"Shuttle Plan"
Author: T'Lin
Pairing: A/T
Disclaimer: Enterprise & the characters belong to Paramount and CBS.
Flightplan is a trademark of Touchstone etc.
The story is based on Flightplan but the change in the story is my idea and others who helped me with it.
Vega Colony Shuttle Landing 08:45
The port was packed with all sorts of aliens. T'Pol held her daughters' hand tight on the way to the shuttle area. The little girl guided her toward a window to see the space crafts taking off and landing. The little girl had a starfleet-issued backpack and a teddy bear with the ears pointed. T'Pol had a shoulder bag to her left with the same logo. She knelt next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She pointed out "Do you see the shuttle over there?" She nodded. "That is what we will be leaving on."
"It's so big" she paused and looked up at her mother "but not big as daddy's ship right."
She smiled a little "Yes sweetheart . . . your daddy's ship Enterprise" T'Pol looked out the window "is the biggest in Starfleet."
Over the PA "Attention Vega shuttle flight 2157 . . . Passengers with small children, please proceed to Gate 2." Then it continued in other languages.
T'Pol listened and looked at T'Lin "That would be us . . . are you ready?"
The little girl nodded and took her hand. "When will I be able to see Enterprise?"
She thought for a moment "I suppose soon . . . when we reach Earth." T'Pol lifted the five-year-old and held at her right side making her way to the gate.
T'Lin lightly wrapped her arms around her neck and head on her shoulder. "Can I hold my own ticket?"
T'Pol hesitated for an instant at how illogical it would be but obliged anyway. "Indeed... you can carry it until we get on the shuttle...alright." She nodded on her shoulder. She handed it to her.
They arrived at the gate and they both showed the flight attendant their tickets. She put down the girl and took her hand. The attendant looked at the tickets and handed them both to T'Pol. "Have a nice travel to Earth." T'Pol nodded and walked through the tunnel toward the shuttle.
It was a two-deck shuttle with 36seats on each deck, 72 seats total. When they were in the shuttle, she noted that they were the first to arrive. T'Pol guided her by the shoulders from behind to their seats. "28, and on the right-hand side." Coming to their seats. "Yes . . . there we go right here." The girl went to her seat by the window and watched the screen. T'Pol had the aisle seat. There was a seat between them where she put her bear. T'Pol put her shoulder bag and T'Lin's in the compartment above. She sat down and watched a family of four Andorian's come aboard.
The Andorian guided his two kids to their seat. "Stop wait stop. No pushing." The girl stuck her tongue out at her brother. "It didn't even hit me." The boy stuck his back. He look to his father can we have our candy?" The mother told him "No candy on this flight."
T'Pol looked to her left toward her daughter just as she got out of her seat to get a toy shuttle in the corner. Then looked back at the Andorians just as they got to their seats.
"I'm holding on to it. Here we go." Looking at the row numbers. "Alright, so were row 27." "Keval, do you see what's going on with your kids." The female told him. He looked at his ticket "How will we work this out? Guys, stop." The two kids ran to their seats. The boy had a window seat. "Dad! Why does she get everything all the time?" The father's antennas went down and he put his head to the side "Because we like her a lot more." T'Pol's eyebrows were both up. The lady put her hand up "We want you to calm down, OK?" The boy was giggling. She pointed her blue finger at him "Calm, down!" They took their seats and the mother took the other seats across the aisle. Still talking to the boy "You, my friend needs to calm down."
The other passengers were boarding and taking their seats.
Toward the front on the other side T'Pol noticed some Nausicaans taking their seats. 'I wish Jon was here I'm having a bad feeling' She just eyed them for a moment. She glanced toward her daughter and saw she was back in her seat.
The kids in the row in front of them were still bickering. "Guys hey, hey."
A white human male with dark hair bout two rows down tried to get the stewards attention. "Excuse me?" She walked from the back to him "I've got two questions for you." She bent down to listen. "What are the movies and . . . " he raised the earphones. "How loud do these headphones go?" She smiled "Never quite load enough." She straightens and walks toward the front of the shuttle. She past the kids that were bickering. "I wish you guys would do that with a ushaan -tor that way it would end faster." Telling his kids pillow fighting.
He looked toward at T'Pol. "Those empty seats in the back are starting to look . . . pretty attractive." T'Pol turned and glance at the man who at about the movies. She glanced at the rear seats and back at him. She thought for a moment before answering. Raising both eyebrows "Indeed."
Over the PA "Ladies and gentleman, we apologize for the delay this morning we should be taking off shortly." Then it continued in different languages.
A stewardess emerged from the galley with a clicker in her hand. She went down one of the aisles clicking the clicker for each person she saw.
The Andorian woman jumped when something splashed on the side windows. She looks to her husband "Keval what was that." He looked at her "I don't know it's nothing to worry about." swung his hand in the air.
T'Pol turned from them and noticed T'Lin was standing up looking out the window. "They have to line the ship with duranium or the first grain of space dust we come across...will punch a hole in the ship...the size of your fist." She made a fist with it. The little girl turned to her when she said it. She turned back to look outside and noticed the luggage handler coming. First thing she noticed was the Starfleet casket. Her head went down when she saw it. T'Pol saw her look away and unbuckled to see. She leaned near the girl and saw her husbands casket. She wrapped her arms around her and sensed the sadness. She whispered in T'Lin's left ear "Just sleep sweetheart . . . and when you wake up we'll be nearer to earth." She kissed the little girls' cheek. T'Lin gaze didn't leave the casket outside. "Daddy, too?" T'Pol hesitated for a moment holding back a tear. Nodding her head. "Yeah . . . daddy, too." Her gaze never leaving it too. 'I will never forget you my love.' T'Lin blew on the window and drew with her fingers a star. T'Pol watched her as she did it. The girl returned to her seat but T'Pol just stood there looking at the star as it faded away. She turned from it and went back to her seat. The shuttle was taking off and it shuddered a little. As she buckled up, she looked at her daughter and helped her buckle up.
Cargo bay: everything was shaking as the camera went over the cargo. It neared the other side and the casket came into frame. It was tied down to the floor. In it was a great captain.
The shuttle was nearing the atmosphere and shuddered the whole way there. The Andorian woman had a paper bag open in case. Her husband turned toward her. "You okay, do you the steward or something." She gave him a disgusted look.
T'Pol over hearing the conversation looked back at her child. "Hey, how would you like to have a whole row to yourself sweetheart?" She looked up "Huh?" T'Pol looked toward the back then back at her. "The rows in the rear are empty." Her eyebrow went up. "We could have a few seats and could stretch out our . . . legs." She could still see the sadness in her eyes. "Would you consider that?" T'Lin nodded. T'Pol stroked the back of her hand on the side of her face to try to calm the pain her daughter was feeling. Most of the people were sleeping when she stood up. She grabbed the two blankets. The girl picked up her teddy and followed her mother toward the back. T'Pol put a pillow down on the seats that were closer to the window. She whispered "right here sweetheart . . . I'll take these seats here." She pointed to the seats opposite the window ones. The girl sat on the seats and rested her head on the pillow. She watched a cartoon on the small screen in front of her and hugged her teddy tight. T'Pol sat down on the other seats and stretch out her legs on them. She craned her neck up and saw her little girl was asleep. Resting her head on the pillow she thought 'Soon we will be back on Earth for where it is safe.' After that she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
TBC