That reminds me...what the HELL were you thinking?

About what?

You know...T'Pol.

Oh. That.

Yeah. THAT.

She was the only person I could talk to about things. I trusted her. That's your fault too.

Okay, okay. Can we drop that part of it?

Sorry. That wasn't very fair.

But yeah, I know what you mean. What I didn't know was...

What I told her. That was mostly you, as far as I can tell. So, I guess it's your problem now.

Yours and mine. You just couldn't keep a lid on it.

No, I couldn't. It's not like you were ever going to say anything.

Well, I didn't know until you told me.

You knew, or I wouldn't have known. Just couldn't admit it to yourself, you big dumb lug.

Hey, you know my track record with relationships. And you didn't do any better, wiseass. Having feelings for a Vulcan...talk about pointless.

Heh. Very funny.

What? Oh. Whatever.

Smartass.

I don't care how much she's loosened up, or how nice Malcolm thinks her butt is, I need to have my head examined.

Hah! Even more now. No, wait. Maybe that wouldn't be a good idea.

You're right. Not unless I want to spend the rest of my life as an IME lab rat.

Ugh. Believe me, you don't want them opening up your head again.

So, what am I supposed to do about all of that?

Don't ask me. They're your feelings.

But you seem to know more about them than I do.

In a way, yes.

You kissed her, you bastard.

Actually, she kissed me. It was very nice. She's a good kisser. Wouldn't have expected that.

Out here, you learn something new every day.

No kidding. Seemed like I was learning something from you every minute.

And then some.

For what it's worth, I think she understood.

She amazes me that way.

Me too.

I can't ever let her know about you. Now.

Yeah. You're going to keep things under wraps, then?

Yep. All of it. You know.

Too bad. She is pretty hot.

Now I wish I could smack you.

You can, actually. But I'll shut up about her for now.

Thanks. Makes things a lot easier.

You've got enough on your hands without that on your mind.

Yep. Oh, another thing.

What's that?

Your idea to tow Enterprise out of that mess...man, that was just brilliant.

Thanks. The credit is largely yours.

Of course it is.

Very funny. Smug asshole.

Remember, anything you say about me, you're saying about yourself.

Ouch. True.

But thanks. And, since I couldn't be there, I'm glad you were. You're damn good.

Next best thing to you. Unfortunately, that was all I could be.

I don't know what to say.

I don't think there's anything to say. Facts are facts. Enterprise needs you, not me. You can't argue with facts. I was created to give you back your life.

Which you did. And now you're gone. Except for this.

Not everybody gets the chance to know his or her purpose in life, and to live it. I'm lucky that way. I can look back on a job well done.

Absolutely.

Although, to be honest, all that was really required of me was to grow up and stay healthy.

And to give it all up for somebody you never really met.

Yeah. That part was the worst.

Thanks. You know I mean that. Inadequate as it sounds.

Don't mention it. Was glad to do it. I was eventually, anyway.

Took a while, if you remember right.

Yeah. It did.

When did it all hit you?

Why do you have to ask? You can see now.

Tell me about it. Please.

...Not until just before, when I saw that surgical bed in Sickbay, with Phlox there in his grays and the Captain with that look on his face. I knew that I was going to lie down on that bed and never get up again. I hated you at that moment. It surprised me. I hadn't up till then.

Doesn't surprise me at all.

Well, you weren't there...not yet.

But you did it anyway.

I walked over and pulled back that curtain, and I knew what I had to do. That surprised me, too. And that was that. It was what I was meant to do.

And you did, and I...

You can thank Lizzie for your life, you know.

...I know.

Do your best for her. You were going to anyway, I know. But now I'm here to remind you of that.

Like I need reminding.

Yeah. Neither of us does.

It's true, what you said.

Which part?

That I owe you one.

Damn right.

Are you going to tell me what I can do about that?

I'm not sure, actually. Can you think of anything?

Well...no, not really.

That's OK. We've got time. Now we do, anyway.

All the time in my world.

Yep. It's your world now. I'm just along for the ride, remember?

Yeah. Not like I'm going to forget that easily.

Hey. You know what, Trip Tucker?

What's that?

You take too many damn risks. Get yourself into too much trouble. Just jump headlong into the middle of things. Look where that's gotten us. Pregnant, kidnapped, frozen, fried, and now cohabiting.

Can't disagree there. Not after the cogenitor.

Damn. That hurt. Still does.

...Yeah. Always will. As it should.

You torture yourself over these things.

I have to make sure I don't screw up again.

So you brood. That's not healthy.

Neither is screwing up. If I'm that important to the ship that they had to make you and kill you for me, I can't go around pulling stupid crap stunts that could get everybody here killed.

You're as bad as Malcolm about this stuff.

You can't tell me I'm wrong.

You're right. I can't.

So I have to keep these things in mind.

Tell you what. I've got more time on my hands these days than I know what to do with. I'm going to make it my business to jump in when you get one of your damn fool ideas that's going to get us both killed again and tell you where to stuff it.

You know what? Malcolm would laugh his ass off if he could hear you. He'd say that it's about time that somebody else did. That he can't handle keeping me out of trouble all by himself.

He's right. You've always been a handful.

You too.

Hey, that's not fair. I was on my best behavior growing up. Just ask Phlox.

And you still broke the Cap'n's plane. It's who we are. I'd know.

Point taken. But now we both have to watch out for ourselves. Remember talking to Phlox and the Captain?

Now I do…

It's a little different now. You can't change what happened to me, but you can change what's going to happen to us.

We can. And we will.