Guess We've Got a Lot of Work to Do - Part 6

Guess We Got A Lot Of Work To Do

By: TLR

Rated PG - Mild language
Disclaimer: Enterprise is the property of UPN and Paramount Pictures
Summary: This part picks up as Part 5 was ending. I backed it up a bit because of the amount of time, sorry for the delay, but the last two weeks of school was grueling. By the way, I got 100% for the class…..Flaunt that A….. Anyway, our resident slime ball Edmunds is getting comfortable with his plans on making Lieutenant any way he can. He's got his eyes set on T'Pol to do this, but is finding, wooing the young Vulcan a bit more difficult than your average Human female. However, it is not stopping him, and this is making life difficult for our loveable resident chief engineer. Let's see how out favorite couple puts this piece of trash back into his can……….Enjoy

September 25th, 2005

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Part 6

04:30 AM, T'Pol left her sleeping mate wrapped lovingly in his blankets and headed back to her quarters. She first thought of using the time to meditate, but found herself too keyed up to succumb to its healing benefits. Instead she donned her workout clothes and decided the gym to be desolate this time of morning, a workout would help her achieve a more accepting state. As expected, when she entered the facility, the room was empty and quiet. Going to the far side of the room, she boarded the farthest treadmill and began her workout with a brisk walk. Soon she had cranked it up to a 3 minute mile and was comfortably working off the extra sexual desires that her mate was too exhausted to handle.

Sex the human way was nice, but she longed for more of what made Vulcan sex so much better. T'Pol knew that this bond was new to her Human mate, and didn’t' want to expand on its benefits until she knew him ready to handle it. For this reason she didn't express any other needs, save that which her mate could understand at this time. There would be time later in their relationship to experiment with the many perks to a deeper, more intense intellectual relationship which was common for her species. This however didn't stop her need for such things, and the science officer was hoping this workout would help to release some of that type of pent up sexual tension.

She completed her 15th mile, still at a brisk run, and was now starting to feel the frustrations relax when the door to the gym room opened. It was almost 05:00 and who should walk in but the ensign in question himself. He was dressed in sweat pants, topless with only a towel slung over his shoulders. As he came through the doors, he looked up to find the commander at the far end of the room. Edmunds stopped at a near by bench and took off the towel that was draping his muscled pecks. He laid it over the seat and put up his feet one at a time onto the bench to check his shoe strings. As he did so, the back of his sweats dug into his defined glutes and the waist band eased down to almost expose the top of his crack. This seemed a innocent act, and T'Pol went back to running, this time closing her eyes and relaying on her extraordinary Vulcan senses to keep her on the machine. There were 7 treadmills in the row, so she didn't consider his presence in the room with her as a threat. But when her nostrils detected a strong odor coming from her right, it was then the Vulcan opened her eyes to find him running a long side her on the closest treadmill. He looked over at her and flashed the female a brilliant smile.

At this, T'Pol realized the talk the captain had with this crewman wasn't effective. She slowed her machine to a walk and gradually to off, dismounting before the mat had even came to a stop. T'Pol grabbed the towel from the bars and draped it over her shoulders as she headed for the door. To her surprise, the Ensign decreased his speed and jumped off the machine after her. He reached out to grab her shoulder, only to have the alien wheel around in a defensive stance.

"You wanted something Ensign?" she asked defiant of his own arrogance.

This took the male by surprise and he lowered his hand quickly. "I wanted to apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable yesterday. I realize my actions were inappropriate and I don't wish to disrespect you in that way again. I just wanted you to know that." His words seemed earnest, but something in T'Pol realized this man was not what he seemed to be.

"I am sure the captain addressed you on your touching others when it is not desired?" She started in on his behavior, not his words.

"Yes….I apologize for that too. You're one of the first Vulcan's I've known. I mean worked with….I didn't know about that….I am sorry." Now his words were more like his act, false and deceptive.

"Then why were you about to repeat your error, Ensign? The point of taking correction is learning from your mistakes and not repeating them." T'Pol wasn't backing down on this one.

"I know…… I come from a family that touches a lot. It will take me some time to unlearn that but I will make a better effort in the future." Edmunds was shocked at her lack of appreciation for his consideration.

"Vulcan females are not the only ones that do not appreciate being touched when uninvited. You would do well to learn this with all the female staff aboard Enterprise, or else your unwelcome actions will get you into further discord with the captain." T'Pol seemed almost defiant as she spelled out his misgivings about his own desirability with the female population of Enterprise. "I am sure the Captain asked you to refrain from approaching me…. It would be wise to heed his rules. I have no say in your advancement here, unlike Commander Anders. There is no logic in your trying to pursue me." T'Pol saw his face drop at the mention of his previous commanding officer.

"Really Commander, I had no intention of pursuing you… I simply wanted to get to know you….I mean get to know Vulcans…. I am sorry if I gave you the wrong impression." Edmunds was backpedaling trying to regroup what he was quickly loosing control of.

"There is one thing you should know about Vulcans, Ensign…..We are empaths…. We can tell what someone is truly feeling and know most times when someone is not truthful with us. I am your superior officer, a married Vulcan female and have no intentions of letting your less than truthful ways disrupt the functions of this ship. Please do as the captain ordered and keep your distance, or I will be forced to report such behavior to him again. Do you understand me, Ensign?" T'Pol stepped off the wall she was forced up against and into his oversized ego a bit.

"Understood." He moved back and looked to the ground.

"Good day then" and with that T'Pol exited the room and made her way back to her quarters. Her mind was racing, heated with anger at this male's overt actions towards her. The same rage her mate had felt toward him was coursing through her veins now making her blood burn with thoughts of Edmunds attempts at disrupting their bond. Meditation was pointless at this time, so T'Pol relieved herself in a cool shower, trying to ease her emotions before her mate came too and got a sense of them.

Meanwhile, Edmunds, still licking his wounds from the battle, wondered what the Vulcan female referred to as being married. Ensign Sato stated the Vulcan was divorced, but what if she was wrong in her information. It was clear to him that there was much more going on between the commanders than just a good friendship. But was the engineer's reaction really due to his not being able to let her go, or was it more. This intrigued him all the more, as he remounted the treadmill and started his run. A soft smirk crossed his lips as he realized a new type of leverage he had over the Vulcan, one he could possibly use to get his promotion after all. (She was a married woman most likely having an affair with her friendly neighborhood engineer…. I wonder what the Vulcan High Council would think of that. My promotion is as good as in the bag….Just one phone call to grandpa and well that should be all it takes to get some response out of her.) he thought and increased the speed to a 4 minute mile.

***

That morning in the mess hall, T'Pol sat sipping her plomeek broth from a rounded spoon. When Trip entered, he went to the beverage dispenser, all the while trying to search the room for his beloved Vulcan. Their time together the night before, only made the need to protect his mate worse. Waking this morning without her concerned him all the more. His sense of uneasiness ended the moment Trip spied her in the corner of the room. He got his mug of steaming black coffee and headed directly over to her without even trying to hide the fact.

"Hey…good morning." Trip set his mug down and pulled out the chair beside the science officer. His smile grew as he drew nearer too her. T'Pol simply looked up at him without any change of expression.

"How'd ya sleep?" Trip whispered her way as he brought the steaming coffee to his lips.

"Well….thank you…." T'Pol thought a moment about telling her mate about the unfortunate altercation in the gym with Edmunds, but decided not too, due to the fact that Trip still didn't have control of his emotions regarding the Ensign. "And you?" Her pause caught the attention of her lover who grinned thinking she was just trying to be more Human in her interactions.

"I slept great….." Trip admitted quietly leaning into her space a bit, his smile growing at the admission.

Silence started between them which alerted Trip to her lack of words. "Is there something you want to tell me?" The uneasy feeling returned and now it had more too do with what his mate wasn't saying.

T'Pol looked up at him over the rim of her mug. She tried to block her thoughts even harder from her mate and it was only alerting him more to her evasion.

"No…. I am merely running through the calculations for the weapons upgrades Lt Reed and I will be doing today." Although trying to remain even, the uneasy feelings she was having began getting through and T'Pol could tell her mate was becoming more in tune with her own feelings. It would take a greater effort for her to block her earlier meeting with the debonair Ensign from him.

T'Pol grew uneasy herself, knowing that keeping her mind blocked off from her mate would only heighten suspicion and jealousy, at least in Vulcans anyway. Humans being so much more driven by their emotions, the young female could only speculate, would mean greater reaction. Just as she began to phrase her response to explain further, the quiet he sensed through their bond, a tall dark handsome crewman walked by.

Like a compass, Trip's head spun abruptly in the opposite direction to catch Edmunds walking past with his tray of food. The tall Ensign nodded to his boss sheepishly and continued past. This enraged the Chief Engineer, knowing full well the man's true intentions. But what bothered him more was the sudden feeling of tension he got through their bond. Trip could understand T'Pol's objections to the Human's unwanted advances, but this tension was different, exaggerated and almost a panic that didn't seem to fit the situation. He turned back and looked at his beloved once more.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" He asked gingerly, trying to keep his angered feelings for Edmunds out of his talk with T'Pol. Thinking it over a second, the Vulcan decided to come clean.

"I ran into Ensign Edmunds in the gym this morning after leaving your quarters."

"YOU WHAT….!" Trip started then saw the warning glare her mate was shooting him. He leaned in further and brought his voice to a whisper. "What did he say to you?"

"Very little….I was working out and he came in to do the same. When he got on a piece of equipment next to me, I decided to leave. He stopped me to apologize and I informed him he was to heed the Captain's orders and keep his distance." T'Pol held the cup to her lips with both hands, hiding behind it as she always does when uncomfortable about something.

"Then what?" Trip wasn't sure but felt this wasn’t' the whole story.

"Nothing…I simply left the area and returned to my quarters." The Vulcan placed her half empty cup back on the surface of the table.

"What the hell was he doing in the gym that early?" Trip felt frustration wanting to address the guy but knowing he couldn't.

"Perhaps it is his habit to work out before his shift. Routine exercise is required as part of ship duties. It decreases muscle deterioration from the effects of artificial gravity in space flight." T'Pol was in a more comfortable mode, diverting the true gist of the conversation to scientific facts and figures. She saw the sarcastic smirk on Trip's face and halted her explanation.

"I know everyone's gotta workout, but not many workout before their shift. Humans like their sleep."

"Apparently Ensign Edmunds prefers to exercise first." T'Pol returned him her own sarcastic look, though much more subtle.

Trip still not satisfied sat back in his chair. This time it was his turn to hide behind his mug. "I'm glad you're working with Malcolm today in the armory. The further you are from that guy the better I'll feel." The Chief Engineer looked around the room at the food line. He saw the male in question seated with Hoshi and two other female crewmembers at a corner table. "I suddenly lost my appetite." He said still hugging his coffee cup.

"If you'd like, I can get you some food." T'Pol offered knowing in truth he'd woken up with a healthy appetite this morning.

"Nah…" He replied sulking over his negative feelings. The two sat together a while longer, then got up to leave one at a time, T'Pol first. It seemed ridiculous but Trip was at least gonna make sure this guy didn't have another shot at her, not today anyway.

***

In Engineering, the day crew had started their assigned duties. When Edmunds looked at the roster, he noticed his assignment to the Jeffries tubes. Mentally he cursed his boss, knowing he'd be paying for his initial miscalculation for quite a while. But now he understood what was really going on and his new attack strategies. He gathered the equipment he'd need to finish his check of the tubes and headed off to do his assigned duties. Edmunds hadn't seen Commander Tucker since his brief encounter with him and the first officer in the mess hall. He pondered just where Engineering's wonder boy was. Most likely with his little Vulcan play thing.

Meanwhile in the armory, Malcolm, Trip and T'Pol all reviewed the planned changes to the weaponry. Lt. Reed was the only one of the group who hadn't seen the final changes that the two commanders came up with the night before. He was impressed at the revisions to the original specifications. The group milled over the numbers for about 45 minutes, checking and double checking yield, carrying capacity and trajectory variables that could pose a problem to the changes. Around them, the other members of tactical cleaned the areas of extra equipment and set up the test phase cannon that was to be modified.

They hustled the needed equipment back and forth, storing the extra torpedoes in safe mode deep in the bunkers of the hull. Everyone here knew the potential danger they took with these modifications and were taking no chances. Everything was to be by the book. Just the way Lt Reed liked it and how he ran his armory department. When the three were satisfied that all precautions were in place, they set about dismantling the cannon. Once apart, Trip handed the different components to each of them and watched as the initial modifications were started. He received a call from Engineering and had to leave to take care of another problem, a fact that made him quite unhappy.

***

"Well, the last of those blasted Jeffries tubes has been cleaned and checked. God I feel so grimy." Edmunds came out from the crawl space wiping his hands on an oil rag. He walked up to Lt. Holiwell, Trip's second in command in Engineering. Holiwell was a slender strawberry blond with freckles and a very contagious smile. She was short, only 5ft 4 inches but was smart as a whip, that was primarily the reason Trip promoted her into the spot left open by Lt Kelby's leaving to head Columbia's engineering department. She too hadn't been lost on the charms of Edmunds, always breaking into a school girl smile when ever he was around.

"Yeah that's some pretty disgusting work. You draw the short straw or something?" She let escape a short giggle in her nervous attempt at making small talk with the debonair young man.

"Must have." Edmunds flashed her, his own brand of ice breaker smiles. "What else you got for me?" Now, to that, he added his patented trick of leaning up against the wall beside her.

"Well….You could help Ensign Green with recalibrating the aft sensor array." The young woman was interrupted by the com, a message from Reed in the armory.

"Lt is Commander Tucker there?" Malcolm asked over the speaker.

"No Sir…..He's tending to some repairs on D deck. Can I be of assistance?" Lt Holiwell was now back to being very professional.

"Well, we could use some assistance fixing the targeting array, it's acting up again and we've got our hands full." Malcolm seemed very annoyed at this particular piece of equipment.

"No problem Sir, I'll send someone right away." The Lt clicked off the comm and turned to find Ensign Edmunds standing right behind her eager to volunteer.

"My first posting aboard Columbia was tactical….I have a really good trick with those pesky targeting sensors, may I?" He held his breath hoping to get out and away from engineering before Commander Tucker returned.

"Sure……I guess so…. Get what you need and get going. I'll help Green with the aft sensors." Edmunds moved quickly to the equipment locker and gathered several items. Before another minute could pass, he was out the door and half way down the hallway toward the turbo lift. Edmunds entered the lift and disappeared from sight as Lt Holiwell began to question her decision, knowing well that Commander Tucker was very concerned about this particular male's where-abouts.

***

T'Pol crouched beneath the length of the cannon adjusting the circuitry that dangled from the lower aspect of the weapon. She used the colespanner, lighting up each relay and watching as it reacted along the length of the circuit. To everyone else in the room, the Vulcan was merely a pair of feet behind the large rounded object. Her view of the door was blocked and it seemed to help her concentrate more on her work. It wasn't until she heard the familiar sound of an unwanted male, did the science officer's work become disrupted.

The door swooshed open to reveal a very tall dark haired Ensign Edmunds, holding several pieces of equipment in his arms. He walked directly up to Lt Reed and reported in as the repair person sent by Engineering to take care of the targeting sensor glitch. The motion of the two about the room drew the Vulcan's eyes from her work momentarily. As Malcolm led Edmunds over to the machinery in question, T'Pol found herself moving her feet to get them even more out of sight. There was a feeling of panic that permeated her being. She fought to block those feelings from her mate, now half a ship away, walking into Engineering.

Through the doors of the engine room walked a very irritated Commander Tucker. He just spent the last 45 minutes fixing a failing plasma conduit on D deck. The wear of the conduit concerned the young engineer, since his team was suppose to keep all the conduits on the ship in tip top shape. This one slipping through their surveillance made him worry what else was getting through their efforts. He came up to his next in command and asked for an update on the current state of repairs to the warp drive.

"Commander…." The eager young woman handed him a systems update on a palm pad. "We've finished the repairs to impulse and will be ready to test the warp engines in 10 hours." Her summary of the information she handed him, only reinforced the reason Trip promoted her into this current position. He reviewed the numbers a moment longer, feeling his uneasiness growing little by little.

"How's the work on the Jeffries tubes going?" Trip asked handing the padd back to the young woman.

"Ensign Edmunds has completed that assignment. I checked his work and everything looks good, Sir." Holiwell straightened putting her hands behind her back.

"Good…what has he been assigned to now?" Trip looked about the room trying to spot the menace some young man.

"He's gone to the Armory to make repairs on the targeting sensors. They were having more problems and called for assistance." She continued her explanation and was halted by the southern male's reaction.

"He What?" Trip's outburst resounded against the metal bulkheads. He turned for the door then wheeled around wondering if he was doing as T'Pol had been saying. (The bond is affecting you….. You must learn to control your emotions. You must not react to those angered feelings.) The memory of her words to him last night ran over and over again in his brain.

"But Commander….. Ensign Edmunds' first assignment aboard Columbia was the armory.… And I thought after yesterday's disturbance, the distance between you two would be helpful." Holiwell chased after her boss as he walked round in circles in front of the door to Engineering. Trip was unsure whether to stay put and not chance another confrontation, or go get in between his mate and this male.

"He said he had a way with those systems" The young woman added hoping to help the situation, however it only made up the chief engineer's mind for him.

"Oh he does, does he?" Trip murmured as he marched out of the room. And with that the doors closed on a very confused young woman holding the palm pad Trip thrust back at her.

***

Ensign Edmunds tucked between the two banks of targeting sensors was busy tweaking the disruptive machine. He still was unaware that just 15 feet away was the object of his attentions. T'Pol, however not only knew of his presence, but was fighting overtime the panic that was building. She knew her reaction was illogical, but knowing how his presence would affect her mate and sensing the subterfuge that came from the young male that morning, she felt it was logical to proceed with caution.

The Vulcan's attention was less than 100% on her duties when she heard her mate come bursting into the room. Trip walked directly up to the young Ensign and demanded to know why he wasn't in Engineering tending to his duties.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Trip leaned down to make sure Edmunds knew he was addressing him.

"I was trying to fix the targeting sensors……Lt. Holliwell sent me down here." Edmunds came up to a standing position just before his boss.

"Oh and I suppose it is just a coincidence that Commander T'Pol was working here…. And as I understand, you weren't sent down here, you volunteered…. Almost begged to come down here……I thought I told you to stay in Engineering…" Trip was on a roll and nothing anyone could say was gonna stop him. Malcolm came up to the two and prepared to pull them apart if a physical confrontation ensued like yesterday.

"Is there a problem here?" The Brit interrupted the heated ranting of his good friend.

"No……the Ensign was just leaving." Trip leaned up into the tall male's face.

"Really Commander….. I had no idea Commander T'Pol was here….. I haven't seen her. Perhaps she's left the area." Edmunds tried to defend is actions to the best of his ability, but wasn't making any head way with the angry southern male.

T'Pol sat motionless listening to the commotion. The colespanner continued to run across the circuitry absently. The light beam crossed the circuits, warming them past their tolerance levels. Their delicate filaments started to splinter and break under the heat. T'Pol was still unaware of the changes in the circuitry.

Trip stood now toe to toe with the younger male. His ranting had ceased and now an uncomfortable silence was now between them. It made the suspense of the situation all the more. Suddenly a explosion, followed by the large cannon falling from its holder onto the floor, crashing hard into several large pieces, got the attention of everyone in the room. As the smoke cleared, there lay T'Pol, a trickle of green streamed down from her temple. She was limp, unconscious and her mate was shocked to see the sight of her laying there before him. Trip lunged across the room for her, climbing over cannon parts and pushing aside equipment and tools.

Reaching her, Trip checked over T'Pol's body carefully looking for signs of further damage. Meanwhile, Malcolm went right for the com link, and called Phlox emergently to the area. Having done so, he joined the remaining crewmen about the injured Vulcan.
Trip cradled her limp body close to his. He closed his eyes and tried to feel her through their bond. It was blank and an intolerable aching started down deep in his soul.

***

In sickbay, T'Pol was rushed into the scanner. After the initial scans were performed, Phlox punched in a treatment regiment and started it abruptly. While over in the corner of the room, Trip, Malcolm and a very flustered Ensign Edmunds stood watching the doctor's treatment of the first officer. Beneath the skin, the combination of the break in their bond and the mere presence of the other male, was driving Trip to the brink. He stood there seething, wanting nothing more than to grab the Ensign about the neck and strangle the life from his body. In affect, the fact that the chief engineer hadn't acted upon these feelings to this point showed he was trying with great effort to control his reaction to the bond's demands. He wondered if this was what T'Pol felt when he was showing Corporal Cole attention. If it was, he found a new respect at just what lengths she went to, to maintain control over her emotions and keep from killing the young MACO.

Diverting his mind onto other things seemed to work, but only momentarily. He then realized his bond was still silent and rationally or irrationally, he was blaming the change on the tall man beside him. This only fuelled his reaction, as Trip turned to stare down the younger male once more.

"What the hell were you doing in the armory….I thought I told you to stay in engineering." Trip inched forward with his words, getting right into the face of the ensign and backing him up into a bio bed.

"Actually sir, you told me to finish the Jeffries tubes, not stay in engineering… And I did complete that task,…Sir…." He gulped wanting to demonstrate the fear he was supposed to be feeling, but wasn't. His acting was affective, as Lt Reed started to head in the direction of the altercation.

"Oh stop with this pathetic attempt to be innocent…. The Captain told you to stay away from Commander T'Pol and yet you take every opportunity to be near her. In the mess hall, in the gym…" That statement by the Commander intrigued the young man all the more.

(So they have been talking about me.) He thought wondering what else the two commanders shared between them.

"You knew she wasn't in engineering…. You knew we had been talking about the weapons upgrades….What, did you get a copy of the command duty roster and purposely make yourself available for any chance to get close to her again." Now Trip was shouting and Malcolm was becoming very concerned for the welfare of the younger man. Not that he liked him any, especially since Hoshi had become so enamored with him, but Reed had never seen his friend so enraged and wondered what the hell the ensign could have done to get Trip so wound up.

"Admit it…You purposely tried to get to T'Pol." Trip slipped and used the Commander's first name without benefit of rank. He hoisted the Ensign up by his uniform front and pushed him up against a nearby bulkhead. Reed immediately went to try and dislodge the two men as the Captain entered the room.

"Trip!..." He hollered coming over and tearing his friend's hands from the blue material. Edmunds slid back down and caught himself on his feet shakily. Archer looked him over a moment, making sure there was no injury then dismissed him to quarters, giving him the rest of the day off to rest.

The captain wheeled around to see his chief engineer and best friend watch as the young man left the room. His eyes seared into the tall male's back, while Malcolm held onto his arm to keep Trip from giving chase. It seemed surreal, and Archer wondered just what the hell was going on between the two men.

***

"What the hell is wrong with you?" The Captain paced his ready room about a rather quiet Commander Tucker. The engineer stood there with his head tilted downward trying to come up with an acceptable excuse for his behavior in sick bay. He could find none.

"What on earth made you pin Edmunds up against the bulkhead…..He didn't even know T'Pol was in the Armory." Archer came up to stand just in front of his friend and looked him squarely in the eyes. "What were you thinking?" The captain noticed his best friend didn't have much to say on his own behalf.

"Well?" Archer's pacing resumed. "Tell me why I shouldn't put you in the brig and keep you there until your court martial." He hit his fist on the side of his desk as he passed by.

"Cap'n." Trip started in a very low tone, still looking at the floor.

"Yes….." Jon replied more than interested in what the young man had to say for himself. When Trip wasn't forth coming with anything further, Archer started up again with his reaming. "Trip…. Edmunds has every right to push to have you court martialed. Add to that, that he is the grandson of a prominent Starfleet admiral and I think your ass is in pretty deep shit. You gotta tell me something I can use to help you." The older male grew more upset as he watched his friend remaining silent.

"Trip….this isn't like you…..I mean…I know that Edmunds is a snake… he's annoying and I don't trust him either, but he didn't deserve such a reaction and I am gonna have a hard time defending your actions, especially if he gets his grandfather involved….. You are a commander in Starfleet… you don't go around picking fights with anyone getting too close to your girlfriend….this isn't high school." The Captain's words struck a cord in the young engineer and the guilt of not coming clean with his best friend was beginning to show on his face. He still remained silent though, which clued in Archer that there was much more going on here. Desperate, he continued.

"I get the impression there is something you're not telling me……" Jon led in with that statement letting his friend know he was onto his omission. Still, there was nothing but guilt and some soft shuffling from the blond haired male. Archer grew more frustrated.

"Then I guess I have no other choice. I can't follow the rules for the rest and break them for one person, even if he is my best friend." The captain headed past Trip, who was squirming even harder, and went to the door where two security guards waited just out side. They had escorted Mr. Tucker to the Captain's ready room and had been guarding him ever since he was pulled off Ensign Edmunds in sickbay. Now they would be his escort back to the brig to await court martial proceedings. As his finger reached for the button, a soft admission came from the young man's lips.

"It's the bond." Trip exhaled the answer, his shoulders and head drooping all the more with his betrayal.

"The what?" Archer turned suddenly and went back to stand just before him.

"A bond, Cap'n…….between me and T'Pol. It's affecting me rather strongly and I can't seem to get it under control……Although she's been trying to help me do just that." Trip shuffled a bit more side to side, still staring at his shoes.

"You mean, T'Pol is controlling you in some way?" Archer suddenly felt the memories of the Orion Slave girls coming back into his brain.

"No Sir….not really…..The bond has ways to protect itself from outside invaders….. I guess is sees Edmunds as a threat and it's working overtime to keep him away." Finally Trip's eyes came up to meet the captain's.

"Is this some kind of alien…..?" Archer wasn't quite sure what to call it, but envisioned some kind of mind control.

"No Sir." Trip could sense what his friend was thinking and put his fears to rest quickly.
"It's nothing bad….in fact it's quite normal for Vulcans….It's how they form close ties to their mates."

"Mates?" The word came out as disgusted as it had from Trip's mouth when T'Pol said it.

"Yeah, I know Cap'n. I don't like that word either, but it is essentially correct." Trip's hands finally became unclasped and moved up in front of him to help illustrate his point.

"You see Cap'n, T'Pol and I have gotten really close over the last few years…..This closeness developed into a deep friendship that led to this bond…We couldn't help it. Hell we didn't even know it existed until I left for Columbia……" Trip took a long pause trying to find the words to explain what happened between him and his beloved.

"Hell Cap'n….It's partly your fault this came about." Trip broke out in frustration.

"My Fault!" Now Jon was really astonished

"Yeah Cap'n, If you hadn't given T'Pol the order to fraternize this may not have happened."

"I suggested she fraternize a little, to get to know the crew, to make some friends, not have her start dating one of them?" Archer spun around still astonished that this upheaval would be blamed on him now.

"Yeah but Cap'n…Vulcans don't make friends, not outside their bond mates or families. They stay apart so as not to have anything get in the way of their bonding to their chosen mates…..After a bond is formed then they continue this practice so as not to cause disharmony within the bond. Vulcans know this about their interactions and respect the practice. They don't get too close, so as not to disturb the bond between anyone and their mate. Humans don't understand….We make friends, share secrets,….." Trip faltered trying to get his friend to understand.

"We get too close Cap'n….That's what happened between me and T'Pol…..We got too close over the last few years and a bond formed…One we didn't know existed until the Orion women came aboard."

"Surely you two had to have known this was happening." Archer sat down in his chair still too astonished by the event to believe his friend's admissions.

"How could we…..I didn't know anything about this bond thing…..I just knew that T'Pol was a good friend…..I never dreamed I had a chance with her, so I settled on being just a good friend." Trip retreated to the chair beside the desk.

"Surely T'Pol knew of this." Jon leaned into his friend, resting his arms on the hard metal surface.

"She knew of the bonding process, but didn't think it possible with a Human. She rationalized the feelings she was experiencing as just a result of the alter space of the expanse. She fought her feelings for a long time, but when we started showing up in each other's heads, she began to realize what was happening. She tried to talk to me about it just before I transferred but I was too stubborn to listen."

"Showing up in each other's heads?" Archer leaned back and tried to absorb the information but was still too shocked to comprehend it fully.

"Yeah…This bond allows us to share feelings, thoughts, dreams….I even know if she's hungry or in pain…..We are totally linked and it just keeps getting stronger as time passes." Trip searched the room as if looking for a way to get his friend to understand.

"You remember in sickbay, two days after the Orion women left the ship…. T'Pol made that joke and you called her on it, saying that if you didn't know better you'd swear she was picking up some of my bad habits." Trip waited for recognition from his friend and found it in a nod.

"Well, I was thinking about the Orion women and their attributes, just making a wise crack in my head when T'Pol must have picked up on it and just blurted it out. We really didn't have a good control on it yet and sometimes thoughts would end up blurred as to who's they were. That's why I started laughing so hard Cap'n, cause you couldn't have been more correct in your observation." Again he chuckled at the memory of the event.

"So you and T'Pol share thoughts…. How does this have anything to do with your attacks on Edmunds…..Is she thinking of attacking him and you are simply acting it out?" Archer was trying to put the two subjects together.

"No Cap'n…. T'Pol isn't thinking of attacking him, but his presence does make her uneasy. Vulcan's are empaths, and can tell when someone is being less than honest with them. She knows of his deception. His attentions toward her are unsettling. This simply translates to me….. The bond is all about contentment Cap'n…. it alerts the other person to take action to help bring about contentment with in both the bond mates again." Trip looked for a better way to explain.

"For example if I missed lunch and was hungry, T'Pol would feel that and it would compel her to bring me something to eat so that the hunger would stop. If she didn't act upon it, the hunger would only multiply within her until she did. The same can be said for any need that would cause disharmony within the bond….being tired, nervous, pain, sadness, the bond takes care of everything by keeping each person aware of what the other needs."

"Everything?" Archer was astounded by this new revelation.

"Everything…. And it even has a built in defense mechanism against intruders that would try and break up the bond between two mates. That's what's happening here…. Edmunds is making advances toward T'Pol and the bond is going into overdrive trying to put a stop to it."

"Is there anything you can do to stop it….Perhaps Phlox could…?" Archer started but was stopped by Trip's hand coming up from his lap.

"No Cap'n….. I simply have to learn to control it…. Anything that tries to dampen or sever the bond could kill T'Pol. When Vulcans mate…they mate for life." Trip seemed a bit disgusted by that thought and for a moment Jon was feeling great sympathy for his friend. But the young man was really more concerned for his mate and the possibility of her life ending prematurely if anything was to happen to him.

Archer looked down at the floor, studying the cracks and trying to come up with a way to use this information without revealing the fact that his two commanding officers were lovers. His frustration level was building, and he tried hard not to let it show.
"Trip….is there any proof you can provide that would help me keep you from going to court martial….Anything medically that would prove you weren't responsible for your actions?"

"Cap'n…. I can't let this come out…." Trip now looked to his friend with great earnest.

"Why, Starfleet would understand…..It wasn't your fault." Archer tried to reassure him.

"No Cap'n…. Starfleet may understand, but the Vulcan High Council won't… They could make it so that T'Pol could never come home again. I can't do that too her…..Not even to save my own skin."

"Yeah, but how about saving her life….You said the symptoms grew worse when you transferred to Columbia…. How bad do you think they will be with you sitting in a Starfleet prison on Jupiter station. Do you think T'Pol will be able to function with you locked up somewhere thousands of light years away?" Finally Jon was getting the gist of the subject and Trip realized he hadn't thought of that point.

"There has to be some way to prove you weren't in your right mind…..that you were being affected by something that made you act that way toward the Ensign. Something we can pin on other causes…." Now Jon was desperate to keep the two star crossed lovers together. "Come on…." The Cap'n snatched his friend from the chair by the arm and dragged him toward the door.

"Where we going Cap'n?" Trip asked stumbling behind him.

"Sickbay.." With that the doors opened and the two guards stood at attention, allowing them to pass. They took their positions, moving behind the officers as the group made its way to sickbay.

***

The Captain and Trip burst through the doors of sickbay, leaving the two burly guards outside. They walked in together, Archer's hand still holding onto his friend's forearm; but the moment Trip came within range of his mate, he quickly broke loose and went to her. Archer followed watching how strongly this bond was affecting the young man.

"How is she Doc?" He asked never taking his eyes off her face.

"She's resting…..she had a nasty concussion, but seems to be recovering nicely." Phlox looked from the engineer to the captain and back again.

Archer allowed a moment more of this closeness then grabbed Trip up again, pulling him toward the scanner bed. "I want a full scan of Commander Tucker, neurologic especially. I think he has been affected more by the Orion female's presence than we first suspected."

Phlox looked puzzled at the order, since he ran full scans of Mr. Tucker when the women were present to understand why he wasn't affected. "Captain?"

"Just do it Phlox….I think this might be the cause of his unusual behavior as of late." Archer pointed to the scanner and Trip reluctantly climbed aboard.

"Aye Captain.." Phlox started pressing some buttons as the scanner table slid into the large cylindrical tube. The scanner door closed and for a moment Trip felt himself more claustrophobic then ever. Suddenly a faint sense entered his brain and calmed him. It was her, his mate's sweet presence in his mind. She was at rest, calm and at peace which relaxed his feelings into a state of serenity. Trip took several cleansing breaths and with in seconds his thoughts were in harmony with hers.

Outside the scanner, the images began to light up the good doctor's screen. He reviewed the data with a very anxious Captain looking over his shoulder. "Well…..?" Archer asked impatiently after a few moments of silence.

Phlox was too engrossed in the results to even hear the Captain's first attempt. He inched closer to the screen, his eyes wide with amazement.

***

In his quarters on B deck, a very smug Ensign Edmunds sat at his desk awaiting the beep from the console that indicated his call to Earth had been connected. When it came, he quickly hit the button and his view screen came to life with bright yellow and gold hues.

"Hey Grampa! " He stated happily at the male on the viewer before him.

"Hi there yourself Jimmie… How's my only grandson doing…. Getting a long okay aboard Enterprise." The older male, graying, dressed in an Admiral's uniform seemed to be beaming from the fact that his grandson was now aboard the pride of the fleet.

"I'm getting settled in, but there is something gramps I was wondering if you could help me understand. I'm having a bit of trouble with my boss and I was wondering if you could figure out why." Edmunds acted as if he was as innocent as a new born babe and his gramps was eating it up with a spoon.

"What, Archer isn't treating you right?" There was a definite note of disapproval in the older man's voice, one that brought sweet satisfaction to the ensign's ear.

"No sir…he's treating me just fine….It's Commander Tucker…. He and the first officer seem to have a big problem with my work and I was wondering why…can I tell you about it and maybe you can explain it too me?" Again his words were so pure, entrapping the Admiral in his web of deceit.

"Sure thing Jimmy….let me have all the details."

TBC

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Again, sorry about the time in between. I tried to quickly get this one out before my next class started. Hopefully I won't be this long between this and the next installment. Enjoy……

Part 7

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

Great writing, it's all just so real and flows so smoothly. Look forward to more when you have time???...........

Loved this one. Good thing Trip told Archer about what's going on. Looking forward to read more.

Thanks...I'm trying to get this week's paper done early so I can write more over the weekend. Hopefully by this time next week, the next part will be out, but don't hold me too it. This next class is totally about website design in business management. Yikes, now I actually have to do the reading...bummer.....T

No, more! I want more, dangit! You can't just leave us dangling there, that's.. it's... not fair. (*pouts*) Great story, though, can't wait for the next chappie! ;)

Ohh! Does Trip have brain damage or somethin'? I can't wait to find out whats so amazing about his scans.

Dangit! If you don't take care of this scumbag, I'm going to jump into the screen and take care of him myself!

LOL

Good installment. You have interesting ideas of how the bond works. I hope you write more soon! This cliffhanger is killer!

I bet the amazing thing about the scans is that they are in sync with T'pols.

I liked the chapter; Edmunds sounds like a creep. One consistent spelling error: court marshal is incorrect. It's spelled 'court martial'.

^^Thanks for catching that. I've fixed it now I run all the stories through SpellCheck one last time before posting, but I don't always catch everything.

Good part, I hope you'll be able to write more soon.

Thanks again. I hope to get this out soon. I actually just wrote the ending. It hit me this morning and I just had to get it down. I just have to get the middle done and it will be out. And you will absolutely love what I did to Edmunds. Again, just got to get my paper finished first and I get the rest of the story finished, I promise.....T

I'm on pins & needles. Can't wait to see what you've done to Edmunds - he deserves the worst you can think of! Scumbag!

Also loved the way Trip told Archer about the bond. I know what it is to have to get that paper finished; so I'll try to be patient, just barely!

I'm on pins & needles. Can't wait to see what you've done to Edmunds - he deserves the worst you can think of! Scumbag!

Also loved the way Trip told Archer about the bond. I know what it is to have to get that paper finished; so I'll try to be patient, just barely!

Sorry took me awhile to gettin to my comment.

Ok God Poor Polly!!! This story is really showin that not all things about Bonds are that great,, causein her to loose focus cause of Trips confrontation with that ToTaly Jackass Edmunds,,,,, God I cant wait for the scene when she wake's up.,,,,,, Loved how ya had Trip tellin Archer bout the bond,,,,,,,,,An I really wish Edmunds would get blown out an airlock already,,,,, Maybe with Polly accidently pushin the button. :D,,,, Cant wait to see what Phlox Archer come up with to get Trip off,,,,, An not to mention how TnT beat Edmunds from continuin his conivin ways up the ladder fo starfleet.,, Great chappie,,,, Im hopin for some Tender TnT stuff once T'pol wake's up.,,, Please update ASAP. :D

hey tlr when are you goig to come out with your story a fresh start.........., and did you get then 3rd season on enterprise kind of puts a damper on things. Oh well thank god we have great fanfiction writers like you to get us threw the loss

Chapter 7 of this story will be the end of this story. After that "a fresh start" will come out. With school, I can't write two stories at the same time. My classes require I write at least 1 paper a week, do at least 3 teaching power point projects per class, not to mention being online 5 days per week in class, answering practice questions on the reading and my god the amount of reading. Along with working 40 hrs per week, I am surprised I can keep up with what I do story wise, but I will have chapter 7 out by Thurs, it's almost finished now. Hope that helps. T

Actually I lied. Chapter 7 which I turned in today ran long and Chapter 8 will be the last chapter of this story instead. Sorry guys, but I didn't want to hurry through the ending and make it less gratifying. T....