Fortune {Star Trek Enterprise Fan Fiction}

You Will Always Be Lucky in Love

"Funny how things turn out." – Emmiz

=/\=

He finished, and put his PADD down.

He came over to where Pamela and Treve were laughing over something or other.

"What's that plywood over there?" Pamela asked.

"We have no idea," Melissa said, "Isn't it ugly?"

"There's a house under there somewhere," Norri explained, "But if they wanted to put a fence around it – and God knows why they'd even need to – well, they could've picked a better way of doing that."

"I have a few gifts," Malcolm said.

"More presents?!" Marie Patrice called out.

"Yes, but you've already gotten yours from me. This is one more, and, and one for Doug, as I wasn't here for his birthday," Malcolm said.

They all sat down and Malcolm opened up the smaller duffle, "First, for the birthday girl."

It was a small package and she tore into it eagerly, "Ohhh!" she was very excited.

"Let's see what that is," Lili said, "Ah, gloves."

"Not just any gloves," Malcolm said, "My mother knitted them herself."

"And they're yellow!" Marie Patrice enthused, "My favorite!"

"Ah, and a little lace on the cuffs. Very nice," Pamela said, "Here, let me show you a way to wear those," she put them on Marie Patrice and folded the lacy cuffs over, "Now, how do you like that?"

"Oh! Perfect!" Marie Patrice ran around and admired her new look. Then she stopped, "I can't write too well but I want to write a note to Grandmother Mary, and thank her."

"Tomorrow," Lili said, "Maybe Norri can help you if she's not too busy. She's very good at those things."

"And now for you," Malcolm said, handing Doug a large box.

"Huh, well, first off, you shouldn't have," Doug said, but he opened it anyway. It was a toolkit. "Ah, perfect! I needed these; I keep borrowing them from friends."

"Dad, can we make something?" Joss asked.

"Sure," Doug picked around amidst the crescent wrenches and then frowned, "There's, there's a hammer," he said worriedly.

"Well, I don't suppose it would be a good toolkit if there wasn't one," said Lili, adjusting Declan in her arms.

"But, uh, you should take it. Don't, uh, you shouldn't trust me with a hammer," Doug said, "I don't think I should even touch it."

"You okay, Dad?" Joss asked.

"Doug," Melissa said, "Do you trust Lili with a cast iron skillet?"

"I don't see what –"

"Just, do you?" she persisted.

"Um, of course."

"Even after what happened to She Who Almost Didn't Breed in Time?"

"Huh. Yeah. I do trust her," Doug said.

"And you've been trusted with phasers, and with rope and knives and all of that, right?" Norri asked, handing Neil over to Melissa.

"I suppose so."

"Can't we make something, Dad?" Joss asked.

"Uh, yeah. Maybe we can," Doug said. He touched the hammer gingerly, "It's just metal and wood, right?"

"Yes. And I bet the same tree also made chairs and bed slats. And the same batch of alloy probably made belt buckles," Lili said, "It doesn't have any power over you."

"Yanno, it doesn't," he said, "Not anymore."

=/\=

"I don't think it's doing any of us any good to ignore the elephant in the room. We all came through this experience, and it's got fallout to it, and you're lookin' at it. But it's also, well, I think we'd all be foolish and in some pretty deep denial if we didn't admit to ourselves – even if we couldn't admit it to each other – that it felt pretty damned good." – Melissa Madden

=/\=

"May I borrow your scarf?" Malcolm asked Pamela.

"Oh, this old thing?" she joked, untying it. It was green, with lotus blossoms. "Whaddaya have in mind?"

"Something, uh, um, nothing untoward," he said, reddening just a bit.

"A pity," she said. She turned back after handing him the scarf, "Now, Treve, tell me again about the big, blond buffalo you have here."

"Well, they can get you if you're not careful. Are you careful? Because I wouldn't want to see you eaten by a big perrazin," he said, and that was all that Malcolm heard as he went back and approached Lili. She realized something was up and handed Declan over to Doug.

"I have something I'd like for you to do," Malcolm said to Lili.

"Oh?"

"Yes. But you'll need to put this on first," he said, as she stood up. He stood behind her and tied the scarf on like a blindfold.

"Why?" Tommy asked.

"Just because," Norri said.

"My God, this thing is doused with perfume," Lili whispered.

"Ah, yes, Toxic."

"Please, Malcolm, it's making my eyes tear a little."

"I shan't buy you perfume," he said, "So don't worry 'bout that. But you're all right, not too uncomfortable?"

"Not bad. But I don't want to be wearing this for too long," she said.

"No worries. Come, now, hold my hand and we'll walk a bit."

"Okay, but you'll have to guide me. I am blind with this thing on."

"Here, now, step here, slowly."

"We're going up a small hill?" she asked.

"A bit," he said, "A little farther. All right, now, wait just a moment."

She could hear a few sounds, a slight bit of banging and then an unfamiliar voice said, "Here, let me help you with that, sir," Then there was a bit more banging, like things were being moved a little.

"And?" she asked.

"And here," he pressed something into her hand. It felt like a flat rectangular-shaped piece of polymer with a notch cut out of the side.

"It feels like, uh, like my house key," she said.

He got behind her and kissed her neck, and then took off her blindfold. She looked up and gasped, "It is your house key," he said.

It was the neighbor's house, and the sounds she had been hearing were of the plywood that had been encircling it – that plywood was being moved away.

"You – it was covered for a while," she said.

"Yes. That was so that you and your family wouldn't be able to see that it was being painted turquoise."

She was still in a bit of shock. She looked down at the key in her hands. It was a dark royal blue, almost an indigo, "And this key fits?"

"Try it if you're unsure," he said.

They walked over to the front door, where there was a sweet door knocker shaped and painted to look like a bluebird, "Oh, I love it."

"It's, well, it's the bluebird of happiness, right?"

"Right," she said, and tried the key in the lock. It fit perfectly. The door opened.

The place was mainly unfurnished, and much of it remained unpainted, "I wanted you to have the opportunity to fix it up as you wished. So pick out colors and furniture and all of that when you like."

"I, uh, but why?"

"This is our house. Mine, for when I am here, and yours, for when you wish to visit me. And I hope you visit me a lot. And, and Declan's of course. When I am here, once he is no longer nursing, he will stay with me here. And when we are older, and I have retired from Starfleet, I shall live here. And I will live out my days here."

"Oh, Malcolm."

"And it belongs to you, too. Your name is on the deed. If I pass before you, then you shall own it."

"Don't talk about that."

"Oh, but it is inevitable. One day, one of us shall pass. But that, I feel, will be a long time from now, Lili-Flower," he said, "I want you to know, you are the mistress of this house. And while we are not married, I, still, I hope I can persuade you to visit often."

"I know that that is the one thing you want that I cannot give you," she said, "I love this house. I can visualize a yellow hall and I can see, that video cutout will soon be scrolling through all of our photographs. And I love you. But –"

"Understand something. When I sleep, before you join me, I have regular dreams. And those are of a certain day. And, if you've very late, those dreams are of a certain night as well. And I know that I am no soothsayer. What I hope and dream for, that piece won't necessarily ever come true. But you are here, and I can be close to you. And from your kitchen, down there, you can see this kitchen, up here. And while you flip pancakes, I shall see, while I am scrambling eggs. And from the parlor, I shall be able to see and hear your car."

"And when I weed the garden, I can look up and I can see you, and wave," she said.

"Yes," he took her left hand and kissed the fourth finger.

"My wedding ring. From Doug."

"Yes. Long may you wear it."

"You mean that?"

"Absolutely. I don't wish him harm. That is a part of why I had this house built in the first place. I am not; I do not desire to replace him. Only to supplement him in your good graces."

"We'll work out some sort of a schedule, I guess."

"Yes."

"And when your bed arrives, we'll have to break it in."

He smiled at her as he held her, "That is why the master bedroom is on the other side. A bit of soundproofing, my love," he kissed her.