Title: One Day, One Night
Author: ZenosParadox
Summary: RS romance, Tu, A, P. Ravis comes aboard Enterprise and has a very bad day. Sequel to Defining Moments.
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Paramount. This fiction was written solely for personal enjoyment.
ONE DAY, ONE NIGHT
"We would like to welcome you aboard the Enterprise, Minister Presbyano," said Captain Jonathan Archer to the three male aliens who stepped out of the craft in the shuttle bay.
Minister Presbyano reminded Archer of his old Uncle Bill. The skin he could see was wrinkled on the long, thin frame, long facial hair covered his face although the head was bald, but the purple eyes had a merry twinkle. His valet was comparable to a middle-aged human, again tall and slender, but his hair was a light blond. Finally was a man with short brown hair, no facial hair, but forehead ridges who was speaking almost concurrently with Archer. This must be Ravis, the Minister's translator, thought the Captain.
The Captain heard Ensign Hoshi Sato's gasp of recognition as she realized that the interpreter for Minister Presbyano was none other than Ravis, the man she had met on Risa and with whom she had indulged in a one-night interlude. Sato had seen Ravis again some months ago at a linguistics conference where she had rebuked his advances. Things were going to be awkward for the next few days, she thought.
As T'Pol added her greetings to the Captain's, Sato noticed Ravis looking at her even while he was translating the latest words. Surely Ravis wouldn't be dogging her on her own ship! Sato kept telling herself that Ravis had gotten the message she was no longer interested in him.
The Minister was now introducing his servant and Ravis, although the voice was all Ravis. When the Captain introduced Sub-commander T'Pol, Commander Charles Tucker and Ensign Hoshi Sato, Ravis took Sato's hand in his, kissed it and said, "Yes, Ensign Sato and I met on Risa."
Archer and Tucker exchanged quick glances as Sato abruptly pulled her hand away as she blushed. Jon and Trip probably knew how well Hoshi had gotten acquainted with Ravis while on Risa. She was just happy that Malcolm was on the bridge right now. The thought of explaining the situation to him made her wince at the thought. She and Malcolm had been together for a few months now, but this would be the first time either had to contend with the presence of an old lover. How would Malcolm react?
Jonathan Archer led the group back to his ready room to commence the discussion on information exchange. He noticed that Ravis fell back to walk with Sati as she followed Tucker and T'Pol. The two translators were speaking in a whisper and had fallen into using the language of Risa.
"Hoshi, you must listen to me. The only reason I accepted this assignment was to see you again, to convince you of how much I love you. Leave with me when I finish here so we can start our life together," began Ravis, this time keeping his hands to himself as they walked together.
"No, I don't love you. No, I don't want to be with you. Just no. Besides, doesn't your wife expect you to spend your life with her?" responded Sato.
"My wife understands my needs, Hoshi. I need you," said Ravis.
"But I don't need you, Ravis. I love someone else, so please just forget about me. Don't make me regret ever meeting you," said Sato as she sped up her gait to catch up with the others.
"Captain, since Ravis is doing such a wonderful job translating, I think I should go back to my station at the bridge." Sato's request seemed urgent.
Captain Archer quickly nodded his assent and Sato made it to the bridge in record time. The rest of the party had to move slowly for the sake of the Minister.
------
Ensign Sato saw Lieutenant Malcolm Reed looking intently at his tactical console when she arrived on the bridge. "Malcolm, could we talk for a minute? Over here"
Malcolm moved to follow Hoshi to a more secluded corner just off the main bridge. "He's here. Ravis is on the Enterprise."
"The What's-his-name you met on Risa?" asked Malcolm. After Hoshi's quick nod, he continued. "And? He's not bothering you, is he?"
Hoshi bit her lip. "He seems to think I'd still be interested in him, but I told him no. I just don't want you to be jealous and wind up doing something that would get you in trouble."
"I'm not jealous," said Malcolm calmly. "I saw his name when I did security clearance for the delegation. Seems the chap is married."
"I didn't know that when I met him on Risa. Even when I decked him at the linguistics conference I was unaware of it until some of the women began talking about him the next morning."
"You decked him? What maneuver did you use?" asked Malcolm, more interested in the technique Hoshi had used than anything.
"I just kicked my foot out to sweep his legs out from under him when he didn't take no for an answer," responded Hoshi with a quick smile.
"Good! I'm glad to hear the training sessions have paid off. So, are you worried about something happening while he's here on Enterprise?" asked Malcolm.
"I think I can handle him, Malcolm. I just wanted to make sure you heard it from me. I didn't want to there to be any surprises," responded Hoshi, somewhat concerned at how well Malcolm was taking this all in. "So, you're not going to pull any jealous lover moves, extract revenge--nothing like that?"
"Hoshi, you have my word that I won't touch him. Don't worry," assured Malcolm.
"Now I'm not sure whether I should be upset about your nonchalant attitude of my having an old lover aboard ship," said Hoshi.
"I'm not unaffected, Hoshi, but I'm not likely to interact with the man at all. Besides, I think my best strategy would be to make sure I use my time and energy on you rather than waste my time with What's-his-name," said Malcolm, leaning into her so that his voice was just above her ear. Hoshi felt that delightful shiver go up her spine.
"How do you plan to do that?" asked Hoshi, wishing they were in a position where they could indulge in a kiss.
"Have dinner with me in my quarters tonight. Then I'll just see if I can think of ways to keep you occupied," said Malcolm with a spark in his eyes.
-------
Ravis was disappointed that Hoshi had scurried off so suddenly. He had not been able to get her attention when they had finally arrived on the bridge. Further, he had been unable to convince Captain Archer that her assistance would still be needed and that had frustrated him. He had tried being charming to the man and then turned angry and adamant, but this Captain Archer was not responding.
Ravis continued to do the boring job he had been paid for, but in truth would not have been working for Minister Presbyano if the diplomat had not been about to rendezvous with Enterprise. Ravis had fallen in love with Hoshi Sato when they had met on Risa. He was sure he just needed to convince her of it and she would be his. Ravis was married, but taking a steady mistress was actually encouraged in the social circle of his home world.
Minister Presbyano was an old, doddering fool as far as Ravis was concerned. After an initial meeting that took up most of the morning, the Minister's manservant had insisted that he rest.
Ravis was left in the company of the incredibly dull Vulcan woman and the provincial Chief Engineer. He traveled with them to the mess hall, hoping he'd be able to catch Hoshi there. He entered and saw his prize sitting with a Denobulan.
Sato felt a piercing stare turn her way. She looked up and saw Ravis entering with T'Pol and Tucker. Oh no! Ravis came directly to their table, once again reaching for her hand.
"Doctor Phlox, may I introduce you to Ravis? He's a fellow linguist and is interpreting for Minister Presbyano," explained Sato. Ravis turned to glance briefly at the Doctor who had noticed that the Ensign was trying to remove her hand from Ravis' grasp. "I'm sure he'd be delighted to learn Denobulan. If you'll excuse me now."
Sato gave a quick yank that was witnessed by T'Pol, Tucker and Phlox, but she didn't gauge their reaction as she practically ran from the mess hall.
Ravis sat there stunned until Phlox decided that Ravis indeed needed an extensive lesson in Denobulan. Phlox began with his normal cheery expression, saying, "Ah, always delighted to help. Now, shall we begin by addressing the number of phonemes involved in the Northern Denobulan dialect?"
Thirty minutes later, Tucker whispered to T'Pol, "Think I oughtta rescue the poor guy?"
T'Pol had observed the futile attempts Ravis made to get away from the physician, but she had also registered that Ensign Sato had been disturbed by the man. T'Pol rose gracefully and merely said, "Doctor Phlox carries out his missions with great zeal; however, Ravis is a linguist. He should be able to talk himself out of the situation if it's not to his liking."
Trip smiled as he watched T'Pol walk off. It was clear that Ravis had not left a good impression on her. Lieutenant Reed entered the mess hall just as the Vulcan left, so Tucker rose to meet him.
Tucker followed Reed in the lunch line deciding he would take pity on Ravis and get him something to eat. He began speaking to his friend.
"So, there's your competition," said Tucker to Reed as he loaded a plate with a catfish filet and the perfect dessert, pecan pie!
"Competition would imply that there was something yet to win, Commander. I have no intention of making Hoshi available as some prize," said Reed calmly. He had seen a very flustered Hoshi return to the bridge. She had merely told him that she had encountered Ravis again, but obviously it was enough to upset her.
"You're jealous! I knew it, I just knew you'd get green around the gills," taunted Tucker.
"No, I'm just cautious. I trust Hoshi; I don't trust What's-his-name," responded Reed.
"Well, I better go rescue What's-his-name from Phlox. Hope he appreciates good Southern cooking," said Tucker, leaving Reed to finish making his selections in peace.
"Hey, Doc, do ya mind if I interrupt your lesson to feed our guest here?" asked Tucker. He didn't notice that Reed was walking toward him to sit at the table behind them. As a result, Tucker successfully blocked Reed from Ravis' view.
"What is this?" asked Ravis. He wrinkled his face in disgust as he looked at the meal Tucker so gallantly offered.
"Why, it's Southern fried catfish with all the trimmings and pecan pie for dessert. An Earth delicacy, but a meal made in heaven," said Tucker, thinking that Ravis just had not understood the nature of the meal.
"Take it away, it looks horrible," said Ravis in a tone that infuriated Tucker.
The Commander picked up the tray, shook his head as he turned and immediately tripped.
There went the catfish filet, merrily slapping Ravis' face a few times as it fell onto his shirt to join the cole slaw. But to Tucker's despair and utter amusement, the precious pecan pie did a swan dive onto Ravis' head. It landed upside down with luscious filling and pecans doing a slow tango down Ravis' hair.
"Oh, gee, that was real clumsy of me, but my nickname is Trip," said the Chief Engineer, trying to look apologetic as he offered Ravis a napkin. "Looks like you'll have to freshen up a bit."
Trip then noticed Malcolm sitting at the table with one of his half-smiles on his face as Ravis stormed off. Phlox followed him with a variety of suggestions on how to remove sticky goo from hair and fish odor from clothing, beginning with the biochemistry involved in such procedures.
"Malcolm, you wouldn't have had anything to do with my lack of coordination a minute ago, would you? My little accident had nothing to do with meeting up with one of your feet, did it?" asked Trip of his friend.
"Trip, are you implying that I would be capable of calculating the exact placement my foot to coincide with your rotation so that the trajectory of the filet and pie you launched would land upon our guest rather than you or Phlox?" asked Malcolm.
"You betcha," said Trip with a chuckle. "Damn, that was the last piece of pecan pie, too."
Malcolm removed a bowl he had turned upside down over a small plate. He shoved the dessert plate in Trip's direction.
"Call it even?" asked Malcolm. Trip was too busy to answer as he stuffed his mouth with the pie.
------
Later in the afternoon, Sato walked into sickbay to deliver some correspondence to Phlox when she saw Ravis was on one of the beds complaining loudly of a headache. She squared her shoulders intent on making her delivery and leaving quickly, but she had no such luck.
"Hoshi! We need to talk! Doctor, would you please get away from me with that creature!" proclaimed Ravis as Phlox approached him with what looked like a giant spider.
"But this should be the perfect thing for your headache. The little sting you'll feel will soon deliver a neurotoxin that will be localized just to the muscles that are producing the tension headache. Nothing could work better on your species, I assure you," explained the Doctor with patient cheerfulness.
"I'll just leave these letters for you on your console, Doctor," said Sato as her eyes sparkled with amusement. Phlox practiced medicine with zeal. There was no way Ravis would escape the spider's sting. She walked toward the other end of the room passing the patient and his physician as she left the letters.
"Ow! I can't believe this is proper medicine. Do they only recruit imbeciles for medical practitioners on your planet?" exclaimed Ravis. He didn't wait for Phlox's response but jumped off the bed to touch Sato's arm as she passed close to them again. "Hoshi, please, you must listen to me!"
Once again Sato backed away. "Alright. Look, I have to walk back to the bridge and you have to return to the Captain's ready room. You can talk while we return to our stations. Just don't touch me."
Sato turned quickly and began walking, not waiting to see if Ravis fell into step with her. She soon heard his voice next to her.
"Hoshi, I love you. I've never felt this way about any other woman. You can't tell me our time on Risa was a mistake. You told me yourself I didn't take advantage of you. I can't believe you don't want to be with me now. We have so much in common, so much to share. Say you'll at least give me a chance to prove this to you."
"I don't regret meeting you on Risa, but I'm not the same person now that I was then, Ravis. I'm committed to another relationship and I don't intend to do anything to jeopardize it. Please, just leave me alone."
"I'm wearing you down, aren't I? You're remembering the night we spent together, how sweet it was--"
"You're making me angry! Are you so arrogant that you think you just have to say 'I love you' and a woman would fall into your arms just like that? For the last time, I do not want you, I do not need you and I certainly do not love you."
"But--" Ravis had begun to plead again when they entered the bridge.
Sato looked directly at Reed who sat at the tactical station. The Lieutenant immediately responded to her gaze with a question in his eyes. She gave him a small shake of her head and proceeded to her bridge station.
T'Pol had also seen the two come in. As soon as Sato began to walk to her station, T'Pol moved to Ravis, effectively preventing his following the Ensign.
"I believe Minister Presbyano is ready to return to discussions. I will announce your return."
T'Pol indicated the direction of the Captain's ready room with a graceful extension of her arm. She quickly turned to give Reed a quirk of her eyebrow. He nodded his thanks. Ravis walked with T'Pol, giving Sato's back one last lingering look.
-------
Hoshi and Malcolm were eating dinner in his quarters, both having changed into civilian clothing. Malcolm had not asked her about Ravis and it was driving her crazy! She looked at the man in her life and noted he seemed relaxed, unconcerned and very sexy in a red shirt that provided a nice contrast to his dark hair. Hoshi thought about their similarities and differences. In the long run what made their relationship work was how they completed each other.
Malcolm looked up as Hoshi was contemplating him. She was wearing a gold sweater that looked very soft and clung very nicely to her curves. Her hair was down and it was all he could do to keep himself from abandoning dinner to touch her. Malcolm could understand why a man could love her to distraction, but Ravis' persistence in the face of Hoshi's continued rejection made him wonder how far the man would go. Malcolm had taken certain precautions but he was beginning to get very irritated at What's-his-name.
"Malcolm, about what you saw on the bridge--" began Hoshi.
"What I saw was you taking your station and a man who apparently can't take no for an answer. Are you sure you don't want me to--"
"Oh, I don't know, Malcolm. I thought that he'd be reasonable, but now I just don't know. I don't want you doing anything that would get you in trouble on my account, though. But I don't want to spend tonight talking about Ravis. You said you would work on keeping me occupied, if I remember," said Hoshi with a seductive smile.
------
Ravis was not having a good day. After another incredibly dull session in the afternoon interpreting for Minister Presbyano, he now sat with Captain Archer and the Minister in the Captain's mess. He had hoped to convince the Captain to have Ensign Sato included in the dinner party, but Archer had brushed his suggestion off without consideration. Ravis would just have to wait until after dinner to hunt down his prize. At least he wasn't being offered that distasteful meal from the mess hall!
Then, just as the crewman who was serving dinner opened the door, Ravis saw a little brown streak with a white-tipped tail enter the room going straight for the Captain. This upset the crewman who was carrying a dish full of broccoli with cheese sauce.
Of course the broccoli was immediately attracted to Ravis with the cheese merrily spattering a novel design all over his face and shirt. But the worse was to come!
The brown streak appeared again, jumped from the Captain's lap onto the table, and began licking the cheese sauce off of Ravis' face. Ravis finally managed to push the beast off of him and stand, only to have the creature begin to growl and bark at him.
"Porthos! Settle down!" said Jonathan Archer who was more successful at holding in his laughter than Minister Presbyano at the sight of Ravis dripping with broccoli and cheese.
Archer couldn't believe Porthos had gotten out again. The Captain would have to speak to Lieutenant Reed about security measures concerning the pup. Personally, Archer was happy he had neglected to ensure Porthos would not seek an adventure tonight. This was more entertaining than T'Pol learning to use chopsticks.
-------
Hoshi was sleeping quietly in Malcolm's bed, his body wrapped around hers. Malcolm realized just how deeply he loved her at that moment, how much her presence had changed his life. Tonight, for instance. Before Malcolm and Hoshi had gotten involved, he could not have imagined spending all of his off-duty time avoiding work.
Finding ways to keep Hoshi occupied this evening was much more enjoyable than the endless nights he would spend on improving weapons systems or she would spend on the newest language she had discovered. They're relationship could not be allowed to interfere with their work, but they both had a tendency to be absorbed by their disciplines. Using off-duty time for recreational purposes had some merit after all!
Malcolm was just about to kiss Hoshi to see how sleepy she really was when he heard the quiet alarm. Blast! Didn't the fool know when to stop? He had been hoping to avoid a direct encounter, but some people just never learn.
Hoshi stirred as he left the bed. "Malcolm?"
"Don't worry, love. It's just a proximity alarm I need to respond to. Shouldn't take a moment. Go back to sleep."
Malcolm put on some sweat pants and a t-shirt as he spoke with Hoshi. No need to take a phase pistol, he thought. He just hoped he wouldn't have to break his promise to Hoshi to not touch the man who was pestering her. He'd really hate that.
-------
Reed walked to Sato's quarters silently. He turned the corner and saw the man standing outside of her door, obviously trying to break her security code. Really, this was just uncalled for! The Lieutenant had installed a proximity alarm on her door to respond to anyone who would be persistent in their presence, but he was actually surprised that What's-his-name would go to these extremes.
"You won't find her there," Reed said quietly as he leaned against the wall. He brought a hand to his chin as he considered the intruder.
Ravis turned slowly and looked at the man. He recognized him as the man who had kissed Hoshi when she had left the linguistics conference where he had last seen her. How could she prefer him to me, came his question again. "Suppose you tell me where Hoshi is?"
"She's in my quarters and I intend to see that her sleep remains completely undisturbed by you," responded Reed evenly.
"You're just afraid for her to be with me. You know she'll want me over you," insisted Ravis.
"I don't suppose you got her message when she knocked you flat on your ass at the linguistics conference. Do you really want me to let her loose on you when she's angry?" queried Reed.
Ravis looked furious. "Hoshi chose me on Risa!"
"Yes, and she's chosen to be with me now. Can you honestly tell me she's given you any encouragement?" asked Reed, wondering if the man would be stupid enough to lie.
Ravis looked down as he finally realized that his attempt to gain Hoshi would fail. He looked at the man who stood before him, Hoshi's current lover, and realized he didn't even know his name. "You won't last either, my friend."
"Let me worry about that," Reed said with a small smile.
The Lieutenant thought about the vessel the Enterprise would meet tomorrow. Locating just the right ship that had the appropriate supplies for Chef had required a bit of work and a lot of luck, but fortune had been smiling on him lately.
Thinking of this, Reed said, "I can offer you two options. One, I turn you in to the Captain for attempted break-in, and I assure you, the Captain is even more protective of Hoshi than I am. Or you could find a sudden excuse to leave the Enterprise tomorrow. We expect to rendezvous with a ship heading to Risa at 0900. I'm sure you can find your way home from there."
-------
After he watched Ravis walk away, Malcolm hurried back to his quarters to find Hoshi awake and propped up on the pillow. She had a small pout on her face as she said, "I was beginning to get cold."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you like this," said Malcolm as he took off his clothing. As he reached forward to pull back the blanket, Hoshi quickly grabbed his arm and threw him onto his back on the bed while she straddled him.
"Do you have a problem with aggressive women, Lieutenant?" Hoshi whispered as she traced his jaw with kisses.
Yes, Malcolm thought, he was indeed completely doomed. He surrendered completely to his lover.
-------
Reed and Tucker were at their stations on the bridge the next morning when the Enterprise met the ship called the Vogon heading to Risa. They transported some perishable supplies that Chef had ordered to Enterprise. Now they waited to transport Ravis to the Vogon as well.
Ravis had concocted a medical excuse as a reason for leaving Enterprise. Considering all the bad luck he had encountered while aboard, the Minister had been very understanding. Sato was interpreting for Minister Presbyano and the Captain now as they began the morning session in the ready room.
The captain and first mate of the Vogon finally appeared on the screen to confirm that Ravis had been successfully transported aboard. T'Pol merely inclined her head at the officers and thanked them for the goods they had delivered.
Tucker saw that the officers of the Vogon were women. Dark-haired women. Dark-haired women with voluptuous bodies. Oddly familiar, dark-haired women with voluptuous bodies. Reed heard Tucker's gasp of astonishment as recognition struck.
"Malcolm, aren't those...?" Trip said, knowing he didn't need to complete his thought.
"The very ones we met on Risa," said Malcolm with a self-satisfied smirk.
"Aren't they likely to take Ravis as a hostage for ransom or something?" asked Trip.
"Perhaps, but they won't harm him. Actually, I'd be more concerned about the fact that they actually are the females of their species," said the Armory Officer.
"What? Those shapeshifters that rolled us on Risa sure sounded male!" exclaimed Trip.
"I looked them up on the Vulcan database. Apparently the species is like a sequential hermaphrodite. We were lucky that we encountered the male sequence that wasn't interested in mating with other males. On the other hand, according to the bioscans T'Pol just ran, they are now in the female cycle. They're actually more aggressive when they're in estrus," explained Malcolm.
"You mean they might--" Trip asked without completing their question.
"Really, Commander. What's-his-name went willingly enough so he should suffer the consequences of his decision," said Malcolm.
Trip just looked at his friend in astonishment. "Malcolm, there's no way you could have orchestrated this whole scenario, is there? No, uh uh. Just not possible."
Lieutenant Reed just smiled and went back to his diagnostic protocol. There was a reason he was the tactical officer on board after all.
*****
Author Notes:
My last dig at Ravis, and, yes, I had fun! The name of the ship (Vogon) is my little tribute to Douglas Adams. Written May?, 2002 and posted at LD.
Thanks for reading. No reviews are necessary.
Author: ZenosParadox
Summary: RS romance, Tu, A, P. Ravis comes aboard Enterprise and has a very bad day. Sequel to Defining Moments.
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Paramount. This fiction was written solely for personal enjoyment.
ONE DAY, ONE NIGHT
"We would like to welcome you aboard the Enterprise, Minister Presbyano," said Captain Jonathan Archer to the three male aliens who stepped out of the craft in the shuttle bay.
Minister Presbyano reminded Archer of his old Uncle Bill. The skin he could see was wrinkled on the long, thin frame, long facial hair covered his face although the head was bald, but the purple eyes had a merry twinkle. His valet was comparable to a middle-aged human, again tall and slender, but his hair was a light blond. Finally was a man with short brown hair, no facial hair, but forehead ridges who was speaking almost concurrently with Archer. This must be Ravis, the Minister's translator, thought the Captain.
The Captain heard Ensign Hoshi Sato's gasp of recognition as she realized that the interpreter for Minister Presbyano was none other than Ravis, the man she had met on Risa and with whom she had indulged in a one-night interlude. Sato had seen Ravis again some months ago at a linguistics conference where she had rebuked his advances. Things were going to be awkward for the next few days, she thought.
As T'Pol added her greetings to the Captain's, Sato noticed Ravis looking at her even while he was translating the latest words. Surely Ravis wouldn't be dogging her on her own ship! Sato kept telling herself that Ravis had gotten the message she was no longer interested in him.
The Minister was now introducing his servant and Ravis, although the voice was all Ravis. When the Captain introduced Sub-commander T'Pol, Commander Charles Tucker and Ensign Hoshi Sato, Ravis took Sato's hand in his, kissed it and said, "Yes, Ensign Sato and I met on Risa."
Archer and Tucker exchanged quick glances as Sato abruptly pulled her hand away as she blushed. Jon and Trip probably knew how well Hoshi had gotten acquainted with Ravis while on Risa. She was just happy that Malcolm was on the bridge right now. The thought of explaining the situation to him made her wince at the thought. She and Malcolm had been together for a few months now, but this would be the first time either had to contend with the presence of an old lover. How would Malcolm react?
Jonathan Archer led the group back to his ready room to commence the discussion on information exchange. He noticed that Ravis fell back to walk with Sati as she followed Tucker and T'Pol. The two translators were speaking in a whisper and had fallen into using the language of Risa.
"Hoshi, you must listen to me. The only reason I accepted this assignment was to see you again, to convince you of how much I love you. Leave with me when I finish here so we can start our life together," began Ravis, this time keeping his hands to himself as they walked together.
"No, I don't love you. No, I don't want to be with you. Just no. Besides, doesn't your wife expect you to spend your life with her?" responded Sato.
"My wife understands my needs, Hoshi. I need you," said Ravis.
"But I don't need you, Ravis. I love someone else, so please just forget about me. Don't make me regret ever meeting you," said Sato as she sped up her gait to catch up with the others.
"Captain, since Ravis is doing such a wonderful job translating, I think I should go back to my station at the bridge." Sato's request seemed urgent.
Captain Archer quickly nodded his assent and Sato made it to the bridge in record time. The rest of the party had to move slowly for the sake of the Minister.
------
Ensign Sato saw Lieutenant Malcolm Reed looking intently at his tactical console when she arrived on the bridge. "Malcolm, could we talk for a minute? Over here"
Malcolm moved to follow Hoshi to a more secluded corner just off the main bridge. "He's here. Ravis is on the Enterprise."
"The What's-his-name you met on Risa?" asked Malcolm. After Hoshi's quick nod, he continued. "And? He's not bothering you, is he?"
Hoshi bit her lip. "He seems to think I'd still be interested in him, but I told him no. I just don't want you to be jealous and wind up doing something that would get you in trouble."
"I'm not jealous," said Malcolm calmly. "I saw his name when I did security clearance for the delegation. Seems the chap is married."
"I didn't know that when I met him on Risa. Even when I decked him at the linguistics conference I was unaware of it until some of the women began talking about him the next morning."
"You decked him? What maneuver did you use?" asked Malcolm, more interested in the technique Hoshi had used than anything.
"I just kicked my foot out to sweep his legs out from under him when he didn't take no for an answer," responded Hoshi with a quick smile.
"Good! I'm glad to hear the training sessions have paid off. So, are you worried about something happening while he's here on Enterprise?" asked Malcolm.
"I think I can handle him, Malcolm. I just wanted to make sure you heard it from me. I didn't want to there to be any surprises," responded Hoshi, somewhat concerned at how well Malcolm was taking this all in. "So, you're not going to pull any jealous lover moves, extract revenge--nothing like that?"
"Hoshi, you have my word that I won't touch him. Don't worry," assured Malcolm.
"Now I'm not sure whether I should be upset about your nonchalant attitude of my having an old lover aboard ship," said Hoshi.
"I'm not unaffected, Hoshi, but I'm not likely to interact with the man at all. Besides, I think my best strategy would be to make sure I use my time and energy on you rather than waste my time with What's-his-name," said Malcolm, leaning into her so that his voice was just above her ear. Hoshi felt that delightful shiver go up her spine.
"How do you plan to do that?" asked Hoshi, wishing they were in a position where they could indulge in a kiss.
"Have dinner with me in my quarters tonight. Then I'll just see if I can think of ways to keep you occupied," said Malcolm with a spark in his eyes.
-------
Ravis was disappointed that Hoshi had scurried off so suddenly. He had not been able to get her attention when they had finally arrived on the bridge. Further, he had been unable to convince Captain Archer that her assistance would still be needed and that had frustrated him. He had tried being charming to the man and then turned angry and adamant, but this Captain Archer was not responding.
Ravis continued to do the boring job he had been paid for, but in truth would not have been working for Minister Presbyano if the diplomat had not been about to rendezvous with Enterprise. Ravis had fallen in love with Hoshi Sato when they had met on Risa. He was sure he just needed to convince her of it and she would be his. Ravis was married, but taking a steady mistress was actually encouraged in the social circle of his home world.
Minister Presbyano was an old, doddering fool as far as Ravis was concerned. After an initial meeting that took up most of the morning, the Minister's manservant had insisted that he rest.
Ravis was left in the company of the incredibly dull Vulcan woman and the provincial Chief Engineer. He traveled with them to the mess hall, hoping he'd be able to catch Hoshi there. He entered and saw his prize sitting with a Denobulan.
Sato felt a piercing stare turn her way. She looked up and saw Ravis entering with T'Pol and Tucker. Oh no! Ravis came directly to their table, once again reaching for her hand.
"Doctor Phlox, may I introduce you to Ravis? He's a fellow linguist and is interpreting for Minister Presbyano," explained Sato. Ravis turned to glance briefly at the Doctor who had noticed that the Ensign was trying to remove her hand from Ravis' grasp. "I'm sure he'd be delighted to learn Denobulan. If you'll excuse me now."
Sato gave a quick yank that was witnessed by T'Pol, Tucker and Phlox, but she didn't gauge their reaction as she practically ran from the mess hall.
Ravis sat there stunned until Phlox decided that Ravis indeed needed an extensive lesson in Denobulan. Phlox began with his normal cheery expression, saying, "Ah, always delighted to help. Now, shall we begin by addressing the number of phonemes involved in the Northern Denobulan dialect?"
Thirty minutes later, Tucker whispered to T'Pol, "Think I oughtta rescue the poor guy?"
T'Pol had observed the futile attempts Ravis made to get away from the physician, but she had also registered that Ensign Sato had been disturbed by the man. T'Pol rose gracefully and merely said, "Doctor Phlox carries out his missions with great zeal; however, Ravis is a linguist. He should be able to talk himself out of the situation if it's not to his liking."
Trip smiled as he watched T'Pol walk off. It was clear that Ravis had not left a good impression on her. Lieutenant Reed entered the mess hall just as the Vulcan left, so Tucker rose to meet him.
Tucker followed Reed in the lunch line deciding he would take pity on Ravis and get him something to eat. He began speaking to his friend.
"So, there's your competition," said Tucker to Reed as he loaded a plate with a catfish filet and the perfect dessert, pecan pie!
"Competition would imply that there was something yet to win, Commander. I have no intention of making Hoshi available as some prize," said Reed calmly. He had seen a very flustered Hoshi return to the bridge. She had merely told him that she had encountered Ravis again, but obviously it was enough to upset her.
"You're jealous! I knew it, I just knew you'd get green around the gills," taunted Tucker.
"No, I'm just cautious. I trust Hoshi; I don't trust What's-his-name," responded Reed.
"Well, I better go rescue What's-his-name from Phlox. Hope he appreciates good Southern cooking," said Tucker, leaving Reed to finish making his selections in peace.
"Hey, Doc, do ya mind if I interrupt your lesson to feed our guest here?" asked Tucker. He didn't notice that Reed was walking toward him to sit at the table behind them. As a result, Tucker successfully blocked Reed from Ravis' view.
"What is this?" asked Ravis. He wrinkled his face in disgust as he looked at the meal Tucker so gallantly offered.
"Why, it's Southern fried catfish with all the trimmings and pecan pie for dessert. An Earth delicacy, but a meal made in heaven," said Tucker, thinking that Ravis just had not understood the nature of the meal.
"Take it away, it looks horrible," said Ravis in a tone that infuriated Tucker.
The Commander picked up the tray, shook his head as he turned and immediately tripped.
There went the catfish filet, merrily slapping Ravis' face a few times as it fell onto his shirt to join the cole slaw. But to Tucker's despair and utter amusement, the precious pecan pie did a swan dive onto Ravis' head. It landed upside down with luscious filling and pecans doing a slow tango down Ravis' hair.
"Oh, gee, that was real clumsy of me, but my nickname is Trip," said the Chief Engineer, trying to look apologetic as he offered Ravis a napkin. "Looks like you'll have to freshen up a bit."
Trip then noticed Malcolm sitting at the table with one of his half-smiles on his face as Ravis stormed off. Phlox followed him with a variety of suggestions on how to remove sticky goo from hair and fish odor from clothing, beginning with the biochemistry involved in such procedures.
"Malcolm, you wouldn't have had anything to do with my lack of coordination a minute ago, would you? My little accident had nothing to do with meeting up with one of your feet, did it?" asked Trip of his friend.
"Trip, are you implying that I would be capable of calculating the exact placement my foot to coincide with your rotation so that the trajectory of the filet and pie you launched would land upon our guest rather than you or Phlox?" asked Malcolm.
"You betcha," said Trip with a chuckle. "Damn, that was the last piece of pecan pie, too."
Malcolm removed a bowl he had turned upside down over a small plate. He shoved the dessert plate in Trip's direction.
"Call it even?" asked Malcolm. Trip was too busy to answer as he stuffed his mouth with the pie.
------
Later in the afternoon, Sato walked into sickbay to deliver some correspondence to Phlox when she saw Ravis was on one of the beds complaining loudly of a headache. She squared her shoulders intent on making her delivery and leaving quickly, but she had no such luck.
"Hoshi! We need to talk! Doctor, would you please get away from me with that creature!" proclaimed Ravis as Phlox approached him with what looked like a giant spider.
"But this should be the perfect thing for your headache. The little sting you'll feel will soon deliver a neurotoxin that will be localized just to the muscles that are producing the tension headache. Nothing could work better on your species, I assure you," explained the Doctor with patient cheerfulness.
"I'll just leave these letters for you on your console, Doctor," said Sato as her eyes sparkled with amusement. Phlox practiced medicine with zeal. There was no way Ravis would escape the spider's sting. She walked toward the other end of the room passing the patient and his physician as she left the letters.
"Ow! I can't believe this is proper medicine. Do they only recruit imbeciles for medical practitioners on your planet?" exclaimed Ravis. He didn't wait for Phlox's response but jumped off the bed to touch Sato's arm as she passed close to them again. "Hoshi, please, you must listen to me!"
Once again Sato backed away. "Alright. Look, I have to walk back to the bridge and you have to return to the Captain's ready room. You can talk while we return to our stations. Just don't touch me."
Sato turned quickly and began walking, not waiting to see if Ravis fell into step with her. She soon heard his voice next to her.
"Hoshi, I love you. I've never felt this way about any other woman. You can't tell me our time on Risa was a mistake. You told me yourself I didn't take advantage of you. I can't believe you don't want to be with me now. We have so much in common, so much to share. Say you'll at least give me a chance to prove this to you."
"I don't regret meeting you on Risa, but I'm not the same person now that I was then, Ravis. I'm committed to another relationship and I don't intend to do anything to jeopardize it. Please, just leave me alone."
"I'm wearing you down, aren't I? You're remembering the night we spent together, how sweet it was--"
"You're making me angry! Are you so arrogant that you think you just have to say 'I love you' and a woman would fall into your arms just like that? For the last time, I do not want you, I do not need you and I certainly do not love you."
"But--" Ravis had begun to plead again when they entered the bridge.
Sato looked directly at Reed who sat at the tactical station. The Lieutenant immediately responded to her gaze with a question in his eyes. She gave him a small shake of her head and proceeded to her bridge station.
T'Pol had also seen the two come in. As soon as Sato began to walk to her station, T'Pol moved to Ravis, effectively preventing his following the Ensign.
"I believe Minister Presbyano is ready to return to discussions. I will announce your return."
T'Pol indicated the direction of the Captain's ready room with a graceful extension of her arm. She quickly turned to give Reed a quirk of her eyebrow. He nodded his thanks. Ravis walked with T'Pol, giving Sato's back one last lingering look.
-------
Hoshi and Malcolm were eating dinner in his quarters, both having changed into civilian clothing. Malcolm had not asked her about Ravis and it was driving her crazy! She looked at the man in her life and noted he seemed relaxed, unconcerned and very sexy in a red shirt that provided a nice contrast to his dark hair. Hoshi thought about their similarities and differences. In the long run what made their relationship work was how they completed each other.
Malcolm looked up as Hoshi was contemplating him. She was wearing a gold sweater that looked very soft and clung very nicely to her curves. Her hair was down and it was all he could do to keep himself from abandoning dinner to touch her. Malcolm could understand why a man could love her to distraction, but Ravis' persistence in the face of Hoshi's continued rejection made him wonder how far the man would go. Malcolm had taken certain precautions but he was beginning to get very irritated at What's-his-name.
"Malcolm, about what you saw on the bridge--" began Hoshi.
"What I saw was you taking your station and a man who apparently can't take no for an answer. Are you sure you don't want me to--"
"Oh, I don't know, Malcolm. I thought that he'd be reasonable, but now I just don't know. I don't want you doing anything that would get you in trouble on my account, though. But I don't want to spend tonight talking about Ravis. You said you would work on keeping me occupied, if I remember," said Hoshi with a seductive smile.
------
Ravis was not having a good day. After another incredibly dull session in the afternoon interpreting for Minister Presbyano, he now sat with Captain Archer and the Minister in the Captain's mess. He had hoped to convince the Captain to have Ensign Sato included in the dinner party, but Archer had brushed his suggestion off without consideration. Ravis would just have to wait until after dinner to hunt down his prize. At least he wasn't being offered that distasteful meal from the mess hall!
Then, just as the crewman who was serving dinner opened the door, Ravis saw a little brown streak with a white-tipped tail enter the room going straight for the Captain. This upset the crewman who was carrying a dish full of broccoli with cheese sauce.
Of course the broccoli was immediately attracted to Ravis with the cheese merrily spattering a novel design all over his face and shirt. But the worse was to come!
The brown streak appeared again, jumped from the Captain's lap onto the table, and began licking the cheese sauce off of Ravis' face. Ravis finally managed to push the beast off of him and stand, only to have the creature begin to growl and bark at him.
"Porthos! Settle down!" said Jonathan Archer who was more successful at holding in his laughter than Minister Presbyano at the sight of Ravis dripping with broccoli and cheese.
Archer couldn't believe Porthos had gotten out again. The Captain would have to speak to Lieutenant Reed about security measures concerning the pup. Personally, Archer was happy he had neglected to ensure Porthos would not seek an adventure tonight. This was more entertaining than T'Pol learning to use chopsticks.
-------
Hoshi was sleeping quietly in Malcolm's bed, his body wrapped around hers. Malcolm realized just how deeply he loved her at that moment, how much her presence had changed his life. Tonight, for instance. Before Malcolm and Hoshi had gotten involved, he could not have imagined spending all of his off-duty time avoiding work.
Finding ways to keep Hoshi occupied this evening was much more enjoyable than the endless nights he would spend on improving weapons systems or she would spend on the newest language she had discovered. They're relationship could not be allowed to interfere with their work, but they both had a tendency to be absorbed by their disciplines. Using off-duty time for recreational purposes had some merit after all!
Malcolm was just about to kiss Hoshi to see how sleepy she really was when he heard the quiet alarm. Blast! Didn't the fool know when to stop? He had been hoping to avoid a direct encounter, but some people just never learn.
Hoshi stirred as he left the bed. "Malcolm?"
"Don't worry, love. It's just a proximity alarm I need to respond to. Shouldn't take a moment. Go back to sleep."
Malcolm put on some sweat pants and a t-shirt as he spoke with Hoshi. No need to take a phase pistol, he thought. He just hoped he wouldn't have to break his promise to Hoshi to not touch the man who was pestering her. He'd really hate that.
-------
Reed walked to Sato's quarters silently. He turned the corner and saw the man standing outside of her door, obviously trying to break her security code. Really, this was just uncalled for! The Lieutenant had installed a proximity alarm on her door to respond to anyone who would be persistent in their presence, but he was actually surprised that What's-his-name would go to these extremes.
"You won't find her there," Reed said quietly as he leaned against the wall. He brought a hand to his chin as he considered the intruder.
Ravis turned slowly and looked at the man. He recognized him as the man who had kissed Hoshi when she had left the linguistics conference where he had last seen her. How could she prefer him to me, came his question again. "Suppose you tell me where Hoshi is?"
"She's in my quarters and I intend to see that her sleep remains completely undisturbed by you," responded Reed evenly.
"You're just afraid for her to be with me. You know she'll want me over you," insisted Ravis.
"I don't suppose you got her message when she knocked you flat on your ass at the linguistics conference. Do you really want me to let her loose on you when she's angry?" queried Reed.
Ravis looked furious. "Hoshi chose me on Risa!"
"Yes, and she's chosen to be with me now. Can you honestly tell me she's given you any encouragement?" asked Reed, wondering if the man would be stupid enough to lie.
Ravis looked down as he finally realized that his attempt to gain Hoshi would fail. He looked at the man who stood before him, Hoshi's current lover, and realized he didn't even know his name. "You won't last either, my friend."
"Let me worry about that," Reed said with a small smile.
The Lieutenant thought about the vessel the Enterprise would meet tomorrow. Locating just the right ship that had the appropriate supplies for Chef had required a bit of work and a lot of luck, but fortune had been smiling on him lately.
Thinking of this, Reed said, "I can offer you two options. One, I turn you in to the Captain for attempted break-in, and I assure you, the Captain is even more protective of Hoshi than I am. Or you could find a sudden excuse to leave the Enterprise tomorrow. We expect to rendezvous with a ship heading to Risa at 0900. I'm sure you can find your way home from there."
-------
After he watched Ravis walk away, Malcolm hurried back to his quarters to find Hoshi awake and propped up on the pillow. She had a small pout on her face as she said, "I was beginning to get cold."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you like this," said Malcolm as he took off his clothing. As he reached forward to pull back the blanket, Hoshi quickly grabbed his arm and threw him onto his back on the bed while she straddled him.
"Do you have a problem with aggressive women, Lieutenant?" Hoshi whispered as she traced his jaw with kisses.
Yes, Malcolm thought, he was indeed completely doomed. He surrendered completely to his lover.
-------
Reed and Tucker were at their stations on the bridge the next morning when the Enterprise met the ship called the Vogon heading to Risa. They transported some perishable supplies that Chef had ordered to Enterprise. Now they waited to transport Ravis to the Vogon as well.
Ravis had concocted a medical excuse as a reason for leaving Enterprise. Considering all the bad luck he had encountered while aboard, the Minister had been very understanding. Sato was interpreting for Minister Presbyano and the Captain now as they began the morning session in the ready room.
The captain and first mate of the Vogon finally appeared on the screen to confirm that Ravis had been successfully transported aboard. T'Pol merely inclined her head at the officers and thanked them for the goods they had delivered.
Tucker saw that the officers of the Vogon were women. Dark-haired women. Dark-haired women with voluptuous bodies. Oddly familiar, dark-haired women with voluptuous bodies. Reed heard Tucker's gasp of astonishment as recognition struck.
"Malcolm, aren't those...?" Trip said, knowing he didn't need to complete his thought.
"The very ones we met on Risa," said Malcolm with a self-satisfied smirk.
"Aren't they likely to take Ravis as a hostage for ransom or something?" asked Trip.
"Perhaps, but they won't harm him. Actually, I'd be more concerned about the fact that they actually are the females of their species," said the Armory Officer.
"What? Those shapeshifters that rolled us on Risa sure sounded male!" exclaimed Trip.
"I looked them up on the Vulcan database. Apparently the species is like a sequential hermaphrodite. We were lucky that we encountered the male sequence that wasn't interested in mating with other males. On the other hand, according to the bioscans T'Pol just ran, they are now in the female cycle. They're actually more aggressive when they're in estrus," explained Malcolm.
"You mean they might--" Trip asked without completing their question.
"Really, Commander. What's-his-name went willingly enough so he should suffer the consequences of his decision," said Malcolm.
Trip just looked at his friend in astonishment. "Malcolm, there's no way you could have orchestrated this whole scenario, is there? No, uh uh. Just not possible."
Lieutenant Reed just smiled and went back to his diagnostic protocol. There was a reason he was the tactical officer on board after all.
*****
Author Notes:
My last dig at Ravis, and, yes, I had fun! The name of the ship (Vogon) is my little tribute to Douglas Adams. Written May?, 2002 and posted at LD.
Thanks for reading. No reviews are necessary.