Chapter 6: Words of Wisdom
The message light blinked on Archer's desktop computer. He sat down in the seat in front of his desk and clicked on the waiting message. He had to read it four times before his brain actually accepted what he was reading.
Today, July 28, 2162 at 0835.35 Charles Anthony Tucker IV was born. His parents Charles "Trip" Tucker III and Lady T'Pol of Vulcan cordially invite you to the private naming ceremony on Vulcan on August 5, 2162 at 01230 followed by a quiet reception at the family home.
"I'll be damned. They pulled the wool over my eyes and now their inviting me to a family gathering." The anger was only slightly eclipsed by the happiness he felt for them. "I wonder if I should get them a gift?" Maybe I'm in shock?
The door chime at his front door sounded and he got up from his desk and quickly walked through his apartment. The door opened to reveal Hoshi.
"To what do I owe the honor of your visit Hoshi?" He asked as he stood aside and let her into his apartment.
"Have you by any chance received an invitation sir?"
"Hoshi, we're off duty and we're friends, call me Jon. And yes, I just opened my invitation. Are you planning on going to this ceremony?"
She gave his a look of disbelief. "You knew he was alive?! How could you not have told us! I missed him so much! Do you know what the did to me? I haven't even heard from Malcolm, this is going to kill him!" She was clearly very upset. She started pacing and gave him a dirty look at every turn.
Archer put his hands up in a sign of surrender. "Whoa, Hoshi I found out he was alive when I read the invitation. I guess this is their way of telling us all that he is alive. I would only keep this to myself if ordered to. Hoshi," he put a hand on each shoulder stopping her pacing. She slowly looked up into his face. "I didn't know. But now that I do I fully intend on telling him just how pissed I am that he kept this from me." He paused. "Do you think we are expected to bring gifts?"
Hoshi smiled at him and actually giggled. "Traditionally Vulcan naming ceremonies are only for family and close friends. These family and extended family members brings gifts that are to help the parents in the raising the child and in educating him or her as they grow. Logical gifts are to be expected but since little Charlie is half human I guess Human toys and such wouldn't be unexpected. We could go buy gifts together if you need help si-, Jon." She smiled at him.
Archer smiled back down at her. "Sounds like a plan. I have almost as much experience with buying baby toys as I do with babies in general. This is going to be quite the experience."
Slowly the former senior staff of the Enterprise contacted one another and coordinated their travel plans for their arrival on Vulcan. It seemed that all of Trip and T'Pol's friends were invited as well as Ambassador Soval and Trip's family. The transport that took them from Earth to Vulcan was only filled with attendants of the naming ceremony which allowed for open conversation on the topic of Commander Tucker's apparent death.
A small group of people were gathered around a table sharing a meal. Soval, Archer, Malcolm, Hoshi, and Travis had all gathered to talk about Trip's Lazarus stunt. Soval spoke first. "It would seem that he needed to cast away his true identity for a time. Perhaps he was partaking in an act of subterfuge." All heads slowly turned towards Malcolm.
He looked at all of them. "Well how am I supposed to bloody know? I'm not his handler! You're going to have to ask him that!" He stood up and moved away from the group of friends.
"I'll go," Hoshi stood and raised a hand to stop the others who had already started to rise to follow him.
Travis watched her go. "You think they'll finally start dating? I'm getting really tired of waiting for them to finally admit that they like each other. Ten years is too damn long and I've lost a lot of money on them."
Archer looked at Travis and laughed. "Well Travis I think the fact that they are living together is a pretty good start." The look of shock on Travis's face caused Archer to laugh even harder. Even Soval managed to raise an amused eyebrow.
"I'll be damned. How did I not know? I thought the Enterprise rumor mill was still working pretty well. I'm happy for them. How long have they been living together?"
"From what they've told me, they both moved into the same apartment after leaving Enterprise. Apparently they even shared quarters during our debriefing after decommissioning. They've been dating secretly for about three years. I guess they had everyone fooled."
"I guess so. Three years! Three years?I can't believe Hoshi never told me." Travis almost seemed sad. He and Hoshi were best friends, maybe they had lost touch recently but not for three years.
A soft bell toll sounded letting the passengers know that a ship-wide announcement was being made.
"Attention all travelers we will be arriving at Vulcan in two hours. Shuttles have already been prepared to take you down to the designated coordinates. All guests must meet at the airlock in 1 hour, 58 minutes from now with all luggage."
Everyone slowly moved towards their rooms preparing their stuff. The hushed conversations of the excited guests filled the corridors.
The guests were all deposited in front of the Human Sector on Vulcan. They all had rooms reserved for them. Whoever made the reservations was well aware of who would prefer to room with whom and the rooms were all in the same area of the complex. Soval rented a transport and returned to his own home bid farewell to Archer and his Human companions. The ceremony was the next day and they all needed to buy Vulcan robes.
Archer walked up the front desk of the complex hotel and asked where he and his friends would be able to find Vulcan robes on such short notice.
"Let me pull up a map of the shopping quarter for you Admiral. You and all of your friends should be able to find everything you need for your stay here on Vulcan." The young concierge's hand flew quickly over her station and she downloaded the information onto three PADDs. She smiled a big smile as she handed them over to Archer. "Here you are Admiral. All three PADDs have the same information so you can break up into groups if that makes the shopping easier. Have a good day." Archer accepted the PADDs and gave her a smile and a wink.
"Thank you so much." He turned and walked away. It was time to get this show on the road.
The large group of Humans looked like an invading force in the shopping quarter. Hoshi and Malcolm walked hand in hand while chatting with the senior Tucker's. Charlie and his wife Caroline were initially in shock at finding out that their son was still alive and had apparently become a father but in true Tucker fashion they bounced back and quickly became the life of the party. Archer and Travis walked side by side chatting and taking in the scenery. Trip's brother Will and his wife Jane each held the hand of one of their children who were skipping and laughing. Amanda Cole was walking very closely to Ambassador Soval and they were speaking quietly in Vulcan. She already owned Vulcan robes, as did the Ambassador, they were just there to share the evening meal with their friends. Archer noticed that they were well within each other's personal boundaries and just shook his head with a chuckle. Soval and Cole. Stranger things have happened. Actually, this one takes the cake.
After everyone had the proper attire and had purchased last minute gifts they all agreed on a place to have dinner. The large party was given a private room at the back of the restaurant and took full advantage of the privacy. The conversation all centered around the ceremony the next day.
"So Soval," Charlie Tucker started, "what exactly is happenin' tomorrow?"
"Well Mister Tucker, Charles, tomorrow your grandson will officially receive his name. It is also tradition for the parents to designate two individuals to bond with the child should something happen to the birth parents. I believe Humans have something similar to this known as god-parents. After the ceremony the friends and family of the parents and child are then able to hold the child for the first time. Each imparts words of wisdom or encouragement to the child and then presents the parents with a gift."
"After this ceremony there will be a gathering for all guests at the family residence as per Human tradition. There you will be able to speak openly to both Trip and T'Pol. Until you are in the privacy of their home you are not allowed to speak to them except about the child. The priests of Mount Seleya will be very strict when it comes to honoring the privacy of the family." Amanda Cole finished. She smiled over at Soval who gave her a small nod. Everyone at the large table noticed but besides the exchanging of small grins and raised eyebrows no one said anything.
"So we can't even talk to Trip until after the ceremony?" Caroline Tucker asked. She seemed pretty put out by that.
"On the contrary. You are able to talk to Charles about your grandson. Which, if I'm not mistaken, is a favorite pastime of Human grandparents. You will simply have to leave personal queries for the privacy of his personal residence."
"Well, I do love to talk about babies." She laughed. "In fact, besides holding babies, talking about them is probably my favorite thing."
"Well no wonder woman, the babies in our family are the cutest on earth and Vulcan." Charlie said. This received a round of laughter from everyone present.
"I remember when Sim was on the ship, Trip was a pretty adorable baby, and a pretty cute kid." Hoshi said with a little bit of a laugh. "You Tuckers sure know how to make them." She grinned and laughed pretty hard especially after she got a look at the face Malcolm was making.
The sounds of laughter filled the whole restaurant and the group slowly made their way back to the human quarter where they said good night to Soval and Amanda as they made their way home.
"Is Amanda Cole living with Soval?" Archer asked Hoshi.
"Yup, and from what I heard him call her, I'd say that they'll be living together for a year. I'm pretty sure they're married Jon. He called her Adun'a which means wife. Earlier I heard her call him dear. I guess Trip and T'Pol aren't the only Vulcan-Human couple on this planet." She giggled and walked towards Malcolm who was waiting for her. They walked together, arms at each other's backs and made their way to their room. Archer just shook his head at the thought of the Ambassador married to a Human.
Mount Seleya stood under the harsh Vulcan sun as a beckon of Logic. All of the preparations for the ceremony had been taken care of and the guests were welcomed by Phlox at the entrance to the ceremonial hall.
"Phlox, I was wondering why you weren't among the guests to travel to Vulcan with us." Archer said by way of greeting as he shook Phlox's hand.
"Ah yes Admiral, you see I was already on Vulcan. In fact I've been here for about two weeks. I delivered T'Pol's baby myself and what a precious little one he is. You'll see what I mean. Once you hold him you won't want to put him down. I though Trip was a cute baby but his son has him beat." Phlox smiled a big Denobulan smile. "We should head in to the hall."
The guests were all lined up on either side of an aisle by rank or age. The family members were all lined up on one side headed by Soval and the friends were on the other side headed by Archer. Hoshi and Malcolm were placed on either side of the raised dais. Every one stood quietly waiting for the ceremony to begin. The gong sounded three times and the doors at the back of the hall opened. The High Priest walked through the doors followed by a blonde Vulcan carrying a bundle. He had the biggest grin on his face and his bright blue eyes were shining. An audible gasp came from several people in the hall as they realized that the VUlcan was in fact Trip. He was closely followed by T'Pol who was practically glowing. The procession was ended by T'Pau who carried the Kir'Shara and their clan shield.
The High Priest stood on the dais and faced the assembly, Trip stood in front of Malcolm who exchanged big smiles and T'Pol stood in front of Hoshi who exchanged nods. T'Pau stood between the couple looking ever so much the leader of a planet.
The High Priest began his speech in English which surprised the guests.
"Gathered here today are the family members of Charles of Earth and Lady T'Pol of Vulcan. A child is a gift that is greatly treasured on Earth and Vulcan. This child, a son of our clan, will be greatly treasured by all present. The child of Charles of Earth and T'Pol of Vulcan will this day be named. Charles, son of Charles and Caroline, T'Pol daughter of T'Les and Tuvar, have you chosen a name?"
"Yes tela'at." They responded together.
"Charles, what name do you give your son?"
"Charles Anthony Tucker IV, tela'at."
The High Priest took the baby from Trip's hands and held him before the assembly so that all could see him. "Today kan-bu you will be called Charles Anthony Tucker IV. Let this name make you great and bring honor to your clan." The High Priest handed the baby to T'Pol who held him close and looked down at him with affection. The High Priest turned back to Trip and addressed him again. "Charles-kan, have you chosen for your son a pair who will bond and care for the child should you and your mate be removed from life?"
"Yes tela-at. I choose for my son Malcolm Reed and Hoshi Sato to care for and bond with him should we be removed from life." Trip smiled at the shocked faces of Malcolm and Hoshi. "I choose them for they are family and will raise my son with the same principles and values that my mate and I wish for our son to be raised with. They are people of true honor and will carry our memory on so that our clan may find honor in our son and he in us."
"Malcolm Reed of Earth step forward." Malcolm did. The High Priest took the baby from T'Pol and handed him to Malcolm who looked at him in awe. "You may now impart your words to the child."
Malcolm nodded, not taking his eyes off of the little bundle in his hands. "Little Man, may you never need to fight for anything other than love. May you always find home at the end of your journey, and may you search the stars with wonder." The High Priest took the child from Malcolm and held him. "Hoshi Sato of Earth step forward." He handed the baby to Hoshi who had tears on her cheeks and a smile on her mouth. "You may now impart your words to the child."
"Charlie-san, you are a child of two worlds. Find balance and belonging on both. Never forget where you come from no matter where you go. Honor your mother and your father, bring them joy and pride. Remember the love you represent and search it out. Live a life worthy of the love you embody. Fill your life with adventure." Hoshi leaned down and placed a gently kiss on the baby's forehead. The High Priest took the baby from her and handed him back to T'Pol.
"The child is now named. As the family moves down the aisle each guest may impart their words to the child. The presenting of gifts will take place at the private home of the Tucker clan." The gong rang again and Trip and T'Pol moved off of the dais and walked over to Soval. The High Priest exited the hall and T'Pau took her position in between Soval and Charlie Tucker.
Soval held the child and looked down at him. His soft dirty-blonde hair and bright blue eyes stared up at him. The elegantly pointed ears and cherubic cheeks were gently brushed by Soval's pointer finger. "Charles-kan, you represent a dear hope for the future. You will always be a symbol of Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. Surak would be pleased." Then Soval did a very un-Soval thing and kissed the baby on the forehead. He then handed him to T'Pau.
T'Pau looked at the child as if she wasn't sure what to do. Being raised by Syrranites who were already adults and had no other children left her unprepared for the experience of holding such a child. She felt the strong emotions of joy and pride welling up within her. Until she had met Jonathan Archer on the journey to uncover the Kir'Shara she had a negative opinion of Humans. Now she was holding a child of a Vulcan and a Human. It felt right and she wondered what it would be like when she finally held a child of her own.
"Child, you are the pride of Vulcan. You will always have a place with our clan. You may always come to me for guidance and support." T'Pau handed the child to Charlie Tucker.
Charlie's face was covered in tears. He held the baby for a moment and handed him to Caroline. They held the baby together and whispered words to the child together. The baby was passed from Tucker to Tucker each holding him and whispering to him. Trip took his son in his arms and walked towards Archer.
Trip stopped right in front of him and smiled. "Thank you for comin' Jon." He handed his son to Archer and watched as each of his old crew mates held his son and spoke words to him.
The party was in full swing at the Tucker residence. The house had passed down to T'Pol after the death of her mother T'Les. All of the gifts were given: logic puzzles, baby clothes, starfleet uniforms with a Tucker name patch, a copy of the teachings of Surak, a stuffed sehlat, and a few books. Caroline Tucker gave the couple an empty baby book, and T'Pau gave them an IDIC pendant that was small enough to hang on a necklace around the baby's neck. After a few hours T'Pol took the baby inside to feed him and rest. Trip kissed her cheek and gave the baby a gentle kiss on the cheek as they entered the house. He turned from the sight of his retreating wife to face his guests. He had a sheepish grin on his face and held his hands up in a sign of surrender.
"Alright, now why don't we all have a seat and you can ask your questions? I know you've been chompin' at the bit all day." He gestured to the sitting area that had extra seats for all of the guests.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Everyone was surprised that this question came not from Charlie Tucker but from Caroline. "Do you know what it was like losing another child?" She began crying loudly and Charlie held her close.
"Listen son, we're mighty glad you're alive but that shit you pulled almost killed us."
"I know dad, I'm sorry I didn't have a choice, and in case you hadn't noticed, I'm still not able to be the human man I was born to be." He gestured to his ears. "I can't give you all the details but I'll tell you what I can." He told them all about how he was recruited by Section 31 to go undercover and help in the war effort. He then told them about working for the Vulcan government and had just finished his mission. He couldn't tell them about the Romulans or the warp project he had sabotaged on Romulus. He couldn't tell them about the spies in the Vulcan government. He couldn't even tell them how he had faked his death. "Basically, I'm alive and happy and that's all I want you to focus on."
"Can we tell people you're alive?" Will asked.
"No Will, not yet. T'Pol and I agreed on who should know. We're already risking a lot telling you all. Please keep this a secret until we make a public statement. Then you can scream it from the mountain tops if it tickles your fancy. Originally the only people who knew were Phlox because he had to declare me dead, those thugs who 'caused my death', T'Pol because she would be able to sense I was still alive, and the people who gave me my orders. No one in this room knew with the exception of T'Pau, but that came after I relocated to Vulcan and she required my assistance." The sound of a cooing baby alerted everyone to T'Pol's return. She gently handed the baby to Trip and took a seat next to him. Their shoulder were touching and they were both looking down at their son.
T'Pol addressed them without looking up from her son. "We did not wish to deceive all of you. To cause those we cherish so much grief was not easy to do. Now that you all know, we understand it may take some time for you to forgive us. However, we want you all to know that you are a part of our family and we desire for you to be a part of our son's life."
"We understand that this isn't easy T'Pol. We're all happy for you." Malcolm spoke for the group and everyone nodded silently in agreement. "So, what are we going to call the little guy? His granddad is Charlie, his dad is Trip. What's the little man's nickname?"
"Normally Vulcan's do not call their children any name but their given name but since his father is human and insists on being called by his nickname unless he's in trouble or in a formal setting we will be calling our son Tuck." Some people sniggered at the idea of T'Pol calling Trip 'Charles' when he is in trouble.
"Tuck it is." Malcolm said with a smile and moved forward to take baby Tuck out of Trip's hands.