Spoilers: Vox Sola, Silent Enemy (crew names)
Author's Notes: Um, this is probably *not* what MachingMonkey had in mind when she issued the crossover challenge, but its what my bunny gave me. Thanks to MM, Kalita, and kagey for helping to plot this fic (sorry for scaring you with hobbit questions, kage!)
Trip woke up suddenly, blinking against the light. He nearly fell off the bed when he realized that Jon, Travis, Hoshi, T'Pol, Liz, Eddie, Denise, and Michael were standing by his bedside, staring at him intently. For some odd reason, T'Pol was wearing all white robes and a beard, a wooden staff in her hand. Travis, Hoshi, Denise, and Michael were all a lot shorter, with large bare feet and odd cloaks. Liz's hair was now long and blonde, her ears pointed like T'Pol's. Eddie was frowning, carrying an axe and wearing a helmet, and he was shorter than his four cloaked crewmates.
It was Jon that was freaking Trip out the most. His old friend had shoulder length hair and a short beard, wearing dark leather clothes. In his right hand was a sword.
T'Pol raised her staff and spoke. "By the decision of the great elf-leader Forrest, we are to take the One Trip back to Mordor and destroy him before the evil Silik can rise again to reclaim him and take over Middle Space."
Trip stared at T'Pol. "What the hell?"
Jon nodded. "I will accompany the hobbit Travis to Mordor to help him destroy the One Trip."
The others chimed in with their offers of help. Travis nodded. "Then let us go," he said. Trip found himself being picked up and carried by Travis and the others, out of his quarters and down the deserted hallways of Enterprise.
"Hey, wait a second! Put me down! I'm not gonna be reclaimed by Silik! I never was Silik's!"
"You must resist the One Trip, Mr. Travis." Hoshi's voice was tremulous, worried that Travis would fall under the evil spell of Trip.
"Jon, ya gotta help me here!"
"We are the Fellowship of the Trip, sworn to destroy that which would allow Silik to rule Middle Space," Jon said firmly.
"One Trip to Rule them all, and in the Darkness Bind them," T'Pol intoned.
"Hey, I ain't no ruler!" Trip yelled, trying to get away. Suddenly there was a large explosion in the hallway, and he was dropped to the ground as the others scattered. Trip curled up on the ground, covering his ringing ears with his hands. Fingers gently brushed his face, and he opened his eyes to see Malcolm crouched down next to him, clad only in his regulation blue briefs. His eyes were wider than normal, and he was smiling at Trip.
"Malcolm, there's something wrong with the Cap'n --" Trip started to say, only to close his mouth as Malcolm leaned closer, now stroking Trip's hair.
"Precious. It stole our Precious from us and we wants it! We will have it! Precious has come back to us!" He leaned forward even more.
Trip scrabbled back against the wall, away from Malcolm. "Uh, Mal? What's wrong with you?"
Malcolm grabbed Trip's shirt. "We have our Precious," he hissed again, his lips almost touching Trip's. Trip opened his mouth to scream --
-- and fell on the floor of his cabin with a bone-jarring thud. He blinked, raising his head from the floor to see Malcolm peering at him sleepily from the bed.
"Trip? You all right?"
"Uh, yeah. Weird dream. Must've fallen off the bed." He got up and slid back under the covers, letting Malcolm spoon up to his back. "I love you."
"Love you too," Malcolm replied, his voice slurred with approaching sleep.
Trip was almost asleep himself, just on that thin edge, when Malcolm's arm tightened around his waist and he heard his partner softly hiss, "My Precious."
Trip spent the rest of the night swearing that he would never, ever, eat anchovy pizza on movie night again.