A/N As I usually do, I want to thank those who reviewed the last chapter, but I hope you know that it is just not "the thing I do" but that I really do appreciate each and every one of them. Thank you to ShanRQuinn, EroSlackerMicha, AnonymCzZ, and LoErneBraska. And of course, my thanks to all of you who follow my story. Just in case I might have confused others with the timeline, there is no gap in time between the series and my story. When we first meet the characters in Chapter 4, only four months have passed since the last episode 'Terra Prime' (No TATV!) and Hoshi thinks about what happened during them.
As usual. I own nothing.
Ok, enough of this note, here is the next chapter.
T'Pol stood outside the front of the hotel waiting for the others to join her. The remaining bridge crew and Phlox had decided to return to San Francisco together. With the end of the wedding, the huge press contingent had left, leaving only a few cameramen and reporters. The security forces had moved to the front of the hotel to stop the remaining press from accessing anyone leaving. T'Pol had noticed one young woman reporter who apparently was wondering whether she should try to approach T'Pol. She had apparently decided she was unlikely to get anything from her.
T'Pol looked back as Travis, Hoshi, and Phlox came out to join her. Along with the others, T'Pol had noticed how close Travis and Hoshi had been. She noticed they were holding hands. Phlox spoke first, "It was interesting to view an Earth wedding and I was happy for Commander Tucker and Natalie, but am looking forward to getting back to San Francisco and Enterprise."
"I believe we all would agree with that," T'Pol answered.
Travis smiled at Hoshi who blushed when he said, "I know we can't wait."
T'Pol did share Phlox's thoughts about getting back, but she also could not help but be disappointed that the time she had spent with Archer the past week would be ending. They had shared a closeness that she knew would not be present when they returned to their roles as Captain and Commander.
Those thoughts were interrupted when Captain Archer and Lieutenant Commander Reed joined them.
Archer spoke up, "Good morning, everyone." As the others answered in kind, he continued, "I heard from the driver, he has been held up by an accident that slowed traffic, but he should be here soon."
Just then the female reporter T'Pol had noticed earlier had apparently gathered her courage and moved toward them with a photographer close behind. As a security guard moved forward to intercept her, she called out, "Captain Archer, could I please just talk to you for a moment, I will be brief."
For some reason, Archer decided to give her a chance. He called out to the guard, "Let her pass, but not the other."
Looking grateful, she approached them, now beginning to look a little nervous at her presumption. "Thank you, Captain."
Archer answered, "Your welcome. Now what was so important and you did promise to be brief."
Getting closer to him, she spoke in a low voice, "This is my first assignment, and it would be a big help to me if you could just give me a quote." She smiled ruefully as she held up a recording device, "No one back at the paper expects me to accomplish anything."
Archer said, "I was honored to be the best man at Commander Tucker's wedding and am happy for him and Natalie, but now I am looking forward to returning to Enterprise and getting back to work."
The reporter looked stunned, but then sported a big smile and said, "Oh thank you, this should take the smirk off those know-it-alls back at the office."
Just then a limo pulled up and Archer and the others got in.
The trip to the shuttle and the ride back to San Francisco was uneventful with the talk mostly concerned about how the wedding had gone, and the others bringing T'Pol and Archer a little more up-to-date with what had been done with Enterprise.
When they arrived back in San Francisco, Travis and Hoshi said they were both going to head home and get some rest. They told everyone they would be at Enterprise in the morning. Everyone nodded seriously and Archer watched bemusedly as they rushed off. Phlox had a huge smile and said, "They certainly were in a hurry. You'd think they were anxious to get started at something."
T'Pol stared after them and wondered if such feelings were possible and would ever occur for her.
Archer said, "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I am planning to go to Enterprise. I have missed a lot of what has been done, but I plan to be involved from now on."
Phlox turned him down, saying he had planned to try get a call through to Denobula but would see them bright and early in the morning.
Malcolm said he had to run an errand but would join them on Enterprise later.
Archer turned to T'Pol, "How about you?"
"I too wish to see what has been done and am looking forward to getting to work."
When they arrived aboard Enterprise, they were greeted by Lieutenant Hess, who was in charge. "It's good to see you Captain, Commander, welcome back."
Archer answered, "Thank you Lieutenant, where is everybody?"
"Between those who went to the wedding and aren't back yet, and of all those who put in long hours during their absence, anyone currently on board is working in Engineering."
Archer continued, "I was a little surprised you weren't at the wedding."
"Both Trip and I wanted me to be there, but we decided we needed to have someone here to supervise the work"
Archer looked around, the area seemed different somehow. Her realized it was perhaps slightly larger, but the biggest change was that the walls were painted in a lighter color, it made the room seem more open.
Archer turned to T'Pol, "I don't know about you, but I admit I'm anxious to see the Bridge."
"I would be interested in that as well."
Archer turned back to Hess, "We will join you in Engineering later."
Nodding her acknowledgment, Hess headed off. Archer and T'Pol made their way to the Bridge, discovering the path was basically the same.
Upon arriving on the Bridge, they discovered that although it looked much the same, significant changes had been made. Behind the Bridge where there had been a table type display, there was now a full wall screen tied to highly sophisticated scanners. T'Pol was surprised to find they were Earth made, although they seemed to be based on Vulcan sensors she had worked with before. The basic layout of the Bridge was the same, but every station was much more sophisticated in technology. Along with the scanners there were more advanced communications and more control over the workings of the ship.
As they studied the Captain's chair and other stations, they realized much of the new additions were features that would be instrumental in coordinating with other ships, with working with a fleet. The room behind the Bridge contained many tools for developing plans of controlling ships in maneuvers. In effect, it was a war room.
T'Pol noticed that her sensors and scanner were more conducive to probing other ships and charting their paths than being used for scientific purposes.
When discussing the changes that were being made to Enterprise, Archer had expressed his concerns that they needed better ways to defend themselves. He realized that they had taken that and ran. The new Enterprise was no longer built primarily with exploration in mind, it was a warship.
They also checked out the Captain's Ready Room. It seemed about the same but there were no longer girders that Archer would have to avoid hitting with his head as he walked around the room. It also was equipped with the same new technology as they found on the Bridge.
The apparent new role of the ship was brought home even more when they visited the Armory. It had been greatly expanded in size and contained a huge inventory of torpedoes. While they were taking this in, Malcolm joined them. "Pretty impressive, huh?"
Archer turned to him, "I am a little surprised Trip didn't mention all this when I talked to him."
Malcolm shrugged, "Trip was really busy in Engineering, installing and working on bringing everyone up to speed on the new warp drives took most of his time. He left the Armory to me."
T'Pol then spoke up, "These seem to be significantly different that the torpedoes we used before."
Malcolm became animated, "These make the others seem like popguns. They're very similar to the ones on Vulcan ships. The Vulcans have become very forthcoming on sharing their weapon technology."
He turned to Archer, "Wait until you see the new phase cannons. They are much more powerful and are built into the ship. We now have the capability to fire in any direction simultaneously."
Archer shook his head a little, "Well, Malcolm, you seem to have gotten what you wanted, but I have to admit I am not completely comfortable with the ship Enterprise has become. I wanted to be able to defend ourselves better, but this ship seems built basically for the purpose of waging war."
Malcolm answered, "With all due respect, Sir, I am afraid that is what is needed. We cannot afford to be caught without the ability to protect ourselves. And with what we know of the Romulans, I don't believe we are finished with them."
T'Pol added, "Although I also wish it were different, I must agree with Commander Reed. I must admit as a Vulcan, I am surprised to defend preparation for war, but it would be illogical to not heed the indications of danger to Earth and other planets."
Archer knew they were right, he more than anybody should know of the dangers they had encountered. He also knew that the future was fraught with possible sources of confrontations. It just seemed Earth had lost its innocence much too quickly.
"You two are right of course, I guess I am just sorry to see it happening. I just hope someday we can get back to exploring."
As they continued on their tour, they found that although the mess hall looked the same, the kitchen had been changed with the addition of many more facilities for storing perishable foods. There also was a larger area for cultivating plants.
They realized the extra space for the Armory and kitchen had come from doing away with the area that had been used in the Xindi campaign to study data.
After determining that Sick Bay and the officer's and crewman's quarters had been basically left the same, they returned to Engineering to find Hess and the others getting ready to leave.
Archer looked at his watch and discovered it was only 1500 hours.
He approached Hess, "All done for the day, Lieutenant?"
Hess turned to him, "Yes, Sir, we have been starting earlier in the morning to give the crew more time off in the afternoon."
Archer continued, "Is there much left to do?"
Hess looked a little nonplussed, "Yes, Sir. But we feel we can work these hours and be ready when Commander Tucker returns."
Archer put on his command face, "I would feel more comfortable if we finished as soon as possible. I also need to have you and the rest of the crew here so I can be sure we all are ready to proceed with testing."
He turned to the watching crewmen, "Everyone will report for duty at promptly 0800 hours in the morning, in uniform, and expect to put in a very long day. The exact time will depend on how much we have achieved. We will continue in this way until Enterprise is fully functional."
Noticing the looks the crew gave each other and hearing one of them muttering under his breath, Archer asked, "Is there a problem, Crewman Aster?"
Aster at first looked down, but then raised his head back up, "Permission to speak freely, Sir?"
Archer said, "Go ahead."
Gathering himself he said, "We have all been working hard while you have been off gallivanting around who knows where. I think you should take a few days to get reacquainted with the ship before you question what we have been doing." He then added, "Sir."
Archer smirked, "I did give you permission to speak freely," which gained a few chuckles and a sheepish look from Aster.
"While it is true I have been 'gallivanting around' as you put it, and while I have no doubt that you have all been working very conscientiously as I can tell after looking around the ship, I feel it is time for all of us to get back to a more normal schedule and to work together to finish up. Because I have been gone, I have a lot to learn and I will need the help of all of you to accomplish that. Therefore, although I can understand your concerns, I am afraid I must insist."
"Is there anyone else who has something to say?"
Apparently, no one else was willing to speak freely and when Archer looked pointedly at Aster he shook his head no.
Archer then turned to Hess, "I will need you to contact the rest of the crew, excluding officers, and have them here in the morning."
Hess quickly answered, "Yes, Sir."
Archer then turned and left with T'Pol and Malcolm following him.
Archer spoke again, "Malcolm, I need you to contact Travis and Hoshi and let them know they are expected to be in their places as well."
Malcolm answered, "Yes, Sir."
After leaving Enterprise, Malcom said his goodbyes and Archer and T'Pol took a shuttle back to Starfleet headquarters and the nearby Vulcan compound.
As they disembarked, Archer asked T'Pol if she wanted to join him for supper. When she agreed, they arranged to meet at a nearby Chinese restaurant. The conversation at the meal was reminiscent of meals they spent together on Enterprise, discussing ship business. When they arrived back at the Compound, Archer hesitated and said," Thanks for joining me, Goodnight, Commander." Noticing him saying Commander and feeling that and the meal were his way of recognizing they needed to return to their former roles, she answered, "It was satisfactory for me as well, Goodnight, Captain."
The cab ride to Hoshi's apartment seemed to take forever. When they arrived, they rushed up the stairs and as soon as they were inside, engaged in a passionate kiss. As she felt his hands begin to roam over her body, she tore herself away, saying breathlessly, "I'll be out in a minute."
Grabbing her bag, she disappeared into the bathroom. Getting herself under control, she quickly disrobed and as she fixed her hair, she inspected herself in the full-length mirror. She had spent the previous night wearing out her razor and was pleased with the results.
Smiling, she dug in her bag and pulled out a black Teddy she had bought when she had sent Travis on an errand when they were shopping. Slipping it on, she liked what she saw and knew Travis would too. It ended about mid-thigh and showed a little cleavage.
She went back out the door and was gratified to see Travis waiting in just his underwear shorts. She also found herself blushing a little when she could see he was already excited. She also felt warm all over when she saw his eyes widen upon seeing her and his mouth drop open a little.
Travis was stunned, she was so beautiful, he managed to get out, "God, Hoshi, you are beautiful."
Hoshi smiled back and said, "You are beautiful yourself."
Then she come up to him and kissed him passionately as they fell back on the bed. The kiss seemed to last forever until Travis moved his lips down to her neck. Hoshi moaned and brought her hands up to caress his bare chest and swirled her fingers on his nipples. She then pulled back and leaned down to tease them with her tongue.
Travis moaned also, then pushing her back, he quickly slipped the Teddy up over her head. He then pushed her gently back on to the bed and took her breasts one by one into his mouth, licking at them with his tongue. Hoshi arched into him. Travis then moved down over her body touching and licking her everywhere. When she could not stand waiting any longer, Hoshi pushed him back and they worked at removing his shorts. Then Hoshi, in a voice Travis barely recognized, said, "Now, Travis, now."
As he entered her, Hoshi realized, although she was not a stranger to sex, this was new to her, the lust and pleasure were intensified by her friendship with him, her respect for him, her love for him.
They moved together, each striving to give the other as much pleasure as possible, until they collapsed in bliss.
Hoshi was overwhelmed, but she managed to say, "Travis, that was…."
Travis kissed her gently and said, "I know Hoshi, it was for me, too."
As they lay down together, Hoshi snuggling to get impossibly close to him, she said, "I love you Travis."
Travis produced the wonderful smile she loved so much and said, "I love you, too."
While they were resting together, Hoshi's communicator buzzed. Seeing it was Malcolm, she answered.
"What is it, Malcolm?"
"The Captain told me to call you and tell you that he wants you, on Enterprise, in uniform, at 0800 tomorrow."
"All right, Malcolm. Thanks, I'll be there'"
"Okay, I'll let you go, I need to call Travis."
Hoshi looked at Travis, who shrugged.
Hoshi went on, "You don't have to do that, Malcolm, he's with me, I'll tell him."
There was a small hesitation, then Malcolm said, "Good. I guess I'll see you both tomorrow."
"Goodbye, Malcolm."
"Goodbye, Hoshi."
Looking at each other, Hoshi smirked, "Well, at least it's the afternoon, we could just be hanging out."
Travis looked at her, "In your apartment?"
Hoshi said, "We could be just talking." Then she shrugged, "I don't think it matters, I think they all know what's going on anyway."
After a little more snuggling and kissing, they rose, took separate showers, and went out to one of their favorite restaurants. When they returned, they made love again, both of them realizing that was what it was, making love, not just sex.
Since Travis had everything he needed in his bag, he stayed the night. The next morning, they decided they could save time by showering together. Somehow, it didn't work out that way. They didn't make love but did a lot of touching. When they came out, they were stunned at what time it was. They quickly got ready and called for a cab, but realized it was likely they wouldn't make it. They both knew, that although Captain Archer was laid back and was not much for the trappings of being a Captain, there was one area that was definitely important to him. In fact, he was almost obsessive about it, and that was someone being on time, especially for reporting for duty. So, when they entered the bridge at 0820, they were ready to be talked to. To their relief, they saw Archer wasn't there, but then they saw T'Pol was. She raised her eyebrows as they entered and made a point of looking at the time.
They realized they were in for it. Not that T'Pol was a snitch, but she took her First Officer duties seriously and would never keep such a dereliction of duty from the Captain.
So, when Archer joined them about an hour later, it was no surprise that T'Pol asked to see him in his Ready Room. It was also no surprise when, as T'Pol returned to the bridge, she told them the Captain wanted to see them.
As they entered and saw the Captain seated behind his desk, he gestured to the two chairs and they hesitatingly sat down.
"T'Pol informed me you were both twenty minutes late reporting to your posts today. Is that true?"
Both answered, "Yes, Sir."
"I assume that Commander Reed informed you both that you were to report at 0800."
Travis answered "Yes, Sir," as Hoshi nodded in agreement.
Archer looked at them, concentrating on looking stern. He knew they were both hardened soldiers that he would trust with his life, but he could not help feeling a little fatherly toward them, especially Hoshi. He was delighted that they had apparently gotten together. If any two people deserved happiness, it was them. In any case, he had already decided to let it go; after what had been going on for all of them the last few days, he himself had trouble getting back to the routine. But a Captain had to have some fun too.
"I don't suppose either of you have a good excuse for your actions."
Hoshi snuck a look at Travis. There was no way they were going to tell him they were late because they took a shower together.
They both answered, "No, Sir."
"I find it curious you were both late. Was one of you late picking the other up, or was it just a coincidence."
Archer smiled to himself as Hoshi snuck another look at Travis. She then said, "It wasn't a coincidence, we did come together. But it was both our faults." God, Hoshi thought, that sounded so lame. Maybe they should tell him they were together. It wasn't like they were under age or anything. They also held the same rank so Starfleet had nothing to say about it. Not that she thought the Captain would ever report them anyway.
Looking at them, Archer decided he had been a jerk long enough.
"Well, since it is the first real day we have all been back to work for a while, I guess I can let it go this time. But, let's not make it a habit."
A little stunned, Hoshi and Travis couldn't believe their luck. Travis gratefully said, "Thank you, Captain. You'll not have to worry about us."
"All right." Then he gestured toward the door, "Dismissed."
Hoshi and Travis quickly exited.
As soon as they left, Archer allowed himself a big smile.
With the return of Trip from his honeymoon a couple days later, the entire crew quickly settled down to work. Archer worked his way from one department of the ship to another, gaining first hand and often hands on training on every facet of the ship, wanting to become as knowledgeable of the new Enterprise as he had been of the old. He felt he needed to intimately know its workings so he would know what it could and couldn't do when the time came.
Trip was just as diligent in immersing himself and his crew in the workings of the new drives.
Two months after everyone had reported back to duty, Archer and his officers felt the ship was ready to begin its testing.
During that time, T'Pol and Archer returned to their former roles as Captain and First Officer. But they found that they worked much more efficiently together. They had not forgotten what had happened those days they were together, but both were satisfied to be back working as a team.
Archer had also not forgotten about his idea to have Mercy McBride join them for a Warp test. As he later told T'Pol, the Admiral had been reluctant at first, worried as T'Pol had surmised about it setting a precedent. But then he seemed to recall something and surprised Archer by agreeing to allow it. He insisted however on having only one person accompany her. He also decided it was best to happen on the second test, assuming no major problems were encountered on the first one.
It wasn't until a long time later they learned that the son of a good friend of the Admiral had died of Torrin Syndrome.
All of the preparation of the crew paid off when the first warp test went flawlessly. As they prepared for the second test, Archer contacted George and Martha McBride about Mercy being on Enterprise. They were of course overjoyed. He apologized that only one person could accompany her, but they told him that was fine because it would be Mercy's mother Jane that would go with her. They told Archer she was a widow and had been so happy for Mercy when she heard what had happened.
Archer had also arranged to have a child size Starfleet uniform made for Mercy with the rank of Commander. He had assumed she would want to emulate her hero.
With everything set, it was only a couple weeks later that Archer and T'Pol found themselves waiting at the airlock as the shuttle carrying Mercy and her Mother docked with Enterprise. When the door opened, Mercy, wearing her Starfleet uniform, said solemnly, "Permission to come aboard?"
Archer, just as solemn, "Permission granted."
They then wasted no time entering Enterprise; the door closing behind them.
Jane McBride was a slim woman with brown hair down to her shoulders. She was pretty but would not be considered beautiful.
Archer smiled and said, "Good to see you again, Mercy." He then turned to her mother and said, "Welcome aboard, Mrs. McBride."
Jane smiled and it lit up her whole face. "Thank you, Captain, but please call me Jane."
"Only if you call me Jonathan."
Mercy moved up in front of T'Pol and said excitedly, "Hi, T'Pol."
T'Pol looked down at her and said, "It is agreeable to see you again, Mercy." And then looking at Jane, "And to meet you," with a slight hesitation, "Jane."
Jane answered, "It's good to meet you at last, T'Pol, and I can see why Mercy is so impressed with you."
T'Pol arched her eyebrows slightly and acknowledged the remark with a slight dip of her head.
Archer broke in, "Well, it will be a little while before we will be cleared to depart, so I thought we could at least start a tour of the ship. If that would be all right with you, Jane."
Jane smiled again and answered, "That sounds great. Don't you agree, Mercy?"
"Yeah," then turning to T'Pol and asking a little anxiously, "You're going with us, aren't you?"
T'Pol said, "Of course," and brightening considerably, Mercy got right by T'Pol's side.
Archer smiled more broadly and had Jane walk by his side with Mercy and T'Pol following behind.
"I thought we could start in Sickbay, am sure Dr. Phlox would like to meet you."
They walked down the hall and entered Sickbay, Archer stepping back and holding the door to let the others pass through. Phlox came forward to greet them.
"So, this is Mercy McBride." Turning to Jane, he said, "It is a pleasure to meet you both, I am Dr. Phlox."
Jane answered, "Good to meet you, Doctor, I am Jane McBride. But there was no need for you to introduce yourself, everyone knows of you and your remarkable record."
Phlox smiled in return but before he could continue, Mercy broke in, "Do you really have three wives?"
Jane shouted out, "Mercy!"
Phlox just smiled a little more broadly, "It's fine. Yes, Mercy, I have three wives and they each have three husbands including myself."
Jane said, "That must make for quite a family."
"Yes, I have five children, and four grandchildren with my wives, and they have fourteen children and nine grandchildren with their other husbands."
Jane went on, "How do you keep track of it all? Do you all live together?"
Phlox answered, "Denobula is shall, we say, very densely populated. Each of us has homes close to each other and tend to move around amongst the different partners. Remember each of those other husbands also have three wives."
Jane, shaking her head, "I think that's enough. I don't know how you do it. Humans have enough trouble trying to keep track of one spouse."
Suddenly, they realized Mercy has found the animal pens when she broke in, "What are these?"
Phlox hurried over, calling out, "Be careful, Mercy, don't put your hands in any of them. Those are creatures I use in my work."
For the next half hour, Phlox showed Mercy how to feed the various animals. Although Jane got a little queasy at times watching, Mercy enjoyed herself, even when she fed a small live animal to the bat.
When they returned to the others, Phlox said, "That was well done, Mercy." He said to the others, "I think we could have a future scientist or doctor here."
When Jane looked sadly at him, Phlox realized his mistake, but Mercy didn't seem to notice. She told her mother, "You should have come over and helped, it was cool."
Jane shuddered a little and said, "I could see well enough from here."
Archer then said they should continue their tour and said their goodbyes to Phlox. Archer had decided to avoid the Armory. Malcolm had seemed a little nervous about anyone seeing what they had, even a little girl and her mother, telling Archer they still could say what they saw and someone else might make use of it. Archer thought that was a little paranoid but went along because he figured it might not be that much of interest to Mercy anyway.
So, they went to Engineering, where Trip did an excellent job of entertaining and impressing both of the visitors. Of course, the Warp Engine was so impressive, he didn't have to make much of an effort to do so. Getting them to understand how much distance they would cover in a small amount of time proved to be difficult, but by avoiding any technical explanations, he gave them some idea of what they would experience.
Trip told Archer it would probably be about another hour before they would be ready to leave. As Mercy and Jane thanked Trip, Archer led them to the mess hall.
Mercy spoke up, "T'Pol, could I maybe see where you live?"
T'Pol answered, "If you wish. But I am not sure the Captain or your mother are as interested."
Archer broke in, "Why don't you two go ahead and Jane I will go in the Captain's Mess, perhaps have a drink and talk for a while. I will call you when it is time to go to the Bridge."
T'Pol said that seemed logical and she went off with Mercy as Archer led Jane into the room and went and brought back coffee for both of them.
As they sat there, slowly sipping their drinks, Archer could see a sadness in Jane. He realized what a strain it must be for her knowing of what lay ahead for Mercy.
Jane broke the silence. "I hope you realize how much this has meant to Mercy. She has been talking about nothing else since you and T'Pol saw her at Mom and Dad's stand."
"It has been our pleasure. It's amazing to see her and T'Pol together."
"Yes, I am ashamed to admit that I was once actually afraid that she would somehow find out that her hero was a cold individual who would not give her the time of day. Instead T'Pol has been wonderful, but still being Vulcan."
Archer smiled ruefully, thinking how he had once thought something similar. "Being around other species does show that there are things we all have in common, but that doesn't take away from how special T'Pol really is. I know she has freed me from a lot of misconceptions."
Archer hesitated and then asked, "I probably have no right to pry and you don't have to answer, but could you tell me what happened to Mercy's father?"
Jane didn't say anything but slowly sipped her coffee. Archer was about to apologize for asking when she said in a quiet voice, "Stephen McBride was a good man, but he was very introverted and shy. It took me a long time to make him understand and believe that I loved him."
She took another sip and continued, "After we were married, he gained a little self-esteem, but when we decided to have a baby, I had trouble getting pregnant. The doctor told us it was at his end. That of course brought back Stephen's feelings of inadequacy. The doctor tried to explain it had nothing to do with manhood and he could subscribe some medicine that should help."
"When I did get pregnant, he was so excited and proud. Then, we discovered Mercy had Torrin Syndrome. That was the final straw for him. The doctor and everyone tried to tell him that he was not at fault, that one reason so little progress had been made on a cure, was that no one had been able to find a common ground in the gene pool of Torrin parents."
Jane looked into Archer's eyes, "Nothing helped. When Mercy was six months old, Stephen killed himself."
Archer, wishing he had never asked, said, "I am so sorry, I had no right to ask."
Jane put her hand on his, "Don't be sorry. It helps to talk about it sometimes. Of course, we never told Mercy the truth, just that her father died when she was young."
Then, apparently relieved to let out some of what she carried with her, she continued, "I am so afraid of what lies ahead. Each day I dread seeing the first symptoms that the end is coming. I suppose it is a blessing that she will be fine up until the final month or so. At some point she will be completely bedridden and then the last week, they'll have to knock her out with painkillers."
Then suddenly she erupted, "God damn it. It's not fair, why must Mercy have to face this? She is so special. She should be looking forward to a family and a career, not…" She then broke down and buried her face in her hands, sobbing.
Archer got up, and moving around the table, pulled her up and enveloped her in a hug, she continuing to cry into his shoulder. After a time, she recovered control. She asked where she could clean up and Archer directed her to a small washroom off the room.
When she returned, Archer could see she was embarrassed.
When she said, "I am so sorry, Jonathan, I didn't plan to lay that all on you."
Archer quickly said, "It's all right. I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you. I don't know how I would handle it."
As they sat back down, she managed a small smile and said, "You have to remember, I have lived with this a long time. I am usually able to just concentrate on being strong for Mercy, to try to make her life as normal as possible."
Archer reached out and touched her hand, "If you are worried about how you acted around me, don't think a moment about it."
Jane put her hand over his, "Thank you, I guess I have needed to vent for quite a while."
As T'Pol and Mercy arrived at T'Pol's quarters, she entered her code and they went in. The room was of course spotless with nothing out of place.
Mercy looked around and exclaimed, "Wow, I'm glad my Mom ain't seeing this. She's already all over me for the way my room looks."
Taking a longer look, she said, "This is pretty small, are all the rooms like this?"
"The Captain's is larger and some of the crew share a room, but they are all similar to this one. Space is of a premium on a Starship."
Mercy, looking into the bathroom, "No bathtub! How do you take a bubble bath?"
"I am afraid we have to settle for a shower."
Seeing her action figure, Mercy ran over to the shelf. "You did put it on your shelf. Cool."
Coming up beside her, "Of course, I said I would."
A little contrite, "Sorry, didn't mean anything, just excited to see it there."
"I know you did not."
Then Mercy saw a figurine of Surak.
"Who is that?"
"That is Surak, the Father of Vulcan logic."
"Can I see it?"
T'Pol took it down and handed it to Mercy, "Yes, but it is fragile, so please be careful."
Saying okay as she took it gingerly, "It's heavier than it looks."
"It is made from a very dense but brittle stone from my planet." Reaching out she continued, "Let me put it back now."
As T'Pol put it back in its place, Mercy asked, "So, he's the guy that makes you so serious?"
"He is the one who taught us the importance of controlling our emotions, so they are not what rule us."
"I think Mom wishes I could control mine sometimes. It must be cool to be able to do so."
"It is our way. But I have discovered there is value in Human emotions also."
Mercy caught T'Pol off guard by asking, "Was Trip your boyfriend?"
After a slight hesitation, "We were close friends during a very trying time; but as I understand the term, no, he was not my boyfriend."
"His wife is pretty."
"I believe she is considered so."
"Not as pretty as you though."
Before T'Pol could process what was going on, Mercy continued. "How about Captain Archer? Is he your boyfriend?"
"He is my friend and commanding officer. Mercy, why…"
Mercy suddenly got quiet and then said quietly, "T'Pol, do you ever think about dying?"
"Vulcans make every effort to stay in the present, but I have at times contemplated the end of my existence." Then quietly, "Mercy, why are you asking these questions?"
Almost as if she was speaking to herself, "I know I'll never grow up and be on a Starship."
T'Pol answered quietly, "Although it is unlikely, there are always possibilities…."
Continuing as if she had not heard T'Pol, "I watch movies and see people falling in love, getting married and having babies and I know I'll never do any of those things. It's so unfair!"
T'Pol laid her hand on Mercy's shoulder, "It does seem so. But today you will do something that most Humans will never do, you will travel at Warp."
Mercy suddenly smiled and seemed to break out of her mood. "I will, won't I. That's way more cool than getting married and having to kiss a boy, don't you think?"
T'Pol, amused, removed her hand, "I believe I would find it so."
"Did you know that no one with Torrin has ever lived to be twelve years old?"
"No, I was not aware of that."
"Yeah, the record's held by a German kid named Ludwig Gunter. He lived to be eleven years, nine months, and ten days old." Smiling, she said, "Maybe I'll beat his record."
T'Pol reached out and caressed Mercy's hair, "I believe you will."
Just then they heard the communicator buzz. When T'Pol answered, the Captain said it was time to go to the Bridge.
When they all arrived on the Bridge, Archer smiled as he saw both Jane's and Mercy's eyes widen as they took it in.
Mercy just stared, her eyes moving around, trying to absorb everything. The computers, the Captain's chair, the view screen showing San Francisco below. Then, they were all there, Hoshi, Travis, and that guy who's name she could never remember.
Archer then spoke up, "Lieutenant Sato, Lieutenant Mayweather, Commander Reed, I would like you to meet Commander Mercy McBride and her mother Jane. The Commander will be helping me to conduct our tests today." As everyone called out greetings, Mercy realized what the Captain had said.
She managed to get out. "Help you?"
Archer looking stern, said, "Of course, T'Pol has asked me to make you temporary First Officer in her place."
Mercy switched her head to T'Pol who said, "I have performed these tasks before, I believe we need to have someone else aid the Captain today. Since you outrank the others here, you have been chosen."
Archer said, "Well, we are about ready to begin, you better take your seat."
With Jane a little stunned but happily looking on, Archer helped Mercy onto the Captain's chair. Everyone tried to stay in role, but they all were moved by the joy on Mercy's face as she perched on the front edge of the huge chair. Mercy turned to her mother. "Look, Mom, I'm in Captain Archer's chair."
Her Mother smiled back, '"I see that you are."
Mercy looked back to the front and to everyone's amusement and joy, said, "This is so cool!"
Archer then hit the communication button on his chair and contacted Engineering.
Trip answered and Archer asked if they were ready to begin. Trip said, "Everything is set down here. Whenever you're ready."
Archer said in a low voice to Mercy. "We can't go to Warp until we're outside the Solar System. Tell Travis, full impulse."
Mercy, in a loud voice, "Travis, full impulse," then giggled when Travis said, "Yes, Ma'am."
Then Mercy's eyes got big again as she felt the ship begin to move. Suddenly the view screen showed Earth as they moved away from it. Mercy and Jane were entranced as the viewscreen showed the planets as Enterprise moved toward clear space.
As they passed out of the System, Archer whispered to Mercy, "Tell Travis to take us to Warp 3."
Mercy looked serious and said, "Travis, Warp 3, please."
This time Travis answered, "Aye Ma'am, Warp 3."
Suddenly the stars on the viewscreen disappeared as Enterprise went to warp. But Mercy just looked disappointed as she really couldn't feel the difference.
She asked, "Did it work?"
Seeing her disappointment, T'Pol asked the Captain if she could take Mercy and Jane to his Ready Room so they could see the phenomenon through the window.
Archer quickly agreed but Jane decided it should just be Mercy and T'Pol.
After they had been gone for some time, Archer headed for the Ready Room. As he entered, he felt his heart swell. T'Pol was holding Mercy in her arms by the window with Mercy laying her head against T'Pol's shoulder. He could tell T'Pol heard him, but he quickly left before Mercy noticed him.
He decided not to tell the others, feeling he had interrupted a special moment.
A little later, they came out. Meanwhile, Archer was working with Trip on how Enterprise was reacting and whether they were ready for the next big step. Trip told him everything looked good and he saw no reason not to proceed.
Archer helped Mercy sit back down and then whispered to her, "Okay, Mercy, this is the big moment. I want you to tell Travis to go to Warp 6. That will be faster than Enterprise has ever gone. It will be faster that any ship from Earth has ever gone and I need you to give the order."
Mercy eyes got even wider than before. Taking a determined breath, she called out, "Travis," she then looked at Archer, who nodded. She turned back, "Travis, Warp 6."
Travis played along, saying, "Are you sure, Ma'am, we've never gone that fast. How about Warp 5?"
Mercy looked a little worried at Archer, but he let her know to go ahead.
Mercy looked stern, and said, "No, Warp 6." Then as everyone tried not to laugh, she said, "Don't worry Travis, it will be cool."
Travis turned back to the controls and slowly recited, "Warp 4, Warp 5, Warp 5.3, Warp 5.6, Warp 6!"
He turned back to Mercy, "We did it!"
Mercy grinned from ear to ear and then did a high five with the Captain. Soon everyone joined in giving Mercy a big hug except T'Pol. She just said, "Well done, Commander." Jane stood by with tears in her eyes.
After everyone settled down, Archer had Mercy order Travis to return them to Earth.
When the shuttle from the surface had docked and the airlock opened, everyone, including Trip and Phlox, were there to say goodbye. After everyone but Archer and T'Pol had said goodbye, Jane spoke up, "I just can't express how much we appreciate how wonderful you have all been. We will never forget what you have done."
Archer smiled, "Believe me, it meant as much to us." He then turned to Mercy and said, "Goodbye, Mercy."
Mercy was looking up at T'Pol, "Can I have a hug?"
T'Pol looked down and said, "Of course." She then sat down on her haunches and Mercy came up to her and put her arms around her neck. T'Pol hugged her back.
Suddenly, Mercy said, "I love you." She then released T'Pol and ran to the door, saying "Goodbye, Captain Archer," as she left.
T'Pol looked stunned for a moment and then recovered and became stoic as she rose. The others looked on shocked with tears forming in Hoshi's eyes.
Jane, also struggling for composure, looked at T'Pol, smiled warmly and said quietly, "Thank you."
Although T'Pol still looked stoic, her voice showed emotion as she said, "She is essential to me as well."
Then with her voice back to normal, "Live long and prosper, Jane McBride."
Jane smiled and said, "Goodbye, T'Pol"
Then nodding again to Archer, she exited to the shuttle. As the airlock closed behind her, she found Mercy sitting in the corner of the Shuttle, looking forlorn.
"What's wrong, Mercy, why did you run off like that?"
"Vulcans don't like that mushy stuff, but I just had to let her know how I feel. Was she upset? Is she mad at me?"
Jane softly stroked Mercy's hair, "No, Honey, she wasn't upset at all. In fact, in her own way, she said she loved you too."
Mercy smiled and said, "Really? That's cool." Looking up at her Mother, "Do you think I'll ever see her again?"
Jane held Mercy to her, "I don't know, Mercy."
As she pulled slightly back from her mother's embrace, "Do you think I could write her? Do you think that would be okay?"
"I am sure she would appreciate it."
"Cool!" After a few moments, "Can we stop at Dairy Freeze and get a Sundae on the way home?"
Jane, smiling broadly, "We sure can!"
"With extra fudge?"
"With extra fudge."
