Devil's Advocate-Ch 12

Devil’s Advocate

By Triplover

Disclaimer: When I own all this I’ll be sure to go outside and watch the pigs flying cause it’s never gonna happen.
Genre: Mystery, Romance, Angst
Rating: R (for violence and other stuff)
Summary: After saving a cargo ship filled with many different species, crewmembers on Enterprise are found dead.

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Chapter Twelve

The Siren’s Call

Trip walked somewhat shakily out of the shuttle to see Captain Archer and Lieutenant Reed standing there waiting for him. He stumbled upon seeing them and almost fell to the ground. He was so weak. Thankfully Malcolm had seen his fall coming and had grabbed him before he could hit the ground. He felt so weak all of the sudden. Perhaps his exhaustion over everything that had happened was finally catching up with him.

“Are you all right, Trip?” Malcolm asked.

Trip nodded, still leaning on his friend. He gave the lieutenant a small smile and chuckled. “I just feel a little weak. I think I’d better get to sickbay, quick.” Malcolm smiled, pulling Trip’s right arm over his shoulder so he could support the engineer’s weight easier. Archer walked over to the other side, careful not to disturb the burned arm, to help Reed. With the two helping him to sickbay, Trip was able to get there fast, where he found Doctor Phlox and T’Pol standing there before him. Tucker paused, unable to move when he saw her eyes staring back into his. Suddenly the world stood still. Archer, Reed, and Phlox disappeared before his very eyes; there was only her. They stood there for what seemed like hours, just looking at each other, though it had only been a few minutes. She was so beautiful, though he could tell she was still weak. Her skin was pale green, and he could see the sweat on her face.

He knew at that moment in time that the connection between them went far beyond anything he or she had ever felt before. It wasn’t just a link between them, or feelings they both shared. She was a part of him, like she’d been made just for him, and he for her. It was then that he saw her hand grace her stomach and the world around them appeared just as suddenly as it had disappeared. Even with her shirt on he could see the scars as if she were naked before him. The feelings and assurances he had just thought about were gone and in its wake was shame. He didn’t deserve a woman like her, and she didn’t deserve someone like him. It was as simple as that.

The Commander cleared his throat and looked away from T’Pol. He focused his attention on Doctor Phlox, hoping that he hadn’t been staring at T’Pol for too long. “Doc, my left arms hurt bad. I was shot while tryin’ to escape.”

Phlox smiled. “Yes,” he then turned and looked at T’Pol, “we know. Here, take a seat and I’ll be right with you.”

Trip nodded as Archer and Reed led him to the bio bed. He slowly sat down on the bed, grunting in pain. His eyes again reached T’Pol’s and he could feel his heart jump. He swallowed hard and ignored the voice telling him he could never be without T’Pol. He wouldn’t accept that. He’d been without her before, and he could do it again. It just wouldn’t work between them. Not when every time he looked at her he thought about the night he almost ended her life. He just couldn’t do it, but his heart told a different story. He would have to talk to T’Pol, and soon. It was the only way to clear this whole mess. He just hoped he could face her.

==

That night Trip had spent most of the hours asleep on the bio bed, but after the nightmare he’d had, he doubted he’d be going back to sleep for a while. Doctor Phlox had stepped out for a little while to get something to eat, something about a midnight snack. Trip walked around the sickbay till he saw the sleeping form of T’Pol on the bio bed farthest from him. Doctor Phlox had filled him in on T’Pol’s condition. He’d said T’Pol was lucky, that her wounds could have been worse. The Doctor had told him T’Pol could have died, though technically she had been dead for a few seconds there.

Trip shook his head lightly before walking towards her. He could tell she was deep in sleep. She looked so tired, like she hadn’t slept in a while. Captain Archer had told him T’Pol disregarded Phlox’s worries about her condition to help find him when Jolen had taken him. He smiled gratefully at the sleeping beauty before him, reaching out to her with his fingers to stroke her face. He loved her. He couldn’t deny that. He knew that distancing himself from her would be the hardest thing he ever had to do, but he couldn’t let her suffer anymore than he could let himself suffer in her presence.

Faintly he could hear a voice in the back of his mind, the sound of an urge for him to do something, though he couldn’t hear it well. Trip closed his eyes, still stroking T’Pol’s face as he heard the voice grow clearer with each passing moment. It reminded him of Greek mythology. He remembered in school hearing about stories of sirens, women who would sing to the sailors passing by in order to lure them into crashing their ship against the rock, successfully sinking the ship into the depths of the deep blue sea. That is what the sound reminded him of, and he could see why the sailors would find it so alluring. The voice grew louder with each second, until finally the words became clear.

“Remember,” was all the voice said.

In that moment Trip’s head jolted as flashes of hurting T’Pol filled his mind. He could see her trying to struggle away from him. He was too strong. He wouldn’t let her go. The adrenaline passing through his veins made him stronger than normal. He could feel the power flowing through him, through his body as the knife proceeded to plow into T’Pol’s body. He could see the green blood flowing all around. He could feel the smile appear on his face, feel the pleasure of seeing her suffer hit him full force. Suddenly they were in sickbay instead of T’Pol’s quarters and he could feel his hand around her throat, gently squeezing the life force out of her weak body.

“No!” she cried, tears in her eyes. He could see the fear there, fear of him. His smile deepened as he squeezed harder and harder. “Please Trip! No! I love you,” she whispered, though it sounded like she was shouting to his ears. Tears fell down his face, though his smile did not disappear. His hand was still around her throat, squeezing so hard he was sure to break her neck, and with a powerful snap… he did.

Trip’s eyes flew open as he shouted out in the darkness.

“Easy Commander! Easy!” came a calm voice in the dark surrounding him. He felt two hands grasp his shoulders as he realized he had jolted into a sitting position. He was in bed… in sickbay. It had all been a dream. No, it had all been a nightmare, a terrible nightmare. Trip worked on catching his breath as he let Doctor Phlox push him back down on the bio bed. “It was just a dream, Commander. Nothing more. It was just a dream.”

Tucker shook his head, tears falling down his face. “He’s calling to me. He wants me to finish the job,” he told the Doctor.

“Commander, you were dreaming. Everything is fine now. Please just calm down. You’re safe here. You’re safe, Commander.”

Trip tried to get himself together. He was acting like a child, but he couldn’t help the feelings overwhelming him. The dream had been all too real. He wouldn’t let that happen though! He wouldn’t finish the job! Determination filled Trip’s heart as he struggled out of the Doctor’s hold and ran to the sickbay doors. “No! I gotta get away! T’Pol’s not safe!”

“Mr. Tucker! Mr. Tucker! She’s fine, Commander!” Phlox called out to him. Trip wouldn’t listen though. The dream had been too real. Jolen wanted him to finish the job. He couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t let T’Pol die, not by his hands, not by him.

==

Doctor Phlox hit the com, letting out a long sigh. “Phlox to Lieutenant Reed. We have a bit of a situation here.”

T’Pol stood behind him, her eyes filled with worry as he looked back at her. The science officer then looked at the sickbay doors before running through. She had to find Trip!

==

Trip raced down the halls, his eyes filled with fear as he flew past other officers. He needed to get away. He needed to stop Jolen from killing T’Pol. “Remember,” the voice shouted.

“No!” Trip answered. Jolen was slowly taking over. He couldn’t let that happen. He wouldn’t let Jolen take control. It was then that he froze, seeing the airlock right before him. He knew then at that moment that there was no way Jolen would stop. He wouldn’t end this until Trip was dead, but he wanted Trip to watch his friends die first. That wasn’t going to happen. He wouldn’t watch more people he cared about die. There was only one way to end this, once and for all.

==

“No!” Jolen shouted. He grabbed the first thing within reach and threw it against the wall. “Remember! Remember now! Remember your mission!”

“The implants are not strong yet! I told you to do nothing until then!” came the angered voice of Daniels.

Jolen swirled around to glare at his companion. “Enough waiting! This will all end! Now!”

Daniels took a step forward. “I know how his mind works! He won’t listen to you! His mind is too strong! His love for T’Pol too great! You should have waited!”

Jolen’s anger grew hotter with each passing moment that Trip Tucker resisted him. “Let him try to fight me all he wants. My will is just as strong as his is. T’Pol will die. As will the others. I WILL get my revenge!”

Daniels swallowed hard as he looked at the desperate man before him. He shook his head slowly, seeing the pathetic obsession in this man. “You are a fool, Jolen. You will get nothing.”

Jolen smiled lightly, folding his arms as a thought appeared in his mind. “Perhaps we don’t need to have Trip kill T’Pol.”

“What do you mean, exactly?” asked Daniels.

Jolen’s eyes sparkled as he explained. “I can feel his thoughts. He won’t kill her. He won’t let himself do it.”

“What exactly is your idea?”

Jolen closed his eyes. “There’s really nothing I need to do. All I must do is wait, wait and urge him further until he finally breaks.”

“Breaks?” Daniels smiled as he finally realized Jolen’s plan. “Oh, I see. Interesting, but I suggest a slight modification. Let T’Pol see him… let her watch him die.”

Jolen grinned, nodding slowly.

==

Commander Tucker’s hands flew over the console as he hurried to open the airlock doors. He was rerouting the controls to trigger the other airlock door on the other side. It took him a few minutes to get it to work right and he quickly opened the door. He’d been able to get a gun out of the little weapons locker Malcolm had installed after the Xindi incident. He’d installed them near all the airlocks, cargo bays and anything else that he considered important. He held it tightly in his hand. He wanted to be prepared for anything. If he could feel Jolen starting to take over his mind he’d shoot it before that could happen. It was his only back-up plan, and he really hoped he wouldn’t have to. He didn’t want his engineers having to clean up a mess.

“Trip!”

Trip turned around to see T’Pol standing before him. Her eyes were wide with fear. He’d never seen the woman so scared. Trip stood at the entrance, looking back at her. “T’Pol, what are you doin’ here?”

“I think the better question is what are you doing here?”

Trip smiled. “It’s never gonna end, T’Pol. He won’t stop, not until I finish it.”

“Trip, you can’t do this! There must be another way,” she fought.

Trip raised the gun, setting it to stun. “I suggest you get outta here, T’Pol. Please, just go.” His eyes pleaded with her as tears fell unwillingly down his face. “Go!”

T’Pol backed away, but she didn’t leave him. “Enterprise has found a way out of tight situations before! They will do it again.”

His heart ached as he watched her. Her eyes were filled with tears unable to fall. She wouldn’t let them fall. That was what he admired most about her. Out of anyone on Enterprise, she was the strongest. The strongest woman he’d ever known, because she had an ability others did not. She could suppress her feelings, her worries, she had a gift and she didn’t even really know it. Many times she envied humans because they could feel. She envied humans because she knew they could freely feel emotions. They weren’t too strong to handle. Feelings like hers were too strong to handle for her. He understood that, he understood her. He should after so much time with her. Trip sighed and lowered his gun, walking over to her. He gently touched T’Pol’s face and kissed her forehead. “There is only one way out, T’Pol. I know that, and Jolen does too. I can’t do anything else to get out of this situation. There’s only one thing that will keep you and everyone else I love alive, and that’s my death.”

T’Pol’s face lowered as her eyes closed. “No, there must be another way.” The science officer raised her eyes to look into his. “There MUST be another way.”

“There is no other way.” Trip walked back to his original spot. “Please, just go. Go. Go unless you want to watch me die.”

“Trip, please… choose another way. Choose to live.”

She was still holding on to him. He had to change that. He again raised his weapon, switching it to kill as he moved the tip of the weapon to touch the side of his head, right above his temple. “Get outta here or I kill myself right now!”

“Trip, please!”

“No! Get the hell outta here, T’Pol! Now!” T’Pol backed away further just as Malcolm and a team of security officers ran around the corner. Trip cursed to himself when he saw Captain Archer there with him. “Get outta here! All of ya!”

“Trip, just what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Archer asked him.

Trip took a step back, his gun still pressed against him. “What do ya think I’m doin’? I’m endin’ this! I’m endin’ this now, once and for all! I won’t let Jolen force me to kill T’Pol! He wants me to kill her. It’s not over, and it never will be until I’m dead!”

“No, this is what Jolen wants you to think. He wants you to suffer. He wants to torture you, Trip. Don’t give in,” Reed assured him.

Trip closed his eyes as the voice whispered to him. “They won’t listen. End it. End it now. Forget the airlock. Pull the trigger. Just pull the trigger.” Trip’s finger tightened around the trigger as his eyes closed tighter. “I haffta. He’s givin’ me a way out, Malcolm. He’s givin’ me a way out and I gotta take it.” He knew Jolen was behind this. He knew that Jolen was willing to let him kill himself, but he also knew if he didn’t Jolen would never stop. It was the only way. He began to squeeze the trigger.

“No! No, please!” Trip opened his eyes to see T’Pol had taken a step forward. Tears fell down her face to the shock of everyone around her, including Trip. “Don’t do this. Don’t give in. You aren’t doing this because it’s a way out. You’re doing this because you’re afraid, afraid of losing me. You shouldn’t be. If I had given into my fear of being with you, do you think I would allow myself to feel this way about you?” T’Pol paused, taking another step forward as she continued. “Trip, do you remember the time when I voiced my concerns to you? About us?”

Trip nodded. “You were afraid, afraid of our relationship. You didn’t want us to make a mistake and end up payin’ for it. You’d never been in a relationship before, and you worried about what would happen if it didn’t work out. You said you feared for your emotional well bein’. You’d never been so afraid of your emotions before.”

T’Pol took yet another step closer. “And do you remember what you told me?”

“That we all get afraid of things sometimes. The trick is to not give in to it.”

“Don’t give in, Trip. Please just don’t give in. We will figure out another way. Just trust me. Trust the crew of the Enterprise. I don’t want you to die.”

He’d never seen her so upset, so… emotional. In all the years he’d known her she had never pleaded with him like this. She was a Vulcan! Vulcans didn’t cry… yet here, as he looked at her, all his ideas of who she was vanished. Everything he’d ever thought about her people became nothing. This wasn’t the T’Pol he’d always felt he knew. The link he felt with her was almost gone, yet even with it fading he could still feel her fear. It was so strong. She loved him so much. She didn’t want to lose him. Suddenly the feelings he’d just felt began to melt. If he did this now, if he killed himself, he would still hurt her. Could he really do that to her? Could he really hurt her again after everything he’d already put her through? His gun lowered as he realized the answer to that question.

T’Pol walked over to him, grabbing the gun and throwing it to the floor before wrapping her arms around him. Trip closed his eyes and moved his arms around her, his chin resting on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry, T’Pol. I’m so sorry. I just don’t know what to do. I don’t want to lose you either. I don’t think I could take it. I was so sure it was the only way. It had to be. I could feel it. I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t,” she whispered. Her voice was muffled because of his shoulder, but he felt like he could hear her just as clear as day. “You will never lose me. I won’t let that happen.”

Trip nodded against her before looking up to see Archer staring back at him. Archer smiled kindly at him. “It’s okay, Trip. We’ll find a way.”

Tucker backed away from T’Pol and smiled lightly. “I know. I know.” He had to trust them. To hope beyond all doubt that Jolen wouldn’t get his revenge. He knew Enterprise would do everything they could to help. They were his family, and it was time he trusted them.

Archer put a hand on Trip’s shoulder, his eyes filled with determination. He nodded once at his friend. “How’s your arm?”

Tucker smiled. “It’s fine enough. The Doc gave me a little somethin’ to stop the pain. It should heal fine on its own. He gave me a hypospray to make sure there’s no scar, too.”

The Captain patted Trip’s right shoulder before looking back at Malcolm. “Lieutenant, take him to the brig.”

Trip knew there was no other way. They had to watch him to make sure Jolen didn’t take over. He understood. Malcolm, though, didn’t seem too happy. He frowned deeply before grabbing Trip’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Trip.”

Tucker smiled back at Malcolm. “It’s fine Malcolm. I understand. Just take me to the brig.” Malcolm nodded before leading Trip to the brig. Tucker walked willingly with his friend, before looking back at T’Pol. He looked into her eyes and smiled reassuringly. “I love you,” he told her.

“And I you,” she said back, just before Malcolm and Trip turned around the corner.

Malcolm smiled. “Well at least I know what’s been going on with you and T’Pol… FINALLY.”

Trip looked back at his friend and chuckled lightly, shaking his head. If he could count on anyone to change the mood, it was Malcolm Reed. He was still rather upset, but somehow Reed seemed to help lighten his mood a bit. “I suppose so. Just don’t give me a hard time about it. I all ready got the Cap’n doin’ that, and the Doc.”

“Consider it done… and when all of this is over, what would you like for a wedding present?”

“Dammit Malcolm! Will you just drop it?!”

Malcolm chuckled lightly, glad Trip was doing better than the mess he was not but a few seconds before. He suppressed a sigh of relief and kept on walking. In his heart he promised himself to make sure Trip didn’t suffer anymore than he already was. Reed wouldn’t let that happen. He trusted the Captain. Trip and T’Pol would be fine… hopefully. Malcolm frowned before looking at Trip, who seemed deep in thought. Malcolm could tell what his friend was thinking. This wasn’t over. None of this was. Jolen would make sure of that. Enterprise would have to face him… Trip would have to face him.

Chapter 13

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Three people have made comments

Wow!!!!
The best chapter so far!!!!
I can't wait for more !!!!

Darn that dastardly Jolen and that smirking evil Daniels! I hope our heroes find a way to make sure that both of them get their just deserts. Ali D :~)

Great and wonderous the power of love isnt it.
BTW Im still hopeing some one kills Jolen and Daniels. Maybe it should be T'pol killing Daniels and Trip ringing the life out of Jolen.
Well I cant wait for the next update! So please get the next chapter done soon!