Only You - Part 7

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 7 (Chapters 10 & 11)

Chapter 10

Three weeks after Enterprise had been caught in the tractor beam the ships systems had been repaired and the crew were mostly busy exploring the planet and learning about its former inhabitants. T’Pol was at her station monitoring data from the surface. She was maintaining a normal duty shift but she limited her working day to just the duty shift hours. The other officers that manned her station had learned that they had to be ready to take over the station at the appropriate time.

Dr. Phlox and the Vulcan scientists had discovered that it was the shield itself that had wiped out the Keldarians. The energy from the shield had altered the physiology of the native Keldarians and slowly rendered them sterile. T’Pol had found this information strangely unsettling.

Trip had taken to sleeping in her quarters but they had not engaged in sexual activity in all that time. She recalled their discussion with Phlox with amusement.

“Ah, Commanders right on time.” Phlox greeted them cheerfully.

“You’re very welcome, Commanders. Same time next week,” he called after them as they exited Sickbay.

T’Pol was shaken from her remembrance when she suddenly felt hazy and disconnected. She attempted to reach out for her console but her arms didn’t seem to obey her commands. She was vaguely aware of voices around her and then she felt herself falling. After that darkness overtook her.

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

“T’Pol!” Archer lunged for her but Malcolm was quicker, catching her just before she would have hit the ground. He was already feeling for a pulse.

“I think she just passed out, Sir.”

“You have the Bridge Lieutenant, I’ll be in Sickbay.” Malcolm nodded and helped lift T’Pol into Archer’s arms. Then he turned to Hoshi. “Tell Phlox we’re on our way.”

Once he left the Bridge Archer stopped trying to hide his concern. What could be wrong with T’Pol? Could this still be related to the Pon farr or was this something new? Could she still be in danger or was she just pushing too hard?

As Archer turned down the corridor leading to Sickbay he felt T’Pol beginning to stir. Then Archer heard someone approaching them from behind at what sounded like a dead run. He wasn’t surprised to find it was Trip. The younger man was breathing heavily as he reached out for T’Pol.

“Hoshi commed me in Engineering and told me what happened,”

“I’m sure she’ll be okay Trip. You know T’Pol, always pushing herself.” He hoped he sounded convincing.

“Thanks, Cap’n, I’m sure yer right.”

The two men entered Sickbay and Archer laid T’Pol down on a bio-bed while Trip called out for Phlox.

The doctor rushed over. “What seems to be the problem, Commander?” he asked Trip and then nodded to Archer, “Captain.”

“She collapsed on the Bridge a few minutes ago,” Archer supplied.

“I see.” Phlox was already scanning T’Pol who was shaking her head and trying to sit up.

“No ya don’t, darlin’,” Trip said gently pushing her back down.

To Archer’s surprise T’Pol acquiesced merely nodding. Her hand moved to rest low on her belly and she cast a concerned look up at Trip.

“Well Doc?” Trip pressed once Phlox had completed his scans.

Phlox glanced nervously over at Archer. “Staying Captain?” he queried and then glanced back down at T’Pol.

She looked over at Archer and then up at Trip questioningly. Trip took her right hand in his and smiled down at her. T’Pol looked directly at Archer as she spoke. “Please continue Doctor. The Captain should be made aware of the situation.”

Archer gave her a faint smile and stepped closer to them. His heart rate had increased as he braced himself for whatever news he was about to uncover regarding his first officer and friend.

Phlox relaxed and returned to his jovial self. “Right now I’m not detecting anything wrong with either you or the embryo but we may be approaching the time when the placenta will need… adjusting.”

Archer felt the blood draining from his face and he was sure he was going into shock. T’Pol was pregnant! He opened his mouth to speak but no words would form. He mentally shook himself and then cleared his throat. At that all three of the others turned towards him. He was silently thankful that they seemed to have been too preoccupied with the doctor’s words to notice their captain’s initial reaction.

“So, I take it T’Pol’s expecting?” Archer tilted his head at Trip and raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, well we were gonna tell everyone eventually,” Trip started but T’Pol interjected.

“I wished to keep the pregnancy a private matter for the time being. We are… uncertain of the outcome.”

Archer had been smiling at Trip but it quickly faded at her words. “Why? Is something wrong?” He looked over at Phlox.

“Nothing Captain, except that the parents are two entirely different species.”

Archer shook his head. “I vividly recall meeting their son. How can that be a problem?”

Phlox gave him a compassionate yet sad smile. “Lorian’s conception was well planned and prepared for Captain. This pregnancy has only been achieved through a regiment of hormone and drug treatment that began after the conception. I simply can’t make any promises.”

Archer looked over at Trip and T’Pol. Trip had taken her hand in his and was absently caressing it with his thumbs. He turned back to Phlox. “Do whatever you have to Doctor.” Then he looked back down at T’Pol. “Maybe you should take some time off. We were scheduled to leave this system in two days but now I think maybe we should head back right away. We could take you to a medical facility.”

Phlox stepped forward and clearly his throat softly. “That won’t be necessary Captain. The Vulcan ship is equipped with everything required and the Vulcan doctors are knowledgeable of T’Pol’s condition. I would like them to assist in the procedure.”

Archer looked at Trip and T’Pol. “If you’re sure. If you’re all sure.”

Both Trip and T’Pol nodded in agreement.

“Okay, we’re staying for now, but I want you,” he indicated T’Pol, “to take some time off.” He turned to Trip. “You’re acting first officer now and your first order as such is to keep our former first officer off her feet and away from anything stressful.” He frowned as he considered his orders then turned to Phlox. “Does that mean she’ll have to stay away from Trip?”

His friend scowled at him as the doctor chucked and T’Pol raised an eyebrow at her fiancé. “Very funny Cap’n.”

Archer placed a hand on Trip’s shoulder. “Congratulations both of you,” he said squeezing Trip’s shoulder and looking down at T’Pol. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to running this ship. My first officer just went on maternity leave.”

With that he left Sickbay to give his friends some time alone and to inform Starfleet that they’d be sticking around for a while longer.

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

Trip walked nervously beside T’Pol as they entered the spacious Sickbay on the Kovar. Phlox was already present and was conversing with two Vulcans, one male and the other female. Trip guessed that the male was Dr. Varen and the female was Dr. T’Nar.

Phlox had explained that the procedure itself would take several hours and that T’Pol would be required to remain on the Kovar for at least an additional 24 hours while the doctors monitored the fetus. Although no one had outright stated that this procedure carried a great deal of risk, Trip understood that his baby’s life would be hanging in the balance for the next few days. He was doing his best not to think about the possibility that something would go wrong but he found he wasn’t able to keep his anxiety in check. T’Pol had begun to teach him how to shield his thoughts from her when he wanted something to remain private. He seriously hoped that he was successfully doing so now. The last thing T’Pol needed now was to have to deal with his anxiety as well as her own.

The female doctor approached them while Phlox and Dr. Varen continued their discussion.

“Greetings T’Pol. I am pleased that your pregnancy has progressed well.” Then she turned to him. “You are Commander Tucker?”

“Yes Ma’am. Pleased to meet you. I can’t thank you enough for what yer doing for us.”

“I am honored to make your acquaintance, Commander. I must admit I have not had the opportunity to interact with many humans but your devotion to T’Pol and to this pregnancy speaks well of you.”

Trip responded with nervous laughter. “Well, I hope you won’t be too offended by open displays of emotionalism. I’m not too good at keepin’ my emotions in check where T’Pol is concerned and that goes double for our baby.”

He was afraid that T’Pol would admonish him for making such a statement but, instead, he saw amusement in her eyes.

“Although we do not openly display our emotions, Vulcans also share deep attachments to our mates and offspring, as I’m certain you are aware,” T’Nar said and indicated T’Pol, who nodded in response.

Phlox and Dr. Varen had approached them, having finished their exchange. Phlox was attempting to project his normal exuberant disposition. However, Trip was aware of the doctor’s apprehension. His hand sought out T’Pol’s of its own accord.

“We are about ready to begin the procedure. T’Pol, you may disrobe in that chamber there and don these.” Phlox handed her a neatly folded cloth pile.

T’Pol accepted the clothing and glanced up at Trip. He gave her an encouraging smile and squeezed her hand. She then retreated into the nearby room Phlox had indicated.

Trip felt his anxiety increasing. He was desperately trying not to think about the possibility that they could lose the baby in the next several hours. He realized he was fidgeting and purposely tried to calm himself using one of the breathing techniques T’Pol had taught him during their neuropressure sessions.

Dr. Varen then addressed him. “I have not yet made your acquaintance. I am Dr. Varen. It is my honor to assist Dr. Phlox with this procedure. It is my sincerest hope that we will achieve a positive outcome for you and your wife. The existence of a detailed accounting of this procedure, preformed successfully, is a great benefit to us.”

Trip realized that the Vulcan doctor was giving him what amounted to a pep talk and offered him a faint smile. “Thanks, Doctor I’m glad T’Pol will be in good hands.” He paused before adding, “she isn’t my wife though. We’re engaged but we’re not married yet.” He felt a bit foolish for saying it and even more so once he realized the Vulcan doctors appeared to be amused by his statement.

“T’Pol has informed us that you and she are bonded,” Dr. T’Nar stated and Trip nodded in reply. “To Vulcans, bond-mates are considered to be married. The lack of an official marriage ceremony is of little consequence. Wife is the proper form of address by Vulcan standards, Commander.”

Trip felt a warm sensation spread through him at the thought that T’Pol was considered his wife. He smiled coyly. “I could definitely get used to hearing that.”

Phlox moved over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Commander, you may wish to return to Enterprise while the procedure is underway, rather than wait here on the Kovar. Time will pass more quickly if you find something to do in the interim,” he suggested.

Trip shook his head. “I don’t want to be too far away in case T’Pol needs me.”

“I do understand, Commander however T’Pol will be unconscious for the duration of the procedure. I promise to contact you so that you can be present before she regains consciousness. I think it will be good for you to be among peers during this time rather than alone here.”

“I’ll think about it Doc, but right now I want to stay close.”

“Very well, Commander,” Phlox conceded.

Just then, T’Pol emerged from her dressing room wearing a soft grey halter top and underwear, not unlike her normal Starfleet under garments. She carried a small bag that contained her discarded uniform, which she handed to Trip. Her outward appearance projected calmness, but Trip could sense her apprehension through their bond. He took her hand in his again and began massaging the back of her hand with his thumb.

He helped her up onto a large biobed and then reluctantly moved away as the doctors took over. Phlox placed a neuro-inhibitor on T’Pol’s forehead that would render her unconscious when activated.

A few moments later all was seemingly ready.

Phlox turned to Trip. “We are ready to begin the procedure. I’m afraid you must leave now, Commander. Rest assured I will contact you the moment you are able to rejoin us.”

Trip nodded and looked down at T’Pol. She nodded her consent for him to leave her side. Trip bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Then, not caring what the Vulcan doctors thought of his display of emotionalism, he moved to place a kiss low on T’Pol’s belly. “Hang in there little one,” he said softly.

He could feel tears beginning to pool in his eyes so he decided to hasten his exit. “Take good care of 'em Doc,” he said to Phlox then nodded to the Dr. Varen and Dr. T’Nar before exiting the Sickbay.

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

Less than an hour later Trip was back on board Enterprise, sitting in the Mess Hall. It had taken less than 15 agonizing minutes for Trip to realize Phlox had been right. He was going crazy on the Vulcan ship and he didn’t feel up to trying to keep his emotions in check around an unfamiliar Vulcan crew. He could have waited in solitude, but he knew he needed some sort of distraction to keep from going crazy. So he had returned to Enterprise. At first he had sought out the Captain, but after being informed that he was down on the planet with Captain Soran he recalled that that information had been presented at the last staff meeting. He just hadn’t paid it much attention, having had other things on his mind.

Given that it was around lunch time, Trip found his way to the Mess Hall where he could be among his crewmates without needing to actually interact with anyone. He really didn’t feel like eating anything so he obtained a beverage and sought out an isolated table near the viewport. He was listening to the murmur of the multiple conversations taking place in the room when a nearby voice caught his attention.

“Mind if I join you?”

It was Malcolm. Trip took a moment to consider before nodding his consent.

“No offense Commander, but you look terrible,” Malcolm said after giving Trip an appraisal and frowned.

“I’ve had better days,” he replied.

“Would this have anything to do with T’Pol’s mysterious illness and the fact that you both left for the Kovar a few hours ago?”

“Yeah, Malcolm, it would,” Trip tried not to take his frustration and worry out on Malcolm but a hint of annoyance still managed to creep into his tone.

“It might help to talk about it.”

Trip remained silent, not really knowing what to say.

“I’m not trying to pry into your personal life Commander, but it would appear you could use a friend.”

Trip rubbed his forehead and cast an appreciative look at Malcolm as he nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I know Malcolm and yer right. I just don’t know where to begin.”

“I take it you’d prefer to keep some of the details confidential,” Malcolm said knowingly.

Trip lowered his head. “I kinda have to for now.”

“Well, then let’s start with what you can talk about. It is common knowledge that T’Pol is still sick, otherwise she’d still be on duty and you wouldn’t be acting XO.” Malcolm paused and his voice was thick with emotion when he continued by asking, “Is T’Pol dying Trip?”

Trip was physically stunned by the question. He hadn’t really considered what the rest of the crew might be thinking. He decided to let Malcolm in on the secret. If things went well, they’d be making the announcement eventually anyway, and if things didn’t go well, well then he’d need a friend more than ever.

“No Malcolm, T’Pol’s not dying. She’s just fatigued but she really isn’t even sick.”

Malcolm looked unconvinced. “That doesn’t add up, Trip. Why would she still be on medical leave and why is she on the Kovar now?” He leaned in closer and lowered his voice as he continued, “and why haven’t you announced your engagement yet?”

Trip chuckled despite his mood. “That’s really starting to bother you huh?” Then he sobered. “Look Malcolm, we’ll be announcing the engagement pretty soon. We’re just waiting to see how things turn out today.” He looked down at his drink and lowered his voice. “T’Pol’s pregnant. She’s on the Kovar having some sort of operation that the baby needs to survive. Phlox isn’t sure it will go well.” He left off there, unable to continue or to look back up at his friend.

“I … I never thought....” Malcolm sounded shocked. “I’m sorry Trip,” he heard Malcolm say after a moment of silence. “I had no idea.”

They sat in silence for few minutes. Finally Malcolm broke the silence. “When will you know… if everything went okay?” He was clearly finding the question awkward.

Trip shrugged. “Dunno. The procedure will take a coupla hours then I guess we’ll have to wait a few days to see if it worked. Phlox told us we won’t know for sure until the baby’s born.” He rubbed his forehead again and dared to look back up at Malcolm.

He was surprised to see Malcolm’s face was tight with emotion. Malcolm turned away for a moment and was looking down when he turned back towards Trip. “I really don’t know what say. Other than I hope everything goes well.”

Trip smiled at his friend but Malcolm still wasn’t looking up. “Thanks Mal. That means a lot to me.”

The two men sat in silence once again. Trip wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Malcolm’s communicator chirped. He flipped it open.

“Reed here,” Malcolm responded.

“Is everything okay, Lieutenant? You were due back on the Bridge a while ago.” It was Hoshi.

Malcolm cleared his throat before answering, “Yes, sorry about that. You have the bridge for now Ensign. I’ll be a bit longer.”

Trip scowled at Malcolm. “Ya don’t need ta babysit me Malcolm.”

“With all due respect Sir, I think you need someone right now and the Captain won’t be back until the next duty shift.” His words were formal but his tone held a great deal of compassion.

Trip acquiesced and nodded. “Thanks, Malcolm.”

“I wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else,” Malcolm replied.

The lunch period was over so the Mess Hall was clearing out. Not really knowing what else to say, the two friends sat in comfortable silence as they waited for word from Phlox.

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

Phlox breathed a sign of relief as the monitors indicated that the primitive placenta was now operating at full capacity and fetal development was continuing to progress well. Of course then next 24 to 30 hours would be a critical time and things could still go wrong, but the fetus had survived the greatest challenge Phlox expected them to encounter. The procedure had lasted just over three hours and Phlox had been extremely tense the entire time. He had been the one to discover the conception in the first place and he felt a special connection to both Trip and T’Pol as well as their unborn child.

“We should revive Commander T’Pol and inform her that the procedure was successful,” Dr. Varen stated.

“Not just yet,” Phlox replied. “I promised Commander Tucker I would summon him before waking T’Pol.” Phlox activated the Sickbay comm. unit. “This is Doctor Phlox. Please put me through to Enterprise.”

“Enterprise here,” came Hoshi’s reply.

“Ah, Ensign Sato, I need to speak to Commander Tucker if I may.”

There was a brief pause followed by the sound of a very anxious Commander Tucker. “Tucker here. Is everything okay?”

Phlox smiled as he answered, “Everything is fine Commander. Would you care to join us back on the Kovar?”

“I’ll be right over. You said everything is okay, right? You mean everything?”

Phlox shook his head chuckling. “Yes, yes, Commander. Everything is fine. Now please join us over here.”

“On my way,” was the enthusiastic reply.

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

Trip was practically running through the corridors to get to the Kovar’s Sickbay. He was anxious to see for himself that the baby was doing okay. He stopped just outside the Sickbay doors to compose himself and catch his breath, then he quickly entered the room. His heart was still racing as he approached T’Pol on the biobed.

Dr. Varen approached him. “Greetings once again, Commander. I am happy to report the procedure was successful. Your wife is doing well and the fetus she carries continues to develop satisfactorily.”

Trip grinned as Varen once again called T’Pol his wife. Yep, I could certainly get used to that, he thought to himself. “That’s great. Thank you all for everything you’ve done.”

“Dr. Varen and I were honored to assist Dr. Phlox. He is an extremely talented physician and we have learned much from this endeavor. I believe today’s success will challenge the notion that Vulcan and human hybrid offspring are not possible.” Dr. T’Nar was reviving T’Pol as she spoke. “This has been a momentous event for both our people.”

Trip chuckled to himself as he moved to take T’Pol’s hand. Although the two Vulcan doctors were speaking and acting serenely, their words betrayed their excitement over their successful endeavor.

Trip looked up at Phlox. “So everything looks okay so far?”

Phlox retrieved a PADD and handed it to Trip. “Things look very well indeed Commander. What you are looking at in an image of your unborn baby, magnified of course.”

Trip squinted and frowned at the image before him. He was used to engineering schematic, not medical ones. He had no idea what he was looking at. “Do ya mean this tadpole looking thing is the baby?”

His question caused Phlox to laugh. “Yes, Commander, that little tadpole is your baby.” He reached across Trip and touched the PADD, causing the image to magnify further. Again, Trip had no idea what he was looking at. “This dark area here is the baby’s heart. As you can see the chambers are developing normally and, now that the placenta is functioning properly, we can expect the heart to begin beating very soon.”

Trip felt a wave of panic. “Ya mean it’s not beating yet?”

“I believe the doctor has just stated that to be the case,” a familiar yet groggy voice stated.

Trip turned back to see T’Pol attempting to sit up. He reached over to help her and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. “Morning, darlin’. I guess you heard the good news.” He couldn’t keep from grinning at her.

T’Pol reached for the PADD, which Trip relinquished to her. “I am uncertain how to interpret the placement of the baby’s heart. Will it be located high in the chest, as a human’s heart would be, or lower?”

“Whatdaya mean? Aren’t Vulcan hearts and human hearts in the same place?” If they weren’t, this was news to Trip.

“No Commander, they are not,” Phlox replied. “It’s a bit too early to tell where this child’s heart will be located but I’d hazard to guess that the configuration of the internal organs will favor the Vulcan anatomy.”

“A superior model,” T’Pol replied dryly but Trip could sense that she was teasing him playfully. He laughed softly to himself as he realized that, to an outsider, the exchange would look abrasive instead of playful. He wondered how often Vulcans were misunderstood by outsiders in such circumstances. It would go a long way in explaining the generally held perception of T’Pol’s people.

“Okay, so where are Vulcan hearts located and why isn’t the baby’s heart beating yet?”

T’Pol took Trip’s head and placed it on her waist. Amazingly, he realized that he could feel the gentle drumming of her heart. However, unlike in humans, T’Pol’s heartbeat felt muffled and seemed to reverberate throughout her torso and chest, which must be why he hadn’t noticed this before. He was so caught up in his discovery that it took a moment for him to realize that Phlox was speaking.

“…given that the chambers are now formed and the placenta is functioning properly.”

Huh, “Um, what was that Doc?” he asked sheepishly.

Phlox appeared somewhat exasperated but repeated good naturedly, “I said that it takes time for a fetus’s heart to develop to the point where it begins to beat regularly and we are now approaching that time with your pregnancy.” He then regarded them more seriously before continuing, “Once the fetus achieves a steady heartbeat the odds of survival increase dramatically. That doesn’t guarantee a successful outcome for this pregnancy mind you, but it dramatically increases the odds in our favor.”

Trip closed his hand around T’Pol’s. “So now we’re waiting for the baby’s heart to start beating?” He was beginning to think the anxiety was going to kill him.

“That is correct, Commander Tucker,” Dr. T’Nar responded. “We will monitor T’Pol here until we are able to ascertain that the fetus is doing well and the heartbeat is steady.”

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to keep my wife company while we wait.” T’Pol raised an eyebrow at his used of the work ‘wife’. “Hey, the docs said that by Vulcan standards you were already considered my wife.” He couldn’t quite suppress his grin of satisfaction at the situation.

“Indeed. However our bonding is not yet recognized by human cultural standards. Perhaps you should refrain from using the human term for a spouse until the situation changes to avoid confusion.”

Trip scowled at her. “You’re no fun.”

“I am Vulcan.”

“And that’s just one of the many reasons I’m crazy about you.” He ended their mock argument. Being bonded had certainly added a whole new dimension to their relationship. When T’Pol’s mind was open to him he could sense the true meaning behind her words. If only they had discovered the bond after they had returned from the Expanse. It might have spared them both a great deal of angst.

“We have set up a research station on the surface of Keldar that I will be returning to presently. Unless Dr. T’Nar receives patients that require the space, I see no reason you cannot remain here with T’Pol.” Trip noticed that the Vulcan doctor had not referred to T’Pol as his ‘wife’. Trip chuckled to himself. The poor guy didn’t realize that T’Pol wasn’t serious about her request. Trip had sensed her delight when he had called her his wife.

The three physicians had moved away and were now discussing something that pertained to their research on the Keldarians. Trip turned his attention back to T’Pol. He could sense that her anxiety had diminished, just as his own had, now that the procedure was behind them. He was now realizing just how stressful the entire situation had been for him as he felt the adrenaline wearing off and fatigue setting in.

“You should rest. The apprehension over the events of the last few days had been a great strain on you,” T’Pol spoke softly to him. She reached up and traced the side of his face and his jaw lightly.

“Can’t argue with you there.” He smiled and looked around for a chair. He had only taken a few steps away when Phlox fetched a chair from a console in the medical laboratory and positioned it next to T’Pol’s bed.

Trip sank into the chair and looked back up at Phlox. “Thank Doc, and thanks for takin’ care of my family for me.”

The doctor smiled down at him. “My pleasure, Commander. Now I suggest you get some rest.”

Trip merely nodded. Then he felt T’Pol gently pulling him down towards her until his head rested next to hers on her pillow. She smoothed the hair away from his eyes and continued to stroke his face. It had a pleasant, calming affect on him and he soon found himself drifting off to sleep.

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

Archer made his way to the Kovar’s Sickbay to check on his two most senior officers and his closest friends. He had hated to be away from the ship while T’Pol was having her operation but Starfleet was waiting on his report and Captain Soran had already made the arrangements for the two governments to contact them after their return from the field. He couldn’t very well tell Starfleet and the Vulcans that he couldn’t do his job due to a personal situation.

So he had gone on the away mission but his thoughts had remained with Trip and T’Pol. He had tried to visit them before leaving on the mission but his meeting with Malcolm had run late and Soran had showed up earlier than expected. He had hoped that Trip would seek him out before the away mission, but he hadn’t. Thinking back he realized that it was quite possible Trip had forgotten all about the away mission. He recalled that Trip hadn’t been very attentive at the last few briefings. Archer really couldn’t blame his friend. He couldn’t imagine what Trip and T’Pol must be going through, worrying ever minute of every day if their baby would make it.

Archer had been worried as well, but Phlox had met him on his return to Enterprise and informed him things had gone well. Still, Archer wanted to see his friends for himself before he could let go of his concern.

After entering the Sickbay, Archer was greeted by a sight that nearly brought tears to his eyes. Trip was sitting next to T’Pol’s bed with his head on her pillow and his arms around her waist. T’Pol was lying on her side with one hand on Trip’s arm and the other cradling his head. Both appeared to be sleeping soundly. The tenderness conveyed by their bearing made his heart swell for them.

He quietly walked passed them in search of the Vulcan physician.

“Dr. T’Nar is not currently present,” he heard T’Pol say.

He turned back around to see T’Pol was pushing herself up but being careful not to awaken Trip as she disentangled herself.

“I thought you were asleep.”

“I was merely meditating. Trip is sleeping.” She looked down at her fiancé and began to absently stroke locks of his hair away from his face. Archer wondered what the rules were for public displays of affection when one partner was human and the other was Vulcan. Although he suspected that T’Pol might not be so open in her display of affection for Trip around others. He smiled at that thought.

Trip was snoring lightly, so Archer was sure he was in a pretty deep sleep. Still, he kept his voice low to minimize the possibility of waking him. “Phlox told me everything went well and things are looking up.” He smiled down at his first officer.

“We are very fortunate. We owe a great deal to Phlox and the doctors here on the Kovar.”

“Starfleet wants us back on the road soon but I think I can stall them a few more days. How long do you think we’ll be needing the services of the Kovar?”

“I believe Phlox would like us to remain here for another day however, I believe we could return to Enterprise earlier if necessary.”

Archer grinned at T’Pol’s choice of words. So, she was now openly referring to herself and Trip as ‘us’. He never thought he’d see the day. Still he was glad of it for both their sakes. “Well, since I’m here maybe we should discuss some official ship business.”

T’Pol straightened and her eagerness was evident even to him. “Yes, Captain.” Dang, she was actually hoping for shop talk. Too bad he was going to disappoint her.

“It has to do with crew moral. Many of the crew have been eagerly awaiting an announcement from the senior staff and I’m pretty sure Hoshi is anxious to throw a party. When do you think we can oblige them?” He tired not to smirk as T’Pol fought to contain her dissatisfaction at having been misled about the nature of their topic of discussion.

“If my recovery progresses as expected, I estimate a return to light duty in a few days. Would that timing be sufficient?”

Archer chuckled at the gendered role reversal between his two senior officers. Trip couldn’t wait to announce the engagement and plan the wedding while T’Pol displayed no outward interest in either event.

“I’ll have Hoshi arrange a gathering in a few days time, once we’ve finished our business on Keldar. Now you should get some rest.” He placed a hand gently on her shoulder. “I’m relieved and glad that everything went okay today.” Then he looked down at Trip, who was still snoring softly. “Take care of him as well as yourself. You both deserve it.”

“Yes, Captain,” T’Pol stated evenly although her eyes and expression conveyed that she was grateful the sentiment.

Chapter 11

Three days later Trip was standing on the catwalk in cargo bay two. T’Pol stood next to him, along with Archer, Malcolm, and Phlox. Almost the entire ships compliment stood on the deck below.

Trip was doing his best to keep from grinning like a complete idiot but he couldn’t help it. Yesterday Phlox had told them that the baby’s heart was beating steadily and that everything was looking good. He could tell that Phlox was a lot more optimistic about the outcome now. T’Pol was still wearing the fetal monitor. He doubted she’d allow Phlox to remove it until the baby was born, which was fine with him. The monitor allowed T’Pol to know that the baby was okay and hence he knew it as well through their bond.

“If anyone had any lingering doubts as to why we are here, that daft smile of yours must certainly have put an end to them,” Malcolm whispered to him.

“Sorry, Malcolm. I can’t seem to help m’self.” Trip felt his smile widen.

“I suppose we should begin,” Archer announced. “I’ve asked you all here today to formally announce that our first officer has clearly abandoned her sensibilities and consented… very illogically, I might add… to marry our Chief Engineer.” Archer was ginning widely now, although Trip was now scowling at him.

The floor below exploded into in din of cheering, clapping, and shouts of both well wishes and sentiments that the announcement was long over due.

Malcolm reached over and grasped Trip’s lower arm firmly. “Official congratulations, Sir!”

“Thanks Mal, and thanks for keepin’ quite about everything. I owe ya one.”

Trip looked over to see Archer shaking T’Pol’s hand in a much more formal manner. He wanted to pull her into his arms for a deep passionate kiss but she gave him glance warning him he had better not attempt it. He settled for taking her hand in his as they stood up front of the crew, glad that she had at least accepted the hand holding as a compromise.

“Now I want an honest show of hands here,” Archer continued, “how many of you seriously believed that this wasn't what the announcement was going to be about?”

A few of the MACOs that had recently transferred over to Enterprise did raise their hands, but the rest of the crew laughed amongst themselves, knowingly.

“That’s what I thought,” Archer replied with amusement.

“How long have they been engaged?” Hoshi yelled up at them.

Trip chuckled and glanced over at Malcolm, who was trying to keep a straight face. T’Pol still didn’t know that Malcolm had told Hoshi and he continued to shield that piece of information from her.

“I guess it’s been almost four weeks now,” Trip admitted. “It’s tough keepin’ a secret on this ship.” Trip felt a slight blush of embarrassment when many members of the engineering team exchanged pats on the back, high-fives, and even money. He noted that Hess wore a very satisfied smile and was nodding to several crewmembers.

“Something ya want ta say Anne?” he asked his second.

“Well, Sir, there are better ways to keep a secret other than shouts of joy and public displays of affection during a busy duty shift.”

Trip felt his face grow a tinge redder as he chuckled. “Can’t argue with you there, Lieutenant.”

Archer came over and clasped Trip’s shoulder affectionately. “Congratulations, Trip. Now let’s take this celebration to the Mess Hall.

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

T’Pol was relieved that Dr. Phlox and Ensign Sato had remained by her side in the crowded room. She was uncomfortable in such a setting but this gathering was to celebrate her engagement to Trip, so she was obliged to attend.

She glanced about the room and spotted Trip surrounded by his Engineering team. They were all smiling at their Chief and jostling to get close enough to shake his hand or pat him on the back. Some of his crew even embraced him in a hug.

She reflected upon the fact that none of the gratuitous, in her opinion, touching of her bond-mate by female crewmembers invoked the jealousy that had been present early in their erratic relationship. He was hers now and she could sense that he felt no desire for anyone but her. If she were not Vulcan, the thought would have made her smile.

“Have you and Trip begun making wedding arrangements?” Hoshi asked.

“Not as of yet. There are many issues that must first be addressed.”

“Namely, how is Starfleet going to react to this?”

T’Pol turned to see Captain Archer standing next to her, holding a beverage.

“Indeed,” she replied evenly, unsure of what else to say at the moment.

Archer pulled her aside and Phlox stepped closer to Hoshi so the two could converse while she and the Captain talked privately.

“I’m not going to be able to keep this from Starfleet much longer. I know we’ve been avoiding discussing things until Phlox could say thing were looking up.” She knew he was referring to the baby. “But now I think we need to come up with a plan of attack.”

“You make the situation sound hostile. We are not expecting Starfleet to resort to violence.”

The Captain chuckled at her response. “Maybe not, but they aren’t going to be too pleased with the situation.” He regarded her seriously. “They will probably have you removed from Enterprise.” Archer blew out a deep breath and frowned. “I know Trip won’t want to be away from his family, so it’s likely I’ll lose you both.”

“Our situation is unique. Perhaps an understanding can be reached that would permit us to stay.”

Archer rubbed the back of his neck and slowly shook his head. “Starfleet vessels aren’t meant to carry children.”

T’Pol regarded him evenly. “Yet this one did for over 100 years.”

Archer cocked his head at her. “You know those where extraordinary circumstances.”

“Yet the fact remains, it was done. That crew found a way to incorporate their children into their lives aboard this ship and that was many children. Here we are only referring to a single child.”

Archer laughed softly. “For now. Something tells me this child won’t be an only child.”

T’Pol raised her eyebrow, which prompted the Captain to laugh more.

“Do Vulcans allow children on their vessels?”

“Under normal circumstances it would not be logical to do so. However, I have already alleged that these are not normal circumstances.”

“Perhaps we should hold a strategy meeting with the senior staff.” Archer smiled at her.

T’Pol realized that he was joking for the most part. He really believed that Starfleet would force her to leave Enterprise. Although she also realized that that would be the most likely outcome, she held out hope that Starfleet would value Trip’s presence on Enterprise enough to allow them to care for their baby here on the ship. It was an outcome she wished to pursue vigorously.

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

T’Pol had been sleeping in her bond-mate’s arms when the comm. had sounded. Trip hadn’t been awakened by the sound so she was careful not to jostle him too much as she rose to answer the comm.

“T’Pol here.”

“Sorry to wake you Commander, but you have a communication from the Vulcan Embassy.”

T’Pol glanced at the time. It was 0200 hours. She knew it must be Ambassador Soval but she was concerned why he would be calling at such an early hour. She reached for her robe.

“Please put it through,” she replied to the night shift communications officer.

T’Pol donned her robe and moved to sit in front of the screen, which she then activated. As she had anticipated, Ambassador Soval’s image appeared. “Greetings Ambassador.”

Soval nodded to her. “T’Pol, it is agreeable to see you.”

T’Pol could tell something was troubling Soval. There was a quality in his voice that betrayed his concern. “If I may ask, why do I have the honor of your correspondence at this hour?”

“I am sorry if I woke you.” Soval paused and his eyebrows drew closer together as he attempted to suppress a frown. “I have just received the report on the Keldar mission from both Vulcan and Starfleet. It seems that you have been ill throughout much of the mission although no details were included in either report.” Soval paused again. “I was concerned.”

T’Pol nodded, understanding. “As you can see I am quite well.”

“I am relieved to hear it. I thought perhaps you had been brutalized by a member of the Kovar during the resolution of Pon farr. Such a thing is rare but it has been known to occur.”

T’Pol knew that Soval would need to be told outright that that had not been the case before he would truly be relieved. “As it turned out, I was unable to wait for the arrival of the Kovar before succumbing to the Pon farr.”

Soval raised an eyebrow. “Indeed.” He regarded her for a moment. “I hope you were able to make satisfactory arrangements.”

“I believe circumstances have allowed the best outcome to be realized.”

“Indeed,” Soval repeated. “I am still puzzled by the reports of your illness.”

Soval’s phrasing allowed T’Pol to choose whether to disclose the details to him or simply allow the matter to drop. She felt compelled to confide in Soval and even to seek his guidance on the issue of remaining on Enterprise.

“I was not ill. However, after the Pon farr was resolved Dr. Phlox determined that I had conceived. As you are aware, producing Vulcan-human offspring is extremely difficult. My time on board the Kovar was spent attempting to achieve a viable pregnancy.”

“I see. Can I assume that it is Commander Tucker who fathered the child?”

T’Pol was about to respond when she heard Trip begin to awaken. Perhaps the mention of his name had stirred him to consciousness.

“T’Pol?” he called out to her.

“One moment Ambassador,” she said and rose to go to Trip.

“What’s going on?” Trip was frowning and shaking himself awake.

“Ambassador Soval received reports that I was ill and has contacted me to assess my well-being.”

Trip had pushed himself up to a sitting position and glanced over at the screen. T’Pol was silently amused as Trip realized he was wearing only his underwear and pulled the sheets up to better cover himself. “Ambassador,” Trip said loudly and nodded to the screen.

“Greetings, Commander Tucker. I understand congratulations are in order,” Soval said evenly.

Trip pulled the sheets tightly around him as he swung his feet over the bunk to face the screen. “Uh, yeah, thanks. I guess T’Pol filled you in.” He glanced up at her.

“I have yet to impart any details. I suggest you don something more appropriate if you wish to be included in the exchange.”

Trip scowled at her and moved off to find something to wear. She returned to the screen.

“I believe my last inquiry has answered itself.”

“Indeed.”

“I am pleased that events have taken this course. It is agreeable that you have selected a worthy mate.”

Trip had just managed to pull on his sweatpants and was still struggling into his sweatshirt. “Did I hear that right?”

“Your hearing is sound, Commander. When I was last aboard Enterprise I was impressed by the deference you displayed toward our culture. Furthermore, your actions throughout that incident were commendable. I find you a worthy mate for T’Pol.”

Although Soval’s voice was dry and even, T’Pol could sense that Trip was moved by the Ambassador’s words.

”Um, thanks Ambassador.” Then he smiled at T’Pol. “Guess I must have a way with Vulcans.”

She merely regarded him evenly until his smile faded and he clearly his throat, looking away a bit embarrassed. Being Vulcan, T’Pol did not smile but when Trip looked back at her he must have been able to discern her amusement because he shot her a shy grin.

T’Pol then turned back to address Soval. “There is a matter on which I wish to seek your counsel.”

Soval nodded solemnly. “Of course.”

“Captain Archer has expressed his regret that Starfleet will wish to reassign me based on my pregnancy. I was hoping a solution can be found that will allow me to continue in my current post.”

Trip came up behind her and gripped he shoulders as he pulled her tight against him. “Hey, I’m not letting you take off to raise our kid alone. When the time comes Starfleet will have to reassign us both.”

Soval looked contemplative. “I take it there are currently no regulations regarding pregnancy and childrearing on Starfleet vessels.”

“Well, no,” Trip answered him. “It’s not like it’s really necessary. I mean I only know of one or two cases where it’s even come up, well three if you count Hanson turning down the Chief Engineer position on Columbia cause his wife’s gonna have a baby. Still, it’s not like it’s really been an issue. Junior level crewmen rotate from one tour of duty to the next so you just rotate them planet-side if the need arises.” He stopped and run his hand through his hair. “I guess senior officers just don’t tend to have families. I’m tryin’ ta think of a situation that comes close to this one but I can’t.”

“If no official policy is in place then it is possible that we could make an argument for you both to remain on Enterprise after the child is born.”

Trip frowned at Soval. “Somehow I just don’t see that happening.”

T’Pol took his hand and waited for him to meet her gaze before saying, “Perhaps you are correct. However, it will cost us nothing to make the attempt. Therefore, logic suggests we focus on presenting the best possible argument to Starfleet.”

Trip smiled down at her and she felt a warmness permeate her being.

“I believe Starfleet had difficultly finding a Chief Engineer for Columbia,” Soval stated.

Trip nodded. “Yeah, that’s the situation I just mentioned. The guy who was going to take the job is expecting a baby pretty soon, so he isn’t looking ta leave home now. Most of the rest of the Warp Five team is either too old or too... well, lets just say not the type that would want to actually leave their books and their laboratories just too set foot on an alien planet.”

T’Pol wasn’t entirely sure she understood what Trip was referring to but Soval seemed to discern his meaning and nodded thoughtfully. “Then it stands to reason that Commander Tucker would be even more difficult to replace. Perhaps the realization that Starfleet stands to lose two vital crewmembers will foster a more pragmatic viewpoint.”

Trip removed one of his hands from her shoulder and rubbed the back of his neck. “Maybe. Maybe we should hurry up and get married. That would buy us some legal grounds for staying together.”

Soval stared at them for several moments and T’Pol was certain he was formulating scenarios and possible responses. She was pleased that she had confided their situation to Soval. He would be a valuable ally.

“I think it might be best not to arrange an official ceremony at this time. Starfleet is unlikely to believe that Commander Tucker would be willing to forgo the opportunity of raising his child merely due to the lack of official marriage rites.”

“I don’t see how us not getting’ married can help.” Trip sounded a bit annoyed and she suspected he was considering how his family felt about the issue.

“Please allow me to negotiate on your behalf before taking any official actions on this matter.”

Trip moaned. “Why do Vulcans have ta negotiate these things? I love her, she loves me, we’re havin’ a baby. What’s there to negotiate?” The pitch in his voice was raised and he threw up his arms.

“Trust me, Commander. There may be a way to retain your current posts after the child is born, but I must insist you take no action on this matter at present.”

T’Pol turned to her fiancé and took hold of his hand. “Please allow Soval to advocate for us on this matter.” She tried to convey her assurance to him through the bond.

Finally Trip nodded his consent. “I guess it won’t hurt ta give whatever you have in mind a try.” He gazed at T’Pol intently. “I just assumed we’d be leaving Enterprise once the baby was born. I guess I’m gonna have ta readjust my thinking a bit too.”

T’Pol felt herself longing to be in his arms. She turned back to Soval and attempted to hide the flushness she felt creeping into her complexion. “We are appreciative of your help in the matter.”

Soval nodded slightly then held up his hand to bid them farewell. “I will contact you again. Peace and health to you both and to your child.” Then the screen was empty.

T’Pol rose and buried herself in Trip’s chest. Her arm snaked around his waist and she pulled tightly against him.

“You really think Starfleet will let us raise this kid on Enterprise?”

“I have known Ambassador Soval longer than you have been alive. If there is a way for us to continue serving on board, Soval will discover it.” She loosened her grip on his and began slowly running her hands up and down the sides of his torso. She lifted herself up and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

Trip smiled and ran his tongue over his bottom lip. This encouraged her to kiss him again, this time with greater intensity. Trip responded by parting his lips to allow her access. Their kissing grew more passionate and T’Pol moved closer to him as her hands traveled purposefully down his chest.

He let out a low moan that sent shivers through her. She moved her hands lower and began to pull at the elastic in his sweatpants. “You are wearing too much.”

“Uh, first you tell me ta get dressed and now ta undress.” He was smiling at her but when she slipped both hands inside his pants and slowly began to pull them down, she saw his eyes glaze over.

He stepped out of the pants and quickly pulled off his shirt. T’Pol raised herself up to kiss him. She started with a slow, soft kiss but within moments Trip was responding with a fierce passion. She pulled back and caught his look of consternation. Ignoring his reaction to her breaking the kiss, she began placing the same soft kisses down his neck, then his chest. She heard his breath catch as she lowered herself to her knees and began trailing kisses along his thigh.

“T’Pol,” he whispered breathlessly.

Again she ignored him as she gently pulled down his one remaining article of clothing, leaving him naked before her. She felt strangely satisfied that, despite the fact she had yet to touch him there, he was fully aroused.

She moved her hands to his hips, her intent evident, when Trip said in a hoarse voice, “T’Pol, I thought we agreed this wasn’t safe for the baby.”

She cast her gaze up at him. “We agreed that sexual intercourse may not be safe for the baby. I believe Dr. Phlox has confirmed this particular activity is without risk.” She moved forward to kiss the inside of his thigh. Her cheek brushed up against his shaft, causing him to tremble.

His breath was ragged. “Are you sure, uh,… I mean what about you?” She trailed kisses closer to his throbbing member until she reached the base and then ran her tongue along its length. “Oh God!” he hissed.

She broke off her assault and looked up to see that his eyes were rolled up and his head was tilted back. “I find this activity most enjoyable. I have recently become aware that eliciting pleasure in you causes a reciprocal effect in me. I wish to determine the extent of pleasure I can receive simply through stimulating your own.”

Trip chucked. “So yer saying this is just an experiment?” he teased.

“Indeed,” she replied although she knew she no longer needed to worry that Trip would misinterpret her words. Their bond afforded them both the comfort of knowing how much each cared for the other. Despite her words T’Pol was certain Trip knew her actions were spawned out of love for him and not curiosity.

She then turned her focus back to her original intent, which was to drive all rational thought from her bond-mate’s mind by driving him into a blissful ecstasy.

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

Kathryn Tucker was both excited and nervous to see that a communication had arrived from Starfleet. It was a letter from Trip. She hadn’t heard from him since he had called to inform them of the pregnancy and the engagement nearly four weeks ago. Scanning the file she saw that it contained a typical audio message as well as two holo-images. She hoped one of the images was of the developing baby. Trip’s baby record contained every scrap of information from every doctor’s visit. She was hoping to start a similar record for her newest grandchild as she was sure Trip would be too busy to think about it and she wasn’t sure a Vulcan would see the logic of something so sentimental.

She decided to listen to the letter first.

“Hey Mom and Dad, I wanted you to know that T’Pol and the baby made it through the operation just fine. Our doc says things are looking real good. The baby has a good heart beat and that we made it past the most dangerous time. We still have to be cautious but I get the feeling our chances are pretty good now. Anyway, we announced our engagement yesterday so now the whole ship knows about that. They still don’t know about the baby yet. I think T’Pol’s gonna hold out on that one until people start speculating why she’s gaining weight.”

He stopped and chuckled before continuing, “Actually the entire ship will probably know long before we tell ‘em. Seems like no one was the least bit surprised by the engagement. Anne told me that they tried to start a betting pool in Engineering but no one wanted to bet that we weren’t gettin’ engaged.”

“I’m sending you a couple ‘a pictures. The first one is my favorite picture of T’Pol. She probably wouldn’t want ta see that one on display but it’s my favorite so I wanted you guys to see the woman I fell in love with. The other picture was taken shortly after that first one. I kinda had to sneak up on her to get that one. T’Pol’s not crazy about having her picture taken. Too bad, that that’s gonna have ta change once the baby’s born. I want ta have pictures of my family plastered all over the place.”

He was laughing softly again. “We haven’t made any wedding plans yet. I’ll have ta fill you in on all that later. Looks like we may be able ta swing by in a couple ‘a months. Enterprise is scheduled for a re-fit and crew rotation, so I’m gonna ask the Cap’n if T’Pol and I can drop by for a visit. I’m pretty sure it won’t be a problem. I’ll get back to ya with the dates and all that when I know ‘em. Take care and give my love ta everyone.”

Kathryn smiled at the tone of her son’s voice. He sounded extremely happy. She was relieved that the pregnancy seemed to be progressing well but she was disappointed there were no pictures of the fetus. Trip had seen his baby record dozens of times so he knew she loved all those prenatal records.

She opened the first picture and was stunned at the image before her. The woman in the image was the very personification of grace and beauty. She was dressed in blue silk pajamas and was kneeling on the floor with her eyes closed. Although it was never easy to read emotions on a Vulcan, Kathryn thought the woman in the picture was emanating serenity. She wondered how old the image was and if T’Pol was already carrying her grandchild. Kathryn had worried how a half-human and half-Vulcan child would fair in the world but if this child were to be judged on appearance alone he or she would do just fine. With Trip as the father and the lovely woman in the image as the mother, there was no doubt that the child would be beautiful.

She was about to open the second picture when she heard the door.

“Kathy?” she heard her husband call.

”In here.”

A moment later Charles joined her in the den. She could hear other voices coming from the front room.

“Jamie and Carol,” Charles clarified.

She was about to ask how long the children would be staying when her husband whistled.

“That’s T’Pol?” He was clearly impressed with the young Vulcan woman.

She gave her husband a pinch. “That’s your future daughter-in-law.”

Charles raised his hands in mock defense. “Hey, I’m not getting any ideas. I’ve just never seem a Vulcan look so…so…”

“beautiful?” she finished for him.

Charles laughed and ran his hand through his hair, shaking his head. “Yeah, I guess I never thought of Vulcans as anything other than stoic.”

Just then her younger son peeked into the room. His wife was right behind him.

“Did I hear Dad say you had a picture of T’Pol?”

She nodded her head. “Well come on in you two and take a look.”

“Oh my God! That’s Trip’s girlfriend?” Jamie’s mouth was hanging open.

Carol did not look all that amused. “Don’t tell me you’ve never seen her before. She was all over the news just like Trip was after Enterprise returned from the Expanse.”

Jamie was still gaping at the picture. “Oh, I’ve seen her, just not like this. I mean she’s well... hot.” His declaration earned him a slug from his wife. From the sound he made Kathryn guessed Carol didn’t hold back as much as she would have if she was merely teasing. Not the she could blame her daughter-in-law. It was hard to compete with an exotic, alien woman. Kathryn put her arm around Carol and gave her a smile.

“There’s another picture here,” Charles said.

“I haven’t opened that one yet. Trip said it was a picture of the two of them together.”

“Good we’ll put it on the mantle. Open it Jamie.”

A second later the first image was replaced by a similar one only this one contained Trip as well. In this image, Trip was sitting on the floor behind T’Pol. He was looking over at her and smiling lovingly. T’Pol was still wearing the blue pajamas but now she was leaning back against Trip. Her eyes were still closed but there was no mistaking the tenderness in her features. Unlike the last picture there was no way to view T’Pol as a sexual object. The inclusion of Trip in the scene altered the ambiance in the picture, changing it to a scene conveying caring and tenderness. This picture was also breathtaking but in a way that warmed the heart.

Kathryn looked around to see the others were transfixed by the picture. She left them there and retrieved a picture frame from a shelf. It held an old picture of Trip with his former girlfriend Natalie. She erased the old image and downloaded the new image into the frame.

“There, now you can all stare at it after dinner.”

Jamie was shaking his head. “I guess I was still thinking that Trip was dating some ice queen that was only marrying him ‘cause she got knocked up.”

“James Ryan…” Kathryn started but her husband cut her off.

“Listen here boy! You were standin’ right here when Trip called and told us how hard it was for them ta get pregnant. You’ve got no right speaking about yer brother’s fiancé like that.” Charles was clearly angry.

“It looked to me like she loves him,” Carol interjected.

Jamie frowned. “Yeah, I know that’s what I meant. I was wrong. Sheesh.” He paused for a moment and then added, “Just think how attractive that kid is going to be.”

Kathryn smiled and nodded vigorously.

“That’s a pretty girly thing to say there, James,” Carol teased, but she nodded in agreement.

“Did Trip send a message with those pictures? Did he say anything about the baby?” There was a hint of concern in Charles’s voice.

“He said the operation went fine and that T’Pol and the baby are doing well.” Her grin grew wider as she imparted the rest of the good news. “Trip said Enterprise is coming home in a few months and he’s going to try to bring T’Pol for a visit.”

Carol smirked. “Are we going to have to lock you boys away while she’s here?”

“Awe, come on Honey. You know no one can compare to you in my eyes.”

Carol smiled at her husband. “Nice save, Tucker.”

Kathryn was still smiling as she considered how wonderful it would be to have her whole family home again. There would always be an emptiness caused by Elizabeth’s absence, but there was also the new joy of another baby Tucker on the way.

The family left the den and moved into the living room, where Kathryn placed the new picture on the mantle. Then she headed for the kitchen to start dinner.

Part 8 (Chapter 12 & 13)

Return to Part 6 (Chapter 9)

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

HAHAHA! IN ALL OF YOUR FACES! I get the first comment WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Sorry, a little bit overexcited there.

AWWWW this story is sooo adorable. And I love that Soval is in there........more of the man. Don't keep us waiting too long for the next part!

This story is wonderful!!!!
I really don't know what to say, it's just perfect!

OH MY GOD! This is really, really, good. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT. Keep em, coming.

fantastico

I am loving this story, Athena! You've got:

1) Trip and T'Pol bonded and expecting
2) great friendships among the crew
3) Trip's family
4) Soval

baby trekkie is right; "it's just perfect". Can't wait for more!

I love the "back at the homestead" cutaways with Trip's family. Can't wait to see T'Pol meet them.

Excellent, excellent, a great chapter yet again! I love this story, can't wait for more! :)

Le sigh! Update! Mmm, how I love this story.

Whew...so we can stop worrying about T'Baby Tucker right?

I am loving this story, especially post Vulcan arc Soval instead of OBV (old bitter Vulcan) Soval!

Also, "If only they had discovered the bond after they had returned from the Expanse. It might have spared them both a great deal of angst."...and all of us too!!!

^^^keep forgetin' my name!!!^^^

Yay! An update! (I check the site everyday for an update on this story!)

This was wonderful. I'll be interested in seeing why Soval thought it would be important that Trip and T'Pol do NOT get married yet. I'm as confused as Trip over that one. ;-)

This is my favorite part:

Trip scowled at her. “You’re no fun.”

“I am Vulcan.”

I'm still waiting for it to get boring like you said it would! LOL... Maybe it's because I'm married with children that this seems just perfect instead of boring. All that angst was worth it! Great story!

Ack, I just realized I missed the last chapter!! How in blazes did I manage to do that?! OK, just read them back to back and I'm so bleary eyed I can barely see, but I want more already! This has to be one of my all time favorite fics.

C'est si bon. Waiting for more. Hey Nez, you're really wild and crazy. But that's okay. You keep me in stitches when I read your comments.

YAY Athena!!!!!!!
another great chapter. Yay Lil t'babys doin good,,now dontput in a monkey wrench. ;)

Who told you this was boring? Must have been a non-shipper...This is great!

This is beyond fabulous!! I've been checking in every day waiting for an update and here it is! This story is just how I would imagine them interacting; I love the dialogue between them, it's dead on. For me that makes or breaks the fic, and this is so close to perfect!!

I hope this story goes on and on.......don't stop!!

Very nice.....Liking it lots. wonderful job....T

Absolutely fabulous!!!! Another great chapter.

please hurry up with another chapter i cant wait going nuts waiting i have read the whole store about 7 times now and cant get enought of it and please let them stay on the shop after the baby is born