Renewing Old Ties
Posted on Sun Feb 21st, 2016 @ 3:12pm by Captain Li Hawke & Suresh
Mission:
Further Challenges
Location: XO's Quarters
* Li’s Quarters *
Li unlocked the door, dread heavy within her. It took a few minutes to work up the courage to enter but finally she did and stopped just inside. The doors slid shut behind her and she breathed in, expecting the scent of spice tea that was always present. It wasn’t there and she felt as if she’d been punched in the gut. She had expected the big things to hurt, like the lack of Sakkath’s presence or seeing his robes hanging in the closet. She had never expected something so small as the scent of tea in the air to hit this hard.
“You can do this,” she whispered. “One step at a time, to paraphrase Darwin.”
She moved further in and discovered a note on the coffee table. It was from Kozel, telling her he was keeping up with the orchids and checking on the place. She could have hugged him at that moment. She knew if she had come in to find all the orchids dead from neglect she would have come unglued. She wandered from living room to kitchen and back, checking all the little things. She purposely avoided the bedroom. In the corner was Sakkath’s Ops station he’d had installed, and for a moment, she considered calling Norval to remove it but decided it might be handy to have. She was still wandering aimlessly, still avoiding the bedroom, when the door chime sounded.
When she opened the door, Suresh immediately stepped forward and hugged her. “I’m devastated for you, Li.”
Li had wanted anything but company but when it was Suresh who stepped through the door, she all but collapsed in his arms. “I’m so glad you came,” she whispered. “I just got home and...and I’m lost in my own quarters.” She hugged him tight, then drew him over to the sofa. “Sit.” She poured two glasses of Romulan ale and brought them back to settle down beside him.
He hadn’t been in Li’s quarters often - thinking about that now, he couldn’t recall when the last time was - and looked around curiously before taking a seat. “Truly, Li, I’m ... if there’s anything you need, just say the word.”
“Would you believe me if I said I have no idea what I need yet?” She reached out to take his hand and squeeze it gently. “I was thinking of you while I was down on Archadia. The Eden trip came up in conversation.”
“With Darwin? That doesn’t surprise me.” He smiled and ran a hand through his hair. “That was a difficult trip, but I’m glad to have been on it and to have gotten to know you three.”
“Same for me.” She touched her glass to his and has a sip. “I never thought I would be in this position to be honest. I suppose we always think that those we love will go on forever, but it always comes as a shock when they don’t.”
Li’s loss scared Suresh to his core; if Sakkath could be lost, seemingly so easily, then Six could also be lost. His stomach rolled over at that thought. “It does. You have friends and family who will help you through this.”
“I know but that is one thing that worries me. I’m so afraid that I’ll be buried in good wishes and that it will just keep the wound fresh. Does that make sense?”
“The good wishes will be expressed in the next few weeks and then they’ll taper off. If you avoid them, then, yeah, they’ll keep coming.”
“You’re right.” She shook her head then shifted the conversation. “Have you heard from Six since they departed?”
He nodded then got agitated: “Did you know that Darwin gave pheromones to Reva when they left? Of all the irresponsible things for him to do! And Vic is on that ship! I’ve been looking for him since so that I can beat the stuffing out of him for that.”
Li set her glass down and put her hands on Suresh’s shoulders. “You know you have nothing to worry about don’t you? Those pheromones were in case of a big emergency...they would make an effective weapon in neutralizing an enemy if they get boarded. Trust her.”
“Trust Reva? Sure,” he said sarcastically. “I trust Six, though.”
“I meant Six,” Li answered. “Try not to worry.” A thought occurred to her now and she gave voice to it. “I was telling Darwin yesterday that I missed seeing you. I have a confession to make, Suresh, as to why.”
He was on guard, slightly. He’d never really liked it when folks wanted to ‘confess’. “I’m listening,” he said.
“On the trip to Eden, we got to be really close. After we got home, well, duty kept me busy but not entirely. Sakkath knew you weren’t the old Suresh but there was a history there. He wasn’t thrilled with my seeing you, though he never said so. I understood why and I respected it. The old Suresh put him through a hell of a lot. I’m sorry.”
“Li, we’re both busy. But, going forward, we could set up a monthly coffee date. The Pit residents who see me with you will either think I’ve got you snowed, as in you think I’m the ‘new’ Suresh when I’m really the old Suresh, or that you’re on the take in some way, like Darwin is.”
“You know many of them thought all along that Suresh and I were...involved, even when word began to leak out who Isha was. Either way, it won’t raise too many eyebrows. They will think what they want that makes it okay. What about Six? Will she mind?” Li reached for her glass and took another drink.
“That we’re having a coffee date? No... I wouldn’t think she would.” He thought of the doubt she’d had because of Xerena but dismissed it. “She might want to come along.”
“That might not be wise for a lot of reasons.” Li laughed. “We’ll work it out. I’m looking forward to seeing her when she gets back though. Care for a refill?”
“No, I’m good, thanks. Is there a memorial scheduled?”
The question stopped Li immediately. “I...I don’t know. I’d only been home ten minutes when you arrived and…” she looked around the room as if she were seeing it for the first time. “I...yes,...there will be.”
“I’ll be there, Li. Not for Sakkath, but for you,” he said, reaching over to put a hand on hers.
“Thank you.” She turned her hand over, wrapping her fingers around his. “It’s interesting where the road from the past has taken the two of us, Suresh. Even so, I’m glad you’re here. I should probably go see Admiral Wegener but maybe dinner tomorrow? I’d rather be busy than lingering here with nothing to do.”
“That would be good, since I need to keep busy with Six gone, too. How about Cravings at 7?”
“I’d love that.” She smiled a moment, then a question popped into her head. It came out before she really thought about it more. “How is Edana working out down there?”
He laughed. “Checking in on your Intel people? She’s fine. She went with Farco to check out Lazan’s place. Did you know Suresh left everything to you? In his will? Lazan altered it to read that everything was left to him. Farco also discovered that you were Isha and that Lazan was reporting to you. He was upset on my behalf,” Suresh laughed. “Edana handled him, though, and made sure he reported that to me.”
That got a laugh from Li. “The nerve of Isha, betraying you like that.” She nodded now, however. “Lazan mentioned the will and I had intended to take care of his re-doing it but then the Borg issue arose and I just didn’t have time to get to it. Have Tog come see me and it will be straightened out. Does he know about you? Or should I simply accept the estate, then have Ray transfer it over to you?”
“What estate? I am Suresh.”
“You are.” She laughed once more. “Perhaps then you should update that. You have a wife now, not an obsession.”
“Indeed. I’ll contact Tog and have my will redone.” He sighed. “Tomorrow. In the meantime, I should let you go, get to bed or....” He stood up and set his empty glass on the coffee table.
Li’s gaze shifted to the bedroom door and panic rose in her eyes. “Umm...later. I’m off to see Admiral Wegener, then maybe Dad. I’ll sleep...sometime.”
He caught her glance and frowned. It was something she’d have to work through on her own. “Of course.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow. I’m glad you came. Give Six my best when you hear from her. And don’t freak out if I show up in Saturnalia. I’ll be out of uniform so you know the drill.”
“Of course,” he smiled and left Li alone in the quarters she’d shared with Sakkath.
What she had said was true. Already, she felt that if she stayed here another minute, she would scream. Still dressed in shorts and tank top, she pulled her hiking boots back on and departed to find Rick.
********************
Captain Li Hawke
Home But Apparently Not For Long
Suresh
The Only One that Counts
