DISCLAIMER: I do not own Star Trek: Enterprise or any of its characters. I make no money off this story, only a tremendous sense of self worth.

AUTHORESS' NOTE: This story takes place during the forth season of Enterprise, after 'Observer Effect' but before 'Babel One'. Hopefully this part will clarify some of the misconceptions I've been receiving over the last part. Reed did not blab, except under orders to do so, and Maranda doesn't actively empath people like Amitana does.

Living Beyond

Part 12

By Arianwen P.F. Everett

Maranda rubbed her temples as she futilely attempted to continue her staff evaluations for the quarter. It was no use. Her lunch with Lieutenant Reed was on her mind and wasn't going away.

Duty, even combined with Vulcan mental disciplines, couldn't compete with knowing your baby sister was destined to become some great history maker, if she lived long enough to make history, which was seriously up in the air at the moment. Part of Maranda wished Malcolm Reed hadn't told her, but then again, he was under orders to do so. Captain Archer needed her help, and with the urgency radiating off her lunch companion from the moment he arrived at Respandara's Café, the turning of the conversation had been abrupt. She had demanded he quit his attempts to make small talk and get to the point she could sense, despite all her attempts to block out his worry and urgency, he needed to make. Despite all she'd seen and experienced in nearly 79 years of life, nothing could have prepared her for his disclosure.

She had spent the rest of the lunch debriefing Mr. Reed on Jomala's life story, the two of them clinically trying to dissect her like each would a murder suspect or ship's saboteur. She'd profiled her own sister, but then, she had no choice really. She couldn't deal with loosing her. Despite her penchant for trouble, Jomala was her baby sister.

Completely giving up getting any work done, Maranda felt compelled to find Jomala, to see her alive and safe. The fear inside her refusing to be pushed aside today, and Maranda left her office. She would give in. She would go to Jomala and make up some excuse to keep the girl close by today. But first she had to find her.

Thankfully Maranda spotted her sister on the way to the lifts. She had expected her to take the lift headed down eight levels to the docking bay, not the one going up. Jomala's going up meant only one of two things. She was returning home, which at this time of day was highly unlikely, or she was heading to see Amitana, to beg for a loan from their wealthiest sister.

Jomala looked apprehensive, like she was reciting a pitch for her loan. This made little sense to Maranda. Jomala's loans from Amitana were always small and always repaid within a week. She'd work an extra repair job and the debt would be cleared. Amitana charged interest, albeit a very low rate, so Jomala never wanted to wait on repaying. She hadn't had to pitch for a loan since she was twelve. Something out of the ordinary was going on with her sister today, and considering the stakes Maranda decided to follow discretely.

When she finally made it to Amitana's mega stall, Maranda approached with caution, doing her best to blend in with all the women looking through the racks of clothing. It wasn't hard, Amitana's was packed. Finding her two sisters wouldn't be difficult. They'd be in the back, in Amitana's storage area.

Making her way to the back of the store, Maranda entered the storage room, and carefully followed the voices of her two sisters who had obviously retreated to the far end.

"Jo, be realistic! Do you really think you can strong arm a Temporal Agent from the 29th century?" Amitana asked incredulously, sighing at her sister's naiveté.

"Either that or blackmail one from the 31st. That's the beauty of my plan, Ami. Either Mr. Daniels will return Father and his crew so that their faction of Temporal Agents can proactively handle the resulting changes in the timeline without interference, or I convince the Suliban Master that helping me return Father and his crew will work to his advantage. After all, there has to be some reason why Daniels felt Father's people were too much of a disruption to THEIR ideal timeline, while you and I were just dandy and should be immunized at once," Jomala explained, bitterness at Daniels willingness to toss her father overboard dripping from her last words.

Amitana understood well enough. With a mother with a philosophy degree and a father whose very existence had resulted from a disruption to the timeline, one couldn't go 54 years in their particular household without picking up a great deal of temporal philosophy. "But you said you bugged Maranda's table at Respandara's and heard Mr. Reed tell Maranda that you were essential to that timeline…"

"Which is why Daniels will likely bite his tongue till he bleeds all over his temporal observatory, before he even thinks of fighting back. And considering how it was the Suliban Master who told Captain Archer about the Xindi and the Expanse, I firmly believe the Warp 9.9 discovery is equally important to the timeline he's trying to initiate as well. Harming me would be bad for both of them, so I'll be safe with both. It's like an auction, Ami. I'm just getting paid in Father and all my childhood friends rather than money or goods. Ofcourse I'll have to pay you back for my loan, but I can get the money with a few extra jobs, no sweat," Jomala finished her explanation, bringing herself back to the reason she'd come to Amitana in the first place.

The size of this loan was huge by Jomala's usual standards. She needed to book passage into Suliban space; she needed equipment; she needed food and upkeep money. This could journey could take weeks or even months. She'd likely be indebted to her sister for years to come, but if Father came home safe and sound, Jomala could accept staying put on Kotook a bit longer.

Besides, if Father did come home, they'd be working side by side to build a new home for the Second Enterprise' crew when they had to return their Enterprise back to Star Fleet. Jomala would much rather work on that ship than her rinky-dink, 10 person, vessel anyway. That ship would hold 1000 people if need be, and she would travel the universe with Father and all her friends on it. What better way could Daniels imagine her picking up the skill to someday take her work three whole warp factors ahead?!

"You'd be lucky if you could pay me back in a decade. Father will never let you work on Orion vessels if he comes back. He'd likely take your head off for doing so while he was away. But I'll loan you the money anyway. I want Father to return far more than I want a franchise," Amitana conceded, hugging her sister firmly. The idea of getting Father back lit Amitana's eyes with tears, and the two sisters basked in each other's newfound hope, their empathic bond sending it back and forth in a feedback loop.

"IF YOU GO, you're not going alone, Jo. I'm coming with you… and that's after I kick your but for bugging my table!" Maranda stated resolutely, as she stepped out of the shadows to confront her sisters, both of whom jumped at the intrusion.