" Mama!"
T'Pol looked up from the PADD she was working on to face her two children," What is it?"
" Lorian pulled my hair!," The youngest, Charlie complained. Her blonde hair had been in braids, but now it was falling out. She looked at her mother with her blue eyes glistening.
" Did not," Protested her brother, Lorian.
" Did you pull her hair Lorian?," T'Pol turned her chair so she faced her son. He squirmed under her scrutiny.
" Well, I," He studdered.
" Tell me the truth," T'Pol stated firmly but quietly," Did you pull Charlie's hair?"
Lorian hung his head," Yes'm."
" And why did you pull her hair?"
" Because she won't stop bugging me, so I thought she'd leave me alone. I'm trying to read the book Mrs. Reed gave me in original Vulcan," Lorian looked up to see his mother's face. Her expression was unreadable, as were her thoughts. Unlike Dad's. You could tell what he was thinking if you knew how to look.
" I see. Charlie, why were you bothering Lorian?," T'Pol's gaze transfered to her daughter. Charlie stuck out her lower lip. It usually worked on her father. But Mama was unflappable.
" Charlie, what have we talked about?," T'Pol prodded further.
" Don't annoy Lorian when he's doing schoolwork," Charlie recited then sighed.
" That's right," T'Pol nodded," Lorian, aplogize to your sister for pulling her hair."
" Sorry Charlie," Lorian promptly replied.
" Alright, now go read your book," T'Pol snagged the waist of her daughter's pants as she tried to run after her brother, '' Not so fast."
" Ma-ma," Charlie whinned," I'm bored. There is no one to play with."
" What happened to Kakio and Tommy?," T'Pol asked.
Charlie climbed into her mother's lap," They said that they were busy today."
" I see," She replied," Why don't you keep me company?"
Charlie's face lit up," Okay," She replied brightly, and snuggled against her mother.
# #
Lorian peered around the corner to see his sister cuddled in Mama's lap. He sighed. He wanted Mama to help him with his translations, but she was probably too busy with Charlie to help him. Charlie was always the center of attention. Mama paid more attention to her, and when Dad was around, Charlie was his
' Little Girl'. He wished that his parents would pay more attention to him. It was always about Charlie. Charlie, Charlie, Charlie.
But Charlie wasn't all that bad. She was always into his stuff, but she always helped him clean up, and to pick up toys. And she listened to what he said. And it was fun to read her stories, and to help Mama take care of Charlie. And there was lots of things Charlie couldn't do that he could. Like read Vulcan. Or play 'kal-toh'. Or help Mama with her experiments. Or help Daddy fix the lights in the rooms. Yeah, Lorian decided, having a baby sister wasn't so bad after all.
# #
Later that evening, when the family was gathered around the dinner table, Charlie reached for her milk glass, but her arm wasn't quite long enough to get it. She looked up at Lorian with her big blue eyes, and he passed her her glass. She thanked him with a wide grin, and began to drink her milk.
"Where's Daddy?," Charlie asked, looking up at her mother with a milk mustache.
" He has to work late. The plasma conduits are out of sync," Mama explained.
" But what about movie night?," Charlie whimpered," He promised he'd take me tonight. They're playing 'Babe'."
Lorian exchanged glances with Mama, " I'll take you," He offered.
" Really?," Charlie's face lit up, and she looked up at him happliy," Thanks Lorian!"
" That's very thoughtful of you Lorian," Mama nodded approvingly.
Lorian basked in the praise of his mother and the happy grin his sister was giving him. She looked like a blonde elf, as Dad always said, with a milk mustache. He couldn't help but smile at her.
# #
" Have a good time," T'Pol called as her children left to be at the movie on time. She settled on the couch in the family's quarters with the PADD, the same one she had been working on before. She hadn't been able to finish then, as Charlie had decided to tell her all about class that day, and how Darcie Cole had been mean again. How Darice had pushed Charlie, but Tommy had told her to stop picking on Charlie, so Darice backed off.
# #
About half an hour after T'Pol had sent the kids to the movie and had settled down with her work, the door opened to reveal her husband. Trip stepped in and sighed loudly. T'Pol glanced up from her work,
" Good evening."
" Hey darlin'," He drawled," Where are the kids?"
" Lorian took Charlie to see the movie tonight, since you had to work," T'Pol explained. Trip raked a hand through his hair, and flopped down beside his wife,
" I forgot it was tonight."
" You?," She asked, incredous," Forget movie night? You invented it.''
" Yeah well everything got so hectic today. Parts of the systems went poof and it took forever to reprogram everything," Trip grinned slyly," So we're all alone for a while huh?"
" Yes," T'Pol nodded, turning back to her PADD," The movie should go on for another hour or so."
" Uh-huh," Trip leaned foreward, and kissed her. He moved closer, pulling her across his lap. He kissed her again, this time right under her left ear.
" Trip," She tried to push away his arms, though she didn't try very hard," I have work to do."
" You could finish it later," He murmured, his lips moving up to kiss her ear.
It was beginning to be harder for her to protest his advances, she thought, so she said," Your fasination with my ears is unwavering."
He chuckled, she could feel his breath on her ear and neck," I haven't seen much of you lately. Your ears or otherwise."
T'Pol rolled her eyes. Trip continued to kiss her, going back down her ear, and starting on her neck. She shivered slightly. He knew he had her right where he wanted her.
# #
" That was a good movie!," Charlie exclamined as Hoshi, or more commonly known to the children as Mrs. Reed, walked the children back to their quarters. Her son Terrance, and her daughter Kakio walked with them.
" Yeah," Kakio agreed," It was funny."
Lorian and Terrance were walking behind the rest of the group," Is your sister always this excited?," Terrance asked.
" Is your's?," Lorian shot back. He was still a little protective of Charlie, as that girl, Darcie had been picking on her again. Darcie had told Charlie that Mama was a homewrecker, and if it hadn't have been for her, Daddy and Darcie's mother would have got married instead. But Mama had to butt her nose in, and she ruined everything. Charlie had ran back to Lorian, tears in her baby blues, and had asked him what a homewrecker was. He had quite a time getting the whole story out of her. By the time he had, he had been fuming angry at Darcie
As Charlie reached up to hit the button to open the door of the family quarters, Hoshi bent down beside her," Why don't we ring the doorbell?,"She suggested, knowing Charlie loved ringing doorbells. Also thinking of what her parents could be doing during their alone time.
"Okay," Charlie answered bithly. She hit the doorbell button.
Inside the room, T'Pol distangled herself from her husband, and went to answer it. When he had protested, she had scolded him, and replied," It's probably the children. They should be home right about now."
Trip mutttered something about how they wouldn't ring the doorbell. T'Pol gave him a stare that warned and frightened him. He knew not to mess with the Eyebrow of Doom. T'Pol went over and opened the door.
# #
As soon as Charlie saw her mother, what Darcie had said came rushing back to her, and her eyes filled with tears. She threw her arms around her mother's waist, and buried her face against her mother's hip.
T'Pol bent down to put her arms around the weeping girl, she shot questioning glances at the group standing outside the door. Hoshi shrugged, and hearded her children off.
Lorian stepped inside, and watched his sister cry. He began to be furious with Darcie for making poor little Charlie so miserable. He looked up as his father approached them,
" What's the matter punkin'?," Trip asked, kneeling down beside his wife, and placing a hand on Charlie's head. Lorian looked down at his feet, and took a deep breath. Trip's gaze left his daughter's tiny figure, who had attached herself to her mother, to his son's distraught face," Lorian, what happened?"
T'Pol looked over Charlie's head to look at Lorian," Was it that Darcie girl again?"
Lorian nodded dismally," She told Charlie Mama was a homewrecker, and if it hadn't of been for her, Darcie's mom and Dad might have gotten married."
" What?!," Trip was shocked. What kind of brat would tell a five year old girl her mother was a homewrecker.," Amanda's kid?"
" Yes sir," Lorian looked back at his little sister, and he wanted to do something mean to Darcie. Darcie was a year older than Lorian, and Lorian was eight. But older or not, nobody hurt Charlie. Nobody.
Trip started to curse, but the look his wife sent him shushed him. As he watched his son, he could tell Lorian was feeling terrible about what that girl had said to Charlie. If it was Amanda's girl, then the girl was a year older than Lorian. She must be a very mean nine year old to prey on an innocent five year old like that.
Charlie finally looked up at her mother,'' Mama," She whimpered," Why did Darcie say that about you?"
Trip's breath caught in his throat, and he wasn't sure what to tell his daughter, who's blue eyes were still filled with tears.
T'Pol didn't have such a time finding the right words,'' Darcie's mother and Daddy were good friends a long time ago. Maybe Darcie is jealous. Maybe she wishes she could have a Daddy just like you do."
Charlie brightened slightly," You think?"
" I do," T'Pol nodded.
" I love you Mama," Charlie decleared, and threw her arms back around her mother.
T'Pol's arms tightened around the girl. Trip went over to Lorian and put an arm around the boy's shoulders.
# #
" She's finally asleep," T'Pol said as she entered the room she and her husband shared.
" Good," Trip replied, and patted the bed beside him. T'Po sat down on the bed.
" I can't believe a child could be that delbertitly hurtful, " She roated her neck, " Where would she learn that type of thing?"
" Maybe you were right about Darcie," Trip's hands snuck up his wife's arms, and rubbed over her shoulders, " We're going to have to have a chat with Amanda. Soon."
" I agree," T'Pol sighed," Poor Charlie."
Trip shook his head, " I can't believe someone would tell a five year old their mother was a homewrecker."
" Do you see it that way?," T'Pol's voice was low.
" See it how?," He pulled himself in to a sitting position, his hands still on her shoulders.
" That if it weren't for my intrusion that night, you may have ended up with Corparal Cole,"
Trip couldn't believe his ears! Was she saying that he might have abondened what was between them, what he had felt for her if she hadn't gotten him to say what he felt that night? If he hadn't ended up spending the night with her? He had to set her straight," Darlin', I don't think about Corparal Cole, or how I could have ended up her. I wanted to be with you. That night you got me to admit my feelin's I knew for sure. I loved you. Still do." He hugged her to him," Never doubt that baby, never," He repeated fiercely.
T'Pol buried her face in his chest and breathed deeply. He smelled better than he had when he first returned home, for he had showered while she had put the children to bed. It felt so good to be wrapped in his arms. They had been very busy, with all the new upgrades for the ship's systems. But now the bulk of the upgrades were finished, and they could spend some time together.
Trip tightened his arms around his wife. He didn't want her to think that if she hadn't thrown his words back in his face that night many many years ago, that she would be alone now, and that he might be with Amanda. Amanda was a good friend, or at least she had been. She had been distant ever since Trip had gotten married to T'Pol, and it got worse when her daughter was born. Darcie's father died during the battle with the Xhindi years ago. His name had been Major Hayes. Nobody had known about what had happened between Amanda and the Major. After Trip had stopped seeing Amanda as much, and again spending much of his time with T'Pol, it was speculated that Amanda had hooked up with Hayes. Darcie took her mother's madien name, seeing as the two hadn't been married when Darcie had been concevied, and Hayes had been dead when Darcie was born. Darcie was born a few months after Trip and T'Pol had tied the knot.
T'Pol nuzzled her face against his chest before looking up at her husband's face. He grinned, and kissed her. She kissed him back. His hands slid down her body, and pulled her closer, to again sit in his lap.
" Trip," She sighed his name. He turned around so she was lying on the bed, and he was above her.
" I love you baby, don't ever doubt that," He murmured as he covered her mouth with his own.
# #
" Mama! Mama!," The next morning Charlie came bounding into her parents bedroom, and jumped onto the bed beside them.
T'Pol's head was resting on Trip's chest as she slept. He yawned and brushed a hand through her hair,
" Somebody wants ya darlin'," He chuckled as Charlie crawled over to sit beside her mother's head.
" Mama! Are you going to come to class today?," Charlie asked bouncing slightly," Today is Parents Day."
" Is it?," Trip asked, reaching over his wife to stop their daughter from bouncing on her mother's head.
" Uh-huh," Charlie nodded,'' Uncle John's coming, and so's Mr. and Mrs. Reed, and Mr. Mayweather,and I think Mrs. Mayweather. Are YOU coming Daddy?"
" If the engine'll let me," He replied. T'Pol sat up and was attacked as Charlie threw her arms around her.
" Mama, do you think the engines'll let Daddy come to Parents Day?," Charlie asked seriously. T'Pol considered it carefully,
" I suppose, if he takes good care of them."
Charlie leaped from her mother's lap to sit on her father's stomach," Do you take good care of the engines Daddy?"
" I'd like to think so," Trip tried to keep a straight face, as this seemed important to her.
" Do you love the engines more than Mama?"
Trip shot a glance at T'Pol and she shrugged slightly.
" Whatever gave you that idea?," Trip asked, frowning.
" I heard Mr. Reed say that sometimes it was like you were married to the engines, and Mama was your mistress," Charlie cocked her head, " What's a mistress Daddy? I want to know."
Trip was dumbstruck, he had no inklination of what to say to that. The only thought that crossed his mind, is that he would have to talk to Malcom about watching what he said around the kids.
T'Pol smiled inwardly. She hadn't expected that to come out of Charlie. She could tell Trip hadn't either, from the look on his face. But, the girl had inherited her father's insatiable curiousity, and so she was full of questions.
" Well Charlie, um," Trip still had no idea of how to answer.
" A mistress is a woman who is in authority," T'Pol explained, " And how did you hear Mr.Reed say that?"
" I was sitting with Tommy and Terrance and Kakio and Lorian when we were waiting for the movie to start. Mr. Reed was standing over with Uncle John, and Mrs. Reed, and Doc," Charlie turned her attention back to her mother," Oh, so you're like his boss?"
" You could say that," T'Pol agreed.
" Hey!," Trip protested.
" Cool Mama!," Charlie poked her father in the ribs," Now you have to listen to Mama, or she'll make you sleep on the couch!"
" Who says?," Trip teased, but he was also curious of her answer.
" Uncle John said you were going have to sleep on the couch if you didn't start going home before midnight like that night last week," Charlie giggled, " He said that you may end up in the dog house."
" Did he?," Trip sat up, and tickled her," Is that so?"
Charlie couldn't reply, she was laughing too hard.
Lorian peeked into his parents bedroom. He could hear noises. It sounded like Charlie was giggling. He saw Dad tickling her. Mama saw him standing in the door way and held her hand out to him. He hurried over, and climbed up to sit beside her,
" Morning Mama, " He grinned, as he watched his father and his sister. Charlie had almost rolled off the bed, and Dad had to catch her before she fell.
T'Pol looked up from the PADD she was working on to face her two children," What is it?"
" Lorian pulled my hair!," The youngest, Charlie complained. Her blonde hair had been in braids, but now it was falling out. She looked at her mother with her blue eyes glistening.
" Did not," Protested her brother, Lorian.
" Did you pull her hair Lorian?," T'Pol turned her chair so she faced her son. He squirmed under her scrutiny.
" Well, I," He studdered.
" Tell me the truth," T'Pol stated firmly but quietly," Did you pull Charlie's hair?"
Lorian hung his head," Yes'm."
" And why did you pull her hair?"
" Because she won't stop bugging me, so I thought she'd leave me alone. I'm trying to read the book Mrs. Reed gave me in original Vulcan," Lorian looked up to see his mother's face. Her expression was unreadable, as were her thoughts. Unlike Dad's. You could tell what he was thinking if you knew how to look.
" I see. Charlie, why were you bothering Lorian?," T'Pol's gaze transfered to her daughter. Charlie stuck out her lower lip. It usually worked on her father. But Mama was unflappable.
" Charlie, what have we talked about?," T'Pol prodded further.
" Don't annoy Lorian when he's doing schoolwork," Charlie recited then sighed.
" That's right," T'Pol nodded," Lorian, aplogize to your sister for pulling her hair."
" Sorry Charlie," Lorian promptly replied.
" Alright, now go read your book," T'Pol snagged the waist of her daughter's pants as she tried to run after her brother, '' Not so fast."
" Ma-ma," Charlie whinned," I'm bored. There is no one to play with."
" What happened to Kakio and Tommy?," T'Pol asked.
Charlie climbed into her mother's lap," They said that they were busy today."
" I see," She replied," Why don't you keep me company?"
Charlie's face lit up," Okay," She replied brightly, and snuggled against her mother.
# #
Lorian peered around the corner to see his sister cuddled in Mama's lap. He sighed. He wanted Mama to help him with his translations, but she was probably too busy with Charlie to help him. Charlie was always the center of attention. Mama paid more attention to her, and when Dad was around, Charlie was his
' Little Girl'. He wished that his parents would pay more attention to him. It was always about Charlie. Charlie, Charlie, Charlie.
But Charlie wasn't all that bad. She was always into his stuff, but she always helped him clean up, and to pick up toys. And she listened to what he said. And it was fun to read her stories, and to help Mama take care of Charlie. And there was lots of things Charlie couldn't do that he could. Like read Vulcan. Or play 'kal-toh'. Or help Mama with her experiments. Or help Daddy fix the lights in the rooms. Yeah, Lorian decided, having a baby sister wasn't so bad after all.
# #
Later that evening, when the family was gathered around the dinner table, Charlie reached for her milk glass, but her arm wasn't quite long enough to get it. She looked up at Lorian with her big blue eyes, and he passed her her glass. She thanked him with a wide grin, and began to drink her milk.
"Where's Daddy?," Charlie asked, looking up at her mother with a milk mustache.
" He has to work late. The plasma conduits are out of sync," Mama explained.
" But what about movie night?," Charlie whimpered," He promised he'd take me tonight. They're playing 'Babe'."
Lorian exchanged glances with Mama, " I'll take you," He offered.
" Really?," Charlie's face lit up, and she looked up at him happliy," Thanks Lorian!"
" That's very thoughtful of you Lorian," Mama nodded approvingly.
Lorian basked in the praise of his mother and the happy grin his sister was giving him. She looked like a blonde elf, as Dad always said, with a milk mustache. He couldn't help but smile at her.
# #
" Have a good time," T'Pol called as her children left to be at the movie on time. She settled on the couch in the family's quarters with the PADD, the same one she had been working on before. She hadn't been able to finish then, as Charlie had decided to tell her all about class that day, and how Darcie Cole had been mean again. How Darice had pushed Charlie, but Tommy had told her to stop picking on Charlie, so Darice backed off.
# #
About half an hour after T'Pol had sent the kids to the movie and had settled down with her work, the door opened to reveal her husband. Trip stepped in and sighed loudly. T'Pol glanced up from her work,
" Good evening."
" Hey darlin'," He drawled," Where are the kids?"
" Lorian took Charlie to see the movie tonight, since you had to work," T'Pol explained. Trip raked a hand through his hair, and flopped down beside his wife,
" I forgot it was tonight."
" You?," She asked, incredous," Forget movie night? You invented it.''
" Yeah well everything got so hectic today. Parts of the systems went poof and it took forever to reprogram everything," Trip grinned slyly," So we're all alone for a while huh?"
" Yes," T'Pol nodded, turning back to her PADD," The movie should go on for another hour or so."
" Uh-huh," Trip leaned foreward, and kissed her. He moved closer, pulling her across his lap. He kissed her again, this time right under her left ear.
" Trip," She tried to push away his arms, though she didn't try very hard," I have work to do."
" You could finish it later," He murmured, his lips moving up to kiss her ear.
It was beginning to be harder for her to protest his advances, she thought, so she said," Your fasination with my ears is unwavering."
He chuckled, she could feel his breath on her ear and neck," I haven't seen much of you lately. Your ears or otherwise."
T'Pol rolled her eyes. Trip continued to kiss her, going back down her ear, and starting on her neck. She shivered slightly. He knew he had her right where he wanted her.
# #
" That was a good movie!," Charlie exclamined as Hoshi, or more commonly known to the children as Mrs. Reed, walked the children back to their quarters. Her son Terrance, and her daughter Kakio walked with them.
" Yeah," Kakio agreed," It was funny."
Lorian and Terrance were walking behind the rest of the group," Is your sister always this excited?," Terrance asked.
" Is your's?," Lorian shot back. He was still a little protective of Charlie, as that girl, Darcie had been picking on her again. Darcie had told Charlie that Mama was a homewrecker, and if it hadn't have been for her, Daddy and Darcie's mother would have got married instead. But Mama had to butt her nose in, and she ruined everything. Charlie had ran back to Lorian, tears in her baby blues, and had asked him what a homewrecker was. He had quite a time getting the whole story out of her. By the time he had, he had been fuming angry at Darcie
As Charlie reached up to hit the button to open the door of the family quarters, Hoshi bent down beside her," Why don't we ring the doorbell?,"She suggested, knowing Charlie loved ringing doorbells. Also thinking of what her parents could be doing during their alone time.
"Okay," Charlie answered bithly. She hit the doorbell button.
Inside the room, T'Pol distangled herself from her husband, and went to answer it. When he had protested, she had scolded him, and replied," It's probably the children. They should be home right about now."
Trip mutttered something about how they wouldn't ring the doorbell. T'Pol gave him a stare that warned and frightened him. He knew not to mess with the Eyebrow of Doom. T'Pol went over and opened the door.
# #
As soon as Charlie saw her mother, what Darcie had said came rushing back to her, and her eyes filled with tears. She threw her arms around her mother's waist, and buried her face against her mother's hip.
T'Pol bent down to put her arms around the weeping girl, she shot questioning glances at the group standing outside the door. Hoshi shrugged, and hearded her children off.
Lorian stepped inside, and watched his sister cry. He began to be furious with Darcie for making poor little Charlie so miserable. He looked up as his father approached them,
" What's the matter punkin'?," Trip asked, kneeling down beside his wife, and placing a hand on Charlie's head. Lorian looked down at his feet, and took a deep breath. Trip's gaze left his daughter's tiny figure, who had attached herself to her mother, to his son's distraught face," Lorian, what happened?"
T'Pol looked over Charlie's head to look at Lorian," Was it that Darcie girl again?"
Lorian nodded dismally," She told Charlie Mama was a homewrecker, and if it hadn't of been for her, Darcie's mom and Dad might have gotten married."
" What?!," Trip was shocked. What kind of brat would tell a five year old girl her mother was a homewrecker.," Amanda's kid?"
" Yes sir," Lorian looked back at his little sister, and he wanted to do something mean to Darcie. Darcie was a year older than Lorian, and Lorian was eight. But older or not, nobody hurt Charlie. Nobody.
Trip started to curse, but the look his wife sent him shushed him. As he watched his son, he could tell Lorian was feeling terrible about what that girl had said to Charlie. If it was Amanda's girl, then the girl was a year older than Lorian. She must be a very mean nine year old to prey on an innocent five year old like that.
Charlie finally looked up at her mother,'' Mama," She whimpered," Why did Darcie say that about you?"
Trip's breath caught in his throat, and he wasn't sure what to tell his daughter, who's blue eyes were still filled with tears.
T'Pol didn't have such a time finding the right words,'' Darcie's mother and Daddy were good friends a long time ago. Maybe Darcie is jealous. Maybe she wishes she could have a Daddy just like you do."
Charlie brightened slightly," You think?"
" I do," T'Pol nodded.
" I love you Mama," Charlie decleared, and threw her arms back around her mother.
T'Pol's arms tightened around the girl. Trip went over to Lorian and put an arm around the boy's shoulders.
# #
" She's finally asleep," T'Pol said as she entered the room she and her husband shared.
" Good," Trip replied, and patted the bed beside him. T'Po sat down on the bed.
" I can't believe a child could be that delbertitly hurtful, " She roated her neck, " Where would she learn that type of thing?"
" Maybe you were right about Darcie," Trip's hands snuck up his wife's arms, and rubbed over her shoulders, " We're going to have to have a chat with Amanda. Soon."
" I agree," T'Pol sighed," Poor Charlie."
Trip shook his head, " I can't believe someone would tell a five year old their mother was a homewrecker."
" Do you see it that way?," T'Pol's voice was low.
" See it how?," He pulled himself in to a sitting position, his hands still on her shoulders.
" That if it weren't for my intrusion that night, you may have ended up with Corparal Cole,"
Trip couldn't believe his ears! Was she saying that he might have abondened what was between them, what he had felt for her if she hadn't gotten him to say what he felt that night? If he hadn't ended up spending the night with her? He had to set her straight," Darlin', I don't think about Corparal Cole, or how I could have ended up her. I wanted to be with you. That night you got me to admit my feelin's I knew for sure. I loved you. Still do." He hugged her to him," Never doubt that baby, never," He repeated fiercely.
T'Pol buried her face in his chest and breathed deeply. He smelled better than he had when he first returned home, for he had showered while she had put the children to bed. It felt so good to be wrapped in his arms. They had been very busy, with all the new upgrades for the ship's systems. But now the bulk of the upgrades were finished, and they could spend some time together.
Trip tightened his arms around his wife. He didn't want her to think that if she hadn't thrown his words back in his face that night many many years ago, that she would be alone now, and that he might be with Amanda. Amanda was a good friend, or at least she had been. She had been distant ever since Trip had gotten married to T'Pol, and it got worse when her daughter was born. Darcie's father died during the battle with the Xhindi years ago. His name had been Major Hayes. Nobody had known about what had happened between Amanda and the Major. After Trip had stopped seeing Amanda as much, and again spending much of his time with T'Pol, it was speculated that Amanda had hooked up with Hayes. Darcie took her mother's madien name, seeing as the two hadn't been married when Darcie had been concevied, and Hayes had been dead when Darcie was born. Darcie was born a few months after Trip and T'Pol had tied the knot.
T'Pol nuzzled her face against his chest before looking up at her husband's face. He grinned, and kissed her. She kissed him back. His hands slid down her body, and pulled her closer, to again sit in his lap.
" Trip," She sighed his name. He turned around so she was lying on the bed, and he was above her.
" I love you baby, don't ever doubt that," He murmured as he covered her mouth with his own.
# #
" Mama! Mama!," The next morning Charlie came bounding into her parents bedroom, and jumped onto the bed beside them.
T'Pol's head was resting on Trip's chest as she slept. He yawned and brushed a hand through her hair,
" Somebody wants ya darlin'," He chuckled as Charlie crawled over to sit beside her mother's head.
" Mama! Are you going to come to class today?," Charlie asked bouncing slightly," Today is Parents Day."
" Is it?," Trip asked, reaching over his wife to stop their daughter from bouncing on her mother's head.
" Uh-huh," Charlie nodded,'' Uncle John's coming, and so's Mr. and Mrs. Reed, and Mr. Mayweather,and I think Mrs. Mayweather. Are YOU coming Daddy?"
" If the engine'll let me," He replied. T'Pol sat up and was attacked as Charlie threw her arms around her.
" Mama, do you think the engines'll let Daddy come to Parents Day?," Charlie asked seriously. T'Pol considered it carefully,
" I suppose, if he takes good care of them."
Charlie leaped from her mother's lap to sit on her father's stomach," Do you take good care of the engines Daddy?"
" I'd like to think so," Trip tried to keep a straight face, as this seemed important to her.
" Do you love the engines more than Mama?"
Trip shot a glance at T'Pol and she shrugged slightly.
" Whatever gave you that idea?," Trip asked, frowning.
" I heard Mr. Reed say that sometimes it was like you were married to the engines, and Mama was your mistress," Charlie cocked her head, " What's a mistress Daddy? I want to know."
Trip was dumbstruck, he had no inklination of what to say to that. The only thought that crossed his mind, is that he would have to talk to Malcom about watching what he said around the kids.
T'Pol smiled inwardly. She hadn't expected that to come out of Charlie. She could tell Trip hadn't either, from the look on his face. But, the girl had inherited her father's insatiable curiousity, and so she was full of questions.
" Well Charlie, um," Trip still had no idea of how to answer.
" A mistress is a woman who is in authority," T'Pol explained, " And how did you hear Mr.Reed say that?"
" I was sitting with Tommy and Terrance and Kakio and Lorian when we were waiting for the movie to start. Mr. Reed was standing over with Uncle John, and Mrs. Reed, and Doc," Charlie turned her attention back to her mother," Oh, so you're like his boss?"
" You could say that," T'Pol agreed.
" Hey!," Trip protested.
" Cool Mama!," Charlie poked her father in the ribs," Now you have to listen to Mama, or she'll make you sleep on the couch!"
" Who says?," Trip teased, but he was also curious of her answer.
" Uncle John said you were going have to sleep on the couch if you didn't start going home before midnight like that night last week," Charlie giggled, " He said that you may end up in the dog house."
" Did he?," Trip sat up, and tickled her," Is that so?"
Charlie couldn't reply, she was laughing too hard.
Lorian peeked into his parents bedroom. He could hear noises. It sounded like Charlie was giggling. He saw Dad tickling her. Mama saw him standing in the door way and held her hand out to him. He hurried over, and climbed up to sit beside her,
" Morning Mama, " He grinned, as he watched his father and his sister. Charlie had almost rolled off the bed, and Dad had to catch her before she fell.