Epilogue Among the Stars

The sun was high in the sky, the warm breeze carrying the scent of saltwater and sunscreen as Willa and I lounged by the pool. It was the first day of our Star Trek themed cruise, a gift from Liam and George to thank Willa for taking such good care of the coffee shop while they were away.

I still couldn"t believe we were actually here, surrounded by fellow Trekkies and a lot of the stars themselves. We were both like little kids in a Star Trek themed playground.

Willa looked over at me, her eyes sparkling with excitement behind her sunglasses. "I cannot believe we get to meet LeVar Burton tomorrow morning. I"m gonna wear my Butterfly in the Sky t-shirt. You don"t think he"ll mind it"s not Star Trek I"m fangirling him over, do you?"

I grinned, feeling my own inner fanboy stirring. "Not even a little bit, babe. Did you see that Jonathan Frakes is doing a panel on directing? We can"t miss that."

We spent the next few hours geeking out over the schedule of events, planning our days around the panels, autograph sessions, and themed parties. It was a nerd"s paradise, and we were loving every minute of it.

As we made our way to the first panel of the cruise, I couldn"t help but notice the glances and whispers from the other cruisers. At first, I thought they were just excited to see the Star Trek celebrities, but then I heard my own name being murmured.

"Is that Hayes Kingman?"

"Oh my god, it is. Do you think he"d take a picture with me?"

Willa nudged me, a smirk playing at her lips. "Looks like you"ve got some fans of your own, Mr. MVP."

I ducked my head, feeling a blush creep up my neck. "I"m just here to geek out like everyone else. I don"t want to take the attention away from the real reason we"re all here."

But as the days went on, I found myself being approached more and more. People wanted autographs, photos, and even just to shake my hand and congratulate me on the season. It was surreal, being recognized and admired in a setting so far removed from the football field.

Even some of the Star Trek stars seemed to know who I was. After a very rambunctious karaoke with some of the cast of Star Trek Enterprise, Connor Trinneer clapped me on the shoulder, a wide grin on his face.

"Hayes Kingman! Man, I loved watching you play this season. That last-minute touchdown against the Dawgs? Incredible."

I felt my jaw drop, starstruck in the presence of my personal favorite starship engineer himself. "Thanks. That means a lot coming from you, sir."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Please, call me Connor. And I should be thanking you. You made me a lot of money in my fantasy league this year. Just keep that head of yours safe."

Willa and I spent the rest of the day in a happy daze, attending panels, getting autographs, and even participating in a trivia contest, which we totally won, thanks to Willa"s encyclopedic knowledge of all things Star Trek.

Every evening we dressed up in our cosplay for the theme of the night, which took an entire extra suitcase to contain. On the evening designated for the most illustrious evil bad guys in the mirror universe,Willa emerged from the bathroom, and my breath caught in my throat. She was dressed in a stunning recreation of Captain Killy, her hair straightened and dyed red, and her uniform form fitting in all the right places.

"Wow," I managed, my eyes drinking her in. "You look incredible. I'd let you Killy me."

She did a little twirl, grinning. "Why thank you, Mr. Spock. Or should I say, High Chancellor of the Terran Empire?"

I'd signed up to get Vulcan ears and eyebrows done by one of the professional makeup artists and had even had them do the evil version of Spock's crazy goatee. Willa said it was very sexy when I'd gotten back from the appointment, and her enthusiasm for the beard almost made us late for dinner.

I was definitely growing one of my own this year.

The party was in full swing when we arrived, the band playing, people dancing, and we both gawked at the amazing outfits people had put together. There was one guy who could have been Captain Picard"s twin, a whole host of Klingons, and one girl in a wheelchair who very cleverly dressed as space and wore a hat that was an amazing replica of the Deep Space Nine station. We mingled and danced, sipping colorful cocktails with names like "Romulan Ale" and "Borg Sphere."

As the night wore on, our cruise director took the stage.

"Good evening, everyone. I hope you"re all having a wonderful time."

The crowd cheered, raising their glasses in a toast.

"I have a couple of reminders for our upcoming port days and programming. We"ll get into port bright and early at seven, and you"ve got the whole day to explore the island. But be back by four, because we will leave your asses here if you don"t. Then, on Wednesday, while we"re at sea, we have a unique opportunity for any couples out there who might be feeling a little extra love in the air."

He paused for dramatic effect, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"One of our cast members, I"m going to let you guess who until the day of, is an ordained minister. And he will available to perform a wedding ceremony or a vow renewal for all you love birds. If you"re thinking you might want to tie the knot among the stars, we will see you there."

I glanced at Willa, my heart suddenly racing.

She met my gaze, her expression unreadable. "Hayes..."

I took her hands in mine, my throat tight with emotion. "I know we haven"t talked about it, not really. And I know it"s crazy, and impulsive, and maybe a little bit insane."

She let out a shaky laugh, her eyes shining. "A little bit?"

I grinned, pulling her closer. "Okay, a lotta bit. But, Willa, when I think about the future, about all the adventures I want to have and the memories I want to make, there"s only one thing I know for sure. I want you by my side through all of it."

One beautiful tear streamed down her face, but she was smiling, her grip on my hands tight. "Hayes Kingman, are you asking me to marry you? Right here, right now, on a Star Trek cruise?"

I nodded, my own vision blurring with tears. "I am. I don"t want to waste another minute. I love you, Willa. More than anything in this universe or any other. Will you be my wife, my partner, my Imzadi?"

She let out a watery laugh, throwing her arms around my neck. "Yes. Yes, a thousand times yes."

The crowd around us erupted into cheers as we kissed, lost in our own little world. I knew one thing for certain.

This was only the beginning of our greatest adventure yet.

Not ready forour adventure with Willa and Hayes to be over?