Settling Some Questions

Posted on Sun May 24th, 2015 @ 2:34pm by Captain Li Hawke & Suresh & Lieutenant Commander Michael Darwin

Mission: Breaking New Ground
Location: The cha'Do' - The Neutral Zone

* * * The cha’Do’ * * *

Li waited till Darwin left the room, then looked back to Suresh. “Alright, go ahead. Let’s get the lecture over with. I know you want to.” She leaned her head back against the wall, relaxing more as her headache began to give way to something a little less blinding.

"We all told you not to get in his head, but you did." He dove right in. "If this hadn't happened, something else just as bad - or worse - could have happened."

“Like Oz being killed? Or Darwin? Or even you?” She muttered and rubbed her temple gently. “You don’t know what he is capable of. He could easily have taken out both you and Darwin. I just evened the odds. I meant what I said on that balcony when we --” She stopped, realizing after she said it that this Suresh hadn’t been out by the lake with her, that it has been the other who had touched her. She shivered at the thought.

"When we what? I don't... Oh," he got it, understood that she'd talked to the other Suresh. "What did you say to him?"

“A lot of things,” Li admitted, her voice quiet. The emotion she had sensed - she should have realized, of course, but she hadn’t been reading him. “And I thought that you….” She stopped once more. “It was…” What? Too close for comfort? Too familiar? She shook her head, hoping to brush the scene away.

He watched her, frowning. "That would be why his first move was to hit me hard enough that he opened my cheek up." He rubbed the spot, the only trace of the gash now was in his memory. Darwin had closed up the wound. "You trust me, and he couldn't stand it."

Li pursed her lips and nodded. “That is true. I should have known it wasn’t you. I sensed so much desire and I just put it aside, thinking that you…I’m sorry. For all of this. He wanted you dead so much. He saw you as a threat and was so sure that you intended to take his place with me. I know that sounds crazy, it does even to me.”

"I have taken his place and will continue doing so. Perhaps not as close to you as he wished to be, but, then again, I might just be closer." He smiled at her and rubbed her back.

“Perhaps in a genuine fashion and not as an insanely obsessed animal.” Li smiled at Suresh. She had to admit that the touch felt good but moments later, she pulled his hand from her back and held it. “I should thank you as well. You’ve ended this nightmare for all of us.”

"It was my pleasure - sort of. Killing myself, my doppleganger, was strange. A little fun, even."

“Poetic justice is it not?” She looked down at his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I suppose." He covered her hand with his other and lightly pulled her closer to kiss her forehead. "And now we go back to SB900, where your husband awaits you."

She closed her eyes at the kiss, sensing the flashes of desire and conflict within him, then nodded. “He will be pleased to know it’s over, for good.” Pleased was not exactly the right word, Li knew, but describing Sakkath’s mental and emotional states to others was not something she would do. “And I owe you. I know your life going forward may be unsettled until you find your place but I’ll do what I can to help. And remember, neither of us is the nightmare we resemble.”

She had picked up that she reminded, just a touch, of the woman, Isha, from his home universe. "Yes, we are not." Smiling broadly, he asked lightly, "Can you convince Oralia of that?"

“I think she already knows. You saved her life. The old one was intent on ending it. I think the comparison stopped there. And if you can convince her, you can convince anyone.” Li finally laughed as their recent days flashed through her mind. “It’s been a hell of a trip, hasn’t it?”

"I hope my next trip away from 900 has more... pleasure to it than this one has. Not that you aren't good company," he said. "Perhaps I'll impose on Seyla for such a trip."

Li laughed once more. “Be careful there. That’s all I am saying.” A noise outside the door drew her attention and she looked up from where they sat, hand in hand, on the bunk. “Lunch you think?”

"Lunch," he stood to open the door and found Darwin there, tray in hand.

"You two didn't take the hint, so lunch comes to you," Darwin brought the tray in and set it on the bed next to Li. "Oz is out and should be for awhile now."

“I think I may do the same once I’ve eaten. Thanks Darwin.”

"That's a good plan, Captain," Darwin rubber stamped her plan. "Come, Surry, let's eat in the cockpit."

"Rest up, Li," Suresh paused, then leaned in and kissed her forehead again.

“I will.” She watched as the door closed behind them, then pressed her fingers to her temples once more. Lunch smelled good but she suspected sleep would be a long time coming.

**********************
Captain Li Hawke
Relieved

Suresh
Maybe Not Obsessed

Darwin
Lunch Maker