A Vulcan Mother's Day

Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Paramount owns Enterprise.
Summary: In the E-squared universe, soon after the birth of Lorian, T'Pol spends some quality time with her new son.

A/N: This is a just a little piece I wrote for Mother's Day. It gave me a good excuse to be sentimental. (As if I need one!) No action here, folks. Just a little Mother/Child bonding. I'd like to thank JustTrip'n for her insight and for betaing this for me. Happy Mother's Day everyone!

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T'Pol peered around the corner and caught sight of two sleeping forms that lay on the sofa in the dimly lit living area of their quarters. She stepped quietly along the carpet and moved toward them, not wishing to disturb them, but desiring a closer look. Her legs brushed against the couch fabric and she stopped walking.

Trip was stretched out on the cushions, clad only in an informal white cotton shirt and his boxers. His hair was disheveled in a manner which she now knew to be conventional for him whenever he was in a relaxed state such as this. Though he was clearly not awake, his face still appeared to reveal exhaustion. Perhaps this period of rest would prove to be beneficial for him.

T'Pol's eyes moved down his body and focused on the small bundle that lay peacefully upon his chest. The Vulcan's protective maternal instincts immediately kicked in.

This position does not promote the safety of Lorian, she thought, with unrepressed concern and a twinge of annoyance.

She gazed down at the two for a long moment, fully prepared to remove the child from his father's grasp if she deemed it to be necessary. Any thoughts of a possible rescue attempt were suddenly interrupted by the cadent, almost soothing sounds of Trip's faint breathing. His gentle snoring permeated the silence of the night, offering the Vulcan an illogical source of comfort. The chief engineer's innocent vulnerability seemed to somehow calm her concerns. Adult humans were not that dissimilar from infants while asleep, she decided.

T'Pol's eyes remained focused on father and son. The artificial glow from a nearby nightlight offered enough subtle illumination to reveal their aesthetically pleasing features. All of her previous worries were swiftly replaced by the unmistakable sensation of serenity. Lorian lay on his father's chest, his tiny head turned to the side. Her husband's arms curled over the top of their baby, wrapping him in a secure embrace. She stood completely still and just absorbed the moment, almost wishing it would never end.

There was indeed something captivating about seeing Trip in this manner. Human males typically presented a stalwart exterior that apparently masked a softer, more tender aspect of their personalities. They only seemed to allow the closest of friends and family members to see this part of their true selves, almost as if it were a privilege. This seemed to be the case with Trip, anyway. For a species that was supposed to embrace their emotions, she found this behavior somewhat peculiar, but no less intriguing.

The baby opened his eyes and grimaced, interrupting T'Pol's contemplations. The peaceful silence was suddenly shattered by the ear piercing shrills of her infant son. Without hesitation, T'Pol reached down and scooped him up into her arms. She raised a brow at her still snoozing spouse. Trip hadn't even moved. How he could possibly not be awakened by such sounds? It was illogical.

T'Pol moved toward the bedroom with Lorian. She sat down in a large, wooden rocking chair by the window and held her squirming child up to the starlight, gazing into his pain-filled eyes. The baby's tiny face contorted as each lusty cry escaped from his lungs, an obvious reaction to some type of distress. She felt a twinge in the pit of her stomach and an instinctive need to ease his discomfort.

She moved the infant closer and gently placed him up against her chest. His tiny body relaxed beneath her touch. Lorian's wails of displeasure quickly softened, little by little, replaced then by the rhythmic inhalations and exhalations of his breathing. Even at this tender age, he had apparently begun to learn some methods of self-soothing.

T'Pol unbuttoned the top of her robe and moved the baby down to the opening. His tiny mouth immediately latched onto her breast and he began to nurse. She closed her eyes for a moment and listened to the soft suckling sounds of her son being nourished. It was an empowering feeling, even for a Vulcan. She gazed back down at him, moving her hand to his head, and ran a finger along his ear, gently tracing its pointed curves. T'Pol attempted to suppress an immediate sensation of pride, but found she was not completely successful.

The Vulcan placed a hand on top of the baby's head and softly petted him. His skin felt warm to the touch. He looked back up at her, still suckling. Mother and son gazed into each other's eyes. In this tranquil world, it felt almost as if no one else existed. She heard the distant sound of Trip snoring in the background. The noise served to remind her of her new family. Her family. She had to concede that the word had a logical and pleasant sound to it now.

When the baby had finished his evening meal, the new mother brought him back up to her shoulder. She moved her face over to Lorian's and pressed her cheek to his, leaning back in the chair. The two began gently swaying back and forth.

Lorian gurgled and cooed in response to the rocking. He was alert, but quiet now as he lay peacefully on her shoulder. T'Pol closed her eyes and allowed the presence of her son to soothe any simmering emotions. His skin felt soft, warm and new. Tufts of golden hair covered the top of his head. T'Pol placed her hand beneath the baby's palm and spread out his tiny fingers, then gently clasping his hand in hers. Lorian was indeed a perfect miniature version of a Vulcan-Human pairing.

T'Pol lifted the infant off her shoulder until his face was directly in front of hers. Her dark eyes fixed on his light eyes. Trip's eyes. For a long moment, she allowed herself to melt into the cool blue innocence. He didn't move, but only stared back at her, completely open and lacking fear. He blinked several times and cooed softly. T'Pol sensed his trust. She knew now that she had bonded with the child. For a brief moment in time, she and her baby seemed as one.

Out of the corner of her eye, T'Pol caught sight of a small, wooden object that lay on top of the bedroom dresser. She held Lorian securely in one arm and rose out of the chair, intending to obtain a closer view. As the Vulcan approached the dresser, she stared curiously at the decorated brown box before her. A card lay across the top that read, "Happy Mother's Day".

Mother's Day. A human celebration, T'Pol thought to herself, now recalling that Trip had made mention of the holiday only the day before.

T'Pol gazed back down at the box. Several multi-colored ribbons were neatly wrapped around it, secured at the center by a tight knot. She placed her finger beneath the string and released the adornment, setting it aside, and then moved her hand back to the smooth wood. It wasn't difficult to surmise that this object had been created by hand and was meant for her.

She placed a finger beneath the tiny clamp that secured the top wooden piece to the bottom wooden piece and slowly lifted it open. Her eyes widened. A figurine of what she presumed represented a mother holding her child began rotating in perfect circles. Its movements were accompanied by the soothing tinkles of a familiar melody.

It was a song she'd heard before. She'd learned that this was the type of music human mothers often played to their children in an attempt to provide the most suitable conditions conducive to sleep. She recalled the words.

"Hush-a-bye, don't you cry
Go to sleep-y, little baby..."

The lullaby echoed throughout the room, over and over again. T'Pol closed her eyes as the soft ballad played repeatedly in her ears.

She realized that the music would never stop playing to this eternal dance... the dance between mother and child...

The scent of her infant son permeated the air. She felt an immediate deep inner peace and serenity that she was quite certain she'd never before experienced at this level.

T'Pol placed her lips to Lorian's head and kissed him tenderly. Trip's gifts were indeed precious, she decided.