"Did you love him, Hoshi?" Travis asked. He was in her quarters with her after Malcolm's funeral. It was a loaded question to be sure, but he doubted that she'd asked herself, and she needed to know. Sometimes, friends end up asking the hard questions for each other.

She was shocked by the question. Images of Malcolm came flooding through her mind. Finally she shook her head. "I don't know. What I do know is that he was my best friend, and my daughter's father." Her hand rested on her abdomen. "It's impossible to imagine what we'll do now."

He knew that Hoshi had just three weeks left in her pregnancy, and all the plans she and Malcolm had made for Anne were dashed by his death. "Hoshi, you know we're all here for you. Whatever you need."

"Thanks Travis." They were quite for a moment. "I know dozens of languages, but I can't find any with a word to describe how I feel right now."

His heart ached for her. Mentally he berated the universe for being so terribly unfair. He would have done anything to change places with Malcolm- a feeling he knew several of the senior staff shared, especially Trip. The engineer had survivor's guilt written all over him. He'd just left Hoshi's quarters as Travis was going in.

She sighed. "I just can't believe it."

Suddenly everything froze, even the stars outside. It was though time itself had stopped.

"Time has been stopped. You're smarter than you look, kid."

"Mayweather to Bridge. Intruder alert!" He didn't know who was in front of him in a Starfleet uniform, but he didn't belong on Enterprise.

"That's what they tell you to do in training. Tell me, what happens when the intruder takes you outside of time as you know it? What do you do then?"

That was a very good question. Travis had no idea. The man looked to be human, but didn't belong. He even admitted that he was an intruder.

"I'll tell you why I'm doing all of this. Everyone is right. Malcolm Reed wasn't supposed to die." He wasn't sure where this stranger was going, but he was lost. "The man insists on being a martyr. It's terribly destructive." The stranger shook his head.

Travis ventured a question of his own. "Where do I come into all of this?" It seemed like a very reasonable thing to ask.

"Anne Sato Reed needs her father. It is crucial to the preservation of the timeline."

"Are you working with Daniels?"

The stranger laughed. "Oh, no. I'm looking forward much farther than they can. They're engaged in children's play from my perspective. Centuries behind the times."

"So you're from farther into the future?"

"Yes. I can see some things that they can't- or maybe simply don't. It may not look it to you, but Daniels' technology has its limits. Malcolm Reed's influence on his daughter is as crucial as her life."

"So you can take us back in time and save him?"

"Well, it's not quite that easy."

He sighed. "I had a feeling you were going to say that." To his right, Hoshi still stood motionless, her hand protectively over her stomach. "What's the catch?"

"Somebody has to send out that final torpedo manually. There are two people on this ship who have the knowledge required to modify it so that it knocks out the Xindi. Though others could learn, of course."

"Malcolm naturally, and Trip."

"Exactly. They are the only two who know as events unfold, and in order for Enterprise to be victorious one of them must sacrifice himself. I can't just alter the timeline so they both live- it's not allowed. Please don't ask me to explain, because it's terribly complicated. Anyway, both men are instrumental in the timeline. We thought- well, that doesn't matter."

"Maybe it does," mused Travis.

"What?"

"Can't you make sure that whatever you expected to happen is what happens?"

"Malcolm Reed must teach someone to modify the torpedoes. The lesson would take hours, and we expected he would have shown someone previously. His devotion to his daughter has not altered his sense of duty."

"So tell him this."

"If he knew that the person who fires the last torpedo will die, do you really think he would show another person?"

"Oh. No." Malcolm would never allow that. Travis was beginning to see how this whole business got complicated.

"Now you see the problem."

Travis racked his brain for an answer. Finally it came to him. "Teach me."

The stranger looked at him closely. "Do you understand what this means?"

"It means that Anne will have her father."

"And you?"

"I know I won't survive, but if I can save Malcolm, it's worth it. He and Hoshi deserve a chance at happiness."

"You are a true friend, Travis Mayweather. Very well, you will learn to modify the torpedo."

And thus he spent what seemed like several hours (although really time had no meaning) learning about torpedoes and their nuances, how they could be modified especially to penetrate certain types of materials and deliver charges at varying rates. Most importantly, he learned how to jury-rig one so that it could destroy the Xindi's massive lead ship. It was frustrating work, but he looked from time to time at Hoshi, motionless with a lost and forlorn look on her face, and was motivated to keep going. The virtual torpedo produced by the stranger was worked and reworked to his satisfaction.

"You know what you need to about torpedoes, Travis. Are you ready to put it into practice?"

He looked at Hoshi again. "I just have one question."

"Which is?"

"What's your name?"

The stranger smiled. "Oh, it hardly matters."

"I'd just like to know."

Shrugging his shoulders, the man replied, "Quincy."

A/N: The intent here is to show Travis as a noble character and loyal friend. However, I find him challenging to write, so any comments on this would be much appreciated.