Author's Note: Please see previous notes. Things are going to change a lot more from here—I'm diverging a lot from canon. So, expect much more divergence with the story-proper in this chapter or those to come—we're going rogue now people!
Let me know what you think!
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"Excuse me?" Trip asked, his ears obviously deceiving him.
"After the meeting with the Captain and the crew involved, I tested myself and discovered that, I too was pregnant," T'Pol said uncomfortably.
"But 8 weeks ago, I was on birth control," Trip said as he rubbed at his jaw and looked at her in disbelief.
"I know," T'Pol said.
"Are you okay?" Trip asked her, concerned as he stepped toward her.
"I am…confused," T'Pol said, honestly.
"Damn straight you are," Trip chuckled. "I thought Vulcans and humans were very unlikely to…"
"We are," T'Pol said, worry painting her features. "Your birth control was just precautionary, not necessary. A Vulcan-Human child would, statistically, need to be created in a lab and implanted."
"Then how…?"
"I don't know," T'Pol swallowed and her eyes started to water.
"Come here," Trip said as he pulled her into a fierce hug. "Everything is going to be fine."
"How do you know that?" T'Pol asked, her voice muffled.
"Because I love you, and you have deep affection for me," Trip chuckled. "We'll be great parents."
"Our careers at Starfleet will be over," T'Pol said, seriously.
"Maybe," Trip said. "But, if there's something more at work here…"
"What?" T'Pol asked as she pulled back and looked at him worried.
"Nothing with the baby," Trip said. "I don't mean that. I just mean, it's awfully strange that everyone is on birth control, you tested it and it's perfect, and yet…"
"Conspiracy?" T'Pol asked. "A contagion?"
"That or some kinda anomaly," Trip offered. "There's another force at work here."
"Agreed," T'Pol nodded.
Trip smiled at her. He didn't want her worrying about what caused this; that was for him to figure out.
"So, what can I expect from a Vulcan pregnancy?" Trip asked as he held onto her hips.
"They are usually 12 months in length," T'Pol offered. "Vulcan women can experience wild emotional fluctuations, there is usually a period of…"
She suddenly stopped talking and her face paled.
"What?" Trip asked, concerned.
"I will need to receive blood transfusions as my blood is not compatible with human blood composition and our child may require the human components," T'Pol said. "I need to speak with Phlox immediately."
"I'm coming with you," Trip said as he reached for the tools he'd placed down when they entered.
T'Pol nodded. "Thank you."
"Darlin, you and that baby are going to be fine," Trip said as he kissed her forehead. "Phlox and I will make sure of it."
T'Pol nodded and started to walk out of the lab with Trip following behind her.
"So, what else can I expect?" Trip asked conversationally as they approached the door.
"Vulcans gain minimal weight but have a history of high blood pressure in the later stages of pregnancy," T'Pol explained. "And I will go through a pregnancy-induced version of pon farr…"
"What's pon farr?" Trip asked, unfamiliar with the language.
"That's a private conversation for later," T'Pol offered.
"Okay," Trip shrugged. "What else?"
"Vulcan dietary needs remain the same, my sleep patterns may become erratic, my ability to meditate can be compromised, the emotional upheaval is the only real worry during a Vulcan pregnancy which is why most Vulcan women take a leave of absence. They therefore don't burden others with their emotions."
"But all of this could be different because he or she is half human?" Trip asked as they doors opened.
"True," T'Pol nodded, worried. "There is no precedent for this child."
Trip nodded and swallowed hard, then walked with her to Sick Bay.
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"You're here?" Jon said absently as he signed off on something on a nearby PADD. "I asked everyone to meet in…"
"I know, I just wanted to talk with you first," Trip said nervously as he walked inside Jon's private room.
"Can we talk as we walk? T'Pol likes meetings timely and…"
"She's not going to be at this one," Trip sighed as he looked toward a nearby chair. "May I?"
"Sure," Jon said confused as he sat on the edge of his bed and looked at Trip who was uncomfortable and acting strange. "Why won't T'Pol be there?"
"She's having a blood transfusion," Trip supplied.
"What?" Jon asked confused. "Why does she need…?'
"That's what I'm here to talk with you about," Trip said as he leaned heavily on his knees and played with his hands. "Can I talk with you as both my Captain and my friend?"
"Sure," Jon said, his brow furrowing. "What's up? Is T'Pol okay?"
"She violated Starfleet's fraternization policy," Trip supplied and when he saw Jon's shocked face lost a bit of nerve to continue.
"With another Vulcan we had on board or…?"
"With me," Trip offered.
Jon started to laugh.
"Oh my god, you almost had me for a moment," Jon said as he started to rise from his seat, but when he didn't see Trip rising as well, sat back down. "This is a joke, you are pulling my leg, right, Trip?"
"No, we've been involved for a while," Trip said as he guiltily met Jon's eyes. "But the weird thing is…"
"I'm sorry, you two involved means, in a relationship and that relationship is also sexual?"
"Yes," Trip nodded.
"And she needs a blood transfusion because…?"
"She's pregnant," Trip offered.
Jon's face fell. There was no way his best friend and first officer had been carrying on without him noticing and, on top of that, she was pregnant!
"I'm now speaking as your Captain, and I am ordering you, if this is a joke, to admit this right now or I will have you up on charges of…"
"I'm not kidding Jon," Trip said. "And because the baby is half Human and half Vulcan she's got to have blood transfusions so her body doesn't see the baby as a type of tumor or something."
"Holy shit, Trip," Jon said as he looked at his friend. "You and T'Pol really are…"
"Going to be parents in about 10 months, give or take," Trip said.
"Ten?"
"Vulcan pregnancies are 52 weeks and she's 8 weeks along," Trip offered. "But he or she could come early because human pregnancies are 40 weeks. Phlox said we'll know more as it progresses."
"And you never thought to use birth control?" Jon asked, his voice a little harsh.
"We did," Trip said. "That's what I was about to tell you. Vulcans don't take birth control unless necessary, and she wasn't, but the probability of conceiving naturally is several million to one. And we'd been…having relations…without birth control, for some time before I went on it. Jon, I went on birth control 8 weeks ago, and she's 8 weeks pregnant."
"So, it is the birth control?" Jon asked. "But T'Pol assures me that…"
"It could be an undetectable contagion, or a space anomaly or…well, T'Pol immediately went to conspiracy but…" Trip rubbed at his jaw. "All I know is that when we were having unprotected sex…"
Jon glared at him for his poor choice of behaviour with T'Pol.
"I know," Trip nodded, truthfully apologetic. "But, when we weren't doing anything to stop getting pregnant, no baby. But, as soon as we actively tried to prevent a child, despite the crazy odds, T'Pol became pregnant. There's something to that."
Jon took a deep breath and looked at his friend. For the Captain of a starship he'd been talking way too much about babies in the last few hours.
"How's she doing?" Jon asked.
"She's scared," Trip said honestly.
"And you?"
"I…I don't know what to think, my head is still spinning," Trip offered.
Jon nodded.
"I've been seeing a lot of that," Jon said as he stood.
"What will Starfleet…?"
"They have just been notified and I'm waiting to hear back, but they think it's a good idea we inform everyone in case there's a risk someone else is pregnant."
"No one was planning this," Trip said as he rose from his chair to follow Jon out.
"Let's talk with the senior staff and then call a meeting for all staff in the Cargo Bay," Jon said before he turned to face his friend. "And, I know I haven't said it. But congratulations. You two will be great parents."
"Thanks," Trip smiled at his friend.
"Now, let's get to the bottom of this," Jon said before the two men exited.
XXX
TBC
