The Early Hours- Pt 2

Title: The Early Hours

Author: Zane Gray (agent8e9@yahoo.com)

Series: Enterprise

Rating: R

Summary: Even on the Enterprise, there are times when is life best lived in the moment.

Part Two

It was an overpowering sensation of arousal that first stirred Trip to consciousness. He lay still as his senses came slowly back online after slumbering. He heard the low, reassuring rumble of the warp reactor in the distance, and the equally comforting sound of steady, even breathing beside him. Something deliciously warm and soft was wedged against his body, enveloped in his arms, and knew it was T'Pol. She was laying on her side, as was he, and she had pressed back against him in sleep, their legs entangled, with her head cradled into his shoulder. The smell of her sex... their sex... permeated the cabin, and fueled his arousal. She smelled of pennies - he knew it was the copper in her blood - but also of something lightly sweet... and darkly exotic. He breathed deeply of the mingling aromas, savoring them.

Trip felt incredibly peaceful, but not rested. Some part of his mind knew that he hadn't been sleeping very long. Probably just a few hours. He idly wondered what time it was, but he found that he wasn't curious enough to actually open his eyes and look. Both he and T'Pol were off duty until later that morning, when Enterprise was scheduled to arrive back at Earth, so what did he care about time now? Besides, his knew with every fiber of his being that his lover was ready again... ready to join with him... to mate. For some reason, the words he'd once used to describe the act of intercourse simply weren't sufficient for what they had together: fucking, making love, having sex. This was incredibly more powerful that those words could convey... more all encompassing. More spiritual and emotional.

So many Humans mistakenly thought that Vulcans had no emotions. If only they knew the truth! Vulcans felt things with an intensity that was almost beyond his description. That was why they worked so hard to suppress their feelings or at least to mask them. But now that they were inseparably connected, T'Pol shared everything with him. He was almost taken aback by how talkative she was. She told him her thoughts on the ship's efficiency and ways to improve it, her scientific research and theories, her concerns about her interaction with other members of the crew, her analysis of the flavor of various food items he encouraged her to sample. She shared it all with him, either aloud or through their telepathic bond. It was extraordinary the change in her. Every time he looked at T'Pol, it seemed, Trip discovered something new. And yet, he'd always known that this side existed within her. She was blossoming. Everything about his lover... my wife, he reminded himself with a smile... was extraordinary to him.

He loved the way she would sit lightly on the edge of a chair, rather than sinking into it the way he did. The way she would endlessly analyze a problem until she solved it, or at least understood that she could not solve it with the information at hand. The way she looked at him over diner in the Captain's Mess, tilting her head just so, her dark eyes glittering liquidly just for him. The attentiveness with which she listened to what he had to say. The way she sometimes became shy when she was experiencing the full force of her love for him. He delighted in all of it. He delighted in her.

As he lay musing over these things, his lover suddenly sighed beside him. T'Pol was still asleep, he knew, but already her need was flooding his consciousness. It wouldn't be long before her body began responding to it. So he began gently sliding his hands over her simmering skin, savoring the softness... the feel of her breasts, her nipples stroking sweetly against his palms. And he poured his love for her back into her mind. All at once, he felt her come alive in his arms, just as he knew she would. It was almost as if she were a child's toy and he'd just wound her up. She gasped softly, still half-asleep, and her ass pushed back into his groin instinctively. The full flavor of her soul exploded into his mind, sufficing his thoughts with those of her feverish love and need. Her head turned back toward him as their lips came together in the darkness. She felt so tiny pressed against him like this - seemed so fragile. But he knew very well that she was anything but fragile. She fit perfectly against him... moved perfectly against him. And she moved perfectly now. With a tiny arching of her back, T'Pol angled her backside up against his now painful erection... and took him deeply inside of her.

And then there was little room for conscious thought as physical and emotional imperatives took over. Their minds became one, joining even more profoundly than their bodies had. Their movements became synchronized and subtle... grinding, driving... building perfectly into a cascading symphony of mutual pleasure. She rolled slightly onto her belly and pushed her hips up and back against him frantically, overcome by her need to take him in as deeply as possible. To be filled with him. He responded in kind, moving with her, over her... into her. With each slow stroke, the tip of his cock was kissed lightly by the entrance to her womb and the subtle pressure of it drove him insane - drove them both insane, for she could feel it too, through their bond. And it was exactly that sensation - that simultaneous awareness of what the other person was feeling at that moment - that would ever be their undoing. He felt himself moving into her, sliding through her clinging flesh... through her. She felt herself quivering, her muscles clamping down on him hotly, slickly... through him. And then, at exactly the same instant, their climaxes unraveled powerfully, each multiplying the other's exponentially. The Universe fell away from them, then, and they existed only for this timeless moment... for this purpose... for this love.


...


As the doors to her destination slid open before her, the air was filled with the sounds of exercise equipment in steady operation. It was only 05:00 hours, but the Enterprise's Gym was already bustling with activity, as crewmen let off steam through their individual workouts. The chamber wasn't yet packed, but it was likely to be soon enough. And so Hoshi strode purposefully to the row of treadmills, found an unoccupied one, and took her place on it. Laying her towel over the control pad, and setting her water bottle in the cradle designed to accommodate it, the Com Officer quickly selected a rigorous, hour-long program and set it in motion.

Had anyone taken the time to examine Ensign Sato's features, as her lithe body began to run in place on the rolling track, they might have noticed a particular look of satisfaction. Of amusement. But then, no one did take the time. No one, that is, but a certain Helm Officer who entered the Gym a few minutes after her.

Ensign Mayweather could barely keep the grin off his face as he calmly selected the treadmill beside hers and started his own running program. Soon, when he too was up to speed, their pace began to synchronize. It was only then that Travis looked over at Hoshi with eyes that smiled mirthfully.

"Morning, Ensign. Sleep well?"

Her eyes sparkled in return. "Never better. And you?"

"Terrible. My best friend kept hogging the bunk."

"Hey!"

Hoshi threw her towel at him then, and Travis laughed, not even bothering to hide his growing feelings for her. Soon her laughter rang out lightly in the air as well. But as the sound of their amusement blended with the din of the equipment, no one around them was the wiser for it.


...


Trip worked his muscles strenuously as he stroked into the oncoming torrent of water. The powerful jets of the hydromill washed over him, and he had to struggle mightily to keep his place in the current as he continued his forward crawl. This was his preferred form of meditation, allowing his mind to let go of everything save for the constant drum beat of the stroke.

One, two, three... breathe... one, two, three... breathe. On and on it continued.

The pool was almost absurdly small - only about three meters wide and about double that in length - but with the constantly recycling current, it was more than sufficient for an Olympic-caliber workout. It was the first such pool to be installed on an Earth ship. The chance of the gravity plating failing had always prevented any kind of swimming facility from being used in space by Starfleet before. But with their long mission duration, it was decided to include one on the Enterprise, with adequate precautions taken to ensure that no water escaped in an emergency. The room was accordingly small, and could only be accessed by a water-tight airlock. Oxygen masks were installed around the room in the event that sudden zero-G filled the air with liquid, making it impossible to breathe.

Granted the pool wasn't the same as the ocean, but it would do in a pinch. Trip certainly put it to good use, as did the Captain and several other crewmen. He'd always loved swimming. He'd spent many lazy summers down at his grandparents' house on the Florida Gulf Coast when he was young. Trip had practically grown up in the water, having learned how to scuba dive even before he learned how to drive a car. He put that experience to good use during his college years, participating in a project to reclaim the ocean floor in parts of the Atlantic, living in underwater communities for months at a time. Because of all this, his later recruitment by Starfleet, and his eventual transition to the environment of space, had been a natural one for him. After all, a pressure suit was a pressure suit. Deep ocean or vacuum, it was all the same to him. And this way... he got to play with warp engines.

Over the years, Trip had found that he had a natural ability and adaptability in life. And so he'd tried a little bit of everything, before finally settling on Starship Engineering. He'd taken to it immediately... and quickly discovered that he loved it. Before long, he excelled in the discipline, quickly rising to the top of his class at the Academy. He'd made such a splash, in fact, that he'd been asked by Captain Jefferies to join his team working on the NX Test Program. And it was there that he'd first met Jonathan Archer, then a Commander and test pilot for the program.

As he was musing over the strange and interesting course of his life, Trip heard the sound of the airlock cycling and paused, reaching over for the pool controls to switch off the current momentarily. It was then that the person who represented the latest twist his life had taken appeared. T'Pol walked into the small room, clearly looking for him. She was wearing a small white robe, which she quickly removed and hung next to his own. Underneath, was something of a surprise... a simple one-piece bathing suit. The sleek material wasn't particularly interesting in its style or color, but it was exceptional in that she was wearing it. It afforded Trip yet another new view of his mate. T'Pol, in swimwear, was simply beautiful. And so he told her as much.

"T'Pol, you look... amazing."

The Vulcan's cheeks flushed. It was an emotional reaction for which she chided herself, but she was pleased at his reaction nonetheless. "You have been swimming for some time," she observed.

"I hope you don't mind... you were still asleep when I woke up, so I figured I'd exercise my other muscles for a change." Trip smiled, continuing. "I didn't know you used the hyrdomill."

"I have studied the relevant procedural texts, but I have never actually attempted the activity."

"You mean you were stationed for three years on a planet that's seventy percent water and you never learned how to swim?"

"Seventy-point-nine percent," she corrected. "Vulcan has no oceans and only a few small seas. Learning to swim is not a high priority among my people. In any case, swimming on Earth was considered unsanitary."

"I don't understand. How can it be unsanitary?"

"To immerse oneself in the same fluid in which countless billions of lifeforms are born, eat, excrete, die and decompose is far from hygienic."

He laughed easily. "I suppose you're right. But this water's nice and clean. You want to try it?"

She clearly did. T'Pol was more adventurous that he ever expected. "It's excellent aerobic exercise. And... I have always wanted to learn. Will you teach me?"

"Sure," he replied warmly. "Come on in."

He held out his hand to help her into the pool. It was unnecessary, of course, but she was appreciated the gesture. It was charming. And very much a part of his personality. So T'Pol placed her hand in his and allowed him to lower her gently into the water beside him. The hydromill was deeper than she expected, nearly coming up to her chin when she stood on the bottom. Her eyes widened for a moment in surprise and he moved closer as a precaution.

"You all right?" She nodded shyly and he caressed her cheek. "Will you be okay if I touch you? As much as I'd love to, it probably wouldn't be good if we ended up... you know... and someone walked in."

She ran her fingers down his chest. "I will be fine. But... I wish you to know that I... love you."

Trip took her in his arms and held her tightly, rendered speechless by her declaration. He kissed the top of her head, and she gave a hint of a smile.

"However, if you continue to hold me in this manner, I cannot be responsible for my actions."

He released her, still smiling. "Sorry, darlin'. I love you too. Very much." They exchanged a tender glance. "Okay... why don't you show me what ya got."

He reached over and activated the jets, adjusting the current to allow her to swim, but not be overwhelmed. A look of concentration crossed her face and then she leaned forward into the rushing water, attempting the forward crawl he had been doing so effortlessly when she entered. For a few moments she seemed to find the correct rhythm...

... and then she sunk like a stone. Her rhythm was quickly lost as her limbs flailed out reflexively.

"Whoa!" Trip reached down into the water and lifted her back to the surface. She gasped for air. "Just hang on to me for a moment."

T'Pol clung to him as she caught her breath, and Trip chuckled in spite of himself. "Guess I'll have to fix you up a pair of water wings."

She glanced at him puzzled and he quickly changed the subject, knowing that he'd pay for the remark later when she looked up the reference. She always looked up the reference.

"Never mind. You've gotta get your legs involved too, okay? Let's start with a backstroke. Are you--?"

"I am familiar with it."

"Good. Lean back and I'll support your weight."

She complied and moments later, her arms were stroking efficiently into the current, her feet flutter-kicking behind her. When Trip was satisfied that she was comfortable, he spoke.

"Can I ask what brought all this on? The swimming thing, I mean?"

"Your mother said that you planned to go scuba diving during your visit home. I was... hoping I might be proficient enough by that time to join you."

He became exited. "Are you kidding? I'd love to take you diving, T'Pol! There's this place down in the Caymans where the water's so clear that--" Suddenly, his expression changed. "Wait a minute... you contacted my mother?"

She became concerned. "Of course. After bonding, it's customary for the female to acquaint herself with her mate's mother." She stopped swimming and sat up in the water, clinging to him tentatively. "Have I made a mistake?"

"No, it's okay. I just wasn't expecting it." He laughed nervously. "I'll bet Mom flipped out when she got your letter."

"Is that... an acceptable response?"

"That all depends. How did she react to you?"

"She seemed surprised at first, but we have exchanged several productive messages. Your mother seems quite familiar with me."

"Well... I don't think I've sent home a single letter since we first left Earth that didn't mention you in some way or other. I think she's suspected that we were growing closer for a while now." He hesitated. "I assume you told her that we were..."

"Bonded? Yes."

"And?"

"She had many questions. I forwarded her the definitive reference text on the subject of Vulcan mating."

For a moment, Trip's face went blank in shock as he digested this news. T'Pol sensed his panic under the surface. "I'm sorry. I should have let you tell your parents about our relationship."

"No... look, I'm the one who should be sorry. I should have told my family about us weeks ago. I just... didn't know how to tell her about you." Before she could respond, he continued. "It's not that you're Vulcan. What I mean is... marriage is the sort of thing that mothers back home like to be a part of, you know? I guess I was afraid she'd be disappointed if she found out she'd missed it."

T'Pol frowned in confusion. "You wish your mother had been present at our first mating?"

Trip's face blanched. "NO!! Hell, no! I was talking about the ceremony."

"We have not held a ceremony. It is considered a technicality in Vulcan society. The bond itself is the important thing."

"Well... on Earth, the ceremony is kind of a big deal."

T'Pol considered this. "Then perhaps we should hold one."

Trip reacted in surprise for a moment, then looked at her with a bemused smile. "Maybe we will. You're amazing, T'Pol. You know that?"

Now it was T'Pol's turn to smile... at least with her eyes. "So you have said." She glanced down at the water briefly, and he could sense her apprehension. "Your mother has invited me to join your family's celebration of your return."

"Of course she did. You're a part of that family now." He smiled at her amused, when she looked up. "I have to warn you, though, the Tuckers can be a little overwhelming for the uninitiated. Especially my mother. I'd hate to bring you home for the first time only to scare you away for good."

T'Pol understood his concern, reaching up to touch his cheek softly. "I would never choose to leave you. You are my husband. You are my life."

Trip felt her love for him flood his consciousness once more, and he sent his own to her in return. Soon they were kissing, lightly at first, but it was not long before things became more passionate. Then a chime sounded from the controls. Trip glanced over at it. He'd set the timer to alert him at 07:00.

"We've got breakfast with the Captain in an hour." He glanced back at T'Pol. "If we're gonna get you in scuba shape, we'd better get back to those swimming lessons."

Her eyes were growing feverish again. She ran her fingers inside the waistband of his swimming trunks. "Perhaps you can teach me when we reach Earth instead?"

Trip grinned, even as he began to succumb to the inevitable. He reached over to turn off the timer... and lock the door.

"Darlin', you're killing me here..."


...


"Captain, I thought you should know, we've crossed the Oort boundary. We're just passing Pluto now. ETA to Earth orbit is thirty-seven minutes."

"Right on schedule. I'll be up there in a little while, Malcolm."

"Aye, sir."

Archer flipped off the com and resumed his place at the breakfast table. Across from him, T'Pol was picking through a fruit salad, the very picture of composure. On his right, his Chief Engineer was plowing through a plate of French toast like there was no tomorrow. Every now and then, the Vulcan would glance over at Trip as he ate, and Archer was sure he could see a hint of amusement in her expression. The Captain shook his head in wonder and smiled.

"So... Admiral Forrest tells me there's going to be a lot of media waiting for us at Spacedock. It seems our homecoming is the top story on all the newscasts."

Trip grinned. "Imagine that. Seems kinda strange, goin' home after all this time. What have you got planned, Captain? After all the hoopla, I mean."

"Porthos and I are going on a nice, quiet retreat. We're staying at the cabin up in Banif."

"The one in the mountains? By the lake? I always loved that place."

"Me too. When my father died, I couldn't bring myself to sell it. What about you T'Pol?"

"Commander Tucker is presenting me to his family."

Archer laughed at her turn of phrase. "That should be... fascinating. The Tucker clan is quite the bunch. They're very..."

The Vulcan raised an eyebrow. "Touchy-feely?"

The Captain laughed again, nodding at Trip. "I see he's been coaching you. I was going to say 'hands-on', but 'touchy-feely' works too. Are you ready for that?"

T'Pol considered the question. "They are now my family as well. It is my obligation to acquaint myself with them. I am looking forward to the opportunity." She was about to eat a bite of cantaloupe when she paused. "I have decided to bring extra nasal inhibitor as an added precautionary measure."

Both Trip and Archer were laughing now. Archer shook his head. "Very prudent, Sub-Commander."

Just then Trip seemed to remember something, and he turned to his friend. "Hey Captain... when you're finished retreatin' and all, you should come down and join us. Dad's gonna take us all out on the boat out next week. Everyone's invited - the whole command crew. My family would love to have you there."

Archer considered the offer. "Is your mom cooking her pasta jambalaya?"

"Absolutely."

"Then I wouldn't miss it."

Suddenly, T'Pol chimed in. "Captain... if I may make a recommendation for your retreat?"

Archer looked up in surprise, glancing quickly at Trip. "Certainly. What did you have in mind?"

"Perhaps you should consider taking the opportunity to have your tension relieved. It has worked remarkably well for Commander Tucker. I have noted that his efficiency has gone up by a factor of two since--"

Trip nearly choked on his breakfast. Archer shifted uneasily in his chair.

"Uh, I'll... I'll take that under advisement, T'Pol..."


...


At that very moment, up on the Bridge, Malcolm was also shifting in his chair. To be fair, it was really the Captain's chair, but it was his for the time being at least. Though the Enterprise was headed home, the Tactical Officer was feeling... well, depressed was too strong a word for it. Melancholy? Maybe. It was rare that Malcolm mourned the lack of intimate relationships that his duty made necessary. The Lieutenant loved his job with a passion and, most of the time, that was enough. But every now and then, the lack of companionship with a woman... well, in those rare moments he sometimes missed it.

It wasn't like there weren't women in his life. In fact, he'd struck up friendships with several of the female members of the ship's company. Ensign Sato, for example. Malcolm even considered their Vulcan First Officer a friend of sorts, at least professionally. There was a mutual respect between them, he knew. But he was now almost certain that T'Pol was, in fact, getting on with Commander Tucker, and had been for some weeks... shocking and unlikely though the idea might be. Lucky bastard, Malcolm thought disgustedly. Told me he hadn't even noticed her bum. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, Malcolm had been forced to sit watch on the Bridge for the last half-hour with Hoshi and Travis making eyes at one another. Hell, it almost seemed as if everyone on the ship was shagging but him!

Just then, Malcolm felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck. His misery quickly forgotten, the Lieutenant glanced around the Bridge cautiously. Nothing seemed amiss. On the main viewscreen, the giant, swirling bulk of Jupiter was swiftly growing in size as they approached. Hoshi and Travis were at their stations, as were other crewmen, and no one seemed concerned about anything. But for some reason he couldn't put his finger on, the Tactical Officer's nerves were on edge. Something just wasn't right. He couldn't shake the sudden sense of edginess he felt... and he'd learned to trust such things over the years.

It was then that the signal came in. Hoshi glanced up at him from Communications when her station chirped insistently.

"Sir... there's a coded message coming in from Starfleet. Top priority." She suddenly looked puzzled. "It's for you, Lieutenant."

Malcolm smiled wryly. "For me? You must be joking."

"No sir. It's definitely for you. Text only."

He frowned in surprise. He'd always hated surprises. "Send it to my station."

As Hoshi complied, he walked around to Tactical and activated a monitor. The incoming message appeared instantly:

SEC-31 00909887851

RT: Lt. M. Reed, TAC, NX-01

August 6, 1588. What would have happened if King Philip II had sent word to the Duke of Parma to meet the Spanish Armada at Calais a day early?

Something important is about to happen, Malcolm. Something terrible. Do not alert Captain Archer or anyone else - this is absolutely critical. It all depends on you now. You will be contacted again soon.

Be watchful. Be on your guard.

Malcolm blanched. He re-read the message. Then he re-read it again. Finally, he glanced up alarmed. "Hoshi, can you tell me who sent this message? The header's unusual. The point of origin signature is missing."

The Ensign checked her system and frowned. "That's strange. It was transmitted to us through the Ganymede com relay, but I'm not showing any record of where it came from, other than that it was included in the latest packet of communiqués from Starfleet. It could be an incomplete message. Shall I request a re-transmission from the relay?"

Malcolm shook his head absently, his mind whirling. "No. That's fine."

Hoshi noted his unusual expression and became concerned. "Are you sure?"

He erased the message and switched off the display. "Yes. Just forget about it." After a moment, he resumed his place in the Captain's chair and the Bridge returned to normal.

But if Malcolm had been edgy before, he was positively crawling out of his skin now. Why would anyone send such a message to him? Top priority transmissions were usually directed to the Captain. But this one was clearly meant for him.

What would have happened if King Philip II had sent word to the Duke of Parma to meet the Spanish Armada at Calais a day early?

That was easy. The combined forces of Philip and Parma would have easily deflected the attacking English fleet. Parma's army would have landed successfully at Kent and marched, almost unopposed, all the way to London. Queen Elizabeth Tudor would have been deposed. The course of British history would have changed. Malcolm had written a thesis on this very subject at Starfleet's Tactical College. Clearly, whoever had sent the message was aware of his historical expertise.

But who had sent it? And why? What did it mean? Why couldn't he tell the Captain? That bothered him as much, if not more, than anything else in the mysterious message. Could there be a security problem on board the Enterprise? Something wrong at their destination? Perhaps a threat directed against the ship after it arrived at Spacedock? A conspiracy in Starfleet? The possibilities multiplied quickly in Malcolm's mind... and none of them were reassuring.

Well... there was nothing he could do at the moment that wouldn't raise concern. Be watchful, the message had said. Be on your guard. Malcolm smiled grimly.

Too bloody right...


...


As the Enterprise dived across the ecliptic, racing toward the inner solar system, the angry colossus of Jupiter, with its glaring red eye, was left far behind. But though Jupiter's eye was ever-watchful, it was also unseeing. And even had it not been blind, no eye could have detected the ghostly disturbance that followed the first Human starship back to Earth.

That the disturbance was a cloaked warship would certainly have interested the Enterprise's Tactical Officer, had he been aware of it. That this particular class of warship had not yet been designed, built or put into operation by its masters - and would not be for more than a century - might have interested him even more.

But watchful and on his guard though Malcolm Reed now was, these facts were beyond his grasp. So the Enterprise continued on unaware. And, with just the slightest shimmer as its cloaking field was adjusted to compensate for the ever increasing solar winds, the warship followed it home.


--- FIN ---


If you liked what you just read, be sure to check out my other stories, One Step Back, Two Steps Forward, Sympathies and Symmetries, Time Enough and Differential, in that order, which are all part of a continuing series. And watch for the next installment, Objects in Motion, coming later in 2003.

Best wishes as always!

Zane Gray
agent8e9@yahoo.com
4/12/03

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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

Wonderful story I really am glad to see how you had T'Pol and Trip's relationship continuing.I like how you had T'Pol sending messages to Trip's mother and trying to learn to swim.I'm also very curious to see what 's going to happen to read in Objects in motion.Look forward to see more of your fanfic stories as excellent as always Zane.

As usual, AWESOME! Hard as it is to believe, Zane, your plots and character development keep getting BETTER and BETTER with each installment -- and they were EXCELLENT to begin with! So, I'll stop trying to find superlatives...

Will Archer nver be able to play water polo in that pool again?

Will momma make vegetarian jambalaya for T'Pol?

Will Malcolm solve the mystery?

Will Hoshi finally get her hands on Travis' collection of salsa CDs?

Well, we're waiting -- and checking for new chapters every 4 hours around the clock... :-)

THANKS FOR A *GREAT* READ!

I just adore how you are writing Trip and T'Pol but wow, what an ending! That cloaked future warship is enough to give anyone the creeps but why the warning to Malcolm? I can't wait for the next part of the story. This is so good. Thanks for a lovely story. Ali D :~)

ohh this story is so great..
and of course T'pol would contact Trip's mom .
It was the logical thing to do.

And I about fell out of my chair laughing when she said she sent the text on Vulcan mating..
sorta wonder how graphic is it
;)

and what an evil evil ending.

I love Trip and T'Pol learning to combine human/Vulcan rituals.

And I love a mystery. I can hardly wait to see what Malcolm will reveal. Thanks! This was well worth the wait. But don't make us wait to long for the next installment!

ZANE! GAH!!

I can't even tell you how awesome this story is. And that's clearly an understatement. Now hurry up and get on with it!! Some of us around here *hate* waiting. :) (like I'm one to talk)

wow, what a good story, and a cliffhanger...

I loved the interaction between Trip and T'Pol, and the very thought of Mama Tucker reading about vulcan mating...made me laugh out loud. I could just see Trip rolling those lovely eyes...(sigh)

Don't keep us waiting TOO long for the next part.

AAHHHH!!! you give us 10 answers and then throw an hundred more questions at us! Oh YES!!

You really captured T'Pol wonderfully having her write Trip's mama!

Can't wait for OinM!

Tracy--I AM THE CUBE!

Loved the second part of your story, the way you write Trip and T'Pol's love for each other is beautiful. Enjoyed the mystery of the message to Malcolm and the warship at the end too. Looking forward to part three. Best Wishes.

Just wonderful - like others have said, you really have captured Trip and T'pol (as we'd like to see them). I'm really looking forward to Objects in Motion. Differential was one of my favorite fan fiction stories, especially that one chapter where Trip was describing different emotions to T'pol (I think it was chapter 4). I nearly cried when he said, "and this is love". Really good writing. Keep it up.

I just love this series! I think you do Trip and T'pol wonderfully, with a depth that is rare among fanfics. Please, continue! Let us know what happens next, cruel writer of the cliff hangers!

Lovely fic! I am left in suspense, especially with that cliffhanger-ish ending. Is it a Suliban warship???? Also, I really, really, really want to know how the Tucker clan reacts to meeting T'Pol... ::heh heh::

So hold it. It's later in 2003. Has been for months. Get to OinM already!

I just read this whole series while poking through the archives. Excellent work!

Yeah, so now that it's later in 2003... :)

well, that was tiring!! I just read this entire series in one go and to say that it was a drain would be an understatement...but it was a drain in a fabulously entertaining way. Thanks for contributing to my procrastination, what a wonderful distraction!

wow woman! this is awesome. your fan fiction is so much more entertaining than standard episode guides! More interesting than enterprise and TOG reruns! Better than the Simpsons & Malcolm & the Middle combined! More! More!

ur stories are amazing....i cant wait for the next installment

Whoa... a year since the first comment. Weird.

Please! Zane! Submit! The! Next! Installment! Please!

Thanks for writing a great series. :-D

I've just read the series (twice) and loved it, especially Differential. That scene aboard the disintegrating shuttlepod when T'Pol holds Trip tightly in her arms and buries her face against his dirty blond hair . . . oh my, it doesn't get any better than this! I'm having chills just thinking about it. So . . . it's well into 2004 -- did I miss late 2003?!

Great story! Hope you have the time to complete the next installment. It's already mid 2004! Enjoyed your other installments too!

Aside from taking us scuba diving with Trip and T'Pol, are you going to tell us how the Enterprise crew got involved in the creation of Section 31 of DS9 fame?

Will bone up on DS9. Many thanks!

Hey, Love the series of stories and can't wait for objects in motion to be posted. Please do so in all haste (it is late 2004 after all)

Great ending!!! so where's the rest????

i hope you're planning to continue this soon!
great story, funny! :D

OK...I'm not gonna say how great this whole SERIES was, 'cause others have said that before me...but I want to add my vote to the group yelling GIVE US THE SEQUEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love it! T'Pol is totally not canon but other than that it's completely wonderful!

i love all your stories, you write beautifully. i really hope you'll contine to write more, we haven't seen anything new for a long while!

i love all your stories, you write beautifully. i really hope you'll contine to write more, we haven't seen anything new for a long while!

Are you still alive? Where's the promised sequel?

i love all your stories, you are an amazing writer! whatever happened to Objects in Motion?????

i love all your stories, you are an amazing writer! whatever happened to Objects in Motion?????