DISCLAIMER: Not mine. I'm making no money.etc etc.
NOTE: Starfleet procedure would probably be a hell of a lot more complex that it is here - but I don't care. It's only a story. And I'm too lazy to write a Archer/Forrest conversation, so..................
TRIP'S WAR - Chapter Eight
Malcolm caught up with Pete in the corridor of C deck.
"Lieutenant," Pete greeted him without slowing down. "If your Captain sent you, I................."
"No, no," Malcolm interrupted. "I was just wondering if you wanted to get something to eat?"
"We just ate." Pete said, raising his eyebrow at Malcolm.
"I know," Malcolm said, realising his mistake. "But there's someone I'd like you to meet."
Pete stopped and gave Malcolm a questioning look.
"Come on." Malcolm said, leading the way to the Mess Hall.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As they entered the Mess Hall, Malcolm hoped to God that T'Pol would be there. His luck was in - he spotted her sitting with Travis and Hoshi in the far corner. He walked over, followed by Pete. "Mind if we join you?" He asked.
Travis looked up. "'Course not, Sir." He looked at Pete. "You must be Pete." The Vulcan nodded. "Hi, I'm Travis Mayweather."
"It is a pleasure to meet you." He said, sitting. Malcolm sat too.
"Pete?" T'Pol asked, inquisitively.
"Pe'teroi." He said, looking at her. "You must be T'pol."
"I am."
"Trip has told me about you," He turned to face the others. "About all of you." He turned back to T'Pol and smiled. "It has been many years since I saw a Vulcan."
"I'm sure it has." She replied finishing her drink. "If you'll excuse me, I have to return to the Bridge." She stood and left.
"She's not like I imagined." Pete said once T'Pol had left.
"Really?" Hoshi asked.
Pete nodded. "She's beautiful."
Malcolm, Travis and Hoshi all smiled at each other.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"When can I get outta here, Doc?" Trip asked impatiently. He'd been in sickbay for almost two days, and was getting incredibly bored.
"The prohibitor is working efficiently," Phlox said. "You don't appear to be having any adverse reactions. I expect you'll be able to leave as soon as I've run a few more tests." Phlox smiled and went back to his workstation.
"Great," Trip muttered to himself. Not that he had anything to actually do once he got out, but it'd be more interesting than sickbay.
"Hey."
Trip looked up to see archer standing by his bedside. "Hey."
"How are you?" Archer asked.
"I'm fine," Trip replied. "I'd be even better if Phlox'd let me outta here."
Archer thought he heard Phlox say something in the background but couldn't be sure. "You'll be out soon." Archer said reassuringly.
"How's Pete?"
"OK, I think," Archer said "He seems to have taken quite a shine to T'Pol."
Trip smiled. "Guess his seven years are up."
Archer let out a small laugh. "Look, Trip," he said, his voice suddenly sounding more serious. "I was wondering if you wanna come back?"
"Come back?" Trip asked.
"Come back." Archer repeated.
"On Enterprise?" Archer nodded. "I can't just come back. It's been three years, I mean................" He thought for a second. "What about the crew? Lieutenant Holdsworth?"
"I've spoken to her," Archer told him. "She, and all the crew I've spoken to so far have said they'd like you to come back. Holdsworth even said she'd resign her position as Chief Engineer if you come back."
Trip shook his head. "I dunno, Jon. I mean................what about Starfleet?"
"I've spoken with Admiral Forrest. As you're still a commissioned officer there's nothing they can do." Archer explained. "He said that if you and I agree, you're more than welcome back."
Trip sighed. "Three years is a long time. A lot's changed. I can't just come back an' expect everythin' to be the same."
"I understand that," Archer said, "But at least think about it. OK?"
Trip nodded. "OK."
"I'll see you later." Archer said, turning to leave Sickbay.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
'What am I doin'?' Trip thought. Three years. Everyday for the past three years he'd thought about Enterprise. Every night he'd dreamt about being back - seeing everyone again. Now he was being a chance to return, not strings attached. So why was he hesitating? 'Because they've spent three thinkin' ya were dead. Ya can't just show up again an' expect everythin' to be fine an' dandy.'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Archer lay on his bed with Porthos by his side. "What d'ya think, boy?" He asked the dog. Porthos looked up at his master. "I know," Archer said, scratching behind the dogs ear. "D'ya think he'll come back?" The bog let out a small whine. "You're right," Archer said standing and heading to the shower. "There's nothing I can do now."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next day, Trip sat in his quarters - well, not 'his' quarters, they were actually guest quarters - thinking about his options. Stay or go. It was that simple. He stood and walked over to the comm. "Tucker to Archer."
"Archer here."
"Sir, I've made up my mind."
A/N: Will he stay? Will he go? Who can say? ; )
The next chapter will take even longer - sorry! It's not my fault. Peter (my older brother) had a bit of an 'accident' at the weekend. Anyway, long story short - he's got a broken back (don't worry, not serious...........no nerve, just bone) and I've got a broke wrist. Due to this, typing is somewhat slower. Never mind - at least I can still walk - haha!!!!
Anyway, LYL, Jen.
NOTE: Starfleet procedure would probably be a hell of a lot more complex that it is here - but I don't care. It's only a story. And I'm too lazy to write a Archer/Forrest conversation, so..................
TRIP'S WAR - Chapter Eight
Malcolm caught up with Pete in the corridor of C deck.
"Lieutenant," Pete greeted him without slowing down. "If your Captain sent you, I................."
"No, no," Malcolm interrupted. "I was just wondering if you wanted to get something to eat?"
"We just ate." Pete said, raising his eyebrow at Malcolm.
"I know," Malcolm said, realising his mistake. "But there's someone I'd like you to meet."
Pete stopped and gave Malcolm a questioning look.
"Come on." Malcolm said, leading the way to the Mess Hall.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As they entered the Mess Hall, Malcolm hoped to God that T'Pol would be there. His luck was in - he spotted her sitting with Travis and Hoshi in the far corner. He walked over, followed by Pete. "Mind if we join you?" He asked.
Travis looked up. "'Course not, Sir." He looked at Pete. "You must be Pete." The Vulcan nodded. "Hi, I'm Travis Mayweather."
"It is a pleasure to meet you." He said, sitting. Malcolm sat too.
"Pete?" T'Pol asked, inquisitively.
"Pe'teroi." He said, looking at her. "You must be T'pol."
"I am."
"Trip has told me about you," He turned to face the others. "About all of you." He turned back to T'Pol and smiled. "It has been many years since I saw a Vulcan."
"I'm sure it has." She replied finishing her drink. "If you'll excuse me, I have to return to the Bridge." She stood and left.
"She's not like I imagined." Pete said once T'Pol had left.
"Really?" Hoshi asked.
Pete nodded. "She's beautiful."
Malcolm, Travis and Hoshi all smiled at each other.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"When can I get outta here, Doc?" Trip asked impatiently. He'd been in sickbay for almost two days, and was getting incredibly bored.
"The prohibitor is working efficiently," Phlox said. "You don't appear to be having any adverse reactions. I expect you'll be able to leave as soon as I've run a few more tests." Phlox smiled and went back to his workstation.
"Great," Trip muttered to himself. Not that he had anything to actually do once he got out, but it'd be more interesting than sickbay.
"Hey."
Trip looked up to see archer standing by his bedside. "Hey."
"How are you?" Archer asked.
"I'm fine," Trip replied. "I'd be even better if Phlox'd let me outta here."
Archer thought he heard Phlox say something in the background but couldn't be sure. "You'll be out soon." Archer said reassuringly.
"How's Pete?"
"OK, I think," Archer said "He seems to have taken quite a shine to T'Pol."
Trip smiled. "Guess his seven years are up."
Archer let out a small laugh. "Look, Trip," he said, his voice suddenly sounding more serious. "I was wondering if you wanna come back?"
"Come back?" Trip asked.
"Come back." Archer repeated.
"On Enterprise?" Archer nodded. "I can't just come back. It's been three years, I mean................" He thought for a second. "What about the crew? Lieutenant Holdsworth?"
"I've spoken to her," Archer told him. "She, and all the crew I've spoken to so far have said they'd like you to come back. Holdsworth even said she'd resign her position as Chief Engineer if you come back."
Trip shook his head. "I dunno, Jon. I mean................what about Starfleet?"
"I've spoken with Admiral Forrest. As you're still a commissioned officer there's nothing they can do." Archer explained. "He said that if you and I agree, you're more than welcome back."
Trip sighed. "Three years is a long time. A lot's changed. I can't just come back an' expect everythin' to be the same."
"I understand that," Archer said, "But at least think about it. OK?"
Trip nodded. "OK."
"I'll see you later." Archer said, turning to leave Sickbay.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
'What am I doin'?' Trip thought. Three years. Everyday for the past three years he'd thought about Enterprise. Every night he'd dreamt about being back - seeing everyone again. Now he was being a chance to return, not strings attached. So why was he hesitating? 'Because they've spent three thinkin' ya were dead. Ya can't just show up again an' expect everythin' to be fine an' dandy.'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Archer lay on his bed with Porthos by his side. "What d'ya think, boy?" He asked the dog. Porthos looked up at his master. "I know," Archer said, scratching behind the dogs ear. "D'ya think he'll come back?" The bog let out a small whine. "You're right," Archer said standing and heading to the shower. "There's nothing I can do now."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next day, Trip sat in his quarters - well, not 'his' quarters, they were actually guest quarters - thinking about his options. Stay or go. It was that simple. He stood and walked over to the comm. "Tucker to Archer."
"Archer here."
"Sir, I've made up my mind."
A/N: Will he stay? Will he go? Who can say? ; )
The next chapter will take even longer - sorry! It's not my fault. Peter (my older brother) had a bit of an 'accident' at the weekend. Anyway, long story short - he's got a broken back (don't worry, not serious...........no nerve, just bone) and I've got a broke wrist. Due to this, typing is somewhat slower. Never mind - at least I can still walk - haha!!!!
Anyway, LYL, Jen.