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Chapter 19: Crystalline

Summary:

The trio emerges from their underground shelter and realize how fragile everything really is.

Notes:

Thank you to everyone who continues to read and looks forward to new chapters. Life has been chaotic and not in the best way. So while I have plans to continue and resolve this story it may take a while. Kind comments and kudos are appreciated always :)

Chapter Text

“What’s the verdict?” Jon approached where Trip was working on the generator. Most of the machine was planted underground, with just the very top and a control panel exposed to the elements. It may’ve been their saving grace, because otherwise Jon wasn’t sure how long they’d be able to survive without it. Their situation was suddenly as fragile as the crystalline trees that were at the edge of the clearing, mutilated by lightning strikes.

Trip stepped back, wiping a hand across his sweat-soaked brow. “I can get the power back on, but I wouldn’t touch any of that unless you want to be electrocuted.” He waved vaguely at what remained of their kitchen, which was mostly a muddy counter and waterlogged stove and refrigerator.

Jon grimaced. “Noted.”

Lilay wandered up, a troubled look on her face. Jon guessed it was bad news, but asked anyway.

“The supply crates?”

She sighed. “The ones that didn’t get tossed around are still sealed and dry. But we lost two crates of food, which includes some of Porthos’ kibble.” She glanced at the dead appliances. “And I’m guessing everything in the fridge went bad.”

Trip made a face. “Uh, yeah. Don’t bother opening the door.”

“I can smell it from here.” She waved a hand at their surroundings. “Most of our stuff is scattered around the clearing. I figured I’d gather what I can and see what can be dried out now that the sun is back.”

Jon nodded. “Sounds like a good plan. I’m going to hike up to the array to see if it’s still working. If it is I’ll get a distress call out to Enterprise. There’s no way we can get the shelter back together without their help.”

“I guess it’s good we got ourselves stranded in the Alpha Quadrant. Otherwise we’d be shit out of luck.” Lilay glanced at Trip, bracing herself for his response. “The generator?”

“I need time, but it can be repaired.”

“Be careful.”

“You know I always try.”

“What about sleeping arrangements tonight?” Jon asked.

“There’s tents down in the bunker I think,” Trip suggested.

Lilay spoke up quickly. “That’s my vote. If I have to spend one more night down there I’ll lose my mind.”

“Tents it is. I’ll bring them up.” Jon headed toward the hatch that would take him back belowground.

Lilay, not looking forward to scavenging for their personal effects, decided a distraction would be best. “I’ll help.”

Lilay and Jon climbed back down into the underground shelter. Thanks to the good ventilation systems it didn’t smell musty, but it was still dark and claustrophobic after they’d spent so much time trapped inside.

Lilay went to the very back wall, looking over the shelves. “I think they’re back here.”

“Lilay, I wanted to talk to you. It’s about Trip,” Jon said, now that it was just the two of them. She turned to him and frowned.

“What about him?”

“He’s acting like he’s moved on from the message his brother sent, but I know he’s lying.”

“I had that thought too. I can try to talk to him about it.”

“Thank you.” Jon made a face. “I, uh, might’ve tried but ended up going for a different approach.”

To his relief, Lilay smiled. “Right. The old ‘fuck around until he forgets’? It’s a very easy tactic with him.” Her smiled curved into a smirk. “Actually, it works on me too.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure who it wouldn’t work on.”

“Here they are.” Lilay had finally located the tents stacked on the utility shelves. She started to pull one free and paused. “These look like they’re going to be pretty small.”

“They’re probably meant for one person.”

Lilay sighed. “Maybe if the weather stays clear we can just sleep under the stars like an old-fashioned camping trip.”

“Not a bad idea. The fresh air would be a nice change.” Jon reached out to help her pull the tents from the shelf. “Let’s take them up just in case. Although I suppose if the weather is bad we’ll just end up back down here.” He swung one tent bag over his shoulder and grabbed a second with his free hand.

“Don’t jinx it.” Lilay swung the third tent over her shoulder.

“To the surface, then,” he said, starting to turn.

“Jon, wait…” She grabbed the strap of the bag over his shoulder and pulled him in for a quick kiss. It was barely a brush of her lips over his, but it sent sparks shooting through him.

He stared at her, trying to focus on her eyes and not her lips. “What’s that for?”

She smiled. “Just so you know I appreciate you.”

He smiled back. “I appreciate you too.”

Lilay held out a hand. “Here, give those to me. You climb up, and I’ll hand them up to you.”

Together they hauled the three tent bags up to the surface. The sun was bearing down on the wet grass and it made the air warm and humid. They left the tents on the dry tarp Lilay had spread out and went their separate ways, Jon toward the hill with the communications array and Lilay to find Trip.

He was bent over the generator, cursing at it. His hand slipped and it smacked the corner of the generator, which caused him to just curse again in pain.

“Easy there.” Lilay was at his side in a second, grabbing his hand and kissing his knuckles gently. “We need you in one piece.”

The scowl disappeared from his face and he smiled at her. “Good timing. Did you find the tents?”

“Yes, three of them. We might just put out sleeping bags though.”

“Old-fashioned camping trip? Please tell me the marshmallows survived the storm.”

She smiled. “I think that crate is fine, but I’ll double check.” She pressed up on her tiptoes to kiss him. He kissed her back, sliding his unhurt hand into her hair. When they broke apart her eyes scanned his face worriedly.

“You’d tell me if something was wrong, Trip?”

He frowned, stroking a thumb across her cheek. “Of course. Why?”

She smiled at him, but this time it didn’t reach her eyes. “I just worry about you.”

“I’m fine,” he insisted. “Although if this generator doesn’t cooperate I’m going to be very pissed.”

“I’ll leave you to it then.” Lilay forced herself to walk away and work on her own tasks. The time would come to talk to Trip, but right now she didn’t want to distract him. And Trip’s best coping mechanism was keeping his hands busy and doing something engineering-related, whether that be taking things apart or putting them back together. She could allow him the space to do that for now at least.

As she went through the remaining crates and took inventory of the surviving supplies, she realized what a relief it was that she had Jon to help look after Trip. Not that he was burden, but she loved him so much that sometimes she took on his emotions and it wore her down. Now, however, she had Jon to talk to about it and help her make sure everything was okay.

Three’s a crowd, she’d told Emma. But maybe three was just the right number after all.

~~~

The communications array had just enough juice to get a distress call out to Enterprise. As soon as it had transmitted there was an alarming spray of sparks and a few sad electronic noises from inside the machine before it went dark. Jon sighed, taking in the sight of the wilted machine. It had taken the brunt of the storm up here on the hill; he didn’t blame it for giving up.

The humans, however, didn’t have that luxury. Jon trudged down the hill with Porthos at his heels. Going down was precarious, due to the soaked grass and muddy terrain. He slipped a couple of times and by the time he made it to the bottom he was covered in mud. Porthos was also muddy up to his little elbows, but he didn’t seem to mind, running happily ahead of Jon as they made their way back to camp. The pup seemed ecstatic to be free of the underground shelter, and Jon wished he could share his excitement. Despite the warm sunshine and pleasant breeze, internally his stomach was in knots at the thought that maybe the distress call hadn’t actually gotten out in time.

Back at camp, Trip was still working on the generator. Lilay was trudging back across the clearing, her arms full of stuff and a bag slung over one shoulder. She was also covered in mud from traversing back and forth through the soggy grass, and she had a tired scowl on her face, which told him the scavenger hunt hadn’t gone well.

Jon made it back into their roofless shelter first. Trip heard him approaching and got to his feet, wiping his hands off on a rag. “What’s the news?” He asked.

“Array’s dead. I think I got out a transmission in time though.”

Trip sighed. “Great. I’ll add it to the list.”

“How’s the generator?”

“Waterlogged but intact. Once it’s dried out a bit we can flip the switch.” Trip wiped a hand across his brow. “Not sure what good it will do us though. Can’t use any of the appliances, heat and AC mean nothing without a roof, the overhead lights are literally ripped out…”

Jon touched a reassuring hand to his friend’s shoulder. “But it will let us charge our lanterns and the camp stove. It’s something, Trip. Good work.”

Trip gave him a tired smile. Lilay arrived in that moment, dropping her armload onto a tarp and letting the bag fall from her shoulder. She looked exhausted, both physically and mentally.

“Everything’s soaked,” she said. Jon walked over to survey what she’d found so far. A lot of it was their clothes and blankets. There were some of Porthos’ toys and his dog bed. A couple of torn-up books that had been from Jon’s stash. A cracked picture of Lilay and Trip on their wedding day.

“Also…I’m sorry, Trip, but I found this.” Lilay dug in the bag and held out a small square of crushed plastic and metal. Trip’s face fell and he took the object from her, turning it in his hands.

“Damn. My camera.”

Jon picked up one of the books. The paper practically disintegrated in his hands. He flipped open the cover to where an inscription had been written; the ink was now blurry and nearly illegible. It had been a gift from T’Pol on his birthday one year. “This planet seems determined to not let us get too comfortable,” he remarked, letting the book fall from his hand back into the pile.

“The array?” Lilay asked, sensing bad news.

“Toast,” Jon replied. “But I think I got a distress call out just in time.”

Lilay glanced at her husband. “Please tell me we’re going to have hot water today.”

Trip shook his head. “Sorry, not going to happen. If you want a hot shower you gotta go down into the bunker.”

“I’m desperate enough to go back down,” Jon admitted, gesturing to the mud quickly drying on his skin and clothes. It was itchy and uncomfortable and smelled slightly. “Want to join me?” He asked, half-teasing, half-serious. The remark escaped him with a surprising amount of confidence.

Lilay stared at him for a moment, surprised. Then she laughed and he felt his shoulders relax.

“Sure, Jon. How can I resist when you’re so… attractive right now?” She teased, indicating his muddy and sweaty appearance.

Trip snorted. “Both of you smell terrible. I’ll enjoy a shower on my own, thanks.”

Lilay opened her arms, approaching him for a hug. “C’mon, you don’t want a piece of this?”

“No, no…” He held up his hands, catching her shoulders and keeping her at arm’s-length. “No! Lilay!”

She laughed and swiped at his shirt, managing to leave a muddy handprint before she scampered off. “I love you…!” She called over her shoulder. He stuck his tongue out at her, then seemed to remember Jon was standing there and looked embarrassed. Jon just chuckled and shook his head.

“You’re both so mature.”

“Have fun. But not too much fun,” Trip said with a wink, turning back toward the generator.

Jon hesitated now. It seemed unfair to leave Trip up here alone, especially after expressing his worries to Lilay. “You’ll be okay up here on your own?”

“Yeah. Sheesh, why are you both so paranoid about me all of a sudden?” Trip asked, frowning at him.

Jon ran a hand through his hair. “I guess I just…”

“Yeah?”

“…Care about you.”

Trip still looked suspicious. “I care about you too, but I’m not being as clingy as you two are.”

“Sorry. Just nerves after the storm.”

Trip’s expression softened. “Don’t apologize. Just stop worrying so much, Jon.”

Is that even possible? Jon thought to himself, as he walked away. But he let the matter go and was quickly distracted by the realization that he’d just asked Lilay to shower with him. You’re getting reckless down here, Archer.

Lilay hadn’t waited. When he climbed down the ladder he could hear water running in the bathroom, which was at the rear of the shelter. He followed the sound and pushed open the door. It was already warm and steamy in the bathroom. Lilay glanced over her shoulder at the sound of the door. Muddy water ran in rivulets down her bare back, curling around her legs before draining down the tub. She smiled at him and held out a hand.

“Come here, Jon.”

He quickly shed his clothes, hesitating only a moment before dropping his boxers. Then he climbed into the tub, standing behind her in the stream of hot water.

“Feels good, right?” She said, with a smile. He smiled back at her before reaching for the shampoo. He helped wash her hair, working his hands and the foamy soap through the strands, and she hummed in appreciation at the comforting massage. She returned the favor by scrubbing his back and rubbing his shoulders. They showered in a companionable silence, just focusing on making the other feel clean and comforted.

It was the most content he’d felt in a while, and Jon was disappointed when Lilay finally turned off the water. But then she was laying a hand over his heart and kissing him, smelling like vanilla shampoo, her skin warm and soft under his hands. He kissed her for a long time, keeping his hands respectfully on her hips, the kiss gentle but passionate. Eventually they had to step apart as it was growing chilly in the bathroom without the hot water and steam.

It wasn’t until they were both fully dressed that Lilay finally spoke. “Are you okay, Jon?”

“Yes,” he replied quickly; it was an automatic response. She shook her head.

“Are you lying?”

“Maybe.” He sighed. “It was just a close call. If we hadn’t gotten the underground shelter ready…”

“I know,” she replied quietly. “And now with everything destroyed up top…”

Despite being sick of the underground bunker, Jon suddenly felt the urge to stay here. There was comfort in the familiar, and this small room was now more recognizable than the tattered building over their heads. At least they could lock the hatch and block out whatever the planet tried to throw at them.

But cowering underground meant the planet had won. And he was determined not to let that happen. It could tear apart their shelter and destroy their equipment but it couldn’t break their spirits.

He was about to say it out loud, but then Trip’s voice was shouting from overhead.

“Lilay! Jon! We’ve got visitors!”