The BLTS Archive - Rejoicing
Fifth in the Reconnecting Series
by HopefulRomantic (Hopeful_Romantic@prodigy.net)

---

Archive: Please ask me first.

Disclaimer: Star Trek: Enterprise is the property of
CBS/Paramount. All original material herein is the property
of its author.

Spoilers: Through "Home," plus references to "Borderland."

A/N: This story incorporates an element from an early draft
of "Home" that was ultimately cut from the final version: a
line of dialogue in which Trip tells T'Pol that he thought
she looked good in red.

Thanks to my betas slj91 and Jenna for invaluable input.

---

The Starfleet brass were dead set on putting T'Pol in a
standard-issue blue crew uniform. The High Command was
equally adamant that she adopt attire that reflected her
native Vulcan culture and traditions. Finally T'Pol
suggested a compromise, with tactfulness that would have put
both sides to shame, had they taken a moment to think about
it.

History never recorded that T'Pol's first act, as soon-to-be
Starfleet Commander and groundbreaking symbol of the
strengthening alliance between Earth and Vulcan, was to
avert open warfare over the design of her uniform.

Her second act was to inform Admiral Forrest, calmly but
firmly, that she would participate in the ceremony being
planned for her //only// if it included all other members of the
crew who were receiving promotions. Trip and Archer got to
watch that one, hiding out of range of T'Pol's viewscreen.
They agreed afterward that it was one of her finest moments.

Archer and Trip arrived at Starfleet HQ's cavernous
reception hall a few minutes before the ceremony's kickoff.
The room was packed to the rafters with cameras and press,
dignitaries, officials, and families of the honorees.

There was a section in the center for //Enterprise// crewmembers
who had come to cheer on their mates. Attendance wasn't
mandatory, since many of the crew were still officially on
leave, but they were all here--every single one who had made
it back from the Expanse. Even Mackenzie and her MACOs were
present, looking spit-and-polish in their spotless gray
camo, though they seemed oddly underdressed without pulse
rifles in their hands.

The dozen honorees were still out of sight. They would be
entering from a side room as their names were announced, for
maximum theatricality--the PR department's idea.

Archer climbed onto the dais down in front, giving Trip a
hand up. "So?"

"So...what?" Trip inquired.

"So--her uniform! What does her uniform look like?" Archer
prompted.

Trip shrugged. "Beats me."

"Stop messing with me. I'm your captain. Your best friend.
You can tell me."

"Cap'n, she hasn't told me anything."

Archer frowned in confusion. "Did I miss something again?
You're Trip Tucker...she's T'Pol...you two are--"

"--Just friends," Trip finished pointedly.

"Well, of course. But close friends. //Special// friends.
Friends who don't keep secrets from each other." Archer
waited, but Trip just chewed on his lower lip. "C'mon, Trip,
she must have been wearing it this morning."

"Didn't see her this morning."

This was getting weird. "You meet her for breakfast //every//
morning."

"Not //this// morning," Trip said, with a touch of irritation.
"I found a message from her on my terminal when I got up.
She said she'd see me at the ceremony. That's it."

Archer was crestfallen. "I thought, of all people, you'd
have the inside track."

"So did I," Trip replied glumly.

//Oops.// Archer shifted gears, trying to cheer his friend up.
"Maybe she's just steering clear of the press until the last
possible moment."

"Maybe," Trip muttered doubtfully. "Or maybe she finally had
enough of being way up on that high wire we've been dancin'
on since she got back."

"Stop talking nonsense. I haven't seen her this happy
in...well, ever."

Trip cocked an eyebrow. "Probably because she's //Vulcan,//
Cap'n, and she wouldn't--"

"You know what I mean! She finds your company 'most
agreeable'."

Finally, Trip perked up a little. "Yeah?"

"Trust me."

Trip's tongue lolled around inside his cheek. "I dunno,
Cap'n. Just a couple months ago, you were an obsessed,
guilt-ridden, suicidal wreck."

"I'm better now, smartass," Archer retorted good-naturedly.
"And if you keep talking like that, I'll have you
mucking out plasma casings for a year, //Ensign// Tucker."

Trip drew back in mock outrage. "Oh, I get it. He who giveth
out promotions can taketh promotions away, ith that it?"

Over Trip's shoulder, Archer saw the big double doors
opening, admitting the last group of dignitaries. He turned
Trip around. "Look. It'll cheer you up."

Trip looked--and saw Ambassador Cranky himself entering the
hall. Soval was draped in formal diplomatic regalia and
trailed by several stone-faced Vulcan attendants. They took
the last remaining cluster of empty seats, refusing to meet
anyone's eyes.

"I was wondering when he would get around to gracing us with
his presence," Archer hmmphed. "Nothing like a disruptive,
last-second entrance to show everybody how he really feels."

Trip was already smiling. "Damn. He looks so...//pissed//."

Archer studied the old Vulcan diplomat with a critical eye.
"Y'know, Trip, I do believe the Ambassador is going to have
kittens."

Trip nodded appreciatively. "It's moments like this that
make you realize that putting up with his crap for thirty
years was worth it. I'm gettin' all misty."

"I don't think I've ever seen him quite that shade of green
before," Archer remarked.

"Jealousy, Cap'n. Green with jealousy. His protégée belongs
to //us// now."

Archer chuckled wickedly. "Who says Vulcans don't have
nightmares?"

Lofty music started playing from somewhere, and Archer and
Trip took their places. The ceremony was underway.

Captain Archer had the honor of awarding the promotions.
Commander Tucker stood at the captain's right hand, since
//Enterprise's// first officer was one of the promotees.

As Trip called out each name with a flourish, the honoree
entered the hall and mounted the dais, to applause from the
crowd--in the case of relatives and //Enterprise// crew, wild
applause punctuated by whoops and whistles. Archer pinned
shiny new pips on the uniform of each crew member--Watson
from Life Sciences, Daystrom from Computing, Baker from
Security, Rostov from Engineering--as he murmured a few
personal words of appreciation to each of them, in thanks
for their contribution to //Enterprise,// and especially to the
success of the Xindi mission.

The newly-appointed Lieutenant Commander Malcolm Reed stood
smartly at attention as Archer pinned on his new pips.
"Thank you, Lieutenant Commander, for being the warrior
//Enterprise// needed at Tactical when she was pressed into
service as a warship."

He took Malcolm's hand in a warm handshake. Malcolm's
British reserve didn't allow him even to crack a smile, but
his eyes shone with pride as he nodded. "It's an honor,
Captain, to serve with you."

Archer gave Lieutenant Travis Mayweather a wry half-smile as
he shook the helmsman's hand. "Lieutenant, I must confess
that while I was piloting that blasted Xindi ship through
Azati Prime's ocean, I sorely wished for your instincts."

Travis answered with a confidence he hadn't had three years
ago. "With respect, Captain...I suggest you let //me// do the
piloting next time, sir."

After Archer pinned Lieutenant's bars on Hoshi Sato, he took
her hand in both of his and studied her for a moment without
saying anything, noting the still-healing scars on her
temples and the not-quite faded shadows under her eyes.
Softly, he said, "Hoshi, you taught me the true meaning of
grace under pressure."

Hoshi, visibly moved, put her other hand over his. "Thank
you, Captain."

She took her place in line with the other honorees on the
dais as Trip announced the final officer to be promoted:
"T'Pol of Vulcan--Commander."

The door opened, and in strode T'Pol. She was sporting a
gleaming new //Enterprise// patch on her left arm. Blue piping
along her shoulders designated her a member of the Sciences
department. But it was the rest of her uniform that everyone
was staring at. It was the same sleek design as the
form-fitting civilian jumpsuits she had worn for the last
year, which was itself an attention-getter. Then there was
the color.

Red. Vivid, vermilion red.

Trip gaped. Breathing was not an option.

Archer wasn't doing much better. "Holy shit," he breathed.
Behind him, he heard Hoshi giggle. He cleared his throat,
endeavoring to regain his Official Captainly Deportment, and
glanced over at Trip. "You're gonna catch flies."

Trip blinked, clapped his mouth shut, and managed to recover
some semblance of dignity.

T'Pol smoothly climbed the steps to the dais, displaying not
a whit of self-consciousness, serenely above all the hoopla.
She stood at calm attention as Archer pinned her commander's
pips on her uniform. "Welcome to Starfleet, Commander
T'Pol." More quietly, he added, "And may I say, you are the
very embodiment of Zefram Cochrane's words 'to go boldly'."

T'Pol nodded, her expression all innocence. "The uniform
does conform to the parameters agreed upon by both Starfleet
and the Vulcan High Command."

Archer smothered a smile. "But not in the way they expected,
I'll bet. Touché, Commander." He didn't offer his hand;
Vulcans were no fans of hand shaking. But to his surprise,
T'Pol offered hers. Pleased, he shook it...hearing every
camera in the place snapping away as he did so.

T'Pol then held her hand out to Trip. He took it, but didn't
let go right away. "Red. It looks good on you," he said
lightly.

"So I've been told," T'Pol responded, matching his tone.

Archer didn't know what she was talking about, but he could
tell from the shy smile Trip gave her that those two sure as
hell did.

T'Pol took her place at the end of the line of honorees, and
Archer turned to the audience. "We salute these exemplary
men and women of the Starship //Enterprise//." The huge room
filled with applause.

-- -- --

Afterward, everybody mingled, sipping punch and nibbling
on hors d'oeuvres. Naturally, T'Pol was the focus of the most
attention, receiving an endless string of well-wishers with
patience and grace.

As Archer and Trip fielded questions about //Enterprise's//
improvements, the captain noticed his friend sneaking
glances at T'Pol now and again. She was a couple of knots of
people away at the moment, conversing with a group of
Starfleet brass.

Archer nudged Trip. "You're not staring at her, are you?
With the eyes of the world trained on you?"

Trip started. "No, no. Not me." A bit sheepishly, he turned
his back on T'Pol. "Besides, the cameras are all on her
anyway."

"She's been handling the attention a lot better the last few
days," Archer continued. "Do you have anything to do with
that?"

Trip shrugged it off. "Aw, I've just been talking to her
some, letting her blow off steam."

Archer nodded, pleased for them both. "That's good."

There was a bit of commotion nearby--Soval and his lackeys
were heading for the exit, and making quite a show of it.
Even T'Pol was glancing in their direction. As they passed,
Archer got a devilish gleam in his eye. "Ambassador! Leaving
so soon?"

Soval paused. Reluctantly. "My schedule is extremely busy."

"Of course," Archer nodded. "We're fortunate that you could
be here to watch history being made. The Vulcan High Command
must be very proud."

Soval turned another interesting shade of green.

Trip couldn't resist joining in on the fun. Indicating
T'Pol, he asked innocently, "What do you think of her
uniform, Ambassador?"

Soval drew himself up, oozing haughty disapproval. "Garish.
Undignified. I am most dissatisfied." And with that
impressively arrogant nose-in-the-air move that he did to
absolute perfection, he swept imperiously out of the hall,
his retinue of solemn shadows in tow.

Archer waited for what was sure to be a colorful burst of
indignation from his chief engineer in T'Pol's defense.
Surprisingly, though, Trip's expression was absolutely
beatific. "Well," he said pleasantly. "That suits me right
down to the ground."

Archer burst out laughing--a deep, gut-busting roar that went
on and on, until he was holding onto Trip for support,
gasping and wiping tears from his eyes.

For Trip, Archer's laughing fit was sweet evidence that his
friend was continuing to heal from the horrors he had put
himself through in the Expanse. Trip glanced around, but
they were drawing only cursory glances from most of the
crowd. Just Captain Archer enjoying a good knee-slapper.

But the //Enterprise// crew was watching Archer. Every last
one of them. Trip saw a myriad of emotions on their
faces--surprise, relief, awe. And in every expression, he saw
gladness.

One by one now, they were excusing themselves from whomever
they were talking to, family and dignitary alike, and making
their way toward their captain. By the time Archer
straightened, still chuckling, he and Trip were surrounded
by a sea of //Enterprise// blue and MACO gray. Plus one in
deliciously undignified vermilion red.

Beyond them, the press had finally caught on to the
extraordinary gathering, and had started pointing their
cameras to capture it.

Archer turned in a slow circle, taking a moment to meet the
eyes of each and every one of his crew. At last he spoke,
his voice rough with emotion. "I am so glad to be in your
company today...to be part of this crew." His words were met
by smiles, nods of respect, raised glasses in salute.

He turned to the nearest crewwoman--Carson, from
Astrometrics. "Carson, where've you been the last two
months?"

"With my sister, sir," Carson replied. She pulled a padd of
pictures from her pocket. "I'm an aunt!"

Archer beamed at the pictures of the tiny, pink-bowed baby
and her proud parents. "What's her name?"

"Kendra, sir."

"She's beautiful." Archer handed the padd back with a nod of
thanks, then looked beyond Carson to the next crewman. "And
you, Patrice?"

Patrice grinned enthusiastically. "White-water rafting on
the Colorado River."

"Aw! I've always wanted to do that."

"You'd love it, sir."

"You have pictures?" Archer asked hopefully.

"You bet, sir."

"Good. I want a look." Archer searched the crowd. "Where's
Gordon?"

A hand shot up. "Here, Captain."

"When you get back aboard, see about putting up some kind of
wall display in the mess hall, for any pictures the crew
might want to put up for everyone to see."

"You got it, sir!"

Archer nodded and moved on to a slender young woman.
"O'Leary! You gained some weight. About time." There was
general laughter, and O'Leary blushed.

Trip backed unobtrusively out of the circle. This was the
captain's time to be with his crew. As Trip reached the
perimeter, he found T'Pol standing there, having done the
same thing he had. They both watched in satisfied silence
for a moment...their captain and friend, and the crew of
//Enterprise,// reconnecting.

Trip glanced around the great hall. Everyone else was
watching, too. He turned to T'Pol. "Commander, I don't
believe I see a single camera aimed in your direction."

T'Pol looked relieved. "That...suits me right down to the
ground."

Trip laughed out loud. He'd forgotten about her keen sense
of hearing. "How about some fresh air?"

She nodded, and they strolled toward the exit. "I look
forward to a peaceful return to anonymity," T'Pol commented.

"If it's anonymity you're after, you'd better pick another
color for that uniform, Commander," Trip advised.

"In truth, I would prefer Starfleet blue," T'Pol admitted.
"Unfortunately, several senior members of Starfleet
expressed their enthusiasm for my current
choice...especially when Ambassador Soval's disapproval
became apparent."

"Never underestimate the capacity for supposedly wise senior
officials to become squabbling little children, T'Pol."

"Indeed." She looked dismayed. "I may be obliged to adopt
this color permanently."

"Y'mean I'll be forced to look at you in this comely red
outfit every day?" Trip grimaced in mock agony. "How will I
manage it?"

T'Pol's eyebrow arched with dry amusement as the pair pushed
through the double doors into the brilliant sunshine. "I am
sure, Commander, that you will find a way."

---

to be continued in Reconnecting Six: The Land of Might-Have-Been