More Than a Lifetime #7: Deliberation

Chapter 4: Oh How the Years Go By

Dani's days on Cardassia IV passed, and before long they turned into months. And those months turned into years. Life settled into a normal routine, one which Rubula was constantly trying to disrupt. Dukat would spend the week on Cardassia Prime, working, and leave for Four after work on Friday afternoons. He spent the weekends with Dani and Nate. In the meantime, Rubula did everything she could to get Dukat's attention and keep him at home. She cooked for him. She pretended to take great interest in his work. She tried to be affectionate toward him. She even resorted to walking around the house nude. But it was all to no avail. Dukat successfully ignored Rubula. His heart remained with Dani.

Soon, six years had passed since Dani had relocated to Cardassia IV. Despite the initial difficulty surrounding the transition, Dani had become accustomed to her lifestyle. She was used to the idea of Dukat being married to another woman and had become used to only seeing him on weekends. The knowledge that she was enduring this so that she and Dukat could be married was what kept her hanging on. She had settled into a comfortable routine with Rowat, Melba, and Nate, which was why she was so surprised when that routine was successfully disrupted one night when Rubula Dukat showed up on Dani's doorstep.

Dani opened the door and stared into the blue eyes of Rubula Dukat. Dani recognized her face from the news vids.

Rubula knew that the woman who answered the door must be Janeway. What other Terran would be living in a house on Four? She studied the woman. The Terran wasn't any younger than she, and she certainly wasn't prettier, by Cardassian standards. Honestly, at first glance, Rubula couldn't see any reason why Dukat had preferred this creature over her all these years.

"Can I help you?" Dani asked, erring on the side of caution by asking the question.

"Yes," Rubula said. "You're Lt. Janeway, I presume?"

"That's right. And you're Rubula Dukat." Saying the woman's name with Dukat's left a bitter taste in Dani's mouth.

Rubula nodded slightly. "May I come in?"

"Yes, please," Dani said, having momentarily forgotten her manners by letting the other woman remain on the porch for so long. She stepped to the side so that the other woman could enter. Dani shut the door behind her. "I wasn't expecting any company," Dani told the woman, leading her to the living room.

"At any rate, you probably weren't expecting me," Rubula said. "I can't say I know what I'm doing here, either."

"Have a seat," Dani said politely. She watched as Rubula perched herself on the edge of the sofa. Dani remained standing for the moment. "Can I get you anything? Something to drink?"

"No, thank you," Rubula said.

Dani nodded. She took a seat in one of the chairs facing the couch, not really knowing what else she should do in such an awkward situation.

"You have a nice home," Rubula complimented superficially.

Dani had spent enough time with Cardassians to pick up on how hollow the statement had been. "Thank you," she said. She studied the woman sitting across from her. She was a real class act, a Cardassian socialite in the truest sense, probably from a very wealthy, very influential family. She was beautiful, of course, and was dressed impeccably. The one thing that surprised Dani most about Rubula's appearance was that the woman didn't wear her hair in one of the elaborate styles that most Cardassian females often favored. Instead, her long, straight, dark hair was pulled back into a simple low ponytail.

Rubula's eyes, after initially surveying the room, fell on the mantle above the fireplace in front of her. An array of photographs decorated the shelf. One was of two older Starfleet officers, a woman and a man, whom Rubula assumed to be Janeway's parents. They had to be. Janeway looked just like both of them. The next picture was of Janeway with Dukat, and then a few pictures of Janeway alone and a few of Dukat alone. Finally, her eyes led her to a family portrait - a photo of Janeway, Dukat ... and their young son.