A Walk in the Park [Jiseth/Zero]

Zero's look of confusion turned to a scowl as she realised just how much Jiseth was laughing at her for not understanding her actions. She folded her arms, giving a quiet huff as she waited for the Romulan to finish her fit of the giggles.

"I do not see why my lack of understanding must be the source of such hilarity to you," she grumbled.

"It's not your lack of understanding... It's the simple expression you had. You can try if you like. See how I look."

Moving her focus to the tip of her nose, Jiseth's emerald eyes crossed albeit somewhat uncomfortably.

"Not sure I can fly the ship like this, e'lev!"

Zero continued to scowl at the Romulan as she scrutinised the expression on another's face, but the hilarity of the situation continued to elude her.

"It is possible that you will cause damage to your occular muscles if you maintain that position for too long."

Jiseth's eyes shot back to Zero's as she blinked several times. There was a great relief from not having to maintain that awkward staring any longer.

"Yeah... They say that they'll get stuck like that if you do it too long. You might surpass my piloting skills if I can't see anything, but for right now... Would you let me get this stuff on you?"

Still confused, Zero tilted her head to one side. "If indeed your occular muscles did remain in that unfortunate position, I would not allow you to remain in such an uncomfortable state."

She looked a little worried as Jiseth offered to put the ointment on her skin, uncomfortable at the thought that she would also have to undress in order for that to happen. Swallowing hard, she shrugged off her uniform jacket, and then her teal undershirt, trying not to feel exposed as she crossed her arms over her abdomen.

"I'm glad."

Reaching back, Jiseth took hold of the jar and slid it across the bed to between herself and Zero. Scooting away like a timid lioness backing off from a peace offering, she tucked her knees to her chest, crossed her ankles, and wrapped her arms around her legs. Lowering her forehead to her knees, she closed her eyes with a quiet sigh.

"Take your time. Let me know when you're done."

Once again, Zero realised that she had made an error in her actions around the Romulan and cast her eyes to the side, shifting uncomfortably. She gave a quiet sigh, reaching out and picking up the little pot.

"I will return shortly," she murmured, slipping off the bed and heading for the little bathroom off the bedroom, the door sliding closed behind her.

For a few brief moments, Jiseth gave some consideration to a holographic version of Zero so she could handle her own needs while Zero had hers. The Romulan wanted release, but also the warmth of the nest they had together. They cared, yes. Deeply so, except Jiseth wanted revenge. Justice. At this point they were nearly the same. She would slay Corinth herself if given the opportunity.

After she had taken care of applying the lotion to her skin, Zero dressed herself again and emerged from the bathroom with a wary air. She knew that it was likely that Jiseth would still be upset at her and she had no wish to incur the Romulan's wrath any further.

"It would do you well to continue to rest, Jiseth," she gently pointed out.

Lifting her head, Jiseth's revealed her nearly completely green l, bloodshot eyes. With a sniffle she swiped a few tears away that were brave enough to try to escape down her cheeks. Quickly she shook her head. More rest was not desired like a foul tasting cough syrup.

"I can't sleep my life away... I should be getting legal paperwork done or at least started. I'm technically not a Federation citizen. Train for competency checks too. I'm the CFO after all. Just... How much longer do I have with you till your shift starts?"

Zero's gaze dropped to the carpet as she realised that Jiseth had been crying, feeling like the ground down remnants of a civilisation who opposed Dominion rule. You are incapable of giving her what she requires in a relationship.

"Rest is an important element for your recovery, Jiseth," Zero reminded the Romulan, trying to bury her emotions and return to the ice-princess facade that she was so well known for in sickbay. "There are several hours remaining before Alpha shift begins, but I will go to the medical labs and continue one of my research projects if my presence ails you."

"Don't..."

Scooting to the edge of the bed, her feet lowered to the floor as she held her left hand to her face and elbow on her thigh. Her right index finger and thumb pinched the bridge of her nose gently.

"It doesn't. Not one bit. That's what gets me. So wound up that now that I'm back... Like a spring shooting off and who knows where it's going. It just wants to get back to equilibrium. I'm... sorry. I've been acting poorly ever since I got back. Please... Stay?"

Zero crept closer, perching on the edge of the bed, close to Jiseth. "Then I will remain with you," she said softly. Her research projects could wait. She was owed several days of leave in any case. The CMO would just have to deal with sickbay on their own. A thought occurred to her then.

"E'lev... when I accessed the data that Admiral Corinth had gathered on my project, I was able to download the scans that he performed while I was still with child. I could... I could show you them, if you wish."

There was a sudden look of surprise on Jiseth's face at the proposition. Her eyes shifted to Zero as she sat upright. The last she had seen of their child was a hologram that showed she was barely more than a jumble of cells. Not even remotely humanoid in shape, but their daughter nonetheless.

"Yes... Yes, absolutely!"

"I have them logged on the console," Zero replied, giving a slight smile as she slipped off the bed and headed back into the lounge where she tapped her entry codes into the work station, starting to sift through her various files in search of the ones she wanted. There were a lot of files to go through, from those related to her work, those related to her continued push for perfection in dancing, and then the mountain of data she still had to go through concerning humanoid interactions.

"This may take a moment to find..."

"That's alright."

Jiseth rose from the bed and moved toward the closet. The room temperature was beginning to get to her as she ran her hands along her upper arms noting the goosebumps. Donning her dark blue and quite comfortable robe, she moved to her small dresser and put on a pair of black socks as well.

Padding her way into the lounge, she took a chair from the dining table and placed it next to Zero. She was careful not to put it too close. Jiseth was starting to get the message. Somewhat behind the Augment, the Romulan tilted her head to see past her shoulder and what was on the screen. The files and images for Zero's dancing brought a faint smile to Jiseth's lips.

Zero noted that Jiseth had taken a seat a little further away from her than she would normally have done and the Augment found that she was glad of that. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep fighting with the Romulan about her need for space at that point. The damage that Admiral Corinth had done ran very deep in her psyche.

She found the promised images, bringing them up on the screen. Ultrasounds of a tiny body that had been growing inside her.