Lieutenant Malcolm J. Reed, Armoury Officer on the Enterprise, was wearing pajamas. He sat staring at his computer screen in flannel pants and a grey t-shirt.

Hoshi grabbed the armoury officer's T'shirt which she kept safely hidden in her drawer, next to the teddy bear she had had since she was 3, and left her room.

Tucker grabbed the case of beer that he kept safely hidden under his bed and left his room.

Malcolm jumped when he heard his door chime. Recovering himself, he shut out of the Star Fleet profile of Hoshi Sato that he was staring at, and walked to the door.

The last time that Hoshi Sato had come to his room, she had been half naked. This time she was fully clothed. She had let her hair down and her cheeks were slightly red for some reason or another.

"What are you doing here?" he asked without thinking.

She blushed some more, "I, uh…"

"Sorry, come in," he invited. She followed him into his spotless quarters.

"Here's the shirt that I borrowed."

"Two years ago?" he asked.

"I had to… you know, like, wash it."

Malcolm didn't answer because at that moment the door chimed again.

"Come in," Malcolm called, with a sigh.

"OK, buddy, you are going to tell me exactly what is going on between you and her – oh, hi, Hoshi," Trip paused when he saw the linguist. He began to edge towards the door, "I guess I'd better be going….."

"I'm just leaving anyway," Hoshi said.

"Well, it's fine if you all leave, but, Trip, can you leave the beer behind?"

"Good night, Lieutenant," Hoshi said, "Don't get too drunk, you have first shift tomorrow."

Malcolm nodded, "Good night."

When the doors had swooshed closed, Trip raised his eyebrows expectantly, "Well….?"

"Well, what?" asked Malcolm, refolding the shirt in his hands.

"You know what I'm talking about."

Malcolm set the shirt gently on his desk, "She came to return my shirt, OK?"

Trip's eyebrows went up even higher, "Is there something that you're not telling me, Mal?"

"There's plenty of stuff that I'm not telling you."

Still stunned, Hoshi walked slowly back to her own quarters, processing what Trip had said.

"OK, buddy, you are going to tell me exactly what is going on between you and her – oh, hi Hoshi."

Who was 'her'? Was Malcolm involved with someone? Trip seemed genuinely startled to find her in Malcolm's quarters instead of… some other crew member.

Hoshi sighed.

"So, let me get this straight," Trip said, "She shows up at your door, topless, and you don't tell me?"

"I didn't want to humiliate her. She already went through enough that day."

"You really think her shirt just got stuck?"

"What are you implying?"

"I think she 'lost' her shirt on purpose so that she could come and borrow one from you. Too many coincidences, ya know. Especially since where she supposedly 'lost' her shirt was closer to my quarters than yours."

"Maybe she just wanted to come to someone who she knew she could TRUST. Just piss off, OK? It's none of your goddamn business."

Trip shrugged. Leaving the beer with Malcolm, he walked back to his own quarters. It was true that Malcolm's love life or lack thereof was none of his business. He entered his quarters and sat down on his bed, thinking. It wasn't like he was telling Malcolm Reed everything about his own love life, as it were.