Just a little kiss

Estellio

Rating: Pg-13 (T)

Summary: T'pol thinks she's in love with Trip but after seeing a kiss she shouldn't have, maybe she's wrong. I mean, how can she tell what love feels like, she's never felt it before…right?

IOIOIO

Trip stood uneasily in front of T'pol's quarters. Running a hand through his sandy blonde hair he rang the bell and cleared his throat. He was wrong, he knew he shouldn't have said what he had said but he was angry…he had come to apologise and mend things with T'pol but the anger of her just snubbing him was just bellow the surface.

What I wouldn't give for some Vulcan control right about now.

He thought as the door finally slid open. T'pol wasn't wearing one of her usual cat suits, she was attired in a pale green stingy top and short pyjama combo and judging by the slight unruliness or usually immaculate hair, he had woken her up.

"Oh god, T'pol. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up. I'll come back." He started away

"I am roused now, Commander. What was it you wished?" Trip turned back, trying to find the words he had all planned out a moment ago. A long eloquent speech, a witty apology, a olive branch….He couldn't think of anything so he just said what he needed to say.

"I'm sorry." One elegant eyebrow swept up with that proclamation and she waited for more. "I…I sholdnae have pried, I should know by now how private Vulcans are but I thought we were friends and friends look out for each other. That incident in Engineering has probably blown apart any bond of friendship we once shared for sure but I'd like to start building those bonds back." He extended a hand. T'pol stared at it as if she was unsure what to do.

"Commander." She said coolly. "Although I have no wish to reforge my bond with you, I will accept this invitation of friendship. It would be unfortunate if we were on bad terms in light of recent events." She took his hand and firmly shook it once.

"In light of recent events? What you talkin' about?" There was a noise like a stifled laugh from inside her room and Trip peered in over her shoulder. The room was illuminated only by the starlight and he couldn't see anything odd or anyone. Just a rumpled bed and a meditation mat…hold on. Was that a Starfleet jumpsuit?

T'pol stepped into his line of sight.

"Vulcan privacy Commander?" He blushed, looking away sheepishly and catching his bottom lip with his teeth.

"Right…T'pol…eh, you wouldn't like to have breakfast with me tomorrow would you? Or lunch, brunch, whatever you call it." T'pol shook her head.

"Unfortunately I have made other arrangements. Perhaps we can dine together another time." Trip nodded, casting another glance into her room. Was it just him or did the lump of bed sheets move?

"Alrigh' then T'pol. I'll see you t'morrah. Night."

"Good night Commander." Trip nodded to her and with a little wave continued down the corridor. The moment T'pol stepped back inside the bed sheets began to shake and laugh.

"What, may I ask, is so funny?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, her emotions now fully under control after yesterdays confusion and her Vulcan mask firmly in place.

"He was hitting on you and I was in your bed! Tell me that isn't funny T'pol…" She merely quirked the eyebrow a little higher. "Well I thought it was. Come're." Two hands reached out from beneath the covers and pulled her back into bed.

"Captain." She began.

"Don't call me Captain while we're in bed together, T'pol, that's just weird."

IOIOIO

Dr. Phlox put away his tongue scraper, humming away happily to himself.

"Hey, Shirin! What does this mean?" A gruff voice asked and Phlox fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"…I have no idea, that wasn't there before." Phlox stepped out from behind the curtain to see the Andorian and Regulan looking at something on the over head display of the biobed.

"It means," Came a female voice. "That I'm awake. Didn't you do basic medical training in the Academy?" Phlox rushed over to see the young woman who had been unconscious in his sickbay for the last two days, leaning on her elbows and grinning up at the two Ensigns on either side of her. "So…We're on the Enterprise, eh?" Shirin grinned, running a hand through his snow white hair.
"Commander, you ain't gonna believe this but." She shook her head, raising a hand to silence him.

"I'm pretty sure I know more about the situation than you do, Ensign. My mind wandered a little while I was unconscious." The Andorian turned a darker shade of blue and he bit his lip, looking highly concerned.

"We thought that you weren't waking up cause your bond with the Lt. Commander had been severed. We were worried that it could be neural shock, like what happened to Lt. Teren when his wife died." The young woman smiled again and reached up, ruffling his hair.

"It'll take more than a little psychic backlash to knock me out of the ring for long, plus, it ain't broken. Not at all." Both Shirin and the Regulan's head snapped up.

"What, but that means…"

"Yep. We should be picked up in the hour. Our mission is complete." Shirin and R'raul looked at her incredulously.

"I hate you." Shirin said at last. "You always do this to me." The woman laughed, lying back down and closing her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Well, after Daniels messed up the timeline, we had to fix it again. I was recruited for the job because of my telepathy, you came along cause you're the best pilot we have and the only one who was capable of flying through a temporal anomaly and…well…Zak was meant to come but he had a date with Dr. Brady that he couldn't miss. You know how he loves studying ancient technology. I hope you took a few scans for him R'raul." The Regulan nodded, growling softly.

"I should have known, what with you being a member of the IDTSP and all." She frowned suddenly.

"Who told you that? I certainly am not! I, unlike them, have a sense of humour and a healthy social life." Shirin snorted.

"Says she who married a Vulcan." V'lena hit his arm, scowling.

"Quiet you." She turned to Phlox who was staring amazed at her.

"You're from the future?" He asked incredulously, though the novelty of that should have worn off by now, the woman nodded.

"Yes, that's why I couldn't let you scan me. Not only would you notice the quantum signature was a little off but also my DNA is absolutely, freaking weird. The Doctors of my time wont leave me with a drop more of blood than I need so imagine what you would say if you scanned me." She smiled, plucking the tricorder from his hands. "My special abilities, such as regeneration and telepathy are the reasons why I'm chosen for the more sensitive missions." Phlox raised an eyebrow with a small grunt.

"I see…if you don't mind me asking…what is your mission?" She smiled up at him, handing him back his tricorder.

"Daniels messed up the timeline by taking Archer at a moment when the whole entire history of the universe was changed. You see, Archer and T'pol were to have a conversation that would not only change their lives forever, but the relationship between humans and Vulcans. T'pol and Trip was never meant to happen. He was supposed to have a relationship with a Maco called Amanda Cole and then there was this whole her and Sov…you know, lets not talk about the future but keep and eye on Amanda. You'll never believe what she gets up to and with whom." V'lena winked, sitting up and throwing her legs over the side of the bed. "I'm here to correct a mistake involving a horny human and a emotionally unstable Vulcan." Phlox raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly.

"I…see. By human you mean Commander Tucker and by Vulcan you mean T'pol?" The girl shook her head.

"No, I mean Soval."

"Commander Tucker and Soval!" She grinned at the stunned Denoblian evilly, teasing him gently.

"Yep, Tucker has a Vulcan fetish. Sad really."

"You're one to talk." Mumbled Shirin, turning away.

"Don't make me hurt you." She snarled jokingly before turning back to Phlox. "I'm joking about the Soval / Trip thing, disturbing thought." She shuddered. "I believe you once told Captain Archer that the reason why T'pol meant so much to him was due to a sexual attraction. Or sexual tension as you called it. He denied it of course but we both know he was lying When T'pol was going through her Pon Farr she called out his name…they've been in love with each other a long time, Doctor. T'pol couldn't see it and Archer wouldn't. With this whole Trip debacle the timeline was drastically altered. We had weirdo's like Lorian running around, I don't care how sexy his hair was, he was a weirdo!"

"You mean to say…that your mission…was to get Commander T'pol and Captain Archer together?" She nodded, grinning broadly and Phlox couldn't help but smile too.

"Yes, it's thanks to them that the Federation is formed and not only that. It's their example that leads hundreds of other Vulcans and Humans to marry aliens. I mean, where would we be without Levaska and Marie? T'mir and Shojan? Sarek and Amanda? Tell me, what kind of universe would that be? T'pol and Trip would never have gotten serious because…" She shook her head. "I can't tell you but I will tell you something. It's an honour to meet the man who made children like me possible." She extended a hand and he took it, allowing her to shake it firmly. "It's your research which pioneers the way for halflings like me. My mother was a Vulcan and my father was part human. "

"My parents were both Andorians, I can say nothing." Shirin said shrugging.

"My mother was a Regulan, so was my father, however, my sister did wed a Rigellian. Odd fellow him, liked numbers."

"Don't they all?" The badge they each wore chirped.

"Savock to V'lena." She smirked at the other two officers as a distinctly Vulcan, male voice came over their comms.

"Right on time." Shirin reached forward and tapped her badge for her, speaking before she did.

"Shirin here, Sir."

"Shirin…where is V'lena?"

"In bed sir. She refuses to move." V'lena rolled her eyes with a snort.

"Alright, listen closely. I want you to get a big stick with a point on either end and jab her in the ribs with it. Can you do that?"

"OI! I'm right here you know! Just beam the Ensigns off the damn ship!" She snapped, pushing Shirin's head away from her chest.

"Are you not coming, Commander?" She shook her head even though she knew he could not see.

"I've got some unfinished business. I'll Comm. Ye when I want to beam over though. Ok?"

"Yes, M'am. Captain Black is awaiting your arrival."

"She out of her sleep cycle?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't she Comm. Me herself?"

"I am unsure. Something about having enough of your damn issues and hoping you come back a withered old hag with bells on." V'lena nodded slowly, grinning madly.

"Oh. I see…Savock. You couldn't find me some bells could you?"

"I'll get on it right away." The two Ensigns disappeared and she tapped her badge again to turn it off.

"This may sound like a silly question but where's the Mess Hall?"

IOIOIO

Archer smiled at T'pol as she sat across from him and began to unfold her napkin.

"Why are you smiling at me?" She asked without looking up, smoothing the napkin on her lap.

"No reason."

"Do you often smile randomly at people?" She looked up, quirking an eyebrow and reaching for her knife and fork.

"Yep." She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and went back to the breakfast Chef had lain before her. "You're very beautiful, you know that?" T'pol's head snapped up, a green blush lining her cheeks.

"Thank you." She turned back to her Vulcan cereal and took a sip of her Saya juice. Archer grinned even broader at her. "That is very…disconcerting. There must be a reason why you are smiling." Archer turned back to his omelettes.

"No reason." T'pol put down her fork and knife and folded her hands in front of her.

"Jonathon?" She fixed him with a level stare.

"T'pol." He returned her stare, mimicking her pose. "…T'pol…I can feel you. In my head. It's …kinda strange!"

"You'll get used to it." He winked at her causing her eyebrows to climb her head. "If you are going to be thinking like that all day you will get no work done."

"I've always done fine before." He grinned cheekily at her, digging into his omelettes, he suddenly sniggered.

"What is so funny now?"

"I was just thinking how I'm going to explain this to Admiral Gardner and…can you imagine the look on Soval and T'pau's face? It'll be priceless." She shook her head as she began to eat. "What'll mother say? Me marrying a Vulcan? Well…" He shook his head and began to laugh to himself. T'pol put down her fork.

"Perhaps we should make a ship wide announcement, then we would save you the trouble of planning how you are going to tell everyone." John looked up at her in shock.

"…A little tactless, don't you think?" He said, grinning when he realised T'pol had just made a joke. He felt her own amusement through the bond and reached across to take her hand in his.

"Hey Cap'n." Trip burst into the room and stopped when he saw them together. "What's going on here?" T'pol slipped her hand from beneath John's and looked to him, her expression blank. The decision was up to him, he couldn't read anything from her expression and the bond was walled off firmly.

"Well…Trip."

"Hold on…You were in T'pol's quarter's last night, werentcha?"

"Trip…" Archer looked uncomfortable a moment. "The Commander and I…" He paused looking over to T'pol, his face softening into an unfamiliar expression. "T'pol and I, we have recently come to…Dammit Trip. I'm in love with her and she finds me 'agreeable' and…well…We've bonded." Trip swallowed, his face somewhere between shock, rage, joy and confusion.

"How long." He choked out after he had swallowed about five times and blinked at them dumbfoundedly for several moments.

"…Last night we came to an…understanding." T'pol nodded at his diplomatic approached and then turned back to Tucker.

"But…T'pol…what about us?"

"When you were subjected to the virus by the Organians our bond was broken. There was no need for us to consummate a relationship."

"I ain't talkin' about bonds or all that Vulcan mumbojumbo, I'm talkin' about US! I thought we...that you…" He looked lost for words for several minutes and Archer felt more uncomfortable than he ever had in his life. His love for T'pol was nothing to be ashamed of.

"I thought so too." She said quietly. "Trip." He voice was soft and understanding and it made Trip look up and pay attention. "With Pan'nar and the Trellium alterations, I was unsure of where my emotions lay. I've finally gotten them sorted out and I still consider you one of my closest friends. You guided me through a time in my life where I was more lost and uncertain than I ever have been, even after this Ki'shara business. For that you have my eternal gratitude, I do not think I could have trusted anyone else as implicitly as you but I also believe that you, as a person, are able to set aside your own feelings for the happiness and the well beings of other. Like you said…Romeo and Juliet stood a better chance." Trip smiled and looked down at his boots.

"I suppose you're right T'pol. It don' change the way I feel aboutcha but, I'm happy for you, and you John. 'Bout god damn time you got yourself a girl. At the rate you were goin' I thought I'd never be a godfather and you promised!" Archer laughed, half in relief his friend was taking it so well, half the fact that he remembered that drunken promise from so long ago. "First daughter, you said, I ain't gonna forget and I'll hold you to that word!"

"Alright, alright. As long as T'pol is okay with that." Their only reply was a raised eyebrow.

V'lena watched from a distance, smiling at them as they interacted. She couldn't believe she was seeing history in the making. She had been to a thousand galaxies and timelines and seen a thousand things, some strange, some unbelievable but nothing as magical as this.

"You see, this is the way time was supposed to go." She whispered to the bulkhead. "Look how happy they are."

"Do you think we'll ever be that happy?" A pair of arms slipped around her waist and she was pulled back against a broad warm chest.

"Don't be silly, we are that happy." She said, looking up at her husband and smiling. An amused light danced in his eyes as they looked back at the three Starfleet officers. "This is where it all began, Savock. My third foremother and my great, great, great, granddaddy. It's strange, isn't it. I look nothing like either of them."

"You are several generations removed." Savock said placidly as Trip ran out to get champagne. Archer got up and moved over to T'pol kissing her before Trip returned with Travis, Hoshi and Malcolm. She linked her hands with his, around her waist and they watched the celebrations for several more minutes. "We should get back to the ship." He mumbled, content to stand there with her in his arms but conscious of the time they had.

"We should…but we have a little while. I want to go over there and congratulate them."

"You know we can't."

"…I wonder if she knew?" V'lena mused, stroking Savock's index and middle with her own idly.

"Who knew what?" He mumbled, watching their hands intertwining.

"T'pol knew, about me being her descendant? I didn't even say hi to Malcolm and Hoshi, I'm their relations too."

"You are?"

"I am. Their grand daughter married Archer's son."

"…I did not know that." Savock ran a hand over her stomach and she picked up on what he was thinking.

"We should have kids."

"What, right now?" He teased gently.

"Don't be silly…We're in a public place." She laughed then fell quiet again. "If we have a boy we're calling him Jonathan."

"No, we're not. We're calling him Saketh." Savock protested.

"No, we're not." The two Vulcan's argued, handing in hand as they left the rejoicing Enterprise crew and walked down the hallway towards the transporter room.

IOIOIO

A/N: OMG! OMG! OMG! I FINISHED A FIC THAT WASN'T A ONE SHOTTER! OMG! This is a monumentous event! The first fic I ever completed! Hope you like it. I couldn't resist but shoot in that little bit of Malcolm Hoshi at the end and the Trip Soval thing is this on going joke between two of my friends and I and shouldn't be taken seriously at all because it brings horrible mental imagery to mind. (shivers at the thought) So, I think that wraps everything up in a nice little bundle and redeems Trip's honour. Thank you to EVERYONE who's reviewed. I love you all! I'm going to finish up my Atlantis and TOS fics before I start posting new fics but I have two Enterprise ones in the work, one an AT fic called Children of Enterprise so watch out for that and the other is a little Soval one because I'm a little bit in love with him at the moment. I really do have a Vulcan fettish. Mm, Soval, Vorik, Lorian, Tolairs, Tuvok, Sarek, random Vulcan Doctor dude….Spock! (Falls over) Aaannnywaay. I know T'pol was a little OOC in the last chappie but she had someone inside her head for crying out loud, wouldn't that send the best of us a little screwy. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think.

Thank you for the wonderful trip, this has been a labour of love and I Hope you enjoyed it.

Slán go foill;

Estellio.