A/N: Been a while but I got the next couple of chapters ready to be posted. - Countdrizzle
It was the next morning and T'Pol was sitting on the bed watching Trip with their daughter. He was walking around the room with their daughter in his arms singing to her softly. T'Pol can't actually believe it but she starts to feel tears on her cheeks. The gas was in full force now and T'Pol has to remember the training she received the last time this happened.
" Hey T'Pol what's wrong?" Trip asked in a small comforting voice. He was nervous because he's never seen T'Pol look so vulnerable and realized for the first time that maybe it was best that T'Pol didn't show her emotions. It wasn't that he didn't love her now that she was but realized that even though he wished that sometimes T'Pol would just let go and tell him or show him what she was feeling, he realized that what made T'Pol herself was her control and now that it was gone she looked so lost. Trip hated the fact that she was so lost.
" Being a father suits you, Trip, very much so. I am just unsure that I can be what she needs, what you need." Trip hands T'Pol Lizzy and gathers her up in a hug. That's another thing that he isn't sure he wanted to see again. T'Pol was so confident that seeing her doubt herself was just scary.
" Hey you are everything we need, everything we want. Look how happy she is right now. That smile is just for you." They look down at their daughter and she laughs and kicks the air. T'Pol hugs her daughter closer to her and smiles at the little baby dressed in a pink jumpsuit. T'Pol then turns to Trip and takes one of his hands; he looks up at the sudden contact and smiles. He feels a tingly feeling in his hand that makes him want to laugh.
" This might be the one chance I can allow myself to tell you this. I love you Trip and I believe I always will." Now it was Trip's turn to have tears in his eyes and he pulled her in for another kiss.
" I love you too sweetheart." They stayed like that for a second before T'Pol told him it was time to go. Trip had his therapy session with the Doc and Captain Archer, he would bring Lizzy with him since the only person he trusts right now with his daughter is the doctor and his staff. Even though his brothers have gone and left the ship he really didn't want to leave her with his parents though knows he will have to pay them a visit at some point. Then T'Pol will be going with the Admiral down to Earth to ' interview' Admiral Black. Trip doesn't know this of course all he knows is that they got a new lead. Though he knows that T'Pol will only take the logical actions that doesn't mean she won't put herself in unnecessary danger if she thought it was logical. Because as he learned throughout the years there is no one logical answer it all depends on the person and what they interpret as logical. So the family left together out the door but two of them went right and the other went left.
Courtney met T'Pol at the shuttlebay nursing two large thermoses. One was full of strong black coffee and the other was full of tea. Courtney handed T'Pol the tea with a strained smile.
" How was your night?" Courtney could see the emotion on her face and it scared her. There was no such thing as a vulnerable T'Pol because no matter what the situation is and no matter what she is feeling she will always be the strongest person Courtney knows but that does not mean that she has her off days and Courtney can see it written on her face.
" I slept through the night. Are you ready?" That was the only answer Courtney needed and smiled at the eagerness.
" Oh, I was born ready. Bring it on like donkey kong." T'Pol laughed like actually laughed. Though it was nothing like a human laugh and sounded alien to Courtney's ears she couldn't help but comment on it.
" I always knew you thought I was funny." T'Pol gave her her best eyebrow raise yet and sassed back appropriately.
" Just because in this one instance I found your comment to be humorous doesn't mean I find that you are." Though Courtney laughed she knew she was going to have to teach T'Pol better comebacks.
" That was almost funny T'Pol." The two friends give each other a smile before heading to their shuttle. The crew that was working in the shuttlebay still couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. A Human and a Vulcan joking around with each other and laughing. It kind of gives them hope for the future of the Coalition.
Meanwhile in Sickbay the room was tense; they were in Phlox's office with the Doc on one side and the two officers who are at odds with each other on the other. Lizzy who is sitting on Trip's lap with her hand in her mouth was staring at the adults with wide eyes. In true Vulcan nature she found the room and the people in it to be fascinating. She looks at her father and see's that he is no longer smiling or laughing like he was when he was in the room with her mother but he was sitting still looking at the other man who she knew to be as the Captain with a blank stare. The other man, the Captain, was facing ahead with a similar look but his eyes were burning like her Mom's fire stick. She briefly wonders where her mother is but then remembers that she was going somewhere with that funny lady who was really warm and soft.
" Captain Commander, I understand that there is something going on. When we were starting this mission you two were best friends. What has changed?" Phlox knew that taking the direct path was probably the best way to go, neither of them was fond of wasting time. When neither of them spoke Phlox knew that he was going to have to do some pushing.
" Captain, let's start with you. When did you start noticing that you and the commander started to drift apart?" Archer had the answer right away and when he said it Phlox could tell that the Commander disagreed.
" When the Vission Cogenitor committed suicide." Phlox then turned to the commander to have a slight shake of the head and asked him the same question.
" When Porthos got that virus on Kreetassa and Captain Archer told T'Pol of his feelings for her." The Captain looked up sharply and gave him a shocked look.
" You knew about that?" Trip gave out a chuckle that held no humor in it. But before he could go ballistic Lizzy touched his face with her small hand a gurgled in his ear and T'Pol sent a bit of calm and peace through their bond from wherever she is now. Never in his life was Trip ever as thankful to have a family than he was now even if one of them probably had no clue what was going on and just wanted his attention. Trip took Lizzy's hand on his own before answering the Captain in a much more calm voice than the one he was about to give.
" Yeah Captain, I found out after the ceremony. Believe it or not, even back then me and T'Pol were friends and she was concerned that your unreturned feelings for her would affect your working relationship." Then Archer's face full of confusion turns into anger in a flash, Trip thought that he knew the man before but the Enterprise changed him and not for the better.
" Why didn't she come to me before?" He asked more of himself than to the other three people in the room. " Maybe then we could have worked it out together and we wouldn't have been in this situation." Trip was starting to think that maybe the Captain didn't know that he was thinking out loud but it didn't matter. Trip stood up with his daughter and left the room leaving behind Archer and a protesting Phlox. But before Phlox could do anything about it Trip was back in the room having just given Elizabeth to Nurse Cutler. What neither the Captain or the good doctor knew was that Trip was really just following the advice of his bond mate who started to listen in on the conversation after feeling the first wave of anger. Trip was about to blow and they both knew it but T'Pol managed to talk him into saving their little girl's ears before though.
" When will you get it Jon? There was never going to be you and her. T'Pol thinks of you as a superior, perhaps even a friend but that's it. Nothing else. So quit trying to push yourself on to her because all you're doing is pissing us off and causing a tension that's hard to breathe through." Jon interrupted him with a strained voice. Jon knew the truth, he just keeps ignoring it because in the past he has always gotten what he wanted. Whether that be getting the NX program back started or becoming the Captain of the Enterprise. And of course when it comes to the job and the well being of the ship it is amazingly great. But when it comes to their personal lives, Trip is beyond done with it.
" Or maybe you are corrupting her mind. We had something I know it, I felt it. And maybe you are the one who can't handle it. Over the years I've seen the way you looked at me when I was with T'Pol. You were jealous."
" Jealous? Me? Jealous of you?" Trip gave a dangerous chuckle before continuing his thought process. " Trust me Captain, there is nothing about your life to be jealous about. You're a lonely middle aged drunk who can't sleep at night without getting schnookered out of your mind and thinking about the mother of my child."
" Now look here you sorry ass son of a bi…"
" I think we've all heard enough." Phlox interrupted before things could get any more out of hand. He didn't know what he could do, the scares in their relationship are just too deep. He thought that maybe it would be better for the Captain to leave and they give each other some time. Phlox is saddened by his own thoughts but he was the main cause for this rift. Commander Tucker was right; they did start to drift apart after Phlox told Archer of his feelings for his Number one. Phlox can't help but blame himself.
" I believe this might be my fault. Denoblens are known to push romantic relationships on people. I did that with you Captain and Commander T'Pol while Porthos was in Sickbay and I did the same with you Commander Tucker and Commander T'Pol by using Vulcan Nero Pressure." He pauses trying to collect his thoughts and also to not focus on the looks that are being sent his way.
" Given that you have both let your feelings towards T'Pol known, it is up to her to make her decision. Because gentlemen the decision in the end is hers. No matter what the circumstances are, she has chosen the Commander and the only way to respect Commander T'Pol the way you both claim you do, you must respect her decision." Captain Archer sits there for a moment thinking about what has been said. He looks at Trip and then to Phlox before standing abruptly and heading towards the door. Before he leaves though he speaks without looking back.
" I'm getting off this damned ship." He doesn't leave the ship though, he can't he's still the Captain but he's just counting the days until he can.