Disclaimer: The usual legal assurances to Paramount having to do with everything and everyone except Tia Anlor (Ahn-lor), my own creation.
This story takes place about 3 weeks after 'Noblesse Oblige'. Tia has been on the Enterprise for over three months. You should read 'Small Time' and 'Daasii' for background.
This story is rated PG-17. Though like the lyrics from 'The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas' would tell you, there "ain't nothin' dirty goin' on", it is not for children!

Roses and Thorny
by JMK758
Chapter One
Roses

The Enterprise had been in orbit about the green planet of Elanis Four for nearly an hour, long enough to thoroughly determine that the atmosphere was breathable, if a bit higher in oxygen content than the crew had grown used to; had a gravity some 92 percent that of Earth normal; was quite uninhabited by sentient species – at least so far as the sensors could determine.

Malcolm Reed had observed that they would get the same information about sentience if they turned their sensors on London's Parliament.

After these and many other detailed scans, they had learned everything they could from orbit, and it was time to send a survey team down for a closer exploration.

Normally the Captain would consider this a suitable opportunity for some 'R&R exploration', but he had a particular reason for not opening this green planet up for Shore Leave just yet.

T'Pol had been filling his ears for quite some time about protocols that should be established and adhered to before opening a planet to 'general tourism'. Much as he was inclined to move ahead without restraint, he had done so before to their regret. Besides, if he was going to have a Science Officer, he owed it to her to regard her advice.

"Hoshi, have Ensign Cutler and Crewwoman Anlor report to the landing bay with full survey gear."

Hoshi could not completely hide her look of pleased surprise, wasting no time in alerting her two friends in Life Sciences to prepare for their planetside duties. 'Crewwoman' he had said. Hoshi felt a sense of pride, not becaause she had pressed for the designation but because her friend had earned it.

She did not need the Captain to tell her that this was even more particularly significant. After over three months of shipboard duty, he wanted to see how their newest crewmember did off-ship, under Cutler's direction. Her progress thus far had been quite satisfactory, but he wanted to see how she performed in the field.

xxx

In the Landing Bay, the Survey Team was assembling for their duties. Elizabeth Cutler was the first to arrive, setting her gear down next to the pod. It was to be a team of three; Elizabeth and Tia to do the survey, Travis Mayweather to provide transportation. "Should be an easy run." Liz commented as she handed Travis one of the instruments.

"Well, I can't say that I'm sorry to get off the ship for a few hours." Liz privately thought he also did not mind spending most of the afternoon in close quarters with two attractive young women, but would not embarrass him by saying so aloud. Then, whatever she would have said instead was lost in the arrival of their crewmate.

Tia Anlor did not quite skip into the room, but even her normal manner was only very slightly more restrained than that of a wide-eyed child on Christmas, and now she was clearly excited to be getting off the ship. "Galyas! I mean, 'hello!'" she exclaimed, greeting each of them enthusiastically.

She was wearing a Starfleet uniform, one assigned to her some time ago prior to her first landing party mission on the planet Beta Aragon 3. Though not a member of Starfleet, it was Captain Archer's policy that all who went down to a planet present a united front, hence the uniform sans any rank insignia.

It was useful should they become separated on a populated planet to be identified as being with Starfleet, or at least the Enterprise. But there would be little need for concern on this mission, the floral & fauna survey of an uninhabited planet. Flowers and animals did not care who you were aligned with, so long as you left them alone.

But then again, they had visited several 'uninhabited' planets which had been anything but. Travis hoped Tia had been thoroughly briefed as to what to expect – though 'expect the unexpected' was hardly helpful yet it did cover their normal lives.

x

He was a little apprehensive about this gathering, more for the company than the planet, whatever its possible risks. It had been seven weeks since the incident in the Mess Hall during which he had discovered the theretofore unknown Auran custom of Daasii, and though they had sort of cleared the air, he was still a little skittish around her. Her bright enthusiasm not withstanding, there were so many things that he did not know about her culture, and the first experience he had had with it was memorable to say the least. He had consulted frequently with Hoshi for her insights, but still ….

"Well, ladies, if you'd like to stow your gear, we'll be off."

xxx

Travis had just cast off from the ship, and was concentrating on piloting the shuttle on an approach to the planet when he noticed something quite pleasant. "That's a lovely perfume one of you has on," he commented, glancing back at the two women.

"Not me." Cutler admitted. "Tia." The young Auran looked at her in surprise.

"Perfume?"

"The roses."

"I had noticed it not," she admitted. But then she realized what had happened, what her inattention had allowed to happen. She remembered roses; there had been some in the Arboretum, and she had carefully refrained from commenting, when she first smelled them, upon their familiar scent.

Now that memory of roses came back to haunt her with a brutal vengeance. Had she been so careless, so inattentive of time in the concerns of day to day living and a journey of discovery, that she could forget herself?

x

"It's nice. A gift from Trip Tucker?" Liz asked, considering this a 'no brainer'.

"Oh, yes," she whispered, barely having paid enough attention to hear and respond. She was monumentally distressed. "A gift it is."

x

Liz wondered why her friend sounded so perturbed, but if something personal was happening this was not the place to discuss it. Besides, there was much work to do.

Tia could smell the scent from the moment she'd realized what her friends were talking about, and was astonished that she had missed it earlier. She put it down to the excitement of getting off the ship again, especially when she would be proving herself as a valuable member of the crew, justifying to them all the faith they had put in her. She had looked forward to this opportunity for weeks, had thought of nothing else all night.

Now she just wanted to get back to Enterprise as quickly as she could!

"Elizabeth?"

"Hmm?"

She forced herself to look at the woman beside her.

"I … I …" She had to get back to the ship! But how to tell Liz that?

"What's wrong?"

Tia stared at her, unable to answer. Then she looked forward at Travis, busy piloting the shuttle, which was even now entering the upper atmosphere of the planet. She turned back to Liz.

"No – no thing," she whispered. "No thing wrong is."

Liz smiled but pitched her voice lower. "Tia, I would play poker with you any day of the week. Now, what's wrong?" Tia turned away, shaking her head.

"No thing," she whispered. How could she say anything with Travis right in the shuttle, not two meters away?

Liz considered for a moment; then gave it up.

x

Travis Mayweather listened with a little less than half an ear to the brief, whispered exchanges behind him. The descent was not unusual, but he never let his attention wander, even if the conversation might be a bit interesting. But he could not hear enough, and so didn't divert his attention.

After a few moments, however, he found himself getting somewhat distracted, and not by the conversation.

The scent of roses had, over the few minutes since he'd first noticed it, become more prevalent. Far from unpleasant, it had a very pleasing fragrance. It reminded him, in fact, of Jennifer Farber, and of that night in the Arboretum. In fact, the fragrance was very reminiscent of the one she had worn. Or was it the flowers themselves? In fact, it had not mattered. What had mattered was …

He pushed the particularly pleasant memory aside. Jennifer was not there, and it did no good to think of her. There were two lovely women with him at the moment, that was true, but neither of them were Jennifer. Still …

He applied himself more to the descent, not willing to let his attention slip again. But once stirred, the memory of that night, and others, with the lovely woman from Sensors….

He found himself glancing over his shoulder, his eyes falling on Liz Cutler. He knew her well, had 'noticed' her many times in fact, but now he particularly noticed her legs, even in her uniform pants, as they were stretched out before her, and his eye stroked up to the swell of her…

He wrenched his attention sharply back to the view of the approaching planet out the forward viewport, of the ever changing displays on the instruments before him. He had to adjust his position in the seat; his uniform suddenly didn't feel like it fit quite right. He had to admit he was feeling rather … tense.

x

Travis also had to admit he was starting to get more than a little annoyed. Never had he allowed his attention to waver when piloting either a starship or a shuttle; he prided himself on this. But when he found himself again sneaking a glance back at the oh-so-very attractive exo-biologist, noticing the way her blue uniform molded itself to her body – He clenched his fist, felt like an adolescent who couldn't control his hormones, but his mind kept going back to Liz Cutler, his memories of her and what glimpses of the present he could snatch, and it became more and more uncomfortable to sit still in the pilot seat.

Finally, after an eternity, he brought the ship from horizontal flight and fired the lower jets for the last time, gradually eased the pressure and the ship settled down upon the untended glade at the edge of a forest.

Switching off the various systems, he was peripherally aware of the movements of his two passengers behind him as they gathered their equipment. The ship's sensors were performing an analysis of the planet, and as soon as it was reasonably safe to open the hatch he would do so. In the meantime, now that he was not concentrating on flying, he found his attention being diverted, more and more against his will, to other concerns. He couldn't understand why he could not get the woman off his mind, nor endure the sensations that accompanied the unwelcome thoughts.

"Travis, could you give me a hand?" Liz Cutler's voice came from his right. He turned, looked back and found his eyes locked 5 inches from the very attractive swell of her breasts.

"-"

"Travis? Is anything wrong?"

"-!"

He could not look away from the delightful curves of her bosom, the way the material of her uniform hugged itself to her, outlining every inch. He could distinctly see the small swell of her left nipple pressed against the uniform.

"Hey, Trav." (snap! snap!) "Up here." His eyes followed the dual snaps of her fingers to find those fingers at the level of her eyes. He backed away sharply, mortified.

"Hey, I'm sorry! I just –."

"Could you just open the hatch?"

Humiliated, he turned and pressed the control a bit harder than necessary, and with a sigh the portal opened. He turned back as she turned away in silent but explicit annoyance, but then he saw Tia staring at him. She did not appear annoyed, however. She looked, in fact, even more mortified than he felt.