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: I'll be referencing some plot aspects from the Expanse, but the overall arc is definitely of my own creation.
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 super beta
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Trip/T'Pol Romance; Mystery

Chapter Six - A laughing matter

For as complicated as warp travel was from an engineering perspective, working the bridge shift during high-warp was surprisingly quiet.

Seated at his console, Travis Mayweather found that, for once, he didn't mind the fact that he didn't have a whole lot to do as the ship pretty much flew itself toward the coordinates he'd inputted hours ago.

During lulls like this, Travis would usually busy himself with navigational calculations or simulations he could run while still staying aware of the ship's course.

That morning, however, Travis was using the time to mull over the news Captain Archer had shared with the crew.

Sub-Commander T'Pol was pregnant...and Commander Tucker was the father.

If that wasn't a shocker, the captain went on to inform them that the baby had nothing to do with inappropriate relations between the part of the two senior officers, but was the result of some alien experimentation.

Before making his general announcement, the captain briefed the command crew with the full story; or at least as much as Phlox, Commander Tucker, T'Pol and the captain could figure out. Even with Phlox's medical assurances, it was had to believe the story -- no matter how much Travis wanted to trust the sub-commander and commander.

Alien abductions and sexual experimentation -- it sounded like some cheesy plot Commander Tucker would have picked for Movie Night.

Then again, Travis had spent three days searching for the science officer and engineer when they'd gone missing -- the same three days Phlox estimated the baby had been conceived. Hoshi and Lieutenant Reed had scanned every inch of the planet, not to mention having several teams investigating on foot. He found it unlikely the two of them could -- or would -- have stayed hidden without some outside interference.

Travis also found it highly doubtful that Commander Tucker or T'Pol would think of a insane story like that if they were just covering for inappropriate romantic involvement. Though the idea of an abduction was far-fetched, it just was crazy enough to be true.

Resisting the urge to glance over his shoulder, Travis could imagine T'Pol seated as she ever was; calm and poised as she reviewed status reports. Unlike Captain Archer, the sub-commander spent her time in the center seat actually sitting in the center seat. The captain was always pacing, looking over shoulders, sitting and then pacing again. Travis admired the Enterprise CO, but sometimes his pent-up energy made it difficult for the rest of the bridge crew to concentrate.

In fact, the captain had been full of an extraordinary amount of energy during the early-morning briefing. In addition to the usual pacing, it had almost seemed to Travis as though the older man was trying to avoid any type of contact with his second- and third-in-command.

Travis and Hoshi had discussed once before how familiar the captain and T'Pol seemed, as though they had shared intimacies. Was it possible Captain Archer was jealous that the sub-commander was carrying Command Tucker's baby?

The absurdity of that thought caused a small chuckle to escape Travis' lips -- which he then tried to cover with a cough.

"Are you well, Ensign?" T'Pol asked, one eyebrow arching as she regarded the pilot.

"I'm fine, sir," Travis answered, turning in his seat meet T'Pol's steady gaze. "The air's just a little dry up here is all."

T'Pol tilted her head slightly in consideration. "I will make it a point to ask Commander Tucker to run a diagnostic on the environmental controls."

"Thank you, sir." Travis turned back to his console, ignoring the pointed look Hoshi shot him as he pulled up his latest nav calculations and put his mind back to piloting the ship.

~ ~ ~

'The air's dry', my foot, thought Hoshi Sato as she regarded her fellow ensign seated at Navigation. She was certain she'd heard Travis laughing under those feigned coughs and, considering the morning's briefing, she couldn't imagine what about.

Did he think it was funny that Sub-Commander T'Pol was pregnant? Hoshi wasn't quite sure what her feelings were in regard to the news, but she was pretty sure humor was not one of them.

Surprise basically covered it.

Unlike a lot of the Humans aboard, Hoshi had studied the Vulcan language -- and culture -- to the deepest extent an outsider was allowed. She'd read ancient text and become acquaintances -- Vulcans did not make friends easily -- during her time on the desert planet. From all her studies she knew Vulcan stoicism had nothing to do with a lack of emotions, but an overriding need to control their emotions in the pursuit of logic.

But just because a Vulcan had feelings didn't make it any easier to accept that one would develop feelings for a Human. Vulcan culture was steeped in centuries of tradition and few went against it. For T'Pol -- or any Vulcan -- to turn her back on her upbringing for the sake of a Human was highly unlikely.

Of course, T'Pol had already demonstrated on several occasions that she did not always go along with Vulcan tradition. Her presence on Enterprise was a prime example -- she chose loyalty over duty to remain on the ship; resigning her commission to the High Command.

Or maybe it wasn't just the ship's mission she stayed for...maybe T'Pol had stayed for another reason. She and the commander spent a lot of time together outside of regular duties and the neuropressure sessions had the rumor mill running overtime.

Maybe...

no...

could they be...

As her mind wrestled with the thought, Hoshi began to believe it was possible that there was more to T'Pol and Tucker's relationship.

For one thing, there was the neuropressure. From what Hoshi knew of the discipline -- which wasn't much -- it was a very private and intimate act, usually only performed between Vulcan couples or for medicinal purposes. According to Lieutenant Reed, who had foolishly tried to stop the rumors, T'Pol's ministrations were meant to help Commander Tucker sleep.

One can only imagine where gutter-prone thoughts quickly turned with that defense.

Secondly, none of the Vulcans Hoshi met would have put up with the commander's constant verbal challenges. Any of her acquaintances at the Vulcan Science Academy would have iced him down with a cool stare before turning away.

As far as Hoshi could recall, Sub-Commander T'Pol never turned away when Commander Tucker wanted to mix words. In fact, several crewmen were known to stop what they were doing and watch the two go at it -- usually without either senior officer even noticing their audience.

And, lastly, Hoshi saw the way Commander Tucker had seemed almost protective of T'Pol during the briefing. To the casual observer, there was nothing unusual about the science officer and engineer sitting next to each other in the command center. But to Hoshi, who studied body language as well as written and verbal, there was much more going on.

The way the commander leaned almost imperceptibly into T'Pol's space...the way she allowed him to...the tilt of the sub-commander's head as she watched Tucker interrupt the captain's explanation on more than one point...the way he looked to her before speaking....

Oh my god. Now that she looked closely enough, Hoshi could see Sub-Commander T'Pol and Commander Tucker were broadcasting signals with more power than those buoys Enterprise was using to stay in contact with Starfleet.

Alien abduction and medical science aside, there was definitely something going on between those two. How could she not have seen it before?

Hoshi couldn't help the giggle that bubbled from her lips and -- following the example set by Travis -- tried lamely to cover the outburst with a cough.

"Is the air too dry for you as well, Ensign?" T'Pol asked, arching her eyebrow as she regarded the communications officer.

"I think Ensign Mayweather was right, Sub-Commander. The air is dry in here."

T'Pol nodded her head and resumed reading the PADD in her hand as Hoshi ignored the look Travis shot her.

When their shift was over, they could both trade what they had found so amusing.

~~~
Just because this one took so long...there's a bonus chapter coming this week! Yay!