"How are you, Trip," Jon pounced the moment his lover came thought the door, somewhat later than the 2200 he'd stated.

"Honestly, not real happy right now," Trip responded, removing his coat and deliberately taking his time to place it on a hook by the door. Tucker left the backpack with Pieter. He didn't want to add more fat to this fire. "With you or myself."

"Right," Jon's arms had been about to embrace Trip, but something, maybe the expression, stopped him. "I got your message."

"You're lucky I sent it," Trip stated morosely, watching his feet. "It's only because Lee's such a great psychiatrist, that I realised how much damage my initial idea of staying over at their place without telling you where I'd gone would cause our relationship. That doesn't mean I'm not mad as hell at you for telling me you could make it tonight, then forgetting and going out with your college buddies." Sighing, Tucker looked at his lover. It seemed Jon's expression stated he'd not had a great night either. "How was the Polo match?"

"I'm not sure I saw any of it," Jon confessed. "That's what I want to talk about Trip."

Giving Archer a quizzical expression, Trip indicated he should get his feelings out in the open.

"Lee's in Starfleet?" Jon asked, playing for time while struggling to find the right words to express his mixed emotions. Archer was surprised at Lee's profession. Then again, Trip was an intellectual kind of guy under all that suave Southern Gentleman exterior. It was no wonder he'd made friends with other experts in their fields. This event brought home just how little they actually knew about each other, their friends, interests outside of work, hobbies and personalities.

"Yep," Trip answered. "At least on a consulting basis. That's how Pieter and Lee met. Pieter's a doctor. And by the way, he's a full Lieutenant since his internship period ended."

Suddenly realising what a mess they'd made of this, Jon headed into the living room and patted the couch beside him. "Trip, tell me about them."

"Why are you so interested now?" He asked in a strained voice.

"I had this preconceived idea," Archer confessed, "that Pieter was the same age as you, or close enough. To have graduated medicine, he has to be at least twenty-five."

"Seven, Pieter's twenty-seven," Tucker sighed, really not wanting to get into this right now, even if he knew it was the right thing to do and Jon was in a listening mood. "Two years younger than you."

"And Lee?" Archer continued, wanting to keep Trip talking.

"I don't know. Maybe late thirties, early forties. It's hard to tell with his Chinese ancestry." Huffing, Trip finally came to sit on the arm chair opposite his lover but still couldn't bring himself to look at Jon. "They live in one of the last painted ladies in Outer Richmond. Lee's family have always been doctors, so it was passed down to him from his parents."

"Trip," Jon's tone asked, no pleaded, for the younger man to look at him. When he did, Archer sighed. He looked miserable, about as miserable as Jon felt. "I'm sorry."

"Me too," Trip responded in a despondent voice. "I just wanted us to share this, Jon. Pieter, Lee, they're a big part of the reason I came to grips with my sexuality. Watching them, their relationship, gave me the courage to be here with you. Hell, if Pieter hadn't told me what I was feeling after we met, I'd don't know if I'd have figured out I was attracted to you on my own."

"I get that, Trip," Jon moved to the end of the couch, within touching distance, but didn't dare broch any physical contact yet. "I also get that I've reconnected with a group of people I thought I'd lost. Men with the same interests, even if we've grown apart and moved on with our careers and lives. One of my main aims in going tonight was to see if I could share that with you."

"I'm not asking that, Jon," Trip started.

Holding his hand up, Archer stated in a commanders voice, "I listened to you, it's time you heard me out. They said no, no partners, even if their male. Going out, watching a match, it's about remembering old times, our team spirit, telling stories, really embarrassing ones. Its about bonding to something other than our daily lives. I told them about our misunderstanding and they said family has to come first. That I should have put you ahead of them. That there will always be next month. It's just…"

"Just what, Jon," Trip encouraged.

Realising he had Tucker's complete attention, Archer shook his head and stood. "You're eight years younger than me. I thought I'd feel uncomfortable with your friends, just as you do with Robinson, Duvall and Gardiner. I should have known better. No, Trip, before you get all hot under the collar and shoot your mouth off, consider this from my point of view. Your gorgeous, in more than just looks. You step into a room and it lights up. Your outgoing, friendly, read people and situations. Added to all that you're a doctor in your own right. How the hell can I compete with that?"

"I never wanted you to compete," Trip stated emphatically. "I just want you to love me for who I am."

"I do, more every day, sometimes so much it hurts," Jon admitted. "You know, this was bound to happen eventually."

"Yes," Trip agreed. "I'm not sure how we learn to communicate more effectively. Sometimes it's like were on the same wavelength, then…."

"We're not," Archer sighed.

"By the way," Tucker managed to look on edge, "I'm not uncomfortable with Gardiner or Duvall. Their typical cocky pilots. I get that. But Robinson, he's a piece of work. He tries to get handsy with me again, and I'll, well, it won't end well."

Snickering, Jon shook his head. "He's tried it on with all my boyfriends, I though you understood that. I watched you at the bar. Whatever you said to him got through, Trip."

"I know he's just looking out for you after Nick and Carl," Tucker responded. "That sonofabitch is lucky I didn't deck him where he stood for suggesting such a thing. He interferes with us again…"

"Well, the miscommunication tonight," Jon's finger pointed between them, trying to keep his reaction to Trip's last comment contained, "isn't going to happen again. We're going to have to learn to talk more about our feelings and expectations. It's been a long time since I've had to be this honest, to share my space and sync my calendar. Last Saturday of the month is out for me, Trip. I need to keep in touch with my water polo buddies, now I've found them."

"About that. There's something else I have to confess," Trip admitted. "I'm suspicious of Wayne's motivations. Damn it, Jon, he was the first man you slept with and now you're going out with him socially after all this time. I know I shouldn't be jealous, but I have this image in my mind of a buff man in swimming briefs and nothing else. What," Tucker demanded when Archer's laugher threatened to drown him out.

Pulling out a PAD, Jon showed a pic of the group taken earlier that night. "That one is Wayne."

Eyes round, Trip didn't quite know what to say. "He's let himself go," was the nicest thing he could think of.

"I'm still not sure what I ever saw in him," Jon acknowledged mockingly. "It's even worse when he opens his mouth and recalls all the good times we had together, yes, as in that together and let me finish. I'm not sure I remember them with the same coloured glasses. Anyway, he wasn't too happy when I sounded the group out about bringing my boyfriend."

"Sounds like neither of us had a great night," Tip responded.

"Have we learnt anything from it?" Jon asked, holding out his hand and hoping his lover would take it.

"I got an idea," Trip finally grinned, accepting the offered olive branch and pulling Archer into his lap. "It's old fashioned but always worked for my family. Can't do anything about it right now, so I guess we can move on to the makeup sex."

"Do you ever think of anything else?" Jon mocked, half seriously. While he was more than happy to get physical, Archer didn't want to make the mistake of using intimacy as an end to any future disagreements. Not at least until they were completely resolved.

"Occasionally," Trip's hand forced Archer's head down, while his lips demanded they stop talking and start reuniting.

Not sure he was ready to give in that easily, Jon pulled away and sighed. He needed to get his thoughts across, without spoiling the mood. He had plans for his younger lover, but wanted to ensure they were finally on the same page. "You know, sex is not the answer for everything, Trip."

"Hell, Jon," Trip sounded a little frustrated, his embrace tightening. "I'm eight years younger than you. You should have expected to make love every night with a horny twenty-one-year-old, especially as we've only be together a few months."

"And that's why Wayne recalls our relationship so fondly," Jon whispered in Trip's ear, teasingly. It had the desired effect. Tucker's erection sagged and his expression darkened. "Nothing was ever resolved, problems went under the rug, and sex was used to shut one of us up. I've learnt, the hard way, that we need to be solid about tonight's issue, before we take this to the bedroom."

"Who said we're taking it to the bedroom?" Trip demanded. "Before you say we have to talk about that, there is such a thing as being spontaneous. If I want…"

"Trip," Jon's hazel eyes took on that command look.

"Yes, Mr. Archer, I've learnt from tonight. Lee sat me down and told me some home truth's I needed to hear. That's the reason I'm here and not staying in their spare room attempting to make you as mad at me as I was at you. I get it, we need to hear and understand each other, not just listen. I got an idea, cause syncing our calendars doesn't work. If you look on you PAD, I did that the moment you answered my message last week. I get that it's been a while since you lived with someone and I'm going to have to do some training of my own. Your one sloppy SOB too, just not with your clothing on the bathroom floor, or leaving the cap off the toothpaste. You got to learn to let people in, loosen up once in a while and realise you not always in charge. Happy now!" Exasperated, Trip glared at the man still seated on his lap.

Jon answered by tipping Trip's face up and laying feather light kisses along his jaw. "Happy." He said, one-word equating to one caress. "Slow, deliberate, take my time, you're going to come so hard."

"Promise," Trip asked, before the only noises in the room came from their shared pleasure.

The next day, after a morning run and brunch at Fresco's, Trip directed Jon to the local outdoor market. It took some digging but he finally came up with his prize. Once they got home, Tucker attached the white board to the wall between the coat rack and the front door.

"You write on it," Trip explained, holding a pen in his hand. "Anything important that's coming up so we both know and see it every time we go out the door. Like your monthly meeting, or Lizzy's birthday. By the way, Mama want's both of us in Florida for a family dinner to celebrate next month."

Jon's look was scathing.

"It's one night. We leave Saturday lunch time, get there in time for dinner, and leave after brunch," Trip cajoled. "If Vicky and Rory can make it from Ireland, especially now she's expecting, we need to be there too."

"How many of these birthday dinners do we have to attend?" Jon demanded, knowing the size of Trips family and mentally shuddering.

"Only the close ones," sighing at the look, Trip detailed, "Mama, Daddy, James, Grandpa, maybe Uncle Bob. Oh, and of course yours and mine. Although, we could have them all come here."

"No, Florida's fine. Just make sure these celebrations are not on the last Saturday of the month, Trip. Family might come first, but there not my family," Jon groused.

"Yet," Trip whispered as Jon stalked towards the bathroom. A wicked smile on his lips, Tucker would make it up to his boyfriend. He just had to wait until Archer had relaxed under the water and would be in a more receptive mood to his advances.

"Jon," Trip sounded hesitant over the com. It had been a little over a week since their blow up and he didn't want another disagreement between them when they were learning to communicate their feelings openly and easily.

"I'm not going to like this," Jon asked with a deepening frown. He knew that look and it had disaster written all over it, "am I?"

"No," Trip sighed, his blue eyes unusually troubled. "I've been posted to Hypatia as the Chief Engineer's assistant for the next three weeks. The ships waiting for me and my team to join the crew at Orbital. I've called housing and Ensign Vidal has packed my kit. It's on its way to the Complex as we speak."

Their first month working at the Complex passed quickly. As with all major projects, the terms of references had to be defined for each department. Then the time and resources allocated to achieve their goals. Engineering had been scurrying as they had the most to accomplish. The ship designers demanded requirements for the NX prototype vessels by the end of May, so construction could commence as soon as they completed their blueprints. It would take almost two years to have the models become a physical reality. In six weeks, Captain Jeffery's team needed to redesign and cost not only the engine room, but several sub-systems that would be under the control of the Chief Engineer on the experimental craft.

"Where are you now?" Jon asked, glancing at the time on his computer screen and the image behind Trip. They'd left home three hours ago, which meant this decision had been made swiftly.

"Engineering labs, but I need to be on my way to the quartermaster," Trip responded. "I've requisitioned several parts for Hypatia's plasma injectors and manifold assembly. I want to ensure they're correct."

"Don't tell me," Jon smirked, knowing where Trip mind was on this one, and thus the reason for the sudden reassignment, "your putting those redesigned upgrades in older engines to try and coax more speed out of the engines?"

"Something like that," Tucker smirked. "I can't say more, but I'm hoping this experiment might help get the NX off the ground."

"Experiment?" Jon asked. He'd heard all about Trip last great idea and the fact it ended with Lt. Tucker's unexpected journey to Orbital. "You and your great ideas, Trip. The last one only made you late for dinner. What's the next one going to do? A year space posting?"

Pulling a face, Trip's obviously wasn't happy with the sudden, and unexpected reassignment.

"Com me when you're settled?" Jon asked with a forlorn note in his voice.

Rolling his blue eyes, Trip promised, "you can count on it. Even if it's the middle of your night, I expect you to get out of bed and talk to me. I'm going to miss you, but I gotta go. Hess, Wang and King are going with me. I'm getting in trouble from the gaggle of Ensign's for calling my boyfriend. Hey," Lt. Tucker's voice echoed, as if he were shouting at the for mentioned group who were heckling him off-screen, "I can't help it if you lot don't have someone who's going to miss the hell out of you." Trip's face returned to the monitor. Placing to fingers on his lips, he transferred the kiss to the display in a very theoretical manner. "Love you, Jon."

"I…." before Archer could express his own emotions, or remind his boyfriend of the rules at work, Tucker had gone. "Love you too, Trip. I'm going to miss you. Hurry home." Sighing, Jon shook his head, realising that this was now his life. Trip would always be a free spirit, living in the moment but coming home to him. Their careers wouldn't make it any easier. If they really wanted to be on that first human ship of exploration, it was the price they needed to pay. Unlike Carl, Archer told himself, Trip will wait for me, just as I'll wait for him. Three weeks isn't that long. It could have been a ship going to Pluto, not Mercury. Let's just hope, that if we have to spend any significant time posted to space, it's together.

Turning around, Robinson stood behind Archer, a deepening frown on his face. Not sure how much he'd seen, Jon didn't like the darkening expression. Obviously, A.G. didn't like Trip any more than Tucker liked the cocky pilot.

"This has echoes of Carl written all over it. I told him, if he hurt you," A.G. warned.

"I don't like it either," Jon's expression demonstrated his disappointment, "but Lt. Tucker needs the time in an engine room if he's to be of any use to his team. If I read Captain Jeffery's correctly, there's going to be a lot of sudden, short term postings in the next few months. We're both in Starfleet and that means going where we're ordered. Lt. Tucker and I both understood this would occur at some point."

"How can you do that?" Robinson asked. When Jon shot him a glace that asked what, A.G. responded. "You call him Trip when you're talking about your boyfriend, and Lt. Tucker at work, as if they're two separate people."

"I have too," Jon asserted. "I have to compartmentalise the individual from the professional. At home I have Trip. He's just a kid, in so many ways and we're learning more about each other every day. I don't think he'll ever really grow up. It's not in his nature. Lt. Tucker is a professional, a man with better qualifications than you and I will ever have. Lt. Tucker's been posted to Hypatia to get some real engine room experience. It's only three weeks and it's going to change him in ways he hasn't even considered, yet. I just hope I get my Trip back."

"You are so gone," Robinson exhaled, finally understanding the Adonis causing Jon to get shitfaced almost a year ago had become a reality. Unlike Archer other lovers, Jon knew Tucker for months before carefully entering into a relationship. Jon was usually the one to move in with his partner, not invite a boyfriend to share his space. It was easier to leave that way. Obviously, Archer had no intention of letting Tucker go. "I don't think you were this far gone with Carl."

"I know I wasn't," Jon allowed a grin to cover his face, "but don't you dare tell Trip. And stop mentioning Carl. I got over him a long time ago."

"I hope you're not planning what I think you are. I can't be the only single pilot on the team," A.G. mocked, before a look of absolute horror overtook his features.

"I've been warned," Jon threw over his shoulder as he walked away, "not to ask for a few years, even if Tuckers tend to get married in their early twenties. Knowing Trip, he'll get impatient before then and do the asking himself."

"Shit," Robinson watched his friendly rival leave with a shocked expression. "Who the hell am I supposed to drink with if Archer gets hitched. Not that he's all that available, being at his toy boy's beck and call. Face it, Robinson, you're getting old."