By Keleshnar
Disclaimer: Have you paid me yet? No? Aww! Well then I guess I'm still not making any money off this story.
Spoilers: references to events and scenes in "Future Tense"
A/N: Betas are good (thank you Mana, Kat). And In case anyone hasn't figured out yet (*cough* read chapter two!), this story has an Archer/T'Pol pairing. If you don't think that it should be this pairing, I guess you could replace Jon with another name (or T'Pol, for that matter) in your mind. Oh, and please review! It's very helpful when people tell me what they think, especially if you say you either liked a section or thought something should have been better (and please tell me if you find any comma errors – this chapter didn't really like me too much, I think, with all of the dialogue). Thanks!
Chapter 3: The Conversation
T'Pol awoke on her side, Jonathan's arm draped over her, his hand cradling her flat stomach. This action made her realize that by the next week, her flat stomach would either be on its way to becoming round or it wouldn't exist at all. She hoped that the two of them would be able to be in this pose again when she was pregnant. Of course, that thought was immediately revoked as 'illogical', but it still was filed away in her memory. She was finding that she liked the idea of having a child more, especially in moments like this.
T'Pol felt more like her old self now, since the hormones had leveled off for the time being with their first release. She didn't want to move too much and wake Jonathan, who was sleeping peacefully, unaware of her partial internal struggle. Now that they had mated the first time, she wanted to continue with him, rather than another crewmember. That wasn't the only reason she wanted him, but it would still keep things simpler. But she wasn't sure how he'd react to being told that he was needed as her mate for the rest of his life. It could go either really well or really badly, T'Pol mused, but not very far in the middle. She was almost positive that she would need some hormone therapy or something similar from Phlox to be able to conceive, and she wanted Jonathan to be there with her and for her.
Jon started to wake up slightly, and when he realized where he was – and the fact that he hadn't been kicked out yet – he figured that things might actually work out after last night. He recognized that he and the Sub-Commander would not be able to go back to what they had before yesterday, but he wasn't sure he wanted to. He reached his head forward and nuzzled T'Pol's neck and soft hair with his nose. This action made her shiver involuntarily, and he pulled her closer as a natural reaction, making her shiver again.
They just lay there, a peaceful couple for now, enjoying the warmth of each others bodies before the inevitable came – the conversation. T'Pol moved first, turning from one side to the other so that she now faced Jonathan and not the rest of her quarters. T'Pol gazed deeply into Jon's eyes, and he tried very hard to convey lots of caring, honesty, and trust through to her. It worked, because she found the strength to speak.
"Jonathan…" she started, and Jon waited for her to go on, "I am sorry that I could not fully explain the circumstances last night." This sounded a lot like her saying she was sorry their encounter happened, but she wasn't running away, not yet, and Jon hoped to keep it that way. He sensed that she was having conflicting feelings where one side of her wanted to run away and pretend nothing ever happened, and the other side wanted to embrace their new relationship fully and publicly. Actually, she had decided on somewhere in between – to continue the relationship outside of duty and to let others, as well as themselves, adjust gradually. With this newfound decision, T'Pol realized what she needed to tell Jonathan – the whole truth, and what she hoped to come out of it.
Before she went on, she sat up, her legs hanging off the side of the bed facing her bathroom, and motioned for Jon to do the same, "This may not make sense until you have heard the full explanation, so please do not interrupt me," and with a final pause and breath, she began,
"When you were kidnapped by Skalaar, I did not pick up a virus from the planet like the medical report said," Jon remembered reading it; Trip and Malcolm had said that the virus had affected T'Pol very strangely, "The what you would call a 'bug' I did pick up, though, falsely and chemically induced the Vulcan mating cycle of Pon Farr. Do you know what Pon Farr is, Jonathan?"
Her use of his first name, multiple times, pleased him very much, since he'd been trying to convince her to call him that when off-duty. But also, the term 'Pon Farr' rang a bell in his head, and he remembered the night before, when she'd uttered the term, but he hadn't been able to place it with its definition. He did not have that problem now, however, and remembered the little he knew about it, "Yes, vaguely. It's, like you said, the Vulcan mating cycle that all… sexually mature Vulcans go through every once in a while." She was surprised of his knowledge – most humans had never even heard of it – but didn't show it.
"You are correct. Vulcans go through it every seven years. For the males it usually only takes three or four releases to 'get over' it, for females it can take that long or longer. The chemicals must have had prolonged effects, because I have prematurely entered Pon Farr." At this point she paused, stood up, and put on her discarded pajamas. Jon felt somewhat embarrassed about watching her, so he looked away after a minute, picked up, and put on his Starfleet issue blue boxers. After she was through, T'Pol stood there, mimicking their positions the night before, only they'd switched places, "Pon Farr is deadly if the hormones are not released… sexually," At this, Jon's eyes got wider. "Normally, one's bond mate is the obvious partner of choice, but since I'm on Enterprise and I don't have one… I needed to copulate with a human. I was expecting Dr. Phlox when you came instead – he was going to pick up my old dinner tray." She pointed to the dished on a tray, still in a corner on the floor.
"I would not have opened the door otherwise. Now, though, I am relieved that you were there so I did not have to go through the awkward process of choosing – and I probably would have chosen you anyway." She paused again, partially embarrassed at admitting that rather personal fact – she almost mumbled the last sentence, and she'd rushed through saying it. She still was, illogically, she noted, avoiding the second part about her Pon Farr.
Jon took this pause as a place for him to speak, "You seem more, well, normal now than you did last night." He was still partially shocked about the 'must mate or die' portion, and would be more shocked soon, but he was just pondering it in his head, since there wasn't really anything else to say about it. He was thrilled, though, that she had accepted him – and vocally expressed that she had and would probably again, if the need arose. Now that she'd admitted it, he could also finally admit to himself that he'd wanted her for a while now.
"I will become more irrational again as the hormones become more unbalanced. Jonathan - " there was an urgency in her voice, like she needed to tell him something, "My Pon Farr might be longer this cycle. The reason females can have longer Pon Farr is because for the first cycle, and a few after the first, we also have to become pregnant. It is my first Pon Farr. It is slowed by sexual encounters, but if I do not conceive in the next nine days, I will die. The hormones build up, and at a certain point they overload the brain and cause its functions to cease." Telling of her possible painful demise was nauseating to T'Pol, but she still stood there, staring into Jon's hazel eyes, willing him to understand the direness of her situation and to come to a decision, hopefully the one that would be easier on her, and the one she would prefer.
As they were locked into their reverie, the door chime rang. They both reluctantly tore their gazes away from each other, to the door, and back. T'Pol knew it would only be the Doctor, and went to the access panel to open up the door while Jon went and hid under her covers so Phlox wouldn't see him. It was a very human and illogical thing to do, T'Pol thought, since the Doctor firstly wouldn't object to Jon's being there, and secondly would be able to tell anyway if he was or had been there by her state. Even so, she still saw why he did it – if she was in his position, she probably would have done the same thing out of the embarrassment of being caught, though she immediately attributed that thought to prolonged Human exposure and the hormones.
She opened the door, and the Doctor was indeed there, and with two trays in his hands, "Good morning, Sub-Commander. Ah, yes, I'll trade you those used dishes for these new ones." Phlox said as he saw the tray in the corner. T'Pol gave him her dinner dishes, and as she took the breakfast trays and set them down, she smelled the distinctive smell of that human breakfast meat – bacon. Yes, the Doctor definitely knew Jonathan was there.
"How are you feeling today?" Phlox queried.
"Better," she stated simply. He already knew, anyway, so it wasn't any use lying about her improved condition. Phlox spotted the unused hypospray still on the floor and picked it up, making T'Pol notice it for the first time.
"Hmm. You never used the hypospray, though I doubt you really needed it." At that comment-left-hanging, T'Pol felt her ears flush. Now the Doctor turned his attention and gaze to her bed where Jonathan was under the covers.
"And how are you, Captain?" This query caused Jon to sheepishly rustle around and poke his head out from underneath the covers.
"Fine, uh, thanks." Phlox once again turned his attention to T'Pol, and asked her very seriously,
"Did you discuss…" he said, leaving the comment open-ended, but glancing at Jon. T'Pol was surprised, though pleasantly, when Jon replied for her,
"I haven't left yet, have I?" That statement basically said it all. T'Pol was very glad that he'd chosen to stay, and so was the doctor, evidently, because he let out one of his big smiles.
"Good. I'll inform the bridge that 'the Captain seems to have picked up a slight flu also, and needs his rest for the next few days, and not to disturb him.' And I'll get all of you comunicaés directed to me so I can give them to you."
"And that Malcolm has the bridge until I get back. Thanks, Doc."
"Of course, of course. Nothing at all," He actually seemed quite pleased to be participating in this 'scheme' of theirs.
"And Doctor," T'Pol's voice stopped Phlox's movement out of her cabin. He partially turned around to listen to her final words, "When should I, or we, perhaps, stop by to get the fertility treatments?"
"Hmm, the time when sickbay is almost always deserted is between 0530 and 0600. You'll have to come tomorrow. I'll bring by your meals at regular hours," meaning he didn't want to interrupt anything – Jon felt his face flush and thought he saw T'Pol's ears do the same, "So I guess I'll just see you tomorrow morning. Have a good day Captain, Sub-Commander." Was it just Jon, or did that last comment seem to have a 'wink wink, nudge nudge' edge to it? Again, he couldn't help the small flush on his cheeks that didn't seem to want to go away. Ah, his Doctor.
* * * * *
Jon sat next to T'Pol on her bed, both of them eating in a contented silence. After a few minutes a part of their earlier conversation came to his mind, and he couldn't help but lightly tease her, "I thought Vulcans don't believe in interspecies breeding."
T'Pol responded very seriously, like she'd been thinking hard about the subject, "They don't, but I have changed my view. After all, there was proof." She was referring to the body that had been found in the ship from the future. Jon thought it interesting that he'd pointed out that exact fact to her then and she'd disregarded it, but then he remembered that her survival relied on his view being the correct one – that Humans and Vulcans could indeed produce offspring – and he figured she'd be willing to at least reconsider her view to survive. The thought of her impending death gave him a mental shiver. He also remembered something in particular that he'd said to T'Pol when they were investigating the future ship, making his views on 'them' as a couple quite clear, even if she ignored them, or at least mostly. Afterwards, he'd tried to forget he'd actually phrased it that way. He'd said, "So, do you think we can have children?" He'd meant, partially, Humans and Vulcans, and he'd later clarified, embarrassed. Jon figured that they'd find out the answer to both of those questions soon.
Turning towards him suddenly, T'Pol hit on an important topic, "Jonathan, if we do have a child – and I am assuming you wouldn't want an abortion – it will be a total outcast. He or she would not fit in either Vulcan or Human societies or culture, though the child could learn about and be exposed to both cultures. What type of life would that be?"
"It's interesting that a Vulcan would be arguing about morality and ethics, but I see your point," Jon replied. She was talking about her possible future child, after all. He'd actually be even more surprised if she didn't show any feelings on that subject. He paused a moment in thought, then continued, "And no I wouldn't like you to have an abortion, though it's ultimately your choice. I think it's worth it to have this child, though. First of all, it is the only way to save you, and anything is worth that." Jon decided to try to play to her strong point – logic. T'Pol also saw his sincerity, as well as his rationality, in his words, "Second, it'd be good for the galaxy to have a human and Vulcan child – it might bring several species closer. And third, any child that has loving and supporting parents turns out pretty well – I firmly believe that. We'll just tackle any obstacle together, all three of us."
"What about the crew? Not all of them will accept this child if it is conceived. I suspect many of the senior officers will readily accept him or her, but most of the rest of the crew might not. Not all of them have changed their views of Vulcans the way you have." They both remembered how Jonathan had hated Vulcans most of his life, and at the beginning of Enterprise's voyage, too.
"We'll tackle those problems together, T'Pol. We'll tackle them together." It was all he could say truthfully, and the couple finished their meals together in a peaceful yet laden silence.
Cont…