Discovery of the Spirit

Title: Discovery of the Spirit

Chapter: 5/?

Author: Wesleys_Lady

E-Mail: brutal_howell@hotmail.com

Rating: Starts PG13, and progresses to R

Category: Romance/Angst/Drama/General

Pairing: Archer/Original Character

Summary: For Archer, the past and the present collide with painful results. Katie and T’Pol come to an understanding.

Disclaimer: See Chapters 1 – 4

Archive: See Chapters 1 – 4

Feedback: Yes, please. (She asks meekly)







Discovery of the Spirit

Chapter 5



By



Wesleys_Lady





Archer had reconsidered Malcolm’s suggestion that he train with Kathleen. The problem was, she wouldn’t even broach hand-to-hand combat skills until his body was in shape enough to handle the abuse. ‘And I thought I was fit,’ he mused. In the last six days, their mornings had begun with a ten-mile run around the ship before breakfast. The route she mapped out put their finish closer to her quarters than his – so they always took their breakfast there. A few days ago, Kathleen had cleared a couple of drawers in her quarters for Jon to stow some clothes and uniforms. Even though she said it was to save time – it still felt like Christmas to him. As they approached the last turn before reaching the end, she broke away from him and sprinted ahead. ‘I’m too old for this shit!’ Archer thought. The stitch in his side was making it hard for him to breathe. He came to a stop on very wobbly legs and entered the code for Kathleen’s door. He found her inside.



"So what’s for breakfast?" he wheezed. She knew he was pushing himself hard for her benefit, so she always kept an eye on him – looking for possible injuries. He gratefully caught the towel she threw him and began to wipe the sweat off his head. He staggered over to her bed and collapsed on it.



"Bagels, Fresh Fruit, and Oatmeal," she replied. "You want the shower first?" Kathleen felt a little better when his breathing began to return to normal. Archer shook his head.



"You go first. I just want to lay here and die," he groaned. With the increased oxygen supply, he caught up to the part of the conversation he missed. "Bagel, Fresh Fruit AND Oatmeal? How did you swing all that?" he turned his head and opened one eye in her direction. His pulse quickened when she gave him the smile he knew was only for him.



"I did a few favors for Chef," she shrugged her shoulders. Archer found his attention being completely drawn to her as she sauntered over to the bed. She leaned over him and gave him a kiss that set his blood boiling. He pulled her down so that she was lying on top of him.



"What kind of favors?" he purred as he nibbled on her earlobe. He was proud of himself when he heard the moan come from her throat. It was nice to know that he could affect her, just as much as she could him.



"J-J-Just fixing some of the appliances in the kitchen…" she trailed off. Things were really beginning to get heated when the ship suddenly rocked. The alarms began to go off all over. Both occupants jumped up from the bed and ran to the Comm panel.



"Archer to Bridge," he barked. Reed’s voice came over the Comm.



*"You might want to get up here Captain, we're under attack."*


"I’ll be down in Engineering," Kathleen snapped. They both exited her quarters and took off on a run to their perspective posts.







THE BRIDGE



Archer came onto the bridge just as the ship was thrown for the third time.



"Travis, get us out of here!" he yelled.



"Warp Engines aren’t responding," the nervous ensign replied. Jon ran over to the nearest Comm panel.



"Lt. Kane, do whatever you have to do to get us out of here," he was trying to stay calm. In the face of impending destruction, it was hard. He was surprised to hear Trip’s voice respond.



*"We’re on it, Cap’n. Katie says two minutes, and we’re good to go."* The next two minutes were the longest of everyone’s lives. When Travis heard the Warp Engines coming back online, he initiated their hasty escape. They all breathed a sigh of relief when Malcolm informed them that their attackers were not pursuing.



"All right, folks. Gather all information from the sensors. And I want the report on what just happened, in my hands in 20 minutes." He figured that would give him enough time to change. He was almost to the lift when the Comm chimed.



*"Tucker to Bridge,"* There was something in Trip’s tone that made Jon’s heart sink. He froze while Malcolm answered.



"Bridge here," the Brit replied.


*"If the Cap’n is still up there, tell him to high tail it to sickbay, on the double. Lt. Kane is hurt."*

Archer’s heart fell into his shoes. Malcolm glanced at him, the concern written all over his face.



"He’s on his way. Bridge out." The entire bridge crew was watching him. They were all fond of the Lieutenant. "We’ve got this. Go, sir." Jon left the bridge as fast as he could.







SICKBAY



Trip was waiting outside sickbay when he got there. He stopped the Captain, wanting to fill him in on everything before he went in.



"Jon, wait. She’s alive, but Doc says she’s gotta stay over night," Trip was worried himself. But he was trying very hard not to make things worse for Archer.



"What happened?" he wasn’t just worried, the Captain was terrified. He and Kathleen had made some real progress over the past week. Every day, he had felt closer to her. ‘Not now, don’t you dare take her from me now,’ he prayed.



"The first blast severed two important relays in the Warp engine. She was hit with a pretty strong surge of power when she reconnected them." He explained. "Phlox says the sudden shock stopped her heart," Jon clenched his eyes shut. Trip swallowed nervously and continued, "He managed to get it started again, but it’s beatin’ all wonky. He wants to keep her overnight for observation." He watched Archer put on a brave front, preparing to go in. Trip didn’t want to tell him the other part. "There’s somethin’ else," he felt like he had been kicked by a mule when he saw the Captain’s façade fall.



"What?" he asked, nervously.



"You never saw the scars that were left from Katie’s fight with the Vulcans," he stated. Archer shook his head and let his emotions get the better of him.



"What the hell does that have to do with anything?!"



"Doc says if it weren’t for all that scar tissue, she’d be dead right now. The energy was displaced across the thickness of ‘em," he explained. Trip felt it was better that he hears this from him, than the doctor. "She got singed a bit. Jon, you’re gonna be surprised how severe them old scars are. Katie’s always thought they were hideous. No matter what you feel, don’t let on about ‘em." Archer just nodded. He was thankful that Trip was trying to prepare him. He had read the attached medical information in her file. He knew the scars were there. He took a breath and entered sickbay. "I’ll be out here, if you need me."



Kathleen Kane was laying on the main bio-bed closest to the doctor’s office. Jon noted the clothes she was wearing for their workout were draped over a chair. There were three scorch marks that ran through her shirt and sweatpants. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Phlox came out of his office.



"My apologies, Captain. I didn’t intend to frighten you," he said.



"S’ok," Archer couldn’t take is eyes off of Kathleen’s still form. The doctor decided to make himself scarce, and let the two talk.



"Commander Tucker said he preferred to brief you on her condition." The Captain nodded. "She will be alright," he assured the younger man. "Keeping her here is just a precaution. She may return to her quarters in the morning." Archer wasn’t even acknowledging the doctor’s words anymore. "I’ll leave you two alone," with that, Phlox exited sickbay. Despite both Trip and the Doctor’s assurances, he was still terrified as he approached her bedside. The sheet was pulled up to her neck, and she seemed to be sleeping peacefully. He almost hated to disturb her, but he had to see for himself that she was OK. He leaned over and kissed her gently. Kathleen’s eyes fluttered open.



"My Prince Charming, I presume?" she teased. He reached down and grabbed her hand. She gave him a smile, trying to let him know everything was going to be all right. When she saw her charred clothes draped over the chair, she panicked. She was nude under the sheet, and one of her biggest fears was dangerously close to coming true. She pulled the sheet tighter around herself. It was one thing for Trip and Dr. Phlox to know about her scars…but she felt it would be too much for Jon to deal with. All Archer saw was the panic that suddenly filled her eyes.



"What? What’s wrong?" he realized what it was when she tried to pull the sheet even tighter around herself. "You were almost killed, and you’re worried about me seeing your scars?" he was astounded. "What are you afraid of, Kat?" He put his hand on top of the sheet when she clenched it tighter in her fist. "Look at me, Kathleen." Jon knew of her aversion to painkillers, so he expected the pain he saw in her eyes. It was the fear he saw there, that surprised him. He knew he was going to have to help her fight whatever was scaring her, or he would lose her. He gently placed his palm on her cheek. With his other hand, he grabbed the sheet. He tried to convey all the love and support he could through his touch. "It’s alright," he whispered, gently. He touched his forehead to hers, making sure to never break eye contact. "Let go," she reluctantly let go, and clutched at the shoulders of his shirt. "We’re going to take it nice and slow," he held his breath when he saw the tears start to fall from her eyes. He eased the sheet to the top of her breasts and stopped. In her right shoulder, he could see where the knife had been plunged into her and dragged the length of her arm. Archer could feel the tears welling up in his own eyes.

She had almost a dozen cuts across both shoulders, and five thick scars below the clavicles from where she had been stabbed. "Oh, sweetheart," he felt his own tears start to fall. He started to pull the sheet down lower, but Kathleen clamped her hand down on top of his.



"No," she sobbed. "No more," her body began to shake. She knew her upper body was mild compared to the rest. Jon placed his other hand on top of hers. His tears were coming faster.



"Please," he pleaded. "I’m not going anywhere." His voice was cracking with emotion. "For both our sakes, I have to see them." He leaned forward and kissed her. Looking into her eyes, he whispered, "I promise, I’m here for the long haul. If you’ll have me." That seemed to do it. The fear and trepidation was still there, but she let go of the sheet. "Trust me," he added. He slowly pulled the sheet down and off of her. As he surveyed the damage that had purchased his father’s life, a sob tore from Archer’s throat. He fell to his knees in grief. She had severe cuts across both breasts, as well as at least four stab scars in each one. She had overlapping scars across her sternum that ran the length of her abdomen. The deep angry scar that ran across her left thigh extended up into her groin. Added to that was the two bright, red burns that went from shoulder to shoulder. Kathleen sat up on the bio-bed. She wrapped her arms around her naked form and sobbed. Jon was still on his knees…his whole body just wracked with grief. He couldn’t take his eyes off the floor. He knew, vividly, the extent of what his father saw. And he would give anything to be able to forget the image. Kathleen staggered the few steps to where he was kneeling. She had to look in his eyes, and see if he meant what he said. When she sank down in front of him, he reached out a shaky hand. He gently traced the mass of scars on her abdomen. His anger towards the Vulcans flared intensely. He had to force it back down. "Why?" he asked the woman before him.



"Why did I do it?" she clarified. He just nodded. "I couldn’t let them kill him. No matter what the cost to me, I just couldn’t let them kill him," her tears continued to fall. She lifted his chin so she could look in his eyes. "Jon, Are we OK?" Archer saw how unsure she was. He forced himself to smile at her, even though the tears were still coming. He tried to wipe away her tears.



"We’re fine…better than fine. I told you, I’ll be here for you, as long as you let me." That’s when Kathleen lost it. She collapsed into his arms. They just held each other and cried. As the grief began to leave Archer’s body, he gathered her in his arms. She protested being moved at all. He gently laid her back on the bio-bed. "Shhhhhhh….it’s alright. You rest now." He sniffled. He pushed the hair behind her ear. "I have to go to the bridge. I’ll be back as soon as I can." Jon picked up the sheet and covered her back up. "If you want, I’ll have Hoshi bring you some more clothes." Kathleen nodded.



"Are we really OK?" she was still unsure. He held her face in his hands. He had to figure out a way to convince her that this was grief over her suffering…not the disgust she thought it was. He bent over and poured everything he had into a heated kiss.



"We have to try and figure out who attacked us. The second I can get off duty, I’ll be back here, for the night." He was getting some conviction back in his voice. She reached up and wiped the drying tears from his eyes. "I want you in my life. Believe that." Jon was beginning to regain his composure. He would take a quick shower in his quarters and get back to the bridge. Kathleen gave him one of the smiles that made his heart sing.



"You better go. We wouldn’t want to give the Sub-Commander any leverage for her next argument." She pulled his head down until their foreheads touched. "Thank you, Jon." He gave her another kiss.



"Thank you for trusting me," he replied. "I’ll be back later." Kathleen believed everything he said. But even as she watched him leave sickbay, she still had some nagging doubts. As Archer stepped out into the hall, he wasn’t surprised to find Trip waiting for him. He didn’t bother pretending with the engineer, he knew he would see right through it.



"You guys gonna be alright?" Tucker had heard the pair crying. He knew this was a big obstacle for them. "Is there anythin’ I can do?" He was more than a bit worried about them.



"Yeah, go give the bridge crew the report on Kathleen’s condition while I get a quick shower. And then see how many people you can get to come here for her birthday party. If she can’t go to her own party, let’s see if we can’t bring the party to her." Trip grinned at his friend’s idea. Katie will love it. "Trip…we have some things to work out, but I think we’re going to be fine."



"If there’s anythin’ I can do to help, all you gotta do is say the word." He would move heaven and earth for these two if need be.



"Come on, we’ve got work to do."









THE BRIDGE



Archer returned to the bridge 15 minutes later, clean and in a fresh uniform. Reed immediately handed him a data padd with all the necessary info on it.



"Commander Tucker briefed us on the Lieutenant’s condition. Congratulations, sir," Malcolm was immensely relieved. Lt. Kane was a valuable asset to Enterprise, as well as a downright decent person. He hated to think what effect her death would have had on Trip and Captain Archer.



"Thank you, Mr. Reed." He studied the padd. "Are you telling me, we have no sensor information other than the fact that it was there?" It all told him nothing. The report he got was essentially, ‘Ship came from Port side, fired three shots, and we flew away from it. Negative for bio-signs during scan.’ He glanced up at T’Pol. "Negative for bio-signs? The ship was un-manned?"



"We cannot say for sure if our scans managed to penetrate their shielding," the Vulcan stated. Archer swallowed the bile that rose in the back of his throat. He knew this would be his reaction to most Vulcans until he could get it under control. He clenched his eyes shut when the image of a bloodied Kathleen came flooding into his mind. He shook his head to clear the image.



"Hoshi, was there any warning before we were fired upon?" he wanted answers.



"No, Captain."



"People, we have no answers? An unknown assailant flies up and takes a swat at us, and you don’t know why? I have an injured crew person lying in my sickbay. I want to be able to tell her why she’s there." He sat down in his chair. "Get me some answers!" Over the next three hours, they backtracked through sensor logs. Hoshi spent her time going through the space sounds from the previous 48 hours. They managed to get Archer SOME answers, just not all the ones he wanted. It seemed that two days prior, Enterprise was being tailed. The ship following them had some sort of cloaking device. That was the reason no one had seen the ship approach. T’Pol supplied them with a list of possible races that carried Cloaking technology. One name stood out for Archer…Andorians. Enterprise’s previous exchanges with the Andorians had not been friendly ones. Could they be at fault for this as well? The Captain ran this data next to the entire Andorian file looking for similarities. Five hours into Beta shift, they were no closer to determining anything, conclusively. They were all too tired to think clearly. Maybe if he put some fresh minds on the problem. He turned the assignments over to Beta shift and left orders that the shields were to stay up in case their "friends" returned. They were all on edge as they entered the lift.



"Should we all meet in sickbay within the hour, Sir?" Reed inquired.



"That would be great, Malcolm." An hour gave him just enough time to get changed and get to Kathleen before everyone else got there. "Hoshi, can you do me a favor?" The linguist agreed before she knew what it was. "Can you take some clothes to Lt. Kane?" She nodded. Then T’Pol said something that made all the other occupants of the lift look at her like she had three heads.



"Captain, I have a gift for the Lieutenant’s birthday. Would you mind giving it to her?" the Vulcan simply stated. Archer just stared at her, stunned. T’Pol arched an eyebrow. "Is it not a human custom to give someone a gift on the celebration of their date of birth?" The Captain returned to the conversation when he felt Hoshi elbow him in the ribs.



"Uh, tell you what, Sub-Commander…why don’t you come to the party and give it to her yourself." He didn’t believe what he was hearing. T’Pol had gotten a gift for someone else. And he didn’t have to order her to.



"I was not aware that I was invited," given the Lieutenant’s fondness for her culture, she thought several Vulcan tomes would be an appropriate gift. "I shall be there in sixty minutes," she stated. It was a good thing T’Pol got off the lift first. Because when she exited, four pairs of eyes watched her in stunned silence.



"Well, what do you make of that?" Travis said what was on all their minds. Archer and Hoshi were the next to leave.



"I appreciate all this, guys. I know Kathleen will too." Reed waved off the thanks.



"Not at all, sir. No one should be alone on his or her birthday," he sounded like he was speaking from experience.









SICKBAY



Hoshi had brought the clothes to her five minutes ago. Kathleen knew as soon as they were handed to her, the clothes were not hers – they were Jon’s. She asked Hoshi about it.



"Captain thought his shirt might be more comfortable for you. The bigger size won’t rub across your burns as much," she explained. There was another benefit that Kathleen savored at that moment. His smell was all over them. She was being comforted by his presence, even when he wasn’t there. She had a sneaky suspicion that was the real reason he had sent them. "He should be down in a few minutes." She slid into Jon’s clothes, without even thinking of her audience. Hoshi gasped when she saw the scars that riddled the Lieutenant’s body. "What happened to you, Kat?" she asked, horrified. Kathleen shook her head. Maybe this was a good sign. Since she had let Jon see them, she wasn’t so self-conscious.



"I’m sorry, Hoshi. I should have warned you." She gave the young woman a sad smile.



"Do they hurt?"



"They did when I got them. Really, I’m all right. As for what happened, it’s a long story," she hoped the other woman would drop it. She was saved Hoshi’s next question by Trip entering sickbay…and he was carrying a cake.



"Happy Birthday, darlin’" Trip drawled. Within five minutes, the rest of her friends showed up: Reed, Mayweather, Phlox, and … T’Pol. The presence of the Vulcan was a bit shocking. But Que Cera Cera, she thought. She was starting to get a bit concerned when she realized that Jon was the only one that hadn’t arrived, yet. "Cap’n thought that since you couldn’t come to yer party, we’d bring the party to you." Tucker explained. He held out the cake for her approval. "Compliments of Chef…" the cake was a good size. "You know what this means, don’t ya?" she shook her head. "Chef must like you more than he likes us." She smiled.



"He never made me a cake that big," no one had heard Archer come in. He held a neatly wrapped package behind his back. As Kathleen walked toward him, he handed it to her. "Happy Birthday, Kat." She calmly set the package on the nearest surface, and turned to hug Jon.



"Thank you, for all of this." He could hear the emotions warring in her voice. He held her, trying to be mindful of her burns.



"Shhhhh…it’s ok, we’re ok," a reminder of their earlier discussion. Archer looked down and saw that his jeans were almost three inches to long for her. He got down on a knee and rolled the pant legs up. He smiled up at her.



"Let’s get the presents open so we can get this party started," Trip put his arms around Hoshi’s shoulders and steered her back toward Phlox’s office. It was where all the gifts were and the cake was. It took roughly 30 minutes to open her gifts. Music from Hoshi, Medical tools to add to her first aid kit from the doctor, a printed edition of the Complete Works of Shakespeare from Malcolm, A bottle of Bushmill’s Single malt Irish whiskey from Trip, A framed photo of a particularly beautiful nebula from Travis…and then it came to Jon. She opened the large package he had initially handed her. In it, she found an intricately carved Katana. Everyone whistled in appreciation of the sword’s beauty.



"Where did you…?" she began to ask.



"Remember the freighter we ran into a few days ago? I got it off their first officer." He didn’t want to tell her he won it in a poker game; he thought it might take something away from the gift. "Someone told me you collect weapons," he glanced at Hoshi. She set the sword down and leaned over and kissed him. When she went to grab the last present, he set a small 3X3 inch box down on the table. "Open the one in your hand first…then you get to open that one." He looked at the one he just set down. Kathleen tore the paper off T’Pol’s gift and what she saw took her breath away. In her hands, she knew she held some very old – very rare – Vulcan text.



"Wow," Hoshi whispered in appreciation. Kathleen looked at T’Pol, the shock clearly written on her face.



"Sub-Commander, these are too valuable. I don’t know if I can accept them." She couldn’t even figure out why the Vulcan would even honor her with a gift.



"Do not concern yourself, Lieutenant. Those are just copies of the original text. They might help you correct your accent," Kathleen mimicked the Vulcan’s arched eyebrow. A compliment AND an insult from a Vulcan…hmmmmmm. "There is a second part of the present," she looked around sickbay at the humans she had come to depend on. "I may have been hasty in my judgment regarding you and the Captain. You seem to have proven yourself acceptable for him, despite your rank." Reed, Trip, Jon and Kathleen were all to busy picking their chins up off the floor. What T’Pol had just said could be considered high praise from a Vulcan – along with acceptance. Archer saw his second in command in a new light. He appreciated the effort she was making, and would make it a point to tell her so. Hoshi and Dr. Phlox just smiled.



"Thank you, Sub-Commander," Kathleen didn’t know what to think. "I shall endeavor to not fail the new trust you have placed in me." She was trying to extend the same courtesy to T’Pol, that the woman seemed to be extending to her. She set the books down and glanced at the small box Archer had left there. She picked up the box and opened it on its hinge. "Oh, Jon!" Inside was a silver cross on a silver box-link chain. She thought she recognized the item and looked on the back to confirm. Etched into the back of the chain were two initials…H.A. – for Henry Archer. "Jon, this is yours," Archer shook his head.



"He would have wanted you to have it," She turned the box around so Trip could see it. He knew what the cross meant to Jon…the fact that he was giving it to Katie really said a lot. She knew it was foolish, but every doubt she had about their future, was obliterated with this one tiny gift. Archer took the cross from her hands and stepped behind her to help her put it on. "Besides, as long as you’re with me, the cross stays with me."



"What is it?" Hoshi asked, curiosity getting the best of her.



"This cross used to belong to my dad," he closed the clasp on the chain. "As long as I can remember, he always wore it. Right up until the day before he died – when he gave it to me." He smiled at the memory of the past, and of the future. "Now, I’m giving it to Kathleen." He wrapped his arm around Kathleen’s waist. "To me, it embodies everything that is right. That’s why it belongs with you," he believed that with all his heart. Hoshi thought that was a phenomenal gesture. Very few people knew how close Henry Archer and his son were. For the Captain to part with it, spoke volumes of his level of devotion to Lieutenant Kane. Hoshi only hoped that when her time came, she would find someone that looked at her, the way The Captain was looking at Kat.



"Time for cake and refreshments!" Trip hated to interrupt their moment. But the sooner they ate, the sooner he could scoot everyone out of sickbay so that his friends could be alone. Kathleen felt it was her duty to try and have conversations with all her "guests," but Archer and Phlox were noting that she was clearly too fatigued to continue. An hour after she finished opening presents, Trip picked up on it, and started maneuvering everyone toward the door. Phlox noted that the Captain and the Lieutenant were lucky to have a friend in Commander Tucker. The engineer had kept an eye on them both through the party. And he seemed to be able to judge what they needed…at precisely the time they needed it. ‘Interesting,’ he thought.



"All right, folks. Let’s let the birthday girl get some rest. Don’t want her to have an excuse for not getting’ to work in the morning," he winked at Kathleen. She was putting the rest of the cake on plates for everyone to take.



"Maybe I should just break my arm, like you did," Reed seemed to find that particularly funny. Especially after Tucker had been messing with him all week. It was nice to see him catching some of his own. Trip over-played the ‘insult’ by pouting like a three year old. Archer took a plate and passed to him.



"She’s got you there, Trip," he grinned. Kathleen thanked everyone for her gifts and for coming to the makeshift party. T’Pol just glanced at the plate when she handed it to her.



"I noticed you seemed to like the chocolate cake. Please, take some with you," she explained. She had been shocked to see the Vulcan at her party, let alone receive a gift from her. She wondered if T’Pol had read her Starfleet file or not. Given the importance of Henry Archer, she was almost positive that the Vulcan High Command had some sort of file on her as well. Was that what caused T’Pol’s sudden change toward her? On several occasions, the Sub-Commander had gone against her own people, in support of Jon and Enterprise. While she resented the lecture they had received about her relationship with Jon, she was aware that the Vulcan really did have Enterprise’s best interests at heart. And she could hardly fault her for that. "Thank you for the gift, Sub-Commander T’Pol," she said to the other woman in her own language.



"You requested my assistance with the improvement of your accent," she replied (in Vulcan). Which Kathleen knew was the Vulcan equivalent of ‘Thank You.’ Jon wasn’t sure what had caused T’Pol’s change of heart regarding Kathleen, but he knew when to count his blessings. Trip handed out the rest of the cake and started herding everyone to the door.



"Let’s go, everybody out. Move it, move it," Tucker put his arm around Hoshi’s shoulder. "What do you say we move this shindig to the Mess Hall? Malcolm? How ‘bout you, Travis?" He really wasn’t interested in going to sleep quite yet. And he wanted to find out what they thought of Jon and Katie being together. "Sub-Commander? Will you join us?" The ‘Ice Queen’ would be a tough nut to crack…but then again, Trip always did like a challenge. Dr. Phlox wanted to make sure everything was fine before he left his patient for the night.



"Do you remember everything I showed you, Captain?" Archer nodded. He went over to the monitor that was reading Kathleen’s heart rhythm.



"I keep an eye on this. If the rate gets below…40, or she goes into V-Tach?" he inquired, not sure of the correct term. Phlox said it was right. Jon continued, "Or V-Fib, I’m supposed to hit this button." He shuddered. The doctor had explained that pressing the button would deliver 360 joules of electricity across Kathleen’s heart…hopefully correcting the problem. "Then, I’m supposed to call you."



"Very good," Phlox was impressed. The Captain picked things up fast. ‘Of course, he had incentive,’ he thought. "I shall leave you two alone then. Goodnight, Lieutenant. Please, try and get some rest. Goodnight, Captain."



"Goodnight, Doctor," they both replied. Phlox left them alone in sickbay. Archer smiled when he heard the Denobulan engage the lock on the door. He began to pick up the mess they had left, and that’s when he spotted it in the corner of the doctor’s office. There was a small air mattress, several blankets and two pillows. On top of the pile was a note, "Captain, I cannot, in good conscience, allow my patient to spend the night on that hard bio-bed. Please feel free to use these. I trust the Lieutenant’s care to you, sir. Have a good night." He carted the pile out of the office and noticed Kathleen standing by the one of the windows. With the lights dimmed, Archer was mesmerized by the way the stars cast a shine of their own across her beautiful features. ‘God, she looks sexy in my shirt,’ he thought. She had the top two buttons opened on the shirt, and was reverently touching the cross around her neck. He quickly set up the bedding and went to her. When sensed Jon approaching, she leaned back, trusting him to be there. He pulled her to his chest and slid his hands into the front pockets of the jeans she was wearing – securing her to the spot.



"You scared the hell out of me today," he finally admitted.



"Mmmmmmm…."



"When Trip called up to the bridge, I could hear it in his voice." He took a shaky breath. "I thought I lost you." Kathleen pressed back into his chest. ‘I’m still here, Jon,’ is what she was saying. " I realized something after we talked, earlier," he took a breath to steady his nerves. "Either one of us could be killed out here, at any time."



"We both knew the risks when we signed up, Jon."



"We did. But I know that my life would be miserable without you here. I may not be able to control the types of attacks that happened today…so I have to control the things I can – like my own fears and emotions." He turned her around so that she was looking in his eyes. "Kat, before I asked you to dinner that first night, I read a letter that my dad put in your file. I could sense his sadness and grief that he felt when he found you. When I saw them," she knew he meant the scars. ‘Here it comes, he’s going to leave.’ Kathleen prepared for the worst. "I saw EXACTLY what he saw that night. And I was so disgusted with myself." She could feel the tears welling up, so she clenched her eyes to hide them. "I went against everything my parents ever taught me, fifteen years ago. I was pompous, arrogant and downright mean to you, and I have no excuse for it." Her eyes snapped open – she didn’t expect that. "You are my angel. You accepted everything I threw at you back then, and never held a grudge. The suffering and pain you went through…I can never make that up to you. You gave me back the most sacred thing in my life." He trailed his touch down her cheek. "My anger toward the Vulcans flared up this morning. I can’t forget what they did to you," This wasn’t what she wanted.



"Don’t, Jon." Any anger he felt toward their allies would only hurt him and Enterprise. He placed a finger on her lips.



"I know…it isn’t ‘logical’ for me to blame an entire race for an isolated incident." They both smiled at his choice of words. "I will work on it. T’Pol’s behavior is helping." Kathleen never noticed how expressive Jon’s features were. She could see it all there: The shame, the fear, the anger, the gentleness, and something she couldn’t place….the love? "I know I don’t have a right to ask, but be patient with me. Please" He leaned forward and gave her a heated kiss. When they broke apart, he didn’t release his embrace. "I could no more walk away from you, than cut off my arm." The holes in Kathleen’s soul filled with his confession. And she began to cry. Archer was confused, this wasn’t the reaction he was hoping for. "Kat, what’s wrong?" She shook her head, adamantly.



"Nothing. Nothing at all. I’m happy. I was terrified that you were breaking it off with me," she explained. He breathed a sigh of relief.



"If this ends between us, it will be you that has to do it." That he was sure of. He rubbed small circles on her back when she let the tears flow. "You didn’t expect that, did you?" She shook her head.



"Ensign Cutler will be disappointed," where did that come from? Jon wondered. "I think she was hoping to get you for herself," she smiled. The ensign had been shooting her dirty looks through the entire movie last night. Archer chuckled.



"Not going to happen. I’m a one-woman man. She’s about yea tall," He put his hand on top of her head and trailed a gentle touch down her hair. "And she is the most stunningly, beautiful creature I have ever seen." When she blushed, he continued to share what his heart saw when he looked at her. "I am devoted to this woman. She has the gentlest soul…that very few have been blessed to see. Why she chose to show it to me, will always be a mystery." Kathleen took his hand and led him over to where they would be sleeping. He sat down when he felt the mattress behind him. She stood between his feet, tracing her hand over his features – memorizing them. Archer sat stock still and let her touch him. He held his breath when she ran her hands down his chest. He was on fire everywhere she touched him. He laid back when she gave his shoulders a gentle push.



"I see in you, the soul of an explorer – kindred to my own." She crawled over him to her side of the mattress. "I see a man that the crew does not have the good fortune to see. A good man, an honorable man, one that has been on my mind for a very long time. I see a man that makes my heart soar, and all he has to do is look at me." He was finding it hard to concentrate under her touch. They both laid on their sides facing each other. Jon pulled the blankets up to cover them. "Don’t sell yourself short, Jon. There are women on board that would sell off parts of their anatomy to be in my shoes. We could argue for hours over who is getting the better part of the deal. I just want to be happy with every minute we can spend together." That much he could agree on. Archer knew they still had a lot to sort out between them – although the Ensign Cutler thing was a revelation. He laid down on his back and pulled her to his chest.



"One day at a time?" Kathleen nodded. He poured the absolute joy he felt into a searing kiss. When they broke apart, she could see him tamp down on the lust that was in his eyes. He almost scared her off today, he wasn’t going to take that chance again so soon. "I’m supposed to be on watch tonight. The doctor will blame me if you don’t get any rest." She was exhausted, but didn’t want to waste a moment of this. Her body screamed in protest, ‘Go to Sleep!’ She laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Archer noted the changing in her breathing within minutes. She was asleep. He laid there with his arms wrapped around the woman he adored. "I’m falling in love with you, Kathleen Kane," he whispered. Only then did he close his eyes. Jonathan Archer fell asleep listening to the beep of the monitor, knowing Kathleen was still here, and she was still his.











Author’s note: ****I beg all of you to be a bit patient with me. Even though this is my first fanfic, I am doing most of the writing off the top of my head. So if there are a few sentences that you feel stray from a certain character (that they might not normally say)…Forgive me.