"The Fairest One of All" EPILOGUE



The transporter pad was a hum of activity as goods and supplies, including Annabelle's baby shower presents, and a protein re-sequencer were transferred from Archer's Enterprise to Charlie's. Archer wanted to make sure that Tucker and his people got off to a good start on their new life. No more gruel to eat.

The first step was removing the former captain and his cohorts from the ship. They had found a barely habitable world nearby and decided that it was safe to strand Archer and his men on the surface, since there were no sentient beings to exploit. The plant life wasn't exactly flourishing, but with hard work Archer and his group should survive.

Not that the ex-captain appreciated the chance that Charlie was giving him to go on living. "You'll pay for this." Archer tried to sound like his old, menacing self, but this time Tucker knew it was an act. An act he wasn't gonna fall for anymore.

"No, Archer." The new captain replied, hardening his voice to make it sound even more menacing. "You're gonna pay for all the pain you've caused, right now." Charlie nodded, and a detachment of his new security team started hauling the prisoner away.

"Oh an' Archer..." Tucker called, forcing a halt for a moment. "Next time your diggin' in the dirt for grub worms to eat, think of me. I'll be dinin' at your table." The ex-captain growled, giving Charlie a last chance to enjoy Archer's discomfort before his team dragged the despot out of sight.

"Good riddance to bad garbage." Tucker muttered. "I'm glad that no one of his like is ever gonna set foot on my ship again." Then Tucker became aware of the other Archer standing next to him. "Present company excepted, Cap'n."

"Of course." Unnerved at what he just saw, Archer pulled his head back deeper in his hood. Even though Charlie's crew knew that he wasn't the man who had terrorized them for years, still Archer kept his face hidden. He didn't want to frighten anyone needlessly. Hell, he was frightened too. Just watching his counterpart rant and rave was down right...scary. Archer vowed right then and there to keep an eye on himself. To make sure that he would never follow down his alternate's path.

As a crewman from his ship passed with more supplies, the captain realized that he'd made a good start. While stocking up on accoutrements couldn't totally undo the havoc that his evil twin had caused, that wasn't all Archer had in mind. "Phlox is going to give everyone on board a checkup. We want to make sure that you're all healthy before we go."

"Thanks Cap'n." Charlie wondered if he could ever really pay these people back for what they had done for him and his crew. "None of us would be alive without you."

Archer thought about his counterpart and shuddered. "It was the least I could do."

"Hey, what about me?" His voice demanded attention, but all Trip Tucker got when he joined the group was smiles from the captain and his counterpart. Grins from his good buddies wasn't exactly the recognition that the engineer was looking for. "I'm the one who hadta live in this 'paradise' for a whole month, remember. Don't I get a little credit?"

Both Tuckers knew that Trip's contribution to the improved status of the crew on this Enterprise was considerable. Trip just wanted his ego brushed up a little and Charlie was glad to oblige. "You get a whole lotta credit and you know it."

While the two Tuckers talked, Archer took the opportunity to make some comparisons. At first glance they looked identical, but upon reflection he discovered that there were subtle differences. While Charlie was slightly smaller and not as well defined as Trip, he now glowed with an inner self confidence that Archer knew wasn't there four weeks before. The captain was pleased. Apparently his crew had made a good impression.

"Thank you, Trip." Charlie said. "I know how hard it is to live here an' I really appreciate the sacrifice you made on our behalf. Seventy four people on this ship owe you their lives."

"Aw shucks." While Trip knew he'd been hunting up complements, he didn't quite expect such gushing admiration to come outa Charlie. "I take it that head count includes your baby?"

"You betcha."

"Where is she?" Trip asked. "I'd like to take a peek at her."

"Actually, I'm not sure right now. Dr. Phlox was lookin' after her for me."

Speaking of the doctor. "Oh, Commander." Phlox's voice floated from around the corner. "I have something for you." The doctor came into view carrying a squirming baby in his arms. When he saw the two Tuckers standing side by side and he stopped short. "At least I have something for one of you."

Smiling, Charlie held up his left arm, exposing the nipples for all to see, and moved forward to take the baby from the doctor. "Thanks for takin' care of her, Doc."

Phlox smiled. "My pleasure."

"Wow." Trip stared at the baby, fascinated. He didn't expect her to be so cute. Despite the scales and the lack of hair, Trip reckoned that she was the prettiest girl that he'd ever laid eyes on. "Look at that."

"You wanna hold her?"

"Sure." When Trip took the baby into his arms he looked down into the child's rust colored eyes and was surprised. He didn't expect that holding the little girl would feel so right. "She's so tiny."

"Yeah, but she's grown since I saw her two days ago." Charlie was proud to point that out. A parent notices these things.

Despite the child's small size, she was a handful. Wiggling and squirming, Tucker had trouble keeping a grip on the energetic bundle. "Woah there, Little Missy." Trip admonished. "Whatcha wanna do? Grow up to be a wrestler or somethin'?" The baby giggled at the tall man looking down at her and Trip blossomed under her gaze. "I hope you named her somethin' appropriate to match her energy level?" Trip asked his counterpart.

"Actually, I named her Annabelle."

"After our momma an' the Cap'n's momma?" Charlie nodded hoping that Trip, like Archer, would approve of his choice. Trip did. "I think that's a great name."

Charlie relaxed a little. He hadn't realized how much Trip's approval had meant to him until he had it. Still, it made sense. After all, Trip was family.

Annabelle coughed a little, as all babies do, and a little bit of drool fell down her lips. As Trip brushed the liquid away he felt a sudden pang of longing. "I suppose the youngin in my universe would look just like her, huh?"

"Probably." Charlie knew just what Trip was thinking. When he had handed Annabelle over to Phlox the pain of separation had been sharp, and they had only been apart two days. Trip must be feeling terrible at this moment. After all, he had never even seen his own baby, but it wasn't too late. "You can go an' find out you know."

"Huh?" His attention still focused in on the child, Trip didn't quite understand what Charlie was getting at.

"Your little girl must be born by now. Why don'tcha track down the Xyrillian's when you get home an' look her up. The universe isn't that big."

"Maybe I will." Trip smiled at his counterpart, then back down at the new life in his arms. How he wanted to hold her forever. "Maybe I will." Trip fought the impulse to hang on, and with great reluctance he handed Annabelle back to her father.

**********

The next few hours passed quickly and in short order all of the supplies were stowed, and all of Archer's crew was back on their side of the looking glass. Everyone except for Trip and Archer who were just about to beam home. Charlie, with Annabelle in his arms, was there to see them off.

"Where are you headin' now?" Trip asked.

"I'm not exactly sure yet." Charlie answered. "We've set a course away from the human empire, an' I'm hopin' that we can find some sorta nice uninhabited planet to settle on. Who knows." Charlie winked at Archer. "Maybe we'll get some explorin' in along the way."

Archer saluted the new captain, totally confident that he was leaving these people in good hands.

Charlie put the baby in her stroller, then took charge of the transporter controls. Tucker wanted to make sure that his friends got home safely. "Thanks again."

Archer nodded. "Good luck to you."

With that Charlie activated the device and soon after Archer and Trip materialized on their own ship. Trip quickly hopped off of the pad and chucked in a big, deep breath. "Home. Thank God."

"It does smell better over here, doesn't it?"

Trip grinned that wry grin of his. "That's the understatement of the century, Cap'n."

"So, Trip," Archer said, clapping his friend on the back. "Now that you're home what do you want to do first?"

"Eat!" Trip was certain. "You wouldn't believe the slop they served over there. I can't wait to wrap my tongue around some lip smacking, re-sequenced protein."

Archer laughed. He never thought he'd see the day when Trip practically begged for re-sequenced protein. What changes life on the other side had wrought, Archer mused as he herded Tucker toward the mess hall.

Unfortunately for Trip lunch turned out to be a little bit of a disappointment. Oh, the food tasted great all right, but the entree was fried chicken, and seeing Archer nibbling on a drumstick was just a tad unsettling.

"What?" Archer asked, seeing the engineer stare.

"Nothin'." Embarrassed at being caught, Trip looked down at his food.

"Obviously it's something." Archer pushed. "What?"

"Well, Cap'n. It's just that..." Images of Archer gnawing at freshly slaughtered meat, with blood dribbling down his chin, came to mind. "You didn't exactly have pristine table manners on the other side. If you know what I mean."

Archer could guess. "Seeing me eat is bringing up bad memories?"

"Somethin' like that." Trip admitted. "It's kinda off puttin'."

"Well, your not the only one." Archer said, a bit defensive. "I saw you deliver a baby once, and that's something that I never want to see again."

Trip nearly choked on his chicken before he started to laugh. "Stop it, Cap'n. You're killin' my appetite."

"And here I thought you were pining for re-sequenced protein." Archer teased as the men relaxed into their usual good natured bantering.

"Oh I am." Trip admitted, finishing off the last of his chicken. "This was great."

"Well I hope you saved a little room." Archer told him. "Because I've got a surprise for you." The captain gestured to a steward who whipped away the chicken bones, and put a different plate in front of the engineer.

"Pecan pie!" Trip's whole face lit up. Thanks, Cap'n."

"My pleasure." As Archer watched Trip enjoy his special desert, finally he could relax. Every single Charlie Tucker he knew was safe, in any universe, and that fact made the captain a very happy man.


The end.

 

 

 

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