Together

Together

By Triplover

Rating: I’ll say PG-13
Disclaimer: Nope don’t own it… nor would I want to!
Spoilers: Warning!!!!! If you’re a no spoiler person then stay away until after “The Forgotten” has aired! Because there’s major spoilers for that episode!
Summary: When Trip becomes unstable, T’Pol begins to worry that she’s not the only one dealing with something.

A/N: I couldn’t resist… I really tried to but I just couldn’t! Let me know if it’s not too angst oriented… I wanted upbeat but this story said otherwise.

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

When T’Pol entered Engineering the first thing she could hear was the voice of Charles Tucker the third. But she noticed there was no pleasant feeling this time when hearing him. T’Pol began to walk towards him when she witnessed him yelling at one of his people. Quite strange since he’d never been known to yell at any of the engineering team.

“I told you again and again that I was gonna need section B’s power relay cut off! How hard is it to cut off the damn relay?! It was a simple task! I coulda been killed! Hasn’t there been enough dead because of this damn mission? You want more in body bags?!” The commander was yelling at the top of his lungs. The ensign who he was ‘talking’ to seemed to grow smaller and smaller every second. His eyes were wide in surprise and fear.

The other officers were also holding the same looks though his anger was only directed toward the one ensign. The ensign, Ensign Rick Holland, swallowed hard. “I-I-I’m s-sorry s-s-sir. It-It’ll never h-happen again!” With that, the ensign seemed to run for his life in the other direction.

The commander watched the ensign leave and his face soon changed from angry to regretful. His eyes grew darker than she’d ever seen them as he moved back and looked at the engineers that had been watching him. They all quickly turned away and went back to work before he could even say anything. Soon Commander Tucker’s eyes moved to look at T’Pol. He had an odd look on his face full of regret.

He turned around and walked out the door before she could do a thing. She didn’t try to stop him. She simply watched the door for a minute before putting the padd down that she had come to give to him and left.

==

Trip Tucker turned the sink’s water on and cupped the liquid in his hands bringing it to his face. What was he doing? Snapping at Holland like that. God, why was he acting like such a jerk? No…he knew why. But he couldn’t think about it. He just couldn’t.

Trip looked over at the padd on his bed. The only sentence there was “Dear Mister and Mrs. Xavior. I regret to inform you that your daughter has been killed…” What could he possibly say? This letter was going to eat him alive. Her name had been Marina Xavior. She had been one of his best engineers… and a friend if ever he had one. She had a brother back home… an older brother too. She’d always been close to her family. This was going to kill them. To know that their child, and his sister, was dead.

When he’d found out about her death the captain had asked him to write her family since not only had he known her better but also she’d been a member of his staff. Trip took his hand towel and wiped his dripping face before walking over to the bed to pick up the padd. He watched it for moments only to see the face of her – and Trip’s sister - over and over again in his mind. The two had been so much a like. Trip had even told Marina that once.

~*~*~

“Hey Marina… can ya hand me that micro-scanner over there?”

Trip chuckled. “She certainly is.”

~*~*~

That day seems so long ago now. Back when Lizzie was still alive. Back when Marina was still alive. Back when everything had been so much easier. Those days were a thing of the past now. But he couldn’t help but yearn for them again. He dropped the padd back down on the bed and walked out of his quarters heading towards the mess hall. He needed to eat some dinner. Maybe a nice dinner would help get his mind off of that damn letter he had to write… and Lizzie.

==

T’Pol rocked back and forth on her bed as the dream that had assaulted her hit her full force. Her breathing was erratic… sweat dripped down the side of her face. The Vulcan stayed like that for a long time before she finally began to calm down. The dreams were getting worse.

She couldn’t handle them. She didn’t know how to, the images of her hands around Charles Tucker’s neck. The thought of hurting the one person she cared for most. All because of a mistake she was unable to correct by herself. T’Pol let tears stream down her face as she began to cry. She didn’t want to hurt him. She didn’t want to hurt anyone. She didn’t want to lose control.

==

Trip couldn’t even eat. Well that’s a first, Tucker. The commander let out a long sigh before getting up and leaving the mess hall. He couldn’t eat. He couldn’t sleep and he even had trouble working. He had to talk to someone. And there was only one person he could think of talking to at the moment. He had to find T’Pol.

==

When T’Pol heard the chime at her door she quick wiped away her tears and straightened her pajamas before walking to the door. She was somewhat surprised to see Commander Tucker on the other side. They looked at each other, staring into the other’s eyes. “Can I come in a quick second?”

T’Pol nodded and moved to let him in. He quickly walked inside towards the window before turning around and staring at her once again. He said nothing more, which was making T’Pol unbelievably uncomfortable. So she decided to speak first. “You seemed quite… disturbed before in Engineering. Is there something wrong?”

Trip closed his eyes. “I guess the stress of this mission is finally catching up with me. In the worst way. As if not sleeping was bad enough now I can’t even eat anymore.”

T’Pol took a step closer. She knew exactly what was bothering him and though she herself had her own things to worry about, she would not turn away the commander. He was obviously in need of a friend. She would not let him down. “I know things have been especially… hard for you with this mission to save Earth and the death of your sister. I have learned that it can be quite damaging when humans suppress their emotions as Vulcans do. I knew soon you’d no longer be able to hide your own pain after the loss of your sister.”

Trip smiled. “Well you were right… ya always are.”

T’Pol almost winced at his comment. Not always, I’m afraid. “I realize you probably will not believe me but things will get better. Things like this take time.”

A single tear rolled down the commander’s cheek sending a deep pain shooting though the Sub-Commander. T’Pol took yet another step closer to him letting her hands move to his shoulders. Before she knew it he was in her arms crying. She had not expected this. Though she had seen the Commander cry before at movie night this was the first time she’d seen him cry like this.

Mr. Tucker held her close for a long time. T’Pol did not fight him. She simply held him. The commander’s arms wrapped around T’Pol were a comfort to her as well. It was a while before the two separated. “I miss her. I thought I could get through this but I can’t stop thinkin’ bout her.”

“Your sister?”

Trip nodded. “God… I never thought it would be like this when we first started. And now look at me. I’ve seen so many deaths after this… my sister’s gone and I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t know have to get through this. My sister and I were just so close ya know. She and I did so much together growin’ up. She was like the glue holdin’ my family together. I swore to myself that I wouldn’t let there be any more deaths but look at us! This ship was almost destroyed. People died. People I trusted, and cared for… people who I considered family.”

T’Pol moved her hand to his cheek. “It is always hard to lose someone you care for.”

Trip shook his head. “T’Pol… the fact is before this is over more people could die. Hell we all could die! I don’t want to lose you. I don’t think I could take anymore.”

“Then I shall work on being more careful.” Trip smiled.

“I’m sorry T’Pol. I didn’t mean to bother you like this. I just needed someone to talk to… and you were the only one I felt comfortable talking to about this.”

T’Pol moved a hand to his cheek. “You have no need to apologize. I am always here if you need to talk.”

Trip smiled down at her before moving his own hand to cover the one she had on his cheek. “I know.”

When she finally moved her hand down there was a long silence before anyone spoke again. They were so much closer now than they had ever been… and yet things were also quite strange when not but a few weeks ago she had been intimate with him. T’Pol breathed in deep. “You should get some rest. You need to sleep.”

Trip nodded. “Yeah… yeah I know.”

T’Pol frowned when she saw the hesitation. “Perhaps if we have a neuropressure session you will sleep easier tonight,” she offered.

The commander shook his head. “It’s okay T’Pol. Don’t go to any trouble. I’ve bothered you enough tonight.”

The chief engineer began walking to the door when T’Pol spoke, “Then may I ask you something?”

Trip turned around to look at her, noticing the worried look on her face. “Sure.”

T’Pol hesitated. “Have you ever had nightmares?”

“Sure, plenty of 'em.” He decided not to give her an example. He didn’t want to go into his own nightmares with the Sub-Commander. “Why do you ask?”

T’Pol moved to sit on her bed. “How do you deal with them?”

Trip walked over and sat next to her. “I guess it depends on the dream. Have you been havin’ nightmares T’Pol?”

T’Pol didn’t speak for nearly a minute. “Yes. They have been most unpleasant.”

Tucker chuckled. “They usually are T’Pol. What happened in your nightmare that’s got you all on edge? Maybe if you tell someone about it you’ll feel better.” Again Trip decided to try to ignore the fact that he had his own nightmares to handle each night.

“I was… hurting someone important to me,” T’Pol said simply.

“Who? A friend? Family?”

T’Pol moved uncomfortably on the bed. “A friend.”

“And you were hurtin’ this friend?” T’Pol simply nodded. Trip thought a moment then smiled. “Dreams are dreams T’Pol. They don’t mean anything. I wouldn’t worry too much about them.”

“But I was hurting you,” she added.

Trip was surprised to hear that new piece of information. T’Pol was having a dream where she was hurting him? Someone important to her? Trip cocked his head looking at her. “Well as long as ya don’t act on that dream I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”

T’Pol’s eyebrows rose. “There is more.”

“More?”

“We were… being intimate,” T’Pol told him.

Trip couldn’t stop the grin from forming. Nothing could. “Intimate, eh?”

T’Pol glared at him. “We were in the shower… engaging in intercourse when I became violent and threw you to the shower wall.” T’Pol hesitated to tell him the rest. But if he could trust her she could trust him. Doctor Phlox had told her it was a good idea to tell him since what she had done did affect him. “I changed… I began to look like the Vulcans we’d seen on the Selaya.”

Trip’s grin evaporated immediately. “Is that why you’ve been actin’ so strange lately? The emotional outbursts and everything? Because of this dream?”

T’Pol took in a deep breath before looking him in the eyes. “I think it’s time we talk.”

==

Trip had never been so shocked before in his entire life. He didn’t know what to say to her. What was there to say? For three months she’d been taking small doses of Trellium-D in order to experience emotions she would normally suppress. She’d been lying to him for three months and even worse she had slept with him in this condition. T’Pol waited for him to speak but he said nothing. He didn’t know what to say. “Does the cap’n know?” It was the only thing he could think to say.

T’Pol shook her head. “Only you and the doctor know of my condition.”

“So why tell me all this now?” Trip asked her.

“You trusted me enough to come to me when in need of comfort. I knew it was time I do the same,” she answered.

Trip smiled lightly cocking his head to the side. “Are… you gonna be okay?”

T’Pol took his hand into hers and held it tight. “I will now.”

Tucker squeezed the hand holding his. “We’ll both be okay T’Pol. I know it.” And with that Trip took her into his arms this time. She didn’t cry but he didn’t expect her to. “We’re gonna get through this. Together.”

T’Pol held him even tighter not wanting to let go. “Together.”

The End

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Nine of you have made comments

I like it. I hope that the episode tonight of "Forgotten" has a similar reckoning for our favorite couple. An enjoyable read. Keep up the great writing!

I like the story,
please keep on whriting I want to read more story's of you. =)

Awwwww, how cute!

A great story. Really sweet!

Good to see Trip and T'Pol helping each other like this and though I haven't seen the episode you refer to I couldn't resist reading the story! Okay, so if that makes me a T & T junkie so be it. Ali D :~)

Great Story! Oh, and by the way I've just seen tonight's episode and it was great as well. Nice job.

Beautiful!

I hope he reacts like that, when she tells him!!! If she tells them! With her luck, he'll find out another way!!!

That would be bad.

Anyway...great story:D

Nicely done. I loved the way you made Trip open up to T'Pol without making him seem wimpy.. Very good. Continue please.....T.