Children of Enterprise

Estellio

Rating: Pg-13 (T)

Summary: When Archer is kidnapped by unknown aliens and the Enterprise is dead in the water, it seems like there is no hope for rescue but there's more to this than meets the eye and it could have something to do with the child in T'pol's arms.

A/N: I know! I know! I took forever! Seriously, it's NOT my fault. I had to come to an internet café in town and write and post this! That's how dedicated I am to you people. Lol, never mind. Anyway, here it is. The last chapter and it's pretty long so that should make up for it, just about. Anyway, enough from me. On to le fic.

IOIOIO

"LIZZIE!" Archer and Rialta shouted in unison, both moving to aid the fallen child. Scaron's phaser spat up the dirt as it cut a line between Lizzie and her protectors, a warning shot that stopped them dead in their tracks.

"Don't move." Scaron snarled, smiling triumphantly over them. "I'd hate to have to kill you to Rialta. After all, you do make such an intriguing adversary. I would like to play you at a game of Ba'chak some time but maybe that would take too much brain skill for a 22nd Century Katarian."

"Oh please, I outsmarted you at every turn. You got lucky." Rialta said with a grin, trying to act casual and relaxed. "Or maybe this is all going to my plan. You are falling into the trap I set to get you out into the open so I could finish you once and for all." Scaron snorted with laughter and looked around with a grin on his face.

"I'm sure…any second now the trap's going to spring shut, right?" He looked around dramatically and threw back his head with laughter. "Now, gloating over you, as fun as it would be, is not why I'm here. You, Mister Archer, are the reason why I'm here. To fix all you put wrong with my universe." He aimed his phaser and Rialta cast an eye around for any help but only the cracked beige walls of the ravine greeted her. Not even a lemur in sight.

"How do you know the universe created in my death will work in your favour? How do you know that it wont create something even more twisted and horrible than the universe you live in now?"

"I may not make a paradise from your death but anything is better than the hand holding, molly coddling universe I am now forced to exist in." Scaron aimed the phaser, snarling at Archer.

"You're twisted." Archer spat. "Have you thought about what other people want? Universal peace is the goal of all living beings." Archer protested, stepping forward. Scaron merely yawned and fired.

"NO!" Rialta screamed and pushed him out of the way, the beam slicing the air between them. She rolled on top of Archer, covering his body with hers as fully as she could. "I can't let you do this! I can't let you destroy any hope of peace!"

"Get off him Rialta, my quarrel is not with you. In fact, I'll let you and the brat go after I've finished with Archer. I can be a merciful man."

"I can't let you do this!" She shouted, burying her face in Archers shoulder and shaking. She was crying.

"Rialta, get off. I'll except my fate." Archer said, trying to shift her off of him.

"I can't, even if it means my death and the death of my…I just can't. What kind of a future would be there for the children of Enterprise if your not there to shape it for them?"

"Someone else will shape the future. Peace is inevitable. Rialta, get off!" Archer manage to roll onto his front, pinning Rialta beneath him.

"ARCHER! NO!" She screamed, trying to push him away. She heard Scaron's laughter as he no doubt took aim again. She looked over and saw Lizzie watching them. Her eyes open and unseeing as the blood poured from the gash in her chest

"SCARON! NO! IT'S NOT MEANT TO HAPPEN LIKE THIS! LORIAN! LORIAN!" She began to scream his name at the top of her lungs, thrashing in Archers grip.

"Who's Lorian?" Scaron asked, looking around for any sign of another person.

"Perhaps it is merely a curse in her language." The Vulcan behind him offered. "I suggest you dispatch of them quickly." Scaron nodded and took aim, the green beam piercing the air with a resonant hum. Rialta grabbed Archer by the shoulders and folding her legs up beneath him, kicked him off her. The beam lanced straight through her stomach creating a searing, bloodless hole in her abdomen. She doubled over in pain, screaming in pure agony as she clutched at the injury before, in a haze of green sparkles the rest of her body disappeared. The energy disintegrating ever molecule in her body.

"RIALTA!" John shouted, his hands scuffling the dirt where she had lain moments before. There was a roar of rage and the next thing Archer saw was two blurs rolling down the scree of the ravine. Lorian landed pinion and sat astride Scaron, and began to beat him wherever he could reach, the face, the chest, the stomach, each blow staining his fist emerald with the Romulan's blood until Scaron lay unconscious. A beam lanced across his back, tearing into his olive skin and sending a spray of blood across the scree as the Vulcan fired his phaser. Lorian lay motionless across a writhing Scaron and the only ones left standing were Archer with a phaser at his feet, a Vulcan, a human and a strange, blue coloured alien he'd never come across before, all pointing phasers at him.

"Alright, maybe we can come to a compromise gentleman. I'll resign my commission, go to a remote planet, stay there till the end of my days never forging the Federation. Sound good?" The Vulcan smiled. An action that chilled Archer to the bone. It didn't look natural on his face, it looked manufactured and sinister as his arm rose and he aimed the phaser.

"I think not." He teased. The green beam lanced out and that was the last thing Archer knew as he was blown back, disintegrating from the phaser. Lorian stirred on the dirt, trying to rise to his feet.

"I don't think so." The blue alien fired and Lorian too disappeared in a crackle of green energy leaving the bodies of T'pol and Lizzie lying there. The Bolian and the human slid down the scree to pick up Scaron, hosing him up between them and tapping their badges for a beam out. The Vulcan watched them go before sliding down the scree himself. Without any tricorder on him he had no way of telling if the bodies were alive or dead so he'd dispatch of them the old fashioned way. He made his way over to Lizzie, crouching down next to her and pressing his fingers against her neck, feeling for a pulse. He could find none but that was irrelevant as the sharp blade of a bath' let pierced him through the abdomen. The phaser fell from his hand as the pain spasmed through his body and he turned to see T'pol standing over him before his vision darkened. T'pol tossed him aside and picked up Lizzie in her arms. The girls body was still warm but unresponsive and her cool, blue eyes were misted over in death.

T'pol felt as if she'd just been kicked in the gut. How could this have happened? How could her little girl, a little girl she hadn't even had yet, be dead in her arms! T'pol felt a burning start in her stomach that travelled up her throat and nose to sting her eyes as she did something that she hadn't done since she had held her own mother in her arms. She cried. She knew it wouldn't be long before they sent down others to look for the missing Vulcan she had just killed. She wasn't quite sure what had happened but what she did know that Scaron must be close…what if he had John? T'pol tore herself away from the corpse of her child, looking down into her pretty elfin face. She looked so much like John…Where was he? She remembered him and Trip coming down into the ravine after her and Lizzie…Trip! Oh god, she remembered him in the stampede, he had saved her then a bull…oh no! She ran as fast as she could down the ravine, leaving Lizzie's body far behind only to come upon Trip's. He lay motionless, Lorian's beloved blue shirt wrapped around his torn waist. T'pol fell to her knees beside him and took his head into her lap. He was cold to the touch and his eyes were closed in peace. He was dead. T'pol bent over him and placed a kiss on his forehead. He had loved her. Why she didn't know, and all of a sudden she didn't feel deserving of such a devotion. He had died for her.

Still, there would be time for grieving later. She had to find John and the others. If Scaron had them he'd soon kill them. Where were they? What did she have to lose by calling out, they might be close but Scaron's men might also be near. Were they already dead?

T'pol saw the lemur from earlier peak his head out of a crack and come scampering towards her. Boldly, it took hold of Trip's sleeve and ripped some blue material away, scampering to the nearby rock and trying to eat it. T'pol scrambled back, horrified as the impact hit her. They were dead! She was the only one left alive and it was only a matter of time before she became food for the lemur's too. If Lorian's shirt was wrapped around Trip then Lorian and Rialta had to have landed on the planet. The crash that had caused the stampede! That must have been Rialta's ship crash landing. It was worth a try at least.

Leaving Trip's body behind, T'pol ran up the slope out of the ravine and onto the grassy slopes. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her till she crested the rise of a slight hill, following the smoke, and came across Rialta's crashed ship. It was a wreck, the impact causing severe damage all along its red and gold hull. There was no way it would be space worthy without a few weeks in space dock at least but it had sensors. If they were still working then maybe she'd have a chance of finding John and the others…if they were still alive. She ran down the hill and to the ship, stepping in through a hole in the hull. Inside was a wreck of sparking panels and a strange, clear gel that felt like jello as T'pol walked on it. She sat into the remaining chair and tried to access sensors. The system was so complex and foreign that even if she had managed to bring them on line she'd never be able to understand the readouts. She banged a frustrated fist on the panel, how could everything be going so wrong! It wasn't meant to be like this…

"Need some help?" She spun around at the voice to find a strange man lounging against the back of the ship. His skin had a deep tan and his dark hair was a little looser than the Vulcan bowl cut. His brows and ears said he was Vulcan but the slouch and smile, not to mention the strange clothes, told an entirely different story. He wore dark black pants and a tunic with grey shoulders and a blue shirt underneath. Two shiny gold pips and one black sparkled on his collar and a broach of come description was pinned on his chest.

"Who are you?" T'pol asked, trying to regain her calm but there was a hint of panic in her voice. The man smiled and tossed his head in a way designed to get hair out of your eyes though his fringe wasn't in the way. He gave a fussy sigh as if it were all some game and stretched out his hand.

"You can call me, Savock. Most do." T'pol regarded his hand sceptically but decided not to take it. The man shrugged and kicked off from the wall, sauntering past her. "Oh, what a mess. This was my wife's ship, you know. It's a Lenian design but it was built by…oh, what were their names. It's not important. All the glyphs you see are in Leni. They're far more evolved than us, they can process more information at any one time you see so all this cacophony makes perfect sense to them."

"Rialta's not a…Leni, is she?" T'pol asked, watching his fingers dance across the controls.

"Nope, she's Katarian I believe. Intriguing race. They, like the Leni, can process more information at once than Vulcans or Klingons or even Talosians and as you well know, Talosians are one of the most mentally evolved races in the galaxy." T'pol didn't want to tell him that she, in fact, didn't know, but let him babble on. "V'lena taught her how to use the controls. Now, she'll kill me if she finds out if I'm here. Not meant to interfere you see, us higher beings." He chuckled as if he found something funny. "I hate that term. Just because we exist on a different plane doesn't mean we're any better or worse, just…different. Still, we're not allowed interfere in the matters of corporal beings anymore. When Scaron travelled back of course we gave corporal beings a little…nudge in the right direction. It wasn't really interfering just…nudging." He flashed her a pearly grin that T'pol thought would leave spots dancing in front of her eyes for the rest of her life. "You see, it's harder for the ones who used to be corporal like myself. I was a T'khasian, do you know what that is?"

"It is the ancient term for Vulcan. Used prewars." T'pol said, watching him work. A pre-Surak Vulcan explained a lot about this man.

"Bingo but I wasn't born before the wars. I was born in a time which will come to be known as the Birth of Peace, unfortunately that's many hundreds of years away from this timeline. T'khasian is a term used to describe a half Vulcan and a half Sundered. I believe you call them…Romulans."

"Romulans! They're the sundered?" T'pol asked, shock and horror on her face. Savock nodded, smiling.

"Yes, Scaron's a Romulan but don't tell anyone I told you. Now, this ship isn't going to be flying any time soon but I translated the entire database into Vulcan. Now, if you just happen to go back in time and fix what Scaron changed then that's your own damn business. All I did was translate the database and chat with you. Didn't interfere at all." He smiled at her and stretched out a hand. "It was good to see you again." T'pol took it this time and shook it.

"We met before?"

"Another time line, another dimension. You're related to my wife…vaguely. Plus, as a guardian of the timeline I find it useful to keep an eye on the key figures of the universe."

"A key figure of the universe? But I'm just a Science Officer." T'pol protested, Savock smiled at her again.

"They tend to be the most important, especially the Vulcan ones. Somehow, getting a Vulcan Science Officer and a Human Captain in a Starship called Enterprise has major influences on the fabric of the time space continuum. Who knows why?" He gave a shrug and ran a hand through his dark hair. "I've already stayed too long. I'll probably be seeing you again in a decade or so. I'm not sure if Quinn can pull it off by herself so I might need to do some more nudging. I'll be sure to drop in and say hi if I'm in the timeline. Oh, and you might need this." He handed her a tricorder and plucked the broach off his chest. "Just tap it once."

"Who's Quinn?" T'pol asked but already Savock had disappeared. T'pol turned back to the readouts and saw familiar Vulcan spirals racing up and down the screen. All of a sudden, the green lines that crisscrossed the screen made sense and T'pol followed the course Savock had plotted in. There was the sensation of falling then T'pol found herself standing in the ravine, the surroundings of the trashed ship gone. Looking down she saw the lemur scampering along and heard raised voices. She reached down and scooped up the creature, holding it as she listened. The voices were clearly hers and Trip.

"Don't be so obtuse. I have no wish to discuss this matter further."

"Fine!" Trip snapped. "Dammit, all you ever seem to do is hide your emotions. Push people away. But I guess that's all Vulcans are good for." T'pol saw Trip marching off and knew it wouldn't be long before Archer showed up. She had to get out of the gorge and down to where she had found Lizzie's body. The very thought of it made her throat constrict. She wouldn't let it happen, she wouldn't let her daughter die. T'pol let the lemur down and ran off towards the end of the gorge. She slid down the scree like side of the gorge, breaking into a run down the canyon to where she thought she had found the child's body. Looking around she couldn't find anywhere to hide when the Oryx like things stampeded so she proceeded to scale the craggy rock face on the other side, lying down in the tall, waving grass and peering down into the ravine. It wouldn't be long now…What had he meant about tapping it once? She turned the badge over in her hands and frowned, tapping it with her index once. The badge gave a little chirp and an all too familiar voice emanated from the silver, arrow cover. All of a sudden she knew what to do.

IOIOIO

"John! JOHN!" Rialta shouted bringing T'pol's attention to the two racing down the canyon. Rialta was limping and clutching at her thigh. "JOHN! SCARON'S PATROLS WILL BE ALL OVER THIS PLACE IN MINUTES! WE HAVE TO GET YOU OUT OF HERE!"

"I know T'pol is close, I can…I can feel it." He panted as he ran. T'pol watched him from the ridge, his side bled through the uniform and he was covered in cuts and bruises. Rialta caught him by the arm and spun him to face her.

"John, please, we have to get you out of here. They're not looking for T'pol. Please, come with me and ––." She was cut off by laughter that echoed around the ravine they were in and looking up, T'pol saw her past self being held loosely like a rag doll against a giant Klingon's arm.

"Mohgrak." Rialta said, turning slowly. "Let her go."

"I don't think so, Rialta. I've signalled Scaron, he and the others will be here shortly and all of you will be exterminated." Rialta sighed and broke into a grin.

"Klingons," She sighed, "all major in amateur dramatics you know. It's a mandatory subject in school along with ridge maintenance and growling." Rialta pointed at the Klingon and began to laugh. As the Klingon puffed himself up in rage a beam lanced from her hand and hit him square in the chest sending him tumbling down the loose scree and onto the ravine floor. Archer immediately ran to the past T'pol's side, glancing up at Rialta in awe.

"How did you do that?"

"Wrist phaser, look." She indicated the large silver bracelet she had on. Archer smiled and levered the Klingon off the other T'pol's prone body, gathering her up in his arms. T'pol crouched down low in the grass, scanning the ridge for any sign of Scaron and the others.

"Now Lizzie, go." T'pol urged the girl who was lying next to her. She hated sending her down to do this, especially after what she saw last time but there was no one here who could help apart from her and T'pol was severely outnumbered.

When Lizzie hit the floor she turned and smiled at Archer, indicating that he should close his eyes. Rialta turned at the sound of falling scree to see Scaron on the lip of the ravine, high up with six armed officers behind him. "Open fire!"

"NOW LIZZIE NOW!" The future T'pol shouted and the girl cracked open the 'med kit', a blinding flash and deafening bang bursting forth.

Scaron and the others threw their arms over their eyes, firing blindly. T'pol stayed low and set off three well placed lasers dropping the Scaron, the Bolian and Human but the Vulcan's inner eyelid had protected him from the blast as T'pol's had and he was able to dodge, sliding down the scree and firing towards T'pol's hiding place. Archer and Rialta were on the floor blind, writhing in pain from the high pitch scream that still rang in their ears from the flash bang. Even the Vulcan was twitching, his face screwed up in pain but he had more than enough control to continue. He grabbed Lizzie, securing his hand around her waist and hoisting her up. He used her almost as a living shield, covering his body as he took aim at T'pol. She took aim, her beam on low stun so that any mistake wouldn't harm Lizzie. Before she had a chance to fire, however, Lorian came barrelling down the scree, a rock held high above his head. He brought it down on the back of the Vulcan's head dropping him like a stone with Lizzie and his phaser tumbling out of his hands.

"Are you alright T'pol?" He asked as she made her way down the sheer wall that made up the other side of the cliff.

"Trip?" She asked, fear turning her stomach to ice.

"There's nothing more I can do for him…What is wrong with Captain Archer and Rialta?" Archer and Rialta were still on the floor, their faces masks of pain with eyes squeezed shut and hands pressed firmly over ears.

"I told them close their eyes." Lizzie said, rising and dusting herself off. "Here Lorian, the med kit." She handed him the small briefcase with a caduceus emblazoned on the front.

"It's too late. Nothing short of Enterprise could heal him now." Lorian said, sadness tingeing his voice. T'pol lifting her wrist to her mouth, an arrow head pin clipped to her cuff.

"Malcolm, what is your estimated time of arrival?"

"We're five minutes away at high warp, what's your status Commander."

"If you don't get here in two minutes, Commander Tucker will die."

"Two minutes? I don't think even he could coax that out of the engines! We're already at well over maximum warp. Lt. Henderson is having kittens about the expected overload! …I'll do my best." T'pol tapped the badge and lowered her wrist.

"…Do you think that'll be enough time?" T'pol asked but Lorian didn't have to speak to tell her the answer. T'pol looked up in time to see Savock standing on the rise. He turned away with a sad shake of his head and disappeared from view.

"I don't want your daddy to die." Lizzie said, wrapping an arm around one of Lorian's legs. "Can't Rialta's ship help?" Lorian shook his head.

"It's a scout ship, all it has is a med kit." A movement in the corner of his eye alerted him to the Vulcan's newfound consciousness. He turned, ready to give him another whack when the Vulcan dived for the phaser. Lorian was on him in a second and the two wrestled back and forth, battling for control of the phaser. Several shots were fired harmlessly into the air, one not so harmlessly. Lizzie scream pierced the air causing both Lorian and T'pol to turn. She fell back, her hands over her face and screaming. A horrible image of glassy eyes clouded over in death flashed before T'pol's eyes and she vowed not to let that happen again. The Vulcan threw Lorian off of him and swung the phaser on T'pol. Without thinking Lorian dived and knocked his mother out of the way as a shot rended the air. Looking over his shoulder he saw the Vulcan sitting up, the phaser tumbling from his hands and a hole burned straight through his chest. Rialta lay on the ground, not to far away, on her stomach with one hand stretched out, her wrist phaser still glowing from the high charged beam. Her eyes were yellow, puffed, bloodshot and in narrow slits from the pain in her head but their cold blue was trained angrily on the Vulcan as he fell back to the floor, dead. Lorian left his mother and ran to his wife's side, helping her to her feet.

"Lizzie." She said breathlessly and Lorian moved to the child. She lay curled up in the foetal position, hands over her face.

"Lizzie." He cooed, taking hold of her wrists. "Lizzie, say something."

"It hurts." Came a weak reply and prying her hands away from her face he saw the damage. The beam had not struck her full on but actually glanced her cheek leaving a livid green furrow about as thick as his thumb across her alabaster skin.

"It's alright, Enterprise will be here soon. Everything will be okay." Lorian said, gathering her up into his arms. Lizzie wrapped her arms around his neck and began to cry.

"I want my daddy! I want my daddy! DADDY! DADDY!" Lorian tried to sooth her, rubbing her back and hair but it was no use, she was hysterical.

T'pol moved to Archers side but without Rialta's regenerative properties he was still blind and deaf. She reached out and touched his face, fingers brushing lightly over his cheek and even though he could not see who it was, something inside him told him to be calm. That's when clarity struck. The reason why he had known where T'pol was, the reason how he knew T'pol had touched his face, the reason why all the pieces were beginning to fit. The memory he had lost was coming back. He remembered going to her bed chamber. Telling her about their two sons and her turning on him, over powering him with a fierce Vulcan strength that sent tremors through his body even now…then…then there was a blinding, searing pain in his mind and he had felt what she felt, known what she had known, two hearts beat as one, two minds thought as one, two souls together as one…two bodies. Oh good lord…Had anything happened? He remember there was intent. T'pol was determined to take him and lets face it, he wasn't exactly going to put up much a fight…but then Trip had been there. T'pol had been just as displeased as him…she had neck pinched him. Ha! It was all falling into place now! All coming together. He and T'pol…oh god, what was he thinking. She was his subordinate and they had melded, were still joined of the mind. He closed his eyes and concentrated, reaching out to her, begging to know what was going on…for once his cries were heard and someone answered his call. They told him everything was going to be okay, that Enterprise was here and Scaron would be no more trouble.

IOIOIO

Malcolm paced from one length of sickbay to the other. Hoshi followed him with her eyes. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

"Malcolm, will you stop. You're making me dizzy!" She snapped finally, slamming a hand down. Malcolm swung around to face her, his face like thunder.

"They've been in there for hours. What if he doesn't make it." Malcolm snapped right back before he began to worry down his thumb nail. Captain Archer, Rialta, Lorian and Lizzie lay sedated on the beds beside them but Trip was still in the operating theatre. He'd been in there for nearly ten hours. "I should have been there with them. I should have gone with them. I'm the Security Officer, I'm meant to keep people secure! It's in the job description. Very first line! I saw Rialta's ship go into the nebula with Scaron's ship behind her. I could have gone back in but no, I waited. Six hours I had to act but I just sat in my chair and did nothing!"

"Malcolm sit down! You'll wear a hole in the deck plating."

"I failed in my duty as Security Officer." He said, sinking wearily onto the end of Lizzie's bed.

"No you didn't. You got here in time to save them, I was you who negotiated with the warbird in orbit, you who got our crew members back safely even thought that warbird could have blasted out of space at any time."

"They wanted to return home, the majority of the crew was on the planet and their weapons were offline from the fight with Rialta's ship. It didn't take a great deal of negotiation. I still want to know how a scout managed to do that much damage to a warbird. I mean the weaponry on her ship must be incredible."

"You and your weaponry." She laughed, smiling up at him. "Don't worry Malcolm. Everything is going to be alright." She stretched out her hand and caught his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm glad I have you, at least, Hoshi." He said, kissing the tips of her fingers in old, English gentlemanly fashion. Hoshi smiled at him and stood up, taking him by the hand.

"Come on Malcolm, lets get something to eat. I'm sure Dr. Phlox will call us if there is any development. Plus, I think Porthos is well over due a check in, he must be worried sick about John." Malcolm made a noncommittal noise and followed Hoshi out of sickbay.

"Those two are so cute." Rialta said, looking over at Lorian.

"I can't say I've thought about it." Lorian muttered, opening his eyes and turning his head to look at Rialta. "You're so beautiful." He said suddenly, reaching out a hand to stroke her cheek. "You don't…regret this, do you? I mean, I did…Well, it wasn't like we had talked about it before hand or…" Rialta placed a finger against his lips and smiled.

"How could you ask a question like that when you've been in my mind, when you know me better than anyone in the world. How could you think for one second that I've ever wanted anything else? What do you think all that fighting was about?"

"You're not a very agreeable person in general." Lorian teased, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. It earned him a smack on the forehead and Rialta turned away.

"Fine, be that way." Lorian smirked and reached across, running a single finger down her neck. He'd have been lying if he said it was anything less than gratifying when he felt her shiver.

"So you don't regret it, not even a little. You're stuck with me for life you know." Rialta turned back to face him, smiling.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Techie, I love you." She shifted in the bed, reached across the divide between them and swinging her upper body off the bed, Lorian did the same and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"I've never known happiness before now, I think I now realise why my human side has yearned for love so, even my Vulcan heritage can not deny all I feel for you, Aisha."

"Aisha?"

"Beloved." He kissed her again but when the doors to the surgery opened they both pulled back like children caught stealing cookies. Phlox came out, his scrubs red with blood.

"Doctor?" Lorian asked, sitting up, worry creasing his slanted brows.

"I'm not sure. I've done all I can, I'm now officially out of all O blood and all A+. I'll have to call in a vampire run to replenish the stocks later." He stripped off the gloves and apron. "He's sustained a lot of internal damage and is very weak…There's no way of telling if he'll pull through or not but Mister Tucker's will to live is strong. Of anyone on the crew I'd say he has the best chance to live. Now, about ye…" Phlox grinned, perching himself on the end of Rialta's bed. "Have you thought of a name?"

"A name?" Rialta asked, "Why, no, not really. How did you know?"

"These are more than just beds, your baby is already forming alarmingly fast. I'd say he, or she, will be here in just over five months."

"Five?" Both Lorian and Rialta said at the same time.

"Yes, five, why?"
"But I thought since it was a part Vulcan child that…well…it would take longer, like…ten! The normal Katarian gestation period is six and humans are nine and Vulcan's are ten so I thought that…I thought…I don't know what I thought. She'll be here in no time!"

"You are sure it's going to be a girl?" Phlox asked.

"Of course, all Katarian first born are girls. They just always are…I didn't think about naming it…Lorian?"

"Charlie. I promised my father I call my child Charles but if it's a girl…"

"That would make her the fifth Charles Tucker." Phlox chuckled. "I wonder what they'd call her for short. Commander Tucker is Trip, which would make you Quad and her Quinn I suppose." Phlox chuckled and stood. "Congratulations for both of you, you'll make wonderful parents." Phlox patted Rialta on the knee and stood, moving over to check on Lizzie's wound. Lorian reached across and took Rialta's hand, their index and middle fingers brushing in a caress that was almost sacred to Vulcan couples. He was going to be a father, the thought was almost incredulous, he was going to be a father!

"It's over." Rialta sighed, sinking back into the cushions, only their fingers linking them. "It's finally over. What are we going to do now, Techie? I'll have to bring Rialta back to her timeline and then you'll have to go back to your dimension…"

"Each day as it comes, aduna, each day as it comes."

"You know, the one thing I hate about being a time traveller is the fact you never have enough time." Lorian smiled and sank back onto his bed.

"Truer words have never been spoken. We've got a long recovery ahead of us. Let's make the best of the time we have." A young nurse entered and set down trays on their beds.

"Doctor Phlox said you might be hungry." She said, arranging the ware and turning to leave.

"A toast." Rialta said, taking her cup of juice and raising it with a joking grin.

"To what?"

"To time, to us and to the children of this crazy enterprise." She said, offering her class. Lorian tapped hers with his.

"To the Children of Enterprise."

IOIOIO

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. This is the last chapter butI can't really leave it there can I? There'll be an epilogue, don't worry. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Who knows what'll happen, I'm in the Christmas spirit. Oh, and on that note. Whether you're reading this in January, March, June or July (Maybe even December : )MERRY CHRISTMAS!