Received: from [66.218.66.96] by n29.grp.scd.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 07 Jun 2004 03:28:07 -0000 X-Sender: stephen@trekiverse.org X-Apparently-To: ascl@yahoogroups.com Received: (qmail 15688 invoked from network); 7 Jun 2004 03:28:06 -0000 Received: from unknown (66.218.66.216) by m13.grp.scd.yahoo.com with QMQP; 7 Jun 2004 03:28:06 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO falcon.mail.pas.earthlink.net) (207.217.120.74) by mta1.grp.scd.yahoo.com with SMTP; 7 Jun 2004 03:28:06 -0000 Received: from sdn-ap-022dcwashp0064.dialsprint.net ([63.191.160.64]) by falcon.mail.pas.earthlink.net with smtp (Exim 3.33 #1) id 1BXAnk-0001cW-00 for ascl@yahoogroups.com; Sun, 06 Jun 2004 20:27:56 -0700 To: ascl@yahoogroups.com Organization: Alt.StarTrek.Creative Virtual Staff Office Message-ID: X-Mailer: Forte Agent 1.92/32.572 X-eGroups-Remote-IP: 207.217.120.74 X-eGroups-From: Stephen From: Stephen X-Yahoo-Profile: oldmanasc MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCL@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com Delivered-To: mailing list ASCL@yahoogroups.com Precedence: bulk List-Unsubscribe: Date: Sun, 06 Jun 2004 23:26:47 -0400 Subject: [ASC] NEW TOS: The Lost Years: Dirty Secrets 3/3 [PG-13] Slayer Series Reply-To: ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-ELNK-AV: 0 Forwarded by the ASC-VSO Posted: 5 Jun 2004 19:43:52 -0700 In: alt.startrek.creative From: djinn@djinnslair.com (Djinn) TITLE: The Lost Years: Dirty Secrets (Slayer Series) AUTHOR: Djinn CONTACT: djinn@djinnslair.com http://www.djinnslair.com SERIES: TOS RATING: PG-13 CODES: Ch, K, U, Others PART: 3/3 SUMMARY: The eighth in the Lost Years series. Kirk tried to concentrate on creating fire, tried to become one with the element. It wasn't working. "Why are we doing this?" "Because we are waiting for your slayer to get here." Weasel gave him a sharp look. "This is to distract you. Now, pay attention." Kirk stared at his hand, saw fire begin to grow, forming a glowing sphere just inches from his skin. Then his eyes were drawn again to the entrance. Where the hell was Chris? "Will you stop looking at the door? We can go out and look for her if you're that worried." Weasel swatted the small fireball out of Kirk's hand. It exploded as it fell to the ground. "Mac, you are really off your game." "Something's wrong." Kirk sat down in the chair, then immediately felt guilty. What if Chris was hurt? Why the hell was he sitting down? He pushed himself back up. "I've got to go find her." He headed for the door, then backed up as Nogura suddenly pushed it open. Weasel's head shot up. "Heihachiro. I don't recall inviting you here." "I don't need an invitation. I'm not a vampire. Did you really think a Caverimics Shield would keep me out? I'm surprised at you, Nathan." Kirk looked at Weasel and mouthed, "Nathan?" Weasel scowled. Deeply. Nogura held up a hand. "Oh, I'm sorry. Were you still going by that rodent name? What was it? Muskrat? Opossum?" "Weasel." "Of course. How apt." Nogura leaned against the doorframe. "We need to talk, Jim." "We have nothing to talk about." "Yes, I figured you'd feel that way. That's why I brought her with me." He reached back, pulled Chris into view. Her shirt was torn and covered with blood. She was walking under her own power, but she seemed shaky. "What have you done?" Kirk stalked forward, not sure exactly what he was going to do but ready to do it with everything he had. Chris stepped between them. "Jim. He didn't do anything." Nogura coughed softly. "Well"--she sighed--"actually, he saved my life." "_He_ did?" She nodded, then groaned and reached out for the doorjamb as if to steady herself. "Can I sit down, please?" Kirk pushed Nogura away from her, then helped her to a chair. "I'm okay, nothing broken. Just badly bruised," she whispered as she touched her neck, just a fleeting dip of her fingers. He frowned. Had Nogura noticed the necklace? "All okay," she said again, smiling. He could feel his expression clear. "I'm glad to hear it." He smiled, knew the look was full of worry. She sighed as she sat. "God, I'm tired." He knelt down, peeled her shirt back where it was torn, expecting to see a nasty wound. Her skin was unmarked. "You can thank me for that, Jim," Nogura said softly. Chris nodded. Kirk looked over at him. "What is this? Some kind of game? Put her in danger, then be the hero so we trust you?" She touched his shoulder. "Not him. Lori did this." She held his eyes, nodded slowly. "She thought she could call the Kirsu slayers if she put me in danger. She's desperate." "You're sugarcoating it, Doctor. Put you in danger? You were well on your way to being dead." Nogura moved into the room, studying everything. "Quite the place you've got here, Nathan." "Yeah, well, it's home." Nogura chuckled. It was a nasty sound. "Whether you like it or not." Weasel didn't say anything, but his face tightened. Nogura put his hands behind his back, turned to face them all. "We have a problem, people." "You have a problem," Kirk said. "Lori is a problem for all of us. I don't understand what she wants with Kirsu. Not that it wasn't a good idea, original thinking on her part." He seemed to ignore the twin glares Kirk and Chris sent him. "But if she'd been doing it for me...for us, then she'd have come out when I called." He shook his head. Chris leaned forward. "You really don't get it? Whose fault do you think it is that she wants Kirsu so bad?" Nogura looked at her quizzically. "I've seen what you've done to her. To her kind. I've been there." She pointed her finger at him, as if with it, she could make her words stronger, her emotions more clear. They were very clear already. To Kirk anyway. "Been where?" Nogura asked. "The pens." All expression faded from his face. "The what?" "The pens. The pens under your beautiful house and your pristine fields of irises...and wolfsbane. The pens where you torture werewolves. Where you kill innocent people." He walked over to her, stared down at her as if she were delusional. "My family's methods may be harsh at times, but they've been proven over the centuries. And I don't kill innocent people." "You killed Carl," Kirk shot out and immediately wished he hadn't. Nogura turned to him. "Yes. I did. I had to." "Why?" "He was working for the enemy, Jim. He was working for the Romulans. Their program is quite advanced. Psychic observation, a breeding program to increase magical potential, perfecting methods of telepathic invasion. You name it, they're studying it--hell, they're doing it. And he was helping them." "Carl?" Jim knew his look was full of disgusted shock. "Carl Richter was never working for them. He was onto you and your hunt for Kirsu, and you killed him for it. Because he got too close." "My god, Jim, he was my friend. Our friend. You know how highly I thought of him. It killed me when Lori found proof that he--" Nogura's face went white, and he closed his eyes. "When Lori found proof." He opened his eyes, looked at Kirk. "It was good evidence. Rock solid. I demanded that. He was...he was my friend." "You're saying Lori's to blame," Chris said, her voice full of scorn. Nogura turned to her. He seemed not to have heard the scorn, only the words. "Yes, that's it. So much that's gone wrong lately. I didn't see it. I didn't want to see it. I trusted her." "Why were you looking for her earlier if you trusted her?" Kirk shook his head. Too much didn't hold water. He glanced at Chris. She didn't look convinced either. "Because she's been missing. I was worried. I thought something had happened to her. I thought the Romulans--" "--Enough with the damned Romulans. They aren't a threat." Kirk wanted to punch Nogura, make him pay for what he'd done. Carl had died--been murdered...because of this man's obsession with the Romulans. "If Lori wants to get away from you, it's entirely understandable." Chris shot him a look filled with loathing. "Did Lori take you to the pens?" She didn't want to answer; Kirk could see it in her face. "Of course she did." Nogura began to pace. "What is she playing at?" He pulled out a communicator, spoke softly but never stopped pacing. "I need a flitter. Yes, at my coordinates. Come at once. There'll be three of us." He closed the communicator. "You need to see the pens again. You need to see them through new eyes." "I saw them fine the first time." "No, you saw what she wanted you to see." Nogura smiled. "Did she show you mainly women? Girls? With no choice in the matter?" Chris glared at him. "She did. She knew you'd resonate with that. Your dislike of the watcher-slayer system is well known to us. She just cast me in the role of watcher for you, didn't she?" Kirk moved closer to Chris. "She knows what she saw." "Trompe L'Oeil. I'm sure you know the reference? When the eye is tricked, the brain does not question." He knelt down, seemed to be putting himself at Chris's mercy--although with the non-violence spell in place, neither of them was in any danger. "I know what I saw," she said, but this time she didn't sound convinced. "Look again. With new knowledge." Nogura's eyes were steely. He pushed himself up. "The flitter should be here soon. We should go." Kirk looked at Chris. "We don't have to. If you don't feel up to it." She pushed herself out of the chair. "I want to believe her." She shot a look at Nogura. "I want to not believe him." She shook her head. "But the way she told the vampire to kill me. It was cold, Jim. So cold." She seemed to be realizing something, looked up at him, her eyes filled with anger. "And she looked just fine. Not haggard, or sick. She wasn't being poisoned. That was for our benefit." She turned to Nogura. "A glamour, to make us think she was in danger. Because you weren't attacking her, were you?" "No. I told you; I was looking for her." "Let's go," Chris said, sounding utterly exhausted. She pushed past Nogura, headed up the stairs. Nogura started to go, but Kirk grabbed his arm. Nogura looked down at it, then back up at Kirk. "Jim, if you aren't careful--" "--I talk now, not you." He moved closer. "If you've hurt her in any way, I swear I'll kill you." "I saved her. What part of that is so difficult for you to understand?" Nogura seemed to stand straighter. The boss. His boss. "Now, take your hand off me before I get very, very angry." Kirk let him go. Nogura turned and strode out. Kirk looked at Weasel. "You never said you knew him." "You never asked." Weasel shrugged. "The magical community's a small one. And Nogura's a powerful man." "And an evil one." "He's driven. He's focused. And he can do evil things. But I'm not wholly certain he's evil." Weasel sighed. "Jim, I know it's hard to accept, but not everything is black or white." "He killed my friend." "And there'll be consequences for that. Cosmic...karmic consequences." Weasel shook his head. "It's just...I'm not in much of a position to judge him. Because he's not the one being punished by The Powers, now is he?" Before Kirk could answer, Weasel pushed him toward the door. "You better catch up. Christine needs you. She's very weak." There were a hundred things Kirk wanted to ask him, and there was no time. He hurried out the door and up the stairs to where Nogura waited for him. Chris was already sitting in the back, her head tilted back, eyes closed. He crawled into the back with her. She moved, leaning her head against his shoulder. He put his arm around her. "Touching," Nogura said, as he climbed into the front and closed the door. It was the only thing any of them said during the entire trip. ---------------------------- Christine felt Jim's arm tighten around her, didn't tell him how much he was hurting her back. She shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable, and a sharp pain shot up her spine. She didn't realize she'd moaned until Jim said softly, "Can I help?" She shook her head quickly, didn't want to draw attention to how much pain she was in. "I helped Emma." She opened her eyes. He was staring at her with such tender concern. She smiled, a small, pained smile. "You never told me that." "I just thought of it. I didn't set out to help her; it was sort of by accident. I felt so bad for her. Maybe I can help you too?" He pushed her slightly forward, let his hand drop down her back. "Is it here?" Somehow his hand went right to where she'd connected with the stone. She imagined she had a huge bruise blossoming as the blood pooled underneath her skin. "It's a shooting pain, radiating out from there." They were talking so low the words were barely more than breath. She saw Nogura lean back, as if he were trying to hear them. Leave us alone, she wanted to yell at him. But she didn't. Finally Nogura started talking to the driver; his words didn't carry into the back. Jim pressed his hand down on her back, moving it gently. "I can feel it," he whispered. "The pain is right here." He pushed down a little harder and she flinched. Then the pain receded, as if pushed behind a wall. It wasn't gone, but it hurt so much less that she almost cried out in relief. She looked up at him. "Better?" he asked. She nodded. Smiled at him. What was she going to do without him? Soon she'd be leaving Earth, leaving him. So soon. Too soon. He seemed to feel what she was thinking. "No more patrols. No more hurt backs." "No more you," she whispered. He swallowed hard, nodded. "I know." She felt tears, knew she was weak and that the weakness was making her overly emotional. She nestled back against him, felt him pull her closer. She closed her eyes again. Let go and drifted, hovering somewhere just north of sleep. She felt the flitter slow, then land. Opening her eyes, she saw that they had arrived at Nogura's. Taking a deep breath, she followed Jim out of the flitter. Jim stood staring at the iris fields. Nogura followed his gaze. "They bother you. Why?" "I sensed them. From Carl's body. That day in your office. They were a clue...a link. To you." "Ah." Jim turned to him, his expression angry again. "That day in your office you tried to force me to do what you wanted. I know about the spell." Nogura shrugged. "I was only nudging you toward what you already want." He gestured toward her. "A woman who loves you--who you obviously care for. Your son in your life. Was my spell so heinous?" "Free will. It's crucial." "If you say so." "How could you kill him?" Jim's lips snapped tightly together. Nogura seemed to sigh. "Carl _was_ my friend." Christine laughed bitterly. When Nogura turned to look at her, she said, "I hope to god that I'm never one of your friends." He did not react, just stared at her coldly. She held her ground. She wasn't the bad guy. "I thought we were here to see the pens," she finally said, tiring of their stare down. "Of course." He motioned them toward the stable. She followed him, Jim trailing behind. She knew he'd taken flank so he could watch out for her, loved him for it. They walked down the stairs and went through the metal door. The pens looked just the same. She heard Jim gasp. The enormity, the sheer scale. "What is this place for?" "It's where we teach werewolves to control the change," Nogura said. "We use a form of conditioning built from pain and reward. We've been very successful with it." "Define success?" Christine saw the little girl that had been haunting her thoughts, hurried down the stairs toward her. She was still in the same pen. As Christine got closer, the child charged at her, growling even though she was in human form. "Honey, it's okay." The girl lunged at her hand. Only slayer reflexes--and she barely had those tonight--allowed her to get her hand out of the cage before the girl bit her. The child threw herself against the bars over and over. Christine backed up several steps. "We found her in Estonia. An orphaned werewolf. Apparently raised by some Criagan demons. Have you ever come up against one of those?" Christine nodded. It had been a long time ago. But she would never forget how vicious the thing had been. "She's completely unsocialized. Has no human speech, but is fluent in Criagan and a few other demon languages. She's quite dangerous, because as you know, it only takes one bite. We kept her muzzled for the first six months. This is, believe it or not, an improvement." "I saw one of your people torturing her." "The cattle prod is, at times, the only thing that gets through to them. And when they're in wolf form, it doesn't hurt them as much as you might think." "She wasn't in wolf form." "Well, she's barely human even when she's not." He watched the little girl sadly. "She may be unreachable. This may be as good as it gets." "And then what? You kill her? Like you did that woman?" Nogura turned to her. "What woman?" He seemed genuinely confused. Christine led them to the pen that had held the woman. She pointed to the window. Past it was the other pen. "You had a man there--a new arrival who had been uncooperative. The woman was here. You had pumped her full of aconite so she couldn't change. You were going to let him change and kill her. Then you were going to show him the recordings of what he'd done to her. You'd keep showing them until he gave in, until he let you train him. But the woman...you killed her. Because she wasn't good enough at controlling the change." "That's quite a story." He turned, motioned to a woman in a gray coat. "Tsuya, who was in this pen during the last full moon?" "The Larssons." "Ah. Of course. They're still here?" She nodded. "Ilka's upstairs." "Have her come down." The woman turned away. Nogura led them through the facility, explaining the technique, how the werewolves were taught to resist the change. It was harsh. Cruel even. Pain was an effective means of breaking through, of forcing control. "I've heard of another way," Christine said, remembering what Emma had said. "Herbs, meditation." "The Osbourne method?" Nogura sneered. "Their control is not perfect. Heavy emotion gets through too easily because the control is voluntary. My way conditions the response. It becomes instinctual, habit. Not a choice. Just the way it is." "A nice argument for pain," Christine said. "I don't enjoy inflicting pain." "Right. Tell me, Admiral, how many times have you picked up that cattle prod?" "That's not the issue." "I think it is." "Sir?" A soft voice sounded behind them. "You wanted to see me?" Christine turned, and gasped. It was the woman Lori had said was to be killed. She looked very much alive. She looked at Christine curiously. Smiled at her, but her smile died when Christine didn't react. "Did I do something wrong?" "No, Ilka. You did not. Please tell my visitors why you were in the pen, and why Ulf was in the adjoining one?" She smiled. "I'm learning to perfect my control. Even if my husband changes, I need to be able to resist." "Perfect it?" Jim asked softly. "You're not good enough?" She shook her head. "If it were just me...but I'm going to get pregnant." "My god," Christine made an incredulous sound and turned on Nogura. "So they have to prove themselves worthy to be part of your breeding program?" "My what?" The woman was staring at Christine like she'd lost her mind. "I can't afford to endanger the baby." She looked at Nogura, as if wondering why she had to talk to these particular guests. He grimaced at her. "Explain it to them." "Ulf and I want to have a baby. It will be difficult to not change during the pregnancy--the hormones...they make it very hard to resist. And aconite--wolfsbane--will harm the baby. So I must get better at controlling it. Without any help. We're working on that now." "I don't understand. Will changing harm the baby?" Jim asked. Ilka nodded. "Some of us are born werewolves. It's because our mothers changed while carrying us. If the mother can resist, the baby will be free of the curse. It's what we all hope for." She laughed. "Those of us who like the modern ways, anyway." Nogura looked at her. "What do you mean by that?" She looked suddenly nervous. "I just mean, I'd rather be human than the wolf." "No," Nogura moved closer. "You meant something else. What?" Ilka's cheeks flushed; she took a step back. "There's a movement among some of us. A reversion to the wolf side. Primitive. Not under control." "Who leads it?" She looked down. His hand jerked out, wrenched her head back up. "Who?" Christine pulled his hand away. "Lori said she was alpha." Ilka laughed, her eyes darting to Nogura as if afraid he'd be offended at her laughter. "She's not my alpha. I like being human. I want my baby to be free of this." "Alpha." Nogura turned away. "Alpha?" He ran his hand through his hair, hard, almost spastically. "I took her in. I taught her everything she knows about magic. I treated her like a younger sister. She wanted for nothing. And this is how she repays me?" He turned on Ilka. "What is she planning?" "I don't know." Ilka looked at Christine, as if asking her to intervene again. She must have seen something less than helpful in Christine's face. "They keep talking about this place where we would be free of the change. And from where we'd also be able to launch an attack." She held her hand up, as if afraid Nogura might hit her. "It's crazy talk. We laugh at them. There's no such place. And why attack? I'm glad I can control this." "Where do they meet?" "Ulf and I aren't part of it. They only tell the ones who are loyal where the safe place is." "I know where it is," Christine said. She looked at Jim. He nodded. "I'll take you there," she said, as she started up the stairs. Nogura and Jim followed her up. She tried to not look like she was struggling to get back up the stairs. How much blood had she lost? She felt a hand on her back. "Lieutenant." She turned. Nogura shook his head. "You are too tired to go in there. You will get hurt. I will take my own reinforcements." He turned to Jim. "I'll have the driver take you back to town. Or to Starfleet Medical if you think that is necessary." "I don't need a hospital," Christine said. "And I'm fine." Jim shook his head. When she started to protest, he said, "Chris. No." "Jim, I can do this." "You may not need a doctor, but he is right. You're too weak. We'll be no good to him." She was about to shoot back an angry retort but he just shook his head, a knowing smile on his face. She sighed. They both knew it was an admission of defeat. Jim turned to Nogura and told him where the restaurant was, how many werewolves they'd seen there. He explained about the shielding. She'd felt none of the things he was describing. "If she's smart, she'll move them. And Lori is nothing if not smart." Nogura spoke for a moment to his driver, then strode off. Four of the hooded figures that Christine had seen before appeared from out of the bushes. They followed Nogura to a larger flitter, climbed in. The flitter took off, heading back to town very fast. "I wouldn't want to be Lori right now," she said. Jim watched the flitter go. "No. Me neither." She went to crawl into the back of the flitter but he stopped her. "Take the front," he said, as he slid into the back. "It's easier to get out of." She smiled at him, settled in. She was asleep before the flitter was airborne. ------------------------- "Sir? Where to?" The driver looked back at Kirk. He gave him his address. Chris could stay with him. He wouldn't put it past Lori to try to kill her again. It had been a clever idea and, but for Nogura, it might have worked. He was still hazy on the details. Chris would have to tell him. The flitter landed gently in front of his building. Chris woke on her own, got out stiffly. She looked at him curiously. "You're staying here. Safer." "Oh. Okay." He wasn't sure she cared; she just looked so terribly tired. John was on duty. He already had the door open for them. "Good night, sir, ma'am." Kirk wondered if the elevator would ever come. He punched the call button again. She touched his arm. "Jim. I'm okay. I'm just a little banged up. And you were right. I'm so tired." He led her onto the elevator. "I know. I want to get you safely to bed." She laughed huskily, but without her normal energy. "Sure. I've been waiting months to hear those words, and you pick tonight?" He laughed, but he wasn't sure it was very convincing. They walked down the hall quietly, both aware of how late it was. He palmed open the door, then turned on the lights. He could feel the wards--he hadn't even been aware he'd put them on the place when he first moved in. That seemed like so long ago. He sent out his magic, strengthening them. He would keep Chris safe. She was heading for the couch but he turned her. "The bed." "With you." She didn't make it a question. He decided not to argue about it. "Yes, with me." "Mmmm." She smiled, but it was a sleepy smile. He went into the closet, found a t-shirt and handed it to her. Then he slid her uniform top off of her, staying behind her. The skin on her back was scraped badly, and there was a bump around which a huge bruise was already forming. "Oh, Chris. What happened?" "She shot me with a dart filled with some kind of nerve agent. I couldn't move. I couldn't fight. He threw me onto a gravestone. It hurt. A lot." Her voice fell, became very small. "I thought I was going to die, Jim. I would have died...except he came along." "Put the t-shirt on," he whispered, waiting until she'd done it to nudge her toward the bed. "Does it still hurt?" "It does. But not as bad. I heal fast. You know that." "I can still help." She looked over her shoulder at him. "That'd be nice." She crawled onto the bed and lay down on her stomach. He pulled the t-shirt back up and began to work on her back, trying to help her, wanting to ease her pain more than anything. She groaned slightly, but in a good way. He was helping. "Thanks," she said, turning over. He pulled off her boots, then his own, and climbed into bed. He rolled to his side, watching her as she lay staring at the ceiling. "Were you scared?" He leaned in; their faces were very close. She looked relieved that he had asked her. "Yes." Then she smiled, turning her head slightly to look at him. "But mostly I was pissed. He was a nothing vampire. I couldn't believe I was gonna get taken out by him." He laughed. "And I think she knew that. I think she enjoyed having this nobody vampire be the one to kill me. Damn werewolf bitch." "That's not much of an insult in her case, is it?" he asked. "Probably not." He laughed again, just a soft chuckle. Mostly out of relief. That she was okay. That his boss, while an obsessive, dangerous, megalomaniac, was probably not evil incarnate. He had saved Chris. Kirk would always be grateful. "What are you thinking?" Her eyes were so soft, half closed. Her voice was low and a bit hoarse. "How empty my life would be if anything happened to you." She stared up at him. Then she reached for him, pulling him down. He was kissing her before he could think better of it. Kissing her and gently rubbing her arm, afraid to lean too much, that he'd be too heavy and hurt her. He knew he should stop the kiss. Knew he should pull away. It took him a long time to do so. "Chris," he said, shaking his head. She gave him a guilty smile. "I'm weak and hurt. I have no self-control tonight." "No?" "No." She pulled him down to her again, but he resisted and she didn't try to force it. "Hold me?" she said softly. He gathered her up in his arms, relishing the feel of her against him, her warmth, and the way her hand snaked slowly around his waist. What would he have done if she had died? What was he going to do once she shipped out? He sighed. "What?" He shook his head. She sighed then. Would she find someone else? Some other man to love her. To hold her like this. Kirk thought he would hate that man. He wasn't sure if he didn't hate himself right now. He sighed, louder this time. And longer. She started to move away. "I'm sorry. I'll go sleep on the couch." He held her, careful not to hurt her. "It's okay." He let go of her. "Unless you want to sleep on the couch. Do you?" She shook her head. "Then sleep here. I'm fine. It's just been a weird night." She nodded. "I think a visit to our friends Chekov and Sulu is in order." She looked up at him, her eyebrows providing the question. He smiled. "Silver bullets. I have guns that can fire them; we just have to make some bullets." He felt better already. They had a plan. Plans were good. "Do we need that if the werewolves are in human form?" "I don't know. I guess Nogura would know." "I guess so." She snuggled closer. "I still don't trust him. He's not going to give up on Kirsu. Ever. He's obsessed with those Romulans." "I know." But Nogura had still saved Chris. That made him all right in Kirk's book. "Doesn't it seem like everything's a lie?" She sounded so forlorn. "I know one thing that isn't a lie." He laid his hand over her heart. "You're not a lie." She put her hand over his. "I love you. That's not a lie either." "Chris, I--" He stopped when she put her fingers over his lips. "I don't expect you to do anything about what I just said. It's just that it's true. And I wanted to say it." He brushed back her hair, fiercely, almost too hard. She frowned a bit. He'd never wanted a woman more than he did her. He wondered if she could see that in his eyes, in the way he was touching her. She smiled ruefully. "You sure you don't want me on the couch?" He laughed, closed his eyes. "I'm sure." She moved her hand, found his. Their fingers twined as if that was their natural state. She fell asleep, her breathing changing, becoming more solid, deeper. When he was sure she was out, he whispered, "I love you too." FIN -- Forwarded to ASCL by: Stephen Ratliff ASC Stories Only Forwarding In the Pattern Buffer at: http//trekiverse.crosswinds.net/feed/ ASCL is a stories-only list, no discussion. Comments and feedback should be directed to alt.startrek.creative or directly to the author. 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: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ From ???@??? Sun Jun 06 23:27:47 2004 X-Persona: Status: U Return-Path: Received: from n31.grp.scd.yahoo.com ([66.218.66.99]) by condor (EarthLink SMTP Server) with SMTP id 1bxaNW66g3NZFjK0 for ; Sun, 6 Jun 2004 20:28:08 -0700 (PDT) X-eGroups-Return: sentto-1977044-13680-1086578886-stephenbratliffasc=earthlink.net@returns.groups.yahoo.com