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His Human Heart

Author - Surya | Genre - Episode Addition | Genre - Vignette | H | Main Story | Rating - G
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His Human Heart

by Surya


Genre: Vignette; Episode Addition
Rating: G

Disclaimer: Paramount owns Trip, T’Pol and Enterprise. I have an over-active imagination and I don’t make any money from it.

Summary: Additional Scene for E2. If Trip had visited the older T’Pol in between leaving her younger self in the command centre and discovering Lorian stealing the plasma injectors. WARNING! High schmaltz content!

~~~~~~~~


“Come in,” she said without turning from the window. She knew who it was the moment he stepped into the room. The smell of him was imprinted forever on her memory; the smell of her beloved husband, so long dead.

She turned and faced him. She should have known he would come to her in defiance of her request. He was filthy and dishevelled, but he was still the Trip she remembered. The Trip she had lost more than eighty years before.

“I know you said you didn’t want to see me,” he ventured in that husky voice with its achingly familiar Southern drawl.

“I told Jonathan it might be awkward,” she said in a thin, papery voice which held barely a trace of the rich tone he’d been expecting, “but it is good to see you again, Trip.”

She stepped out of the shadows and he gasped at her aged appearance, but he recovered quickly and crossed the room to take both of her thin, trembling hands in his. They stood silently for a few moments, assessing each other, then she indicated to him to take a seat on her bunk, and she sat down on a chair opposite him.

“I’ve been working a lot with Lorian,” he said at length. “He seems like a good kid.”

“He is a good engineer, like his father.”

Trip smiled his thanks for the compliment. “I’m sorry you had to bring him up on your own. It can’t have been easy.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” she reassured him. “And I was never entirely alone, you know. The whole crew became one large extended family.” She paused. “Lorian had his father for fourteen years, Trip. And I had my husband for more than twenty.”

“Good years?” he asked hopefully.

“Very good years,” she confirmed.

They lapsed into a companionable silence as T’Pol remembered and Trip tried to imagine the years they had shared together. At the same time T’Pol allowed herself to drink in the sight of this man who was Trip, but not her Trip. She watched the emotions play across his expressive, youthful face, and the way his hands and legs and feet moved as he fidgeted, almost torturing herself with the memory of him.

“So,” he said at last, breaking into her thoughts, “how did I get you to marry me?”

“Trip,” she said gently, “just because your counterpart and I married, does not mean that you will follow the same course.”

He sighed. “That’s exactly what T’Pol said. I mean what you said. I mean the other you … geez, you were right, this is awkward.” He laughed quietly at himself.

“You should know by now that I’m always right.”

His eyes narrowed. “And you’ve developed a sense of humour,” he accused her playfully.

“Something my husband taught me,” she shrugged.

He was suddenly serious again. “Lorian wouldn’t tell me what happened to me. How I died.”

“It’s irrelevant. Your T’Pol is correct. The fact that we are here working with you means that your crew is already following a different path than ours.”

“My T’Pol,” he echoed. “But she never will be, will she? If our mission succeeds.”

“Patience, Trip,” she said.

“Not something I’m known for.” His cheeky grin reappeared.

“You asked me how you got me to marry you. That is your answer. And you may find that your T’Pol will eventually need you as much as I needed my Trip.”

He pondered that for a few moments, then smiled and shook his head. “I guess you haven’t stopped talking in riddles, T’Pol,” he said, rising to his feet. “Look, I’d better get back to Engineering. I’m sorry if I’ve caused you pain by coming here.”

She shook her head as she stood and faced him. “You were always a good man, Trip.”

He saw a flicker of emotion in her misty brown eyes, and on an impulse he stepped forward and embraced her, taking the small, frail figure in his arms. T’Pol closed her eyes and laid her head on his chest as his familiar strength surrounded her, and for a few minutes she listened to a sound she’d never expected to hear again: the beating of his human heart.

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

That was lovely - I'm all choked up now!

I second that. I quite enjoyed it.

I like your little story, thank you.

OMG, this was just lovely.
Older T'Pol hearing Trip's heartbeat, that she never thought she would ever hear again. Welling up again, just picturing them together.

Thank you, I really enjoyed it.

I'm all choked up. So lovely!!

. Lovely. Now I am going to work with tears in my eyes. All your fault!

Wow, that was beautiful! :*)

I agree. Very lovely, I am moved and almost crying! If I wasn't at work, I'd enjoy the cry, but instead will try to be "Vulcan" and be logical. Thank you for this story, a great start to the day.

That was very beautiful and lovely just made my day

Beautiful!!

I was sniffling.

Beautiful!!

I was sniffling.

Aw, a scene I always wanted to see in one of my favorite episodes. That was wonderful! :)

Lovely!