Chapter Three

* * * * *

You should have seen the expression on Trip's face when I said I knew about the Captain and Hoshi. He's just like my Uncle Walter; thinks he has this big secret and then is crushed when he finds out everybody knows about it already.

I tried to make Trip feel better by explaining; I mean when you're stuck for years on end in a cargo ship you get kinda good at reading people. That's why I thought it was rather obvious. Other than that movie, there was the time on Kaluan III they went off 'data gathering' for two hours, the way she always sits next to him during briefings, and the party 'he' threw for her birthday. Sure, Liz Cutler was the one who 'officially' put it together, but she told Jessica who told me that the Captain did all the planning. Liz was just the front man. Woman. You know what I mean.

Malcolm didn't seem to know anything about it either, come to think of it. Kinda surprised me, him being the Security Chief and all. Maybe he was trying to make Trip feel better too. Although he didn't like Trip's plan to make the relationship public very much. I suppose Trip had a point, that it would be good for morale; I guess a happy Captain is better than a frustrated, lonely Captain. But he doesn't look very frustrated to me. Ew. The Captain and Hoshi. Squicks me out a little. He's almost old enough to be my Dad.

Anyway, Trip said it was all about confidence. If the crew knew the Captain was in a happy, stable relationship, they would have more assurance in him and his ability to command. Malcolm said Trip was grasping at straws, and asked why did it matter so much to him? Trip replied he didn't want the Captain to feel like he had to sneak around just 'cause he loved Hoshi. He then asked Malcolm if he ever had to hide a relationship and did he remember how it made him feel. Malcolm got real quiet, then mumbled something that sounded profane.

Nothing I came up with to out the Captain and Hoshi satisfied Trip though, he kept saying it was too boring or too tame. All his plans were versions of Hoshi being a damsel in distress and getting the Captain to come by at the right time to save her, then have the crew standing around when he came into sickbay holding her unconscious body in his arms, calling her name in an anguished cry.

Malcolm shot those down as rapidly as they came up, thanks goodness. I don't think Trip would have appreciated a mere Ensign calling him an 'addled prat' like Malcolm did.

----------

"Still conspiring against the Captain?" Three pairs of startled eyes looked up at T'Pol.

"Whadayamean?" Trip managed to get out. A shuttered expression had come over Malcolm's face, and Travis just looked scared.

Without preamble T'Pol pulled out a chair and sat down. The rec room was deserted at this time of night, but she still spoke softly. "Two days ago I overheard your conversation about the Captain and Ensign Sato. While I had noticed they had a closer relationship than would be warranted between a Captain and his Communications Officer, I attributed it to their knowing each other previous to their assignment to the Enterprise. I have since then taken the time to observe them more closely. I have reluctantly come to agree with Commander Tucker that the Captain and the Ensign are having a clandestine affair."

The three men just stared at the Vulcan.

"I also agree that their keeping the relationship a secret from the rest of the crew is detrimental to the overall moral of the ship. The Commander is correct; where the Captain goes, the crew follows. It is a generalization, but if the Captain is happy, the crew will be happy."

Trip snorted. "Well that's fine and dandy, but how are we gonna go about gettin' them to admit it?"