T'Pol walked into Phlox's office. Since they got back to Earth, Phlox didn't want to leave and decided to open a practice in San Francisco. T'Pol was glad that he decided to stay because she didn't trust anyone with her pregnancies. He was there for the first and will continue being there for the others.
There was a young person sitting in front of the office. T'Pol made her way over to her. She looked up at T'Pol. "Do you have an appointment with Dr. Phlox?"
T'Pol didn't think that she needed an appointment with the doctor, she was used to walking in and seeing him whenever she wanted. "No."
"I'm sorry, the doctor is booked all day. I can get you an appointment in…" The young person looked at the computer screen in front of them. "Three months."
T'Pol didn't like that. She needed an appointment right away because he was going to have to do the surgery for the baby to survive. She placed a hand on her still flat womb. This was the last piece of Tripp she had, and she wanted this baby to survive. Before she could fight with the person about getting in to see Phlox, the back door opened, and Phlox came out.
He smiled. "T'Pol what are you doing here?"
"Can we talk in private?" T'Pol asked.
"Sure," Phlox turned towards the door.
"Doctor, I told her she needed an appointment, and you don't have one available for three months," The person protested.
Phlox turned towards the person. "Sean, T'Pol is a friend, someone I went to hell and back with. We served on the Enterprise together. Anyone who comes from the Enterprise I will see right away," Phlox left it at that and headed out of the waiting room.
T'Pol followed Phlox to the back of the office. He led her to a room with an exam table. He closed the door behind her. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm pregnant," It was all she needed to say.
Phlox nodded. "Let's have a seat on the table," He patted the exam table as he went to get a tricorder. T'Pol got on the table and laid down. Phlox started humming as he ran the tricorder over her. Phlox smiled. "It looks that you are," He helped T'Pol sit up. "I have to say congratulation are in order."
"Thank you," T'Pol mumbled. This time was different because Tripp wasn't here for this when he was here for every pregnancy. He would be telling her that they can handle another baby. T'Mir just turned two and Charlie was four. She was just learning how to take care of the two she had alone. She didn't know if she handled three alone.
"When can I see you again?" Phlox asked. T'Pol looked at him. Phlox smiled. "For the surgery."
T'Pol had to think about what her schedule was like. "I not available until next week," Phlox nodded, and they agreed on a date for the surgery. "Thank you, for seeing me," T'Pol got off the table. "You are the only one that I trust with my pregnancies."
Phlox nodded. He understood what she was saying. "I am honored," He opened the door and led the way out. He led the way to the waiting room. "I will see you next week," He smiled at her before watching her leave the practice.
T'Pol entered the daycare with Charlie and T'Mir. She had found that Starfleet had a daycare for Starfleet parents. There was noise coming from different rooms. She glanced down at Charlie. This would be the first time that he would be with children his own age. This was something that he hadn't had before. She hoped that he would adjust well with other children. She was going to need it since Ella was getting married and moving to another planet. The woman at the counter smiled down at them.
"How can I help you?" She asked as she looked at children before looking at T'Pol.
"I would like to register my children for classes," T'Pol said.
The woman nodded. "Do you work for Starfleet?" She asked. T'Pol knew why she had to ask that question because people had tried to get into this daycare before without working for Starfleet. It is one of the best daycares in San Francisco.
"Yes, I'm Commander T'Pol. I had worked on the Enterprise and will be teaching at the academy this fall," T'Pol glanced down at Charlie, who was tracing the artwork on the counter.
T'Pol watched as the woman's eyes widened and disappeared before she said. "I will get the director," The woman stood and walked towards the door that was behind her. The woman came out of the door behind her. "If you would come this way, Commander T'Pol."
T'Pol shifted T'Mir. She was getting too big to be carried anymore. T'Pol grabbed Charlie's hand and followed the woman to the back. Behind the door was what looked like a breakroom for the workers. There was one worker there getting a drink of coffee. He smiled at them before the woman at the counter led them to a close door. She opened the door and held it open for T'Pol.
T'Pol entered the office to find a woman sitting behind the desk. She stood and held out a hand for her. "Dr. Carol Gilmore."
T'Pol let go of Charlie's hand. "Commander T'Pol," She shook the doctor's hand.
"Thank you, Erin," Dr. Gilmore told the woman at the door. She turned to T'Pol. "Please have seat, commander," Dr. Gilmore pointed to the chair in front of the desk as she took a seat at her desk. T'Pol took a seat while still holding T'Mir. She moved her to one side so she could pick up Charlie and put him on her lap. Dr. Gilmore looked at Charlie. "Would you like to play with some toys?" Charlie looked at T'Pol before nodding. "There is pile of toys over there," She pointed to the back of the room. Charlie slid off T'Pol's lap and went to the pile of toys. T'Mir saw her what her brother did and followed him to the toys. Both women watched the children for a moment. Dr. Gilmore turned to the computer on her desk. "Let's get the children register. Let's start with your son, name?"
T'Pol raised an eyebrow. She thought that everyone knew about her children, but she answered the question anyways. "Charles Tucker the Fourth, but we call him Charlie."
"Birthday?" T'Pol gave her Charlie's birthday. Dr. Gilmore nodded. She continued to ask basic questions about Charlie. T'Pol had no problem answering them. "Now let's talk about your daughter, name?"
"T'Mir Tucker," T'Pol said.
"Can you please spell her name?" Dr. Gilmore asked. T'Pol spelled T'Mir's name. She was glad that she asked because it was such a Vulcan name. "Birthday?" T'Pol told her T'Mir's birthday. "Is there anything special we need to know about either of the children?"
"This is their first time being around children their own age. We have spent the last five years of their lives on a ship with adults," Dr. Gilmore nodded.
"Does there have to be time to mediate?" Dr. Gilmore asked.
T'Pol was surprised by that question but didn't let it show on her face. "No, Charlie meditates at home with me and T'Mir hasn't started yet."
Dr. Gilmore nodded. "Who is allowed to drop them off and pick them up?"
T'Pol took a breath. "Me and my husband, their father, Charles Tucker. There might be others like their grandparents, but they live in Mississippi, so they won't be here much. I can't think of anyone else for the moment. If it changes, I will let you know."
Dr. Gilmore nodded. "Thank you," She stood. "Let me show you and your children their classrooms," T'Pol nodded and stood. She called out to Charlie and T'Mir. They both came and took her hand. They followed the doctor out of the office.
Dr. Gilmore led them through the breakroom back out to the front of the building. She nodded to Erin before heading to the first room. "This is the Ensign room, and this is where," Dr. Gilmore smiled down at T'Mir. "T'Mir will be here," Dr. Gilmore opened the door and T'Pol saw a room filled with small children around T'Mir's age. There were two teachers in the room. They were running around with the children and the children were laughing. One of the teachers saw them standing in the doorway and made their way over. "This Miss Katie," Dr. Gilmore said to T'Mir. "She will be one of your teachers. Miss Katie, this is your student, T'Mir Tucker."
Miss Katie got down to her knees to be eye level with T'Mir. "Hello, T'Mir, welcome to class," T'Mir smiled. T'Pol had nothing to worry about T'Mir. She would have no problem getting along with children her own age. Miss Katie stood. "Hello, Mrs. Tucker," She shook her hand. "I hope that T'Mir will do well in our class. Is she speaking?"
"Yes, just one word, mostly Mama, Papa, and Charlie, who is her brother," T'Pol said. Miss Katie nodded.
Dr. Gilmore smiled. "Thank you, Miss Katie," Miss Katie nodded. Dr. Gilmore led the way out of the classroom. She led them to a classroom down a hall. "This will be Charlie's classroom," T'Pol saw the word captain on the door. Dr. Gilmore opened the door. T'Pol looked in the room to see a room with children sitting in a circle with a teacher, reading a story. No one looked up as the door was open.
T'Pol was a little more worried about Charlie being with children his own age since he hadn't been around his children his age. They watched the class for a moment before Dr. Gilmore closed the door. Dr. Gilmore led the way to the front of the building. "Thank you for having an opening for my children," T'Pol said.
Dr. Gilmore smiled. "It is no problem," She looked down at Charlie and T'Mir. "We can't wait to see them on Monday," Charlie and T'Mir smiled back at her. T'Pol took their hands and led them out of the building. T'Pol could see the Starfleet Academy to one side of the building and Starfleet Command to the other. The daycare was perfect where it was. Everything was in walking distance even their house. It was something that T'Pol was happy about.
T'Pol had just got her class schedule, and she started to make a schedule for the week. She had classes on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. She didn't need the kids to go to daycare on Friday, but she could run errands and clean the house. She was going to have to find someone to watch the children if she had a meeting or something. It was going to be hard as a single parent. She couldn't ask any of her friends from the Enterprise because they were climbing the ladder in Starfleet. She might ask the daycare if they knew anyone that could watch her children.
T'Pol took a glance at the children who were playing in the family room. They were adjusting well here and not a ship. The only thing that was missing was their father should be here. She could see him playing with the children as she made up a plan for them and putting his own opinion in what they should do. Just last night, Charlie asked about his dad and where he was. T'Pol didn't have an answer for him. She hoped that his mission was a success, and he was on his way home to them. She wanted to tell him about the baby because she knew that he would be happy about the newest member of their family.
The doorbell rang, T'Pol looked away from the children to the front door. She took a breath before getting up from the breakfast bar and headed to the door. She had to think who would be here on a Saturday afternoon. T'Pol hoped that it might be someone she knew like Hoshi or Archer.
She opened the door and saw two Starfleet Officer standing in her doorway. There was no smile on their faces. There was only one reason that they would be here. Something happened to Tripp. T'Pol closed her eyes for a moment. She hoped that he wasn't dead. It would break her heart. He could be at home but in the hospital with an injury. A little part of her wanted that to happen.
"Hello," She didn't realize that her voice was shaking.
The first officer spoke. "Hello, Commander T'Pol," There was a look in his eyes that T'Pol knew that it was bad news. "As you know Commander Tucker was on a mission," T'Pol nodded. She felt her heart drop. "He has gone missing," T'Pol had to control her emotions. She couldn't fall apart in front of these officers and her children. "We will do everything to him home, but if we don't find him…" T'Pol knew that might that they were going to consider him died. T'Pol nodded. "We got this from him before we lost him," The officer held out a PADD for to take. She took the PADD. "Ma'am," The officer said. T'Pol watched as the officers walked off her pouch.
T'Pol closed the door and glanced at the children to see that they were still playing. They didn't know that their father had gone missing and if they can't find him, he would be declared died. She didn't know what she would do without her husband. She took a breath before looking down at the PADD that the officer had given her. His last words were on this PADD. She wanted to read it, but she didn't know if she should read it now or later when the children are sleeping.
T'Pol glanced at the children and thought that they might not see their father again. She placed a hand on her stomach. This baby would never know their father and she was going to do this on her own.
"Mama," Charlie had made his way over to T'Pol. "Who was at the door?" He asked.
T'Pol looked into his blue eyes, that he got from his father. "Those people were from Starfleet, and they had news about your father."
"Where is Papa?" Charlie asked.
T'Pol closed her eyes. She didn't know how she could tell a four-year-old that his father was missing. "Papa is missing, and they don't know where to find him."
T'Pol watched as tears filled Charlie's eyes. "Will they find him and bring him home?"
T'Pol got down to his level and pulled him in her arms. "I don't know," She mumbled in his blond hair. T'Mir made her way over and T'Pol took her in her arms. She needed to feel her children right now. If Tripp was gone, they were the last things she had from him. Them and the baby she was carrying.
Later that night, she finally had time to read Tripp's letter. She sat on the bed that she hoped to share with her husband. She opened the PADD to see her name. She took a breath before reading the rest of the letter.
'T'Pol,
I love you and always will. If this gets to you, I'm either dead or missing.'
T'Pol took a breath and looked around the room before going back to the letter.
'I know you are going to miss me in your own way, but please don't kill yourself. You have to be there for Charlie and T'Mir.'
Tripp didn't know that she had to be there for a new person they created.
'I need you to watch them grow up and maybe find love the same way we did. There might even be grandchildren. That is a thought because Charlie is only four and T'Mir is only two. I need this so when we meet again you can tell me all about our babies and what lives they created.
When the time is right, I want you to move on. I can see your face now, telling me that you are never going to move on because we are bond mates. Just remember wherever I am I love you and I want to be there with you.
Tipp
P.S. There are letters for Charlie and T'Mir for when they are older. Give it to them when you think they are ready.'
T'Pol set the PADD on her bedside table and took a breath. She had to control her emotions, or they were going to get the best of her. She had to fall in love with a human, who let his emotions control him. She touched her necklace that held both of her rings and Tripp's ring. She would hold on to them to give them to Charlie when he is older and has met the person, he wants to spend the rest of his days with if Tripp never comes back to her.
T'Pol settled in bed, she felt that she should have meditated but for some reason she didn't want to. She closed her eyes and went to sleep.
T'Pol woke with a sharp pain in her middle. She jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom. She turned on the light and saw a dark spot on her pajama bottoms. She took a breath and knew what was happening. She pulled down her bottoms and watched as she miscarried.
T'Pol took one of her new towels and cleaned up the mess. She wrapped up her baby in the towel. She knew that she should call Phlox and tell him what happened, but she couldn't. She placed the towel by the garage can and climbed in the shower. She turned the water on as hot as she could and washed away the blood from legs. She sank down on the floor of the shower and let the water flow over her.
There was no reason for Phlox to do the surgery. There was no last part of Tripp to hold on to. T'Pol took a breath to control her emotions but she didn't know if she could do it. The man who stole her heart was gone and the last part she had of him was gone. She didn't notice as the first tear fell from her eye.