= III =

Mira looked up at her ceiling, a sense of defeat looming over her as she dreaded getting out of bed. It had been three days since she had learned the truth about who Khan really was, what he really was and she wasn't entirely sure how to handle the situation anymore.

She had been asked to observe him, make sure he adjusts and to make sure he wasn't a danger to anyone else. Mira was pretty sure that last one wasn't going to happen so long as Marcus held Khan's crew in his hands. Their lives depended on Khan doing exactly as he was told and she very much doubted he would blatantly risk them without a massive backup plan in place. Mira missed the beginnings of this assignment. At first it was simply that, an assignment, she had ignored the curiousness clawing at her front door to be let in but she had just ignored it then, she had kept the door firmly closed and now she wished she had kept it closed.

Marcus was using Khan's family against him, to exploit his mind and militarize Star Fleet. Mira was out of her depth. She wasn't a field agent; she knew nothing about being sneaky or clever or how to go about getting anything done in secret and with those thoughts her ideas about maybe helping Khan get his crew back died instantly. Mira was a moral person. Of course she would have thought of many different ways to get them back, if only to stop Marcus from killing innocent people -or at least helpless people who couldn't defend themselves-.

She had contemplated asking her father but that thought died soon after its formation remembering how very close Marcus and her father were in the past and still are. "What am I doing?" Mira muttered to herself, putting her arm over her eyes. Thoughts of going back to sleep for a while longer becoming very appealing to her but she had been having trouble sleeping lately. Khan's eyes constantly watching her in her dreams, unlike before though she could see him. His face, his body, but it was still mixed into the fog; that ever present blue fog that has haunted her for all her life. Maybe she could just lay there all day and do nothing but she felt like she had been close to a solution with her work yesterday. With a heavy sigh, Mira sat up and began to get herself ready for the day, making quick note on her way out to the bathroom that she needed to get Puffins some more of his food.

Mira sighed happily as the water from the shower head poured onto her, relaxing her washing away her uneasiness but it didn't seem to keep her thoughts at bay. No matter where she went, it seemed Khan was going to plague her with his existence with his sad situation. Mira tried to shake him from her thoughts as she cleaned herself, washing her hair and such. "So much for this being my favorite part of the day." Mira muttered bitterly to herself, normally she enjoyed her showers but much like her sleep, the pleasantness was bleeding away.


Coffee in hand, Mira went down the corridors until she reached her lab. She stopped and, like every other morning since, looked over to Khan's lab to see how he was doing but blinked and narrowed her eyes for a moment when she didn't see him. Turning her head, Mira spotted him in her lab instead, leaning against her work table and starring at her white board, marker in hand. Mira walked in, hastily setting her coffee down and placing her hand on her hip. "What are you doing in here… how did you get in here?" she asked giving him a once over. There were only two people who knew the code to get in her lab and she was pretty sure that the CO hadn't given it to him. Then she remembered Marcus would have one as well and may have given it to Khan to fuck with her on some level. Mira sighed and then looked to her board and nearly screeched at what she saw. Her past questions forgotten at what lay before her or, what didn't, in this case. He had erased the entire thing except the basic compound she had written in the center of the board. "What the hell did you do?!" Mira tried to stifle her yelling but it hadn't gone so well, her voice still fairly loud. "Your equation was wrong." he said in a bored sort of fashion and Mira's rage started to boil.

"I spent a week on that solution, it wasn't wrong. It could have worked; hell it was working. All I needed to do was some fine tuning. Look at the cultures and tell me it was wrong?!" Mira demanded and pointed to the cultures that were safely tucked away in their glass case but stopped shortly when she saw them, going speechless. "Yes like I said, wrong." Khan continued getting up from his spot to write something on the board but Mira stopped him. Still rather angry, she grabbed the marker out of his hand, much like a child would have done to another child. She cringed to herself.

"What do you want Kh… Harrison?" Mira amended quickly as his name nearly slipped from her lips. Mira had used his name again after he had told her not to but only in their quarters and never out of it. And while Khan gave her an icy cold stare for it, he didn't make the demand again. Mira had thought on a couple occasions she saw happiness in his eyes. Happiness that someone knew who he was, that he was remembered in some fashion and not the fiction that was created around him to keep him on a very short leash. The first time, Mira had thought she simply imagined it but the second time she had caught it without his permission and that had solidified her decision to use his real name.

"I was waiting for you." he said, turning and looking down at her. Mira noted he looked slightly uncomfortable. "You were tasked to help me and I have treated you poorly when you have done nothing to deserve such."

Mira noted how odd those words sounded to her, she could only imagine how odd it must have been for him to say them. "I will not apologize." he added quickly with a harsh edge to his tone but then that uncomfortable look returned. "But I will amend my ways." And with that, he nodded and stood still starring at her. Mira took a moment before she understood that he wanted her to say something back.

"Oh… oh okay, that's great… I'm glad to hear it" Cursing herself internally. 'That was really lame.' Mira thought, mentally shaking her head at herself as she looked at Khan who didn't at all seem impressed with what she had said either. And so, Mira said the first thing that came to mind. "Uhhh speaking of help, do you need anything?" Khan looked at her for a long moment before nodding his head. "Despite trying to build a… rapport with you, I do indeed need assistance. I wish to procure these." Khan said picking up the PADD that he had clearly placed on the table and held it out to her to take. Mira simply stared and then after a few short moments snorted out a laugh and continued laughing. "Is something amusing?" Khan seethed out. His patience clearly wearing very thin and Mira knew she shouldn't continue laughing but she couldn't help herself. Since he had just started speaking to her, Mira was finding it increasingly hard not to laugh.

She always found the old Victorian style of speech funny and rather silly at the same time. It was always so formal and too polite. And so, she shook her head keeping those thoughts to herself, well most of them, and tried to explain through her giggles as she tried to calm herself down. "I am so sorry. It's just you talk so funny." And as soon as all those words left her, Mira felt the cold chill of his stare upon her and instantly sobered up.

"Or not." She muttered, standing up straight now and taking the PADD from him. All her laughter was gone when she looked upon the ice cold stare that rested on Khan's features and with weariness in her eyes, Mira looked down to the screen and nodded her head hastily. She shouldn't have been surprised that it was a list of guns -and what each was intended to do- that Section 31 had made but never completed but still the surprise was there.

"Why do you look so shocked? Is it so hard to believe your precious Star Fleet is capable of this?" Khan questioned her and Mira knew either way he would deem her a naive moron for whatever answer she gave him, amending his ways or not. Mira shook her head. "No, I guess. I don't know… I just… I like seeing the best in things but it's hard with this sort of thing." Mira said looking anywhere but Khan as she took in a deep breath and let it go.

It was naive; she was naive for thinking that way but she wouldn't change that about herself. There was and are cruel people in the world, people who went out of their way to ruin other people's happiness. But when they were born… they hadn't started out that way, something made them into what they were. Sure, someone could turn around and say it was 'predetermined' who they would be and so on but Mira didn't want to believe that. She thought everyone made themselves. Sure, the world helped shaped them but it was ultimately them who decided their fates.

She knew sometimes, even the strongest of people needed a hand. So she had always looked for the good in someone even when no one else saw it. Dropping her shoulders as she did, she cringed as she thought back on her previous words. "I am not saying that there's anything good about your situation. None at all… I just… I don't... know… I'm just going to shut up now." Mira stuttered and then clamped her mouth shut as she brought her eyes up to meet Khan's. She expected some sort of ice cold stare or rage or something but he stood there staring at her; head tilted to the side slightly and a look of amusement dancing behind his eyes.

Slowly a smirk started to take form on his lips, "I am curious, Doctor Sullivan." he said taking a step towards her and instantly Mira was backing away. Each step he took, she mirrored until once again she was against a wall and he was in front of her. "Do you always act this way? Or am I the catalyst for this behaviour?" Khan spoke softly as he leaned his head down to hers, placing his hand on her neck and then lowered it to catch one of her curls that rested just above her chest, twirling it between his fingers. Mira could feel the smugness rolling off of him and brought her arms up and shoved at him to back away. Khan took a small step back but didn't release his hold on her curled lock. Mira knew he didn't step back from her physical push of course; she doubted she could even leave a red mark on his skin if she ever tried. She laughed slightly. "You are a dick." Mira said agitated as she got out between the wall and Khan.

She pulled her hair from his finger tips lightly, not wanting to rip out some of her hair and took off towards the Security Offices but not before hearing his laugh. 'Ass hole!' Mira thought bitterly but then turned and shouted it very loudly and the response was an even louder laugh, full of humor at her expense.


After two hours of standing in front of the CO's office and being told no for absolutely no reason at all other than he was just being a jerk, Mira had had enough and asked him to call Admiral Marcus, who, once he had answered, told him to do whatever she asked whenever she asked and if he had to be called for such a trivial thing again that he would be replaced and demoted back to Ensign. Mira, smiling, walked out. She felt like she had won that little debacle of his, if one could win at such things. She went back to Khan's lab but found that he was still in hers. Unlike before, however, she noticed that there was writing on the board now. Nearly all of it the solution she had up before, he had however replaced some of it. "You put my solution back up." Mira said starring at it, tilting her head as she noticed the changes he had made to it. Some changes complex but others rudimentary. "You had the base correct but your sequences were off." Khan spoke, studying the board as Mira went over to him and pulled her stool out so she could sit. Both intently starring at the board and thinking before Mira tilted her head to the side and pushed herself off her stool and grabbed the other marker. She filled in some of the holes before taking her seat again and so it went on like that.

Each moving to write something on the board or erase it and neither saying a word to the other. Every once in awhile, one would write something and the other would question it before tacking something onto it or fixing it. Mira wasn't sure how long it had been but she was drawn out of her creative stare by a knock. There, at the threshold of her lab, stood the facilities CO, looking not to pleased with crates being hauled into Khan's lab. "Need you to sign for these." he said bitterly at her. She simply nodded to him as he walked further into the room and handing, more like shoving, her the PADD and pen that went along with it. And just like that, he was gone as quickly as he came. "It seems the Commanding Officer doesn't like you much."

Khan commented, gaze still locked on the board before them. Mira just shrugged. "I had to go over his head to get you what you wanted, no big deal. Besides I'm fully aware not everyone is going to like me, nothing I can do about it." Mira muttered as Khan wrote something onto the board and then went back to his position against the table. Khan nodded to Mira in understanding. He had long learned that lesson and in all he had never cared if anyone ever liked him. The only opinions he gave acknowledgement to were that of his family. "I'm sure if you hadn't of lied before he would still be giving you puppy eyes and catering to whatever you wished of him." Khan said, his words screaming with subtext. Mira did not miss it as she shivered and a gross, disgusted look passed across her face.

"Never in a million years and then some." she said sticking her tongue out to further emphasize her disgust about the CO wanting more from her. The only thing she gave the man credit for was knowing when to obey orders and bow his balding head. She figured maybe in his youth she might have given him a second glance but now she didn't even want to look at him person. He was far too skinny, his skin tanned horribly from the years of being a field officer. What hair he had remaining was thin and constantly slicked back. His eyes however are what pushed Mira away completely. He had those beady eyes you tended to see on rats. "You wont be sleeping with him to further yourself then?" Khan said… joked maybe but there was something else there that Mira couldn't place.

Mira simply shook her head and again stuck her tongue out in disgust. "No, I like to work for my accomplishments. Think I'll stick with that. Besides I wouldn't touch the man with a six-foot pole, not to mention he wouldn't get me very far to begin with. I'm an Admirals daughter, I'm already ahead of everyone else because of that…" Mira said. Sadness rang from her words though not intentionally and Khan, of course, picked up on them. "You do not like being your father's daughter?" Khan inquired fully interested in this conversation now as he left the board in front of them.

Although his attention was no longer on the board in front of him he did not turn to Mira to signal that she did indeed have his full attention. "No I love my Dad; he's a great person. I just wish people would see me instead of his shadow looming over me. It helps when I need something no one at my level should be able to get and I get to pick what I want to work on but I feel like I'm just being given things that I have yet to earn…" Mira mumbled out as she let a sigh escape her lips, getting up from her seat to put something onto the board and then sat back down.

"I guess I'm being hypocritical about it all, I'll complain but wont hesitate to use it." Mira then decided to look at Khan who had turned his gaze on her as he studied her intently. "To not use it would make you a fool but then that may be the old warrior in me talking. The Emperor in me, however, applauds you. You wish to earn what you have, to go the long and hard way. It is admirable and certainly an old style of going about things, something I see is severely lacking from this age." Khan commented, his gaze never leaving her. He looked to the board and walked over, correcting what she had put up before he walked back to his spot and gave a thoughtful hmm. Mira watched Khan for a few moments before she turned her gaze forward yet again and thought about what he had just said. He had insulted her. She thought maybe… he had called her foolish for not wanting using it but then she didn't feel insulted probably because of his compliment.

If it could be called one, Mira wasn't sure. He said he applauded her for wanting to take things the hard way, sounding like he would condemn her as a person had she been like every other snake in the grass, waiting for her chance to strike before anyone else could. His last words, however, are what caught Mira off guard. He spoke about this age in a sort of despair and she could get why. Everything he knew was more or less gone. The age he grew up in, the one he had known all his life, was ripped from his fingers. Although he knew he would wake up with that, she had guessed he thought he could bare with it so long as his family had survived and was with him every step. Mira pondered his words for a moment more and then let slip her question, not truly meaning for it to pass over her lips.

"What do you miss about your age?" Quickly Mira tacked on the obvious. "Besides being an Emperor".

Mira didn't let her eyes blink as she stared at Khan. She didn't want to miss a beat as he thought of his answer. Mira was happy he was thinking of one but she wondered if he would give it to her or not but then he smiled. "An answer for an answer?" he bargained and Mira simply smiled and nodded. "I miss many things; it was simpler back then. But I would have to say I miss my books the most. I suppose I could get copies of them on these Data PADD's but I would miss the feel of paper. I was rather fond of my Brontës'. I found all three sisters rather gifted. Charlotte, however, was my favorite. Her poetry was breathtaking."

Khan mused as he seemed to be reflecting on old memories. Mira had to wonder what Khan would look like. Relaxed, laying in bed all comfortable, book in hand and looking like he didn't have a care in the world. It placed a smile on Mira's face to picture him like that, to picture him at peace in some form. An idea formed into Mira's mind but she pulled herself out of it before she got too far.

"What did you want to ask me?" Mira pondered as she saw she had pulled Khan from his thoughts. Looking at her through the corner of his eye before turning his gaze forward in thought. "What made you want to be a Doctor?" Khan asked after awhile. Mira wasn't sure what to respond with. In all, she had never been asked that question before. Her father had asked if she was sure but he had also asked if she even wanted to be a Star Fleet Doctor. "I don't know…" she said shrugging a shoulder simply. "I guess at first I just wanted to help people… to learn about different physiologies and be a well rounded Doctor. Then I read about Augments and other Biologically Engineered beings and my field shifted I guess…" Mira didn't miss the mistrust and small manner of hate in his voice as Khan spoke.

"Did you want to see if you could create beings like us? To study us like lab rats?" Mira simply shook her head. "No, I wanted to know why they would take something that was already perfect and try to make it more… I wanted to see if I could reverse it, not to make them less… no that's wrong, I wanted to take away their pain." Mira mumbled out, more to herself than anything, lost in her own thoughts. "Why do you assume we are in pain?" Khan asked simply, nothing behind his voice this time as he looked closely at Mira, studying her and she felt it.

"Because they look at you like you are the monster; you didn't ask to be what you are… it just happened. I'm not saying it's something to be ashamed of, in fact I'm sure I would be proud if I had been born differently but I can't imagine the pain of being looked at like an atrocity that should never have happened." Mira said. Her defensive walls coming up as she spoke. Neither of them said anything for awhile. Mira guessed Khan was letting her words sink in and was mauling them over.

Mira noticed Khan rolling his shoulders back as he took a step forward again, turning to face Mira and nodded before he left her lab and went into his own.