'Sink The Bismarck'…one of my favourite World War Two movies, showing the courage and tenacity of the Royal Navy in their hunt for the ship, which had sunk the Hood. I had been delighted when Trip told me that the captain had agreed to show the movie and felt like a child again as I watched. Remembering the first time I'd seen it with my father, one of the few father-son moments we ever shared. At the time I saw it as a good action story but my father wanted me to see the heroism of the British Navy, preparing me for my future career. Now I sit at my desk going over the strategies used by the captains.

"So what were ya sayin' 'bout 'pocket' battleships?" Trip asks as he strips and climbs into bed.

"It was a British term for that class of ship."

"Meanin'?" He looks at me and sighing I launch into an explanation.

"A pocket battleship was a battleship that was built to smaller specifications than a normal battleship. It was the Germans way to rearm their Navy between the first two World Wars without being too obvious. Although it was smaller it still had the firepower of it's larger counterparts."

"So you're a pocket armoury officer." Trip pauses grinning, "Smaller specifications than a normal armoury officer but with the same skills and knowledge!'

"Pocket armoury officer…Bloody cheek!" I turn back to the screen silently ending the conversation.

"C'mon Malcolm, come t' bed." Trip sighs as I stay where I am. "Ev'rytime ya watch one of those films ya spend the next coupla hours goin' over their strategy."

"I like to see if I could come up with a better line of defence."

"But it happened two hundred years ago."

"A good commander can learn a lot from battles from the past!" I answer tersely as Trip groans and lies back on the bed, throwing his arms over his head. "At least I don't spend my time during a movie blubbing like a baby!" I add, still slightly miffed by the 'pocket armoury officer' jibe.

Trip sits up suddenly, "I do not blub like a baby when we watch a movie."

"Trip, tonight's movie was the first one this week that you didn't cry through."

"Well we've only seen three and the other two were 'Brief Encounter' and 'It's A Wonderful Life'." He glares at me, "Other people were gettin' tearful…"

"…I wasn't." I interrupt grinning, a plan forming in my mind.

"Well you're too busy tryin' t' work out whether the characters have ulterior motives t' loose yourself in the emotion of the tale." Trip replies indignantly, pouting slightly and as I think about Trip's statement, I realise he's probably right.

"Okay then I suggest we have a wager." "What kinda wager?"

"I bet that you can't get through one of the next five movies we go to see without crying."

"What movies are we talkin' 'bout?" He looks at me suspiciously.

"I'll choose the movies." I pause, knowing that Trip can't resist a bet.

"What's the winner get?"

I look thoughtful for a moment and then grin, "The captain said that we're going to find a suitable planet for shore leave soon. When we do, the loser has to be the winner's slave for the entire stay. Catering to their every whim and desire." As I say this I stand up and start to undress.

"Ev'ry whim?" Trip asks grinning as I get closer.

"And desire." I slip into bed with him and kiss him gently, "So do we have a bet?"

"I think so…" Trip's words are cut off as I reclaim his mouth and all thoughts of Naval battles and wagers are forgotten.

A WEEK LATER

I can't believe that Trip has got through four movies without tears streaming down his face. I tried 'For Whom A Bell Tolls' first knowing that last time he saw this 'he got somethin' in his eye' according to Ensign Cutler but although he got a little teary eyed, no tears actually rolled down his cheeks. I'm beginning to regret agreeing to that condition and realise that maybe Trip will win this. The same thing happened with 'Love Story' and 'An Affair To Remember' and, although it was a close run thing, last night with Camille's death scene nearly undoing him. I had seen him talking to T'Pol after we had made this bet and wonder if he has adapted some Vulcan meditation technique to prevent him from losing. Maybe I should have spoken to her to find out what he's up to. After all that could be considered cheating and I'm desperately trying to think of one final film which will make Trip cry. I sit back in my quarters, deciding that it's time to bring out the big gun, the one film that had caused a lump in Malcolm Reed's throat. Smiling to myself and convinced that there is no way Trip will survive this, I contact the captain.

THAT NIGHT

As we leave the messhall Trip trailing behind me, his face still damp from the tears he had shed, I smile triumphantly.

"Ya had t' get 'em t' show 'Bambi' didn't ya Malcolm!" he says and I just keep smiling.