Merged.
Chapter 29
Jon sat at the dining room table at their house in San Francisco. They had found a place close to Malcolm and Hoshi's. Their children were quickly becoming best friends.
Jon was starting the first year of his second Earth rotation on the teaching schedule. It was now late summer, 2169. Jon was grading papers in the dining room and he could hear the children running through the house. Well, he could hear three year old Ian and five year old Hikaru running. T'Les and Sontek, at age four, tended to be quiet. Proper little Vulcans.
T'Pol came into the room carrying a pitcher of passion fruit ice tea. She poured some in his empty glass. "Thank you, dear."
"How many students in this class?"
"Twenty four. They want me to open up another section. I don't want to take on too much though with you due so soon."
She kissed the top of his head and he turned to her, putting his hand on her protruding belly. Phlox had figured a way for them to create a child between them. While a human woman wouldn't be able to have a Vulcan/Human hybrid due to the extremes involved, T'Pol's constitution allowed her to carry the child to term. He felt the baby kick and smiled up at his wife's face. "Henry's a strong one."
They had been told the child would be a boy. They had discussed names for the child. T'Pol had suggested Jon's name or a variation thereof. Jon had asked if she'd mind him honoring two men that had meant a great deal in his life. His father and Trip. She had agreed and now Henry Charles Archer's due date was coming up fast.
He stood up, drawing her close to him. He couldn't believe how much he loved his life. Everything was different this time through. When he was thirty two before, he'd just been reinstated to the Warp Three program after a three month suspension. Now he had a wife, children, and a baby on the way. He sighed happily.
The message signal rang out from the computer. Jon went over and opened the screen. It was from the Federation Council. He was being asked to a meeting the following day. He sent back a reply that he would be there.
He finished grading the papers.
The children were being entirely too quiet. He went upstairs to check on them.
He noticed that his and T'Pol's bedroom door was closed. He opened it and his heart skipped a beat. Sontek and T'Les were each holding one of Hikaru's legs. Hikaru had Ian on his shoulders. Ian was reaching for a box at the top of the closet. As the boy reached, his brother lost his balance and Ian started to fall. Archer rushed over and caught the boy. Hikaru and the two Vulcan children fell backwards.
Jon checked see if anyone was hurt. Seeing that everyone was all right save a few minor scrapes, he sent Hikaru and Ian down to T'Pol to call Hoshi to come pick them up. Playtime was over. He then turned to the two Vulcan children. "What did you think you were doing?"
"Ian and Hikaru didn't believe we have real Vulcan dress robes in your closet. We were attempting to show it to them."
"You didn't think this might be dangerous?"
Sontek looked up at Jon. "'You can't win battles by playing it safe.' I believe you said that in one of the speeches you gave during the Romulan War."
Jon gave his son a sharp look. "This is completely different."
T'Les's forehead creased. "I don't know why it would be different. We wanted to get the box down. That is like winning. We chose not to play it safe."
"Why didn't you just ask me or your mother to get it down?"
T'Les continued. "Mother told us that she wants to keep the robe safe. She said that the gold runes are delicate and the robe shouldn't be played with."
"So you just decided to ignore what she said and get it down anyways?"
Sontek explained. "We felt there was a flaw in her logic."
Jon explained that when their mother told them something and they felt she was wrong, they needed to ask her about it instead of taking things into their own hands. He told them that they could have injured their two friends and they would have been saddened if that had happened. He saw that the two hadn't really thought their own logic through. He told them they should go to their rooms to think about how things could have turned out.
Neither of them put up a fuss but went straight to their rooms. Then again, they never fussed. It was one of the paradoxes of raising Vulcan children.
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He arrived at the meeting a few minutes early. He wasn't quite sure why he was being asked to participate. He still worked with Starfleet and the Federation on an as needed basis but mainly he taught. He found that this was something he enjoyed doing, helping the next generation to learn the lessons of the past so that they could forge a new future based in peace.
The head of the council was a Tellerite by the name of Couoc. "Do you think that being early will get you in our good graces?"
Jon shot him a look of distain. "I think that your calling me here is a waste of my valuable time."
The Tellerite was pleased. He'd always liked the fact that this human could argue with the best Tellerite, often winning the point. It showed the human respected his species. "Yes, well, it is a matter of grave concern."
"It better be."
The Vulcan Ambassador, V'Run spoke. "Admiral Archer. We have a situation that we believe you may be able to alleviate."
"I'll do what I can."
"You might have noticed the Andorian Ambassador is not present."
Jon'd been around Vulcans enough to know that the case was being built. He nodded "Yes. I wondered about that."
V'Run stated simply, "Unless things change, there is a high probability that Andoria will pull out of the Federation."
"What?"
The Ambassador from the Yanasic Conclave spoke next. "Need we you to be Ambassador to Andoria."
Jon looked at the council. "I'm not interested."
He looked at Jon sadly. "Then lose Andoria we will."
"I can't believe that is true."
The human representative, Stephen Tanis, provided his input. "You know the previous Ambassador was a human, Jon."
"Yes. David Martin." Jon had known David for many years. He'd been one of Erika Hernandez's junior officers. He'd quit Starfleet to join the diplomatic section of the Federation. Jon had always thought he'd climbed the ladder too quickly
"David was also working with Section 31. We didn't know that. He had passed on some sensitive information that the Andorians felt breached their security. I don't blame them."
Again, Section 31. That group had their hands in way too many pies. "Has he been recalled?"
"Yes, and censored. However, the damage has been done."
"What do you mean?"
"As Ambassador Moartua of the Yanasic Conclave just pointed out, Andoria is ready to pull out of the Federation. You know they are one of our strongest allies."
Jon agreed. "Yes. They were one of the original signatories of the charter."
"And a permanent member of the council," added Ambassador V'Run.
"Isn't there some way to appease them?"
Steve Tanis laid it on the line. "Yes. You. They said they won't pull out if you are the next Federation Ambassador to their planet. They say you are the only one they trust."
Jon shook his head. "No. I can't do this. I have a baby about to be born and two young children. I can't just go running off to Andoria. And asking my Vulcan family to live there is out of the question. They are cold enough on Earth."
"I should have known you would be afraid of doing what we need of you." The Tellarite needled him.
Jon shot back "No more afraid than you are of having Andoria leave while you are the head of the council." Jon thought about the situation before addressing them all. "I'll have to discuss this with my wife. It's possible we might be able to work out some arrangement, but you will have to be somewhat flexible. I won't leave my family."
Ambassador Tanis told him, "That's all we ask, Jon."
He headed out of the room, sure that somehow fate was again pulling his life in another strange direction.
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T'Pol was not giving him a way out. "You have to go, Jon."
"You're about to have the baby. I can't." Jon was still adamantly fighting the idea of taking on the ambassadorship.
"The Federation needs you. You've worked too long and hard to let this go."
"I'm willing to listen to any plan that allows me to help the Federation that does not represent a cost to my family." He laid down his terms. He knew that if there was a way to achieve them, T'Pol would find it and the reasoning would logical.
T'Pol thought for a moment. "You could live on Andoria and the children and I can live on Vulcan."
Jon shook his head. "That still three days away from you and the kids."
"Vulcan's do this all the time. Think about T'Plorn. Remember, you had to give Sontek's nephew the blade for his tal'oth because his father was on a mission."
"Yes, I remember." He didn't like where she was going but he had asked her.
"This is no different. Except you will be within three days of us and not some where hundreds of lightyears away."
"I don't know, T'Pol…" He knew then that he would go. She was right. He couldn't let Andoria leave.
"You can work three months on and then take a two week break. Offer them that."
"I'd rather stay with you all the time."
"At the cost of having the Federation come apart at the seams? Once the Andorian's leave, how long before others do?"
He sighed. "I know, T'Pol. Your logic is impeccable. I just don't like it. And I'm not leaving until Henry is born."
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Henry Charles Archer was born at 3:42 a.m. on September 5, 2169 at the Vulcan Compound in Sausalito, CA. He had his father's green eyes and his mother's ears. He was the first Vulcan/Human hybrid that had been born to a Vulcan woman.
Jon had been there to watch his son take his first breaths of Earth's air, just as he had witnessed his other two children born on Vulcan. Sontek's children. This birth was easier on T'Pol and he only had a few bruises on his arms. As they put his son into her arms, he gazed at the two of them. His wife. His son. He knew that his father and mother would have been proud of this little child.
Jon had another week with the newest addition of his family before having to leave for Andoria. T'Pol had been right; the council had accepted his terms and Andoria had promised not to pull out of the Federation. Jon was sure that somewhere in this situation an Andorian named Shran was involved. Fate just seemed to bring that reality to bear. Again and again.
T'Pol looked at her newest son. He was in many ways the same as her first two but there was a major difference. Vulcan babies were quiet. This one cried loudly. T'Pol looked to Jon. "Do you think he's hurting?"
"No. I just think he wants to announce to the world he's here. Human children just cry like this."
"Will he stop?"
"God, I hope so. Hopefully, he isn't one of those babies with colic."
"What is colic?"
The baby did start settling down after T'Pol offered her breast to him. He started a strong steady pull for her milk.
"It has something to do with gas I think. Too much gas and the baby's intestines hurt. Makes them cry."
"How do you know so much about human babies?"
"Other then being one myself?"
She gave him a glare.
"Okay. I've been reading about human babies."
"Did you read about Vulcan babies before Sontek and T'Les were born?"
"Of course."
"You have been a good father to them."
"I hope so. You know, I look at Sontek and he looks so much like his father. T'Les just looks like you."
"And you spoil her."
"Father's prerogative."
T'Pol gave him one of her upturned lips. God, she was so beautiful. He questioned for the thousandth time why he was heading off to the ice caves of Andoria.
"Because the Federation is of benefit to your family as well."
"T'Pol?"
"Yes."
"We have a bond again?"
"I wouldn't be in your head if we didn't."
"How…"
"Our son. Just as when Trip and I had a bond when Elizabeth was alive."
"T'Pol?"
"Yes, Jon."
"Will I feel you like this on Andoria?"
"Yes. We'll never be apart. Never and always touching."
Suddenly he felt better about this mission. Not happy, but at least T'Pol and he would be in constant contact if they needed to be. It felt good to feel the bond again.
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Arriving at the Federation Consulate on Andoria, Jon was thrilled to find that the building was kept at a toasty 72 degrees. That had been one of the concerns he had, that he would never be warm. The time he'd spent with Shran in the ice caves had shown him how cold things were on Andoria.
His first official duty was to meet with the Military Leader of Andoria, Shemn. As he walked into the Great Hall, he noticed he was right. Shran was standing close to his leader, whispering some thing to him.
"You are Admiral Archer?" The antennae of the Andorians in the room were all at full attention, focused at the human.
"I am." Jon's voice was strong and clear.
Shemn's antennae moved slightly indicating his caution. "I have read the reports that Shran has sent us over the years. He says you are a human that can be trusted."
"I try to live to that standard."
With antennae pointed to him in warning, Shemn. stated, "Do not squander that trust, human. We have seen what your species is capable of."
"There is a diversity of people on our planet. I hope that you will not judge all of us by one foolish man's actions."
The antennae indicated surprise. "You speak well, Archer. I believe Shran may have been wise suggesting you to us."
Archer had studied the protocols of the Imperial Court. He gave a slight bow before saying "Andoria is well served by your actions, Shemn. I will be honored to provide my assistance. May the Ice Gods hear my words."
Seeing the antennae settle into a more relaxed mode, Jon knew that he had passed his first hurdle. He bowed again and turned to leave, walking quickly and assuredly from the Hall. He knew that the action would be taken as a show of strength. He could not show weakness in the Great Hall. To do so would be a disgrace.
"I am proud of you, adun"
"You were listening?"
"Of course. We are one."
"How is Henry."
"He is well"
"And Sontek and T'Les?"
"They miss Ian and Hikaru."
"They will make new friends."
"Yes. I'm registering them for school tomorrow."
"T'Pol?"
"Yes, Jon."
"I love you."