Buffy woke to find the Doctor bending over her."Geez Louise!" she shrieked and Dr. Phlox jumped back in surprise.

            "Calm yourself, it's only me!" he said cheerfully. He checked her eyes, "It looks like you are healing satisfactorily. Can you stand?"

            Buffy nodded, relieved that she could stand without feeling like an overcooked spaghetti noodle, "Can I go to the bathroom?"

            "By all means." He said graciously. She grabbed some underwear and a coverall and dashed into the bathroom for a quick shower etc. She pulled her hair back into a quick ponytail and stepped back out, "Ready for inspection." She quipped.

            She stood still and let the Doctor run his scanner over her, listening to him make verbal notes, "Bruised ribs healed, fascinating, kidneys healed, lung healed, must note this.." She laughed at his enthusiasm. "Can I go eat now?"

            "Of course. I want you to see me every morning until I say otherwise." He gathered up his medical supplies and left for sickbay.

            Buffy walked to the crew mess, nodding to passing crewmembers, all who asked how she was doing. She heard a familiar voice with a southern drawl that made things inside her go all tingly, "Where do ya think you're goin'?" Trip asked, looking her over from head to toe.

            "I'll have you know that Dr. Phlox said I am free as a bird!" she smiled, "So hah." Trip smiled grimly and cupped her face, lifting it so he could see her quickly fading black eye for a closer look. Their eyes met and they stood frozen in the hallway, close enough to kiss until Travis came upon them and cleared his throat.

            "Ahem. Hello?" he asked, amusement coloring his voice.

            Trip glanced at Travis, "Just checkin' her eye Travis." He said. His eyes went back to Buffy who smiled and pulled back, "I'm good. Need bacon. Come on Travis!" She threw a bright smile over her shoulder and walked with Travis into the crew mess. Trip sighed and strode to the Captain's mess, his mind filled with her. Buffy leaned out of the doorway and watched Trip walk away. "I love a man in a jumpsuit." She sighed, then looked at Travis, "You too Trav." She looked him over appraisingly.

            "That's no fair, teasing me before I can tease you." He protested, following her in line.

            "Be a man about it Travis." She said dryly.

            The Captain looked up as Trip walked in looking disgustingly happy. "So how is Buffy today?" he asked. "She still has a heckuva shiner but the Doc says she can wander around." He sat down, a smile on his face.

            "Oh Trip, you have it bad." Captain Archer said, watching the blush creep over his best friend's face.

"She's somethin' else Jon." He said and shook his head as T'pol walked in on the end of the conversation.

"Who is 'something else'?" she asked, arranging her napkin on her lap precisely.

"Buffy." The Captain said, unable to resist teasing his friend.

T'pol considered this, "She does have something unquantifiable. She is smart, extremely strong and according to several male crew members I have overheard, very attractive as well."

Trip choked on his bacon and grabbed his grapefruit juice. "Now hold on a minute!" He ground out when he could breathe, "Who's sayin' stuff about Buffy?" 

T'pol regarded Trip in cool surprise, "Do you require a list Commander?"  At Trip's face the Captain laughed and Trip subsided with a mutter about mean friends. "No, that's all right T'pol." The Captain chuckled through the rest of his breakfast while Trip frowned.

Travis showed Buffy his favorite spot on the ship after breakfast. They sat in the ships' 'sweet spot' and talked about their very different childhoods. They then sat in companionable silence together until a voice called from the doorway, "Ensign Mayweather?"

"Here sir." He called and climbed down after Buffy shook her head 'no' violently. Captain Archer looked at Travis, "You didn't need to come down, I was wondering if you knew what happened to Buffy?"

"Sir?" Travis asked, his voice confused.

"Never mind. If you see her you can tell her I'm looking for her. Everywhere so far." The Captain grumbled.

"Aye Sir." The door closed and Travis climbed back up, smiling at Buffy's face.

"You are slick! The confusion and the baby face? You could give my little sister a run for her money." Buffy smiled in admiration as Travis grinned.

"I didn't lie, did I?" he asked smugly.

"Like I said, slick."

Buffy finally went to see the Captain, knocking on the door and hearing his voice call 'come in' over Porthos' barking. The door slid open and Porthos danced around her for his welcome. Buffy knelt and murmured nonsense and rubbed his ears. She looked up to see the Captain's bare chest being covered up and gulped. Niiiice.

The Captain chuckled at Porthos, checking his sleeves and Buffy met his eyes, "He's a sweetie."

"He's spoiled rotten." The Captain corrected. He indicated a seat and Buffy sat when Porthos jumped into her lap and laid down over it with a sigh. He raised an eyebrow and smiled, "So, what's on your mind?" He asked.

"I need a job."

"I guess you've decided to stay on board the Enterprise?" He asked and received a nod. "There's nothing left for me back home. All of my friends are right here, I'm having fun and I think I make an excellent 'Ship's Champion.'" She smiled.

Captain Archer looked at the beautiful woman who had lost so much, but faced it all with a bravery and grace that you didn't see everyday.

"How about training the crew in hand to hand combat? Lt. Reed suggested it to me. You took on one of our toughest enemies and won. Your reputation is already made." He watched as she thought the offer over carefully.

"That sound like something right up my alley." She smiled, gently petting the sleeping dog lying over her lap.

"Good. Admiral Forrest will be notified about your new posting. However, and I think that he will agree, we are not telling the Vulcan High Command. T'pol agrees." He eyes met her confused ones.

"Why not?" She asked and saw the anger flash across his face. She watched him stand up and walk to the window, his back stiff with tension and anger.

"The Vulcan High Command were the ones that held us back from space exploration. They declared in the 'we are wiser than you' way that they have that we weren't ready. If it hadn't been for Trip we wouldn't have been able to pull the test flight off. His being here is my reward for him being the best damn engineer."

Buffy nodded, "You're a good friend." Porthos wiggled his legs as if he was dreaming and Buffy stroked him gently until he settled.

 He turned to say something when his door chimed. Porthos jumped off of Buffy's lap and started barking. "Come in." the Captain said and smiled as the door opened to reveal Trip. He looked at them in surprise, "Sorry Cap'n, I didn't know you had a guest." His eyes were on Buffy as he absently bent down to pet Porthos.

"Buffy is going to begin teaching hand to hand combat." The Captain stated and Trip looked at his Captain briefly before looking back at Buffy, "You're stayin'?"

She nodded, "There is nothing back home for me." Buffy replied simply. She stood and nodded to the Captain, "I'm off."

"No need to leave on my account." Trip said hastily but Buffy shook her head, "I have stuff to do." She smiled at the Captain, gave Porthos a quick rub and left abruptly.

Trip sighed, "Why do I get the feelin' that she's avoidin' me?" He complained as he handed his Engineering Report over to his friend.

"So chase her." Jon said wisely. He watched his friend leave and sighed, 'I'd go after her in a heartbeat.' He thought deep inside.