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Over an hour passed, and she was just starting to feel sleepy when she heard the guard coming back, accompanied by several other people. When they came level with the cell door, she recognized Phlox and T'Pol.
Before she spoke, Phlox shouted, "Darling! I've been so worried."
Hoshi was confused. T'Pol interceded, cutting Phlox off before he could continue his dramatic performance. "Yes. Our husband has been eager for your safe return."
By now, the men in the cell were stirring. Archer looked at them questioningly. "Good morning, Captain," Phlox called cheerfully. "If you have no objection, sir, I would like to take my wives back to Enterprise with me. The rest of your team can use the universal translator to continue the trade negotiations?"
Everyone in the little cell sighed in relief. Archer stood up, stretching the kinks from his back. "Doctor, I think that is an excellent idea."
***
Ching, ching, ching.
Archer tapped his wine glass, calling for attention. The laughter and chatter stopped as all eyes focused on him, sitting at the head of the table.
"I'm glad to see everyone having a good time tonight." He smiled, looking around the table. "I realize the crew was a little put out by us taking over the mess hall, but I think we might have been a bit cramped in my personal dining room."
Everyone chuckled.
"I invited you all here tonight so that we could celebrate our recent escape from another difficult situation. I would like to start this off by proposing a toast to our rescuers, Dr. Phlox and Sub-Commander T'Pol. My father used to love an Irish blessing:
Always
remember to forget
The friends that proved untrue.
But never forget to remember
Those that have stuck by you."
The table raised their glasses, chorusing back, "Here, here."
He smiled down to the other end of the table where Hoshi sat. She lowered her eyes, but then raised them back, boldly meeting his gaze. Reaching into her water glass, she secured an ice cube. While the Captain watched, she started to run the ice lightly up and down her throat.
Archer flushed. "Umm, uhhh." He cleared his throat.
Trip, who was on his left, gave him a strange look. "Cap'n, you all right?" he asked.
Archer quickly sat, took a drink of his wine, and became engrossed in the stars outside.
Phlox, who was to the right of Hoshi, raised his glass again and said, "To my beautiful wives, Ensign Sato and Subcommander T'Pol."
"You are a lucky man, Doctor." Travis said. He was sitting between T'Pol and Hoshi. He glanced over at Hoshi and was shocked to see her smiling in his direction. Travis hesitantly smiled back. She slipped her foot out of its shoe and ran her toes up and down his calf. He dropped his fork in his lap.
"Are you alright, Ensign?" Malcolm asked, watching Travis from across Phlox's other side.
"Fine, sir." Travis said, keeping his eyes downcast.
Malcolm looked over to where Travis's eyes had flickered.
Hoshi watched Malcolm, not smiling, and then licked her lips suggestively. Reed, who had just taken a drink of his wine, coughed, spitting his wine all over his plate.
"What the hell is wrong with you guys?" Trip looked down in Hoshi's direction. She watched him for a minute, then dipped her fingers in her wine, slowly licking it off her fingers.
Trip's eyes widened and he became uncharacteristically quiet.
Phlox spoke. "Ensign, I am curious. If you had been forced to select a husband, which of our crew would you have chosen?"
Hoshi smiled and looked around the table. Each man was watching her out of the corner of his eye.
T'Pol spoke in her place. "Perhaps Ensign Sato would have chosen not to marry."
Trip frowned. "But that would have meant she'd be executed…"
T'Pol raised an eyebrow at the Commander. "As usual, Commander, you have managed to reiterate the obvious," she said.
"What's that s'pose ta mean?" Trip demanded.
TPol looked at Hoshi and raised an eyebrow.
Hoshi laughed, long and loudly, until tears ran down her face.
**
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