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Rutherford entered the bar of the Cerritos as he usually did, but this wasn't a usual day. He walked through the sliding doors alone, and although his mind raced with engineering thoughts, he had one idea at the forefront of it all. Today was the day that he'd let his feelings be known to Tendi. She sat at the usual spot where the friends all hung out. She was enjoying a bowl of salad, but she was more focused on doing some light work on her PADD. She noticed Rutherford approach her though, and she greeted him as if it was any other day."Hey Rutherford." she blurted out quickly. Her tongue was slightly out of her mouth, and Sam knew that this was a sign that she was focused on something else. "Hey-a Tendi." he quickly replied. The fact that she was working was good for Rutherford, as this gave him time to acclimate himself. His heart raced, his nerves were on a razor's edge, and he was sweating despite the temperature being perfect comfortable. It's strange, he thought to himself. He can be so calm in crisis and he has no trouble fixing whatever the captain needed him to fix. But lately, when he's around Tendi, he feels lighter than air. He wanted her to know this. More importantly, he wanted to know if she reciprocated those feelings."Watchu working on?" Rutherford nervously asked. His hands were trembling, but he was hiding them well by keeping them under the table. "Just finishing up a report on the gravimetric anomaly. T'Lyn is going to review it later with me in her quarters and I really want to impress her, you know?" Tendi said. She looked up at Rutherford just then, her eyes betraying her of her emotions. But Rutherford only saw his best friend struggling with her work. His nerves steadied themselves instantly and he said to her, "Aww Tendi. You're the smartest and best science officer that I know. You got this. You should really eat some of your celery salad!"Tendi put down her PADD and smiled at Rutherford. Sometimes, being reassured by her friends was all she needed. "Gee, thanks Rutherford. You're the best engineer that I know too!", she said as she started devouring some celery and chopped carrots. Rutherford chuckled lightly as he's known to do. He scratched the back of his head as he did so, and this instantly clued Tendi in that something was up with her pal. She had already eaten half of her crunchy salad, but she stopped to ask Sam about what was going through his mind. "What's the matter Rutherford? You're awfully quiet today."Sam closed his eyes and took a deep breathe. This was it. He knew that it was cliché that he had fallen for the girl that he's spent so much of his time with platonically. They were friends, and he wanted to be her lover. This was his heart of hearts telling him to do what he must, and so he made his move, his nerves perfectly calm.Unfortunately for Sam though, he could not say what he had prepared to say to Tendi. The muscles in his mouth simply did not move that way. He struggled to speak for what seemed to be an awkward eternity. Instead of professing his love and jump starting a fairytale romance, Rutherford simply rattled off to Tendi, "I was just wondering if you had any advice about telling someone that you like them."Fortunately for Rutherford, Tendi did have an answer to this query. Ever since T'Lyn joined the Cerritos, D'Vana was quickly impressed by the scientific acumen that her new Vulcan friend had. T'Lyn was excessively smart, witty, and conversational. What was more interesting to Tendi, however, was how emotional T'Lyn was - at least for a Vulcan. In their short time together, Tendi had grown to think of T'Lyn as more than just a friend, but she was not ready to express those feelings out loud. At least, that was a few days ago. After learning about how T'Lyn was pivotal in preventing the Cerritos from erring into the Neutral Zone and how she had decided to stay on the ship instead of requesting a return to the Sh'vhal, Tendi became infatuated with T'Lyn to the point where she had to try."It's funny you'd ask me that Sam! I was gonna ask you the same thing." Tendi said with plenty of enthusiasm and optimism in her voice. "I think you should just tell them. But I don't know." she continued.A bright light blinked inside Tendi's mind and a new thought pierced her brain. "Rutherford! Did you meet someone new? Who are they?" Tendi was so full of joy, and her posture exuded thus. Her two green hands were holding her chin and her eyes squinted as she focused on Rutherford's face. She was trying to read him and predict him, but he wasn't a nebula waiting to be studied. She did not know what lurked in his soul. The gap in spacetime that separated friends from lovers, to Tendi that was a new frontier that she was a novice at exploring.His nerves were exploding, and he found it difficult to say the three simple words that could've changed the universe. Tendi, ever so chipper, decided to rattle off some potential partners that she thought Rutherford might've liked. Jennifer. Barnes. Perhaps one of the three stunning Betazoid officers who were escorted by the Cerritos. Her guesses yielded no responses from Sam, that was, until, she got to T'Lyn."You-you don't have a crush on T'Lyn, right Rutherford?" Tendi quietly pondered. There was a sadness in her eyes. Her good mood became a blue one in the blink of an eye. Everyone at the bar could sense the bummer in the room. This broke down Rutherford's defenses, and his mind no longer needed to come up with any excuses. It was apparent in the way that Tendi said T'Lyn's name. It was obvious by the way her eyes moved. It was clear with how her body responded. Tendi liked T'Lyn as more than a friend, and she likely had ulterior motives when she was scheduled to meet with T'Lyn in the Vulcan's quarters.He sighed. It was about all he could do. Tendi's sadness became Rutherford's sadness, as he knew that his love for her was stricken before it could've even begun. In that same moment though, his heart told him about a new type of love. Yes, Rutherford loved Tendi as more than a friend, but he still loved her as a friend too. That could not be destroyed with the most powerful phasers in the galaxy. And so, he lifted his chin, his eyes saddened with the burden of unrequited love, and he told her what she needed to hear like he always did.Rutherford got closer to his Orion friend. He put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Tendi. I think T'Lyn would be lucky to have you as her partner. I was lucky to spend so much time with you. I am lucky to call you my friend. She's so smart and she'll have the best time of her life with you. Just like I did."Tendi lifted up her chin to get a good look at Rutherford. Her eyes were watery, and she knew what Sam was saying to her beyond what his words conveyed. How could she had not seen this coming, she wondered. It was so obvious that any ensign could've seen it. At least she knew it now, and so did Rutherford. She smirked and grabbed him for the tightest hug she's ever given.Her head rested on his shoulder, and it leaned against his. She felt the warmth of his skin, the ticklish pokes of his hair, and she could hear the humming of his cybernetic implants. He was not shaken at all, and he grabbed her tightly too. This was love, and this was how the two could express themselves to each other.It was a comfortable moment, but Tendi had to tell Rutherford something. Sam could've predicted the words, but in the back of his mind, he wanted to hear them too. They ended their embrace, and she looked him squarely in his eyes. They just stared at each other for a moment, as it was a nice moment that didn't need any interruptions.Finally, she said to him, "I think I love T'Lyn. But Rutherford. Know that I will always love you too."Rutherford smiled and he put his forehead against hers. It was a tender embrace, but this was a California class ship, and it's never that simple. A figure approached from the bar, and although Tendi and Rutherford's eyes were closed, they could feel the shadow and presence of T'Lyn."I must apologize for overhearing your intimate conversation. Vulcans have sensitive hearing, and I was sitting with Mariner not far from here." T'Lyn said in the classic Vulcan monotone.Tendi was surprised, and so was Rutherford. Before they could reply, T'Lyn continued, "Tendi. You are a brilliant science officer and your work is as comprehensive and objective as a Vulcan's. However, I am not in the search for a partner at this time. Perhaps we can remain friends. Mariner has already agreed that this was a logical course of action. Do you concur?"Rutherford and Tendi were shocked. They scanned the room for Mariner, and there she was, ordering the strongest drinks that the bartender would serve. Mariner noticed the attention from her friends, and she waved to them with an abundance of energy. She decided to order more drinks, not just to tend to her own broken heart, but also for her friends'. The bartender made the order quickly since this was the 24th century after all and replicators do exist. Mariner didn't struggle to balance all the drinks that she was holding, and she made her way to sit down with Tendi, Rutherford, and T'Lyn."Super legit Romulan ale for me, some whiskey on the rocks for Rutherford, a tall glass of prune juice for the Mistress of the Winter Constellations, and more water for the smart, sexy Vulcan girl who broke my heart in the most gentle way possible!" Mariner exclaimed. The four were all seated now, and though the occasion did not seem like it could be a merry one, it was. After all, they were happy enough with each other. They raised their glasses and clinked them together to cheer and be happy. Tendi, who was sitting next to T'Lyn now, looked at her Vulcan friend.She nodded in affirmation, and T'Lyn did the same.With that, Rutherford, Tendi, T'Lyn, and Mariner drank the hours away as they enjoyed each other's company and companionship.