Chapter 4
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
The next several days were busy. Trip filled his days and some of his nights preparing for his new diplomatic duties. When he wasn’t involved in that he and Malcolm were working on more adjustments Malcolm wanted to tweak the photon torpedoes. They had gotten a hold of one of the Klingon’s torpedoes and modified it to work on Enterprise,. They hadn’t had the codes to make it work the way it was designed and both of them were convinced that they could make it work better.
Malcolm had all the security arrangements set up and needed something to keep him busy until the Ambassadors began to arrive. Trip, on the other hand, had more than enough to do. The Captain was driving him crazy with his constant suggestions on how to effectively host these talks. T’Pol had been very supportive and thankfully their bond had finally settled down. It came in handy when he needed help with something. T’Pol would give him information he needed, offer a suggestion, or just help to keep him calm down and he did the same for her. They seemed to balance each other out.
They spent most of their free time together. T’Pol had been worried that their sleeping arrangements would restart the rumor mill amongst the crew, but so far no one noticed or no one cared. At least, no one was talking about the fact that they spent a couple of nights in his room then the next couple of nights in hers. He’d finally told her sleeping alone was no longer acceptable and if the Captain found out about it then they’d just have to deal with it.
Ambassador Soval and Commander Shran were due to arrive today. Trip had gotten his dress uniform cleaned and pressed, in case he needed it, and made sure his regular uniforms were all cleaned. The next 4 days were going to test every skill he had learned for dealing with others. Lieutenant Hess was in charge of Engineering, so all he had to worry about was being a good host. The comm sounded, “Commander Tucker, to the Shuttlebay,” and he was off. T’Pol met him on the way and kept sending him her reassurance through their bond. He thought he could also sense some pride in there somewhere. They arrived at the shuttlebay and were met by Malcolm and Captain Archer. Trip noticed that when he arrived the Captain stepped over to the side to allow Trip to greet Soval first. T’Pol stood slightly behind Trip on his right. Trip had his hands clasped together to his front and T’Pol had hers behind her back.
When Soval stepped out of his shuttle he looked directly at Trip who raised his right hand and gave the Vulcan salute and said , “Dup dor a’az Mubster, kevet-dutar Soval” and nodded. Trip could see the Ambassador was surprised and maybe a little impressed that he had taken the time to learn the correct pronunciation to greet him in Vulcan. Trip doubted anyone else saw the reaction in Soval’s face, but he had learned that Vulcans do react. One just has to look very close to catch it.
Ambassador Soval, held up his hand and responded, “Sochya eh dif, Zhel-lan Tucker.” He then turned toward T’Pol “It is agreeable to see you Commander T’Pol.”
“It is agreeable to see you also Ambassador.”
Malcolm whispered to the Captain “What did they just say?”
“I think Trip said ‘Live long and prosper, Ambassador Soval’ and Soval responded with ‘Peace and long life, Commander Tucker, in Vulcan.”
Captain Archer seemed to relax somewhat. Trip had taken the time to learn how to greet Soval in Vulcan. Maybe he was taking this whole thing as seriously as he needed to. Malcolm just smiled. He knew Trip could do this and it appeared Trip might actually be starting to believe he could too.
“Ambassador, if you’ll follow me. You can look over the conference room and the arrangements we’ve made.” Trip said as he turned to leave. The Ambassador followed.
Trip and T’Pol showed him the room and the setup. Trip had requested a round table, so no could be thought of as being in charge. Soval seemed to be watching Trip and T’Pol very closely and Trip got the distinct impression that Ambassador Soval wanted to speak to him, but the Captain was right there, so he kept his distance. Trip addressed him, “Ambassador, if there’s nothing else I have several matters I need to see to before the rest of our guests arrive.”
“Commander, there is nothing else at the moment. I will speak to you later.”
Trip left and T’Pol offered to take the Ambassador back to his shuttle. As they were walking Soval asked if it would be possible to speak to Commander Tucker privately. “I believe the Commander went to his quarters. I could direct you there or I could ask him to meet you at your shuttle.”
“I know where his quarters are located I will go there, so we can talk uninterrupted.”
T’Pol left him and headed to the Armory to give Malcolm the specs she and Trip had come up with for the torpedoes.
Trip was sitting at his desk reading over the latest material Hoshi had given him. The door chime sounded and he turned slightly and yelled over his shoulder, “Come in it’s open.”
Soval stepped inside the door and took three steps, so that he could see Commander Tucker sitting at his desk. Trip had continued reading expecting that whomever came by to see him would say something. When that didn’t happen he turned around. Ambassador Soval had one of his candleholders studying it. “Where did you get this Commander?”
“It was a gift from someone I met when I visited Vulcan.”
“Really Commander. This design is quite unique.”
Could Soval know who these belonged to? No, how could he, it’s not like Vulcans carried their candles around with them. Trip walked over to get the other chair to offer it to Soval. Soval’s eyes followed him and locked on the family crest on Trip’s wall.
“Darlin, you could have warned me and I think we have a problem.”
“I’m on my way.”
Trip tried to cover his nervousness. “Ambassador, have a seat and tell me what’s so important that you had to come see me?”
Soval turned his attention back to Trip. Just as he began to speak the door opened and in stepped T’Pol. Soval took notice that she had just come in without letting the Commander know she was there. He looked from Trip to T’Pol and knew that what he had suspected was true. They were bonded. They were carrying on a conversation trying to figure out what to do. “Commander, I must assume you asked T’Pol to join us when it became apparent I recognized the candleholders and crest?”
“I wasn’t sure about the candles, but I knew you recognized the crest and what it meant.”
“I take it these were a gift from T’Pol .”
“No, they were a gift from T’Les. She gave them to me just before I left Vulcan when T’Pol got married. I didn’t know they’re significance until recently?”
“I do not understand why T’Les would give these to you when T’Pol married to Koss.”
T’Pol spoke up then. “I believe my mother realized that the Commander and I were bonded, even though we did not. I did not know it was possible to bond with a human, so I failed to notice what are now obvious signs of what was happening. We’ve known we were bonded for over a year now, but have only recently stopped fighting it. “
“T’Pol figured out we were bonded when I transferred to Columbia. We started having problems the day I left and they kept getting worse, so I came back to Enterprise.” Trip was taking cleansing breaths to calm himself. Soval didn’t appear to be shocked or upset about their bond, but Trip was still worried. He continued. “Events kept our lives spinning out of control, but we have decided we want to be bonded and are prepared to deal with whatever direction life takes us together.”
“So is the bond fully formed?” Soval asked curiously.
“We have yet to meld to complete it, but Doctor Phlox has told us that it is almost complete and cannot be broken.”
“Commander, you seem to be handling this very well. I would have thought you would be broadcasting your thoughts and emotions for any Vulcan to hear. My telepathic abilities are strong and I am not picking up anything from you. T’Pol has taught you well how to shield your mind, but be aware that any Vulcan who spends time with you both in the same room will know about your bond. “
“The Commander taught himself after I showed him one evening how to do it. It only took him 3 1/ 2 days to shield himself sufficiently for me to put my shields down. We are still working on strengthening his ability to prevent someone from entering his mind without permission. “
Trip was studying Soval’s face and watched his hands . He’d learned that Soval made a fist when he was angry and he laced his fingers together and circled his thumbs around behind his fingers when he was bored, but trying to be polite. “Ambassador this isn’t why you came to see me is it?”
“No, Commander it is not. I need to speak to you privately.”
Trip reached up and extended his two fingers to T’Pol. She touched hers to his and he felt that sensation run this his body stronger than before. He told her he’d see her later and she left.
Trip turned his attention back to the Ambassador. “Just so you know T’Pol and I have no secrets. I talk to her about everything and because of our bond she knows anyway, unless I block her out totally. “
“So your bond is very strong?”
“Yes, and getting stronger. Commander Shran is due here anytime, so if you need to talk to me about something you better let me know what it is.”
Soval studied the Commander for a minute. This might work out better than he had hoped. He could also get T’Pol off of Enterprise before war broke out again. Commander what do you know of the Coridanites ship yards?”
“Not a lot really. I was supposed to visit them, but never got there. I had Hoshi find what she could, but all I know is they are top of the line and that they acquire technology from several species. Why?”
“Because it’s in our best interest to keep the Romulans away from Coridan and when war comes we will need their dilithium and could use some of their technology, especially warp, shielding, and weapons.”
“How can I help with that?”
“Do you trust me Commander Tucker?”
“Yes.”
Soval was pleased that he answered without having to think about it. “All I can tell you right now is that you need to find time to talk to Ambassador Karak. Use your engineering background and ask questions about the shipyards. Let him know you are interested and would appreciate a visit to one in the future, also as I said Vulcan and Starfleet will need access to the dilithium mines, so we need to be sure whatever happens during these talks that is assured.”
“I’ll do as you ask, but I’d sure like it better if I knew why?”
“I will tell you this. What we’ve just discussed is the real objective of these talks. I asked for you because Captain Archer may have more official experience with diplomacy, but he doesn’t always listen. You on the other hand keep an open mind and try to always do what you think is right. You and I might not always agree, but I trust you to use your best judgment. It is unlikely that the Tellarites will accept any proposal regarding the Orions, unless all ties to them are severed. The Tellarites may say they have no problem with Coridans becoming a member of the Coalition, but when that happens the Tellarites will have to stop illegally mining and exporting their dilithium immediately. So, do not be disappointed if no real progress is made. Listen and learn.”
“Okay, Ambassador. You don’t want me to mention any of this to anyone, but T’Pol, which is fine and I’d appreciate it… “, Trip stopped himself. “Never mind. You won’t tell anyone about T’Pol and I. As T’Pol would say, “You’re a Vulcan.”
“Indeed, but I am also a friend. Commander you may call me Soval when we are not acting in our official duties.”
“I’ll take you up on that, if you’ll do the same and call me anything, but Commander or Commander Tucker. I prefer Trip, but it took me four years and getting bonded to get T’Pol to call me that, so I know it’s hopeless to even try to get you to call me that. “
“Trip is not acceptable. Perhaps I could use your name.”
“Nobody calls me Charles. T’Pol might be able get with it, but no one else can. How about Tucker or even Mr. Tucker. “
“Mr. Tucker. I like the sound of that. Mr. Tucker, it is.”
The comm unit sounded. “Commander Tucker.”
Trip reached across and hit the button. ” Yeah, Ensign Sato.”
“Just wanted to let you know Commander Shran is on his way.”
“Thanks, Ensign I’ll meet him in the shuttlebay .”
“He’ll be in shuttlebay two sir. Ambassador Soval’s shuttle hasn’t left yet.”
Soval stood up to leave. Trip smiled. “We better get you out of here before Malcolm sends out a search party to find you. I’m surprised he hasn’t been looking for you already. By the way I thought Vulcans didn’t have friends.”
“We have friends we just call them colleagues.”
Trip walked with Soval to the shuttlebay and then went to meet Shran. He took the Commander to the conference room and once Shran said everything looked fine Trip shook his hand said he’d see him tomorrow and left him with Captain Archer. As soon as Trip left the room he headed for the Science lab to see T’Pol.
She was explaining something to one of her staff, so he just stood back and watched her. Her posture was perfect and she still had to maintain her personal space, but she was so much more at ease around the crew she worked with, especially those she was friends with like Malcolm and Hoshi.
When T’Pol finished her discussion she walked across to Trip. “Can I help you with something, Commander?”
“I need your advice on how to handle Ambassador Soval?” This wasn’t far from the truth, he did need to talk to T’Pol about Soval. Maybe she had some idea what he was up to because not knowing made him nervous.
They quietly talked off to the side of the room. “T’Pol we can’t talk here, can we have an early dinner in tonight. I skipped lunch and I really could use some quiet after the last few days of cramming all these facts and the details of admission to the Coalition.”
“My shift ends in 2 hours. I will meet you in your quarters and we can discuss dinner.” Trip hands were clasped in front of his body. T’Pol clasped hers behind her back as she turned her back to him with two fingers extended. Trip took a step towards her, so his extended fingers touched hers. They stood still for a few seconds. T’Pol then moved toward the door. Trip followed and left. “Thank you Commander T’Pol .”
Trip came back to his room with dinner. He rearranged the chairs so they could sit and eat. “Do you have any idea why Soval is being so secretive about what he’s up to?”
“No, I do not and when he said he needed to talk to you privately I knew he wished to keep it to himself. The only thing I am sure of is whatever it is involves you.”
“I told him I trust him, so I guess I’ll just go with that for now and see what happens. I just get the feeling he has me in training for something.”
“He did ask you to listen and learn.”
The talks had been going for three days. They had one more and it was over. They’d been at it for 2 hours and 45 minutes and Trip’s head was about to explode. He finally spoke up. “I’m sorry Ambassador Gral, but I need to take a break. Could we resume in an hour.”
Trip got up from the table and headed for the small office at the end of the room. He entered, shut the door, sat on the floor against the wall, and began to meditate. Soval entered the room and shut the door. He stood and waited. Trip opened his eyes. “Hey, Ambassador, I’m sorry I just needed a break. I want to reach across the table and choke that little toad. His little song and dance routine is getting old. I’ve done okay until today, but my patience is wearing thin. When T’Pol started threatening to put her shields back up I knew I had to get out of there because I wasn’t going to be able to hide it much longer. Does that little thing you do with your thumbs help? “
Soval looked down at his hands. Trip continued. “Contrary to popular belief Vulcans do have emotions and if one watches really close it’s easy to see. You clench your fists when you’re upset and your hide your thumbs behind your fingers and twirl them around when you’re bored or trying to stay calm.”
“I had not noticed these habits. I have spent many years amongst humans, perhaps I have learned your cultures coping techniques. Do not apologize for needing to calm yourself. I am impressed that you so readily use meditation to help yourself. Patience is a skill that we are taught from birth. Give yourself time I have been practicing for 100 years more than you and evidently I still have not mastered it.”
Trip chuckled at that. “I think I meditate as much as T’Pol, I just do it 1 hour with her in the morning and 15 minutes at a time when I need to during the day. “
“These talks are almost over and you have accomplished what I asked of you.”
“Shran was a great help with getting the agreement for access to the dilithium mines and setting up shipping to each of us. You stayed awfully quiet. “
“You did not require my assistance . If you had I would have offered it.”
“You said we wouldn’t make any progress on the Orion issue, but we did. Karak agreeing to stop allowing slave traders access to their shipping lanes is what I wanted. Now, we need to get the Coalition to agree to help protect their mines, so they’ll consider letting us help set up checkpoints on their border to catch them.” After slave traders had taken T’Pol and eight other crewmembers he had wanted them stopped. He couldn’t do anything at the time, but now at least he could do something to make it harder for them to transport slaves. “I’ve figured out the Coridans aren’t going to agree to stop trading with the Orion syndicate though. That’s where they get all their alien technology. The Orions smuggle it for them. “
“Have you discussed the ship yards with Ambassador Karak?”
“On day one, I introduced myself and asked if there was anything he thought I needed to know before the talks began. He talked for some time. Didn’t really tell me anything I didn’t already know, except I now understand what P’Jem was all about. I wish I had known then that Vulcan was protecting their dilithium shipments through Andorian space. It still wouldn’t have made spying on them right, but I would have understood it better.” The High Council had used that whole incident to try and prove that humans couldn’t be trusted out in space by themselves. Trip added, “Karak arranged a tour of his ship. Their chief engineer showed me the engine and weapons. They didn’t show me everything, but they were pretty relaxed about showing me around. When I asked about the ship yards they told me about them and Karak said if we ever came to Coridan he’d arrange a tour for me.” That was something Trip really wanted to do. The engineering section of their ship had definitely been designed by engineers. No space was wasted, but there was ample access for repairs and maintenance and all that new technology.
Soval reached down his hand to help Trip stand, just as the door opened and Captain Archer entered. “We had better get back in there, Mr. Tucker.”
“Thanks, Soval. Let’s get this over with.” Just before he got to the door he said. “Gral’s version of 50 ways to Leave Your Lover has 50 verses and he won’t be happy until we hear each and every one of them, ad nauseum.”
Soval eyebrow went up. Not as severe as T’Pol did, but Trip knew he was confused.
Trip leaned in closer to his ear. “Sorry Ambassador, I forget Vulcans have trouble with what Lieutenant Reed calls Tucker speak. I’m used to T’Pol either figuring out what I mean or asking me to explain. I have some bad habits from being raised in the South”
“I have noticed your accent is not as strong as it used to be.”
“If I speak to my parents it comes back for a day or two and T’Pol says it’s there when I’m upset or really tired. People have always assumed I was stupid because of my accent and I used to be happy to let them believe that, but not anymore. “
Captain Archer watched the interaction between these two. When had they become friends. Soval actually called him Mr. Tucker and touched him and Trip acted like it happened everyday. This wasn’t the Trip or Soval he knew at all.
When the talks finally ended Commander Shran shook Trip’s hand. “Hard to believe you’re the same Commander Tucker I met at P’Jem. What happened to that brash, arrogant young man?”
“Brash and arrogant sounds like somebody else I know. That young man grew up. You’re not exactly the same either.”
“The Imperial Guard and my government have me on a very short leash. I have to behave and do what they want if I ever want to get another ship to command.”
“I used to think I wanted a ship of my own, but I don’t want that anymore. I’ve seen what it does to you, especially when you’re at war. I’ll stick to working on my engines.”
“I thought perhaps you were leaning towards being a diplomat. You’ve handled yourself well. “
“Thanks Shran. Can’t say I liked all of this, but I did find much of it rewarding, even though there are still some major issues to be settled.”
Soval walked by on his way out the door. “Diplomacy is achieved in small steps, Mr. Tucker. “
Trip and T’Pol went to the mess hall for dinner. Trip had avoided taking meals there while his mind was so wrapped up in diplomacy. He found it to be exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. T’Pol had done neuro-pressure every night to help him with the tension. They talked about what had been accomplished then went on to plan the movie night that had been postponed. Trip pulled up the calendar on his padd to make a note about the movie and noticed Malcolm had a birthday next week. He handed the padd to T’Pol and pointed out the date. “Maybe we should have a party for him. Give us something fun to do during this break, and we could ask Hoshi to help us plan it?”
“That is an excellent idea. I can tell her I don’t know how to plan a birthday party, as Vulcans do not celebrate birthdays and males are not known for planning such events, so we will really need her assistance.”
“Are all Vulcans this duplicitous or is just you and Soval.”
Both of T’Pol eyebrows shot up just as Hoshi stepped up to the table. “I do not know Commander do all humans have such an unbearable sense of humor?”
“Nice to see you two are back to your old selves. I’ve missed your back and forth bantering. Mind if I join you?”
T’Pol responded, “Please do Hoshi. I require your assistance?”
“What can I help you with?”
“Malcolm has a birthday next week and we would like to plan a small party for him. I have never planned a party and Trip’s ideas are…”
“Say no more he’s a guy and if someone doesn’t jump out of a cake he’s lost.”
Trip should have been offended, but he knew this is exactly what T’Pol had intended so he let it slide. He sat back and listened as they discussed plans as if he weren’t even there. He spotted Malcolm and headed him off at the drink dispenser. They talked about the photon torpedoes and finishing the work they had started.
Ensign Black stopped Trip as they were heading towards Hoshi and T’Pol, to let him know the tables he wanted were in his office. Trip had asked the Ensign to find some scrap materials and construct two fold up tables. He wanted to put one in T’Pol quarters and one in his. They often ate meals in their rooms and had started to learn 3D chess so they needed a surface that was more convenient than their desk or the bed to use.
“Fold up tables?” Malcolm inquired.
“My desk isn’t big enough and I need somewhere to work on things in my room.” Trip said.
Malcolm accepted that. “Are you free tomorrow night?” I have worked out practice routines for the Bat’leth. The Klingons had a good idea using three grips . Once you get used to handling it from the middle moving from side to side is easy. It makes it possible to use it in close or extend your range out a couple of feet. “
T’Pol asked. “Would you mind if I join you? I would like to learn how to use the Bat’leth also.”
Malcolm quickly glanced at Hoshi then looked away. “The more the merrier.”
T’Pol looked to Hoshi. “Perhaps Hoshi might like to join us also.”
Hoshi thought for the briefest of moments. “I may come and just watch. I’d rather get my exercise on the treadmill.”
“I thought you enjoyed practicing with weapons when you were younger?”, asked Trip.
“I did, but only because it meant I could spend time with my grandfather. He spoiled me rotten and I would have done anything he asked of me. Once he couldn’t handle weapons anymore I stopped. It just wasn’t the same.”
Malcolm caught the sadness in her eyes. Maybe he could make it fun for her again. “What weapon did you like the best?”
“Fencing. People think it’s for sissies when they see the protective gear. They miss the skill involved. I was pretty good at it because size and strength didn’t matter.”
“I can find sabres and gear if you’d like to fence. I haven’t practiced since I left the academy, but I’m sure it would come back to me in no time. My roommate was into competitive fencing, so I learned to practice with him.”
“Thanks Malcolm, I’ll think about it and let you know.” as she thought to herself, “maybe Malcolm did send me those flowers.”
“Mal, I’m still a little drained so maybe we could start next week sometime. I’ll talk to you later about it.”
Trip and T’Pol were pleased. Malcolm finally made an attempt on his own to spend time with Hoshi. It confirmed their suspicions. Malcolm was attracted to her, he just needed some help from his friends to act on it. Things were working out very well.
Trip and T’Pol left and went to the Rec room. Trip was trying to teach T’Pol to play pool, but it was difficult because they were not alone so he couldn’t touch her. He could feel her discomfort when he got to close. He’d tried showing her how to hold the cue, the placement of her fingers to guide it on the table by example, but it wasn’t working. Finally, he got next to her, placed his fingers on the table and told her to do the same. He placed the cue between her index and middle finger and then placed his hand below hers at the other end of the cue. He kept moving his hand toward hers until she had moved hers up far enough. He took two fingers and pushed the cue down towards the table. He showed her how to line up the cue ball, the target ball, and the pocket. Then he said it was a matter of geometry and touch and told her to take her shot. The ball missed the pocket, but it was a good try. They continued playing around for quite some time. Trip could feel warmth coming through the bond along with a jumble of other emotions. They left and got in the turbolift headed back to his room when T’Pol stopped the lift. Before he had a chance to ask why, she kissed him hard and very passionately. He was surprised, but went with it. His head was swimming and his body was responding. He knew they had to stop before things went too far. He pulled back. “Darlin, not that I’m not enjoying this, but if we don’t stop now I won’t be able to. Let’s go back to my room before things get out of hand here.” He waited a minute then reached out and restarted the lift.
When they got back to his room Trip sat on the edge of the bed and waited to see if she wanted to talk or what. He could feel her confusion, but he could also feel all the strong emotions she felt towards him. Then he knew what had been bothering her. If they were to make love like she wanted to they would end up completing the bond and he’d wanted to wait.
“T’Pol why didn’t you just tell me what’s been bothering you?”
“I wish to honor your desire to take things slow and not complete our bond until you are ready, but I do not know how to do that and do as you ask and act on what I feel at the same time.”
“Are you saying you want to complete the bond?”
“That was not my intention, but if I do what I feel then my answer is yes because I wish to have sexual relations with you, but if we do then we will be compelled to complete the bond.”
“Okay, first off I can deal with being a mate, but there is no way I can deal with making love being referred to as sexual relations. It sounds like were in a high school sex ed class, cold and impersonal. Second, if you’re sure that’s what you want to do then fine. I just wanted both of us to be comfortable with the physical side of this relationship. That’s when you seem to get overwhelmed by emotions and I don’t know how to help.”
“Completing the bond will help with that. Our connection is strong now, but it will become stronger and you will have more influence over my emotions when that happens. During the meld we will share everything. All our memories, feelings, hopes, and dreams will no longer be private. I will know everything you know and you will know everything I know.”
“I’m fine with that. Are you?”
“There are two incidents I have not discussed with you, even though I suspect you know what they are I have told no one about them and do not wish to discuss them.”
“Silik and Rajiin.”
“These are not things I wish to hide from you, but I find it difficult to talk about them. “
“Then don’t talk about it. There are things in my life I don’t want to talk about and some of them I wouldn’t want anybody, but you to even know, so that’s not a problem.”
“So, do we complete the bond Ashayam?”
“Yes, but I would like to pick a time and place. It needs to be when we won’t be disturbed. It’s the day we will be married and I’d like it to be special. We’ll have to do the official ceremony on Vulcan at some point, but this one is for us.”
“Then we will need to wait until the end of next week. We have movie night, then September 2nd is Malcolm’s birthday, which we have all scheduled off and we will want to have the next day free after we complete the bond.”
“You pick the evening, we’ll schedule ourselves for the 08:00 shift that day and take the next day off. I’ll take care of the rest if that’s alright.”
“September 5, 2155.”
“It’s a date. Do you have any of your Vulcan robes on board?”
“Yes, I brought two with me. One formal and one more casual.”
“I wish Soval was still here.”
“I am sure if you contact him he would help you with whatever you require.”
Well, one part of it he could, but unless he can transport things light years away he won’t be able to help me with the other part.”
T’Pol tried to figure out what he would need Soval’s help with, but Trip had blocked his thoughts.
The next day Trip was with Malcolm working on the torpedoes trying to decide how to get him to movie night in a group with T’Pol and Hoshi. “Mal, were you planning on coming to movie night?”
“I haven’t decided yet, why?”
“When I asked T’Pol to go she informed me she and Hoshi would be glad to join me. Evidently, they are becoming friends and decided to go together. I could really use your help, so I don’t wind up stuck between two females gushing over Tom Cruise.” T’Pol had asked Hoshi to join her, she just left out the part about Trip joining them.
“I can’t imagine T’Pol gushing over anybody?”
“You have a point, but you know what I mean. Have you seen “The Last Samuri” before?
‘No, I haven’t. I’ve heard there are some good sword fights in it.”
Trip knew the fighting would catch his interests. “So you’ll come?”
“Yeah, who am I to abandon a friend in need.”
“Great thanks. I was a little worried I’d be in over my head with both of them and a romantic movie.”
Movie night went well. Hoshi wasn’t surprised to see Malcolm and they all talked about the ideals of the Samuri and the where Nathan Algren ended up at the end of the movie. Trip identified more with Algren’s sense of loss and disillusionment. He felt the same more and more as war with the Romulans loomed closer and closer, but he kept those thoughts to himself. Trip and T’Pol said their good nights and left Hoshi and Malcolm deep in discussion about sword fighting.
A couple of nights later T’Pol presented Trip with a costume. “What is this?”
“You need to wear this to Malcolm’s birthday party.”
“I thought I was supposed to get Malcolm there. Exactly how am I supposed to get Malcolm to go anywhere with me dressed like… a knight?” Trip wondered if this costume idea came before of after the movie.
“Hoshi and I planned the party. All you have to do is get him to the festivities.”
Trip stood there laughing to himself and rubbing his fingers on his chin. “Don’t blame me if this party turns out not to be a surprise.”
Trip had two days to come up with a plan. He’d known exactly how he would get him there before he found out it was a costume party, but now he was stuck. The party was in the cargo bay. Hoshi and T’Pol had decorated with British battle scenes. Trip had no idea where the decorations came from, but Hoshi always found a way to get whatever she needed for any occasion. He’d talked to Hoshi and T’Pol after their staff meeting, but they refused to help him out. Hoshi invited Captain Archer exempting him from having to wear a costume. Trip doubted he’d show up. They hardly saw him anymore unless it was work related.
Captain Archer had informed them that Enterprise had been ordered to Andor in two weeks, to speak to the Imperial Guard and the government about patrolling Coridan’s borders for Orion slave traders and illegal exports of their dilithium. Their next stop would be Vulcan for meetings with the High Council for the same purpose and then on to Coridan. Trip was to again play diplomat on all three planets, but this time he was more enthusiastic, especially when he was informed that a tour of the Coridan shipyards was a scheduled part of his diplomatic duties. He’d actually get to see them this time. The captain took T’Pol last time they were there. The Tellarites refused to participate, but that didn’t surprise Trip at all. Any agreement with the Coridans would not be with the Coalition, but with Vulcan, Andor, and Earth.
He’d had an easy afternoon. He’d planned on working on the paperwork that had piled up on his desk when Hess was in charge. She took care of a lot of it, but some of it only he could do. When he got there after lunch he found all the padds in neat little stacks. At first he thought T’Pol had just rearranged and organized them for him, but as he looked more carefully he saw that she had completed what she could. Most he simply needed to sign off on and the ones he that needed his attention had notes telling him what it was she had not completed or what he needed to read. He sent a big thank you through the bond, completed the reports and two hours later walked out and handed them all to Hess and asked her to take care of them. He didn’t have anything pressing to do so he pulled up the maintenance schedule and decided to go help his crew test and replace relays. Once his shift ended he walked to the observation deck to meet T’Pol. She was bringing the chess board, so they could play. It was nice to get out of their quarters once in a while. He’d always liked it up here. The large window made it feel more open than it was.
He and T’Pol were playing their game. T’Pol tended to take longer to make her moves than he so he would sit across from her staring into her eyes. Every once in a while she would look up and stare right back at him. He reached his two fingers across the table and she reached out to touch them. Just as they moved their hands back Captain Archer walked by and caught them staring into each others eyes. He knew that they were more than friends, but how much more he wasn’t sure of. Trip never really said why he’d transferred to Columbia and then came back, but Archer had been convinced T’Pol had had something to do with it. He’d have to keep an eye on them. Starfleet would transfer one of them if they broke the rules. If there was a choice to be made Starfleet would do whatever the Vulcans wanted, which would probably mean transferring Trip. They might not be the best of friends anymore, but Trip was still the best damn engineer in Starfleet and he would do whatever he had to to keep him on Enterprise. He now knew why he hadn’t been able to contact T’Pol during her off hours. Her friendship with Trip and she had evidently become friends with Hoshi and Malcolm too. The four of them spent a lot of time together lately. Maybe he should stop by Malcolm’s party after all.
Trip helped T’Pol and Hoshi with the preparation for the party most of the day. It had been difficult because he wanted to stay out of sight of Malcolm, so he wouldn’t have to answer any questions about why he wasn’t doing the repairs the schedule showed he was doing. T’Pol had gone to the bridge to make it appear as if she was working a shift and left, supposedly for the Science lab, but went to the cargo bay instead. Hoshi was off for the day, but very busy doing all the last minute setup and getting the food chef had prepared ready. An hour before the party was to start they all went to get dressed. Trip put his costume on. It wasn’t as bad as he first thought. The pants were stretchy and fit a little tight, but the tunic went down to halfway between his thigh and his knee. The boots went half way up the lower part of his leg. He wondered what the women would be wearing. He looked for his gift, which was a history of the major British battles since forever. Looking through it he couldn’t figure out how Malcolm could find that stuff interesting. To Trip it was dry and boring. He asked T’Pol through the bond where he had put it and she let him know it was already on the gift table in the cargo bay, so he headed over there.
Trip couldn’t believe Hoshi and T’Pol’s costumes. He stared at them both for several minutes. The dresses were low cut, fit tight down to the waist, and had long sleeves he thought, but couldn’t be sure because they had on gloves that seemed to go all the way to the elbow. The bottom of the dresses were floor length and layered. Hoshi had on heels and T’Pol had on black leather boots with a heel. Trip had only seen T’Pol in a western style dress back in the expanse. This one was definitely more to his liking. It made his wearing this costume much more agreeable.
Once the guest had arrived Trip commed Malcolm. “Lieutenant Reed this is Commander Tucker are you busy?
“What do you need Commander?”
“I could use your help in cargo bay one, buddy.”
“Isn’t that why you have an engineering staff?”
“Yes, but they’re all busy doing maintenance and I really don’t want to wait around here for an hour until somebody is free. You’re closer and my shift is over in twenty minutes.”
“Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”
“No, something keeps shorting out one of the stasis units and Chef would make my life miserable if he lost all that food.”
“Fine, I’ll be there in 5 minutes.”
Trip had rigged the lights to flicker, so it would be somewhat dark when Malcolm entered. Trip heard Travis. “He just turned the corner.” Malcolm opened the door and they all yelled surprise and the lights came on. He was stunned. The Captain and the bridge crew gave him a pineapple cake the first year out for his birthday, but everything got so crazy after that no one really made a big deal out of birthdays anymore. Malcolm looked around the room at the costumes they were all wearing. The ladies were all in formal British eveningwear from the 19th and 20th century. The men were wearing military outfits from various periods. Trip walked over and handed Malcolm an outfit. “Happy Birthday, Mal. You don’t have to wear this, but Hoshi thought you might feel out of place if you were the only one in Starfleet issue. I told her it was a uniform, but she insist it’s not military.
“Did Hoshi do all this?”
“Hoshi and T’Pol planned the whole thing. I have no idea who did what. I’m sure the costumes and the battle decor came from Hoshi, but I stayed out of it. My only contribution after suggesting the party as a way to enjoy this downtime was wearing this get up and getting you here.”
“I’ll be right back, I’ll go change. They went to a lot of trouble, so I guess I should go with the spirit of the party. “
Malcolm returned in the outfit Hoshi had picked out for him. It was a full dress lieutenant’s uniform from the 19th century minus the hat. Malcolm looked around and realized no one had on the hat that would have been part of their uniform and thankfully none of the women were wearing the hats from the time period of their dresses. Most of them were large and involved lots of flowers and feathers. He walked over to the table where Hoshi and T’Pol were seated. “I’m told I have you ladies to thank for all this.”
T’Pol said, “Happy Birthday, Malcolm.”
“Hoshi smiled at him. “Happy Birthday Malcolm. I hope you enjoy the party.”
“I’m sure I will.”
“There’s food over there. We didn’t know what you’d like for dinner, but there is a pineapple upside down cake, a chocolate cake with bittersweet chocolate frosting, and Trip made a punch called a Kentucky cocktail. I think he said it’s bourbon and pineapple juice.” Hoshi directed him to his place at the table. “There are 2 bottles of dry white wine for you right over there. If you don’t drink them tonight take them back to your quarters for some other time.”
“I know how you figured out the pineapple, but who told you about the bittersweet chocolate and dry white wine?”
“Actually you told T’Pol about the chocolate. Turns out she likes it too. The wine you told all of us about last Christmas. I just happened to remember, it’s my favorite also.”
“Thanks for all this Hoshi.”
“You’re welcome. It’s nice to have something fun to do with friends.”
“I agree. It seems I have more friends than I knew about.”
“Is the music alright. Trip said you like the Beatles, but he likes them too so I wasn’t sure. If not, then change it to whatever you want. “
“‘The White Album’ is my favorite album of all time, so the Beatles are fine. Do you like the Beatles?”
“My favorite album is ‘Revolver’.”
Hoshi looked around. Everyone seemed to be watching Malcolm. “Malcolm why don’t we get something to eat I think everyone is waiting for you to go first.”
He motioned with his arm. “After you.”
Trip came up behind them. “Can I get you each a glass of punch?”
Malcolm turned and looked over his shoulder. “Bourbon and pineapple. Isn’t that the drink you used to order at the 602 club?”"
“Yeah, I just made it into a one large drink in a punchbowl. I even got Chef to put slices of pineapple on it.”
They ate and sang Happy Birthday and he blew out his 33 candles. Then came the gifts. There was Stratego and Risk. T’Pol gave him the latest version of his favorite battle simulation software. He looked through the book Trip had gotten him. There were several books on weapons. Someone had given him History Channels series that recreated famous battles. Then he found two disks with no card attached. He opened the case and found them labeled ‘Fawlty Towers’. He didn’t need a card. These had to be from Hoshi. He’d mentioned he really liked the show when they were talking after the movie the other night. He walked over bent down behind her and asked “How could you have gotten these here in less than a week?”
“How do you know I had anything to do with getting those?”
“Because I have never told anyone, but you I like this show. Basil Fawlty is hilarious”
“They are from me. They’re copies from my collection. I have the rest of them and several from Month Python, but I only had 2 blank disks.”
“I wouldn’t need copies if we were to watch them together.”
“Malcolm are you asking me for a date?”
“Well, several actually, unless you want to watch them all at once.”
“No one at a time would be better.” Hoshi let out a laugh.
Malcolm kissed her on the cheek. “We’ll talk later.” He walked back to the gift table and laid the disks on top of the games. This had turned into the best birthday ever.
Trip had seen the peck on the cheek and Malcolm’s smile. Looked like phase two was complete.
Tags: Fanfic, Star Trek Enterprise Fanfic, Stories, Trip and T'Pol Shippers
