The End - Chapter 2

The End

By: Angel

Disclaimers: Alas, Paramount still owns Star Trek, all its many incarnations and characters. This is for entertainment only, and I’m not making a dime.

Rating: G

Genre: Definitely angst for this one!

Summary: A night in the life of T’Pol.

Spoilers: Little bit for “Home”.

Warning: This is a rather dark chapter. It was difficult to write and even more difficult to re-read. I want you to read it, but be forewarned!

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Chapter Two

T’Pol of Vulcan lay still in her bed. Her eyes were closed even though she was awake. As her chest rose and fell softly, she absorbed the sounds and smells of the Vulcan night air drifting in through the window. The cry of a wild sehlat floated on the breeze and there was the rare odor of fresh rain, which was expected for later this evening.

She imagined the way the night must look, how the moonless Vulcan sky would be lit by thousands of tiny pricks of starlight. Her thoughts wandered to a particular star and the inhabitants of its third planet. How she longed to see her old friends again, even their children had become like family to her over time, but they were gone now. She had outlived all of them.

At 147 years, she was still young by Vulcan standards, but her body had not aged well thanks to her Pa’nar Syndrome and Trellium addiction. She knew that she did not have long left, and for the first time in a long time she was relieved.

Her life had been logical to a fault. Yes, she had wandered from the path of Surak for a few years and had even intentionally experimented with emotional experiences, but finally her upbringing and sense of honor won out.

She had returned home after the Xindi mission confused and exhausted. Then, out of nowhere, came Koss. His insistence that they follow through with the marriage they had been promised to was a surprise, but it offered a comfortable release. She married him willingly, albeit disinterestedly, to provide herself with a safe cushion.

From that point on, she and Trip remained distant friends at best. It was difficult at first, but after a time, she transferred off of Enterprise and the physical distance made it much easier to pretend. She followed the established path of a Vulcan wife and returned home to her husband’s side. Shortly thereafter, they welcomed a child and again her life found focus.

The years went by as they always do and she kept in touch with many of her old comrades from Enterprise. She learned that Captain Archer was made an Admiral shortly after the founding of the Federation. Soon after that, he married and began a family of his own. Along the way, the rest of her former shipmates found spouses and had children too. She was happy for all of them, except one. That’s not true, she was happy for Trip. She wanted him to have a good life, but why did he seem to find it so easy without her?

Sighing deeply, T’Pol fought back tears over the painful memories of wasted time. It would not do to awaken Koss yet again with an emotional outburst as she had on so many previous nights. She blinked rapidly and tried to find internal peace, but it was not to be. Her mind was deluged tonight and she was drowning in the murky waters of the past.

Eventually, time caught up with her friends. Some of them perished in the line of duty. Some suffered debilitating illnesses, which took their lives slowly and after much pain. Some, like Trip, simply passed quietly into the night as the result of old age. She had heard from his grandson the following day in a brief communication. Apparently, he had gone in his sleep while surrounded by family, including his wife, their three children, and nearly a dozen grandchildren.

The pain of that particular memory was as poignant now as when it had first occurred, nearly twenty years ago. As her degenerated neural pathways struggled to deal with the onslaught of emotion, she felt herself give in to the anguish and the tears flowed freely down her face.

Koss turned in the bed next to her and barely disguised the disgust in his voice as he asked, “Wife, are you well?”

“An illogical question, husband, as you already know the answer,” she managed through the tears.

He turned away from her again as he rose up out of the bed. “It is late and I must rest. I will retire to the spare room this evening and see you in the morning.” He strode purposefully toward the bedroom door without looking back.

Sighing deeply, T’Pol again sought solace in her mind, but found little. She recalled the joys of raising a daughter and the sorrows of losing her mysteriously while on a deep space mission barely ten years ago. Now she was left with an uncaring husband and too many lonely nights and barren days.

As the last of her tears dried on her crackled skin, she finally drifted off to sleep. As she rested, a dream came to her subconscious. She found herself wandering off into the Vulcan desert during the heat of midday. As she walked, a man approached her and offered her a covering, but she did not trust this man because she could not see his face clearly and so she walked along further without protection.

The sun beat down upon her head and she was parched beyond all measure, but still she walked. Another man approached her and again she could not see his features, so she refused his kindness and would not take a drink from his water bottle.

Now she crawled along the hot sands and her skin was nearly blistered where it was exposed to the ultraviolet rays; this time when the stranger came to her he offered her shelter in a cool cave. She could barely move and would have resisted again if he had not picked her up and carried her there.

Once she had regained her senses in the safety he’d provided, she looked up at him. There in the darkness of the Vulcan hillside stood Commander Tucker, as she had known him all those years ago. “Trip?” she croaked out through parched lips.

“Yes, T’Pol, it’s me. I tried to save you so many times, but you wouldn’t trust me.” His voice was sad and his eyes were wet with unshed tears.

She looked around the dank surroundings. “But, I’m here now. Can you help me?” She pleaded with him as the burns on her skin began to ooze.

He shook his head slowly, a frown coming over his features. “I’m sorry, darlin’, but I can’t stay. You forged your way alone and now you have to continue the path you chose.”

As his words struck home, she reached out desperately, demanding he remain. “Wait! Please, don’t go!” But it was too late, he was already gone and she was alone and once again out in the heat of the desert.

It was the following morning before Koss returned to the bedchamber he had shared with his wife for nearly eighty years. He easily concealed the surprise he felt at finding her still in bed despite the lateness of the hour. As he approached her form, he discovered the reason. Bowing his head slightly at the sight of her, he said quietly, “May peace be with thee,” before leaving the room to notify the officials that T’Pol of Vulcan was no more.

End

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Seven people have made comments

That stupid Koss! I wanna kill him with a lirpa!...again!!! THis was so sad! I'm more biased to the first, because, duh, she ended up with Trip, but I must say this was very powerful and well written.

This was very well written though I was surprised at T'Pol getting upset that Trip had moved on with his life, inwardly lamenting how easily he had done so. I thought T'Pol was a lot brighter than that. The only one who has been acting illogically is our favourite Vulcan. Ali D :~)

I much preferred the first version. T'Pol lived a rich life, died peacefully, and was reunited with Trip and her friends in the afterlife. Who could ask for more? In the second, darker version, it seemed that everything good in her "first" life was turned around. What I found particularly sad -- and painful to read -- was that she was truly alone when she died. It seemed such a waste of a life. (This is an intriguing story and I'm looking forward to Chapter 3. Will you be showing us different outcomes for T'Pol based on choices she has made? Or -- since the crucial difference in this story was that Koss didn't die! -- just dumb luck?)

Interesting version (reminiscent of The Ghost & Mrs. Muir). Well written, but I would have liked to have seen you explore the part where Trip says at the end that "I tried to save you so many times, but you wouldn’t trust me.”

Well, maybe I'm just sick in the head, but I liked this chapter more. It's certainly not what I WANT to happen, but it practically bled emotion. It was a very well written piece.

Holy angst, Batman! What a great chapter. It's definitely not the best outcome but it was a very moving chapter to read. Good job!

It was "good" to read such a different and well thought out chapter but OH SO SAD!