Over the Side

Over the Side

By Mama Marie

Rating: PG
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).
Genre: Romance, Humor
Summary: Sequel to On the Edge. Trip and T’Pol continue to explore their bond.

A/N: It's been a long time, but I think I finally have the sequel to "On the Edge" finished. It has languished for over a year because I could not find a reasonable ending for it. I really never intended to write a sequel, but sometimes stories do have a mind of their own. I'm still not 100% happy with the ending but I THINK it is as close as I am likely to get after all this time.

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Trip had spent the last few days practicing his newly discovered ability to send information through their bond and he was making “satisfactory progress” according to T’Pol. Phlox had run his coveted neural scans on both of them, telling the Captain that he wanted the scans to continue investigating their immunity to the Orions and had then cleared them to move ahead with exploring the capabilities of the bond. The plan this evening was for T’Pol to begin sending complex information back to him for the first time.

He was looking forward to that part. So far he had been sending a lot of images from Engineering, a few memories of his childhood, that sort of thing. He was curious to see what types of images she would choose to share with him. First however, there was dinner with Malcolm and the Captain.

Captain’s Mess, 1820 hours

The remnants of an excellent meal were scattered across the table top and Trip was just finishing the last of his dessert when the Captain leaned back in this chair, waved his glass and smirked, “You’re adventures with alien women are fast becoming something of a legend among the crew Trip.”

The last bite of Baklava went down the wrong way and Trip endured a prolonged coughing fit while thinking fast for a suitable reply (Damn! I thought we were being pretty discreet). It didn’t help that T’Pol was peaking over the top of her teacup at him with that wide-eyed innocent waif look she got when she was avoiding giving a response to something. A look that always made him want to grab her and kiss her senseless.

As he turned to face the Captain he sent her an image of him doing just that and was rewarded by a glimpse of her fingers tightening around her cup. What finally came out of his mouth was nothing less than pure Tucker brilliance under pressure, “Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Face it Trip, if there is a non-human female within a couple of light years, you usually manage to get mixed up with them somehow.

“That’s an exaggeration” (What’s he gettin’ at?) “I’ve always been a perfect gentleman.”

“Let's see, there’s Trip, first human male to get pregnant”

Trip sighed, “I was really kind of hoping that nobody would ever mention THAT again”.

“By an alien female no less. Then you got robbed and left tied up, wearing nothing but your underclothes, while trying to pick up alien women in a bar.”

“That wasn’t just me y’know, the same thing happened to Malcolm.

Malcolm joined into the spirit of the game, “Then you got stranded with that alien princess,

“I keep telling everyone…nothing happened!”

“You WERE both partially unclothed when rescued”, T’Pol quipped from behind her teacup.

Silence.

All three men gapped at her, although Malcolm was the first to pick his jaw up off the floor, “She did it again, this time I’m sure of it, she made a joke”.

“I was merely stating a well documented fact relevant to the episode being discussed.”

Trip decided to head off that conversation, “Where are you going with this Captain?”

“And now you’re the only human male known to be immune to the Orions; something for which Phlox still has not managed to provide any kind of a rational explanation. Sorry to tell you this Trip, but that is definitely the stuff of legends, by any definition.”

Malcolm chimed back in, “I heard that some of the junior personnel have set up a pool on what will happen to him next”.

The Jon raised his glass in a toast to Trip, “See? A legend.”

T’Pol set down her cup and looked curiously at Malcolm, “Exactly what is a “pool” in this context?”

A growl came from Trip’s end of the table, “Leave it alone T’Pol”.

“It’s a sort of wager. Each person chooses what they think will be the thing we hear about Trip and a non-human female. Then we all just wait to see what happens. The person, whose guess is closest to what actually happens, wins a prize.”

Jon leaned forward, “So, What’s getting the best odds right now?”

“CAPT’N! He’s just kidding! Right Malcolm?”

“Not at all mate. I believe the current favorites are variations of; he gets kidnapped and sold into an all male harem or he unwittingly says the wrong thing on an away mission and ends up married to an alien female by accident.”

“Tell them to put me down for “infected by an unidentified agent, he turns INTO an alien female”.

“Sure thing Captain.”

“That’s it; a man can only take so much.” Throwing his napkin down on the table, Trip started to get up from his chair. “What is the prize the winner will receive?” came from behind the teacup. He fell back in the chair sending a mental image of turning her over his knee for a spanking.

“The winner gets to choose the films for the next three movie nights.”

“Considering some of Commander Tucker’s selections, that is certainly a worthwhile prize. Perhaps I should also select a possible outcome. I am certain that if I apply logic to the question an appropriate answer will emerge.” Trip gulped coffee as, for a moment, he found himself in the decon chamber, enjoying the sensation of someone massaging Decon gel onto the back of her neck and the tips of her ears. (What the…) “The most reasonable answer is that he will be exposed to a biohazard and have to spend several hours in Decon with a non-human female, applying Decon gel.”

Archer looked at T’Pol, eyes wide, “Now that’s interesting. (Cap’n you don’t know the half of it!) Why is that the most reasonable answer?”

“Commander Tucker has already been in that situation on a number of occasions. It is logical to assume that it will occur again. Based on a statistical analysis of past events, he has a higher probability than most other crew members of being exposed to unexpected biohazards.”

Archer shook his head, “Won’t work. That might be the most likely thing to happen, but the idea of the pool is to think of something that has never happened to him before.”

“If the choice must be an event that has never occurred before, then what is the basis for selection? It would appear that there is no logic associated with this pool.”

“Of course not, the fun is in dreaming up something truly unexpected and outrageous.”

“With so significant a prize for the winner, I believe I shall have to give this matter more thought. Perhaps something ‘outrageous’ will come to mind.”

Archer looked bemused, “What’s going on T’Pol? That’s three times in as many days that I’ve heard you tell a joke.”

Resting her teacup delicately on the table, T’Pol turned to him with her best, bland Vulcan gaze. “My studies of ancient Vulcan philosophies have led me to a greater understanding of various aspects of human behavior. As you have always encouraged me to increase my interactions with the crew on a social level, I have been using this new understanding to try to mimic various conversational methods that I have witnessed, either among the crew or in Commander Tucker’s movie selections. Have I have applied the technique incorrectly?”

“No, no, you’re doing just fine. It just kind of took us by surprise.”

“It is gratifying to know that. However, at the moment I still have some work to accomplish before retiring. Good night Captain, Commanders.” She rose and strode out of the room before any of them could collect their wits, effectively ending the conversation and leaving three stunned men staring after her.

Archer recovered first. “Well, I should get back to work as well. I still have a stack of crew evaluations to review.” Archer’s words signaled an end to the evening. The three men rose from the table and departed for their various destinations.

---

Trip strode briskly into the room as soon as T’Pol opened the door to her quarters. “What in the world was THAT all about?”

“I sensed that you wished to divert the Captain away from pondering your hypothetical sexual activities. I took steps to redirect his attention elsewhere.”

“Yeah, well, you sure succeeded. Now he’s wonderin’ what’s happenin’ to you.”

“I provided a perfectly logical explanation for my behavior. I also pointed out that it was, to use an earth phrase, “all HIS fault” for encouraging me to act more like a human.”

“Maybe, but I’m not real sure he believed that explanation any more than I did. Anyway, I want to talk about something else. Right when you mentioned the Decon chamber, I seemed to be in the chamber, only I was you, and I, that is Trip…this is pretty confusing to describe, I was you and I (Trip) was rubbing Decon gel into my…your…OUR ears and neck. Darn it! How do you Vulcans keep this stuff straight?”

“We do not normally attempt to describe such things in words. Direct experience through the bond is much simpler and more direct.”

“Okaaay, but how do you know that you’re getting it right; that what you are receiving is what the other person is sending?”

“Such concerns are only an issue with the very young. As ability improves, a level of certainty develops regarding such things. As an example, you know you received a valid image this evening based on what I was saying at the time.”

“Uh Huh. In that case, I guess you really enjoyed having me rub that gel all over you. At least that’s what it seemed like you were feeling at the time.

“It WAS a pleasurable sensation.”

“Yeah (sigh) I always kind of enjoyed those Decon sessions. All warm and slippery. Of course they were sort of frustratin’ as well, considering that I never figured on getting my hands on the rest of you.” He leered at her playfully, “Maybe we should volunteer for an away mission again sometime soon.” (Or maybe I should just offer to wash your back for you)

An image of a steamy shower bloomed in his mind, him rubbing the back of her neck and ears with sandalwood scented soap. His reverie was just getting to the really interesting parts when it was abruptly broken off by T’Pol.

“I’m impressed. Your skill is progressing very rapidly.”

Trip drew a deep breath and looked her in the eye, “Thanks…I think. That wasn’t one of MY memories so I guess that little interlude in the shower came from your mind?” (…and how come I don’t remember it? I’m not likely to have forgotten something that intense.)

“Indeed. Do you remember me telling you about the nightmares I was having in the expanse?”

“THAT was what from your dream? Now I’M impressed, I didn’t know Vulcan’s had that much imagination.”

“Normally we do not dream…in that fashion. That is why the dreams were so disconcerting.”

“An here I was thinkin’ that trying to kill me was what bothered you.”

“That is also true.”

“Glad to hear it. So, what’s on the agenda tonight?”

“I think we should start with some neuropressure to help you relax. During the session I will supplement the conversation with other information through the bond in order to help you gain confidence in the accuracy of your reception.”

Trip was already taking off his shoes, “Sounds good to me, you wanna start with feet?” A mental picture formed of him massaging her cute little toes, which he promptly sent her direction. What he got back was his own feet, fresh from his shoes, mere inches from her oversensitive Vulcan nose.

(Phew! What is that disgusting sme…) He froze. Slipping his shoe back on, he slowly straightened back up. “On the other hand, maybe we should start with shoulders.”

“We may start with feet if you wish.”

“Damn T’Pol, why didn’t you just tell me my feet stank. I’d have washed them before we started.”

“I have long since trained myself to ignore the various odors associated with being among humans. Doctor Phlox’s olfactory inhibitors are also a great help. As are the extra candles I always light before we start.”

“Seems to me that you didn’t do all that good a job of ignoring them if you could send the smell along with the image. I’ll be back in a minute.” He strode off to bathroom and proceeded to scrub both feet thoroughly, removing several layers of skin in the process.

Returning to the room, he dropped his shoes near the door and padded barefoot back to where she was sitting. “NOW we can start with feet.”

T’Pol glanced down at his feet, noted their bright pink color and simply nodded assent, turning to stretch out on her side in preparation.

Trip gazed up at T’Pol from his position on the floor, “Your turn. Lie down on your back”.

“I think perhaps we have done enough for one evening.”

“I am nowhere close to being done. You still owe me a lot more answers. Lie down.”

Taking a close look at him she noted that he certainly seemed more relaxed and the sparkle had returned to his eyes. She moved to comply, stretching out with her head resting between his knees as he knelt above her. He leaned forward wrapped his hands around her sides and began to work his thumbs into her stomach, squeezing slightly with the fingers that wrapped around her sides and behind her back.

“SO help me out here, I still don’t understand, just how this bond got created in the first place. I heard what you said about Vulcans choosin’ a mate and all, but I still can’t figure out what triggered it in our case.”

“I believe it might have been my marriage to Koss.”

“Whaaaaat?” Trip stopped moving and looked down at her, “Would you mind explainin’ that to me? Because it sure doesn’t seem to make much sense.”

“I believe that the bond between us might have been initiated during my wedding to Koss.”

Trip’s voice dropped to something resembling a growl, “You’re gonna have to do better than that T’Pol. That’s just not LOGICAL.”

“The Vulcan joining ceremony is intended to help form the initial link, which is then strengthened over time as the couple lives together and engages in the...normal activities of a marriage. Part of forming that initial link requires that the individuals concentrate their attention on each other, to the exclusion of all others in the vicinity.”

“Seems to me that there’s a hole the size of a shuttlecraft in your logic. Shouldn’t that mean you would have developed a bond to Koss instead of me?”

“Under normal circumstances that would be the result. However I had no desire to be married to Koss and nor did I wish to bond with him. I therefore focused my attention elsewhere.”

“Poor Koss, I can almost feel sorry for the guy. So what were you thinking of?”

“You”

Trip dropped back to a kneeling position and stared at her, “Wait a minute, you were thinking of ME…in the middle of getting married to HIM?”

“I did not wish to be linked to him so I directed my attention along a more appealing line of thought.”

His jaw dropped, “Let me get this straight, you were thinking of me, and just like that, we formed this bond”.

“I did not realize that humans were capable of forming a bond. Initiating a bond requires that BOTH parties be focused completely on each other…along with a certain level of mental discipline.”

“Which means that you chose the one person in the area that you thought was SAFE. I’m not sure how to take that.”

“It means that I chose to think about the one person I would have preferred to have next to me at that moment. I never considered whether or not a bond could form. Only that I would have preferred you instead of him.”

“Oh.” His eyes softened along with his voice, “I would have preferred that to.”

He finally leaned forward and resumed his attention to her abdomen, his calloused hands warm and gentle. “Y’know, you mother told me I could stop the wedding, if I told you how I felt. I’m thinking now that maybe I should have taken her advice, ‘cause it just about killed me to stand there and watch while you married him.”

“My mother was wrong.” (Damn, when am I going to learn to keep my big mouth shut?) “I would have proceeded with the ceremony even if you had spoken to me of your feelings. Nor would it have made a difference to the events following the ceremony.”

(If she tells me about “after” the ceremony, I might just throw her out an airlock)

“I would still have departed Vulcan as soon as the guests had left and returned immediately to the Enterprise”.

“You would have gone through with it anyway?” He gave up all pretense of trying to concentrate on the neuropressure and moved to sit facing her so that he could look her in the eye. She joined him, slipping into her meditation posture.

“The threat to my mother still existed. Had you spoken of your feelings, the threat would not have simply vanished. There was no logical alternative to marrying Koss. No alternative which would still have accomplished the goal of protecting her. You would only have made it more difficult for me to do that which I HAD to do.”

Trip felt like pacing, hitting something, anything. He had been tearing himself apart for so long thinking about “what if”, that knowing it wouldn’t have changed anything left him torn between laughing and crying. He kept replaying in his mind his doubts as he had stood there, shock when she had stopped to gently kiss him on the cheek, despair as he watched her exchange vows with Koss, and most of all panic at the thought of staying on Vulcan while she was off someplace for her wedding night.

The full force of his memories crashed through her mind. She pressed back with her own memories of that day. Her desperation as she forced herself to walk through the door into the open air ceremony. A moment of astonishing joy as she saw him standing there as if it were him waiting for her instead of Koss. A calm resolve to avoid being mind-linked to Koss forming as she walked to Trip and kissed his cheek, wanting a moment of joy to carry her through the upcoming ceremony.

For a very long time, they sat frozen, their minds linked in a sharing so complete that they would have been hard pressed to define where one began and the other ended.

Finally…after all the heartache and frustration, finally he understood. She had used memories of their times together to hold Koss at bay. Instead of concentrating on her husband, she had been replaying, in detail, conversations conducted during neuropressure sessions, working on shared projects on the ship, even that incredible night when they had first explored each other’s bodies. She had narrowed the focus of her mind to these intense moments with him, not realizing that his mind had been responding in much the same way. When the ceremony had ended and the last guest had left the house, she had also left, fleeing back to the safety of the Enterprise…back to him.

She also, at last, understood. She had never really married Koss. Regardless of what others perceived, what Vulcan law and custom pronounced, even what she herself had believed at the time; the marriage to Koss had been no more substantial than her nightmares in the expanse. Her true marriage, the marriage of her heart and soul, was to the blue-eyed Earthman before her.

There is a sequel to this story in The Deep End of the Pool

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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

I think this is just fine... In fact, it's the kind of story that I really miss seeing. I really enjoy the stories that are entirely about Trip and T'Pol and their perspectives on things that happened in the show.

A very sweet interpretation of what was going through their heads during the infamous wedding ceremony, and an original explanation for why she didn't recognise the bond before the wedding. Very believable and moving,MM. I enjoyed it.

Oh, yeah... and the "What Will Trip Do Next With an Alien Female?" poll was pretty damned funny, too!

This was a wonderful sequel and natural consequence of what took place after BOUND. You have a wonderful talent for writing the POV and dialogue. I really enjoyed this story. I hope we get to see more of your writing here.

Wow. That was a nice sequence at the end. I'm glad you posted the sequel. :)

That was great; I liked the way they didn't jump into bed with each other at the first opportunity. Don't get me wrong smut is great but sometimes it's nice to see them working things out.

Totally perfect. I would be 100% satisfied with this ending if I were you. Funny yet real, and not too smutty. Now I better read the beginning.

I must be psychic! I´ve re-read "On the Edge" **just** yesterday, thinking how long I´ve waited for part 2, and here it is! You´ve posted the sequel! (((((Mama Marie)))))

THANK YOU! I enjoyed it very much and I love your idea of keeping Koss at bay, by using memories of their times together. GREAT idea!

You are a wonderful writer. I hope you´ll find time for more fics.

Very nice.

That was lovely, thank you. Nice scene at the dinner table with Archer and Malcolm, you write their voices really well. Please tell me there's going to be more?!

This was just right. It had humor, romance, mis understandings resolved by explanations (just like in a real marriage), everything. Extremely well done. One question; could one of the ideas in 'the pool' be that Trip gets married to an alien female? And could this start a train of thought in Archer's mind? And where would that train lead?

I enjoyed that one muchly. Great job.

Love it, wonderful story, teasing each other around the table, the end...together and understanding, ..sigh, why couldn't it be that way. Thank you for your time.

Liked it.

Nice. Well done, thank you! :)

oh this was very good. i enjoyed it very much.

love love love to see what t'pol puts in the pool and how she gets trip to go along with it so she wins.

I really like the idea that their bond formed at T'Pol's wedding. They were thinking of each other -- aawwww! That is just way sweet! Koss never had a chance. Great story.

Tracy-thenaggingone: I'd love to know to...unfortunatly, neither of them seems to be willing to share the secret with me.

M Marie

Very nice. I know from your notes it sounds like you might be done, but I would encourage you to consider another sequel. Sort of a snippet as they further work to understand their bond.

And I do love your theory on how their bond formed. Very cool. :)

I have not read the prequel to this, but it stands alone nicely. The teasing was great. And I had forgotten that Trip had all those adventures with alien women! The guy's appeal just transcends species wherever the Enterprise goes. How can we even wonder why T'Pol showed a little jealousy now and then?

Thinking of Trip while marrying Koss - great plot device! We have had so many descriptions of the wedding now, that I had thought there was nothing more to be said about it - but this one is so original. Please give us more!

Wow you did an awsome job funny story my cousin Levi calls his grama mama maria lol. also Just Trip,n i am using ur name but i changed it a bit hope u dont mind. *justripn*