Cry Havoc-Ch 26

Cry Havoc

By MissAnnThropic

Rating: NC-17
Email: miss_annthropic@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: None of it’s mine. I’m just a sad little fangirl that spends her days writing fanfic and watching taped episodes of my favorite shows.
Summary: The evolution of Trip and T’Pol’s relationship following the events in ‘Harbinger’.

Spoilers: “Harbinger”

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Chapter 26

Trip knew only a deep-rooted content. In the twilight between waking and sleep he was with T’Pol; this he knew down to his bones. He had dreamed of her before, before the matebond, but her presence in his mind now was so much more than a dream. She was entangled in him, metaphysically part of him, and anywhere his thoughts drifted she went with him. When he dreamed making love to her she was actually there with him. When a nightmare loomed she stepped in like a pointy-eared knight in shining armor and the fear just melted into the background. Demons had no ability to touch T’Pol here, she was the guardian of his sleep, the keeper of his katra. She was more real than any dream T’Pol had ever been before the bonding. He liked the real T’Pol in his dreams much better. Her essence was so alluring, so tantalizing and comforting when his every conscious defense was lowered, that he might wish to never wake again if the waking world T’Pol was not just as appealing.

And for her influence on his dreamscape he took her to places her Vulcan mind could not imagine without illogical assistance. Trip’s mind showed her so many futures they might have together, healthy and happy half-Vulcan/half-human children because genetic logistics had no place in dreams, a Vulcan where Trip was openly accepted and liked by T’Pol’s family. T’Pol marveled at the array of possibilities the human mind could create and she nestled into his dreams, accepting some of their non-realities that had no true chance of coming to pass once they awoke.

Trip was lost in a dream of sitting in a small cafe with T’Pol and Elizabeth when T’Pol’s dream-entrenched presence started to resist the fantasy. Her place in the dream wavered and Trip turned his attention from his sister to T’Pol. She was pulling away and pulling on him, tearing him from sleep with her gentle contact with his mind, and with regret he left Lizzie and went with his wife.

Trip opened his eyes and spared a second to take in the room. He placed it quickly enough, the suite bedroom at Starfleet Academy. He sighed and he felt T’Pol shift at his side.

‘The captain beckons us,’ T’Pol spoke directly to his mind.

Trip lay quietly and within seconds he heard what T’Pol had. Gentle knocking resumed on the door. “Trip, T’Pol?” Archer’s voice ventured slowly.

“Be right there, Cap’n,” Trip called back and almost at once T’Pol had slipped from his arms and out of the bed. Trip could no longer hear her thoughts, only sense a general disposition coming from his Vulcan mate, but even had he not had access to that base emotional read on T’Pol he would know from the look on her face what she was thinking and feeling. The admirals must be back with a ruling, and there was a gut-twisting anxiety surrounding the final decision.

****

Trip followed T’Pol out of the academy suite bedroom and without conscious intent he took in the state of his family and friends within the living area. His mother, his father, Captain Archer, and Doctor Phlox were all on their feet, standing in an irregular semi-circle.

Immediately, Trip’s eyes cut to the new, vastly less welcome addition to the room. Admiral Forrest. Trip felt something inside him tense at the sight of the admiral. Before all this he had never been edgy around high-ranking officers. In fact, he’d been on very congenial terms with Forrest and thought the man a nice enough guy. Now Trip caught sight of admiral pips on a shoulder or a dress uniform collar and his hackles started to rise.

A steady pace before him, T’Pol’s stride faltered the barest degree as she unerringly sensed his involuntary reaction and she ticked her head briefly over one shoulder then resumed her forward-directed attention. It wasn’t even enough to give him a profile view of her, probably beneath mention to those others in the room, but Trip understood the intent. She was lending him support and strength in the only low-key way she knew how.

T’Pol drew to a stop near the captain and Trip came up beside her and stood almost shoulder to shoulder with his Vulcan partner. He was very tempted to sidle over the remaining two inches to actually brush her shoulder, to put concrete thoughts to the vague sensations wafting through his mind, their source T’Pol, but with great effort he stood completely still.

Admiral Forrest looked once between Trip and T’Pol but seemed to make it a point to do nothing else.

Archer’s patience wore out first. “You all certainly took your time.”

Forrest cast a mildly startled look at Archer, clearly unprepared for such poorly veiled flirtation with insubordination. When the admiral considered the way Archer was standing firmly at the command and sub-commander’s side, however, he let it slide.

“We had a lot to address. We initiated preliminary renegotiations with Vulcan and its stance on the Earth aid program while we were trying to reach a consensus on the topic of this ‘marriage’,” Forrest said by means of explanation. Forrest turned his eyes away from Archer to regard Trip and T’Pol once more. “I know you’re anxious...” Forrest stopped as a strangely thoughtful look passed over his face, then he corrected, “I know you’re both anxious to know what we’ve concluded, so I’ll cut right to the matter at hand.

“Just as Ambassador Soval assured, neither of you will be asked, coerced, or ordered to end this relationship. Neither Starfleet Command nor the Vulcan High Command will force a separation against your wills. Whether you two stay together or break up will be a matter left entirely up to you and neither planetary government will have any part in directing the course of this relationship.

“After careful deliberation in conjunction with the Vulcan High Council via Ambassador Soval, a number of settlements on the part of both governments have been made to reach reconciliation on the matter of Commander Tucker and Sub-commander T’Pol’s ‘closeness’.” Forrest looked first at the Vulcan. “T’Pol, while by apparent, though as yet unexplained to me, idiosyncrasies of Vulcan biology this pairing is as strong or stronger than what humans know by the term ‘marriage’, the Vulcan ruling government will not officially recognize this as a true marriage. They will never acknowledge a legal, legitimate marriage between you and Commander Tucker. Soval said you would understand.”

T’Pol lowered her head fractionally. “I understand.”

“Well, I don’t,” Trip grumbled.

Without her face moving a muscle T’Pol managed to seem tired all the same as she turned her head to look at her mate and say softly, “By Vulcan dictates of acceptable behavior, there are many things I should not have done but yet which I have done in spite of my training and upbringing as a Vulcan citizen. My actions, to Vulcan, appear ‘roguish’ at best, and for the things I have done I will be viewed by my people as what humans would term ‘a maverick’. Vulcan cannot condone this manner of behavior by recognizing such an unorthodox marriage.”

“I thought Vulcans were supposed ta be all civilized and advanced. Isn’t that a bigoted slant on things?” Trip challenged Forrest, merely because he was the closest enemy target.

Forrest looked more flummoxed than affronted. “To tell you the truth, Commander, through the course of the discussion I got the sense this was more about T’Pol herself than the two of you.”

T’Pol nodded. “A marriage between a human and a Vulcan would not be an issue in principle. The unacceptable path I took to end up with a human bondmate is the main concern.”

Trip frowned, fumed, but he didn’t say anything more.

Forrest almost visibly winced. “And by the same token, as a show of support to Vulcan as we try to rebuild our fragile relations with them, no Earth government can ever legally or officially recognize this ‘marriage’ either.”

“What?!” Trip snapped hotly.

“The Vulcans do not want a dangerous precedent set that Earth approves of ‘tainting’ Vulcans into misbehavior and illogical actions. I know this is more extreme than the current situation, but a loose analogy would be Vulcan asking us not to harbor criminals to High Command.”

“I almost expect this from the Vulcans, but Earth? Starfleet?! The poster child for humanity seekin’ new life and new civilizations and ya won’t get your hands dirty with a human takin’ a Vulcan wife?!”

“Trip...” Archer said lowly, his voice half-gentle but half-warning. The admiral would take only so much lip, and at the moment Forrest genuinely seemed to be more on their side than against them.

“It’s done,” Forrest said, a definite edge creeping into his voice. “Ambassador Soval demanded our acquiescence on this issue and we accepted his terms. As I’ve already said, you and the sub-commander will not be prohibited in any way from being together, you simply cannot be recognized in any legal capacity as husband and wife.”

Trip’s eyes narrowed at Forrest but instead of saying anything more that might be damaging to them he looked to T’Pol. His eyes softened and instead of accusation (such as that to which he’d treated the admiral) he only silently questioned.

T’Pol looked up at him and her dark eyes carefully studied his face before coming to rest at his eyes. There was acceptance, both on her face and in the sense he got off her.

“It is a good concession, Trip,” T’Pol said in a gentle voice, perhaps only gentle to someone so adept at reading her vocal inflections, but it served its purpose all the same. It might not be ‘good’ per se, but it was the best they were going to get. T’Pol figured that out quicker than he did, that was all.

Trip sighed in defeat, still riled but now subdued, and he nodded.

“The other thing,” Forrest began, and immediately he had everyone’s attention again. “Vulcan continues its insistence that a Vulcan High Command representative, independent of Starfleet, be stationed in an advisory/supervisory position on every Earth deep space ship. The Vulcans will be placing one on the Aries before she ships out, since the absence of a Vulcan on the ship’s maiden voyage was a sore spot for the Vulcan High Command... among other things concerning the Aries, but most of those details have yet to be worked out. Our one victory in that department is a tentative time frame for the duration of this ‘supervision’. In five years the Vulcans have agreed to reassess our need, as a space-faring race, to have ‘babysitters’ present on all missions.”

Archer spoke. “Well, that’s good news, but I fail to see how that affects Trip or T’Pol.”

“They insist Enterprise continue to carry a Vulcan presence on her explorations, and they’ve forbidden T’Pol from being that Vulcan.”

Archer’s jaw set angrily. “I have to say that I have issues with that, Admiral. T’Pol is one of my best officers and her expertise aboard Enterprise has been invaluable. She is an asset to me. It would handicap the ship to lose her.”

“I’m sorry, Jon, but Soval wouldn’t budge on that. He was planning to pull T’Pol from Enterprise anyway before any of this business with the commander came up. When Enterprise was in port for four days he tried to track her down so he could hold her back from going out with Enterprise when she left again but he couldn’t find her in time. So this relationship had nothing to do with that decision.”

“I still object to losing her from the crew.”

“We did, too. All troubles aside, Captain, Starfleet has grown to respect the sub-commander. She earned your trust and approval and therein ours, but this isn’t about us, it’s about Vulcan. They insist on someone from High Command being aboard each ship, and since Sub-commander T’Pol unceremoniously resigned her commission she no longer qualifies.” Forrest sighed. “Unfortunately, we can’t offer her a position with Starfleet because it treads too close to the line of ‘not harboring and/or encouraging unseemly Vulcan behavior’.”

“Couldn’t she stay on as a civilian consultant, free from accountability to either government?”

Forrest frowned. “Admiral Leonard and I brought that up as a possible solution, and Ambassador Soval didn’t say anything outright but we got the feeling he didn’t like the idea. I guess he thought we were already looking for a way to subvert and countermand his demands. Frankly, Jon, the political foothold with Vulcan right now is so slippery that we’re not willing to risk trying it, even to keep Sub-commander T’Pol aboard Enterprise.” Forrest looked then at T’Pol. “I’m sorry, Sub-commander.”

“I understand, Admiral.”

“What about Trip?” Archer asked, almost afraid to find out the council’s ruling in regards to Archer’s chief engineer.

Forrest looked back at Archer as he said, “Starfleet can’t and won’t formally punish someone for something it doesn’t officially recognize. Even the active relationship on the Enterprise prior to this is safe from inciting a formal hearing against the commander since there was technically no breach of the fraternization regulations. Those regs were applicable to Starfleet personnel only. Nothing will happen to Mister Tucker. He maintains his rank and position on Enterprise.”

Archer looked in Trip’s direction with the clear intent of trying to glean Trip’s reaction to the decision from the look on his face. Trip didn’t bother trying to hide his displeasure nor his discomfort. Professionally, nothing had happened to him whereas T’Pol had lost her place on Enterprise, in essence lost her job and the life she’d created outside of Vulcan doctrines. And she had no Vulcan position upon which to fall back, not after the things she’d done to stay aboard Enterprise in the first place. Of that fact Trip was acutely aware. Trip wasn’t happy about T’Pol taking such a big hit while he’d gotten away with so much by comparison.

Trip glanced down at T’Pol, something in his gaze apologetic and unabashedly there for her to see even if she hadn’t been able to hear his thoughts. That she could know what he was thinking only intensified the understanding of Trip’s guilt. She would not say aloud the things she was thinking, not in front of everyone, so she did something only slightly less bold in Vulcan terms by reaching out and touching him. With a physical conduit between them, T’Pol’s inner voice spoke to Trip’s.

‘Feel no guilt for this, it was not your doing. I knew the repercussions for me would be severe. Do not make them more so by these guilty feelings. I do not wish that. I would not have chosen you, beloved, had I not been willing to lose all that I have. I knew many of these things would be forfeit if I bonded with you and I accepted that. Let us both take solace in the fact you have been spared that which I was not.’

Trip’s eyes seemed to spark with inner fire, Trip’s essence so close to the surface. ‘I’m so sorry, T’Pol. So, so sorry.’

‘Don’t be. Your victories are mine. With Starfleet, at least, we have won.’

Trip smirked, despite himself, and he nodded. T’Pol let her hand drop from his arm and turned back to the group in the room with them. Most had baffled, intensely curious looks on their faces for having seen the wordless exchange between Commander and Sub-commander, even though no one was brazen enough to ask about it.

“So is that it?” Archer asked. “Are they free to go?”

“They’re free to go.” Forrest paused and looked back toward Trip and T’Pol. “I’m afraid between the other Enterprise crewmen and the Aries, plus the families of both crew compliments, this has gotten out. Starfleet has tried to get a sense of the mass reaction to hearing about a... um, well a human and Vulcan couple... it’s been mixed. This isn’t an order by any means, just a suggestion, but I would recommend you two stay in San Francisco and near Starfleet Headquarters for a while, and if either of you feel threatened in any way Starfleet Security has been placed at your disposal.”

Trip spoke civilly toward the admiral for the first time all evening. “Thank you, Admiral.”

Forrest nodded. “We’re not about to let this degenerate into twentieth-century barbarism. Humanity is beyond that and maybe... maybe this is the kind of thing we need to really learn as a race how to more completely accept alien species.”

Trip lifted one eyebrow in an eerie mimicry of T’Pol. “Ya thankin’ us now?”

Forrest didn’t rise to the bait, but he DID seem to hold off a smile. “I’m saying we will make the best of the given situation.”

Trip was a little less angry at Forrest and he figured it was just as well.

Archer sighed in relief, felt almost a tenable weight ease off his shoulders, then he looked toward his crewmen. Trip and T’Pol were unscathed, maybe not professionally in T’Pol’s case, but physically and emotionally they’d come to no harm. It seemed, from the admiral’s promise about Starfleet Security intending to safeguard Trip and T’Pol that they would remain that way.

It was all he could realistically ask. Short of keeping T’Pol on Enterprise it was probably a best-case scenario.

Forrest left the room and the atmosphere in the room relaxed that much more.

“Congratulations, Trip, T’Pol,” Archer finally said with a grin.

Kathleen went to her son and gave him a hug. She only just stopped herself from doing the same to T’Pol. T’Pol apparently noticed the Tucker woman’s aborted attempt and her eyebrows rose, not in condescension but true surprise.

“So can we get outta here now?” Trip asked.

“Seems that way,” Archer replied. “While you were both being detained most of the crew went back to Enterprise and picked up more of their personal effects; I’m sure Admiral Forrest could arrange for a shuttle up to the ship so you two can do the same. We’ll be planet-side for quite some time before Enterprise is fit for deployment again. While you two head back to Enterprise, I’ll see to setting up temporary living arrangements in San Francisco if you want.”

“That would be greatly appreciated, Captain,” T’Pol said.

Archer waved it off with a supremely human gesture. A month ago he would have counted on confusing his science officer with such an action, but now he trusted her to either already ‘get it’ or in short order figure it out. If T’Pol could learn Trip’s quirks, the southerner perhaps the most human of humans, then T’Pol would be well-equipped to face other humans.

In short conferment and agreement the six of them headed toward the door to at last be free from Starfleet grounds.

As soon as Trip and T’Pol stepped out into the hall they found Ambassador Soval standing there waiting for them. Trip came up short and T’Pol looked wary and attentive but Soval seemed as calm and poised as ever.

“T’Pol, Commander Tucker,” Soval said meaningfully, and the others accompanying the duo took the hint. With suddenly uncertain glances they promised to meet up with their comrades later then left Trip and T’Pol in the hall alone facing the ambassador.

For a long moment Soval said nothing, merely studied each of them in turn with an unrushed eye. When at last he spoke it seemed to shatter an increasingly taut silence. “I trust the ruling was to your satisfaction?”

Trip bit back his initial response because T’Pol seemed tense enough without his flippancy making matters worse. When he didn’t retort to the ambassador’s remark T’Pol almost noticeably relaxed and Trip felt good to have done the right thing by his bondmate.

“It was agreeable,” T’Pol answered.

Soval’s eyebrows ticked in a pseudo-nod and he spared a moment to meet Trip’s eyes. The two men regarded one another a minute in silent intensity. Strangely, T’Pol noted, there was not as much hostility on the part of both individuals as she had expected. Soval eventually turned his attention back to T’Pol.

“Your current lack of professional opportunities is unfortunate.”

“It is unfortunate,” T’Pol agreed.

Soval paused a moment, eyes never leaving T’Pol, and Trip got the sense the Vulcan ambassador just wanted to say something.

“High Command cannot reinstate you,” he finally said, point-blank.

“I am aware of that.”

One of Soval’s eyebrows crept toward his gray hairline and Trip knew that gesture well enough on T’Pol to recognize a calculating Vulcan.

“It comes to the attention of the Vulcan Science Academy’s xenological department, however, that you are qualified and suited to a most unique task.”

One of T’Pol’s own eyebrow twitched in response.

Soval glanced at Trip again then returned his attention to T’Pol. “The recent dissension between Vulcan and Earth has elucidated the fact that it would seem Vulcans lack adequate knowledge of human nature to effectively collaborate with them. The instructors that we have in the embassy school to teach Vulcans how to understand and work among humans have proven inadequate, if the trouble our two governments have encountered is any indication. Both worlds would benefit from a greater understanding of one another; the first step to such a meeting of minds would logically be adequately qualified teachers to explain human behavior and motives to those Vulcans seeking to work with other species on a professional level.”

“You wish me to be this instructor.”

“I merely make the suggestion. You have no formal training as an academy instructor, of course, but I think the academy would waive this detail considering your personal familiarity with both cultures. The human professors who have volunteered to try to teach Vulcans about humanity have been less than successful. Frequently their points of reference are concepts Vulcans cannot fully grasp. You, on the other hand, would be well-equipped to explain humans from a Vulcan point of view.”

T’Pol nodded. It was unknowing verification of Soval’s assessment, T’Pol thinking nothing of using such a human gesture. Soval’s eyebrows twitched curiously at observing the woman’s head movement but he said nothing.

T’Pol looked up at Soval again and her voice was strong and close to proud for a Vulcan. “I will consider your offer.”

“Very well,” Soval answered with an easy, unconcerned air. “I bid you farewell, then.” Soval, before turning to leave, faced Trip. He studied the human commander critically a few seconds then lifted his hand in the traditional Vulcan salute. “Live long and prosper.”

Trip took the gesture in stride. He raised his own hand and returned the Vulcan hand-sign, less eloquent and unpracticed, but recognizable all the same.

Soval’s eyes almost reflected an amount of approval as he lowered his hand and moved off down the hall. Trip and T’Pol were left standing alone.

Trip turned to T’Pol and seemed to gauge her mood. It helped that he had access to her disposition, even direct access if he just bothered to reach out and touch her. “Ya thing ya might want to do it? Teach, I mean?”

“Perhaps. Ambassador Soval is correct that I, better than any Vulcan, could explain the many difficulties of working with humans. And also my mother is a teacher at the academy. While she will be made to break all personal ties with me to protect herself, were I to work at the academy she and I would be capable of having a professional relationship.”

Trip was quiet long enough to give that due consideration. He had hated from the word go that he would be part of the reason T’Pol had to break all ties with her family. Despite all her assurances it was not his fault Trip still felt and believed he was partially to blame. Nothing T’Pol said would change the obvious state of affairs; Trip and T’Pol were together and T’Pol’s family would have nothing to do with her. If T’Pol could find a way to maintain some manner of relationship with her mother, however, even a strictly professional one... he couldn’t dismiss that possibility, for T’Pol’s sake. It wasn’t as though she was being forced to choose between her recently-current posting on Enterprise, a career affiliated with Starfleet, or the Vulcan Science Academy. As it currently stood she was utterly unemployed, and were it not for this sudden offer by Soval highly unemployable. Without working for Vulcan High Command or Starfleet T’Pol’s choices to cut a career path with either planet were few. Trip didn’t even bother to suggest she not do any form of work at all. He wouldn’t personally object to T’Pol spending all day watching the grass grow if she’d be content with that, but he knew her better than that. She could never settle for such inaction, such intellectual stagnation.

Trip realized T’Pol was watching him. Even though she could glean his opinion from attending to his mind through their bond some things he just wanted to say to her aloud. Somehow it almost seemed more binding and sincere that way... it was easier to justify backing out of a thought, but the spoken word was tougher.

“Whatever you want to do, T’Pol. If ya think this is what is best for ya, then I’m on board.”

“I know, Trip. However, I was truthful with Soval; I will need time to consider this. You and I will need to discuss it.” ‘What affects you affects me, what affects me affects you,’ she did not say, and without touch Trip wouldn’t technically hear it, but it was a sentiment that was well communicated through eye contact.

Trip couldn’t resist briefly reaching out for her hand, letting his index and middle finger graze gently over the back of her hand. The rush of affection Trip heard in his thoughts eased all his concerns for the immediate time being. “We’ll talk about it later, ‘kay?”

T’Pol agreed. Postponing the conversation would give each time to think carefully about all the options and their possible consequences. Enough major life avenues had been thrust upon them today; they could stand to wait a little bit on one more.

****

Two days passed and Trip and T’Pol had yet to talk about the idea of T’Pol taking up a teaching position at the Vulcan Science Academy. They busied themselves with returning to Enterprise and collecting the remainder of their personal effects then taking a shuttle back down to California.

Jonathan Archer was there to meet them at the port station near the bay, a stone’s throw from Starfleet Academy’s official transport center. He was dressed in civilian clothes rather than his Enterprise uniform, a blue shirt with tropical patterns on it, khaki shorts, and sandals. When he spotted Trip and T’Pol stepping off the Starfleet sanctioned shuttle pod he waved at them. Not that the pair was hard to pick out of a crowd; T’Pol was the only Vulcan in sight.

Archer started toward his comrades to meet them halfway and T’Pol noticed something both fascinating and, to a small degree, disquieting. People’s heads were turning as they caught sight of Archer’s face and had to look again, look closer. A wake of ‘is that who I think it is?’ trailed after Archer. T’Pol noted several individuals standing nearby had also seemed to recognize herself and Trip. Quite a few were looking at them so intently T’Pol could only describe it as ghoulish.

“Hey, you two,” Archer said when he was before them. “Run into any problems?”

“Nope, though when we got back ta the ship the Jupiter boys already knew. I take that ta mean the whole planet must know.”

Archer shrugged. “Word travels fast. As long as you didn’t run into trouble.”

“Nah, no trouble... just some lookie-lous.”

T’Pol glanced at Trip with an expression between wearied, confused, and haughty. For not the first time, Archer thought a word for that quintessential ‘Vulcan’ expression should exist.

“Speakin’ of,” Trip began and pointedly scanned the crowd at the transfer station. People were slowing into a gradually churning circle around them, a slow-motion hurricane spinning around an eye, as people lingered for a longer glimpse.

Archer nearly grimaced. “Yeah, I know. It’s been a constant ‘thing’ for everyone from the ship. Street clothes doesn’t help much, even without the uniforms they seem to know our faces. Most of them seem harmless, though.”

“Their behavior is quite disconcerting,” T’Pol said lowly.

“That it is, but surely the novelty of living, walking heroes will wear off. Right?”

No one had an answer.

“So,” Trip broke into the silence, “were ya able to find someplace for me and T’Pol to crash for the time bein’?”

“Yes, I did. A recently renovated apartment complex north of here has given temporary leases to any Enterprise crew members looking for a place to stay. It’s not in the main section of the city, it’s relatively quiet, and there are others from the ship living in various units on the same floor. Safety in numbers, I guess, though these hordes of ‘fans’ hardly necessitate defensive measures.” Archer said the last with a boyish smirk and playful glitter in his eyes. It had been far too long, before the Xindi, that Trip could remember seeing that spark in his friend’s face.

“Sounds good,” Trip acceded readily and T’Pol nodded her quiet agreement.

“If it’s settled, then, I suggest we head over. I came in a personal ground transport that I’ll leave with you two when I drop you off.”

“You stayin’ at this place, too, Cap’n?”

“No, I’m still bunking down at Starfleet Headquarters. They have me running back and forth between so many meetings it was easier to just stay there. Don’t worry, though, I’ll get someone from HQ to pick me up at the apartment complex.” Archer stepped forward and took one of T’Pol’s bags from her hand without asking, a purely human intention to be chivalrous. T’Pol opened her mouth to object, or at least to point out that it would be more logical for her to carry her own luggage since her strength surpassed Archer’s, but Trip’s hand on her arm halted her. Her mate cast her a humoring smirk and T’Pol chose to say nothing and permit the illogical human gesture. The two began to follow Archer through the crowd.

The captain threw over his shoulder as they plowed a path through the other travelers, “Oh, Trip. When you have the chance I’d like to talk to you about the chain of command situation aboard Enterprise now that T’Pol’s, well, been thrown off the ship.” Archer gave T’Pol a gentle, sympathetic smile before he continued. “I know the first officer on a starship is typically a bridge officer, but I’d like to see what your thoughts might be on making you acting first officer instead. I’ve been thinking of suggesting it to Admiral Forrest since yesterday. It just makes more sense. You know the ship better than any replacement they’ll find and I already know I can trust your judgment in a combat situation. You might even manage a promotion out of it, too.”

Trip was conspicuously quiet at that and it drew the attention of both Archer and T’Pol. “I’ll give it some thought,” Trip said, but his eyes cut at once over to T’Pol and the Vulcan recognized another vital subject they needed to address together. Archer sensed immediately he had stumbled upon a silent exchange between non-husband and non-wife and turned back to watching where he was leading his friends out of respect to both of them.

TBC

Chapter 27

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

Wonderful!!! They get to be together!!
I bet Trip is gona leave starfleet to be with T'pol! I cant wait to see the next chapter!

Well I would be surprised if Trip would return to Enterprise without T'pol. I thought Archer would of considered that possibility too.

I do hope that both Trip and T'pol get the chance to serve again on Enterprise. It won't be the same without them.

So, is T'Pol sort of coming along for the ride then until she figures out what to do about the Vulcan Science Academy? I can't imagine Trip would want to be separated from her like that. Where one goes the other goes...

:-) Just means she'll have to figure out some way to stay on Enterprise. The little ENT family cant be broken up like that!

I'm wondering how Trip will enjoy working on Vulcan...

Somehow I don't think Trip will be working on Enterprise... I have a feeling he'll leave to be with T'Pol! Poor Archer won't have his friends! Awww, what a screwed up situation! Can't wait for the next chapter!

Vulcan bigots. Sigh. I'm with them ^ - no way Trip and T'Pol will go different ways. What, no paparazzi mauling them? LOL

Hey, what happened to the "prolonged physical distance causes eventual fatal damage" clause? Is Starfleet actually expecting Trip to remain on board without T'Pol fully knowing what could happen?

This was excellent and I found myself torn between wringing Soval's neck and giving a half smile back. I cannot see how Trip and T'Pol can survive being parted now that they are bonded and I worry about what will happen to them next. Ali D :~)

TT have to split up?
Say it ain't so!!!
Don't they need a witty engineer on Vulcan?

Thanks for the quick update!!!

Wow! Now what's going to happen to our favorite duo? Great, great job! Thank you!

I have finals and I'm going out of my mind, but I can always spare time to read another wonderful chapter of this fic. Thanks for giving me a few minutes off.