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Fulfilled-Pt 15

Author - Samantha Quinn
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Fulfilled

By Samantha Quinn

Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don’t own Star Trek, any of its sequels or its prequel. Theoretically, I suppose I own Charlie, Maggie, and Koval. But neither they nor their parents are making me any money in this fic, so please don’t sue.

A/N: BEWARE: Lots of scene changes.


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

Chapter 15

Challenge Your Preconceptions . . .

Charlie’s POV


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

*Six Months Later. . .>*

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

“He’s beautiful, Maggie,” I tell the woman on the viewscreen in front of me, meaning every word of it.

The proud mother glances down at the blond haired bundle in her arms and then looks back up at me with a smile. “Of course he is. He takes after his father.” At the mention of my lost friend. . . and brother, the same pain that I felt seven months ago returns full force.

I momentarily think of correcting her. After all, the blond curls that frame Tegar Reed’s face stand in complete contrast to the coal black hair that Koval used to have. Who’d have thought hair color was so important, anyway? But it apparently is. Because regardless of Tegar’s bright blue eyes and pointed ears, it’s almost impossible to distinguish him as Koval’s son with those curls outlining his face. Unless of course, I take into consideration who his grandfather is.

But I won’t do that. This is the first time I’ve seen Koval’s son, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to have memories of . . . that man’s mistake interfere in what should be a happy moment. Tegar is still my nephew, regardless of why he has those blond curls, isn’t he? Besides, Maggie’s mother has blond hair. See? It’s just those damn recessive genes coming into play. Who’s to say where they come from? And those are *Koval’s* blue eyes. *Not HIS.*

Speaking of Maggie’s parents, when the kid laughs, I swear that smile is pure Malcolm Reed. Laughing. I wonder what Koval would think of his son laughing.

Dammit, it’s unfair that Koval isn’t here to see Tegar laughing. It isn’t fair that I can’t see Koval’s reaction. It isn’t fair that Tegar, Maggie, and I have been denied that right because my father tried to give Archer a better life than he truly deserved.

Well, there’s always the old adage about life not being fair. Guess it applies to death too.

“He laughs so much,” Maggie remarks softly.

“Well, that’s good. It means he’s a happy baby, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, and I’m glad. I wouldn’t want him to have been . . . affected by the loss of Koval. At least, not yet.”

Only because I love Maggie like a sister do I keep from telling her that a child can never get over the loss of his father. Or a brother, for that matter. Why am I the only one in our entire family that can see that?

“But,” she continues, “As much as he laughs, it makes me wonder how hard it’s going to be to teach him Vulcan techniques when it comes time to. He may or may not choose to follow the path of Surak, but I want him to know both sides of his heritage regardless.” She takes a break for a moment to move Tegar to her other arm. “I guess it’s a good thing I’ll have T’Pol so nearby to help out with that.”

“As ridiculous as it is for the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth to be stationed anywhere but on Earth,” I say, a little vehemently. From the look that Maggie’s giving me, perhaps just a little too vehemently. Even the baby quits laughing. I wonder if that’s because of the Vulcan telepathy at work.

“Haven’t you listened to any of the messages they’ve sent you?”

“If by ‘they’ you mean Trip and T’Pol, the answer is no.”

“Charlie – "

“They had twenty-five years to say plenty to both Koval and me. Since they didn’t bother to say one damn word about the one thing they should have, I’m not really interested in anything they might have to say now.”

“So you’re saying that nothing else they ever said was of any importance.”

“No, I’m not sayin’ that-"

“That certainly sounds what you’re saying.” Maggie shifts the bundle in her arms again, then sighs. “T’Pol isn’t the Ambassador to Earth anymore.”

“Oh?”

“She’s taken a post as head of the Federation Diplomatic Corps. The headquarters for which are on Vulcan, as I’m sure you well realize. Your father is teaching Introductory Warp Theory at the Vulcan Science Academy, as amazing as it sounds for a human to teach Vulcans about warp drive.”

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

“Come on, Dad. I want to get started fishing before the sun comes up.”

“Just a second, Charlie. I’m explainin’ something to Koval.”

I was only ten years old, and didn’t really understand most of what my father was saying to Koval. I certainly didn’t understand what a warp coil or anti-matter mix was. All I knew was that I wanted to go fishing, and Koval’s conversation with my father was preventing it.

“I want to go NOW, Dad.”

“In a minute, Charlie.”

“NOW, Dad. You’re MY father, not HIS.”

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

Damn memories. How could I ever have been so selfish? I’m sorry, Koval. So very, very sorry.

“Charlie?” Maggie’s concerned voice startles me out of my guilt.

“I’m sorry, Maggie. What were you saying?”

“I was asking you how you managed to miss the news reports on T’Pol’s re-appointment.”

“Well, you may find it difficult to believe, but I’ve been avoiding any news that has been associated with T’Pol, Archer, or Trip.” Not that it’s been easy, of course. The three of them had a monopoly on the news from the moment Archer filed for divorce. Headlines such as “Who Says Vulcans Marry For Life?” and “Historic Vulcan-Human Marriage Ends” have been so frequent that it’s nauseating. Of course, those were the kinder headlines. “Fickle Vulcan Trades in Hubby of Twenty-Five Years After Son’s Death For a New Model,” is an example of the less kind headlines, and one that truly pissed me off. Not out of any regard for Trip or T’Pol, of course. They deserve all the pain that comes their way, as far as I’m concerned. And because he’s a selfish ass, so does Archer. But I know how those headlines would hurt Koval. That would be why I punched the reporter from the Orion Syndicate Weekly. True, it earned me a week in the brig, but he deserved it, and it felt damn good to slug someone. It also had the added benefit of making the message to my crewmates that the topic of Trip and T’Pol was strictly off topic.

“That’s the second time you’ve called him that. Since when is he ‘Trip’ to you?”

“Since I found out that he doesn’t deserve to be called ‘Dad.’”

Maggie frowns. “You haven’t listened to the message from Koval yet, have you?”

“No.”

“Dammit, Charlie. I gave the message to you before I left Prometheus because Koval stressed to me how important it was that you have it if you ever found out the truth about Trip and T’Pol. He made me promise you’d receive it.”

“Maggie – "

“You listen to me, Charlie Tucker. You’ve been one hell of an egocentric bastard for the past nine months. I understand that you’re grieving. But you had damn well better not make my promise to my bondmate go unfulfilled.”

The connection ends then. Left alone in the quiet of my quarters, my gaze falls upon the PADD sitting securely on the bookshelf above my desk that contains Koval’s message. It’s a message that I’ve had for six months, and can’t bring myself to open.

Who can blame me? Opening that message will bring Koval back to life – but only briefly. The minute I turn the message off he’ll be dead again, and I’ll have to watch him go, without any way to stop it. Such a familiar pain, and I’m not in any hurry to relive it.

But if it was that important to him. . . Do I have a choice?

With a sigh of dread, I rise and reach for the PADD. To my utter surprise, the message requires both a thumb print and a voice confirmation in order to be activated. Given the sensitive information found in the message, I guess it makes sense.

When Koval’s face lights up the PADD in front of me, I nearly drop the damn thing. That wonderful Vulcan face staring back up at me brings immediate tears to my eyes. I struggle to keep them from falling, but the minute Koval’s calm melodic voice begins to speak, I say the hell with it. Let them fall.

“Hello, Charlie. If this message has found you, I assume two things: one, you have somehow discovered the truth of my heritage and two, I am dead.”

How can you be so calm about it? I know you’re a Vulcan, but God, you make the thing that has nearly broken my heart in two sound like ordering tomato soup from the replicator.

“As I record this message, it is my fondest hope that both of those events do not come to pass simultaneously. For, if you are ever to discover the truth, I would prefer to be there to offer my . . . compassion in person.”

Sweet merciful Great Bird of the Fucking Galaxy, I wish you were here too, Koval. Hell, I wouldn’t care if you were offering “compassion” or merely telling me I was a – what was it Maggie said? Oh, yes, an egocentric bastard. I wonder what the Vulcan word for “bastard” is?

Now I’ll never have the chance to ask.

“While there is no logic to be found in regretting that which cannot be changed, I have prepared this message as an attempt to reach you in the event that I cannot. I know you well, sa-kai –"

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

“It’s good to see you again, sa-kai.”

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

“ – and I also know that anger is a traditional Tucker response to grief. Your father has aptly demonstrated it, as he has related to us before. You yourself have demonstrated it in the past, sa-kai. You do remember our experience with Lucky, do you not?”

Geez, I was only nine when Lucky died! Koval would have been six. That amazing Vulcan mind at work, I suppose. But I’d hardly compare the loss of a pet frog to the loss of my brother.

A brother I was never allowed to know as my brother.

“I myself experienced a passing moment of that unpleasant emotion when I discovered the truth that had been kept for me for eighteen years. Fortunately, my Vulcan heritage saved me from succumbing to the destructive sentiment completely. You, sa-kai, do not have that advantage. My only hope is that you will listen to this message completely, and allow yourself to grieve properly and fully. Both Mother and our father have suffered enormously because of the way Trip permitted his grief to manifest itself in the form of anger. That one mistake cost them repeatedly.”

How can he speak so kindly of the two people that completely ruined both of our lives? Of the two who’s mistakes forced us to live as friends when we could have lived as brothers?

Besides, what is he talking about? When did that man’s anger have any effect on us? Sure, I’ve heard about his “angry phase,” but that was over and done with by the time Koval and I arrived.

“Years ago, when my parents were feeling the initial attraction to one another, their affections were interrupted by the Xindi attack on Earth. As our father succumbed more deeply to the dark emotions he was experiencing, Mother became. . . frightened. She withdrew her physical presence from him and turned instead to Archer, whom she viewed as her second closest friend.”

Hard to believe that you could call someone who disrespects your entire people a friend.

“As you well know, our father’s anger soon dissipated. What you may not know is that the affection my mother and he shared did not.”

Oh, Koval, I know that. Suddenly, all I can think of is Dad and me sitting on that couch the day Mom filed for divorce. I can hear and see his confession of love for T’Pol so loud and clear –

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

“You don’t have to be sorry, Dad.”

“Yeah, well, maybe I should be anyway. I hurt you’re momma, and I never meant to. I hurt ya and I never meant to. I hurt T’Pol and I never meant to. If the Admiral ever knew, it’d kill ‘em, I think. And I never meant to.”

“Was it before ya knew about me?”

“Yeah, it was long before I knew about ya, Charlie. Before the Admiral and T’Pol were married.”

“If it was before the Admiral married T’Pol and before you knew about me, then why . . .?”
Dad sniffled and wiped his hand on his sleeve. “The Admiral was already in love with her, Charlie. I was tryin’ not to break his heart.”

“But. . .Is what Mom says about T’Pol returnin’ it true?”

“Hell. . . she knew before I did.” I saw how much that concession cost him and I felt like I should stop this questioning. But I couldn’t.

“I don’t understand. If she was in love with you, and you were in love with her, why on Earth didn’t ya end up together?”

“I thought I was doin’ the right thing, Charlie. I thought it was honorable.”

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

When I remember how pained Dad was that day, I can’t help but feel the tiniest twinge of guilt. . .

But, no, I can’t forgive him, Koval. He abandoned you.

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

“No, kiddo, it’s me that’s sorry. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done, everything I didn’t do, and I’m sorry for havin’ to go.”

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

My throat tightens. But dam nit, an apology can’t make up for the twenty-five years that Koval had to live without a father.

“But they continued to deny their affection for one another. Admittedly, our father’s first concerns were with Admiral Archer.”

I nearly stop the message at that point. How could that selfish, awful man be more important to Dad than his own son? Or the woman he loved, for that matter?

“I suspect you will retain your traditional hatred towards the Admiral and claim he was not worthy of such devotion.”

Damn straight he wasn’t.

“However, if you are intent upon continuing your distrust and anger towards my parents, you must realize that I am the reason I they continued to be apart and refused to ever speak of the truth.”

What the hell? That doesn’t make any sense.

“While I do not regret having chosen Vulcan society over human, I will admit that there are flaws within the Vulcan social structure. Namely, the social customs regarding lineages are based purely on notions of honor and propriety, and demonstrate little logical regard. Had our father laid claim to me, I would have been an outcast of the world I cherish so deeply – a fact which he realized through his companionship with Kov, the one I am named after.

When I first discovered the truth of my heritage, I asked my father if there was any circumstance for which a human would willingly give away someone very precious to them, particularly someone they love.

His reply is one I have memorized to this day. He said, ‘Yeah, Koval, there are two reasons I can think of. They might do it if they think holdin’ on to ‘em might hurt them or someone else they love. They might do that if they think they’re doin’ the right thing – if they think the other person might be better off without ‘em.’”

Koval leans closer into the screen.

“Thus, if you are determined to hate anyone, it should be me, sa-kai. For I am the reason we were not truly raised as brothers.”

No, no, no. I could never hate you.

“It is illogical, and unnecessary for you to blame my parents for their actions. If, however, you are tempted to remain angry, please remember this: every mistake my mother and our father have made has been in an attempt to protect someone else from hurting. For that reason alone, they do not deserve your anger. Their mistakes may have cost great pain and loss to you. I, myself, ache with regret that I was forced to keep the true nature of our brotherhood a secret from you. However, they have ached more than you, or I, or even more than the Admiral. In one moment, they were given paradise, and chose, for entirely selfless reasons, to sacrifice that paradise to protect others.

They sacrificed more than you – or I – shall ever lose.

Live long, and prosper, sa-kai”

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

I’ve laid here for a full hour, thinking about Koval’s message. Dam nit, I want so much to stay angry at Dad for pushing Koval off on to the Admiral. But I can’t. Because I keep hearing Koval’s explanation, and Dad telling me, “I thought I was doin’ the right thing, Charlie. I thought it was honorable.”

Ironic, really, that he told Koval very nearly the same thing. I wonder how long it took Dad to realize how much the “honorable” and “right” thing was hurting his son.

Strange how grief can just make you remember all sorts of bizarre shit, isn’t it?

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

“It’s okay, Koval. I’m sure the Admiral didn’t mean it,” my father is attempting to comfort a clearly hurt eight year old Koval. The memory is of one of the few times the Admiral came fishing with us. This time he brought along a colleague of his, Admiral Nyota, who had been full of plans for both young Koval and I – plans that included Starfleet. Even then, Koval had been adamantly opposed to the idea of joining Starfleet. He had told Nyota in no uncertain terms that Starfleet was a “ethnocentric” organizations for humans. When Nyota had responded that he was human, Koval had shaken his head and declared that he was a Vulcan only.

“Don’t you dare baby him, Trip. I don’t care if he’s a Vulcan or not, he’s going to learn some manners.”

“Admiral, don’t you think you’re over-reacting just a –“

“Why don’t you just worry about your own son?”

“I am worried about my son and yours – which is a hell of a lot more than you are.”

“I don’t need child care advice from you. Come on, Koval, we’re going home.”

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

I cried all the way home from that trip. Come to think of it, Dad did too. I guess my tally was wrong – I’ve seen Dad cry three times. Once when Grandpa Tucker died, once when I fell off the roof, and once when Archer was being a shitty father to Koval.

“No, kiddo, it’s me that’s sorry. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done, everything I didn’t do, and I’m sorry for havin’ to go.” That’s what Dad said, and now I understand why.

God, Koval was right. All this time that Dad had to watch another man raise his son, and the very man that was loving his soulmate, must have had him on the verge of going crazy. And if T’Pol loved my father a shred of the amount that he loved her, she had to be going crazy too.

Maggie was right, too. I have been a selfish ass. But that’s going to end right now. Reaching for a fresh PADD, I begin to compose my very first letter to Dad in six months. As I write, I find myself aching for this tour of duty to end. Now that I’ve realized my mistake, I can’t wait to get home to see my family.

Still six months to go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Six Months Later. . . *

Did I mention that I hate reporters? Because I do, particularly when I have to wade through them to get to my shuttle. There had better not be any on Vulcan when I get there.

There won’t be, there can’t. After all, there are some things even over zealous reporters fear. T’Pau is one of them. One of the few, apparently.

“Lieutenant Tucker!” one of them calls out. Hell if I can tell which one. Another one, or possibly the same one, calls out, “How do you feel about your father and Ambassador T’Pol?

I don’t say, “They’ve been bonded for eleven months, don’t you have anything else to report on?” I just keep walking, hating reporters more and more.

I just want to go home. Is that too much to ask?

“Lieutenant Tucker, are you on still on speaking terms with your father?”

Okay, that one was a little too close to home. Still walking, I ask in frustration, “What the hell kind of question is that?”

“You haven’t made any type of statement since the Ambassador’s divorce. Speculation –“

“Speculation is bullshit. I love my father, my mother, and both their spouses very much. Of course we’re on speaking terms.”

They don’t need to know, of course, that we weren’t up until five months ago.

“But how do you feel about the rapid remarriage so soon after Admiral Archer’s divorce?”

Maybe if I give them one little quote, they’ll leave me the hell alone? Coming to a stop – an action that gets several lights shone directly in my face, thereby re-enforcing my hatred of reporters, I offer my opinion. “In the end, their previous marriages brought a sad, lonely life for T'Pol and a stressful, doomed life for Dad. Here's hoping life with Dad and T'Pol together has lots of love, laughter, humor, conflict, affection, sex, friendship, logic, emotion, and talk about humans and Vulcans. As far as I’m concerned, after all they’ve been through, Dad and T'Pol, deserve to have it all!”

Taking advantage of their stunned silence, I make a run for the shuttle and reach the safety of the inside just minutes before the vultures outside do.

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

Four hours later, as I walk in the front door of the house Dad and T’Pol share, the first sound that I hear is a baby’s wail.

I can’t help but smile. The kid has a temper. That has the potential to be a good deal of fun. Koval never really had a temper.

“I will announce your presence, Mr. Tucker,” the housekeeper offers.

“No, no, that’s alright. I think I can find them okay on my own.”

Following the continual howls of the newest member of my family, I come upon a large nursery. Walking in, I see Dad clutching the baby protectively while searching frantically for something.

“Shh. It’ll be all right. I’m looking for Mr. Tulok, kiddo. Did I mention you get that temper from your mother’s side of the family?”

“What exactly are you looking for?” I ask from the doorway.

Noticing me for the first time, Dad looks up and the smile that crosses his face is so wide, I can’t help but feel guilty for the six months I refused to speak to him.

“Charlie! It’s good to see you. I’m looking for a stuffed Seh’let by the name of Mr. Tulok. It’s as long as my arm, and the baby can’t sleep without it.”

“Well, let me take the baby, and you can keep looking for Mr. Tulok.”

Taking the baby from Dad, I gaze into the large Tucker blue eyes and am certain that I am holding the most absolutely beautiful baby ever to be born. True, she’s still screaming at the top of her lungs, but it’s a beautiful, healthy sight. Ruffling the top of her light brown head lightly, I pull her close enough to survey those adorable pointed ears.

She stops screaming long enough to give me a questioning glance. I’m pretty sure she’s asking if I have Mr. Tulok, because when it becomes obvious that I do not, she begins screaming anew.

“Here ya go, pumpkin,” Dad says presently, presenting her with what has to be the ugliest toy I’ve ever seen. But she apparently loves it, as her chubby little fists reach for it, and her wails turn to what I could swear were giggles.

Taking Seleya from me and placing her in the crib, Dad remarks, “Don’t look so surprised. Koval used to laugh and cry when he was a baby too. She could still turn out to be completely dedicated to the path of Surak.”

At the mention of Koval, my heart sinks. “I miss him,” I say softly to Dad.

“I miss him too.”

“I missed you.”

“And I missed you.”

Koval, if your katra is anywhere within hearing distance, thank you. I love Dad too much to have spent the rest of my life without him. When that realization hits me, I reach for Dad, and pull him into the tightest hug I can. Maggie told me once that Reed men don’t show affection for one another. Am I ever glad I wasn’t born a Reed.

We pull apart, and Dad says, “How long you stayin’?”

“I have six weeks off before my next assignment. I was going to try to spend some of it with Mom, but apparently she and Alan took a second honeymoon to Risa and won’t be back for three months.”

“Well, good for her. I’m glad to hear she’s doin’ well.”

“Not as well as you and T’Pol,” I tease gently, gesturing to Seleya. “Really, Dad, I never thought at twenty-nine I’d have a baby sister.”

“Trust me, I never thought I’d have another baby at this age either.”

“Hey, it’s not the twenty-first century, Dad. You aren’t *that* old.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Our banter is interrupted by the calm irritation of T’Pol’s voice. “Has Seleya completed her nap?”

Dad has the good grace to look guilty. “Er. . . no, T’Pol. Charlie just arrived, and –"

“I’m sorry, T’Pol. I was just in such a hurry to see the baby that I didn’t think of her nap schedule.”

Her voice softens, a habit she has picked up from too much time with humans, no doubt. “It is understandable, Charlie. Perhaps while she naps, you would like to visit Maggie and Tegar.”

“That sounds like a plan.”

“Come on, kiddo, I’ll walk you there,” Dad volunteers. Leaning down to kiss the baby gently on the forehead, he whispers, “Sleep tight, Seleya Elizabeth Tucker. Be a good girl for Mommy while Daddy and Charlie are gone, okay?”

Seleya just coos her reply.

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

Frankly, the walk to Maggie’s house kicks my ass. This Vulcan air simply wasn’t made for my puny human lungs.

“So, how is teaching Warp Drive to Vulcans?”

Dad laughs. “Oh, it’s incredible. If someone had told me during my days on Enterprise. . . " his voice trails off.

“You haven’t heard from him, have you?”

“No.”

Neither of us say Archer’s name, and we don’t have to. We both know who we’re talking about.

“I don’t blame him, of course. It’s because of me that Koval’s . . . gone.”

“Dad, stop it. Koval chose not to meld with Archer-“

“Because he was trying to keep all of us from getting hurt. And you know something, Charlie? As happy as I am to be with T’Pol – as complete as I feel – I still have to live with the knowledge that my son sacrificed his life in vain.”

“I wouldn’t say that. Inadvertedly, Koval’s death brought you and T’Pol together. That may not have been what Koval intended, but let me tell you, he would have been ecstatic to see it happen. I’d hardly call that a sacrifice made in vain.”

When Dad turns to me and smiles, it occurs to me that I’ve seen him look so happy. . . so content in all the time I’ve been alive.

I’m glad he – and T’Pol – finally found the happiness they were looking for. I’m only sorry that Koval isn’t here to see it with me.

~~~

To Be Continued in the Epilogue. . .

** ** ** **

A/N: Charlie’s line beginning, “In short. . . " and ending in “deserve it all!” Is taken, almost word for word, with express written permission from Myst from a comment about “Twilight” she made long, long ago while Unfulfilled was still being written. Thanks again, Myst! Which means, of course, that I knew how the story was going to end back when some of you, um, were disgruntled about the original ending. Does that make me a sadist? :)


Epilogue

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

*squeals* Yes, you're a sadist. But you're the good kind of sadist.

Have I meantioned this story is one of my favorites? Because it is! (And that's both Unfulfilled and Fulfilled!) I just love this. The happiness (Trip and T'Pol in that romulan prison), the angst (after they get out of the romulan prison for decades) and then you come full circle with the happiness again(Trip's happy, T'Pol's ur... pleased and Charlie's happy and everyone else is happy cept for Archer)! Yay! I can't believe it's about to end... :( But I'm glad to see it end happily :)

yes, you are so a sadist (rotflmao at that the end comment still!)

Great chapter...babies galore!

Yay...Charlie got his head back, silly clapping

(I don't suppose the epilogue will involve news of Archer's gruesome death? I think that it might be a fitting way to end such an Anti-Archer tale!)

Not anti-Archer Clicks... just fun torture for the guy!

A baby! YAY! Really should have seen that one coming, but I didn't. At first I thought it was Tegar. Teeheehee. Love it.

Great job, as usual. Only the epilogue to go? ::cries::

Well, if there's only one more to go, put it up quick so I can have the pleasure of finishing this fantastic story!

Things are wrapping up nicely. It also looks like Archer is taking a much needed excursion away from Trip and T'Pol. Hopefully the time away will help give him some perspective and he can learn to forgive them and perhaps even himself in the role he played in this wonderful angst-ridden tale.

Really impressive work Samantha.... but I am going to reserve my overall judgment on this story until AFTER I see what you have planned for Archer. Up until now, Archer has been:

1. Lied to by almost every character who not only did not seem to mind continuing the lie, but took it upon themselves to deem him a crappy father, despite the fact that Koval himself LOVED him.

2. Archer's professional career has been more of a figurehead. Archer was apparently considered a joke amongst intergalactic diplomats.... nothing but a tag-along for T'Pol.

3. It was never made clear in the earlier chapters... but apparently T'Pol was a FANTASTIC mother and still had all kinds of time for Koval..... but Archer was a terrible father who had the audacity to want to actually do stuff with his son. If the things were Vulcan, Koval would do them. BUT, god forbid they were human things like flying a kite...well it's just very bad parenting to force a kid to go fly a kite. I mean come on.... no wonder Charlie (as Koval's best friend) was soooo sensitive about it. And on that note...why do I think that Charlie cried a LOT as a kid (and still does). A little too sensitive perhaps. Perhaps a third follow up story where Charlie comes out of the closet would be advisable. Doesn't Charlie deserve to be "Fulfilled" to?

Bah. Anyways...

3. Nobody has respected Archer in a sincere way. It appears as if everyone kept him in the dark in order to maintain appearances.

Accordingly, I would just like to see some semblance of dignity given back to him. For 25 years he was in a marriage where his wife lied to him and never "loved" him, nor made ANY attempt to (by her own admission). The only person who genuinely loved him was Koval......who, tragically, died by the hands of Trip's 'good intentions' and T'Pol's skewed logic. Worse still, not enough of the characters in this tale seem to appreciate the fact that Koval loved Archer; NOT 'cherished'....but LOVED....a very HUMAN quality. Ironically, Archer himself probably never really appreciated this....which is ironic... all that time he spent hoping to get Koval to actually enjoy something human... he never saw that Koval acquired the greatest gift a human can give...Love.

Admittedly, it bothers me a bit that all characters like Charlie remember is that Archer was a bad father??? What an insult to Koval's memory. If he was really Koval's friend, he would be apologizing not just to his parents.... but to Archer. Especially Archer.

I know that you think I am heavily Pro-Archer Samantha.... I don't see it that way. I just think that the impact of this story is going to come down to what fate lies in store for Archer, as opposed to T+T. Because Archer's fate, in many ways, is just as much a consequence of T+T's actions as Koval's was.

Regardless of who was at fault, Archer has spent the last 25 years living a series of lies and never seemed to figure it out.... and nothing went right for him. Terrible marriage, no career and a son who apparently did not like one single 'human' thing (other than catfish).

Thus...since Archer is no longer living a lie... it would be nice if he regained the 'destiny' he lost when "truth" was hidden.

It will be a nice ending if everything comes full circle.

Finally, I must state again....Great great storytelling. Alays a JOY to read.

(and I was just kidding about Charlie.)

Interesting comments as always, Rocky. However, any good psychiatrist will tell you that even children who are physically/sexually abused by their parents continue to love them (though not in all cases.) That, in part, makes the abuse all the more diabolical. The fact that Koval loved Archer means zilch.

Frankly, Archer tried to mold his son to fit his expectations, and that was crappy parenting, just as it would have been if T'Pol had tried to force Vulcan culture on him. I've seen it and it basically amounts to emotional abuse. The father in question couldn't have caused more pain if he had beaten his child daily. Unfortunately, she didn't have a Trip or T'Pol in her life. Thus, since I understand the pain that Archer caused Koval (admittedly aiming for Mary Sue status here), and because his "rotten career" is all in his head (much as Kirk's was in the first three movies), I have no sympathy for him, and would have killed him off instead if I hadn't thought it would have been incredibly convenient.

I'll warn you ahead of time - you won't like the epilogue. :)

Uh-oh! Now ya really got me curious. I wait with bated breath.

oh wow! super way to resolve so many things.

i do need some resolution and happiness for archer though.

Who really cares about Archer???? We got Trip and T'Pol together! That's all that matters now!

Now as for Rocky's little joke. (Charlie's gay? Well it would explain a few things. Why isn't he married yet?! LOL)

I'm hoping Archer trips (did ya get it? TRIPS! HAHAHAHA) on a rock and falls to his death... but since that won't happen I'll stick to him being old and alone for the rest of his life. That would be great!

And both T/T's kid and Koval and Maggie's kid both hate the former cap'n... that would be wonderful too! Oh and we later come to find out Koval isn't really dead he was just really, really tired! Do that Sam! Ya just gotta! :D