False Starts and New Beginnings

False Starts and New Beginnings

By Plumtuckered

Rating: R, Romance, Drama

A/N - I'd like to thank all of you who have read and reviewed my other stories. I appreciate your comments and am grateful for the feedback. This story follows "Deceptions and Truths". And I'm actually fairly kind to Trip in this one!

DISCLAIMER - I do not own or have any rights to the characters of Enterprise. I do, however, enjoy them immensely!

FALSE STARTS AND NEW BEGINNINGS

Chapter One

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"Doctor, do you have a moment?"

The Denobulan looked up from his project and turned around. "Why certainly, Sub-Commander. Are you feeling all right?"

"I am fine, Doctor," T'Pol replied. She crossed the distance to the main examination bed that stood in the center of sickbay. She could feel the doctor's eyes follow her movements but he remained leaning against the counter to her right.

"I was just doing some further studying of the implant I removed from Commander Tucker. The Talazorian's are quite advanced. I still wish they'd have used their technology to better lives instead of do harm to them."

T'Pol remained silent. She shifted slightly on her feet then firmly locked her hands behind her back. She turned away from the bed and faced the doctor.

"What do you know about the human custom of --- dating, Doctor?"

Phlox grinned. "Why Sub-Commander T'Pol, do you have a date?"

T'Pol tipped her head in acknowledgement.

The Denobulan chuckled and T'Pol wondered if coming to him was a wise decision. She had no one else to ask, though, so she waited patiently for his amusement to subside.

"Commander Tucker?" he asked gleefully.

T'Pol again tipped her head slightly then arched an eyebrow at him. He was certainly perceptive, she thought with mild irritation.

"Ahh," Phlox continued. He walked over to stand at the foot of the bed. "What are you two doing exactly on this date?"

"We are dining together."

"Well, Sub-Commander, you and the commander have shared meals together more times than can be counted. This time shouldn't be any different."

"I am unfamiliar with this custom. Is there special attire required?"

Phlox thought a moment then shook his head. "I don't think so."

"The human females I observed in San Francisco often wore attire that revealed more of their flesh. Their male counterparts seemed to take pleasure in that. I do not own any such articles of clothing."

"I doubt Mr. Tucker is expecting you dressed any differently than you are now, Sub-Commander," he smiled at her warmly. "There is no need to be nervous."

"Vulcans do not get nervous, Doctor. I simply want to make our---date--- pleasant for the commander."

"Then I suggest you just be yourself."

"I can not be anyone else, Doctor," T'Pol responded evenly, hiding the confusion brought on by his statement. It was physically impossible for her to be someone else.

"Exactly my point, Sub-Commander," he chuckled. "Is there anything else then?"

"I trust our conversation will remain confidential?"

"Of course, of course. That goes without saying," Phlox replied with a wave of his hand. He turned and walked back over to the counter. "Have a good time, Sub-Commander!"

T'Pol left sickbay and headed to the turbolift. She was due on the bridge for her shift. Her mind wandered back to the previous night in the commander's quarters when she had admitted her affection for him. She was still slightly surprised by how comfortable she felt standing in his embrace. She had never been held before since she was raised to believe touching was only appropriate in the most intimate of times. Mr. Tucker seemed to take extreme comfort in embracing her so she had encircled him with her arms. She remembered how warm and secure she had felt. Now as she entered the turbolift, she realized that both of them would have to make compromises and concessions due to their differences if they were to form a lasting union.

The turbolift opened onto the bridge and T'Pol moved quickly to her station.

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Engineering was quiet when Commander Trip Tucker arrived. His eyes immediately sought out his precious warp reactor and he smiled at the sight of her. Crewman Grace Rohl saw him and quickly descended the few steps from the console to greet him.

"Good morning, Commander!" she said happily. "It's sure great to have you back, sir!"

"Thanks, Grace. I'm glad I could convince the doc to let me come back so soon. I think I'd go crazy if I had to sit in my quarters all day."

"Are you feeling okay, sir?"

"Yeah, great!" he replied. "Maybe a slight headache. Don't worry, Grace. I'm not going to go--- Klingon on you!"

She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "I wasn't worried, sir." The young woman walked over to a workstation and picked up a padd. She looked up at him one more time and smiled warmly.

Trip climbed up to the console at the front of the big warp reactor and looked at the readings. She was purring like a kitten, he thought. He leaned back against the railing and crossed his arms. Part of him was disappointed there wasn't some sign of a problem. He wanted to keep busy so he wouldn't think about dinner with T'Pol. His stomach flipped. They were just having dinner together, he thought. He wasn't proposing marriage. Trip chuckled to himself.

"Morning, Trip!"

The engineer turned and looked down into the smiling face of Captain Jonathan Archer.

"Morning, Cap'n! What brings you down here!"

The captain climbed the few steps to stand beside Trip. "Just wanted to see how you were doing and to remind you that Dr. Phlox released you to light duty. That means LIGHT duty, Commander."

Trip grinned at him. "Of course, Cap'n!"

Archer shook his head in amused frustration. "So how are you feeling? Did you sleep okay?"

"I'm fine. Had a few nightmares but nothing too traumatic," Trip replied. He turned his head and looked down at his feet. From the corner of his eye, he could see his friend watching him.

"You know if you need to talk, I'm always available, right? Day or night," Archer said quietly.

Trip nodded but kept his eyes downcast. "I know, Cap'n."

"I mean it, Trip. Anytime."

"Thanks."

Archer turned his body to lean on the railing next to Trip. "How about dinner tonight and then a little football afterwards? Hoshi told me some new games came in on the last mail transmission."

"Sorry, Cap'n. I've got plans already," Trip moved forward and ran his hands over the console keyboard nervously.

"Plans?" asked the captain curiously. "Strange but that's what T'Pol told me a few minutes ago when I asked her to join us." He shifted forward next to Trip, his arms crossed on his chest. Trip continued to focus on the buttons and displays in front of him. His friend remained silent for a long moment.

"Do these plans involve each other, Trip?"

"Uhhh, maybe," he managed weakly.

"Maybe?"

Trip swallowed. He didn't like the tone of his friend's voice. "We're just meeting for dinner, Cap'n. Nothing special."

"Oh, I see," Archer replied nonplussed. "Nothing special. Commander, do I need to remind you about Starfleet's rules on fraternization?"

"No, sir," Trip answered, noting the edge in Archer's voice.

"Good. Because as captain of this ship, it's my duty to see that they're followed. Do I make myself clear, Commander?"

Trip looked at his captain in surprise. "So if I told you T'Pol and I had a date, you'd forbid it---sir?" he said, fighting to keep his voice level.

"Absolutely!"

"Oh, I see."

"Do you?"

"Do I what?" Trip asked, unable to control his anger.

"Do you and T'Pol have a date?"

Trip remained silent. He could see how angry the captain was but he saw something else as well.

"You lied to me, didn't you?" he asked, his voice low. "You said you didn't have feelings for T'Pol, but you do."

Archer took a step closer to Trip. "If I discover you and T'Pol are breaking the rules, Commander Tucker, I'll confine you to your quarters until I can get you shipped back to Earth. Understood?"

"And what about T'Pol, sir? Will you have her shipped back to Vulcan?"

"Am I understood, Commander?" Archer seethed, ignoring Trip's question. Without waiting for an answer, the captain turned, jumped down off the platform and stormed out of engineering.

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Jon was furious. When he reached the bridge, he immediately headed to his ready room. Before he entered, he turned to see the sub-commander looking at him. Her face was as unreadable as ever. He hit the entry code and stalked in. He paced back and forth for several minutes, trying unsuccessfully to control his breathing. Finally, he stopped and slammed his fist on his desk. His best friend was involved with T'Pol, he thought angrily. His door slid open and his Vulcan science officer entered. He turned away from her and looked out his view port.

"Captain?" she asked. "Are you all right, sir?"

Jon nodded without turning around. "What do you need, Sub-Commander?"

He could see her watching him in the reflection of the view port. Her face showed nothing - no concern, nothing. She was involved with Trip. Why would she show concern?

"There is a Minshara class planet just off our present course, Captain. My scans show it is uninhabited."

"So?"

"Do you want me to have Ensign Mayweather alter course, sir?"

Jon drew in a breath and exhaled it slowly. He was commanding officer, he reminded himself. His personal feelings would have to wait. He turned around to face his science officer. "What else do your scans show, Sub- Commander?"

"The climate is quite cold, sir. The northern hemisphere receives heavy precipitation while the southern hemisphere appears dry and barren," T'Pol replied.

"Snow?"

The Vulcan nodded. "In the north, yes, sir."

Jon hadn't seen snow since their little excursion to retrieve the Vulcan renegade, Menos. He wondered briefly if T'Pol had told Trip about that yet or if it still was something shared between only T'Pol, Mayweather and himself.

"Have Travis alter our course. Dismissed." He turned back to the view port.

He heard the door slide open and then slide closed. Jon put his hands on the sill and leaned forward. Then he cursed loudly and turned to face the door. How could he have been so wrong? Now that he thought about it, the signs were all there. He had just refused to see them. Trip and T'Pol still argued constantly but unlike in the early months of the mission, there wasn't any real anger in their bickering now. They actually seemed to enjoy trading barbs. She had spent her spare time helping Trip in engineering over the last couple months instead of in her quarters writing reports to the Vulcan High Command. She had insisted on being there when they had taken the Arkonian shuttle down to rescue Trip and the alien pilot from that moon. Jon remembered how she had tended to Trip's wounds. She had been very clinical about it, but he had never seen her so gentle before. Jon sighed. It was all there in front of him but he just didn't see it. Her insistence that she pursue the Talazorian doctor then her need to be by Trip's side in sickbay when he was unconscious.

Jon sat on the edge of his desk and shut his eyes tightly. Truth be told, he felt embarrassed. He recalled the conversation he had with T'Pol concerning sexual tension. What he originally had interpreted as a confirmation that she felt it, too, was very clearly now a tactful way to blow him off. Jon shook his head. He couldn't help but smile at how idiotic he had acted. His smile quickly vanished as he relived his last conversation with Trip. He had threatened to kick his friend off Enterprise and it all was because of pure and simple jealousy. In sickbay the prior day, Trip had all but asked him point blank if he was involved with T'Pol. Jon knew Trip well enough to know his friend would have never approached T'Pol if he knew Jon had feelings for her. Trip was a good friend; the closest friend Jon had ever known. He was family. Jon wondered now if he had lost his friend because of his stupidity. That very thought hurt him deeply.

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Trip looked up from his workstation when T'Pol entered engineering. She approached him, her hands clasped behind her back.

"You requested my presence, Commander?"

Trip stood and gently guided her back further into the alcove behind his station.

"Commander?"

"The cap'n knows about our dinner tonight, T'Pol," Trip said softly. He looked at the floor, avoiding her eyes.

"Does that present a problem?"

Trip looked at her now and nodded. "He threatened to kick me off the ship if we become involved."

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly and she looked away. When she looked at him again, he could see the brief shadow of concern in her eyes. They stood looking at each other for several moments. Trip instinctively reached to hold her hand in his. She didn't pull hers away.

"I do not understand, Mr. Tucker."

"He says he'll enforce the Starfleet rule on fraternization." Trip watched her face carefully.

T'Pol paused. "We have no alternative, Mr. Tucker," she said finally. He felt her hand gently squeeze his.

"We both want this, T'Pol. We can't just walk away from it. Not now," Trip pleaded, his voice low.

"We must---walk away. It would be unacceptable if you were forced to leave Enterprise."

"T'Pol, no," Trip began.

T'Pol pulled her hand away from his. "I will not lose you, Mr. Tucker."

"The cap'n won't ship me back home. He's just mad right now, is all."

"I cannot lose you," T'Pol repeated. She brushed passed him but he caught her by the wrist.

"T'Pol, please."

She pulled away from him without rancor. She looked at him then reached her hand up to touch his chest softly with her fingertips. As she walked away, Trip felt his heart shatter. The pain he felt was quickly replaced by anger. Anger that was directed at the man he thought was his closest friend in the world.

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"So why is Commander Tucker in such a foul mood?" asked Hoshi Sato. The young ensign took a sip of her iced tea then looked across the table at Lieutenant Malcolm Reed. The armory officer just shrugged. Hoshi then turned to Travis who sat next to her.

"I think something happened with the captain," the helmsman replied around a large bite of roasted chicken. "He was in a foul mood, too. The way he stormed onto the bridge this morning.," Travis just shook his head.

"Glad I missed that." Hoshi turned her head enough so she could see the commander sitting in the corner behind her. He seemed completely oblivious to his surroundings. She had asked him to join them for lunch when he had entered the mess hall ten minutes ago, but he had refused and had grumbled something under his breath. Hoshi hoped he wasn't experiencing a relapse. Dr. Phlox had given the engineer a clean bill of health but Hoshi couldn't help but worry. She shivered at the thought of how close they had all come to losing the chief engineer on Talazor. Hoshi turned her attention back to her companions. Both men were focused so intently on devouring their meals that she had to smile. She stabbed a piece of chicken with her fork and put it in her mouth.

"So anyone know why we're entering this system?" she asked after swallowing.

"I believe the captain wants to do some more exploring," replied Reed. "He didn't really elaborate on his plans, though."

Travis put his fork down on his empty plate and leaned back in his chair. "Chef is sure giving my mom some serious competition," he all but gasped.

Hoshi smiled. "You shouldn't eat so fast, Travis. Bad for the digestion."

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Continue to Chapter 2

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