Would TnT have kept their relationship to themselves?

[pdsldl]

Someone has suggested I carry my 'What Does Our Future Hold?' story forward to see how things would go. I'm considering it but if I do I'd like to keep it as close to what would seem realistic as far as the rest of the crew and Starfleet goes. My biggest question is would they keep quiet about their relationship. The bond I'm convinced would remain private unless circumstances arose requiring that they divulge it. And also that the Vulcans or at least a good many of them would have problems with an inter-species bond. What do you think one way or the other and why? And do you think they'd keep the bond private?

[Aquarius]

Oooh! Good question.

I think the answer is yes--at least for a while.

The biggest reason: they've got plenty to figure out, without everyone throwing their loose change in. That, and Vulcans regard even the smallest things humans take for granted as private and intimate, and I can totally see Trip respecting that.

Once they were comfortable and secure in the situation for a while, I can see them maybe reaching a point where, while they're not exactly announcing it over the intercom, they don't go out of their way to hide what they're doing, either. You'll never see public displays of affection, but at the same time, they stop being concerned about things like what it looks like when they leave her quarters together at 6:30 AM to go have breakfast.

[Dinah]

I think they'd keep the bond to themselves, except of possibly a few key people like Archer and maybe Malcolm. With the anti-alien sentiments rampant on Earth, I don't think it would go over too well that a Vulcan had essentially taken over a Human's mind.

My guess would be that they would approach it slowly and carefully, probably on a need to know only basis at first. Enterprise is a pretty closed society, but even some people on the ship, people who have known both of them for years, might have some objections to them being together. There may be other "Masaros" in the crew. Public knowledge of their union would probably cost them any chance for privacy, and it might have a negative impact on Trip's family, even if he wasn't on Earth.

I could see them living quietly somewhere with only a handful of people privy to the fact that they were married. If Trip could handle the climate, they would probably settle on Vulcan. With members of Terra Prime still around, I'm not sure they'd be safe on Earth. Obscurity would probably be their friend.

If they decided to remain in Starfleet and Archer moved up the ladder, it's possible that one or both of them might be put in command of Enterprise of some other vessel. Their activities, especially if a war broke out and they went on to distinguish themselves, would probably be of at least passing interest to a lot of people. But I'm not sure that even a string of victories from them would soften some hearts enough to accept them as a couple.

[pdsldl]

I guess I don't see them hiding it (maybe the leaving for breakfast together might be later) but I'm not sure if they'd tell Archer. I know Trip and Archer were supposed to be friends but if it was against regs (which I'm still unsure whether it would be or not) which side would the Captain come down on? And also they're his two most senior officers, which means he relies on their input etc... and might he think as a couple their objectivity would be compromised? I can see Trip talking to Malcolm at some point and unfortunately we didn't see T'Pol form a close personal relationship with anyone other than Trip so there's no one I could see her discussing things with

[Transwarp]

Yes, a VERY good question. And no simple answers.

On a personal level, I see them wanting it out in the open, at least once THEY have both accepted that they're a couple and quit doing their on-again-off-again dance. Once they've accepted their relationship, they would embrace it without shame, and would not care who knows about it. I don't think they would let xenophobes like Terra Prime tell them how to live their lives. Yes, they would take sensible precautions, but they would refuse to hide in the shadows. I think that would be a matter of principle with them.

On an OFFICIAL level, they might very well have to hide their relationship. Starfleet, as does all armed forces, would have prohibitions against fraternization between officers and crew in the same chain of command. There are very good reasons for this. If my wife works for me, its very hard to avoid the appearance of favoritism, even if I am going out of my way to be impartial. In fact, even if there is NO favoritism, a disgruntled crewman can level the accusation that there WAS, and things get ugly fast.

As I see it, there are three ways around this:

One, Starfleet grants an exception to the couple. This was my approach. I had them argue that T'Pol needed to be billeted with her husband because she had to mate or die when she went through pon far. Assigning her to a different ship basically means she will have to mate with someone other than her husband, or she might die. I can see Starfleet making an exception in that case.

Two, Archer and the others on Enterprise turn a blind eye to it, out of friendship and loyalty. As long as Trip and T'Pol take pains not to be too obvious and not to let it affect the performance of their duties, this could work. (But note that they are still susceptible to accusations of favoritism from anyone who works for them.)

Three, Trip and T'Pol leave Enterprise so they can be together. Self-explanatory.

Of course, there is a fourth option, which is they try to hide the relationship, but I don't think that would be very realistic on a small ship like Enterprise. They would be found out sooner or later (probably sooner). In addition to violating regulations, they also have the problem of betraying the trust of their friends and fellow officers. Would two people with the highly developed senses of honor that Trip and T'Pol have take this road? Probably not.

Anyway, that's how I see it.

[Transwarp]

As for the bond, I don't see them advertising that--it's nobody else's business. They would only reveal it if they had to.

[Asso]

I like very much the level-headed, squared and logical reasonings of Transwarp. And I like even more the hint of passion which shines through his words.

[honeybee]

I dealt with this in the story Family Secrets, and what I have to say isn't much different from the consensus here.

I had them keeping their relationship/bond/marriage quiet but not outright lying about it. They intended to keep it more quiet that it was, but things happened and word eventually leaked. They intended to keep it quiet for all the reasons stated above, especially the negative reaction they would get from hard-line humans and Vulcans.

I did make it clear that they would be making no official announcement and their answer to press inquiries would be no comment.

They tell no one about the bond, but gradually people they work with find out. If they can communicate with each other over long distances, in a crisis, that's going to come up in the course of doing their jobs - just like it did in Bound. So, eventually Archer, Malcolm and Phlox and other people who would need to know, find out. They all keep it quiet, though.

Trip eventually tells his family, though they are told to keep it quiet. It's unclear how good a job they do. My guess is his family is talkative. So, rumors fly on Earth. I also had rumors flying on Vulcan.

But I do have the crew of the ship knowing eventually and them moving in together. The crew is told to keep it quiet, and out of loyalty (especially in the wake of Terra Prime) they do. But everyone on the ship knows they live together and are a couple, wearing rings and whatnot.

But, as for Transwarp's rightful assertion that a quasi military organization would have rules against relationships, I addressed that in the story, too. And I make it clear there are legal and diplomatic reasons of a Vulcan nature that make it necessary for Starfleet to not interfere with their relationship. I think I'm going to write a prequel to FS that more fully explains this - but anyone who reads the end of the story knows the basic gist.

SPOILER!!!:

Because of Pon Farr, Vulcan law is very strict about married couples being given physical access to one another, if they so choose. TnT invoked this law, which applies whether the couple is all Vulcan or not. They later invoke the law to save Ravel from rendition to Vulcan. When she marries Enme, the Vulcans have to back off. They're that sensitive about separating married couples.

In the end, I basically had their attempts to keep their relationship quiet thwarted for dramatic purposes but it became more of an open secret than public knowledge.

[Distracted]

If we're going to pay anything but passing attention to continuity then the bond cannot become public knowledge. In TOS the existence of betrothal bonds was news to both Kirk and McCoy. I would think that a ship's physician taking care of a crew with a Vulcan on it would have to know about both Ponfarr and bonding if anyone did. The fact that McCoy had no clue means at least that no one in Starfleet medical was aware of it. Of course, if you're using the new stuff as canon anything goes. They even have Orions in Starfleet.

Their relationship is another issue. That I think has some wiggle room. If they're discreet and no one really makes a fuss then nobody will remember who was in whose bed a hundred years later.

[Silverbullet]

I don't believe that a female vulcan experiences Pon Far so that would not be an issue. As far as the crew goes I think that loyalty to Trip would keep most of them from revealing anythng off the ship. There probablly would be a few who would not like it.

Big hang up would be Starfleet. Both Trip and T-Pol could threaten to resign if they were not allowed to keep thier relationship and remain on the same ship. Trip would have no problem getting hired by any Engineeeering firm on Earth so making aliving wold not be aproblem. think that Starfleet would not wnat ot lose two such talented Officers so it would relent but with the proviso that the relationship be kept secret as possible.

[honeybee]

Distracted, I agree with you that the bond would be pretty much unknown not only because of canon but because Vulcan's simply don't talk about these things. I do think that if TnT were serving on the ship eventually - Archer or Malcolm or someone would notice that TnT have a strange ability to communicate with each other over long distances - especially in a crisis. But these are professional people who know how to keep a secret and the Vulcans would want it kept. Therefore, information about the bond wouldn't go in official reports.

But it's also easy to believe that say, Section 31, has a dossier titled "Secret Vulcan Mojo We're Not Supposed to Know About".

[Silverbullet]

Honeybee, How is 31 going to complile a Dossier on the Bond unless Reed tells them? Doubt if anyone else on board would be connected to Section 31 exept Reed. Doubt if Reed would blab as he wants to cut all ties with Harris. So, where does the dossier on the bond come from?

Distance. When Trip and T-Pol were connected in her white room while one was on Enterprise and the other on Columbia, I belive the ships were about One light year apart. that is some Six Trillion miles. A Hell of a distance to connect two minds and would represent a very powerful Bond. Still cannot belve thtat T-POl did not recognize it as a bond. How else could she explain it. Unless she believed that she was dreaming. Then later whe she knew that bond existed she would rwemeber that they had been connected over that vast distance. Why didn't she tell trip that they shared such a powerful bond.

[Asso]

Honestly I have to say that for me this Bond is another strange source of weird complications.
Really I don't understand why poor Vulcans have always to be compressed into the chaines of their biological needs.
Pon Farr, Blood Fever, Bond...
Well, if Humans have instincts, Vulcans have surely lots of worst things.
Really a nature's nemesis for such a logical race.
Authors' fantasy doesn't seem to soar much aloft.

[honeybee]

Well, first of all, SB, Section 31 might not know for sure that TnT have a bond, but they've probably got people on Vulcan who are finding out about mojo. Spies have a way of getting information. My guess is they know about pon farr, melds and bonds - at least in the abstract. But it is in their interest that the Vulcans don't know they know.

And when something peculiar shows up in Reed's report - Section 31 analysts, not being stupid, might be able to put two and two together. In my story, Reed is again working with Section 31 because of the Romulan War - even though he feels a little shady about it, he feels it is necessary. He might not snitch about the bond, but in the story he certainly has to give Section 31 information because TnT are up to their eyeballs in Romulan intrigue.

[Silverbullet]

Reed in RU, he probably would not know about the bond but may be aware that Trip and T-Pol have a way of communicating over distance. The bond would be a bit farfetched for him. That is not something one comes across on Earth and vulcans are very closed mouthed about anything of that nature. Reed had told Harris he wanted nothing more to do with him or Section 31 again. That his loyalty was to Archer and the enterprise. so, I don't belive he would be reporting anything to 31. but he might fill Archer in on anything he felt wsa out of rthe ordinary.