The Sigournate Virus

- Chapter 7 -

The atmosphere was comforting. Everything in this place was. From the golden sun that blazed welcoming overhead to the sea of lush green grass, dotted by various colorful flowers, to the large oak tree she was now sitting under.

Her uniform was gone, replaced with a simple white satin gown which flowed loosely about her legs down to her ankles. The bodice of the gown was fitting to her curves. She wore no shoes, and the feel of the soft grass comforted her. It was all comforting. But it was also all fake.

Tawney Madison knew this. She knew that this dazzling field she was in, was not real. That the light breeze that caressed her exposed skin and ruffled her long blonde hair wasn't real either. Simply a figment her subconscious had projected so that her sanity could be preserved. She knew what was happening. How she had become deathly sick. Infected with a virus that was systematically attacking her body, shutting down vital organs. Essentially killing her.

Unwillingly she acknowledged, just under the comfort of this plane, the pain which racked her physical body. She leaned back against the faux tree, drawing her knees up so that the gown covered her bare feet. Closing her eyes against the torture. Shutting it out and reclaiming the equilibrium of this place. Her safe haven. Her paradise. She listened as the bird, nestled high in the branches of the tree, began to sing. The soothing sound of the nearby stream cascading over her, cleansing her of all fear and pain. It was near perfection. If only he were here to share it with her.

Then, from just off to the left of her, she sensed rather than heard footsteps approaching. Her brows bunched together as an expression of curiosity came over her features. There was no one else here. How could there be footsteps? Slowly, she opened her eyes just a bit. Turning her head slightly to the left so that she could take in who, or what, had intruded upon her sanctuary.

What she saw made her eyes widen and her jaw drop.

He was here. The man, er, Mok'Tar, that she loved. He was standing, arms crossed over his chest. An amused grin gracing his handsome face. He was dressed not in standard officer's uniform, but in a sort of cermonial robe, which billowed around him in the breeze. All black, but for the edges, which were a deep crimson. He was close enough that his shadow was cast over her like a blanket.

For a moment all she could do was stare at him. He couldn't be here. In her mind.

Well, he could. She thought quickly. Her knowledge of his species and their abilities were boundless. He could be here. But why would he want to?

"Laz?" She whispered, stretching out a hand tentatively toward the Tev'Meckian.

Lazarus' grin widened at the child-like wonder that had filled Tawney's voice as she had spoken his name.

"Yes Tawney, it's me." He answered.

Tawney closed her eyes once again, allowing the velvety smoothness that was Lazarus' voice to wash over her. Sending a tingling sensation down her spine and causing butterflies to flutter in her stomach. She opened her eyes again, and slowly rose to her feet, her eyes never leaving him for one second. When she was on her feet, she took a hesitant step toward Lazarus. He made no move toward her, simply shifted his weight, unfolding his arms, and waited.

He watched as a smile crept across Tawney's face. With a laugh bursting from her lips, she launched herself into his arms, which closed welcomingly around her and holding her close.

"You found me." Was all she could say, overcome as she was with such joy.

"I will always find you." He murmured against her neck, where he had his head buried in her thick hair. And for a second Tawney though she felt the slightest brush of his lips on her skin, and she shivered.

Almost instantly, her joy fled, and she pulled back from him a bit to look into his eyes as she spoke.

"I'm dying, aren't I?"

Lazarus felt as if his blood had frozen in his veins. Here was his heart, his soul, his mate. Everything that he had craved since entering adulthood. She was here in his arms, in a way, and she was asking for confirmation on a fact she obviously already knew. He couldn't handle that. He pulled her back into his arms and held her tight as he told her what he had come her to say.

"No, love, you're not. You are not dying, because I have a way to cure you." He said into her ear.

Tawney had stiffened a little when he had uttered the endearment. Had he realized what he had said? Obviously he had or he would have recanted it. And what did he mean by 'he had a way to cure her'? She voiced her question aloud.

Lazarus pulled away again and held her at arms length so that she could look straight at him as he spoke.

"I looked at some files by the people responsible for this whole debacle. And it noted that the virus that is harming you reacted positively toward the antibody Phygotaxis Oxitosis. It is the same chemical make up of-"

"The pheremones excreted during the Mok'Tar Bonding Ritual." Tawney finished for him, as the realization of what he was telling her hit her hard.

Lazarus' expression belied how surprised he was at her knowledge of his people and their customs. Perhaps he had been wrong about her. She must have found something of interest in him for her to have dug into his race's customs and rituals.

Tawney smiled sheepishly.

"I-I read it somewhere." She said, trying to cover up how interested she was in his kind.

His expression changed to a look that read, 'Yeah, I bet you did'.

Quickly, Tawney attempted to distract him from her little slip of the tongue.

"S-s-so, how does this help me? There isn't any way for you to create those pheremones unless you've found your mate, and as far as I know, we haven't come upon any female Mok'Tar in this part of the galaxy..." Her voice trailed off as a thought occured to her.

'Can he really be thinking of Bonding with me? No, he couldn't be. We aren't the same species and he doesn't think of me that way anyway, and, and... it's just not done!'

Her inner debate was cut off abruptly at his next comment.

"Tawney, I don't know when it started... but for the longest time now, I've been... I have felt the urges that come with being around my life mate. And every time I feel them, I have been around you."

At this revelation Tawney shook her head. "But... but you can't Laz. I'm not Mok'Tar. There is no way that I could be your life mate." And then as an after thought she said, "Is there?"

Lazarus opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again. There was only one way to know for sure if she was indeed his life mate.

Tawney was taken by surprise when the Tev'Meckian's head swooped down and his lips claimed hers. The feel of his soft yet firm lips on hers was indescribable. All she could think was, 'God, don't let it ever end'. She felt her arms creep up his chest to wrap around his neck. She was quite content to just stand her forever with his lips touching hers.

But Lazarus had other ideas. When his lips had met Tawney's, he knew that just that contact would not be enough. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her body flush against his. Tilting his head slightly, he slowly ran the tip of his tongue along the crease of her full lips, tracing them gently, begging for entrance. An entrance that she willingly gave. His tongue delved in, finding hers and inticing it to come and play. To participate in a sort of mating ritual of their own.

And when that contact was met a soft glow became visible around the two forms standing underneath the tree. Tawney felt all the nerves in her body begin to sing and she broke away from Lazarus with a gasp.

"Wh-wh-what was that?" She stuttered, completely dumbfounded.

"You know so much about the Mok'Tar. Why don't you tell me." Lazarus teased.

"It... was that the... but I thought that only happened when..." She couldn't seem to focus enough to complete her thought.

"Only happened when I kissed my life mate?" Lazarus interjected for her. He had a smug look on his face.

All Tawney could do was nod. She was in total shock. She was his life mate. They were meant to be. He could be hers forever and ever. And... and... she wanted him to kiss her again.

She caught him completely by surprise when she launched herself at him once more. Wrapping her hands tightly in his robes and pulling herself up so that her lips could reach his. Once over the initial shock, Lazarus complied eagerly, deepening the kiss once more and again the soft glow was emitted.

Pulling away slightly, Lazarus asked in a teasing tone, "Does this mean you believe me now?"

"Shut up and kiss me." Tawney growled, pulling his lips back to hers.

tbc...