Guess We've Got a Lot of Work to Do - Part 7

Guess We've 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 with the cliffhangers left in part 6. Edmunds is calling in Grampa and Archer is searching furiously to keep his best friend from a court marshal. To top it off, there is real possibility that our two star crossed lovers may face transfers if Starfleet command finds out about their relationship…. Oh No, say it isn't so….. Let pick up the action with our favorite resident scumbag…….Enjoy

November 5th, 2005

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Part 7

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 graying 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."

"Well sir, I got aboard just before the Klingon attack, which was about a week ago. I was learning the system upgrades as best I could, when the attack happened. We took on much damage and Engineering has been quite busy since then just trying to get the warp engines back on line." The dark haired male exaggerated his words to make his grandparent think he'd been working furiously.

"But the more I try to learn about things, the more Commander Tucker gets on my back. He is always yelling at me and ….well…. he's even taken a swing at me once or twice and I don't know how to get him to stop."

"WHAT?" The older man on the view screen was enraged. "What do you mean he's taken a swing at you…. Are you saying he's attacked you?" Edmunds felt a warm sense of happiness as he watched his gramps believe every word.

"Well Sir…. It would appear that Commander Tucker thinks I am making a play for his….ah…..um….friend Commander T'Pol. She is uncomfortable with my presence around her and he's been trying to help her with that….. I mean, them being good friends and all." The ensign was really starting to play act.

"Are you saying that the two commanders are having an affair?" The Admiral asked insistently, trying to break through the innuendos.

"No Sir…..I know the Commander is a married woman…She told me so herself. It's just that Commander Tucker being her friend and all…..When Commander T'Pol had some objection about my being near her, he just sorta lost his temper… That's all." Again the look on the young ensign's face was that of pure innocence.

"What has Captain Archer done about this attack by Commander Tucker? Has he been put in the brig?" The gray haired man was becoming more concerned for his family member.

"OH yes Sir… We both were, right after the fight broke out in Engineering… We both spent several hours in the brig for that one. Captain Archer talked to us both afterward and restricted us to quarters for the rest of the day." Edmunds watched as his grandpa grew more red faced by the moment.

"He put you in the brig for being attacked?" The older male riled.

"Well Sir… I did have to protect myself. In doing so I returned the blows the Commander was giving me, so technically we both struck a fellow officer."

"What kind of ship is Captain Archer running?" The Admiral searched the surface of his desk to find the latest update sheet on the ship's whereabouts. He found the pad he was looking for and studied it a moment. "You're in the Volaris system is that correct?" He asked a very pleased grandson.

"Yes Sir… We hope to get back to Warp 1 sometime tomorrow."

"Just sit tight, Jimmie…. I'll come out there and get things straightened out personally." The older male smiled encouragingly to his younger family member. He leaned over and tapped the button on the intercom system. "Get me the Vulcan Embassy, I want to speak to Ambassador Soval immediately."

Edmunds grandfather didn't see the sly smile that crossed his grandson's lips. The ensign knew how his grandpa would react and knew that it was just a matter of time before he'd hop a ship and get here for a little face to face with his Captain and the Commanders involved. Now if he could just make his move to get the leverage he needed with them before his grandfather arrived, that was the trick. This, Edmunds knew would be a very interesting next couple of days. The screen went dark just as the door chime sounded. The tall handsome male got up to answer it and found crewman Matthews there leaning up against the rim of the doorway.

"Good afternoon Ensign… I thought I'd come by to invite you to movie night tomorrow." Matthews was a tall slender female with jet black eyes and long auburn locks. Her face was so elegant with soft curves and pale creamy skin, that the young man was momentarily speechless.

***

Down the hall and around the corner came a rather bubbly communications officer. She'd finished her shift and hit the mess hall for a late afternoon snack to tide her over until dinner. Hoshi had heard about the altercation in sickbay and decided that the Ensign could probably use some cheering up. Secretly, though, she was just as enamored with the debonair male as every other female aboard. However Hoshi was an ensign too, making her interaction with the male more acceptable and this was the reason she had been spending many afternoons having lunch with the guy. It was only natural for her to think that perhaps the ensign could be developing feelings for her, another reason for this impromptu visit.

As she rounded the last corner towards his cabin she noted him standing in the doorway talking with crewman Matthews. This halted Hoshi in her tracks. There was something very upsetting in the way these two were acting. Hoshi saw her ensign put his hands on the younger woman's shoulders, as they laughed and chatted freely in this public place. Then Jimmy leaned into the young crewman and whispered in her ear, all the while running his hand down her side. This really set the young Asian woman off. But the final straw was seeing him then invite the young woman into his quarters, wrapping his arm about her waist. Now Hoshi felt a bit foolish. Her feelings were hurt and in a real respect she felt she'd been cheated on. The empathy she had for the ensign's circumstances with Commanders Tucker and T'Pol quickly changed as she saw the true snake in the grass he could be.

Hoshi turned to leave and ran smack into Lt Reed. The force of their collision sent the items on the food tray flying about the area. "I'm sorry Hoshi." Reed began apologizing profusely as he always did in embarrassing situations. "I didn't see you standing there." He bent down and began picking up the scattered items off the floor.

"I'm sorry too… I was just heading back to my quarters." Her face was flustered partly because she was mad and partly because it was Malcolm that had caught her making a fool of herself over this two timer.

"You're a long way from the mess hall… Get lost?" He quipped with her a bit sensing her emotional state.

"Yeah…..something like that." Hoshi looked over her shoulder in the direction of the ensign's cabin. Reed noted her action and decided to bring up the subject.

"Oh…it would appear Ensign Edmunds is busy at the moment.. Huh…." This statement brought a rather sheepish look to the young woman's face.

"Don't feel too bad…. My cabin is just beyond his and you'd be surprised at the traffic that comes and goes." It was Reed's turn to be a little jealous of the handsome male. He had secretly had his eye on Hoshi for at least the last year or so. The thought of her entertaining a relationship with Edmunds was more than the Brit could handle.

"Yeah….I'm figuring that out." Hoshi admitted shyly.

"Well…at least you learned it early…. Most of his admirers don't find out until after things have…well you know…gone a bit too far." Malcolm finished cleaning up the last of the items from the floor and held up the tray to her level. Standing he looked at her face once more and knew she could use a friendly ear right about now.

"You hungry?" He asked benignly….Hoshi looked at him surprised.

"Well seeing all this pie has made me hungry for some of my own…care to join me?" He moved the tray into his other hand and held out an arm.

Hoshi looked at him a moment longer, then took the arm he offered. "Sure….I could go for another piece of pie, since my first one is now face-down on the tray." She showed him a large smile and found his soft chuckle quite comforting. It was then Hoshi realized that perhaps Edmunds was handsome, but the familiar friendship she had with Malcolm was much more appealing. The two walked arm in arm all the way to the turbo lift. They would spend the next several hours talking about a lot of nothing and enjoying every minute of it.

***
Back in sickbay, Phlox continued to study Trip's brain scan with great interest. The Captain stood there impatiently awaiting the results and trying to get the doctor to elaborate on his constant "Hmmmms" and "Ahhhhhs" but to this point nothing new was forth coming. When the scanning process was complete, the bed Commander Tucker was on slid slowly from the scanning chamber. He watched as the ceiling pattern stopped moving before sitting up facing the monitor.

"Well Phlox….. are you going to tell us what you've found or are we simply going to have to keep guessing?" Archer's voice denoted the frustration he felt. This got the Denobulan's attention finally.

"They are identical." He stated plainly which only bewildered the captain all the more.

"What do you mean? There is no change in Trip's scans?" Archer was now growing anxious.

"On the contrary Captain…there is a great deal of change in Commander Tucker's scans. So much so, that I wouldn't have recognized them as his, if I hadn't taken them myself." Phlox leaned in and hit a few more buttons bringing up yet another round of scans from the archives.

"So what is identical? If there is change in his scans, how can they be identical?" Archer went from anxious to confused.

"I didn't mean his scans were identical…I meant that his and Commander T'Pol's scans are identical. There is virtually no difference in activity in either of them. If it wasn't for the difference in intensity, I'd be unable to tell them apart at all." Phlox looked curiously at the young engineer.

"So what are you saying doc, T'Pol and I have the same brain waves?" Trip was astonished that this bond thing could be detected so simply.

"Yes…you are essentially correct. I am surprised I didn't pick up on it though. For instance here," Phlox pushed a button and another scan appeared on the screen. "Here is your scan just after boarding Enterprise. See the low range of activity in the prefrontal cortex. That is normal for most Humans, those without any added abilities, such as ESP or Empathic capabilities."

"This" Phlox put yet another scan on the board. "This is a scan of Commander T'Pol's brain just after coming aboard. See the heavy activity in the prefrontal cortex. That is common in Vulcans because of their empathic capabilities." Phlox looked back at the two to gage their understanding.

"See here" he pointed back to the original scan of Trip's brain. "See the frontal lobes, how much activity there is…That is the emotional center of the brain… In this scan it is very active, but in a Vulcans, their practice of controlling their emotions cause little to no activity." He pointed now to the other scan. Trip was amazed that his mate's control of emotions could show on a scan. He leaned in with great interest.

"Now however," Phlox changed the two scans on the screen. "Commander Tucker's prefrontal cortex is very active and Commander T'Pol's frontal lobes show much more activity then usual, making the two almost impossible to tell apart." Phlox rubbed his chin as he studied the data one more time.

"Could this account for Trip's unusual behavior towards Edmunds?" Archer asked impatiently.

"I don't know Captain, does T'Pol hate Ensign Edmunds and desire him dead?" This question surprised the two officers.

"No I don't think so…but what has that got to do with it?" Trip asked sheepishly feeling that the doctor was all too aware of his situation.

"Well….what you're suffering from Commander Tucker is a pair bonding. A common Vulcan practice, I can assure you, you will not be harmed by this….I think" Phlox moved around the biobed and over to his counter of hyposprays and concoctions.

"You think?" Trip asked a bit uneasy.

"Well I have studied quite a few bonded Vulcans and I can tell you for sure they are not harmed by it. So far from my scans, your brain hasn't been injured by this, but there is very little data on Human/Vulcan bondings…. I would have to study this phenomena a while, before being more sure on the subject.

"You know about this stuff…" Archer asked feeling that his friend wasn't really sure what was happening to him.

"In my time with the Interspecies Medical Exchange program, I had the opportunity of studying on Vulcan. Their medical and healer techniques are quite amazing. During that time I had the chance to scan many bonded Vulcans that came into the clinic. Their mates would be scanned at times as well, since much of their healing within the bond pair is done jointly. I recognize the phenomena now, but I didn't catch it as it was happening." The good doctor fiddled with a palm pad, making notes and looking through the data.

"Is there anything you can do for it Doctor?" Archer was desperate to have his rational chief engineer back.

"Short of dissolving the bond, only time and practice will aid Commander Tucker, but I'm sure his mate has told him this." The Denobulan used the proper term to let the engineer know he knew exactly what happened between them. Trip nodded to his correct statement.

"Great….I got an unconscious Vulcan, a chief engineer who is going off half cocked at the mere sight of this crewman and a troublesome ensign who by now has already informed his grandfather of what's been going on. How am I gonna explain things. Worse, how am I gonna keep Trip from being court martialed for his actions, if I can't explain them away with some sort of illness or disease?"
Archer slammed his fist against the edge of the biobed between them.

"I didn't say I couldn't lend my assistance Captain…..There has been great changes in the Commander's scan and who is to say it wasn't from the Orion females or even the yellow ore we found lacing the Klingon explosive device. It seems his strange behavior started just after that incident." Phlox had long learned to help the Captain out with his little play acting scenes. "These changes in his frontal lobes and prefrontal cortex could indeed explain a lot of his symptoms." Phlox shot Archer and Trip a sly smile with that statement.

***

Later that night in T'Pol's quarters, Trip lay holding his mate in his arms. It was about 3 AM when he woke for no reason. He looked down at her sleeping frame laying half atop him. Her breathing quickened at times, alerting her mate that the Vulcan was dreaming. Trip was divided not knowing whether or not to wake her from it. In one respect, he wondered if he would be keeping her from a bad dream, but in the other respect, he could be disrupting a happy one. Trip knew T'Pol wasn't a fan of dreaming, since it was unusual for Vulcan's to have happy dreams. Their pent up emotions usually caused their dreams to take an ominous dimension. For that reason and that reason alone, Vulcans meditated before sleep to reduce their chance of dreaming. But after a full day in sickbay, and the 2 hours of arguing Trip had to do with Phlox and the Captain to allow T'Pol to come back to her quarters to rest instead of staying in sickbay, it was too late for her to indulge in a lengthy session.

She squirmed again and her breath caught in her throat, making her mate realize that perhaps this dream was a fairly intense one. Trip closed his eyes and tried to hone in on her thoughts hoping too understand her feelings. In the back of his mind, the blackness cleared to reveal the Captain and T'Pol in a dark dusty cave like tunnel. He was looking through her eyes, seeing things as she would.

The Captain walked just a head of her, holding a lit torch. The sound of groaning was coming from just a head and the ill feeling that it was causing in T'Pol was translating into very tense feelings in her mate. A smaller Vulcan female was walking just behind them, the sense of her was clear to Trip's senses too. As they walked through the dusty passageways, the flames of the torch licking the walls, Trip could see T'Pol gaining on her superior officer.

The group reached a clearing and the bodies of many dead Vulcans came into view. In his mind, Trip watched as T'Pol pushed past Archer to reach her mother, who was lying in the rubble. She drew her parent toward her breast and he could feel the weakness of her mother's movements. Then she leaned her back to better assess her injuries. They were grave and T'Pol tried to hide her true feelings from her parent's mind.

"I was afraid you were still inside." T'Les whispered the words as her hand came up to caress her daughter's arm. Her mother looked her tenderly in the eyes the entire time.

"It's all right……we've found the Kir'Shara." T'Pol looked over her mother once more trying to hide the tears that threatened to fall down in front of her. When her eyes finally found their way back to her mom's they locked sharing a long intense stare between the two.

"You have always struggled so with your emotions." T'Les continued to share her inner most thoughts with her child. Trip could sense the waves of love and connection that were not being said. Those waves were more passionate than any words Humans could express and for a moment Trip forgot he was merely watching her memories of the event. He could swear he was there watching his mate go through one of the most painful moments in her life. "I came here,…… I did all this for you."

Again T'Pol fought harder to keep the tears from showing, but her eyes were now full looking to release themselves at the first opportunity. She momentarily averted the direct gaze of her mother until she could get the tears under control, then returned them to her parent's. "I don't understand."

"You will." T'Les fought to stay awake, but knew she was fading fast.

"Mother…" T'Pol was now lost for words feeling her mother slipping away. Trip could sense this as well and wanted nothing more than to hold both of them close, but instead was paralyzed to watch the scene play out.

T'Les moved her hand up to her daughter's cheek. As it lay gently against her skin, Trip could feel the intense feeling of love and commitment. "I have always been so proud of you…..my T'Pol." Her words were so tender, not as if coming from any Vulcan Trip had ever known. T'Les' hand crossed from her daughter's cheek, down to her lips and stopped as if planting a kiss there. Her hand slipped down from her weakening condition and left T'Pol speechless in its wake.

Through T'Pol's eyes, Trip saw the woman he came to respect fade and die. Her body fell forward into T'Pol's arms as his mate pulled her mother into her body. The heaving of her chest grew harder as she began to sniffle in her sleep. Trip watched helpless as the tears began to fall down the engineer's face. He felt the hopelessness and lost feelings that filled his mate's mind and then felt the warm water that was dropping onto his chest. This pulled Trip from his entrapment. His eyes opened again and they were in the soft blue glow of night time aboard the Enterprise. He still felt the heaving sighs of his mate as the tears continued to flow.

Trip leaned down and kissed his mate's hair. He brought his hand up and stroked away the tears that were making their way along her cheek. This action woke T'Pol from her grieving, and startled her when she realized she was openly crying. The Vulcan's hands came up and quickly wiped away the tears with great disgust. As she made a second and third swipe at the offensive wetness, Trip's hands came up and stopped her mental chastising.

"It's okay….. you have a right to grieve…….. I miss her too." He pulled her chin towards his direction and looked deep into her eyes. "I didn't realize just how painful that was. At least you two had a few moments together." Trip felt her tense beneath his arms. He patted her back with his hand and pulled her even closer into his body. Tears continued to flow, but this time from the Human's eyes. Trip figured if T'Pol couldn't openly grieve for her mother, than perhaps he could for her. It didn't make any sense to him, but his body told him to do this and the engineer wasn't about to question what this bond told him to do for his beloved.

***

The next day, T'Pol spent the entire day in her cabin resting and meditating to get rid of the unease feelings she had from her dream. Trip meanwhile, reported for duty and to his surprise, he and Ensign Edmunds didn't get into any conflicts all shift. Repairs continued at a moderate pace, and for the first time in days, Trip actually felt in control of his emotions.

It was that evening at dinner, when Trip, T'Pol and Archer finally met up for the first time all day. They sat in the Captain's mess and awaited their dinner plates from the kitchen. The two males talked amongst themselves, recapping the repairs for the day with a very silent T'Pol sitting in the far end of the room. Archer would occasionally look in her direction, wondering if the concussion she suffered changed her in some way.

"T'Pol…. Are you feeling better today?" Jon asked when there was a lull in the conversation.

"Yes Captain…. I am well…. I wish to return to my duties tomorrow." T'Pol's voice was very low and soft.

"After Dr. Phlox checks you out." Trip added quickly with a very protective hand on the table. It was in the Vulcan's direction, but it never touched hers. Jon noticed this and for the first time he realized the little things that Trip had been showing when interacting with his science officer. The dinner plates came through the doorway and the two stewards quickly dispersed them to the proper people. Before the Captain and Trip, they placed a plate full of sirloin steak and bake potatoes. Expecting her usual plate of grilled vegetables, T'Pol was surprised when the steward set down a bowl of vegetable fried rice. She stared at her meal wondering why she received Chinese food when it clearly wasn't the night for it. Trip noticed her quandary and added quickly.

"It's that vegetable fried rice you were so fond of, with extra vegetables…..I had a little talk with chef about varying your diet so you can get off those horrible protein pills." Trip took up his knife and began cutting into his inch thick piece of meat.

"Protein pills……T'Pol, aren't you getting enough nutrition aboard ship. Why haven't you spoken with chef about this sooner?" Archer was becoming concerned about his very quiet first officer.

"Captain….. really the nutrition aboard Enterprise is sufficient. Many Human vegetarian dishes lack the amount of protein that Vulcans require. It is necessary to take protein pills to supplement one's diet in order to keep from loosing muscle mass." She stabbed a rather large piece of squash with her fork, glad that she didn't have to use chopsticks this time with her ethnic type meal.

"Yeah but if meals are not appealing, you tend to eat less. And you've been loosing weight lately." Trip offered up absently talking about private matters in front of the Captain. Jon watched with great amusement as the Vulcan squirmed in her seat.

"Food is merely to maintain life…. Taking pleasure in one's meals is an emotional indulgence." T'Pol stated flatly sounding very much like her counselor.

Archer began to chuckle softly while he waited for his friend's reply.
"Emotional indulgence or not, you need to eat more and if liking your food helps you get more calories in, then who cares what it is." Trip answered chewing hardily on his bite of steak.

"Trip's right, T'Pol…..You need to maintain your health and perhaps Chef could help with that. At the very least it wouldn't hurt to allow yourself a small indulgence every once and a while." Archer had a hard time not chuckling as he took his chief engineer's side.

"Exactly…… I told Chef about some of the meals we had on Vulcan and he said he'd be willing to try any recipes you give him." Trip dipped into his baked potato and enjoyed the buttery concoction as it melted in his mouth. "Hmmmm….that is so good." Trip lost himself in the pleasure of the moment then started slicing another piece of steak. T'Pol, on the other hand, gave him a peeved look and went back to eating her very enjoyable meal. Archer noticed this family moment, all the while eating his dinner, hiding the smile on his face behind his tall glass of ice tea.

The com link sounded above his head and Archer wiped his mouth before pushing the button to answer the call.

"Archer here" he stated after the chirp.

"Captain, I am sorry to interrupt your meal, but I have an urgent call from the transport vessel Conway………….It's Admiral Edmunds, sir." Hoshi added sheepishly.

Both Trip and T'Pol looked at the Captain who felt a lump in his throat. "Okay, put it threw." Archer decided this message to be appropriate for his commanding officers to hear.

"Admiral. It's been a long time sir. How can we help you?" Jon forced his uneasy feelings down and put on his best pleasant manner.

"Archer…. I will be in your vicinity in less than 16 hours. I expect to rendezvous with the Enterprise at 11:00 hours. I want to meet with you and your command staff when I get there. Do you understand me Captain?" The Admiral was very concise and didn't leave Archer any time to answer his insinuations. Jon knew this tone from the Admiral and didn't wish to make matters worse.

"Aye Sir…. We look forward to your visit." And before he could say any more, The Admiral signed off. "1100 hours then." The chirp of the com indicated the link had been broken. The Captain reached up and closed the com. The room fell silent, the three friends exchanging looks between each other.

***

Later that evening, T'Pol sat in the second row from the front of the mess hall. Beside her, the empty seat that her mate would return to once he got the bowl of popcorn they were to share. She didn't see the Ensign and his date enter the room and definitely didn't see the tall male send the sweet young crewman Matthews for a bowl of their own.

The Ensign though, saw the crop top of the Vulcan sitting there alone. He also saw the two seats directly behind her and decided those would be the perfect place for him and the young crewman to sit. He walked quietly along the rows of chairs and eased past a few crewmen already seated with their snacks in hand. He sat down slowly and pretended not to notice the Vulcan's presence for a moment or two. (This is perfect…. The commander is here and lover boy is at the other end of the room…. I couldn't ask for a better opportunity.) Edmunds thought as he eased forward and began to whisper in the Vulcan's ear. Before he could utter a word, T'Pol sensed his closeness and quickly turned and stood. She took a defensive posture, her chin held high, shoulders back and straight as a board.

"Ensign….what do you think you are doing?" Her quick accusation both startled the young man and caught the attention of everyone in the room. The soft chatter ended abruptly and from the back of the room, Trip felt the panic in his mate's mind. He dropped the bowl he held and marched through the crowd toward the confrontation.

T'Pol on the other hand stared down at the male in shear defiance. This sudden attention only made the devilish officer enjoy his deviousness all the more.
"I just wanted to apologize for your accident yesterday." He started playing for the crowd. "I'm just glad you weren't badly injured." The glint of his voice seemed to fool everyone in the room except our star crossed lovers. By this point, Trip reached his mate and started to lay into the male, but T'Pol stopped him with a mental warning and a glare. He backed down and took a couple of steps backward.

"Thank you for your concern, but in the future, please refrain from startling me again." T'Pol turned to leave and Trip filed in behind her. As they were exiting the row, they heard the ensign utter his last sentence to his date.

"I was telling my grandpa just yesterday how glad I was that the Commander wasn't badly hurt in her accident." This made Trip's blood run hot. He started to turn once more but felt T'Pol grab his arm before he could. They walked arm in arm from the room, past the new comers to the mess hall. The crewmen stared at the unusual sight and murmured about what they witnessed throughout the whole movie that night.

Hoshi and Malcolm were in the fifth row and looked at each other with great curiosity. The rumor mill would be running wild the next couple of days, especially with the Admirals upcoming visit.

***

Archer was at the airlock a full 20 minutes before the arrival of the shuttle. He straightened his uniform a number of times and tried to check his hair in a reflective piece of metal along the door frame. Frustrated, he shook out his arms to try to get the tension from them and his shoulders. The familiar banging sound along the haul, told the Captain his wait was over.

The red light turned green and the inner door slid open. In stepped the Admiral in his Starfleet blues. He came up to Archer, now standing at attention and looked the Captain up and down. Jon felt the anger in the older gray haired male as he walked past him taking inventory of Archer's appearance. "Welcome Aboard, Sir" Enterprise's Captain decided to break the silence.

Admiral Edmunds tilted his head, the minimal amount of courtesy he could give. "I wish to be shown to my quarters to unpack and visit with my grandson. I will want a full briefing on the incidents of the past few days with the Commanders in question present at 14:00 hours. Is that understood, Captain?" The Admiral was leaving no room for informal communication.

"Yes Sir." Jon pointed in the direction of the turbo lift. "This way." Archer kept his interactions brief sensing the man's obvious hostility. They remained quiet until Jon left him in the guest quarters on C deck. He thought of calling his friends to his ready room then realized there would be a record of this communication in the log. Instead Archer traveled immediately to the bridge and collected the first officer. The two headed then to Engineering to have a talk with the resident southern charmer.

Entering Engineering, Trip caught site of the Captain and excused himself to go to his office. He saw T'Pol in close tow and hastened his movement toward her. Ensign Edmunds was in the corner of the room enjoying every moment of this panic response. Minutes later, his superior Lt. Holiwell came up to the young man and delivered him the message that the admiral requested his presence on C deck. Edmunds left the engine room and made his way through the hallways toward his grandfather's cabin.

In Trip's office, though, feelings were running high. "Damn… the Admiral's pissed." Archer started pacing back and forth between his two best friends. "I have never seen him so mad, not even dealing with Soval."

"It’s likely his grandson as told him a bunch of lies." Trip added resentfully.

"Like what… that you hit him, cause you did…..that you threatened him over and over again, cause you know what Trip, you did that too. I don't know if the Admiral is gonna buy the fact that you were under some chemical influence that made you only protect T'Pol." Archer was starting to doubt the story they had worked out with Phlox.

"Captain….The explanation we have decided to use is essentially correct. Commander Tucker is under an influence that is making him act out of the ordinary. It would not be too hard to prove given the scans the doctor took." T'Pol looked at him with great understanding for his nervousness.

The buzzer rang in Trip's office. Tucker went over to answer the call, while Archer continued his pacing, this time in silence.

"Tucker here…." Trip relayed with a great sigh.

"Commander…. There is a message for the Captain from the Vulcan Command vessel Shu'ron." Hoshi sounded as sheepish as she had the night before.

"Go ahead." Archer leaned over the desk and spoke into the com.

"They will be docking with us at 10:00 hours tomorrow. He is requesting an audience with Commander T'Pol in particular." Hoshi heard the notable silence from the com and continued. "Sorry Sir."

"Understood." Jon returned and nodded for Trip to flip off the com. "Great….another planet heard from." Again the silence filled the room, as each one looked to the others for an answer.

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I know I said this was the last chapter, but I couldn’t rush the ending and it's taking a very interesting turn. I decided rather than hold you guys up, I'd get this part out and work on the last part after I finish this week's paper. I know you'll love it. In the meantime, enjoy. ……..T.

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

Good one, hope to see some Soval in the next one and that Edmunds finally gets what he deserves.

The Admiral AND the Vulcans? This just keeps getting better and better! Can't wait for more! :)

This is an interesting dilemma. Now, who is the admiral going to believe, and will the Vulcans figure out they're bonded?

I'm still voting for a return of Captain!Airlock...or a visit by Lieutenant!Malcolm!Airlock or any other number of other Airlocks...

I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing Edmunds get his comeuppance...

uh oh, this is gonna get messy.

uh oh, this is gonna get messy.

Am I the only one pickin up on the possible Hint Of Malcolm An Hoshi findin a way to Help TnT out of this jam??,,, Either way I theink TnT might just have to go public, An also Some how the truth is gona come out about that Punk Edmunds, an Then Admrial Edmunds Is gona be pissed of once he Finds out that His Grand son has been playin him an Half the fleet. (Evil MU LOL) I cant wait for it!!(Evil MU LOL) Great Chapie TLR.

Interesting developments TLR! Can't wait to see how you tie this all up.

That Edmunds is such a spoiled brat! I also can't believe the grandfather would meet Enterprise all the way out in space to defend his grandson from the Chief Engineer. Being an Admiral I would expect him to let his grandson fight his own fight.....I just hope he sees the real picture in the end and kicks his grandson's behind for his own good.

I for one am thrilled this is not the last chapter!

I can't wait for Edmunds to get his!

Thanks...the next part should be out by Weds. I finished my second paper and turned it early. My first one did 100%, gotta like that. You will love how I took care of Edmunds....It's better than an airlock, I promise....T.

Can't wait for Wednesday (probably Thursday here in Oz)...looking forward to a good read. Please update soon and make it really long! Can't seem to get enough of this story! :)