Forwarded by the ASC-VSO Posted: 6 Jan 2004 09:51:31 -0800 In: alt.startrek.creative From: shouldknowbettertt@yahoo.co.uk (shouldknowbetter) Title: Deception Series: ENT Begins with "A Logical Proposal" "Deception is fourth in the series Part: 2/4 Story, 12/34 Series Author: ShouldKnowBetter Email: Shouldknowbettertt@yahoo.uk.com Rating: PG13 Codes: Tu/T, all "Enterprise" characters, eventually Soval and Forrest, action, angst, drama. Disclaimer: Paramount owns the characters, the Star Trek franchise and the universe. I just use them for my own private, non-profit making amusement. Summary: When Archer is critically injured in a shuttle pod accident, NB: Some of the story is in flashback (between lines of asterisks *****). DECEPTION Part Two Everyone was bent industriously over their terminals when Tucker took advantage of his mid-morning break to slip up to the bridge. Krajewski was fortunately absent, so he winked at T'Pol, who merely flicked an indifferent look at him, then approached the comm. station. "Hey, Hoshi." "I haven't." "Haven't what?" "Heard anything more about Captain Archer's condition." She gave him one of her warm, kind smiles. "I would have told you if I had, commander." He dropped his head, abashed, then looked back at her, smiling ruefully. "Thanks, Hoshi." He squeezed her shoulder. "I owe you … several." "I might just take you up on that, sir." Her smile was teasing this time. "What are you doing tonight?" "Commander Tucker!" Captain Krajewski's voice cut harshly across the easy camaraderie and Tucker straightened, pulling nervously at the fastening of his jumpsuit. "Commander, I don't know what sort of sloppy behaviour Captain Archer allowed you to get away with, but let me inform you that I will not tolerate it." He glared around at the rest of the bridge crew. "I demand that my officers adhere to protocol at all times and behave with a professionalism befitting their rank. Do I make myself clear?" The last was directed at Tucker and the engineer stared back, temper starting to slip. "I know what my commission means." "I'll have no insolence, commander. Now do you understand me?" "I do, Captain Krajewski, sir." It still earned him a glare that moved on to encompass Sato as well. Then Krajewski turned to T'Pol. "Sub-Commander, are you aware of any inappropriate relationships between members of this crew?" His tone made it clear what he meant by the term and implied that he would deal harshly and with disgust with any instance of inappropriateness he discovered. "I am aware of none." Krajewski's suspicious gaze returned to Tucker whose annoyance was visibly growing. "If you're implying that Hoshi and I …" "I suggest you stop there, commander, before you get yourself into trouble. Your duty station is in Engineering, I believe. Dismissed." Tucker stormed off the bridge. It was as well that turbo lift doors could not be slammed. ************************* ************************* (flashback) Tucker roused as soon as the doctor's medication wore off, his mind's agitation overriding his body's need for rest. For a few seconds, all he was conscious of was the burning in his hands and throat then memory caught up and he bolted into a sitting position, clutching at the wall as the injudicious movement made his head swim. A warm hand steadied him gently. "Jon?" "Doctor Phlox called a few minutes ago. Captain Archer survived surgery." "How long was I out?" "Three hours, eight minutes." "I need to see him." A thought occurred and he squinted up at T'Pol. "What are you doing here?" She withdrew the hand that had lingered on his shoulder. "The doctor anticipated that you would wake around this time. I thought that you would attempt something foolish and require assistance." "Did you bring any coffee?" With the suggestion of a sigh, T'Pol picked up the mug from the littered table by the bed and handed it over. "Thanks." Perhaps one day she would deduce exactly when humans offered thanks and when they did not. The provision of a hot drink was trivial. She would rather have been thanked for having disgraced herself by touching him in public. Tucker swallowed a few mouthfuls, holding the mug awkwardly in his sore hands, then glanced around his cabin, frowning. "Guess I need a uniform." Fortunately for T''Pol's peace of mind and body, he was already wearing standard issue underwear. "You are grossly untidy." "Yeah. Been busy." Absently he handed her the mug and slid out of bed, crossing to rummage in a cupboard. T'Pol looked away. "I will await you outside." He didn't respond, still half asleep and focussed on reaching his friend's bedside and she slipped out into the corridor to undertake a short series of mental exercises in self-restraint. Tucker might be used to having women watch him dress but it was not something she was prepared to tolerate; it provoked entirely inappropriate thoughts. When they entered sickbay, Archer had been returned from the surgical unit and was stretched out under a life-support hood. Tucker went straight to his captain's side and T'Pol followed automatically, watching as the engineer took the other man's hand. She wasn't jealous because she was fairly sure that Tucker would have done the same if she had been lying there, but she did not understand how humans managed to have deep affection for so many different people. She considered Archer a friend and was grieved for his status, but it in no way threatened her composure. Her feelings for Charles frequently escaped her control and could not be eradicated; and if she were honest with herself, she had given up trying. There was a dangerous addictiveness to demonstrations of affection that she would have to deal with - eventually. "Doctor," she turned to Phlox who had joined them, "do you have any further information?" The Denobolan suppressed a sigh. "Not a great deal. I was able to temporarily stabilise Captain Archer's condition, but it is temporary. He's dying, sub-commander." "That is not acceptable, doctor. What are the alternatives?" He snorted gently. "That we find somewhere within the next few days with the surgical facilities to undertake major organ repair and/or replacement. The only such facilities that I am aware of and that could cope with human physiology are on Earth; which I believe to be months away, not days." "Indeed." She looked back to where Tucker was still watching Archer's motionless body. "I will research the problem. In the meantime, doctor, I suggest that you treat Commander Tucker; and assume that he will be remaining here for some time." (end flashback) *********************** *********************** Title: Deception (1/4) Series: Begins with "A Logical Proposal" "Deception is fourth in the series Author: ShouldKnowBetter Email: Shouldknowbettertt@yahoo.uk.com Rating: PG13 Codes: Tu/T, all "Enterprise" characters, eventually Soval and Forrest, action, angst, drama. Disclaimer: Paramount owns the characters, the Star Trek franchise and the universe. I just use them for my own private, non-profit making amusement. Summary: When Archer is critically injured in a shuttle pod accident, DECEPTION Part one When T'Pol and Reed entered the ready room in response to a peremptory summons, Captain Krajewski was studying a PADD; and continued to study it whilst they waited until his first officer decided that she had better things to do than allow Enterprise's new captain to make a point. "You requested our presence, captain." "I did." He still didn't look up. "This is a confidential briefing, sub-commander, lieutenant. I trust you understand the implications of that?" "Of course." "Yes, sir." Reed shot a quick look at T'Pol, seeing one eyebrow raised. So she too thought it odd that such a briefing excluded the other ranking officer on board. Then Krajewski looked up and Reed found himself stiffening at the contempt in the man's grey eyes. Just what had they done or not done to earn that? "Starfleet has become aware of corruption within its own ranks. It is believed that certain individuals are involved in the transport and distribution of illegal substances." "Drug smuggling!" Reed was outraged. "That's appalling." "I'm glad you think so, lieutenant. Perhaps it will displease you to know that Enterprise has been implicated in the trade." "What?" "The distribution pattern of the drugs has been mapped. It coincides with Enterprise's movements over the last six months." "The implication," T'Pol said slowly, "is that the distribution is in the hands of someone who can either anticipate Enterprise's missions or influence them." Reed stared at her but Krajewski nodded approvingly. "Exactly, sub-commander. It is feared that Captain Archer may be involved in this crime." "That's ridiculous!" Reed's ascertain earned him a hard stare. "Your loyalty is commendable, lieutenant, but don't let it blind you to the facts." "I concur with Lt Reed," T'Pol stated flatly. "The facts of Captain Archer's conduct do not support such an allegation." "I repeat, Starfleet has evidence. It is our task to investigate further." "Investigate what?" Reed was still scathing. "The recent shuttle pod accident. It was probably undertaking a delivery. The explosion could have been a botched attempt at destroying the evidence." "I don't believe this," Reed muttered and Krajewski rose to his feet, coming to stand just in front of the Englishmen, invading his space. "You will participate in this investigation, lieutenant, or have your own behaviour called into question. Do you want that?" "No, sir." Reed had stiffened to attention. "You'll have my full cooperation, Captain Krajewski, just so that I can prove Captain Archer innocent." "Good. I want you to begin with a detailed analysis of the shuttle pod. The initial investigation failed to identify a cause of the explosion, I believe." "Indeed." T'Pol tried to apply a little logic to the situation. "The obvious person to conduct the analysis is Commander Tucker. He was excluded from the initial investigation but he was reinstated when no evidence of negligence was found." "No." Krajewski returned to his seat. "Who better to aid Archer than his chief engineer? You will exclude Tucker from this except as a suspect." This time neither officer protested, both having reached the conclusion that the easiest way to proceed was to prove the ludicrous allegations false. "Dismissed." ************************* ************************* (flashback) T'Pol returned to sickbay within the hour to find Tucker still hovering over Archer's biobed, although from the fact that he looked a little more healthy himself deduced that Phlox had finally treated him. She ignored the two humans in favour of Phlox who looked up questioningly. "Are you familiar with the Moreni?" "I'm afraid not." "Neither was I. The Vulcan database states that they are a pre-warp society who have nevertheless had contact outside their own system. A Vulcan vessel visited there fifteen years ago and was favourably impressed, particularly with the level of medical science, which was far in advance of the rest of their technology. It is approximately 60 hours away at our highest sustainable warp." Together they looked over at their unconscious captain and the Denobulan shrugged. "Why not?" (end flashback) *************************** *************************** Fortunately, Tucker hadn't yet scheduled the refurbishment of Shuttle Pod 1 so it was in much the same condition as when Enterprise had retrieved it. The previous investigation had been mostly non-intrusive because the engineering team had been conscious that once their boss snapped out of his abstraction and read their report, he would certainly want to rip the pod apart himself. Reed and T'Pol, less concerned at the prospect of Tucker's wrath, had dismantled the remnants of the pilot's console and were none the wiser. Grumpy, Reed sat back on his heels and scowled at the science officer who was methodically recording the status of each fragment of debris. "This is a waste of time, sub-commander." She didn't respond. "Commander Tucker's the only one who stands a chance of making sense of this mess." "You heard Captain Krajewski's orders." "Do you really think that Captain Archer and Commander Tucker are involved in drug smuggling?" It was a rhetorical question that she knew better than to answer. "And don't you believe that Commander Tucker wants to know just as much as the rest of us what caused the captain to be injured?" She looked back at him thoughtfully. "Your argument has merit." "Then can't you think of a logical reason to get Trip down here? We don't have to tell him he's under suspicion again." "I will give the matter some thought." ***************************** ***************************** (flashback) Phlox emerged for another of his half hourly checks and sighed reprovingly at the sight of Tucker again slumped forward in his chair, head resting on an arm propped on the side of biobed, his other hand still loosely clasped around Archer's. "Commander Tucker!" The engineer started at the peremptory tone and blinked up at the Denobulan, rubbing his eyes. "Doctor? Is he …?" "Captain Archer's condition is unchanged. Commander, I must insist that you leave. You have been here for the past twelve hours. You need to eat and sleep." The familiar, stubborn look crept over the American's face as he pushed himself upright. "I'm staying. The Cap'n needs to know that someone's here." "Commander, I have Captain Archer deeply sedated. He is not going to regain consciousness and he is unlikely to be aware of his surroundings." "Unlikely." The man's shadowed eyes met Phlox's even bluer ones. "Not impossible. I'm staying." The doctor shook his head and went to call in reinforcements. (end flashback) ******************************** ******************************** "I don't understand it." Tucker's irritation was growing with every repetition of his complaint. "Malcolm and I went over every damn circuit. There was nothing wrong. Nothing that could have caused that blow-out." "Commander." T'Pol's interjection went unnoticed. "There should have been some sign. That sort of catastrophic failure ..." "Charles." It worked as it always did. "If you and Lt Reed could not find a fault, then there is a high probability that there is nothing to find." They had reached his cabin and she turned to face him. "You were not to blame for what happened to Captain Archer." His eyes closed as he scrubbed a hand over his face. "I know. If there was nothing wrong, I couldn't have fixed it." "Indeed." Tucker opened his eyes to look down at T'Pol, a fond smile forming, and after a moment stretched out a hand to stroke the backs of his first two fingers gently down her cheek. "I never thanked you for looking out for me when Jon was so ill, did I?" "No." She allowed a short pause. "However, even amongst humans I believe that the existence of friendship brings with it an obligation of care." Her tone was cool but Tucker wasn't fooled; the dark eyes looking back at him were warm. His smile widened. "Thanks anyway," and he leant forward to press a chaste kiss to her forehead. It was a mistake. Tucker had been under severe stress and T'Pol had been worried about him and the physical attraction between them hadn't lessoned just because they both tried their best to ignore it. Tucker's lips lingered and T'Pol shivered, raising her head so that their mouths were only centimetres apart. He groaned at the silent invitation and took her mouth hard, arms going around her to pull her close while she obligingly fitted her body to his. "T'Pol?" Tucker mumbled a long passionate kiss later but got no further because she pulled his head back down to meet hers. T'Pol didn't even register that he had spoken. She certainly didn't comprehend the implicit question, but Tucker took her response as answer enough and let long denied desire take over entirely. He retained just enough sanity to reach for the door release, backing the unresisting woman into his quarters then pulling her even more tightly to him, hands running urgently over her back, sliding downwards to press her into his groin. T'Pol's thought process had been suspended from the moment Tucker's tongue invaded her mouth. It only re-engaged when one of his hands managed to free the fastening of her cat suit and slipped inside, working its way under her tank top. The feel of his cool flesh on her bare skin was wonderful but it couldn't be allowed to continue, however much they both wanted it to. She pulled her mouth from his although that only encouraged him to explore the soft skin of her neck. "Charles." Her voice sounded strange to her own ears. "We cannot." He took no notice of such sensible advice, sliding his mouth up to her ear. T'Pol heard herself gasp with pleasure and tried again. "We cannot do this." "You want to," he whispered, breath caressing her skin, and flicked his tongue over the point of her ear, making her shudder. "But I cannot." Sanity was returning despite the lust he had provoked and she struggled to free herself from his possessive embrace. "Charles, please, we must stop." She wriggled harder. "I do not want to hurt you." For a second longer, Tucker held her tight, breath harsh in her ear, then he released her abruptly and turned away, leaning his head on an arm propped against the wall. "At least tell me why." His voce was muffled. "You want me, I know you do. We could keep it quiet, stop your family finding out." He'd thought he'd understood the reasons last time they'd had this conversation but then he'd had himself on a very tight rein. This time he was tired, aroused and he needed her. T'Pol's hands were unsteady as she re-fastened her uniform. "My husband will expect me to be untouched." "Couldn't you come up with an excuse?" "No." He had finally turned back to face her and T'Pol could see his anger as well as the desire she shared. "Vulcans form telepathic bonds with their marriage partner. He would know." "He will anyway! You wanna be with me!" She did and he had no right to say it. "Before my marriage, I will ensure that I have … purged … such feelings as I have for you." "Just like that?" "I will perform the rite of Kolinahr." It was a decision she had reached some weeks before, when she had finally admitted that she was incapable of suppressing the emotion he had aroused without help. The Masters of Gol would assist her in eradicating every trace of emotion and then she would be at peace. "It will be thought unexceptional given the amount of time I have spent amongst humans." "Get out of here." "Charles …" "Just go!" She went. Continued in Part Three -- Stephen Ratliff ASC Stories Only Forwarding In the Pattern Buffer at: http//trekiverse.crosswinds.net/feed/ Yahoo! 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