Pandora's Box
Lieutenant Pandora Summers was finally on vacations after three years. She could have chosen to go anywhere, but she wanted to vist the Station Deep Space 9, especially to immerse in those Bajoran Monasteries. She felt she had to connect to a deeper spiritual part of herself and Bajor was all that she needed.
The Promenade was something to see and compared to Ten Forward it left nothing to desire. Except for Guinan... She loved Guinan. The woman always seemed to know what she was thinking.
Gosh, she needed a drink. No, she needed something sweet.
She went to the most crowded establishment. Slowly. Taking her time.
"Whaaat is it, brother?", asked Rom, in his usual drawl. Quark was pouring some beverage to Morn, but not paying attention and making a mess.
He could only stare at that curly-blond haired hu-man.
It was as if the world had stopped.
"Hi.", she said with a singing voice, staring at him with huge violet-blue eyes.
She was not wearing a Starfleet Uniform, but a casual dress, showing her legs. Quark felt the urge to take her right there on the counter.
Rom intervened.
"What's your pleasure miss?"
She chuckled.
"I never thought Ferengi were so gentle."
"And I already knew hu-man were so uncivil. Are you going to order or not?", asked Quark.
"Brotheeer..."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend. I'd like the largest ice cream you have here."
Quark processed her order.
"Bad break-up?", he asked.
"Nah. I just like sweets."
When she was about to pay, Quark said:
"Keep it. Your latinum is no good here."
She bit her lip.
"You know... You have beautiful eyes... I love your dark circles...", she blurted.
He smiled, polishing a glass.
"And I couldn't take my eyes of your thighs. Or, of your cleavage."
"Hey! That's not very nice!"
"Don't act coy. I know what you're thinking."
"That's it for me!", she threw her hands up. "I'm leaving. I'll be down the stairs, since it's easier to get caught! Bye!"
"What the—", said Rom.
"Rom, take care of the bar.", said Quark, with a malicious smile.
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And there she was, on the stairs, holding her panties and smiling. Quark was beside himself. She entwined her legs around him and said:
"I do hope you know enough about human females. And be careful with those sharp teeth."
"And please, you, perform oo-mox."
"You know nothing about me.", she licked his ear and he moaned. "I have a Ferengi fetish."
"Honey, I could have you right here, but besides not being appropriate, it's too risky."
She laughed, tickling his ear with her breath.
"That so? I'm so wet."
"Oh, my.", Quark could barely breathe. "You are a minxy.", and they kissed, full of desire. He carried her to his room.
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She awoke in Quark's quarters completely exhausted. She noticed things in his room she hadn't noticed in the the apex of their passion.
Action figures by the buckets on the shelves. Shiny colorful trinkets. Illegal drinks.
She didn't say a thing about that. But he was getting dressed and she made the mistake of emmiting an opinion.
"I know I have no right to give an opinion, but these clothes you wear... Are tacky."
"You're right, you don't."
"Burn!"
He was already leaving when she said:
"I know I should have asked yesterday, but what's your name?"
He scorned.
"You should be paid by the hour!"
She was mortified.
"Okay. Where are my clothes?", she tried to hide her tears. "I acted like a slut, I will be treated like one, I suppose, in your sexist book. Pig!"
"Wait, I'm..."
"Don't touch me! Don't ever touch me again! Bastard!"
Before she left, she threw the bomb.
"And you. Do you even know my name?"
He bit his lip, mortified.
"You should be paid by the hour!", she cried.
She dressed in a hurry and left his room, still with her scent.
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Nog was with Jake on the Promenade.
"I promise I'll write to you.", said Nog.
"I know. And the writer here is me.", they held each other.
"Uncle Quark!", said Nog, by seeing the adamant presence of Quark.
"Listen to me, because I'm going to say this only once. I approve of your decision, Nog. That's all I have to say."
Jake and Nog were very confused.
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To hell with Bajor, to hell with DS9... Pandora would come back to Enterprise and her Ops Uniform (she had thought of Risa, but it wasn't her cup of tea).
When she was about to embark the runabout, she heard someone crying for her.
"PANDORA! PANDORAAAAA! FORGIVE MEEE!"
It was her one-night stand. Quark. Why would he care.
He was making that begging gesture that Ferengi made.
She was moved of course. How hard must it have been for him to get to such length.
Especially when he had a Cardassian ex she had no idea.
And Jadzia.
She left the runabout, in a dash and kissed him, passionately.
He was holding her hands for dear life.
"I made a mistake."
"You did.", she said. "But we only had a moment. Why do you care?"
He scratched behind his ear.
"As a matter of fact, I don't know. But... You know those moments of clarity?"
She rolled her eyes.
"Quark, I have to go. I don't have time for this."
He held her hands.
"But you see, we even know each other's names! It's fate!"
She laughed.
"It wasn't difficult to find out. Now, good-bye."
"No. Noo! Hu-man! I have many things to tell you! I am in-!"
She questioned and looked behind.
"You are...?"
"Before you, yellow-haired hu-man, I've never felt like this before. Stay."
Pandora's heart started pounding.
"You're saying you're... in love? Why?"
Quark sighed.
"Are you dumb?"
"But Quark, it was just lust! You are confused! And I have to go."
"Don't you dare to tell me you feel nothing for me, hu-man!"
"Yes, I do! I feel irritation when you call me 'hu-man'. Bye!"
"This isn't over, Pandora!"
She looked behind before the runabout left.
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Weeks later...
Pandora was on the Jefferies tube, feeling the worst in her life, but she had been ordered and she wanted a promotion... But everything was spinning, she was so, so sick... Until she saw only darkness and woke up with Dr. Beverly examining her.
"I'm fine!", she shoved her a little too hard.
"I'd say you are disoriented. You need to eat something. How about a burger, or a shake...?"
"Ew!"
Beverly swallowed, hard.
"Pandora... While you were on leave, is there anything you'd like to tell me?"
Immediately, she dodged.
"Why, of course not. I just... Socialized."
"Socialized? Really? You must be hungry. How about Beetle purée or Snail juice or Gree worm?"
Pandora thought for a moment. Her mouth watered.
"That sounds acceptable."
"I knew it!", Beverly gave a little punch on her hand. "Pandora, those are Ferengi food! You are pregnant!"
"What?! That's impossible! Humans and Ferengi can't mix! No. NO!"
"Apparently, they can."
Pandora started crying.
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
"It's hard to know, but possibly, a girl."
"NO! The Father will hate her! I'll never tell!"
"Look, Pandora, I am sorry. Mothering a Ferengi's child is no joke. You should talk to Deanna."
"I don't want that child."
Beverly sighed.
"This is a difficult decision, but it can't be delayed. I won't say it is a moral procedure, but it's your choice. Just talk to Deanna first..."
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"Well, I can sense you are very confused and this child growing inside you is alive, Pandora... If you take it out, you should think about it. All those urges you are having to eat Ferengi food, it's her. She communicates with you.", said Deanna.
"Oh gosh", she started crying. "She will only suffer."
"Well, not necessarily. Quark is a Ferengi different than any I've ever known. Give him a chance."
"No. My daughter has no chance."
"Talk to him at least. He deserves to know. I lost a sister. It was very painful."
"You lost a sister, Counselor?"
She sighed.
"Yes. We were on a picnic. She drowned. It was an accident. Mother never forgave herself. You may feel like her."
Pandora got up.
"I don't need that."
And shut the door.
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She was on the computer, staring at Quark's face.
"And thaaaat's what I'm talking about.", he said with a mellow voice. "Why hon, you look horrible, if you don't mind me saying. I was going to compliment your lingerie, but—"
"It's your fault! For vomiting non-stop! Fainting like hell! EATING FERENGI FOOD!"
"Wait... Are you—"
"I am, genius!"
He chuckled.
"Is it a boy or an abortion?"
"IT'S AN ABORTION! You'll never see this... this thing, because I'm taking it out of me!"
"I was kidding! I want my daughter! You have no right!"
"I have every right! She won't be naked and locked! She won't chew food to males!"
"You are well informed, aren't you? I won't let you kill our daughter! You egotistical bitch!"
"Good-bye, Quark. It was nice meeting you."
And she cut the link.
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Quark was desperate.
He interrupted whichever Sisko was doing to ask for a runabout.
"What for?", Sisko was adamant.
"My wife is going to abort my baby."
Sisko was... astonished.
"Do I want to know more about that?"
"Please Commander. Don't humiliate me further."
That sounded reasonable enough.
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He went with Odo, since he insisted. They pretended they were not friends. The Enterprise-D was nearly impossible to find. They hailed and were admited.
"Where is Pandora?!", asked Quark, not feeling quite comfortable on the bridge. Odo behaved like a security guard, completely out of his element.
Capitain Picard and Riker smiled.
"She's on 'Ten Forward'."
The little Ferengi looked very concerned.
"Let me take you there.", said , Deanna, even though Betazoids couldn't feel Ferengi emotions.
"Is it a Medical Bay?", he asked her.
"See for yourself."
When he entered, it was a bar. A happy, big bar. Full of people. Pandora was talking to a woman that wore an enormous hat.
He ran to Pandora and called her out loudly. He cared for nothing anymore.
"Quark!", she shrieked.
"I missed you! Are you... still pregnant?", he whispered, holding her hands.
"I don't know, I just feel like having Lemto."
He laughed and touched his nose to hers.
"Quark... I want to marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. It wouldn't be difficult to get a transfer to Deep Space 9, but we are too different. It wouldn't work."
He held her hands. "Are you proposing and de-proposing out of the blue? I had already accepted. No woman has captivated me as much as you. You don't even have to agree to Ferengi habits."
Why did he care so much for this hu-man?!
"N-no? I don't? And I have? Really? I mean, captivated you?"
This unstable hu-man.
"Honey, you're not making any sense.", Quark said, with a smiling tone.
"I love you, Quark.", she kissed him passionately.
"I'm going to make the arrangements. And there shall be a lot of Ferengi food in my bar."
"So then, I'll have to get pregnant very often."