Two: Realisations.
T'Pol retreated from the ready room at the Captain's behest, leaving the two men alone. Although Vulcan's were touch telepaths, she sensed the great emotional upheaval within Commander Tucker and anger radiating off Captain Archer. This showdown would likely damage their friendship. It didn't take a Vulcan who served on a human ship for almost two years to understand the logical repercussions of the cogenitor's death.
A Vulcan would never say 'I told you so'. Commander Tucker had ignored multiple warnings. They had spoken of the cogenitor on at least two occasions, yet the man refused to desist in his attempts to meddle in this first contact. Eyebrow arching, T'Pol took the big chair and command of the bridge, watching the rest of the senior staff go about their duties.
At least, she considered, Captain Drennik will not hold the actions of a single human against the entire species.
It wasn't long before Commander Tucker slipped out of the ready room, silently padding across the bridge to the turbolift, obviously not wanting to attract the attention of his colleagues. He stood facing the door, eyes closed and radiating an aura that stated 'leave me alone'. Lt. Reed glanced up, watching the Chief Engineer's expression carefully. Ensign Sato also noticed the pallor of Trip's skin and lack of usually exuberant body language. The Communications and Armory Officer's glanced at each other, understanding something had occurred, and it had to do with the Vissian's. Enterprise'srumour mill was quick to understand Commander Tucker's presence on the alien vessel was no longer welcome. With his past exploits well acknowledged, many assumed he'd been inappropriate with one of the ladies, again.
Sighing, internally of course and never about to admit to employing the very human expression, T'Pol could almost feel the desolation radiating off the Chief Engineer. Intriguingly, the Subcommander found it easier to read the Engineer's moods recently. She would have to consider this when meditating this evening.
Their animosity started the moment they'd met. As an attaché to Ambassador Soval, the young Vulcan initially encountered Captain Archer at Starfleet Command. On transfer to his vessel for an eight-day mission, she'd been introduced to Commander Tucker, the Chief Engineer and First Officer of Enterprise. The man's opening words had been "I took a shower this morning," which earnt him one of her famous eyebrow lifts. It didn't faze the human in the slightest. When he'd offered his hand in a sign of human greeting, T'Pol's opinion of the individual plummeted.
That first away mission proved Commander Tucker could not refrain from drawing incorrect and illogical conclusions about new species. Subcommander T'Pol warned him not to objectify other cultures, so he would know when to interfere, and when not to. They had argued in the decon chamber, not about the Lorillian Mother weaning her child, but the fact her rank out striped his and she was taking command of Enterprise. Of course, Commander Tucker had something to add to the conversation, and he'd touched her ears while arguing. As if it wasn't bad enough striping naked to allow the ultraviolet light to activate the decon gel they'd applied to each other, he'd continued to touch one of the most sensitive areas on any Vulcan. Deliberately prolonging the contact, it seemed.
Later, they heatedly debated the sensors and Enterprise's ability to follow a Sulibon warp trail. Finally, they'd argued about Captain Archers wishes. While his opinions might be presented in an emotional tone, T'Pol found it hard to fault his intelligence or innate logic. For such an emotional creature, it appeared Commander Tucker possessed an unusual way of presenting his advice. The entire episode caused the Subcommander to rethink her interaction with humans.
At the end of the mission, T'Pol stayed aboard at the behest of Captain Archer. That did not mean her antagonistic interactions with Commander Tucker ceased. On their third mission, the Engineers feeling as regards Vulcans were revealed with the pollen induced psychosis. Somewhat surprised at his apology, the Commanders words struck a chord. "Challenge your preconceptions or they'll challenge you," he'd stated. It was something a Vulcan might say and proved there was more to his man that she'd allowed. He required further study.
Enterprises very next contact proved, intriguing. Commander Tucker became the first Human male to achieve a viable interspecies pregnancy. Having researched Human behaviours and interacted with the crew, T'Pol understood 'Trip' was considered attractive by their standards, both physically and in personality. He easily made and kept friendships with his eager demonstration of emotion. As contradictory as this seemed, it did not stop the Subcommander from berating him in sickbay for his most illogical actions. T'Pol found her victory hollow. The Engineer continued to decry his innocence's and appeared hurt by her words.
Curious. She could cause adverse emotional reactions in Commander Tucker. This was most unexpected and forced yet another meditation session to achieve clarity.
There had been other incidence and arguments. An encrypted transmission caused the antagonistic association into something more personal. After reading the letter demanding T'Pol's return to Vulcan for her immediate marriage to Koss, Doctor Phlox encouraged the Subcommander to discuss her problem with someone she felt comfortable confiding in. Commander Tucker, by virtue of being the only individual to know had been the logical choice. His words, "did it ever occur to you that you might have postponed the wedding because subconsciously you wanted to get out of it?" were typical of his overly emotional response to any problem. Yet, they resonated with her. After composing a response which called off the marriage, T'Pol attempted Pecan pie, something the Commander referred to as 'Soul food'.
T'Pol knew of the night spent in the basement of an infamous Risan night club. She'd noticed the increasing dissatisfaction among the male crew, unable to copulate while on duty and suggested the pleasure planet to aid her fellow officers. Such would not be necessary on a Vulcan vessel where sexual tension did not exist. The proprietor of the salubrious establishment called Enterprise, unsure what to do when the Engineer and Armoury Officers alcohol bill remained unsettled. She'd transported down, assessed the situation and decided to leave Mr. Tucker and Mr. Reed to find their own method of escape. Neither had said a word of the escapade and neither found the sexual release they'd hoped for. Undoubtedly, Mr. Tucker would say he 'got is just deserts'. Humans were full of such colloquialisms.
When the Ferengi attached Enterprise, she'd been the first individual Commander Tucker woke. A logical choice which allowed them to work together and save the remainder of the crew. However, finding the Engineer, once again in his underwear, with the First Monarch came without shock. T'Pol learnt to expect such behaviour from the overly emotional man.
After the Captain's teasing "is this a bad time?" on finding the Commander knee deep in swamp water, Princess Kaitaama hissed loud enough for her sensitive Vulcan ears to hear. "I suppose that's the wife?" It seemed the humanoid woman was under the impression a relationship existed between herself and Commander Tucker.
"Hey, T'Pol," Trip marched over to the Vulcan, ignoring her raised eyebrow, "am I ever glad to see you, darlin!"
"Indeed," was all the Subcommander could utter as the rest of the away team's mouths plummeted. He had then stuck to her like glue until Kaitaama's people could retieve their monarch.
That had only been a few weeks in the past. Mentally shaking her head, T'Pol internal clock understood twenty-three minutes had passed while she considered her association with Commander Tucker and still the Captain remained in his ready room. Handing the bridge back to Lt. Reed, the Subcommander started towards the stairs, only to change her mind. Something forced her feet toward the turbolift. As if the memories of her interactions with Commander Tucker over the last two years involuntarily carried her to the forward section of deck E, the Vulcan found herself outside the Chief Engineer's quarters.
Another five minutes passed with the same number of unanswered called, before T'Pol used her override code. Intuition, not exactly an emotion but not logical either, forced two realisations as the door opened. The Subcommander knew exactly what she would find, and at some point, most probably on that first mission when he'd touched her ears, an intimate bond had commenced between them.
Taking in a deep breath and centring her mind, T'Pol understood what her next actions must be. Commander Tucker had been the first one into her quarters when Tolaris forced her to continue an unwanted mind meld. At the time his possessiveness had gone unnoticed by all but her perpetrator. Both Trip's, she stumbled over the name, even in her mind, actions and Tolaris's reactions now made sense. She'd suffered Pa'nar Syndrome as a result which left T'Pol's emotional repression unpredictable and inconsistent, allowing the bond with Commander Tucker to deepen and grow. Indeed, with her increasing pleasure in his company, to strengthen with time. Yet, a mind meld with her bondmate was the only logical conclusion for many reasons. Trip required his devastating emotions over the cogenitor's death alleviated, and T'Pol concluded completing the bond with a human was the only cure for Pa'nar.