Thanks for all the feedback on the first chapter :)
Again, the characters are not mine, well at least not the characters you recognize. Headers in Chapter 1.
Chapter 2
"So what do we do now?" His voice rang out from behind her. T'Pol looked up and over her shoulder, raising a brow. The table had been cleared, the dishes cleaned and put away.
Archer continued. "We gotta do something. What do we do now?"
T'Pol stood, adjusting her tunic around her midsection. "Perhaps you would enjoy a walk. Familiarize yourself with the colony?"
Archer stood still for a moment, and then nodded. "Alright, but no talk about the past, at least not anything about what happened. I may be extremely curious, but you'll just have to tell me again. How about just one day where you don't?"
T'Pol stared at him intently. He was willing to not hear the whole story, instead giving her the proverbial day off. She was touched. It had been an extremely difficult 6 years, rehashing the same story over and over, always reliving her fateful mistakes that ultimately lead to the decimation of the human race. She had been forced to ponder what could have been done differently, perhaps saving humanity. It was illogical, but at times she didn't always feel like the most logical creature anymore.
"You would do that? You would put aside your curiosity?" She walked over to him.
He simply nodded. "Like I said, you'll just have to tell me later. What does it matter if you tell me now or not?"
If ever there was a time T'Pol wanted to smile, it was now. However, she nodded and went over to the closet. Withdrawing their coats, she handed him his. She shrugged hers on and looked back to him.
He smiled gently and opened the door. He whistled and Porthos came bounding around the side of the house. Laughing, he pulled him up into his arms. The little beagle licked his cheek, wriggling in his arms. T'Pol reached up and ran her hand over the pup's ears. Porthos turned and licked her hand as well, squirming out of Archer's arms, he jumped into hers. She readily accepted him. Archer raised his eyebrow in a questioning gesture.
"We have become attached," she stated, putting the small dog back on the ground.
"I can see." Archer smiled again. "Do we need a leash or anything?"
T'Pol shook her head. "He doesn't need one. The children enjoyed playing with him. We'll visit the school first; it's only a few blocks away."
The air was crisp, cooler than it had been yesterday, of course he wouldn't remember that.
"Is it always this cool here?" It was like he had read her thoughts.
"No, I believe the seasons are changing. Yesterday it was much warmer, but a front came through last evening and the air cooled."
"Oh," he muttered. "I can't remember that."
She slowed and looked at him. "It is the parasites."
He nodded again.
They continued walking. The buildings on either side of them were rusted, the red oxidation running down the sides in intricate patterns. The ground at their feet was hard and rocky, dust wafted up with each step they took, dancing around their ankles in an eclectic rhythm. As they neared a larger building, the sound of children laughing surrounded them. It was amazing, the resiliency of children. Their home world was gone, and yet they still found joy despite the past. Perhaps there was still hope. She was unable to share her thoughts with Jonathan though, as today he wasn't aware of the destruction of Earth. It was his choice though, she had offered to continue, but he had declined.
As they continued nearer to the play yard, one lone child broke free from the rest of them and ran towards the perimeter of the grounds.
"Capen Archer," she yelled and waved. The other children stopped what they were doing and ran over to where the little girl was. They all yelled and waved, smiling brightly as Archer and T'Pol approached.
"They enjoy our visits," T'Pol whispered and Archer chuckled lowly.
"I think that's putting it lightly."
Her eyes slid to his, laughter shining in their depths and he was once again taken aback by the emotion he saw in them. He had always been able to read her, but now it was much clearer, as if he had spent all his life studying her.
The small young girl ran up to them. She was probably around 3 years old. She wore a dark blue jumper, with a white turtleneck under. Her bright red hair hung in curls around her freckled face and her blue eyes sparkled up at them brightly.
"T'Pol," she said and raised her arms.
"Hello, Madeline." She bent down pulling the girl into her arms and picking her up. Who was this woman that called herself T'Pol? The T'Pol he knew had never before acted like this before.
The little girl smiled and hugged tightly to T'Pol, her cherubic face resting on T'Pol's shoulder. She blinked and watched Archer intently.
"Madeline," he said hesitantly.
"You wemember." She brightened.
His lips drew into a tight line. "No sweetie, I'm sorry, I don't."
She frowned for a moment and then shook her head. "It's awight Capen I didn't fink you did." Her thumb searched for her mouth. Upon finding it, she sucked her thumb into her mouth.
T'Pol looked down at the child in her arms. "Madeline, I thought we had decided that you weren't going to suck your thumb anymore. Your mother wouldn't approve if she saw it. She was very proud you had ceased in that action."
The little girl popped her thumb out of her mouth and wiped it off on her jumper. "Yes, ma'am."
She wriggled out of her arms and dropped down on the ground with the other children that were clamoring for attention. Madeline giggled as Porthos licked her chin and pounced on her.
T'Pol looked over at Jonathan. "Perhaps we should find a place to sit down. I'm sure the children would like to hear another story about Enterprise."
Upon hearing the name Enterprise, the children broke out in a small cheers and pleads. Archer laughed slightly and nodded.
They walked over to a small bench inside the perimeter of the yard. The children followed and gathered around sitting on the ground in front of them. Madeline sat closest to T'Pol, Porthos curled in her lap.
Archer suddenly was very nervous. He had always enjoyed talking about Enterprise, but this was different. He had to worry about what was appropriate for children, and he had never been very good with them, despite what was happening now. The children sat, entranced as they watched him.
T'Pol leaned over to him, breaking him of his reverie. "Perhaps the children would enjoy hearing the story about when the small, large eared creatures boarded Enterprise and tried to pilfer our belongings."
He smiled. She had saved him again, only this time from his apprehension. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."
T'Pol watched as the children sat, captivated as Jonathan spun the tale. He was such a good story-teller, keeping the children's attention, and her own. Once the story was finished, the children clapped and smiled gaily. A teacher, who had joined about ¾ of the way through the tale, cleared her throat and the children jumped up, lining up in a long line behind her. The teacher smiled and thanked Archer and T'Pol, then led the children back into the school building. Porthos whimpered as the children disappeared behind the door.
Archer smiled after them. It had been quite fun retelling a tale about the good old days, which weren't that old to him. In actuality, it had been over 6 years, but it still felt like only a short while ago.
"Jonathan, perhaps we should go back to the house and I will prepare lunch." T'Pol spoke up.
Archer looked up at her and smiled. It was unfamiliar, his first name coming from her lips, but he enjoyed it. Standing he grabbed her hand, pulling her up.
Their hands stayed linked the entire way back to their house...their home.
TBC in Chapter 3
Again, the characters are not mine, well at least not the characters you recognize. Headers in Chapter 1.
Chapter 2
"So what do we do now?" His voice rang out from behind her. T'Pol looked up and over her shoulder, raising a brow. The table had been cleared, the dishes cleaned and put away.
Archer continued. "We gotta do something. What do we do now?"
T'Pol stood, adjusting her tunic around her midsection. "Perhaps you would enjoy a walk. Familiarize yourself with the colony?"
Archer stood still for a moment, and then nodded. "Alright, but no talk about the past, at least not anything about what happened. I may be extremely curious, but you'll just have to tell me again. How about just one day where you don't?"
T'Pol stared at him intently. He was willing to not hear the whole story, instead giving her the proverbial day off. She was touched. It had been an extremely difficult 6 years, rehashing the same story over and over, always reliving her fateful mistakes that ultimately lead to the decimation of the human race. She had been forced to ponder what could have been done differently, perhaps saving humanity. It was illogical, but at times she didn't always feel like the most logical creature anymore.
"You would do that? You would put aside your curiosity?" She walked over to him.
He simply nodded. "Like I said, you'll just have to tell me later. What does it matter if you tell me now or not?"
If ever there was a time T'Pol wanted to smile, it was now. However, she nodded and went over to the closet. Withdrawing their coats, she handed him his. She shrugged hers on and looked back to him.
He smiled gently and opened the door. He whistled and Porthos came bounding around the side of the house. Laughing, he pulled him up into his arms. The little beagle licked his cheek, wriggling in his arms. T'Pol reached up and ran her hand over the pup's ears. Porthos turned and licked her hand as well, squirming out of Archer's arms, he jumped into hers. She readily accepted him. Archer raised his eyebrow in a questioning gesture.
"We have become attached," she stated, putting the small dog back on the ground.
"I can see." Archer smiled again. "Do we need a leash or anything?"
T'Pol shook her head. "He doesn't need one. The children enjoyed playing with him. We'll visit the school first; it's only a few blocks away."
The air was crisp, cooler than it had been yesterday, of course he wouldn't remember that.
"Is it always this cool here?" It was like he had read her thoughts.
"No, I believe the seasons are changing. Yesterday it was much warmer, but a front came through last evening and the air cooled."
"Oh," he muttered. "I can't remember that."
She slowed and looked at him. "It is the parasites."
He nodded again.
They continued walking. The buildings on either side of them were rusted, the red oxidation running down the sides in intricate patterns. The ground at their feet was hard and rocky, dust wafted up with each step they took, dancing around their ankles in an eclectic rhythm. As they neared a larger building, the sound of children laughing surrounded them. It was amazing, the resiliency of children. Their home world was gone, and yet they still found joy despite the past. Perhaps there was still hope. She was unable to share her thoughts with Jonathan though, as today he wasn't aware of the destruction of Earth. It was his choice though, she had offered to continue, but he had declined.
As they continued nearer to the play yard, one lone child broke free from the rest of them and ran towards the perimeter of the grounds.
"Capen Archer," she yelled and waved. The other children stopped what they were doing and ran over to where the little girl was. They all yelled and waved, smiling brightly as Archer and T'Pol approached.
"They enjoy our visits," T'Pol whispered and Archer chuckled lowly.
"I think that's putting it lightly."
Her eyes slid to his, laughter shining in their depths and he was once again taken aback by the emotion he saw in them. He had always been able to read her, but now it was much clearer, as if he had spent all his life studying her.
The small young girl ran up to them. She was probably around 3 years old. She wore a dark blue jumper, with a white turtleneck under. Her bright red hair hung in curls around her freckled face and her blue eyes sparkled up at them brightly.
"T'Pol," she said and raised her arms.
"Hello, Madeline." She bent down pulling the girl into her arms and picking her up. Who was this woman that called herself T'Pol? The T'Pol he knew had never before acted like this before.
The little girl smiled and hugged tightly to T'Pol, her cherubic face resting on T'Pol's shoulder. She blinked and watched Archer intently.
"Madeline," he said hesitantly.
"You wemember." She brightened.
His lips drew into a tight line. "No sweetie, I'm sorry, I don't."
She frowned for a moment and then shook her head. "It's awight Capen I didn't fink you did." Her thumb searched for her mouth. Upon finding it, she sucked her thumb into her mouth.
T'Pol looked down at the child in her arms. "Madeline, I thought we had decided that you weren't going to suck your thumb anymore. Your mother wouldn't approve if she saw it. She was very proud you had ceased in that action."
The little girl popped her thumb out of her mouth and wiped it off on her jumper. "Yes, ma'am."
She wriggled out of her arms and dropped down on the ground with the other children that were clamoring for attention. Madeline giggled as Porthos licked her chin and pounced on her.
T'Pol looked over at Jonathan. "Perhaps we should find a place to sit down. I'm sure the children would like to hear another story about Enterprise."
Upon hearing the name Enterprise, the children broke out in a small cheers and pleads. Archer laughed slightly and nodded.
They walked over to a small bench inside the perimeter of the yard. The children followed and gathered around sitting on the ground in front of them. Madeline sat closest to T'Pol, Porthos curled in her lap.
Archer suddenly was very nervous. He had always enjoyed talking about Enterprise, but this was different. He had to worry about what was appropriate for children, and he had never been very good with them, despite what was happening now. The children sat, entranced as they watched him.
T'Pol leaned over to him, breaking him of his reverie. "Perhaps the children would enjoy hearing the story about when the small, large eared creatures boarded Enterprise and tried to pilfer our belongings."
He smiled. She had saved him again, only this time from his apprehension. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."
T'Pol watched as the children sat, captivated as Jonathan spun the tale. He was such a good story-teller, keeping the children's attention, and her own. Once the story was finished, the children clapped and smiled gaily. A teacher, who had joined about ¾ of the way through the tale, cleared her throat and the children jumped up, lining up in a long line behind her. The teacher smiled and thanked Archer and T'Pol, then led the children back into the school building. Porthos whimpered as the children disappeared behind the door.
Archer smiled after them. It had been quite fun retelling a tale about the good old days, which weren't that old to him. In actuality, it had been over 6 years, but it still felt like only a short while ago.
"Jonathan, perhaps we should go back to the house and I will prepare lunch." T'Pol spoke up.
Archer looked up at her and smiled. It was unfamiliar, his first name coming from her lips, but he enjoyed it. Standing he grabbed her hand, pulling her up.
Their hands stayed linked the entire way back to their house...their home.
TBC in Chapter 3