They split to do the various tasks Hoshi and T'Pol relocated and the
situation room to work on the translation. Trip and Malcolm left for
Engineering and Jon for the sensor relays. Once in Engineering they split
the staff into three parts. One to monitor all systems, one to work on the
engines and the thirds to begin repairing the weapons with the help from
the Armory staff.
Jon, working with two Ensigns was glad that there wasn't much to distract him. The two Ensigns were glad that little was said. They were purely terrified of saying the wrong thing to the Captain. Jon although couldn't go with a distraction; he couldn't figure out why Trip cancelled. Jon respected Trip's privacy, but it was just eating away at him. It wasn't like it was a formal dinner; the topics were going to be between Jon and Trip, not Captain and Commander. He had to talk with Trip. Something wasn't right and Jon was going to find out what it was.
Down in Engineering Trip and Malcolm got the weapons systems online; both the torpedoes and the phase cannons were good to go. This made Malcolm very happy, and more secure about the situation. The warp drive wasn't going to be so easy. "Lieutenant Reed to Armory." "Crewman Juan here sir." "Begin tests on the weapons guidance systems; I don't want any surprises." "Understood Juan out." "Now let's get to those engines of yours." Malcolm said with a little smile. It was eating at Trip that the warp drive was causing so much difficulty. "Yeah let's get goin'." Malcolm heard that voice before; Trip was preoccupied with something else. "Something the matter Trip?" Malcolm was now opening up to Trip, he would have to do the same. "I don't like the idea of my engines not workin'" Trip lied. Although Malcolm saw right through it; he just at it again. "You can't lie to me, what's wrong?" "It's just... can we talk after the shift?" "Sure" Feeling better Malcolm had a nagging feeling that love with Trip wasn't going to be a walk in the park; and Malcolm wasn't going to give on him; not now, not ever. 'He got through to you, you can do the same to him.'
T'Pol and Hoshi had no difficulty at all with translating the unknown communication. For Hoshi this was a breeze with the help from T'Pol. She had seen hard languages out there before and this one qualified as hard. Even if T'Pol wasn't a language specialist, she was able to see patterns that might have taken Hoshi longer to see; her patience was impervious. Even after translating the mysterious message Hoshi wasn't quite proud of the accomplishment, in the back of her head she could stop thinking of Malcolm. 'What's going on between us? I thought we were getting beyond that...awkwardness.'
By the end of the Alpha shift there was lots of progress being made. The weapon systems were fully in place, the translation of the unknown message was complete. The only thing left for the next shift was the warp drive. So it was very difficult for Malcolm to drag Trip from his beloved engines, but they needed to talk. So they both went to the Mess Hall; however waiting in the Mess Hall was Hoshi and Jon, both looking for Trip and Malcolm. When both men walked in and saw the two waiting they made a hasty retreat leaving a very confused Hoshi and Jon.
"That was close, to close if you ask me." Malcolm stated, trying to break the silence that took them since leaving Engineering. Once they got to Trip's quarter's Trip entered the access code and both men walked in. "Malcolm do you love me?" "Trip of course I do! Why would you ask that?" " I just don't wanna get into one of those false pretenses. I... I can't explain to ya why..." "Trip please talk to me; what's bothering you?" Trip wasn't sure what to say. Being scared that he was going to be alone, growing old and dying without anyone to love him. "I... I thought that I was going to find someone to share my life with. Someone that was gonna be there for me through the good times, and there through the sad times. Someone who will laugh with me, and cry with me. So I went into this world sure that I was gonna find that someone. I went on dates with people I thought would be worth spending my entire life with. Boy was I wrong; they either considered me "obnoxious" or "emotional" something I guess no one liked... Then I found you; how was that I fell for the one person that is possibly the complete opposite? I just don't wanna end up being alone." Trip then silently wept and Malcolm moved closer to bring him closer to rest his head. 'Trip you have no idea how much we are alike' It was now all so very clear to Malcolm. They both tried to protect themselves from getting hurt by society. Never letting just anyone take their hearts away; to be the ones to break them too. Malcolm could remember when he was younger that he would let anyone into his heart, and all of them ended up breaking it apart. No one ever tried to see the real Malcolm Reed that was hidden behind that barrier. It hurt so much that eventually he even closed himself off to that. Now he was taking his barriers down for Trip. He wasn't sure if this relationship would work; no one ever tried to get this far into understanding him before. It should work. Shouldn't it? "Trip don't worry. I am not going anywhere... literally." Just as he hoped he got a little smile. "I love you. There is nothing that can come between. Even if the time comes that we must part, I'm not leaving without you. You're part of my life now. Not having you; I would be empty." Saying this felt just as good for Malcolm as it did for Trip. Minutes passed with nothing being said. Nothing more had to be said. They were finally coming to understand each other.
A/N: Feedback is welcomed with open arms ;) you know what I mean
Jon, working with two Ensigns was glad that there wasn't much to distract him. The two Ensigns were glad that little was said. They were purely terrified of saying the wrong thing to the Captain. Jon although couldn't go with a distraction; he couldn't figure out why Trip cancelled. Jon respected Trip's privacy, but it was just eating away at him. It wasn't like it was a formal dinner; the topics were going to be between Jon and Trip, not Captain and Commander. He had to talk with Trip. Something wasn't right and Jon was going to find out what it was.
Down in Engineering Trip and Malcolm got the weapons systems online; both the torpedoes and the phase cannons were good to go. This made Malcolm very happy, and more secure about the situation. The warp drive wasn't going to be so easy. "Lieutenant Reed to Armory." "Crewman Juan here sir." "Begin tests on the weapons guidance systems; I don't want any surprises." "Understood Juan out." "Now let's get to those engines of yours." Malcolm said with a little smile. It was eating at Trip that the warp drive was causing so much difficulty. "Yeah let's get goin'." Malcolm heard that voice before; Trip was preoccupied with something else. "Something the matter Trip?" Malcolm was now opening up to Trip, he would have to do the same. "I don't like the idea of my engines not workin'" Trip lied. Although Malcolm saw right through it; he just at it again. "You can't lie to me, what's wrong?" "It's just... can we talk after the shift?" "Sure" Feeling better Malcolm had a nagging feeling that love with Trip wasn't going to be a walk in the park; and Malcolm wasn't going to give on him; not now, not ever. 'He got through to you, you can do the same to him.'
T'Pol and Hoshi had no difficulty at all with translating the unknown communication. For Hoshi this was a breeze with the help from T'Pol. She had seen hard languages out there before and this one qualified as hard. Even if T'Pol wasn't a language specialist, she was able to see patterns that might have taken Hoshi longer to see; her patience was impervious. Even after translating the mysterious message Hoshi wasn't quite proud of the accomplishment, in the back of her head she could stop thinking of Malcolm. 'What's going on between us? I thought we were getting beyond that...awkwardness.'
By the end of the Alpha shift there was lots of progress being made. The weapon systems were fully in place, the translation of the unknown message was complete. The only thing left for the next shift was the warp drive. So it was very difficult for Malcolm to drag Trip from his beloved engines, but they needed to talk. So they both went to the Mess Hall; however waiting in the Mess Hall was Hoshi and Jon, both looking for Trip and Malcolm. When both men walked in and saw the two waiting they made a hasty retreat leaving a very confused Hoshi and Jon.
"That was close, to close if you ask me." Malcolm stated, trying to break the silence that took them since leaving Engineering. Once they got to Trip's quarter's Trip entered the access code and both men walked in. "Malcolm do you love me?" "Trip of course I do! Why would you ask that?" " I just don't wanna get into one of those false pretenses. I... I can't explain to ya why..." "Trip please talk to me; what's bothering you?" Trip wasn't sure what to say. Being scared that he was going to be alone, growing old and dying without anyone to love him. "I... I thought that I was going to find someone to share my life with. Someone that was gonna be there for me through the good times, and there through the sad times. Someone who will laugh with me, and cry with me. So I went into this world sure that I was gonna find that someone. I went on dates with people I thought would be worth spending my entire life with. Boy was I wrong; they either considered me "obnoxious" or "emotional" something I guess no one liked... Then I found you; how was that I fell for the one person that is possibly the complete opposite? I just don't wanna end up being alone." Trip then silently wept and Malcolm moved closer to bring him closer to rest his head. 'Trip you have no idea how much we are alike' It was now all so very clear to Malcolm. They both tried to protect themselves from getting hurt by society. Never letting just anyone take their hearts away; to be the ones to break them too. Malcolm could remember when he was younger that he would let anyone into his heart, and all of them ended up breaking it apart. No one ever tried to see the real Malcolm Reed that was hidden behind that barrier. It hurt so much that eventually he even closed himself off to that. Now he was taking his barriers down for Trip. He wasn't sure if this relationship would work; no one ever tried to get this far into understanding him before. It should work. Shouldn't it? "Trip don't worry. I am not going anywhere... literally." Just as he hoped he got a little smile. "I love you. There is nothing that can come between. Even if the time comes that we must part, I'm not leaving without you. You're part of my life now. Not having you; I would be empty." Saying this felt just as good for Malcolm as it did for Trip. Minutes passed with nothing being said. Nothing more had to be said. They were finally coming to understand each other.
A/N: Feedback is welcomed with open arms ;) you know what I mean
