Star Trek Enterprise Bk. 03 - The War Ch. 08

Danaë arched her back and let out a soft moan as he kissed her body and breasts and his hands caressed her flesh. She stiffened as waves of pleasure rippled through her and Archer, seizing the moment, he claimed her lips and took her life's breath then breathed his own back into her as his body came. They were two stars colliding with all the brilliance and fire and the ecstasy of renewal. Laying there together, sated, in a darkness of perfect somnolence and peace, a pinpoint of light broke through. A new star, distant and unimaginable.

They laid together in the darkness, Danaë's hand gently brushing the soft hair on Archer's chest. She could feel his heartbeat beneath her fingers and smiled to herself. During her rebellious youth, she must have heard about the great pioneer, hero and leader Jonathan Archer at least a million times and you couldn't mention Starfleet without seeing his picture somewhere. It was always the same one too. His hair was almost entirely gray, more lines around the eyes and dressed in an immaculate uniform. His countenance always looked so cold, stern and professional. Growing up she had hated hearing the name and had often rolled her eyes at the mere sound of it. Each time her father had spoken of President Archer it had echoed through her ears a command to jump and touch a bar set ten feet above your head. It was an impossible feat and if anyone would have told her then that she would not only fall completely in love with Jonathan Archer but have him fall for her, then she would have called them a liar.

Clarity began to come to her after running away from the academy and spending nearly ten years on her own. It was only then that she realized whatever expectation she had tied to Archer's name, had nothing to do with him. What she had undoubtedly felt was the weight of her father's shoes and the legacy she had to live up to. Being sent back in time had taken all of that pressure away and she was free to carve her own niche in Starfleet. Now she often wondered whether her father would have approved of her relationship with Archer. Jean-Luc Picard was only familiar with the historical figure and often spoke of him as married to Starfleet and the Federation with no time for anything else. Perhaps that was true, but even if it was, so what? Since coming to this time and finding him she had found purpose, a fresh start and the rebelliousness and mistakes of her youth washed away. Whatever the fates had planned for them in the future didn't matter because they would always be a part of each other.

"Jon..." she whispered as she rolled over "I..." A smile suddenly spread across her lips as she realized he was sound asleep. The one thing he had needed more than anything else and he finally had it, at least for now. Satisfied with that, she slowly rolled over and looked at a painting just barely visible on the wall. The reflection from a large bonfire on the beach cast a slight glow and illuminated the image of a Risian dragon rising out of the ocean. It made her think of the song she had been playing when Archer first approached her on the beach, "Benzai-Ten". Like the song she too had charmed the dragon king, but rather than a physical creature, it had been the demons that plagued the captain's mind, heart and soul. For now he was at peace.