She laughed softly when he brought up his brother. The false animosity didn't fool her for a second; she knew how much they loved each other and how much John would rely on Eli through all this. "Are you going to accuse me of taking his side if I say he'll make a good uncle? Besides, Chrissy will help keep him in line."

John was right that priorities changed. Nyota had wanted to spend more time in space before she settled down with a family, but there was nothing more important right now than John and her unborn child. Her career still mattered to her, but there was a lot she could do on Earth if they decided to stay there. She had no doubt that the Academy would have her as a xenolinguistics instructor, and there was always research and diplomacy happening on Earth. "I'm happy as long as I have you and our baby," she agreed, and then added softly, "An exploratory mission into uncharted space is no place for an infant, but we have time to think about all that."