Title: Chocolate Chips
Fandom: Enterprise
Summary: Travis POV

Pairing: none
Rating: G

Author: Yes!

Flaming: NO ;o)
Archive: if you ask for this story to be archived on your site I will probably say yes but please ask!

Disclaimer: Trek ain't mine. What a shame… Just playing.

Author's Note: this is the third instalment of the series 'The Enterprise Incident' (this takes place after 'Miso Broth')

Thanks to Cat for editing this for me!

Part 3

Chocolate Chips

© Xeen

Look at me, Travis thought. I got the world on a string. No, not the world, the universe, the galaxy! I am only 26 and already a legend. He took a step away from the mirror. The first helmsman to ever pilot a starship to warp 5.

His smile broadened as he straightened unconsciously watching his reflection in the mirror. Should he have the choice, he'd rather spend his birthday in the sweet spot with a few true friends. Have some beer, play some mah-jong. He would have been quite content with it.

He had to attend the party it took the "girls" weeks to organise instead. When he learnt of it in the first place, it looked just like a set up. They had arranged to rendezvous with another ship and have a huge party on a class M planet of the Kalhita cluster. Commander Tucker was to talk him into it and fortunately, he did it well ahead of time.

As far as he can recall, Travis had always been ground sick. When everyone else on Enterprise was so eager to go down get some fresh air and discover new exotic lands, he thought himself lucky to stay put at the helm. He had been born on a cargo and never planned to get a life on any planet. He'd known all along he must leave the Horizon and his choice had been to join Starfleet Academy.

Captain Travis Mayweather…

That is precisely when Archer had made his dreams come true. And see how time flies! Today he'll turn 27. As a result, he was stuck with that party. Not the kind of party the captain intended for Malcolm the year before in a remote spot of the launch bay. It was going to
be really huge, everyone will be there. Well, the more the merrier, they say. Actually, it was supposed to be the biggest social event on Enterprise since last New Year's Eve. Hoshi made a point at turning Chef mad for the last two weeks, coming up with a special birthday cake. He had felt as though he had been grilled by every woman on board in order for Hoshi to find out what should be his ultimate favourite dessert. He'll find out soon enough, he thought with a last glance to the mirror.

Maybe he could hang around with Phlox and Hutchinson for a while. He wishes he had never mentioned to Cutler those parties they used to throw on the Horizon. Never say too much to a girl. That would serve him right.

He had been told to put the ship at full stop at 06:00 hours and was expected at the party at 06:30 hours. Sub Commander T'Pol checked the Vulcan data banks and reported to the captain that there was no danger in that particular sector. The same Vulcan, whom he did consider as a pompous know-it-all at first, not only turned out to be a valuable asset to the ship, but also became a friend. As a result, she had informed him that she would be honoured to attend his
birthday party.

So much for exploration! They soon wouldl be known in the entire quadrant as the party cruiser.

"Won't you change your mind and try this, Sub Commander?" Archer asked.
"I am quite certain captain. I have some more research to do, I should probably go back to my quarters."
"You're teasing me aren't you?"
"Vulcan do not tease, captain. It is inappropriate to think…"
"I was simply teasing you, Sub Commander," he said, taking her by the elbow with an enticing smile.
She tilted her head and her eyebrow arched a little. "You do think I should give that beverage a try?"
"Champagne is not really alcohol," Archer pushed. "More like wine. Take a sip but I won't take no for an answer," he paused and looked at her intensely, "not this time."
T'Pol's skin took a peculiar shade of bronze. Archer will not let her go with it. She felt a little dizzy and on the edge. Too much light, too many people. She was in a great need of meditation. Right now.
She shivered to the light contact.
"There is a small amount of alcohol in wine," she said bluntly.
"I shall be happy to give you a full Vulcan physiology class, captain," Phlox said out of the blue startling both of them.
To T'Pol's surprise, it was the captain's turn to blush. He put his hand before his mouth, as he always did when he was embarrassed or under stress. She watched him, the perfect image of the Sphinx. Then Hoshi whispered something to her ear and she was gone.
The good doctor stared at Archer with his Cheshire smile and held up a hand towards a small group. "Here comes the cake, Captain!"

Why did he feel guilty for what happened? He didn't know that someone has put some vodka in the orange juice! He did not want that damned party to begin with. He should have check twice.
When T'Pol approached him with a piece of cake, sort of begging for a drink, he thought that orange juice would be the perfect beverage. She graced him with the shadow of a smile and vanished.
It is only when he was back to the bridge several hours later, reporting for duty, that he noticed something unusual about the Sub Commander. Not to mention the tension in Archer's voice. Commander Tucker was mesmerized, Hoshi falling apart, Mr Reed steadily avoiding
to place any gaze in the direction.
As for Captain Archer ?
Oh my!
And this was all his fault!
If Captain Archer tells me that he gets rid of me and I have to stay on the nearest station and wait for the next cargo to get me back to Earth, I will. Honestly, I will. Without uttering a word…
I will take the entire responsibility for what happened. I deserve it.

tbc in "The Magic PADD"