Guess We've Got a Lot of Work to Do - Part 8

Guess We've Got a Lot of Work To Do

By: TLR

Rated PG: Adult content
Disclaimer: Enterprise is the property of UPN and Paramount Pictures.

Summary: I know I said the last part was gonna be the last part, but I couldn't rush this ending once it came to me so clearly. I promise this is it and it was worth the wait. Right now the Admiral is on board and waiting to take a bite out of Commander Tucker. His grandson has been creating havoc and loving every minute of it and now Ambassador Soval is on his way to have a serious word with T'Pol. This doesn't look good for our resident lovers. Let's see how the crew of the Enterprise gets out of this one……Enjoy

November 10, 2005

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Part 8 (Conclusion)

The Admiral paced the conference room with a rather nervous Captain Archer standing at rest beside the table. The silence in the room made Jon grow increasingly anxious and he wondered if what was about to play out here would be enough to keep his best friends together and aboard Enterprise. Edmunds, Sr, however seared at the thought of this man putting his only grandson in the brig for the attack he suffered at the hands of his chief engineer. (What kind of ship is he running.) The older male thought to himself as he paced. (to let his senior officers so run things and him be blind to the abuse that was going on.)

"Where the hell are they?" The Admiral murmured once more crossing toward the door of the room.

"With all due respect Admiral, you did call this conference for 14:00 hours. It's only 13:50." Archer tried to get into a conversational atmosphere and found his choice of topics in error.

"Yes and that means showing up twenty minutes early,…. by my rules they are already 10 minutes late. What in the world are you teaching your officers, Archer….If they don't respect your orders, how can you hope to command them. My god, man!" The gray haired male finally had a chance to get that off his chest.

"Again with all due respect, Sir…my officers follow my orders to the letter and I have never expected more of them than I do myself. We work together out of respect and if I call a meeting for 14:00 hours, then they are there by 14:00 hours, unless there is an emergency. I might also bring up the fact that your grandson is also due at this meeting and he isn't here yet either….. Should he be included in this reprimand you are speaking of?" Archer knew he was hitting a nerve, but had to use some leverage to get the Admiral to look at things reasonably, 'cause it was clear he wasn't able too.

"My grandson will be here any minute. I don't know that I can say the same about your senior officers." Edmunds Sr. quipped back at Jon's arrogant remark.

The door chime sounded, and Archer was quick to respond before the Admiral. "Come in." In through the door came Commanders Tucker and T'Pol. They addressed the Admiral with a nod then went to stand beside Archer at full attention until told to do otherwise. It became notable that, that order wasn't coming any time soon, as the Admiral left them hanging there stiff backed and chest out.

"Well… Commanders Tucker and T'Pol…. It's so nice to see you." He hissed as the superior officer walked past them, going over every aspect of their appearance for flaws. He could find none. Both were spit polished and in parade fashion.

The door chime sounded again and it was the admiral's turn to go to the door and open it manually. In stepped a very innocent looking Ensign Edmunds, likewise spiffed and taking great pleasure at the commanders' dilemma. He joined them and came to attention, assuming that was the proper thing to do. This, his grandfather noticed immediately and it brought a smile to the elder male's face. "At ease" he ordered and motioned for the group to take a seat about the conference room. Archer took up his place at the head of the table, with Admiral Edmunds at the other end, a far distance from the rest. The ensign sat on the door side of the table next to his grandparent while Trip and T'Pol took up opposing seats at the other end next to Archer. The group sat in silence for a moment waiting for the fireworks to start.

"It has been brought to my attention that there has been fighting aboard this ship and because of that this ensign here isn't being treated fairly." The Admiral tried to sound as professional as possible. He laid a hand on the younger man's shoulder trying not to be too much the grandparent.

Trip felt the rage running through him, and was held back by a light hand upon his knee from his beloved.

"I'm not sure what you are referring too, Admiral" Archer started to defend his ship and crew.

"Oh you aren't… According to your own ship's security logs, there was an altercation involving your Commander Tucker and the ensign just three days ago, are you saying you were unaware of that?"

"No Sir…. I personally reprimanded them both and they spent time in the brig because of it, but the fighting was mutual… the ensign also struck Commander Tucker." Archer defended his actions as being by the book.

"Yes but by your logs, who initiated this fight?" The Admiral had been reviewing the ship's logs on the matter since he came aboard.

"It's hard to say Admiral…..Where it is true Commander Tucker did initiate the first physical interaction with Ensign Edmunds, it was the ensign's improper treatment of Commander T'Pol in the mess hall and again in engineering that was the cause of the disruption.

"His inappropriate treatment of the Commander?" The Admiral acted as if that wasn't even possible coming from his little Jimmie.

"Yes…..he grabbed her." Trip spit out looking directly into the young man's face.
He felt the mental bond tighten with warning about his loosing control again.

"Is this true ensign….did you grab the commander?" The Admiral turned to his flesh and blood waiting to hear his honest answer.

"It's true, sir, I grabbed the Commander's arm as she left the table, but I was only trying to get her attention. I had been speaking with her about my difficulties with Commander Tucker and was trying to fit in better so I could start learning more of the ship's systems upgrades. I still had questions to ask of her, when she took my questions the wrong way and became offended. The Commander rose to leave. It was then I grabbed her arm to apologize and Commander Tucker came up and got in my face." Although relaying the actual facts, the ensign conveniently left out his true motivations for his actions.

"And you found this action offensive Commander?" The Admiral was now addressing T'Pol.

"Vulcans are empaths, Admiral. The mere act of touch is highly offensive to them when undesired. Through his actions, the Ensign did offend my highly attuned senses. Commander Tucker has worked with Vulcan's for 4 years now. He knew of the offense and was merely trying to spare me the discomfort." T'Pol kept her face straight and all shades of emotions out of her voice.

"And you told the Commander you were offended by the Ensign's action?" The Admiral relished watching the three officers squirm, but was finding the Vulcan a hard nut to crack.

"I had spoken with Commander Tucker earlier when he noticed the Ensign's undo attention towards me in Engineering. I relayed to him my discomfort with that level of familiarity and so it was only logical that he make that assumption when the ensign then took the next step and grabbed me without my permission." T'Pol had played this cat and mouse game before and she was as experienced at it as any Vulcan diplomat.

"Did you ask the ensign to stop his actions?" The Admiral was now getting frustrated with the alien.

"In fact Admiral I did…. Several times…. He was unwilling to do so." Now T'Pol was on the attack and there was nothing the ensign could do about it.

"Is this true Ensign?" The Admiral turned more flustered by T'Pol's directness.

"Ah… yes sir but I can explain…." The younger male started but was cut off by the handsome chief engineer.

"Oh you can explain can you? Then explain why, after being directly ordered by the Captain to stay away from the Commander you chose to get on a piece of exercise equipment right next to her in an empty gymnasium at 5 in the morning. Explain why when she went to leave to get away from you, you jumped off that treadmill and ran after her… trying to grab her arm yet again…." Trip was hot, his face was red with fury and his words spit out in time with his hastily beating heart.

"Explain why when you were assigned to Engineering, you just happened to end up in the Armory where Commander T'Pol was working that day. The very day, I might add, she was purposely reassigned to the Armory to get away from you. Explain that you…" Trip was cut off by the captain who realized his friend's control was all but gone.

"Commander…." The southern male eased back down into the seat of his chair, not realizing that all during his tirade, he had been slowly rising.

Everyone in the room looked at the ensign who was now feeling a bit out of control here. "I realized my actions were inappropriate and I was merely trying to say I was sorry. I absently grabbed for her arm and totally forgot what the Captain and the Commander had told me about that gesture. I really am sorry if I offended you." He added making himself the victim once again.

"Oh please…" Trip murmured in disgust.

"Trip", Jon quietly chastised.

"No let the commander speak…he seems so ready to defend his actions, I would like to hear this." The admiral was enjoying Trip's little outburst as much as his grandson was.

"If you were so repentant for your actions, then why did you purposely sit behind the commander last night at the movies?" Trip brought up the most recent event in hopes of uncovering the deceitful ways of the young male.

"What….I." Edmunds Jr tried but was cut off again by his boss.

"Oh, you were gonna say you didn't know that was T'Pol in front of you…. Then why did you lean forward into her? Why did you try to whisper in her ear? If you ask me….I'd have to say you were actively stalking the Commander. The Captain has ordered you to keep your distance, Commander T'Pol has done the same and yet at every turn you make it a point to get near her. I'd say that was disobeying a direct order, wouldn't you, Cap'n?" Trip was now calling upon some of T'Pol's logic to help him through this.

"I'd have to agree with Mr. Tucker….. I have looked at the various situations and found your grandson deliberately trying to reach Commander T'Pol. Even after my direct order for him to stay away from her, he has still tried to contact her. Commander T'Pol has expressed to me her displeasure with the Ensign's treatment and I have to respect her wishes that he not get near her again." Archer righted his chin for the first time taking a major stand against his superior.

"Because she is a Vulcan female and his actions were inappropriate?" The admiral added.

"Because she is a living being and has the right not to be assaulted in this manner. Who am I to say his actions weren't offensive. That is only for the person being offended to decide. However I have a responsibility to protect the rights and well being of every crewman aboard, and that includes the Humans, Denobulans and the Vulcans. Personally I find his actions, especially in light of the fact that he was ordered to cease and desist, very offensive even for a Human female." Archer was now committed to his friends and colleagues.

"This being especially true because Commander T'Pol is a married Vulcan female and their sensibilities are more protected?" The Admiral was leading up to something and it made Archer uneasy to know what.

"It's merely because she is a member of my crew and has the right to be protected as such." Archer steered the conversation back to more familiar ground.

"Yes…. But she identified herself as being a married Vulcan female to the ensign, insinuating that to be the specific reason his actions were undesirable. And yet, when I contacted Ambassador Soval, he told me point blank that the Commander was released from her marriage just after the embassy bombing and the death of her mother. So, Commander T'Pol lied about her status to the crewman to get him to stop addressing her. What does she have to say about her actions?" The Admiral was now back in control, or so he thought.

"What does that have to do with anything….." Archer started a bit perturbed. "It was clear to the commander, that the ensign was coming on to her and wanted him to stop. So what if she told him she was still married. As I see it, T'Pol was trying to resolve a difficult situation with as little conflict as possible. What would you have her do? Throw your grandson across the room and beat the living daylights out of him?"

"No…that she apparently left up to Commander Tucker….Or have we forgotten the little incident in sickbay two days ago." Admiral Edmunds was trying to get back to the topic of T'Pol's deceit. It would be his only weapon at shooting down the Vulcan's credibility in this matter and seizing the upper hand.

"The fact remains…. The Commander lied… and that I am told is against those attuned sensibilities. What does she have to say about that?"

"Vulcans don't lie." T'Pol answered back as determined as the older male was.

"So you are married then and the High Council was lied to about your husband's releasing you from that marriage?" The admiral was about to play his trump card, in that the rumors about the two commanders were not just restricted to the Enterprise crew. T'Pol remained silent, unable to defend herself without revealing their bond. Trip however was growing more uncomfortable by the moment. He could sense his mate blocking her emotions, but could also sense her hurt feelings at not being able to defend her good name.

"She isn't lying…..She is a married Vulcan female." Trip blurted out, his chin held high and shoulders back. T'Pol glared at him with an icy gaze.

This didn't stop him as he continued. "She's married to me."

This was the show stopper that halted all communications in the room. T'Pol looked as though she was gonna be ill, Archer's face fell in total defeat and both the Admiral and his grandson's mouths were open wide and gaping. After several moments of collecting their thoughts, the group began to stir again.

"So you and the commander went off and got married after her husband released her from her commitment?" The Admiral was trying to piece together quickly the events of the ship's last six months. "How exactly did you do this, the Enterprise has not been back to Earth or Vulcan since the passing of Lady T'Les…. Who performed this ceremony?.....the Captain?" Trip felt very uneasy having blurted out what he did. On one hand he felt the need to defend his beloved's reputation but on the other hand he knew they didn't have a legal marriage, at least not in the eyes of Starfleet command. Did he accidentally, in an effort to defend his mate, let the cat out of the bag, causing them to be split up. T'Pol could feel his anxiety and regret. He looked to her for answers and forgiveness.

"The Commander is correct in his statement. We are married, though not by any way that Human's recognize. However by Vulcan law, we are legally wed and merely need to be witnessed, so that our marriage can be recorded." T'Pol leaned in the direction of her mate, indicating her support for his emotional response.

"So you married in this way after your marriage to Koss was dissolved?" The admiral wanted to test this theory a bit more.

"We are unsure when it took place, only that it did and we have accepted it as such." T'Pol returned with great confidence.

"How can that be, either you two wed or you didn't. Which is it?" Now it was Admiral Edmunds who was growing perturbed. "Archer….did you know of this?"
Jon began to answer, but his science officer beat him too it.

"Vulcan marriages are much more complicated than Humans. The Captain has just recently learned of this, and has not been a part of any of it." T'Pol knew the great risk their friend and Captain was taking for them both and wished to get him out from beneath the onslaught.

"So what it boils down to is that you two have been having an affair behind the Captain's back and now you are labeling it as a marriage. How convenient….but Starfleet calls it fraternization and it is not allowed between shipmates."

"Pardon me Admiral." T'Pol started…. "Fraternization is between two crewmen of different ranks…Commander Tucker and I, are of the same rank. Also at the time we believe this marriage took place, I was a civilian serving in a guest capacity aboard the Enterprise which would make it even less a matter of fraternization." T'Pol loved shooting this angry old man down with her logic.

"So you are saying you married your Vulcan husband after already being married to Commander Tucker?" The Admiral was being tenacious.

"Oh for pete's sake……"Trip was now growing tired of this war of words. "T'Pol wouldn't have gone through with the wedding if she knew we were married. I wouldn't have let her. She went through with it out of obligation, not knowing at the time the bond had formed."

"Bond… what are you talking about?" Now it was Archer's turn to shut the good natured engineer up before they lost their defense totally. He answered the admiral's query with some divertive tactics

"It's a long story Admiral, it is safe to say that no one tried to deceive anyone. The Commanders simply realized that this condition existed and are trying to deal with it as any other Vulcan couple would." Archer wasn't about to leave his two friend high and dry.

"And for this the ensign must tolerate being harassed?" Edmunds looked to his grampa with an earnest face.

"No…. by all means he is welcome to transfer to any other vessel he likes…. But he can't stay here and stalk a member of my crew." Archer countered hoping to end this with what the ensign really wanted, a promotion to somewhere else, but it didn't work.

"Perhaps it is not my grandson who needs a transfer." Edmunds senior started determined to have his grandchild stay aboard the Enterprise. "It would seem it was your senior officers who violated Starfleet's rules of conduct, perhaps one of them should go. Since Commander T'Pol finds it difficult to work around the Ensign, maybe she should be transferred to Columbia… I hear they are looking for a good first officer." These words shot through both the hearts of the Vulcan and chief engineer. They looked physically ill, as if both were about to faint on site. This got the attention of the Admiral who wondered what else the two were trying to pull. Archer though, knew what this meant to them and tried to keep his cool.

"Before we go talking transfer Admiral…..I suggest, since this matter involves a Vulcan, we get some advice from Ambassador Soval….. He is on his way here as we speak and should arrive tomorrow." Archer knew he could count on reinforcements from the Vulcan he had now come to trust so readily.

"Soval is coming here?" The Admiral asked a bit nervous.

"You should have known that would be his reaction when you contacted him. Your communication made him concerned for T'Pol's safety……." Archer felt the older male grow uneasy, so he continued.

"I mean I am responsible for protecting the life of a Vulcan citizen…. If something untoward were to happen to her, it could mean a war between Vulcan and Earth. Of course he is on his way to check things out. I spoke with him just an hour ago…..I suggest we put things on hold until then." Archer felt for the first time during this conversation he had the upper hand. He never would have said it before, but on some level he was happy for the Ambassador's visit.

Both Trip and T'Pol knew however, that his visit was not totally to keep the Vulcan safe. If he disapproved of this bond he could push to have it dissolved and that would be too painful for either of them to take. Their ill conditions continued long after the agreement was made to postpone the meeting till then.

After the Admiral and his grandson left the conference room, Archer ordered his commanding officers to sickbay for another check over. Their pale faces and dulled eyes frighten Jon and he wanted to make sure they were both well.

***
Malcolm sat at his station long past his shift staring at the data on the screen. The light from the viewer flashed on his face illuminating his reddened eyes. A tiny ear piece was jammed tightly into place as he listened to the conversation of the recording. Hoshi stepped through the door of the bridge searching for her wayward friend. She had looked for Reed at dinner and found him conspicuously not there. This made her come searching for him on the bridge.

The communications officer strode up to him in silence, past the limited compliment of the second shift at dinner break. She was behind him for several seconds, catching a glimpse of what he was viewing before the security officer knew she was there.

"Malcolm!" she started in a hushed but startled tone. "You shouldn't be watching this…." Reed flipped the switch and turned off the view screen. He pulled the insert from his ear and turned to hush his good friend's words quickly before someone else heard her ravings.

"Please keep your voice down…." He pulled her aside and into the scanning area at the back of the bridge. It was deserted and dimly lit.

"What do you think you were doing?" Hoshi went on knowing what Malcolm was watching was restricted classified data.

"The admiral is here to try and court martial Trip, I was trying to get enough information to investigate a bit deeper into our resident snake, Edmunds. I needed to know what the Admiral was charging Trip with in order to get the goods on his grandson." Malcolm held Hoshi's arm, pulling her close enough to whisper past her ear without being obvious.

"Did you get anything?' Hoshi returned now wanting to help save their very good friend.

"More that I wanted too. Not only may they court martial Commander Tucker, but they are now looking to transfer T'Pol to Columbia if we don't find something to stop them." Hoshi looked at him in total disbelief.

"Transfer T'Pol ? Why would they do that?" She asked, her eyes wide open and mouth similarly ajar.

"Because the Admiral wants his grandson to stay aboard Enterprise….Since T'Pol is the one annoyed by his presence, he thinks she should be the one to leave. And it gets worse." Malcolm pulled her into him closer. "Trip and T'Pol are married…."

That little bombshell made the Asian's eyes even rounder. Lt Reed simply nodded her unspoken question of him. "Yes…. Somehow they married, although they won't say how and because of this Admiral Edmunds is trying to use it to support the need to split them up. Bloody fraternization… and all that crap." Malcolm was just as tired and disgusted as his outer appearance showed.

"Problem is that I don't know how to go about getting Columbia's records without the Admiral being alerted to our inquiry. Getting restricted security data from another ship requires Starfleet clearance. If I go through proper channels it could take longer than we have and most assuredly the Admiral would be notified before the transfer of data." The Brit looked defeated. "He would most likely squelch our efforts before they get started."

"Maybe not…." Hoshi replied with a whimsical tone that got her friend's attention.

"Are you familiar with Lt. Mingchou?" Hoshi's face grew brighter.

"The head of Columbia's security….Only by reputation…..She is a fine officer and very by the book." Reed was confused but hopeful.

"Yeah…that's what she wants everyone to think….. She's really a softy and incredibly man hungry. If anyone would know about our resident Romeo, she would."

"And you know this how?" Reed was starting to feel some of the exuberance from his fellow officer.

"Cause she was my best friend in high school and we shared a dorm room for the first 4 yrs of college." A sly smile grew on the young woman's face. "I bet she could be of some assistance."

Malcolm was now catching on to the idea and his face relaxed into a covert grin as well. "Perhaps you should contact your old friend and catch up…." He suggested, the thickness of his British accent adding a slightly devious tone to his words.

"My thoughts exactly…" Hoshi retorted and headed off in the direction of her vacant station.

***
Late that night in T'Pol's quarters, Trip lay sleeping alone in her bunk. He turned absently a couple of times not at all appearing like his slumber was a peaceful one. He woke to find his mate's absence. The blue haze of the room was diluted with the light from the flickering candles. T'Pol sat in front of one, legs folded and hands with fingertips together in a heart shaped fashion. She was meditating. Trip wondered whether to bother her and bring her back to bed, or to allow this after the horrible dream she had the night before. He decided that perhaps he could assist her, by accessing her mind during this time of decreased defenses. Trip closed his eyes and began reaching out to his mate's mind. His consciousness went into that vast white space and he knew he was there.

To his far left sat T'Pol, similarly posed as she had been in her reality. She wore her pink satin robe that tied about her waist. Her feet were bare and there was no evidence of pajama bottoms peering out from beneath the hem, so it was evident that she hadn't put them back on after their romantic encounter that evening. Trip likewise, wore only the brief blue regulation undies he slipped back on before they fell to sleep. He padded up to her, totally undetected until he was right there

T'Pol opened her eyes and looked up into his sleepy face. His hair was still mussed and face puffy from the time he spent on his stomach, after she left their bed.

"Hey there….. couldn't sleep?" He asked sitting down behind her and spreading his legs to go around hers. Trip eased up close against T'Pol and wrapped his arms about her body, his head resting on her shoulder.

"I felt a bit of meditation would ease my mind, after today's events and all." T'Pol placed her hand on his arm, accepting warmly his attempt at affectionate support.

"Why don't you come back to bed and try to get some sleep." Trip could see he had interrupted what ever it was she was attempting to do to feel better. His idea seemed more in tune with what the bond was telling him she needed. Her silence to that request told him all he needed to know.

"Look, we can't do anything about things tonight… We'll deal with what ever comes tomorrow, but we won't deal with it well if we are too tired…." Trip reached in and nuzzled her cheek with his nose. The feeling brought a soothing tingle to the Vulcan's rather frazzled nerves.

"What if they court martial you?" She asked now wanting to share her fears more openly with him.

"I doubt that will happen….not if Cap'n Archer has anything to say about it……I think we proved that Edmunds was being less than honest about his intentions toward you." Trip felt the tingle and soon became lost in it.

"Well they will be forced to separate us… What then?" T'Pol needed more reassurance to reach the peaceful state her mate was already slipping into.

"It won't happen….We won't let it….If they try to transfer you, then we will simply both go, or resign….." Trip was so confident in his answer that his mate was beginning to believe he had come to terms with their situation well.

"Starfleet will not transfer us together, you know that…..And as for resigning…you may have completed your commitment, but I haven't. I am new to Starfleet and have 2 more years to serve to fulfill my requirements." T'Pol was speaking clearly by the regulations now.

"You served free for Starfleet for 4 yrs now, You're grandfathered in…." Trip closed his arms tighter about her and began to use his talented slope to play with the skin of her neck.

"Grandfathered in?" She turned a bit to gage his meaning.

"Yes….You already have time served…..I'm sure Starfleet will take that into consideration and if they don't, then you simply ask Soval to help you out of your commitment. I can't believe Starfleet would hold a Vulcan citizen hostage. Especially not one who helped save our planet…." Trip flashed her, his trademark smile and watched her turn from him to consider his words. There was much logic to his comments and for the first time her hopelessness was lifting a bit. Trip went back to playing along her shoulders, forcing the collar of the robe down further away from her neck.

"What if we are forced to resign…Then what?" T'Pol asked, not worried about herself, but about her lover.

"Then we'll pack up and move to Vulcan…." Trip answered not at all worried about his statement.

"Vulcan? You wish to live on Vulcan?"

"Yeah…why not….It's a beautiful place and it's your home….Why not Vulcan…Do you wish to live on Earth?" Trip leaned away to watch her response.

"It's not that I don't want to live on Vulcan… But can you be happy there?" I mean you will be far from your home and friends…." T'Pol was staring out into the whiteness.

"I'll make new friends…..there are Humans on Vulcan….And that way we can settle down and start having some kids." That response really surprised his mate.
"I have a feeling there is a little boy just waiting to be born and if the time is now, then so be it." T'Pol was surprised her husband was so serene in his planning of this.

"Trip…you do realize there is a chance we may never be able to have children of our own…..Just because our counterparts…" She started and was cut off by her lover.

"I know, but my gut tells me differently. If Lorian was possible then, he is as possible now. And I just know that this much love we share can't possibly end with only us two. I don't know how to explain it but I just know." Trip's smile brightened and warmed the young Vulcan's heart. She grew attracted to his features and wished to get lost within this bond forever.

"Besides….The older T'Pol gave you the specks for Phlox's serum…… Now it's just up to mother nature…." This made the Human's smile more mischievous. "Now come to bed….I'm cold."

She looked at him plainly. "You are under the covers….I am the one who is cold."

"Yes…and because of this bond I am in need of warming you….. Now get back into bed so I can take care of that and we can both get some sleep. We have a big day ahead of us." His smile turned into a smirk, then a light kiss upon her lips. Trip's image in her mind disappeared and the Vulcan was ready to do as he asked. She took several cleansing breaths and was back into the dimness of the candle's glow. T'Pol leaned forward and blew out the candle. She rose and made her way toward the bed and her awaiting lover. Before him, she undid the tie and allowed the silken garment to fall to the floor, exposing her satiny skin.

"UMMMM….Have I got my work cut out for me…." Trip retorted, pulling back the covers and accepting his wife's naked body back into his arms.

***
The next morning, Trip and T'Pol were trying to get things cleaned up in the Armory. Although the initial clean up from the explosion was long done, there were still circuits and junctions that had to be rerouted to make the weapons safe to be online again. With the Admiral on board, Archer thought it best to keep the two warring parties as far away from each other as possible.

Trip checked in on engineering occasionally, and ran things remotely from his location 2 decks up. They both kept as busy as possible, knowing that Soval would be arriving soon. Trip could sense T'Pol's trepidation at seeing her counselor again, especially now that she was aware of the bond. The Vulcan knew that the Ambassador would sense the change the moment they came in contact and worried more that her guardian would order the union be dissolved to preserve the honor of her family heritage. Trip didn't understand the reasons for her fears, but thought it best not to dwell on the negatives until they occurred. This would keep the level of tenseness in their bond to a minimum, allowing them both to function easier. It was about 09:30 hours when the young engineer's nervousness got the better of him.

Captain Archer entered the Armory looking for his commanding officers. He was dressed in his regulation blues, with hair neat and metals displayed, much like he was for the Admiral's arrival. He walked over to the twosome and began to talk real low. "You two had better go and get changed. You don't want to be meeting the Ambassador dressed like that."

"Why, is our attire inappropriate for the Ambassador's arrival?" T'Pol questioned blankly, not understanding the Human's need to be spit polished and ship shape for this purpose.

"Well you can bet Admiral Edmunds will be at his best, and I don't want any members of my crew to be any less." Archer felt a bit up tight about this visit and was gonna make everything go well with the Ambassador. "Now go…..Meet you two at the airlock in 20 minutes."

The commanders left the armory and went to their respective cabins. Trip's nervousness grew the longer he was away from her side. T'Pol's fears were finally filtering into his mind and the thought of Soval ordering her to dissolve the bond was more than he could stand. He hurried to get changed and have a word with the Captain before T'Pol could get there.

At the airlock, Trip found the captain alone, just as he had desired. He walked up to his friend and watched as Jon looked him over in military style. "You ready for this Trip?" He asked sensing his friend's nervousness.

"I don't know Cap'n…. What if Soval orders T'Pol and me to break up…. What if he takes her citizenship away from her just cause she bonded with a Human… What if…" Trip wanted to go on with his litany of concerns but Archer stopped him before he could.

"Trip…calm down….I doubt the Ambassador could get T'Pol to do that. Besides, what is the point in making her break up with you…. Phlox said so himself, that could be dangerous for T'Pol and I don't think the Ambassador would knowingly hurt her. Will you just relax, you're gonna get T'Pol all upset and then Soval will really have a reason to be concerned." Archer patted his friend on the shoulder, just as Admiral Edmunds rounded the corner.

"Admiral….I wasn't aware you were coming." Archer played like he hadn't planned on this happening, even though he figured it would.

"It would be incorrect if the highest ranking member of Starfleet were not here for Soval's arrival. If you are uneasy with this, I can give the Ambassador your regards and you can leave."

"No, not at all Admiral…Nice to have you join us." Archer couldn't believe the adversarial level of attention the Admiral was giving this. T'Pol turned the corner and joined the group. She stepped up behind the graying male and stood quietly.

"Commander T'Pol, as well…. I am surprised you were asked to join us." Edmunds Sr seemed to be making small talk, but in fact was being very aggressive.

"It would be illogical, Admiral for me not to be here. I am the reason the Ambassador is coming. He has requested an audience with me upon his arrival. I am merely following the orders of my government. But if he requested an audience with you as well, I will be more than content to wait until after the two of you have had time to confer." T'Pol knew all too well that the Ambassador didn't wish to see him, and was playing her hand coolly and confidently, just as her mentor had taught her to when dealing with Human diplomats. Perturbed, Edmunds Sr. grew angered by the young woman's cockiness. He was not asked to be there, but had no intentions of giving Archer a chance of swaying the Vulcan because of their friendship.

The call sounded and the vessel docked. The green light glowed and the door opened to a regally dressed Ambassador. He looked at the group awaiting him and moved to make his greetings in the proper diplomatic order. "Admiral Edmunds…" He started holding up the usual Vulcan salute. "Captain Archer, Commander Tucker" he nodded to each then turned to the last. "Commander T'Pol. It is agreeable to see all of you again. I hope things are well aboard the Enterprise." Soval started as if this were any other pleasant meeting.

"Ambassador…." The Admiral spoke up first. "It's a shame you had to come all this way. I assure you things are just fine."

"Not judging from your communiqué Admiral…." Soval never did trust this particular Human in their previous dealings. "I am here to speak with Commander T'Pol…"

"Well…I'm sure we can hash this little matter out, why don't we….."The Admiral was cut off by the Ambassador's hand lifting from out of its oversized sleeve.

"I wish to speak with Commander T'Pol in private…is there anyplace we may do that Captain?" Soval turned to Archer. Jon nodded…." Why don't you go to my ready room. It is a level one secured area…No surveillance equipment."

"Now hold on there." Trip started up from his quiet place beside the Captain.
"If you have anything to say to T'Pol, you can say it to me. I am responsible for this, not her." Trip was being overly protective. The Captain held him back from getting into the Ambassador's face. Archer turned to his first officer. "It's up to you T'Pol…."

"I would speak with the Ambassador……It's all right Commander…I'll be fine." T'Pol nodded to the captain then led her mentor past her fellow officers, away from the airlock and toward the turbo lift. Within moments they were stepping out of the lift onto the bridge.

Hoshi and Malcolm, at their stations, noticed the conspicuous pair enter the ready room and watched the doors close behind them.

***
"It would seem that the bond is strong between you two." As usual the ambassador wasn't much for small talk. This took T'Pol by surprise, wondering just how he sensed this so quickly.

"There is no logic in denying it…. How long have you two been bonded?" Suddenly the ambassador was sounding a lot like her mother, his wisdom showing equal to the sage words T'Les often spoke.

"We are not sure…We became aware of it right after the Commander transferred to Columbia…. But we are starting to realize that perhaps it was there much longer than that." T'Pol didn't look at her counselor, just kept her eyes to the floor in embarrassment.

"His distance agitated the bond between you?" Soval knew all too well what distance did within a newly bonded relationship.

"Yes…..it was difficult to sleep… Meditation was impossible, and we began sharing dreams and thoughts. It was evident when the Orion females came aboard and Commander Tucker was not affected, that our bond was keeping him immune."

"That would be very significant to indicate a bond…..How did it form?….Did you consciously decide to bond or did it just evolve…?" Now the older male was making himself comfortable in the captain's chair and indicating that the young woman do the same in the other.

"It was not by choice….It just happened." T'Pol admitted almost more embarrassed by that statement then by the first.

"Bonds rarely form without an effort, but there have been instances of them. Once you two knew of this bond, did you discuss dissolving it before it could be connected?" Soval was assuming the two hadn't taken their relationship beyond the mental level at that point.

"I told the Commander about the possibility of dissolving the bond, but it would be more difficult than normal. We had already……." T'Pol was almost loathed to admit to this dear man who had been like a father to her since her father was killed all those many years ago. She straightened her self and braced hard to admit to her actions.

"We had already connected before we knew of the bond. It happened while we were in the expanse…. It was a singular event. I realized it was inappropriate afterwards and kept it from reoccurring." This part seemed to demonstrate her learning from her mistakes.

"You knew not of the bond and yet you participated in sexual relations with this Human…..Why?" Soval seemed stunned.

"I was heavily affected by the anomalies…. It was hard to concentrate and my exposure to the trellium….like those on the Seleya, made some of my thoughts irrational. I was having difficulty keeping the Commander from my thoughts. We were working together nonstop and I was giving him neuropressure to help him sleep." T'Pol's confidence in herself just decreased again with that.

"Neuropressure…..outside of a marriage or bond?….Neuropressure sessions could easily lead to the bonding process. Any kind of constant touch like that where you are overly exposed to their emotions could. Did you not know that? You are not a trained healer and don't have the ability to block out those emotions, why did you attempt this?" Soval was seeing just how something like this could happen.

"Commander Tucker was in great pain from the loss of his sister and home town in the Xindi attack. I indicated to the doctor when he asked me to do this for him, that it was an intimate procedure, but Phlox reminded me that the commander had suffered a very intimate loss. His alertness was necessary for the success of the mission…….." T'Pol hesitated then decided that lying to this Vulcan would not be right. "And he was my friend."

This statement raised the eyebrows of the gray haired male. He examined the desktop a moment trying to control his disappointment in the young woman's control, but it was too evident on his face. "So you decided to have sexual relations with this Human because of his loss?"

"No…..because he expressed his attraction for me…. There was another Human female that was attracted to him. I believe it was the bond trying to protect itself which made his presence so vivid in my thoughts. It was virtually impossible to control, although I tried for months. I rationalize it was, as the Human's say 'a craving' , once satisfied, it would disappear……"

This statement made the ambassador's brows vanish beneath his bangs.

"It didn't" T'Pol continued her embarrassing admission. "I then decided to tighten my control further which only made matters worse between us. The sleeplessness, the dreams when sleep did come, if it hadn't been for the constant attacks by the Xindi, I believe we would have been able to diagnose this bond sooner, but we were being kept so busy with other things…."

"You brought the commander to Vulcan with you after your mission was over. Were you sensing a bond then?" Soval knew of this action even though T'Pol ended up marrying Koss.

"The Commander was at a loss as to what to do. He was ordered to leave the ship and rest but had no place to go. He was still hurting from the loss of his sister and I offered him a chance to come with me." T'Pol kept it simple, knowing all the while she had an ulterior motive.

"So you intended to marry Koss while you were home?" Soval knew this all too well.

"No….I was under the impression the marriage was called off by Koss' parents when I refused to come home years earlier. I was surprised when Koss contacted me about it." T'Pol now turned to face away from her counselor.

"And yet you went through with it anyway, why?"

"Because the High Command had fabricated evidence about my mother and had forced her to resign from the academy….If I didn't agree to the marriage, they might have then tried to try her on equally fabricated charges. I couldn't allow this to happen. Commander Tucker understood."

"The Commander was upset by your marriage?" Soval was now realizing the bond was strong even back then.

"Yes….very much so…..He was in love with me." T'Pol didn't seem all that loathed to speak those words since she was talking about a Human.

"You shared a deep connection with him as well?"

"Yes…..I believed I did." T'Pol lowered her face to her lap.

"Then the bond was most certainly strong between you two back then. It is impressive you were able to fight it and marry Koss as you did. That would be very hard for any Vulcan to do…. Your disciplines have strengthened while you've been aboard Enterprise." Soval looked away from her allowing his charge a breather from this humiliating question and answer period.

He thought a moment. "Commander Tucker wishes to remain within this bond?"

"Yes…. We are trying to strengthen it, but the Ensign's interactions with me have made things quite disturbing between us. I try to block out those times when the Ensign is near to me, but it doesn't seem to help." T'Pol looked with earnest for guidance from this old and trusted male role model.

"It is because you are blocking the bond that Commander Tucker is reacting to it. Cutting off a bond is painful and brings on much mistrust, especially in the early stages of the bond. You mustn't try to block your feelings from him. This way he will begin to trust in you and the bond more. He will then react less to the little things that may try to threaten it." Soval was being the good non judging counselor she had always known.

"So the blocking of a bond is what makes it uneasy…." T'Pol started to grasp the problem.

"Yes… the two of you must work on techniques to help get through your differences. Where disharmony to you would be controlled, to a Human the results could be chaotic. Perhaps teaching him meditation techniques as well as shared time within your bond would help to stabilize his emotions."

"Shared time may not be a luxury we have. The Admiral is planning to transfer me to Columbia…and possibly court martial the commander." Now Soval felt the worry of his charge, like a parent.

He searched her face and began to fear that she would be in even greater danger at the hands of this Human admiral than she was by the Xindi. He looked into her eyes, so round and full of concern. "Those decisions haven't been made yet……It is illogical for you to concern yourself with them until they are. I will leave you to meditate. Your emotions are quite close to the surface. Control them before you leave this place." Soval stood to leave her in peace. As he passed her, he placed a soft hand upon her shoulder. This was out of the ordinary, and T'Pol looked up at him with questioning eyes. He returned her only a reassuring look before hitting the door button and exiting the room.

As Soval left T'Pol in the ready room to return to his quarters, Hoshi and Malcolm saw this as their opportunity to get to the Ambassador. Hoshi stepped up from her communications console stopping the older Vulcan in his tracks just in front of the turbo lift doors. Malcolm came up behind him quickly while the communications officer was getting his attention.

"Ambassador….. Could we have a moment of your time?" Hoshi reached out but didn't touch the alien. He stopped and turned to address the young lady then became aware of the British officer coming to stand behind her.

"You may find this useful in your investigation." Reed handed a palm pad in his direction which Soval took without question. They exchanged a curious look, the ambassador wondering what these two knew of the problem and the Humans trying to gage the amount of receptiveness the elder male would have for their pilfered data.

"Indeed…." He returned opening the information in front of them and glancing at the different pages it contained. "You are correct, this will be most helpful….My thanks." Soval nodded slightly and turned to enter the turbo lift. Hoshi and Malcolm gave each other a very pleased grin knowing they helped cook the goose of that roving Romeo Edmunds for good.

On the way back to his quarters, Soval made a slight detour. He stopped a crewman and asked for directions to the Captain's quarters. The eager and impressed fresh faced young male offered to take the delegate there personally, but the ambassador declined graciously and took the directions instead. He continued along the corridors until he stood just outside the captain's door. Soval pressed the button and was surprised to see the door open with a very perplexed Captain Archer standing it the doorway. "Ambassador?"

"Captain, I would speak with you a moment." Soval awaited the gesture to be allowed into the Captain's quarters. It came and he entered, his robes swaying with the motion as the door swooshed close behind him.

***
"It would seem Ensign you are in violation of a primary Vulcan law…..Attack upon a Vulcan female." The ambassador walked around the large conference room table which the others in the room were seated at. The Captain, at the head of the table turned to look at his first officer seated to his left. Trip was too busy staring at the Ensign across from him. And the look upon his and his Grandfather's faces was that of total disbelief. Soval, though remained unfazed by his declaration, stepping slowly and deliberately in the direction of the trouble some young ensign.

"Attack on a Vulcan female….. I never tried to attack her….This is a big mistake." Edmunds began to sweat. He nervously twisted in his seat, first to look at the approaching alien figure, then to his grandfather who was still speechless from the dilemma.

"You grabbed Commander T'Pol in the mess hall, and attempted to grab her again in the gym…..the surveillance recordings were quite clear on that fact." Soval wasn't letting up.

"I didn't know it was not allowed….. I was just trying to get her to stay and talk with me…..I wanted to get to know her." Edmunds put his hands out open on the table trying to indicate his innocence in the matter.

"So you freely admit you were attempting to disrupt Commander T'Pol's bond with her mate." Soval countered with precision and skill. "Another of Vulcan's most sacred laws that you have violated."

"Now wait just a minute…..How is my grandson supposed to know that trying to get to know a fellow crewman was against Vulcan law?" Instantly the Admiral was ready to take sides.

"Commander T'Pol clearly indicated she was a married female. By the ensign's own admission, she asked him to stop pursuing her….The record tapes don't lie Admiral." Soval stopped immediately behind the young man making him have to crane to see his prosecutor.

"There is also evidence that this is not the first time the ensign has used familiarities outside his rank. There is documentation from Columbia of his fraternizing with superior officers to get better assignments and even his promotion. I have the data right here. It would seem the Human has made a career out of deceptive practices." Soval handed a palm pad of data to the Admiral. The older male scanned the entries and looked disapprovingly at his grandson.

"All right, so he showed poor judgment in his actions, surely you can see he is sorry for what happened, is this really necessary?" The Admiral knew all too well how tenacious this particular Ambassador could be.

"I don't believe you understand Admiral….the crimes your grandson are accused of are punishable by death." Now even Archer was in disbelief.

"Death?" The young man yelped.

"What?" Now the Admiral was lost as to how to proceed.

"Crimes punishable by death have largely been abolished on Vulcan for many centuries now, but there are still a few. Attacking a female as well as knowingly trying to disrupt a pair bond, are two that still hold this punishment. T'Pol, like all Vulcans in contact with Humans, has taken an oath not to bring harm or allow harm to come to any Human, or else she would have taken care of this herself once his deviance was discovered. It is also most likely why Commander Tucker was having such violent reactions to the Ensign's actions. He couldn't have known why he was reacting this way. Just that it was necessary." Soval moved on around the table toward Archer this time.

"So that's why I wanted to kill him so bad?" Trip absently murmured.

"Exactly….you were responding to the old reactions of Vulcans past. T'Pol controlled her reactions and no harm came to the Ensign, but she couldn't control yours. I give you credit for the restraint you showed. Interfering with a bond is very difficult to ignore." Trip looked up at the gray haired alien with a new found respect.

"I couldn't know this…. I was just trying to get a promotion." Edmunds interrupted this friendly moment of understanding. He decided, to save his own neck he would come clean. "I had no intention of interring with anything…. I just wanted to make Lt. I knew I couldn't sway Commander Tucker….so I went after Commander T'Pol."

"Jimmie !" The admiral scolded his grandson, startled by his admission.

"It's true grampa…. It worked on Columbia….I just wanted to make you proud of me. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble…I wanted my own command. Really I am truly sorry…..for everything." Now the ensign was addressing the Captain, Trip and T'Pol.

"So be it then…. We have all the evidence we need….You did in fact try to coerce Commander T'Pol. I believe this inquiry has ended…. You will be transported to Vulcan where the final sentence will be carried out." Soval went toward the comm. link to call in his escort from outside in the hall. "Unless of course," Soval stopped and turned to the young man and his grandparent. "If you wish, I could perform the execution immediately and save you the disgrace of a sentencing tribunal. I am quite skilled at Tel'Shya". The Ambassador sounded almost pleased at that admission.

"Tel'Shya?" Archer uttered still too shocked to comprehend what was happening.

"Tel'Shya is considered a merciful form of execution on our planet. It is done by applying significant amounts of pressure to snap the neck instantly. It is said to be quite painless." T'Pol answered her commanding officer evenly, but with a touch of remorse hiding somewhere in her tone.

"Grampa.." Now the younger Edmunds was trembling violently. His words came out shaky and strained. As the Vulcan circled round the table near him again, it looked as though the ensign would faint dead away without the Ambassador's assistance.

"Very well…." Soval reached for the comm. button.

"Wait…" Archer finally spoke up. He placed his hand over the comm to prevent the Ambassador's action. "I don't agree with what the Ensign did, nor do I condone his actions aboard the Columbia, but I don't think he should die for them. He clearly was being deceptive…."

"Not to mention dishonorable." Soval jumped in.

"And dishonorable, but still that is no reason to put a man to death." Archer finished.

"Perhaps on Earth, Humans place a lesser value on life, but on Vulcan, life is sacred and is taken very seriously. Interfering with a bond could have injured Commander Tucker and killed Commander T'Pol. I dare say that is due cause for such harsh punishment." Soval was being so serious, Archer wondered if he'd wasn't forgetting their deal.

"Yes… but no one was harmed……I think in this case it should be considered." Archer began defending the man he was loathed to help.

"Perhaps….my government would be willing to consider a lesser punishment in the interest of continued Human/ Vulcan relations. I dare say they would be receptive to 50 years in a Vulcan rehabilitation camp." The ambassador watched as the reactions around the room went from startle to just plain bewilderment. Archer knew that this was not an acceptable offer either, though it spared the young man his life.

Edmunds' face scrunched up at the thought of a 50 year sentence. "50 years…..I'll be…I'll be…..73 years old before I am released… Grandpa….." He pleaded to the Admiral for assistance, who was as befuddled as the young man as to how to get him out of this mess. Archer decided to speak again on Edmunds behalf.

"You said it would have been up to T'Pol to decide his fate had he not been Human…..I say she should decide now what is to be done with him."

Soval looked away in frustration. "It is not Commander T'Pol's decision. Being his mate, she is the property of Commander Tucker….. It is up to him to decide the fate of the young man."

Ensign Edmunds gulped down the nausea that built up inside him at that thought. Both he and his grandfather concentrated on the young Engineer. T'Pol, Archer and Soval also watched as Trip indicated his shock at what had been laid upon his shoulders. "Me?"

He studied the occupants of the room then looked down to his hands folded on the table before him. His tongue explored the inside of his cheek as it always did when he was deep in thought. After several awkward moments of silence the Admiral grew uneasy.

"Well Commander…. My grandson's fate seems to be in your hands. What do you intent for him?"

"Well Sir, I understand Soval's reasons for wanting to impose the proper punishment. He's right in saying that James' actions could have cost T'Pol her life, not just from the disruption of our bond, but from the explosion in the Armory. But I can't kill another human being….I just can't." Trip looked to T'Pol and then to the Captain, before finally turning to Soval. "And I can't condemn him to spend the rest of his life in a Vulcan prison for his actions….." Trip felt as though he was letting his mate down, but knew she was with him on this. Edmunds and his grandparent sighed heavily.

"It seems to me that his presence aboard Enterprise would only continue to make things difficult. I definitely think a transfer is in order……" Trip looked over to his mate and saw an approving nod.

"A transfer?" The ambassador's tone was one of great disapproval. "The Human deliberately tried to harm a ranking member of Vulcan society…..and I might remind you, your mate…..and you would only have him transferred somewhere else so he can start this again.?"

"No….I wasn't finished yet." Trip interrupted what he now knew as a Vulcan tirade. "I think he shouldn't be in a position to try this again. I don't know if he should even be in Starfleet, but at the very least since he admitted using fraternization to get his last promotion, he should loose that promotion and go back to the rank of crewman. Perhaps on a transport vessel, at least until he learns the value of honestly earning his promotions instead of scamming them."

Trip looked over to see the huge smile upon his friend's lips. He could feel a palpable pride coming from Archer, at his insight and understanding. Soval, still wearing a frustrated look, turned to once more face the chief engineer.

"The Captain is correct in assuming that yours is the final decision in this matter. I don't particularly think this punishment is severe enough to fit the crime. However it is not up to me." He then looked to the Admiral. "Is this punishment agreeable to you, Admiral?" He questioned and awaited a reply.

"I think it is agreeable to all parties." Edmunds Sr. sighed his answer, knowing now his grandson's life would be spared. He put a supportive arm about the male and pulled him a little closer into his body.

"Very well….I will meet both of you at the airlock. My vessel will return the two of you to Earth. Please go now and collect your things. The Shu'ran will leave at 1600 hours." The Admiral and Edmunds rose to leave. They hastened their retreat before the alien had time to change his mind. Once the door closed, Soval turned back to the Enterprise officers.

"I hope Captain, this solves your problem with Ensign Edmunds." His tone was lighter, clueing Trip into the fact that the Ambassador had been in on it the whole time.

"Yeah….now I only have Starfleet to deal with. This transfer thing…I don't know how I am gonna get that one fixed." The Captain had just finished with one problem and was moving onto his next.

"That, it seems, won't be necessary…..here" Soval handed Archer a palm pad with new instructions from Starfleet Command.

"What's this…..?" He asked almost too astonished to read.

"It is your orders to keep Commanders T'Pol and Tucker assigned together." Trip and Archer looked at each other in total surprise.

"After I discussed with them the urgency at keeping a bonded pair together, they complied with my request to halt the transfer and not allow the commanders to be separated from now on. Compromising the life of a high ranking member of Vulcan society could be construed as an act of war. I dare say that Starfleet wants and interstellar incident on their hands. It would not be logical." The Ambassador explained things so calmly. Trip, however, was getting more and more filled with emotion.

"Ambassador…..I am so grateful, I could kiss ya." Trip declared and laughed as he saw the frightened look that came across the alien's face. "Don't worry…it's just an expression…..Really I owe you… I don't know how I'll ever repay ya for this."

"There is no need for repayment. I believe we are even. Your assistance in the Vulcan -Andorian conflict was invaluable. Your actions quite possibly averted a war between our two species. The blood shed and loss of life would have been senseless and devastating. It is the least that Vulcan can do to help in this matter." Finally Trip knew that he was sure about this alien. All the years of mistrust melted away and now were replaced with respect and friendship. The Vulcan's approval warmed him deeply.

"You have many loyal friends aboard Enterprise, Commanders." Soval handed Trip the palm pad Hoshi and Malcolm had given him earlier. "Their assistance in my investigation was quite helpful."

Trip looked at the data and saw the encryption signatures. "Hoshi and Malcolm" He murmured tilting the screen more so his mate and captain could see the data.

Ambassador Soval then turned to Archer. "Captain, your orders are to return to Vulcan…. With your limited warp capabilities, you should arrive there about the time I return from dropping the Admiral and his grandson off on Earth. You have been given permission to use the V'Kara station to make further repairs. Any assistance you need will be there at your disposal. During your stay, members of your crew will be granted shore leave if they wish, and accommodations will be provided for them in the Human quarter." Soval then turned to Trip and T'Pol.

"While this is occurring, you two will be required to meet with T'Pau….She, as temporary head of the Council has granted your witnessing ceremony and will officiate over the services personally. Afterward, you will need to spend time fine tuning your pair bond. Perhaps a couple of weeks will assist you in getting the problems worked out." Trip's smile grew larger than the circumference of his face. His eyes twinkled, half with happiness and half with mischief. He turned and started to pick up his beloved in a bear hug. Knowing of his intentions, T'Pol shot him a warning glare. Archer watched the unspoken communication with great amusement.

Trip eased back and stood there ready to explode from his happiness. T'Pol realizing this, decided to get them to a place where he could get more control over his emotions. "If you will excuse us Captain, Ambassador." She stated putting out two fingers before her and looking to her mate.

Trip knew of this custom from their talks and linked his two fingers to hers. He nodded to the gentlemen as they left the room. Archer turned to Soval wondering just what had taken place.

"Public displays of affection are considered distasteful to Vulcans." He stated lowly, leaning into the Captain a bit as they heard the conference doors slide shut.

"Ah…."Archer replied then both men were startled by the sound coming from the passageway.

"YIPPIE !!!!!" Trip's voice resounded through the bulkhead and Jon could imagine his friend picking up the small framed Vulcan and twirling her round and round. He looked to the Ambassador for his reaction and became amused by his lack of humor on the subject.

"Humans !" He stated plainly causing Archer to blurt out a laugh.

"I think T'Pol has her hands full, what do you think Ambassador?" Archer was still chuckling low.

"Indeed…..I will be curious to see how she handles this." Soval wrapped his hands back into their oversized sleeves and began to contemplate just what his charge had gotten herself into.

The End

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

Happy Early Christmas everyone. Hope you enjoyed this little romp……T

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

Fun, fun! Can't wait to see what happens on Vulcan...

This is the best chapter yet! Gotta love Soval! What a fantastic story - loved it.

-jw

p.s. Any plans for showing us the two weeks on Vulcan?

Hooray, creepy Edmunds gets his comeupance at last! Of course you realize that Trip's little comment about them having kids just BEGS for there to be a sequel to this! (hint, hint...lol)

That was just wonderful, neatly wrapped up all round, thanks for not making us wait too long!

Yaaayy! A happy ending, great fun! Glad Edmunds got his.

Loved it, sad it's over. Looking forward to your next story.

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. It's just my little pre holiday christmas present. I might consider the two weeks on Vulcan, but first I have to get out "A New Life" like I promised. That is the sequel to "And Baby Makes 4". That is ironically on Vulcan as well with Little Lizzie and Baby Lorian back into the picture. And for you V'Lmir fans, she's back too, wondering how the hell T'Pol can stand being bonded to a Human. It's a cute adjustment to life on Vulcan piece. Of course our resident crew has to come by for a visit. I think you'll love it. I will get started on the story after I turn in this week's school project, due Monday. It's a team thing, so I have to give it 100% of my attention for the moment. Enjoy....Trish

while i was content, liar, to wait for a sequel story this added chapter makes a great early holiday gift!!!

nicely done. would love to see Soval doing this.

Trip sure has a way with those kranky non-humans!

"YIPPIE !!!!!" Trip's voice resounded through the bulkhead and Jon could imagine his friend picking up the small framed Vulcan and twirling her round and round. He looked to the Ambassador for his reaction and became amused by his lack of humor on the subject.

"Humans !" He stated plainly causing Archer to blurt out a laugh.

LOL ROFLMAO!!!!
Loved this chapter, very well written, it feels as if christmas has come early...
You know of course this is screaming for a sequel...

I enjoyed this series. I liked the tension Edmunds brought to the table. I enjoy stories where T/T are in a relationship, but I realize they can be difficult for writers. The "first time" or "get together" stories come pre-loaded with tension. Creating conflict with an on-going relationship takes some creativity.

Good work.

I still think Edmunds got off just a bit too easy, LOL!

Edmunds got off way too easy. I wanted to see Soval take off his head. :D

Seriously, this was a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to the next one by you...

I may have to agree with Distracted on that one, but... YIPPIE! Great story, great ending, and I can't wait for "A New Life" to start! :)

I was bad and have only rerad this chapter but i'll go back and read the rest. There will be a sequel i hope.:)

Great just like your other fics. had me laughing out loud in places.

loved it

Awe, what a happy ending and one terrific story! Loved all of the character interactions, Soval was the best. I could just see his cleveness unfolding the way you wrote his character. Well done! By chance is there a sequel or some other spin-off story related to this story?

Very good story that really needs a sequel maybe with a bit more Hoshi/Malcolm (2nd best ship) as well.