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It had been two days since their encounter with their ‘descendants’ and Trip Tucker found himself outside of T’Pol’s quarters for the fourth time in those last two days. The first three attempts to talk to her had failed, but he was determined this one wouldn’t. He figured he’d started each conversation wrong. He needed to talk to her about this otherwise it would haunt him for the rest of his natural life.
He’d had a lot of time to think in the last couple of days about how he felt and he’d come to the conclusion the he wanted to spend his life with her. He didn’t know exactly when he’d started thinking about marrying her (though he supposed learning about what had happened to the other him and the other T’Pol when they’d been thrown back in time had made him realize how much he really wanted to be with her), but he couldn’t remember very clearly what his life had been like before her. Somewhere along the way, he’d come to enjoy the verbal bashing matches they so often had. Somewhere along the way, he’d become addicted to what he knew simmered just beneath the surface of her calm exterior.
He hesitated for a moment before pressing the button on the comm outside of her quarters. “T’Pol. It’s Trip. We need to talk,” he said. There was silence for a moment.
“There is nothing to discuss,” she said irritably. That confirmed it. He’d never heard the emotion in her voice so strong; it almost made his hair curl.
“I’m not leaving, T’Pol. We need to talk about some mighty important things and I won’t leave until we’ve settled our differences.” Again, there was a silence.
“Very well, Commander, but your attempts will prove futile.”
The doors opened to reveal, right before him, the woman that had filled his dreams, sleeping and waking, for so long.
“T’Pol, I know things haven’t been easy, but we can’t continue like this. It’s affecting our friendship and our duties. There’s obviously something bothering both of us that I think we should talk about.”
T’Pol gave a curt nod and stepped aside allowing him to enter.
“Perhaps we can discuss these matters during a neuropressure session. You appear as though you need one, Commander.”
He nodded and was about to sit down on the bed when he recalled what had happened the last time. His insides squirmed uncomfortably so he sat on the floor and reluctantly removed his shirt. T’Pol knelt behind him and sat back on her legs.
“What did you wish to discuss, Commander?” she asked as she pressed her hands into the nodes in his upper back.
Lord, it’s good to have those hands back. A moan of pleasure escaped his mouth before he could stop himself.
Unnoticed by Trip, as his back was to her, a tinge of olive green colored her cheeks. The very sexual sound had an automatic effect on her body, heating her blood. She still vividly remembered the noises he’d made during their first mating and the mere memory was enough to make her dizzy.
“Commander?”
As she completed the posture, he turned around so that they could move on to the next one. He felt awkward as her fingers worked his shoulders. He noticed the pause in her actions as well.
“I would like to hear of your sister Elizabeth.”
Trip gave her a slightly startled look.
T’Pol’s eyebrows went up slightly, though she pointedly avoided his gaze. “You have not spoken of her but in passing. I would like to know more of her.”
He hesitated unsure of what to say. “What do you want to know?”
T’Pol’s brow furrowed slightly. “If the subject bothers you, I apologize. You seem rather fond of her…yet you haven’t spoken of her very often.” She paused. “Perhaps you feel more at ease speaking of her to Corporal Cole.”
Trip frowned. “You talked to Amanda about me? When?”
“During the neuropressure session to relieve the Corporal’s headaches.”
“What did she say?”
T’Pol raised an eyebrow. “I assume that the conversation is to be kept in confidence.” Trip narrowed his eyes at her. “You may rest assured, however, that no negative comments were exchanged.”
Trip nodded and paused. “She was an architect and she was damn good at it. Her designs were absolutely breathtaking. I remember a building she was working on in Tokyo. They normally didn’t hire foreigners, but when they saw her last bit of work, they insisted that she head up their project. It was one of the most unique buildings in the whole city. The whole building was made of a durable glass and there was a fountain right in the center.”
Trip grinned. “Every day at noon, the sun would shine through the glass, reflect off of the water in the fountain and cast the most beautiful array of colors over the whole place. It felt like being in the center of a light show.”
T’Pol met his eyes for the first time since his arrival. “Do you and she share physical similarities?” she asked, as though having difficulty picturing her.
Trip smiled. “A couple, yeah. She was absolutely beautiful. Long, blond hair and the most gorgeous green eyes. She had a way of lighting up a room that made you feel like you were in the presence of a real angel.”
“You and she were close.”
Trip nodded and laughed. “Up until she was about 12, she followed me everywhere. It was like having a little puppy trailing after me. Even later, we still did a lot together. We were practically best friends when we were kids. Most of my other friends adored her, too. I had a friend, Jessie, who was sweet on her for a couple of years, actually.”
By this point, T’Pol had halted the neuropressure to focus all of her attention on him. “The way you have described her, she seems to have been an exemplary person.”
Trip’s features softened even more. “She acted tough when it really counted, but we all knew she was a softy at heart. Lizzie was never one to stay in one place fer long either. She was a free spirit and went wherever the wind blew her. She was a dreamer, too, bless her soul…dreamed of things none of us could understand.”
He fell silent, the tears building up in the corners of his eyes. He turned away, trying to blink them back.
T’Pol rested a hand on his shoulder. “I apologize. I did not intend to upset you.”
Trip shook his head and turned back to face her, wiping the back of his hand over his eyes. “No. It feels good to talk about her…helps me remember the good times.” He offered her a watery grin. “I still miss her sometimes and it makes it easier to think about the time we did get together.”
The atmosphere was tense with the emotions stirring inside of them both as they stared into each other’s eyes. Slowly, he leaned toward her and brushed his lips against hers. She responded gently, her hand sliding into the hair at the nape of his neck. Suddenly, he pulled back and shook his head.
“This is how we got into this awkward situation in the first place. We really need to talk about us first, T’Pol.”
T’Pol nodded. “Yes. We must talk first,” she replied, her voice slightly tense.
Trip hesitated a moment. “T’Pol…from where I’m standing, it seems like we have a good chemistry, you and me. When you first came aboard Enterprise, it seemed like you knew just the right buttons to push to get at my temper. But over the years, I’ve gotten to know you…Hell! I even think of you as one of my closest friends. You’ve taught me to look past the outer casing to the person inside and I can honestly tell you that since the attack, I’ve been looking at you in a whole new light.”
He gave her a little half-smile. “When we made love that night, it was special to me. I want you to feel the same way, but I know you can’t feel love the way Humans do. If I’m wasting my time telling you all of this, just stop me now. I’m already in too deep to dig myself out without a li’l help.”
Though T’Pol maintained an emotionless expression, her thoughts were reeling.
“I also admit that there is something between us. I have noticed it with our regular neuropressure sessions. I have grown fond of you. I have noticed certain emotions which I relate to your presence.”
Trip frowned. “I feel a ‘but’ coming on…”
“We cannot be together, Trip. There is too much against us.”
Trip gently laid the back of his hand against her cheek. “T’Pol, whatever’s against us…whatever obstacles there are…we can get through them together. True love is purer and stronger than time, greed, jealousy, prejudice, hatred, or any other damn thing that could stand in the way.”
T’Pol shook her head. “The opposition is too strong…”
“How are we ever going to know if we’re going to make it if we don’t at least try?” Trip smiled. “Come on, T’Pol. What are you afraid of?”
“I am not afraid.”
Trip sighed. “Then can we just try…please? I haven’t ever felt this way about anyone before and I want to be with you more than anything.” T’Pol nodded, lifting a somewhat shaky hand to cover his. Trip started. “T’Pol, are you alright?”
She nodded. “I apologize,” she said, as she wiped the tears forming in her eyes away with her free hand.
Trip shook his head. “No, T’Pol. There’s nothing to apologize for,” he said, wiping away a fresh batch of tears.
“I believe that in your culture, after one lifeform has admitted its feelings to another, the other lifeform usually kisses the first lifeform.”
Trip nodded. “Now no tricks this time and no backing out of it. You admitted you had feelings for me. Now you can’t say you don’t have any,” he said.
T’Pol nodded. “I have no intent of doing so…Trip,” she said.
Trip smiled. “Tell me if I’m going to fast for you, darlin’,” he said.
He then kissed her lips sweetly and slowly moved one hand toward the back of her neck and the other to the small of her back. T’Pol responded gently at first, but gradually her kisses grew stronger and more powerful. Within a few moments she had Trip flat on the floor kissing him sensuously. Trip moaned with pleasure as she kissed her way down his neck. He rotated so that she was now on the bottom. He trailed kisses up her neck and nibbled gently on her sexy pointed ears. Before she could control it, a laugh of pleasure had escaped her lips.
Trip smirked as he kissed his way down her neck. “Now that’s pleasure, darlin’,” he said.
He kissed her again sweetly. She rolled over so she was again on top and slowly removed the meager robe she wore. She saw Trip’s eyes widen slightly as she shed the robe completely. She kissed him sweetly as she rubbed her hands over his stomach muscles. Trip elicited another moan through their kiss.
T’Pol grasped his face in her hands and kissed him roughly. She ran her tongue over his lips begging for entry. Trip parted his lips to allow her to explore his tongue. Trip groaned as she teased his tongue with hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her deeper into him. Slowly, his hands glided over her body, committing every curve to memory. There was so much that he hadn’t explored…so much that he wanted to explore.
She immediately seized his chin and held it steady while she kissed his lips roughly. They struggled for dominance, him nibbling at her ears and her. running her hands furiously through his hair as she kissed his lips roughly.
* * *
Hours later, T’Pol lay at Trip’s side with an arm draped over his side and her head buried deeply into his chest.
“Trip,” she said.
“Hmm?” Trip replied.
“Does this mean that you wish to continue these sessions?” T’Pol asked.
Trip laughed. “Of course, darlin’. Dont you?” he said.
T’Pol nodded. “Indeed. However I wish to take our relations to a more intimate stage,” she said.
“How would we do that, darlin’?” he asked.
T’Pol looked into his eyes. “You must open your mind to me and I to you. The experience will be…overwhelming…at first, however it will become less strenuous by process of time,” she replied.
Trip smiled. “I’m willing, darlin’…if you are,” he said.
T’Pol nodded and gently stroked his neck freeing her mind of everything but her thoughts of him. Neither spoke for a long period of time. They simply laid there basking in the comfort of each other’s thoughts.
As T’Pol wandered through his thoughts, she came across some familiar scenes from their past. They were the same as she recalled them; however, she felt his emotions. Hatred, acceptance, rage, happiness, jealousy, fear…all of these emotions were…related to her. She opened her mind further conveying to him her love, her happiness… everything. She even allowed him to see all the emotions she had felt when she had first seen him and…Corporal Cole…together.
Trip smiled. ‘I knew she was jealous,’ he thought.
‘I was very envious, th'y'la,’ he heard a voice say.
Trip frowned.
‘Our minds are connected. I can hear your thoughts,’ the voice said.
T’Pol was inside his mind? He could hear her thoughts? How was this possible? ‘
It is the…psychic connection I spoke of,’ she said. ‘I can hear your thoughts and you can hear mine. We have no secrets now.’
‘Well, this is unexpected,’ Trip thought.
‘I was not sure if the bond could be this powerful between a human and a Vulcan. However, it appears that it is stronger than the bond of two Vulcans. Although I have only heard Vulcan bonds described, it seems that we are stronger than any Vulcan pair,’ she said.
‘Really? Hmm. That’s interesting,’ he said.
‘Indeed,’ she said.
Suddenly, the comm. buzzed. “Archer to T’Pol,” came Archer’s voice.
T’Pol stood up and quickly strode over to the comm. “Yes, Captain?” she said coolly.
“I need you to take another look at those scans that we took of the spheres. Perhaps they can reveal a little more about what we’re up against. Have Commander Tucker assist you if necessary,” he said.
T’Pol turned to Trip and raised an eyebrow.
‘Do you think he knows?’ Trip asked.
T’Pol shook her head. ‘Doubtful. He would address you directly if he was aware of your presence,’ she said.
“I will begin after I have reached the laboratory,” she said.
“Good,” Archer said.
“Oh and Trip, you might want to be a little more careful about revealing your intentions. I expect that this will not interfere with your duties. If it does, I will see to the appropriate disciplinary action.”
Trip flushed slightly. “Aye, sir,” he said weakly.
“Good. Archer out.”
‘Wasn’t aware of my presence, was he?’ Trip said sarcastically raising an eyebrow at her.
T’Pol tilted her head slightly. ‘I believe we have underestimated the Captain’s observational skills,’ she said.
Trip laughed. ‘You’re amazing, you know that?’ he said.
T’Pol gave him a small smirk. ‘In what regard?’ she said teasingly.
Again, Trip laughed. ‘In every regard, darlin’. In every regard,’ he said just as teasingly.
Slowly, he stood up and walked toward her. He put his hands on her cheeks and kissed her passionately.
‘Perhaps we should clothe ourselves and do as the Captain has asked,’ T’Pol said. Trip smirked.
‘All right, darlin’, but I ain’t finished with you yet. After your shift, meet me in my quarters. We can…talk…some more,’ he said.
He gave her one final kiss and began to put his uniform back on as T’Pol dressed in one of her usual jumpsuits.
‘Ladies first,’ he said smiling. T’Pol cocked an eyebrow at him and exited the room.
‘Thank you, th'y'la,’ she said.
Trip smiled. ‘You’re welcome, darlin’,’ he said.
With this, he exited after her and they both made their way toward the laboratory.