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A Sweet Goodbye - Part 3

Author - TLR
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A Sweet Goodbye

By TLR

Rated :G
Disclaimer: Enterprise is the product of UPN and Paramount Pictures.
Summary: This part picks up just two hours after where part two left off. The bond between our lovebirds is getting some serious examination, as Trip is beginning to realize that something has been wrong with it. T'Pol as usual is trying to spare him pain which is actually causing him more than needed. Enjoy.

September 10, 2006

*****
Part 3

DREAM

Trip felt the softness of her lips upon his chest. The bare body of his lover snaked up his, while leaving trails of passion along his skin. His manhood aroused, the human's arms clasped heavily to his mate's body. Her tiny waist proved a perfect place for Trip to keep her too him. Her kisses reached his neck and warmed the soft flesh behind his earlobe. His eyes closed in ecstasy, his breathing began to come in sharp heaves, Trip tried as he might to hold on. There was something different about this dream, different than the others that filled his sleep night after night. This one seemed all too real and held with it an emptiness hidden deep beneath the layers of lust filled passion.

***
Trip woke to find T'Pol nuzzling the soft skin of his neck. She was intermittently planting the lightest of kisses there, unsure if this was the area the bond told her he was in need of them. He could feel her searching their connection, wanting guidance to be what the Human wanted. This realization should have only heightened his desire for her, but instead it sent a cold chill down deep into his soul. To have her want him out of duty, was not at all what the young man wanted from this beauty. Her heart was what he longed for, and that it seemed, was light years away at the moment. He leaned back out of her touch and stared down at the hurt look he saw on her face.

"What are you doing?" He asked trying not to hold much upset in his voice. T'Pol moved away, fearing she had once more hurt her bond-mate, although she couldn't be sure how. Her eyes moved from his, her demeanor was that of a scolded child. This picture wrenched at Trip's heart making him want nothing more than to hold her and apologize for his dismissal. Instead he raised her eyes back to his and decided to get to the core of this misunderstanding. For it was he who wanted this bond to be open, now Trip would have to deal with the consequences of that action.

"I don't understand what you were doing." He restated trying not to sound as accusatory.

"You were in need of…" T'Pol started sheepishly wondering how to put her intentions into a proper form. "Your dreams indicated." She started again and found him listening intently to every word.

"I thought you desired my attention." Her final reformatting of the subject made Trip squirm a bit. He knew from their connection exactly what she was doing, but getting her to speak of it was the first step in trying to get this connection right.

"Of course I desired you T'Pol….. but not like that." He watched and saw a very puzzled look come upon her face. Her frustration was evident and finally she moved back further, crossing her arms and legs as she sat up against the uneven rock surface.

"I don't understand." She murmured low and saw the sehlats raise their heads and look in their direction. "Our bond indicated specifically that you desired to be intimate with me… I know of the dream you were having and of the dreams you've had for many months now. I don't understand your not wanting me now that you are awake." Trip could feel her searching their bond again, wondering what had changed to make him deny her like this.

"Humans are very frustrating creatures." She continued tightening the arms across her chest, half in anger and half comforting her uneasy nerves. "Your emotions are clear but your actions and responses are totally different than what you project. I cannot get a good read on them if you are going to constantly change them." Now Trip could clearly hear the anger in her voice that he'd been feeling since his dismissal.

"It's not that I don't want you T'Pol….. Hell I could never not want you….. I mean, it is impossible for me to resist what we have together. I just don't want you like that." Trip wasn't sure but he felt perhaps he'd gotten her to understand.

"Like what?.... You do not wish us to be intimate again?" He knew at that instant he hadn't.

"Hell no…. It's all I ever dream about…." He reached out to touch her and found her unwilling to let go of her chest.

"It's that I want you to be with me because it is what you want…..Not just to fulfill some obligation you have to me because we are bonded. I can sense that now…. I know you were responding to the bond and having sex was not what you really wanted to be doing right now." The human inched his way closer, feeling that some of her anguish was easing. He reached to put his arm about her shoulders again and found no attempt at moving away, however the tightly folded arms didn't move to touch him yet, so he knew there was more convincing to be done.

"T'Pol… Humans love their intimate relations. That is true… and I suppose that a Vulcan mate would have less need for such closeness. I can see what you said about the bond. You knew when I was hurting and responded to it. You knew when I was sad and came to my aid. But T'Pol this isn't a case of needing some gel to stop the burning. If you are going to be with me….you have to want it as well….Not out of obligation or in response to some primal need to keep your mate happy. I want it just because it is what you want to do, in here." Trip pointed to her chest. "Not in here." Then he pointed to her head. The human saw her pondering his words and tried to ease her closer into him. He threw the oversized cloak across her body and tended to her in much the same way she had him earlier.

"You are saying that I should listen to my heart when it comes to matters of intimacy." T'Pol clarified his words to her.

"Exactly…" Trip's face eased, a smile replacing the worried look he had before.

"What if I don't know how to listen to my heart?" The Vulcan's voice was shaky and held a lot of the unsure feelings she had months earlier speaking with her aged self.

"Sure you do…. You've done it before." This statement won Trip a puzzled gaze.

"You listened to it when you refused to marry Koss." He said and smiled back into her deep brown orbs.

"I married Koss…..I don't understand."

"Not then…. I mean right after you came aboard Enterprise. You got the letter forcing you to return home and go through with the wedding, but you didn't." Trip jerked her too him trying to elicit the memory he spoke of.

"It was not logical for his parents to be so insistent over my request for postponement. It was properly placed and should have been respected. I was merely responding to the illogic of their actions by remaining aboard." She seemed totally dispassionate about her answer.

"Sure….. You can go on and tell yourself over and over again that you acted logically, but in fact your actions were more from your heart than from logic. You didn't love the guy and didn't want to be married to him, so you balked."

"You are once more asserting that my subconscious controls my actions. It does not." Her voice was plain, reminding Trip all the more of the stubborn woman he'd come to fall so deeply in love with.

"Look T'Pol…. I know that you were raised with different values and probably understand things differently than humans, but Vulcans do have emotions. Suppress them as they may, some still get out now and then. Maybe that is not such a bad thing." The engineer couldn't recall seeing this determined of a face on his beloved. Her lower lip tensed and her eyes drew into long slits as she glared back at him.

"Hey before you go taking my head off with an endless string of logic, just answer me this. Why don't Vulcans kill people anymore? They have the weapons…. They have just cause sometimes." Trip knew that question would defuse some of her anger.

"Killing is abhorrent to us. It is a deed our ancestors did before the time of awakening." Her head tilted up in superiority knowing her mate could not say the same of his people.

"Yes…. Vulcans learned to control their emotions, but perhaps your aversion to killing is more out of compassion for living things." Trip knew that getting her to ponder over this subject would help T'Pol see what he'd been speaking of.

"It is illogical to knowingly kill. That is all."

"And what happened aboard the Seleya….. was that illogical too?" The human was weaving his own brand of logic for her.

"What happened to the crew of the Seleya was an unfortunate accident. They were suffering a debilitating illness and the most merciful thing for them was to be put to rest. Even so, their deaths resulted from an accidental overload of their containment field. No one knowingly was trying to kill them." T'Pol flashed back to her memories of that ill-fated crew and her time aboard that ship.

"So you feel nothing for what happened to them because it wasn't murder." This comment got a hard unsure look from his mate.

"I regret their ending….. I grieve their loss and hold onto their memory as any Vulcan would."

"But if you didn't have any emotions, you wouldn't give them a second thought, can't you see that. Your compassion is what keeps them in your heart and mind. The regret you feel is for the loss of friends and colleagues to such a dire circumstance. If you didn't have a heart, none of this would bother you." Trip studied her eyes closely hoping to see some recognition there.

"The heart is a simple muscle that acts as a pump. Humans have four chambers, and Vulcans six. It has no other function." This response drew a defeated breath from her mate. He thought hard a moment then decided to draw on an even larger event.

"Then I suppose your taking me after my little friendship with Amanda was logical…..How do you explain that away?" There was definite sarcasm to his words.

"My responding to our bond was what caused that to occur. I was unaware of our bonding, so naturally I assumed I was acting illogically and tried to correct my actions afterward."

(Well, now at least, I know why I got the cold shoulder the next morning.) Trip saw her eyes jut to his at that thought.

"Well all I know is that, that night you wanted me….. not needed to fulfill one of my desires…. You might have acted out of jealousy or even fear of loosing me, but you acted on what you were feeling, unlike tonight." He could sense her seething at his words. "You can get as mad as you want at me but I am gonna speak the truth. You wanted me bad that night. Everything points to it."

"What are you speaking about? I had no choice but to succumb to…" She was cut off by his laughter. T'Pol glared at him again which made him laugh all the more.

"You had no choice huh….. Then why when every other time we performed neuro-pressure you were in your jammies, this time you were in your robe. On top of that, you had nothing on under that robe…. What, were you planning on teaching me a new posture that required nudity? Your actions, even turning my words around were an elaborate game to get me to admit my feelings."

"It was you who brought up the subject of Corporal Cole." T'Pol retorted trying to deny her intent of that evening.

"Yes… because you were treating me like a cheating lover. I broke our exclusivity pack by talking to Miss Cole and you didn't like it. I don't know…maybe you felt threatened by it." Trip eased back and stared down at her.

"The bond does not allow for intruders…. I was merely…." This time she stopped on her own seeing the oversized smirk on his face.

"Why are you bringing this up….. I fail to see how your actions with the Corporal has anything to do with this situation."

"T'Pol… I am trying to get you to see, what you call our bond, maybe humans would call love." Trip's voice softened. "Yes, your version does have significantly more powerful side effects, but basically it functions in the same way and that little voice you hear telling you what I need is merely your heart trying to get you to hold onto this connection of ours." His words held merit and the Vulcan was hard press to argue the point.

"I know when I watched you marry Koss, my heart was screaming at me to wrap you up and steal you away from him, but I loved you too much to cause you any more heart ache than you were already going through. I could hear it in your voice, see it in your eyes. I wanted to die just knowing how hard it was for you." Trip's eyes began to water remembering just how bad the time was for both. He felt the soft hand of his mate coming up to wipe away those tears from his cheeks.

"That pain, T'Pol……. That was your heart, whether you want to believe it or not….. It knows what is best for you and it is impossible to fight."

The Vulcan thought back to her conversation with her elder self. (Follow your heart.) the words were coming back clearly to her. (You will…..in time…… You will.) Perhaps this was the revelation the older woman spoke of. T'Pol leaned back into his chest and accepted his embrace more readily.

"I'm still not sure how to handle this. For Vulcans it is expected that the needs of your mate be satisfied immediately when possible. If that is not acceptable…" She rubbed her face against the grittiness of his tee. The warmth she felt from him was beginning to sooth her frazzled nerves a bit.

"Sure… when I am injured or hungry… but when it comes to something so personal and intimate, you have to want it too. Perhaps it's because of the bond that I can tell your heart wasn't in it…. Just be sure the next time you sense my desires for you that you respond because it is what you want as well. Not just something to keep me happy." He began to rub up and down the length of her arm through the cloak. Trip could feel her confusion about what he wanted her to do.

"Besides…. If you were to respond to my every need for sex…. We'd never get any work done." He grinned and saw her relaxed version. It was true the human did think of their sexual escapades a lot. Nightly he had torrent dreams about their passionate lovemaking. Many that would have both of them waking in a start, and drenched in sweat. They lay together until the storm ended. It was just about day break when T'Pol fixed them both a bit of breakfast.

Trip fed the sehlats from the oversized container. He threw bits of food at both animals and watched as curiously Kamute took his portion over to K'Lara and gave it to her to feed from.
"Doesn't he like the food?" The engineer asked his mate pointing in the direction of the creatures.

"Kamute is seeing to it that she eats her fill then he will consume all that she leaves for him." T'Pol handed him a bowl of the orange mush. "It is their nature to look out for one another. Their bond dictates this." The Vulcan absently went about eating her meal, but Trip continued to watch this scene in interest. Thinking, he realized that many Earth species had the same characteristics. The male being the hunter/gather and the female staying back, guarding their young and homestead. Perhaps this culture wasn't so different after all. Finally he saw Kamute begin to ingest his food. K'Lara was licking at her paws and brushing them against her face. This made the human laugh, knowing that what he was watching was by no means an average day to an Earthling.

*****
It was well past mid day as the group made its way into the opening of the sanctuary. Its defenses down, the faux rock face was gone and the opening to the tunnels was easily seen from some distance. As they entered, Trip could feel a growing uneasiness in his mate. She was remembering their capture at the hands of the Syrannites. This area was clearly starting to bring back some of the hurt feelings she had experienced. Her mate could sense this. Living these memories for the first time, the human put his arm about her shoulders and tried to reassure her with his closeness that this was a different time.

They forged on, making their way deeper into the ruins. Char marks were to be found at every turn, along with broken columns and deep craterlike holes. Scattered bits of artifacts and clothing rounded out the scenery, as T'Pol picked up an abandoned torch and held it out for Trip to light. The sehlats sniffed a head, letting out intermittent screeches. They too could sense the loss of life and grew uneasy by it. Kamute stopped at a particularly barren spot, sniffing and screeching as though his heart was breaking. As T'Pol came up to him, he sat down and looked sympathetically at the young Vulcan. Trip could sense inside her that T'Pol knew what had been here. He felt his tears well up as he let her go. She knelt before the area, heaving huge breaths from her lungs. No water escaped her eyes, though the human was crying enough for the both of them.

T'Pol reached down and grabbed a bit of the discolored sand from the area. She felt it sift through her fingers and closed her fist to try and hold onto the precious material. In her mind, she relived the last moments of her mother's life where they finally tried to make some peace between them. Trip could see the look on T'Les' face realizing her daughter was safe. As the mother's hand took her child's face, the human sensed a great surge in their connection.

"I've always been so proud of you…..my T'Pol." Broke the human's heart as he watched the life slip away from the woman he'd come to admire so. The bent form of his mate cradling the woman's body to her, fighting unsuccessfully to keep the tears from falling, made Trip's crying even greater. A combination of loss, both from Elizabeth and now T'Pol's was working at the young man's mind. He handled it the only way he could. Trip allowed himself to experience both their grief freeing T'Pol to do what ever it was she had come to. He closed his eyes and concentrated on her essence inside their bond. Intermittently he sent reassuring messages of love and support to her, hoping his human condition wouldn't hinder his effort. Moving to a cross leg sit, T'Pol took the place where her mother lay dying. The sehlats took up positions on either side, as if standing watch for the one they had been entrusted with.

As T'Pol passed into a meditative state, Trip could feel her turmoil over reliving the event. As much as she protested to the contrary, her mother's death ate at her like battery acid, slowly devouring her resolve and leaving a gaping hole where her heart once was. He could feel her mind attempting to contact something, no someone and he concentrated harder to get a better view of what she was up to. It wasn't until T'Pol's essence disappeared from his mind totally, did Trip begin to worry. Normally when she blocked him, the human could feel her presence just behind the barrier, but this time was different. She was no longer there, not even in the periphery. He opened his eyes and searched the torchlight for clues. There were none. The creatures still sat at their appointed positions and in the middle, was T'Pol still in cross leg position, however her breathing was almost non-existent. At first Trip pondered trying to rouse her, but then thought better of it. This was something his mate had to do, and he would have to have faith that T'Pol knew what she was getting into. Instead Trip sat down beside the Vulcan and kept a close eye on her physical form, not allowing too much time to lapse in this lessened state.

Far away, in a restored version of the ruins, T'Pol found herself standing in the soft glow of candle light. There was a figure behind her, she could sense it, but hesitated turning around to view who it was. It wasn't until she heard her mother's soft voice did she want to view the presence.

"My T'Pol" Her mother started, standing just a half room's distance from the younger female.

"Mother?" T'Pol was slightly puzzled by her presence there. When her father died, it was her mother who had to perform this rite. This experience T'Les never shared with her daughter, so T'Pol's confusion was understandable.

"Is this real?" The science officer in her gave way to the desire of a lost child.

"It is a crossing….our katras meet like this to share one consciousness." T'Les took a step forward, stopping before a stone table between them.

"I've missed you…." T'Pol's inner child was coming out.

"And I've missed you…" This time it was T'Pol who stepped forward leaning into the table to gain the most distance.

"Why didn't you tell me you were in danger?" The young child asked wanting so much to redo the past and save her mother.

"Because saving me would have killed you too. It was my destiny to die as I did, protecting you." T'Les felt the tears start to flow down her child's face and wiped at them with a practiced finger. T'Pol grasped onto the hand that touched her skin and brought it to her lips.

"Just as it was your destiny to help bring logic back to our people. They were without it for so long. Only you saw the truth, even if you weren't ready to accept it." T'Pol looked up at her mother who had the most peaceful feel about her. Her mind no longer in turmoil, it was the first time she didn't fear for her child's future.

"I only went with them….. I didn't do anything else." T'Pol tried to be correct in her reliving of the events.

"You led the search teams away from your captain and T'Pau long enough to let them get the KirShara to the high command." T'Pol looked questioningly at her mother's words. She was long dead before that occurred, how could she possibly know?

"But mother…. I was alone when I did that… How?"

"You were never alone… I was with you then much as I am with you now. I know of your bravery and your logic. You saved our people from the threat of those who would fight beneath the raptors wings again. You saved us from our own short sightedness by exposing their hypocrisy at P'Jem." She reached out and took her child's face in hand again mesmerized by the young woman she found in place of the child.

"You even sensed something was not right with Koss and his family. Your refusal to bond with him had more to do with your instincts than with your feelings for Commander Tucker." T'Pol was surprised to hear her mother speak of the human. Given their conversation, she thought that T'Les was happy for her daughter's decision to marry in Vulcan fashion, even knowing the science officer cared for another.

"But you said that my marrying a Human would …" She started too choked up to speak.

"I know my initial assessment of the Commander was harsh. He is a man of good character and I suspect you two were bonded long before you came home, although I wasn't sure of this at the time."

"Then why didn't you speak up…..Mother, if you had no intention of returning to the academy, why put me through the ordeal of a false marriage?" T'Pol was feeling a bit hurt by her mother's admission.

"Because they were targeting me. I didn't want them to target you as well. If you had disagreed they could have falsified charges against you, preventing you from returning to Enterprise. They may even have had your human friend go through the Ka-li-fee first, to rid them of both of you. You were being watched from the moment you arrived on Vulcan by Administrator V'Los. I couldn't allow them to get to you. You had to be able to return to your ship free of suspicion. It was clear all V'Los wanted was our family's power with our people. Once obtained, they cared little if you stayed or left, so long as you returned to give them a proper offspring at the appointed time." T'Les walked around the length of the table stopping just in front of her child's slender body. She took it into her arms and held it like she had all those many years before when T'Pol was only a toddler.

"I knew you were too smart to allow this to continue. You remind me so much of your father. He was brilliant at solving these types of problems. He is so proud of all you've accomplished." T'Pol eased into her mother's form and enjoyed the closeness she'd longed for, for decades. It was hard being Vulcan and not being allowed the simple closeness of a mother and child after a preset age. It was expected, so the young woman hadn't given it much thought, but since her bond with the human, all T'Pol could do now was desire to be close to those she cared for.

T'Les allowed this time, knowing it would be the last time she and her child could bond in this way. Tomorrow would begin her daughter's life without her, standing on her own two feet alone against all that she will have to face. But for now, they were together and it was all either of them wanted. As the time grew near that T'Pol needed to break the bond or suffer its ill affects, T'Les removed the child from her embrace.

"It is time……my' all (my little one). You must rejoin the world of the living…. He waits for you there…." Her words were soft and low. A brief kiss the mother placed upon her child's forehead started a whole new round of tears to stream.

"Know that I will always be in your heart, as you are in mine." T'Les eased back and heard her child utter low..

"I love you mother…." Almost loathed to speak these words, the young woman needed to get them out.

"And I you, my sweet daughter…..Long life and happiness….." T'Les inched backward until her form became a blur then a memory. T'Pol was startled awake by a very worried Trip who had by now moved her into his arms and contemplated starting recovery measures. She was pale, the olive hue from her skin almost totally gone. But as her eyes fell upon the figure of her mate holding her, T'Pol realized what her mother said. "He waits for you."

Without speaking, T'Pol reached up a hand to wipe the tears from her beloved's face. He let out the breath he was holding followed by several soft sniffles. "Did you get what you needed?" The human asked lifting her body closer to his. A gentle nod was the answer she gave, as T'Pol wrapped her arms lovingly around his neck. They would camp there, unhindered by the falling temperatures the night brought. After a two day trek back, Trip and T'Pol were once more in the childhood home she had come to love so.

*****

After their long journey, Trip couldn't wait to jump into a cool shower and into a bed that actually wasn't made of rocks. His bones hurt, his neck ached, but somehow the sense of satisfaction he had from their mission made him deal with the pains more easily. He was dressed in a cotton pair of pajamas that included the shirt this time. After their confusion, the human decided to be a bit more conservative until T'Pol worked out all her intimacy issues. He was reviewing the specs when there came a knock on the guestroom door. It was late and he wondered just what was happening.

Trip opened it to find T'Pol standing there in her silken pink robe. The sehlats flanked her, their head peering into the room just past the young engineer's body. "You okay?" He asked a bit confused by the group that greeted him.

"Fine." T'Pol returned not showing any signs of sadness or any other emotion for that matter.
He watched as she looked long into his eyes trying to convey something he wasn't quite getting. After that attempt failed, the Vulcan simply reached up and started to open the buttons on his pajama top.

"What are you doing?" He asked just now catching the hint of some kind of animal need coming from her. T'Pol's face stayed at a downward angle, but her eyes shifted up at his, giving her a deliciously wicked appearance. Plainly she replied.

"What I want." Then to the human came exactly what the alien desired, smacking his brain like a migraine but without any of the pain. The urgency he felt coming from her was almost palpable as she turned to finish what she had started. As she undid the last closure, T'Pol raised her hands to the top's collar. She looked up into his face waiting to see if her challenge would be met.

"Well all right then." Trip replied a sly smile replacing the puzzled look he had a moment before. He eased out of the entrance and allowed her passage. As she did so, the top he was wearing, T'Pol pushed off his shoulders and onto the floor. Closing the door, Trip was mesmerized by her need for him. He was in heaven, finally getting what he wanted all along. She wanted him…. Not to please him, but just to be with him. This was the beginning of their new life together. This wonderful state was interrupted by the blatant cry of the sehlats as they tried to push their way into the room.

"Oh no guys…" Trip started a bit frustrated by this interruption. "Out… Two's company, four is just unthinkable."

The sehlats continued their screeching, too massive to get through the small opening and too persistent to give up without a more forceful attempt. It wasn't until T'Pol glared down at them, empathically indicating her disapproval that they relented and went back toward the living area.
Trip stood there amazed by his mate's abilities.

"You're gonna have to show me that trick sometime." He smiled and pulled her close again.

(Kiss me…) came the strong command through their bond, one so powerful even a human could hear it.

"Yes. Ma'am…." Trip took her lips to his. They shared endless hours of passion that night, each taking turns fulfilling the others needs and wanting to do so. T'Pol had never seen her mate so happy and for her part, she had never known contentment as she was experiencing at this moment. Both knew their confusion with the bond was far from over, but for what it was worth, the bond-mates both felt they'd made the right decision in coming here. This was a time in their lives that neither would look upon with anything but the sweetest of memories.

The End
*******************

Epilogue:

Catherine Tucker saw the flashing light on the communications console. She was eager to see what message she had from her wayward son, Trip. The Enterprise returned home over a week ago, but her youngest boy was no where to be found. The Captain was the one to break the news to the elderly lady that her son had stayed behind on Vulcan to do some work on the ship's new equipment. Deep down inside, this smart southern woman knew that her child wasn't just on Vulcan for some old lousy part. It was her… she knew it the moment the captain told her. The woman who had done nothing but break her child's heart over and over again, must have arranged for him to be stranded there with her. Catherine couldn't forget the two weeks of moping the blond haired young man did after his last trip to that god forsaken planet. What was she doing to him now?

As the screen came alive with the young man's face, the elder Tucker female couldn't help but smile. He was so handsome, a true chip off the love of her life's block. His dancing blue eyes and combed back wavy golden locks made the woman's heart melt. She listened intently as her child began to speak.

"Hey Mom… Hey Dad….Just letting you know, we'll be leaving Vulcan tomorrow and should be back at Jupiter station in a couple of days. The Captain tells me our layover has been extended another week, so I hope to make it home for a few days. And I have someone I want you to meet. I'm bringing her home with me…. I know you're gonna just love her like I do."

(It's that Vulcan…T'Pol.) The thought came to her in a hiss. She had once really wanted to meet this woman that had so captivated her son, but after all the heartache the alien caused, this would not be a welcome visitor at all.

"I can't wait for you guys to meet her…She is really something." Trip's message continued, a smile growing on his face with every passing moment. "Well I guess I'll see you' al soon. Bye for now." And the recording closed. A blank screen was left with a single sentence.
'You have no more messages'

"Something really special my great aunt Harriet…. We'll see just how special she really is." Catherine murmured shutting off the comm link and starting to plan out just what her guest would have in store for her visit. Quickly she paged through a phone directory and started to make a call. The face of a young blond girl in her early thirties graced the screen.

"Mrs. Tucker…It is so nice to hear from you again." The woman was lovely, with the face of an angel and the body of a runway model.

"Angelica….. I have some wonderful news. You know my son Trip, I've mentioned a time or two." The elder woman made an exaggerated face to indicate she knew she'd talked incessantly about him.

"Yes…The one who is in star fleet." Angelica smiled, her eyes lighting up at the mention of the commander's name.

"That’s the one… He's coming home for a visit in a week. I was hoping you could get the chance to meet him. What do you say, would you like to come and spend a few days with us?" Catherine's grin was bordering on wicked.

"I'd love too…" The young woman as well had more on her mind than a simple get together.

"Great…. I will call you in a couple of days with the details. Till then take care." With that the ladies exchanged pleasantries and ended their connection. Catherine stood in the center of their new Mississippi home and began making mental plans for this visit.

(Let's just see how this Vulcan can stand up to a really fantastic woman like her.) The elder woman's mind was working overtime when she heard her husband entering the front door. Without a moment's thought, she knew that her little trickery would have to be a secret, at least until all parties had arrived if it was to work.

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

This Epilogue is a little seg-way into a spin off called Competition that I will begin once I get "The Warp 7 Project" up and running. Hope it wets your appetite……T


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A whole mess of folks have made comments

Oh shit! Why didn't someone do something like that *before* T'Pol got her head out of her ass?

LOL you are evil!

One request? Please don't make it too easy. *demonic chortle* Like, don't have Trip's mom meet T'pol, see how much he loves her and suddenly have a change of heart. That would be too wimpy. I wanna see some fur fly!

*sits back with maniacal grin and grabs the popcorn*

You can't stop there ! Little devils dancing, but I'm convinced they won't win, won't they ??

Whoa! It's cat fight time. I hope Angelica knows kung fu or something, otherwise it's gonna be a really SHORT fight! Gimme some popcorn, Blackn'blue. : D

Let me just say: Awesome! Though really evil...you, Distracted and John are going to be the reason I fail all my classes this semester, and with an "epilogue" like that. But what a great one! This was a great story and I really liked how you worked out the confusion in their bond. And I have to agree with Balckn'blue, don't make it too easy. Definitely can't wait for your next story both Warp 7 project and Competition. O and pass the popcorn too please!

Uh,oh!

Shpff. Like "Angelica" (if that is her real name...) has a chance! Great stuff, keep it up! :)

I hate to tell you guys, but Angelica isn't the only competition there is. This story is a bit convoluted and before I finish, you won't know who will be ending up with who. (She adds with a wicked little smirk). So hold onto your popcorn everyone, I'm turning in Chapter one of Warp 7 Project today.....T

Oh joy. Oh frabjous day, caloo calay. Keep 'em coming lady!

BTW, my first TnT fic is over half done now. Linda has agreed to beta it for me. Pity her. *sigh* This is harder than it looks ain't it?

Good Luck Black'nblue, the first one is always the hardest. Before too long you'll be cranking them out like a pro. I should know, I was only gonna write one story for a friend and ended up getting a bit carried away. I gotta get back to "Competition". Things are a cook'n and I can't let anything burn too quickly, or so I am told. T.

So what are you planning to do anyway? Answer the debate about Trip and kalifee by making T'Pol meet the woman with pistols at dawn or something?

Oooo...now I really can't wait. Not the only competition huh? Yikes.

Actually, Competition part 1 will be out very soon. It is practically writing itself. So much fun material and so little time to get it out. You will love the twists and turns, and even the way our favorite couple gangs up on some and fight about others. This should be a movie of the week. T.