Gigi Sinclair

Sometimes, Trip thought as he ducked into Engineering, there were advantages to being the chief engineer of "Venture" as well as the captain's lover.

"All set?" Trip grinned at his second-in-command, Jamie Schillinger, daughter of Jon's first mate and the ship's doctor.

"You bet, Trip." Jamie smiled back. "I put a temporary reroute on the water mains and brought the auxiliary engine on line to give you a little extra power."

"Well," Trip said, "It is his birthday."

"And," Jamie continued, as she led him across the room to the strange, useless alcove in one of the walls, the result of less-than-perfect repairs after some long ago accident. "I even found a privacy curtain."

She drew aside the floor-length sheet of plastic fibre insulation, normally used to quickly isolate overheating engine components. Trip couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. In the alcove was one blue marble hot tub—the top-of-the-line "Sea Queen" model, in fact—with twelve ultra-jets and SmarTemp temperature control, attached to the ship's water and power systems with a length of piping and some creative engineering.

"Venture" was delivering two dozen of the hot tubs to a hotel opening in orbit near Jupiter Station. Since the shipment also included four marble-topped bars and two hundred cases of liquor, Trip was pretty sure no one was going to notice if one of the hot tubs arrived slightly used.

"Perfect, Jamie." Trip clapped his hand on her shoulder. She was young, just starting out, but Trip could already see she was going to go far. "You're a natural."

Jamie shook her head modestly. "Thanks, Trip." She glanced at the chronometre on the opposite wall. "I'd better go pick up Jason from school. Mom's working late tonight." She winked. "Someone's got to be on the bridge."

"Tell Jay I've got a day off tomorrow. I'll play catch with him if he comes by our quarters." Trip grinned. "Just not before, say, noon, OK?"

"I'll let him know." Jamie left. Trip dipped a hand in the water and felt it change automatically in response to his body temperature. The water was very warm, but not hot enough to cause health problems, and if it sensed an occupant was getting overheated, the SmarTemp was programmed to cool the water down immediately. Trip had read the literature that came with the tubs, and he was impressed. If things went well, he thought, he might just have to look into buying one of these if he and Jon ever decided to settle back on Earth.

***

If Trip had thought there was the slightest chance they would be discharged from Starfleet for stealing the NX-01 beta, he would never have encouraged Jon to do it. But the possibility had never occurred to him. Jonathan Archer and A.G. Robinson were the twin golden boys of Starfleet; Jon was even the great Henry Archer's son. Trip had been sure they'd get a slap on the wrist, at worst, maybe a few weeks' suspension for the stunt. Instead, Commodore Forrest had fired them all.

Trip had accepted this as reality far sooner than Jon and A.G. did. Trip was working part-time for a civilian aeronautics firm while they were still appealing Forrest's decision to the highest levels. It didn't do them any good. Eventually, Jon and A.G. had to accept that they were out of Starfleet permanently. Stealing a ship would do that, Trip guessed, although he did feel a little guilty he hadn't realized it before.

A.G. went to teach mountaineering in the Canadian Rockies, which didn't bother Trip in the slightest. A.G. Robinson was smarmy and arrogant, even after what had happened, and, frankly, Trip couldn't care less if he never saw him again. Jon, on the other hand, Trip wanted very much to keep seeing.

They'd moved in together, strictly as roommates, during the year Jon was trying to get back into Starfleet, and they'd stayed together when Jon was finally forced to give up. Trip didn't want to lose him, and that was why, as they sat in front of the media screen one evening, rehydrated casseroles on their laps, Trip mentioned the two free berths he'd heard about on the Boomer ship "Endurance."

They were no warp five ships, but "Endurance" and later "Venture" were reasonable substitutes. Even Jon eventually came to think so. And eventually, although Trip was no buff water polo captain or beautiful stellar cartographer like Jon's previous lovers, Jon came to see Trip as a reasonable substitute, too.

***

Jon was sitting on the couch when Trip got back to their quarters. Porthos leaped from Jon's lap to greet Trip, who bent and scratched Porthos's ears. Then Trip went over to Jon, putting his arms around him from behind and planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Happy birthday, darlin'."

Jon squeezed Trip's arm and replied distractedly, "Yeah, thanks."

"You OK?" Trip loosened his tool belt and pulled off his grease-stained work shirt.

Jon glanced over his shoulder and gave him a decidedly weak smile. "Just thinking."

"Oh, yeah?" Trip could easily imagine what he'd been thinking about. "Well, I'm taking a shower, then we can go to dinner. And after that," Trip wiggled his eyebrows and got a half-hearted laugh from Jon. "You get your birthday surprise."

"What might that be?"

"If I told you, Jon," Trip replied, as he headed for the bathroom, "It wouldn't be a surprise."

***

Like everybody else in the known galaxy, Trip had read all the articles and seen all the interviews done with the crew of the "Enterprise" before they shipped out. The only crewmember who interested Trip was the Mayweather boy, one of Paul's from the "Horizon." The rest—Captain Hayes, an ex-military man, the Vulcan second-in-command, the English armoury officer, the Denobulan doctor—held little allure for Trip, although he wished them the best of luck.

Jon, on the other hand, had become practically obsessed. He speculated endlessly about what kind of captain Hayes would make, how a Vulcan and a Denobulan would fit into a human crew, if Reed was really as stiff and humourless as he appeared in the interviews and how that would affect the mission. Finally, Trip had enough and snapped, "I'm much more concerned with our mission, Captain, which happens to be three days behind schedule." And, unlike "Enterprise" and their vague goal of diplomatic exploration, "Venture" had a monthly quota to meet and consequences if they didn't.

That had been nearly a year ago. Jon didn't talk about "Enterprise" nearly as much any more, but he still had every new article about the mission forwarded to his personal inbox, and Trip knew he still wished he were there with them. Trip didn't understand why. However competent and qualified the "Enterprise" crew may have been, Trip knew they couldn't hold a candle to the folks on "Venture."

Almost all of whom were gathered at the long communal mess hall tables when Trip and Jon arrived. They burst into a spirited rendition of "Happy Birthday" when Jon took his usual spot at the head of the table, and little Alexandra, daughter of Karen who worked in the infirmary, presented the captain with a brightly coloured card the schoolchildren had made.

The crew and families ate dinner together, as usual. Jon blew out his candles, endured jokes, mostly from Trip, about setting off the fire detection system, and cut a piece of cake for everyone. When Trip had finished his piece, he stood and rested a hand on Jon's shoulder.

"It's been great, folks, but if you'll excuse us, we've got a busy evening planned." Grinning at the hoots and whistles, Trip ignored Jon's scowl and dragged him out of the mess hall.

"Do you have to do that?" Jon asked, irritably, as they headed down the hall towards Engineering.

"They would have kept you there all night." Normally, Trip liked the music and the conversation and the sense of community that filled "Venture's" mess hall in the evenings, but tonight, he had other, more exciting plans.

Jon stared, speechless, for a long moment when Trip pulled back the curtain and revealed the hot tub in the Engineering alcove. "What the hell…" He finally managed, and Trip put a reassuring hand on his back.

"Now, Jon, don't you worry. I'll have it emptied and back in the crate before we even have the hotel on long-range sensors."

"How did you get it here?"

Trip couldn't resist a little engineer boasting. "We used the anti-grav forklift to bring it up from the cargo bay, then we hooked it up to the ship's water and power."

"How much fuel is that costing us?"

"It's your birthday, Jon." Trip looked at him, suddenly nervous. "You like it, right? I got the idea as soon as we picked up the shipment. I remembered how you always used to love these things when you were doing all that swim training."

"Yeah." Jon smiled, and Trip's nerves disappeared as suddenly as they'd arrived. "It's great, Trip."

"Then why don't we get in?"

"I don't know." Jon made a show of indecision, which Trip could enjoy now he knew it was a show. "I don't have my bathing suit."

"Well, Captain," Trip replied, reaching around the hot tub for the other part of Jon's surprise, "That's kind of the idea."

Sitting naked in a perfectly heated hot tub, one hand on Jon's thigh and the other around a glass of good scotch, was about as close to heaven as Trip ever hoped to get. He rested his head against Jon's shoulder as Jon adjusted the arm he had around Trip. "This is wonderful, Trip. Thank you." Jon kissed him on the temple and then the cheek. "Best birthday I can remember."

"I know it's not exactly where you'd like to be, but it sure ain't bad," Trip agreed.

The arm behind Trip fidgeted, and Jon took a sip of his drink. "What do you mean?"

"You know." When Jon didn't say anything, Trip added, "'Enterprise.'"

"Oh." The arm shifted, and Trip moved away, floating across the tub to look at Jon.

"I know you still regret it, Jon. It's OK." Trip sometimes regretted it too, especially when he was fighting with "Venture's" thirty-year-old engines.

Jon furrowed his eyebrows. "But I don't."

"Jon, come on. I'm not stupid."

"I know," Jon answered, very quickly, Trip was pleased to notice. "But believe me." He frowned. "I was very disappointed when we had to leave Starfleet, but I got over that years ago."

Trip moved his arms against the current, enjoying the tingle against his skin. "Then why were you so caught up in the 'Enterprise' crew?"

"I wanted to make sure they chose the right people for my father's ship." Jon smiled. "Not that I could have done anything about it, but it made me feel better to know it was in good hands. I don't regret not getting the job myself." Jon reached across, catching Trip's hand under the surface. "It would have killed me to leave you behind for five years. And even if you'd come with me, you'd have been my subordinate. I couldn't have touched you." The Boomers were much more practical about that kind of thing than Trip could remember Starfleet being.

Jon wound their fingers together, and Trip felt a surge of warmth so strong, he was sure the SmarTemp was going to kick in and lower the temperature of the water. It didn't, not even when Jon said, "I love you."

"Good." Trip hoped he wasn't blushing. "Me, too."

Jon laughed, which, Trip decided, was the best sound he'd heard lately, and came over to Trip's side of the tub. Jon was heavier than Trip, but thanks to the water he could easily straddle Trip's lap and lean down for a kiss.

Trip's cock, which had been bobbing lazily in the currents, stiffened immediately. Jon's did the same, pushing against Trip's thigh. Reaching down, Jon grasped both cocks in one of his large, water polo player's hands and rubbed them together, never taking his mouth from Trip's.

Trip could feel the excitement building in his stomach and his balls, but for once, there was no sense of urgency about it. Trip could have stayed there all night. Jon clearly felt the same; even after they'd come and their semen had been swept away into the filtres, Jon stayed where he was, his fingers gently stroking and his tongue licking the inside of Tirp's mouth.

When Jon finally pulled away, he pressed his forehead to Trip's and said, "If we get a monthly audit, they'll want to know how we used so much power."

Trip chuckled. "Tell them I'm a bad influence on you."

Jon kissed him on the forehead and floated to the other side of the tub to pick up his drink. "You always were, Trip." Jon took a long sip. "Don't ever stop."

Trip grabbed the bottle and refilled his glass before reaching over to Jon's. "Not on your life." Not when it got him results like these.