Title: Trust and Betrayal
Summary: Continuation from 'Destinations'.
Authors Notes: This fic is like a soap opera. It just goes on and on. This picks up 3 months after Destinations. For those who wanted more Raphael when I wrote the other books, this is the story for you. Enormous thanks to Jaxink for the beta read and edit.
Chapter 5:
"The best proof of love is trust."
Joyce Brothers
Sen pushed open the door to her bookstore, and managed a smile for Rachel. Rachel grinned back, and came around the counter. A young human male rose from a chair nearby and approached as well.
"Thank you, Rachel," Sen said to the teenage girl.
"No problem. I like working here," Rachel answered. "Tommy stayed with me. I hope that was okay."
Sen glanced at the male teenager. He seemed like a nice youth, and clearly Rachel was attached to him.
"Of course," Sen replied.
"Thanks, Sen," Rachel said as she exited, pulling her boyfriend along by the hand.
Alone in the store, the pall Sen had been under since her visit to her mother's hotel room returned. Sen moved behind the counter, and set the wooden box down. The store was devoid of customers, and she would be closing in another hour. Absently, Sen traced the carving on the lid of the box. She looked through the glass door to the building across the street. The school was dark. Leo was inside, of course. He waited there for her store to close, and then he would cross the street and walk her home.
The walks to and from their businesses were her only chance each day to be alone with him.
And like every other night, they would speak of inconsequential things. They would talk of how their days went, and what Juliet might make for dinner. Leo would tell anecdotes about his martial arts students, and Sen would listen, but not really hear. Each evening was the same and they stretched before her with no relief, no alleviation of the pattern.
As she had in her mother's hotel room, Sen lifted the lid on the box. She studied the fine embroidery, the expensive fabric … the robe she might never wear. In a rare fit of temper, she slammed the lid closed and shoved the box under the counter, into a dark corner where she would not have to see it. Making a decision, Sen began turning out the lights in the store. It was not closing time yet, but she did not care. She could not stand another minute in the store.
With the building in darkness, Sen set the alarm and stepped out her front door. She locked up with her key, and then turned to face the school. She contemplated just walking to the house alone, but Leo's voice in her head stopped her.
"Always wait for me, Sen."
He had been vehement that she never walk home alone, especially at night.
Sen hurried across the street and up to the door of the school. She would simply go in and tell him she was unwell. He could go with her or not. Sen pushed open the door and stepped into the dark hall. She frowned at the dim interior of the school. She had never come here at night and only rarely during the day. Sen could not imagine what Leo did in the school alone as he waited for her.
At first she turned toward the office, seeing a desk lamp burning within, but Leo was not there. Returning to the hall, Sen perceived soft sounds coming from the studio to her left. It was completely dark, and she paused in the doorway waiting for her eyes to adjust. Then Sen saw Leo in the studio. Dressed in a black gi, Leo appeared to be fighting the shadows. He kicked and struck around him as though surrounded by an invisible enemy.
He was, Sen realized, practicing.
Leo had explained Ninjitsu to her during one of their night-time walks. Now, watching him, Sen began to have a better understanding of the art. He was light on his feet, flipping through the air and spinning at speeds Sen almost could not see. Moments later, Leo paused at the far end of the room. Sen heard the hiss of metal on leather, and when Leo stepped to the center of the room, where the light from the street backlit his form, twin swords were in his hands.
There was no sound except Leo's steady breathing, the faint thump as his feet hit the polished floor, and the rush of air around the blades. Entranced, Sen watched, her heart thudding in time to Leo's rapid movements. It was like a dance, this practice with weapons, this shadow battle. Each motion was grace and control and deadly purpose. Leo flipped across the room, his body lit and shadowed by turns. Abruptly he halted, his swords crossed before his body, and his bright blue eyes stared straight into hers.
"Sen?" he asked, lowering the weapons. "Everything okay?"
Sen nodded her mouth dry and her grasp of language suddenly unavailable.
Leo turned away and walked to the far end of the room. He sheathed his swords, and then tucked the bundle under his arm. Sen moved aside as Leo stepped out of the room and headed for the office. She followed, her heart still speeding. Leo opened the cabinet in the corner of the office, and placed the weapons inside. Shutting the cabinet, Leo turned back to Sen.
"Are you sure you're …" Leo didn't get a chance to finish his question as Sen stepped close, took his face in her narrow hands, and kissed him. Leo was startled, but only momentarily. He wrapped his arms around her, and returned her kiss. To his surprise, Sen did not stop the kiss or back away, but instead opened her mouth to his. Leo deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue against hers. Her soft moan threatened his control.
Leo turned Sen and backed her toward the desk. He lifted her and set her on the edge, their mouths still locked in the kiss. When Sen's slender legs wrapped around him, Leo's rational mind returned. Leo grasped Sen's shoulders and broke the kiss. He took deep, steadying breaths, focusing on the far wall.
Sen felt disappointment and worse, shame, flood her, replacing the desire she had experienced only moments before.
"Am I not …," Sen started, her voice edged with hurt. "Am I not attractive to you?"
"Sen," Leo responded, distressed by her upset. His eyes flew back to meet hers, only to find that she was looking down. He took one hand from her shoulder and lifted her chin. When she met his gaze, he continued. "Sen, I want you," Leo said, his voice rough. "Believe me, I want you." Sen searched his face, wanting to trust his words. But why had he stopped? "I want it to be right." And he did. He wanted it to not be rushed, or clandestine, which is what this felt like. In the office on his desk felt dishonorable. There was also the fact that Sen was clearly young and inexperienced. Leo had felt that their relationship had come about so quickly with her fleeing from her home planet; that he and Sen hadn't had a real chance to get to know each other. It wasn't that he wasn't confident in their feelings for each other. Leo knew beyond a doubt Sen was the only one for him, but he couldn't help but feel that Sen needed more time. Sheltered and so long denied any freedom by her overbearing mother, Sen should have the opportunity gain confidence and to come into her own.
Sen nodded, and Leo assumed she understood all that he left unspoken. Sen dropped her limbs and struggled to hide her sadness. She thought of her mother's words. That she might never wed. They supported Sen's own conclusion that Leo might never want her as she wanted him. That the pattern of their lives would only continue as it had. Sen swallowed back her tears. She didn't want to cry. She was tired of being as her mother had said she was; weak, emotional.
She wanted to be strong. She wanted to be worthy.
She wanted Leo to love her as she loved him.
555
Susan nervously chewed the inside of her cheek. There had been a message for her this morning that she was to meet Dr. Hamato for lunch. The address was unfamiliar to Susan, but she had been pleased to get the invitation. She had been worried Don would replace her with another assistant after yesterday. Susan's cheeks flushed with remembered embarrassment. She should not have touched Dr. Hamato … Don … He was her boss, and it was inappropriate. Her feelings were inappropriate. She would apologize and promise it wouldn't happen again. They could go back to working together, and Susan could maintain her private fantasies that eventually Don might return her affections.
Walking down the sidewalk, Susan studied the numbers on the buildings. She frowned when she reached the address for lunch.
"This can't be right," she said to herself.
"Hey, Susan," a female voice called jovially from nearby. Susan turned toward the speaker and saw a petite redhead standing in the doorway of the building she was to meet Dr. Hamato at for lunch.
"Hello?" Susan responded curiously. She had no idea who this was. Where was Don? The redhead approached, and Susan noted that his woman moved with enviable confidence. She met Susan's eyes with a directness that was almost rude.
"I hope you'll forgive the ruse, but I really wanted to meet you," the redhead explained, arriving at Susan's side. She put out her hand and Susan shook it. "I'm Samantha. Samantha Hamato." Susan's eyes widened, and her mouth opened. "Don's wife." Susan dropped the hand she had been shaking. Sam smiled at Susan, enjoying the younger woman's flabbergasted expression.
"I hope you don't mind eating here. I brought some sandwiches for us," Sam continued, grabbing Susan's arm and propelling her forward and in the door. Susan glanced again at the sign with trepidation. Why were they eating at a shooting range?
Once inside, Sam dragged her husband's assistant up to the counter.
"Bobby, okay if she comes through with me?" Sam greeted casually. The man behind the counter waved them through. "Thanks!" Sam called as they went through to the range. To Susan, she winked. "I come here a lot, so they give me a little leeway."
Now that they were on the range, Sam let go of Susan's arm and stepped up to one of the open range spaces. "You don't mind if I shoot while we eat, do you?" Sam shouted over an eruption of gunfire from further down the range. Susan shook her head helplessly. Sam nodded and put on her ear protection. There was a black handgun and clips in a tray in front of her. Susan swallowed nervously as her boss' wife picked up a clip and slammed it into the gun with practiced ease. "Sandwiches and sodas are in the little cooler here," Sam explained, nodding to cooler by her feet. Susan stepped closer, but halted as Sam turned toward the end of the range and fired six shots in rapid succession. Sam set down the gun, and pushed her ear protection back so it rested around her neck.
"So, Don's told me a little about you, Susan," Sam said, hitting the button that would bring the paper target closer.
"Has he?" Susan asked faintly. The target ran along the track and stopped just in front of Samantha. Sam stepped back and let Susan see it. There were five holes around where the heart would be, and one hole directly between the eyes. Susan felt faintly nauseous.
"Yes," Sam replied, stepping back into place and unclipping the target. "Like that you might have some feelings for him." Susan didn't dare meet Sam's eyes as a blush stole up her cheeks. "But between us girls, I'm sure that you don't."
"I don't?" Susan queried cautiously. She eyed the gun again. Sam was busy folding up the paper target, which was a little bit of a relief. It was certainly better than the gun in Sam's hands.
"No, because that would be very, very stupid," Sam told her firmly. "And you're not stupid, are you Susan?"
"N … no," Susan answered. Sam finished folding the target, and held out it out to Susan.
"Something to remember me by," Sam offered. Susan took the paper reluctantly. "Well, I'm famished. You?" Sam asked brightly. Susan shook her head and backed toward the exit.
"I'm afraid I've lost my appetite," Susan whispered, just before she ran out the door.
555
"A moment of your time, Dr. Hamato?" Don glanced up at the intrusion into his lab. At the door were Major Klein and two men in gray suits. All three peered at him with identical expressions of distaste.
"Of course, Major," Don responded. The Major and his companions entered the lab. The Major walked over to the white board and appeared to be studying the equations. Don let him. As of this morning, those equations were utterly meaningless. The real thing was safely recorded on his personal laptop. The two gray suited humans remained by the door, apparently guarding it.
"You had a lunch date recently," the Major began, not turning from the white board. Don felt his pulse speed up minutely. "With the Utrom." Don blinked, but kept his peace. "No denials, Doctor?"
"No," Don stated. "Who I have lunch with is not your concern."
"But it is my concern when it deals with national security," the Major rejoined. "Or have you forgotten who you are working for?"
Don ground his teeth. The Major turned from the white board to stare at Don directly.
"This country is not tolerant of traitors, Dr. Hamato," Major Klein threatened silkily.
"I haven't done anything wrong," Don denied.
"Perhaps. Perhaps not," the Major responded. "You have a family, don't you, Dr. Hamato?" Don curled his hands into fists. "That pretty wife of yours was in law enforcement, wasn't she? And you have a little … whatever-you-are, too."
One of the men in gray suits stepped up to Don's desk, and dropped a sheaf of black and white photos onto the surface. They spilled across the papers there. Don's eyes widened at the pictures. They were of Sam and Sean. Don recognized the locations: in the park, in front of the house, at the grocery store …
"Why are you showing me these?" Don asked through gritted teeth.
"Just reminding you who you work for, Doctor," the Major said, smiling. "And giving you an idea of what we're capable of."
The Major and his comrades exited the lab. Don picked up the top photo with shaking fingers. In it, Sam was holding Sean and pushing a grocery cart. She was smiling, perfectly innocent of the fact that she was being followed. Don closed his eyes. He was in way over his head.