Chapter 1: The Morning After

Trip awoke to the sound of a faint beeping. He could still smell burnt hair and seared flesh. He slowly sat up, every muscle fighting this action. He winced as the muscles over his abdomen spasmed in pain and effort. He should be grateful he felt anything at all. He was a dead man. When Malcolm had approached him about this assignment he hadn't quite believed that it would work. He was scared as hell about what lay ahead and he was still convinced that he was going to die. The faint beeping continued and he glanced to his left where the console was lit up. He reached across his body with his right hand, wincing again at the pain, and depressed the glowing white light.

"Yeah?" He said, his voice hoarse from the damage to his esophagus.

"Commander, report to medical bay 4 on deck 3 immediately." The communication was ended there.

Trip groaned and moved off of the bed and toward the door. He caught his reflection in the mirror by the door. He stopped and took a good look at himself. His hair was was no longer blonde having been stained by smoke. His left cheek was red and covered in mottled skin that was still healing from the plasma burns that had "killed" him. Damn, he thought, I'm a heck of a looker. He sighed and walked out into the corridor. He followed the map on the wall and made his way to deck 3. He found the medical bay after walking only a few meters. He entered the bay and searched out a familiar face. Trip wasn't sure what they wanted from him. He hadn't even had time to shower since his death. They kept him so busy doing debriefing and training, keeping so busy that sleep was barely attainable and bathing became something of a fantasy. As he stood there he felt very vulnerable and exhausted.

From behind Trip heard a man clear his throat. "Commander, thank you for coming. Please have a seat on the nearest bio-bed." Trip turned to see Harris standing behind him. His steely, unemotional face staring at Trip. Ever since Section 31 approached Trip about working undercover Harris had always been there to scare the crap out of him. No one seemed to take in account that he had just left behind the woman he loved, the best friends he's ever had, and his entire life. Trip had worked so hard to become the Chief Engineer on Enterprise, these damned people hadn't even given him time to adjust…. or grieve.

Trip walked over and sat on the nearest bio-bed just as he had been instructed. One of the nurse all clad in white came over and began scanning him with some handheld device that made a faint humming sound. He'd never seen anything like it and had to resist the urge to ask for one to dismantle. He wasn't an engineer anymore, now he was a spy. Why the hell do they want me? I'm no spy. Malcolm should be doin' this, not me. The nurse pulled away after she scanned Trip's head with a puzzled look. She gave Harris a look and he walked to the side with her. Their hushed conversation had Trip feeling pretty nervous. Great now that I've committed to this thing, given up my whole life, they're going to tell me that I'm the wrong person. All of this is for nothing.

Harris is walking over to him now, Trip let out the great he didn't know he was holding. "Well Commander it looks like you are quite the unique individual." Trip raised one questioning eyebrow, a trait he had picked up from T'Pol. Harris smirked, "How long have you been bonded to a Vulcan?"

Trip masked his surprise well. "I don't know what you mean." Even as he said it he knew it wasn't worth denying what was apparently obvious to the nurse and her scans.

"Commander Tucker, your neural scans show increased brain activity that match the activity found in bonded Vulcans. I'm guessing that your relationship with Commander T'Pol is much more personal than a torrid affair that ended with the death of your unexpected child."

Trip sighed. "You might be right. Why does it matter"

"It makes your mate a liability. Can we trust her."

"T'Pol is the most trustworthy person I've ever met. She won't blow the whistle on this thing. You can count on that." Harris seemed to be taking him in, appraising him. Trip felt like a fish in a barrel.

"Good. I'm assuming because of this bomb she knows that you are alive."

"Yes. It's unavoidable. She was going to know so I told her one week before and swore her to secrecy. She's the only one who knows about it. She won't tell anyone unless told otherwise or if she deems it logical. Which, for my safety she won't."

"Now that that's settled and out in the open, lets begin with your facial reconstruction. Since you're so fond of Vulcans, you shouldn't find these changes too difficult to cope with." That was the last thing Trip heard as the nurse he hadn't seen approach hypo-sprayed him and he gently drifted off into the darkness. He could feel T'Pol at the back of him mind and the deeper into the dark he went the more she blossomed. Then suddenly he was surrounded by white. She must be meditating. She was sitting in front of him with her legs crossed in her usual position. Trip approached silently and put a hand out to her. She reached up, eyes still closed, and pulled him toward her. Trip allowed her to hold him and just held her back. He stroked her hair.

"Don't worry darlin', I'll be fine. I love you." He felt her shake with emotion. "T'Pol I will come home to you, I promise."

She nodded and let out a sigh, a trait she had picked up from Trip. "I love you too. I just…" she held back, her voice rough with emotion, "I do not know what to do without you. Earth is not the same without you here. Your family is mourning you, I want to tell them, but I will not. Just, do not take too long to come back." She reached up and caressed his cheek.

"I'll be home as soon as I can." He smiled and leaned in and kissed her.