LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER

(Sequel to T'Pol's Christmas)

"It is with great pleasure and my honour to present to you this year's class valedictorian and first ever Vulcan graduate to received this honour from Starfleet, T'Lin Archer!"

Echoed throughout the public announcing system.

All of the graduates, officers, friends and family all rose at once with thunderous applause. Amongst the attendees were her proud parents Ambassador T'Pol and Admiral Jonathan Archer.

"Jonathan, do you require medical attention?" T'Pol asked.

Archer looked at her with a confused look.

"What do you mean T'Pol" He replied.

"You are crying." T'Pol quickly spoke.

"There tears of joy T'Pol. I'm so proud of her." He replied again as the applause continued from the large crowd.

As she approached the pedestal to deliver her speech, she was looking into the audience trying to locate where her parents were but she was unable to locate them as there was just too many people in attendance. As applause and cheers began to dissipate, T'Lin started with her acceptance speak.

"Thank you Admiral. First I would like to thank you all for the warm welcome and applause. At this time every year, young men and woman look forward to this day as it symbolises a turning point in our lives. It's the end of something but it is also the beginning of something as well. We all work so hard to try and make our dreams become a reality and with the support of our friends, teachers and family, we all would like to thank you for believing in us and our abilities."

Applause from the audience once again began in acknowledgment of T'Lin's last comment.

"I would like to congratulate all of my fellow graduates here today; we have all worked so hard that this truly is our day to shine. Once we depart from here today, most of us will never see each other again. With the possibility of being assigned anywhere in the galaxy, we must hold this moment in our hearts because they will never happen again. Before I conclude today, I would like to acknowledge two individuals who also need to be recognized here today. I would like to quote a human saying; words cannot describe how much I appreciate your love, support and guidance. For that, I'm very proud to be your daughter. I love you mom and dad."

She raised her right hand into the air and made the all too familiar Vulcan hand gesture.

"Live long and prosper."

As the audience once again rose to their feet, thunderous applause once again filled the air. As T'Lin looked at the area where the entire graduates were standing, she gave a node to the group and within seconds, the air was filled with graduation caps that quickly fell to the ground. As the crowd began to go their own way, T'Lin quickly made her way through the crowd trying to locate her parents. Within minutes she had found them.

"Congratulations T'Lin." T'Pol commented.

T'Lin quickly found herself in her father's arms.

"I'm very proud of you sweetheart." Archer kissed the top of T'Lin's head.

"Thank you dad." She quickly replied.

It just seemed like yesterday that he walked into his quarters aboard Enterprise to find T'Pol lying on the bed with T'Lin in her crib. "Where has the time gone?" He thought to himself. Time had definitely passed by, eighteen years to be exact but he still could remember every moment from her first step all the way to her first date. Because of T'Lin being half human and half Vulcan, they both could not predict how T'Lin would cope mentally with having T'Pol and Jonathan genetic heritage. At times, it was very challenging to keep her on track, having her Vulcan and Human side always trying to take over and trying to find that balance was a difficult battle for T'Lin as well for her parents. On the other hand, having both her parents DNA had proved to be a blessing as well. She had her mother's discipline, mental and physical strength and her mother's sense of duty and honour. With her father, she had his sense of exploration and adventure. Her compassion and loyalty was something that every human should strive to achieve. She also picked up allot of her father's interest especially the water, having captained the women's water polo team to three consecutive championships. She now had come full circle, he could not have asked for a better daughter and she could not have asked for better parents.

"What is your next destination T'Lin?" Asked T'Pol.

"Well, I was hoping that we could spend a little time together?"

Archer looked over to T'Pol which a slightly confused look.

"T'Lin, is everything alright?" Archer asked.

T'Pol could tell that something was on her daughter's mind.

"T'Lin, your father asked you a question?" T'Pol asked cautiously.

"I just wanted to go somewhere and clear my head a little. All this commotion and excitement is a little overwhelming and I'm having a hard time dealing with all the emotions that I'm feeling at this moment." T'Lin said.

"If that is your wish." T'Pol replied.

As the three of them began to walk away, T'Lin reached and grabbed her father's hand just like she did when she was little. Most teens no longer had the need or the thought of holding their parents hand but T'Lin welcomed it. She really embraced her human side and even more her human emotions; she felt that it helped her stay in control of her emotions which were always right on the surface, just like her parents.

"Have you given anymore thought of what assignment you wanted to accept?" Archer asked.

T'Lin shook her head in confusion.

"What ever your decision is T'Lin, you know that your father and I will support you." T'Pol added.

"I know mother. It's just a little overwhelming when so many great opportunities are out there and I have to choose only one when I would like to experience all those assignments."

T'Pol looked at Jonathan with a concerned look. Well as concerned as a Vulcan can look.

"T'Lin, you know that if you wanted to decline these assignments and stay here is San Francisco with us that we would support that. Please don't feel pressured to choose something that you don't want to do." Archer said.

T'Lin smiled and placed her head on her father's shoulder and she now held her father's hand with both of hers. It always took him by surprise when she smiled. He knew that if she was not half human that her beautiful smile would be greatly missed. By this time, they had now exited the graduation ceremony location and now found themselves walking through a small park that lead down to the beach area where the graduation party was taking place later that evening. They were able to see a crowd of people already preparing the beach for the celebration.

"Dad, when you and mother first started your relationship, what was the deciding factor to continue that relationship?" T'Lin asked curiously.

They had now arrived at a park bench where all three of them sat with T'Lin in the middle. Archer's eyes grew with uncertainty.

"T'Pol, care to answer that?" Archer replied jokingly.

T'Pol was not impressed and she made sure that he knew it through their link that had eighteen years to grow and become what it was today, absolutely the best thing that could have happened to either one of them.

"T'Lin, your father and I have never told you how we began our relationship as it is a very private matter and as you know, Vulcan's are a .....very private race." T'Pol spoke hesitantly.

"I know mother but I need to know how we became a family. Why would Dad and you go through all the possible public opinions and preconceptions that you ended up going through? You both must have known that everyone would not agree with your decision."

T'Lin looked at both of her parents for an answer.

Archer rubbed the back of his neck feeling the tightness of his muscles beginning to cause his discomfort; he knew that this day would come. He never wanted to tell his daughter what happened some eighteen years ago as the whole ordeal was something that neither T'Pol nor he wanted to relive. Knowing that T'Lin will always have her inner battles with her emotions, they did not want to burden their daughter with the added weight emotionally of their past ordeal. At that point, they had both decided that it was time for them to tell their daughter what exactly happened eighteen years ago.

"T'Lin, what we are going to tell you is something that we have not talked about since you were born. Please be prepared as ..." She was cut off.

"Mother please, I'm a big girl. I can handle it." T'Lin spoke impatiently.

T'Pol and Jonathan began to describe in detail the events from the some eighteen years ago. T'Lin sat there listening to her parents and could not believe what happened to them. She laughed, she cried, she experienced every emotion possible but when they began to explain about her father's abduction at the hands of the Romulan's, her human emotions had definitely taken over. She held her father close and cried uncontrollably. T'Lin, T'Pol and Jonathan had been sitting on the park bench for well over 2 hours. Once T'Pol and Jonathan had finished telling their story to their daughter, they both felt a little uneasy as just mentioning those past events opened up old wounds. After all this time, it still affected them enormously and is what lead Archer to giving up his command of Enterprise as he knew that he had a family to take care of and was not going to jeopardize them being out in space.

"You gave up your command because of me and mother?" T'Lin asked emotionally.

Archer turned slightly on the bench and removed his daughter's head from his shoulder placing his index finger under her chin.

"T'Lin, now you listen to me. The only thing that matters in my life is you and your mother. That's it! No command, no ship and no mission can ever take the place of the two greatest loves of my life. Without the two of you, I would have no life. I love you T'Lin and don't ever think for a moment that it's your fault."

Archer rubbed T'Lin's left cheek wiping away the tears that continued to flow. Archer smiled and kissed her forehead. T'Lin quickly wrapped her arms around her father and locked her hand behind his back. Archer in turn did the same thing.

"I love you dad."

Archer looked over at T'Pol who reached over and placed her right hand on his left cheek. He could see that her eyes were beginning to fill with water. He replied to her touch with a warm smile which caused tears to run down her face. After all this time, she thought that it would not be impossible for herself to love him anymore than she already did but he continued to prove her wrong. He truly was her soul mate, her Aisha! T'Pol lowered her hand and placed it on T'Lin's shoulder. T'Lin released her grip of her father and looked at T'Pol. Noticing that her mother was also crying which was a surprise to her, she quickly wrapped her arms around her. T'Pol followed by doing the same.

"I love you mother."

"Hey, what do you girls say that we go and grab something to eat? Our girl needs to get ready for her big party tonight." Archer spoke wiping away tears from his face.

T'Lin quickly rose from her mother's embrace and looked at her father.

"Cheese Fries?" T'Lin said excitedly.

"Cheese Fries." Archer replied with a smile.

As the three of them rose from the park bench and headed toward T'Lin and Jonathan's favourite restaurant, T'Pol quickly voice her opinion.

"I will never understand your fascination with these Cheese Fires. They are unhealthy and ... offensive."

T'Lin and Archer could see the displeasure in T'Pol's face. She hated going to that dreaded restaurant and wished that T'Lin had inherited more of a taste for Vulcan dishes instead of what her father liked to eat.

"Come on mother, we'll make sure that the waiter doesn't hit on you this time? You'll enjoy your visit this time."

T'Lin and Archer began to laugh at T'Pol's facial expressions. They both knew that she hated being hit on buy the same waiter every time but always managed to convince her to go and laugh at her expense.

"Perhaps." She replied.