Forwarded by the ASC-VSO Posted: Sun, 01 Feb 2004 06:12:44 GMT In: alt.startrek.creative From: Sara sara@thiswateryplace.com Title: Figures in the Sand Author: Sara Goose Series: DS9 Codes: O/K Rating: PG-13 Summary: Four years after he left, Odo's trying to fit in again. Disclaimer: The powers that be, they are not me. I'm just playing in their sandbox. Notes: This was written for the "Picture's Worth 1000 Words" Challenge (so is exactly 1000 words). The picture can be found at http://thiswateryplace.com/1000words.jpg Many thanks to Tori for checking it over for me at the last minute. "Explain to me why we're here again?" Kira asked as she brushed the hair from her face. She sighed in resignation, as all it accomplished was to cover her forehead with the reddish dust that seemed to be everywhere. "You can't remember the last time you took a vacation," Odo said. "When Kas had the baby," she interjected. "Four years ago," he continued. "And we haven't really had a chance to talk." Odo went to brush the dust off Kira's face but she turned away quickly and started back up the hill. "This had better be worth it," she said without looking back. They kept climbing and the higher they got, the more refined the buildings became. Signs of occupancy were apparent in some of the buildings, patio tables and even the odd tree planted in the dry soil. "We should be almost there," he said to Kira, who was only a few steps ahead of him. She paused for a second to let him catch up. "Turn around," he said. He watched her almost smile as she saw the winding path below them, leading to the ocean. A large wave crashed silently against the cliffs and for a second, all the blue, orange and white seemed to mix together. For just a second, Odo wanted to go and try it all on, a wave, a cloud, a piece of dust. "It's beautiful," she said. "But I'm not sure why we couldn't just start out up here." "It's part of the experience," he said. "You just missed seeing me sweat." Odo was glad she wasn't looking at him when she made that remark. It was almost like the Kira he remembered. "I wasn't sure if you were still in there," he said, tentatively. "You've seemed so different lately." "You were gone a long time, Odo. Things change." "Let's keep climbing," he said. "We're almost to the top." They rounded the corner and found a small shaded alcove with a bench at the back. Kira looked at the bench but instead stepped around it to sit at the outer edge, with her legs hanging over the cliff. Kira seemed content to stare out into nothingness so he stepped back, into the shade. "Odo, I thought you wanted to talk," she said, "Figure me out or something. So come, sit." He carefully chose a spot not too close to her and turned so it was easier to look at the sky than her. "I always thought we'd have more to say when I got back," Odo said eventually, after discarding topics about their former coworkers, the new Cardassian restaurant and the arrival of a Vulcan science ship tomorrow. "What do you want me to say? I missed you?" "Did you?" The awkward silence returned and Odo worried he'd gone too far. He was about to take it back when she said, "I think so. I remember it hurting when you left, wishing you hadn't. And I remember telling myself not to be so ridiculous, pining away for you. Now, though... I had to stop thinking about you -- about us." "I never meant to hurt you." "Don't. I always knew you'd leave, go back to your people. I just didn't think I'd let myself hate you so much for it." He turned to face her, but she flinched away, determined not to let him see her. "Even before the Great Link fell apart, I always expected you would be happy when I came back." "That's just it, Odo. I never asked you to come back. I never even expected you to. But you, you expect everything to be the same, frozen, waiting for you. Things change." She turned to face him and the look on her face, resolute and focused, scared him. "Maybe I should go," Odo said. "You should stay, though, --" "You need to stop running," she replied. She leaned closer and shaded her eyes so she could really see his face. "Figure out what you want. Do you want to be here, or did you just come back for me?" "Isn't that enough?" he asked. Things would be so much simpler if he could just reach out and touch her. But when he put his hand next to hers, giving her a chance to say no, she flinched away, as if tendrils were creeping up her arm, uninvited. "I don't know." She drew her knees up to her chest, folded her arms around herself and stared at the ground between them. "I guess the question is," she continued, "Do you plan to return to the Founders?" "I'm not sure there's anything left for me to return to. The Link no longer exists, and the few founders I was able to save do not wish to be reminded of their experiences with solids." "Are you planning on staying here?" "There isn't a place for me. You've made that quite clear this evening." As he spoke Odo again moved closer to her. "I know what you're trying to do," she said as she leaned away from him. "It won't help." "I'd forgotten how clumsy words are," he says, trying to apologize. "Just be honest," she said. "If you can't do that, maybe I should go." And all of a sudden, he was left sitting on the ground with her standing above him, trying in vain to brush the dirt off her uniform. "I don't know what I want," he said, "but I don't think I should stay." He stood up quickly when she started back towards the path. "Computer, exit." She turned around and started towards the door. "I don't know if it matters anymore," he said, "but that Odo, the one you loved, never wanted to leave." Kira stepped away from the door and Odo wasn't surprised to have her standing very close all of a sudden. "Good bye," she said, with her hand on his shoulder. And, just as suddenly, the door closed and the desert was still. *end -- Stephen Ratliff ASC Stories Only Forwarding In the Pattern Buffer at: http//trekiverse.crosswinds.net/feed/ Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCL/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:ASCL-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. From ???@??? Wed Feb 04 23:43:00 2004 Status: U Return-Path: Received: from n19.grp.scd.yahoo.com ([66.218.66.74]) by tanager (EarthLink SMTP Server) with SMTP id 1aOBmg7cm3NZFmQ0 for ; Wed, 4 Feb 2004 20:43:19 -0800 (PST) X-eGroups-Return: sentto-1977044-13124-1075956025-stephenbratliff=earthlink.net@returns.groups.yahoo.