Chapter 1 - Sisters
The door chimed.
"T'Pol? It's me. Open up."
"Go away, Commander"
"Do you really want me standing out here making a scene?"
The door slid open and Commander Charles Tucker III strode through, with an exasperated, worried look on his face. He found T'Pol looking out of the window in her cabin, her back to the door and to him.
"So."
"Is there a purpose to your visit, Commander?"
"Yeah. What the hell is going on with you?"
"I don't understand your question, Commander"
"You know exactly what I mean. And stop it with the 'Commander'. You're really beginning to irritate me"
"Then perhaps you should go"
"I'm not going until you tell me what the hell is wrong! I saw you with Commander Haynes. What was all that about?"
"I am unsure to what you are referring, Mr Tucker"
"T'Pol! It's Trip and you know damn well what I am referring to! You pretty much lost it at dinner. Well, as much as you ever lose it. The Captain wants to know what the problem is"
"You can inform the Captain that there is no problem"
"T'Pol. I'm not blind. Something happened. You wanna talk about it?"
"No."
"So, something happened?"
"Commander, this is a personal matter. One I don't wish to discuss with the Captain or with you. Please leave.
"It's Trip. And I'm not going anywhere till you tell me what's up" Trip walked over to the bed and sat himself down. "I'm not going anywhere till you tell me. And I'm kinda assuming that you want to sleep at some stage"
T'Pol turned around. Her face was drawn and white. "Fine. I will tell you"
"Well, good. Go on, then"
T'Pol took a deep breath.
"This boarding party is not the first time I have met Commander Haynes"
"Yeah, I kinda gathered that"
"Do you wish me to tell you or do you want to interrupt me every five seconds?"
"Sorry."
"I first met Commander Haynes when he was on an assignment at the Vulcan embassy."
"And?"
"Trip. This is very difficult for me."
Trip opened his mouth to speak and then hurriedly closed it again, when he saw T'Pol visibly struggling to continue. She turned around again to face the window.
"T'Pol?"
"I don't think this is a good idea, Commander."
"We back to that?"
"Please. Please go." Trip sighed, and stood up, pulling his hand through his hair.
"This isn't over y'know. I'm going to find out. You want me to ask him?"
"NO! Please, please don't." T'Pol turned to face him again. "Please, please don't ask him."
Trip looked puzzled, and well, shocked. He'd never seen T'Pol act this way about anything. "OK, look, how about I come back later? We'll talk about it then. Have you eaten? I'll bring some food. We'll talk. No pressure. OK?"
"Thank you".
Trip left T'Pol's quarters confused. More confused than usual. He'd never seen her act this way. Ever. He was striding down the corridors towards engineering and stopped mid-stride, crashing into a huddle of ensigns.
Jon. Jon would know what to do. Trip turned around and strode in the other direction, leaving a group of bruised ensigns and a bewildered, frightened Vulcan behind him.
The door chimed.
"T'Pol? It's me. Open up."
"Go away, Commander"
"Do you really want me standing out here making a scene?"
The door slid open and Commander Charles Tucker III strode through, with an exasperated, worried look on his face. He found T'Pol looking out of the window in her cabin, her back to the door and to him.
"So."
"Is there a purpose to your visit, Commander?"
"Yeah. What the hell is going on with you?"
"I don't understand your question, Commander"
"You know exactly what I mean. And stop it with the 'Commander'. You're really beginning to irritate me"
"Then perhaps you should go"
"I'm not going until you tell me what the hell is wrong! I saw you with Commander Haynes. What was all that about?"
"I am unsure to what you are referring, Mr Tucker"
"T'Pol! It's Trip and you know damn well what I am referring to! You pretty much lost it at dinner. Well, as much as you ever lose it. The Captain wants to know what the problem is"
"You can inform the Captain that there is no problem"
"T'Pol. I'm not blind. Something happened. You wanna talk about it?"
"No."
"So, something happened?"
"Commander, this is a personal matter. One I don't wish to discuss with the Captain or with you. Please leave.
"It's Trip. And I'm not going anywhere till you tell me what's up" Trip walked over to the bed and sat himself down. "I'm not going anywhere till you tell me. And I'm kinda assuming that you want to sleep at some stage"
T'Pol turned around. Her face was drawn and white. "Fine. I will tell you"
"Well, good. Go on, then"
T'Pol took a deep breath.
"This boarding party is not the first time I have met Commander Haynes"
"Yeah, I kinda gathered that"
"Do you wish me to tell you or do you want to interrupt me every five seconds?"
"Sorry."
"I first met Commander Haynes when he was on an assignment at the Vulcan embassy."
"And?"
"Trip. This is very difficult for me."
Trip opened his mouth to speak and then hurriedly closed it again, when he saw T'Pol visibly struggling to continue. She turned around again to face the window.
"T'Pol?"
"I don't think this is a good idea, Commander."
"We back to that?"
"Please. Please go." Trip sighed, and stood up, pulling his hand through his hair.
"This isn't over y'know. I'm going to find out. You want me to ask him?"
"NO! Please, please don't." T'Pol turned to face him again. "Please, please don't ask him."
Trip looked puzzled, and well, shocked. He'd never seen T'Pol act this way about anything. "OK, look, how about I come back later? We'll talk about it then. Have you eaten? I'll bring some food. We'll talk. No pressure. OK?"
"Thank you".
Trip left T'Pol's quarters confused. More confused than usual. He'd never seen her act this way. Ever. He was striding down the corridors towards engineering and stopped mid-stride, crashing into a huddle of ensigns.
Jon. Jon would know what to do. Trip turned around and strode in the other direction, leaving a group of bruised ensigns and a bewildered, frightened Vulcan behind him.