Ticklish 4

Trip awoke the next morning feeling very tired and sore, like he had slept on a bed of nails, the last thing he could remember was trying to stay awake. He looked up and saw T'Pol sleeping sitting up on a chair. 'Damn she's beautiful!' he thought to himself.

He got up and considered waking her, then decided he would rather watch her sleep. 'I wonder if she's got a boyfriend' he thought aloud

"No I am not in a relationship," T'Pol answered opening her eyes.

'SHIT,' Trip thought, "You're awake!!!!" Trip said terrified.

"Are you all right?" T'Pol asked. Trip had gone a funny shade of pale. He looked like he was going to faint.

T'Pol stood and reached for Trip. "Commander?"

"No no no I'm fine I'm fine!" Trip assured her.

"You don't appear to be 'fine', Commander."

"Yes I am."

Suddenly T'Pol realized something. "How old are you, Commander?"

He stared at her nervously. "16"

'Sleeping must have increased his ageing rate,' she thought. "Then perhaps you are fine," she admitted.

"Hoshi is coming soon?"

"Yes commander"

"I like Hoshi" Trip grinned a goofy grin

"I know, Commander. However, for the next few hours, I will remain with you. Would you like to go to the mess hall? I'm sure you're hungry."

"Sure thing," he responded with that goofy grin again.

"Very well. Let's go." She walked to the door, followed closely by Trip--perhaps a bit TOO closely, but she didn't seem to notice that and they left the room.

As they walked toward the mess hall, Trip started inching slowly closer to T'Pol, and T'Pol tried her best to avoid him… She knew how human male teens often acted--especially around women-- and didn't want him to get too close.

Trip looked slightly hurt, but let it pass. T'Pol had been trying to think how best to convey the new situation to the captain without encouraging him to give Trip a man-to-man talk.

But then she noticed Trip was eyeing up every woman who walked past. And decided that a man-to-man was exactly what he needed.

T'Pol began to feel slightly putout. The walk seemed to be lasting forever. Finally they reached the mess hall. And Lt. Reed came over. "Hello Commander, Sub-Commander"

He said in a very friendly manner.

"Hey Malcolm, what going on my brother?"

Malcolm looked at Trip confused, but after a 'get out while you can' look from T'Pol he said goodbye and fled. Trip looked around the mess hall eyeing every woman in it, T'Pol grabbed his arm and pulled him, less than gently, toward the captains mess.

"Trip." Archer greeted. "T'Pol."

"Captain, the Commander has aged ten years while he slept. I feel that you should talk with him."

Trip realized what was about to happen but T'Pol had already made a quick escape and left.

Trip looked uncomfortable as T'Pol left, "Cap'n…er…I um…can I ask Polly something?" He said wanting to get out of the room as fast as possible.

"NO, I think-"The captain was cut off by the door opening and a crewman walking in to deliver news to the captain, Trip took this as his chance to leave.

"Well looks like you've got company gotta go!"

The captain watched as Trip dashed out the doors 'Polly' he thought 'I hope, for T'Pol's sake, he forgets that'

Trip got out the Mess hall and began to run.

"Trip!" Archer called. He ran after the errant engineer.

Trip was quick, but Archer was quicker. He tackled the engineer, and they both fell to the ground.

They tussled playfully; Archer knowing full well Trip could beat him.

Eventually they stopped rolling around and Archer stood and pulled Trip to his feet.

Trip looked at Archer but couldn't keep his gaze. Archer just stood there looking at Trip who had seemed to forget they were just fighting and was checking out an unfortunate T'Pol who had come to see if there was a problem.

The three looked at each other for a minute.

Trip and Archer were breathing heavily from their little brawl.

And T'Pol was looking flushed.

Wait...T'Pol...Flushed?

Trip contained his breathing and tried to straighten himself out and look older than he felt. He slowly moved over to T'Pol, while talking to the captain "sorry, I don't know what I was doing, I apologize, "

The captain was very confused until he saw, in a blur what happened next.

Trip grabbed T'Pol's arm and ran off down the corridor with a very confused and surprised T'Pol in tow, She had to run with him, or else she would have been dragged.

Trip rounded the corridor and ran into a turbolift.

T'Pol was flung all the way into the lift as the doors closed, leaving them alone inside.

"Commander," she asked confused. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doin'?"

"If I knew what you were doing, I would not have asked you," she reminded him.

"Well, then I'm glad you asked."

"Why are you 'glad I asked'?"

"I'm kidnapping you." Trip said. "We're getting a shuttle and going to live on Risa. And-" He was cut off by T'Pol squeezing his neck in a nerve pinch.