A/N:
HEART BEAT by Lina Shay
Chapter Four: Moonlight
Taurik felt some sort of damp cloth being wiped across his brow. It slowly roused him. At first his thoughts and memories were hazy, but they became slowly clearer. Taurik remembered crashing on the alien planet, being attacked, then finally the face. It was the face of his old friend, Sito Jaxa.
Taurik's eyes shot open. A blanket of stars greeted him. A figure sat between him and a crackling fire. She turned her bright blue eyes to him and smiled. Taurik couldn't believe it. He began to sit up in shock, but Sito set a hand against his chest and laid him back down.
"Lie still," she said in a voice that Taurik thought he would never hear again. "You were hurt pretty badly."
"Ensign Sito?" Taurik asked, still rather surprised.
"It's good to see you, Taurik," she told him, combing a couple stray blond strands out of her eyes.
"Ensign, we-we thought you were dead," Taurik began quickly. "Starfleet gave you a memorial service over a month ago."
"I thought it was strange that Starfleet never sent someone for me," Sito said more to herself than to Taurik, staring off at the fire. The firelight framed her bajoran profile. "I figured they either couldn't get through the cardassian defenses or I just wasn't important enough to come after."
"Believe me, if the captain knew you were alive, he would have taken the Enterprise into cardassian space for you," Taurik insisted.
Sito smiled down on him. Taurik started feeling warm all over, like he had a fever. He found himself carefully examining the delicate contours of her face. He had the most unexplainable urge to reach out and touch her face. It wasn't a logical action, so Taurik restrained himself.
"What?" Sito asked, her smiled falling into uneasiness. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Pardon me," Taurik said, raising his eyebrows. "I was just wondering where you have been for the last two months"
Sito returned her eyes to the fire. "A cardassian prison cell mostly. A cardassian warship intercepted the shuttle and offered to pay my reward. We faked an escape, but the cardassian ship locked onto my escape pod with a tractor beam. Jurat Dal couldn't risk revealing himself. A few weeks ago, he organized an breakout. Members of the Cardassian Underground disguised as bajoran terrorists freed me during a cell transfer. I was smuggled aboard a Farangi merchant ship and taken out of cardassian space. The captain claimed Jurat Dal paid him only half of the promised amount for my safe passage to Federation space. When I couldn't pay them the rest of the latnum, the farangi marooned me here. That was over two weeks ago."
"I am sorry you have suffered," Taurik said warmly.
Sito's eyes locked on his and stared in a most peculiar manner.
"So, how did you end up here, Taurik?" Sito asked, soft as a breeze.
"That is most difficult to explain," Taurik droned, thinking of a response. He couldn't say he slept-piloted the shuttle, though that was how it seemed. It was a hazy memory without logical thought behind the actions. "I believe I came after you, Ensign."
Sito looked at him in start, saying, "How did you know where I was?"
"I don't know," Taurik muttered, not looking directly at her.
Sito stared at him for a while, then shifted her position so she sat Indian-style and looked at the fire. Taurik put a hand on his chest where Sito had bandaged him and slowly sat up so he was at eye-level with her.
"Penny for your thoughts, Ensign," Taurik said in curiosity.
"I was just remembering when I was first assigned to the Enterprise," Sito mused, bringing her knees into her chest. "I was so afraid that my academy record would transfer over. No one would be my friend or want to work with me. I was so glad I had a roommate like Alyssa, and was across the corridor from a couple of crazy ensigns who decided to prank us my first day."
"Ensign Lavelle assured me it was common practice to initiate newcomers to starships," Taurik rationalized. "It was illogical but I felt obligated to adhere to ship's customs."
"So you reprogrammed our replicator to only replicate tarran lima beans no matter what we asked for," Sito attempted to sound annoyed but her wry smile and sparking eyes gave her away. "I got so sick of lima beans."
"I was quite surprised you did not report our actions to Commander Riker," Taurik voiced. "I did not, though, anticipate your retaliation." "I will never forget opening my door to find you and Sam on our doorstep in dressing robes, looking about ready murder," Sito laughed.
"What did you expect when you pilfered all our uniforms? We had our first shifts in less than an hour and nothing to clothe ourselves," Taurik said, remembering his annoyance.
"The worst thing was that Alyssa was already on duty," Sito shook her head, wryly. "I had to deal with you two all by myself."
"You claimed you didn't know where our uniforms were," Taurik added, raising his eyebrows.
"I can't believe you did a mind-melt on me to find out where they were," Sito went on, her eyes sparkling with delight.
"It was your idea," Taurik reminded.
"I was bluffing," Sito insisted, laughing. "I didn't think you would actually do it."
Taurik remembered it quite well. Sito and he sat in her dark quarters, Sito looking very nervous.
"You have nothing to be afraid of, Ensign," Taurik had said to her.
"Unless you're guilty," Lavelle added, standing behind Sito.
Taurik reached his hand up to her face and positioned his fingers on certain psychic pressure points. He looked deeply into her scared, blue eyes.
"My mind to your mind," Taurik repeated the ceremonial chant. "My thoughts to your thoughts."
Sito's eyes widened, transfixed and unblinking on Taurik's. There was a warm energy which pulsed between the two of them. Their minds were one, undistinguishable. Each thought which floated in was not only Sito's but Taurik's.
"Well, where are our uniforms?" Lavelle demanded.
At once, Taurik and Sito spoke slowly and quietly, "We put them in the garbage receptacle."
"You threw our uniforms away?" Lavelle shouted.
"No," Taurik and Sito continued. "Empty quarters, down the corridor. We did not activate receptacle."
"Come on, Taurik," Lavelle began. "Let's get them before someone activates it on accident." Taurik was having a hard time figuring out the thoughts going through his mind. There were thoughts that didn't want to let go. Thoughts that wanted to continue this connection. Were they his thoughts, or were they her's? Taurik concentrated harder on becoming a part of her. The psychic energy burned through him. Taurik reached down into her mind, farther than he had been in his own. He was suddenly on Bajor, next to a sparkling pond. He was with his mother... no, it was Sito's mother.
"Jaxa," she said kindly. "Remember, whatever happens, that I am a part of you. If I ever leave, I will still be a part of you as long as we love each other."
He did love her. He didn't want her to go. He didn't want to have to live life without her.
Something happened that moment, something Taurik was never able to figure out. It was an unexplainable feeling of peace and contentment. The chaotic thoughts and confusion were gone. It was as if there was perfect harmony between the two minds.
Taurik stared across the campfire at his friend, pondering the meaning of what had happened so long ago.
"Never underestimate a Vulcan, Ensign," Taurik told her.
"You know, I spent almost a year trying to get you to call me Jaxa," Sito declared, shaking her head.
"Forgive me, Ensign," Taurik said, lacking sincerity. "Formality aids a Vulcan in mastering his emotions. When formality lapses the rest of our control does as well. "
"Can't let that happen," Sito scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Taurik raised his eyebrows at her in curiosity.