Title: Demons Part 3
Part/Chapter: 1 of 4
Summary: Set after 'Demons'. My resolve of the Terra Prime crisis. Read this, if you can't wait till Friday :) T/T of course
Spoiler: 4.20 'Demons'
Rating: PG-13 (just to be on the save side, or is it 'T' now?)
Disclaimer: If Enterprise would belong to me, there would definitely be a fifth season. But since this isn't the case… All characters of Star Trek Enterprise belong to Paramount.

A/N: Maybe you'll wonder, why the title is 'Demons Part 3', but depending on the ending of 'Terra Prime' on Friday, I'll decide to write a prequel to this fanfic with the title 'Demons Part 2' in order to correct some aspects in 'Terra Prime'. I have read NO spoilers about 'Terra Prime & TatV'.
By the way, I wrote this at 2AM… so please be nice…

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Chapter 1

With fast steps - almost running - Captain Jonathan Archer left the long corridor and entered the transporter room just in time to see the last blue sparkles fade. He knew, he risked the lives of the three people he was about to save with this merely untested transporter-technique, but there was no other option left.

Paxton, the fanatical leader of Terra Prime, had taken over the verteron array on Mars and was now able to destroy every city on Earth or every spaceship in solar system. Time was running short - not only for Earth to fulfill Paxton's demand - but also for his crewmen held hostage down on Mars. Enterprise used one of Mars' moons as shield and Captain Archer saw no alterative than using the transporter and beam his Science officer, Chief engineer and their child the almost 24,000km distance from the Mars' surface.

Next to the transporter platform stood Dr. Phlox and his team ready to take care of the injured engineer, while Lieutenant Reed had order to initiate an attack on the verteron array to destroy the cannon and arrest the terrorists.

As soon as the three people were completely materialized, Jon dashed forward and kneeled next to his best friend. His eyes immediately roamed over the phase-pistol wound on Trip's chest, then wandered up to his unconscious face. Only a second later - through it felt like eternity - Jon was shoved away by the ship's doctor.

"Crewman Peterson and Carter, get Commander Tucker on the stretcher. Hurry." Phlox shouted to the two young men, who instantly obeyed his orders. Before they could bring their patient to sickbay the doctor gave him a hypospray.

Meanwhile Archer's attention was shifted to his first officer, who'd kneeled next to Trip's head holding a sobbing baby close to her chest. The newborn took jerky breaths, while her mother tried desperately to ease her breathing with massages of the child's upper body.

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T'Pol's eyes were fixed on the child in her arms, afraid that stopping the massages would mean the small girl's death. It took her a moment to realize that Crewman Cutler had bent down next to her and was about to give the infant an injection. The hiss of the hypospray made the Vulcan finally look up meeting the other woman's concerned face. The medic motioned to take the child. But the Science officer hesitated. T'Pol already felt the bond between her, Trip and their child fade – her heart told her to hold on to her girl as strong as she could, but her logic ordered her to give her baby to the other woman.

Reluctantly T'Pol obeyed and carefully laid the child in the outstretched arms of the Crewman. Her eyes followed Cutler out of the room and then remained on the shutting doors, until she felt a reassuring hand on her right shoulder. She turned her head to see Captain Archer. He withdrew his hand, stood up and helped her to her feet. Without exchanging a word both left the transporter room in a brisk pace.

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The minutes protracted to hours and the Captain and T'Pol were still sitting in front of sickbay, leaned against the corridor's walls.

Almost two hours ago, Phlox'd made it pretty clear that he couldn't need either of them. Unable to do anything – both watched Trip being rolled into the chamber. T'Pol tried to catch a last glimpse of her daughter being treated on the far end of sickbay, before she and her Commanding Officer were practically shoved out of the room by two Crewmen.

On the outside T'Pol'd walked some meters away and was leaning against the metallic walls with one shoulder. Jon cast the closed sickbay doors a long look, then turned around and approached his Science officer. He watched her back for a while, before he finally spoke for the first time since the transport. "T'Pol." Her name rang like a whisper from his lips. When she didn't respond, he repeated it.

This time she half turned around and let herself fall back against the wall. Her eyes shyly searched for his, before they traveled to the floor a second later.

It took Jon a moment to grasp that glittering tears had found their way on the beautiful Vulcan's eyes and were slowly rolling down her cheeks. He watched her wiping some salty rivers away from her face with the back of her hand. She seemed to struggle against those tears with all her Vulcan suppression techniques, but lost.

Only once before he had seen her cry – back then she'd shed tears for her dying mother. Jon stepped closer and tentatively wrapped his arms around her petite body. His hands stroke her back. Slowly T'Pol relaxed against his chest and buried her face in his shoulder. Jon's eyes traveled down to her worried features. He wanted to tell her everything was gonna be ok. That Trip and her child would make it. But he couldn't bring himself to say those words – they would be lies, since he doubt that outcome.

It was then, when Hoshi made her way to sickbay in order to report and saw Archer comforting the crying Vulcan. Once the Captain was aware of her presence he simply nodded. That was all that Hoshi needed to leave and return to Bridge. Maybe later was a better time.

This was almost two hours ago and since then both waited in silence for Phlox. Some minutes earlier, T'Pol seemed to have fully recovered her emotional stability. A calming power radiated from her and even took its effect on the Captain. He didn't understand her sudden change, her composure – but then again, she was Vulcan.

Suddenly the doors to sickbay slid open and Dr. Phlox stepped out into the dimmed corridor. Immediately Jon and T'Pol stood up. Before the doctor could say something, the Captain voiced the one question that burned on his soul. "Are they…?"

"They are alive." Stated the Vulcan, before her Captain was able to finish his question.

Phlox simply nodded in agreement; through he was as surprised about her knowledge as Captain Archer was. "They are both weak, but alive. It will take some time, especially for Commander Tucker, but they will fully recover."

"May we see them?"

"Sure, Commander." The Denobulan walked back into sickbay and the Captain and T'Pol followed him closely.

The small group neared two by a white curtain separated areas. In the left one laid Trip – still unconscious, but alive. A bandage covered his torso and he appeared to sleep quite peacefully.

From the other side of the privacy curtain came cooing sounds. T'Pol's view rested a moment on Trip's features, then she slid the white fabric away and approached her daughter.

The infant lay in a closed plastic box, covered with a metallic-purple blanket. Only her head and her bare little arms were to see and she instantly stretched her hands towards her mother and laughed lightly. T'Pol reached with her hand through one of the openings of the box and the child grasped her fingers right away. The small girl studied her mother's large hand for a while, then let go of it and began sucking on her thumb.

For the first time T'Pol had time to really look at her child. She studied the chubby face, the brownish-blond hair, the bright blue eyes – no doubt her father's eyes – and her pointed little ears– so much like her own ones. She stroked the downy head slowly and began memorizing every detail of the beautiful face. Through the bond she could feel her child's so human emotions.

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PLEASE REVIEW

A/N 2: UPDATE TOMORROW (Friday before the final of ENT airs)
In the next chapter, it will come to naming the child.
I really hope, that they won't kill the baby in 'Terra Prime'. I mean, you can't kill such a cute baby :( . If they do, I will not only consider TatV a disaster, but also 'Terra Prime'. And they should at least mention the name of baby Tucker in the episode – not like in VOY with baby Paris.

And again: Review please :) Tell me what you think