T'osa started to move towards Stephen, obviously concerned. "Are you alright?"
Stephen sunk in his chair. "Yeah," he gasped. The reality of her admission hit him. "Wait... you ARE a spy?"
She sat back down, relieved to have her identity exposed. "Yes, I am." The reality of HIS admission hit her. "Wait... you KNEW?"
Stephen shrugged. "Well, I suspected."
She stared at him incredulously. "How?"
He cocked his head. "Well, you laid the whole 'sweet, helpless, innocent romulan' act on kinda thick."
She looked genuinely hurt. "I don't get it. Our psych profile on you said you'd prefer the innocent, demure type." She shook her head, having completely forgotten her reason for being there. In the back of her mind, far from verbalizing, was her hope that the 'real' her was more his type. They had only had a dozen discussions over the past month, and they were only through a viewscreen. Despite her continual concentration to stay in character, she found there was something about him she liked.
"Actually, I prefer women who are more spirited," he replied innocently. Her heart skipped a beat. Stephen's mind began putting pieces together. "Wait... you mean you've been lying about who you are? That wasn't you?"
T'osa began nervously rubbing her fingers together. He heart came back down to reality with a thud. "Well... not... exactly."
So, the person he thought he knew he didn't know. On the one hand, that was despicable. On the other hand, that meant she might be more compatible with him than he originally thought. Good grief, he thought... what was he thinking? "Our whole relationship together was built on lies?"
Her face glowed as she smiled. "You actually think we have a relationship?" She WAS his type. She might be able to salvage something out of this after all.
Stephen relaxed a little. He was growing rather fond of her. They had talked for hours about their hometowns, their religion, their families. "Well, I wasn't picking out rings or anything..." Then it dawned on him that her entire background could have been a lie just to get information out of him. "Wait... stop that!" He grew irritated again.
"Stop what?" she asked defensively.
"Changing the subject," he answered with frustration. "For all I know, everything you've said to me is a lie. For what? What information were you trying to get out of me?" He raised his voice a bit.
"Initially... just information on your precious starship!" She raised her voice as well.
"Well, I hope I wasn't helpful!" He was practically yelling as he stood up.
"You weren't!" she countered and stood as well. The both folded their arms and stared away from each other. The truth started dawning on T'osa now. She pointed at him. "Hold it. If you knew I was a spy, why did you keep talking to me?"
Uh, oh, he thought. The look of righteous indignation left his face. It was replaced by discomfort. He really didn't want to admit he was looking for information, too. After all, part of him actually enjoyed talking to her. The other part of him thought she was a spy he could get information from. "Um..." he stammered.
Her eyes grew wide. "You were trying to get information out of ME, weren't you?"
"No!" he said defensively, then reconsidered. "Well, maybe... yes." He started looking around his quarters, looking for a way to get out of this conversation. He went with the first thing that came to mind. He grabbed his side. "Ow... I think my side is starting to hurt again."
Her eyes narrowed at him. Apparently, she wasn't buying it. His tone changed as he became more defensive. "Well, you started it." With that, he threw himself back into his chair. Okay... THAT actually hurt.
She threw herself back into the couch. "So, we're down to acting like children?" She was exhausted, but strangely, she was enjoying this.
"Well, I never lied to you. All those stories I told you... all the stuff about my life... that was all true." He was physically and mentally exhausted. He was tempted to tell her to leave. For some reason, he couldn't. He let out a deep breath instead.
Her voice calmed as well. After several moments, she finally spoke. "Everything I told you about me was true, too. I just... acted... a little so you'd find me more attractive."
He shook his head, his mind jumbled with thoughts and emotions. For the first time since he met T'Nia, he envied her clear-headedness. "How do I know that's true?"
She shook her head. Stephen had a point. "You don't," she admitted. "but why would I have admitted all this to you? I mean... I'm risking treason if my government finds out I told you this."
He sighed again. He couldn't think straight. "I don't know... maybe you've got some other angle to play." He looked at her, still confused. "Why DID you come here and confess all this?"
That question brought her back to reality in such a way it felt like a punch in the stomach. "Yes... that." She rubbed her forhead and felt the cranial ridges, something woefully absent from Stephen. Yet, she liked him. An admission she never thought she would make about a non-romulan, let alone a human. Still, if this little altercation didn't permanently destroy her chances with him, what she was about to admit probably would.