***WARNING : minor spoiler from episode "Dear Doctor"


"Between Friends"
By Quills

Summary: Trip and T'Pol share some time alone in a shuttlecraft and learn '
About themselves

Shuttlecraft Drake was on it's return trip to Enterprise. It's two passengers...Commander Tucker and Sub Commander T'Pol had finished a three hour close scanning mission of a nearby asteroid belt with high end
Theta band emissions. The belt was too tight a squeeze for Enterprise so the Captain assigned his Science officer and Commander Tucker to take care of scanning the belt for possible interference with a sub space
beacon they had planned to leave in the vicinity.

Trip Tucker looked over at his co pilot. The Vulcan science officer seemed deep In thought. As a matter of fact she had been this way for the large portion of their mission. Of course it had not proven a distraction from her performance, but it was to the point that he could tell
That something was on her mind.

"Penny for your thoughts T'Pol?" Trip asked his fellow crewmember

Humans had many strange phrases within their expansive lexicon. If she worked with humans for a lifetime she was quite certain she would never learn them all. Fortunately she was familiar with this one.

"I have been considering advice I have given a fellow crewmember." She said "Upon reflection I am wondering if I have given adequate advice and what will come of it."

"Want to talk about it?" he asked

"I am do not think it would be appropriate." She said "The advice was given in confidence."

"If it's botherin ya it might be a good thing to talk about it." He told her "You know I won't let it go past the two of us."

T'Pol looked at Trip Tucker for a moment and considered his offer.

"Recently, the Doctor asked my advice on interspecies relationships with humans." she explained " Apparently a female crewmember was showing interest in an intimate relationship with him."

"Ensign Cutler" he said

She raised an eyebrow in response. "Exactly how many of the ship's crew are aware of the Ensign's overtures towards the Doctor?"

"Excluding you ...and you only know because of the Doc....everyone." he told her

"Everyone?" she said

"Well...maybe not Lt. Sikes in waste reclamation" he told her " but he doesn't get out much."

"I see." she responded

Trip smiled at her. He liked to see her perplexed. He knew he shouldn't think such things...but she looked so damn cute. It wouldn't help any to dwell on his feelings for the Vulcan science officer. He was better off directing his energies through friendly discussions and arguments with her.

"See, if you interacted with the crew more you'd be in the gossip loop." he said

"I will keep that under consideration." she said

"So what did you tell him...the Doc?" he asked

"I told him that humans were attracted to new and unique experiences and that he should be careful that the Ensign is not merely using him for her own ends."

"You actually said that?" he asked

"Yes." she told him flatly

"That's cold T'Pol." he said "Even for you."

"It is the truth." she retorted

"Yeah and how would you know?" he asked "You don't exactly have experience in this area."

"That is where you are mistaken Commander." she said corrected him

"What d'you mean?" he said with no small surprise in his voice

"I have had experience with human interspecies relationships." she told him.

"You?" he said dumbfounded

"Yes Commander." she answered

They remained quiet for a long moment before Trip broke the silence.

"Sooooo." he said

"So what Commander?" she asked

"So, tell me about it. he said

"It is a personal matter Commander." she told him "It is not your concern."

"Come on T'Pol, it's just you me and the bulkheads." he told her "I promise whatever you say won't go past here."

She looked at him for a moment. She was giving serious consideration to telling him. Why? What she said was true. It was a private matter. Why was she so willing to confide in him? Was there more to this human. She had admitted to herself on more than one occasion That he had a remarkably disarming personality. It caused a stirring in her she often longed
To bring to the surface.

Trip saw the hesitation in her eyes.

"Look T'Pol, your one of the crew. You might try trustin some of us." he told her " I know I had trouble acceptin you and for a while I didn't trust you, but ya proved yourself to the Captain and the crew.
I'd like ta consider you a friend. I'd hope you would do the same."

Friend. Had she come so far in such a short time? When she first came aboard Enterprise she felt isolated and alone, but as time went on the atmosphere of mistrust began to dissipate. She still felt little connection
to this crew, but she did recognize a genuine offering of friendship from many crewmembers. Perhaps this was the right time to begin accepting some of those offerings.

"I met him on my first visit to Earth some 15 years ago." she said "He was a cultural ambassador who was assigned as liaison between the visiting Vulcan dignitaries and the Earth World Council."

Trip shifted in his seat to make himself comfortable. He didn't want to be distracted .

"The Vulcan councilate had given all of the junior delegates, including myself, specific instructions not to interact with any of the human population beyond mere courtesy. However, I was undisciplined at the time and prone to questioning my superior's orders."

"You T'Pol" he said "that's extraordinary."

He smiled at her and though he couldn't swear to it, he thought she smiled back.

"As we were both working at the Vulcan compound we saw a great deal of one another." she explained "He expressed a great interest in Vulcan culture and history. I was content to answer his questions. He eventually suggested we have dinner together. Disregarding my superior's instructions I accepted his invitation. In the coming weeks we saw more of each other outside of our normal work venue. I was under the impression that he was developing a romantic affection for me and I reciprocated by allowing myself to
indulge in normally repressed emotions."

She paused momentarily to gauge Trip Tucker's reaction. He kept a somber face. No matter how amazed he was at what he was being told...or even that it was being told too him...he was nor going to show it. He did not want T'Pol to think she was telling her secrets to him as entertainment.

"As time went I found that the feelings I was allowing myself to have were blinding me from examining the situation rationally." She explained "If I had been rational I would have seen that David's interest in me was waning. I was merely a curiosity. Someone new and interesting with whom he had acquired a passing
fascination."

Trip could see the pain in T'Pol's eyes. He had to admit that she normally hid her feelings well, but in this case even a blind man could see that this was an old wound.

"T'Pol, I'm sorry." Was all he could say

"Not as sorry as I was." she responded "I made a ere in judgment. I allowed my emotions to rule my decisions and did not look at the situation realistically."

"How could you have known?" asked Trip

"I am a Vulcan. I should not have allowed myself to be attached to so emotionally charged a species without anticipating the possibility of it being a mere infatuation on the other parties part."

"So what did you do." he asked

" I requested to be transferred back to Vulcan where I entered the Kohlinar program. The final stage Vulcan's enter when they purge their remaining emotions."

Trip looked at her. This time his emotions were plain to see. He had a look of great sadness.T'Pol took immediate notice.

"Why are you saddened Commander." She asked " This happened a long time ago."

"I know." he said "It's just..."

He couldn't or wouldn't finish.

"Just what Commander?" she asked "Trip?"

He looked up at her

"It's just I would have liked to have known that T'Pol." he said

"Why is that Commander?" she asked

"I..." he wanted to tell her how he was feeling but his courage faltered "I don't know."

"Trip, is there something you wish to say to me?" she asked "You asked me to trust you. Now I am asking you to trust me."

He looked her in the eyes. Her soft eyes melted him on the spot.

"I've got feelins for ya." He confessed "I guess that's not the best thing for me to be telling ya on the heels
of your story."

T'Pol looked at him thoughtfully before speaking.

"I may have been hasty in the advice I gave the Doctor." She said

"Why is that." He asked

"I have given greater consideration to what I said and why I said it." She explained " I may have been projecting my own issues onto the Doctor's situation. I may have leaned towards judging all human interspecies relationships on my one negative experience. Serving aboard this ship has shown me that humans are not all alike and that a relationship with one is not only possible but beneficial."

"T'Pol, what are you sayin." he asked her

"I would like us to be...friends Commander." She said

"Friends?" he asked

"Perhaps more?" she posed he answer as question

Trip smiled at her.

"I'd like that." He told her

"Then perhaps you would care to join me for dinner when we return to Enterprise." She asked

Trip couldn't help suppressing a laugh.

"You find something amusing?" she asked not quite understanding

"I'm sorry " he said "It' just I never expected you to be askin me out on a date."

"Perhaps you have given me reason to ask." she told him with a raised eye brow.

"I'm looking forward to it." He said "And T'Pol...I can't promise things are gonna work between us, but I can promise you that I won't hurt you."

She looked at Tip and smiled slightly.

"I know that Commander. " she told him " You are an honest and honorable man. It is one of the qualities I find...attractive about you."

Trip smiled again

"Just do me a favor." He said

"Yes?" she asked

"Call me Trip." He said

"Alright...Trip." She said

The End