Avenging Angel by Pat Eisenberger

Sister Jessica Angelique Bryce joins the Enterprise as the ship's chaplain and quickly wins the heart of her crew and her captain. This little woman has a big lust for life - she likes her coffee strong, her whiskey straight, and snores like a bulldozer. On an away mission to a pre- industrial planet, Archer and Sister Jessie travel as minstrels, accompanied by Trip and Hoshi. The village is raided and Hoshi is kidnapped. Can they rescue her in time?

Enterprise NX101 gracefully slipped into orbit of the small, gray planet with a showy flare that only the most experienced pilot would care enough to put forth the effort to execute. Captain Archer smiled briefly at Ensign Mayweather to let him know that he noticed, and appreciated, his crewman's expertise. "It's maneuvers like that, that could save our skin one day," he thought to himself. In fact, Archer was continually amazed by the quality of people Star Fleet had produced for this ground-breaking mission. Of course, they had to be, for who knew what they would find out here? "Hail the colony and let them know we're up here, Hoshi," Archer said. "Already done, sir. Councilman Snyder wishes to speak with you." Well, that was fast. "Captain Jonathon Archer, of the Starship Enterprise here. Greetings, Councilman." A round, smiling face appeared on the view screen, leaning forward with eagerness. "Greetings, Captain. We've been looking forward to your arrival! It's always a pleasure to see new faces in our small community." "A community that's about to be reduced, Councilman," Archer replied. "Is the chaplain ready to depart, or will she wait a day or two so that my crew can enjoy a little shore leave?" And that was the whole reason for this short stop. Archer was aware that Sister Jessica Angelique Bryce had been pestering Starfleet for months for a chance to continue her research into out-world religions on the Enterprise. She kept bartering passage on one supply ship after another until she had finally reached the end of the shipping routes. This was the only way Sister Jessie could continue on her quest. The councilman laughed, "Sister Jessie is eager to continue her studies, but willing to wait a few days. Please inform your crew that we are prepared to offer them our hospitality. And if I may, I'd like to invite you and your officers to dinner this evening. I'd love to hear what you've been finding out here. We're so busy getting this colony on it's feet that there's little time to read the dispatches, which are usually several weeks old by the time we get them."

Councilman Synder met Archer, Trip, T'Pol and Hoshi as they exited the shuttle pod just outside of the small settlement. "Greetings, Captain!" he said warmly as he clasped Archer's hand. "It's a few hours until dinner, and I thought you'd like a tour of the settlement - not that it will take all that long." Looking behind himself at his crew, he then turned back to the councilman with a smile and a nod. "That would be good, Councilman. By the way - when do we get to meet our chaplain?" "Right now she's out in the meadow to the east of town," the Snyder said. "She said that she wanted one more hunt before leaving." "The sister is on a hunt? Isn't that a little out of character for a holy woman?" Archer said doubtfully. "Not the way she hunts. If you wish, you can go see for yourself. But be careful and be as quiet as possible. The prey she's after today is particularly dangerous. If you startle a bonta, it can turn on the closest target - and that will be the sister." Archer looked at Trip and said, "Feel like a walk in the woods Trip? The councilman has peaked my curiosity. T'Pol and Hoshi can tour the village and fill us in later." "I'm just happy to have my feet on solid ground for a while, Captain. I'll follow you anywhere," he replied with a smile. The councilman pointed out the path and Archer and Trip headed off into the forest. They had seen the small, inviting meadow as the shuttle pod landed at the edge of town. At least it would be a pleasant walk. The trees were dense as they wound their way through on the narrow, rocky path - but they would see the arch-like opening into the meadow not far away. As they approached quietly, Archer thought he saw a figure in the middle of the meadow and held up a finger to his lips to warn Trip into silence. What they saw when they reached the end of the trail caused them both to suck in their breaths with a hiss. The figure was a small woman dressed in a light brown and white habit. On her head was a wide-brimmed straw hat which hid her face from the amazed men. Her arm reached out, allowing the long, flaring sleeve to hang halfway to the ground. Inches from her hand stood a beast that resembled an enormous gray elk with shinning black antlers - which just happened to be pointed directly at her. Trip pulled out his phase pistol, just in case. They hardly breathed as the bonta took a tentative step toward the woman. She kept still, except that her hand moved so that her palm faced the head of the beast. Then the wind changed, and Archer heard her song. Her voice was low and sweet. And, although he couldn't make out the words, he knew that it was an old hymn. He didn't know why, but it made him smile. But the smile lasted only a second as the beast took another step, lowering it's massive head and letting the woman's hand touch his forehead. She stood still as the rack of black antlers descended completely around her. Once again the beast stepped forward and Trip raised the pistol and took aim. He looked at his Captain for direction, but found Archer's attention riveted on the pair in the meadow. He jaw had dropped open in amazement, and his eyes shone in a peculiar way that Trip couldn't identify. As the captain and his friend watched, Sister Jessie reached up to embrace a head that was nearly as large as her entire body. "If you like, Captain, I can introduce you to not only the bonta, but the other creatures that live here as well." Sister Jessie had removed her hat when she had entered Councilman Synder's home. Since Archer and Trip had only seen her from a distance with her face completely hidden by that hat, they were both surprised at the strange mixture of features they found underneath it. Jessica Angelique Bryce was a woman in her late forties, but with a face much younger. The only clue she gave to her age were the white streaks that could be found at the temples of her long, dark blonde hair. She had taken those white streaks and braided them with in with small bits of the dark blonde locks, then joined the two thin braids at the back of her head while letting the rest of her hair hang down past her shoulders. Sister Jessie was a plain woman. From behind a pair of rimless eyeglasses, her plain gray eyes were almost unnoticeable - at least until she smiled. Then there was an unmistakable sparkle that told you that this "holy woman" was certainly not a saint. Trip had watched his friend reached down to greet the little woman with a wide smile and a warm, doubled handed handshake. He had noticed, also, that Archer's eyes never left the sister throughout the meal. He was once again worrying about the captain's interest in this woman, when the words "introduce" and "bonta" startled him to awareness. "Now, Captain - you don't think you're actually going to walk right up to one of them beasts and shake it's hoof, do you?!" "If the sister is with me there's nothing to worry about, right sister?" Archer never took his eyes off Sister Jessie as he reassured Trip. "I'd like to know more about what you're doing out here, sister," Trip interrupted. "I mean, I know that you've signed on to be our ship's chaplain, but Captain Archer said that you were also doing some kind of research?" "Simply put, I'm researching different culture's view of their Creator. One common thread among civilizations is a belief in a creator. How they view that creator usually has an enormous impact on the direction their civilization takes." "May I inquire as to your personal beliefs, Sister?" T'Pol inquired. "Irrelevant, where my research is concerned," the sister nodded at the Vulcan. "I'm not here to pass judgment or make converts. It is exploring the many faces of God that is my personal quest. A quest I believe, through my own experience of God, that He has set before me. The rest - well, you might like to come to chapel to hear about it. . . "

He couldn't believe that his palms were sweating. Why should he be nervous about the sister's arrival? She was going to be a member of his crew for at least the next year, after all. The door to the launch bay beeped to let Archer know that pressure had returned to normal in the bay. He wiped his hand on his pant leg before pushing the button to enter and saw Trip emerging from the pod with a bag in each hand. Behind him followed the sister carrying something made of wood on her back. She looked up to see him, and his heart skipped as she smiled at him. "Welcome aboard the Enterprise, sister," he said, once again reaching out with both hands to shake hers. "It's a honor to be a part of your crew, sir." "You may be a part of my crew, but given your station as chaplain, and not being a member of Starfleet, it's not necessary to call me 'sir.' For the most part, Captain will be sufficient. But in private, I hope that you'll just call me Jon." "That's kind of you, Captain. Now if you can have someone show me where to store my belongings, I'd love to begin becoming familiar with this ship." "Please let me have someone do that for you, and I'll give you a tour myself." "No - thank you. But I see to 'Arthur's care myself," the sister insisted as she turned around to show Archer the small harp she carried on her back. "I'm more than a bit obsessive about him, you see. We've been through a lot together." "Then let me show you to your quarters myself. Then perhaps some refreshments in the mess hall?" he said, picking up the bags that Trip had set down at her feet. "Delighted!"

Early the next morning, Archer and Porthos stepped out into the hallway that was reserved for runners for two hours every day. He always tried to get there before anyone else, using the solitude and exercise as a way to de-fog his mind from the too-little sleep he usually got. Just as he was getting up a good speed and starting to sweat he heard the familiar, "On your left!" shout that indicated a faster runner wanted to pass. But this time as he tugged on Porthos' leased and moved over to the far right of the hallway, he felt the air whoosh by him and saw the billowing skirts of Sister Jessie's habit fly by. He came to a dead stop as he caught a glimpse of wheels on her feet as she rounded the corner, crossing one foot over the other. Realizing that his jaw was hanging open, he closed it with a snap and stared at the now empty hallway with his eyebrows wrinkled together. Roller skates? After hushing the barking Porthos, he began to run again, keeping to the right side of the hallway. At the speed the Sister was going it wouldn't be long before she passed them again. The next time she whizzed by he was prepared and broke out into a big grin as she winked at him over her shoulder. Which was, for Jessie, a big mistake. Glancing over her shoulder enabled her to get a good look at the smiling captain in his tight shirt - and she let her eyes linger over the impressive chest for just a little too long. Archer tried to warn her in the split second before Jessie hit the wall, but she was going too fast to stop in time. He released Porthos' leash and let him run ahead to Jessie. By the time he caught up to them she was already sitting up with Porthos in her lap licking her face. With an embarrassed, crooked smile to show that she was relatively unhurt, she said, "So much for impressing you with my grace and style!" "On the contrary, " the captain said was he knelt by her, "your style was most impressive. I've never seen anyone hit the wall at that speed and remain conscious. Can you stand?" "I think so," the Sister replied as she let Archer remove the skates and pull her onto her feet. She then screwed up her face as she put her weight on her feet. Still holding on to both her arms, Archer looked down between them to see that she had lifted her left foot off the ground. "Broken?" he asked. "No - I don't think so. It's probably just bruised," she replied, gingerly setting the foot back on the deck and wincing again. "All the same, let's sit you back down and call for the doctor. You shouldn't walk on that until we know for sure." Sister Jessie thought of resisting, but Archer looked at her with such concern that it warmed her heart. It was nice to be fussed over a little, so she decided in indulge herself and nodded affirmatively with a sigh. After gently easing her to the floor, Archer walked over to a com panel and pressed a button. The sister's eyes were once again drawn to the beautiful physique of the man - then she quickly shook her head as she realized where her thoughts were taking her. She forced herself to examine instead at the ankle that was just beginning to turn black and blue. "You were right about the bruise," Archer said when he returned. He knelt down again and studied the swelling ankle. "The doctor is on his way. How does it feel?" "Stupid. It feels stupid - just like me," she said with a laugh which brought back the captain's big smile along with a laugh.

It had only been one week since Sister Jessie's arrival on the Enterprise, and already the crew found themselves being greeted by name each time they saw her in the halls. Every day, the sister spent time familiarizing herself with the ship's personnel files - memorizing faces with names and assignments. It was this small, personal gesture that gave Hoshi the idea of throwing an impromptu "Welcome Aboard" party one evening. While the Sister had spent time attempting to know all of them, they knew little about her. Using the guise of wishing to have a personal conversation over a cup of coffee, Hoshi lured Sister Jessie into the mess hall where nearly all of the off-duty personnel had gathered. At their joint shout of "Welcome Aboard!," Jessie jumped backwards right into the Captain, who gave her a friendly push into the crowd of well-wishers. "Bless me! I think you've all just added a few more white hairs to this poor, old head!" she exclaimed, pushing her glasses back into position on her nose. As hands reached out in greeting, Jessie felt a presence behind her and turned to find Archer smiling down at her. "And who do I have to thank for this little surprise, Captain?" "Hoshi thought that the crew would like to get to know you a little better. And also, everyone could use a little celebration." "Then I'll have to excuse myself for a moment. If we're having a party, we'll be needing a little music," she whispered with a wink at Archer. Within moments, she returned with her harp, "Arthur." Taking a seat in a corner, she struck a chord with a grand flourish to gain everyone's attention before launching into an old Irish tune, Banish Misfortune. The lively tune had hands clapping and toes tapping from beginning to end. When the applause died down she called out, "There's no piper here - so it's time to pay the harper. I don't suppose that there's any whiskey on this ship?" A few eyebrows were raised, but the whiskey appeared in her hand within moments. She raised the glass and said, "To new friends and old, stories to be told, and to our daring captain, handsome and bold!" With a wink once again at Archer, Jessie downed the whiskey in one swallow to the hoots and hollers of the crew. Her fingers then flew over her harp strings once again in a sprightly jig, as Archer's face took on a slight flush. The party had taken off in an unexpected direction. Instead of a pleasant, quiet evening of conversation, they found themselves in the midst of a boisterous celebration of life. When Jessie begged a moments rest, she found the captain and Hoshi smiling at her from a table and went to join them. "Hoshi! I've yet to thank you for coming up with this marvelous idea. I'm so glad you thought of it - I'm having the time of my life." "Well, it's not exactly what I'd planned. This party seems to have taken on a life of it's own. I didn't know you were Irish, sister." "Ta the depths o' me very soul, Ensign. Now I only need one thing - would you happen to know if anyone on this ship has any voice to speak of?" Hoshi raised her eyebrow at Archer as if asking permission. "It's only a rumor - but I've heard it told that the captain knows a tune or two." she whispered. "Jon! I'll bet you have a fine Irish tenor voice! And I've yet to hear it." "Yes, I am a tenor - if not exactly Irish," he laughed. "And I'll just bet that now you know, you won't stop pestering me to sing until you've thoroughly ruined my reputation with the crew." "On the contrary, I'm sure that you reputation has already been ruined. Come now - what tune do you know?" Archer winked at Hoshi, and said, "How about 'The Minstrel Boy?"

"I was right, and you know it!" Sister Jessie poked Archer's chest with each word for emphasis. Standing toe-to-toe with the 5 foot tall woman, the captain's 6 foot 2 inch frame towered over her as he stood with his fists on his hips. "If it weren't for me, that child would be dead by now!" she continued. The muscle in Archer's cheek twitched as he choked back what he really wanted to say. Instead he said, "The penalty for kidnapping on that planet is death, Sister. You both could be dead by now!" "But I'm not - and that little girl has a chance to grow up and live a long life. How could you just stand by and let them kill her?!" "It's their custom. If both parents die, they think the children should die with them." "Well, that's the stupidest thing I ever heard!" "Yes, it is. But it's not for us to say." "Bullshit!" At that comment, Trip (who had been standing behind his captain) choked back a loud guffaw, which in turn caused a small fit of coughing. With a disgusted look at his friend, Archer continued, "And if the Sheldarians find out that the child didn't die in that fire, just what do you think that will do to Earth's new trade agreements with them?" "Trade agreements?! Trade agreements!!!??? Surely a life is more important, more valuable - more, more . . . sacred than a trade agreement!!!" Outside the ready room, Hoshi, Mayweather and Reed didn't have to put their ears to the door to hear the argument from their stations on the bridge. At the sound of a loud bang, T'Pol left her post and walked into the ready room without knocking. "Sir, your crew is becoming agitated due to the . . . volume . . . of your disagreement with the Sister." "I don't give a rat's ass if the crew is becoming agitated!" he turned on T'Pol, rubbing the fist that he had just slammed into the bulkhead moments before. Not intending to let Archer's anger be directed towards her, T'Pol stated, "Be that as it may, your anger is not productive in this matter. The Sister kidnapped a child, and in doing so, saved the child's life. Dr. Phlox has given them evidence of the child's death, albeit false evidence, from a fire. The child's aunt has taken her to a colony off-world. The deception has high odds of succeeding in fooling the Sheldarian government and our new trade agreements are in very little jeopardy. Your anger cannot change the past, Captain." Archer let out an explosive breath as he turned and looked out at the stars. The toddler's round face, curly red hair and pointed little nose flashed in his mind, and he knew he was glad that she hadn't been killed by her government. You would think she was human child to look at her - until you pulled back the red curls and saw the shimmering, rainbow colored ears.

Then there was a flood of emotions as he thought about what might have happened to the Sister. His heart started to pound wildly and his throat choked up a bit. "Thank God that she made it though this incident in one piece," he thought to himself. "You're right, T'Pol," he said turning around. "I'm sorry that I let my anger get the better of me. But believe me," he said, turning back to Sister Jessie, "I'm not angry about possibly losing the trade agreements. I'm angry that you acted without telling me first . . . and that your actions could have very possibly gotten you executed." Visibly relaxing, Jessie replied, "I know. I'm sorry. But don't deny that you would have had me tied up in my quarters before you let me kidnap that little girl." She put her hands up as she continued, "I know, I know. Starfleet - and the Vulcan High Command - would not approve of my actions. But aren't you glad the child is going to live? How would have felt if she didn't?" Trip stepped up and answered before his friend could. "I think we're all glad that you did what you did, Sister. I know that, having seen the little darlin', I wouldn't have slept for a month knowing that they'd killed her." "And while I cannot condone your actions," T'Pol also addressed the Sister, "I confess that I also am relieved the child did not die. The Sheldarian practice of killing the child when the parents die is barbaric, to say the least." Sister Jessie folded her hands into the sleeves of her habit and looked up out of the corner of her eye at Archer. He let out a heavy sigh and put a hand on her shoulder. "Promise not to do something like that again without telling me first?" She pressed her lips together and nodded in reply.

"Captain - Jon . . ." Trip began hesitantly. "As your friend I'm . . . well . . . worried." Archer stopped in mid-stride. This was serious. For Trip to use his first name anywhere but in private . . . "About what?" Trip hesitated again. "Maybe this isn't the place." "You brought it up. Now out with it." Squaring his shoulders, Trip looked into his Captain's eyes and said, "I believe that you're getting much too close to Sister Jessie these past few weeks. It just isn't . . . appropriate." Archer pressed his lips together a moment before answering. "What I do with my private life is my own business, Trip. True, we have a professional relationship, but I don't believe that we can't also have a private relationship." "And just what do you mean by a 'private' relationship? Friends? HA! We're friends. We have a 'private' relationship as well as a professional one. But you don't look at me like you look at the sister . . . hell, if you did, I'd knock you on your butt!" "I admit that I'm attracted to her. She's got more Life in her than any person I've ever known. So what's so wrong with that?" "What's wrong is that you're falling for her, Jon. One of these days she's going to get the word from God that tells her that she has to move on and leave you behind. And she'll do it, too. God's her first love - not you." "You're right, Trip. This isn't the place for this conversation," Archer said between clenched teeth. "In fact, there's isn't a place on this ship for this conversation. I won't have anyone - not even my friends - telling me what to do with my life." "Jon - " Archer raised a finger in front of Trip's nose. "Case CLOSED!" He shook his finger as if he were going to continue, but thought better of it and turned and stomped away.

Malcom Reed watched Trip as walk into the mess hall, look directly at his Captain and Sister Jessie, and spin around to leave. "Hoshi, do you know what's going on between Trip and the Captain?" "Not a clue. But whatever it is Trip has been murder to be around," Hoshi leaned forward to whisper. "Funny - but haven't you noticed that while Trip seems to be ready to slug his own captain, the captain has this - I hate to say it - goofy grin on his face most of the time," Reed whispered back. Looking once again at Archer and Jessie, Hoshi's eyes grew round as she said, "You're right! Oh my!" "Oh my - what?" "I think I know what the problem is."

He had a plan. Jonathon Archer looked at his reflection in the small mirror of his quarters. He had replaced his uniform with a casual shirt and slacks that showed off the well defined physique that his uniform did it's best to conceal. "Maybe this will help her see that I'm more than just 'the captain'," he thought. "I'd best leave Porthos behind on this visit, too. Last time she spent more time talking to him than to me . . ." Archer had finally admitted to himself that his feelings for Jessie were far more than feelings of friendship. He had to talk this out with her, and he wanted to present himself in a way that made her think of him as a man, not just a captain. Approaching her cabin, he was grateful that the music he heard from her harp was not a hymn this time. The music stopped as soon as he knocked. A moment later Jessie was at the door, smiling up at him. "There's that goofy smile again," Jessie thought was she welcomed him in. "I wonder if I look as goofy? God knows that I feel goofy around him!" "I hope that I'm not intruding," he began. "Never, Jon! It's always good to see you." Did he notice that she was short of breath? Funny how that always happened when she saw him unexpectedly. "I thought that it was time that we talked about - our - ah . . . relationship." His voice cracked as he throat went dry. Could he hear her heart start to pound? As Jessie sat back down behind her harp, Archer sat on the bunk - then stood up quickly as he realized where he sat - only to give her an crooked grin as he sat back down again. The small cabin had no other seat. "I know that you have made a commitment to God," he began. "Yet, I need to know if there is room in your life for another . . . commitment." "And what form would this commitment take?" Archer looked at her around the harp. It was a barrier that was more than physical. It was a symbol of the faith that was her true shield. Well, he'd broken through other "shields," and he was going to break through this one. He stood up, gently lifted the harp and set it in front of the door. Sitting back down on the bunk in front of her and looking her right in the eye he said quietly, "I think you know, Jessie." He hoped that his look said what he found so hard to put into words. A lump formed in Jessie's throat that she was afraid would prevent her from speaking. "Tell me," was all that she could get out. "I don't know what the future holds for this ship, this crew, or even for myself. All I know is that I want for there to be a future for us. I'm willing to wait if I have to. But I have to know if there is a chance . . ." Jessie took a deep breath and sent out a quick prayer for guidance. It gave her time for the lump to leave her throat. Archer nearly jumped out of his skin when after what seemed like an eternity, she lifted her head, smiled and said, simply, "Yes." "Yes - there's a chance?" "And - yes - if you want the chance, you'll have to wait. I can't tell you how long. I can only tell you that there's a chance." Jessie leaned over and took both his hands in her hands. "I've never felt like this about anyone before, Jon. But I can't give up this task that God has set before me." He stood up, drawing her with him as he did so. "Then I'll just have to wait," he whispered was he leaned down to touch his lips to hers.

Sister Jessie hadn't seen Trip in over a week. True, the Enterprise was a big ship - but she knew that Jon's best friend had been avoiding them both. After all, he hadn't joined them for dinner since her first night on the ship. When she asked Jon what was going on, he would only say that they had had a "disagreement." Well then, she would just have to find out what was going on for herself. Knowing that Trip would be at his post, she put on her best, friendly face, and walked into engineering. She certainly wasn't greeted with a friendly face in return. Trip's eyes flashed in anger before he could conceal it when he saw her. He tried to stalk away, but she grabbed his arm and forced him to stop. "Alright, Trip. That look you just gave me nearly froze my bones. Now we can talk here, or we can go somewhere more private." Trip hesitated and looked at the floor. "The captain told me to stay out of it - and that's what I'm going to do," he said as his jaw twitched. "Follow me." Sister Jessie had not let go of Trip's arm, and she used it now to drag him out of engineering. In a bit in shock over her actions, Trip followed. In the hallway, he jerked his arm out of her hand. "OK. We'll have this out - but in the chapel." "You're acting like a brat, Trip!" "And you're thinking only of yourself! Good God, woman! You can only end up hurting him - but you don't care about that, do you!" "He's a big boy, Trip. He can make his own decisions. Jon knows we're both taking a chance of getting hurt." "HA! He'll never hurt you. I know him better than you ever will. And I know that once he's made a commitment he'll go to his death before he'll break it. You're not taking a chance of getting hurt. Besides, you've got your 'God' to turn to when you get tired of Jon. Pretty handy little love triangle you've got going!" The slap that landed on Trip's cheek was not a gentle one, and it shocked him into silence. It also shocked Jessie. Both her hands covered her mouth as she looked at him with tears flooding her eyes. Her face went white and Trip had to catch her by the shoulders and guide her to her knees before she fell to the floor. He felt her body convulse as the sobs began and Trip couldn't help but hold her against his chest. "I'm sorry," she choked out repeatedly between sobs. That was how Archer found them - kneeling on the chapel floor, holding on to each other and Jessie sobbing her heart out, thoroughly soaking Trip's shirt. "What the hell is going on here!" he roared as he ripped Jessie out of Trip's arms and into his own. "What have you done to her!" Then he saw the bright red hand print on Trip's cheek and whispered, "What have you done to each other?" Trip got to his feet but couldn't look his friend in the eye. He quietly said, "I'm sorry, Captain. I said some things that were way out of line . . ." "And I had no right to hit him, Jon." The two most important people in his life, and it looked like they had been at each other throats one minute . . . and . . . what? . . . the next. How he wished that he has a counselor on his ship! "You were fighting about me," he stated. "Yes, sir." "Why?" "You know why. I tried to tell you that your relationship with the sister could only end in heartbreak. I was telling her the same thing." "I told you to stay out of this, Trip," he warned Trip quietly. "Jon - please. You need to talk to him," Jessie said pulling away from Jon. Now both Trip and his captain had wet shirts. Sister Jessie wiped her face with her hands and her glasses on her sleeves. "I need some time alone. I'll go to my quarters while you two stay here and talk." As she left the chapel, Jon turned his friend and searched his face. He'd never seen Trip look so ashamed and defeated before. "I never meant to . . . I mean . . . I didn't want to . . ." "Hurt her? Well, it looks like you did a good job of it, anyway. Hell, Trip, I'm the one you should be fighting with." "She came to engineering. She said that you wouldn't talk to her about our disagreement, so she came to me. And . . . I told her." There was no music coming from Jessie's quarters as Archer approached this time. The quiet spoke volumes to him. Should he intrude? As he stood before the door, he sighed and leaned his head against it. Which is why he pitched headfirst into the cabin when the door suddenly opened. And why Jessie came to find herself falling backwards with Archer's full weight knocking her into several items in the small cabin on her way to crash onto the deck. However, she never felt the deck because a blow to the head made everything go painfully black. Archer scrambled to his knees to find blood smearing his hands and the deck. In near shock, he saw that somehow Jessie has split open the side of her face starting from her eye, all the way down to her jaw. His hand shook as he reached for the com button. "Sickbay! Emergency in the chaplain's quarters! The sister's been injured!"

"The facial wound is easily healed, Captain. But most of the problem comes from what you can't see." Dr. Phlox looked concerned as he explained the sister's injuries to his captain. "It's the concussion that is going to give her the most trouble. It's quite severe." "But she'll be OK?" Archer whispered, finally looking up from the pale figure on the sick bay bed. "Oh my goodness, yes - given time." Archer let out the breath he had been holding inside and asked, "How long before she wakes up?" "I'm keeping her unconscious for at least another hour. After that, I'll run more tests and . . . we'll see." The doctor knew that this woman was special to his captain, but there was no questioning just how special she was to him to anyone who saw him now. "Captain, I hope that you don't blame yourself for her injuries. It was an accident, after all," Phlox consoled the captain. "He should blame me." Phlox was surprised that Trip had come around the privacy screen unannounced. "Maybe we're both to blame. We should have settled this mess weeks ago, Trip. I'm sorry." "Me, too. I had no right to try to come between you two. It's just that - well - Natalie hurt me more than I let on. I just didn't want you to have to go through the same thing, I guess." "Don't you see, Trip? The time I have with Jessie with worth anything that I may or may not have to suffer in the future." Sometime later Jessie opened our eyes, but they didn't focus. Not only that, but her stomach told her that if she didn't shut her eyes immediately she was going to be sick. In the blackness she heard a soft whisper, "I'm here, Jessie. Everything's going to be fine." That was Jon. Wasn't there a problem with Jon? Oh - and Trip. "Try to open your eyes again, Jessie. Slowly, this time." Slowly she opened her eyes, but still couldn't focus. "I can't," she croaked, shutting her eyes very tightly. "That's OK. We'll give it time." That was Dr. Phlox she heard, accompanied by the hiss of a hypo spray. That, at least, seemed to settle her stomach. "You know, that's an amazing shade of green you're turning. Want the doctor to put you back to sleep for a while longer?" "No. Just help me sit up." "Not on your life, sister. You are to stay flat on your back until I give you permission to sit up." Phlox scolded gently. "I . . . fell?" Archer looked at the doctor, who took it as his cue to leave the two alone. "Yes - and no," he said with a wry grin. "I guess I . . . kinda . . . well, I'm afraid that I did something a raw cadet knows enough not to do. I came to see you after your argument with Trip, and, well . . . leaned against your cabin door right before you opened it." "Well, that was stupid." "Yeah - it was. I'm sorry. Promise you won't tell anyone?" Archer gently joked. "Not on your life. I'm calling Starfleet to tell them what an idiot you are." Archer chuckled and said, "Want to try to open your eyes again?" This time was a little better. Her stomach stayed where it should, but her eyes still didn't focus. "I need my glasses." "I'm sorry, but they got smashed in the fall. We're making up new ones right now. Anyway, Dr. Phlox expected you to have vision problems. You have a pretty bad concussion." "My face hurts, too." "Your face is going to heal nicely, but . . . the right side of your face was split open by the corner of the table." "Anything else I need to know about?" Jessie said as she closed her eyes. Trying to see was making her head pound even harder. "Trip's been here. He's deeply sorry and wants to talk to you." "I want to talk to him, too - but later. I think I'll sleep some more now."

When Trip entered sickbay the next day, he found Sister Jessie finally sitting up. "You can expect the dizzy spells for last for another day, but no more than that," Phlox was telling her. "I'd feel better if you remained in sickbay until then, sister." "Don't worry, Phlox. I'll get better much quicker in the quiet of my own quarters. I feel like I'm under a microscope in here." "I know the feeling," Trip interrupted to make them aware that he had entered the room. "Ah! Since you're here, Commander, perhaps you have the time to escort the sister to her quarters. I don't want her walking more than a few steps unassisted quite yet." Trip looked at Sister Jessie to judge her reaction to the suggestion, and found her looking back at him seemingly for the same reason. She pressed her lips together in a tight smile and said, "I'd appreciate the help, Trip. I'm still a little unsteady on my feet." Trip nodded his head, walked across the room and offered a hand to help her down off the table. Then he had to catch her as soon as her feet hit the floor. "Listing to port a bit, are we?" He joked. "I swear! I haven't had a drop - port, whiskey or otherwise!" she joked back in mock horror. The ice broken, Trip guided Jessie down the hall to her quarters with only an occasional course correction. "The way I'm staggering, the crew is bound to think I've had a few." Jessie chuckled. But the chuckle stopped in the middle and Trip quickly grabbed hold of her once again as another dizzy spell hit. This one was worse than the others, and it made Jessie's face go completely white. The scar down her cheek looked bright red in contrast. "Whoa there, sister," Trip exclaimed. "I think we'd better head back to sickbay. I don't think you're ready to be on your own yet." "Nonsense," she said, steeling herself to continue. Standing on her own again she looked Trip in the eye and ordered, "Carry on, Commander. You have orders to escort me to my quarters." Taking another step, she swayed off to the left and Trip had to grab her before she walked into the bulkhead. Shaking his head, he lifted her into his arms with a grunt. Realizing that she wasn't going to make it the rest of the way on her own, she relaxed in his arms without complaint. "It's a good thing that your quarters aren't far from here, Sister. You weigh a ton!" "But nothing that a fine, strapping lad such as yourself can't handle, I'm sure. Once we're there, can you stay for a bit? It's time we cleared the air." "Past time," Trip agreed.

Once they reached her quarters, Trip set Jessie gently down on the bed and pulled up the room's sole chair. "Let me start, sister. First of all, I need to say that I know I've been behaving badly to both you and Jon. I'm sorry about that, but I did it because I care so much about my captain. He's saved my life more times than I care to admit, and been the best of friends to boot." "I understand, Trip. But I think there's something more to all this. Why did you think I would hurt Jon? Have I said or done something to make you think that I'm so self-absorbed as to use people and discard them at a whim?" "You're right. There is something more. It's personal and I'd rather not go into it right now. Suffice it to say that I got hurt by a woman and I didn't want Jon to suffer what I have. But I realize now that it's not my call. And not only that, I didn't even know you enough to make such a ridiculous judgment. I hope that you can forgive me and that we can be friends." "What you did, you did out of concern for a friend. I'm glad that Jon has someone that cares about him enough to get angry at him! How can I not forgive someone that cares for Jon. And I know that Jon cares about you. "Now, I expect to be well enough to eat in the captain's mess tomorrow night. How about joining us for dinner. I know that you had dinner with Jon nearly every night before I came aboard." Trip smiled and reached for her hand. "I'll be there, sister."

Bending over the computer screen, T'Pol pointed out to Archer, Trip and Reed a village on the planet below. "It is a pre-industrial, agricultural society. You'll note that the natives seem identical to humans in nearly every way. The plant and animal life exhibit the same similarities to Earth." "Astounding," Reed commented. "Here we are, looking for new life forms, and we find a planet very nearly identical to Earth. What are the odds of that?" "1,932.6 to 1. However, the odds of the civilization developing along the same lines as Earth are 6,623 to 1." "Sounds like the historians back on Earth are going to wish they were with us," Archer remarked. "Well, the best we can do is go down there and take a few notes for them. What do you say, Trip?" "Sounds like a plan, sir."

"I've warned the sister against any interference with this culture, T'Pol. She'll just be with us to observe." Archer felt a great deal of annoyance with his science office at the suggestion that Jessie was too impulsive to join the landing party. "This civilization is pre-industrial, Captain. I only wish to warn you that the chances of contamination to the culture are great, and that I believe that you should do your utmost to lessen the chance by limiting your landing party." Archer adjusted the fur-lined cape over his shoulders as he and T'Pol entered the shuttle bay. Before the shuttle pod stood the rest of the landing party - Trip, Hoshi and Jessie. Trip and Hoshi were dressed in native grab like the Captain. Jessie wore her usual habit, which just happened to look similar to the clothing seen on the inhabitants of the planet. The only concession that she was forced to make was the elimination of her eyeglasses. After a bit of an argument with the captain about not fooling around with healthy eyes, she allowed Dr. Phlox to surgically correct her vision. "I don't believe that four of our people is too much of a risk, T'Pol. We'll contact the ship once we land, but then you won't be hearing from us for approximately four hours." "Do you still intend on joining their harvest celebration?" T'Pol inquired with a raised eyebrow. "It will only be an hour's walk from the landing site, so there should be plenty of time to do so."

Archer guided the small shuttle pod into a wooded area just after nightfall. As the artificial gravity of the pod shut down, he felt suddenly lighter. "I love a planet with light gravity," Jessie exclaimed. "It makes me feel ten pounds lighter!" Hoshi smiled as Trip remarked, "Certainly puts a spring in your step." The small party had already discussed their entry into the village. Trip and Hoshi were weavers, and Archer and Jessie were minstrels traveling with them. Because of the local taboo of unmarried couples traveling together, it was decided that they would pair off as couples. Jessie saw the captain's eyes dance when he told her the story they would use for the villagers. So taking up their burdens of cloth, harp, and bodhran (an ancient, Irish drum that Jessie taught Archer to play), the foursome headed into the village. It was after only 30 minutes of walking that they began to hear the first signs of the celebration going on. The crowd in the village was so large and so noisy that no one noticed their entrance. There were people dancing with abandon around a large, central fire, a band of musicians playing drums, stringed instruments and flutes, and booths where food and goods could be purchased. After nearly a hour of wandering about the fair and taking in the sights and smells, one of the craftswomen in a booth inquired, "I see ye be weavers, but I've no seen ye in these hills. Come for the fair, have ye?" "Aye, mistress. That we have," Archer answered. "Should ye be wise people, ye be lookin' for a dry spot to duck into soon. I smell rain in the air, and the wet will do your cloth no good." "Sound advice, mistress. Would you please tell us where such a place can be found?" "Old Ham, the tavern keeper, has a barn that he let's strangers use - if he likes the look of them. He doesn't charge much for it, either. Look for a short, bald man with a crutch. That's Old Ham. He'll be good to ye if ye be good to him," the woman said, then turned to a customer that was looking at her pottery. However, when Jessie and Archer turned to leave, the woman saw the instruments strapped to their backs and called out, "Minstrels! Get ye back here!" They turned back with a confused look. "Ye didna think ye could hide who you be, now did ye?! I've given ye me knowledge, and now that I see ye have the payment for it on your back, I'll be having me song, thank ye very much." Looking at the captain for permission, she saw him nod approval he and reached to help her lift Arthur off her back. Finding a log by the pottery booth to sit on, she tightened up and tuned the strings. As soon as she struck the first chord, the pottery booth was surrounded by villagers. Hands clapped and feet stomped to the ancient Irish hornpipe that Jessie's flying fingers released from her eager harp accompanied by a steady beat from Archer's bodran. With the last notes, she raised her hands with a flourish, and the crowd, taking it was their cue, shouted in unison, "Who-HA!" Jessie then found herself the recipient of several hard thumps on the back by her appreciative audience. Just as it started getting painful, Archer stood behind her. She looked up and smiled in thanks, then turned to see that the woman in the pottery booth was swamped with customers. The woman smiled and winked at her, indicating that their song was generous payment for the information supplied. Then she pointed to the sky to remind them that rain was on the way. During their performance, Trip had been busy locating Old Ham. They pushed their way through the crowd while, Archer, Hoshi and Jessie waited. "Da young gentlemen be sayin' ye be in need of shelter," he said as they approached. "Me barn is behind yon tavern. Ye be welcome to it 'til daybreak, if you pay no mind to the ponies." Trip saw Jessie's eyes leap at the thought of ponies and said, "I told Master Ham the ponies are no trouble, sir. And I saw the barn - it's clean as a barn can be." "We accept your offer, Master Ham. How may we repay you for your kindness?" Archer addressed the old man. "A wee scrap o' that fine cloth will be right fine, sir. I've a need for a new shirt, and the widow Rose promised to sew it for me. She be a pretty old gal, and a poor, ugly man like meself do find pleasure in her company." Archer and his party were securely in the barn as the first raindrops began to fall. The noise of the fair quickly vanished as the revelers found their way to shelter, leaving the landing party alone with the exception of five shaggy ponies. As Archer turned from putting down the packs he had been carrying, he saw one of the ponies bobbing his head up and down as Jessie spoke to him. The pony in the next stall over was reaching as hard as he could toward Jessie, curious about the soft-spoken stranger. "I haven't seen an animal, yet, that wasn't drawn to her, sir," Trip said, walking up to his captain and his friend. "And I haven't seen an animal that hasn't caught her interest." Archer and Trip both laughed when a third pony actually opened his stall door to get to Jessie, then bumped her in the back. "Ow! Does everyone in this village have to hit me on the back!" she spun around and scolded the pony. "Wait your turn, you nasty brut!" After checking in with the Enterprise, the landing party prepared to spend the evening in the Tavern keeper's barn. With the rain had come a very cool breeze which pushed it's way in through the cracks of the barn walls. "It seems our warm autumn weather is changing quickly," Jessie said as she wrapped her cloak tighter around her body. "Ever sleep in a pile of straw, sister?" Trip asked. "My cousin and I would sometimes spend a night with one of his father's cows that was giving birth. I guarantee that you'll be toasty warm in no time at all." Archer walked up to Jessie and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry about the cold, Jessie. A husband has the right to keep his 'wife' warm at night - does he not?" He saw her eyes twinkle as she asked, "And what will your crew think?" "Trip," Archer called out. "Jessie and I will take the loft. It's best that we continue on with our roles as couples - just in case someone should come in during the night." Trip raised his eyebrows, but reply with a simple, "Aye, captain."

"You snore like a bulldozer," Archer whispered into Jessie's ear, as they climbed down from the loft that morning. "No need to whisper, Jon. I'm certain that Trip and Hoshi heard me. I warned you that I snore." "Don't do anything half-way, do you sister?" Hoshi said as she approached. At that moment Jessie's stomach let out a very loud growl. They all laughed as she grabbed her stomach. "Well, I guess that breakfast is our first order of business today!" Trip had heard the growl as he opened the barn door to let in the golden morning light. Outside the village was already awake. Even Old Ham was to be seen carrying two buckets of water away from the town well.

Entering the tavern, they were quickly approached by a buxom, brown- haired serving girl who, upon seeing the captain gave him a good looking over - pausing for a considerable amount of time when she reached his green eyes. "We'd like some breakfast," Sister Jessie said, stepping between the two after having her patience tried for an entire minute. "Ye must be the minstrels and weavers what Old Ham took in last night," she said with annoyance. "This one must be yer man?" "That he is girl, and I'll be thanking you not to forget it." "Pity." she said, looking Jessie over as if finding the plain, little woman inadequate before she walked off into the kitchen. The serving girl quickly returned with four mugs of a steaming liquid. Expecting a tea-like substance, Archer took a small sip and found instead a taste similar to very strong coffee. He looked over his mug to find a look of bliss written all over Jessie's face. "Strong enough for you?" he asked. "I like this place," was her only reply as she never let the mug leave her lips. By the time the food arrived, Jessie's mug was empty. "You'd better bring her another mug," Archer warned the serving girl. "I fear my own is in danger of becoming the property of my wife." Jessie smirked at him as she poured milk on the steaming bowl of what looked like oatmeal. "This may look like oatmeal," Hoshi whispered, "but it tastes more like a combination of rice and corn." "Need's salt," Trip said. "Do you think they have salt around here?" "I like this place," Jessie said again, pushing away her already empty bowl as her second mug arrived. She even smiled at the serving girl this time. "Girl, can you tell me if this village has a priest?" Jessie asked, much more cordial now that the girl had decided to eye Trip instead of Archer. With a look of pride, she turned to Jessie and replied, "Not only does we got a priest, we gots a chapel, too. Ye be finding it at the end of town - to the west." "Well, I know where I'm spending my morning. How about the rest of you?" "I'll go with you to the chapel," Archer said. "But I'd like Trip and Hoshi to set up a table in the village square. One of the best ways to get to know the locals is to do commerce with them." "Sounds good to me," Hoshi replied. "I'm getting tired of lugging all this cloth around on my back. I'd be happy to exchange it for some local currency."

The streets outside had quickly become congested with wagons pulled by large draft horses and people on foot. Unlike the pre-industrial villages of Earth, the streets were clean and free of open sewers. The air of festivity was fast returning as neighbors greeted each other as they passed each other. Archer drank it all in so that he could remember every detail for when he next contacted T'Pol. This was more like traveling in time than traveling to another planet. "There's the chapel!" Jessie exclaimed as they neared the end of the village. The steep roofed chapel was set at the edge of the forest and surrounded by orange and pink flowers. Archer and Jessie entered to find the priest busily sweeping the floor. "Dust, dust, dust. All this traffic is filling my chapel with dust!" he complained good-heartedly as he saw the pair. "You must be the minstrels from last night that I heard about." "Yes, father," Archer answered. "My name is Jon, and my wife's name is Jessie. I was wondering if you had some time this morning. We have a few questions about your village." "Ah! A minstrel AND an educated man! I can tell by your manner of speaking. Well, I can tell you much about the village. I was born here and studied here under a traveling holy man. Consequently, I've never been more than a league away. I know everyone here," he said with some pride. Jessie waited patiently while Jon discovered the village had a mayor, town council, and judicial system. The priest taught reading himself to all that were interested. "We are a very progressive village, sir. We have monthly meetings where new methods of growing crops are discussed. Just this past year we have DOUBLED our production of corn and wheat though an advanced system of watering the crops by way of irrigation channels. We regulate water flow through a series of doors that may be open and shut. Our good fortune has provided us with food to spare this winter. Was this not the reason for your traveling to this village? Other villages have surely heard of our abundance, have they not?" Taking the cue, Jessie replied, "Word has indeed spread, father. I am sure that you've had many other travelers come to your village this fall." Pressing his lips together, the priest said, "Sadly, not many. The village to the east, which you obviously did not pass through, has accused us of dealing in the black arts. They cannot believe that our abundance is due to our own wits. They already raided the village a month ago and burned one house, took all they had harvested, killed the husband and stole the wife and child. We have not seen them since, but all in the village have been frightened. At our last council meeting there was talk actually building weapons!" he stated with a disbelieving shake of his head. Seeing the opening, Jessie began asking questions of the priest regarding the village's religion and beliefs. By the time they left him, Jessie had another volume to add to her research. Archer suggested that they borrow a couple of ponies to investigate the priest's story of a great spirit that lived in the woods. "Great Spirit, my Aunt Fanny!" Jessie said in disbelief. "It's more likely some kind of animal that's too wild for them to catch." "If we get a look at it, Jessie, I don't want you to tell them what it really is. That priest thinks it's his god, and we wouldn't be helping him if we disprove it."

After a filling lunch of coarse bread and vegetable stew (which once again produced a beautific smile on Jessie's face), Archer and Jessie borrowed two of Ham's ponies and took some bread and stew to Hoshi and Trip before riding out to find the "Great Spirit of the Forest." Trip proudly threw a pouch full of coins at Archer, who laughed as he poured the coins into his hand. "What's so funny, Jon," Trip said, losing his smile. "I think you should let Hoshi handle the money, Trip. This isn't from this village. We can't use it here." "No! Can't we trade it for something?" "You can try. Maybe one of the other trades people will be traveling and can use it.. Meanwhile, you'd better get busy selling if we're going to have dinner." "Jon!" Hoshi caught Archer's attention. "You're losing your wife," she said as she pointed down the road. With a goofy grin he turned his pony to trot after Jessie. "Look!" she shouted back at him as she pointed to the sky. Wheeling overhead was a dark red bird about the size of a large hawk. Upon seeing it, Jessie urged her pony into a gallop in an attempt to keep up with it. Archer swallowed hard as she broke into the forest going full speed. "God, don't let me find her squashed against some tree!" he thought as he urged his pony faster into the forest after her. It was dark and quiet in the forest, so it was easy to hear the pony's hoof beats up ahead and the hawk's cry above the trees. He urged his pony faster, but it became harder and harder to hear Jessie's pony racing ahead. Soon he had to stop to let his pony catch it's breath, and he knew that he had lost her. Searching his surroundings for some sign as to which direction she had gone, Archer soon felt a "presence" behind himself, and slowly turned around. Behind him had to be the beast the priest had called "The Great Spirit." It was the biggest grey stallion that he had ever seen. But more than the size of the horse, there was a sense of ancient intelligence and wisdom. It's black eyes regarded Archer with calmness and curiosity. "Hello," Archer quietly addressed the stallion. "I'm here just looking for my friend. You didn't happen to see a little woman on a pony, did you?" The stallion tilted his head as Archer spoke as if he understood. Flicking it's tail, the stallion trotted past Archer. "I guess we're supposed to follow," he said to the pony's shaggy head as he urged it forward. The mist grew denser the deeper into the forest the stallion lead him. It seemed like a dream to be following the beast through the mist in the darkness, looking for someone that he so desperately wanted to find. His pony picked up it's ears at the screech of a hawk, and there behind a large oak-like tree Jessie stood with the hawk on her shoulder. Her face glowed in the darkness as she reached out to touch the stallion that had bowed it's head before her. "The priest was right - you are a great spirit," she said to the stallion. Archer dismounted and slowly approached them, afraid to break the spell. "He's magnificent, isn't he Jon?" she whispered. "And intelligent, too. He led me to you." The stallion gently butted Archer's chest with it's massive head. "He seems so tame and sweet - yet the priest said that people have only had a glimpse of him. I wonder why he finds us to interesting?" "It's not US, Jessie. It's you he's interested in. Just like every other animal you come into contact with - just like me," Archer smiled as he put his arm around her shoulders and reached up to stroke the stallion's forehead. Jessie turned away from the stallion to look at Archer. As she began to turn, the stallion swung his great head and gently pushed her full into his arms. In the dark, unreal mists of the forest Archer found himself clinging to a dream that he never wanted to wake from. From Jessie's slow and passionate kiss, he knew that she felt the same way. The stallion forgotten, they let the mist hide them as they forgot all the reasons that they should not go where their hearts would lead them. Sometime later the nicker of their ponies brought their senses back to reality. The mist was beginning to burn off and the stallion had gone as if he had never been there. "Jessie, you should have told me." "If I'd told you that I'd never loved a man before, would it have made a difference?" "No," he said with a crooked smile, resting his forehead against hers. "I love you, you know." "I know. I love you too." The trip back into town was a slow one. Neither wanted the spell to be broken, but they were expected back before sunset by not only Trip and Hoshi, but also the townspeople. They were to be the first to perform at the bonfire that evening. Somehow Archer thought that he was going to be in good voice that night. Hoshi was the first one to see them as they entered the barn. At her glance, Jessie's face turned a bright red, which made Hoshi cast a quick glance in Archer's direction. "Now there's a man who's trying TOO hard to pretend something didn't happen!" she thought as her captain reached to take the bridle off one of the ponies. His fingers where uncommonly awkward was he tried unfastening the buckle. Just then Trip stood up from the task that he had turned his attention to and walked up to Archer. Stopping to stare him in the eye, he simply said, "'bout time," then went back to what he was doing. On his way back, he gave Jessie a big wink and a smile that made her turn even redder. "Well I never said that I took a vow of celibacy!" she blurted out in exasperation. At her outburst, Archer spun around with eyes wide in shock and Trip and Hoshi started to laugh. Trip walked over to Jessie still chuckling and gave her a hug that lifted her off her feet. "Darlin', stop being so embarrassed. It's written over both of your faces plain as day. You don't have to pretend for us - Hoshi and I even had a bet on how long you two could hold out." In unison, Jessie exclaimed "HOSHI!" as Archer said "TRIP!" with a glower at his friend. Jessie buried her face in Archer's chest as he came up to put his arms around her. "I'm happy that you can so completely accept us after objecting at the start, Trip." "Me too," came Jessie's muffled voice as she still couldn't look at her friends. "So tell me, Trip," Archer asked, "who won the bet?"

As Jessie emptied yet another mug of the tavern's strong brew, the sun began setting and the bonfire was lit. The villagers were slowly gathering in the square and were searching over the booths and tables that the tradesmen had set up, including Trip and Hoshi. The pair had gracefully accepted a small dinner of cheese, milk and bread which they carried outside to allow Archer and Jessie some precious time alone. "I like this place," Jessie said once again. But this time Archer knew that she wasn't referring to the tavern's food and drink. "Me too," he said with a smile as he reached across the table for her hand. "So what are we going to play tonight?" she asked him. "My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose," he whispered with a strong Scottish burr. "Barbara Allen," she countered with the old, English love song. "Somewhere In the Night." "Too new - try something older," she scolded. "Dulcinia." "From 'Man of LaMancha?' I guess that would work. OK, my turn. Early One Morning." "Another old English song?" he sighed. "How about 'I Can't Help Falling in Love With You?'" "ELVIS!!!??? Sorry, I don't know it," she turned up her nose. "OK - Foggy, Foggy Dew," he said as he waggled his eyebrows. Once again that evening, Jessie's cheeks turned pink. "That wasn't dew - it was mist," she whispered. That evening as they played for the villagers, Jessie found her cheeks growing warm several times as Archer pointedly sang his love songs to her. She'd never been so happy - and so embarrassed - in her entire life. Her fingers flew effortlessly over the strings of her harp, and it seemed to ring out like never before. After a string of sweet songs, she gave Archer a stern look and launched into a slip-jig which he accompanied with the drum. The villagers took this as their clue to begin dancing around the bonfire, and didn't notice when one of Jessie's harp strings broke and flew up to leave a small, bloody cut just below her eye. At the end of the piece, she called a halt to their performance and retreated to re-string her harp. "You've got a small cut," Archer said as he held her chin to turn her head. Dabbing it with a cloth from his pocket, he asked, "Has this ever happened before?" "It's a first," she replied. "Seems it's a day for 'firsts.'" Once again, he leaned his forehead down on hers and smiled. "Ah - Trip and Hoshi will be busy for awhile," she said, not looking up. "Do you think.I mean." She let out a small, surprised yelp as he scooped her up in his arms with a laugh and spun her around. "I though you'd never ask," he replied as he carried her into the barn. Hoshi noticed their exit and elbowed Trip to point it out to him. "So how long do you think we should wait before we go back in there," she said with a laugh.

Something woke Hoshi. It not only woke her, it scared her. Bolting upright out of the pile of straw, she saw Trip still sleeping a few feet away. Up in the loft she could hear a loudly snoring Sister Jessie. Whatever woke her, she couldn't hear now over Jessie's snoring. How in the world did the captain sleep through that? Shaking her head, she got up to look out the door to see if it was something outside that woke her. Searching the dark for clues, Hoshi thought she caught a movement in the trees. She pulled back inside and shut the door. Should she wake the captain, she thought? Her dilemma was solved as she saw him leaning over the loft railing. "Something woke me, sir," she whispered, "and I just saw something moving in the trees. But for all I know, it could just be some animal." With a worried look, Archer came down to see for himself if Hoshi's concern was justified. He stepped outside and squinted as he searched the darkness for some sign of movement. Finding nothing, he motioned for Hoshi to join him outside and shut the door behind them. "I don't see anything, Hoshi," he said, "but if you hear or see anything again, I want to know right away. In fact, I think we should stand watch tonight. During my report to the Enterprise, T'Pol had mentioned that there were travelers not far from the village. It could be that the raiding party intends to return."

They heard the first of the screams two hours before dawn. Archer ,Trip and Hoshi reached the door of the barn at the same time, running through to find the last of the raiders riding out of town with a bound and gagged woman over the front of his saddle. Villagers immerged from their huts and futilely ran down the street in pursuit with pitchforks and garden hoes. "What's happened," a white-faced Jessed poked her head out the door to inquire. "There's been a raid. They got at least one woman." Archer replied as he turned to her to push her back inside to the safety of the barn. Once they were all inside, she looked up at him and said, "Well, aren't you going to go get her?" "It's not our place, Jon," Trip advised his captain. "That would be interfering too much in the culture." "Interfering?!" Jessing verbally pounced on the engineer. "If it had been one of us, I certainly hope that the villagers would 'interfere!' I'm not expecting you to run after them with your phase pistols blazing - I'm just expecting you to use your Starfleet training to help these people. Help them organize a rescue party - DO SOMETHING!" Just then the barn door flew open as Old Ham came rushing in. "They got Havna, they got me daughter!" the old man fell to his knees at Archer's feet. Jessie knelt by him and put her arms around his shoulders. "Jon, we have to help," she pleaded. "They're back!" they heard someone yell from outside. Grabbing a nearby pitchfork, Archer ran outside with Trip and Hoshi, themselves grabbing a hoe and a rake. Jon reached for the door with a stern warning to Jessie, "Bar this door!" and slammed it shut. Outside there were several huts on fire, and in the eerie light they saw horsemen with clubs beating on the villagers. Archer and Trip ran to the aide of one woman who was trying to keep a raider from torching her hut, as Hoshi ran to grab a child that was screaming in the street. The next thing she knew, Hoshi was being lifted off her feet and thrown over a saddle. Her cry made Archer turn, and in a split second he was in front of the horse and grabbed the bridle. The beast reared up on his hind legs, and hooves slashed out. Archer swung into the air as he continued to cling to the bridle while the rider struck at him with the ends of the reins. Another raider, seeing his companion in trouble, rode up behind Archer with his sword flashing in the firelight. Hoshi saw him coming and screamed a warning, giving the captain time to release the bridle and throw himself out of the path of the blade. The raider with Hoshi galloped off into the darkness and Archer turned to face his new adversary. At first all he could do was wait as the raider on horseback charged him. At the last minute he stepped aside like a bull fighter and let them run by. But the raider wheeled his horse quickly around, and Archer saw that the trick wouldn't work a second time. With only seconds before he was charged again, he searched the ground for a weapon and saw the pitchfork that he had dropped when he tried to keep Hoshi from being carried off. He dived and rolled back up on his feet with the pitchfork in his hands as the rider charged. Trying to keep clear of the horse, he lunged at the rider with the pitchfork and felt the jolt of it hitting and knocking the rider down with a scream. It was then that he realized that the rest of the raiders had fled and Trip was running up from behind him. Jumping into the saddle and gathering up the reins, Archer said, "Get Jessie back to the Enterprise, Trip. I'm going after Hoshi." "I'm going with you, Jon." "No, you're not, and that's an order. I can't do what I have to do if I'm worried about Jessie. Keep her safe, Trip," he ordered and spun the horse around to follow the raiders into the darkness.

"I'll sit on you if I have to!" Trip threatened Jessie. "I'd like to see you try!" she yelled back. She'd already kicked his shins black and blue while he held onto her by the waist, and the ponies in the barn were kicking at their stall doors. Trip was afraid that he was going to lose this battle, but he was determined not to give up. "We're going back to the shuttle pod if I have to drag you by the hair," he threatened again, this time letting go of her waist with one hand to grab a fist full of hair. Immediately, he saw that this was a mistake. Jessie was now able to twist her body around, and slammed a fist into his stomach. His vision dimmed a moment from lack of air as he struggled to draw in a breath. As his grip on her relaxed, Jessie pulled away and ran to one of the ponies that had just broken out of it's stall. Leaping on without bridle or saddle, she grabbed a fist full of mane and sped the pony through the barn door, knocking Trip over as he tried to stop her. Trip jumped up and ran to grab a pony. Not being the best rider, he nearly slipped over the other side without the benefit of a saddle, but there was no time for that luxury. He just hoped and prayed that the pony would be so anxious to follow Jessie that he wouldn't have to do much by way of directing it without a bridle. He didn't have to encourage the pony and it raced after Jessie, the raiding party and Archer. At the edge of the forest where they had seen the stallion, Jessie pulled up unexpectedly and Trip nearly fell off his pony as it came to a stop behind her. "He's here, Trip," Jessie called to him. "If I'm going to get there in time, I need the stallion!" She left the pony and ran to the tree line. Suddenly she stopped and stood as still as stone. Through the dense mist Trip heard a whinny, and out of the forest charged a massive, gray stallion. As it approached Jesse, she reached out her arms. The great beast knelt so that she could grab a hold of his mane and swing up and onto his back. She reached out a hand and called to him, "Come with me, Trip. I can't do this alone." For a split second his first thoughts were to pull her off the stallion and carry her over his shoulder to the shuttle pod. Then a glance at the stallion told him that he didn't stand a chance. If he was going to protect her, he would have to do it her way and chase after the captain and Hoshi.

The raiders had stopped in a valley to rest their horses, giving Archer the time he needed to catch up to them. Stopping his horse behind a stand of trees, he peered out to see that Hoshi was tied hand and foot and lying at the feet of a particularly nasty looking man who was sporting a black eye - one that he didn't have when he left the village with Hoshi. When he saw that the men's backs were turned he stepped out from the trees, hoping that Hoshi would see he was there. She did, and let him know with a nod of her head. He pointed to the feet of the man closest to her, indicating that she should trip him. So with a stout kick, the man went down and Archer charged into the band of raiders. All he had were his bare hands against their knives and short swords, but he did more than his fair share of damage with his feet as he spun up into the air and kicked. This was a style of fighting that they had never seen before, and had no idea of the danger this one man presented. As one man lunged with a knife, Archer kicked it out of his hand, and with good fortune it landed close to Hoshi. With the raiders attention on the whirlwind that had attacked them, Hoshi was given precious seconds to slit the ropes that held her. Finally free from all restraints, she fought her way into the middle of the fighting men, and back to back Archer and Hoshi fought off knives and swords with flying kicks to the head and lightning quick hands. Just when they thought they might break free, another group of raiders rode up from the west, and Archer's heart sank as he realized that they were impossibly out-numbered. Beaten and exhausted, they raised they're hands into the air to surrender. "The woman be ours, now," one of the raiders snarled at Archer. "Ya trys ta take 'er, so's ya die."

The stallion's scream sent a chill down the spine of everyone that heard it. As they turned in unison to stare at the top of the hill, the beast cried out again and they saw in the golden morning sunlight that upon a rearing stallion clung a small figure with robes flying behind her in the wind like a pair of wings. The raiders froze as an avenging angel flew down the hillside, and only came to their senses as she charged the stallion into their midst. They lifted their swords to strike, but were met by the flashing hooves and teeth of the stallion as he struck out at them. Archer and Hoshi once again forced their exhausted muscles into action. Archer had just enough time to catch Jessie's eye and saw the pure rage that fueled her and the stallion. Then he caught a glimpse of Trip running down the hill with a red hawk flying overhead before he had to turn to fight off another attacker. Trip threw himself into the battle assisted by the sharp beak and claws of the hawk. The raiders found it impossible to touch him as the hawk dived and flew in front of their faces, striking out to rip their faces open. Trip found a dropped sword, and when he was able to protect himself, the hawk few to aid Archer. The hawk's assistance gave Archer a few seconds to frantically search for Jessie. His heart nearly stopped when he saw that she had been struck by the raider's blades several times and blood dripped down her arms and legs. Still she fought on, caught in a rage that left her completely out of control. Archer began fighting his way to her side when he saw that Trip had made his way to fight next to Hoshi. Seeing that their hostages had swiftly become more trouble than they were worth, several of the raiders ran from the battle. As their ranks thinned, Archer began to have hope that the fight would end in their favor. It was then that he heard Jessie's scream. As the last band of raiders fled, one had turned to strike one last time. Archer saw the strike and watched in a daze as Jessie looked down at the tip of the blade coming through her chest. She raised her eyes to the raising sun and slipped from the stallion's back to land in the dewy grass before he could reach her. With shaking hands he pulled the sword out of her back and rolled her over. There was no time for final words. For one brief moment their eyes locked, and Archer saw shock and sorrow in Jessie's grey eyes before the light in them went out - and she was gone. Archer didn't say a word as Trip and Hoshi knelt beside him. He reached out to close the empty eyes of the woman he loved, and let his hand linger on the still-warm face that still felt so alive. He heard, and ignored, Hoshi's sob as he tenderly brushed away some dirt from Jessie's cheek. He felt Trip's hands grab him arms from behind and allowed him to lift him to his feet. When the big stallion knelt beside him, Archer got and his back as Trip lifted Jessie into her waiting lover's arms one last time.

Epilog

Trip finished up the last touches to the chapel's new altar. Malcolm and Mayweather had offered to help, but this was something that he wanted to do by himself. On the day of Sister Jessie's wake, the captain had carried in her harp and had laid it on the altar. After several days Trip and the others noticed that he hadn't come back for it, and after much discussion decided to build a new alter. Trip had built an arched niche into the base, and he now placed the sister's harp there with the broken string still in place. He hoped his friend wouldn't mind - he really didn't think Jon would. In the short time they had known her, they had all come to see her as a symbol of everything that had brought them out here - her enthusiasm, her sense of wonder, her lust for life, her curiosity. She had taught them that they had to create the future, or others would do it for them. She showed them that they had to care for one another, because if they didn't, who would? And she taught them that true strength sometimes came from unlikely places. It seemed so right that this essential part of her be left in this place, to be here always with them as they continued on into the unknown. Trip spun around when he heard the chapel door open. He saw the tears that filled his friends eyes as he approached the altar and the harp within. When his shaking knees could no longer hold him, Archer fell into a pew. Trip sat next to his friend and held on to him as his shoulders began to shake.