Title: When Winds of Changes Shift

Author: Mareel

Author's email: Mareel@earthlink.net

Author's URL: http://www.geocities.com/bdebpr

Archive: Permission granted to Archer's Enterprise, Reed's Armory, EntSTCommunity, others please ask.

Rating: G

Category: Slash

Status: Complete

Pairing: Archer/Reed

Series: Refuge

Sequel to: Still Waiting

Number in Series: 7

Next Story: Cherish, Respect, Shelter, Defend

Disclaimer: They belong to Paramount, and to themselves

Spoilers: E2

Summary: Jonathan and Malcolm consider choices made in the past and for the future.

Notes: This is for Kipli, who'll understand the reasons why. It is part 7 of my Refuge seriesa, and refers to 'Refuge' which recalls Jon and Malcolm's quiet marriage before the mission to the Expanse.

Please note that this story incorporates my personal take on the events of E2, noteably that the child referred to as Archer's was actually raised as Jon and Malcolm's child, borne out of kindness to the couple by an alien woman rescued by Jonathan. I realize this is a highly personal interpretation, but I prefer to believe that their relationship survived and flourished in the environment of the generational ship.

The title refers to a line in Bob Dylan's 'Forever Young' — "May you have a strong foundation when the winds of changes shift."

***

Malcolm: Winds of Changes

We talked about it on that day, the day we walked along the Oregon coast and vowed our lives to one another at sunset. We talked of how when we returned home, we might choose to have children.

You said you'd dreamed once of having a son… I said I thought he should have a sister… but we both knew we'd love any children who made us a family.

I surprised you by being the one most confident of our potential as parents. You promised you'd think more about it… we would decide together.

One day.

It appears we did.

***

Jonathan: Shifting Winds

We'd never talked about children before. But on that day when we chose to make our future together… poised between the survival and destruction of our planet… it seemed the time.

You confided that you'd longed for a daughter. I smiled…perhaps she'd have your face… your sea-grey eyes. I thought our son might share my love of flight… of the stars.

These last months have been hard… testing our commitment to one another… shaking our hope that we'd ever have confidence enough to choose to bring children into our world.

It appears we did.

And we will again, love.

***
Finis