|
"Cry Havoc"
By MissAnnThropic
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: None of its mine. I’m just a sad little fangirl that spends her days writing fanfic and watching taped episodes of my favorite shows. :(
Description: The evolution of Trip and T’Pol’s relationship following the events in ‘Harbinger’.
Chapter 27
Trip keyed open the door to his and T'Pol's temporary home north of San Francisco. Archer had bid them farewell at the ground floor while Trip and T'Pol were left to ride the turbolift to the third story without their captain escort. They were not, however, without a plethora of friendly faces. Enterprise crewmen crossed them in the corridors and called out a hearty welcome when they spotted the couple. More than once Trip and T'Pol were practically duty and honor-bound to stop and exchange pleasantries with their crew mates. It was not as thick with Enterprise personnel as the ship's corridors themselves or even Starfleet Academy had been; many individuals once released chose to go home with their families. Those that remained behind either were originally from the area, had family there, or had no other place to really go. It was enough familiar people, however, to lend an air comfort and ease to the two arriving with bags in tow. It was probably on purpose that most of the Enterprise crewmen were housed on the same floor. Trip and T'Pol passed half a dozen doors locked in an open position of welcome and trust and the sense of community was palpable.
When Trip finally located their room and commanded open the door he was much less nervous and tense that he had been earlier. When he and T'Pol had been en route to and from as well as at Jupiter Station the animosity toward them was minimal, but it was in those places Trip had expected the least trouble. The open streets of Earth, however, were a different story, and Trip had been braced for something catastrophic. They reached their assigned living quarters, however, and had earned little more than a couple of glowers from other building tenants and some passers-by on the street. On the whole, much less stressful and confrontational than Trip had honestly anticipated.
Trip stumbled into the apartment and dumped his bags on the floor as T'Pol followed him and shut the door after them. Trip started to let out a sigh of relief but stopped short when he looked up at the living room.
"T'Pol," he asked uncertainly after a moment surveying their surroundings, "ya sure we have the right apartment?"
Instead of a sterile, clean room that appeared uninhabited there were boxes, trinkets, and misplaced items resting on every flat surface, from the coffee table to the couch cushions.
Trip and T'Pol looked in bewilderment at one another then Trip took a step further into the apartment as he called out, "Hello? Is there anybody here?"
There was no answer, but when Trip was closer to one of the boxes he noticed a PADD placed atop it. Trip, curious and confused, went to the PADD and picked it up. There was a frozen personal letter on the screen and instantly Trip's consternated expression gave way to amusement.
"Hey, T'Pol, listen to this: Dear Trip and T'Pol Tucker, Captain Archer told us all what Starfleet Command and the Vulcan High Command decided in regards to the status of your relationship. Please accept all of our condolences that you can't announce your marriage openly and also accept our congratulations on your union. In that spirit please accept these wedding gifts from the crew. Sincerely, Malcolm."
Trip chuckled. "Dad had somethin' to do with that," he commented of the salutation as he looked around the room full of things. Most, upon closer inspection, were little things. Nothing as fancy as a china set or anything, but this was far more about the gesture than the material goods.
A subtlety, it seemed, that T'Pol did not readily comprehend. "Trip," she asked, her face slightly twisted in a state of confusion as she studied one of the 'wedding gifts', "why would we require a juicer?"
Trip laughed and put down the PADD. "We don't. All this is just the crew's way a sayin' that they intend ta see us and treat us as husband and wife even if Starfleet and the Vulcan High Command won't allow them to do it publicly."
T'Pol slowly dissected that notion and after a long pause she seemed to accept it with Vulcan grace. She looked around the room at the array of offerings then turned her attention to Trip. She watched him quietly a moment and Trip could sense a serious discussion coming seconds before she spoke.
"I am curious why you failed to accept the captain's suggestion at the transport station. What reservations do you have about Captain Archer wanting you to become the ship's first officer in place of me?"
Trip, jovial mood skewered, sighed. "I'm just not sure that's the direction I want to go, the kind of commitment I want to make." Trip cant his head and turned the tables. "What about you? You've had some time to think it over. Ya gonna take that teachin' job on Vulcan?"
T'Pol was nonplussed by the shift in topic but did wait a beat before answering. "Yes, I have decided to accept the position." T'Pol studied him closely as she asked, "Would that course of action be objectionable to you?"
"To me? No. If that's what you want to do I'm okay with it." Trip's mood soured and his expression darkened gloomily. "If you're teachin' on Vulcan and I'm back on Enterprise there's gonna be long stretches of time when we don't see each other."
T'Pol's heavy silence was testament to the fact she had already thought of that particular detail and didn't seem to relish it, either. "That is correct. I find it as unwelcome an eventuality as you, but there is nothing to be done."
Trip shoved aside one of the boxes on the coffee table to sit on its edge, elbows braced on his knees. His hands moved and rubbed together a little anxiously and his brow furrowed. "I've been mullin' that over, and I don't like the idea of not seein' you for months at a time."
Privately, T'Pol was just as troubled as he. "Nor do I wish you away from me for so long, but as I have said before there is nothing to be done."
"Well, maybe."
T'Pol caught something in his tone and in the emotions emanating from him and she lifted a single eyebrow in question. "Trip?"
Trip looked up at T'Pol, his expression stony and sincere, and he said, "I was thinkin' I might resign my commission with Starfleet."
T'Pol's eyes almost widened and she blinked. He was serious, she knew that much from the multiple avenues of reading Trip Tucker open to her.
"You wish to resign from Starfleet to be with me," she stated flatly.
"Yeah..." Trip glanced at her. "Is that okay with you?"
T'Pol hesitated and he gave her a moment. Finally she had a suitably honest and tactful answer. "I would favor any course of action that secured your presence with me, but I could not ask nor expect you to give up a job that you love for my sake."
"Well, maybe I love you more."
T'Pol took another three seconds to formulate her response. "You are a brilliant engineer, Trip. Even Vulcan High Command acknowledges this fact for it is undeniable. You cannot deny that you find great satisfaction in your profession. Your appointment as chief engineer aboard Enterprise was one of the pivotal moments in your life. I know this. If you chose this path I could not tolerate seeing you grow resentful toward me for taking you from the work you treasure."
Trip stood again to meet her more eye to eye. "T'Pol, look..." He stopped as he searched for words, huffed out a breath in frustration, then he walked across the room to stand directly in front of her. His voice was almost a whisper when he said, "You're right. I do love engineerin', I love what I do, but I mean it when I say that I love you more than all that. I would rather give up Starfleet and be with you than try to have both and end up spendin' months apart from you in the process. That's not worth it. I know there are a lot of people on Enterprise who had spouses back home and it worked for them, but I can't do that. I don't want to put you through that, and frankly I don't want to put myself through that. And if I'm such a brilliant engineer I'll find a way to work in the field some other way. Free-lancin', consultant position... I'm not sure on that part yet but people always need engineers."
T'Pol stood wordlessly before her bondmate a time before she asked, "Is this what you want, Trip?"
Trip smirked and he brought up a hand to brush his fingers against her face. "If you wanted to get technical, THIS is what I want, but if you mean goin' about havin' you by resignin'...? Yeah, it's what I want." He stilled his hand and rested his palm lightly against her cheek.
T'Pol's lips flickered at the corners in a fleeting tug toward a smile but she would not be swayed from discussing the matter. "Captain Archer will be displeased."
"Yeah, but you let me take care of Jonathan. I have a feelin' he'll understand why I'm doin' this. He might not like it, but he'll understand."
T'Pol barely tilted her head down and into Trip's hand. She indulged in one slow blink, indulged in one second immersed in his presence within her thoughts, before turning her eyes back to his. Trip's eyes had been roving over her face in the lag in conversation and he had to bring his gaze back to hers when she looked at him. There was a smile just underneath the surface of his control, the emotions that instigated one evident in his link to her. While his lips had yet to surrender, his eyes were smiling.
"I would in all likelihood have to live on Vulcan in taking this teaching position. An at best weekly commute to Vulcan from Earth would be impractical."
"I kinda figured that. I'm not opposed to relocatin'. Hell, might do me good to live on an alien planet for a while, broaden my horizons a little. Besides, it'd give me a chance to understand your culture better."
Just like that, sealed with an unspoken and intimate meeting of two minds, it was decided. No regret, no shame.
*****
The following day Captain Archer sat in his temporary office at Starfleet Headquarters going over so many requests for public appearances of various Enterprise crewmen he was overwhelmed by the stack. He was wearing civilian clothes. The Starfleet wardrobe staff person had presented him with new HQ casual clothes in the new Starfleet style, complete with spade-shaped insignia on the left breast, but there had been something about the unfamiliar attire Archer still didn't like and so in silent protest he'd opted for civvies instead. He figured he had only two more days maximum that he could get away with it, but Admiral Forrest so far had looked the other way. They both knew as soon as the admiral made an issue the captain would cave, so it was not really a problem so much as an impotent, already decided battle of wills.
Porthos was standing near the desk looking impatiently at his master. His tail wagged every time Archer shifted in his seat only to stop when the human continued to refuse to rise. On Enterprise the picture of perfect canine behavior, Porthos was nothing short of antsy now that they were back home. The slightest hint of the smell of grass in the air and Porthos wanted to go outside. The captain figured he couldn't blame his little friend; he'd cooped the dog up on a starship for months without the animal getting cranky. Porthos was to be commended, and Archer looked over at his dog. Porthos's ears perked up and his tail tentatively started going again.
"Let me finish looking over five more of these, then we'll go outside and play," Archer bargained with his pet.
Porthos let out a small whine but did nothing more drastic than look three-fold bereft and sad.
Archer smiled. "Okay, three, then we go."
The beagle cocked his head.
Archer chuckled, shaking his head, and looked back down at the PADD in his hand.
He didn't get to read any of it before the door summon chimed.
"Come in," Archer called as he set the PADD down. Porthos looked to the door and for a short time seemed to forget his silent objective to get his human to cooperate.
Trip stepped into the room with PADD in hand, dressed in civilian clothes of his own. 'Yep,' Archer thought a little dejectedly, 'Forrest won't allow this to go on much longer. We look like a pack of vacationers.'
"You busy, Cap'n?"
"No," Archer automatically responded, then looked down at his disheveled desk full of PADDs and amended, "well, not anything I wouldn't mind putting off for the time being. Come on in. What can I do for you?"
Trip came in, gave the dog suddenly at his feet a pat, then said, "I was hopin' I could talk to you about that thing ya mentioned yesterday?"
Archer straightened in his chair. "Of course. I hope you've given it some thought. I could really use you, Trip."
Trip took it upon himself to sit down in the chair across from Archer. He rested the PADD in his lap and looked up at his friend. After a moment he said in measured words, "I have given it some thought."
Archer immediately took note of the cautious tone in Trip's voice and it made him suspicious and a little concerned. He thought he knew the source of Trip's anxiety concerning the promotion. "You'd still get to stay in engineering if I made you my second in command. You'd function as my first officer but I wouldn't think of taking you out of the engine room." Archer smirked. "That's where I need you most."
Trip didn't say anything. He sat there quietly and looked reluctant and torn.
"Trip?"
"I'd like to tender my resignation from Starfleet."
Archer's mouth hung open and he stared, unblinking, at Trip for what must have been four solid seconds. When he regathered his startled wits he frowned. "You what?"
Trip passed over to Archer the PADD he'd brought with him. Archer, dumbstruck, took it and looked down at the small screen. It was a drafted version of Trip's resignation.
"I... wha... why?" Archer stammered.
Trip winced, not because he looked particularly downtrodden about wanting to leave Starfleet, but he obviously felt like he was cut and running on his old friend. Archer's wounded and stunned expression didn't help alleviate the commander's guilt any.
"Trip, if there's a problem we can work it out. I can find another first officer and let you stay just the chief engineer if that's what's bothering you. I'd rather do that than lose you from the crew."
"It's got nothin' to do with that."
"Then why on earth would you want to resign?"
Trip smiled faintly there. "Interestin' choice of words."
Archer thought about that and the answer followed quite logically. "T'Pol."
Trip nodded.
Archer set the PADD down on his desk. "Trip..." Archer started, still thrown and it showed in the initial halting of his voice, "Starfleet is not going to punish you for being with her, you know that. Forrest wasn't giving you lip service to give you a chance to resign with dignity to spare the organization the bad publicity of tossing out a hero. Now that everything's been sorted out with the Vulcans, the admiralty really is fine with your relationship with T'Pol. Believe me, I've spoken in depth with the admiral on the matter. Frankly, they don't want to lose you any more than I do. This isn't necessary if you got the idea somehow that a formal resignation was expected of you."
Trip shook his head. "No, I believe they'd let me stay... but I still want out, anyway."
"Why?"
"Because I want to be able ta spend more time with T'Pol."
Archer was quiet a long time, pensive. Porthos, as though sensing the colossal attitude shift in the room, retreated to his allotted corner of the office and stayed well clear of the two occupants.
"I know that deep space missions demand a lot of sacrifices of couples," Archer said at last, "and I don't deny the separations can be lengthy, but it can be done and marr–unions do survive it."
"I know, and I don't want to sound petulant, Cap'n–Jon, but it's different with me and T'Pol. Because of this Vulcan bond we have it's literally uncomfortable to be separated for too long, more uncomfortable than it is for human couples."
"But Vulcans do it all the time," Archer pointed out. "I've heard of Vulcan spouses being apart for years at a time."
"And with first-hand experience I don't know how they do it. Those mental disciplines must be somethin' to handle that kind of discomfort. And honestly if I had to I could probably deal with it, too."
"Then why are you resigning?"
"I could deal with it, but I don't want to. I want to be able to see T'Pol on a daily basis. I want to live with her. I want to be able to sleep next to her every night. Just leavin' her behind to go back to Enterprise wouldn't feel right."
Archer felt his best officer slipping through his fingers. "I can't argue against that, Trip. I know as well as you do how infrequently you'd see T'Pol when Enterprise ships out if you were still aboard. I can't blame you for wanting to be with your–with her, either." Archer went quiet for a minute, deep in thought. "Admiral Forrest mentioned to me earlier that the board was sketching out a proposal to make the standard deep-space tour of duty five years. Would you be willing to serve out the rest of that time on Enterprise? It would give you a chance to train someone on your staff to replace you."
Trip frowned. "There's not a one of my people that I wouldn't recommend right now for my old job, Jon, and to tell ya the truth... what you said has me worried. I'd rather get my resignation in now before Starfleet Command ratifies that proposal so I wouldn't be locked into finishing out the five-year minimum."
"Is there any way I could talk you out of this?" Archer asked.
Trip sighed. "There are probably a few ways you could sway me, but I'd really rather you didn't."
"I know T'Pol didn't ask you to do this." Archer knew his former first officer too well to think she would ask Trip to give up his career.
"No, she didn't, and at first she tried to talk me outta it, but I brought her around."
"Well, I'm afraid you've yet to win me on this."
Trip and Archer sat silently a moment, each sizing up the other to get an idea of the air between them. Trip broke the stalemate first. "I knew you wouldn't approve of this... not at first. I'm sorry to just drop this on you, but I have thought about this and I think it's the best for both T'Pol and me. For one, the Xindi are gone. They're not an issue or a threat anymore and for a long time they were a big part of the reason I stayed on Enterprise after I'd lost my sister. And I can't discount what T'Pol's been through. She's given up everything for me and how can I do any less?"
"You could still postpone a couple years," Archer appealed solemnly, sensing he'd already lost the battle.
Trip shook his head, as Archer had expected he would. "I don't just mean she's given up her place on Enterprise or any chance of a position with Starfleet... I mean she's given me fifty, maybe sixty years if I'm lucky, of her life." Trip paused meaningfully. "Fifty or sixty. To a Vulcan that's so little." Trip looked into his friend's eyes and Archer was taken off guard by the intense emotion in the commander's gaze. "T'Pol will live so much longer than I will, Jon. Even if I live to a ripe old age I'm gonna die when she's just reachin' middle age. Doin' my best to be there for her I'm still gonna end up leavin' her. Knowin' that, how can I not give her everything of me now? I don't want to be on my death bed lookin' up at her, barely aged a day, and regret all the months I was on a mission when I could have been with her. That wouldn't be fair to her."
Archer was deathly quiet. There was no come-back for that. None. The captain looked down sadly at the resignation on his desk. He stared at it a long moment in absolute silence as he came to terms with the fact he would be heading back out into space without his usual chief engineer and best friend.
Finally Archer looked back up at Trip. "It's going to be a shame to lose you, Trip."
Trip, seeing the acceptance come over Archer's face, relaxed slightly and nodded. "I'm gonna miss it... but I think this is the right thing to do."
Archer had little recourse in the end but to agree. "I'll expect you both to keep in touch."
Trip smiled. "We'll make it a point."
"Then I'll go over this," Archer picked up Trip's PADD, "and present it to Admiral Forrest by the end of the day."
"Thank you, Jon."
Archer nodded as he set the PADD down again. "They're going to object, too, of course, but I'll make sure they know you're adamant."
Trip nodded then stopped and began to frown. "Ah... you mind leavin' out the part about me keelin' over and makin' T'Pol an early widow? That's none of their damn business."
"Don't worry, I won't say a word."
Trip nodded gratefully then rose from his seat and turned toward the door. Before leaving he stopped to glance back at his friend and say, "Taylor."
"Excuse me?"
Trip smiled. "For chief engineer. I'd recommend Taylor. She's top-notch, one of my best, and really comin' into her own. A little more seasonin' and she'll make a hell of a chief engineer."
Archer nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."
Trip put off leaving a few more seconds to say, "It was an honor to serve with you, Cap'n."
"You too, Trip. I hate to see you go, but I can't imagine having gone through our first years in deep space without you."
Trip smiled in agreement and camaraderie then left as quietly as he'd come.
Once alone, Archer sat back in his chair and looked down at the PADD before him touting Trip's resignation. He would have to take this up immediately with Admiral Forrest. The admiralty certainly would not be happy to learn they were going to be losing one of the academy and Starfleet's best engineers. They'd probably ask him to reconsider even after Archer told them in no uncertain terms that Trip was done. Or at least some of them would. Some would see this as a reprieve, like having a problem that had been unduly handed them taken out of their lap. Those detractors would work in Trip's favor, encouraging those Trip Tucker proponents in Starfleet to let the commander go.
Archer let out a sigh and pushed his chair back from his desk. Porthos, from his quiet corner, looked up expectantly. The somber mood of his master was reflected in the canine's suddenly tentative manner.
"Come on, boy," Archer beckoned as he stood, "let's go for a walk."
Porthos, despite himself, started to wag his tail and trotted merrily around his owner's feet as Archer collected the dog's collar and leash. Archer tethered his animal then, before leaving his office, slipped Trip's PADD into his breast pocket. He'd stop by to see Forrest after his outing with Porthos.
*****
The Enterprise was gleaming, almost as beautifully as the day she'd been commissioned. Two and a half months to get her back to tip-top shape, even a little better off than her original condition, but the ship was ready to once again push into the boundaries of Earth's celestial experiences. Captain Archer felt as renewed and invigorated as his ship. The first time he'd stepped back on to the bridge after the crew's long hiatus for Jupiter Station to work its magic had been like coming home. The sounds of the consoles and air ventilation systems couldn't literally celebrate his return or welcome him happily, but Archer felt like the ship rejoiced in his homecoming all the same.
The bridge was fully manned, each post awaiting the docking station's order to cast off the moors and head out and resume the mission the Enterprise was originally designed to fulfill. In their eyes, as in the eyes of all the Enterprise crew Archer had crossed paths with in the last four days, was once more the glitter of excitement, the compulsion to explore. Old crewmen from the Xindi times and new recruits alike were aglow.
Archer looked around his bridge. Ensign Mayweather at his chief pilot's station, body taut and ready for the word that would give him once more command of this glorious steed's head. Lieutenant Commander Malcolm Reed, recently promoted, was anxious but demurely patient at the tactical station. Ensign Baird, now the chief communications officer, was sitting at the communications console listening intently for the all-important communication from Jupiter Station's commander. Archer was even starting to get used to the new uniforms all of his crew were wearing. Certainly today, of all days, it could not bring his mood down.
Archer cast a glance at the science officer's post. A new Vulcan face, this time male instead of female, a young Vulcan by the name of Sitok. Archer knew very little about him; the captain had met him only a day ago when the Vulcan was officially assigned to Enterprise as the Vulcan High Command representative. The Vulcans hadn't 'caught on' enough to think Archer and his people might benefit from a few days to 'get to know' the new individual. Archer let it drop, didn't even bother to lodge a complaint with Starfleet or the Vulcan High Command. The Enterprise crew had gotten to know T'Pol after-the-fact and Archer was confident they could do it again. Already Archer had a good feeling about this new Vulcan advisor. When he'd first been introduced by Soval to the new acting science officer, Sitok was at the Earth transfer station with his family. Archer had watched Sitok say farewell (with proper Vulcan discretion and comportment) to his wife, T'Per, and his daughter, T'Pau. Odd as it may have sounded, seeing Sitok with his Vulcan family humanized him. It would surely help smooth the Vulcan's introduction to the crew.
Archer smiled faintly to himself. Trip and T'Pol had been at the transfer station to see their former captain off, as well. The mental image would stick with him for a few light years. Trip had somehow talked T'Pol into wearing human civilian clothing as opposed to one of her one-piece suits or Vulcan robes. They'd almost looked like a normal couple standing shoulder to shoulder in street clothes. And they'd both looked happy. Trip had practically been beaming. Archer had to think a long way back to remember when Trip had looked as content as he had at the transfer station. In the months since he resigned his commission a lot of big personal changes had come to pass for the ex-commander. He'd truly made his peace with Elizabeth's death, he'd finally reconciled his feelings regarding the Xindi, and (a factor which probably greatly influenced the other changes in his life) he'd been living with T'Pol for months like an actual (if not official) married couple. Married life seemed to agree with him. T'Pol, of course, was not so overt, but Archer knew his former science officer well enough to notice the light behind her eyes and the just barely lingering looks she'd spare her mate.
"Jupiter Station, sir," Baird's voice broke into his thoughts.
Archer nodded and at once the bridge was filled with the space station commander's voice. "Captain Archer, you have a go. Safe voyage, Enterprise."
"Thank you," Archer responded, then he glanced down at Mayweather. "You heard him, Travis. Take us out."
"Aye, sir," Mayweather replied readily and his hands were in motion bringing the ship's propulsion to life. She answered and soon the Enterprise was gliding regally out of dock and nosing toward space.
Archer sat down in his chair in the center of the bridge and watched the vista of stars slowly shift and dance as the ship maneuvered. So long posing as something he never felt right being, a commander in a front-line battle, Archer was at last doing what he thought he was meant to do. He allowed a smile when he noticed the distinct sensation of joy knowing he was once again what he was meant to be, what he'd always wanted to be. A starship captain, exploring the galaxy, meeting new alien species, going where no human had gone before.
Once clear of the station and any planetary body gravity wells, the Enterprise went into warp in energetic agreement with her captain.
Back to Chapter 26
Continue to Chapter 28
|
