This is a story that takes place five years after "Sacrifice of Angles." It
differs from canon after that episode, plus I had the Founders turn Odo back
into a human for his defiance of them when they lost the station. It was
just easier that way. Paramount owns the entire Star Trek Universe, and all
it's toys. I own this specific story.

Lost and Found
By Heather Romberg

Captain Kira Nerys, Star Fleet's head of tactics in the Bajoran system,
stopped abruptly, breathing heavily, her hands on her knees. That last
sprint from the lake to the house had been rough. *Prophets, I'm getting
old.* After a few moments of rest, she walked up the back steps and entered
her home.
She checked the cronometer on the wall. *Great, now I'm going to be late
to the briefing.* She thought glumly as she headed for the stairs in the
main living area.
<THUD>
Kira stopped as the wall next to her shook with an impact from the other
side. Cautiously, she opened the door to her aunt's sculpting studio.
After she was certain it was safe to enter, she smiled at the older woman
who was defiantly ripping a half-formed sculpture to bits.
"What was wrong with that one?"
The woman growled, gave the debris one final whack and sat down heavily on
a nearby stool. "I can't get it right! No matter how many times I try,
it's just not...right!"
Kira grinned again. It was not the first time she'd heard this speech.
"I'm sure you'll be happy with it some day."
Her only response was a sarcastic 'harumph' as her aunt, and only living
relative crossed her arms in frustration. Then her eyes suddenly
brightened. "Well, maybe it just needs a fresh touch. I could show you
some more techniques..."
Kira cut her off quickly with a wave of her hand and a laugh. "No, no, no!
How many times do I have to tell you? I do not want to be a sculptor!"
The other woman growled again. "I just haven't found your hidden artistic
talent yet, but I assure you, I will. If I have to tie you to a chair and
force you to try things, I will!"
Kira chucked again and moved to stand behind her normally good natured aunt
and planted an affectionate kiss on her gray head. "You'll have to catch me
first." She moved back to the door. "Not today though, I have an early
briefing and I'm late already." She picked up the chunk of clay that had
been thrown at the wall. "Try not to break down the house while I'm gone."
Her aunt grunted once then called after her. "A message that came in for
you while you were out running."
"Thanks, I'll check it before I go!" She hollered back as she climbed the
stairs to her room.

She took a brief shower and spent a few minutes getting her uniform in
order. Glancing at the mirror to check her face she was startled to see a
few stands of gray starting to run through her short auburn hair. The
Bajorans who grew up under the stress of the Occupation often showed signs
of age more quickly than they should have.
She grimaced once more at the image and moved to the comm terminal. "This
is Kira Nerys. Begin playback."
The blank screen was immediately replaced with the attractive face of
Commander Jadzia Dax, first officer of the Yorktown. Kira smiled briefly at
the image, but was stopped by the unhappy look on her friend's face.
"Hello, Nerys. I'm sorry that I can't get voice to voice comms for this,
but I'm out of range and I wanted to tell you personally before it hit the
news services. I have bad news. The Normandy was destroyed in battle this
morning. I don't have any real details about how it happened, but both Odo
and his wife were listed among the illed in action. We've been ordered to
investigate so I'll have more information for you then. I know this is a
shock. I can't believe it myself. If you need to know more, all our
information is going directly to the Admiral. I'm sure he'll help you cut
through the red tape if you need to. Again, I'm sorry to have to be the one
to tell you this, but I thought you'd rather hear it from a friend. I have
leave in a couple of months. Maybe we can get together then. Take care."
Kira stood facing the screen, her whole body numb. *Odo dead?* That
wasn't supposed to happen! She hadn't seen him in five years, but the grief
washed over her as though she'd seen him just yesterday. Blindly, she
stumbled to the bed and sat down putting her head in her hands.
"Hey, you aren't planning to skip breakfast again are yo...?" Her aunt
stopped in the doorway as she noticed the tears on Kira's face. "What
happened?"
Kira looked up at her, anguish in her eyes. "I...a friend...died." She
stopped trying to hold back the flow of tears as her aunt moved to embrace
her.

It was late afternoon before Kira managed to report for duty. She'd called
in sick and simply sat in her room to numb to contemplate leaving. But
after several hours, her innate need for action reasserted itself and she
began to want details.
She spent the entire trip to the command complex running over her
friendship with Odo. She'd forced all those thoughts and feelings out of
her mind years before, when he'd left, but they were back now with a
vengeance.
They'd been unable to resolve the issues surrounding the Dominion occupation
of DS9. She'd been so hurt and afraid to trust him again. He'd was certain
that he'd ruined their relationship for good, plus he'd had to adapt to
becoming human again, permanently. It had been much easier the second time,
but it was still difficult for him.
By the time she'd felt ready to really trust him, and forgive him, it was
too late. He was gone. Star Fleet had offered him a post at headquarters
on Earth. Unable to bear the pain of their dissolved relationship, he'd
accepted. That was where he'd met *her.*
She was an orphan from one of he small human colony worlds that littered the
Federation, and had fought her way up through Star Fleet too. Kira always
supposed that the similarity to his own life was what had attracted Odo to
Shana, but it didn't make her hate the woman less.
The driving hate she felt for a woman she'd never met scarred Kira
sometimes. It wasn't her right to judge what Odo did, but it sure seemed as
if he'd been taken advantage of. Why else would he have gotten married so
soon? Anyway, all of that was moot now. He'd followed her to the star ship
U.S.S. Normandy when she was posted there, and taken a position as security
chief. That was the last she knew of him. She'd avoided other news, it hurt
too much.
She entered her office reassuring her staff that she was fine, and
assigning them tasks to keep them away for a while. She needed some time to
herself. Keying in her security code, she made a personal call to Admiral
Sisko.
It was a few minutes before her call was answered. A very short time,
really considering who she was talking too. Perhaps he'd been expecting her
to call him. She flicked the screen on and made a weak smile as the dark
skinned man filled the picture.
"How are you, Nerys? I was wondering when you'd call. Jadzia said she
told you this morning."
Kira nodded. "I couldn't get away before now, Ben. What's the story? Has
this all been confirmed?"
Sisko's face took on a grim expression. "The Yorktown confirmed the
destruction of the drive section just ten minutes ago. We are ferrying the
saucer section here as we speak. The Captain separated the two when the
when he realized there were too many Romulan ships for him to possibly get
away. He and the senior staff lead nine Romulan ships on a merry chase
before they were destroyed though. It's a real tragedy. We've got 356 dead
officers and 700 some survivors who need counseling."
Kira nodded, unwilling to trust her voice right then. Sisko continued, his
eyes sad. "Odo and Shana were definitely on the drive section. I'm sorry,
Nerys. I know you and Odo were close."
Kira nodded again. "Thanks for filling me in. I'd appreciate seeing the
Yorktown's reports if possible, just for my own peace of mind."
Sisko nodded. "I don't think that's a problem. I am glad you called
though. I need your advice, seeing as how you knew Odo so much better than
anyone else. Did you know he had a daughter?"
Kira leaned back in shock. "No...when did that happen? Is she okay?"
Sisko leaned forward on his elbows. "I didn't know anything about it
myself until I saw the survivor rosters. Odo has been more and more distant
these past few years. Her name is Hannah, she's three years old and she was
on the saucer section when they separated. She should be here in a couple
of days. Unfortunately, neither of her parents had family so we're in a bit
of a quandary about her custody."
"Didn't they designate a guardian?"
Sisko grimaced. "Yes, another couple on the Normandy. But they were both
killed too. I was hoping you might know of someone Odo had family ties to."
Kira shook her head sadly. "No, he had no one. Even Dr. Mora is dead
now."
Sisko leaned back in his chair. "Damn, I didn't think there was anyone,
but I was hoping anyway. We have so many orphans these days with the recent
Romulan war and we're still trying to place kids from the Dominion war."
The strain was starting to get to him. Kira could see it in his face. He
rubbed his eyes as he spoke. "It's got to be one of the worst parts of my
job."
Kira was silent for a moment before looking at him intently. "I'll come and
see that she's taken care of, Ben. I owe it to Odo."
Sisko, gazed at her for a long moment, trying to decide if it was a good
idea or not. Seeing the determination on her face, he recognized from long
experience that it didn't really matter. She'd made up her mind. He smiled
softly. "Okay, if you are want to do that. It'll take a load off my
shoulders. Hummm, let's see...the Horatio is due by Bajor tomorrow. I
think they can give you a lift here. Besides, I think Julian would like to
do the same. Clear it with your people and I'll see you in a couple of
days."
Kira nodded, her face relaxing once she saw he wasn't going to fight her.
"Thanks, Ben. I'll see you then."
She closed the channel and sat back in her chair. It was hard to think of
Odo having a daughter. Why hadn't he told anyone about her? She shut her
eyes and tried to make sense of all the disquieting thoughts.

It was late evening when Kira returned home. It had taken her hours to
clear up the details required for her absence and she had to be at the
spaceport early the next day. It was just as well. She didn't really feel
like sleeping. Now all she had to do was explain everything to Aunt Nehla
and she then could spend some quality time with a bottle of...something
strong.
"Aunt Nehla? Where are you?"
The small, older woman entered the room with her usual limp. She'd been
injured in one of her many stays at Cardassian labor camps. She was Nerys's
mother's sister, and had spent a great deal of time with her after her
mother died. Nerys had been only three. She'd also been particularly
instrumental in Nerys's teenage years, guiding and supporting her headstrong
niece with blunt but loving interference. Her own two children died of
disease and malnutrition and Nerys was all she had left.
Kira moved in with her shortly after returning home to the Command Center
and had rarely regretted it. True, she sometimes the older woman was a
little nosy. But, for someone as lonely as Kira, that wasn't always a bad
thing.
A medium sized man with white hair followed Nehla from the kitchen, and
Kira silently groaned. *I should never have introduced them.* She wasn't
prepared to explain this to *both* of them. It would be two against one.
She swallowed hard and forged ahead anyway.
"Mullibok, Aunt Nehla. I'm going to Earth tomorrow to take care of some
things for my friend."
Nehla and Mullibok shared a knowing look sat down next to each other on the
sofa. Nehla spoke first. "Who was this friend of yours, honey? He seems
awful special, but I've never heard you talk about him."
Kira sighed and sat down opposite them. "His name is...was, Odo." She
almost choked on the 'was,' but quickly regained her composure. I don't
talk about him, because I haven't seen him in years."
Mullibok starred at her, his eyes seeing right through all her carefully
designed walls, as usual. Prophets, she hated it when he did that. "Odo?
Wasn't he that shapeshifter fellow on the station? I only met him once, but
he seemed sort of gruff and unpleasant to me."
Kira shot back. "Look whose talking?" She paused and sighed. "Yeah, that
was him." She paused again, looking down. "He just seemed gruff, he really
wasn't."
Nehla moved to sit next to her and smoothed the hair back on Nerys's
forehead. "Was he the one?"
Nerys looked at her confused. "The one, what?"
Nehla., shrugged. "The one who makes you avoid any man who show interest
in you?"
Nerys stood, angrily. "I do NOT avoid men! I went out with that architect
guy last month! I'm just too busy to commit, and I haven't found the right
person yet."
Mullibok gave a short laugh. "You call that little Kerta (Bajoran word for
geek) a date? He'd probably have cried if you looked at him hard. No, you
only go out with the safe, unappealing men. Then no one questions it when
you dump them." Nerys's face was starting to turn pink and she opened her
mouth to retort, but he cut her off. "Oh, now don't get yourself all worked
up, girl. Your aunt and I just want you to be happy, and you most certainly
aren't." He added a devilish grin. "That's what friends after all, isn't
it? Interfere in each other's lives?" He smiled in triumph as he did every
time he got to use her words to him on his farm against her.
Kira glared at him and then at her aunt when she grabbed her arm and forced
her to sit again. Finally muttering "I appreciate your *concern,* but I'm
fine and I can take care of myself! Now don't you two have personal issues
of your own to worry about?"
Mullibok glanced over at Nehla and they both smiled at a private joke
before Nehla responded. "No, your life is our only source of
entertainment." Kira groaned in frustration and leaned back as her aunt
continued. "Really, Nerys. This seems like much more than a simple loss of
a friend. What aren't you telling us?"
Nerys sighed again and decided it was easier to just tell them and get it
over with. Individually they could both be relentless, but together they
were impossible. In slow, detached tones, she told them of her relationship
with Odo. She left nothing out, including his expressed love for her and
her reluctance to accept it. After about a half an hour, she sat back and
waited for the onslaught of questions.
Nehla wrapped an arm across her shoulders and gave her a brief hug. "I'm
sorry, honey. This has to be hard for you, but I'm not sure what you hope to
accomplish on Earth. I'm sure Admiral Sisko and the others will take care
of the little girl. There isn't much you can do."
Nerys sat up straight again. "I *have* to help her. Sisko is too busy to
deal with this sort of thing, plus it looks bad for him to show favoritism
when there are so many others in the same situation. I *need* to make sure
that there is at least *one* person who's central focus is Hannah. I'll find
her a good home and family. She will not spend time living in an
*institution.* I owe it to him."
Nehla and Mullibok shared another knowing look, but said nothing more. It
obviously wouldn't do any good. "You'd better get some sleep then."
Nerys gave her a quick hug in gratitude and moved to go upstairs after a
short round of "goodnights." After she was out of sight, Mullibok moved to
sit next to Nehla, wrapping his arm around the small woman, warmly. He
chuckled. "So, do you want help getting the kids room ready?"
Nehla slapped him softly and shook her head. "No, I'll wait until she tells
me. Then you can help."

PART II

The space port was quiet the next morning as a weary and slightly hungover
Star Fleet Captain beamed aboard the U.S.S. Horatio. She was greeted warmly
in the transporter room by the ship's chief medical officer, Dr. Julian
Bashir.
Kira smiled as she saw her friend. It had been several years since they'd
crossed paths, and it was good to know that some people never change. He
looked virtually the same, sporting the jaunty, slightly arrogant grin that
had always dominated his personality. The familiarity was reassuring.
"How are you, Julian?"
He smiled broader, his boyish quality out in force. "Just fine, Nerys...or
should I say, Captain Kira. Congratulations on your promotion."
Kira smiled in return. They were both avoiding the reason she was there.
"Nerys will do just fine, as always. But I do want to see a salute every
now and then."
He laughed and motioned her to the door. "Let me show you your quarters."
As they walked, Kira decided to broach the topic. "Have you heard anything
else about the Normandy?"
He gave up trying to appear normal. "No. You?"
She shook her head as they entered the VIP quarters and sat down on the
sofa. "No. I suppose we'll hear more when we get to Earth." Just when she
thought she had control of her grief, her emotions would reach up and grab
her by the throat. She looked away, hiding the tears that filled her eyes.
Bashir wasn't fooled. "I'm really sorry, Nerys. I know how much he meant
to you." He paused, at a loss for words. He was damn tired of watching
Kira go through the loss of someone she loved. "I wish there was something
I could do."
Kira angrily wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm just glad you're here on
this trip, Julian. I guess I'd rather not be alone."
He clasped her hand tightly in support for a moment, then released it.
"Actually, I'm glad we have this time to talk. The Admiral said you want to
help little Hannah get settled. Well, there are some things you need to
know about her that might make your job a little harder."
Surprised, Kira waited for him to continue. "I went over her medical
records as soon as Sisko told me about this. She was injured in a hopper
accident when she was about 18 months old, her right leg suffered severe
nerve damage. Normally we can repair such damage, but when dealing with the
nervous system of someone so young, we have to be very cautious. Her
doctors decided to wait to do surgery until she's an adolescent. The fear
is that her leg wouldn't grow normally with artificial nerves. Once she's
older we can tweak any small discrepancies, but at the age of
three...Personally, I think they made the right decision, but it does leave
poor Hannah somewhat crippled. She has to wear a leg brace to prevent her
knee from buckling and she probably suffers from some occasional cramps."
Kira sighed as she absorbed this latest bad news. Unfortunately, the look
on Bashir's face told her he wasn't finished. "All this means that Hannah
needs special care. She has physical therapy sessions and frequent
checkups, not to mention the emotional support needed to help a small child
deal with this sort of handicap." He paused and frowned. "I suppose I just
want you to be prepared for the fact that she's going to be hard to find a
family for. As you know most of the child placement services are filled to
overflowing as it is. Getting people to adopt a child with special needs is
exceedingly difficult."
Kira rose and moved to the replicator to order a raktagino. She drank
deeply before addressing Bashir again. "I appreciate your warning, Julian.
But I'll just have to work on it a little harder that's all. There is no
way I'm going to let that child grow up in an institution. Odo grew up that
way, and I know how important this would have been to him."
Bashir smiled warmly, clearly relieved. "I was sure you'd say that, but I
just wanted you to know what you were up against. It makes me feel a lot
better to know that someone is going to look out for her." He moved to the
door. "Listen, why don't you get settled here while I finish a few things,
then I can give you a tour of the ship. Plus the Captain has invited you to
dinner tonight with the senior officers."
Kira nodded with what she hoped was graciousness and he left. *Great.
Just what I love, formal dinners. Well, at least it'll keep my mind
occupied.*

The three day trip to Earth was mostly uneventful. Bashir did his best to
make her feel at home and she was grateful for his efforts. The crew of the
Horatio lived up to it's reputation for hospitality and general high
standards of conduct.
She'd also had plenty of time to think and the more she did, the more she
longed to see Odo's daughter. The thought of that small child, losing both
parents in one day, and being handled by strangers tore at her heart. She
couldn't really explain her strong reaction, except that she expected the
girl to be a lot like Odo, and she knew how he'd felt about his lonely
childhood.
After a warm goodbye to the Horatio crew, she and Bashir beamed down to
Star Fleet headquarters and headed directly to Admiral Sisko's office. The
entire area was filled with emotional discord as family, survivors and staff
collided over a multitude of problems. Sisko saw them through the glass
door and motioned them inside to what seemed like relative quiet.
After the standard greeting between old friends, he motioned them to sit.
"Can you believe it? It's been like that out there ever since the Normandy
went down." He shook his head in frustration. "It's much worse than it was
during the war. People expected to lose ships then. This is such a shock,
people are having trouble dealing with it."
Kira cut to the issue. "Is there any new information?"
Sisko shook his head sadly. "This has been rather open and shut,
unfortunately. Star Fleet has officially declared all officers on the drive
section as dead and is treating their estates accordingly."
Kira nodded, having expected nothing less. "Have you seen Hannah?"
Sisko frowned again. "Yes. She's with one of the teachers from the
Normandy. It's very hard to just leave her there. She'd so small and quiet.
Not to mention her hurt leg. Did you explain that to her Julian?"
Bashir nodded and Kira stood. "I'd like to see her now, if you don't mind
Ben."
Sisko smiled softly. "I thought you might. I told child services that you
wanted to take care of her placement and they agreed. I think they're just
happy to have some help."
Kira nodded brusquely, eager to leave. Sisko had pity on her and allowed
them to go on their way. He grimaced as he watched their departing forms.
Sometimes he hated this job.

The children center was full of noise and laughter and the walls were
covered with artwork and decorations done by the residents. To a stranger
it seemed to be a happy place, but Kira knew the pain a child felt when they
lost parents. A harried woman pointed them to a corner where a small blond
girl sat holding a ragged stuffed toy. She was ignoring the pandemonium
around her.
Kira would have recognized her even without the woman's help. She had
Odo's bright blue eyes and shy demeanor. Bashir glanced at her, obviously
thinking the same thing, and they both moved forward.
Kira sat down next to her on the floor, but didn't get any response. She
cleared her throat, which was uncomfortably tight. "Hannah? My name is
Nerys and this is Julian. We were friends with your father and we thought
you might like some company."
Bashir put on his best bed side manner. "That's right. We were hoping you
might want to spend some time with us."
The little girl looked at each of them for a moment and then placed her
thumb in her mouth, silently. A dark skinned woman came over to them. "Hi,
you must be Captain Kira and Dr. Bashir. I'm Brenda Thomson. I was on the
ship with Hannah and have been looking out for her until you came. Admiral
Sisko said you plan to help Hannah find an new home?"
Kira rose and nodded. "I plan to. Julian is here for moral support for a
couple of days."
The woman smiled, clearly pleased. "Well, it's good to see someone will
help her. I wish I could, but I have a couple of my own that need help
right now. Don't worry though, Hannah is a wonderful little girl, very
sweet and smart. I don't think you'll have too much trouble." She leaned
down to address Hannah. "Hannah sweetie, these people were good friends
with your Daddy. They're going to help you find a new home. So don't you
worry. Everything will be just fine."
The child gave little response and Kira was starting to get nervous.
"Julian do you mind talking to Hannah for a minute, I want to ask Ms.
Thomson a few questions."
Bashir smiled at warmly at the little girl and began working his well known
magic with children as Kira led the other woman out of earshot. "Thanks for
looking after her until I could get here. It would be helpful to know
something about what she likes and such. Also, if you have any information
on what her mother was like, I'd appreciate it. I never had the opportunity
to meet her."
Ms. Thomson frowned a little in thought. "I've made a list of what I know
she likes and dislikes, but unfortunately, I don't know her that well
either. Her parents kept her pretty much to themselves. They even worked
their schedules so that she was with one of them almost all the time.
Occasionally they would both be called to duty and she would join the other
children. That's the only way I know anything about her. I think her
father wanted to let her spend more time with other children. He was also
very thoughtful and interested in anything I had to say regarding Hannah's
welfare."
She paused, uncertain if she should go on. Kira encouraged her. "What is
it? Please, I need to know everything."
Sighing, she continued. "I really don't know for certain, but I think
there may have been problems between the father and mother. I got the
distinct impression that they didn't talk a lot, and I never saw them
together. I did see Odo with Hannah around the ship sometimes and it was
obvious Hannah adored him. But she was much more distant with her mother."
Kira frowned. "That's odd."
Ms. Thomson nodded in agreement, warming to the friendly audience. "I had
a hard time understanding the mother. She was cold to everyone, almost
Vulcan like. The only thing I can say about her for certain is that she was
fiercely protective on Hannah. Almost overly so. Perhaps it has to do with
the accident that caused her leg problems, I just don't know."
Listening to the description of what Odo's life had been like was tearing
Kira apart. It seemed obvious that he wasn't that happy. The only thing
that had kept her from seeking him out a number of times over the years was
that she thought he was happy where he was, and she didn't want to mess that
up. Realizing she may have been wrong, was almost too much to bear. She
thanked Ms. Thomson for the information and returned to find Hannah sitting
starring intently at Julian's closed hands. Finally she pointed to one and
he opened it to reveal a small piece of hard candy.
"Well, aren't you the smart little girl! I can tell you've inherited some
of your father's investigation skills." Julian said happily as she slowly
placed the treat into her mouth.
Kira knelt again beside her. "Is that good, Hannah? I don't think I've
ever had that flavor before." She tired to appear as non-threatening as
possible and Hannah nodded in response to her question. Kira nearly choked
as the child looked at her fully for the first time. There was so much of
Odo in her expression, it nearly tore her heart in two.
Forcing back tears, she smoothed the child's hair, affectionately. "Don't
you worry about anything, honey. I'll take care of everything."
Bashir cleared his throat. "Perhaps it might be a good idea to take Hannah
back to your rooms."
Kira tore her eyes from the little girl long enough to nod in agreement
then gently she pulled Hannah into her lap. "I'm going to take you to a
very nice place, where you can do anything you want too. Would you like
that?"
Hannah looked at her thoughtfully for a moment and then cocked her head in
a very Odo like manner. "Can I have ice cream for dinner?" Her voice was
very soft and high pitched, but also extremely articulate for a child her
age."
Kira smiled fully for the first time in days. "Well, I suppose so. Just
this once."

Sisko had assigned Kira the visiting Ambassador family suite, at Star Fleet
command. It was huge and opulent. Having spent most of her life starving,
places like this still surprised her.
Hannah seemed more curious than surprised though. *Maybe she's used to
this from living on a star ship.* Thought Kira as she put her belongings
away. The little girl limped around the room examining all the fixtures and
rooms silently. She seemed unaffected by most of the items, but became
enthralled with the automatic table extension, opening and closing it
numerous times with the push of a button. Her exploration lacked the usual
laughter associated with a three year old though, and eventually she tired
of the table and moved to look out the huge picture window. It was a
beautiful San Francisco day and the Golden Gate bridge stood out prominently
in the view.
Coming over to join her, Kira sat down on the sofa and gently fixed
Hannah's pony tail which had started to come undone. "Isn't that a
beautiful view?"
Hannah looked back at her, seriously, her face bearing another Odo
expression...suspicion. "Why are you taking care of me?"
Kira was a little taken aback by such a forthright question from a small
child, but recovered quickly. "I'm here because your Daddy was one of my
most favorite people in the whole universe, and that means that you are too.
Your Daddy would want me to help you. Does that make sense?"
Hannah looked back at the bridge thoughtfully. "I guess so. How come I
haven't seen you before?"
Kira cleared her throat. She hadn't been expecting an inquisition. "Well,
I live on Bajor, a planet that's pretty far away. Plus you and your Mama and
Daddy lived on a star ship. That made it hard for us to see each other."
Hannah seemed to accept this and Kira took the opportunity to lift her onto
her lap again, pleased to feel the child press up against her for comfort.
If she knew nothing else about children, she knew that they needed lots of
cuddling. It was vital to their self-esteem.
They sat quietly for a few minutes before Bashir came back with large sack.
He sat the sack on the table with a flourish and then motioned Hannah over
to inspect the contents. Kira smiled. He certainly did have a way with
grabbing a child's attention. "I have here, what is the absolute best ice
cream in the universe, far better than replicated."
He opened the sack dramatically and pointed to the four box-like
containers. "I wasn't sure what flavor to get, soooo, I got four different
flavors." He then dropped to his knees and made a very serious examination
of Hannah's face. "Hummmm...you look like a chocolate girl to me. I can
tell just by looking at someone. I see it in the eyes." Hannah was clearly
enjoying his teasing and they were rewarded with her first giggle and a
couple of nods.
"Julian stood up in triumph. "Ah Ha! See I'm never wrong." With that he
opened the chocolate container and spooned a portion into a bowl. Hannah
began eating eagerly. He then turned his eyes on Kira. "Hummmm...you, Kira
Nerys are much harder. At first glance I'd have said vanilla, very straight
forward, tasty, yet uncomplicated. But, I know to look deeper. No. I
predict that you are a...fudge ripple, double chunk, rocky road woman!"
Both she and Hannah laughed even though Kira had no idea what he was
talking about. She didn't have that much experience with ice cream. "I
don't know, Julian. I've only tried ice cream once before and it was red..."
Bashir waved her concern off with one hand. "Trust me, Nerys. This is
better than heaven."
Hannah echoed his recommendation, although it was difficult with her mouth
full. "Dhis is da bes."
Kira saw a spark of happiness in the girl's eyes and gave up resisting.
She'd eat the stuff even if it tasted like gagh. "Well, with that
recommendation, how can I go wrong?"

The ice cream dinner turned out to be a big success and Kira had to admit,
it was pretty good. She still wasn't sure she liked milk based food, but
the chocolate was wonderful. After eating she washed the mess from Hannah
and changed her clothes. It just seemed easier. Then she held her on her
lap as Julian told her stories.
It wasn't long before the exhausted child fell asleep and they put her to
bed. Bashir smiled at her as they left the bedroom. "You're pretty good at
this, you know." Kira laughed softly. "I was about to say the same thing
to you."
He chuckled. "Well, she's a delightful child. I really don't think you'll
have trouble placing her now that I've met her."
Kira's face fell as she remembered the task at hand. "Did you place the
calls?"
He nodded. "Yes, you should be getting calls back in a few days." He
sighed. "I really wish I could stay here and help you interview candidates,
but..."
Kira waved him off. "I know you can't. I just really appreciate your help
today. You made things a lot easier for both of us."
Bashir yawned as he headed for the door. "Well, it was the least I could
do." He paused before leaving. "I'll check back tomorrow before beaming up
to the Horatio. Don't worry, Nerys. I'm sure everything will turn out just
fine."
Kira smiled as he echoed the words she'd spoken to Hannah earlier.
"Thanks, Julian. I'll see you tomorrow."
Kira sighed heavily as the door closed behind him. At least the first day
was over.

<whimper> "Daddy...?" Kira awoke with a start as she heard the sounds
coming from the next room. Groggily she dragged herself to Hannah's bed,
seeing the child clutch her right leg, tears running down her face.
"Sush, honey. It's okay. I'll take care of that for you. She began to
gently massage Hannah's small leg, slowly releasing the knotted muscles. As
the pain began to subside, Hannah's tears stopped and she watched Kira's
motions intently. "I want my Daddy."
Kira stopped for a moment, feeling that one statement like a knife in her
chest. Throwing caution to the wind, she gathered Hannah in her arms and
turned her so that she could still massage the sore leg. Her voice was
husky, and full of emotion. "I know you do, honey. I miss your Daddy too.
I'd give anything to see him again, but no matter how much we want that. It
won't happen. The best we can do is help each other and remember him,
okay?"
Hannah was silent, but she didn't pull away. After a few more minutes,
Kira noticed that her breathing had evened again and she was asleep.
Unwilling to leave the little girl alone, Kira positioned her so that they
could both lie down, and then fell into an exhausted sleep too.
Kira awoke early the next morning, having slept fitfully in an awkward
position. Hannah was still asleep, all cuddled up next to her. Kira smiled
and pushed back some of the unruly blond hair. She really was beautiful
child. Kira lay there watching Hannah sleep for a long time, her mind
drifting into areas she knew were dangerous, but was unable to stop herself.

The next three weeks were hectic for both of them. Sisko came by daily and
there had been several candidates for adoptive families that came in from
Julian's sources. There was something wrong with all of them though. She'd
argued with Sisko for two days over the latest couple.
They were having dinner at the Sisko restaurant with Jake and Grandpa Sisko
one evening after interviewing the candidates inquestion. Grandpa Sisko,
as he forced both Nerys and Hannah to call him, kept Hannah occupied while
Kira argued with his son in the other room.
"What do you want, Nerys? They were about as perfect as you can get!"
"I disagree! They were nice, and stable, but there was something about them
I just didn't like."
"You don't like anyone apparently! Who do you expect to find, saints?"
Kira glared at him, angrily. "Excuse me for taking this seriously!
Finding the right person to raise Hannah is going to take time. Now if
you'll excuse me, I don't think we should talk about this anymore. Besides,
I don't want Hannah to over hear us."
With that she stormed out of the room into the kitchen where Grandpa Sisko
was teaching Hannah to make something called a 'rue.' Kira forced her face
into a smile and hugged the little girl tightly as she watched the famous
cook work his magic.
Hannah turned to look at her, excitement on her small face. "Grandpa
Sisko, says I can help him clean the crawfish!"
Nerys laughed, feeling the tension caused by her argument with Sisko fade
as she held the child. She planted a kiss on her cheek and released her.
"Well, you make sure to do what he says, okay? I'm going to talk to Uncle
Jake over there." Hannah nodded absently, far more interested in what her
'Grandpa' was doing.
Jake smiled at her as she walked up. "I think I've been replaced.
Cleaning crawfish used to be my job."
Kira laughed and reached out to touch him affectionately on the arm. "It's
really good to see you, Jake. It's been far too long."
Jake covered her hand for a moment as he put down the writing padd he
always carried with him. "I completely agree. I think I need to take a
trip to Bajor this summer. I miss it."
Kira leaned back in her chair and gave him a friendly, hard look. "I've
been meaning to talk to you about your latest book, 'The King of Thieves.'
I found the character of the female sergeant, rather...familiar."
Jake laughed and held his hands up. "Okay, okay, I confess. It was
loosely based on you. Bit I meant it in the most complimentary of
fashions."
"Complimentary? She ignored her commander's orders and was killed by her
own bomb!" Her glare was less than effective as she couldn't stop smiling.
"Sounds about right to me. You should have died a number of times for
disobeying me, but you seem to be blessed with incredible luck for some
reason. It's probably to make up for the stubborn streak you were also
blessed with." Admiral Sisko remarked blandly as he sat next to her at the
table."
Kira put on a semi-expressionless face. "I only disobey you when you're
wrong."
Jake held up his hands laughing. "Okay you two, no squabbling."
Ben shook his head in disbelief. "Dad always warned me to stay away from
red-headed women. He said they were trouble, should have listened to the
old man."
Kira choked on her laughter as she attempted to drink at the same time.
Ben, realizing that retreat was the best tactic moved to watch his father
and Hannah work with the crawfish.
Jake watched Kira stare affectionately at Hannah for a few minutes before
broaching the awkward topic. "Tell me, Nerys. Did you ever think about
adopting her yourself?"
Kira looked back at the young man sharply. Of course she'd thought about
it. She'd thought about it every day, and every night as she put the
adorable little girl to bed. But, Hannah deserved to have a full family, and
home. With a mother and a father to love her and show her the ways of human
culture. Dragging a human child to live on Bajor with her and her eccentric
aunt just wasn't fair to Hannah, no matter how much she wanted to. She
cleared her throat, and gathered a good argument. "Sure I've thought of it,
Jake. But Hannah is human, and she deserves a complete family, here on
Earth. I'm not what she needs right now."
Jake frowned. He was an astute judge of people, it was what made him a
good writer, and he could tell how much Kira wanted to keep her. Hannah
seemed to be equally attached. He tried again. "I don't know about that.
I've seen some pretty odd pairing's of parents and children and they usually
seem happier than some of the biological pairs I've seen." He shrugged.
"Maybe it's because they try harder. Besides, Odo may have been
*physically* human, but he was culturally, Bajoran. I think he'd have liked
to have you raise his daughter. Everyone knew how highly he thought of
you." He chuckled. "There used to be a saying on the Station. 'Mess with
the redhead, and Odo makes you dead.'"
He laughed at his own joke, but stopped suddenly as he saw Kira's face fall
and her eyes tear up. "Uh...I'm sorry, Nerys. Here...use this napkin." He
felt terrible. "I never meant to upset you. That was supposed to be
funny."
Kira took a deep breath regaining her composure, and clasped his hand to
reassure him. "That's okay, Jake. Sometimes it just hits me hard when I
realize he's gone."
Jake swallowed hard and tried to steer the conversation back to his
original topic. "Really though, I think you'd make a great mother for
Hannah."
Kir groaned. "Stop. You're really going to make me lose it in a minute."
Kira gave a little laugh as he dried any stray moisture from her eyes. "I
wish I could, but I don't think it's best for her."
At that moment a young human couple entered the kitchen, hesitantly. Kira
immediately recognized them as the couple she and Sisko'd interviewed
earlier. The woman addressed her shyly. "I'm sorry for bothering you,
Captain. But Don and I wanted to see Hannah one more time tonight. We have
a gift for her, if you'll permit it."
Kira didn't like this at all. How dare they just walk in here like that!
Her fear bubbled to the surface as it did every time someone came to 'talk'
to Hannah. She dreaded the day that she would forced to give her up.
"Well, I don't know. I really wish you'd called first."
The nice young man interrupted her. "I know it's not the best way to do
this, but we just fell in love with her today and we wanted to give her
something to think of us by, until you make your decision."
Kira folded her arms, stubbornly as Ben walked up and warmly greeted the
couple. He was right. They were perfect. A little too perfect, she told
herself. *I'll bet they secretly belong to some weird cult or something.*
She sighed as Hannah quietly accepted the stuffed toy from them. *Who am I
kidding. They are the perfect family for Hannah.* She felt the realization
as a lead ball in the pit of her stomach, and she was forced to face away,
least someone see her reaction.
Alice held Hannah on her knee and told her all about their house and pets.
Hannah listened politely for a few minutes, then her suspicious nature took
over. "Do you want us to visit sometime?"
Alice and Don exchanged a quick glance, before Alice swallowed hard and
told her the truth. "Actually, honey. Mr. Erikson and I were hoping you'd
come to live with us."
Hannah frowned in confusion. "But we live on Bajor, Nerys told me so."
Alice turned and uncomfortable look on Kira. "Captain?"
Kira swallowed her pain and moved to face Hannah. "I'm sorry, honey. I
think you've got the wrong idea. These nice people want to be your family.
That way you can have a Mama and a Daddy."
Hannah's face filled with fear and anger. "NO! I don't want to live with
them. I want to live with you! You said you'd take care of me!"
Alice tried to pull her into a hug. "It's okay, sweetheart. You'll get
used..."
"NO! I don't like you. Leave me alone." With that she ran from the room
as fast as her injured leg would allow. Grandpa Sisko moved to follow, but
Kira stopped him, no longer caring if people saw the tears on her face.
"I'll take care of it."

Hannah was sitting in the corner in the room she shared with Kira, above
the restaurant. She clutched her favorite ragged stuffed toy that Kira
realized was a security blanket of sorts. She didn't look up when Kira
entered, so without waiting for permission, she lifted her onto her lap and
sat on the edge of the bed.
"We need to talk, honey."
Hannah buried her head against her chest and refused to look at her. "I
don't wanna go away."
Kira smoothed her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Oh, honey. I
love you very, very much. But you need to have a regular family, and I'm
just not good enough for you. Believe me, I know what it's like to miss
having a normal family. I won't deny you that just because of what I want.
Do you understand?"
"No..." <Sniffle>
Kira snuggled her tighter. She knew Hannah would get over this, Prophets,
she was only three. Everyone knew how resilient three year olds were.
Then it hit her. She'd been three when her own mother had died. She still
remembered the feelings of loss. Oh sure, the specifics had faded, and she
couldn't even remember her mother's face, but the loss she did remember and
it had shaped much of her childhood. Perhaps she hadn't been giving
Hannah's feelings enough credit in this. She grimaced. *Or maybe, I'm just
looking for an excuse to do what I want to do anyway.*
Hannah pulled back and looked at her, her eyes pleading. "Please don't
make me go with those people."
Kira choked back a sob as she remembered seeing that exact expression on
Odo's face when he was forced to leave the Founders. Maybe she couldn't
have helped him then, but she couldn't ignore his daughter now. She hugged
her close again, kissing her on both cheeks. "I'm not sure this is the best
thing for you, honey. But love you too much to let you go."
Hannah wrapped her arms around Kira's neck excitedly. Kira laughed through
her tears and began to shower kisses on the little girl who owned her heart.
She decided to allow herself to enjoy the moment. She'd figure out the
details tomorrow.

The trip back to Bajor was mostly uneventful. Hannah was used to traveling
in space, so was more interested in the puzzle book Grandpa Sisko had given
her. Kira was amazed at the child's attention span.
The Siskos had been very supportive of her in the week it took to secure
adoption papers, for which she was eternally grateful. They almost made her
feel as if she really had family on Earth.
The three day journey left her plenty of time to think about the
implications of adopting Hannah. It was not going to be easy, and the
enormity of what she was doing terrified her. Yet despite her fears, all
she had to do was look at her tiny companion and she knew she'd made the
right decision.
"Hannah honey, we're coming into view of Bajor now. Come see."
Hannah dropped her puzzle book and moved to look out the view port at the
blue and green planet below. "It's pretty." She said simply.
Kira smiled at the quiet statement which she was learning was very typical
of Hannah. She said exactly what she thought, with little or no
embellishment. And her observations were always clear and to the point. It
was another thing she'd inherited from her father. "You're right, it sure
is pretty. I can't wait for you to see our home. It's a beautiful house in
the mountains, sitting right by a huge lake. The land has been in my...our
family for years. You are going to have so much fun playing there."
Hannah looked at her quizzically for a moment. "I can play outside?"
Kira frowned at the question. "Of course you can. Why wouldn't you?"
Hannah shrugged. "Mother never let me. She said it was dangerous."
Kira forced the frown away. The more she heard about Hannah's mother, the
more she wanted to throttle the woman. "Well, don't you worry about that.
I'll watch you and make sure you don't get hurt."
Hannah quit looking in the window and curled up in Kira's lap, a serious
expression on her face. "You are my new mother, right?" Kira nodded, her
throat tight, and kissed Hannah's cheek. "Then can I call you mama? My old
mother never let me."
Kira hugged the child tighter and kissed her again. "Of course you can,
sweetheart. There is nothing that would make me happier." Hannah endured a
few more kisses, then she pulled free to retrieve her puzzle book, her
questions answered. Kira sat silently for a few more minutes, angrily
trying to figure out what kind of woman wouldn't let her child call her
mama.
Her thoughts were intercepted by the order to disembark. She gathered
Hannah and their bags, and headed to the off ramp. Kira tried again to
prepare the little girl for meeting her aunt. "I can't wait for you to meet
Aunt Nehla. You are really going to love her. She helped take care of me
when I was a little girl. Now, she can be loud sometimes, but that's just
the way she is. Don't be worried about it. She's going to love you so much
you won't even think about it after a while."
Hannah looked up at her, skeptically. Kira had learned already that the
child was slow to accept strangers sometimes. The light of a early, summer
day forced them both to squint as they exited the passenger shuttle and Kira
sighed as her feet touched the ground. She never really felt right unless
she was standing on Bajor.
Hannah was quiet during the trip from the space port to her new home. She
spent the entire time looking out the window at all the different buildings
and trees. Kira stopped the hover in front of the house as she saw Nehla
and Mullibok come down to greet them. She couldn't help smiling. It was
good to be home.
Nehla both gave Kira a big hug before turning their attention to the small,
shy girl standing next to her. "Nehla smiled warmly, her eyes sparkling.
Well you have to be Hannah. I'd recognize you anywhere from Nerys's
description."
Hannah continued to stare back at her with little expression. After a
moment, she stuck her thumb in her mouth. Kira sighed. She only did that
when she was nervous. Nehla refused to be put off, though. "I made
something special for you. Nerys tells me you have a fondness for an Earth
treat called chocolate chip cookies. I've tried to make some for you, but
I've never had them before so I may have done it wrong. Will you test them
for me?"
As always, Hannah's eyes lit up at the thought of cookies and Nehla knew
she'd won. She picked her up gently and moved back into the house as
Mullibok made funny faces at her. Kira shook her head with a grin. She
should have known better than to be worried about those two. They knew what
they were doing.

The next few months were some of the most fulfilling of Kira's life, even
if they were also some of the most hectic. She'd never known how much joy a
child could bring to a person's life. Just watching Hannah experience new
things was like experiencing them again herself.
Little by little, Hannah was becoming more open and energetic. The change
was somewhat remarkable for such a short time, and Kira credited a lot of it
to the love and attention she got from Nehla and Mullibok. Hannah had those
two wrapped around her little finger from day one, a fact which caused Kira
enormous amounts of amusement.
Watching Hannah hobble along the edge of the lake in search of small
amphibians, Kira rested on a nearby rock, enjoying herself immensely. She
spent most afternoons and evenings outside with Hannah, trying to make up
for what she'd missed on the star ship. Hannah's tastes usually ran to
things involving mud, so they also spent a lot of time bathing every night,
but it was worth it to see the excitement and happiness on her small face.
Kira had even shortened her hours at the command center, opting to do much
of the work at home. It gave her more time to spend with her new daughter.
Nehla and Mullibok had been tracking the positive changes in Kira too. They
both agreed that the adoption was the best thing that could have happened
her too. Kira was even starting to put on some of the weight she'd lost
over the past few years. Nehla was overjoyed to see her stubborn niece stop
wasting away.
Kira sighed as the summer sun finally settled behind the horizon, leaving
she and Hannah in the gray shadows of evening. "Hannah honey. Come on.
It's time to go in now."
Hannah's face fell. "Not yet, I haven't caught one!"
Kira forced back an amused smile. They went through this every night. "No,
you can catch one tomorrow. It's getting dark now."
Hannah looked as though she was going to protest again but stopped when her
mother gave her the 'I'm not kidding' look. She put on her most disgruntled
frown and walked slowly back to Kira, hoping to catch sight of a challa
(Bajoran frog) along the way.
She wasn't successful and gave a dramatic sigh as she was finally forced to
walk away from the water's edge. Kira laughed lightly and hoisted the child
high in the air before settling her securely on her hip for the walk back to
the house.
"Did you enjoy talking to the nice doctor today?"
Hannah shrugged. "It was okay. They made me do some funny tests."
Kira frowned. She hadn't yet had time to talk to Nehla about what was
supposed to have been a routine visit. She kept her voice light. "What
sort of tests?"
Hannah shrugged again. "I had to arrange blocks and stuff. It was boring."
Kira held of any further questions until she could talk to Nehla.
As it turned out, it took her two hours to get Hannah bathed and into bed.
She was unusually difficult that evening, making Kira even more curious
about what the doctors had done to her. After making sure the child was
asleep, Kira came back down stairs and entered the kitchen where Nehla was
enjoying a late piece of Mobra cake.
"Hannah said the doctors made her take some tests today? What was that all
about?"
Nehla reached out and clasped her hand reassuringly. "Now don't get upset,
it was nothing bad. I was waiting until Hannah went to bed to bring it up.
There was a new specialist there, he said that your friend Dr. Bashir asked
him to look in on Hannah. He talked to her for a while and did some of the
standard scans of her nervous system, just like all the others. Then he
called me aside and started asking questions about how 'intuitive' she was."
Kira frowned. "Intuitive?" "
You know, does she anticipate things you want and such?"
Kira sat back, pondering. "Well, sure she does. The longer she lives here,
the better she knows us. Plus she's a very bright child."
Nehla nodded. "That's what I said, but he asked if it was alright to test
her intelligence and telepathy quotient anyway."
Kira frowned again. "Telepathy? Hannah is human. They aren't telepaths."
Then she sat back in realization. "But Odo *used* to be one."
Nehla nodded again. "He suspected that may have something to do with it
too. He was half human, half Betazoid or something, and said he could sense
a telepathic response from Hannah."
Kira sat back, a little overwhelmed. Nehla pushed a padd to her. "These
are the results of the tests."
Kira looked at the results with surprise. "She's not just bright. This is
amazing."
Nehla looked over her shoulder. "The doctors classified her in the top ten
percent of all humans. This number here is her telepathic quotient. She's
a only mild telepath, for now at least, and she appears to need physical
contact to be able to sense anything. The doctors said she could get
stronger as she grows up, but they have no way of telling that now."
Kira's eyes widened. "You mean she could read my thoughts every time I was
touching her?"
Nehla shook her head. "I got the impression that her ability wasn't that
focused. She probably only sensed your moods and feelings, not specific
thoughts."
Kira let out a deep breath. "Well that might explain a few things."
Nehla continued. "The new doctor, he's a really nice man by the way, said
that she doesn't even know she has a special talent. She probably just
assumes everyone else senses things as she does. He can talk to you
tomorrow if you want. I told him you would."
Kira was about to respond when she heard a noise in the door way behind
her. "Mama, there's a vertan (Bajoran goul) in my room." Hannah said with
wide eyes, as she limped to her mother's side.
Kira groaned to herself and made a silent promise to pop Mullibok on the
head the next time she saw him for telling Hannah stories about them. "I
assure you, honey, that there are no vertan in your room. They are only make
believe." Hannah just starred back at her, obviously unbelieving.
Kira smiled in resignation as she picked the child up. "I suppose you want
to sleep with me tonight, then?" Hannah nodded and wrapped her small arms
around her mother's neck. Kira smiled back at Nehla. "I guess it's my bed
time. I'll see you in the morning."

"I really wouldn't worry about it, Captain. Hannah is a happy and from all
indications, a well adjusted little girl. That's something of a miracle
given the year she's had. This information will only help you to guide and
understand her as she gets older. I do recommend that she sees a special
teacher a couple of times a week, though, to monitor her progress. You
would still have complete control over everything she does, I assure you."
Kira smiled, relieved. "Thank you, Doctor. That's good to know. I'm sort
of new at this."
The handsome, human man smiled warmly. "Well, I for one think you are
doing a wonderful job with her. She's a very sweet child." He paused, his
face becoming more serious. "I do have a couple of other recommendations,
however regarding her leg problems. Neurology is my specialty, which is why
Julian asked me to look in on Hannah. It was just luck that I recognized
her telepathy."
Kira nodded, glancing over at Hannah to see if she was still coloring in
the play area. "What sort of recommendations?"
"I agree that she shouldn't have replacement surgery until she's older, but
there are several therapeutic methods of stimulating nerve response. There
is virtually no risk, and it at worst, it will only allow her to strengthen
the muscles in her leg, making it easier for her to walk and diminishing the
number of cramps."
Kira frowned in thought. "Why haven't they tried them with her before?"
He smiled warmly again. "They are relatively new to the field, but I
assure you, they are not in the least, dangerous. You are welcome to get a
second opinion if you like."
Kira nodded. "I suppose Julian knows about this?"
He laughed. "He was the one who pointed this out to me a couple of years
ago."
Kira laughed too, the man seemed to draw her into his mood. Perhaps it was
his Betazoid background. "Well, I'll give Julian a call, just to make sure,
but it sounds like a good idea to me. Thank you for taking the time to help
us, Dr. Randal."
He smiled again, the light sparkling in his green eyes. "It's been my,
pleasure and please, call me Nick. I don't like to be too formal when
children are involved."
Kira swallowed, suddenly nervous. She was not necessarily the most
intuitive of people, but even she could tell he was interested in her
personally.
"Uh, sure...Nick. Um...that's human, right?"
He nodded again, the smile never leaving his face. "That's right, I'm one
quarter Betazoid, three quarters human. And don't worry, I'm not going to
pounce on you."
Kira laughed weakly, but felt herself becoming more relaxed as she saw the
sincerity in his eyes. He had a way of putting her at ease. "Well, okay
then. I'll hold you to that."
He leaned back to prop his elbow on the counter, but in his desire to
appear nonchalant, misjudged the distance and nearly fell over. Kira
grabbed his arm to help steady him as Hannah chuckled from across the room.
He blushed a little, but put on a big smile again. "Well, now that I've
gotten my first blunder out of the way, we can all relax."
Kira found herself joining he and Hannah in their laughter. He was rather
cute, and that mischievous twinkle in his eyes was hard to ignore.

PART IV

Commander Jadzia Dax stepped out of the rented hover admiring the large
house before her. It was classical Bajoran, two stories, multiple large
rounded windows, and covered with delicate dips and curves. The outside was
freshly painted, and the grounds, meticulously cared for. Inhaling the
scent of fresh spring flowers, she moved to the front door, preparing to
knock, when she heard the sound of laughter in the distance.
Setting her bag on the step, she walked around the corner and smiled as she
saw her friend in the distance, near the edge of a pristine lake. Her smile
grew wider as she saw a little girl, with long blond hair bouncing along the
shore.
Kira saw her first and waved her over with a smile. Dax joined them
quickly and embraced her long time friend warmly. "Hello, Nerys. It's been
far too long."
Kira's smile lit up her whole face. "I completely agree. How are you
Jadzia?"
"Fine, just fine. You look great! I assume that's little Hannah, unless
there's something you haven't told me?"
Kira laughed at Dax's suggestive smirk. "Damn, I'm missed your sense of
humor, Jadzia, and yes, that's Hannah." She started walking to the child,
who was showing something to a tall man with dark hair. The two were
obviously engrossed in what they were doing. "Hannah, Nick, come meet
someone."
Hannah, realizing she had another audience, half ran over to Kira to show
her her prize. "Look Mama! It's a yellow-bellied, challa!"
Kira admired the small amphibian for a moment, before lifting the child and
facing Dax. "Hannah, this is your Aunt Jadzia."
Dax's smile widened at the term 'aunt,' but simply reached out to shake the
child's hand. Something told her, that unsolicited hugs, might not be
welcome. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Hannah. I've heard so much
about you."
Hannah eyed her curiously, but offered Dax her empty, muddy hand. "Are you
the lady with the worm in your belly?"
Dax laughed out loud as Kira's face turned pink. "Worm, huh? Well, yes I
am. But, this worm is very special and very very old."
Hannah still looked skeptical and after Kira placed her back on the ground,
she moved to look directly at Dax's stomach, frowning. "I don't see
anything."
Dax held off another laugh. Children were always the most honest about
their curiosity. Adults were just as curious, but afraid to ask. She took
Hannah's hand and placed it on the area that housed her symbiot. "Feel that
lump? That's Dax. It's a very, nice and friendly worm. I wouldn't want to
live without it."
Hannah held her hand there for a minute longer, then stepped back, her
intense curiosity satisfied for the moment. She held up her hand to Dax.
Do you want to see the challa I caught?"
Dax oohed and ahed over the animal for a few moments before looking up
again to see the tall man standing next to Kira. He held out his equally
muddy hand to her. "Hi, I'm Nick." Dax shook his hand, instantly liking
the easy, lighthearted quality about him.
"Nick, is a Doctor at the medical center. Julian asked him to look in on
Hannah, and he's been a great help to her."
Nick waved the compliment off, his face a little pink now. "Oh, now. I
didn't do that much. You are the one who works with her everyday. I just
made out the prescription."
Kira clasped his arm, affectionately. "Oh, so you make house calls to
check on all your patients?"
Nick blushed again. "Nope, only the special ones."
Dax's mind was gathering all the clues at lightening speed. There was
definitely more going on here than, doctor/patient. "Well Nick, it's nice
to meet you. Any friend of Nerys's is a friend of mine."
Nick's face lit up in a boyish grin, as Hannah moved to grab his hand.
"Nick, lets catch more challas!"
Nick scooped the little girl up and turned to walk back to the lake. "Duty
calls. You ladies have a nice visit, while this little tribble and I catch
more challas."
Both Kira and Dax laughed as they heard the standard 'I'm not a
tribble!/Yes you are!' banter between the two. Kira started to move back to
the house, dragging Dax after her. "How was your trip?"
Dax followed, the curiosity killing her. "The trip was fine. Soooo,
exactly how many house calls does *Nick* make?"
Kira laughed as they entered a side door. "Well, that's a record. I
didn't think you could wait that long to ask." She stopped and faced Dax
fully. "But, for the record, so you don't need to hound me about it, Nick
and I are just friends. He likes Hannah, and he'd probably like to go out
on a date or two, but there is nothing more to know. There, satisfied?"
Dax's eyes were glowing with mischief. "Of course not! This is great,
Nerys. It's about time some man swept you off your feet."
Kira mock glared at her as she retrieved her bag from the front of the
house. "He did not 'sweep me off my feet!' Really, Dax, you have the worst
imagination!"
Dax backed off a little, but she was still grinning. "We'll see about
that." She was contemplating her next assault when she was startled by a
loud thud against the back wall. Dax looked alarmed, but Kira reassured her
with a wave of her hand. She raised her voice to carry into the other
room. "Aunt Nehla? You okay in there?"
They were answered with muffled grumbling, followed by an angry, "Yes."
Kira smothered a laugh and motioned Dax into the kitchen. "I'll introduce
you to her later, when she's calmed down. Don't worry about it. She does
that all the time. I'm afraid some day she's going to knock a hole in that
wall." At Dax's quizzical expression, she added more detail. "Aunt Nehla
is a sculptor. She works in clay, and what you just heard was her latest
creation being hurled across the room. She says that there's a sculpture in
her head that she's been trying to create for forty years, but can never get
it right."
Dax smiled. "So, she throws things?"
Kira laughed quietly, preparing tea. "I suppose the temperament runs in
the family. Lucky me, I get an artist's temper, without the talent to go
with it."
Dax glanced at the door to the studio. "How does Hannah react?"
Kira smiled again, in memory. "She thinks nothing of it because she knows
it's not directed at her, and the two of them have a mutual adoration thing
going on. I can't tell you how many days I've come home to find both of
them covered in wet clay."
Jadzia sat down, accepting the cup of tea. "You said that your old friend
Mullibok spends time with Hannah too."
Kira took a long sip, and then smirked. "Mullibok wants to spend time with
Nehla. I don't think he had any intention of getting attached to Hannah,
but he couldn't help it. I swear, that child can get him to do anything!"
Dax shook her head in wonder. "It sounds like little Hannah has more than
one person in that predicament."
Kira laughed again. "Guilty. She is quite possibly the most adorable
little girl ever to live, and I assure you, I am completely unbiased."
Dax laughed too, but stopped suddenly when and angry Nehla flung her studio
door open and stormed into the kitchen, with her distinctive limp. She
stopped as she saw the visitor and gave her niece a reproachful look. "Kira
Nerys, why didn't you tell me we had company?"
Kira swallowed another sip of tea. "I didn't want to disturb you. I
figured you could meet later."
Nehla glared at her. "That would be impolite." She turned to face Dax.
"I'm sorry for not greeting you earlier. You must be Commander Dax. I'm
Nerys's Aunt, Nehla."
Dax stood and shook the older woman's hand, instantly liking her. It was
clear that the gruff exterior covered a heart of mush. "It is a pleasure to
meet you. Nerys has told me so much about you."
Nehla eyed Kira, suspiciously, but smiled in good humor. "She's said some
very nice things about you too." She glanced over at Kira again.
Kira laughed and stood to hug her aunt from behind. "Don't worry, Nehla.
I haven't told anyone about your secret career as a dabo girl."
Nehla, let out a 'humph' of mock annoyance and tried to swat Kira on the
backside, but she twisted gracefully out of reach. "That's enough of you.
Take your friend on a tour of the lands before it gets dark. I have to use
the kitchen to cook in."
Kira planted a quick kiss on the woman's cheek before leading Dax to the
back door. "Yes, ma'am." She smiled at Dax as the two of them walked out
into the late afternoon glow.

"And then your mama took the ship to warp speed, inside a solar system no
less, and blew up the runabout before it could run into the sun! It was a
very brave move, and the Bajoran government gave her a special medal for
it."
Hannah listened to Dax tell stories about her mother with rapt attention.
"Tell the one about the time a vole fell on mama's head again!" Dax's eyes
mirrored the sparkle of her young audience. "But I've told that one two
times already!"
Hannah laughed, clearly enjoying the company far too much to eat her
dinner. "But it's funny!"
Kira groaned and tried vainly to coax Hannah into eating again. "Hannah,
your food is getting cold. You can ask Jadzia more questions after dinner."
Hannah frowned, but quickly perked up when Nick spoke with a grin. "I don't
know. I'm enjoying the topic immensely."
Kira groaned again, not entirely able to keep the smile from her face, as
Hannah seconded his opinion with a "Yeah!"
Dinner took almost two hours as Nehla, Mullibok, Nick and Hannah coaxed
more and more outlandish stories out of Dax. Kira protested when ever Dax's
embellishments went too far, but otherwise let the inquisition continue.
She had to admit, some of the stories really were funny the way Dax told
them.
Finally, the group adjourned to the sitting room and Nick announced that he
had to leave. They all said their goodnights and Kira walked him to his
hover as Dax continued to entertain the others.
"Thanks for coming again, Nick. Hannah loves to spend time with you."
He looked at her wistfully. "Just Hannah?"
Kira's face flushed, and she suddenly realized how close she was standing
to him. Uncomfortable, she tried to back away, but he caught her arms
gently, and lightly pressed his lips to hers. His kiss was soft and
unthreatening, but Kira had a hard time not pushing him away.
After a moment he pulled back, and looked into her eyes, clearly sad. "I'm
sorry, Nerys. I guess I keep hoping you might come to want more from our
friendship."
Kira kept her eyes down, confused and scarred. "I...I'm sorry, Nick. I
just can't..." He reached out to cup her chin, forcing her to look at him.
"I'm a partial empath, Nerys. I can sense what you're feeling. Please,
tell me who hurt you so badly that you're terrified of letting someone get
close?"
A flash of anger ran through her. She didn't like people reading her
thoughts. But he had been very patient with her, and she owed him and
explanation. She just wished she had one to give. "I'm sorry If I've hurt
you in any way. I'm just not ready for that kind of relationship."
He nodded, and gently kissed her on the cheek. "I understand. We'll just
forget this happened, okay? Do you mind if I still come by sometimes?"
Kira shook her head softly. "No, please do. I'd miss you, and I'm sure
Hannah would too."
He nodded again and entered his hover with a wry smile. Kira watched his
hover disappear around the bend and turned to go back into the house, her
head pounding and her heart torn. It was going to be a long night.

PART IV

Kira reentered the house just as Dax finished another story and forced
herself to appear as though nothing had happened. No one believed her
though and there was a noticeable hush over the group. She cleared her
throat. "Hannah, honey. I think it's time for you to go to bed."
Hannah's face dissolved into disappointment, but she could tell that
something was wrong and she didn't protest too much. Kira took her time
settling the child into bed, knowing she'd face an inquisition when she went
back down stairs.
She wasn't disappointed. As soon as she entered the kitchen she was pinned
by three sets of eyes. She sighed and sat down in resignation. "He made a
pass at me, and I turned him down. No fireworks. We decided to just go on
as before. There now you know, happy?"
Nehla and Dax both held their tongues, eager to chide Kira for her
reluctance, but wary of pushing her too far. Mullibok had no such
reservation. "What the hell are you waiting for, girl? The prophets to
send him back from the dead? Well, it ain't ever gonna happen."
Kira sat back, stunned and hurt by the sudden attack. Much to her dismay,
her eyes began to uncontrollably tear up and she was unable to retort.
Nehla glared at Mullibok, silently warning him that he was going to far, but
he refused to acknowledge her and continued. "I've watched you pine over
Odo for years. You used to try and hide it, but now that you have Hannah to
raise, you hide behind your new parental responsibilities instead. Well one
day, Hannah is going to grow up and have a family of her own. Where will
you be then? Let it all go Nerys. You need to move on with your life."
Kira sat stock still, afraid to try her voice. Normally her temper would
have served as a buffer to protect her, but she was already emotionally
depleted when she'd entered and she hadn't expected such a strong reaction.
Nehla moved to sit next to her and wrapped an arm around her. "Mullibok is
right, Nerys...a little blunt, but right. We're worried about you. All we
want is for you to be happy."
Kira turned to face her aunt, brushing away the offending tears. "Then
just leave me alone. I don't need to be told how to run my life." With
that, she stood and walked out the back door.
Dax moved to follow her, but Mullibok stopped her. "Let her go. She needs
to vent a little steam, then she'll be ready to talk."
Dax glared at him. "That was pretty insensitive. She's obviously very
hurt by all this, there was no need to rub salt in her wounds."
Mullibok glared back. "We've been sensitive with her for too long. The
more we walk on eggshells around the subject, the better she gets at
ignoring it. This has to stop, and if you'll pardon the impolite
observation, we are a little more familiar with how she feels right now."
Dax glared even harder annoyed that her classic "Dax intimidation stare"
had so little effect on this man. "I know a little about grief reactions
too and about Nerys in particular. I still think you could have been a
little more understanding."
Nehla stepped in before Mullibok could lose his temper. "We know you do,
Jadzia, but despite his bullish methods, I really think this is the only
way. The time for kid gloves is long past. It hasn't done any good."
Dax backed down, but managed to keep a reproachful eye pointed Mullibok's
way. "I suppose you would know best." She paused and sat back down. "How
long are you going to leave her out there?"
Mullibok shrugged. "I'll go and get her in a little while. Right now she
needs to think things out, maybe even be honest with herself for a change."
Dax looked grimly back at Nehla for confirmation and the older woman
nodded, sadly. It was for the best.

Kira came to an abrupt stop as her legs refused to run any further. She
leaned back against a tree, taking deep breaths of cool evening air. She
slid down the tree to sit on the ground, tears running freely down her face.
Her breathing eventually slowed and she allowed the deep sobs to claim her.
She had never felt so lost in her life. She was a sham and everyone knew
it. Who was she fooling? *I'm an emotional cripple, and I'll never be
anything more. * With that thought, she finally allowed the flood gates to
open and released the torrents of pain she'd bottled up over a lifetime of
loss.
She had no idea how long she sat there, her sobs filling the otherwise
silent night air, but it felt like hours. Finally, feeling emptier than she
had in years, she stopped crying and stared out at the fog-covered lake
before her. Her breath slowed to deep, white clouds in the cool air.
"Feel better?"
She started a little in surprise, but was too weak to acknowledge
Mullibok's presence. He sat down next to her and draped a large cloak over
her. She tried to be angry with him for saying such harsh things to her,
but when she looked into his eyes, she could see how much he cared.
Besides, all her anger shields were gone. She'd never felt more vulnerable
in her life.
Mullibok gazed at her with pained understanding, and wrapped his arms
around her, cradling her against his chest. She leaned against him, drawing
from his comfort greedily. Finally he spoke. "I had a wife once." Kira
was silent as he continued to hold her and speak with uncharacteristic
gentleness. "She was the most important thing in my life, until our two
children were born. Then I had three people to be obsessed with." He
chuckled a little. "You wouldn't have recognized me then, I was so
different." He sighed. "The Cardassians got them all. Not a unique story,
I know, but that's little comfort when it happens to you."
Kira sat up a little, so she could face him. "I'm sorry."
He wiped a stray tear from her face, and shook his head. "It was a long
time ago. I've moved on." She started to speak, but he held his hand up to
stop her. "I was like you for years afterwards. I refused to accept
anything good because I was afraid to leave the past." He chuckled again.
"Believe it or not, you were the one who changed that for me. If you hadn't
yanked me from that moon, I would have withered up there and died. I had no
reason or desire to do anything else. But you were so full of fight and
passion that I started to remember what it felt like to really live. I owe
you that."
Kira leaned away, in thought. "I'm glad I could help you, but..."
"But it's different for you? No, it isn't. Nehla told me how you reacted
to the deaths in your family, you were very...controlled about it, very
practiced. You shut yourself off from any real feeling save work and were
coping just fine until you came across someone who wanted more from you.
Then you ran like a scared rodent. It's not that surprising given the life
that you lived. Then when Odo died, you realized you'd lost the one person
who had reached past all your protective layers and that was worse than all
the other losses combined."
Kira wanted to deny what he was saying but she couldn't even bring herself
to speak. "It's okay, Nerys. Nehla and I both understand. We've both been
there and I assure you this is not the end of the road for you. You will
feel better over time, as long as you accept the past for what it was and
open yourself to new opportunities."
She sniffled. "It's hard..."
He sorted a short laugh. "I never said it was easy, but there's no doubt
in my mind that you'll do it. Nehla and I refuse to let you stay where you
are." He stood and pulled her unsteadily to her feet. "When you forced me
off that moon girl, you accepted me as family. Sorry, there's no going back
now, you're stuck with me."
Kira actually managed a little laugh and leaned in to give him a warm hug.
"Thanks."
Mullibok returned her embrace tightly and then began dragging her back to
the house, his voice gruff. "That's enough with the mushiness, girl. I
don't want to ruin my reputation."
Kira gave a small laugh again and followed him home.

Kira was awakened the next morning when she sensed she was being watched.
She opened her eyes to see two very blue eyes inches from her own. She
smiled a little as she recognized Hannah's way of waking someone she'd been
told not to disturb.
"Are you awake, mama?"
Kira pulled the little girl onto the bed with her and snuggled her close.
She had never been this tired and yet refreshed before in her life.
"Aunt Jadzia and I caught two challas this morning and then we had cake for
breakfast!"
Kira smiled and kissed her cheek, enjoying the simplicity of the little
girl's pleasures.
Nehla entered the room, her voice reproachful. "Hannah! I told you not to
wake your mother. She needs her sleep!"
Hannah defended herself with childlike logic. "I didn't wake her up! She
woke up all by herself."
Kira laughed and gave her daughter another squeeze before sitting up and
stretching. "That's true, Aunt Nehla. She just stared at me until I could
feel her eyes drilling into my skull."
Hannah giggled as she bounced around on the bed. "I did not! My eyes
didn't leave my head once!"
Kira caught her again and stood carrying the child to the door. "Do you
think that Aunt Nehla would bring some coffee into your room for me, so we
can play a game of drallsbar (children's board game)?"
"Oh, yes!" Hannah said with obvious glee as she jumped down and hopped to
her room to set up the game.
Nerys reached back for her robe and faced her curious aunt. "I just want
to spend a few uninterrupted hours with her." She reached out to touch the
older woman's arm, reassuringly. "I feel better, really. I don't think
I've ever felt so drained and tired, but it feels amazingly good."
Nehla nodded and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm glad to hear that, honey.
If you need anything, just let me know. And don't worry about Dax, she and
Mullibok are touring Dakhur this morning. Take your time."
Nerys smiled her thanks and walked to her daughter's room, marveling at the
fact that for the first time in her life the weights holding her down were
finally lifting. It felt wonderful.

Three months later...

The late summer sun set lazily over the horizon as Kira wandered back into
her home. She smiled as she heard Hannah and Mullibok playing a game in the
kitchen. Their laughter cleansed her of the day's frustrations and stress
and she felt immediately refreshed.
She shrugged off her uniform jacket and walked into the kitchen, to be
immediately pounced upon by her four-year-old daughter. "Mama! Why are you
so late? You missed dinner, an' you didn't get to play outside with us."
Kira smiled and hugged the child, sitting down with Hannah securely settled
on her lap. "I'm sorry I'm late honey, but I had some extra work to do. I
promise it won't happen that often."
Hannah seemed satisfied and ran off to get her latest art work for
approval. Mullibok settled back in his chair with a dangerous grin. "The
busy day of a Star Fleet bureaucrat, huh? Twirl a lot of red tape did you?"
Kira gave him a mock glare and rose to retrieve the dinner waiting for her
in the thermal unit. "Shows what you know!"
He chuckled and handed her a glass of tara juice as Hannah returned with
her current masterpiece. "Ms. Gregga says that I'm a good painter an' that I
can use her paint anytime I want to!"
Kira praised her daughter accordingly, as she attempted to discern what the
painting was supposed to be. Hannah was really enjoying her weekly tutoring
sessions and they were finally starting to chart the progress of her
telepathy. "That's really beautiful, honey. Why I haven't seen a painting
this wonderful in a long time. May I keep it?"
"Sure! I made it for you. I thought you would like a picture of Daddy
that you can put in your office. That way you don't have to take the one in
your dresser with you."
Kira's face paled and her heart ached. No one was supposed to know of the
small holo she had of Odo in the drawer by her bed. It would only make them
think she was pining for him again. She wasn't, but no matter how much time
passed, or how far she 'moved on,' she would always miss him terribly.
There was no way to stop that. "That's very sweet of you, Hannah. I'll
treasure it always." She tried to shift the topic as Mullibok and Nehla,
who had come into the room just in time to hear, shared a knowing look.
"What is this over here, honey?"
Hannah frowned. "That's you. Can't you tell?"
Kira looked closer and she could definitely recognize the huge red spot as
her hair and parts of her uniform. The rest was rather...surreal. "Well,
so it is! I can see it very clearly now. I love what you did with my
hair."
"See he's holding your hand, just like when you think about him."
Kira starred at her. She cleared her throat. "You can tell that? When
I'm thinking about him?"
Hannah nodded, surprised that she needed to ask. "Sure. You like to be
with him. I can tell. Me too. I wish he'd come back from the Prophets."
Kira swallowed and prepared to launch into another lecture about how people
don't come back from there, but a glance at the seriousness on Hannah's face
stopped her. There was nothing wrong with wishing. "Me too, honey." She
hugged her. "But now that I have your picture, I can keep him with me
always."
Hannah beamed with pleasure and moved to show the picture to Mullibok as
Nehla sat down next to Kira. "How was your day?"
Kira grimaced and forced herself to eat. "Long and tedious. I'm glad it's
over."
Nehla stood and kissed her lightly on top of her head as she returned to
her studio. "I'm glad you're home. You had a message though, just before
you came in. It's marked urgent."
Kira nodded and smiled a little. "Thanks, I'll get it after I finish here.
I want to spend some time with Hannah and Star Fleet is just going to have
to wait this time."

Two hours later, Kira finally sat down to read her message. She frowned as
she saw Admiral Sisko's face fill the screen. He rarely called her at home
unless it was bad news.
"Hello, Nerys. I'm sorry I missed you at the ops center, but I wanted you
to know right away. We've found some survivors. Odo is alive. As far as I
know he's in pretty good shape too. Apparently, they programmed the escape
pods to scatter in the hopes that a few might survive. All together we
rescued 29 people from two separate systems. It's a miracle they lasted
there more than a year, but they all seem to be reasonably healthy." Sisko
paused and cleared his throat. "Odo's wife was in another escape pod that
was destroyed. He's going to need help dealing with that I'm sure. I know
this is a real surprise, and I want to talk to you in person. Please call me
back, any hour is fine. I'll give you all the details. Sisko out."
Kira sat stunned her emotions erratic. *He's alive. I can't believe he's
alive! * She leaned back in the chair and rubbed her eyes before glancing
up in the direction of the Celestial Temple. "Thank you."

PART VI

Odo stepped into the bright sunlight with a slight wince. Even with a week
of normal lighting, his eyes still rebelled a little. *I suppose a year of
near darkness will do that to you. * He thought glumly.
Dax followed him outside and grabbed one of his two bags, pointing him to
the ground hover station. Odo greatly appreciated that she was accompanying
him on this trip. It made the prospect of facing Nerys and Hannah a little
easier.
He couldn't really understand his conflicting emotions. Part of him was
overjoyed to be able to finally see the two people who had dominated his
thoughts during the past year. He longed to see Hannah so much he had
trouble sitting still sometimes and Nerys...he hadn't even seen her in
years, but his love and desire for her only seemed to increase during the
separation.
Yet despite that, he was nervous. Hannah had to have grown a lot, and
there was a chance she might not remember things about their relationship
before. Plus he had to explain to her why he came back when her mother
didn't.
Then there was the issue of Nerys's relationship with Hannah. Dax had left
no detail out of her description of the close bond between the two. What
was he supposed to do? He * needed * to be with his daughter, but if Nerys
loved her as much as Dax said she did (and deep down he knew that was true),
how could he separate them?
The truth was, he didn't want to separate them at all. He had often had
fantasies about Hannah and Nerys together. He couldn't help it. They were
the two people who meant the most to him, even if they had never laid eyes
on each other.
Shana, although she was his wife in name, never really filled the hole in
his wounded heart. He had thought she did for a short while, but reality
had eventually set in and he was forced to admit to himself that he loved
only one woman, and it wasn't his wife. He'd never know if Shana suspected
he loved someone else, or if she simply realized she didn't love him either,
but shortly after Hannah's birth she began to distance herself. After the
accident, she became a different person entirely.
It bothered him a little that he was unable to help her deal with the
psychological pain caused by the accident, but she was so uncooperative that
as time went on, he just wasn't interested anymore. His feelings for Nerys
never dimmed though, and he was as nervous and excited about seeing her, as
he was Hannah.
Dax smiled at him in understanding as she drove the hover to Kira's house
and he gave silently thanks again for her being there. At least he knew she
could act as a buffer until things got straightened out, or at least he
hoped so.

Kira smoothed her perfectly straight skirt one more time, her hands clammy.
The past week had been a jumble of joy and fear for her, and the strain was
finally starting to show. She was unbelievably happy that Odo was alive.
She'd wished for that so many times over the past year that she couldn't
believe it was really true.
The more she thought about him the more she longed to see him again. She
counted the minutes until his arrival. But nagging fear also plagued her.
Odo was Hannah's father. It was his right to raise her, and the adoption was
be practically nullified by his return. Intellectually, she knew that was
only right, but the thought of losing Hannah sent her stomach into revolt.
On top of that, there was a good chance that Odo didn't care for her
anymore. After all, it had been six years since she'd seen him and he had
married another woman. If there was nothing between them anymore and he
wanted to live somewhere else...she couldn't bring herself to think about
it. It was just too painful.
Going back to her life the way it was before Hannah was just not an option.
She hadn't realized the extent of her devotion to the child and the new
happiness in her life until it was threatened. She needed to know that she
would always be Hannah's mother. She * needed * that. But, Odo had the
final say. It was up to him.
She sighed, her feelings switching gears again. * Prophets, I can't wait
to see him. *

"We're here, Odo. What do you think?"
Odo pulled himself from his thoughts and looked out the window at the
elegant house. "It's...lovely."
Dax smiled, stepped out of the hover and waved to the woman who opened the
front door. Odo stepped out too, and was startled to see a small, blond
child bound towards him. "Daddy!"
Hannah launched herself into his arms and he held her as tightly as he
dared. He hadn't realized how much he'd really missed her until that
moment. He fought back the annoying tears that entered his eyes, but
eventually gave up the struggle and let them roll down his cheeks.
After a few long moments, Hannah pulled back to examine his face. "You
look sleepy an' your hair is different. Did you have fun on that planet?"
Odo was still too overwhelmed to speak, so he gave her another tight hug
for a minute before answering. "I missed you too much to have a good time.
Stand up for me and let me see how much you've grown."
Hannah readily complied, stretching as tall as she could. "Mama says if I
grow any faster she's just going to rent me clothes." She added with a
giggle.
Odo laughed softly, amazed at the transformation in his normally reserved
daughter. Suddenly Hannah's eyes lit up. "Do ya wanna see my challa
collection? I have nine right now!"
Odo smiled quizzically, surprised at her choice of pets. "Sure, honey."
Hannah darted back inside before he could ask any more questions and an
older couple, he assumed had to be Nehla and Mullibok introduced themselves.
He greeted them somewhat absently, looking around for any sign of Nerys.
Nerys had watched the reunion from the door, frozen at the mere sight of
him. She forced herself to move outside though when Odo begin to look
around expectantly. He saw her the moment she stepped through the door,
immediately noticing her red rimmed eyes and wet cheeks. * Prophets, she's
even more beautiful than I remembered.* Unconsciously they moved closer
until they were standing only a small distance apart. He swallowed.
"I...uh...It's really good to see you again, Nerys."
She nodded, a lump clogging her throat as she greedily stared at him. "You
too."
Odo couldn't stand it any longer and stepped forward to pull her into a
bear hug. Nerys immediately wrapped her arms around him, slowly tightening
her grip until it was hard for him to breathe. He was too happy to care
about such trivial things as breathing and returned the embrace with equal
fervor.
They stayed that way for several long minutes before they were pulled back
to reality by Hannah's insistent voice. "Daddy! Look at my collection!"
The two adults broke apart trying to regain their composure as Hannah
prepared to remove the lid on her cage. "No, honey! Don't open it out
here!" Kira's warning came two seconds too late as the challas leapt from
the cage to freedom. Hannah's face fell. "No! They're running away!"
The adults dropped to their knees attempting to grab the leaping
amphibians, with little success. After several frantic minutes, they
managed to recapture three of the nine animals. Kira recognized the
expression on Hannah's face and prepared for an onslaught of tears. "Now,
sweetheart. It's okay. They were ready to go anyway. They're all grown up
now." Hannah's bottom lip began to quiver. "Really, honey. You were very
helpful to them when they were growing, but now they need to go home. You
know that."
Hannah looked up at her with big, sad, blue eyes, obviously unconvinced.
Kira gave up explaining and wrapped the child in a tight hug. After a few
moments, Odo cleared his throat and both looked at him, surprised. "I'm
sorry you lost your pets, Hannah. Maybe we can find some more."
Hannah sniffled once, but nodded and moved into Odo's arms again. "Will
you help me, Daddy?"
He smiled, feeling better than he had in years. "I can't say I'm very good
at it, but I'll certainly try." Hannah smiled, happy again.
Nehla moved forward and patted Hannah on the back. "Why don't you come
inside and help Mullibok and I get the cake ready for your daddy."
Hannah scrambled down and hoped to the house, already on her new mission.
Mullibok and Nehla chucked as they followed her inside and Dax gave Kira a
quick hug before following too.
Suddenly alone, a blanket of unease settled over Odo and Kira. Odo spoke
first. "I can't believe all the changes in Hannah. It's almost like she's
a different child." Kira looked suddenly nervous and he quickly clarified.
"I don't mean that in a bad way at all. She's just much more open and
energetic. I assure you, I couldn't be happier."
Kira relaxed a bit. "I didn't do anything unusual with her, she's seems
naturally that way." They both moved to sit on the front step.
"Well, she wasn't that way on the Normandy...actually, I guess she sort of
was, but only in for short spurts." He rubbed his chin in thought.
"Actually, now that I think about it, she got quieter as her mother got..."
He paused, not realizing what he'd been saying. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be
talking about that right now, I suppose." He cleared his throat. "So how
are you, Nerys. You look wonderful."
Kira blushed a little at the compliment. "I've been just fine. Work is
same as always, but Hannah makes it all..." She paused too, not wanting to
pressure him.
He reached out and clasped her hand, gently. "Don't worry, Nerys. I
promise not to yank Hannah away from you. As far as I'm concerned, when you
adopted Hannah, you became her mother. I plan to treat you accordingly."
Kira tried not to show the relief on her face, but he caught it. "I
appreciate that, Odo. I'd be lying if I said that hadn't worried me a
little. She is your daughter, but I love her as much as if she was mine
too."
Odo smiled and tightened his grip on her hand. "That is very obvious,
Nerys." They stared at each other for a moment, the conversation lapsing as
each basked in the other's presence. Finally, Hannah interrupted them.
"Aunt Nehla says the cake is ready. It's chocolate!" Both adults laughed
and followed the child into the house.
Odo drank in the warmth and style of the old house. He could see why
Hannah was so relaxed here. There was an immediate quality about the place
that set you at ease. Hannah again caught his attention again as she pulled
him to a small pile of treasures she'd gathered to show him.
He praised and examined them all with his notorious attention to detail,
enjoying the presence of his daughter, as well as her laughter and
enthusiasm. After a few minutes she moved to sit on his lap, her face more
serious than before. "Are you going to come live with us, Daddy?"
All the adults stopped in mid-stride at the unexpected question. After a
moment, Kira stepped up and kissed the little girl's cheek. "Hannah
honey...your Daddy needs to be with you all the time."
Hannah frowned, confused. "So he IS going to live here?"
Mullibok stepped forward and offered Hannah another piece of cake. "Your
Mama and Daddy still need to talk about that. Here have some more cake."
Easily bribed, Hannah and the others followed him back into the kitchen
leaving Odo and Kira alone again. Kira wrung her hands for a moment before
gathering the courage to ask him what she needed to know. "Have you decided
what you want to do now?"
Odo looked into her uncertain eyes nervously. "No...I haven't had much
time, but I did ask to be transferred here to Bajor. I thought it would be
easier that way."
The first real smile crossed Kira's face since he'd arrived. "Really?
That's wonderful. I was hoping you'd want to do something like that."
Warmed by her happy reception, Odo relaxed a little and Kira finally
broached the question she really wanted to ask. "I...I mean, Nehla and
I...we've been wondering if you might want to stay here for a while."
He looked at her, uncertainly. "You mean for a few days? I thought Dax
had arranged that with you for this week..."
Kira shook her head. "No, that's not what I meant. I mean on sort of a
permanent basis, or for as long as it takes to work things out with Hannah
and us." She held up her hands. "Please, don't feel obligated to accept.
You don't even have to answer now, just think about it. There's plenty of
room. There's almost an entire suite behind Nehla's studio that's basically
unused. I know how much you value your privacy, so we would make extra
sure that you weren't disturbed when you were there, we could even put locks
on the doors if you like..."
Odo cut off her speech with a gentle finger on her lips. He'd intended
only to stop her recitation of what was obviously a well-planned speech, but
the contact sent a charge through both of them. He was forced to remove his
hand, least his reaction become too obvious. He cleared his throat again.
"I'd love to stay here, Nerys, for all the reasons you just gave, and
because I want to be with both you and Hannah. We all need time to settle
into this situation."
Kira recovered herself quickly when he accepted, and her face broke into
the delighted smile that had always melted his heart. "Oh, that's great,
Odo. I can't tell you how much that pleases me. Now don't worry, we'll
work out everything, and you won't be inconvenienced at all. I promise"
Odo chuckled as he motioned her towards the kitchen. "Don't worry about
inconveniencing me, Nerys. That is the least of my worries. Now lets go
tell Hannah."
Nerys smiled even wider as they joined the others.

PART VII

Two months later...

"Are you ready yet?" Odo dropped his boot in surprise as Nerys appeared in
his bedroom doorway. He refused to allow her smug, playful smile to affect
him.
"You are just be late today too. It's your fault after all." He followed
his statement with his patented scowl. Nerys only smiled wider and held her
hands up in an exaggerated sign of innocence.
"Hey, don't blame me. I told you not to eat Mrs. Callah's rembatts stew,
but nooo, you had to do it anyway."
Odo harrumphed as he stood and faced the mirror for final adjustments.
"You set it up so I'd look like a coward if I didn't!"
Nerys chuckled and moved behind him to place comforting hands on his
shoulders for a moment, chagrin toying with the humor in her eyes. "Okay,
you're right. I did set you up a little, but you didn't have to ask for
seconds! That was entirely your fault."
He could see her grin in the mirror and felt his stomach tighten at the
sight. The past two months had been a combination of joy and torture for
him. He awoke each day delighted to see her face, and went to bed each
night longing for morning. He swallowed deeply, forcing the thoughts away
before she noticed. He turned and favored her with mock gruffness. "Well?
What are we waiting for? You know I hate being late to work."
She leaned back and glared at him, playfully. "I was ready half an hour
ago. Hannah and I even read a story together." She moved to the door and
he followed, enjoying the mere sight of her as he did every morning.
"Not everyone got as much sleep as you did." He grumbled. She chucked
again, gathering the items she was taking to work. Odo took the moment to
shower his daughter with brief, but powerful affection and Nehla handed him
a small container.
"Breakfast. Don't worry, it's mild." The older woman shook her head she
departed. "And next time, don't listen to Nerys."
Ten minutes later they were riding in the hover car to the command center.
They each spent three days a week at the command center and the rest of the
time they were able to work from a home office. It was only logical to
"carpool" on the one day they overlapped. Or that's the reason they told
everyone. The truth was they really enjoyed the chance to be alone. With
Hannah present, that rarely happened.
Odo settled back in his seat and closed his eyes. They had attended a
small festival the night before in the nearest town and he had been
good-naturedly goaded into overindulging.
Kira glanced at him from the driver's seat. "How're you feeling?"
He answered with out opening his eyes. "I'm fine now. Just tired."
Kira reached over and squeezed his hand for a moment. "You're a good sport,
Odo."
He harrumphed again causing her to smile in delight. She hadn't realized
how much she missed even his grumpiness until she got him back. He was so
cute sometimes. "Are you going to the meeting with Admiral Hanson today?"
He opened his eyes at the mention of work. "No. I have to finish the
Danatars investigation report." He gave her a smug smile. "I managed to
convince the Admiral that was more important."
Kira groaned with a small laugh. "Lucky you. I swear I've never met
anyone who loved meetings so much."
She was favored with a low, raspy chuckle as Odo returned to dozing. "The
trials of command staff." Kira swatted his leg softly and he chuckled
again.
After a few moments of comfortable silence, Odo yawned and looked over at
Kira. "You never told me what you talked to Hannah's teacher about
yesterday."
"Oh, nothing new. She just wanted to give us an update on Hannah's
telepathy. Apparently, she progressing very quickly, but they still don't
think she's a full telepath." Her face broke into a grin. "Actually, she
spent most of the time telling me what a joy Hannah is to work with, and how
bright and sweet she is. I of course told her how insightful you and I
think she is a teacher."
Odo's face warmed a little with a smile. "I agree completely." They spent
the rest of the trip in silence, simply enjoying the other's presence.

"Hello, Nerys."
Kira looked up in surprise. She was just getting ready to track down Odo
for the trip home. "Nick?" She forced a happy smile. "It's good to see
you again. How have you been?"
Nick smiled back, and they embraced awkwardly. "I was in the capitol for a
medial conference and decided to stop by and see how Hannah is doing? Is
her leg getting better?"
Kira backed away as much as she dared without offending him. "She's
getting much better, thanks to your treatments. The local doctor is
administering them right on schedule."
He smiled at her his eyes, melancholy. "I miss seeing the two of you." He
cleared his throat. "I heard about her father's rescue. Is that working
out?"
Kira nodded, trying to ignore the obvious discomfort surrounding them.
"We're still working out the details, but so far everything is great."
"Alright, Nerys. Shut it all down, I'm not letting you work lat..." Odo
stopped in mid-sentence as he rounded the door and saw the visitor in Kira's
office. "I'm sorry, Captain. I didn't know you were occupied." The two
men eyed each other with barely restrained hostility, each having instantly
sized up the other as a rival.
Kira cleared her throat, nervously. "Nick, I'd like you to meet Odo. Odo,
Nick is the doctor who helped Hannah so much."
Odo pushed some of his instantaneous dislike of the man away when he heard
that, but not all of it. "Thank you, Doctor. Hannah is feeling much
better."
Nick smiled, this time without the warmth. "Don't mention it. Hannah is a
very special girl. I'm just happy to see her getting better."
The silence drew long as the two men continued to size each other up. Kira
cleared her throat again and hastily shut down her workstation. "I really
hate to run, Nick, but Odo and I have plans with Hannah tonight and we're
going to be late."
Nick looked back at her one more time, seeing the definite answer in her
eyes. He forced himself to smile. "I understand. I just wanted to say
hello. It was nice meeting you, Odo."
Odo accepted his handshake with all the warmth he usually reserved for
criminals. "It was nice to meet you too, doctor. Thank you again for
helping Hannah."
Nick nodded once more then left. As his form moved out of sight, Kira
sighed and flopped into her chair again, her voice sarcastic. "Well, that
was fun."
Odo was still for a long moment, before facing her. The fear in his eyes
was hard to hide. Kira met his eyes and held them for a long moment, trying
to convey her feelings without words. Finally, she rose and shut her office
door, leaving them alone.
"There is nothing between me and Nick, Odo."
Odo relaxed a little internally, but his natural insecurity refused to go
away entirely. He looked down, uncomfortable. "You don't owe me an
explanation, Nerys."
She moved closer, frustrated. "I think I do. Don't you want me too?"
He looked up again, catching her eyes and seeing his anguish and fear
echoed there. It reassured him some. "I don't want to presume anything."
Kira moved even closer, clasping his hands. "You aren't presuming
anything, Odo. I...I want to work out our future, you, Hannah and me. I
don't have the time or the inclination for anything else right now."
Odo accepted her explanation and squeezed her hands in return, only
slightly appeased. "Well, speaking of Hannah, I think we need to head
home."
Kira nodded and grabbed her belongings, silently cursing Nick for messing
up the comfortable atmosphere between she and Odo. Unlike the morning
drive, the evening trip was filled with unspoken tension.

Hannah greeted them at the door, hugging them both, her small face
dissolving to a frown as soon as she sensed their emotions. It was becoming
harder and harder to keep things from the child.
"What's wrong, Mama?"
Kira kissed the little girl again trying to control her emotions better.
"Nothing's wrong, honey. Daddy and I just had a rough day and we're tired.
But don't worry though, now that we're home I feel all better."
Hannah looked at her skeptically, but eventually returned her fierce hug.
Odo gave the child a similar story and then proceeded to tickle her until
she forgot about any unpleasantness.
Kira watched Odo playing with his daughter and felt much of her tension slip
away. What was the matter with her? She knew how she felt about Odo; there
was no longer any doubt of that. Plus, over the past two months she'd
become certain that he felt the same way. What were they waiting for? *
The man I love is sitting just a few meters away from me, worried that I
might care for another man, and I'm not doing anything to convince him
otherwise. This passive attitude isn't like me."
A small smile crossed her face as a plan formed in her mind. She moved to
the couch and sat down next to him, making sure their legs touched. Then
she *accidentally* leaned against him as she joined in tickling the child on
his lap. Odo stiffened for a moment and then leaned back and casually
placeing his arm along the back of the couch, allowing her to get even
closer if she wanted to. She spared him a warm smile before leaning even
further into his side and refocusing her attention on Hannah. After a few
moments Odo lowered his arm to wrap it around her shoulders.
They sat that way for a few minutes enjoying Hannah's animated description
of how Mullibok fell into a thistle bush when Nehla finally summoned them to
dinner and Hannah darted to the table, leaving them alone. Odo tightened
his arm around her briefly then stood and offered her his hand to help her
stand. She took his hand and they walked to dinner, again shrouded in
tension, but this time neither of them minded.

For Odo the evening was one of the longest of his life. He hadn't realized
just how crowded the house was until that night. To make matters worse,
Nerys kept sending sensual looks his way causing him to have difficulty
concentrating on anything else. All he wanted to do was talk to her alone,
but no matter how many tactics he tried, someone always ended up with them.
He even felt guilty for wishing Hannah would just go to bed already. He'd
never put any desire ahead of her before and it felt strange. Also, there
was a lingering doubt in his mind that he might be misinterpreting Nerys's
actions. Perhaps she was just trying to cheer him up and convince him that
he was more important to her than that doctor fellow. Maybe she was just
being nice, and not indicating that she wanted to...he wasn't even sure what
she wanted to do.
He knew what he wanted, but he shouldn't presuppose his desires on her. He
sighed in frustration as he lost another game piece to Mullibok. He wasn't
even sure how he'd been roped into playing a board game and his mind was
clearly elsewhere.
"You are about to lose this skirmish, Odo. Got other conquests on your
mind, eh?" Mullibok favored him with a knowing smirk. The old man was
entirely too observant for Odo's taste sometimes. He forced himself to look
back at the game board and ignore the sounds of Nerys giving Hannah a bath
upstairs. "I had a busy day and I'm tired. That's all."
Mullibok gave a short, sarcastic laugh accompanied by a smirk. "Sure, if
that's what you want us to believe." The two men moved game pieces in
silence for a few minutes, only looking up as they heard a splash, followed
by a giggle, immediately followed by an irate comment, "Hannah! Stop
splashing! I'm warning you young lady!"
They chuckled for a minute and Mullibok leaned back in his chair, his hands
behind his head. "You know what used to work for me when I was your age?"
Odo looked up sharply, his face a model of warning intimidation. That look
had cowed Admirals and heads of state, but of course had no effect on the
older man across from him. If anything it only made him smile wider.
Prophets he was annoying. "I suppose you're going to tell me no matter what
I say."
Mullibok chucked again. "It's not my fault you need so much advice."
Odo snorted in disgust. "Or mine that you're so nosy."
Mullibok slapped his leg as he laughed. "Now you just listen to me boy and
I'll solve all your problems. All you have to do is understand women.
Women want to be in control, but they also want a man who's willing to take
charge and the two impulses play against each other confusing both them and
us. The key is to find that thin line where they feel comfortable* letting*
you take charge. Now don't get me wrong. The man is never really in
charge; it's just a sort of illusion the couple plays along with 'cause it
makes both of them feel better. Any man who thinks he can truly control a
relationship is a fool."
Odo continued to gaze at him, arms crossed, face filled with practiced
disdain. Mullibok wasn't the least put off. "Now on top of that, Nerys is
more difficult than most women. She isn't the type to let anyone lead her
around, and by the same token, she hates a man who'd let her lead him
around. That makes the line you have to walk with her even more narrow. The
fact that's she's so much in love with you makes all the difference though.
You aren't going to have to do too much to win her over. She WANTS you to."
Odo shifted uncomfortably in his seat and rolled his eyes. He was getting
increasingly interested in what Mullibok was saying, but he'd be dammed if
he let him know it. "You need to take her to a place that is conducive to
romance then maneuver her into the correct mood. It shouldn't be all that
hard if your pick the right place. Then if I'm right about women, and I
always am, she should fall right into your arms."
Mullibok sat back with a satisfied grin on his face and Odo had to restrain
himself from laughing out loud. "What makes you such an expert? I don't
see you showering Nehla with flowers and romantic dinners."
Mullibok waved his comment off. "Oh, I don't bother with all that nonsense
any more. I don't have the time to waste. These days I go for the
straightforward approach. Plus, you don't know everything about Nehla and
me. We have our own ways." He added a small wink at the end of his
statement.
Odo rolled his eyes again and looked up as Nerys finally reentered the
room. She stretched her back as she came towards them and then pushed her
damp hair out of the way. "That Hannah. I swear, every time I think I can
predict her behavior she changes on me."
Odo smiled and moved over so she could sit next to him. "How much water
did she splash on you?"
Nerys smiled and yawned. "Oh, not too much I suppose, it was just a
surprise. She went right to sleep though; I only had to tell the vole story
once. That was a nice change."
They all chuckled for a moment and Nerys stood again. "I think I'll turn
in. It's been a long day." She addressed Mullibok. "Is Nehla still in her
studio?" He nodded. "I'll say goodnight on my way up."
Odo murmured goodnight and watched her leave with dismay. He really needed
to talk to her...or at least to be alone with her for a little while. He
sighed and absently moved a game piece again. Oh well, he'd just have to
wait another day. He was used to it.

Twenty minutes later he'd finally managed to lose the game and made his
escape from Mullibok. He slowly moved to the back of the house where his
rooms were and grimaced as he saw Mullibok enter the art studio followed by
a sharp whisper from Nehla. "Mullibok! Stop that. Not here!" *Damn the
man and his 'I know all there is to know about women.' *
He stopped suddenly when he noticed a light on underneath the door to his
room. It had been dark when he'd left. Warily he pushed the door open.
"Took you long enough. I almost fell asleep." Odo continued to stand in
the doorway, stunned. The room was bathed in soft, scented, candlelight and
the bedclothes were turned back on the bed... both sides. He took all this
in with a glance before focusing on the woman lying on the bed. Never in
his wildest dreams had he expected her to do something like this. Well
okay, to be honest he had dreamt about it, but he never thought it could
ever happen this way!
He drank in every inch of her gentle curves, so provocatively displayed in
her plain, but silky black negligee. He finally moved his gaze back to her
eyes, surprised to see the sudden uncertainty there. She sat up, swinging
her legs over the edge.
"Look Odo, if I misinterpreted your feelings, I'm really sorry..."
His eyes widened at her words. "No! Of course not! I couldn't be
happier..."
He relaxed a little, the blush fading some from her cheeks. She continued
looking at him expectantly and after a moment stood, self-consciously.
"Then why are you still in the doorway?"
Odo started at her question and moved clumsily into the room, closing the
door behind him. "I...didn't realize I was still there...I just was
surprised and I didn't know..."
Nerys's face broke into a delightful smile as she recognized his that his
nervousness had nothing to do with reluctance. Reassured that she was doing
the right thing, she moved to him and unceremoniously wrapped him up in a
big hug. After a second of surprise he returned her embrace hungrily.
Finally, she pulled back to face him, her smile much more seductive.
"I don't want to play games, Odo. And I don't expect you to do anything
special or mushy like they do in books. I just want to be with you. I want
to know that you are the other half of my soul, and that I can always count
on you to be there, even when I'm old and gray."
Odo smiled fully for the first time since he entered the room, and pulled
her tightly against him, his eyes still tied to hers. "That I promise to be
and do, to the absolute best of my ability."
Nerys laughed at his choice of words and rested her forehead on his. "You
don't have to take an oath of office, Odo, but I accept your pledge and
promise to do the same in return." She moved back to look at him again.
"Now, we can do what ever you want to, or not. All I ask is that we stop
pretending we don't want to be more than friends and get on with it. I
can't take the wait any longer."
Odo smiled a little again and moved his hands up and down her back
sensually, his tone serious. "I love you, Nerys. I always have and I
always will." She shuddered at the intense feeling generated by his words.
"And for the record, I want to do... as much as you are willing to do...I
mean...I really want you...I want to..."
Nerys forced back her amusement and placed a finger on his lips to stop his
awkward statement. "I love you too, Odo, more than I've ever loved anyone
in my life. I want you to always know that." She smiled again, this time
with a hint of mischief. "As for the rest, you don't think I make a habit
of showing up in someone's bed, do you?"
He groaned as she slowly ran her hands through his hair. "No, I do
hope...ah, um... that you feel free to in the future, as long as it's my
bed of course."
Nerys smiled at him again as her hands, like his, continued their
exploration. "I have no desire to be anywhere els..."
He cut off her statement with a deep kiss that shattered any thought of
conversation.

EPILOGUE...

"Mama, it's fine...really."
"Just stand still, Hannah! It'll only take a minute." Hannah scrunched up
her face in protest causing her mother to smile. No matter how old she
became, she would always look like the same little girl to her. She made
one final adjustment to the graduation robe and stepped back. "There, much
better. You don't want to lose half of it when you make your speech."
Hannah rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. "Thank you, mother. Now I have
something else to worry about. You know how much I hate public speaking."
Nerys took her daughter's face in her hands and kissed her cheek, her eyes
moist. "Hannah, honey. Your father and I are so proud of you. We wouldn't
care if you tripped over the podium and lost your skirt during the speech.
We'd still be proud of you, DOCTOR Kira."
Hannah's eyes moistened a little and she gave her mother a quick hug and a
short laugh. "No, mama really. Please stop trying to make me less nervous.
Any more help and I'll be so scared I'll get sick."
Nerys laughed and looked her daughter over again. "Oh, I didn't say we
wouldn't record the incident though for future family entertainment."
Hannah looked mildly shocked. "Mama!"
"Hey, I have the recorder right here, want to try a dress rehearsal?"
Hannah and Nerys turned to glare at the tall auburn-haired young man in the
doorway. Hannah waggled her finger at him in good humor. "Don't you even
think about it, Evan! Mama, don't let him do the recording! You know he'll
add all sorts of vile comments."
He put on an elaborate hurt look. "You wound me, sister! I only
editorialize when appropriate." His lips twisted into a devilish grin. "Or
exceptionally boring."
Nerys laughed and took an arm of each of her two oldest children. "No more
squabbling, you two. Or you'll force me to get creative." Hannah and Evan
both made faces of mock terror and then laughed at the suggestion. They
were very familiar with their mother's 'creative punishments.' Their father
had often joked that all of her artistic ability must have been funneled
there.
Odo burst through the door, irritation on his face. "What's taking so
long? We're going to be late!" Nerys favored her husband with a
combination of exasperation and humor. "We're coming! And we aren't going
to be late, we have plenty of time. Relax."
Odo stiffened. "I am relaxed." He folded his arms defiantly. "As long
as we're not late."
A teenaged girl with the same auburn hair of her mother and bright blue
eyes of her father darted into the room, her face alight with excitement.
"I just saw one of the new shakaar class fighters fly over the capitol! It
was so sleek and smooth! If we hurry maybe we can see them practicing the
ceremonial stunts." With that she darted back out the door, eagerness
evident in every motion.
Evan chuckled. "I swear if she heard you could have wings surgically
implanted, she'd do it."
Odo joined his son's laughter and Hannah hit Evan on the arm. "I thought
religious men were supposed to be kind and gentle. What are they teaching
you at that seminary?"
Odo chuckled even louder and Nerys grabbed his arm, affectionately. What
are you standing here for? We're going to be late!"
He favored her with a dry expression and then a small smile before leading
his family out the door to the hover car.

The End

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deal. Thanks.