Star Trek Enterprise Bk. 02 - Inherit Ch. 12

If Erika Hernandez had noticed Danaë that night in the bar, she probably would have assumed that any possible competition was run off. Perhaps for a moment she was right. When the second day of Archer's debriefing reached a boiling point between him and Soval, it was decided that the captain needed to take a few days and recuperate. Archer didn't wait to be told twice. He wanted to get away from everyone and everything. Having heard Danaë talk about her many adventures rock and mountain climbing, he had become nostalgic for the days when he had engaged in the pastime. For a moment he even contemplated inviting her, but changed his mind out of fear of prying eyes and wagging tongues.

The mountains he chose were about as far as you could get from people and the rewards for a hard day's climb were some of the most incredible views that the area had to offer. He had checked his equipment and supplies repeatedly before leaving so he was confident he could handle the journey. He checked his rigging no less than three times to make sure he had hooked it up properly and was ascending towards one of the peaks when movement on his right side caught his attention. He had not expected to meet anyone in such a remote area so it had come as a complete surprise when he turned and saw Erika climbing the mountain with him. She reminded him that it wasn't safe to climb without a partner and it seemed to Archer that having a good trusted friend at his side would only make the adventure better..

What he didn't expect was the way Erika's presence would dredge up a conflict within himself. During the Xindi conflict he had found himself in a moral conflict where he had given in to torture, piracy and other acts that were repugnant and against his better self. He had sworn he would never behave in such a fashion and yet he did, again and again. Where had the Archer that once left Space dock full of hope and excitement gone? Was he gone forever?

Talking to Erika and seeing that idealistic look in her eye was a constant reminder of how he used to be before the Xindi mission. She had his optimism, his naivety. When she kissed him and offered to help him find whatever he had lost, it seemed like exactly what he needed. She was warm and familiar and for a moment he dared to believe she could reignite the spark he feared had gone out. All that night they talked. He told her about different missions, things he saw both good and bad. He told her stories about Trip, T'Pol, Hoshi, Malcolm, Travis Mayweather, but in particular Lt. Darcy seemed to come up a little too often for Erika's comfort.

The next day they continued their climb and Archer seemed a bit more like his old self again. They had still not reached the summit, but as Captain Hernandez pointed out they could make it by nightfall. In a moment of flirtation she asked Archer why they had ever stopped seeing each other. He smiled and pointed out that he had been given a promotion and outranked her. It would have been inappropriate. Kissing her on the mountainside, she asked what Starfleet would think of them rekindling their romance. He quickly reminded her of the climber's code that stated that what happened on the mountain stayed on the mountain, before kissing her again. For a brief moment everything seemed perfect.

"Do me a favor," he said, smiling down at her. "When your ship leaves the space dock and you begin making your first contacts, don't let their fear and hatred change who you are." At this request she was surprised. "It's some advice Lt. D'Arcy once gave me."

"Lt. D'Arcy... Danaë." She gave a half-hearted smile and shook her head. He looked at her, not understanding the change in her demeanor, or why she moved away from him. "Jon, have you paid much attention to the stories you've told me since last night?"

"Not really. I know I've mentioned Trip and T'Pol."

"Yes, but another name keeps coming up. You even said it in your sleep." He suddenly realized the name she meant and furrowed his brow. "I don't know what transpired between you two during this mission and it's not my business, but I think the two of you really need to talk." She looked up at him, her dark eyes full of disappointment. "It's funny, I really believed I could help you find what you had lost. Turns out someone else already did."

The two didn't say much for a few moments. Archer looked up at the summit, the view that he once said looked fine, suddenly seemed a bit more precarious. There were a lot of things he had tried not to think about on the Xindi mission, particularly the less than ethical decisions he had made, but there had been another too. He was aware that he and Danaë had grown close... too close really. They both knew the regulations and had never really talked about it. Upon returning to earth, the guilt he felt over some of his decisions had been all consuming, especially when they had called him a hero. He would have liked to have gone to Danaë and talked to her the way he had in that cave on Dyfed, but he refrained. Instead he chose to follow the path of propriety as decreed by Starfleet.

Running into Erika at the bar seemed like a Godsend. Here was someone he had history with, equal rank, there were no rules to break. Still, where once he had possessed an attraction and even a romantic attachment to her, he now felt only friendship. Part of him wished he could recapture the fire they had had from many years ago, but it was impossible, and the truth was that he had no desire to erase what he felt for Danaë.

"How did you know about her and I?" he asked suddenly, wondering where he had slipped up and concerned that Starfleet would also discover the truth.

"When I was reading your reports I noticed that on a couple of occasions your knack for precise detail wasn't there," she answered and he looked at her puzzled. "For example, when you wrote about your first contact with the Gintare on Dyfed, there was no mention of Lt. D'Arcy after the prison break. It was as if she disappeared. That might not seem like much, but it was a bit odd for you. I've seen you go into great detail as to the opinions and comments made by Cmdr. Tucker, T'Pol or Ensign Sato, but when it involves Lt. D'Arcy you say nothing. Later when you reported the incident with the yamanu, you were careful to mention her abduction and return as well as the attempt to destroy the ship, but the attack on you was glossed over and her attempted suicide was barely a footnote. Dr. Phlox left notes in her file on the incident which were quite detailed until the attempted suicide. Then all it said was that you managed to get her weapon away from her and she could be taken back to sickbay."

"You read her file?"

"When Admiral Forrest suggested her as a possible candidate for Chief Engineer on the Columbia, I wanted to know all about her," Captain Hernandez clarified to which Archer had to concede. "It made me wonder what happened in that room that no one wanted to talk about. I know she's in love with you. I made a point of talking to her and I'll admit that I was... abrasive. She denied that there was anything between you two and was almost convincing." She noticed the concerned look on her old friend's face and went back over to him with a gentle smile. "Don't look so worried. No one else knows but me, and I never break the climber's code."

"I'm sorry," he told her.

"Not at much as I am." She smiled and tried to look happy, but he saw through it and hugged her.

The next morning the two left the mountain and Archer once more endured the mission's debriefing and in particular Ambassador Soval's cold accusatory style of questioning. In the end he was thanked for all he had done, even by the Vulcan ambassador who, to the surprise of everyone in the room, admitted that while Archer's decisions may have been morally questionable, they were necessary and saved more civilizations then just earth. Captain Hernandez shook his hand and thanked him. As she gave him a hug, she whispered softly in his ear.

"Go find your Danaë."

This he immediately did. He knew she had no home and fully expected to find her either on the Enterprise or still at Hoshi's place. To his disappointment he found her quarters were stripped of what few belongings she had. While this discovery was concerning, the captain reminded himself that she had always been a wanderer and as such, she owned very few possessions so she probably took them all with her while on shore leave.

Heading down to his own quarters the captain passed Dr. Phlox on his way to check on his animals in sickbay. Curious, he asked the doctor if he had seen Lt. D'Arcy at all since the night of the celebratory banquet and was informed that he had not. At least the doctor couldn't recall seeing her. He had mostly been preoccupied with trying to locate a missing hypospray that was loaded with some pain medication. He had searched in every drawer, cupboard and even his animal cages, but found nothing. He wasn't too overly concerned since the drug wasn't terribly strong, more like the kind one would be used to alleviate basic aches and pains, or even a headache. Even so, he didn't like the idea of equipment and medication being unaccounted for. At this, Archer's ears perked up and he immediately became suspicious, but said nothing. Instead he nodded and assured Dr. Phlox him that it would undoubtedly turn up.

Acting on his misgivings, the captain immediately went to his quarters and sat down at his desk. He had seen that all of the lieutenant's belongings were gone and now a hypospray loaded with the same type of drug she used was missing. It was all circumstantial, but he didn't like what it could mean. Archer examined the bottom drawer where he kept Danaë's twenty-fourth century phaser and found it was locked, just as he had left it. Just to be sure, he slipped in his key and opened it so he could visually verify that the phaser was still there. Relieved to see it still in its place, he re-locked the drawer and sat back in his chair, certain that he was just being paranoid.Archer told himself as much before finally getting up and leaving his quarters.

The captain was silently chiding himself for overreacting when Malcolm Reed approached him in the corridor. This was a bit of a surprise since the entire crew was supposed to be on shore leave. It seemed the lieutenant was enjoying some much needed R & R when he received a notification that two phase pistols had been checked out without any authorization. Reed was on his way to look into the matter, but the captain quickly stopped him. To Archer it all made sense. Lt. D'Arcy either didn't know where he hid her phaser or couldn't get in so she took two new ones. He was sure of it. Archer rubbed his forehead while assuring Malcolm that he would take care of the matter then as soon as Malcolm was out of sight he immediately left the Enterprise for Hoshi's place.

To his frustration, Danaë wasn't there. It seemed that she had left the night before last. Hoshi wouldn't have known that much except that the lieutenant had accidentally knocked over a couple of things on the coffee table and awakened her. Archer remained calm, but he did not like the way things were going. Lt. D'Arcy had a long history taking off and disappearing where no one would find her. He didn't want that to happen this time.

"Did she say where she was going at all?" he asked.

"All she said was that she was going home," the ensign shrugged, not understanding what it could mean.

"She doesn't have a ho-" Captain Archer abruptly stopped mid-sentence as the answer lit up his mind like a high score on a pinball machine. La Barre, France, Danaë was headed to the Picard vineyards. Perhaps it wasn't really her home, not in this century anyway, but it was the nearest thing to it.