CHAPTER THREE

After waiting in the room for thirty minutes for his friend to return, Jonathan gave up and went to find Trip himself. In the turbo lift – wait, no, elevator – ride down to the lobby, Jonathan considered the possibilities.

It was 3am, so there really weren't all that many options.

Trip could have gone for a midnight jog, which Jonathan knew Trip was prone to do in the hallways of the Enterprise, especially since the Xindi attack. Letting off some steam, most likely. Or, it was possible, that he'd just gone for a walk to clear his head. A lot had happened over the past couple of days.

But neither theory just didn't sit right with him. Whether he was letting off steam or clearing his head, Trip knew better than to go wandering off on his own, particularly when Daniels could fix whatever issues he was having at the other end of the timeline, find the signalling device and whisk them back home again at any minute. And trying to figure out, if Daniels, a temporal agent no less, was fixing the timeline in the future, why it would have any bearing whatsoever on how long he and Trip were stuck here in 2006 - well, that just made his head hurt. Wouldn't it be like no time had passed at all?

If they were separated when Daniels finally got his act and the timeline together… Well, Archer didn't even want to think about that possibility. He was tempted to ditch the device but decided it would be worse for the device to return without either of them. At least, if he was taken home with the device, he could convince Daniels to send him back again to find Trip.

And, if that took a little extra… persuasion… so be it.

It had started to rain at some point during the night and was now coming down in torrents. But, instead of offering relief, the downpour only served to make the humidity even worse. So, just moments after stepping outside, Jonathan was soaked to the bone in both sweat and rain. He grimaced. Not a very comfortable feeling at all.

He looked up and down the street. Where was Trip?

Maybe he was overreacting. Maybe he was panicking over nothing.

After all, his chief engineer could just be out for a walk, needing some time alone. 'In the middle of the night, sir? In the rain? And the heat? You know how I feel about the heat, sir!'

He could end up back at the hotel room any minute now. He could have even taken the other elevator up, while Archer was going down to the lobby! 'If you really believe that, Cap'n, I got an asteroid to sell you in the Solo system. Comes complete with long necked monster livin' inside."

Jonathan was pretty sure he'd gotten that analogy mixed up and could just picture Trip laughing at him when this was all over; when both he and Trip were back safe and sound on the Enterprise.

Belatedly, he noticed the awning extending out past the edge of their hotel. He stepped back to stand beneath it while figuring out where to look first. He withdrew from his pocket the tourist map he had snatched up from a rack in the lobby. At that moment, a horn blared loudly into the night and he looked up in time to see a white delivery van pulling away from the curb.

He couldn't see the driver from this distance but, judging by the way he or she squealed their tires on departure, they were none too happy with the driver of the car who had sounded the horn – and promptly took the van's parking spot.

New Orleans was sure cultivating itself into quite an eccentric city from Archer's point of view.

Now, with the absence of the van, Jonathan's gaze came to rest on the small pub across the street. He considered the establishment carefully.

It wasn't flashy. There was no neon lights advertising its location, likely depending on reputation and word of mouth for clientele. Trip wasn't a big drinker, especially when on duty – or even close to being on duty, Jonathan thought with a smile – but this would be the exact type of establishment he would visit if the desire presented itself.

He watched as a father and son walked past him. The father had his arm slung across his son's shoulders. The son was probably in his late teens or early twenties. He was enduring the physical contact but, when they stepped under a nearby streetlight, Jonathan noted the tinge of pink in the young man's cheeks. Whether he was embarrassed about the physical contact or something else entirely, the captain would never know.

He smiled softly at the scene as he flashed back to his chief engineer's birthday a few years earlier.

He had wanted to pull out all the stops for the young man who'd had his back right from the first moment they'd met! But, in retrospect, Jonathan realized his friend would have likely been happier if it had been just the two of them laughing over a few beers.

April 13th, 2151

Trip's 32nd birthday wasn't until the following week but they'd decided to celebrate early because in just a few days the Enterprise would be departing on her maiden voyage to bring the injured Klingon, Klaang, back to his homeworld of Kronos.

The party was to consist of a much smaller group of people than the captain had wanted but which Trip had insisted on – the man never felt comfortable with too many people making a big deal about him, even on his own birthday!

Other than the Guest of Honour, the attendees were going to be Malcolm, Travis, Doctor Phlox, Hoshi, and, party planner extraordinaire, the captain. Trip hadn't wanted to drink at all, claiming that he didn't want a hangover his first official day on Enterprise. But that wasn't going to be for another three days, so Archer was pretty sure there was another reason.

When they were on their way to the bar everyone had agreed would be the best meeting place, he finally confronted his friend. "So, why is it you're refusing to drink on your birthday?"

"I told you, Cap'n, I don't want – "

"A hangover on your first day, I know. But, see, as the captain, I happen to be privy to the fact that the Enterprise isn't scheduled to leave dock for another 72 hours."

"I ain't as young as I used to be, sir. Hangovers tend to last longer these days."

"Nope. Sorry. I'm not buyin' it. Try again, commander." Archer glanced at Trip just as they happened to walk under a streetlight, and could hardly believe his eyes. "Are – are you blushing?"

Trip looked up at him sheepishly. "Why do people always ask that question? If I were blushing, which I am not, I certainly wouldn't be able to see myself, now would I?"

"You are blushing," Jonathan said, grinning profusely now.

"Shuddup… sir," Trip grumbled.

The comment only served to make Jonathan laugh even harder! After all, it wasn't very often that the easy going, confident Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III felt self-conscious about anything, let alone something as innocuous as getting some drinks with friends… Unless… A light bulb flashed on inside Jonathan's head and he sobered a bit. "You're nervous that you're going to embarrass yourself!"

Another chagrined glance. "It's bad enough that I barely know these people, sir. I'm also gonna be their commanding officer on Earth's first warp five starship! How are they gonna feel about takin' orders from someone they just saw beltin' out 'I'm a Survivor' in Karaoke?"

Jonathan laughed again, clapping Trip on the farthest shoulder, then hooking his arm around his neck and pulling him in for a sideways hug. "I promise, no karaoke! Okay?"

Surprisingly, Trip endured the hug, likely because he was too focused on other things to notice. "That's not the point, an' you know it."

"All right," Jonathan said, keeping his arm where it was for as long as would be allowed. "What if I promise to keep an eye on you?"

"I don't need a babysitter," Trip gruffly declared, just now noticing the captain's one-armed embrace and shrugging him off.

"That's not what I meant," Jonathan reassured firmly, knowing how important Trip's independence was to him.

His father, Charles Tucker II, was a very strong and independent man and Trip strove to be like him in that respect. After Trip had told his dad that Captain Jonathan Archer had chosen him to be his chief engineer, a card had been sent with a congratulatory 'speech' written inside.

Jonathan had gone to pick his friend up for a celebratory night out after all the papers had been signed, making the assignment to Chief Engineer of the Enterprise official, only to have Trip tell him that he'd rather stay home, claiming to not be exhausted. Seeing something amiss in his friend's eyes, Jonathan had decided without hesitation that they should simply watch one of the many movie's Trip had saved on his computer and order in a pizza.

Reluctantly, Trip had agreed. Archer couldn't remember the movie, but he did remember that it had been a really good night. They'd talked and laughed more than they had in a long while.

But, at one point, when Trip had gone to the kitchen to get another couple beers for them, Jonathan had put his feet up, accidentally knocking something off the coffee table. And that had been when he saw the card.

It hadn't been his intention to read it but, after getting a glimpse of a couple words, he'd figured it was a typical proud papa congratulating his son on his accomplishments. Imagine his surprise when what he read was nothing like that at all. In fact, there was nothing 'typical' about it.

Trip had no idea the captain saw the card, and Jonathan had no intention of telling him, but, to this day, the words scrawled on the inside of that card continued to burn a hole in Jonathan Archer's heart:

"Son, the most important thing to remember in life is to never, ever show weakness! Around anyone! Because, I guarantee you, the people with a lower rank than you are gonna be chompin' at the bit to take your job away from you! And your superiors are just gonna be lookin' for a reason to replace you! You need to be constantly on guard. Constantly. ~Dad"

No 'I love you'. No 'Best Wishes'. The word 'Congratulations' wasn't even in that spiel. It had just been so impersonal. So… callous.

And something told him that similar speeches had been given for each of Trip's major achievements to date – when he had entered Starfleet; when he had graduated at the top of his class; even when he'd been promoted to commander.

Archer believed Trip's father was just looking out for his son's best interests… in his own unrelenting way. He had to believe that. Because the alternative was just unthinkable. Either way, it was quite a weight to be placing on your son's shoulders.

Jonathan Archer had silently vowed long ago to do his best to help Trip carry that weight. He ran a couple steps to catch up with his friend.

"Trip, all I meant was that I'll run interference if it looks like you're about to do something you'll regret. Okay?"

His friend studied him, gauging not so much his honesty as his sincerity. Apparently, he was satisfied with what he saw. He offered up a curt nod, then they continued along their way to the bar in companionable silence – with absolutely no idea of the adversity that was about to befall them.

Jonathan knew without a doubt that the man he had become best friends with, and had even come to think of as a surrogate son, would never risk a mission to have a few drinks. And he'd never get drunk alone, with no one to watch his back because, as much as he tried to hide it, he really did care what certain people thought of him.

And, to Jonathan's dismay, Trip had him pretty high on that list of people.

The first was no longer a concern. It had become abundantly clear that their mission had ended when they'd been teleported not a hundred and fifty years but only little over one year into the future – not to mention close to 2000 kilometers from Detroit – so there was nothing to risk in that regard.

However, personal safety was still an issue. Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III was a grown man, and a very capable one at that. Jonathan had no doubt that Trip could take care of himself. He certainly didn't want his friend to get the impression that he thought otherwise. But Jonathan Archer's well-honed instincts were screaming at him that something was wrong!

So, then, why was he still standing there like a drowned rat caught in yet another deluge?

Sadly, a lot of things had changed since Elizabeth's death and Trip Tucker's self-worth was one of them. Trip had always put the needs of the people he cared about – especially, the captain's – before his own but he took that tendency to a whole new level, these days.

So, if Trip was in some sort of danger, the last thing the chief engineer would want would be Jonathan Archer risking his own life to rescue him!

Well, that was just tough! Because the value Jonathan placed on Trip Tucker's life hadn't changed one iota.

Refusing to waste another minute, he abandoned the protection of the awning and headed across the street.

TBC

A/N Crossover characters begin in the next chapter, I promise. Chris LaSalle makes his first appearance around mid chapter. Then Chapter Five will be devoted to LaSalle and Pride.