The BLTS Archive - Terms of Endearment
by Sue Duenn (sduenn@optonline.net)

---

Hoshi entered her quarters rubbing her temples.  It had been a long
shift, or so it seemed.  She stopped short when she saw a data chip
sitting on her desk.  It hadn't been there when she went on shift ...
who else would come in and leave something like that?  Frowning, she
slid it into her console and sat in the chair.  No visual data was on
the chip - only one audio file.  Hoshi hit play, and listened at a
gritty song poured from the speakers.

--
"Is it so hard to satisfy your senses
You found out to love me you have to climb some fences
Scratching and crawling along the floor to touch you
And just when it feels right you say you found someone to hold you
Does she like you like I do?"
--

Hoshi shook her head and paused playback.  This couldn't be what she
thought   She hit play again and listened intently.

--
"Baby tell me does she love you like the way I love you?
Does she stimulate you, attract and captivate you?
Tell me does she miss you,
existing just to kiss you, like the way I do?
Tell me does she want you, infatuate and haunt you?
Does she know just how to shock you, electrify and rock you?
Does she inject you, seduce you and affect you like the way I do?"
--

She groaned and listened some more, the meanings of the words
beginning to sink in.

--
"Can I survive all the implications?
Even if I tried.could you be less than an addiction?
Don't you think I know.there's so many others.
Who would beg, steal and lie, fight, kill and die
Just to hold you, hold you like I do

Baby tell me does she love you like the way I love you?
Does she stimulate you, attract and captivate you?
Tell me does she miss you,
existing just to kiss you, like the way I do?
Tell me does she want you, infatuate and haunt you?
Does she know just how to shock you, electrify and rock you?
Does she inject you, seduce you and affect you like the way I do?"
--

Smiling and shaking her head, she set the song to repeat throughout
her cabin as she showered and dressed.  Finally turning off the
playback, she palmed the chip and headed out to talk to the person who
had given her the chip.  No, no cards were left, but the song and the
words were enough.  She knew just who had left it for her.  The one
person who would never utter the heartfelt words herself, yet who had
methodically gone through their musical database to find the one song
that said everything she wanted to.

Reaching her destination, she rang the chime then entered when the
doors opened.  She walked over to the occupant of the room and gently
cupped the other woman's jaw in her hand.  "I thought you understood
that Liz and I are just friends, T'Pol."  She flashed the data chip in
her other hand and leaned in close.  "No one affects me the way you
do, Love."

---

The End