Falling Leaves

By Honeybee

Rating: PG

Genres: challenge romance

Keywords: challenge

This story has been read by 858 people.
This story has been read 1230 times.


Disclaimer: I don't own trek. This is for fun not profit.

A/N: Written in response to a word prompt challenge. The word: Leaves


T'Pol shivered as a cool breeze blew off the bay, causing leaves to fall from the trees and flutter gently to the ground. She had been to many worlds, but she had never experienced an autumn like this one, so different from her home planet. However, the crisp air and the smell of spiced apples and tree sap was far more endurable than the indoor stench of human bodies. The V'Shar agent in charge of her training visit had advised her to use a nasal numbing agent, but she had rejected the idea in favor of attempting to become accustomed to the smell. After only twenty minutes, she had had to leave the cafe where she had situated herself to study humans, talking a walk in the park adjacent to Golden Gate Bridge.

Wisely, she had put on Vulcan thermal garments beneath the human clothing she had been given. She looked down at herself, still finding the clothing - a wool skirt, leggings and a sweater - strange. The wardrobe mistress at the compound had told her this ensemble was typical of a university-aged student. The mistress had also tied a scarf around T'Pol's ears in such a way that her long hair still hung over her shoulders, and she had given T'Pol a bag containing books, paper notebooks and writing instruments she said would be carried by a human student.

T'Pol breathed in and out as she walked along the path. She noticed several human males trying to get her attention as she passed, one by smiling and another winked at her. A third spoke the words "Hey, baby." She recognized this as pre-mating behavior, and she was grateful that her people had evolved away from such practices. She thought briefly of attempting to smile in return, but she feared her smile was not yet perfected and would give her away. Besides that, she did not want to encourage the males.

As she walked toward a lake, she passed a group of human children at play. They had broken into teams and one team was attempting to carry a ball across an imaginary goal line without being restrained by the other. She had learned about this game at the compound, though she had been shown a video of an adult version. These children were not using physical violence but rather light touches during game play.

Despite the fact that the children were enjoying themselves, T'Pol soon found the game tedious. She turned her attention to a tree that she found curious. She approached and examined its leaves. As she did so, the children's oval-shaped ball fell at her feet, bumping into her black boots.

She leaned over and picked up the ball. A human boy, blond and fair skinned, ran towards her.

"Thanks, Miss," he drawled in an accent she recognized as not native to this part of Earth.

"You're welcome, young man," she replied, and he looked at her strangely as she handed him the ball.

She wondered if her response had been too formal. She expected the boy to leave, but he didn't. He stared at her, then he grinned at her. Yet, because of the boy's age, she did not find him an irritation. Moreover, he seemed more polite than the grown men.

"This tree," she asked suddenly, "It's a maple tree. It's not native to the West Coast of North America, is it?"

The boy looked up at the tree. T'Pol noticed he had striking blue eyes. She had never seen such eyes on a person, though she had met many humans.

"Nah," he said, "Nothin's native to this park. Everything was planted. That's what our tour guide said. My science class is here visiting Starfleet Headquarters. My dad wants me to be an engineer - but I wanna be a Starship Captain - so I'm gonna come to school here. Do you like it? School here, I mean."

She paused.

"It is agreeable, yes," she replied, telling herself that in a way, she was in school. Her V'Shar training was a kind of school, and one of the lessons was never lie if the truth would do.

The boy looked at her, and again she suspected her answer was not precisely appropriate. She also sensed a mental sharpness in this child that was unusual for a human.

"I'm gonna get back to my game. Thanks, Miss," he said as he broke into a run.

She watched him rejoin his classmates, and then she continued on her walk. She was strangely confident that the boy would have, if he had stayed in her presence, realized who - or rather - what she was. This impressed her. She had not met many likable humans, but some of them were fascinating.

 


Comments:

Linda

This was a nicer first meeting than the one they had on the ship in the first episode.  It would seem that at some point in their adult lives they might remember it and discuss it! 

panyasan

This was a sweet and entertaining story. I am mostly not a big fan of stories "Trip as kid meets T'Pol before ENT", but you make it work. A nice, subtle story.

Reanok

Honeybee I really liked this story showing T'Pol's first visit to earth and meeting a young Trip for the first time.:)

Honeybee

This story is supposed to take place 20 years - give or take - before the second season. T'Pol was a young adult at that time, working for the V'Shar. She'd be 40 or so years old, and I assumed she'd look a few years younger than she did on the show (by human standards) - at least enough to pass as a student. She's in training, and I would imagine they trained her for a number of different fuctions and cover identies - and since she speaks perfect English - I don't think it is a stretch that they'd train her to pass for a human, something that might be useful as a retriever on Earth or on other planets. As far as I know, there's nothing that says she didn't visit Earth before her diplomatic stint. And the fact that she did V'Shar training on Earth is not something that would be in her public record or something she'd be allowed to talk about.

Silverbullet

Enerdhil, Remmember that T'Pol by Vulcan standards is a very  young woman. since the average age span for a  vulcan is 200+ then at late 50's early 60's she isn't even near middle age. Aging more slowly (Physcialy) than Humans she looks younger than Trip in the Series. By and large she is. Probably equivalent to mid to late 20's. Can't have a Hag can we?

SB

Enerdhil

I believe there is space for a forum discussion about how Vulcan age. For what I remember, Spok entered academy by his 20's and was full adult serving Enterprise by 30's. So, there is nothing to force Vulcans to have slower body or mental development. Their slower aging only means that the T'Pol Honeybee described here is probably the same we saw in the show. In contratst, Trip here is still a young lad, while is a grown man on the screen. She appears younger than he, even being about twice older.

willow

too too too sweet

WarpGirl

Okay, I'm wondering if I missed where they said the Ministry of Security sent her to earth before she left. If I'm remembering correctly (and I might not be, if so I appologize) her job was fugitive apprehension.  Yet, I can't imagine any Vulcan fugitives picking earth to hide in... I'm just a little confused. I did truly enjoy this story.

Brandyjane

I think Honeybee is implying that T'Pol did training for her Ministry of Security job on Earth well before she came back for her two-year diplomatic stint.  As far as I can remember, there's nothing in the series that says she had never been to Earth before that. 

I found this story very sweet.

WarpGirl

I don't have a problem with T'Pol meeting Trip as a child, I mean the aging process is very different between their spieces. But what throws me here is that a Vulcan in their mid-40's is basically 17-20 in human terms and I got the sense that T'Pol was much older. I can completely see her starting training with the V'Shar, but I thought she hadn't been on Earth until after her tour of duty on the Seleya. I guess what I'm saying is that I love the premise, but I'm completely confused as to your timeline. But I've had no sleep in two days, so mayne if I sleep tonight I'll re-read the story tomorrow and "get it."

But it is beautifully written, I loved the description, and Trip was charming in the extreme.

Honeybee

Silverbullet, he's a little younger than high school here. Probably 10-12. The Seventh flashbacks were 17 years prior, so this is probably around twenty years before they met as adults. And yes, she does look younger than him and definitely ages slower. There's nothing romantic here, just two kindred spirits having a moment.

And thanks everyone. I was worried this might come off strange, glad it doesn't.

Silverbullet

VEry nicely done. Not complaining but in the series T'Pol LOOKED younger than Trip. I always fetlt the she aged much more slowly than Humans and that her age equivalent would be (in Ent) about  late 20's and Trip early 30's.

Not sure how old Trip is supposed to be in this. HIgh School?

 

bluetiger

It seems that something about Trip calls to T'Pol at any age. I agree with Misplaced, in a totally un-creepy way.

I like the idea of soul-mates connecting even in an early moment in time.

This is charming.

Alelou

Nicely done, though I have to admit I tend to find this particular genre of fanfic a little weird.  (Apparently I'm finding all sorts of things a little weird lately.)

So T'Pol would learn how to smile as a V'Shar agent?  That is a most intriguing idea!

Captcha code: "paimen Logic"  -- :p  Somehow that seemsly oddly appropriate.

Misplaced

I love this story.  Trip and T'Pol meeting many years before... neither of them knowing that someday they would serve together... and fall for each other.  This is totally un-creepy.  A very sweet moment.  Well done!!

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