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No More Blackened Catfish...Pt 3

Author - Aquila
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No More Blackened Catfish or Pecan Pie*

Author: Aquila

Part 3

Rating: R
Disclaimer: This is a form of recreation that garners me no remuneration, but plenty of satisfaction.
Note: This does not adhere to canon, but does contain spoilers.
Summary: Trip, T’Pol and the Delphic Expanse.
Author’s note: the asterisk will be explained at the end of the story in an author’s note.

==

Major Hayes stood when T’Pol entered the room. Trip eyed him for a moment, then followed suit. The engineer was uncertain if the MACO leader was displaying courtesy to her position or her gender. Either way Tucker experienced an unfamiliar sensation in the pit of his stomach.

“I am sorry I am late, gentlemen, my interviews ran longer than I expected.” She reached for the back of a chair.

Hayes held the chair next to his for her, gesturing that she take it.

“Thank you, Major.” She allowed Hayes to move the chair under her.

“My pleasure, XO.”

Trip watched closely. Damn the man, he had used the cover of sitting to move his seat closer than was necessary to T’Pol’s.

“You may call me, T’Pol, Major.”

Trip felt excluded and he did not like the feeling.

“Please call me, Hayes.”

Trip grinned. Hayes did not stand a chance. In two years, T’Pol had never once addressed him by anything other than his rank.

“Hayes, it is then.”

“Would you two like me to come back later?”

Shit, Tucker, could you be anymore childish. His thoughts were echoed by the glance shot his way by T’Pol.

==

Trip had insisted that the Impulse repair crew take a well earned break. To ensure they carried out his order, he told Nelson that he would be attending movie night specifically to count heads. The lie came easily to him.

“I’ll escort ya,” he added.

To his surprise she had accepted his offer.

==

Archer, who sat in the row in front of Trip, turned around to lean confidentially toward his engineer. He motioned with his head in the direction of Major Hayes and his First Officer. They were sitting side by side two rows in front.

“What do you make of that?”

Trip, who had been studiously avoiding the couple, looked in the direction the captain indicated.

“When our meeting concluded, Hayes asked her to the movie.”

Archer would not let it go, “Doesn’t appear he had to twist her arm?”

Trip couldn’t resist a jibe, “And she didn’t make it an order.”

“Ouch,” retorted Archer. “What’s eating you? Never mind. Did the three of you find a solution to our social situation?”

As they were surrounded by crewmembers, Archer had kept his question vague.

“Actually T’Pol came up with a solution we support fully.”

Trip was pleased to see the surprise in Archer’s eyes.

“How did you manage that?” The captain’s question was rhetorical. Movie night was not the place to discuss command techniques.

Trip intent on the odd couple ahead missed the implied praise and Nelson’s question.

“Would you like some popcorn, Commander?”

==

Trip escorted Nelson and the repair crew to the engine room at the end of Heartbreak Ridge. His people stood silently as he inspected their progress. Nelson silently compared the fictional sergeant to the Commander. Would Enterprise’s engineering crew follow him unquestioning into the jaws of Hell? She concluded they would. There were other forbidden places she wanted to explore with him, but knew she never would as long as she was in his chain of command.

“Damn regulations,” she muttered under her breath. “And that Vulcan.”

==

Trip, satisfied that Nelson had the repairs under control, strolled to B Deck, where the officers’ quarters were located, with the exception of Hayes’ who insisted on living closer to his troops. They were housed on the engineering deck, near the lift that Trip intended to take to B Deck.

A flash of powder blue caught the attention of the engineer, as he waited for the lift. He turned his head just in time to see T’Pol entering Major Hayes’ quarters.

==

Malcolm Reed pulled a pillow over his head to block out the sound of pounding on his door.

“Go away. Go a-way!”

Trip let his arm fall to his side. There was no one to distract him as Malcolm and the Captain could not be coaxed out of their quarters. He made his way to the fitness facility; a treadmill was his last resort.

Feeling sorry for himself and unwilling to examine the cause, he entered the facility blinded by a mental funk. On autopilot he made his way to his favourite bike, set the resistance and the monitor. He removed his shirt and tied it around his waist. Not until his skin had begun to glow with perspiration did he notice that he was not alone.

T’Pol was running on the treadmill next door.


End of Part 3



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Half a dozen of you have made comments

Wow. I'm almost feeling jealous for Trip. I'm kind of wondering where this is all heading. I look forward to more.

Hurry and write faster! This one chapter at a time is absolute torture with a capital "T"!!!!!

It's not often that Trip has competition and it is interesting to see how T'Pol would act with a potential human suitor not in her current chain of command. I can't wait to see what happens next. Hope Trip doesn't let the Green Eyed Goddess do his talking for him in the gym. Now would be a good time for him to use his Wise, Think Before You Stick Your Big Foot In Your Mouth, head. Wonderful, thanks. Ali D :~)

I agree with Zoe. Hurry, hurry

Hey Ali, I didn't know Trip had a Wise, Think-Before-You-Stick-Your-Big-Foot-In-Your-Mouth Head. I'm not at all sure what's going to happen, but I'm pretty sure Trip'll get into trouble before he gets out of it. I'm personally hoping for a longer chapter next time - hint, hint.

Yeah, I'm with Classic on this one - does Trip EVER stop to think before he acts? No, and that's why we love him, so hurry on with those chapters, pretty please.