I have been out of active service since...Vivian left. My spirit broken,
my resolve shattered.  As  dear Mia observed, a hollow husk, a shadow, a
dark nebula. I still feel that way.  Mia had urged me to take the job of
transporting the museum collection despite my not have stood on a command
deck in three years. She said after all, that I was becoming part of the
collection and would take far better care of it then anyone else.

History, I've been washed in history since... I feel no desire to
understand the here and now, no tug to understand the nuances of current
politics.  I would far prefer to work with some old document, work on
crafting a part for the car. I don't want the now.  So what if I become a
part of the collection? Its part of me, and I of it.

So when the Smithsonian (Mark Kennsington) requested that some of the
20th Century Automotive collection be moved, Mia volunteered me. So I'm
out again, despite my wishes otherwise. What was the old saying? An offer
I couldn't refuse?

I do owe a lot to Mia since we were almost raised together.  I remember
the day I went to their house in Austrian Alps, I was going there for a
sleep over, only the sleep  over never ended.  Dad had gone to the
Outpost on Jarr, mom married Herman Guttenhaus.  I didn't understand
about the divorce, just that I now had twin sisters my age!  I suddenly
had cousins and such that I never had before. It was all a strange and
wonderful blur.

I wondered about Jarr for a long time, until I was at the Academy and
found out that Jarr was a little colony that barley clung to existence,
founded  by a Vulcan and human exploratory mission ages ago. But that
didn't matter, because the Cardassian Union now had the post.  It was
gone, my father with it.  Worse, my mother with an altruistic bent and
Herman , had taken one of the cargo ships that Herman owned to aid in
moving them from one of the starbases. Well I don't relish thinking about
what happened, it was just suddenly Mia, Mayla and myself were on our
own. We had barley graduated when our lives changed.  We had each other,
the family business and so forth. Mia became a captain, like her old man,
running the business.  Not in Starfleet, but with all the training. She
shrewd and intelligent. What training did she need? Herman had sent her
on this route intentionally, it was just that it all happened sooner then
anyone expected!

Mayla stayed in Starfleet, a doctor.

I went on as a line officer, and for several years enjoyed it.  I was
promoted to First Officer.  I met Vivian...and...

...when it happened,... when Vivian left me after our brief marriage, I
just cracked.  I left active duty and holed up in the garage to work on
my car, emerging only to do a bit of work for the Smithsonian and work on
earning a degree in Engineering History.  Mayla believes that the strain
of everything caused the breakdown. Right or wrong, it happened.  I did
love Vivian but she didn't love me, and that hurts.

I turned my back...rather I hid under the hood. It was easier that way.
It still hurts.

What did Mia say? It’s perfect! You and your knowledge, you are known and
trusted.  Why not take one of the ships, captain her? We have taken
delivery on one of the new freighters, and its certainly not like working
a ship of the line or one of the older freighters.  I need a captain,
they need the shipment made, why not? So she made applications to the
authorities and so on and got me my freighter Captains license. Heck I
was more then qualified I think.

But that aside, I took delivery of the ship with Mia.  We looked it over
and it seemed worthy enough.  I had my doubts about going back out and
Mia just patted my arm and smiled.  You'll do fine she assured me.
You'll do fine because I'm tagging along to make sure you do fine!

Actually I think Mia set me up.  I think she has been in the director's
office pitching this.  I could see her doing just that.  I could see her
look at him tilt her head and say, you know? You want to contract
Guttenhaus to move some of the traveling pieces to the facility on
Altair, what about having Dan do it?  He's been working on that car for
you, you know the one? The racing car.  I think with his background in
Starfleet, yes he was First officer, I think that he should handle the
transport for you.  I supply the ship, hire him as its captain and he
goes under exclusive contract to you. Then the director says she has a
point and it goes from there.

Fine so be it if she set me up.

Still I'd rather be in the garage, fiddling with that car!
 
 
 

Dan Abrams looked up from his paper and twiddled with his pen.  His eyes
suddenly looked up and caught the reflection of Mia Guttenhaus in the
sleek control panels of the Black Moon.  He abruptly crumpled the paper
and tossed the wad aside.

"Trouble putting thoughts into words?" Mia wondered with a slight smirk.

He settled deeply into the soft cushions of the pilots seat, and sighed,
"Your sisters idea."

"Well she does have quite a bit of psych training," Mia observed with a
flash of green eyes.

"Sure she does but it doesn't make it any easier."

"OK so how are you feeling? Since you can't seem to put it on that
archaic paper. Mark was right, you are becoming more twentieth century."

"How can I? When...." He glanced at the controls. "Its odd Mia, this
feels like home.  But it isn't."

That's because I had it built this way, she sighed to herself.  You need
to be out here, it's a part of you, just like that blasted ancient car is
part of you!  I watched you with that steering yoke in your hands, I
watched you dream, escape!

Dan looked over at Mia watched her face for a moment. It flashed with
something.

Dan picked up the paper again and put the pen to the line. Quickly he
scribbled something and handed it to her.

"'It was a dark and stormy night,'" she snorted and looked up. "Dan this
sucks! You can do better then that!"

"Ok, so, it was a dark and stormy night when Vivian walked out, slamming
the door behind her.  She gathered her raincoat around her mumbled
something angrily under her breath. She swiftly turned and stalked down
the walk between the wet ferns, shot a look that would kill over her
shoulder and slammed the garden gate shaking loose a bit of rust.  She
walked away and that was the last time she was seen."

Mia sighed, "It still hurts doesn't it?"

"Of course it does Mi!  What do you want me to say, that this is all
honky-dory? Well it isn't.  I didn't want to go back into space, I didn't
want to leave Earth.  I don't care what you or Mark Kennsington cooked
up.  I don't care if Mayla thinks I'm brooding! I like to brood!" he
glanced angrily at her.

"Dan it’s been three years."

"Yeah? So?! In three years I've gotten that engine partially re-built
I've managed to work on that degree in Engineering History I wanted..."

"But your hiding," Mia sighed, "you cant hide forever."

"Oh yeah?" he challenged.

"Yeah!" she snorted storming out of the confines of the bridge, leaving
him to his brooding.
 
 

Mia set a padd down by Dan's elbow as he ate his skimpy dinner. He
glanced at her for a moment, "What's this?"

"A communiqué from Mark. Apparently the artist he hired has the
holodisplay read for the exhibit on Altair.  He wants you to check it for
him."

"Check it?" Dan puzzled.

"For accuracy," Mia shrugged. "Apparently you are the one he trusts on
this matter."

"So it's a stop at DS13 to do this?"

"A few days out of the way but that is not a problem, apparently." Mia
sighed sipping her coffee. "The Altair museum has been informed that we
will be there, they really want this holodisplay. Oh and this came in as
well."

"What is it?"

Mia smiled leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, "Congratulations!
Lehigh University has reviewed your dissertation  Doctor Abrams!"

Dan blinked at her, " HUH?!"

"Its simple, the board has reviewed your dissertation on Internal
Combustion Engine Technological Development, and had thus awarded you
your PhD!  I say when we get to 13 we celebrate with some real champagne
if it can be had!"

"I thought that whole thing was in limbo," Dan muttered. "I mean I
submitted that work ages ago and-"

"Well it’s finally happened!" Mia laughed. "I mean it’s taken longer than
expected but, here it is!"

Dan sighed gently and stared for a while out the forward view screen,
"But it doesn't change much does it?"

"No, except that Mark wants to make you a permanent part of his staff
instead of this part time hire stuff."

"You set this up,"

"No I didn't Mark has always said that If and When you got the doctorate
you would be hired.  Mark likes you Dan. What can I say? He believes in
you. You have won his admiration."

"It doesn't help that you and Mark are lovers."

"That's here nor there, Dan." Mia sighed. "The Moon is your ship.  Mark
hired you to do the work on the cars, he also took you on as his
transport.  Now you are a full time hire working for the Institute.  So
what? Things are good.  You are doing what you love, what is so wrong
with that?" And it gets you out of that garage and doing something! She
added to herself in silence.

"What do you mean the Moon is mine? It belongs to you it belongs to
Guttenhaus Shipping."

"No it doesn't.  I believe in my step brother, I believe in you. I'm
giving you this ship, she is yours. My gift to you.  I'm not making money
on her, I want you to be happy.  On DS 13 I will be signing over the
ownership papers, and she is yours."

Dan blinked and felt foolish, "I'm not sure what to say."

"Thanks?"

"Thanks sounds so hollow."

Mia studied him for a moment, "Dan, I couldn't give you one of those
cars, so I'm giving you the Moon."

Dan suddenly leaned forward and covered his mouth.  His eyes twinkled in
the soft light.  He sighed and settled back glancing around.  He almost
smiled.

Mia studied him for a moment.  The shape of his mouth lent to a lopsided
kind of goofy grin that could be infectious. When he smiled it was warm,
innocent and fun. He hadn't smiled often in the last three years.  Vivian
had stolen the smile.

Mia sighed.  Vivian, that dark witch, had walked off with her brother,
taken him on that dark and stormy night.  She wanted her brother back.
This had gone on too long!  Mayla was so right on this!
 
 

"What is it again we are looking for?" Dan wondered as they walked the
corridors of DS13.

"Ferry Sanchez said that we should meet him at the Asteroid's Collision
Bar and Grill" Mia reminded him.  She looked about her admiring the base.
 "Rather a nice base, don't you think?"

"It a base," Dan shrugged.

Mia spotted the dark-haired holo artist in a crowd of several people at
the mahogany bar.  He was busy talking with three Starfleet officers, one
in Security/Engineering gold and two in Medical/Science teal. Another
man, blonde in a bright flowered shirt and worn shorts was laughing with
a toothy grin and nudging Ferry, gulping his beer.

The one in gold looked as big as a house and quaffed his beer back said
something to the blonde and laughed in return. Dan surmised that he was
Security, not an engineer.  He looked as if he would clog a Jefferies Tube
and that a fine tool was a sledge hammer.

The Vulcan woman in the teal rolled her eyes and gave the big one a sharp
glance. She looked at the other in teal with long copper curls who
promptly smacked the big one's arm. The big one jokingly put his arm
around copper's neck and pretended to put her in a hold.  She elbowed him
in the gut smiling all the while.

"Whata mix!" Dan sighed feeling his chest tighten.

"Yeah Ill say," Mia grunted in reply. "I've never been crazy about Vulcan
Science officers."

"Yeah, well, Just because that one needled you so in school."

"Made me cry,"

"Yeah I know I was there, 'member?"

"Yeah well he wasn't all that tactful to you either."

"I dealt with it," Dan shrugged.

Ferry spotted them and grabbed the blondes arm pointing and saying
something. Ferry waved at them, beckoning Mia and Dan over.

"Well how did it go?" Ferry wondered. "Successful transfer?"

"Yes, Ill be making further reviews later, " Dan said stiffly.

"Well I worked as well as I could with the specs that Mark Kennsington
gave me.  I hope it all meets with your approval. Dan, these are my
brothers, Iggy and Jesse, and two of Jesse's ship mates,  Kate and Cam
MacLaughlin. Guys Dr Dan Abrams and Ms. Mia Guttenhaus."

Dan scarcely heard Ferry's introductions and Mia's soft and pleasant,
pleased to meet you.  MacLaughlin!  Dr. John MacLaughlin had been on the
review board for his PhD work.  He had also known a Peter MacLaughlin
when he had been in Starfleet.  He studied the two women.  It didn't make
sense.  A Vulcan and....

"Getcha a beer, mate?" Jesse wondered his voice soft with the accent of
the Land Down under.

"Donnau wasser,  please. I'm not a beer person," Dan replied.

"Ill have a Taria Cloudburst," Mia added.

"Jess," the Vulcan said laying a hand on the big Aussie's arm.  "I need
to go and make sure those samples are transferred and logged in
correctly.  Rathman should have them done by now."

"Yeah no problem Cam.  We'll probably still be here by the time your done
correctin' Honey's mistakes."

"You got that right," the Vulcan rolled her eyes.

"Damnit" Jesse softly swore after she had left.

"What's wrong now?" the one identified as Iggy wondered with an accent as
thick as his big brother's.

"Oh she's just pissing me off." Jesse grumbled looking where she
disappeared with a sharp, grouchy frown.

"She wasn't supposed to be working on this break, but it seems like she's
doing everything possible to do exactly that," Kate explained, "she's
fighting this tooth and nail."

"I know, we'll get her stuck on the holodeck or something," Iggy thought
for a minute.

"Ill bet she sticks her head back into that manuscript that her Dad's
been bugging her to read," Jesse snorted. "Avoiding everythin' including
me!"

"Oh I take it you two are not an item," Ferry observed.

"Please Fer! No way," Jesse sputtered finishing his beer.

"So you're a doctor?" the one called Kate turned and looked at Dan.

"PhD.  Engineering History."

"Ahh," Kate nodded. "Gee if Cam had stuck around you two could have
traded stories.  She's PhD in Archeology."

"Her father is John MacLaughlin?"

"Uh huh, I'm his daughter in law, I was married to Peter, Cam's older
brother. How do you know John?"

"Through the Smithsonian."

"I see," Kate smiled. "I just wondered because I'm a nurse.  It was just
professional interest."

Mia smiled, "Now my sister is a doc. It seems like I'm the only one that
isn't."

Dan let the conversation drift around him for a while.  Then he found an
excuse to get up from the table and he wandered out into the corridor.

The bar was beginning to feel quite crowded and he fought the feeling as
long as he could.  He didn't handle crowds all that well since...Vivian.

He wandered towards the docking areas and in one of the observation areas
he spotted the Vulcan, Cam, standing alone.

"I thought you were going back to your ship." He observed.

"No I just needed to get away, and you? What about your ship?" She
studied him for a lingering moment.

"What about her?"

"Nothing, I'm just wondering how you got out of that bar."

"Biffy break."

Cam suddenly smiled and snickered, "Oldest trick in the book."

Dan shrugged and nodded haplessly, "I just couldn't take socializing with
strangers."

"And I'm not a stranger?" she retorted with a lift of her eyebrow.

"Maybe...maybe not," He said softly, "You have a PhD in Arch?"

"Yes, but I haven't had a chance to use it lately," she sighed.
"Circumstances have kept me from it."

"Are you John's daughter by chance?"

"Yes I am.  Do you happen to know him? Take courses from him?"

"He reviewed my dissertation."

"Ahh," Can nodded. "Power plants: V8 Racing Engines of the 20th Century?"

"How did...?" Dan wondered scowling at her.

"My father quoted it in his latest book.  I'm working on proofing the
manuscript right now." She flushed and looked at him. Her bright gold
eyes met his. "I thought maybe you were that Dan Abrams, but I wasn't
sure."

"I'm rather impressed, I thought that it would be collecting dust
somewhere, metaphorically of course."

"Dad loves to write," Cam sighed. "and twentieth century history is just
his cup of tea."

"And you?" Dan wondered.

"Oh, passing interest, mostly because I've done most all of dad's
proofing."

"I mean that sounds like a tall order," Dan sighed.  "I was aware of the
many pieces he's published."

"He's been in a dry spell since Peter passed, but that's not the point,"
she sighed and sat down in one of the lounge seats.

Dan sat next to her intrigued, "Why isn't it the point?"

"Oh I don't know," she shook her head.  "I suppose not talking to him in
over a year didn't help matters. Oh well, water under the bridge."

It wasn't until Cam's commbadge twittered at her when they realized how
long they had been conversing. Time had slipped away so easily that
neither one of them had noticed that shifts had changed and people were
calling it an evening.

Cam looked sheepishly at Dan, "I hafta go. It's a general recall, means
that there's trouble and leave is over."

"I know," he said softly.

"You do?" she wondered.

"Oh yeah, there's never trouble until you are on leave," he laughed
softly. "I was...in Starfleet."

"You were?"

"I left," he said softly.

"Can I ask why?"

"My wife decided she didn't love me or didn't ...care.  I left the
fleet."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Cam studied him for a minute with a slight
frown furrowing her brow. "I didn't mean to pry, I ---"

"Well you'd better go if your CO was anything like mine, when recall was
sounded you'd better be there five minutes ago, or else on report."

Cam sighed and looked unsure of herself, "Emm well then. Could I contact
you again? I..."

"I'm master of the freighter, Black Moon. Or through Mia's company:
Guttenhaus Shipping."

"Right," Cam nodded. "I, eh, enjoyed talking. Ill, eh, see ya."

"Sure," he smiled and watched her leave.  She walked quickly down the
corridor, turned walking backwards a few paces looking at him.  She waved
with a quick flick of her hand, bit her lip and hurried on.

Dan stood for a long time watching her disappear, then looked out the
view port spotting the sleek Starfleet vassal riding in her moorings.

"There you are! Where have you been?" Mia wondered.

"Here," Dan sighed looking at the ship.

"Universal Class.  What's so interesting?"

"I've just haven't seen one before." Dan watched for another lingering
moment. Mia do you believe in love at first sight? He almost asked his
sister.

Mia blinked, "Dan? Are you coming?"

"Yeah," he shrugged.

"I don't know what's gotten into you," Mia sighed and began walking to
the Moon.

Dan followed, lagging behind for a few lingering moments. An emotional
Vulcan and...he shook his head for a moment.  What an enigma! For a
moment, just a bit, he had forgotten Vivian, and a bit of sun had managed
to shine.  It was a breath of fresh air.  How could one forget that
breath?
 
 

Cam MacLaughlin sighed and leaned on her desk. She looked at the reports
and pushed them around.

"Where'd you run off to? I didn't see you since you left the Asteroid."

"Just been busy," Cam sighed and looked up at Kate.  She glanced at the
screen of her computer and shut off the monitor.

"Well? Was Rathman that much of a problem?" Kate wondered.

"No, just busy," Cam sighed again, not really feeling up to talking with
her sister- in -law.

"Well I'm cooking dinner for Jesse tonight, I thought you'd like to stop
by," Kate informed her with a quick nod.

"Oh," Cam suddenly shook her head and blinked, "oh that's right. Yeah Ill
see how it’s going by then, I've got an astrophysics report that Forrester
needs."

Kate looked at the blank screen and frowned slightly.  Had she seen a
picture of that Dan Abrams on it, or not?  She frowned and shrugged,
"Good, then Ill see you then."

Kate walked to the doorway of Cams office and turned, "By the way, Dan's
married."

"He's divorced," Cam corrected sharply. "Has been for three years."

"Well according to Mia Guttenhaus, Cmdr. Dan Abrams left the fleet after
he went off the deep end.  Whatever his ex did, it was nasty and cruel.
It broke his spirit."

"I'm not completely stupid, Kate." Cam stood and walked around her desk.

"Just warning you. Things might not appear to be what they seem."

Cam looked at her coldly, "No duh."

Kate watched her march into the lab, realizing she had touched upon a
very raw nerve. Now how was she going to breech this topic with Jesse? He
of all people had a right to know what was going on.  Kate felt torn.
She had been seeing relationships come and go for a long time.  She had
been seeing those near misses of Cam's for so long that it was almost a
joke.  And watching Jesse moon over her? That was sad in its own way, as
well! Well Jesse had said it to his own brother, he and Cam simply were
not an item.  Now was this just his talking? Or perhaps was he wishing
that they were an item?  Well either way Kate was just going to have to
discuss this with him because Kate saw all the signs, Cam's interest had
been caught once again by a young,  tall (ehhh sort of), dark and
handsome male!

Cam tried to take several deep breaths, but her tangled fists just
slammed on the bench.  Damn Damn Damn! Cam thought angrily. Oh it wasn't
fair!  Was she that transparent?

Well, it didn't matter.  The Black Moon was far from the Alliance, and
the comm. channels to civilian ships, well...

Cam sighed.  It was sincerely doubtful that she would ever see him again
anyway. Just two ships...passing in the night.