Kathy Rose - That's how I interpreted T'Pol's intentions as well. I didn't think that T'Pol would have seen apologizing to Trip as being a logical course of action though. Having her offer to help him control his emotions seemed something she would view as logical, and was much more fun to write.

tripaholic - Are you reading my mind now? lol. I do have plans for a post-Cogenitor fic, though I want to get the DVD first to refresh my memory, so it may be a few weeks. Have a few other fics in mind too, so I will try and tackle something else before then. Have gotten the fanfic bug. I calmed Archer down at the end specifically to reasure Trip, as Trip has always come across to me as not being good at separating friendship from command, and I'm sure Archer knows that.

Triptacular - You're welcome. Thanks very much.

Quickbeam1 - I really like Trip stories too. Him and Malcolm are my favorites. Glad you've enjoyed this story.

volley - The "venting the nacelles" incident is what inspired me to write this fic. I'm not as good at warp engineering as Trip is, but when he threatens to vent the Nacelles he makes it quite clear they are not going anywhere. Add to that the expressions on his colleagues faces and the fact that it actually makes T'Pol clarify her orders pretty quickly, no matter how much I looked at it, the only conclusion I could come to was that it would physically prevent Enterprise from leaving. In the middle of a battle, that would be idiotic, and I don't believe Trip is that stupid, so I think he must have been calling her bluff. But no-one on the bridge would have known that for sure except Trip. In the end, that was why I had Archer make himself give Trip a good telling off, and make sure that he understood that.

A big thank-you to everyone who has reviewed this fic. It was very encouraging, as a first time fanfic writer, getting so much feedback, and has helped enormously in making me want to write more.

Notes: Tiny spoiler for Broken Bow. I felt this little saga needed a happy ending. Experienced a bit of "writers block" with this right at the very end. If anything comes to mind I may re-write the last few paragraphs. If not, this fic is finished. Thanks for joining me on the journey.

Responsibilities…

Part Five - Resolutions

The chime sounded in Jonathan Archer's quarters just as the Captain was preparing for the day ahead.

"Come in!"

Trip entered and glanced around him, absently tapping the fingers of his right hand against the PADD he was holding in his left. He was more relaxed than when Archer had seen him the previous night, but still not his normal cheery self, and was apparently still slightly uneasy.

"What can I do for you Trip?" Archer prompted, when the Commander remained silent.

Trip stopped tapping his fingers and glanced at the deck, before lifting his gaze to meet Archer's. He bit his lower lip gently and clasped his handsbefore speaking.

"I really am sorry, you know, Captain. All I could think of was that she was gonna' leave you and I couldn't let her do that. I know I should have trusted her," he pressed on before Archer could speak. "And, I know I should have thought about what I was doing. I'll do better." He shrugged slightly and nodded his head. "I'm sorry I let you down."

"I know you are Trip," Archer replied. He didn't even try to keep the smile from his face and eyes, and Trip relaxed. Archer threw a piece of cheese to Porthos and moved towards the door before continuing in mock seriousness, "Don't let it happen again."

Despite the light tone in Archer's voice, and the reassurance of his smile, Trip knew better than to take the admonishment less than seriously.

"Aye Captain," he said, returning a trademark grin, and following Archer into the corridor.

The two men had walked a little way toward the Captains Mess, nodding acknowledgements to a few passing crewmembers, before Archer spoke.

"More reports?" He asked, indicating the PADD in Trip's hands. Trip cleared his throat.

"I've been reviewing the engineering systems. I think we can increase efficiency in a few areas. I know Malcolm wants to upgrade the weapons systems and we really should get round to fixing that scratched paintwork where we dented the hull back in spacedock…"

He handed over the PADD and Archer glanced through the contents as Trip continued to speak. The data was very thorough, and it crossed Archer's mind that his Chief Engineer was trying to atone for his behaviour by working even harder than usual. He glanced across at Trip and wondered if the man had actually gotten any sleep last night. After a moment he decided that he probably hadn't, and let out an inaudible sigh.

"This is good work Commander," Archer stopped walking, and handed back the PADD. Then, tipping his head slightly to one side, he said with good humour, "I don't think the paintwork is a priority but, while you're at it, maybe you should work out a way of venting the Nacelles that doesn't leave us stuck in one place!"

Trip stood stock still, trying to work out if his friend was being serious or if he really was teasing him. Reassured by the amused look on Archer's face, he let out the breath he hadn't realised he was holding and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he felt the colour rising in his cheeks.

Archer chuckled and reached across to pat Trip on the shoulder. "You are allowed to sleep Commander. That's an order."

Trip didn't answer, and they continued to their destination in companionable silence.

The two men had been in the Captains Mess for a few minutes, and were chatting over coffee, waiting for the steward to serve breakfast, when the Sub-Commander arrived. Archer watched Trip and T'Pol carefully for any sign of tension, but was no indication of any animosity between the two officers, and they settled into polite conversation easily enough.

Archer listened as T'Pol informed them about a protostar that had been detected on scanners earlier that morning, situated within a short detour of Enterprise's current course. His attention focused on a PADD, he almost missed Trip, with a wry grin, making an ironic comment on the subject.

That earned Trip an "Indeed," with a raised eyebrow, and what sounded like the beginnings of a lecture, as Archer struggled to keep the small smile from his face.

Reassured that things between his officers appeared to be back to normal, Captain Archer enjoyed the friendly banter, and felt himself relax. He knew that there would be problems along the way, but his crew were getting there. Like that encounter with the woman on that far away planet, those problems would soon be gone, but never forgotten. Tuning out the scene before him, Jonathan Archer allowed himself to melt into the memory of a distant kiss.

THE END

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