Plan B, Part 10

A/N: Hopefully, this chapter is more light-hearted. I think you also see things are heating up for our intrepid heroes. Thanks for all the reviews!

Archer was cautious of calling Erika while T'Pol was still asleep, but after rustling around the room, seeing she couldn't be stirred, he decided he'd give it a shot. Punching a few buttons, he brought up a dark-haired woman around forty with a ponytail. He smiled.

"Is this a social call?" she asked.

"No, I heard you finally nabbed my Chief Engineer."

"We need him, Jon. We're more than six months behind schedule and it looks like we'll never get her launched without Commander Tucker's help."

"We have other people in Engineering over here that could probably help."

"He's the best."

"Yes he is." He frowned.

"I know he's a friend of yours …," said Erika.

"We could probably be in space dock in a day – around 1700 tomorrow at best speed. Might be good for everyone – my folks could use some shore leave."

"Tomorrow would be great." After a pregnant pause, she said, "You know, I half expected you to dawdle getting us Mr. Tucker."

He shrugged. "As soon as I contact Admiral Gardner with the details, I'll let you know our ETA."

"Sounds like a plan. So, are you going to take some time off?" she asked.

"I don't think so, we've got too much to do."

"No more mountain climbing, huh?" she asked. A smile broke out over her face, as if she was sharing a private joke.

He didn't return the smile. For some reason, his head turned to note whether T'Pol was awake or asleep. He noticed the Vulcan's eyes were closed and his voice turned quiet.

"No. Not this time," he said.

"I wouldn't have been able to join you anyway. My tactical officer can't get the weapons online, my science officer's scanner breaks down almost once a day and my chief physician is still receiving equipment that Dr. Phlox recommended to him."

He nodded. "Welcome to being a captain. It never stops."

She agreed. "Hasn't yet. Listen, Jon, I know you getting us your engineer tomorrow is favor to me. I appreciate it."

He gave a half-smile. "See you tomorrow."

As he punched the comm off, he heard a voice behind him.

"Would you like me to relay that order to Travis?" she asked.

Jumping a little, he spun around. "No, not yet. I need to work with the logistics out with Admiral Gardner first."

T'Pol pushed herself up to sit on the bed and stretched. "I didn't realize Captain Hernandez was a friend of yours."

"We've worked together before."

"I see."

Trying hard not to look guilty, he stuck to work. "Do you want to work with Shran and Jhamel on returning to the surface? When I contact the admiral, he'll want us to get moving."

Straightening up, she righted her outfit and sat up. As if part of a routine, she leaned over and made the bed.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked.

"Well and yourself?"

"Best sleep I've had in about three days." Smiling more than he intended, he noted her eyebrow raised at him and then flattened his lips.

"I'll contact the admiral from my Ready Room."

With that, he left.


"Absolutely, positively not. No," Shran said. The Andorian folded his arms across his chest, which was already puffed out, and his antennae remained rigid.

"Enterprise has been recalled to Earth, we cannot take you with us," she explained for the third time. "A crewman is transferring tomorrow."

"Yes, Mr. Tucker – I know." At the words "Tucker" he squinted his eyes and stared at her and she couldn't help wonder what exactly the Andorian was thinking.

"Then you know you can't stay aboard."

"I told you I'd stick around to ensure your marriage is legitimate. You have three more days."

The Vulcan placed her hands behind her back; it usually meant she was going to resort to logic. And this time was no exception.

"You've already scanned the captain's mind. You seemed satisfied with the results."

Shran looked at Jhamel and then fixed his gaze back at T'Pol. "I have other evidence I'm investigating."

The Vulcan peaked one eyebrow into her bangs. "And what would that be?"

Glaring at her, he gave a look of disgust. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

It caused the other eyebrow to shoot into her bangs and confusion to set over her features.

Jhamel spoke up. "T'Pol, I felt some of your thoughts. Shran believes …."

The Andorian interrupted her with surprising tenderness. "It's confidential. According to paragraph …."

The Vulcan knew he would rely on Andorian law to see her marriage through and she was reticent to deny him.

Obviously, I'll have to speak with Jona … the captain about this.

"Very well," she said. As she turned to leave, the Andorian said something to her back that seemed ominous.

"I've got my eye on you, Vulcan."

Ignoring his remark, she headed out the door. Briskly walking down the corridor, she took a small detour and went back to her room. Heading over to her computer, she typed in a few commands and Archer's image appeared on her monitor.

"Shran refuses to leave."

"What!" Archer asked.

"He wants to ensure we're married … and apparently he's willing to be here three more days to verify it."

"I thought you said the meld worked?"

T'Pol gave a near frown. "It did. Jhamel was able to determine some of my … feelings, which caused Shran's concern."

The remark made both feel uncomfortable and she couldn't help but notice both looked away from the monitor. Archer was the first one to speak.

"Admiral Gardner would never wait for three days. And I'm … hesitant to debrief him about our marriage."

"Agreed," she said.

With something that she may've called anger, he delivered a sentence that sounded threatening. "I'll talk with Shran."


Archer marched into Shran's room and looked around; it was hard to contain his anger. The Andorian was stubborn, egotistical and often made matters more complicated than he needed to. And yet despite all these things, Archer had to begrudgingly admit, he liked the guy.

"Pink skin, I know what you're going to say, but I'm not budging. It's within my right to stay aboard Enterprise until one week."

It caused the captain to get in Shran's personal space. Glaring, his retort was pointed. "I don't give a damned about Andorian law. You and Jhamel are going down to Andoria – and that's final."

"Archer …."

"You'll be at the transporter in one hour, even if I have to drag your ass down there."

The blue man's antennae pointed forward and Shran took a step closer to Archer. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, wouldn't I?" he asked sarcastically.

Jhamel stood up and took Shran by the hand. "Captain, we don't wish to cause trouble …."

Archer's scowl snapped back toward Shran as she continued. "But, this fight and your marriage are meaningful to Shran. He wants to ensure Talas' request for vengeance has been fulfilled and … he's concerned about you."

After she spoke, the Andorian softened. "Pink skin, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but … I think your wife may be cheating on you."

The captain tried not to laugh, especially since the Andorian looked so earnest.

"I don't think so."

"You'd better sit down," Shran said.

Furrowing his brow, he sighed and eventually sat on the bunk. "All right."

"I talked with Tucker. He's definitely in love with your Vulcan."

He looked toward the ground. Although he suspected that was the case, he hadn't been sure; T'Pol's comment about where they'd left the relationship was vague. And for some reason, he'd wanted it to stay that way.

"Worse … she slept with him," Shran added.

Coughing into his hand, he tried to figure out exactly how to respond. "I know they had a relationship in the past. But, that was the past."

"Jhamel thinks the Vulcan's is confused about her feelings."

Restraining a long sigh, he glanced at the ground and then back up at Shran.

"You think she still has feelings for him?" Archer asked, not really interested in the answer.

The Andorian nodded and Jhamel spoke. "I'm not sure what she was feeling other than confused. Shran seems to think her confusion is about Commander Tucker."

Archer stood. "Well, whatever it is – that business is between … my wife and me."

Shran shook his head. "There's a subparagraph to 14. If your wife shows interest in someone else, your marriage can be called into question and you can be executed, Archer. Do you have that much faith in your wife?"

Coldly, the captain stared into Shran's eyes. "I know she's not sleeping with him."

The Andorian frowned and his antennae sagged for a moment. Walking calmly over to the bookshelf in his room, he pulled out a copy of what must've been Andorian law regarding challenges. It was brown and tattered with age. On the front was the Andorian Guard insignia with a weapon of some work, kinda like a pike. Flipping through the sections he read from paragraph 14.

"If the combatant's spouse or combatant is unfaithful in any way, including granak, utul, kegag, dranar or glet, the combatant will be executed."

Archer's eyes turned to Jhamel for some reason for help in the words that didn't make sense.

"Let's just say that list includes holding hands, what you would call kissing and runs the gambit to copulation," Shran said.

Andorian culture is bizarre. "T'Pol won't do any of that."

"I hope for your sake, you're right. Regardless, we can't leave. I'm going to stay here the amount of time you're required to be married under Andorian law: one week. You have three more days."

Archer sighed. In for a penny, in for a pound; we've already committed to this much to honor Andorian tradition. And it appears there's no convincing him.

With a slight sneer, the captain spoke. "All right. But, stay out of the way! The first complaint I hear about you, Shran, and I'm tossing you in the brig."

"But, Captain, according to …."

"I don't care!"

Turning on his heel, he walked brusquely out as if to prove he meant business. As he rounded the first corner, he wondered if there was some truth to what Jhamel felt. T'Pol and Trip's relationship had always been confusing. It was hard to believe something had gone on between the two of them; they spent the majority of their time at each other's throats. He knew they liked each other and the teasing was usually good-natured, but there were times when it seemed like all out warfare.

Maybe it just seemed that way. Damnit.

Walking into his Ready Room, he contacted Admiral Garnder who wanted, as he predicted, best speed to Earth. Afterward, he contacted the Bridge and relayed the order, asking for ETA and then provided that information to Captain Hernandez. By the time everything was done, it was already 1400 hours.

So much for a day off. Musing about everything that had happened, he headed back to his room to continue reading the book. It was awful, but like a shuttle car accident, somehow he wanted to see what happened.


Trip tried to forget Shran's words – "make the Vulcan jealous" – but it was difficult. He couldn't help thinking that's how he'd won the woman in the first place. What may've put him over the edge how Corporal Cole had spanked him on the rear end in practice; that made the tips of T'Pol's ears greener than a palm tree leaf in Key West. Yeah, she was mad.

Forget it. Things are over. It's best just to think about the Columbia.

Stuffing a few shirts into a duffle bag, he began to pack things away – his shirts, pants … everything but Lizzie's picture, which he decided was the last thing to go. While putting away personal belongings, he thought about all the trinkets he had collected over the years. Compared to Malcolm, who managed to collect anything and everything from any planet they'd ever been to, he only had a few things of any real significance.

He'd kept the desert sand from the planet he'd almost died on, but didn't thanks to the captain. When on Vulcan, he got a lava rock – they didn't sell it in the gift shop (Vulcans don't believe in tourist shopping), but he could just pick one up, so he did.

Lot of memories.

As much as he loved the engines aboard Enterprise and although it sounded corny, it was true – he loved the people even the fresh-faced kids who'd joined Enterprise after they came back from the Expanse.

After packing up the bulk of his belongings, he studied two padds that held the name of which crewmen he would recommend was promoted to Chief Engineer in his absence. First, he stared at Hess' information.

She was a good engineer – always had been. The woman could take anything apart and put it back together. A little rough around the edges, she wasn't exactly a people pleaser. Occasionally when the captain had barked an order, she'd snarled a few quips back … always out of hearing range for the captain, but not him. Although he'd gotten on her about it before, he'd come to realize she was just that way – she'd say pretty much whatever was on her mind the moment it came to her. In that way, she was an awful lot like Trip Tucker himself.

Then there was Kelby.

Kelby was younger, but more eager. The guy always had a smile on his face and tried as hard as possible all the time. He'd been the one who'd worked around the clock until they found what would be considered the remains of Taylor – and cried like a baby when he did. The kid wasn't as good with the engines, but knew how to motivate people. That was a skill few engineers had and inspiring others was more important sometimes than being the expert.

Sighing, Trip decided the captain would get along better with Kelby and so made the decision. As he was about to start typing up the recommendation, his door chimed.

"In here sulking, I see," said the Brit on the other end of the door.

"Hey, Mal. What do you want?"

"Captain Archer gave the order to head back to Earth. I was hoping you'd eventually change your mind, but I see you haven't."

"I won't."

"Trip, you'll get over how you feel about Commander T'Pol. I mean, I've seen bothered over Natalie, the girls from Risa, …."

"Nah, this is different. You wouldn't understand."

The little Englishmen made his way over to a chair, tossing a duffle bag to the floor. "Ruby."

"Huh?"

"Ruby. Can you believe I was daft enough to think I'd marry her?"

Trip smiled. "I thought you were a real Casanova – not the marrying type?"

"Well, I was. She was the only one I really cared for. After I proposed to her, she threw me over for some other man. I remember I was heart broken, but … I eventually got over it."

"That's just it. T'Pol and I had a relationship a year ago. Ever since then … well, I just … I've been thinking about her."

Malcolm frowned. "I didn't know you had it that bad."

Trip shrugged. Hoping to add a little levity to the situation, he told Reed about what Shran had suggested. "Can you believe Shran told me I should make T'Pol jealous?"

"As if a Vulcan would ever show jealousy," Reed joked. And then his face contorted. "Didn't you say that's how your relationship began?"

Trip gave a silent head bob.

"Well, then it's a bloody brilliant idea."

"She and the captain are married."

"I think it's obvious they married so that Archer wouldn't have to fight Shran to the death."

Trip's head fell against his chest and he weighed whether to tell his buddy about what he witnessed. Finally, he glanced up and made the tactical officer swear on Lord Nelson's life he'd never tell another living soul about what he saw.

"I won't tell anyone," Malcolm said.

"I'm serious, Mal."

"I promise. Good Lord just spit it out."

"I saw both of them doing the … tango."

"Not possible."

"Nah, I'm serious about this one."

"How in the hell did you see it anyway?"

"Their door chime was broken. I saw Shran popping in and out a lot, so I entered thinking something might be wrong. The two of them were under the covers and … let's just say I heard noises."

"Come off it."

"I'm not kiddin'."

"Well, I talked to Hoshi the other day. Apparently they've been pretending to be intimate to fool Shran. Those two would never …." He began to laugh.

"What I heard sounded like the real McCoy."

"No offense, mate, but you haven't exactly had a lot of practice hearing those sounds lately."

Trip's face fell. "I knew I shouldn't have told you."

"Trust me. They're been under a lot of pressure from Shran to continue to pretend like they're married. Hoshi said the Andorian enters their cabin about once a night."

"How'd Hoshi know?"

"She gave the man the codes, at Commander T'Pol's request, and keeps a log of entries."

Trip frowned. Maybe I made the wrong decision.

"I think Commander Shran's idea of making her jealous is actually quite good."

Trip shrugged. "I don't know, Mal."

Reed's lips turned down. "At any rate, I stopped by to tell you we should be at your new home at 1800 hours tomorrow. If you're not still moping in your room, you might want to stop by at 1500 before you leave. Some people are throwing a party for you."

Ending the conversation, Malcolm stood up and walked out the door. The engineer turned back to his computer to enter the recommended promotion and think over everything.


Archer flipped the 260th page, deciding the book was actually getting worse. It was bad, but it helped him occasionally avoid thinking about everything – how T'Pol felt about Trip, whether Trip was leaving Enterprise because of T'Pol and how the hell he'd managed to get himself into this fiasco. As his eyes moved onto page 261, T'Pol walked in.

"I was wondering if you were going to sleep here tonight," he said. It felt awkward to mention it, but it was the truth.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted me to," she said. It sounded like she felt equally ill at ease about the situation.

Silence rang out between them and he thought momentarily about going back to his book.

"I take it your meeting didn't go well with Shran?" she asked.

He sighed and put the book down. "No."

"I'm sorry my feelings put us in jeopardy. I knew my mental shields were battered."

"It's okay," he said.

"Did they discuss what they gleaned with you?"

He thought about telling her he didn't know, but then thought the truth might actually help her avoid becoming ensnared in the situation they assumed was already happening – not that Archer thought she'd sleep with Trip.

"They think you're harboring feelings for Trip."

An eyebrow raised. "What makes them say that?"

"Jhamel picked up … confusion. And apparently Shran talked with Trip and he thinks Trip's leaving Enterprise because of you. Both of those things led him to believe you and Trip are running around together."

The Vulcan seemingly staggered for a moment and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Do you think that's the case?"

"Which one?" he asked.

"Do you think Trip is leaving Enterprise because of me?"

Glancing out the window at the stars, he shrugged. "I don't know."

He gave a half-hearted smile and looked back toward her. "For the record, I don't think you're … running around with Trip."

T'Pol nodded. "No. We haven't … run around … for some time."

Although the comment made him a little embarrassed – mostly that they'd "run around at all" – he was happy that she understood innuendos these days.

"Shran quoted the subparagraphs of 14 to me."

She nodded. "If you're concerned that I'll show some sign of affection to Commander Tucker, you have nothing to worry about."

Without really acknowledging that, he decided to change the subject. "Trip recommended Lt. Commander Kelby become our new chief engineer."

"Kelby? I was certain he'd promoted Lt. Commander Hess."

"What's your opinion?" he asked.

"Lt. Commander Hess is a superior engineer. She has more years of training and expertise."

"Trip said she was rough around the edges … as if we'd argue."

"You and Commander Tucker argue."

Archer smiled. "I think he believes the two of us would argue more."

"You do like things your way."

As if caught, he put his head to his chest. "I guess so."

"Lt. Commander Kelby is more congenial. He's also more likely to follow orders."

"So, you'd select Hess?"

"Yes. Although you like things your way, I think you value disagreement … even if you don't recognize it immediately."

Giving a chuckle, he quietly agreed with her. "I'll take your recommendation under advisement. Did you work out the shore leave schedule for tomorrow?"

"Yes, there's a skeleton crew assigned to Enterprise."

"Where am I on that list?"

"I overheard your comment to Captain Hernandez and took it to mean you didn't have time to take a small vacation."

He sat up. "Sorry, I didn't think you were awake."

"You and she went mountain climbing back on Earth?"

His eyes fell to the bed. "Yeah. I wanted to go alone, but she tagged along after me. In the end I was kinda grateful she did."

"Just the two of you."

"That's right."

After a long pause, he asked. "Something wrong?"

"It's really none of my business."

Wrinkles sported along his brow; he had a feeling what was coming. "Go ahead."

"Were the two of you ….?"

He nodded and then looked away.

"As recently as ….?"

He'd wanted to explain he'd, to use Trip's words, "had one heck of a dry spell," but somehow doubted he could do that with a straight face, without getting embarrassed or that she would really understand. So, going with economy of words, he answered her question.

"Yes."

Surprise jumped onto her face and then she contorted it back to being nonplussed. "I see."

That sounded like jealousy.

"Perhaps I should arrange the duty roster so that you have a chance to see her?"

He sighed. "Our relationship isn't really like that. I mean …."

Searching for the right words, he stared at the Vulcan whose eyes were wide, waiting for some kind of answer.

Leaning forward a little and shifting positions, he explained. "It was kind of a one-time thing."

"A 'one-time thing'? You and she had sexual relations only once?"

No. "I meant, it's not something either of us want to continue. She was helping me out through a difficult time."

"Helping?"

"Yeah. Because I was hurting, she wanted to help me."

"Help you? Through sex?"

"It's complicated." His brows knitted together. "Didn't you say you and Trip had that same understanding?"

An eyebrow sprang up at the question, which she declined to answer.

"Listen, if you're wondering why I would do that knowing how I felt about you …," he began.

"We have a friendship. Nothing more. Who you have relations with doesn't concern me."

His lips compressed.

"I find it ironic that so soon after Rajiin …."

He interrupted her, angrily. "I didn't do anything with her."

"You asked her to dinner alone – without Trip and me."

"I thought you'd be busy with neuropressure."

"I doubt that's the case."

He heaved a deep breath and worked himself out of the bed. "I didn't sleep with her."

She looked unconvinced.

"All right, T'Pol, if you must know – it'd been four years … four very long and very lonely years before I decided to sleep with anyone. And I wouldn't have, if I hadn't had to stomach rumors about you and Trip for an entire year."

The Vulcan's jaw dropped and he continued, already whipped into a frenzy. Beginning to pace around the room, his voice echoed off the deck plating and steel walls.

"Don't sit there and look at me … judging me … as if I've done something wrong! I wasn't out there screwing around with someone under my command!"

"No, but apparently you wanted to."

Stopping in his tracks, he wheeled around and glared at her. "What the hell did you just say to me?"

"I think you heard me."

Marching over to stand in front of her, all out of comebacks, his face turned red and his breathing grew more erratic. Turning steely, he leveled what his pals in the Academy used to call his death glare. Just as he opened his mouth, the door opened behind him.

Archer spun around. "What the ….!"

Shran interrupted. "Doorbell doesn't work and you didn't hear me knock. Did I come at a bad time?"

"Yes!" Archer yelled.

"No," T'Pol said, getting up. Sticking her nose into the air, she passed by the Andorian and strolled out.

When the door slid shut behind her, Shran shook his head. "I knew this Tucker business was bad news. She left you, didn't she?"

Archer put his hands on his hips and his voice growled. "No, we're just having a disagreement. And it's not about Trip."

"Sounded like a fight to me."

The captain rolled his eyes.

"What's it about?" Shran asked.

"It's none of your damned business."

"I knew it was Trip."

Archer snorted. "I didn't tell T'Pol about a … relationship I had earlier this year. I suppose I should've."

The Andorian's antennae crinkled as he winced.

"Let's go get a drink. Maybe I can help you sort this out."

TBC