Only You - Part 5

Only You

By Athena

Rating: R
Disclaimer: Star Trek: Enterprise is the property of Paramount
Summary: As Pon Farr approaches for T’Pol she has to make some choices regarding her relationship with Trip. Of course nothing goes as expected and Trip and T’Pol must decide how to proceed with their relationship.
Spoilers: all the way through the end of Daedalus and AU after that.

Authors Note: First off, a great big thanks to Boushh and Jenna for all their help with this story. Also be warned, although the beginning of the story contains some angst, the majority of the story is pure sap and fluff. If you not like sappiness you may not want to read the entire story. :)

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Part 5 (Chapter 7 & 8)

Chapter 7

T’Pol sat impatiently on the biobed as Phlox completed his scans. The doctor seemed to be taking a great deal of time and T’Pol was anxious to find Trip before her duty shift began. She had been aware that he was upset ever since he had left her quarters yesterday. It was the barest whisper in her mind and she might not have been aware of the origins of those faint emotions if she hadn’t realized she and Trip were bonded. Now that she knew, she was more sensitive to the possibility of his presence in her mind. Still, she would have thought that presence would have been stronger after the mating. Perhaps it would take time to grow or perhaps his being human would hinder the bond. There was much to digest and explore.

“Doctor, please complete your exam expeditiously. I have many duties to perform.”

Phlox did not answer her right away, which caused her to become mildly irritated. Finally he said, “T’Pol, could you please step over to the imaging chamber. There’s something I’d like to check on.”

T’Pol got off the biobed but made no move to cross the distance to the imaging chamber. “I fail to see what purpose that would serve. As you have no doubt discerned, I am fit for duty.”

“T’Pol, please humor me,” Phlox sounded exasperated. He motioned for her to go over to the imaging chamber. She acquiesced and lay down on the chamber bed. A few moments after Phlox had begun the scans she heard him exclaim, “Remarkable.”

When he made no further comment T’Pol prompted him for an explanation. “Doctor?”

Phlox released her from the chamber and she sat up on the bed.

Phlox was transferring data from the chamber to a PADD. Once he had completed that task he handed the PADD to T’Pol. “It appears that you have conceived.” Phlox was studying her intently.

T’Pol was so startled by the doctor’s words it took her a few moments to find her voice. “I am pregnant,” she stated finally.

“Not exactly,” Phlox replied.

T’Pol felt fear start to take root. “What do you mean?”

“For a pregnancy to result, the embryo must implant into the uterine walls and begin to grow. This has not occurred.”

T’Pol felt panic rising as she asked, “Why not?”

Phlox regarded her intently. “From what I understand from the small amount of information available, a Vulcan-human embryo is not recognized by either human or Vulcan bodies as a legitimate conception.”

T’Pol felt betrayed by her body. How could it not recognize she had conceived Trip’s child! Was there any hope of saving the embryo? How could Phlox just be standing there instead of doing something about the situation? T’Pol felt a sense of dread, perhaps nothing could be done. But she had had a child with Trip in and alternate future. Phlox should have requested the data on that conception and birth. Fear warred with anger as she turned on Phlox. “How could you not have prepared for this by taking the necessary information from the older Enterprise?” She was only vaguely aware that her voice was filled with emotion.

“I take it that you wish to attempt to maintain this conception and become pregnant?” Phlox let his excitement show at last.

T’Pol felt some of the fear dissipate. “Yes, Doctor,” she replied more calmly.

Phlox smiled at her. “As it turns out I did request all the data pertaining to Lorian’s conception from the other Enterprise. Normally, I enjoy solving a medical puzzle myself; however, in this case, I felt it prudent to leave that to my alternate.”

T’Pol nodded. “What is required to… become pregnant?”

Phlox frowned and T’Pol felt the fear return. “Your body has to be convinced that the conception has occurred and then nurture the embryo. Lorian was conceived only after you had undergone several treatments to convince your body it was already pregnant. You will be starting this pregnancy without that benefit. I would prefer to transfer you to the Vulcan ship and consult with the doctors there about how to proceed.”

T’Pol merely nodded as she was incapable of speech. She could lose this child, Trip’s child. Still, she must do everything possible to save their child.

As if reading her mind Phlox said, “T’Pol, I can’t guarantee you’ll even become pregnant, or that you’ll carry to term if you do.”

Her voice was hoarse with emotion as she replied, “I understand Doctor, but I must try.”

Phlox gave her shoulder a pat. “Then I’ll contact the Vulcan ship and transfer the data to the doctors there. Would you like to inform Commander Tucker?”

T’Pol felt her heart jump within her. She didn’t want to tell Trip. Not yet. If she lost the baby he would take the loss very hard. She would spare him grief if she could. “I do not wish to inform the Commander. Not until I am sure it will be good news.”

Phlox regarded her compassionately. “T’Pol, we won’t know for certain until the baby is born that this will turn out well.”

“I understand doctor, but I wish to wait until we know the odds are in our favor.”

Phlox smiled at her. “Then we shouldn’t waste time talking about it. You should pack a few things you might want and inform the captain you won’t be returning to duty in the near future. I’ll meet you back here in one hour.”

T’Pol nodded gratefully and quickly left Sickbay.

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Archer shook his head in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”

Trip frowned. “Why does everyone think this is such a bad idea? We were just talking about this a few weeks ago and everyone thought the Columbia could use someone from the Warp-5 project on board now that Hanson’s got a baby on the way.”

Archer tried to look at the situation from an unbiased perspective. Hanson was going to be difficult to replace. He wondered if his wife had deliberately gotten pregnant to keep her husband back on Earth. Starfleet had reservations about assigning the current Chief Engineer to the job. Maybe Trip’s idea wasn’t so crazy.

Archer glanced back over at Trip, who looked terrible. He imagined Trip was having trouble sleeping again. Would a transfer help or just make things worse? He needed to know what was going on between his two most senior officers before he could make that call.

“Trip, I need to know about you and T’Pol before I can seriously consider this,” Archer said compassionately, hoping that, at last Trip would confide in him.

Trip looked down and shuffled his feet. He seemed to have trouble figuring out what to say so Archer prompted him, “I know things seemed to be going pretty well before the marriage. That can’t have been easy for either one of you. I would have thought things would be better again now that the marriage is over.” He paused but Trip remained silent so he continued, “but that’s not the case is it?”

Trip finally looked up and met Archer’s gaze, his eyes looked like they were beginning to tear. “She wants to follow Surak’s path…without any distractions.” Trip looked away again. “Something happened to her in the Expanse and she’s had a hard time dealing with her emotions ever since. She’s never really talked to me about what it was, but I knew she was going through something.” He looked over at Archer as if he was wondering if T’Pol had confided in him.

Archer put his friend’s mind at ease. “She never said anything more to me other than she needed more time to meditate.”

Trip gave him a small grateful smile. “I guess it doesn’t help that it was probably her mother’s dyin’ wish that she devote herself to Surak and logical and all.” Trip locked eyes with him and Archer could see the intensity within them. “Jon, there’s nothing logical about a Vulcan and a human being together.” He let his head drop.

Archer stepped forward and put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “That doesn’t mean T’Pol won’t choose a future with you anyway; and I take it that’s where the two of you were heading before your trip to Vulcan.” He gave Trip a knowing look.

Trip made a half-hearted attempt to smile. “I’m not sure we even knew what was going on with us…between us, before she found out she had ta get married. The marriage kinda forced everything to the surface.” Trip shook his head slowly. “Then this whole mating thing came up and well it’s just too much now.”

It now occurred to Archer that T’Pol had probably wanted a Vulcan mate because things were so messy between her and Trip right now. By side effects she must have meant emotional side effects. She was right, Archer acknowledged. This did have consequences for Trip. I bet her original plan didn’t involve Trip even finding out about Pon Farr.

“Trip, maybe you should talk this through with T’Pol.” He grimaced inwardly as he caught a glimpse of fear in Trip’s expression. “The worse thing that could happen is that she tells you to go ahead with the transfer.” Secretly Archer doubted that would happen. Trip hadn’t seen T’Pol’s assertion that no one but Trip would touch her when the away team was down on the planet. T’Pol might need space right now, but he doubted she’d let Trip leave Enterprise to give it to her. Archer smiled inwardly; if Trip knew that T’Pol had referred to him as her “chosen mate” he probably wouldn’t consider a transfer.

“Yeah, Malcolm said the same thing,” Trip said absently. Archer felt a stab of jealously that Trip had already confided in Malcolm with regard to his feelings about T’Pol. I’ve known him a good deal longer, Archer lamented. Maybe that was the price he paid for being the Captain. He’d have to make a great deal of effort if he wanted to win back the title of “best friend” and that wasn’t going to happen if Trip transferred to Columbia.

“Do ya know where I can find her?” Trip asked, interrupting Archer’s musings over the state of their friendship.

He realized that Trip must not know that Phlox had taken T’Pol over to the Korvar to make sure everything was okay. “I think she’s still on the Korvar. Phlox took her over there to run some tests or something.”

Trip’s eyes got wide and he looked anxious. “Do ya think I wasn’t uh, I mean it wasn’t…that being with a human wasn’t enough?”

Archer tried to suppress a grin. “I’ve been assured by all parties involved that that isn’t the case.” He paused for effect before adding, “Plus, you’ve been working with the Vulcan who was supposed to be T’Pol’s mate all day.”

“Sev, their Chief Engineer?” Trip said incredulously, his voice taking on a higher pitch.

Archer bit his lip to keep from laughing and nodded.

“I’ll be damned,” Trip said contemplatively. Then he looked back over at Archer. “So, if we talk and things don’t go so well, you’ll support the transfer request?”

Archer lost his smile. “I’d rather you two be able to settle things between you here. You don’t need to leave the ship to give her some time to get over her mother’s death and get some perspective on what’s happened to Vulcan society.” He hoped Trip would get his point that T’Pol had a lot to think about aside from a relationship with him.

“Captain, do ya really want a Chief Engineer whose incapable of doin’ his job because he’s so caught up in his own personal problems he can’t think straight? My stay’n here could be dangerous. Hell, who knows if we’d been able to find that Vulcan ship in time if I’d been more focused on my work instead of T’Pol!” Trip was displaying guilt and frustration.

“Trip,” Archer said sternly, “That ship was lost before we even started searching for her. Don’t hold yourself responsible for that. Go get some rest and consider what you’re going to say to T’Pol.”

Trip nodded absently. “Yeah okay. Thanks, Captain,” and left.

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“Congratulations Commander, you are now pregnant,” Phlox said with cautious optimism.

T’Pol allowed herself to relax for the first time since boarding the Vulcan ship. Phlox and two Vulcan doctors had been gradually increasing hormone levels in her body using various chemical compounds and monitoring the status of the embryo. T’Pol had initially been concerned about the reaction of the Vulcan doctors to her desire to conceive a child with a human; however both physicians had been intrigued by the idea.

“I recommend that you rest here and allow us to monitor you for the next 2 days,” doctor T’Nar said. T’Pol merely nodded. She would do nothing to endanger the life now growing within her. The two male doctors had moved off to discuss the next stage of treatment so T’Nar regarded T’Pol with curiosity and said, “It appears that your doctor has had the data necessary to prepare for such a conception for some time, yet you were not initially planning to mate with a human. I find this most curious.”

T’Pol did not answer the older woman immediately. Finally she replied, “I wished to resolve Pon Farr without involving the humans.” She did not meet T’Nar’s eyes.

“Yet you have risked much to conceive this child. I fail to understand much of your situation.” T’Nar’s manner was not accusatory or contemptuous but merely curious.

T’Pol decided there would be no harm in confiding in the woman. “I hold great affection for this child’s father. Although I was not prepared to initiate an intimate relationship with him before my Pon Farr, circumstances have now changed and I wish to preserve the life we have created together.”

T’Pol’s tone held a determined quality that was meant to convey she did not regret her choice. T’Nar nodded. “I would like to meet the human who has earned your regard. Will you ask him to join you here?”

T’Pol felt her face flush at the thought of seeing Trip. “I do not wish to inform him of the pregnancy until the likeliness that it will succeed can be determined.” T’Nar frowned slightly and T’Pol felt compelled to add, “He would grieve the loss and I wish to spare him that grief.”

“He will understand your… omission?”

“He will cherish this child. I believe the realization that a child is forthcoming will defuse his displeasure at having the news delayed.”

Phlox returned to her side. “I must return to Enterprise for a short while. Can I bring you anything or anyone?”

“I have brought along several information PADDs which will allow me to continue some of my duties while I am being monitored.”

Phlox sighed and hung his head a bit. “Very well Commander. I will see you shortly.”

Once Phlox was gone the two Vulcan doctors moved to another part of the room, leaving T’Pol to rest. Now essentially alone she began to contemplate recent events. She had been so focused on achieving this pregnancy that she had pushed all other concerns from her mind. Now she allowed herself to focus on Trip and what the future and this child would mean for them. She could still faintly sense Trip’s dismay, even though he was still on Enterprise. She knew she needed to clarify the situation between them yet she was afraid of how he would react to their existing bond. She knew that Trip valued the freedom of choice when entering a committed relationship. She had already, unknowingly, taken that choice away from him. She would have to be clear that the bond could be severed if he wished it to be.

She then thought of her choice to follow the path of Surak. She had wanted to set aside her relationship with Trip until she had found her center again. Trip engendered strong feelings within her that overpowered her. She had not thought she could work through her mother’s death and discover what recent events on Vulcan meant to her personal belief system while Trip was there to distract her. Now, however, she knew they were bonded and she was carrying his child. It did not make sense for her to keep him distant from her now. She must tell him about the bond and, later, the child. She fiercely hoped that he would accept her as a mate even though she had hurt him and rejected him repeatedly. Circumstances were about to test the strength of their feelings for one another.

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Trip had joined Malcolm and Travis for dinner in the mess hall. They were re-telling stories from their trip to the planet’s surface to disable the tractor beam. The way the two were relating the various parts of the story made Trip think they’d told this story a few times already. He smiled and tried to keep his mind focused on what they were saying but his thoughts kept drifting back to T’Pol and his decision to ask for a transfer. Part of him was very nervous about talking to her and another part was anxious to see how she’d react to him leaving Enterprise.

“That story gets more impressive each time I hear it.”

Trip looked up to see Hoshi standing beside him holding a tray containing a bowl of soup and a small sandwich. The women on this ship do not eat enough to stay healthy, Trip thought to himself.

“You’re back from the planet already?” Malcolm seemed surprised.

“Keldar. The planet is called Keldar and the original inhabitants were called Keldarians.” The way Hoshi stressed the planet’s name gave Trip the impression she’d told his companions the name before and was annoyed they weren’t using it.

“You never told us what the other guys were called,” Travis interjected.

“Other guys?” Trip asked absently.

Hoshi had taken a seat across from him and now all three were staring at him like he had missed something obvious.

“Hey, I’ve been try’n ta put this ship back together and I was taking care of T’Pol before that so I’ve got no idea what’s goin’ on here,” he said defensively.

Malcolm came to his rescue. “Right, well it seems that the planet was…” Hoshi shot an irritated look at Malcolm. “um, Keldar was originally inhabited by a pre-warp society that was quite peaceful. They never developed weapons or anything that they could use to defend themselves against an attack or invasion. Can you imagine a society whose evolution was completely lacking in any tactical or defensive capabilities? I wonder if they ever played games like Cowboys and Indians. They must have at least developed some sort of competitive sports or…”

“Malcolm, yer getting off the subject a bit. Could ya focus on the big picture here for those that need ta catch up?”

“Sorry.” Malcolm recovered and continued, “Well, it seems that they were visited by a space faring race called…” He paused and looked over at Hoshi.

“They called themselves the Arythia. I think it means something like ‘old ones’ in Arythian. I’m still decrypting some elements of their language.”

Malcolm picked up the story again. “Yes, well these old ones thought Keldar seemed like a nice place to settle down and spend their remaining days. It appears that they were dying out and wanted to find a nice resting place.”

“They were the ones who built the shield and the tractor beam,” Travis interjected. “We don’t think they meant to leave it turned on though, right Hoshi?”

“I’ve only been able to get through some of their logs but I think they were just trying to protect the Keldarians. They gathered them all inside their great city and put up the shield. I think the tractor beam was simply left on after the last of them died. There is nothing in the logs to indicate the Arythia were anything other than benevolent.”

Trip nodded. “Okay, so what happened to the planet’s people after these old ones died out?”

Malcolm’s expression took on a puzzled look. “Not quite sure actually. They seemed to have died off themselves. But there’s no sign of struggle or warfare about. We thought perhaps they all got sick or something. I believe some medical data has been recovered but the medical staff on both ships are pretty busy with T’Pol right now so no one…”

“Whoa, just a minute, as far as I know T’Pol was just havin’ some tests run on the Vulcan ship. Why would all the docs need ta be involved?” Trip could hear the anxiety and traces of panic in his own voice.

His table companions were stunned into silence for a few beats and glanced nervously at each other. Finally Travis spoke, “I guess she had some sort of relapse. She was transferred over to the Korvar this morning and she and Phlox have been there ever since.”

“Actually, Phlox is back,” Hoshi interjected. “He isn’t staying though. I asked him if he was going back down to Keldar and he said not until T’Pol was stable.”

Trip felt the blood drain from his face. She was still in danger then. I guess a human mate wasn’t good enough after all. He prayed that T’Pol wasn’t beyond the ability for a Vulcan mate to help her. He shook his head. This was simply a nightmare. He needed to find out how T’Pol was doing.

“Commander?” Trip looked up to realize that all three of his friends were regarding him with concern. He wasn’t certain who had spoken.

“You didn’t know?” Malcolm asked.

Trip shook his head again. “No. She said everything was fine this morning.” Sev had gone back to the Korvar after lunch. Could T’Pol’s condition have been the reason? He needed to find out. “I gotta go talk to the cap’n,” he said getting up.

He gave his companions a sad, apologetic smile, which was returned with looks that conveyed understanding and support. Then he left to track down Phlox or the Captain.

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Trip practically burst into Sickbay. He’d found out Phlox was still there and he all but ran to make sure he didn’t miss the doctor before he returned to the Vulcan ship.

Phlox looked up at him in surprise. “Ah, Commander, what can I do for you?” The tone was light but Trip could tell Phlox was somewhat apprehensive.

Trip rubbed his chin absently as he searched for what to say. “I, uh, wanted to know how T’Pol’s doin’. They told me she’s still sick.” He glanced around the room nervously.

“Ah, yes, well T’Pol did experience some… complications, but I believe she will be fine. She is being observed on the Vulcan ship until things are… stable.”

Trip frowned. That was pretty much what Hoshi had said. Too bad he wasn’t buying it. “You’re not a very good liar Doc. There’s more to it, isn’t there?”

Phlox looked a bit sheepish. “You know I can’t give you privileged information Commander. Please just trust me when I say that T’Pol will be all right.”

Trip looked down, then around the room as he gathered the courage to ask his next question. “Does this have something to do with me? ‘cause I’m human?” He could tell by the look on Phlox’s face that it did, although the doctor tried admirably to cover.

“I can’t give you any details Commander, I’m sorry. Please just be patient. T’Pol will be fine in time. Then you can discuss the matter with her.” Phlox gathered a few items together. “Now, if you’ll excuse me Mr. Tucker I should be getting back to the Korvar.”

He gave Trip a sympathetic smile, Trip was really getting tired of that look, and then he nodded and left.

Trip wandered back to his quarters in a daze. So, T’Pol would be fine. He was sure Phlox wouldn’t lie to him about that. But she had some complications and it had to do with him, with his being human. The most likely scenario was that T’Pol thought the Pon Farr was cured but it wasn’t because she’d had a human mate. So she’d gone to the Vulcan ship to be with a Vulcan mate.

Trip literally banged his head on the wall. He’d been working with the guy all morning, so now he could picture the two of them together. Once again the rational part of Trip’s mind tried to tell him that Sev was helping to save T’Pol’s life. Still, the irrational side clung fiercely to the jealousy that was overtaking him. Now that he’d been with T’Pol during Pon Farr he knew exactly what was going on over there. That transfer was looking better and better with each passing minute.

Chapter 8

T’Pol had been onboard the Korvar for over two days. Phlox and Dr. Varen were discussing a potential problem with the placenta that would be providing her child with nourishment. Apparently they expected that a corrective procedure would be necessary but they were both unsure when this procedure should take place. It was unsettling to hear them rationally discussing timing the procedure to maximize the odds of survival of her child. She was glad that Trip was not with her now. Although she would relish the comfort of his support, she knew he would not bare the stress of the situation well.

Dr. T’Nar was currently on the surface of the planet below and had promised to provide her with details on the latest findings regarding the civilization that had once existed there. T’Pol had already obtained a great deal of the information that had been gathered by both crews over the last two days. However, she found herself unable to focus on anything other than her pregnancy and her relationship with Trip.

Being bonded and having a child together was both frightening and exhilarating. She knew that her plan to follow the path of Surak must now be adjusted to include the existence of a human mate and a child. She was amazed to discover that she was more than willing to make such an accommodation. Clearly she had never fully embraced the idea of putting their relationship on hold. Her main concern was how Trip would adjust to extremely life-altering events that had occurred with his knowledge or consent. She was certain that he would embrace the news of their forthcoming child with joy. Trip had been extremely pleased with Lorian. She was mainly concerned how Trip would react to learning that they had been bonded before she had she married Koss and then rejected him anew when her marriage had ended. Would he be able to trust her again? She could still sense that Trip was distressed. She had unwittingly caused him a great deal of pain. Would he be able to overcome it and forgive her?

T’Pol’s thoughts were interrupted by Dr. Phlox. “We believe the situation is stable enough for you to leave Sickbay and return to Enterprise. You may resume a light duty schedule, so long as you listen to your body and do not push yourself.”

T’Pol nodded. “When will you perform the corrective procedure on the placenta?”

Phlox frowned slightly. “When it becomes necessary.” He regarded her a moment longer then asked, “When do you plan to inform Commander Tucker of the pregnancy?”

She let her gaze fall. “Perhaps… after the procedure is successful.” She would not allow herself to voice the possibility of a negative outcome.

“Very well. I suggest you return to you quarters and rest. You may contact the Captain in the morning about returning to light duty.”

T’Pol felt a tinge of fear at the thought of leaving the safety of the Sickbay monitors. What if something happened to the baby and she didn’t know? She realized that such thoughts were irrational as there was very little Phlox could do at this stage if something went wrong. Still, she savored the assurance that the monitors provided to her that all was well.

“Thank you Doctor,” she said finally and began to collect the few items she had brought with her.

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Archer was reviewing various reports on the planet below. He was pleased that the Enterprise crew was working so well with the crew from the Korvar. It was a testament to the fact that humans and Vulcans were ready for joint missions. Sadly, Archer thought that Admiral Forrest would have been proud of the way the two crews had melded together to complete their mission objectives.

Archer turned his attention back to Trip’s formal request for a transfer off Enterprise. He wasn’t sure what to do about the request. He had initially thought things would get better after Trip and T’Pol had a chance to talk. But then Phlox had absconded with T’Pol to the Vulcan ship and all he’d heard for almost three days was that the doctors were watching her and waiting for her condition to stabilize. Frankly he wasn’t sure what was going on but it was clear that Trip thought that T’Pol was on the Korvar having sex with that ship’s Chief Engineer.

Trip wasn’t taking the entire situation very well, not that Archer could really blame him. But it was clearly affecting his ability to do his job. Just like he said it would, Archer thought sadly. Trip had been calling him every few hours to ask about T’Pol, despite the fact that he had assured Trip he would contact him the moment he heard anything new. Archer had been forced to have a chat with Trip about the situation after both Hess and Rostov had made inquires about T’Pol’s condition. When Archer had entered Engineering he could feel the tension in the room. He’d found Trip taking his frustration out on a burned out power junction.

“I’m no engineer but I’m pretty sure hitting that thing repeatedly isn’t going to get it working again.”

“Not from Phlox or the Korvar but when your team started calling the Bridge asking about T’Pol I figured maybe it was time for you to take a break from work for a bit.” He tried to sound as companionate and understanding as he could, knowing Trip would hate that he let his personal problems interfere with his work.

“Yeah, well, I just can’t stop thinking about what’s goin on over there on the Korvar. I mean I know it’s not any of my business anyway, it’s just…Damn, I don’t even know what it is really.”

“Yeah, okay. Thanks Cap’n.”

Archer was shaking his head when the door chimed.

“Enter.”

Phlox entered the room. “T’Pol is back on board and resting in her quarters. I’ve given her permission to return to light duty tomorrow but I’ll need to keep a close eye on her. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if she appears to be exerting herself.”

Archer pressed his lips into a tight frown. “Phlox is the mating thing over? Why does she still need observation?”

Phlox started to swing his arms back and forth in a manner that Archer had learned to read as Phlox attempting to obfuscate the situation while still telling the truth. “I told you there were complications due to T’Pol mating with Commander Tucker as opposed to taking a Vulcan mate.”

“Captain Soran didn’t seem to think that would be a problem and neither did you at one point.” Archer’s voice held a skeptical tone.

Phlox was clearly uncomfortable about the direct questioning but Archer shot him a look to convey he wanted answers.

“It wasn’t possible to predict the…complications. I’m sorry Captain but I can’t tell you more at this time.”

Archer wanted to ask if T’Pol had been over there mating with the Korvar’s Chief Engineer but he knew T’Pol’s medical treatment was confidential, and rightly so. He just wished he could learn something to put Trip’s mind at ease.

“Okay Phlox you win for now. Do you know when I can expect T’Pol to be able to return to normal duty?”

“It might be a while before I can say for certain, Captain.”

When it became apparent Phlox wasn’t going to provide anything else, Archer dismissed him. At least T’Pol was back on board. That meant that she and Trip would finally have a chance to talk. Maybe Trip would be able to find out what was going on. Archer rubbed the temples of his forehead. How was he supposed to run a ship with a sick first officer and a lovesick second officer?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

T’Pol lay awake on her bunk with her hand over her lower abdomen. She glanced over at the clock, which read 0200 hours. She had not been able to sleep since she had come back aboard Enterprise. She could not stop thinking about her child and wondering if the baby was okay. She did not know how she could return to her duties if her mind was completely consumed by her pregnancy. Sighing, she realized that was not entirely true. She could still sense Trip’s emotions. They were but a whisper in the back of her mind but, now that she knew their source, she was attuned to them. It was very likely Trip was not sleeping well either. She sensed anxiety and despair from him. She longed to go to him but she wasn’t ready to confront him about their relationship yet. Her concern for the well-being of their child was consuming her in much the way she had feared her feelings for Trip would consume her.

T’Pol rose from her bunk and began to dress, having decided that she would not be able to function until her anxiety over her child was eased. Once she was dressed she left her quarters and walked quickly to Sickbay.

It was too early in the morning for most of the crew to be up and about so she did not encounter anyone on her way to Sickbay. She entered the room and looked around for Dr. Phlox.

“Doctor?” she called out uncertainly after she determined he wasn’t in the main chamber.

Phlox appeared from the far chamber looking a bit sluggish. Still he greeted her cheerfully. “Ah, Commander, is everything all right?”

T’Pol clasped her hands behind her back in an effort not to fidget. It took her a moment to answer. “I believe I am well. However, I find it difficult to sleep or to concentrate now that my pregnancy is no longer being monitored.”

Phlox smiled shaking his head. “You’ve always protested being forced to stay in Sickbay under observation before. I would have thought you’d feel more comfortable in your own quarters.

“I am more comfortable in my quarters. The problem stems from my inability to keep from worrying about the status of the fetus. While I was in the Infirmary on the Korvar the condition of the fetus was being continuously monitored. Now, I lack the assurance that nothing is amiss.” T’Pol was ashamed to be confessing to such irrational emotionalism but it couldn’t be helped, she needed to find a resolution.

“Ah, I see the problem.” Phlox gave her a cheerful smile and retreated into the back chamber. He returned just over a minute later which a small device, which he handed to T’Pol. “Please place this across your lower abdomen. It will allow me to monitor the fetus’s condition from here and alert me to any changes in its status.”

T’Pol nodded, accepting the device and proceeded to unzip her uniform and position the monitor.

Phlox activated one of the Sickbay terminals and a series of readouts popped up on the screen. “There we are,” he said indicating the readouts. ‘As you can see, there is no cause for concern. The fetus is fine. Perhaps now you can get some rest.”

“Thank you doctor,” T’Pol replied gratefully and left Sickbay to return to her quarters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trip put down the scanner beside him and rubbed his forehead. Stress and lack of sleep were taking their toll. He knew T’Pol was back on board Enterprise but both Phlox and the Captain had suggested he give her some time to rest. Not seeing her was driving him crazy but he was pretty sure that seeing her again would hurt too. Things couldn’t really be any worse for him on the Columbia and thinking about the transfer had become a lifeline to sanity.

He was about to pick up the scanner and return to the task at hand when he sensed her presence. He turned around to see T’Pol approaching him. He was sitting on the floor so he had to look up at her. She looked tired but otherwise well. His heart leapt into his throat as he realized this would be their first conversation since the awkward scene in her quarters after Pon Farr. Well after her bout with him anyway, she had also spent three days on the Vulcan ship. Jealousy replaced the apprehension Trip had been feeling and, for the hundredth time he admonished himself for something he had no right to be feeling.

“Hey, T’Pol.” He tried to smile at her but he knew he hadn’t quite pulled it off.

T’Pol regarded him for a moment then knelt down beside him. “Dr. Phlox has determined that I can resume my duties and the Captain suggested you might need help in Engineering.”

Trip chuckled softly. So Jon wanted them to have their little talk. “So are ya okay now?” He winced as his tension was evident in his voice.

“My body is still…recovering but I am not in any danger.” She waited until he was looking directly at her and then held his eyes as she spoke again. “I apologize for not contacting you before now. There is much we should discuss now that I have regained my control.”

Trip smiled at her sadly. “T’Pol, ya don’t have ta say anything. You told me what to expect. I’m the one who needs to work through things.”

T’Pol looked down. “You were… distressed during the mating. I did not want to cause you pain.”

“It’s okay T’Pol, I was just worried about you,” he lied. He looked around and lowered his voice, finding an opportunity to end the discussion. “Maybe we should talk about it later when we’re less likely to be overheard.”

T’Pol conceded and turned her attention to the junction Trip had pulled apart. “If we can expedite the repairs we will have ample time to continue our discussion.”

Trip smiled in spite of himself. T’Pol was nothing if not persistent. Maybe just working together like old times would ease things between them, at least until the next assault on his heart.

“Okay, well, we burned out a lot of relays and fried a lot of circuits. We don’t have the material to simply replace everything that was damaged, so I’m tryin’ ta track down each of the damaged components and replace only what’s necessary.”

“A reasonable course of action.”

“Glad ya approve,” he teased. “Anyway, we’re loosing signal strength somewhere in this section and I’ve gotta test each component individually. It’ll go a heck of a lot faster if I link the scanner to a PADD and move through each component. You just tell me when you see a change in the signal output.”

T’Pol agreed and he set up a data PADD. She knelt down right next to him. She was so close he could feel the warmth of her body. He noticed that she seemed completely unaffected by their proximity to each other. Guess that proves she’s over feeling desire around me. Well, she’d explained that to him before, so why did that knowledge make his heart ache slightly?

He began scanning each piece of circuitry and each relay in turn. As he finished the section to his right without any response from T’Pol he moved on to the section to his left. This caused him to lean in closer to T’Pol. He noted that she made no attempt to distance herself from him. Being close to her brought a feeling of warmth to his being. This closeness wouldn’t be possible if he left for the Columbia, but then neither would the heartache he reminded himself. He moved the scanner to a group of components that was right in front of T’Pol when the scanner seemed to malfunction.

“I am not getting consistent readings,” T’Pol informed him.

“Yeah, I realize that. Something is interfering with the scanner. He moved it away and it seemed to work fine. Then he moved it back and it began to falter again. He was withdrawing it to take a look but when it passed in front of T’Pol it went haywire.

“Put down the PADD,” Trip insisted. T’Pol complied and he moved the scanner by her again. Again it reacted. So it wasn’t feedback from an improper link to the PADD. “What the hell? Are you wearing some sort of transmitting device?”

To his surprise T’Pol simply nodded, looking contemplative.

He shook his head in disbelief. What the hell was going on here? He grabbed her arm to pull her even closer and said in a low but intense voice, “What’s going on T’Pol?”

She glanced nervously over her shoulder and gently pulled back from him. “We should discuss this matter in private.”

Trip nodded. “My office then?”

They hastily retreated to his office. Once they were out of earshot of the rest of the crew T’Pol regarded him with trepidation. He could tell whatever she was about to say was difficult for her.

“The device?” he prompted.

“It is a medical device that is transmitting information to Sickbay.”

Trip felt a moment of panic but pushed his fear aside enough to ask, “Why is Dr. Phlox still monitoring your condition if you’re as fine as you keep sayin’ ya are?”

T’Pol regarded him for almost a full minute and Trip knew whatever she was about to say would be heavy. “Technically it is not my vital signs that the Doctor is monitoring.” Then she rested a hand low on her abdomen.

Trip felt his world tilt as he slowly grasped the implication of her statement. “My God, you’re, I mean, uh… you’re pregnant?” He just stared at her unbelieving.

“That is correct.” T’Pol’s voice and manner were so calm Trip was at a lost how to respond. T’Pol was gazing at him intently, no doubt waiting for him to respond.

As the initial shock wore off Trip realized that his response depended entirely on whether or not he was the father of the child. He was desperate to know the answer yet he was too terrified to ask. One answer would bring him the greatest joy and the other would cause deep despair. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then finally he asked in a trembling voice, “Did it happen here or while you were on the Vulcan ship?” Somehow not asking directly if he was the father made it possible to speak.

T’Pol’s expression briefly reflected puzzlement. “The pregnancy was achieved on board the Korvar.”

Trip closed his eyes in a tight grimace and turned away as he felt his heart breaking. Whatever else she might have been saying was lost on him. Of course he wasn’t the father. Lorian had explained to him how difficult having a Human-Vulcan child had been. He could picture T’Pol and Sev with their offspring and his heart ached as jealousy once again consumed him.

“Trip.” He winced again. Why had he ever encouraged her to call him that? It was too damn intimate when she said it. Then he felt her hand on his shoulder as she urged him to turn back around to face her. “You misunderstand. The conception occurred during the Pon Farr but it was only through medical intervention on board the Korvar that the pregnancy was achieved.”

Trip blinked, stunned again. What was she saying? He was the father! She hadn’t been over there having mad passionate sex with Sev. This new turn of events was almost too much to take in. T’Pol was pregnant with his child.

A smile slowly spread across his face. “So yer saying you and I…that we are having a baby?” His sorrow was quickly being replaced with joy.

T’Pol nodded and her eyes lit up as her expression softened into what Trip had come to realize was T’Pol’s version of a smile.

Unable to contain himself, Trip let out a loud whoop as he picked her up and swung her around.

“Commander!” she exclaimed as he set her back down in front of him. “The crew will hear you,” she cautioned.

Trip was too happy to care. “So what? Everyone will know eventually.” He was still smiling at her.

Her expression became serious as she placed her hands in his and caught his eyes. “Trip, the outcome of this pregnancy is far from certain.”

Trip’s smile faded as fear took hold. “What do ya mean?” She must want this child. She had gone to great lengths to become pregnant after all.

T’Pol averted her eyes as she replied, “I was not prepared to become pregnant. When Lorian was conceived I had already begun the process of preparing my body to carry a child that was half human. This pregnancy has begun without that preparation. It is possible that I will not be able to sustain the pregnancy.” T’Pol’s voice was beginning to crack as she spoke that last statement. Trip could tell that she was both concerned and afraid for their child.

He looked down at her abdomen. “So that’s why yer wearing the monitor? So that Phlox can tell if the baby’s still okay?” He pulled her closer to him. He knew he was taking a liberty with her but she was carrying his child after all. Plus, she wasn’t resisting but instead she seemed to relish the closeness. He felt her nod against his chest.

She pulled back a bit and looked up at him. “There is relatively little Phlox can do at this point if something goes wrong.” Her voice was sorrowful. “I found I was unable to concentrate on anything other then the well-being of the child once I left the Korvar. Phlox suggested the monitor might help ease my concerns.”

Trip pulled her back to him once again. He could sense she felt some relief from sharing her fears with him. But why had she waited for so long before coming to him? Why hadn’t she told him the moment she found out they had conceived a child?

“T’Pol, why did you wait until now to tell me all this? Were you afraid I wouldn’t want the baby?” If that was the case she really didn’t know him at all.

She let her arms slip around him as she tilted her head to look up at him. “I wanted to spare you grief if I lost the child.”

Trip hugged her fiercely to him. He was all too aware that that was still a possibility. “Whatever the outcome T’Pol I want to be there with you.” He paused looking down at her. “If that’s what you want too that is.” He tried not to let his fear show.

T’Pol just gazed up at him and he began to dread her response. Then her mouth curled up in a barest hint of a smile. “That would be agreeable,” she replied.

Trip laughed out loud at her teasing. Then he stepped back and placed a hand on her belly. “So, when will we know if everything will be okay?”

“I am uncertain. Perhaps we should consult Dr. Phlox once we have completed the repairs.”

Trip shook his head. “The repairs are gonna take days. I want ta see Phlox now.” He took her hand and left his office, pulling her with him.

He released her as soon as they were in full view of his Engineering staff. Although he pretended not to notice them, he could tell his team was watching them with interest. He found Rostov and motioned for his attention. “Something’s come up that I’ve gotta take care of. Tell Hess I’ll be back in a couple’a hours.”

“Yes Commander,” Rostov replied. He was all business as he urged a few on-lookers to get back to work but Trip knew he was just as curious about the two senior officers as the rest.

“It is unprofessional to abandon our work while on duty,” T’Pol chastised as the walked quickly to Sickbay.

Trip rolled his eyes. “I just found out I’m gonna be a father! I think the Captain and the crew will understand.”

“I do not wish to inform anyone of my condition at present.” Her voice was soft and low.

Trip reached for her hand again as they walked. “Look. It’ll be up ta you ta say when we spread the news and ta whom.” He paused not sure how to make his next request. “Um, I would like ta tell my folks though.” He glanced over at T’Pol to gage her response.

“Would you not rather wait until we are more certain of the outcome?”

“The uncertainty is why I wanna tell ‘em right away. That way they could pray for the baby. Ya know, send him good thoughts.” He hoped she wouldn’t chastise him about how illogical it was to believe good thoughts would affect the outcome.

To his relief she merely nodded her consent and then tilted her head up toward him. “Him?”

Trip was unable to contain a wide grin. “Yeah, well after meeting Lorian I guess I always thought you and I would have a son.”

“Indeed.” She paused and glanced over at him several times before continuing, “Would you prefer a male child to a female one?”

“No, no! That’s not what I meant.” Maybe T’Pol already knew the sex of the baby and it was a girl. “I mean, if it’s a girl that’s great! Daddy’s little girl.” He felt a bit flustered. It really didn’t matter to him if this child was male or female as long as he got to hold a healthy baby in his arms. Still his curiosity was now piqued. “So, um, is it a girl?”

“I have not yet inquired about the sex of the child.”

Trip nodded absently. Maybe she didn’t want to know. Maybe it would make it easier if they lost the baby it they didn’t know. No, it would still hurt the same knowing or not knowing, he realized.

They had reached Sickbay and T’Pol had pulled her hand out of Trip’s grasp as they entered together. Phlox had been feeding one of his “pets” but he joined them quickly.

“Commanders, what can I do for you today?” He said amiably.

“Commander Tucker has discovered the monitoring device and I have informed him of the pregnancy.”

Trip thought Phlox seemed relieved to hear her disclosure.

“Excellent news. Congratulations Commander,” he said gripping Trip’s shoulder.

For some reason, hearing Phlox congratulate him on his impending fatherhood brought the reality of the situation sharply into focus. The woman he loved was pregnant with his child! If all went well, he’d be holding his child in his arms less than a year from now. It was that if all went well part that kept him from turning into a deliriously happy idiot.

“Thanks, Doc.” He paused and ran his tongue across his cheek as he worked up the courage to ask about the baby. “T’Pol said there might be some problems?”

Phlox nodded and regarded him with compassion. “According to the records from Lorian’s Enterprise, his gestation was made possible by treating T’Pol with certain chemicals in order to prompt her body into maintaining the pregnancy. She prepared months in advance for his conception. This pregnancy occurred without that preparation, making the outcome less certain. Additionally, there were some complications with Lorian’s pregnancy that we may encounter this time as well.”

Trip nodded slowly, taking in all in. “Doc, can ya tell straight up where we stand on this?” He was sure Phlox would understand what he was asking.

“It is impossible to quote you odds Commander but every day T’Pol continues to carry the baby without incident increase the odds in our favor.” Trip liked the way Phlox said our favor. It made him feel that he and T’Pol weren’t in this all alone.

Trip gave him a small nod. He realized that his life would be filled with anxiety and fear for the foreseeable future. He placed a hand on T’Pol’s belly again. It will all be worth it the first time I hear you cry, he silently told his unborn child.

“Doc, is there anything we can do to help those odds?”

Phlox brightened. “Yes, Commander. You can ensure that T’Pol stays well rested and free of unnecessary stress.”

T’Pol’s expression conveyed annoyance but Trip smiled back at the doctor. “Anything ya say Doc.”

T’Pol turned to Trip. “We should return to Engineering to continue the repairs.”

Trip frowned but he knew she was right. “Okay, but we’ve got a lot to talk about tonight.”

“Agreed,” T’Pol replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You must be joking,” Malcolm said in disbelief as he stared across the table at Hoshi.

“Are you sure you heard right?” Travis added.

Hoshi gave her male companions a stern look. “I heard right. Carol was telling Jamison that Lt. Hess said no one was to say a word until the Commanders made a formal announcement. She’s his second so it would make sense that she would know if he was going to pop the question.” Hoshi was obviously excited but Malcolm thought she was letting her imagination run too wild over an overheard exchange.

“I very much doubt that Trip would talk to Hess if he was planning to ask T’Pol to marry him and not anyone else.”

Hoshi smirked at him. “You’re just jealous that Trip didn’t come to you first.”

Travis shook his head. “Malcolm’s right Hoshi, it doesn’t make sense that he wouldn’t at least talk to the Captain about it first.”

She turned her frown to Travis. “How do you know he hasn’t?”

Malcolm came to Travis’s rescue. “I think a more likely scenario is that T’Pol’s better now and Trip was just glad to hear it. I don’t know all the details but I think she was worse off than any of us realized.”

It was Hoshi’s turn to shake her head. “That doesn’t explain why they needed to have their little chat in private.”

“Commander T’Pol is a very private person. I’m sure she didn’t want to discuss her medical condition it front of the entire Engineering staff,” Malcolm insisted.

“But why didn’t they wait to have their conversation after the duty shift and why did they leave Engineering together?”

Malcolm wasn’t sure how to answer that one and, apparently neither was Travis.

Hoshi sat back and grinned at the two men. “I think Trip asked her to marry him before the away team left to disable the tractor beam and T’Pol didn’t give him an answer right away. Once she got better she made him sweat it a bit then causally mentioned her acceptance while they were working in Engineering. Tell me you can’t see her doing something like that?”

Malcolm wanted to argue against her little scenario but some of his rationale came from the privileged information he’d obtained while talking with Trip in the gym. Instead he opted to say, “You’re going to be embarrassed when you find out your wrong about this.”

“Maybe but its fun to speculate and there isn’t a person in Engineering that doesn’t think we’ll be hearing wedding bells soon.”

“In that case, I hope you’re right,” Malcolm said with a smile.

Part 6 (Chapter 9)

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

Yet another fabulous installment! Yea - you got them together!!!! **happy dance**

yea! another chapter! - but I must admit you've put me through the wringer on this one...glad our favorite duo FINALLY seem to be getting on the same page ..now all we have to worry about is little T'baby Tucker...:o)

Fantastic!
So. . .next installment is coming out. . ??? :-)

Ah Athena, you're a good woman! Can't wait for more!

sigh.........TnT shipper heaven!!! LOL. I gotta have more!

Holy crud! I love angst, but for a moment there I thought you were gonna kill me! HURRAY!!!

I love it! I can't wait for the next update!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for updating soooooo soon!!! I like the pregnancy-idea very much.
Though I must admit, after all the sorrow/despair/leaving for Columbia-thoughts of Trip I missed some talk in-between. Just "we are pregnant and everything is fine" was a bit quick for me. Hmmm. But I don´t know the following chapters, perhaps important talks are still hidden?
Oh! Just so you know: Can´t wait for more!! ;-)))

I have been reading this for days... I have no idea why I haven't reviewed yet. This is awesome! I actually kind of hope that Trip and T'Pol have a few more bumps and misunderstandings left in their relatioship, since it doesn't seem realistic that everything would be all right after one announcement, but other than that, I don't have any nits to pick. I quite enjoyed the end of this chapter. The rumor mill on Enterprise goes at Warp 10. Quite the feat when the ship can only get up to Warp 5!

Your mean Ya know that Athena. Messin with my mind by givin cryptic spoilers about your fic. But I really like the reason for Polly to get horizontial on the Vulcan ship,, and finaly T/T are not gona push each other away any more. Cant wait for the next instalement.

Yessssssssss! Can't wait, can't wait, this is soooooo good! :)

Hah, I called it - horizontal on a biobed! LOL More sap and fluff please. :)

This was a great chapter. I just loved it, please post many more chapter.