The Shadow Beneath The Surface

Posted on Sat Jun 13th, 2015 @ 12:38pm by Niro & Lieutenant Bajun Julisa
Edited on on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 @ 10:22am

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: JAG Offices / Below The Equator

JAG Offices

Chelsea was at her desk trading gossip with Siri when the doors opened to admit Julisa. “Good morning Lt. Bajun.” Chelsea used her title, which meant that someone was here who wasn’t on staff.

Julisa's steps slowed till she stopped and looked at Chelsea. Leaning towards her, she whispered, "Who's here?"

“Oh, it’s Nico. He appeared here and asked for you and I sent him on inside. I figured it was some last bits about the investigation.” Chelsea shrugged. “He’s only been here a few minutes.”

"Oh, okay," she relaxed and went on into her office. "Hi, Nico. What can I do for you?" She dropped her padd on the desk and turned to face him.

“As the Terrans say, close but no cigar.” Niro smiled at seeing Julisa in person. “I just left Nico down on Archadia celebrating his wedding night. How are you Julisa?”

She froze like a rabbit within striking distance of a fox. "Niro. Holy shit." She stepped back. "What are you doing here? Nico got married? By the gods, you two move fast."

Niro shrugged. “I wasn’t far away when you found me and I keep track of him. Word that he’d hired a minister traveled back so I got there in time for the wedding. You’ll have to ask him but he seems rather happy and likely getting while the getting is good. Life’s short as he well knows.” His eyes narrowed as he looked at her, reading her without any concern for her privacy. “So, what’s been happening with you?”

"Nothing," she said, trying to raise her mental blocks against him. The last thing she wanted was for him to see any memories of her and Solis. "Stop that. I'm happy for your brother. Dru seems good for him."

“I believe she is. He’s more together than I’ve seen him since he was imprisoned. She and your Counselor Swift seem to be miracle workers.” He studied Julisa once more. “You look very good…..considering.”

She had started to smile at his compliment, but the qualifier made that die quickly. She blinked. "Considering? Considering what?"

“Sit down, Jules,” he commanded. He glanced at her chair and flicked his finger in that direction. “Trust me you want to.”

She had trusted him with her life and he'd gotten her through that, mostly by doing what he'd just done: tell her to move as he said. She slid into her chair. "Well?"

“What I mean is, you look amazing...for someone who died. What’s the story there?” Niro asked. “I’m curious since I got you through one of the most dangerous places you could ever be without a scratch. So what gives?”

She shook her head slightly and blinked a few times. "But I didn't die. Obviously, since I'm here. Dead people usually end up as ash." She spread her hands and smiled.

“So how’s your shoulder?” he asked casually.

She looked at her left shoulder then at Niro. "It's fine.... Now you're freaking me out, Niro. Where are you getting this?"

“Your head, sweetheart,” he answered. “And you don’t know. I see. It’s all right there.”

She'd known her blocks had failed, but she thought he was going for something more prurient. "You found a memory in my head? Of me dying? Show me."

Niro frowned back at her. “I don’t know about that. Who hid it from you? This isn’t just some burial job. It’s different. There’s two memories there and...who was with you?”

She felt him doing it again. This time, she followed his traces and ran up along what he was seeing. "Dae Nalas and Solis were there. We were... on Betazed. And there was...." Suddenly the memory bloomed in her head and rushed over her, stealing her breath.

“Stop that,” he ordered. In an instant he rose and rushed around the desk, taking hold of her shoulders. Reaching into her mind, he blocked her from her own memories so her mind didn’t implode from the shock.

Shaken, she focused on Niro. "What?"

“Are you alright?” He kept hold of her, just in case she fainted. “You were a little out of it for a moment there.”

"I'm okay, I'm fine. Did you just read my memories? What did you do?" She looked at him then the seat across the desk. He had done something, she knew that.

“Just a casual read, that’s all,” he lied. “Nothing of interest.” Finally he smiled. “So, I’m going to be here for a short stay, how about I spirit you out of this office? And you can tell me all about this Solis, now that you’ve finally got him back.”

"Gladly," she smiled at him. "There's a little place below the equator I've been wanting to try." She got up and led him to the door. "I'll show you."

“Lead on, my partner in crime.” He paused to check our her backside as she walked, then began to follow. He was still as curious about her as always but now, something screwy was in her head and he intended to find out what it was. All in good time.

"Quit checking my ass out," Julisa tossed over her shoulder, barely glancing back at him.

“Not bloody likely,” he shot back as they left the JAG offices.

* * *

Julisa passed by Saturnalia with Niro and turned into a little bar next to it. This place was, if possible, even more of a dive than the Sat. It was certainly smaller, more intimate. She threaded through the tables to one near the back wall. She let Niro take the seat facing the doorway. "You're really here just to see Nico get married?"

“If that’s what you like to believe, so be it,” he answered. Even as he spoke, his gaze swept the place, noting exits and anyone that could be a possible problem. “I was there for the wedding, I danced with his wife, caught up with Dae, and a good time was had by all. I take it no one up here knew he was planning to marry her?”

"I'm not particularly close with Nico and I barely know Dru." She paused as a server came over and took their orders. "If anyone up here knew, I wasn't on that list." She shrugged and shook her head. "Though, you know who might have known? Remember that old woman, B'yaga? She has a shop on the Station."

“She’s here?” His tone was suddenly sharp. “I suspect I am not on her list of people she’ll be thrilled to see.”

"Then don't visit her," was Julisa's commonsense advice. "Just skip her shop. Visit with Nico instead."

“I intend to, at least some but he will likely be occupied with his new wife.” The words made Niro smile briefly. “I do intend to see Jackson while I’m here and you were at the top of my list.” The drinks arrived and after the server left, Niro raised the glass, checking to see if it was clean. It appeared satisfactory and he drained it. “So tell me, with our past coming up, have you missed me?”

"I've had Solis to ease my angst over you," she quipped, and smiled slightly. She wondered, briefly, whether Solis would want to meet Niro. Better question: did she want Solis to meet Niro? "Perhaps I should say that you helped ease my angst over him for a brief time."

A short laugh escaped Niro. “And does he know?” He turned his attention to their server and with a brief mental nudge, soon had another round on the table before them.

"He knows we went into the prison and rescued Nico." She coughed and took a sip of the burgundy liquid in her glass. "I'm sure that's what you meant, right?"

He merely smiled back at her. “Better to let some things lie, don’t you think? Drink slower.” He looked her up and down and wondered how much her Vulcan knew about her dying. That was indeed a knotty little problem but he buried that train of thought. “I’d like to meet him.”

"I bet he'd be interested in meeting you. Just don't read him like you did me, k? Maybe come have dinner with us tonight?" The invitation was out there before she could reconsider it.

“That sounds delightful Jules.” He drained his glass once more. “About 1900 hours?”

"Yeah. Could kill two birds with one supper and have dinner at the Nexus, Jackson's place." She pulled out a communicator and texted Jackson and Solis about dinner. "We're all set for that. What have you been doing since Bajor?"

Niro shrugged. “A little of this, a little of that. Probably nothing an officer of the law wants to know about.” He turned his glass slowly with his fingertips, a habit much like Nico’s. “But it hasn’t all been work. I’ve managed to indulge myself here and there, some things better than others, and most not as good as…..well, you get the idea.”

She glared at him. "That right there? Let's not have that in conversation with Solis, okay?"

“I’ll be a perfect gentleman, I promise.” He set the empty glass aside and rose. “I’ll see you this evening. And Jules? Those nightmares? If they continue, see one of the counselors.”

She looked up, startled, but nodded. She knew how he knew about her nightmares. "Yeah. I will. See you tonight."

Niro rapped lightly on the table, then strolled through the room at a leisurely pace. Up by the bar, a young blonde woman was just getting ready to go. He stopped and watched her a moment, then she nodded, took his arm and they left. When the door closed, the noise from the main square outside was once again hushed.

Julisa had turned to face the wall and down the last of her drink. A headache was beginning to build behind her eyes and she decided to go find Solis.

**********
Lt. Bajun Julisa
Full of Hidden Secrets

Niro
Keeper Of Those Secrets