A/N My sincere thanks to EroSlackerMicha for the review. These characters still belong to Paramount.

Archer and T'Pol were having breakfast in the Captain's Mess when they heard loud voices and what seemed to be some kind of scuffle in the Mess Hall. When they opened the door, they were stunned to see an obviously inebriated Trip Tucker bouncing from table to table as crew members did their best to stop him from hurting himself by passing him from one table to the next. All the time he was waving a PADD around and mumbling, "I never should have left, it's my fault."

They quickly crossed over to him and with each taking an arm were able to get him into the Captain's Mess. They put him a chair but he kept flailing around. Finally, afraid he would strike one of them or hurt himself, T'Pol reluctantly gave him a neck pinch.

Getting him settled in a chair, Archer called for the orderly to bring coffee and contacted Phlox to join them.

Archer took the PADD from him and saw it was open to a letter from Natalie. Resisting the temptation to read it, he laid it face down on the table.

The orderly brought the coffee and soon after that the door chimed.

Archer opened it and let Phlox in.

"You called for me, Admiral?"

"Yeah, Phlox." He motioned to the unconscious Commander. "Trip was careening around the Mess Hall waving this PADD and saying something about it being his fault. We got him in here but he was still out of control. T'Pol finally had to put him out."

Phlox passed his scanner over Tucker. "He has an extraordinary amount of alcohol in his system. I am surprised he had not passed out on his own."

"I can inject a simulant which should work faster than plying him with coffee."

"Alright, do what you can."

Phlox pressed the Hypospray against his neck. He turned to T'Pol, "How long will he be out?"

"I would estimate about a half hour."

Phlox nodded, "Between that and the stimulants, I would expect him to be much more lucid when he awakens. I am afraid though he will have a major hangover. Tell him to come to Sickbay."

Archer smiled, "Okay, Doc, thanks."

"No problem, Admiral, hope the Commander will feel better."

After the Doctor left, Archer looked down at the PADD on the table. "I noticed that this PADD is open to a letter from Natalie. I am pretty sure that whatever it says has a lot to do with his getting drunk."

"That would be a reasonable assumption."

"I am tempted to read it to see if there is anything we can do to help, but I am afraid that he would consider that an invasion of his privacy."

"I agree, Admiral, it appears we will have to wait until the Commander awakens. Perhaps he will tell us himself."

"Well, we might as well go ahead and finish our breakfast."

Trip woke up completely disoriented, wondering where the Hell he was. Then he saw Archer and T'Pol looking at him, "What's going on, Admiral?"

"We were hoping you could tell us. You came into the Mess Hall drunk as hell, bumping into tables. We brought you into the Captain's Mess and when you still wouldn't settle down, T'Pol was forced to put you out."

Trip looked at her, "Well, that explains my sore shoulder." Then he noticed the PADD in front of him and it all came back to him.

He looked up apprehensively, "Did I say anything?"

"Something about it being your fault."

Trip picked up the PADD and closed the page. "Did you look at this?"

"I noticed it was a letter from Natalie, but I put it down before I could see what it said."

Trip nodded.

T'Pol joined in, "How do you feel, Trip, Phlox said to contact him if you feel the need for further treatment."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." He hesitated, I guess I better get cleaned up and get to work."

Archer put his hand on his shoulder, "Is there anything we can do, Trip? We are here for you if you need to talk about something."

Trip looked up and smiled, "I appreciate that, but I don't think I am ready to talk about it yet."

"Okay, Trip, but don't feel you have to go it alone. If you don't want to talk to us, perhaps Phlox…?

Trip got to his feet, "Thanks again, Jon, but I need to do some thinking."

Jane McBride slipped out of bed and put on a robe, being careful not to wake John. She looked down at him and again marveled how he had so quickly become a part of her life. It was almost impossible to believe it had only been a month since he came to her door.

She had given up on ever falling in love with anyone again. She had to shake her head, thinking how strange life was. If Mercy had not died, she would have likely never met John or had such an emotional tie to him. It didn't mean it lessened her sadness over Mercy, but maybe in a way it gave some meaning to her death.

She moved into the kitchen and began to make breakfast. Suddenly, John was behind her and she noticed he had not bothered to put anything on. When he put his arms around her and slid his hands under her robe as he kissed her neck, she realized breakfast would have to wait.

Malcolm Reed stared at the PADD lying on a table in his quarters. He was sure it had not been intended for him to get all four letters at one time. He slowly reread the first. He had been stunned when his sister had told him she was romantically involved with Penelope's brother Edward. He couldn't imagine the two of them together. He couldn't think of two much different personalities. Now Madeline had sent him an invitation to their wedding. He wished he could go, if only to see them together for himself.

The second letter was also from his sister, but far different in its subject matter.

Their mother had died. She told him she had died peacefully in her sleep. She told him that his mother had almost seemed to welcome it. She had come to miss their father more and more, talking about joining him. Madeline also told him how wonderful Jeremy had been through all of this, how good he had been to her.

The next letter was from Jeremy. He gave his condolences to Malcolm for his mother dying, then informed him he was taking deed to the house as they had agreed. But he told Malcolm if he had changed his mind about keeping the land, he would give up his claim.

The last letter was from Penelope, offering her condolences and mentioning she and David had broken up. She told him he probably did not want to hear it, but he was a large part why; she had not given up on him. She hoped he would come to see her when he returned home.

Malcolm sat back and thought about his childhood. His relationship with his father had been rocky at best. He had always been tougher on Malcom than on his sister and expected much more of him. He now knew he was trying to harden him, to make him ready for life. But at the time he resented and hated him at times. His mother had always been there, telling him his father did love him, and providing him with comfort. He then surprised himself as he felt tears forming on his cheeks. He had thought he had prepared himself for her passing. Then he let them flow. After some time, he pulled himself together and went to his bathroom to freshen up.

Then he smiled, what to do about Penelope? Didn't she know when to give up? He did promise himself he would set her straight once and for all. But he had to smirk when he realized how much he did want to see her.

Deciding he would wait to answer everyone, he straightened himself up and headed for the mess hall.

Hoshi and Travis were sitting together at a table and saw Malcolm enter. Hoshi sensed that something was bothering him.

She thought of checking on him but knew how private he was and decided to let it go.

Besides, she and Travis had been given the afternoon off and were planning to take advantage of it with a little loving.

Hoshi had been thinking lately of how much she would like to have a baby. But that would have to wait.

She looked over at Travis. She loved him so much and smiled as she realized how they helped each other.

Not able to wait any longer, she whispered to Travis and they quickly disposed of their food and left.

Malcolm watched them go and smiled to himself. He definitely needed to visit Penelope.

Trip read over the letter for the umpteenth time, hoping it would provide him with an answer, but realized he was just making himself more depressed. Finally deciding he did need another perspective, he contacted Jon and asked if they could meet on a personal matter. Jon immediately invited him to his quarters.

After he had been told to enter, he sat down across from Jon, who surprised him by offering him a glass of his precious stock of Scotch Whiskey.

Taking a sip, he took the PADD from his pocket and handed it to Archer, "Here, read this for yourself, it will save me some time explaining."

He watched at Archer read it. His only reactions were a slight narrowing of his eyes at the beginning, and a slight raising of his eyebrows at the end.

He handed it back to Trip, "I'm sorry, Trip. I know this must have been devastating for you. But I am glad to hear she is all right."

"All right? She was raped! She has that bastard's baby in her! How is she all right?"

"I'm sorry, Trip, I just meant physically." He paused, "It sounds like you have made up your mind about the baby."

"What is there to think about? You think I want to raise the child of the man that raped my wife? To be reminded everyday of what happened?"

Archer said quietly, "It's Natalie's baby, too. She seems to feel differently about it."

"What the hell, are you actually thinking I should go along with it?"

"I think you are feeling guilty that you weren't there, that this is your fault."

Trip took a long drink and looked down. Then he raised his head, "The only reason Parker did this was because of me. Me."

Archer finished off his glass, "You aren't responsible for Parker's actions. You never did anything that justified what he became. Hell, he should have blamed me, I am the one that picked you."

He put his hand on Trip's shoulder, "Don't you think you should at least consider Natalie's feelings in this? If she believes she can love this baby, is it possible you could too? As I said, it is her baby, too."

"You might be right, Jon, but all I feel right now is hate and guilt."

"Just give it some time, Trip. Let it go for a while. Take time to get beyond the shock of it. You may make the same decision later, but you need to get past feeling guilty about it."

Trip finished his glass, "Maybe you're right, Jon. You are right that if Natalie wants this, I should give consideration to that. Maybe she needs this, to have something good come out of this."

He started to get up, "Thanks, Jon." He smirked, "And thanks for the Scotch."

"Anytime, Trip." He paused, "Whatever you decide, Trip, just know you have friends that support you. Don't shut us out."

Trip nodded and went out the door.

John had not only earned Jane's love; he had proved invaluable in getting the Administrative needs of the Foundation straightened out. Acquainting himself with all aspects of the Foundation, he had accompanied Jane to a meeting of the doctors working on the cure.

Jane was surprised when all of them appeared in person, even Edward.

She was also gratified to find that some progress had been made. The first decision they had made was to determine whether there was value in Edward's theory. In checking through the cases, they found that that no onset of the final stage had occurred before the start of puberty or after puberty had taken place. The next and more difficult step was to find a way to test if the final stage of the Syndrome was a result of the onset of puberty.

Although many victims and their families wanted to help, they were obviously reluctant to take a chance on hastening their child's death.

The opportunity finally came when a child suffering from Torrin also contracted another fatal disease. With only a short time to live, the parents agreed to let the doctors test their theory.

Everyone was gratified when the experiment appeared to confirm the hypothesis. After they induced puberty, the final stage was triggered.

With this evidence, everyone at the meeting decided to proceed on the assumption that it was possible Torrin's Syndrome was somehow tied to factors involved in puberty. They knew of course that even if what they had observed was true, it didn't necessarily mean that it caused the onset of the disease itself. To hedge their bets, the team of Dr. Patel and Dr. Baxter continued to look for other possibilities.

Everyone was also pleased that there were enough funds to move forward, but they all realized that they needed to keep up their efforts.

They were all sobered however, when they also faced the fact that Torrin was still claiming victims, with new cases reported daily.

With the third anniversary of the attack on Earth less than a month away, twelve more Earth ships joined the fleet, along with two additional Andorian ships, and three Tellarite ships. The same day also brought the news that intelligence sources warned of a new Romulan attack fleet. It also contained the stunning news that the Praetor himself would take part in the attack.

T'Pau strode down the halls of Council Building. She had just finished up a meeting of the War Committee. The Finance Committee had reported that funds were getting dangerously low. Although the vote had ended up being unanimous with everyone realizing the necessity to acquire another 5 trillion Vulcan dollars, it had only been after an acrimonious debate. There was no doubt the war was causing hardships on Andoria and Tellar. Perhaps she needed to talk with President Samuels to see if there was anything they could do to help. The real problem was that it did not appear the war would end soon; at least if you assumed an Alliance victory. The meeting had also discussed the latest intelligence telling of a new attack. With the weakened status of the fleet, there was tremendous concern for its future. It was generally agreed that it would likely be necessary to resort to some type of guerilla warfare rather than taking the Romulan Fleet on. Such tactics though would likely subject the home planets to attack. Although the prospect had always been there, the possibility of an Alliance defeat was becoming more of a probable outcome.

Each of the planets were preparing for a last-ditch stand, activating any ships they could. Even she had to reluctantly reactivate many of the ships destined to be destroyed.

On Andoria, General Thrang and the Queen were discussing the same concerns facing T'Pau. They were also discussing how they could raise their portion of the funds requested. Already there were voices being raised to bring the Andorian ships home, to use them for a last defense of Andoria. The measures needed to raise new funds would exacerbate the situation and give support to those who wished to leave the Alliance.

Fortunately, the Imperial Guard itself was standing fast. To them it was a matter of honor. To break their word, to abandon the Alliance, would be a disgrace.

They had found an ally in Jhamel, who had emerged as a champion of the war, speaking out against those who considered what she felt was treason, a stab in the back of her husband and the other Andorian soldiers. Her voice carried considerable weight.

Although the Queen still could not explain how or why, she was getting an increased sense of destiny, that centered now on Archer and the Praetor. Her sense was that the final outcome was at hand.

On Tellar, another woman was proving to be a strong voice for the Alliance. Margot was resolved that her husband's sacrifice would not be in vain. She also talked of the contribution of the Tellarites in winning the previous battle. In this she was not alone. Although the tremendous loss of life brought deep sadness, their sacrifice also provided a great sense of pride for the Tellarites.

Natalie Tucker had been staring at the PADD for several minutes, wondering what it would contain. It has taken some time for Trip to respond. Then chiding herself for waiting. Whatever it said, she would need to live with. She knew how difficult this must have been for Trip.

Natalie,

I am sorry I have taken so much time to answer. This has been very difficult for me. Even as I say that I feel selfish, knowing what you had to suffer. Perhaps the deepest pain comes from that I cannot be with you, to share our pain, to help each other.

I know that you told me not to feel guilty, but that is not something I can avoid. To have this happen, thinking that I could have prevented it, is tough to deal with. But your strength has enabled me to come to terms with it.

I know you are probably hoping I would get to the point, to answer you about the baby. I will not lie to you; my initial reaction was wondering how you could even ask me that. I could not imagine raising his baby as our own.

But then Jon reminded me that this baby is yours too. I came to realize that I could not hate someone that is a part of you. I have to admit it may be difficult for me, especially in the beginning, but I am absolutely sure this is what I want. I have no more doubts left.

I want us to raise this baby as our own, to provide it with all the love she deserves.

I am so proud of you, Natalie. Proud of your strength and your bravery. Proud of you for saving your life and the life of our son.

Give my love to Charlie and tell him his father thinks of him each day and can't wait to hold him again.

I love you, Natalie. It is that love that carries me forward.

Trip

Natalie clutched the PADD to her chest as tears cascaded down her face.

Charlie come over concerned. "Are you all right, Mommy? Why are you crying?"

Wiping her eyes, she smiled at him, "These are cries of joy, Charlie. Daddy sends you his love."

As Charlie smiled, she picked him up and put him in her lap. "Charlie, I have some big news for you. You are going to have a baby sister."

Charlie's eyes grew big as saucers, "That's neat." Then he added seriously as Natalie smiled, "Does Daddy know?"

Vandor, Tabrina, Ruddick, and Solon were meeting for the last time before the launch. Gregor and his fleet had arrived, strongly declaring their allegiance to the Praetor and to the ones he selected to rule in his stead. The weakened Senate also pledged their support.

Vandor spoke, "Well, the time has come. I leave the Empire in your capable hands."

Solon answered, "We will make you proud." He hesitated, "But a part of me wishes I were going with you to fight at your side."

Vandor smiled, "I would wish that as well, but you are needed here."

Tabrina, reached out and surprised Vandor by laying her hand on his arm, "We will hold your place, knowing you will return victorious." She hesitated and then surprised them all by saying, "I will miss you; I personally will await your return."

Vandor was taken aback at what she might mean, but then recovered. "I have no doubt you will make me proud." He then smiled and looked into Tabrina's eyes, "If I needed any extra incentive to return quickly, you have provided it."

All of them were surprised to see a small blush from Tabrina.

Vandor then produced a bottle of Romulan Ale and they all raised their glasses, "Death to the Alliance, Death to Jonathan Archer. Long live the Praetor, long live the Empire."

The next morning, the three hundred ships of the Praetor's fleet, the Pride of the Empire, began the journey to its date with destiny.