The Dance

The Dance

By Blue Belle

Series: Enterprise
Pairing: Trip/T'Pol-ish, Reed/Sato-ish
Rated: PG
Summary: The Captain suggests having a dance in order to boost morale.
Comments: I apologize in advance. I couldn't help myself. *sob* What kind of writer have I becooome?
Warning: This fic has been described as "cute". You're on your own from here on in.
Comments #2: My first semi-serious Enterprise fic. Give me a break! It's hard to pin down characters after 3 episodes! :op
Disclaimer: Enterprise isn't mine. I wish to hell it was. Actually, if they would just give me Connor, I'd be a happy, happy girl.
Feedback: Is adored and enjoyed. Even the flames!

*************

Jonathan Archer sat in his chair in the centre of the bridge, amused by just how quiet it was. He tossed the object in his hands across the room. "Nice catch," he smirked as the man at the security station caught the ball.

"Thanks," came the offhand reply. He tossed the ball back to the Captain and glanced down at his computer console.

Archer caught the ball easily. "You're looking a little bored, Malcolm. Getting tired of playing?" He dropped the volleyball to the floor, making a loud echo through the silent room.

Malcolm Reed lowered his eyes to the screens in front of him. "More like I'm just tired of having nothing to do everyday."

"I think we're all a little bored," added Ensign Mayweather. He turned to face the Captain. "There hasn't exactly been a lot of activity in the past few weeks."

Archer slowly nodded his head. "What this crew needs is some recreation."

"Waterpolo, sir?" joked Lieutenant Reed.

Archer smiled. "You just wait till we find a planet with a lake, Malcolm. You'll be eating your words."

"I know I could use a little exercise," said Ensign Sato. "This ship's been feeling a little cramped."

Mayweather sighed dramatically.

"Don't give up on the idea yet, Travis. Hoshi may be on to something," exclaimed the Captain.

"Sir?" asked Sato.

"Exercise, Ensign. That's all we need. Exercise, and a little fun." Archer smiled to himself, deep in thought. His eyes lit up when the idea found him. "We should have a dance."

Malcolm's eyes widened in horror. "A...dance?"

Archer turned to look at him. "Don't look so worried. It might be fun."

"Actually, that's not a bad idea," said Travis, earning him a glare from Reed.
Hoshi remained very quiet and very still, hoping to hell the Captain wouldn't ask her what she thought.

He didn't.

"I'll go make the preparations now," said Archer as he headed for his ready room.

When the door closed behind the Captain, both Hoshi and Malcolm let out deeply held breaths.

And then the bridge became eerily silent.

*

"A dance?" yelped Trip Tucker in his honey southern accent. "A mandatory dance? What's that mean?" He lowered his PADD and looked at Reed, confused.

"It means," sighed Malcolm, "If you don't show up, the Captain will throw you in the Brig." He closed the lid of the phaser box and shoved it into a compartment.

Tucker sealed the door. "Is the Cap'n on some sort of medication?"

"Not that I'm aware of," said Reed as he made his way up the ladder to the Engineering Deck.

Trip blinked his eyes in acceptance. "Well, I guess I should get out the ol' monkey suit, eh?"

Reed knew better than to ask. "Yes, sir," was all he said as Commander Tucker walked away.

*

Captain Archer stood in one of the sections that was being converted into a dance hall. He was mighty proud of himself.

"More balloons, Ensign," he said to one of the decorators, "Let's make the place colorful." He grinned to himself and picked up some glitter, tossing it along the floor.

Sub-Commander T'Pol walked through the doors just as the Captain was blowing up a balloon. He pulled the plastic away from his lips. "T'Pol," he announced, "Come to help decorate?"

She eyed him mockingly. "No, I did not." She clasped her hands behind her back and looked around the room. "Is this really necessary, Captain?"

Archer smirked and followed the Vulcan's gaze. "I think it is. The crew needs some recreation." He drew a breath and exhaled into the balloon.

"I have overheard several conversations about this...dance," The last word came out in an almost disgusted tone. "Some of the crew are uncertain as to why attendance is mandatory."

The Captain laughed lightly. "I knew some people would try to back out. Once they get here, they'll be fine." He paused a moment and looked over T'Pol's expression. "You'll have fun, too, Sub-Commander."

T'Pol locked her eyes with his. "I highly doubt that."

Archer tied the balloon and tapped it into the air. "Don't Vulcans dance?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I fail to see your point."

"Don't worry," smirked Archer.

"I'm not worried."

"Right. Well, then, you shouldn't have any problems attending the dance." He smiled coyly and walked past the Vulcan and out the door.

T'Pol blinked and followed him out.

*

"So tonight's the big night!" exclaimed Mayweather. He smiled in joy.

Hoshi and Malcolm looked up from their breakfasts. The dining area was bustling with activity. The cooking staff was going to all lengths to get food ready for the dance.

"You seem pretty excited about it," said Hoshi, getting back to her food.

"Sure I am. The ship I grew up on used to have parties all the time. They were a blast!"

"It would have been nice if Starfleet would have prepared us for dance-fanatical captains," smirked Lieutenant Reed.

Travis grinned. "I still think it's a good idea. Come on," he slapped Malcolm on the arm, "We'll have fun!"

"Fine," conceded Reed, "But I'm not dancing."

"Actually," sighed Ensign Sato, "I hate to admit it, but tonight might actually do us some good. I could use some human interaction outside of work."

"What about non-human interaction?" smiled Reed.

Hoshi smirked. "That, too."

"I could use some girl-interaction, that's for sure!" giggled Travis, taking a last mouthful of food.

Hoshi rolled her eyes. "We're not supposed to dress up, are we?"

Reed whipped his head to face Sato. "Dress up? I certainly hope not."

"I was gonna wear something casual. I don't think there's a dress code." Travis pushed his plate aside.

"Good," said Hoshi, relieved.

"Well," sighed Mayweather, slapping the table, "Time to get to work." He waggled his eyebrows. "See you both later!"

Reed glanced at Sato blankly. "It'll be a blast," he said, mockingly. Hoshi giggled.

*

Captain Archer walked into the dance hall. Several near-empty rooms near Engineering had been converted into party rooms, with streamers and balloons filling every crevice. Since there was no live band on board the Enterprise, loud music was pumped through the intercom speakers, filling the rooms with various pop, classical, and alternative music. Jonathan smiled and headed toward the buffet table. He raised his eyebrows at the selection of pastries and drinks. "It looks like you guys have outdone yourselves again. My compliments to the chef," he said to the man behind the bar.

"Thank you, sir."

Jonathan took a glass of red wine and stepped up to the window. The reflections of the balloons nearly blotted out the starry sky. Captain Archer turned as he heard the doors open.

"Malcolm. Travis. I'm glad you could make it," he said, smiling.

Lieutenant Reed raised his eyebrows. "Yes, sir."

Archer laughed, "No need for 'sir' here, Malcolm. We're off duty now."

He smiled sheepishly. "Of course."

"So how's it going so far? Are there lots of people here?" Travis strained to look down the hall.

Jonathan took a sip of his wine. "Not too many yet. I think there are a few people dancing in the far room."

Mayweather smiled. "If you'll excuse me, then..." he said, walking past his colleagues and into the crowd.

Reed sighed and grabbed a drink from the bar. "I suppose I should get drunk enough to enjoy myself," he said, winking.

"You'll have a hell of a hangover tomorrow."

"I'll take my chances," he replied, downing the alcohol. "I could always get the doctor to give me something for the pain."

Archer laughed. "Speak of the devil..." he said, motioning towards the door. Dr. Phlox stepped in and walked up to the twosome.

"Good evening," he said, smiling. He looked around the room. "What lovely decorations, Captain." He cocked his head at the floor. "Are those balloons?"

"Yes they are," grinned Archer. "Never seen a balloon before?"

Phlox picked one up and admired it. "Never," he said, squeezing it slightly. "Veeeerry interesting."

Hoshi sidled up beside the group. "Hey you guys," she said, taking a sip of water.

"Hoshi," grinned Archer, "When did you get here?"

"I've been here a while, actually," she said. "I was talking with Ensign Cutler in the other room."

"Having a good time?" asked Reed, smirking.

"Not too bad," she replied, smiling. "And yourself?"

Reed picked up another glass from the bar and raised it forward. "A blast," he said, before downing the beverage.

Hoshi rolled her eyes. "At least you're getting into the spirit of things."

Dr. Phlox narrowed his eyebrows. "I hope you aren't going to come crawling into Sickbay tomorrow, Lieutenant."

Reed laughed lightly. "Don't worry, Doctor. I can hold my drink."

"Well," said the Captain after finishing his wine, "I'm going to do a little mingling." He set his glass on the counter and nodded to everyone. "Have fun," he said before disappearing into the crowd.

"I'm going to do some mingling at the bar," said Reed, pulling a stool up and sitting down on it. Hoshi smirked and took a seat beside him.

Phlox looked around the room with interest. "I think I'll go to the dance floor. Goodbye." He nodded curtly and left.

Hoshi licked her lips. "I don't know how anyone can dance to this music. It's terrible."

"American pop," replied Malcolm sarcastically. He reached around to grab another drink. "Not exactly classic."

Ensign Sato raised an eyebrow in Reed's direction. "Are you okay? You seem to be drinking a lot."

Malcolm stopped mid-sip and lowered his glass. He blinked in thought and then laughed. "I suppose I might be overdoing it a tad." He set the glass down on the counter.

"I think there's a group in the other room that's started a card game. Do you want to go watch?" she asked, smiling.

"Sure, why not?" replied Reed, getting up. He turned back at the last second to grab his drink, and then followed Hoshi away from the bar.

*

Commander Tucker entered the dance hall and craned his neck trying to find someone he knew. After a few seconds of searching, he bit his cheek and headed for the bar.

"Thanks," he said as he was handed a shot glass. He swallowed the beverage and gazed around the room, scoping out a good location to get comfortable.

"Looking for someone, Commander?" came a woman's crisp voice from behind him.

He turned and narrowed his eyes. "Nope. Just admiring the decoratin'," he said sarcastically.

"Hmmmm," said T'Pol as the bartender handed her a glass, "Do you prefer the glitter or the streamers?" She raised an eyebrow at Trip's surprised glance.
He chuckled lightly. "I never thought Vulcans had much of a sense of humour."

T'Pol gave him a knowing look and took a sip of her drink. She pursed her lips and looked around at the crowd. "This party is a waste of time."

Trip snorted on reflex. "Don't let the Captain hear you say that. You'll get an earful."

She simply raised her eyebrows and took another sip of her drink. Trip crossed his arms and sighed. "Why don't you try having some fun for once?" He motioned in the direction of the next room. "Go dance or something."

"Dance?" replied T'Pol, "Don't be ridiculous."

Tucker rolled his head to the side. "Right, I forgot. Vulcans don't bother with such things. Too emotionally involving, am I right?"

T'Pol glanced up at him and blinked. "Yes, you are right." She stared at him for a second longer before pushing away from the bar and heading back into the crowd.

Trip shook his head slowly, and walked off in the opposite direction.

*

T'Pol breathed deeply as she walked away from Tucker. She found herself increasingly annoyed by his presence. She sometimes felt some difficulty in keeping her emotions in check while she talked with him, and that bothered her.
She entered the next room and stood beside Lieutenant Reed. He was watching the card game in front of him quite intently. "Good evening, Lieutenant," she offered.

Malcolm whipped his head around, nearly spilling his drink. "T'Pol," he said, his British accent sounding slightly slurred, "Good evening." He smiled and sipped his drink, and turned his attention back to the card game. "Hoshi's doing quite well," he said, nudging T'Pol's arm.

The Vulcan raised an eyebrow at Reed's condition, but said nothing. "What game are they playing?" she asked.

"It's po...," he paused, unsure of himself. "Uhm, it might be poker. It was poker," he furrowed his brow, "I have no idea what they're playing." He frowned and finished his drink in one gulp.

T'Pol blinked lightly. "I see," she said, finding herself less interested in the game with every passing second. She looked around the room and spotted Dr. Phlox. "Excuse me, Lieutenant," she said, walking away from the crowd.
Reed just nodded slowly, still trying to figure out just what kind of card game his colleagues were playing.

*

T'Pol sauntered up to Dr. Phlox, seconds before he took Ensign Cutler's hand and led her out onto the dance floor. The Vulcan stopped suddenly, and watched in curiousity as they danced. Phlox looked as if he didn't move that way very often - he was quite uneven. Cutler looked like she was having a good time.

"Looks like fun, doesn't it?" came a voice from behind her.

T'Pol turned to see Captain Archer standing behind her. "Excuse me?"

Archer smiled and nodded towards the dance floor. "Looks like fun," he repeated. "Care to dance?" He held out his hand, waiting for her to take it.
"I would prefer not to," she said, turning her face away from his.

Archer sighed and took T'Pol's hand. "One dance, Sub-Commander. Do it as a favour. For me." He winked and led her out to the floor.

T'Pol gritted her teeth and hesitantly walked out with the Captain. He took her into his arms, leaving a significant distance between them. On some level, T'Pol felt relieved that Archer wasn't asking her to dance to a song with a faster beat.
"See? This isn't so bad, is it?" Jonathan grinned.

"I never said it would be," she replied, unamused.

Archer laughed lightly and continued dancing. When the song was over, he broke his contact with her and stepped back. "Thank you, Sub-Commander," he said, with a tip of his head.

"You're welcome," she said, walking off the dance floor. Archer followed her, smirking.

Trip was leaning against a table, drink in hand, as T'Pol and Archer walked off the floor. "Hey guys," he said, smiling, "Nice dancin' out there."

"Thanks, Trip," he replied, "Our resident Vulcan has quite a talent for it." He grinned in her direction, and T'Pol met him with an icy glare.

"Really?" said Trip, curious. He felt amused whenever he could annoy T'Pol. "I'd like to experience that firsthand." He set down his drink and walked up to the Vulcan. "Could I have the honour of this dance?"

T'Pol stiffened. Normally she would have prefered not to, but the smug look on Trip's face made her reconsider. "If you must," she said, walking back out onto the dance floor.

Trip laughed and followed her out. The song was once again a slow one, so he took her into his arms held tightly.

After several seconds, Tucker's smile slowly faded. He moved the hand on her back down slightly and looked into her eyes, confused. "Loosen up a little, Sub-Commander. You're too tense."

"Unlike you, Commander, I am not enjoying this."

Trip looked momentarily saddened. "If you ain't liking it, why did you agree to it?"

"I'm attempting to integrate myself better into your human culture. Obviously many of the crew are offended by my presence. I thought it wise to try to..." she paused for a moment, "Blend in."

Tucker's face softened. "We aren't 'offended' by you," he sighed. "You just gotta lighten up, sometimes. Don't take things so seriously."

"Perhaps humans should take things slightly more seriously. I find your race lacks respect for much of what we encounter."

Trip's eyes turned hard. "See, this is what I'm talking about. All you do is insult us."

"I'm not insulting. I'm stating the obvious."

The Commander's frustrated glare moved around the room before returning to the Vulcan's eyes. "Don't you ever give up?"

By this time they had stopped dancing and were standing in the middle of the dance floor, still holding onto each other. The people around them began to find themselves more interested in the impending fight than in the music.

"I fail to understand why humans put so much merit into frivolous experiences. Perhaps if human evolution had started earlier, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Trip scrunched up his face and let go of the Vulcan. He stood only inches away from her. "Maybe we wouldn't be having this conversation if you would get that huge stick outta your Vulcan ass!"

A small crowd had formed around the couple. Both became extremely aware of the attention when a few crewmembers began to giggle.

"Now who's insulting, Commander?" asked T'Pol with an air of superiority.
Trip stepped forward and glared into her brown eyes. His voice became a deep growl. "You listen to me, you little Vulcan bi..."

"Commander!" barked Captain Archer, cutting off Tucker in mid-sentence. Trip shut his mouth quickly and took a step back. "What is going on here?" asked Jonathan, his arms crossed.

"Nothing, Cap'n," replied Trip, not taking his glare off of the Vulcan. "Just a little disagreement."

"Well, I suggest you take it outside," said the Captain, clearly miffed.

T'Pol and Trip both turned their heads toward the Captain. "Sir?" asked Tucker.
"You heard me. I want you both to finish this outside."

"Captain," began T'Pol, trying to plead her case. She was cut off quickly.
"Now!" growled the Captain.

The room was deathly quiet except for the soft violin sounds coming from the speakers. Trip looked at T'Pol with distaste and stomped out of the room. T'Pol followed after him.

When they had both left, the Captain turned back to the gathered crowd. He smiled broadly. "Come on, everyone. Let's not let that ruin our evening." Slowly the crowd returned to normal, but now bustling with chatter about Commander Tucker and Sub-Commander T'Pol.

The Captain walked past Lieutenant Reed and Ensign Sato, who were standing near the back of the room. They watched him head for the bar.

"Wow," said Reed seriously, before snorting into a fit of giggles.

Sato smiled. "I wouldn't mind being a fly on the wall in that corridor," she said, nodding towards the exit that the two had used.

Reed slowly stopped giggling and raised his eyebrows. He smirked lightly. "Do you think if we have look like we're having a fight, the Captain will throw me out, too?" He looked hopeful.

Sato sighed and handed Reed his half-empty glass. "Here," she said, and he took it, winking.

*

Trip walked down the hall, his fists clenching at his sides. He heard the soft footsteps of T'Pol behind him.

"Commander," she spoke, trying to get his attention.

He raised up a hand, but didn't look back to her. "Don't even try to talk to me!" he growled, still walking.

T'Pol stopped in the hallway and stared at the Commander. "You are being unreasonable," was all she had to say to get him annoyed.

Tucker stopped in his tracks and turned around, stomping back to the Vulcan. "Me unreasonable?" he said, clearly irritated, "Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?"

"If you are insinuating that I'm the one to blame, you are sadly mistaken.
Trip stood up straight and nodded his head slowly. He bit his bottom lip, trying in vain to organize his words. "You've done nothing but cause friction since you got on this ship. All you do is stand around and give us grief." He stepped closer to T'Pol and leaned in close to her. "I'd like to rattle those Vulcan emotions around a little...see what kind of person you become after your barriers are breached." A hint of a smile crossed his lips.

T'Pol didn't back off. She merely blinked and turned her head slightly. "My emotions are not of consequence here."

"They never are, are they?" sighed Trip. He licked his lips and moved back slightly. "Maybe if you faced up to them once in a while, you wouldn't have so many frustrations to take out on those around you." He looked over her face, trying to find a hint of any feeling. "Isn't there anything in that mind of yours that you want to express?"

"I can express myself without becoming irrational." T'Pol swallowed silently, restraining herself against the nervous energy bubbling up inside of her.
Trip blinked calmly and turned his face away from her. He gazed at the wall, thinking, before turning back to her. "I don't understand you, Sub-Commander. I really don't."

She lowered her eyes as Tucker turned and walked away. His form disappeared into a room at the end of the hall.

T'Pol clasped her hands behind her back and let out a held breath. She centered herself before moving on and heading to her quarters.

*

Mayweather stepped up to the bar as the party closed down. "Man, that was great. I haven't had such fun in a long time!"

Hoshi smiled, "Yeah, it wasn't bad." She looked at the passed out Lieutenant beside her. "I think Malcolm had a good time, too," she said, giggling.

Travis laughed. "Poor guy. He must've drank enough for the whole crew."

Captain Archer stepped up to the group and narrowed his eyes at Reed. "Is he still alive?"

Hoshi laughed. "Yeah, I think so."

"Well, good," replied Archer, taking a look around the room. "Looks like everyone's clearing out. I suppose we can clean all this up tomorrow."

"We, sir?" winked Mayweather.

"That's right, Ensign," he said, smiling. He blinked softly, and slapped Lieutenant Reed on the back, hard. "Malcolm!" he yelled into the security officer's ear.

Reed jerked up, knocking over a few glasses in the process. "What the bloody..." he started, before realizing where he was. He smiled lightly. "Sorry, sir."

"Quite all right, Malcolm. I think it's time to head out now."

"Of course," he said, getting up on unsteady legs. Hoshi braced him for support.

"I wonder whatever happened to Trip and T'Pol. Think they got into a fist fight?" asked Mayweather, humour in his voice. The group started walking towards the doors.

"I think Dr. Phlox went somewhere with Ensign Cutler, so if they're bleeding in Sickbay, they're going to have to wait awhile. Might give them some time to think about their attitudes," said Archer, annoyed.

Reed laughed lightly. "They're probably off boffing each other by now."

Mayweather snorted into a laughing fit and Hoshi gasped. "What?" she said, her eyes wide.

Jonathan only smiled. "I can't imaging T'Pol ever letting herself go like that."

"Commander Tucker might just be the one to push her over the edge," replied Reed, leaning on Hoshi as they walked out of the room.

"I think it's best not to start rumours, don't you?" asked Archer, smirking at Reed.

"Yes, sir," said Malcolm, smiling in understanding as they continued down the hall.

*

END

Oh my GAWD I'm so sorry for that horrid ending. Hell, I'm sorry about the whole mess. I'll try to never let it happen again.

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Three people have made comments

Funny stuff.... don't worry, it was funny! I just started reading all this stuff... I like this.

I knew it! Malcom started those rumours!

so so funny this gr8 lolz