by -=/\=-Zanh Liis
80729.15
Following The Favor
-=Soundtrack: So Close, by Jon McLaughlin=-
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-=The Inn at Lake Cataria, Betazed=-
80729.15
Following The Favor
-=Soundtrack: So Close, by Jon McLaughlin=-
--------------------------------
-=The Inn at Lake Cataria, Betazed=-
Once Lair was gone, Liis found that she and Jariel were alone together for the first time since their emotional exchange earlier in the day.
They stood in the opulent lobby, listening as a soft melody wended its way through the space, emanating from the lounge around the corner and reverberating into the atrium above. A live musician was deftly playing the keyboard of a musical instrument, and singing along.
Jariel reached for Liis' hand, and as the moment came for them to go back to their suite together, she panicked.
Her heart began to race, her hands started to shake and she bolted past him, through the lobby. Finally she pushed her way through a set of elaborate glass doors, ending up out on a grand, lantern lit veranda.
There were small flowering trees, enormous floral arrangements, and chairs and tables scattered artfully all along the space. It overlooked the opposite side of the property, away from Lake Cataria, off toward the mountainous rock faces which were bejeweled with versina- a colorful mineral that refracted the light of the sun, and the moon, and shone brilliant colors upon the landscape and all it contained.
Jariel thought about letting her go, leaving her to get some air alone and turned back toward the hallway leading to their room. He was tired, it had been a long day...
...then he stopped.
He remembered what she had told him about what could happen if she had too much time and space, especially right now. So even as tired as he was, he went after her.
He gently opened the doors, and found her sitting in a large gliding rocker, literally gasping for air.
He pulled up a small wrought iron chair that was nearby and sat in it beside her as she stared blankly straight ahead off into the distance.
Once again, he found himself lifting his hands to sign, instead of opening his mouth to speak. He sighed, then cleared his throat softly. "Liis."
Part of her wanted him to just go away- to do what he had always done at times like this and leave her alone. Another part of her knew that was not healthy, for either of them.
"How was my performance tonight?" She asked at last, her voice low and rasping.
"Performance?"
"Yes. Performance. Was I the consummate, light-hearted dinner party guest?"
"You were charming..." She had been charming, and looked lovely in the off-shoulder, cordovan colored dress she'd chosen for the evening.
"So I managed to hide, for the most part anyway, that something was wrong?" If they'd picked up on anything, her telepathic hosts had been far too polite to indicate it.
Jariel himself hadn't realized there was anything 'wrong ' with her tonight, aside from all that was already weighing upon her.
"Liis, what is going on?" He was perplexed. He thought they'd come to an understanding...that at least things were going in the right direction. "What happened when you got back to the Alchemy?" He sat straighter in his chair, "Did Hubbard,"
"Hubbard just did his job. With a vengeance, maybe, but he was just doing what he needed to do. That's not what," she paused, and once again came close to hyperventilating. She leaned forward, head in her hands, and rocked faster in her chair.
Gently, Jariel pried her hands away from her face, leaning down so that he could look up into her downcast eyes. She stopped rocking, accepting his hands as he grasped hers in an attempt to stop them from shaking.
"When I got back, I found Dane in my quarters."
"What in the worlds was he doing there?"
"That's what I wanted to know. So after I nearly shot him thinking an intruder had boarded the ship somehow, I asked him." She stopped, realizing she'd left a key part of the story out, and knowing she had to tell him the whole thing, from the beginning.
"But wait. First, there's something I have to tell you." She looked down at his hands, still holding hers tightly. "He wrote me a letter, Jariel. Before he left the Serendipity. Before he knew I remembered him." Again, she did not need to specify who 'he' was- Jariel knew who she meant.
His first reaction was to release her hands as his face flushed with color. Jealousy was his default emotion whenever O'Sullivan was mentioned. As much as he'd tried to change that, the emotion was there, and it was what it was.
He quickly reminded himself that no matter what the letter had said, no matter what Liis had remembered, that she was still here with him, and not on Earth with anyone else.
That was all that mattered.
"Go on," he entreated her softly, reaching out to take hold of her hands again once the initial shock subsided.
"I just came into possession of this letter. Right before we reached Betazed," she continued. "I didn't plan on keeping it long, but I was just...shocked, I guess, that he'd even written it as well as by what he wrote." Her eyes questioned if he wanted to know what the letter contained, but Jariel quickly shook his head.
"Do you love me, Zanh Liis?"
Liis blinked, surprised he should ask the question again so soon after having asked her before. "Yes."
"Then that is all I need, or want to know." His meaning was clear- no matter what O'Sullivan had written, some things were better left alone. "So, you left the letter on the Alchemy."
"Yes, locked up. But Cristiane, he," she couldn't believe she was about to say -what she was trying to say. "He broke into my quarters, and I found him reading it."
"But why would he do such a thing?"
"On behalf of someone who felt they had a vested interest in whether or not I remember that life."
Jariel felt his blood begin to boil. *Vox...* he thought angrily. "Did you toss Dane in the brig? You're going to throw the book at him, right?"
Liis sighed, standing and walking several paces away. She gazed at the starlight reflecting off of the versina, and wondered how it was at all possible for one to feel so sad in a place so beautiful.
"No, Jariel. I didn't." She turned back to look at him, "I'm not."
He rushed up to her, holding her at arms length. "Liis, you can't let him get away with this," It took a lot to make Jariel angry, but after all Liis had done for Dane he just wanted to throttle the kid for hurting her. "If he tells Vox that you remember,"
"He's not going to have the chance to. I'm going to do it myself." Liis gazed into the heavens again, trying to count the stars to calm herself but finding there were far too many shining tonight to accomplish the task. "As soon as we get back, I'm going to tell him."
"Are you sure you should? Maybe there's another way."
"No. This is the only way."
"What did you do with Cristiane?"
"I told him to get the hell off of my ship. I told him to find his own way back to Earth and then once we also got there, if Vox hadn't strangled him for losing the only evidence to prove that I remember, then he can come and talk to me again."
"Lost it?" Camen was puzzled. "The letter?"
"I set it on fire."
Jariel felt conflicting emotions now. Part of him was sorry that she'd lost it, but if he was being honest even with himself only, he had to admit that part of him was very glad that letter was gone. "I'm sorry."
"No," she replied slowly, gauging his emotions quickly and correctly. "You're not. It's all right, I didn't expect you to be."
"So," Jariel asked, shrugging. "What happens now?"
"Now, I put the mask back on and finish my epic theatrical run here on lovely Betazed," Liis replied, holding her arms up hopelessly. "I'm glad that Arie will be with me tomorrow. She's the center of attention in any situation she enters into, just because of her very nature. I will be glad to have the spotlight on her and I can just watch quietly from the wings. Then I just have to get through the wedding, and then it's over."
"And when we get back?"
"What happens, happens."
Jariel was uncertain what sort of penalty that TI might impose on Liis if they could prove that she'd purposely withheld such sensitive information. But he knew that whatever official punishment could be levied, if any, the true cost would be to her soul, and to what little remained of her troubled relationship with Jonas Vox.
Music continued to fill the air, piped in through overhead speakers from the lounge. Jariel moved closer to Liis, and put his arms around her, offering an embrace. Liis closed her eyes, and rested her head on his shoulder. Before she knew it, she began first rocking her weight from foot to foot as they held each other.
She stepped backward one step, and instinctively Jariel stepped forward. Then they moved in the reverse direction.
It took the first verse and chorus of the song before he realized what was happening.
They were dancing.
Jariel was floored.
In all the years, all the lifetimes he had seen through the Orbs or experienced with her in this timeline, he had never seen Zanh Liis dance, let alone danced with her.
Her eyes were closed tightly as they swayed to the music, and he wondered if she was even aware of what was going on.
As his mind processed the lyrics of the song Jariel stopped moving, for just an instant. Liis bumped into his chest as she stepped forward, her foot planting squarely down on top of his toes.
"I'm sorry, I," She opened her eyes and looked up, her face glowing with embarrassment. "What just,"
"We were dancing," Jariel whispered with awe.
"No we weren't," she declared resolutely, stepping back and beginning to wring her hands. "I...I don't dance."
She spun and pushed her way back through the doors, leaving him standing alone on the veranda, watching the starlight reflect off the versina in the distance.
-=Room 619=-
Zanh Liis stood, numb and trembling, beneath the stream of scalding water from the shower.
The liquid rained down over her, running from her head to her feet as she struggled to release her fears.
Perhaps if she could, they'd wash away along with it.
She sank into the tub, the water continuing to fall until her skin was red, throbbed from the heat, and wrinkled from the moisture. Finally she donned the soft white robe that the Inn had provided and moved into the bedroom of the suite.
As long as she had been locked up tight in the bathroom, Jariel had still patiently waited up for her. He had removed only his shoes and his shirt and was now laying atop the freshly turned down bed, blankets beneath him.
Without a word, he opened his arms to her. Liis quickly and gratefully settled into them, soon falling fast asleep against his chest to the soothing sound of his heartbeat.
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-=/\=-Zanh Liis
USS Serendipity NCC 2012
-=/\=-Zanh Liis
USS Serendipity NCC 2012