(Setting: Inside Trip and Phlox's quaters.)

T: (laying on the bed, face up, opens eyes as lights come on) Lox…not so bright. K?

P: Is something wrong, kee? Headache perhaps? (Walks over and sits down on the bed next to his kee)

T: Nah, just tired.

P: Well is there anything I can do?

T: Give me something to knock me out? (Turning to face Phlox and taking his hand) I'm joking, Lox. I'm just a tad cranky.

P: I see, my kee. And are you 'cranky' just because you are in a bad mood or did something do it to you? (Leaning over and stroking Trip's hair)

T: Oh I got a reason all right. A big one. I did something wrong, something I regret.

P: I see and the reason you feel cranky is because you feel guilty.

T: Yeah. T'pol…she got an encoded message from the Vulcan ship. Now you know me and the Cap'n…well mostly me, we don't trust them. We intercepted it…and I got Hoshi to break the code, I read it. It was personal.

P: I see…(Lifting Trip up) so you feel bad because you invaded her privacy. You should.

T: I know, I know! Archer said not to tell her cause it'll only hurt her but I can't not have told her. She deserved to know and if she wants me to do something to make up for it, I will but I was wrong. It attacks my gut that I did this.

P: Then why would you do this?

T: I don't trust the Vulcans! (Trip gets up and walks around)

P: We will talk about your prejudice later but I didn't ask why you invaded the Vulcans privacy but why you invaded T'pol's

T: She's a Vulcan and I have never trusted them.

P: And I'm a Denobulian. You are a human. However I am one Denobulian and you are one Human and she is one Vulcan. I am not all Denobulians, you are not all Humans, and she is not all Vulcans. The Vulcans are annoying, superior, and aggravating. Once they were as we are and they had to listen to a more advanced civilization. Yet it is their same attitude that shows them to value all life, including yours. (Phlox takes Trip's hand in his.)

T: Yeah. I understand I talked to her about it. I can't tell you what the message was about but we had a long talk about Vulcans. I still don't trust them. They don't see to feel anything it's all duty, tradition, and logic. That's all they seem to care about. That don't justify what I did. As to valuing my life, I think she saves me cause it's expected of her,. Do she like us? Would she stand up for us, if the captain hadn't made it a matter of honor?

P: I don't know, kee. I don't know. (Phlox tugs him back to the bed.) *** (Setting: Inside the Captain's Quarters)

T: I told her. She was upset but offered the other letters to me.

A: I see…how do we make it up to her. We violate her trust.

T: I don't know but it's gonna have to be big…

A: Yes…does not embarrassing her in front of the other Vulcans count.

T: Don't think so…how's Malcolm?

A: Having the time of his life. I told him to get on with it and stop making snow Vulcans.

T: (grins) He'll always be young.

A: Yes, he will and I wouldn't trade it for anything, Trip. We have good men.

T: Yeah…*** (Setting: In the bathroom in Trip's quarters. Trip is standing in front of a mirror, shirt off, water is dripping from his face.)

T: You are a lowdown, mangy mutt. No…you aren't. That'd be an insult to the mutt.

P: (comes up behind Trip and kisses him on the shoulder) Do not be so hard on yourself, my kee. You are trying to make amends. We all make mistakes and learn from them. Even Vulcans. Now come here. (Phlox leads Trip off towards the bed.) you know, I love you, my kee. Denobulians are very…possessive about our mates. We don't take very kindly to people insulting them.

T: So T'Pol said.

P: Yes, what she didn't say is that includes the mates themselves. (Phlox turns him around and pushes him on the bed) I guess I just have to teach you to talk better about my mate. *** (Setting: In Archer's quarters. Archer is standing in front of a porthole and looking at the comet. Behind him, loud breathing comes out of the dark. Silently he turns away and walks to bed. Climbing in, he lays his head on Reed's chest. The heartbeat swells louder. A tear slips down and falls on Reed's chest. Archer drifts off.)