The Other Woman-revised

The Other Woman

By THECURSOR

Rating: G, general, angst?
Disclaimer: I own nothing

Note: This is an entry into Bucky’s T/T contest. Now revised and edited

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The Sickbay was fairly quiet despite the two solid hours of activity that had occurred just moments ago, all of which T’Pol remembered vividly.

She remembered the back slaps and the handshakes. The hugs and the ‘We thought we’d never see you again’ (which happened to be Captain Archer’s specialty). But now those moments were over and Tucker was gone from the room. Now he was resting peacefully beneath the warm Decon chamber lights and in his place stood her.

Princess Kaitaama, Grand High Sovereign Monarch of Krios Prime and next in line to sit upon the Golden Throne of Verle. T’Pol had read about her from the Vulcan database, which described her as a passionate public figure and a promising future leader of her people. The database was quite clear on how competent and intelligent she was. Meeting her in person however, was most disappointing.

To begin with, she was quite unattractive. The database had briefly mentioned that the Princess was endowed with great physical beauty but she knew now that the information was false. She was far too tall, her legs stuck out of her body in such a way that T’Pol thought she was horribly out of proportion. She was also too thin, her cheeks were hollow and it wasn’t hard to imagine being able to see her ribs beneath her skin. Unclothed she must have been quite displeasing to look at. Still, Commander Tucker must have seen something in her for this was the woman of the week he had chosen to release his uncontrollable libido. She would never understand humans and their intense need to achieve sexual intercourse with another being. If he was going to have sexual relations at all, could not he have chosen some one a little more physically pleasing?

Further more, the woman was quite unintelligent. For the past ten minutes, her only words had been ‘Is Trip okay?’ or ‘Will Trip be able to say goodbye?’ or even ‘Can I see him?’ Constantly she whined, mewling like a kitten apart from its mother. Was this truly leader of a proud race? How could anyone be so…weak? This woman would not last two hours beneath the scorching sun of Vulcan.

Not that she cared, personally.

T’Pol was merely interested on a diplomatic level, this woman represented a danger to Earth relations with other worlds and since Earth had not yet developed proper diplomatic procedures for dealing with foreign planets, the duty would eventually fall to her to correct the problem.

Phlox, who remained oblivious to the Sub-Commander’s inner dialogue, furrowed his prominent brow in confusion. Wary of his data, the Denobulan passed his tricorder a second time over Kaitaama’s upper body in an attempt to ascertain what was wrong. “Hmmph.” He uttered finally, the sound gruffer and more confused then his normal voice.

Sensing something wrong, the Princess raised her head from the bio-bed and looked up at Phlox’s portly form. “Is there something wrong?”

“No, no, your highness, I’m just having trouble determining what kind of antibiotic would work best for your species.” He stared deeply into the tricorder, hoping the information he needed would be within its electronic depths. But sadly, he found nothing new.

Releasing another sigh of frustration, Phlox dropped the device on the table and resigned him self to the idea that he wasn’t going to find the answer he wanted here. “Please forgive me Princess but I must consult a medical text I left in my quarters.” He smiled broadly at her to show that everything was alright before making his way to the door, “I trust you and Sub-Commander T’Pol can entertain yourselves until I get back?”

“Yes, Doctor,” T‘Pol said in her usual monotone, he earlier thoughts temporally gone. “We will be fine.”

“Excellent.”

And with that he was gone, leaving the two women alone together in an otherwise empty Sickbay.

There was a long awkward silence as T’Pol tried to gather the appropriate way to conduct a difficult conversation

She decided the best approach would be the most direct. “Your Highness, I wish to apologize for Commander Tucker’s behavior on the planet.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“You did engage in sexual intercourse with the Commander, did you not?”

“Well, yes but I hardly think it was worth apologizing-“

“Do not be modest, I am quite familiar with Mr. Tucker’s reputation for maliciously seducing women into his bed and I understand how angry you are about this situation and I do indeed sympathize with you. But I humbly request that you not allow this incident to negatively affect relations between your planet and Earth.” T’Pol leaned back in her seat, satisfied that she had made her case the best way she could.

But Kaitaama seemed unimpressed. “Are you quite finished?” She said with a bemused grin, “Because I think you may have gotten the wrong idea about what happened in that swamp.”

Pushing herself off the bio-bed and sauntering over to T’Pol’s position, the Princess seemed become more than the Vulcan had originally seen in her. There was power in her stride which she hadn’t seen before.

“Trip and I did indeed have sex, which is hardly any of your business. Furthermore, I can hardly see how this could affect relations between my planet and his.” She smiled wider, her eyes reflecting memories that were playing back in her mind. “In fact, based on his performance alone I’m considering making them our number one trade partner.”

She turned away, walked over back to her original position and softly fell back onto the Bio-bed with her smile still clear on her countenance. “Besides, I didn’t get ‘maliciously seduced’, I seduced him.”

T’Pol felt her eyes widen ever so briefly before forcing the shock back down. “I see.” The words were spoken in the same monotone she said everything but something was different there was an edge to it. Was this true? How could this be true?

“Tucker isn’t the type of man who seduces women.” Kaitaama continued, stretching like a cat and kicking off the thin slippers the doctor had given her in place of the mud soaked shoes she had worn on the planet.

T’Pol knew this discussion had spun wildly out her control yet she could not help but continue. “And what type of man is he?”

“The quiet kind, the kind that needs to be pushed a little.”

“Is that not slightly amoral?”

“Amoral? I’m a princess! I can have man I want. Maybe I had to work a little harder than usual for Tucker, but it worked out the way I wanted in the end.”

“Then I am to assume you will purse a relation-“

T’Pol felt her stomach turn sharply at the light, tinny sound of Kaitaama’s laughter. “Of course not!” She said between heaving chuckles, “He was…a fling, something for my memoirs. A cherished memory to be remembered in old age.” It suddenly became quite clear to the Sub-Commander that this woman wasn’t clingy at all. She was everything but. “Of course, Tucker is so sweet, I’m sure he wishes it could be a little more, maybe he has some kind of grand romantic metaphor rolling around that cute little human skull of his.”

“You don’t disapprove do you?”

T’Pol said nothing, unable to say what was on her mind.

“Oh I guess you do.” Whispered the Princess with a wicked grin, “Maybe you he’s your best friend on this whole ship and you’re worried that if he ever found out how I really feel about sleeping with him it would break his heart.”

The Vulcan still said nothing, her face like marble. “Or maybe…you’re just upset someone else got there first.” The other woman’s theory seemed to touch a deep nerve with in her. Suddenly, T’Pol felt something very different than rage coursing through her.

There were words sitting on T’Pol’s tongue. Dark, angry words that would grossly violate the teachings of Surak, words that she knew she wanted to say. For a brief moment her mouth opened and her vocal cords buzzed in anticipated use.

She was angry, at herself for doubting Trip and at this woman for…pushing him. But mostly she was angry about simply being angry. Commander Tucker was well aware of what he had done with this woman. He didn’t need her protecting him; there was no reason for her feel this upset about the situation. This was none of her business and she should just…

There was no need to…

But that smile on her face. That catty grin of a woman with no feeling, no soul, and no idea what kind of person she was manipulating. Commander Tucker did not deserve this woman, he deserved far more.

And as for this Princess, the time someone corrected her idea of what was and was not amoral had been long overdue.

Luckily, she had already thought of the just the right words to say. “Your highness…”

“Well, I hope everyone is doing fine?” Phlox’s cheery entrance into the room came unannounced and T’Pol’s mouth snapped closed before she had even exhaled her sentence.

“Why yes Doctor,” Kaitaama said flashing her most innocent smile, “Everything is fine.”

Deep inside herself, T’Pol wondered if on Krios Prime…

…princess was another word for bitch.

The End

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Three people have made comments

Wow! One of the best stories I've read. I love this little peek into the mind of T'pol.

I really liked this. Leaves just enough unsaid to get your imagination going. I especially like T'Pol's final thought:-)

Hee. I really wish T'Pol hadn't been interrupted by Phlox...