A/N: Wow again! I'm grateful for the reviews. You keep reading and I'll keep cranking out the chapters until this puppy is done.

CHAPTER 15

The Balantians' equipment was fixed and the mud slides were cleared away within three days. Shortly thereafter, the deuterium mines were operating at full production, and the ISS Enterprise was on its way back to the asteroid field to resume studying the space anomalies.

Archer wasn't pleased. Oh, he'd been practically ecstatic that the situation on Balanti IV had been resolved quickly and with a minimal amount of effort, especially since it had been accompanied by a commendation for him from fleet command. But his satisfaction had been replaced by irritation that his ship had been ordered back to its previous assignment.

Hoshi suspected Archer had been annoyed at being stuck at the asteroid field even before she'd shown up in this universe. The man had more than his share of pride. A few unguarded comments had revealed that he'd believed such work was beneath him. He'd much rather be putting down insurrections, real or imagined, as with the Balantians. What he failed to realize, or perhaps what he chose to ignore, was that in surrounding himself with the best officers in the fleet, he'd made Enterprise the best ship to investigate the anomalies. If T'Pol and Tucker had half the abilities of their counterparts in Hoshi's universe, there would be no one better suited to figuring out what was causing the anomalies and whether they posed a threat. Hoshi prayed that they'd find a way to send her home in the process. She'd been found in the asteroid field, after all. It wasn't much of a stretch of the imagination to think that the anomalies had something to do with her arrival here.

As for her own role in getting the deuterium shipments moving again, Hoshi had a sneaking suspicion that Archer had omitted any reference to her in his official report. She was more than content for it to be that way. If Archer's superiors got wind of her existence, she might be sent to this universe's Earth to be studied, interrogated, and poked and prodded. As appalling as that possibility was, worse would be that any chance of getting back to her own universe might be lost forever.

Archer wasn't so disgruntled, however, that he'd forgotten her contribution. At breakast the morning after they'd left the Balantian system, she found a large box at her place at the table. Under Archer's watchful eyes, she removed the lid and, after peeling back several layers of tissue paper lining the box, she found not one, but two jumpsuits. She pulled the one on top out of the box for closer inspection. It was tailored much as her own one-piece uniform but, from its cut and the strategic placement of darts, it would hug her body instead of hide it. The fabric, in a gorgeous shade of teal, was soft yet sturdy. Best of all, it fit her standards for decent attire. Speechless, she looked across the table at Archer.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"I love it!" She set it aside to pull out the second jumpsuit. It was identical to the first, except for its color. Lavender wasn't a shade she normally would have picked for herself, but beggars couldn't be choosers. "How did you get these? The quartermaster told me he didn't have anything available but Imperial uniforms."

"He doesn't," Archer said smugly. "There were some skilled seamstresses on Balanti IV."

"Oh! I didn't know that." Hoshi ran her fingertips over the lavender suit. The material from which the two suits were made was just as exquisite as that of the risque articles in her closet, but these jumpsuits were definitely more in keeping with her taste. Archer had gone out of his way to provide this clothing for her, arranging for them to be made before they'd left Balanti IV. They looked like they'd fit perfectly, and although she was eager to try them on, her mind shied away from wondering how Archer knew her measurements. She'd just hope that he'd asked the quartermaster for the size of the Imperial uniforms she'd obtained. "Thank you. I appreciate you getting these for me."

"I know you don't care for our uniforms," he said, his green eyes unfathomable as he gazed steadily at her.

Hoshi shifted in her seat. "As you pointed out, I'm not entitled to wear Imperial uniforms."

Her comment didn't fool him. He smiled sardonically. "Consider this a reward for a job well done. There's more if you continue to perform as well as you did with the Balantians. I'm beginning to realize there's more to you than meets the eye."

Cunningham arrived with their breakfast, so Hoshi was spared trying to continue that line of conversation. She wasn't sure she liked where it might lead. As disturbing as it was to contemplate that Archer might want to initiate a more intimate relationship with her -- something she wasn't sure she had any control over if he decided to make her his "captain's woman" in more than name -- she suddenly understood that he was coming to value her much as her own Captain Archer did. She was a gifted linguist who had at times been the determining factor in successful missions. If that was the case here, there was no way Archer would be willing to send her back to her universe.

As Archer gave Cunningham instructions for the day, she was consumed with thoughts of trying to get back home. She didn't belong here. She didn't even like being here. Unfortunately, she'd become a valuable commodity for Archer. So far she'd been treated well, but she had a feeling that could change in the blink of an eye if she did something to displease him. There was also the possibility that her somewhat privileged status could change if he wasn't around to provide the protection his rank provided her.

But in the bigger scheme of things, she most definitely didn't like the way humans acted in this universe. They were cruel, both to other species and amongst themselves. It reminded her of Earth before World War III, when greed and power were the motivating forces for many people. Differences had been distrusted, unlike the gradual human awakening in her universe to the fact that differences could make life better. Her universe still had a long way to go in that regard, but it was a lot farther ahead than this one.

Perhaps it was time to learn more about this universe, try to figure out why these people had come to be like this, and how she might use it to her advantage. T'Pol would be a good one to pump for information. The Vulcan was already curious about the points of divergence between their two universes. Since she was an alien in a human-dominated galaxy, she might also be more sympathetic to the predicament facing Hoshi, who felt very much an outsider among these humans.

She became aware that Archer was was waiting for an answer to something he'd asked but that she'd missed due to her distraction. "I'm sorry. My mind wandered for a moment."

"Already planning what you want for your next reward?" he asked.

She'd been planning, all right, but not along those lines. "Ah, no," she stuttered. "I'm just...very grateful...for your gift." She glanced down at the box on her lap. She hastily set it aside and took the plate of waffles he handed to her, flashing him a bright smile as she did.

Something was going on in that clever mind of hers. Archer could tell by the expression on her face. Sato was smiling, but it was one of those smiles that people used to cover up what they were really thinking. He had seen it plenty of times during his career as he'd clawed his way up through the ranks in the fleet. He'd even employed it himself on occasion.

True, she had seemed genuinely grateful for his gift. He hadn't missed her pleased astonishment when she'd lifted the first jumpsuit from the box, or the way she'd appreciatively stroked the material of the second. She might be prudish, but that didn't stop her from recognizing quality when she saw it. And to think he'd had second thoughts about giving them to her when he'd first seen them when they'd been delivered to him late the day before. They would fit her fussy definition of modesty by covering her up, but they'd also cling to every curve. A tantalizing invitation to imagine what was underneath apparel could be more provocative than blatant exposure.

He did believe her when she'd said that her mind had wandered while he'd been talking to Cunningham. He hadn't missed her preoccupation. Had his gift set off recollections of a similar gift from her Captain Archer perhaps? For the first time, he wondered about her relationship with that man. She hadn't spoken much of him, but it was clear she respected him. As he chewed a bite of his breakfast, Archer supposed that he could ask T'Pol for more information about the other Archer she might have gleaned from the mind meld. That had its drawbacks, though. T'Pol no doubt would infer that he was jealous of Sato's relationship with his double, unless he couched his questions carefully.

Then again, that might be a good thing. Much as T'Pol detested Tucker, the engineer was good at getting her to let certain things slip. Sometimes, when Archer was in one of those moods, he would make up something totally off the wall, tell T'Pol, and then see how long it would take for Tucker to find out. He'd laughed for days after Tucker had primped the engine room and the rest of the ship until it shone, thinking the emperor himself was coming for an inspection, when in reality they'd been tasked with picking up a traitorous official from a subject world for delivery to a prison facility.

So, if Tucker got the idea from T'Pol that Sato was a bona fide captain's woman, it would make the engineer keep his distance from her. And if Tucker could be dissuaded from pursuing Sato, the rest of the men in the crew should follow his lead. Well, except for Reed, who was a rule unto himself. But Reed knew what was important, and Archer seriously doubted the tactical officer would ruin his chances of advancement for something that, if Reed's past track record with women was any indication, would be nothing more than a temporary infatuation. He almost growled as he recalled the time Reed had taken a fancy to one of Phlox's med techs. Reed had, as usual, satisfied himself, but the woman hadn't been fit for anything afterward. Physically, she'd healed, but mentally--

Sato spoke up from across the table. "Is something wrong?"

Archer shook his head. "No. Why do you ask?"

"You were frowning like you were angry about something."

He grunted. Damned if she couldn't pick up cues from him, just as he'd been picking them up from her. He quickly changed the subject. "Finish your breakfast. Before we go to the bridge this morning, we have a stop to make." At her inquiring look, he added, "You're getting a bodyguard."