(Sickbay. Phlox has just given Trip two shots. Archer and T'Pol have left)

T: (reaches out to grab Phlox's shirt.) While I'm happy to spend time on an alien ship, wish you would come.

P: I must stay here.

T: I know but could be do some…touching before I have to go?"

P: Yes…I'm sure you have time. (leaning in and kissing him)

Setting: Inside Phlox's cabin. Phlox is standing a table under the porthole. Tucker is sitting on the couch. Phlox's ridges are colored orange.

P: And you couldn't say no?

T: I didn't know what was happening, hon!

P: 'Hon', is this another nickname?

T: It means honey, it's a term of endearment. Look, Lox, I didn't mean to get knocked up by her. If I was ever gonna get pregnant by anyone it would have been by you.

P: Then it should have been!

T: Lox!

P: Get out!

T (reaches for him and changes his mind) Lox…

P: (slamming hands down on the table) I don't think I can explain this to you right now, it's part of our makeup, so please leave.

T: K, but Lox, we humans have a saying, 'Don't let the sun go down on a fight'. I'll be back cause I'm not giving up. I love you and I'm not giving up.

(Tucker leaves the room. Standing out the door and thinking for a moment, he heads to T'Pol's room. Once there, T'Pol admits him to her room. Tucker comes in and sits down.)

T: I don't trust you but I have to trust you to ask you something. What is Phlox?

T'P: What do you mean?

T: I mean, what species is he? Don't really matter to me, he's been my angel for four years but he's acting weird right now.

T'P: In what way?

T: Well for the past couple months, we've…we've…I've been teaching him about human customs. Anyways tonight he yelled at me for getting knocked up by Ah'len. Doesn't matter I didn't know she was knocking me up. He's yelling at me. (Trip gets up and starts walking about. Throwing his arms into air) I don't know what's wrong with him and he won't talk, he said something about it being "part of his makeup". Since y'all run the Doctor exchange program, I thought you would know why he's all in tizzy.

T'P: I see. Tell me, are you intimate with Dr. Phlox.

T: What! Now see here…that's none of your beeswax.

T'P: I see. How intimate are you?

T: OK that's it, shoulda known not to come to you. (Trip heads for the door, shaking his head.)

T'P: It has bearing on his reaction to your pregnancy. If you are not too intimate with him, it would just be a 'disappointment' to him. If you are quite intimate…it maybe what you refer to as jealousy. If so then, I would suggest you wear armor next time you see him. The doctor's people are very territorial around those they consider mates. So much that they chose, many years ago, to no longer choose mates based on desires and wants. Eminently logical.

T: You mean they used to fight for mates? (Tucker turns back and drops back down to the couch)

T'P: In a way, yes. Phlox's people were on the way to self-destruction when we first noticed them. They were involved in a war. The start of the war was simply that one dignitary looked at a ruler's mate for a fraction too long, this convinced the ruler that the dignitary desired the mate. The war killed well over 3 million of his people. They decided from that point on that they should only mate for the good of their race. The desire to fight for a mate, still lingers in them yet, but they have come a great distance from that barbarism.

T: So what you're saying is…he's jealous cause I got knocked up by her, when everything in him is saying someone took my mate and he wants to kill her for taking what's his?

T'P: Yes, however I should tell you that the first casualty of the war was the ruler's mate. Since the dignitary wanted the mate, the ruler decided to get rid of the mate and in that way, even if the dignitary's army won, they wouldn't get their prize.

T: Oh. I gotta talk to him. (Trip gets up and heads for the door, stopping as it opens he turns back to T'Pol.) Thanks. (Trip exits, turning in a circle he decides the shortest way to get to Phlox's room. (Trip enter his code into on the door keypad, the door opens and he enters the room. Looking around he sees that Phlox is on the couch, entering the bedroom, he sees the bed empty. Going back out to the front room, he sees a chair has been moved over to the porthole. Quietly he walks over and leans around the side, he sees Phlox staring out the porthole. Silently he sits on the arm of the chair and lays one hand on Phlox's leg.)

T: Lox?

P: Yes?

T: I had to ask that damned Vulcan to explain to me why you were so upset. Human get angry like that too, course most of us know we can't do it even if we wanted to. I understand why you're so angry and if I had known what she was doing I wouldn't have let her. It happened though and we are looking for them again. If we don't find them, I'm giving birth. On Earth it's hard to be a single mother.

P: Is it?

T: Yeah, cause they don't have anyone to talk to or to hold them when they get scared. They want to yell at their kids even though they know they shouldn't. I don't think I could be a single mother. What are your people's thoughts on stepchildren?

P: All children are adored, of course.

T: I love you, Lox. If we don't find Ah'len, you gonna help me raise this little one?

P: (looks up to see Trip staring out, tears at the corners of his eyes) Yes. Don't cry, Kee.

T: (turning to smile at his Lox, slides off the chair arm and into Phlox's lap) Kee?

P: It means beloved in our language, it also has a curious semantical meaning in your language that you should appreciate. I am you Lox, and you are my Kee.

T: (laughing) save me from the puns! I love you, don't recall I said that before.

P: You did, earlier.

T: Trust me to say it when we are fighting. I take it you know the difference know between 'I love you, my friend' and 'I love you, my Lox.'

P: Oh, and that difference is?

T: Well, put 'love you so much that if I could I would have your kids and would you move in with me so we can make this touching, kissing, and mating thing easier' for Phlox and you got it.

(Phlox laughs and tugs Trip closer.)

(Trip is standing at the porthole in his room, watching the Xyrillian ship leave.)

P: Did you want a child so much, my Kee?

T: Nah, this place, Enterprise isn't the safest place to raise a kid. The sudden movements, the safety bars are too high, little hands can get into such dangerous place.

P: True but you would have wanted to raise your child.

T: Daughter, Ah'len said it was a girl and I would've but…not on here. Maybe one day we can explore the universe and bring our kids with us. They'd have to make some changes but it would be nice.

P: Come, Kee. (Phlox guides Trip into his room and they lie on the bed. Phlox holds him for the rest of the night.

(Trip presses the Call button and waits. The door opens and Trip enters. He steps over Porthos and walks over to the Captain)

T: Hey!

A: Hey, Trip. What's up?

T: Well I was wondering if we had any larger quarters available?"

A: Larger as in larger than yours?

T: Yeah.

A: I think we may a cargo hold or two but I'd have to check about that."

T: Arch! I need the extra space. Where were you gonna put me if I had my girl?

A: Earth.

T: That isn't right!

A: This ship wasn't meant for kids! Besides what do you need the space for?

T: Well, I need a bigger bed for one. Me and Lox get cramped on that tiny bunk.

A: (stands up and covers his ears, turns around and looks at Trip) I thought you weren't going to do any more alien sex!

T: Well, he's promised not to make me preggers. (Trip grins and looks at the clock) Gotta go, it's time to check on my engines, see ya later Arch.

(Archer watches his friend leave, then turns and stares out into the endless stars, thinking of a young man with hair as dark as space and eyes bright as the stars outside his window.)