Consequences Part 2 by Sara

Trip Tucker walked into the Armoury with mixed feelings, he was tired and slightly on edge. Jonathan Archer had called him in the night to tell him that T'Pol was not reporting their indiscretion in the messhall, but the same could not be said for Malcolm Reed. So it had surprised Trip when the Armoury officer had called him that morning asking to talk. As he entered the room he saw him standing over one of the targeting scanners and called out.

"You wanted t' talk to me, Malcolm?"

"Oh yes, Commander," Malcolm looked a little embarrassed and looked around, "It is rather personal though."

"Let's go t' your quarters then."

"I'd rather not if you don't mind," he said looking nervous.

"Okay, we'll go t' mine."

"Ah... no... um..." Malcolm started to blush.

"Malcolm." Trip was beginning to lose patience, "I'm not gonna jump you if that's what ya worried 'bout." He paused, "You want t' talk and I think I know what it's 'bout and I'd rather not discuss it where anyone can overhear."

"I'm sorry." Malcolm took a breath, "My quarters will be fine."

"Good. Seems like we're finally gettin' somewhere."

They walked in silence to Malcolm's quarters and once inside Trip got straight to the point. "Ya wanna ask me about my relationship with the Cap'n, don't ya?"

"Well yes." Malcolm indicated the only chair in the room for Trip to sit and then sat himself on the bed. "Trip... I would never have thought that you were..."

"... gay!" Trip finished the sentence.

"Wel... yes..."

"Actually I'm bisexual." He slowly sat on the chair and sighed. "Malcolm, Jon and I have been t'gether off and on for five years."

"Five years... but I thought you were involved with... um... what was her name...?"

"Natalie." Trip looked at Malcolm who was nodding. "I was. First met Jon durin' the construction and testin' of the warp five engine. We'd became good friends and I started seein' Ruby. I think she must've seen somethin' between Jon and me, 'cause she kept sayin' that I'd spend more time with him than with her. At the time I thought it was 'cause we were so close t' gettin' the engine workin' the way Henry Archer had wanted. So Ruby and me drifted apart. After a coupla years, Jon and me got drunk and ended up in bed t'gether. Next mornin' we tried t' say it was 'cause we were drunk and lonely but by the end of that week we were lovers." He stood and began to pace the small room. "Things started t' get really serious, for me anyway and I wanted us t' get a place t'gether and let people know we were a couple but Jon got cold feet, started t' say that we had our careers t' worry about. We had a real bad argument and Jon left me."

"I'm sorry."

"Well we stayed friends and soon the warp five project took up more of our time, didn't really have time t' mope. Anyway we workin' late one night t'gether and Jon admitted he missed me." He smiled, "Made love there and then."

"Wasn't you worried about getting caught?"

"That was part of the excitement, it was great. I realised that Jon had been right and we had t' keep our relationship secret if we wanted t' work on the project, so we did. We were discreet and 'cause people knew we were great friends, they didn't question when we spent our time off t'gether." He sat again and sighed, "Then it all went wrong. I went home t' visit my family for a week on my own and met Natalie. She was gorgeous and we spent almost all our time t'gether. I knew I was cheatin' on Jon when I slept with her but I couldn't help myself, the sex was incredible."

"How did the captain take it?"

"Not very well, called me an unfaithful bastard and that after what I'd said the first time we'd got t'gether, he thought I was serious 'bout our relationship. Told me t' choose who I wanted. I was feelin' damn angry and guilty and wanted t' hurt him so I chose Natalie." He paused, "Turned out t' be the biggest mistake I ever made and I think Jon knew I'd regret it, 'cause we stayed friends."

"So you didn't love Natalie."

"Oh yeah, I loved Natalie t' begin with and things were jus' fine for a long while. Then jus' as the Enterprise was bein' built, she said that maybe it was time we settled down in Pensacola, got married, raise a family. She didn't want me t' go int' space, couldn't understand why I wanted t' do somethin' like that when I could stay with her. That's when I realised that I'd made a mistake, that she didn't understand what was important t' me. When the mission was brought forward because of Klaang, I told her that we'd have time t' think about our future t'gether and that when I got back, we'd talk."

"But we didn't go back home."

"Nope and t' be honest I didn't care. Natalie couldn't understand that I was doin' somethin' I'd always dreamed of doin', the reason I became an engineer. When I got the letter sayin' it was over, it was no surprise."

"So did you and the captain get back together then?"

"No. Jon was there for me and we had a few beers t'gether but it wasn't 'til I nearly died on that desert Hell, that we got t'gether again." He smiled, "I think I kinda scared him, nearly dyin' like that."

"So you've been together since then?"

"Yep." Trip looked at Malcolm, "So are ya gonna let Starfleet know what's been goin' on?"

Malcolm looked thoughtful. He considered Trip one of the best friends he'd ever had and was surprised by this revelation, when he thought he knew him so well. If he was to report, as duty dictated, to Starfleet of the gross misconduct of the captain and second officer, it would only lead to the careers of two of the finest men he knew being in tatters. The ship would be ordered home, or to rendezvous with a Vulcan transport, where a new captain and engineer would be assigned. He wondered if he could get used to a new command structure and what the effect would be on crew morale. If he said nothing, what would change? Nothing as far as he could see. The captain never excluded Trip from anything that may be too dangerous; he also didn't include him in anything just so he could be close. With the exception of this late night incident, they had been discreet and nobody would have guessed that they were more than friends. He realised that he had made his decision before Trip had started to tell him how they had become lovers.

"I can't see why Starfleet need to know anything about what goes on in the crew's personal lives, unless it affects their duties. I don't believe that will happen do you?"

"Nope." Both men stood and walked towards the door, "Thanks Malcolm."

"Well at least I know now why you don't appreciate T'Pol's bum!"

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