Fresh uniform on and duffel bag dangling from her shoulder, Amelia was one of the last to leave the Dresden, dutifully staying behind with Harris to perform the necessary last checks before their shore leave. But the moment she had been dismissed, Manning hurried out, quickly traversing the last of the corridors of the Dresden and finally the small access way to one of the many terminals within Starbase 1.

And there he was. Standing on the far side, wearing his usual dark grey overcoat. His short blond hair moving ever so slightly with the people rushing by. It didn’t take long for Amelia to spot him. She smiled.

“Pete!” It took a single callout for the university professor to glance in her direction and for his lips to open in a smile. Amelia quickened her pace, almost running through the room, trying her best not to bump into the people passing through.

And then, the duffel bag hit the floor with a soft thump. Amelia’s arms wrapped around Peter’s neck as she planted a solid kiss on his lips.

When the couple broke the kiss, Manning smiled. A joyful sigh escaping her lips as she took in her husband’s scent and squeezed him tighter against her, almost as if she didn’t believe he was there. “God, it’s good to be back. I missed you so much!”

Amelia