Rating: R
Genres: drama
Keywords: Romulans
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This story is number 1 in the series Five Year Mission
April 4, 2156 1905 hours – Enterprise mess, in orbit around Andoria (Procyon VIII)
T’Pol was seated at their usual table with her chair pushed back slightly and her legs crossed at the knee. She was reading off a PADD when she saw Trip enter the mess out of the corner of her eye. She watched surreptitiously as he gathered his meal and approached, looking a bit nervous in her opinion.
“Am I welcome at the table?” he asked.
She looked up at him. “Of course,” she said. Her mood had lightened considerably after he had stuck himself to the cargo bay wall. She had been perusing the Kir’Shara to see if Surak had any wisdom on revenge. So far she had only found recommendations against it. Perhaps it was only appropriate in very small doses.
He sat down. “Did I get all the vinegar off?”
She took a delicate sniff. “Acceptable.” She put the PADD down and scooted her chair in.
“I took three showers. Glad that worked.”
“Perhaps next time you will read the instructions before opening an alien container. That could have been dangerous.”
“You’re right, you’re right,” he nodded. “Cap’n says I was not being a gentleman last night and deserved whatever you did to me.”
“The Captain said I should refrain from killing you,” she replied.
“I’m sorry and I’ll be better.”
“It is forgotten.”
They ate for a while in silence. When they finished, Trip stood up and brought back two mugs of tea. He sat back down, took a deep breath and said “T’Pol, I think the reason I was acting up was, well, I want our relationship to go beyond ‘just friends’ again. Is that going to be possible?”
She looked into her mug for a long moment. “I’m not ready…yet,” she said.
“Yet,” repeated Trip.
“Yet.”
“Well, that’s a lot better than ‘no’. I can wait.” He gave her a smile but he didn’t look that relieved.
Her mind was whirring as she looked at him over her mug. Could she open up enough to have a relationship with him? Would he accept her or did he really want her to be more emotional, more human? What would happen to her if she unlocked some of her emotional boxes? Would they all flood out and overwhelm her? She thought a little about her reactions the last few weeks. Did she really have her emotions as locked away as she thought? She stared down into her mug.
After a couple of minutes Trip said, “So, what do you think about the power requirements on those shield generators?”
She looked at him over the top of her mug. “Trip?”
He blinked, then grinned. “Yes darlin’?” He hadn’t called her that in some time; perhaps not since the last time she had called him “Trip”.
“Don’t talk,” she said gently.
They sat there for a while, looking out the window at the blue and white expanse of Andoria rotating above the ship, just a little bubble of silence in the busy mess, content just to be together for a while.
I'm glad Trip apologized (although I thought his previous apology should have been sufficient) and told T'Pol how he was feeling. I was hoping he would get a better response from T'Pol but "not ready... yet" is better than "no". She seems to rely on Trip being extremely patient.
It is heartbreaking for me such a coldness. No, maybe the term is not well chosen, it would be better to say such a control from both Trip and T'Pol. But I can understand: it corresponds to the perception that you, Putaro, my friend, have of the relationship between Trip and T'Pol and of their characters. I am more "sanguineous".
However, it is extremely consoling that something seems to change, finally. Thank God!
Yet, indeed. Well, these two will get things figured out before the explosions happen and we kick into higher gear. I'll try to get the remainder of Part 1 posted a little more quickly.
Thanks for the comments!
Hope, it is a marvelous word that means so much. Trip has some hope now.
Its a wonderful thing. Thanks Putaro!
I enjoyed this chapter immensely. Not just because of the way you show my two favorite characters so charmingly - although that certainly helps - but because of the insight we have now into T'Pol's thoughts and concerns about the prospect of a relationship. And most especially, because of the implications of that little word, 'yet'.
What a great line to end the chapter on!