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Accustomed to Her Face - Ch 6

Author - Amok2
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Accustomed to Her Face

By Amok2


DISCLAIMER: Paramount and UPN may not do what we want them to do, but they still own all things Trek and I make no bones about it: I’m not in it for the money.

GENRE: T/T Romance, angst.

RATING: PG

SPOILERS: Major “Home” spoilers. Turn back now if you don’t want to know what happens. I’m just filling in what the “Home” preview showed with my own imagination. Also, shades of the upcoming Vulcan mini-arc.

NOTE: I was desperate to get this out before “Home” aired, so I apologize if it’s a bit less than polished, especially with the lack of Vulcan phrases. You’ll have the ending by the time ‘Home” airs. Lucky 7 will be the last chapter.

Chapter 6

VULCAN


As they were making their descent to Vulcan, Trip’s thoughts ran to the sea. The planet below was red and covered in swirls of sand, but the ocean opened up in his mind.

Perhaps it was because the woman beside him gave him the same feeling as those blue waters on his home planet did – a feeling of inescapable freedom, a sensation of floating not unlike a spacewalk but infinitely more comfortable. Perhaps it was the time they’d spent together on the shuttle to Vulcan that made him feel that oceans, like space, is as infinite as the heart and the feelings shared by two.

He thought he could still hear the waves even as the heat of the atmosphere hit him when the transport doors opened.

He squinted but struggled to keep his eyes opened. This was the desert planet. Much like the Arrakis he had read about in his youth. Trip had arrived from a planet where oceans ruled the world to a planet where water was a precious commodity.

And in such a harsh environment, the open display of feelings was rarer still.

T’Pol led Trip out of the transport and into another vehicle that took them to her childhood home. It reminded Trip of the buildings in the American southwest.

“So, this is home,” asked Trip, who looked around in wonder at the aesthetically clean lines of the desert house. “I like it. Suits you.”

T’Pol was about to answer when she saw her mother come out of the house. T’Les cast a quick look at Trip, on whom she turned a familiar eyebrow.

But aside from the recognition of that oh-so familiar gesture, when Trip laid eyes on T’Pol’s mother, the oceans in his mind receded.

Immediately Trip sensed a rigidity return to T’Pol, something he hadn’t seen since her first year on the Enterprise.

“Mother, this is Commander Tucker,” said T’Pol, bowing slightly.

Trip grinned and raised his hand in the Vulcan greeting T’Pol had spent countless hours teaching him on the shuttle.

Surprised and relieved that he remembered how to do it – even if smiling kind of ruined the effect -- T’Pol stole a quick glance toward him while her mother made her own silent assessment.

T’Les quickly glanced from her daughter to this human she’d brought to their home and saw in the flicker of her daughter’s eyes confirmation of her suspicions about the relationship between her daughter and the man she’d first heard about a week earlier.

Shacha. It’s an honor to meet you,” said Trip, showing deference to T’Les by using a formal tone and her native greeting.

“Shacha, Commander,” said T’Les, returning Trip’s greeting. She turned to T’Pol.

“You have been teaching him our language, daughter?” asked T’Les with just the slightest bite in her tone, which T’Pol with her trained recognition of Vulcan nuances picked up immediately. T’Pol tried not to tense up, but knew her mother would see that reaction as well.

“I have, Mother,” said T’Pol.

“Don’t blame her for my poor pronunciation, ma’am. She did the best she could. Languages were never my strong suit,” Trip said, trying to rescue T’Pol from the scrutiny of her mother. T’Pol was not the only one who could read Vulcan nuances. Trip had spent too many hours studying her face.

T’Les took a long look at Trip, whose concern for her daughter was obvious to her, even though in Trip’s mind he was the picture of restraint.

“Your pronunciation is more than adequate, Commander. I know how difficult it is for humans to master. For you to even attempt it is admirable,” said T’Les.

T’Pol allowed herself the briefest of glares toward her mother.

“Thank you, ma’am. I don’t do it justice. But some of us do. As a matter of fact, the communications officer on the Enterprise has a mighty fine command of the language, doesn’t she T’Pol?” asked Trip.

“Ensign Sato is indeed proficient,” said T’Pol.

An awkward pause passed before T’Les motioned for them to enter the house.

“After you, ma’am,” said Trip, prompting a slight eyebrow raise from T’Les.

“As you wish, Commander,” she said.

T’Pol stole a quick glance at Trip as she followed her mother into her childhood home, offering a silent sign of support.

Trip allowed himself a small grin before he let out the breath he’d been holding and followed them in, swinging his duffel bags and T’Pol’s over his shoulder.

“T’Pol, please escort the Commander to the guest room,” T’Les said.

Trip nodded to her as he followed T’Pol through the house, a sprawling design reminiscent of an Earth rancher in muted, neutral tones with high ceilings and an abundance of geometrically precise lines.

T’Pol led Trip into a small and sparse bedroom. Trip stepped over to the small bed flush against the far wall and released his bag, bending over slightly to press down on the bed.

“Hmmm. A little bit more comfortable than your shuttle beds,” Trip joked, trying to add some levity to a situation fraught with tension.

T’Pol did not respond to him, instead looking as pensive and tense as he’d ever seen her as she moved back toward the door.

“Wait,” whispered Trip, as he took two long strides toward her and gently laid his left hand on her left arm. She immediately stopped. “What’s wrong?”

T’Pol remained still as Trip stood behind her.

“T’Pol, talk to me. What’s going on?”

As Trip was about to release his hold on her, T’Pol reached over with her right hand and laid it on top of his hand on her arm. Trip moved closer to her and wrapped his right arm around her and pulled her to him.

He lowered his mouth to her ear. “It’s ok. I’m not going anywhere. Tell me what’s wrong.”

She leaned into his embrace and spoke in a tone so low Trip had to strain to hear her even though he was so close. “I am finding it difficult to do this, to deny my feelings for you. I am transparent to my mother. She knows.”

“I kinda figured she did. She’s the block, you’re the chip,” he said.

T’Pol raised her head to give him one of her patented I-won’t-ask-about-what-that-ridiculous-human-expression-means looks.

“It means being with you helps me read her,” he said. “So, what now?”

“I suspect she wants to continue the conversation we began a week ago,” T’Pol said. “She will insist on proceeding with the marriage as soon as possible. And she will more than likely question why you are here with me.”

“What will you tell her?” he asked.

“I will not lie to her. I cannot. I will tell her what you have come to mean to me. And when she insists on the continuation of the wedding, she will know with certainty that I do so with nothing in my heart for he to whom I am betrothed,” she said.

Trip rested his chin on her head. “Do you want me to be there?”

She turned in his arms to face him, cupping her hands around his face.

“You will always be with me,” she said, staring into his eyes, hoping to convey to him again her promise that she would always be his. “But you should remain here. I should talk to my mother alone.”

He leaned forward so that their foreheads touched. They both closed their eyes as he breathed deeply. When he pulled back, he looked at her and smiled, nodding as he released her from his embrace.

“Good luck,” he said, as she left the room. “Don’t forget, you’re gonna take me to the Fire Plains.” She nodded and allowed herself one lingering look before she walked back into the main living area of the house.

She found her mother sitting on a couch in the living room, facing T’Pol as she walked in the room. T’Pol walked over to her but did not sit.

“Your commander is settled in?” T’Les asked.

“Mother, he is not MY commander,” said T’Pol. “But yes, he is unpacking and preparing for our expedition to the Fire Plains.”

“T’Pol, it is obvious he IS your commander, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not. The mere fact that you have traveled with him alone for a week is evidence enough, but the feelings you expressed in his presence confirmed what I suspected,” T’Les said.

“And what is that, Mother?”

“You are in love with him,” T’Les said.

T’Pol’s eyes widened as she opened her mouth to speak, but she stopped, merely nodding her head instead.

“It is most unfortunate, daughter, that you have allowed yourself to develop such feelings for a human. You have always been rebellious, child, but this…this goes beyond all of our boundaries. You chose to serve at the Vulcan Consulate on Earth and we allowed you. You chose to serve on the Enterprise and we allowed you. Then you refused to return to fulfill your commitment to our family and to Koss. I thought at the time that would be the greatest injury you could do this family, but to have such affection for a human? What were you thinking?” said T’Les.

“I am no longer a child, Mother. This is not an infatuation. Please refrain from characterizing it as such,” said T’Pol. “Trip has been a great comfort to me during a difficult period. More than that, he has earned my respect and my admiration for his intelligence, compassion, courage and honor. He is my beloved, as I am his.”

“That does not change the inevitable. You are betrothed to Koss. You must fulfill your obligations. This is not just about tradition,” said T’Les, who rose from her seat and walked toward a window, where she stood with her back to her daughter. “You must do this for me. You have been away from Vulcan for far too long…the political situation is tenuous at best. I cannot explain everything to you yet, but without the merger of our two families, civil war is inevitable. There are many factors involved in this, T’Pol. You must honor your commitment.”

T’Les sat back down and faced T’Pol, who had remained standing the entire time. “You must sever your connection to the commander and bond with Koss.”

“But Mother,” whispered T’Pol, reeling from her mother’s explanation and pleading for another option in shorthand the older woman knew well.

“He is your fiancé,” replied T’Les, who shared a pained but determined look with her only child.

T’Pol’s face showed anguish for a moment before her defiance re-asserted herself. She straightened up and looked coolly down at her mother.

“Politics, Mother? This is what this marriage is about? A convenient political alliance?” T’Pol said.

“There is nothing convenient or simple about this, T’Pol. There are many parts of this you do not understand. It is enough that you know that marrying your fiancé will bring stability to a situation perilously close to getting out of hand. Do the right thing, child and do not let your emotion cloud your judgment,” T’Les said.

“Feelings these emotions have finally allowed me to understand how very wrong all of this is, Mother,” said T’Pol. “How can I marry someone when I feel what I feel toward Trip?”

“What you feel is irrelevant, T’Pol. What you must do is fulfill your obligation and save this family. Otherwise we will be lost. It all depends on you.”

The full weight of responsibility and family obligation suddenly heaped on T’Pol struck her so suddenly then that she stepped back, momentarily stunned.

T’Les rose, concerned, but T’Pol shot her a glance that made it perfectly clear her aid would not be needed.

T’Pol turned to leave the room.

“Where are you going T’Pol? You cannot run from this any longer. You must go through with the ceremony,” said T’Les.

T’Pol stopped and turned around to face her.

“I had every intention of going through with the ceremony, Mother. You might be surprised to learn that Commander Tucker is the one who persuaded me to fulfill my betrothal because of what it means to this family. But you have injected politics and alliances into this equation. I must be allowed time to weigh these factors as well,” T’Pol said. “I am going to the Fire Plains with Trip. When I return, we can discuss this further.”

“There is nothing more to discuss, T’Pol. You know what you must do,” T’Les said.

“I know you are not revealing the entire truth to me, Mother,” T’Pol retorted.

T’Pol left the room, leaving T’Les standing, now more concerned than ever. She knew that T’Pol would more than likely fulfill her commitment, but she also realized at that moment that her daughter had fallen deeply in love with a human, of all people.

Trip was lying on the bed in the room when T’Pol returned. He took one look at her face and jumped up in one swift motion. He was about to take her into his arms when he hesitated. He sensed she needed the space, but he came within inches of her and looked down at her, concern showing all over his features.

“How’d it go?” he asked.

“’Not well’ would be one answer,” T’Pol said. “Another would be, ‘Stalemate.’”

“That good, huh?” Trip said.

T’Pol stepped past him and to the bed, where she saw two bags neatly packed. She picked up one of them.

“These are our day-packs to explore the Fire Plains?” she asked.

“Yep. I thought I’d be useful while you were talking to your mother. Everything we need is in there – water, hyposprays, tricorder, an ultra-thin EV suit and of course, my camera,” Trip said.

“Thank you. I did not want to delay our hike any further. I will change into more appropriate clothes and return shortly,” she said.

Trip nodded. “You sure you’re all right?”

T’Pol softened and laid a hand on his chest. “A bit unsettled, but I shall be fine.”

“Ok, then. I’ll wait for you,” he said. As she left the room, he thought, I’ll always wait for you.

T’Pol returned shortly in a new short-sleeve maroon catsuit with the same kind of faded coloring as the long-sleeve purple catsuit she’d worn to the house. Trip could not help but admire her new wardrobe.

He whistled softly. “You planning on incapacitating me before we even start our hike?” he joked, grinning ear to ear.

Eyebrow raise.

“Commander, I suggest you concentrate more on the arduous nature of our trip and less on my wardrobe choices,” T’Pol said, with just a hint of humor to soften the criticism.

“Aye, ma’am,” said Trip, who handed T’Pol one of the bags.

They walked out to the front of the house, where a small transport vehicle awaited them.

As they sped across the desert, Trip glanced at his companion, but could see she was lost in thought. He wondered what the two women had talked about, but he figured T’Pol would tell him in due time. Still, he was curious. And perhaps a little bit hopeful.


NOTE: NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE THE LAST. Thanks for sticking with me, even though I know y’all aren’t pleased at what you’ve read on the BBS and where the canon – and this story – is heading. But I’m of the group that thinks this is just an obstacle, that our pair is meant to be and will get through this. COMING UP…A FIRE PLAINS HIKE, CONFRONTATION BETWEEN T’POL AND KOSS AND MORE CONVERSATIONS WITH ALL OF OUR CHARACTERS BEFORE THE END.



Chapter 7 CONCLUSION

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A handful of people have made comments

Nice job! Yeah, we all know the ending is going to suck, but what goodies we get on the way there! The unambiguity of their feelings for each other is nice. I hope that comes across in the episode!

Great chapter. Look forward to see how you conclude this.

Man, what is it with Vulcans? They don't even seem to show that they care with their own kids! I mean, I can tell T'Les cares... but geez!

:sigh: Can't wait to read the end... I think!

Love this. If T'Les had kept her mouth shut T'Pol would not be having serious second thoughts. God bless T'Les! Ali D :~)

I love it, continue,.... a shame but I like happy endings ..sigh,