Buffy leaned against the weapons counter and watched Malcolm retrofit a phaser for her smaller hand. "Tell me something." She said.

            He grunted, "About what."

            "About the Captain."

            He looked up and grinned, "You cannot figure out the Captain?"

            "I understand command and how lonely it can be."  Her face was serious.

            Malcolm nodded, "He can be ruthless when it comes to make the right decision. However he will listen to other opinions and weigh them carefully before implementing his own. He would sacrifice himself for any of us."  

"A lot like me." She said thoughtfully, remembering her battles in Sunnydale.

 Malcolm sighed, "You are falling for him Buffy."

            "I can't Malcolm. If I let him in he'll break my heart."

            Malcolm stopped working and wiped his hand on a cloth, "Buffy, you're good for him. He's not alone anymore. You are both strong and can lean on each other. I'd take the support anyway I could get it."

            Her face was a little sad, "And when he can't handle me putting my life in danger, when I'm doing what I was made to do. Will he wig?"

            "Who says that he doesn't understand? Will you 'wig' when he puts his life in danger?" He asked seriously.

She looked at him thoughtfully, "I won't know until I'm faced with it, will I?"

He turned back to work on the phaser, "I think you maybe underestimating him. Give him a chance."

            Buffy decided to do something special on the night before they arrived in Risa. She went to Chef and asked him to make the Captain's favorite food, and went to Hoshi for something nice to wear.

            Captain Archer was tired and hungry. He finally had a firm grip on the Ferengi information, and had gotten his final instructions from Starfleet. At least he hoped it was the final instructions, somehow he didn't think so. As he walked down the hallway all he wanted was to see Buffy, eat dinner and take her to bed. Pretty simple needs but it put a spring in his step. Entering his code, his door opened and the smell of steak and linguine alfredo met him like a benediction.

"Greg, you must have read…" Buffy was standing there in a red silk dress, a slit up her thigh and her hair undone, flowing around her shoulders.

            The door shut behind him and he began unzipping his uniform, "This is the nicest thing that anyone had done." He said and crossed over to kiss her.

Her lips smiled against his and she pulled back, "Change and let's eat. I'm starving." He made a pout of disappointment and she smacked him on the butt as he walked by, "Hurry." He jumped and chuckled as he went in to change.

            They sat down and ate, not talking much but enjoying the excellent food together. Buffy eyed her lover, there were lines at the corner of his eyes and his shoulders were tense. The door opened and the Steward came in, "Dessert?"

Jon looked up to see what was on the tray, "Apple pie ala mode?" the Steward nodded and Buffy laughed at the expression on Jon's face.

"So, apple pie is what makes you tick. I'll have to remember that." She teased. The Steward laughed and left quietly, leaving them to their dessert.

            Jon polished off his apple pie, then looked at Buffy's, "Are you waiting for it to do a trick?" He asked and Buffy lifted and set it in front of him. His eyes widened, "For me?"

            Buffy nodded and stood, looking over her shoulder at him, "I'm going to bed." Jon looked at the pie, then at Buffy and got up hurrying after her. He caught up with her, wrapping an arm around her.

She turned in his arms to face him, "I'll feed it to you later." She whispered and he moaned and captured her mouth.

            She made love to him slowly, taking control from the outset. Everything she did was to make him moan, or gasp or shudder. She used her lips and tongue, sliding them up and down his cock, ignoring his pleas and made him climax. He lay back, gasping softly as she cleaned him up. She walked out and returned with the apple pie and the melting ice cream. She fed him, giggling as the some of the ice cream slid off of the plate and landed on his stomach. Handing him the plate she bent down to lick it off. His stomach muscles jumped and she moved back up, "Oops, made a mess." His eyes were dark when they met hers.

            They finished off the pie and he lay back, cuddled in her arms for a change. His head rested on her chest, when suddenly he looked around, "Where's Porthos?"

            "Hoshi's babysitting."

            He leaned back, relaxing totally. "Thank you for tonight." He murmured.

Buffy brushed his hair off of his forehead gently, "It was no problem. I wanted to spoil you." He nodded and slid into sleep. She watched him sleep, feeling vulnerable. Her heart was cracking open and he was sliding himself in, a little at a time. Looking up at the clock, she gently moved out of bed, laying him down and covering him up. She touched his cheek and quickly got dressed, pulled her hair back in a quick ponytail and with a last glance, left to bug Malcolm.

            He was working out in the gym when she finally tracked him down. "Hey!" She moved over to a treadmill and began running. Malcolm watched as she ran at full tilt. He lifted a few more weights and wandered over to her. "Where are you running to? Or is it from?" He smirked.

            She looked at him with a smiled, "I have an idea." She continued to run as he waited. And waited.

            "Well?" he asked and she grinned.

 "Travis told me that the women on Risa wear these toga type dresses and sometimes if you're important there is one assigned to you, sort of like someone waiting on you hand and foot."

            He looked at her and suddenly had a glimmer of her idea, "You want to dress up as one of the Risan courtesans and be the Captain's attendant?"

            "It's a great idea." She defended and he nodded thoughtfully, "Let's do it." he said.

He smiled at the expression of surprise, "Really?" she asked.

            "I'll feel better if the Captain was protected. You can do it and it would kill the proverbial two birds with one stone." Malcolm said reasonably.

 Buffy finished up and climbed off, "3 miles is good enough. I'm headed to bed." They both left the gym and were thinking about the new day.

            The next day came and the Enterprise arrived into Risan space.

            Malcolm had contacted the security on Risa about Buffy's idea and they acquiesced gracefully. Their only caveat was they were to dress Buffy, they had 'standards' to maintain.

Buffy shrugged, "Letting someone pamper me? Please, tie me up." She smiled slyly, "I want to surprise him, don't let him know."

            Malcolm rolled his eyes, "Oh, he'll be surprised."