Friends-Part 12

"FRIENDS AND LOVERS"
An "Enterprise" story

By Alison M. DOBELL

RATING: NC-17

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.
FEEDBACK: Welcomed
EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com
WEBSITE: http://www.carlajane.50megs.com/Ali00.html

SUMMARY: "Months after the incident with the Sanacrid Captain Archer is still searching for answers."
The usual disclaimers apply. The characters and 'Enterprise' belong to Paramount. No infringement of copyright is intended.

* * * * *

Part 12

Friends and Lovers

Conclusion

They were in the Captain's Mess. After their evening meal the Sub-Commander excused herself to go and meditate. Captain Archer and Commander Tucker stood then sat back down once she had left. The Captain waited until the table was cleared and dismissed his stewards. He waited for the silence to cocoon them before saying what was on his mind. "When are you gonna tell me what happened?"

Trip shrugged slightly, attempting to look nonchalent. The Captain was not fooled for a minute. "Nothin' to tell, Cap'n."

"Then why aren't you sleeping, Trip?"

He shot his friend a quick look. Suspicion quickly masked in his surprise. "It takes time to readjust. You know that."

"I know but I'm worried. You said you would tell me everything yet I keep getting the nagging feeling most of it is still all tied up inside you."

*If you only knew the half of it* He thought. "Look Jon if there was anythin' t'tell I'd tell ya. Trust me. Ya know near as much as I do."

*Near as much?* Was a miss as good as a mile to a Chief Engineer with a desire to forget? He shook his head gently. "That's not good enough this time, Trip. I need to know and you need to trust me enough to tell me. It's that simple - or that complicated. Take your pick."

Commander Tucker suddenly could not feel his hands or feet. The whole room was beginning to recede. He fought to contain the panic tightening around his chest. Captain Archer looked at him in alarm and got up, a hand reaching out to rest on Trip's shoulderas he peered anxiously into his face.

"Trip, are you okay?"

He swallowed and blinked rapidly, sheer force of will slowing down the racing rythym of his heart. It was painful but he managed it. "Yeah." The Captain thought he sounded a little breathless. "I just don't like to think about it, Cap'n." He raised his eyes to meet Captain Archer's. "Simple as that."

The Captain nodded. Touche. But he did not remove his hand from Trip's shoulder. Instead he took the seat beside him where T'Pol had been sitting. It made Trip feel uncomfortable. Sure they were friends. The best. But seeing his Captain looking at him with such concern was not helping him keep a lid on his emotions. He looked away for a moment. The Captain moved his hand from his shoulder to touch his face. To bring those bright blue eyes back to meet his. Trip was a lousy liar face to face and right now he needed the truth even if he had to step over a line to get to it. The contact made Trip whip his head around and stare at him. Eyes not quite in focus. For a minute Captain Jonathan Archer saw a range of emotions so deep and raw that it was like looking over the edge of a very high cliff. The vertigo made him freeze. His concern taking on a frantic edge.

"Talk to me, Trip."

For a moment he thought he was not going to say anything, then he saw the hurt rise to the surface. "Why d'ya have'ta kill him, Cap'n?"

Captain Archer just stared at him. What? "Kill who?"

There were tears forming in his eyes. It hurt the Captain to see his distress. "The Sanacrid."

*So that was it* "Trip, the Sanacrid deceived you. Us. Almost got you and the others killed."

Trip shook his head. "He was never gonna harm me, Cap'n, and he would only have hurt the others in self defence."

His friend frowned at him. "That's not quite how the rest of us saw things."

"The rest of you weren't there."

*Point taken* "Then why don't you tell me about the Sanacrid, Trip?" He said softly. "Tell me what he was like."

A distant look crowded out the warring emotions in the Commander's eyes. Thinking about the creature actually began to settle him down. "I made a lot of assumptions at first, Jon." He gave a dry humourless chuckle. To the Captain it sounded like pain. "I thought he was pretty near omni-potent. He sure seemed powerful to me. Able to read ma mind, converse with me mentally. The whole notion of a livin' ship on the scale of that mothership completely blew me away." He paused and focused on his friend's face. "I heard all those theories the doc threw up. Pretty ingenious if I say so myself. All that stuff about bein' allergic to Malcolm's allergic reaction," He broke off to snort softly. "Who'd'a thought it?" He shook his head. "The Sanacrid wasn't what we thought he was, Jon. He was a whole lot smarter and a whole ton more vulnerable that even me or T'Pol could guess."

"T'Pol?"

He nodded and seemed to have to take a moment to steady himself again. "Yeah. Once we were on the mothership they seperated us. Took Malcolm and the doc someplace and me and T'Pol someplace else. It was confusin' inside the ship. Everything was white. Walls. Ceilings. Everythin' except the damn gel. I was integrated first then T'Pol so for a while we could hear each others' thoughts as well as the Sanacrid."

That was news to the Captain but he did not say anything. He did not dare do or say anything to interrupt Trip's story. It might be the only time he could get him to tell it.

"When I first met the creature on the planet it was like being stuck in one of those Walt Disney films. We kind'a made a bond straight away. It was the weirdest thing. Dr Phlox was so excited, said the creature was real rare and it was even rarer for it to make contact with anyone outside of its' own species. Told me they were telepathic. I guess I was kind'a flattered but I also liked the critter. Reminded me of a chipmunk but way smarter. I quickly found that we could share our thoughts. I didn't realise he was looking for parts for his ship and that I was gonna be one of 'em." He paused and looked down at his hands. "I should never have brought him up to Enterprise, Cap'n. But I thought those Ralcaddons were the enemy. Would kill or enslave him. By then I had got real attached to him." He looked up. "I was determined that no one was gonna hurt him."

The Captain nodded.

"He was ma friend, Jon. May sound stupid to get so attached to an animal but he wasn't like that to me. He was like a person in an animal's body. In his own way he wanted to protect me. When the whole thing with the mothership came along I was mad as hell at him. Ranted and raved like a two year old yet he never lost his temper with me. Never lost patience. After a while I began to see things his way. The reason he was doin' all this stuff started to make a weird kind of sense. I wanted him to let the others go. He agreed to let Malcolm and the doc go but not me and T'Pol."

"There's something I don't understand, Trip. When you came back from the planet you were all in terrible shape. Are the Ralcaddons enemies of the Sanacrid? I don't quite get how they're connected."

He shook his head and sighed. "Nah. You could say they're like drones or worker bees, that kind of thing. With the mothership havin' somethin' of a hive mentality because of the telepathy. That's as close as I can come. I mean, they aren't insects or anything. The Sanacrid use them to do all the physical tasks and use the other species it seeks out to integrate their skills for the benefit of the mothership. Kind'a like upgrading a computer."

"Hardwiring your brain?"

"Crude but accurate. We became units that could augment the knowledge and efficiency of the mothership. The Sanacrid described himself as the interface, the heart of the ship. I never knew until right at the end that the creature was not exactly passed puberty."

The Captain looked shocked. Sure he had misheard him. "What?"

"He was just a child, Jon. The ship wasn't called a mothership for nothing." He paused, his breath catching. "It was a nursery."

"Oh hell."

"When the Vulcans opened fire they blew the whole damn family into a quadrillion pieces. It was a massacre Jon, and it's all my fault."

"No, it's not your fault Trip! If anyone is to blame it's me. I'm the Captain, I should have stopped it before things went too far."

A thin glaze of humour drifted over Trip's eyes. "You stop the Vulcans? C'mon Jon, this is the real world we're talkin' about. Ya know you have more chance stopping a movin' train with your bare hands while standing in quicksand than stoppin' a Vulcan once their mind's set."

Captain Archer's eyes were twinkling now. "I take it you know from personal experience?"

"Oh yeah, I know..." He paused. Realised he had been caught out and gave a sheepish smile. The smile faded as he thought about what he had been saying. "The Sanacrid wasn't evil Jon, just misunderstood. And whatever else you might want to think or believe, he *was* my friend."

The Captain did not have anything to say to that. He was pleased that his friend had finally opened up to him but was unsure what to make of his story. That he was hearing the unadulterated truth he did not doubt, he just was not sure why - months later - the loss of the Sanacrid was affecting his Chief Engineer so much. Perhaps he should find him some extra work? Keep him too busy to think about the creature? He would have to have a talk with Sub-Commander T'Pol. Between them they should be able to find a way to occupy the Commander and get him back to his old cheery self. After all. That was what friends were for.

* * * * *

Lt Malcolm Reed glanced slowly around the mess hall and spotted Commander Tucker hunched over the table looking at a pile of schematics. He had a cup of coffee but there was no sign that he had been eating. The Tactical Weapons Officer pulled up a chair jolting the Commander out of his reverie. He looked up. "Malcolm."

He got a nod back. "What're you looking at?"

"System upgrades."

"Where d'you get them?"

Trip was lost in the schematics again. His voice mumbling back in reply but not looking up again. "I made them."

Impressed, Lt Reed picked one of the schematics up and looked at it critically. "You plan to do this to the phase converters?"

Trip nodded absently. "It should make them more efficient."

His friend paused and looked at him keenly. "Are you okay?"

"Never felt better, why?"

"Nothing it's just you seem so damn serious these days."

The Commander looked up not even cracking a smile. "Maybe I'm just growing up."

His friend shook his head then grinned to soften the blow. "No, that would be impossible."

There was no answering banter. Instead the Commander got to his feet and gathered up the schematics. "Enjoy your meal, Malcolm."

Lt Reed wanted to call him back. Not sure if he had upset his friend or not. By the time he turned his head to call after him he was already gone. What was the matter with him? Was it his fault? He stared at his cottage pie and steamed vegetables but found it hard to regain his appetite. He was just thinking of going when a bright breezy voice made him look up. His scowl turned to a smile. "Hoshi."

"Anybody sitting here?"

"If you don't count the invisible man and his family, no one."

She sat and flashed him a brilliant grin. All of sudden life was looking up again.

* * * * *

Sub-Commander T'Pol listened to the Captain in silence. Had nothing to add to his own observations but promised to see what she could do. She went to check Engineering first but Trip was not there. Next she checked the mess hall then not finding him there she went to his quarters. The door opened on the second ring. He looked surprised to see her. "T'Pol... what're you doin' here?"

"I wish to speak to you. May I come in?"

Flustered he stepped back and let her in before his brain kicked into gear. "Do you think this is wise? We shouldn't be seen together, T'Pol. If the Captain finds out..."

"The Captain sent me."

His mouth opened and closed on empty air. He all but gagged. "The Cap'n?" He said faintly, wondering if a lung had collapsed.

"Yes."

Trip sat on his bed in a daze. The blood draining out of his face. Had Jon told her? Had T'Pol explained? Was that why she was here? He looked so lost, so alone, that the Sub-Commander could not bear it. She sat next to him and took his hands between her own, her eyes searching his and not looking away from him. Crunch time had come. "Trip, what is going on? Are you well?"

"Nothin's goin' on. I'm okay."

She sighed. He did not look okay or sound okay. T'Pol was upset to see that he was distancing himself from her. She raised a hand and gently touched his face. "Tell me what's wrong, Trip." She soothed as she stroked his cheek.

Her gentle words and touch almost broke him. She could see and feel the emotion welling up inside. He was so fragile. On the brink of shattering. Realising he might close up on her again she splayed her fingers against the side of his face and touched the contact points then plunged them both into a Vulcan mind meld. Catching him while he was vulnerable before he could retreat. She felt him gasp, the ground beneath his feet vanishing. The fall so sudden that he would have panicked outright had she not been with him, taking him deeper and deeper.

"T'Pol this is crazy. We can't do this."

"If you are too stubborn to help yourself then it is logical that someone else must do it for you."

Her mind opened up to him and automatically his did the same. He had no defences against her. All the pain and hurt and sorrow floated to the surface of his thoughts. His desires, his dreams. His fears all laid bare. He was so vulnerable it brought out the protective side of her nature. Her love stirring deep inside him, their bodies gravitating closer as their lips met in a fervent kiss. He would have resisted if he had the willpower to do so but she was everything he loved and all that he craved. Irresistable. T'Pol knew and used that fact to devestating effect. He was only vaguely aware of her undressing him, his own fingers drifting over her clothing with numb fingers to help her out. The relief as she slowly made love to him freed all the tears trapped inside his heart. His soul soaring to touch her own. T'Pol said nothing but held him gently and rocked him until the pain was washed from his heart and the love freed to heal him. He gazed at her through his tears. She kissed his eyes and impossibly, smiled at him. Stunned he stared up at her, a questing hand trembling as it outlined the curve of her lips.

"God T'Pol, you're smilin'... Must be dreamin'..."

If anything the smile grew bigger and he found himself chuckling at her. T'Pol smiling? Yeah, like anybody this side of the Crab Nebula would believe that. He reached up and cupped her breasts in his hands, rubbing and caressing them as he gazed into her huge dark eyes, the liquid pools swallowing him up and igniting an even deeper passion. He groaned deep in his gut, her body stirring against him, the friction sending his brain into freefall. With no safety net beneath him. He did not care. There was only T'Pol.

"Do you have any idea how much I love ya, T'Pol? How much I've missed ya?"

T'Pol's face was an impressive blank except he could see the wicked glimmer in her teasing eyes. "Talk is cheap, as you would say Commander. I believe the phrase is, put your money where your mouth is."

He laughed and rolled quickly so that he was now on top. She was relieved to see the life sparkling back into his eyes. The dark sombre sadness ripped out of him and replaced with something far more healthy and sweeter. She realised that denying their love for each other would be the worst thing either of them could do. If marrying the wrong man was a bad thing to do, not staying with the one you loved was far worse. She could feel the moisture pooling hot and needy between her thighs, her core heat almost volcanic. Her body crying out for him. His scent filling her nostrils and setting off something primeval in her brain. Her last coherent thought was that she wanted him to make love to her until the breath in her body was gone. She could feel how ready he was, her hands dropping down and sliding between them to hold and caress him, his breath catching as he tried to hold on, to titilate her into ogasming around his busy fingers. T'Pol did not want to wait, she wanted him now. She raised his hips and guided him inside then flexed her muscles around his erection gripping him like a vice so he cried out with the sudden burning sting of it even as he began to pump with growing excitement and need. "Oh God, T'Pol...."

She ignored him, her ankles wrapped around his, her nails raking his back as her teeth bit hard into his shoulder making him shudder. A hand dropped down caressing his back, his hips rocking slowly into her, trying to make it last. Now her hands slid down to caress his lower back and the cheeks of his ass. He was starting to speed up now, she was trying to hurry him but he would not be driven. Grunting softly she remembered something she had glimpsed in his mind once when they were in the throes of deep passion on the mothership. She slid a hand between them and coated her fingers with her juices and his precum. He was too far gone to ask what she was doing, his whole concentration on bringing them both to a shattering joint orgasm. She let him continue, her hands sliding round his waist and between his cheeks to probe for the opening. He jerked and gasped at the unexpected touch of her probing finger. Would have drawn back to look at her face, ask what she thought she was doing but her lips engulfed his and stole the air from his lungs. He struggled slightly, distracted, and in that moment her finger breached the hole and slid in passed the knuckle. He was trembling as he rocked harder inside her. His reaction spurring her to go deeper as she increased her grip on him, the finger sliding in and out of his hot tight passage while his hips bucked. His mind reeling. How the hell had she known about that? Who had taught her that little trick?

He shuddered with excitement, legs trembling as a second finger joined the first. Flexing and caressing their way passed the tight ring of muscles. Gently but firmly lubricating him so she could insert another finger. He was on fire. His hips bucking more erratically, driving deeper and deeper inside her. Her own orgasm so close, so close. She gave him some of her air to steady him just a second before she rose to meet his erratic thrusts with her hips and slid her fingers in a sudden thrust that rammed up hard against his prostrate and sent a jolt through him as if he had been electrocuted. The result was a violent explosion of jism as he climaxed deep inside her hot core, the virile eruption sending her spiralling over the edge with her own orgasm. She clung to him in coitus, bit him again as he rammed hard and frantically in response to the over stimulation. Only when he was completely spent inside her did he collapse into weary stillness. The faint shuddering of his faltering breaths painted her neck with evidence that the exertion had not killed him. She smiled gently into his neck and kissed him softly, her lips and tongue gently savouring his perspiration. Her arms wrapped possessively around him. Carefully she clung to him and rolled him on to his back so that she was laying on top of him. A warm and sticky coverlet that rose and fell with the breath returning to his shattered lungs.

A sleepy eye opened followed by a pie eating grin. Such a happy man. Gentle in his content his love shone for her, every pore lit up with a glow of joy that made her breath catch and her heart flip for love of him. His smile lit up his whole face making her feel as if she was the only woman in the universe. A look in his eyes that said all others would only ever be pale copies. She realised now that she really did love him. And the wonder of wonders was that he loved her too. He closed his eye and trembled before opening them both and gifting her with his warm and quiet regard. So gentle. So loving. "Not that I'm complainin' but where the hell did you learn to do that, darlin'?"

* * * * *

Captain Jonathan Archer was stunned. He sat in the Captain's mess looking at his Commander and Sub-Commander and completely forgetting his cooling breakfast of Eggs Benedict. When the steward came to check on his enjoyment of the meal he waved vaguely and dismissed him. Telling him to clear the table. The steward did so and for several minutes the three of them just sat looking at each other. Commander Tucker was trying hard to keep a grin off his face. Humour sailed a close second in Sub-Commander T'Pol's eyes. They waited patiently for the Captain to speak. Beneath the table, Trip's hand was clasped gently around T'Pol's. At last the Captain stared at the Sub-Commander, struggling for adequate words.

"I said to 'talk' to the Commander not fuck him stupid, T'Pol!"

If the Sub-Commander was shocked by his language she did not show it. Trip could not hold the laughter inside. He laughed so hard tears spilled down his good natured face. Stunned, Captain Archer was about to admonish him but he couldn't do it. His lips twitched with humour. Then he saw T'Pol smile slightly and his mouth dropped open in shock. T'Pol? Smiling? Her chuckle confirmed the thought that he had definitely lost it.

"You said for me to speak to Commander Tucker and to find a way to ease his tension." She paused. Trip could tell she was enjoying this. "I believe the results speak for themselves, Captain."

That was it, Trip could not breathe now. Captain Archer started to chuckle, the deep sound rising from his chest until he too was doubled up with mirth. Laughter rocked the little room and it took many minutes before the Captain could regain enough composure to wipe the tears from his eyes. At last an amused silence fell over them. He looked from one to the other, not sure exactly what he should do next. Fraternisation between the ranks was bad enough, between Humans and Vulcans it was a path to self destruction. Not to mention that the Vulcan High Command was watching everything that happened aboard Enterprise very closely indeed. He was pretty sure this did not rate five stars on their approval scale. As if reading his thoughts, Trip coughed gently before speaking.

"We do aim to be discrete, Cap'n."

He blinked. "I should hope so if only for the sanity of this ship and her crew. If word of this leaks out to High Command T'Pol can kiss her career goodbye." He paused and shook his head in disbelief. "How long have you two been lovers?" No sooner had he asked the question than he raised his hands and shook his head even harder. His face and neck had turned a deep shade of red. "No, no, don't tell me. That way the Vulcans can't torture it out of me later."

T'Pol raised an eyebrow. "Vulcans do not torture people, Captain."

"Sorry T'Pol. Poor choice of words."

They left the Captain to recover in his own time. As they walked down the corridor, T'Pol clasped her hands behind her back and Trip put his hands in his pockets only just resisting the urge to whistle. He turned his head and smiled at the love of his life. "Tell me Sub-Commander, how would you like to help the Chief Engineer install system upgrades on the phase converters?"

She resisted the urge to smile and gave a cautious nod. "Anything to help improve the Commander's efficiency." She said primly.

Commander Tucker chuckled, unaware that a seperate wave of happiness was washing through his mind with joy and pleasure adding another level to his feeling of well being. The Sanacrid was nothing if not a master of the art of illusion. He had chosen between the mothership or his host. They were bonded. How could he ever leave him? Gently he settled his thoughts in rythym with those of the Chief Engineer and congratulated himself on the outcome. He would remain hidden but alert, ready to protect his host if need be. Perhaps over time he would slowly reveal his presence to him but for now he was content to watch over his friend. To lend a little help when needed so that the course of true love might run a little smoother. After all, he was only young and had much to learn. With a sigh of happy content he settled. Trip turned to T'Pol and shared a secret smile with her. Things promised to be a lot more interesting from now on. Even though they could no longer read each others' minds they knew exactly what the other was thinking. Grinning like a loon, Trip could not resist whistling as they disappeared round the corner together. Life on Enterprise had never been so sweet.

* * * * *

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Seven people have made comments

AWWWWW that was a cute story. it was well worth my time. :)

please let there be a sequal

How do I put this into a coherent set of words?
It was more than great and right up there with magnificent!
I hope you keep writing, a sequel to this story would be much appreciated.

I liked this story very much amd I'm looking forward to a sequel. Pleeaase!!!

great story! plz plz can i have a sequal?

T'pol did what with her finger???
Great story. The finger thing was a suprise.

Dear God woman, I am speechless, or rather my hands don't seem to be typing as fast. That was truly phenominal, please do keep on writing, because my friend you have just made my day.