T'Pol finished directing the young ensign when she had to sit down. She sat on a rock to catch her bearing again. The last time that she felt this way was when she was pregnant with Charlie. She placed a hand on her stomach and wondered if she was pregnant again. If she was, she hoped that this one was a girl. Not that it would matter to her.
"Are you okay, Commander T'Pol?" The ensign asked.
"Yeah," T'Pol stood again. "How many samples do we have?"
The ensign looked around all the containers they had. They were on an M-class planet and gathering samples to bring back to the ship to figure out if the planet could be inhabitable. "We have about twenty-five containers."
"Good. Let's start packing up, the shuttle should be here in an hour or so," T'Pol started to gather their things while they waited for the shuttle.
When the shuttle landed, they were ready for it. Travis, who was piloting the shuttle, helped them bring everything in. It didn't take long before they were on the ship again. T'Pol and the ensign put the samples away. T'Pol was finishing labeling when she had to sit down again. T'Pol thought that she might stop at sickbay before heading home.
After T'Pol was finished. She made her way to sickbay to find Phlox there, alone. "Commander T'Pol, what can I do for you?" Phlox put his sample down as T'Pol walked in the room.
"I think that I might be pregnant again," T'Pol stated.
A big smile appeared on Phlox's face. "Congratulations, come and take a seat and we can find out." Phlox patted the bed. T'Pol took a seat while Phlox got his supplies. "Please lay down." T'Pol did as he asked.
Phlox did his examination and smiled when a picture showed up on the screen. He pointed to the dot. "Here is your baby. It looks like you are about four weeks along. I'm sure you will want to tell Tripp on your own."
"Yes," T'Pol sat up. Phlox started to clean up.
"As you know we are going to have preform the surgery for the gene sequence," Phlox said.
"Yes, let me tell Tripp and we will plan on it tomorrow," T'Pol got off the bed. Phlox nodded.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Commander," Phlox watched as T'Pol went to the door.
"See you tomorrow, doctor," T'Pol left and made her way home to her men. She thought about ways that she could tell Tripp about the baby. They have been trying for months and it finally happen. She must have gotten pregnant on their trip to the ice planet.
T'Pol opened the doors to find Tripp and Charlie on the floor, playing with some toys. She leaned against the door, just watching them. Charlie let out a laugh as Tripp made a noise to the animal he was holding. T'Pol watched for a few more minutes.
"Alright, Charlie, it is time to clean up. Mama should be here soon and then we are going to get something to eat."
"No," Charlie threw a toy at Tripp's head before turning to run away only to see his mother standing there. "Mama," Charlie held up his arms for T'Pol to take.
T'Pol crossed her arms and shook her head at Charlie. "You need to help Papa clean up your toys."
"No," Charlie ran from his mother to his room. Tripp and T'Pol figured that Charlie was under his bed hiding.
Tripp stood and shook his head. "Are we sure that we want another one of those?" He pointed to the room.
T'Pol moved away from the door and wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's a little late for that." She kissed him.
Tripp broke the kiss and leaned back. "Really," T'Pol nodded. "Wow. Are you sure?"
"Yes, the doctor confirmed it not ten minutes ago." A small smile appeared on T'Pol's face.
"We have been trying for months," Tripp let go of T'Pol, got down on his knees, and kissed T'Pol's still flat stomach. "Hello, there. This is Papa."
"Papa, what are you doing?" Charlie poked his head out of his room.
Tripp looked up at T'Pol. "Do we tell him?" T'Pol nodded.
"Come here, Charlie," Tripp held out his for his son. Charlie came and took his father's hand. T'Pol bent down to look her son in the eyes.
"You are going to be a big brother. Mama has a baby growing inside her," Tripp smiled. He couldn't help it growing.
Charlie looked at his mother with his blue eyes. "Where?"
T'Pol placed a hand on her stomach. "Here," T'Pol brushed his hair out of the way. It was time for a cut.
"You can't tell anyone," Tripp said. He looked at T'Pol, who nodded. They wanted to wait a few weeks before telling anyone. Charlie nodded. Tripp and T'Pol wondered if he knew what they were talking about. Tripp stood and grabbed Charlie's. "I think that it is time for food." T'Pol followed them out of their quarters.
Tripp and T'Pol made their way to the captain's ready room. Last night they decided to tell the captain before T'Pol surgery, and they were out for the rest of the day. Tripp rang the chime to be let in. The captain told them to enter.
Jonathan smiled at them. "Thank you for the detraction. I really don't want to write this report." He threw his PADD on the desk. "What can I do for you?"
Tripp and T'Pol traded a look before Tripp grabbed T'Pol's hand. "We would like to tell you that T'Pol is pregnant."
"Really," Jonathan smiled. He got up and hugged his friends.
"Yes, I will have to have a surgery done today and Tripp and I will be gone for the rest of the day." T'Pol informed Jonathan.
Jonathan sighed. He really hated that he would be down two of his senior officers, but that is the price that must be paid when they are married and growing a family. "Alright, enjoy the day off. I'll try to keep us out of battle."
Tripp laughed. "That would be great," T'Pol hit her husband. Tripp gave her a look. "But if you need me just call."
Jonathan nodded. He watched as they left. He wondered how the ship was going to be with two children under four on his ship. It wasn't that Tripp or T'Pol couldn't get their work done. They were good at that. It was that Charlie was growing up and there was going to be newborn on the ship again. He knew that he was going to inform Starfleet about the newest member of the ship.
Tripp came into their room and glanced at Charlie before turning to his wife. "You really have to stop wearing these outfits," He saw that she was zipping up her uniform. He came back in to grab something off his bedside table.
T'Pol raised an eyebrow. "This is my uniform."
Tripp came over and ran a hand over butt. He leaned close. "Do you know how shapely your butt is in it?"
Tripp saw a look in T'Pol's eyes. She patted him on his chest. "Later, Commander Tucker," She sat on the end of bed to put on her shoes. "Go and check on your son."
Tripp sighed and went to make sure that Charlie wasn't breaking anything. He was just playing with his toys. The doors opened and Crewman Edgerton came in. Tripp greeted her before kissing Charlie on the top of his head. T'Pol came out of the bedroom, she greeted Crewman Edgerton, before kissing Charlie. They grabbed a few PADDs that they were going to need and headed to their stations. They were ready to break away from each other when they heard.
"Commander T'Pol and Commander Tucker to the Captain's ready room," It sounded like Hoshi voice on the comms. T'Pol and Tripp traded a look before heading to the ready room.
Tripp rang the chime, and they were told to enter. They saw the captain sitting behind his desk and he didn't look very happy. "Cap, you wanted to see us," Tripp said.
Jonathan looked up at them and didn't smile. Tripp had a bed feeling that he was going to tell them something that they weren't going to like. Jonathan took a breath. "As you both know I had to let Starfleet know that you were pregnant," Tripp and T'Pol nodded. "They just got back to me," Tripp was waiting for bad news. "They want T'Pol back on Earth to have the baby. They don't want anything to happen to her or the baby if there is a battle."
"But we have been living on the ship with our son since the war started and they never asked us to leave," Tripp said. He glanced at his wife to see how she was taking this news. Her face didn't show any emotion.
"I know, I think it is their way of getting any child out of the way for the war," Jonathan sighed. "I know when the war started, they wanted to get T'Pol and Charlie off the ship, but I put up a fight that I didn't want to lose my first officer and that I needed her to help me win battles than the war."
"Did you try that argument now?" Tripp asked. He didn't want to lose his family.
"I did, but now that we have the alliance with three other planets. They said they can find someone to fill T'Pol's position." Jonathan didn't like the look on Tripp's face. He tried to read T'Pol, but she wasn't saying anything.
"Did you try…" Tripp tried to think of a reason for Starfleet not to break up their family.
"I tried everything," Jonathan said. "They finally said it was an order."
Tripp gasped and knew there was no way around it. Jonathan had to answer others higher than him. Tripp looked at his wife and knew she wasn't happy about this because she was quiet through all this. "T'Pol?"
He saw T'Pol breath in and out for a moment before saying. "It's only logical," Tripp wanted to say something, but T'Pol touched his arm. It had a calming effect on him. He was going to miss that. He doesn't know when he will be able to see his family again. "When do we leave?" Tripp knew that she was talking about Charlie too. Tripp couldn't keep his son here without his mother.
"In few days, we are heading for the meeting point now," Jonathan said.
Tripp knew the answer, but he had to ask. "Can I go with them?" He didn't want to be apart from his family.
"No," Jonathan sighed. "I asked them, and you are their best engineer, and they want you out here."
Tripp nodded and knew that he was going to miss so much with this baby and what to say that they come back to him, or they are kept on Earth until the war is over. He was going to miss his wife growing while carrying their child. He was going to miss the birth of the baby. He wouldn't be there to help T'Pol out with Charlie because he was becoming a handful. He would turn two in a few months and already get into things. He had somewhat of a temper and Tripp knew where he got that from. It was a Tucker man trait.
"You take some time to get packed and ready to leave," Jonathan said in a soft voice. T'Pol nodded.
Tripp followed her out of the ready room. He wanted to say something, but T'Pol grabbed his hand and led him back to their quarters. Charlie jumped up when he saw his parents. "Mama, Papa," He ran to them and reached for them. Tripp picked up his son and held him close. He was going to miss this little guy. The crew liked to call him Tripp's mini me.
"Is everything okay?" Crewman Edgerton asked. "You usually are later."
"Yeah," T'Pol ran a hand through Charlie's hair. "Do you mind taking Charlie to the mess hall for a moment? Commander Tucker and I need to talk."
"No," Crewman Edgerton came up and took Charlie from his father. They left the quarters.
Tripp waited until the door was closed before speaking. "Please tell me that you don't want to go."
"I don't want to go, but what are we going to do? Us leaving Starfleet," T'Pol looked around the room to see what she would be taking with her.
"Yes, we'll get a house and raise our children there," Tripp turned her around to face him.
"Will we be happy there?" T'Pol placed her hands on his chest.
"Yes, we'll have each other and our children," Tripp pulled close.
T'Pol shook her head. "No, we won't. We have space in our blood, it is in our children's blood. Space would be calling, or Jonathan is going to show up at our door needing us."
Tripp sighed. "He would," He saw a small smile on T'Pol's face before it turned normal.
"Tripp, when we started this family. We decided that we were going to live out our dreams to show our kids that they could do the same. It is only for a little while and then we'll have our family together again."
"What if they don't let you come back with the children?" Tripp asked. He didn't want his children to be angry at them because they left them on Earth while T'Pol and he were in space.
"We'll fight it because we know that it can work, they might change the rules after us but remember we have to fight for our relationship." T'Pol leaned up and kissed him.
"They could kick us out of Starfleet," Tripp said against her lips.
"Then we'll find that house and live there with our family," T'Pol broke the kiss and out of his arms.
Tripp reached for again. He liked having her close to him. "We could start saying goodbye now."
T'Pol moved away from him. "I have three days to get everything in order. There are projects that I oversee and need to make sure that they are going to be taken of while I'm gone," T'Pol headed for the door. Tripp sighed. "We'll spend some time together tonight."
Tripp nodded and watched his wife leave. He felt that things were going to change now that she was gone. He soon followed her out of their quarters. He had things to do in Engineering. He made his way to the mess hall before heading to Engineering. He stopped in the doorway and watched Crewman Edgerton with Charlie, who was having a snack. He was going to miss his wife, son, and the new baby while they were gone.