Caveman

Disclaimer: Enterprise and its characters are propriety of CBS/Paramount. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: Many thanks to my beta Artisticmom2.

Summary: Surprises lay ahead for Trip and T'Pol on an away mission.

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"Wonderful!" Trip exclaimed in front of her. They had been walking in the caves through narrow corridors with gray, dusty, rocky stone walls on each side, looking for dilithium, when they saw light ahead.

Trip stepped forward and she followed him. In front of her she saw the sight that had caused Trip's enthusiasm: a cavern, in its middle, a lake.

Bright sunlight from an opening in the rocks above reflected in the lake, coloring the crystal clear water a shade of turquoise-blue. On the bank of the lake red, pink, and orange quadrilateral shaped flowers were growing. They filled the place with a sweet smell.

In the midst of the lake, bathed in the light, there was a small island, made of gray rocks. Prickly yellow plants, plants with big purple leaves, and the same flowers as on the bank were also growing there.

It was indeed an aesthetically pleasing sight.

T'Pol held the scanner in front of her. "Readings are indicating that dilithium can be found in those rocks on the island," she told Trip.

"There is only one way to get there," Trip responded, mischief in his eyes. He stripped down his clothes until he only wore his blue Starfleet underwear.
"We are going to swim to the island."

She didn't respond at once, which made him turned to her and asked, "You do know how to swim, don't you?"

"I know the basic principle," she replied. The truth was - due to her upbringing on a desert planet - she had little experience with swimming in natural water and, when faced with a situation like this, she always proceeded with caution.

She scanned the water for any animals or dangers. "The water seems to be safe," she told Trip. She suppressed her feeling of uneasiness. Swimming was the only logical solution.

She undressed. Trip let her go first and, dressed in her gray top and underwear, she stepped into the surprisingly warm water, trying to find a firmly laid rock that would be stable enough to hold her. The surface of the lake contained of rocks, some of them muddy like the bank. First she stepped on the rocks at the same level as the bank, farther in the rocky surface was steeper, the water became deeper. She took a few more steps. It crossed her mind that it was time to start swimming when she stepped onto a more slippery stone. Before she knew it, she lost her balance. Her feet only found water. The warm water engulfed her and she gulped for air.

Two strong arms grabbed her and pulled her to the surface. She choked and tried to get orientated again. While treading in the water, Trip held her close. "I got you," Trip whispered in her ear.

The pleasant feeling of his muscular bare chest against her body was hard to deny. Even though recently they had little time to spend together in private, she reminded herself that this was not an opportunity to be close to Trip.

Obviously, Trip had felt the same, but had drawn a different conclusion. As soon as they arrived at the island, the water dripping of their bodies after the swim, he pulled her closer. On its own, her hand reached towards him, knowing that the rest of longed to feel his cool skin under her fingertips.

Their lips found each other within seconds and fire filled her veins.

After a few minutes, Trip withdrew. The tip of his finger moved gently along the outline of her right ear in an intimate gesture. He smiled. "Let's continue this at another time and place," he murmured in her ear.

She took her scanner and examined it, but it wasn't working.

"Maybe it needs to dry, before it works again," Trip suggested.

She placed the scanner next to her as the sunlight warmed her body and relaxed. T'Pol tried it the scanner after five minutes, but all she heard was a strange clicking noise, followed by the sound of pebbles being pushed out of the way. The noise was coming from the same corridor Trip and she had just gone through.

"There is someone coming," she told Trip. He looked puzzled, but then he also heard the noises.

Before their eyes an immense arachnid appeared. It had six long, brown legs, an oval belly, a round head with four horns, dark eyes, and two curved teeth.

"A spider," Trip whispered, "A giant spider. It's even bigger than the warp core and it's blocking the way. What're we going to do?"

"We must find another way out," she replied, but she had no idea where to find it.

The animal had found their clothes at the bank. Obsessed, he sniffed the clothes for several minutes before starting to eat them.

"It's eating our clothes," Trip whispered, with horror.

"If we are given the option between our clothes being consumed or ourselves, the first option is more favorable," she answered.

The arachnid continued to chew on their clothes before it discovered something more interesting. With its legs he shoved a small device around, before placing one of its legs on it. Loud cracks were the result.

"You left the communicator on the bank?" T'Pol inquired.

"Didn't want it to get wet," Trip muttered. But before she could reply, a voice came out the communicator.

"Commander Tucker, are you alright?" Hoshi asked.

The animal moved away, startled, and Trip screamed at top of his the lungs "Beam us up, Hoshi!"

He looked at his and T'Pol's minimal clothing. "The boys of the transporter room are going to have a field day."

Then without warning, a buzzing sound made the arachnid dematerialize. The animal had been beamed up.

"Indeed," T'Pol said.