Disclaimer:
-----------------------------------------------------------
By Den
Dureena awoke.
She could hear soft breathing beside her, and she turned to stare at Galen as he slept. He was curled towards her, one hand beside his face, the other carelessly draped around her. He wore a small smile, even though he was shivering. Dureena pulled a blanket around them both, and lay back down. She could feel his soft breath on the back of her neck, and she smiled. Closing her eyes, feeling Galen’s warm body against her, she let sleep take her.
Even as he slept, Galen continued his equations. He couldn’t let himself fully rest until the program was complete, until Captain Susan Ivanova could find what she was looking for. Nine years ago, she’d been unsure what to think of Elric and the techno-mages. They had been a mystery, and Susan Ivanova didn’t like mysteries. Galen could feel her pain, almost as sharply as if it was his own, and he wanted to relieve her of it, if only for a little while.
It was the least he could do.
Susan stared up at Talia as she approached. There was no fear in her eyes, just trust, and an almost innocent look. Talia stared back down at Susan. She knew what Susan had gone through in the last nine years, and she felt horrible, knowing that she’d been a major part in that pain. There was no way she could take it back now, she knew, but she could try. After all, wasn’t it Kosh who had told her nothing was written in stone? Even with her nine-year absence, Talia knew that Kosh was dead, and so many others as well, including – what had his name been? Oh yes – Marcus. He’d been Susan’s friend for a time, but now he, too, was gone.
"Do you hate me, Susan?" Talia asked quietly, stopping about two feet away, bracing for the rejection. She was surprised when it did not come.
"No." Susan replied quietly. "I just miss you. How long will you be here, Talia?"
Talia moved closer, bending down to take Susan’s hands in her own. "We have this night, Susan. Is it enough?"
Susan didn’t respond, choosing instead to disengage her hands from Talia’s and pull the other woman down on top of her.
Talia wrapped her arms around Susan, moulding her slender body against Susan’s and kissing her.
Susan tugged at the buttons of Talia’s dress, struggling to remove the offending garment. Talia helped her, covering Susan’s shaking hands with her own and pulling the dress off her shoulders. She pulled away for a moment, allowing the dress to slither to the floor.
For a moment Susan simply sat back and stared. She hadn’t seen this body in nearly ten years, but she still remembered every curve, every tone. She could even recall the tiny scar at the base of Talia’s throat, the scar that she’d gotten during a hostage situation where her captor had been ready to kill her.
In that moment, she let herself go.
Reaching up to the other woman, she pulled her closer.
"Make me forget, Talia." She whispered brokenly. "Make me forget all of it. Let it all die."
A single tear rolled down her cheek. Lowering her head, Talia kissed it, tasting the single, salty drop.
Gently, she removed the rest of Susan’s clothing. When the other woman was completely nude, Talia lay down beside her, running gentle hands over Susan’s body. She was going to make this as wonderful as she could for Susan, as wonderful-
She paused. Something was not right.
"Susan." She looked into the other woman’s face. "Susan, I can feel you there. I can feel your mind, reaching out to touch, but how –"
Susan smiled sadly. "Now you know my secret, Tal. Please," she whispered.
Talia looked down at her. "Please what, Susan?"
Susan’s eyes were dark with pent-up desire. "Please don’t stop." She begged.
Talia smiled, and lowered her head.
Galen shifted in his sleep. Something wasn’t right. Somehow, he had lost the equations. Sadness stirred within him, sadness because Captain Susan Ivanova would never have the chance to say goodbye, because of him.
He rolled over, towards Dureena, and curled up next to her, feeling the heat from her body next to his own. Vaguely, he could feel her arms around him, pulling him into their warm embrace, her soft words calming him.
Unknown to him, Dureena was awake. And the words she spoke were lucid ones, not the indecipherable murmurs of sleeptalk. She had woken up soon after he had fallen asleep, and it was obvious that, even in his sleep, he was working. She had the feeling that this was more than just a dream that he was sending, but perhaps a likeness, such as he could create of himself. Why, then, did he look so worried, even in sleep?
Talia rested against Susan for a moment, letting the other woman relax. Then, she lifted herself up, and kissed Susan passionately. Her hands roamed over Susan, re-familiarizing herself with the feel of her. She’d never wanted or needed anyone as much as she wanted and needed Susan right now.
Using slow, maddening techniques, Talia made passionate love to Susan. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly when, but at some point in the night, Susan’s mental defences came crashing down, and she let Talia in. Talia embraced her fully, wrapping her consciousness around Susan’s. The scan was brief but gentle, testing the waters for something more intimate, and finding welcome. As their minds joined, Talia could feel everything that the Captain had felt over the last nine years, and she grieved.
Finding the heat between Susan’s legs, Talia’s fingers slipped gently into her, moving very gently, but eliciting such powerful sensations inside Susan that she thought she might explode from the inside out. She felt everything Susan did, and nearly lost control herself.
She could feel the impending explosion, and she cried out with Susan when it came. Susan was drenched in sweat, her nails digging into Talia’s pale flesh, but Talia took no notice. She too was floating on sensation, and she held Susan tightly, unintentionally leaving marks that would surely be bruises come morning.
Repeatedly, through the night, they made love, and it was only in the early hours of the morning that they rested.
As Galen thrashed in his sleep, something had stirred within Dureena; the need to care for someone other than herself. She worried so hard for him, that she could not even sleep herself.
Galen seemed on the verge of waking, he was shaking so hard. Then, as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. His body grew still, and he relaxed into Dureena’s arms. He curled up next to her, his lips resting against her neck.
Finally, as Galen lay still in her arms, Dureena closed her eyes, and found sleep.
It was in the later hours of the morning that Talia pulled away from Susan, standing up. As she looked down at Susan, her expression became opaque.
Susan looked up at her, a worried line appearing between her brows.
"Talia? What’s wrong?"
Talia looked away, her gaze distant. "It’s almost time, Susan. I have to go before the day comes, and it is almost here."
Susan looked around, panicked.
"NO!" She finally shrieked, in a high voice that was not her own. "There’s no day or night in space! Oh God, Tal, there’s no day! You can stay with me! Please, you can’t leave me now."
She was pleading fervently, her grey eyes filling with anguished tears, which brimmed over and rolled down her face.
"I must, Susan." Talia said softly. "It’s my time. This is not the last time we will see one another. I will be with you in your dreams until the end, and then we will meet again, in the place where no shadows fall."
"No." Susan held on to her hand. "No, Tal…"
She held on even as Talia’s hand faded, and her body followed.
"No…"
Her sobs echoed in the empty room.
"Please don’t leave me."
Something had gone very wrong. Inside, Galen could no longer find the Talia he had created. There was nothing, but he knew that it was much more.
END PART 2