Standard Disclaimers apply, see chapter 1 for other headers.
Chapter 2
They entered the shuttle bay and made their way over to the shuttle they would be taking down to the surface.
"Hey, Cap'n," Trip said as Archer and T'Pol drew near.
"Hey, Trip. You excited," Archer asked, placing his bag into the cargo bay, and reaching down to place T'Pol's in as well. She shot him a curious glance at his attempt at chivalry.
"You betcha. I heard from Lieutenant Barrett that it was absolutely perfect down there. I think she said it reminded her of the Garden of Eden," Trip said, practically bouncing up and down.
"Will you calm down, please," Hoshi said, poking her head out of the shuttle. "I swear, Captain, he's been like this ever since he found out we were taking shore leave."
Trip beamed up at Hoshi.
"Sorry, but ya know I like having the chance to go on vacation."
"Will you just get in here? You're holding us up," She grinned, shaking her head.
Trip jumped up into the shuttle, casting a glance back over his shoulder at the Captain and Sub-Commander.
Archer laughed and gestured for T'Pol to board the shuttle before him. She gingerly stepped inside and took a seat opposite the hatch. Archer followed, closing the hatch as he boarded.
Mayweather turned around to look at him saying his hellos.
The shuttle roared to life as the docking doors opened, allowing them to exit the stomach of the ship.
Archer sighed and leaned back watching the stars fade as they entered the planets atmosphere. He closed his eyes, the hum of the shuttlepod lulling him to sleep.
He awoke as he felt the shuttle come to rest on the planets surface. Opening his eyes, he caught a glimpse of the surroundings through the front window of the pod.
Smiling, he reached over and opened the hatch. Porthos, who had been lying at his feet, jumped out of the pod and ran around in the lush green grass.
Archer laughed to himself and hopped out of the pod, reaching in and helping T'Pol out.
As his hand touched hers, he shivered in spite of the warmth. She always had that affect on him.
Once he was certain she was standing on the solid ground he let go of her hand. He looked at her and watched as she took a scanner out of her belt and moved it around taking scans.
"T'Pol," he whispered. "No work."
She looked at him, then quietly put the scanner back into her belt.
Porthos ran back up to them, and quickly trotted over to T'Pol. He jumped up, resting his paws on her shin.
T'Pol looked down at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Porthos please sit down," She said.
Archer gaped as his dog obeyed, removing his paws from her leg and sitting down at her feet. He raised his eyes to T'Pol and noticed a small glint in her eyes, almost as if she was proud of herself.
"How did you do that," He asked, dumbfounded.
She raised an eyebrow in response and turned to lift her bag out of the cargo hold without answering him. Without saying a word, she tossed his bag at him. He caught it and smiled to himself.
Trip and Hoshi exited the shuttle and grabbed their bags. Porthos looked up and ran over to Hoshi, jumping up and trying to get her to pet him. She giggled and bent down, running her hand over his furry head.
"You are such a cutie," Hoshi giggled.
"I try," Trip grinned down at her.
"I was talking about Porthos," She replied shaking her head, smiling.
Trip laughed and looked up at Archer.
"The team said that they found a prime camping site over that hill there. We were all thinking that we could camp out together in a group. Whatcha say," Trip asked.
Archer looked back at T'Pol for a second, then turned back to Trip.
"I think I'm going to look around for bit, see all that this planet has," He said, tipping his head in T'Pol's direction.
Trip squinted his eyes in confusion and nodded his head.
"Alrighty, well then I guess I'll see ya later then," He said and turned back to Hoshi.
Archer looked over at Hoshi, who was stroking Porthos' ears.
"Come on, boy," Archer commanded.
The beagle looked at Archer, then back at Hoshi. He let out a small whimper, obviously not wanting to leave the caresses.
"Traitor," Archer grumbled at the dog.
Hoshi grinned and smacked her leg signaling the dog to jump up. She reached down and picked him up, cradling him to her cheek.
"I'll take care of him until you get back. We'll have fun, won't we Porthos," She asked letting the dog lick her cheek.
T'Pol crinkled her nose in distaste and moved to follow Trip and Hoshi towards the campsite.
"Hey, wait, T'Pol," Archer rushed to her. "I was hoping you might want to do a little exploring with me."
"I thought that the crew was going to socialize in a group."
"Well, yeah, but don't you want to look around here for a bit. We'll head back later on," He said, his lips forming a lopsided grin.
She was quiet for a moment so he decided to deliver the final motive.
"Come on, they'll probably just sit around telling ghost stories, illogically frightening each other. Do you really want to be around that," He asked.
"If I recall correctly, I do believe it was you that suggested that I fraternize with the crew."
Archer sighed.
"I know I did but I thought you might enjoy some time alone away from the group. Everyone needs a vacation. Wouldn't it be nice to just get away from all the human emotions," Archer reasoned.
"I would still be with you," She pointed out. Before he could say anything, she interrupted him. "However, I have found that your emotions are not as difficult to block out as others. Your reasons are acceptable."
Archer grinned.
"Alright then! Let's see what this planet has to offer."
Continued in Chapter 3
Chapter 2
They entered the shuttle bay and made their way over to the shuttle they would be taking down to the surface.
"Hey, Cap'n," Trip said as Archer and T'Pol drew near.
"Hey, Trip. You excited," Archer asked, placing his bag into the cargo bay, and reaching down to place T'Pol's in as well. She shot him a curious glance at his attempt at chivalry.
"You betcha. I heard from Lieutenant Barrett that it was absolutely perfect down there. I think she said it reminded her of the Garden of Eden," Trip said, practically bouncing up and down.
"Will you calm down, please," Hoshi said, poking her head out of the shuttle. "I swear, Captain, he's been like this ever since he found out we were taking shore leave."
Trip beamed up at Hoshi.
"Sorry, but ya know I like having the chance to go on vacation."
"Will you just get in here? You're holding us up," She grinned, shaking her head.
Trip jumped up into the shuttle, casting a glance back over his shoulder at the Captain and Sub-Commander.
Archer laughed and gestured for T'Pol to board the shuttle before him. She gingerly stepped inside and took a seat opposite the hatch. Archer followed, closing the hatch as he boarded.
Mayweather turned around to look at him saying his hellos.
The shuttle roared to life as the docking doors opened, allowing them to exit the stomach of the ship.
Archer sighed and leaned back watching the stars fade as they entered the planets atmosphere. He closed his eyes, the hum of the shuttlepod lulling him to sleep.
He awoke as he felt the shuttle come to rest on the planets surface. Opening his eyes, he caught a glimpse of the surroundings through the front window of the pod.
Smiling, he reached over and opened the hatch. Porthos, who had been lying at his feet, jumped out of the pod and ran around in the lush green grass.
Archer laughed to himself and hopped out of the pod, reaching in and helping T'Pol out.
As his hand touched hers, he shivered in spite of the warmth. She always had that affect on him.
Once he was certain she was standing on the solid ground he let go of her hand. He looked at her and watched as she took a scanner out of her belt and moved it around taking scans.
"T'Pol," he whispered. "No work."
She looked at him, then quietly put the scanner back into her belt.
Porthos ran back up to them, and quickly trotted over to T'Pol. He jumped up, resting his paws on her shin.
T'Pol looked down at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Porthos please sit down," She said.
Archer gaped as his dog obeyed, removing his paws from her leg and sitting down at her feet. He raised his eyes to T'Pol and noticed a small glint in her eyes, almost as if she was proud of herself.
"How did you do that," He asked, dumbfounded.
She raised an eyebrow in response and turned to lift her bag out of the cargo hold without answering him. Without saying a word, she tossed his bag at him. He caught it and smiled to himself.
Trip and Hoshi exited the shuttle and grabbed their bags. Porthos looked up and ran over to Hoshi, jumping up and trying to get her to pet him. She giggled and bent down, running her hand over his furry head.
"You are such a cutie," Hoshi giggled.
"I try," Trip grinned down at her.
"I was talking about Porthos," She replied shaking her head, smiling.
Trip laughed and looked up at Archer.
"The team said that they found a prime camping site over that hill there. We were all thinking that we could camp out together in a group. Whatcha say," Trip asked.
Archer looked back at T'Pol for a second, then turned back to Trip.
"I think I'm going to look around for bit, see all that this planet has," He said, tipping his head in T'Pol's direction.
Trip squinted his eyes in confusion and nodded his head.
"Alrighty, well then I guess I'll see ya later then," He said and turned back to Hoshi.
Archer looked over at Hoshi, who was stroking Porthos' ears.
"Come on, boy," Archer commanded.
The beagle looked at Archer, then back at Hoshi. He let out a small whimper, obviously not wanting to leave the caresses.
"Traitor," Archer grumbled at the dog.
Hoshi grinned and smacked her leg signaling the dog to jump up. She reached down and picked him up, cradling him to her cheek.
"I'll take care of him until you get back. We'll have fun, won't we Porthos," She asked letting the dog lick her cheek.
T'Pol crinkled her nose in distaste and moved to follow Trip and Hoshi towards the campsite.
"Hey, wait, T'Pol," Archer rushed to her. "I was hoping you might want to do a little exploring with me."
"I thought that the crew was going to socialize in a group."
"Well, yeah, but don't you want to look around here for a bit. We'll head back later on," He said, his lips forming a lopsided grin.
She was quiet for a moment so he decided to deliver the final motive.
"Come on, they'll probably just sit around telling ghost stories, illogically frightening each other. Do you really want to be around that," He asked.
"If I recall correctly, I do believe it was you that suggested that I fraternize with the crew."
Archer sighed.
"I know I did but I thought you might enjoy some time alone away from the group. Everyone needs a vacation. Wouldn't it be nice to just get away from all the human emotions," Archer reasoned.
"I would still be with you," She pointed out. Before he could say anything, she interrupted him. "However, I have found that your emotions are not as difficult to block out as others. Your reasons are acceptable."
Archer grinned.
"Alright then! Let's see what this planet has to offer."
Continued in Chapter 3
