Title: Cause and Effect
Author: Josephine
Rating: R
Genre: Romance/General
Pairing: T'Pol/Archer, Hoshi/Trip, Reed/Cutler
Summary: Archer helps T'Pol with a problem; her situation has a domino effect.
Disclaimer: Paramount owns the Trek dance hall; I like to call the steps once in awhile.
Author's Notes: I want to thank everyone for bearing with me through this 'Archer/T'Pol' story. It was supposed to be just a short one about the two of them, but then I thought 'What if Hoshi was affected', then Reed jumped in, and it just exploded. I have so much fun writing Trip and Hoshi I couldn't help myself. Some have wondered about Vulcan women going through pon farr, I think that both male and females experience it. The male's pon farr triggers his mate's lesser fever; she needs one to match the male's ferocity. After all, why not? As to T'Pol getting pregnant, while this isn't canon since it's from 'Spock's World', it took Vulcan scientists a few tries to get Spock going in the lab, and I have read that Vulcan women *rarely have twins, therefore T'Pol is only going to be releasing one egg, so I don't think there is any chance of T'Pol and Archer having a baby without some outside intervention. Whew! Anyway, back to the two who inspired this piece!
Conclusion
T'Pol slowly woke to the feel of an arm and a leg thrown over her. She tried to turn her head, but Archer's face pressed against her cheek. His cool breath sent goose bumps down her body. Reaching inward, T'Pol traced her way back to Archer's mind.
She found herself on a beach, where an older man was playing with a boy. They were trying to fly a model spaceship, but the boy was having trouble controlling the pitch. She watched the ship as it bobbled in the air, eventually plowing into the sand. Looking up, the boy and the man were gone, and the Archer she knew was standing beside her with the model.
"I never quite got it to fly."
"Where are we?"
"Near my parent's summer house." He noticed her outfit. "You're not dressed right."
T'Pol suddenly found herself in human underwear. "It's called a bathing suit." Archer was in some kind of shorts. "Let's go swimming." He pulled her toward the ocean.
"I don't know how to swim."
"We'll stay where we can stand. I won't let you drown."
She tentatively walked into the water, shivering at the cold.
"Too cold, huh?" The water suddenly warmed. "Let's go deeper."
Archer led her further in until they were up to their shoulders. The waves would occasionally lift T'Pol off her feet, but Archer kept a hold of her.
"There's something I always wanted to do -" he whispered in her ear. As Archer kissed her, T'Pol felt his hands at her back, untying her suit top. It floated away as he untied the bottom. She returned the favor, tugging down on his suit.
T'Pol wrapped her arms around Archer's neck and her legs around his waist as he pulled her close. He ran his tongue along the edge of her ear. "Are you ready?" he asked.
She said yes with a kiss.
Archer woke with a start, tangled up in sheets that confirmed the half remembered dream fragments left in his head. He glanced over at T'Pol, who was looking back at him.
:::Did we just --?:::
:::Yes.:::
:::-- that was fun.::: He grinned, sitting up. :::No replacement for the real thing, but definitely fun.::: Archer leaned forward and kissed her lightly.
T'Pol paused a moment, then kissed him back. :::We are due on the bridge in fifty three minutes.:::
:::You're going on duty?:::
:::Yes, the fever has all but passed.:::
:::You'll have Phlox take a look at you?:::
:::If it would make you feel better, Jonathan.:::
:::It would. Do you want to shower first?:::
:::No, you can.::: T'Pol watched Archer as he hopped out of the bunk and went into the small bathroom. Finally getting up, she stripped the sheets and remade the bed.
Tucking the last corner in, she felt Archer's hand run down her back. :::Although only traces of the fever remain, Jonathan; it needs only that to start something we do not have time to finish.:::
:::Well, what do you expect when you stroll around the cabin nude?::: He laughed and put on yesterday's clothes. :::I'm going to get a clean uniform, I'll see you on the bridge if not in the wardroom,::: giving her a kiss before leaving.
T'Pol walked to breakfast, returning greetings as she went. Entering the wardroom, she saw Archer and a bowl of plomeek soup waiting for her.
:::I got your breakfast so you wouldn't be late..:::
:::Thank you.:::
"Will there be anything else, Sub-Commander?" asked the crewman when he came in to clear Archer's plate.
"No, thank you, Weinberg."
:::You're being -- polite.:::
:::Being linked to you has given me some insight into the human psyche. I have noticed that using small social pleasantries makes humans feel better, and therefore increases morale..:::
:::True. It's nice to be appreciated, not matter what you do. Finished?:::
:::Yes.::: she replied, getting up.
Back on the bridge, Archer had a hard time not using the link to speak to T'Pol. Besides the oddity of seeming to give each other the silent treatment, their exchanges needed to be shared with the crew.
It was mid-morning before T'Pol indicated they were done surveying the nebula.
"Anything unusual about this one?" Archer asked.
"No, Captain, nothing out of the ordinary. However, the data will be useful for further studies."
"All right, Mayweather, off to Riga. Warp 4 this time, open her up a little."
"Yes, Sir!" The crew felt a slight shudder as the Enterprise accelerated.
Archer turned to T'Pol. "Riga's kind of a vacation spot, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is. I must warn you, Captain, that Riga is rather - hedonistic."
Tucker grinned. "Sounds like my kinda place!"
Not deigning to look at him, T'Pol continued. "Humans can be -- impulsive, Captain. I strongly urge you to speak to the crew and warn them of the risks this planet holds." :::I recommend it, Jonathan.:::
"Thank you, T'Pol, I will."
Reed and Tucker just looked at each other. A week ago, T'Pol would have been forecasting murder and mayhem if humans were let loose on a planet like this one, and Archer would have retorted with his usual 'Humans aren't children'. They were actually being civil to each other, however, and not in the way two people who hate each other are.
Reed just shrugged and went back to calibrating the weapons, but Tucker remembered what Phlox had said about T'Pol's pon farr. Wrapped up in Hoshi, he had forgotten about T'Pol and her problem, and realized she might have asked the Captain to help out.
:::Wouldn't been my cup o' tea, but they both look like the cat who ate the canary.::: Tucker grinned, looking over at Hoshi. :::I know jest how they feel.:::
"Cap'n, if you've got time, d'you want to take a look at the engine modifications we finished this week?" Tucker thought he was going to have to repeat himself as Archer didn't answer for awhile.
"Oh, yes, I think we have time. T'Pol, you have the bridge."
After Tucker and Archer left, the bridge crew worked in silence only broken by Hoshi's soft humming and Reed's occasional muttered curses.
"Would you like some help, Lieutenant Reed?" T'Pol voice seemed loud in the previous silence.
Reed was about to decline when he thought :::Why the hell not? Try the olive branch --:::
"These calibrations won't get any closer than .25 microns, and I can't figure out why."
T'Pol came over and looked at Reed's work. "Have you tried to -"
" - yes, and that only corrected it to .30."
"What about -"
" -- that too, which got it to the .25 is it now."
T'Pol tried one more adjustment. "I cannot close the variance to anything less than .25; this is well within normal parameters." She paused. "You have done excellent work getting it this far."
Reed blinked in astonishment. " -- thank you, Sub-Commander."
"You are welcome, Lieutenant."
Retuning to her station and closing it out, T'Pol looked over at Hoshi. "Ensign Sato, it is 1200 hours. Would you like to have lunch with me?"
"Um, sure." Quickly shutting down her own work, Hoshi followed T'Pol to the lift, exchanging confused glances with Reed and Mayweather.
"Lieutenant Reed, you have the bridge."
"Aye, aye, ma'm," he called out to the closing doors.
T'Pol and Hoshi walked in companionable silence to the mess hall, chose their lunch and sat down at a corner table.
"I wanted to find out how you were doing," T'Pol finally said. "I was surprised to discover that you had been affected by my pon farr."
Hoshi blinked a few times. "I'm fine now. It was - rough in the beginning, but it worked out for the best." T'Pol could see a blush rise up Hoshi's face.
"You chose Commander Tucker as your mate. Why him over the others?" T'Pol continued at Hoshi's silence: "I understand if you do not wish to talk about it -."
"No, it's alright. I was thinking. I don't know exactly why. It's not like I tallied up the stats of all the men aboard and then picked Trip. Yes, I was physically attracted to him, but if he had been a jerk or something I wouldn't have picked him no matter what. Who knows why the heart decides the way it does." With a wry grin, Hoshi noticed T'Pol nodding absentmindedly. "I always thought I'd be in competition with you for Trip. Why didn't you choose him?"
T'Pol's eyebrow rose at this. She debated internally whether or not to open this subject with Hoshi. "Commander Tucker does not have the mental discipline or strength of character I needed from a mate, even a temporary one. While he is handsome for a human, I was not attracted to him," she finally said.
"But you were to the Captain? Don't worry, I don't think anyone else knows. I look at body language as well as the spoken word to understand what someone is saying, and the Captain's, at least to me, was pretty easy to read."
"I believe the Captain cares for me, but we have not spoken of it. These feelings I have for him make me unsure." T'Pol remembered who she was talking to. "I find it difficult to discuss this with someone who is not a Vulcan."
Hoshi tactfully changed the subject.
After lunch T'Pol went to sickbay to see Phlox. He looked at her while keeping one eye on the scanner. "Hormone levels are fine. You've come though your pon farr without a scratch. At least no serious ones." He gave her a smile. "Has there been any - repercussions from choosing Captain Archer as your mate?" Phlox crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.
T'Pol looked at him a moment before baldly stating "I may be falling in love with him."
Phlox looked surprised. "Oh really?"
"I do not know. I care for him, certainly. Whether or not it is love -"
" - takes time, Sub-Commander. Do you know how he feels?"
"Not directly. The are little things that make me suspect, but it is not logical to assume."
"Are you going to find out?"
"Of course."
"Well, that's the first step. Good luck, Sub-Commander."
T'Pol raised an eyebrow at him. "Thank you, Doctor."
Beta shift was coming on duty before T'Pol had a chance to talk to Archer. :::Jonathan.:::
Only a small start from him betrayed that he heard her. :::What is it?:::
:::Will you come to my cabin after your evening meal?::::
::You're not having dinner?:::
:::No, I am not hungry.:::
:::I'll come now.:::
They got into the lift with Hoshi; Archer and T'Pol absorbed in their own thoughts, Hoshi trying to keep a straight face as she thought of the two of them. Her grin finally broke out as they exited the lift, forgetting that Hoshi was even there.
:::Mind if I get out of this uniform first?::: Archer paused in front of his cabin.
:::No. I will wait for you.::: T'Pol continued to her door.
As he changed clothes, Archer wondered what she wanted to talk about, worried that she wanted to end the relationship. He stopped that train of thought. "No sense borrowing trouble."
Walking into T'Pol's cabin, Archer saw her sitting on one of the chairs. He sat on the other, facing her, waiting for her to speak.
::: -- I saw Dr. Phlox today, he said that my hormone levels have returned to their standard levels. The fever has passed.:::
:::All normal? That's good.:::
:::Jonathan, there is something I need to discuss with you, and I want us to be completely honest with each other.:::
He sighed, prepared for the worst. :::All right.:::
:::While I no longer need to mate to control the pon farr fever, I find that I have come to - care for you Jonathan, and am reluctant to end this part of our association. I have reason to believe you return my regard. Is this true?::::
Archer just looked at her. This wasn't what he expected.
::: - I would like to - I mean, I do return your regard, and would like to continue this relationship. I didn't know you felt this way.::: Surprise laced his thoughts.
:::I did not know either until the fever started to wane, yet my desires for your - company remained. It will not be easy, Jonathan. There are those who would not like to see us together.:::
:::I know. I used be one of them. We'll have to continue as we have been while on duty, of course.:::
:::Of course. Even off duty, we must be circumspect. I would not be comfortable with overt displays of affection.:::
:::No holding hands, huh? What can I do then?:::
T'Pol studied him for a moment, then stood up. :::Jonathan Archer, I desire to become your companion. Will you take me as such?:::
Archer stood and took a deep breath. :::"T'Pol of Vulcan, I also desire you to become my companion and accept you as such..::: He looked at T'Pol as she held out her right hand with two fingers extended. As he did the same, she turned her hand over and placed her fingers on his.
:::Wanimo aisha[i]::: T'Pol said.
:::Wanimo aisha::: Archer replied.
----------
Finis
----------------------- [i] My love
Author: Josephine
Rating: R
Genre: Romance/General
Pairing: T'Pol/Archer, Hoshi/Trip, Reed/Cutler
Summary: Archer helps T'Pol with a problem; her situation has a domino effect.
Disclaimer: Paramount owns the Trek dance hall; I like to call the steps once in awhile.
Author's Notes: I want to thank everyone for bearing with me through this 'Archer/T'Pol' story. It was supposed to be just a short one about the two of them, but then I thought 'What if Hoshi was affected', then Reed jumped in, and it just exploded. I have so much fun writing Trip and Hoshi I couldn't help myself. Some have wondered about Vulcan women going through pon farr, I think that both male and females experience it. The male's pon farr triggers his mate's lesser fever; she needs one to match the male's ferocity. After all, why not? As to T'Pol getting pregnant, while this isn't canon since it's from 'Spock's World', it took Vulcan scientists a few tries to get Spock going in the lab, and I have read that Vulcan women *rarely have twins, therefore T'Pol is only going to be releasing one egg, so I don't think there is any chance of T'Pol and Archer having a baby without some outside intervention. Whew! Anyway, back to the two who inspired this piece!
Conclusion
T'Pol slowly woke to the feel of an arm and a leg thrown over her. She tried to turn her head, but Archer's face pressed against her cheek. His cool breath sent goose bumps down her body. Reaching inward, T'Pol traced her way back to Archer's mind.
She found herself on a beach, where an older man was playing with a boy. They were trying to fly a model spaceship, but the boy was having trouble controlling the pitch. She watched the ship as it bobbled in the air, eventually plowing into the sand. Looking up, the boy and the man were gone, and the Archer she knew was standing beside her with the model.
"I never quite got it to fly."
"Where are we?"
"Near my parent's summer house." He noticed her outfit. "You're not dressed right."
T'Pol suddenly found herself in human underwear. "It's called a bathing suit." Archer was in some kind of shorts. "Let's go swimming." He pulled her toward the ocean.
"I don't know how to swim."
"We'll stay where we can stand. I won't let you drown."
She tentatively walked into the water, shivering at the cold.
"Too cold, huh?" The water suddenly warmed. "Let's go deeper."
Archer led her further in until they were up to their shoulders. The waves would occasionally lift T'Pol off her feet, but Archer kept a hold of her.
"There's something I always wanted to do -" he whispered in her ear. As Archer kissed her, T'Pol felt his hands at her back, untying her suit top. It floated away as he untied the bottom. She returned the favor, tugging down on his suit.
T'Pol wrapped her arms around Archer's neck and her legs around his waist as he pulled her close. He ran his tongue along the edge of her ear. "Are you ready?" he asked.
She said yes with a kiss.
Archer woke with a start, tangled up in sheets that confirmed the half remembered dream fragments left in his head. He glanced over at T'Pol, who was looking back at him.
:::Did we just --?:::
:::Yes.:::
:::-- that was fun.::: He grinned, sitting up. :::No replacement for the real thing, but definitely fun.::: Archer leaned forward and kissed her lightly.
T'Pol paused a moment, then kissed him back. :::We are due on the bridge in fifty three minutes.:::
:::You're going on duty?:::
:::Yes, the fever has all but passed.:::
:::You'll have Phlox take a look at you?:::
:::If it would make you feel better, Jonathan.:::
:::It would. Do you want to shower first?:::
:::No, you can.::: T'Pol watched Archer as he hopped out of the bunk and went into the small bathroom. Finally getting up, she stripped the sheets and remade the bed.
Tucking the last corner in, she felt Archer's hand run down her back. :::Although only traces of the fever remain, Jonathan; it needs only that to start something we do not have time to finish.:::
:::Well, what do you expect when you stroll around the cabin nude?::: He laughed and put on yesterday's clothes. :::I'm going to get a clean uniform, I'll see you on the bridge if not in the wardroom,::: giving her a kiss before leaving.
T'Pol walked to breakfast, returning greetings as she went. Entering the wardroom, she saw Archer and a bowl of plomeek soup waiting for her.
:::I got your breakfast so you wouldn't be late..:::
:::Thank you.:::
"Will there be anything else, Sub-Commander?" asked the crewman when he came in to clear Archer's plate.
"No, thank you, Weinberg."
:::You're being -- polite.:::
:::Being linked to you has given me some insight into the human psyche. I have noticed that using small social pleasantries makes humans feel better, and therefore increases morale..:::
:::True. It's nice to be appreciated, not matter what you do. Finished?:::
:::Yes.::: she replied, getting up.
Back on the bridge, Archer had a hard time not using the link to speak to T'Pol. Besides the oddity of seeming to give each other the silent treatment, their exchanges needed to be shared with the crew.
It was mid-morning before T'Pol indicated they were done surveying the nebula.
"Anything unusual about this one?" Archer asked.
"No, Captain, nothing out of the ordinary. However, the data will be useful for further studies."
"All right, Mayweather, off to Riga. Warp 4 this time, open her up a little."
"Yes, Sir!" The crew felt a slight shudder as the Enterprise accelerated.
Archer turned to T'Pol. "Riga's kind of a vacation spot, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is. I must warn you, Captain, that Riga is rather - hedonistic."
Tucker grinned. "Sounds like my kinda place!"
Not deigning to look at him, T'Pol continued. "Humans can be -- impulsive, Captain. I strongly urge you to speak to the crew and warn them of the risks this planet holds." :::I recommend it, Jonathan.:::
"Thank you, T'Pol, I will."
Reed and Tucker just looked at each other. A week ago, T'Pol would have been forecasting murder and mayhem if humans were let loose on a planet like this one, and Archer would have retorted with his usual 'Humans aren't children'. They were actually being civil to each other, however, and not in the way two people who hate each other are.
Reed just shrugged and went back to calibrating the weapons, but Tucker remembered what Phlox had said about T'Pol's pon farr. Wrapped up in Hoshi, he had forgotten about T'Pol and her problem, and realized she might have asked the Captain to help out.
:::Wouldn't been my cup o' tea, but they both look like the cat who ate the canary.::: Tucker grinned, looking over at Hoshi. :::I know jest how they feel.:::
"Cap'n, if you've got time, d'you want to take a look at the engine modifications we finished this week?" Tucker thought he was going to have to repeat himself as Archer didn't answer for awhile.
"Oh, yes, I think we have time. T'Pol, you have the bridge."
After Tucker and Archer left, the bridge crew worked in silence only broken by Hoshi's soft humming and Reed's occasional muttered curses.
"Would you like some help, Lieutenant Reed?" T'Pol voice seemed loud in the previous silence.
Reed was about to decline when he thought :::Why the hell not? Try the olive branch --:::
"These calibrations won't get any closer than .25 microns, and I can't figure out why."
T'Pol came over and looked at Reed's work. "Have you tried to -"
" - yes, and that only corrected it to .30."
"What about -"
" -- that too, which got it to the .25 is it now."
T'Pol tried one more adjustment. "I cannot close the variance to anything less than .25; this is well within normal parameters." She paused. "You have done excellent work getting it this far."
Reed blinked in astonishment. " -- thank you, Sub-Commander."
"You are welcome, Lieutenant."
Retuning to her station and closing it out, T'Pol looked over at Hoshi. "Ensign Sato, it is 1200 hours. Would you like to have lunch with me?"
"Um, sure." Quickly shutting down her own work, Hoshi followed T'Pol to the lift, exchanging confused glances with Reed and Mayweather.
"Lieutenant Reed, you have the bridge."
"Aye, aye, ma'm," he called out to the closing doors.
T'Pol and Hoshi walked in companionable silence to the mess hall, chose their lunch and sat down at a corner table.
"I wanted to find out how you were doing," T'Pol finally said. "I was surprised to discover that you had been affected by my pon farr."
Hoshi blinked a few times. "I'm fine now. It was - rough in the beginning, but it worked out for the best." T'Pol could see a blush rise up Hoshi's face.
"You chose Commander Tucker as your mate. Why him over the others?" T'Pol continued at Hoshi's silence: "I understand if you do not wish to talk about it -."
"No, it's alright. I was thinking. I don't know exactly why. It's not like I tallied up the stats of all the men aboard and then picked Trip. Yes, I was physically attracted to him, but if he had been a jerk or something I wouldn't have picked him no matter what. Who knows why the heart decides the way it does." With a wry grin, Hoshi noticed T'Pol nodding absentmindedly. "I always thought I'd be in competition with you for Trip. Why didn't you choose him?"
T'Pol's eyebrow rose at this. She debated internally whether or not to open this subject with Hoshi. "Commander Tucker does not have the mental discipline or strength of character I needed from a mate, even a temporary one. While he is handsome for a human, I was not attracted to him," she finally said.
"But you were to the Captain? Don't worry, I don't think anyone else knows. I look at body language as well as the spoken word to understand what someone is saying, and the Captain's, at least to me, was pretty easy to read."
"I believe the Captain cares for me, but we have not spoken of it. These feelings I have for him make me unsure." T'Pol remembered who she was talking to. "I find it difficult to discuss this with someone who is not a Vulcan."
Hoshi tactfully changed the subject.
After lunch T'Pol went to sickbay to see Phlox. He looked at her while keeping one eye on the scanner. "Hormone levels are fine. You've come though your pon farr without a scratch. At least no serious ones." He gave her a smile. "Has there been any - repercussions from choosing Captain Archer as your mate?" Phlox crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.
T'Pol looked at him a moment before baldly stating "I may be falling in love with him."
Phlox looked surprised. "Oh really?"
"I do not know. I care for him, certainly. Whether or not it is love -"
" - takes time, Sub-Commander. Do you know how he feels?"
"Not directly. The are little things that make me suspect, but it is not logical to assume."
"Are you going to find out?"
"Of course."
"Well, that's the first step. Good luck, Sub-Commander."
T'Pol raised an eyebrow at him. "Thank you, Doctor."
Beta shift was coming on duty before T'Pol had a chance to talk to Archer. :::Jonathan.:::
Only a small start from him betrayed that he heard her. :::What is it?:::
:::Will you come to my cabin after your evening meal?::::
::You're not having dinner?:::
:::No, I am not hungry.:::
:::I'll come now.:::
They got into the lift with Hoshi; Archer and T'Pol absorbed in their own thoughts, Hoshi trying to keep a straight face as she thought of the two of them. Her grin finally broke out as they exited the lift, forgetting that Hoshi was even there.
:::Mind if I get out of this uniform first?::: Archer paused in front of his cabin.
:::No. I will wait for you.::: T'Pol continued to her door.
As he changed clothes, Archer wondered what she wanted to talk about, worried that she wanted to end the relationship. He stopped that train of thought. "No sense borrowing trouble."
Walking into T'Pol's cabin, Archer saw her sitting on one of the chairs. He sat on the other, facing her, waiting for her to speak.
::: -- I saw Dr. Phlox today, he said that my hormone levels have returned to their standard levels. The fever has passed.:::
:::All normal? That's good.:::
:::Jonathan, there is something I need to discuss with you, and I want us to be completely honest with each other.:::
He sighed, prepared for the worst. :::All right.:::
:::While I no longer need to mate to control the pon farr fever, I find that I have come to - care for you Jonathan, and am reluctant to end this part of our association. I have reason to believe you return my regard. Is this true?::::
Archer just looked at her. This wasn't what he expected.
::: - I would like to - I mean, I do return your regard, and would like to continue this relationship. I didn't know you felt this way.::: Surprise laced his thoughts.
:::I did not know either until the fever started to wane, yet my desires for your - company remained. It will not be easy, Jonathan. There are those who would not like to see us together.:::
:::I know. I used be one of them. We'll have to continue as we have been while on duty, of course.:::
:::Of course. Even off duty, we must be circumspect. I would not be comfortable with overt displays of affection.:::
:::No holding hands, huh? What can I do then?:::
T'Pol studied him for a moment, then stood up. :::Jonathan Archer, I desire to become your companion. Will you take me as such?:::
Archer stood and took a deep breath. :::"T'Pol of Vulcan, I also desire you to become my companion and accept you as such..::: He looked at T'Pol as she held out her right hand with two fingers extended. As he did the same, she turned her hand over and placed her fingers on his.
:::Wanimo aisha[i]::: T'Pol said.
:::Wanimo aisha::: Archer replied.
----------
Finis
----------------------- [i] My love
