Chapter Nine:

They both sat on the blanket Hoshi had laid out on the floor of the commander's quarters. There were PADDs of all the information they had gathered strewn around them on the blanket. Plus, there was chocolate and champagne set out next to them. Hoshi didn't care how they had gotten to the point of camping out at each other's quarters on breaks, but they had. The champagne was something Trip had decided they needed to camp out with and the chocolate was Hoshi's personal touch.

The memories the crew had lost had been returning very slowly. It couldn't be explained, but Archer figured Mishkra wanted them to remember.

"Okay, so first…" Hoshi began before being interrupted by Trip.

Trip moved in closer and whispered in her ear, "I get it, Hosh. No need to explain it to me again."

She smiled as his voice tickled her ear. She didn't understand what was happening to her, but she felt so safe in the commander's presence.

"All right," she agreed. "So we know all of this. What we have to figure out is a way to get away from the Jalashk if they are to attack again."

Trip sighed. He didn't care about the Jalashk, not right now anyway. He was with a beautiful woman in his quarters on a light pink blanket, with chocolate and champagne to complete the picture. All he wanted was to hold that beautiful woman and not care about anything else for at least a moment.

He moved in closer and ran his hands down her arms. She sighed in pleasure and didn't pull away. Hoshi threw the PADDs in her hands away from them and leaned back. Trip softly kissed her neck and her eyes fluttered. Her stance loosened and she let him kiss her. He unbuttoned her jacket and slid it off of her lithe arms. Then he began to kiss the arms he had just freed from the confining jacket. A beep at the door interrupted Trip just as he began to kiss Hoshi more fervently.

Hoshi pulled away and Trip stood up.

"Come," the engineer said, more than a little annoyed.

Malcolm entered, totting another PADD. "This is something the captain put together on what memories had returned to him."

The tactical officer looked from Hoshi to Trip, wondering what other than words had been exchanged on the blanket. Hoshi was adjusting her jacket slowly, as to not capture Reed's attention. His head swarmed with ideas that they were touching each other, or kissing or worse – getting it on the blanket. His face burned at the thought.

Trip took the PADD and looked at Malcolm's face. He was obviously staring at Hoshi, who was looking down at the blanket.

"Look, Malcolm, nothing happened, all right?" Trip said, exasperated.

Malcolm's gaze switched from Hoshi to Trip. "Nothing happened, sir? Whatever do you mean?"

He pretended to not know what Trip was talking about.

Trip rolled his eyes. "Hoshi and I were…"

"It's none of my business, sir. There are other women, I'm merely just curious why you needed a blanket on the floor," he said sarcastically before turning and bolting out the door.

Biting his lip, Trip looked at Hoshi. He wanted to beat the crap out of Malcolm for his rude comment.

"Maybe we should continue this tomorrow," Hoshi said solemnly.

"Jus' cuz Malcolm said somethin' rude, ya wanna continue this later?"

"Yes."

"It doesn't matta what he has to say or think, Hosh. Nothin' happened but kissin'. What's the harm in that?" his drawl worsened as he became furious.

Hoshi's face stared up at his. She was so beautiful in Trip's eyes.

"Then we should continue with the work at hand," she replied.

Trip nodded and left it at that. He wasn't going to fight her about wanting to hold her. It wasn't worth the risk.

The engineer sat back down on the blanket at viewed the PADD in his hands. The information wasn't any news to him or Hoshi, so he placed it on the blanket.

"We're not getting anywhere with any of this information," Trip said. "Without the computer's recordings of the alien ship, we won't find out how to protect ourselves better from the Jalashk.

Hoshi agreed and flopped her PADD down. She turned to Trip, who was staring at the blanket. Then she pushed him forcibly down on to the blanket. He gave her a confused look as moved her body on top of his. She removed her jacket and then unbuttoned his. He had a goofy grin on his face and she kissed it.

"Hosh," he drawled and closed his eyes as she playfully planted kisses on various parts of his face.

Hoshi nuzzled her face against Trip's and let her body's weight drop. She lay there, thinking about what to do next to become his lover.

The commander let his hands roam across her body as he kissed her back.

It was almost innocent, at least until he pushed her onto the edge of the blanket and began to kiss her neck. He removed her shirt, leaving her in her bra. She laughed good-naturedly and allowed him to kiss her more. She pulled him close and locked her lips on to his, at last.

***

When morning came, Hoshi pulled the blankets close to her naked body and flopped onto Trip. He was awake and gave her a quick kiss.

"We better get ourselves presentable. The capn's having a meeting about all this information in an hour," Trip said, untangling himself from the blankets.

"Race you to the shower!" Hoshi yelled, knocking him over as she jumped out of the bed and just grazed her head on the top bunk.

She streaked across the room to the bathroom with Trip just a hairsbreadth behind her, well, behind. The bathroom door shut just before gales of laughter and screaming erupted from about who had beaten whom. Laughter of a different sort could then be heard once the shower was turned on.

***

"Their memories are returning, An'rah'mishkayala'h'sha'vre!" the male yelled.

"It is not my fault, Ah'vrah'sh'nee!" Mishkra yelled back, almost a mirror image in posture and appearance to her male counterpart.

The male alien paced back and forth, pointing his finger at her face.

"Then whose fault is it? Mine? Hah! This was not my in-and-out job that became some silly fling!"

"I did not have a fling!"

"Then what was that with the captain? You were seducing him!" Vrah accused.

"I was not! I was only using him to get the thoughts I needed to make an assessment of he and his people!" Mishkra yelled back and then shoved him with her hands.

Vrah glared as he hit the nearby wall.

"Do not blame me of anything!" Mishkra countered. "The king would be furious with you, fool! I am one of his Most Trusted."

The words burned. Vrah had wanted to be one of the Most Trusted, but had not made it to the list. He was below the female before him, which did not make him happy.

"Then why are they remembering?"

"I may have altered the captain's mind." She paused before continuing with a different thought. "Or I was right about the true love thing."

Vrah glared.

"There's love on this ship?"

"There's love everywhere you look," she replied, disgusted at his stupidity.

He glared back at her.

"Who?"

"That's not your concern; it's not even mine. Its part of history read it for once!" Mishkra glowered.

"I know the history of the Enterprise crew."

"Well, then think."

"You make me so angry, woman," Vrah sighed.

She left him standing there, thinking about the history that he had read prior to this. They were supposed to come to this time and fix something that was being bothered. They were supposed to have a run in with the crew, they were supposed to talk with Archer and the humans were supposed to remember again slowly. This fight was to take place, the love exchanged between two unlikely humans was supposed to happen and it was supposed to flourish. It was even recorded that Mishkra was supposed to stomp out of the room.

Damned history. Vrah hated having to mess with it all the time.