The BLTS Archive - Deux et Deux (Two by Two) Second in the Blackbird series by Cavalaxis (cavalaxis@hotmail.com) --- (c) 10/19/99 Disclaimer: Paramount owns Star Trek. All of it. I claim no profit. I do claim the story. Archive: BLTS, yes. All else, please ask. Advice: Best read while drinking Bailey's Irish Cream. Feedback: PLEASE!! --- Never again Harlem. Never again Saurian Brandy. There is a squadron of fighters wielding their inertial weapons against the inside of my skull. The hypo of analgesic doesn't shield me one bit. The hypo of anti-toxin that Riker weaseled out of sick bay for me has only brought the pain to a brilliant point of clarity. I massage my brow as I stare into the sink. Never again. Where have I heard that phrase before? I chuckle to myself and then wince. I can still smell the Dunhill on my breath. Ye gods, what an awful stench. The door chime sounds in the other room. I'd already keyed in a message to Beverly that I was unfit for breakfast this morning. Who could that be I wonder? I pick up my robe and somehow manage to maneuver into the common area. "Come." My voice echoes inside the bones of my jaw and launches a new round of pounding. Beverly, smiling as per her usual chipper self, enters my quarters and stops dead in her tracks. Her eyes widen and her mouth falls open. "What's the matter, Doctor? Never seen a man with a hangover before?" I'm vaguely glad I tossed my clothes in the recycler on my way to the shower this morning. If I'm lucky, she won't notice the fact that I didn't make it to the bed. "Didn't you get my message this morning?" "I - uh - yes, Jean-Luc, I did. That's why I stopped by, to see if I could help." Ah, yes. Ever the nightingale. Sometimes even ones dearest friends never seem to read the sub-text that says 'I feel like utter crap, can we skip breakfast because the thought of food turns my stomach right now?' "I don't think there's much you can do, but thank you anyway for stopping by." I ease back onto the couch. She heads for the replicator. Despite the agony it causes, I manage to shout, "NO! Please no food." She stops in mid-stride, and pivots, arms now crossed, looking down that patrician nose at me. "And no coddling. Please, Beverly. I earned this hangover." One eyebrow expresses her disgust at the sin of intoxication. "Not even a hypo?" "Hypo didn't work." I mumble. "_Didn't_ work?" She leans one ear towards me. "No, I'm afraid not." I gaze at my bare feet. Old feet. Not too good at tap dancing. "Uh huh." She knows now. "Saurian brandy, eh?" I don't even acknowledge the accusation which is conformation enough. Here it comes. "Isn't that illegal in this sector?" Why do people always moralize with questions they already know the answers too? "Blame Will." A diversion, perhaps. "It was a gentleman's wager." Obfuscation. No, an excuse as lame as the knacker man's horse. She nods slowly. "Raincheck?" I offer. She smiles, still not satisfied. In fact, I can see the questions flicker past, one by one, on her face, but by now she knows better. "Alright." "Thanks." "I'm sure you'll tell me all about this later." Not if you don't hear it from Troi first, I think. My indiscretions of the night before return in a pale mist of tobacco smoke. Raven... As soon as the door lock clicks, I'm on my feet. "Computer, locate Commander Riker." "Commander Riker is on Holodeck Four." "What program is he running?" Another dose of the analgesic. "Riker One - category: exercise." "Picard to Riker." "Yes, Captain?" his ragged breath answers. Obviously, the detox hypo worked wonders for him. "Will - about last night." My voice betrays my concern. "Don't worry, sir. I haven't told anyone." "Data? Geordi?" "We had a discussion as we - um - walked you to your quarters last night." For the first time I realize that portion of the evening is rather vague in my memory. But Raven - I can remember every detail of her. Even now, certain parts of my anatomy remind me. "I owe you, Number One." "And don't think we'll forget it either!" "Picard out." I can hear him laughing even as I close the link. My mind wanders back to the dark-eyed beauty I was wrapped around in the alley last night. Details return, like carrier pigeons, with vital bits of information. I make my way back to the sonic shower. The comm link at her waist. My robe hits the floor as I mumble the shower on. That would explain her understanding of French. I step into the shower and revel in the warm sonic vibrations cascading over my body. I can still hear the strange lilt of her accent. My hand strays to my cock as I remember the kiss in the alley. My eyes close as I recall the idea of taking her right there in the alley, pressed against the cold brick. This image, her jeans around her thighs, her ass pressing back into me, my hands on her slender hips, this image fills my aching head. After a long moment, my jaw clenches and the sonic shower is lifting the stickiness away. A moment of clarity. She addressed me by rank. The Dunhill cigarette she pressed into my hand. How did she know my brand? The brand I hadn't smoked in thirty-some-odd years. This woman knew me. She knew Data and Riker. Suddenly, I feel a lot more sober. A conspiracy indeed. Was this a member of my own crew? A murmur of dread and regret surfaced. As I brushed my teeth and got dressed, I queried the computer regarding members of the crew matching her description. Young - perhaps 25. Dark-skinned, long dark hair. Golden brown eyes. Maybe 5'3", the lighter side of nine stones. A few matches - none of them her. I eliminate the age restriction. Still, no black bird. My shift starts soon. I decided to file this for further research. We'll be in orbit for three more days. There's time. Time to catch a black bird. With my headache easing, I step into the corridor and head for the turbolift. Time to catch a mystery. --- "Status?" "Reference: Locutus." Blackbird tuned the radio band frequency to eliminate the rest of the static. Perfect silence. "..." "Control?" Did she lose the connection? "Don't shit me on this one, Khana." "You know I wouldn't shit you on something this big. I had him eating out of the palm of my hand." Blackbird stripped the t-shirt over her head and shook out her long black hair. "We'll need to advise C 'n' C." "Yeah, you do what you got to. I'll tell you what I know. That's the deal, isn't it?" She stripped back the sheets on the mattress. The softest sheets, laundered ten thousand times. Reminded her of her mother's sheets. Even in a dive like this motel. "Repeat: Status?" "Status Nominal. Has his crew tested clean?" She stepped out of her blue jeans and stretched. "Yes. But he may have residual nanotech from his assimilation." "Didn't the scan check for that?" "At the time the crew of the Enterprise was scanned, we didn't have the tech to scan for that level of bio-assimilation." "So we know he's not Changeling." I could tell you that from the way he kissed. The involuntary response to that memory surprised her. Mmmm, what a kiss they had shared. "But the possibility remains he could be a sleeper." "Affirmative, Blackbird. Continue to monitor subject." "Um, Kix... He beamed back on board last night. How do you suppose I do that?" "I know you." The voice on the other end clicked at her twice. "You'll think of something." "Great. Get me her manifest and flight schedule at least." "Accessing: Manifest downloaded. She's not due to depart for three days." "Hmm." Sitting on the edge of the ratty mattress, she leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. The silence was filled with the radio frequency static. "Two hundred credits says he comes back lookin' for you." "Nah." She picked up the hardcopy as it scrolled out of the machine onto the floor. "We'll see." "Anything else to report?" "Negative. Blackbird out." "Aye. Control out." She threw the handful of papers onto the bed as she flopped back. The feel of his teeth in her neck drew gooseflesh out of her. "Computer, comm link off. Lights, off." The darkness engulfed her. She pulled the covers over herself, still remembering the feel of him moving against her. Indulging the fantasy, her eyes fell shut and her hand strayed to her cleft. Already wet, she began to pleasure herself, imagining him moving upon her. A long moment later, she tensed and a tiny mew escaped her lips. Sleep came quickly, moving the dream deeper into her unconscious. She knew he'd be back. The question was only when and where. --- ~File Terminate~