The Bargin

Posted on Fri Jul 14th, 2017 @ 12:06pm by Tom Vercetti & Splendora Sage

1,802 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 94 - Return to Rashanar
Location: Mikey's Malt Shop, Promenade Starbase 400
Timeline: MD04 - 1255 hours

ON:

Splendora felt positively nauseous. She hadn't slept and two days, hadn't eaten. Her brother had called with the worst news that he could possibly call with. She reflected on how difficult this last year had been and shook her head. Would this ever end?

She sat at the local malt shop on the promenade feeling as if she were a trapped animal. What would she do? She could leave the station....but they'd find her. Her father had apparently gotten it in his head that he'd come to the station, take her back to Betazed and marry her off. She was an adult for the love of the Goddess of Betazed!

She knew logically her parents couldn't do that but they could make her life...difficult and she knew that she couldn't face them alone. It had been 11 years since she'd seen them but her 16 years with them were still burned into the core of her memory.

Splendora looked around and eyes found Vito enjoying a meal by himself. A spark started to turn in her mind. She grabbed her milkshake and headed over. She hadn't seen Tom since she'd given him the cufflinks but she knew if Vito was here Tom would not be far behind. In fact the closer she got to Vito's table the firmer her plan was. Tom would have a shuttle. He would help her get off the station for a bit and when the coast was clear she would return.

Vito was finishing a steak and baked potato when he saw Splendora approaching. He wiped his mouth and stood. "Ms Sage, how are you today? Can I help you with something?"

"Vito! You might just be the answer to my prayers." She motioned, "Please sit I don't want to interrupt you." She looked around. "Is Tom with you?"

His expression showed his confusion. "How so ma'am?" He paused then answered the other question, "It's okay, I'm done, and no ma'am but I'm about to go meet with him now."

Her thoughts were a mess, "Perfect I will go with you. I need to say goodbye. I need to get off the station, preferably before tomorrow afternoon. Tell me you know who has a shuttle, and I'll just throw a few things in a bag and..." Her jumbled thoughts ran together.

"Ms Sage, are you okay?" Vito was concerned, "Come on, Tom's over here."

They walked over to 'Good Fella', Tom was in the back room looking over the receipts from the night before. He glanced up as Vito walked in. "Hey, did you here back from..." he stopped mid sentence when he saw Splendora, "Hey...are you okay?" Tom could see the anxiety she was going though.

She followed Vito into the office, "Actually I have to get a shuttle I have two days at most to leave the station preferably I can get out by tomorrow afternoon." She plopped down in the chair by the desk.

"They'll be here in two days...maybe less." She was glad for Tom and Vito, just being in their presence made her feel calm. "I'll close the centre for a few days, Lai'lira can handle that...When the coast is clear I can come back and do a full pack." She looked tired. "I hate starting over. Eleven years I've been running I though I could finally stay in one place." She rubbed her eyes, she hadn't gotten much sleep last night so the circles under her eyes showed. "Why would they be here? Why after all that time?" Her plan, at least she thought, was sound but she hadn't accounted for the fact that the message she read had arrived two days ago. Her window of escape was already closed.

Tom was concerned, but confused. "They? They who?" He asked. "The safest place you can be is here, I'll protect you. I'll even ask Admiral Bremer to post security or marines if needed." Vito handed Sage a glass of water, "Take a drink and a deep breath, what's going on?"

She accepted the water and drank it in one gulp. When was the last time she'd had water? She couldn't remember. She shook her head. Why in the world was she thinking about water now? "My parents. They sent a message. They are on their way here. I'm guessing my sister told them I was here. I can't be here when they arrive." She looked at one man then the other. "You don't understand. I haven't seen them in eleven years and the last time I saw my father he dragged me literally from the shuttle I stowed away on and locked me in my room. I barely escaped and stowed away on the Romulan ship that was leaving. I can't see them Tom." She looked at Vito. "I need to leave. You know the Orion Malakai, the one my sister..."

Just as she spoke the personal communicator she had purchased for when supplies arrived or when her patients called chirped.

=/\=Station dock to Ms. Sage.=/\=

Splendora jumped a mile as if struck by lightening. She fumbled but opened the coms. She was expecting a tea shipment. "Y...Yes." She barely croaked out.

=/\=This is Ensign Jenkins. I've got your tea shipment ma'am.=/\=

Splendora sighed, "Yes please contact..."

=/\= And I have two people here who claim to be your parents...or they were here. They asked about you so I called Lai'lira, your assistant, she said she saw you go into 'Good Fella' restaurant. They are on their way to...=/\=

Splendora slammed the coms unit shut. She looked around like a caged animal. "I have to go! I have to..." She was nauseous and dizzy. They said two days!

"Running isn't the answer, however, the meeting needs to be on your terms. We will protect you, and if I need to call in a favor to the Admiral I will." Tom stood up and walked over beside Sage and helped her to her feet.

"Vito, let's get her to a safe place for the night and we can address this tomorrow morning." Tom said.

The three walked trough the restaurant and headed for the Promenade.

Just as they had rounded a corner Splendora froze as she came face to face with the two people she was trying to avoid. Her eyes widened and she grabbed Tom's hand, an instinctive reflex.

"Well, well. Look who it is," Helena Sage said. Her eyes roved over Vito and Tom. She tossed back her flame red hair in her typical arrogant style.

The man on her right, stood six feet tall, he carried himself in an official capacity, his hazel eyes stopped on Splendora. He said nothing.

Helena used the opportunity to jump in, "Well after eleven years I would think that you could at least say hi. I'd say you changed but your still the same, frumpy hair, dull eyes, a little chubby but than again Holly got the looks and you...well you're you. Perhaps it's best that you ran away from your fiancée to be, you saved him from waking up to that," she gestured with her hands towards Splendora.

Splendora squeezed Tom's hand. Her mother always was one to go for the gullet.

Jason Sage, Splendora's father, had the decency to look embarrassed, "Helena...I don't think."

Helenda sighed, "Are you mute now too?" She continued addressing Splendora. She looked again at the two men. "Ambassador Sage, Helena Sage. You are.."

Splendora broke her silence. "This is Vito," she said pointing to Vito. "He's my brother-in-law and this is Tom, my husband." She shocked herself. The words flew out of her mouth before she knew it. It wasn't lost on her that she was a good counselor but now, she was like her clients getting sucked into wanting to show her parents that she was good enough for someone as handsome and sweet as Tom to marry her, she wanted to show them that she wasn't as ugly and useless as they made her feel. She was an adult yet here she was regressing. Freud, an Earth psychiatrist, had a theory about that. For all her training she couldn't remember it now.

Helena and Jason's eyes bugged out. Helena looked at Tom. "You're married to her?" The tone she used said she was in utter disbelief as if marrying Splendora would be unthinkable.

Splendora's face heated at the lie she'd told. She'd done it again. She'd dragged Tom into her family drama. She was about to open her mouth and tell them the truth when ...

Vito stepped forward, putting himself between Sage and her parents. Gabe came from around the corner to stand to the side of Sage's parents too. He tried to be non-threatening, but obvious enough that they felt his presence.

Tom eyed Sage's parents for a moment. "For someone as obviously intelligent as you are, storming into my establishment wasn't very wise. It's a shame you have such a low opinion of your own flesh and blood. You should both be happy for your daughter, she's made a life for here, and she's done very well for herself, she has friends and Family here. Instead of degrading her, you should be praising her for exceeding your expectations." Tom narrowed his eyes a little. "And the Family will protect her."

From across the Promenade, Zark watched the interaction. He had an idea that might help lead to some profit too. He waited a moment, then walked over. "You look like a couple of people that owe your daughter a wedding gift. My brother's shop has a vast collection of gifts for purchase."

When Sage's parents turned to look at the Ferengi, Tom pulled Splendora with him as Vito and Gabe stood to block the line of site. Tom knew this would cost him a favor to Zark, and probably some latinum too, but in this case it was worth it.

"Husband?" He asked as he looked as Splendore as they walked away and into the crowded Promenade.

She blushed, "I'm sorry it's all I could think of. I'm a great counselor but...for some reason my parents reduce me to a weird state. It's like," she shrugged. "It's like she made the observation that someone who is smart, and handsome, and fun couldn't be interested in me and I guess part of me wanted to say hey look Tom's smart, fun, and handsome and he thinks... well I guess it's my own insecurity and worry that there is a grain of truth in what she said about my appearance and ...well it's not important. I'm sorry I dragged you and Vito into that." She sighed. "I should face them and stand up for myself once and for all. I'll tell them the truth."

tbc...

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