Discovery of the Spirit

Title: Discovery of the Spirit

Chapter: 8/8

Author: Wesleys_Lady

E-Mail: brutal_howell@hotmail.com

Rating: R

Category: Romance/Angst/Drama/General

Pairing: Archer/Original Character (Katie, of Course)

Summary: Archer faces his demons, with Trip’s help – the result brings everyone together. Jon makes an announcement.

Spoiler: Only Chapters 1 – 7

Archive: See Chapters 1 – 6

Feedback: Please. I plan on continuing this series – with a slightly darker turn, Titled: Shadows & Spirits. I have some big plans for these characters, but I have to know what you think. You didn’t actually think I was going to kill Katie, did you? Her and Jon are too good together. Good, Bad…I don’t care. Just let me hear it. For those that have reviewed this story already, thank you. For my first attempt at fanfic, I’m pretty happy with it.









Discovery of the Spirit

Chapter 8





By



Wesleys_Lady





Once Kathleen was in surgery, Archer composed himself. He needed something to keep his mind on the task at hand. Ripping apart the Andorian ship with his bare hands would be the first order of business. Trip was worried about him…he went from being inconsolable to furious in less than two minutes. ‘That can’t be healthy,’ he thought. Despite his grief, he would stick to Jon like glue. His friend would need him again before the day was out.



"Trip, that Andorian told us there would be nearly 20 men on each reinforcement ship. If that’s true…doesn’t it stand to reason that there would be 20 on this one too?" Archer asked. It took a second for the engineer to catch on.



"But there was only seventeen on board Enterprise." He replied. "There are still 3 missin." Jon went to the comm panel. He pressed the code for ship-wide communications.



"All hands to battle stations. I repeat all hands to battle stations, this is not a drill." He switched to another location. "Archer to Engineering."



*"Engineering here, sir,"* the voice answered back.



"Who’s in charge down there while Lt. Kane is in surgery?"



*"I am, sir. Ensign Marks."* the young man identified himself. Trip wasn’t as comfortable with Marks running things as he was with Kathleen, but at the moment, the kid was all they had. They heard Marks issuing orders to some of the engineers.



"I’m about to stir things up, ensign. Can you handle things down there – or do I need to send Commander Tucker?" He glanced back at Trip.



*"We can handle anything, sir. If it means the "Blues" get some payback for the Lieutenant,"* He could hear the pride and anger warring in the young man’s voice.



"It does, Ensign. So stay on your toes. Archer out." He started to the cargo bay doors and realized that Trip wasn’t following him. He stopped and waited for the engineer to catch up. "Stick with me, Trip." Tucker could tell he had something resembling a plan. But he was worried about the anger and sadness he still saw in Jon’s eyes.



"Always, Jon. Always."









THE BRIDGE



Travis jumped when he heard the thump. He knew the sound of a body hitting the deck. He looked back to see the Captain and Commander Tucker manhandling a restrained Andorian.



"Mr. Reed, target that other ship and load tubes one and two. I want two torpedoes and at least two phase cannons on her location at all times." Archer ordered.



"Yes, sir!" Reed answered enthusiastically.



"Hoshi, open a channel," the Andorian tried to stand while Archer’s back was to him. Something was wrong; he was sure of it…where was the Captain’s female? The alien thought. He managed to plant one foot, when Trip slammed his cast behind the alien’s knee – effectively breaking it.



"Get up again, and I’ll break the other one." Tucker promised.



"My name is Captain Jonathan Archer. I have weapons trained on your position. You have ten seconds to engage visual, or I will destroy you. If you try and run, I will destroy you." Within three seconds, an image of another Andorian appeared on the view screen. At least he had the good sense to look ashamed. "Your crew boarded my ship with every intention of kidnapping me." Jon stood to the side to allow the alien to see his bound crewmember. "You have failed. It is my duty to see that each of you pays for your crimes. 83 counts of attempted kidnapping," Trip had to smile. Jon was counting Porthos in the totals. "Assault on my second in command," he added, noting the dried blood on T’Pol’s forehead. "And the attempted murder of my acting Chief Engineer. I guarantee if she dies, Starfleet will seek a murder charge."



**Your officer is not dead?** The Andorian on the screen asked. Reed was surprised to see the alien looked genuinely concerned. Archer shook his head.



"No. She’s in surgery." He released his clenched fist. "You’ve lost. Fifteen of your people are in our custody. Stand down and prepared to be boarded." Jon believed that if Kathleen died, the Andorians weren’t the only ones who lost. When the alien hesitated, his anger flared. "I said stand down!" The alien nodded solemnly.



**No one was supposed to be hurt.** he said sadly. Reed confirmed that the Andorians shields were down.



"Mr. Reed, please go greet our ‘guests.’ T’Pol, secure their vessel, we’re taking it with us." He ordered. "Hoshi, get me a channel to Admiral Forrest at Starfleet." He sank down into his chair. Jon was exhausted – emotionally and physically. Everyone on the bridge was keeping one eye on their duties and the other on their Captain.



"Channel Open, sir." Hoshi informed him. Archer forced himself to stand when Admiral Forrest’s image came on the view screen.



**Jon, what can I do for you?** Forrest asked.



"I wanted to call in this report. " The Admiral took in Archer’s haggard appearance, the blood and scorching on his shoulder, and the bound and gagged Andorian on the bridge.



**What the hell happened to you, Jon?**



"At approximately 0500 this morning, Enterprise was boarded by seventeen Andorians. They captured the majority of the crew, with the exception of Lieutenant Kane, a few others and myself. We managed to free the crew, and capture the intruders," he pointed to the Andorian on the floor.



**Were there any casualties?** the Admiral asked. It was clear, the old man was still trying to wrap his mind around what Jon was telling him.



"Two Andorians dead. As of yet, we have one serious injury…Lieutenant Kathleen Kane is currently in surgery." Archer ground out.



**Dear God, not again.** Several of the bridge officers wondered what the Admiral meant by that. **That woman seems to be a guardian angel for you and your family.** he sighed.



"What would you like us to do with our prisoners, Admiral?" Jon desperately wanted to get off the subject of what she had sacrificed for his family. Forrest said something to someone off screen.



**Hang on to them for now. I’ll report this to Starfleet and have a definitive answer for you within the hour. Forrest out.** The view screen went blank as the Admiral closed the channel.



"Hoshi, notify me when the Admiral calls. Trip, you and I are going to gather our ‘friends’ and take them to the brig." Trip knew he needed to stay busy until they got a definitive answer about Katie. He pulled the Andorian to his feet.



"Let’s go." He smiled.



"Travis, you have the bridge."



An hour later, Admiral Forrest ordered Enterprise to bring their prisoners back to Earth. They were going to stand trial at Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco. Trip noticed Jon only relaxed, slightly, when he received the call. With every hour that passed, the worse it became to keep him under control. He finally managed to get him into the Ready Room – they would wait for news in there. Three hours later, the call came. Katie was out of surgery and the Doctor wanted to see Archer, on the double. Jon’s heart sank at the doctor’s tone.



"Don’t think the worst. We’ll go up there and find out EXACTLY what’s goin’ on." Trip tried to offer. "Come on." He steered the numb man out the door.











SICKBAY



It took Dr. Phlox four and a half hours to patch Lt. Kane. The shot had ruptured her stomach and spleen, and grazed off her uterus. He had to clean the acidic contents out before he did any repair work. But it was what he found on the scan that forced him to summon Captain Archer. When Trip and Jon came in, he was just disposing of his operating gown.



"Thank you for coming so soon, Captain."



"How is she, doc?" Trip jumped the gun. Phlox picked up a data padd and handed it to the Captain. Jon began to read.



"I’ve done all I can, Commander. The rest will be up to her. As of now, her vitals are stable, but she is in a coma." He looked up at Archer when he gasped. The padd fell from the Captain’s hands as his legs began to give out. Trip rushed to catch him.



"Jon? Jon, what is it?" The blank look on his friend’s face was freaking him out.



"I’m going to be a father," he pointed at the data padd. THAT wasn’t what Trip was expecting, at all.



"Doc?" Phlox nodded.



"I had to scan the Lieutenant to get a look at the level of damage. The computer alerted me to a recognizable DNA that didn’t belong to the patient. I had the computer run the sample and it came up with a match for you, Captain. Congratulations, sir. You are indeed going to be a father." He gave the Captain a sad smile. If the Lieutenant died, the child would die with her. He sat down heavily next to Archer. "Do not lose hope yet, Captain. Lieutenant Kane is strong."



"Thank you," his voice broke with the sadness he was trying to hold in. "Doc, if you don’t mind…I’d like a minute alone." He was taking deep, gulping breaths trying to calm himself. Trip tapped the doctor on the arm.



"Tell you what, Jon. Why don’t I take the doc to the mess for a cup of coffee?" When the doctor didn’t follow right away, Tucker nudged him again.



"All right." Phlox agreed. "But I want to take a look at your shoulder when I return." Trip practically dragged the doctor out the door. It took several minutes for Jon to force his legs to work. It seemed like days before he actually got to the side of the bio-bed. The first thing his eyes are drawn to is his father’s cross around her neck. He smiled to realize that she wore it all the time. He now knew how his father felt. This woman – important to him in so many ways – might die because of him. The Vulcans came for Henry Archer, but it was this woman who nearly died. The Andorians came for his son – and here she was again…fighting for her life. Only it wasn’t just her life involved this time. If she died, she would take their unborn child with her – along with a very big piece of Jonathan Archer’s soul. He could feel the tears begin to fall.



"Don’t you leave me, Kat." He gently pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "I need you." He began to trace her features with his hand. Even pale and weak, she was still the most exquisitely beautiful woman he had ever seen. Archer remembered reading somewhere that if you talk to someone in a coma, they can hear you. ‘What the hell,’ he thought. ‘I have nothing to lose – except my child, and my love.’ "Did you know when we first met in engineering, I felt something for you, even then. Trip called me a hypocrite when I told him. He was right. I never gave you a chance fifteen years ago, and you…" his voice broke as the tears came a bit harder. "you almost died then." He trailed a finger down her jaw. "I hope I’m as brave as you – when I grow up." He smiled through the tears. "What on Earth would possess a fifteen year old kid to take on four Vulcans? ONE of them is stronger than I am." He sucked in a shaky breath, "And what the hell would make you take a shot that was meant for me?"



"Katie protects the ones she loves. She always will." Trip answered from the door. He walked to the other side of the bio-bed. "She loves you, Jon, she always has. She would die for you. What you have to do is convince her to live for you…and that baby." Trip always thought his friend would make a great dad. "So it looks like she IS the one, huh?"



"Yes…and losing her now, scares the shit out of me."



"Me too. And we’re not the only ones. Katie is an important member of this crew. The fact that you’re crazy about her just sweetens the deal." He took a suitcase from outside sickbay and brought it inside.



"What’s this?" Trip just gave him a lopsided grin.



"This is my packing you some clothes so you can stay here when you’re off duty. Porthos will be stayin’ with me for a while too. I’ll bring him by here every day to visit." He sat down on top of the suitcase and faced Archer. "Everyone wants to help." He pointed to the far wall of sickbay. "Ensign Danna has the quarters right on the other side of that wall. She already moved in with Ensign Cutler, so that you can use the shower in there. I keep the supplies of fresh clothes coming, and Ensign Cooper will make sure that you have three square meals a day waitin’ for ya. Damn near everyone on board volunteered to sit with her while you’re on duty." For a split second, Jon felt like the luckiest man in the world. His friends and crew wanted to help them get through this.



"Thank everybody for us…for me," Trip almost flinched when he made the correction. "I just pray she comes out of this soon." Archer added. Tucker was doing some praying of his own. If Katie died and took their child with her, Jonathan Archer would be a different man – maybe even a broken man. ‘Come on, darlin’ he prayed. ‘It can’t be your time to move on…not yet.’ Jon suddenly remembered something important. "Damn!"



"What?!" Trip asked.



"Kat’s brothers! I have to call them." He stopped the Captain from getting up.



"No, I’ll call them. You stay here and let the doc get a look at that shoulder." It wasn’t exactly an offer. He had planned on notifying Katie’s brothers anyways. They knew him and would probably accept it better from him than from any stuffy Admiral.



"Trip…"



"I won’t say anything about the baby. I’ll leave that to you and Katie. Word of advice though…" He smiled at his friend, "Make sure she’s with you when you tell them. Those brothers of her’s are big, and mean." Archer heard him chuckling as he left sickbay.











JUPITER STATION



It took them a week to get back to Jupiter Station and Kathleen had not come out of her coma. Archer was trying. Every spare second he wasn’t on duty, he was by her side. He would talk or read to her until he was absolutely hoarse. What little sleep he was getting, was always interrupted by bloody visions of Kathleen and their child. He swayed as he stepped onto the platform at Jupiter Station. He felt two pairs of arms steady him.



"Whoa there, Cap’n." ‘Trip,’ he smiled. Jon knew the engineer had been covering for him with Admiral Forrest all week. Now the truth would come out…the Admiral would see him sad and exhausted – broken.



"Come on, Sir. We’ve got you." Reed, Trip’s partner in crime. Malcolm had worked double shifts all week. And he’d convinced the doctor to clear Trip to return to duty early. They had been watching over Archer all week – like a couple of mother hens. Kathleen had made some improvement – well, her color had returned. And Malcolm was worried that the Lieutenant’s brothers would come and take her off Enterprise. If they did that, like humpty dumpty, they would never be able to put the captain back together again. He NEEDED to be there when she woke up. Admiral Forrest ordered them to drop off their prisoners at Jupiter Station – and give the Andorian ship to the engineers to play with. He had told them to bring the Captain; they needed to discuss something off the record. As they entered the agreed upon room, Malcolm was run over by a very solid, angry brother. The man’s fist connected with Archer’s face as Reed was picking himself up off the floor.



"Son of a Bitch!" he screamed down at the Captain. "What is it with you, Archer?! What is it that makes my sister think that she has to die to protect you?!" When he spit on Jon, Tucker drew his phaser.



"Step back, Mattie! Now!" He and Malcolm kept their phasers trained on the very large man. "Don’t make me shoot you!" The man stopped when a yell came from somewhere else in the room.



"Matt! Leave him alone!" Trip let out the breath he had been holding. ‘Daniel, Thank God,’ of all of Katie’s brothers, Daniel was the level head. Once Matt stepped back, Archer could see that there were four of the biggest men he had ever seen standing by the table. He could see the family resemblance in all of them. And none of them looked remotely glad to see him. The one who had called off ‘Matt, was it?’ came forward and extended his hand. "Captain Archer, I’m Daniel Kane." He pulled Jon to his feet. "We met fifteen years ago, in San Francisco." Archer searched his tired brain and found the image of the younger man. He flinched when he noticed Matt coming forward again.



"Take a seat, Mattie," Trip pointed his phaser at the man again. When Daniel put his hand out, the angry young man sat down.



"I remember you. I wish we could meet under better circumstances, for once." He felt a little better when Daniel smiled at him.



"Where is Admiral Forrest?" Another one of the brothers stepped forward.



"He’ll be along, shortly. We asked for a few minutes to discuss something with Captain Archer." He explained. Reed put his phaser down, but kept it in his hand.



"Doesn’t look like he wants to ‘discuss’ anything." The Brit pointed at the man who attacked the Captain.



"We Apologize, Captain. If you want to file charges against Matt, we’ll understand." This was not how he wanted to get to know Kathleen’s brothers. And having one arrested, wouldn’t help either. He shook his head. "I’m Max Kane," he extended his hand and Archer shook it. He pointed to the others, "That is Michael and Joseph. And you already met the walking temper…that’s Matt."



"Nice to meet all of you," he croaked. Reed and Trip led the Captain to the table and sat him down. Daniel pulled out a data padd and set it on the table.



"Thank you for calling us, Charlie. We appreciate it." He smiled at Tucker.



"Not a problem."



"Captain Archer, my brothers and I wanted to request that you allow us access to Enterprise to see Kathleen." Archer didn’t understand. ‘They’re NOT taking her back to Earth?’ Daniel noticed Archer’s confused expression and slid the data padd across the table to him. Reed was a little stumped too. Why were they…



"I’m sorry, my eyes are having a hard time focusing," Jon held up the padd, "Can you tell me what it says?" The exhaustion was getting the better of him.



"When Kat first got posted to Enterprise, she had a lawyer draw that up. She suckered me and Danny into signing as witnesses," Max explained. "We won’t be taking her back to Earth…unless you decide that she goes. In the event that Kat is incapacitated, that little document gives you power of attorney." The three Enterprise officers were speechless. Not even Trip knew about that one. Malcolm was positive that Archer would never let Lieutenant Kane out of his sight again. So were her brothers, from the looks of things.



"We can get quarters here at the station. If you’re going to keep her on board Enterprise, we just ask that you grant us access to visit for as long as you’re docked here." Daniel requested. When Archer didn’t respond, Trip elbowed him to get his attention.



"If you don’t mind doubling up, I can have Lt. Reed find you some quarters on board." Malcolm didn’t like the idea of this ‘Matt,’ on board, but the others seemed to be able to control him. He still felt it necessary to issue the warning.



"If you attack the Captain again," he was speaking to Matt, "I’ll have to throw you in the brig." The other men around the table smiled.



"If he attacks the Captain, Lt. Reed, we’ll help you," Max offered. Daniel withdrew another data padd and passed it to Jon.



"Orders from Admiral Forrest. He knew you wouldn’t want to be away from your ship for long." Daniel explained to Archer. "You’ll have to give us the grand tour, Charlie."



"Mr. Reed, wait for these gentlemen to gather their belongings." He said as he stood. "Then escort them to Enterprise and see that they have a place to sleep." Archer ordered. "Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse me. I would like to return to my ship." ‘And Kathleen,’ he thought. Everyone shook his hand – even Matt.



"I’m sorry for losing my temper, Captain. It won’t happen again." Matt apologized. He smiled at the big man.



"Just warn me before you do that. You pack a hell of a punch." Archer joked, letting the man know he was off the hook. "If you’ll excuse me." Trip took him by the elbow and led him out the door – leaving Reed in the room with five very large men. He made a mental note to ‘thank’ the Captain for this, later.









SICKBAY



Hoshi was talking to Dr. Phlox when Archer came staggering back in. He slid into his spot next to her bed and took her hand. They decided to make themselves scarce, as was the custom of the crew when the Captain showed up. He gave Kathleen’s still form a gentle kiss and sat down.



"I met your brothers…five if them, at least. I think Matt hates me. He sure tried to take my head off – not that I blame him." He smiled when Cooper quietly brought in his lunch and left without a word. "Everyone is walking on eggshells around me. So why don’t you just come back so they can stop all this fussing?" He didn’t expect a response. "No? Well, I guess I’ll just have to keep talking." Jon was too tired to notice that she did indeed look a little better. Some of the color had returned to her face. "I think Trip is about to have me committed. I’m such a mess, Kat. I screwed everything up. It should be me lying there…not you." He suddenly felt nauseous. But since he hadn’t eaten anything in days…they were just dry heaves. When he forced himself to calm down, he got on his knees and folded his hands to pray. He hadn’t prayed since his mother died when he was a boy. But he was at a loss; he had nothing left to do. So he silently begged God for the life of the woman he loved, and their child. He couldn’t understand why God wouldn’t grant his wish. Their child was an innocent, and Kathleen still had too much to do down here – too many people to help. He was so tired; he didn’t even realize that he had started talking to his father. "You have to help me, dad. I can’t lose her. Help me bring her back" he was kneeling at the side of her bed. His head was down, and his eyes were closed. His exhaustion took over, as he began to mumble the prayers until his head touched the bio-bed. Then he promptly … fell asleep.









Kathleen felt the ache in her abdomen even before she forced her eyes open. She made it. She was in Sickbay, and she was going to live. Jon, she had to find Jon. She was about to call out for Dr. Phlox when she felt something at her hand. She glanced down and saw Archer sleeping off the side of the bed. She touched his hair gently, but he didn’t move. From the looks of him, he hadn’t slept for a year. She never saw a more welcome sight in her life. She began stroking his head – she loved running her fingers through the little bit of grey at his temples. When that didn’t work, she tried to force her voice to work.



"Jon," she croaked. ‘How long had she been out?’ she wondered. Her voice felt like it hadn’t been used in a couple of weeks. She cleared her throat and tried a bit louder. "Jon, wake up." When his eyes blinked open, she grinned at him. "Hi, handsome. Come here often?" She teased. Archer took her hand and placed the palm flat against his face – like he’d done a hundred times in the past week. He thought what he was seeing was a hallucination. A product of his exhaustion. When she rubbed her thumb on his bottom lip, his eyes snapped open – and everything was clear as a bell. She was real…she was awake!!!!



"Kat?" he asked with almost the wonderment of a child. She smiled and nodded at him. "Oh my, God!" An entire weeks worth of emotions hit him at once. He felt the tears begin to well up in his eyes. The fear, the exhaustion…everything suddenly became overwhelming. Kathleen began crying as well. Jon had lost about ten pounds, he was pale and sick, and she knew it was his concern for her that was doing it to him. "I’m sorry, I’m so sorry," he just kept chanting…over and over. ‘What?’ she thought. ‘He has nothing to be sorry for.’ She tried to shift herself to the far side of the bio-bed – which left about a foot and a half on one side. She pulled on Archer’s hand, knowing that he would follow.



"Come on up here." He hesitated slightly, thinking he would hurt her stitches. She gave him a sad smile and shook her head. "They’re on the other side, come up here." He crawled onto the bio-bed with her and settled on his side facing her. She wrapped her arms around him and held him while he cried. "You didn’t do anything wrong, Jon. You have nothing to apologize for." He started to protest, when she kissed him. "Just sleep. We’ll talk when you wake up." He vaguely wondered if she would disappear if he closed his eyes. "I’ll be here. Feel my arms around you?" he nodded. "I’ll be here when you wake up." She ran her fingers through the flecks of grey at his temples. "Shhhh…go to sleep." She whispered over and over. Within minutes, she could tell he was sound asleep.









HALLWAY – 4 HOURS LATER



Dr. Phlox was allowing two of Kathleen’s brothers access to sickbay at a time – especially given the Captain’s constant presence. Trip offered to take Daniel and Max there after the grand tour.



"Charlie, does she love him?" Daniel had asked when they were in Engineering. Tucker didn’t even have to think about it.



"Yeah, she does," he replied. "And she’s gonna crack Mattie’s skull when she finds out he hit him." He added, only half-joking.



"More importantly, does he love her?" Max asked. Again, the answer didn’t require any thought.



"More that even I realized was possible. You saw him on Jupiter station, he’s been doin’ partial shifts on the bridge, and spendin’ every spare second he has with Katie. He hasn’t left her side in a week. He’s not eating…or sleepin’ for that matter." Max could tell from Trip’s face that there was something more. He was about to ask when Tucker held up his hands in surrender. "Any more, and you’ll have to ask them." Daniel gave him a look. "Don’t look at me that way, Danny. Katie may be my friend…but so is Jon. And I’ll protect both of them with everything I got. Including shooting that mad bull brother of yours." He started to head down the hall, "Come on, I’ll take you fellas to Sickbay."









SICKBAY



Kathleen wasn’t sure how long Jon had been asleep. She wasn’t able to get to sleep because her stomach kept rumbling. Every time it did, it hurt. ‘Damn,’ she thought, ‘shot must have hit the stomach.’ That meant bland, tasteless food for at least a month. She glanced toward the doors when they opened. Trip nearly jumped out of his skin when she smiled at him.



"Katie! You have no idea how good it is to have you back!" in his excitement, he forgot to speak softly and woke up Jon. Kathleen glared at him. "Sorry." He helped Archer off the bio-bed.



"How long was I out for?" he asked. She just shrugged.



"A few hours, I guess." Her face lit up when she saw the two larger men behind Trip. "Danny! Max! What are you doing here?" it was rare that she got to se her brothers anymore. She realized that the only way she could be seeing them, "Is Enterprise back on Earth?"



"Jupiter Station, actually. Admiral Forrest ordered you back to transport all the Andorian prisoners you two captured." Max took his sister’s hand. "You scared us, siestra. Mick, Joey and Mattie are here too. Captain is allowing us to stay on board to visit." At the mention of Matt’s name, Kathleen glanced at Archer. She saw the bruise forming on his jaw.



"Did Mattie do that to you, Jon?" When he looked away, she could feel her temper flare. "Sit down here, next to me, please." He sat down and she grabbed his hand and entwined her fingers with his. She looked pointedly at her brothers, "I want you two to understand me, because I’m only going to say it once. I love this man, and I will be with him for as long as he wants me to be. I don’t care if you bleeding’ idiots have a problem with that; it doesn’t give you the right to hit him. Anything happens to him, you lot will answer to me." Max and Daniel knew that even in her current state, she was still a force to be reckoned with. They raised their hands in surrender. "And you tell that temperamental gorilla I’ll take this up with him later." She focused her attention on Jon, "As for you, don’t feel you have to take that from my brothers. Let Malcolm throw them in the brig next time," when he gave her a skeptical look, she laughed. It sent a shockwave of pain through her gut. "Ow! OK, have Malcolm call me, and I’ll throw him in the brig."



"So that’s it, he’s the one, Katie?" Daniel asked.



"He’s the one," she reiterated. Trip was watching Archer’s reaction at her confession. The man was on cloud nine. Katie was alive, and so was the baby she carried.



"Jon, don’t you have something to tell Katie?" Tucker encouraged. Jon nodded.



"Kat, this past week has been the most terrifying of my life. I thought I was losing you, just as I had found you. I don’t know when you snuck into my heart, but you did." That confession stunned Daniel and Max. Jonathan Archer had always had a reputation of being a ladies man. "I love you, more than I ever thought possible. And I can’t see myself living the rest of my life without you in it." He touched her face reverently. "Marry me."



"Whoa!" Trip said in awe. He didn’t expect Jon to propose…not yet.



"What?" Kathleen wasn’t sure she heard right. "Did you just propose to me?"



"I did. Marry me. You said it yourself; we don’t know what the future holds. Either one of us could be killed out there. I refuse to waste another minute. I want you with me," He took her hand and placed it over his heart. "Kathleen Elizabeth Kane, I love you, heart and soul. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" She leaned forward and kissed him



"Yes," she whispered. Jon’s soul was absolutely singing. Daniel cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention.



"I hate to rain on your parade, but what about Starfleet?" he asked.



"What about them?" Archer replied without taking his eyes off of Kathleen.



"You might have enough clout with them to keep your own career out of the crapper…but what about hers?" Love or not, they were going to look after their sister first. Jon couldn’t fault them that. "Do you know how many hoops Starfleet – or worse, The Vulcans – are going to make you jump through to be together? That’s if they don’t transfer Katie off of Enterprise." He thought about throwing a child into the mix…they were right, of course. "Your dislike of the Vulcans isn’t exactly a state secret, Captain. And my family’s history with them is less than sterling, as well." Daniel wasn’t trying to put a damper on things. But he needed them to see what they were up against.



"I’ll do whatever I have to do to be with you," he told Kathleen.



"Jon, you have to tell her," Trip reminded him. "That’s gonna be part of the equation too." She looked suspiciously at Tucker. Archer just glared at him. He hadn’t forgotten, he was just trying to figure out a way to explain.



"Tell me what?" she asked. Daniel and Max took a step closer too.



"Dr. Phlox had to do a scan when you first got shot. To see how extensive the damage was. In addition to the damage, there was something else that alerted the doctor. A recognizable piece of DNA, that didn’t belong to you." He was absolutely terrified that she would be upset about this. "Even though it shared characteristics with both of us…it didn’t belong to me either." He gave her a lopsided smile. Her hands flew to her belly.



"I’m pregnant?" she asked. Archer was watching her carefully, gauging her reactions. When he nodded, she laughed and hugged him. "This is wonderful!"



"You’re about a week along," he supplied. He knew that it would also tell her how long she was in the coma. This couldn’t be better news for Archer. He had the woman he loved, and she was thrilled to be having his baby. Leave it to her brothers to put a damper on things.



"I don’t know what you two are so happy about. A baby is only going to complicate things," Max stated. Kathleen glared at her brother. She had to make a decision. Jon made it clear that he would fight for her – so she could do no less for him.



"No, it won’t," she said. "Jon, we handle one thing at a time. I want to stay on Enterprise more than anything, but the boys are right. We have to find out what the repercussions of ‘us’ are going to be. I will tell you this; I’ll resign from Starfleet if it comes down to it. But until I start showing, the news of the baby stays between the five of us."



"How long before you start showing?" Archer asked. They had a difficult road ahead of them. Maybe it would be better to exercise some caution. If they could get the idea of their marriage by Starfleet, the baby would automatically follow.



"Katie…" Daniel began. When she pointed at him he stopped.



"I don’t want to hear it Danny. It will be twelve weeks before I start to show. That gives us plenty of time to set up a strong foundation for this family." When Daniel was about to protest, Kathleen gave him a warning glare. "Daniel Patrick Kane, you are my brother and I love you. But do not make me choose between you." She smiled at Jon, "This man and this child are what’s important to me. I don’t want to walk away from you boys, but I will if I have to." Max touched his brother’s arm. They both knew that as painful as it would be, she would do exactly that if she felt threatened. Archer tried to extend the olive branch to his future brothers-in-laws.



"Guys, I know you’re worried about her. But she’s not going through this alone. I’ll be here, every step of the way." He explained.



"So will I," admitted Trip. "Believe it or not fellas, your baby sister does have lots of friends on this ship. We’ll all get ‘em through this." He had meant every word when he said that he would do whatever it took to protect them. "Lighten up, boys. And cut the man some slack. You know as well as I do, that you better except him, or you’ll lose Katie AND that baby." Daniel conceded, but Max wasn’t quite finished yet.



"What happens to Katie when you get killed out here, Captain?" He was still unwilling to address him by name. "Who’s gonna take care of her then?" Kathleen had had enough. She was furious at her brother and tried to get up from the bed to tell him so. She pushed herself up too fast, and too hard and her insides screamed. She grunted when the wave of pain that tore through her side, and her arms collapsed. She fell back on the bio-bed, hard. She probably would have rolled off onto the floor if Archer hadn’t caught her. He cradled her to his chest and gently eased her back onto the bed. Kathleen wasn’t sure if she wanted to scream because of the pain…or her ignorant brothers. She was breathing hard trying to force the pain down to a manageable level. Jon stroked her hair and whispered soothing things in her ear. Without looking away from her, he addressed Max’s question.



"As my wife, if I were killed, Kat would inherit everything I have. She would have financial stability as well as several places to live. My Starfleet pension would also be hers. We both have enough friends – and I would hope family – that she and our child would be well taken care of." He was happy to realize that the shot had its desired effect and Max withdrew, properly chastised. Kathleen had begun to cry. Her voice broke when she spoke to her brother.



"I am not a child anymore, Maxim." She curled in closer to Archer’s chest. "If that dreaded day ever came, I would endure – no matter what. I would honor my husband, and teach our child to lead by example – just as I hope his parents will do." She didn’t even bother to look at her brothers. She whispered something to Jon as he held her in his arms.



"I think you guys should leave," they had upset Kathleen and he wanted them out of Sickbay. Of course, Daniel and Max thought the worst. They believed that Jon was throwing them off the ship.



"Captain…" Daniel began to plead. Jon narrowed his eyes at the larger man.



"Mr. Kane, I am not throwing you off my ship…yet. But I won’t allow you to stand in here and upset her. I want us to be friends, for her sake. But I won’t hesitate to protect her from you – if you continue to push the issue." There wasn’t a doubt in their minds that he meant what he said. "I don’t want to fight with you." Archer saw Daniel glare at his brother. An unspoken message was exchanged at that moment. Both large men came over and knelt down in front of Kathleen and Jon.



"Katie girl, we’re sorry. You’re right, we are jerks. Try and remember our hearts are in the right place. We just want you to be happy." Daniel reached out and pushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. "I always suspected that you loved him…and to be honest, I thought the Archers were beyond us." Jon looked up in surprise. ‘Beyond them?’ He stayed quiet and let Daniel continue. "But seeing you two here, it’s clear that he loves you a great deal. It’s gonna be tough for the two of you, but we’ll help any way we can." He promised his baby sister. Jonathan Archer was going to take some getting used to…but not giving him a chance was a sure fire way to lose their only sister. Max extended one hand out to Archer.



"Welcome to the family, Captain." He made sure he had the Captain’s undivided attention. "She loves you…but if you hurt her, you’ll have seven of us to contend with." Both big men got to their feet. "We won’t say anything about the baby…we’ll leave that to you."



"We’re gonna go, and let you spend some time with your fiancé, Katie. Do you mind if we come back after dinner?" Daniel asked. Kathleen was proud of her brothers. They were making a huge overture to her and Jon – not that she was giving them a choice. She sat up a bit, with Archer’s help.



"No, I don’t mind." She smiled. "Just as long as you bring Mattie with you." She had a bone to pick with her temperamental brother. They agreed, with devilish smiles. Matt was in for a rough night. They said their goodbyes and left sickbay. "Thank you," she said to Jon. "I know they’re my brothers…but sometimes I just want to punch them in the head." She mused. Archer laughed his first honest to goodness belly laugh since this whole nightmare started.



"They love you, I can hardly fault them for that." He honestly couldn’t. Kathleen winced as she tried to settle back down on the bio-bed. "Trip, go find Dr. Phlox and let him know she’s awake." He smiled down at her. "We’ll see if he can’t give you something light for the pain." She was about to protest when he put his finger over her lips. "I know you hate pain pills…it would be just for a few days."



"I’ll be back to see ya when my shift’s over, Katie." Trip started to head toward the door when she called his name. "Yeah?"



"Thanks for looking out for us," she said. He just nodded and left sickbay. Jon sat beside her and began tracing her features with his fingers. He smiled when she closed her eyes and relaxed into his touch.



"Kat?"



"Hmmmmm…?" she answered without opening her eyes.



"I want to call Admiral Forrest tomorrow." He wanted to get the ball rolling on this as soon as possible. He also had another errand for Trip to run. This time, to Earth. When she opened her eyes, Archer could see down to the very depths of her soul. This was his angel, the woman he had waited his entire life for. "He can give us an idea of what kind of three ring circus we will have to endure," he gave her a devilish smile. "Before I get you all to myself."



"More showers?" she asked, innocently.



"If you like," he chuckled. She gave him her best seductive smile.



"Oh, I like, Mr. Archer. I like." She wrapped her arms around his neck. She laughed when he blushed, sending a wave of pain across her abdomen. She got suddenly serious. "Jon, you and your family are famous on Earth. When it comes out tomorrow that you and I are together, the press is going to say the same thing Danny did….that you’re beyond anything I could be." She trailed a finger down his jaw. "Don’t take them to heart – I won’t. I know that you love me. And no matter what anyone says – that will always be enough." Jon believed that he was the one unworthy of her, but it wasn’t worth the argument. For the first time in his life, he was looking forward to what the future would bring. One thing was for certain; Jonathan Archer was a blessed man.















**Authors Note: End of Chapter 8. Jon and Kathleen’s story will continue in Shadows and Spirits. Starfleet does indeed make them jump through hoops for the right to get married and stay on Enterprise. And a dark force from Katie’s past tries to ruin everything.