For Anatoly

[keepurshirtonlt]

Trip had been on the island known as Tabula Rasa for 3 days now and every day, he came a little bit closer to accepting this new reality. Considering how relative reality had been for him lately, with everything that had happened in the Expanse and the time traveling to World War II, it was very strange to be standing still in a sense. To not be constantly worrying about the warp engine, the crew, the Xindi, the Captain and T’Pol...and thinking about Elizabeth, who was never far from his mind.

He knew he probably should be trying to find a way home, Jon and Malcolm would be, but perhaps it was proof of T’Pol rubbing off on him that he’d decided to accept what he’d been told about not being able to leave and save his energy for when he did get back home. It wouldn’t be the first time his, and Enterprise’s, fate had been completely out of his hands.

Maybe a part of him just wanted to stop for a while. To just be Trip Tucker; not Charles Tucker the III, oldest sibling of the Tucker family making sure Elizabeth didn’t die in vain, or Commander Tucker, third in command of the first Earth starship and in charge of keeping the crew’s spirits up or the Chief Engineer, responsible for keeping Starfleet’s first Warp 5 engine working in as top shape as he could.

If he was going to be sent back to Earth in another realty, or whatever the explanation was as in all honesty, he’d tuned it out once he realized he was cut off from Enterprise, at least he was someplace with a beach. Trip was from a state where the beach was never more then an hour or so away so he’d spent a good part of his life on the water. In fact, he’d got his start as an engineer on boat engines. When not with his beloved warp engine, it was where he felt the most at home. He had faced the seemingly dreaded cloths box soon after his arrival and had been given a pair of brightly colored swim trunks that’s he’d practically lived in since. When he wasn’t drinking at one of the many bars on this place.

But at the moment, Trip was unfortunately sober and sitting on the beach. He’d gone out swimming earlier and now he was just sitting with his eyes half closed, enjoying the soothing sounds of the waves and the smell of salt in the air. It did wonders for calming him.

A calm that lasted until he suddenly had a lapful of squirming dog who was doing his best to lick Trip’s face,. Surprised, he burst out in startled laughter. The amount of dogs he’d seen on the island was comforting, especially after years of borrowing Porthos from Jon. And this one was fluffy but still kinda a cute. “Well, ain’t you a cute lil’ fella. Guess all dogs have that sense of when a guy needs some cheerin’ up, huh?”

The little dog barked happily and Trip was more then happy to scratch him, trying out all of Porthos’ favorite spots until he found one that worked. “There ya go, lil’ fella. Porthos always did love a good ear rub. Ole’ Jonny could spend hours watchin’ water polo and scratching that beagle’s ears. I guess this whole thing could be worse. The island coulda brought me before I found out the Cap’n was alive.” He paused for a moment, then shook his head. “Yeah, definitely could be worse. I don’t think I could stand knowin’ Lizzie and Jon were dead. I just hope Enterprise is alright.”

Trip knew he should probably find out who the little dog belong too but for right now, it was good to pour out his thoughts to a listening ear, even if it was canine. And he couldn’t help but wonder if the little dog liked cheese as a reward...

Comments

[chesspolitik]

Aeneas was a remarkable little dog, Anatoly thought as the two of them embarked on their afternoon walk. He spent as much time staying with Cassie as he did with him and Lex but it hardly seemed to bother him. He seemed happy as long as he had food and someone to pay attention to him and Anatoly wished he could find some measure of that kind of serenity for himself.

He let his mind wander as they walked along the beach and it wasn't until he heard a voice that he realized Aeneas had run far ahead of him. The voice was horribly familiar and he could feel his stomach twist up at the very sound of those drawn out vowel sounds. He had not been prepared for Florence's arrival and he was even less prepared for Walter de Courcey.

He rounded the corner and was both shocked and relieved to see a strange man being greeted enthusiastically rather than the CIA agent he was dreading.

"I am so sorry," he called out, his voice a little shaky despite himself. "I was not paying attention. Aeneas, come back here!"

[keepurshirtonlt.livejournal.com]

Trip looked up at the voice and the politeness bred into him from birth brought a friendly smile to his face, even if he didn't quite completely feel it yet. Sure he was better then three days ago but it still needed work.

"Nah, it's alright. He was just keepin' me company." As the little dog scampered back to his owner, Trip wiped the sand off his shorts. "Real friendly lil guy ya got there."

[chesspolitik]

As far as Aeneas was concerned, he had made a new best friend and it was the most wonderful thing in the world. Anatoly was happy his dog had found someone he liked but why in the world did he have to attach to someone who sound exactly like de Courcey. It was frightening and it made Anatoly wonder if this was some version of Walter before everything had happened.

"I don't think I have seen you before," he forced himself to say in a friendly manner. "Are you new?"

[keepurshirtonlt.livejournal.com]

Trip ducked his head and chuckled. "Ya'll really do know how to pick up newcomers, don't ya?"

The man was standoffish, like he was afraid Trip would bite. It confused him, since he didn't think he'd done anything to offend the man, but considering what he'd been told about where people came from, he might not even know it if he did. It was like constant first contacts and he'd never been very good at them.

He stood up, wiping sand off his shorts in an unconscious gesture before offering his hand with a perfectly friendly smile. "The name's Charles Tucker the third, but you can call me Trip if ya like."

[chesspolitik]

There was no reason for Anatoly to feel so paranoid, he thought, as he shook Trip's hand firmly. It was all just a coincidence - a minor if anxiety-raising coincidence. "Anatoly Sergievsky. And you have already met Aeneas."

Upon hearing his name, the little dog barked excitedly and ran back and forth between the two of them, clearly wanting some more attention.

[keepurshirtonlt.livejournal.com]

Trip laughed at the little dog and once Anatoly let go, he crouched down to rub the little dog's ears. "It's a pleasure ta meet ya too, Aeneas."

When he stood again, he asked carefully, "Yer from Earth right? Russia if I'm not mistaken?"

[chesspolitik]

"Yes, I am," Anatoly answered. Trip referring to his country as Russia surely meant that he was from some time after the Soviet Union collapsed. This reassured him a little - if he had been Walter trying some sort of elaborate con, then he would have referred to the Soviet Union.

"What about you? I am going to guess that you must be from very far in the future?"

[keepurshirtonlt.livejournal.com]

Quite far after the Soviet Union collapsed though how far Trip wasn't sure. He was an Engineer not a historian.

"Quite far it seems. Thousand years at least from most people here. Though, I came from the 21st century to the island, if ya can believe it. Time travel is a pain, let me tell you." Damn alien Nazis.

[chesspolitik]

"Time travel?" Anatoly repeated in amazement. "I must admit that I was prepared to hear that you were from the future - most people are for me, the time travel is something I have not heard before. Should I ask how that came about?"

[keepurshirtonlt.livejournal.com]

"If I knew, I'd tell ya, but I can't say I'm too familiar with the mechanics myself. I just kinda had to go along for the ride." Trip's tone clearly showed his exasperation for Daniels and his Temporal Cold War that he kept involving them in.

"Alls I know is, Enterprise was finally headin' home after stoppin' a species called the Xindi from destroying Earth an' we were waylaid and sent back to World War II where some time travelin' aliens were helpin' the Nazis so they could get back to the proper time to start some Temporal Cold War that was gonna tear apart the universe as we know it." Trip paused and rubbed his forehead. "Believe me, I lived it and it still gives me a headache."

[chesspolitik]

As much as Anatoly tried, the only part that he could make sense of from Trip's explanation was that Nazis were somehow involved in trying to destroy the world and that Trip had somehow managed to stop them. He wondered if the Soviet Union had anything do with it and decided not to ask. He didn't want to know, not truly.

"And after all that, the island decides to bring you here," Anatoly shook his head. "At least you seem well-prepared for the tricks it likes to play."

[keepurshirtonlt.livejournal.com]

It was probably best that Anatoly hadn't, since in the world Trip and the Enterprise prevented, the Soviet Union hadn't existed because another time agent had assassinated Lenin before it could be created. And that's how Hitler had gotten into the United States, because there had been no Eastern Front.

"Yeah...somethin' like that. Though true be told...the break is kinda nice." Setting aside his guilt of his selfishness...it really, really was. "An' after the last year, I doubt there is anything this island can throw at me that I can't handle."

[chesspolitik]

"You should not give it any ideas," Anatoly cautioned even as he couldn't help but smile at Trip's words. "I swear that it looks for ways to outdo itself because if it did not, it would feel disappointed in itself."

[keepurshirtonlt.livejournal.com]

“I don’t know which I find more troublesome ‘bout what you just said.” Trip said in a wary tone with still chuckling. “That things can get worse then the odd things I’ve heard or the implication that this place is actually sentient.”

[chesspolitik]

"I think perhaps the most troublesome thing of all is how quickly you can get used to it," Anatoly said, bending down to pay an increasingly insistent Aeneas some more attention. "But all in all, there are truly much worse places to be."

[keepurshirtonlt.livejournal.com]

"I think we all can agree on that." Trip said in agreement, since he could name quite a few places off the top of his head, not the least the version of Earth's past that he'd arrived from. "But we'll see 'bout gettin' used to it."