Snapshots - Part II

Snapshots

By: Valleygirl

Summary: Key moments or ‘Snapshots’ from Trip & T’Pol’s relationship, starting on the trip to Vulcan
Spoilers: All aired episodes (thru Divergence); the overall idea from Bound; any other similarities to spoilers real, imagined, speculated or made-up is purely coincidental.
Rating: PG-13 (mild language, and suggestive stuff…)
Disclaimer: Paramount owns it all; I just wanted to fill in some of the gaps and envision a possible future...
Genre: Romance/Humor

A/N: This started out as a continuation to the Season 3.5 challenge story “To My Daughter” and grew from there…Let’s just say I was done with the story, but it wasn’t done with me…You don’t have to go back and read it, it will show up in an expanded form a few chapters down the line...

Part II (Chapters 3-4)

Chapter #3 - The First Year

July, 2156 – Enterprise

Breakfast in the Captain’s Mess had gone just like most mornings. Enterprise’s three senior officers chatted lightly over their food, about ship’s business, current schedules and plans, and interesting oddities about the first year of their 5 year mission. It was a time to touch base with each other and cement their working relationship and friendship.

A crewman came to clear away the empty dishes and ask if anyone needed anything else. Archer and Tucker both shook their heads, and then stared at T’Pol when she requested another serving of her traditional fruit salad and an extra piece of toast.

“Oh,” she continued, handing the porter her tea cup. “Chamomile...with honey.”

She noticed the two men looking at her curiously. “What?” she asked.

Archer just grinned as Trip replied, “You feelin’ all right, Honey?”

“I am fine. Why do you ask?”

Tucker, like most astute husbands, recognized a dicey question when he heard it. “Uh, no reason...just you almost overslept this mornin’ and now you’ve eaten enough food for two...”

She quirked an eyebrow at him, wondering privately if he realized what he had just implied. An idea was forming in her head, but she quickly dismissed it. It wasn’t possible...was it?

Trip was standing up from the table tossing his napkin on his dirty plate. “Well, I’ve got a busted power relay with my name on it. I’ll talk to you later, Darlin’.”

“Okay, Sweetheart,” the Captain replied, clearly enjoying his joke.

Trip tossed him a wise-aleck smirk. “Funny, Cap’n...but I was talkin’ to the Lady...” Archer tried to bite back a laugh as he observed T’Pol ignoring the two men in lieu of devouring the rest of her breakfast. Trip brushed his hand over hers, two fingers extended in a subtle kiss. She distractedly returned the gesture and quickly returned to her food.

Trip shook his head as he walked out of the room to Engineering. *Guess the honeymoon’s over,* he sighed to himself.

The next week was much of the same. T’Pol was distracted and slightly on edge. She couldn’t figure out if the difficulties she was having meditating were a symptom or a cause of her increasing food and sleep requirements. At the moment, she was unwilling to share her suspicions with her husband, and certainly not the Captain. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something wasn’t quite right.

***
It was an unusual stretch of time on the bridge. They didn’t expect to arrive at the next system for at least three weeks and there were no noteworthy phenomenon to study in the relatively quiet region of space they were currently traveling through.

T’Pol was busy at her station coming up with a schedule to allow the crew to cross train in other departments and duty stations. She hadn’t felt well all morning and made a mental note to finally stop by Sickbay and discuss her disturbing symptoms with Doctor Phlox after her current shift was over. She was meeting Trip for lunch, she supposed she should also share her concerns with him.

A member of the Science team came to relieve her at 1300 hours, when the Captain returned from his own meal and called her into his ready room.

“You all right, T’Pol?” he had noticed her sweat lined face and pale color. “You could finish the training schedule in your quarters this afternoon and get some rest.”

“I am fine, Captain. In fact I have been getting more than enough sleep.”

“You don’t look fine,” the Captain returned gently. “Look, it’s either your quarters or Sickbay...don’t make me have to order you...” He knew full well that one look at her by Trip and he’d probably escort her to Sickbay himself.

“Very well, Captain...I will send you the schedule when I have finished it, and see you in the morning.”

She stood to leave and had to grip the back of the chair. “Perhaps I should go to Sickbay, after all. I don’t...” she tried to sit back down, but missed the chair as she passed out on the floor.

“T’Pol!” Archer cried as he practically climbed over his desk to get to her. He gently picked her up and carried her out to the bridge ignoring the stares the other officers were giving him.

As he made his way to the turbolift he called out to Hoshi, “Tell Phlox I’m bringing T’Pol to Sickbay...Oh, and call Trip to meet us down there.”

“Yes, sir!” Hoshi called out as the door was closing behind him. She quickly turned to her communications console. “Bridge to Commander Tucker.”

After a few seconds she heard his “Go ahead” over the din of the waning lunchtime crowd. “Hey have you seen T’Pol? She was supposed to meet me 10 minutes ago.”

“Um, well, the Captain just took her to Sickbay, Sir. It looked like she collapsed.” She heard nothing but silence, and assumed correctly that the Engineer had run out of the mess hall to join his wife.

***
“Doc?!” Trip called out as he flew into Sickbay. “Cap’n...where is she?” He was breathing heavily as Archer led him over to the bio-bed.

Trip picked up his unconscious wife’s hand and looked up at the Doctor. “What’s wrong with her? Hoshi said she collapsed.”

“Ah, Commander, I’m glad you’re here. Captain, would you excuse us please?”

Archer looked a bit annoyed at being cut out of the conversation, but complied with the request. Phlox immediately turned back to Trip. “Commander, why don’t you take a seat?” He indicated a nearby chair.

He shook his head. “What’s goin’ on?”

“T’Pol is pregnant.” Trip stared at him in shock for a moment. “But I thought that wasn’t possible, I mean how?” The look on his face began to relax a bit, as if he was starting to enjoy the idea.

“I’m afraid this isn’t good news, Commander.” Phlox continued carefully. Trip’s head whipped up, the worry starting to appear on his face again. “The short version is the genetics aren’t a good match. The fetus will never mature properly. In fact, T’Pol’s body is slowly rejecting the foreign DNA.”

Trip blinked several times as he tried to make sense of the Doctor’s words. “You said ‘never mature properly’...What does that mean, exactly?”

“There are tiny genetic defects, if you will, in almost all life forms. Some are minor, such as an allergy, others are relatively severe, manifesting in physical or mental handicaps or in extreme cases death. In this case, there are too many mismatched gene sequences to offer any hope for a fetus to come to term, let alone be born capable of survival.”

The potential father’s heart sank in disappointment. He looked at his sleeping wife. “What about T’Pol?”

“As I said, her body is slowly rejecting the pregnancy. Perhaps with a viable fetus, I could try and stabilize her, but I feel the best option is to terminate.”

“There really is no other choice?” Trip asked, his voice trembling and close to tears. He stumbled back and sat down hard in the previously rejected chair. His head bent down for a moment as his hands ran through his hair. He looked back up at Phlox expectantly.

“I wouldn’t recommend this course of action if I thought this baby had even a remote chance for survival. Ending the pregnancy immediately is in the best interests of T’Pol. We need to act quickly, before her symptoms get worse.”

Trip sat in silence, not moving an inch, seemingly holding his breath. The Doctor looked at him in concern. “Commander…Trip?”

“Does she know, Doc?”

“I have her sedated at the moment, she hasn’t woken up yet. I can wake her, so you can speak with her before I take her to surgery.”

T’Pol stirred in her sleep, vaguely aware of the voices around her. She wondered why she felt so weak and unable to awaken herself completely. She felt an odd awareness, as if someone else were with her in the half-dream, half-awake state. It wasn’t as if the bond with Trip was manifesting itself in an unusual way, but still the presence seemed very familiar and yet completely foreign at the same time. An overwhelming feeling of protectiveness began to settle in her, as if the presence were something to be safe-guarded and cherished. She began to focus on the voices in the room, recognizing one as her bondmate’s.

“Trip?” she weakly mumbled.

He was at her side in an instant, picking up and caressing her hand, reassuring her he was right there with her.

“Hey, Darlin’, I’m right here. Doc, says you’re gonna be just fine.”

“Weak...”

“I know, Honey. But Phlox is gonna fix that, you just need to relax and go back to sleep. I promise I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

She drifted peacefully back to sleep, putting her full faith in her husband’s reassuring words.

Phlox looked at the Commander with a frown. “Why didn’t you tell her?”

“I couldn’t break her heart like that, with her going into surgery and all...It’ll be easier for her to handle this way.”

“Commander, I can not condone not telling her the truth about a medical condition.”

Trip scowled. “I never said I wasn’t gonna tell her...I just meant we should wait until she’s stronger…after the fact.”

Phlox nodded slowly. “If you think that’s best...I’ll get prepared for the procedure right away. Oh, and I should inform the Captain if that is all right?”

The saddened man simply nodded his head in mute acceptance. He continued to caress his wife’s hand as he watched over her sleeping form.

When he was alone with her his free hand drifted over her belly, and for the first time he noticed the very slight bulge. “I’m so sorry, Baby. I would’ve really liked to have met you...” Two silent tears ran down his face as he closed his eyes and tried to block out the pain.

***

Several hours later

Phlox was able to perform the surgery without complications and T’Pol was in recovery still unconscious. True to his word, Trip hadn’t left her side. He, himself wasn’t feeling much of anything at the moment. He was simply trying to will his wife to stay asleep, attempting to delay the heartache for as long as possible.

T’Pol found herself in a dark, blank space. Unlike her white meditation space, this space was black, foreboding and empty...very, very empty. In the back of her mind, there was Trip as always, although strangely, she wasn’t picking up very much from him. It was as if he was consciously blocking her out. At that moment an idle thought crossed her mind. *He can be as disciplined as a Vulcan when he wants to suppress his feelings...for a time.*

It was then that she noticed that the presence she had come to rely on, to treasure, over the past several days was missing. She started to search for it, but slowly the realization came to her that it was not simply lost. It was gone, never to be recovered. It was with this devastating revelation, that her mind snapped into consciousness and her body began to stir.

“Hey, Doc?” Trip called. “I think she’s startin’ to wake up...Honey?”

T’Pol was still groggy and confused. “What happened?” she quietly asked, despite every instinct inside of her saying she didn’t want to know.

Trip softly stroked her hair. “There’ll be plenty of time for that later…Get some rest.”

“Tell me!” she insisted, getting more and more agitated with her husband’s silence.

Trip glanced to one side for a moment, sighing deeply. “Okay, okay, just calm down for me.”

She continued to glare at him, more sure than ever she wasn’t going to like what he had to say.

“You were pregnant, Honey.”

“Were,” she stated more than asked, trying to comprehend the meaning of that statement.

Trip nodded slowly. “Doc said the genetics didn’t match up very well…there was no hope.”

T’Pol continued to stare at him barely able to breathe. Waves of hurt and anger began to well up inside of her. “How could you do this to me?!” The words were spoken in a muted tone, but with such intensity behind them that Tucker visibly reacted in shock for a moment.

Dr. Phlox stepped up at that moment and laid a hand on Trip’s shoulder.

“T’Pol...” he tried gently. “A miscarriage was inevitable, we just facilitated the process.”

“I understand,” she stated quietly.

“Perhaps, when you’ve had a chance to rest, you and Trip can…”

She glared back at him. “I do not wish to discuss it.”

Trip’s eyes grew wide. The emotions rolling off T’Pol were stronger than he had ever known before. He felt her rage just below the surface burning to get out, to be unleashed. It was scaring the hell out of him. He tried to reach out to her in comfort and support, but then suddenly there was nothing. Nothing but a sharp, stabbing ache inside of his head.

“T’Pol...” he started, staring at her intently.

“Please leave.” The order was quiet, but forceful and insistent all at the same time. There was no doubt it was not a request.

“But, Honey, I...”

“LEAVE!”

Trip glanced at the doctor who gave him a slight nod. With a heavy sigh, Trip backed off as requested, visibly struggling to fight the ache that was constricting his chest. He left Sickbay in frustration and quickly retreated to the solitude of their quarters barely able to contain his grief.

T’Pol remained in Sickbay for the next two days, mostly sleeping and regaining her strength. She refused any and all visitors, including the Captain and especially Trip. Her interactions with Dr. Phlox were short, clipped conversations, sole about her recovery. Whenever he attempted to engage her in further conversation, she quickly cut him off.

Trip, true to form buried himself in work in Engineering, barely stopping to eat or sleep. When T’Pol was released back to quarters, he tried again and again to talk with her. He needed to know that she was okay, and couldn’t understand why she insisted on shutting him out. Finally, too emotionally drained to try anymore, he tried to give her her space, hoping against hope that all she needed was some time. He pulled all-nighter shifts in Engineering, coming back to their cabin only after he was sure she had left for her bridge shift in the morning, for a quick shower, change of clothes and a few hours of sleep.

To the casual observer, one could not tell anything was wrong with T’Pol, aside from her looking slightly more tired than usual. Her stoic demeanor betrayed very little on the outside, but inside she was a mess. Meditation had been difficult ever since she had broken the bond with Trip. Given her current condition, she was growing more suspicious that it had not been a clean or complete break.
She needed help from someone more experienced. She sent a private message to a nearby Vulcan ship that was passing through a nearby star system on its way home.

The crew knew what had happened. It was hard to keep a major event like that quiet on the small ship. They saw the distance growing between their favorite Engineer and First Officer. But being powerless to do anything about it, they respected the couple’s personal space, and made allowances for shorter than normal tempers.

***

Two weeks later

As Jonathan Archer walked into the engine room, he stopped a nearby Ensign. “Have you seen Commander Tucker?” he asked.

“Damn it all ta hell!!” All morning, that and other associated curses could be periodically heard from deep inside the warp plasma conduits at the back of Engineering.

“Never mind,” the Captain sighed. “I think I’ve found him.”

“Yes, Sir,” said the Ensign looking pointedly at the Commanding Officer. The look on his face said it all.

“Commander?” Archer chose the more formal means of address in the hopes of getting his Chief Engineer’s attention.

“I thought I said I didn’t want ta be disturbed?!...Oh, sorry Cap’n, didn’t know it was you.”

“Why don’t you take a break?” From his tone of voice, it was clearly not a request.

Trip sighed deeply. “Might as well, I’ve just been goin’ round in circles in here anyway. Damn power relay refuses to be fixed. Every time I think I’ve tracked down the problem it works for 5 minutes then blows another fuse!”

*Sounds like a certain couple I know,* the Captain dryly thought. “Can’t you just replace the relay?”

“Well, I try to treat the spare parts as a premium. Never know what we’ll need two or three years from now. Not like Jupiter Station’s just around the corner. ‘Sides, I just need to fix...somethin’.” He tossed the spanner he was using to the side and sat down wearily on the floor of the conduit, knees bent and feet flat on the ground.

The Captain nodded, impressed with the inherent logic of the engineer’s inventory policy. He stood contemplating his friend for a long moment. He looked like a walking disaster, both mentally and physically.

“So what didya need?” Trip finally asked.

“Huh?” Archer was momentarily confused as he was startled out of his contemplation.

“You came to see me?” He sighed again. “What, the engineerin’ team ready to mutiny?” He grimaced in self-depreciation as if knowing full well he had been a bear to work for the last few days.

Archer mirrored Trip’s position as he sat down against the opposite wall. “I think you have a day or two left before that,” the Captain told him truthfully. “Want to tell me what’s wrong?”

Trip momentarily gave his friend a ‘What, are you stupid?’ look.

“I meant between you and T’Pol,” Archer clarified.

Trip’s eyes squeezed shut as his head leaned back until it bumped the side of the conduit. “I can’t talk about it.” he finally said.

“Can’t or won’t?” the Captain shot back, perhaps a bit more sharply than he had intended.

The Commander’s eyes opened and settled on the man sitting across from him. “Both” was his stubborn declaration. He winced slightly as the dull ache in the back of his mind where T’Pol’s presence used to be started to throb a little more intently. “Look, whatta you want from me?!” he asked not bothering to hide his frustration.

“I want to know I’m not going to lose my First Officer!” Archer bluntly said.

Trip’s eyes narrowed as his brow furrowed, this was clearly news to him. Archer continued on a bit more sympathetically. “She’s requested Travis shuttle her to rendezvous with the Vulcan ship Sa’hil, it’s a couple of light years away studying a gas giant, on its way home.” He paused trying to gauge his friend’s reaction.

“Well, I guess that’s it then.” Trip replied dully, after giving the matter due consideration. His eyes closed again as he slowly shook his head.

Archer just stared at him. Surely it hadn’t come to this, where Trip had just simply given up fighting. It was now glaringly obvious the problems between his 2 most trusted officers and friends were far more serious than just a bad reaction to a failed pregnancy. “So you’re just going to let her walk away, throw away all you’ve worked for?!” he asked incredulously.

“What am I supposed to do?? She won’t even talk ta me!”

“You’re supposed to keep your promise to me. The one where you both assured me your personal relationship wouldn’t interfere with your duty to the ship.” Archer sighed, and then continued in a gentler tone. “I know it’s been a rough couple of weeks, Trip. But you’ve got to try and fix this. I’m not sure either of you are prepared for the long term consequences if you don’t.”

*You have no idea...* Trip thought to himself, his headache already getting worse. “I’ll try again...for your sake.”

“Do it for yourself, Trip, and for her...but consider it an order!” He tried to offer a small smile of support. “Oh, and ease up on your team a bit...or it’s gonna be a long 4 years!”

Trip rolled his eyes a bit as he nodded in defeated acceptance. “Sure thing, Cap’n.”

***

T’Pol looked at the airlock door for a moment, paused and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she reached out to enter the access code. As the door began to roll open another hand suddenly reached over her and punched in an override code causing it to close again. She looked up and into the face of her estranged husband, whose eyes had more flash and fire in them than she had seen the past 2 weeks.

“Commander.” she began, avoiding eye contact for more than the first few seconds. “You are in my way.” Her tone offered nothing more to him than a clear message to move.

“You were just gonna leave? No good-byes, no have a nice life; just break the bond and go.”

“This is not the time for this,” her voice was carefully clipped and kept low, “...or the place.”

“Fine!” He made a sudden move toward her and gripped her upper arm. With a look of determination he guided her into the nearby cargo bay, while she glared at him in surprise. He let her go as the doors closed behind them, his eyes never leaving hers as they stared each other down.

“Ensign.” T’Pol addressed the wide-eyed twenty-two-year-old currently on duty. “If you will excuse us, please.”

“Well...I’m not really supposed to leave my station, Ma’am...” he nervously stuttered.

“You heard the Lady! Dismissed!” Trip barked. With that the scared young man quickly made a beeline for the door leaving the two senior officers alone.

Trip walked over and activated the door lock. He turned away hoping she would inherently understand his real intention was only to give them some privacy. Although if Trip knew Lt. Commander Reed’s people, the Ensign was probably standing guard outside the door, just in case Malcolm stopped by to check on him.

The two circled around each other, almost as if getting ready to spar physically. Trip would make a move forward; T’Pol would make a defensive move back. Eyes were locked on each other, but there was no love lost in their current look, just confusion, hurt, grief and sadness.

Trip broke the silence. “I’m not lettin’ you go without a fight!” he glowered, keeping his eyes frozen on her. “You know, a fight...loud voices, arguing, a discussion where you actually have to say somethin’…anythin’! We’re gonna stay here until we’ve talked this thing out...or one of us gets tossed out the airlock...whichever comes first!”

T’Pol continued to glare at him as she considered the options presented to her. “No permanent decision has been made to leave the ship. I required some assistance from an old instructor of mine who is on board the Sa’hil. Meditation has been...difficult as of late.”

“Yeah, well I’ve heard a broken bond can have that effect on you!” She raised an eyebrow, but continued to stare at him in silence, so he continued. “What? You think I didn’t notice? I got a constant headache where you used to be!” He was quickly losing his temper and paused to make a concerted effort to come back down a few notches.

“I apologize for the discomfort...It should fade in time.” she said, her voice laced with sarcasm.

“So that’s how it is...I get no say in this...we just turn and go our separate ways.”

She looked stricken for a moment, and then a look of determination crossed her face. “It is the only logical solution.”

“Well I’m glad you’ve got it all figured out, Miss Lady Logic.” he spat out. He knew he was losing her more by the second and tried to change tactic slightly. “You know us losin’ this baby is nobody’s fault, not mine, not yours...Phlox said it just wasn’t a good match from the start...”

“I know that!” she snapped at him, breathing heavily, seething with anger but clearly fighting to maintain control of her emotions. How could she deal with a man whom she loved and needed more than life itself, but who had willing hurt her so badly? The paradox was more than she was capable of expressing verbally.

“Than why are you actin’ like you blame me?!” he shot back.

She walked up to him and forcefully pushed her fingers into the contact points on his face. As their bond began to reestablish itself, Trip’s mind began spinning in the whirlwind of information she was bombarding him with. As he struggled to make some sense of the dizzying thoughts, one previously unrevealed fact began crystallizing.

“Oh, God!” he cried out in agony as he struggled for understanding. Her hand fell away and back to her side, but she continued to watch him intently as she herself was attempting to process his emotional state.

*You knew...you knew you were pregnant...because...you had already established a bond with the baby...* He sank to his knees covering his face with his hands. *And you felt like that bond got ripped away from you with no warning...Oh, Baby, if I’d known...* He began hyperventilating as the tears poured down his face.

T’Pol slowly knelt down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. While the act seemed to calm him slightly, she began to physically shake as she was realizing the extent of his anguish. He looked up at her and made a hesitant move to pull her into his arms. She didn’t respond, but having met no resistance, he gripped her tighter.

They remained that way for several minutes, sitting on the cold floor of the cargo bay holding each other. It was as if they had each been drowning in a sea of misunderstandings and had finally found in the other a lifeline. Time stood still as Trip slowly regained his breath and T’Pol stopped trembling.

*Darlin’, I didn’t know that Vulcan mothers bonded with their unborn babies. You gotta believe, I never would’ve dreamt of hurtin’ you like that...I thought quick and painless was best, but I guess I was looking at it from a human perspective...*

*There is an ancient Vulcan ritual for situations such as these. Had it been performed earlier, it would have allowed me to break the bond with the baby and accept the loss without experiencing the high level of distress I was instead subjected to...* She continued hesitantly, *we could have done it together, rather than allow the pain to tear us apart.*

She paused thoughtfully for a moment, *Maybe we could try a modified form of the technique.*

He nodded. *Whatever you say, Darlin’, I’ll do...I just can’t imagine my life without you in it.* He reached a hand up to tentatively caress her cheek. “Are we okay?”

She looked deeply into his eyes and took his hand in hers. “We will be.”

Trip let out a long sigh of relief and wiped his free hand down his face. “Good. ‘Cause I’m under orders from the Cap’n not to lose you.” He smiled and gently touched his forehead to hers, not wanting to let her go just yet. He was pleased to note the dull ache that had settled in the back of his skull was gone.

T’Pol shared the contented feelings that were beginning to take root in Trip. “I still have duties as First Officer to perform,” she replied as the two reluctantly stood. “For instance, some troubling reports about the conduct of the Chief Engineer.”

“Throw the book at him, although I have it on good authority he’ll be back to his old self in no time at all.”

***

For a moment, Jonathan Archer thought his plan had backfired. Now, instead of just T’Pol shuttling to the Vulcan ship, Trip wanted to join her. He looked at his two friends in confusion.

“Cap’n, we don’t really want to go into all the details, but T’Pol has an old mentor aboard the Sah’il. She believes he can help us...get past all this.” Trip offered a small smile to his wife as she glanced up at him.

“And then you’ll be back aboard?” Archer asked cautiously. “This isn’t...permanent?”

T’Pol looked slightly surprised. “Captain, that was never my intention, at least not without talking to you first. I merely needed some time to...clear my head.”

Trip thought about smirking at the irony of her last statement, but his humor had yet to be fully restored. Instead he laid a supportive hand on her shoulder.

“Captain, it’ll be a few days at most...we need to do this.”

“All right. I think you should leave right away. Take a shuttlepod...Enterprise will be waiting for you when you’re ready to come back.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Thanks, Cap’n”

“Oh, and Commanders? Good luck.”

Trip half smiled at his old friend as T’Pol nodded.

***

Trip was extremely nervous as he stepped onto the Vulcan science vessel behind T’Pol. It was really the first time since they had been married that he was the outsider amongst her people. It gave him a new insight into T’Pol’s service aboard the human starship and just what she had given up to be with him. He took a deep breath as the couple was greeted by the Vulcan Captain and Minister Kovak. He wasn’t sure if he remembered the traditional Vulcan greeting properly, but he did his best.

“T’Pol, it is agreeable to see you again. I wish the circumstances were more favorable.”

“As do I, Minister. However it is fortunate your ship was nearby. May I present my husband, Commander Charles Tucker the III.”

“Commander, I have heard a great deal about you. I admit I have been curious to meet the first known Human to have bonded with a Vulcan.

Trip wasn’t certain that was the distinction he wanted to be known for in Vulcan society, but figured it could have been worse...much worse. “We appreciate you taking the time to meet with us, Minister.”

“Not at all. Please if you follow me, we can discuss the situation in more privacy.”

***

Through his bond with T’Pol, Trip innately trusted Minister Kovak, even though he, himself still had some lingering doubts about opening up to a complete stranger. Trip found himself surprised at how easily T’Pol shared the details of the events of the past two weeks, discovering a few things even he didn’t know.

“Tell me, what is the extent of the mental bond you shared before this incident?” Minister Kovak inquired.

T’Pol answered calmly. “We bonded completely. Despite doubts as to the suitability of Humans to participate in such a telepathic experience, the Commander and I proved to be quite compatible.”

“And meditation?”

“We were able to form a psychic link that allowed us to meditate together, in a shared space.”

“Interesting. I assume then you wish to attempt the Kalvusau?”

Trip had remained mostly silent during the conversation, carefully watching his wife and the Minister interact. He found himself less sure than ever as he heard the new Vulcan term.

“Yes. The Kalvusau is a joint meditation exercise that can only be performed by a fully bonded couple.” T’Pol had turned to ease her husband’s confusion. “We would actually be addressing emotional issues on a combined sub-conscious level, rather than just sharing meditation space.”

“Okay.” Trip took a deep breath, ultimately his love and trust in his wife winning out over his fears.

“Your bravery is commendable, Commander.” Minster Kovak offered. “I will attempt to explain to you the process as we go through it.”

“Thanks.”

“No thanks are necessary. I only seek to help you...and T’Pol.”

“Are you certain you are ready, Charles?” He understood her need to be more formal given the circumstances.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” He gave her a small smile and nod as the Minister directed them to meditation mats and explained specific postures.

When the couple was ready they joined hands and closed their eyes as instructed.

“In essence this entails a three-way mind meld. The fact that your bond initiated on its own and the recent break requires me to participate at the beginning. But once established you should be able to perform the exercise on your own, and continue to access this link in the future.”

With that the Minister placed his hands on the appropriate contact points on each of their faces and began to softly chant in Vulcan. Small gasps could be heard as the meld began to establish itself. As the connection strengthened, Minister Kovak mentally retreated to a non-obtrusive place, silently coaching the couple through their sorrow.

Each hurt was replayed in exacting detail, every word spoken, every feeling felt. It was painful to watch, but once it was over, there came the incredible ability to let it go. It was not as if it never happened, but rather the charged emotions associated with it began to dissipate. What was left was placed in a special, sacredly guarded place, within their collective memory.

As the couple came out of their meditative state it was clear that the exercise was more than just mentally stimulating. It had brought them much closer together emotionally as well. A slight groan escaped Trip as the two spouses reached for each other and began to give in to the physically intimate feelings swirling through them. His job complete, Minister Kovak quietly backed away, leaving the couple in solitude. It wasn’t a quick fix, they still had a long way to go, but they had taken a step in the right direction. In the end all they could do was pick up the pieces and find healing…in and with each other.

Chapter #4 – Expectations

Enterprise -- September, 2157

“It’s a boy!” new Dad, Travis Mayweather yelled into the open COM link to the bridge. A round of cheers answered him. “Oh, and Commander Tucker? Kara says she expects an extra big gift from you!”

Trip grinned. “Absolutely! Congratulations!” He turned and noticed the rest of the bridge crew was staring at him with questioning faces. “What? I won the baby pool!” He joined in the shared laughter.

***

“Would you like to hold him, Commander?” Kara Mayweather asked T’Pol.

“Only if you’ll agree to call me T’Pol when we are off duty.” she answered, gently reaching for the tiny bundle.

“Of course, Ma’am...T’Pol,” Kara gratefully smiled. She looked at her husband still beaming with pride and excitement. “I think we’ve found our first set of babysitters.”

Trip smiled as he watched his wife cradle the small baby. She really had grown much more comfortable in these kinds of social situations over the years. The whole crew had become like family and that included their resident Vulcan and Denobulan without a second thought.

He stepped closer to her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder observing her. T’Pol was intently watching Nikolai Mayweather sleep in her arms as she rocked him slowly. Trip placed a soft kiss on her temple, as he felt deeply buried longings beginning to stir inside of her.

***

Hand in hand the bondmates made their way to their quarters after visiting the newest addition to the Mayweather family. Both were deep inside their own thoughts as if unable or unwilling to put a voice to them, even to each other. Yet at the same time, both knew without question what the other was thinking about.

As they silently entered their quarters, T’Pol readied herself for bed, while Trip took a quick shower. By the time he had stepped out of the bathroom, the room was aglow with candles and she was patiently waiting for him to begin their meditation.

Trip took a deep breath and mirrored T’Pol’s posture across from her. He picked up one of her hands in each of his, but did not close his eyes as usual. “I think we should talk first,” he said quietly.

*Look at me, Ash yam,* he gently requested through their bond.

*I am not ready,* she said as she slowly raised her dark eyes to meet his. He instinctively knew she didn’t mean she was unwilling to talk.

*It’s been over a year. I’ll be the last person to push you on this, but it seems to me you are far more ready than you think you are.*

*And what about you?*

He smiled at her shyly. *I have always wanted to have a baby with you, and I think there are ways to be more careful this time...allow for a better outcome.* His willing acceptance and optimism seemed to open a floodgate in T’Pol, a torrent of emotions she allowed only him to see.

Trip was blown away mentally and physically as his bond mate raised herself up on her knees and leaned into him. As their lips met, he fell backwards in surprise taking her with him.

*Maybe we should speak with Phlox* was the last thing he heard as the embrace became more passionate. Meditation was quickly forgotten as the human opened himself up to be his wife’s emotional outlet.

***

Dr. Phlox sat as his desk assessing the couple sitting nervously before him. He knew there was really only one reason the Commanders would be in his office together, but he didn’t want to make any assumptions. However, one of them would have to speak eventually.

He looked at them and smiled gently. “Commanders, you requested this meeting. Would either of you care to tell me why?”

“Um…Well you see…” Trip started. “We wanted to…” T’Pol said at the same time. Both exchanged another uneasy glance when they realized they were interrupting each other.

“Deep breaths, Commanders. Now, T’Pol?” Phlox continued patiently.

“Commander Tucker informed me you were conducting some …research on our behalf. We were interested in how it was progressing.”

The Doctor grinned widely in perfect understanding “Ah, yes. I had a feeling I’d be seeing the two of you about now…Let me see.” He happily started punching keys on his desktop monitor.

“But, we… we didn’t tell anyone about this,” Trip looked at him questioningly.

Phlox gave them an indulgent smile. “Babies have a way of being…shall we say…contagious?”

Trip looked guilty, while T’Pol looked like she was considering running out of the room. He grabbed his wife’s hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze. *We’re only here to talk, They’ll.* She returned the gesture and turned to focus on the monitor screen.

“Well, Doc, what’ve you got?”

“There are a few options available to you at various stages of development. First…” The Doctor started to eagerly expand on his research, talking to what he thought was a captive audience.

“Doctor, you should be aware, that the Commander and I wish to keep the process as natural as possible.”

“Yeah” Trip chimed in, “Somehow brewing’ embryos in a Petrie dish, doesn’t quite sound like our cup of tea.”

Even T’Pol had to furrow her eyebrows at her husband’s last statement. After almost 2 years of marriage, she thought she had heard it all. But it seemed he still had a stockpile of colorful idioms, he had yet to share with her.

“Hmm,” the Doctor continued, seemingly unfazed by the remark. “That really just leaves a specialized hormone treatment I’ve been working on. In theory it would change each of your bio-chemistries slightly, making Trip’s genes slightly more Vulcan and T’Pol’s more receptive to human DNA. Since the two genomes are 99% compatible naturally, that should help make up most of the difference.”

“So aside from takin’ these injections, would we be doin’ anything special?” Trip asked.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at him. “I trust I don’t need to explain basic biology to you, Commander…”

T’Pol looked over at her husband, whose face was turning a dark shade of red. “I meant besides that!”

“Oh, well, I wouldn’t recommend taking the injections for the long term, there may be some side affects to deal with, but once you are ready to proceed, it should be readily effective on its own.” He answered.

“What kind of timeframe are we lookin’ at?”

Phlox shrugged. “The serum is still experimental with a few key elements missing. I would say 6 months at least. You also should understand, we can dramatically increase the odds of a successful and viable conception, but there are no guarantees. We are still talking about interspecies mating; there may be unforeseen variables that we’ll have to manage for later on.”

T’Pol’s eyes cast downward. “Six months?” she repeated. Few on the ship would have noticed the change in her demeanor, but the Doctor knew her well, and her disappointment was registering loud and clear to Trip. *I guess we are both more ready than we thought.* Trip silently commented, offering her an understanding smile.

“Anything we can do to shorten that estimate?” Trip asked, knowing the conversation was quickly heading out of theoretical territory, if it had ever really been there in the first place.

“For that I’d need some outside help to confer with.” He took a deep breath and looked carefully at Trip. “I can only think of one person with the necessary genetic expertise.”

Trip caught the facial expressions on both the Doctor’s and T’Pol’s faces.

“Don’t tell me…” he sighed.

“Dr. Soong,” his wife replied.

“You want me to trust the future of our family to a mad scientist?!” he left his chair and started to pace the room.

Phlox sighed. “In all fairness, Commander all he tried to do was raise a few Augments to fulfill their potential. Misguided, yes, but, it’s not as if he started the Eugenics Wars.”

“Try tellin’ that to the Klingons!”

T’Pol attempted to redirect her husband’s focus. “How can you be sure he’d be willing to help us?”

“Well all we can do is ask, hmm? I can assure you I wouldn’t even think of proceeding until I had a full understanding of his ideas.”

Trip Tucker sighed. *What do you think?*

*I trust the Doctor’s judgment. But I will respect your opinion in this matter.*

“I guess it can’t hurt to give him a call…”

***

Trip and T’Pol did indeed turn out to be Nikolai Mayweather’s primary babysitters. They were followed closely by Hoshi, who even got Malcolm to help on occasion, though he’d be loathe to admit he was any good at it. Many had seen the look on their normally perfectly stoic First Officer’s face whenever she was near the baby boy. That combined with a mysterious sub-space message sent to a notorious, but brilliant geneticist, started the rumors flying. Once again speculations about Trip and T’Pol were entrenched in the center of the gossip circuit, not that they were ever far from being the ‘top’ story aboard the small ship.

Enterprise – December, 2157

T’Pol had almost overslept two mornings this week. Had it not been for her watchful husband, she would have been late for a duty shift on the bridge. Meditation had not been easy over the past several days. In fact she had not meditated well since her last joint session with Trip, which as usual had turned into a night of passionate love making. This week, he had been working the late shift in engineering and hadn’t been home much at night to help. Perhaps that was the reason for her sudden need for more sleep...and food, she thought. After downing her second large breakfast muffin and third cup of tea she stood quickly. Too quickly and she immediately had to sit back down.

Her husband eyed her critically. “All right, that’s it. We’re gonna to go see Phlox. And this time I won’t take no for an answer!”

“It isn’t what you think, there hasn’t been enough time. I’m still adjusting to the new hormone treatment.”

“Yeah, well, I want the Doc to tell me that.” He gripped her elbow and guided her down to Sickbay, after informing the Captain they would be delayed, but not to worry.

***

Phlox grinned at the two faces looking back at him expectantly. “Well, allow me to congratulate you, Commanders. You have indeed conceived the first genetically viable Vulcan-Human offspring.”

Trip felt and shared T’Pol’s momentary wince at the words ‘genetically viable’, but they chose to focus on the overwhelming joy they were also feeling. Trip’s grin exploded across his face as his arms wrapped around his wife.

“I told you,” he whispered into her hair, his voice thick with emotion. A hand made its way to her still impeccably flat abdomen and caressed her stomach lightly.

“Trying to put me out of business, Mr. Tucker?” the doctor queried with a smile.

“Never happen, Doc...I just know my wife.” A delicate eyebrow raised itself in his direction in response.

As Phlox finished analyzing his readings he continued, “I’d say you should be expecting your little bundle of joy around mid-September. I’ll be seeing you at least once a week Commander to keep a close eye on your progress.”

“I’ll be keepin’ a close eye on her, too, Doc.” the father-to-be volunteered.

“Of that I have no doubt,” sighed the woman who knew she would not have a moment’s peace for the next ten months.

***

The turbolift brought the two Commanders to their shifts on the bridge, albeit an hour late. T’Pol was the perfect picture of Vulcan serenity, while Trip was trying desperately not to grin like an idiot.

“Care to tell me why my two senior officers requested a side trip to Sickbay this morning, while assuring me nothing was wrong?” the Captain asked in mock severity. When it came to good news, even he was in the gossip loop.

Hoshi’s eyes darted between the officers wishing they’d just spit it out.

“Sorry we’re late, Cap’n...”

“It will not happen again.” T’Pol assured the commanding officer and proceeded to relieve the ensign currently at the science station.

“At least not until, say...September?” Trip added coyly.

“September?” Malcolm piped up. “What’s so bloody important about September?”

“Yeah” Hoshi joined in. “Besides it’s like months away...ten whole months away...now why does that number sound so familiar?”

Travis smiled, enjoying the light-hearted moment between the senior staff. “I’d say that’s the month I start up ‘the pool’ again.”

“You do realize I have discretionary veto power over all new crew members,” the Captain continued, fighting to keep a straight face.

Trip flicked a glance to his wife, looking for help in the war of words. Finding none he gave up. “Is nothin’ sacred on this ship?” he complained. “Why are we always at the top of the rumor mill?”

The giggles and snickers started. “I think it’s safe to say you two are the rumor mill, Trip.” Malcolm smiled.

“Hold on!” Hoshi called out. “I want to hear them say it.”

Having received non-verbal permission from across the bridge, Trip let a huge smile cross his face. “Ya got us. We’re pregnant!” he announced.

Amid the cheers and congratulations, T’Pol didn’t miss a beat. “We?” she threw her husband an accusatory look. “I thought I was pregnant. Have you been putting your hands into rock piles again, Commander?”

A combined look of shock, horror and amusement crossed Trip’s face as the rest of the bridge crew shared a hearty laugh at his expense.

“An expression, Darlin’! Means I’m gonna be with you every step of the way.” He followed his statement up with his best icy glare and a shake of his head. “And they say Vulcans don’t have a sense of humor!” he muttered just loudly enough for the entire crew to hear him.

“So, do we have a Charles Tucker the fourth on our hands?” Malcolm asked.

“Perhaps.” T’Pol replied thoughtfully.

“I kinda like the idea of a Vulcan name; ya know, to match the ears.” Trip smiled, back on equal footing with his wife in the merciless teasing department.

“What about Lorian?” Archer voiced the thought floating through everyone’s mind.

Trip shook his head. “Lorian was a unique individual from another timeframe, we don’t want to honor his memory in that way or place false expectations on this child. Besides...” he grinned at the thought.

“It could be a girl.” Hoshi completed his sentence.

“You don’t know?” Malcolm asked in surprise

“Commander Tucker insists he wants to be...surprised.” T’Pol replied, not entirely convinced that that was the correct course of action.

“Ha-ha!” Travis grinned, “Another variable for the baby pool!”

***

Later that night in the privacy of their quarters, the two lovers were reveling in their news. They laid awake for a long time that night talking and sharing cultural ideas and theories on child rearing.

“So tell me, T’hy’la, what kind of role do Vulcan fathers play in childbirth?” Trip asked, sincerely interested.

“There are several options. Most wait or meditate privately until their child is born. Vulcan labor can last several hours...or days.”

“Days? Wow!” He thoughtfully processed the information. “You know most human fathers want to play an active role in the process...be there to support their wives and witness the event first hand.”

“Some bondmates do choose to participate in an ancient Vulcan ritual designed for much the same purpose.”

“Really? Do you suppose I could learn the technique?” he asked hopefully.

“In many ways you are familiar with the practice already. It combines neuropressure, meditation and breathing exercises...You should be sure, Ashayam. We would be sharing the physical pain through our mental bond. It could be quite...overwhelming.”

“Shared pain becomes halved, shared joy becomes doubled.” Trip quoted quietly. T’Pol looked at her husband in wonder. “We have a few logical souls on Earth too, ya know.” He snuggled in closer to her as they drifted off to sleep.

***

Enterprise – June, 2158

Trip Tucker padded his way down the B-deck hallway in bare feet, a tee-shirt and pajama bottoms. His hair was sticking out at strange angles and he didn’t give the impression of a man who was entirely awake.

“Trip!” Malcolm Reed called out from several paces behind him. “What are you doing up at this ungodly hour?”

“Huh? Oh, Hey Malcolm. I could ask you the same thing.”

“Well I…um…had some reports to go over with another crewman.”

“Yeah, right…reports…you know I think Hoshi lives on this deck.”

“I don’t see what that has to do with anything” Malcolm replied, a bit too innocently.

“Uh-huh.” Trip smirked.

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

“I’m headin’ to the mess hall for some pie and milk.”

Reed started laughing, “You just passed it…It seems to me you’re more in need of some sleep.”

Trip grimaced at him, and turned around. “It’s not for me, it’s for the baby.”

“The baby? The one who’s not even born yet? How on earth could you know he or she wants pie?”

Trip shrugged. “The baby’s a Tucker…we always want pie.”

“Oh, and I suppose the baby requested pecan?” Malcolm asked, noting Trip’s selection.

“Yup…I dunno how, you’ll have to ask T’Pol. She’s sure the baby wants some pecan pie and cold milk and I find it easier to just agree with her these days.” He retrieved the midnight snack and bid his friend good night.

After a final chuckle, Malcolm looked after him thoughtfully, *Maybe being that whipped has its upside…Naaah!*

TBC

Part III (Chapter 5)

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

That was great. I loved and I found it funny. Hopefully if it a boy you do name it Lorian. just a thought

Sounds like the baby is going to be a boy - pie and cold milk! Very satisfying, Ali D :~)

Nice! Looking forward to more!

um...I think I've already spoiled the gender (see A/N)...there may be a baby boy Tucker in their future, but if so his name won't be Lorian for the reasons stated in the story...sorry :o)

Gee Your takin us all around the emotional rollercoster with this one aint Ya. I loved every word of this one. Cant wait for the update!

BTW. IF ITS A BOY,,,,YOU SURE THE HECK HAD BETTER NOT NAME IT KOSS,,,,,But Vulcan for killer of Koss would work for me. ;)

Mixed thoughts.......Why is it that there is a Vulcan ceremony for every lil' thing?? It's getting to be a tired plot device. And the Minister himself to help out!? How convenient. ;-)

Finally, an author who doesn't assume 'Lorian' is the perfect name for another Tucker child. The reasons given are valid and if you've lost a child, you wouldn't be naming a second one with the same for the reasons Trip gave.

Lastly, why couldn't they have privately enjoyed the knowledge that they were going to have a baby for a limited time, and then announce it?? Do people really rush out the minute they know and broadcast it to friends and family??

STC--valid points--thanks!
-it's hard to bring T'Pol's Vulcan culture into the relationhship without 'inventing' a few things ;o)
-Thank you! someone who agrees that 'Lorian' is overused...
-That gosh darn rumor mill...

Mitchell--
KOSS??!! - Never occurred to me...hmmm... :oP

Love it, please update soon.

This story is very sweet. I'm really enjoying it! Update soon!

Awesome awesome awesome! This is great, can't wait for more! :)