A/N There is mild sexual violence in this chapter. If that will trigger you please don't read this. Thanks.

Chapter 2

In the days that followed, Trip wasn't in his usual good humour. As often as he told himself that the encounters with Anok Fara didn't matter to him they kind of did. He cancelled his treatments with T'Pol. Just didn't want anyone's hands on him. He wasn't being a prude he told himself, he likes sex as much as the next person but for someone to be constantly invading your space like that, it just put him off.

He was in the Mess hall getting a hot cup of coffee, he didn't want breakfast, he'd have coffee and a small cookie. The aft torpedoes were slightly offline. He'd have to recalibrate them straight after this. Malcolm always runs shit out of the weapons and no one ever pulls him up on it. He does not have to fire off so many. Malcolm will send off three torpedoes when he's already got a hit with one. Someone has to replace those weapons and recalibrate the whole system again. If he had to do that work himself he'd be a little less generous with that button. Trip grumbled away to himself as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Hi, can I sit here?"

He looked up to see Hoshi staring down at him.

"Sure, sit down." He gave her a weak smile.

He didn't mind Hoshi; She'd just sit there looking at Anime on her pad. She usually tuned into that before starting her shift. As intelligent as she was she knew how to turn off her brain when she needed to.

"So, what did you get up to last night, You didn't make the film." Hoshi asked.

Trip rubbed at a tired eye, "Er I just lay down in my quarters and read a book."

"What book?"

"It was a manual I got on the workings of old radios, how to fix them."

Hoshi smiled, "But we don't have old radios on the ship, can you replicate them?"

He shook his head wearily, "Nah, I just wanted to read the manual."

She frowned as he was getting up, "Well I'd better get to engineering. This ship won't run itself."

He could feel her gaze as he walked away. It gave him a curious feeling in his gut. He was about to leave when T'Pol entered the mess hall.

"Mornin Sub-Commander,"

She had grabbed a bowl of clear stew and some rough brown bread.

"Commander, you missed your session last night were you feeling unwell?"

"I was just over tired, sorry won't happen again ma'am."

"Follow me," T'Pol walked to the furthest point in the mess hall. Trip fallowed behind muttering curses to himself.

Once they were seated she looked him dead in the eye.

"You were not comfortable with the people of Suru Satin,"

"Nah, they were ok, I was just glad to be back. I had a lot to catch up with in Engineering."

"You were not comfortable with one of the female members, she wished to mate with you,"

"Shh will you keep your voice down, who told you that."

"Lieutenant Reed,"

"Thanks Malcolm."

"I did not give him a choice. What happens to you on any away mission is your own business but I just want to inform you that if you wish to speak on the experience I am here to listen. "

"Thanks, but I'd sooner get on with my life and leave it in the past."

"I will expect you this evening,"

He looked at her then.

"You will not have to speak on any uncomfortable subject but it's important that you sleep. You appear overtired."

"I'm so glad Dr Phlox has you riding my tail."

"I have not the slightest idea of what you mean but I am going to the buffet to bring you some oatmeal. Your choice of breakfast will only elevate your sugar level causing a state of false energy. You will fail mid-morning and go seeking another source of caffeine and sugar laden food."

"Don't see nothin wrong in that."

Trip had to smile as T'Pol went to fetch the oatmeal. He could do worse than have someone like her to care about him.

~o~

He did not notice the scowl of jealously from across the room. Fara saw the full exchange and her blood began to boil. Who was this long-legged beauty taking up all his attention. She curled her lip as she considered ways of ridding herself of that maddening Vulcan woman. Then her pretty, Asian face began to clear as an idea came to her head. Quickly she got up from the table and headed out. She hurried to Hoshi's quarters. Once there she stepped in and locked the door. She walked into the bedroom and laid Hoshi's body on the bed. She then floated out of her and away through the ship. She was looking for T'Pol.

Luckily the Vulcan lady was in her quarters freshening up before her shift began. Fara floated down and went to enter her body. But she found she couldn't. At first she had thought she had just missed the mark and floated past the Vulcan's slim body but no it soon became apparent she could not take over the Vulcan.

With a quick look in the mirror to straighten her uniform T'Pol headed out through the door leaving Fara floating around the room.

~o~

Malcolm stopped and stared as Hoshi staggered forward looking totally unaware of her surroundings.

"Ensign, are you alright?"

"Oh Lieutenant, I don't know what happened, I don't know where…"

She was clinging to him like a lost child.

"Hoshi, it's alright. We'll help you; did you bang your head. Do you remember any kind of accident."

"I don't remember, am I supposed to be on duty?" tears were gathering in her eyes.

"No, don't worry about that." Malcolm took hold of her and led her back into her quarters. He sat her down on the comfortable chair beside the window and taking hold of a throw from the other chair he put it around her shoulders.

"Now, just relax I'm just going to contact Dr Phlox."

She nodded staring up at him, her face full of anxious emotions.

Malcolm hit the com on the wall.

Fara was not pleased to note that the door was now open. Someone had gotten in. As she floated past she noticed Malcolm at the wall talking to Dr Phlox. A sudden idea sprang to mind. Instead of going back to Hoshi she invaded his body instead. Then as Malcolm she approached Hoshi.

"Is he coming Lieutenant?"

She screamed as Malcolm suddenly hauled her up from the seat. He ripped at her unform and threw her to the ground. When Dr Phlox arrived, she was screaming and only just managing to hold him off.

"Dr Phlox to security, emergency in room 201 Deck E."

Dr Phlox was thrown to the side when he tried to help her. He scrambled to his feet but the security team were there almost immediately. It was Archer who pulled Malcolm off her. He hesitated in shock when he saw who it was that was attacking young Hoshi. Malcolm had a good three finger scrape on his face.

"What the hell are you doing Malcolm?" he asked incredulously.

"Get out, it's between me and her." He spat, "This is a private matter."

Dr Phlox brought Hoshi to her feet and kept hold of her. Her right eye was starting to swell up and a bruise darkened her pale cheek.

When he saw it Archer lost all composure. He punched Malcolm so hard he fell back and smashed a low table on his way to the floor. He put a hand to his eye as more security arrived on the scene. They hauled him up and looked to the captain as to what to do with him. Archer walked forward stepping over the bits of table he looked into Malcolms bruised face.

"How could you do this," He asked.

"I'd prefer not to say sir, as I said it's a private matter."

"Get him out of my sight." Archer told them.

They carted Malcolm off towards the brig.

Archer went to Hoshi.

"I was locked in; he came to help me and then he just turned." She was shaking as she spoke.

Archer saw it happen before Phlox. He caught her before her eyes had completely rolled up in her head. Archer picked her up and with Phlox ushering him forward he carried her to sick bay.

As they threw Malcolm into the small room he called out to them.

"You won't forget to serve my dinner soon; I hate my meals to be late."

Fara laughed as she sat on the bed delighted with this turn of events. It was all going so well. She would head back to Hoshi now. Surely this would turn Trips head. He would come visit her. He may even fight for her honour. She wanted so much to come to the brig with him when he did that.

Without so much as a look back she floated off towards the ceiling leaving the injured man in the brig and floated through the ship to rejoin Hoshi in sick bay.

Malcolm was shaking. He could only see through one eye. His breath was hitching in his chest as he tried to look around.

'Am I in the brig, why am I in the brig?"

He raised a trembling hand to look at a bruise swelling on his right knuckle.

"What am I doing here," he asked as they brought his food. The young officer dropped the food on the bunk and went to leave.

"Answer me Ensign," Malcolm put a hand to his retreating back.

The officer turned around, he grabbed hold of Malcolms collar and rammed him back against the wall. Malcolm wrenched the officer off and pushed past him. He made it out to the sign in area of the brig. He was just looking for answers. Instead, he was tackled to the ground and frog marched back to his cell with more bruises added. They threw him up against the far wall, and he turned slowly grimacing in pain as he slid down to the floor. He stared back at them in complete confusion.

Fara now back with Hoshi was sitting up in bed. Dr Phlox was fussing about her like a mother hen. She asked him for a mirror, Phlox was reluctant to give her that but relented eventually. Once he was out of the cubicle she noted the bruises with a smile. Trip would be so caring. He will surely come visit her. She put the mirror aside and smoothed down the coverings around her small frame. She would just wait for him to come.