A/N: Because there are a lot of things happening in this chapter it is broken up into smaller scenes more than usual. I apologize for the shortness of each section. The entire chapter is my usual length, but there was a lot of ground to cover.
Trip was fairly certain that the entire ship knew by now that something was up between him and T'Pol after their public argument over the children's names. Gossip was the only thing faster than warp speed and Enterprise wasn't that big a ship. "Hess, call a meeting. I have an announcement for everyone in Engineering." From the grin on his second's face, he was right. Rumors must be running rampant all over the ship.
It didn't take long for every Engineer on board that wasn't doing something that couldn't be left for a few minutes to gather in Main Engineering. Trip stood up on the catwalk where everyone could see and hear him. Leaning on the railing he could see the grins and nudges his people were giving each other. "Ok, I can see the rumor mill has been working over time," he said. "Number one, no T'Pol is not pregnant."
Trip waited while bets were paid off and the usual ruckus died down. "Number two, yes we were arguing over our children's names. The SubCommander and I are engaged and the wedding is scheduled for next month or as soon as our folks can get here whichever comes first. Dr. McCoy from the 1701 genetically engineered us some children. They are currently at the zygote stage and are in stasis. Ok people, that's it. Get back to work." He watched amused as his people wandered back to their stations. God only knew what they'd come up with now.
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Captain Archer had been stunned to get the letter from Soval and Admiral Forrest. From everything he had learned about the bond between T'Pol and Trip they were required to stay together until they were married by a Vulcan priest. The Vulcan marriage ceremony did something to the bond that solidified it or something, made it unbreakable. So why were they sending a ship to take T'Pol back to Vulcan? Yes the Vulcan High Command blamed them for the destruction of the sanctuary at P'Jem but it didn't make sense that they would take T'Pol away from Trip. Taking her away from the Enterprise, yes that made sense, but not taking her away from her bondmate.
"I don't understand it," Trip said as he tossed the PADD down on Archer's desk. "They're recalling T'Pol back to Vulcan but not me? I know Forrest would have let them have me if they'd asked."
"I will not be reassigned," T'Pol said calmly. Trip looked at her worriedly, he hoped she was right.
"T'Pol, I don't think you understand. They already have. The ship they're sending is already on its way. They'll be here in two days to pick you up," Archer said softly. He really didn't understand how she could be so sure. "I know that you don't think they'll do this but they have. Someone is pissed off at us because of what happened at P'Jem."
"Vulcans do not get,,, pissed Captain," T'Pol reminded him. Trip snorted but remained otherwise silent. "I believe it is far more likely that they are not aware of my bonding to Trip and thus are concerned for my health. My actions over the last several months could be construed as symptoms of mental illness, including my session with the Healer. The situation can and will be rectified shortly."
"Well I hope you're right. We've got a few days before the Ni'Var shows up. Would you go with me to check out Coridan, T'Pol? I know that they've been dealing with Vulcans for a while now," Archer asked. T'Pol agreed and together the three of them continued with ship's business.
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'This was not how things were supposed to go,' Trip thought bleakly. He was sitting in sickbay holding T'Pol's hand while she was in a healing trance. His fiancé was not supposed to be nearly on her deathbed right before their wedding. She wasn't supposed to be hurt at all. He had been teaching her to dance the waltz, both because it was a way to further strengthen their bond and because it would be expected of them. Hoshi had planned a reception and dance after the ceremony. The crew was going all out to get everything ready and now no one knew if she would recover or not.
It was almost enough to make him want to go back down there and rip the guy who had shot her apart. But she needed him here, Phlox had said. According to him, bondmates healed better and faster when one was touching the other. So here he sat holding her hand and hoping for the best. He'd let Jon handle everything else for now. T'Pol had to be his priority.
"I do not understand," Sopek said. "How can they be bondmates?" He looked over at the Vulcan woman on the biobed and the Human man sitting next to her and holding her hand. The information Archer had given him had shocked him. He had been shocked enough by the information on exactly why the monastery at P'Jem had been destroyed but the information that T'Pol was bondmates with a Human had him nearly numb.
Archer shrugged. "I was told that it was something that happens when extremely compatible minds encounter one another. T'Pol wasn't married and I've known from the moment they met that Trip had fallen hard for her." He too watched the unlikely couple, hoping that things were going better than they looked.
Sopek was not sure what that meant but he had studied the English language enough to know that it was more than likely Archer did not mean that Command Tucker had literally fallen. This situation shed new light on his illustrious passenger. "Do they have plans to marry?" he asked.
Archer nodded, "As soon as their parents can get here. We're expecting the Tuckers to arrive any time now and T'Pol's mother as well. When they do, we'll perform the first wedding ceremony here on Enterprise. They will have a second ceremony on Vulcan the next time we're there."
"Why two ceremonies?" Sopek asked.
"The first will be Human and the second will be Vulcan, both done traditionally. That was the compromise that they worked out. Neither one of them wanted to deny their families a traditional ceremony." Archer explained quietly. "Besides it is my understanding that the Vulcan ceremony is necessary for their bond. No one is going to object to that, least of all Trip."
Sopek nodded, 'This then was the family duty Lady T'Les spoke of. Now I can break my silence regarding her presence.' "Captain Archer, Lady T'Les is a passenger aboard my ship. I had assumed that Lady T'Pol was ill and would need her mother's presence on the journey back to Vulcan. I am pleased that this is not the case. I will inform Lady T'Les of her daughter's condition and bring her across to Enterprise."
"Thank you very much," Archer said surprised. "I'll be waiting for her." 'That is certainly a far nicer duty than waiting here to find out if T'Pol is going to live or not and if she's going to take Trip with her if she goes.' Shaking the morbid thought firmly out of his mind Archer escorted Sopek back to the shuttle bay.
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Sopek waited while Lady T'Les reviewed the information that he had given her regarding the listening post at P'Jem and Archer and T'Pol's actions there. He had already explained that he had been sent here to take T'Pol back to Vulcan and the condition she was now in. "This is, disturbing," T'Les finally said. "I have not taken part in politics for sometime as I saw no need for it. Perhaps I was mistaken."
She stood up and adjusted her robes. "T'Pol will not be removed from her bondmate nor will she be removed from Enterprise. The information you have brought me shows that she is performing an admirable service for both of our species. What have you told Captain Archer about me?"
"Only that I believed Lady T'Pol was ill and needed your presence for the return trip to Vulcan," Sopek said. He hoped that he had chosen the correct course of action.
"That is excellent. The Humans are unaware of my position on Vulcan and must remain so for my daughter to continue to be effective in completing her duties on board Enterprise. The Ni'Var will remain until my daughter's wedding ceremony is finished. Then we will return to Vulcan. Upon our arrival you will turn this information over to the High Council, not the High Command."
"I would consider it an honor if your command crew were to attend my daughter's wedding with me Captain," T'Les said turning towards more pleasant matters.
"We would be honored, Lady T'Les. I will inform my crew of the change in plans and allow you to prepare for transport to the Human ship." Sopek paused for a moment. "If you will forgive my forwardness my Lady, you might wish to prepare a nose numbing agent. The Humans possess a rather strong odor."
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"Captain, the Ni'Var is launching its shuttle and I am receiving a hail from the Wandering Lady. Commander Tucker's parents are on board their shuttle and they are ready to launch as soon as we give them clearance to do so," Hoshi said over the intercom.
"Why do they need our clearance?" Archer asked puzzled.
"It's a boomer thing I think," Hoshi answered. "They're treating us like a space station because we're landing more than one ship's shuttle."
"All right Hoshi, make sure that they're given what they need. I'll wait here with T'Pol's mother until they're aboard," Archer said before signing off. He ran through the guest arrangements in his head one more time. Admiral Gardner was still on board, having decided to stay for the wedding. The Tuckers were coming on board and would be staying until the Admiral left. They would return to Earth with him. T'Pol's mother, T'Les would be coming over from the Ni'Var. He had no idea how long T'Les would be staying. Add in the fact that T'Pol hadn't woken up and Archer was beginning to wonder if anything was going to go right with this wedding.
The Vulcan shuttle landed first. Sopek was the first to disembark, followed by two female Vulcans. Sopek led them over to where Archer was waiting for them. "Captain Archer, this is Lady T'Les and her attendant Lady T'Lan."
"Welcome on board Enterprise Lady T'Les, Lady T'Lan," Archer said with a short bow. He thought that his usual short nod would be more impolite with anyone introduced as 'Lady'. "Commander Tucker's parents are on board the next shuttle. I can have your bags taken to your quarters while we wait for them," he offered. "Then we can all go up to up to sickbay. Dr. Phlox's latest update says that T'Pol's healing trance is progressing well."
"That is acceptable Captain Archer," T'Les said. When Archer motioned over a crewman to take the two bags T'Lan was carrying however, T'Lan merely indicated that she would follow. Archer knew enough by now about Vulcans not to worry about it. They waited in silence while the Vulcan shuttle launched and the Human shuttle landed.
T'Les observed the Human captain, noting the large grin that spread across his face as two older Humans embarked from the Human ship's shuttle. "Mr. and Mrs. Tucker!" Archer called out. 'It appears that he has close ties to the Tucker family,' she thought.
"JON! Oh it's so good to see you!" Catherine called. T'Les and Sopek watched as Archer was pulled into a group hug and all three Humans erupted into a confusing babble. Apparently it soon sorted itself out as the Vulcans had no idea how the Humans understood any of it. The baggage was sent off to the guest quarters. Then they found themselves being escorted down to sickbay, the Humans talking the entire way. T'Les found it quite curious that her youngest daughter had bonded with a member of this species. They were very, strange.