A/n: Thank you, one and all for joining me on this ride, it's been really fun! (Next time I will have to give myself more time for editing during the Het Bang, because I still feel like there's a lot of issues with this fic, but ah well.) Thank you so much for reading, and especially to every fav and to every reviewer most of all - I adore hearing what you guys think. Thank you so very much once again, and I hope you enjoy the conclusion! :D

When Enterprise arrived at Earth and Kirk had Scotty gather together an Engineering team, including Holly, to deliver Chronos' drive to Starfleet, Holly was more than a little confused.

"But Kryst blew it up," she said, glancing between Kirk and Spock. "He said he used some C4 from the weapons store because poisoning it wasn't going to work after all."

"He thought he blew it up," the captain corrected with a sly grin.

He proceeded to explain. After Holly had tended to the engine, Kirk had had the drive transferred to an entirely different part of the ship in secret. Scotty and Gaila had fabricated a fake engine and no one was the wiser. By creating chaos in the engine room, Kryst actually unintentionally had helped Kirk carry out his plan.

Dal was released from custody, and Kirk personally apologized for all the trouble. Dal was his usually surly self, but surprised Holly by shaking the captain's hand before Kirk left.

Holly was left alone with Dal for an awkward few moments, neither knowing to say. She knew she ought to apologize for accusing him, but couldn't get the words out. She couldn't meet his eyes, either, which didn't matter because he frowning at the floor anyways. They were saved from saying anything at all when the captain informed them it was time, and that the drive would be on its way down in moments.

"Sir, I don't mean put you in any sort of position, given everything that's happened," Dal clasped his hands behind his back. "And I know you're about to leave to go planet-side to deliver the drive, and that in a few days, those of us left from the Chronos are to be left with Starfleet. But… sir, is it possible I might stay on the Enterprise?"

Holly glanced in surprise between Dal and Kirk. Frankly, she'd been waiting for the right moment to ask the same thing.

Kirk smiled. "I'll have a chat with Admiral Walker and see what I can do."

"That'll be just fine." Dal nodded, and Kirk headed away.

"You want to stay?" Holly questioned.

Dal shrugged. "I have no where else to go. Besides, I can't just abandon you after everything that happened."

Holly felt a sudden burst of affection for Dal. She bit her lip, her eyes filling with tears against her will. He caught her soft expression and grunted.

"Geez, princess, it's not a big deal." But his tone had a rare note of warmth in it and the corner of his mouth twitched up in a crooked half-smile.

She didn't how in the mess of everything, she and Dal had come to share this moment, but she was glad it was there. She doubted it would completely stop them from arguing in the future, but it was a start.

She thought, One step at a time.

Kirk and Holly had a quick moment alone before he was due to go down to the planet. Once again she felt compelled to apologize and was at a loss for words. Luckily, Kirk spoke first.

"Holly," he locked his brilliant blue eyes with her hazel ones. "McCoy and I have a rule. No more apologizing. Understand?"

She nodded.

"So let's just start fresh. Again. Or, in the middle somewhere." He grinned that handsome grin of his.

She laughed and agreed.

He winked and then followed Scotty into Shuttle Pod 1.

"See you soon."

Jem was finally awake in the sick bay and she smiled smugly when Holly asked how she felt.

"Well, luckily, Kryst had limited knowledge of my species' internal anatomy." She pressed a long finger over the bandage on her chest, where a heart would be on a human, and then moved it down to where the ribcage would be. "My heart is actually down here." She shrugged one shoulder and added, "Either that, or he is a very bad shot."

Holly asked if Jem knew how Ford was. McCoy had updated her just before he left to grab lunch.

"She will be transferred to a facility on Earth," Jem said grimly. "Her family will be waiting for her."

Holly nodded sadly. She told her friend about Dal wanting to stay on Enterprise, and how she hoped to stay, too. Jem tilted her head slightly.

"I do not think I would like to stay, no," she murmured.

Holly's shoulders slumped. She had assumed Jem would without question, and had really asked more as a courtesy. Jem reached out and closed her fingers around Holly's hand.

"You know the circumstances under which I came to be on Chronos," she said and Holly nodded, already tearing up again and feeling like a child whose family was moving away. "I have served my time. I plan to return to Saxis, or perhaps a planet similar. I miss my woods."

Holly blinked and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Just be careful where you hunt, next time," she joked weakly.

Jem's beautiful, large eyes were shining and she squeezed Holly's hand. "I will miss you greatly, Holly Cameron. But I promise this is not goodbye. We will stay in touch." She added, "That is not a request."

Holly laughed tearfully.

McCoy was dreading the moment that Holly walked through the door. Seeing her meant saying goodbye as she left for Earth with her friends. Which meant he was about to lose her. He couldn't ask her to stay, though. It wasn't his place, and she was still technically a civilian, not a Startfleet officer.

So, he wouldn't let his feelings run away with him. He would be calm and say goodbye. He had spent the morning imagining the scenario and had even gone to the garden to pick flowers for a parting gift, which in hindsight just felt cheesy. He glared at the bouquet on his desk, which looked unreasonably cheerful.

At that moment, he spotted Holly hovering in his doorway.

McCoy's heart leapt into his throat. He scooped up the flowers, grimacing. "I suppose you're all ready, then?"

"Ready for what?"

Was she going to make him say it?

"For you to… for Earth." He dropped his gaze to the large red and white petals, stomach churning. This had better be a short goodbye.

"Did someone tell you I was going?" she asked.

"They didn't have to," he answered, his voice low. "That was the plan from the beginning—once we reached Earth, you and your friends would go down to Starfleet and that'd be that."

She crossed her arms over her chest and she seemed amused, though he couldn't fathom why. "Plans change, McCoy."

He didn't dare feel hope at her words. "Oh yeah?" He grumbled.

Holly giggled. "McCoy," she came close and he reluctantly looked at her.

"I'm not going," she said. "I'm staying."

His heart sped up. "How? I thought…"

"Kirk talked to Admiral Walker about me and Dal." She smiled prettily at him. "I'm going to go back to Corinth IV for a week to see my parents but when I get back, I'm staying on the Enterprise."

McCoy's knees buckled with relief. He grunted and shook his head at the long-stemmed flowers in his hand. "And here I am, standing here like an idiot, with this stupid thing, ready to say goodbye forever."

"You weren't even going to ask me to stay?"

He shook his head. "I had no right to."

Holly bit her lip then said, "McCoy, when you have a girl's heart, you have every right to ask her to stay."

Inside, his heart was pounding in his chest and he wanted to kiss her, badly, but outwardly, he was gruff and shaking his head again, trying to come up with a suitable response.

Holly laughed then, unable to contain herself and closed the distance between them, kissing him sweetly. When she pulled back, she took the flowers gently from him, turning the bouquet over in her fingers.

"Asiska blossom…" She smiled warmly at him. "It's my favorite."

Modestly, he shrugged. "It was just a guess. You seemed to always have to smell those ones in particular whenever I saw you in the garden."

"Thank you, McCoy. It wasn't a 'stupid romantic gesture'. It was thoughtful."

"Well," he huffed. "Don't get used to it. I'm a doctor, not Prince Charming. I'm no good at this stuff."

"Good," Holly replied. "Because I don't want Prince Charming, I want you."

This time it was McCoy who initiated the kiss, covering her mouth with his, and wrapping his arms tight around her.

Four weeks later on Corinth IV, he held her hand as she gently placed Asiska blossoms on Charlie's grave.

fin.