Reed's Armory -- A Malcolm Reed Fanfiction Archive ..

Title: My Deepest Apologies

Author: Qzeebrella

Author's e-mail: [email protected]

Fandom: Enterprise

Rating: G

Category: Slash

Series: I Will Not Stand Still

Sequel to: I Will Not Stand Still

Summary: After being told off by Malcolm, Captain Archer offers an apology to Trip.

Spoilers: Cogenitor

Archived to Reed's Armory on 10/13/2003.

"Commander Tucker may I speak with you"

"Yes, Captain, go ahead."

"I owe you a formal apology Commander
As both Captain and hopefully friend

Trip I am truly and deeply sorry
For the way I treated you
For how I rubbed the cogenitor's death
In your face as I did
I do not know what I was thinking
In that moment that I spoke
Or even if I was thinking

I know you had the best intent
That you did not mean any harm
That no one has set any rules
On what we should not share
With other cultures of similar technology And though I have set limits now
And have made some guidelines
On what we should be careful of
When we enter a pre-warp society
I neglected to consider
The effects of first contact
With a post warp culture
Oh so very different from ours

I was an idiot though
For taking my anger out on you
For lashing out at you in my pain

I hope we can fix the bridge between us I hope we can mend the tear
I hope we can our friendship repair

For our friendship is a balm to me
Your support and advice
A treasure
Your pressence on this ship a benefit
We'd be much poorer in your absence

You are the brother I never had
My very best friend
And though I let our ranks separate us
My position as Captain
Making me drift from you
I realize I was an idiot
To let a cherished friend drift away
I was an idiot for lashing out

I hope we can try again
Work towards being friends
With me remembering
We are taking our first steps out here
We are bound to stumble and fall
That I may have done what you did
Had I stayed where I should have been
On ship with her crew
Not out playing in a star
And though you said it's not my fault
It is also not your fault
It was never your fault that
The cogenitor is dead

The cogenitor had a choice
The cogenitor had possibilities
The cogenitor is the one who chose
It is the cogenitor's fault alone

So Trip do you think
Can we possibly
Is it a possibility
For us to try again
For us to bridge the gap
For us to mend the tear
For us to repair our friendship
Is it possible?"

"I'll think about it Cap'n"

"That's all I can ask Trip"

~the end~