"Calling All Friends" by A. Rhea King Rating: PG Disclaimer: Don't own them, CBS/Paramount does. Genre: Drama/Family Description: Navta has a new imaginary friend. There's a reason married couples on ships are bad. Some loves span time. A lake, plus a rope, equals lotsa fun! T'Pol does the motherly thing. Substituting The Flame (5) Archer had come into the movie after it started so he had an excuse to sit at the back of the room, away from the rest of the crew. His mind and eyes lit up the second she entered. She was sultry, alluring, mesmerizing and extraordinary beyond any woman he’d ever seen. She glided into a room as though her feet never touched the floor and all heads turned to watch her. Her smile was sunshine and her voice was like summer rain. Her careless, exuberant laughter could ignite a room in joy and her tears could rip a heart apart. He knew everything she was going to say because he’d heard her say it thousands of times. Whether she was called Marilyn Monroe or Norma Jean, he had never met a woman that could compare to her. The first time his dad had shown him ‘Some Like It Hot’ he’d been infatuated with her. Sure there were actresses as sultry or alluring, but Archer didn’t believe that any of them held a candle to Marilyn Monroe. She was the embodiment of flawless beauty. Archer left before the last line, glancing back for one last look at her before the door closed. His idolization was something he’d never told a soul about. He didn’t know why he kept it so secret. It wasn’t like others didn’t idolize actors or actresses, but it felt as though he would dishonor her memory if he told anyone. And then there was this strange feeling that he had met her, however impossible that was. Over a century had passed since her suicide. Yet every time he watched one of her movies, he couldn’t shake the feeling they had briefly met while she was alive. Archer turned into his quarters and laid down on his bed, closing his eyes. It was sad that she had enjoyed super stardom for such a short time, only to burn out fast at the end. “Did you forget something?” a quiet voice asked. Archer’s eyes popped open and he propped himself up on his elbows. Brila stood in the door of the bathroom in one of his shirts, watching him with a small smile. She moved fluidly the four steps it took to get to the bed and with the grace of a stalking feline, crawled up the bed to Archer to press her lips to his. Archer closed his eyes, sliding one hand around her. “Did you forget about something tonight?” Brila asked, looking in his eyes. “You offered to let me stay the night with you since you took tomorrow off. Remember?” Her black eyes lit up when she smiled; it was infectious, but he couldn’t answer her. He felt like he’d been caught with his hand in a cookie jar. Brila sat down on her legs beside him, playing with the end of the shirt. Her smiled faded when Archer didn’t respond. “Change of heart?” Brila asked. Archer slid up in bed, sitting against the headboard. Brila looked down at the comforter. “Maybe another time,” Brila said, looking up at Archer. Archer looked at her. Brila smiled, placing a peck on his cheek. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “You wanted to move slow and I respect that. Besides, my roommate might talk.” Brila squeezed his hand. She slid down to the end of the bed. Archer watched her pick up her clothes and start toward the bathroom. Archer moved fast to catch her arm before she went into the bathroom. Brila turned. Archer pulled her clothes from her hand and dropped them to the floor. He smiled, cupping her chin in his hand and kissing her. “I was daydreaming, but reality is better.” Archer slid a hand up her thigh under her shirt and around her waist. “Sleep with me tonight.” Brila hugged him, wrapping her arms tight around him. Archer let her go to strip to his underwear and the two climbed into bed together. Archer pulled her close, smiling again when she kissed his shoulder, neck and lips. He pushed his fingers into her hair, watching her eyes. “You’re beautiful,” he told her. “You’re bias.” “I am, aren’t I?” Archer asked, grinning. Brila laid down beside him, wrapping herself around him. Archer held her, but his mind drifted back to the actress he idolized. “Who were you daydreaming of?” Brila asked. “Someone who lived a long time ago.” “Who?” Archer debated telling Brila, but in the end chose not to and kept silent. Brila didn’t press the subject. Archer slid his hand up her shirt and rubbed her back. He smiled when she began purring. The sound always made him feel warm and content. The purring faded as she fell asleep and he pulled his hand out of her shirt and laid it on top. Archer looked down at her face, watching her sleep. “Maybe you’re not Marilyn Monroe…but you come damn close, Brila,” Archer whispered. Back to Chapter 4 Continue to Chapter 6

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