FIC: Circle's End, Archer/Reed, 13/16, R
Mar. 23rd, 2007 08:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cloudy_ficTitle: Circle's End, Part Thirteen
Author: CloudyJenn
Fandom: Enterprise
Pairings: Archer/Reed, T'Pol/Tucker
Rating: R
Disclaimer: These characters belong to Paramount. I am making no profit from this fanfiction.
Beta:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
tookish_girl. Thanks!
Warnings: Still not deathfic.
Summary: Ten years after an explosion on an alien planet, Jon and Malcolm deal with two very different realities.
Author's Notes: Sorry about taking so long on this part. These later chapters are newer and needed a bit more revising and thought before they were ready to be posted.
"Could you give us a minute?"
Trip and T'Pol stopped in the doorway of the General Assembly chambers just long enough to nod their understanding and continue inside. Malcolm felt Jon's fingers squeeze his hand tightly and then he was being dragged into a stone alcove carved into the building beside the glass doors. A large orange and green plant in a meter tall pot took up most of the alcove space, meaning Jon had to pull Malcolm against his body in order to enjoy the privacy. And it didn't matter that the day had been long, difficult and completely draining. When Jon's strong body slid beside his and his arms encircled Malcolm in a firm embrace, all his tension melted away, leaving only one thought in its place.
I want him.
A shallow thought, probably, but he couldn't help it. Yes, he wanted all this to end so he could have closure. And yes he wanted it to end so Teilani would finally pay for his crimes. But there was a part of him, an incredibly difficult part to ignore when wrapped up in Jon's warmth, which just wanted it to end so they could finally begin their life together again. Finally be intimate again.
Flushing slightly, Malcolm tried to put the thought out of his mind. It wasn't the time to think about sex, even if it had been years since he enjoyed his lover's touch.
"What is it?" he asked softly, the words sounding loud in the relative silence. He had to look up at Jon and it was hard to think properly when all he could see were Jon's gorgeous green hazel eyes shining with affection and concern.
"I just wanted a moment," he murmured, pulling Malcolm yet closer, their bodies perfectly aligned. "Are you ready for this?"
It amazed Malcolm how much the question comforted him. His relationship with Senara was certainly supportive, but Malcolm always felt he couldn't truly let go and completely share his burdens with her. She wasn't a partner. Jon was. Even after all this time, Malcolm still felt he could lean on Jon, allow his lover to be strong for him. Jon and he had so much to learn and relearn about each other, but that aspect of their relationship hadn't changed. That fact felt to Malcolm like the ultimate culmination of ten long years of waiting and longing and fidelity.
"Do I have a choice?" he asked faintly, laying his head against Jon's collarbone, eradicating any remaining space between them. Jon's deep sigh shook Malcolm's entire body.
"I guess not." Jon leaned his cheek on the top of Malcolm's head. "I just had to ask. Just take a moment to pause and...regroup."
Malcolm knew they both needed it, though it hadn't occurred to him until he was in Jon's arms. The last twenty-seven hours had been nothing but one emotional upheaval after another. The unjustified dismay when he'd first seen Jon followed by the joy of their reunion, the bone-crushing exhaustion, meeting Trip and T'Pol again for the first time, introducing Jon and Senara and the unmitigated horror of reliving how he'd come to lose his memories all conspired to dull Malcolm's senses, making him feel numb inside and out. Being in Jon's arms warmed Malcolm's heart and body, reminding him that they would eventually recover from the day's events.
"I'll make it," he said before adding shyly, "This helps."
"Good." His embraced tightened. "I have to confess, I'm being a little selfish too. I know once we inform Matein of Teilani's betrayal, there'll be convincing him of the validity of the meld and then apprehending Teilani and paperwork and any number of things we haven't thought of. We might not have another peaceful moment alone together for awhile."
Malcolm nodded. Their last moment alone had been anything, but peaceful. The stress of being shown how close he'd come to escaping back to Jon alive and with his memories intact, the frustration with his own reckless behavior and the guilt he felt so many reasons, for leaving Jon, for not being sorry he'd found Senara, for killing the Alearan man, and for not monitoring his own actions more closely had precipitated Malcolm's collapse. The turmoil he'd felt had overwritten any embarrassment he might have experienced from losing control so openly. Falling into Jon's arms, hearing his quiet words of love had brought him back from the edge.
Not exactly peaceful. Especially when, in amongst Jon's comforting words, Malcolm had heard a fevered apology, an expression of the guilt Jon so clearly felt for not being there when Malcolm had called for him. Both men had so much pain and guilt to deal with now.
Sighing, Malcolm rewrapped his arms around Jon's waist, though he couldn't really get much closer. Finding Jon again was the best thing he could remember happening to him, but he hadn't counted on it being so hard too.
"I love you," he murmured because he knew focusing on that would help. It made everything hard worthwhile.
"Love you too." Jon's warm hand crept up his chest to settle on his neck, caressing softly. Another flush of heated desire warmed Malcolm's face and body. He absolutely hated to do it, but he knew if he didn't pull out of Jon's embrace, neither of them would be in any state to meet with anyone, much less the leader of the Alearan people.
"Let's just get this over with."
With a quick nod and one last kiss, Jon extracted himself from the alcove and took Malcolm's hand, leading the way into the Assembly Hall. It was relatively empty, only a few Alearan officials nodding politely to them as they passed. Jon seemed to know where he was going and led them down a series of halls until they finally turned a corner to see Trip and T'Pol waiting for them on a cushioned bench.
"Everything ok?" Trip asked as he stood.
"Yes, everything's fine," Jon answered, squeezing Malcolm's hand again. "We're ready."
The bench sat beside a tall wooden door with the words 'Taoel Matein, Chancellor' printed on it in Alearan, guarded by a burly Alearan in a green uniform. Seeing the words reminded Malcolm of the nightmarish experience of translating his own memories of harshly spoken Alearan words into Terran, words that had then terrified him with their mysterious anger.
Standing as he was, facing away from Malcolm in order to knock on the door, Jon missed Malcolm flinch at the memory, but Trip didn't. He raised his eyebrows at him, a question of concern on his face. Malcolm shrugged off the feeling and smiled at him. Trip's eyes cleared, his concern replaced by a look of loving encouragement. Out of nowhere, a flash of memory struck him, a memory of Trip laying atop him, his eyes gentle and reassuring as he leaned down to kiss Malcolm's lips. Shock crashed in after the memory. It didn't seem possible. Malcolm swallowed hard. Had he really...been intimate with Trip?
Jon knocked on the door again, startling Malcolm into jumping. The look of concern returned to Trip's face.
"You ok, Malcolm?"
Soft, soothing tones. Gentle hands. The flickering of candles. Fingers caressing fingers. Trip's hands moving over his...her body. Malcolm's gaze snapped to T'Pol's face, relief and distress pumping through his veins in equal parts. Not his memory. Hers. A side effect of the mind meld, the first Malcolm had experienced since feeling T'Pol withdraw slowly from his mind. He swallowed again. How many other memories of hers were hiding in his mind?
"Admiral! I'm glad you are here. Come in, come in. Something extraordinary has happened!"
Matein's sudden appearance and his aggressive urgency snatched Malcolm's attention from his internal struggle. Sorting out that mess could wait; this one couldn't.
"What is it, Chancellor?" Jon asked anxiously as they followed Matein through an outer office into his much larger one. Two other Alearans already occupied the room, a short blond woman and an exceptionally tall bald man with a large bushy mustache. They both nodded politely to Jon.
"Your notion that someone higher up was involved seems to have been proven right, Admiral," he fretted. Malcolm frowned at him. He'd never met the man, or at least, could not remember having met the man, but his reaction bothered Malcolm. His frantic movements and worried tone seemed naive, childlike. Was he really that shocked that someone in his government could have betrayed him? This quivering mess before him did not strike Malcolm as the type of man who'd been strongly leading Aleara towards a society of financial and cultural equality.
"What do you mean?" Jon demanded.
"Governor Teilani has fled, Admiral," the woman said, barely repressed anger darkening her tone. "There are papers missing from his office and he is nowhere to be found." She and the other man must be governors as well, Malcolm realized.
"Nowhere? How could he just disappear like that? It's only been a few hours since I contacted you," Jon said, amazed. Matein shook his head vehemently.
"I do not know. Obviously, he is much more resourceful than any of us gave him credit for. I gathered my fellows after our conversation, Admiral and told them of the situation, of how your partner had been discovered." His reddish-brown eyes turned on Malcolm and he stiffened almost imperceptibly. "You are he." He cocked his head and for an instant, the childishness disappeared, leaving in its place shrewd calculation. "Yes, I remember your face quite well." He smiled and the naiveté was back. "Thank the leaders that you have been returned safely."
Confused at what he was seeing, Malcolm merely nodded. Not that he ever really believed in the divinity of the holy leaders, but he knew how important it was to most Alearans and he appreciated the sentiment.
"Chancellor?" Jon's question brought Matein back to the subject at hand.
"Yes, of course. I told them to meet me here, as you see," he said, gesturing to the other two. "When Teilani did not show, I sent a guard for him, only to discover he'd gone and taken a great deal of his personal files with him." Suddenly, as if overcome with fatigue, Matein stopped walking and leaned heavily against his desk. "I do not want to believe it, but I'm afraid I don't have a choice. I cannot think of any other reason he would leave, except to escape being identified by Master Reed as a conspirator."
"Why would he fear that?" Malcolm asked abruptly, glancing at Jon. "Didn't you tell him I'd lost my memory?"
Matein seemed momentarily caught off-guard. "I don't think I told anyone that, no. I must have forgotten in my haste," he finally replied. Malcolm frowned again, but didn't challenge him further.
"Either way, it doesn't matter," Jon cut in. "We were able to get some answers of our own."
"Were you?" Matein asked quickly.
"Yes." He nodded at T'Pol. "Through a Vulcan mind meld. T'Pol was able to sift through Malcolm's memories and through that, discovered that Teilani was definitely involved. In fact," he continued, a hint of anger creeping into his tone, "he ordered Malcolm's death himself."
"Holy Leaders," Matein murmured, horrified. "I should have known." He pushed himself off his desk and walked around it, falling distractedly into his large desk chair. "He is the governor of the same region the terrorists came from. He has always pushed for reform favoring the other continents." He rubbed his fingers into his eyes. "How could I have missed it?"
"With all due respect, Chancellor," Jon said. "That's not as important at the moment as finding Teilani. He's a murderer. He must be found before he kills again."
There was more than a hint of anger in his tone now. Malcolm suspected a lot of Jon's anger was directed at himself. There was no validity to it, but he sensed that Jon put a great deal of blame on himself for Malcolm's abduction.
"I've already alerted the police force," Matein assured him before turning once again to Malcolm. "Did you remember anything? Anything else at all?" he asked forcefully.
"I didn't remember anything any of it," Malcolm said, irritated by his tone. "T'Pol did."
She cast him a speculative glance, but when she spoke, it was to Matein. "We found the memories together. There can be no doubt that Governor Teilani was involved, if not the leader of the terrorist cell. However, I believe that another member of your government may have been involved as well."
Malcolm caught a glimpse of surprise on all three Alearan faces, but before anyone could ask her to elaborate, they heard a loud blasting noise and a heavy thud. Matein sprang out of his chair, horrorstruck.
"What was that?" he whispered. Malcolm turned towards the door, peering at it intently. Though he couldn't have said how, he knew the answer.
"Gunfire. Projectile weapon," he whispered to Jon. "Someone's killed the guard."
Both Jon and Trip instinctively moved closer to their lovers, shielding their bodies as much as they could. Malcolm certainly appreciated the action, but if they were under attack, he wanted to stand beside his lover, not behind him. He took Jon's hand and squeezed it as he moved next to him. There was a scraping noise from behind Malcolm and when he turned, he saw Matein digging in his desk.
"He is not the only one with a gun," he muttered.
The other Alearan man suddenly jumped, shaking his head. "My comm device. Idiot," he berated himself as he scrambled for a bag on the floor beside him. Unfortunately, he never made it. The door to Matein's office flew open.
"You won't be needing it, Aermoi."
Malcolm had a feeling that no one was surprised to see Teilani standing behind the gun, which he had already turned from the mustached Alearan to Matein. Dismay filled the Chancellor's face and for a long moment, neither man spoke as they stared at each other, almost looking as if they were communicating silently somehow. Malcolm felt himself detach from the scene, no longer afraid for his safety. The mystery at the heart of his abduction began to unravel itself in his mind.
"You're surprised to see me, Taoel," he said with a mirthless grin. "Thought I would just disappear into the clouds, did you? Or rather hoped I would, I suspect."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Matein snarled. "Traitor."
This time, when Teilani smiled and began to laugh, it rang with true amusement. "What tales have you been weaving for our guests, my dearest friend?" he asked. "Please tell me. I'd be interested to see if your acting skills are as good as they once were."
"Either tell us your meaning or kill us all, Leoan," the Alearan woman said abruptly. Malcolm admired her boldness. "I, for one, have no desire to listen to a traitor any more than I must."
Cold anger turned Teilani's black eyes into stone. "You are the traitors. All of you. Especially our beloved Chancellor," he spat. "When you heard that the Terran had been found alive, did you not wonder how it was that he escaped? How it was that no one saw anything? How it was that the bomb got into the building in the first place?" He laughed, sounding really amazed. "You didn't really think the screening was that poor did you? And what of the “evidence” of the Terran's death?” He let out a cruel laugh. “Did it never occur to any of you that anyone can be bought if one has the right amount of money or power?"
Malcolm felt sick to his stomach. It’d all been a terrible trick, a farce, their lives destroyed because they happened to get in the middle of Aleara’s internal political struggle.
"Don't do this, Leoan," Matein pleaded. "Don't ruin your only chance to see your people-"
"Your people!" Teilani barked. Something in him seemed to snap. The hand holding his gun trembled and his breathing became harsh with barely contained rage. "Aleara is bigger than Capsin! You have never understood that. And now you've brought these...these heartless outsiders in." His voice shook under the onslaught of his emotions. "I no longer care about my own life, Taoel. I know I won't live the rest of this day. But with my dying breath, I will make sure you do not either. We have both committed crimes. We will both pay for them."
"What is he talking about, Chancellor?" the woman asked. Her anger had drained away in favor of wariness. Matein didn't answer her, didn't look at her, instead continued to glare at Teilani, his fists clenched into tight balls.
"The UFP will benefit all Alearans," he ground out. Teilani let out a derisive snort.
"We've barely spoken of the other continents in session, Chancellor," he said sarcastically. "I can't depend on you anymore. Our long ago deal is dissolved." For the first time since entering the room, Teilani's eyes left Matein. A cruel grin twisted his lips as he peered at the other Alearans.
"It turns out that your dear Chancellor was more than willing to sacrifice a few lives for the 'greater good' of Aleara," he said, keeping his gun firmly pointed at Matein. "He found out about the bombing and that I was involved with the Trueain Patriots. He confronted me. I thought then that my career was over, my very life forfeit. Instead, he offered to help me, help our cause in any way he could."
"That's a lie!" Matein exclaimed, but Malcolm could hear the underlying panic in his tone. Instead of anger, Malcolm felt disgusted, sickened by Matein's betrayal. He saw his own emotions mirrored on the faces of nearly everyone in the room, to varying degrees.
"I'm disappointed in you, Toael," Teilani said with mock cheer. "Your acting skills have declined." He looked back at the other governors. "He knew that Aleara was heading for massive changes, that the central government could no longer ignore the demands of all its people. Couldn't ignore the starvation, the poverty, the uneducated." For a moment, he couldn't go on, couldn't control the passionate outrage within him. "He knew he'd be overthrown soon enough if something major didn't happen. The explosion was the perfect solution for him. If he helped me plant the bomb, he knew he could earn the admiration and loyalty of all Alearans for crushing our revolt ruthlessly. And in exchange for concealing my own betrayal, I agreed to support him completely and to bring him the support of the other continents, with the understanding that he would slowly give into the Patriot's demands. Has he not been praised for both destroying our threat and for beginning the journey to equality for all Alearans?"
Malcolm couldn't believe anyone could be so cruel, to murder innocent lives, murder his own people, just to stay in power. The concept hovered at the edge of his consciousness and he knew he wanted it to stay there, didn't want to understand how anyone could act that way.
"Toael..." The Alearan man stared disbelieving at Matein. "It's not true...is it?"
Matein's eyes were on his desk, his body almost unnaturally still. A tense silence fell over the group, thick with anticipation. Jon's grip tightened painfully around Malcolm's hand and Malcolm saw out of the corner of his eye that Trip's mouth hung open as he peered at Matein.
"I thought it was the only way to save my people."
"By killing them?" Malcolm suddenly blurted out, unable to stop himself. Maybe he'd grown up on Earth, but at that moment, all he could think was that his Chancellor, the leader of his people, had betrayed them all. "How can you possibly justify that?"
Matein's eyes snapped to his face and the anger there shocked Malcolm. "Do not speak to me, outsider. This is none of your concern."
Malcolm's rage broke deeply inside him and before he knew what he was doing, he'd surged forward, slapping his palms on Matein's desk. "None of my concern? Fuck you," he yelled. "You didn't just kill hundreds of Alearans that day. You destroyed families." He could barely speak through the anger and pain boiling inside him. "You destroyed my family."
"Malcolm." Jon's voice was weak, but his grip was firm as he tugged Malcolm away from the desk with some difficulty. Matein glowered at them both.
"If it wasn't for you." His gaze snapped to Teilani. "Do me a favor, Leoan. Make sure you kill him this time."
"I have no intention of killing him," Teilani said, amused. "He's no longer useful to me. His...lover," he spit the word with disgust, "on the other hand, is much more useful dead than alive."
Malcolm's anger drained away in favor of fear so quickly he felt lightheaded. "What?" he asked faintly.
Teilani pondered him. "I used to dream about finding and killing you, Master Reed. You were a source of constant worry to me. But now that I don't have to care about being found out, your life is of little matter to me. Admiral Archer, on the other hand. When I murder him, I imagine the UFP will finally, blessedly leave us alone. That'd be the second time a visit from your people ended in a tragic death. That ought to be enough for the Federation, don't you think?"
This time, it was Malcolm that tried to edge in front of Jon, but he couldn't manage it. Jon moved forward, pinning Teilani with an inexplicably amused look.
"You don't understand humans yet, Governor," he said mildly. "Humans don't give up. Your world is in need of help and apparently, a new government. They won't abandon your people just because I'm dead. If anything, it will make them all the more eager to insure that your government is not usurped by another terrorist."
It was the first time that Teilani faltered and Malcolm felt an incredible rush of pride for his lover. It took Teilani several seconds to find his footing and when he did, Malcolm found the gun pointed at himself.
"What if it were your lover I killed?" he asked quietly. "Would you then be so eager to help our people?"
Jon took another step forward, his head lowered slightly. "If you kill him, I promise you the UFP will never stop coming here. They will send wave after wave of ships until Aleara is firmly within the iron grip of Federation rule."
Teilani's body tensed, all anger and passion draining out of his face. For a split second, no one moved and then Teilani quickly re-aimed his gun at Malcolm's chest.
"We shall see."
It happened so fast, Malcolm didn't even see Jon lunge in the way, only heard him gasp in pain and collapse before him. Erratic motion filled Malcolm's line of sight. Trip falling forward, grappling with Teilani, one of the other governors diving for a comm device, T'Pol joining Trip in the fray. But he couldn't really see any of it. All he could see was red. Blood spreading on out on Jon's shirt, a large ugly spot blooming on his side. Malcolm fell to his knees beside Jon, blind panic impeding his motions.
"Oh my god, Jon. Jon!" His lover only groaned and held his side, coughing harshly. Another gunshot rang out, breaking through Malcolm's alarm. He saw Trip and Teilani locked together, the gun held high over both their heads by Trip's hand. Teilani pulled the trigger again, sending another bullet through the ceiling. Malcolm looked back down at Jon, cold resolve taking over him.
"T'Pol," he called urgently. He didn't look up until she appeared at his side. Tearing off his jacket, he handed it to her. "Stop the bleeding." With just a second's pause to make sure she was following his orders, Malcolm jumped up and strode towards the fighting pair. He allowed instinct to take over, pushed out rational thought, the intense fear for Jon's life, and tackled the Alearan from the opposite direction from Trip. All three men tumbled into the wall and in the confusion, Malcolm reached for Teilani's hand, slamming it repeatedly against the wall until the gun fell from his fist. It skittered away towards Malcolm and he bent down to snatch it up, pointing it at Teilani.
"You filthy, heartless-" Teilani started towards Malcolm, but before Trip could reach him to challenge his approach, Malcolm pulled the trigger. Once, twice, two bullets punctured Teilani's chest. Their gazes locked and for half a second, Malcolm could see wonder in the small black eyes before pain took over. Shocked silence filled the room and it seemed to take a very long time for Teilani to fall back, blood gushing from his wounds.
"Trueain..." But he never finished the phrase. As he fell back and slid down the wall, leaving a wide swath of blood on the whiteness, his mouth opened and closed once more wordlessly. Malcolm didn't bother watching the last seconds of his life trickle away. He handed the gun to Trip.
"Cover Matein."
This time he didn't stop to see whether Trip obeyed him, instead turning immediately back to Jon. While he and Trip had been fighting Teilani, T'Pol and the female Alearan governor had taken Jon's shirt off and tied pieces of Malcolm's jacket firmly around his waist to staunch the bleeding.
"I don't think the bullet pierced any major organs," T'Pol choked out. "But he's lost a great deal of blood. Governor Ealae called for our doctor..." She couldn't say anymore and it didn't matter because Malcolm could barely hear her past the roaring in his ears. He dropped back down by Jon's side and took his hand.
"My god, Jon, what did you do?"
Jon's eyes fluttered open, glassy with pain and he smiled.
"I finally saved you."
Part Fourteen
Author: CloudyJenn
Fandom: Enterprise
Pairings: Archer/Reed, T'Pol/Tucker
Rating: R
Disclaimer: These characters belong to Paramount. I am making no profit from this fanfiction.
Beta:
tookish_girl. Thanks!Warnings: Still not deathfic.
Summary: Ten years after an explosion on an alien planet, Jon and Malcolm deal with two very different realities.
Author's Notes: Sorry about taking so long on this part. These later chapters are newer and needed a bit more revising and thought before they were ready to be posted.
"Could you give us a minute?"
Trip and T'Pol stopped in the doorway of the General Assembly chambers just long enough to nod their understanding and continue inside. Malcolm felt Jon's fingers squeeze his hand tightly and then he was being dragged into a stone alcove carved into the building beside the glass doors. A large orange and green plant in a meter tall pot took up most of the alcove space, meaning Jon had to pull Malcolm against his body in order to enjoy the privacy. And it didn't matter that the day had been long, difficult and completely draining. When Jon's strong body slid beside his and his arms encircled Malcolm in a firm embrace, all his tension melted away, leaving only one thought in its place.
I want him.
A shallow thought, probably, but he couldn't help it. Yes, he wanted all this to end so he could have closure. And yes he wanted it to end so Teilani would finally pay for his crimes. But there was a part of him, an incredibly difficult part to ignore when wrapped up in Jon's warmth, which just wanted it to end so they could finally begin their life together again. Finally be intimate again.
Flushing slightly, Malcolm tried to put the thought out of his mind. It wasn't the time to think about sex, even if it had been years since he enjoyed his lover's touch.
"What is it?" he asked softly, the words sounding loud in the relative silence. He had to look up at Jon and it was hard to think properly when all he could see were Jon's gorgeous green hazel eyes shining with affection and concern.
"I just wanted a moment," he murmured, pulling Malcolm yet closer, their bodies perfectly aligned. "Are you ready for this?"
It amazed Malcolm how much the question comforted him. His relationship with Senara was certainly supportive, but Malcolm always felt he couldn't truly let go and completely share his burdens with her. She wasn't a partner. Jon was. Even after all this time, Malcolm still felt he could lean on Jon, allow his lover to be strong for him. Jon and he had so much to learn and relearn about each other, but that aspect of their relationship hadn't changed. That fact felt to Malcolm like the ultimate culmination of ten long years of waiting and longing and fidelity.
"Do I have a choice?" he asked faintly, laying his head against Jon's collarbone, eradicating any remaining space between them. Jon's deep sigh shook Malcolm's entire body.
"I guess not." Jon leaned his cheek on the top of Malcolm's head. "I just had to ask. Just take a moment to pause and...regroup."
Malcolm knew they both needed it, though it hadn't occurred to him until he was in Jon's arms. The last twenty-seven hours had been nothing but one emotional upheaval after another. The unjustified dismay when he'd first seen Jon followed by the joy of their reunion, the bone-crushing exhaustion, meeting Trip and T'Pol again for the first time, introducing Jon and Senara and the unmitigated horror of reliving how he'd come to lose his memories all conspired to dull Malcolm's senses, making him feel numb inside and out. Being in Jon's arms warmed Malcolm's heart and body, reminding him that they would eventually recover from the day's events.
"I'll make it," he said before adding shyly, "This helps."
"Good." His embraced tightened. "I have to confess, I'm being a little selfish too. I know once we inform Matein of Teilani's betrayal, there'll be convincing him of the validity of the meld and then apprehending Teilani and paperwork and any number of things we haven't thought of. We might not have another peaceful moment alone together for awhile."
Malcolm nodded. Their last moment alone had been anything, but peaceful. The stress of being shown how close he'd come to escaping back to Jon alive and with his memories intact, the frustration with his own reckless behavior and the guilt he felt so many reasons, for leaving Jon, for not being sorry he'd found Senara, for killing the Alearan man, and for not monitoring his own actions more closely had precipitated Malcolm's collapse. The turmoil he'd felt had overwritten any embarrassment he might have experienced from losing control so openly. Falling into Jon's arms, hearing his quiet words of love had brought him back from the edge.
Not exactly peaceful. Especially when, in amongst Jon's comforting words, Malcolm had heard a fevered apology, an expression of the guilt Jon so clearly felt for not being there when Malcolm had called for him. Both men had so much pain and guilt to deal with now.
Sighing, Malcolm rewrapped his arms around Jon's waist, though he couldn't really get much closer. Finding Jon again was the best thing he could remember happening to him, but he hadn't counted on it being so hard too.
"I love you," he murmured because he knew focusing on that would help. It made everything hard worthwhile.
"Love you too." Jon's warm hand crept up his chest to settle on his neck, caressing softly. Another flush of heated desire warmed Malcolm's face and body. He absolutely hated to do it, but he knew if he didn't pull out of Jon's embrace, neither of them would be in any state to meet with anyone, much less the leader of the Alearan people.
"Let's just get this over with."
With a quick nod and one last kiss, Jon extracted himself from the alcove and took Malcolm's hand, leading the way into the Assembly Hall. It was relatively empty, only a few Alearan officials nodding politely to them as they passed. Jon seemed to know where he was going and led them down a series of halls until they finally turned a corner to see Trip and T'Pol waiting for them on a cushioned bench.
"Everything ok?" Trip asked as he stood.
"Yes, everything's fine," Jon answered, squeezing Malcolm's hand again. "We're ready."
The bench sat beside a tall wooden door with the words 'Taoel Matein, Chancellor' printed on it in Alearan, guarded by a burly Alearan in a green uniform. Seeing the words reminded Malcolm of the nightmarish experience of translating his own memories of harshly spoken Alearan words into Terran, words that had then terrified him with their mysterious anger.
Standing as he was, facing away from Malcolm in order to knock on the door, Jon missed Malcolm flinch at the memory, but Trip didn't. He raised his eyebrows at him, a question of concern on his face. Malcolm shrugged off the feeling and smiled at him. Trip's eyes cleared, his concern replaced by a look of loving encouragement. Out of nowhere, a flash of memory struck him, a memory of Trip laying atop him, his eyes gentle and reassuring as he leaned down to kiss Malcolm's lips. Shock crashed in after the memory. It didn't seem possible. Malcolm swallowed hard. Had he really...been intimate with Trip?
Jon knocked on the door again, startling Malcolm into jumping. The look of concern returned to Trip's face.
"You ok, Malcolm?"
Soft, soothing tones. Gentle hands. The flickering of candles. Fingers caressing fingers. Trip's hands moving over his...her body. Malcolm's gaze snapped to T'Pol's face, relief and distress pumping through his veins in equal parts. Not his memory. Hers. A side effect of the mind meld, the first Malcolm had experienced since feeling T'Pol withdraw slowly from his mind. He swallowed again. How many other memories of hers were hiding in his mind?
"Admiral! I'm glad you are here. Come in, come in. Something extraordinary has happened!"
Matein's sudden appearance and his aggressive urgency snatched Malcolm's attention from his internal struggle. Sorting out that mess could wait; this one couldn't.
"What is it, Chancellor?" Jon asked anxiously as they followed Matein through an outer office into his much larger one. Two other Alearans already occupied the room, a short blond woman and an exceptionally tall bald man with a large bushy mustache. They both nodded politely to Jon.
"Your notion that someone higher up was involved seems to have been proven right, Admiral," he fretted. Malcolm frowned at him. He'd never met the man, or at least, could not remember having met the man, but his reaction bothered Malcolm. His frantic movements and worried tone seemed naive, childlike. Was he really that shocked that someone in his government could have betrayed him? This quivering mess before him did not strike Malcolm as the type of man who'd been strongly leading Aleara towards a society of financial and cultural equality.
"What do you mean?" Jon demanded.
"Governor Teilani has fled, Admiral," the woman said, barely repressed anger darkening her tone. "There are papers missing from his office and he is nowhere to be found." She and the other man must be governors as well, Malcolm realized.
"Nowhere? How could he just disappear like that? It's only been a few hours since I contacted you," Jon said, amazed. Matein shook his head vehemently.
"I do not know. Obviously, he is much more resourceful than any of us gave him credit for. I gathered my fellows after our conversation, Admiral and told them of the situation, of how your partner had been discovered." His reddish-brown eyes turned on Malcolm and he stiffened almost imperceptibly. "You are he." He cocked his head and for an instant, the childishness disappeared, leaving in its place shrewd calculation. "Yes, I remember your face quite well." He smiled and the naiveté was back. "Thank the leaders that you have been returned safely."
Confused at what he was seeing, Malcolm merely nodded. Not that he ever really believed in the divinity of the holy leaders, but he knew how important it was to most Alearans and he appreciated the sentiment.
"Chancellor?" Jon's question brought Matein back to the subject at hand.
"Yes, of course. I told them to meet me here, as you see," he said, gesturing to the other two. "When Teilani did not show, I sent a guard for him, only to discover he'd gone and taken a great deal of his personal files with him." Suddenly, as if overcome with fatigue, Matein stopped walking and leaned heavily against his desk. "I do not want to believe it, but I'm afraid I don't have a choice. I cannot think of any other reason he would leave, except to escape being identified by Master Reed as a conspirator."
"Why would he fear that?" Malcolm asked abruptly, glancing at Jon. "Didn't you tell him I'd lost my memory?"
Matein seemed momentarily caught off-guard. "I don't think I told anyone that, no. I must have forgotten in my haste," he finally replied. Malcolm frowned again, but didn't challenge him further.
"Either way, it doesn't matter," Jon cut in. "We were able to get some answers of our own."
"Were you?" Matein asked quickly.
"Yes." He nodded at T'Pol. "Through a Vulcan mind meld. T'Pol was able to sift through Malcolm's memories and through that, discovered that Teilani was definitely involved. In fact," he continued, a hint of anger creeping into his tone, "he ordered Malcolm's death himself."
"Holy Leaders," Matein murmured, horrified. "I should have known." He pushed himself off his desk and walked around it, falling distractedly into his large desk chair. "He is the governor of the same region the terrorists came from. He has always pushed for reform favoring the other continents." He rubbed his fingers into his eyes. "How could I have missed it?"
"With all due respect, Chancellor," Jon said. "That's not as important at the moment as finding Teilani. He's a murderer. He must be found before he kills again."
There was more than a hint of anger in his tone now. Malcolm suspected a lot of Jon's anger was directed at himself. There was no validity to it, but he sensed that Jon put a great deal of blame on himself for Malcolm's abduction.
"I've already alerted the police force," Matein assured him before turning once again to Malcolm. "Did you remember anything? Anything else at all?" he asked forcefully.
"I didn't remember anything any of it," Malcolm said, irritated by his tone. "T'Pol did."
She cast him a speculative glance, but when she spoke, it was to Matein. "We found the memories together. There can be no doubt that Governor Teilani was involved, if not the leader of the terrorist cell. However, I believe that another member of your government may have been involved as well."
Malcolm caught a glimpse of surprise on all three Alearan faces, but before anyone could ask her to elaborate, they heard a loud blasting noise and a heavy thud. Matein sprang out of his chair, horrorstruck.
"What was that?" he whispered. Malcolm turned towards the door, peering at it intently. Though he couldn't have said how, he knew the answer.
"Gunfire. Projectile weapon," he whispered to Jon. "Someone's killed the guard."
Both Jon and Trip instinctively moved closer to their lovers, shielding their bodies as much as they could. Malcolm certainly appreciated the action, but if they were under attack, he wanted to stand beside his lover, not behind him. He took Jon's hand and squeezed it as he moved next to him. There was a scraping noise from behind Malcolm and when he turned, he saw Matein digging in his desk.
"He is not the only one with a gun," he muttered.
The other Alearan man suddenly jumped, shaking his head. "My comm device. Idiot," he berated himself as he scrambled for a bag on the floor beside him. Unfortunately, he never made it. The door to Matein's office flew open.
"You won't be needing it, Aermoi."
Malcolm had a feeling that no one was surprised to see Teilani standing behind the gun, which he had already turned from the mustached Alearan to Matein. Dismay filled the Chancellor's face and for a long moment, neither man spoke as they stared at each other, almost looking as if they were communicating silently somehow. Malcolm felt himself detach from the scene, no longer afraid for his safety. The mystery at the heart of his abduction began to unravel itself in his mind.
"You're surprised to see me, Taoel," he said with a mirthless grin. "Thought I would just disappear into the clouds, did you? Or rather hoped I would, I suspect."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Matein snarled. "Traitor."
This time, when Teilani smiled and began to laugh, it rang with true amusement. "What tales have you been weaving for our guests, my dearest friend?" he asked. "Please tell me. I'd be interested to see if your acting skills are as good as they once were."
"Either tell us your meaning or kill us all, Leoan," the Alearan woman said abruptly. Malcolm admired her boldness. "I, for one, have no desire to listen to a traitor any more than I must."
Cold anger turned Teilani's black eyes into stone. "You are the traitors. All of you. Especially our beloved Chancellor," he spat. "When you heard that the Terran had been found alive, did you not wonder how it was that he escaped? How it was that no one saw anything? How it was that the bomb got into the building in the first place?" He laughed, sounding really amazed. "You didn't really think the screening was that poor did you? And what of the “evidence” of the Terran's death?” He let out a cruel laugh. “Did it never occur to any of you that anyone can be bought if one has the right amount of money or power?"
Malcolm felt sick to his stomach. It’d all been a terrible trick, a farce, their lives destroyed because they happened to get in the middle of Aleara’s internal political struggle.
"Don't do this, Leoan," Matein pleaded. "Don't ruin your only chance to see your people-"
"Your people!" Teilani barked. Something in him seemed to snap. The hand holding his gun trembled and his breathing became harsh with barely contained rage. "Aleara is bigger than Capsin! You have never understood that. And now you've brought these...these heartless outsiders in." His voice shook under the onslaught of his emotions. "I no longer care about my own life, Taoel. I know I won't live the rest of this day. But with my dying breath, I will make sure you do not either. We have both committed crimes. We will both pay for them."
"What is he talking about, Chancellor?" the woman asked. Her anger had drained away in favor of wariness. Matein didn't answer her, didn't look at her, instead continued to glare at Teilani, his fists clenched into tight balls.
"The UFP will benefit all Alearans," he ground out. Teilani let out a derisive snort.
"We've barely spoken of the other continents in session, Chancellor," he said sarcastically. "I can't depend on you anymore. Our long ago deal is dissolved." For the first time since entering the room, Teilani's eyes left Matein. A cruel grin twisted his lips as he peered at the other Alearans.
"It turns out that your dear Chancellor was more than willing to sacrifice a few lives for the 'greater good' of Aleara," he said, keeping his gun firmly pointed at Matein. "He found out about the bombing and that I was involved with the Trueain Patriots. He confronted me. I thought then that my career was over, my very life forfeit. Instead, he offered to help me, help our cause in any way he could."
"That's a lie!" Matein exclaimed, but Malcolm could hear the underlying panic in his tone. Instead of anger, Malcolm felt disgusted, sickened by Matein's betrayal. He saw his own emotions mirrored on the faces of nearly everyone in the room, to varying degrees.
"I'm disappointed in you, Toael," Teilani said with mock cheer. "Your acting skills have declined." He looked back at the other governors. "He knew that Aleara was heading for massive changes, that the central government could no longer ignore the demands of all its people. Couldn't ignore the starvation, the poverty, the uneducated." For a moment, he couldn't go on, couldn't control the passionate outrage within him. "He knew he'd be overthrown soon enough if something major didn't happen. The explosion was the perfect solution for him. If he helped me plant the bomb, he knew he could earn the admiration and loyalty of all Alearans for crushing our revolt ruthlessly. And in exchange for concealing my own betrayal, I agreed to support him completely and to bring him the support of the other continents, with the understanding that he would slowly give into the Patriot's demands. Has he not been praised for both destroying our threat and for beginning the journey to equality for all Alearans?"
Malcolm couldn't believe anyone could be so cruel, to murder innocent lives, murder his own people, just to stay in power. The concept hovered at the edge of his consciousness and he knew he wanted it to stay there, didn't want to understand how anyone could act that way.
"Toael..." The Alearan man stared disbelieving at Matein. "It's not true...is it?"
Matein's eyes were on his desk, his body almost unnaturally still. A tense silence fell over the group, thick with anticipation. Jon's grip tightened painfully around Malcolm's hand and Malcolm saw out of the corner of his eye that Trip's mouth hung open as he peered at Matein.
"I thought it was the only way to save my people."
"By killing them?" Malcolm suddenly blurted out, unable to stop himself. Maybe he'd grown up on Earth, but at that moment, all he could think was that his Chancellor, the leader of his people, had betrayed them all. "How can you possibly justify that?"
Matein's eyes snapped to his face and the anger there shocked Malcolm. "Do not speak to me, outsider. This is none of your concern."
Malcolm's rage broke deeply inside him and before he knew what he was doing, he'd surged forward, slapping his palms on Matein's desk. "None of my concern? Fuck you," he yelled. "You didn't just kill hundreds of Alearans that day. You destroyed families." He could barely speak through the anger and pain boiling inside him. "You destroyed my family."
"Malcolm." Jon's voice was weak, but his grip was firm as he tugged Malcolm away from the desk with some difficulty. Matein glowered at them both.
"If it wasn't for you." His gaze snapped to Teilani. "Do me a favor, Leoan. Make sure you kill him this time."
"I have no intention of killing him," Teilani said, amused. "He's no longer useful to me. His...lover," he spit the word with disgust, "on the other hand, is much more useful dead than alive."
Malcolm's anger drained away in favor of fear so quickly he felt lightheaded. "What?" he asked faintly.
Teilani pondered him. "I used to dream about finding and killing you, Master Reed. You were a source of constant worry to me. But now that I don't have to care about being found out, your life is of little matter to me. Admiral Archer, on the other hand. When I murder him, I imagine the UFP will finally, blessedly leave us alone. That'd be the second time a visit from your people ended in a tragic death. That ought to be enough for the Federation, don't you think?"
This time, it was Malcolm that tried to edge in front of Jon, but he couldn't manage it. Jon moved forward, pinning Teilani with an inexplicably amused look.
"You don't understand humans yet, Governor," he said mildly. "Humans don't give up. Your world is in need of help and apparently, a new government. They won't abandon your people just because I'm dead. If anything, it will make them all the more eager to insure that your government is not usurped by another terrorist."
It was the first time that Teilani faltered and Malcolm felt an incredible rush of pride for his lover. It took Teilani several seconds to find his footing and when he did, Malcolm found the gun pointed at himself.
"What if it were your lover I killed?" he asked quietly. "Would you then be so eager to help our people?"
Jon took another step forward, his head lowered slightly. "If you kill him, I promise you the UFP will never stop coming here. They will send wave after wave of ships until Aleara is firmly within the iron grip of Federation rule."
Teilani's body tensed, all anger and passion draining out of his face. For a split second, no one moved and then Teilani quickly re-aimed his gun at Malcolm's chest.
"We shall see."
It happened so fast, Malcolm didn't even see Jon lunge in the way, only heard him gasp in pain and collapse before him. Erratic motion filled Malcolm's line of sight. Trip falling forward, grappling with Teilani, one of the other governors diving for a comm device, T'Pol joining Trip in the fray. But he couldn't really see any of it. All he could see was red. Blood spreading on out on Jon's shirt, a large ugly spot blooming on his side. Malcolm fell to his knees beside Jon, blind panic impeding his motions.
"Oh my god, Jon. Jon!" His lover only groaned and held his side, coughing harshly. Another gunshot rang out, breaking through Malcolm's alarm. He saw Trip and Teilani locked together, the gun held high over both their heads by Trip's hand. Teilani pulled the trigger again, sending another bullet through the ceiling. Malcolm looked back down at Jon, cold resolve taking over him.
"T'Pol," he called urgently. He didn't look up until she appeared at his side. Tearing off his jacket, he handed it to her. "Stop the bleeding." With just a second's pause to make sure she was following his orders, Malcolm jumped up and strode towards the fighting pair. He allowed instinct to take over, pushed out rational thought, the intense fear for Jon's life, and tackled the Alearan from the opposite direction from Trip. All three men tumbled into the wall and in the confusion, Malcolm reached for Teilani's hand, slamming it repeatedly against the wall until the gun fell from his fist. It skittered away towards Malcolm and he bent down to snatch it up, pointing it at Teilani.
"You filthy, heartless-" Teilani started towards Malcolm, but before Trip could reach him to challenge his approach, Malcolm pulled the trigger. Once, twice, two bullets punctured Teilani's chest. Their gazes locked and for half a second, Malcolm could see wonder in the small black eyes before pain took over. Shocked silence filled the room and it seemed to take a very long time for Teilani to fall back, blood gushing from his wounds.
"Trueain..." But he never finished the phrase. As he fell back and slid down the wall, leaving a wide swath of blood on the whiteness, his mouth opened and closed once more wordlessly. Malcolm didn't bother watching the last seconds of his life trickle away. He handed the gun to Trip.
"Cover Matein."
This time he didn't stop to see whether Trip obeyed him, instead turning immediately back to Jon. While he and Trip had been fighting Teilani, T'Pol and the female Alearan governor had taken Jon's shirt off and tied pieces of Malcolm's jacket firmly around his waist to staunch the bleeding.
"I don't think the bullet pierced any major organs," T'Pol choked out. "But he's lost a great deal of blood. Governor Ealae called for our doctor..." She couldn't say anymore and it didn't matter because Malcolm could barely hear her past the roaring in his ears. He dropped back down by Jon's side and took his hand.
"My god, Jon, what did you do?"
Jon's eyes fluttered open, glassy with pain and he smiled.
"I finally saved you."
Part Fourteen
