***EPILOGUE***

"Daddy! Up!" Lucy said stretching her arms out toward her father sitting before her.

She looked up at him with puppy dog eyes and begged "Please?"

Trip sighed and swung his daughter up onto his lap. A normal child would have squealed with delight but Lucy wasn't normal. Half Vulcan, she didn't express her emotions in extreme ways, just in less extreme ways, such as smiling rather than laughing.

Lucy smiled at her father and curled up tight onto his lap. "Thank you Daddy," She said. Trip felt the warmth of the roaring fireplace as Lucy looked out the window at the snowy field draped with snow. "When's mommy getting home?"

"When Uncle Jonny comes back." was the reply. Trip sighed. One hour and T'Pol would return. Lucy began to tug on a lock of Trip's blond hair. Her own hair was brown with streaks of blond. It was strange to say the least.

Lucy let go of his hair and snuggled up close "I wanna see mommy... She said she would get the Christmas tree with us when she got home..." She said matter-of-factly.

Lucy stared out the window for a moment, then looked up at her dad. He was falling asleep. A mischievous grin lit up Lucy's face. She looked about but could see no pen. Then she had a better idea. Was daddy ticklish?

She waited for a few minutes until she was certain he was asleep and attacked. He jumped about 3 feet off the chair screaming and laughing at the same time, 5 year old attached to him ticking all the time. "Ahhhhaahahahah Lucee-ee-ee-ee-ee"

Lucy, even with her better emotional control she couldn't help but giggle a little.

"Stop!" Trip fell on the floor, with Lucy on top of him. "Nooooo! Luc I swear if you don't- ACK!" Lucy giggled even more. Trip squirmed trying desperately to stop his daughter's attack.

Suddenly from behind them the door opened. Lucy immediately stopped her attack and ran to the figure walking through the door "Mommy!" She said smiling hugging T'Pol's legs. Trip recovered as quickly as her could and walked over to the door. "Hey darlin'" Trip said and kissed T'Pol before welcoming Jonathan. "Hey Cap'n!"

"You know I'm not a captain now right?" he said jokingly.

"Admiral, Cap'n, same difference." Trip shrugged. Lucy began to tug at Jon's trouser leg. He looked down and smiled as she put her arms out.

He picked her up "And how are we today?" he asked her. "Quite nice!" she answered sweetly enough to make your teeth rot out. Archer grinned. "Shall we light a fire?"

Lucy nodded. "That would be…prudent." Trip laughed and went off to get some firewood, leaving a confused Archer behind.

*LATER*

By the light of the fire, the little group sat comfortably. Trip with T'Pol, Lucy on the floor, Archer in an armchair. Archer was drifting off to sleep. Lucy looked towards Trip, eyes pleading. Trip nodded. "His own fault for falling asleep." Trip whispered.

Lucy sneaked over to him and T'Pol caught her arm "Lucy!"

"But daddy said-" she started but was cut off

"Go around the back"

Quietly Lucy snuck round the back of Archer's armchair. Silently and catlike she crept up to the side of the chair and pounced.

"AHAHAHAAAAHAHAHA" Archer yelped as he flew out of his chair onto the floor with a thump. Lucy, knowing Jonathan's weak points went for the ribs and attacked.

"Lucyeeeee!!!" he laughed.

Unfortunately for Lucy, Archer wasn't just going to lie there and let her tickle him. He snaked a hand around her foot and began to tickle *her*.

Lucy shrieked and jumped back. Archer followed, intent on getting his revenge. He pulled Lucy back towards him, tickling her.

But Lucy was no stranger to being tickled either, She flipped over and tickled underneath Jon's arm. Trip sat laughing on the chair as T'Pol merely watched contentedly.

"Need a hand Jon?" Trip asked teasingly as his daughter was steadily beating Jon.

"Yes...please..." Jon gasped out as Lucy hit another ticklish spot. Trip grinned and got off the couch.

Trip, still laughing, walked over to where his daughter and friend where attacking each other and scooped her up facing her AWAY from him…and sat back down on a chair He let his daughter down who ran over to T'Pol and sat down with a plop. "Mommy, can we go get the tree now please?" She asked in an innocent voice while looking at her through puppy dog eyes…

"Not tonight." T'Pol said. "It is too late." Trip yawned. "Better be hitting the hay." He said. Lucy got up and sat on his lap. "Carry me to bed please?" she asked sweetly. Trip mock groaned.

"I have carried you to bed before." T'Pol said. "Now it is your duty." Trip sighed and carried his daughter out of the room.

Finis