This is the last ever chapter of the Ocean Blue. Thank you so much for your support and good and loving reviews. I'm so glad I've finished this one…it was certainly fun to write!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any characters featured in The Ocean Blue nor have I made any profit from it, well, that's a lie actually; all the profit I made was in entertaining the readers and their reviews…Currency wise, not a bloody cent was made…

Spootycup: Thanks for the review…and thanks again.
Volley: It most certainly is! I was thinking of Ariel, the little mermaid at the time, I think….things shouldn't be allowed to inspire me :D:D. Well, you'll find out on this one Volley…
Exploded Pen: Well, Archer's a relaxed kinda guy…shows in his command style ;). Anyway…thank you for sticking with this tale, very much appreciated and your comments made me very happy and easily amused.
The Libran Iniquity: I usually keep to staying away from Stuart…but I bit the bullet and had a go…I should work more on him…it's thinking up a fiction that would include him…ah well…thanks TLI for staying with this one, and yup, a happy ending this is.

Thanks again for all your loving support…well, Toodle Pip!

Malcolm blinked his eyes open when he registered the familiar bleep of the comm. System going off in his cabin, he stretched once and reached up to tap the button.

'Yes sir?" he tried his best not to yawn but was failing.

'There are some people I think you should talk to. I'll put them through to your station, is that all right?' He struggled slightly to understand the American on the other end, but thankfully, he got the major gist of what Archer was saying. People? What people? Came to mind as his brain slowly processed the information.

Oh, hell, may as well…

He resorted to using, 'Sure', his voice blurred by lack of sleep and the want of it.

'Malcolm…get some coffee', Malcolm nearly snorted to that one, trust the Captain to mention coffee. Captain Archer was notorious for his usual supplements of coffee day in, day out.

'Will do, Sir', was all he settled for, being too tired to bother politely declining the notion and he ended the line. He stretched his tired, aching limbs and trundled over to his desk after turning on the lights to which he could see by. He pressed a button the side of the screen and waiting, sitting back in the chair and spreading his legs a little for added comfort.

The screen flickered briefly before a trio of faces appeared on the screen, all of which were instantly recognisable from the moment he saw them.

'Malcolm! You all right?' Madeline screeched, and both Stuart and Malcolm winced at the shrillness of her face. She gave an impish apologetic look.

'Fine' Madeline just gave him a hard stare, 'I am fine, Maddy, don't worry'

'But we do Malcolm. We all thought you were dead…it was so devastating when Captain Archer told us…' Malcolm had expected that to have come from his little sister but astonishingly, that had come from his father, of all people. Malcolm looked at him, his eyes hooded and his face was gaunt…he was still recovering slightly from his ordeal.

'Father?' Malcolm wasn't sure if he had correctly heard his Father…he couldn't have? Could he? His father chuckled slightly.

'Yes…we were very worried…your "death" lead me to think on the things I haven't said, but should have. I have been an idiot and a fool; I don't expect you to forgive me…what is there to be said?' Malcolm and Stuart shared a lengthy look at each other. Stuart studied Malcolm's reaction and Malcolm searched Stuart's, trying to ascertain whether his 'Old-fashioned' father was lying to him again or not. But as he searched harder, he found nothing but genuine care in Stuart's steely grey eyes.

'I am sorry Malcolm, really, really sorry on how badly I have treated you…I want to tell you that I am very proud of you Son…we all are.'

'I…I don't know what to say…' Malcolm spluttered in return, not being able to believe what he was hearing from his Father.

'You don't have to say anything…I just would like to turn a new leaf and start our…relationship again, make it better than it was before.' Stuart paused briefly, taking a small and much needed breath, by that alone, Malcolm knew it was hard for him…to swallow all his hard-earned pride like that. 'Can…can we make it up? I will understand if you don't…'

Stuart swallowed nervously and Mary put a gentle hand on his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. He looked up and smiled weakly at her and then back at his son on the view screen, who of which, simply nodded slowly drawing a small breath.

After an hour of conciliations they finally said their good byes and Malcolm sat on his bunk, his body sinking on the thin excuse for a mattress. He felt like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, his father had said he was proud of him…actually very proud of him and Malcolm had a hard time getting that round his head.

Here was his Father telling him he was proud of after so many years of being told he was a big disappointment.

&&&

Malcolm finally smiled to himself and looked at the time…he thought for quite a while before he stood and headed to the bathroom where he shaved, cleaned his teeth and washed his face before heading back into his main room again. Phlox had put him on light duties but that didn't stop him from putting on a fresh uniform.

He checked to make sure his hair looked okay before he left for the Mess Hall in hopes to catch Travis and Hoshi, and perhaps even Trip would be there if he wasn't dining with the Captain for breakfast. Several crewmen smiled at him and nodded and he returned them.

He reached the Mess and got himself a mug of Tea. I'll be damned if I have coffee, despite what Archer said, he thought amusedly as his blue stormy eyes searched the confines of the room. A shout of his name and the wave of a black hand alerted him to where Travis and Hoshi were eating.

He nodded to the Helmsman and got something to eat before making headway to the table shared by the two Ensigns', he sat down and the three began to chat like they always have done before.

'I hear you fended off a shark, Sir', Travis remarked casually grinning at the Englishman as he dove into his cereal.

'Well, it resembled a shark, but yes, I did 'fend' it off as you so casually put it' Malcolm replied in kind, 'So, what rumours have I missed?'

'Oh, not much, Phlox's Pyrithian Bat escaped again but that's pretty much it' Hoshi supplied around a mouthful of pancake.

'Perhaps he should make a better cage for it then…only god knows how many escape attempts that Bat has made now' Malcolm muttered after finishing a mouthful of Pancake and Tea.

'Eighteen, I think…but don't count me on that one, Sir…it could be nineteen, who knows?' Hoshi laughed slightly, her eyes glistening in the light of the hall. Both of the men laughed with her and smiled, or nodded.

'Mind if I join ya?' came the all too familiar accent of the Southern Chief Engineer, and Hoshi and Malcolm nodded whilst Travis gave Trip a grin.

'Sure, Commander'

Commander Tucker sat down with his breakfast and began to dig in. He smiled casually at the trio who were there before he was, his eyes settling on Malcolm for a brief moment before heading to his breakfast again.

'Have a good sleep, Lieutenant?'

'It went smoothly, thank you…would have been nice though if Captain Archer hadn't woken me up though' Malcolm grinned and finished his Tea.

After a while the two Ensigns made their excuses and left.

'When you doin' your duty hours? I know you're on light duties so don't fool me' Trip grinned as he downed a glass of cold milk. He licked his lips slightly, stopping briefly at the corners to capture the droplets of milk formed there.

'After breakfast…I'll check things over and make sure everything's as it should be and what not' Malcolm smiled slightly back.

'Good…what do you say to comin' round mine later and have a beer or two?' Trip asked, his eyes looking into Malcolm's.

Malcolm though it over and gave a little nod, 'I'd like that very much'. Things were definitely turning up and as Malcolm completed his four to five hours of light duties, he contemplated his fear of water and he knew he would still be afraid of it, but not as much as he had been previously…however strange it was to him, he had much to thank for to the Ocean Blue.

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