A/N: There is a little "romance" in this chapter although I think you will like this one. Since I was asked to provide warnings, I am doing so.

Merged.

Chapter 28

Jon had taken his fifth shower that morning. He came out of the bathroom, rubbing his hair with a towel. He dressed in a pair of jeans and tunic style white shirt. He went into the kitchen to fix some tea. As he waited for the water to boil he moved slightly to the sound of the light jazz he put on.

T'Pol would be there soon. She'd finished the semester and had placed both of them on sabbatical. She had contacted him two days before and indicated that she would be arriving today. He knew they would have to decide soon what their plans would be for the future.

He'd just poured the water into the mug when he heard the knock on the door. Looking at his watch, he knew it was T'Pol. He went to open the door. As he reached for the handle, he suddenly noticed his scent again. It upset him that no matter how often he showered, he could still smell himself. Recalling how human scent smelled to a Vulcan, he was sure that T'Pol must find him repulsive.

He opened the door and pulled back a bit from T'Pol, hoping he wasn't offending her too badly. While he knew she had learned to tolerate human scent while on Enterprise, that had been some time ago and she had been living on Vulcan for almost three years now. He looked at her, beautiful in his eyes as she always was. He noticed the subtle scent of the Vulcan cactus flower. "Come on in. I was fixing some tea. Would you like some?"

She nodded as she stepped into the room. "That would be nice." She noticed that the room had changed. Where at one time, she only felt Jon's presence in the room, as she looked around she found items of Vulcan origin, things that she knew Sontek had appreciated, especially the IDIC painting his nephew had created. "How are you feeling, Jon?"

"I'm still finding it a little hard to see myself in the mirror again. I still expect to see Jontek staring back at me. And I'm so young!"

"You know that isn't true, Jon. You're in your fifties."

"Yeah, but I'm physically in my late twenties."

She walked over to him. "You look wonderful."

He backed away again. She looked at him strangely. "Is there something wrong?"

He looked down at his feet. "Uh, well, I think I should stay back. I don't exactly smell pleasant."

An eyebrow went up on the woman in front of him. "Why would you say that?"

"I remember how humans smell to Vulcans. We're not pleasant. My sense of smell is not as keen as it was when I was Jontek, but I can still smell myself. I know it must bother you."

"You're supposed to smell like a human. Why would that bother me?"

"I just don't want to offend you."

She reached over and took his hand, pulling it to her face. She took a breath from his palm. "No Jon. Early in our relationship I might have said that but eventually your scent came to mean something different. When I smell your scent, I feel safe and secure, I feel cared for...I feel loved."

"You're telling me when you smell me, you feel loved?"

She nodded, closing her eyes. Feeling him close to her again.

Jon moved his hand to cup her chin, using his thumb to touch her lips softly. "T'Pol…"

She moved even closer to him. "I thought I'd never experience it again. Now that you are you again…I…" He pulled her closed to him, his desire for her throwing any sense of propriety to the wind. She was in his arms and he sought her lips, passionately devouring them. He felt her passion meeting his own. He moved his lips to her ear and whispered, "I love you, T'Pol. I have for a long time." He continued to trace kisses down her neck.

Answering his kisses with her own, she pulled him towards his bedroom. "Jon, I want to be with you. Totally, completely."

He picked her up and carried her to the room, their mouths continuing to hungrily seek the other. As he laid her down on the bed, he suddenly became tense, nervous. "T'Pol…I can't…I…"

"What's wrong?"

"I can't do what he did to you. I can't treat you like he did."

"Why would you think I'd want you to?"

"I understand now how Vulcan biology works."

"And you are human. Why would I expect you to fulfill Vulcan biology?"

"Because you are…Vulcan."

"Jon, Sontek completed me as a Vulcan. I can't deny that. I felt for him what a Vulcan feels for a bondmate. When in pon'farr there is desire, passion, and an imperative to mate. When the fires of pon'farr are absent, there is commitment, respect, and honor. But there is not love as humans express it. She pulled him down to her, flipping him over, straddling him. "You are human. What I want from you is human biology. I want to feel you touch me as a human does, kiss me as a human does, make love to me as a human does. That's what I want from you."

His head tilted and he gazed at her, a look of confusion on his face. "Are you saying that all you want from me is human sex?"

"No. I said that Sontek completed me as a Vulcan. You complete what humans would call a soul…you complete my soul." Her eyes became sensuous. "Jonathan Archer, I love you. In the years I have known humans, I've learned what this word 'love' means. It is not a Vulcan word. It is a human word. And this Vulcan very much loves the human you are." She bent her face down to his and kissed him. She continued to explore his lips, her tongue lightly touching them, probing, begging entry. He could not deny her.

The kiss continued to deepen, their tongues intertwining. He felt her hands touching him, his hands touching her. They removed each others clothing, wanting nothing to exist between them, even something as insignificant as cloth. The scent of the cactus flower became stronger and as he breathed her in, his body responded as he knew a human male responded with the woman he loved.

She touched him and he moaned. He was twenty-eight again and he was with the woman of his dreams. He flipped her beneath him and slid down; kissing her in all the places he had dreamt of for those many years. He found each spot sweeter than he had ever thought, ever hoped. He returned for awhile to her breasts, savoring each one separately cupping first one and then the other. He allowed his other hand to tease her legs apart softly and slowly. He allowed his hand to play among the hidden treasures this woman had always promised. He heard her moan and the sound spurred him on stronger wanting to bring her the pleasure that he too was feeling.

He felt her enter his mind, timid, wondering if he'd accept the reality of Vulcan again. He allowed any shields he may have built to drop, allowed her to enter his soul. He felt her within his mind even as he entered her body, feeling the sensation from both perspectives as they joined together in that mysterious union that transcends the physical.

He made love to T'Pol. Made love as a human man to a human woman. A human man to a Vulcan woman. Made love with all the tenderness, passion, and desire that was within him. He gave his love to the woman he cherished above all others. He knew her soul and his were joined. They were complete

When they had no more to give, they lay back in each others arms, Human and Vulcan, man and woman, soul and soul.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXo

He awoke a few hours later. Jon looked at the woman in his arms, still sleeping. He couldn't remember ever feeling the way he did at this moment. T'Pol was so much more than his dreams had suggested. He brushed the hair from her eyes and he watched as they opened to him.

"I love you, T'Pol. I love you with every breath I take and with every beat of my heart."

"Ummmm. I too feel this love for you. It transcends all I have ever known."

"I want you to marry me. I want to be with you always. Forever would not be long enough."

"I will marry you, Jonathan Archer. I will marry and I will bond with you for all time."

Jon kissed her and both felt the passions pull them back into the previous night's activity. He made love to her again, slowly, deliberately bringing her passions to the surface. He found that now that T'Pol was in his arms, all the dreams he had over the years were merely shadows. With her in his arms he knew that nothing else in the world was as important as being with her.

When they were satiated, she lay in his arms, his fingers playing through her hair. His mind turned towards the practical considerations of planning their future together. "You know I've been reinstated as Admiral, T'Pol."

"Yes, Jon. Is that what you wish to pursue?"

"Gardner and I have an agreement. The trial is next month. I will need to give him an answer after that."

"If not for you, my planet would be at war. The Federation is important."

"It's not as important to me as you are, my love."

She snuggled even closer to him. She felt something change within.

XoXoXoXoXoXo

Phlox had arrived later that week. He would be meeting with the prosecution to provide what his testimony would be. He knew his forensic work had been well documented. Phlox took pride in his thoroughness.

T'Pol had asked to see him. He had agreed, concerned that perhaps there were problems with Jonathan's reintroduction to his humanity. When she asked him to examine her he was intrigued. He borrowed an exam room at Starfleet medical.

"Are you ill, T'Pol?"

"I don't know. I felt something the other day. It was physical I need to know if it is something to be concerned about."

Phlox nodded and ran a diagnostic scan, intrigued by the results. He ran it again to make sure of his findings. Satisfied that they were accurate he informed her, "You are pregnant, T'Pol. It looks like twins."

"Pregnant?" She was surprised.

Phlox looked again at the scans. "Yes. You are carrying Sontek's children."

T'Pol shook her head. "It's been over three months, Phlox."

"Yes. While it is unusual, this is within gestational parameters of Vulcan biology. My understanding is that the Vulcan fetal cytotrophoblast can exist for several months freely floating in utero before implanting. It is a hold back from when survival of a fetus was not a foregone conclusion on your planet. Until the mother's body signals the knowledge that adequate resources are available, the fetal cytotrophoblast will not implant. What you felt was most likely the implantation in your uterus wall."

T'Pol took this knowledge in. She was unsure how Jon would react. She had felt Jon's concern the two times that she and Trip had learned that they shared progeny between them. She was now carrying two children and she knew he would have to be told.

She called Jon at his office at Starfleet headquarters. His aide answered and she asked to be put through. A few moments later, she heard his voice. "Hello?"

"Jon? Could you please come over to Starfleet Medical, third floor, room 327?"

"Sure, T'Pol. Something wrong?" She could hear concern in his voice.

"Nothing is…wrong. However, I would like to discuss the particulars when you are physically present and not over a communications link."

"Okay. I'll be right over."

Phlox and T'Pol continued to talk about the things she would need to do. Vitamins, exercise, what to expect. Fifteen minutes later there was a knock at the door. Phlox opened it and Jonathan walked in.

"All right. I'm here. What's going on?"

Phlox decided that getting directly to the point would be wise. "T'Pol is pregnant."

Jon brow furrowed. "Pregnant? We've only been intimate a few times and I thought Humans and Vulcans required medical assistance to get pregnant."

Phlox smiled. "First off, Jonathan, it doesn't matter how many times one has been intimate. Pregnancy can happen the first time if the conditions are right. But you are correct. For a Human and a Vulcan to produce progeny, they would need medical help."

"But you just said…"

"I said T'Pol was pregnant. I did not say it was your child…or children."

"Children?" His voice cracked a bit as the word was voiced.

"T'Pol is pregnant with twins."

Jon dropped to the seat of the chair that was next to the door. "How...?"

T'Pol, seeing the look of shock on her lover's face answered, "The pon'farr, Jon."

He looked at her, confusion evident in his face. "It's been over three months. Didn't you know?"

T'Pol shook her head. "Phlox tells me the children just implanted the other day. It is another part of Vulcan biology."

Jon nodded. He considered this news. It would mean that Sontek in some way was continuing. Jon still missed him, missed the interactions they had shared. He felt raising Sontek's children would at least keep his memory alive, continue his line. "When are they due?"

Phlox provided the answer to his question. "From the time of implantation, Vulcan gestation is thirteen months."

He nodded again. "T'Pol, I think we should be married sooner then later."

T'Pol wondered at his comment. "Why, Jon?"

"It may be illogical and human, but I don't want Sontek's children to be born out of wedlock." The words held the finality of decision.

"Wedlock?"

"A human term. It means married."

T'Pol nodded. "If that is what you wish, we can do so after the trial."

Jon agreed. Life had taken another turn. Fatherhood. He wondered where fate would lead he and T'Pol next.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo

The trial was broadcast throughout the Federation. While the main characters of Andoria, Vulcan, and Earth were the most involved, other species watched to see how Federation justice was handled.

The prosecution's case was laid out. The perpetrators had been charged with multiple crimes, the most serious being the attempted genocide of the Andorians. They were also charged with multiple specific murders of Federation citizens including Earth's ambassador, Phillip Hurst, and the Vulcan's Sprong, T'Vlan, T'Nar, and Sontek. The evidence against the perpetrators was overwhelming.

The defense was allowed to present their case but it was weak. There was little that could be offered in defense of such heinous crimes. They were sentenced to life in prison. Those species living under Federation jurisdiction were satisfied. They now felt that they had fair recourse under the court system to address wrongs. They had seen this justice applied. The number of applications for Federation membership rose substantially.

After the trial, T'Pol and Jonathan had married on Earth, a few close friends in attendance. They married at the Vulcan Compound, the ceremony combining aspects of both Vulcan and Human marriage ritual. T'Pol had developed the ceremony in concordance with both Vulcan and Human legal experts so their marriage would be recognized on both planets.

As Jon would soon be raising a family of young children, he'd asked about teaching at the Academy again. A plan was put in place such that he and T'Pol would spend two years teaching at Starfleet Academy followed by two years at the Vulcan Science Academy. This would allow Sontek's children to spend a significant part of their upbringing on their native planet while allowing Jon to maintain his rank in Starfleet. It was a win-win situation for everyone concerned.

When it was a month before T'Pol's time to give birth, they had returned to Vulcan. As the head female in Sontek's line, T'Plorn would help T'Pol through the birth. She had been thrilled to hear her brother would have children although she was sad that he would never see them. She knew that T'Pol and Jon would raise them to honor and remember him.

They gave up Sontek's apartments and stayed at T'Pol's home, the one her mother had left her. Jon had been concerned about Porthos. He had contacted Savan during his recovery after the procedure and had found that the little dog was being treated with care and kindness. Savan suggested that during the time that Jon and T'Pol were on Earth, Porthos would continue to stay with his family. Jon sadly informed Savan that is was unlikely that Porthos would continue much longer. The dog was over fourteen years old, quite old by human standards. He didn't want to put Porthos through the changes that moving back and forth between Earth and Vulcan would entail. He finally decided that Savan's family would be the best place for his companion of many years. Still, while on Vulcan he spent as much time with the little dog as he could.

The day arrived and T'Pol went into labor. As Jon had learned, Vulcan biology could be very unforgiving. He had insisted on being with T'Pol as she gave birth. This had not been recommended. After the two small bundles had breathed their first breath of Vulcan air, Jon understood why. His arms were covered with bruises where T'Pol had squeezed them, almost breaking them a few times. Still, he felt it was worth it to see the two children, a boy and a girl, enter into the world.

Jon gazed at the children as they were being cleaned up. "They are beautiful, T'Pol."

T'Pol was exhausted but she still was practical. "They will each require a name."

"I was thinking that naming the girl T'Les would be nice." Jon had always like T'Les and he knew how hard T'Pol had taken her mother's death.

T'Pol's eyebrow rose. "You wish to name her for my mother?"

Jon explained, "That is the way we often name children on my world."

Finally T'Pol nodded. "T'Les will be…acceptable. What of the boy?"

"Sontek." There was no other name possible for the child in Jon's eyes.

A slight upturn of the mouth accompanied T'Pol's reply. "I concur."

The children were placed into T'Pol arms. Jon did not believe he could see a more beautiful sight. T'Pol would be a great mother. He hoped that he would be at least an adequate father.