Shades of her Past

Posted on Mon Jan 2nd, 2023 @ 5:23am by Captain Landon Mabrade & Commander Ashe Rii'Na MD

2,199 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Pirating Typhon resources

ON:

Ashe was finally starting to feel better. it had taken a few days for her to even feel comfortable in her own office again. That was a very weird thing, to not be comfortable in her own space. She was coming home, it had been a long day and the Vedeks wanted to hit her with every outstanding request or problem imaginable. R'ii'Na walked up to her door; she stopped to rub at her neck for a moment, rolling it from side to side.

"I really must remember to look after myself as much as this station. I'm starting to get stiff." she muttered to herself. She hit the door release and went in to find something more comfortable before checking in with JC to see if he was open to a nice night together.

Ashe rounded the corner to her bedroom and what she found both infuriated her and scared her to her core. There was every piece of undergarment that she owned and all of them were not her usual colours they were all now Fuchsia! Ashe screamed and slid down the wall. Her heart was racing, she was starting to find it hard to breathe and it was like the walls were closing in on her. She could almost hear his voice in the room.


'Just a little something I thought you would like. The colour suits you..'

Ashe curled up to her knees, rocking and shaking. "No! No! This can't be?! Prophets no!" Ashe was crying and shaking even harder. As she thumped the wall for a moment something slid off the bed. It was a note.


Those other colours did not suit you

A flower needs to be true to herself,

this is the colour that truly suits a perfect little flower.

Maybe now you can be your true self and stop pretending.


Sleep well, Little Fuchsia.



Ashe could not help but scream.


Ashe did not feel comfortable at all staying in her own quarters; what would be the point she would not have been able to sleep after seeing that, it brought back too many painful memories. She couldn't really just show up on his doorstep, could she? What if 'He' was watching? What would be the point if she could not sleep, it would not look goods for her to be asleep at her desk on Beta shift either and she couldn't just go and sleep in her office without others asking questions. There was really only one option.

First she paged Security and did her best to quietly inform them of an intruder in her quarters after that she was off, half on auto pilot as she was scared to her core.


[Conroy Quarters]

Ashe hadn't even packed an overnight bag, all she had was a special blanket from her quarters over her arm. Ashe hesitated for a moment before she screwed up her eyes and hit the chime. Would he answer? What would he think? What if she told him everything and he hated her in the morning? After all, who would want to be with a former Cardassian Bed Warmer. Ashe almost felt dirty and worthless all over again.

*Prophets! Please, be there.* She seemed to will with all her might.

Conroy jogged out from the back section of his quarters; the towel he had been drying his hair with around his shoulders as he moved to the door.

"Computer who is there?" He inquired as he neared the door.


[Commander Ashe Rii'Na.]


"Why did the door not open?" he asked himself as he grinned; those computers are not so smart as the humanoids programmed them. "Hey Ashe, what brings..." He stopped dead.

"Hi, I know this is really short notice...." Her bottom lip trembled and Ashe kept playing with her jacket nervously. "But....could I stay over tonight, please?" She tried to hold it in but tears started to bubble over.

"Come in." Conroy said without hesitation and brought her into the quarters so not to have any of those tears be seen. "Like you have to ask?" He said with an even tone. "You know I sleep better with you around... or is that not clear yet?"

"It is.. I wouldn't doubt it for a moment.." The tears rolled down her cheeks, she seemed to weep rather quietly. As though she had to at some time in her past. "Somebody has been in my quarters! Someone I knew and never wanted to see again. I'd feel much safer...." Ashe just started to break down.

"You know you are safe with me." He took her and held her as close as he could, snapping his fingers twice. "No one is going to get in here or bother you, promise."

"Tell that to Gal'Nor. I have this funny feeling that a ghost from my past is back. I have no idea why he is wanting to do this now, I am in Starfleet he wouldn't be able to...." Rii'Na looked up into his eyes. "Can we curl up on the lounge or in bed? I think I need to tell you everything. You really deserve to know anyway..."

Conroy looked into her eyes and tilted his head in that way he did when pondering something. "The Lounge for talking." He gave that grin. "Falling asleep in a comfortable bed might not do?" He shrugged. "A woman has her secrets, do I really need to know it all, or just what is making you scared?"

"For this, it is better to know all of it. I want you to know all of it. It kind of hurts, keeping it all to myself." Ashe looked to the floor for a moment. "I just hope you won't think any less of me when I do."

"Why would I think less?" Conroy lead her to the lounge and took a seat before helping her to sit close to him. "How could I think less of you; that is not a way to prove one's love for another." He almost laughed at the idea. "But having a secret in general is not easy so if this one hurts let me share it?"

Ashe snuggled in close. "When I was in my early twenties, I only ever dreamed about a guy like you and being in a relationship. That was all I could ever do, dream. My hands were well and truly tied on the matter. What I am about to tell you, the Captain only knows the barest details of. Other than my family, nobody else truly knows all of the details. I have been ever so scared to tell you, I thought that you might not like me after I told you everything." Ashe sighed. "In my teens I was walking home one day, minding my own business when a pair of real big Cardassian goons grabbed me. I fought as best as I could but they knocked me out. I woke up in some grand bedroom with a big bed and an even bigger Cardassian. He came up, looked me over and had this sickening smile come across his face. Said I was as pretty as a Fuchsia in bloom and smelt just as nice. There were still some of his kind around that thought Bajoran women made good bed warmers and worse, even against their will." Rii'Na was looking off around the room, she would find it very hard to look into his eyes and say this to him. She didn't want to see the love in his eyes go out.

Conroy was finding it very annoying that a Cardie had done this to Ashe; the pain he could sense in her body tensing told him volumes and he gently took her hand and put an assuring smile on his expression as it was not her choice and who was he to judge. In his limited study of Bajoran traditions and history the Cardassians had been tyrants. Also it is well documented that Cardassians think they are a gift to all women and thus all women want them.

"Sounds like what I have heard of Bajoran history under the Cardassians." He said softly. "Cardie males think they are the Prophets gift to women..." He added.

Ashe gave his hand a squeeze. "My scar was because I fought tooth and nail to get him off me. He stabbed me clean through my shoulder to pin me to the bed. He slapped me around a bit and then claimed what most girls would like to give to someone of their choosing. He stole years of my life and my innocence away from me. From that first night he started calling me his 'Fuchsia', and every night that he came calling, I was given something in that colour to wear. His own sick little joke." There was a heavy sigh that left Ashe and a roll of the eyes at the sick little joke. "So, that's it. You're dating a girl that was a Cardassian party favour. Oh yeah, that disgusting man had something on that blade, there has been no medical treatment that can properly get rid of that scar. He called it 'a reminder'." Ashe waited, surely it would be a blasting and JC would leave her. 'You should have told me.' Or something of the sort.

Conroy did something he enjoyed doing all the time with Ashe; he gently moved her legs over his and all but dragged her into his lap to hold her and made a movement to look her in her eyes with a legitimate smile.

"That solves the mystery of the scar." He nod. "And I am not dating a Bed warmer, I am courting a beautiful Bajoran lady who has the best legs I have ever seen in a skirt." He tried to muse. "Not that I look in your dresser but I have noticed you never wear anything red or especially any shade of Pink." He shrugged. "My sister loves pink skirts and blouses so I supposed all girls liked pink of some sort." He put his forehead to hers. "You know how I feel about you; now could I truly love you or even deserve you if I were to think less because some bastard abused you?" He almost chuckled. "Sorry you are going to have to be stuck with me as the past is behind us and you are too pretty inside and out to let not be around."

Ashe had tears of joy run down her cheeks. "Oh JC." She leant down to hug him as best as she could from her 'perch'. "I thought that you would hate me the moment you found out. My own sister doesn't look at me the same anymore. It felt like it took a month of baths to feel even remotely like I did before it all happened. You were the first one that has been able to touch me without me flinching. Yours is the one touch I don't ever want to lose. If Gal'Nor was to have his way, I'd be back chained to his bed in no time... or worse. Now that we are together, that scares me more than ever and if 'HE' is here somehow it has me ever so scared that he will try something and I will lose what I treasure most."

"He cannot do anything other than scare you, especially if we know he is here." Conroy pointed out. "He is using your fears; an emotional terrorist as if he did any real actions he would be caught." He gave her a warming squeeze. "Besides, you are important to me and I actually have manual locks on the door; Grandpa always said tech can be hacked; computers fooled but few people anymore know how to pick a manual lock."

"That sounds good, I don't think I will be going back to my quarters for a while yet. Not after what I found waiting for me. Besides, spending time with you is always a joy." Ashe replied. "Thanks for this."

"Stay as long as you like." He was soothing her back and leant his forehead to hers. "No real rush for you to go back, even after we catch this Cardie... you know you have a place here?"

"JC, you know you are quickly becoming someone I can't do without. It makes loving you that much easier. Mister knight in shining armour." She left a kiss on his forehead. "I'm grateful that I was able to tell you, it feels a lot better and I'm glad that you understand."

Conroy turned her face up a bit so he could show her that sly grin of his and look into her eyes as he so enjoyed.

"You still have beautiful gates to your ... Pagh?" He hoped he had the word right? "Nothing going to change that." He then kissed her to prove it.

The kiss was like it was light as air. "Thanks, you always seem to keep surprising me, JC." Ashe finally felt relieved. That secret was no longer looming over her head around JC.

"That is why you keep me around." He winked.

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