The BLTS Archive- Familiar Face
by Deanna (sweetsorcery@yahoo.com)

---

Disclaimer: I'm borrowing a few cuties from Paramount and Stephen J.
Cannell Productions, as well as some extras. I don't do this to make
money, just to have fun.

Warning: There's sex in here, the slashy kind! Everything else should
be self-explanatory from the coding.

Author's Note: To those who are only familiar with one of the two
series: Barclay and Murdock are both played by Dwight Schultz.
To explain who the A-Team are (as if it was necessary) I'm just going
to borrow their intro:

"In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court
for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a
maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still
wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you
have a problem. If no one else can help, and if you can find them,
maybe you can hire: THE A-TEAM."

For a visual reference (and to send me praise!), please consult my
website (still heavily under construction). I've made sure that the
pages of Face, Murdock and Barclay are ready, at least. Everything
else will follow shortly!

Feedback: Chocolates, flowers and compliments very welcome, especially
chocolates! I don't mind whether deposited in public or in private. If
you don't like this story, just move on to the next. There are heaps
of them out there...

---

Templeton Peck was leaning against his Corvette, enjoying the
Californian afternoon sun. He was parked just outside the "Nostalgia"
- a lovely old cinema off Hollywood Blvd.

The A-Team liked to hang out here - one of the few places Commodore
Decker didn't know about and hence wasn't likely to stalk out with his
MP minions. It would be nice to be able to go anywhere at all; not to
be forced to find secret spots and little-known places whenever not in
hiding.

Templeton sighed. The "Nostalgia" was one of his favorite places,
though. Actually, it was his and Murdock's.

Murdock... his best friend and at the same time - if not literally
speaking - his little brother, his son, his pet project for life.

Sure, Hannibal loved the eccentric pilot dearly. He thought of Murdock
in a fatherly, protective way. Only B.A. knew how B.A. really felt
about Murdock, or about anything for that matter. Despite all his
grunting at the "fool", chances were, B.A. was just as attached to
H.M. Murdock as the rest of them.

Of late, Lt. Templeton Peck had found that he was becoming even fonder
of his friend than he'd ever been. Seeing him at the V.A., eagerly
waiting to be *kidnapped* by the A-Team once in a while, his eyes
would shine with joy every time Peck entered his room. More often than
not, H.M. would fly into his arms, hugging him as though they'd been
apart for years, even if they never were for more than a week. Lately,
it had been no more than a few days - Peck himself couldn't stand to
keep away any longer than that.

Templeton's heart nearly broke every time he had to return Murdock to
the hospital. He was sure that the best cure for him would be to stay
with the people who loved him the most, but even the pilot himself
insisted he needed psychiatric help. The dreams just wouldn't stop by
themselves, he said.

Peck straightened out his suit, then decided to be a little more
comfortable for once and took off his dark jacket, throwing it into
his convertible carelessly. He let his tie follow.

What was he doing here? Reminiscing about all the times he and Murdock
had been here? All those old movies H.M. seemed to know by heart... he
could all but recite every single line of dialogue when it came to his
favorites.

Peck smiled to himself. No, H.M. wasn't crazy, he was a romantic
idealist, somehow out of step with reality. And that was one of the
things he liked about him...

The young Lieutenant was so deep in thought that for an instant, he
had no idea what was happening to him. Suddenly, everything around him
began to shimmer and shift out of focus. Was he fainting?

But then his vision returned to normal and he found himself
standing... somewhere different. Somewhere *very* different.

---

"Who are you?" The tall, bearded man who had been standing behind a
strange-looking console came forward. He was wearing a bizarre kind of
suit - black with red accents, not unlike a jumpsuit.

Peck's fashion-sense caused his attractive lips to curve into a smile,
but then he realized that nothing in this room looked the least bit
familiar to him. He saw walls in bright yet subdued colors, gleaming
strangely. When he turned, he realized that he'd somehow materialized
on a raised platform under something that looked like overhead lights.

"I'm Commander Riker of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Who are you?" The
stranger sounded a little impatient. He looked irritated and curious
all at the same time.

"Me?" Templeton asked unnecessarily - there was nobody else present.

"Yes, you."

"My name is Peck. Templeton Peck. *Commander* Riker?" Peck suddenly
felt rather nervous. If this was a trap set by Decker, he was becoming
far more elaborate in his methods. There had to be a way to contact
Hannibal and the others...

"Yes. I'm afraid I don't know what happened. You're not supposed to be
here, obviously." The man named Riker crossed his arms in front of him
and looked inquisitively at the stranger. 'Attractive,' he thought.

"You don't say." Peck raised an eyebrow and playfully twirled around,
one arm outstretched. "What is this place? Looks like something out of
a science-fiction movie."

Riker smirked but grew serious again when he realized the implication
of the stranger's words. "This may seem like a strange question, but I
have to ask it anyway, Mr. Peck. What date do you think it is?"

Peck grinned. This guy had a sense of humor. Hannibal would like him.
"What do you mean, what date do *I* think it is? It's the fifteenth of
March, 1985. What date did *you* have in mind?"

Riker's jaw dropped. Something here had gone seriously wrong. But
there was no way around it - the visitor would have to be told.

"Mr. Peck, you'll find this hard to believe, but you've somehow been
transported to the future. To be a little more precise, you've
traveled almost 400 years into the future."

Peck laughed out loud. "Of course, Commander Riker. That does explain
it. Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to the past again?"

Peck stepped onto the transporter pad and asked with a big grin, "What
do I do, just stand here?"

Riker couldn't believe the man's nerve. "You can do that, of course,
but until our technicians haven't worked out how you got here, I can't
send you back."

Peck's smile died down as Riker continued...

"You're on a spaceship - the "Enterprise" to be precise, orbiting
Earth. We were supposed to transport an official from our headquarters
in San Francisco on board. Somehow, we picked you up instead. Now, if
you'll follow me..."

Templeton interrupted, "You've got to be kidding!"

Riker smiled. "Sorry, but no."

Peck swallowed. Very likely, this was all a dream and he would wake up
anytime soon. 'Just play along, Peck, and everything will turn out
okay.'

To Riker he said, "Well, let's go and find out what happened,
Commander."

Peck saw the amusement in the other's face and followed him towards a
sliding door and into a long hallway. They used a device Riker called
a turbolift - it seemed to be moving at incredible speed both
vertically and horizontally.

Soon, they entered a vast area full of computers, flashing lights and
more men - and women, Peck noted to his delight - in the same type of
uniform Riker was wearing.

"This is Main Engineering," Riker pointed out. "I'm sure our Chief
Engineer and his team will be able to fix our problem."

Peck nodded and looked around. And then, he saw... Murdock!

---

"Oh Lord!" Peck stopped dead in his tracks, staring at his friend; he
was wearing one of those uniforms, with gold instead of red. His hair
looked strangely tidy and he seemed engrossed in whatever it was he
was doing. How could this be possible?

Riker followed the direction of Peck's eyes. "That's Lt. Barclay. What
is it? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Peck turned towards him but his eyes remained fixed on Murdock...
Barclay.

"Lt. Barclay?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes. You look as if you recognized him, but that's hardly possible."
Riker smiled, but Peck didn't look at all amused.

"I... he reminds me of someone." Templeton tried his best to snap out
of it. After all, this wasn't so unusual. If he was dreaming, why
shouldn't Murdock turn up in his dream? Heaven knew, he'd been
thinking about him enough lately. Would he encounter Hannibal and B.A.
as well? He couldn't help but smile at the thought of those two in
jumpsuits. H.M., on the other hand, was quite a knock-out...

Riker had taken his arm and was leading him towards a man seated at a
console. "Geordi, we have a problem."

Geordi LaForge, who turned out to be the Chief Engineer of the ship,
rose and listened to Riker's explanation of how Peck had arrived on
the Enterprise. He turned towards the visitor and seemed to be
appraising him in great detail. At least, Peck had the feeling he was.
The strange contraption the man was wearing over his eyes made it
impossible to tell.

"We'll get onto it right away, Commander. And, welcome aboard, Mr.
Peck."

Templeton nodded, but his eyes were beginning to drift back to the man
Riker had called Lt. Barclay. Wasn't it strange that the Commander
hadn't called him Lt. Murdock? After all, if this was his very own
dream, why were names being changed? Poor Murdock had even lost out on
his Captain's rank in the process.

"I'll get Reg to help us out. He's becoming kind of an expert on
transporter technology." Geordi grinned and walked towards Barclay.

Peck held his breath. If he was merely dreaming, why couldn't he keep
his heart from pounding like this?

The two engineers joined the First Officer and Templeton. Peck didn't
want to stare, but he couldn't help himself. This just had to be
H.M.... yet there was something different about him. As soon as the
man began to speak, he knew what it was...

"I... I'm sorry about the inconvenience, Sir. We'll get onto it...
right away." Barclay was addressing Riker, but his eyes locked with
Templeton's.

"All right, Barclay. Do the best you can and do it fast. I'm sure our
involuntary visitor would like to get back to his own time. And it
would be wise to retrieve the ambassador as fast as possible." Barclay
nodded.

Then Riker turned towards Templeton and said, "I'm going to talk to
the Captain. You'll be in good hands here. Maybe you can help these
gentlemen by describing where you were and what you were doing when we
snatched you away. I'll be back shortly."

"Uh... yes, Commander. I'll be fine." Peck nodded politely and
absentmindedly watched the tall man leave.

"Would... you like something to drink?" Barclay asked.

Templeton couldn't believe it. Even his voice was identical to H.M.'s.
He didn't have that Southern accent, but then Murdock could lose it at
will anyway. But what really struck Peck was how nervous and shy this
Barclay fellow was. That was quite unlike Murdock, whom he'd never
thought of as the introverted kind. Now, what had Barclay asked
him...?

"Yes, please. That would be lovely." Peck smiled at the engineer and
when his smile was returned hesitantly, he knew what else the man he
knew and the one he had just met had in common - they both shared the
warmest smile he'd ever seen.

---

Hours later, long after Peck had been taken to see the Captain and to
be told that so far there was no explanation for what had happened, he
was sitting in Engineering again. The short time he had spent with the
ship's counselor was worthwhile at least... she was an adorable
individual.

Now, back where he had started after arriving on the ship, he felt
helpless, at the mercy of these people who so far hadn't worked out
how to return him to the year 1985 and the City of Los Angeles.

At least Reg was working on the problem. Peck had long ago ceased to
believe that he would just wake up and everything would be okay. And
he also no longer believed that Barclay was his friend Murdock.

Sighing, Reg Barclay turned towards the visitor who looked tired and
sad. "I'm so sorry..."

Peck smiled wearily. "I know you are. Maybe you should stop working
for a while and have a rest."

LaForge joined them and added, "Yeah, Reg, I agree. You've been here
since 8 a.m.. That's well over a double-shift. You need a break."

Reg was about to protest but LaForge cut him off. "That's an order,
Reg. Go and rest. We'll keep at it and let both of you know as soon as
we turn something up. That okay with you, Templeton?" Peck nodded.

"Commander Riker has arranged for quarters. Would you check with him
and take our guest there, Reg?"

Barclay nodded. "Sure."

Templeton Peck rose and followed Barclay, who contacted Riker via a
device called a communicator on their way to the turbolift. Then they
proceeded to the quarters assigned to Peck.

Entering through another sliding door, Peck couldn't believe his eyes.
This ship was quite unbelievable from what he'd seen so far and this
room was fit for a statesman. And he was about to discover another
piece of "Enterprise" magic...

"This here is a replicator, Templeton. You just tell it what you want
to eat, drink, or... wear, and it'll provide you with it."

Peck smiled. "Oh really?"

"Yes," Reg declared, his face completely serious. Then he realized
just how bizarre this device he took for granted must appear to
someone who lived... lives 400 years in the past.

"I'm sorry, I should have known. You must feel like... like you're
dreaming." Reg hit the nail on the head.

Templeton Peck couldn't help but smile. "That was how I had originally
explained all this to myself. But I guess I've gotten used to the
truth by now."

Barclay looked doubtful. "It must be so strange for you. But don't
worry, we'll get you back." He smiled encouragingly.

Peck appreciated the attempt at cheering him up. He leaned against the
wall next to the replicator.

"I should be excited and curious about all this," he said, moving his
arm in a wide circle. "But it seems all I can think about is whether
or not I'll get back to where I came from."

Barclay sighed. He wished he could help. Over the past hours the two
of them had talked a lot... about life on the Enterprise and everyday
things on Earth 400 years ago. It was strange, to say the least. But
the strangest part was that this man - Templeton Peck - seemed so
familiar. They had been talking like old friends. Reg could rarely
relax around anyone like he did around this complete stranger.

Noticing that Peck himself looked deep in thought, Reg inquired,
"Everything okay?"

"Yes, it's just..." Should he tell him? What did he have to lose,
after all?

"You remind me very much of a close friend back on Earth... well, back
in the 20th Century." Templeton Peck sighed at the thought of Murdock.
What was he doing right now with no one to look after him?

"I do?" Barclay inquired.

Peck nodded. "You look and sound identical."

Barclay's eyes widened in amazement. "What's his name?"

"H.M. Murdock. His friends - we - call him Howling Mad Murdock,
affectionately of course." Peck's pretty face darkened when he
realized he may never be able to speak to his dearest friend again.

Barclay saw the sadness in the other's eyes and asked encouragingly,
"And what does he call you?"

Peck smiled. "Face."

"Face?" Barclay looked surprised.

"Yes, apparently I have a very honest looking face. I've gotten away
with a few... scams once in a while," Face explained, but Barclay
found himself wondering whether that was the real reason this Murdock
person called him Face. It seemed a more obvious reference to his
handsome features.

"I... see." Barclay smiled.

"Even your smile is just like his." Face felt his heart sink. This man
might be the closest thing he'd ever have to H.M. again.

"Thank you." Barclay took it as the compliment that it was, sensing
the deep affection Peck obviously felt for Murdock.

Face looked at his friend's doppelganger from the future and found
himself wondering whether Barclay was as eccentric as Murdock. His
guess would be... yes.

"You're afraid that you won't see him again..." Barclay stated, his
own voice sounding sad and sympathetic. Face nodded.

"We'll do everything within our power to get you back," Reg repeated
his earlier promise. He placed a comforting hand on the visitor's arm
and was surprised when a slim hand closed over his own.

"I hope so, because there's something I've never told my friend. I
think I'm only now realizing how I feel about him." Face smiled
apologetically, unable to fathom why he felt the urge to talk about
his feelings for Murdock. It was unlikely Reg would be interested. He
quickly added, "You don't want to listen to me going on like this.
Sorry."

"Don't apologize. I'd be happy to listen. Maybe... you'd feel better
if you told me what you can't say to him... right now." Barclay
blushed, hoping that he wasn't being too personal.

"It's hard to say," Face began, but then he looked up at the gentle
open face of the man who looked exactly like H.M. and didn't know how
he could possibly not tell him. Murdock would understand, and the two
of them had so much in common.

"I love him." There it was. He'd said it.

"Oh." Reg blushed even further. He withdrew his hand in a reflex.

"Now I've made you uncomfortable." Face felt awkward and silly.

"No, you haven't." Barclay smiled. "I'm sure your friend would... be
very happy to know that."

Face fixed a bright blue gaze on those warm, brown eyes - just like
Murdock's - and had the strangest sensation. He wondered if two people
as similar in looks and personality as Barclay and Murdock couldn't
maybe have similar feelings.

As if he'd read his thoughts, Barclay suggested, "He would no doubt be
flattered. I know I would be."

Face stared at him wide-eyed and Barclay grasped the meaning of his
own words. He had no idea whether they would actually be able to send
Face back to his own time. Was he being presumptuous?

The stranger took a step closer to him and the tip of his index finger
touched Reg's face gently.

"You're so much like him," he whispered and a stray tear appeared in
the corner of his left eye.

"I... I'm sorry," Barclay stammered, feeling terrible for the loss the
other man was enduring.

Face stepped back again, leaning sideways against the wall. "Don't be.
It's a compliment." He shrugged. "I'm acting like a child."

"No, you're not. I understand." Barclay placed his hand on Peck's
shoulder, reassuringly. The soft touch caused Face to shiver, but
Barclay didn't withdraw his hand.

---

Face was searching for some kind of sign. He still couldn't believe
that this was not H.M. standing before him. Hesitantly, he took Reg's
hand off his shoulder and pressed his lips to the palm. The feeling of
that baby-soft skin beneath his lips only made things worse. So this
was what H.M. would feel like...

Reg felt his knees giving in. He had almost expected this to happen
and although his mind knew he was just a substitute, his body reacted
as if it had no idea.

Face searched for any kind of accusation in those warm eyes. But all
he saw was understanding. "I can't help myself," he whispered
apologetically.

"I know." Barclay drew him closer and they kissed, deeply. Face sank
against the taller man's slim frame and instantly, he sensed a
familiarity that struck him like a hard blow. How was this possible?
He had never done this with H.M.?

He was holding Reg the way he would hold H.M. if he could. That faint
fresh scent of vanilla and bubble gum, mixed with male pheromones,
made his head spin and it was unmistakably Murdock. "Oh god!"

"What's wrong?" Reg inquired with concern, softly whispering against
Peck's temple.

The blue eyes framed by long lashes looked up at him. "You smell just
like him." Face felt such a fool to keep comparing these two men who
lived centuries apart. How must this make Reg feel?

But the Starfleet officer wasn't in the least upset. "If he smells
nice, I'm glad..." He smiled.

"Oh yes, he does."

They held each other and just enjoyed the intimacy for a short while.
They felt familiar to each other, as impossible as it was, and the
sensation was intoxicating and warm, all at the same time.

Barclay held Face with one hand in the small of his back, while the
other one roamed over silky strands of dark golden hair.

Templeton Peck looked up with an expression of such need and longing
that it nearly brought tears to Reg's eyes. He knew what Face wanted,
but he didn't know whether it was the right thing to do.

"I need to be close to you," Face said gently, and Reg felt his own
resistance, which had been weak to begin with, slip away entirely.

"Face, I don't know..." Letting one finger gently caress a
tear-stained cheek, Reg looked into those lovely eyes behind a veil of
moisture. It was the first time he had called Templeton 'Face' and he
had done it deliberately. He noted the slight jolt that shook the
other's body.

"Please..." Face knew he was being unfair, pressing so close against
Reg, forcing him to feel how much he needed him, but he felt as if he
would die without the warmth of his body.

"It's not me you want." Reg spoke softly, not wanting to hurt Face's
feelings. "I would be a poor substitute."

Face smiled crookedly. He'd never felt so insecure, but he managed to
say jokingly, "I find that hard to believe."

They looked at each other for a time. Both of them knew what they
wanted, but they didn't know whether or not to take it.

"You sure?" Reg knew the question was as good as his agreement. And
that
was the way Face took it, too.

"Yes, very sure." Face kissed him with desperate need.

Reg held him close, his tongue pushing tenderly to part those soft
lips. He felt hands roaming over his back, urgently seeking to take in
every contour and curve, finally settling on his hips and drawing him
closer.

Reg gasped as he felt Face's unmistakable desire, "God, I wish I *was*
him," he said huskily.

Face moaned, his mouth hungrily devouring Reg's. When he closed his
eyes, he was kissing H.M., but when he opened them, he was in Reg's
arms, and that felt right too.

Reg led him to the couch, neither of them breaking from the kiss. They
stumbled and fell, Face on top of Reg, their arms and legs
intertwined.

Now Face was crouching over Reg, his knees on either side of his
thighs. Every contact between them sent shivers through both. It
didn't matter to them at that point that Reg wasn't H.M.. Face wanted
him - his gentle soul, his sweet face and his exciting, sensual body.

Face began to unzip Barclay's uniform, clumsily due to his
unfamiliarity with the design. They joined forces and soon, Face slid
gentle hands beneath the stretching fabric, letting them roam over
fleecy, hot skin.

Reg tried to stay focused on undressing his partner. A task not made
any easier by the other's movements. "You're so beautiful," he
whispered in admiration, "...and *so* distracting."

"Thank you," Face replied hoarsely, fumbling with the Starfleet
trouser closure.

Reg smiled, successfully removing Face's white shirt. Golden skin
appeared enticingly and Reg kissed the shallow valley in the center of
his chest.

Face pressed even closer. His hardness firmly against Reg's stomach,
he began to slide against him.

Reg gasped, his groin flooding with heat. He unzipped the other's dark
pants and slid a swift hand inside, grasping his erect cock firmly, as
if to still his own internal vibrations.

"Reg..." Face shrieked. He had been unprepared for the sudden assault
on his most sensitive body part. His nerves were as tight as violin
strings, but he relaxed into the touch almost instantly and began to
rock back and forth, sliding through the ring formed by Reg's fingers.

Barclay closed his eyes, concentrating on nothing but the feel of that
silkiness in his hand. In his mind, he was on his knees, devouring
that smooth shape, running his tongue over each and every spot...

But then he felt the weight of Templeton Peck's body disappear off his
lap and watched as he slid to the carpet in front of him. The loss of
that warm body pressed against his own was soon made up for by lips
closing smoothly around his erection.

He moved slightly down the couch, pushing deeper into that incredible
warm moisture. He felt the tip of his cock touching the back of Face's
throat and it almost made him come.

"You're so good," he murmured and the suction on his sensitive organ
increased further. The tongue licking the underside of his cock moved
swiftly over the tip, leaving a trail of moisture that mixed with the
first droplets of semen.

It was hard to watch Face tend to him, but Reg couldn't bring himself
to look away. The blue eyes had darkened with passion and were looking
up at him, gauging his every reaction. The perfectly curved lips
holding him were smooth with moisture and glistened in the subdued
light.

When he couldn't hold on any longer and tried to withdraw, Face
wouldn't let him. Quite the opposite... he sucked harder, taking him
in even deeper, until Reg felt the tingling heat of his seed stream
into his lover's throat and watched it being swallowed up eagerly.

"Oh god, Face!" He moaned, savoring the aftershocks of his orgasm for
as long as they lasted. Then he pulled Face back up into his lap,
holding him close...

"Kiss me," Face pleaded and their lips met.

Reg was holding him in his arms, feeling him shiver slightly. Was it
arousal, worry or regret? "Are you alright?" he inquired.

Face nodded. He shifted to sit next to Reg and turned his back towards
him. From that perspective, as far as Reg could tell, he was crying.
Silently.

"If I did anything I shouldn't have, Face... I'm sorry."
Feeling helpless, Reg placed his hands gently on the other's
shoulders.

"No, you..." Face shrugged, resting his forehead in the palm of his
hands.

"Please tell me what's wrong." Barclay waited.

Face didn't move. With a sigh, he said, "I'm so sorry, Reg. I used
you. I'm so sorry."

Reg bit his lips. "Is that all?"

Face turned slightly. "What do you mean, is that all?"

"I thought something was wrong. Face, you didn't use me. I wanted...
want you. I'm just sorry I'm not the one *you* want." He smiled. "I
wish I was." And he did. Badly. If this Murdock character knew what
was good for him, he'd grab onto Face and never let go of him again...

Templeton said weakly, "Please stop being so sweet to me."

"Are you sure you want me to?" Reg moved closer to him, pressing up
against his bare back.

"No," Face whispered, his head sinking back against Reg's shoulder.

Barclay's arms closed around him. His lips touched a sensitive spot
beneath the silky blond hair, on the side of Templeton's neck. Reg's
reward was a pleased sigh.

"I may not be H.M., Face, but I want to make love to you so bad," Reg
murmured, his mouth close to a well-shaped ear.

"Yes..." Face was shivering all over. Hands were moving over his
shoulders, down his bare arms and around his ribs, resting against his
stomach and chest. He needed to be loved, and he would be able to
remember this day forever. Maybe if things didn't work out...?

"Please," he confirmed, as if afraid Reg might not have heard him
before. He shifted to sit between Reg's parted legs, pressing back
against him.

Those tender, long-fingered hands proceeded past his groin, stroking
the insides of his thighs through the fabric of his pants. Then they
slid inside his trousers and underwear, closing around his erection
and slowly, teasingly, moving up and down.

"That feels so good," he gasped and Reg's fingers closed tighter, his
other hand roaming over Face's firm buttocks, still clad in crumpled
black trousers. It slipped inside, pushing the fabric down and gliding
down the smooth skin and between the cheeks. Face jolted at the first
touch of a finger intruding into his most private area.

"If you don't want me to..." Reg started, but Face shook his head,
placing his own hand over the one stroking his cock, feeling his own
throbbing through Reg's hand.

"I want you to," he rasped, unaware that he was pushing back against
Reg's finger, rubbing his backside against him.

Reg was breathing heavily. His lips were pressed to the warm nape of
the other's neck. The faint scent of an unknown aftershave filled his
nose and set his nerve endings on fire.

That unmistakable throbbing was growing stronger by the second. Reg's
grasp tightened and when Face began to tremble uncontrollably in his
arms, his cock jolting and releasing a warm stream, Reg cried out and
emptied himself against the smooth cheeks of his lover.

---

"LaForge to Barclay. Reg, where the hell are you?"

Reg reached for his uniform, trying to get to his communicator before
Face would wake up. When he picked up the bundle of clothing, he
quickly touched the small device and whispered, "Barclay here."

"Reg?" LaForge had no idea why the engineer would whisper. Frowning,
he explained, "Get Templeton and bring him down here. We've worked out
the problem."

Reg confirmed the order and placed his uniform back on the floor,
beside the bed. He turned and watched his lover sleep. How vulnerable
he looked like that... his masculine features had relaxed into boyish
softness and his lips were parted slightly, allowing slow and even
breaths to pass between them.

Barclay sighed deeply. He had known this would happen, but nothing -
not even the prospect of the dreaded loneliness certain to follow
Face's departure - could have stopped him from doing what he had done.
At least he would have a memory that would last a lifetime.

Face began to shift, as if he had sensed that Reg was awake. When he
was being kissed softly, his mouth curved into a smile. "Morning." He
looked at the eternal night outside the window and asked, "Is it
morning yet?"

Reg smiled and said, "Yes. Good news, handsome."

Face knew instantly what the news were. "You've worked out how to send
me back."

Nodding, Reg explained, "Well, not me exactly, but someone did. I
don't know the details yet, but we're supposed to go to Engineering to
find out." He lowered his eyes.

Face lifted his chin with one finger and forced him to look into his
eyes. "Please don't be sad, Reg. We had a wonderful night and we
should remember it that way."

"I know," Reg agreed, but reason couldn't dissolve the lump that was
lodged inside his throat. He briefly considered asking Face to stay
with him, but he knew the answer. The sparkle in his lover's eyes when
he had heard the news had confirmed what Reg had known all along.

Face climbed out of bed and asked, "Do I have time for a shower?"

Reg nodded and was about to ask whether he could join him, but he knew
that they would spend hours in there. And Face had an urgent
appointment back on Earth. He smiled, and despite his sadness, he felt
happy for Face. And Murdock. Reg sincerely hoped that Murdock would
appreciate his luck.

---

A mere quarter of an hour later, Reg and Face arrived in Engineering.
They completely ignored LaForge's disapproving glance at a time
readout and sat down with a mug of coffee each.

LaForge started, "We know what went wrong and have spent the last 3
hours fixing it and running some tests. We should be able to sent
Templeton back and transport Ambassador Troi here simultaneously."

Surprised, Face asked, "Ambassador Troi?"

"Yes," Geordi explained, "Counselor Troi's mother. From what our tests
have shown, she hasn't moved far from the beam-down point, which is in
keeping with Starfleet Emergency Procedures."

Reg said with a smile, "I'm sure the ambassador had a good time in Los
Angeles."

Geordi attempted to suppress a smile when he turned to Reg to explain
further. "The matter stream of your pattern was held in the pattern
buffer just a little too long and the Doppler shifts between the ship
and Earth weren't quite in line at the time. Ambassador Troi wound up
where your pattern originated, while you appeared here." He nodded
towards the visitor who had no idea what he was talking about.

But LaForge continued, "The ambassador's pattern was transferred to
your beam-up point and your pattern was held in suspension long enough
for time to catch up with us and we were actually in the position to
initialize the transport."

Face made a half-hearted attempt to understand. "You mean that I could
have wound up floating in space if the timing hadn't been right?"

Geordi nodded, grinning happily. "Yeah, that's right."

Face shivered at the thought. "So what do we do now?"

Reg turned towards him and explained, "We'll have to reconfigure the
ACB
carrier - that's the device that directs your matter stream through
the emitter array on the external hull towards the right target
coordinates. That way we'll be able to put you back exactly where and
when we got you." He smiled.

Face nodded. He kind of knew what was happening. Or so he thought.
Until...

"The problem is," LaForge pointed out, "that we'll have to keep your
pattern is suspension until the time shift has been corrected."

"Don't tell me. For 400 years?" Face turned an unhealthy ash color.

Reg placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled encouragingly. "No, it
doesn't work in real time. It'll take no more than an extra 20
seconds. Right, Commander?" LaForge nodded.

Face sighed. "Well, scary as it sounds, I guess there's no way around
it?"

"It's quite safe," Geordi volunteered. "We've done dozens of trial
runs and everything's worked like a dream."

Reg saw the uncertainty in his lover's eyes and said softly, "I'll do
it, if you want. I promise you'll get back safely and in one piece."

LaForge looked on in confusion when Peck nodded and said to Reg, "I
trust you implicitly."

---

All three of them went to the Transporter Room and after the Chief
Engineer and Reg had finished their final adjustments to the systems,
Reg said to his superior officer, "If you don't mind, Sir, I'd like to
do this."

"Reg, I..." LaForge started to protest.

Barclay inhaled deeply and said with more force than it was typical
for him, "I would like to say good-bye to Templeton in private. And I
did promise that I would perform the transport."

LaForge nodded hesitantly and after a few parting words to Templeton,
he left the two men alone.

"I thought he'd never leave. Is he always so..." Face started.

"Slow? Intrusive? Insensitive?" Reg smiled.

"Yes, all of them," Face laughed. Then he saw that Reg's smile had
died down. He took a step towards him and took him into his arms.

"I won't forget you," he whispered, even though they were alone in the
room.

Reg swallowed. "I won't forget you either." He kissed Face and then
pushed him back gently. "You'd better go. You have things to do." He
managed a smile.

Face nodded and did his best to hold back the tears. "Yes, I guess I
do."

As soon as Face stood on the transporter pad, Reg said, "Alright,
we're ready." He busied himself with the controls, trying his best not
to let the moisture in his eyes interfere.

When he looked up at the shimmer that began to surround his lover, he
noticed that Face was smiling at him and then forming a kiss with his
lips.

"I'll miss you," Reg said more to himself than to Face, who could no
longer hear him.

---

Face was momentarily disoriented when he re-materialized right outside
his car. As soon as the feeling had passed, he climbed inside the
corvette and turned the key in the ignition. Pausing, he thought of
Reg. He would miss him and he knew Reg would miss him, too.

Then he knew what he had to do. Without another moment's hesitation,
he pulled out onto the road and drove as fast as traffic would allow
it.

It would normally have taken him 20 minutes to get to the V.A., but he
managed it in under 10. He parked in a no-parking zone and jumped out
of the car, raced up the stairs, through the impersonal entrance hall
and up the staircase, not taking the time to wait for the elevator.

The receptionist recognized him and smiled, but he didn't take the
time to flirt with her as he usually did, instead rushing straight
past her and towards that familiar door at the end of the hallway.

When Face knocked and pushed the door open at the same instant, a pair
of very, very familiar brown eyes looked straight at him, almost as if
he had been expected.

"Face!" Murdock jumped up and came towards him. "Hey, you were here
only 2 days ago. Somethin' wrong?"

"No," Face gasped, holding his side. "I need to talk to you, H.M.."

A smile so happy it could rival only that of a child on its birthday
spread over Murdock's face. "I'm so glad you're back already. I was
feelin' a little lonely today."

Face felt his chest tighten with emotion. He took a quick step towards
his best friend and pulled him into his arms, holding him tight.

"You'll never be feeling lonely again, H.M.," he assured Murdock, his
voice trembling with suppressed tears, "not if I can help it!"

Murdock wrapped his arms around him. A smile passed over his face as
he put his head on his friend's shoulder. Finally.

---

The End