Accustomed to Her Face - Ch 5

Accustomed to Her Face

By Amok2

DISCLAIMER: UPN and Paramount own all of Star Trek. I just visit once in awhile.

GENRE: T/T Romance. The angst isn’t over yet, folks.

RATING: PG-13

SPOILERS: “Home” rumors.

NOTES: I know I caused a lot of angst with the last chapter – so hopefully I’m gonna make it up to you with this and future installments.

Think about it this way: Once I heard the ending to “Home,” I thought of Dune. If you know that book and the marriage that takes place there, you’ll know in what direction I’m headed toward, with a little bit of “The Perfect Mate” from TNG sprinkled in.

That said, this was an incredibly difficult chapter to write. I kinda sputtered out at first so it took me awhile to get back on the saddle. I’m gonna try to get the rest of it out before “Home” actually airs!!!

Chapter 5

1 day to Vulcan
The shuttle Haulan

“The more I read about Vulcan, the more I’m thinking I didn’t bring enough sunscreen,” said Trip, who smiled up at his in-flight companion. It was mid-afternoon and the two were on the home stretch of the journey to T’Pol’s native planet.

They were on the sub-level of the shuttle on T’Pol’s bed – really their bed for the previous four days –with Trip sprawled out on its length reading a PADD on Vulcan geography and history while his head was comfortably nestled in T’Pol’s lap. She absently stroked his head while she read a weathered copy of Surak’s teachings.

T’Pol paused in her reading to look down at him.

“We will have to take precautions before we visit any of the planet’s natural phenomena. You could be exposed to radiation, extreme heat and dust,” said T’Pol.

“That’s what you get when you have two suns,” said Trip.

“I would not want to see you harmed in any way,” said T’Pol, suddenly serious.

Sensing the worry in her face, Trip put down his PADD and reached up to caress T’Pol’s cheek and gently pulled her face down to his. He smiled as her lips came within a centimeter of his.

“You don’t have to worry about me, though it’s a real-turn when you do,” said Trip, who closed his lips around hers. When he pulled back, he smiled at her and sat upright facing her. “I’ll slather myself with sunscreen and then cover myself from head to toe. That should do the trick.”

“I’m sure we can find sufficient protective clothing for you,” said T’Pol, who had returned to her book.

Trip chuckled and looked at her, smiling and shaking his head.

“So now you’re dressing me too?” joked Trip, who was inwardly glad that T’Pol had become so open with showing how she cared about him.

The days had passed easily like this, with the two of them thoroughly enjoying the ease between them. It was as if since they acknowledged their feelings for one another, they had been able to relax. For a short time at least, they forgot the rest of the world. In three days Trip had learned how to operate the Vulcan shuttle as well as any native pilot, while T’Pol had learned how Trip was when he let his guard down. He told her stories about his childhood in Florida, his three serious relationships and he even snuck in some of his latest warp theories.

Trip continued to read his PADD, once in awhile reading aloud, to which T’Pol would usually cast an indulgent look away from her book.

Hours passed by.

“Commander, we should begin our preparations for our arrival,” said T’Pol, who closed her book and laid it beside her. She looked at him for a response and instead his brows furrowed and his eyes moved rapidly, his fingers scrolling down the PADD screen.

“Huh? Sorry, did you say something to me?” asked Trip, who still lay absorbed reading the PADD.

T’Pol decided to push it to the next level.

“We have been attacked by Andorians and the engines are in complete disarray. All systems have begun to shut down,” answered T’Pol in her most Red Alert voice accompanied by a perfectly straight face.

“Huh?!!! What?!!! Where are they?” Trip nearly jumped out of bed before turning his head to look at T’Pol, who was doing a pretty good imitation of a Cheshire Cat. When he realized no bells or whistles were going off, he stuck his tongue in his cheek and gave her the same look he always gave her when she had gotten the better of him. “You gotta be kidding me! You were pulling my leg?! That’s NOT funny!”

“On the contrary, Commander, I believe this would qualify as quite humorous,” said T’Pol, who could not keep the slightly bemused expression off her face. “Although I would admit that it was not my intention to cause amusement. I meant my statement to gauge whether or not you were listening to me.”

It was her turn to cast The Look – complete with eyebrow raise – at him. “Apparently, you were not.”

“Geez, I’m sorry T’Pol. But you didn’t need to bring up the boys and girls in blue to get my attention!”

“I apologize, Commander,” said T’Pol, who had stealthily advanced on Trip from the bed to where he was standing flustered in the middle of the room. Although he had his arms crossed and looked put out, his expression noticeably softened when T’Pol came within centimeters of him and brushed her lips against his.

“Apology accepted,” Trip whispered as he kissed her. He sighed. “What can I tell ya? I got caught up reading the ancient history of Vulcan. It’s like playing an epic action movie in your head,” Trip said.

“The human male penchant for gratuitous violence will always remain a mystery to me. Ours is not a past we are proud of,” said T’Pol. “We struggled for years in a constant state of warfare, succumbing to our most extreme emotions. It is why we adopted methods of suppressing our emotions and following logic. We wanted peace.”

“Well it looks like it worked,” said Trip.

“There are still instances when we struggle with our emotions. You have seen that firsthand,” said T’Pol. She’d explained her Trellium-D addiction to him a few nights previously. He’d reacted with anger first, then understanding, after he’d seen how hurt and vulnerable she’d been in finally letting him know.

“Yes, I have, T’Pol. And none of it scares me,” Trip told her, clasping her hands in his. “We’re gonna get through this.”

She looked down, unwilling to show him how doubtful she was of the happy ending.

“T’Pol?” Trip lifted her eyes to his. “I promise you this is gonna work out. You have to have faith. In us. Whatever happens, you have to hold on to that.”

T’Pol slowly nodded.

“If anything, I’m worried how I’m gonna react when I see this fiancé of yours,” said Trip. “I’ll have to work out that not wanting to kill him part. Kinda at the same time I’ll be dealing with the tearing out my heart part.” He managed a weak chuckle.

T’Pol looked almost alarmed.

“Hey, I’m only kidding,” said Trip, who wrapped his arm around her. “At least about the killing him part.” He gave her his most mischievous look. “Sort of.”

T’Pol rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes as he gently stroked her back.

He felt her stir and her words quietly vibrated through his body. “I will need all my previous training to get through the next few days,” said T’Pol. “It will be difficult to make the transition from this time with you to reverting to the more formal interaction on Vulcan.”

Trip shifted again so that he was sitting up beside her, leaning against the wall. He took her hands in his.
“So, no more hand-holding?” asked Trip. She shook her head.
He lifted her chin and held her face in his hands and kissed her. “Or this?”
T’Pol looked down and shook her head.

Trip had to close his eyes for a minute to try to figure out how he was ever going to get used to not being able to touch her again. The minute passed without a solution.

Then Trip felt T’Pol grip one of his hands. He opened his eyes and saw her hold out her hand and extend her index finger and her third finger toward the same digits in his hand. He felt mesmerized as he saw their fingers unite in an upside-down V.

“This is how Vulcans show affection in public. It is how we kiss,” T’Pol said.

Trip smiled. “I like how humans do it better, but I appreciate the symbolism,” he said.

“You will see Koss and I do this on Vulcan,” said T’Pol, who noticed how Trip drew away from her at that moment. “But for me, it will be just a symbol. It will not have any substance behind it. But when I do this with you, it is not merely a symbol, but the only way I will be able to express my feelings for you. I want you to recognize the difference.”

Trip brought his fingers back to hers. T’Pol let out the breath she’d been holding.

“I won’t forget,” he said.

“Whatever you need to do, I’ll support you and your decisions. Even if it means leaving you alone,” Trip said. “Or letting you go.”

As if to tell him otherwise, she tightened her grip on their intertwined hands, now relaxed in full human clasping.

“I’d be lying to you if I told you it wasn’t going to affect me, seeing you with him. But you and I both know that this will be a marriage in name only, T’Pol. I know that. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you it’s going to be easy watching you marry Koss, but I know who you love,” Trip said.

T’Pol turned to him, unshed tears in her eyes.

“I will never truly love him,” said T’Pol. “I will never bond with him the way I have bonded with you. The person I am with you is the person I always want to be.”

Trip smiled and brought their entwined hands to his lips, kissing her hands. He stared at her as if trying to burn her face into his memory. A redundant exercise really, considering he already had her features memorized from day one.

“I wouldn’t have you any other way,” Trip said.

Just then, they heard a hailing signal through the shuttle’s intercom.

T’Pol looked at Trip and reached over his head to access the comm link above the bed.

“This is T’Pol of the Vulcan shuttle Haulan. Please identify yourself,” said T’Pol.

“Shuttle Haulan, this is Vulcan Space Command. Please confirm final flight trajectory.”

T’Pol straightened herself and said, “Understood. Bearing 34, mark 7, preparing to enter Vulcan orbit. Once we have established orbit, we shall dock at the T’Mir Space Station.”

“Proceed.”

Trip looked up at her and saw his expression of loss mirrored in T’Pol’s face. Her eyes did not leave his for a moment that seemed to stretch on and on.

“I guess this is it. Can’t stall any more, can we?” Trip said.

Chapter 6

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

To say this story isn't depressing me would be a lie, but I can't stop myself from reading (so obviously your doing something right, or just something very cruel!)

Can't wait for the rest! I have a feeling as to how this will end, but so far this story has been really interesting.

Very well written but I also feel I know how it will end. I guess I am having a hard time figuring out why T'pol would want to go ahead and marry Koss when she has acknowledged that she loves Trip. They both seem to be giving in too easily and accepting other peoples desires and expectations at to what is "the right thing to do". The choice should be theirs. "Between the question and the answer lies free will". This is a little quote I saw a few months ago and found it quite insightful.

This is like watching a train crash in slow motion, even though you know the train is going to crash you can't look away. Hoping against hope that something will happen to change the outcome. I can't believe how well Trip is taking T'Pol's impending marriage to Koss now that they have both acknowledged their love for each other. And also a part of me feels sad for Koss, however much a pain the man may be, to have a woman consent to be your wife when she has already bonded with another and will never love you or try to has to be another painful moral quandry on the road to wrack and ruin. Let's just hope something bright and wonderful happens. Ali D :~)

Great storyline, Thank you.

This was so sweet. Please have Koss die. :)

Lovely story, very well-written, but I can't enjoy it for what it is since I know (at least I think I know!) how it will end. Not that this will stop me from reading the next chapter -- it's still a wonderfully bittersweet story.

If you feel the sudden urge to kill, maim, or somehow put Koss out of the picture in the near future, I won't object. Good story but for God's sake and the sake of all right-thinking people, don't let T'Pol marry anyone but Trip! Please!

wonderful story, just the way it could happen, hopefully..

T'Pol is really overprotective when it comes to her man, Trip. [;-D]

Anyway, I can not wait for Chapter 6. Please post it soon!

T'Pol is really overprotective when it comes to her man, Trip. [;-D]

Anyway, I can not wait for Chapter 6. Please post it soon!

I guess she dosen't want him injured on his vacation to Vulcan to met her mother. I think Trip knows he is so whipped and he wouldn't have it any other way after his comment "So now you’re dressing me too?". I laughed when I read T'Pol say “We have been attacked by Andorians and the engines are in complete disarray. All systems have begun to shut down,”. I am sure that comment stopped Trip's heart for a second or two. T'Pol is such a evil woman.
[;-D]

I feel T'Pol is getting overly affectionate toward Trip. I guss she is trying to get Trip out of her system before they arrive on Vulcan. Will she get more control over her emotions? I am glad T'Pol told Trip about her Tralliun-D addiction. It was about time she told him the reason for her more prenounced emotions she has been emitting from last season. I have an illogical urge to take out Koss. Maybe I can hire the Orion Syndicate and put out a hit on Kos like in some old mobster movie. Anyone out there with a loose consept of morals who has a subspace transmitter and tons of gold pressed latinum bars laying around the house that I could borrow.

[>;-D]

Anyway, I can not wait for Chapter 6. Please post it soon!

Why would Koss marry a woman with Paanar Syndrome? Why would any logical Vulcan? That would be like a human male marrying a woman with AIDS. You would really have to love her or else its just a business deal.