Like a Phoenix from the Fire – Part 2

Season 3.5 - Summer Fan Fiction Challenge

Like a Phoenix from the Fire – Part 2

by Aquila

Category of the plot summary from the list below – Plot #10

Rating: R
Genre: Angst

Disclaimer: All things Trek, even Enterprise – the prequel, are Paramount’s – my passion for Trip and T’Pol, well that’s mine.

A short summary statement:
Although there are spoilers this story assumes that the season three cliff-hanger never occurred. T'Pol discovers the damage done by the Trellium D can be reversed. She decides to go through with the treatment, knowing she may lose access to the emotions she has unleashed, and that she may have to suppress her new emotions permanently as she has to do with all her emotions. What happens to her relationship with Trip? How does this change her views of herself?

____________________

Part 2

“Good evening, I am Trip.” The Commander strode across the morning room with his hand outstretched in greeting.

The new guest, standing with his back to the crackling fire, offered his hand, “I am Michael Moffat and this is my wife Marjorie.”

Marjorie, a taut muscled, blonde years younger than her husband, seated on one of the two chintz covered sofas forgot to smile. She was nonplussed for an instant, but recovered sufficiently to begin plotting how she would turn a fortunate coincidence into a company directorship for Michael.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” Trip, to cover the awkward moment, bowed slightly from the waist as his mother had taught him as a small boy.

“Goodness gracious,” exclaimed Marjorie rising, “Please call me, Marjorie…er...Trip.”

Geordie arrived at the precisely the right moment bearing a tray with flutes. Alex trailed behind him with a champagne bucket that chinked satisfyingly with ice and bottle.

Alex pulling the cork from the bottle told the Moffats, “Commander Tucker suggested that we celebrate your arrival with a glass of champagne.”

“How did you know it was our anniversary?” asked Mrs Moffat in a sultry lower register.

“I didn’t,” admitted Trip, “My lady and I have been on our own the past few nights and welcomed the idea of new conversation at dinner.”

A disingenuous "Your lady?” fell from Marjorie’s lips. That notorious woman was here?

“T’Pol of Vulcan,” was the response from the foyer.

Five heads spun around. Geordie’s knuckles turned white as he clutched the tray to hide the tremor in his hands. The quiet mousy companion of the irrepressible commander had vanished. In her place was a petite self-assured ravishing beauty in red silk and sparkling silver. Mrs. Moffat hated her immediately. Used to being the centre of attention, she recognized a rival. To Mike there was no contest. He envied Tucker and admired his audacious choice. With a woman like that at his side anything was possible for a man with the smarts to do as she instructed.

Trip strode across the room, taking T’Pol’s hand and slipping it through his arm with unabashed pride, “Darlin, I would like you to meet Mike and Marjorie Moffat. We have the honour of celebrating their wedding anniversary with them tonight.”

With her free hand, T’Pol took the glass proffered by Geordie. She raised it in the direction of the Moffats, “Congratulations. May you live long and prosper.”

As they sipped the two couples eyed each other over the rim of their glasses. Geordie and Alex discreetly departed.

--

The quartet had exhausted safe topics like the gale that rattled the windows and whether the Loch Ness monster really existed. They had toasted the chef and debated the merits of the wine Alexis had poured to accompany the main course.

T’Pol was beginning to feel the strain. She recalled an expression Trip used when talking of their first two years on Enterprise. “There was an elephant in the room.” He meant that while sniping and baiting each other they ignored a mutual attraction that anyone who witnessed the thrust and parry of their exchanges was well aware.

“T’Pol,” he would say, “It was like we were tiptoeing around an elephant in the room, refusing to admit what was right before our eyes.”

There was an elephant in the elegant room in which they dined. The curiosity of the Moffats loomed over the small talk that had finally petered out. T’Pol knew the couple wanted the inside story about the Expanse, but more importantly about the relationship between the Commander and her. The strain of ignoring the elephant was taking its toll.

“How long have you two been involved, Trip?” asked Marjorie over dessert unable to restrain her curiosity.

T’Pol added a new feeling to her repertoire. Is this what smug feels like, she wondered. Perhaps I am experiencing a feeling of superiority, because that woman succumbed to her curiosity while I have maintained my composure?

Trip’s reply engendered in T’Pol a feeling of pride in his social skills.

“Ever since the Captain introduced us the day Enterprise left dry dock, three years ago, Marjorie.” He continued, “T’Pol and I were command staff. She was First Officer and I was Second. We had no choice but to be involved on a daily basis.”

Under the table, the former First Officer of Enterprise squeezed her companion’s thigh in appreciation of his adroit side step of the true intent of Marjorie’s enquiry.

Marjorie humbled herself and tried a different tack, “T’Pol, we have been led to believe that Vulcans merely tolerate Humans.” Her husband nodded in support of his wife. “You and Trip appear to have a…” she chose her next word carefully, “Unique…relationship?”

The question had been directed at T’Pol. T’Pol noted that Trip who had just taken a sip or wine was preparing to open his mouth to respond. T’Pol irked with the woman, distracted him from his good intention by changing the squeeze of his thigh to a caress of his groin. He lost his train of thought trying not to spit a mouthful of wine across the table.

“The attention to detail, inventiveness and stamina that make Commander Tucker the finest quantum engineer in Starfleet are qualities that any Vulcan would fine admirable.”

Trip bit the inside of his cheek. Part of her statement was right. Vulcans did admire his attention to detail, but not his inventiveness, and he suspected that his stamina was irrelevant. T’Pol was up to something.

“What my people have overlooked is the diversity of ways Humans apply their most admirable qualities. It has been our loss.” She leaned across the table and in a woman to woman voice launched the torpedo. “I have been fortunate enough to discover that the Commander applies his attention to detail, inventiveness and stamina during sexual intercourse. With a Human husband, I am sure you have experienced the satisfaction?”

Direct hit, thought Trip. Marjorie wilted and Mike spluttered. They both turned red which Trip interpreted as admission of somebody’s short comings, most likely Mr. Moffat’s.

“If you will excuse us,” said T’Pol rising with her signature cool dignity, “Commander Tucker and I must return to our room to continue our study of Human and Vulcan sexual compatibility.”

--

“What got into you tonight?”

Trip’s chest was heaving from exertion. The blood course through his veins driven by his pounding heart as he lay on his back kitty-corner across the king size bed.

The question was, he realized too late, a double entendre. He had not meant it to be playful. T’Pol’s inability to control her emotional impulses had been the elephant in their midst for months. Trip recovering from one of the side effects admitted there were benefits to the change in her character, yet he knew her too well not to appreciate that the change was taking its toll.

She sat astride his hips, knees bent resting on the mattress. Her short cap of hair was dishevelled. Her full lips were pouted with pleasure. There was wildness in her eyes that signalled that this moment of calm was momentary like the passing of the eye of a storm.

T’Pol rested her chin on his chest. “I grew tired of her hints and innuendos. It became clear that she thought that you somehow cheapened yourself by taking a Vulcan lover.”

Trip, feeling the shift in the wind, put his hands on either side of her face to draw her in for a kiss. “We need to talk about your control issues, honey.”

“But not now,” she tried to swallow him whole then broke away.

“But not now,” he agreed rolling her over.

End of Part 2

Continue to Part 3

Return to Part 1

Back to Fan Fiction Main Menu

Have a comment to make about this story? Do so in the Trip Fan Fiction forum at the HoTBBS!

A whole mess of folks have made comments

Uh oh. THAT was certainly out of character. Looks like there's trouble on the horizon. Control issues indeed.

Although, I guess it's not too far a stretch of the imagination after the way T'Pol almost nerve-pinched Amanda in Harbinger.

I get the feeling all this is starting to bother them both, though. Poor Trip. Poor T'Pol. I don't want anything bad to happen!!! *wails*

Great story so far. Very humorous and entertaining. I love T'Pol's attitude. I hope she does not lose all of it as the story progresses.

Yup... my uh oh still stands! It's entertaining but defenitly a bad sign. Just what will happen next! I wonder..... Well this is a good story so please keep going! I'm very much liking T'Pol in this story... it'll be a shame to see a personality like that disappear.

Uh oh indeed! What I didn´t get: The "appreciation" of the new dinner guests, even celebrating with champagne, hmmm, that´s really strange.
Though I liked T´Pol´s ways of distraction. :-))

Excellent chapter. I concure with the others, this is very entertaining. Um, I mentioned a rollercoaster ride before. Well, here comes the steep ascent. I just hope she doesn't loose all of her *new found* qualities. I especially love T'Pol's rapier like style -- Marjorie Moffat didn't stand a chance :D

I almost felt a touch sorry for Marjorie Moffat, but only a hair's breadth and only for a nano second. I absolutely loved the way T'Pol put that woman in her place as well as her unique way of draining the breath out of Trip at lunch (and afterwards as well!). Ali D :~)

This story is scaring me! I absolutely loved "Get Us Out of Here" (well, except for Malcolm and That Awful Woman . . .), and I really, really wanted to see that loving, tender relationship between Trip and T'Pol continued in your next story. It's here, of course, but I know there's trouble coming up and it's scaring me silly! I don't want unresolved angst just yet -- I want more lovely, perfect moments like the one in "Get Us Out of Here" when "T'Pol was found and Trip was lost". (I just loved that line -- it's right up there with "Nice shirt" on my list of all-time favourites.) But enough whimpering -- I'm ready for the next angst-filled chapter any time you are!

ooooooohhhhhhhhh- i like!!!

That's it Polly get the nosey bitch.

Love this story, can't wait for chapter three.

Yay T'Pol! You 'da woman!
Trouble on the way for our favorite couple? Angst or not, I keep hoping for that happy ending. Can't wait for more!