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