The Morning After- Pt 6

The Morning After

By DestinyGirl

Rating: R
Email: anticipatedestiny@yahoo.com
Genre: Romance, Humor
Codes: T/T, A/H, M/Amanda
Summary: Something the crew picked up along their travels has an unanticipated effect, leading to Trip/T’Pol goodness.
Spoilers: Zero Hour with a twist and anything before that.
Disclaimer: Star Trek: Enterprise is owned by Paramount, not me. No infringement intended, no profit made.
Distribution: Anywhere, just let me know.
Feedback: Of course I want feedback! Leave your comments below.

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Part 6

“In short, Captain, the moon’s a bust.”

Trip’s summation engendered no smiles from his crewmates. Two days had been wasted here. Two days in which they’d painstakingly avoided any trips to the surface, fearing further infection. They’d come up with an ingenious way to transport atmosphere in a small, contained bio-field, a discovery that should’ve made Trip’s engineer heart proud. But that success was overshadowed by the huge black cloud that was utter failure in their larger mission.

“We found nothing?” Archer asked wearily, hoping against hope that there was something they could work with here.

“Captain, I’m afraid Commander Tucker is right.”

Phlox’s usually smiling face was uncharacteristically weary. He’d gotten precious little sleep over the last few days, even though his nights were short in this part of his hibernation cycle. “The samples we collected were from every possible area in and around the landing site. We even collected some from areas a half kilometer away from where our away team landed. None of them contained microorganisms remotely like the ones that infected the crew.”

“But I thought you said the scanners couldn’t detect them.” Archer knew he was reaching, but he didn’t want to leave any stone unturned.

“Now that I have search parameters for the computer, they will not go undetected, Captain. The microorganisms just didn’t originate from this moon.” Phlox paused, then added as an afterthought, “Of the two suspected sources, this was the least likely.”

Archer sighed, leaning over and placing his hands on the table in the situation room. He lifted his head and scanned the rest of his command team. Their faces all wore grim, weary expressions, the setback wreaking much more havoc than usual under the circumstances.

“Maybe this wasn’t a total loss. How did those bio-containers work out?”

Trip frowned. “They worked like a charm, Captain, but only for about an hour, on average. Then the containment field went all to hell and I didn’t have time to figure out what was wrong with ‘em before they completely deteriorated.”

Archer’s head shot up in alarm. “The contents were dispersed into the ship’s atmosphere?”

“No,” Phlox was quick to reassure him. “Whatever caused the containment field to fail also destroyed the contents.”

“So there’s nothing left at all?”

Trip shook his head contritely. “Fried ‘em to a crisp, sir, but Doc assured me they weren’t much use anymore, anyway.”

Archer raised a hand, rubbing his jaw tiredly. “Okay. You and T’Pol get to work modifying them so we don’t have this kind of trouble at Yendi IV.”

“Captain,” Phlox said, and everyone’s eyes swiveled to him. “I think we might have a larger problem on our hands. T’Pol has provided me with scans of the humanoids on Yendi IV that were taken during the last away mission. I can see already that they will be inadequate for my research. We’ll have to go down to the surface again.”

“This society is primitive, sir,” Hoshi interjected. “I studied their language from the audio the away team collected, and it’s also clear that they’re pretty superstitious. We’ll have to be careful if we need to get close enough for short-range scans.”

“Can the EV suits be used?” Archer asked. They’d rejected them outright for travel to the Echaran moon, but maybe they deserved a second look.

Phlox frowned again. “I suppose they could be modified. I think the bio-filters can be amplified, but that would be T’Pol or Mr. Tucker’s area of expertise.”

T’Pol raised the PADD in her hand and began pressing buttons. “We’ll add that to our list of duties, Captain.”

“One more thing, sir,” Hoshi added. “The society is very war-like. If approached, they might be hostile.”

“How close do we have to be to get the results you need, Phlox?” Archer looked pointedly at the doctor.

“I’d say no more than five meters away.”

“Great,” Archer muttered. He turned to Malcolm. “Brief the MACO unit and your security team. I think we might be wise to have one or two of them on the surface with us in case we have a problem on our hands.”

Malcolm nodded swiftly. “Aye, sir.”

Straightening, Archer nodded his head with finality. “Okay, it’s obvious we’ve tapped out our options in the Echaran system, and staying here would be wasting time. Travis, chart a course for Yendi IV immediately.” He paused, his gaze sweeping the room again and meeting each person’s eyes for a brief instant. “Let’s get to work.”

The command team immediately began filing out, but Phlox and Hoshi tarried just a bit. Hoshi seemed uncertain, her eyes darting away toward the door and then back to Archer’s face. Biting her lip, she turned those eyes on him and stared for one long moment, unblinking.

Archer suddenly felt like he’d been snared by a black hole, but it wasn’t at all an unpleasant experience. A flood of warmth burst through him, and he found himself mesmerized by the depths of her eyes. He watched in wonder as the corners of her mouth turned up in a brief smile, and then she winked at him before walking swiftly out the door.

Archer lost his breath.

Hoshi had just winked at him. Flirted with him! It was a concept that both thrilled and terrified. Their dinner two nights ago had been strained at first as they talked about the tough issues, but as the night wore on, they began to relax and actually enjoy each other’s company. Archer had left feeling as though he could actually get back the friendship he’d had with her before this whole thing had started. Even so, he’d never seen this teasing side of her directed at him. He’d seen glimpses of it with Travis or Malcolm, but never with him.

He had the sudden, insane urge to grin.

Near his elbow, Phlox cleared his throat, startling the captain into a sudden jolt.

“Phlox?” Confusion blanketed his features. “You’re still here.”

Phlox couldn’t quite keep the smile from tugging at his mouth. “Yes, Captain. I have another matter to discuss with you.”

“What is it?”

“Marriage, sir.”

Archer’s stomach lurched. What the hell was this all about? He wasn’t ready to get married!

Phlox continued, oblivious to Archer’s paranoia. “Two of the expectant couples have approached me in the past two days, wanting to know if I thought you’d be open to performing marriages for them. They aren’t sure when we will be returning to Earth, and they want to formalize their relationships.”

Irritation at his overactive imagination was overpowered by concern, filling his eyes as he processed Phlox’s revelation. “Are you sure they aren’t jumping into this too quickly?”

Seeming to mull it over, Phlox took his time answering. “I spoke with both couples at length, and I don’t think they’re making any hasty decisions. Both relationships were already established, this incident only serving to up the timetable, if you will. One even told me they’d already discussed marriage as a favorable option during our last shore leave. I would advise you to consider their request, Captain.”

Archer just shook his head in disbelief. This entire situation was turning into a soap opera. “This wasn’t meant to be a multi-generational ship,” he said distractedly.

“Our alternate selves seemed to make a success of it.”

A look of disbelief covered Archer’s face. “But that was out of necessity. You realize that I stand to lose some of my best crew members out of this, Phlox. T’Pol, Hoshi, Lieutenant Hess. Not to mention the men. Or husbands, I guess some of them will be.”

Suddenly feeling weak-kneed, Archer leaned against the table. “God, they’re pregnant, of all things. And they won’t want to leave their children behind on Earth to continue on this mission.” His voice grew soft. “I don’t want to leave my child behind on Earth to continue this mission.”

“It’s not an impossibility that Starfleet will let you continue with them onboard.”

Phlox’s cheerful optimism grated on Archer’s nerves. “If it’s not an impossibility, it’s damn near close. I don’t know how the hell we’re going to get through the aftermath intact.”

The silence stretched as Archer’s imagination ran away with him. Phlox’s voice finally dragged him back to the present.

“So what shall I tell the crewmembers who consulted me?”

A huff of air escaped Archer’s lips in a sigh. “Send ‘em to me, I guess. I’ll talk to them about it. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if we ended up back on Earth in less than a month.”

“The crew will survive, Captain,” Phlox said diplomatically. “And so will you.”

With that, he exited the room, leaving Archer to ponder a life where charting new worlds had been replaced with changing diapers.

* * * * * * * *

“Your child looks splendid, T’Pol. Exceptionally healthy, if I do say so myself.”

Putting his instruments away, Phlox gave T’Pol time to gather herself together after the examination. Prenatal care wasn’t as invasive as it had been in previous centuries, but some parts of the process still required a physical examination. When he turned around, T’Pol was once again every inch the professional officer.

“Then there were no side-effects to the genome combination?”

“No, not that I can tell. I’m glad we caught it at such an early stage; otherwise, we may have had some serious problems.” Phlox smiled and brought up an image on the screen near her bio-bed. “See? I was able to fix some of the errors created by the combining DNA here,” he pointed, “and here.”

T’Pol seemed distracted, but she nodded anyway.

“Would you like to see an image of your child?”

A strange look passed over T’Pol’s features. “There would not be much to see at this stage.”

“Oh, on the contrary!” Phlox said, warming up to his topic. “There is a great deal to see! Why—”

“Thank you, Doctor,” T’Pol interrupted. “But no. I think I will wait until later in the pregnancy to see my child.”

Phlox looked disappointed, but didn’t press the issue.

“Then if you have nothing else for me,” T’Pol began, sliding off the bio-bed, “I’ll be getting back to my duties.”

“Wait, Sub-Commander, we have more to discuss.”

T’Pol caught the note of seriousness in his voice. “But you said the child was healthy.”

Phlox’s intense gaze caught hers. “The baby is healthy. It’s you I’m concerned about.”

Her shoulders stiffened. “I feel fine.”

“You may feel fine at the moment, but I’m still concerned. There is a high concentration of chemicals in your brain, a much larger amount than I normally find in a Vulcan of your age and situation.”

“It is an after-effect of the anomaly.” T’Pol knew it was an excuse the moment she said it, but she didn’t like where Phlox was going with this.

“The anomaly’s effects have long-since ceased to affect you, T’Pol. It is the link with your child that is causing the over-abundance of neurological activity.”

T’Pol finally met his eyes. “It is not abnormal for Vulcan women to have a surge in neurological activity during pregnancy.”

“I am aware of that,” Phlox said gently. “But this link was not meant to be borne alone. It was meant to be shared by both parents, and with good reason. Without the flow of telepathic communication between two people, there is no escape for the chemicals released as a result of your connection with the child. There is nowhere for the residual energy to go.”

A stubborn lift of her chin showed Phlox that T’Pol would not be convinced by medical evidence alone. Her next words confirmed his fears.

“Meditation can serve the same purpose.”

“It will not be adequate, T’Pol. You know that.”

She pursed her lips. “Other Vulcan females have successfully borne children alone.”

“But only with an already established connection to mates who were off-world at the time. Even then, the link remains, although it is weaker.”

Phlox’s eyes searched hers, willing her to understand the gravity of the situation. “The fact that your child is half-human is complication enough. But add to that the fact that Vulcan females who have never initiated a mating bond have an extremely high rate of complications during pregnancy. Nearly all experience mental instability, not to mention physical difficulties. In the worst cases, it can cause premature birth, madness, or even death for both the mother and the child.”

Refusing to look at him, T’Pol leaned back, clutching the edge of the bio-bed with whitened knuckles.

Phlox would not be silenced. “The effect is much like Pon Farr. Vulcans in the most intense part of their cycle cannot purge the excess chemicals with meditation. Neither will you be able to purge them with the same technique.”

“You know a great deal about our private concerns for an off-worlder.”

Phlox frowned fiercely, seeing her diversionary tactics for what they were. “I will not be distracted from this conversation, T’Pol. You are putting yourself in danger. You are putting your child in danger. And it is all completely unnecessary.”

It seemed impossible, but T’Pol managed to stiffen even further at Phlox’s blunt words. “Are you suggesting that I bond myself to a human for life?”

Knowing Vulcan-cloaked fear when he saw it, Phlox softened his words. “Commander Tucker is devoted to you, T’Pol. He will be a steadfast, loyal, and caring mate. You can have a good life with him.”

His words struck a chord deep inside T’Pol’s heart. Unwillingly, her mind brought forth the words of her older, alternate self from the other Enterprise, captained by her son. The son she shared with Trip.

I can’t imagine what my life would’ve been like with out him.

Follow your heart.

The doctor’s next words jerked her out of her reverie. “Please tell me you will consider it, Sub-Commander.”

She looked at him for a long moment, her dark eyes full of phantoms, finally nodding reluctantly. “I will think about what you have said.” Her gaze turned sharp. “But that is all.”

“For now,” Phlox prompted.

T’Pol stared at him for a brief moment longer, then strode out of sickbay, her arms clasped purposefully behind her back. Phlox shook his head as he watched her depart.

He only hoped her stubbornness didn’t carry on long enough to endanger her life or that of her child.

* * * * * * * *

A blush threatened to steal across Hoshi’s face, but she managed to shove her embarrassment back and prevent the physical reaction. The station console blinked before her, sounds emanating from her earpiece as she went about her duties instinctively, but she couldn’t concentrate on the details. All she could think about was the captain. Jonathan.

Sighing, Hoshi allowed herself to briefly close her eyes and conjure up the image of his face right after she’d winked at him in the Situation Room following their meeting. It had been priceless. His jaw dropped, eyes widening to an impossible degree, and he’d blushed. Jonathan Archer had actually lost his cool for about five seconds, and Hoshi had been pleasantly shocked.

She still couldn’t believe she’d done it in the first place. Flirting had been a staple in her social life since she’d discovered its power in middle school, but she’d always managed to test her skills with guys she actually had a chance with. Travis. Malcolm. That cute ensign in Engineering. But never had she felt bold enough to test her wiles on the captain. Talk about out of her league!

If they weren’t and never had been in Starfleet, and if she just met him randomly, Hoshi might’ve taken the plunge and batted an eyelash or two or swished her hips in his direction, but even that was doubtful. Jonathan Archer’s commanding personality on or off the ship was enough to intimidate most women. It did nothing to keep them from flocking to him like flies to honey, but Hoshi doubted that any women who’d been with Jonathan Archer had actually understood him enough to give him what he needed. If they had, they’d never have given him up.

She knew she wouldn’t.

This time, the blush crept across her face in a full flame. Had that possessive thought actually come from her? True, she carried his child, but it wasn’t like the captain had seduced her. Or that she’d thrown herself at him. It was like they’d both gotten drunk, albeit accidentally, and were now paying the price.

Straightening in her seat, Hoshi forced her mind back to her work. Starfleet was due to contact them within the next few hours for a regular update on their progress. She dreaded this call, knowing how little they’d learned and how much it stressed the captain out. She worried for him. Exhaustion etched his faced more often than not, and she wondered if he got any sleep at all. Hoshi wanted nothing more than to comfort him if only out of her own sense of guilt, knowing that some of that stress came from the complicated relationship they now shared.

The only time since that night that she’d actually seen him relax had been at dinner two days ago, but it hadn’t been after a very tense beginning. Hoshi had been shocked when the captain had summoned her to his Ready Room only to invite her to dinner and she’d agreed out of a perverse sense of curiosity, even though her mind screamed that she should run as far as possible in the other direction. But her feet had carried her to the Captain’s Mess dutifully at 1800 hours like he’d requested, and she’d opened the door feeling shyer than she ever had in her life.

It was apparent that he’d been waiting for her, standing near the window, handsome and commanding even in his obvious state of agitation. His head had snapped around as the door opened and an intense expression covered his features, his eyes boring into hers in a way that took her breath away. But just as suddenly, the expression was replaced by a smile, one that made his eyes twinkle.

That smile was enough to make her insides melt.

“Glad you could make it, Ensign.” His tone was dry and she could see hear the teasing lilt behind his use of her rank.

She smiled back tentatively. “Of course, Captain,” she returned just as formally.

He’d rushed to pull out her chair like the gallant gentleman, and somehow, Hoshi hadn’t felt like he was patronizing her, only being polite. Their food was served immediately, and it was a good thing. Hoshi suddenly felt ravenous.

Several minutes later, she’d swallowed the last bite of her pasta and looked up, only to find Archer watching her with a gleam in his eye. Looking down, she noticed that his plate was barely touched. Suspicion flooded her.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” Self-consciously, she brushed her chin with her napkin and darted her eyes back to his. Archer’s smile only grew wider.

“No, I’m just watching you eat. I didn’t realize someone as small as you could pack away so much food.”

She didn’t know whether to bristle or grin at that comment. “I’m not usually this hungry. I guess I didn’t eat enough earlier today.”

“And you’re eating for two now,” he said softly, his face turning serious.

Hoshi was quiet for a moment. “Yeah, there is that.”

“We should talk about it.”

“The baby? Or this,” she gestured back and forth between them, “situation we have?”

“Doesn’t it come down to the same thing?” Shoving his plate away, Archer sat back and crossed his arms nervously over his chest. They needed to have this conversation, but it didn’t make it any easier to say the words.

“No,” she said sincerely. “I don’t think it does. We’re having the baby, but we don’t have to have a relationship. At least not as anything other than the baby’s parents.”

Being so honest tore at her gut, but she didn’t want to snare him. This had to be Archer’s choice, and as much as the woman in her needed him, she wasn’t about to entrap him by his own sense of responsibility.

“I think we do, Hoshi. I don’t want you to be a single mother. I don’t want to leave my child on Earth while I go explore space, being an absent father.”

He looked away, out at the stars where it seemed neutral and safe. “I had a great relationship with my father and I’ve always wanted the same thing with a child of my own. A closeness that is created at birth and is nurtured all through life. But to have that, I need you to cooperate with me.”

She felt confused. “I would never get in the way of your relationship with your child.”

“I didn’t mean to imply that you would, Hoshi. It’s just that if we’re not together, it. . . it complicates things.”

Nodding, she fell silent. She couldn’t argue with his logic. If they weren’t a couple, it was unlikely that he’d get to see their child on a regular basis, especially if he kept his position as Captain of the Enterprise. A feeling of sadness welled up inside her, causing a lump in her throat. She didn’t want to leave the ship, either. She loved her work. But a baby on Enterprise? It just wasn’t practical. She would have to resign her commission whether she wanted to or not. Either that, or take a desk job on Earth. Neither option appealed to her very much.

Beside her, Archer was stoically silent. The quiet atmosphere began to stifle her after a few moments, and she couldn’t take it any longer.

“Why did you ask me here, Captain?”

His eyes went to hers and bored into her with an intensity that shocked her. “Please call me Jonathan,” he said. “After all we’ve been through together, all we’ve done. . .” he trailed off, a look of embarrassment passing over his face.

Hoshi wanted to squirm in her seat. That night had been the stuff of dreams for her, but it didn’t look like Archer felt the same. Maybe if she hadn’t already found him attractive, they wouldn’t have ended up sleeping together that night.

“I can’t help but think it’s my fault,” Hoshi whispered, then bit her lip nervously, not having intended to actually say that out loud.

Archer looked shocked. “It isn’t your fault! If anything, it’s mine.”

“How do you figure that?”

“Well, I must’ve done something, said something, I don’t know. But you’ve never shown an interest in me before and you’re not really aggressive like that.”

“You’d be surprised,” she muttered under her breath, remembering times when she’d had to bite her tongue to prevent a teasing comment from escaping her when she was around him. Louder, she continued, “But we were in your Ready Room. If anything, I came looking for you.”

He seemed to think about that for a minute, then shook his head decisively. “I just can’t see it being anything other than my fault.”

“Do you even remember the beginning of it? I don’t.” The night would be forever burned in her brain, but that first hour or so might never come back. There were only flashes of desperation and hunger. A driving need for him that surpassed everything else. But as to remembering who jumped first? That might be impossible.

“I don’t remember much about how it all got started. Later on, yeah.” His eyes seemed to glaze and he added without thinking, “Oh, god, yeah.”

Something warm unfurled low in Hoshi’s belly at the gravelly texture of his voice as he said those words. Maybe he did enjoy it as much as she did. She fought back the urge to shiver.

Archer jerked himself out of his memories after a few more seconds, clearing his throat and straightening in his seat.

“I wouldn’t blame you if you despised me, Hoshi. I’m your commanding officer and I took advantage of you. I’ve probably ruined your career, not to mention—”

“Stop!”

Her sharp command startled him and he turned to her, amazed to see her eyes flashing.

“Don’t you dare take responsibility for this all by yourself. We’ve already played the blame game in this conversation and I think it’s been clearly established that it wasn’t your fault or mine. Phlox has told us that more than once. So don’t apologize. Don’t make me feel guilty for this.” Her eyes welled up with tears. “Just don’t, okay?”

Shocked into silence, he could only nod. They sat there for a few more minutes in silence, and then Hoshi’s voice once again interrupted his thoughts.

“Do you think Phlox’s theory is right?”

“About the microorganism?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “The one about there being an attraction between couples before that night. That the attraction was the reason for the choice of mates.”

Archer suddenly felt like the proverbial deer in the headlights. Answering her question honestly meant laying his deepest secrets out on the table. Would she bruise his feelings?

Somehow, he didn’t think so. “Yeah, I think he was right.”

Her breath caught as her mind jumped to the obvious conclusion. “Me too,” she whispered.

They stared at each other for what seemed like eternity, until the steward came in to clear their plates and bring dessert. Thankful for something to distract her, Hoshi took in the chocolate creation on her plate with hungry eyes.

One bite and her eyes slid shut in bliss. “Oh, wow, this is perfect.”

Archer watched her take pleasure in the dessert and felt his tension ease away. “We still have one important thing to discuss.”

“What?” she asked, looking at him warily. She’d hoped the hard part of this conversation was over for tonight. They hadn’t really solved any of their problems yet, but the rest could wait for another time.

“Names.”

“For the baby?”

“Yep.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you think it’s kind of early? There’s still a little over 8 months left.”

“It’s never too early to begin discussing this.” He grinned at her and she couldn’t help but smile back.

“Okay,” she acquiesced with a sigh, loading her fork up with the chocolate concoction and poising it mid-air. “You first.”

“I’ve always been partial to Mordecai.”

Hoshi choked on her desert. He’d only been teasing, of course, although it took her a few minutes to figure it out. A few minutes and five completely unacceptable names later.

Now on the Bridge, Hoshi dragged herself back out of her memories of her dinner with Archer and focused once again on her console. The last two days since that dinner had been strange. She hadn’t had any direct conversation with him, but they’d shared more than one meaningful glance, and there were a few times when the captain had come over behind her at her station and leaned in, laying his hand on her shoulder or arm. His touched scorched her, every time reminding her of the chemistry they’d found bubbling between them. She’d found it hard to sit there and not react, not reach out and touch him back. He’d seemed to be unable to help himself, but the touches had always been brief, not enough to completely wear down her control.

She’d found herself taking those touches into dangerous territory. She’d begun imagining what life with him would be like, but only the good parts, of course. Only once had she allowed herself to think of the impracticality of being involved with the captain of Starfleet’s flagship. Instead, she’d dangerously let her mind become occupied with falling in love with him. With him falling for her. What their baby would be like. What kind of father he would be. What kind of husband he might be.

Steadfastly, she’d cut herself off from those thoughts, recognizing them for the detriment that they were. Her dreams didn’t listen, however, and the possibility of a happy future with him stubbornly clung to her mind.

Partly based on her daydreams, an idea had been at the back of Hoshi’s mind and she couldn’t get rid of it. She had an appointment with Phlox today for a prenatal examination, and more than anything, she’d found herself wishing that Jonathan would go with her. It would help bring them closer together, help them begin this partnership as parents. But would he want to be so involved, even before the child was born?

A beep on her console startled her again. She pressed a few buttons, the computer identifying the transmission. It was Starfleet.

Immediately, her hand went to the com panel.

“Bridge to Captain Archer.”

There was a pause before his brusque reply. “Archer here.”

“Starfleet is hailing us, Captain.”

“Patch it through to my ready room, Hoshi.”

“Aye, sir.”

She punched the buttons, leaving the com channel open. “Captain?”

“Yes, Hoshi?”

Taking a deep breath, she shoved her fears aside and asked her question. “I have an appointment with Phlox at 1500 hours. Would you like to come?”

In that moment, she wished she could see his face. She’d never felt more unsure of herself.

“I would,” he answered, and her mind flooded with relief. “I’ll meet you in sickbay at 1445.”

“Aye, sir. Bridge out.”

They might not be on their way to a picket-fence-perfect future, but maybe they could manage to stay friends. A secret smile curved her mouth as she remembered one of her best friend’s favorite expressions. Maybe someday they could even be friends with benefits.

* * * * * * *

The gym was packed.

Malcolm came by after his shift, hoping to get a treadmill or at the very least, a sparring partner. He hadn’t seen Amanda in a few days, and stopping cold turkey like that had left him jittery and impatient. He desperately needed to work off some of his excess energy. The gym was just about the only place he could do it.

Standing near the door, Malcolm scanned the room, then sighed with relief when he realized Amanda was nowhere in sight. He desperately wanted to see her, but his more practical side kept reminding him that he shouldn’t tempt fate. Trip had been right; the sex wouldn’t last forever. And what did they have beyond that?

Unfortunately, not much.

Satisfied that he was fully in control of his current situation, Malcolm walked over to the treadmills. Crewman Nichols beat him to the only empty one, earning a glare from Malcolm. Nichols shrugged good-naturedly and set the controls, breaking into a run. The other treadmills’ occupants didn’t look anywhere close to the end of their workout.

Sighing, Malcolm perused his other options. The weight benches were full, pairs lifting and spotting, some just engaged in conversation or mild flirtation. It seemed that lately, the gym had become the ship’s version of the 602 Club, only without the alcohol. Hand-to-hand combat replaced dancing, and everyone who showed up here knew that it was the place to be if you were young, single, and on the prowl.

Malcolm carved out a space for himself off to the side, stretching as he searched the room for a sparring partner. The mats were relatively clear, especially considering the number of people present. He’d just come to a decision to ask Rostov to be his partner when he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

Turning, Malcolm suddenly felt tongue-tied as he came face-to-face with Amanda. She was smiling slightly, her eyes sparking, and he was bowled over by the electricity that crackled between them.

“Hiya, Commander,” she said with a smile. “Long time, no see.”

“Well, aren’t you bloody cheerful,” he said sourly, frowning at her. Why the hell was she so unaffected when he felt like it was all he could do to keep his hands to himself?

She shrugged, looking away and scanning the room. “I’ve got an idea, Malcolm.”

The fact that she addressed him by his first name in public was enough to make him straighten up and take notice. And the soft, warm way she said it didn’t hurt anything, either.

“What’s that?” he asked warily.

“I think we should fight.”

He looked back and forth between her and the mat, finally resting his incredulous eyes on her face.

“You think with our particular. . .proclivity we should be fighting hand-to-hand? Touching each other?” He frowned fiercely. “You know where that gets us.”

Amanda had the nerve to roll her eyes at him. “C’mon, Malcolm. Look at all the people here. I don’t think we’re going to let ourselves get down and dirty right here in front of everybody.”

He looked mortified. “I should hope not.”

Her eyes turned pleading. “It will be a good way to work off the tension. I have this need to be with you, Malcolm, and its driving me nuts. I can’t sleep, I can barely eat, and concentrating is pretty much out of the question. And I think you have the same problem.”

Jaw tensing in irritation, Malcolm finally nodded tersely. “Fine. Maybe we can work it off in another way.”

“We’ve got to do something,” she said softly. “I can’t go on like this forever.”

“Me neither,” he conceded, moving toward the mats.

They set up in the center and circled each other, heartbeats increasing even before they made first contact. Malcolm struck first, lunging in and grabbing her around the hips, trying to throw her to the ground. She maintained her balance, twisting away from him, only to swing a foot out and knock him off his feet.

Rolling to the side, Malcolm bounded to his feet and they began circling once more. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that a crowd had gathered to watch. He wondered if they could see the undercurrents that flowed in and between the two fighters, if they could tell just from the Malcolm’s uneven breathing and Amanda’s flushed cheeks that there was much more going on here than just a fight between two security officers.

Taking the offensive, Malcolm went for her, using her own technique against her. His foot swept hers and she lost her balance, crashing to the mat. She stared up at him with wide eyes, stunned, and Malcolm immediately felt a wave of concern. He knelt down beside her, worried that he’d hurt her, when a grin suddenly transformed her features. Within seconds, Malcolm was flat on his back, Amanda straddling him and holding his shoulders to the floor.

A grunt escaped him as he looked up at her, chagrined that he would let his own sense of chivalry be his undoing. Their hips fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, and Malcolm found it very, very difficult not to let himself react to it.

“Ha! Beat ya,” she gloated triumphantly, sitting back.

Malcolm’s next move caught her by surprise as he reached his legs up, hooked her shoulders, and reversed their positions. Now he was the one doing the straddling. She counteracted, twisting away and shoving him off her. They traded a few more moves, only to end up back on top of each other again, but this time, Amanda didn’t let her guard down. She sat firmly atop him, exactly where she wanted to be.

It was too bad they had an audience. Off to their left, one of the MACO’s whistled. “Well, don’t you look cozy there, Cole. Tryin’ to improve Starfleet-Marine relations?”

Amanda’s head jerked up and she glared at her crewmate. “Shut up, Martin.”

Malcolm saw his advantage in her distraction and took it. He shoved her off him onto her back, positioned himself on a knee with his other foot planted firmly on the ground. Still holding onto her, he spun her around and pulled her under him in a lightening-fast move that made everyone’s breaths catch.

Immediately, Malcolm felt like he couldn’t breathe. Looking down at her wide, expressive eyes, her heartbeat pounding under the thumb he held at her neck, he felt completely out of control. More so than he’d ever felt when they’d worked off their lust in the usual way. It was almost like she’d been tempting him beyond his control, and now his aggressive tendencies were coming to the forefront, demanding that he give in to the craving and just take what he needed and be done with it.

Disgusted with himself, Malcolm stood to his feet, his dark gaze sweeping the room. The glare he gave their onlookers was scorching, and a few people suddenly found something else to be interested in. After a moment, his eyes met those of Martin, the MACO who’d been goading Amanda.

“Is there a problem, Corporal?” Malcolm asked through clenched teeth.

Martin’s eyes grew wide. “N-no, sir. Just enjoying the sight of a friendly fight, that’s all.”

“Well find something else to do.”

“Yes, sir,” Martin said, snapping to attention then turning away quickly.

Malcolm felt Amanda’s presence behind him. “That wasn’t necessary, Malcolm. He was just being himself. He doesn’t know when to shut up, that’s all.”

He turned on her, suddenly furious. “This was all your idea, Amanda. Tell me, did you do it to tease me on purpose? Did you want to throw my god-awful behavior in my face?”

“No!” she said, her expression contrite. She laid a hand on his shoulder. “I just thought we could find another way to ease the tension.”

“Well it didn’t work.”

She sighed. “I guess not.”

“If they hadn’t been here,” Malcolm said, trailing off, looking at the crowd who’d now found other things to occupy themselves.

“I know,” Amanda agreed softly. “Me too.”

“I think we should see Dr. Phlox.”

She looked startled. “Why? He says that the anomaly stopped affecting us days ago.”

Malcolm shook his head stubbornly. “That can’t be true. What we’re feeling isn’t normal, Amanda. They’re must be something, some residual affect.”

A doubtful shrug answered him. “Okay, I’ll go see him. You will too?”

He nodded. “Until then, I think we should keep to ourselves.”

Sighing, she met his eyes. “It’s so hard, Malcolm. I don’t understand it.”

“That’s why we have to see Phlox.”

“Okay.” She sounded dejected as she walked away, and Malcolm felt like he’d just denied a dehydrated woman a glass of water. But they couldn’t give into this.

If they did, Malcolm knew that he’d eventually be dead inside.

* * * * * * *

“The likely cause is a malfunction in the energy source.”

T’Pol’s efficient voice broke into Trip’s concentration. He’d been studying the construction of the bio-containers, and it wasn’t going well.

“It’s not that,” he said tersely. “I’ve already checked it.”

She frowned. “But the malfunction was caused by a power overload. How can it not be the power source? It is the logical conclusion.”

“Logic isn’t always right, T’Pol,” he muttered, tinkering with the container, and she knew he wasn’t only referring to their current task.

“I think it has to do with the containment field itself. It’s like it’s almost too much for the unit. But we had to amplify the field strength or there would be no point in having it in the first place.”

Walking over beside him, T’Pol’s arm brushed his as she peered over his shoulder at the unit. “What if we adjusted the field variation?”

He looked at her in surprise, frowning. “Now why didn’t I think of that?” He adjusted the controls on the container, turning it on. Scanning it, he checked his readings.

“Huh. Looks like that did the trick. There aren’t any power fluctuations at all.” He turned a smile on her. “You’re a genius, babe.”

Trying not to react to the endearment, T’Pol looked back at him squarely. Despite her efforts, the name he’d called her made her feel soft. It soothed the crazy feelings she’d been having lately.

As if Phlox’s warnings had been an omen, she’d begun experiencing unpredictable swings in her moods. It had only been a day since he’d informed her of her situation, but she’d already felt the entire spectrum of emotions in just the last 24 hours. Where she’d once been in possession of a semi-tranquil spirit, she now had the urge to both smile and sob in practically the same minute. And as the days went by, it got worse.

It hadn’t escaped Trip, either. “I’ll get to work modifying the other containers. Why don’t you take a break for awhile? Get off your feet.”

She bristled at his interference. “I am fine, Commander. We need to work on the EV suits. The Yendi system is only 18 hours away, and the suits should be modified by that time.”

“You still need your rest, T’Pol.” His voice was mildly chastising.

She did need her rest, but more than that, she needed meditation. The longer T’Pol remained in Trip’s presence, the harder it was for her to keep from touching him. A few times, she felt her hands straying to him of their own accord, as if her body were willing to initiate the bond without her. But she couldn’t allow it to happen. She couldn’t be tied to him; it wasn’t logical.

Meditation would have to suffice.

“T’Pol?”

Trip’s voice broke into her musings and she brought her eyes up to his. Concern etched his features.

“Why don’t we go get somethin’ to eat? That way we can both take a break.”

Her shoulders stiffened. “I do not need to be treated like a child.”

“I’m not treatin’ you like a child, dammit! I’m just worried about you. You’re pushing yourself too hard.”

“I am pregnant, Trip. I am not an invalid.”

His eyes flashed blue fire. “Well you’re gonna be if you keep this up!”

She hadn’t mentioned one word of Phlox’s revelations to him, so he had no way of knowing how close to the truth his words were. Even so, she couldn’t stop herself from holding it against him. He was the cause of this, after all. If he’d been in more control of his emotions when the anomaly took control, they would have been able to resist each other. She’d been weak for a moment, and he took advantage. Well, she wasn’t about to stand by and let him do it again!

Her voice was ice. “Please refrain from interfering in my personal affairs, Commander.”

Trip gaped at that comment. Snapping his mouth shut, his jaw tensed and he reached over, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her swiftly to him, their noses a scant inch apart.

“Your personal affairs, Sub-Commander?” He made her rank sound like an insult. “You’re carrying my child, so you’d better believe I’ll be interferin’!”

She struggled against him but he held tight. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that she possessed strength superior to his, but it seemed to have fled her. “Let go of me,” she whispered, glaring at him.

“No,” he whispered. “I’m not gonna let you go until you decide to be reasonable.”

Seeing the determined set of his jaw, T’Pol realized that she wasn’t going to win this argument. For a fleeting moment, she considered giving in, but that thought fled when he released one arm and raised the hand up to stroke her face, his thumb running across her chin.

“T’Pol, please,” he whispered softly. “I don’t want it to be like this between us. I care about you too much.”

She felt her heart begin to soften and instantly, it made her furious. “You’re right. You do care about me too much. I can never reciprocate that, Trip.”

His eyes widened in pain. “You can’t mean that. I know somewhere, deep down, you care for me, even just a little.”

Her chin lifted in stubborn defiance. “You are not my mate. Not my husband, and I don’t even know if you are my friend. You have no right to give me orders in any forum, despite the fact that I carry your daughter.” She jerked against the remaining hand that restrained her. “Release me.”

Trip backed up, pain clenching his chest as he saw how far this had gone. He loved her and he’d sworn he wasn’t going to push her too hard. But he’d seen her exhaustion and worry had taken over. He’d felt fiercely protective of her, but she wasn’t allowing it.

He’d gone and screwed it all up again.

T’Pol turned to leave.

“Where are you going?” Trip couldn’t help but ask.

She stopped, her spine straightening to an impossible degree. “I am going to the mess hall. I find myself in need of sustenance and rest.”

With that, she exited Engineering, leaving Trip to shake his head as he watched. She may be spitting mad, but she’d listened to him. That in itself was a sign that maybe this wasn’t as devastating a situation as he’d first thought.

Trip turned back to the containers, pushing them aside, and walked over to the storage unit for the EV suits. Pulling them out, he began tinkering with the controls.

Only then did it hit him: T’Pol had said that she carried his daughter. Trip’s head jerked up in shock. A baby girl. His baby girl.

Trip could no more stop himself from grinning than he could stop the sun from rising.

Part 7

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

This may be one of my favorite stories ever. This is great! Please keep updating. I'm so impatient, but it's your fault! :P

*smiling from ear to ear* Thanks for brightening my Monday!

Damn, T`Pol, don´t be soooo stubborn!

"You are not my mate. Not my husband, and I don’t even know if you are my friend."

Really, that can´t be true!

T'Pol at war with herself is her own worst enemy, lucky Trip is so enamoured of his favourite Vulcan that he will stick by her and the baby through thick and thin. Good old Dr Phlox, in fact everyone came across really well. Ali D :~)

Wonderful chapter! I especially liked the parts with Archer and Hoshi gradually coming to terms with their relationship. Who'd have thought Archer would be so mature? I also liked the idea of the crew members going to Phlox to sound him out about Archer's reaction to their plans to marry. Phlox is really coming into his own as character in this story. You've handled all of the characters extremely well, but Phlox happens to be a favourite of mine so I'm really enjoying this. As for Trip and T'Pol . . . my god, the woman is stubborn! But they're tied together now, so there has to be a happy ending . . . right?

I also wanted to add that while I was originally not thrilled with the Archer/Hoshi pairing, it's growing on me. I still completely disagree that Hoshi would flirt with Jon at a meeting of all places, but at least we're getting an explanation of sorts as to why they're together in this. I still am not sure how it will work out. I mean, she's an ensign, for God's sake.

But yeah, I'm accepting it better this chapter than I have in the past. Good work. :-)

Jenna--

Thanks for the comments re: Archer/hoshi. I realize that it's a non-traditional pairing, and I would never try to make it work in a "normal" situation, but I thought it would be fun, just this once.

As to the flirting, I wanted to delve a little deeper into Hoshi;s personality. We see so little of her personality on the show, but sometimes, I think I see a teasing, impulsive side to her that barely gets addressed. I dunno, could just be my imagination, but it serves its purpose for this story at least. And anyway, she did wait until everybody left (except PHlox) before she went for it. :D

Glad I'm being at least somewhat convincing with the A/H pairing, overall.Next chapter should be up in a week or so.

DG

Man, T'Pol's really gonna keep hurting him like that? Ouch! Poor Trip! And good grief, I don't know how he can deal with this kind of a situation the way he is! I don't know if I could ever handle something like that! But I'm loving how things are going with Hoshi and Archer. Very cute. I can't wait to see what they name the kid! lol I hope it's a boy! I'm still not a A/H fan but it is cute even though in the back of my mind I'm screaming (it's not supposed to be Archer! It's supposed to be Malcolm!)

Wow, how many times is she going to slam the door in his face. I can say one thing for sure Trip has a very high tolerance level. Must be love. The whole Archer/Hoshi pairing is starting to grow on me... it's weird at first, but hey I'm open to new ideas.

Enjoying the story, and looking forward to the next chapter. Oh, and how about giving Trip just a wee bit of light at the end of tunnel maybe, perhaps? :-)))))

I've just read this from chapter 2 through the current chapter. Excellent! Love the character interplay. Tensions on the ship are portrayed very nicely. I like how realistic reactions have been, how in character they are.

I was a little disturbed by the whole Archer-Hoshi thing. But, as foxfire said, it's growing on me.

Excellent, excellent work so far, I do hope we see more soon.

Great story, I totally love it. If only someone would give Polly a chill pill.

I'm just curious, didn't you say that T'Pol's baby was a boy and then have her tell Trip later that it was a girl? I might have missed something but that was a little anomaly that I noticed. Otherwise, it's a great story.

dream_maven: There was a conversation back in part 4 about how Trip first pictured a baby girl. Then T'Pol mentioned that she "thought human males were preoccupied with the birth of sons to carry on the family surname." Trip responded that he was partial to girls. That's the only gender references I could find so far. Any other time they've mentioned the baby up until the end of this part was as "the child," "the baby," or "it."

At least as far as I can tell. Anything else was an oversight on my part.

DG

I just read it again! When are you gonna update? *whines and then realizes she hasn't updated in a month and shuts up*

I love the story, please finsh it!

WOW DUDE! that's like the best story I've read in a long time! Can't wait to read the next part!
Well done DestinyGirl!