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The Long and Winding Road

Author - Kevin | Genre - Angst | Genre - Romance | L | Main Story | Rating - R | T
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Long and Winding Road

by Kevin

Rating: R (language and sexual situations)
Disclaimer: The characters mentioned within this text are the sole property of Paramount Studios, UPN, and Viacom. I intend no infringement.
Genre: AU and Romance
Summary: T’Pol tries to inform Trip of the bond and fails. He finds out for himself. The setting is after Divergence but I have made no attempt to keep the story consistent with spoilers for Bound and beyond.

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“Lt. Commander Rostov, I was wondering if I could ask for your assistance,” T’Pol spoke very softly. Lt. Commander Rostov reacted with hostility in the past toward T’Pol and she rightly guessed that Lt. Commander Rostov blamed her for Trip leaving Enterprise. But she was a woman and spent more time with Trip than anyone other than T’Pol. Since she was a human, she probably understood him better.

“Yes, what is on your mind Commander?” Lt. Commander Rostov tried hard to maintain professionalism while making T’Pol aware of her anger over Trip leaving yet again. T’Pol was the reason Trip left her with this moron Kelby. After he returned, T’Pol kept bugging him while in engineering. Lt. Commander Rostov was so furious she came close one day to demanding that the Captain keep T’Pol out of engineering so that Trip could work.

“May we speak in private?”

“Sure, let’s use Trip’s office.” She hoped that statement would elicit some reaction from the Commander but if it did, Lt. Commander Rostov could not tell.

T’Pol started her question as soon as the door was closed. “Lt. Commander, I would appreciate your help in a delicate matter. I need to speak with Commander Tucker but he has been avoiding me. As a woman who has known the Commander for some time…”

“If Trip does not want to speak with you, I am not going to help you force yourself on him. I fail to see how any of this is something I should be involved in. If he will not speak with you it is your problem to fix, not mine.” She paused for a bit. “I need to get back to work Commander. Trip is leaving soon and I need to help him get this place back in shape.” She started toward the door.

“Please Lt. Commander. I need your help to convince Commander Tucker to remain on Enterprise.” T’Pol’s statement stopped Lt. Commander Rostov in her tracks.
“I am sorry ma’am, but only one person has a chance to convince Trip to remain on Enterprise and that is not me. At this point, you may not be able to convince him either. I do not see how I can help.”

“Lt. Commander I need help to capture his attention and hold it. I believe that if I can hold his attention long enough to speak with him, I can convince him to stay. I have no idea how to do that.”

“Surely you must have some idea of how to grab his attention and keep him focused on you?”

“Actually I do not. Commander Tucker always pursued me. Now he seems to want nothing to do with me. I have no idea what to do.”

Lt. Commander Rostov was a bit startled at this admission. The Commander wanted to pursue Trip but had absolutely no clue how.

“Okay, Commander, I will consider helping you, but only on the condition that if I help you get Trip, it is permanent. Do you love him? Do you want him forever? I am not going to help you only so you can break his heart again. I won’t help you do that to him.”

The words stung T’Pol. Lt. Commander Rostov assumed like she did that Trip left because she rejected him one too many times.

“I… I… don’t know…”

“Not good enough commander. If you cannot answer that simple question, I am not going to help you.”

“I am not sure what love feels like. Commander Tucker causes emotions that I am unable to control. I have no idea what being in love would be like.”

“Well what do you feel? Maybe I can tell you if that is love.”

“When he is around all I want to do is touch him. I want him to hold me in his arms. When he is not around, I often cannot think of anything but him. I see him in my dreams. I feel lost when he is off this ship. I have no idea how to live my life without him.”

Lt. Commander Rostov again was startled by this normally stoic Vulcan. She has it for Trip and has it bad. Lt. Commander Rostov had no idea a Vulcan could fall in love.

“Okay, I will help you but you have to follow my instructions exactly. I believe I can make sure that you and Trip get a chance to talk. I can get the horse to water, but you will have to make him drink.”

“I do not understand…”

“Never mind, it is an old Earth saying. Let’s head over to the Quarter Master. We need to get something that will grab his attention.”

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The two women walked down the hall whispering about Lt. Commander Rostov’s action plan.

“Commander, I can make sure Trip is in his quarters by about 2000 hours. That is when you want to catch him. You need to corner him in his quarters and talk to him then. We need to make sure Trip is thinking of nothing but you.”

“And how will we, I mean I, do that?”

“He is a man. Capturing and holding a man’s attention is easy. You make sure you are wearing something that demands his attention. While he may have a broken heart, he is still a man. And we can use that to your advantage…” Of course even if she fails and is embarrassed, at least I will have some measure of revenge. But I need her to succeed to keep Trip on Enterprise.

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After arriving at the Quarter Master, the two women started reviewing various lingerie ensembles. T’Pol was blushing. She could not imagine wearing any of these items while trying to talk to Trip. Periodically Lt. Commander Rostov would ask her directly if she thought he would enjoy her in some ensemble.

T’Pol was so distracted she did not hear the Quarter Master come up behind them.

He whispered gently, “ladies, if I may be of some assistance, these selections are all wrong if the Commander is going to attempt to get Trip back. These would send the wrong message. It would come off as completely fake.”

T’Pol wanted to thank the Quarter Master profusely. She was not sure she could have worn some of the items that Lt. Commander Rostov showed her.

“Commander, you are elegant and demure. What we want here is something simple and elegant but will ensure that Trip is aware of nothing but your presence. Lt. Commander would you happen to know if Trip’s into T’s or A’s? We need to know which of the Commander’s assets to highlight.”

“T’s. Oh yes, definitely he is into T’s.”

T’Pol had no idea what the two were talking about.

“Ahh, quite right. I know exactly how to approach this. White tuxedo shirt…” He walked off to retrieve the proper items.

T’Pol leaned over to Lt. Commander Rostov and whispered “T’s?” in a questioning manner.

After hearing Lt. Commander Rostov’s explanation of T & A, all T’Pol could respond with was a startled “Oh!”

Quarter Master returned with three items he gave to T’Pol.

“Commander here you go. One white Tuxedo shirt, one pair of panties and a red Triaxian silk robe. I have cut some of the threads on these two buttons right here.” He pointed to a pair of buttons low on the front of the Tuxedo shirt. “You are to button only these two. Leave the remainder undone. This approach is a bit less wanton but still gives a good view of what waits beyond. The only thing to wear underneath is the sky blue silk G-string.”

T’Pol was embarrassed to find out the Quarter Master remembered her going through at least one pair a week while in the Expanse. Trip loved to rip them off her with his teeth before they made love.

“Do you think this combination will achieve the desired result?”

“Oh yes, Commander. Human females have been using this for over two hundred years. It has never failed as far as I know. Of course you cannot go to his quarters dressed this way, so wear the silk robe. It is modest enough for the corridor but still beautiful. After arriving, ask to use his bathroom and leave the robe. Return to him wearing only the Tuxedo shirt and panties.”

T’Pol was memorizing every detail he relayed to her. This was too important to forget a crucial detail.

“I guarantee you will have his undivided attention when you return. At that point you can convince him to stay using whatever means you deem necessary.” He just smiled at her.

“I appreciate your help Quarter Master.” This plan seemed like something she could do.

“Happy to help ma’am. Good hunting.”

She returned a puzzled look at the Quarter Master but said nothing.

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T’Pol started to pace a bit outside of Trip’s quarters. She had to ask him to stay. To be hers. How could human males have done this for so many years? I am shaking and nervous. It is amazing the human race was able to reproduce.

Finally she summoned all of her courage and hit the door chime. “Commander Tucker, may I speak with you.”

The response took a bit to come. She could almost hear his sigh through the door. “Sure. T’Pol come in.”

Trip’s look of anger turned to surprise when he saw her in the beautiful silk robe. Then it softened as he took in her full beauty. I hope I can go through with this.

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“Trip to Hoshi,” Trip said over the comm.

“What’s up Trip?”

“Could you get me a priority one secure channel to Captain Hernandez?”

“What about?”

“If I wanted you to know, I would not have asked for a secure channel.”

“Yes, sir. Right away.” Hoshi was too tired to tell if Trip was already upset or annoyed at her intrusion. Everyone knew she was a huge gossip. It must be important if he did not want her to know about it. Maybe he is going to stay? I hope so.

“Here you go Trip.”

“What can I do for you Commander Tucker?”

“Hi Captain, I was wondering if you could make some changes to my traveling arrangements…”

The conversation was pretty short. Not long enough for Hoshi to decode any of the message.

“Trip to Hoshi.”

“What is it now?”

“I am sorry, but could you get me a secure channel to the Captain.”

“But we are on the same ship!”

“I am not interested in prying eyes and ears.”

“Then go to his quarters.”

“Just set up the line.”

“Sure thing.” This was very interesting. It was very serious if he wanted to make sure an intraship communication was secure.

“What’s up Trip? Why didn’t you just come over to my cabin?”

“Sorry Captain, I need a favor as soon as possible…”

The conversation was a bit longer but still not long enough to decode.

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Captain Archer stepped onto the bridge and took the third shift crew by surprise.

“Captain on the bridge!”

“As you were everyone. I am just taking a walk. You still have the bridge Lt. Waters.”

“Yes, sir.”

Archer walked over to the science station being manned by Ensign Zury and leaned over.

“Ensign. In less than twenty minutes the Columbia is going to show up on our scanners. I do not want you to alert anyone. Give a simple cough when you detect her. After she drops out of warp, please send this message to Commander Tucker’s quarters. Once you have done that, please stand up and stretch. It is important that no one else knows what is going on. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir. Perfectly.”

Archer walked around the bridge for nearly an hour speaking to each member of the bridge crew about what the were working on and how things were going. He was genuinely interested in their work besides just killing time.

Finally Ensign Zury stood up and stretched. He gave a short grunt to make sure Archer saw him.

A minute later, the communications officer said, “Captain, I have an incoming message from Columbia. It is text only. It says ‘The package has arrived and we are on our way.’ I tried to respond to ask what it meant, but I get no answer.”

“Thanks Ensign. There is no need to bother. Lt. Waters, I want no outbound transmissions to Columbia until I return to the bridge at 0830 hours. Columbia arrived a few minutes ago and Commander Tucker asked to return quietly with no fuss. No one off this bridge is to know. There are to be no exceptions to that. Absolutely none! Am I making myself clear Lt.?”

“Yes sir. Quite clear.” It did not take a rocket scientist to understand he meant Commander T’Pol. Everyone on the bridge cracked the code.

Lt. Waters turned to his communications officer. “Ensign, I believe we saw some intermittent problems with the transmitter arrays earlier this evening. Please run a full level one diagnostic on them. I do not believe it is anything we need to worry the Captain about at this time. I will inform him when he relieves me at 0830 hours and he can decide what to do at that time.”

“Understood sir. The diagnostic is starting now. The transmitter arrays should be down for approximately eight hours while it runs.”

“Captain, if there is nothing else, I will see you at 0830 hours.”

“There is one more thing Lt. Please set this heading and proceed at maximum Warp.” He handed Lt. Waters a PADD and walked off the bridge.

“Okay people. Nothing to see here. Let’s get back to work. Ensign, you heard the Captain. Ahead Warp 4.9.” Lt. Waters wasn’t sure how he was going to get his crew to concentrate. He was sure nothing would happen but rampant speculation about Commander Tucker’s clandestine exit.

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The party was just getting together when Lt. Commander Rostov arrived. She searched out her favorite source of information. Luckily Hoshi was off by herself.

“Hi Hoshi, hear anything good?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. Over here…” The two walked out of ear shot of the other crew.

“Last night Trip sent secure messages to both Captain Hernandez and Archer. I wonder if he decided to stay. I have heard that T’Pol has been trying like crazy to talk to him. Maybe she finally got to him?”

“I know she was going to try last night. She asked for my help.”

“Wow! She must have gotten pretty desperate to ask for help.”

“Yeah, I think she was at the end of her rope. Trip was blowing her off completely.”

Just then T’Pol walked into the mess hall. She wore a stunning red Triaxian silk top and pant combination. It seemed to shimmer as she walked. Her hair was combed perfectly to emphasize her delicate ears.

Hoshi leaned over to Lt. Commander Rostov, “well it looks like the Commander has pulled out the big guns. She looks incredible. How can Trip resist that?”

“Naw, she pulled out the big guns last night.” Lt. Commander Rostov put her hands in front of her chest and cupped them towards herself. “This morning should be just a mopping up operation.” She chuckled a bit to herself.

“Men are such pigs.” Hoshi knew exactly what Lt. Commander Rostov meant by the gesture.

“Yeah. Hopefully she had the brains to use that to our advantage. Kelby is an idiot. I don’t know what we’re going to do in engineering if Trip leaves again.”

They continued to gossip about all of the screw ups Kelby made and what a poor officer he was.

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Hoshi and Lt. Commander Rostov were getting worried. It was twenty minutes after the party was to start and neither Archer nor Trip had shown up.

“Maybe she wore him out and he overslept?” Hoshi giggled to Lt. Commander Rostov.

“Maybe, but look how she is pacing. She seems nervous. I am starting to wonder if she chickened out last night.”

Before they could continue Archer walked in and addressed the crowd. “I am sorry everyone, but Trip asked to return to Columbia quietly. He left last night a bit after 0200 hours.”

There were groans and sighs all around. “How could you Captain?” came from several people. Hoshi noticed that T’Pol just glared at the Captain.

“Sorry. Trip was rather insistent. He wanted to leave without causing a big fuss. I saw no reason to refuse his request.”

Lt. Commander Rostov slammed her fist into the table and muttered, “that bitch!” I am stuck with that asshole Kelby. I should have known that Vulcan would not follow through.

She stormed to T’Pol, grabbed her arm and demanded “we need to talk.” T’Pol was too stunned to resist. Whether it was at Trip leaving without saying good bye or Lt. Commander Rostov’s demand, she was not sure.

After they left the mess hall, the gossiping started. “What was that about?” “Did you see what Commander T’Pol was wearing?” “Why would Trip leave without saying good-bye?”

Captain Archer sighed. He expected another day with nothing going on but rumor mongering about his first officer and former chief engineer. Now it looked like there would be also rumors about his obviously upset second in engineering dragging off his first officer.

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“What happened T’Pol? The plan didn’t work? How could Trip resist you?”

“I… I… I could not follow through.”

“Dammit. I should have known it. Shit, shit, shit.” Lt. Commander Rostov paced about and clenched her fists.

“Well at least you chickened out now instead of breaking his heart again. I guess I can take some comfort in that. Do you think he figured out why you were there?”

“I do not believe so. I was unable…”

“Fine!” Lt. Commander Rostov was not interested in listening to any more excuses. She had to figure out how to keep engineering in one piece now that Kelby was back in charge. She stormed off to engineering.

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Archer left the mess hall to see if he could find T’Pol. He was stunned to find her just outside. Even more so when he saw her fighting back her tears. His shock instantly turned to sympathy.

“Commander, why don’t you return to your quarters? We are en route to our destination and I do not believe your services will be needed on the bridge today.”

“Thank you Captain,” she struggled to say. She almost raced to her quarters. She could not hold back the tears any longer.

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“Hi Doc, I have had a doozy of a headache since sometime last night. I was wondering if there is something you could give me?”

“Let’s see what we got here Commander.” Dr. Keller was not all that worried. Trip had some nasty headaches just after he arrived on Columbia before. It is probably just tension from leaving his close friends behind.

“Your brain activity seems to be a bit above normal but that could be stress related. Why don’t you work a normal shift today and see me later this afternoon. I will give you an analgesic and if the pain returns before your shift end, just stop by.”

Trip felt the pain start to lessen soon after the hypo-spray injection.

“Thanks Doc, see you later.”

“I mean it, Commander. No extended shift today. And I want you to eat lunch. You have lost too much weight.”

“Okay, okay. Phlox has trained you well!” Trip laughed out loud as he left sick bay.

Trip headed back to engineering and entered his office. He had a lot of reports to catch up on and being around his crew would mean there was always something more interesting to do.

A couple of hours after lunch Captain Hernandez came down to engineering looking for Trip. She heard he was in his office catching up on paperwork. She chimed his office door but got no response. Her request to the comm unit went unanswered.

She started to get a little annoyed at Trip’s behavior. She knew he often overworked and was about to give him hell for falling asleep during his normal rotation because he worked too late last night. When she overrode the lock she saw him slumped over his desk with his head on the desk. This was the second time she caught him sleeping at his desk because he stayed up too late the night before.

“Dammit Trip, this working yourself to death has got to…” She suddenly realized he was not asleep. He was not snoring and blood had trickled out of one nostril. He was unconscious.

“Hernandez to Keller, I need a medical team to engineering immediately. Commander Tucker is unconscious.”

“I will be there as soon as possible, Keller out.”

Two hours later Dr. Keller had cleared sick bay of everyone but himself, Trip and the Captain. Trip was in a coma. Dr. Keller was showing the results of a detailed brain scan to the Captain.

“Captain, see this area here and here,” the doctor pointed to a pair of bright red areas on the scan. “The brain activity there is nearly identical to a Vulcan male in the same situation. Or at least this is my assumption at this time. I have sent these scans to Vulcan to confirm my suspicion.”

“How come this did not show up before?”

“I am sorry Captain I never thought to check for it. I mean I heard the rumors the same as anyone else I guess, but frankly it never occurred to me to scan for this sort of thing. He is a human after all.”

“Is there anything else we can do for him? How did you treat this the previous time?”
“I will not know until I hear back from the Vulcans. I did not treat my patient last time. The Vulcan medical staff instructed me on how to keep him in a mild coma for return to Vulcan. They treated him there.”

“Okay, I will make the assumption we will do the same here. I will get us to Vulcan as soon as possible. I probably should not inform StarFleet until after we have heard from the Vulcans.”

“Captain Hernandez to the bridge.”

“Yes Captain.”

“Heading change. Take us to Vulcan maximum warp.”

“Yes ma’am. Course and speed set in.”

“Good. Hernandez out.”

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Columbia did not hear back from the Vulcans for five hours. Dr. Keller and Captain Hernandez took the transmission in her ready room.

“Captain Hernandez and Dr. Keller, I am Chief Physician Veron. I have received Dr. Keller’s data on Commander Tucker and agree with his assessment. Commander Tucker will need to be treated on Vulcan. It is important to keep him in the coma until he arrives at our medical facility.”

There was a brief pause as it looked like Veron was waiting for something left unsaid. He spoke up again.

“The data Dr. Keller has sent me leaves out one important detail. I am not quite sure how something like this could have happened. Has the Commander had any… unusual contact with Vulcans? I am not aware of any stationed on Columbia.”

“Trip just recently transferred from Enterprise.” Dr. Keller swore that for just an instant he saw a look of surprise on the Vulcan’s face.

Captain Hernandez stepped in since she was not sure Dr. Keller would provide the full details. “There were rumors of a failed romantic relationship before his transfer. He was rumored to have been involved with Commander T’Pol.”

“That might explain the nature of the problem. I am concerned though since she should have recognized the symptoms. Of course, since Commander Tucker is human, the cause may be entirely unrelated.” Of course, given the brain scans Dr. Keller sent him, he was certain the cause. The only question in his mind was who. Commander T’Pol seemed the most likely candidate.

A medical assistant handed Veron a PADD during the communication. He read it and returned to the screen.

“Captain, I took the liberty of ordering the Volar’ya to rendezvous with Columbia to transport Commander Tucker to Vulcan. She is faster and can cut at least 18 hours off the travel time. In addition she has medical equipment that can give me a complete picture of his condition upon his arrival. I hope it is acceptable with you to make the transfer.”

“Thank you Veron. We will help in anyway you feel further improves Trip’s chances of recovery. When you do think they will arrive?”

“The best estimate the Captain gave me was 12 hours from now. Safe journeys and we will do everything we can to help Commander Tucker.”

“Thank you, Hernandez out.”

Captain Hernandez was surprised at the level of cooperation from the Vulcans. She wondered if they were softening their stance toward humans or deeply embarrassed that one of their own may have harmed a StarFleet officer. But if they were willing to send a ship out to help Trip, she did not care what the reason might be.

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Councilor T’Pau leaned over Trip and placed her fingers on his contact points. “My mind to your mind…”

As she entered his mind all she could find was darkness. She searched for his presence but he was no where to be found. She continued to search. He was still alive. He had to be in here somewhere. Finally she caught a glimpse of something. It had to be him. She rushed to the form.

She assumed it was Commander Tucker although she could not tell. The person in front of her was curled up in a ball with his head between his knees. She could not see his face. She knelt down to touch his shoulder. It felt like she received an electric shock.

“Commander Tucker, how do you feel? Do you know where you are?”

“I don’t know. There was so much pain. It felt like my brain was being ripped from my body. It was so bad, I could not believe that I could feel that much pain. But I don’t feel anything now. Nothing at all. My guess is that I died. I am dead right? That is why I am here, where ever this place is? I am dead. I guess they were wrong. I never saw a bright light. There is only darkness.”

“No Commander Tucker you are not dead. You are unconscious.” With that he looked up at her face.

His eyes went wide with surprise which turned to fear. He began crawling backward away from her as fast as he could.

“What? She got tired of torturing me herself so she sent you to take her place? Why won’t you leave me alone? Can’t you see I want nothing more to do with Vulcan women? You’re killing me! Please just let me die! I cannot live like this! The pain is so bad.” He started to shake uncontrollably.

“Please, Commander Tucker, calm down. I am not here to cause you any more pain. I am trying to heal you. You have suffered an extraordinary amount of psychic trauma. I am here to help repair the damage. Please trust me…”

He could not understand why he should trust her. But there seemed to be no reason it could get any worse than before. At least now he could not feel anything.

“Please Commander Tucker. Who was torturing you? I need you to show me. I need to understand what happened to you so that I can help you. You said ‘she’ and ‘Vulcan women’. Do you mean Commander T’Pol? Is she hurting you?”

He slumped down and whispered “Yes. She does not want me. But she will not leave me alone. Whenever I try to sleep she appears. She has made my life a living nightmare. Please help me…”

Councilor T’Pau did not know what to do. She had never come across anything like this. Commander T’Pol and Commander Tucker had formed an initial mating bond. She thought humans incapable of telepathic contact. But not only had one formed, it had been strong enough to cause him significant pain when away from Commander T’Pol.

And yet he seemed to have no idea what was going on. Could it be that Commander T’Pol never even chose to share their situation with him? She was not sure what to do for him. So she did the only thing that came to her mind. She knelt down with him and took both his hands. “I will help you Commander. Show me what she has done to you.”

The two traveled through Trip’s memories. The waves of emotion threatened to overwhelm Councilor T’Pau’s control. Trip took her through everything. His highs whenever T’Pol showed any little bit of attention or intimacy. His lows whenever she pushed him away or rejected him. T’Pau’s anger toward another Vulcan manipulating an immature species like a human grew as the memories played out.

After Trip shared the memory of T’Pol marrying Koss and his heart breaking, he stopped. T’Pau looked down at him. He was crying and sobbing uncontrollably. “Please no more. I cannot take it. Can you help me? Can you take away the pain? Please…”

There was nothing more she could do for him right then. She knew that if she left, at least his pain would go away. That was the best she could do for him at this time. “I will take away your pain Commander,” and she terminated the meld.

Chief Physician Veron reached down to steady Councilor T’Pau when she severed the meld. He was worried about her. She was sweating profusely. She was shaking. Something about this meld had weakened her control. “Are you all right Councilor? Were we correct?”

T’Pau’s teeth were clenched together. “Yes,” she hissed through them. “Commander T’Pol has formed a mating bond with this human. What is worse is that she has not told him. She allowed him to leave Enterprise.”

“I cannot believe a Vulcan would form a bond with a human.” Veron was still trying to deny what all of the evidence showed. He did not want to believe what the medical evidence was telling him to be the truth.

“I have seen it. He does not understand what is happening to him. She has abused this human for her own needs. She must be called to account for her actions.”

“Councilor, control yourself. The meld has weakened your control. Please do nothing rash until you have had a chance to meditate.”

“As you wish doctor. But meditation will still not change the fact that Commander T’Pol, a Vulcan, has abused this human. She has endangered his health without regard. She must be held responsible.”

“As you wish, Councilor.”

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Captain Archer paced in his ready room trying desperately not to think of various scenarios that would lead Trip to be in a coma on Vulcan. He was failing miserably though. He was baffled by the Vulcan high council’s demand that Enterprise make best speed to Vulcan. Even worse, their original demand was that T’Pol be transferred to a Vulcan ship to arrive even earlier.

The Vulcans would not share any information about why Trip was in the coma. They only shared that he was in a coma and receiving the best treatment Vulcan could provide. However it was of vital importance that T’Pol arrive on Vulcan as soon as possible.

T’Pol was unable or unwilling to provide any clues as to what might be going on. She absolutely refused to speculate in any way. Finally Archer confined her to quarters for the remainder of the voyage. The ship’s rumor mill was running wild and having her on the bridge at this time would only provide a distraction.

The four days it took to arrive at Vulcan would be some of the worst in Archer’s life.

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Councilor T’Pau visited Commander Tucker for their normal morning treatment. She had repaired a significant portion of the damage already. Soon he would be healed and he would have to chose to keep the bond or not. She had assumed he would choose to remove it as soon as he found out about it. But he had not yet.

“Are you ready for your treatment Commander?” He looked up at her from his bed and nodded. She knew he could do little else yet. He looked so helpless lying there. The neural inhibitors necessary for his recovery rendered him with little control over his body.

She settled in, leaned over him and began the meld. She was amazed at how simply he could reciprocate the meld. While it did not appear he could ever initiate telepathic contact, he was remarkable in his ability to receive it. She saw him sitting and waiting for her to enter his mind. It almost seemed natural to him.

“Hello Commander Tucker. How are you feeling today?”

“Better. I was able to read a little more this morning. Veron helped me read a bit of the Kir’shara. But I was confused. The copy he gave me does not read like my copy.”

“Your copy Commander? You have a personal copy of the Kir’shara?”

“Yes, I know it sounds weird to hear about a human like me with his own copy. T’Pol’s mom, T’Les gave me a copy after T’Pol married Koss. She told me ‘the future was not set’. I did not understand what she meant. My only guess was that somewhere in the text was something that would help me understand what T’Pol was going through. But it did not.”

“That is interesting.” She deliberately remained vague. “What do you mean that the two copies do not read the same?”

“They do not sound the same at all. My memory is clouded right now so I cannot give you details but the two copies are distinctly different. The copy Veron has sounds like every Vulcan I encountered on Earth. Cold, detached, arrogant. The copy T’Les gave me sounds much different. I see warmth and appreciation for diversity and a recognition of balance. It is as if the two translations are of completely different books.”

T’Pau wondered if the copy T’Les gave him was the version T’Pau believed it to be. If so, they really are from two different books.

“But I wanted to talk about something different. I am very confused by all of this. I do not understand how the bond could have formed without T’Pol caring about me and wanting it to form. I thought both sides needed to want the bond to form?”

“That is the interesting part of the situation Commander. If Commander T’Pol did not care deeply for you, the bond could never have formed. Neuro-pressure is not practiced between a male and female unless they are mated. Vulcans do not have casual sexual intercourse. In fact, many do not have any sexual relations at all outside of Pon’Farr. The fact that you shared neuro-pressure sessions and sexual intercourse for months is remarkable. Commander T’Pol was behaving as if you were already mated.”

She left out the part about the bite mark above Commander Tucker’s heart symbolizing T’Pol’s ownership of his heart. She was not sure how he would take that piece of information.

“If she cares so much about me, she sure has a strange way of showing it.”

“Commander, Vulcans are not taught how to handle these emotions. In our society marriages are arraigned. She most likely has no basis for dealing with a relationship such as yours. I have to admit, it is amazingly complex. Even between two humans, your mating practices are significantly more complex and subtle than between two Vulcan’s. Now add in an interspecies relationship. I believe what you experienced was T’Pol swinging between typical emotional control and surrendering to her urges.”

“Do you think she really cares for me?” Trip wasn’t sure if he should hold out a glimmer of hope or not. T’Pol had crushed him so many times before.

T’Pau could feel his fear. He wanted to believe her but his experience told him not to. “I believe she does. I am unwilling to believe that any Vulcan could be sadistic enough to put your life at risk. I believe she cares for you but has no idea how to show you.” She did not let Commander Tucker know of the meld she had with T’Pol to repair her Pa’nar syndrome. During that time she found that T’Pol held very deep emotions for Commander Tucker. They were conflicted and scattered but at the core was a deep need for him.

“Commander Tucker, I believe I have done all that I can for you today. It is time for you to rest. I will be tomorrow to help you some more.”

“Thank you for everything T’Pau. I feel better than I have in… Well I actually cannot remember feeling this good.”

He smiled at her in a way that rattled her control. He picked up her hand and kissed it. It was electrifying. She had no idea how he could have done something like that through the meld. He seemed so comfortable with it. When she severed the link, she felt something new. She felt an emptiness unlike anything she experienced before.

As she meditated to recover from the meld, she found her attention focused on the human male she was treating. I think I understand now why T’Pol was drawn to him. I wonder if he will keep the bond with her? Could I even consider taking a human mate? What am I thinking? She wondered if her continuing to perform his treatments was a good idea.

Trip on the other hand thought about nothing but sleep. Councilor T’Pau had given him a lot to think about but left him with little energy. He was sleeping soundly in minutes after she left.

Later that day, after the neural inhibitors wore off a bit, Trip tapped out a short message on the PADD and handed it to Veron.

The message said, “I need to ask a favor. Could you tell me if there is…” Veron knew exactly Command Tucker’s intention after reading the full message. He would gladly fulfill the request being asked. It would be his privilege to assist in this matter.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Councilor T'Pau and her assistant greeted Captain Archer and Commander T'Pol at the medical complex transporter room. Archer was anxious to see his friend and T'Pau had her assistant escort him there.

“Commander T'Pol, I would speak with you in private.”

“Yes, Councilor.”

The two headed to a small room for privacy. T'Pol was worried since T'Pau almost appeared angry.

“I am dismayed at your disregard for your mate's health. His condition was critical when he arrived. If Dr. Keller had not recognized his symptoms from previous experience with Vulcan males, it is unlikely he would have arrived in time for us to treat him,” T'Pau glared at T'Pol during her lecture.

“I did not recognize we had formed a mating bond...”

“Enough, T'Pol. You may lie to yourself about your relationship with Commander Tucker, but do not lie to me. It was clear once we assessed the situation that the two of you had formed an initial bond. He can be forgiven for his actions as he did not understand the change that took place. I am not sure he yet fully grasps the full meaning of the bond. But you should have known better. You put his life at great risk.”

“I know. He has aroused emotions in me that I do not understand or know how to control. The past several weeks when he was on Columbia...”

“Several weeks?! What were you thinking T'Pol?! That amount of time would have caused serious damage even to a Vulcan male. You are very fortunate that this human seems far stronger and resilient that we give them credit. The fact that he even could reciprocate a bond with this strength is remarkable. Fortunately he appears to be responding to therapy and should heal with no permanent damage.”

T'Pol was relieved at that statement. If Trip had been harmed permanently, she was sure she could not live with the consequences. She felt more ashamed right now than ever. This was far worse than becoming addicted to Trellium.

“Has the bond been removed already? I have not felt his presence for days?” T'Pol voice showed her concern that she had lost him.

“No. Veron has given him neural inhibitors to limit his brain activity. You probably could not feel him any farther than a few feet away. He gets a bit confused due to the drugs but he has mostly been coherent during our...”

“Why are you treating him?” T'Pol could not believe someone this important would take part in his treatment.

“I am a healer remember? There was nothing wrong physically with him. I have been treating him for the past five days. I have to admit, at first I found the idea of you selecting a human mate abhorrent. But as I spent time with him during his treatment, I have come to understand your choice a bit better. You have chosen well.”

T'Pol was startled at that statement. Here was the new leader of Vulcan telling T'Pol that she approved her choosing a human mate. She was at a loss for words.

“He is inquisitive and a quick learner. Although he does not recognize it yet, he already basically grasps the true teachings of Surak. In fact, more than many Vulcans. He is amusing. He is pleasing to look at. And his scent is...” T'Pau hesitated as she remembered she was speaking with T'Pol about her mate, “not unpleasant.” Actually T'Pau found it intoxicating.

T'Pol felt a jealous anger building inside. How dare T'Pau talk about my mate in this fashion?

“How do you know all of this?” T'Pol attempted in her calmest voice possible at the time.

“I noticed he was reading the Kir’shara. He showed me the section he was studying. I realized immediately his translation was not the VHC approved version. It was an English translation of the original ancient texts. During our mind meld...”

T'Pol's fury at another female melding with her mate nearly boiled out of control.

“I saw that T'Les had given that copy to him. I knew that she requested an English translation of the ancient text but she never told us why or for whom. Now I know it was for him. She told him the future was not...”

T'Pol no longer could control herself...

“How dare you mind meld with him to take these thoughts! He is my mate! I have bonded with him! He is mine! I will kill you if you try to take him from me!” In a blinding fit of jealous rage, T'Pol finally admitted what she had attempted to deny for months.

“Enough T'Pol! The mind melds were a necessary part of his treatment. I had to repair the damage you caused with the incomplete bond.”

T'Pol was crushed. Not only had she harmed Trip but his treatment required receiving multiple mind melds from another Vulcan female. It was almost too much to bear in her current state. Her relationship with Trip now forced her to deal with another new emotion: humiliation.

T'Pau paused a bit to let tensions ease in the room. They were both loosing their emotional control. Even worse over a human male.

“I believe he still loves you T'Pol. Now you have to convince him that you return his affection. He still has not decided whether to keep the bond or not. He has not asked me to either perform the separation ceremony or help you complete the bond.”

“You would remove the bond?! How dare you presume...”

“You know full well by our customs and laws it is his choice. Since he had no knowledge the mating bond even existed, there is no possible way this could have been consensual. He therefore has the right to demand its removal.”

“But I do not think I can live without him in my life. I feel so empty without him. When he is away from me, I can think of nothing but him.” T'Pol almost started to cry.

T'Pau saw the anguish in T'Pol's eyes. “Do not tell me. Tell him. Convince him that you return his affection. He should be awake in an hour or two. You will need to speak with him at that time.”

T'Pol moved to exit the room but T'Pau blocked her exit.

“T'Pol make sure you convince him to keep the bond. If he chooses to have it removed, you will not get a second chance at him. I will claim him as mine. I will not repeat your mistakes.”
T'Pol shuddered at the look T'Pau gave her during the confession. This was a powerful woman who knew exactly what she wanted. If T'Pol failed to convince Trip to remain her mate, she would most likely lose him forever.
T'Pau moved away from T'Pol once she made sure her point was understood. A part of her wished T'Pol success in convincing him to remain with her. A much larger part though, wished she would fail. Commander Tucker would make an exemplary mate.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

T’Pol looked down at Trip lying in bed. She felt so ashamed of herself for what she did to him. She refused to admit the mating bond when she knew full well it had started to form. He looked so fragile. It was all her fault.

She picked up his hand and held it. If he recovers from this, I will not repeat my mistake. I will make sure he knows how much I care for him. I cannot imagine my life without him in it. She focused on him to see if she could still feel the bond. She could not.

Sometime later Trip shifted in his bed and slightly opened his eyes. T’Pol was staring right at him. His eyes flew wide open in panic. His breathing became deep and rapid. He tried to pull away from her. Loud grunts and howls erupted from his mouth. He started banging on a small device she had not noticed before. Waves of panic and terror flooded over her. She was sure they were coming from Trip.

Two male Vulcans rushed into the room as Trip howled and pointed toward her. T’Pol started to shatter. She had to get out of the room. She fled as the elder Vulcan administered a hypospray to Trip.

“Lady T’Pol! Lady T’Pol…” Veron called out but she did not respond.

“Stop her. Get her into my office so I can speak with her! I will take care of Commander Tucker,” Veron directed his assistant. His assistant rushed after her while Veron monitored Commander Tucker’s vital signs. His adrenaline level had reduced and the episode seemed to have passed. Somehow in the struggle with T’Pol, Commander Tucker received three broken fingers and a severely sprained wrist.

“Lady T’Pol! I would speak with you. Lady T’Pol!” came the voice running after her. She stopped and attempted to gather what little composure she could muster.

“Yes. What is it?”

“Lady T’Pol, Chief Physician Veron would like to speak with you. I will direct you to his office. He will be finished with Commander Tucker shortly.”

“Very well. Please show me the way.”

They walked a short distance to a large wooden door. The assistant opened it for her and motioned her inside.

“Physician Veron will return shortly to speak with you. There is a meditation space over there if you prefer. I will make sure you are not disturbed until the doctor returns.” With that he left the room and closed the door.

Meditation would help her but only if she could concentrate. She could not. The look of sheer terror on Trip’s face when he saw her shattered the little control that remained after her conversation with T’Pau. She was now sure that Trip would reject her. He was terrified to be in her presence.

However she was able to at least compose herself by the time Veron returned to his office.

“Lady T’Pol it was a mistake for you to have been with Commander Tucker when he regained consciousness. My assistant was to ensure you spoke to me first. I was afraid something like this might happen.”

“Something like what?”

“Commander Tucker’s brain has multiple neurochemical imbalances right now. In order to stabilize him until you arrived, we had given him neural inhibitors to prevent further damage. Those drugs have caused imbalances that affect Commander Tucker’s motor skills and reasoning centers. Occasionally he has hallucinations and I believe you witnessed one of those episodes. I wanted to speak with you first and make sure that Commander Tucker was stable before allowing you to see him.”

“Will he be all right? Is any of the damage permanent?”

“Commander Tucker’s brain is quite resilient. In fact, his human brain seems far more adept at coping with this level of trauma than a Vulcan brain. I expect that he will make a full recovery with no lasting effects once the drugs pass through his system and Councilor T’Pau completes his treatments.”

“Can I see him now? Is he over his episode?”

“I believe so. But Lady T’Pol, I caution you. Commander Tucker is still under the influence of the neural inhibitors as well as the sedative I just gave him. He cannot speak. He can understand speech, but I am not sure how much he can comprehend. He cannot walk and his coordination is severely degraded. He has difficulty controlling his bodily functions. I have not allowed visitors because of his condition. You can see him, but do not expect much response from him. Do not try to over stimulate him.”

“What… what… should I do doctor?”

“I think just sitting with him would be the best course at this time. I hope that just having you close by will improve his condition. He has asked me about you a couple of times. I think your presence will alleviate his concern.”

“Doctor, your assistant said your title is Chief Physician. I did not realize the head of this medical facility would personally treat patients. Is there more to this that you are not telling me? Is his condition that serious to require someone of your rank?”
“Oh, of course, you would not know. When my grandfather held the office of Chief Physician, his primary responsibility was the personal physician for the royal family. That had been our custom for centuries. Several years before I achieved the rank, the VHC removed that privilege and I became an administrator and personal doctor for politicians.”

The way Veron slightly sneered the last word indicated that he did not at all approve of that part of his duties.

“However the council has restored that privilege and therefore the royal family is my primary responsibility as it should be. Since he is the only member of the royal family currently admitted to this facility, he is my sole priority.”

“But Commander Tucker and I have not performed the bonding ceremony.”

“That is not required. The mating bond has already started to form. Until the bond is removed, he is still a Queen’s Consort and his health is my prime concern.”

“Thank you doctor. Your service honors you. May I see Commander Tucker now.”

“Of course.”

The two returned to Trip’s room. While his eyes might not have shone as bright as they once did, they followed T’Pol from the moment she came into his view until she stood beside his bed. She looked deep into his eyes but did not say a thing.

She reached up and brushed his cheek. He smiled at her. His eyes became watery like he was going to cry. She felt a painful twinge as a small trail of drool escaped his mouth. She wiped it away with a small towel lying next to his bed.

He reached for a PADD and tapped it several times. She remembered he was unable to speak. He handed it to her and she read it.

“Will you stay with me?” was the message.

“Yes, I will,” she whispered back. He raised his right hand up to her and she wrapped her left hand around his. His hand felt so weak. But his eyes never left hers. Their eyes and hands remained locked together for a long time.

A brief noise behind her let T’Pol someone was approaching. It was Veron.

“Are you feeling better Commander Tucker?” Trip responded with a nod. “Good is everything okay then?” He again responded with a nod. “Do you need for me to get you anything?” He shook his head slightly. “Okay then. It is time for your dinner. Lady T’Pol can feed you and I can leave you two alone. Would you like that?” Veron knew that was a bit presumptuous but he already knew Commander Tucker’s answer. Trip nodded his head.

“Lady T’Pol here is Commander Tucker’s meal. You must make sure he eats all of it. Here is his juice. He will need a straw. If you need me for anything, please press the buzzer. I will be in my office meditating. I will have my assistant bring you up a salad and some tea.” He turned and left.

T’Pol eventually got Trip to eat all of the food the doctor had provided. He did not want to eat the orange mush but was in no condition to offer much resistance. After she set the final bowl down, a sudden urge came over her and before she knew it she lightly kissed his forehead. That brought large grin from Trip. I cannot understand how I could have ever denied my love for this man. What was wrong with me?

“Lady T’Pol,” Veron had returned. “I would like Commander Tucker to get some rest now. If you like, there is a private room over here where you can stay for the evening. I can have a change of clothes brought over so you have something fresh for tomorrow. I am sure Commander Tucker would like to have breakfast with you before his treatment.”

“Thank you Veron. You have been very helpful.”

“It is my privilege to serve.” He bowed to her and retreated back to his patient.

T’Pol did not bother to try to meditate. She was too exhausted. She simply removed her clothing and collapsed into the bed.

When she awoke the next morning, fresh clothing had been placed on a table just inside of the door. After she dressed, she returned to find Trip already awake. He seemed a bit better than yesterday.

As she arrived at his side, she heard him struggle and make a few guttural sounds before finally sputtering out a single “Hi”. He tried for another word but after spitting out a few T’s, he finally gave up and slumped back down.

“Sshh, Trip. You are not to exert yourself,” she whispered to him as she brushed his creek. Unlike yesterday he leaned into her caress. It appeared as if his motor control was improving.

Again Veron personally brought Trip’s food and gave it to T’Pol to feed him. This time he did not fuss as much as he did last night. Apparently he liked this morning’s yellow and green mushes better than last night’s orange mush.

“Lady T’Pol, I have to ask you to leave now. Commander Tucker’s treatment is this morning and it will be more effective if Councilor T’Pau and Command Tucker do not have any distractions. If you return at 1530 hours, Command Tucker should be awake again. The treatments are exhausting and he has to rest at midday. You can return to Enterprise and retrieve any personal belongings you would like to keep here. Or if you prefer to return to your house, I can have one of my assistants retrieve a list of belongings for you from Enterprise.”

“No, I will return to Enterprise. I am sure Captain Archer would like to know of Trip’s progress.”

“I have been giving him twice daily status reports so that will not be necessary. But please extend my apologies in person for not allowing visitors. Our policies are very strict. For someone in Commander Tucker’s condition, only his immediate family are permitted to visit. Good day, Lady T’Pol.”

“Good day, Chief Physician Veron.”

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

T’Pol quietly returned to Enterprise and returned to her quarters without incident. She had no idea that Captain Archer had given strict orders to respect her privacy.

T’Pol had to explain to the Captain their situation. She was sure that Veron gave the Captain only the minimal amount of information necessary to convey Trip’s medical condition.

“Commander T’Pol to Captain Acher.”

“Archer here. How are you doing T’Pol?”

“Sir, I would like to speak with you.”

“Sure thing. I am in my quarters.”

“I am leaving now.” Her hand trembled slightly. How I explain the damage I caused to his best friend? He left Enterprise because of me. He was lying in a hospital bed on Vulcan unable to speak or walk because of me. It is all my fault.

She had hoped the walk to the Captain’s quarters would have taken longer than it did.

“T’Pol, please sit down. You look tired.” She was exhausted.

“Captain, I must speak with you about Tr… Commander Tucker.”

“Veron told me that Trip is getting better. He does not believe that there will be any permanent harm. He says that if Trip continues to respond to treatment, I will be able to visit him in a few days. How are you doing? You have spent a lot of time on the surface. I assume that Veron is letting you see him?” T’Pol was not sure but she detected a hint of jealousy in his voice.

“I am… tired. This has been an exhausting experience.”

“I understand. I was scared to death. I can’t imagine what it has been like for you. No one would give me any answers and so all of the worst case scenarios played out in my head. I think there is more going on here than I am being told. I was hoping you might be able to clear up what’s really going on here for me?”

“Yes, I can Captain. Commander Tucker and I formed a mating bond. But I refused to acknowledge it because I was scared of the emotions he aroused in me. I had no idea how to deal with them. I tried to deny its existence. That is why he left Enterprise. I knew he loved me. I loved him too but I kept denying it and pushing him away. My presence caused him pain. His heart broke.” She paused a bit to compose herself. “I was stubborn and continued to deny the bond. Even worse, I knew the consequences of his leaving and did nothing. He is down there because of me. It is all my fault…” she broke down and started crying in front of the Captain. All of this was her fault.

“Hush, T’Pol. Whatever mistakes you made in the past are behind you. Veron has assured me Trip will make a full recovery. You will be able to tell him how much you care for him and complete the bond. He will come back to Enterprise with you.” He was not sure if he should give her a hug so he waited for her to come to him. She did not.

“Captain, he may not come back. By Vulcan law, the bond was non-consenual. He has the right to demand its removal. I don’t know if he…”

“Do not talk like that T’Pol! I have known Trip for many years. I know he loves you. He is as stubborn as you are. He will not give you up if you go to him.”

“Thank you Captain. That is my only hope right now.”

“Why don’t you return to your quarters and get some rest. I am sure things will get better.”

“Thank you again.” She left and return to her quarters.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Councilor T’Pau could not believe that Commander Tucker had still not made up his mind about whether to keep the bond with Commander T’Pol. He clearly wanted to keep it. He cared very deeply for her. But there seemed to always be the nagging doubt that T’Pau could not identify. His hesitation and fear were clearly visible through the meld.

“Commander, I am surprised you have not made up your mind about keeping the mating bond with T’Pol. You clearly seem to want to keep it but yet you also seem afraid. I am not sure I understand the reason for your hesitation.”

“I don’t know what to choose. Everything over the past few days has been just so overwhelming. I went from only having a vague idea of some Vulcan customs to being fully immersed in the details and customs of a mating ritual that is completely alien to me. With the amount of medicine pumping through my system, I feel like a five year old trying to comprehend quantum mechanics.”

“The other problem is that T’Pol has not acted in any way that seems consistent with either Veron’s or your description of how Vulcan mates act. She made very clear that she did not want me as part of her life. According to what Veron has told me she should have known a mating bond had formed. She should have also known the risks if I left Enterprise. But she just let me go not once, but twice. I don’t know how to square what she has done with what you have said.”

And there we reach the crux of the problem thought T’Pau. Neither I nor Veron nor Commander Tucker can square how T’Pol had behaved toward Commander Tucker and her apparent feelings for him.

“I should not really do this Commander, but I have information that you should know. Commander T’Pol and I had a short, but heated, conversation after she arrived on Vulcan. I had just told her about your and my conversation on the Kir’shara and the copy T’Les gave you. It clearly upset her. Just follow me and I will show you.”

Trip focused on T’Pau and an image appeared. He appeared to be in some sort of waiting room alone with T’Pol. He looked at T’Pol through T’Pau’s eyes. Only once before had he seen her this agitated. She looked ready to kill.

“How dare you mind meld with him to take these thoughts! He is my mate! I have bonded with him! He is mine! I will kill you if you try to take him from me!”

A warm feeling came over Trip. She considered Trip hers already.

“Commander, I fail to see how T’Pol could make her feelings any more clear than with that outburst. In our culture, normally there is no need to demonstrate attachment. Marriage comes first and then the bond. However the killing of a challenger is handed down from ancient times. A Vulcan female has no greater ability to demonstrate her affection than to kill a threat to her mate. As you can see, this did not appear to be an idle threat.”

Once again Trip was in awe by the seriousness of Vulcan culture. Is everything a matter of life or death with these people?

“Yes, Commander,” came T’Pau’s reply.

Suddenly he felt ashamed. He forgot that T’Pau could see what he was thinking during the meld. It had been so natural he simply forgot their conversation existed in his head.

“There is no need to feel ashamed Commander. Your culture comes across as too complex and subtle while at the same time valuing trivialities. I am as confused about your culture as you are of mine.”

After T’Pau severed the meld a nervous anticipation came over Trip. He could not wait until T’Pol came to see him. The butterflies were already flying around in his stomach.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

T’Pol could not wait any longer to see Trip and arrived at his hospital room before 1530 hours. She waited until that time exactly and entered the room.

T’Pau was with Trip wiping his face with a towel. He was sitting in a wheel chair today. As she got closer a foul odor assaulted her nose.

“What is that smell?” she scrunched up her face.

“I threw up,” came the simple sentence from Trip.

“You can speak! When did this change occur?”

“He regained some of his motor control this morning. I rather miss his silence,” Veron returned to the room with a fresh shirt and smiled at Trip. “He will not be quiet now.”

“Ha, ha Doc.”

T’Pol still felt a twinge of jealousy as T’Pau was touching Trip’s face right in front of her. She is just wiping his face. It is not a threat. Be calm.

“You know T’Pau, how do I know you are not programming me to be some Vulcan spy or something when you are in my head?” Trip grinned at her.

“Do not be ridiculous Commander. You have access to no information that interests me. However I may program you to perform manual labor around my house. I need someone to tend my garden and fix broken appliances. I am sure with proper training you would be adequate.”

“You are joking right? Please tell me she is joking.” He looked straight at T’Pol. She had no answer for him.

“Yes, Commander I am joking. I believe you already possess the knowledge to fix broken appliances.” With that she turned on her heals and left.

“Hi T’Pol.” He reached out his hand to her. She clasped it tightly.

“Would you like to go for a roll? The doctor said you could push me around the corridor a couple of times. I would do it myself, but somehow I broke my left hand. I must have done it during on of my seizures.”

She winced a bit. He did not know she broke his hand. Veron apparently had not told him how it happened.

“Yes, I will Trip.” She got behind his chair and pushed him out into the hall.

“How are you feeling today Trip?”

“I am still feeling kind of woozy. I have no balance and get confused from time to time, but for the most part I am doing okay. T’Pau’s mind melds are helping me but I am stilling having trouble separating what’s really happening from my dreams and hallucinations. I am feeling much better since you showed up.” He reached behind him and held her hand. She moved it to his shoulder so he could get a better grip.

She could feel him again. She felt a warmth coming from him. She missed that feeling.

“I am so sorry Trip. I never meant…” Her voice began to waiver and crack.

“Let’s not talk about the complicated stuff right now honey. I am not yet up to it. Let’s just sit together and save the long talk for another day. I am not going anywhere. Veron and T’Pau will see to that.”

“Okay Trip,” and she leaned down and kissed him on the top of his head. “It is just that I love you so much, I don’t know…” She was unable to go on with her thought. Another wave of warmth came over her.

He squeezed her hand a bit harder. “I know honey. I understand now.” He kissed the back of her hand.

They were quiet for the remainder of the trip around the corridors. When they returned, Trip held her hand while she sat next to his bed until he drifted off to sleep.

“Commander Tucker has had too much activity today, but your presence really seemed to brighten his spirits so I gave him some latitude. I will let him rest until dinner. How are you doing?”

“I am doing fine. I can start to feel the bond again.”

“Yes, as his system flushes out the medication it should return to the same level as before. In three or four day’s time, the two of you are going to have to decide whether or not it should remain.”

“That decision will be Trip’s to make,” she whispered quietly and stared at the floor.

“Lady T’Pol. I am aware of our laws. However, in the very short time I have know him, I have come to believe Commander Tucker will not want to make this decision on his own.”

“I hope he will chose to be mine. But I have made so many mistakes and treated him so badly, I am not sure.”

“Lady T’Pol, I have seen no evidence that he holds any of this against you. I believe part of the reason he got sick this afternoon was anxiousness awaiting your arrival. I told him you would come by today at 1530 hours. None of his prior treatments had that affect on him.”

Later that evening T’Pol again fed Trip his dinner. While he did not fight as much as the previous night, he did complain a lot about the taste of the orange mush. T’Pol wondered if his mother had this much trouble feeding him as a child. He did seem to like the green gelatin cubes the doctor had provided.

“It looks like every species has their green Jell-O,” he chuckled a bit not knowing if T’Pol would catch the reference.

She did not. “I do not understand.”

“I will explain later,” and he took another drink of his blue fruit juice.

When Veron returned later to indicate it was time for Trip to sleep, Trip looked at her and asked, “please stay” and rubbed the bed next to him. “Can she Doc?”

Veron paused a long moment seeing if he could detect any response from T’Pol and finding none, he replied “I do not believe it would detrimental to your recovery as long as you make sure to rest.”

“I promise I will. Come on honey, up you go…” and he smiled lovingly at T’Pol. She could not resist his look. Another wave of warm emotions flowed over her.

“As you wish.” She gave him a brief smile and climbed in facing him.

Veron bent over to raise the rails on each side of the bed . “I will have to raise the rails. This was really designed for one person and I do not wish to find one of you have fallen to the floor. It may draw unwelcome attention.”

“Oh and one more thing. No sexual relations. Commander Tucker is not yet strong enough.”

“Really funny Doc. Do I look like I am capable of doing that?” Trip chuckled a bit as she stared into T’Pol’s eyes.

“Of course not Commander Tucker. My comment was directed to Lady T’Pol.”

Trip chuckled again at the look of horror on T’Pol’s face after the doctor’s comment.

“Good night.”

“Good night Doc.”

“Good night Veron.”

The good doctor turned and left them alone. He dimmed the lights as he left them.

“I cannot believe this will be how I spend the rest of my days. T’Pol you are so beautiful.”

“Shush Trip, go to sleep. You need your rest. We can talk about our future later.” She nuzzled in close to him feeling his warmth against her face. I love nuzzling against his chest. What have I become? Then she thought a bit more. How could I have been such a fool as to deny this path?

She was close enough to realize Trip enjoyed their closeness too. “Later I can take care of this.” She ran a finger along the ridge in his shorts. She felt a single throb.

“I am sorry about that. I have missed you so much.”

“There is no need to apologize. But please go to sleep. You need your rest.”

“Okay.” Within minutes T’Pol heard the steady breathing of Trip falling asleep holding her. She hoped to spend the rest of her life falling asleep this way. Based on his response today she finally felt confident that Trip had forgiven her past mistakes.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The next morning T’Pol awoke to find her and Trip tangled together on the small bed. She stayed that way for some time just enjoying his closeness. But she wanted to separate herself a bit in the event the doctor returned. She slowly moved around to extract herself from his embrace without waking him.

The doctor returned shortly after she accomplished her task.

“Lady T’Pol, may I have a word with you in private?”

“Of course doctor. Give me a moment to join you.”

“Yes, of course. As you wish.” He turned his back and returned behind the privacy screen. She joined him shortly leaving Trip to sleep on the bed.

“Yes doctor, what topic did you wish to discuss?”

“Lady T’Pol, I mean no offense and I realize this is a delicate matter.”

“Doctor, I will take no offense. You are Trip’s physician, please feel free to speak freely without concern for offense or privacy.”

“Well, Commander Tucker has been here for some time. In that time, he has not fully… bathed. His odor is… quite pungent. After last night both of you are…” In fact, their combined odors were becoming difficult for even a trained physician to ignore.

“I understand doctor. There is no need to worry. I can shower and change…”

“Lady T’Pol that is not what I meant.” He paused a bit to gather his courage as the delicate task he had. “What I mean is that Commander Tucker needs to bathe and change his clothes. Someone will have to bathe him and cloth him. He is not yet strong enough to do that himself without risk of injury.” He took a deep breath. It was better to just be out with the request. “What I am asking is would you be willing to perform that task? I believe the Commander would be… uncomfortable with me doing it.”

“I quite agree.” She tried to picture Veron giving Trip a shower. It would be far worse than feeding him orange mush. “It would be most efficient to… solve our problem together.”

Obviously it took no effort on T’Pol’s part to convince Trip to join her in a shower. He raced through breakfast. I think I could have served him a double helping of orange mush this morning without complaint, she thought. He seemed excited to get to the shower.

While Trip had regained enough control to stand, he did not have the strength to stand longer than it took for T’Pol to remove his clothing. She held his body and swung him onto the ledge in the shower meant for him to sit down.

“It appears you are very happy I am here,” she said playfully as she bounced his member with her hand.

“Hey, you know what the doctor said, ‘no sexual relations’.”

“I am aware of that fact Commander…” and she gave him her best stone face.

As she removed her clothing, she could feel Trip’s eyes devouring her. She remembered overhearing Hoshi saying that men enjoy it if you go slowly. She took as long as she could without being obvious.

“Oh yeah. I have missed you greatly. You look amazing…” She did not fully understand why that comment filled her with a deep sense of pride. She turned on the hot water as both of them sighed at the sensation. She took the soap and started to form a lather in her hands.

“No, I go first.” She cocked her head at Trip. She did not understand what he meant.

Sensing her confusion, he took the bar of soap from her and built a lather on his hands. “I will soap you up first.” He pulled her close enough to reach every part of her.

His strong hands roaming over her body had the obvious affect. She had to brace herself against the wall in case her knees gave out. She released sharp gasps when he ran his hand along her most sensitive parts.

“It sounds like you are happy I am here. Don’t you think honey?” He smiled at her.

“Indeed,” was all she could say.

After she rinsed off it was her turn to return the favor. Of course she would enjoy running her hands over his body as much as he did hers. She started with her favorite part, his chest, and worked down.

As she washed his calves she looked up to his face. He sat there with his eyes closed and his head tilted back. He was enjoying her attention. She moved her gaze between his legs and saw his arousal. She knew instantly what she would do.

He gave a startled gasp as she engulfed him in her mouth. “Honey, the doctor said ‘no sexual relations.’ You have to… stop this… Oh yeah, that feels wonderful…”

She released him just long enough to say, “I believe accomplishing my goal will require almost no effort on your part. It will require more effort on your part to resist than to let me complete my task.” She sounded as if she were performing a lab experiment.

She was happy that Dr. Phlox had given her material on human mating habits. She would never have thought of oral sex on her own. She knew from past experience, he thoroughly enjoyed the act. I cannot believe some human females find this distasteful. His skin tastes so good in my mouth. The experience is obviously very enjoyable for him. Maybe it is a cultural norm I do not understand. Maybe it is the inability of a human female to experience her mate’s orgasm in the same way a Vulcan female does. She felt pity for them.

Before she could ponder the situation any further, he erupted in her mouth. She had to focus on coordinating her breathing and swallowing in order to not choke. She felt him go completely limp and moved her head away from his lap. The bond had strengthened and being in contact with him at the moment of completion was overwhelming. Her head was still swimming with his emotions.

“Oh yeah, thanks honey that was just what I needed.”

She moved up to kiss him, “I was my pleasure.”

“No it was mine, although I appreciate the sentiment.” He just rested his forehead against hers.

They dried each other after the shower. It had been long enough that both of them were a bit ‘pruny’ as Trip called it. He noticed how aroused she was.

“I am sorry honey. I was not able to take care of your needs…” He felt a bit guilty at the one-sided experience.

She leaned over, licked the rim of his ear and whispered in his ear, “it will be my turn tomorrow morning…”

“Oh yeah, honey. I will do my best to return the favor…”

“I am certain you are fully capable of more than returning the favor.” She knew he was. Their neuropressure sessions and previous sexual encounters had shown he knew her pleasure points in detail.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

T’Pol left Trip again with a promise to return at 1500 hours. He could not wait for this afternoon. He was going to ask her to keep the bond.

No risk, no reward Trip.

The doctor insisted that Trip use a walker today. He was to go to the end of the corridor and back. T’Pol accompanied him to make sure he did not fall down. The real reason was she wanted to be around him all of the time. His emotions she felt through their bond soothed her nerves.

Trip was nearly out of breath by the time they reached the end of the corridor. He was getting stronger but it still took a lot of effort to get his legs to work together. When the two finally arrived, Trip collapsed into one of the chairs at what looked like a waiting room. T’Pol sat beside him and put her hand on his back.

In a short while Trip got a very concentrated look on his face, swallowed hard a couple of times and stared intently on her. She knew he was working up to something. “What is it Trip?”

With as much strength as he could muster, he grabbed her left wrist with his right hand and said, “T’Pol of Vulcan I claim you as mine. Do you seek a challenger to this claim?” Although it took all of his effort to say, it came out as not much more than a whisper.

T’Pol was stunned. The proposal came out in Vulcan. He even used the archaic form of the proposal from the time before arranged marriages. Veron must have taught it to him. His pronunciation was perfect. They must have been practicing for days.

The delay before a reply was a bit disquieting to Trip. He was afraid he had misread her and she would withdraw and reject him again. She had run hot and cold on him before. It was happening to him all over again. He felt his heart start to break.

T’Pol stirred from her shock by waves of his panic at being rejected again. She would never do that to him again. He had to know how she felt.

“I do not seek a challenger. I am yours.” She answered in English. She was not sure if Veron has been thorough enough to teach him to recognize the proper response.

She pulled him close and held him tightly. “I will never leave you again. I will never repeat my past mistakes. I will never do that to you again.”

“I love you honey. I will never let you go.” Both were overcome with tears of joy.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The next morning Trip had regained some more of his strength. He not only was able to remove his own clothes, but he removed T’Pol’s too. He knew he was going to need his strength if he were to satisfy her so he chose to sit down as yesterday. As soon as the water was hot, he pulled her to him.

In a flash, he had settled her on his lap for maximum access to her most sensitive parts. His hands and mouth were all over her. When he heard her breath coming in short gasps, he began his final assault. He pulled her back against his chest. With one hand between her legs, another toying at her nipples and his mouth moving between her hypersensitive ears and neck, she felt like she was making love to a plasma conduit. The intensity of the sensation was overwhelming her.

Then he pushed her over the edge. He knew he had reached his goal when the keening sound erupted from the back of her throat. He kept at it. His assault did not stop. Neither did her pleasure. He felt the intensity of her orgasm in his head. He was overcome with pride at making her feel this good.

T’Pol could not control her reactions. He had known exactly what she needed. It had been so long. Her body felt like a live wire. She felt her pleasure returned from Trip. Only more intense. It felt like a feedback loop. Between these feelings and his hands and mouth attacking every sensitive part of her body, she could not stop. She was having one continuous orgasm. Its power was overwhelming.

Trip did not know what was happening. He had not seen her like this before. She continued on and on without stop. Eventually though she shifted in his grasp.

She was able to stop the keening in her throat long enough to say, “Please Trip… slow… down… I cannot…” He immediately backed off wondering if he had went too far.

“I am sorry honey. I did not mean to hurt…”

“No, it was just too intense. I needed you to slow down. It was overwhelming.”

He grabbed a bar of soap and lathered her up. He was slower and more deliberate this time. Her second orgasm came quicker even though not quite as intense.

She sat in his lap with her head on his shoulder trying to gather her strength. She rubbed her nipples slightly over his chest. The sensation was electrifying.

He sat there holding her when a single thought entered his head. I am amazing.

“Yes, you are,” T’Pol softly whispered in his ear.

“How did you? Oh yeah,” and remembered that at times of intense passion Vulcan mates project their thoughts the strongest. I must be yelling in her head. He felt T’Pol move her head in a nodding motion.

A huge grin appeared on his face. A satisfied smile appeared on her face.

T’Pol struggled almost as much as Trip did to get out of the shower. She had forgotten how skillful of a lover he was. He had nearly stripped away any semblance of her control with nothing more than his fingers and mouth.

After they had dressed, she kissed his forehead and rested her chin on his head while holding his face to her chest. “I needed that. I had forgotten just how good you were.”

Trip’s face turned red. “Sure thing darling. I will do that whenever you like.”

A brief cough caught there attention. A rather irritated Veron was looking at them.

“I clearly remember indicating that Commander Tucker was not to engage in sexual relations. What part of my instruction was unclear?”

Trip became even a brighter shade of red, if that were possible. He could not get rid of his ‘cat who ate the canary’ grin though.

“I do not believe Commander Tucker over exerted himself during this morning’s activity. It was primarily one sided.” T’Pol assumed Veron had heard her so making the admission was not revealing any information he did not already possess.

“Awwh, hon, it was…”

“I expect this instruction to be followed. If Commander Tucker is weakened by this activity, I will be forced to keep him another day. In addition, you will not be allowed to share a bed so that I can ensure he gets his rest. I will also give Commander Tucker his daily showers if I have to.”

“Okay, okay, Doc. Uncle. You got it. I give. No more playtime until you give the thumbs up.”

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Captain Archer was excited to finally see his close friend face to face. Although Veron had been kind enough to provide him twice daily status reports, he wanted to see Trip in person. One of Veron’s assistants escorted him to a room adjacent Trip’s hospital room. Both Trip and T’Pol greeted him at the door.

“Hi Captain, it is good to see you.”

Since Trip was moving a bit slowly, Archer came over to him and gave him a big bear hug.

“I am so glad you are okay Trip. How are you feeling?”

“I am getting better. The Doc says I should be 100% in a day or two. Why don’t you have a seat there.” Trip pointed to a chair facing a small couch.

Trip shuffled over to the small couch with T’Pol in tow. He plopped down with a grunt. T’Pol sat down and nuzzled up against him. He wrapped his left arm around her shoulder and touched her left arm with his cast.

Archer was stunned when he saw T’Pol slightly rest her head on his shoulder and place her right hand on Trip’s thigh. T’Pol’s body rested against Trip’s from knee to shoulder. He had never seen her affectionate before. His heart felt warm when he realized he had never seen either of them look this happy.

“So… ahh… have you made any decisions that I should be aware of?”

“T’Pol asked me yesterday if I would stay with her and make her life complete. I agreed to until something better came along.”

She immediately gave him a sharp jab, eliciting a grunt from Trip, and glared at him. He chuckled a bit at her look.

“Trip proposed to me using an ancient Vulcan marriage proposal. It would have been illogical to refuse given the level of effort needed to learn it.”

Trip again chuckled a bit and pulled T’Pol closer to kiss her on the top of the head. “I love you too honey.”

The three spent most of the afternoon just talking about trivialities. No galaxy threatening emergencies or the drama of the past year and a half. Archer thought to himself how wonderful it felt to just sit and relax without the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders. As long as he did not try to take T’Pol’s mate from her, he felt completely safe in this environment.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

“Commander Tucker, may I have a moment of your time.” It was Councilor T’Pau.

“Of course, T’Pau. Anything you need, just ask. You have been such a help in my recovery, how could I refuse?”

“I would request that you permit me the honor of performing yours and T’Pol’s bonding ceremony.”

“Of course T’Pau. I would be happy to have you perform the ceremony.”

“The honor would be all mine Commander Tucker. It is a great privilege to join a Vulcan Queen and her Consort. I would also like to perform the ancient version of the ceremony. It is a bit more elaborate than the one you witnessed between T’Pol and Koss.”

“Let me talk to T’Pol about it. As long as she approves, I would be happy to participate in the ancient version. I do not have to battle a sehlat or anything do I?” He smiled at her.

“No, but there is a lot speaking in archaic Vulcan. I could ask Veron to help you learn your lines but we could compromise and allow you to read your part from a script. That way Veron could focus just on helping you with the correct pronunciation.”

“That would help a lot. I know almost no Vulcan. Would T’Pol be able to wear her purple marriage robes?”

“I see no reason she could not. I am surprised you would want her to wear the same robes she wore in her marriage to Koss.”

“She looked so beautiful in those robes. I want the image of the most beautiful woman in the universe burned in my mind. I am willing to overlook the fact those are the same robes she wore before.”

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Trip sat quietly in T’Pol’s, soon to be their, house. He was turning over in his head the a nagging bit of self doubt. Although his choice for the future was clear and he would never regret that choice, a piece of him still wondered why he made it.

He moved on to something more urgent as he felt that familiar tingle in his brain. It always appeared when she got near. He looked up to see her standing in the door way.

“Guess who the doctor just cleared to have sexual relations?” She held his gaze and slowly walked toward him. She wanted him to focus only on her.

“I believe the luckiest man in the whole galaxy.” Trip was amazed at how sensuous she looked. She was wearing a white Tuxedo shirt that was nearly completely unbuttoned. It shifted slightly with each step hinting at the delights just underneath.

She stopped right in front of him. She wanted to feel his hands all over her. He did not disappoint her. As Quarter Master had predicted, he would rip the shirt open. The buttons fell to the floor.

“Oh yeah, very nice,” he whispered to her. She felt his increasing arousal through their bond.

He picked her up and set her on his lap facing him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rested her forehead on his. At that point, a sense of self doubt flashed in her mind. Not hers but his. He had been thinking about it before she showed up.

“Trip, you have to understand this one thing if you understand nothing else about our relationship. I do not love you because of the mating bond. The mating bond formed because I love you. I agreed to the neuro-pressure sessions because I wanted to be near you, to have you near me. It was an excuse for me to pursue you.”

“I am glad Phlox recommended them too. I wanted so much to get to know you but I had no idea how to court a Vulcan.”

“That concept does not exist in our culture. Marriages are arranged. There is one more thing I have to tell you. It is important for you know.”

“Go on. You have my full attention.” He smiled a bit knowing that a good part of his attention was not focused on anything she was saying.

“When I, I mean we, arrived on Vulcan after Enterprise returned from the Expanse, I did not invite you along only to show you Vulcan. I fully intended to inform my mother that I had chosen you for my mate. I wanted to complete what we had started. I wanted you permanently. But I chose follow my people’s traditions to help my mother instead of choosing what I wanted. I never fully realized the depth of that mistake until you were near death with the virus. I thought I…”

“Hush, honey, I understand.” He pulled her close to him and she held on just as tightly. He stood up with her still wrapped around him. “Now, I believe the most beautiful woman in the whole universe just told me I was cleared to have sex. I appear to have a problem that requires her unique set of skills to correct.”

The way T’Pol legs wrapped around Trip’s waist, she was fully aware of the ‘problem’ he referred to. She whispered in his ear, “yes, I am fully aware of the problem in question. I have a similar problem that requires your attention. I believe I can suggest and activity that will alleviate both problems. However it may take several hours or more to ensure the problems have been dealt with satisfactorily.”

“Well then let’s get started.”

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

“You know Trip, I am pretty impressed with your clout,” Archer smiled after taking another swig of bourbon.

“How so Captain?”

“You cause both of Earth's NX-class starships to head for Vulcan. You then get married to a Vulcan Queen with the new Vulcan leader presiding at the ceremony, no less. Both crews are granted an extended shore leave on Vulcan during your honeymoon. Rumor has it that Councilor T'Pau made the request to Starfleet HQ personally.”

Trip chuckled a bit to himself. Yes, recent events had been a bit overwhelming.

“I am almost scared to get both of you back on Enterprise. With T'Pol being a Queen and your undoubted influence, I am afraid neither of you will allow me to command my own ship!” Archer let out a laugh and slapped his best friend on the back.

“About that Captain, I have been meaning to...”

“You mean you might not come back? I thought you and T'Pol could not be separated?”

“That's true. And that's the rub.”

“How so?”

“Since T'Pol became Queen, many have been pressuring her to be on the ruling council or at least take a seat in the Senate. She has to decide what is best for her and her people. Either would mean remaining on Vulcan.”

“What about you?”

“Where she goes, I go. If she chooses to serve on Vulcan, I am sure I can find something for me. If we return to Enterprise, I am sure we will both be happy here.”

“Do you know how she is leaning? Can't you tell through your bond?”

“No, I am not yet able to pick out details. I can feel emotions and general moods but nothing more. Maybe later I will be able to figure out stuff like that, but I am not sure since she is able to shield herself from me when she wants.”

“That is too bad, Trip. I hope it is not causing problems between the two of you.” Archer had to admit that this mating bond thing was a little beyond his understanding.

“Not at all Captain. It is kind of disorienting having her in my head. I would rather we just took it slow for now. It gives me a chance to adjust.”

(Trip, I am finished with my meetings now. Please join me.) T'Pol sent Trip through their bond.

(Sure thing honey. How about we have the Captain over for dinner?)

(That is acceptable.)

“Sorry Captain. T'Pol's done with her meetings now. Would you care to join us for dinner? Her cook is quite good and all of the fruits and vegetables are fresh from the garden.”

“Sure thing, Trip what time?”

“How about 1900 hours?”

“You got it.”

With that Trip went to the transporter to join his wife on the surface.

The End


This story has a sequel: The Sehlat

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


A whole mess of folks have made comments

god, I would love to see an episode like that!!!

god, I would love to see an episode like that!!!

god, I would love to see an episode like that!!!

wonderful...

That was really good. Have you considered a sequel? Be interesting to see how they adjust to living on Vulcan.

Very sweet... and HOT! :p

I loved T'Pol playing nursemaid to Trip when he was so ill. That above anything else, proved her love for him.

Wow that was REALLY good, are you planning on writing a sequel? I'm curious if Trip and T'pol stay on Enterprise or go to Vulcan permanently...

lately the trend has been putting the two into a new life on Vulcan and I have to say the idea has a certain logic to it (pun), it would seem they may "outgrow" Enterprise with the magnitude of their relationship, the bond and all.

But since we'll never see the relationship as fully recognized in the show, even if there were a season 5, I'm sure they'd stay on Enteprise.

Anyway it was phenomenal!

yes I love scenes where T'Pol plays nursemaid...And I have to add, you did one of the best jobs of creating really excruciating pain and in a deeper way than angst...I liked T'Pau threatening to claim Trip that was great.

it was great writing b/c you actually start to wonder if Trip is so hurt he could turn away from her...after all..T'Pau's been takin care of him OOoooOOoooOoo...nah, glad they got back together DUH! ;D

Thanks everyone for the kind words. I put a lot of effort into this and it makes me feel good that others liked it.

I have two follow up stories planned. One is a scene set about fourty years in the future. It has Trip and T'Pol and introduces one of their daughters. It is basically done. I am going to submit it this weekend after cleaning up spelling and so forth.

The second is a series of scenes similar to 'Beyond the Rainbow' by Shouldknowbetter. It picks up a few days after this story ends and goes out to about fourty years after Trip's death. That one will take a bit longer as I only have bits and pieces right now.

great story cant wait for more

At last T'Pol finally says what is in her heart, but boy did it take a lot to get her to that point. Almost killing Trip in the process! I thought this was really good and really loved it when Trip proposed in archaic Vulcan. Brilliant! Ali D :~)


sorry I won't be as favourable as the previous commentators, but some of this I found just plain silly and not believable at all.

I just can't see T'Pol going to a crewmember and asking for help in getting Trip's attention. The lingerie scene with the Quartermaster? And Rostov has always been a guy, and you have him as a female? Most of the time Trip (and his dialogue) didn't sound like him. Sorry, it had possibilities, but it needs work.

I enjoyed this story very much. Three little nitpicks, though.

First, I couldn't see T'Pol asking a human woman for help.

Second, if she did, she would go through with the plan. Vulcans don't get embarassed.

Finally, Enterprise isn't Archer's private yacht. Starfleet command would have his fundiment on a BBQ grill if he hung around orbiting Vulcan while Trip recovered. Crew will come and go, but the ship always sails on a schedual.

Nice effort, keep writing. Looking forward to reading more. Many good ideas nicely presented. Note but don't dwell on any negatives, remember the positives though and keep getting better.

Yeah there may be a couple nits I agree with but no big deal. It is your AU.

The woman on "E" T'Pol would likely ask for help would be Hoshi from what I've seen. T'Pol would indeed carry out her plan if she could. The way you have written Trip, he may well not listen. I don't see him that way though.
Someone, either Quills or Zane Gray had written a back story for each of the main characters that was very good. I think it may still be around HOT somewhere.

Re: private yachts, Just how could any Captain disregard a directive from Starfellt HQ apparently initiated by request of the presumed Vulcan head of state T'Pau.?

The above comment starting "Nice effort..." was mine, forgot to fill in the name field.

HTH2k4

Well I liked it, although yes the bits with the quartermaster were silly, but this is fanfiction, most of it is silly so really don't stress because we are just glad to have people like you around who actually have the numpty to write any fanfic at all!!!!. As HTH2k4 said, it's your AU. I am waiting for someone to write an epic piece of fanfiction though, although those take years. Maybe now Enterprise is ending, someone will dedicate themselves to the task to keep us all from going slightly mad. Kiss Kiss.

I appreciate some of the comments. I write for my own enjoyment and share for the enjoyment of others. My favorite stories are those that do not have all of the details fleshed out and let me, as the reader, fill in the blanks with my own imagination. I write the same way.

For those of you who want me to flesh out those details, I am happy to oblige in some ways.

T'Pol did go to Hoshi first. About three days before this story started. However it ended in disaster. I am not privy to conversation, but reports are that Commander Tucker wore a pink handprint on his left cheek for the rest of his shift. Hoshi and Trip refused to even acknowledge the other's presence until Trip demanded she set up the channels.

T'Pol only went to Rostov as a last desparate attempt. Basically she had 18 hours to convince Trip to stay and was out of options. This was a Hail Mary attempt given Rostov's level of hatred toward T'Pol. Rostov helped her for purely selfish reasons.

Why did QuarterMaster have a bunch of women's lingerie? Well, Malcolm Reed likes to feel pretty when not at his duty station. While Victoria's Secret ships UPS, the Brown Truck can only do Warp 3.2. So QuarterMaster helps Malcolm indulge in his fetish as discreetly as possible. The only requirement is that Malcom buys enough to share.

T'Pol did not chicken out in Trip's quarters. Rostov made that assumption and T'Pol did not correct her. Shortly after T'Pol entered Trip's quarters, his anger returned. He was pretty savage and booted T'Pol out. Needless to say, she cried her eyes out. About 0245 she tried again, but he did not respond to her chime. She had no idea that his quarters were empty. Honestly I almost wrote this scene but I could not figure out how to capture Trip's anger and T'Pol's anguish in a way that suited me. So I left it to the reader to decide what happened for themself.

T'Pol did steel herself for the morning's going away party. She was simply not going to accept no for an answer. And believe me, Trip would not have left had he stayed for the party.

Anyway, for those who enjoy the story, thank you. For those that don't, well you got what you paid for. :-)

Oh, by the way, I did write a version of this story where T'Pau ends up with Trip. It was not very satisfying so I scrapped it.

LOL, Thanks for the additional explanitory notes. Good attitude! keep writing. :-)

I love your story Kevin!!!!!!
It's great and I enjoyed it a lot!!!!
You should write a sequel!

I saw it, read it, and loved it.
So what if its highly unlikely that T'pol would ever wear any of that kind of "clothing" or let alone I doubt that the Quartermaster would keep those things in stock, it adds a bit of flavor to the story.
I did assume that T'pol chickened out, but also had a hunch that if she had gone through with her plane Trip wouldnt of left, Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhh what strait guy would if T'pol did what she had planed. Great story, Im real glad that Ya didnt have T'pau end up with Trip. Cause she's like the Vulcan Archer to me an dosnt have the right ammount of respect for Humans like T'pol dos Or Trip has for Vulcans, IMHO of course ;).

This was a GREAT story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Ok there were some bits that were a bit non cannon but then, if you look at the genre description it says AU/Romance. Thats what we got... and then some. Many of the storys that have flowed along the bound them have all trod a well worn path, incorporating bits of the preview along with rumours/spoilers and a small amount of the authors variation on a theme. This story started that way right at the beginning and then took off in a totally different direction whilst keeping the T/T magnatism intact. Extreme kudos to you Kevin for a really original fanfic that I for one enjoyed immensely. I will especially look forward to read any more written by you.

live long and prosper Sir Kevin!

Really loved it.... The story was so well told, and I loved the turn at having Trip ill this time and T'Pol caring for him.. Fabulous... Keep up the good work.....T

Hmm I can't help wondering about the blanks that need filling in. But it's an AU, and for a AU story it was an enjoyable read.

I like the idea of Trip getting hurt because of T'Pol's unthoughtfullness it seems very believable. In short, nice story, with a few nitpicks ;)