A New Life - Part 2

A New Life

By: TLR

Rated PG
Disclaimer: Enterprise is the property of UPN and Paramount Pictures.
Summary: This story picks up just a couple of days after the last part. Trip is trying hard to fit in this new strange world of his and not exactly succeeding. He is miserable, holding onto the news about the new Warp 7 plant in the hopes he can make the adjustment using what he knows the most. Enjoy.

March 20, 2006

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Part 2

Trip searched the confines of the room, lifting up blankets and pillows of T'Pol's freshly made bed. He knew he'd put his favorite tee shirt down there before going into the shower. His mate was in the kitchen preparing the morning meal with his mom. Lizzie was playing with the two sehlats in the front garden area. The Human left the bedroom wearing only a pair of dress slacks. Bare-chested and feet, Trip traveled down the hallway toward the kitchen.

"Honey……Have you seen my….?" His voice was cut short by the resounding laughter coming through the front door. Elizabeth ran toward her father with Kamute close behind. Suddenly his legs came in contact with a fast moving object, which got the Human's attention. There at his feet was Keller, Trip's long lost shirt tangled about its head. The young animal grappled with the item, rolling and pawing at it, all the while his tail wagged excitedly and it growled with every breath. The clean outer wear was now covered in sand and animal fur, as Trip eased it from the young scamp.

"Ah Keller, NO….bad sehlat….. NO" His words settled the creature down as its parent came up and nudged the smaller ball of fur in the side with its fangs. Trip held up the shirt, knowing full well he could not wear it this way. He turned to go back and change when he was surprised by V'Lmir standing just behind him. The young Vulcan turned her face, seeing the Human's state of undress, not wishing to be a hindrance to her friend's bond. Seeing her reaction, Trip held up the shirt to his chest and excused himself to leave.

"I'll just go and…." He uttered leaving quickly for their bedroom.

In the other room, Catherine Tucker helped T'Pol fix the morning meal. Lorian had already taken a bottle and was now sleeping in a portable crib. The two women worked in unison to create a sufficient amount of delectables for the adults to eat. Catherine stirred the Mashya, a yellow orange mashed vegetable dish while T'Pol finished squeezing the last of the Kasa fruit. The Blue green juice, the fruit produced was tart and tangy, to the Human's palate, but they enjoyed it all the same.

V'Lmir entered, gathering dishes to set the table in the other room. Meanwhile, Charles Sr. was in the garden tying up the vines to help increase their yield of fruit. He'd become quite proficient at tending this strange new plant life. In fact, to many it seemed Charles Sr. had a whole new hobby and he couldn't be happier about it. The Human spent hours tending the plants while his wife helped T'Pol and V'Lmir with the household chores.

It was Trip that seemed not to be getting into the swing of Vulcan life. He spent the last two days making simple repairs to appliances and watching the kids so T'Pol could rest and meditate. But somewhere in his soul, he missed being incredibly busy. Furthermore he missed his ship and how she'd challenged him at every turn. It was for this reason Trip was looking forward to his meeting today with Kentif, a local architect and builder. The Tuckers decided to use this acquaintance of T'Pol's to add two rooms to their dwelling. He was due to show up in a half an hour and now Trip had to change into something else more presentable to be ready for his initial visit. Kentif had agreed to let Trip assist him on the renovations and to a slightly bored former chief engineer that was music to his ears.

Trip re-emerged from the back rooms dressed now in a blue outfit, with pale blue shirt. This fact was not missed by his mate when he entered the kitchen area. T'Pol looked at him long and hard, knowing his original choice for the day was a neutral beige color. Trip caught her inquisitive look and answered her before she could ask.

"Keller decided to play with my shirt. He took it out in the garden and got it all sandy." The Human threw his hands up allowing a bit of his frustration to show. Catherine Tucker came up quickly holding the large serving bowl of bright orange mush.

"I think you look very nice. Blue is definitely your color." She leaned into her son, her hands being too full to touch his shoulders. She went on past him into the dining area, and set the bowl down onto the table. The older woman returned quickly and started to fill the glasses with the blue green juice, one by one. Within a short period of time, all were eating and the atmosphere in the home was calm.

***

After breakfast, Trip helped T'Pol and V'Lmir with the dishes, while grandma took Lizzie in for a quick change. Charles Sr. was heading toward the bedroom area when there came a knock on the door. He crossed the living area and opened the heavy wooden door. Standing there was a tall Vulcan male all of 6 ft 4 inches and lanky. His short cropped hair and sharp pointed ears were still somewhat distracting to the senior Human.

"May I help you?" Charles asked after a few moments of quiet.

"Mr. Tucker?" The Vulcan male started with a tinge of surprise in his voice.

"Yes." Grandpa answered not even thinking he could want someone else.

"Mr. Charles Tucker?" Again the alien seemed somewhat surprised by the older male standing there. After a moment of contemplation on why T'Pol was mated to such an elderly male, the Vulcan spoke up.

"I am Kentif…. I am here to discuss……." His words were interrupted by two sehlats, a naked four year old child and an out of breath grandmother running from the bedroom area. Lizzie ran up to her grandfather, free of any garments and happy as a clam to be open to what little breeze this place afforded.

"Elizabeth Catherine Tucker, you get back here this instant." Grandma was exasperated the child bolted in the middle of her bath. The soap suds in her hair dripped from either side of her chin.

"Poppy…….." she hid behind her grandfather and was playing catch me if you can with the flustered woman. Kentif watched the interaction with great interest. (Clearly Humans had less of a control on their offspring.) He thought to himself as he watched the two older adults try to corral the little mischief maker.

Trip ran into the room after hearing his mom's flustered voice. V'Lmir followed close behind. Upon arriving, the young Human was floored by the scene he saw. There before him was a very playful naked Lizzie crouching behind her grandfather and between Trip's dad and a complete stranger. His mom stood there, hands on hips holding the towel that she brought to wrap the child in.

"Gees" Trip hissed, coming forward and heading for his daughter. He whipped the towel from his mom's hand and stepped around his father to where the little girl stood staring back at him. As he swooped in, Trip lifted the child into his arms. He carried her over to his mom and handed Lizzie off to her waiting arms. Trip exhaled heavily not looking forward to what he had to do next. He turned to the stranger standing there.

"I am soooo sorry about this. The place we moved from had a cooler environment and she's having a hard time dealing with the heat here." Trip moved back to where his father stood. Catherine turned with Lizzie and headed back toward the bedrooms. The elder Charles nodded to the Tuckers visitor and went to join his wife and help with the little girl. As he started to leave, Kentif called out from the doorway. "Mr. Tucker."

Both Trip and his dad answered "Yes…" this puzzled the young Vulcan male. He then decided to clarify himself.

"Mr. Charles Tucker…" Again both Tucker males answered to their names.

"Yes.." This further confused the Vulcan who decided that Humans were much more illogical than he'd been taught to think.

"You are both named Charles Tucker?" Kentif asked wondering who was the real 'Charles Tucker' he was supposed to see. Trip saw his confusion and stepped forward to explain.

"I am named after my father… He was named after his father as well. It is a tradition in some families. I am Charles Tucker the third, but my friends call me Trip." The young engineer started to put out a friendly hand, but thought better of it and simply nodded instead. "That was my daughter who was just running about, mine and T'Pol's" A look came over the Vulcan's face that demonstrated he was now getting the gist of this family dynamic.

"Oh so you are Lady T'Pol's husband." Trip nodded and Kentif seemed as though he was now starting to focus on the younger male. Charles senior nodded his goodbyes and left the room to join his wife. This left Trip a little less confident in his Vulcan skills. He waved the young male in and offered him a seat in the main living area.

"You and Lady T'Pol have a young daughter together?" His question seemed more an observation to the Human.

"Yes, she's 4 years old. We also have a 10 month old son." Trip added feeling a bit more sure of himself against this very self assured young man.

"Indeed.." Trip's admission got a raised eyebrow from Kentif. At that moment, T'Pol entered the room holding the couple's young son in her arms. The two males stood instantly and awaited her approach.

"Lady T'Pol" Kentif bowed deeper than he had for Trip or his father. He held this position for what seemed an unusually long time which made Trip look to his wife for explanation.

"Kentif… it is agreeable to see you." She started her greetings and he straightened immediately.

"As it is you… I come to serve." Again this made the Human a bit confused.

"Your service honors us." T'Pol replied to him in proper Vulcan form. Kentif looked down upon the infant in her arms. Its light brown blond hair and blue eyes were strange against the pale olive skin and pointed ears. However, from his first glance, Kentif could tell from the large round orbs steadily studying him, that the child was incredibly intelligent. He continued to stare down the tall Vulcan throughout the meeting to follow.

All three sat down and began to discuss the renovations the Tuckers were looking for. Kentif continued to stare at the young child, denoting he was still quite confused by the age difference of the two children. Finally Trip decided to speak up.

"Something wrong?" The Human wasn't upset, but he knew about Vulcans enough to know that they were not shy about asking questions.

"Your children are very intelligent… Their age difference is really quite interesting. How did this come about?" The Vulcans took no discomfort from the question, but Trip felt this question a bit too invasive for his taste. None the less, T'Pol allowed her mate to answer the question in his own way, as was the habit of her people.

"Our daughter was not created naturally. A mad man in a lab stole our DNA and created her without our knowledge. When we found her, we stole her back and saw to it the scientist didn't have the ability to do this again." Trip winced at the memory of their mission and the lives they killed trying to get their daughter away from Paxton.

A look of recognition came over the Vulcan's face as he replied. "The half breed child from Lunar Station."

"Mixed heritage child." Trip corrected with a slight miffed tone to his voice.

"I apologize if my interpretation of the incident offended you." Kentif was quick to offer his apologies, like any Vulcan. This seemed to cheapen his words in the Human's eyes.

"We heard the news of her on Vulcan shortly after her discovery. I was naturally curious about what happened to her. I didn't know she was yours and Lady T'Pol's offspring." Kentif tried to restart a dialog with the couple.

"Well she is doing well and has been back with us since the Lunar Station and the Mars Research facility were destroyed." Trip's eyes went to his son as did Kentif's.

"And your son?" The Vulcan didn't seem to have a problem with asking questions.

"Our son Lorian was created the old fashioned way." The Human quipped quickly trying to avoid the details of that little project. T'Pol chimed in to help out her mate. "We had Lorian by natural birth."

"I was under the impression that Vulcan and Human DNA were not compatible." Again Trip's mouth dropped at that one.

"We had assistance from our ship's physician, a hormonal supplement mixture." T'Pol was less uncomfortable with her explanation than her mate was about answering that question. Trip sat silent, nodding slightly at the details.

T'Pol rocked the now sleeping Lorian in her arms. He'd grown tired of this adult game of words. The feeling he was getting from his mother was that of calm and reassurance. From his father, though, the baby could still sense some of the hurt feelings from the term half breed moments earlier. Clearly it was like a Human to be defensive of their young. But T'Pol's overriding will cancelled out the small one's reaction and his eyes grew heavy amidst the war of words.

Kentif decided further discussion about T'Pol's children was probably not a good idea, especially after her mate's strong reaction to his inquisitiveness. Instead he decided to change the subject back to the business at hand.

"You wish to add two more rooms to this dwelling." His words were a synopsis, not a question.

"Yes, with two small children, we will need extra space for guests and any further offspring." T'Pol answered first, seeing her husband was still a bit hurt by the male.

"Indeed, you will need further accommodations if you are to have any more children." Kentif turned to face his acquaintance denoting the close scrutiny of her mate. Trip merely flashed a mock smile, as if wanting to tell this guy a thing or two about their family plans. This further made the Vulcan a bit jumpy.

"I've taken the liberty of drawing up some schematics that would fit the architectural style of this dwelling." The Vulcan handed over a strange sort of palm padd shaped in a rectangle with a much larger screen. T'Pol took it from him and then leaned in to allow her husband to see the plans. The style was a simple structure with the rounded arches and large window areas that the house already had. It allowed for two rooms with adjoining baths in the far end of each area. T'Pol punched the glowing Vulcan symbols at the top of the screen and the picture changed from the design specs to that of a virtual likeness of how the rooms would appear. This impressed the young engineer who was more used to looking at engine specs than room design. Now he could see what the Vulcan had in mind. There were three other plans for their consideration and Trip and T'Pol reviewed them all the same way. Choosing the second set of plans, they handed the padd back to Kentif and allowed him to view what work he was to be doing for the couple.

The builder seemed quite pleased with their choice, raising a single eyebrow with a satisfied stare. "I thought this particular design might be to your liking."

"What items will we need to begin construction?" Trip decided to get the building started.

"There is a complete list of supplies you will need attached to the schematics. If you'd like, I can pick up the items for you." Kentif directed this offer to T'Pol not Trip. This made the Human a bit jealous.

(I thought flirting wasn't allowed here. Whose this guy to you anyways?) Trip sent this through their bond to his mate.

T'Pol replied plainly. (Kentif knows we are still in a state of mourning and wishes to make things easier on us. I know nothing more of him than he was a few years a head of me in my early schooling. )

(Well, he's awfully friendly for someone you don't know. You sure he doesn't have a crush on you?)

(He is merely being polite and trying to be of assistance.) This respond from T'Pol was sharper as she then turned to the Vulcan sitting quietly across from the couple.

"Your offer is most kind. However we are required to take the children to their first doctor appointment this afternoon. We can stop by central supply and place our order on the way home. When can you begin construction?" T'Pol was now passing the sleeping child off to Trip so she could look more closely at the list, which was in classic Vulcan.

"I can begin in two days time if the supplies can be available." Kentif folded his hands atop his lap. Trip became nervous, hearing a lot of I's and me's.

"I still will be assisting you?" he asked, half expecting a change in the Vulcan's offer.

"Yes….I look forward to hearing your ideas for improving ventilation throughout the dwelling." This statement took the human by surprise. He wondered what T'Pol told him about Trip's experience with duct work that had him so fascinated. After a few more minutes of details, Kentif left the Tucker family home. Trip would later get from his mate that she hinted to the builder that her husband was some sort of miracle worker when he was aboard Enterprise.

***

The entire Tucker family, including grandparents piled into a public vessel they caught at the base of the steps. T'Pol called to have a larger transport come for them since her mother's hovercraft seated only four. T'Pol, now dressed in the more traditional garb of her people, donned a regal robe of gold and dark burgundy. It was rich looking, a far cry from the plain white cover ups given to the senior Tuckers to protect them from the afternoon sun. Trip, by default wore T'Pol's father's robes, equally ornate and lavish. He felt like he was going to a state dinner more than just a well baby checkup and hardware shopping. They exited the vessel at the base of a tall horn shaped building. It was the main medical complex. As T'Pol carried Lorian, Trip had Elizabeth in his arms as well, more to control her emotional outbursts. Trip still had to be more in contact with his children to communicate through their bond, while T'Pol could communicate from across the planet practically.

Her mind was working overtime keeping Lorian from projecting his very strong emotions to everyone they came in contact with. Empathically, both their children were quite gifted which meant more work for the already over taxed Vulcan female.

They entered the building and took the lift to the 30th floor. This part of the medical complex dealt solely with children. It was brighter colored than other more traditional Vulcan decors, with a bounty of computer consoles set at a row of kindergarteners sized desks. They checked in at the main station of a Dr. Korat, a specialist friend of Phlox's from the Interspecies Medical Consortium. They were asked to wait in the outer areas for a short time and the Tucker family complied. Trip took Lorian from T'Pol so she could show Lizzie how to use the computer consoles, lining the far wall of the waiting area. She sat beside the child for several minutes instructing her which buttons to push and the purpose of the games. It wasn't until the child was in full play mode, did T'Pol return and take Lorian from her husband's arms.

Trip was expecting the type of run around Human's got from the Vulcan medical community. He was pleasantly surprised when Dr. Korat himself came out to meet the family personally.

"Lady T'Pol…. Commander Tucker…. It is agreeable to meet you." This elderly male had mousey gray hair and huge round dark eyes. Trip once again stifled the desire to shake hands with the man who towered over him by several inches. Instead they both bowed their heads in response to the doctor's overly exaggerated one.

"We are pleased you could tend to our children in such a timely manner." Trip tried his hand at Vulcan diplomatic style conversation.

"Your Dr. Phlox told me much about them and transmitted their records. I have reviewed them thoroughly." The doctor seemed almost excited to get his hand on two such unique and special children.

"I would speak with you and your wife before I examine the children." Dr. Korat motioned toward a long hall. Trip came to his feet then lifted Lorian from his wife's arms, handing him off to his mother. He reached down two fingers and assisted T'Pol to her feet. The couple followed the older doctor in through a pair of heavy wooden doors and into a back office. There waiting for them was a familiar face to the Tuckers…. Dr. Stevron. Trip's eyes lit up seeing Soval's son once again.

"Lady T'Pol…. Commander Tucker, it is agreeable to see you again." He stood upright, bowing slightly at the waste as the group entered the senior medical officer's office. Korat motioned the Tuckers to sit, and Stevron took a chair just to the right of his medical associate.

"I have asked Dr. Stevron to join us. He is completing his training in my practice. I thought since you both know him, and he has met at least one of the children, it might make things a bit easier for you." The older doctor sat down in a large leather chair and folded his hands upon an even larger slate topped desk.

"I wish to first talk with you about the state of your bond before I get into examining the children." Korat began and noticed the rather strong emotion of nervousness coming from the Human.

"I don't see what that has to do with our kids' first check up. Is this really necessary?" Trip mumbled out his questions, feeling as though these two men were planning to use their marriage as a science experiment.

"I assure you Commander, the bond is just as important to the children, perhaps more so than to the parent. Within a contented and supportive bond, your offspring can gain the mental nourishment to grow and become well adjusted. However, if there is turmoil within the bond, they will feel it and it will make them very self conscious." The elder male's voice seemed compassionate, but all Trip heard was the Vulcan thought him inadequate to be married to T'Pol.

(What is this? Is he saying that I can't keep a good enough environment for my kids?") Trip's mind was working overtime and T'Pol tried to reach out her thoughts to comfort him.

(He is correct in saying that contentment within a bond is necessary for the children. You remember what it was like when we were ignoring the bond, how miserable we both were. The children can feel that too, so it is logical that if they treat the children, they must know about the bond, our offspring is growing up in.) T'Pol looked at her husband trying to be as supportive as possible.

"It is important that we treat the whole family…" Stevron chimed in. "It is the only way to keep everyone healthy. Vulcans rely on the bond to keep them centered, grounded and emotionally level. Not treating problems within the bond could lead to illness, injury or even death."

Trip looked from the younger to the older doctor. He felt a bit like he was being ganged up on. "What, has T'Pol expressed a concern about our bond?" He didn't know why his mate would outwardly do something like that.

"No…not at all. But Vulcans are empaths. We can sense when someone is uncomfortable. Normally, emotional slips such as this would be over looked, but in our profession, we see them as a symptom of something larger and are compelled to offer assistance." The senior male was offering his best understanding bedside manner, but it was approaching nosey to the Human.

"Your recent move to Vulcan, your leaving a ship that you helped create, friends you've known for a long while, who you've have been through many harrowing times with. Your wife's loss of her mother, Lady T'Les, and your own loss of a sibling in the Xindi attach, surely you must be having some difficulty dealing with these very emotional events. Perhaps you'd like to talk about it?" Stevron felt this offer coming from him would be better taken than from a stranger. Instead of feeling special, Trip was growing more anxious.

(Great, now they want to psychoanalyze me.) That smart remark caught the ear of his mate who looked to him with a stern glare.

(Their offer of assistance was sincere. They are correct in noting you are having difficulty with all the changes and only wish to offer their help. It is not appropriate to meet their kind gestures with sarcasm.) T'Pol knew all too well the turmoil her husband had been going through since their decision to move here. She hoped that the doctors could get him to open up, or to at least realize that which he is keeping bottled up would eventually affect all their lives, perhaps not for the better. This little reprimand made Trip wake up and take notice.

"Yes…. Things have been tough… I have a lot of adjusting to do, but I have a very strong bond with my wife and we are able to talk about anything. I appreciate the offer, really I do, but I think we are okay…. At least right now. If something comes up though, I will reconsider your suggestions." Trip hesitated a bit before he added that, but his wife's feelings were reading through and he could tell she was pleased to have them backing her family in this way. He thought a moment and realized that many was the time he spent talking to Phlox about his troubles with T'Pol. Maybe having someone there to talk to wasn't such a bad idea. They remained with the doctors for a few minutes longer then Stevron called out to the waiting area, for the remainder of the clan to come in. Catherine walked through the doors holding the baby while Charles Sr. brought up the rear with the curly topped little girl in his arms. They handed off the children to their parents, and moved to the back of the room out of the way.

Lizzie watched as the older male came up before her. She reached out to touch him immediately, indicating her desire to communicate. This hand was caught by T'Pol, who kept the child from coming in contact with him. Elizabeth looked to her mother and was told that it was not polite to touch those that didn't invite her too. Her face wore the disappointment she felt, but she complied and brought her hand back to her side. Stevron stepped up and extended two fingers to the child. She looked puzzled, knowing the male from before, but trying to comprehend what her mother had just told her.

"It's okay Lizzie…. He wants you to touch him" Trip reassured the child looking to the outstretched fingers as evidence. She then turned to her mother and saw her back up her father's words with a soft nod. Quickly the child reached out her own fingers and grabbed the Vulcan's, conveying all the happiness she felt at seeing a familiar friend again. Stevron looked down on the child with a very accepting gaze. Korat watched the interaction with interest, not at all ready to offer his fingers for the child to touch. He allowed his associate to continue the exam before the entire family, including the grandparents in the process, making all the Humans feel a bit more comfortable with the process.

***

After the children's exam, the Tucker family headed off in the direction of the main market place. As they walked, Trip caught the stares of many who they passed. First they looked at T'Pol, often offering a head nod in respect, then they would glance at him and a puzzled look came upon their usually expressionless faces. Catherine and Charles Sr. kept pace behind, noticing the same behavior but deciding not to let it bother them. They realized that if a Vulcan came walking down their street in Georgia, there would probably be a few inescapable stares there too. Trip however grew more and more ill at ease, finally turning to his mate and asking for an explanation.

(What the heck are they look'n at? You'd think they've never seen a Human before.)
(They probably haven't…. Not all Vulcans desire to travel outside the confines of the planet. While they may have heard about Humans, it doesn't mean they have seen one.) T'Pol kept her eyes toward the on comers, knowing full well that part of the people's reaction had more to do with her family's status than the fact that Trip and his parents were Human.

The group continued to walk through the droves of Vulcans doing their shopping and tending to their daily lives. They came upon a building with a large elevated roof, rounded, with the familiar horn shaped edges that was considered metropolitan on this strange world. Upon entering, Trip saw the biggest collections of stock supplies he'd ever seen in his life. It was an immense room, chalked full of parts and building materials. Even when he worked on building the NX01, Trip hadn't seen so much stuff.

They were met almost immediately by a shorter Vulcan male, dark haired and looking to be just about T'Pol's age. He walked directly up to the group and extended a gracious V greeting to the Human, before looking to his mate.
Trip returned the gesture, as did his folks, T'Pol shown her response briefly then returned her hand onto her baby's bottom.

"Lady T'Pol…. May I extend my support for your loss. All of Vulcan grieves with thee." The man bowed from the waist indicating he was sincere about his words. T'Pol responded as she did with everyone who had done so to her. She bowed slightly and uttered softly. "Most kind." This move irritated the Human a bit, seeing as how this Vulcan hadn't even addressed the rest of the people in the group. T'Pol sensed this and decided to solve the problem.

"Stalv, may I present my husband, Commander Charles Tucker the third." She pointed in Trip's direction and felt his frustration decrease a bit when the young male decided to address him. Trip nodded as the Vulcan addressed him with similar respect.

"And this is my husband's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Tucker Jr." Again a nod was the only acknowledgement they got.

Stalv turned back to the group and continued. "All of Vulcan welcomes you, we come to serve." He put on his usual straight face, ready to get back to the business at hand.
"Your service honors us." Trip stated in a knee jerk reaction, partly as a reflex from their bond, and partly because the Human noticed that Vulcans have uniform responses that they respect and it was now his job to learn them. His response brought another more personable nod back from the sales clerk. This pleased the engineer as he came back to why they were there. He handed the gentleman the padd with the screen set to the list of supplies they were in search of.

"We are adding some rooms onto our home and will be in need of these items, if you have them in stock." Trip bounced Lizzie in his arms as she flashed the stranger her trademark toothy grin. This got the male's attention, as he kept looking to the padd and back, finding the child's outward expressions both odd and oddly charming.

"We have all these items. When will you be in need of them?" Trip was shocked at the quick response from the male.

"Is tomorrow okay?" The Human replied, wondering just how truthful the Vulcan was about his offer.

"Tomorrow would be fine, let me just put in your order." Stalv began pressing the surface of a large screen hanging from the mountain high ceiling. His fingers moved madly over the lighted areas, changing the display with every tap.

(He's putting in our order and hasn't asked for anything in return. What will we barter with for this stuff.) Trip was still used to the way the Enterprise traded their way through the universe.

(The barter system is not in practice here. All Vulcans give back to the betterment of our people, so all Vulcans have access to what they are in need of.) Trip watched as his mate stood silently beside him.

(But neither of us have a job yet, how are we gonna give back if we aren't even employed?) Trip was feeling his lessened position more and more these days, waiting to hear about the Warp 7 project.

(My family's station buys us certain privileges.) This statement spurred the Human's curiosity.

"So who's your family?" Trip asked unconsciously out loud.

"They are direct descendants of Surak." Stalv responded quickly with great surprise at the Human for not knowing that fact.

Trip's mouth fell open, his parents' eyes opening wide recognizing the name the clerk spoke of. T'Pol returned his look, trying hard to hide the discomfort she was feeling at being cornered like that. Stalv realized he may have caused some discomfort for the young woman and moved off to finish placing the group's order at a far terminal.

"Surak?" Trip whispered at his wife a bit louder than he meant too.

(Public displays of emotion are considered distasteful, please try to get your emotions under control.) T'Pol warned her husband, but he was having none of it.

"Public displays of emotion….." Trip continued not at all willing to be silenced.
"You're the great, great, great, great, great…….." He continued on, more flustered by trying to figure out the numbers of greats he would need to say. "Granddaughter of the father of all logic and I have to hear that fact from a hardware sales clerk." Trip saw several Vulcans in the area turn toward the direction of the disturbance. He glared back at them silent and unashamed of his reaction to this new piece of his wife's history.

"Is that why everyone calls you Lady T'Pol?...What are you some kind of Queen or something?" Trip huddled in close feeling that this was a moment he needed to have with his wife and not with the half dozen nosey citizens of this planet.

"My mother was a Queen…. I am merely a….." T'Pol's words trailed off as she realized her new stature and the reason for it. A sharp pain hit her heart and translated to her mate as the death of her mother crept back into her thoughts, something she had pushed out many times over the last 21 months. Trip sensing the change went from being angry to concerned, feeling the overwhelming sadness beginning to hit her mind. T'Pol's eyes grew wide and moist, their rims holding back a barrage of tears waiting just beyond. She turned away from the group toward a vacant wall, swallowing hard several times to get the emotions that threatened to come out, to subside. It was of little use, as a few rogue tears ran down her cheek. Lizzie reached out for her mother, wanting only to hold her and help to ease her pain. She forced her way from her father's grip and ran to T'Pol. With her little arms, the child clung to her mother's dress, burying her face in the glittery material.

Trip laid a hand upon her shoulder, a fact he knew to be wrong in such a public place, but he didn't care. He fought the urge to hug her, knowing that would be even more unacceptable to these people. Stalv returned to the area having completed the order. Sensing his return, Trip and T'Pol moved off further down the isle with the children in tow. All that was left was the elder Humans to explain what was going on.

"Please excuse them…. T'Les' death was difficult on T'Pol, more difficult than she realized. Also her husband recently lost his sister, so he understands her grief and tends to feel it too. Please accept our sincere apologies." The Tuckers had been studying up long and hard on outward customs, so they could fit in when they came to visit. The sight of their son touching his wife on the shoulder was paramount to an all out emotional display and they didn't want the Vulcans to think any less of them for this.

"You need not apologize. Vulcans understand grief. It is one of the most difficult emotions to control. T'Pol and her family are still in mourning and as such should be given leeway for the occasional slip in control. T'Les was a remarkable woman and a most beloved Queen, she will be missed." Stalv was almost tender in his response. This eased the Humans up all the more. "Please tell your son and his wife that the supplies will be delivered early tomorrow morning. And that we do grieve the loss of such a remarkable woman as well." With this the Vulcan moved off and did what he could to keep the spectators to a minimum.

After a few more moments, Trip got T'Pol settled down and the group re-boarded another oversized transport for the long, silent ride home. It would be late into the day before T'Pol re-emerged from the meditation room. Meanwhile, Catherine watched the kids. Father and son, on the other hand, decided a bit of gardening and talk would help them to ease the tensions the morning had brought.

TBC….

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Next part out by Friday. I am on vacation starting Monday, so it may be earlier if things go well with school. T…

Part 3

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

Oh that was just sublime, it was so sweet, and you have an easy and effortless way of writing. I really enjoyed this, so please do continue, oh and btw, for once I'm first to commment, yay!! *raises her hand in lame fist pump* Oh and good luck with your school.

In a hardware store. Hmmm. That's a unique place to find out you're married to royalty. This is getting interesting.

Great one. Looking forward to read the next chapter.

Enjoyed this chapter, I like how Trip is still having trouble adjusting. I thought Lizzie was still under four years since she was nearly two at the beginning of Baby makes four.

Poor Trip. I think he feels useless and humored by Kentif and others. And when he discovers T'Pol's status, he realizes he really is just being humored. How humiliating. He goes from being the best, his services vied for by multiple ship captains to being politely tolerated by others due to his mate.

That is certainly emasculating, basically reduced to an anti-trophy husband. Trip is headed for major depression if something isn't done.

At least when T'Pol was the lone alien, she was respected and valued for her knowledge. Trip doesn't even have that on Vulcan. He's just a human lucky enough to have wooed Lady T'Pol successfully and sired her children.

And T'Pol's penchant for keeping IMPORTANT things secret is a huge part of the problem. She's handicapping Trip by not teling him what's up, and hurting him when he discovers things by accident.

Trip's blue funk is logical when you consider the facts. T'Pol and Trip should have talked honestly and figured out a plan for their life on Vulcan. T'Pol has done Trip a serious disservice and is partially to blame for Trip's difficulty in adjusting to life on Vulcan.

Yeah but was T'Pol really made to feel all that at ease on Enterprise at first. I mean Hoshi couldn't stand her, glaring her down at every opportunity. Malcolm was too busy looking at her bum. Trip and the Captain would invite her to dinner on chineese night to see her grapple with chopsticks, knowing full well she could have used a fork. Or noisely eat steak in front of her knowing she was a strick vegetarian and also that she had a very sensitive sense of smell. She had an emmensely hard first couple of yrs dealing with being one of only two aliens and the only Vulcan aboard. Phlox didn't have it all that easy either. Frequently he'd eat alone, inviting people to join him, and they had other plans to avoid it. It was up to Trip to finally understand her circumstances and try to make her feel more welcome. Perhaps that is what T'Pol has to learn to do for him now. To me it looks like the shoe is on the other foot and it is how they deal with this as a couple, that will show how he comes to adjust to life on Vulcan. Hope I am right.

HURRY,HURRY,HURRY!
I don't begin to read until you finish it all ( I know it's strange but it is my principe)(sweet torture!)

TLR, this is a great story and I can't wait to read more of it. You're the only one who can take seemingly simple stories (Like Trip moving to Vulcan) and turn them into a spell binding series which capture perfectly events and emotions.
I couldn't help but laugh a little at the hardware store. Somehow a Home Depot just didn't seem right, but it was a great idea! You offer great glimpses into Vulcan daily life.
I don't know which side I am on though on the two comments above. Though I think T'Pol was treated with disrespect at first and tolerated, she quickly became valued for her knowledge as an individual (at least that's what I like to believe) before the crews preconceptions regarding Vulcans began to change. To them T'Pol was different from other Vulcans very early on. I mean you have Trip treating her like anybody else as soon as Breaking the Ice.
I seem to agree with the Anonymous comment. After all, it certainly seems the Vulcans have a disdain for humans in general and their emotions, I can only imagine what they must think of Trip.
Either way, I know you'll manage to surprise us all and turn out a great story!
Thanks for writing this amazing story.

Dammit, I did it again! I'm the "anonymous"! I hate it when I forget to leave my name.

I guess my point really was that even though T'Pol was a fish out of water, she had a purpose and a value. She was resented, but generally not condescended to, which I got a bit of a sense of with the architech.

I agree that TLR's stories generally resolve satisfactorily the emotional issues. I'm just sayin' that Trip's situation will need some work and if he's not adjusting well, there are clear and obvious reasons why. And T'Pol is part of the problem with her keeping secrets. I had no doubt that this could end well.

Controversy, I love it. If Trip was loved immediately and fit in like a glove, there wouldn't be much to write about. I think you will all love how I am resolving the issues, and just wait until the Enterprise makes a pitstop and sees his transfermation,(coming in an upcoming part). In the meantime, keep guessing, I'd love to see who comes the closest, but I am not telling. By the way, the next part should be out by Weds, Thurs tops. Glad you are liking it. T

By the way sipovic, this is a six parter, you may have a bit of a wait. I am releasing two single parters next week. "The dilithium mission" and "Mother knows". Hope that tides you over. T.

But Binah, was it really condescention or did they just not know how to treat Humans. Vulcans have always been blunt and to the point, even to the point of being rude. They have never been much on the pleasantries, I mean look at Soval's treatment of Archer at the briefing (season 4 Home). He practically accused him of murder, but in his mind he wasn't. I think the Vulcans are very confused about their identity right now, the KirShara has given them a new path and they are doing their best to follow it. Plus not all vulcans live and are comfortable around Humans, so maybe they just didn't know what to say to him. Is that it, TLR? Damn, you said you weren't saying. Oh well, I'll just have to wait like the others.

I don't hint T'Pol means to belittle Trip. She seemed quite upset about her actions at P'Jem. I think she thinks that her people see her as illogical for marrying a human and hasn't found a way to prove that she wasn't.

Very nice. Your stories are my favorites on this site.They show professional quality that you don't usually find in fan fiction. I really hope you keep writing them. I love this series.

You know, it would do Trip some good to pull his head out of his backside and start paying attention to the clues he is given. I remember in a previous part of the series T'Pol was giving Elizabeth a language lesson that included a word which described a term that would be used as a way her family would be addressed. Why didn't Trip bother to look it up? Her coat of arms is hanging on the wall of their home. Archer saw it and recognized it during the baby's birthday party didn't he? How come Trip never bothered to check it out? Maybe he should stop being so passive and quit waiting for T'Pol to spoon feed him things. He is a grown man after all.

On the other hand, communication in a marriage is important. She had no right to keep her talks with the council a secret from him. Trip's got a temper and he has been known to blow his stack on occasion when he finally gets fed up. This has the potential for some real fireworks. I am waiting for the next installment with deep interest. Thanks for writing this.

I turned in part 3 this afternoon. It should be posted soon. T...