Reed's Armory -- A Malcolm Reed Fanfiction Archive ..

Title: Losing You

Author: Alia

Author's e-mail: [email protected]

Author's Web site: http://alia.slashcity.net/index.html

Fandom: Enterprise

Pairing: Archer/Reed

Rating: G

Category: Slash

Summary: Malcolm experiences the unexpected.

Comments: This ficlet is story 2 in a short series dealing with some of the things Malcolm never expected when he signed on to Enterprise. You might also like to know that each story contains Australian spelling along with spoilers for seasons 2, 3 and 4.

Thanks: To Mareel for checking this over for me.

Archived to Reed's Armory on 04/13/2008.

Losing You - Zero Hour

The small Xindi ship had been filled to capacity when we had taken off, now all I could think was there were far too many empty seats for the return journey.

I glance down at the silent communicator in my hand and then over at the vacant space beside where Hoshi is seated, recalling the captains last words to her, to us all. He had said not to worry -- that he had no intentions of dying here. There had been no reason to doubt what we had been told. Unlike before, this was not a suicide mission. There was something wrong though. It was taking too long.

Lifting my gaze I follow Hoshi's line of sight to the open view screen. From where I am sitting the Xindi sphere appears as it had when we first located it, silent and deadly. A weapon of mass destruction created for one purpose, to annihilate the human race. It is difficult to comprehend the level of fear and hatred necessary to inspire such a device, although I know that the Xindi are not the first race to take such steps to insure what they perceive is their own survival. Earth's own history was riddled with similar attempts, I remind myself.

Still, it is with a growing sense of helplessness that I search the view for signs of change and a sickening horror that I watch as a sudden flash of light appears without warning on the far right of the screen.

As is expected the first explosion is closely followed by a series of others, a chain reaction caused by the charges we had strategically placed around the main structure.

It all seems unreal, not possible and yet as the explosions grow in intensity and the first wave hits us, rocking the small ship and its crew, I know it is. Nothing imagined or contrived could hurt this much, or cause this much pain.

Another shockwave hits us even before we can recover from the first and I raise my communicator in one last desperate attempt to make contact, but I already know it's too late, that there was no more we could do... that we can't stay here. As planned the weapon is being destroyed, taking anyone still left on board with it.

"Lieutenant?"

I nod, acknowledging the unspoken question and lower my communicator.

I am forced to hold Hoshi's wrists and try to remain seated as the transport takes off. I don't expect her to be so strong, or to come at me with so much venom. Not after everything she's been through, what I know the reptilians did to her. Strength isn't about size however, it's about passion, and in this case, heart break coupled with unadulterated rage.

"No," she screams. "We can't leave. We have to wait for the captain."

I wish I could do as she asks, and that I had her luxury for tears right now, but we have neither the time nor the shielding to stay and mourn the man who had given his life to save humanity -- the man I loved, but never told.

~the end~