Enterprise 04
Trip woke the next morning with very little headache. The little one he had could b taken care of by getting some food into his stomach. He half walked, half stumbled over to the bathroom to shower and shave, then back out to dress. He looked in the bathroom mirror, combing his hair while thinking.
What am I going to say when I see Tyler today? Why am I even concerned about that? Get it together, Trip. This is insanity! He scolded himself, putting the comb down. He stared at himself in the mirror for a while. He shook his head. I can't believe I'm even having this internal monologue. I need to talk to someone about this.
He left his cabin and headed for the mess hall, bumping in to a chatty Anne and a yawning, sleepy eyed Tyler.
"Morning!" he said cheerfully, receiving a similar greeting from Anne and a glare from Tyler. "What's with you this morning, sunshine?"
"Call me sunshine again and I'll remove a certain piece of yer anatomy an' feed it to ye friend in butter sauce." He growled.
"He's just grumpy. It's an early morning thing. Tyler hasn't woken up on the good side of the bed in a long time."
"Five months, three weeks and 2 days." Tyler said through another yawn.
"Keeping count? That's odd."
"There are stranger things to do." He shrugged, rubbing his eyes.
"Like what?"
"Blaming it on people around ye, for one. I prefer to just keep count and let life continue. No sense in getting bent out of shape about it."
"Sure." Anne rolled her eyes. "Ye say that now, but we all ken that, as soon as somethin' goes wrong in engineering, ye'll be barking like a wolf with the foaming sickness."
"You mean rabies?" Trip asked.
"That's wha' I said." Anne peered up at him. "Maybe I should take ye to sickbay and examine yer hearing."
"I assure you that my hearing is in good condition."
"Sure." Tyler yawned again. They could hear his jawbone crack a little. "We believe ye, Trip."
"Trip?" Anne blinked. "Who's Trip?"
"That would be me. It's what my friends call me."
"I'm thinking he mun a' fallen down a few too many times as a child to have earned that nickname." Tyler said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
"That's not funny, Tyler." Trip glowered.
"Oh, but 'tis, 'tis!" Tyler crowed, ducking in to the mess hall. "I'm surprised tha' no one has thought o' that one afore now."
"Morning Trip." Captain Archer said by way of greeting. "Took off from the party early?"
"Got bored." He shrugged, sending a quick glare at Tyler. "Besides, I promised Commander Wolffe here a tour of the ship and the engine room."
"Ah." Archer did a double take. "I thought you'd gone back to the Genesis."
Tyler shook his head. "Nah. I had things I had to do. I promised Trip that I'd help him wi' the warp core. I ken how to keep the field stable at warp 5 as well as how to keep yer ship from flyin' apart on ye at that speed."
"That would be a handy thing to have on our side, Commander. Thanks for your kind offer."
He sniffed. "Kind has nothing t' do wi' it." He said, shrugging. "I have friends on this ship an' the last thing I need is for the ship to fall apart, killing them both."
"Both?" Archer asked, curious.
"Anne and Trip. Anne I've kent all my life. Trip was gracious enough to rescue me from that little get together last night. He turned out to be no' quite as bad as most of the other engineers I've ee'r met."
"Thanks Tyler." Trip growled, poking him playfully in the shoulder.
He swatted back at him. "Ye're welcome. Now, if it's all the same to ye, I'd like to eat something. I'd also like t' see if Alex is still here. I ken that she was talkin' to Lieutenant Reed for much of last night, but I'm no' really sure wha' happened after I left."
"Why don't you ask her?" Archer invited. "She's sitting right over there with Malcolm."
Tyler smirked and Anne shook her head. "Really, sir, you shouldn't have said anything."
"Why's that?"
"He doesn't need any encouragement in that department." Anne sighed as Tyler meandered over to sit down with Malcolm and Alex, who greeted him heartily while Malcolm looked like he wanted to vanish. "See what I mean? Just be glad you don't have to deal wi' him on a regular basis. I'm certain tha' your Commander Tucker here is a handful enough as 'tis."
"How does Commander Wolffe feel about Vulcans?"
"I'm no' sure, really." Anne looked over at the now howling with laughter Tyler. "I've never seen him around one before. I also don' recall him meeting Subcommander T'pol last nigh'."
"That'll change fairly soon, I think." Trip said, pointing. "She's at the table beside theirs."
As the three watched while getting food, Tyler turned to the Vulcan, glowering. He said something and T'pol responded with a flat expression on her face. Tyler mimicked her eyebrow raise and laughed, turning back to Alex and Malcolm. After a few minutes, Malcolm excused himself and left the mess hall leaving Alex and Tyler to talk quite animatedly in Gaelic.
"I didn't know she spoke your language." Dr. Phlox commented from the other side of the table Archer, Trip and Anne had sat at.
"She's quite good a' it, really." Anne shrugged. "I didn't know you liked blueberry pancakes, doctor."
"Their quite tasty. I prefer the blueberry to the plain, actually."
Anne's grayish eyes lit up. "Really? Me too! I prefer waffles to pancakes myself, even though there really isna much difference in the overall mix. It's the butter seeping into the little square depressions and mixing with the syrup tha' makes all the diff'rence in the taste."
"You're quite the gourmet." Trip teased.
"My father was a very good cook and he taught me all I know about food." Anne swallowed another mouthful, looking over at Tyler and Alex thoughtfully.
The two looked back and Alex made a casual statement in Gaelic that had Tyler howling with laughter and Anne blushing a bright scarlet.
"What did she say?" Trip asked, puzzled.
"It's nothing." Anne said, applying herself to her breakfast. "Maybe I'll tell ye later."
Trip and Phlox looked puzzled. "I think we need to get Hoshi to learn Gaelic just so to be safe."
"Safe from wha', Commander?" Anne asked. "Wee littl' me?"
"Nah, I'm more worried about Tyler and Alex over there insulting everyone behind their backs."
"They'd do tha' anyways. They don' need to speak Gaelic to do it either. They have their own code worked out, most of it in gestures and catch phrases. Ye mun understand that they're an odd pair."
Alex and Tyler continued their conversation in Gaelic as Anne tried to explain things to her new crewmates.
"So, how did your evening go last night?" Alex asked Tyler, sipping her usual morning glass of apple juice.
"No' bad. Trip isna a bad person to hang around wi'." Tyler shrugged dismissively. "How 'bout yers?"
Alex smiled widely and leaned back in her chair, stretching luxuriously. "I could quite happily spend my nights like that more often. It's also the most fun I've had in a long time. Since we left Earth anyways."
Tyler snorted. "I don' want any details, ye hear? Keep that to yerself."
"Aw, c'mon, Tyler." Alex teased, breaking back into English. "Aren't you even the least bit curious?"
The mess hall turned to follow this.
"No, Alex, I'm no'." Tyler flushed. "Keep ye're sick mind to yerself. I have enough things t' worry about wi'out ye givin' me more." He stood and left the mess hall.
"What was that all about?" Archer asked Alex, puzzled.
"Oh, Tyler's just lacking in a sense of humour this morning."
Anne turned to Alex. "Tyler also doesna have his mind in the gutter, unlike some a certain armory officer I ken."
Alex blinked, startled. "Did something happen to Tyler last night that I don't know about? He's never that grumpy with me."
"What'd you say to him?" Phlox asked. "He looked and sounded very annoyed."
"I'd say embarrassed." Anne countered. "Keep in mind that' I've kent him all my life." She added at their looks. "I ken full well what's goin' on here." She shot a look at Alex. "I'm a bit concerned at leaving him wi' ye on the Genesis in light of wha' just' happened; however, it seems I have no choice in the matter. Behave yerself, Alex. I don' want any letter from him sayin' that ye've been teasin' him like ye jus' did."
Alex shrugged. "I'll try, but he's such an easy target." She stood. "If anyone's looking for me, I'll be taking a self guided tour of the ship. Call me when we're leaving to go back to the Genesis." She walked out of the mess hall.
Tyler leaned against a bulkhead, his back pressed against the vibrating metal. He put his face in his hands, letting his floppy grey hair fall into his face. Shaking his head, he tossed it back, running his hands over his head. I canna believe that Alex. How could she tease me so? She kens full well why I dinna wan' to ken the details of her evening wi' that Lieutenant. He sighed and pushed away from the bulkhead. An' why did she have t' say that all out in English anyways? He turned and slammed his fist into the wall, leaning his head against it. Damn her.
"Commander?"
Tyler jumped, putting a hand to his chest. "Trip! Ye scared ten years o' life out o' me. Ye dinna have t' creep up on me so."
"I wasn't exactly quiet about it. You were just lost in thought I guess." Trip regarded Tyler thoughtfully. "You don't look to happy about what Lieutenant Remscheid said in the mess hall."
"No' really, no." he shook his head. "It's the same thing every time she, well…y'ken. Like last night." Tyler squirmed.
"I think I know what you're talking about. The thing with Malcolm?"
"Aye, that." Tyler looked even more uncomfortable. "She takes a very sadistic pleasure in teasin' me about things like that. She kens I hate it when she does that, but she still does all the same."
Trip frowned. "And she's your best friend? Some friend."
"Nay, other than that teasing, she's the best friend I have. Her and Anne, that is."
There was an uncomfortable silence before Trip suggested that they get to work on the warp core. Relieved, Tyler nodded and they headed for the turbolift. He tried to explain to Trip what he planned on doing, making wild gestures with his arms that only served to puzzle Trip more. Finally he gave up, saying that he'd show him when they got to engineering.
Trip watched, fascinated as Tyler crawled around the warp core, talking animatedly the whole time, explaining what he was doing. Trip often had to shake himself to bring himself back to what they were doing. He kept getting distracted.
"Has anyone ever told you that you have a very pleasant voice to listen to?" he blurted out suddenly.
Tyler paused in his narrative and looked down at him. "Where did tha' come from?"
"Just commenting. You have a nice voice."
He gave a rough barking laugh. "Speakin' voice, perhaps, but you don' want' t' hear me sing. Ye'd rather listen to claws on a chalk board than liste t' me singin'."
"I'm not much of a singer myself." Trip said. "Anyways, you were saying something about the antimatter?"
"Ah yes." Tyler continued on while Trip mentally kicked himself for being an idiot.
A few hours later, Tyler was finished and looked extremely disheveled, coated in sweat and grease, his hair sticking out at wild angles, wisps of it falling into his face.
"Well, ye think ye could do that again if ye needed to?"
"Probably. I managed to catch most of what you said. You did talk kind of fast."
"Sorry abou' that." Tyler flushed. "I do that. next time just tell me to slow down a little."
"Would you like to clean up a little? My cabin isn't far." Trip's blue eyes bore into Tyler's pale grey ones.
"Bridge to Commander Wolffe." The intercom beeped.
Tyler went over and pressed the button, relieved at the interruption. "Wolffe here. Wha' can I do for ye?"
"This is Ensign Sato, sir. Genesis sent a message saying that their sending a shuttle pod over to pick you and Lieutenant Remscheid up."
"I'm on my way, Ensign. Thank ye." Turning to Trip, he said, "I s'pose tha' I'll have t' pass up yer kind offer, Trip. Next time we're in the neighborhood."
Trip nodded. "I'll walk with you to the airlock. If you don't mind that is."
"No' at all, Trip." Tyler said, blushing a little. "I'd appreciate the company."
Alex and Malcolm were at the airlock before them saying goodbye. Tyler and Trip ducked back into the corridor. Tyler snickered a little. "A bit cozy, aren't they?"
Trip grinned down at him. "Now I know for sure what they were up to last night."
Tyler made a face. "Wi' Alex, that sort o' thing is a given."
Trip stuck his head back around the corner. "It's time like this that I miss my girlfriend."
"Ye have a girlfriend?" Tyler sounded surprised.
"Yeah, but we broke up not long after Enterprise left Earth." He sounded a bit wistful, but turned a smiling face back to her. "But that's in the past. What about you? Anyone special back on Earth?"
"No' in the sense ye're talkin' about. I have my family and my wolf."
"Wolf?"
"My pet. He's a big grey and black wolf. I saved him as a puppy an' he's been with me e'er syne. He's too big t' be takin' into space. I brought my cat wi' me instead."
"I think I'll have to write to you. You're an interesting person, Tyler."
"Thank ye. Ye are, too. No' many people are so nice to me. Or enjoy my company."
"What say we jump the couple there? As revenge for this morning?"
A grin spread across Tyler's face, giving him a wolfish look. "A good idea that."
They strolled out into the corridor, Tyler wolf whistling while Trip made comments in a laughing voice."
Alex looked over at them and stuck out her tongue. "You're just jealous, Tyler."
That stopped him and made him blush furiously. He made a snarling comment in Gaelic.
"No need to get nasty Ty."
"I'll show ye no need." He snarled as the airlock opened and Lieutenant Shyanne Adams, Genesis's science officer walked out.
"Did I interrupt something?" she asked.
"No' at all Lieutenant." Tyler said, storming past her. "No' at all."
Trip and Malcolm exchanged a look and shrugged. Alex kissed Malcolm quickly and followed Tyler on to the shuttle.
Shyanne looked at her superiors, baffled. "There are times when I wish I hadn't been assigned to Genesis." She said, sighing. "I hope that Lieutenant Commander Wolffe doesn't give you any problems." She smiled faintly, pulling the airlock closed.
Trip woke the next morning with very little headache. The little one he had could b taken care of by getting some food into his stomach. He half walked, half stumbled over to the bathroom to shower and shave, then back out to dress. He looked in the bathroom mirror, combing his hair while thinking.
What am I going to say when I see Tyler today? Why am I even concerned about that? Get it together, Trip. This is insanity! He scolded himself, putting the comb down. He stared at himself in the mirror for a while. He shook his head. I can't believe I'm even having this internal monologue. I need to talk to someone about this.
He left his cabin and headed for the mess hall, bumping in to a chatty Anne and a yawning, sleepy eyed Tyler.
"Morning!" he said cheerfully, receiving a similar greeting from Anne and a glare from Tyler. "What's with you this morning, sunshine?"
"Call me sunshine again and I'll remove a certain piece of yer anatomy an' feed it to ye friend in butter sauce." He growled.
"He's just grumpy. It's an early morning thing. Tyler hasn't woken up on the good side of the bed in a long time."
"Five months, three weeks and 2 days." Tyler said through another yawn.
"Keeping count? That's odd."
"There are stranger things to do." He shrugged, rubbing his eyes.
"Like what?"
"Blaming it on people around ye, for one. I prefer to just keep count and let life continue. No sense in getting bent out of shape about it."
"Sure." Anne rolled her eyes. "Ye say that now, but we all ken that, as soon as somethin' goes wrong in engineering, ye'll be barking like a wolf with the foaming sickness."
"You mean rabies?" Trip asked.
"That's wha' I said." Anne peered up at him. "Maybe I should take ye to sickbay and examine yer hearing."
"I assure you that my hearing is in good condition."
"Sure." Tyler yawned again. They could hear his jawbone crack a little. "We believe ye, Trip."
"Trip?" Anne blinked. "Who's Trip?"
"That would be me. It's what my friends call me."
"I'm thinking he mun a' fallen down a few too many times as a child to have earned that nickname." Tyler said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
"That's not funny, Tyler." Trip glowered.
"Oh, but 'tis, 'tis!" Tyler crowed, ducking in to the mess hall. "I'm surprised tha' no one has thought o' that one afore now."
"Morning Trip." Captain Archer said by way of greeting. "Took off from the party early?"
"Got bored." He shrugged, sending a quick glare at Tyler. "Besides, I promised Commander Wolffe here a tour of the ship and the engine room."
"Ah." Archer did a double take. "I thought you'd gone back to the Genesis."
Tyler shook his head. "Nah. I had things I had to do. I promised Trip that I'd help him wi' the warp core. I ken how to keep the field stable at warp 5 as well as how to keep yer ship from flyin' apart on ye at that speed."
"That would be a handy thing to have on our side, Commander. Thanks for your kind offer."
He sniffed. "Kind has nothing t' do wi' it." He said, shrugging. "I have friends on this ship an' the last thing I need is for the ship to fall apart, killing them both."
"Both?" Archer asked, curious.
"Anne and Trip. Anne I've kent all my life. Trip was gracious enough to rescue me from that little get together last night. He turned out to be no' quite as bad as most of the other engineers I've ee'r met."
"Thanks Tyler." Trip growled, poking him playfully in the shoulder.
He swatted back at him. "Ye're welcome. Now, if it's all the same to ye, I'd like to eat something. I'd also like t' see if Alex is still here. I ken that she was talkin' to Lieutenant Reed for much of last night, but I'm no' really sure wha' happened after I left."
"Why don't you ask her?" Archer invited. "She's sitting right over there with Malcolm."
Tyler smirked and Anne shook her head. "Really, sir, you shouldn't have said anything."
"Why's that?"
"He doesn't need any encouragement in that department." Anne sighed as Tyler meandered over to sit down with Malcolm and Alex, who greeted him heartily while Malcolm looked like he wanted to vanish. "See what I mean? Just be glad you don't have to deal wi' him on a regular basis. I'm certain tha' your Commander Tucker here is a handful enough as 'tis."
"How does Commander Wolffe feel about Vulcans?"
"I'm no' sure, really." Anne looked over at the now howling with laughter Tyler. "I've never seen him around one before. I also don' recall him meeting Subcommander T'pol last nigh'."
"That'll change fairly soon, I think." Trip said, pointing. "She's at the table beside theirs."
As the three watched while getting food, Tyler turned to the Vulcan, glowering. He said something and T'pol responded with a flat expression on her face. Tyler mimicked her eyebrow raise and laughed, turning back to Alex and Malcolm. After a few minutes, Malcolm excused himself and left the mess hall leaving Alex and Tyler to talk quite animatedly in Gaelic.
"I didn't know she spoke your language." Dr. Phlox commented from the other side of the table Archer, Trip and Anne had sat at.
"She's quite good a' it, really." Anne shrugged. "I didn't know you liked blueberry pancakes, doctor."
"Their quite tasty. I prefer the blueberry to the plain, actually."
Anne's grayish eyes lit up. "Really? Me too! I prefer waffles to pancakes myself, even though there really isna much difference in the overall mix. It's the butter seeping into the little square depressions and mixing with the syrup tha' makes all the diff'rence in the taste."
"You're quite the gourmet." Trip teased.
"My father was a very good cook and he taught me all I know about food." Anne swallowed another mouthful, looking over at Tyler and Alex thoughtfully.
The two looked back and Alex made a casual statement in Gaelic that had Tyler howling with laughter and Anne blushing a bright scarlet.
"What did she say?" Trip asked, puzzled.
"It's nothing." Anne said, applying herself to her breakfast. "Maybe I'll tell ye later."
Trip and Phlox looked puzzled. "I think we need to get Hoshi to learn Gaelic just so to be safe."
"Safe from wha', Commander?" Anne asked. "Wee littl' me?"
"Nah, I'm more worried about Tyler and Alex over there insulting everyone behind their backs."
"They'd do tha' anyways. They don' need to speak Gaelic to do it either. They have their own code worked out, most of it in gestures and catch phrases. Ye mun understand that they're an odd pair."
Alex and Tyler continued their conversation in Gaelic as Anne tried to explain things to her new crewmates.
"So, how did your evening go last night?" Alex asked Tyler, sipping her usual morning glass of apple juice.
"No' bad. Trip isna a bad person to hang around wi'." Tyler shrugged dismissively. "How 'bout yers?"
Alex smiled widely and leaned back in her chair, stretching luxuriously. "I could quite happily spend my nights like that more often. It's also the most fun I've had in a long time. Since we left Earth anyways."
Tyler snorted. "I don' want any details, ye hear? Keep that to yerself."
"Aw, c'mon, Tyler." Alex teased, breaking back into English. "Aren't you even the least bit curious?"
The mess hall turned to follow this.
"No, Alex, I'm no'." Tyler flushed. "Keep ye're sick mind to yerself. I have enough things t' worry about wi'out ye givin' me more." He stood and left the mess hall.
"What was that all about?" Archer asked Alex, puzzled.
"Oh, Tyler's just lacking in a sense of humour this morning."
Anne turned to Alex. "Tyler also doesna have his mind in the gutter, unlike some a certain armory officer I ken."
Alex blinked, startled. "Did something happen to Tyler last night that I don't know about? He's never that grumpy with me."
"What'd you say to him?" Phlox asked. "He looked and sounded very annoyed."
"I'd say embarrassed." Anne countered. "Keep in mind that' I've kent him all my life." She added at their looks. "I ken full well what's goin' on here." She shot a look at Alex. "I'm a bit concerned at leaving him wi' ye on the Genesis in light of wha' just' happened; however, it seems I have no choice in the matter. Behave yerself, Alex. I don' want any letter from him sayin' that ye've been teasin' him like ye jus' did."
Alex shrugged. "I'll try, but he's such an easy target." She stood. "If anyone's looking for me, I'll be taking a self guided tour of the ship. Call me when we're leaving to go back to the Genesis." She walked out of the mess hall.
Tyler leaned against a bulkhead, his back pressed against the vibrating metal. He put his face in his hands, letting his floppy grey hair fall into his face. Shaking his head, he tossed it back, running his hands over his head. I canna believe that Alex. How could she tease me so? She kens full well why I dinna wan' to ken the details of her evening wi' that Lieutenant. He sighed and pushed away from the bulkhead. An' why did she have t' say that all out in English anyways? He turned and slammed his fist into the wall, leaning his head against it. Damn her.
"Commander?"
Tyler jumped, putting a hand to his chest. "Trip! Ye scared ten years o' life out o' me. Ye dinna have t' creep up on me so."
"I wasn't exactly quiet about it. You were just lost in thought I guess." Trip regarded Tyler thoughtfully. "You don't look to happy about what Lieutenant Remscheid said in the mess hall."
"No' really, no." he shook his head. "It's the same thing every time she, well…y'ken. Like last night." Tyler squirmed.
"I think I know what you're talking about. The thing with Malcolm?"
"Aye, that." Tyler looked even more uncomfortable. "She takes a very sadistic pleasure in teasin' me about things like that. She kens I hate it when she does that, but she still does all the same."
Trip frowned. "And she's your best friend? Some friend."
"Nay, other than that teasing, she's the best friend I have. Her and Anne, that is."
There was an uncomfortable silence before Trip suggested that they get to work on the warp core. Relieved, Tyler nodded and they headed for the turbolift. He tried to explain to Trip what he planned on doing, making wild gestures with his arms that only served to puzzle Trip more. Finally he gave up, saying that he'd show him when they got to engineering.
Trip watched, fascinated as Tyler crawled around the warp core, talking animatedly the whole time, explaining what he was doing. Trip often had to shake himself to bring himself back to what they were doing. He kept getting distracted.
"Has anyone ever told you that you have a very pleasant voice to listen to?" he blurted out suddenly.
Tyler paused in his narrative and looked down at him. "Where did tha' come from?"
"Just commenting. You have a nice voice."
He gave a rough barking laugh. "Speakin' voice, perhaps, but you don' want' t' hear me sing. Ye'd rather listen to claws on a chalk board than liste t' me singin'."
"I'm not much of a singer myself." Trip said. "Anyways, you were saying something about the antimatter?"
"Ah yes." Tyler continued on while Trip mentally kicked himself for being an idiot.
A few hours later, Tyler was finished and looked extremely disheveled, coated in sweat and grease, his hair sticking out at wild angles, wisps of it falling into his face.
"Well, ye think ye could do that again if ye needed to?"
"Probably. I managed to catch most of what you said. You did talk kind of fast."
"Sorry abou' that." Tyler flushed. "I do that. next time just tell me to slow down a little."
"Would you like to clean up a little? My cabin isn't far." Trip's blue eyes bore into Tyler's pale grey ones.
"Bridge to Commander Wolffe." The intercom beeped.
Tyler went over and pressed the button, relieved at the interruption. "Wolffe here. Wha' can I do for ye?"
"This is Ensign Sato, sir. Genesis sent a message saying that their sending a shuttle pod over to pick you and Lieutenant Remscheid up."
"I'm on my way, Ensign. Thank ye." Turning to Trip, he said, "I s'pose tha' I'll have t' pass up yer kind offer, Trip. Next time we're in the neighborhood."
Trip nodded. "I'll walk with you to the airlock. If you don't mind that is."
"No' at all, Trip." Tyler said, blushing a little. "I'd appreciate the company."
Alex and Malcolm were at the airlock before them saying goodbye. Tyler and Trip ducked back into the corridor. Tyler snickered a little. "A bit cozy, aren't they?"
Trip grinned down at him. "Now I know for sure what they were up to last night."
Tyler made a face. "Wi' Alex, that sort o' thing is a given."
Trip stuck his head back around the corner. "It's time like this that I miss my girlfriend."
"Ye have a girlfriend?" Tyler sounded surprised.
"Yeah, but we broke up not long after Enterprise left Earth." He sounded a bit wistful, but turned a smiling face back to her. "But that's in the past. What about you? Anyone special back on Earth?"
"No' in the sense ye're talkin' about. I have my family and my wolf."
"Wolf?"
"My pet. He's a big grey and black wolf. I saved him as a puppy an' he's been with me e'er syne. He's too big t' be takin' into space. I brought my cat wi' me instead."
"I think I'll have to write to you. You're an interesting person, Tyler."
"Thank ye. Ye are, too. No' many people are so nice to me. Or enjoy my company."
"What say we jump the couple there? As revenge for this morning?"
A grin spread across Tyler's face, giving him a wolfish look. "A good idea that."
They strolled out into the corridor, Tyler wolf whistling while Trip made comments in a laughing voice."
Alex looked over at them and stuck out her tongue. "You're just jealous, Tyler."
That stopped him and made him blush furiously. He made a snarling comment in Gaelic.
"No need to get nasty Ty."
"I'll show ye no need." He snarled as the airlock opened and Lieutenant Shyanne Adams, Genesis's science officer walked out.
"Did I interrupt something?" she asked.
"No' at all Lieutenant." Tyler said, storming past her. "No' at all."
Trip and Malcolm exchanged a look and shrugged. Alex kissed Malcolm quickly and followed Tyler on to the shuttle.
Shyanne looked at her superiors, baffled. "There are times when I wish I hadn't been assigned to Genesis." She said, sighing. "I hope that Lieutenant Commander Wolffe doesn't give you any problems." She smiled faintly, pulling the airlock closed.