[ussgeorgetown] "Accusations"
- From: Elizabeth Bethell <ejbethell@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: ussgeorgetown@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 14:18:06 +0100
Accusations
by Tawa Pax, Jassa Kost and Elspeth and Vincent Aigremont
"Security, this is Elspeth Aigremont," she said, her voice coming in
panicked gasps. "Help me... My husband... He hit me and stormed off... I
don't know what he's going to do... oh God, Jassa, no..."
Work PADD in hand, Tawa headed toward what he hoped was the right cabin.
Ops had Mrs. Aigremont listed as quartered in one place and the sergeant
major in another. There's got to be a reason for that, he told himself. He
drew up at where the computer said Mrs. Aigremont ought to be and pressed
the chime.
"Ensign Pax from Security."
Elspeth staggered to the door, her lip throbbing. She let the young man in
and swooned. Slumping against the door frame, she said, "I am so sorry,
Ensign. I'm feeling a little dizzy."
"Maybe you ought to have a seat, ma'am, and tell me what's going on," Tawa
said. Eyeing her injuries, he added a bit tentatively, "That could wait til
we take you to Sick Bay if you want, though."
Her eyes went wide. "No! You have to stop him, he's mad with anger, he did
this to me." Grabbing the young man's arm, she gripped it tightly. "You have
to find him, he could hurt someone." Her breath came in short bursts. "My
husband, Vincent Aigremont, he's dangerous." Pulling her sleeves up, she
showed him her arms totally covered in bruises. "He's been hitting me for
years," she admitted quietly.
Tawa gently, but firmly, disengaged himself from her grip, which felt
uncomfortably claw-like to him. "We're still on lock down, Mrs. Aigremont.
He's not going anywhere. I need you to tell me what happened today then I
need to take some pictures for evidence," he explained. He kept his face
carefully neutral but he found the allegations rather disturbing, I know
it's fantasy but I thought stuff like this didn't happen in the Fleet...
Nodding her head like a nodding dog, Elspeth span her tale of woe and lies.
She told him how Vincent had burst in there, screaming and shouting,
threatening to murder her. She described the wildness in his eyes and how
she was sure he was going after Jassa now as well. "What do you need me to
do to help you stop him?"
Tawa wondered if Humans knew they emitted pheromones the same way as Orions
did. Certainly, they weren't equipped to smell them as he was but they were
there. Something didn't smell right but he knew T'Leara would never buy his
sense of smell as evidence. "The simple facts will do, ma'am. I do need to
take some pictures. If the marks are anywhere that you're uncomfortable
with, we can do this in Sick Bay, I can have a female officer come down, or
I can activate the Security vids."
"I'm not shy about this, Vincent has stripped me of all my dignity years
ago." Slowly, tentatively, she stripped off her shirt to show dark, angry,
purple bruises all over her front and back in long thin lines. "He beats me
with his belt," she whispered, her cheeks reddening and tears leaking out of
the corners of her eyes. There were bruises upon bruises, months if not
years of abuse. She waited patiently while the Ensign took images of her
torso, holding herself as he instructed. "You have to go and find him,
please."
Tawa took the necessary pictures with a cool, professional demeanor after
he activated the Security vid recordings. It was standard procedure and
something told him that there was no skipping steps here. Not at all.
"Alright, Mrs. Aigremont, we're done with the pictures. Are you sure you
don't want medical attention? I'm asking officially."
"Just find my husband and stop him before he hurts someone else," she said,
sounding far too much like a martyr for her own good.
Tawa looked at her for a second but resisted shaking his head. It just
smelled wrong to him. He hadn't mentioned the havoc that had obviously been
wrought before he got there but he knew some of it was on the pics he took
as well as on the vids.
"Alright, ma'am. You'll be wanting to stay here. I or somebody from
Security will keep you posted." He left without further word but, as soon as
he was half way up the corridor, he approached the nearest comm panel.
"Computer, what is the location of Sergeant Major Aigremont?"
"Sergeant Major Aigremont is in Jassa Kost's quarters."
__________________________________
Jassa stood looking up at Vincent, her browns drawn together in a frown.
"Vincent, I know you're upset but you need to calm down and tell me what's
wrong if you want me to help you. Please? There's nothing you can tell me
that will be that bad..."
Vincent smiled softly at her, running his knuckles over her cheek. "It
doesn't matter, ma petite." He kissed her, trying to force away the image of
the blood on Elspeth's lip and he shuddered.
"It matters to me, Vincent," Jassa said as she out her arms around him,
burying her face in his chest. She could feel him shaking ever so slightly.
Before she could say anything else, though, the chime rang. "I'll get it.
Just sit and relax. Calm down..."
Tawa nodded at the lovely Trill woman who answered the door. "Ensign Pax
from Security, Ms. Kost. I need to speak to the sergeant major."
Flinching, Vincent stood in front of Jassa. "This is about Elspeth,
correct?"
"Yes, sir, it is," Tawa said simply. He looked at Jassa curiously. She
didn't seem to be at all cowed with the older man nor was she moving as
though she were in pain. "Everything okay with you, Ms. Kost?"
"Of course, it is," Jassa said cautiously. "Why wouldn't it be?"
Ignoring Jassa's reply, Tawa fixed his vivid blue eyes on Vincent. "Sir,
would you mind telling me exactly what went on?"
Vincent moved behind Jassa, placing a hand on her shoulder. "She provoked
me, I hit her. Once." He didn't look down at Jassa's face, knowing what he'd
find if he did: disgust, disappointment, betrayal. Thinning his mouth, he
dropped his hand to his side. "She was excessively rude about Jassa, called
her... things I don't care to repeat in this room and this company. But she
was right to call you, I should not have hit her."
Jassa's jaw dropped. "That ...." She swore viciously in the Trill tongue
then looked up at Vincent. "I knew there was a reason you were so mad. I
ought to go over there..."
Tawa held up one hand. "I need you to stay here, ma'am." He lowered his
hand, holding it front of him casually with the other. His voice was
unusually calm and thoughtful. "Just the one time, Sergeant Major? Not
before then? Ever?"
Total shock and disgust crossed Vincent's face. "Never! I would never...
not before... mon dieu, what has she been saying?"
"The visual evidence, at this point in time, is rather pronounced," Tawa
said, trying to keep the resignation out of his voice. There was more to it.
It smelled wrong. He blew out a soft breath. "She's declined medical
attention, Sergeant Major, but I have to investigate everything fully."
"He didn't do anything," Jassa snapped sharply. She could feel herself
starting to shake in anger. That nasty, spiteful bitch. I don't trust her...
"The visual evidence? What do you mean?" Vincent shook his head, trying to
dislodge the growing fear. "I don't understand. The worst she could possibly
have is a fat lip."
"Sir, in any case of assault, we need to take pictures to document injuries
and what I saw was not the result of a simple smack in the face," Tawa
began. He weighed his options. The man had a right to know what he was
accused of. He ran it through his head. What's T'Leara going to do? Fire me?
He eyed Jassa carefully then beckoned Vincent closer. "Take a look, sir."
The images that flashed in front of Vincent's eyes horrified him and he
stood so that Jassa wouldn't be able to see. Bile climbed his throat and he
had to swallow hard to keep from throwing up. "I did not do this." Suddenly
he felt tears in his eyes. "Mon dieu, mon DIEU! I did not do this! I swear.
Wh-who did?" Anger warred with disgust as he reached out to touch the abused
image of his wife. "Whoever did this must pay." I'll kill him.
Jassa stepped back a pace, not in fear of Vincent's anger, but because of
what he was actually saying. She bit her lip. *Of course he's upset, you
fool. That's his wife...*
**
Tawa shut off the PADD and held up a hand as if to restrain Vincent. "Can't
let you do that, sir. I, ah, shouldn't even be saying this because I'm
supposed to be unbiased, after all, but I do believe you. I just can't let
it go, though. You understand?"
"Oui. You must arrest me, the evidence demands it." Vincent still didn't
look at Jassa, his shoulders slumping in resignation.
Tawa stared at the top of his boots, thinking. *It just smells...wrong.
The guy reeks of burning paper not like fresh dead fish.* "Look, there are
things I have to do. Investigate is certainly one of them, sir. I can't see
tossing you in the brig, though. Your record's been spotless before now.
What I do have to do is request that you be relieved of duty pending the
results of the investigation and I do have to notify your department head."
Letting the tears roll down his cheeks unchecked, Vincent just nodded. "Tell
her I'm sorry, my wife that is. God I wish I'd kept my anger in control."
Wrapping his arms around himself, he began to shake. "Is there anything else
that I must do, Ensign?"
"Not yet, sir. I'll let you know if I need anything. I'm also going to
issue a stay away order to both of you. No joke. Not within five hundred
feet and no contact."
"Of course." Vincent felt the cold fear creep up on him again. "I don't know
where I will be staying but I will let you know as soon as I find out."
Turning away from both of them, he headed into the bedroom to gather some
clothes.
Jassa felt as if she were going to throw up and there was a cold sheen on
her forehead. She got up and, after a quick glance into the bedroom, she
grabbed Tawa's arm. "He didn't do anything. Maybe he did hit her once but
you know that everyone has their limits. She's been a pack of trouble before
this, Ensign. There's a ton you don't know."
Tawa nodded. "I'll be talking to you later on, too, Ms. Kost. Excuse
me..."
Jassa waited until the door was closed to walk into the bedroom. "What are
you doing?" she asked quietly.
"Leaving." Still not looking at her, Vincent zipped his carry-all up and
slung it over his shoulder. "I'll not have this here, I'll not be a party to
polluting your life any longer. I love you too much. One day it could be you
that has to call Security to feel safe from me and I'll not have that
either."
Jassa stomped over and planted herself right in front of him. "I am not
afraid you, Vincent," she stated. She stared up at him. "You listen to me. I
told you once and I will tell you again--I want all of you, not just the
pretty, shiny things. If that means putting up with whatever's going on then
that's what I want."
"You didn't see the pictures, ma petite. She's covered in bruises. I'm a
forensic scientist, I know the evidence of years of abuse when I see it. And
from what I gather, she's been saying that I'm the one doing it." Shaking
his head in awe of Jassa's loyalty, Vincent brushed his fingers over her
face. "On that basis alone, you should be afraid. Run away, or let me run.
Let me protect you from this, from me."
Jassa let out a growl of sheer frustration but held his hand to her face,
knowing it had to be flushed. "Vincent...mon Francais beau...I do not need
protection from you. You need protection from her. How the hell can I do
that when you're not here? My mother told me to take care of you. Your
friend told me to warn you. I don't give in easily. I know you didn't do
anything but why give her the chance to do more to *you*?"
His breath caught in his throat and his body started to shake with violent
but silent sobs as he sank to the ground. "I hit her..." Dragging his hand
away from Jassa, he curled into a ball, still shaking and repeating those
three words over and over.
Jassa lowered herself to the floor. She sat next to him, gently stroking
his back. "That you did but every man, every woman, has their limit,
Vincent. I don't know what she said to you but that had to be the straw that
broke the camel's back."
"She called you a whore," Vincent said once the sobs had stopped. "She asked
if you screw me from above or lying on your back. She refused to sign the
divorce papers and told me that you'd never have me." The bitterness in his
voice was poisonous. He threw the words at Jassa, spat them out and thrust
them down her throat without mercy. "That was what broke me."
Jassa's free hand curled into a fist. "That vile, nasty...." She swore in
Trill again then shook her head. Her other hand still sought to still the
shaking she felt. "Vincent, I really am sorry it came to this but...well,
it's...that you did that for me..."
"I am a selfish being, Jassa, I do things only for myself." Sighing heavily,
he turned to look at her, running a calming hand over her head and back.
"Don't fuss about her, we'll work something out, I swear."
She leaned into his side then kissed his cheek. "I'm not going anywhere
without you, Vincent, and you're not leaving. More than not giving her the
satisfaction, I need you here. I want you here."
"I don't want to hurt you or be in any way responsible for someone else
hurting you." Kissing the top of her head, he stroked her hair. "I do wish
you'd let me go."
"You are not going to hurt me, Vincent." She said it with all her strength
of conviction as she looked into his eyes. *Beautiful eyes he has. I guess
it's true what they say about Human eyes being the windows to their souls*.
"And anybody else would have to get by you. I don't see that happening."
"My own personal body guard?" he said, laughing lightly. It felt very good,
just being with her felt good. "You are my light, Jassa."
Jassa smiled slightly and let her hand caress his cheek. "Sure, why not?
You aren't going to have to worry about when I'm on duty. If the ensign's
going to tell your lieutenant then Chief Ecitsuj will find out even if I
don't tell him. He's not going to let anything happen while I'm on."
Leaning his head against hers, Vincent sighed. "I love you, Jassa Kost."
"You know I love you, too, Vincent. Don't worry. This will all work out and
I'll still be here with you," she said as she gently ran her hands over his
hair. "That ensign didn't look to happy about any of this, Vincent. I have
the feeling he believes you. Seems like he knows you."
"I met him once, I believe. When I met Revaed, in fact." Smiling as he
pulled her close, he wrapped his arms around her and felt safe for the first
time all day. He rubbed his cheek against her hair and he stroked his hands
up and down her arms.
Jassa nearly collapsed in his arms, feeling all the tension of the past few
minutes leave her. There they were, still sitting on the floor, and she
managed to end up sitting in his lap, her head on his shoulder. "You're a
good man, Vincent." She kissed the corner of his jaw. "I'll talk to the
ensign later and see what else is going on. I think he'll let me know one
way or the other." She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. "We'll be
fine."
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