Only You Ch 11

By Athena

Rating: R

Disclaimer: Star Trek: Enterprise is the property of Paramount

Summary: As Pon Farr approaches for T'Pol she has to make some choices regarding her relationship with Trip. Of course nothing goes as expected and Trip and T'Pol must decide how to proceed with their relationship.
Spoilers: all the way through the end of Daedalus and AU after that.

Authors Note: First I thought I'd explain that my take on the relationship between T'Pol and Soval is that he's more than just a professional mentor. I got the feeling in several episodes that he's more like a father figure to T'Pol. Also be warned that there is a bit of sexual content here, so skip that part if you'd like.

Chapter 11

Three days later Trip was standing on the catwalk in cargo bay two. T'Pol stood next to him, along with Archer, Malcolm, and Phlox. Almost the entire ships compliment stood on the deck below.

Trip was doing his best to keep from grinning like a complete idiot but he couldn't help it. Yesterday Phlox had told them that the baby's heart was beating steadily and that everything was looking good. He could tell that Phlox was a lot more optimistic about the outcome now. T'Pol was still wearing the fetal monitor. He doubted she'd allow Phlox to remove it until the baby was born, which was fine with him. The monitor allowed T'Pol to know that the baby was okay and hence he knew it as well through their bond.

"If anyone had any lingering doubts as to why we are here, that daft smile of yours must certainly have put an end to them," Malcolm whispered to him.

"Sorry, Malcolm. I can't seem to help m'self." Trip felt his smile widen.

"I suppose we should begin," Archer announced. "I've asked you all here today to formally announce that our first officer has clearly abandoned her sensibilities and consented… very illogically, I might add… to marry our Chief Engineer." Archer was ginning widely now, although Trip was now scowling at him.

The floor below exploded into in din of cheering, clapping, and shouts of both well wishes and sentiments that the announcement was long over due.

Malcolm reached over and grasped Trip's lower arm firmly. "Official congratulations, Sir!"

"Thanks Mal, and thanks for keepin' quite about everything. I owe ya one."

Trip looked over to see Archer shaking T'Pol's hand in a much more formal manner. He wanted to pull her into his arms for a deep passionate kiss but she gave him glance warning him he had better not attempt it. He settled for taking her hand in his as they stood up front of the crew, glad that she had at least accepted the hand holding as a compromise.

"Now I want an honest show of hands here," Archer continued, "how many of you seriously believed that this wasn't what the announcement was going to be about?"

A few of the MACOs that had recently transferred over to Enterprise did raise their hands, but the rest of the crew laughed amongst themselves, knowingly.

"That's what I thought," Archer replied with amusement.

"How long have they been engaged?" Hoshi yelled up at them.

Trip chuckled and glanced over at Malcolm, who was trying to keep a straight face. T'Pol still didn't know that Malcolm had told Hoshi and he continued to shield that piece of information from her.

"I guess it's been almost four weeks now," Trip admitted. "It's tough keepin' a secret on this ship." Trip felt a slight blush of embarrassment when many members of the engineering team exchanged pats on the back, high-fives, and even money. He noted that Hess wore a very satisfied smile and was nodding to several crewmembers.

"Something ya want ta say Anne?" he asked his second.

"Well, Sir, there are better ways to keep a secret other than shouts of joy and public displays of affection during a busy duty shift."

Trip felt his face grow a tinge redder as he chuckled. "Can't argue with you there, Lieutenant."

Archer came over and clasped Trip's shoulder affectionately. "Congratulations, Trip. Now let's take this celebration to the Mess Hall.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

T'Pol was relieved that Dr. Phlox and Ensign Sato had remained by her side in the crowded room. She was uncomfortable in such a setting but this gathering was to celebrate her engagement to Trip, so she was obliged to attend.

She glanced about the room and spotted Trip surrounded by his Engineering team. They were all smiling at their Chief and jostling to get close enough to shake his hand or pat him on the back. Some of his crew even embraced him in a hug.

She reflected upon the fact that none of the gratuitous, in her opinion, touching of her bond-mate by female crewmembers invoked the jealousy that had been present early in their erratic relationship. He was hers now and she could sense that he felt no desire for anyone but her. If she were not Vulcan, the thought would have made her smile.

"Have you and Trip begun making wedding arrangements?" Hoshi asked.

"Not as of yet. There are many issues that must first be addressed."

"Namely, how is Starfleet going to react to this?"

T'Pol turned to see Captain Archer standing next to her, holding a beverage.

"Indeed," she replied evenly, unsure of what else to say at the moment.

Archer pulled her aside and Phlox stepped closer to Hoshi so the two could converse while she and the Captain talked privately.

"I'm not going to be able to keep this from Starfleet much longer. I know we've been avoiding discussing this issue until Phlox could say thing were looking up." She knew he was referring to the baby. "But now I think we need to come up with a plan of attack."

"You make the situation sound hostile. We are not expecting Starfleet to resort to violence."

The Captain chuckled at her response. "Maybe not, but they aren't going to be too pleased with the situation." He regarded her seriously. "They will probably have you removed from Enterprise." Archer blew out a deep breath and frowned. "I know Trip won't want to be away from his family, so it's likely I'll lose you both."

"Our situation is unique. Perhaps an understanding can be reached that would permit us to stay."

Archer rubbed the back of his neck and slowly shook his head. "Starfleet vessels aren't meant to carry children."

T'Pol regarded him evenly. "Yet this one did for over 100 years."

Archer cocked his head at her. "You know those where extraordinary circumstances."

"Yet the fact remains, it was done. That crew found a way to incorporate their children into their lives aboard this ship and that was many children. Here we are only referring to a single child."

Archer laughed softly. "For now. Something tells me this child won't be an only child."

T'Pol raised her eyebrow, which prompted the Captain to laugh more.

"Do Vulcans allow children on their vessels?"

"Under normal circumstances it would not be logical to do so. However, I have already alleged that these are not normal circumstances."

"Perhaps we should hold a strategy meeting with the senior staff." Archer smiled at her.

T'Pol realized that he was joking for the most part. He really believed that Starfleet would force her to leave Enterprise. Although she also realized that that would be the most likely outcome, she held out hope that Starfleet would value Trip's presence on Enterprise enough to allow them to care for their baby here on the ship. It was an outcome she wished to pursue vigorously.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

T'Pol had been sleeping in her bond-mate's arms when the comm. had sounded. Trip hadn't been awakened by the sound so she was careful not to jostle him too much as she rose to answer the comm.

"T'Pol here."

"Sorry to wake you Commander, but you have a communication from the Vulcan Embassy."

T'Pol glanced at the time. It was 0200 hours. She knew it must be Ambassador Soval but she was concerned why he would be calling at such an early hour. She reached for her robe.

"Please put it through," she replied to the night shift communications officer.

T'Pol donned her robe and moved to sit in front of the screen, which she then activated. As she had anticipated, Ambassador Soval's image appeared. "Greetings Ambassador."

Soval nodded to her. "T'Pol, it is agreeable to see you."

T'Pol could tell something was troubling Soval. There was a quality in his voice that betrayed his concern. "If I may ask, why do I have the honor of your correspondence at this hour?"

"I am sorry if I woke you." Soval paused and his eyebrows drew closer together as he attempted to suppress a frown. "I have just received the report on the Keldar mission from both Vulcan and Starfleet. It seems that you have been ill throughout much of the mission although no details were included in either report." Soval paused again. "I was concerned."

T'Pol nodded, understanding. "As you can see I am quite well."

"I am relieved to hear it. I thought perhaps you had been brutalized by a member of the Kovar during the resolution of Pon farr. Such a thing is rare but it has been known to occur."

T'Pol knew that Soval would need to be told outright that that had not been the case before he would truly be relieved. "As it turned out, I was unable to wait for the arrival of the Kovar before succumbing to the Pon farr."

Soval raised an eyebrow. "Indeed." He regarded her for a moment. "I hope you were able to make satisfactory arrangements."

"I believe circumstances have allowed the best outcome to be realized."

"Indeed," Soval repeated. "I am still puzzled by the reports of your illness."

Soval's phrasing allowed T'Pol to choose whether to disclose the details to him or simply allow the matter to drop. She felt compelled to confide in Soval and even to seek his guidance on the issue of remaining on Enterprise.

"I was not ill. However, after the Pon farr was resolved Dr. Phlox determined that I had conceived. As you are aware, producing Vulcan-human offspring is extremely difficult. My time on board the Kovar was spent attempting to achieve a viable pregnancy."

"I see. Can I assume that it is Commander Tucker who fathered the child?"

T'Pol was about to respond when she heard Trip begin to awaken. Perhaps the mention of his name had stirred him to consciousness.

"T'Pol?" he called out to her.

"One moment Ambassador," she said and rose to go to Trip.

"What's going on?" Trip was frowning and shaking himself awake.

"Ambassador Soval received reports that I was ill and has contacted me to assess my well-being."

Trip had pushed himself up to a sitting position and glanced over at the screen. T'Pol was silently amused as Trip realized he was wearing only his underwear and pulled the sheets up to better cover himself. "Ambassador," Trip said loudly and nodded to the screen.

"Greetings, Commander Tucker. I understand congratulations are in order," Soval said evenly.

Trip pulled the sheets tightly around him as he swung his feet over the bunk to face the screen. "Uh, yeah, thanks. I guess T'Pol filled you in." He glanced up at her.

"I have yet to impart any details. I suggest you don something more appropriate if you wish to be included in the exchange."

Trip scowled at her and moved off to find something to wear. She returned to the screen.

"I believe my last inquiry has answered itself."

"Indeed."

"I am pleased that events have taken this course. It is agreeable that you have selected a worthy mate."

Trip had just managed to pull on his sweatpants and was still struggling into his sweatshirt. "Did I hear that right?"

"Your hearing is sound, Commander. When I was last aboard Enterprise I was impressed by the deference you displayed toward our culture. Furthermore, your actions throughout that incident were commendable. I find you a worthy mate for T'Pol."

Although Soval's voice was dry and even, T'Pol could sense that Trip was moved by the Ambassador's words.

"Um, thanks Ambassador." Then he smiled at T'Pol. "Guess I must have a way with Vulcans."

She merely regarded him evenly until his smile faded and he clearly his throat, looking away a bit embarrassed. Being Vulcan, T'Pol did not smile but when Trip looked back at her he must have been able to discern her amusement because he shot her a shy grin.

T'Pol then turned back to address Soval. "There is a matter on which I wish to seek your counsel."

Soval nodded solemnly. "Of course."

"Captain Archer has expressed his regret that Starfleet will wish to reassign me based on my pregnancy. I was hoping a solution can be found that will allow me to continue in my current post."

Trip came up behind her and gripped he shoulders as he pulled her tight against him. "Hey, I'm not letting you take off to raise our kid alone. When the time comes Starfleet will have to reassign us both."

Soval looked contemplative. "I take it there are currently no regulations regarding pregnancy and childrearing on Starfleet vessels."

"Well, no," Trip answered him. "It's not like it's really necessary. I mean I only know of one or two cases where it's even come up, well three if you count Hanson turning down the Chief Engineer position on Columbia cause his wife's gonna have a baby. Still, it's not like it's really been an issue. Junior level crewmen rotate from one tour of duty to the next so you just rotate them planet-side if the need arises." He stopped and run his hand through his hair. "I guess senior officers just don't tend to have families. I'm tryin' ta think of a situation that comes close to this one but I can't."

"If no official policy is in place then it is possible that we could make an argument for you both to remain on Enterprise after the child is born."

Trip frowned at Soval. "Somehow I just don't see that happening."

T'Pol took his hand and waited for him to meet her gaze before saying, "Perhaps you are correct. However, it will cost us nothing to make the attempt. Therefore, logic suggests we focus on presenting the best possible argument to Starfleet."

Trip smiled down at her and she felt a warmness permeate her being.

"I believe Starfleet had difficultly finding a Chief Engineer for Columbia," Soval stated.

Trip nodded. "Yeah, that's the situation I just mentioned. The guy who was going to take the job is expecting a baby pretty soon, so he isn't looking ta leave home now. Most of the rest of the Warp Five team is either too old or too... well, let's just say not the type that would want to actually leave their books and their laboratories just too set foot on an alien planet."

T'Pol wasn't entirely sure she understood what Trip was referring to but Soval seemed to discern his meaning and nodded thoughtfully. "Then it stands to reason that Commander Tucker would be even more difficult to replace. Perhaps the realization that Starfleet stands to lose two vital crewmembers will foster a more pragmatic viewpoint."

Trip removed one of his hands from her shoulder and rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe. Maybe we should hurry up and get married. That would buy us some legal grounds for staying together."

Soval stared at them for several moments and T'Pol was certain he was formulating scenarios and possible responses. She was pleased that she had confided their situation to Soval. He would be a valuable ally.

"I think it might be best not to arrange an official ceremony at this time. Starfleet is unlikely to believe that Commander Tucker would be willing to forgo the opportunity of raising his child merely due to the lack of official marriage rites."

"I don't see how us not getting' married can help." Trip sounded a bit annoyed and she suspected he was considering how his family felt about the issue.

"Please allow me to negotiate on your behalf before taking any official actions on this matter."

Trip moaned. "Why do Vulcans have ta negotiate these things? I love her, she loves me, we're havin' a baby. What's there to negotiate?" The pitch in his voice was raised and he threw up his arms.

"Trust me, Commander. There may be a way to retain your current posts after the child is born, but I must insist you take no action on this matter at present."

T'Pol turned to her fiancé and took hold of his hand. "Please allow Soval to advocate for us on this matter." She tried to convey her assurance to him through the bond.

Finally Trip nodded his consent. "I guess it won't hurt ta give whatever you have in mind a try." He gazed at T'Pol intently. "I just assumed we'd be leaving Enterprise once the baby was born. I guess I'm gonna have ta readjust my thinking a bit too."

T'Pol felt herself longing to be in his arms. She turned back to Soval and attempted to hide the flushness she felt creeping into her complexion. "We are appreciative of your help in the matter."

Soval nodded slightly then held up his hand to bid them farewell. "I will contact you again. Peace and health to you both and to your child." Then the screen was empty.

T'Pol rose and buried herself in Trip's chest. Her arm snaked around his waist and she pulled tightly against him.

"You really think Starfleet will let us raise this kid on Enterprise?"

"I have known Ambassador Soval longer than you have been alive. If there is a way for us to continue serving on board, Soval will discover it." She loosened her grip on his and began slowly running her hands up and down the sides of his torso. She lifted herself up and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

Trip smiled and ran his tongue over his bottom lip. This encouraged her to kiss him again, this time with greater intensity. Trip responded by parting his lips to allow her access. Their kissing grew more passionate and T'Pol moved closer to him as her hands traveled purposefully down his chest.

He let out a low moan that sent shivers through her. She moved her hands lower and began to pull at the elastic on his sweatpants. "You are wearing too much."

"Uh, first you tell me ta get dressed and now ta undress." He was smiling at her but when she slipped both hands inside his pants and slowly began to pull them down, she saw his eyes glaze over.

He stepped out of the pants and quickly pulled off his shirt. T'Pol raised herself up to kiss him. She started with a slow, soft kiss but within moments Trip was responding with a fierce passion. She pulled back and caught his look of consternation. Ignoring his reaction to her breaking the kiss, she began placing the same soft kisses down his neck, then his chest. She heard his breath catch as she lowered herself to her knees and began trailing kisses along his thigh.

"T'Pol," he whispered breathlessly.

Again she ignored him as she gently pulled down his one remaining article of clothing, leaving him naked before her. She felt strangely satisfied that, despite the fact she had yet to touch him there, he was fully aroused.

She moved her hands to his hips, her intent evident, when Trip said in a hoarse voice, "T'Pol, I thought we agreed this wasn't safe for the baby."

She cast her gaze up at him. "We agreed that sexual intercourse may not be safe for the baby. I believe Dr. Phlox has confirmed this particular activity is without risk." She moved forward to kiss the inside of his thigh. Her cheek brushed up against his shaft, causing him to tremble.

His breath was ragged. "Are you sure, uh,… I mean what about you?" She trailed kisses closer to his throbbing member until she reached the base and then ran her tongue along its length. "Oh God!" he hissed.

She broke off her assault and looked up to see that his eyes were rolled up and his head was tilted back. "I find this activity most enjoyable. I have recently become aware that eliciting pleasure in you causes a reciprocal effect in me. I wish to determine the extent of pleasure I can receive simply through stimulating your own."

Trip chucked. "So yer saying this is just an experiment?" he teased.

"Indeed," she replied although she knew she no longer needed to worry that Trip would misinterpret her words. Their bond afforded them both the comfort of knowing how much each cared for the other. Despite her words T'Pol was certain Trip knew her actions were spawned out of love for him and not curiosity.

She then turned her focus back to her original intent, which was to drive all rational thought from her bond-mate's mind by driving him into a blissful ecstasy.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kathryn Tucker was both excited and nervous to see that a communication had arrived from Starfleet. It was a letter from Trip. She hadn't heard from him since he had called to inform them of the pregnancy and the engagement nearly four weeks ago. Scanning the file she saw that it contained a typical audio message as well as two holo-images. She hoped one of the images was of the developing baby. Trip's baby record contained every scrap of information from every doctor's visit. She was hoping to start a similar record for her newest grandchild as she was sure Trip would be too busy to think about it and she wasn't sure a Vulcan would see the logic of something so sentimental.

She decided to listen to the letter first.

"Hey Mom and Dad, I wanted you to know that T'Pol and the baby made it through the operation just fine. Our doc says things are looking real good. The baby has a good heart beat and that we made it past the most dangerous time. We still have to be cautious but I get the feeling our chances are pretty good now. Anyway, we announced our engagement yesterday so now the whole ship knows about that. They still don't know about the baby yet. I think T'Pol's gonna hold out on that one until people start speculating why she's gaining weight."

He stopped and chuckled before continuing, "Actually the entire ship will probably know long before we tell 'em. Seems like no one was the least bit surprised by the engagement. Anne told me that they tried to start a betting pool in Engineering but no one wanted to bet that we weren't gettin' engaged."

"I'm sending you a couple 'a pictures. The first one is my favorite picture of T'Pol. She probably wouldn't want ta see that one on display but it's my favorite so I wanted you guys to see the woman I fell in love with. The other picture was taken shortly after that first one. I kinda had to sneak up on her to get that one. T'Pol's not crazy about having her picture taken. Too bad, that that's gonna have ta change once the baby's born. I want ta have pictures of my family plastered all over the place."

He was laughing softly again. "We haven't made any wedding plans yet. I'll have ta fill you in on all that later. Looks like we may be able ta swing by in a couple 'a months. Enterprise is scheduled for a re-fit and crew rotation, so I'm gonna ask the Capt'n if T'Pol and I can drop by for a visit. I'm pretty sure it won't be a problem. I'll get back to ya with the dates and all that when I know 'em. Take care and give my love ta everyone."

Kathryn smiled at the tone of her son's voice. He sounded extremely happy. She was relieved that the pregnancy seemed to be progressing well, but she was disappointed there were no pictures of the fetus. Trip had seen his baby record dozens of times so he knew she loved all those prenatal records.

She opened the first picture and was stunned at the image before her. The woman in the image was the very personification of grace and beauty. She was dressed in blue silk pajamas and was kneeling on the floor with her eyes closed. Although it was never easy to read emotions on a Vulcan, Kathryn thought the woman in the picture was emanating serenity. She wondered how old the image was and if T'Pol was already carrying her grandchild. Kathryn had worried how a half-human and half-Vulcan child would fair in the world but if this child were to be judged on appearance alone he or she would do just fine. With Trip as the father and the lovely woman in the image as the mother, there was no doubt that the child would be beautiful.

She was about to open the second picture when she heard the door.

"Kathy?" she heard her husband call.

"In here."

A moment later Charles joined her in the den. She could hear other voices coming from the front room.

"Jamie and Carol," Charles clarified.

She was about to ask how long the children would be staying when her husband whistled.

"That's T'Pol?" He was clearly impressed with the young Vulcan woman.

She gave her husband a pinch. "That's your future daughter-in-law."

Charles raised his hands in mock defense. "Hey, I'm not getting any ideas. I've just never seen a Vulcan look so…so…"

"beautiful?" she finished for him.

Charles laughed and ran his hand through his hair, shaking his head. "Yeah, I guess I never thought of Vulcans as anything other than stoic."

Just then her younger son peeked into the room. His wife was right behind him.

"Did I hear Dad say you had a picture of T'Pol?"

She nodded her head. "Well come on in you two and take a look."

"Oh my God! That's Trip's girlfriend?" Jamie's mouth was hanging open.

Carol did not look all that amused. "Don't tell me you've never seen her before. She was all over the news just like Trip was after Enterrpise returned from the Expanse."

Jamie was still gaping at the picture. "Oh, I've seen her, just not like this. I mean she's well... hot." His declaration earned him a slug from his wife. From the sound he made Kathryn guessed Carol didn't hold back as much as she would have if she was merely teasing. Not the she could blame her daughter-in-law. It was hard to compete with an exotic, alien woman. Kathryn put her arm around Carol and gave her a smile.

"There's another picture here," Charles said.

"I haven't opened that one yet. Trip said it was a picture of the two of them together."

"Good we'll put it on the mantle. Open it Jamie."

A second later the first image was replaced by a similar one only this one contained Trip as well. In this image, Trip was sitting on the floor behind T'Pol. He was looking over at her and smiling lovingly. T'Pol was still wearing the blue pajamas but now she was leaning back against Trip. Her eyes were still closed but there was no mistaking the tenderness in her features. Unlike the last picture there was no way to view T'Pol as a sexual object. The inclusion of Trip in the scene altered the ambiance in the picture, changing it to a scene conveying caring and tenderness. This picture was also breathtaking but in a way that warmed the heart.

Kathryn looked around to see the others were transfixed by the picture. She left them there and retrieved a picture frame from a shelf. It held an old picture of Trip with his former girlfriend Natalie. She erased the old image and downloaded the new image into the frame.

"There, now you can all stare at it after dinner."

Jamie was shaking his head. "I guess I was still thinking that Trip was dating some ice queen that was only marrying him 'cause she got knocked up."

"James Ryan…" Kathryn started but her husband cut her off.

"Listen here boy! You were standin' right here when Trip called and told us how hard it was for them ta get pregnant. You've got no right speaking about yer brother's fiancé like that." Charles was clearly angry.

"It looked to me like she loves him," Carol interjected.

Jamie frowned. "Yeah, I know that's what I meant. I was wrong. Sheesh." He paused for a moment and then added, "Just think how attractive that kid is going to be."

"That's a pretty girly thing to say there, James," Carol teased, but she nodded in agreement.

Kathryn smiled and nodded vigorously.

"Did Trip send a message with those pictures? Did he say anything about the baby?" There was a hint of concern in Charles's voice.

"He said the operation went fine and that T'Pol and the baby are doing well." Her grin grew wider as she imparted the rest of the good news. "Trip said Enterprise is coming home in a few months and he's going to try to bring T'Pol for a visit."

Carol smirked. "Are we going to have to lock you boys away while she's here?"

"Awe, come on Honey. You know no one can compare to you in my eyes."

Carol smiled at her husband. "Nice save, Tucker."

Kathryn was still smiling as she considered how wonderful it would be to have her whole family home again. There would always be an emptiness caused by Elizabeth's absence, but there was also the new joy of another baby Tucker on the way.

The family left the den and moved into the living room, where Kathryn placed the new picture on the mantle. Then she headed for the kitchen to start dinner.

Tbc

A/N: Okay it really is all sap and noodle salad from here until the end in a few more chapters. Please let me know for future reference if this stuff is too boring. The first person that reviewed this story told me it got dull as dirt after Enterprise was saved from the tracker beam. So please, let me know what you think.

A/N #2: About the story title, "Only You" is meant to refer to the fact that T'Pol only ever wanted one person as her lifemate, namely Trip. She even says as much twice in the story if you look closely. So the title isn't meant to convey that there will never be other important people in their lives. ;)