Only You - Part 8

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. :)

Chapter 12

Trip was lying on the beach and letting the sun warm his body. He was enjoying the cool breeze and occasional spray of seawater as the waves crashed against nearby rocks. He recognized this particular beach on Maui. He was wondering what he was doing on Maui when his thoughts were interrupted by the presence of another.

T’Pol was standing before him. She was dressed in a two-piece Hawaiian bathing suit and wearing a flower lei. She was stunning. She knelt down between his legs as he pushed himself up. Then she placed a hand on either side of his face and kissed him. The kiss became more urgent and he felt himself growing aroused.

Suddenly she broke the kiss and looked around. “This is a beach on Earth?”

“Uh-huh. A little place called Maui.”

“It is beautiful,” she remarked.

“You’re beautiful,” he said reaching for her.

She turned her gaze back to him. “As are you,” she replied before devouring his mouth once more.

He reached up and cupped her breasts. She gasped and threw her head back causing him to react in kind. He unfastened her top and it fell away exposing her breasts. He began to tease her nipples and she let out an almost animalistic growl.

Wanting to get closer to her he pulled her down to him and then rolled on top of her. He looked down at her, lying beneath him against the golden sand. She was naked from the waist up except for the flower lei. Trip’s breath caught and he found it was difficult to even swallow. He was sure he had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life.

T’Pol reached up and traced the side of his face and his jaw before reaching behind his head and pulling him down into a passionate kiss.

He began to slowly rock against her, eliciting soft cries and moans of pleasure. Her utterances were fueling his arousal and soon they were both caught up in a firestorm of passion. Something in the back of his mind reminded him that there was a problem. Suddenly it hit him, the baby!

That realization was enough to pull him out of the dream he’d been having. He realized he was on Enterprise in his quarters, well technically T’Pol’s quarters but no one even bothered to look for him in his assigned quarters anymore. He was in bed and still very much aroused. T’Pol was lying beneath him. Her eyes were closed and she was moaning softly as she arched her back to press up against him. He realized he was still rocking against her.

He knew he should stop but he was fast approaching the point where doing so would be extremely difficult. He settled for slowing the tempo and tried to catch his breath. “T’Pol,” he called out to her.

She opened her eyes to meet his. They were dark with desire and he was almost undone by that look. “We need to stop,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Trip, please,” T’Pol’s voice was raw with need. He realized that it had been a long time for her and he could feel her need through the bond. Perhaps he could bring her to climax without penetration.

Yes! He heard and even felt her assert through their bond.

He turned his focus to T’Pol and how to bring her to climax before he was undone himself. Her mind was completely open to him and he instinctively knew what she wanted. He reached up and stroked one of her ears before capturing her in a passionate kiss. He could feel the fire his caresses ignited in her. She was so close now.

He broke the kiss and whispered her name as he realized there would be no holding back his own release once T’Pol’s was achieved. The sound of his voice, thick with his desire for her, was all it took and she cried out as she spasmed beneath him.

He felt her call out his name in her mind as she clutched him tightly while she road out the waves of ecstasy assaulting her. Her mind was still completely open to him and, for the first time, he was able to experience and understand T’Pol’s feelings for him. She had told him that Vulcans suppressed their emotions because they felt so strongly that their emotions overwhelmed them. He hadn’t really been able to comprehend that until now. T’Pol cherished him above anything she had ever known in her life and the strength of her feelings for him terrified her. She felt completely swept away by her feelings for him.

Trip let out a gasp as the depth of T’Pol’s love for him pervaded him and pushed him over the edge into his own release. “Oh God darling!” he cried out.

Moments later Trip collapsed onto T’Pol who then reached up to cradle his head against her neck. They were both still breathing heavily. Trip was in a daze. His body was still recovering from throws of pleasure and his mind was reeling from the impact of discovering the intensity of T’Pol’s love for him. He reached an arm around her waist and pulled her even more tightly to him. His heart was still pounding hard in his chest.

He wanted to stay like this forever. Suddenly he felt fiercely possessive of T’Pol. Mine! His mind declared forcefully. He noticed the ends of T’Pol’s mouth curl up in the barest hint of a smile. Through their bond he understood that the raw emotion he was now experiencing was what it felt like for a Vulcan to be in love.

As the intensity of the moment faded, Trip loosened his grip on T’Pol and began lightly stroking her face and arm. “I had no idea how terrifying this whole thing, us, has been for you,” he said softly.

“For Vulcans, the attachment to one’s bond-mate develops slowly and after the marriage is in place. There is no uncertainty in the outcome of the relationship and no need to question the pairing. It has already been decided. Our situation is unique and I was ill prepared to cope with what was developing between us. My culture holds no roadmap from which I could seek guidance.”

Trip nuzzled against her. “I’d say things turned out just fine.”

“Indeed.” T’Pol smoothed away locks of hair from his face. Trip smiled at the act. Playing with his hair had become a favorite pastime for her. He wondered of it was the color or texture she found so fascinating.

He sighed as he realized he should really clean up now. The aftermath of their recent activity had caused quite a mess. He was about to push himself up when T’Pol restrained him. She then proceeded to use the bed sheet to clean away the mess, which included divesting him of his underwear. Then she rose and tossed the old sheet away and retrieved a clean one.

Returning to the bed, T’Pol laid down on her side facing him and lightly caressed his chest. Trip took her other hand in his as his felt sleep begin to overtake him.

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

T’Pol entered Sickbay and glanced around to find the facility empty except for Dr. Phlox, who was attending to his menagerie.

“Good morning, Commander,” he greeted her cheerfully. “What can I do for you?”

“Have you been monitoring the status of the fetus?”

He regarded her with concern. “Of course. You may look for yourself.” He brought the information up on the monitor. “Everything is in order. Have you been experiencing any troubling symptoms?”

“No, doctor. However, last night Commander Tucker and I engaged in sexual activity. Although we refrained from intercourse, I wished to ensure that our activity was not detrimental to the baby.”

A wide smile appeared on the doctor’s face. “I believe you and Mr. Tucker can safely engage in any type of sexual activity you see fit. Your last examination revealed the fetus is doing quite well.”

T’Pol nodded and was about to make her exit when Phlox made a further inquiry.

“Have you been experiencing increased sexual desire?”

Had T’Pol been human, she might have become embarrassed by the question. However, she was Vulcan and this line of questioning fell within the doctor’s purview.

“How did you know? Is there cause for concern?” She was worried that the Pon Farr was returning. She had indeed been experiencing increased desire for her mate.

Her apprehension faded when Phlox began to chuckle softly. “No, Commander, there is no cause for concern. What you are experiencing is completely normal for a female in your condition. The heightened sexual desire is a result of the hormones and other changes your body is undergoing due to the pregnancy.”

“Thank you, Doctor. I am relived that this matter presents no cause for concern.”

As she turned to leave, Phlox called after her still chuckling, “I’m glad I could be of assistance. Good day Commander.”

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

Trip frowned down at his fiancée as she continued to hesitate to don her uniform. He had visited the quartermaster and had them altered to allow a bit more room around her abdomen. Although T’Pol had never complained openly, he knew the growing tightness was making her uncomfortable.

Finally, she acquiesced and pulled on the uniform. She stood and glanced down at her belly. “The additional mass due to the pregnancy is apparent,” she commented. Her displeasure was evident in her voice.

Trip rolled his eyes. “Well that uniform of yers isn’t exactly designed ta hide your figure. Maybe you should just start wearin’ a standard Starfleet uniform for a while.”

“The change in uniform would no doubt be noticed by the crew.”

Trip’s brows furrowed as he tried to make her see reason. “Look Honey, yer almost 12 weeks along, that’s when most couples start spreading the good news. Phlox said everything still looks great. Why not just let everyone know we’re expecting a baby?” He tried giving her his best puppy dog eyes, hoping to sway her.

T’Pol regarded him blankly then looked back down at the small bulge in her belly. “I was under the impression that pregnancy did not outwardly manifest itself for several more weeks.”

Trip shrugged. “Everyone’s different. Besides, where exactly did ya think you were gonna hide it? Yer pretty slender as it is.”

T’Pol continued to stare down. “I was hoping for a few more weeks.”

Trip put his hands on his hips, determined to get her dressed and out of their room before they were late to the staff meeting. “T’Pol, you’ve been holed up in here for two days wearing yer robe. Now that might be the most comfortable thing ta wear right now but ye can’t show up at the meeting in yer robe!” He handed her a blue Starfleet uniform. “Here, I picked this up just in case you didn’t like the way ya looked in yer old uniform.”

T’Pol frowned but accepted the new uniform and quickly changed. The Starfleet jumpsuits were a looser fit than her normal outfit and the slight swelling in her belly was only apparent because Trip knew it was there.

“See, ya look fine. Now let’s get going before we’re late.”

T’Pol remained were she was so Trip took her hand and gently propelled her towards the door. Her grip on his hand tightened and she held onto his hand until they reached the turbolift.

To an onlooker T’Pol would have appeared calm and composed but Trip could sense her nervousness growing as they approached the bridge. “Hey, it’s okay. Remember this is good news. Everyone will be happy for us,” he reassured her in a low tone.

“No one will be questioning your fitness to perform your job based on my condition. I do not have that advantage.”

She wasn’t upset with him. He’d be able to tell if she were, but he was ashamed he’d never considered that the pregnancy would impact her life a great deal more than his own because she was the one carrying the child. “Hey, no one is gonna question yer ability to do perform yer duty. Pregnancy and babies are a fact of life. A very good one at that.” He smiled affectionately at her.

“Not on a starship.”

“I thought that was one preconception you wanted to challenge,” he teased her.

“And we will be taking the first step towards that goal in the next several minutes,” she replied softly as they entered the ready room.

The entire bridge staff and Dr. Phlox were already present. All eyes were immediately drawn to T’Pol’s uniform. Phlox nodded to them with a warm smile. Travis merely looked confused but Hoshi’s eyes went wide, then she turned to Malcolm, who was suppressing a grin. Malcolm shot a mischievous look back at Hoshi, whose grin widened as she looked down. The Captain was also smiling at them.

“New uniform T’Pol?” He asked playfully, feigning ignorance.

Trip couldn’t hold back anymore and broke into a wide grin of his own. Hoshi was pretending to scowl at him, which caused him to grin even wider as he shrugged at her. She smiled back in return.

“The change in uniform became necessary.” T’Pol replied evenly.

The Captain laughed out loud at her reply.

Travis kept looking around at all the grinning faces and suddenly seemed to clue into the situation. “Does that mean…” he stopped there, probably wondering if his question was appropriate.

“Yeah, Travis, we’re expecting a baby.” Trip knew he should probably act more professionally at a staff meeting but he was too excited that they were finally spreading the news about the baby.

Hoshi was closer to them so she was the first one to reach Trip and give him a hug. “Congratulations,” she said as they embraced. Then she turned to T’Pol. “Congratulations, Commander. If you need anything, night or day, just ask.” She was clearly excited for them.

Travis was next to offer his congratulations. “Seems like I was the last to know, again,” he joked.

When Malcolm didn’t follow suit, T’Pol turned to Trip. “I notice Lieutenant Reed has not offered graduations. Or perhaps he has already done so,” she said dryly.

Trip winced. Busted! “Yeah, well, um…”

“It’s my fault Commander,” Malcolm stepped forward. “I sort of wormed it out of him. My apologies. Let me offer you my congratulations as well.”

Trip cast a grateful look at Malcolm. Silently he asked T’Pol to drop it for now.

She turned back to Malcolm. “Thank you Mr. Reed.”

“Okay, now that that is out of the way lets get down to business,” Archer declared and everyone made their way back to the table.

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

Archer made his way to his office and tried to mentally prepare himself for the call that was being transferred there. He’d been forced to inform Starfleet of T’Pol’s condition once the news of the pregnancy had spread. He was still amazed at how quickly the entire crew had learned of their first officer’s condition. She and Trip had informed the senior staff at a morning briefing and by mid-day it was old news. Given that the entire ship was aware of the situation, Archer had decided to inform Starfleet before they found out second hand. He had done so through the usually status reports and now Starfleet was making an unscheduled call. He was pretty sure the brass at Starfleet Headquarters wouldn’t be greeting the news with the same delight as the Enterprise crew.

Taking one last, deep breath, Archer answered activated the viewscreen.

“Admiral Gardner, it’s good to see you.”

“I’m sure you know why I’ve contacted you Jonathan.” Gardner appeared quite somber.

“I’m guessing it has to do with T’Pol,” Archer tried to keep his tone light, despite the Admiral’s appearance.

“That would be correct Captain. I’m not going to ask how this happened. What’s done is done. I just want to know when we can expect to have to replace her.”

Archer frowned. “As a member of Starfleet, she is entitled to three full months of maternity leave with an extension if circumstances warrant.”

“I’m not talking about kicking her out of Starfleet. I wouldn’t let go of the first Vulcan to sign up with us. She’s too much of an asset. I just need to know when you’ll need a new science officer. Commander Tucker can take over as XO.”

Archer felt his frown deepen and steeled himself for a debate that could turn ugly. “I think we can make due with our current staff until T’Pol is ready to resume her duties. I agree that having Commander Tucker take on the first officer’s duties in the meantime is a good idea.” Here it comes, he thought to himself.

“Archer, are you suggesting T’Pol stay aboard after she’s had the baby? She can’t raise the child on a starship! We’ll find her a suitable position on Earth, hell, we can even assign her to Vulcan if she wants.”

“Actually Admiral, if you’ve read the reports of the Enterprise we encountered in the Expanse, you’ll see that it is quite possible to raise a child aboard this particular starship.”

“Those were extraordinary circumstances, Captain, and you know it.” Gardner was frowning at him. “Regulations prohibit children to be stationed on Starfleet vessels.”

“I’ve reviewed the regulations Admiral, and they only apply to children who would be joining their parents on board. There is nothing in the regs to prevent a child who is born on board to two members of the crew from staying.” Archer prepared himself for a scolding. He knew he was twisting the intent to serve his cause.

“You’re playing a game of semantics Jonathan. You know the regulations were meant to prohibit children on aboard Starfleet vessels. You of all people know how dangerous a ship posting can be.”

Archer nodded. “I take it then that Starfleet won’t consider letting the child stay on board Enterprise?”

“You know that’s just not possible Jonathan. Trust me, we’ll find something for T’Pol. I’ll personally see to it she is taken care of.”

Archer nodded again. Time to play the Ace. “Whatever you find it will have to include a position for Commander Tucker as well. I think he’d prefer the San Francisco area.” Archer watched as Gardner’s feature registered shock, then confusion, and then anger.

“Commander Tucker would give up his position on Enterprise?”

“Trip’s a family man, Admiral. He wouldn’t want to be separated from his wife and child for extended periods of time, especially for the first few years.” Archer waited for the Admiral’s response. He knew the man wasn’t going to be happy about having to replace Enterprise’s Chief Engineer along with her first officer. It meant filling the Science Officer and Chief Engineer positions with personal capable of handling the XO duties.

“Tucker can’t leave Enterprise. We just lost Hanson for the same damn reason. What’s with these Warp Five engineers? You have to convince him to stay.” Gardner looked as if he was about to say something else when his brow furrowed. “Wait a minute! You said wife? Don’t tell me you’ve gone and married them already?”

Archer let a smile break as he shook his head. “No Admiral they aren’t married yet. Trip wants to plan the ceremony to include his family. I think he’s even trying to get the Vulcans to perform an official Vulcan ceremony in addition to an Earth one.”

Gardner pressed his lips together. “Tell me Jonathan, is Tucker just reacting to duty here or is it more?”

Archer turned serious as he replied, “If you are asking if Trip’s just marrying her because she’s pregnant, the answer is no. They had to go through quite an ordeal just to conceive a child. You aren’t going to convince either one of them to split up for the good of Starfleet. I’m pretty sure they’ll resign if that’s the only way they can stay together.”

Gardner was shaking his head vigorously. “Damn it all. She’s Vulcan. How did this thing even happen?”

Archer let himself laugh softly despite the Admiral’s mood. “You should see them argue.”

“I’ll have to get back to you, Captain. I didn’t anticipate needing a replacement for Commander Tucker as well.”

Archer straightened. “Very well Admiral. I’d still like to add that I think we can make it work and keep everyone on board.”

Gardner frowned again. “I don’t think that’s going to be possible Jonathan. I’ll contact you again once I’ve spoken to the men and women at the top.”

“I’ll look forward to it,” Archer replied with more sincerity than he felt. When the screen went dark he sank back into his chair. Well, he’d done all he could for the moment. It was likely that Starfleet would simply reassigned Trip and T’Pol, but at least he would do whatever he could to try to keep them on board.

Chapter 13

Trip was both nervous and excited about the visit to Earth. Starfleet had given them three days leave and he and T’Pol were heading to Mississippi to visit his family. Trip hadn’t visited his parents since they moved into their new home. His brother and his wife were also going to be there. He wasn’t worried about his folks too much but his younger brother had been known to speak his mind without much thought about the consequences and he wasn’t too sure Jamie would take to T’Pol.

He looked over at his fiancée as their transport shuttled them to their destination. T’Pol was asleep again. She had been sleeping a bit more than usual lately. She was now almost 4 months pregnant and she had begun to be able to feel their baby moving around. At first she had found the sensation unsettling but she had quickly adjusted and he knew that she now found the movement comforting. Trip smiled. One of the best things about the bond was that it allowed him to feel T’Pol’s emotions. When she felt the baby moving he could sense her delight and he knew the baby was moving as well. He’d tried feeling the movement himself by placing his hand on T’Pol’s belly but, so far, he hadn’t been able to feel anything yet. Dr. Phlox said it would be several more weeks before he’d be able to experience that for himself. Still, not many fathers could experience as much as he had already. He knew as much about his baby’s well being as T’Pol did.

They were now about 20 minutes from their destination and Trip felt his anxiety returning. He had to work hard to keep those emotions shielded, as he didn’t want to upset T’Pol. He thought back to the day they had told the crew about the baby. That was the second happiest day of his life to date, the first being the day T’Pol had told him about the baby and agreed to marry him. After they had informed the senior staff and finished their briefing, Trip had returned to Engineering. On his way there Hoshi had commed him and asked him to look at a supposedly faulty circuit in and out of the way service junction. As it turned out, he couldn’t find anything wrong and Hoshi had informed him she must have been mistaken. She hadn’t been very convincing and Trip was not surprised by the scene awaiting him in Engineering.

As soon as he walked into Engineering he knew something was up. None of the crew were at their usually duty stations and the room was dark and quiet.

Hess smiled at him. “You can count on it, Sir.”

Trip was chuckling to himself as he recalled the incident. At least the crew was supportive of him and T’Pol. He just hoped to find the same support from his family.

The transport was nearing their destination and Trip anxiously looked out the window. He wasn’t sure which house was theirs. His mom had sent in a picture of the house but many of the houses had a similar style to them. Then his gaze fell on one that he did recognize. Sure enough, the transport stopped there.

Trip nudged T’Pol awake and then ran his hands through his hair trying to make sure it was all in place. T’Pol pushed his hands aside and attended to the task herself. Trip smiled, what was it about his hair?

Trip jumped out as soon as the transport stopped and thanked the pilot before helping T’Pol out and then gathering their bags. Before they could take a single step towards the house the door flew open and the entire Tucker clan came rushing out.

His mom ran up and embraced him tightly. Then she tuned to T’Pol. “I’m honored to finally meet you, T’Pol. Trip’s been talking about you for the last four years.”

Trip rolled his eyes. “Thanks mom, ya make me sound like a stalker.”

“T’Pol stepped forward and took Kathryn’s hand. “The honor is mine Mrs. Tucker.”

Trip had warned his folks that T’Pol, being Vulcan, wasn’t too big on touching and to let her set the boundaries in that regard. The smile his mom had on her face now made him very happy that T’Pol had initiated the gesture. Kathryn knew how much it meant.

Charles Jr. was the next to assail the couple. He grabbed his son in a bear hug. “Good ta have ya home, son,” he said as he patted his back. Then he turned his smiling face to T’Pol. “Welcome ta the family T’Pol. Hard ta believe Trip snagged such a beautiful gal.”

“Dad!” Trip admonished a bit embarrassed.

T’Pol merely replied, “My thanks, Mr. Tucker. I am honored to be joining your family.”

Carol slipped between Charles and Trip and gave Trip a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Welcome home, Trip. We’ve missed you.” She didn’t quite release Trip completely as she turned to T’Pol. “Hi, I’m Carol, Jamie’s wife. It’s a pleasure.” Trip was sure Carol was apprehensive at meeting T’Pol. She’d grown up overseas and hadn’t interacted with many aliens. He tried to convey this to T’Pol silently.

T’Pol stepped forward and extended her hand to Carol. “I am pleased to meet you as well. Perhaps you can advise me on parenting a half-Human child. I have little knowledge of human child rearing practices and I anticipate this child will differ somewhat from a typical Vulcan child.”

Trip smiled proudly at T’Pol. She had picked up on Carol’s uneasiness and found a way to make her feel important. Maybe this visit would go well after all.

Jamie came forward and playfully pushed Trip away from Carol. “Hey, you’ve got your own beautiful woman now. Keep away from mine.” He cast a wide smile over at T’Pol. “I thought Vulcans were supposed be all intelligent and logical. How’d ya end up with this loser?”

Trip groaned. “Nice, Jamie. How the hell do you even function in society?” He frowned at his younger brother.

“We’re still working on that one,” Carol said dryly as she swatted at her husband.

“That is a long and… complicated story,” T’Pol replied to Jamie’s inquiry.

“Well then, let’s get you two settled inside and then you both tell us all about it,” Kathryn suggested. With that, the men grabbed the bags and Kathryn led them all into the house.

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

T’Pol was relieved that the initial introductions were over. She had been apprehensive about meeting so many members of Trip’s family at once. Kathryn had given them a tour of the house and then disappeared into the kitchen to begin preparing the mid-day meal. She and Trip were staying in the guest bedroom in the basement. Kathryn had pointed out that it was the larger of the two guest rooms and that it had its own private bathroom.

Now they were all sitting in the main room of the house and Trip was relating details of their many adventures on Enterprise. Kathryn returned and took seat next to T’Pol.

“Lunch will be ready in a few minutes. T’Pol, I’ve made a pasta and salad but one of the sauces contains meat so I’ll point that one out for you.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Tucker.” She could tell Trip’s mother wanted to be addressed less formally but T’Pol was not yet comfortable with that notion.

“Trip’s been telling us about the last time he was left in command of Enterprise. Seems he put the ship in the center of a firefight between the Vulcans and the Andorians.” Jamie was clearly excited to hear Trip’s tales of adventure.

Kathryn shivered. “I’m just as happy not to know about those things.”

T’Pol regarded her kindly. “Both Starfleet and The Vulcan government thought very highly of Trip’s actions during that event. He received a commendation for averting a war between my people and the Andorians.”

Kathryn smiled proudly at her oldest son. “Well, I guess I could stand to hear a few of those details.”

“I like yer new house mom. Big lot, nice view.”

Charles chuckled softly at Trip’s statement. “Tell em how yer already thinking about movin’.”

Trip turned to his mother. “No kidding? Where to?”

Kathryn smiled shyly. “Well, we were thinking we might move to San Francisco after you kids have the baby. That way we could help you both out anytime you need.”

T’Pol glanced over at Trip, who clearly his throat. “Um, we’re actually tryin’ ta get Starfleet ta let us stay on Enterprise.”

No one said anything for a few moments. Then Charles spoke. “Don’t ya think that’s a dangerous place ta raise a kid?”

“Yeah, I mean were ya even listenin’ ta yer own stories?” Jamie added.

Trip pressed his lips together and pressed his tongue into his cheek. “Well, it’s not like anywhere in the Universe is completely safe.” Jamie muttered something under his breath, but Trip continued, “Plus, I’ve got my team workin’ on some stuff ta keep the baby safe.”

“You don’t need ta remind us that were not even safe on our own planet anymore,” Jamie’s response was angry. “I mean we were the first ta find out about Florida and Lizzie after all!”

Trip stood up and advanced on his brother. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. She was my sister too and I’m not gonna stand here and let you insist you’ve got more of a right ta mourn than I do!”

“That’s enough, both of you!” Charles intervened. To T’Pol the exchange looked somewhat habitual, like it was not an uncommon occurrence. “Look, if Trip and T’Pol want to stay on Enterprise that’s their decision. They know that whole situation better than we do.”

Trip backed away and stepped over to take T’Pol’s hand. “Thanks, Dad. It’s not like there’s much of a chance Starfleet will let us stay anyway.”

T’Pol turned to Kathryn. “Should we be forced to leave Enterprise, your presence nearby would be greatly appreciated.” Her words put a smile back on Kathryn’s face.

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

Lunch had gone without incident and Jamie had even grudgingly apologized to Trip. Although Trip was certain his mom and Carol had forced him to do it. T’Pol had related the details of the pregnancy to the family and his mom and Carol had listened with interest. After lunch Trip had told the family a few more stories about Enterprise then, as promised, he told them how he and T’Pol had gotten together. He’d omitted some of the details, like the time they’d had been intimate in the Expanse and Pon Farr. He also left out the neuropressure and just told them T’Pol had helped him through his grief over Lizzie. T’Pol had not corrected his version of events and his family seemed to accept the tale. Everyone had expressed condolences for T’Pol for losing her mom.

Now the women were preparing dinner. So Trip was stuck with his father and Jamie.

“I can’t believe T’Pol is in the kitchen cooking. She’s not exactly a wiz in the kitchen.”

Jamie smirked at him. “I’m guessing that she has other skills that make up for that.”

Trip frowned at him. “I really don’t think that’s any of your business.” He playfully pushed his brother away.

“Awe, come on. We used ta tell each other everything. ‘Sides, I’ve been wondering about how things are with a Vulcan. I mean they’re supposed to be reserved and emotionless.”

Trip was getting irritated now. “Look, Vulcan’s suppress their emotions. Trust me, you don’t want to see a Vulcan lose control. It’s not a pretty sight.”

“Indeed,” Trip turned to see T’Pol and Carol standing nearby. “Before my people learned to suppress their emotions, we slaughtered each other over the most basic issues. Embracing logic saved us from extinction. Should we revert to our former ways and allow our emotions to control us, it would likely lead to the destruction of our civilization.”

Trip let the silence last a few moments before saying, “Ya see my point?”

Carol stepped into the room and approached her husband. “So you told Trip everything?”

Trip whistled and smirked. “Busted.”

Jamie began to turn red. “Hey, we started datin’ when we were seventeen! We all do stupid things at that age.”

“and some of us just never stop,” Carol added.

“Trip, I must go meditate now.” She turned to Jamie, “Otherwise my ability to suppress my violent emotions may be compromised.” She stared at him a moment longer then left.

The look on Jamie’s face was a mixture of embarrassment and fear.

“She’s just teasing ya, Jamie,” Trip said, still smirking.

“Guess that means she’s got a sense of humor,” Charles said as he chuckled softly.

Jamie turned back to Trip. “Okay, you got me in trouble with my wife, now you’ve got to spill. What’s it like with a Vulcan?”

Trip rolled his eyes. “You just don’t give up do ya?”

Jamie crossed his arms. “Nope, and I know for a fact I’m not the only one here that wants ta know.” He shot a knowing look at both his wife and his father.

Trip looked at each one in turn. “You’ve all been discussin’ my sex life?” he asked incredulously.

Charles rubbed the back of his head and cleared his throat. “Well son, I mean we’ve all been told Vulcans are so reserved. It just begs the question.”

“Oh come on,” Jamie interjected. “Don’t tell me you weren’t wondering the same thing the moment you laid eyes on her.”

They’ve got me there, Trip thought. “I’ll have you know the first time I laid eyes on her I wanted to show her ta the nearest airlock.” He paused, “Now the first time I had a serious argument with her…that’s another story.”

“You thought about what it would be like ta have sex with her when you were arguing with her?” Jamie asked skeptically.

“Trust me, you had ta be there.” He left it at that but his thoughts drifted back to the decon chamber during their first mission on Enterprise. She had gotten under his skin in more ways than one. He had left that encounter feeling somewhat confused. His mind was telling him he didn’t like this woman but his body was singing a different song. “I was intrigued by you as well,” he heard T’Pol’s thoughts in his mind. Aren’t you supposed ta be meditating? He felt her amusement as she retreated from his mind.

“Come on Trip, there must be something you can tell us,” Jamie pressed.

Trip blew out his breath in exasperation. “All right,” he paused and looked to see all eyes were transfixed on him. “Well, it all works just like you would expect but when Vulcans relax that emotional control all that tension and passion gets released. Let’s just say I’ll probably live longer if I married within my own species.” He grinned at them a bit embarrassed.

Charles patted his son and the back while chuckling.

“Yeah, but what a way ta go,” Jamie said and shot his wife an impish grin.

“Well, it’s good ta know we don’t have ta worry about yer sex life.” Charles said and Trip scowled at him. “Don’t give me that look. It may not be the most important factor in maintaining a good marriage but it is a factor.”

Trip shook his head. “Yeah dad, you can scratch that one off your list.”

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

After dinner Trip and T’Pol helped clear the table and then load the dishwasher. They were alone so he turned to her and asked, “You’re not upset I discussed… things with them?”

“Their curiosity is understandable,” she replied evenly. “Your father is correct, sexual compatibility is an important aspect of a romantic relationship. His concern for your well being in that regard is thoughtful.”

Trip raised an eyebrow in consideration and then shrugged in acceptance. Then he cast a mischievous grin her way. “So, you were intrigued by me in the decon chamber on our first mission?”

“I found that you embodied what I had been led to expect of humans. You were rash and impertinent. However, I found your loyalty to the Captain and your persistence to continue on with the mission despite the odds, intriguing.” She turned and regarded him for a moment. “I also found you physically appealing.”

Trip shot a look up at the ceiling and shook his head. “You hid it well.” He started to chuckle. “You Vulcans are something else. First I find out that Soval has a soft spot for humans and now I find out that you’ve been attracted to me for the past four years.”

T’Pol raised an eyebrow at him. “I said I found you physically appealing. Attraction also contains a sentimental component and you had yet to earn that regard.”

Trip glowered at her. “Spoil sport.”

Just then Jamie came into the room. “We’re going diving tomorrow morning. Dad’s got some equipment for you.”

Trip glanced over at T’Pol. “T’Pol can’t dive and even if she could she shouldn’t in her condition.”

T’Pol reached up and touched his arm. “Go, I will be fine here.”

“You sure?”

She nodded to him.

“Hey, mom will be here ta keep her company,” Jamie added.

Trip leaned over and kissed T’Pol on the forehead. “Thanks, darlin’.”

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

Trip was a bit nervous about leaving T’Pol over half the day but both she and his mom insisted they would be fine. He was enjoying the trip to the coast. After living the past four and a half years on a starship he was savoring the sun and the wind and he was looking forward to the getting wet.

“So,” Jamie started. Trip turned and saw he had that look that meant trouble. “Did ya sleep well?”

Please don’t be going where I think you’re going with this. “I slept just fine.” He tried to ignore his brother.

“I just bet you did.” Jamie had what could only be described as an evil grin on his face.

“What the hell is that supposed ta mean?”

“Just that she kept ya up half the night.” Jamie had a wicked grin on his face.

Trip grimaced. “What were ya doin’? Spyin on us?” He was getting angry now.

“Hey, it’s the vents in this house. You can hear everything that happens in the basement through the vents,” Jamie tried to explain.

Trip turned to look at his father, who was shaking his head.

“Ya can only hear what’s going on in the basement through the hallway vent and only if yer really listening.” He was giving his younger son a stern look.

Trip glared disapprovingly at his brother. “So you sat in the hallway all night and listened to us?”

“No!” Jamie exclaimed. “But I did pass by there a few times and things sounded pretty intense every time I did.” Then he started to chuckle. “I have ta say I’m impressed and a bit envious. I’m younger than you and I know I couldn’t keep up with that Vulcan of yours.”

“Yer not even two years younger than me.” Trip felt himself growing flush from both embarrassment and anger.

Jamie seemingly ignored him. “So is that how it’s always been or are you reaping the benefits of the second trimester?”

Suddenly Trip was more confused than angry. “What’d ya mean?”

Jamie cast a grin at his wife, who was smiling shyly. “Ya know. Pregnant women get a lot more…well ya know after the morning sickness and all passes. I’m just wondering if Vulcans are the same.”

Trip took a moment to contemplate his brother’s words. Could the pregnancy be the reason T’Pol’s sexual desire had seemingly skyrocketed? He opened his mind up to his bond-mate and felt her confirm his suspicions with some amusement.

Laughing quietly, Trip shook his head. “I guess so,” he answered his brother.

Jamie gave him a rough pat on the back. “Well enjoy it now, ‘cause things will change once the baby is born.”

“Well personally, I can’t wait ‘till the baby is born. Then I’ll know he’s okay and get ta see what he looks like.” Trip let his mind drifted to thoughts of his child.

“I thought ya said you didn’t know if the baby was a boy or girl,” Charles said perplexed.

Trip grinned sheepishly. “Ah, I don’t dad. I just always say him. So it’ll most likely turn out to be a girl.”

“Well, we should hope she has both her mom’s looks and her brains. Is there anything Trip can contribute to the gene pool with positive effect?”

“She can have my sense of humor,” Trip shot back at Jamie.

“I think she should have Trip’s eyes. I’d love to see a blue eyed Vulcan baby,” Carol added.

They all nodded in agreement. Then Trip sat back and enjoyed the feel of the warm sun as he happily thought about what his baby would look like.

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

T’Pol was sitting in the living room admiring pictures of the Tucker clan when Kathryn entered holding several large books. She placed them on the table near T’Pol and sat down next to her.

“I thought you might enjoy seeing some pictures of Trip when he was younger.”

T’Pol nodded. “That would be most agreeable.”

Kathryn picked up the top book and flipped it open. It contained many images of young children.

T’Pol’s eyes were drawn to one image with two young boys playing with a model craft of some kind while a female toddler sat nearby. She reached over and gently traced the image of Trip as a child.

“How on Earth did you know that one was Trip? Most of his own family couldn’t tell those two apart at that age.” Kathryn sounded pleased.

T’Pol pondered whether the entire truth was warranted. She was sure Trip had never told his family how close he came to dying while in the Expanse and the means by which Captain Archer and Dr. Phlox had ultimately saved him. “I have seen Trip as a child before and I merely recognized him.” She decided to be vague.

They perused several more pages of pictures. Kathryn would occasionally comment on the events surrounding certain images.

“It seems that Trip and your other son quarrel frequently.”

Kathryn chuckled. It does seem that way doesn’t it? I suppose they did, but they were close nonetheless.” Then her smile faded. “They used to fight over who got to take care of Lizzie. I know it hurt them both that they weren’t there for her.”

T’Pol gently touched an image of the girl in question. “Thank you for bringing Trip to me,” she said softly to the image. Then she looked up to see tears in Kathryn’s eyes. “I apologize for causing you discomfort.” She contemplated reaching out to touch Kathryn but decided against it.

Kathryn shook her head. “You’ve got nothing to apologize for, dear. I’m just happy that something good came out of that tragedy. The baby is the best thing you could have given this family.” She glanced at T’Pol’s belly. “Have you felt the baby moving today?”

“There are frequent movements now. Unfortunately, the baby’s movements can not yet be felt from the exterior. Perhaps in a month’s time the movements will be sufficiently strong to do so.”

Kathryn smiled at her. “That’s one of the many joys of pregnancy.”

They returned to the albums and soon T’Pol was viewing images of Trip as a young adult. A picture of Trip dressed in the blue Starfleet academy uniform caught her eye.

“He’s handsome isn’t he?” Kathryn asked.

“Very,” she replied evenly.

The next page contained several pictures of Trip with a very pretty woman. Despite the fact she had known Trip had been involved with other woman, T’Pol was unsettled by the images of Trip with this woman. His affection for her was obvious.

“That’s Natalie.” Kathryn supplied. “We all thought maybe she’d be the one but I guess Trip was destined to meet you.” She smiled at T’Pol. “I’m glad you two are together. Trip’s been talking about you since the day Enterprise first left Earth.”

T’Pol was moved by her words. She felt a sense of regret that she had never spoken of Trip to her mother. Not that a Vulcan would do so, but it saddened her that her mother had never come to really know Trip, the man who was now her bond-mate and the father of the child she carried.

“It pleases me as well that we are together. I would have regretted any other outcome.”

T’Pol picked up the last of the books and opened it. This book looked a bit older than the rest but was well cared for. Along with images, it contained small keepsakes as well.

“That’s Trip’s baby book,” Kathryn explained. “I was hoping to make one for your baby as well if you don’t mind.” She looked hopeful.

“I would appreciate the gesture. I have no experience with such things.”

“Oh, there’s nothing to it really. You just keep the little things to remember what your child’s infancy was like.” She indicated a patch of fine, light hair. “That’s from Trip’s first haircut. See how much lighter his hair used to be?”

T’Pol stroked the wisp of hair reverently. She cherished her bond-mate’s hair. Then she turned the page to see an infant boy sleeping soundly in his father’s arms. The image was incredibly touching.

“It’s hard to believe that was almost 35 years ago,” Kathryn said absently.

T’Pol thought back to where she had been in life 35 years ago. She had completed her training at the Vulcan Science Academy and was beginning her training for the Ministry of Security. At the time, she would never have entertained thoughts of taking a human mate. Meeting Trip had changed everything.

She roused herself from her reflections to find Kathryn smiling at her in amusement.

“I was contemplating my life at the time that picture was taken,” she offered as an explanation. “At the time I could not have foreseen the path my life would take. I had no plans to ever serve aboard an Earth vessel.”

Kathryn nodded. “I keep forgetting Vulcans live longer than we do.” She paused and regarded T’Pol for several moments before asking, “Do you expect to outlive Trip?”

T’Pol felt a moment of despair as she was forced to face the unhappy reality that her bond-mate’s natural lifespan was significantly shorter than her own. She swallowed to compose herself before answering, “If we both reach the age of our life expectancies, then I will outlive Trip by approximately 50 standard years.”

Kathryn frowned. “That’s half a century.”

T’Pol looked down and away. “It is extremely regrettable,” she said quietly. Then with more emphasis she continued, “however, it would be even more regrettable to live out a life with another mate, even one that would remain with me throughout my life.”

Kathryn smiled and reached over to pat T’Pol’s hand lightly. “We never can know how long our loved ones will be with us. That’s why we should make the best of the time we have.” Her eyes were moist even thought she wore a smile.

T’Pol took Kathryn’s hand in hers. “Indeed.” Then she looked down at the small bulge in her belly. “I am grateful that we will have offspring to remind me of their father.”

“So this child won’t be an only child?” T’Pol did not immediately comprehend the questions and Kathryn was quick to clarify, “I mean you plan to have more children?”

T’Pol placed a hand on her belly and nodded. “Did Trip ever discuss the incident with the subspace corridor in the Expanse?”

“I’m not sure Honey. He’s told so many stories it’s hard to keep track.”

T’Pol looked away. “The incident was classified, however there were some details that Trip may have been able to re-count.”

“I don’t think he mentioned it then. Is there anything you can tell me?”

T’Pol took a deep breath. “Only that the incident allowed us to observe the possibilities of the future. I observed a half human child with hair and eyes like Trip’s. I know the child I now carry is not that child and I hope to one day meet him again.”

Kathryn appeared stunned. “I know Trip mentioned something about time travel and the second World War, but he never mentioned a child.”

T’Pol shook her head. “The two incidents are not related. I refer to an alternate future that circumstances allowed us to glimpse. Trip and I had a child in that future and I hope we will meet him again in this one.”

“You know I’m dying to know more,” Kathryn pressed.

“Perhaps I should not have begun to relate a story I can not finish. However I felt compelled to confide in you my longing for this child. I cannot do so with Trip without fear of hurting him.”

Kathryn took her hand again. “I’m glad you confided in me, honey. How do you know you aren’t carrying that child now?”

“Dr. Phlox has confirmed the DNA does not match. It is not surprising since the time of conception is off by several years as well.”

Kathryn gripped her hand more tightly. “Then I hope someday I will get to meet that child as well.”

Part 9 (Chapter 14 & Epilogue)

Return to Part 7 (Chapters 10 & 11)

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

Athena, you have just brighten up my day - trust me. Thank you so much. I just love your stories and how I wish these will come true. Please write more.

Still loving it! Still wondering where all the boring parts are that you keep on about! ;) So glad we've got to see Trip and T'Pol interact with Trip's family. Can't wait for the next installment, Athena. Thanks so much!

please keep them on enterprise after the babdy is born i loved it and cant wait for the next chapter

OMG - this is wonderful. It´s touching, it feels like sunshine in these hard last "ENTERPRISE"-days. That´s the way it should be on the show now - and in a fifth season.
Too Bad the "Bibs" endet it the way they did. :(

Can´t wait for more! Update soon!

Wow. This story gets better and better -- which says a lot, since it was fantastic to start with. I love it, Athena!

Oh, Athena!!! Thank you!!! I have been checking the menu several times each day to see if a new chapter was out. Keep up the great work. I am really enjoying this story.

Dang are all lil brothes such a pain in the ass, I swear my lil bro would do same exact annoyin shit to me. Loved this instalment Good to know that T'pol has a family again, beyond Trip and the baby of course. And what the heck is up with Polly's obsession with Trips hair?

Still lovin' it!

I know I'd be runnin' my fingers through his hair all the time too!

;)

come on we're dyin' here ---boy or girl???!!!

oh, wonderfull chapter by the way...nice to see the family time and good-natured teasing

I quite love this story line; I particularly love the way you wrote the scenes where T'Pol realizes she can't find into her uniform and they have to tell the rest of the bridge staff. I don't think I've seen anyone else do that yet!!

Happy to read something so positive in a week that is just so........crummy in the RU!!! Hope you will continue to write.

Love it, bring Lorian back ;)

yay wooo great happiness you make!

This is so much better than the real thing. These two really need their own show! Keep 'em coming!

Very sweet. I'm so enjoying this!

Excellent! I especially loved the scenes with Trip's mum and T'Pol. I hope they get to meet that child again too! Ali D :~)

Very nice....Keep it up. Love this story line...T.