A special thanks goes out to 0afan0, who contributed quite a few clever ideas for this chapter. I wouldn't be the person I am today without him.

Thank you for the reviews, everyone!

Lorna sobbed softly into her hands. At her bidding, Lovok rose to leave her alone for a while.

He paused briefly at the door. "Everything I've done, I did for you. Please understand."

But how could she understand? How could he justify being a murderer? N'Vek had no doubt killed, it was true, but that was in self defense, or to protect others. Whenever he could, he tried to spare even the lives of his enemies. He was a true hero. Lorna felt ashamed of herself for thinking ill of him, the man who had rescued her.

She now understood why they hadn't yet left for Romulus. Lovok was waiting for his minion, Rakal, to return. Once they left, all chances of freedom would be gone. How could she escape before then? She wasn't a secret agent, or a soldier. She didn't know how to crack doorlock codes, or find her way around an alien starship. When it came right down to it, she was merely an ordinary girl with an overactive imagination.

There was only one thing for it. Though she couldn't write her way out, she was the mistress of her fate nonetheless. That was, if she had the courage to seize her chance. Holding out for a hero simply wouldn't do this time. He was gone. She would have to depend on herself.

She would have to take her own life. It was the only way to rob Lovok of his sick victory.

A lump formed in her throat at the thought. She had never written about suicide, to say nothing of thinking about it. How would she...do it? At once, the window caught her attention. Perhaps she could smash it, and then she would be sucked out into space. That would certainly be the quickest and least painful way to go.

No. I doubt even a Romulan could break through that glass—or whatever that window is made of. Hmmm... There wasn't anything with which to hang herself. Unless...she could twist the tablecloth, and loop it around—what? Scratch that. Well, if she hadn't written about it, others had. She began to compile a mental list of all heroines she knew of who had made the attempt.

Sabrina! Yes, all she would have to do was to somehow get to the shuttlebay. Then she would fire up all the shuttles, and wait for the oxygen to run out. But no, there were no guarantees of that working, either. Internal combustion engines had been banned on Earth in the 21st century, and it was probably a safe bet the Romulans had done the same at some point. And knowing Lovok, he'll probably pull a Linus on me.

Juliet? A cliché, to be sure, but she wasn't considered a classic heroine for nothing. She went into to the kitchenette and began opening the drawers. Surely there would be a knife for chopping things? Lovok claimed he had prepared the dinner himself, without a replicator. He's entirely too trusting. Either that, or he doesn't consider me a threat. To her disappointment, however, there was no knife to be found. Lovok may have been lovesick, but he was no fool.

Lorna sighed and went back to the table. It was then that she spotted the corkscrew. She picked it up. It was the only sharp object anywhere. But how could she kill herself with a corkscrew?

"I have to die somehow! I can't live without him!" She threw it back onto the table in exasperation.

"Your resolve is admirably Romulan, but I don't think the situation is that dire yet," came a voice behind her.

She whirled around. Right there, standing in the doorway, was her hero. "N'Vek," she breathed. She wanted to rush into his arms, but held herself back. It was true that he was there to rescue her, and she knew he cared for her; but for him, duty came first. All the same, she was grateful he was there. "You came for me."

"Of course I came for you. How could I do anything else?" He held out his arms. "I should have told you every day since we met on Corporatia: I love you, Lorna."

Intense joy filled her heart when they embraced. "I love you, I love you," he whispered over and over between kisses, running his fingers through her soft, brown hair, "I was wrong to deny it."

"N'Vek, I...I..."

An adoring smile spread across his face, and he tenderly stroked her cheek. "What's this? My eloquent authoress is at a loss for words? How endearing."

"All I can say is, I love you, too."

"That's all you need to say." With that, he kissed her again. Unlike his first stolen kiss, there were no reservations this time, no holding back. He was completely hers, without any hesitancy or conditions. Lorna's heart melted. She didn't care that he was a Romulan, a secret agent, or whatever else. He was her champion, her knight in shining armor, and he loved her. No matter what happened, they would face it together.

But they were still on Lovok's ship; and therefore, it should have come as no surprise when he walked in on them. "Bravo," he applauded. He then whipped out a disruptor and aimed it at N'Vek. "I believe the next line is, 'Parting is such sweet sorrow.'"

"No!" Lorna stepped between them.

"Get out of the way!" both Romulans urged her.

But she didn't heed them. "If you want to kill him," she warned, "you'll have to kill me, too."

For the time being, Lovok was content to wait for an opening. "Where is Rakal?"

"Rakal?" the other echoed in a smug tone, "Oh, yes. The last time I saw her, she was...'taking out the trash.' I regret to inform you she's no longer in the service of the Tal Shiar." If they hadn't been in such a tight spot themselves, Lorna would have laughed.

Anger showed on Lovok's face for the first time. Whatever he felt at the loss of Rakal, it was enough to distract him for an instant—long enough for N'Vek to make his move. He threw Lorna to the side, and charged toward his rival. The shot from Lovok's weapon found its mark on the ceiling.

Lorna watched them struggle. I can't just sit here like a ninny! I've got to help him! Searching around her, she found the empty wine bottle from dinner. Without a second thought, she smashed it over Lovok's head. He turned to face her, which allowed N'Vek the chance to grab the disruptor.

Lovok could see he had been beaten. "Why him and not me?" A few beads of viridian blood formed on his forehead from the resulting cuts, but he was otherwise unharmed. The Romulan skull was harder than she had imagined. But the Romulan heart was another matter.

Lorna felt a sting of guilt. She at least owed him an answer. "You're a killer. And what's worse, you enjoy it."

"So I take satisfaction in my work," he argued. "Are there not many in the galaxy who would envy my position? Do you think N'Vek hasn't killed before? Besides, you were about to kill yourself."

"That's different," she shot back.

"How? Is one life different from another?" Philosophically at least, he was right. "It isn't wise to argue morality with a Romulan, Lorna." He smiled, but there was a sad resignation in his voice, "Your heart truly lies with him, doesn't it?"

She nodded.

He shrugged. "Who am I to stand in the way of true love?"

Lorna couldn't believe she had heard him say those words. "Are you saying you're going to let us go?"

"I don't exactly have a choice, do I?"

She searched his face for any trace of deception, but found none. Still, she couldn't bring herself to believe it was true. N'Vek, on the other hand, accepted his word. The Romulans exchanged looks, and there was a silent agreement between them.

Lovok sat down at the desk and keyed a series of commands into the panel on the surface. "You can leave now. Take one of the shuttles. No one will hinder you." He continued to stare at the now blank screen. "Get out, now!" he snapped, "Before I change my mind."

They didn't stay any longer to argue. N'Vek took her hand, and led her to the shuttle bay. As promised, no one stood in their way. Before long, they were far away from Lovok and his ship.

"I suppose you have to go back to Romulus now, right?" she said sadly, once they were certain the danger had passed.

He took her hands into his. "Lorna, you know I want us to be together. But I've already committed to this mission. Many good people will die if I abandon it. I'll try to come back to you, I promise."

Lorna stared at the floor. She knew the kind of mission it was. The chances of him surviving to return from it were slim.

"But first, I'm going to take you home."

She looked up. "Didn't you say time was of the essence?"

"My first duty is to you, Lorna. I'm not taking any more chances. The mission will simply have to wait." He checked the console next to him. "It will take a week to reach Earth. That's all I can give you right now. In a few weeks, if—when I come back, we will have the rest of our lives."

Lorna put her arms around his neck. "I love you, N'Vek, and I'll take whatever you can give."

He smiled and held her close.

Lovok made his way to the bathroom sink to tend to his cuts. He could have gone to the infirmary, only he was too angry and humiliated to show his face outside of his cabin. He hissed as he dabbed away the blood with a rag.

She had betrayed him. Him! And for N'Vek, of all people. Lovok couldn't fathom what she saw in him. He had thought she had better sense than that. Surely he was far more dashing and romantic than that clumsy oaf of a dissident?

If I'm so clumsy, why did I defeat you? N'Vek's voice taunted him.

Though he would never admit it to anyone, Lovok felt like a loser. Never before had any woman rejected him. Gone were his chances of a glorious future with the galaxy's most famous and beautiful authoress. She had been in his grasp! If only N'Vek hadn't gotten in the way, he was certain he could have won her over. It would have been wonderful.

He took a deep breath. It didn't matter. If the little human tramp couldn't appreciate the honor of his choosing her to be his mate, she didn't deserve him. Yes, there were plenty of loyal, superior Romulan women like Rakal who would line up in droves for the chance to be his mistress. He would forget Lorna Winters soon enough, and be all the better for it.

His pep talk was interrupted by a strange oozing sound behind him. In the reflection of the mirror, he saw what could only be described as a blob of golden goo rising up from the floor. He dropped the rag.

"I'm sorry, Colonel," said the blob, "but it is necessary." Those were the last words Lovok ever heard.

NB: This story is supposed to take place right before the DS9 episode, "The Die is Cast." For those of you who haven't seen it, Lovok was replaced by a shape-shifter, who was sent by the Founders to infiltrate the Tal Shiar.