oOo

Kira paced around her quarters, trying not to look at the small vial of blue liquid on her dresser. J'varh worked almost immediately upon ingestion and lasted for several hours, and she wanted to wait until the last possible minute to take it. Before Dukat actually came in, she decided, would still be too soon; she planned to pour it into her drink when the door chimed, then drink a toast with him as soon as he was settled.

She repressed a shudder at the thought of Dukat being "settled" in her quarters; it was certainly a phrase she never expected to hear, especially from herself. But getting him settled tonight, not only allowing him access to her quarters but also anticipating that they would spend an entire night together, was something she was going to have to get used to. At least it would soon be over.

That was the extent of her planning for the evening, that and the dress it had taken her hours to decide on. She fingered a fold of the diaphanous material nervously, wondering if she should change, then reminded herself that it was too late for that. Besides, she had nothing more suitable. She looked herself over one last time in the mirror, examining the flame-colored, floor-length gown critically. It flowed over one shoulder, falling loosely over her breasts before flaring out from her waist to pool at her bare feet. The other shoulder was entirely bare, her arms exposed, which was exactly how she felt at the moment: exposed. Exposed and vulnerable. Even during her first raid as a member of the Shaak'ar resistance cell, when she'd been only 13, she'd been too busy doing what had to be done to worry about her own vulnerability to Cardassian weapons. Now, however, all she could think about was the fact that she'd willingly bargained with a Cardassian--and not just any Cardassian, but Gul Dukat--for the right to use her body for his own pleasure. Any vulnerability she was feeling now was nothing compared to the shame she'd feel after the effects of the J'varh wore off and Dukat left her. After he'd collected on the debt she owed him.

She winced at that thought, taking another turn around the room as it reminded her that Quark would also soon be collecting a debt from her. The fact that he was willing to wait to name his price only worried her more--what would he ask? And why hadn't she thought to ask him about it when she received her half of the bargain? She'd spent the better part of the last few days in a haze, it was the only excuse she could think of. If she had, then at least then one of her looming worries would be out of the way. Of course, there were limits to what she was willing to give him. Surely he'd realize that, no matter how desperate she was, she would never agree to do anything that might be considered a betrayal of Bajor or the Federation. She hoped it wouldn't be anything more complicated than him asking her turn a blind eye to certain of his activities, or to persuade Odo to do so at critical junctures. She might be able to bring herself to do that, once, if she could be assured that it wouldn't pose a danger to the station or anyone on it.

The sound of the door chime interrupted her nervous speculation, and she started as if she'd heard a weapon fire. She forced herself to stand completely still and took a deep, calming breath before speaking. "Come in."

Dukat stopped just inside the doorway and looked her up and down with frank admiration, using what she would no doubt interpret as a strictly sexual appraisal to cover his primary intent: examining her for signs that she'd already drugged herself. Her breathing was normal, if a tad accelerated, but more due to nerves, he judged, than anything else. She was slightly flushed, another sign of her nervous state, but he'd seen women under the influence of J'varh before--at least, he assumed that was the aphrodisiac she'd obtained, since it was the most potent one ever engineered to work on Bajorans--and she was nowhere near the state of feverish intoxication it produced upon ingestion. That meant she hadn't had time to do anything drastic yet. Good. Time to act his part. "That's a lovely dress," he said approvingly. "I've never seen it before. Did you obtain is just for our evening together?"

Kira glared at him. "I wasn't aware you kept such a close watch on my wardrobe, especially since I don't believe you've seen me in anything but my uniform since we kicked your asses off Bajor."

Dukat cocked his head to one side. "So you're saying you've had it all along?" It was so much fun to bait her…

"I've never worn it and never will again after tonight," she retorted angrily, then snapped her lips together, closed her eyes, and forced a deep breath to try and calm herself. "What are you doing here so early?"

Dukat shook his head. "I'm sorry, did we set an exact time? If so, it must have slipped my mind."

Kira muttered something about Cardassians and promptness, but Dukat let it pass; it didn't sound particularly complimentary. Instead, he strolled around the room as if examining it, fully aware of Kira's eyes on him as he did so. Not that he felt her gaze was friendly; on the contrary, he knew it for what it was. One predator watching another that had entered her territory. "Nerys, your quarters are quite nice. A bit on the austere side, but nice."

"Thank you," Kira ground out. Good, he was continuing to get under her skin. If he couldn't have the evening he planned, the least he could do was irritate her as much as possible. It was her normal reaction to him, and he was willing to indulge it for once. He glanced over at the sofa, then looked back at her and waited. "Would you like to sit?" she finally asked, taking the hint when he allowed the silence to continue.

"Why, thank you," Dukat replied heartily, as if the invitation were sincere and not prompted by him. "I don't mind if I do." He sat down and leaned back comfortably on her sofa, hiding an amused smile as she pointedly sat in the small chair opposite his. One hand was held casually by her side, and Dukat hid another smile as he divined what exactly she was holding. He calculated the odds of her reaction if he suddenly pounced across the short distance separating them, acting surprised and shocked when she dropped the vial, but decided against such a tactic, amusing though it might be. Her first instinct would probably be to hit him, and he would like to come out of this evening with as little physical injury as possible. Not to mention injury to that legendary Cardassian pride Odo had referred to earlier. No, another tactic was required, and he knew what it had to be.

"I believe the next question is, would you care for a drink?" Kira nearly gasped aloud when Dukat spoke this time, her eyes involuntarily going to the small table under her viewport and the carefully arranged tray holding a wine bottle and two glasses. Then her gaze slid back toward him, and she realized he was proffering a bottle of his own, one she hadn't realized he was holding until now--which only showed how unnerved she was. But she could see that what he was offering was superior to the brand and year she'd chosen. Leave it to Dukat to have impeccable taste in non-Cardassian wines, she thought irritably, and leave it to him to get her so rattled she nearly forgot what she had planned for herself. She could curse him for coming a half an hour earlier than she'd expected, for putting her off enough that she let him enter before she'd placed the J'varh in her own drink. And now he was making it even more difficult by offering his own bottle. "Nerys? Is there something wrong?" He glanced down at the label in mock concern. "I trust this is an acceptable vintage?" He glanced over at the wine she'd chosen, and she could tell by the expression on his face that he expected her to accept his offering instead.

This time, however, Dukat was not going to get his own way. "I'd rather drink my own, thank you," she said through gritted teeth as she rose abruptly to her feet. It was obvious his continued use of her first name really bothered her. Dukat made a mental note to do so as often as possible in the future, then watched in quiet amusement as she made her way to the viewport, one hand still held casually in the folds of her gown.

He waited until she had opened the silvery decanter before rising and approaching her as quietly as he could. Something told her he was there, however, some small sound or her own wound-up nerves. She stiffened, but before she could turn he touched her lightly on the arm. "Would you like me to pour?"

Kira turned quickly, nearly bumping into him as she did so. Dukat grasped her arm, ostensibly to steady her, then tightened his grip as he "noticed" she was palming an open vial. He pulled her arm around so he could see the small vial better. "What's this?" he demanded as he used his superior strength to force it from her grasp. "Poison, Nerys? I would never have expected it of you--not during peacetime," he amended. "And certainly not to get out of our bargain. Frankly, I'm rather disappointed."

"I'm not trying to poison you," Kira denied, trying and failing to jerk her arm out of his grasp.

"Ah, something to drug me with then, so you can somehow substitute false memories, make me think that we were together when in fact I slept all night on your floor instead?" he pressed, enjoying the game.

"No, I gave my word," Kira shot back, stung by the accusation. "This isn't what it looks like."

"Actually, now that I can see it better, what it looks like is J'varh," he replied, peering at the vial suspiciously before turning his searching gaze on her face. "Am I wrong?"

She stared sullenly down at her feet, then back up at him. This wasn't going at all the way she planned, and she was furious with herself for not moving more quickly in the beginning. Instead of simply telling him to come in, she should have gone to the table and poured the drinks first, then handed him a glass as soon as he walked in the door. Then all of this would be well on its way to being over by now. Instead, she'd been discovered. Sloppy work, Nerys, she could mentally hear any one of a half-dozen of her former Resistance mates chiding her. "No," she reluctantly replied as Dukat repeated his last question, this time with an impatient shake of her arm. "You're not."

Dukat released his grasp and stepped away, pacing around the room in feigned agitation. "Were you truly intending to take it?" he finally demanded.

"I'd hoped to do so before you arrived," Kira admitted, her eyes narrowed as she followed his pacing figure. What was he up to? "That way you'd get what you wanted. A willing partner." She practically spat out the last words.

"A willing partner, yes; one drugged to the point of not caring who she slept with--no," he snapped. "Is that truly the only way you felt capable of fulfilling our agreement?"

She nodded, her eyes never leaving his. "Yes, it was."

"You despise me that much." Kira merely raised an eyebrow at that, and Dukat half-smiled, then nodded in defeat. "Very well. Then I release you from the agreement."

Kira felt her jaw drop. "You what?" He couldn't be saying what it sounded like he was saying.

Then again, maybe he could. "You heard me," Dukat replied. "I release you. Until you are able to come to me of your own free will, that is," he amended. "When you are capable of doing that, I will be ready to accept you. Until then," he smiled and shrugged, "I can wait."

"You'll be waiting a long time, Dukat," Kira warned him when she felt capable of speaking again. She still couldn't believe what she was hearing--did he actually believe what he was saying? He seemed to, and his next words confirmed that.

"I'm a patient man, Nerys," he replied softly, holding her gaze for a long moment. Without warning, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, pulling her closer, depending on her shock to keep her from immediately shoving him away as he allowed himself this one indulgence. He put everything he had, everything he felt and couldn't say, into the kiss, savoring the taste of her, knowing the contact would be brief.

Seconds into the kiss, she came out of her shock and and pulled away from him, jerking herself out of his grasp, turning her face away and stumbling back a step, face white, eyes wide. Before he could do or say anything, without telegraphing the movement, she punched him. Hard.

Dukat stumbled back, wiping blood from the corner of his lip, but to Kira's fury, he was smiling. "I suppose I deserved that," he murmured.

"You deserve more than that, you son of a bitch," she snarled, ignoring the pain in her bloodied knuckles. "Once you said the deal was off, so was your right to touch me." She was breathing heavily, face flushed, mouth parted, and he was almost tempted to kiss her again, but he restrained himself. She was right, after all.

"Someday you'll understand me better," was all he said. "And when you do, then you may find that our bargain isn't as bad as you seem to think it is. When that happens, when you truly begin to understand me, I will be ready for you." With that, he bowed and turned toward the door. "I'll see myself out."

Kira stared at the door for a long time after it closed behind him. She continued to marvel at Dukat's apparent belief that the two of them were somehow meant to be together. What could he possibly be thinking? Although that kiss had certainly given her an inkling; she'd never been kissed like that before, with such searing intensity, as if she could literally feel his passion for her sizzling against her lips…

She closed that thought off with another snarl, this time at disgust for her own split-second reaction. So Dukat had kissed her with what felt like a great deal of sincerity. So what. Whatever feelings he might have for her certainly weren't reciprocated. She'd assumed he merely desired the use of her body for a single night, but now it seemed he wanted more from her. That he expected some sort of…emotional involvement. Was he really that deluded that he expected she would willingly come to him one day? It was a mindboggling thought, as she'd once heard Miles O'Brien say. Absolutely mindboggling.

But not mindboggling enough that she was willing to give Dukat or his delusions any more thought. She'd already spent more than enough energy on this whole situation, she decided as she stripped off the dress in revulsion and headed for her shower stall. Dukat was gone, the heavens would spin to a stop before she ever came to him of her own free will, and that, as far as she was concerned, was that.

She paused on the way to the bathroom, glancing down at the hand that still held the small vial that had nearly been her undoing--and had ultimately acted as her savior. If she'd know Dukat would react this way, she never would have had to use it, or even come as close as she had. So perhaps it was just as well she hadn't been able to do things the way she'd planned. Whatever Quark demanded of her, she decided, was more than adequate payment for the usefulness of the drug, without it ever having passed her lips. She started moving again, this time heading for the disposal chute on the wall near the replicator.

As she was about to drop it in, however, she hesitated. Yes, she was grateful for the use of the J'varh, but didn't Quark already owe her far more than she could ever owe him? Technically he had no right to ask her for favors, no matter how quickly he'd gotten her what she needed. Now that she was able to think clearly again, without the threat of Dukat's physical presence looming over her, she could see that her best move would be to get the J'varh to Odo, letting it slip how she acquired it. That would certainly keep Quark too busy to ask her for favors--or force him to ask one particular favor, one having to do with getting him out of trouble for harboring an illegal substance. If she handled it right, she could get Odo to release Quark without anyone becoming suspicious.

Yes, that was the way to do it. Kira smiled and slowly pulled her hand away from the chute, looking down at the J'varh. Getting Odo to put pressure on Quark and forcing him to ask her to take care of the matter as his payment was the best way to handle it. He would know how Odo got the bottle, even if she got it to the security chief anonymously, but would be unable to prove that Kira had anything to do with it without implicating himself further. Even if he tried to convince Odo that he'd procured it for her, the chances of the shapeshifter believing him were vanishingly small--and the chances that Quark would be forced to ask for her help would increase accordingly.

It would be a wonderful way to end this entire incident, and none would be the wiser.