When Ensign Hoshi Sato finally entered her quarters all she wanted to do was to crawl beneath her sheets, pull the blanket up over her head, and forget the whole day.

It had been awful, from the beginning to the end.

The morning had been pretty quiet. Too quiet, as she assumed now, looking back.

While she was still enjoying her breakfast, the captain had ordered her to the bridge. An alien vessel had approached in front of them, trying to communicate with them, and the UT couldn't translate a single word.

The second she arrived on the bridge, her day seemed to turn upside down.

The aliens were communicating with hard, clicking noises. It took Hoshi several hours to identify at least some easy phrases, so she could ask for a little more patience, until she was able to program the UT.

Thankfully the aliens, who called themselves the Felarai, were peaceful people, who were willing to accept the delay.

It was way past lunchtime when she finally was able to hit the right button, and the captain could talk to their guests on the big viewscreen.

The chat was easy, peaceful, and Hoshi could lean back, simply listening. Suddenly her stomach growled for all to hear. She blushed furiously for it reminded her in a very insistent way, that breakfast had been long ago.

Captain Archer looked at her, grinning, and dismissed her with a wave of his hand, so she could go and eat something.

On her way to the mess, she had the bad luck to cross the way of Lt. Reed, who reminded her in his usual friendly manner, that her security training was more than due.

She tried in vain to talk herself out of this duty, but he was adamant. So she had to agree to a one-on-one training that evening after her shift was over. They would meet with Lt. Reed in the gym at 1830 hours.

Arriving in the mess she was the only one there. Grabbing a plate of her favorite pasta, she sat down on one table, trying to relax a bit, fighting with the beginning of a headache. The translation had been very hard for her.

The rest of the shift went by with little to complain about. But the training with Malcolm wasn't going too well. She was absentminded, her headache had become worse, and the fact that Malcolm threw her on the mat several times really wasn't making it any better.

After he had flung the forth time over his shoulder he turned to her, yelling.

"Bloody hell, Hoshi, what's wrong with you tonight? Have you forgotten everything I taught you?"

Hoshi, feeling like her head was going to explode every second, swallowed the harsh words, that were threatening to come out. Silently she shook her head, got up, and stood in position again.

Only seconds later she found herself on the floor again, lying flat on her back, watching a colorful cursing Malcolm Reed. The words didn't quite reach her, for she was unable to concentrate on them, but slowly anger rose in her.

She had had a hell of a day, her head was killing her, her body ached in all possible, and impossible places, and her she was, listening to the insults of Malcolm Reed, concerning women in general, and especially herself.

Without saying a word she pulled herself together one last time, grabbed the lieutenant by the front of his shirt, shoved one foot in his stomach, taking his breath out of his lungs with a puffing sound, and slumped him over her head, in a not so graceful but very effective way.

When she had him lying in front of her, she positioned her knee just centimeters above his throat, saying in a very controlled voice.

"I had one hell of a day, I didn't want to come her tonight. I asked you to postpone this training. You didn't want to, so now I'm here. There's no need to talk to me like that. And if you would excuse me now, I throw myself out of the next airlock."

Very carefully she stood up, bowed slightly in front of the still breathless Malcolm Reed, and left.

Now she listened to the closing of the doors behind her, only to sag on the floor the second she was out of sight.

But she wasn't completely out of sight.

Unnoticed by her, someone was watching her, the brown eyes full of concern.

"Hard day?"

Hoshi only nodded to the familiar voice. It had grown late, and she had been unsure, if the other woman would still be waiting.

She was.

Without looking up, Hoshi buried her face in her hands, trying to regain her self composure.

With a fluid, graceful movement the other women rose from the bed, where she had been sitting cross-legged. She slowly stepped near, sat down next to Hoshi, and gently pulled her in her arms, stroking her hair.

"Shh. It is all right. Do you like to tell me?"

Hoshi only shook her head. All she wanted now was to forget the day. The other woman pulled her up, and led her to the bed. Carefully, and efficiently she stripped Hoshi down to her underwear. Then she lay down next to her, embracing her tenderly. Then she softly began to sing an old vulcan lullaby, until she could feel the woman in her arms relax.

As Hoshi finally fell asleep, cuddled up against her, T'Pol pulled the blanket up to cover them both, and switched off the light.