Who’s to Blame for the Ten Years Apart?

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Codes: Archer/T’Pol, G, romance

Summary: When Harry Met Sally like interview with Archer/T'Pol

Author's Notes: If you want to know the answer, ask the characters. Just an idea I had while reading a thread at the Logical Choice. Inspired by the interview of my Great-grandparents on their 60th wedding anniversary. This is in the spirit of that, but with very different words.

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Reporter: So tell me, why did it take you ten years to get together?

Archer: Well, I was captain, she was the first officer. And then there were the 'crisis of the week' as we called them. Every Wednesday night some alien, anomaly or something would pose a threat.

T'Pol: Don't forget Fridays.

Archer: How could I forget? For no apparent reason the crises moved to Friday nights. Threw us for a loop for a while.

Reporter: So your positions and neverending crises kept you apart?

Archer: That was only part of it. We hated each other at first.

T'Pol: Hate I think is too strong of word. I disliked you.

Archer laughs: You really disliked me then.

Reporter: Why did you... dislike each other?

Archer: I grew up around the Warp 5 project. I saw again and again how the Vulcans held the program back. I thought the Vulcans looked down on humans. When T'Pol came along, well, we didn't get off to a good start.

T'Pol: I thought humans were volatile creatures, impulsive, and unprepared for interstellar travel. Jonathan reinforced those beliefs at first.

Reporter: I can see how that would be an obsticle. I'm assuming you both eventually learned how to stand each other?

T'Pol: Over time I came to see his positive qualities, like his compassion. I found that some of my beliefs about humans were unfounded.

Archer looks at T'Pol and smiles: Like she said, I began to see her positive qualities. We started working better as a command team and we became friends. I started trusting her and I grew a respect for her abilities and the way she would stand up to me.

T'Pol: Even when he stubbornly insisted he was right eventhough he knew I was.

Archer: Who's calling who stubborn? I remember a few times when you wouldn't admit I was right.

T'Pol raises an eyebrow.

Reporter: Those were the first few years?

Archer and T'Pol: Yes.

Reporter: What kept you apart after that?

Archer: I eventually realized I was attracted to T'Pol, but I didn't think she felt the same way about me.

T'Pol: I was inexperienced at the time with the emotion of love. I could not label my feelings for him. I did find him pleasing to look at... for a human.

This time Archer raises an eyebrow.

Reporter: Why didn't you just ask her how she felt?

Archer: I was in denial at the time. I didn't realize how deep my feelings ran. So I thought minimizing the sexual tension between us was for the best.

T'Pol: I agreed.

Archer: Later, when I considered telling her again, that conversation came up in my mind. Then, we entered the Expanse.

Reporter: I can imagine it was a tough time for both of you.

Archer: I distanced myself from her. I was so focused on the mission that I didn't see what was happening to her.

T'Pol: It was not your fault. I distanced myself from him as well. I did not see the toll the mission took on him.

Archer: I should have seen that you weren't acting right. I should have helped you.

T'Pol: I would have denied anything was wrong and resisted your help.

Archer: I wasn't there and you turned to Trip.

T'Pol: The Trellium caused me to become addicted to emotion. He provided it. I regret using him. I am thankful that I did not use you in the same way...

Reporter: Yes, I remember one of your political rivals exposing your Trellum additiction. So the Expanse put some distance between you. What happened to bring you closer together?

T'Pol: When I thought Jonathan dead, I realized that he meant more to me than I knew. I still could not understand the emotions I felt for him.

Jon: She told me she didn't want me to die. I thought she was talking as a friend. When I showed up alive on the bridge, I saw the look in her eyes. I told myself that I was imagining things. I thought T'Pol only felt friendship for me. Hearing rumors about her and Trip reinforced that.

T'Pol: After his return, we began to repair our comand relationship and friendship.

Archer: I was glad to have her back as a friend.

T'Pol: After some time, Trip agreed with me that only friendship could exist between us. My friendship with Jonathan became closer over the years after that.

Archer: Our friendship was great. We talked, shared dinners together, shared shoreleave together... she even taught me Vulcan martial arts. I thought that I would be content with that level of closeness forever.

T'Pol: As did I.

Reporter: So what changed then?

T'Pol: At the signing of the federation charter, he hugged me goodbye. I realized then that I might not see him again. I felt overcome by emotion.

Archer: It hit me too. We saw each other again that night at a party. I didn't get a chance to talk to her like I used to. I went back to my apartment that night and realized that T'Pol wasn't living close by anymore. I couldn't go talk to her in the middle fo the night, play a game of chess, or cook dinner with her.

T'Pol: I also felt the loss of his companionship that night.

Archer: It took me a week to get up the nerve to contact her.

T'Pol: I could barely hide my pleasure at seeing him.

Archer: We went out to eat dinner and started seeing each other more and more.

T'Pol: I asked him one night if what we were doing was considered dating.

Archer: I asked her if she wanted us to be dating.

T'Pol: I answered that I would like that.

Archer: Then I kissed her.

T'Pol exchanges a look with him.

T'Pol: We bonded several months later.

Archer: We also had a wedding. I can't believe how many years ago that was. Sometimes I don't know how she puts up with me.

T'Pol: Vulcans have more patience than humans.

Archer chuckles.

Reporter: What is your secret to a lasting relationship?

Archer: I takes many things to make a relationship work: Acceptance. Understanding. Friendship. Love. Trust. Respect.

T'Pol: I agree. We knew each other well before we entered a romantic relationship. I think it made the transition easier.

Archer: It did. I grew to love her so much during our time on Enteprise. I couldn't imagine knowing and loving her more. I was wrong. I think I learn something new about her all the time. And it may sound cliche, but I love her more as time goes by.

T'Pol looks at him again her eyes filled with emotion.

Reporters: And that's all the time we have with former Federation President Archer and former Ambassador T'Pol. They are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary this Saturday. Congratulations to you both and live long and prosper.


A/N: Who's to blame for the 10 years? All I can say is at least they didn't break Riker and Troi's record of 15 years. Talk about stringing 'shippers along....

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