Tripp moaned as he stood by the airlock doors waiting for Shran and an Andorian ambassador. He was thinking about what he had to do in engineering, but as the second officer, he had to be here. T'Pol had glanced at him when she heard his moan. He just gave a smile that had her shaking her head. He wondered if he still had time to get away when Jonathan came up. Jonathan looked at them and was glad that they were both here for this. He didn't think that they would be here.
"I glad you are both here," He turned to the airlock.
"My wife made sure that we were here," Tripp mumbled. Tripp knew that T'Pol heard him because she was yelling in his head. He wasn't expecting that Jonathan would hear, he saw a smile on his face.
"The Andorian shuttle is attached," They heard Malcom say over the comms. Tripp reached over and unlocked the doors. They watched as the doors opened and Shran and the Andorian ambassador came on the ship.
Shran smiled at them. "Captain Archer," He shook his hand. Jonathan greeted him. Shran turned to T'Pol and Tripp. "I hear that congratulations are in order," There was a big smile on his face. "Married and a baby."
Tripp smiled at him. "Thank you. We are very happy."
"I would like to meet the little guy while I'm here," Shran said.
"I don't think that would be wise," T'Pol said.
"Why not?" Shran couldn't hide the smile on his face. "If we are to be allies, it will help to get to know each other."
"We will see," T'Pol said. Tripp knew why she did it. Charlie wasn't big on meeting new people, it had taken him a moment to like his babysitter, now he couldn't wait to see her every day.
Shran nodded and turned to his companion. He was an older Andorian male. "This Ambassador Oshelaohr Th'zhetrant, Ambassador this is Captain Jonathan Archer, his first officer Commander T'Pol, and his second officer, Commander Charles Tucker."
They greeted the ambassador in the Andorian way. The Ambassador smiled at them and greeted them. "If you would come this way, we have lunch ready," Jonathan smiled and waved his hand in front of him. T'Pol led the way to the captain's mess hall.
Jonathan started to talk with the ambassador as they followed T'Pol. Shran hung back with Tripp. "I was wondering if you like fatherhood," He stated.
Tripp turned and looked at the man. "Yes," He was wondering where it was coming from. "It is something that I don't know how I went so many years without it."
Shran glanced at the others and saw that T'Pol was talking with the other two. "How is she as a mother?"
Tripp raised an eyebrow. "She is very good. Charlie only wants her most of time. Where is this all coming from?" Tripp asked.
A smiled spread on Shran's face. "Jhamal and I had a daughter last year."
"Really," Tripp was happy for the man. Shran nodded. They entered the captain's mess hall. They took their seats around the table. "What did you name her?" Tripp asked after the food was on the table.
"Talla," There was a light in Shran's eyes that only a father would have. Tripp understood all too well. "We are very happy about her." Tripp had a feeling that Shran was never going to let any male near his daughter. Tripp would do the same if he had a daughter. He glanced at T'Pol and smiled because he had a feeling that she would put a stop to it.
"You are never going to let her out of your sight," Tripp smiled.
Shran smiled. "Never," Both men laughed. "I'm sure you would do the same once you have a daughter," They both glanced at T'Pol, who had looked up at them when they both laughed.
Tripp leaned closer to the man. "I would, but my wife might have something to say about it."
Shran nodded. "I feel my wife would be the same."
"It what happens when you marry strong woman," Tripp smiled at T'Pol. He knew that she was trying to figure out what was going between him and Shran. He ignored her and knew that he was going to get when they were alone in their quarters later.
The ambassador turned to Captain Archer. "Do you have any children?"
Jonathan smiled. "I do not. I am a favorite uncle to Charlie."
"Charlie, is your son?" Ambassador Th'zhetrant asked T'Pol. "I heard Shran congratulating you earlier."
"Yes, Charlie is my mine and Commander Tucker's son," T'Pol took a bite of her food.
"How old is he?"
"He is almost five months," T'Pol said.
"They were so good at that age. I have four and the oldest just made me a grandfather," Ambassador Th'zhetrant smiled. He was also happy father and grandfather.
They spent the rest of lunch talking about their families. After lunch, Captain Tucker took them to the conference room. On their way, T'Pol called Crewman Edgerton to the conference room with Charlie. At lunch, the ambassador had convinced T'Pol into meeting her son. They took a seat around the table as they waited for Crewman Edgerton and Charlie. It didn't take long before they were there.
Charlie reached for his mother when he saw her. T'Pol took him. Crewman Edgerton stood in the back of the room to take Charlie back when this was all over. T'Pol took Charlie to the table. "This is our son, Charles Tucker the Fourth."
The ambassador reached out for the baby and T'Pol handed him to the ambassador. Charlie was ready to cry, until he saw that his mom was still there. He glanced around and saw his dad. Charlie turned back to the blue man and tried to reach for his antenna.
"Charlie, no," T'Pol tried to reach for her son's hand. The ambassador laughed and waved her away.
"Many Andorian babies do that," The ambassador laughed. "It is nothing new." He held the baby for a while until Shran took the baby from him.
Shran looked at Tripp. "He looks like you," Tripp nodded. Shran could see the baby's ears and there was no denying that his mother was Vulcan. Shran turned to T'Pol. "He is also your son," T'Pol nodded.
When Shran was done meeting Charlie, he handed him back to his mother. T'Pol took him back to Crewman Edgerton. Crewman Edgerton took the baby and left the room. T'Pol watched them for a moment before taking her seat again.
Jonathan turned serious. "As you know, we are here for an alliance with your world to help in the war with the Romulans."
The ambassador turned from family man to stateman in seconds. "What is in it for us?"
"I'm sure you know that the Romulans were the ones that attacked your ships to bring your people to war with the Telliate." The ambassador nodded. "Just think what they could do if we haven't stopped them. There would be many lives lost."
"Depending on how long this war we could lose more lives," Ambassador Th'zhetrant said.
"Yes, but they need to be stopped. They can't be fighting all of us," Archer said.
They spent the next two going over what they needed out of each other before they concluded that the Andorian will join the war against the Romulans. It was late by the time that Shran and the ambassador left the ship.
Tripp sighed as the doors locked and he saw the back of the Andorians. He really wanted to get some sleep because he needed to be in engineering in the morning so they can head to Vulcan in the morning. He glanced at T'Pol and Jonathan to see that they were still talking, He didn't think that they would mind if he left. He headed down to his quarters to relief Crewman Edgerton of his son.
Tripp went in his quarters to find Edgerton sitting on the couch. She looked up and smiled when she saw him. She told him that Charlie was sleeping, and she was leaving. Tripp nodded and watched her leave. He checked on Charlie before heading to his room. He stripped out of his clothes when he heard his wife come in. He knew that she would check on their son before coming to their room. She found him in lying in bed.
"Tripp, I know you are not sleeping," She stepped in front of the bed. He opened one eye to see his wife standing there. She had her arms crossed. If he opened his mind to her, he would know that she was mad about something. "I would like to talk to you."
Tripp sighed. He knew that he wasn't going to get any sleep until T'Pol had her say. He sat up in bed. "About what? I thought today went very well."
"You and Shran talking about your children and laughed all of sudden." T'Pol stared at him.
"What about it?" Tripp leaned forward. He wondered if he could get his wife in bed and forget all about what she was mad about with him.
"It was not very diplomatic," T'Pol narrowed her eyes at him. She knew what he was doing.
"I thought it went well. I found a way to connect with him. I thought that was a good way to start diplomatic relationships," He reached for her, and she pulled away from him. "And the ambassador is a family man, so I think we did good. In the end they are on our side for the war," Tripp tried to reach for her again, but T'Pol walked away.
Tripp smiled and leaned back against the headboard. He knew that he had his wife there. T'Pol knew that he was right. With Shran and him connecting as fathers was the right thing to do. It brought the ambassador in with them. The ambassador just needed to talk to their leader, but Tripp had a feeling that they were going to work alongside them for galaxy.
"I'm going to meditate," T'Pol said. Tripp nodded. He settled in bed and watched his wife change. He closed his eyes as she went to meditate in the area that he made for her. He tried to fall asleep, but he knew that he couldn't sleep until she was next to him. He didn't know how long she was going to meditate. He sighed, settle down, and tried to sleep.
T'Pol only meditated for a half an hour, before climbing in bed with her husband. She knew that he wasn't asleep. He would be snoring if he was asleep. "You annoy me," She said to him as she settled by his side.
"Yet, you married me," Tripp laughed. He wrapped an arm her. Even those the bed was bigger; they couldn't sleep without touching each other.
"You impregnated me," T'Pol put her hand over his heart and closed her eyes.
Tripp leaned down and whispered in her ear. "You enjoyed every moment," T'Pol hid her head in his shoulder so he wouldn't see the small smile on her face. Tripp smiled as he pulled her head towards him. "Goodnight, love," He kissed her lips.
"Goodnight, husband," T'Pol mumbled as she fell asleep.