Already Spoken For
By: Regina Bellatrix


Rating: G

Spoilers: Breaking the Ice

N.B.: This is my moderately humorous response to the number of truly terrible fics out there in which T’Pol confesses her undying love (or undying lust) for Trip. Such a pairing is not only illogical, it is illogical for this early in the series! Besides, my Trip pairing preferences run in other directions... ;) And no, Lieutenant Hess’ given name isn’t really Maggie, I just made it up. ~RB

“Aw, now, T’Pol, that’s real sweet of you,” Enterprise’s Chief Engineer drawled, “but Ah’m already spoken for.”

“’Already spoken for?’” the Vulcan echoed.

Trip looked down at the jumbled mess on his work table, blushing slightly. “Yeah, well, in mah heart, anyway. Not t’ say Ah don’t find your offer flatterin’, ‘cause Ah do, but somebody else has taken up residence in mah heart. Ah have hope that this person might return the feelin’ an’ ... well, Ah don’t wan’ t’ take the chance of messin’ up mah shot at True Love. ‘Sides, you wouldn’t want t’ be in a relationship wi’ me if’n Ah didn’t return your feelin’s anyway, now would you?”

“No, Commander, you are quite correct. Approaching you in this manner was illogical of me. I apologise.”

“Naw, i’s alright. No harm done. See you at dinner tonight wi’ the cap’n?”

“Of course, Commander.” T’Pol inclined her head slightly and walked from Engineering.


She made her way back to her quarters. Her mind was spinning, reeling with a new emotion: Jealousy. She had only just come to terms with the love she felt for the blonde Human man, and this new one threatened to overwhelm her.

Meditation, she decided, was what she needed. Meditation and time to plan. There were only twenty-six other women on the ship. She would find out which one Tucker ... fancied. After that, she would be forced to take measures.


***


Three weeks later, T’Pol was quickly coming to her wit’s end. She had been observing Commander Tucker interacting with the female population of the crew and was far from figuring out who the man’s infatuation was. The Vulcan woman had a small list of unlikely candidates, women who never seemed to interact with Tucker at all, as well as Ensign Sato. She had placed the young linguist on the list because, despite his constant presence on the bridge when he was not needed, he never really flirted with the Asian woman.

T’Pol knew from experience that Tucker was a flirt. Every time some alien woman had caught his attention he had flirted shamelessly with her. It seemed unlikely that his tactics would change now. He occasionally joked with the ensign, but less so than he did with Lieutenant Reed, behind whom he always hovered when not at his own station. No, Hoshi was unlikely to be the commander’s love interest.

Frustrated, T’Pol began to seriously consider breaking into Tucker’s personal logs to discover the identity of her competition. She knew it was wrong of her, but he had once read her personal mail, and turnabout, as the Humans were fond of saying, is fairplay.


***


T’Pol watched from the shadows in Engineering as Tucker fussed with his hair and brushed imaginary specks of dust off of his immaculate uniform. The end of Alpha shift had arrived, and the commander had plans for the evening, plans which did not include dining with the captain and Science Officer as usual. This was her chance, she knew, to discover the identity of Tucker's lady-love without resorting to illegal means. All T’Pol had to do was to follow the engineer and see whose quarters he went to.


"Hot date tonight, Commander?" Lt. Hess asked her superior as she came in for her shift.

Tucker grinned and replied, "Yup."

"Who's the lucky lady?"

"None of your beeswax, Loo-tenant."

"If you say so, Sir. May I suggest making a detour to Hydroponics for some flowers? Sweet peas are blooming."

"Good idea, Maggie. That'll go real nice with the bottle of champagne I'm bringing."

"Champagne?"

"Yup, Taittenger '23. Nothin' but the best for my sweetheart."

"I'd say. Well, good luck, Commander. Have fun ... but not too much fun!" Hess called out as Tucker left Engineering.


T'Pol knew what she had to do. Slipping quietly from the shadows, she made her way to E deck and the area near Tucker's quarters. He would have to stop there to pick up the champagne, and then she would follow him to his destination.


***


Tucker stepped from his quarters, bouquet of Sweet Pea flowers and Taittenger in hand. T’Pol followed discreetly as he moved down the corridor. As it turned out, he wasn't going very far. He remained in the senior officer's section, telling her that her previous dismissal of Hoshi was a correct one, as well as eliminating anyone below the rank of lieutenant. She felt a certain amount of satisfaction, not only for her correct deduction, but because at least she hadn’t been refused in favour of some hussy of a junior officer or crewman. T’Pol still did not consider any of the other women on the ship to be good enough for the handsome engineer, but things could have been worse.

He stopped at a door, running his fingers through his hair nervously before announcing his presence. T'Pol held her breath as she watched from the shadows, anxious for the doors to open and reveal the object of the commander's affections. When they did finally open what they revealed caused her to gulp in a large breath.


Commander Tucker's mysterious love was Malcolm Reed.


The Englishman smiled up at the Southerner sweetly, and Tucker held out the flowers to him. Even from this distance, T’Pol could see the mischief dancing in the lieutenant's eyes as he said, "Flowers? For me?"

"Ah know it's a little silly, but ..." Tucker finished with a shrug and a grin.

Reed took the proffered flora and responded, "Well, I appreciate the gesture, Trip." He reached out and took Tucker's hand, tugging him inside.


T’Pol stood in the corridor, stunned, for a long while after that. It had never occurred to her that the person who had “already spoken for” Tucker would be a man. Even further from her mind was that said man would turn out to be Reed. Now she knew why the Chief Engineer always stood behind the Armoury Officer when on the bridge. She understood the true nature of their banter; they had been flirting. Quite shamelessly and on the bridge of all places.

All of her jealousy, much to her surprise, simply drained out of her. Reed was no simpering tart, no hussy given to histrionics. He was Tucker’s intellectual equal, the most level-headed of all the Humans on the ship. Darkly attractive in his own, quiet way, Reed was perhaps the only other person on Enterprise, aside from herself, that T’Pol was willing to consider “good enough” for the golden engineer.


When she finally moved from her place in the shadows, T’Pol walked up to the door to Reed’s quarters. She paused there a moment, her sensitive Vulcan ears picking up on the occasional laugh from within. Laying her hand lightly on the door, she whispered, “Peace and long life to you both. I hope you will be happy together.”

With that she turned and walked toward her own quarters. She decided that she had indulged her emotions quite enough. Meditation was in order. Meditation and a chance to move on.


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