Own any Star Trek characters I do not. The Welles family is mine.
I've kicked this story around for quite a while, because I'm OCC about editing over and over and over. So I'm taking the leap and finally posting this; it is completely finished (did I mention I'm a compulsive editor?) So I'll post chapters every few days or so. This has a little action, a little warmth, a little angst, and some warm fuzzies. I don't really write for reviews or kudos, so whether you leave any or not won't bother me.
Also, a HUGE thanks to writer Hopeful Romantic, whose extensive writings about the return of E2 inspired me to take some of her ideas and incorporate them in my writing. Here is a link to her story: "Touching and Touched" [ s/4462984/1/Touching-and-Touched].
In fact, just go read all her Enterprise stuff, it's great!
Also, I was inspired by the story, Tomasu, by Gigi Sinclair, who also wrote about the E2, and expanded on an idea she had.
Anyway, a summary: The E2 emerges from a wormhole and the crew is saved by Enterprise. While en route to Earth, Malcolm Reed finds that the E2's armory officer, Lt. Andrew Welles, is not his cup of tea. (And I'm sure you will figure out everything before you finish the first chapter, but remember, it's not the destination, it's the journey.)
Chapter 1
Lt. Andrew Welles squeezed Mariah's hand as they settled the boys quickly into an escape pod. He kissed her, and whispered, "I'll be with you all soon." Mariah held back her tears, she didn't want him to see her cry. "Don't be too long," she answered. He smiled the smile that always melted her heart. "As soon as Captain Lorian gets down here," he assured her, "I'll be on the next pod with him." He took one last look at his three small redheaded sons, the smallest in his mother's arms. "Take care of each other," he smiled at them reassuringly.
Captain Jonathan Archer had been shocked, as had his entire crew, to hear that the other Enterprise had burst through a portal near Andoria, and Shran had led the mission to gather the escape pods as the old ship finally started to break apart. It had been a year since they'd last laid eyes on their descendants. After their first meeting, Archer's Enterprise had waited a day for Lorian to bring his ship out of the expanse; when they didn't emerge, theories were rampant that perhaps they didn't even exist anymore. But some of the crew had held fast to the hope that E2 was safe, somewhere, after all, their hearts held sweet memories of their other-dimension descendants. Archer had no way of knowing the other Enterprise had exited right after them but had been thrown a year forward in the timeline when they escaped from the past. When the news arrived, Archer sent his ship flying at maximum warp to meet with Shran and help transfer Captain Lorian and his crew to the Enterprise for their trip back to earth. The Columbia also made good time to help transfer the families of the E2 and give them a ride home.
"Mom," Hoodu asked quietly with only a hint of concern in his voice, "where is he?" Now Mariah stood with her eldest son, while they watched and greeted their friends as each escape pod and shuttle was taken into Enterprise's shuttle bay. "Don't worry," she smiled down at him, "he will be here soon." "Maybe he's on the Columbia with Grandma and Grandpa?" Hoodu's voice sounded doubtful. Finally a battered, full sized shuttle docked inside, and she saw Commander Tucker grab the man who climbed out of it. It was Captain Lorian. Her heart soared like a bird at their father and son reunion.
But then she saw his dark blond head emerge from the shuttle, and she grabbed Hoodu's hand. "There he is, see him?" But Hoodu was already shouting at the top of his lungs and pulling her towards the doorway. It seemed an eternity before Andrew flew through that door and grabbed both her and the little boy up in a mammoth hug. "Are you all right?" she murmured in his ear, her hands wrapping around his back, her head buried in his neck. "Mom," Hoodu chided, "of course he's okay, he's here!" Andrew laughed, and hugged them even tighter, tangling his fingers in her long curly red hair that cascaded down her back like silk. "Where are the others–RJ? Dion?" She refused to let go, even though other people were shuffling around them, smiling at the couple. Their entire ship had known their story. "Your sons are fine," she told him, "they're with Fooz and his parents." She reluctantly pulled away from him, but her hand captured his. "Come on," she started to lead the way, "we've been assigned quarters. They're small, but they'll be more than enough for the few weeks it will take us to reach earth."
Mariah was right about the size, Andrew realized as he looked around the room. There was a double bed, and the boys would be in sleeping bags on the floor. It even had a bathroom with a shower. It was the best family accommodations Archer's ship could provide, and they were lucky to have this much room. They would only be here during the night and off hours, he reasoned. All the adults from his ship would be assigned duties, while the children would be in classes or playing in the lounge. Having over 25 children suddenly running around the hallways was a challenge for Archer's crew, but one they enjoyed. They reconnected with their new family members, and seeing their descendants like this filled their hearts with hope for a future that would be more peaceful than the last few years had been.