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"All Things Considered"
Rating: PG Little Bitty Pretty One (4) Navta trotted through the halls, exchanging smiles and trying not to drop the covered plate or drink she was carrying. She stopped outside Archer’s door and looked up at the security box next to the door, and then down at the items in her hand. “Need a hand?” Navta looked up and smiled at Lieutenant Anderson. “Yes, please. Can you ring the doorbell, please?” “Sure,” Lieutenant Anderson replied with a smile. He reached out and rung the doorbell for her and then continued toward his destination. “Thank you,” Navta called. She looked around when the door opened and stepped in. Archer looked up from the letter he was reading, watching Navta walk up to his desk and set a plate and glass of tea on his desk. “Why weren’t you at supper?” Navta asked. “Something came up,” Archer said. “Oh.” Navta grinned. “Well, I brought you supper so you wouldn’t have to eat it cold.” “Thank you.” “You want me to go, huh?” “I need to get work done, half-pint.” “Okay. Well, good-night.” “Hey! Aren’t you forgetting something?” Archer said. Navta turned, looking at him. “What?” Archer smiled. “Something.” “Oh!” Navta leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Good night, K’pan.” “Good-night, Navta.” Navta walked to the door. She turned. “Are you going to be busy all night?” “Yes.” “Oh. Okay.” Navta turned, reaching up to open the door. Archer turned, smiling. “But I suppose I could stop for a little bit. The screen is starting to blur.” Navta looked at him. “Are you sure?” Archer nodded. Navta walked back over to him. She put her hand on the desk, running it along the edge. “I found a nebula today. It wasn’t on the charts.” Navta looked at Archer. Archer turned his chair and let her move close to him, putting his arms around her waist. “How far away? Maybe we can go take a look at it.” “Really, really far. Uhm, seventy-two point eight light years.” Navta slid her arm behind Archer’s neck, leaning against him. “There were three gas giants in it. Class two, five and nine, really big ones, and one had rings pole to pole. And there was a red giant just past the nebula too.” “Sounds interesting.” Navta nodded. “T’Pol was interested in it. She sent a probe to study it.” “What else?” “That’s all. There wasn’t a whole lot happening today.” “Any good gossip?” Navta shook her head, smiling. “Nothing new yet.” Archer nodded. “Eartik took Porthos for a walk. He said he was going to the recreation room. Why don’t you go down there and play with them?” “Okay. I’ll bring Porthos back, okay?” “Okay.” Navta gave Archer a hug before trotting away. Archer smiled, looking over his shoulder at the letter from one of his aunts. He turned and continued reading it. # Navta and Porthos ran up to the door. Porthos pawed at it and the door opened before Navta touched the doorbell. Porthos bolted inside and ran to his water bowl, lapping up water. Navta walked in, smiling at Archer. He was lying on his bed with a book resting on his chest. “I think he’s dying of thirst, Navta,” Archer joked. “We should take a bowl with us so he can have water down there,” Navta said. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea.” Archer sat up on the edge of the bed, setting his book down. “Hey looky.” Navta pointed to her lips. “Liz let me put on her lipstick. What’d’ya think?” “I think it makes you look pretty. Go fill up Port’s water bowl.” Navta turned, picked up the bowl and ran into the bathroom to fill it up with water. “Eartik hogged the swing so Trip taught me how to play basketball. Me and Sisyl. I was surprised to see Sisyl down there. He hardly ever is around anyone except the reclamation team.” “How is he?” Archer asked Navta. Navta came back out and sat the bowl down. “He liked my lipstick too. He’s fine. He said he likes working in reclamation and that they do things different down there than they do anywhere else on the ship. What do you think that means?” “I dunno.” “He’s so funny.” Navta sat on the bed beside Archer. “He doesn’t ever talk. That’s funny.” “Some people are just like that.” “Do you think he likes working in reclamation?” “I don’t know.” Archer smiled. “Well, I’d better go to bed.” “Have you ever danced?” Archer asked Navta. “Once. With Likos on the Diedra. We were working on a conduit and he was being silly. He asked me to dance because he had to dance right then and there.” Archer laughed with Navta. “Well, I feel like dancing right here and now. Wanna dance?” “Okay.” Archer got up and walked to his monitor. He tapped it and the song started. He turned and held his hand out to Navta. She giggled and trotted over to him. Archer grabbed her hands and started dancing her around the room. Porthos joined them, running in circles around them and barking. Navta laughed, letting Archer pull her around the room. They danced toward the bed and Archer grabbed her, falling onto the bed when the song ended. The two rolled onto their backs laughing. “That’s a funny song, K’pan.” “It’s called ‘Little Bitty Pretty One’,” Archer told her, “Thank you for bringing me supper and dancing with me, Navta.” “You’re welcome.” Navta leaned up on her elbow and kissed his cheek. “I better get back before Ensign Paris comes looking for me.” Archer grabbed her and hugged her to him. Navta laid her head on his chest, hugging him tight back. “I love you, Navta.” Archer muttered into her hair, “Never forget that, okay? Navta smiled. “I’ll never forget that ‘cause I love you too, K’pan.” “Really?” “Really.” “Honest?” “Honest.” “Are you pulling my leg?” Navta laughed, looking up at his face. “NO!” Archer smiled, giving her another hug. “Better not. Better go before Ensign Paris puts you on her ten most wanted list.” “Her what?” “I’ll explain sometime. Ask me about it.” “Okay. Bye!” Navta kissed his cheek again and then jumped up. Archer sat up, watching her run to the door and open it. She waved good-bye and disappeared into the hall. Archer fell back onto the bed. “Come here, Port.” Porthos hopped up onto the bed and walked over, sitting down beside him. “I suppose you wanna know what brought that on, huh?” Archer asked his dog, looking up at the Beagle Porthos cocked his head to the side. “Well, I got a letter from your Aunt Angela and do you want to know what she said?” Archer asked him. Porthos barked. “She said that as often as I talk about Navta I ought to just adopt her and make her my daughter because my heart already has. And your Aunt Pamela and her conspired against me. She agreed,” Archer smiled, “and then she told me about how my grandpa would dance her and my mother around the living room to that song. So now ya know. Course, they are right you know? But let’s keep that between us, okay, Port?” Port wagged his tail and barked. “Good.” Archer looked up at the ceiling. Porthos curled up next to him and Archer idly petted him as he thought about the letter. |
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