"The Perfect Mate"

Chapter 2

It was rare these days that Jadzia Dax got to actually work in the science lab that she was brought to Deep Space Nine five years ago to run. Today was one of those days where scientific discovery and the security of the alpha quadrant intersected and she got to supervise the junior research scientists. She'd even gotten up early, not something she enjoyed, to make the most of her time with them before Benjamin undoubtedly called to her ops for one thing or another.

Dax positioned herself at a computer terminal with her raktajino and began catching up on her team's research. About thirty minutes into it, the door to the lab opened. Jadzia tried not to roll her eyes and groan out loud when she saw who it was, but she wasn't too successful. Klingon Intelligence Officer V'Ron entered the lab looking far too glorious for it to be so early in the morning.

Jadzia composed herself, wondering what this could possibly be about, "Officer V'Ron, what brings you to the science lab?" she asked as nonchalantly as she could.

"Commander, I am in need of some information from you."

Dax raised and eyebrow, "Such as?"

"There was some data taken during the recent survey mission to the Gamma Quadrant that I am going to need access to."

Jadzia folded her arms and sat back in her chair, "I'm sorry but I can't give you that kind of information without command clearance."

V'Ron was prepared for that. She handed Dax the padd she'd been holding in her hands, "Clearance from Commander Worf."

Jadzia scanned it. Of course Worf gave her clearance, "I can have one of my technicians compile the reports and transmit them to the computer terminal in your office."

"I would prefer that you complete the task, Commander. I need this done immediately and I trust your expertise in expediting the matter."

"Alright then," Jadzia turned around to her console and began pulling up the files, "This shouldn't take too long."

"I will wait."

Of course you will.

V'Ron stood over the Trill commander's shoulder as she worked and knew she was successfully getting under her skin. Dax was trying to hide it but it was obvious. It was all the Klingon woman could do not to smile.

"I wish to thank you for allowing Commander Worf to spend time with me outside of our duties," V'Ron said, "He has been very helpful getting me acclimated to life aboard the station.

Jadzia laughed offhandedly, "Worf does not need me to allow him to do anything. If he is spending time with you, that is his choice."

"I'd like to think that I provide the type of companionship that he has not had living on a space station amongst aliens."

"Worf has always lived amongst non-Klingons, it's something he's used to."

"Perhaps from your perspective it would seem so."

Jadzia still hadn't looked away from her console and at V'Ron, who stood behind her, "And I suppose being Klingon, you know more about him than I do?"

"There are things that only a fellow Klingon can understand. I have been in his situation and I have shared with him my first hand understanding of what it is like to feel like an outsider."

That made Jadzia's stomach clench. Knowing that Worf and V'Ron had something in common made her feel very unsettled. Dax decided not to let V'Ron have the upper hand anymore. She spun her chair around and looked her right in the eye, "You didn't come here just for these reports, did you? If you have something you want to say to me then say it."

Dax's response caught V'Ron off guard, she'd planned to push her buttons for a little while longer, "It is not my intention to dishonor you. Since comung here I have found that my directness can come off as offensive to those not accustomed to it."

"Oh, I am quite accustomed to 'Klingon directness.' I may not look it, but I can be just as formidable as you seem to think you are. If you wish to challenge me, I am ready and waiting."

V'Ron smirked, "I am sure that will not be necessary, Commander."

Jadzia held her gaze, "Let's hope not."

The computer broke the silence between them, "File download complete"

"Your files are ready."

V'Ron nodded respectfully, still wearing that smug smirk that Jadzia wanted very much to remove from her face personally, "Thank you, Commander. Good day."

Once she was gone, Jadzia silently cursed. She'd let V'Ron get to her, and what was worse is that V'Ron knew it.

Sitting alone in a bar drinking, this was a new low for Jadzia. She laughed to herself, only Worf could bring her to this. She felt like she was losing her mind over him, and that was not like Jadzia Dax at all. Before being joined, Jadzia didn't have any time for relationships, she was too focused. Since becoming joined she'd taken on Curzon's attitude about love- avoid it at all costs. Have fun, sure, but falling in love was not an option. She'd come close a few times, but ultimately the Curzon part of her won out and she came back to her senses.

So why was she sitting at a table alone in Quark's staring into a quickly emptying glass of blood wine?

"Now this isn't something I see very often..."

Jadzia looked up and saw Benjamin standing over her. He pulled out the chair across from her and sat down.

"Aren't you on duty?" Jadzia asked.

"I'm the Captain, I can work wherever I want. I heard a rumor that you were pouting in a corner and I just had to come see for myself."

"I'm not pouting," she said as she brought the cup to her lips, "I'm drinking."

That made him laugh, "What's going on with you? And where is Worf, you two have been joined at the hip since he came aboard the station last year."

"You know, I suppose I have you to thank for all this."

"Uh oh, what did I do?"

"You assigned him to work with her."

Ben thought for a moment, "V'Ron, the Klingon Intelligence Officer?"

"These days they're the ones joined at the hip."

"Oh, Jadzia, I'm sure it's nothing," he said with a chuckle, "I can't believe you of all people are jealous-" Benjamin's laughter stopped when Jadzia looked up at him. Her eyes were red, and not just from the wine, "You're really upset about this, aren't you?"

"I don't know what's wrong with me. Worf hasn't really done anything other than be friendly, which we both know isn't like him at all. Who am I kidding? She is everything I am not," Jadzia took another drink, "I don't know why he wouldn't choose her."

"Does Worf know you feel this way?"

"I am not on his mind much these days."

"You know, Jadzia, you have made it pretty clear that this thing between the two of you is just casual and not serious. I know I don't know Worf as well as you do, but anyone can see that while you may not have been serious about him, he was very serious about you."

"So you think that this is my fault? Because I wasn't willing to rush off and marry him, he's moved on to someone else?"

"I didn't say that. You yourself said he and V'Ron are just friends."

"She came to me this morning and all but told me that she's better for him than I am."

"And you're sitting here feeling sorry for yourself because you think she's right."

Jadzia sighed, "Worf and I became friends because I know so much about his culture. It made him feel comfortable with me, and that's not something that comes easy to him. But what would he want with me when he can have a real Klingon woman, not just a poor excuse for one?"

Sisko wanted to tell her that she was being foolish, but he couldn't because she had a point, "You might be right. Perhaps for Worf you were safe and familiar but someone like V'Ron is what he really wants."

"Gee, thanks a lot Ben."

"I know one thing, a Klingon would not sit here crying into her drink."

"I'm not a Klingon, that's the point."

"I think there is one other issue here, Dax. Your casual relationship has become more than that but you haven't been able to admit it. If you confront Worf about how this friendship of his is bothering you, it means you have to tell him how you really feel. And that will make you vulnerable."

She thought for a moment, "I remember when I was an initiate, Curzon told me that falling in love was the worst thing I could ever do, that it did nothing but leave you exposed and at the mercy of someone else."

"Was he right?"

"Right now," Jadzia said, looking into her empty cup, "I'd say he was."

The next evening Jadzia asked Worf to dinner in her quarters. She was taking Sisko's advice and was going to tell Worf how she felt about all this, and more importantly how she felt about him. Her stomach was in knots as she sat the table. She stood back, looked at it, and frowned. It wasn't the look she wanted. Jadzia chuckled to herself, "What kind of centerpiece says, 'I love you, please don't leave me for another woman?'"

As she stood there contemplating it, the door slid open. Jadzia knew it was him and turned to greet Worf with a big smile. Jadzia's smile was one of the things Worf loved the most about her. It was infectious, and it forced him to smile in return.

"Hi there."

"Good evening," he replied.

"Come sit down."

Worf sat at the table and Jadzia ordered dinner for the two of them. They ate in silence for a while. Jadzia had spent all day trying to find a clever way to bring up what she wanted to talk about besides saying "We need to talk," which is the way Worf would do it.

"I had an unexpected visitor stop by the science lab yesterday morning," she began.

"Oh?"

"Intelligence Officer V'Ron."

"Oh yes. She and I needed to analyze the survey mission data. I would have come to you myself for it but she insisted."

"She insisted, huh?" Jadzia rolled her eyes, "That's because she had other reasons for coming to see me."

Worf looked confused "Such as?"

"She all but came out and challenged me for you, Worf."

"You are exaggerating, as usual."

"No, I'm not. She very sarcastically thanked me for letting you spend so much time with her, then commenced to tell me how she understands you so well and how she's the companion you've been needing."

"Perhaps you misunderstood her intentions..."

"I understood exactly what she intended. Worf, this thing between you and V'Ron makes me very uncomfortable."

"What thing?"

"Please don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. You have been spending more time with her than with me lately."

"You yourself have pointed out that I have never spent much time amongst other Klingons. I thought you would be happy that I have a friend in the Empire."

"General Martok is a friend. V'Ron is something more than that."

"I have given you no reason to doubt me, Jadzia. Nothing has happened between V'Ron and I, nor will it. As I said, we are just friends."

"You and I were friends too, at first," Jadzia pointed out.

Worf was beginning to get upset, it seemed to him that Jadzia was being very hypocritical about this, "Jadzia, you have more friends than I can count. You share meals with Dr. Bashir, play tongo with Quark, and I know they both would gladly have you if they could. Every time a ship docks I wonder how many of your friends will be aboard. Even you and Captain Sisko have been friends for two lifetimes. In all this you have asked me to trust you, and I have learned to put aside my doubts. I should think you would be able to do the same."

"I understand all that but this is different," she sighed, "Look, Worf, I've had a lot more experience with relationships over the years and-"

Now Worf really was upset. He hated when she did this to him, "Yes, I know. You are 350 years old. You know everything and I am just a child who should listen to your centuries of wisdom."

Dax realized how condescending she probably sounded to him just now, "That is not what I meant,"

"Then what did you mean?"

Jadzia really didn't know what she meant. Or more honestly, she didn't know how to say what she meant. She didn't know how to tell Worf she was afraid. She was afraid that he'd realize he could have a real Klingon woman and not just a substitute for one.

The only thing she knew to do was reach out and take his hand in hers. They sat there quietly for a moment, both looking down at their intertwined hands. It was as if for the first time they noticed just how different those hands were.

Worf thought back to their ill fated trip to Risa and realized that right now Jadzia was probably feeling the same way he did then. And just as his suspicions had been unfounded, he would show Jadzia that hers were as well. "Jadzia, you are my par'mach'kai," he began, "I care about you more than I have anyone else and I would never do anything to hurt you. You must believe that."

Jadzia nodded, then placed her hand on his face, "I believe you," she said quietly, though the look in her eyes said otherwise.

Ops on DS9 was very different from the standard bridge aboard a Federation starship, and even though Worf had been working there a year and a half, it still took some getting used to. One thing Worf liked about it was that he could glance up from his workstation to see Jadzia whenever he wanted. She was working there this morning, seated on a stool in the center pit of ups, her trusty cup of raktajino within arms reach. The sight of her made Worf smile and he wondered what she was doing as he watched her casually toss her ponytail over her shoulder.

Worf's gaze was interrupted by a flashing icon that he saw out of the corner of his eye on his display screen. It was a message for him... from V'Ron. The message was brief, she was just asking if he was available to go to the holosuite that evening. They'd sent the same message to one another probably a dozen times since she'd arrived on DS9, but in light of Worf's conversation with Jadzia last night he felt uneasy receiving it this time. His eyes darted guiltily back to Jadzia as if she could see the message he was reading. Obviously, she couldn't.

He stood there a moment looking at it, and did not reply immediately. His first instinct was to say no, to make up some excuse as to why he couldn't go. That wouldn't be the truth, though, and Worf prided himself in his honesty. Besides, he liked being with V'Ron. Silently, Worf debated whether or not that was wrong and came to the conclusion that it was not. As he pointed out last night, Jadzia had many friends. Him going to the holosuite with V'Ron would be no different than Jadzia playing tongo with Quark.

Worf replied with a short message saying he would be there. He decided there was no harm in spending time doing what you like with a friend whose company you enjoy. He also decided there was no reason to upset Jadzia by telling her where he'd be.

Holosuite Three was already running when Worf got there. Once he entered, a confused look came over his face. This was not the program that he and V'Ron usually ran. It only took a moment for him to recognize what it was and when he did, Worf began to feel uneasy.

He looked around and didn't see V'Ron, but she was obviously here because only she would have picked this. After a moment, she emerged into the Hall of Warriors where Worf stood. V'Ron was dressed very differently than she normally did. She wore a unitard, this one much more fitted than Worf had seen her in. The cleavage that she normally kept covered was on full display and her long hair was woven into a braid that grazed her waistline.

"What do you think? I have to say that I was surprised to find the Battle of Qam-Chee in the menu. Something you and Jadzia have run, I assume?" V'Ron asked with a smile.

Worf didn't know what to think, "Why have you chosen this program?"

"It's one that I have never had the pleasure of doing. You don't object do you? "

Worf looked around. If Jadzia knew about this, she would not be happy. This was the program she and Worf created for Quark several months ago as a way for him to impress Grilka. It was the battle that began the love affair between Kahless and Lukara. Standing before him was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen, and she wanted to play out the most romantic scene in Klingon history. Worf knew he should object, he knew he should leave, or at least insist they change the program. But V'Ron looked amazing, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, he was intrigued by her and flattered that she wanted to do this with him. Worf told himself that it was after all just a simulation. He was in control, as always, and nothing would happen that he didn't want to happen.

"No, there is no objection. I have never actually done this program before."

V'Ron raised an eyebrow, "Really? Then by all means," she raised her bat'leth, "Computer, begin program. Level 3."

The Battle of Qam-Chee involved hundreds of warriors storming the palace until no one but Kahles and Lukara were left to defend it. It was a challenging scenario, but one that was filled with all the pageantry and symbolism of a great battle. Instead of fighting one another, Worf and V'Ron were working together against the invaders. Occasionally, Worf would steal a glance in her direction and get a glimpse of her. She was glorious.

Once the last warrior had fallen there was no one left standing but the two of them. Worf's blood was pumping hard, this had been more of a workout than he'd anticipated. He stood there, corpses strewn about the floor, breathing deeply and basking in their victory when all of a sudden there was... something.

Worf knew V'Ron was standing behind him, he could hear her breathing and feel the warmth of her body. Yet there was something else. It was a scent, an overpowering and provocative scent. Worf breathed in deeply and let it fill his nose. It was wonderfully intoxicating, and was like nothing he'd experience before. Worf could feel parts of his body awakening in ways that he hadn't expected.

The Klingon olfactory sense was far more developed that most humanoids, which was something that aided them in battle, hunting and mating. V'Ron drew in a deep breath as well. The scent of passion that filled the air between them was unmistakable. She knew that as much as Worf might think he loved the Trill woman, what was happening right now was not something he could experience with her. The heights of Klingon passion could only be shared with another Klingon.

Worf still had his back turned to her. He knew what was happening and was trying very hard to reign himself in. It wasn't working.

V'Ron spoke, her voice was like a quiet growl, "MoVas ah-kee rustak..."

Finally Worf turned and looked at her. He felt light headed. He could hear his heart pounding in his chest, feel the blood rushing through his veins. His senses were heightened, he was acutely aware of this woman who stood before him, this beautiful Klingon woman. V'Ron was everything he'd ever imagined having, she was the woman of his dreams. And here she was, giving herself to him.

V'Ron knew she had him, the scent of par'mach was clear. She spoke the words again, ""MoVas ah-kee rustak!"

Worf grabbed her long braid of hair and gripped it in his hand tightly. The two stood close, close enough for him to feel the heaving of her chest and for her to feel his desire as it grew larger.

Worf looked into her eyes, "Kosh tomah..." Worf began the traditional words once spoken between Kahless and Lukara.

But before he could finish, he stopped. "No, I, I cannot..." Worf let go of his grip on her and stepped backwards, nearly tripping over a holographic body.

"Worf, I know this is what you want, just let yourself go and-"

He shook his head as if trying to snap out of the daze he was in, "No, I, I must go..."

Worf was nearly running as he left the holosuite and moved through the promenade towards the habitat ring. He knew he had to get out of there before he did something dishonorable, something he'd probably regret. Though he had gotten away, the fire V'Ron had ignited within him had not been extinguished. He needed his par'mach'kai.

When Worf got to Jadzia's quarters he opened the door without even ringing the chime. The door slid open and Worf and saw her lounging on the couch reading. Jadzia hadn't expected to see him tonight, and him standing there in her doorway made her smile.

Seeing Jadzia lying there made Worf lose what little control he had. Before Jadzia could speak his name Worf was on top of her, hungrily kissing her mouth. His hands were rough as they moved along the length of her body. He felt as if he could devour her.

"Worf," she said breathlessly, "Slow down a minute."

"I have to have you," Worf growled, burying his face in the crook of her neck and kissing and biting her soft flesh.

Jadzia squirmed in his arms and giggled with delight. Lately their lovemaking had settled into something not quite so physically demanding, but right now she could tell he was in the mood to break some bones

Worf swooped her up into his arms and took her into the bedroom, tossing her onto the bed and then falling into bed with her. He began tugging at the closures on her uniform, trying to keep himself from ripping it to shreds. Something was different tonight. Even when Worf was being aggressive he was an attentive lover, always in tune with her. Tonight he seemed like he was somewhere else. Jadzia told herself it was probably because things had been uneasy between them. She was just happy to be in his arms.

The next morning Jadzia awoke early, before Worf. She sat up slowly, this was going to be one of those times where she'd need to visit the infirmary to recover from a night with Worf. Dax stood and surveyed the remnants of their night. Her bedroom was a mess, but it was a mess that made her smile. Her smile felt triumphant, I wish V'Ron could see this place, she thought to herself. Jadzia began picking up the clothing from the floor. When she got to Worf's pile, she paused. Slowly, Dax picked up the clothing, it was Worf's black exercise outfit. She hadn't noticed that he was was wearing it when he came in last night. Jadzia swallowed, she could feel a knot forming in her stomach.

"Worf..."

He didn't even stir, it was like he was sleeping off a night of drinking too much.

"Worf!"

Worf blinked a few times before sitting up on the edge of the bed. It took him a moment to get his bearings and remember where he was or what had happened. He was naked and in Jadzia's bed, which normally was a good thing. But judging by the tone of her voice, something was wrong.

Jadzia's voice was calm but stern, "Worf, where were you last night?"

Memories of last night began coming back to him, "I was here with you."

"No," she held up his clothes so he could see them, "Before you came to me."

Worf had never felt the urge to lie to Jadizia until this moment, but he could not bring himself to be dishonest, "I was in the holosuite."

"You were with her, weren't you."

Worf looked away from Jadzia and down at the floor.

"I asked you a question!"

"Yes. Yes I was." Worf wanted to justify it but he couldn't. He let things go too far with V'Ron, and as a result he used Jadzia in a way that was dishonorable.

"You came to me last night, all fired up and ready to go. And there I was thinking all that was for me. So how much of that did she get before you decided to come find me?"

Worf looked up at Jadzia, "V'Ron and I did nothing."

"But you wanted too, didn't you? Did you catch her scent? Is that what did it? You came in here like a crazed voll and I foolishly relished in it."

"Jadzia-"

"Get out," Jadzia threw his clothes at him, her voice was angry and cold, "I'm not a Klingon woman, Worf, I know I can't compete with her. So the next time you want to sleep with her, just go ahead do it."

Jadzia disappeared into her bathroom before Worf could see the tears she'd been holding back fall down her face.