Redemption

Chapter 20

Jonathan yawned as his eyes opened and he focused on the bedside clock which read 10:30am. He pulled back the covers and climbed out of bed. Feeling thirsty he made his way to the kitchen to get some juice.

He'd forgotten Cynthia was going to be there and came face to face with her as he walked in hair askew and dressed only in PJ bottoms. He noticed she was smiling to herself as he walked past.

"Morning, Jon," Rebecca greeted, smiling as well. He knew both of them were rather amused by his appearance and it made him feel self-conscious.

"I won't be bothering you ladies, just wanted to get some juice," he said, hoping to make a fast exit. He opened the fridge, found the orange juice and poured himself a glass.

"Don't leave on my account," Cynthia answered.

"Surely you'll have breakfast with us, Jon," Rebecca added.

"Yeah, okay …as soon as I get dressed." He left them, hearing muffled giggles as he closed his bedroom door. You'd think they'd never seen a man shirtless before the way they were acting!

He showered, shaved and dressed. After combing his hair he checked his reflection in the mirror to ensure he was presentable. He didn't want there to be anything about his appearance that Rebecca and her guest could tease him about.

He noted they were both sitting outside on the deck chatting enthusiastically. He went out to join them.

"Ah nice of you to join us," Rebecca said as he sat down.

"You sure you two wouldn't rather be alone and—"

"And what, Jon?" she enquired.

"I don't know, talk about stuff women normally talk about. What's it called? Girl talk." He wasn't in the mood to make small talk with Cynthia.

"Oh, I see," Rebecca mused. "You're saying you don't particularly wish to hear us talking about your muscular chest, taut abdomen, or cute butt?" she teased.

He turned crimson. Rebecca was doing this on purpose and enjoying every minute of it!

"Take it as a compliment, Jon," she added.

He couldn't think up anything funny or sarcastic in response, so said nothing. He sat down at the table and poured himself a glass of juice.

"Sleep well?" she asked.

"Yeah, fine. You?"

"Great. I was just telling Cynthia how I found you asleep on the couch last night. The party must have worn you out."

Why would she share such boring details?

"I guess." He sipped at his juice and surveyed what was available to eat for breakfast. There was a bowl of sliced melon pieces, a jug of milk, 2 bowls of cereal to choose from, croissants, Danishes, yogurt and a large pot of coffee.

"I can make you some eggs, if you like," Rebecca offered. He declined. That would entail her leaving him alone with Cynthia. It was a really bright morning and he had to keep squinting so excused himself for a moment while he went back to his room to retrieve a pair of sunglasses.

"Nice sunglasses," Cynthia noted when he returned. "They frame your face well."

"Thanks."

"Though I'll confess it's a shame to hide those lovely emerald eyes of yours."

Embarrassed again he smiled and muttered thanks under his breath. What was with the two of them this morning? He wondered if they'd plotted this while he was in the shower – how to make him uncomfortable.

He decided to start with some melon and placed a few slices on an empty plate. "What's the weather like in London this time of year?" he asked Cynthia. He hadn't wanted to make small talk, but if it kept the subject off his physical attributes he'd damn well make the effort.

"It's probably raining. We don't get much sun or warm weather till about May."

"Sounds like you need one of those weather modification networks like they have on Risa."

"Risa?" she asked.

"Oh it's a planet I went to once on vacation. Its natural climate is rather violent, but you wouldn't know it being there. It's a tropical paradise."

"Sounds nice, but then so is Fiji, and that's completely natural." She gave him a quizzical expression as if to say why would anyone go to an alien planet on vacation when Earth had its own natural beauty.

"Yes, but Earth isn't always en-route. Risa was. Besides I'm an explorer seeking out new worlds."

"Oh, well there is that."

"Who did you vacation with?" Cynthia asked.

"I went to Risa alone."

"Oh, that's kinda sad. Don't you have any friends onboard Enterprise?"

"I enjoy being alone with a few books for company." Cynthia didn't look convinced. "To be honest I did met someone on the planet, but it didn't work out."

"You did?" piped in Rebecca. "Tell us more, Jon. Was she one of those exotic aliens with green skin, you know the ones you've always fantasized about?"

He rolled his eyes at that comment. "There's not much to tell. We spent two evenings together; went for a walk on the beach and then I discovered she was a Tandaran spy. She disappeared without a word when I confronted her with that." He didn't add that Keyla had drugged him.

"Hmm…doesn't sound like a relaxing vacation to me," Rebecca commented.

"No, it didn't turn out that way."

He poured himself some coffee and tried one of the croissants. Rebecca asked Cynthia where she and Antonio had left off last night. Jonathan was thankful he was being left out of the conversation. He'd finish with breakfast and go for a swim. The ocean looked very inviting this morning.

A few minutes later he excused himself and announced his intention to go for a dip.

"Jon, I'm taking Cynthia to the airport in half an hour. You could wait until then."

"I'm sure you ladies will be much better off without me. Cynthia, I wish you a safe flight home. It was nice meeting you."

Cynthia stood up from the table and kissed him on the cheek. "It was lovely meeting you, Jonathan."

He smiled awkwardly and left.

He left the house through the front entrance and then walked around the side of it to access the beach therefore avoiding any awkward confrontation with Rebecca or Cynthia. He wouldn't have had any qualms about walking past Rebecca, it was just that her friend seemed to make him a little uneasy. He didn't know how to act around a woman who had a crush on him; it wasn't something he was accustomed to. Also he didn't want to give them any more ammunition for teasing and he was only dressed in a pair of swimming trunks.

He'd brought his face mask and snorkel with him, putting them on as he ran into the beckoning ocean.

He swam out further than usual. The ocean was almost as exciting as exploring space. It was a whole world waiting to be discovered. As he dove beneath the surface he marveled at the array of coral and the different species of multi-colored fish. The underwater world was just as colorful as the one on land. Exploration made him feel alive and momentarily happy. Troubling thoughts didn't seem to bother him while he was down here.

When he'd worn himself out, he swam slowly back to shore. Feeling tired, he lay on the beach soaking up the sun and drying out. As he'd come out of the water he'd glanced in the direction of house noting the balcony was empty so he guessed Rebecca and Cynthia had already left.

He pondered as to what time Rebecca would return. She hadn't said whether she'd stay in town after dropping her friend off at the airport. Maybe she'd left him a note.

The day wore on with no sign of Rebecca. He had a late lunch, went for a walk, returned to the house and read some old Enterprise reports he needed to catch up on. He'd thrown them into his luggage at the last minute. He hadn't anticipated getting around to them, but on the off-chance that he'd have some time alone he'd packed them.

The first one he came across was written by T'Pol. It was a log of hers, made as acting captain while he'd been off destroying the Xindi weapon. He read it with interest. Then he came across the part where she reported his demise.

With regret Lieutenant Reed informed me that Captain Archer hadn't had time to escape the weapon before it was destroyed. It will take the crew a lengthy amount of time to adjust to this. For the time being I will continue as acting captain, though I am uncertain as to whether this arrangement will continue upon our return to Earth.

I had a meeting with the Xindi humanoid commander who expressed his sympathies in regards to our loss, informing me that the captain's sacrifice would not be forgotten amongst his people. Indeed it will not…

The rest of the log was more factual explaining how the Aquatic vessel would have them home in less than a day.

T'Pol had been upset. He knew her well enough to read between the lines. The log wasn't as detailed as others he'd read. She was normally meticulous, providing information on even the smallest occurrence. This seemed to skimp on such details.

There was nothing surprising about the fact that she cared. Hadn't she made that point over and over in San Francisco? But he'd seemed to dismiss it. Mulling it over now he wondered exactly what she meant. Did care mean love in Vulcan terms? She was his friend as well as his first officer – friends cared for each other. However she'd seemed to indicate a romantic interest in him of late. He put down the log wishing now that he hadn't come across it.

He sighed. Running away wasn't the answer. He'd been here a week and he could clearly see now that coming to Fiji hadn't changed a thing. It had just delayed the inevitable. All the feelings of frustration, doubt and guilt that had plagued him in San Francisco were still there, he'd just pushed them aside when he could.

And he still loved T'Pol. That one definitely wasn't going away. So what was he supposed to do? He felt like he was in limbo. And he didn't have any answers. One thing he did know – as beautiful as this place was, however pleasant the tropical breezes were, and however kind Rebecca was – it changed nothing.

It was time to face facts and stop running away. How he was going to accomplish this he had no idea, but he acknowledged that the answers weren't here on Fiji. He lifted himself up off the bed where he'd been sitting and walked into the living room. He switched on the computer to see if any shuttle flights to San Francisco were available for tomorrow.

There was one seat left on the 12pm flight tomorrow. He booked it without hesitation. Then he decided to call T'Pol, probably best that she know he was coming home.

As he taped in the keys to contact her he felt a knot developing in his stomach. He hated feeling nervous about contacting her. He waited for the comm channel to connect through to his apartment, but there was no response. After about 20 seconds an automated message came on and he acknowledged that T'Pol wasn't home.

He wondered whether he should leave a message or not. In the end he fumbled through one. He'd failed to tell her the real reason for his calling. Instead he'd stated he was fine, hoped she and Porthos were the same and that she could either call him back or he'd call again tomorrow.

He chided himself for his stupidity. What an idiot he was! What had he been afraid of? That he'd tell her he was coming home and she'd run off at the first chance she had? Maybe. He was pathetic. Perhaps she'd return the call and he could explain better. He hoped so.

He heard a car pull up and moments later the front door opened. "Jon, I'm back," Rebecca announced.

They drove into Suva for dinner, deciding on a small Italian place right on the beach.

Jonathan bit into a piece of garlic bread as he waited for his tagliatelle to be served. He decided to breach the subject of leaving to Rebecca.

"I've got some news," he started.

"Oh?"

"Don't take it personally. You've been a great host and I've appreciated your company, but I'm leaving for San Francisco tomorrow."

"Maybe it's a good idea."

"Really?" He was surprised at her reaction.

"Jon, I've loved having you around here, but I feel as if whatever I do I'm not making any headway. When I originally invited you I admit I did want that scoop along with spending a relaxing time with a dear friend, but now I can see it probably wasn't the best idea I've ever had."

"It's not your fault."

"I know that. What will you do in San Francisco?"

"I don't know. But there doesn't seem much point in staying here."

"Can I offer a friendly suggestion?"

He nodded. "Sort things out with T'Pol."

"Rebecca—"

"If you recall last night before you fell asleep you agreed not to deny how you felt about her any longer."

"I did?"

"Yes."

"Okay," he shrugged. "If you say I did, I must have. But it's complicated."

"Jonathan, what relationship isn't? My gut instinct is that you love her very much. Maybe she's the one who can help you."

"She already tried."

"And let me guess…you pushed her away, were rude to her, and told her there could be nothing between you?"

"Worse."

"What do you mean worse?"

"I insinuated there was something going on between you and me."

"Jon! Why would you do such a thing?"

"I wanted to protect her…it seemed the noble thing to do at the time."

"Why would she need to be protected?"

"Cause I'm bad news. She probably cares for someone who doesn't even exist. I'm not him anymore…I'm some guy who does unspeakable things and then doesn't get punished for them."

"I assume she's aware of these unspeakable things as you call them?"

"Yes."

"And she still tried to help you?"

"Yes."

"If she's not condemning you, why not give yourself a chance? Why not give the two of you that chance?" she asked.

"Rebecca, it's not that simple."

"It seems clear cut to me."

"Oh you're just talking through your rose colored glasses. You think you're doing me a favor by playing match maker. Remember that date you set me up with once?"

"Okay I admit that blind date with Paula was a mistake, but you can't compare that to T'Pol. She's someone you've known for a few years and who has served at your side all this time."

The waiter arrived with their food. Jonathan dug into his pasta which was delicious.

"Are you going to stay here on your own?" Jonathan asked, hoping the topic of T'Pol was laid to rest for now.

"Probably, but if my editor finds out you've already left he might curtail my trip."

"Oh I'm sorry." He hadn't thought of that. "Think he'll find out?"

"Don't know. But I think once he discovers I didn't get my exclusive he's gonna be livid. If he then learns I stayed here for a week after you'd left, I'm guessing he'd take the villa costs out of my salary. I suppose that's only fair."

"Let me pay for it, it's the least I can do."

"Don't worry about it Jon, we humble reporters earn more than you think," she answered with a twinkle in her eye.

"Rebecca, let me, okay? I'd like to. No reason for you to return on my account and you seem to be enjoying yourself here. I'd like to make it up to you, especially after being such a miserable companion."

"You haven't been that bad."

"Now you're just being kind and trying to spare my feelings."

She smiled, reaching across the table to touch his hand. "Whatever happens, you know I'm always here for you – even if I am on the other side of the planet reporting a story."

"I know and I appreciate it. You're a great friend, Rebecca."

She raised her glass in a toast. "To friendship," she said and they clinked glasses.

After dinner Rebecca suggested a stroll along the beach. It was after 8pm but it was still light. The sky was a beautiful mix of orange and red and the sun was beginning to set.

This was the more commercial part of the island with the beach fronted by high rise hotels and resorts. Back at the villa one could walk along the shore in solitude for some distance, but here there were many people milling about. Some were walking like he and Rebecca, others sat in deck chairs reading or just watching the world go by. A girl and her pet dog were playing with a Frisbee.

Two young men in wetsuits scrambled out of the water with their surfboards after a day of surfing. A few children were still busy constructing sand castles as their proud parents looked on.

Jonathan glanced out onto the water and was surprised to see a small inflatable dingy so far from shore. He put his hand up to his eyes to shield it from the setting sun and took a better look. Upon closer inspection he could make out two small figures in the boat. It was irresponsible to be out that far, if the current was strong it would sweep them out to sea.

"What you looking at?" Rebecca asked.

"That dingy, I've got a bad feeling about it. It shouldn't be out so far." Jonathan didn't have a clue as to how prophetic his words were but a moment after he'd uttered them he heard a loud cry.

"Help! He can't swim!"

His head jerked in the direction of the cry. Someone had fallen into the water and was struggling to stay afloat, his arms flailing about. Without another thought, Jonathan tore off his pants and shirt and ran into the water.

His body sliced through the water at tremendous speed. As he approached he could see one young boy standing alone in the dingy looking very distraught. When he got to the inflatable craft, there was no sign of the boy who'd fallen in. The one in the boat was crying.

Jonathan dived below the surface in an attempt to find the missing boy. The current here was strong and he had to fight it every step of the way. Without his face mask the salt water stung his eyes. He swam in hope of finding a glimpse or a sign of something, but instead all he saw was an endless expanse of water. Pain and pressure was building up in his lungs as they begged for air. He had no choice but to resurface and draw breath. As soon as he'd done so he plunged to the depths once more.

The missing boy had to be somewhere, he couldn't have just disappeared. He swam deeper this time in hope of finding the youngster. He'd been about to give up and resurface once more when he caught sight of something. He swam in that direction and was rewarded. Yes it was him! The boy, who looked like he was peacefully sleeping, was floating down to the depths of the ocean. Jonathan caught hold of his sleeve and pulled him towards him. He then swam with urgency to the surface with the boy in tow.

The journey to the top seemed to take forever. His heart was racing so fast he could hear his pulse pounding in his ears. His eyes felt like someone had poured acid into them. None of this was important — saving this boy's life was. That's all that mattered, and with a singleness of mind he was determined to do it, willing his legs to kick harder, propelling him through the water faster.

As he broke through the surface he gasped for breath, filling his lungs to the hilt with air. He swam over to the dingy. The boy needed to be resuscitated and immediately. It couldn't wait until he got him to shore.

Surveying the small craft he determined it would only take two. "Help me get him in," he instructed the other boy. With his help Jonathan managed to deposit the unconscious young man into the boat.

"Is he dead?" asked the boy in-between sobs.

"Not if I can help it," Jonathan replied. He instructed the conscious boy to get out of the boat and hang onto the side while he climbed in and tried to get the other one breathing again.

"I can't swim either," the boy confessed.

"Just hold onto the side, you'll be fine. The boat can't take all three of us. Trust me, okay?"

The boy nodded and did as instructed. Jonathan hauled himself over the edge, careful not to overturn the dingy. He leaned over the young boy and breathed life-giving air into his lungs. He did this several times before turning him over onto his stomach and applying pressure to his upper back with his hands. He hoped to expel any water that was lodged in his lungs. Flipping him back he continued to breathe into the boy's mouth.

"You can do this," he said, repeating the words like a mantra. The words were more for himself than the unconscious lad. It seemed to encourage him to continue.

The boy had to live. He wasn't going to tell some unsuspecting parent that their child was dead. Not another death; he'd had his fill of those and the letters to the parents of the many crewmembers who'd died in the Expanse.

This was going to be different. Here he was going to save a life — do something good for a change.

As the minutes rolled past tiny doubts began to gnaw at him. Why wasn't this working? He'd administered the resuscitation techniques they'd taught him in Starfleet, was there something he'd forgotten? He couldn't think of anything and continued, trying to ignore the doubts.

Two minutes later and Jonathan's hold on hope was beginning to slip away. "Breathe, dammit!" he yelled. "Breathe!" Then and there the boy coughed up a small amount of water and opened his eyes.

"Thank God," he whispered. "That's it; cough it all up," he instructed.

Jonathan told him to sit upright. He waited a few minutes to ascertain that he could breathe on his own then instructed the other boy to jump back in and he'd tow them back to shore.

Rebecca greeted them all with towels. A group of onlookers had gathered on the beach. A couple ran up to them embracing both boys and scolding them at the same time. The gentleman approached Archer.

"I'm in your debt, sir. You saved my son's life." He offered his hand which Jonathan shook.

"I'm glad I could have helped."

"If it hadn't been for you, who knows what might have happened."

"It was pretty dangerous to be out that far, especially if you can't swim."

"Believe me, neither one of them is going in the water again. I strictly forbade them to use that dingy without our supervision."

"Thank you, sir." He heard a quiet frightened voice below him. Looking down he spied the boy whose life he'd just saved. Crouching down to his height Jonathan said "You're a lucky young man, you know?" The boy nodded. "What's your name?"

"Jonathan…Jonathan Atkins."

"Now that's quite a coincidence if you ask me. My name's Jonathan too." Then he remembered why the young boy had seemed familiar. This was the young lad from the Sunset Princess, the one who'd been racing his brother and tripped on the path at the marina.

The young boy blinked in surprise. "Are you Jonathan Archer?"

"Yes."

"Captain Archer," the boy's father began, "this is indeed quite an honor. Your reputation precedes you."

"I don't know about that," he answered straightening up.

Rebecca passed him his shirt and pants and he got dressed. "That was very heroic, Jon," she whispered.

"I only did what anyone else would do," he answered.

"Sarah!" the man called to his wife. "Come over here," he beckoned to her with some urgency. She rushed over with her older son.

Jonathan hoped this wasn't going to cause an incident. The last thing he needed or wanted was publicity. He was happy he could have helped out, but now he just wanted to disappear and get out of the limelight.

The wife approached. "Sarah, this is Captain Jonathan Archer, the man who saved Earth from the Xindi threat. And now he's saved our son!" She held her hand out to Jonathan who shook it.

"I'm immensely grateful Captain; I can't find words to express how I feel. We are so deeply honored to meet you. We hold you in such high esteem. You're the boys' hero. They have posters of you and your crew up in their bedrooms at home. "

Jonathan smiled but cringed inside. He hated being thanked for saving Earth. "I have a very apt and loyal crew; the mission would have failed without them."

Sarah and her husband smiled. "We're going to take Jonathan to the hospital to get him checked over, but we'd like a chance to show our gratitude, be it in some small way. Would you and your friend join us for dinner tomorrow evening?"

Jonathan was about to say he was leaving for San Francisco in the morning but decided against it. Not wanting to be rude, he accepted the invitation. He could change his flight for the next day without problem.

The boy's father took out a card and handed it to Jonathan. "I'm Jeremy Atkins, Captain. We're staying on the Sunset Princess which is docked over at the marina. We'd love you to join us tomorrow around 6:30pm."

"Thank you." Jonathan introduced Rebecca to the boy's parents.

They thanked Archer once more and then left, Jeremy carrying his young son in his arms. Jonathan watched them wistfully. Rebecca touched his arm. "Wanna go home?"

"Sounds like an idea," he agreed.

TBC