"So, Trip, everything okay with Charlie?" Hoshi asked as the group of adults sat together at a mess hall table. The group consisted of Trip and his wife, Hoshi and her husband, Captain Archer, and Doc Phlox.
" Yeah, I don't think Darcie'll be picking on her anymore," Trip sent a satisfied smile at his wife," Isn't that right?"
"That is correct," She replied simply. His arm was draped possessively across the back of her chair, and it seemed she was ignoring it.
"What exactly happened?" Jonathan asked, being completely out of the circle, having only one child who wasn't involved at all.
As Trip recounted the event; with several inputs from his wife, the others listened intently.
When Trip had finished, Doc Phlox said," So, you presume Darcie is jealous she has no father? And chooses to persecute a defenseless younger child because she has one?"
" The way you put it sounds awfully harsh Doc," Trip commented.
" Actually Doctor," T'Pol began," We believe that since Darcie was sure to know that Corporal Cole, and Trip were friends at one time, she simply decided to place her own displeasure of being fatherless on the child who had the father Darcie wished could be her own."
" Oh," Phlox replied.
" How did Charlie come up with the word 'illegitimate' anyways?" Malcolm wanted to know.
" That information is classified to protect the innocent," Trip quipped, and earned a smile from the majority of the group. T'Pol merely shook her head at his choice of words.
" Interesting choice of words Trip," Jonathan patted his friend's shoulder, and chuckled," You've been watching too many old cop dramas."
" Perhaps," Trip jokingly stroked his chin, then something returned to him, and his face sobered," Mal, Cap'n, I've been meaning to talk to you about what you've been saying around the kids."