Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
He had just finished washing his hands and was preparing himself for bed when he heard it. Soft lilting sounds came from the other room, and he realized that Emma was singing. He listened closely.
"Happy birthday to me...happy birthday to me...happy birthday dear Emma...happy birthday to me..."
His brow furrowed in confusion and he walked out of the washroom, and saw Emma sitting on the edge of the bed in her night clothes, singing softly with her eyes shut.
"What are you singing?"
Her eyes snapped open, and she blushed red in shame and hung her head. "Nothing...just a song."
He thought for a moment and then gasped in comprehension. "Is that a song about your Earth custom of celebrating the day someone was born?"
She sighed and nodded.
"And today is yours?"
Another nod. "I came here on January the 13th, and I've been keeping count ever since."
"And how old are you now?"
"I'd rather not talk about it, Weyoun."
He laughed. "Come now, there's no reason to hide your age from me."
She sighed. "I've 17. Happy now?"
He walked toward her slowly and carefully pulled her to her feet.
"This day holds great importance to you, doesn't it?"
She looked up at him, then nodded.
"Then I'll be sure to make it special for you tonight."
Her eyes widened in slight fear and he laughed gleefully. "Come, my dear, tell me more about...birthdays..."
…
I awoke in darkness, and for a moment I was confused. I was lying on something soft yet...not soft. I looked closer and realized my head was resting on Weyoun's bare chest. I also realized my top half was naked, and that his arm had snaked around my body, sitting right beneath my chest.
I sat up some and saw that Weyoun was awake and staring at me.
"Good morning," he said in a deep, sensuous voice that sent a little shiver down my spine. He pulled me closer, and I trailed a finger down his right ear in greeting. He laughed.
"I don't think I'll ever get tired of that, my dear."
I smiled and kissed him, and after a few moments, he flipped me onto my back and cradling me in his arms as if I were a child. He intensified the kiss and, for the hundredth time, I was amazed at how quickly the Vorta could rebound. He had a lot of stamina, that was for certain. On more than one occasion, I had been kissed and caressed asleep, like a lullaby of sorts.
He pulled away reluctantly and stared down on me. "My Emma...how does it feel to be seventeen?"
"The same as sixteen..." I said with a little laugh.
He shook his head. "Kaa'li sur'laa'be se'ra, jen'ru. You amaze me, my dear."
I didn't understand what he whispered in Dominionese, but it was beautiful nonetheless.
"What are you saying, Weyoun?" I whispered back in his language. It was one of the first phrases he taught me. A smart plan, considering I often didn't understand half the things he whispered to me.
He raised his eyebrows. "Your accent is improving, my dear. Very good..." Before I could respond, his lips covered mine in a gentle kiss.
My hands went immediately to his ears and I caressed them roughly. He stopped and moaned, straightening up and pulling me with him.
"Don't stop..." he said, his voice turning husky and coarse. I smiled in satisfaction and leaned forward to breathe lightly on his sensitive spot. He convulsed and pulled me closer. His nails dug into my back as my lips gently caressed his skin, and it made me feel...good as I heard his breathing become ragged when I didn't stop. His moans reverberated through me, sending a thrill down my spine. I breathed in sharply and flicked my tongue over his flesh. That always got a rise out of him, and today was no different. Again and again, each flick of tongue a little more forceful, until Weyoun couldn't take much more from the sounds of his moans, which were becoming more like yells.
He ripped me away from him and pinned me down on the bed, and I nearly gasped when I saw his eyes. They blazed with a fire I rarely saw, and suddenly I felt chills all over my body. The way he was staring at me and panting like an animal was making me slightly uncomfortable, but Weyoun seemed to be enjoying it.
His mouth came down to cover mine, and I moaned. His kiss was primal, savage...wild. I knew that Vorta were not wild by nature, that I had changed Weyoun in some way. Perhaps Vorta were not used to intimacy, having the Founders control their every move for 2,000 years or so. Which made me wonder how they would act if the Founders had left them alone. There was almost a carnal undertone to the way he was forcing himself on me now, and although it did make me uneasy, I couldn't deny the dark feelings that rose in me at his frenzied touch.
"Weyoun..." I breathed when his forceful lips moved on to my neck. I arched in pleasure as that tingling sensation built up where his lips lavished themselves on my flesh. I trembled as his prurient lips continued down my naked form, and my hands found their way to the back of his neck when he touched down near my breasts.
His hands continued their frantic examination of my hips and thighs, and his lips moved down my stomach and lingered around the hem of my pants. Weyoun gripped the hem, ready to rip them off my body, when he stopped dead.
His breathing slowly returned to normal and the blazing fire in his eyes died down. He pulled me into an upright position and stared at me incredulously.
"This is...so strange. My thoughts...were not my own...they focused on you...on the texture of your skin...the smell of your hair...that part of you that you like me to touch...oh, Emma...is this what you feel when you make those...noises?"
I nodded weakly as the heat spiraled down. I almost blushed as I thought of how easily I would have relented had he decided then and there to complete the intimacy. Although I enjoyed what he did, he would hear no complaint from me if he never went that far. What he did now was stimulating enough.
He laughed nervously and held my trembling frame close. He twisted around so that his back was against the headboard and I was resting against him.
"Oh, my dearest...I have to remember to stop before things get...out of hand...but you make it so hard to stop, Emma..."
His hand, less urgent than it was a minute ago, still lightly explored my skin. I sighed and leaned into him, and his lips brushed the top of my head. His head rested there, and heard his breathing deepen.
"What are you doing?"
"I find your scent...most pleasing for some reason..."
He breathed me in again, and we sat there, silent, until the first sunbeams crept into the room.
…
"I'm afraid I won't be back tonight, my dear. I have to go with Damar to examine the new ketracel white facility on Pelosa V. It will take at least two days, but you do understand that you are not to leave my quarters."
I nodded and smiled. It would be nice to sleep by myself again and have time to think. I was looking forward to a break.
He lightly kissed me on the lips and walked out, and once he was gone, I sighed in contentment and flopped down on his bed. For the first time in months, I felt a bit hopeful. I had learned to enjoy Weyoun's company, but these two days would do me good.
For a few hours, I read over the list of phrases and words he had left me, humming to myself. I heard shouting outside and wondered what was going on, but I knew the Jem'Hadar could handle any problems that might arise.
But for some reason, something kept nagging me at the back of my mind. Something Weyoun had said before he left.
I won't be back tonight...
Nothing out of the ordinary. On occasion, he had to take trips, like when he returned to Deep Space 9.
I have to go with Damar to examine the ketracel white facilities on Pelosa V...
Going with Damar? That was odd, but I guess the two of them had been forced to work together, and neither was happy about it. They might argue on the way to Pelosa, but Weyoun would win. It helped to have a battalion of Jem'Hadar at your disposal...
Pelosa.
The facility is located in the Pelosa system. I can provide you with the exact coordinates...
For a moment, my heart lept as I thought about Weyoun 6. I looked forward to meeting him when he came, but that wasn't going to happen for a while...or was it? How long had I been here?
Weyoun had asked not too long ago whether or not Dukat's plan would work...I had said no, that it would collapse the wormhole, but that Sisko would help replace it. I hadn't paid much attention to that episode of Deep Space 9, but I knew the gist of what happened.
The shouting I had heard earlier came back to mind. What was going on out there?
Questions whirled around my head as I drifted into a fitful sleep. I'd find out soon enough.
…
Thump-thump...thump-thump...thump-thump...
His heart jumped alive, and he gasped in his first breath. His eyes snapped open as a flood of memories rushed into him. Five lifetimes of experience pulsed through his veins, and he smiled back at the Vorta doctor.
"Who are you?" the doctor asked.
"I am Weyoun 6. I serve the Founders in all things."
The doctor nodded in approval. "Your transport should be here any minute. May you serve the Founders well."
He nodded back stiffly, not because he wanted to, but because he seemed like the right thing to do. Soon, he was on a Dominion vessel, hurtling through space toward Cardassia Prime and Dominion headquarters in the Alpha Quadrant.
As he sat alone in his quarters on the ship, he pondered his existence. He felt a certain...dread at returning to Cardassia. He desired only to serve the Founders, and a Founder resided on Cardassia. Shouldn't he be overjoyed to stand in her presence once again? He was overjoyed at the thought, but something about Cardassia...disturbed him. It wasn't the planet or the people...perhaps it was because Five's thoughts about this war with the Federation were so intertwined with that of Cardassia...
When thoughts of the war sprang to his mind, he had to suppress a shudder. This war was what disturbed him so, and as soon as he realized this, conflicting thoughts threatened to consume him.
For hours, round and round in his head, he fought. He worshiped the Founders, and they are above all things. Their wish was his command. But they wished to control the Alpha Quadrant, and that felt...wrong to him.
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore, so he thought about other things. His thoughts found Emma and a wave of guilt washed over him. It pained him to think of the things Weyoun 5 had done to her. He had tortured her, threatened her...abused her. He dreaded seeing her again as well. How she must hate him...
...
After hiding his discomfort from the Founder as best he could, he reluctantly headed toward his quarters. The door slid open, and he gazed at her limp, sleeping form. Her wavy, long brown hair was in disarray around her, and her warm hazel eyes were closed. Carefully, slowly, he sat on the edge of the bed.
He looked at her, dreading the moment she awoke, not daring to touch her. His predecessor had done enough to her already. It wouldn't be fair for him to continue that.
Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him in confusion.
"Weyoun...I thought you weren't going to be back for..."
He saw her eyes gaze deeply into his and he steeled himself for her hatred. Surely, she would slander him in every way possible, and he deserved it if she did.
"Weyoun?"
"Weyoun 5 is dead. I am his replacement."
"So you're 6?"
He closed his eyes. "Yes."
To his surprise, a gentle hand turned his face toward her, and he opened his eyes. Hope flooded him as he saw her eyes shining with...tears? The expression on her face made his pulse race, and he wondered why she was being so kind to him.
His confusion increased as she threw herself onto him, clutching him in a tight embrace as if the world was going to end. Her hand gently massaged his back, and he lightly wrapped his arms around her. The cloth on his shoulder became cold and wet, and he realized that she was crying.
"Emma? What's wrong?"
She tore herself away and looked at him, joy etched in every feature.
"It is you," she breathed.
Strong, sweet, hot lips met his and he breathed in sharply. Out of the hundred times she had kissed his predecessor, she had never kissed him like this. It was...oh, it was bliss. Instinctively, he pulled her closer. Some deep, strong emotion pulsed beneath her kiss, and as she continued, he realized it was...love.
She felt love? For him? For the Vorta who had made her existence for the past year a living hell?
Why?
He could feel her tears on his cheeks, warm and wet, and he stroked her face, trying to dash a few of them away. He had no idea why she was crying, or why she was treating him with love when she should be bashing in his skull.
She pulled away finally, gazing at him lovingly, stroking his face and ears.
"Emma..." he whispered. "Why are you doing this?"
She laughed through the tears that still streamed down her face. "You're Weyoun 6. I've been waiting...for so long...for you to get here."
She hugged him again, and he tried his best to comfort her. She was still sobbing into his vest, and he guessed the last year had been harder on her than he thought. Another wave of shame hit him, and he still couldn't fathom why she was acting like this. He let her regain her composure, softly stroking her hair and whispering calming words in Dominionese. It seemed to be working.
She looked up at him and, with the back of two of her fingers, she caressed his jawline.
"Weyoun..." She seemed to be at a loss for words. But it was evident that she was overjoyed to see him, and that thought confused and enthralled him. Now that he was sure she was going to accept him, he felt something deep inside him. Her touch made him feel all at once hot and cold. Her eyes blazed with emotion, and he secretly thanked the Founders that such a person could love him.
"I'm sure you're tired. How about you go back to sleep?"
"All right. You probably need some sleep too. How was your trip?"
"As comfortable as could be expected." She giggled.
"You find that amusing?"
Her giggles turned into laughs. "Same old Weyoun!"
He chuckled halfheartedly, then gently nudged her back toward her pillow.
"I'll join you in a minute."
He went into the washroom and undressed, still confused about her behavior. He would have to ask her about it in the morning, because he didn't think he could question her tonight. He was exhausted.
He slipped quietly beneath the sheets beside her and turned on his side so that his back was to her, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. He felt her scoot closer to him and align her body with his, and it felt...invigorating. His thoughts drifted to when she had kissed him...how it felt to have her warm, passionate lips caress his...it had felt wonderful, and he longed to feel it again.
Slowly, he rolled over to face her, and she opened her eyes at the sudden movement. She smiled in the dark at him, and the sight of it made his stomach churn with...something. It was a strange feeling he had never felt before, that made his gut do somersaults and tumble rolls. Every time he looked at her, he felt it, and the feeling almost drove him mad when she touched him.
He closed his eyes as she traced his features. He breathed in and out and fought the urge to clutch her to his chest and kiss her until she couldn't see straight. He refused to be rough with her; she had already taken enough abuse from Weyoun 5. And kissing her like that seemed like something Five would do. Weyoun 6 resolved to be gentle with Emma, to try to rectify the atrocities Weyoun 5 inflicted upon her. He almost winced as he thought about the first time Five had interrogated Emma: how he had nearly stripped her naked, then taken advantage of some strange attraction she had to him to coerce her into giving him information.
But that time was nothing to what Five did after that. It made him ill to think of how he had tortured and abused her from that day on. He remembered the incident with the hydrostolinine that he had injected into her... and the paralysis afterward...
He gasped and came back to reality when her hands found his ears. He gently pulled her hand away and looked at her pleadingly.
"Emma...please, I don't deserve this. Why are you treating me like this? I thought you would hate me."
She shook her head and carefully cupped his cheek. He breathed in her scent and nearly trembled as it overtook his senses.
"How can I hate you? You haven't done anything bad to me."
"But my predecessor-"
"-Was a sick and twisted psychopath who made my life a living hell, I know...but you're not Weyoun 5."
He shook his head. "I've got all his memories, Emma. I remember everything he put you through. How can I look at you now and not think about what he did?"
She propped herself up a little higher on her elbow and looked down at him. "Weyoun...I know my time with you is going to be short, so please...let me have every minute. Forget about Weyoun 5 and focus on the here and now. Please?"
She leaned forward and planted a short, sweet kiss on his lips. He sighed and nodded.
"For you, my dear...I will."
She smiled and laid back down, resting her head on his chest. He closed his eyes and relished the sensation of her breath on his sensitive skin, and he pulled her closer. She kissed the spot directly beneath her cheek and then settled down.
He heard and felt her breathing grow soft and even, and he smiled in the dark as he too drifted off to sleep.