Rating: G
Genres: angst missing scene
Keywords:
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This story is number 14 in the series Missing Scenes from Season One
Spoilers: “Shadows of P’Jem.” And it will probably make little sense without it.
Author’s Note: I couldn’t imagine Trip actually coming out and saying much of anything directly to T’Pol here, so I’m breaking my rules again.
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.
She was being transferred? She was leaving?
Trip stood in the corridor and stared blankly at Archer’s retreating back.
“You heard about T’Pol?” Reed said, on the bridge.
Trip just nodded and went to his station. T’Pol wasn’t at hers. She was probably packing.
Why did he feel so sucker-punched? She was only supposed to be temporary to begin with. Not to mention she was Vulcan … and extremely irritating. He sighed sharply, involuntarily. His body was telling him he was upset, even as his brain wondered what the hell his problem was. He should be glad. He'd be first officer, now.
But he was busy enough as chief engineer. He didn’t even want to be the first officer anymore.
And he wasn’t glad. Not at all.
“Hoshi’s already planning a going-away party for later tonight, after they return from the planet,” Reed said. His expression was rueful.
Trip snorted. T’Pol would hate that. It would make her want to leave.
But maybe she did want to leave.
How could she just go? After all the effort she’d put into figuring out how to do this? After all the effort they’d put into figuring out how to get along with her?
“You know, I think I’m actually going to miss her,” Reed said. He sounded surprised.
“I’ll be down in Engineering,” Trip said. He didn’t want to talk about it.
When he walked into the mess hall on his way to the captain’s mess, T’Pol was sitting alone at a table. He was tempted to walk right by, but decided it would look too rude.
“So you’re leaving us,” he said.
“Yes.”
He stuck his tongue in his cheek. What to say? “I’m sorry to hear that.”
She just looked up at him with those big brown eyes, until Phlox approached.
“Well, I’ve got lunch with the cap’n,” Trip said with a tight smile, and left.
While Jon ranted on about the Vulcans and P’Jem and then went on to voice his immense frustration that T’Pol apparently intended to just roll over and play dead about it, Trip kept largely silent.
Really, it was just as well this was happening. Somehow he’d let her creep under his skin without even realizing it, even though she was his superior officer, a colleague, an alien. He was overtaken by another sharp, helpless sigh.
This was his wake-up call. He’d come dangerously close to letting himself get attached to a Vulcan. He should be glad this had happened before he’d managed to make a fool of himself somehow.
So he nodded understandingly at Jon and feigned a little outrage at the Vulcan High Command and tried to eat the tasteless food.
She was leaving.
Just let her go.
Ah, the heart knows what it wants, already. The body knew way back in decon. But the brain....well, it's too busy thinking.
Silly brain.
Thankully, it will eventually catch up....
Another great chapter, even if it was sad and (I thought, anyway) fraught with a sense of urgency and sadness - Trip's only just realising how their erlationship has altered and it could all come crashing down if she goes.
I liked that his reaction to the news had physical consequences. Sometimes you don't know what you have until you're about ready to lose it.
Great moment. Loved the joke about Hoshi's idea of a fare-well party and Trip thinking that this would T'Pol want to leave. Last lines are great: She is leaving. So let her go. Like the suggestion that Trip had come used to her and realised he is getting attached to her.
Ditto what the others have said - once again you amaze me at how precisely you have hit the nail right on the head! :D
I like this because there's only a real hint that his interest is romantic - he's only just accepting that he likes her and those feelings are mixed up with the fact that he's worked hard to get along with her. Good job!
That is so true. Even if they did film it, the shippers might be watching Connor and thinking, "Oooh, he's sad about it," and the non-shippers would be saying, "You're delusional!" (But I know what my shipper heart concluded when they showed Tucker just standing there staring after Archer in the corridor after he learned it.) :p
Great internal dialog with Trip. It would be hard to put this in a filmed scene; it works much better in fanfiction!
Ooo . . . perfect.
This line sums it up: "His body was telling him he was upset, even as his brain wondered what the hell his problem was."
Hmm . . .