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Two Weeks- pt 2

Author - Pepper
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Two Weeks

By Pepper

Rating: G, Angst
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Paramount
Summary: Trip continues to assimilate Sim's memories.

***************

Part 2

The Bridge of Enterprise was alive with activity. Several members of the engineering and science departments were on hand to monitor the launch.

“Okay T’pol, it’s your show” said Captain Archer.

“Mr. Reed, status please” T’pol inquired in her neutral tone.

“Forward torpedo tube ready, Subcommander” replied Lt. Reed.

T’pol stole a glance over to Commander Tucker, hunched over the engineering console. He looked up from his screen and gave her a wink.

Today was a big day in the life of the starship Enterprise. The Xindi were proving hard to find in the vast area of the Expanse But after today, they hoped the Expanse would be a little smaller.

It had been her idea, or so Commander Tucker had told everyone. In truth, neither one of them knew which came up with the idea first.

It was exactly a week ago when the idea came to them, two nights after her brief late night conversation with Commander Tucker in the Mess Hall. They had resumed the neuropressure sessions after Dr. Phlox cleared Commander Tucker. And, as usual, they were discussing technical matters while their hands caressed each other, he in his Starfleet issue shorts, her in very practical, very tight pajamas.

The idea was simple. He was talking about upgrading the sensors on the shuttle pods. She was talking about rearranging Cargo Bay Two. He wanted to be able to take the shuttles on long range missions to gather intelligence. She wanted to find a use for the photon torpedo casings and parts. Without extra antimatter to spare, Lt. Reed and his officers could only manufacture a few torpedoes.

That’s when they began talking about probes. Long range probes.

Neither one had mentioned the actual phrase to the other. It was as if they were both reading each others minds, conferring mentally while they conversed. One moment he was saying “The problem will be keeping the crew out too long” and she was saying “Resources must be used in some capacity”.

The next moment, he was saying “We’ll haf’ta reconfigure the buffers to squeeze them in there” and she was saying “Boosting telemetry will be out biggest obstacle”. Somewhere in the new conversation they each came to realize what had occurred, and each tried to carry on as if the other didn’t notice.

A week’s flurry of activity ensued. They had taken their idea to the Captain, with Trip pawning off the credit on T’pol. He immediately agreed to the project, and ordered ship wide involvement. An exciting new project like this was just the thing to get the crew’s mind off of the recent funeral, and hopefully boost morale in the process.

All of that led to today. Round the clock engineering and fabrication went on for a solid week, with teams of crewmen competing against one another for the pride of being the team to make the breakthrough.

So now, the entire ship buzzed with excitement, as crewmen down in the armory loaded the prototype Mark 1 probe into the torpedo tube.

“Commander Tucker?” T’pol left the rest unsaid.

“We’re as ready as we’re gonna be” he replied with a grin.

All eyes turned to the view screen as Subcommander T’pol said simply “Mr. Reed, launch the probe”.

“Aye, sir” Lt. Reed replied with heightened formality.

A soft whoosh was heard as they saw a blue streak leap away from the ship on the main viewer.

“Ensign Sato, report” said T’pol.

“Yes ma’am. We’re, wait…I’ve got it! We’re receiving telemetry across subspace” Hoshi replied, with much less formality than Malcolm would have liked.

The Bridge erupted in applause and cheers. Backs were slapped, hands were shaken. A few non-regulation hugs were given.

T’pol stayed above the fray, her face betraying nothing but calm. “Commander Tucker?” she asked again.

The crowd quieted again, with renewed anticipation.

“Heading, speed, hull integrity…all looks good. Everything is just as we expected” he answered.

This time, even the Captain joined in the applause. For her part, T’pol raised an eyebrow, participating in her own Vulcan way.

Captain Archer made a ship wide announcement. “All hands, this is the Captain. The probe is a success! Everyone is to be congratulated. Good work!”


Later that evening, the Mess Hall was in full swing. The crowd was having fun, and the music was drowned out by the conversations and laughter. As usual, the Captain was near a corner talking with T’pol when the call came in.

“Bridge to Captain Archer”

“Archer here” replied the Captain.

“Sir, this is Ensign Jones. The telemetry from the probe has stopped”.

Archer looked at T’Pol, who stared back placidly.

“Understood. We’re on our way” said Archer.

“Perhaps we should tell the crew. It seems pointless to celebrate something that has not succeeded.” Commented T’pol.

“No, I’m not going to rain on their parade just yet…not until we know for sure what’s happened.” said Archer “Let’s go”

“Rain on their parade?” T’pol asked to the Captain’s disappearing back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

An hour later, at the Bridge engineering console, they were still not quite sure what had happened.

“Well, that’s about as much as we’re gonna find out from here, Cap’n” said Commander Tucker.

“Perhaps we should send out a repair team in a shuttle pod” T’pol said.

“Agreed…you and Trip get ready to leave” said the Captain.

“Sir, I don’t think it’s necessary for both Commander Tucker and me to go.” replied T’pol.

“Whatsa matter…afraid of being cooped up in a shuttle pod with me?” Trip joked.

“T’pol, this probe is your baby…yours and Trip’s. No one knows it better than the two of you. I don’t have to tell you how bad morale would get if the probe failed now after all the hard work the entire crew put in.” said Archer. “Now pack your bags and go fix the probe”

“Aye, sir” they both replied.

An hour later, Trip and T’pol were heading in the opposite direction of Enterprise, trying to find the silent probe.

Conversation was strained. Neither of them seemed in a talkative mood, but each for different reasons. Trip seemed embarrassed when he looked at T’pol, and she seemed nervous.

Finally, Trip could bear it no more.

“Alright, I admit it. I had a crush on you…I mean Sim had a crush on you. I just remembered it this morning, and it’s been bugging me all day, how I…he…asked you to the movies” blurted Trip.

“Indeed” was all she said.

“It’s maddening, being a grown man during the day, and each morning waking up feeling like a child or a teenager…why just this morning I had a…uh…never mind” said Trip.

“You’re ordeal will soon be over, according to Dr. Phlox” she said, somewhat quietly.

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to tonight being the end of it…but then again, I’m not…you know?” he replied.

She merely looked at him and nodded.

Tonight…he will remember tonight.


A few more hours passed.

“I’ve got somethin’ on sensors here” said Trip.

“Is it the probe?” asked T’pol.

“Gimme a sec…wait…yeah, that’s it” he said.

“I have it as well. It looks as though it has been damaged by weapons fire” said T’pol.

“Weapons fire? Why would someone shoot the thing and not destroy it?” asked Trip.

“I do not know, Commander. The scoring does not look consistent with a direct hit. Perhaps whoever fired at the probe lacked accuracy” she answered.

“Ya mean they missed? Why wouldn’t they keep shootin’ ‘till they hit it square?” he said.

“Perhaps it was not the main target. I am reading a small amount of scattered debris in the area. It would appear as if a battle took place here recently” she said.

“So our probe wanders into a shootin’ gallery and takes one across the bow. Tough luck, but at least it didn’t malfunction on its own…that ought to keep the spirits up on Enterprise” Trip said.

“Agreed. There is no way that we can repair this type of damage out here. We should attach a line to the probe and tow it back to Enterprise” said T’pol.

“I’m on it” said Trip.

A few minutes later, with the probe secured and the shuttle pod on its way back to Enterprise, Trip rose from his chair.

“Man I’m beat. It’s well past my bedtime. If you’ve got this for a while, I’m going to get some sleep” he said.

T’pol merely nodded…with that nervous look reappearing, Trip noted.

Within minutes, Trip was asleep, and T’pol was faced with the frightening prospect of her own thoughts.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~

Images floated and swirled in Trip’s brain. The final day of Sim’s life was brought to light in his dreams.

Trip’s eyes fluttered open. He stared at the ceiling a moment, collecting his thought. Well, they weren’t his thought, but he was collecting them anyway. Organizing, sifting, perusing. An eventful day, filled with disturbing images and highly charged emotions.

Seeing himself lying on the bed in Sickbay…

Talking to the Captain in the Shuttlebay…

T’pol walking with him for the last time…

Wait...

T’Pol…

The kiss...

He eyes widened suddenly, and he turned his head to look at the forward cabin. He saw T’pol sitting there, watching him.

She’s afraid.

The thought came unbidden to his mind. He could feel her fear.


T’pol had watched him sleep; watched him as she struggled within herself for answers. Very soon he would wake, and her time would be up. She had resolved herself, quite logically, to two choices…either tell him how she felt (FELT!! How could she have let this happen…feelings!) or lie to him. Vulcans do not lie as a general rule, but exceptions were made from time to time.

It was one of the longest nights of her life. But in the end, she had come to her decision. She knew what she must tell him. There was no other way.

Then, to her horror, his eyes began to open. He stared at the ceiling for a few moments. Then his eyes went wide, and he turned to look at her.

Fear shot through her. In that moment, for whatever reason, she knew his thoughts.

He knows…


The end.

Thanks to everyone for reading my first story, and for everyone’s encouraging comments.

Pepper…



Continue to Part 3

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

please you've got to continue this is a great story i want to see what trip and t'pol are going to do now that he knows.

"The End"?????

Tha HAS to be a typo....

PLEASE CONTINUE!!!

Wow this is good but you can't end it there, not when it starts to get *really* interesting! Please keep going, enquiring minds needs to see what happens next. Thanks for a great story, Ali D :~)

What? The end.... you can't stop now please continue!

The end??? Arghhhhh!!! You have our dynamic duo alone, together, on a cramped shuttle pod, remembering sweet smootchies they shared, and you write THE END??? Sweet cracker sandwich, are you a sadist??? *runs howling into the night*

Are you related to Joss Whedon, leaving us hanging like this? Evil.

OK, OK, I'll beg. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease write more. Pretty pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease, with sugar on top, and a cherry? Oh, for the love of Porthos, you have to write more. *sniffle*hiccup*sniffle* I need a moment to compose myself.

Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!! There's got to be more! Is it a typo? Come on! At least to a sequal!!!! This is a great story! More!!!!!! Please, I'm begging ya!

NOOO not the end. You have to continue please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please please please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For the love of Trip! Don't stop now!!!

Thats it?! You cant end it there! More! More!

I agree…this story needs a sequel. Loved it!!

I agree…this story needs a sequel. Loved it!!

Here´s another NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Oh, pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease don´t stop there!

Just a short little sequel? Yes? Yes?

wow, please tell me there is a part three coming up soon !!!!!!

Since denial isn't just a river in Egypt, I'm going to assume that those horrible things you said at the end, those dirty little words (the end), weren't true, and it was all a lie.

What, are you nervous? Do you not want to disappoint us if you do this delicious scene wrong? Please, don't let us pressure you. Write! More! Please!

My one note: I don't think T'Pol would say "Sir, I don’t think it’s necessary for both Commander Tucker and ME to go." Wouldn't she say "Tucker and I..."? Just a thought....

Sincerely
Waiting for more, trying to to tear my nails to shreds in frustration

really good! this was my first look at fan fiction and i was very skeptical... but well done! You've kept true to character, but indulged our deepest hopes!!!

My one note: I don't think T'Pol would say "Sir, I don’t think it’s necessary for both Commander Tucker and ME to go." Wouldn't she say "Tucker and I..."? Just a thought....

Um, the propper grammar would be "Tucker and me".
As in, "It's not necessary for me to go"...
I just love it when people correct grammar and screw up. *giggle*

Uhh....maybe I should write a third chapter. I was thinking that people would be tired of a story based on an episode from a few weeks ago.