Chapter 11: Whenever You Fall

"Someone had a talk with the Eldest Mother," Trip said to T'Pol looking at her for help. He saw T'Pol encourage him to return the hug and he gently slung his arms around T'Pau. They stood for several seconds before she stepped out of his embrace.

"I have decided to resign from my post. I have come to the conclusion that I am not yet ready for this responsibility ... with a little help."

"Leave it to dad to make you see reason," Trip said with a satisfied grin.

"You knew?" she asked.

"No, but I suspected. From the day he met you he was convinced that you are way too young for what you're doing. It was only a matter of time that he would talk to you about it. My parents love you to bits, honey."

"I also have affection for them ... and you," she admitted.

"Aw, that's sweet honey," he said, taking her hand. "And before you start that 'imposing on our hospitality' talk again – you're not imposing, get it?"

She nodded with as much of a sheepish expression a Vulcan could muster – a raised eyebrow.

"Will you need to go back to Vulcan to hand over your job?" he asked.

"Yes, I will leave in five hours and return within the week. Soval has already left Salem One as well."

"You may deposit your belongings in our home on Vulcan," T'Pol offered and gave her a small PADD with the access codes.

"There won't be much to deposit," T'Pau admitted. "I grew up in the desert."

"Don't worry, honey, we're gonna change that when you're back," Trip said with a grin and planted a small kiss on the tip of her nose. He nearly started laughing about the pronounced greenish blush that crept up her cheeks.

T'Pol's 'giggle-brow' went far north.

the next day...

Trip fidgeted. Standing in front of the airlock was hardly an activity worthy of being nervous, but this wasn't just some nameless dignitary passing by. On the ship that was currently docking with the station was the Queen of a whole Empire, a Queen he had banged the brains out of in a swamp three years ago. It sounded so ridiculous, one couldn't make it up. And T'Pol suffered, so much was obvious.

He looked back at Malcolm and Hoshi, who flanked T'Pol. She hid it well, but he could see that T'Pol felt threatened and he could also see the barely hidden look of reproach on Malcolm's face. Hoshi tried to give him an encouraging smile, but he knew that she also was less than pleased with the emotional conundrum he had put T'Pol into.

While he could understand their misgivings, Trip also felt wrongly accused. It wasn't as if T'Pol had given away any sign at the time that she was interested in him, in fact it would take another two damn years until she finally would acknowledge that she loved him. And what was he supposed to do? He had gone two years without at the time, his girlfriend had dumped him, heck he had had all the right in the world to go to town when Kaitaama ditched the dress. Hoshi had gotten laid way before that – on Risa.

But it didn't change the fact that the very same woman would soon meet them and his wife was suffering. He hated life sometimes.

While Trip was still mentally ranting about the situation he had gotten them into, the airlock pressurized and a slender figure in an elaborate dress darted out, clinging to him in a tight hug.

"I was so scared," she sobbed, completely lost in fear and self-pity. "If your people had not come to our rescue..."

The rest was just a blur. He heard a growl from behind, clearly indicating that T'Pol was less than appreciative of the intimate attention Kaitaama had afforded him. He pushed their guest away as gently as he could in his panic and prepared to present himself as a target for T'Pol's wrath, rather than letting her kill their royal visitor, but all he saw was T'Pol sinking to the ground – nerve-pinched by a very fiercely scowling Malcolm.

He rushed over and caught T'Pol's body. Malcolm had been ready to do the same, but Trip beat him to it and Malcolm willingly stepped aside. Without a word Trip ran off towards sickbay with the limp body of his wife in his arms.

"She desires him, does she not?" Kaitaama stated the obvious as she saw her one-time lover run off with the unconscious female clutched to his chest. Although the female had changed her appearance, mainly the longer hair, she had immediately recognized her as the one, who had so fiercely glared at her when they were found in the swamp.

"She's his wife," the clearly displeased human, who had incapacitated the female, replied.

Kaitaama sank to the ground, sliding down the wall. Her face was still tear-stained, but she also felt a great relief. The humans were not her subjects, so she did not have to keep up appearances. If anything, those creatures seemed to be her guardian angels.

"Are you okay?" the human female, who seemed to be attached to the scowling male, asked.

"I have spent the last four days thinking of a way to let him know that we can never be together," Kaitaama admitted. "I still love him dearly, but we can never..."

Her sentence was cut short by hysterical laughter from the two humans. Looking at them in confusion for a moment, Kaitaama started laughing, too, even though she didn't know why. It was good to be allowed this lapse in her royal appearance. In a mix of tears and laughter she accepted the female's hand, which was offered to help her stand up.

the next day...

Trip rubbed his temple. His dear wife had woken up after Malcolm's nerve-pinch and instead of retaliating against him, she had decided to go into a Vulcan style giggle fit. She was still mental-laughing through their bond. As much as he liked to hear the sound in his mind, the fact that T'Pol seemed unable to stop was making him slightly uncomfortable. Having been told by Hoshi and Malcolm that both Trip and the newly minted Queen of Krios Prime had been drawing up plans to let each other down gently had sent T'Pol into an almost delirious frenzy of joy and amusement.

He sent her a mental image of a crashed shuttlepod, reminding her that he was trying to pilot a Mark-V without killing another planet's royalty in the process.

Forgive me Ashayam, she sent amid mental giggles. The relief of hearing the news is taxing my ability to control myself. I will make up for it."

Feeling frisky he sent her a picture of the sauna in the spa.

Meet me there at the usual time, came her clearly aroused bond-reply. We are still to use the facility for an intimate encounter. This will change tonight, Ashayam.

He sent back an image of a heart – his usual reply for 'I love you'.

Talk to her, T'Pol instructed. A serious undertone returned to her mental voice. I cannot begin to imagine the hardship of giving you up. Her affection for you is still very obvious.

He sent the mental image of a heart again. T'Pol's affection was resonating in his mind.

Somehow managing to keep enough concentration on the task while having a mental talk with T'Pol he set down the shuttlepod in a park in Japan that Hoshi had suggested. This being the middle of winter the air was chilly but fresh. The landscape was covered with snow.

He helped his passenger out of the hatch. She was clad in a thick coat, made of synthetic fur. She took his hand and stepped out.

He offered his arm and she put her gloved hand in the crook of his elbow.

"We're quite the couple," he said as they slowly started to walk. "So basically we've both been thinking up ways to let each other down with minimum hurt."

"I will not lie to you Trip," she said, putting her hands on his chest. "I still love you and I will cherish those few days with you for the remainder of my life. But I am the First Monarch now and I have to accept my people's will."

"Guess you weren't able to change all the rules then," he said, alluding to their parting words three years ago.

"I knew you would never come back," she said and he could hear the sadness in her voice. "And even if you had, Krios would never have accepted an off-worlder. And your wife – now I know why she looked at me so furiously when your people found us. She desired you."

"I never meant to hurt you," he said sincerely. "Had I known that you would..."

She silenced him by planting a kiss on his cheek.

"You have not hurt me. You have given me memories that I will cherish for life. I would not be here now, discussing an alliance with your people if it wasn't for you. You have saved me and you showed me a gentleness that is unknown in our world."

He looked at her, not realizing he had raised an eyebrow, T'Pol style.

"Kriosian men are ... unimaginative," she said with a giggle. "My royal consort is still learning new things. Do you think they will let me access appropriate sections of your database?"

Trip started laughing.

"Don't worry. I'll prepare something for your royal consort," he forced out amid chuckles.

He stopped and put his hands on Kaitaama's shoulders. "So there won't be a diplomatic incident then?"

"No," she replied, slinging her arms around him. "Even if we cannot be together, I would wish very much that we could stay good friends."

"Sure thing," he said with a smile and hugged her tightly. They were standing for several moments, embracing each other, before she took his arm again. She directed them back toward the shuttle. She obviously wasn't very fond of snow.

"So, are you thinking about joining the coalition?" he asked.

"That would be too early," she said. "My people are slow to accept change. But I am trying to reach a compromise. Our deuterium and dilithium resources in exchange for protection. My people will see it as a simple trade."

"Well, you've seen what we're up against," he said. "Your people need to understand that the Romulans aren't muckin' about."

"Indeed," she said as they reached the shuttle.

"Let's show you a bit more of the planet and then I get back to repair your ship," he said, holding out his hand to help her back into the shuttlepod. "I'm happy we could talk things out."

"Likewise," she said and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Show me some warmer places."

Trip took the shuttle in the air and laid in a course towards Florida. If she wanted to learn about Earth, she should as well see the scars the planet had taken and what it meant to be under attack. And it was definitely warmer than Japan in the winter.

"They didn't really remember we were coming too, did they?" Malcolm said as he climbed into the bathtub, his whole body shaking from fear. Fairly unmistakable noises could be heard from within the sauna. Who would have thought that T'Pol was so vocal?

"It's not like we paid much attention a few days ago," Hoshi giggled, holding on to the badly shaking hand of her husband, while mentally recollecting how she had seduced Malcolm in the sauna and taken him on the spot a few days ago.

Tell me husband! Is my derrière more pleasing than hers?

"Oh my god!" Hoshi whispered, barely able to hold her laugh. She did of course know that T'Pol had found out what an exhilarating experience anal sex was due to the Vulcan physiology, but she had not known that T'Pol was so vocal and blunt about it.

"Your ass is best darlin'"

"Then use it. Your performance is not at one-hundred percent, husband! Harder! Faster!"

"G-good to see this whole Kriosian thing pass without a major crisis though," Malcolm stuttered – his face beet red in abashment. He distracted himself from his shivering by gently kneading Hoshi's breasts.

"I'm feeling bad for her," Hoshi said, puffing out her chest to give him better access. "It's not hard to see that she still has it bad for him."

"She takes it quite well, though," he said gently massaging Hoshi's bust as the shaking subsided now that he finally was in the water.