On the Edge

On the Edge

By Mamma Maria

Rating: R
Disclaimer: Paramount owns the characters, the Star Trek franchise, and everything else. I just use them for my own personal, non-profit amusement (they can't take away my dreams).
Summary: Trip and T’Pol get started on that work he mentioned at the end of “Bound”.

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Trip ran his thumb across his lower lip, looking down at T'Pol, "Guess we've got a lot of work to do", then turned and walked off towards engineering.

T'Pol stared down the passageway where he had disappeared and wondered if he had been referring to the condition of the ship or the condition of their relationship. Perhaps he had meant a bit of both. Certainly the bond was going to require some additional time teaching him Vulcan mating protocols.

---

Trip had just stepped out of the shower when the intercom sounded. "T'Pol to Commander Tucker."

"Go ahead."

"You stated earlier that we have considerable work ahead of us. Would this be an appropriate time to continue?"

(Damn, is she referring to us or the ship repairs?) Either way, he was not about to let her off easy. "I was just about to go get some food. Join me in the mess hall if you want, we can discuss what needs to be done over dinner."

Silence then, "Agreed." (She doesn't seem real thrilled to be meeting in the mess hall, so I guess this is gonna be about us.)

A few minutes later Trip entered the dining area to find T'Pol was already seated, nibbling delicately on a piece of celery from the plate of raw veggies in front of her. He quickly filled his plate and moved to take the seat next to her at a small table in the corner of the room.

"Mind if I join you?"

That earned him a peaked eyebrow. "As we agreed to meet here, that is an illogical question."

Trip raised both eyebrows and threw a grin back at her, "Just bein' polite." (Hah! Two can play the eyebrow game.) "You wanted to talk about something we need to work on?"

"Indeed." She carefully set down the last bit of celery and settled to face him. "I believe that it is important for you to learn more about the bond that develops between Vulcans when they mate. There are certain protocols you must learn."

Coffee sprayed across the table as Trip fought for both air and a response. He blurted out the first words that came into his head. "What the Hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I believe it to be important that you understand what the bond is, and what it is not. That you learn some level of control over your reactions to it. Just as I must."

"Hold on a minute. Are you saying that this bond thing is bad?"

"Not at all. Among Vulcans it is considered very natural, highly desirable in a marriage. (Highly desirable in a marriage! Did I miss a wedding someplace along the way? Other than the one where she married Koss while I stood watching like a fool.) However, between a Vulcan and a Human...no such event has ever occurred before. There are bound to be differences from a normal Vulcan bond. We need to understand the bond, to explore its limits, so that we can better understand how to proceed."

"Wait a minute. Let me get this straight...when you refer to Vulcans mating, do you mean, "get married" or just have sex?”

"That this bond has formed si-kun-utik, outside of marriage, is very unusual even when both parties are Vulcans. This is part of the reason why I believe we need to determine the exact nature of this bond."

"You didn't answer my question T'Pol. Does "mating" mean the same thing as "married?"

"Not necessarily, although Vulcans do not often engage in sexual relations outside of marriage. However, I think that perhaps it would be prudent to continue this discussion in a more private manner."

"I’ve gotta agree with that. Your place or mine?"

"Please raise your right hand extending only the first 2 fingers."

"Huh?"

"Raise your right hand like this." T'Pol proceeded to raise her own hand in what looked suspiciously like a scout salute. "Trip...Please..."

Eyes rolling, Trip raised his hand and presented his fingers to her. T'Pol placed her fingers against his at a slight angle so that only the tips were in contact. The mess hall vanished and was replaced by that blinding white emptiness in which he had found himself during his recent dreams. He looked down and found T'Pol next to him, their fingers still joined.

"Ok T'Pol, I am getting mighty tired on being bounced in and out of this place. What just happened? And where, exactly, are we?"

"This is not a physical place, it is a...perhaps the best description would be thought-space? This is the place in my mind where I go to during meditation. We are here because of the physical contact in which our bodies are currently engaged."

"You mean, just because we touched fingers, we are all of a sudden inside your head?"

"It is called ozh'hesta in Vulcan. The closest English translation would be...finger caress. It would be more accurate to say that we are inside OUR heads. It is specific type of contact, acceptable in public, which allows Vulcans who are bonded to communicate directly, mind-to-mind. I do not believe the result is typically this concrete, more an exchange of thoughts. However, as you are human, perhaps your mind has provided us with this appearance of a physical place as a way of interpreting the unaccustomed mental contact."

"Let me see if I got this straight. We did this ozesta thing...and now we can talk mind-to-mind, some sorta mental telepathy?"

(Fascinating...even inside his mind, his Vulcan accent is terrible) "It is pronounced Ozh'hesta, but your description is essentially correct. As long as we are in physical contact through the caress, we can communicate directly. With practice, the result will perhaps be less physical and more mental."

"Hey, what's wrong with being physical? Although this isn't bad. Kinda bland for my taste, but it sure is private. So where do we go from here?"

"I believe that your earlier question is not entirely inappropriate."

"Which one?"

"Your place or mine?" T'Pol broke contact with his fingers and the mess hall reappeared around them.

Trip's head nearly exploded along with the sudden switch. He squinted against the pain, "Damn woman! Warn a guy before you do that!"

"There is no need to shout Commander. You are drawing attention to yourself."

(Beats me how she can make my rank sound exactly like my Mom calling me "Charles Tucker III" when I'm in trouble.) "I really don't care! Having my mind yanked around like that has given me a headache. I think perhaps I have "worked" enough for one day. Perhaps it's time you mastered a few "protocols" yourself. Start with the definition of RUDE."

Trip got up and stalked out of the room leaving T'Pol to endure the curious stares of their shipmates. Displaying her considerable Vulcan aplomb, she rose slowly, collected both of their trays, deposited them in the disposal area, and then walked out of the room.

Once behind the closed door of her quarters she sank to the edge of her bed and tried to take stock. (What did I do that upset him so badly? I only pointed out that he needed to learn more about our bond. He seemed quite happy about it until I suggested that we move to private quarters from the dining facility. Now I have also acquired a headache) T'Pol headed off to discuss the situation with the only other person on the ship with whom she felt she could discuss such things.

As she stepped into Sickbay, she called out for the Doctor, who promptly appeared from behind one of the ubiquitous privacy curtains, "What can I do for you Commander"?

"I have a headache."

"Hmph, seems to be a bit of that going around this evening. What seems to have caused yours?"

"Commander Tucker."

"I see", was all the Doctor said, but the look he gave her spoke volumes, nor did a hypo-spray appear to be forthcoming.

"I do not understand him."

"Perhaps if you tell me what it is that you don't understand, I could be of more assistance."

"We were having a vary rational discussion when he became angry, said I needed to learn the definition of...rude and left the room."

"Curious, WERE you rude to him?"

"I do not believe so. It was certainly not my intention to be less than cordial."

"Perhaps if you told me of the events leading up to his outburst I could more easily help you determine its cause."

T'Pol hesitated, their bond was deeply personal and she did not really want to discuss it with anyone other than Trip, but it seemed that she was going to need help to make that happen. The Doctor was certainly discreet and she knew him to be an astute observer of human behavior. She proceeded to try to explain the existence of the bond that had formed, as clinically as possible, as well as their conversation, describing Trip's reactions as best she could. When she finished, it was a long moment before the Doctor replied.

"I do seem to recall some mention in the Vulcan medical database of married couples being capable of developing strong mental bonds. Is this the type of bond that has formed between you and the Commander?"

"I believe that to be the case. It is a logical explanation for certain recent events such as his immunity to the Orions."

"How extraordinary. Wouldn't it be more usual for you to have formed such a bond with your husband, what was his name...Koss?"

"The formation of such a bond requires close proximity over an extended period of time. Koss and I never...shared a residence. There was neither time nor inclination to form such a bond."

"You and Commander Tucker have certainly been in close proximity for the past several years. Is that the only thing required for a bond to form?”

“There must also be a certain level of emotional attachment…affection.”

So...in human terms, spent a good deal of time together, fell in love and this bond was formed."

T'Pol though about that for a moment. "That is perhaps the closest English translation of how such a bond it formed, yes."

"How wonderful! I am very pleased for you both. However, considering that the two of you are from different species, I would like to do complete neural scans on both of you, as soon as possible."

"Doctor! This is not helpful. I need to understand why he so angry."

"When you were explaining to the Commander about the bond, did you explain the emotional aspects? Or did you use the same detached, technical language that you used to explain it to me?"

"I explained the exact nature of it and my concerns about the possible abnormalities involved in an interspecies bond. It will mean a great deal of work for us both, exploring the nature and limits of this unusual occurrence. There really is no frame of reference by which to judge the", Phlox cut her off.

"T'Pol, listen to yourself. The Commander is HUMAN, not Vulcan. You are discussing an intensely emotional situation that should fill you both with wonder. Instead you sound like you’re describing plans to rebuild a warp drive. Did you TELL him that you were in love with him?"

"He should have understood my emotions through the bond. There should be no need to verbalize the..."

"But he is not Vulcan! Perhaps he is not yet capable of understanding what he is sensing through the bond. Or perhaps he is unsure of which emotions are yours and which are his own. It might be useful to TELL him how you feel. I would also suggest that you move more slowly in your experimentations. As you noted, there may be unexpected aspects to a Human-Vulcan bond. It may be that the Commander is not yet ready for what you tried today. Are there perhaps any other activities in which you can engage to strengthen the bond without causing quite so much mental stress?"

An image of Trip, naked above her, flashed into her mind causing T'Pol to flush a delicate green, "Perhaps. However, I will have to get him to talk to me first. He IS very upset."

"Well, you might try starting out by apologizing for having given him a headache."

Later that evening.

Trip answered the buzzer and found T'Pol standing outside his quarters with a covered dish in her hand. He did not move to let her into the room, just stood in the doorway, propping himself against the wall with one outstretched arm.

"What do you want T'Pol? I'm not in the mood for any more of your damn mind games tonight."

She held the plate out to him, "I owe you an apology. Since you did not get to finish your meal, I thought I would bring you dessert as well. Cook said it was something called Baklava. He thought that you would enjoy it."

"You asked the cook what I wanted for dessert."

"Actually, I asked for a slice of Pecan Pie, however there was none available. When I told the cook that I owed you an apology, he suggested that you might find this to be an acceptable substitute." She paused at this point to take a close look at him, noticing for the first time how tired he looked, the lines forming around his eyes...beautiful blue eyes which had lost their usual sparkle. "I do apologize Trip, it was not my intention to cause you any discomfort."

"Well you damn sure did. It hurt like hell when you broke the link so abruptly."

"Could I come in please? I think perhaps the passageway is not the best place to conduct this discussion."

Surrendering, Trip turned and moved to stand staring out the portal at the stars, leaving T'Pol to enter and place the small plate on the table. The door closed and she stood for a long moment, waiting for him to speak again. Eventually it became apparent that he was not going to help her out by restarting the conversation.

"In my impatience to investigate our bond, I allowed myself to forget that you are not Vulcan and therefore may not understand what the bond really means to us."

Trip turned slightly, just enough to glare at her our of the corner of his eye. "I'm NOT Vulcan and I wish you would stop trying to turn me into one. I like myself just the way I am."

"I like you as you are also. I do not want to turn you into a Vulcan, even is such a thing were possible. Nor do I have any desire to become Human. However, if we are to maintain our sanity, we must find some way to exist between both worlds. The bond can help with that...which is part of why I was so eager to explore it with you."

Trip sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and turned to face her. "So, what DOES the bond mean? Besides bein' a really good way to make my head explode?"

"Does you head still hurt?"

"Don't change the subject. What does the bond mean?"

"I was not trying to change the subject. However, the explanation is likely to take some time. If you still have a headache, I thought that I could complete the explanation during a neuropressure session. As I caused your headache, the least I can do is try to provide some relief."

"I don't think so."

"You would rather remain in pain?"

"Honestly, after what happened in the mess hall, I am afraid to let you touch me. The last thing I need right now is to have my head messed with again."

"The ozh'hesta is a very specific type of physical contact. While there are some of the more advanced positions in neuropressure that can be used in a similar manner, I do not believe that our usual postures would have the same affect. I was thinking perhaps of some simple spine and foot techniques for releasing stress. I could explain about the bond at the same time."

"I guess I am willing to try. Promise me that if we do end up in that thought-space again that you’ll warn me before you break contact so that I can prepare."

"I promise."

The two of them proceeded to strip down to their blue regulation underclothes, arranged themselves head-to-toe on the carpet, and began to work on each other's feet.

"So, explain to me about this bond. What does it mean and how did we end up getting' one?"

"What I told you is basically true, when Vulcan's mate they can sometimes form a mind-link or bond."

"Yeah, you said that before. Just what do you mean when you say "mate"? 'Cause I'm getting' the feeling that we don't have the same definition for that word."

"Most often the term is used to mean marriage, but can refer to any relationship in which sexual partners make a long-term commitment. Does it not mean the same thing among humans?"

"Not normally, where I come from what your describing is called marriage, or if your not married it called being lovers. Mating is what barnyard animals do, its sex without emotion or commitment, Humans don't "mate" (not the nice ones anyway) they make love".

"I see. I believe I now understand why you became so annoyed each time I used the term. You thought I was describing our relationship in less than agreeable terms. That was never my intention."

"Yeah, I see that now. It sure clears up a lot of things. I know that there probably isn't a Vulcan word for things like love or lovers, so perhaps it would be easier for both of us if you just talk about bein' in a relationship."

"Actually, there are several Vulcan words for love, depending on the usage. However, they are rarely spoken in public as that would require revealing a depth of emotion that most Vulcans would prefer keep hidden."

Trip's face lit up in a grin, "Really? What are they?"

"Ashaya, ashalik, shan'hal'lak, among others, each denoting various degrees of emotion or specific relationships."

"You're kidding, right?" "No" "So, is there a word to describe us?"

"I believe the correct word would be t'hy'la. The closest English translation would be 'soul-linked'. It is used to describe one who is a...lover or lifelong-companion and implies the co-joining of minds in a bond similar to our own. Please lie on your back."

He moved, "Thy’la. I like that, it has a nice sound to it."

She knelt straddling his head and leaned over to place her hands near his waist, "The correct pronunciation is t'hy'la".

Looking up from where his head was resting between her thighs, images from past neuropressure sessions flowed through his mind. Visions of her little blue silk top hanging loose, providing a wonderful view of her naked breasts. "Te-high-la, got it." T’Pol’s thumbs dug into his stomach, hard enough to make him yelp, “Hey, not so rough!”

“I apologize. I was distracted by the sudden realization of why you always expressed a preference for this particular position.”

His grin got bigger, “Yeah, well it always made me feel like my head was in the right place. You mean you never figured that out before tonight? Why now?”

“I believe that I received an image from your mind. A view from your current position of my bare torso? Since I am not currently wearing that particular item of clothing, I assume it was a memory. Sharing of memories IS one aspect of a bond.”

“Really? I’m gonna have to be more careful what I’m thinking (oh my GOD she can read my mind!) from now on. How do you Vulcan’s ever have any private thoughts if your t’hy’la can hear everything you think? Seems to me that could just about drive a body crazy.”

She leaned back to an upright position and gazed down at him, “There are certain mental disciplines that we are taught from a very young age. These allow us to control the flow of thought and emotion across the bond. This is done because similar bonds exist between parents and their offspring and can also exist between siblings. It would be very difficult to raise children if you constantly had their uncontrolled thoughts running through your mind.”

“And since I am human...”

“You were never afforded an opportunity to learn these the control that these techniques impart.”

Trip drew a deep breath and took the plunge, “Do you think I could learn them now? I mean, I’m not too old or anything am I? Do you think being human would make it impossible?” (‘Cause if I don’t do something, this is going to drive me crazy)

“I see no reason why you could not learn them. Certainly you are not OLD and the techniques are not difficult. Perhaps the fact that you do not know them is why our earlier sharing caused you pain. Your mind was not properly prepared for the contact.”

“So, what would be involved?”

Leaning forward again, she resumed her ministrations to his abdomen. “The first lessons involved being able to communicate deliberately across a mind-link. You would try to send an image to my mind. Make the image as clear and detailed as possible. As you are just learning, the image should be associated with strong feelings or some particular…”

Her hands slipped and hit the floor on either side of his body, nearly pitching her face first on top of him, as his thoughts burst into her mind. Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, overwhelming physical sensations, all from his perspective, showing clearly why he felt that this position put his head in the “right place”.

After a few moments, the images faded and she found herself back in her own body. She gasped and realized that she had forgotten to breathe. Not daring to try moving very much, she tipped her head forward to look at him, her gaze traveling up his body to his face. His eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily, the warm, moist air from his breath fanned her lower body.

“Trip…”, his eyes didn’t open, “I…think…that was a…VERY successful first lesson.”

A sequel follows in Over the Side

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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

More!! More!!
I do hope you'll write another part to this...very good read

A bit didactic, but boy did you make up for it in the end! I'm all hot n' bothered...More please!

Oh, this is great - I like how you shaped Trip's frustrations into an opportunity for better understanding - and it ended with a kick!

Would love to see more!

*evil grin* I love it!

(Fascinating...even inside his mind, his Vulcan accent is terrible)...

That sentence had me laughing outloud!

Please write more. I love this.

Brilliant! Boy is Trip a fast learner... Ali D :~)

VERY interesting...can't wait for more!

At first I thought it was a bit slow, but it really did a complete turnabout!! I love a fic that shows their individual humorous abilities, and this had it in good numbers on both sides!!

I will also admit that I like it when Trip stands up for himself and doesn't grovel to T'Pol.

Wonderful story! I loved the humour and your handling of the characters. I could "hear" their words and they stayed in character the whole time. Also, the problems and misunderstandings as they adjusted to the bond seemed quite realistic. Your first story, by the way, is one of my all-time favourites, so I was thrilled to find you'd written another and that it's every bit as good -- thanks for sharing it!

High praise indeed! Thanks Sash.

You know, you always stop to sooooon!!!! I still miss my shower-scene (hint, hint) and now you are doing it again! Will there be a second lesson or so? Pleaaaaaaaaaaaaase?

And yes: I *adore* your fics. They are brilliant!

Thanks Vaux, I have the first couple pages of the next lesson written and am working hard to finish it. Soon, I hope (work, school, business on the side, waaay too little time to write).

Hi Mamma Marie,

"work, school, business on the side," = send them all away, say your are in danger or so, pursued by greedy readers! ;-))))

Just so you know: I can´t wait for the next lesson!

(Oh, and I´ve lost an "o" on "too" in my first reply = lots of blushing over here.)

Wonderful... but I want MORE!!! I can't wait!

my favorite line: (Fascinating...even inside his mind, his Vulcan accent is terrible). :) thanks for the fic...I can't wait for the next lesson...

my favorite line: (Fascinating...even inside his mind, his Vulcan accent is terrible). :) thanks for the fic...I can't wait for the next lesson...

"I have a headache."

"Hmph, seems to be a bit of that going around this evening. What seems to have caused yours?"

"Commander Tucker."

Tee hee hee! That was great! I love this, hope there's more! :)

Part Two....for god sake you can't leave it hanging there. Get to work...now.....T

Yeah! I love Telepathic!Trip stories, MORE PLEASE!

Oh man you CANNOT stop there!

I have to agree with everyone here...please post part two.

Great story.