Disclaimer: Not mine

Notes: Takes place during the TF/WF crossover, spoilers apply

--

"I told Wes about Jen."

Trip was thankful that Katie said nothing, merely wrapping her arms around him. He allowed himself to lean into the hug. "I didn't know what to say after that… so I just turned off the feed." He stared as their bed covers as the guilt that had been eating at him all day threatened to swallow him whole. "If I'd been there, I could've picked up on something… had some idea how to make him feel better…"

"It's not your fault." Katie tightened her grip.

He looked up at her for a moment. Then he had to turn away. "Then who is at fault?"

"No one." She sighed in exasperation, re-positioning herself so she was within Trip's eyesight again. "Wes has Eric to keep his spirits up. And Jen's been on this kind of mission more than once before--"

"But we've never lost contact with her before!" He immediately regretted raising his voice (and was once again thankful that Katie kept quiet), but he just felt so useless… "This is going to be more than just another mission, Katie. It's the start of something." His knuckles turned white as he clenched the covers. "Something bad. And I have no idea what to do about it."

And he probably would have stayed that way, lost in his guilt and dark thoughts… but then Katie pushed him onto the mattress.

Her expression was somewhere between bemusement and annoyance (but mostly annoyance) as she hovered over him. "Well, is there anything you can do about it right now?"

Trip gave it some thought. "I really, really wish I could… but no."

He did his best to bite back a whimper when he felt her lips against his neck. "Then stop worrying."

The guilt was still there, but he couldn't hold back a smile as she started to unzip his jacket. "Or you'll resort to more drastic measures?"
She sat up long enough to undo the clip in her hair. "Well, yeah. It's no fun otherwise."

When Katie kissed him again (on the mouth, long and slow and hungry), Trip decided that he agreed with her whole-heartedly.

--

Katie was snoring away, so Trip guessed he wouldn't disturb her if he let himself trace the outline of her face, if only for a moment. "It didn't work. But thank you for trying."

Even as he drifted off, Trip's thoughts were of things he couldn't change.

--

Dark. Dark, pain. Dark, pain, power. Dark, pain, power, clouds, smoke, Ransik, pain, falling, Ransik, guilt, pain, Ransik!

Several moments of disorientating terror later, Trip managed to shake off the nightmare and get his bearings. It wasn't the first time he'd had a vision, or even the first time he'd had a vision of Ransik. But it had been so intense, there had to be something more to it that just a quick flash or a nightmare brought on by guilt.

… When the investigation had started, Captain Logan had required that everyone involved go over every file they had on the fugitives. And while Trip's expertise was in robotics, not biology, one thing that had stood out was the uncanny similarities their DNA shared with Ransik's…

It was insane, but at this point he was willing to work with insane. "Katie." He shook her gently.

She blinked at him sleepily… and then in concern once she got a good look at him. "Trip, you look awful." She propped herself up on the pillows, pulling him to her. "You have a bad dream?"

"Sort of." His mind raced, trying to think of some way to phrase his idea so that it sounded plausible. "Katie, about the case-- I have an idea, but I don't think it'll go over well with Captain Logan or anyone else at Time Force-- not that I can blame them, but the more I think about it the more clear it seems, and--"

"You do realize I have no idea what you're talking about, right?"

Trip felt yet another pang of guilt. "Sorry."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "But whatever it is, I'm behind you."

"But you don't even know--"

"I know that it's your idea," she cut him off as she pulled the blankets over them again. "And therefore will most likely be what saves our backsides in the end. Now get some sleep. You're gonna need it if you want to sell your plan to Captain Logan tomorrow morning."

Trip curled into her, closing his eyes. He still felt guilty, but it wasn't as palpable as it was before. Now that he had a plan to work on, he couldn't allow himself to wallow in guilt anymore. And even though he still had a lot to work out if he wanted said plan to succeed, he wasn't worried.

He had Katie behind him, after all.