Sparks: Missing Scenes from Home

Comment: That's an expanded version of my entry to the July 2010 Word Prompt.

Disclaimer: Star Trek names, features and borrowed dialogues are property of CBS/Paramount, all rights reserved. No claims.

Acknowledgements: I need deeply to thank Opal for doing the beta-reading, correcting my (many) mistakes and suggesting some new ideas on how to follow the story. 

Enterprise was already inside the Orbital Space Docks where extensive repairs needed to be carried out. The crew were preparing to leave the ship so that the work could commence: a few days would be required to disable main operations and transport all of the personnel to Earth. Everyone on the ship was busy packing their belongings and downloading their personal information from the computer core to their own PADDs. After their temporary return home, the crew expected to be away from Enterprise for at least two months.

The senior officers had returned from Starfleet command, after the ceremony welcoming them as heroes and having had their first debriefing with regard to Xindi mission.  Captain Archer had invited all of them to dinner in his private dining room, and the Chief had been happy to prepare a special Earth menu to commemorate the end of the Xindi menace and the safe return home of Enterprise. 

Trip and T'Pol were walking together to her quarters. - "T'Pol," he said, "after we have cleared debriefing, would you like to spend some of your shore leave visiting Australia's Great Reef Barrier? The native aquatic wildlife in the coral reef is astonishing. If you wish, I can teach you to scuba dive. I've already taught Captain Archer." 

"I do not know if scuba diving would be an appropriate pastime for a Vulcan. I have never considered it before."

"Come on, give it a try! It is not so different from wearing an EV suit. It is late summer in that hemisphere and the waters are warm. I could obtain an insulating vest for you, if you feel water temperature still cold for a Vulcan. I am sure you will appreciate the experience afterwards!"

"I will think about your offer. However first I need check the transport schedule to Vulcan; I wish to visit my mother."

They had arrived at her quarters. 

"Come in," she said, "there is time for a neuropressure session before we have to leave Enterprise."

As soon as they were ready T'Pol started working on Trip's nerve points and he relaxed and breathed accordingly. She covered all of the positions she had been working on with him since their first sessions. When she had finished, he turned over to return the favour.

T'Pol relaxed as Trip went to work; she noticed that his touch was especially tender and he was applying the correct pressure required for all of the postures. She remained quiet as she practiced her breathing techniques, waiting until he was finished before addressing him:

"Fascinating... you have completed all of the positions with satisfactory skill. I do not need to give you any further instruction."

With a provocative smile on his lips, Trip remarked, "I'm glad that your logical mind has recognized that my skills have improved sufficiently to meet with your approval. Can I therefore resume my neuropressure sessions with Corporal Cole? Or if I was to schedule a session with her would that make you jealous?" 

T'Pol turned to face him and arched an eyebrow. Her face was stern as she looked seriously at him and her eyes flashed with sparks of cold brown light.

"Commander Tucker, it appears that I need to insist that you stay far away from Corporal Cole in order to ensure that you do not become tempted by her... what about your intention to visit the Coral Reef, which would mean that the two of you would be one hemisphere apart?

"Damn you Vulcan, can't you forget about her?"

Must I remind you that it was you that first mentioned Corporal Cole?  However, I find I can allow myself the indulgence of forgetfulness." She then approached and kissed him.

Trip had returned to her quarters after finishing his shift. She had already told him that the visit to Australia would need to be postponed until after she had visited Vulcan. She couldn't miss the transport that was due to leave the next day as there would not be another opportunity for three weeks. He had then told her that he did not have anywhere else to go.

She could perceive that he was unsettled by the situation, although she couldn't understand why he didn't want to visit his parents. After the loss of Lizzie and the long, dreadful Xindi mission, she had expected him to seek some comfort from his family. She wondered if he was still suffering because of Lizzie's death and that seeing his parents and brothers would cause his pain to surface again. T'Pol thought that he might like more time away from Earth.

She considered asking him to come with her to Vulcan, thinking that it would be agreeable. Spending some days in a transport, without being known to the people around them appeared to be an interesting proposition. Sightseeing on Vulcan might distract him from his pain. And he would gain a direct impression of her home world and Vulcan society. 

"You could come with me."

"To Vulcan?"

He didn't seem displeased by the suggestion. In fact, she perceived that he had some interest in her invitation. It also came to her mind that Trip's presence would help her to improve her emotional control, particularly when she had to be near her mother. Even though she had managed to suppress her feelings with more success since quitting Trellium-D, his presence really helped her. She decided to push him to make a decision.

"The transport leaves at eleven hundred hours."

"Where would I stay?"

There were lodgings for alien guests in the capital but that would mean him staying alone in a completely Vulcan environment and apart from her. As a Starfleet officer he might even find lodgings in the compound around Earth's embassy. Her mother's house was on the outskirts of the capital and it would take some time to reach from the city center. Almost instinctively she offered him the chance to remain close to her.

"There's a guest room in my mother's home."

"Oh, your mom's house, huh? What does she know about me? About us?"

That was an unexpected question. "What he does think about my relationship with my mother? Does he believe that I give her reports of all my activities, including those pertaining to my sexual life? I'm an adult woman; I don't need to ask my mother's permission with regard to the people I chose to be intimate with." Was he perhaps afraid of being confronted by a Vulcan mother, after having had sex with her daughter? She decided to give him a logical and truthful answer.

"I've never mentioned you."

"So, you'd introduce me as ..."

"Commander Charles Tucker the third. You've told the Captain that you don't get to see as many alien cultures as you'd like. You've never been to Vulcan."

"1100 hours? I'd better start packing."

After he left, T'Pol considered what she had done. Bringing a colleague to spend a weekend or a few days at someone's home was an acceptable Vulcan practice. However, she had never invited one of her friends or colleagues to stay at her mother's house. 

 "What will mother think about us?" - She wondered if her mother would suspect that there was a relationship between them - she really had not told her mother anything about him. So how would her mother react if she discovered that her daughter had taken a human as a lover? Having a lover was not unknown, but hardly common in Vulcan society; never mind a lover from another species. "She is driven by the Vulcan tradition, she will not understand that humans can choose to have sex purely for pleasure and then she will certainly regret my involvement with him." 

"I will have to cope with mother when the situation arrives, I have already invited Trip and booked the extra place on the transport, there is no way to back out of this arrangement."

T'Pol stood up and walked around the room. She was sure Koss would appear tomorrow to discuss their broken betrothal; his letter had been clear about his intentions. 

She didn't understand why Koss and his family were still pressing for their marriage, after she had already refused, three years ago, to return Vulcan for the ceremony. Considering the high rank of Koss's father at the Ministry, she had expected that they would cancel the betrothal. Koss was handsome, had a rewarding career as an architect and his family had influence in the government; she was sure another more suitable match could have been agreed. 

She didn't know what she could say to him. "Am I ashamed and guilty because I had sex with a Human? Is that the reason I don't want to meet with Koss? Have I been contaminated by the Human way of being free to choose their partners, is that why I don't want to be subjected to our engagement tradition? Could it be that I don't wish to be permanently bound to one person, so that I can remain free to explore other places and cultures?"

The situation was less troublesome with her present lover. As both of them were Starfleet officers and assigned to the same vessel. They were able to do their jobs during the hours they were on duty and free to share each others company and desires when not on assignment. 

There was also the question of her mother's retirement. She still couldn't accept that T'Les had voluntarily left her position at the Academy. Her mother had always been proud of her work and had achieved considerable recognition among her peers. T'Les could have a productive academic career for at least another fifty or sixty years, why resign in order to stay at home? That was not the Vulcan way. She had tried to delve deeper into the matter with her mother that evening but they started to argue and the matter was not resolved. Finally, T'Les had gone to meditate, and she had been left alone with her own thoughts.  

T'Pol tried to restrain her anxiety but she couldn't meditate or rest. So she slipped out of her room and opened the door to the guest room.

 "May I?" - She whispered. 

"Come in." - Trip answered in soft voice - "I thought you'd already retired to meditate."

 "Mother and I have argued again, family matters. I find that I am not yet ready to meditate. I am worried about why she resigned from the Academy."

"Maybe she only wants to have more time to herself."

"Mother is not old; it is too early for her to consider retiring. Her life will be empty and useless without her duties at the Academy. Vulcan society rewards merit and she will not be in a position to gain recognition again."

"Would you like me to talk to her about this subject?"

"No, I must try again. Maybe tomorrow we will both be in a better mood."

She stood still for a few moments. She remembered that Trip, almost three years ago, had advised her to do what she wanted when Koss' family had wanted her to return to Vulcan to be married. Now there were other factors to weigh; her wish to follow Starfleet, the soft attraction which had developed between Trip and her, and of course her mother's situation. 

Trip noticed that she was deep in thought.

"T'Pol, this matter is really worrying you! Are you sure that I can't help in anyway?"

"Thank you, but I do not consider that there is anything you can do to help at this point. Though I would appreciate a little distraction; to keep me from having to think about it."

She moved closer and gave him a gentle kiss on his mouth. He was happily surprised but still chose to caution her - "If you have not told her about us, your Mom's home might not be the best place for us to have an intimate moment!"

"There is no need for concern, Vulcan houses are well soundproofed and my mother has already retired for the night." 

She then stripped off her robes and approached him. - "Let's have some intimacy; I would really appreciate a chance to explore human sexuality tonight." 

He smiled - "If you put it in those terms, it would appear that this lab rat cannot refuse the stimulus ..."

T'Pol held back briefly as she asked, "Trip, do you remember the Khavorta posture pressure points?"

"Sure I do, but do you really want start a neuropressure session just now?"

"No, but the Khavorta is often used to help a Vulcan, who has difficulty in suppressing their emotions. However, you will have to press slightly harder than I showed you previously."

"Wait, wait, I don't understand. You don't want neuropressure, but you are giving me instructions on how to do a particular posture?"

"I don't want it now, but I might need it later!"

"Huh?"

"I will allow my emotions to come to the surface during our relations tonight. I want to sense it almost as you Humans do. However, I don't know if I will have difficulty regaining control afterwards. My mother always says that my emotions are too close to the surface. You remember, after the Seleya incident, how badly I responded to being overwhelmed by strong emotions. If that happens tonight, you can help me by applying the harder Khavorta. You will need to have self-control, and don't hesitate to press as hard as you can, you will not hurt me!"

 "T'Pol, you're frightening me!"

"Trip! Please, don't hesitate. I will be fine."

"If you're sure, it's OK with me. I would do anything to help you; to make sure you feel comfortable expressing your emotions."

She sat down by his side and let her hands slip smoothly over his chest. He then took hold of both of her hands and pulled her to a warm kiss. They lay down on the bed without breaking the kiss...

As they consummated their carnal relations Trip noticed that T'Pol's response was different. When his hands caressed her skin, he felt as though small electrical discharges were sparking straight from her nerves to his. He knew that she had enjoyed their sexual relations before; she had told him they were not the same as Vulcan pon-farr intercourse.  Her actual responses this time were different and special. He thought on what she had said about wanting to experience an emotional response similar to Humans, could that be the reason for the sensations he was feeling? 

T'Pol perceived that his mind had deviated from their relations so she whispered - "Relax, I'm fine, I am fully enjoying you." 

"How did you sense that I drifted away?"

"Vulcans are touch telepaths, and at the moment I have a considerable area of my naked skin in contact with yours. I can sense your feelings, but I am not reading your mind. So please, relax, enjoy me as I enjoy you."

Afterwards they talked for a short time, lying together on the futon until their bodies had returned to their normal temperature. Then she slipped away to dress as she whispered to Trip, "I need to return to my room before my mother gets up. Can you try to fix her stasis unit? She would appreciate your assistance."

"Don't worry. I'll do that in the morning."

"Get some sleep because we will be required to rise early. I will see you in a few hours."

"T'Pol, I had a really great time. I've never experienced such lightness and tenderness and felt so close to you before. It was like sharing my emotions directly with your mind. I truly enjoyed you tonight. Like a Human couple might feel after such moments, there were definitely sparks between us this time. Have a sweet sleep darlin'." 

During the return trip from Raal Trip appeared to be immersed in his thoughts. He spoke very little during the voyage. When they approached T'Pol's family home, he told her that he had decided to return to Earth and he would try to arrange to leave on a transport with staff from Earth's embassy.

That news took her by surprise, as he had not said anything more with regard to her forth coming marriage or how he felt about it. Although she could sense that he was not comfortable that she was marrying Koss so that her mother could be reinstated at the Academy.

However, she didn't want him to leave. She perceived that she would not be able to effectively suppress her emotions without his presence nearby, at least until the ceremony. There were still several points to negotiate with Koss' family, her mother would certainly want to know why she had changed her mind. Meditation in the following weeks would be hard, and she was not sure she would be able to cope with it all if she did not have Trip at her side.

"Please, Trip" - she whispered to ensure that the hover driver did not hear - "can't you stay until the ceremony? You have been my closest friend for the last three years and I would appreciate it very much if you could attend." She knew that he would be pleased that she had used his nickname.

"T'Pol, I don't know if I can do it. I know you will go through with this for your mother's sake, but I am not certain I can support what is happening. It goes against my own beliefs. I believe people should marry because they love each other."

She sensed how dismayed he was as he expressed his feelings. Yet the thought of not having him by her side at the ceremony brought a very uncomfortable pattern to her mind. She needed to push him harder.

"Trip, please, stay with me until the marriage. I am not sure I will be able to do it without your support. Do you remember when we argued over how to disable Sphere 41? When I told you I was emotional and that I could not handle it alone? When I decided that I needed your help? I am in the same situation now. My emotions are rising to the surface because of my impending marriage and they are threatening to overwhelm me.  I am not sure that I will be able to suppress them without help. I need your help; I need you to help me now. Please, Trip, you're my friend, don't leave me now."

After being silent for some time he agreed to her request.

"OK, T'Pol. I cannot refuse to help you. I'll stay until the ceremony."

"Thank you, I appreciate it." - She then looked around to verify that the driver could not see them and lifted her fingers to lightly touch the back of his hand. She could feel how tense he was but at the same time she perceived that he enjoyed her touch. However, he didn't try to respond by pushing the back of his hand harder against her fingers, nor did he try to hold her hand. Still she felt what seemed to be small electrostatic discharges passing through his skin to her fingertips.

At that moment she imagined what it would be like to have Trip watching the ceremony when she married Koss. Without any notice, the thought came to her that she would rather choose Trip - his image replaced Koss during the ozh'esta. It was a far more comfortable thought than imaging her betrothed kneeling across from her. However, then Trip's previous words about people marrying the ones they loved came to mind. Trip had not shown any sign he had deep feelings for her. Their relationship was like a human affair between work colleagues. She assumed he would never wish to marry her because she couldn't feel the emotion Humans call 'love' for him.

She broke the contact between them before the Vulcan driver could notice it.

After the wedding ceremony T'Pol packed a small travel bag before boarding a transport to Mount Seleya. Her cousin, who had acted as the damsel of honor at the ceremony, had remained behind supposedly to help her. In truth her cousin had been disturbed by seeing her giving a Trip a kiss on the cheek just before agreeing to bond with Koss. It had taken several rounds of logical argument for T'Pol to demonstrate to her cousin that such a kiss was an acceptable salute between people from Earth, and therefore that by giving him a goodbye on his terms she was merely acting in deference to Trip's culture. However, she knew she was not telling her cousin the whole truth.