Sparring in the Expanse

“Clipping Clue-Pons” POV Fic CHALLENGE

Sparring in the Expanse

By Linda

Rating: PG (unless anyone thinks otherwise?)
Disclaimer: Paramount owns the characters and I am making no money off my association with these marvelous people. They are real! I just know it! So how can Paramount own them anyway? Beats me.
Genre: POV challenge, angst
Summary: Staring that bane of Vulcan females and irresistible attraction to Vulcan males – (drum role please) - Amanda Cole. What’s a poor girl to do in the big bad lonely Expanse but punch out all her friends and/or try to get them in the sack?

AN: All right, Distracted, it’s your fault I can’t stop writing! You did Koss, so I had to do someone…poor Amanda just walked by my desk at the wrong moment. Hey, I gotta blame it on someone, right?

Amanda Cole rubbed her sore shoulder and did a couple of shoulder circles to loosen up after the work out. Funny how Hayes and Reed could slam her into the mat and the only thing that really hurt was the bruise where Commander T’Pol had pinched her during that neuropressure session. Hey, she wouldn’t care as long as Hayes and Reed would start to get along! Every time they started to face off today, she would step between them and punch one of them to deflect them from each other. They were more than willing to use her as a substitute for their aggression, especially the way she went at it. But she paid the price in stiff muscles, even though she was sure her techniques were improving.

Back in her quarters, a hot bath would have done nicely, but Amanda had to settle for a brief shower. How she missed the hot tub in her parent’s Florida home. And how fortunate her parents had moved north before the Xindi attack, or they would be so much dust-in-the-wind like that hot tub now. Like many of her old high school classmates, too. Not good, this dwelling on the past. She had heard enough of it during those neuropressure sessions with Trip Tucker. He had let his heart out to her, bit by tiny bit. That had been the price of the neuropressure, but she too remembered Lizzy, a feisty little thing in Trip’s wake, cheering on her team as it ran over Amanda’s own school’s team. Compassion for Trip, and lust for Trip’s great body had initiated that kiss in his quarters. There were few other distractions in the Expanse. And they could all be dead tomorrow. Take what life threw your way, was Amanda’s philosophy.

Easing into her bunk, Amanda admitted the strength of a Vulcan was formidable. T’Pol sure had strong fingers. She guessed that Vulcans were prone to forgetting they were three times stronger than humans. An interspecies relationship hazard, she mused, which made Amanda glad she was not put on a Vulcan assault squad in an exchange program like they were talking about. How would she ever survive the training sessions when some Vulcan intense on perfecting his attack techniques forgot she was human? No, much as she admired their strength, logic, and dedication to purpose, Amanda Cole did not want to serve for even a day on a Vulcan ship. Human males were quite enough for sparring partners. Too bad though. Some of those Vulcan males might easily raise her libido, if she let them. But that would have been useless, they never showed a spark of interest, or did they? And what about the females? There was something about Commander T’Pol… She was only beginning to recognize Vulcan body language, it was so subtle - not enough to put an unformed suspicion into words. Something about that pinch.

This bunk was narrow, but that would not stop Amanda if it was all that was available. Now Trip Tucker was a fine human specimen. Hopping into the sack with him would have been fun. Would have been. Almost was. They had so much in common and it all seemed to be headed in that direction until today. Yes, this morning she had seen him sitting at breakfast with the Vulcan. Walking past their table, she heard one strange isolated phrase: lab rat. What were the senior officers planning now? Some kind of biological weapon? Their cheery Denoblian doc must be in on these plans, most likely. Well, anything to get the job done. After Florida…the enemy deserved whatever the Enterprise could throw at them!

And after breakfast when she had passed Trip on his way to engineering, he had a far off look in his eyes, kind of a sad longing. He did not even see her or answer her “Good morning, Commander.” Amanda rolled over, groaned as her stiff body protested, and tapped off the light. She was back to begging sleeping tablets from Dr. Phlox. But her thoughts drifted again to the enigma which was the Vulcan woman. The best looking woman on the ship, she had to admit. That pinch. It always came back to that! All the other places T’Pol had touched her, had felt wonderfully relaxed.

Yes! Amanda sat up in the dark. It FELT like the touch of a jealous woman, that deep stabbing pinch! Nah, she smirked to herself, nah girl, Trip and T’Pol? But T’Pol had been awfully talkative, for a Vulcan, asking all those questions about Trip during their neuropressure session… Now what was it she was saying just before T’Pol slipped and pinched her so hard? Something about Florida? Phlox’s pills were starting to take effect though, and Amanda wanted to let go of the day. She sighed, dropped back in the bunk and was mercifully asleep before another of the myriad small anomalies in the Expanse rocked the ship.

fin

Back to Fan Fiction Main Menu

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

Good one, Linda. Amanda almost sounded like she was so fascinated by Vulcans that she was considering a bit of same-gender recreation during her neuropressure session with T'Pol... until that jealous touch got her but good. I guess I wasn't the only one who picked up interest vibes from her character in that scene that were not related to Trip. I love the fact that she was more sore from that than from sparring with Malcolm AND Hayes, LOL! She was ALMOST there with her get-a-clue moment... but not quite. I guess she couldn't quite bring herself to believe it. Fascinating.

BTW... "intense" = "intent" and "Denoblian" = "Denobulan" Sorry... guess I've been doing too much betaing lately. Good story! : )

Where did the 'attraction to vulcan males' thing come from with Amanda cole, I've never understood that...... Oh great story btw ! loved it

Nice POV, Linda. I was waiting for her to 'get it', too, but she just didn't get there. Nice ending!

After re-watching that episode it actually seemed a shame, for Trip, that T'Pol got in the way, this girl was perfect for him. Wouldn't have been half as interesting though!

Maybe she should have got some comfort from Reed, she might have been a good love interest for him ...sort of a female version of Trip.

Sorry guys about the spelling! It should have been cheery Denobulian, not cherry Denoblian! Poor Phlox, I have not done him justice! Well, I will just have to do a Phlox story to make up for that.

Yes, poor Amanda is still semi-clueless. I hope you all don't mind that I made her almost but not quite get it. I see her as kind of a non introspective, up front, and maybe in-your-face sort of gal. Maybe I am trying to write a personality type that is opposite of mine?

The thing about Amanda and Vulcans, well I'm kinda in Shouldknowbetter's camp on that. I love Shouldknowbetter's stories on the Annex! I don't know about same gender recreation...but she could be bisexual? hmm.

And I still cannot spell Denobulan, can I, LOL? I will have to write the word 100 times!

Why isn't she more bummed out? She lost a chance at TRIP!!

Well justTrip'n, I suppose she SHOULD feel more bummed out! (I would, LOL) But then, she is still sort of clueless, the truth is just a little out of focus yet. And I don't see her as sticking to just one guy - you know, she feels here that it is best to "gather your rosebuds where you may" cause tomorrow some Xindi bastard may have you in his gun sight. But that is just my take on the character from reviewing the Harbringer episode: cut your losses and move on. I think some military people have to see life that way, especially those on the front lines.

Ok, another thing about Amanda. I don't see her as in love with Trip, only in lust, and she sees him as a friend and brother-in-arms. Maybe I'm just saving her for Soval, ala Shouldknowbetter. But I guess I should know better too...the woman who can resist Trip just hasn't been born and never will be, eh?

I love how many interesting POV's have come out of this challenge! Now Amanda Cole. Thumbs up!

Linda, I really enjoyed this story!
Amanda is such an interesting character to write with many possibilites, but I am firmly in the same camp as you and Shouldknowbetter.

I especially like how you made Amanda decide not to focus on her past and the what-ifs since she saw the effect it had on Trip.

I thought this was a great story beacuse of the fact that Amanda didn't get it. So close yet so far! It was nicely done and I agree with your take on Amanda's interest in Trip. Great job.

That was great! (That pinch... heh heh, no one ever suspects the butterfly...) Oh, and for John O, there are a fair few fics out there about Amanda Cole and a certain Ambassador Soval getting together. I've always found them to be extremely well written, especially Shouldknowbetter's. Check 'em out at Soval's Index. Anyway, awesome stuff, and keep these coming! (I'm even thinking of writing one myself... btw, how does one go about finding a good beta? Any takers?) :)

About that betaing, Windrider. I dunno about GOOD... you'll have to ask my authors about that... but I like doing it. Pm or email me on the HoT BB if you'd like me to give it a shot. : )

Me too, I'll beta!

nice one... would like to see her realize it. T

Interesting take on Amanda, Linda. I always saw her as a fun-loving, free-spirited type (a T'Pol opposite) and who could resist Trip? Especially in that muscle shirt, LOL!

BTW, Windrider, Distracted is an excellent beta. I highly recommend her. : )

Excellent story. You've really fleshed out her personality while staying true to the character portrayed in the series.