Tripp stood with the rest of the senior staff while a speech was given. Tripp wasn't happy about this. The person giving the speech was some notable politician that was long. Tripp didn't like that everyone in Starfleet had to stand to while there was a speech going on. He would rather be in the stands with his parents and children.
They had landed on Earth yesterday to meet with his parents. His mother kept checking on him to make sure that he was okay even those she didn't see any scars on him. She did ask after T'Pol and held on to her grandchildren, asking if they brought the children into the battle. When T'Pol reassured his mother that they didn't have the children in the battle she calmed down a bit. Tripp's father was just happy to have his son and his family back for a visit. Last night they had dinner with his parents.
The next morning, they had to be at this hall early and to hear speeches for hours. Tripp stood between T'Pol and Malcom as he looked up at the stage. He saw the captain standing there with an admiral from Starfleet. There were also delegates from their four allies along with the president of Earth. Right now, the person giving the speech was a diplomat that had done something with the Tellarites during the war.
Tripp let out a yawn and T'Pol gave him a look. He gave her a smile before turning back to the stage.
'Are you listening?' T'Pol asked him through their connection.
'Not really,' Trip replied.
'You should be listening,' T'Pol said.
Tripp looked at the man and tried to listen to what the man was saying but he couldn't listen to the man carry on. If Tripp was sitting, he could at least close his eyes. Tripp smiled as he closed his eyes because he could sleep standing up. Being on the ship and having two small children, Tripp had learned to sleep on his feet. He opened one eye to glance at his wife to see that she was paying attention to the diplomat and not to him. He closed his eyes and went to sleep.
"Tripp," He heard his name being called. Tripp woke to see his wife giving him a look and Malcom trying not to laugh at him.
"Yes, my beautiful wife," Tripp whispered back at her.
"Listen," It was the only word that she said.
Tripp looked up at the stage to see someone different on. This time it was a Vulcan man, who was somehow talking without moving his mouth. He was talking about the Vulcan and Earth relationship and how long it has lasted for so many years. Tripp shifted his feet as stood there.
"To what?" Tripp mumbled. T'Pol didn't give him a respond. He could tell that she was mad at him for some reason. He didn't think that she wanted to be here right now. Tripp would rather be doing something with his parents and children. This was the first time that his parents were in San Francisco and Tripp wanted to show them around. He wanted to meet with someone who could show him houses for his family to live. He wanted to take the next step in his life. He felt like he was in waiting mode.
Tripp knew that it would be a year before they could settle down with the kids, but he wanted to start looking. He wanted a plan to work on something for the future with his family. He looked back at the stage and saw that the Vulcan was getting off the stage. Tripp sighed because he was glad that the speech wasn't going on forever. He watched as the Vulcan went back to his seat. Tripp wondered who was going to be next. It looked like someone from Andoria was coming up next to give a speech. Tripp let out a moan where T'Pol threw him a look.
The Andorian started his speech. Tripp took a glance at the others in the lines. Most of them looked as bored as he did. He saw Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites standing there looking like they were listening to the speech. He couldn't believe that they would just stand there listening to some speech. Tripp looked forward again.
There were applauds after he finished. Tripp thought that they might be done with the speeches when Jonathan Archer stepped up. Tripp looked at his friend and captain and wondered what he was going to talk about. Tripp opened his ear to hear what his captain had to say.
"Ladies, Gentlemen, and Friends." Jonathan looked at the people that had given their speeches. He turned back to the crowd. "Thank you for coming to celebrate the victory of the war against the Romulans. We couldn't have done it without the help of our friends," Jonathan looked out to the crowd at the Vulcans, the Andorians, and the Tellarites. "We have come together to fight an enemy that had us fighting between us before we saw the light. We were all enemies at one point, but we came together in celebration. It looks like a bright future for us and a longtime friendship.
"I wouldn't be here with my crew, who has stood by me since the beginning. We fought many enemies together," Jonathan smiled. "We have been to the edge of the galaxy and back again. I have watched them grow into the people they are today, and I can't wait to see what their lives are going to be now that we fought another enemy," Jonathan looked at his senior staff. "Thanks for being a great team. I couldn't ask for a better team.
"With each relationship made here, it could lead to longtime friendships between different cultures. We do not know what the next chapter holds for us but know this is only going to be for the better. There are already talks about keeping this alliance going for the future. When you work great together you do not want to let it break apart. Let's keep this going."
Everyone started to applaud for him. Tripp liked his speech it was short and to the point. It had Tripp wondering what was going to happen between these planets and it was going to involve him. Where was Starfleet going to send them now? Tripp looked at T'Pol to Malcom and couldn't ask for a better team. He doesn't think they would be here if they didn't have the team they had.
Tripp watched as the stage emptied. He was glad and followed T'Pol out of the hall. The senior staff found their captain and congratulated him. It was where Tripp's parents found them. Charlie called out to him and T'Pol. Tripp picked up Charlie and watched as T'Pol took T'Mir from his mom.
Jonathan looked around. "I think that it is time for food. Dinner at my favorite chinse restaurant." The team nodded. Jonathan led the way to the transporters that were waiting for them.
Tripp woke to a pounding headache. He looked around the room where he and T'Pol were staying. He looked at the bed and saw that T'Pol was already up. He could hear her in the other room with the children. Tripp stumbled out of the bed and headed out to the other room. T'Pol looked up from the table where she and the kids were having breakfast.
"Morning," Tripp ruffled Charlie's hair before taking a seat. He reached for the pot of coffee and poured a cup. Tripp took a drink before letting out a sigh. T'Pol didn't say anything to him as she ate her breakfast. "What do we have planned for today?"
"You have a speaking engagement at the academy about engineering and I have something at the Vulcan compound," T'Pol took a sip of her tea.
Tripp let out a moan. "What about the kids?" Tripp gave T'Mir a strawberry that she was reaching out for.
"Your parents are going to watch them while you are gone. I don't know how long my thing is going to be," T'Pol took a napkin to wipe Charlie's face. He was sticky from the syrup on his pancakes.
Tripp nodded. He finished his coffee before getting up and headed for the shower. When he came out T'Pol was gone, and his parents were there. Tripp smiled at his parents. "If I not too long when I come back, I'll take you around San Francisco," Tripp leaned down and kissed his children.
"Tripp, when was the last time you and T'Pol did anything alone?" Megan Tucker asked.
Tripp stood by the door thinking when the last time he a moment had alone with his wife where they didn't have a lot on their minds. He knew that they had a moment before the last battle, but they were worried about the children and if they were going to make it out alive. It had to be when they were on Earth for repairs to the ship. "I guess it has been a while," Tripp said.
"I think that you and your wife need a moment to remember why you fell in love," Megan held on to her granddaughter, who was trying to reach for her father.
"Do you mind taking the kids tonight?" Tripp asked his parents.
There was a sparkle in her eyes. "Of course not. Right?" Megan turned to her husband. Chuck nodded. Just agreeing with his wife. "You plan something nice for your wife for this evening."
"Thanks Mom, Dad," Tripp gave one final goodbye before leaving the hotel room.
Tripp just finished talking to the future engineers of Starfleet about running engines in the middle of a war. He hoped that he had given them some words of wisdom for their futures in Starfleet. He hoped that he could leave soon. On the way here, he was thinking about what he could do for T'Pol tonight. He had a feeling that she was going to be tired after spending a day with Vulcans.
"Do we have any question for Commander Tucker?" The monitor asked.
Someone in the front row raised their hand. The monitor pointed to them. The young cadet stood up. "How did you get a Vulcan to fall in love with you?"
Tripp laughed. "I don't think that is appropriate question," He took a glance at the monitor for help. They weren't looking at him. "Do we have questions about engineering?" Tripp asked the room.
Someone stood up. "How did you have children with your wife since Vulcans and humans can't have children."
Tripp gripped the stand. "I will not answer any questions about my personal life. If you have any questions about my time or experience about my time on Enterprise than asked away."
"How was it working with Captain Archer?" Someone in the middle asked.
Tripp smiled that was a question he could answer. He talked about becoming friends with Jonathan before they got on the ship. He told them about working under his command. Tripp told them some stories about his time with Jonathan Archer. He was glad that person asked that question because that was a question he could answer.
Tripp was glad when the questions stopped, and he made his way out of the campus grounds. "Commander Tucker," Tripp turned around to see a young woman running towards him. Tripp stopped it was the same young woman who asked the question about Jonathan.
"Yes Cadet…"
"Sullivan," Cadet Sullivan supplied. "I want to thank you for giving us cadets a moment of your time."
Tripp smiled. "It was no problem. It is nice giving my time to the future of Starfleet."
"I'm sorry about the personal questions I didn't think that my class would ask that," Cadet Sullivan said.
Tripp waved her off. "It is no problem. I get people older than you ask me the same questions."
Cadet Sullivan nodded. "I just wanted to thank you and I hope that I see you in space one day."
"I hope the same thing," Tripp wasn't going to tell her that he was retiring from space to raise his family. Tripp thought that the conversation was done and started to walk away.
"Commander Tucker, do you think I could write you sometimes?" Cadet Sullivan called out to him.
Tripp turned around and nodded. Cadet Sullivan walked away from him. Tripp hoped that he could be a help to the young lady one day. He hoped that she would follow her dreams and become a great engineer.
T'Pol walked into the suite that Tripp and she were given. She was ready to turn on the lights when two candles were lit, and the lights turned on. Tripp stood by a table set for two. She looked around and didn't see any of the children's things around. Tripp came around the table.
"Where are the children?" T'Pol asked.
"With my parents for the night," Tripp took her hand and led her to the table. "I thought that we could spend a night without the children and remember that we are a couple."
T'Pol took a seat in the chair he held out. She watched as he took a seat across from her. Tripp pulled the cover off the dishes in front of them. It was mostly vegetarian dishes. T'Pol glanced at her husband because he knew her very well. She put the food on her plate. She took a bite. The chef that worked here was good. It was flavorful and tasty. She watched as Tripp put his own food on his plate. They were relaxing and had nothing to worry about. T'Pol knew that her in-laws were watching their children.
"When was the last time we had a quiet evening?" T'Pol asked.
"Before or after the kids?" Tripp smiled.
T'Pol shook her head at him. "Where are we were not worrying about the war or the ship or the even the kids?"
Tripp sighed. It has been a while since they had a moment like this. "I don't know," Even those they had time to themselves in the back of their minds was the ship or their children. Tripp reached across the table and took T'Pol's hand. "But we need more of these times," he raised her hand and kissed it. T'Pol nodded because it was moments like this that she fell for Tripp. "One more year and we will be done with space flying."
T'Pol nodded she couldn't agree more with her husband on that. It was time that they settled down with their kids and did not lead such a dangerous life. "I know."
"What are you looking for in a home for our family?" Tripp asked.
They spent the rest of the meal talking about what they wanted for their family and how to go about finding a house that will suit their family. T'Pol was glad that Tripp had planned this evening for them.
After the meal was over, T'Pol held out her hand for Tripp to take. Tripp stood and took her hand. T'Pol led the way to their room. Tripp closed the door behind him and shout out the rest of the world.