False Starts- Ch. 7

False Starts and New Beginnings
By Plumtuckered

Rating: R, Romance, Drama

Chapter Seven

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Lewek stood leaning over T'Pol's shoulder watching her handle a small device the size of a grapefruit. The science officer found the other woman's hovering highly annoying but she managed to contain herself. The room was quiet now, all eyes focused on the Vulcan.

"Do we have what you need to make it work?" asked the Preegusite.

"I believe so," replied T'Pol. She looked over the various pieces of weaponry laid out on the table before her. "Where did you get this?"

"A few short time ago, a small vessel crashed a few kilometers from here. Okud and a few others volunteered to walk to the crash site. They found the pilot dead but they were able to retrieve several damaged weapons as well as this device from the wreckage. My chosen barely made it to the water in time."

"How did Okud know this was a weapon of great destruction?"

Lewek hesitated. "So the pilot wasn't dead when Okud arrived. He told my chosen he was an arms dealer and that he would give us anything we wanted in exchange for our help. He did just that."

"And then Okud killed him," T'Pol added.

"Of course," Lewek replied coolly. She slowly walked around the table, running her index finger along the surface. "You know, T'Pol. I find your Commander Tucker quite---intoxicating. My chosen seems taken with you as well. Perhaps there is something we can do for each other when you're finished here."

T'Pol felt suddenly cold and sickened. "There is nothing we can do for each other, Lewek," she replied evenly.

"Perhaps the commander might feel differently. I think I'll go ask him." The woman turned to the other Preegusites. "My people will keep you company while I'm gone."

T'Pol watched Lewek leave the room. She forced her thoughts on the weapon she held in her hands, struggling to suppress the fear she felt for the engineer.

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Trip sat at a small table assembling a pistol from the pieces of other assorted weapons. Okud stood leaning against the wall near the entrance to the tunnel, his eyes fixed on the commander. He was still holding the ring in his alien hand and Trip could see the butt of a pistol protruding from the waistband of his pants. The Preegusite turned when Lewek walked in the room.

"Hello, my love," she said softly, running a finger down the center of Okud's chest. She took the ring from his hand then turned to Trip. She walked over and sat on the edge of the table.

"How is our guest doing?" she asked, her gaze wandering over Trip. "I hope my chosen didn't hurt you too badly"

Trip remained silent but he looked up into her huge black eyes.

"I like you, Commander Tucker," she said. Lewek turned her attention to the ring she held. She moved it back and forth from one hand to the other. "I asked T'Pol if she'd be interested in exchanging partners. I saw how she looked at my chosen."

"Oh, yeah? What did she say?"

"She said I needed to ask you."

Trip slowly stood, ignoring the pain from his burned back. He leaned in until his mouth was only centimeters from what he assumed was Lewek's ear. "I might be interested," he whispered. To his surprise, the woman shuddered violently and her eyes closed, the lids moving across the black orbs horizontally. Trip hadn't expected that reaction but he quickly took advantage of it. He reached for the ring, taking it from Lewek's lax hand. He saw Okud moving toward him, so Trip encircled the woman's shoulders with one arm, pressing her back against him. He held the ring to her neck, feeling the trigger under his thumb. Lewek recovered her senses but she didn't struggle.

"Let her go," demanded Okud, pulling the pistol from his waistband. He pointed it at Trip.

"Drop your weapon and I won't hurt her, Okud," directed the engineer. He walked sideways to the door, keeping Lewek in front of him.

"Do as he says, my love," said Lewek quietly.

Okud slowly began to lower his weapon. Then in an instant, he raised it and fired. Lewek went limp and slid from Trip's arm. He looked down at her still form, dark red blood bubbling up from the hole in her chest. He heard the second shot at the same time a sharp pain lanced through him. He dropped to his knees, staring in disbelief at Okud. Then the engineer pitched forward.

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T'Pol stood up, her sensitive ears picking up the sound of laser fire.

"Sit down!" ordered the Preegusite who was seated nearest to her. The voice was high-pitched like Lewek's so T'Pol guessed she was a female. A second shot reached her ears.

"I said sit down!" the alien woman repeated with more force. She stood up and grabbed a ring weapon from the table in front of her and touched it quickly to T'Pol's arm in warning. The pain was immediate and intense.

"Leave her alone, Surma!" shouted Okud as he entered the room. He held a pistol in his hand. "She's mine now."

T'Pol turned to face Okud, squaring her shoulders. "Where is Commander Tucker?" she asked.

"Dead," the alien responded calmly. "He foolishly overestimated my devotion to my chosen."

"And you foolishly UNDERestimated mine."

Okud turned at the sound of the voice behind him, raising his pistol at the same time. T'Pol saw the commander fire the weapon he held in his hand and watched as Okud dropped to the floor. A stream of blood flowed from the hole between his huge black eyes. T'Pol moved quickly to retrieve the pistol from Okud's limp hand. She then moved to Commander Tucker's side, noting the dark red that soaked the upper left part of his uniform.

"Now all of you, lock your hands behind your heads and back away from the tables," the engineer ordered. The hand that held his pistol was shaking. The Preegusites obeyed. "Okay, now we're going to take a little walk."

The group left the room and filed down the tunnel back toward the main cavern. T'Pol walked behind them with Commander Tucker, both of their guns trained on the Preegusites. They directed them into the tiny cell in which the two officers had been held earlier. T'Pol swung the cell door closed, locking the aliens in. They were all pressed together in the confined space. T'Pol tossed her pistol away then turned her attention to her companion. He had dropped his weapon and now stood swaying on his feet. She moved to his side and slid underneath his right arm, urging him to lean his weight on her. They walked away slowly, ignoring the pleas coming from behind them.

T'Pol guided Commander Tucker down the tunnel and into the next cavern. She looked out over the water then turned to the man next to her.

"We will have to swim out, Mr. Tucker."

"My shoulder, T'Pol," he replied weakly. "I'll never make it."

"I will help you."

"No, I'll only slow you down, T'Pol."

"I will not leave you here, Mr. Tucker," T'Pol responded. She reached her right hand up and grabbed his chin, gently turning his face to hers. "You are my chosen." She was rewarded with his smile.

T'Pol helped the engineer to the waters edge then slowly lowered him to the ground. She slipped into the frigid pool then helped him in. They swam across to the opposite wall then as they treaded water, they both took several deep, cleansing breaths. They were facing each other, their eyes locked on one another. The cold water seemed to revive the commander and he looked back at T'Pol with clear eyes. Finally they dove under. T'Pol kept one hand firmly under her companion's arm while she used the other one to feel along the rock wall. She mentally counted off the meters as they swam along the wall. She hoped her memory was serving her correctly. After about twelve meters, T'Pol no longer felt the rock beneath her hand. She began swimming straight up, kicking furiously. She couldn't see Commander Tucker but she kept her hand firmly locked under his arm. He wasn't dragging against her so she knew he was swimming, too. They continued moving through the dark water, heading upwards.

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Jon and Malcolm knelt on the bank, staring intently at the geological map displayed on the padd the lieutenant held in front of them. Travis hovered behind them, nervously pacing back and forth. Ledma and Welke stood a few meters away talking to Ensign Phelps. Jon had sent the rest of his crew back to Enterprise in Shuttle Pod Two fifteen minutes ago. Now they were working out a plan the captain desperately hoped would save the lives of Trip and T'Pol.

"Captain!" shouted Travis suddenly. The helmsman was already diving into the pond, quickly followed by Ensign Phelps. Jon stood. Only a few meters away, he saw T'Pol's head break the surface. She was struggling to stay above water, one arm splashing furiously.

"Where's Trip," Malcolm whispered beside him.

The two ensigns reached T'Pol in seconds and Phelps put one arm around the Vulcan's shoulders, pulling her back against her body. T'Pol fought against the other woman then gave in as Travis appeared with Trip. They swam to the bank. Malcolm helped T'Pol, who was coughing up water, out of the pond as Jon reached down and grabbed Trip. His friend was motionless, his face like death. With Travis' help, he laid Trip on the bank. Jon pushed his fingers against Trip's neck and felt no pulse. Travis leaned over, placing his ear next to the engineer's mouth and nose. He sat up quickly and shook his head at Jon.

"He's not breathing," he said, the fear evident in his voice. Jon's training took over as they began CPR. He said a silent prayer as he tried to breath the life back into his best friend. After a couple minutes, Malcolm moved in to take over for him. Jon shifted out of the way.

"Come on, Trip," he pleaded. He barely noticed T'Pol as she knelt down next to him. Finally, Trip gasped and choked, the water spilling from his lungs. Malcolm and Travis quickly rolled him on his side then shared a smile of relief. Jon closed his eyes. Beside him, T'Pol made a small sound and he turned to her. She was looking at Trip, her face as impassive as ever. But Jon saw the tears brimming in her dark eyes. She quickly blinked them away before they could spill down her cheeks. He reached a hand out and gently placed it on her back.

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"I'm fine, Doc."

"Commander, you have a severe laser wound that could have killed you had it hit a few centimeters down and you very nearly drowned," admonished Dr. Phlox. "I hardly think you're fine. Now lie still."

Trip grimaced as the Denobulan applied a strange smelling gel to his shoulder. "Ow!" he yelped. Phlox merely grinned down at him. Trip heard a soft chuckle. He turned his head to see the captain leaning against the next biobed.

"In your condition, Trip, I wouldn't make the doctor mad."

"Where's T'Pol?" asked the engineer, trying to see around the hovering physician.

"She's in decontamination. The water you two swam through contained a microbe that attacks the Vulcan immune system. She'll be just fine, Commander. Now please lie still, hmmm?"

Trip quieted. The pain in his shoulder was starting to fade under the doctor's gentle ministration.

"Now roll onto your side and I'll treat that nasty burn on your back."

Trip did as he was told. He coughed up a little water and it dribbled from his mouth. Dr. Phlox looked down at him.

"There will be some minute traces of liquid in your lungs, Mr. Tucker. I removed all that I could while you were still unconscious," explained Phlox. "Don't be alarmed."

Trip rolled to his back again. "That stuffs amazing, Doc. What's in it?"

Dr. Phlox grinned. "I don't think you really want to know the ingredients, Commander," he replied. "Now if you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll go check on the sub-commander."

As the doctor walked away, the captain moved over to stand next to Trip's bed.

"I guess I should just set time aside every week to come visit you in sickbay, Trip."

"I'm not here every week, Cap'n," chuckled the engineer.

The captain smiled then it faded. "Thought we'd lost you both," he said quietly.

"If it hadn't been for T'Pol, you would have."

The two friends looked at each other, and Trip could see the depth of their friendship reflected in his captain's eyes.

"Bridge to Captain Archer," came Hoshi's voice over the comm., disturbing the silence. Archer smiled down at Trip then stepped over to the commpad.

"Go ahead."

"Captain, I'm sorry to disturb you, sir, but we're being hailed by Chancellor Casney. She wants to know the condition of Sub-Commander T'Pol and Commander Tucker."

The captain sighed. "I'll be right there, Hoshi."

"Aye, sir. I'll let the Chancellor know."

"I'll check in on you later, Trip." The captain smiled warmly at his friend then exited sickbay.

A couple hours later, Trip sat on his bunk, his left arm strapped firmly against his body. He'd managed to convince Dr. Phlox to release him but only with his promise to go straight to bed. The engineer still hadn't seen T'Pol and it worried him. The doctor had insisted she was doing just fine.

Trip reached over to the control pad above the head of his bunk and turned the lights down. He smiled at himself for his childishness but the thought of waking from a nightmare in the dark was frightening to him. His heart skipped a beat when his door chime sounded.

"Come in," he called, rising to his feet. The door slid open to reveal the Vulcan science officer. She stepped quietly into the room and as the door slid shut, she crossed the short distance to stand in front of him. Without a word, T'Pol reached up and took Trip's face gently between her hands. She paused, looking at him then she leaned up and awkwardly pressed her lips to his. Trip closed his eyes and wrapped his free arm around her, pulling her against him.

"Hi," he managed, as they finally broke apart.

"Dr. Phlox recommended that you not be alone tonight," T'Pol said. "I volunteered to watch over you as I believe it is my duty as first officer."

"That was awfully nice of you," replied Trip with a grin. T'Pol moved around him and pulled back the covers on his bunk. She then helped him lie down and proceeded to pull the covers up over him. He grabbed her hand. "I don't bite, you know."

She looked down at him. "I am not accustomed to sharing a bed, Mr. Tucker," she said softly.

Trip scooted over and simply looked back at her. T'Pol hesitated. Then she kicked off her shoes and climbed in next to him, pulling up the covers. He shifted his arm and she laid her head on his shoulder, nestling against him. He then put his arm around her and gently rubbed his hand up and down her arm.

"Sorry if I smell," he whispered, giving her a squeeze.

"I no longer find your scent unpleasant, Mr. Tucker," T'Pol replied and he laughed. They became silent and Trip continued to gently caress her arm. He could feel her body start to relax and he smiled.

"Those people are gonna die in that cell, you know," he said a few minutes later.

"They are a powerful species. They should be able to free themselves by removing the door."

"You think so?" Trip said. "Then they're probably free right now, planning their next attack on Chancellor Casney and her people. Did you repair that explosive device?"

He felt her head move on his chest. "No." The two continued to talk about the day's events, snuggled warmly against each other.

"How did you manage to distract Lewek?" T'Pol asked after they'd fallen quiet for several moments.

"What?"

"You said you distracted her. May I ask how?"

"With my natural charm," Trip replied with a chuckle. T'Pol lifted her head and looked at him askance, one eyebrow raised. "I whispered in her ear, T'Pol."

"That is all you did?"

"Yeah. I guess it turned her on."

"She became sexually aroused?"

"That's what it seemed like to me."

T'Pol settled her head back on his shoulder. She toyed with the straps that held his other arm against him. "Perhaps when you are feeling better, you will whisper in my ear," she said evenly.

Trip kissed the top of her head and gave her another gentle squeeze. "I'll do more than that, T'Pol. If you'll let me."

"I might consider it, Mr. Tucker," she replied, her voice slightly muffled against his chest.

They became silent again. Trip listened to her breathing, the sound of it comforting to him. He smiled when he realized she had drifted off to sleep. Very carefully, he raised his arm away from her and hit the pad above his head, turning off the lights. He settled his arm around her again and closed his eyes, knowing that for the first time in a long while, his nightmares would not visit him.

THE END

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Eight hardy souls have made comments

I really think your story was well written I was glad to see the return of V'Lar and how you had T'Pol and talk about relationships between human and vulcans and the danger Soval presents .I like your series of stories hope you'll do another one sometime.Thanks for a great read.

I loved this, loved this, LOVED this! Beautifully written and with enough humour and drama to provide a perfect counterpoint for the growing affection between Trip and T'Pol. I chuckled at how much time Trip keeps spending in sickbay. At this rate Dr Phlox will give him his own bed... Hope you have another story in the series planned. Whatever. I throw rose petals at your feet for a lovely heart warming story. Thanks you - Ali D :~)

All I can say is Thank You! What a great story. You kept me captivated throughout!

it's finished....i'm sad. :(

Hi, Am new here and recently got onto to this marvellous site and just managed to read your series of 3 stories Guilty../Deception... and False Start. Such a lovely read and so captivating. Am slowly running through the list of stories by you and other authors. Thanks for your time in creating such lovely, enchanting stories for us readers.( Applause! clap clap!!)

I loved this, reading it was a great journey.

woopie :) I just finished this little trilogy plum, it was a very enthralling read. I loved all the little quirks, and your usage of underused characters server to enchance the story. The characterizations of T'Pol and Trip were spot on. I'm just a little saddened there's no fourth series when they finally settle in completely, ah well at least it had an happy ending :)

Great read. One of the best I've read.

I'd love to see you continue this series. I really like it, T'Pol's less-emotional-love is really believable...Great writing.