Infinite Diversity, Infinite Combinations - Scene IV

Posted on Fri Mar 11th, 2016 @ 4:08pm by Captain Li Hawke & Maxym Balasz & Ensign Reva Madhava

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: VIP Quarters

* VIP Quarters *

Li emerged from the turbolift and moved along the corridor, her gait uneven. Anyone passing by might have thought she was drunk, something not ever seen of her in public. She slid her hand along the wall to give her some stability and finally reached the quarters that were her intended target. Instead of the chime, she resorted to banging on Max’s door.

“Max? Wake up! Lemme in!”

The banging and shouting eventually had the desired effect: it woke someone up. From inside her VIP quarters, Menna touched Li’s mind, Hush child. She had already pushed Maxym and he answered the door a moment later. “Li? What...? Get in here.”

She stumbled into his quarters, tripping over her own feet and falling into his arms. That set off a storm of laughter. “Sorry. Ohhhh my, you smell soooo good.” It took a few attempts for her to get her feet squarely beneath her

Wondering whether he should call Piper and have Li taken there, Max took her by the shoulders and held her. “Li? Are you okay?” He could read that she wasn’t drunk; she was, actually, from what he could tell from reading her, just fine. Just fine but unmoored and free. “Let’s have a seat.”

“It’s done.” She regained her balance and reached up to stroke his cheek. “Menna is listening by the way.” She giggled aloud. “I feel so wonderful.” Her fingers slipped through his hair and down along his throat.

“Yes, I can tell all three of those things,” he laughed a little; her mood was infectious. “We could give her something to really listen to...,” he said before catching himself.

“I need to….to tell you something first.” Her smile lingered. “It’s...important...and good.” She fell silent as she slipped into his thoughts.

“Ah... okay, what...?” Her presence in his head was enough to make him stop talking. It was almost enough to make him stop breathing.

Li moved with exaggerated care and dropped down onto the sofa. “The link...is gone. Sokar fixed it. He did some other stuff too.”

“Uh-huh. Apparently.” He was tiptoeing through her head now, taking a look. What he saw was amazing. “He freed you.” He sat next to her. “I don’t mean from Sakkath, but from your own limitations.”

“Uh huh.” Li nodded. “He said it was...not natural for a Betazoid. I just...adjusted to my life I guess. To a mental connection more than a physical one….he broke the wall, Max. And then...eeeeverything came out. Like a waterfall. Do you know Menna shushed me out in the hall?” She snickered once more. “Three years of holding back so I’m a little....overloaded.” Her fingers had slipped beneath his shirt and were walking their way over his chest.

“Yeah, she included me in that shushing,” he chuckled. “How about we put you to bed? After what you’ve done, you likely need some sleep.”

“There’s more.” She pulled her hand free of his shirt and reached up to trace his lips with her finger. “He said I have to stop feeling guilty for living and enjoying life. He knows...about you. I read it in him. It was his way of...giving me his blessing. He said...not to live in the past because it can’t come back and not in the future because it may never happen...but to live in the present. And be...me.”

Isn’t that understanding of him?, came a thought from Menna. I am sure Lucius and Marianna will be thrilled.

Maxym winced. “Lovely, yes. Li, I love you and want nothing more than to ...” he was well aware that both Li and the eavesdropping Menna were well aware of what he wanted to do. But his worry had him setting that aside. “Come on, do you need something to eat? Maybe a light sleeping draught?”

“No I….Go away Menna… she mentally called out. “I just want you to know that everything….is...wonderful.” Her euphoria flooded him as she wandered through his mind.

He smiled. “I get that. I do.” He wallowed in it for a moment, let her sweep him along. He knew Menna was living vicariously through them right now; that’d only get worse - and be worse - if he and Li went to bed together. They needed quarters away from the woman.

“We need to move you to your regular quarters,” she murmured, her lips brushing his. “That will solve the problem. Tomorrow.”

“Right... for now, Li, perhaps... um...,” he couldn’t believe he was going to suggest it, but he did: “Are your friend’s, Darwin’s, quarters open?”

“I don’t know but I ….a friend offered his place on the planet. We can transport directly there.” She whispered right at his ear. “She can’t listen that far away.”

That is a bonus, but weren’t you supposed to go back to Piper? Shouldn’t you go back to Piper?, Max worried.

Listen to him, little Eyas. This freedom of yours, the sudden release, has you out of sorts, Menna joined in with Max’s concerns.

“Tomorrow,” she informed both of them. “I have this...thing…” she lifted her hair to show the small monitor Earl had attached behind her ear. “They’ll know if anything is ...wrong.” Laughter bubbled up from within her once more. “We can go to the beach.”

“Not tonight, Li. Really, I have duties to Menna,” he was pretty sure Menna wouldn’t call him out on that; she didn’t and he sent her a silent thanks. “Let’s have something to eat and we’ll see about going the day after tomorrow. Maybe. I have a few duties to attend to as Ambassador.”

“I promised Oz….we’d leave after the memorial but she won’t mind an extra night with Jackson. We can go….tomorrow.” She leaned in to kiss him and just kept leaning until she melted in his lap.

Gods, she was a test of Maxym’s ability to delay gratification. He wanted nothing more than to take her to his bedroom... hell, even here on the couch would be fine, but two things concerned him. One, what she’d just gone through; even though she seemed ready, he was concerned about the timing. Two, spoke up: Exactly, Maxym. She’s had a long, difficult time. Now is not the time to rush anything, Menna agreed with his train of thought. None of this, of course, prevented him from kissing Li and holding her as close as he could.

She stirred slightly and smiled, her voice echoing in his thoughts. “Put me to bed. We’ll talk... tomorrow.”

“Gladly,” he stood then picked her up and carried her to the guest room, where he put her in the bed. Kissing her, he said, Good night, love, then left her alone. He breathed a touch easier as he closed the door behind him.

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Captain Li Hawke
Ambassador Maxym Balasz
Menna Avaavax
Feeling The Incredible Lightness Of Being