The Cultural Addition
a Star Trek: Enterprise
- based fan fiction
by: Joycelyn
Solo
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Summary: An unexpected pregnancy has some interesting consequences
for Trip, T'Pol, the Enterprise and the future of Humanity.
Author's note: This story takes place Season Three, so
expect general episodic references. Though I loved "Similitude,"
it doesn't fit with this story's progression of our favorite couple's
romance and will be ignored.
Disclaimer: Star Trek: Enterprise and associated
characters are property of Paramount Pictures. I mean no copyright
infringement, this story is for entertainment purposes only.
Special Thanks: To Stub -- the bestest beta
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Trip/T'Pol Romance; Mystery
Chapter Five - It's hard to hear over the voices in my head
The middle of ship's night found T'Pol seated at the console in the Command Center, running through the information Lieutenant Reed had provided of his investigation into her and Commander Tucker's disappearance two months ago.
No matter the different search parameters she attempted, she had been unable to discover anything new in the two weeks she had analyzed the planetary scans. Though she held Reed's skills as a security officer in high regard, T'Pol had felt confident she would be able to glean at least something useful from reviewing the data herself.
Unfortunately, even her scientific background failed to yield anything that would shed light on those missing three days.
T'Pol cleared the the screen, getting ready to input the next set of search parameters. As she did so, she experienced the singularly unusual sensation of her growing frustration mirrored back along the bond she shared with the hybrid child.
The mother-to-be was not sure if it was simply being eight-weeks-pregnant -- or being eight-weeks-pregnant with a half-Human child -- but she had never been so aware of her emotions.
It was a common misconception among non-Vulcans that their penchant for logic was a substitute for a lack of emotion. On the contrary, Vulcans possessed some of the fiercest emotions -- which is why they strove to keep them in check. It was only the introduction of Surak and his teachings of mediation and control that allowed Vulcan to evolve past its bloody past.
T'Pol found herself in an almost daily struggle to keep her emotions in check. Being with child, she was assaulted with feelings that were not hers alone, making her need for daily mediation even more important. However, the being within her made meditation most difficult and she felt more exhausted after an exercise meant to rejuvenate.
Phlox seemed to believe her body was still adjusting to the presence of the child and T'Pol would be able to resume her normal routine shortly.
She found his optimism less than reassuring.
Clearing her mind and taking a deep breath, she attempted to send calming thoughts to the baby. Despite the mystery surrounding the child's conception and the turmoil her mind and body had been thrown into, T'Pol could not help the deep connection she felt to the hybrid.
For a moment, she wondered if her own mother had felt the maternal bond this strongly. For the distance that had grown over the years, T'Pol could not recall feeling anything other than cherished to her parents as a child.
What would their reaction be if they knew about you? Not for the first time, she found herself speaking to the child as though she expected a response. She knew it was not logical, but she found logic played little part in what she felt for the being inside her. Though she continued to search for answers of how the hybrid came to be, a part of T'Pol did not really care. The child was a part of her -- was hers.
Her baser maternal instincts didn't need any further scientific explanation.
But that did not mean she would halt her research. She and Commander Tucker had a right to know what had happened to them in those three days that resulted in the combination of their genetic material.
As her thoughts turned to the Enterprise chief engineer, a surge of feeling erupted from the child. Was it possible for the baby to recognize his or her father, or, at least, thoughts of him? Or perhaps, again, the baby was playing off her own confused feelings for the complicated Human.
In the two weeks following Dr. Phlox's startling announcement, the commander had been more supportive than T'Pol would have expected. Though she had told him repeatedly that she did not require his assistance, Tucker maintained his insistence to take an active role in the pregnancy.
Being perfectly capable of remembering to take the prenatal supplements and seeing Dr. Phlox on a regular basis to monitor the baby's progress, T'Pol could have found the engineer's reminders wholly unnecessary and irritating.
But she didn't.
In truth, she was grateful. She would never say it aloud -- and barely admitted it to herself -- but his presence was an anchor amidst the torrent of uncertainty wrought by the pregnancy.
In a weak moment, she had confided in him about her inability to properly meditate. It had been in the middle of one of their regular neuropressure sessions. He was laid out on the floor while she administered to the nodes along his spine, using the ancient Vulcan techniques to help the engineer find much-needed release from the the nightmares that plagued him.
The commander had been so quiet, T'Pol figured he'd fallen asleep -- not for the first time. When he asked her what was bothering her, she'd been startled enough to tell him. He surprised her even further by offering to perform the same technique on her, an offer he had not made before.
Remembering the feel of the engineer's hands as they applied pressure to her neck and shoulders, T'Pol felt herself relax in her chair, the computer screen in front of her forgotten.
She was not sure how long she sat that way, but it wasn't until she heard the sound of the door closing behind her that she realized someone else had entered the Command Center.
As lost in her thoughts as T'Pol had been, she did not need to turn around to know who her visitor was. "Good evening, Commander."
"I had a feeling I'd find you down here," Commander Tucker admonished, coming to stand beside the console. He looked down at her, a slight frown on his lips. "Shouldn't you be resting?"
"I could ask the same of you." T'Pol tilted her head to look up at him, noticing the shadows beginning to form under his eyes. "I had not realized you were having difficulty sleeping again. Should we add another night of neuropressure?"
"Lack of neuropressure has nothing to do with why I can't sleep." He sighed heavily, taking a seat in the vacant chair next to her. "You've been over these records a dozen times. What are you hoping to find?"
T'Pol thought it quite obvious. "I am looking for answers to our disappearance."
"You're not going to get any answers here, T'Pol. No matter how many times you run the data through."
"It is true my previous analyses have failed to yield any results --"
"You've been in here every night for the past two weeks," he cut her off. "That's not healthy -- for your or for the baby."
"I fail to see how research is detrimental to our health."
Trip picked up a PADD and waved it about, as though hoping it's blank screen would help prove his point. "'Because every time one of your searches comes back negative, you get frustrated and it's upsetting the baby."
"Vulcans do not get frustrated," she protested.
"The hell they don't. Why do you think I can't sleep when you're down here?"
"Excuse me?"
"I know when and what you're feeling, T'Pol. Ever since the baby --" He dropped the PADD back onto the console. "You said yourself that Vulcan parents develop a bond with their children."
"You are not Vulcan."
"Tell that to the baby, 'cause he or she let's me know when mommy's not taking care of herself."
T'Pol was silent for many moments, sorting the implications of this new development in her mind. "I had not realized...I did not know it was possible."
"Me neither," he confessed. "Kind of freaked me out when I realized the baby was talking to me."
"The baby talks to you?"
"No, not really 'talks.' More like impressions and feelings that aren't really mine."
"That may actually explain why I have not been able to meditate." She took a deep breath, allowing him to see some of the strain she was feeling. "The baby has connected us. I have been unable to focus my thoughts because they are not all my own."
"Plus you've got to filter through my pesky Human emotions." Trip grinned. "That's gotta be a headache."
"Indeed," T'Pol answered, a ghost of amusement lighting her eyes. "This may also explain why..."
"Why we feel better in each other's company?" Trip rubbed a hand through his hair, causing several pieces to stick up at odd angles. "Yeah, I think the baby's happiest when both parents are near."
"That could be quite difficult if we hope to keep this secret for any longer."
"Maybe it shouldn't be a secret anymore." The commander's shoulders fell, as though the weight of carrying the secret the last two weeks were catching up to him. "I think we've both had enough time to get used to the idea and it's not like waiting is going to make it any easier to deal with everyone's reactions."
T'Pol raised an eyebrow. "You expect adverse reactions?"
"Don't you? I'd be real surprised if anyone took our story at face value. But we both know the truth, and that's all that really matters. That and the baby."
The nod of T'Pol's head was almost imperceptiple, but Trip didn't need to see it to know she agreed with him. He could feel the affect of their decision, as though layers of stress had been peeled away from both their souls.
This bond they shared was going to take some getting used to. He wondered what other surprises were in store...
~~~
More to come...
Thank you to everyone who voted for the baby's gender. You've got a couple chapters until you find out the results, but I'm sure you're all patient enough to stick around, right?
And thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed this story. I never really thought I'd turn into one of those fan fic authors who lives for reviews -- but I have. So, if you liked this/hated it/have some constructive comment I'd love to hear from you.
