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Aegis felt someone shaking her. It didn't compel her to open her eyes till
she heard his voice. "Jack?" She whispered.
He took a moment and smiled at her.
"What's going on here? I thought I saw Logan."
Jack looked around and then back at her, "I can't stay or explain because I
don't know. It is Logan Redwolf and I need you to just play along with him
for now."
"But." She looked at him with almost total confusion.
"I will be back as soon as I can." He gave her a quick kiss and stepped away
from the biobed just in time to see Tamara coming around the corner.
She smiled at him, "I was just about to come looking for you."
Wrapping her arms around his shoulders "well, big guy ready to have me over
for dinner?"
Aegis started to move and protest, but caught a wink from Jack recalling his
request.. then settled back down wondering ~~ what is going on here?~~
"Sure Tamara, your place or mine?" Tamara choose and they left sickbay.

After a feast prepared by Jack, Tamara leaned back on the couch and watched
him clear the table. "Care for a drink, Tam?". Patting the couch next to
her, "no, just get that cute tush over here.. I have missed you". With a
slight feeling of panic, Jack touched his head briefly and walked over to her
"Tam, I hope you don't mind gorgeous.. but I do not feel up to it tonite...
and I really want to go over the shuttle to try to determine the cause of the
accident". He gave her a kiss on the cheek.."Is
that ok, sweetie?. Sighing Tamara touched his face gently, " I know how
dedicated you are..and you don't like things just breaking..do you. .. of
course its ok, but tomorrow... ahh you better be ready". Jack forced a
smile.. "Oh my dear Tamara.. I will... thanks".

Tamara got up and kissed him, Thanks for dinner... "I will hold off on desert
until tomorrow... but not a moment later". She then departed heading for
Sickbay.

Jack took out his tricorder and headed for the shuttle bay.
After some thorough checkout, he realized that the coordinates on the shuttle
were not..right.. they seemed to have negative numbers in them. He decided
to check other shuttles and they too had strange readings.
Checking the security systems for the SB.. he found a way to by-pass the
relay to the bridge and to Security. Rigging the circuit, he made it so it
could be activated from his tricorder.
Jack quickly double checked that no one would discover what he had done and
then decided to make his way back to Sickbay, and Aegis.. ~~It's time to get
out of this place..where ever we are~~.

Arriving at sickbay, he checked his tric for readings.. ~~no one except
Aegis~~. He entered moving quickly to her biobed.. "Aegis?..he whispered.
Aegis stirred, "Jack?"
"Shhh quiet..can you move?.
Aegis sat up with a little help from him. "Yes, I think so."
Helping her off the biobed, they walked to the exit. Jack checked the tric
for lifesigns in the corridor and finding none, they proceeded.
"Where are we going, Jack?" whispered Aegis.
"Trust me when I say we need to leave this place." He moved them as quickly
and quietly as possible through the ship.

As they entered the shuttlebay, however, he failed to notice Tamara peeking
around the corner with a puzzled look on her face. "+Baker to RedWolf+
Logan, Will you meet me in SB 2?"

Jack helped Aegis into the shuttle and prepped all systems for departure. He
did one last scan of the shuttle and then reentered. He closed the hatch and
walked up to helm. Engaging his by-pass circuit, he activated the shuttle
doors just as Logan entered the shuttle bay. Tamara gestured at the shuttle.
"Stop" ordered Logan and started for the shuttle just as the shuttle bay
doors started to open. Realizing the danger, He pulled Tamara into one of
the shuttles, the one the Ryans arrived in, and
locked the hatch.
Jack eased the shuttle out of the bay, engaged the cloak and warped out into
space.

A JL by Jack and Aegis Ryan

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Aegis awoke and extracted herself from Jack's hold. Finding the restroom
only took a moment. Once there she looked in the mirror and noticed her
haggard appearance. She looked as tired as she felt. The rumpled clothes
and mussed hair didn't help. Quickly she shed her garments and jumped in the
shower. She didn't like sonic showers, but the water was restricted as it
would have been a waste. ~~something I guess we will have to get used to.~~
Stepping out, she found a towel, wrapped it around her
and proceeded out. Jack was still sound asleep, curled around a pillow. To
her he looked uncomfortable in his uniform pants, but she wasn't gonna wake
him for that. She sat down on the bed and studied his face for a moment.
For the first time in days he looked relaxed, the dark circles that had been
under his eyes were almost gone. Jack opened his eyes and smiled at her. He
said nothing, just put out his hand. Aegis shed the towel and moved closer.
And then it was there, something she had
missed, didn't know she needed, that made her shudder for just a moment.
The warm comfort of skin to skin contact, the secure feel of his arms around
her. She closed her eyes, snuggled herself in close, and tucked her head
into his shoulder. Jack kissed her on the forehead and was softly stroking
her hair and back when he felt a slight dampness.
"What's wrong?" Jack tillted her face up to look at him.
"I don't know, I just suddenly felt like crying."
Jack looked at her for a moment before leaning down to kiss away each tear.
The feel of his lips, stubble against her skin sent a shiver up her spine.

Holding her close, Jacks' thoughts slipped back to the last few days.. the
wedding at Duart, learning he was going to be a father. His decision to
resign the Special Operations group so he could raise his family in a more
suitable environment.. the goodbyes, the sense of relief of leaving all the
pomp and circumstance behind them and then .. that anomaly that brought them
here... where exactly here was he was still not sure.
Then there was the Alternate Shiloh, how different from the real one it was.
A slight feeling of jealousy ran thru his mind as he remembered how Logan
approached Aegis. And Tamara, no matter what universe she was in .. she
would always be Tamara.

"You know Aegis, we are lucky we ran across the Kemo Sabay. I dont think we
would have lasted long against the Shiloh."

He felt her nod her head slightly.

"I think we are going to be fine here, its seems to be a good ship. Its a
science vessel.. and it seems to be well equiped for any contingency. The
Captain seems to be good.. a bit on the goofy side, but a good man."

Holding him tightly, "But, will we ever return to our universe? I am sick
thinking about how worried your parents are going to be when they are told we
are missing."

"Aegis, my parents knew what I was getting into when I joined SF, just as you
and I knew. We joined to explore the universe.. and it is not a safe place
to play."

Aegis felt the tears well in her eyes again.

TBC
A JL by Aegis and Jack Ryan.

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Questions and Confusion
-USFUltimo, DrAmberFox-
Ultimo tugged at his collar as he sat in his command chair on the
bridge. He swallowed as he glanced around.
Ensign Dante had turned in her seat to face him, and her lips were
moving.
She frowned at him. "Sir, I said we're cruising fine."
He turned to her, his mind still distracted. "Yes, we are. Well
that's.. good."
Dante shook her head, wondering what had gotten into him.
Ultimo stood abruptly. "Um.. I need to leave... Call Trista up; she has
the bridge."
Dante turned around again. "But sir....where....?"
"That is an order."
"Yes, sir. Sorry sir." She turned around again, confused, but following
his strange orders.
He spun and headed for the turbolift, pulling at his collar again.
~~What am I doing?~~
As soon as the lift doors were closed, he took a deep breath.
"Computer, location of Doctor Amber Fox."
"Doctor Fox is located in holodeck One." The computer responded.
"Take me there." He commanded the turbolift.
When the lift stopped, he swiftly headed down the corridor toward the
holodeck. He paused outside the doors, unsure.
~~What are you doing, you can't just walk in there.~~
He ran a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath. ~~You're the
captain, you can go wherever you want.~~
He nodded, then moved toward the doors, stepping inside as they parted
for him.
*****
Sweating heavily, Amber jogged down the beach in the holodeck. She
slowed her pace, her lungs burning with the exertion.
She glanced at the sparkling water as she unconciously tugged at her
black running shorts. She wanted to go for a swim more than anything.
~~Amber, you have to finish this run... you can swim later!~~
She averted her gaze from the water, pushing herself onward. She was
determined to complete this run before her duty shift started.
The heat intensified as she ran, her tee shirt clinging to her body.
Nearing the end of the run, she smiled triumphantly, proud of her
endurance. ~~I'm going to take that swim after all.~~
She slowed her pace slightly, enough to keep running while removing her
tee shirt. The blue tank swimsuit glistened in the sun, and kept her
determined to reach the absolute end of the run.
She dropped the shirt to the sand, moving forward.
The arch appeared off to the side, the doors opening.
In walked the Ultimo.
Surprised at his unanounced entrance, she loses her footing in the sand
and nearly trips.
"Amber!" He called out as he saw her stumble. "Watch out there."
"C-Captain..." She said as she caught herself from a fall in the sand.
Ultimo shook his head, chiding himself. ~~Concentrate.~~
Amber noticed his distraction. ~~I never should have done that.~~ She
thought, referring to her moment of weakness the other night.
"Uh... Sorry to interrupt what you were doing here... um..." He looked
around at the sand and the water.
She bit her lip, wondering what he was doing here. "It's ah... it's all
right... I was just running." She explained quickly.
"In that?" He asked, indicating her swimsuit and shorts.
~~Great, Amber, not only did you try to seduce him, you've got him
staring at you in the best swimsuit you own.~~
Amber laughed, forcing herself to relax. "Yes, well... after I run, I
swim..... so.. I was just finishing the run."
Starting to break a sweat, Ultimo swallowed, shaking his head.
~~Whoa....~~
~~This is your own fault, Amber.~~ She thought to herself. ~~You're
the one who went to him. You're the one who made the moves. And now you're
running the other way.~~
<TBC>

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She glanced at the ground where here tee shirt lay. It was between the
two of them. She made her way toward him, bending at the knees to retrieve
the shirt.
"Ah, yes, a swim can really cool ya down when you're hot." He stuttered
over his words smiling then pulled out a recovery. "I mean um when ya know,
you've overheated." ~~Phew~~
Her face already red from the exertion of running, brightened even
redder. "Um.. yeah."
He looked at her closely starting to advance. "You look exhausted."
She watched silently as he came closer, felt him behind her. She wished
he wouldn't come near her, but at the same time, wanted him to.
She nodded. "My workouts usually are intense."
She shivered as he placed his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them
gently.
~~Why does he have to do this now?!~~ She thought.
"Apparently, they are." He said quietly. "You're all tense."
She smiled as his hands massagged her shoulders. "You're very good at
that."
"Thanks." He smiled. "I've had a lot of practice."
She closed her eyes as his hands moved steadily over her shoulders.
He kept talking. "I find nothing more stimula... I mean relaxing than a
good back rub after exercising hard."
"Yes.... it's very ...relaxing." She felt herself warming, mostly from
his touch, but partially from fear. "Sir? Uh..... If you don't mind....
did.... did you need something?"
"Yes." He said as he ran his hands around the back of her neck, rubbing
harder.
She listened intently, swaying under the strength of his hands.
"I mean, yes, I wanted to know....." He paused, forcing himself to
concentrate. "..if you wanted to reschedule that physical... Vendettas been
sending me letters to get it done soon." ~~Beautiful lead in.~~
"The physical." She repeated quietly. ~~Am I his 'toy' now?! What
happened to me being a person? Is sex all he wants from me?!~~ Her heart
thumped heavily with dissapointment.
"I'm sure if we set a date for it this time, we could complete it
uninterrupted." He went on. ~~Whats going on here?~~
She reached her hands up to her neck, placing her hands over his,
feeling the warmth in them. If only he was doing that because he wanted to,
and not because he wanted something from her.
"I'm sorry. Am I rubbing too hard?" He asked pausing the massage.
"Not at all." She answered softly, her voice and her will failing her.
"The physical... you want to.... ah....."
He continued steadily rubbing her neck, moving his head beside hers,
speaking softly. "Yes, I want to finish it up."
She took a quick breath, not sure what to say, flustered by him. She
was not prepared for this. ~~I'd like to finish it up too, but what will you
say when we're done? Will I still be an officer that you respect? Or will I
be a discarded toy?~~
"Sir..... I..... I'm on duty shortly.... I .... I can't now... " She
blushed furiously. "I mean.."
He slowed his massage to a halt, then turned to face her. ~~What the?~~

<TBC>

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She looked into his face, pushing back the urge to run her fingers
across his cheeks. ~~Amber, what the hell is wrong with you? You started
this! I wish I weren't here right now!~~
"I understand." He said simply. ~~Why is she doing this???~~
She stared at him, forcing herself not to read his thoughts.
"Just get back to me." He smiled keeping a lock on her eyes. "I mean
about the whole physical thing." ~~What did I do?~~
She continued staring. ~~Why can't you say what you want? I need to
know what you want! Do you just want someone who's going to share your bed?
Or do you want me?~~
"Well, you'd better get back to duty then right?"
"Right, sir." She nodded slowly, pulling herself from her thoughts.
She took a backwards step away, breaking her gaze from his.
He swallowed again, watching her.
"I think I might go for that cold swim, sounds like a good idea." He
said, wiping some sweat from his forehead.
Amber nodded silently, then dashed off through the doorway.
He watched her go, shaking his head. ~~You're damn right you'd better
take a cold swim.~~

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Jari sighs heavily and looks at her tricorder again in disbelief. Seven
hours of working on the same diagnostic on the same piece of equipment will
cause anyone to be a little more than frustrated.

"Why won't this work...." Jari mumbles.

"Is there a problem, Ensign?" Jari jumps up at the voice and turns around.
Captain Ultimo is standing there in front of her, frowning.

"Uhh..sir, I was running a level 1 diagnostic on the Navigational array, and
I've run into a few problems." Jari said nervously.

Ultimo nodded. "And how long have you been working on this problem, Ensign?"

Jari cringed. "Seven hours, sir."

Ultimo's eyes widened. "Seven hours....SEVEN hours??" He looked at her in
disbelief. "Ensign...I appreciate you trying not to add on more work to our
already overloaded Engineering staff...but this is not a job for a science
officer with the rank of Ensign...as I recall, your weakest subjects at
Starfleet were in Engineering."

Now it was time for Jari to be surprised. ~How did he remember that?~ she
wondered. "That is correct, sir...but I didn't think that it would be too
difficult..."

"Well, obviously, it is. And now you've wasted the majority of your shift on
something that any decent engineer could finish in 30 minutes. Ensign, the
next time you want to fix something, I suggest you resist the impulse and
notify an engineer." Ultimo stared at her hard one more time, then suddently
turned on his heel and strode out of the room, leaving Jari in total
disbelief of her first major reprimand by her new Commanding officer. Of
course, there would be many more to come...

After all, she was only an ensign...for the life of me...I can not
remember..what made us think that we were wise...uhhh..nevermind. <g>

TBC...

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Jari walked tiredly out of the turbolift and down the corridor to her
quarters. After probably the most stressful duty shift of her life, all she
could think about was sleep...and lots of it. Luckily, she wasn't on duty
for another 12 hours, so she planned to spend that time getting everything
organized in her new quarters and sleeping.

"Ensign Dante...please report to the XO's office immeadiately." Her comm
badge chirped.

Suppressing a galaxy-sized groan, Jari tapped her comm badge and responded.
"Acknowledged...on my way."

A few minutes later, she was standing outside the XO's office awaiting
permission to enter. After a few moments the door slid open, and Jari
stepped inside.

"Ah, Ensign...thank you for coming..please have a seat." Commander Trista
said as she gestured towards one of the chairs that faced her desk.

Dante nodded and went over to sit down. "Sir, if this is about the
Navigational array diagnostic, I am sorry that I--" She was interrupted by
Trista.

"Relax, Ensign...The Captain told me about that, but I'm not here to
reiterate whatever reprimand he already gave you...you're being reassigned."
Trista stated, watching the young officer's reaction.

Jari sat stunned for a few moments..."Reassigned, sir?"

"Yes...I'm sure you're aware of the high casualty rate among our crew since
we first set off on this mission...we're short in all departments, but bridge
officers are in especially short supply. You're going to be pulling shifts
at helm and at Operations for a while." Trista pulled up a duty schedule for
the next week on her console. "Starting at 0800, you're to report to helm for
the standard shift."

"But Commander...I've never piloted a starship before..well, except in
Academy simulations, but that was over a year ago...since then, I pulled the
mandatory weeky helm rotation on my ship, but that was a cargo vessel...and
Operations..." Jari trailed off, aware of the severe look the Commander was
now giving her.

"Ensign, we are in a very difficult situation. Every officer on this ship is
being asked to do things that they don't normally do. Let me remind you that
you were selected to be on this ship...it is a priviledge to be here. If you
can't cut it, then we'll drop you off at a Starbase as soon as we reach our
dimension."

Jari swallowed nervously, fully aware that she had made yet another mistake.
"Aye, sir...I'll do my best, Commander."

Trista turned back to her console. "We expect nothing less,
Ensign...dismissed."

Jari stood up quickly and left the room. Once in the turbolift she leaned
against the wall and stared up at the light. ~Well, Jari...this very well may
be the worst day of your Starfleet career..you've managed to tick off both
your CO and XO in one day...you're either gifted or an even bigger idiot than
you thought.~ Leaving the turbolift and heading yet again to her quarters,
she starts to wonder how early she should get up to review basic helm
operations on a Starship...the more she thinks about it,
the more she realizes that she can't remember a thing about flying. Entering
her quarters, she walks over to the desk and pulls up everything she can find
on helm operations on the Kemo. ~This is going to be a long night~ she
thought...

**And now I'm guilt-stricken sobbin' with my head on the floor...we fell
through the ice when we tried not to slip...**

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Jari sat in front of the helm controls, her fingers dancing over her console.
She had only been here for 10 minutes, and already she was about to be
tested.

"Sir, we're approaching the Vargas Asteroid Field...shall we plot a course
around it?" Jari asked from helm.

Ultimo thought for a second, then shook his head. "No, Ensign...that would
take too much time. You're going to fly us through it..that is, if you think
you can do it. I can call Lt. Gunther to do it..."

Jari stiffened in her chair. "No, sir, that won't be necessary. I can do
it. Slowing to one-quarter impulse, enabling thrusters." She stared at her
sensor grid as the Kemo started to enter the asteroid field.

Deftly, she was able to steer the Kemo through the field, and it looked as if
she was going to get them through, when suddenly, she overcompensated for one
small thruster change and the ship bumped against a medium-sized asteroid.

The ship shuddered for a few minutes, and Jari realized that it was just one
small mistake. There might be some minor damage, but she had to concentrate
on what was happening now.

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done...for now Jari started
second-guessing herself and hesitating on her thruster maneuvers.

"Ensign! Look out for the--" Captain Ultimo started to yell, but a huge
explosion from a collision with a large asteroid caused the ship to rock and
spin around.

"Inertial dampers are gone...hull breach on decks 8 and 9...fires all over
the ship...heavy casualties...the warp core is about to breach!!" the ops
officer shouted out over the din.

Another asteroid crashed into the Kemo, this time throwing everyone to the
floor. Jari ended up on her side, looking into the accusing and intensely
angry eyes of her Captain a mere three feet from her.

"I'm sorry..." Jari said softly to him...then the ship exploded into tiny
little bits...

Jari was left laying on the floor of the holodeck, her program having ended.
She rolled onto her back for a few minutes, staring up at the ceiling, trying
to remember where it was that she had gone wrong...trouble is, she knew
exactly where she had gone wrong...and a quick tap to the thrusters, or a
course change wouldn't have solved it...no...her problem was much deeper than
that. Rubbing her face with her hands, she stood up wearily and headed to
her quarters for dinner...she really didn't feel like
talking to anyone else right now.

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Reunion
SD 9706.20
-Counselor Ashley Fox, Doctor Amber Fox-
Dr. Amber Fox was leaning over a console, logging in her inventory
results when a wave of emotion hit her.
She stumbled forward, shocked by the strength of the emotion,
overwhelmed by the familiarity of it.
She took a deep breath, steadying herself, and turned around.
She headed for the sickbay doors, intending to search out the source.
Amber took no more than two steps when the doors opened and her sister
walked in.
The two women froze, staring at each other, near mirror images of
themselves.
Ashley rushed toward Amber, watching the shocked look on her big
sister's face.
They embraced, tears running down their cheeks.
"Ashley, I can't believe you're here!" Amber whispered. "It's really
you!"
"It's me, Amb, it's really me." Ashley held her tightly.
"How?" Amber took a small step back, gazing at her little sister. "How
did you get here?"
Ashley frowned. "It's a long story, and I'm afraid I don't have that
much time."
"What do you mean?" Amber felt her heart race. ~~I finally get to see
you again, and you don't have time for me?!~~
"No, Amber, it's not like that." Ashley sighed. "Look, I have to repair
my runabout, can you come with me? This way we can catch up on things while I
work?"
"Yes." Amber nodded. "Absolutely."
^^^

Moments later, the sisters entered Shuttle Bay Two arm in arm.
Amber shook her head. "I can't believe Starfleet told you we died.
That is almost too crazy to even think about."
"I know. It drove me over the edge, Amber, thinking that you had died."
Ashley sighed. "I was willing to die myself, just to see that you really
died. I was throwing away my whole life, my whole career."
"In a way, I'm glad you did." Amber paused halfway to the runabout.
"Because this way, Starfleet will know we are here, and find some way to
reach us. We only have our science department, there's no way that compares
with all of starfleet's science personnel."
"You're right about that." Ashley squeezed her sister's hand. "So why
are you a doctor now?"
"Officially?" Amber grinned. "I couldn't hack it in science, so they
transferred me to sickbay."
"What about unofficially?" Ashley asked, knowing there was more.
"I couldn't hack it in science." Amber smiled sheepishly. "But that was
because I cheated my way through the academy."
Ashley nodded. "I'm not surprised. It must have been pretty easy with
the telepathy."
"Yes, it was." Amber sighed. "I wouldn't do it again, if I had the
chance."
"We all make mistakes, sis."
"Thanks for understanding." Amber smiled as they stepped into the
damaged runabout.
"Oh, it looks like some engineers must have already gotten here." Ashley
pointed to some panels. "Those have already been replaced."
"We're not a big crew, Ash, but we jump on things around here. It's a
lot more intimate than the typical starfleet ship."
Ashley nodded. "Given the circumstances, I understand."
Ashley pulled a bag out from under her seat, zipped it open. "I've got
to get this thing completely up to speed. See, the remote unit that's going
to bring me back will only keep the window open for a few seconds. It
doesn't have power to do more than that."
"Ash, I'm so glad you're here." Amber smiled. "Even if it is only for a
few more minutes."
"It may be for longer than that, Amber." Ashley smiled, her eyes
glancing at the console.
"What do you mean?" Amber questioned.
"I mean, I'm sending the runabout back with the message, but I'm going
to stay here."

<TBC>

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A Universe Apart
SD 9706.20
-Counselor Fox, Dr Fox-
"You're going to stay?!" Amber repeated with mixed emotions. "But....
you... you've got to go home!"
"Why?" Ash asked simply.
"Because having one of us trapped here it enough!" Amber answered.
"Mom, Dad, and Andrew are going to go nuts."
"Like I did?" Ash asked.
"Ashley, you have John to worry about."
"He'll get over me, Amber. I'm one woman, not some memorable
supermmodel."
"Like you got over me?" Amber asked quietly.
Ashley turned her back, her heart dropping to the floor. "That was
low."
"You mean that was acurate." Amber stepped closer, putting a hand on her
sister's shoulder.
"Yeah, acurate is a good word too." She sighed. "Amber, what am I
supposed to do?! Just go on my merry way? Go home to a court martial and a
dead and broken career?"
Amber shook her head. "Don't you understand, Ashley, that you have more
of a chance of a life going back than you would here? Even if your career is
over. But you don't know that."
"Oh, I do." Ash nodded violently. "I disobeyed three direct orders not
to go, as well as fiddling around with Starfleet's precious devotion to time
travel."
"Ash, you know they won't ever say anything if they find the information
and no one to deliver it." Amber spoke slowly. "They'll hide the file in
someone's office where it'll get buried and no one will ever know that we are
alive and struggling to get home."
Ashley looked down, silent.
"Don't take that away from us." Amber went on. "We're fighting to get
home, we've lost crew members, the rest of us damn near lost our lives on
several occasions. By staying here to avoid the consequences of your
actions, you'll be destroying everything we've ever worked for."
Ashley sighed. "Why do you always sound so right?"
"Because I am." Amber smiled softly. "And you know it."
"Yes, you're right about me staying. But what about you coming with
me?"
TBC

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"You want to take me home?!" Amber's jaw dropped.
"Yes."
"I ... I can't." Amber turned away from Ashley, trying to hide the
tears in her eyes.
"Why the hell not?!" Ash was furious. "I came all this way for you! You
could at least come back with me. Imagine the proof you would be! There
would be no way for Starfleet to deny the truth!"
"Is that all you're thinking about?" Amber spun, just as angry. "What
about me? What about my committment to this crew? Our promise to get home
together? Am I just supposed to duck out because my sister happened by with
a runabout that had an extra seat?!"
"Amber, I can't leave you here!"
"You don't have a choice, Ashley."
"I outrank you." Ashley crossed her arms. "I could order you to come
with me."
"That's right." Amber spoke quietly. "And I would never forgive you
for that."
A heavy silence hung between them as they stared into each other's angry
blue eyes.
It was broken by a short beep.
Ashley gasped. "I've got five minutes!"
Amber frowned. "We've wasted our time with angry words."
"I'm sorry." Ashley hung her head. "I only wanted to do what was
right."
"Don't be sorry about that. Take what we've just shared and learn from
it." Amber hugged her sister. "You have to consider that we may never see
each other again."
"Please don't say that." Ashley whispered.
"You have to realize that. Or when you go back, you'll be just as lost
as before." Amber whispered, holding back tears.
"I love you, Amber." Ashley choked.
"I love you too, my little sister."
Finally, they broke their embrace, and Amber walked to the door. "Good
luck with all that's coming. It's not going to be easy."
Ashley nodded. "I know."
"And, Ash? When the court martial comes about? Don't despair. Remember
me, and remember that even your court martial, even your failed starfleet
career, means nothing compared to the significance of the information you'll
be bringing to the attention of hundreds if not thousands of people."
"Amber, if I never see you again, please know, that it's not because I
gave up."
"Good bye, Ashley."
"Bye, Amber." Ashley watched with tears in her eyes as Amber dashed out
of the shuttle bay, and out the doors.
Her heart ached as she sat down at the controls, knowing that very soon,
they would be a universe apart once more.

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Realization
Doctor Amber Fox stood over her patients in sickbay after administering
the necessary stasis inducing drugs. She kept her eyes on the monitor at the
head of the bed, watching for signs of destabilization.
She sighed.
She wouldn't let this one unfortunate occurance take the course it
wanted to take. She couldn't allow one accident to take the three most
senior officers away from this crew.
"The death of these three would be the single most devastating event
that could happen to the crew." She whispered. ~~Not to mention me.~~
No one was around to hear her, but the words chilled her nonetheless.
She had sickbay to herself at this point. Doctor Vendetta was still on
the bridge. Someone had to run the ship after all.
The nurses had stopped asking if Amber wanted a break. They knew she
was not leaving her patient for any reason.
Too much could go wrong. Trista's DNA could continue attacking T'Kala
and Ultimo's DNA even in this state.
She thought momentarily of the consequences these three deaths would
have, and not just on morale. She shook her head, shoving those thoughts from
her mind.
~~That is not an alternative here. I'm going to bring them back.~~
She frowned in concentration, a thought occurring to her. ~~If we don't
get the transporters going soon, there's going to be a big problem. And I'll
be the only one who can help them.~~
She laid her hand on their shoulder as she closed her eyes, her mind
reaching out to them. She 'searched' through their DNA, through their merged
bodies. Analyzing their situation, she frowned, understanding the
complication of what had to be done.
She was wrong, she realized as she pulled her mind from them.
She couldn't help them, not on her own. It would take days for her to
even attempt separating their DNA, not to mention battling the deterioration
from Trista.
The transporters had to work.
If they didn't, she had no idea what would.
The realization that their best attempt may not be enough, chilled her
even more.

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The Aftermath
-Captain Ultimo, Doctor Fox-
(This takes place after "A Universe Apart")
Captain Ultimo Hebein stood in his ready room, watching on his console
as Ashley Fox's shuttle disappeared into the distance.
~~So close.~~
He lowered his head for a moment, then reached for his comm badge.
*
Amber was leaning against the wall outside the shuttlebay, her head
down, wiping the tears away with her hands.
Her comm badge chirped, and the captain's voice came through. "Doctor
Fox, please report to my ready room."
Amber sighed, realizing the last thing she wanted to do was to face
anyone right now, least of all Ultimo.
She slapped her comm badge. "Y-yes, sir."
Amber straightened up, walking slowly down the corridor to the turbo
lift.
She didn't see the walls around her, or the carpet, or the stares of the
other crew members as they watched her curiously.
Somehow, she found herself on the bridge, at the door to the Captain's
Ready Room.
She raised her hand slowly and rang the chime.
"Come in." His voice came from within.
She barely noticed him as she walked in, sitting in his chair watching
her.
Amber walked slowly inside, her shoulders slumped, and her eyes glued to
the floor.
He glanced at her, a PADD in his hand. "Something troubling you,
Doctor?"
She straightened suddenly, as if she just realized where she was.
She released a long sigh before answering. "Yes, sir."
He set the PADD down keeping his eyes on her, straightening himself in
his chair, concerned.
"Did it have to do with seeing your sister again?" He asked, glancing at
the viewport.
Amber nodded, squeezing her eyes closed, afraid of losing her self
control in front of him.
Ultimo winced. "You'll see her again."
Still not looking directly at him, she spoke in a whispered voice. "She
was going to send the shuttle back and stay here, sir."
"What?" He glanced away momentarily. "I don't understand. What do you
mean?"
"I made her go back home. She wanted to stay here. With me. On this
ship. I told her no. I forced her to go back home." Her heart aches as she
tells him this.
Ultimo stood, and walked to the other side of his desk where she stood.
"You were looking out for her best interests. I'm sure she'll understand
that."
Amber nodded, acknowledging his words. "It gets worse."
He furrows his brow as he waits for her to finish.
"After she realized I wasn't going to let her stay, she asked me to go
back with her."
Ultimo looked at her, swallowing hard.
"I couldn't go." Amber whispered. "I wanted to, but I couldn't."
She lowered her face to her hands, crying, and turned away from him.
"Amber, you....." He halted his words, looking down.
<TBC>

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He looked back up, silently turning her to face him.
She let her hands fall to her sides, and looked up at him. Her cheeks
were streaked with fallen tears.
He gazed into her deep blue eyes. "Amber, that must have been extremely
hard for you."
She nodded slowly. "I could have gone home."
"I know that it might seem quite bleak at the moment," He spoke softly,
keeping a lock on her eyes. "But I'll get you home. One way or another."
He raised his hand, gently brushing away the tears.
She trembles at the intimate gesture, staring into his eyes, knowing he
meant every word. "I believe you."
He swallowed as he desperately tried to sort out his feelings.
He dropped his hand down. "You'll see your sister again." He cast his
glance aside.
Amber took a deep breath as she glanced out the viewport, her gaze being
drawn to it.
He put his arm around her shoulder, walking her toward the viewport. He
leaned his head to hers as they gazed silently at the stars.
The stars that had betrayed them once before, the stars that took her
sister into their lives for a brief moment, then away again, the stars that
were their hope for finding their way home.

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Reopening Old Wounds
(morning after "Aftermath")
Amber opened her eyes slowly, the deep green of the sheets filling her
vision. She stretched her aching limbs, pushing the sheet away from her
face.
Her mind raced back as she glanced about her empty quarters to the night
before.
Ashley's unexpected visit, and her attempt to stay on the Kemo.
Ashley's attempt to convince Amber to go home. Ashley's departure, and
Amber's fear that the girl would suffer a mental breakdown.
Ultimo's ready room, and his surprising but welcome compassion.
But there was something more to it.
Amber shook her head, certain she was imagining those few moments with
Ultimo. But she was unable to convince herself of that.
She couldn't recall ever being more confused.
She slipped her long legs over the side of the bed, and rose to her
feet. Feeling a chill on her bare skin, she wrapped her silk robe around
herself, then padded softly over to the replicator.
She sighed, in no mood for food, but she knew the nourishment was
necessary.
She unconsciously rubbed her unnoticably pregnant stomach as she
reviewed in her mind the new selections she had programmed for breakfast.
"Fruit." She decided. "Honeydew."
She watched as the dish of cubed honeydew appeared in the replicator.
She lifted it slowly, walking toward the viewport with it.
She sat down in a chair facing the magnificent view of the stars.
She crossed her legs at the ankles, balancing the small glass dish on
her lap. She picked up a piece of honeydew with her fork, examining the cube
of green fruit.
She slowly brought it to her lips, tasting the sweet juices as she bit
it off the fork.
She savored the taste, remembering Sunday brunches with her family. She
and Ashley always filled up on honeydew before the eggs were even cooked.
The sweet taste turned sour in her mouth, as it suddenly occured to her
that Ashley may never eat another piece of honeydew again.
She struggled to swallow the vile fruit, feeling her body fight against
it as it went down.
She put the dish aside, the sweet scent of the fruit making her stomach
churn.
She rose from the chair, sighing.
She returned the dish to the replicator, then headed toward the shower.
She ran the water blistering hot, the steam rising to the ceiling.
She let the robe fall off her shoulders and to the floor, the silk
crumpling in a heap.
She felt the red hot flow of water hit the back of her neck, slamming
into her spine. The vibrations of the pounding water reverbating down her
back.
She closed her eyes as she turned her face to the streaming water,
feeling her pours open to the heat, cleansing themselves of some confining
force.
She felt lighter as the water streamed down her body, her skin reddening
a touch from the intense heat.
She leaned her head back, allowing the water to seep through her thick
locks, the black hair darkening as they became drenched.
She reached for the shampoo, pausing as she stared at the bottle in her
hand.
Ashley's shampoo.
She had taken it off her during their last visit together on Everest.
She opened her fngers, letting the bottle slip to the floor of the
shower.
<TBC>

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She cut off the water flow, and stepped from the shower.
The cold air struck her like a slap across the face, distracting her
momentarily from her thoughts.
She grabbed a towel, bundling herself in it as a child would, and left
the bathroom.
She pulled a uniform from her closet, draping it on the back of a chair.
She ran a comb viciously through her hair, tearing at the knots.
She twisted it into a braid, leaving it at her neck.
She quickly dressed, pausing as she zipped the jacket.
"I've gone through this before." She closed her eyes. "When we were
first stranded here. When we first had to learn to live without our
families."
She took a deep breath. "I won't let this take hold of me again."
She shook her head, moving toward the door.
She exited her quarters, but she could not leave them behind, could not
escape the thoughts.
Old wounds hurt, but reopening old wounds hurt more.

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*****************************************
Dr Amber Fox
USS Kemo Sabay
*****************************************
Personal Log SD9707.02

Still in the medical lab, Amber leaned her elbows on the table,
recalling the day's stressful events. The shuttle ride outside the plamsa
storm, the transport that restored the Captain, First Officer, and Second
Officer to their origional state. And the afteraffects of the accident.
"Computer, begin personal log."
"I learned today that I can't just sit back and wait for my senior
officers to tell me what to do. I've been like that most of my life, just
'following' what's going on, with few exceptions. Today was one of those
exceptions."
"I had the lives of the command crew in my hands. I was waiting on the
Kemo Sabay to move out of this storm, but I was informed by the bridge crew
that we weren't ready to leave just yet."
Gazing out at her sleeping patients, Amber sighed. "I don't understand
how someone could think that the dilithium was more important than their
three lives."
"I refused to let that stop me, and I found an alternate solution." She
smiled sadly. "While I did take that step forward within myself, I fear that
I should have done it sooner."
"Commanders Trista and T'Kala are resting, but the Captain has not yet
woken."
"My doctor's training tells me he'll be fine, and when he recovers, he
will." Her gaze falls upon his bed, watching as his chest rises and falls
with his breathing. "But there are times when the worries of the heart
overtake any training."
"Computer, close log." Amber rose from the stool, walking slowly to
where Ultimo lay, lost to the world around him.

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The following set of logs took place a few days before the plasma storm
fiasco of the past few weeks. Names have NOT been changed to protect the
innocent. No animals were hurt in the writing of these logs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jari sat in the officers' mess, staring at the padd in her hands, rubbing her
eyes for the umpteenth time. Reviewing operations procedures was not listed
on her list of favorite things to do...

She looked around the near-empty room...Lt. Dawson was over in the other
corner engaged in a conversation with Ltjg Gefler. Jari knew that she wasn't
about to insinuate herself into their conversation, although she craved some
good conversation with someone about something other than her work. She
hardly knew her roommate, as their duty shifts had both been doubled since
she had arrived on board. The only time they ever saw each other was when
one was coming off of duty and heading for bed and the
other was heading out for their duty shift. Not that Jari went out of her
way to meet new people...she usually chose to be alone running in the
holodeck or working out in the gym rather than hanging out with the other
junior officers. However, she wasn't thinking about running right now...but
she was thinking about the holodeck.

Five minutes later, she's standing outside of the holodeck trying to think of
what program she should run. Almost all of her programs were running-type
programs...full of nice scenery but that's just about it. She thought for a
moment...hadn't she heard of the Dolly's Saloon program that Dr. Fox had
created?

"Computer...load program 'Dolly's Saloon' and begin when ready."

Jari waited a few moments for the program to begin then she waited for the
doors to open and stepped inside. Immeadiately, the sounds of people
laughing and piano music blaring in the background overwhelmed her...the room
in front of her was a crowded scene, filled with people dressed in late 19th
century western clothes...a large bar was located in the back of the room,
and Jari could see the wall behind it filled with all kinds of exotic bottles
of liquor...

Smiling, she made her way over to the bar, stopping by different tables to
watch the poker games in progress momentarily before moving on...ending up at
a clear space at the bar, she waited until one of the bartenders, a large
woman wearing a dirty apron, came over to her. Jari surmised that this must
be Dolly...

"What'll ya have, hon?" Dolly asked with a strong midwestern American accent.

"Root beer.." Jari replied, smiling. It was still her favorite drink even
after being out of the Academy for 9 months. Dolly returned a minute later
with a large glass filled with the dark substance with two inches of foam on
top.

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"Root beer.." Jari replied, smiling. It was still her favorite drink even
after being out of the Academy for 9 months. Dolly returned a minute later
with a large glass filled with the dark substance with two inches of foam on
top.

Jari picks up the glass and takes a sip, drinking in the wonderful taste
reverently...

"Is this seat taken?" a familar voice asks nearby.

Jari, engrossed in her drink, merely turns and glances at the speaker.
"No...help yourself..." She is about to take another sip when her brain
kicks in and she does a double take at the woman in the dark green,
western-style dress who is taking a seat next to her. "Doctor!!"

Amber smiles as she sits down. "Hello Dante..."

Jari starts to stand. "I'm sorry, sir...I thought this program was
open...I'll leave, if you want to be alone..."

Amber waves her hand and gestures her to remain seated. "No,
please...stay...I created this program for the crew." She smiled as Dante
sat back down.

Jari nodded, looking around. "It's a nice program, Doctor...very real.."

Amber looked at her, blue eyes twinkling. "Well...If you're going to sit
here, you've got to do it the right way. Now, you need a change of
clothing..."

Jari raised an eyebrown in concern. "Uhh...now I don't think that's really
necessary...I have to go on duty in a while...and I'm not sure how long I can
stay..."

Unfortunately, the Doctor was not going to take "No" for an answer.
"Computer, display western style clothing for a woman." Her eyebrows
furrowed in concentration as she looked from the different outfits the
computer was displaying on the Holo-model to the young Conn Officer, who was
busy trying to make up her mind.

"Wait...that one....now that's more like it." Jari smiled and pointed at the
model.

A short time later, Jari stepped back up to the bar and retook her seat. She
was now more in the spirit, wearing loosefitting pants with a white
long-sleeved shirt covered by a black vest.

Amber looks over at her and laughs, happy that she's getting with the
program. "Now that's more like it!"

Jari grinned as she sat down. "This is neat! I wonder why no one else has
tried this?"

Amber smiled and looked out at her creation. "I'm going to invite the whole
crew soon..."

Dante nodded and fell silent for a moment. "So...how are things in sickbay?"

Amber leaned back against the bar. "Not bad...I really must apologize for not
seeing you when the nurse released you."

Jari shrugged her shoulders and picked up her glass again. "You were busy
with another patient, and I was fine...I had to get back to duty."

Amber nodded, understanding, but her professional nature remained. "So no
side effects?"

Shaking her head, Dante took a quick drink. "No...not this time. My next
shot is in two days, though. I haven't yet met the other doctor....Vendetta,
is it?"

Doctor Fox nodded and smiled at the mention of her colleague. "Yes, Doctor
V... She's a wonderful doctor."

Jari nodded, remembering that she still needed to schedule her next visit.
As competent as she knew Doctor Vendetta would be, she had already thought of
Dr. Fox as her own Doctor, and she wanted to make sure that she got her for
her next visit. She takes another sip of her root beer. "I'm sure I'll run
into her soon enough..."

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Sitting side-by-side at the bar in Dolly's Saloon, Fox and Dante sip their
drinks quietly for a few moments. Then Amber gets a mischevious looks in her
eye and turns to the younger officer.

"Have you ever ridden a horse?" she asked.

Dante paused a moment. "No..."

"Do you want to? I've been making modifications to the program..." Fox said,
hurriedly, standing up at the same time.

Dante eyed her warily. "Is it safe?"

Fox grinned. "Of course..the safeties are on. Come on..."

Dante took a quick gulp of her root beer for courage and followed Amber
through the swinging doors out into the street where there were two horses
tied up to a post near the door.

Fox walked over to the first horse. "This one's Tonto...yours is named
Lightning."

Jari took a closer look at her horse. ~A rather ominous name for a horse...~
she thinks. "Uhh...aren't they rather large?"

Amber laughs as she pets her horse on its neck and pulls some carrots out of
her pocket. She hands one to Jari and gives the other carrot to Tonto,
praising him lightly. Jari watches what Amber does, then mimics her with
Lightning. After a few moments, Fox shows her how to mount the horse, and
after a little bit of difficulty, Jari lands in the saddle. Once they're all
settled in, Fox teaches Dante about how to use the reins. Then, showing her
how to get the horse to move, she leads them down the
street at a walk at first. After a few moments, she urges Tonto into a
canter and Dante follows with Lightning at a canter, too.

Dante, grinning at the fluid movement of the ride, pulls alongside of Amber
and Tonto.

Fox looks over at the young officer, pleased she's caught on so quick. "Want
to go out to the lake? There's usually something interesting to see along
the way..."

Dante nods. "Sure..."

Amber heads out of town and onto a path through a orchard with Dante
following. "I always liked western novels as a child...this brings me back to
it."

Dante smiled. "I was never much into Westerns...I usually read non-Terran
literature."

Amber glanced back at Dante and grinned. "I usually imagined myself as the
damsel in distress..."

Dante grinned and was about to say something...but suddenly they were
interrupted by the sound of a gunshot not far off in the distance.

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Dante grinned and was about to say something...but suddenly they were
interrupted by the sound of a gunshot not far off in the distance. It was
followed quickly by a woman's scream.

Dante looks around, startled. "What was that??"

Fox looks over at her and grins. "THAT was where the program gets
interesting...let's go check it out!"

Jari looks at her warily, then swallows. "Okay..." But before they can get
started, a woman runs out of the trees, her dress torn.

"Help me!! He's taken my daughter! Help me!!!" the woman screams.

Fox moves Tonto over to the woman and leans slightly down towards the woman.
"Who has?"

The lady hesitated while she caught her breath. "That varmint...Jesse
Clarence!! Help her!!!!"

Amber looked over at Jari and grinned. "Let's help her out, shall we?"

Dante hesitated. "Uhh..sure, but how?"

"Go back to town...tell the sheriff what's happened...we'll take over from
here." Amber said to the frantic woman. The woman thanked her profusely,
then turn and ran back towards town.

Jari moved her horse closer to Tonto and Amber. "I suppose you have a
plan..."

Amber grinned. "Yep...computer, I'll need One Smith and Wesson, .44 calibre."
She held out her hand, the gun materializing there. "You'll need one too.
Hand gun or rifle?"

Jari's eyes grew wide. "Handgun, I guess..." A moment later, the gun
materialized and Jari stuck in her belt a little uncomfortably.

Amber places the gun in a holster at her waist, then grabs the reins tightly
and looks over at Dante. "Ready, partner?"

Dante tries to hide a grin, but fails. This was definitely more fun than she
thought it would be. "Ready.." Barely had she uttered the words when Amber
took Tonto and charged through the woods towards where they had heard the
gunshot.

Dante, alarmed she is being left behind, digs her heels into Lightning's side
and urges him forward quickly...

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Dante, alarmed she is being left behind, digs her heels into Lightning's side
and urges him forward quickly...

In the meantime, Amber has come upon another horse by itself, tied to a tree.
She slows down and dismounts Tonto a short distance from the lone horse.
Wondering where Dante has diseappeared to, she suddenly hears the crashing of
underbrush very close to her, and the sound of pounding hoofbeats...a moment
later, Dante comes crashing through into the clearing atop Lightning...seeing
that Amber and Tonto were directly in front of her, she yanks at Lightning's
reins in an attempt to stop him. Screeching to
a halt, Jari can't stop her momentum, and she goes flying over the head of
her horse, only to come crashing down on her back in some nearby bushes.

Amber rushes over to the young woman, concerned that she had really hurt
herself. "Are you okay?

Jari stays in her prone position for a moment, trying to catch the breath
that had been knocked out of her. "Yea....I'm....o....kay..."

"Need a minute to rest before we go on?" Amber asks, helping Jari to her
feet.

"Yea...just a sec.." Dante says, still gasping a little for air. She's too
stunned right now to be embarassed.

Click...

"Well...look at what we got here..." a man's voice intoned behind them. The
sound of a handgun being cocked was unmistakable.

Amber and Jari turn around to see a grizzled cowboy holding a gun on them.
Jari glanced at her handgun, which, in the fall, had been sent skidding along
the ground to a point about 8 feet away from where they stood. Amber grinned
roguishly at the man.

"Looky what WE got here, a cowboy with a gun. What's yer name, Cowboy?"

The cowboy sneered at her audacity. "You don't know me?" He leers at her and
steps closer, his gaze moving to her exposed cleavage. "I'd like to get to
know you , Lady.."

All the time, while the cowboy was preoccupied with Amber, Jari edged closer
and closer to her gun...now, it was only two feet away.

Amber scowled at the cowboy and slapped him across the face. "I don't think
so..."

The cowboy glared at her, his face showing the red mark where her hand had
struck him. "Nobody, but nobody hits Jesse Clarance and gets away with it!"
He raises his gun towards Amber...

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The cowboy glared at her, his face showing the red mark where her hand had
struck him. "Nobody, but nobody hits Jesse Clarance and gets away with it!"
He raises his gun towards Amber...

Dante, seeing that it was now or never, leaps for the gun and grabs it,
hitting the ground and rolling over onto one knee. "Amber, get down!!"

Amber drops to the ground in front of the cowboy. Jari fired once before the
cowboy could react, hitting him in the chest and knocking him to the ground.
After a few tense moments, Jari stood up slowly, gun still aimed at the
fallen cowboy. She looks over at Amber, who is getting up slowly, staring at
the dead man. "You okay, Doctor?"

Amber dusted off her dress a little. "Yea, thanks, Jari..."

Dante puts the gun back into her belt. "No problem...it reminded me of some
of the Academy simulations...it's good training." She grinned.

Amber laughed. "And here I thought it was just a way to have fun."

Jari walked over to the dead dude, nudging his lifeless form with her
steel-toed boot. "I guess it's both...shall we go look for the daughter now?"

Fox wiped her hands off on her dress, then turned to Dante. "Yea...let's go
find her. Let's leave the horses here and go on by foot..." She walks over
to Tonto and takes him by the reins, leading him over to a nearby tree, tying
him to a branch. Dante finds Lightning and does the same.

Picking up her skirt a little to avoid the tangled brush, Amber moves ahead
further into the trees, then stops suddenly. Pointing at the ground, she
waits for Dante to catch up. "See those? They're tracks..."

Dante nods, seeing the footprints, but not really grasping the importance of
them.

Amber kneels down next to them and frowns. "This is strange. They're side
by side...... almost as if they were walking together. If you were
kidnapping someone you wouldn't walk next to them, would you?"

Dante shakes her head. "No..you wouldn't think so..." She pauses and looks
around. "You don't think this is a trap, do you?" Suddenly, she gets a
little nervous.

Amber stands back up and looks around as well. "Could be...she's obviously
with him...let's get back to the horses."

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Amber stands back up and looks around as well. "Could be...she's obviously
with him...let's get back to the horses."

Dante nods quickly. "I agree." Amber motions her ahead, and Jari walks
quickly back towards the area where they had left Tonto and Lightning, Amber
following close behind.

Suddenly, Jari stops. Amber comes up behind her, still looking around.
"What? Are the horses alright?"

Dante replies in a hushed voice. "Yea, they're fine...the body's gone."

Fox moves up beside Dante to see that the body was indeed gone. "Didn't we
leave that guy behind? Shouldn't he be laying on the ground?"

Jari gives her a perplexed look. "Perhaps he wasn't dead..."

Amber gives her a knowing look. "The girl..."

Suddenly, the sound of horses crashing through brush breaks through the eerie
silence.

Startled, Amber looks at Jari, then runs over to Tonto and mounts him.
"They're getting away!!"

Jari rushes over to Lightning and jumps on, spinning him around. "Let's go
get 'em!!"

Amber grins and is about to reply when she is interrupted by a familar voice
from Dante's comm badge.

"Ensign Dante...please report to my office at once." Commander Trista said
over the comm.

Amber frowns. "I guess this will have to wait another day.."

Dante nods and taps her badge. "On my way, Commander..." She dismounts her
horse as Amber does. "Sorry, doc..."

"Computer, save program and end it..." Amber says as she walks over to
Dante. "That's all right. I had fun."

Dante smiles as the surrounding forest is replaced by the black and yellow of
the holodeck grid. "Yea, I did, too...more fun than in a long time..."

Amber grinned as they walked towards the holodeck door. "I'm glad...now,
let's get out of these clothes before someone sees us!"

Jari laughed. "Alrighty...."

The End...

Logs based on a minisim by Dr. Amber Fox and Ensign Jari Dante

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Jack stretched and opened his eyes. It was his morning to sleep in and
he was definitely going to lounge in bed. Aegis shifted to lay on her back,
her thin nightgown clinging to her body. Jack turned to her and ran his eyes
down her form noticing the subtle changes in her body, the larger breasts,
the slight swell of her belly. Something in him longed to see her ripe and
swollen with his child. He found the entire idea sexy in a way he didn't
understand. Carefully so as not to wake her, he
placed his hand on her belly and watched her sleep. She seemed caught in a
dream.
It felt so real, the hand on the back of her neck and then the fingers
digging into her shoulders. Aegis gave a soft gasp as they eased that spot
between her shoulderblades. And then there was another set of hands working
on her feet, working their way up her legs. She couldn't help but feel
hotter. Kicking the covers off, she rolled onto her back. And then the
hands were on her arms, neck, moving down. They were featherlight and yet,
intense.
Jack couldn't help but watch her. Whatever the dream it appeared quite
pleasurable as she stirred and moaned in her sleep. Propping his head up on
his arm, he manuevered himself closer. Absentmindely he began to move his
hand in slow, lazy circles over her belly.
The soft touches were maddening. Small sparks across her skin that were
not enough and each time she moved toward the unseen hands they pulled away
the same distance. She started to grunt in frustration when she felt a
stonger, warmer touch. It traced a slow path across her belly, but nothing
more. The teasing began to feel like fire on her skin threatening to be too
much.
Jack found himself entranced as he continued to watch her. His thoughts
wondered to who could she be dreaming about, what was he doing to her. Her
breathing had become heavy, skin flushed. He found it hard not to touch her
further, but he wanted to see how far this would take her. So engrossed was
he in watching her that when she suddenly sat up he gave her a guilty smirk.
"What?" She blinked at him.
Jack smiled and blushed feeling like he had been caught with his hand in the
cookie jar.
"You were watching me?"
He shrugged, stammered, "Well.. uhh."
Aegis stared at him for just a second. She wasn't sure if to be embarassed
or mad. Deciding to be neither, she leaned over and kissed him passionately.
Jack kissed her back with equal passion wrapping his arms around her. After
a moment, they came up for air.
"So what were you dreaming?" Jack gave her a sly grin.
Aegis gave him the most mischievous look, "How about I show you."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah," She straddled him. She pulled his hand up to her lips and kissed
him on the palm of his hand.
"Well?"
"You were watching, What do you think it was about?" Aegis slowly began to
run her fingertips over his arms.
"I want you to show me." Jack ran his hands along her legs.
Aegis started running her fingernails oh so lightly over his shoulders and
chest. He tried not to react, but shuddered slightly. Trying to get a gasp
out of him she started to circle and scratch at his nipples.
Jack smiled at her. The challenge had been put forth and she planned to win.
Leaving one hand to play with his chest, she moved the other down to play
with his belly button. Jack just continued to smile.
Aegis thinks ~~Ok Big Boy, if you want to play hardball~~ She leaned down
and began to kiss him along the jaw and neck.
Jack closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensations, "So Was this exactly what
you were dreaming?"
Between kisses, "Does it matter?"
"I just think it is curious that you won't tell me."
Aegis sat up and looked at him.
"What?"
"Just why are you so desperate to know?" Aegis looked him in the eye.

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Jack tried to laugh it off, "Ok, forget I asked."
Aegis slid off of him to sit on the bed. "Just what do you think I was
dreaming about?"
"No one, I mean nothing." He quickly corrected.
"No one?" Aegis looked at him suspiciously. "I think I understand now."
"Understand what?" He sat up.
Aegis got off the bed and headed toward the closet, "Oh nothing."
Jack jumped up tripping on the bed covers, "Wait just a second."
"For what, it's obvious what you think." She busied herself pulling out a
uniform and underclothes.
"And just what do I think?" Jack's voice took on a bit of sarcasm.
Aegis threw her clothes on the bed and walked into the bathroom leaving Jack
there with his thoughts. He stood there for a moment staring at the door
when she came out.
"Well Missy?" He watched her as she stripped off her nightgown and began to
get dressed.
"Aegis?"
Finally she looked up at him. "Ok, here is what I think. I think that you
think I had a dream about another man and you can't stand it."
"Oh come on Aegis, you really cant' think that." He tried to get past it.
"So who do you think it was? Captain Ultimo? Lt. Falken?" She pulled on
her boots and circled him. Putting a hand on his shoulder and leaning in
toward him, "No wait, Logan."

Jack didn't say anything.
Aegis looked at him for a moment, waiting for him to say something, anything.
When he didn't, she felt disappointment surge through her. "I'm going to get
an early start."
She turned and headed toward the door.
"Aegis wait."
She stopped, "What?"
He turned to look at her, "You should eat before you go."
"I will get something in the mess hall." She continued for the door.
"Aegis, hold up a second".
Aegis stopped and turned "What is it?"
He tried to put his arms around her , but she pulled away " We need to talk
this through. After what happened on the Alt- SOG ship... with Logan...
well.... I am sorry Aegis... I just thought it was he you were dreaming about
when you would not answer my question"
Aegis looked into his big, brown eyes and couldn't be mad. She caressed his
face with her hand. "Jack, I have never dreamed about another man, I dont'
think I ever will and I know I certainly don't need to." Taking his jaw
firmly in her hand, "Know this Mr, I love you." She kissed him.

a JL by Jack and Aegis Ryan

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T'Ehylara walked down the long corridor to her quarters. When she stepped
infront of her door it wouldn't open.
~Locked?~
"Computer, open doors to Lt. T'Ehylara's quarters."
"These quarters are not assigned to Lt. T'Ehylara. If, in case of
emergency, a level 4 command code is required."
~Aren't my quarters??? What the hell is going on?!?!?!?~
"Who is currently assigned to these quarters?"
"Lt. Hanson."
~Hanson? She isn't even on this deck! What's she doing in my quarters?~
Exasperated, TE storms down the corridor and back to Sickbay.
~Guess I'll just have to find out exactly how long I was out. I might
not even have quarters anymore. They probably figured I wasn't going to make
it.~ She enters the turbolift and tells the computer her destination.
"Wait a minute! Where's Tav?"
"Please restate the question."
"I wasn't talking to you! Just take me to sickbay."

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The Checkup
Joint log Lt. T'Ehylara/ Dr. Amber Fox/ Dr. Vendetta

Dr. Amber Fox is in sickbay going over some charts. She is comparing the
current status of her three patients to what it was the day before. She is
so absorbed in her work she doesn't notice when Lt. T'Ehylara enters. Amber
is in the office ''borrowing'' Vendetta's desk, so TE doesn't see her when
she first enters. She looks around but, not seeing the doctor, calls out.
"Doctor Fox?"
Amber looks up at the sound of her name.
"TE! I'm glad you're here."
"Oh, there you are," TE says. She walks toward the office door as Amber
puts her PADD down on the desk and stands to greet her. "I figured I should
come in for that check up," she says as she shakes the doctor's hand.
"Besides," she adds "I found my quarters are occupied. I have nowhere else
to go."
"Your quarters are occupied?" she asks, surprised. She shakes her head
in disbelief.
"Yeah, by Lt. Hanson. Guess no one figured I'd make so they bumped her
up to my quarters," the Lieutenant says with a weak laugh. Whether or not
Amber believes she is joking, TE doesn't know. She's not even sure.
"That would be Commander Trista, I put my faith in all my patients," she
replies with a smile. "Come on, let's check you out." She motions toward
and examining room.
T'Ehylara nods and goes to the indicated room. "Well, I'm glad you had
faith that I'd recover."
Amber follows her in and adjusts the lights. She smiles at her. "Have a
seat please."
"Sure." She sits on the bio bed.
Amber picks up a medical tricorder. "Do you remember anything that
happened before this?" She opens the tricorder and begins scanning.
"Some. I was in my quarters reading and listening to some Klingon opera.
I was thinking about Tav." She smiles slightly. Amber frowns. "I stood up
quickly to go do something, but then collapsed. That's it."
Amber nods. "And how are you feeling now? Any problems whatsoever?" She
is still scanning, watching the data come up on the small screen.
"I'm feeling fine. I'm a little weak, from lack of excercise I suppose.
But other than that I'm OK."
Amber nods again. "Physical therapy... that's why your legs haven't
buckled already," she responds.
They sit quietly for a moment. A thousand thoughts run through TE's
head, but one stands out.
"Doctor, where is Tav? I was wondering why he wasn't on the bridge the
other day."
Amber looks her directly in the eyes. "Tav...." she pauses, not sure how
to continue. "Tav passed away."
"I see," she says quietly. She looks away uncertainly, trying to control
her emotions. "When, may I ask?"
Feeling the guilt eat away at the edge of her mind, she says, "A few
weeks ago.... in the line of duty. He was trying to save the ship from an
intruder takover... he died in my arms."
~~Dammit I couldn't save him.~~
~~Oh God, just a few weeks...~~ TE's soul is screaming. She vaguely
hears Amber sigh heavily. "I understand," TE says evenly.
"That's...unfortunate."
Amber isn't sure how to respond to T'Ehylara's unexpected and entirely
unemotional response. "Well..... at least you're healthy and fit... seems
that the damaged tissue has recovered."
T'Ehylara focuses again on the doctor. "That's good."
"I don't know what caused it." Amber shakes her head. "It's possible
that some weakness in your genes led up to it... There isn't too much
information available on Klingon/Romulan biology.
TE's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "You....you know?"
Confused at her surprise, she asks, "Is that so strange? I am your
doctor... one of them anyway.
"I thought Anna was the only one who knew. She was the one that sealed
my med records."
"I wasn't aware they were sealed." The doctor frowns. "I understand
this is a highly personal matter, but in the interest of curing your
condition, I suppose they had to reopen the records.
"I suppose so....but it's still a shock."

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She nods. "I understand."
TE continues as if Amber wasn't even there. "I spent so long trying to
hide it...and now it's like everyone knows."
Putting the tricorder away, she makes a note in a PADD. She then smiles.
I hardly think the medical staff is everyone."
Hearing the doctor's voice brings TE back to reality. "Does the captain
know? Or did Anna open the file?"
Amber shakes her head. "I don't know. I was just returning from a Leave
Of Absence myself when this all occurred.
"Oh...I'll ask Anna if I see her later."
She frowns again. "I'm afraid Anna is no longer on board. She left the
ship several weeks ago.
TE's face sags. ~~Again, only a matter of weeks.~~ T'Ehylara thinks
angrily. "So much has changed....So many people gone.
"A lot has changed," Amber nods in agreement.
"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news..." the doctor tries to piece
together a sympathetic apology.
"No...no. It's alright. I wasn't all that close to either of them," she
lies.
She frowns, again noticing TE's strange reaction. "If you want to
talk... My door is always open..."
"Of course. Thank you for the offer." She smiles forlornly. "It's most
kind of you."
"I'm here for my crewmates...." Amber says, dropping hints. "Other than
that you're
free to go... Oh wait!" She pauses, concentrating. "No quarters right?"
TE stands. "Right...at least not that I know of. I'll have to talk to
the Commander.
"Um....She's being detained in sickbay for the night. You'll have to
speak with her later...."
"Really? I've been out for a long time, haven't I?"
"Don't worry, you'll be able to handle everything...In the meantime,
maybe I can help.."
"You can help? How?"
Just then, Vendetta steps through the doors to sickbay with a report in
her hand. She looks around in search of Dr. Fox. She doesn't see her and
she frowns slightly.
Amber nods to TE. "Dr V 's the next in command, so let me catch a word
with her.."
"Alright, thank you."
"Computer, location of Dr. Fox?"
"Examination room 1," the computer says. Vendetta turns and sees Amber
looking at her with a grin.
"I'm right here, Doctor." She smiles.
"Ah, Dr. Fox... a word with you, please."
"Of course.. I need to speak with you as well."
As she walks closer, Vendetta sees TE in the room behind Amber.
Amber glances back at the exam room. "I've just checked her over."
Vendetta smiles slightly at T'Ehylara. "How are you feeling,
Lieutenant?"
"Alright," she answers. "A little weak in the knees, but not bad."
V nods. "That's good." She looks back to Amber. "What did you want to
see me about?"
"We seem to be missing one set of Lt's quarters."
"Really?" She considers for a moment. "Hmmm... Where were your old
quarters, Lieutenant?"
"Deck 16, Section C. Lt. Hanson is there now."
"Okay..." She moves to a console and pulls up the deck plan. "Let's see
what's available..." She studies the chart, then looks up. "Well, we have a
room vacant in your old section. Room 114... will that be acceptable?" She
looks expectantly at TE.
"Yes sir! Right next door to my old quarters."
Vendetta nods. "Good, that's settled, then..."
"And my belongings? Where can I find them?"
"Storage most likely," Amber interjects. "I can check that for you.
Don't want you overexerting yourself just yet."
"Alright, I appreciate it. I don't think I'd enjoy a relapse, so I'll
just leave that in your capable hands."
"No relapses here... and that's Doctor's orders." She grins.
Vendetta ignores the interchange between the other women. She checks
with the computer. "Your belongings were moved to the cargo bay." Her
fingers move swiftly over the keyboard. "I've put in a request for Chief
Martin to relocate them to your new quarters... and to set up a time with you
to fix the door and key command codes to your voice authorization.
"Thank you sir.

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"Thank you sir. If that's all then, I'll let you get back to work."
Vendetta smiles and turns her attention to Amber. "Doctor, when you have
a moment, I need to discuss something with you." She suddenly turns back to
TE. "By the way T'Ehylara, welcome back."
"Thank you Doctor." Vendetta tuns and heads for her office. TE turns to
Amber. "Will that be all?"
"Yes, that's all." She smiles. "Good to see you up and around."
"Thank you. Believe me it's good to be up and around." She gives a wide
toothy grin, though the feeling behind it wasn't entirely there. "If you'll
excuse me, I'll go arrange my things with Chief Martin. Good bye."
"Take care, TE."
And with that, T'Ehylara turns and leaves sickbay.
>>

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T'Ehylara has just finished her meeting with Chief Martin. Her entry codes
to her room have been secured, her belongings located and moved to her
quarters, and everything is in order. Finally, she has a home again.
She goes inside and sets up her things just as they were in her old
quarters. The two rooms are right next door to eachother and identical in
every detail. But no matter how much alike they are in size and shape, the
simple fact that her new home is not her old one irks her.
~~They didn't think I'd come out of my coma. They didn't have faith.
They didn't believe. So they took away my quarters and my job and gave them
to someone else; someone completely alive.~~
After organizing everything she sits down on her new couch. She runs her
hand over the cushion.
~~This is all because of my Romulan blood. My secret was discovered and
spread around the ship, and now prejudice is keeping me from my home and my
job. My family warned me of this before I left home. Why didn't I
listen???~~
TE stands and moves to the replicator. "Tomato juice, cold."
A tall glass of red juice appears. She picks it up and sips it slowly,
savoring the strong taste. Sitting at her table, she opens her personal log.
<<Bleep>>
"This is my first log since I slipped into a coma. I'm very glad to be
back in the world, but I must say I don't feel very welcome here. I wake up
and find that I no longer have any quarters, nor do I still have a position
in science. But I find out one thing even more disturbing: everyone knows I
am half Romulan. I am almost positive that this is the reason all of these
things have happened.
"Before I left the Carraya Colony, my family and friends warned me I would
face strong prejudice outside the compound's walls. My father told me his
people would never except me on ch'Rhian (Romulus) because I looked Klingon.
My mother told me her people, the Klingons, would probably kill me if they
ever discovered my pointed ears. I was afraid. So I asked, 'What if I go to
the Federation?' They said, 'You would be safer there, but you would be
safest here. Please stay.' Why didn't I listen?
"When I was in the Academy, the doctor of course found out about my
bloodlines. I implored him to keep the secret, and so he did. His name was
Leonard McCoy, a very old man. He died shortly thereafter. At that point I
was out of the Academy and had nothing to worry about. I kept my secret for
many years, until I came here.
"I was injured in our Maiden Voyage. I was treated by one of our doctors,
Anna. She sealed my medical records, only allowing acces to me, her, and the
captain. When I went into my coma, Anna wasn't here. I wasn't able to, so
the captain must have opened the files. Meaning he knows, as well as whoever
was trying to heal me, plus any additional staff in the room, and anyone they
might have told. For all I know, the entire ship knows.
"Of course, I could be over acting. Maybe no one cares. But based on
what my parents told me about injustice in the universe, and the fact that my
quarters and my job were taken from me, I tend to think that I am not over
acting.
"I have done a lot of thinking since I woke up. I think that maybe it
would be best if I left this ship. I could find a quiet corner of the Galaxy
and live my life peacefully. Or perhaps I could join the Alliance. My
strong wit and character could put me at the top in no time. I will need to
consider this, but I think it might be the best course of action.
"Computer, close personal log."
<<Bleep>>
TE finishes her tomato juice. After thinking a moment she heads down to
the holodeck to consult with her holo-best friend, Rihal.

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Unstable Risk
-Dr AmberFox, LtjABRyan, LtjJPRyan-
"I'm telling you, I don't trust these people." Aegis Ryan whispered to
her husband. The corridor was empty, but she kept her voice low nonetheless.
"Aegis.." Jack sighed, trying his best to hold his frustration at bay,
but failing miserably. "There is nothing to worry about... I promise."
"I can't stop worrying." Aegis looked up at him as they walked. "I have
too much to worry about."
"What are you afraid they will do?" He asked, pausing only as a security
officer passed them. "If they had bad intentions, we would be in the brig or
dead."
"I don't know." Aegis admitted. "It just doesn't feel right."
"What does not feel right?" He asked concerned.
"All of it."
Jack shook his head. "Be more specific, please."
"I can't be." She felt teary eyed as she tried to search her mind for
him. "It just doesn't."
"I promise I will keep an eye on the Doc." Jack looked intently at his
wife.
Aegis stood there just staring at him.
"Now come on." He said gently but firmly. ~~Must be the hormone
changes.~~
They stood outside sickbay, Jack took Aegis' hand. "Come on."
Inside Sickbay, Dr Amber Fox was just getting off shift. She stifled a
yawn as she shed her jacket.
She started walking toward the doors just as they opened and the Ryan's
stepped in through them.
"Hello Doctor!" Jack Ryan greeted her, holding his wife's hand tightly
in his own.
"Hello there." Doctor Fox smiled warmly, but noticed how tense Aegis
was. "Is everything all right?"
"Well......" Jack started, glancing at Aegis.
"Everything's fine, let's go." Aegis pulled Jack's hand, ready to tear
back through the doors.
Amber frowned. "What is it?"
Jack looked at the doctor. "Aegis here needs a checkup."
"A checkup?" She asked, pleasantly surprised. "Sure, that's no
problem."
"Good." Jack said, while Aegis just smiled nervously.
Dr Fox noticed the mixed signals between them, and decided to hurry
things along. "I have time, so let's go in the back and take care of this
now."
Dr Fox turned and headed for the examining rooms. "Right this way."
"Come on, Sweetie." Jack pushed Aegis slightly.
"I'm going." She said as she looked at him.
Dr Fox motioned for them to enter, watching curiously as they passed
her.
The couple filed in, looking behind them as Amber followed them in.
"Just take a seat on the bio bed please."
Aegis hesitated on her climb onto the bed, but made it up and sat back.
Jack leaned up against the bulkhead, smiling.
"If I am correct, we don't have your medical records." Dr Fox peered at
the console at the end of the bed.
"No, you do not."
Fox nodded. "Computer, begin new crew member file. Please state your
rank, full name, and department."
"Lieutenant Junior Grade Aegis Briseis Ryan, engineering."
Fox nodded as she tapped away at a PADD. "Race/species?"
Aegis looked at her with solid blue eyes. "Iriisian."
"And your age?" She asked looking up.
"Thirty-one."
Fox smiled. "Any known allergies?"
"No."
"Any illness or conditions that you are aware of?"
"Yes."
"And that is?" Amber asked gently.
"I am....." Aegis glanced over at her husband for a moment. "pregnant."
"Pregnant?" Fox smiled. "Congratulations. Do you know how far along
you are?"
"About 8 or 9 weeks."
"About as long as me." She turned away briefly, exchanging the PADD for
a medical tricorder.
"You're pregnant too, Doc?" Jack asked. "The Captain?"
<TBC>

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"You're pregnant too, Doc?" Jack asked. "The Captain?"
Amber coughed at the outrageous question. "'Scuse me?!"
Aegis shot Jack a look.
"Why would the captain be the father of my child?" Fox asked.
"Well, Doc...." Jack began, embarrassment etched across his face. "I
was thinking of eligible bachelors on board the ship.... that...." He trailed
off.
"The father of my child is not a member of the crew. Further, he is no
longer.... among the living." She smiles sadly. "So consider yourselves
lucky that you have each other."
Aegis looked at her, not sure what to say.
Jack looked down. "I'm sorry, Doctor."
"Quite all right, Mr. Ryan." Amber nodded, kicking herself for blurting
out such personal information to her patient. ~~How unprofessional of me!~~
She scanned Aegis with the tricorder, watching as the results came
across the tiny screen. "You're correct about the 9 weeks."
The tricorder emitted a low pitched beep as it completed the scan,
drawing a frown from Doctor Fox.
"Something wrong?" Jack asked concerned.
Aegis swallowed the hard lump in her throat.
"There's a slight problem here." Amber reread the results, then looked
up at both of them.
"What is it, Doc?" Jack asked as he pushed off from the bulkhead, moving
closer.
"This isn't going to be a serious problem if you both are careful.
Aegis, Jack, this is a high risk pregnancy." Fox tried to word the problem
carefully to avoid any unnecessary panic.
"Why is it high risk?" Aegis questioned as Jack asked, "How so?"
They looked at each other frowning, then returned their gaze to Fox.
"According to what I've just discovered, the child's DNA, the Iriisian
and Human combination isn't entirely stable. There will be variations
between what this child requires for development and what you are able to
provide, Aegis."
Aegis sat there silent, fear covering her face like a dark mask.
"Meaning I want to monitor this pregnancy very closely." She picked up
a PADD, and took a step closer to them. "I'm not trying to scare you, but to
convey the seriousness of the situation. You can and will get through this."
Jack glanced between his wife and her doctor, worry pounding away in his
mind.
Aegis sat in shocked silence, unsure what to even think anymore.
"I'm writing up a list of Do's and Don'ts. Follow it to the letter. No
deviation, or I may have to confine you to Sickbay near the end of your
term." Fox said gently, her voice carrying enough strength to get through
their shock. "Oh, and Aegis? I'll be contacting Lt. Falken to shorten your
duty shift effective immediately."
Jack gives Aegis the "YOU WILL FOLLOW THESE" look.
Amber handed the PADD over to them, watching as Aegis barely even
registered it.
Jack glances down at the PADD, reading down the list.
"Pay special attention to Number Six." Fox stressed looking directly at
Jack. "Do not violate that one. No matter how hard it becomes."
He looked up at her, clearing his throat uncomfortably. "Ahh.....
but... for how long, Doc?"
Aegis took a deep breath, still stunned.
"Until the birth." Amber said quietly.
Jack nodded, inhaling deeply. "Understood."
<TBC>

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"What?" Aegis glanced from Fox to her husband, not having heard their
conversation before this.
"If you find this to be difficult, Jack, come see me. There are medical
methods to controlling those certain needs."
Aegis looked at them oddly.
"Other than that list, you'll be fine, Aegis." Amber reassured them as
she put the tricorder away.
"Aegis, have you read all of these dos and donts?"
"Not yet, Jack."
"I suggest you do so now.. and ask any questions." Jack pointed to item
number six.
"If you have any problems at all, call me... I'll visit you in
Engineering or your quarters if necessary. And that stands any hour of any
day."
"Thank you, Doctor." Aegis' voice was low, the shock evident.
"I'm finished with the examination, but I'll leave you both alone to
talk." She looked intently at each of them.
"Doctor, do you know what it is?" Jack asked.
"It's too early to determine the child's gender. However, I would
prefer to hold back on unnecessary tests in this case."
"I understand." Jack nodded.
Aegis glances down at the PADD, then looked up. "What kind of diet?"
"Diet." Amber nodded. "Eat as balanced of a meal as you can, and you
don't need to eat for two, more like one and a quarter." She smiled. "In
addition, I'm going to prepare you a special vitamin supplement to fit the
child's needs."
"Okay." Aegis nodded. "I guess I don't have anymore questions."
"Ahh, Doctor.... about that assistance in ... you know.. is it painful?"
"Painful?" Amber shook her head. "No, not at all."
Jack released a visible sigh of relief.
"I'd like you to come in two weeks so I can see how the baby is
developing."
"Okay." Aegis agreed.
"We'll be here." Jack nodded.
"You'll both get through this." Amber smiled. "All three of you."
Jack looked from Aegis to Amber. "Ah, Doctor, a word?" He motioned to
the corner.
Amber nodded. "Excuse me, Aegis."
"Of course." Aegis looked at them, smiling at Jack.
"Yes?" Amber asked as she walked over with Jack.
"Doc, do you have anything that will help.. control... hmm.... mood
swings?"
She looked sternly at him. "I do, but that would put the child at
greater risk, and we don't want to do that , do we?"
"No, Doc." Jack agreed. "But would her erratic behavior not do that as
well?"
"It can." Amber nodded. "That is why I need you to be there for her.
Be patient. If you know you're running out of that, take a walk and cool
off. She needs you right now."
"Understood. Thank you, Doctor."
"Anytime." She smiled.
They turned back to Aegis who was looking at them curiously.
"Anything else?" Amber asked.
"No thanks...you have covered it all...ready Aegis?"
"Umm, yeah."
Jack offered his hand to help Aegis down from the bed. "See? That did
not hurt."
"I'm here, even if it's just to talk.... to both of you." Amber smiled.
"Thank you, Doctor." Aegis nodded.
"We will remember that." Jack said.
"See you soon then." Amber walked them to the door, watching as they
left slowly, Aegis with the PADD in her hand, Jack with Don't #6 on his mind.

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There Will Be A Tomorrow
-USFUltimoH, DrAmberFox-
(This takes place after LAST week's sim, SD9707.02)
Doctor Amber Fox made her way from the lab to the side of her most
serious patient. She stood beside Ultimo's bed, watching as he remained in a
state of unconsciousness.
Amber brought her hand up, gently taking hold of his fingers. She
squeezed them a touch, hoping for a reaction, but there was none.
Gazing down at Ultimo's face, she bit her lip, wondering what had gone
wrong. His vital signs had been continually fluctuating over the past
several hours. The most recent change was for the worse. He was in this
condition for a reason, but she was damned if she knew what that was.
She had to help him out of this.
Amber reached for a stool at the side of the bed, and pulled it toward
her. She sat down near enough to his face that he might hear her soft voice,
but the other patients would not.
"I don't know if you can hear me..." She began quietly. "I hope you
can, because there are some things I have to tell you."
Ultimo hears a far off voice through the darkness surrounding him, a
voice that beckons him.
"Trista and T'Kala are fine, they're resting now, and Dr Vendetta did a
fine job on the bridge and taking care of the ship. They even got that
dilithium you were looking for." Amber smiled.
He tried to focus on that voice, letting it guide him through the
shadows of his mind.
"Do you remember when we first arrived in this universe? I do. I
remember the bodies on the bridge, the damage to the ship, and the panic I
was feeling, worrying if it was my fault."
She squeezed his hand before going on. "I remember that wild look in
your eyes, how angry you were. You screamed and roared at every officer on
the bridge I think.
But you kept us from falling apart. You kept me from falling apart."
Ultimo felt the warm pressure on his hand as the voice became clearer.
"The fact that we couldn't get back home was depressing. Remember when
I tried to steal a shuttle and leave?" Amber smiled softly. "You came after
me, reached me before I even left the shuttle bay. I came out of that
shuttle barely able to look you in the eye, but when I did, I was humiliated
at what I had done. That look on your face, was it anger? Disappointment? I
don't know, but it cut through me, and I let you in on what was going on."
~~Is that when this started?~~ She wondered.
"I was amazed at first at how understanding you were. Especially when
you approved the department change. I mean, you could have shoved me into a
corner somewhere and forgotten about me. But you believed in me, wouldn't
let me give up on myself."
"Then I left for that mission on Bajor. I knew you weren't happy with
me going, but you trusted me to do what I had to."
"A lot happened in that time I was away. I found myself thinking of you
time and time again. I wanted you to be proud of me for all that I was
doing. And not as my Captain, either."
Amber smiled. "Even though things went wrong, you didn’t shut me out or
push me away. Rather, you came to see me in sickbay. I don’t think you
realize how much those few moments talking to you meant to me."
"Do you recall the evening I convinced you to come to sickbay for that
physical? I’ve been thinking about it ever since." She took a breath before
going on. "There are times I regret it, like the time you came down to the
holodeck while I was running. I’d like to think that you feel the same as I
do, but because of that night in sickbay, I don’t think I’ll ever find out.
And while I might hope for more than you could give me, it is only that:
hopes and dreams."
Amber stopped talking for a moment, her eyes falling on her hand that
lay over his. "This ship needs you, Ultimo. I need you."