Tripp was tired and he knew that he wasn't going to get any sleep until the Orion left them, but they have been here for two days now. He still had to keep up on his normal duties while watching them. He barely saw his wife and son. Crewman Edgerton had taken Charlie out of their quarters so he and T'Pol could sleep. He didn't know how T'Pol was doing, but he could see that she tired too. When they needed to talk, they spoke with their minds unless they wanted the Orion to hear them.
Tripp scratched his beard because he had taken to not shaving. He smiled as he wondered what T'Pol would say about this. She would use logic to get him to shave it. He could ignore her and just keep it, but again they both knew who wore the pants in the relationship. The beard would be gone once she said something.
Tripp was making his way to take T'Pol place when he heard.
"Commander Tucker to the bridge," Captain Archer said.
"On my way," Tripp ran to the bridge to see what the captain.
Tripp stepped on the bridge to see Captain Archer standing in the front of the view screen. On the view screen was a green male. He looked like an older Orion. "Commander Tucker, I would like you to meet, General Jeggak," Captain Archer said without turning around to face him. "Commander this man said that we have his daughter and should return her and the male Orion with her."
"Do we now?" Tripp folded his arms behind him.
"Yes, he saw the damage ship and thought that his daughter was dead until he found us," Captain Archer didn't believe him for one second. Tripp could tell in his tone. He gave Hoshi a nod to turn off the connection with the general. Jonathan turned to Tripp. "That is not the story that she gave us."
"No, sir," Tripp looked at the screen like the general was there. "I will look into it," Captain Archer nodded.
Tripp made his way down to the quarters that Sade and her friend were staying. T'Pol was standing at the door, waiting for him. Tripp really wanted to take her in his arms and forget all about what they were doing. She raised an eyebrow at him because she heard when he was being called to the bridge. He told her what happen and how he was going to talk to Sade. T'Pol nodded. They both opened the door. They found Sade laying on the bed with Thikkor was sitting on at the desk.
"Is it time to change guards?" Sade smiled at Tripp. Tripp realized over the days that they have been here; Sade has done most of the talking for them.
Tripp gave the male a look before looking at Sade. "We just had a hail from a General Jeggak. He is telling us that he is your father, and we should return you to him."
Sade's eyes widen and look at Thikkor. He whole faced changed. "Please don't send me to him."
"So, he is your father?" Tripp asked.
"Yes," Sade glanced at Thikkor with so much love in her eyes. "He has sold me to the highest bidder. Thikkor was a jailer until I fell for him. He fell for me."
"You didn't use your powers to get him to take you were every you wanted to go," Tripp crossed his arms. He remembers when the other Orion were on the ship.
"No, it wouldn't have worked because he is not affected by it and also, he cannot speak," Sade looked from Tripp to Thikkor. "My father cut his tongue out for speaking to him in the wrong way. We were planning on running away and getting married then my father can't make me marry the man he wants.
"I thought that we were done for when our ship was damaged. That my father was going to find us and kill Thikkor and marry me off. But you came instead. Please let us go and I will give you anything you want for letting us go," Sade had a scared look on her face. She didn't know what they were going to do.
Tripp traded a look with T'Pol before turning back to Sade. "I will have to talk to my captain before we do anything," Sade nodded.
Tripp stood with T'Pol in the captain's ready room. He told the story to Jonathan that Sade gave him. Jonathan looked from him to T'Pol. Jonathan ran a hand through his hair. "Did the story seem true?"
"Yes, I could hear the fear in her voice," T'Pol said.
Jonathan looked between his first officer and second officer. He didn't know what they were going to do. "What are we going to do?" He sighed.
Tripp didn't know what to say. He knew that if he had a daughter, he would never sell her to someone else as a bride. He glanced at T'Pol and if his daughter was anything like her mother, she would only marry if she wanted not because she was told to do so.
Tripp sighed, he might have a soft spot in his heart because he was a parent, or he really believe Sade's story. "I think that we should let them go." T'Pol and Jonathan both looked at him like he lost his mind or something. "I know that I would never do what he did to my own daughter. I have a feeling that T'Pol wouldn't let me," That got a smile out of Jonathan and glare from T'Pol.
"The logical thing would be to return her to her father. This could start a war with the Orion, and we don't need another war with another species," T'Pol said.
"You know that they will just kill him, and she would end up in a marriage of her father's making," Tripp was letting his anger get to him. "How can you say something like that?" He let T'Pol see the anger on his face.
T'Pol ignored his look. "We could lose more lives than just one man," She looked at the captain.
Jonathan looked between them; they were acting like they did before they got together. He wondered when they had a moment to be alone and be the couple that they were. He had stopped listening to them because he knew that it could go on for a while. "Enough," Jonathan shouted at them. They both looked at him. "I don't need a war with the Orion," Tripp opened his mouth to object but Jonathan held up a hand to silence him. "We will return them to General Jeggak," Jonathan turned away from them. "Also, you two need to find a moment to be together."
Tripp looked at his wife to see her nodding. She made her way to the door to leave. Tripp took a breath before following T'Pol out of the ready room. "Tripp," T'Pol reached out for him.
"Not now," Tripp kept walking. He didn't want to look at his wife or his captain right now.
Tripp paced his office as he thought about Sade and Thikkor. When Sade wasn't trying to give him advice about T'Pol, Tripp saw the looks that were passing between them. They were in love and only wanted to be together. He twisted his finger that would have his wedding band on it, but he remembered that T'Pol had taken it. He did miss his wife and knew that they should take the captain's advice. Before he could do that, he needed these Orion of the ship and away from them.
The chime to his office went off. Before he could say enter T'Pol was leaning against the door. Tripp gave her a look and turned away from her. "I know that you are mad at me, but I don't want to lose you or our son. The General is a powerful man and could hurt us very badly."
"What about Sade and Thikkor?" Tripp asked. "Their love story has to end because we don't want a war with her father."
"Yes," T'Pol said. She came in the room and wrapped her arms around him. "Not everyone gets to live their love story." She placed her head on his chest.
Tripp knew that he couldn't stay mad at T'Pol for long as he wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the top of her head. "It's not right," Tripp mumbled.
"Not everyone can be as lucky as we can," T'Pol mumbled back.
Tripp mind started racing. He thought about a way to avoid a war with the Orion and to save Sade and Thikkor. He wouldn't be able to tell his wife or the captain because he didn't want them to get trouble and it would be better if they didn't know what was going on.
Tripp held onto his wife for a moment longer. "When this is all over, I just want to spend a week with you and Four."
T'Pol leaned back. "Please don't call our son that," It only had Tripp smiling. He lifted her chin and kissed her. She broke the kiss and placed a hand on his cheek. "Also, this needs to go," Tripp smiled. He knew that she was talking about his beard.
"Yes, ma'am," He said like he knew that she was in charge of him.
Tripp opened the door to the Orion's quarters. Both Sade and Thikkor looked up when they saw him. He looked out to see if anyone was around. "Come on," He said to the two of them. They didn't move. "Do you want to go back to your father or not?" Tripp hissed.
Sade shook her head as she stood. Thikkor followed her. Tripp took another look around before motioning with his hand that they should follow him. Sade was right behind him when he heard. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because of love," Tripp whispered back. Sade could only nod. There was a woman that had his heart, and he wasn't giving it to any other. Sade grabbed Thikkor's hand when Tripp had them stopped while a pair of crewmen walked past.
"The Vulcan woman told us that we were going back to my father," Sade said after they passed another corner.
"Yes, well I don't agree with my captain and the Vulcan woman," Tripp looked around another corner.
Tripp stopped in front of a panel and press in a code. "This is an escape pod, I made it that it won't register on your father's sensors or our own. There are coordinates already program to a M-class planet."
"Thank you," Sade said as they watched Thikkor get in the ship. "I don't know what I can do for you."
"If I need your help with something. I will come calling," Tripp said with a smile. He didn't think that he would ever need to call on them for something.
"Anything," She placed a hand on his arm. "I hope that the Vulcan woman will one day return your love."
Tripp smiled. "I have a confession to make. That Vulcan woman is my wife and mother of my son."
Sade smiled. "Good luck, Commander. I hope you don't get in trouble for this," She leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek.
"It will all be worth it when you get out of here and find away to live with that man," Tripp pointed to the escape pod.
Sade nodded and got in. The pod was gone before Tripp knew it.
He stood there for a moment before he heard. "Commander Tucker to the bridge," It was the voice of his wife. They had found out the Orion were gone.
Tripp made his way to the bridge to find General Jeggak on the screen and his captain and wife standing before it. It seemed that T'Pol had just told the captain about what happen. They both looked at him when he entered.
"Commander, do you know anything about what happen to the Orion?" Captain Archer asked.
"No, sir," Tripp knew that T'Pol was trying to read his mind, but he closed her off. If they weren't in front of the general and captain T'Pol would have said something to him. "The last I knew they were in their quarters waiting for Commander T'Pol."
"General," Jonathan turned to General Jeggak. "We will do a scan of the ship and surrounding area to find them, but I have a feeling that they escaped us somehow."
"Do everything you can, and I will know if you helped them?" General Jeggak narrowed his eyes on the captain. "I will know." The general disappeared from the view screen.
"Malcom, scan the ship, but I have a feeling that they are not on this ship," Jonathan turned to Tripp. "My ready room, Commander," Jonathan started for his ready room. Tripp followed him.
When Tripp entered Jonathan was already taking a seat behind his desk. Tripp didn't realize that T'Pol had followed them until he heard the door close behind her. "I have a feeling that you have something to do with them escaping. You were the only one in room that was against what I decided to with the Orion."
Tripp looked through the window to the stars. "You have no proof to what you say I did."
"Damn it, Tripp," Jonathan sighed. "Why did you do it? Did she have some control on you?" Jonathan looked over at T'Pol like she might have an answer to why he would do what he did.
"No, sir," Tripp looked at his wife. "I know that she lied in the beginning but when hearing her story, I knew that it was true. All she wanted was to be with the one she loved."
"You could start a war with the Orion and we don't need that right now," Jonathan ran a hand through his hair.
"That is why I didn't involve you or T'Pol," Tripp looked away from his wife to his captain. "We can tell them that they escaped our custody and they won't do anything to us. They have no reason to know that it was T'Pol and I watching over them. They don't need to know that Orion women have no effect on T'Pol and me. A nameless crewmember helped them escape because she had a way over them."
Jonathan looked at T'Pol to see what she thought about the idea of Tripp's. "It could work, sir," T'Pol said.
"I agree," Jonathan gave a small smile. "Since I have no proof that you helped them, I cannot report you. If this happens again, I will have to."
"Yes, sir," Tripp smiled.
The three of them went back on the bridge to see that Malcom had just finished his scans of the ship. "They are not on the ship."
Jonathan nodded and told Hoshi to hail them. General Jeggak face appeared on the screen. "We did a scan of our ship, and they are not a board."
"How did they escape?" General Jeggak shouted at them.
"We think that your daughter controlled one of our crewmen and the crewman helped them escape. The crewman will be punished." Jonathan stared down the general. There was nothing the general could do.
"I will have to take your word for it," General Jeggak growled.
"Yes, you do," Jonathan crossed his arms. Jonathan turned to Hoshi to cut the line with the general.
The line was cut and everyone on the bridge watched the Orion ship fly away from their ship. Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
Tripp and T'Pol made their way back to their quarters. Tripp had a feeling that T'Pol would let him have it when they got alone. The doors to their quarters opened and Charlie let a happy scream when he saw his parents. He held out his arms for one of them to take him. T'Pol picked him up first and held him close.
"Thank you for watching him so much over these past few days," Tripp thanked Crewman Edgerton.
Crewman Edgerton smiled. "It was no problem."
"Take a few days to yourself," Tripp said. Tripp knew that he and T'Pol were going to take a few days to be husband and wife and mother and father.
"Thank you, sir," Edgerton nodded before leaving.
T'Pol handed Charlie to Tripp before making her way to their room. Tripp heard a drawer open and close before T'Pol came back in the living area. They took a seat on the couch. T'Pol took Tripp's hand and put his ring back on his finger. Tripp watched as she put her necklace that was holding her rings, around her neck. Tripp leaned back and placed his feet on the coffee table with a look from T'Pol. With his feet he felt an envelope on the table. Tripp put Charlie between them before he reached for the envelope. He opened the envelope and saw two pictures with a note.
'Remember this is worth it'
There was no name on the note, but Tripp had known that it was from Crewman Edgerton.
The first picture was of Tripp and Charlie sleeping together. Tripp saw how Charlie was holding on to him. Tripp's heart melted. The next picture was of T'Pol and Charlie, sitting on floor together, playing with toys blocks. Tripp loved this picture the most because you could see the joy that T'Pol had on her face.
"T'Pol, do you remember when you asked are we the doing the right thing?" Tripp asked.
"Hmm," T'Pol said. Tripp looked at his wife to see that her eyes were closed.
"I think that we are," T'Pol opened her eyes to see that Tripp was handing her two pictures.
T'Pol looked at the pictures before handing Tripp one of the pictures. Tripp saw that it was one of T'Pol and Charlie. "We are," T'Pol looked down at Charlie, who looked up and smiled at his mom.