Disclaimer: don't own wish i did...aren't making any money...
The loud blaring of Kelly's alarm woke both Kelly and Malcolm. She lifted her head from his shoulder as he made to get up. He made a grab for his uniform, but Kelly grabbed it back.
"Kelly, we have to go." He said. She sighed, and felt him move closer. Their lips met again, and it was Kelly who pulled away this time.
"We really should go." She said. Malcolm nodded, handing her her uniform and skivvies as he pulled on his own.
"Malcolm, it would be um. . ."
"Better if we kept this to ourselves?" He asked. Kelly nodded as she zipped up her uniform and grabbed a boot and shoved it on her foot. It was way too big, so she handed it to Malcolm. "I don't particularly relish the idea of telling the Captain." He said. "Though he doesn't worry me as much as Trip." Kelly grinned and kissed his neck.
"Come on." She said, hurrying toward the door. "We're going to be late, and then they'll really suspect something." They arrived a minute late for their shift. Kelly was pulling her dark hair back into a ponytail. Jon eyed the two of them.
"Sorry sir." Malcolm said as he strode swiftly to his station. Kelly was so glad that Trip was not on the bridge, or he would have freaked out.
"Ensign Bower to Lieutenant Reed." Malcolm eyed his counsel for a moment. Why would the ensign he left in charge of the armory be calling him.
"What is it?" He asked. He heard Kelly moved behind him, to try to hear what was being said.
"You'd better get down to the gym sir." She said. "And bring the senior staff."
"And why is that Ensign?"
"Because Crewman Alex Roberts is dead sir." Malcolm froze. Alex Roberts was assigned to the armory. He worked under Malcolm.
"We're on our way Ensign." Jon said.
"Kelly, bring Malcolm. Hoshi, Travis?" The four left the bridge, and once they were in the lift he called T'Pol and Trip who were in engineering, working on the sensors. When they arrived in the gym, Ensign Bower met them. She had put a towel over Crewman Roberts's face.
"Captain, may I suggest that Lieutenant Archer and Ensign Sato not see this? It is a little-" She stopped when Kelly stepped over and lifted the edge of the towel. Her face instantly went blank. She chewed on her lips as she stood up.
"Hoshi, Travis, get out of here." She said. They didn't move. She whirled around, her face stony. "That's an order Ensigns. Return to the bridge!" Trip and T'Pol entered the room as Jon lifted the towel a little bit. Crewman Roberts's face had been beaten almost literally to a pulp. Jon stumbled back a few paces as he dropped the towel.
"Consider that order reinforced." He said. "Go." Hoshi and Travis left. Kelly's face was incredibly stony as she looked at Jon.
"What was the weapon?" He asked. Kelly shook her head.
"No weapon was used." She said. "This was done by fists. He was beaten to death by someone's fists." She repeated the word fists for emphasis. "He must've been pretty angry at Roberts." Kelly said. "Until we know what happens, it'd be better if no one who knew him well was part of the investigation." She said. Jon bit his lip.
"I've got to call Admiral Forrest. Kelly, Trip, T'Pol?" The four of them moved from the room. They filed into the Captain's ready room as he called Forrest. They stood silently as Jon explained what had happened. Forrest nodded slowly as Kelly made her recommendation.
"Jon, I want a full investigation done. This shouldn't have happened." Jon nodded soberly.
"I agree Admiral." He said. Forrest nodded.
"I want you to put Lieutenant-"
"Lieutenant Reed worked closely with Crewman Roberts Admiral." T'Pol interrupted, an unusual occurrence for her. "You just excluded him from the investigation."
"I wasn't going to say Lieutenant Reed Sub-Commander." Forrest said, a touch of annoyance in his voice. "I was going to have Lieutenant Archer put in charge of the investigation." Trip and Jon both whirled around to stare at the stony-faced woman standing behind them. Until now, they hadn't noticed her stance. She was standing in the usual soldiers stance. Feet spread, shoulders and back straight, hands behind her back. Her face even held the same blank, emotionally distant look. T'Pol raised an eyebrow at the two confused men. She had seen that stance only in military humans, such as the MACOs when they had been on board. There had been nothing in Lieutenant Archer's file that had even hinted about military service.
"Jon, could I have a word alone with Lieutenant Archer?" Jon nodded and stood up. The three others left Kelly alone to speak with the Admiral.