Warning: English is not my first language, this ff was not beta read, and it was hastily written... so you may (and you will) meet some errors (especially grammatical ones, they�re the worst)
Help wanted!: If you have an idea for the title, please tell me! I just can�t find an adequate title to this one...
La guerre
des roses
By CalR
Chapter 1: February the 10th, 2235 hours, Green sector, Hall of receptions.
Okay, I can do that.
Commander Ivanova straigthened her dress uniform one last time as she was about to enter the room. She was late. Very late thanks to a particularly obnoxious starship captain.
Damn, Sheridan will kill me!
As she entered the huge room, she noticed that indeed she was late. The feast was well engaged, with centauris waitress running around with huge platters full of food.
The centauri ambassador had been in a good mood and incredibly lucky with games lately and we was prone to share his good fortune. He organised for the command staff, the ambassadors and a few important buisnessmen a feast "like there was in the old Republic!" with foods and liquors at will.
Ivanov lifted a brow as she saw Molari�s antics with a strange bottle, drawing all the eyes to himself. At last, she would have a chance to come in without being noticed.
Provided she found a seat. Because, apparently Garibaldi forgot to save her one. Figure, the commander thought, noticing, the lithe figure dressed in dark green seated near him. Each time he sees her, he tends to be distracted.
The place next to the chief�s date was empty.
Ivanova frantically searched another place.
Oh yes, there was another. The one right next to the Pak�mara�s ambassador.
Ivanova gulped.
Which seat should I choose? She thought, eyeing warily the only two free seats. Okay, let�s be methodic: either i choose... waht�s that color... agh.. marron? Grey. Either grey or blonde. Either ambassador or...
The woman seated near Garibaldi lifted her head and noticed her.
Well, Sheridan�s alway telling me about expanding my diplomatic talents. What�s a little smell against galactic peace? she thought, taking resolutly the path leading her toward the Pak�ma'ra.
Really. It�s not that terrible. She came under a air vent and caught a whiff of putrescent air. May be not.
"Ivanova! We weren�t waiting for you anymore!" the joyful voice of her captain caught her dead in her tracks.
"I noticed." She answered dryly as Sheridan approached her.
"Something�s happened?"
"Nothing to important...some transport will be delayed, but it doesn�t contain primary goods. I had to battle with captains all the evening to reach an agreement."
Sheridan nodded. �Good. I�m sure you�ve done your usual excellent job. Now take time for a little R&R. Londo has outdone himself and the feast should have cost him a fortune. So we shouldn�t waste such generosity.�
Ivanova smirked. �You never waste an opportunity of fresh food, sir.� And an occasion to be with ambassador Delenn as well, she added mentally, noticing the dark-haired Minbari watching them.
�So enjoy yourself, commander.�
�Thank you, sir.� She answered as she took off for her place, the one near the foul smelling alien.
�Hey, where are you going? We are on the other side of the table!�
�Well, I have very important things to say to the Pak�mara ambassador. And our discussion can�t suffer any delay; so I�d better take place near him to save time.�
The captain frowned. �You can�t be serious!�
The commander arched a brow. �Why not? You�re always telling me about expand...�
�Yadda, tadda� Cut the Captain.� Yeah I know. But, Susan it�s a Pak�mara! And you can�t be on duty twenty four hours a day, seven days per week!�
The second brow of Ivanova met the first up her forehead. He never complained before. Looks like our captain liked a lot Londo�s brevari. She thought noticing the red on his cheeks and the slightly glassy look of his eyes.
�Ah... come on!� Sheridan said, taking her by the arm. �I need you over there. Londo seems to think that a good officer must know how to handle its acohol and you being there will let me off the hook.�
� Sir..I�
�What?!!�
�Sir...�� she made a sign with her head... �she�s... over here.�
�Who?�
God. He was slow!
�The telep...I mean miss Winters.�
�And?�
�Well, you know me and telepaths don�t mingle very well.�
�Like oil and water.� He sighed �Listen, Susan. I know about that, but can�t you manage to bear her tonight? She seems to be a decent human and by the way, she has her hands full of Gabibaldi right now. She won�t annoy you. I promise. Come on.� He tugged at her arm.
Yep. He�s more than a little drunk. Sober, Sheridan wouldnever be familiar enough to touch her.
So she relented. �All right. But if she looks at me even a slightly strangely, I swear I would...�
�She won�t do that, I guaranty it!� he said frantically and not a little relieved.
The two officers went to the table feast. Ivanova sighed internally as she took her place near her nemesis. And supressed a smile:
In fact the usually cool and composed telepath was looking a little more than annoyed. May be it was her presence, but the commander had a strong suspicion that the annoyance was coming from Garibaldi�s behavior.
Especially when he was trying to feed her smalls bites of his food with his fork.
***********
Chapter 2: February the 10th , 2241 hours. Green sector, Hall of receptions.
�You absolutely must try it. Spoo of this age is rare and exceptionnaly palatable. I think that you...�
�Can eat by myself, thank you.� Cut the telepath, pushing back his hand.
Talia Winters internally sighed. Only years of training allowed her not to break and tell the persistant chief where he can put his spoo. Telepaths have their limits, and Chief Garibaldi�s was on the verge of discovering one.
Does that man ever understand the words �not insterested�? Because I told him so in every way I could imagine. Except by printing the thought right inside his mind, but I would never do that.
She was more than weary of his acts and his invasives thoughts.
�You know Mr Garibaldi.� She said aloud. �I�ve been on this station for a little more than one year. I�ve worked along every species who happened to come by. I�ve eaten with them. So I appreciate your efforts but I can really choose my plates by myself.�
And she resolutely turned from him.
As she saw her new neighbour, all annoyance suddenly disapeared.
�Commander..� she saluted graciously.
And her mood perked up by the minute when handsome officer aknowledged �wearily- to her.
�Miss Winters.� The expressive mouth of Ivanova was curling a little around the edges. �You�ve been a little hard on him... he was only trying to be helpful.�
�I may appear ungrateful, but I�m tired of Mr Garibaldi�s helpfulness.� She said with a hint of grimace. �I�d prefer he reserves it to more interested women.�
�You know, persistance is Mr Garibaldi�s most important trait. It comes with the job.�
�I know. Believe me, I know.� And the tone was so desolate that Ivanova couldn�t supress a grin. In a sense she pitied the telepath.
Garibaldi didn�t hear the convesation but he wasn�t about to give up the beautiful telepath�s attention. Especially if Ivanova appears to be in a civil mood. He absolutly had to join the discussion.
�Tell me, Ivanova. You�re late. Londo asked about you... something about officer and brevari. Where were you?�
�In C&C.� Answered the dark haired commander, leaning on her elbows to see the chief. �I had to reorganize transports due to the current heavy traffic, and delayed some cargo... I had captains and businessmen yelling at me all the evening. �
�Ouch! Better you than me.� Said Garibaldi.
�I told them that if they kept bugging me I was going to put their cargo all the way down to the waiting list. And magically they stayed out of my hair after.�
�No kidding!�
Talia Winters watched the exchange, trying to be noticed by Ivanova who was evidently ignoring her.�Which cargo are delayed?� she finally asked.
Ivanova grinded her teeth. Ignoring the blonde woman next to her was already rude, but ... she caught Sheridan eyeing her, a frown on his face.
I promised to seat next to her and not strangle her. I�m not supposed to be polite too!!
Sheridan�s frown deepened.
All right! But you�re going to pay that, sir.
�Some fresh stuff.� She finally answered. �Mainly fruits and flowers, nothing too important.�
�Flowers?� asked Garibaldi, trying to get back the telepath�s attention.
�yeah... roses and all those kind of things, you know...�
�Which cargo?�asked Sheridan from his place, suddenly very interested. �do you remember his serial number?�
�NTC-2235-00.� Suppiled the commander�s eideic memory.
All the faces became very serious around her.
�What did I say?� Ivanova has suddenly the feeling that she had done something very wrong.
�Commander,� began Sheridan. �don�t tell me you delayed the special cargo from Earth.�
�I did.�
Garibaldi�s and Sheridan had now a deep frown etched on their faces.
�Aw, come on, captain� began Ivanova �its only a...�
�It�s terrible.� Said mournfully Sheridan.
�Catastrophic.� Supplied Garibladi
�... a ship? � the commander finished her sentence with a question in her tone... fully realising there was a problem but not its nature.
�Tell me, commander... � began Sheridan �do you know what the day after tomorrow is?�
�Huh..� the dark haired woman was seriously puzzled now. �the fourteenth of february?�
�Yes, and do you know what this day entails?�
�I dunno... ah yes, the Queen�s day of the Gaims, no? I thought it was the twentieth...�
�She�s totally clueless.� Sighed Garibaldi banging his head on the table.
Ivanova squirmed under the scrutinuity of her officer. She usually made a point of knowing everything what happened on her station but Sheridan�s question took her off guard.
�Valentine.� Mouthed her table neighbour.
�What?�
�It�s Valentine day.� Explained Talia Winters. �Truly commander, you�ve spent too much time with aliens if you forgot Earth� traditions.�
Ivanova groaned. �And what�s the point with NTC-2235-00?�
The telepath gave her a soft smile... she was really enjoying catching the stern commander off guard to the point of asking her.
�Usually, during Valentine�s day, people offers red roses to their Valentines.�
�Russian don�t do this sort of things.� Mutterred the commander.
�but other humans do. � cut sharply Sheridan. He took a big breath... �Mr Garibaldi, I want you in my office.�
The chief gave him a pained look... �Now?�
The captain nodded. �Now.�
Garibaldi sighed, cast a regretful glance to Talia Winters and another murderous, to Ivanova.
�I�ll be back.� He muttered regretfully and the two officers left the room.
Ivanova watched them leaving the room, wondering what they were up to... shrugging, she attacked at last her meal. Sheridan was right. The food was exceptionnal.
Talia Winters watched the commander eating, a speculative smield etched on her fine features.
************
Chapter 3 : February, 10th ; 2257 hours. Blue Sector. Captain Sheridan�s office.
�Gentlemen, we may have a situation of crisis here.�
Captain Sheridan was pacing in front of his desk.
The two other officers, Garibaldi and Franklin, who joined them shortly after, nodded.
�Valentine�s day is approaching fast and , thanks to Ivanova, we have no red roses.�
�We can find Brakiri�s red flowers in Zocalo.� Said Franklin. �they look like roses. They can make an appropriate substitute.�
�No way.� Answered Sheridan. �Valentine�s day is an old tradition, and eitheir we do it the right way, or we abandon the issue.�
�No way!� said Garibaldi. It was the day he could have his chance with Talia Winters.
�That�s why we need your talents and your contacts Michael. Can you find a way to smuggle red roses on board. I need two dozens.�
�Two dozen. That�s worth a month of salary!� Frankiln was baffled.
�I need them! Can you do that?�
�I need at last five roses for myself.� Said Franklin who was thinking about a particular woman in brown sector.
�That mean at last thirty one roses... that will be hard.�
Sheridan and Franklin nodded.
�...and expensive...�
The captain and the doctor vinced but kept nodding.
�...but it can be done. But you need to keep Ivanova out of my way.�
They were nodding frantically now.
�Okay.... here is my plan...�
***********
Chapter 4 : February, 14th: 1911 hours. Blue Sector, Commander Ivanova�s quarters.
Ivanova fell on her bed with a deep sight.
She was exhausted. Her features were drawn and her clothes rumpled.
Was Sheridan trying to kill her? Since two days, he was constanlty upon her, sending her assignment upon assignment; alarm exercise, paperwork, starfury exercises and his last idea: a whole year of personnal report to review.
It had been a nightmare.
She spent the last ten hours bended on those damn papers, asking herself why did she ever take the command track. She was ready to swear Sheridan was trying to drown her with work.
As she was starting to drift into sleep, she heard the familiar sound of the door bell.
What the hell...
�Go away! � she muttered, putting a pillow on her head.
The door bell ringed again.
Growling heavy curses, russian, english and a few drazi ones, the commander got up and straightened her uniform.
�Open!� she barked. �You �d better have a damned good reason to... Miss Winters? What�s the hell are you doing here?�
The beautiful telepath was standing a the door, with a box in her hands. She was cast fearful glances around her.
�I�m in dire need of help. And I couldn�t think of someone else but you. HE won�t think that I am here...�
Ivanova took a second to look at the telepath. She was indeed different with her long black evening dress. A slit tastefully cut was revealing a pleasing length of leg. Her cheeks were flushed and her hairs were slightly discheveled as she had run in her escape...
The commander frowned at the ever present badge and gloves... but the pleading look in the deep gray eyes won upon her mistrust.
�Come in... and tell me what happened.�
Talia Winters put the box on the dinner table and stood here, apparently uncertain.
�Take a seat.� Said Ivanova as she retrieved two glasses and a bottle of vodka. She poured one for the telepath... �here, you seem to need it.... careful...�
The blonde woman took the drink and gulped it in one swallow. She coughed and her flush expanded to her neck and her cleavage.
�...It�s a bit strong ...� finished Ivanova with a slight smile.
�I�ve noticed.� Choked the young woman.
Ivanova took the seat in front of her uninvited guest. �so, care to tell me?�
�Garibaldi.� She said at this name was explaining everything. �HE followed me like a puppy dog ALL day long. I had to cancel all my meetings and hide since early morning. I thought he wouldn�t find me in your quarters.�
�Hey... do I have a say in this story?� protested Ivanova, trying to hide her grin at the idea of a puppy-eyed Garibaldi.
�Please...� pleaded the telepath. �I know you don�t appreciate me, but help me..�
�You could sue him... have put a restaining order on him.�
�He�s the security chief! He�s controlling everything. And by the way, he�s not that bad, only very, very annoying...�
The two woman shared a smile.
�Listen... hide me and I�ll
Ivanova could clearly feel the desperation in the deep voice. She stood and stretched her sore muscles, ignoring the admiring glance of the telepath. �If you use your ID card he will find you... give me time to take a shower and dress... does old-fashionned earth cooking suit you?�
Talia Winters looked surprised. �what? Earth cook... yes...of course.�
Ivanova smiled. �Good. You�re dressed to go out and my father was always saying that the best hiding place is the more obvious. I was thinking of the�Fresh Air�, would you like to go?�
I�m certainly dreaming, no way the commander invited me... she must be kidding. That�s it, she can�t be serious.
�We may have a problem... � she said aloud �we have no reservations, and today....�
Ivanova smirked and showed her biolink. �Command�s privilege. Give me five minutes and I�ll be ready.�
**********
Chapter 5 : February, 14th1922 hours. Blue sector; Commander Ivanova�s quarters.
I�m an idiot... what could I have thought to invite her?
Ivanova was under the shower, rythmically banging her head on the wall.
I�m supposed to hate her, not to invite her. She�s Psi Corp for heaven�s sake!!
May be it was the dress, or her rosy cheeks or the way light was shining on her hair... but Miss Winters looked different tonight. And Ivanova had suddenly the urge to invite her. Kind of spur of the moment idea.
She was good to throw herself by the nearest airlock, now. Inviting PsiCorp telepath, how different they may look, wasn�t her idea of spending her evening. Hell, I would prefer babysitting snakes! It is a lot less dangerous.
dressed, donning something quickly and reentering the living room. She wasn�t that sure of leaving the telepath alone in her quarters.. perhaps she should order a bug sweep tomorrow.
�Ready to go?� she asked instead, all ideas of escaping suddenly forgotten in front of her guest.
Talia winters was gaping at her. �You... you look so ...unmilitary without your uniform.�
Ivanova danced on her feet under the other woman�s scrutinuity. �Thanks... I think. So are you ready?�
�Yes...�
Ivanova gave a half bow toward the telepath , but, before opening the door, she noticed the box on her table. �What�s this?�
It was Talia�s turn to dance on her feet. �Something I picked along the way. Can you keep it here?� She was feeling the commander�s blue eyes boring into her.May be it wasn�t such a good idea... hang on, Talia... she may bought it.
�May I take a look?�
�Please do.�
Ivanova opened gingerly the box, and saw inside a huge distorted
teddy bear. The thing was really nightmarish.
�Hey, those thing are sold in brown sector... I�ve seen them around the station. It�s ... � she looked at the horrible thing �original.�
Not to mention terribly expensive. Poor Talia, she�d been had by the salesman. She�s really far too naive for her own good. Who can buy such a piece of crap?
She brought it. Talia suddenly felt a lot more relieved.
�It�s the fashion of the moment.� She said, not really lying. �can we go now? I must admit that I�m a little hungry.�
�Worked up an appetite?� asked Ivanova with a devilish grin. Inside, her mind was yelling at her, telling her that that woman was pure danger, but Ivanova was too tired to fight the incredible attraction she felt for the blonde telepath tonight. May be it is the dress. She thought, her gaze once again drifting along the lithe figure.
A small laugh brought her back into reality. �Fleeing Mr Garibladi involved a lot of energy.�
�Let�s not keep you waiting then.� Said Ivanova with a strange smile, leading the woman to the door.
The grey panel closed silently behind the couple.
***********
Chapter 6: February, 14th2110 hours. Blue Sector, level 4.
Garibaldi was hunting.
And so far was unsucceful. But he was a firm believer of �the longuer the chase, the sweeter the victory.�
Until now.
He had just finished pacing along the passageways of blue sector. And before that he had inspected the red, green, brown and even grey sector, including access reserved ones.
And still no Talia Winters.
It was like she had disappeared off the station.
He sighed.
He even had checked at Ivanova�s quarters for heaven�s sake! Like the sour commander would tolerate the blonde telepath!
But Ivanova wasn�t home, surely she was still in C&C. And the telepath was still nowhere in sight.
Garibaldi looked at the forlong-looking box he held in his hands. The box had suffered from the journey and from is owner�s growing anger.
�What am I going with this now?� he asked the box. �I�ve really no idea where she is...�
His comlink chirped.
�< deep sight> Garibaldi...�
�Chief. We need your at the security station. Deuce has done it again.�
�Damn. Not now, Lou. I�m off duty.�
�You must come. It�s really important.�
He knew it. There HAD to have something to destroy his plans. Each time he was interrupted from his pursuits by a �really urgent� security alert.
Sometimes I hate my job. He thought. �I�m coming. I�ll be here in a few minutes.�
Garibaldi cast a disgusted glace at the box he was holding and took off for his quarters. Without even looking he threw the box inside the living room and closed the door behind him, pacing angrily toward the security station.
In the darkness of the chief�s quarter, the box had opened when it impacted the floor.� An enormous ill-shaped teddy bear was poking its head outside the plastic container.
***********
Chapter 7: February, 14th 2320 hours. Red sector. Zocalo.
So far, everything�s okay.
Dinner was wonderful, waiters were polite and discreet, the whole astmosphere was perfect. She couldn�t have done better if she had imagined it. In fact she didn�t even dare to imagine this situation before tonight, Ivanova was usually so unreachable.
Talia Winter was looking intently at her dinner compagnion, certain that she won�t have the opportunity to look at the commander out off her uniform soon.
She was handome in a russian kind of way. Charming. With a sparkling smile and an easy laugh.
Talia Winters guessed that it was the wine that brought redness on her cheeks and twinkles in her eyes more than her compagny , but she nonetheless enjoyed the results.
Ivanova, in her unifom was drawing all the eyes to her by her forceful presence; but out of the blue tissue, she was utterly captivating and the telepath couldn�t help but folliwing with her eyes, the lines of her shoulders, the curve of her neck, the swell of her breasts, half hidden under the clothes.
�So. Did you like it?� asked the commander.
�Yes. Dinner was wonderful. Thank you for indulging me, tonigh.�
�It�s nothing. I needed the break anyway. Sheridan and his clique were all over my back these days. At last this dinner changed my ideas.�
� Even with me?� they had escaped the subject all the evening by idle chatting and Talia knew she was charting in dangerous waters.
�Listen, I�m not in the mood of arguing tonight. Let�s say we called a temporary truce, ok?�
�And the truce wears off at midnight, like Cinderella�s magic?�
Ivanova nodded. � Except... that I won�t ever wear glass shoes and don�t even start calling me �Prince�! � she growled playfully.
Talia laughted at this unexpected burst of humor.
�Have you noticed?� asked Ivanova after a moment.
�What?�
�Those people. They�re all...�
�In couples? That�s expected the Valentine�s day. What? Oh yes, I forget, Russians don�t do that sort of thing.�
�Well. That�s true.� Ivanova said, relaxing on her chair. �We must make a stark contrast in this atmosphere.�
�Why are you saying that. I personnally don�t think so.�
Ivanova arched a brow. �Care to explain?�
�Well, we are two, we are dressed-up and you have not threatened me in the last three hours ergo people must think we are a couple.�
�Impossible.�
�Why?�
�I�m the commander of the station, remember? On this station either they hate my guts or are scared or want something from me. � she said, thinking a second about Malcolm.
�I see. But nonetheless, we are here, alone in what could be considered as a romantic setting, on Valentine�s day and so we could be considered as a couple.�
�Impossible, again.� Said Ivanova with a grin.
�And why again?� Talia asked, mirroring the commander�s smile.
�Where are the red roses? Captain Sehridan was adamant about their presence during the ritual.�
�You have spent too much time with Minbari�s, commander. And if you want to know, thanks to you, there are no roses on board.� said the telepath.
�There aren�t any officially, Miss Winters.� Said Ivanova with a large smirk. �I know roses had been smuggled on B5. I don�t know how the smugglers operates, there is indeed roses on board. At a very high price. Anyone who buys them is a fool.�
�Or in love.� Talia smiled to Ivanova. �So you haven�t been given any roses?�
�Not what I know of. Have you?�
�What?�
�Been given roses?�
�No.�
�Why? Surely someone as beautiful as you has someone to share this day with.�
Oh, believe me. I have.
�If you ever mention Mr Garibaldi...� the two women shared a smile.
�Let�s come back to our subject.� dodged Ivanova. �We were saying that as you didn�t got me any roses and vice-versa, we are not Valentines. End of discussion. I won the argument.�
Talia arched a perfect brow. �I wasn�t aware there was a contest. Tell me, are you always so competitive? �
�Yes. When I was younger I was competing with my bother, then fellows students, then fellows officers and look where all this led me!�
�Being one of the most younger commander of Earforce?�
�And being one without a Valentine!� she said with a chuckle.
�So you said.� Answered Talia with a strange smile.
�No... I�m not being led on this ground again! I...�
A blimp cut her sentence.
�Damn. Where was I? Ah, yes.... I ...
New blimp. Deep sight.
�Excuse-me a second, please?� asked politely Ivanova before barking a �What!� in her ever-present biolink.
�Sorry to disturb you commander. We need a superior officer in C&C and you are the one on call.�
Well, Sheridan will have ruined my whole week. The dark-haired woman thought, remembering Sheridan telling about being taken all the evening by an important rendez vous.
�I�m on my way, Ivanova out.� She said dryly before turning to her guest. �Look... I... I�m sorry.�
�Dinner�s over , I suppose.� Said Talia good-naturally. �It�s okay. It was almost closing time anyway.�
�Yeah..� ansewered an embarassed Ivanova. �listen, I...�
�No problem, really.�
�I should at last accompany you home.�
� I can manage by myself commander, thank you. And by the way, you took great lenghts to prove we weren�t Valentines, so don�t start by acting as one.� She needled gently.
�Yeah. I should go. The bill�s on me.�
�No way! I�m perfectly able to...�
�I know. But I invited you, remember?� Cut Ivanova with a grin. �and by the way, if you use your ID card Garibaldi would know where you spent your evening.�
�But..."
�Let me. Please.�
How can I refuse when she looks at me with big blue eyes like that!�Okay.� She finally relented with a soft smile.
�Great.� She hesitate �... I should go now.�
�I know.�
Ivanova made no effort to stand.
�You will be late.� Said Talia. �and you have yet to change into uniform.�
�Yeah.� Still no movement.
�Go on!� urged the telepath. �It�s almost midnight and soon the magic will disappear. Tomorrow everything will go back to the norm.�
�Not everything.� The commander relunctantly stood, a shadow on her features. �I�m going. Oh, I almost forgot... what about the box you left in my quarters?�
�It was intended to you, commander.� Seeing a beginning of a frown, she quickly added... �Remember all that is gold is not necessarily shining. When you�ll have time, take a closer look at it.�
�I will. Thank you.� A pause. � Goodnight Talia.�
�Goodnight Commander.�
�Susan. Just Susan.�
The telepath gave her a blinding smile. �Goodnight Susan, then.�
And the commander swiftly left the restaurant, leaving Talia deep in her thoughts.
**********
Chapter 7: February, 15th 0417 hours , Commander Ivanova�s quarters.
The crisis was stopped, the protagonists were under arrest and the station was once more saved.
Ivanova dragged her exhausted body into the welcome darkness of her quarters and fell right on her couch.
As her eyes were about to close, they fell on the discaded box she had put on the coffer table before leaving. And it reminded her of her evening.
All that is gold is not necessarily shining, had said Talia.
For a while curiosity fought against exhaustion but it finally won.
Sitting on her couch, Ivanova grabbed the box and extracted the teddy be.
It was truly an incredibly ugly thing. How someone as elegant as Talia Winters could ever be tricked into buying that was a mystery she couldn�t understand.
Hey, it isnt even correctly sewed.. urgh what the heck..?
Under the pressure of her fingers, the seam of the toy broke open, revealing a grey plastic encasement and some padding stuff.
What�s this?
Ivanova delicately extracted a smaller plastic box. It was roughtly cylindrical, more than on feet long and wider than her hands.
She grinned widely. Smuggling material. No wonder those ugly things are so expensives.
She fumbled a little to open the box but at least the plastic seal broke with a hiss, reveling it�s contents. A whiff of wet; soft sented air reached her nose.
One day sooner, Ivanova would habe been angered, but now, she only chuckled.
�Well �, she said aloud. �I think I�ve been had somewhere...�
She layed on her couch, tucking a pillow under her head in order to admire her present.
She looked at the ripped teddy bear. �And you know what?� she told him. �I think that I don�t mind her little trick.�
She glanced at the two perfectly entwined roses she held in her hands. Their color, a deep red, was reminding her of red lips she had watched not so long ago.
She deeply inhaled the heady perfume of the flowers.
�No,� she said, as a large grin appeared on her face.. �I really don�t mind at all.�
Fade to black.
End