All the pretty little ponies
Disclaimer: Star Trek: Enterprise is the property of Paramount; I am just borrowing the characters and setting for a little while.
I am new to the Star Trek Enterprise universe, having been without a television since the year 2000. The Dvd's were a recent acquisition and have inspired me to rewrite canon.
This was to be a finale fix. But it morphed into a mystery.
My series seriously departs from canon and is admittedly AU… as many are.
By the way, this hasn't been beta'd, this is my 10th submission after being away from writing for 15 years. Reviews are welcome.
Feel free to post these to other Trip/T'Pol sites. Just attribute them correctly.
Recap:
"One question… just why did I nickname him Quaid."
"I didn't approve of the nickname you joked about…. being fourth, you suggested Quad... so Quaid was an acceptable substitute that didn't make me wince."
"Ahh…. Yeah. It figures. I'll be in watching my daughter snore for a few minutes." He gave his son one last kiss and disappeared into the nursery.
* * * *
Such innocence.
Trip sat on the floor watching his 6 year old daughter, Elizabeth, sleep on her side, arms splayed out over the edge of the bed. He reached up, took her hand and place it to his cheek. He sat there for quite a while, exploring the bond he shared with his beautiful daughter. In his universe, Elizabeth was conceived the same day Lizzie died… and from what T'Pol had already said, their two timelines diverged from that moment. This little girl was the reason they had married more than a year and a half before he and his own T'Pol had joined.
If only I had dug in my heels at that moment and insisted she marry me...
Life could have been different and I'd still have my wife alive and in my arms.
He knew that his T'Pol had resented his being protective of her. It had occurred to him to do just what this Trip had... but his need for revenge against those who killed his sister had overcome any other considerations. There had been a short span of time between that was blissful. If only he had pushed her into carrying their daughter to term... he turned away from the thought. If only he hadn't been so vengeful maybe he could have seen her need as well. Somewhere in his head he knew that their timeline didn't have the medical techniques to assure a pregnancy... but he was too busy beating on himself to think. Grief was all he could see at that moment.
His heart ached as he leaned up against his daughter's bed, his face just a few inches from his child's. He could feel her breath against his face. There was a faint buzz through the bond... he had just begun to see that she was sending him random pictures of what wafted through her awareness. A male crewmember's face was suddenly close to her for a moment and then gone just as fast. He shook himself. The look of savagery on his face was startling. Trip and T'Pol had lived on board the Enterprise off and on for years... Elizabeth must have met him more than once. But to have seen such anger... what had Elizabeth done that would make the engineer react so strongly? What had the man done to his daughter that would make her remember this one guy so vividly?
Maybe I'm in over my head after all.
I just can't handle all this...
I need medical help before I break.
Trip finally tore himself away from watching Elizabeth and left the nursery. He settled down on the couch next to his wife and leaned over to watch his son nurse. Finally he broached the subject without knowing what her response would be.
"Would you be insulted if we asked Phlox stay with us for a few days? I love you dearly... but I am beginning to understand why you asked him to stay with us. To tell you the truth he was a second father to me and I would feel more comfortable with him here and included in our family. I am beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed by it all and I know he can help out at least with some sort of medication."
"Actually Phlox is wonderful with Elizabeth. She can be quite the handful if she gets bored. I was a bit worried that she would be too much for you. You aren't exactly used to having kids around... especially one like her though she is a lot like your sister from what you've told me." T'Pol expressed surprise at his desire to have the doctor stay with them. Phlox was always a regular part of their lives. She had no objection to having him help out... and in fact it would take some of the stress off of her as well. The doctor had a talent for knowing when and how to keep the kids busy. He'd make someone a good wife.
"Can I give him a call and see if he can come by tonight? " She nodded in response. Trip didn't need to express his love for his wife. She knew that already. There were so many concerns in both their minds about just how he was going to fit into Trip's life. He tapped her arm. "Hey, I am going to go unpack. And then I am going to explore a bit. I need to learn about this marvelous house you have." He gave T'Pol a peck on the cheek and caressed his son's head. Quaid opened his eyes sleepily and had a hint of a smile for his father as he nursed.
"You might also give your mother and father a call. I just have a bad feeling."
"Sure, I'll call them after I call Phlox."
Trip headed down the hall.
Walking into the master bedroom he finally finished the unpacking without incident and discovered a huge walk in closet off the master bathroom. He noted the large hot tub in the corner and reminisced about the one in their home on Vulcan. He was beginning to really like his counterpart's taste in home furnishings and suspected he bought the house just for the huge bathroom. He shrugged and smiled at the irony.
At least I like my own taste.
Trip decided it was time to find his office T'Pol had told him was upstairs.
My wife would have liked this place.
Trip suddenly found himself at the verge of tears at the thought of sharing this home with his own T'Pol. He felt cheated out of something he knew he wanted but hadn't had the courage to ask for. He gave in to his urge to cry and leaned against the bedroom door until the tears passed. He felt blessed that he had come to a new fork in the road. It may be late in the game... but this filled a hole he hadn't known he had.
Walking the downstairs hallway there was another large bathroom between the master bedroom and nursery. Across the hall was a laundry/mud room filled with coats and boots and had a door out into the back yard. Between that and the kitchen was a small dark bedroom that seemed to be used for storage and suitcases. There was one room on the main floor for each child close by their parents' room.
Just how many bedrooms does this place have?
The bright open kitchen and dining area took up the rest of the space on that side of the house. The living room had a massive stone fireplace that looked well used. The master bedroom and bath occupied the entire back half of the house with windows on 2 sides to the right and bath on the left. He had to wonder what the view must be like since he could see scattered lights in the distance. He had no idea how large the property was. From the outside in the dark it had looked like an estate... and not just a house in the suburbs.
Trip stood at the base of the stairs looking up the steps and turned to T'Pol. He pointed up the stairs with a grin. She nodded gesturing for him to go ahead and explore. Trip ran up the stairs 2 at a time and walked from room to room. The first on the right of the top of the stairs was obviously an office. He stepped in flicking on the light. T'Pol's, it was filled with books, diagrams, electronic gear and data disks that lined one wall. He grimaced. The place reminded him of her office on Enterprise, too neat and organized to within an inch of its life. It looked just like what his wife would have thrived in. He flicked off the light with the regret that she would never see it.
To its right was another large bedroom as was the one on the end with windows on two sides. There appeared to be lots of room for out of town guests.
…and these will make great bedrooms for the kids when they get old enough.
Along the other side of the landing another bedroom was on the left end and an office right at the top of the stairs opposite T'Pol's. There was a large bathroom between the two. The corner bedroom had a distinctively lived in air and was surrounded on two sides by windows allowing in the glare from the street light. This could be one of the 2 brightest rooms in the house on a summer's day. He decided it must be where Phlox stayed when he visited since his clothes were hanging in the open closet. The windows had been left open and a breeze off the bay blew the curtains to and fro.
He went back out onto the landing and into the office on the end and flicked on the light. Again there were windows on two sides with an unobstructed view into the dark.
This must be mine.
On a stand in the corner between the windows was his diving helmet. Charts and diagrams were scattered over the desk with plans for a children's play set prominent in the middle. He sat at his desk andflicked on the comm. He keyed in Phlox's extension and hit call. Phlox answered immediately.
"Good evening Commander. I would have expected you and your family to be enjoying some quality time. To what do I owe the honor of this call?"
"T'Pol and I want you to stay with us for a few days until we can get past this transition. Can you beam down to our place as soon as you can...that is if you don't mind?"
"I'll throw some things in a bag and be right there…"
"Your second can take care of the zoo for a few days if I remember right..."
Phlox nodded. "Yes he can, Commander, and I wouldn't mind at all."
"See you in a few…" Trip ended the call.
Trip keyed in his parents' number and hit call. In his time, both his parents had died the year before. He was looking forward to time with them after so long.
He studied his mother's face as she answered and was struck by her vitality. It helped the ache to know she was still alive. She got the funniest look on her face when she saw him…much like the look he had seen on Phlox's face when he first arrived in this continuum.
"Hi momma, just checkin' in."
"Trip?
"Yeah, momma… just wanted to touch base with you both. Is everything okay?"
"Oh, it is now… when did you get home?"
"We got in earlier this evening. Enterprise came back to Earth a couple days ago from Jupiter Station. T'Pol and I just transported down."
"When are the two of you coming out to stay with us?"
"I think T'Pol said next week some time. I promised Elizabeth I'd put together her play set while I was home this time."
"Then we'll see you next week. Call us the night before you arrive so we can have the guest house ready."
"Sure, momma. Give our love to dad."
"Night son."
"Night momma." Trip ended the call. For some reason something wasn't right, it was just a feeling he had.
He shrugged. It would all come out in the wash. His mother could never keep anything to herself for very long.
* * * *
Phlox grinned and dialed his second, leaving him a message regarding his whereabouts and signed off responsibility for medical services over to the young man. He looked forward to staying in the Tucker's lively household for an extended period. Now that the decommissioning had begun, the numbers of people onboard were dwindling and he was beginning to feel more than a bit lonely. The Tuckers' reminded him of his years raising his brood of 5 children on Denobula.
Packing a few things, he included some items his second wife had sent to take with him for Elizabeth. She always enjoyed the exotic nature of offworld toys. Her mind was sharper than even his own childrens' and he began to have an inkling of just how gifted she truly was. It was a pleasure for him to spend time with such an inquisitive mind. He locked the door of his quarters and made his way to the transporter which carried the location of the Tucker home in its memory. He called up the code for their garage and set it for automatic beam out, stepping onto the pad before the data stream began.
He arrived in the garage and came in the house through the mud room. Waving to T'Pol on the couch, he walked up the stairs to his room. He noticed the light on in the office and Trip reading the screen. He left his burdens on the bed in his room and stepped into the commander's office, learning against the door jamb.
"How are you holding up, Commander? I know this life is quite different from your old life on the Enterprise. "
"Actually the worst of it is the grief. I have lost so many people, first my sister, then Malcolm, Hoshi and my parents last year... and now T'Pol. It just all caught up with me today that I really had lost everyone that meant something to me. All I had left was you on the ship. Even Jonathan wasn't around to talk to. It made things very lonely if my wife was gone."
Trip played with a pen he had found on the desk.
"I love T'Pol regardless but... there's a certain day to day familiarity you get from someone that's there all the time. That's going to take time to rebuild. We lived on shipboard nearly all our married life. I just feel like I need help to adjust is all."
"I know that feeling. It's what I miss most about living with my family, the continuity of day to day contact. I can always help with medication if you feel it's too much for you."
"My Phlox always tried to keep meds to a minimum but I did talk him into helping out occasionally. I'd appreciate any help you can give."
Phlox grinned. "You were in my Sickbay more often than any other patient and always pushed the boundaries of the patient doctor relationship. I get the feeling the two of you weren't that dissimilar."
T'Pol slid in through the doorway past Phlox. She held Quaid against her shoulder. "Is there anything you can do about the grief reactions we both are quite impacted by? I know that Trip is having a real issue with missing his wife. I have felt him breakdown a number of times since he has been home."
"I can help ease the pain initially but it would only be for the next week at most. Let me get my hypospray." Phlox became apologetic as he turned to her. "T'Pol, there's little I can do for you since you're nursing. I know how picky you are about taking medications. But I'll still check to see if anything is available." Phlox moved back onto the landing and went into his room.
Trip turned towards his wife. "Are you always going to rat me out like that?"
T'Pol gave him her version of a smile, "Only when it's for your own good."
Trip smiled. "You're a total pain in the..." He was interrupted in mid sentence.
"Here we are Commander, something to help with the stress reaction." Phlox held out the hypospray and waited. "Actually I'm glad you called. I still hadn't submitted the paperwork registering the accident. I did change your status from dead to "missing in action". I doubt anyone will notice such a small shift since the paperwork hadn't been processed yet. This will allow your pay to be reinstated when you decide to reappear. For once I was thankful I put something off so long. I suppose we all are in some sort of denial about this. Now if you'll just lean back?" He looked over at T'Pol.
Trip had given his wife his best death stare. She simple leaned back against the wall, crossed her arms under her son's bottom and stood still tapping her toe. He got the hint and allowed the doctor to administer the medication. He grimaced at the pain but soon felt his anxiety ebb away.
"That should last you 48 hours. We can reevaluate your status at that point."
T'Pol was looking out for him but he wasn't about to let it drop.
Damned stubborn Vulcan.
I heard that.
He snorted.
Damned stubborn Vulcan pain in the ass.
"Thank you, it helped immediately. You're staying with us for at least a few days, aren't you Phlox?" Trip looked up at his clone's father. He couldn't think of anyone he'd rather have around. The man was optimistic to a fault. One depressed human was enough to deal with, with Phlox around he couldn't help but feel better about his future.
"Yes, I'd be glad to. I love your children. I will need to drop Elizabeth off at the Reeds in the morning since I have to be on the ship for the day. But beyond tomorrow, I am free for the next week. That way you two can go back to bed and rest once your daughter has satisfied herself that her father is still here in the house." Phlox looked at the time and commented that while he slept very little, good sleeping patterns were essential to their well being and recovery.
"Yep, I agree... besides I think it's daddy time." Trip looked over at his son, rose from his chair and taking him from his wife, he moved out of the office.
Phlox smiled when he saw Trip pick up his youngest and hold him closely. If anything the attraction of a newborn would give Trip the desire to get over his current crisis. That and finding out that everyone he lost was still alive in this continuum.
T'Pol smiled at Phlox, a rarity for the usually dour Vulcan. She knew that the doctor was adept at knowing when to disappear and had helped them create private time for each other on numerous occasions. Besides he was their daughter's favorite babysitter.
Everyone said their goodnights and Phlox retreated to his room waving off any offer of company. He was quite comfortable in his corner room that was home away from home. He paused on the landing and watched the couple walk down the stairs hand in hand.
The Tuckers turned off lights on the way down. Trip got a lump in his throat thinking of how little he left behind and how much he found waiting for him here. The meds did seem to help keep the pain at a distance. There were so many moments he would have liked to share with his wife. He kissed his son's forehead and caressed his pointed ear. T'Pol stopped in front of the nursery. T'Pol reached over and took Quaid over Trip's protests. Going in, she settled him in his crib and closed the door softly. She kissed Trip gently there in the hall.
"I need some time with my husband. The children will still be here when we are finished. We have about 3 or 4 hours before your son wakes for another feeding. I intend to use that time wisely." She took the arm of her grinning spouse and led him into the bedroom, closing the door firmly behind her.
He wondered how long it would take before the ache went away. He could feel the same hollow ache in T'Pol. It would just take time for them both to grieve and to heal. At least the void that had been the bond was gone; it no longer felt like he had fallen down a deep, deep hole with no escape. Here, at least, he didn't have to worry that his body would die from the pain.
Phlox turned and continued on through the doorway into his room. He thought of how much he missed his wives... perhaps he could call them later after the house was quiet and catch up on the latest gossip. He decided not to wait and walked over to the comm.
* * * *
Bustling around the bedroom, T'Pol pulled out a pair of pajama bottoms for Trip and a robe from the back of the bathroom door and threw it on the end of the bed. She laid out her own silk pajamas and robe on the chair on the left. He sat on the end of the bed. It was very firm… just the way he liked them.
"Ahh… which side of the bed do I sleep on? I used to sleep on that side." He pointed to the side on the right. This seemed such an ordinary moment in an otherwise extraordinary day.
"And you do here as well. I am leaving out your clothes in case our daughter gets up in the night. She knows better than to just come barging in and can't after I put a lock on the door." She gestured to the back of the door. Sure enough there was a heavy deadbolt in the locked position. "I have a baby monitor so I can hear whatever goes on in the nursery, so they are in no danger. I just prefer not to be woken prematurely by my leaping child."
"She must be a pistol. My parents did the same thing when I was little."
"Who do you think gave me the idea?"
Trip clamped his mouth shut. He thought the better of it and started to smile.
What else has momma told her?
T'Pol began pulling back the bedding and patted the bed seating herself on the exposed sheet. "I think we need to talk."
"Ah the most dreaded words in a marriage."
"Seriously, Trip… we both lost our bond-mates less than a week ago. And as you pointed out we don't really know each other. I have felt a very deep grief from you a number of times today. What can I do to help you not feel so much pain?"
"Just be who you are… I confess that miss my wife. I lost my parents and both Malcolm and Hoshi last year. And I can tell you miss Trip. I just feel so inadequate right now, a stranger in my own home. I don't even know my own kids."
T'Pol tilted her head and watched him as he spoke. It wasn't so much that he felt inadequate… he grieved for a life he and his wife hadn't had. There was a sterility to his former existence and he felt guilty that he had received so much in coming here. And feeling guilty made him feel like he didn't miss his wife enough. The price he had paid to assuage his need for revenge against the Xindi was a life with the children he had become so attached to over the last few hours. And he knew it.
"Trip, there is a way I can show you the life you have had here with us… when you're ready to see it."
"Yeah, I thought of the mind meld thing. T'Pol and I did that too occasionally. It's just that… I miss her. I feel your ache and I know it's yours and not mine. It's not so much that I hurt because I don't have you, it's not that. It's just the day to day stuff I keep finding out I don't know."
"Again the meld would alleviate some of that… for both of us. I too have some anxiety over the decisions we have made and I miss my mate too. I still have everyone in my life that you lost. A meld would even out the playing field so to speak… would you allow it now before this ache gets worse? The sharing would help our bond and orient you to this life. I have the feeling you fought for your T'Pol just as my Trip fought to marry me." She omitted her desire to know more of his past and why he grieved so deeply for the losses he spoke of.
Trip smiled in a lopsided way.
He thought for a few moments. "There's a lot you don't know, T'Pol. Stuff my wife did that I know is going to bother you because it bothered her. Are you sure you want to know?"
T'Pol thought for a few minutes. "I am going to find out sometime, why not now?" Her curiosity was killing her. What could she have done that would be that terrible?
"There's one thing you need to know before we start...my wife used trellium while we were in the expanse. You've read the reports from Enterprise?" T'Pol nodded yes she had. The Vulcan first officer had experimented with the element and had nearly died before it was recognized that it was a neurotoxin. She wondered about all the other incidents reported by the XO and shuddered to think they might have happened to her counterpart. She wondered what else his T'Pol could have put herself through.
He thought for a few minutes. "You're sure about this?" T'Pol nodded and took her position on the bed. She patted the spot facing her. Trip sat down with her, knee to knee. He hoped that she still respected him after this was all said and done. Their fingers found positions on the other's cheek and they sank into a meld, sharing their pasts for the first time.
* * * *
It took 2 hours to finally emerged from their sharing and both were stiff from inactivity. The time was nearly 1 am. The first tentative cries of a hungry little boy could be heard on the baby monitor.
Trip exhaled and stepped off the end of the bed. "I'll go get him for you." He returned momentarily and relocked the door against small blond haired invaders.
T'Pol took Quaid from his father and nestled him against her as she lay on her side on the bed. She didn't say anything as her son nursed, just absorbing the pain that her husband had been put through by her counterpart. She saw how hard he had fought for their marriage and what he had endured. She had felt his clone's unique determination and his promise to gain the woman they both loved. The two men had come to a sort of equilibrium over time. This was very much her Trip... but a deeper more grounded man than hers had ever had the chance to become.
T'Pol's history still stuck in Trip's mind. This was a different T'Pol, one who had agreed to marriage readily when she conceived their daughter. This T'Pol had entered marriage with a calm collected intellect and no reservations about their future. There had been little adversity in her past and she wasn't as stubbornly Vulcan as his wife had been. Here all their friends and family were still alive... except for his sister.
Trip could see that T'Pol was going to take time to absorb all the information he had given her. It was going to take time to come to terms with what he knew of his new wife as well. For the first time he didn't feel inferior to his counterpart. The discovery that they had been a great deal alike was heartening. That Trip's life had been easy compared to his own simply by virtue of making a choice regarding their child and opting out of the trip to the Expanse to have her. It was amazing how one decision could change so many lives. He now knew of his children from the day they were conceived from T'Pol's perspective. He also understood how much her respect for her new spouse influenced her at this moment. He lay back on the bed and thought about their future and watched his son. He slowly fell asleep lulled by the peace of mind he felt for the first time.
Twenty minutes later T'Pol nudged Trip from his doze. She had taken the baby back into the nursery. She headed back to their bathroom after relocking the door and called over her shoulder. "I need a shower before I come to bed. Want to join me?"
Trip wasn't about to say no and scrambled off the bed. "Hey, I saw a hot tub in there like the one at your mothers. Is it any good?"
His wife gave him a smile and cocked her head. "Trip made sure it is excellent. Let me start the water. You're sure you won't fall asleep in the meantime?" She went into the bathroom and started to fill the tub, carrying the baby monitor with her. She set it on the counter and turned up the volume. She added bubble bath to the tub and gave the water a swish to mix in the liquid. She heard her husband step up behind her and felt his hands on her hips. She turned and he shifted his hands to the small of her back.
"Want help taking off those grimy things?" Trip was smirking at her. He wanted to show her he wasn't the least bit sleepy. Catnaps tended to revitalize him after years of little sleep and long hours in Engineering.
T'Pol answered by moving her hands under his tee shirt, pushing it off over his head. He reciprocated and pulled her uniform down over her shoulders. She pulled it down the rest of the way and stepped out of it. She pushed her fingers under the waistband of his sweats and laid her hands on his bare butt. Lingering there for a moment she dared him to say something as she stared him in the eye.
"You are such a tease. Go on, get on with it." The sweats and boxers came off in one motion. He stepped out of them. He removed the last of her undergarments. He stepped over and down into the tub. She joined him stepping up and over, spooning up back to front and leaning against his chest.
"Mmmm…" He began to blow into her ear and lick the tip. He stopped suddenly. "Should I be doing this? After all you're still a relatively new mother."
"It didn't stop you last night."
"I didn't know you had a 6 week old son last night. I don't want to do anything to hurt you unintentionally."
"You won't. Vulcans are far sturdier than humans. We can engage in sex within 2 weeks of birth. Let's just say it's a gift to our species." T'Pol turned towards her spouse, sitting in his lap, she pulled him down and kissed him deeply, causing him to gasp for air once she disengaged.
Trip smiled. "In my timeline, the hot tub at your mother's was a favorite of ours. We spent a lot of time experimenting with neuropressure positions and just makin' out."
"In the morning we can sleep in... so we don't need to worry about staying up late. Phlox will be up and around once Elizabeth is. She goes up and wakes him up before anyone else and they keep each other busy for hours, which lets us do whatever we want. She seems to be aware of him from the moment he gets here. It's uncanny."
"He's a marvel, isn't he?"
"Now my dear," she said moving in closer while caressing his chin with her fingertips. "I suggest less talk and a bit more 'making out'."
"Yes, ma'am."
* * * *
The morning sun was shining into the tall windows surrounding the bedroom, brightening everything. Trip snuggled down under the covers after reorienting himself. This was their bedroom on Earth and he was no longer on shipboard. He let out a contented sigh and decided he could get used to this.
After about 10 minutes he got the feeling he was being watched and glanced over at the empty spot beside him. T'Pol was apparently already out of bed, probably tending to their son. He could smell coffee brewing. He pushed himself up on his elbows and glanced towards the doorway. There, at the end of the bed, Elizabeth sat cross legged, watching him intently for any sign of life.
"Daddy!" She launched herself at him, and grabbing him she gave him a big hug and kiss. "I'll go tell Mother you're awake." Bounding off the bed she skidded along the wood floor, barely making the corner and then could be heard racing down the hallway calling to her mother.
Trip watched her exit from his vantage on the bed and was struck by how much she reminded him of his kid sister. They were so similar, the same energy, and the same lust for living. Lizzie was a real handful... and here was the virtual reincarnation of her sliding down his hallway. It made him pause at the wonders of the universe. He suddenly made him pity his parents who were saddled with a tribe of Tucker children just like her.
Yep, it's amazing that our parents let us live.
He reached for his pajama bottoms and bathrobe; he was just tying the knot when his daughter flew back through the doorway. She grabbed his hand and started to pull him down the hall. Trip reached down and picked up his daughter settling her against his hip.
"Let's see just what Mommy wants, huh punkin?" Trip whispered. Elizabeth giggled and laid her head on his shoulder, melting against him with her thumb settling in her mouth. Daddy grinned down at her. Like mother, like daughter.
I could really get to like this.
He felt his wife's response as he came into the kitchen.
You may not have a choice.
Could you take your son for me?
Trip put down Elizabeth and took Quaid from T'Pol's arms. Elizabeth went racing back out of the kitchen and down the hallway. The infant snuggled in against Trip's neck and held on tight to his robe, raising his head to look myopically at Trip. He had a trace of smile. Trip just shook his head in awe at his contented child and looked up at his wife.
"His eyes are bluer than mine."
"No, they are about the same, his just look bigger because he is still a baby. Your pictures as an infant had the same intensity." She reached behind the door and grabbed the baby sling he was so fond of. She hung it over his shoulders and resettled their son in it.
"In my universe I saw a picture of us and 3 of our kids in our future. This little guy is going to look precisely like me... and Elizabeth is almost copy of you but with my hair color and eyes." The origins of the photo had to have been in this timeline because it ended in that one. He thought back to his own wife and their assumption that those were the children they hoped to have. A quick change of subject was needed.
"I think it's time to get Elizabeth some hobbies before she starts taking the furniture apart. Have you thought about teaching her meditation yet?"
T'Pol suddenly came over and put her free arm around him. The body contact did help him feel less pain. She reached over and handed him a fresh cup of coffee.
"Did the meld not help at all? I feel more comfortable now that everything is known."
"Yeah it actually helped a lot, I enjoyed sharing with you. Trip and I are a lot alike, more than I would ever have thought. Did sharing T'Pol with you help?"
"Yes, it did. At least now when we are caught in grief, we understand what the other has lost. So many people died in your world that are still alive in ours, I was amazed at the losses you endured." T'Pol snuggled in on the side opposite Quaid and laid her head on his shoulder. Trip leaned his cheek against her hair.
"I wish she could have met our kids. It might have changed her mind earlier and I wouldn't have been left alone."
"Yes but then you wouldn't be here now. If our partners had done things differently, Daniels could never have brought us together."
"I'm sure we'll both get through this. Our bond seems to be strengthening." Trip straightened. T'Pol turned and ran her fingers through his hair, combing it back into some semblance of order. He marveled at her outgoing nature. He could get used to this.
"You could continue working on that play set in the back yard. Elizabeth needs somewhere to run off the energy she has… it was your mother's suggestion, actually. She has informed me of your proclivities as a child were not so different from our daughter. She said dismantling furniture was a favorite when you were Elizabeth's age."
"Damn, I'm in another universe and I can't get away from my own bad reputation."
Phlox came bounding down the stairs with Elizabeth in the lead.
"Daddy, Phlox says I hafta go to Aunti Hoshi's." Elizabeth did her best to look like a wilted flower, all limp and lifeless. "Do I have to?"
Uh oh… we have a budding drama queen?
"Oh daddy, I am not a drama queen." She straightened and put her fists on her hips and wore a determined look.
And you can read my thoughts.
Yes, she can… and she can hear you.
"Mother… I don't have to go Auntie's do I? Daddy's home, I want to stay here." She turned her ire to her mother who was finishing putting the dishes in the dishwasher.
"Yes, you do. Your father and I have things to do and you like Auntie Hoshi. Uncle Malcolm is home for the next week so you two can play Ranger Defense every day in their backyard." T'Pol was already exasperated with her eldest even though the day had just started. She knew that Malcolm's high energy levels and physicality were a perfect match for their daughter's budding desire to conquer the world.
"Ranger Defense?" Trip's eyebrows soared heaven ward.
"Yeah, Daddy. Uncle Malcolm makes me be all quiet and sneaky and I have to sit still for hours waiting for him to attack me. It's soooo hard. But then I get to beat him up. I like that part." Elizabeth grinned at her dad over her shoulder, sticking her tongue out between the gap between her front teeth. Trip looked at her mother in exasperation.
"Are you sure she's ours and not a changeling?"
"We were both there at her conception; she is ours in every sense of the word. You're mother said something about her being your "spitting image" and says having to raise a daughter just like you is a fitting punishment for the wrongs you inflicted on your parents."
"Oh I bet you were an equally challenging child." Trip grinned at his wife. "I can just see a tiny T'Pol playing Ranger Defense with T'Les in the front garden."
Trip resettled his son against his shoulder and put his lips against the infant's forehead. He sighed. The meld really had helped him reorient into this world. It gave him a past that seemed more cohesive and he felt like he belonged here. He knew he was seeing them through T'Pol's eyes… but it gave him more of a sense of who they were and what the two of them had gone through to be together. It made him feel less awkward and more like all was well with the world.
"It wasn't Ranger Defense; it was Andorian spies in the neighbor's yard across the fence. I learned how to sit motionless for hours as I meditated waiting for them to come over the wall. My father was adept at finding all sorts of activities that tested my patience. I have attempted to get our daughter to engage in the same activities but they were insufficient at using up her endless fountain of energy, something your mother says I can blame on you."
Trip started to laugh. He remembered his parents sending him out into the woods around their house, telling him to pretend it was a new world and trying to find alien races. It got to the point where his father would buy some old car or engine just for his 8 year old to take apart. Trip was kept busy and entertained for days.
Phlox gathered his coat and held out a much smaller coat to Elizabeth. "Time to go, Auntie Hoshi is expecting us in about 15 minutes." He turned to her parents. I'll call before we return home. I have errands to run and will pick her up on my way back here. Say around 4ish?"
"That would be fine. You two be careful." T'Pol gave her daughter one last kiss as she sped towards her father. Trip gave her a quick hug and she was off again.
The two file out the door, waving back at her parents.
They breathed a sigh of relief and went back into the kitchen to finish breakfast.
* * * *
Once the house was quiet, Trip changed into sweats and went up to his office. The view from the windows was spectacular. They were up above the city and overlooked the Golden Gate Bridge and the bay's marina. Their back yard was immense with a heavy high fence on all four sides. There just beyond the garage was a half completed play set. He turned and stood in front of shelves. He looked at the bins full of data disks and checked the labels. He pulled out one… it was one of his own engineering logs that proved to be filed in chronological order. He went to the last one on the right, removed it and slid it into a PADD on the desk. It was the last log from 2 weeks ago. He flicked through the index and clicked on the last week's worth of notes.
Definitely my work… and good work it was.
His counterpart had been supervising the preparations for the decommissioning of the Enterprise at Jupiter Station for the last 2 months. This was something he would have started in the coming weeks on his own ship. The prep work was proceeding on schedule with more than a few unexpected glitches. Trip noted that over and over there were discrepancies noted on inventories of engineering stores and new deliveries dating back 2 weeks prior to the date on the report. Equipment was reported as missing and the shortages had held up the crews. A request for investigation had been sent to Malcolm in Security but no acknowledgement was received.
Something wasn't right. Malcolm would never have ignored a request.
An unpleasant thought crossed his mind that he chalked up to paranoia. He headed back to the stairs and ran down. He needed to know more before he shared his suspicions with his wife.
"Hey … did you happen to bring any of my current engineering logs with you?"
"Yes, they are all downloaded to the PADD in my bag, why? I added them to your library just as a matter of routine." T'Pol continued to nurse her son quietly on the couch.
Trip started rummaging through the bag, finally finding the PADD and heading back up the stairs with it in hand.
"I was reading something in the last log that was dated 2 weeks ago. I want to find out the solution to the problem and compare it with the equations he quoted." Walking back into his office, he sat at the desk and inserted the PADD into its cradle. He flicked on the screen and transferred the data to a blank data disk from the drawer. The information had to beoff the PADD in case T'Pol read through it. It was bad enough if what he suspected was true, he didn't want his wife worrying. He wondered if his counterpart had mentioned anything about the thefts to T'Pol.
The logs continued to note differences between shipping manifests and logged in products. Then 5 days ago the log entry started by noting he was considering charges against his second for theft of government property. It delineated the grounds under which the charges would be filed... but the next sentence ended in mid word. He looked at the time stamp.
Oh, this is bad.
"So… he suspected his second." T'Pol whispered softly behind his left ear.
Trip nearly jumped out of his chair in surprise and flicked off the screen. He turned and gave his wife his death stare. She had snuck up the stairs without making a single wooden step creak.
Sneaky damned Vulcan.
Remind me to fix it so she can't do that.
T'Pol stared right back waiting for him to flinch. She didn't have long to wait. He hadn't won a stare down yet.
Trip sighed and turned back to the comm screen. He switched it back on and flicked through the log entries of 2 weeks before and showed her how engineering stores, equipment inventories and shipments were coming up short day after day. This continued until the day of his death, including the log that ended in mid sentence after noting his intentions. And he added the fact he had sent the file to Malcolm and gotten no reply in that same entry.
T'Pol's mouth became a very thin, determined line.
He turned to his wife with a question and had the feeling he knew what the answer was. "Which crew member came up with that cock and bull story about my bravery?"
"Your second was the only witness and said you had sacrificed yourself for the sake of the captain. Phlox said he was treated for burns on his hands. He said at the time he suspected the man had handled the conduits himself. Any witnesses there were died with you. We just took his word for it, there was no reason to disbelieve him." "
"Now the next question is… when do we talk to Malcolm and what do we say?"
T'Pol crossed her arms in front of her and looked as furious as a Vulcan can look. "Is there an acknowledgment that the file was received by Security?"
"Let me check the communication log… dammit… there's an active lockout on Malcolm's comm address. The messages were blocked and never got to Malcolm. He never knew." He glanced at the clock. It was half past nine in the morning. "Hey, where's my son?"
"I put the baby down in his crib. He sleeps like you do, in fits and spurts. You'll see him soon enough." The shirt of Trip's that she was almost wearing had been left unbuttoned after nursing, giving tantalizing glimpses of bare skin.
Trip reoriented himself to the moment. "Could we call Malcolm?
"Both he and Hoshi tend to be night owls when off duty. They ought to awake by now… Phlox should just about be at their doorstep. Let me give them a call, they live just a few blocks from here. It wouldn't be out of the ordinary for them to come over this early for coffee." T'Pol put her hand on Trip's shoulder. "I have to apologize. I never thought of checking your logs. I just accepted this version as fact since I wasn't there."
"Hey, it wasn't something I thought of either."
T'Pol turned and walked into her office to call Malcolm.
Trip transferred the logs to the PADD and stuck it in the pocket of his sweats. He walked across the hall and peeked past the door jamb. Malcolm and Hoshi were both nodding and said they would be there in 10 to 15 minutes. She ended the call.
T"Pol stood and joined Trip in the hall, walking down the stairs hand in hand. About 5 steps down, the riser creaked. Trip elbowed his wife.
"You knew about that squeak, didn't you? You deliberately snuck up on me."
"There are secrets in every marriage, t'hy'la. How I move noiselessly when you are keeping things from me is just one of my secrets." She turned to look him square in the eye. "I had a wonderful teacher. You'll just have to just live with it."
"Ahhh…yeah….let's not go there. Why is it that I am not even "your" Trip and you still can make me feel guilty as hell?"
"I believe it's as you are fond of saying… that's what wives are for. And as of yesterday, you ARE my Trip."
Trip started to laugh. "Gosh, it's nice to be wanted."
* * * *
The doorbell rang and Malcolm and Hoshi ducked through the front door and came on into the kitchen.
"So T'Pol… what was so important that I had to leave Elizabeth in the middle of Ranger Defense. Phlox has her watching old science fiction movies of all things." Malcolm hadn't been at the house since the death of his friend a week before. He had avoided coming here at all in the days following the accident.
T'Pol sat across the table and handed them both cups of coffee as they sat down beside each other. Malcolm sipped at his cup after putting in creamer and contemplated his friend's wife. Hoshi balanced on the back legs of her chair and waited for T'Pol to start.
"I have something I have to tell you both." T'Pol paused. "It's going to be difficult for you to adjust to."
"After what's happened this last week, nothing surprises me anymore." Hoshi settled back down and leaned her elbows on the table.
"Oh I think this will." She motioned to the doorway behind Malcolm. Trip walked into the kitchen and stood at the counter with his arms crossed in front of him. T'Pol knew of her husband's longing to see his best buddy who he had lost a year ago to an accident.
Malcolm turned toward the motion he saw out of the corner of his eye.
"Son of a bitch." He stood and walked over to his friend. They melded into a fierce hug, tears in their eyes at the sight of each other.
Hoshi stood, mouth open. "What are you doing here? You're freaking dead."
"Yeah well so are you. You can blame Daniels… it was one of his devices brought me here." Trip couldn't seem to let Malcolm go. "Man, in my world, you've both been dead for a year."
T'Pol stood back watching the two men bond. Both Trip and Malcolm had big grins and kept punching each other. She could see that this was going to be a very memorable morning for the both of them. The four started comparing notes and histories on the Enterprise. The conversation eventually turned to the obvious.
"So I know how you died, what happened to me?" Malcolm stuck his thumb against his chest.
"Or me?" Hoshi was surprised to hear she had died.
Trip turned to Malcolm. "Some MACO did you in accidentally during a workout last year… got a little too enthusiastic. He was court-martialed and will spend the rest of his life in the brig for manslaughter."
"It wasn't Hayes, was it?"
"No, Hayes died 7 years ago in the Expanse saving Hoshi's life. Robertson was the name of the guy, I think."
T'Pol decided to reorient the two men. "Gentlemen, may we transition to the task at hand… there's a reason we asked you here… I mean in addition to a reunion."
"Wait," Hoshi held up her hand. "I want to hear what happened to me."
Trip gave his wife a sideways look and shrugged. He had hoped to avoid this because it was going to be hard for both of them to hear.
"You mind if we do this over a couple of glasses of bourbon?" Trip stood up and went over to the cupboard he knew held his favorite brand, retrieved it and four glasses. He motioned toward T'Pol with a glass but she shook her head. He poured four shots and handed one to Malcolm. He set two in front of Hoshi.
"Drink both."
Hoshi stared at him wide eyed but after a moment, she duly threw back both shots and sat the glasses down on the table.
Trip sat down across from her and moved the glasses aside. He waited until he could see the alcohol starting to take effect, making small talk about his new son in the meantime.
Trip leaned forward. "Hoshi, you need to brace yourself. Are you ready for this?"
Hoshi nodded but was obviously prepared for the worst. Malcolm watched his wife. He had no clue as to what had happened but knew it was going to be a shock.
Trip spoke softly and took both of her hands, "Darlin', you took your own life about an hour after Malcolm passed. We found your suicide note taped to the communication station. You beamed yourself out into open space before we could stop you." He let her hands go.
Hoshi's eyes grew wide and Malcolm reached over to gather into his arms. He hadn't known the level of devotion his wife had had to him. She began to cry. Trip poured another shot and handed it to her. She wordlessly threw it back and sat staring, tears falling. T'Pol put a box of tissues on the table in front of her. She immediately reached into the box. Malcolm also reached over and took a few for himself.
After a moment Trip leaned back, "When T'Pol died, I literally had no one close to me left on the ship but Phlox. My parents were gone... my sister. I knew it was a matter of days before I died too; I was shutting down just like T'Pol here. It's a family thing for me, same thing happens over and over in my mom's family. But that part has stabilized for both of us, thank God." He reached over and took his wife's hand.
Hoshi shook herself and finally put the news aside. "How did T'Pol die?"
"A shuttlepod blew up 7 days ago. My wife died instantly."
They sat in silence for a long time, the couples clinging to each other until they heard Quaid start to cry in the nursery. Trip got him and handed his son off to his mother. The conversation started anew and turned to family matters. Hoshi and Malcolm were starting their own family finally after all these years. The decommissioning was giving them the chance to finally settle down now that Malcolm was also stationed dirtside.
T'Pol reoriented back to the original reason for calling. "We need your help on something. Trip was reading through his engineering logs and found this." She handed Malcolm one of the PADDs with 2 weeks worth of the latest logs she had just brought back. Trip had highlighted the discrepancies for his attention.
"Son of a bitch, I never got these reports." He looked up at Trip. He scrolled through entry after entry detailing the losses. He pulled out his own PADD and scrolled to those dates. He showed Trip the absence of any messages from engineering… not a single message had came from him in the last 5 weeks, not even personal ones. The first date coincided with the day of the data lock out by his second.
"There's more," Trip handed him the other PADD with the data disks of the previous 2 weeks and highlighted the entries.
"This could be worth millions on the black market...have you called the Captain yet?" Malcolm leaned forward over the three PADDS in front of him and compared entries, "I never trusted that jackass."
"Really, I hadn't noticed." Trip said dryly, and leaned over the table. "Given everything I have learned about my life here and family... I couldn't understand why I would throw it all away with a dumb stunt like that. Now... the question I am having is…could I, I mean Trip, could someone have wanted him dead?"
"I think the answer is, especially after seeing all this… you very well could have been murdered to keep it quiet."
"So Malcolm… what do we do now?" Trip leaned back in his chair gratified that he had come to the same conclusion.
For once his friend was at a loss for words.
Malcolm looked down at his now empty shot glass.
He and Hoshi looked at each other. She nodded and put down her glass. "I think it's time for more bourbon."
* * * *
TBC