Trip wasn't sure what to expect from his talk with Malcolm. He wasn't exactly looking forward to it. He'd been thinking about this all night. I won't say anything about the kiss. He don't need to know that… Trip thought.

He entered the Armory and stood there waiting for Malcolm to stop making so much noise with the drills. The last thing he wanted to do was scare the crap out of him. It gave Trip a chance to do some last minute dialogue in his head.

"Malcolm?" Trip said when the noise reduced.

"What is it, Commander?" Malcolm asked curtly, not turning around.

"Got a minute?"

Malcolm sighed heavily. "I'm rather busy."

"This'll be quick. I promise," Trip replied.

"I can't imagine what you have to say would interest me in slightest, Commander."

"Why're you so hostile to me all of a sudden, Malcolm? I just came down here to talk about last night."

"Regarding what?" Malcolm asked, his back still to Trip.

"You know what."

"I'm afraid I don't, Mr. Tucker," Malcolm said coolly.

"Cut the crap, Malcolm," Trip responded harshly. "It didn't dawn on me til last night that you were innerested in her."

Malcolm turned around lifting his face shield, facing his superior officer. He blinked, trying to disguise his bruised ego. "I thought I disclosed that information to you while we were on the shuttle pod. When we thought we were dead."

"I thought you were just makin' drunken small talk. I didn't know that was your way of tellin' me you wanted her."

"What was all that in the mess hall about then? Since you're not interested or anything," Malcolm asked sarcastically.

Trip rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "I was just showin' T'Pol how human kids ate Oreos. It was nothin'."

"It certainly didn't look like 'nothin' to me," Malcolm said nodding. "I saw you gazing at each other."

"I wasn't gazin' at her!" Trip cried. "And she sure as hell wasn't gazin' back at me."

"Trip, there are at least a dozen people on this ship that will gladly tell you otherwise."

"Shit," he muttered. "I forgot about the audience. Malcolm, I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what, Commander?" Malcolm demanded. "Sorry for moving in on another man's interest?"

"I don't believe you!" Trip exclaimed, stepping forward. "Correct me if I'm wrong here, but you *never* made a move! Hell, you barely even talk to her!"

"So you admit it then?" Malcolm asked, pointing an accusatory finger at Trip.

"Admit what?" Trip asked, frustrated. He knocked Malcolm's finger away.

"You were hitting on her."

"Oh, please!" Trip retorted, looking up to the ceiling. He was going to lose his temper any second now.

The two men stood staring each other down. Malcolm broke first, pulling his face shield back down. He turned around and began drilling again.



T'Pol had been scheduled to help Lieutenant Reed with his phase cannon project for several days. She was uncertain now of how to act around him after the scene in the mess hall the previous night. She'd never had problems working with Lt Reed before. It was logical to assume this time would be no different. Yet there was a nagging uncertainty that she couldn't shake.

She kept thinking about Malcolm's reaction the evening prior. T'Pol was confused and did not understand his anger. Was he upset with her or Commander Tucker? Why was he upset to begin with? It wasn't logical. She would never understand humans, least of all human males.

As she neared the Armory, she heard loud drilling sounds. She walked in, studying the PADD in her hands. T'Pol glanced up as she approached the drilling and stopped short.

There stood Commander Tucker, hands on his hips, glaring at Lieutenant Reed's back. T'Pol backed up and chose to remain out of sight until the Chief Engineer left. She was not ready to confront him yet. She picked out a spot near some storage containers where she could see them.

Malcolm paused in his drilling. Trip took the opportunity.

"Malcolm, do you honestly think I'd be innerested in a Vulcan? And even more, do you really think T'Pol would be innerested in me?" she heard Commander Tucker ask, exasperated. T'Pol's brow furrowed in confusion.

Malcolm removed his face shield once again. He looked Trip directly in the eye and replied quite sincerely, "Yes, Commander, I do."

Trip's mouth fell open. "Wh-what?" He was clearly shocked. I understand how he feels for once T'Pol thought grimly.

"I don't know what I was thinking…that I had some chance with her anyway," Malcolm sighed. "There aren't two people in the universe more perfectly matched than you and T'Pol."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means Commander, that you're both so bloody stubborn and brilliant and attracted to each other and neither one of you knows it. Everyone else can see it but the two of you. Please don't make me spell this out any further."

T'Pol leaned heavily against the storage containers and closed her eyes. This situation was getting worse with each passing hour.

"You're serious?" Trip asked incredulously.

"Commander, I think you should leave now. I just need some time to absorb this."

"Boy, you ain't kiddin'," Trip sighed. "Maybe *I'll* take up that meditation thing." T'Pol heard footsteps towards her. She stood stock still.

"Malcolm," Trip said cautiously. "Are we gonna be ok?"

There was a pause and a grunt from Lieutenant Reed's direction. "I can hardly hold something like this against you, Trip. Survival of the fittest, right?" T'Pol could hear the resignation in his voice. Humans were strange creatures indeed.

"Malcolm," Trip pleaded, "don't do this."

"It's fine Commander, really. I just need a bit more time to digest."

"Alright, but I…I didn't mean for anything…" Trip stumbled sheepishly.

"I know," Malcolm reassured him. "Shouldn't you be tweaking the engines or something?"

"Right." Trip said. T'Pol heard more footsteps and the door swish open as Trip stood there for a moment. "Thanks, Mal," he said and was gone.

T'Pol breathed a silent sigh of relief. Her behavior was illogical. But Commander Tucker had that effect on her, didn't he? Reed began banging and drilling once more and T'Pol took the noisy opportunity to make her entrance. It would be best if he did not know she'd heard any of their conversation. She stepped out from behind the crates, hands clasped behind her back. She waited for the noise to cease before announcing her presence.

T'Pol cleared her throat and Malcolm whipped around. "Sub-Commander!"

"I didn't mean to startle you, Lieutenant. I apologize."

"It's alright…I was just…making noise," he stammered. "I didn't hear you come in." His face began to turn an interesting shade of rose, his eyes darting around the room.

"Is everything ok, Mr. Reed?" T'Pol asked. She thought it best to stick to the matters at hand and not engage Malcolm in a discussion about what had just occurred.

Malcolm nodded and turned back to his project. "Yes, fine, thank you." He just stood there. "How long have you been standing there, Sub-Commander?"

T'Pol cocked her head slightly. "Not long. You were drilling when I walked in. I chose to wait until the noise ceased." It wasn't entirely the truth, but enough so that T'Pol was satisfied.

The security officer seemed to accept this with no further questions and they began their work on the cannons. She would deal with this situation at another time.