Title: Sweet Torture

Author: Josephine

E-Mail: lovellama@aol.com

Rating: PG-13

Category: Romance/General

Codes: Tr, S

Summary: Trip gets introspective about Ruby.

Notes: This is a response to the challenge on The Linguistics Database (judy.jteers.net/lingdata/): Write a fic where ALL of the following phrases are used in any order: "Smile, it makes people suspicious", "you didn't ask me", "this is wrong", and "masochist".



Coda


Charles Tucker the Third made his way carefully through the wreckage.  I've never seen it this bad. Amazing the amount of damage they can do in such a short time …  Catching sight of Hoshi, he made his way over to her.

"How're you holding up?"

"Fine. And you?"

Trip grunted as he slid down the wall to sit next to her. "Been better. Been worse." He watched as a gaggle of screaming, giggling four-year-old girls ran past him, led by his daughter. "I thought girls were supposed be the quiet ones."

Hoshi smiled at him and shifted the nursing Charles Tucker the Fourth. "It's her birthday, Charlie."

He grinned as the girls came hurtling back the other way, screaming and giggling some more.

"Still glad you asked?"

Trip kissed the head of his drowsy son and answered, "Always."