She still couldn't quite believe it!—it still seemed too much a dream. But no, she had checked the starbase computer's master file, and she was indeed listed as Mrs. Kimberly Tycho. Correction! she remonstrated herself—Mrs. Kimberly Loran!
That was going to take some getting used to.
Well, it had only been seven days since she and Garek had tied the proverbial knot. They'd have all the rest of eternity to get used to the idea.
She paused in her packing and fell back in her chair, suddenly overwhelmed and a little frightened by the concept of 'forever'. In her and Garek's case, 'until death do you part' had a unique meaning-there was no death in the normal sense of the word where they were going! The two of them could very well live to see the end of the universe and of time itself!
Such was the life of a 'Q'....
She smacked herself in the forehead with the palm of her hand. She was a Q! Summoning her newfound inner fire and focusing her will on a single objective, she snapped her fingers, and in a flash of white light, all her personal belongings disappeared from their shelves, drawers and cubbyholes and reappeared neatly arranged in her suitcases.
"Wish I'd thought of that two hours ago!" she said.
"Thought of what?" said a familiar voice from behind her.
Kim turned and saw her friends coming in through the front door of her suite. Max, Sam, Jo and Alex were all present, and it was Lee who had posed the question.
"Oh, nothing important," answered Kim. "I just keep forgetting I'm a Q now. I've been packing my stuff for hours when I just could've snapped my fingers and done it in a flash!"
"Everything is packed," observed Alex astutely.
Kim shrugged and smiled. "I snapped my fingers."
"Jeez, how can you forget you're a Q?!?" exclaimed Max. She walked further into Kim's living room and threw herself into the sofa. The others did likewise, except in a slightly more reserved manner.
"I dunno." Kim said timidly and shrugged again. "It's all kind of a lot to handle all at once, you know? Plus I just got married!"
"Yeah, where is loverboy anyway?" said Jo. "And why isn't he here helping you pack?"
"Now don't make fun of Garek, you guys!" said Kim sternly. "We agreed that we would finish up things here on the station separately before we leave-say our good-byes..."
Suddenly, but not entirely unexpectedly, tears welled up in Kim's eyes. She bravely tried to stifle them, but the dam was bursting. "I'm going to miss you guys!" she cried. Running to Carter, she threw her arms around her old boss and hugged her fiercely.
Carter patted her gently on the back. She knew just how Kim felt. The Banshees had been through a lot together—more than most people can even imagine: the death and chaos of the Dominion and Mulluran Wars; struggling against the forces of evil who are stopping at nothing to extinguish your life and the lives of everyone and everything you love and hold dear; daily risking your life for the sake of the others on your team, and knowing that they'd do the same, and have done the same, for you more times than you can even remember. The bond they shared was special, and in many ways, stronger than even those of the marriage bond.
"We'll miss you too, kid," said Carter sympathetically.
"Hey, let's not get too maudlin here," interjected Max, rising from the sofa. Carter released Kim. Max was trying to be gruff about the whole thing, but Kim could tell that she was just trying to cover up her own sentimentality. "We stopped by to help you pack, but since there's nothing left to do, we might as well skip to the next item on the agenda."
Kim hurriedly wiped away a tear, and putting on a smile, said, "What's that?"
"A good-bye party, stupid!"
After having the bachelor party and the bridal shower here (albeit on separate evenings), it only seemed fitting that the El Taco be the host of Kim's impromptu farewell party. The six women were crowded into their usual corner booth, and were having a boisterous time. Amid a pile of empty, discarded Mucho-Macho-Hasperat-Breakfast-Burrito wrappers, Carter raised a carton of schplict and prepared to toast.
"Hold on a sec!" called a voice from the kitchen area. The women's heads craned to get a look at who was interrupting their festivities. It turned out to be Rick, the ruggedly handsome manager of the El Taco. He was fighting his way through the press of employees—actually, it looked like they were deliberately trying to block his progress—and make his way to the dining area. Finally, he beat aside the last one and approached the Banshees' table.
"Hi there, Sam," he said as he walked up, favoring the tall, willowy blonde with a debonair smile and wink. It was common knowledge that he and Sam had a 'thing'....
Sam blushed at the attention, but demurely replied, "Hi," then tried to hide behind Max.
"Must be true love," mutter Max, rolling her eyes.
Rick placed himself above her sarcasm, and instead brought out what he was hiding behind his back.
"Holy cow!" exclaimed Jo. "Is that what I think it is?"
"Well, if you think it's a hundred-year-old bottle of Supernova, you're right!" replied Rick.
He passed out the plastic cups he held in his other hand and set the bottle down on the table and began pealing the foil off the cork. "I got this in a bar on Ganymede," he explained off-hand as he worked. "As I recall, it was in a poker game with a Ferengi, an Orion slaver and a couple of Pakleds." The cork came loose with a loud pop. "Anyway, to make a long story short, I think we should toast our beloved comrade's departure with this instead of a carton of schplict!" He motioned for Carter to have the honors of pouring everyone a cup.
Carter picked up the priceless bottle of Supernova, in the back of her mind wondering once again who this strange but ruggedly handsome man really was—surely no mere fast food manager would have a bottle of hundred-year-old whiskey stashed or be playing poker with Orion slavers on Ganymede. Eyeing him critically, and quite aware that he knew she was eyeing him, she poured everyone half a cup of the ultra-potent potable, lastly herself.
"To Sam!" Rick announced flamboyantly, lifting his cup. "May the wind be ever at your back!" He slammed back the fiery liquid, and thus fortified, grabbed Sam around the waist, dipped her over backwards and kissed her passionately on the lips.
Sam tensed and her eyes widened at Rick's brash maneuver, but as their lips met, her eyes closed and her arms wrapped tightly around the ruggedly handsome young man. Carter and Alex looked away, embarrassed at the display, Jo and Kimmie just looked shocked, while Max rolled her eyes again.
"Ahem," she harrumphed.
No reaction.
"Ahem!" repeated Max, this time loudly, right into Rick's ear.
Rick released his grip on Sam slightly and hissed a quick aside to Max, "Not now!" before resuming the kiss. Sam didn't seem to notice.
"Sam's not the one leaving, you lunkhead!" said Max, loudly enough to break both Sam and Rick out of their liplock.
Rick released Sam and declared, "What?!? Oh, so sorry-my mistake..." He was a bad actor, and didn't fool anyone with the 'innocent' routine. He couldn't help smirking devilishly and glancing mischievously at Sam out of the corner of his eye.
Sam blushed again, but didn't try to hide this time. Instead, she actually returned Rick's smile.
Carter took the opportunity to reassert some semblance of order into their gathering. Raising her cup and her voice enough to make sure all heard her, she said, "I'd like to offer a real toast now." Max, Sam, Jo, Alex, Kim, and even Rick turned their attention to her. "To Kimberly Tycho—may she and Garek live happily ever after!"
"Here here!" cried the rest fervently, and tossed back a big gulp.
Max volunteered the next toast. "To Kim—the best fighter mechanic in Starfleet!"
"Here here!" replied the others with gusto, downing another hit.
Jo tossed in the next pledge. "To Kimmie—the nicest Q we'll ever meet!"
"Here here!" repeated the others again, laughing, and tossed down another big swig.
And so on it went, six women and one ruggedly handsome man, toasting each other while at the same time getting toasted.
Finally, several vociferous and rambunctious hours later, the party started to wind down (but not before the Supernova bottle was empty), and Rick had disappeared back into the inner workings of his restaurant. The alcohol had rendered the women sentimental, and they were sitting quietly around their favorite corner table now, not wanting this time to end, because when it did, one of them would be leaving-possibly forever.
But finally though, it had to happen. Carter rose from her seat and said, "Well, Kimmie, it's been a real honor and a privilege knowing you and flying with you on my wing."
"Thanks, Lee."
"Take care," said Carter sincerely. She took Kim's hand and shook it, smiled at her friend, then turned and walked out of the restaurant.
Max was next in line. She shook Kim's hand too, and said, "Take one last bit of advice, will you kid?"
"Sure!"
"When you get to the Q Continuum, knock 'em dead!" replied Max, grinning. She released Kim's hand and departed after Carter.
Sam and Alex sidled over next. Sam was looking particularly distraught, so Kim hugged her and reassured her. "Don't worry, Sam. I'll come back to visit every chance I get, okay?"
Sam nodded and hurried after the others.
Alex stepped up and said, "I only met you before the wedding, but I feel like I'm losing an old friend!"
"Me too!" replied Kim. They laughed, shook hands, and Alex walked out, and that left just Jo.
Of all the original Banshees, Jo was closest in age and temperament to Kim, and they had been close friends. Hugging Kim, Jo said, "I'll miss you, Kimmie."
"I'll miss you too, you screwball," replied Kim, trying to lighten the mood and succeeding to a degree.
Jo released her and stood back. "Send me a postcard, will you?"
"You bet."
"Take care." With that, Jo left the restaurant, and this chapter of Kim's life was closed.