Title: Eternal Linkage
By: Bether6074
Rated: R, I guess only because I would be a little uncomfortable if my 13 year old read this, but nothing major here. Mild language, some suggestive scenes and graphic imagery.
Genre: This is a tough one. Overall, I would have to say Fluff, but there is definitely some Drama, a bit of Action/Adventure, some Angst and, of course, Romance is sprinkled throughout.
Archive: Take it if you want, but please let me know.
Email: All characters belong to Paramount. No infringement intended here.
Summary: Taking the timeline from TATV, six years following Terra Prime, Enterprise is being decommissioned and returning to Earth for Archer's big speech and the signing of the charter. Trip and T'Pol have many issues to confront and deal with due to these events. A disaster aboard the ship has huge ramifications for the two.
Author's Notes: My finale fix and it got way more involved than I intended it to. I'm going to have to ask for a little leeway from readers here because action/adventure is not my strongpoint. I hope the scenario I created isn't too implausible, but I figured it had to be better than what aired. It was extremely difficult imagining where T/T would be six years in the future, but I played with it a bit and this is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.
------------------------------------------------------------Chapter Two-----------------------------------------------
A faint vanilla aroma permeated through the stale air, its sweet odor relaxing to Commander T'Pol as she sat upon the soft brown rug with legs crossed and hands folded. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the familiar, vast, empty, white room that suddenly surrounded her. There was no stimulation; no visions, no people, and no emotions…only blank space and vacuous dreams. "Hey, T'Pol." The Vulcan startled momentarily at the invasion. She glanced up from the white floor to see Commander Tucker standing before her.
"Must you constantly interrupt me?" she questioned sternly, the irritation simmering beneath her voice.
Trip shrugged his shoulders innocently. "You told me to meet you here."
"I meant in my quarters, not in my mind."
"I can't help it, T'Pol. It's this damn bond. I keep findin' my way into your head."
"If you do not allow me the peace to proceed with my meditation, I may begin to lose control."
"Sorry, Darlin'. Seems like whenever I think of you…if you happen to be meditatin', well, this is where I end up."
"I understand. It just makes this more challenging than is necessary." She paused briefly, regaining her subdued demeanor. "I assume that you will be arriving to my quarters soon then. Perhaps you are already on the way?"
"Yep. Be there in just a couple minutes. Just havin' a little daydream on my way."
The chime rang out, jolting the Vulcan from her place of serenity and back to the cushy, almond rug covering the floor of her room. "Come in." She remained seated, in meditating posture.
The door slid open and Trip strolled in leisurely. "Hello," he whispered, almost inaudibly.
"Your sense of time is not very accurate." T'Pol noted with a knowing look.
"Huh?" The chief engineer appeared baffled. He stepped closer to T'Pol and sat down beside her, his eyes fixated onto hers.
"You said you would arrive in several minutes, but in reality it was only mere seconds."
"Oh, sorry. Guess I'm still getting used to this physic bond thing." He gestured upward apologetically with both palms open and smiled warmly, his characteristically timid pose enveloping his features.
"It's been six years. One would think that perhaps you would have some understanding of it by now."
"I know. And I do. I suppose eventually I'll figure it out, but for now, I'm still workin' at it."
"Fair enough. Shall we begin?"
"Ready when you are, T'Pol."
"Very well." She placed both hands down upon the young man's thighs, nudging him forward. "Remember what I told you, legs crossed like this. Fold your hands." The Vulcan watched as Trip complied with her advisements. She scooted her body next to him and the two settled comfortably together, their stances in sync. "Now close your eyes and relax your body. Concentrate on your quiet place. Free yourself from anything you are feeling. Concentrate. Breathe deeply. Direct your mind to the quiet place."
The cool sand brushed along Trip Tucker's feet with every soft step, its smooth texture gliding slowly along his toes as they pressed down into the granules. The ocean stretched infinitely across the horizon, its immensity stunning and pure. In the distance, the sun shone brightly, a flaming, and titian mass just beyond the water. The sky was a resplendent ultramarine, tinted with brilliant streaks of pink scattered universally throughout the heavens. Trip stopped walking and flopped down gently onto the beach. He allowed his senses to be overcome by the magnificent beauty of his chosen venue. The sound of the waves rippling against the rocks, the feel of gentle sand upon his skin, the visual resplendency of this cherished place on earth enveloped his body and soothed his soul. An annoying and sudden compression pushed moderately down on his arm and in an instant, the beach vanished. Trip forced his lids apart surprisingly.
"Damn. I was just startin' to like that place," he stated regretfully.
"Indeed, your skills are improving. I had to use more than minimal pressure to arouse you."
"Arouse me?" Trip laughed. "Well, so much for learnin' to relax." The engineer slowly scanned her body suggestively. He tilted his head slightly and shot T'Pol a flirtatious grin, his eyes gleaming. "You can arouse me some more, if ya like..."
T'Pol glared at him, disdainfully. "That was not the purpose or intention of this visit."
"I know. I know. I was only teasin'."
"This type of behavior is not amusing." She gazed at him sternly. Suddenly his face began to blur, a haze surrounding his features. The room swayed in a repetitive, deliberate rocking motion before her. T'Pol closed her eyes and placed a shaky hand to her forehead, trying to regain her sense of reality. There was a distant and familiar voice chiming repeatedly in her ears, its sound reverberating in a continuous and hollow echo. She felt herself slipping away as the blackness crept in, enclosing her rapidly into an unknown destination. Her body went limp and slumped to the floor with an abrupt thud.
"T'Pol!" Trip yelled in shock as his Vulcan partner lay crumpled before him. He placed one hand gingerly beneath her legs and the other in a tender grasp under her neck, lifting her carefully. The engineer scooped the long, slender form up off the floor, his breaths heavy and unsteady. He gave a quick elbow to the exit button and fled hurriedly down the hallway, T'Pol tucked delicately in his arms. Trip raced along the pathway, with adrenaline pumping, his mind swelling with confusion and fear. His legs began to ache from the stress, each step a cumbersome and weary effort. Finally, the doors to Sickbay neared, rejuvenating him briefly as the pace of his steps increased rapidly. Trip burst through the entrance, startling the Denobulan Doctor.
"Doc! Doc! What's happenin' to her?" Trip shouted as he placed T'Pol down on a nearby biobed. Dr. Phlox rushed over, concern blanketing his face, and touched a hand deftly upon T'Pol's shoulder. He ran a florescent blue light methodically over her body. Trip gasped, his voice panicked. "What is it, Doc? What's wrong?"
Dr. Phlox glanced up from his patient and spoke with a soft and steady voice. "Commander, I want you to try and calm down please. You're not helping her this way." Trip nodded and glanced back down at T'Pol. His stomach wrenched tightly as an urgent and sickening nausea swept quickly over him. "Tell me exactly what happened," Phlox continued. "What were you doing?"
"We were just sittin' and meditatin'."
"So this happened during meditation?"
"No… no, Doc. We were done. We were just talkin'… She kinda got a little fuzzy or somethin'… She grabbed her head and just went down."
"Mmmm…" the doctor murmured while scanning over T'Pol with his medical device. A mild smile emerged from his lips, his face brightening. "Well, Commander, you'll be happy to know this is certainly nothing serious."
Trip exhaled in relief. "Thank God." His tongue skimmed along the soft edges of his bottom lip nervously. "Well, what is it then, Doc?"
Dr. Phlox fidgeted restlessly a moment, his hands clasped in front of his body. "I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss it with you, Commander. You'll have to speak with T'Pol regarding that matter."
"C'mon, Doc, you gotta tell me!"
"I'm sorry. It's Doctor-Patient confidentiality. Not much I can say I'm afraid." Phlox grabbed the top of the long, white curtain firmly and stretched it completely open, concealing the unconscious science officer.
Trip stared at him pleadingly. "Please, Doc, I'm beggin' ya…"
"I'm very sorry, Commander, but we should really allow her to rest now. If you'll excuse me…"
Trip stood frozen, watching as the doctor went about his business. T'Pol's body silhouetted through the thin alabaster drapes, her shadowy form lay still upon the medical biobed. Trip felt a sense of energy surround him, a powerful force engulfing his senses. The chief engineer swallowed hard in realization. "She's pregnant! That's it! She's pregnant, isn't she?"
"A very astute assessment I must say, Commander Tucker. There is no sense hiding it since you have already guessed correctly. She does indeed appear to be in the very early stages of pregnancy. I can find nothing else wrong with her. Dizziness is a common symptom throughout the gestation period." He paused momentarily. "I believe congratulations are in order."
Trip grinned widely, his face aglow with pride. "Thanks, Doc."
"How on earth did you know?" the doctor questioned.
"T'Pol and I have some sort of a bond…a Vulcan psychic bond. I just sensed it. Somehow I just…knew." Worry crept slowly over Trip's face. "Should I be concerned, Doc? You said that Human and Vulcan DNA could combine and everything would probably be all right. I'm really hoping ya still feel that way. But, knowin' what happened to Elizabeth…"
"I can find no reason to believe that this child won't be born completely healthy. There is, of course, no way of knowing this with one hundred percent certainty, but the same could be said of any unborn child still in the womb. It's just part of the job requisite. Worrying about one's child is quite common and completely natural. Trust me when I tell you, Commander Tucker, it has only just begun."
"Thanks, Doc. I'm feelin' so much better now," Trip replied sarcastically. There was a slight movement from the drapes, followed by a soft groan. Trip peered over Phlox's shoulder, his face brightening "She's wakin' up, Doc! Can I see her?"
"Certainly. I trust that you'll be sharing the good news with her?"
"You betcha, Doc." The chief engineer walked carefully around the curtain and moved cautiously to the head of the bed. He clasped his hand tenderly upon T'Pol's and squeezed lightly. "You gave me quite a scare, T'Pol," Trip whispered sincerely. "Guess I'm not a very good meditatin' partner, huh?" He knelt down on the floor and gazed at her with gleaming eyes and a warm smile.
T'Pol turned her head marginally and swallowed hard, eyes riveting to her human friend. "It is very unlikely our shared meditation had any bearing on what occurred." Her eyebrows furrowed inquisitively. "You appear …oddly content. Was Dr. Phlox able to find a cause for this unusual episode? It has never happened before…"
"Well, you've never been pregnant before either, T'Pol."
"Pregnant?" The Vulcan questioned, in muted shock. "You mean I am…"
"Yes. Doctor Phlox says you are in the early stages." Trip couldn't conceal his obvious excitement. His face beamed proudly.
"Will the baby be all right?" The words escaped softly from the Vulcan's mouth, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
"I know what you're thinkin', Darlin'. I was thinkin' the same thing. But Phlox says there's no reason to believe our baby won't be born healthy," Trip offered reassuringly.
"I hope that assessment is correct." T'Pol paused a moment, in quiet contemplation. "This news is most agreeable, Trip."
"Glad ya feel that way." Trip pulled his hand back carefully from T'Pol's, gently releasing his fingers from hers. "You should get some rest. I'll see ya later, okay?" he whispered tenderly, with a sweet smile.
T'Pol nodded slightly and watched as he passed through the exit, disappearing down the corridor. She lifted her hand slowly and placed it gracefully down upon her lower abdomen, closed her eyes and drifted peacefully off to sleep.
