Author's Note: Sorry about taking so long. But guess what? I finally thought of the whole point/plot line of the story! No, I'm just kidding, but I did finally think of the way I want the story to kind of lean back toward the Taso. But there's also the fact it hasn't really leaned away yet. Hmm, now I know you're curious as to what I have up my sleeve. I guess you'll have to wait and find out!
Summary: What happens when T'Pol's parents come to visit?
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Chapter 15:
In-Laws
**Mess Hall, Later that night**
The two Ambassadors had gone back to their ship and left an hour ago. Almost the entire crew, that wasn't on duty, had assembled in the Mess Hall to celebrate the fact that a Human and Vulcan had permission to get married.
Their party had all the nature noises; shouting, screaming, people talking over each other, music blaring, and all that other stuff. They could be heard all the way up to the bridge and the nightshift up there would have sworn Earth could as well.
The party had started at around 1800 hours and was still in full swing by 0100 hours. Although by then, the majority of the people were drunk and/or unconscious. Trip, Archer, Malcolm (after some persuasion), Hoshi, and Travis were among those drunk. T'Pol, who would not consume any of the alcohol, remained amused at how they were acting and what they were talking about it their drunken state.
T'Pol wished everyone goodnight and went back to her quarters, finally feeling uncomfortable around the drunk crew and horrible stench of the alcohol. When she entered her room, she almost smiled at the prospect of the entire morning crew with hangovers. This was going to be fun to she.
**The Next Morning, Bridge**
She was right; everyone except herself had a horrible headache. Dr. Phlox refused to treat them even if they did actually find the time to do so. Captain Archer sat soundly in his chair as he massaged his temple and tried to ignore and sound that existed.
"Sir, there's a ship. It just dropped… of warp. It's… Vulcan, I think," Mayweather forced himself to say, although he did it as quietly as possible.
"The Ambassador's ship?"
"No, sir."
"Hail them."
"Aye, sir," Hoshi hit a few buttons and winced at the sound her delicate ears picked up.
The screen turned from a starry background to a Vulcan's face. His insignia showed that he was a Captain; something Captain Archer had become familiar in detecting from the frequent visits from them. "Captain Archer, I am Captain Seval of the transport ship T'Pic."
"Captain, what can I do for you?"
"We are transporting two passengers who wished to be allowed to visit one of your crew members," Seval answered.
"Really? Who… uh, what member?" Archer asked, unaware that they may be transporting humans or that anyone would want to see the Sub-Commander.
"Sub-Commander T'Pol's parents are on board. They wished to see her and advise her of their… opinions towards her current predicament." At T'Pol's name, she immediately gave the Vulcan Captain her full attention. At the thought of her parents, she instantly started to freak out, in a way that only one other member of the crew could pick up on.
"You… know about…" Archer attempted to explain.
"Hers and the Commander's betroth? Of course, all of Vulcan practically does." The bluntness of his statement would have made Archer laugh if his head didn't hurt so much.
"That would figure," he mumbled before turning to T'Pol to see the look of absolute horror written on her face; ok, it wasn't written, but it was there for a friend to be able to see. Even though he didn't know the depth of all this, he did know that her parents weren't likely to appreciate this.
"Please inform them that we meet them at the docking bay in thirty standard minutes." With that, the screen went blank and T'Pol turned on her heels, presumably to go get Trip and prepare him for the shock that awaits them.
**Docking Bay**
Trip stood on the right of the docking bay door, T'Pol next to him and Archer across. Trip's hands were nervously massaging his temple for his hangover was still in full force. 'Why did they have to pick today of all days to come and say hi,' Trip thought in annoyance as he starred, almost frightened, at the door. He found that he was actually afraid that they would go against their word to T'Pol and not allow her to marry him. Though it was not their choice, sometimes parents had that effect over their children.
T'Pol, on the other hand, felt the same way as Trip; she was afraid that they'd reject both of them, ban her from the family, and leave her with only shame. She knew that she would be at least scowled by them for choosing a Human over Kos, but that was the last of her worries. T'Pol, in her fear of them, stood as straight as her spine would allow. Her face was calm, centered, and utterly emotionless.
Archer, who had no real part in this at all, tried to keep his exterior calm and make sure he had on his best diplomatic face. But the interior was in just as much chaos as his friends. Though he knew nothing of T'Pol's previous wedding arrangements nor her parents, he still knew that must human parent remained the deciding factor. And for some, that scared him. It didn't affect him in the slightest, but it did affect his best friend and chief Engineer along with his First Officer, Science Officer, and someone he had learned to call a friend.
A hiss came from the chamber that was in-between the two door. The sound, that seemed to echo in both Archer and Trip's ears, was a sign that the ship had docked and the chamber had begun to decompress.
Amazingly, at this sound T'Pol straightened even farther than before. Trip's jaw hardened into place as his lips formed a thin line. His eyes changed from being terrified to a determined and even curious gaze at the door.
The door slid opened as it faded away into the wall. Two figures walked out; one Vulcan male, the other a female Vulcan. The male appeared quite old from the white that tinted his black hair. The skin that covered his face had clearly started to wrinkle with the time. He robes were those of a Vulcan diplomat. The royal blue material moved easily with him as he approached T'Pol. His belt that he wore to keep his robes fastened, had Vulcan writing, printed in gold, that ran down it.
The female also had whitening hair. Wrinkles had begun to appear on her face as she grew older. Her robes were also those of a diplomat but her were pure gold. The belt that tied around her waist was made in the same color as her robes but the Vulcan printing was written in silver. The tail of her robes followed her as she, too, walked gracefully to T'Pol.
"Greetings, T'Pol," the elder man said as he raised his hand up in the traditional Vulcan greeting. His voice was deep and, if the average Human, strained their ears they would have her the joy in his voice. But Trip, used to picking up the slight emotions T'Pol let escape into her voice, could hear it and immediately like the guy.
T'Pol, who first responded with the inclination of her head, also raised her hand in the same 'V' shaped greeting and said, "Father, Mother, this is quite… unexpected."
"Indeed," her mother answered. Her voice was similar to T'Pol's and, like all Vulcans, it held no emotion.
"And which of these two is Commander Tucker," her mother asked, not as a question but more of an order.
Trip almost sheepishly raised his hand slightly. "I am, I guess."
"You guess? Do you not know your own title?" Her mother was in his face. She could be quite intimidating and Trip guessed this was the least of what she was capable of.
"It was merely human humor," T'Pol stated to her mother, sensing Trip's uncomfort and trying to back her off.
As her mother took the que and back off only to walked over to Archer and ask him, "And you are?"
"Captain Jonathan Archer," he responded.
T'Pol's mother nodded politely, then she turned back to her daughter and eyed her suspiciously. After saying something in Vulcan, T'Pol became quiet embarrassed. Trip, having read her thoughts and knew what her mother said, tried very hard to keep from laughing while Archer remained in his own private and ignorant world. T'Pol's mother, seeing him smiling, looked at him and asked, "You know Vulcan?"
"Just a little, ma'am," Trip said as calmly and politely as he possibly could with her scrutinizing gaze on him.
"Kon'se'fi'ta?"
Trip saw T'Pol out of the corner of his eye as she thought telepathically repeated, 'She asked, 'why don't I believe you?'. Tell her, 'To'se'fe ti'pe'ta.'
"To'se'fe ti'pe'ta," Trip said as instructed before asking T'Pol, 'What did I just say?'
'I know more than you think.'
"Interesting," T'Pol's mother muttered in a response to Trip's comment; neither of them heard it due to their own conversation.
"Uh, if you'd like, T'Pol can escort you to your quarters," Archer said as all four sets of eyes turned to him. In his attempt to take the heat off Trip and T'Pol he inadvertently put it completely on himself, something he didn't mean to do.
"Yes, of course," T'Pol's father said. T'Pol looked at Archer and he knew it said 'thank-you', before she lead them off to the quarters picked out only seconds before their arrival.
Once they were out of earshot, Trip let go of the breath he had been holding ever since he got the news. "Mother-in-laws, I guess it's true that they can't stand their daughter's husband no matter the race," Archer commented in a sarcastic manner.
"I'm sure she would've adored Kos," Trip mutter and, after he saw Archer's confused look, he realized that it wasn't muttered enough. So he just shook his head and replied, "Never mind, it's a long story. Anyway, how 'bout her dad. He seemed ok." Archer shrugged his shoulders as they walked toward the turbolift.
**Meanwhile at T'Pol's Parent's Quarters**
They didn't speak while they walked down the corridors but the second they entered the door, "You rejected Kos and took this… human to be your mate! I knew we should have never allowed you to come and stay this long with the humans," T'Pol's mother exploded, but it was a controlled explosion (of course).
T'Pol looked away; not ashamed of her choice but of how her answer would seem to her people and even, a little, to herself.
"T'Pela, please control yourself," T'Pol's father addressed his wife before facing T'Pol. "T'Pol, before I will pass judgment on your Commander Ticker, I wish to be allowed to better acquaint myself with him."
T'Pol's head snapped up to met his brown eyes. The slight shimmer of emotion that had always been there, show brighter than before and T'Pol knew that he was truly prod and happy for her.
She nodded her head and answered his request with, "If the Captain has no objections, perhaps you will join myself, the Captain, and Trip for dinner this evening." Her father nodded, though clearly baffled by the names she said. He had checked the background of Commander Tucker before they had left and his first name was not 'Trip'. "Trip is the Commander's nickname, I address him by that name while off duty."
Her father's confusion cleared and he looked over at his wife. She, too, nodded her head in acceptance of her daughter's proposal. "Then I will met you at the Captain's Private Dinning Room at 1900 hours." With that, she turned on her heals and left.
When the doors closed T'Pela asked her husband, "How will you get to know Commander Tucker over dinner, Sevel?"
Sevel, who dealt with the Humans as part of his job and also found them very interesting beings, knew much more about them than his wife. He turned to face her and replied, "In their society they often talk while eating. I believe they call it… 'little-talk'."
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T'Pol's parents, hum this'll be fun. Please R/R and tell me any ideas you might have on how to make them act later on.
