Chapter Seventeen

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Malcolm stood at ease inside Captain Archer's ready room. It has been a week since the disaster with Hoshi in the gym, and the guilt was eating him alive. He wanted to approach her and apologize, but felt it best that he keep his distance from her. His dreams wouldn't let him sleep either. He kept feeling her soft form above him, yielding to his hardness. But the dream always ended poorly – him pushing her off of him, cursing her, and him feeling her sadness and frustration in his mind, down to his soul.

"Admiral Forest just informed me that Commander Young has been murdered," Jon stated, leaning across the desk.

Malcolm's expression was one of puzzlement.

"His adjunct, the one who searched for Hoshi's identity," Jon clarified and watched as Malcolm's expression turned to recognition and worry. "They say she experienced a very intrusive psychological probe before her death and we can only assume that a sniffer was triggered and that somebody is looking for Hoshi."

Malcolm's blood turned to ice at the realization that somebody may be gunning for Hoshi, his gut jumping into his throat. "I'll double her self defense trainings and begin her weapons training at once. I'll have…"

"Malcolm, I've already informed the rest of the senior staff. We're on standby tactical alert. I wanted to tell you separately because I know you're … fond… of Hoshi," Jon said, noting the slight blush that crept up the man's neck.

"Understood, sir. I'll see to the rest of her training personally," he stated. "Is that all, sir."

"Dismissed, Lieutenant," Jon stated and watched his armory officer leave with great haste. He turned his chair to look out the stars, hoping and praying they were beyond the grasp of whoever was coming for Hoshi.

Malcolm stood in the gym, waiting for Hoshi. Em was working on phase cannon system alignments, stating she didn't want their aim to be off when those bastards came for Hoshi. Em agreed that Malcolm would be the best candidate to further Hoshi's training with the understanding that he would keep a check on his libido.

"You break her heart, and I'll break your face…sir," Em stated after she asked permission to speak candidly.

He agreed, relieved that Hoshi had someone other than himself in her corner, someone without an ulterior motive.

Malcolm paced the room, trying to screw up the nerve to apologize to Hoshi when she got there and also trying to not let on that something was wrong.

The door to the gym opened and Malcolm turned to see Hoshi frozen in her spot, looking around the room nervously for Em.

"W-Where's Em?" she asked, trying to calm her heart. She stared at his chest, his bare chest, unable to meet his eyes. Her 'crush' on him flooded over her, and she couldn't control her physical response. Her pupils dilated and her pulse raced. She caught her breath and closed her eyes.

She could feel Malcolm approach her, a torrent of emotions flooding over her, originating from him – guilt and worry the more prominent of all.

Opening her eyes, she backed away from him, causing him to stop dead in his tracks. He could feel her, sensing him. And by the set of her shoulder, she knew he could.

"I-I'm sorry. I can't just turn it off," she whispered and looked down, preparing for his anger, preparing for him to yell at her again.

She gasped when he put a finger under her chin and lifted it so that she would look at him. "I'm sorry for what I said. It won't happen again. I promise to behave with the utmost decorum. Don't shut yourself off on my behalf," he said as he looked into her eyes and shuttered his thoughts. "You're going to need your gift more now than ever."

She wanted to ask why, but he motioned for the exercises to begin, and she stepped next to him and started their routine. She sensed nothing during the warm up as she stepped to the right and started her breathing exercises.

After the warm up, Malcolm stood in front of her, pushing his arms against hers, initiating the workout. Grabbing her wrist and elbow, he pulled down, trying to throw her off balance.

Hoshi shifted forward anticipating the attack and pushed her shoulder and elbow into his sternum. Utilizing his momentary weakness, she thrust forward, throwing him away from her.

He stumbled, yet didn't fall, smiling at her. He clapped and rubbed his hands together, preparing to get tougher. "Ok, Hoshi! Playtime's over."

Malcolm pinned Hoshi down and she growled at him, frustrated that it was the fifth time in a row she had been thrown. The pin didn't last for long as Malcolm jumped up and quickly centered himself again. "Hurry, attack again!"

Hoshi pushed up onto her elbows and looked at him like he was crazy. "Can't we take a break?" she panted, pleading with him.

His shoulders, tense for about an hour straight, slackened and he sat next to her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push you. We'll stop for today, shower, and start target practice at 1800."

"I-I can't make it then. I'm going to movie night with Trip and Em," she stated flatly, unaware of the urgency behind the push for her trainings.

"Cancel it," he ordered in an authoritative tone, standing up and running a towel over his sweat-covered chest.

Hoshi stood at that point, her ire raised as she planted her feet firmly on the ground. "No."

"Excuse me?" Malcolm quizzed, flabbergasted at her refusal. He would broker no argument over her training. He should have started her training months ago and now it was going to be a push to train her so that hopefully she could defend herself if they fell.

"I said no, as in, I won't cancel my date for target practice. It can wait till tomorrow," she tilted her chin defiantly at him.

Anger flashed through him, whether it came from her or originated from him, he hadn't a clue. He really didn't care at that point. The twit didn't realize somebody was on their way for her. The panic seized him at the thought of somebody harming her and he walked up to her, pushing a finger into her chest. "You will cancel your date! You will come to target practice at 1800 sharp!"

She slapped his hand away and pushed her finger into his chest. "No, I won't cancel my date! I can do target practice tomorrow! I don't know who the hell you think you are. You're not my father! You're not my warden! You're not my keeper! You're not my…"

Malcolm silenced her the only way he knew how, by grabbing her and kissing her.

"So much for decorum," he thought to himself as he crushed her to him, slipping past her lips and seeking the heat within.

Hoshi's mind went dark, consumed with the passion she felt for him and the passion he felt for her. His hands cupped her buttocks and pulled her into the evidence of his arousal, earning a moan from her.

He sipped at that moan greedily, splaying his hands across the expanse of her back. Reveling in the way she shivered in his arms.

She could feel the dark heat emanating from his mind and his skin, channeling into her being. The desire pooled deep inside her, making every fiber of her being aware of him.

 
She returned the kiss instinctively, meeting his tongue thrust for thrust, tasting him, feeling him taste her, raking her nails in frustration along his bare back. She pushed forward, trying to crawl inside him.

She tried to keep her mind shut, but the onslaught was too great. As she opened it, she could hear him. He wanted her. He wanted to bury himself inside her and stay there forever. He wanted to protect her… protect her… panic. The panic seized his heart, crushing it. He couldn't fathom not having her in his life.

He broke the kiss, much to her disappointment, but held her to him.

She bowed her head upon his shoulder, bracing for his anger and rage.

It never came. He shuddered and kissed the top of her head. "Not here, not like this," he whispered into the dark silk.

Realizing he wasn't angry, she relaxed in his embrace, kissing the shoulder that her face had rested on.

The thought that he was a goner crossed his mind as he pulled away, holding on to her hand. "You're sure?" he asked, huskily.

"Yes," she whispered, nodding her head up and down in the event he didn't hear her reply.

Malcolm wrapped the towel around his neck and led her out the door. His mind opened to her and he could feel her nervousness, her curiosity, and her trust in him. He would never betray her and always protect her. He hoped that he was projecting that right so that she knew. Words were never his strong suit.

They entered the lift and she sighed beside him, every fiber of her being geared to this moment. His hand smoothed under her shirt and made concentric circles over the small of her back. She could hear his thoughts, her mind splayed open with passion.

Just then the ship rocked violently and everything went black.

Malcolm woke with a shake to his head, screaming as he discovered his hands were empty. He clasped his head in his hands as he stumbled out the lift and froze.

"They've come for me. I love you." The psychic residue was the only trace he had left of Hoshi. He stumbled along the half lit corridors, the auxiliaries finally kicking in. There were a few bodies scattered throughout the corridor and he stopped to see if the crewmen were alive.

After ascertaining they were merely stunned, he pressed the nearest communications panel. "Lieutenant Reed to the Bridge."

It took a few minutes before he received a reply.

"Malcolm, what the hell happened?" Archer asked, groggily.

"Hoshi's gone sir."