Of Intelligence and Happiness

[Keb 0]

Keb waits patiently for Helmguy and Faldek to finish docking the ship at Station R-6, staying close to Faldek the whole time. After finishing the docking operation, Faldek turns to Keb, while looking at the object in his hand, "What's this, and why was it so urgent that you had to grace me with your presence?" he smiles.

 

She hops up on her toes to give him a kiss on the chin, and then glances around the bridge, where Helmguy is leering at her. "I'll tell you when we're alone. Don't lose it."

 

"Uhm well... I think my job here is done, perhaps we could talk now?" He looks at her questioningly. Keb glances at Captain Sovak for permission, and then pulls Faldek by the hand towards the turbolift. He is pulled to the turbolift, but only because he is allowing himself to be pulled; the door closes behind him. Keb rocks back and forth on her feet, looking a bit nervous, and unusually saying nothing.

 

"Are you okay?" Faldek looks concerned.

 

Keb looks up at him with glittery eyes. "Umm, yeah...I think so. I guess."

 

He blinks at her a few times. "Right, so did you ever send off the communication we made for your parents?"

 

She bites her lip, watching him. "Um, yeah." She looks impatient for the TL to get them to the crew deck.

 

"And... have you gotten a response?" Faldek looks at her, with a half stupefied look on his face.

 

Keb looks away from him guiltily. "Um, yeah." She motions toward his hand. "That's...what I need to talk to you about."

 

He takes her hand, looking slightly uneasy, considering she is not all giddy and giggles."This can't be good."

 

Keb tilts her head, still not meeting his eyes again. "Um, yeah."

 

He just looks at her. "Lead on."

 

Nodding, she clasps his hand and leads to his quarters, which are a little closer to the TL. Once they're inside, she gives him another kiss. He returns the kiss, his hands drifting below her waist, and uh... well doing what hands do below the waist during a kiss. "So, that was pleasant."

 

Then she smiles, pulling away from him. "So, yeah, my dad answered already. He said Mom's looking forward to meeting you."

 

"But he isn't?" Faldek is slightly perceptive about certain things, and loves to listen to words and play on how they are said to figure out the real idea behind the conversation.

 

Keb looks down at the floor, still nervous. "Um, well...no, he didn't say that at all. I'm sure he'll be glad to meet you. I mean, you are going to be his son-in-law, after all." She swallows, looking for the right words to say.

 

Faldek just looks at her... he turns and sits at the console in his room, and plugs the data crystal into it, turning on the viewer.

 

Beran's actions panic Keb. "Wait...let me tell you what it is, first." However, she is too late, as the files had already started to appear on the screen; these computers are not nearly as slow and grumpy as computers were back in the 21st century.

 

Carefully turning her face away from the screen, just in case something comes up she shouldn't see, Keb hurries with her explanation. "Dad sent me your personnel files. He...he figured I ought to read them and know what they said if I was going to marry you. I haven't looked at them yet."

 

"Ahhh, so he's trying to make sure you want to be with me knowing my past..."

 

She nods, following up with another "Um, yeah." Then she meets his eyes again, still avoiding the screen. "Jami said I was probably right not to look, though."

 

"She was probably correct. I understand how your father feels, with my prior occupation and his prior occupation..."

 

"That's why I gave them to you. Because I...I want to trust you to tell me what I need to know."

 

Faldek takes her hand, "Anything you ask, I shall tell you." He looks at the screen. "Pffft, typical Starfleet UNtellignece... they got this one all wrong..."

 

Keb giggles. "I didn't even think of that. You might have to explain a few things to Dad when you talk to him."

 

"Well, since we're being honest..." Faldek reaches into a drawer, pulls out a data rod, and hands it to Keb. "This is all the dirt on your father back when he worked intelligence."

 

 

Keb looks at the rod. "Dirt?"

 

Faldek looks at the screen with his files on it and points, "Dirt."

 

She shakes her head, laughing. "Nah. Dad's about as straight as they come."

 

"That's what you think. Not everyone in the intelligence community does what we do." He takes the one she gave him and hands it back to her. "Read it if you wish, and if you have any questions or concerns you know where to go."

 

"I won't. But I want you to keep it so I don't get tempted, Beran. Please?" She hands both crystal and rod back to him. "I do have one question though."

 

He accepts them and puts them away. "What's that?"

 

"What do you think your family would say about me?"

 

"Most Cardassians are slightly if not very xenophobic when it comes to... making a life with someone of another race. They would not be ... happy and would probably disown me." Faldek answers with utmost certainty.

 

Keb listens and then looks down sadly. "Oh..."

 

"But that's neither here nor there; my mother died long ago, and, well, my father died 10 years ago... so I have no siblings... It's not anything to be worried about." He comforts her.

 

"I'd like to think I could've grown on them a bit..." she says, welcoming his embrace. "Mostly to make you happy."

 

"I am happy."