^*^*Chapter Two*^*^

"So..." Trip began and swallowed the wad of food in his mouth. "…the men kind of serve you not because of a feminine issue, but because they sort of… owe you all something?"

Aneorm chuckled and looked at her twiddling thumbs, slightly embarrassed. Trip held his fork in mid air, grinning goofily.

"It's more complicated than that," she said and looked up at him sweetly. Trip dug his fork into his food, shaking his head with a chortle.

"That's what you said in your last explanation," he kidded. "Next thing you're gonna tell me is that the men give birth." She sighed and looked out the window. He noticed he might have made her uncomfortable. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh," he said apologetically. "I just find it strange… but very interesting."

He really was interested and wasn't offended by their ways. All the people in their culture were happy the way they were and, like she said, had a mutual as well as loving understanding of each other. But he still didn't get exactly why and he didn't think, after a time of examining the situation, that knowing would do any harm. He still told himself to be curious and yet careful. She smiled back at him after a moment of thought and leaned in closer over her empty plate.

"No, the men don't give birth, and…" she said in a vague patronizing manner and reflected for a pause. "Maybe there's a way I can make you understand better," she said quietly. He stared at her in the silence, except for the quiet conversations among the others in the room.

"What do you mean?" he asked. She looked down at his beverage mug and touched it gingerly with her finger. Trip watched as it circled the rim and she stared at it admiringly.

"Like I said, the men make the decisions in our government, but must consult with us when necessary," she said, keeping her eye on the mug. "There are many other things they must consult us with first, and many reasons why." She looked up at him, and he was staring mesmerized at her delicate finger. He couldn't keep his eyes off of it but listened intently as she spoke. "Things that your race isn't capable of… I'm afraid. And if they fail to reason with us… they suffer the consequences."

She lifted her finger and folded her hands together. Her smile went away in some sort of disappointment. He shook his head and looked into her eyes, fascinated by something, not knowing what. He dropped his fork and picked up his mug, staring into the liquid.

"What do you mean that we're not capable of?" he asked, and finally taking his eyes off the liquid, looked into her eyes, which were now a brighter green, extra curious. She sighed softly and stared at her hands, rubbing them together. And she then looked over at his. His hands were strong, much stronger than any she had ever seen.

"You must remember that the men of our world are still strong, intelligent, rational people," she began. "Even if they didn't have us as their… muses… I guess you could call us, they'd still… survive." She tried to explain in the simplest terms.

"Alright," he said. "But that doesn't explain what us other races aren't capable of… like you." Aneorm didn't reply but examined his hands with her eyes. He curiously waited for a response but she then slid her hand across the table. Her soft fingers brushed against his knuckles and it was pleasant to the touch. Trip swallowed and found his hand hovering closely above the table for her to caress.

"We can bring something out of a man… that nearly no other species can," she said almost to a whisper. She gently grabbed his hand and stroked the back with her thumb, feeling its muscular curvature. "I wish I could show you what I mean…"

"How do you know if there's a way?" he suddenly asked. Surprised, she looked up at his willing expression. What the hell are you sayin'? he thought and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay," she assured him and brought her hand under his. As he stared into her eyes, he felt her fingers roughly brush through his, making their hands palm-to-palm. There was a strange sensation and he gazed at her astoundingly. It was comforting, yet unnerving at the same time. He hadn't felt anything like it before but he wasn't afraid of it. She gasped slightly to her own surprise and smiled again. "I can't believe it… it works."

"What?" Trip asked nervously. He felt relieved as well, and astonished, feeling himself smiling with her. Their eyes met and they quietly laughed at each other, each coming closer and closer to seeing what was happening to them both. The sensation became more powerful but he still could not fathom what it was. His fingers strangely tingled as their palms pressed harder. Her fingers rubbed his smooth knuckles, he could see it, he could almost touch it, he could…

"Commander…" a strong voice interrupted. To their shock, the contact between them was broken. Aneorm quickly hid both her hands underneath the table as Trip held his breath, looking up at Archer.

"Yes, Cap'n?" he said tensely in innocence. Reed stood behind the captain as Kemparu and Jivan walked up from behind. Archer simply crooked an eyebrow at him.

"Aneorm," Kemparu said. "It is almost sunset at this time below. Are you coming with us?" As Aneorm stood up next to them, Trip clumsily stood next to his captain who looked at him with that eyebrow still crooked.

"Yes, I am… and I will come along with you this time," she replied and the two short men nodded to her. They gave Trip a straight-faced look but Trip knew there was something more in their minds. He didn't bother to ask what the occasion was, feeling he had his fill with curiosities for the day.

"Sunset on the Drendarin home-world every eight… earth days… is some sort of ritual of theirs, Trip," Archer started to enlighten him as the commander exchanged glances with Aneorm.

"A ritual not always welcomed to other species… but with you, we are willing to make an exception," Jivan said and looked up at Aneorm. "Would it be alright with you, Ameorm, if they came just this once?" She paused and noticed Trip's sudden eager expression and smiled.

"Yes, Jivan," she said and looked up at Archer. "It would be our honor." Trip glanced at Archer who glanced at him after glancing at the silent armory officer behind him.

"It would be ours as well," Archer smiled. Aneorm's grin widened.

"We will go below and wait for your visit in twenty minutes," Kemparu nodded at Archer and then he and Jivan stepped back for Aneorm to walk ahead of them. Before she moved, she looked searchingly into Trip's eyes, wanting him to come along.

"I will see you gentlemen in a short while," she said and led the two men out, with Reed behind them. As the doors closed, Archer looked condescendingly at Trip.

"May I ask what that was all about?" Archer asked. He still only seemed curious.

"I'm not sure," Trip replied and he was being honest. Archer sighed and stepped closer to him so they could talk quieter.

"You're being careful, Trip?" Archer asked. Trip swallowed.

"Yes, Sir," his engineer responded. He was about to say 'you can trust me' but thought otherwise to bring the subject up so directly.

"Well… good," Archer said. "I'm still worried about you, Trip." Trip looked at him, taken aback.

"Sir?"

"Yes, Trip," his captain admitted. "I don't want anything to happen to you, either." He stepped away, towards the door, and looked back at his engineer and his friend. Trip watched as his captain walked out the room and disappeared beyond the corridor. Their conversations had been like that for awhile. They would be pleasant, mostly impersonal, with tension still in the midst. He sat back down with a sigh and stared into his mug. Dipping his finger into the liquid, he noticed it had gotten cold and rubbed a little between his fingers. Whatever happened between him and Aneorm was powerful, but he still couldn't understand why or what it was. He was interested in seeing the ritual they would have on the surface, but decided against it.

He stood up and headed for engineering.

^*^*^*^*^

The next morning, nothing had really changed. There was nothing major to fix and everything was on schedule, whatever the 'everything' was. He hadn't gone to the ritual the evening before, and was worried Aneorm would've been offended. Anytime the doors to the room would open or close, he looked up, hoping to see her again, if only for a short while.

Crewmen would soon go on their lunch break or go down below to see the so-called extravagant Drendarin capital, as others would come on duty. As he fiddled with a panel on the wall, someone touched his shoulder. Caught off guard, he spun around to see Aneorm, and dropped something on the floor with a loud clang. She smiled apologetically.   

"I'm sorry I startled you," she said as she watched him clumsily grab up the tool and set it in a case. He gave her a huge grin, relieved to see her.

"No, that's okay," he said and swallowed. "I just didn't hear ya come in. How long ya been standin' there?"

"Not long. I was just watching you," she stated and stared at the panel as he blushed. "What does this do?"

"Oh, this?" he asked and examined the panel. He knew what it was and what it did, but he couldn't get it off his tongue. Swiftly, he closed it shut and turned to her. "It doesn't matter. I'm sorry I didn't go last night."

"You had your reasons, Commander," she said. "I was not offended." He shifted uneasily.

"How'd ya figure I had reasons?" he asked. Aneorm looked into his eyes in that mysterious way again.

"I sensed it," she said. He didn't say anything, to his own surprise; he somehow knew how she could've sensed it. Lowering his head, she distracted him with the touch of her hand on his elbow again. She then lowered it to his hand and, without hesitating, lifted it up. He grinned anxiously, ready for the sensation again, and she smiled back. He didn't want to avoid it. His other hand was also lifted by her other. Both sets of hands were palm-to-palm, clinging together in midair in front of them. Their eyes were locked in place on each other, and her fingers slid through his, clenching his muscular hands. "But now's not the time to be thinking of such things."

The soothing feeling made him close his eyes slowly. It was pleasing again, he felt relaxed and comfortable with her more and more. But within moments he felt a breeze. Confused, he opened his eyes which then immediately shot wide open with shock. They were on a high plateau, gaping down on the magnificent view of snow-covered mountains under the setting sun. He lost his balance, falling to his knee on the dry earth, but she held on tight and helped him back up. His hair flew up violently through the warm blowing air and howling wind between the peaks.

"What the hell's goin' on?!" he hollered, hearing his voice echo and her laughter. He was no longer in engineering, the cold, closed in grey walls were gone. His head whirled around in utter confusion but couldn't help but beam helplessly at the beauty.

"Do you like it?" she called through the echoes.

"Are you kiddin'? It's amazing!" he exclaimed over the wind. He couldn't believe his eyes and for long moments, stared out across the breathtaking landscape. Aneorm simply watched him and his gleeful face in admiration. "I think I know this place!"

"Of course you do!" she exclaimed. "You loved this place!" Trip looked at her, perplexed.

"You know where this is?"

"No…I didn't…" she said, and they could hear the wind settle down. "But now I do." Their hair began to settle down as well, his messy and fluffed, hers lightly blowing across her face. Their hands were still locked together, equally not wanting to be free. He looked into her eyes, mesmerized by the joy and the delicacy. She was a strong woman, he knew that, but she was as well gentle and compassionate. He didn't know how she did it, but she made something on Earth he had always loved and missed, appear right before his eyes. Something urged him in and he stepped closer and eyed the landscape once again before leaning over her. She knew what he wanted, what she wanted, and closed her eyes. He did the same, but was distracted from their hands becoming loose. The wind had completely died down and he couldn't sense Aneorm in front of him. He opened his eyes and saw her surrounded by the engine room. She had let go and so did the scenery, but the overwhelming sensation remained.

"Sir?" he heard a voice echo, but echo nothing like in the mountains. He turned his head and saw Rostov pace up to him from around the corner. "Is everything alright?" Scattered around the upper level, crewmen gawked down at them in wonder. Trip swallowed and could almost feel his face turn red under his grin.

"I'm fine, Rostov," he said and looked at Aneorm, who was still staring at him happily. "Just fine. Go back to work." Rostov looked at Aneorm and back at his commander.

"Yes, Sir," he replied hesitantly and slowly walked away.

"I have to go, Trip," Aneorm said. It was the first time she had called him that and it pleased him. She walked up to him and stroked his chin with her soft hand. "May we have lunch tomorrow?"

"Yeah, of course," he said and pierced his lips slightly, not sure what to expect. She reached up and kissed his cheek. It made him smile. "See ya tomorrow."

She didn't do anything but look into his eyes. The door to engineering opened by someone on the outside and she walked towards it. Lieutenant Reed walked in, carrying a PADD, and she walked out, glancing over her shoulder at the smirking commander.

"Lieutenant," she greeted, disappearing behind the door.

"Ma'am," Reed said with a smile. He walked towards the commander and raised an eyebrow at his awestricken expression. "Are you alright, Commander?" His voice was of a suspicious tone. Trip simply grinned and sighed.

"Never been better, Mal," he stated and smacked a hand on the shorter man's back.

To Be Continued…