By Special Authorization

by ableone

This is a sequal to E squared.

By Special Authorization.

By: Ableone

Genre: Romance, Action adventure

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or Star Trek ™, they do. I am not making any cash, they are. I know who they are, you know who they are and they know who they are.

Summary: This is my look at how TnT developed after i Enterprise /i fell back in time. Spoilers: E squared.

AN #1: This story was edited by Kevin and Distracted.

I want to thank Kevin for his input. He steered me clear of some blunders and offered many useful suggestions.

A very special thanks goes out to Distracted. She held my hand, offered many helpful re-writes and only had to spank me a couple of times (Ouch!). If you like this story it is in no small part due to Distracted's work.

AN #2: I am a fan of subtle storytelling when it comes to the relationship. I have enjoyed a lot of the fan fiction here, but for me it doesn't feel like TnT when we hear them both overtly proclaim undying love. Therefore, you won't find that here. Additionally I don't write Trip's accent into the dialog. It is still there, but I find Trip's accent overpowering in the written form. When you read his lines, just listen to Connor Trinneer's voice.

Notes to the reader: Because conventional time markers no longer make sense, I referenced everything to days past the time jump. Where depicted, the time is shown in coordinated universal time (UTC) which you may know by its old designation GMT or Zulu time. I have assumed that the Trek-jargon X mark Y, was a reference to the i bearing /i mark i azimuth /i that would be required to plot a course in three dimensional space. One Astronomical Unit (AU) is a measure of space equal to the mean distance from Earth to its star. A waypoint is a common nautical/aerospace term describing a fictitious point in space created as a navigational reference point. Flag country is a reference to that portion of a ship that is set aside for the use of Admirals and other dignitaries when they are aboard.

I don't know if this storyline has already been explored. I purposely avoided looking because I did not want to unconsciously rip off anyone else's ideas.

hr

b Prologue /b

i Day 3 /i

The shock had not yet worn off. It had only been three days since i Enterprise /i had entered the corridor and two days since the captain had addressed the crew, informing them that their trip back in time was most likely permanent. As the crew came to grips with what their lives would be like as orphans of time, the three senior officers conferred about their new mission.

Captain Archer, his first officer, and his chief engineer were huddled together in the captain's mess. It was certainly not like the old days. They had not met here to confer over a meal, but because it was a very private area where their mission, or lack thereof, could be quietly discussed.

Jonathan Archer started off slowly and quietly. His muscles were tense and his eyes were focused on the table. He had been thinking about what he was about to say since his first post-corridor meeting with T'Pol.

"For better or worse, rapid repair of our systems is no longer the highest priority," he began intensely. "We need to shift our focus from a frantic search and destroy tactical situation to one of longevity. Simply put, the long term survival of a capable i Enterprise /i is our primary mission. It must be in a condition that will enable the crew…"

At this point his eye caught T'Pol's raised eyebrow. He gave her a brief conciliatory smile.

"Excuse me… I meant to sayin a condition that will enable the i future /i crew to complete our mission against the Xindi weapon… Happy now?" he added just a little sarcastically. T'Pol remained impassive.

"So we're just gonna give up and accept that we're stuck here forever?" asked Trip in an irritated tone of voice.

The captain leaned forward and placed his palms flat on the table before replying. "No." "We will continue to explore our options for getting back to our own time. We do, however, have to plan for the eventuality that we will not be able to do so." He leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and giving his chief engineer a resigned look said, "So, that said, where do we stand, Trip? How much of our damage can be repaired and how much capability can i Enterprise /i hope to recover without ever visiting the likes of Jupiter Station again?"

"Okay, okay… I know." Trip replied while raising his hands in deference to the captain. "Though I can't say I'm happy about it, I have been thinking along those lines. It'll take time, but most of the damage can be repaired. We have the capability to fabricate just about everything we need. There are two problems, though: raw materials and anti-matter. We're gonna need to find more of both."

"Captain, it is critical that we form relationships with other species in the Expanse. That should be our first short term priority," T'Pol put in.

"Why our first priority, T'Pol?" asked the captain.

"As you have pointed out, Captain, ours is now a long-term survival problem." T'Pol's demeanor was detached as always, her face almost expressionless as she spoke. "We actually have a dual mission. The i Enterprise /i must be preserved, but it is equally critical that the crew be kept healthy and that casualties are kept to an absolute minimum. We no longer have a means of replenishing lost expertise with new officers and crew. Therefore, the fewer battles we fight, the better. The more allies we have in the Expanse, the fewer battles we will be forced to mount. Most significantly, however, is the fact that with a crew that is two thirds male, and the fact that not every child born to a female crew member will have the aptitude and desire to spend their lives on a starship, we will eventually be required to expand our gene pool beyond the confines of our current crew."

"Wow, T'Pol! Blunt as usual. Mandatory shore leave, I guess." Trip said with his usual grin.

"Blunt or not, her points are well taken," said Archer as he leaned back, rubbed his eyes wearily and continued. "I guess we're going to have to change course a bit and actually encourage rather than discourage relationships. I'm not looking forward to the inevitable problems that this will cause."

"Malcolm is going to just love the idea of crew relationships. He already thinks that we run too lax a ship. i This /i will really drive him nuts." Trip said with a smile, and then added, "Maybe we should put him in charge of this aspect of crew morale."

"Don't laugh, Trip. He just might be the right man to make sure things don't get out of control," said Archer with a wry smile.

"Hmm, Dating Control Officer Reed, he'll just i love /i that. Why don't you reassign his tactical duties to a MACO at the same time and finish the job?" replied Trip as he smiled at the thought of what Malcolm's reaction would be.

"All of us are trying to cope with this time travel crap. I don't want push Malcolm over the edge, Trip. Let's keep this all quiet until we figure a way to make it work." Archer was smiling now, and was grateful that Trip's sense of humor had also safely traveled back in time.

"Captain, may I suggest we say nothing at all? Just quietly stop enforcing any non-fraternization policies. We have sufficient time, and there is no need to rush the crew into a new way of thinking," T'Pol interjected.

"Very well, we will do as you suggest, T'Pol. Any other thoughts?"

It was quiet for a moment. Just as the captain was going to dismiss them, Trip spoke up. "One last thing, Cap'n. Like T'Pol said…" He shifted his gaze to her. "Replacements are now out of the question. We should probably start cross training the crew so that all of our skills are spread out among as many of the crew as possible."

"All right," said Archer briskly, "We start scouting for allies, continue to repair and, where possible, upgrade the ship and begin cross-training the crew as much as possible. I want you and Trip to head that up as a second priority behind your primary duties," Archer continued as he nodded in T'Pol's direction.

T'Pol nodded in acknowledgement.

"Let's get to work, then."

b PART ONE /b

b Chapter One /b

The next four months passed quickly. Everyone was very busy. Between repairs, cross training and the civilization survey that had been designed by i Enterprise's /i science officer, very little time was left over for contemplation. This was born of both design and necessity. Necessity because the work had to be done, and design because the doctor had advised the captain that work immersion was probably the best way for the crew to adjust to the fact that they would likely never see their homes or families again.

Though the search pattern that T'Pol had designed had been very effective, it was not what led them to their first contact. Blind luck would win that battle.

i Day 129 0126 UTC /i

Malcolm Reed occupied the center chair during the mid watch. He had been standing quite a few lately, more than any other of the senior officers save the captain.

Commander Tucker had been heavily occupied, both with repairing the ship and with cross training other officers and crew in the care and feeding of the warp drive. When he was not engaged in these pursuits, he was reading everything that could be found on diplomacy. The captain felt that as the third in command, Trip needed to hone his skills. He would need to negotiate and deal with heads of state in the future, and his past interactions with alien species had often not gone as planned.

T'Pol, when not mapping the expanse in their search for allies, was trying to learn all that she could about the ship and its systems, with an emphasis on engineering. Archer felt that since she had the chance to live the longest and thus have the most experience long after he and Trip were gone, she was the most likely long term captain, and thus should be well versed in all aspects of the i Enterprise's /i design and operations. Precisely because he considered her a valuable long term asset, most face-to-face encounters with new species, especially those that required risky landing party operations, would be conducted either by himself or by Trip. For these reasons, Malcolm was spending a lot of time in that center chair.

Hoshi Sato was manning the helm tonight. Captain Archer felt that since she had been among the most tentative of the crew in embracing the concept of long range spaceflight, she should squelch her fears by learning to actually control the ship. It had helped to both displace her fear and to help her grasp their new reality, and, most importantly, it was a real confidence builder.

She was the first to see it on her monitors.

"Lieutenant, we have a contact. Bearing 014, mark 213 relative, range 28 AU. No discernable motion."

Malcolm Reed immediately rose, crossed over to the unmanned science station, and started checking for something large that he could put between the contact and the ship.

"Okay, there's a red dwarf, relative bearing 032, mark 180 at about 22 AU. Plot a course to its relative-bearing-from-the-contact at 14 AU and take us there at warp one, Ensign. Execute standard protocol for possible first contact."

"I see it. Coming starboard and pitching down. New track 263 mark 050. Distance to intercept the red dwarf relative-bearing-to-contact-waypoint is seven AU."

Malcolm crossed back over to the center chair and pulled up the roster on the right hand armrest display. He knew that the captain was asleep at this hour, but he needed to notify the duty watch commander. Ship's protocol was that Malcolm could go no further than he had without notifying one of the three DWCs. The roster showed that the captain and Trip were off duty tonight.

Malcolm dragged the communications icon over the first officer's designator and tapped twice. He then moved down in front of the helm so that he could clearly see Hoshi's display. Several seconds later, the bridge speakers came to life.

"T'Pol here."

Malcolm put his hand on the helm communications panel to Hoshi's left and started speaking in his clipped accent. "Sir, we have a motionless contact at about 28 AU. We located a red dwarf approximately six AU from the contact and we are proceeding to a position behind the dwarf 14 AU away. We should be at the 14 AU waypoint in…" He paused, lifted his hand off of the console and looked at Hoshi.

"One hour and twelve minutes to the waypoint, sir."

Malcolm put his hand back down and continued.

"One hour and twelve minutes."

"Very well. Continue as per procedures. Take us to a waypoint 50,000 kilometers from the star on the blind bearing from the contact and hold. What is the time to the second waypoint?"

Malcolm again lifted his hand and looked at Hoshi. She raised her left hand and index finger signaling him to standby while she punched numbers into her console with her right hand. "Two plus twenty four."

Malcolm touched the console again and spoke. "Two hours, twenty four minutes until we arrive at waypoint two, Commander."

"Start preparations for contact and wake the Captain and Commander Tucker at 0400. Notify me of any other developments."

"Aye, sir."

Malcolm then brought the roster back up and called another officer.

"Mayweather here."

"Ensign, please report to the bridge for duty, stat."

"Aye, sir. Fifteen minutes okay?"

"Yes, that's fine, Travis. See you in fifteen."

As Malcolm closed the communications menu, Hoshi looked up at him with a pained expression, obviously annoyed that he was relieving her from duty just as something interesting was happening.

Malcolm smiled. "Assuming that there is somebody to talk to over there, you're going to be needed in about six or seven hours. You need to go to your quarters and get some sleep."

"Yes, sir," replied Hoshi in comprehension, "I suppose you're right. It's strange that I sometimes really get into the flying part. It's really absorbing. Probably because it doesn't come easy to me like languages do," she admitted.

"I think that was part of the plan, Hoshi," replied Malcolm good naturedly.

hr

Seven hours later, i Enterprise /i had moved to the edge of the star's penumbra and had launched a small probe across the horizon into a line of sight position to the new contact.

The probe revealed what appeared to be a damaged transport trapped between two anomalies. Sensors indicated about 169 carbon based life signs.

Captain Archer, the First Officer, Commander Tucker and LT. Reed were all standing at the tactical display off the bridge discussing their next step. A deep scan had been performed, which satisfied the captain that there were no other ships lurking within a striking range of warp 5.5. He was ready to proceed.

"Okay, we're going to go in and take a look. If it looks like all of our scans are accurate, this is going to be a first contact/rescue operation." Archer looked up and spoke loudly. "Travis, take us in. Set speed to arrive at the target in thirty minutes."

"Aye, sir."

"Trip, is the universal docking collar ready on pod two?"

"Yes, sir. I did the final inspection myself. We're good to go."

"All right. Since we're sending a pod, it will be a minimal complement boarding party. Trip, take Hoshi and one MACO. While Hoshi is establishing communications, try and ascertain their intentions and basically what kind of a people they are. If we can establish a rapport we will attempt to execute a rescue." Trip immediately started for the lift door, and was almost there when he heard the captain call out. "And… Trip?"

"Sir?" He paused to look back at the captain with a raised brow.

"Remember… your first priority is to bring back everybody, alive and well, including yourself. No dumb-ass heroics. If it even smells funny, get out," said Archer only half-jokingly.

"Moi? Dumb-ass heroics? Self preservation is on the Tucker family crest, Cap'n," protested Tucker with his trademark grin.

"Uh huh. Right," Archer rolled his eyes and shook his head.

T'Pol's gaze stayed locked on Commander Tucker's last position as he left the bridge to join Hoshi and Cpl Gueterez in the shuttle bay.

"Malcolm, any comments?… Problems?"

"No, sir. I agree. Though caution is warranted, I see no obvious signs of danger."

"All right then, keep a sharp eye on the tactical picture and have a chief in the transporter room ready to pull the boarding party out of there as a last resort."

"Aye, sir," Malcolm responded as he left to execute his orders.

"You're remarkably quiet today, T'Pol."

T'Pol quickly shifted her eyes back to the captain. As usual, her observation of Tucker's exit had been low key and no one had taken any notice. "I am concerned, Captain. If we are unable to stabilize their ship and render it operable, it is going to be extremely difficult to care for 169 aliens. We know nothing about them…not even their most basic life support requirements."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Let's not get fixated on problems that may or may not occur," returned Archer. A raised eyebrow was her only reply.

"I know this doesn't fit into your logical paradigm, but try and be optimistic. This may be the first contact we've been hoping for," Archer insisted.

"I have not yet been with humans long enough to feel the need, yet alone understand the concept of 'hoping' for a random event to occur," replied T'Pol.

"Give it time. That we have plenty of," Archer reassured her.

"Time in and of itself will not cause me to abandon logic for a fuzzy concept like 'hope,'" remarked T'Pol dryly.

"I certainly hope not," said the captain with an easy smile. T'Pol retorted with a semaphoring of eyebrows.

i Day 129 0910 UTC /i

"Okay… we have hard dock, i Enterprise /i . Sensors indicate oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere with a 15C degree temp and a partial pressure of 1013mb. What d'you know, standard atmosphere!"

"All right, Trip. Proceed with the boarding, but be careful," said Archer.

"Yes, Dad," replied the engineer with wry humor.

Archer let that one by.

"Everybody keep your suits on at all times," ordered Tucker briskly. "Just your visors open. Nothing to worry about. Your environmental suits will automatically close the visor the second they smell something they don't like, but those servo motors are strong, so for god's sake remember not to touch your faces. Ready?"

He was looking at Hoshi when he asked the question. Cpl. Gueterez probably would have stepped into open space naked if so ordered. Hoshi looked white, and did not exactly exude confidence.

"Yes, sir! I'm pumped!" she proclaimed.

Tucker laughed and, shaking his head, hit the button opening the outer door on the airlock/docking collar.

At that moment, the computer that was responsible for that airlock on the Ikaaran ship i Talylon Bay /i detected a standard atmosphere on the exterior of its door. The door computer was tied into all of the ship's systems, and knew that the ship was disabled, in distress, and that a voice distress call had been sent. After taking about one second to join all of these facts together, the computer decided that the presence of an atmosphere on the exterior hull indicated a rescue, and it commanded the door to the open position.

Trip watched through the view-port in mild astonishment as the exterior hatch to the alien ship moved inward and slid aside virtually simultaneously with the shuttle pod's outer door. Trip paused for a second, shrugged, and said, "What the hell."

Then he punched two buttons tied to the shuttle pod's inner door: OPEN, CFRM.

"Everybody stay VERY close together. I have the point. Rez, you take the rear. Let's go." After his three man team was inside the alien airlock, Trip started to examine the interior door. He had already surmised why the outer hatch had opened. i Enterprise /i computers had similar programming, some of which Trip had written. He was pretty sure that opening the inner door would be simple. As was often the case when Trip was analyzing engineering puzzles, he was right. There was a square about seven centimeters in dimension on the center of the interior door below a thick view-port. An icon next to the square showed an open hatch. Trip placed his hand in the square and applied pressure. The inner door repeated the performance of its outer sibling and opened.

The going was not slow. Trip had pre-set all of the gravity boots to a low setting to enable faster, if less precise movement on the theory that being a fast erratic mover was preferable to being a slow target. Trip carried a powerful lantern attached to a phase pistol, while Hoshi carried a small box.

Knowing that a first contact would occur eventually, Hoshi had been working on a rudimentary universal translator, utilizing the widely held theory that mathematics was a universal language. Because it seemed a good place to start, and after conferring with T'Pol, Hoshi had started using base ten mathematics on the premise that both Earth's and Vulcan's first math had started at base ten. The fact that i Enterprises' /i latest scans had revealed humanoid aliens with ten fingers and ten toes seemed to validate the premise.

They found what looked to be a computer interface just inside the airlock, and were able to tie their small computer to the alien ship's main computer. After about thirty seconds of exchanging algorithms, the two boxes were able to communicate fairly well.

"I think we're in, sir," Hoshi said excitedly after determining that the computers were communicating.

Trip looked around the dimly lit corridor before turning to the excited ensign, and in a hushed tone said, "Don't take this the wrong way, Hoshi, but while that's great, we really need to be able to talk to one of the crew before they start taking shots at their rescue party."

Hoshi continued to work rapidly. She stopped suddenly and reached out to grab Commander Tucker's upper arm. "Got something, sir. It looks like a series of hand signals used to communicate basic concepts like help, danger, hot, cold etc."

"Anything like, rescue – here to help – don't vaporize me?" Trip replied as he continued to scan the corridor for movement.

"How about, here to help, or do you need assistance? It's something close to that," replied Hoshi

"That'll have to do. Before you disconnect that thing, see if you can get a look at the ship's layout, specifically… the location of the bridge," he responded. He fell back slightly so he could look over her shoulder as the diagrams appeared.

Sixty seconds later they were on their way to what their best guess told them was the bridge.

As they approached the bridge hatch, Trip holstered his phase pistol and turned his head so that Gueterez could hear his whispered commands. "Rez, cover us. Do-not-fire unless we are fired upon."

As Trip's weapon found its holster, Cpl. Gueterez spoke urgently, "Sir. Are you sure that's a good idea?" He looked at Commander Tucker's now stowed weapon.

"Maybe, maybe not, but holding a weapon up sure doesn't look like a friendly gesture. Hoshi show me that hand signal again," Trip said his voice even, but quiet and strained.

Hoshi, who stood between Trip and Gueterez in the passageway, had slung the small translating computer over her shoulder and raised both of her hands just below her shoulders, making a gesture not unlike a surrender pose.

Trip nodded. Hoshi relaxed the pose and drew her own phase pistol from its holster. She then looked up at Trip, signaling that she too was ready.

Trip then turned and opened the bridge hatch the same way he had opened the inner airlock door. As he stepped through the hatch alone with his arms raised, he was greeted by the sight of three humanoids, two with weapons leveled at his chest. There were two males and a female. All three had olive complexions and looked slightly, but not quite Asian in appearance. Trip continued to advance slowly, his arms still in the same position. He stopped about two meters into the bridge, and slowly the Ikaaran bridge officers lowered their weapons.

"Hoshi, secure your sidearm and SLOWLY come in. Rez, lower yours and do the same."

hr

Back aboard i Enterprise /i , Captain Archer was pacing the bridge deck. He was trying to conceal his frequent glimpses at the ship's chronometer, but was failing. "I hate this part," he said through clenched teeth.

"Captain?" T'Pol asked.

"Nothing…Nothing. I was thinking that I intensely dislike this part of command. Waiting for others to do the dangerous work."

T'Pol said nothing. She had always found the human need to constantly verbalize private thoughts odd. While attempting to concentrate on her scans, she found herself distracted by her emotions. Though now more than six months had passed since Dr. Phlox had purged her body of the trellium and had told her the emotions she had tapped might well be with her forever, she was still having difficulty accepting that.

"Tucker to i Enterprise. /i "

Archer hastened over to the com panel in front of the science station to answer.

"Archer here. Report status."

T'Pol sighed with relief. It was not much of a sigh, and most people would not have noticed it, especially people who had not been around Vulcans much. Jonathan Archer did, however, have experience with Vulcans, and he did notice. He had the good manners to pretend otherwise.

He felt the same sense of relief. How Trip had made contact with i Enterprise /i was as important as the fact that he had made contact at all. Following standard operating procedure, Trip had omitted any rank in his report. Had he identified himself as Commander Tucker, instead of simply as "Tucker", alarm bells would have immediately gone off in the bridge crew's minds. Had he further addressed himself to either Captain Archer or Commander T'Pol, it would have indicated a further level of danger.

"We've established, or rather Hoshi has established, communications with the Icarans…. Akarans? We're still working on what they call themselves, but we're communicating with each other instead of shooting, so it's a start. Basically we're at the early stages here. I just wanted to report in and let you know that I was going to keep the car out later than we had originally agreed. That okay, Dad?"

The informal communication satisfied Trip's sense of humor, but more importantly it sent the coded message that he had judged this ship to be a minimal threat to i Enterprise. /i

"Very well, Trip. Anything else you need?"

"Yeah, it looks like they do have some wounded. I would like permission to start moving some of their crew over to our sickbay."

"Let's hold off on that for now. I will send two man MACO medic teams to help with the wounded." He turned to Lt. Reed and made a gesture that indicated Reed should execute those orders. Reed raised his hand in acknowledgement and began to track down Maj. Hayes. "After we have security in place, both on our side and theirs, we can talk about moving people. Please check in every sixty minutes, Trip."

"Aye, sir."

"You heard the man, T'Pol. Let's secure from general quarters."

T'Pol had now regained her veneer of complete self control and answered calmly.

"Yes, Captain."

Jonathan Archer smiled a thin smile. He knew what he had seen, but he had no desire to embarrass someone who had yet come to grips with what embarrassment was, so he kept things to himself.

hr

Though it would take a while for smooth communications to flow between the two humanoid races, they were able to communicate basic concepts through the two computers.

The female Ikaaran bridge officer and Hoshi were standing next to each other in front of the prototype universal translator mated to the Ikaaran bridge computer. Trip Tucker was looking over Hoshi's shoulder at her small display. He was trying to make sense of the words that were divided into two columns labeled, NOUN / VERB.

"Hoshi, I understand the theory behind the universal acceptance of mathematics as a communication form, but these noun and verb combinations look like gibberish. It's too bad that there are no universal rules for grammar."

"Actually sir, there are universal grammatical rules."

"Really?" Trip replied with a raised eyebrow, which said as much as his verbal response.

"Early in the 21st century, linguists started looking at the speech patterns of infants for clues to a genetic tie to language. They found that what had originally been passed over as incorrect speech was actually indicative of universal grammar rules."

Trip looked skeptical, but Hoshi pressed on.

"For instance, an infant in the early stages of development points out a window during a snowfall and proclaims 'Snows!'. The child has chosen not to place an artificial 'it' at the beginning of a thought and link it to snow with the verb 'is'. 'Snows!' would actually be grammatically correct in Chinese. This is why you sometimes see two words in Chinese that when translated into English can expand into; 'Yes, you can go outside and play.' Don't become bogged down by English grammar. Double negatives, for instance, which are commonly used by young children, are correct in German." Hoshi was in her element, and it was for times like this that she had agreed to leave the warm shores of home.

They had been aboard the alien ship for about four hours now. Hoshi and Trip were dealing with a woman whose name they had learned was either Esilia or Saben. One was her rank, the other her name, and thus far there was still confusion over that point. She was apparently a combination science, tactics and linguistics officer somewhere near the top of the alien command structure.

Hoshi was getting the hang of their language and Trip could get very general ideas across. While Hoshi switched to another alien officer who may or may not have been the captain of the ship, Trip went on a damage control tour of the ship with Saben Esilia. Though it was difficult to communicate, Trip got a sense of Esilia's personality. She was about Trip's height, with chestnut colored hair and piercing green eyes. Esila was very pleasant and calm, and seemed to be unperturbed by the state of her ship. It was as though she had been through this kind of tight spot before, and now that a rescue was at hand there was little reason to waste time worrying. She had a very self assured air about her that in some respects reminded Trip of the captain.

The engineering and life support functions were largely intact. The sections of the ship that had been enveloped by the anomalies consisted of living quarters, storage, and other systems with redundant backups elsewhere. Trip decided that if the intact portions of the ship could be treated with Trellium D, it could then be grappled and towed clear of the anomalies.

i Day 129 1541 UTC /i

Based on all the information gathered, Captain Archer had decided to proceed with the rescue. Trip had undocked the shuttle pod and returned to the ship to free the docking port so that i Enterprise /i could dock with the i Talylon Bay /i and keep it from moving further into or out of the anomalies. Dr. Phlox and a medical team were waiting just outside the airlock so that they could go aboard as soon as docking was complete

Travis Mayweather was tired, but almost finished with his workday. "Hard dock confirmed. Main drive and impulse to standby, thrusters are in station keeping mode and the digital autopilot is compensating for the other ship's mass and inertia, sir."

The captain was standing behind T'Pol, leaning forward to get a clear view of her display when he looked up and said; "Nicely done, Mr. Mayweather. Take the rest of the day off."

"Gladly," Mayweather said to himself under his breath.

"Aye, sir," he said audibly.

The captain never could stay still for long. He stood up and walked around to the front of T'Pol's station.

"T'Pol, has Trip given you an estimate of the time required to apply a Trell D coating to the Ikaaran ship's hull?"

"No, Captain. Commander Tucker went straight to engineering upon his return. I have completed an estimate, however. Based on the surface area required and our standard application techniques, it should take just under 1200 man hours to apply the coating. We have 18 personnel qualified and available for the task, yielding 60 hours of labor total. Working fifteen hour shifts, it will take approximately four days to fully treat their ship."

"Four days? Any way we can shortcut that? Our own Trell coating is good, but we aren't impervious to anomalies and I really don't want to hang out in this minefield in station keeping mode for four days."

"We could temporarily evacuate their ship and only treat the most critical areas before attempting to tow it clear, but that would entail a significant risk to their vessel."

Captain Archer was about to contact Hoshi when Trip came onto the bridge. He had his communicator out and was in the middle of a conversation. "Great. We're on schedule, then?"

The voice of Lt. Rostov came across Trip's communicator. "Aye, sir. It looks like we'll finish on time. I thought we might run low, but Erin has been able to boost our production."

"All right, Michael. Just make sure we don't go below the minimum level we discussed for our own repairs."

"Aye, sir. Rostov out."

Trip came over and nodded at T'Pol before addressing the captain. "Sir."

"How are Hoshi and the doctor doing over there?" The captain asked while pointing to the ship in the view screen with his thumb.

"The Doc says that their physiology is very close to ours. They have about 23 personnel reported as missing or killed and another 18 wounded with seven serious. Dr. Phlox thinks that all but two of the serious ones will recover. He would like permission to bring the five most seriously wounded over in about an hour."

Archer nodded and said. "Approved."

He turned and faced his engineer with his arms folded across his chest. "Well, Trip… This has been your landing party. What's your plan?"

"Hoshi says that she's about ready to come back. She'd like to bring this Saben Esilia or Esilia Saben, we're not sure which, over with her. The one we think is the captain is gonna remain aboard the…." Trip looked down at a pad he was carrying. "We think the name of the ship is ' i Quiet Harbor /i '…. .to supervise the repairs. I'd like permission to bring about sixty of their crew, who no longer have habitable quarters, onto i Enterprise /i and billet them in temporary quarters in one of the cargo holds."

"How soon do you want to move these 60 personnel, Trip?"

"I had hoped to get them here by 2000 or 2100."

"Captain, it might well be prudent to wait to bring 60 aliens over. I see no need to move so quickly," T'Pol added.

"I am inclined to agree with T'Pol. Why the rush, Trip?"

"I would feel better if their crew was well rested before we try to tow them out of the anomaly field at…." Again, Trip consulted the pad in his right hand "...0700 tomorrow."

Captain Archer furrowed his brow and glanced at T'Pol before turning back to Trip. "T'Pol estimates that the soonest we can complete Trell D treatment of their ship is four days from now."

"I just talked to Rostov, and we're on schedule to complete internal hull treatment by about 0530 tomorrow. We have built in a 90 minute buffer for any unforeseen problems."

"I find Commander Tucker's estimate to be suspect and his conclusion i highly /i unlikely." T'Pol bristled.

"Trip?"

"I know that T'Pol thinks that I spend all of my free time contemplating chef's menu choices, but I do have other interests," replied Trip wryly. "As both of you know, we found that every time we took a significant phaser hit large portions of the Trellium coating would fracture and fail. I decided we needed a quick application technique to compensate for battle damage. I devised a spray-on Trellium D compound that goes on very rapidly and sets up in about twenty minutes. Its main drawback is that it's a temporary fix. It lasts about three weeks at the outside… but it's fast."

"I thought you and T'Pol gave up on liquid Trellium due to its instability?"

"Liquid Trellium is unstable, but by diluting it with liquid aluminum and adding a stabilizer and a coagulant it forms a stable gel that can be applied at high pressure, almost like a liquid."

"I would like to see your data, Commander," T'Pol intoned heavily.

Trip handed her his pad, and said evenly and without rancor, "The file is under 'battle damage – trellium quick repair.'"

Captain Archer smiled at Trip. "I'm impressed, Commander."

"It's not my first day."

Archer laughed softly as T'Pol completed her analysis. "It appears that Commander Tucker is correct. My apologies, Commander."

"Think nothing of it, T'Pol. Cap'n?"

"Have the MACO's handle the security arrangements, but proceed with your plan. If it gets us underway by 0700 tomorrow it's worth the risk. T'Pol?"

"I concur, Captain." T'Pol said as she turned to look at Trip. Her eyes looked, to Trip, to be impassive as always, and he had a hard time returning her stare. As his gaze momentarily rested on her expressionless face, he felt a brief pang of envy. It wasn't fair. Her face and body still got to him in ways that he found impossible to ignore.

i I still want her, but even after all her recent weirdness she's the same now as she's always been. The Vulcan ice queen. /i He deliberately turned away from her and made for the turbolift before he could do or say something embarrassing

Malcolm was ending his very long day, and joined Trip in the lift. He stared straight ahead at the lift door, but a smile played at the corners of his mouth.

"You certainly pulled that one out of your ass. Sir."

"That's why I get to wear the fancy jewelry, Malcolm," Trip said as he pointed to the three pips of his 05 rank insignia.

b Chapter Two /b

i Day 129 1930 UTC /i

Captain Archer and Commander Tucker had gone to the airlock entrance to meet Ensign Sato and their ranking guest. Hoshi found the arrival back on i Enterprise /i somewhat disorienting. Since the ships were docked at a relative angle of 90 degrees, the floor that she had been standing on all day became a wall and the wall on her left became her floor as she stepped back aboard i Enterprise /i . No matter how well she learned to pilot the ship, the concept of relative ups and downs, lefts and rights always gave her pause.

Hoshi plus one stepped aboard and were greeted by the captain and engineer. Hoshi was clearly perturbed by the change in perspective as she walked off of the wall onto the floor but her companion did it as though it were an everyday occurrence. Saben Esilia had an air of confidence about her as she took in her new surroundings. She was taller than Hoshi but very graceful. She appeared human with the exception of a narrow ridge of cartilage that began between her eyebrows and extended to the bridge of her nose.

"Captain Archer, this is Esilia. She's an Ikaaran ambassador who was traveling aboard the i Talylon Bay /i ." She then turned to Esilia and spoke a mix of words that Archer didn't catch, though he heard his first and last name in the mix. Esilia bowed slightly and then offered her hand in the traditional North American greeting, "My people are pleased to make this acquaintance and are thanked for your assistance." Archer shook her hand and smiled. Clearly the ambassador was a quick study. "Welcome aboard i Enterprise /i . We are glad to offer our assistance."

Trip was standing off to Archer's side, and was watching his friend with mild amusement. The captain seemed to be trying to stand a little straighter than usual. He had kept her hand in his just a fraction of a second longer than the circumstances required, and his gaze seemed to be riveted on those green eyes. It was as if he was drowning in them. Trip had not seen this look on Jonathan's face for quite a while, and while he was pretty sure that Hoshi hadn't noticed it, he knew exactly what it meant.

Commander Tucker walked with Esilia toward her temporary quarters in flag country while Archer hung back to converse with his linguist. As Archer and Sato talked quietly, Trip was doing his best to communicate with the ambassador. He was, at the moment, the second most skilled speaker of the Ikaaran language on board, though that wasn't saying much.

"You seem to be learning their language rapidly, Ensign," said the captain. As he spoke they continued to walk behind Trip and the ambassador. The captain continued to watch the ambassador, glancing occasionally in Ensign Sato's direction. Hoshi was still experiencing the high that she got from learning a new language, and it was taking a lot of her willpower to concentrate on the briefing.

"I think that I have a basic grasp of their grammatical structure, though the ambassador is an experienced and talented linguist in her own right, and so we're able to meet somewhere in the middle," she said distractedly.

"The i Talylon Bay /i , you say? Commander Tucker said that you thought the ship was called the ' i Quiet Harbor /i .'"

"Really? That's amazing! Commander Tucker must have made that translation himself. All things considered, it's pretty close to the actual name. He must have been really listening to me today," Hoshi said, not a little impressed, as she had always underestimated the chief engineer's intellectual capabilities. Archer smiled to himself. He was aware of her attitude toward Trip, but had always dismissed it. She was young, and still just a little immature.

"How long until you can communicate fluently with… the Ikaarans, is it?"

"I'll probably be able to communicate through Ambassador Esilia in a couple of days. To completely master the language is going to be a more long term project. Give me a month or so to be able to speak conversationally."

"All right Hoshi, consider this your primary responsibility. I'll have T'Pol take you out of the helm rotation," said the captain.

Hoshi gave him a dismayed look. He bit his lip to keep from laughing, and then continued with a straight face. "On second thought, let's have her schedule you for one shift per week. I don't want the skills you've acquired to atrophy completely."

"Aye, sir," replied Hoshi with a relieved smile.

Hoshi accompanied Esilia into her cabin to help her settle in, leaving the Captain and Trip to walk the corridor alone.

"I couldn't help but notice that you seemed to be pretty focused on the ambassador," Trip said while covering his smile with his hand.

Captain Archer stopped walking and turned to face Trip. "Examining each others tastes in women? This is where you want to go, Trip?" He was fighting to keep the smile off of his face, and to project a menacing stare. Trip held up his hands. "Well played, Jon. I take it back."

Archer lost the battle to control his facial expression, and his smile appeared. He could not, however, resist twisting the knife. "No… come on. Let's talk, Trip. Anything going on with you and… I don't know…someone else?"

"I will never bring it up again. I promise."

Captain Archer resumed walking, and Trip fell into step next to him.

"Jeeze, did I ever walk into that one," Trip said softly. The captain just smiled. It had been a long time since he had gotten one over on Trip.

"Hoshi was impressed with your translation of the i Talylon Bay's /i name. She just might actually mean it the next time she calls you 'sir'."

Trip was laughing softly now. "I always thought it ironic that a linguist would dismiss me as a hick because of my accent."

"Don't be too hard on her Trip. She's just a kid only a couple of years out of training. Give her time."

"No, I don't judge her harshly. She is a good kid. I just always thought it was funny," he laughed softly. They walked in comfortable silence until they reached a turbolift.

"Well…night. Cap'n. See you at oh dark thirty tomorrow. I've got a few things to take care of in engineering before I call it a night, " said Trip, slightly distracted by the knowledge that he and T'Pol had not been that discreet after all.

Archer grinned. "See you tomorrow. And again….well done….getting us out of here three days early."

i Day 130 0542 UTC /i

T'Pol was headed to the shuttle bay to confer with Commander Tucker before the mornings' tow operation. It would be up to them to make up the duty roster.

As T'Pol came into the shuttle bay, she suddenly felt flushed. A wave of emotion washed over her, and she was momentarily stunned. Trip was working on the catwalk above the shuttle pods. He saw her come in and suddenly stop. As her gaze locked on his, she felt a welling of emotion stronger than anything she had experienced since she had first consulted Dr. Phlox about her Trellium addiction and the subsequent neural damage.

Instantly Trip knew what was going on. "T'Pol!" he shouted. She simply stared at him wide-eyed. "T'Pol!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. She snapped out of it, blinked and started to speak.

"Commander…"

He cut her off. "T'Pol, I just finished treating the shuttle pods with Trellium D. The whole shuttle bay is a virtual Trellium bath. You need to get out! i Out now, move!" /i As she turned and walked unsteadily out of the shuttle bay, Trip hit the com panel to his right. "Tucker to Phlox, medical emergency."

"Phlox here. Commander, what seems to be the problem?"

"T'Pol just walked into a virtual trellium cloud in the shuttle bay. She's out now, but you need to come down and check her out. I'm covered in this crap and can't go near her."

"I am on my way, Commander."

i Day 130 0557 UTC /i

Dr. Phlox had just injected T'Pol with a hypo and was examining her when Trip emerged from the decon chamber wearing just his blues and holding a towel.

"How is she, Doc?"

Trip stood just a few feet away, looking at her face intently for any sign of pain.

"Oh, just fine. She was barely exposed. Fortunately she left immediately, and I have already counteracted what little trellium managed to get into her system." He turned back to where T'Pol was sitting on a bench in the corridor outside of the shuttlebay, and addressed her directly. "Now, just stay seated for five minutes and you will be fine. Check back with me before you retire tonight, and in the future please be more careful."

"Of course, Doctor," replied T'Pol with exaggerated calmness. "Thank you for your assistance."

Dr. Phlox packed up his med kit and rushed off to his critical patients.

"Sorry, T'Pol. I just found out this morning that the pods had gotten bypassed last night and still needed to be shielded for today's operation. I had no idea you were going to come down here to discuss the roster," said Trip sincerely. His eyes never left her face.

T'Pol again had control of her emotions. At least, it initially appeared that way to Trip. Then he noticed the way her eyes followed his body as he moved closer to her. She swallowed and took a shaky breath before returning her gaze to his face.

"No apology is necessary, Trip," she replied quietly, with an unaccustomed softness to her voice. Her eyes held his. "I should have consulted the activity log before I entered the bay."

He still felt a jar, a not entirely unpleasant one, when she called him that, though it only happened occasionally, and only when they were alone.

"Very gracious of you, T'Pol, but let's both admit I'm 50 responsible. This work was supposed to be finished yesterday," he returned with a smile.

She acquiesced with a nod, and it was forgotten.

"I am assigning you and Lt. Reed to the shuttle pods, and Ensign Mayweather to the helm for the tow. Any objections?" she asked, returning abruptly to business.

"No that's fine," Trip answered. Her sudden shift to a brisk tone of voice caused his smile to fade. "How far and fast are you planning?"

"My analysis shows that we can safely tow at one half impulse, and that it will take us six hours to reach a safe location to complete repairs to the i Talylon Bay /i ."

"Tell me about the location you and the Cap'n have chosen," he said, while continuing to dry his ears with a hand towel.

"It's a Lagrange point midway between the red dwarf with which we concealed our approach and a large planetoid."

"Well… I'm sure it's fine," he said distractedly. She nodded and tore her gaze away from him, looking down at her hands clasped in her lap. Trip took a step toward the bench where she sat, and then thought better of it. His indecision left him standing half dressed an arm's length from where she sat looking down at the deck plates in front of her. i She looks confused /i , Trip thought in remorse. i The trellium confuses her… or maybe it's me. /i

They paused for a moment. The only sound was the muted whirring of pump motors and the occasional thump of i Enterprise's /i machinery.

Trip looked at her intensely. He was growing weary of the game they seemed to play and he was deciding whether or not he wanted to continue.

For her part, T'Pol had never seen him look at her this way before, and it was unsettling. She knew that her mental control was stronger than his, and that he could not look into her mind uninvited, but his look was penetrating, and for a second she imagined he could see right through her.

"T'Pol, the last time we really talked was before the ship entered the corridor," he began hesitantly. "I know you said you were fine… and I've tried to take you at your word and not invade your space, because I appreciate how important privacy is to you… but I have to ask." He paused. She looked up at him, finally. Her eyes were wide, and she suddenly looked much younger and far less self-assured.

"Are you sure you're okay? You just don't seem…..content," he finished, suddenly very weary of it all, and sat on the bench beside her with his towel in his hands. He looked at her with a worried expression.

T'Pol closed her eyes momentarily and opened them again before she spoke.

"This adjustment has been difficult for me as well," she trailed off softly.

"I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable or force you to talk about things you would rather keep to yourself," Trip said quietly, almost intimately, "but remember, T'Pol, that whatever may have happened between us, I'm still your friend. If you decide you need to talk, I'm here."

T'Pol's only response was a tilt of her head and a slight raise of her left eyebrow.

Trip reached his hand out toward her shoulder. He hesitated for a moment when T'Pol's expression didn't change. Then he dropped his hand and got up to get a clean coverall. Her eyes followed him as he walked away. He didn't look back.

b Chapter Three /b

They successfully towed the damaged alien vessel to the Lagrange point that T'Pol had designated. After undocking, i Enterprise /i had attached both of her grapplers to the junction of the i Talylon Bay's /i warp nacelles. Each shuttle pod had been separately tethered astern of the i Talylon Bay /i to provide tension and stability to the i Enterprise's /i tow lines.

i Day 130 1350 UTC /i

Dr. Phlox was engaged in a conversation with one of his many creatures when the ship's first officer entered sickbay. He looked up and smiled, "Ah, T'Pol. I trust that you have recovered from your experience this morning?" As he spoke he picked up a medical tri-corder and proceeded to read the level of trellium present in her cerebral cortex. T'Pol cocked her head to the side as the doctor examined her.

"I feel fine, Doctor, thank you. I have many duties to attend to, and I wanted to comply with your request to report for examination while I had the time," T'Pol responded in her usual businesslike tone.

"Well….just as I thought. No trace of trellium at all. You should be just fine." Dr. Phlox's lips formed the smile that seemed to come automatically after every positive statement. The doctor then stood back and expected her to leave immediately, as was her custom. T'Pol hesitated, however, and made no move to go.

"Was there something else, Commander?" Phlox asked gently.

"No," she hesitated, "Thank you, Doctor. Good day." She now turned to leave, but Phlox stopped her by gently grasping her upper arm.

"T'Pol, I am aware of your situation. How are you doing dealing with your emotions?"

T'Pol looked at the deck and settled back against the bio bed. "It is getting more difficult every day. Meditation is of only limited use, and I am concerned that my control is slipping away." As she said this she looked up at Phlox. He could see that her eyes were moist, and for the first time since he'd met the Vulcan commander, there was fear in them.

"T'Pol, it might be time to think about leaning on someone else to help you cope with these emotions," Phlox said gently. She abruptly looked away and the doctor continued, "There is nothing to be ashamed of, Commander. It is clear that you can not manage this condition alone."

She looked back at him, took a long breath and responded, "I will give your advice serious consideration, Doctor."

hr

i Day 130 1430 UTC /i

"Six hours in a damn shuttle pod without a head. Just how I wanna spend my morning," Trip said as he stretched the kinks out of his back.

Malcolm was using the railings of the upper shuttle bay as a support to stretch out his limbs. "Anything that gets me out of the Major Hayes 'if you're not a MACO you're not shit' calisthenics sessions is a good deal."

Laughing, Trip turned toward his friend mid-stretch and said, "Jeez, Malcolm. We get thrown back in time a hundred some odd years, potentially lose contact with Earth forever, and you're still worried that Hayes wants your job. I wish I had your focus… or maybe I should say your obsession."

"We all have our own obsessions to absorb our idle time, don't we?" he said with a slight smirk. As he finished speaking he used his index finger to draw the top part of his ear into something resembling a point.

"Holy crap. Is it that freaking obvious? I must look like an overgrown teenager," Trip said as he turned toward Malcolm and placed both of his hands on his hips.

Malcolm laughed, stood up straight and gripped the railing behind him. "Well I was just kidding, but it looks like I struck a nerve there. I haven't even noticed you two doing the neuro-nasty lately.

"What did you say?" Trip interrupted with an edge to his voice.

"What?" Malcolm said as innocently as he could fake, "I just said…..I didn't think you two were even doing the neuro.. i pressure /i thing anymore. I mean I haven't noticed you two together at all." Malcolm was smiling, or the closest thing to a real smile that the reserved Brit ever mustered. He had chanced onto something he could torture his friend with for at least a month, and this gave him some measure of pleasure.

"Well… I'm glad that it isn't obvious, anyway," sighed the relieved engineer.

At that moment the voice of the officer on watch came over the ship's intercom, "Commander Tucker, report to the Bridge. Commander Tucker, report to the Bridge."

As Trip started to walk away, he turned and said, "Do me a favor, Malcolm. Double check the shutdown routine on my pod, will ya?"

"Yes sir," Reed responded, his grin still intact.

hr

Captain Archer and T'Pol stood in his ready room discussing the day's operations. While T'Pol had conned the ship during the tow, the captain had spent the morning with Hoshi and the Ikaaran ambassador. "Any problems with the tow?" asked Archer as he took a seat at his desk.

"All parameters are nominal, Captain. Ensign Mayweather is in the process of re-docking i Enterprise /i with the alien vessel. Commander Tucker is on his way here so that we can discuss the dispatch of engineering teams to effect repairs on i Talylon Bay. /i " Her hands had been behind her back, but she now moved forward and slid a pad toward the captain.

At that moment the door chime sounded.

"Enter."

"T'Pol…..Cap'n," Trip nodded at T'Pol and took his place next to her, opposite the captain.

"Trip, have a seat…T'Pol," Archer gestured at the chairs behind them. As T'Pol slowly made a move toward the chairs, Tucker interrupted.

"Sir, I've had my butt glued to a shuttle seat for the last six hours. I'll stand, if you don't mind."

With that, T'Pol also stood her ground.

Archer smiled as he responded, "Sure, Trip. How did it go from your perspective?"

"Long and boring, Cap'n, though for the Expanse I suppose that's okay," Trip replied as he massaged his neck.

"The Captain and I were discussing your plans for beginning repair operations on the i Talylon Bay, /i " T'Pol began, deciding that she had listened to enough meaningless chit chat. Her emotional control may have been compromised but she was still very much a Vulcan.

Trip rubbed his eyes and started to speak, "Well, I haven't had time to do much today, but I had planned to take a ten-man party over to do a through analysis and design a repair plan. If I get started after I hit the galley we should make some progress by 2200."

"That's fine, Trip, but plan to be back aboard for dinner in my mess at 1930 with the ambassador. T'Pol and Hoshi will be joining us," T'Pol's left eyebrow rose, as this was the first she had heard of this. Archer continued, "I plan on spending the bulk of the day with Hoshi and Esilia to try and get a better grip on the Ikaaran situation."

Trip and T'Pol shared a glance as they heard the captain refer to their guest as "Esilia" instead of as "the ambassador".

Trip awkwardly cleared his throat, "Actually, Cap'n, I was kind of depending on Hoshi's help today. I'm not really ready to solo with the Ikaaran captain and engineers."

Archer's hands left the table and started up in one of his characteristic gestures, but just as he began to speak T'Pol interrupted, "Captain, it is essential that Commander Tucker be able to communicate with his counterparts in the i Talylon Bay's /i engineering department for their safety as well as our own. I would recommend that Ensign Sato be assigned to Commander Tucker's engineering team until all critical repairs are completed."

Archer paused before continuing in a disappointed tone, "Very well, T'Pol. Please let Hoshi know that you're assigning her to Trip until he feels that he can continue on his own."

"Yes, Captain."

At that moment the intercom chimed, and Lt. Hayes' melodic voice came over the speaker from astrometrics, "Sorry for the interruption, Captain, but the scan array software is malfunctioning and we are unable to plot anomalies. I could use Commander T'Pol's help for a moment."

Archer looked at T'Pol, but replied to Hayes, "She'll be right there, Chris."

"Aye, sir," she replied before the intercom fell silent.

"I will return shortly." T'Pol briefly looked at each of them and added, "Gentlemen," before she stepped back out onto the bridge.

As she left, Trip turned and leaned against the bulkhead adjacent to the door. He crossed his arms and glanced out the window before turning back towards the captain, "I know we kinda agreed not to go here, but," he paused and came forward, leaning against the captain's desk, "you really like Esilia, don't you?" He was smiling now, but it was a tight lipped smile of commiseration.

A tight lipped smile formed on Jonathan Archer's lips as well, "I know, I know… a hopeless romance. I realize that she's geographically undesirable, but what am I supposed to do? I don't know how much time we'll be spending in this part of the galaxy or even if we'll be able to return… but the heart wants what the heart wants," he said with a sigh.

Trip stood back up and uttered a small chuckle, "Well, believe me, sometimes there's a lot more to worry about when you're trying to romance a woman than whether you'll be around to make it permanent or not."

"Care to offer any advice, Trip?" The captain asked with a melancholy smile.

At this Trip burst out laughing. "Well if you want to know how to have a disastrous relationship, or chase the girl off completely, I'm definitely the guy to come to for advice."

They regarded each other in sympathetic silence for a moment, but before they could continue, T'Pol reappeared.

"There was a minor fault in the alignment software. Lt. Hayes and I have devised a fix," she reported.

Archer nodded, straightening in his chair and regaining his professional demeanor. Addressing them both said, "Is there anything else?"

When neither of them offered anything he continued, "Very well. Dismissed."

i Day 130 1522 UTC /i

Trip and T'Pol stood shoulder to shoulder in the lift. He was on his way to seek out food, she to talk to Hoshi and the ambassador.

Trip's eyes were on the turbolift door, his pupils transfixed in a thousand-yard stare.

T'Pol turned to Trip and started to speak, but stopped herself and turned back to face the front of the lift. She did this three times before words finally came out.

"Trip." she began tentatively. It was not quite a question, and not quite a statement. She said it in a tone he had not often heard, and it got his attention.

The twinge he felt when she called him that was there, but more than that, he was suddenly very curious. He turned toward her and looked at her with a questioning expression, "Yeah, what's up?"

"The offer you made this morning," she shifted her body back toward the doors, and then turned to look at him again. "There are some things that I would like to discuss with you," again an awkward pause, "Perhaps you could join me in my quarters after we dine with the captain and Ambassador Esilia?"

"Yeah, sure, I guess so..." he replied in a puzzled voice. At her swift intake of breath in response to his apparent reluctance, he hurriedly added, "I mean… yeah, I'll be there. Any particular time?" He'd been caught off guard. i Man, I can never figure her. This morning it was the Ice Queen, and now it's Neuropressure Girl. If only there were some consistency here, maybe we could get along. /i As these thoughts crossed his mind, she looked into his eyes, and he got the sudden feeling that she knew what he was thinking.

At that moment the turbolift stopped and the doors opened.

"Commander…sir," said Lt. Ramirez as he faced the ship's two senior department heads.

"Lieutenant," T'Pol replied as she stepped off the lift and Ramirez stepped on. T'Pol turned back to face Trip, "2200 hours, Commander."

"See you then," Trip replied.

Ramirez caught the vibe. i OOOKay, this is weird. /i he said to himself as the doors closed, cutting off the eye contact that the two department heads had maintained. Like most of the officers, Ramirez was more or less used to their Vulcan F.O. There was no small talk when you worked with her. She always seemed so detached, but just now she hadn't seemed as, well…Vulcan. At the same time, the engineer seemed very deep in thought. Ramirez bailed out at the next deck.

b ChapterFour /b

i Day 130 2206 UTC /i

Trip was tired. Listening to ambassador Esilia through Hoshi had been slow going, but interesting. It looked like a promising contact. Normally this would have been of great interest to him, but the fact that they were now trapped in the past had tempered his thirst for adventure. More than that, T'Pol weighed heavily on his mind.

Trip was mulling over this morning's conversation with T'Pol when he found himself at the door to her quarters. He had left the captain's mess shortly after 2100 to shower once again. He was always conscious of her sensitivity to smell.

He hit the button on the com panel at her door and moments later her voice came over the speaker, "Enter."

Trip entered to find her facing out her window. "Thank you for coming, Trip," she said distantly. Then she turned to face him as the door closed after him. "Please sit down." Her face was impassive.

He looked over his shoulder at her bed and backed over to it, sitting down. She sat opposite him on a cushion of equal height about two feet away.

Trip took in the surroundings. The lights were low, and candles had been lit. Her quarters were much as they had been during their neuropressure sessions, in a time that now seemed so long ago. Only her demeanor seemed odd. She was having a difficult time maintaining eye contact, and actually seemed uneasy. This was something he had not encountered before when alone with her.

"There are some things that I need to tell you, and things that we need to discuss." She paused for a moment, but was able to keep eye contact. "This is a difficult topic for me to verbalize and I would appreciate it if you would let me explain uninterrupted. I will answer any of your questions later."

Trip was intrigued, to say the least. "Sure, T'Pol." He paused while looking into her eyes for some sense of where this was going. As usual, she was nearly inscrutable. "I take it that this has something to do with this morning?"

At this, she tilted her head to the side, re-established eye contact and began her revelations.

"I have not been completely honest with you."

Trip had not expected this, and his eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze upon her.

She continued undaunted, "You must understand that emotions are very difficult for Vulcans to face. I have not faced mine as honestly as I should have."

T'Pol usually faced Trip and looked eye to eye when she spoke. Trip was aware that this time she was not following her usual pattern. She was continuously shifting her weight from one foot to the other. He thought she looked very uncomfortable with the whole conversation.

"After we had sexual relations the first time, I told you that it was merely a physical exploration." She paused as if she were reluctant to make the admission. "There i was /i actually an emotional component to our coupling," she finished quietly. Then she stopped talking, searching for her next words. Trip smiled wryly at her.

"T'Pol, I kind of figured, despite your denials, that you felt something," he said gently. "It's okay. I know this is hard for you." He reached out and gently grasped her hand.

T'Pol's eyes closed momentarily, but she didn't resist his physical overture. She opened her eyes and faced him squarely. "You were correct. I was a little jealous. I had never experienced this before and could not admit it to myself, much less to you." Again, she paused. "I apologize."

"T'Pol, I really don't think this qualifies as dishonesty," Trip replied. "I think you're being a little hard on yourself." With this, he allowed a sympathetic smile.

"Unfortunately, there is more." She pulled her hand from his, rose to her feet and walked

back to the window, Trip's eyes followed her. "When I was first exposed to trellium I found that, in addition to its unpleasant effects, it enabled me to experience emotions without disordering my mind. I had never considered this possibility, and I wanted to continue to explore these new feelings. To that end, I began to dose myself with small amounts of it."

Trip had steeled himself for surprises, but this was a shock. Feelings of anger and fear

swirled in equal measure through his mind. "Are you crazy?" he demanded incredulously.

Her wounded look stopped him before he said anything else. He stood and approached her as she stood at the window…"I mean… are you all right? Did the trellium cause any damage? Does the doc know?" The questions spilled haphazardly and in quick succession from his lips.

"Yes, Dr. Phlox is the only one who knows. He has treated me for my…," here she hesitated a long moment, "…addiction. The trellium is completely out of my system, but some permanent damage did occur."

Trip was taken aback, both by what she had said and by the fact that she seemed to be looking at him and searching his eyes for understanding.

"Well, it does explain a few things. Does this have anything to do with your behavior after we thought we had lost the captain?" Trip asked in a more even tone.

She thought about it for a moment. "Probably," she responded.

"Wow," he said softly "You never cease to amaze. I'll give you that." His lips twitched upward just a bit.

"I have more to tell you," she intoned softly

"I may need a drink," he said, almost to himself.

"Excuse me?"

Trip now turned back toward her and spoke up, "Nothin', never mind. Go on, T'Pol," he replied stoically.

"Have you been experiencing any daydreams? Any unusual thoughts that concern me?" she asked directly.

Trip's eyes narrowed as he thought about it, "Well, I suppose. Once in a while. They sometimes have a déjà vu feeling to them. Is that what you mean?"

She did not nod but instead tilted her head as if to say "almost." "Remember when I told you about my arranged marriage to Koss, and that if I did indeed marry him I would have to leave i Enterprise /i and live with him for one year?" Trip nodded in the affirmative and T'Pol continued. "The reason for this year together is to allow an actual mental bond to form. Most Vulcan couples are able to form such a bond after a year of physical intimacy. I did not think it possible for such a thing to occur with a human, and so I did not forewarn you." Her voice became softer now, "In retrospect, I should have realized that, as I was already experiencing emotions centered on you, this was a potential outcome. I could not face the fact that I was developing an emotional attachment, and my judgment was therefore clouded."

Trip stared at her in disbelief. i Here I've been walking around like a lovesick teenager for the past six months trying to figure out a way to get her out of my system, and it looks like that would never have happened. We were in each others' heads the whole time. I wish I'd gotten some of her damned Vulcan control to go along with this bond shit, /i he thought angrily.

Trip turned to look out the window as he unconsciously drummed his fingers on his thigh.

"I apologize, Trip," she said in her normal, even tone. "I should have told you sooner, but I had to admit it to myself before I could discuss it with you."

"You said this usually takes a year with a full blooded Vulcan couple. We've only had…," he hesitated a moment before taking the bit and continuing, "… sexual relations five or so times since we traveled through the corridor, and not at all in the last two months." i She's finally talking to me about us, /i he thought, and though he was still a little ticked off, he was grateful to be, at long last, having an honest conversation with her.

"As I said earlier, I was developing an emotional attachment prior to the beginning of our sexual relationship, and that may have sped up the process," She hesitated and her eyes sought out his. "I have always been able to suppress my emotions. I have never experienced anything with this level of intensity before," she said softly.

Trip smiled softly and took a step so that only a short distance separated them. "Well, I guess I can understand that. I can deal with all of this as long as there aren't any more big surprises. I mean, you're not going to tell me that if a Vulcan mates with another species it's the male who has the children, are you?" he asked teasingly.

T'Pol looked at him with an annoyed expression. He took that to mean that she wasn't feeling quite so ill at ease.

Trip's eyes searched T'Pol's face, while T'Pol was again having difficulty looking directly at him. "You mentioned that there was some permanent damage?" said Trip, his voice laced with concern.

She shifted her gaze back from the window to his eyes, swallowed and began. "Dr Phlox says that my ability to suppress my emotions may have been permanently compromised. My usual techniques are not working effectively, and I am having difficulty coping with these new…..feelings."

Her eyes were moist, and for the first time Trip saw the same thing that Phlox had seen, fear. She had never before let her guard down this far with him. The doctor had seen this side of her, but no one else ever had. They had been in many dangerous situations, but he had never seen fear in her eyes before. Instinctively he felt he should reach out and hold her, but he knew that as much as she was now opening up to him, she was no ordinary girl. He was very conscious of the fact that she was first and foremost a Vulcan, and so he held back. He was determined not to make a mistake and risk pushing her away. "I appreciate how difficult this must be for you to discuss," he told her with a hesitant smile. "I'm glad that you talked to Phlox about this and got help." He remained at arm's length, but extended his hands toward her, partially in sheer puzzlement, and partially because he just couldn't stop himself from reaching toward her. "You never do anything without a logical reason, though, so I have to ask. Why are we having this conversation? I mean, I'm glad you're opening up, but why now, finally?"

She was having trouble standing still, like an animal trapped in a cage. She looked down again, unable to maintain eye contact. "Dr. Phlox suggested that I find an outlet to expend the emotional energy that I can no longer suppress. Most of these new feelings I can control. The exception is what I feel about you…about us," she again hesitated. Now her gaze shifted upward and her eyes were very large. "Even before the trellium, the things I felt about you were different than anything I had ever experienced. The emotions you stir in me are…powerful and frightening. That is why I have been pushing you away. The only difference is that, because of the trellium damage, I can no longer completely bury my emotional response to you. If I continue to fight it, I will lose the ability to control my peripheral emotions." She stopped speaking and looked away. She momentarily closed and opened her eyes, then turned back to him and continued, "To answer your original question, I am now speaking of this to you because I would like to resume our," she swallowed hard, "relationship." Her eyes again briefly closed and her left hand reached out and grasped his right hand. Trip could tell that this had been the most difficult thing she had ever had to do

Trip was blown away. He had known this intriguing woman for years now, disliking her at the very start, but quickly respecting her. He had worked in close proximity to her in the most difficult of circumstances, had kissed her, and had even slept with her, but never before had he been allowed a glimpse of her heart. He had long suspected that she had formed an emotional attachment to him, but he never thought she would admit it to herself, let alone to him.

Trip gently squeezed her hand, "You're full of surprises tonight, T'Pol," he said with a soft smile. Trip was making the mental calculations that every guy who has ever kissed a girl has made. i Is this the right moment? Will she welcome or reject me? /i He decided that the when was now, and sliding his left arm around her petite form, he pulled T'Pol in securely against his frame.

T'Pol did not resist his pull, and her lips parted as they met his.

hr

b PART TWO /b

i Day 131 0348 UTC /i

This was the first time he had spent the night with her. Though sex was not a new experience for the two of them, Trip had always left shortly afterward. He had done this both because of his desire to be discreet and because she had always seemed to grow distant after sex. He now knew this was because she was afraid of what she was feeling. Tonight she was content to remain close to him. They slept in each other's arms.

Without warning, an explosion tore through the ship. The deck reverberated under their bed. The emergency lights came on, the claxon sounded, and Lt. Reed's voice came over the ships' address system at high volume, "General Quarters – General Quarters - Up and forward on your port side, down and aft on your starboard side, General Quarters - General Quarters- All hands! Man your battle stations!"

"Shit!" Trip was up in seconds. He jumped into his coveralls sans underwear and zipped up. T'Pol pulled the silk bottoms of her pajamas on, and they headed out the door of her quarters almost simultaneously. Here they separated. Trip's battle station was engineering, T'Pol's the bridge. Trip headed starboard to go down and aft and T'Pol ran to the port passageway.

i Day 131 0351 UTC /i

"Report," T'Pol said as she stepped onto the bridge. Lt. Reed rose from the center chair and moved toward tactical while he started speaking, "An unidentified ship approaching at high warp has opened fire at extreme range. The hull is polarized and 90 of the crew has reported battle ready."

As she settled into the captain's chair she turned to Reed and inquired, "Weapons status, Lieutenant?"

"Phase cannons are charged but we can't lock weapons on target in this attitude," Reed replied rapidly but calmly.

After scanning the ship's numerous displays she swung her chair toward Reed and inquired, "Why has the computer not yet freed us from the i Talylon Bay? /i "

hr

Captain Archer woke up around 0300, and unable to fall back to sleep, decided to go to the gym on E deck to work off some nervous energy and to think about what i Enterprise's /i next move should be. He had just showered and was leaving when he encountered Major Hayes outside the gym. "Ah, Major, if you have a moment I wanted to talk to you about your security arrangements."

"Yes, sir. Now is just fine, sir," Hayes replied.

Archer smiled and had just opened his mouth to speak when the ship was rocked by an explosion. He had already started for the bridge when the GQ alarm began sounding. He braced himself for the change in air pressure that was certain to occur as i Enterprise's /i computers automatically separated the ship from her alien counterpart. When he felt no change in pressure, he turned and headed for the airlock. "You're with me, Major," he said as he changed direction suddenly.

"Yes, sir. Where are we going?" Hayes replied as he ran alongside the captain.

"Something is wrong. The second we went to general quarters the computer should have automatically separated us. We need to get to the airlock," Archer replied as he ran.

Archer reached the airlock and activated the computer at the docking station. "Why haven't we separated, Captain?" Hayes asked, sounding helpless.

"The ships have twisted and all of the bulkheads on E deck are jammed." Archer glanced to his right and noticed that though the i Talylon Bay's /i hatches were also open, an inflatable bladder had deployed, sealing the interior of the alien ship. "Each latch is under seventy teradynes of load, well above design limits," Archer said distractedly before continuing, "We're going to have to manually open some the docking latches to relieve the pressure and get those bulkheads closed."

hr

The open bulkheads were now displayed as red on the bridge view screen. "Ensign, standby to yaw 120 degrees to port and translate Y minus 10,000 meters," T'Pol said to Ensign Mayweather.

"Aye, sir," he replied as he programmed the ship to execute the prescribed maneuver the moment she was free of her burden.

She again turned toward Reed and asked, "How long until the alien is within our range of fire?"

"Thirty nine seconds, sir," he responded as another hit violently rocked the ship.

"Calculate a firing solution and prepare to lock and fire weapons," T'Pol ordered as she stood and crossed the bridge to stand behind Malcolm. She reached in front of him and pulled up the docking override on his auxiliary console. "How much time will it require to execute the maneuver, Ensign?" she asked Travis Mayweather.

Travis checked his display before replying, "Seven seconds, sir."

"All battle stations now fully manned, sir." Reed interjected.

"Very well," T'Pol replied absently, before she looked up at Ensign Sato's station. "Where is the captain?"

"He is at the airlock, sir. He's attempting to manually open the docking latches and release the bulkheads," Hoshi responded evenly. T'Pol nodded at her and then shifted her vision to the main viewer.

T'Pol was now looking at the ship's chronometer, her finger poised above the flashing button that would explosively blow i Enterprise's /i docking ring clear and vent E deck to vacuum. She had already decided to give the captain exactly 32 seconds before violently separating the ships, and in the process killing him, and everyone else who had the misfortune to be stationed on E deck. For the first time in months she was not distracted. Her mind was functioning logically and clearly.

hr

Archer was working frantically now. He was very aware that there were twenty three members of his crew stationed on E deck during general quarters. Even more people may have been trapped there when the interdeck access hatches had sealed, but twenty three of them were duty bound to stay. They would have to remain at their stations to protect the ship. Archer had been half listening to the bridge circuit while he worked. He didn't know exactly how little time he had left, but he did know that T'Pol would give him as much time as possible. He knew that there was no point in her warning him. He would know that his time had run out when he saw his ship moving away from him as he was violently propelled into open space.

Only two latches were free, and he figured he needed to open at least four to allow the ships to twist enough to relieve the torsional load.

Archer stopped suddenly and looked around, "Major, your phase pistol," he said as he extended his hand out to Hayes.

"Sir?" Hayes replied as he unholstered his ever present weapon and handed it to the captain butt first.

Hayes' eyes went wide as Archer moved the weapon's selector to full power and took aim at one of the latches.

hr

"CHIME"

All of the bulkhead indicators suddenly went green. The button under T'Pol's finger disarmed, and i Enterprise /i abruptly executed her pre programmed helm orders.

"We're free!" Travis excitedly exclaimed.

"Obviously." T'Pol replied with something close to amusement. She straightened up, withdrawing her hand from the override console, and moved back to the captain's chair.

"Weapons lock confirmed," a relieved Malcolm Reed said.

"Fire." T'Pol said evenly.

i Enterprise's /i third cannon shot hit the alien ship's warp core and it breached. There was very little wreckage left.

"Target destroyed, sir," Reed reported.

"Start a full scan for other vessels, Lieutenant," T'Pol ordered.

"Bridge to engineering, report," she continued as Malcolm began his scan.

Trip's voice, slightly distorted by the com system, came over the bridge speakers. "Warp drive is out. I think I can have the mains back online in about two hours. Before I start that I should tour the ship for damage to the Trellium coating. Are we in the clear?"

T'Pol looked over at Lt. Reed and he nodded in the affirmative.

At that moment the captain stepped onto the bridge. He had contacted Hoshi enroute and she had briefed him.

"We appear to be in the clear. Proceed with your damage control tour and report the results to the bridge," T'Pol said.

"Very well, Tucker out."

T'Pol started to rise but Archer waved her back down. He then turned to Malcolm, "Did the Ikaaran ship take any damage?"

"No sir. They were shielded by i Enterprise. /i "

Archer nodded and turned to Mayweather, "Travis, move us back to the i Talylon Bay. /i "

Travis swung around and said, "Aye, sir. Should I dock us?"

"No. Just bring us alongside and put us in station keeping mode. Let's stay free to maneuver for the time being," he said.

"Aye, sir," said Travis as he turned back toward the helm and began to move the ship.

Archer then turned away, and half smiling said, "Trip is going to have to replace most of the capture latches on the docking ring before we can dock again anyway."

He then snapped out of his reverie and turned to Ensign Sato, "Hoshi, download all of the sensor data on the attacking ship and take it to the ambassador. Find out everything the Ikaarans know about them."

Hoshi nodded toward the chronometer and with a questioning expression said, "Sir, you want me to do that now? She's probably still asleep at this hour."

Archer reached out and touched Hoshi's pajama-clad shoulder, "I think everyone who was asleep is awake now. Go talk to her."

"Aye, sir," she responded as she began downloading the logs.

Archer then looked at his left hand and for the first time noticed the burns, "All right then. I'm going to have Phlox look at this," he said while gesturing at his hand. "T'Pol, why don't you wrap things up here and get back to bed?"

"I am fine, Captain. I can remain on duty while Dr. Phlox examines you," she said evenly, while looking directly at him.

Archer and Reed made eye contact and started to laugh simultaneously. They were two of the few on the bridge that morning who actually had on uniforms. Adrenaline levels were still high and minds still focused on the danger that had come and gone so quickly. Hoshi had a robe on but little else. Travis was missing a shirt, and T'Pol was wearing silk bottoms and a blue T shirt.

"Well, I don't know everything about being a Vulcan, but I do know that you'll freeze with just that on at i Enterprise's /i temperature," he nodded toward her, "Phlox is probably going to sedate me after he treats this," Archer lifted his hand toward her, "And if I know Trip, he'll be on duty the next eighteen hours, until the ship is completely repaired. I would feel better if one of the three of us was awake tomorrow, so go to bed."

"Very well, Captain," she replied as she rose.

"Malcolm, you have the con. As soon as you can secure from general quarters, release everyone who was off duty and make sure they go back to their quarters," Archer said.

Moments later, Archer and T'Pol were in the turbolift together.

After riding in silence for several minutes, the captain asked, "So, how close did I get to making an unscheduled and final spacewalk?"

She cocked her head to the side in a characteristic manner and replied, "Seven seconds remained before it would have been necessary to manually override the separation protocol."

Archer smiled inwardly, i She is a true master of understatement, /i he thought.

The lift stopped at the crewdeck and the doors opened. T'Pol turned to Archer and said, "Goodnight, Captain."

"Goodnight, T'Pol" Archer responded.

As the door closed, Archer shook his head, laughed to himself and wondered whether or not T'Pol would ever appreciate the favor he had done her by getting her off of the bridge. He doubted anyone else had noticed the small block letters stenciled below the collar of her T shirt. "TUCKER"

i Day 131 1430 UTC /i

Jonathan Archer's dressed wound was itching like crazy. He entered sick bay and saw that Dr Phlox was already busy.

"That should do nicely, Commander. Just see me every day for the next three days so that I can irrigate the wound and change the dressing," Phlox said, good-naturedly, as Trip rolled his sleeve down over his abraded arm.

"Ah, Captain. Why have you returned? Are you experiencing any pain?" Phlox said, as he shifted his attention to the next patient.

"It just itches, Doc. Is there anything you can do about that?" Archer said, while eying Trip.

"Certainly!" responded Phlox with a smile.

Trip was now standing, and seemed to be shifting uncomfortably back and forth. His uniform had been chafing him all day and sweat had accumulated in uncomfortable places. "I am glad you're here, Cap'n. The trellium damage has been repaired and the warp drive is back online. I've got a crew working on fabricating new capture latches for the docking collar, but that's going to take another day at least. With your permission I'm gonna take a team over in a pod and try and get the impulse drive up on the i Talylon Bay /i . I really don't want to spend any more time here."

"Very well, inform the bridge and keep me posted on your progress," Archer said as he watched Phlox remove his dressing.

Archer was now leaning against the bio bed while Phlox worked. Trip was almost out the sickbay doors when Archer called out, "Oh, and Trip."

Trip stopped and turned back, "Cap'n?"

"Stop by your quarters before you go to the shuttle bay. The Starfleet uniform is not meant to be worn commando style."

Trip's eyes narrowed as confused thoughts sought union in his mind, "Aye sir," he said before heading out the door. i How the hell does he know that I didn't have time to put on underwear this morning? /i Trip thought as he walked away.

Phlox was also perplexed. Because he had just examined Commander Tucker he knew that he was only wearing his coveralls, and Trip had explained to him that he had not had time to get fully dressed when the ship went to general quarters early that morning.

"Captain, how did you know…that?" Phlox asked as he worked.

"Because," he paused for effect. "I'm the captain," Archer replied with a straight face. Phlox laughed and shook his head in amusement.

b Chapter Five /b

i Day 136 1222 UTC /i

Hoshi was tired and hungry. She had had the helm during the mid-watch, and was just coming off duty. She had just loaded a tray and was looking for a place to sit when she spotted Lt. Reed and Travis at a table.

"Mind if I join you two?"

"Sure, Hoshi. You do the mid watch last night?" Travis replied in between mouthfuls.

"Yes. I'm on five hours of sleep, and now I've got to meet with the ambassador so that we can keep teaching each other our languages," she said as she began eating.

Malcolm jumped into the conversation, "I saw the log. It looks like you had a slow night on watch."

"Not always a bad thing. Actually it went pretty fast. I was practicing rendezvous with the i Talylon Bay /i all night long," she said with a smile.

Travis Mayweather had a quizzical look on his face, "What do you mean? Weren't you locked in stationkeeping mode all night?"

She could tell that she had both of their attention now so she downshifted into casual, "No, we were in manual and we drifted away and then re-established contact all through the night so that I could get some practice."

"Who had the watch last night?" asked Travis earnestly.

"Commander Tucker did. He said that I looked bored and maybe I needed something to do," Hoshi said mischievously.

"Speak of the Devil," said Malcolm as he nodded at the door.

Just then, Commander Tucker entered the mess. He stopped briefly to confer with Major Hayes, who was leaving, and then headed over to their table.

"Hey, Malcolm, Hoshi, Travis, you guys planning a mutiny or something?" Trip asked good-naturedly.

"No, sir… just lunch," Malcolm replied dryly.

"Thanks for the practice last night, sir. It really made the mid watch fly," said Hoshi.

"Hey, any chance I can get in on that type of action?" added Travis.

"No problem Hoshi, glad you got something out of it." Trip then turned toward Travis and added, "Next time we're on watch together we can try some practice maneuvers." He gave them a polite grin, but obviously didn't intend to join them. "Well. I didn't mean to interrupt," Trip said as he turned to go. "Malcolm, we still on for handball tonight?"

"Yes sir, see you at 1930," said Malcom.

Commander Tucker then moved off and picked up a tray. Hoshi continued to eat while Malcolm and Travis debated the merits of unscheduled training events. Her lack of sleep was catching up to her and she let her mind wander. She was staring off into space when Commander Tucker re-entered her field of view. He put his tray down at a table where Commander T'Pol was already eating.

Hoshi watched them as they ate. Commander Tucker seemed very much himself, but T'Pol seemed….well…somehow different. Hoshi studied them intently. She couldn't quite put her finger on what was out of place. T'Pol was sitting very upright as she usually did, but there was a subtle difference. She was slightly relaxed, even animated. It would not have even registered as a change with a human, just as a slight mood shift, but in T'Pol it was a marked difference. Hoshi suddenly realized that the Vulcan's left leg extended out under the table and was touching the engineer's leg. Finally it dawned on her, i Holy Crap! The rumors aren't complete B.S. There is something going on between them! /i Her mind reeled at the thought, i She's a smug, capable intellectual and he's a salt of the earth type. Decidedly not an intellectual. /i Hoshi had always dismissed the rumors because she could not fathom a romantic relationship bridging the gap in their personalities.

"Hey, Hoshi… you gonna show for the movie tonight?" asked Travis. Hoshi didn't seem to hear him.

"Hoshi… Hello," Travis said as he waved his palm in front of Hoshi's eyes.

"Oh, sorry… I'm more tired than I thought, I guess," she said, intent on keeping her thoughts private. "I'm probably going to skip the movie and just catch up on sleep tonight."

"Well, I've got to get going," said Travis as he rose.

"I have work to do as well," Malcolm added as he rose to leave.

"See you later Travis," she then shifted her eyes to Lt. Reed and added, "Sir."

As they left, Hoshi returned to her meal, but her thoughts and her eyes drifted back to the couple at the table on the other side of the mess.

i Day 140 1021UTC /i

T'Pol's voice came over the intercom, "Bridge to Captain Archer."

Jonathan Archer was sitting at his desk. He stretched out his arms and back before reaching over and hitting the intercom, "Go ahead, T'Pol."

"We are in standard orbit around the Ikaaran homeworld. The captain of the i Talylon Bay /i would like to dock so that they can recover the last of their wounded and the ambassador."

"Very well. Proceed with docking and let me know when the transfer is complete. Anything else, T'Pol?" asked Archer.

"No, Captain. Do you wish me to signal the ambassador?"

"I'm on my way to flag country now. I'll do it myself," he replied.

"Very well, Captain. T'Pol out."

hr

Malcolm stood uneasily with his arms folded across his chest as he eyed his friend. Trip was standing slightly ahead of Malcolm, his left arm braced against the bulkhead. He was leaning forward, using his arm for support, so he could see the capture latches on the docking ring as they mated with their alien counterparts.

"Trip, do we really need to be here for the docking?" Malcolm asked nervously. He was very aware that the viewing ports were not that thick and that if Travis screwed up and hit the other ship too hard they could fracture. Normally this area was off limits during docking operations.

"If you're not comfortable I can always get Major Hayes to help me out," Trip responded, deadpan.

"Oh, you're funny," Malcolm said as a smile broke out on Trip's face.

T'Pol's voice came over the intercom, "Bridge to Commander Tucker."

Trip moved back from the end of the corridor and hit the nearest com panel, "Yeah… Tucker here. Go ahead."

"Final preparations are complete. Ensign Mayweather will be moving us into position to dock in approximately five minutes. Are you ready to proceed?" she asked in her typically matter of fact voice.

Trip took his hand off of the com panel and said softly to Malcolm, "Sure you don't want me to call you a relief?...Last chance…"

In response, Malcolm Reed scratched at a nonexistent itch on his forehead with his middle finger. Trip laughed and turned back to the com panel. "We're all set here. Just make sure the docking sequencer is set to manual. I want to control the capture latches from here and make sure the repairs to the docking ring are gonna hold."

"Manual control confirmed. Please inform me when you are satisfied that we have hard dock," she replied.

"No problem, Tucker out," he said as he released the com button and turned back to get a good view of the docking latches.

As they waited, they fell back into easy conversation.

Reed came forward so that he was standing next to Trip. He pretended to join Trip in examining the docking latches as he whispered, "Travis says that the word from rumor control is that you and our F.O. are, shall we say, involved."

Usually Trip would rise quickly to this kind of bait, but much to Malcolm's surprise his response was the very picture of calm. "I assume that by rumor control you mean Hoshi."

"Of course," Malcolm responded as he turned to watch Trip's expression.

Trip's eyes remained locked on the latches but there was the hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth as he began to speak, "Well……she's not that far off, this time."

It was now Malcolm who dropped the pretense of being calm, "Bloody hell! You're admitting it! I didn't even think she knew what she was talking about, and you go and admit that it's true. I can't believe you caved. What about all your past denials?"

"That was then, this is now, or rather, this is before. Things change. There's been an attraction for a long time. I just didn't think anything would ever come of it, but people change, sometimes in very unexpected ways." Trip's voice was uncommonly soft and controlled. His gaze still held the latches above their heads.

Malcolm's gaze shifted back out through the port to open space and his voice dropped to a soft introspective volume, "Commander T'Pol. I would never have guessed that would actually happen." He then turned back to Trip, "Very impressive, Trip, though I would never have picked you for an U.A. situation."

At this, Trip lost his visual lock on the latch and started laughing as he turned toward his friend with an amused but reproving look. "'Unauthorized ass'? I haven't heard i that /i in a long time, though I suppose it's sort of accurate."

At that moment the i Talylon Bay /i came into view as Travis maneuvered i Enterprise /i to dock.

"Here she comes. Let's get ready." Trip said as both of their minds went back to the business at hand.

hr

He pressed the entry alert outside of her quarters and waited.

The door opened, and Esilia turned toward him, smiled and said, "Please, do come in, Captain."

Her conversational English was now much improved.

"Please have a seat, Jonathan," she said with friendly familiarity.

Jon smiled at her ever present professionalism. She addressed him by his first name only after the door to her quarters was closed and she was sure that they were alone. She was too smart a diplomat to make a rookie mistake and call him by his first name in front of others.

"T'Pol just informed me that we have entered orbit above your planet," he began as he settled in opposite her at the small desk in her quarters. "We're in the process of docking with your ship so that we can transfer your wounded back aboard."

As he sat, so did she. He had placed both of his palms flat on the table, and as Esilia sat down her right hand came down on the table, just grazing his. Jonathan Archer smiled at this small contact and continued, "Will you be going back aboard?"

"I would prefer to remain aboard your vessel for a little longer. I have been in contact with my government for the past seventy-two solar hours and they are amenable to providing you with some of the anti-matter that you need, in consideration of the help you provided the i Talylon Bay /i .

He always had to work to keep his focus around her. Never before had he found a woman's eyes so distracting. "That is exceptionally generous. My government…," he paused, "Excuse me… i I /i would appreciate that very much."

She smiled at his mistake and moved her hand so that it was again just touching his, "It may prove useful for you to come to the surface and meet with our foreign minister. My government is anxious to learn more about your ability to operate in the Expanse."

His heart picked up a little at the physical contact. It was clear to them both that there was a mutual level of attraction. On the journey to the Ikaaran homeworld a sort of undeclared romance had begun. "I would, of course, be honored to meet with your foreign minister. I'm a little concerned about revealing the full nature of our mission, however. Time travel isn't a concept that many societies believe is possible, and yet I don't want to start a relationship with your government under any false pretenses. What would you advise?"

The decision to tell Esilia about the time travel aspect of their mission had been a contentious one. He, T'Pol and Trip had discussed it at length over dinner and eventually it had been decided that she was probably the most receptive audience they would ever have. If they decided not to try and convince her at this time, the chance would probably be lost forever.

It had taken three days of discussions and lab tests for the captain and T'Pol to convince her that they really had traveled back in time.

"I think that your first instinct is correct. You should start this relationship off with the truth. Don't worry about the believability aspect. I can assist you there. It may take a bit of time, however. Can you remain in orbit for several weeks?"

At this he softly laughed, "As you're well aware, time is the one thing we do have in abundance."

"Yes, you are certainly correct," she said as her laughter mingled with his.

"Well, let me know when you've made the arrangements with your foreign minister," Archer said as he rose to leave.

"Jonathan, please stay a moment," she said as she reached out and took his hand. "I want to talk to you about something else."

He sank back down into the chair and tried to focus on business.

"I am attracted to you, and I think you are to me."

Archer was surprised by her forthrightness, and it must have showed because she reacted to it instantly.

"I thought it was time to talk about the obvious. I know that we can't act on these feelings but…"

At this he cut her off, "Who says that we can't?"

She leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms and said slowly, "It probably would not be appropriate." She hesitated before adding quietly, "Would it?"

Jon chuckled at her and responded, "It's only inappropriate if someone uses a personal relationship to further a professional one, or vice versa. I used to be pretty serious about this issue, but I paid a price." He sighed as the memories came flooding back, and she looked at him intently. "For a time I had a relationship with a fellow officer named Erika. During our time together I was promoted, and I ended up being her boss. She was comfortable continuing our relationship anyway, but I decided to end it because it wasn't i appropriate. /i There was nothing explicitly wrong with dating someone who worked for me, and Trip, for one, urged me to continue." He now laughed at the memory.

"Trip even had a name for it… one that I'm not comfortable talking about until you and Hoshi have a chance to talk about what we call 'slang'" he teased.

Her face sobered, and she reached out again across the table, holding his gaze with a solemn expression. Her fingers, at first barely brushing his hand, moved to assertively interlace themselves with his. A tingle went up his arm at the contact.

"Jonathan… I would very much like to pursue a more personal relationship with you, but I'm not entirely certain how to go about it. How is this done in your culture? I'm afraid Ensign Sato and I haven't quite gotten to that yet," said Esilia softly. Her fingers gripped his firmly. The look in her eyes caused his body temperature to rise by several degrees. He swallowed. Ikaaran women were nothing if not direct, it seemed. He squeezed back and then pulled his hand from hers, smiling at her.

"Let's wait until you've introduced me to your foreign minister and handed off at least some of your official duties. I'm sure your government will invite me to tour your world, and I'd love to have you as a guide. That would be a good time to get to know each other on a more personal level." As he said this he stood, and she did the same. "Does that sound like an acceptable proposal, Ambassador?" At this he offered his hand to her across the table. She shook it with an amused expression.

"Acceptable, prudent, and most welcome, Captain. I look forward to showing you the wonders of my home."

i Day 140 2200 UTC /i

"I'm glad we did this. It's been a while." Jonathan Archer said as he toasted his friend with a very rare and irreplaceable commodity, a bottle of twenty year old scotch.

"Yes, it has," Trip replied as he matched his glass to the captain's.

After a few moments of silence, Trip looked at the captain and began "There is something you should know."

"Really?" Jonathan replied, feigning surprise.

"T'Pol and I, well….we're kind of involved. If you know what I mean," he said awkwardly.

When he told this story in later years Jonathan Archer always expressed great pride in his ability to act very shocked and surprised and have Trip buy into it so completely. "What do you mean, involved?" he said as he leaned forward and looked across the table at Trip with a serious expression on his face.

"Well, we've, I mean we're…" As Trip stumbled over his words, his friend could maintain his act no longer, and he burst out laughing.

Archer leaned back in his chair and gestured at Trip with his glass, "Trip, I kind of figured that out when T'Pol showed up on the bridge in your T-shirt the night of the raider attack. Besides, if this was supposed to be a secret it wasn't a very well kept one. I know T'Pol thinks that she lives behind a perfect façade of emotional indifference, but we've all lived on this ship for four years together, and I can read her a little better than that. The real question is how you finally got her to admit it to herself. That's where you've got me impressed."

Trip dodged that question fairly easily "Oh, so that's how you knew I was dressed commando that day. I could never figure that one out," Trip mused, both relieved and more than a little surprised. "So you don't have a problem with this?" he continued.

"No, not at all. As I've said, I've known about it for a while, and it hasn't been a factor in either your behavior or your performance while on duty. Besides, we talked about this right after we came through the corridor, remember?" Archer replied as he took another sip of whiskey.

Trip refilled the captain's glass and said, "Yeah, I remember that… but I also remember Erika Hernandez. I just thought that you wouldn't be too happy about this."

"Funny you should say that. I was just talking about her today," Archer responded. Trip regarded his friend quizzically. "Maybe the Expanse is mellowing me, but ending things with Erika might not have been my best decision." Archer said as he glanced out the window. "I think I'll put my cards on the table, too, Trip. Ambassador Esilia and I have been talking, and we're going to look at the possibility of pursuing a relationship after she hands us off to her government."

"Shocking, completely shocking, Cap'n," Trip replied smilingly.

Jonathan smiled back and said, "I guess there is only one thing left to say."

"What's that?" Trip asked.

i "Authorized" /i Archer said with mock gravity.

Trip Tucker burst out laughing.

b Chapter Six /b

i Day 432 0817 UTC /i

CHIME

T'Pol ceased her meditation and answered, "T'Pol here."

Hoshi spoke quietly into the intercom. "Ensign Cates is finished. Well… we think it's finished. Are you free right now?"

"Yes I can come immediately. Are you in your quarters, or Ensign Cates'?" T'Pol's slightly distorted voice came over the com system.

"Mine. We'll see you in a little while."

Hoshi then turned toward Cates and asked, "I don't know why I'm whispering. Do any of the other engineers know that you can sew?"

"No, and I would rather keep that part of my resume quiet, if you don't mind," he replied.

She laughed and said, "No problem, Steve. Contrary to popular opinion, I actually can keep a secret. Where did you get the material? It's so very stunningly white."

"The material was originally part of a temporary radiation shielding kit. That's why the color is so pure," he replied.

"Maybe you can make me one someday?" she asked coyly.

"This is my going out of business sale. If the crew finds out I can sew it's all that I'll ever end up doing."

hr

T'Pol dressed unhurriedly, and ten minutes later arrived at the door to Hoshi Sato's quarters.

Ensign Sato's quarters always struck T'Pol as cluttered. Eclectic was the term that Sato used, though T'Pol did not quite see it that way.

"Ensign Sato," T'Pol said upon entering before turning and nodding to Ensign Cates, "Mr. Cates."

"Commander," he responded and then stepped forward, pulling a clear garment bag from behind his back. "I think that you will find all the alterations have been completed. It should fit perfectly now."

She looked briefly at Hoshi before looking directly at Ensign Cates, "Thank you. I appreciate your efforts and your discretion."

"You're welcome. I'm glad I could help." He turned to Hoshi and added, "Well, my work here is done. I'll catch up to you sometime tomorrow, Hoshi." He then turned back to T'Pol and added, "Commander," before he turned and exited Hoshi's quarters.

"I am a little confused, Commander. I thought the whole idea here was for you two to have a traditional Vulcan ceremony?"

T'Pol regarded Hoshi solemnly for a moment before answering, "This has been a new experience for me, giving control and consideration to another. When Commander Tucker," she paused and swallowed, "When i Trip /i agreed to a Vulcan ceremony, because he thought it would be better for me, I realized that I should also consider his desires. That is why I asked you to help me acquire a traditional dress."

Hoshi's jaw dropped a little when she heard T'Pol refer to Commander Tucker as Trip, but she quickly recovered. "But why the secrecy?"

"I have come to appreciate the sometimes positively perceived effect of a surprise."

Hoshi covered her mouth, laughing in spite of herself, while T'Pol responded with a raised left eyebrow.

"I need to get dressed for the ceremony. I would appreciate your assistance."

"Of course, Commander, by all means," Hoshi responded with a smile.

i Day 432 1100 UTC /i

"You don't mind that I asked Dr. Phlox to perform the ceremony instead, do you Jon?" Trip asked.

Archer smiled, "We've been over this, Trip. I understand. I would never have been able to pronounce the Vulcan language as well as Phlox can. I'm honored to be your best man." He looked around and said, "Never thought you would be getting married in the mess, though."

"And to someone who wouldn't even shake my hand when we met," Trip responded with a grin.

"Well, I must admit, when I introduced you to her four years ago this was not the outcome I envisioned," Archer replied.

Dr. Phlox approached Trip, smiling broadly, and spoke. "It's time, Commander, if you please," With that he swept his arm out in an arc, gesturing at the facsimile of a Vulcan gong that had been faithfully reproduced and placed in the center of the mess.

Trip approached it somewhat self consciously and rang the deep sounding bell four times.

hr

T'Pol heard the last bell fade away and then stepped through the door to the officers' mess. She was primarily focused on Trip's face, but she noted that surprise registered on the Captain's face as well.

Her appearance caused a minor stir among those in attendance. Rumors had swirled that their science officer might not be wearing robes. The room was a sea of dress uniforms standing on tip toes and craning for a look at the unusually attired Vulcan. T'Pol's nearly transparent net veil spilled from a circlet of braided white satin ribbon tied about the crown of her head. The veil fell over her face to her shoulders, lending a misty appearance to her features. Beneath the veil, the burnished expanse of her bare neck and shoulders contrasted with the gleaming whiteness of her simple gown. The gown fit her curves like a second skin, accentuating her generous breasts and tiny waist before flowing liquidly to the floor. The sleeves of the dress clung to her arms, ending in elegant points over the backs of her hands.

Though Hoshi had seen her in it several times during fittings with Steve, it was still impressive. Hoshi was not the only one impressed. Lt. Hayes was supposed to be one of the bride's maids, but she was distracted by T'Pol's new look. The general male reaction was somewhat more visceral. Though he had doubted his boss's choice of bride, Lt. Kelby was now re-assessing his original opinion.

She approached the very small, very carefully constructed, open fire near the center of the room and kneeled simultaneously with Trip. He was careful not to become tangled in his Vulcan robes as he joined her. As her right hand extended, his did as well, and their two hands joined in the traditional Vulcan press.

Very softly Trip spoke, "You certainly have embraced the concept of surprise, T'Pol. You look…incredible."

T'Pol was strangely warmed by his comment and his eyes. It would take some getting used to. "I am pleased you approve. Consider this a small wedding gift from me to you." She said sotto voice.

At that moment Phlox began, "What ye are about to witness…….."

hr

The bride and groom were on their feet, as was customary at the conclusion to the Vulcan wedding rite. What happened next was not a customary part of the traditional Vulcan wedding. As he concluded the ceremony, Dr. Phlox gave T'Pol a quick questioning glance, and she responded with a subtle affirmative nod of her head.

Phlox smiled and added, "You may now kiss the bride."

T'Pol lifted her veil, and moved toward her husband. He just stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face for a moment, and then, coming to his senses, he smiled broadly and bent forward to meet her. Those in the room collectively held their breath. Up until now no member of the crew had even seen anyone touch her, let alone kiss her in a very public setting. Just before their lips met, she said one quiet word for his ears only.

"Surprise."