Complete II

Complete II

By plumtuckered

Rating: PG-13
Genre: Angst/Romance
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.

A/N: This is a companion piece to Complete and is from Trip’s POV. This should probably be considered AU and contains no spoilers for episodes beyond Harbinger.

Thanks in advance to all who read this! Reviews are welcomed and appreciated.

>>>>>>>>>>

I don’t remember ever being this tired before.

Seven days - seven long days – have passed since I was separated from the away team in that Xindi power plant. I’m still not sure what the hell happened. One minute I was doing reconnaissance, then the next I was trapped inside with nowhere to go.

I feel so alone as I gaze up through the tree limbs at the stars. Somewhere out there is Enterprise. I don’t blame the cap’n for not waiting for me; took me nearly two days just to get out of the plant. I know the decision to leave me tore him up, but Earth is at stake and he knows that better than anyone.

This is just not how I expected it to end.

Hiding in this grove of trees over the last five days, I’ve had a lot of time to look back at my life. I remember my grandma telling me that it was like a puzzle, and throughout my life there would be people who would help me fit the pieces together. She said there would be one special person, though, who would help me complete the puzzle. I’m proud to say I’ve been pretty successful in fitting the pieces together with the help of my friends, the cap’n first and foremost. But the puzzle isn’t done yet and now I won’t have the chance to see it complete.

I move my hand slightly and feel the familiar shape of my communicator. After escaping through the drainage pipe, I wasn’t too surprised to find the little device inoperable. I’ve managed to get it working again so I’ve been sending out a low-band distress signal for the last coupla days. Hopefully, Hoshi’s incredible ears will hear it and Enterprise’ll swing by to pick me up on their way home. Or at least pick up my remains.

Damn, this isn’t how I expected it to end.

Rolling onto my side, I pull my knees to my chest. I’m cold even though the night is fairly warm. I know I’m sick, probably picked up something while making my escape through that pipe. I don’t even like to think about what was in that oozing muck I crawled through. I probably smell pretty bad, too. I wonder how many showers I’ll have to take before T’Pol will touch me again. Tears blur my vision suddenly as I realize she won’t ever touch me again.

T’Pol.

I close my eyes and I instantly see her face in perfect detail. I never thought I’d fall for a Vulcan, but I have and hard, too. She’s all I think about in the quiet times when I’m not up to my ears in engineering. If I’m honest with myself, I think I fell for her the minute she turned her back on me in the cap’n’s ready room. I know it wasn’t love back then, but now I’m sure it is. I’m in love with T’Pol. Only problem is I don’t think she’s in love with me. Hell, I’m not even sure if Vulcans can----.

I stop myself ‘cause I know it isn’t fair. T’Pol can feel just as much as I can, if not more, and I know she feels for me. I just don’t know exactly how much.

A smile appears as I recall her reaction to me and Amanda, but it quickly fades as I remember what followed our little battle of words that night. I can still feel the heat of her mouth on mine, and the shock I felt when my muddled brain finally figured out what was happening.

At first, we got so caught up in our need for each other that everything moved too fast; I probably still have the scrapes from her nails on my back. But after that initial frenzy passed, we slowed down and I made love to her. I wanted to show her that it wasn’t just sex for me, but a reflection of what I felt for her. I made love to T’Pol and at least I have that memory to take with me.

I squeeze my knees closer to my chest. We didn’t get the chance to talk right after because of our alien guest, but we did talk the next morning. She told me I had helped her in her exploration of human sexuality and I have to admit, that stung and stung pretty bad. But then I watched her, looked into those remarkable eyes of hers and I caught a glimpse, just a glimpse, of what I think she was really doing.

I’ve been clinging to that glimpse ever since.

“Trip?”

I open my eyes to see the cap’n kneeling beside me. What the hell is he doing here? I feel his warm hand on my shoulder and I almost lose it. He’s real. He came back for me after all.

“Cap’n?” I manage.

“Are you alright?” he asks.

I try to nod, but I’m just so damned tired.

“We’ll have you back to Phlox in no time. Just take it easy.”

As he gently rolls me onto my back, I see Malcolm’s face hover into view. He tells me to hold on just for a while longer and I manage to smile. Beside him, I see one of the MACOs – Turner, I think. I look around briefly for the other face, the one I’ve been seeing over and over for the last seven days.

She didn’t come with them.

The cap’n and Malcolm lift me and carry me between them and I can feel myself drifting a little. My chest hurts suddenly, but I know it isn’t because I’m sick.

She didn’t come with them.

“Easy, Trip,” the cap’n says as they lift me into the shuttle pod. I’m laid on the floor and Malcolm covers me with a blanket. I can see the worry in both their faces and not for the first time, I count myself lucky to have them as my friends.

But T’Pol didn’t come for me.

I feel myself drifting again and I let my eyes fall shut. I can see her so clearly and I reach for her, call for her, but she turns away. I call for her again, but she just keeps walking.

God, my chest hurts.

A hand touches my shoulder and I start. I’m being lifted onto a stretcher now and being carried out of the ‘pod. I’m placed on the deck of the launch bay and Dr. Phlox is suddenly at my side. He’s smiling at me and I realize I should feel relieved by that; looks like I’m gonna live to see another day after all. More faces hover into view and the noise is deafening. I search the crowd for that one face, but she’s still not there.

Cap’n Archer appears again and he crouches down at my side and squeezes my arm. He smiles at me and I try my damndest to smile back, but it just isn’t happening. Then he stands and looks across the ‘bay. He says something I can’t make out then he steps aside. I turn my head as I see more of my friends move and then I see her---T’Pol.

I have to swallow hard ‘cause I don’t want to break down in front of her. She’s standing there in my shirt---my shirt---looking more beautiful than I’ve ever seen her. She’s looking at me, and I suddenly know what I mean to her. I reach out my hand and she steps forward and takes it in both of hers. Her hands are so warm. She kneels beside me and our eyes lock. Never have I felt this way before and I really have to struggle to keep from falling apart.

“Nice shirt,” I whisper and my voice gives me away.

She tilts her head; she understands me, my T’Pol. She takes my hand and as I watch, she bends down my fingers until only my index and middle fingers remain. She does the same with her hand then she presses our fingers together. I have no idea what she’s just done, but I know it’s important to her. I promise myself and I promise T’Pol I’ll find out what it means. I’ve already read a little about Vulcan culture, but I have so much more to learn.

And I want to learn.

In her own special way I can tell that T’Pol is amused with me. She knows how clueless I am yet she’s still here, kneeling at my side.

I feel the stretcher being lifted and I’m suddenly even more tired than before. I close my eyes, the strength of T’Pol’s hand warm and comforting in mine.

As I’m jostled out of the launch bay, I can feel her watching me. I know she’s worried so I pry my eyes open to give her some assurance and, I guess, to give myself some assurance as well. I need to see her face, to know she’s not just a dream.

I learned long ago that T’Pol’s eyes are the windows to her soul and what I see in them at this moment makes my chest hurt again---God, how I love this woman. And she really is here, holding my hand, giving me her heart. I hope she knows she has mine completely.

I see her noticeably inhale and I realize that she does know it.

Tears blur my vision again as it suddenly hits me that she’s it, the special person my grandma talked about. T’Pol’s the one who will help me to complete the puzzle of my life.

I inhale a shaky breath. Right here, right now, I don’t even want to think about Azati Prime or the Xindi. Right now all I want is to look at this amazing woman walking beside me, looking so damned beautiful in a shirt that is way too big for her.

>>>>>>>>>>

THE END

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

I'm in tears...what a way to start the morning. I loved this. You did a great job of writing this story. Thank you.

snif what a story

grat story love this

You have captured the initial doubt very well regarding how (I think) many of us are when we fall in love...i.e. we don't think we know how the other person feels.... until it is revealed to us through actions rather than through words per se. Nicely done.

Absolutely beautiful. I'm crying. No words are needed between them because they know each other so well. :sniff:

Beautiful, just beautiful!

Beautiful, brilliant and so touching. I really loved this so much and it was so very Trip. At one point my heart almost stopped when he looked for her but couldn't see her, but when everyone stepped aside and there she was - well, it just made it all so *perfect*. Thank you so much, I can sleep with a big old smile on my lips now. Ali D :~)

I love Trip's point of view! His anxiety and pain over not seeing T'Pol initially was beautifully captured! It made my heart ache when his pain was not physical, you've truly outdone yourself. Superb.

I'm not crying... I'm not crying... I'm not crying... oh forget it! These tears won't go away! I need a hanky!

Great story as always... your a wonderful writer!

Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I'm in tears and all my co-workers think I have lost my mind. Great story.

::sniff:: Beautiful story. Liked how he wasn't concentrating on how sick he felt, he was concentrating on how much he loved T'Pol and how lucky he was. Great job.

Gosh, love your stories! They are short but excuse the pun...so complete....without getting too long or wordy! Please write more stories!

Beautiful story. Your use of simple gestures makes this story all the more poignant in my book. Great job and thanks.

I don't know what to say about this story . . . its absolutely perfect. There's nothing about it I didn't love, nothing I would change. You even ended it at exactly the right moment! (Although I'd like more.) Sorry, I'm gushing, but it's absolutely, impossibly perfect story. (And now for the kleenex. . .).

There is nothing I can say for this... it's too wonderful! Sad and happy at the same time. Write more! Sequal!

I can only echo what everyone else said. It's simply perfect.

I agree with everything that has been said. The only thing I will add is, please write more stories.

I agree with everything that has been said. The only thing I will add is, please write more stories.

Plum, you are amazing. Keep writing such wonderful fiction. It's stellar.

I´m completely with Triplover:

I'm not crying... I'm not crying... I'm not crying... oh forget it!

That was breathtaking beautiful!

I LOVED IT!
KEEP WRITING PLEASE!

*sniff* *sob* That was... b-beautiful... *sob* g-great-t j-j-job-b..!!

Terrific! So sweet.

Loved both the stories, palpable tenderness, thankyou.