The BLTS Archive - Rescue Operation
#2: Seconds
by miera (mierac72@yahoo.com)

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Archive: Ask first

Date: May 1, 2003

Author's Notes: I'm sometimes okay with leaving details hanging, but
too many people were pestering me (in a good way) to explain what
happened in "Rescue Operation" and show what would happen next. So
here 'tis.

Beta: Thanks to the incomparable Leah for the beta.

Feedbaack: Makes me all happy and squirmy. 

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The shuttle pod docked smoothly and Hoshi opened the hatch. Before she
had the chance to pick him up, Porthos scrambled over the door,
barking madly. He pelted across the floor and jumped into Captain
Archer's waiting arms.

"Hey boy, good to see you back," Archer scratched the beagle behind
the ears as Porthos' tail went crazy. Archer looked at his two
officers with a smile. "Thanks for getting him back. I take it
everything went smoothly?"

Malcolm nodded. "No problems, sir. Mr. Damashir never even knew we
were there."

Trip had been standing behind Archer, and he reached over to pat
Porthos on the back. "Guess he'll be a bit surprised to find his new
prize possession is gone."

"It was foolish of him to think he could simply kidnap an alien life
form and not have anyone notice," Malcolm snorted.

"It's not like there were a lot of canine biosigns on the planet,"
Hoshi added. She stretched absently and Malcolm's stomach tightened as
he saw Trip's eyes go wide. Hoshi was wearing only a halter top and a
very short skirt which left little to the imagination. Trip, however,
looked like he was using his.

Malcolm looked around for a moment, and then ducked back into the
shuttle pod. He came out with Hoshi's red shawl in his hands and
gently wrapped it around her shoulders.

Trip blinked, and then blushed slightly.

Hoshi looked down at the red fabric and brushed at it, frowning. "I'm
never going to get all the dog hair off this thing."

Archer looked up from Porthos' enthusiastic kisses. "Thank you both
for doing this," he said again, apologetically.

Hoshi shrugged. "It's not like you could go back down there.
Damashir's people would've recognized you right away. It was logical
for Malcolm and I to go." Something unreadable passed over her face.

Archer smiled at what sounded almost like an unconscious impersonation
of T'Pol. "It was still above and beyond the call of duty."

Malcolm said, "Not at all sir. The safety of the crew is my
responsibility after all."

Trip grinned at him. "So if, say, Phlox's mucus slug ever gets loose
in the ship, you're volunteering to chase the thing down?"

Malcolm cocked his head to the side. "I'd say that was a failure of
Sickbay's engineering, Commander, which would make it your problem."

Archer chuckled and held Porthos up. "I think this calls for some
cheese to celebrate, huh?" He nodded at Hoshi and Malcolm. "Check in
with Phlox just in case and then take the rest of the night off."

Archer left and Malcolm turned to finish locking the pod down. Trip
waved him off. "It's all right, I got it. Go see Phlox and get some
rest. I want to hear all about your thrilling heroics at breakfast
tomorrow." He winked at them. Malcolm gave him his normal half-smile
in return, but Hoshi merely turned and walked out silently.

Concerned, Malcolm followed hastily. "Ensign? Are you all right?"

She didn't speak right away. When they reached the turbolift, she
reached down and pulled off her shoes. "I'm fine. These shoes are a
bit tight, that's all."

Malcolm's instincts told him she was lying, but he was reluctant to
press the issue. They went to Sickbay in silence.

---

Malcolm walked Hoshi towards her quarters. Phlox had released them
without requiring a trip to decon thankfully. Hoshi was still being
very quiet and it unsettled Malcolm more than he wanted to admit. He
decided to try one more time. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Startled, she looked up. "Yes, Lieutenant, I'm fine," she said trying
a bit too hard to sound it.

They were at her door and he stopped. The thing that had been nagging
at him since they were on the planet's surface broke loose finally and
he spoke in a rush. "Hoshi? I'd like to. . . apologize. For what happened.
In the stairwell."

There was no mistaking the blush that crept up her face. "Don't worry
about it."

"It was the first thing I could think of to explain why we were there-
"

"I get it, Malcolm," she snapped. Then she sighed. Not looking at him,
she muttered, "Not exactly my idea of an ideal first kiss."

"Oh." Anxiety replaced his guilt. She hadn't enjoyed the kiss? He had
a feeling he was going to spend the next several months reliving it.
"God, Hoshi, I'm so sorry. . . "

Hoshi colored even further. "Not that I was expecting there to be. . . I
just meant it was a bit. . . it caught me off guard."

Malcolm caught a glimmer of hope in her words. "What would be your
ideal first kiss?"

She didn't meet his eyes. "I don't know. Romantic? Gentle?" She shook
herself slightly. "But that's the thing about firsts, you don't get to
do them over."

The trace of bitterness in her voice made him wince. Whatever he did
or did not think of Hoshi, he disliked the idea of her carrying the
memory of the stairwell around for the rest of her life. On impulse,
he pulled her inside her quarters, away from any casual prying eyes.

Hoshi looked up at him, confused. His hand cupped her cheek. "No, we
don't get to do them over. But perhaps we can do them one better."
With that, he bent down and gently kissed her mouth, lips caressing
lips, until hers parted and allowed his tongue to glide slowly against
hers.

Hoshi tasted him thoroughly and deliberately. Her fingers threaded
through his short hair, and Malcolm's arms wrapped around her waist as
he drew her close.

The red shawl slipped off her shoulders and fell to the floor and
Malcolm's hands touched the bare skin of her lower back. The contact
caused an almost electric reaction in his groin again. Warnings began
to sound in his mind and he reluctantly pulled away.

He absently brushed a thumb over her lower lip, which was slightly
swollen from the pressure of his kiss. "Better now?" he asked.

She nodded. "Much. Thanks." Their eyes met briefly and Hoshi stepped
back. "Goodnight, Lieutenant."

Malcolm decided it was time to beat a hasty retreat before he did
anything else insane. "Goodnight, Hoshi."

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The End