Author's Note: Please see earlier notes. Anything in Italics is a bond interaction. I've jumped ahead another year…
XXX
"I've never met a more pig-headed, irritating…"
"Is this the way you speak to all your visitors?" Esilia countered.
"It's the way I speak to visitors on my ship who continuously disobey my orders!" Jon barked at her.
"Then drop me off on the next station and you won't have to deal with me anymore!" Esilia snapped back.
"I'd like nothing more!" Jon said as he stepped closer to her and towered over her small frame. "But the next space station is weeks away, so you're stuck with me and I'm stuck with you."
"I am an experienced…"
"Not on my ship!" Jon snapped.
"Then I'm a prisoner," Esilia said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"I have told you time and time again that you are a guest," Jon sighed, slightly defeated.
"I don't feel like one," Esilia said softly.
"Look, you aren't one of my crew, so you are not permitted access to…"
"Give me something to do," Esilia asked kindly. "I have never…I'm used to always being busy and this…this…nothingness is driving me crazy."
Jon looked at her and saw the desperation in her.
"Fine," he sighed. "I'll speak with T'Pol and…and we'll figure something out, okay?"
"Thank you," Esilia smiled at him. It was the first time she had smiled at him since she arrived on his ship after they had rescued her from an anomaly a week ago.
Truthfully, he'd never met a woman like her before. She was Ikaaran and stubborn and beautiful and he wasn't sure if he wanted to throw her out an airlock or kiss her. He'd never been more confused or more elated in his entire life. She tested him at every turn, questioning his ideals, his choices, his command for Christ sakes. During their first dinner together, Trip and T'Pol had run interference as the things she said to him and he replied got more heated and heated. T'Pol had finally exited with her under the ruse of showing her an ongoing experiment in their labs.
He'd not slept well this week and that had possibly contributed to his sour mood. They'd been in this timeless existence for almost four years and he was starting to question his decision to remain on board the ship. Children were multiplying, crew members were fighting, energy was wasted, and he was…exhausted.
"When we resolve an argument on Earth, we usually share a drink to show it's all forgiven," Jon said as he gestured toward a bottle of two-year-old scotch sitting on the shelf.
Esilia nodded and he smiled down at her before he walked toward the bottle and took it from the shelf. He poured her a finger and handed it to her before he poured himself two fingers.
"To better inter-species relations," Jon said as he raised his glass and she did the same.
They clinked glasses and downed the warm amber liquid.
"You sure there's alcohol in this?" Esilia said as she looked at him seriously.
"We brew it ourselves," Jon said as he placed down his glass. "In thirty-eight years we're going to have some pretty amazing scotch to drink."
"Another?" Esilia asked with a raised eyebrow. "Ikaaran alcohol is far more potent. This is like drinking flavored water."
Jon laughed at her joke and poured them another drink.
"To flavored water," Esilia said with a teasing voice before she raised her glass and gestured for him to do the same.
"You always like to make a point," Jon said as he clinked glasses with her and they downed a second glass.
"I do," Esilia smirked at him as she placed down her glass. "The flavor was better that time."
Jon chuckled at her joke.
XXX
Daniel Chang chased Toru down the hallway. "Hold on buddy!"
He caught up with his son and scooped the giggling boy into his arms. He laughed with him and continued down the hall with Toru dangling upside down and laughing.
"Who's making all that noise in my hallway?" Trip playfully called around the corner as he rounded it.
"Me!" Toru laughed.
Trip stopped in front of them and bent in half turning his head upside down to see Toru better.
"I thought that sounded like Toru!" Trip smiled at the giggling boy before he stood, and Daniel twisted Toru around, so he was upright again. "You two are having fun."
"Hosh has another headache so we thought we'd let her sleep," Daniel said, sadly.
"T'Pol said she seemed to be…"
Daniel shook his head in the negative while Toru twisted in his arms to get placed down.
"Just a second Toru," Daniel said. "It's a year on Tuesday and…"
Trip nodded. "The first anniversary has got to be the hardest. How are you doing?"
"I miss him, don't…I mean I could never…" Daniel stammered as his eyes glassed over.
"I get it," Trip said as he clapped the man on the shoulder.
"It's just…we have Toru," Daniel said. "In some ways, we're so lucky. Does that sound crazy?"
"No, no, it doesn't at all," Trip said as he pulled at Toru's hand. "He's pretty amazing."
Daniel wiped a stray tear and straightened himself.
"We better go," Daniel said. "This one wants to run so I'm taking him to the kid's park."
"Good idea," Trip nodded. "If you need anything…"
"Thanks," Daniel nodded before Trip stepped out of his way and allowed the man and his son to pass.
He couldn't imagine losing a child; it must be heart-breaking. Daniel and Hoshi had been a mess for a good few months before he seemed to step out of the grief and get back to himself. Hoshi took longer and had just returned to work on a full-time basis in the last three months. She still spoke with everyone but there was a distance about her that Trip felt whenever they were around. She only smiled when she was around Toru and very rarely seemed to laugh. It was hard seeing them go through this but, despite the loss, they seemed strong as a couple and committed to being good parents to Toru.
He was one of eleven kids on board Enterprise now and the whole dynamic of the ship had changed as the kids became toddlers and were around the ship more. There were five kids over the age of two, three kids between one and two and the rest were babies. Four more crew members were expecting which would bring their grand total up to fifteen kids by year five. The Captain's plan was working nicely, and they were creating the next crew that would continue to fulfill their mission to save Earth.
Trip sighed and walked down the corridor toward their quarters and was greeted by T'Pol just getting out of the shower; a robe wrapped around her body.
"You said you'd wait," Trip sighed as he watched her walk past him.
"You said you'd be here thirty-four minutes ago," T'Pol said, not looking at him.
"I gave you reasons," Trip said, noting the messages he'd sent her over their bond.
"I received them," T'Pol said as she pulled out some underwear and some fresh clothes.
"And you ignored them?" Trip asked as he walked up behind her and placed his hands on her hips.
"I needed a shower," T'Pol said simply.
Trip dropped his forehead onto her shoulder and sighed.
"I'm sorry," Trip said quietly over their bond.
"I know you are, but I am hungry and…" T'Pol answered him over their bond.
"And?" Trip asked.
"And you've been staying at work later and later lately," T'Pol said. "We promised each other we were going to devote more time to meditation and the bond."
Trip closed his eyes and nodded his head. "You're right. Tomorrow, I'm leaving the minute my shift is complete, injector coils be damned."
"Trip, please don't make light of…" T'Pol said as she turned her head to look over her shoulder.
"I'm not," Trip said as he lifted his head to look at her. "I'm just tired and, I was wrong. I'm sorry."
T'Pol nodded and stepped away from him to don her clothing.
"Give me two minutes to shower and change," Trip said. "We can grab a quick meal and still get in the meditation tonight."
T'Pol simply nodded her head and continued to dress. Trip bolted for their washroom and stripped off his dirty clothes before he jumped into the shower. He got under the cool spray and started scrubbing. Truthfully, he had not enjoyed meditating. Not because he didn't like the activity, he got used to it, but because it deepened their bond. And the more their bond deepened the more he felt T'Pol's desire to have children. Children he'd never be able to give her. Children that would never be. How did a man deal with his inadequacy in not being able to give the woman he loved the one thing she wanted most? He turned off the water after quickly cleaning his body, toweled himself off before he wrapped it around his waist and walked into their living quarters. She was sitting on the chair reading something on the PADD.
"You were quick," T'Pol said as she watched him walk in.
"I broke one promise tonight, I don't intend to break another," Trip smiled down at her before he leaned down and kissed her cheek quickly. He pulled on some grey pants and a turtle neck before he finger combed his hair and turned to look at her still reading.
"Ready?" He asked, slightly out of breath.
"You are not wearing under garments," T'Pol noted.
"So, you were watching?" Trip smirked at her.
T'Pol just looked at him waiting for an explanation.
"I thought we could try that nude meditation again tonight?" Trip asked as he looked down at her beautiful face. She was so gorgeous she deserved to be replicated; it was a shame. "I figured it wasn't worth wasting a pair of clean underwear if I was just going to take them off."
T'Pol quirked an eyebrow and said nothing before she rose and walked toward him.
"You should have said something before I put mine on," she teased as she pressed her chest against his.
"Naw, I like taking them off," Trip smiled down at her. "Shall we?"
She walked ahead of him and they exited their quarters to eat.
XXX
Jonathan Archer woke when he suddenly felt cold. He looked around the darkened room and saw a figure moving about. It confused him because the figure was not Porthos and…
"Who's there?" Jon asked, his head ached terribly and his whole body felt heavy. His whole naked body…
"I need to go," Esilia's voice said from across the room as she pulled on some pants.
Then the memories, foggy as they may be, started to come back to him. They had been arguing, then they resolved the argument, then they drank…they drank a lot, then he kissed her and she…and they…holy hell!
"Esilia, wait!" Jon said as he started to sit up and then, realizing he was naked groped around for a blanket to wrap around himself.
"No, go back to sleep, you need it and I…I need to leave," Esilia said, there was a tension in her voice.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, we shouldn't have…"
"It's fine," Esilia said.
"No, it's not," Jon said as he staggered to standing and clumsily walked toward her, tripping over a shoe in the process. "I took advantage of you and…"
Esilia laughed loudly.
"What?" Jon asked.
"I am not intoxicated," Esilia said. "If anyone took advantage of another, it was I who took advantage of you!"
"What?" Jon asked confused.
"I have found you attractive since I arrived on your ship," Esilia said quietly. "This moment was pre-determined."
"I'm sorry?" Jon asked, still confused.
"I need to get to my things," Esilia said carefully. "I will see you tomorrow?"
"Why? If you wanted this, then why are you running off like you didn't?" Jon asked, confused.
Esilia froze mid-shoe tie up.
"What?" Jon asked.
"I had no idea your species could ejaculate," Esilia noted. "Admittedly I had not researched your sexual practices, but I assumed from what I saw in medical that you created babies and then implanted them."
"Esilia, I have no idea what you are…"
"Ikaarans are guaranteed pregnancy when ejaculate is present," Esilia explained. "Ikaaran men don't ejaculate unless the couple is trying to produce a baby. It seems human men always do?"
"Pretty much," Jon said, his eyebrows knitted. "But we are two different species…"
"Although I know of no Human-Ikaaran offspring, we are a species that has inter-bred for hundreds of years, our systems are adapted to carrying children from multiple species."
"And why do you need to get to your things?" Jon asked, still trying to release his brain from the fog it was in.
"I think I have one pill in my belongings that would ensure a pregnancy would not occur," Esilia said as she stood from tying her boots. "I have a small window to take it and…"
"Shit," Jon said suddenly as everything dawned on him. "Let me get dressed and come with you."
"There's no time!" Esilia said anxiously.
"The window is THAT small?" Jon asked.
She didn't answer him and just left his quarters. Jon turned on the lights and shaded his eyes as he scrambled around looking for pants and a shirt and his shoes. His head seemed to be pounding even worse and his stomach lurched with every movement, but he needed to get to her quarters and at least be there to support her. They'd both been part of the act, alcohol or not, and he needed to see this through and not just let her take care of it.
He dressed himself hastily and stumbled from his quarters and into the low lights of the hallway; it was evening, and Trip always insisted the lights were lowered another ten percent at that time to conserve energy.
"Thank god," he muttered as he walked toward the turbolift and waited for it to arrive.
It opened and Trip and T'Pol stepped out of it.
"Captain?" Trip asked as he watched his friend stagger into the lift.
"No time!" Jon barked before the doors closed.
"He smelled of alcohol," T'Pol said. "A lot of it."
"Shit," Trip shook his head. Jon had been drinking more and more lately, but he'd never been drunk outside of his quarters.
"Trip to the Bridge," Trip said into the closest comm.
"Bridge," Travis' voice rang through.
"Travis, locate the Captain for me," Trip said.
"He's on H Deck just outside H16," Travis answered.
"H16 is Esilia's quarters, the Ikaaran," T'Pol said as she punched the turbolift button and waited for it to come back.
"Why the hell is he there?" Trip asked, confused.
"They argue a great deal," T'Pol said. "Perhaps in his drunken state he is seeing her to prove a point or try and win an argument."
"Shit," Trip said as he watched the doors to the turbolift open and they both bolted inside.
XXX
TBC