Long enough that you’re stuck with me for a while long.

[He gave her a smile and reach up to gently brush away a few of the tears that had fallen on her cheeks. He didn’t think that she was done crying over this but he thought she might be done now.

And he wasn’t about to burden her with any sort of timetable or knowledge about how close he was to the event. He appreciated her asking and just knowing she knew was enough for him.]

And listen, when it happens, I want you to know that every day for the rest of my life I’ll know that I saved the life of a person who was worth going through that for. And an entire Federation of people will know a measure of peace they wouldn’t otherwise. I also want you to remember who we should really feel sorry for right now.

[One of the best parts of being a captain was that you got to talk in enigmatic riddles under the guise of making people think outside the box.]