<USS Avalon> Moving Day...again...

Vilya realized that talking to Ming while they were heading to her original 
quarters was going to be useless.  Even though he'd just had the tour a few 
hours before, he was now looking around like a child on a school trip.  When 
they 
finally did get there, he stood there and looked around.
 
"You unpacked enough to put on that beautiful outfit but you didn't unpack 
anything else?" he asked.
 
"I needed this," Vilya told him as she indicated the outfit his mother had 
given her.  "I didn't need anything else.  Look at it this way, there's no 
repacking to do."
 
Ming handed her the carryall bag he had then picked up the two large boxes 
she'd left in the middle of the room.  It still amazed her that such a sober 
intellectual could also be so physically agile.  It ran so contrary to her 
memories of certain fat, lazy vedeks who expected everyone else to get dirty.
 
"Lead the way, beautiful," he said brightly, smiling at her as he leaned his 
head around the side of the boxes.
~~~
Once they finally arrived at the new quarters, Ming set the boxes down next 
to the ones Malika had delivered for them.  He then sat on one of them, took 
off his jacket, which he tossed onto the desk; then loosened his collar.  
 
"You didn't unpack because you knew how much work it was going to be," he 
grumbled good naturedly.  He held out an arm, beckoning her closer.  "Now, if 
you 
can stand my sweatiness, come here and tell me what you've been up to."
 
Vilya settled herself on his leg and wrapped an arm around his waist.  She 
thought he smelled nice even if he was all sweaty. 
 
"After you left, I took a long walk around the ship.  I ended up at the mess 
hall and there she was.  I didn't know we had a Cardassian crew member.  I..." 
 She looked down at her hands.  "I'm sorry to say I was terrified at first.  
I hated her for everything they'd ever done."
 
"But?" Ming asked gently, drawing out the rest of the story as he stroked her 
auburn hair.  
 
"I thought about everything Benjamin ever said and even the conversations I 
had with my father.  And you," she replied.  She looked into those bright blue 
eyes.  "I looked at her as a person.  Ming, she was the same age as I was 
during the war.  She lost her entire family.  I know how much I lost but I 
still 
have Mama and Findel and we had Daddy again for a little while."
 
"Empathy is a good thing, isn't it?" he asked.
 
She looked at him curiously.  "Funny you should say that.  You know how I 
said that what you and Daniel sense sounds like sensing the pagh?  She 
described 
that same thing coming from me.  She didn't look very happy about that, 
though.  I guess some of the Prophets' gifts are harder to deal with than 
others.  
It's too bad--I like her."
 
"Well, you're still aboard.  You have plenty of time to make a friend," Ming 
said softly.  "I'm proud of you."
 
Vilya felt her cheeks warm at his compliment and she hugged him.  "I'm so 
glad you're here."
 
He kissed her nose ridges and offered her a mischievous grin. "You're just 
saying that because you wanted help unpacking."
 
Vilya smacked his shoulder playfully and stood up.  "Just for that, we're 
unpacking first."
 
She watched as his face first flushed red underneath his tan and then broke  
out in a grin.  He stood then rolled up his sleeves. 
 
"By all means, let's get unpacking.  I want to find out what comes second."


Li Vilya, Engineer
Lieutenant, junior grade
USS Avalon

I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief.
â Gerry Spence, HOW TO ARGUE AND WIN EVERY TIME

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