Welcome to another chapter of "Love between worlds." This chapter is short again, but long enough that I don't want to post 2 chapters on one day again. This is a wedding scene. Which was hard for me to write. Since the information on a vulcan wedding is scattered but quite plentiful. Unlike other weddings. So, it actually causes a bit of an issue. Mind you, Trip and T'Pol wedding is not completely traditional. Then again, it has been modified for their circumstances. Enjoy!
Dear Mom and Dad,
I wanted to let you know the change of plans. We will be getting married on the way to Earth. We were going to wait until after the conference, but we're moving it up. The reason is because T'Pol is pregnant, and I don't want to hold off anymore. I don't want anyone to try to separate us. I don't want that - not ever again.
I will bring T'Pol to see you shortly after we arrive on Earth. We must attend that conference first, though. Afterward, I will bring her around. You'll like her. I'm sure of it. I don't think that I could leave her if I tried.
See you in a couple of weeks,
- Trip
Commander Tucker turned off his computer once he was finished writing his parents. He knew that they would not be happy that they would not be there to see him get married. They wanted to get to know T'Pol before they tied the knot. With the pregnancy, Trip didn't think that it was a good idea to wait much longer. If he were her husband, he might be able to protect her a bit better. They would not be happy that their first officer and second officer had conceived. They would pull T'Pol from the front lines. He knew that he couldn't stop that. But if he were her husband, he might be able to go with her. Help her navigate Starfleet's command structure and come out on top. He understood how humans thought, and that would help.
They had informed the Captain of their accelerated plans to get hitched. Archer was not pleased, but he went along with it. He did ask why they needed to bump up the schedule. He was no fool. He knew that something was up. They managed to skirt around telling him about T'Pol's pregnancy by saying that it was for personal reasons. Trip may have suggested that Starfleet Command had been breathing down his neck. Which was true, but not the reason why they were accelerating plans. The captain didn't buy it, but he went along with it.
When the day finally came, Tucker chose his nicest (and only) dress uniform. Since the outfit that T'Pol had chosen was still on Earth. As tradition dictated, he was to arrive first, then hit a gong over and over again until the bridal party arrived. Enterprise was fresh out of gongs. So they improvised. Trip borrowed a bell that one of his Engineers had. Where or why she had this bell, he did not know. It didn't matter. It would serve the purpose. Trip hit the bell over and over like he would have if he were on Vulcan. It didn't have the same effect as a gong, but it was the thought that counted.
T'Pol, Hoshi, and Captain Archer arrived in the cargo bay. They slowly proceeded to the improvised podium where Trip stood. All while Trip continued his assault on the bell. He was starting to get annoyed at the process. He suspected that all males eventually did. Maybe that is why the vulcans insisted on this stupid ritual in the first place. To make the male prove that he wanted to marry the female. Trip honestly didn't know if that was true or not. He just wanted to get on with it. This was annoying. The Captain and Hoshi look at their positions near him. While T'Pol stood in front of him. They knelt down on the pillows left on the ground for them. Finally, they reached out their fingers to touch each other. As soon as they joined hands, the cargo bay fell silent.
Besides the Captain and Hoshi, the entire senior staff was there. Malcolm, Travis, and even Phlox. Along with as many people as they could comfortably fit within the cargo bay. They even had people on the upper levels watching. This would not have happened with your traditional vulcan wedding. But it was difficult to turn down the entire ship. It was why they agreed to broadcast it on every monitor and keep the ship in place during the ceremony. That way, everyone could watch if they chose. All the people on the lower deck were in dress uniform. The people on the upper deck wore their usual attire.
T'Pol was the only person who was not in uniform. She was dressed in her nicest vulcan outfit. She looked stunning. You couldn't tell that she was pregnant. She was elegant in so many ways. Trip wondered what he did he do to deserve her.
Finally, the Captain broke the silence. He called out:
"Since the days of the first wooden ships, all Captains have had one happy privilege. That of uniting two people in the bonds of matrimony. Today, we will unite Commander Charles Tucker the Third with Commander T'Pol. As requested, I will carry out a traditional Vulcan Ceremony. I am willing to bet none of you have witnessed this before, as this is normally a private affair. With only close friends and family attending. We are amending that tradition. As such, this ceremony is being broadcast throughout the ship. And is being witnessed by you all here in the cargo bay."
Archer paused for a minute, then added. "It was requested that I carry out this ceremony in Vulcan. As you may know, my vulcan is not great." There was a lot of snickering amongst the crowd. "So, you'll forgive me, T'Pol, if my pronunciation is bad. I only had a few days to prepare. You did insist on moving up the ceremony."
Trip wanted to respond, but he knew better. T'Pol would not forgive him if he made light of this. Humor was the human way, not the vulcan way. And she wanted a Vulcan wedding. She had compromised a lot here. She wasn't planning on a ceremony in the cargo bay with all these onlookers. Or with the outfits that they were using. Or even the Captain's speech. But she accepted why he wanted to move things up, and she compromised. She let these things happen. He had to respect her for that. So stayed silent, but he couldn't prevent a snicker from getting out.
Hoshi was the next to speak. "As requested, we will not be using the universal translator for this ceremony. As such, the translation will only be available on the recording. So, for those of you who are watching from your station, please watch the screen for the written translation. For those of you who are watching live, you will need to refer to the recording later. Thank you."
Captain paused a moment, then pulled out his pad. Clearly, he had not memorized the speech. He spoke in a broken but decent Vulcan. "What ye are about to witness comes down from the time of the beginning without change. This is the Vulcan heart. This is the Vulcan soul. This is our way."
The next part was theirs to say. Normally, this would be done before the ceremony, but they decided to do it now. And they left out the appointed place thing - since they were already there. It seemed to make sense for them to have vows. Although it was T'Pol's idea that they add them. However, Tucker went with it since it seemed right. Perhaps it was the human way. And he had compromised a lot. So, it only seemed fair to add vows. Of course, that meant that they had to be in Vulcan and somewhat traditional. So, that's how they got to Trip stumbling over his vows. Vows that he insisted on having. From time to time, Trip had a habit of shooting himself in the foot. This whole embarrassing situation could have been avoided if he had simply listened to T'Pol. Gone with the vulcan way. Not the human way. But call him a hopeless romantic or whatever, he just couldn't let it go.
"T'Pol, parted from me and never parted. Never and always touching and touched. I bind thy self to thee." Tucker managed to get through somehow. His vulcan was even worse vulcan than the Captain's. Somehow, Hoshi managed to teach him that say those lines in vulcan.
If T'Pol was annoyed at his terrible vulcan, she did not show it. Instead, she replied in perfect vulcan. "Charles Tucker, parted from me and never parted. Never and always touching and touched. I bind thy self to thee."
The Captain picked up in vulcan. "As it was at the time of the beginning, so it is now. Thee are joined. May only death break thee apart."
With that, the ceremony was complete. They were officially husband and wife. It was not a hundred percent traditional, but it would do. They were joined in the eyes of Vulcan and Earth law. They were husband and wife.
Afterward, they had the reception. This was a very human tradition. Vulcans did not have wedding receptions. Just as they did not have honeymoons. Both of which Tucker insisted on. The honeymoon would wait until after the conference. But the reception was right away. It was held in the mess hall. Chef had gone out of his way to produce a wealth of human and vulcan food. All of it was vegetarian in honor of T'Pol. Somehow, at their last stop on Earth, Chef had managed to acquire a lot of vulcan fruits and vegetables. It was as if the man anticipated this wedding before it was announced. He must have been a mind reader since he didn't even know that she would accept the last time they were on Earth.
Honestly, Trip didn't know what to think about the vast majority of the vulcan food. He had no idea how to eat it. But like so many of his crewmates, he dived in anyway. Some of it was nasty. Most of it was plain and boring. So unlike southern food. Why vulcans insisted on taking the flavor out of food was beyond him.
The reception went on for hours. The crew entered the mess hall in shifts. The Captain had tried to make it so that everyone who wanted to attend the reception could. Even if it was a short time. It meant that Trip and T'Pol were stuck the entire time, listening to the well wishes of the crew. He hated wearing formal attire any longer than he had to. Now he was stuck in it for hours. It was frustrating, but he got through it.
Most of the conversations that they had were very boring and were forgotten right away. However, there were a few that were memorable. The first was between Hoshi, the Captain, T'Pol, and himself. Hoshi had come up to them to discuss the Captain's and Tucker's broken vulcan.
"I'm sure it wasn't that good." The Captain said.
"Yours was pretty good. You messed up on the verb T'hy'la. You put the wrong emphasis on the first syllable. So, it turned into shedding. Which doesn't make sense in that context."
Tucker laughed. "Comes without shedding. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense."
Hoshi looked at Tucker. "Your vulcan was far worse. Did you practice any of what I gave you?"
Everyone looked at Trip. "In my defense, I was not aware until the last minute that I was supposed to say anything. Somebody changed the plan." He looked at T'Pol. Who did not react. "Somebody insisted that we add those lines."
"It is traditional." T'Pol said flatly.
"Yes, before the ceremony. Aren't supposed to go to some appointed place or something."
"They do mention that. However, it did not make sense to say them as we were already at the meeting place. It was not logical to say that."
"You just wanted to add vows and make me stumble over them." Trip said half-jokingly.
T'Pol looked him straight in the eyes. "You do not need my help to look like a fool, Trip."
Everyone chuckled at his wife's joke at his expense. He really had rubbed off on her. A few years ago, she would have never done that. It was kind of hot. If she didn't have a bun in the oven, he would jump her bones that night.
Nothing is stopping you, He heard in his head. Phlox told me that it was completely safe to have sex while pregnant.
You asked Phlox about that?
Well, he is our Doctor.
A little time later, he was approached by Malcolm. "Can't believe that you got hitched to T'Pol."
"Why is that, Malcolm?"
"I'd figured that you would sooner kill each other than get married."
"I still might kill him yet." T'Pol said half-jokingly.
"As long as it is death by snu, snu I'm good." Tucker and Reed both laughed at that.
"Snu, Snu?" She asked, utterly confused.
Malcolm clarified for her. "Death by snu, snu means death by sex. It comes from an old Earth TV show."
"Of course it does." T'Pol almost rolled her eyes. "My husband does love the old television shows."
Finally, the other notable conversation was the one that they had with the doctor. He did not discuss the pregnancy, as that was not public knowledge as of that moment. Instead, he discussed marriage. The joys of it and its tribulations. He suggested that both T'Pol and Tucker should take additional husbands and wives.
"Vulcans' mate for life. They do not add 'additional partners' when the mood strikes them. It is against our nature." T'Pol patiently explained to him.
"That is a primitive way of looking at things." He insisted.
Trip shook his head. "Doc, I was raised not to fool around on my wife. Or fool around with someone else's wife."
"It seems that humans and vulcan finally agree on something." He half-joked. "What a pity."
Finally, after what seemed like forever, the party ended. They were able to go to their quarters. Which was nothing like what Tucker intended them to have. He wanted to create custom quarters for both of them. He never had time to do that. So, they made due by combining their stuff in her quarters. It was a tight fit, but I figured that would not be for very long. Soon, T'Pol would need to leave Enterprise because of the pregnancy. They could deal with a little closeness until then. It was kind of nice, being cooped up with her.
He didn't know how T'Pol was feeling after all those hours of loud and ruckus celebrations. So, he let her dictate what they did next. If she wanted him to just hold her, then he would be happy to do so. If she wanted more than he would do his best. It was all up to her.
T'Pol got herself cleaned up, then ordered him to do the same. She said that he stank. Which was not very sweet. Not that Tucker really cared. It was a hot room jammed full of people. All while being stuck in a stuffy outfit. One could forgive him for stinking. But not his lady. She wanted him clean. Oh well, he thought as he went into the shower.
About halfway through his shower, T'Pol joined him. Which surprised the heck out of him. She proceeded to touch him everywhere. He knew what she wanted. Snu, Snu. And honestly, Tucker was all for it. He had hoped that they would make love the first night that they were husband and wife. He was not going to turn her down. Although he wanted to do it outside of the shower. There just wasn't enough room here.
"T'Pol, not here." He begged. "Let's go to our bed. We can do it there. Please, I do not want to hurt the baby."
"You wouldn't hurt the baby here." She said in a sultry voice. It made his breath catch.
Still, he would have too much difficulty here. "Maybe, but this shower was designed for one person. And I need room to do this right."
"Fine," She gave in, slightly annoyed. "But you better make love with me now."
"Yes, ma'am."
That night, they went at it like rabbits. Eventually, he became too tired to be able to service her anymore. Which only served to frustrate T'Pol further. He had to force her to bed. Luckily, once she lay down, she went right to sleep. It seemed that she was more tired than she let on. It had been a long day after all. They both needed their sleep.
"I love you, T'Pol." Trip said before drifting off to sleep himself.
That's it for today! Thank you for reading and reviewing!