The Definition of Family

FIX the FINALE Challenge

The Definition of Family

By: Valleygirl

Rating: PG
Genre: 2005 H.O.T. “Fix the Finale” Challenge
Summary: It may not erase the “Enterprise” finale, but it certainly puts a new perspective on it. Any incongruities can be easily explained as holo-deck error / historical bias
Spoilers: All aired episodes, especially Season 4
Disclaimer: Paramount owns it all, but I felt the need to explain a few things that they forgot to mention…
A/N: I came up with the main plot before I saw the final episode (and the whole Shran thing). I also have not read any of the other challenge stories yet, and have no idea how similar they may be…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dedicated to the characters of Mr. & Mrs. Charles Tucker, Jr. For fictional or not, no parents should have to outlive not one, but two perfectly healthy adult children.

Katherine’s mind wandered as she washed up the dishes from the early supper. From the small window above the sink she could see her husband outside playing with their 6-year-old granddaughter. As a chill ran up her spine, she let out a melancholy sigh. The climate here was much harsher than the one she remembered from home. But then this was home forever more, she reminded herself, and it was a sacrifice she was willing to make for the little girl whose laughter could be heard from the woodpile out back. For the child was a precious gift, a reminder that life marched on. Her presence helped to ease the pain of the two children she had lost, the latter not so many months ago.

***

It was an exhausted man who arrived on the remote planet, his worn, haggard look betraying his age. The heavy, hooded Vulcan robes he wore were his only protection against the cutting wind starting to pick up and whip across the field from his final destination. He had been traveling for weeks, from one ship to the next, often in a circuitous path. His identity was a mystery, his scarred face kept hidden from view; he was content to simply be an anonymous passenger headed for destinations unknown. He spent his days in meditation, his eccentric behavior just odd enough to keep him isolated from the many crews he came into contact with.

He set out slowly across the field, a small satchel his only possession. He found a walking stick to lean on as he limped across the prairie grass. His mind was a whirlwind of mixed emotions. Sadness for those he had left behind, anticipation and apprehension for what lay ahead. He paused for a moment to catch his breath, and took in the vista surrounding him. He saw a rocky country side whose foothills led into the craggy mountains. To the west was the small village, a smattering of homes spreading out from it for several acres. Small agricultural lands could be seen even further than that.

This was a communal society, one where goods and services were traded with other members of the community and hard work trumped technology. A community that was both close-knit and stand-offish all at the same time, for each member held the others’ fate in their hands. A ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy was the norm and common law quickly settled disputes. New members were welcomed into the fold, but once there, it was a rare person who was granted leave. It was a secluded colony, established more than a half century before in a remote sector of outer space. For those who had no where left to go, it was a safe haven; for others it was a good place to just disappear.

***
Her task complete, Katherine dried her hands and went to call her husband and granddaughter inside. As she walked out the front door, she squinted into the setting sun. She barely made out a dark figure making its way towards the house. In mild curiosity, she watched for a moment and then audibly gasped. There was no way she could have recognized the robed man from this distance, but knew by instinct or hope or a combination of the two, who it was. She began to run, setting a pace her legs had not achieved for several years.

Her husband, rounding the corner of the house stared after her in shock. Momentarily forgetting his young audience, he shouted after her. “Katie! Where the hell are you off to, Woman?! Yer gonna kill yerself runnin’ like that!”

He turned to address the little girl. “Well come on then, Peaches, we best go see what’s got your Gran’ma all hot n’ bothered.”

It was then he noticed the dark-brown clad man, and hastened his own pace. Although, a bit more skeptical than his wife, Charlie couldn’t help but feel there was something familiar about him. His build was about right, but the gait was off...

At last seeing the middle-aged woman streaking across the field, the younger man stopped his forward progress and braced himself for the assault he knew was coming. He threw his hood back and his dark blonde hair caught the last few rays of the fading afternoon sunshine.

Katherine flew into his arms and almost knocked him over in the process. She let out an ear piercing sound somewhere between a sob, a laugh, and a scream. “Oh, my Baby! My Baby boy came back to me!”

“Hey, Momma,” the younger man managed to squeak out, while trying calm her hysterics.

“But, we heard…we heard you had been killed…that you were dead,” she panted, her escapade finally catching up to her.

“Well, for a few minutes, I was…” Katherine gasped in horror at the honest reply. “It’s a long story, Mom…” He offered no further explanation, as they were joined by the two others.

Charlie felt the tears flood his eyes as he reached out a hand to grasp the proffered one and quickly pulled the younger man into another bear hug. Amid a few sniffles and a clearing of his throat he managed to speak. “It’s good to see ya, Son.”

“Good to see you, too, Dad” was the quiet reply.

“Hello,” a small voice piped up.

The two grandparents stepped back for a moment and watched as their son carefully crouched down until he was at eye-level to the little girl, who was looking at him intently.

“Well, hello, there.”

“What’s your name?”

“Um…Trip…my name is Trip.”

“Mine’s Elizabeth.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth.”

“Are you gonna come stay with us?”

“Well yes, if that’s all right with you?”

“Okay.” With that the little girl reached up for her grandparents’ hands and started to lead the small group back towards the house. By the time they had reached the veranda, Katherine was concerned for her son, who was breathing hard and looked extremely fatigued.

“Trip?” she questioned him.

He smiled weakly as he collapsed into a nearby chair, with the help of his father. “You know how humans usually use less than a quarter of their lung capacity? Well, that’s good, ‘cause …that’s about all I got left.”

“Oh, Honey…” Katherine began.

“Tell ya what, why don’t we go get Peaches here ready for bed and then Trip can tell us all about it, okay?” Charlie interrupted, eyeing the little girl. “You wanna lie down for a bit, Son?”

“Naw, Dad, I’m good out here for a while…Thanks…” Trip leaned his head onto the back of the rocking chair on the small porch, closed his eyes and breathed a huge sigh of relief that his long journey was finally over. Just one more piece and the puzzle would be complete.

***

Trip accepted a glass of what passed for lemonade on the alien world as he sat down with his parents to try and catch up. The past six years had been difficult on them all, but every indication pointed to the fact that Elizabeth could never have any semblance of a normal life away from the spotlight, either on Earth or on Vulcan. She would have been seen as a symbol of the future by some and an abomination by others. Even Enterprise hadn’t been immune to the threat and likewise was deemed unsafe. While the xenophobic groups were small, they were still very vocal and spread their discomfort with hybrid aliens across their home planets.

Even as world leaders were working towards signing the new and progressive Federation charter, Trip and T’Pol had decided ending their often public, intimate relationship, shortly after losing their daughter, was best for all concerned. To the outside world, Trip became somewhat withdrawn, spending most of his free time in his quarters. Rumor even had it that he had taken up meditating, although clearly without the help of the ship’s resident Vulcan. For invariably, she could be found during her off hours alone in her own quarters. It had taken time, but their always productive working relationship carried seamlessly forward, the purest model of professionalism and duty.

“Ya know I can’t thank you enough…while it was a perfect excuse for you two, T’Pol or I disappearing so soon after the Terra Prime ordeal would have looked very suspicious.” Trip began seriously.

“We understand, Honey…but I wouldn’t have traded these years with Elizabeth for anything. I’m only sorry you couldn’t have been here, too.” Katherine leaned over and patted her son’s knee.

Trip smiled sadly. “It was a sacrifice we were willing to make to keep her safe and protected.”

“We tried to communicate whenever we could, but we knew it was dangerous more than a few times a year. Your linguist was very helpful though…” Charlie stated.

“Yeah, Hoshi’s been great…not asking too many questions, just unencrypted the messages and forwarded them to my quarters. Although all she really knew was that my parents were trying to make a fresh start on a new world, after their experiences with the Xindi and then Terra Prime…God, we lived for those messages though…”

“You shared them with Elizabeth’s mother?” Katherine carefully asked. She knew that Elizabeth was not the product of a natural conception or birth, but she also knew that at one point her son had harbored strong feelings for the Vulcan.

“T’Pol, Mom. Her name is T’Pol.”

“I’m still a little confused, Son…We weren’t expecting you until after Enterprise had been decommissioned.” Charlie said. “And then to hear that you had been killed on your way back to the charter signing ceremony….”

Trip sighed, “Well, things happened…”

“Like?” his mother prompted.

“I blew myself up.” Trip meekly admitted noticing the shocked and appalled faces of his speechless parents. He grimaced. “Look, the details are all classified, but suffice it to say, Enterprise was in danger…Captain Archer especially…and after everything we’d all been through in the past 10 years, nothing was more important than us getting him back to sign that charter. We needed a distraction; I acted impulsively and got caught in the backlash…”

“But you’re here to tell about it…that’s somethin’.” Trip’s dad offered, the emotion still rising in his throat.

Trip nodded and stole an uneasy glance at his mother, before continuing. “Yeah…barely though…Phlox had quite a time splicing my lungs back together from the few bits that weren’t thermalized…There was a point in Sickbay where the thought occurred to me that either I was gonna die or that this would be the perfect way to get me back to Elizabeth…I gave Jon a smile and wink good-bye…he understood.”

Trip paused for a moment to recompose himself. “Next thing I knew I was wakin’ up in some underground Vulcan catacombs being worked on by one of their healers. Apparently Phlox and Malcolm rigged up some sorta stasis unit inside a torpedo casing, based on the one I had made for Elizabeth, and shot me into space. Ambassador Soval then arranged for my transport to Vulcan. Eventually, when I was well enough, he started me on the journey here. Damnedest thing…it’s like they’ve got some kinda ‘Underground Railroad’ right there in outer space!”

Katherine was visibly trembling as she asked her next question. “So how are you now, health-wise I mean?” It came out barely above a whisper.

“Well as you know, I’ve got the lung capacity of a gnat…the Vulcan doctors say that should improve slightly over time as the tissue gets a chance to regenerate and heal. My left leg was fractured in three places, but the bones knitted back together all right, and the burn scars will take a while yet to fade. Ya know, I just really need to rest some and regain my strength…”

“Well I am going to make sure you do just that!” Katherine stated emphatically, suddenly all business. “You’re also way too thin,” she decided.

“Thanks, Mom.” Trip smiled and rose slowly to give her big hug. “It’s already feelin’ like I’m home.”

The trio continued to talk and share stories, mostly about Elizabeth and Trip’s mission on Enterprise. About an hour later a distinct commotion was heard from the direction of the little girl’s bedroom.

Katherine frowned for a moment and glanced over at Charlie. “Oh dear, the nightmares must be back…” She stood to leave the room, but Trip stopped her.

“Nightmares?”

“She hasn’t had one in more than a month, but some of them seemed quite severe. She could never remember them, though…least not that she’d tell me…”

“Let me go, Mom…please?” Trip almost begged.

“Well, all right, if you think that is wise…” Katherine eyed her son critically, not sure if he really thought he could help or if it was just 6 years of guilt talking.

Trip slowly climbed the stairs to his daughter’s room. He seemed to know which one was hers despite not having been upstairs yet. Katherine surreptitiously followed a few paces behind, just in case she was needed. He carefully opened the already cracked door and peeked inside. Elizabeth was thrashing around in her sleep, and obviously extremely upset.

“NO! Don’t leave me!” she cried. “Don’t go...come back, come back!”

Trip crept toward the bed and gently tried to rouse the little girl. “Hey there…wake up, Sweetie…it’s okay…your safe now.” Hearing his voice she awoke with a start, wild eyes staring not quite at him, but rather through him.

As she began to focus on his face in the dimly lit room, she saw the mirror blue eyes.

“Daddy!” she suddenly cried out and threw her arms around him in recognition.

Trip, who had been kneeling by the bed, fell slightly backwards in surprise, so that he was now sitting directly on the floor. A breath of air puffed out of him as his arms went around to embrace his child for the first time since she was an infant. “It’s okay, Baby, I’m here…I’m here to stay.” He softly stoked her dark brown hair.

A tear-stained face looked up at him. “Promise?”

An equally wet, but older and more worn face smiled back at her and nodded as if declaring a solemn vow. “I promise.”

“Now, why don’t you let me tuck you back into bed…you and I have a lot to talk about in the morning.”

She seemed happy to comply with the request and quickly fell back to sleep. Trip would have watched her all night if his body had let him. After several minutes he picked himself up off the floor. He ran into both parents right outside her door, looking at him in amazement.

“Ya wanna tell us what that was all about, Son?” Charlie asked. “I mean we’ve been tellin’ her about her parents since we got here, but…”

Trip sighed and glanced down at the floor for a moment. “I…um…I think the nightmares might’ve been our fault…mine and T’Pol’s I mean…”

“Trip?” With arms folded across her ample chest, Katherine Tucker gave the impression of a woman who wanted some answers

“I guess that’s the other half to the ‘long story’...and I wanna tell you…really…just not tonight…” He let out a weary breath.

The mother in Katherine won out, “Okay, Honey…We set up the room right across the hall for you…Go get some rest. We can talk in the morning.” She lovingly ran a hand through the short-cropped blonde hair briefly.

Trip nodded, as his eyes closed shut for a moment. He allowed both parents to engulf him a three way hug, before retiring for the evening.

“Helluva day, Katie…helluva day.” Charlie commented to his wife as they, too, headed off towards bed.

“Any day I get my son back is a good day.”

“That it is, Darlin’. That it is.”

***
The next morning Trip made his way down the stairs to the large kitchen. He smiled to himself thinking it wouldn’t be a Tucker house without a big, cozy kitchen.

“Mornin’!” he greeted the other three, already at the table. Katherine immediately got up and started fixing her a son a plate.

“Good Morning, Daddy!” The little girl gazed up at him with shining, adoring eyes, and looked a little bit relieved.

Trip planted a light kiss on the top of her curly head. “Ya know, my sister’s name was Elizabeth, too, but I used to call her ‘Lizzie’. Would you like that?”

Elizabeth thought about it for a moment. “Okay.”

Trip smiled happily. “Well then, Lizzie it is.”

“Would you like to walk me to school today, Daddy?”

Charlie glanced up at his son who was clearly hesitating. “Well, I think your Daddy is still a bit tired from his long trip, Peaches. How ‘bout Gran’dad walk you?”

The little girl frowned a moment. “But…”

“Ya know I saw a porch swing out front with my name on it. How ‘bout you and I meet up there right after school?” Trip’s compromise apparently satisfied the girl as her smile returned. She went to gather up her books and gave her grandmother and Trip each a kiss on the cheek as she trotted out the door.

“Wow.” Trip chuckled and shook his head. “Not sure I’ll be able to keep up with that one.”

“Well, your Dad and I’ll be around for as long as it takes for you to get back on your feet, Honey.”

“I know, Mom…and I dare say a long time after.” Trip let out a sly grin, which earned him a light thwack on the head.

“Ow! Hey, you got anythin’ on this planet that resembles coffee?”

Katherine put a hot steaming mug on the table near her son and watched his face with interest as he tried a sip. She wasn’t disappointed.

“Ugh! What the hell was that?”

“A tea made from the root of a chamata plant…it’s an acquired taste…” She slid him the sugar bowl.

Trip made another face, but continued on with his breakfast. Nothin’ like Mom’s home cookin’ to heal what ails ya, he thought.

Once the dishes were cleared and rinsed in the sink, Katherine sat back down at the table across from her son. “So, you ready to tell me what happened last night?”

“I think we’d both like to hear the answer to that, Son.” Charlie had just walked in the door overhearing his wife’s last comment. Trip nodded and took what for him was a deep breath and began to fill in the gaps.

***
“Well you know I transferred for short while to Columbia?’ Both parents nodded. “We got the ship outta space dock in less than a week, but other things weren’t goin’ so well…I wasn’t very happy. I guess I thought the change of scenery would help.”

“You left Enterprise because of T’Pol.” Katherine said softly. It was more of a statement than a question.

Trip nodded. “Yeah, that was a large part of it. But then things started to change. I started having these weird daydreams, where I would end up inside her meditation space. I wound up being able to carry out full conversations with her even though we were light years apart.”

“I don’t get it, Trip. She used some Vulcan trick to get you to come back to Enterprise?”

“No, Mom.” Trip sighed wondering just how in depth he should go to try and make her understand. “After the Xindi attack when we were in the Expanse, T’Pol and I spent a lot of time together. She helped me keep my sanity, so we could complete the mission. Apparently a psychic bond formed between us, not unlike what happens to Vulcan couples who live together for an extended period of time.”

“But then she ran off and got married.” Charlie pointed out.

“Yes.” Trip agreed. “But that was between T’Pol and her family. I may not have liked it, but I supported her through it. And I tried to support her when her marriage was over and she wanted to explore her cultural beliefs more closely, without any outside distractions.”

“You are much more than merely a distraction, Trip.” His mom tried to argue.

Trip put up a hand to stop her. “I know that, Mom. It’s part of why I left. But what you don’t know is the revelation of this bond was a new start for us. It forced her hand and made her choose what she really wanted. Turns out it was me all along.” Trip let out a brief smile.

“When exactly did all this happen, Son?”

“Just a few weeks before we found out about Elizabeth. You know T’Pol and I went to the moon lookin’ for her. What you don’t know is that there was a Terra Prime operative on Enterprise…an Engineerin’ Ensign, of all people.” Trip shook his head sadly. “He stole the genetic material that helped to create Elizabeth.”

Katherine patted her son’s hand in sympathy. “Well I can’t say I’m sorry he did it, but…”

“So what does this all have to do with you and T’Pol and this bond thingy?” Charlie asked.

“There’d been a lot of rumors, both on the ship and off about me and T’Pol. I’m sure that’s part of why Paxton chose us, a highly visible target. Despite all the political rhetoric, we knew it was best for everyone involved if we just cooled it. So, we became nothing more than colleagues servin’ on the same ship.”

“Oh, Honey, I’m sorry…I know I’ve harbored some bad thoughts towards T’Pol, but it sounds like you were finally getting things on track….Ooh! It’s not fair! That one man can have so much power over the lives of others!”

As Katherine continued to rant, Charlie caught the small grin on his son’s face. He cleared his throat loudly, attracting his wife’s attention. “Um, why do I get the feelin’ we’ve not heard the rest of the story?” Katherine quickly glanced at her son.

“To the outside world T’Pol and I were consummate professionals and nothing more than friends. We did such a good job, the rumors eventually died down. Didn’t stop people from hopin’ and speculatin’ but it was enough…What no one knew was that T’Pol and I still had a way to meet without any prying eyes. I took up meditating in my quarters at the same time she was in hers and we could spend hours together, with no one bein’ the wiser.”

Katherine gasped. “So your relationship never really ended?”

Trip smiled, “Nope, I’m more in love with her now than ever…and she is with me. It’s hard to keep secrets when you’re in each other’s heads all the time…Although she was a bit miffed at me for the whole explosion thing…”

“As well she should be!” Katherine declared. “Wait---can Vulcans get ‘miffed’?”

“Well this one does!” Trip laughed, and then started coughing a bit. His mother got up to get him a glass of water. “Thanks. Anyway I was able to share your letters with her. She really appreciated the updates.”

“So Elizabeth’s nightmares?” Charlie prompted his son to continue.

“Yeah, well near as I can explain it this bond allows T’Pol and me to communicate, even over vast distances. Vulcans share bonds with their children, also. T’Pol and I would often try to imagine what Elizabeth was like as she grew up, what she was doing. Sometimes we saw her, but we thought it was just an illusion, something our collective consciousness came up with. Now I’m startin’ to believe we may have actually been in telepathic contact with her. Through the bond, she would have no difficulty recognizing us as her parents, but of course once we stopped meditatin’ we’d disappear. From her perspective it must have been really scary havin’ us pop in and out like that…believe me if we had any idea…”

“Oh, Honey, don’t blame yourselves…you couldn’t have known…besides, I don’t think it scared her as much as she missed you and couldn’t understand where you were.”

“Wow.” Charlie looked amazed. “So you can really talk to her whenever you want?”

“Yep…we both have to be concentrating on the other, but otherwise it’s relatively simple. We came up with a pretty good system on Enterprise, and I’ve been able to talk to her almost every night since I left. Vulcans believe that healing the body begins in the mind…T’Pol’s a large part of what held me together those first couple weeks…”

“Maybe once you explain all this to Elizabeth you could try meditating with her.”

Trip smiled. “That’s a great idea, Mom. T’Pol can’t wait to see her, but it’ll still be several months to a year before she can arrive. Everyone can’t disappear as easily as I did.”

“Let me get this straight, Son…You’ve spent six years courtin’ the woman you love in your head?”

“Well, um…it’s not as weird as it sounds, Dad…it’s just different…”

“Well I know you had your reasons, but didn’t it get kinda…monotonous after awhile…just talkin’ I mean?”

“Charles Tucker, Junior!” Charlie grimaced when he saw his wife’s glare.

“What?!...I’m just askin’ is all…there’s more to a relationship than…conversation.”

Trip was trying desperately not to burst our laughing. “Well Dad, if it makes you feel any better, T’Pol and I actually see physical manifestations of each other when we meet, we can do uh…anything we’d do if we were actually together…sure it’s not the same, but we’ve had a few stolen moments alone…” Trip got a faraway look in his eyes for a moment.

“Earth…I mean Aramistida to Trip…” Charlie waved a hand in front of his son’s face.

“Huh?”

“You okay, Honey?” Katherine looked worried.

“Oh, yeah. I was just rememberin’ somethin’.”

“Good memories?”

“Um-hmm. We were on an away mission about 3 months ago. The Captain, Travis, me and T’Pol. Electrical storms came up pretty quick and we couldn’t take off again in the shuttle until mornin’. The transporter was able to beam up the other two, but then the storms got so bad it might have interfered with the signal. First time we had been alone for more than an hour or two in over four years…” Trip cut off his story with a smile, deciding he had shared enough information on that particular subject. They didn’t push the matter…there were some things even his parents didn’t want to know.

“Well I think I’m gonna take a nap in that hammock out back. I got an important date to keep this afternoon.”

“Take a blanket with you, Honey, the wind kicks up all of the sudden around here.”

“Okay, Mom...Thanks.” Trip smiled and placed a kiss on her head and patted her arm for a moment. Katherine sighed and watched her son slowly leave the room, a shadow of his former exuberance. She turned back towards her husband who looked slightly befuddled. Both sat quietly for a time as they tried to absorb and process the events and news of the past 24 hours.

***
Trip awoke a few hours later after a very satisfying nap in the sun. He heard a faint humming noise, and as he listened he discovered it was coming from a nearby shed.

“Hey, Dad?” Trip called out carefully, when the noise died down for a moment.

“Oh, come on in, Trip. I’ve been meanin’ to show this to ya.” His father took off the safety goggles he was wearing and motioned his son into the room.

Trip was amazed at the small workshop. Scattered around were miscellaneous hand tools and wood furniture in various stages of completion as well as several pieces of scrap wood.

“Wow, Dad. You made all this?” He stopped to admire the fine craftsmanship on a large dining table.

“Keeps me busy. Part of our contribution to the community. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding repair work once you’re feelin’ up to it, again.”

Trip nodded. “I saw the garden, too. Mom got a canning business goin’?”

Charlie smiled proudly. “Yep. Nothin’ like your Momma’s fruit preserves. Folks can’t get enough of ‘em.”

He started sanding the table leg he was working on. “So…um Son, tell me somethin’. I didn’t wanna asked in front of your Mom, but uh…how is it? Bein’ with a Vulcan I mean.”

Trip’s eyebrows rose playfully, knowing full well what his father was getting at. “So…you won’t ask in front of your mate, but you’ll ask in front of mine?”

He grinned as his father looked at him confused. Trip tapped his temple with one finger. “She’s pretty much gonna hear this whole conversation, ya know…you sure you wanna go there?”

Charlie looked slightly aghast at being caught out and straightened up immediately. “Spoil sport,” he grumbled.

Trip laughed. “It’s good, Dad…we complete each other.”

The older man nodded. “That’s all I need to know.”

***
True to his word, Trip was waiting on the porch swing when Elizabeth returned home from school. She ran up the front steps, delighted to see him, and climbed up onto the opposite side of the swing.

“Daddy! You’re here!”

“Course I am, you didn’t think I’d forget did ya?”

“No, but…” The little girl broke off her sentence, suddenly growing very quiet.

“You’re used to me disappearing without warning, huh?” She nodded slowly, not looking up at him, but rather fixed her attention towards the wooden porch floor.

“Look at me, Lizzie.” Trip gently requested. It took a moment, but the little girl looked shyly up at him. “I’m gonna try to explain that to you, but first let me promise you somethin’.”

She watched him expectantly. “I’m real. I’m right here, flesh and bone, and I’m not going anywhere ever again. You can trust that, okay?” He gazed into her eyes, until she nodded her head again. Even as she was biting her lower lip, a small hand reached out and placed it in his larger one. He smiled at her as he squeezed her tiny fingers, reassuring her of his concrete presence.

“Your Momma and I have missed you so much. We really wanted to be here with you, watchin’ you grow up,” Trip began.

“Where were you?” a tiny voice asked as bright blue eyes stared up at him.

“We were on an important mission--on a starship. One day, when you’re older, we’ll tell you the whole story, but for now just know that we really wanted you with us…but it wasn’t safe for you. We thought long and hard and decided that the best place for you would be here, with your Grandparents. You’ve been happy here, haven’t you, Lizzie?”

She thought for a moment then nodded again. “But…why couldn’t you come with us?”

“Well, we wanted to, but we both had responsibilities to the ship. We helped to bring a whole bunch of planets together to form an alliance, an agreement to help each other out. It helped to settle a lot of conflicts in our region of space and bring all sorts of different people together to work on a common goal.”

“Kind of like the community charter here on Aramistida?”

Trip nodded. “Exactly. But our part of the work is done now, and a kind old man, helped me to get here to you, so that we could start livin’ our life together.”

“What about Momma?”

“Well, she had a few loose ends to tie up, but she is coming to join us just as soon as she can.”

Father and daughter sat quietly rocking in the swing for a few minutes, before Elizabeth piped up again. “Daddy?”

“Yes, Lizzie?”

“The dreams…where you and Momma came to visit me…were they real?”

Trip was genuinely surprised at her insightfulness. “Yes, Lizzie. But we didn’t realize it at the time. Otherwise, we would have made sure that we said good-bye properly to you before we had to leave, and we would have come more often to see you. I am very sorry we scared you like that.” Trip held a shallow breath as Lizzie took a moment to consider her father’s words.

She inched closer to him on the swing and leaned her head against his side. Trip carefully wrapped an arm around her and planted a soft kiss on her head.

“There’s one more thing you gotta know, Lizzie.” She glanced up at him, as he spoke again.

“I was in an accident a few months ago. I’ll probably never be able to do all the things I promised you we’d do together, but I’ll always be here ready to swing with ya.” He smiled down at her.

She snuggled closer to him and his arm gripped her tighter. “It’s okay, Daddy. It’s enough that you’re here.” Both sighed contentedly, each missing just one thing.

***
“I miss Momma.” Lizzie sighed one night after dinner.

Trip glanced at his parents. “Well, you know the dreams where Momma and I came to see you?”

The little girl nodded in reply.

“I can go visit her there, in that same white space. I don’t know if it’ll work, but do you wanna try and come with me tonight?”

Lizzie looked at her father with a bit of trepidation. Noticing her hesitation, Trip tried to reassure her. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I’ll be there with you the whole time.”

“If we go…will you come back with me?” Trip nodded at her.

“Yes. I’m here to stay, remember?”

“I’d like to go see Momma, please,” the little girl bravely said.

***
Trip seated himself on the floor of his bedroom in front of a lit meditation candle. Katherine had respectfully left the two alone, but she was currently in the kitchen working out her nervousness on a fresh batch of berries, she was turning into jam. Charlie, too, had retreated to his workshop without saying a word.

Sitting Indian style, Trip settled his daughter in his lap where he could hold both of her hands and so that she would feel safe.

“Okay. Now close your eyes and concentrate just on Momma.” Trip had shown her a picture of T’Pol, so that the image would be fresh in her mind instead of just a memory. “Now breathe slowly with me, in…and out…in…and out….”

A few moments later Trip opened his eyes to find the two of them sitting in the middle of the misty, white space. Knowing he was in the right place, he was surprised he didn’t see T’Pol right away as he usually did.

“Trip?” He turned and saw the purple-clad figure he loved so much walk towards him cautiously.

“Hey, Darlin’.” Trip smiled at the question on her face as she sat down across from him and gazed at the little girl, who still had her eyes closed “I’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Tucker…our daughter,” he quietly said.

T’Pol gasped slightly, as Trip nodded. “It’s really her...it’s been her all along.” T’Pol looked at him in wonder, then heartache as she realized all the times they had just left her.

Trip offered her an understanding smile. “It’s okay, Darlin’. I think she understands, now.”

Dark eyelashes began to flutter and T’Pol found herself looking back at two pairs of identical blue eyes. The little girl glanced up at her father for a moment as if seeking reassurance, before addressing the woman in front of her.

“Momma?”

“Yes, Daughter. I am your mother. I am very…pleased to see you here.” The little girl glanced back at her father as if questioning the strange wording and inflections of the vocalization.

“It’s okay, Sweetie…go talk to her.” He released her hands as T’Pol reached out one of her own and led the child a short distance away.

Trip sat patiently by watching them interact, feeling T’Pol’s joy and gratitude through their bond, at discovering their daughter. By the end of the session, the two were great friends, which made parting a little easier, though bittersweet.

T’Pol gazed affectionately at her mate for a moment as they prepared to leave. “I cherish your presence, Ashayam.”

“I love you, too, Darlin’.” Trip smiled at her and bid her good night.

The bedroom on Aramistida rematerialized around the two younger members of the Tucker household. Lizzie opened her eyes and after a quick reality check, turned and gave Trip a big hug. She ran excitedly out of the room to find her grandparents and tell them all about her experience in the white space and finally meeting her mother.

***
It had been three months since Trip had arrived on Aramistida. After a month’s worth of Katherine Tucker’s special brand of TLC, he started to settle into a routine. Able to sustain slightly longer physical activity, he walked Elizabeth to school in the mornings and picked her up each afternoon. Having already cemented their emotional bond, they used this time to become acquainted with each other, their likes and dislikes, Elizabeth’s school work, Trip’s adventures on Enterprise. T’Pol was a favorite topic, and they visited her together at least twice a week. In between daily naps in his favorite hammock, he took on the odd repair job and was learning the finer points of wood carving, working with his dad. All in all it was a good life and he was grateful to be living it with those nearest and dearest to him, with a few exceptions of course.

Asleep in his hammock early one afternoon, Trip sub-consciously felt the wind begin to pick up and the temperature drop significantly. As if by wishing it so, the blanket came up and covered his shoulders and upper chest.

“Thanks, Mom…” he mumbled, but the tickle in his mind and the hand running through his hair, had an increasingly non-maternal feel to it. He sighed happily as he settled deeper into his fantasy. “Hmmm…” Amusement flooded his consciousness prodding him to wake up, but part of him didn’t want to leave his dream. Slowly he began to stir and to stretch his stiff muscles

He lazily rubbed his eyes and opened them, hearing the familiar buzzing from his father’s workshop. Still half-asleep, he sat up and looked around him only to find a woman that was definitely not his mother, watching him closely.

“Hey, Darlin’…good to see ya…nice robes…” Trip suddenly jolted awake and stared at her. He tried to jump up, momentarily forgetting he was in a hammock, and quickly found himself eating dirt.

“Ow! Sonofa…You’re here! How? Why? When?” he stammered as she grabbed an arm and helped him to his feet.

“I believe it is customary to allow a person to answer a question before asking another one.” T’Pol replied calmly.

Trip dusted himself off and grimaced at her. “It’s just I wasn’t expectin’ ya for another six months at least…not that I’m not glad to see ya.”

“My present circumstances necessitated an acceleration of my plans.”

“Aw, what am I sayin’? I don’t care why you’re here. You’re here!!” His smile exploded across his face as he rubbed her arms.

“That would be the logical conclusion,” she answered, running a soft hand along the burn scars still visible on his cheek and neck.

“Come ‘ere.” He went to embrace her by wrapping his arms around her waist. He pulled back slightly in surprise, when her body made contact with his a lot sooner than he had expected.

He glanced downwards as his eyebrows shot up in the air. Suddenly the reasoning behind the heavy Vulcan robes became abundantly clear. “Um, Honey, you seem to have put on a little weight since I saw you last…” Trip looked her in the eye, amusement written all over his face.

T’Pol quite innocently gazed back at him. “As I said, my plans needed to be…accelerated.”

He started chuckling. “You’ve gotta be kiddin’ me! How?”

A Vulcan eyebrow rose. “I believed you to be quite cognizant during the conception…was I mistaken?”

She was graced with a classic Trip Tucker scowl. “No, I only meant…Wait a minute! I just talked to you last night…you didn’t look anythin’ like this! …Uh, not that you’re not the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in a long while…” His pointy finger did a hasty retreat, but he still looked like he was expecting an answer.

“Meditation exercises are all about perception. Just like we can change the scenery, we can project whatever image we chose.”

“So if I wanted to be a Klingon warrior?”

“I do not see the logic or the relevance. My motive was to reduce your apprehension and to …surprise you…Did I accomplish my goal?”

“I’ll say!” He finally finished the hug he had started and held her tightly. Laughing again, he picked her up off the ground and swung her around in a circle. “Oh!” he said, abruptly putting her down. “I shouldn’t have done that!”

“Are you well, T’hy’la?” She reached out to him in concern.

“Oh, yeah…I meant I shouldn’t have done that to you…are you okay?” He looked at her for a moment, and laid a hand on her already ample belly.

“I am well over the sickness and dizzy phase; however, I would request you not make a habit of that particular maneuver.”

Trip grinned. “Sure thing, Darlin’. Oh, man, Lizzie’s gonna flip when she sees you! She should be done with school in about an hour…I’ll go pick her up while you get settled in.”

“Perhaps, I could go with you?”

“Um, yeah…ya know as nice a surprise as this has been, perhaps springing it on her all at once in the middle of the school yard isn’t the best thing…”

T’Pol considered his logic for a moment and found it to be unerringly sound, much to her disappointment. “Agreed…if you promise not to…dawdle.”

He flashed her a patented Tucker smile and held up three fingers. “On my honor…It’s really great to see ya, Darlin’.” He leaned in to hug her again before grabbing her hand. “Come on! I want ya to meet my folks!”

***
Katherine Tucker had briefly met the Vulcan, when she had arrived, but had immediately steered her towards the backyard. Having observed some of her son’s interactions with the woman, she had the distinct impression “something was up”.

Charlie Tucker was slightly annoyed to be unceremoniously summoned to the house in the middle of the afternoon. But he was more than surprised by the sight that greeted him: a beautiful Vulcan female, whom he soon found out was more than 6 months pregnant with his newest grandchild.

“Trip?” Katherine sent a questioning glance in the direction of her son, who was beaming like an idiot.

He scratched the back of his neck for a moment. “Uh…yeah…remember that away mission I was tellin’ you about…” He shrugged and had the grace to look guilty for a moment, before chuckling in glee.

“Well now, Ms. T’Pol. May I be allowed to officially welcome you to the Tucker home…and the family!” Charlie gave a slight, but formal bow in T’Pol’s direction electing to err on the side of caution.

“I am honored Mr. Tucker. Please, T’Pol will do quite nicely.”

“Ah…then I must insist on Charlie…I’m only called Mr. Tucker when I’m in trouble.” He tossed a wink to Katherine.

“Of course, Charlie. I thank you for your hospitality.”

Trip looked at her with his hands on his hips. “Hey! It took me 3 years to get you to call me Trip…and you call him Charlie after only 5 minutes?!”

“He didn’t try to shake my hand.”

Trip rolled his eyes at her. “On that note, I think I’ll go and pick up our daughter, Commander.”

***
Katherine had sufficiently recovered from the shock of the past two hours to remember her Southern manners.

“T’Pol, allow me to help you get settled into Trip’s room…or we can set up the guest room, if you’d be more comfortable?”

“Trip’s quarters will be acceptable, Mrs. Tucker…unless of course you feel it inappropriate…we are not technically married…” T’Pol looked slightly hesitant, not wanting to offend the Tucker matriarch’s sense of values.

“Please, it’s Kate…and don’t be silly…Trip explained the whole bond thing to us…If ancient Vulcan tradition is good enough for the two of you then it’s good enough for us…Besides, you’ve been apart long enough.” Katherine offered T’Pol the same smile that had first warmed the Vulcan to Trip. She immediately felt more relaxed and at ease.

“Do you know the gender of the baby?” Katherine asked, after few minutes of relative silence.

“I assumed that Trip wouldn’t want to know until the baby is born. However, Dr Phlox assured me everything was progressing normally, despite the uniqueness of the pregnancy.”

Katherine breathed a visible sigh of relief and smiled at her daughter-in-law, for formal ceremony or not, that is what she was. “That’s good to hear, Dear. I’m sure Trip will be thrilled either way.”

“Indeed. And I am sure Dr. Phlox would never have allowed me to travel if he wasn’t confident we could handle the birth with relative ease.” For some reason T’Pol felt the need to offer the other woman a little more assurance, and perhaps receive some back in return.

Trip’s mom understood and nodded. “Well you’re a member of the Tucker clan now, and if there’s one thing we do best it’s stick together…through good times and bad.”

***
Sitting on the front porch swing with his wife, Charlie was wondering something. “So, Katie, how do you think T’Pol got here so fast?”

Katherine tilted her head to look at him and smiled. “Well, Commander T’Pol resigned Starfleet following the death of Commander Tucker. Seems she, too had held out some hope that they would eventually be together. After all the fanfare, she retreated to a Vulcan monastery, to undergo a ritual purging of emotion. She maintained a quiet life of study and contemplation.”

Charlie nodded. “Huh…Interesting.” He turned his attention back to scene before him.

With joy and a certain measure of satisfaction, Katherine observed Lizzie reunite with her mother and Trip with his bondmate. Her job was now complete, Elizabeth had her parents back and she and Charlie could finally revel in the pleasures of being grandparents again. No, it wasn’t the life she had envisioned for any of them, but when push came to shove, they were the very definition of family.

***
Epilogue

Charles ‘Trip’ Tucker was a grateful man. He was alive, his bondmate was asleep in bed next to him, he had reunited with his daughter, and had another child on the way. Any day now, according to Phlox’s well-stocked data padd. Aramistida had a few people capable of providing medical services, but mostly they were on their own.

T’Pol was restless beside him. It wasn’t unusual, she had been growing increasing uncomfortable as her belly continued to expand. But when the small sighs, turned into low moans and whimpers, Trip began to gently rouse her from her fitful sleep to check on her. A short time later, a sudden gush of wetness on the bed, dashed any hopes of further sleep that night. In the span of a few moments, Trip turned into a crazy person, jumping around in the dark, swearing at his stubbed toe, and running half-dressed down the hall.

“Mom? Momma!” he yelled.

A somewhat disheveled Katherine answered her bedroom door and squinted at him. “Trip? It’s the middle of the night!”

“I think it’s time! T’Pol’s havin’ contractions an’….gawd, Momma! I forgot what to do!”

“Calm down, Trip…”

“Calm down?! She’s havin’ a baby in there!”

“It’ll be okay, Honey...as long as you don’t hyper-ventilate.”

Trip glared at her. He hated it when his mother was right.

***
Katherine had things well in hand. Trip and T’Pol’s only job was making sure the other remained breathing properly. Several hours later Jonathan Charles Tucker was laid in this mother’s waiting arms.

“Trip!” T’Pol suddenly hissed.

The elation on his face turned to concern. “Darlin’, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t think it’s over…” She groaned again. “Here, take the baby…”

Trip scooped up his sleepy son and went to lay him down in the waiting cradle, before turning back to his bondmate. “Hey Mom?” Trip called. “Momma!!!”

“What?!” A rather tired looking Katherine appeared in the doorway. Her eyes widened as she looked at T’Pol. “Oh, my! Do you think---”

“Think what?! What’s wrong?”

“Yep! I see another head!”

Trip looked like you could knock him over with a feather, his mouth hanging wide open as the realization finally dawned on him. “Tw-twins?!”

A short time later, Lesley T’Mir Tucker had made her presence known, squawking up a storm as Trip cut the second umbilical cord. He couldn’t stop laughing.

“Um…Honey, if you’re sure there’s nobody else in there, I think I’ll go down an’ tell Lizzie and Dad they need to start on another cradle!” T’Pol nodded briefly as her eyes started to flutter shut.

Trip went downstairs, trying rather unsuccessfully to keep a straight face.

“Son, everythin’ all right? That was quite a commotion we heard goin’ on up there,” Charlie started.

Trip nodded at him as Lizzie jumped up. “Come on, Daddy. Is it a boy or a girl?”

“Yes.” He grinned as his daughter gave him a confused look. “Twins! Both with Tucker blues and Vulcan ears,” he gloated, starting to laugh again.

Lizzie squealed in delight and ran up the stairs to meet her new siblings.

Charlie came over and embraced his son warmly. “Geez, musta been one hell of an away mission!” He grinned and slapped Trip lightly on the back.

“Yes, it was, Dad…Yes it was.”

THE (“REAL”) END

Back to Fan Fiction Main Menu

Have a comment to make about this story? Do so in the Trip Fan Fiction forum at the HoTBBS!

A whole mess of folks have made comments

This is wonderful, Valleygirl, but don't you think Phlox would've noticed that she was carrying twins? LOL! Seriously, though, I love this fix. Thank you!

Well I thought of that, but assumed Vulcan physiology didn't differentiate twins until later in the pregnancy, after T'Pol had left and it took her several weeks to make it to the planet via the 'underground railroad.'
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!! ;o)

Ooooooh this was SO GOOD! Now THAT is the way to end a story (or series, hint hint to brainless writers and producers of Enterprise).

Thank you so much for this story! I feel like I finally have completion and closure. You have lifted the sadness I have been feeling over the F***nale.

THIS is how Enterprise ended and Trip & T'Pol's life together began. You wrote it -- I believe it, and that's all we need to say about that!! :)

i really enjoyed this--and i, too thought it a shame for that family to lose two children. this warmed my heart enough though. i could really see it happening...

Good. That's how it should have ended! :)

LOVE IT! You're right on ALL counts, Valleygirl!

i loved it great writing the show should have ended somthing like this thanks

Great f#cknale fix valleygirl, thank you. Really enjoyed the story...if only....:-)

That was wonderful. Why couldn't we have gotten something like this as an ending to Enterprise instead of that dreadful depressing TATV. Thank you.

HAHA! TWINS! I was not expecting that at all! Nice surprise but I'd really like it if you could tell me where the planet is. Loved it!

Fantastic! I loved it! Excellently written story and the perfect way for Trip and T'Pol to begin their lives together. Would love to see this turned into a multi-chapter fic! You do wonderful work!

what a beautiful way to fix that God awwfull F#cknale. Loved that TnT used their Bond to see their daughter even though they didnt know that they were actualy seeing her,, kinda a bit sad but yet so sweet,, Poor Lizzy not knowing her parents for 6 years. TnT really earned that happy ending,, but I gota agree that it would be great to see this continued.:)

Wonderful! What everyone else said.

Enjoyed this a lot; anything that fixes that godawful finale in a happy-ever-after ending gets my vote!!
Nice twist about the twins: didn't expect that at all. I too would have thought Phlox would have picked that up immediately. LOL.

Cute, very cute!!

good job. Trip is alive -yea!

I'm glad this has been an 'acceptable' fix! Thanks for all the positive comments :o)

Fireheart, not knowing where the planet is, is kinda the point LOL...but I envisioned it within a 100 lightyears of the "core" Federation planets, an uninteresting area in a relatively remote region of space. But it takes so long to get there because you don't go in a straight line...an Underground railroad is like the links of a chain...if you participate you only know the identity of the one link before and ahead of you...Who knew the Vulcans could be that crafty??? ;o)

PS. About the Twins...LOL - I couldn't decide to whether to name the baby after Jonanthan Archer or T'Les and T'Mir...so I figured what the heck!!!
:o)

Yeah, pretty nice story, but what spoiled it for me was the naming of the kid Lesley. ICK!

Oh, wow! What a wonderful story! I love it! Okay, I hafta go read it again.

Thanks!!!
Sorry not knowing I guess would be the point but I have an ecuse. I suffer from chronic curiosity.

Thanks!!!
Sorry not knowing I guess would be the point but I have an ecuse. I suffer from chronic curiosity.

I teared up. No lie. I love this. Thank you for fixing the finale.

Oh great. I sent it twice. I was just going to ask if you would consider a sequel?

Not really 'feeling' a sequel...I've already written an "epic" T/T family story and wouldn't want to muddle the two...ya never know though ;o)

This is definately so much better than the actual finale.If only. I Love You!!!:)

wow lol that wuz sooooooooooooooo cool i luv-d it keep it up ur a gr8 write-r rockon LLP.;D

wow lol that wuz sooooooooooooooo cool i luv-d it keep it up ur a gr8 write-r rockon LLP.;D

Great story, Valleygirl . . . what the finale should have been and wasn't. Thanks for "the fix".

Forgot to comment on this earlier, but I loved this story! The twins thing is a bit farfetched, but it's so cute that it so doesn't bother me. :) This definitely makes one feel better after that junkie holopgrogram we got.

This is one of my favorite fics! Like, totally, ValleyGirl.

I really like your resolution to the events of that 'Next Generation' episode - NOW, the wink makes sense! I agree that the twins perk was stretching things a bit (T'Pol's uterus, to say the least**wink, wink**) but, what the hell, It was one Hell of an away mission, right?

I thought Trip's talk with Lizzie on the swing was precious, " I’ll probably never be able to do all the things I promised you we’d do together, but I’ll always be here ready to swing with ya.”

Thanks for sharing your resolution.

Thank you, for the fix! I loved it!! Looking forward to reading more of your work.

A little late reading this but I just got through watching that "abomination" of a finale on dvd and didn't want to read a spoiler. I was so depressed, I honestly thought of walking away from Trek after 28 years of loyalty, so deep was my disgust. But you have put a big, stupid grin on my face and joy back into my heart. As far as I am concerned, this is what really happened. Thank you for restoring my happiness.

I loved this story, all of your stories - especially the ENDING !!!!!!

Hope to read some more !!!!!