's still a lot we need to learn about each other and we haven't been together long enough for me to comfortably jump into another marriage.

"I…I care about you too much to rush things. When I get on my knee and ask you to be my wife, I don't want a single doubt to be left in my mind that you're what makes the world turn for me."

Chapel shifted her eyes away from McCoy. "Are you saying you have doubts about us?"

"No, I'm not," he answered, "but I want to be absolutely sure I'm ready to say my vows all over again before I make the venture down that road."

He put a finger on Chapel's chin and easily turned her head back toward him. "After what I went through with my last marriage, can you respect that and be patient?"

With a huff, Chapel reluctantly smiled and said, "I suppose."

Smiling, McCoy leaned in and kissed Chapel softly. Though the contact wasn't forceful, it was strong enough for Chapel to sense what he felt inside. Pulling back, he said, "Thank you. You have my word that when, and yes, I do mean 'when' I propose, you'll have me as long as you're willing to deal with me."

Returning the smile, Chapel said, "After all the hoops I'll have gone through by the time you propose, I'm more than certain I'll be 'willing' to deal with you until death do we part."

They laughed and placed their foreheads together, resuming their dance.

The sun outside slowly sank in the sky, basking the many guests in a fiery gold light. The shadows beneath all in attendance gradually stretched and stretched until they disappeared altogether with the light outside. When the moon appeared in the night sky outside, Winona decided that it was time to send the bride and groom on their way so everyone could retire for the night.

She walked up to the table where she and her family had eaten dinner and picked up the portable microphone they had used to make their speeches. She motioned to the DJ and the music that was playing was instantly stopped. The sudden silence made everyone freeze in place.

"Everyone, can I have your attention please?"

Winona received the attention she requested rather quickly. "The sun outside has set and that means it's time for the celebration to end so the boys can start their honeymoon. Jim, Spock, come on up here."

Everyone applauded the newlyweds as they walked up to where Winona stood. "Now boys, I know you've received quite a large number of gifts from your guests, but there's one more gift that we've saved until the very end."

Kirk and Spock exchanged a look before Kirk aimed a skeptical look at his mother. "What do you have up your sleeve Mom?"

Winona grinned. "Everyone, if you'll follow me outside please."

Winona began leading the wedding party to the reception room's exit, but noticed that Kirk and Spock were still rooted in place. She turned back around and motioned toward her. "Come on you two! The gift isn't going to come to you; you have to go to it!"

Again Kirk and Spock exchanged a look. Shrugging, Kirk made his way to the exit, Spock right behind him. Once outside the academy, they all gathered on the front steps and stood. Everyone looked around, curious as to what it was that was supposed to be Kirk and Spock's final gift.

In the distance, a dim roar was heard. The roar came closer and closer to where everyone had gathered, yet nothing could be seen. Then to the left of them, around the corner of the building came a bright red vehicle rolled toward them on the pavement. Kirk's jaw dropped. The moment he saw it he knew exactly what the vehicle was.

It was the very same 1965 Corvette Stingray that he had driven off a cliff as a boy.

Sitting in the driver's seat with a smirk on his face was his brother Sam. He pulled the car up to the front of the steps and stopped. The engine continued to purr as he leaned back and relished the look on his little brother's face.

"Look familiar Jim?"

"How…" Kirk stuttered. "How the hell did you…?"

"In case you're wondering, no, it's not the same car," Sam answered. "Not by a long shot. Dad's old Corvette is still sitting at the bottom of that cliff. However, we managed to search high and low for another one just like it. I won't lie to you, it was hell. These things are like a needle in a haystack to find. You're lucky that when Mom sets out for a task, she doesn't stop until it's done."

Kirk's head snapped over to his mother, who laughed at the fish-like look on his face. "I happened to find someone clear on the other side of the world that had the exact same car sitting in his collection. Not the same color of course, but changing that was easy. Getting him to part with it? Not so easy."

"So then how…" Kirk's eyes somehow managed to get bigger. "The money from the divorce…Mom, you didn't…"

"No," she answered, "I didn't. I still have a considerable amount left, more than enough to spend as I please. It was the least I could do for my baby boy."

Kirk laughed and looked at the car in disbelief. "You're amazing…"

"Hey," Sam called from the driver's seat. "If anyone's amazing, it's me. I'm the one who gave Mom the idea in the first place and helped her get it here in time for the wedding."

Kirk closed his eyes to hold in the tears that sprung up. Spock placed an arm around him, which caused him to give a laugh as the tears fell. He opened his eyes and walked over to his mother, who had her arms open to pull her son into an embrace. Kirk cried quietly on her shoulder and managed to blubber, "Thank you…"

"Anything for you Jimmy," Winona soothed as she rubbed his back.

Kirk released his mother and stepped aside so Spock could hug her as well. For obvious reasons he was not as moved as his husband, but he marveled at the feat she had pulled off. "It is no wonder your son is a miracle maker," he said. "His mother is a miracle maker as well."

Winona laughed and kissed her new son-in-law on the cheek. When Spock released her and turned to Kirk, he saw him hugging his brother tightly. He let himself cry openly and deeply the moment his brother exited the car and wrapped his arms around him. Spock could not hear what they were saying, but could tell that they were exchanging words of love and admiration.

When they parted, Sam's cheeks were moist as well. Sniffing and rubbing their faces like little boys, they gave each other a nod as Sam returned to his mother's side. Kirk and Spock both entered the car and closed the doors behind them. To test the engine out, Kirk pushed down on the gas pedal. On cue, the car gave a mighty roar as the odometer shot up. Kirk grinned wildly and rubbed the steering wheel lovingly.

Sam called from the steps, "Hey, don't use up all your rubdown powers on the steering wheel Jim! Spock will be mighty disappointed if you do!"

Everyone laughed except for Spock, who simply blushed. Kirk put his arm around the back of Spock's seat and yelled over the engine, "Our wedding gifts better still be here when we get back!"

Sam laughed and said, "Don't worry; Starfleet will have them locked up tight, I promise! Now go on and enjoy your honeymoon!"

Kirk moved his arm back to the steering wheel and put the car into drive. Removing his foot from the brake and placing it on the gas pedal, the car slowly rolled forward. Giving a final wave to his guests and family, he slammed his foot down and the car zoomed off into the distance. Everyone remained on the steps waving goodbye until they were but a speck on the horizon. They had more than earned a couple weeks of peace and quiet to themselves, and hopefully they wouldn't kill each other on their first road trip.

End of Eternity. The trilogy continues in Family, and there's a side story called Envy as well. Looking forward to your reviews!