Together {Star Trek Enterprise Fan Fiction}

What's the New Reality?

"Oh, good, you brought a PADD this time."

"Of course, Lili. Now, what have you got?" Yimar asked.

"I know about a few more species that've been here before us. There were Tellarites, Xyrillians and Takret."

"Ah, oh, good, that's one of the questions T'Pol wanted me to ask you. And when they came in, and from where. Do you know any of that?"

"'Ommy, 'eech."

"We saw a leech in Sick Bay today," Yimar explained.

"Ugh," Lili shuddered, "I'm a little glad I didn't get to be a part of that."

=/\= 

"Doug, are you holding my hand?"

"Oh, uh, sorry," he dropped it quickly.

"It's okay."

"It's funny," he said, "My hands have been pretty much everywhere but your hands, and my mouth's been almost everywhere but your mouth, and then ...."

"Yeah. Holding hands seems too personal. As does kissing," Melissa said.

"You gotta understand my position," Doug said, "I'm committed. Really, committed. In love, happy, the whole nine yards. And then, suddenly, I've been unfaithful. And then again, and again. And it makes me wonder – because I couldn't resist it – what's really going on. And I figured, yanno, I should totally hate myself, and hate the person I'd been unfaithful with. To my mind, that's what all made sense. And then, heh, suddenly I realized that that person isn't awful at all. And I don't hate myself. And I don't hate that person."

"Of course I understand your position. I know it because it's the position I'm in, too," Melissa said.

"And I just kinda wonder, what's gonna happen?" he said, "I haven't trusted a lotta women. Can I trust you? Can I trust Lili anymore? I don't know, I don't get it. I feel like I shouldn't – like that's just gone. And I should hate myself. Even if I don't hate you. I should hate me, for succumbing to this. I shoulda been stronger. I'm supposed to be strong, dammit. I'm supposed to be able to get past such things."

"Are we allowed to be friends, Doug? What's the new reality?"

"Maybe not," he admitted, "Maybe that's too difficult."

"I wish it wasn't," she said, "I don't hate you, either. The opposite. Not the polar opposite," she quickly added.

"'Course not," he said, "But, yeah, can we be friendly? Or does that just hurt everybody? I haven't had female friends. Just Lili, really. But I can't see us, you know, sitting down and breaking bread together. And I would like to break bread together. I wish that didn't have to be impossible," he leaned over and kissed her, voluntarily.