Chapter 3
With Jon's approval, Trip gave David the grand tour of Enterprise and introduced him to various members of the crew puffing with pride as he added "my son".
They reached the bridge and David looked around with awe then he spotted T'Pol at her station. His eyes grew wide and he pulled on Trip's jacket.
Trip leaned down to him so David could speak quietly. "She's a Vulcan."
"Yes. I think she knows she's Vulcan. Why are we whispering?"
"I heard Vulcans can do things...like melt your brain."
Trip looked up and saw T'Pol's raised brow and chuckled. He continued whispering to David. "No. They can't melt a person's brain, but they do have very good hearing."
David gulped. "She heard me?"
"Uh-huh."
"Are you sure Vulcans can't melt people's brains?"
"I'm sure...although I know a certain Vulcan that melted my heart." Trip said as he tilted his head in T'Pol's direction.
David looked at Trip in shock. "You...you mean?"
"Uh-huh." Trip smiled at him. "Come on...I'll introduce you." He walked David over. "T'Pol, this is my son David. David...T'Pol."
"Nice to meet you ma'am."
T'Pol tipped her head. "It is agreeable to meet you, young Tucker. I will refrain from melting anyone's brains while in your presence."
David's cheeks got red as Trip laughed. "She's just joking with you, go on and shake her hand, she doesn't bite." Trip gave T'Pol a smirk.
T'Pol decided to carry on the joke. "Commander, of course I do not bite...Vulcans are vegetarian after all."
"Oh! You're on fire today darling. Better watch myself."
David noticed the screen T'Pol had pulled up at her station. "This is a pulsar binary system, isn't it? Looks like somewhere near the Catskills nebula?"
T'Pol raised a brow that Trip knew meant she was surprised. "Yes it is. Very astute of you. What else can you tell me about this image reading?"
"Well...it's not acting like it should. It looks like it's vibrating. Are the binary stars in the transitional phase of separating?"
"That is correct. I estimate..."
"Within the next 100 years." David finished for her.
Again the look of surprise. "Exactly. You are very intelligent. I believe Doctor Phlox may have made a mistake concerning your paternity and should run another test."
"Fire T'Pol...on fire." Trip chuckled as he led David towards Hoshi. David spent a few moments with her as he learned about the fictions of communications.
Last stop on the tour was the Captain's ready room where Jon was looking over some reports. "Got a second, Cap'n? Someone I'd like you to meet."
Jon got up and shook David's hand. "I trust your father has shown you every inch of the ship."
David stood wide-eyed and mouth gaping at the Captain. "Y-you're Captain A-Archer!"
Jon chuckled. "Last time I checked I was."
"I've read everything about you! How your dad built the warp five engine. Your trial of the Klingons, the battle of Azati Prime, P'Jem...everything!"
Trip chuckled. "Looks like you got a fan Cap'n"
"Looks that way, Trip."
David looked up at Trip. "And you get to work with him? Wow!"
"Yeah. Cap'n and me go way back."
After the tour Trip sent David to his parents for the night assuring him that it was only for the night while he got clearance from Starfleet to take an extended shore leave.
Trip sat in the crew mess eating his dinner when Hoshi joined him. "Your son is so cute, Commander, and very intelligent too. Do you know he pointed out a verb difference in the Tacarian language that I didn't notice?"
"He did? Huh. Better be careful Hosh. He might take your job from you." He smiled as he shoved a fork full of food in his mouth.
"Yeah. And he's even got that lady-killer smile of yours...guess his brain came from his mother. Double threat." Hoshi laughed.
"Hey. I got brains."
"Well...you're no slouch but let's face it Commander, for a high school drop-out to have a kid like David..."
Trip tossed down his napkin on the table. "You know what? I'm kind of tired of people thinking I'm some kind of dumb hick. Ok yeah...I got an accent and I don't use proper English, but that don't make me stupid." He leaned in close to Hoshi. "I graduated high school when I was 14. I went to MIT and got my PhD in engineering at 17, a masters in astrophysics at 22, doubled down and got my bachelor's in quantum physics at 23. You can look up my transcripts if you want. So, guess I'm not as dumb as everyone thinks I am. Huh? Or should I say... Min'na ga watashida to omotte iru hodo bakagete inai...or; nicht so dumm, wie jeder denkt, dass ich bin...or; non così stupido come tutti pensano che io sia. Yeah...I speak twelve languages. I might not have your ear or learn on a dime like you, and I admit my accent gets in the way of pronunciation, but I still speak, read and write them." He stood up and left in a huff leaving behind a very stunned Hoshi.
XXX
Trip was laying on the floor as T'Pol was giving him a deep pressure massage to his back. "Can you believe that Hoshi actually called me out as a high school drop-out? I mean really! Where do they come up with this shit anyways?"
"Well, you have to admit you do a good job at hiding the true gifts of your intellect."
"I'm not exactly hiding it...I just don't like to brag about it, that's all. Anyways enough of that. What do you think about David? Oooh that's the spot."
"He is an astute young man...much like his father."
"And?"
"And what?"
He rolled over to face her and she was now straddling him at the waist. He put his hands on her hips. "And what do you think about having him around...with us?"
She rubbed at the hairs on his chest as she dropped her eyes. "Trip, it is doubtful that Starfleet will allow you to bring David on board Enterprise. Surely you are aware of this."
"Me and Jon have an appointment in the morning with Admiral Burke to lobby for David. Since Nat's parents aren't in the position to care for him and my parents are essentially strangers to him..."
"Essentially you are a stranger to him as well."
"Yeah I know, but I am his father and that should count for something...right?"
She raised a brow at him.
He tongued his cheek and rolled up his eyes. "Ok look. I didn't want to say anything, but I do have a plan B. If Starfleet won't allow David to join us..." He sighed. "I'll resign and stay on Earth to raise him."
"You plan to threaten Starfleet with a resignation?"
"No. Just that if it comes down to that...well I guess now I have to put David first. I can get a job in the private sector without any problems and I'll be there for him...and well...I hope to have you there too."
"You're asking me to give up my career? Trip, I love you but I don't-"
"Don't say anything now, just think about it. Hell, I'd be ok if you kept your career, maybe transfer to another ship where you'd be closer...you know, home for the weekends sort of thing. All I'm asking for right now is that you think about it. Ok?"
"I will consider your proposal and inform you when I have made a decision."
He smiled up at her. "Good. Come here." He pulled her to him planting small kisses on her neck and working his way to her lips as he slowly unbuttoned her pajama top and flung it to the side. She felt his hardness pressing against her as she rocked her hips teasing him. He let out a soft moan working his kisses to her rounded breast. He sucked in a nipple and teased with the tip of his tongue. She let out a small gasp grinding him a little harder. He began working his kisses back up her neck as his finger and thumb gave soft twists to her nipple. He whispered softly in her ear. "We're going to have to start thinking about these things when we have our own kids."
She stopped her teasing and stood up, grabbing her top and put it back on. Trip dropped the back of his head onto the floor. "Serious T'Pol? This again?"
He stood up, his pants tented. "Come on. We can't just keep going like this. We have to move on."
She spun towards him quickly. "You know how I feel about us having children together."
Trip's tent had went down and now he was frustrated in more ways than one. He shoved his hand through his hair. "We can't keep living in Elizabeth's shadow. Yes, I still feel the pain of losing our baby and always will, but we have to move on at some point. Another baby won't replace her...ever but, we can't just say never because of her." He reached to her. "T'Pol..." She pulled away. He dropped his head and sighed. "I love you. I want us to be a family someday, that includes children but...if that's not what you want then I don't know what we're doing here." He grabbed his shirt and left.
A/N: The languages Trip spoke are Japanese, German and Italian. All are translated as: "not as stupid as everyone thinks I am." I used the Google Translation app.
