"Malcolm," began Hoshi, "we need to talk about names." She dipped her brush in the yellow paint and began to coat the duck with it. In a few more nights, the mobile would be finished. Now if she could just get Malcolm to shorten the ears on the bunny, things would be shaping up nicely.

"Names?"

She sighed. "For our daughter." Malcolm had a tendency to become very absorbed in his work. When it involved saving the ship, that was a good thing. When it involved perfecting the tail on a molded plastic rabbit, it was somewhat comical. The mobile was hardly going to have a harsh critic, but Malcolm went about the task as though he was Michelangelo. "The one who's already set to start kickboxing classes, remember?" They'd discussed that jokingly earlier.

"Right." He scowled at the rabbit he was molding and took off the tail. It was too big. "Any ideas?" Poking a bit at the plastic, he decided to start the tail over. For the fourth time.

"I thought we should pick something simple. It'd be the only simple thing in her life."

"So Arianna Katrine is out?" he teased. It felt good, this level of familiarity and comfort he shared with Hoshi. Of course it made him love her more, but he didn't mention that. It would just complicate things.

"That depends. Do you think Zinaida is simple?"

"Zinaida?"

"It's Russian. Actually, I don't even like it that much. It sounds old."

"What about Sarah?"

"Not elegant enough. Ashley?"

"That reminds me of the bully who tormented my sister." Finally he was satisfied with the tail. It was unlikely that his daughter was going to be as picky as he was, but he wanted the mobile to be perfect.

"Oooh, Malcolm, she's kicking again!" This had become common enough that he didn't ask before placing his hand over Hoshi's abdomen anymore. Their daughter was very active, as evidenced by the kickboxing joke.

"How about Ann?"

"That depends. With an 'e' or without?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters! I don't suppose you ever read Anne of Green Gables."

"As I matter of fact, I haven't. Although Madeline did." Now that she mentioned it, that book's title character had spelled her name with an 'e.'

"Oh. Well, I like A-N-N-E. It's classic."

"Anne Sato," he mused.

"Anne Sato Reed," she corrected.

Secretly, Malcolm was very pleased that Hoshi wanted to use his last name. "It has a nice ring to it."

She smiled, knowing that it meant the world to him that she wanted to use his last name, even though he tried to look cavalier.

"Do you think this orange is too dark for the beak?" So she could be as much as a perfectionist as he. Nothing was too good for their daughter.

"That depends. Has the duck bathed recently?"

"Okay, so I think I'll add a little more yellow. What color are you painting the bunny?"

"Green."

"Mint, Malcolm. Grass is green. That is mint. Unless you plan to have a grass-stained bunny."

"To match the dirty duck?"

She didn't dignify the comment with a response. Or at least, that was the plan. Instead she burst out laughing.

Nine hours later....

Trip was just starting to wonder if he should comm Malcolm when his usually-prompt friend walked into the mess hall. Ten minutes late- that had to be some kind of record. "Well, look who the cat dragged in."

They both grabbed a tray and started down the line. Malcolm only got one of Chef's "Rise and Shine" muffins, which Trip rated only slightly above ration packs. He took two sausage links and some scrambled eggs.

"What were you doing at oh-three-thirty this morning?" Malcolm asked as he unwrapped his tea bag.

"Sleepin.'"

"Do you know what I was doing at oh-three-thirty?"

Trip added one pump of cream to his coffee before answering. Interestingly, Malcolm put two sugars in his tea. That meant one of two things: either he was too tired to notice, or needed energy so badly he was willing to suffer "over sweetened" tea. Funny, he drank it just like his normal tea. Trip had brought him "over sweetened" tea in Sickbay once, and the lecture he received convinced Doctor Phlox that Malcolm was well enough to finish recovering in his quarters. "Not sleepin?'" he guessed. It didn't look like Malcolm had slept much.

"No, I was not sleeping. I was squeezing limes."

"Uh, that's different. What was Hoshi doin?'"

He sighed. "Squeezing lemons."

"Lemonade an' limeade?"

He nodded. "Mixed together to create a truly atrocious drink. That's the second time this week Hoshi's craved it. Of course, she has today off."

"Just think, you're two thirds of the way through."

"And the last third might just kill me. Do you know how much sugar she put in that stuff?"

Trip just laughed.