Never and Always...
Disclaimer: Star Trek: Enterprise is the property of CBS/Paramount. All original material herein is the property of its author.
A/N: See beginning of Chapter 4 for unsatisfying explaino regarding short chapters.
Chapter 6: Body Language Is A Language, Too
When Hoshi got out of the shower, she found a message waiting on her terminal:
BREAKFAST MESS HALL 0700? NEED A FAVOR. TOP SECRET. C. TUCKER
Hoshi laughed out loud. She'd been expecting this for days. "Finally!"
She arrived at the mess hall a few minutes early, but it looked to her as though Commander Tucker had been there for much longer. He had staked out a table in the corner by himself. From the level of fidgeting, Hoshi guessed he was on his third cup of coffee.
He spotted her as she carried her tray over. "Hey, Hoshi." He rose, pulling out a chair for her.
"Good morning, Commander," she smiled.
He rubbed his hands on his pant legs as he sat down. Definitely nervous. "Thanks for coming."
"A girl's gotta eat." Hoshi settled herself and dug into her breakfast. "So...?"
"Right." Tucker leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "I need your help on a...a project. But you gotta keep it a secret."
Hoshi pursed her lips, making a show of mulling it over. "What do I get out of it?"
He looked flummoxed. "You'd be the only one who knew the big secret!" he declared, as if the answer were obvious.
"I don't know," Hoshi said doubtfully. "Doesn't seem like enough to me."
"What do you want—my firstborn?" the commander sputtered. "He's already got a girlfriend. I don't have anything else. Just a secret." He sighed. "I don't even want it to be a secret."
Hoshi couldn't bear to torture him any longer. With a smile, she pulled a padd out of her jumpsuit pocket and slid it across the table to him. Curious now, he took a look. "Terran Standard to Golic Vulcan," he read. "Traditional Wedding Vows..." He stared at her. "How did—when did you—"
"I see things." Hoshi went back to her breakfast. "The way people move, they way they touch. Or don't touch. For instance, after T'Pol got married, I didn't see you touch each other at all for weeks. But after Lorian showed up, you and T'Pol suddenly began exchanging Vulcan ozh'estas."
He gaped at her. Hoshi chuckled. "Yeah, you thought nobody was looking...but I was. Now, when it really got interesting was after T'Pol came back from Vulcan this time. Both of you disappeared...Koss came and went...and the next day, you placed two calls: one to Lorian, and the other to your parents." She shrugged modestly, case closed.
"Damn," Tucker marveled. "The ship's Comm officer is the most dangerous person to tell a secret to."
"Don't worry," Hoshi assured him. "My lips are sealed." She tapped the padd. "There's a vocalization program in there. You can do the whole thing on your own if you want, but I'd be happy to help you out with the pronunciations. I could meet with you...say, at lunchtimes?"
"I'd like that," he replied gratefully. "Nothing like practicing with a real live person." He hesitated. "And...I want to know more than just the words. If you could tell me what they mean...y'know, the story behind the ritual. T'Pol's told me some, but it'd be good for me to soak up everything I can. The more I know about Vulcan culture..." —he tapped the padd— "...the more this will mean, when we get there."
Inwardly, Hoshi sighed dreamily at the commander's romanticism. She hoped T'Pol knew how lucky she was. "Sure, we can do that." She rose. "I have to get to the bridge. Swing by on your lunch break and we'll get started."
Tucker rose with her, ever the Southern gentleman. "Thanks, Hoshi. I really appreciate this."
She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "Congratulations. And tell T'Pol for me."
"I will," he smiled.
-tbc-