“They’re here, inside this guard tower,” Hoshi stated, as she pointed to the panel. Her voice was like ice, calm and cold. The sensation of soulnessness was eviscerated as she focused all of her energy in getting Captain Archer and Malcolm back. She had offered to go back and look for the communicator with them, but Captain Archer had insisted that he and Malcolm would be sufficient. She knew he was right, but now she wished she were with them.

She closed her eyes and sighed, remembering the texture of the temple walls they toured and the stories and histories of the people the panels displayed. In her mind she could see the charismatic Chancellor Coltarae as she witnessed Malcolm’s awe. He looked so young with his hair messed and his uniform replaced by the local dress. It was as though she hardly knew him.

They were at the pub, Captain Archer sitting across from her and Malcolm. She had sidled into the both first, not thinking Malcolm would sit next to her, but he did. She almost passed out from holding her breath as his thigh brushed hers. He had quickly excused himself and moved away. He was the epitome of professionalism. “Bastard!”

“Guard towers, gun placements. It’s not a hotel,” surmised Travis.

“We could take shuttlepod two, set it down here,” directed Trip, as he touched a spot on the display. “They’re being held less than thirty meters away. We’ll be back in orbit before anybody knew they were gone.”

“If you were captured, you would be giving the inhabitants more technology. It would undoubtedly affect the evolution of their society.” Sub Commander T’Pol stated plainly playing devil’s advocate to Commander Tucker’s ‘rescue hero’.

“What if they didn’t see us coming? We’ve still got that Suliban cell ship, the one we used to rescue Klang from the Helix. I’ve been working on it in my free time. I’m pretty close to figuring out how it works. If I can bring the cloak on line, we can get past their defenses, grab our people, and no one will see a thing.” Trip said with building excitement in his voice.

“Work quickly,” nodded T’Pol.

Trip looked at Travis. “I could use a hand.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I suggest we monitor the communiqués coming from the compound. They may tell us what is happening to the Captain and Mr. Reed.” T’Pol addressed Hoshi, unaware of the younger woman’s inner turmoil.

Hoshi replied, “Right away,” and walked toward her station to accomplish the task.

She worked through the chatter of communications between the compound and other military installations. One communiqués stood out among all the rest.

“Sub Commander, another communiqué,” Hoshi informed T’Pol as she listened to her earpiece in disbelief and anguish. “It’s from a General Gosis, assistant to the Chancellor. He says they captured two enemy spies.” She listened more closely as though she had misheard the next part, her heart sinking. “They’re going to hang them.”

They were going to be executed in less than two hours and Malcolm was going to die without knowing how she felt about him. Even after that horrific dream, she still loved him. Even after the words that were spoken, she still loved him.

Captain Archer put a comforting hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “We’re doing the right thing, Malcolm. I’m sorry you won’t get a chance to write that report.”

Malcolm scoffed and pulled away. “That could still happen, sir. I’m expecting a rescue party to come barging through that door,” he said as he waved his hands toward the door for emphasis as though the act would make it a reality.

“Any moment, now,” he whispered, as he brushed by his superior officer, ready to die. Hoshi’s name screamed over and over in his head. He would die with her hating him. There was no chance to right things with her. He had failed everyone - the Captain, the crew, but especially her.

He lay down on his bunk thinking of his fate, hoping it to be swift and praying that Enterprise did not come back for their corpses. He was all too familiar with the various forms of execution. He just hoped that they got the length of the rope and the counter balance right. If they managed to do that then they would die from the dislocation of their necks. If not, they would die from slow asphyxiation causing their faces to be engorged with their eyes popping out and possible defecation.

It was hard enough knowing he was dying with Hoshi hating him, but to think that she may have to view his corpse. He closed his eyes, thinking of Hoshi and the future that they would never happen.

He did, willingly.

Just as he had poked his head into the entrance, he felt her hands tugging him by the collar into the shuttle pod, dragging him.

She had already taken her top off and was now rubbing her breasts against his chest and pressing her lips against his. The kiss consumed him, spreading heat and desire throughout his soul.

He returned her kiss with an uncharted ferocity, all the while helping her remove her clothes and helping her help him remove his. He kissed a trail from her mouth to her ear, emitting that low pitch that caused her to careen out of control.

She lost control as he made love to her ear. She handled his manhood, alternating between stroking and brushing against it. He pushed his hips forward in response, earning a grin from her. “Patience, Malcolm, we have the rest of our lives,” Hoshi purred and plundered his lips with hers.

He tasted tears in the kiss and pulled away. She was crying. He wiped at the tears, but they continued to fall. “Hoshi, what is it? Tell me what’s wrong.”

She sniffed and placed her head on his shoulder. “Nothing’s wrong, now. You’re here, wanting me. If that is all you can offer then I will take it.” Hoshi kissed his shoulder.

Pain lanced through him as realization struck at him. “Darling, look at me,” he whispered, lifting her face to meet his, knowing what he was going to see there.

He shuddered as he looked into the dark light inside her eyes - the light that held her love for him. It had withered because it had bloomed and hadn’t been nurtured. He was a fool! He was mortified that he hadn’t seen it sooner. For somebody astute at reading people, how had he missed her feelings for him?

His heart soared as she whispered the words he longed to hear.

“I love you.”

He watched as Malcolm shook sleep off, and patted him on the shoulder. “I know you’re tired and I hated to wake you, but you were thrashing about and calling out a name.” He didn’t add that he knew he had called for Hoshi, as he didn’t want to embarrass him.

“Hoshi,” Malcolm affirmed as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Archer remained silent waiting for him to divulge more details.

“I love her,” continued Malcolm not caring about fraternization regulations any longer. After all he was going to be dying soon, perhaps a confession was in order.

Archer raised his eyebrows in surprise, but still remained quiet.

“For about a week now, Hoshi and I had developed a,” he paused, not quite knowing how to vocalize his feelings for her, “relationship. It ended poorly because of me.”

Archer bristled at the thought Hoshi may have been hurt, but remained silent. Another part of him listened in astonishment as Malcolm confessed to fraternizing with a junior officer.

Malcolm sighed, “I’m going to die with her hating me.”

“Why do you say that?” Archer asked, puzzled.

“Because I never told her how I felt,” Malcolm sighed as he lay back on the bunk with his arms behind his head. “She is the only regret I have.”

The clank of the door sounded the beginning of their end as the military officers forced their arms behind their backs and pushed them toward the door.

General Gosis! Archer broke free of his captor and approached the General. “He’s my tactical officer. He can tell you anything you need to know about the alliance’s troop deployments. You don’t have to kill him,” he pleaded.

“Captain…” Malcolm started to protest but was cut off.

Deaf ears heard Archer’s plea and both were pushed toward the gallows.

“Hopefully it will be quick snap,” Malcolm kidded himself, knowing that the dislocation of his neck would be anything but quick.

For a split second, he closed his eyes. A vision of Hoshi smiling at him, telling him she loved him played in his mind, telling him that she forgave him, warmed him. He had fooled himself into a false sense of peace. But, the regret pinched at him with the cold reality-she would hate him through to his last breath.

The air around the platform swirled around them, blowing dust and debris all around. An arm materialized and shot the executioner and those around him. The arm that had materialized belonged to Trip, seen fully as he jumped from the Suliban pod, followed by T’Pol.

At first, Malcolm thought he was hallucinating until he felt someone cutting the ropes that bound his hands. A volley of gunfire whizzed past his head and his instincts kicked in as he hit the ground and rolled.

Phase pistol fire was returned as he and Captain Archer made their way toward the pod. But Malcolm stopped in his tracks; intent on retrieving the items they had come for. He was held back by Captain Archer’s arm. “Captain, the phase pistol, the communicator!”

Before he could react, Captain Archer darted through the gateway to retrieve the technology. Malcolm went to follow, but was held back by T’Pol.

“Lieutenant, get into the pod,” T’Pol ordered.

“But..” Malcolm began to argue.

“That’s an order,” countermanded the Vulcan as she pushed him into the pod.

Malcolm was powerless to cover the Captain, and exchanged a round of fire with the faceless soldiers. To his relief he saw phase fire coming from the opposite direction and knew it belonged to the Captain.

Captain Archer appeared next to the gate and quickly made his way to the pod, covered by phase fire from Trip, T’Pol and Malcolm. Travis continued to hold the pod steady. Cover fire splayed across the courtyard protecting the Captain’s movements. As soon as the Captain was on board, it stopped.

The hatch to the pod closed; effectively cutting it’s occupants out of their captor’s grasp.

Everybody was breathing heavy from the exertions from the gun battle and didn’t say a word. The overwhelming relief that everybody was together again permeated the pod.

Captain Archer started taking inventory of the tech that had been taken down to the surface and had been confiscated. He was patting all of his pockets down, looking for the last piece. All of his pockets patted down, he looked down and counted again. Panic gripped him as the thought that they may have left something down there again. “All of that for nothing!”

“Sir, are you looking for this?” Malcolm couldn’t help but smirk as he held the recorder up.

Archer grinned and snatched the device from his armory officer then started to count the devices on the floor like a mother hen would count her chicks.

The rest of the ride was continued in companionable silence.

“Once I get the all clear from your samples, I will patch both of you up,” he stated, pointing to the armory officer’s cut lip and the Captain’s cut along his cheek. “It should only take a few minutes with no alarming results. Both of you came back clean the last time, but since you were both wounded, I don’t want to take any chances.”

Malcolm sat down on the bench while Captain Archer sat next to him. A feeling of relief mixed with foreboding mixed inside his gut. “Sir, I hope that my confession down on the planet will have no repercussions for Hoshi. I take full responsibility for what happened between us and assure you that it will not continue. I respectfully request to be transferred as soon as it can be arranged.” Malcolm held his breath, waiting for his fate.

Captain Archer bowed his head in contemplation. At least that is what it looked like to anybody who was watching him. Secretly, he was smiling and trying not to laugh out loud. Somehow, he managed to put his captain mask on and look at his officer. “There really is no need to go jumping the gun, Malcolm and a transfer is out of the question. Fraternization rules are in place for a reason. One, so that a commanding officer can’t ‘take advantage’ or give preferential treatment of/to his or her people under his or her command. Two, the possible psychological ramifications of a superior officer ordering one under his command into harm’s way would endanger a mission.” Archer paraphrased the passages he knew all to well. “However, in instances where the subordinate is not under the direct control of his or her superior, certain allowances are made. I think this instance meets those criteria. As long as your relationship with Hoshi doesn’t affect yours or her work aboard Enterprise, then you have my blessing to continue the relationship.”

“There are no contaminates in your blood streams. Both of you are free to go.” Phlox’s disembodied voice informed them with his usual cheer.

Captain Archer put a hand on Malcolm’s shoulder to hold him in place. “As your captain, I am ordering you to stay put in decon because you have a headache,” he suggested. “Also as your captain, but most importantly as your friend, you are to stay in decon until things are patched up or ended completely with Hoshi. The decision is yours. You have until she arrives in decon to make up your mind.”

Malcolm opened his mouth but no words came out. Excitement and fear touched him.

“I will broker no argument on this topic, Lieutenant. Dr. Phlox,” Archer got up and addressed the window, “Mr. Reed will be staying in decon a little while longer. He is experiencing a headache and I do not want to take any chances. Have Ensign Sato report to decon for further decontamination.”

Phlox puzzled at the request but did as was requested of him. “Very well, sir.”

The door opened and Archer turned to Malcolm. “I really do hope that you continue with Hoshi. It would make an interesting report to Starfleet and could possible debunk the fraternization regulation. In addition, I wouldn’t mind officiating a wedding on Enterprise someday,” he grinned and left the younger man with his mouth hanging wide open.

“.” Malcolm got up and started pacing back and forth, nervousness clutching at him. He would rather face down a dozen Klingons then divulge his feelings to Hoshi. “Klingons and Hoshi do not even belong in the same sentence together.”

He was here in decon, waiting for the woman he loved beyond any measure known to sentient life forms. Pages to her dream journal spread before him and he read them in his mind’s eye. He could make every detail of her decon dream into a reality if she let him with one huge difference, she would know that he loved her.

The door swished open and the object of his love stepped through it warily, arguing with Dr. Phlox about the necessity of the procedure. She didn’t understand why she had to gel down and she was grousing about it. As she reached out for the gel, a hand stopped hers and she jumped.

“Here, let me,” Malcolm stated in that low hum that drove Hoshi’s sensitive hearing crazy.

She jerked away from him as though frightened. The slighted love she felt for him was still too raw and fresh and self-preservation kicked in. “No thank you, Lieutenant,” she snapped and snatched the container away from him. “So, Mr. Reed thought he was going to get it on in decon. Well, he had another thing coming!”

“I insist,” he mocked as he made a grab for the gel but connected with her elbow in his gut.

“Oof!” He bent over and held his midsection.

Hoshi glared at him and took a seat on the bench. She watched him wearily as she spread some gel on her hands

Malcolm was unsure as to her feelings for him until that moment. She loved him! Now, he just needed to get past her defenses that she had erected. Like a good tactician, he formulated a plan in his head and set out to initiate it. The direct approach would be best.

Still nursing his midsection, he knelt in front of her. “I’m so sorry, Hoshi. I am sorry for everything I’ve put you through, for everything I’ve done to you, well, almost everything,” he attempted humor and realized it would not succeed.

He sighed and looked down, almost preferring the hanging to this. “When I was down on the planet, and Captain Archer and I were captured and sentenced to death,” he paused, unable to formulate his swirling thoughts into words. “When I thought I was going to die, I had only one regret - you. I would die with you hating me, without you knowing how I really felt about you because of my cowardice.”

The last shred of fear and turmoil left his body as he shuddered. “I love you, Hoshi. I would hardly admit it to myself. So, there was no way I was going to tell you how…”

Malcolm quieted as he felt Hoshi’s hand cup his chin lifting his eyes to hers. During his little speech she had gotten down on the floor next to him. “Tell me again,” her wet eyes pleaded with his solemn ones.

“I love you,” he whispered at her request, hesitantly brushing an errant strand of ebony hair off of her face.

“That’s what I thought you said,” Hoshi whispered against his lips as she leaned over him.

The meeting of their lips was hesitant at first; neither one knowing if the touch they were experiencing was another dream, or reality. Once reality registered, their lips crushed together, encouraging their tongues to meet and their hands to roam. Malcolm lay on the deck plating with Hoshi straddling his waist.

Malcolm registered the taste of her tears as they seeped into their kiss. He kissed along her jaw and ran his hands under the hem of her skivvies. She raised her arms and encouraged the removal of her shirt. He complied, lifting the tank over her head. His hands wiped at the tears, which continued to fall. He reached toward the back of her head and undid the clasp that held her raven hair in its prison.

Following the laws of gravity, her hair fell forward, providing a dark frame for her face. Malcolm ran his fingers through her hair, and then splayed his fingers across her back. She leaned forward and placed a feather light kiss upon his lips. “I love you too.”

A dam broke inside both lovers and they fervently tore at the remainder of each other’s clothing - their blue boxers. They jockeyed for positioned, both wanting the same thing - to be lost within one another. Finally Malcolm reclined onto the deck plating, taking his lover with him, his manhood pressing into her belly. He whimpered as Hoshi took the initiative and his member into her hand and pressed against her entrance, intent on slowing sinking down upon him, but he would have none of the slow torture. He needed her now, and he would have her now.

Malcolm pushed upwards into her heat, sheathing himself, earning a groan from his love. She thrust downwards and started to rock her hips back and forth. Hoshi’s head was thrown back, lost in the ecstasy of their union. She was moaning. At firsts, he thought it was incoherent ramblings, but he realized she was talking in a foreign language.

He could tell when the foreign language became incoherent ramblings, when she froze on top of him. He could feel her slick heat tighten around him. It was as though something poured from her and saturated him. He grasped her hips and plunged and he spilled inside of her welcoming soul. The warmth of belonging, of being complete, of being loved overwhelmed him. Thought ceased as sensation ruled him.

"I'm curious. What were you saying in the throws of passion, luv?" Malcolm asked, marveling in the silky texture of her hair. "What language was it?"

Due to the blue glow of the lighting in decon, Malcolm couldn't see the blush spread throughout her body. "I was talking dirty to you in Risan," she smirked.

She could feel the laughter in his chest against her cheek and the movement inside her and gasped.

"My dear, I've read your journal and I am quite impressed with your, er, um, use of language. And your imagination, well, I didn't even know some of those positions were even possible," he laughed again, causing her to gasp. She didn't have to ask, as he knew what she wanted, so he embraced her hips and started to move within her.

She moaned her response. "I love you."

He groaned, “You too,” and let go of her hips to run his hands over her breasts.

She responded by thrusting her chest into his palms and mewing. Her second climax reached her with little effort. By the time it was over, she was a shimmering, silver pool on top of Malcolm. He reached his climax moments after hers, and became a dark, deep pool for her to bathe in.

They existed that way, one taking while the other gave, and one giving while the other took. Their souls wrapped around one another, free to explore their newfound relationship. They rested in one another.

Only Hoshi heard the window to decon open then quickly close and a faint “Oh my.” She smiled to herself and stroked her hand across Malcolm’s chest to stir him. He had yet to fulfill her decon dream, but the reality was much better.

FIN

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