Staying on Target (Bay)

[Gar]

Late in the night Ni calls Bay on his com. "Hi, Bugsie!" She announces in her usual cheerful tone, though it seems shaky. "Sorry for waking you up so late, but I might have something helpful for you. Can you let me in the ship?"

[Bay]

Bay took a second, regaining consiousness. He rolled over on his bed, reaching for his com, "Ni? Hang on, I'll open up. "

He stumbled out of bed tripping over a few tools he had left on the floor. He slammed the button to open the ramp.

As light poured in from the landing bay, Bay squinted as his eyes adjusted. He was wearing a pair of tan boxers and a white shirt that looked as though it had been stained and washed one too many times.

[Gar]

The Zeltron was wearing a disheveled dancing outfit with missing buttons. She had her arms hugged around her chest and she appeared to be shaking uncontrollably. The light from the landing strip accented the bruises around her neck and limbs.

Ni smiled up at him in her usual way, despite her appearance, giggling playfully, "Nice boxers, Bugsie!" There was a tremor in her voice. She walked into the ship with small, careful steps, as if her pelvis was sore.

"So I met the guy that owns Zay--oh, that's your sister's name--Wow, Bugsie, he is sooo grumpy!" She laughed, the trembling in her shoulders intensifying when she mentioned him, "We definitely gotta get her out of that situation. It isn't healthy at all!" She extended a shakey hand to Bay as she walked, "I woke you up because I think I have some of his DNA under my nails. I don't know much about technology but I was wondering if maybe we could use it as a code to hack into his biometric devices? If that's a silly idea, I have something else that we could use."

Ni's carefree smile lingered on her face, though there was something dark hidden behind her eyes. She bit her lower lip in a feeble attempt to stop it from quivering.

[Bay]

Bay became marble as he took Ni's hand and led her aboard. He tried to speak but he couldn't find his voice until he led her to a chair and his NR-5 turned the corner.

"Water please," he said turning to the droid, "I'll... I'll get some things from the bathroom," he said to Ni.

Bay left and returned with some clean cloths, toiletries, and some small sealable plastic bags. His droid returned with a large glass of water. "You should drink that," Bay said as he wrapped Ni up in a large towel.

He reached for her hands and began to work. He remained silent, never looking up to her face. He found the work difficult, her fingers shook and he had to be careful as he swabbed under each nail and trimmed them, placing the swabs and the clippings in a bag for each finger. Every so often, he had to shut his eyes forcefully to clear his vision. He smelled salt on his beard.

When he was done, he began washing her hands with the small towels he had brought. Only when her hands were clean did he look up at her face. "The ship has a shower, if you want to use it." his eyes were red. His beard was matted on the sides, "I can lend you some clothes."

[Gar]

The Zeltron frowned as she watched him work. Her cheeks darkened and her trembling lips parted voicelessly before closing again. For a long moment she could only stare at his hands and focus on her breathing as he tended to her nails and skin, her tremors gradually subsiding with each gentle touch. Then she saw his soaked beard and sad eyes as he finally looked up at her, and she blinked as if leaving a trance, remembering herself.

"Oh, Bugsie, no--" she said hoarsely, a poor attempt at a smile flashing across her face defensively, "This isnt--Im not--" she laughed nervously, "This--this isn't what it looks like, really! Just ask anyone, I'm into some really kinky stuff!" She takes his hands and tells him emphatically, "I really enjoyed myself tonight! It was a lot of fun! Sometimes the bruises are all part of the pleasure!" Ni winked at him and teased playfully, "If you like, Id be happy to show you what it's all about!" She giggled, "Later, of course. Once we rescue your sister, Zay! It will be like victory sex!" She raised her brows flirtatiously.

Ni bowed her head and kissed his hands. "Thank you for taking the samples, you did an amazing job!!" Her smile was excessively bright, though her eyes did not match, as she stared up at him with sincere gratitude. "Like a real detective! I have a good feeling about this!"

[Bay]

"I'm... I'm sure the samples will be useful." Bay looked away and grabbed one of the remaining clean cloths to wiped his face.

A part of him desperately wanted to believe Ni. To let her pheromones get the best of him and just let this not be a big deal. She was a Zeltron after all. Everyone knew how they were. Chasing new ways of having sex and always on the prowl for a new experience. Ni wasn't an exception.

But her hands... Bay hadn't seen her hands shake like that before. Never seen her eyes look so dim.

"Ni..." he began as thoughts ran through his mind.

He wanted to tell her to stop going after Zay. That doing this wouldn't change anything. That hurting herself for others was stupid and they needed to go to the hospital. That he hated this government and that he wanted to leave this horrible place and never come back.

He wanted to say all these things.

But in the end, he just felt his ears burn and said, "I-I don't think I'd very good at that type of sex... any type really."

[Gar]

Ni's mouth opened quickly, as if to blurt out a witty response, but something caused her tongue to freeze. She visibly deflated slightly, staring down at her feet and hugging the towel tighter around her body.

After a moment of awkward silence she said softly, pensively, "Well...Bugsie, maybe... it's a good thing that you don't know..." She shivered as if she suddenly felt a chill, "I get the impression that...usually...when clones learn about sex..." Her voice dropped to almost a whisper and she winced as she finished her thought, "Its not because they want to know..."

The Zeltron fidgeted with a corner of the towel that Bay had wrapped her in. "I saw a glimpse of Zay's life...I heard her talk about herself like she was nothing, just an object to be used..." She shook her head, "And I know she isn't the only one. I think I'm beginning to see the full picture of what your people are facing..." she grimaces as she confesses, "I feel a little ashamed that I was so ignorant of it all, up until now..."

Ni chewed on her lower lip nervously and looked up at Bay with solemn, tortured eyes. "Hey, Bugsie?" She called to him quietly, "I'm...I'm really sorry if I upset you..." She carefully approached Bay and gently used the corner of her towel to help him dry his eyes and beard.

[Bay]

Bay grabbed her hands and gently put them on her lap.

He cleared his throat and said, "I-I'm fine. Let's not make this about me okay? I just want to make sure you're okay."

He smiled half-heartedly and chuckled, "You know, for two people whom are really uncomfortable having serious talks, we've been having them more often than I would have expected. Are you hungry? I can make some breakfast while you shower. There's a bed if you want to sleep."

[Gar]

The Zeltron nodded and replied softly, "Trust me, everything is ok..." She smiled warmly up at her friend, despite the sadness that lingered in her eyes, "You're so sweet, Bugsie...."

Ni suddenly leaned in and squeezed Bay into a hug, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck like a human child would cuddle a teddy bear. A sigh of relief tickled his skin. Two simple words, heavily laden with gratitude, formed on her tongue to say, "Thank you..."

After a few awkward seconds the Zeltron pulled away from the embrace and teased, "Gee, Bugsie, I really hope we get something out of my fingernails! I'd hate to have woken you up in the middle of the night for nothing but a manicure!" Ni's characteristic smile returned to her face as she giggled at her own joke, though there was something different about it. She finally answered him, "Im not hungry, thank you, but...Could you show me where the shower is?"

[Bay]

Bay led her to the bathroom. It was militant and tidy. A single bottle of unscented body wash rested in the corner of the shower box.

"I don't really like the perfumed stuff, I hope that's okay," he pulled a sliding drawer beneath the sink, "Towels are here. If you need anything, let me know." He tried his best to smile and awkwardly patted her shoulder, "I'll go make up a bed for you." He left before Ni could say anything else.

He was half-afraid she would joke around and ask him to stay. The other half was afraid he'd see more bruises.

He went to his sleeping quarters and spent a few minutes rummaging through his clothes. He found a plain white shirt and brown boxer-shorts which he thought would fit Ni, but his lips pulled to the side disapprovingly. He sighed, grabbed a stool, and placed the clothes on top of them just outside the bathroom.

He then went back to the bags of clippings and neatly placed them in a box. He labeled it "Samples. DO NO EAT" and put them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. He'd decided to look at them in the morning and began walking back to the ship's two sleeping quarters, each with a triple bunk bed.

Bay pursed his lips for a second and then went on to put fresh sheets in a bed in each room. Bay always felt his ears burn whenever Ni flirted with him, but he'd understand if she didn't want to sleep in a separate room. If she wanted privacy that'd be okay too.

He picked up the tools he had left on the floor and had his NR-5 put them away. He didn't want Ni to trip on them. He sighed and laid back down on his own bed. He felt it was the first time he had to worry about someone else like this, which was nice, in a weird way, but also very tiring. It had only been a few minutes since she'd stepped aboard, and he was exhausted. Was emotional exhaustion a thing? He wasn't sure.

He'd decided to close his eyes for just a second and wait for Ni to finish her shower.