Cinderella

Posted on Tue Oct 16th, 2012 @ 6:58pm by Mallory (Jade) & Suresh

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Suresh's Quarters
Timeline: After 'Seyla's Green-Eyed Complication'

* * * Suresh’s Quarters * * *

Following Seyla’s rapid departure, Suresh had remained silent. He had a drink, then a shower, then, after making sure the door was locked and coded so Jade couldn’t wander off, he’d taken a nap in his room. Finally, he emerged, wearing only a pair of silk lounge pants in a deep red. A mug of raktajino was ordered and after a few sips, he brushed his hair back and looked towards the corner.

From where she sat on the floor, Jade had cautiously watched when the Romulan had come back out of his room. As expected, she’d had a look around while he slept, but she didn’t mess with anything. Now that he was awake and out here, she felt the weight of his gaze on her again. With her legs pulled up against her body and her arms wrapped around them, there wasn’t much of her to see at the moment. Even her long hair draped over her some to hide her from his perusal. Resting her chin on her knee, she risked a glance up at him.

Suresh strolled over to where she sat on the floor and stood, looking down at her. He was silent for a few minutes, then he sniffed the air. And frowned.

Jade almost made the mistake of saying ‘what?’, but at the last second stopped herself. Watching him warily, she turned her head slightly, trying to catch scent of whatever it was that he was frowning about. Her sense of smell had been dulled and choked some from being surrounded by the other slaves, most of whom were quite filthy. In comparison, she and Marina had been quite clean when they’d been shoved aboard, but as she sniffed at her hair, she realized the odor from the other women clung to her enough to make her wrinkle her own nose. What the hell did he expect from her? She couldn’t speak unless spoken to and had a feeling if he didn’t give her permission to move, he’d punish her if she strayed from where he’d told her to be. So she sat there, looking up at him, one eyebrow arched. She may not have spoken out loud, but the expression clearly said ‘what?’

“You smell,” he said succinctly. “Though that should not be a surprise, given where you were.” He pointed to the second bedroom. “There is a bathroom in there. Make use of it, and I’ll replicate something clean. Toss those rags out and I’ll get rid of them.”

Nodding, she stood up and slid past him to retreat into the room he had indicated. Once in the bathroom, Jade started the water in the shower and stripped out of the pitiful scraps of fabric she’d been dressed in. Sneering at the offending material, she balled them up and threw them all the way through the bedroom to land in the living room. A few seconds later, she was underneath the shower spray and groaned softly in appreciation at the warm water as it hit her tense muscles.

The remains of the dress were quickly tossed into the recycler. Suresh ordered the computer to run an air clean cycle and now, things were far more satisfactory. He settled on the sofa to finish his raktajino as he considered the current situation. There hadn’t been much conversation with this Jade, but he had to admit that another life form did at least a little to banish the loneliness of his quarters.

It was odd, he reflected. His quarters had always been his haven but since he watched his beloved Isha die here, he hated the quiet.Seyla helped. Even when they fought, it was real, life-affirming. And now Jade, even silent, was better than nothing. The thought of Seyla brought another, however. She had seemed jealous and that surprised Suresh. Then again, his own ire at every mention of Darwin was also a surprise. Why did he even care? Setting his mug aside, he looked down at his arm where the Isha scar was so obvious. Once again, something tugged at his thoughts, a half-formed memory of the older man he’d seen dancing at the Nexus. Why was a Starfleet admiral hanging in his thoughts? He’d never met the man before, of that he was certain. With a sigh, he pushed it aside and rose to replicate something for the slave to wear. It was a plain sleeveless dress, long with a v-neck and in black. He left it on the bed in the other room, then returned to the sofa.

Clutching the towel around her slender body with one hand, Jade picked up the dress, mildly surprised at its modest cut. A second glance to the bed showed the dress was the only thing he’d left for her. Considering her situation, she should be grateful for the dress and not complaining about the lack of undergarments. Dropping the towel, she pulled the dress on and smoothed it into place. It might have been plain, but it wasn’t shapeless. It did nothing to disguise her slim, shapely form.

Coming out of the bedroom, she paused, hovering in the doorway. Since she couldn’t speak without risking her tongue, she finger-combed her long hair, working the few remaining tangles from the damp tresses and watched him as he reclined on the sofa. He wasn’t a bad looking man; far from it actually. She might have found him handsome...if she could have gotten past the fact he was a crazed control freak, and if she could have gotten past the fact he owned her, as the collar around her neck reminded her. Yeah...a little hard to get past those things.

Suresh looked up, his gaze sweeping over her. She seemed to meet with his grudging approval. As she stood there, uncertain, he grumbled inwardly. “Well? What do you want?”

Her chin went up a notch. “I was wondering what you wanted.” It was such a bad thing to ask him, but it was too late to recall the words. Once again, her curiosity had gotten the better of her.

“Not that, if that’s what you’re thinking.” His dark eyes remained levelled on Jade. “Enjoy the shower?”

She wasn’t so sure she believed him, but with the undercurrents and tension that had been swirling between him and the Orion woman, it was doubtful he’d find her even remotely attractive with pheromones being used against him. If he was involved with the other woman, then it was possible he’d leave her alone. Feeling a small measure of relief, she smiled slightly. “Yes, the shower was very much appreciated,” she replied finally, holding his gaze. “Thank you.”

“You may use that bathroom as you need to, otherwise stay out of that room. There are some clothes in the closet that are not to be touched.” He turned the glass he held slowly in his hand. “If you need something replicated, you will ask me first.”

“Yes, of course. Not without your permission.” Well that answered an important question...partly. The other room was not where she’d be sleeping. Jade’s gaze flicked to the corner she’d been consigned to earlier for a second before looking back at Suresh. “So if you don’t want me for that, what is it you wish me to do for you?”

“Good question.” His tone was surprisingly conversational now. “A moment’s folly, and now you are here. I suppose we’ll make it up as we go along.”

Deciding it would be best to keep him happy by behaving and being helpful (and thus making it easier on herself hopefully), she came closer, stopping in front of him. Eyeing his empty glass, she held her hand out. “Would you like me to get you a refill?”

“Yes.” He handed over the glass. “Where are you from anyway?”

Moving to the replicator and ordering another raktajino, she searched her memory. It was strange that she could vaguely recall images of several places, but nothing for certain. Picking up his drink, she brought it back and handed it to him. “I don’t really remember.” She rubbed at the side of her head, then shrugged. “I can remember that my accent is British, which would point to me being from Great Britain, on Earth...but it’s only an educated guess.” It was beyond frustrating not to know who she was or where she was from.

“I see.” He took the cup and sipped it. “Perhaps you are the lucky one. You cannot miss what you can’t remember. That’s something of a blessing.”

“In theory that would seem to make sense, though if you are aware of not being able to remember something, the longing for those memories is still there. At least for me. I know I had a life before I woke up.” She moved to take a seat but stopped, instead covering her near mistake by straightening a pillow. “Whoever it is that you miss, would you truly be better off forgetting them?”

“NO!” He tensed immediately, his emotions changing directions in the blink of an eye. “I’ll never forget.” And indeed, the scar on his arm made that point more than clear.

Jade’s eyes widened in alarm. He’d misunderstood her. Or maybe I misunderstood him... Holding her hands out she tried to clarify him and in the process, hoped to calm him back down. “No...that’s not what I meant.” She had to talk fast. “I meant...” Oh hell. “Why would you want to forget someone that clearly was important to you? I’m sorry...I wasn’t trying to suggest you should forget. I would never do that.”

His dark eyes snapped as he looked back at her. “That’s better. I meant....hell, I don’t know what I meant.” He sighed aloud. “I supposed I.....” He stopped and looked up at her, wondering why, suddenly, he felt the need to explain anything to a slave. He rose and carried his cup to the recycler. “Never mind. Computer, locate Seyla, civilian.”

=^= Seyla is on deck 18, Lt. Michael Darwin’s quarters =^=

Suresh froze and for a few moments the air in the room seemed to condense and draw in as if it were a prelude to an explosion. When he spoke, his tone was ice cold. “It appears I will be going out. You will stay in this room.” He turned and hurried into his bedroom and began to dress.

Between his sudden outburst, his need to chase down a woman that clearly had sought another in an effort to make him jealous (and it had worked!) and Jade’s own strange urge to ask him to not go, all she could think was what the fuck? Surely he had to be aware of Seyla’s game, right? Then again, being the one to point out that the Orion had purposely set out to make him jealous when it was so smashingly successful was another one of those monumentally bad ideas. Best to let that one alone. She should be glad he was going out and leaving her alone...right?

He dressed hurriedly in black pants and a white shirt open partway down his chest, the look casual. He paused at the terminal in his bedroom and entered his code to lock out the computer while he was gone though he left the replicator available. He emerged from his bedroom a few minutes later and turned his fierce gaze on Jade.

“You will be locked in. And before you even wonder, the computer has been locked out so calling security will be futile.” He didn’t mention the replicator, curious to see if she would ask or try it while he was gone. “I will be back shortly.”

“I wasn’t going to call Security.” She blinked, wondering why she said that. Probably because she was scared she’d be caught. It didn’t help that Jade didn’t know the range on the shock collar she wore. “May I please get something to eat and drink while you’re gone?” She’d eaten a small meal already, but she still felt as if she hadn’t eaten in a long, long time.

Suresh smiled grimly, appreciating the backbone it took to ask after their interactions so far. “You may.”

He turned and crossed to the doors and in an instant he was through and they were closed. He entered a code in the outside panel to lock her in tight. Then, all traces of good humour gone, he was off down the corridor. Those he passed were only too glad to get out of his way.

In the aftermath of Suresh’s departure, Jade was left alone in the silence of his quarters and more confused than ever.

*****************
Suresh
Caught In A Whirlwind

Jade
Trying To Play By The New Rules