Is This... Real?

Is This… Real?

By pennyq

RATING: G
GENRE: General, Vignette
ARCHIVE: Sure
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing associated with Enterprise. Paramount owns all, and I make no money from this.
SPOILERS: “Bound” I guess, but nothing we didn’t get in “Affliction.”
DATE: March 21, 2005

Author’s Note: Maybe the hiatus is getting to me, but this was bouncing around my head, and it refused to get out until I wrote it down. The new UPN previews are somewhat encouraging though. Here’s hoping they inspire some good stories from the many talented people on this site.

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Exhausted just didn’t cover it. Every muscle in his body ached. Trip had been working on the repairs in Engineering since 0700, and as he walked into his quarters he noticed the time said 2235. And he had barely even stopped working to eat today. He knew he still had to get out of his uniform and brush his teeth, but first… he just… needed to… sit. His bed had never felt so comfortable. He sat back with his shoulders and head against the wall and his feet hanging over the side of the bed.

“Just one minute and then I’ll get ready for bed,” he declared to the room. And with that, he slumped back against the wall and closed his eyes.

Apparently, somewhere between sleep and awake there was a place that was all white and contained T’Pol sitting cross-legged in her red pajamas.

Trip groaned, “Not again.”

T’Pol opened her eyes and turned her head toward him, but then turned back and closed her eyes again. She seemed determined to ignore his presence. After standing around for a minute, Trip decided he had nowhere to go, so he sat down cross-legged opposite T’Pol. Clearly, his subconscious was telling him he needed to resolve something with her. So he sat and he waited, but T’Pol just sat there with her eyes closed pretending that he wasn’t even there. Finally, Trip’s patience ran out.

“And I thought I was the one avoiding you.” Still no noticeable reaction, so Trip decided to lay his cards on the table. Hey, it was only a dream anyway. “Hell, I even transferred to Columbia to get away from you.”

T’Pol opened her eyes and said in a level voice, “So you lied to me.”

“No, I didn’t.”

The levelness started to ebb from her voice, and the irritation started to creep in: “You said I was not the reason you requested a transfer. You lied.”

“I told you not everything in my life revolves around you. That was true. Not everything does. This did.”

“Then you intentionally misled me.” Her tone of voice was definitely accusatory.

“What was I supposed to do T’Pol? You said it yourself. My feelings were affecting my work. I tried to get past it. I had months to get past it.” Trip turned his head to the side and looked up at nothing in particular, biting his bottom lip. “I dunno, maybe I was hoping you’d come around eventually, that you just needed some time… Clearly I was wrong.” The last statement was made with resignation in his voice.

T’Pol had long since given up trying to make Trip’s image go away by ignoring him. Apparently, she wasn’t going to find solace in her meditation tonight, so she might as well play along. She was carrying around an emotional issue, and she wouldn’t be able to find peace until she addressed it.

“For argument’s sake, say we had pursued a romantic relationship after my marriage was dissolved. How would that have prevented your feelings for me from affecting your work? You would still have been overprotective.”

“I wasn’t being overprotective.” T’Pol raised an eyebrow at him. “Fine, maybe I was. But at least I would have been able to talk to you about it instead of Phlox. We would have argued about it. You would have convinced me I was wrong, and I wouldn’t have been happy about it, but I would have accepted it. Because that’s what we do.”

T’Pol sat silent for a minute, genuinely puzzled. She finally responded, “You spoke with Dr. Phlox about our relationship?”

Now it was Trip’s turn to be puzzled. Given what he’d just said, that was an odd response. “Not exactly… I told him I was worried about you testing the telepresence unit again. He told me to drop it and insinuated that I was being overprotective because of my feelings for you.” T’Pol was still giving him a really odd look, as if he’d told her that he had the conversation with Porthos instead of Phlox, so he felt compelled to keep explaining. “Come on, it’s not like everyone on the ship didn’t already know about us. We’ve been the biggest topic of conversation in the rumor mill for over a year.”

“There was never any reason to hide our relationship. I assumed that the crew knew about it as well.”

“Okaaay… so what’s bothering you?”

“I don’t remember you having that conversation with Dr. Phlox.”

“No kidding. You weren’t there.”

Now T’Pol really looked spooked. Trip asked, “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

T’Pol started to stand up and replied, “I am finished meditating tonight.”

With a jolt, the white environment disappeared and Trip opened his eyes to find the familiar surroundings of his quarters.

Trip spoke out loud, “Damn! This has to stop. I’m imagining whole conversations with her now. What’s next?” It had all felt so real – it was a little disconcerting. But there was nothing he could do about it now. Now he needed to get ready for bed because tomorrow’s workload didn’t look like it was going to be any easier than today’s.

T’Pol on the other hand knew she wouldn’t get any sleep. She needed to speak with Dr. Phlox. She changed back into her uniform and made her way to sick bay. When the doors opened, she saw Phlox across the room feeding one of his creatures. When he heard T’Pol come in, he beckoned her over and said, “T’Pol, do me a favor and hold this for me.” She took the container he handed her, and he finished up and closed the lid of the cage. He took the container back and said, “Thank you. I’ve gotten used to feeding my Pyrithian bat by myself, but it does go much quicker with a second set of hands. Now,” he declared, turning toward her, “what can I do for you?”

T’Pol started to look very uncomfortable. She wasn’t quite sure how to broach this particular subject. “Doctor, I wanted to ask you…”

“Yes?”

“After I first tested the telepresence unit, did Commander Tucker come to you with concerns for my safety?”

“T’Pol, I really don’t want to get in the middle of this.”

“So he did.” It wasn’t really a question. She continued somewhat uncomfortably, “Did you imply to him that his feelings for me were influencing his judgment?”

“T’Pol, if you’ve already spoken to Commander Tucker, I fail to see why you’re coming to me for confirmation.” T’Pol’s eyes widened. “T’Pol, is something wrong?”

T’Pol managed to compose herself and replied, “I’m fine. Thank you for your help.” Abruptly, she turned and left sick bay, leaving Phlox to wonder what their conversation was all about.

Oh well, I suppose I’ll find out eventually.

END

A sequel follows in Yes, It's Real

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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 that was brilliant :D

Wh..wh...whaaat? No more??? Tell me more will come soon, right, like tomorrow???

Was that.....all? No more?
That can't be the end!!!!!
Write a sequel,please !

AAHHH! Ya can't stop there!

MMMMM. The things you say when you think the other party can't hear you...

cool. SEQUEL...

awsome, sequel please. You should give B&B lessons

Oh my god why did you stop here???
Write on! NOW!

Great to see new fanfiction stories posted. Really enjoyed this, and I quite agree with others here, this story needs a follow up. Thanks :-)

yay a new fanfic! ;) I love this story and I will join the masses and request a follow up. How do you see the whole confrontation about the bond between the duo and how do you think what happens in the preview will come about? ;) (Spoiler: the kiss) Anyway, this was great! I especially liked this line: "Apparently, somewhere between sleep and awake there was a place that was all white and contained T’Pol sitting cross-legged in her red pajamas." Heh. LOL

you can't stop there.

Please tell me this isn't it! Please tell me there's a sequel in the works that's gonna REALLY end this story, because you CANNOT leave this as it is! You must continue! I gotta see what happens next!

You all talked me into it. I'm working on a sequel now. Can anybody help me out and tell me if they recognize where Trip and T'Pol are when they're kissing in the preview? I replayed it a whole bunch of times and I can't figure it out.

When you put "END", you didn't mean, like, END end, right? Because that's just wrong. You've got to continue this, it's hiLARious! Loved it! :)

YAY!!!! That was fabulous. Now about this "END" business. That just won't do. This is so perfectly set up for another part.

That was fabulous. I loved it. I can't wait for the sequel! :-)

That's not enough, I want more.

I want a sequel I want a sequel! ;-)

Just as OMT said..."Well, you can't stop there."

PLEASE continue! The story is awesome.

Loved this story and can't wait for the sequel! Thanks so much.

Brilliant! More more more more please!!!

:) ....can't wait for your update!! great story so far!

loved it! good believable dialogue!

Yaaaay! I've been looking for this fic for months! I adore it -- did when I first read it, and still do -- but have a memory like a seive. It and its sequel are among my favs. Okay, off to read said sequel, again. Fantastic stuff! Please, write more fic! Your style is wonderful, and your characterizations are spot-on.