"Fiction Wins" by A. Rhea King Rating: PG Disclaimer: Don't own them, CBS/Paramount does. Genre: Humor Description: Trip and Archer investigate a sunken city, Sherie and Trip haven't finished their prank war yet, Archer and his pooch enjoy play time, and Hoshi's penpal returns. The Captain’s Familiar (2) Trip pressed Archer’s ready room doorbell and waited. There was no answer. Trip turned to T’Pol. “You know where the Cap’n is?” “In his ready room,” T’Pol answered. Trip turned and pressed the button again. The door slid open and Trip stepped in, opening his mouth to speak but only able to stare. Archer smiled innocently at Trip. Porthos was standing on the back of Archer’s chair, pulling on Archer’s collar and growling. Porthos let go and leapt to the floor, running up to greet Trip. “Am I interrupting?” Trip asked. “Naw. We were just discussing…” Archer snatched up a PADD. “Schedules!” Trip looked down at Porthos sitting at his feet. “You weren’t discussing much of anything, were ya boy?” Porthos barked. “You were discussing how you actually had this lazy old man whipped, huh?” Trip sat the PADDs he’d brought in on Archer’s desk. Porthos barked. Trip looked at Archer. “Cap’n, fess up. He had you whipped, didn’t he?” “We were discussing the finer points of tug of war. Somehow my collar became the tug toy.” “Ah.” Trip smiled down at Porthos. “You just keep him in line, okay Port? He needs that so this cap’n gig doesn’t go to his head.” Porthos jumped up on Trip’s leg. Trip crouched down and tugged on Porthos’ tail. Porthos spun, snapping at Trip’s hand. He caught Trip’s thumb and gently held it as he pulled back on it. Trip pulled back and Porthos latched onto Trip’s sleeve, shaking it as hard as he could. Trip laughed, gently rapping the dog’s head with his knuckles. “Get ‘im,” Trip pointed to Archer, “get ‘im Port!” Porthos spun and jumped onto Archer’s lap. With his front paws on Archer’s chest, he leaned as far forward as he could to lick Archer’s face. “PORT STOP!” Archer laughed, pushing him back. Archer and Porthos both looked up when the door of his ready room opened, watching Trip leave. Porthos looked back at Archer and then fell against him, pressing as hard as he could against his master. “Spoiled dog,” Archer said with a smile. He hugged Porthos, scratching around the dog’s collar. Porthos let out a low howl, looking up at Archer. Archer began scratching his ear and Porthos laid down on his lap. Archer picked Porthos up and returned to his desk and work that Porthos had torn him away from. Porthos curled up on Archer’s lap and went to sleep. Back to Chapter 1 Continue to Chapter 3

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