The Moclan tribunal came to the decision that the operation on Topa would occur. The interactions among the three lieutenants were more perfunctory this time, a bit of a setback, and it was back to silence since then. But it seemed to Findlay as if Gordon was fighting his inclination to interact. Alara seemed to be struggling to remain aloof as well. John would keep looking at Gordon, as if he sensed something amiss. So there was progress there, but it was inconsistent.

When it came time to go to the large generation ship, Findlay decided to shake things up. He had Dr. Finn, Isaac, and lieutenants Kitan and Molloy come with him. As expected, Molloy was quiet as he guided the shuttle to the docking port of the giant ship. He stuck his tongue out at Isaac, who had implied that such a complex docking procedure was above Gordon's ability. Alara stifled a giggle, which Dr. Finn missed when she glanced at Findlay and shook her head, which he studiously ignored.

Claire was probably wondering why he had both Alara and Gordon come along at the same time, a volatile pairing for an away mission. But something happened in the last timeline that was different than the previous ones. After Isaac's "practical joke" resulted in Gordon missing a leg, Gordon and Alara became close for a brief time before the reset occurred. Claire wouldn't remember that of course, so she could only wonder what he was thinking. But Findlay is aware that something happened between them.

He gestured to Gordon to open the door, which of course he couldn't. He pulled and pushed, but the handle wouldn't budge. Finally he gave up. "You should get Isaac to do it," he said, frustrated.

"Lieutenant Kitan," Findlay says, gesturing toward the door.

She nods, then grabs the handle and immediately moves it, and the doors slide open, showing a long walkway going to another entrance on the other.

She turns her head to look at Gordon, her features displaying a smirk of triumph, as if to show him up. She knew it was petty of her, but she has been inexplicably becoming increasingly irritated by his behavior, basically acting cold and indifferent toward her. Expecting to see a chagrined Gordon, she saw instead Gordon looking at Claire, mouthing an obvious "Wow!" with a look of awe on his face and Claire smiling at him in response. She quickly turned toward the entrance when he turned his head back, hoping he didn't see the shocked look on her face.

She stood stock still, hoping no one notices the waves of emotion coursing through her. Thrilled to see a man express admiration for her strength, embarrassed that it was Gordon of all people, someone she was angry at, that she convinced herself she hated so much she felt a need to belittle him in some way just thirty seconds ago. She took a deep breath and slowly lets out to calm herself.

"Lead on, Lieutenant Kitan!" Findlay orders. She moves ahead and stares straight ahead, using the time to walk across the walkway to calm herself.

On the walkway, they notice it's in a giant room, the floor of which a few hundred feet below. "Oh great," says Claire.

Isaac asks, "What is the matter, Dr. Finn?"

"I'm scared of heights!"

"It is a reasonable fear," Isaac agrees. "A fall from this height would…."

"Isaac!"

"Yes, Dr. Finn."

"Please don't say anymore!"

Isaac was silent for the rest of the walk.

Gordon knew that Alara was strong, but to actually see her in action, to so easily lift something he couldn't budge, it amazed him. He might even have been a little turned on by it. He smiled and shook his head. Oh, brother.

He realized he was no longer angry at her, and that he really hadn't been for a while. He felt a little remorseful for his silent treatment, it became a bad habit, he mused, but he didn't know what else to do at this point, figuring Alara is fed up with him and wouldn't even talk to him if he attempted. He couldn't blame her. He has been feeling more and more like a spoiled brat the way he reacted to Alara. He's still upset about Ed and Kelly, but realizes ostracizing Alara was a dick move on his part, as he was fond of saying. He was so into his own thoughts, he wasn't paying attention to where he was going. Feeling like a piece of shit, he sighs the biggest sigh in the history of sighs, then comes out of his reverie just in time to see Alara standing there about six inches in front of him, looking right at him! Holy shit! Immediately he stops, his face flush with embarrassment.

They lock eyes. Gordon sees a pair of eyes that are surprisingly not angry looking, just curious. Alara finds herself staring at the saddest brown eyes she can remember ever seeing. They stand there, neither one moving.

"Nice stopping on a dime, Lieutenant," Findlay says, sounding mildly amused. The two Lieutenants move apart, both looking flustered.

Another doorway was found, which Alara also opened, and they stepped onto an open space with grass under their feet, trees and shrubs for miles around. The group split up. Findlay, Finn and Isaac in one group, the two lieutenants comprised the other.

Gordon and Alara were walking side by side, Gordon looking around at the area in front of him, Alara using her comscanner to survey the area.

"What were you thinking about when you almost walked into me?" Alara felt compelled ask suddenly. She chided herself. Ugh, why did she say anything?

After what seemed like an eternity to Alara, still looking straight ahead, Gordon answered, "About how I've been an utter shit to you."

Alara looked at Gordon in surprise, saw him swallow, but he didn't anything more. "What prompted that, all of a sudden?" she asked.

After a beat or two Gordon replied, "It wasn't all of a sudden." He stopped and looked at her.

She stopped and looked at him, her eyes squinted as if in confusion.

"Look," Gordon continued, "I'm upset about Ed and Kelly, I guess I always will be," his eyes teared slightly as he kept talking. "But as time went on I couldn't find it in my heart to keep blaming you. After all, it was the…," he stops, sighs, then says flatly "correct…," then continues with inflection, "decision. I mean you weren't wrong, exactly. I may have overreacted I guess," he allowed.

Alara didn't know what to think. Well, at least he was talking to her. She was surprised it affected her.

"I compared you to Ed, and that was stupid and wrong," Gordon's eyebrows furrowed. Then he sighed again and his face relaxed. Looking right at her he says, "I'm sorry."

She stood there, blinking furiously to alleviate the sting of tears forming. Why did this affect her so? She barely knew the man, yet his attitude toward her since that day had a more profound effect on her than she wanted to admit. She knew she was annoyed, yet it wasn't until right now that she realized she was devastated! Why? She had attributed that feeling to the loss of Ed Mercer, whom she also barely knew, but was starting to feel decidedly unprofessional feelings for, sparked by his unabashed admiration for her, especially her power, on their first mission together. But now Gordon's acknowledgement made her realize she missed the way he made her feel included, his humor and sense of fun that used to permeate the bridge. She realized that missed the company of the man himself, and struggled to maintain her composure.

"Thank you Gordon," she said. Calling him "Lieutenant Malloy" would have looked too obvious an attempt to deflect the effect his apology had on her, she felt. She continued, "It will definitely help in the ship's operations to have a cordial working relationship." Oh, brother. Feeling all kinds of stupid, she walked ahead to hide from Gordon the obvious embarrassment forming on her face.

"You're welcome, Isaac," Gordon responded, grinning.

That stopped her in her tracks. She tried to fight the smile forming on her face and started shaking, then suddenly she laughed, throwing her head back. She kept laughing and shaking, tears forming in her eyes. It felt good.

Gordon joined in and they laughed together while walking. After the laughter died down Alara looked at Gordon with a frown on her face. "I have a confession to make. I was being a bit petty back there."

"Back where?"

"When I opened the door after you tried to open it. I wanted you to feel bad that I could open it when you couldn't. I...," she stopped talking when Gordon burst out laughing again.

"Wait, you thought I would feel bad that I wasn't as strong as a Xelayan? Really?" He barely got the words out before he broke out into more laughter. He thought it was hilarious!

Alara had to agree. What was she thinking? At first she thought Gordon was making fun of her, but she detected no malice in his laughter. She realized it really was funny and joined him.

They were both laughing so hard they didn't notice the vehicle heading toward them right away.

Findlay swallowed a morsel of the food offered to him by the rebel group he met. He'd had worse and thanked them, listening as they told him of their belief that this world they were in was not all there is, but that this belief was regarded as heresy. Suddenly a message from Alara interrupted the discussion.

"What is it, Lieut…," he didn't get to finish.

"Gordon's been shot, I think he's dying!"

Seeing the coordinates of their location on his comscanner, he got up, signaling his team to come with him. A local boy, who knew the area, went with them.

When they got there, they saw the vehicle, two natives sprawled out on the ground, knocked out, and Alara cradling Gordon in her arms, his head resting on her chest.

Dr. Finn whipped out her scanner. "He's alive, barely."

"Isaac," Findlay ordered, "go back to the shuttle and tell the ship what happened." He looked at the boy and "let's look in that vehicle for something to carry him with."

Claire was able to stabilize him, and they had him on a makeshift stretcher. On the way Alara said what happened. "We went off the road as soon as we saw them, but they chased us wanted to see our IDs. One of them whipped out a gun and shot it at me, but Gordon knocked me out of the way of the blast. After I knocked them both out I saw that Gordon was hit! I can't believe he did that!"

Claire replied. "I've removed the shrapnel and sealed the surface wounds. He should hold until we get to sickbay!"

The Orville was still there, not off fighting a Krill ship as in the original timeline. Xistan had arranged for another ship to be nearby under some pretext, and so they were able to transport Gordon back to Sickbay to be treated.

The inhabitants were shown that they were indeed aboard a ship, and accepted Union help to get it working again.

It took a couple hours of surgery to fix Gordon, now expected to have a full recovery. Fortunately, when he knocked Alara aside he also bounced away from the full force of the blast, taking it mostly on his right side. Otherwise he probably would have been killed instantly.

Recovering in his room, Gordon was talking with John when a signal rang indicating someone was at the door. He gave a response and the door opened, Lieutenant Alara Kitan standing there. Seeing John was there, she didn't move.

Before she got there Gordon and John were discussing her.

"Boy she was really worried about you!" John smiled.

Gordon lay back on his bed, "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah, she would tell me how you bumped her out of the way and got shot. She kept acting like she was mad, saying it was stupid on your part, but I could tell she was shaken by it," John said. Gordon knew the man was smarter than he let on, and very observant.

"So you guys are talking?" Gordon asked.

"Yeah, well, I'm mostly listening," John frowned. "Then she stops talking and looks at me like she feels she shouldn't be. I feel dumb about how we've been to her, I mean I'm kind of upset with the whole deal, especially for you, but…"

"Yeah, I get it, I feel the same way. I kinda apologized to her for how I was."

"Cool. I guess I should, too," John mused.

"Ugh. I shouldn't have made you feel like you had to choose between us. I was so self-involved I just didn't think about the position I put you in. Sorry," Gordon smiled.

"Hey man, I was mad, too. It's not on you how I act!" John smiled in response.

The door signaled and the Alara was standing there.

"I can come back later," she said, fidgeting.

"Oh, hey, I was just leaving." John said lightly. To Alara he said, "Can we talk later?"

"Oh, sure!" she answered, brightly.

"Cool. Well, gotta go!" He walked around Alara and left.

Alara still stood.

Gordon hopped up out of bed, motioning to Alara, "Come on in!"

Alara came in and sat down, sighing.

"What's up?" Gordon asked.

Alara looked up at him standing there for a while. Her eyes narrowed as if puzzled. Gordon stood there, thinking that it looked like she was inspecting him, studying him.

"How long have we known each other?" she asked.

"I don't know, three or four months," he replied, puzzled. He was about to ask why, when he suddenly started thinking. Why does it feel longer? He had flashes of memories, of him holding her and being held by her, and shook his head. It made no sense. Even commiserating on the bridge about Topa comes to mind, but it never actually happened.

Was he attracted to her? Well, she is attractive, so maybe he's fantasizing or something. But those aren't usually the type of fantasies that go along with desiring someone. It was perplexing. He feels a closeness to her he can't explain. But he does feel it. He must be losing his mind!

'Four months,' Alara thinks to herself. And most of that time they barely got along. Then suddenly he risks his life for her. It was a bizarre move, but she feels she would do the same for him if need be .Why? How? She feels a warmth, is almost giddy, when she remembers his reaction to her show of strength.

"Alara, are you okay?" Gordon asks, partly because he's concerned and partly to deflect from the conflicting emotions he feels. He takes a deep breath to clear his head. It doesn't really work. It's still filled with images, memories of things that didn't happen.

"Gordon," Alara says, her heart beating fast. She wants to say 'I love you', rush into his arms, hold him, have him hold her and never let her go.

Gordon looks like he's struggling, then hits a button on the console, "Gordon to Sickbay!"

Alara is dumbstruck!

"Sickbay!"

"Is Dr. Finn available…"

"Come on down, Gordon," Claire interrupts.

"Gordon, what's wrong?" Alara cries out as Gordon leaves.

She decides to follow. When she reaches sickbay she sees a frantic Gordon with Claire in her office.

"I'm in love with Alara! Even more, I mean I feel like I actually love her!" Gordon says, while pacing back and forth in Claire's office.

"Sounds terrible," Claire says, smiling.

"It doesn't make sense! I, we're, I mean, our ages, her career… I have these thoughts, I…"

"Gordon," Claire said, "take a deep breath."

Gordon did. "There's something wrong with me," he declared.

Claire said, "Then it must be catching, because she looks like she's got it, too." She points outside and Gordon looks, seeing a distraught Alara."

Claire waves her in and Alara says to Gordon, "Gordon, what's wrong?"

They go to each other and embrace.

Gordon cries out, "Alara, I-"

-reset-