Title: It's A Small World After All
Author: jyorraku
E-Mail: jyorraku@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13
Category: Humor
Codes: S, Tu, R
Summary: Space is vast, and Earth is REALLY tiny. Post-Shuttlepod One.
Notes: Thanks to Josephine for the quick beta!
Disclaimer: Not mine.


It's A Small World After All
by Jyorraku



"Mind if I sit here?"

Command Charles Tucker the Third looked up from his PADD to see Malcolm Reed standing over the empty seat next to him.

"Sure thing, sit down," Trip gestured before giving Malcolm a easy grin, "Thought you'd been sick of me by now, after spending all that time in the shuttlepod."

Malcolm chuckled, choosing wisely not to comment further. He looked at the PADD in front of Trip. Normally not the one to pry, Malcolm couldn't help but make a friendly inquiry.

"What's that?"

Malcolm couldn't be sure, but he thought Trip's eyes shuttered from a brief moment.

"It's a Dear John letter I got from Ruby when we broke up."

Malcolm blinked. "Oh," he uttered, not quite knowing what else to say. He cursed himself for bringing her up when Trip mentioned her in the shuttlepod, yet he couldn't stop when he heard himself speak.

"She didn't seem like the letter writing type, that Ruby."

Trip snorted at that. "Yeah. Ruby did always like to talk . . . "

"Who's Ruby? Anyone I should know?" came a teasing voice.

The two men looked up to see Hoshi Sato standing next to their table. She smiled beguilingly at her commanding officers and friends. It had been a close call, with only two hours of air left in the shuttlepod when Enterprise finally rescued them. She couldn't help but be drawn to them now that they were back, healthy and alive.

"Well?" She sat down at their invitation, wanting just to hear the low accents in their voices. And maybe get to know them better, life was so unpredictable. She should seize the day and find out more about her friends.

Trip and Malcolm stared at each other. Finally, clearing his throat, Trip replied noncommittingly, "Just a mutual friend."

"Really? You know one of my best friends is named Ruby," Hoshi provided cheerily, "She had the worst luck in men. Of course it might have been the nicknames she would give them." She chuckled at the memory.

"Nicknames?" Malcolm inquired faintly.

"Yes. I remember," Hoshi tapped her fork on her tray as she thought, "Oh, oh, there was this one who she called 'Bullseye', and another she called 'Triplelicious', and . . . oh, this one's pretty rich, 'The Malnificent'."

Hoshi continued to speak, completely oblivious as Trip turned a beet red and Malcolm's face was suspended in a permanent grimace.

". . . And honestly, I think I learned how to speed listen from Ruby. She would talk so much and so fast, especially about the men she dated," Hoshi paused, taking a small drink before continuing, "You know how some things are on a need-to-know basis? Ruby had no such concept. The things she would tell me about these men . . . I didn't need to know." She made a face and grinned at them. "I suppose it's a good thing I don't know their real names, otherwise I'd probably burst out laughing when I meet them . . . the things I know."

Trip's eyes met Malcolm's. This time, both paled and sought refuge in their pastas.

"Of course her job didn't help. She works at this bar in Mill Valley, she makes the best Blackhole Blasts, but it was where all these male Starfleet trainees liked to go . . . I mean, no offense to you guys of course, but they aren't exactly known for their stability," Hoshi joked lightly, "What was that bar called? It was Six something . . . Six Five Nine? Six Four Two?"

"Six O Two," Malcolm muttered absentmindedly. Trip's head shot up and glared at the armory officer. Startled by the sudden movement, Malcolm thought for a second before realizing what he had said.

*Oh bloody hell.*

"That's right! The Six O Two Club! How'd you--" Hoshi abruptly stopped, realization flooding her brain as she watched Trip trying to kill Malcolm with his stare and Malcolm blushing from the neck up.

*The Malnificent, he has this gorgeous British accent but the man's a complete neat freak, you know what he does when we're making out . . .*

*Triplelicious, he's like the perfect southern gentleman, but he's got this weird thing about positions . . . *

Hoshi snapped her eyes close but couldn't stop the pictures from forming behind her eyes. "Oh my God," she muttered as she shot up from her seat, shoulders shaking with mirth. She couldn't help but stare at the men in front of her, finally being able to place faces over those graphic descriptions Ruby would throw at her. Choking with laughter, she replied unsteadily, "I think I better go," and ran out of the mess hall.

Trip and Malcolm remained silently glued to their seats until the mess hall doors closed and they heard Hoshi's hiccupping laughter echoing behind the door.

"I'm going to kill you," Trip growled.

Malcolm cradled his head in his hands and replied dully, "Not if I kill myself first."

"Hey fellas, you all right?" a new voice asked.

Trip glanced up at Captain Archer. His eyes narrowed at the older man.

"You wouldn't happen to know anyone named Ruby, would ya?"


End.