Hello!!

Thank you to Emiliana Keladry and G.Eliot for your reviews, and thanks again G.Eliot for being my wonderful beta.

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"Captain's Personal Log, February 16th, 2164.

I've just received a communiqué from Admiral Archer. The Liberty is being recalled. Starfleet has come up with new sensor modifications that they want installed on all Exploratory Class Starships, and that includes the Liberty.

It will take us about eleven weeks to make it back to Earth, and we'll be meeting up with the Enterprise in nine. We'll then travel in convoy back home, because Captain Tucker's Armoury Officer, Lieutenant Bell has some weapons modifications he wishes to run by me. Trip seems to think that if I pass them, then Starfleet's Weapons Division will too. I don't mind it. In fact, there are times when I miss just being Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, Enterprise's Armoury Officer, instead of Captain Reed of the Federation Starship Liberty. It was considerably less responsibility.

It will be good for Trip to spend some time with Duncan. After all, he is Duncan's god-father. And by the time we meet, we'll have something else to celebrate. The baby is due in a few weeks, and Alex is more than ready. She says she feels like a blimp walking around. I think she has never looked more beautiful, but then I'm biased. She's having lunch with Hoshi now, and then heading to engineering.

Speaking of Hoshi, she has only a month left to go on the Liberty before she is promoted to Captain, and given her own ship. I told her the news last week; she's being given the USS Wind Talker. It's a science vessel, and I think she'll be a brilliant Captain. Starfleet told me first, so I can find a replacement First Officer.

Alex would be the best person for the job. She's intelligent, capable, compassionate, dedicated... everything you need an officer to be. I don't know if she'll accept the job though. She's always been concerned with how it looks to be married to the Captain. But in this case, she can't complain. We ..."

Malcolm cut his log journal short as a small blast rocked the ship, and it tilted noticeably to one side. He vaulted over to the com. panel on the door.

"Reed to Bridge. Report! Are we under attack?"

"Negative Captain," I'Met answered. "The blast was located in the armoury. There was a small accident, but they are reporting no casualties."

"How much damage was sustained?"

"Minimal, though the blast was located near the gravity plating on that deck. That was why the ship tilted."

"Acknowledged. I'm on my way."

Malcolm turned off his computer, and headed for the bridge.

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Ten minutes later, he was sitting in the Captain's chair on the bridge scanning preliminary readings when an urgent com. broke his concentration.

"Rimmer to the Captain."

"Reed here, Doctor. Is something wrong? Have there been any reported casualties?"

"Sir, it's your wife." Rimmer's voice sounded panicked. Joshua Rimmer was a young but gifted doctor, and he was more than a little nervous around Malcolm, even though his reputation had mellowed since his marriage. "She's been injured."

Malcolm's blood ran cold at those three little words. 'She's been injured'. They bounced around in his head even as he cut the com. and ran for the lift. As he raced towards sickbay, his mind was full of possibilities. He imagined extensive plasma burn covering his beautiful wife's body, and much worse.

He skidded to a stop outside Sickbay, and raced inside, nearly knocking people over as he ran. He spotted Rimmer's blond head behind a curtain and was about to pounce on the good doctor when the man in question noticed his presence. He bent to say something to someone lying on the bio-bed, and quickly stepped away.

"Captain Reed," he began nervously.

"Where's Alex?" Malcolm panted, out of breath from his flight through the large ship. "What's wrong with her? What happened? Is the baby alright? Answer me man!" he shouted, grabbing the young doctor by the shoulders and giving him a hard shake.

"Sir, I will if you let me go," Rimmer told him, wresting his arms from the Captain's vice-like grip. "She was inspecting the warp core when the accident happened, and she fell from the lower catwalk." Malcolm's face drained of colour at the doctor's words, but he remained silent and stiffened his spine to prevent himself from collapsing into a nearby chair as Rimmer continued.

"It was a fall of about ten feet, and she suffered extensive bruising, a sprained wrist and chipped ankle, which I have already treated. She should heal those wounds perfectly." Rimmer sighed. He really didn't want to tell the Captain the rest, but he had no choice. "However, the fall pushed her into pre-mature labour. I know that she is eight months along, but you and I both know that this pregnancy has been hard on her and the baby. There have been complications, and if I had my choice then the baby would be brought full term, but labour is advanced, and I can't stop it. I will try to deliver the child naturally, but I may have to resort to a cesarean section."

Malcolm swayed on his feet, and sat down heavily on a nearby chair. "My... my daughter. Will she be alright? Will my wife be alright?"

"Captain, I will do everything I can to help your family, but I must act now. Commander Reed is behind that curtain. She's under a lot of medication, but is still lucid. If you wish to see her before..."

"I want to stay with her."

"I'm sorry sir, I can't allow that. You can wait here if you wish."

"I'll stay here. But first, I have to see her."

Malcolm strode across sickbay and slipped behind the curtain. Alex was lying on the bed, dark bruises covering the right side of her body. One hand was settled protectively over her stomach, and she was crying.

"Hey now, none of that," Malcolm said, wiping her tears and sitting down on the bed next to her. "You need to conserve your strength."

"Malcolm," she whispered, "I am so ..."

"Don't." Malcolm interrupted. "Don't even say you are sorry. It wasn't your fault. Now, Doctor Rimmer has assured me that you are going to be fine. I can't stay with you, but I will only be a few yards away. I love you," he told her as he bent to kiss her gently.

"I love you too," she answered.

Doctor Rimmer tactfully cleared his throat behind them, and Malcolm shot him a glare before giving his wife one last lingering kiss and leaving the curtained area, and Alex was wheeled into another room just off sickbay.

Malcolm went back over to the chairs, and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Every fifteen minutes, he called the bridge for damage and repair reports. Fortunately, there were no other serious injuries, and so sickbay was relatively quiet. After twenty minutes, Hoshi raced in, out of breath and she sat next to him, gripping his hand in a show of support as they waited for news. He called his kids to tell them that mummy was having her baby, and they were so excited that Malcolm couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm.

Finally, after four hours of waiting, Doctor Rimmer came through the double doors, exhaustion etched on every line on his face.

"It was a difficult labour," he told them, "but both mother and daughter are doing fine. You can see them if..." he trailed off as Malcolm and Hoshi vaulted for the open doors, leaving him talking to an empty room.

Alex was sitting up in bed, holding a little bundle wrapped in a soft green blanket. Tears of joy rolled down her face and she couldn't even speak as Malcolm came up beside her. He felt his throat constrict and tears formed in his eyes as he looked in awe at the tiny life that they had created.

"Hello Hannah," he breathed as he reached out to take his daughter's tiny fist in his own large one. "How's daddy's little girl?"

Alex reached up and ran her hand down his cheek. "We have another one. I just want to say... wake up Reed." She snarled and drew back her hand to slap his face. Malcolm stumbled back, reeling from the force of the blow. "I said up!" she snarled again.

Malcolm's eyes flew open and he found himself looking into the mottled yellow face on a Suliban soldier.

"Wha...?" he began, but the soldier backhanded him again.

"Silence!" he warned. "We'll be docking shortly." The soldier kicked him viciously in the thigh and stalked out of the room.

Malcolm shook his head to clear it. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was asking I'Met how long until we reached the Enterprise, and then... the attack. Silik's ultimatum and the Suliban intruders. It was all coming back to him now, and Malcolm fervently wished that he could escape back into the memory again. Pain flashed through him when he thought of his family, and he prayed that they were alright, and that Silik had kept his word and not damaged the Liberty any further.

His mind now clear, Malcolm began to take in his surroundings. He was sitting with his back against a wall, and his hands and feet were bound. He could taste blood from where his lip had split, and his thigh felt like it was on fire. The back of his heads throbbed from where a Suliban soldier had knocked him unconscious with a rifle. The room he was being held in was dimly lit, and he didn't recognize it. A human-shaped lump was lying unconscious a few feet from him, but that, he did recognize.

"Ensign Farrell," he whispered. "Ensign." He tried louder, but she barely stirred. "Rose!" She woke up when he spoke her name, and she looked as confused as he felt.

"Sir," she rasped out through dry lips. "What happened?"

"We were attacked, remember? By the Suliban? They demanded me in return for the safety of the ship."

"I remember now. Several hostiles were beamed onto the ship, and they went for you. I tried to stop them, but obviously, I didn't succeed."

"That doesn't matter now. Why did you try to take them all on Ensign?"

"Sir, I'm security. It's my job to try to protect the crew, and especially you sir." Malcolm couldn't help the smile that crept over his face.

"What?" Rose demanded.

"Nothing. It's just; you remind me a lot of myself when I was first posted aboard the Enterprise."

Rose smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment sir."

The peaceful moment was interrupted by the door sliding open and light flooding into the room. Silik and four armed soldiers stepped into the room. Malcolm sat up straighter, though it was hard due to his bindings. Silik stopped in front of him.

"Well, well, well. Captain Malcolm Reed."

"Silik, you have made such a big mistake. You do realize that, don't you?" Malcolm asked.

"Oh, I'm shaking with fear," Silik sneered.

"Why have you taken us?" Rose asked, her voice betraying none of her fear.

"You were a mistake, my dear." Silik answered. "We meant only to capture your illustrious Captain here. However, you Starfleet types always go for the heroic rescue. If you hadn't tried to stop us, you wouldn't be here."

"Why me?" Malcolm asked. "I mean, in the past, you were usually gunning for Archer. The rest of the Enterprise crew was of little consequence to you. Why me and why now?"

"Well, as you know, the Xindi attack on Earth wasn't supposed to happen. Before that, you had a memorable enough career. Now though, you do something that I've been ordered to stop."

"What?" Malcolm exploded. "When am I supposed to do this 'something'?"

"In a few years time."

"What! You mean you intend to keep us here for that long?"

"No, no." Silik laughed. "I intend to torture you and your Ensign for information, and then kill you." He gestured to two of the guards. "Take her away."

They leaned down and grabbed Rose under her arms. She struggled, but a third guard knocked her over the head with the butt of his rifle and she slumped down, unconscious. Malcolm struggled against his bindings, trying desperately to free himself.

"Stop!" he begged. "Take me instead. She's only an Ensign, she doesn't know much! I'm the Captain! Damnit, leave her alone!!"

The guards ignored his protests and dragged the unconscious Ensign from the room, and Silik squatted down until he was eye level with Malcolm.

"Now, Mister Reed," he said, his voice silky smooth, "We are going to have a chat about the defensive capabilities of your ship."

"What makes you think I'm going to tell you anything?" Malcolm sneered.

"Because, if you don't then I'll torture that pretty young Ensign in front of you."

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What do you think?

Review please.

Pretty please.

Pretty please with whipped cream, sprinkles and a flake on top...

(Ooh, that sounds nice... Sorry. Got distracted.)

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