A/N: This chapter is better than the first in my opinion. I liked writing it more. No beta (will take requesting to help) so don't get mad if there are a few mistakes. Read and Review. Oh and if you get mad about the line where I say that there is a genetic component to homosexuality than you need to wake up and take a biology class.

Enterprise: New Beginnings

2398, NX-01

'Dad, answer me, why are you here?' Hoshi Sato sat up in her bed. She was perturbed, how could she not be? Her father hadn't bothered to show himself since she graduated from the academy. Sighing in defeat the young Lieutenant got up and began putting on her duty uniform. Her father just sat by her bed in silence. Hoshi was getting upset. After her uniform was secured she flipped on her chronometer and froze. The readout scrambled as it updated itself with the computer. A second later it settled on the date and time. Hoshi couldn't believe what she saw. She turned back to her father and noticed for the first time the lines of age in his face and the specks of grey in his hair. 'You've been searching for two hundred years?'

He couldn't think of an answer so he nodded yes. Finally finding his voice he trembled as he spoke. 'I spent so long searching for your kami. I had nearly given up worried that your soul couldn't find its way back to Nippon. Then I got a call from the Fleet Admiral saying that they had found your ship in Tholian space.'

'Tholian space?' Hoshi questioned. She had never heard of a race called the Tholians.

James nodded his head. 'We intercepted a Tholian transport on its way to a nearby base. They had been using unstable wormholes to try to access transphasic space.'

'That's what we got pulled into?' Hoshi stated more than asked. It all fit now, the strange distress call and the state of the wormhole they fell into.

'None of the Tholian's transphasic tares have been able to hold. You see the Tholians aren't from our space. They come from subspace.' He hoped she would take things at face value and not ask him any questions. He had been cut off from the Federation for several years and was not familiar with everything that had happened.

'Did they let you back into Japan after you retired form Starfleet?' It had been so long since she had spoken to him. She missed the jovial man she knew growing up.

'Yes, they did. I was ostracized by the Federation shortly after you disappeared. I couldn't stand being on the bridge of a Starship knowing that you were lost and they wouldn't let me look for you.' He paused at the memory of yelling at Archer. 'Jon wouldn't send a team to look. He said that we needed to move on. That the Enterprise was either on the other side of the galaxy or crushed.' A tear fell from his eyes. He had hit Jonathan Archer across the jaw at that comment. He didn't even bother looking back at the Admiral as he tore the silver pipes that signified his rank form his uniform. 'I didn't speak to him again after that. I went back to Japan to tend to Usagi's cherry blossoms.'

'Usagi?' Had he married again after mom died, Hoshi wondered

'Please don't ask me about her. You'll just get upset.' He had composed himself now and stood up to his full height.

'Dad I'm not upset. I understand that you needed to move on after mom.' She remembered the way he used to mope and meditate after her death.

'It's not that simple.' He hadn't meant to bring up his granddaughter until they were back on earth. 'She's your daughter.'

Hoshi was stunned. She had never been pregnant. He had to be off his gourd she thought until it dawned on her. 'The Expanse.' She didn't need to hear an explanation because it was all written on his face. 'Trip's son told us that a group of kids tried to get out of the expanse.' She had so many questions. 'How old was she?'

'Physically she was about twelve when we found her.' He remembered the look on her face when the Corporal form the Nihon Space Program brought her to his door. 'It was about ten years prior to you leaving for the expanse.'

'I had just left for the academy.' Hoshi said remembering the row they had over her joining Starfleet. She dreaded the next question. 'When did she die?'

He could not hold the tears back any longer as he remembered the look on his darling Usagi's face. 'It was a few days before you left for the expanse. Her daughter little Hoshi and her partner Hana had died in a train wreck two weeks prior.'

'Partner?' Hoshi knew that she had questioned her own sexuality on occasion but surely her daughter had not been forced to suffer the same fate.

'Yes, Hana was a beautiful woman. Usagi had opened a floral shop in Ueno a few years before and met Hana while she was planning a wedding. They seemed to fit each other perfectly. Little Hoshi was born a year later. She was three when she died.' James fell to his knees and wept. He had promised Usagi that he wouldn't morn their death but standing there in Hoshi's presence was too much.

'I'm sorry dad. I didn't mean to open old wounds.' She said as he hugged her father. She cried with him as they sat there father and daughter. 'I'm here now; you never have to be alone again.'

James sobered up as he looked at his daughter. She looked so much like her daughter. 'You probably want to know that there was no father.' James said wiping the tears from her cheek. Hoshi nodded her head silently. At least she had finally been able to make a decision on that front. 'You don't seem very surprised.'

'I'm not honestly. The one person I have wanted to be with has always been out of reach.' She admitted thinking back to the excruciating ten plus years she served on the Enterprise.

'Damn Vulcan.' Exclaimed her father. How had he known?

'Did Usagi tell you?' She asked wondering what she would have told her daughter.

James nodded his head. Usagi had never been the Vulcan's biggest fan. 'She never liked T'Pol.'

'My sentiments exactly.' She huffed. Hoshi had never been comfortable with her Vulcan senior officer. Not only was she smart and insightful but had to have been the perfect specimen of female beauty.

James could feel how cold Hoshi had become toward T'Pol, it made him sad. 'You know I hear she's single.' He said trying to be enthusiastic.

Hoshi laughed, it wasn't a happy laugh but was instead full of resentment. 'Dad even if T'Pol were to magically notice me Vulcans aren't homosexual it's not logical.'

James was about to refute her statement when his communicator chirped. 'Captain.'

'Go ahead.' He responded tapping the comm-badge on his evo-suit.

'Sir it's Commander T'Pol, she went berserk after life support stabilized.' Came the voice of a frantic Lieutenant. 'She incapacitated three of our men before we could stun her.'

'Acknowledged, I'll be right there.' He tapped the comm-badge to deactivate it and turned to Hoshi. 'We need to get to the bridge.'

Hoshi nodded and followed him to the bridge. They stepped onto the bridge to see two men in evo-suits one at helm and the other at tactical. Hoshi didn't hesitate and took her comm-station. James looked to the man at tactical with an appraising eye. 'Report.'

'Ensign Andrews is down in sick bay helping Doctor Phlox examine the crew.' He respond he was about to add to his report when he noticed Hoshi. 'Madam.' He said inclining his head. 'It's an honour.'

'Don't mention it.' She said with a smile as she ran a diagnostic scan.

'Ensign Seoul, bring the impulse engines to one quarter.' James barked to the man at helm. 'Lieutenant Owens, put all auxiliary power in the inertial dampers.' He received to curt nods from both officers and a second later the Enterprise began to pull away from the tare.

Time stopped and all activity on all of the surrounding vessels ceased as the NX-01 pulled itself out of transphasic space. Hoshi sat at her station amazed at the sight of her father at command. He sat in the centre chair as if it had been tailored to fit his body. He reminded her of Captain Archer. The Enterprise was extracted from the tare with minimal damage to the ships structural integrity.

'Enterprise is stable and ready for departure.' Seoul announced no doubt expecting a holo-vid recorder to go off in the corner. Hoshi remembered feeling much the same when they launched on their maiden voyage.

'All right Lieutenant Owens I'm supposed to wait until we reach earth to officially hand engineering over to you but I need you down there getting that warp reactor working.' The Captain couldn't help but grin at the look on Owens' face. The Lieutenant gave him a simple yes sir and left the bridge.

'Um, Captain.' Hoshi asked not sure if she should call him dad in front of a junior officer.

'Yes Hoshi.' He responded as his face lit up.

'Can I talk to you alone?' She asked getting up form her station and walking over to the ready room. Once the door shut behind them she turned on her heel and glared him down. 'Are you taking command of this ship?' She said with a bit more force than she meant.

'Yes I am.' He said frowning at the down trodden look on her face. 'Is there a problem sweetheart.' He said rubbing both of her upper arms with his hands.

'Yes dad of course there's a problem.' She said stepping out of his touch. 'Their never going to let me work under you. So what am I supposed to do go back to Japan and try to live in Usagi's ghost?'

James smiled and laughed. 'I already took care of that.' He said hoping she would calm down a bit. 'No one knows that I'm your father. No one ever knew, back when I commanded the NX-03 I used Llywelyn and left all mention of my Japanese identity in Nihon.'

'No one?' Hoshi wondered unbelievingly.

'No one.' James smiled taking his daughter in his arms. 'Don't worry about a thing. Admiral Akaar is so wound up in me taking the reigns of this ship that he won't even notice the similarity between us.'

Hoshi sighed in resignation. 'I should go down to sickbay and see how Phlox is doing.'

James sniggered. 'Don't lie to me young lady, you're going down there to see T'Pol.'

'Fine dad you want the truth I'm going down to sickbay so I can chat up a psychopathic space fevered Vulcan and hope to get in her pants.' Hoshi said in exasperation and left the ready room.

Everything seemed to be working like a regular day for Doctor Phlox. They were trapped in a strange place with no chance of getting back to their own time and to top it off a member of the senior staff was mentally ill. Yep a regular day. Phlox had checked over all of the junior officers and had moved on to the few senior officers left. He had just finished checking Lieutenant Commander Reed when Hoshi walked in.

'Ah, Miss Sato please take a seat and I can get started on your exam.' He said in his normal cheery tone.

'I'm fine doctor; I just came down to see how your patient was doing.' She said inclining her head in the direction of T'Pol's bed.

Doctor Phlox knew all to well why she wanted to know about the Commander. Hoshi had come to him a total mess nineteen years ago insisting that he run a DNA test. She knew that true homosexuality was a genetic predetermination. He gathered that she wanted her attraction to the Vulcan to merely be a psychological problem due to an absentee father or something equally as justifiable. She was not happy to learn that she was indeed biologically homosexual. Luckily Phlox was a psychologist and could help Hoshi accept that she had always been that way.

'Malcolm can you leave us alone for a second.' Hoshi asked and waited to continue until the security officer was gone. 'I need to tell you something.'

'Why don't you take a seat on the examination table and you can tell me all about it while I run your exam.' The Doctor said taking out a bio-scanner.

Hoshi complied and hopped up on the table. 'I just learned that I had a child in the expanse.' She blurted out.

The Denobulan raised both eyebrows I question. 'She grew up on earth?'

'Yes with my father.' Hoshi said trying to rub the tension from her neck. 'She was a lesbian.'

Suddenly it all made sense the sudden need to talk combined with the desire to check up on T'Pol. Phlox also knew that Hoshi guarded her virginity like a fully cloistered nun. She would not have simply given that up to have a child. 'Can I assume that the child was born artificially?' He knew the answer was yes without the nod of confirmation. 'I am also to assume she was more open in her sexuality than you have been.'

'Yes she was.' Hoshi admitted. 'I had a granddaughter and a daughter-in-law.' A tear slid down her cheek as she remembered the look on her fathers face as he told her about Usagi and little Hoshi. 'I need your help Phlox, or I'll never get up the courage to admit my feelings to T'Pol.'

Red sand stretched as far as the eye could see, Vulcan. Why am I on Vulcan? T'Pol stood at the edge of a cliff looking up at a tall mountain. The wind burned her skin and the sand blistered her feet. It seems so real.

'That's because it is real.' Came a familiar voice. Turning around T'Pol came face to face with Jonathon Archer. 'Your Katra has been wandering here for sometime.'

'But I never achieved Kolinahr.' Was all she could think to say, it didn't make sense. It would have taken decades to reach Vulcan from Orion.

'No you didn't but your madness was just as strong.' Jon seemed perfectly at peace no emotion showed on his face as he looked at her. 'In fact your madness was so strong it affected this place. A lot of Vulcans have become twice as strong in their logic thanks to you.'

Was it possible was she so lost that she became one with the hollowing winds. It was then that Jonathon's calm made sense. 'You achieved Kolinahr.'

'Yes thanks to Surak I was able to achieve total logic. T'Pau was very jealous.' His face split with a smile.

T'Pol couldn't help but raise her eyebrow at his facial expression. She knew that logic was not as simple as many Vulcans made it. Being emotional and being at peace were two completely different things. 'You need to go back to the Enterprise. Your friends need you, Hoshi's Katra has called for you ceaselessly in the two hundred years you have been lost to the winds.'

T'Pol knew of what he spoke. Her own empathic abilities had let her know how the Human felt for her. Could she let her in? It may have been two centuries since Trip's death but he was her joined mate. Could she forge a bond with Hoshi and still honour Trip's memory. For that matter would Hoshi even be able to handle what being her mate would require. Jonathon smiled at her and nodded his head. 'You never know unless you try.'

His image faded from the sand and soon even the sand faded. Pain shot through T'Pol's body from the point that she had been hit by a phaser. Light flooded her eyes as she sat upright. Doctor Phlox stood a mere meter away with Hoshi in front of him. 'What did you say Lieutenant?'

Hoshi was shocked by T'Pol's movement. Had she heard? 'Nothing important Commander.'

T'Pol raised an eyebrow and laughed internally at Hoshi's reluctance. 'Are you certain of that Miss Sato? I seemed to hear you say my name.'

Crap, she had heard. 'Um, excuse me Commander.' That's it play up the dumb act cause that just makes you look so attractive, not.

'I believe your exact words were "I'll never get up the courage to admit my feelings".' T'Pol wasn't entirely sure why the Japanese girl became so nervous.

'It would seem the two of you need to be alone.' Doctor Phlox said leaving the room before Hoshi could argue.

Several minutes went by and neither woman said a word. How could she stay so calm and collected, Hoshi wondered? She couldn't look her in the eyes so she continued to look at the floor.

Finally deciding something needed to be said T'Pol stood up and placed a hand on Hoshi's shoulder. The woman underneath her grasp flinched before settling into the touch. 'I believe that under the proper discipline we can maintain a level of professionalism while pursuing an intimate relationship.'

Hoshi was lost. Two minutes ago she was struggling with the idea that Homosexuality was illogical and here T'Pol was telling her in her most logical Vulcan way that she wanted to be with her. 'Are you serious?' Was all she could think to say. Please don't screw this up.

T'Pol raised the edges of her mouth slightly. 'I am always serious Lieutenant.' Being with Hoshi was beginning to make perfect sense. While Hoshi could be very irrational and emotional she was also very strong willed and would never back down. 'There are some things you need to understand before you agree.' T'Pol waited until she had Hoshi's undivided attention. 'When a Vulcan chooses a mate we bond with them on a telepathic level and will remain faithful unconditionally until death. During Pon Farr we must be intimate regardless if our mate is capable or not. For this reason among others Vulcans stay close to their mates as much as possible. We are also very territorial and can act in ways that may seem illogical to other races.'

'Your alpha dogs.' Hoshi said seeming to understand.

'That is one way of seeing it.' T'Pol said. It may have been a slight understatement but close enough that she did not worry about Hoshi being able to cope.

'Don't you think we are going kind of fast? I mean a second ago I was worried that you wouldn't be interested at all and now you're talking about being mated for life.' Hoshi was scared to death. What if she thinks I'm backing down?

T'Pol allowed herself to sigh audibly. If they were to be together Hoshi needed to see that she was not perfect. 'On Vulcan we do not court.' T'Pol said trying to find a way to convey her thoughts and not scare her off. 'Once we have become aware that we are empathically attracted we enter into marriage as soon as possible.'

Hoshi knew this. She had spent years studying Vulcan Culture and knew that T'Pol was telling the truth. 'I understand I just need to get used to the idea. Can't we just get comfortable with each other first? You know like go on a picnic see a movie.'

'I respect the fact that you need a feeling of courtship and romance before accepting the bond.' Taking a deep breath T'Pol focused herself to balance the need and lust she felt toward the human. Once she was centred she held the middle and index finger of her right hand in front of her.

Hoshi had read what the gesture implied and was nervous about how touching T'Pol's mind would be. Bringing up her own fingers she lightly touched the edge of the Vulcan's. The feeling was almost over whelming. It was as if in the few seconds they touched she had experienced true and utter bliss.

Hoshi awoke on her bed wearing only her blue sports bra and shorts. Had it all been a dream? No it wasn't, Hoshi heard in her head.

T'Pol walked out of the adjacent head wearing her skin tight Vulcan uniform. 'How are you?' She asked sitting down on the edge of the bed.

'I'm alright.' Hoshi said looking around for her uniform. 'We didn't do anything did we?'

'We did not mate.' She said inclining her head. 'Humans are strange creatures. You protect intimacy so ferociously.'

'It's not that I don't want to be intimate with you. Trust me I want to be intimate with you very much. It's just that we just started this relationship and I don't want to screw this up. I don't want to be anything but head over heels for you the rest of our lives.' Hoshi realized too late that she had wrapped her arms around T'Pol. She tried to let go but found that the Vulcan held her grip firm.

'It may be best if we report to the Captain.' T'Pol said kissing Hoshi on the forehead.

Hoshi returned the kiss and went into her washroom to get ready for her shift. She wondered how many crewmen were cleared for duty. They only had sixty or so people on board when they answered the Tholian beacon. The two women made exited Hoshi's quarters and made their way to the bridge. How would they deal with everything being thrown at them? T'Pol would no doubt fit in well in Japan. The last thought she had as they stepped onto the bridge was whether or not T'Pol would like Usagi's garden.