Competition

Competition

By: TLR

Rated R: adult situations & language.
Summary: This story picks up at the end of A Sweet Goodbye. Trip and T'Pol have made their way back to San Francisco Starfleet headquarters and have been working on the modifications to the Vulcan's tractor-beam specs. After the installation, both the officers got some additional time off to visit Trip's parents in their new Mississippi home. Now they are due to arrive any minute, and Catherine Tucker, Trip's own mother has quite a surprise in store for the alien woman who has stolen her youngest boy's heart. Meanwhile, T'Pol herself, has some surprises for her mate to get past. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Enterprise is the product of UPN and Paramount Pictures.

Date: September 15, 2006

Part 1

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Catherine Tucker moved about the kitchen wiping her hands on the oversize apron she wore. This article covered her chest, with large ruffles that lined each side of her upper body. The color, a soft peach was adorned with flowers in small bunches randomly placed all over its surface, even down the ties. The woman was busy grabbing ingredients from the storage unit and bringing them to the chopping block table in the middle of the room. On the stove, several pots steamed, some covered, others boiling openly at a rapid rate. The aroma flowing through the house would be quite welcoming to her son and this southern woman knew it. She was making all his favorites, right down to the pan fried catfish and pecan pie. However she made these dishes extra special in a way that she knew their alien guest might find distasteful.

Angelica, nicknamed Angie by her request upon the young woman's arrival early that morning, was lending a helpful hand to the woman who was very blatantly trying to set her son up on a blind date. She wore a tee towel tucked into the waist of her tightly contoured pants. Her blouse had a plunging neckline that accentuated her D cup cleavage. It was made of a soft white velour. The neckline was accented with lace, which made a nice contrast against the dark chocolate color of her slacks. The young female watched the older move expertly around the kitchen while she cooked her intriguing concoctions.

"Everything smells wonderful Catherine." Again by request of the older woman, Angie was busy buttering up the mother of the potential husband material that was her son.

"Your Aunt Millie must have raised you on good ole southern cooking, didn't she?" Catherine's accent was pronounced, denoting her own roots.

"Yes Ma'am she did." The younger woman responded as she knew this one would want her too.

"Well that's the way it should be…. I bet your momma never had to worry about you going off and doing anything too rash." Mrs. Charles Tucker Jr. mumbled under her breath while she stirred a large pot of greens.

"No Ma'am…. After I graduated college, I took a position at the Steiner Institute of Technology, just as I planned on. I can see why your son likes being an engineer. Working with technology is such a fascinating career." This please Catherine's heart no end. Not only was this girl incredibly gorgeous, or that she was raised in Pensacola, moving just a year before the tragedy, she was an impressive engineer in her own right. She was the perfect choice to replace that mismatch her son considered to be his ultimate woman.

Charles, Jr. entered the room watching the two women exchange pleasantries. Admittedly he was surprised when this niece of his wife's friend, showed up on their doorstep this morning, but true to form he was being the charming southern host.

"You get settled in okay?" He asked, the young woman coming up to him as he entered.

"Yes Sir and thank you for letting me come for a visit. I had some business in the area and staying in those hotels is always so creepy." She leaned upward and planted a soft kiss upon his cheek as thanks.

"Our pleasure…. I am just glad you thought to contact us when you did. Our boy is coming home today and I know he would love to talk with someone from the neighborhood again." Charles was being polite, but something inside him didn't like the way this woman oozed all over everyone. He was more like his son, wishing to get to the point of things, without all the subterfuge. To Trip an honest answer was better than a polite one any day, no matter how upset he got from it.

It was getting on 16:30 hours and the transport that was to bring his son home would be arriving any minute now. Just in time to get them settled in and seated to a nice home cooked meal. Catherine requested Angie's help in setting the table, and the two women left the room murmuring something low between them. Charles, Jr. knew this was gonna be an interesting few days a head, that was for sure. He saw a pot starting to over flow and hurried to turn the heat down in time.

A knock on the door caught the Catherine's attention, while she was busy putting out the plates. Instead of dropping everything to answer it, she asked her guest to do the honors. This Angie took great pleasure in, dropping the towel from her waistband onto the table and readjusting her hair and lipstick. As she opened the door, Trip turned from T'Pol who flanked him. He had been reassuring his mate again that her presence would not be a problem in the Tucker home. As his eyes fell upon the woman standing in the door way, the young man became speechless.

"Well hi there." Angie exclaimed with a big old southern hug. "You must be Trip. Your mother has told me so much about you." The blond haired woman leaned back and caught sight of the alien standing just behind him. The look on T'Pol's face was almost as pronounced as the one on Trip's. It was shock, pure shock at the brazen act this female had perpetrated against their bond. A sudden rush of heat ran through the Vulcan like one of Mount Tarhana's frequent eruptions, but she held tightly to her control trying not to give into the desire to rip this woman's head from her body.

"Oh….hello." Angie tried to remember her manners, though the greeting was far from the same as she gave the Human. They both looked at Trip for some answers however the young man was just as perplexed by this train of events as was his mate. Catherine Tucker came trotting up behind Angie and the young woman moved to allow her to pass.

"Oh Trip honey.." She came out and threw her arms around her still speechless younger son. Let me look at you….." She leaned back and began smoothing through her favorite wavy locks. She glanced at T'Pol who to this point had remained silent not wanting to chance what might escape her lips. Instead of addressing the alien, Catherine turned to look at Angie. "I see you have met Angelica….. Millie Camperson's niece. You know that nice lady who let you go fishing in her pond every summer." This still didn't ring any bells with Trip.

"Oh come on now, you know who I am talking about. She used to give out caramel apples at Halloween." This time she saw the slightest hint of recognition. "Well this is her niece Angelica Parker. Isn't she just the most gorgeous thing you've ever seen in your life?" Trip's mom was blatant about fussing over this woman and for her part the blond haired beauty was eating it up.

"Please Mrs. Tucker…. You are embarrassing me." She looked again at the alien then to Trip. "Please call me Angie." The human's mouth was still agape. He was glued to his spot, wondering what the hell had just happened. It wasn't until a mental urging came from T'Pol did he even begin to frame his words again. ( Trip....say something.)

"Nice to meet you…..Angie… This is my very close friend T'Pol." Trip took her arm and eased her between the viper and himself. "T'Pol, this is my mother, Catherine Tucker." He continued trying to keep the surprise out of his voice.

"It is agreeable to make your acquaintance." T'Pol started in her best political fashion. She held out no hand, nor did she try to contact either of the women physically giving her a bit of a stand offish appearance.

"Well it's nice to meet you too, dear." Catherine's voice belied her underlying anger of this woman. T'Pol could feel it coming through loud and clear and for once thought she'd been right about her distrust of staying anywhere on Earth but in a Vulcan compound.

(Your mother is quite upset by my presence. Perhaps I should stay at the Vulcan consulate in London instead. Since I have to go there daily for training, it would be logical for me to simply reside there while you have a visit with your family.) The fact that no one had offered for the duo to enter the home yet was not lost on either of them.

(Hell no…. You are not leaving me alone here with that barracuda….. If you go to the Vulcan compound, I am coming with you.) Trip stared at his mother sensing her negative feelings about T'Pol as strongly as his mate did.

(You will not be alone, your parents will be here with you as well.) T'Pol returned not fettered by the awkward silence that had befallen the group.

(That's what I am afraid of….. I think my mother had a hand in this mysterious visitor and I don't want to give her any chance to play out her scenario. You are staying here or we are both leaving. No other way will do.) It was Charles, Jr. that came up behind his wife and friend and pushed past them to greet his youngest boy. He pulled him into a hug on the porch then turned to address the svelte young Vulcan that stood quietly beside him.

"You must be T'Pol…. I have heard so much about you. I couldn't wait to meet you." He started then pulled her into a rather impromptu hug. "My boy tells me you are a genius, and that he's learned so much from you over the years. It is good to finally make your acquaintance." Charles' smile was that of Trip's, broad, warm and inviting. His blue eyes danced as he spoke so positively about the information he'd been told of the alien. From him, T'Pol could sense nothing but pure acceptance and excitement over the prospect of her staying with them for a visit.

"It is most agreeable to meet you as well. I see where Trip gets his characteristics from. You two appear to be much alike." That was the most this woman had said since she arrived and it ate at Catherine who thought T'Pol was insinuating that her child got nothing from his maternal side. The woman's anger grew at her son's choice of girlfriend and she blatantly looked daggers into the alien.

"Well what are we standing out here for?" Charles, Jr. started and offered a hand to take T'Pol's Starfleet duffle. "May I?" His ways were cordial, a diplomat in his own right, if he'd chosen to be. "Let's get you two settled into your rooms." He pushed past his wife and her guest as Trip eased T'Pol before him. Her mate's touch on her side made some of the uneasy feelings she was having smooth out a bit. After the three had disappeared up the steps, Catherine turned to Angie and just looked at her.

"Isn't much of a looker, if you ask me." The elder woman muttered to her younger choice for daughter-in-law. Angie simply returned her a sly grin and together the both of them went back into the kitchen.

After getting settled, T'Pol and Trip rejoined the family. Charles, Jr. leaned up against a far counter as the two women moved back and forth about the cooking area. Trip came up and began inhaling deeply the aroma of his mother's home cooking.

"Is there anything that I can be of assistance with?" T'Pol offered as was the custom of her people that guests were expected to help prepare a meal.

"No thank you… We have got it all covered." The southern cook didn't even take time to look around at the alien. She simply kept opening pots and stirring their content. Charles noticed the rudeness and added.

"Miss T'Pol… you both must be tired from your journey. Just rest and enjoy the peace and quiet."

Trip came over to see what was being prepared. He saw the pan fried catfish and a smile grew across his face. The thought of his mother's pan fried catfish and pecan pie was what he'd dreamed about so often over the last four years. Although Chef could do a pretty mean imitation, the real thing was always much better. He was lost in that thought then remembered that T'Pol was joining them. He looked at the other pot covers and leaned into his mother to ask.

"What else you got cook'n mom…. You know T'Pol is a vegetarian." His voice was low meant not to alarm his mate but his mom answered him loud and sarcastically.

"Of course I know that she is a vegetarian….. I have got collard greens and red beans and rice on the back burner here." Catherine moved away to get a spice from the cabinet. Meanwhile Trip remembered just how his mother usually prepared those dishes. He opened the lids to find his worst nightmares were about to come true. Catherine came back and slapped at his hands for opening the cookware.

"Mom… you've got ham hocks in the collard greens and sausage in the red beans and rice. T'Pol can't eat that stuff, she'll be sick." Now he didn't care who heard him. It was evident his mother was being blatantly rude. His anger was building and T'Pol didn't want a blow up between them the way she and her mother had.

"It is all right… Vulcans can go for several days without food or water." His mate added this wanting to help, but it just made Trip all the more angry.

"Now there is no need for anyone to go hungry. Mother, I am sure you have something in the storage unit this little lady can eat." Charles, Jr. came up and faced the young alien. "We are truly sorry for the confusion, but not to worry, we will have it fixed in just a few minutes." Trip's dad made a calm down gesture to his son, as he went over to his wife who was now rummaging through the cold storage unit.

"That's right. If nothing else, I can whip her up some scrambled eggs and cheese." Catherine started and was cut off again by her son.

"Mom…. She is a strict vegetarian…."

"Well don't they eat eggs too?…. I have known many vegetarians and they all say they eat eggs." The woman offered up an innocent ignorance for her oversight.

"Not Vulcans…. They can't eat any type of living being. They consider it a kin to cannibalism." Trip marched off stomping around the kitchen while Charles moved his wife out of the door to the storage unit. He searched the shelves for anything that could be made edible, but found even their vegetable bin was hopelessly bare. He pondered a moment horrified that they'd been so crass in neglecting her needs. Suddenly he got an idea.

"I know. I will go out into the garden and pick you a fresh made salad…. Lots of tender baby leaf lettuce, some spinach, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots. How about some fresh melon to go along with it? How does that sound?" Charles felt like he was offering the young woman bargain basement leftovers when in fact she always did like fresh vegetables and fruits to that of status maintained ones.

"Most delicious, but please do not go to any trouble on my behalf, as I stated.." She started and heard the southern gentleman in Charles come out.

"No trouble at all… It will only take me a few minutes. Maybe you'd like to come out and show me which vegetables are too your liking?" The senior Tucker knew that his son had a bone to pick with his mother and now was as good a time as any. T'Pol nodded and took the arm the older male offered. She was led out the back door and deep into the property's back yard. Angie stood innocently waiting to see what else was going to transpire. When she didn't excuse herself, Trip darted a few looks in the young woman's direction that told her two was company, three was a crowd. She excused herself to finish preparing the table for their meal.

"I don't believe this mother…." Trip started coming up to the woman as she went back to stirring her pots. "It's not bad enough that you bring that girl into ambush me, but you have to treat T'Pol like she's the bastard child at a family picnic." He paced back around and awaited his mother's response.

"I have done no such thing. I merely miscalculated her diet. Your father is taking care of that right now and I will go to the store tomorrow and get the things I will need to have something for her to eat during your stay." Catherine looked over her shoulder totally dismissing his anger as being irrational.

"Look mom… I don't know what it is that you are pulling…. But T'Pol is an empath and she can already tell that you are mad with her for who knows what. Now if you can't straighten up and fly right, then I will pack my things and go to the Vulcan embassy and stay there with her for the remainder of my time on Earth, is that what you want?" He leaned into his parent knowing all too well that he'd played the one card she didn't have an answer too.

"Of course not…..I don't know what kind of things she has been filling your head with, but I assure you I have nothing against the Vulcan." Catherine turned and tried to play the wounded mother.

"Her name is T'Pol, mom…. And she didn't tell me anything. Vulcans can sense other people's emotions and because of our connection, I can sense what she does. You hate her, and for what reason, I can't make out. If you can't get over this, then tell me now and I will be glad to take her back to London. She shouldn't have to go through this right now. She just lost her mother, the only family she had and has had a rather tough time of it." This was a fact that Catherine didn't know about. It made sense now that her son would stay behind to try and comfort her. Perhaps the alien hadn't lured him to her world like Catherine initially thought, but it still didn't change all the heartache this woman had caused him over the last year or so.

"I have nothing against her, Trip. I assure you. I will do better at trying to be more sympathetic to her feelings and I will remember not to include any type of animal product in her meals." This promise his mother made garnered her a soft hug. All was forgiven for now, but Trip felt somewhere deep inside that the fireworks were still ahead.

***
After dinner, T'Pol tried once more to offer her assistance with clean up but was refused. Charles had encouraged Angie to come out and see his flower garden, giving Trip and his mom a chance to be alone once more. After suggesting to T'Pol to go out on the porch and use the soothing sunset to meditate by, Trip picked up a dish towel and started drying the cleaned plates his mother was setting into the dish rack. It would be more than a half hour before the Vulcan's meditation was interrupted by the sound of the young blond woman coming out onto the porch.

She saw T'Pol sitting eyes closed and hands lying neatly in her lap upon the south end porch swing, facing the incredible orange of the sunset. This persuaded the human female to take the other swing. The blond stared a long while at the silent alien, making her feel all the more a target of this woman's attention.

"May I be of assistance?" T'Pol countered the woman's rudeness with politeness.

"No… I was just thinking…. You must know Trip rather well to have served aboard his ship with him for so many years." The blond bombshell leaned back laying a folded clothing item in her lap.

"Yes… I do know him well." T'Pol answered keeping her seething feelings at bay as she did with Amanda.

"You are so lucky…. He seems like a perfectly wonderful man to work with…. I suppose he has many admirers aboard your ship?" T'Pol couldn't tell if the woman was fishing, as Trip would call it, or if she was truly being intrusive on their bond.

"I am not familiar with any admirers he has, although he has many friends aboard the Enterprise."

"I can imagine… With those dreamy locks and beautiful blue eyes…. It would be hard pressed for any woman not to be attracted to him…" She started and quickly added. "Present company excepted, of course." To this the temperature of T'Pol's anger went up another notch. It wasn't until she saw the woman unfold and don the item she was carrying, that T'Pol reached near boiling. It was Trip's flight jacket. The woman wrapped it around her and wriggled in the feel of it about her shoulders.

"You have stolen that from the Commander?" T'Pol asked almost oblivious to her own changed demeanor.

"Oh no…. I borrowed it…. Trip's mother said there'd be no problem with my using it. Why? Has he said that he didn't want me to borrow it?" The young woman acted as if she'd made an innocent mistake, and T'Pol backed herself down onto the seat once more.

"I am not aware of any objection."

"Good…. Cause I wouldn't want to make an enemy of him. He is way too cute, don't you think." She began almost oblivious to the raised eye brows and heightened tension in the alien's muscle structure. T'Pol got up and began pacing the porch trying to get her mind in better control.

"He's just dreamy…. And those arms of his…" She started rubbing her hands up and down along the feel of his flight jacket. "I can imagine they'd be so wonderful just holding a girl…" Her eyes closed lost in the daydream she was weaving for herself. The young woman and T'Pol were oblivious to the Vulcan starting to come up behind Angie. The alien's eyes were set, her hands came up to assume the position to perform Talu'shaya and they were just a short half meter from their destination when Trip's voice cut through the house looking for his crewmate. "T'Pol?"

This brought the alien to her senses, and woke Angie up all at the same time. As the blond haired beauty began to straighten up her hair and makeup, T'Pol eased backward realizing for the first time just how close she came to killing the woman. Their bond was working overtime to protect what they had and it was disturbing to the Vulcan how easily she could be drawn into it. Pressing a point on her clothing, T'Pol activated a beeping sound. She pulled out a Vulcan communicator and flipped it open like she was being hailed. As the voice on the other line asked her what the emergency was in Vulcan, T'Pol responded in kind. She closed the communicator up and made a quick statement to Trip who was just now coming out the front door.

"My presence is being requested at the Vulcan embassy in San Diego, I will return shortly." With that a flash of light came and the woman dissolved into a mass of swirling molecules. Trip was speechless, sensing the anger and the panic his mate had been feeling. He saw the schoolgirl grin on the face of the woman who was now wearing his jacket. Frustrated, he returned a mock version and excused himself to go up stairs to get some rest. Instead of sleeping in his room, Trip slipped into the one given to T'Pol and sat up in a chair waiting for her to return. It was late before her body materialized back into that very room.

"Where have you been?" Trip asked the moment she materialized, taking her aback with his urgency.

"I was at the Vulcan consulate. There was an emergency and I had to attend to it." T'Pol came over and sat beside him.

"I know… I saw the emergency, but you didn't have to run away. That was the last thing you should have done. Now she thinks she's got you on the run." Trip leaned in and hugged her close.

"I nearly killed her Trip…. I was about to break her neck for the things she was saying about you. Your call was what stopped me. I couldn't allow myself to harm her so I had to get away to reinforce my control again." T'Pol looked very disturbed by her admission and her mate understood entirely.

"Well next time, take me with you." He thought a moment and decided to ask. "By the way, where did you get that thing?" He pointed to the small communicator like item in her hand. She turned it over to him and allowed him to study it.

"It is an emergency line all Vulcans have. Since my father's murder, all those transplanted to work here have a way of getting out of dangerous situations. They need only press a button and they are transported to the nearest consulate." Trip looked up at her words. He knew her father was dead, but didn't realize he'd been murdered, let alone on Earth.

"Your father was killed here?…. By who…..?" Trip eased her back into his arms feeling her still unsettled emotions of the day.

"Alien factions that had taken to stealing alien artifacts left here in your people's past. These artifacts often double as powerful weapons, and your government asked mine to help rid your world of these dangers. My father was assigned to do just that when the cell he'd infiltrated found out his true mission. He was killed on the spot for his betraying them." T'Pol leaned into his embrace feeling the warmth of his body as a calming balm over her frazzled nerves.

"Oh my god, T'Pol. I didn't know. I am so sorry." Trip's heart just broke for the tragedy that was both her parents' ending.

"It was many years ago. I have learned to come to terms with it. I have not yet learned to come to terms with what just happened though. Perhaps my original idea of going to stay at the London consulate isn't such a bad idea. I will be away from the threat and be able to work on my control."

"No." Trip exclaimed. "We are not splitting up. Especially not because of Malibu Barbie out there." His reference was foreign and the Vulcan turned to him to explain.

"It’s a doll that was quite popular in the 20th and 21st centuries. It was a collector's item that people felt represented perfect female beauty." He made a face at how silly his words sounded, like a doll could ever compare with the beauty he had in his life.

"Outer appearances can often be deceiving. Your people would be better off learning to appreciate what a person has to offer on the inside." T'Pol started her explanation and found her mate all too willing to agree with her.

"You are so right. I found the perfect mate, brains and looks and a soul that is so incredibly beautiful it often makes me weep with joy. Nothing can compare with that." Trip squeezed her, planting soft kisses along the side of her hair. He motioned toward the bed and suggested the two of them get some rest.

"Let's get some sleep. Tomorrow's gonna be a long day." They worked their way out of their clothes, choosing only to sleep in the briefest of under garments. Trip appreciated her form as T'Pol was undressing, feeling quite aroused by all this competition for his attention. He tried to suppress it. Knowing what his mate had been through, sex would be the last thing on her mind. However he was wrong, for as their bodies' met, T'Pol began caressing his softest parts bringing their need out all the more.

"T'Pol…" he stated softly indicating this wasn't the best thing for them to be doing.

"You do not wish to have intimate relations in your mother's home?" She asked very much wanting him as he did her.

"It's not that…. I just think we may be doing this for all the wrong reasons. I mean we would be doing this to spite my mom and her Barbie doll friend." He took another cleansing breath to help steady his amorous feelings.

"Exactly. What better way to have them realize who you are mated too, than to have intimate relations within the confines of their home. Do you not agree?" Trip thought a moment and realized she may be on to something. He allowed his passions to return and took his mate in a very sensual kiss. Their bodies merged igniting each other's with the sweetest of revenge they'd ever felt. It was hours of sweaty passionate sex that had the two lovers up half the night.

****

In the morning when they awoke, Trip and T'Pol felt a whole lot stronger in their resolve. It was early, but T'Pol had to be getting underway for her first day of Vulcan training. This was a requirement of every Vulcan especially those in the Ministry of Security. Although Trip hated the idea, his mate was actually looking forward to it. It would be a chance for the alien to get out some of the pent up frustrations she'd been harboring over the last few years. This made her, tired as she was, ready to get up and go. She wrapped her naked body in the silk pink robe Trip loved so and began to go down the hallway to the shower. It was strange to the alien, having to leave her room to take a shower in shared facilities, but T'Pol had done many strange things since coming aboard the Enterprise, this was by no means that out there.

As she stepped beneath the hot water, she was surprised by the presence of her mate standing right behind her. He was bare, his skin glistening beneath the hot spray. It aroused her again, as she pulled him acceptingly into her arms once more.

"Thought you could use some help with your back", he whispered just before she took his mouth to hers. Her passion reignited, T'Pol began to devour him like a prime piece of produce. Her hands groped, as did his into places that only heightened both their aroused states. Their bodies pressed hard against the naturally cool feel of the tiled surface, turning round and round as each fought for dominance in this sexual dance they were doing. Finally it was T'Pol who felt the pattern of this tile being engraved into her back as her mate hoisted her up against the wall.

He pulled apart her legs and urged them be wrapped about him as he fumbled to find the spot that would make his manhood happy once more. He did so, now grabbing her hips and thrusting them downward upon his shaft. As if a perfect fit, the member dug deep within her walls and made her head throw back and a gasp escape her lips. There was animal passion in those eyes of hers, the ones that bore deep desire into his mind. It fueled his already eager thoughts and made their pumping all the more frantic. Trip kept hold of her small waist using the wall as leverage, he leaned back to get an even deeper penetration. The feel of the smooth cool surface gliding up and down the alien's back made her response to his climax even greater. With a final explosion, the couple eased down onto the base of the shower stall, heaving and gasping with all their might. They lay beneath the spray for several minutes, neither having the lungs to speak a single word. When they finally recovered, Trip helped T'Pol to her feet.

"Well…. That was sure somethin." His smile grew as he took her once more into his arms. T'Pol returned him a knowing look that held just a bit of a smirk behind it. "You sure you want to go train today? We could spend the day simply playing around in some out of the way, deserted place." He thought a moment….."Hell we could even stay here and just say we have a really bad case of jet lag." Trip's smile grew into a wicked grin.

"I must go and train, however we can resume our exercise when I return." T'Pol turned off the water and grabbed the towel she'd brought in with her. Trip hadn't thought to do so, so he went through the linen closet and got himself a smaller version. It didn't cover too much of the basics, so he decided to put his underwear back on before leaving for his room.

Donning her silken robe again, T'Pol collected her bottles and started for the bathroom door. As she looked back, her mate was smoothing through his wet hair with a sparsely bristled brush while balancing his toothbrush in his mouth. The scene reminded her of their days in the expanse, cole-spanner in hand calibrating the injector circuits. All that was missing was the faint blue beam at the end of his toothbrush. When she deemed him properly covered, T'Pol opened the door and exited the steam filled room. In the hallway, she spied Angelica, her robe open and a very short silk nightie peaking out from beneath it. The Human female was checking her hair, messing it a bit to appear as though this is how she truly looked getting up. She licked her lips. Then carrying her towel and toiletries, started to open what would have been Trip's bedroom door. The Vulcan hastened her step to keep the young woman out of her beloved's things.

"Good morning." T'Pol started evenly, passing the woman who's hand was still on the door knob. "If you are looking for the bathroom facilities, they are down that way."

Angie looked a bit flustered, spying the Vulcan, her hair wet and combed neatly into place.

"It is occupied at the moment, but will become vacant shortly." With that T'Pol continued on down the hall and proceeded to her room. Mentally she sent a warning to her mate who was just now climbing back into his underwear.

(Malibu Barbie alert, hallway at coordinates 232.4) Any navigator would know that those coordinates were directly ahead of him. This made Trip start to think. He replaced his skimpy towel over his BVDs and messed up his wet locks. Once sufficiently disheveled he placed his toothbrush back in his mouth. Sporting a large grin, the engineer began humming a very happy and satisfied tune. He opened the door quickly and began down the hall with a little bounce to his step.

"It's all yours." He greeted her removing the toothbrush from his mouth momentarily, his smile growing wider by the moment. The door open, steam was pouring out into the hallway. The light from the room illuminated his biceps which only made the woman drool all the more. Trip quickly entered his room, grabbing up a change of clothes then left again. To his glee, the young woman was still standing puzzled in front of his door. Trip was sure she was wondering about the fact that both he and the Vulcan had come out of the same room. He decided to toy with her some more.

As he tried to inch by her, Trip made a point of saying, "Excuse me" to the blond so she'd have to move. He saw her still confused at the shower situation and was ready to give back a little of what she was dishing up yesterday.

"Oh….you're wondering about the shower?....... Water rationing……… On Enterprise the crew members often have to shower or go through decon together. None of us are too self conscious any more." His grin grew wider as he saw the model's jaw drop and eyes open wide. He continued to torment the young woman.

"Oh and good morning…. I hope you have a good day at your meetings." He then made his way toward T'Pol's room, opening the door without knocking and closing it behind him. After a few moments, he cracked the door to see what had become of the woman. She was still out there, frozen in surprise.

With this Trip closed the door softly and started to crack up. He threw himself onto the partially made bed T'Pol was working on and began burying his head in the pillows to avoid being heard. Finally coming up for air, Trip saw the quizzical look of his mate standing over him.

"You should to have seen her T'Pol. She was so shocked by our coming out of the bathroom together, that she's still just standing there like a statue." Trip was beside himself with glee. Some of that started to show on the corners of the Vulcan's mouth, though she suppressed it admirably.

"Was it necessary for you to lie to her about taking showers together?" the bemusement was not lost on the alien.

"Well we did have too that one time. Remember that persistent strain of bacteria that Phlox had to hose us down for. That technically qualifies as the truth. I just left out the part about us still being in our EV suits." His smile returned brighter than before.

"And as for the water rationing, we did that a lot over the last few days on Vulcan. I mean come on, it is only logical to conserve water on a desert planet." Trip was having too much fun to let her corrections break his mood.

"What if she tells your mother about the incident?" T'Pol brought up a sobering thought, but was shot down instantly by his response.

"What if she does…. My mother started this by inviting that over anxious runway want-to-be here to try and set me up." Trip pulled her too him, knocking her off balance as they fell back onto the bed linen. "They deserve everything they get." And with that he took her mouth to his once more trying to convince his mate of the benefits of properly placed revenge. They rolled about the sheets a while longer till it came time for the Vulcan to get ready to leave.

***

As she came into the kitchen, T'Pol saw the robust figure of Trip's mom standing in front of the cold storage unit. She was searching through the large cabinet looking for what she was gonna prepare this morning for breakfast. Since there was time before she and Trip had to leave, the Vulcan decided to once more try and earn this woman's trust. Announcing herself, she came up to Catherine and asked again if she needed any help.

"Good Morning….." T'Pol wasn't quite sure if calling her by her first name as Trip's father insisted wouldn't simply aggravate her all the more. Instead she held it to that simple greeting. "May I be of any assistance?" Again the Vulcan thought the fewer words the better.

"No… I am just fine…." Catherine didn't wish her a good morning, nor did she pull her head from the ice cabinet. T'Pol raised a brow at how stubborn this woman was about her objection and wondered if that is where her mate inherited it from.

"What can you have to eat?" Came the question, a bit of exasperation held deep within it.

"There is no need to worry about my needs. I will be leaving shortly for my training session and will take both my morning and midday meals at the consulate, but thank you for asking." Catherine's heart jumped thinking finally she'd bullied the alien from her home. (Now Trip could spend time with Angelica like I planned.) That thought came to her mind but was quickly dashed by Trip entering the room and hearing the last part of what T'Pol said.

"Yeah mom, that goes for me too. I will be going to the consulate with T'Pol, so don't worry about fix'n us anything till dinner time." Trip came up to stand just behind his mate. This statement got Catherine's head out of the storage unit as she glared at her son. Trip simply smiled, grabbing an apple from a near by fruit bowl, he turned it over and over again in his hands.

"You mean you are going to stay at this consulate instead of your family home?" You could hear the hurt in her voice, feeling more like she'd been hit with a sac of potatoes. Just then Charles, Jr. entered and patted his son on the back as he passed.

"Good morning all." He turned to face the Vulcan. "I hope you had a good night's sleep young lady, you've got a big day ahead of you." His words were so warm and jovial that T'Pol knew this was where her mate got his southern charm from.

"Yes I did… thank you. And you?" T'Pol had spent enough time around Humans to know they really gave courtesies to get them back in return.

"Like a baby…. That fresh air coming off the water always puts me right to sleep." He came over to his wife who was still wearing the very perturbed looked. He pulled her to him and planted a soft kiss upon her forehead. "Hey there darlin….. What's the long face for?"

"Your son has informed me that instead of staying with us and visiting, he is going to the Vulcan consulate with T'Pol to watch her train." Her words indicated the young man was in hot water. T'Pol started to get him out by offering he stay behind, but remembered her mate's words to her earlier about his desire not to be left there with Malibu Barbie and her madam. Instead she stood quietly and allowed Trip to deal with the problem.

"Hey mom…we are gonna be back tonight. I just want to go and see what this training is all about, that's all. It's not like she does this every year. I also want to go to make sure she doesn't get hurt." He looked sympathetically to his dad for support.

"The boy's right mother… It's just for the day. You can make do without him for a little while, can't you?" Catherine turned back to her cooking, quiet and harboring a lot more anger toward the alien intruder that was wrecking her match making plans. Even her own husband wasn't being any help in the matter and now she was madder than a red hen.

"Hey Dad….I got a great idea…" Trip spoke up a bit amused by his mother's perturbed appearance. "How would you like to come along and watch T'Pol train as well. You've always been interested by this kinda stuff and I am sure T'Pol could work it out to let one more person go." He looked at her and she nodded affirmatively. "Great…. What do you say?" Trip held his breath waiting for his dad's answer. He could see the excitement over the journey laying there in his eyes, but the husband in him knew if he did go, his wife wouldn't let him hear the end of it for months.

"I'd better not… You understand.." He tilted his head in the direction of Trip's mom who had her back to the group trying her best to ignore them. Something inside her knew they were making a comment about her actions, and it goaded her into speaking her mind.

"Oh so now you worry about Catherine. Where were you when your son was using up all his spare time going to strange places instead of being with his family?" She whipped back around and began scrubbing roughly at the counter top at her side as she continued.

"Please don't worry about little old me…. I have enough to keep myself busy… Go with them… I wouldn't dream of keeping you from such an adventure." As she finished, the stubborn in Charles came out and he decided a little taste of medicine was called for.

"All right honey, I will. Thank you for understanding." With that, Charles kissed her again on her hair and left the kitchen to get his sweater. The air inside the house was far hotter than outside, and T'Pol felt she couldn't leave it this way with his mother.

"You are quite welcome to join us. You may find the day very enlightening." For Vulcan's this was an honorable invitation, but to the southern lady, this was an all out call to war. She turned, looking directly at the waiting alien and took a few steps forward.

"Well thank you dear, but I have too much work to do today… maybe some other time." With that she walked past her child and his girlfriend, and exited the kitchen. It would seem there would be no one there to cook for anyway. Trip looked at T'Pol and she to him. They remained in silence a moment, then Trip grabbed a few munchies from the refrigeration unit that he and his dad could substitute for breakfast. By the time they regrouped in the living room, there was a definite hum outside indicating the transport had come to take them to the Vulcan Training Consulate in London, England. They boarded the craft after a few short words in Vulcan between the pilot and T'Pol and off they went. This took place before the heated gaze of one Catherine Elizabeth Tucker staring out of a second floor bedroom window. Angelica came up behind her, having dressed, and was puzzled by the sight of her blind date getting into a transport with his dad.

***

The shuttle occupants arrived at the Vulcan consulate about 45 minutes later. Trip and his dad munched on the items the young man brought, while T'Pol sat in the corner of the vehicle attempting to reach a deep meditative state. As they touched down, Charles gasped at the beauty that was the compound. It was wooded, with large clearings where individuals were holding various competitions and skills training. There were horses that were being ridden hard through courses that were marked by frequent darting targets. These targets were to be taken out by hand held weapons as the rider came along the trail in as little time as possible. From their height above the course Charles could just make out a bit of how truly gifted many of these participants were.

The shuttle touched down outside a large stone castle. One, T'Pol explained which had been donated to the Vulcan Ministry of Security by a wealthy land owner. The elder Tucker was truly awed by the sight of it. He knew instantly that his day was going to be filled with surprises. The group disembarked the shuttle after it touch down and made their way to the entrance. Once in side it was only a matter of minutes the Humans had to wait before T'Pol got them clearance to observe her training sessions. In the hallways, you could hear the sounds of battle being fought, clanking metal and crashing wood hitting at each other with the occasional grunt or angered sound of force. Walking toward the control room, the group encountered many such pairs warring it out freely through the halls oblivious to the passers-by that would watch them battle. The fighting was intense, but seemed controlled in its own way. Both Tucker males thought this a wonderful change from their old favorite 'Saturday afternoon wrestling'.

As Trip and Charles followed along behind T'Pol through the corridors of the old castle, they noticed the strange hesitation she made as they rounded the last corner. There about 20 meters away was a human looking guy that stood joking with a couple of other female operatives. They all wore the same black cat suits that T'Pol had changed into moments before. Something about this male made the Vulcan quite uneasy. Even Charles, who was not privy to her thoughts, noticed the way her muscles tensed.

The man, about 6'-3" in height, was muscular with large bulging biceps and short cropped blond hair. When he turned, his piercing blue eyes showed even from this distance. A huge smile graced his face as he caught sight of his old friend and partner.

"Well as I live and breathe." He said leaving the others and heading straight for T'Pol. She winced, tightening her barriers and steeling herself for what was to come.

"If it isn't Miss T'Pol…… How are ya, darling?" The taller male came up and threw an arm about the Vulcan's shoulders. He squeezed into the female a bit, just enough to denote his pleasure at seeing her again. Trip's and Charles' mouths dropped open collectively, as seething feelings started to enter the Human's mind. The protective mate started to come forward, as the arrogant operative stepped back and gave the woman her space again. T'Pol put out a hand to stop Trip from advancing any further. It caught him in the abdomen, as inconspicuously as possible.

"I am well, Honey…..And you?" T'Pol returned, sensing the shocked reaction she got from both her mate and his father.

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

Part 2

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

Wow! What a wonderful continuation of your storyline - it's so electric. What I wouldn't give to have been a fly on the wall in the Tucker kitchen - and your cliffie... I can't believe T'Pol called anyone 'Honey'...and I'm bettin' Trip can't either.

Can't wait for the more - jc

It's a TLR fic-fest! I always love your stories - and I can't wait to hear about 'Honey'! This should be good. And keep the hotness comming - always a great way to start the morning! -K

Wow!!! T'Pol called this guy Honey.......his name must be Honey.

Mean cliff, TLR, and I cannot wait to read the next segment.

Oh SHIT! :D

That's absolutely fantastic , "TLR honey" please hurry.... can't wait.

Hmm, blond hair - check. Muscular - check. Blue eyes - check. Feeling tense when he's around - check. Another 'exploration' that had gone wrong? Trip sure has got something to think about...

Wow, you did little miss home wrecker so well I wanted to strangle her too. But I felt a bit sorry for Cathrine at the end - Trip should have told her how it is with him and T'Pol, maybe should have before they came...but that would have distroyed all the angsty fun. Will Barbi 'get it' and bow out or is she too blond and in need of a very interesting confrontation scene to see that Trip is not up for grabs?

hehehe, enjoying it quite a bit!

And I think his name IS Honey, that would explain why it's capitalized ;)

slick one though, TLR ;)

Barbie almost had an interesting confrontation scene already, but don't worry, T'Pol isn't finished with her yet. And don't feel too sorry for Ms Catherine. She isn't finished making trouble yet. As for Honey, well you just gotta wait for part 2 but it's a real pencil biter, so get your popcorn ready. I hope to have Warp 7 p2 out by weekend and Competition p2 out by Weds. Remember I am back in school and working way too much, so please be kind if I am a bit late. T

I think I remember from English class that if one USES it as a name, it's capitalized. Is that correct?

I have to catch up on this series. I'm a slow reader, but I'll get there eventually. I can't believe how quickly you folks write!

Great part! I'm looking forward to Pt. 2.

Qudo's for me, I left Black'nblue speechless. It is definitely a first. T.

If he's an old boyfriend, you _Have_To_Have_ a fight scene. "old friend and partner" huh?

Ok, then. Partner in *what?* How close of an "old friend"?

So there. Nobody leaves me speechless for long.

You are an evil, evil lady. :)

Black'nblue you seem unwilling to wait for the next chapter, no matter... we favor waiting for the next chapter...(Star Trek Journey to Babel takeoff. :) T.

Hey,TLR!
As we can see you have very productive month! And this is great!

Are you calling me a tellurite? *indignant*

If the snout fits...hee hee hee :) T.

*snort*

Whoa...this is just plain awesome. Honey?...didn't see that one coming. Definitely can't wait for the next part and that has got to be one of the worst cliffs ever. And the wait is definitely going to be painful but ooo so worth it!

HONEY????????

This guy had better be named Honey, cause I got my dander up at just imaginin T'pol Callin somebody other then Trip "honey".

Im really hopin that is name is Honey, an he was guy that Paid T'pol to much unwatned attention in the past. An trip gets to get all protective Bond mate on his ass.

That said Im lovin this story TLR. Espicialy the mornin shower part.

An Catherine, If my Mom tried this on me if I brought a women I loved Home, I probably would speak with her for a year at the least.

As for Barbie, she really has a hard time takin a hint dont she. Pluss she's quite the idiot, pissin off a Bonded Vulcan Female. Barbie is riskin her very life.

Cant wait for the next chappie. :D

OK, hurry up? "Honey"? What is up with that?

OK lady. You have had two days. Where's the next one? Come on. Work? School? Pshaw.

I'm hurrying.... I'm hurrying... Remember, I am writing for two....stories that is. hee hee hee.
Keep your snout on. Don't make me go Vulcan on your butt. T.

"Don't make me go Vulcan on you". Hey, I'm gonna use that one on my husband. I will need to...I just bought a boat. And gosh yes, next installment here is overdue, TLR.

Hey, TLC. First time writing a review, but I thing that you write ... I can't think of the word but I know that every can fill it out. I hope that your next chapter to this story will come soon.

Thanks.

"Honey" better be his name. And I can't wait to see how Barbie gets the boot - that should be fun to "watch"! Great stuff, keep it coming! :)

Holy Cow!

OMG!! I totally agree, his name had better be "Honey" because if it ain't, well then T'Pol,honey, "You got some 'splaining to do!" Lol! :D

Enjoying this one tremendously, TLR! Nice cliffy too. Either this guy's name is honey, or T'Pol is playing the poor sap. No way is T'Pol calling some other guy 'honey' for real. She doesn't even call Trip 'honey'.

Figuring TLR's twisty little mind, 'Honey' is either the guy's name or nickname. Old friend and partner is the part that gets me thinking. She used to work for Ministry of Information, and here this guy isat the training session of Vulcan operatives. Ergo he probably is a Earth operative, maybe even a Section 31 operative.

If they have a shared history together, andshe hasn't mentioned him, Trip is gonna ask why. In TLR's universe, T'Pol never tells Trip ANYTHING that he has a right to know unless and until th eshit hits the fan and she is forced to cough up the information in order to avoid catastorphe, or unless Trip literally pins her to the wall and shakes it out of her. Left to her own devices the T'Pol of TLR's world would never tell Trip anything at all.

Therefore I assume that there is a lot of interesting backstory related to 'Honey' that Trip is going to be righteously pissed about not learning prior to this. Just my best guess.

Whoops! That was me up there. *blush* First time I ever did that.

Blacknblue have you been analyzing me again? Actually, T'Pol never worked for the Ministry of Information. She was supposed to, but decided to resign her commission and go into the expanse with her ship mates. Her previous job was with the Ministry of Security ( The episode 'Seven') Let's not get everyone confused here. Never the less, I just finished part two, putting the Warp 7 part 2 on the back burner to get this one out. I am just sending it to Bucky now, so it should be out soon. Hope you like it. T

*squints his piggish little eyes suspiciously*

Ministry of Security? bah! Obviously you have joined forces with those treacherous Vulcans to throw up a smoke screen of confusion.

BTW, I just submitted my first one to Bucky this morning. Don't hate me if it stinks or if it has been done before. *trembles in furry nervousness*

You obviously don't watch the shows very often. If you don't believe me than see "Seven" again and see if I am not right. After all I am really a Vulcan at heart, or at least I think like one. T.

I believe you. I was just being difficult. Tellurites are supposed to be contrary aren't they?

True and Vulcans are supposed to point out the proof that backs up their logic. :) T

And I turned in competition p2. T

The episode in question was actually "The Seventh" and remains (right behind TATV) my least favorite episode ever because of the character assassination they did to T'Pol (and, in a lesser extent, to Tucker as well.) I absolutely LOATH what they did to her in that episode and, frankly, it's why I stopped watching Enterprise in the second season (as if ANIS wasn't bad enough...)

Interesting analysis, Blackn'blue ... I too assumed that "Honey" was his first name but since T'Pol RARELY calls anyone by their first name or nickname (Trip being an exception and, in one or two episodes, Hoshi as well), it will ... interesting to see how she explains this.

It is woefully obvious that Tweedledum and Tweedledummer both had deep personal issues that need resolving isn't it? If Trip was such a woefully incompetent commander that he couldn't make up his mind on the simplest of decisions, as The Seventh implied, how in heck did he ever get promoted to Commander? Commander is a *high* rank. Not exactly equivalent to platoon leader is it? I mean, Commander is a rank that puts you up there into strategy planning sessions if I am not mistaken. You don't get promoted to that level by being wishy-washy. Or by being too squeamish to shoot an escaping murderer if necessary either.

True how they made Trip look a bit wimpish in that episode, but remember he is a commander not because he wanted to be. Just like Scottie, he can do the job when he is called to do it, but he really does his best in the engine room. There he is a miracle worker.

If you hated what they did to T'Pol in that episode, as I did, painting her as a wimpy agent and an even wimpier science officer, than you will absolutely love part 2 of competition. It is my solution to their wimpy idea of what a Vulcan operative should be like. There is some royal kick ass scenes in this part and even more where that comes from in the next two. I am telling her story the way it should have been told in the first place. She only dumbed down to protect the humans from getting hurt by her badness. Rock on. T.

I always kind of figured that a Vulcan operative would be frightening. Cold bloded and merciless, relentless, not a trace of sympathy for their prey. Straightforward, logical, ruthless, efficiency. That would be the kind of training I would expect a Vulcan security operative to receive. Nothing that would leave one of them in a state of nervous collapse after shooting a perp in self-defense.

TLR: "but remember he is a commander not because he wanted to be."

There's a slight problem with that thinking, especially given that Trip was originally slated to be the First Officer. Since he was going to be the XO, it would be essential for him to be trained to assume command, whether he wanted to or not. Putting someone in the job of the XO who could not do the job is beyond stupid and asinine, it's self-destructive. Aside from The Seventh, however, Trip was generally portrayed as a (frankly) superior commanding officer than Archer ever was. He at least listened to his senior officers instead of shouting at them or ignoring their good advice.

That episode made me absolutely livid in regards to how they portrayed T'Pol. It made less than zero sense for her to go to Archer for assistance, particularly in light of his less than adult-like response to her need for help. It made even less sense for the VHC to send her on this mission if she supposedly failed it in the first place - given her emotional collapse (for what, I never quite figured out), there was no logic in dispatching her after "the one that got away." It was, unfortunately, par for the course with that season, however, wherein they turned the Skeptic T'Pol into Polly the Cheerleader who needed Big!Strong!Archer to Show Her the Way Because She Was Too Weak to Do It Herself, and Trip the Miracle Worker in Comedy!Relief Tucker.

If I wasn't so disgusted by that episode, I'd watch it again and then write the thing the way it SHOULD have been ... but, like TATV & ANIS, I've sworn off EVER watching that tripe again.

Yes guys, but it is all about maintaining control. That fine line the separates them from their ancestors. They need to be able to kick ass and then find a logical reason not to kill. If for some reason she questioned her control in the action of killing her prisoner, then I can see her having a problem with that. Who knows, maybe T'Pol was so good at what she did, to that point she hadn't had to kill anyone, just render them unconscious. Maybe she had to look at her own ability to kill for the first time close up and she didn't like what it made her feel like. I don't know, but I do know I didn't like her being portrayed as a wimp. I more liked her in Mauraders, where she was kicking the hell out of a Klingon twice her size. That's a good Vulcan operative. T.

But that's not how she was portrayed. She was portrayed as a pathetic weakling who couldn't even pull the trigger while her weapon was on STUN. And let's ignore the fact that, since Vulcan tech is better than human tech, they would have stun settings.

The whole thing was pathetic and more of their absurd A/T'P garbage that was ultimately part of the reason why the show lost so many viewers and was thus cancelled.

honey? whoa okay - can't wait for the update!! :)

LOL

Ironically, I posted a comment on another site and got ripped not long ago by a blood crazed mob who were adamant that it was the TnT relationship that caused ENT to be canceled. :) They were solemnly serious about it too.