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 Three-----------------------------------------------

Captain Jonathan Archer picked up his bottle of celebratory whiskey and slowly poured the contents into the two glasses upon the table. He grasped one mug in his hand, sliding it over with a gentle push to his nearby companion. Commander Trip Tucker lifted the tumbler graciously and raised it to his lips, his eyes still fixed on the Captain. He put the drink down and smiled, circling a thumb around the edge of the rim absentmindedly. "So Friday's the big day." Trip remarked. It was more of a statement than a question.

Archer nodded affirmatively, swallowing his whiskey with a slight grin. "Yes, it most certainly is."

"Got your speech all set?"

"Well…not quite," Archer stammered. "I've got three days yet to write it."

Trip rested his elbow onto the table and placed a hand along the side of his face, a palm supporting his chin. He sighed softly and smiled to himself. "Biggest day of your life and you're gonna wait 'til the night before…"

"Don't worry, Trip, it'll be ready. The charter will be signed and, well…let's hope this is the start of a new beginning."

Trip nodded and raised his glass to Archer's, gently bouncing the two together with a clank. "To new beginnings…"

"Yes," Archer returned, still extending his goblet into the air. "To new beginnings…" He took a small sip and glanced up at Trip with a slight gleam in his eye. "Speaking of new beginnings Trip, did I hear something about you and a certain Vulcan Science Officer?"

Trip looked back at the Captain bashfully. "It doesn't take long for news to spread around here, does it?" The Commander looked down, his hand gently rubbing the table, and shook his head with a laugh. "Who would've ever guessed it? Charles Tucker III marryin' a Vulcan. And now…" he stammered, "Now T'Pol's gonna have a baby. I still can't believe it, Cap'n."

Archer smiled and put a hand to Trip's arm supportively. "You're a lucky man, Trip," he quipped.

"Yeah," Trip nodded. "Yeah, I know, Cap'n. I know."

"Engineering to Captain Archer." A voice sounded out sternly from the intercom, interrupting the pleasant conversation between the two friends. The Captain shot Trip a confused stare.

"Archer here. Who am I speaking with?"

"Commander Kelby, Sir. We have a serious situation brewing here."

"My chief engineer is sitting right next to me, Commander," Archer offered. "What exactly is the problem?"

"I don't have time to explain, Sir. I think Commander Tucker had better get down here. We have an emergency!"

Trip looked to Archer, who gave the engineer an approving nod. "Go ahead, Trip. Keep me posted. I'm headed to the bridge."

"Aye, Sir." The words had barely left his mouth when the Commander darted for the door on his way to engineering. Trip had no idea what to expect, but the tone and urgency of this distress call left a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He ran down the hallway, darting from side to side in an effort to avoid collisions with several members of the crew. As Trip came around the last corner near engineering, he found himself face to face with Commander Kelby. The young dark-haired Commander glared at Trip, an evil guise enveloping his features. Trip slanted his head curiously, took a step forward and blinked in realization.

"You wanna tell me exactly what the hell is going on here, Kelby?"

"I'd be more than happy to explain, Commander Tucker." He paused for a moment and glared disdainfully at Trip. "Everyone aboard this ship is going to die today. And they will have you to thank for it," he sneered coldly.

Trip felt his anger rising as the blood rushed swiftly to his face. He advanced forward aggressively and pushed into Kelby, forcing the younger engineer to step backwards awkwardly. "What the hell are ya talkin' about? What have you done?" Trip grasped Kelby's uniform and twisted the clothing tightly into his clenched fist. "You better start talkin'!"

Kelby grabbed Trip's hand and gave him a quick shove. The two began to tussle and struggle, fists flailing through the air. Kelby dropped his hands briefly and Trip seized the opportunity of an open shot at him with a quick jab to the face. The stunned rebel fell to his knees and was instantly knocked on his back with a forceful punch to the jaw. Trip kneeled over him, the sweat pouring off his face and glared irately at the downed troublemaker. Kelby rubbed a finger along his bloodied lip and stared brazenly at the hovering figure above him.

"There's nothing you can do. The bombs are preprogrammed. They will detonate in less than fifteen minutes. And not even an experienced, smart guy like you can disable them that quickly. Face it, Tucker… you, the Captain and your precious Vulcan lover will die before this ship can even reach space dock."

"Bombs! Sonuva bitch! Where are they? Tell me where they are or I'll blow your head off right now!" Trip ripped out his phase pistol and pointed it at Kelby's forehead. "Get up." Kelby lay on the floor, unmoving. "I said get up!" Commander Kelby rolled onto his side and pressed a hand to the carpet, scrambling awkwardly to his feet. Trip grabbed the end of his belt and quickly unlatched the buckle. With a firm yank, he pulled his belt free, the clutched weapon still aimed toward Kelby. Scanning the room with urgency, the blond-haired commander spotted a long pillar standing over in the corner. Trip gave Kelby an energetic shove, directing him toward the pole. "Put your hands up. Wrap 'em around it," he ordered. The chief engineer wrapped the leather firmly around Kelby's outstretched hands and tied them onto the beam with a taught knot. "Why are you doin' this, Kelby? You had your whole career ahead of you."

"That's an easy question. I'm doing it because I hate you Commander Tucker." The words slipped from his mouth with an unsettling ease. "You and Captain Archer had it in for me from the beginning. Bringing me here and stealing my position…I am the superior engineer. You'll be blamed for this, Tucker and your name will be stained forever."

"You're crazy!" Trip took a step closer and pushed the phase pistol lightly into Kelby's temple. "It's set to kill," he stated, in a firm and controlled voice. "Now tell me where the bombs are."

"I'm going to die anyway. Why would I care if you shoot me now?" Kelby squirmed, his hands growing increasingly uncomfortable and then thought for a moment. "All right…suppose I tell you exactly where they are, Mr. Chief Engineer? I'd love to see the look on your face when you realize that you are about to die and there's nothing you can do about it!" He tilted his head with a nod toward the wall at the opposite end of the room. "Over there, inside the compartments."

"Inside 'em?" Trip dashed over and opened the doors. A bright red chronometer clicked before him, the seconds ticking down methodically in rhythmic succession, as the destiny of an impending disaster. Beneath the timer, only several feet away, was another, somewhat smaller clock. "Two?" Trip exclaimed in subdued shock.

Kelby tugged roughly at the leather strapped on his hands and winced as the edges dug into his skin repeatedly, causing a significant amount of swelling. "My plan needed to be foolproof with no chance for errors," he hissed callously. "There's no way you can disable both in time to save the ship."

"Captain Archer to Commander Tucker."

Trip startled for an instant at the familiar tone emanating from the speaker. He sighed; his eyes still fixed on the silent, recurrently ticking time bomb before him.

"Yeah, Cap'n, I'm here," Trip spoke softly with a calm voice.

"What's your status down there?" Archer questioned with concern.

"Well, there's a bit of a problem, Sir." The engineer brushed off a slow trickle of sweat from his brow with a quick swipe and then gulped mildly. "We got a couple of bombs and only about ten minutes to stop 'em from goin' off."

"What?"

"This big one will take down the whole ship if it blows, Cap'n. The little one, well…maybe just engineering," Trip added with a slight resignation.

There was a long pause as Archer paced the floor of the bridge angrily. "Trip, do we have any idea who's responsible for this?"

"Oh yeah, sir, I got a real good idea just exactly who's responsible. But now isn't the best time, Sir. Nine minutes and counting down…"

"Let me get down there and help you."

"No!"

"I'll assemble a team…Travis and Malcolm. Is Kelby there with you?"

"Yeah, he's here, but I have a distinct feelin' he isn't gonna be much help." Trip glared over at his counterpart malignly. "Cap'n," the engineer called, his voice growing louder and with more conviction. "You can't send anyone else down here. All you'd be doin' is placin' more lives in danger. Our best bet is to let me disable the devices myself."

"Too late, Trip. I'm already on my way…"

"Cap'n, if you come down here, I'll shoot ya, I swear! And you know I would… You gotta trust me, Cap'n. Go back to the bridge. Let me handle this!"

"All right, Trip. I trust you. I'm on my way back. We'll be standing by."

"Thank you, Sir. I won't let you down."

Trip exhaled deeply and stared ahead at the intricate explosive device, his brain soaking in its structure and configuration. His heart began to pulsate briskly as adrenaline shot through his body with a precipitous rush. The chief engineer's breathing quickened as this ultimate task struck in his mind with a sudden clarity. Its urgency and importance weighed down upon him, a unique pressure that felt unknown and frightening. The ramifications of failure would certainly mean the death of all crew members of the Starship Enterprise. Trip blinked and shook off any lingering self-doubts, his confidence burgeoning. i I can do this. I have to do this. /i The young man's hands began to work feverishly upon the wires, his fingers meticulously maneuvering the connections. Sweat poured down his face and dripped unabatedly into his eyes. The salty wetness of the perspiration burned into his cornea, temporarily blurring his vision. Trip raised a forearm to his face and rubbed away the sting with a rapid swipe. He placed one finger guardedly down upon a colored wire, closed his eyes gently and pulled. Dead silence permeated the air. The sweet sound of engines vibrated softly in the background, their faint purr a welcome tone to Trip's ears. He opened his eyes and gazed at the countdown clock before him. The numbers were gone, replaced by a blackened and empty screen. Trip sighed in relief. One down…one to go.

"Well, Commander, you managed to save your crew…but will you be able to save yourself? I'm tied here, Tucker. You can just walk away…" Kelby offered with a sneer.

Trip glanced back at him with irritation, but remained steadfast. "If I leave, that bomb will explode and damage the engines. This ship needs those engines. I'm not goin' anywhere."

"A true hero...he's willing to die for his engines. How touching…" The words from Kelby's mouth sounded out as a reflection of his cynical, malicious and obviously disturbed state of mind.

"Shut the hell up, Kelby! If I die, I'm sure as hell gonna make certain I take you with me." Trip crouched down to his knees, concentrating intensely on the wires of the menacing and hazardous apparatus. He lifted his head slightly and found his eyes riveted to the ticking clock. Fluorescent crimson seared the cool sapphire hue beneath his lids, sealing a tragic fate with each successive recurring click. Trip felt his body go numb with an abrupt swiftness. The blood rushed from his face, its warmth flowing hastily down his chest, and caused his heart to flutter with fear. His hands fidgeted helplessly and frantically, fingers searching desperately for an immediate answer. i Give me ten more seconds! Ten more seconds, dammit/i The timer displayed its digital numbers clearly before the eyes of Trip Tucker, but the engineer's valiant courage refused to obey the inevitable. 00:07, 00:06, 00:05, 00:04, 00:03, 00:02, 00:01…