Hopes and Dreams - (Pick an Episode Challenge)

Disclaimer: Star Trek: Enterprise and its characters are copyright CBS/Paramount. No copyright infringement is intended by the author of this story, which is solely for the purpose of entertainment and is not for profit.

Summary: Trip has some unusual dreams in E2.

A/N: This story was written for the July Pick-An-Episode Challenge at Triaxian Silk. This month's episode is E2. Please read and review.

Trip approached T'Pol as she sat at a table in the dining hall.

"May I join you?" he asked.

"Of course," replied T'Pol.

"I've been talking to Lorian. He tells me that there is an old T'Pol on board the other Enterprise. I'm going over to talk to her after coffee," said Trip.

"No, you cannot," said T'Pol.

"Oh? Why not?" asked Trip.

"I am ordering you to stay away from her," retorted T'Pol.

"Did you say something Sub-Commander?" asked Trip.

"I am no longer a Sub-Commander. I resigned my commission in the High Command," said T'Pol.

"Sorry Commander, my mistake," said Trip.

"I do not hold the rank of Commander. I am not a member of Starfleet," replied T'Pol.

"Oh, you have no rank, no status, no authority? You are a civilian, Miss T'Pol?" smiled Trip.

"I am first officer of Enterprise," replied T'Pol.

"You have to be an officer before you can be first officer," grinned Trip.

"I have been designated first officer by Captain Archer," said T'Pol.

"That is different. Illegal, but different," said Trip sarcastically.

"Regardless, you are not to visit the old T'Pol," said T'Pol.

"Who says? You, 'Miss No Rank'?" said Trip.

"I will tell Captain Archer of your plan and he will order you not to. Will that be sufficient?" asked T'Pol.

"Go ahead. I'll bet he doesn't care one way or the other," laughed Trip.

T'Pol got up walked to the comm. "T'Pol to Captain Archer," she said.

"Archer here. What do you need, T'Pol?" he said.

"Commander Tucker questions my authority and my position as first officer. He wants to visit the old T'Pol in her quarters," said T'Pol.

"Put him on the comm," ordered Archer.

"Trip here, Captain," he said.

"You are not to visit the old T'Pol. She does not want to see you. She told me that yesterday. Stay away from her quarters. We will discuss the other matter in private. This is a direct order I am giving you. Do you understand?" said Archer.

"Understood, Captain," replied Trip.

Trip returned to the table. He did not sit down. He took his cup and walked away to put the cup in the disposal.

"Commander," said T'Pol, who was now at his shoulder. "You have your orders now. Stay away from her."

Trip looked at T'Pol. "You still pissed because I said you could have feelings for me and that we might marry like our counterparts?" he said.

"I told you that just because they married did not mean we would and that what happened that night was a mistake," said T'Pol sharply.

"I have to get down to engineering. There is a hell of a lot of work to be done. The hull needs to be repaired to restore its integrity. It is not going to get done by itself," Trip said and walked off stiffly.

In engineering Trip fumed all day. He worked himself to exhaustion. Hess came up and said "Sir, you have been going at it all day. Go get some rest. You are no good to us in your condition."

"You're right. I need some sleep," agreed Trip.

"You should have had a meal or two also," said Hess.

"Catch breakfast in the morning," smiled Trip. "Good night."

Trip departed engineering and went to his quarters. He showered and fell in to bed. He was sleeping before his head hit the pillow.

Trip ran from the water toward the figure on the blanket. "Throw me a towel," he shouted. A towel came sailing at him. He caught it deftly. He wiped his head and face and dried as much of his body as quickly as he could. He reached the blanket and knelt by T'Pol. She was completely naked. He devoured this vision. She looked exactly as she had that night they had made love. His eyes wandered down her body, past the pale green nipples, down to her pubic area. She had no body hair anywhere. He became aware she was looking at him. She took a towel and laid it on her body. It covered her from the shoulders to her knees.

"Got modest on me?" smiled Trip.

T'Pol glanced at his crotch. "You should control yourself," she said.

"You didn't want me to control myself that night," Trip answered.

"That is in the past. I told you it was an exploration," T'Pol said quietly.

"Is this a dream? Damn sure is a nice one. That water felt great. Beach is perfect." Trip looked around. "Guess we are alone," he smiled.

"Do you think it is a dream?" asked T'Pol.

"Well, last thing I remember is falling asleep so I guess this is a dream. Damned fine one," Trip said. "Hey, are you my T'Pol or are you the old T'Pol looking like my T'Pol?"

"Which do you want?" said T'Pol.

"My T'Pol, of course. Don't know why though. She sure doesn't want me," said Trip.

"Are you certain of that?" asked the figure.

"With her I'm not certain of anything. From what I can see she has less than any use for me," said Trip.

"Suppose I am the old T'Pol?" asked the woman.

"No, you look too young. Too beautiful and desirable. If you are the old T'Pol still alive you would be at least 180 years old and wouldn't look as young as you do," smiled Trip.

"Trip, have you ever wondered how we got married in a vulcan ceremony?" asked T'Pol.

"No, I guess..... Good question. Who performed that ceremony?" Trip said. "You must have."

"I am not a priestess. I couldn't perform the ceremony we had," said T'Pol.

"'We' had? Then you are the old T'Pol. How did you get in my dream? How do you look like my T'Pol?" Trip said.

"Trip woke with a start. "I was dreaming," he said aloud. "What a dream. I wonder if the ship's database would know who had performed that ceremony. I'll look it up in the morning. Wonder if I go back to sleep whether that T'Pol will come to me in a dream again." Trip tossed and turned and finally settled in to a dreamless sleep.

In the morning Trip checked the other Enterprise database. He looked up marriages. He came to Trip and T'Pol's. "I'll be damned," he said.

Trip returned to his own ship and called Dr Phlox. "Have you had breakfast yet? If not, care to join me in the dining hall?" Trip asked.

"Certainly, that would be delightful. I will be there in a few minutes," replied Phlox.

Trip met Phlox outside the hall and they walked in together. "I see T'Pol is here," said Phlox pointing.

"Good, let's join her," said Trip.

Trip and Phlox selected their food and walked to the table T'Pol was sitting at.

"May we join you?" asked Phlox.

T'Pol was studying a padd, and didn't look up but said "Of course Doctor, please sit."

"Me too?" said Trip.

T'Pol looked up sharply. "Yes, Commander," she said curtly.

Phlox and Trip ate in silence. When they finished Trip had his coffee and Phlox tea.

"Phlox," said Trip, "you have a ton of degrees, you served as a medic in the Denobulan Infantry, you studied medicine on Vulcan."

"Indeed," replied Phlox, "all of those things."

"When you studied medicine on Vulcan did you study anything else?" asked Trip.

"Why do you ask?" said Phlox.

"Curiosity," replied Trip. "Did you study vulcan religion there?"

"Yes I did," replied Phlox. "Very interesting and very old."

"As old as you are? How old are you anyway?" asked Trip. "I thought that denobulans were long lived. As long as vulcans," said Trip changing subjects.

"Yes, denobulans are long lived and they live longer than vulcans. Although I am not that old myself," laughed Phlox.

Trip switched subjects again; he wanted to surprise Phlox.

"When you studied Vulcan religion did you do anything else while doing so?" asked Trip.

"Yes, I did. Why do you ask," said Phlox.

"Did you become a Vulcan priest?" said Trip.

"Yes, I am a novice priest," admitted Phlox.

"That would mean the other Phlox was one too," said Trip. "He performed the Vulcan wedding ceremony for the other Trip and T'Pol when they married."

"Of course," said Phlox. "Since you ask, do you want me to perform a ceremony for you and T'Pol? A marriage ceremony?" laughed Phlox.

"Yes, I would," smiled Trip.

"I would not," snapped T'Pol.

"Phlox, have you met Miss Stick Up her Ass?" said Trip. "You can tell by the way she acts. She is the superior vulcan among inferior humans who think they have feelings for her and believe that if the other Trip and T'Pol married, why can't we?"

"I told you, just because our counterparts married doesn't mean we could or would," said T'Pol.

"See," said Trip, "no give at all. Stick right up her butt."

T'Pol stood. "It is time for me to report to the bridge. Don't you have work in engineering, Commander?" T'Pol walked stiffly away.

"Damned woman," complained Trip.

"It appears that the two of you have different outlooks," said Phlox.

"You can say that again," retorted Trip. "If only she would just get off her high horse, stop and listen to me. But she won't."

"I have to get back to sickbay. I suggest you don't pursue this any further, Commander. It is not good for you. You will just get frustrated," said Phlox.

Trip worked himself hard all day. He pushed the crew too. It was a relieved shift who saw Trip at last leave engineering for the night.

Trip went immediately to his quarters. He wasn't hungry, just bone tired. He had a hot shower, put on his pajamas and dropped in to his bunk. He was asleep instantly.

Trip heard the woman before he saw her. It was the beautiful T'Pol of his dreams. She approached him. "Hello, Commander," she said.

"Am I dreaming again? Don't want to wake up if I am. Like the hell out of these dreams, sure are realistic," said Trip.

"What do you think, Commander? A dream, or your mind talking to you?" said T'Pol.

"I still wonder if you are my T'Pol or the old one. Can't be. You are young and beautiful. You must be my T'Pol," said Trip to T'Pol.

"Want me to tell you a story?" said T'Pol.

"What kind of story?" asked Trip.

"A sad story," replied T'Pol.

"No, don't think I could take that right now. I have enough sadness in my life," said Trip.

"It is a story of how your counterpart, the other Trip, died," said T'Pol.

"How would you know that unless you are the old T'Pol?" said Trip.

"I have spoken with her and she has told me things," replied T'Pol. "Do you want to hear the story?"

"Guess so. Lorian said his dad died when he was fourteen," replied Trip.

"He was in engineering running tests. Apparently something went wrong. One of the lines broke and radiation was spilling out. He crawled in to where the break was and tried to close and seal it off. Hess and Rostov were putting on radiation suits as fast as possible. He should not have gone in there without one but he thought that the radiation would get into the life support system and possibly give everyone radiation sickness or even kill someone. He worked to find the break and seal it until a more permanent seal could be put in place by those wearing radiation suits. The leak was not large so his exposure was limited. He had a few minutes before it would become dangerous. There was an explosion. His body blocked the radiation from being released in to the engineering area. Rostov and Hess pulled him out and one of them went in and sealed the leak. He was horribly burned by the radiation. T'Pol wasn't allowed to see him. The burns disfigured his face and body too much. Rostov said it was better not to see him. He had died instantly in the explosion. That was the official story. T'Pol told me that she knew that he probably was thinking of her and Lorian at that time. Because of the time he needed to make the repairs, the radiation would be too great and it might kill him. She said she knew he probably thought of how much he loved her and Lorian and how he hated to leave them. How much he wanted to stay and watch Lorian grow in to a man. T'Pol said she wanted to tell him how much she loved him and how sorry she was that her actions denied them more time together and the happiness they could have shared. His body was put in a lead lined torpedo casing and shot in to a nearby sun. End of story," said T'Pol.

"That is sad. It is too bad that he couldn't say those things to her and she couldn't tell him what she wanted him to hear," said Trip.

T'Pol had a funny look in her eyes. "I am sure that somehow they knew," she said.

Trip struggled awake. He looked at the chronometer. It was two in the morning. What a strange dream. Where did that come from? What had made him think of the other Trip's death? Maybe it was because Lorian had told him about his father dying when he was so young.

Trip lay back on the pillow. He slept fitfully the rest of the night. In the morning he had breakfast and then went over to the other Enterprise. "Can I look at the report on Commander Tucker's death?" he asked.

"That has been sealed at the request of his wife. No one is allowed to read it," said the Archivist.

"Not even me?" Trip said. "He was me, or I am him."

"No one," said the man. "We received special orders this morning that you were not to be allowed access to the report."

"Why?" asked Trip in amazement.

"We do not question orders or requests that comes from T'Pol," said the man. "You will have to ask her."

"She won't see me," said Trip.

"Then it is out of my hands," said the man.

Trip walked back to his ship and entered the dining hall. He saw T'Pol sitting alone. He drew a cup of coffee and sat down. "Good Morning, T'Pol," he said.

T'Pol looked up from her padd. "Good morning," she replied.

"Sleep well?" asked Trip.

"Yes," said T'Pol.

"I had one of those dreams again. I cannot tell which T'Pol was in it. You or the other one," he said.

"Why would you be dreaming about either of us?" said T'Pol.

"You know damned well why I would dream of you. But the other one - she looks exactly like you. Young, more beautiful than any woman has a right to be," smiled Trip.

T'Pol ignored the last and started to look at her padd again.

"Want to hear my dream?" asked Trip.

"No, I don't believe so. You have a very vivid human imagination which you cannot seem to control," said T'Pol. She stood, gathered up her padd and tea and then walked to the lift.

"Hey, T'Pol," shouted Trip. "It is about the other Trip's....." but the lift doors had closed on her.

"Shit," Trip snapped. Trip didn't try to tell anyone else of his dream. For some reason he knew it was just for him and his T'Pol.

Trip again spent the day working his butt off. They were making good progress with the repairs and the suggestions that Lorian and the old T'Pol had given them. Trip put in another long day, stopping only for meals. He had hoped he would see T'Pol but she never appeared. Maybe she was still mad at him. Dammit, he couldn't help wanting to see the old gal and ask her some questions. Why didn't T'Pol ask her the same things, or didn't she want to know? Probably that was it. She simply didn't care to know what she was not interested in, about him and his counterpart.

Trip stopped work around midnight. He returned to his quarters, showered and fell in to bed. He was asleep instantly, he was so dog tired.

Trip saw the young T'Pol sitting with the old T'Pol. It was the first time in his dreams they were together. The old T'Pol had just started a story she was telling the young T'Pol.

"When it became evident Enterprise would have to become a generational ship, Captain Archer okayed marriages between crewmembers of different ranks. I decided not to participate. I did not want Archer nor any of the other men, or so I thought. I became aware that none of the women had chosen a man yet. It soon became apparent they were waiting for Trip to make his choice. Cole was making her move on Trip. They sat together in the dining hall, she made him laugh and he obviously enjoyed her company. I had thought that he was through with her because of our night in the expanse. I was wrong. I knew then that I wanted Trip. To be his wife. That I loved him and didn't want to lose him.

"I thought it would be easy. Just approach him and he would be happy to become my mate and I his. Again I was wrong. He resisted my every advance. I asked him to a private dinner in my quarters. He just laughed and asked if I planned to wear my robe with nothing underneath it.

"I began to meet him in the dining hall before Cole arrived and sat with him. He was polite as he always was. We talked. I tried to make him laugh but I never could. I was getting desperate. I visited him in engineering on any pretext. I spent as much time as possible with him. Nothing seemed to encourage him to hear me declare my love for him. He stopped listening when I started to talk about it.

"I started to wear a uniform instead of that cat suit which I knew he hated. He noticed that. I even wore human civilian clothing when we orbited a planet and went to the surface.

"Finally he asked me to have dinner in his quarters. I accepted right away. I dressed carefully. I wore his favorite Vulcan robes. I had started to let my hair grow because I knew he liked it longer. I had it styled by one of the women in the crew. I tried to look as beautiful as possible.

"After that night we became more relaxed around one another. Then one night in his quarters we were standing and he took me in his arms and told me he still loved me. I was thrilled. I did not press him but kissed him as passionately and tenderly as I could. Two weeks later he proposed. I accepted and we were married. I was happier than I have ever been in my life.

"The only thing that caused us pain was the loss of our children. I had miscarriages. A few were born alive but died very soon after birth. Trip was devastated. He wanted a child so much. Then Lorian was born and lived.

"Trip was so proud of him. He took Lorian all over the ship, showing him off. He carried Lorian everywhere until Lorian started walking. Trip taught him about engineering and Lorian loved it because his father was teaching him. They loved one another more than just a father and son. They were as close as I have ever seen two people get.

"Then Trip died in that accident. I begged them to kill me. I remembered Lorian before they did anything. I knew I had to live for him. Still I have missed and mourned Trip every day since he died and I always will until I join him on the other side."

"Accident?" said the young T'Pol.

"Yes, my Trip died in an accident. He probably saved many lives. He was too badly burned by radiation for me to see him again. I never did. His body was put in a torpedo tube and shot in to a nearby sun," said the Old T'Pol.

"It was the old T'Pol who told me that story in my other dream," thought Trip.

"You said you were happier than you have ever been after you married your Trip," said the young T'Pol.

"I married the most unique man alive. I almost lost him forever. Yes, no woman has been happier than I was. I learned just how unique he really was. How gentle he could be and kind yet how strong when he had to be. I lay in those arms night after night filled with joy that I had come to my senses before it was too late."

"Did you marry again after your Trip died?" asked T'Pol.

"NO! Who? Why?" said T'Pold.

"Archer? He was focused on the Xindi and some plans he had for a federation. He spent his off duty hours on that project. He never fully trusted vulcans, even me. He was always wanting me to confirm my loyalty to him. Not to the Enterprise but to him. Starfleet was his bride and Enterprise his metal mistress. I doubt if there was room for a real woman in his life.

"Malcolm, the British Icicle?" He and Trip were close friends but I was only a friend and then a wife of Trip's. Some other woman might bring the male out of him. I had no interest in him at all.

"Travis? Physically he was attractive but he was far behind Trip in intellect. The fact is all the men on board were behind Trip. Travis was a nice person. That is all.

"Vulcan women do not experience Pon Farr. They only answer their mates Pon Farr call. I never had sexual desire for any man but Trip even after his death.

I had Lorian, I guided, taught him, loved him and watched as much of his father came out in him. I missed and mourned Trip but I was never lonely. Not enough to take another man in marriage or as a lover. No man could ever replace Trip." she said.

"But that does not mean it will be the same for me and Trip," T'Pol said.

The old T'Pol looked at her. "You are a fool. Don't you realize that we lived the same life until my Enterprise was thrown back in time? Everything you have done, I have done too." she snapped.

"But that will not happen now. We will go our separate ways. Too much time has passed. You are old and I am young. Your Trip is dead," said the young T'Pol.

"Yours is still alive," said the old T'Pol.

"He is not mine," replied the young T'Pol.

"Oh? Then who has him? Cole? That woman on Earth, Natalie? Does he have anyone? I understand he loves you. That he has tried to tell you. That he believes you and he will marry the same as I and my Trip did," said T'Pold.

"I have told him repeatedly that just because you and your Trip married doesn't mean we will," said T'Pol.

"What about you then? What will you do? Return to Vulcan, marry Koss? Live a loveless life? Every seven years Koss will release his control and you will have to submit immediately or he will beat you unmercifully and then rape you. That is what Pon Farr is: a Rape. No affection, no caresses, no loving words afterward. He will take you, then walk away. When he wants you again it will be the same ending in another rape. This will continue until his Pon Farr is finished.

"Trip? He will marry a human woman, he will have the children he desires. He will be happy enough. He will be old while you are middle aged and lonely. You will lie in your bed, alone every night. Koss will not share it with you. He will be off somewhere. He will only have use for you during his Pon Farr. Is that the life you want?" said T'Pold.

"You cannot be sure of that," countered the young T'Pol.

"I have spent decades studying Pon Farr in our data base and in the vulcan data base. I could still access it from the expanse when conditions were right. It is accessed constantly from distant places so it was not noticed. I even used my old security directorate contact to access stories of what happened in some cases. Women beaten so badly they were hospitalized for the rest of their lives. Many killed by an enraged male vulcan. Other disfigured and crippled. Many stories of women who wanted out but there was no escape for them. So they committed suicide; one of the most reviled crimes on Vulcan. Believe me, I have told you the truth," said T'Pold.

The young T'Pol sat with shock on her face. "What should I do?" she asked.

"I told you the other night 'follow your heart'".

"My Heart does not....."

"Yes it does. You foolish girl. You deny it to yourself and to him," snapped T'Pold.

"No, you are wrong," said T'Pol.

"Oh? we seduced him that night and lied to him the next morning and broke his heart cruelly without remorse. Then cried all night when we found out that he could not return to us because he was in sickbay unable to leave because of Phlox. We were too proud to go to him and admit we lied; that the night before meant everything to us. We had that dream of us in the shower with him kissing passionately," smiled T'Pold.

"Yes but at the end of the shower we......"

"That was our mind rejecting what we were dreaming," said T'Pold.

"I became a demented vulcan, I attacked him, I wanted to kill him," said T'Pol.

"But we woke before anything happened. It was our mind that woke us. We did not want to harm the man we love," replied T'Pold.

"I have fought him, pushed him away, been correct but that is all," said T'Pol.

"As I did. I told you we lived the same life. Even just before we entered the worm hole or just before you were to enter it. He came to us to offer his help and we rejected it and him," said T'Pold. "He only wanted to help us. It was out of love but he said it was repayment for what we had done for him."

"I don't know what to do. I cannot change. I have chosen my path and he is not on it," said T'Pol.

"You mean you cannot change so quickly, but you can change and you know it. Your path is of your own choosing. But there is still time to include him on it," said T'Pold.

Trip came awake with a jolt. "Damn, what a dream. What will T'Pol say if I tell her?" pondered Trip No, she will wonder how I could dream of her and the old woman together and I will bet that it really happened. She would have a fit. Still I wish I had kept dreaming. I wonder what the old woman and T'Pol worked out. Do I have a chance?" Trip settled back in to his bunk and slept soundly the rest of the night without further dreams.

In the morning Trip entered the dining hall. T'Pol was sitting alone at a table in the corner. Trip drew a cup of coffee and walked to the table. "Can I join you?" he asked.

T'Pol looked up, her eyes were briefly soft and then returned to their normal blandness. "Yes, please do," she said.

"How was your night," asked Trip.

"Interesting," replied T'Pol.

"Interesting? How?" said Trip.

"Just interesting. Did you have another dream?" T'Pol asked.

"You want to know if I had a dream? Yesterday you said I had an overly active human mind and you didn't want to hear any of my dreams. Today you ask me if I had any dreams as if you want me to tell you what they might have been if I did have some," said Trip.

"I spoke too hastily," said T'Pol. "I would be interested in any dreams you had last night."

Trip stared at her for a minute while considering telling her what he had dreamed that he was sure really happened.

"Promise not to tell anyone else?" said Trip.

"I promise," said T'Pol quickly.

"I dreamed that you and the old T'Pol had a long conversation. She told you how she first decided not to take a man from the ship but changed her mind when she saw Trip was being wooed by Cole. How she struggled to get him. He finally relented, proposed and they married and she was never so happy in her life," said Trip.

"Anything else?" asked T'Pol.

"Yeah, you two got to talking about me and you. You said that you didn't know if you wanted me or not," said Trip. "You got an earful from the old gal for that."

T'Pol looked at Trip for a long moment. "She opened my eyes to myself. I was wrong about us. We can be a couple eventually and perhaps marry but we must take it slowly. Not rush in to anything," said T'Pol.

"What changed your mind?" asked Trip.

"She told me how she lost her Trip and missed him every day since his death. How happy they had been while he lived. How she reviled herself for denying them much time they could have had together happily. She bitterly regretted that. I don't want to lose you but I am not ready to declare anything yet."

"So what happens?" said Trip.

"Can we be very careful and discreet?" asked T'Pol.

"Why?" said Trip.

"We must begin our journey together some place. We know that we care very much for each other. We have been intimate once. I would like for us to renew that intimacy, if we are very careful about it," said T'Pol.

"Renew our intimacy? So you can lie to me again about it being an exploration continued?" snapped Trip

"No, I promise, I will never say that to you again. You don't have to accept what I want. It is your choice," said T'Pol.

"Hell yes I want to continue the intimacy. What then?" Trip asked.

"Can't we just start with that and see what develops? I am not well versed in relationships or intimacy with anyone but you." she admitted.

"Okay, When do we start this new relationship between us?" smiled Trip.

"Tonight? We can have dinner and then spend the night together," she said her eyes lowered but still holding his.

"My quarters then. I have a larger bunk," Trip laughed with anticipation in his voice.

"Trip, do you still want me for life?" T'Pol said quietly.

"Damn right," Trip grinned. "Just happy that you want it too. You do, don't you?"

"With all my heart, now that it knows where to follow," said T'Pol.

At T'Pol's insistence they had dinner in the dining hall. Later they left the hall at different times. She joined him in his quarters when she could safely slip into them.

When she came in to the bedroom he took her in his arms and kissed her. Anticipation was on his face. He started to take off her cat suit. She began to remove his uniform. At last they were nude and in bed. They made love with abandon.

"Commander, that was more pleasing than I imagined it could be," T'Pol said.

"What is this 'Commander' stuff?" asked Trip.

"In a while I will begin to call you Trip. People will believe we have settled our differences and are on more friendly terms. If I were to say Thy'la or Ashayam I might accidentally say it in public. So, 'Commander' it will be. We must be very careful," replied T'Pol.

"Okay, but I can still call you T'Pol," smiled Trip. "I would rather say darling, sweetheart or my love."

"Those endearments are so pleasant to my ears. I wish we could say what is in our hearts but we cannot," said T'Pol.

"How long?" asked Trip.

"I do not know. I am not sure if we will feel the same a few months from now. Anything can happen," said T'Pol.

"Not to me. I will never change what I feel about you," said Trip.

"I do not want to either, but I am vulcan and must obey vulcan tradition and customs," said T'Pol.

"Lets take what we have now and let the future take care of itself," said Trip.

"Agreed," said T'Pol pulling herself closer to Trip.

Finis