This is my very first fanfiction... I kindly ask you be gentle, generous, encouraging... I admit its not really any good. Maybe more bad than good. But I had fun writing it so I hope you have some measure of fun reading it if you can tolerate doing so. Mistakes of spelling and grammar are a work in progress as is learning to use the site. Thank you for your patience... or at least trying to be polite about it.

I removed this before because I felt it did not quite meet the guidelines for the community in format. A dear friend and more or less muse of mine very encouraged me to rewrite and repost it. So here it is.

Chapter 1: Prelude

"Doctor Julian Bashir personal log stardate 53493.3. It has been several months since Captain Sisko has disappeared to be with the wormhole aliens. Despite best efforts to communicate with the wormhole aliens or mount rescue attempts have been futile. Other than a brief vision that Sisko's wife Cassidy claims there has been no contact. Chief O'Brien and I had been working with Captain Sisko who had given his blessing for our quest to search out and destroy Section 31. Though since the death of Sloan all our leads have run to a dead end. Literally. It is almost like the man I did the autopsy on was an unperson. Almost no substantive record could be found and the ones I did find seemed too bland for the kind of man Sloan was. His body was sent back to Earth for burial at the request of relatives. Ezri says that maybe I will have to face facts I lost the only lead I had to save Odo. O'Brian and I have some leave coming up we intend to go on a grand tour of Earth. Stand at the Alamo as we said. Maybe that will refresh my outlook on this and life. I haven't decided if I want to see my father on this trip yet, I have kept up with him in letter form, it seems that he has had a bit of a clarion call about his life, and surprisingly apart of his vocational rehabilitation he is working with the United Earth government for a memorial monument commemorating the Dominion War. A war that I am all too glad is finally over."

Ezri stood in the doorway to the infirmary looking at Doctor Bashir with a grin before interrupting, "I hope I am not interrupting?" A bit startled, he suspected she was there, maybe he felt it, but replying quickly turning around "OH! No. Never. I was just finishing up some reports." "Looking forward to seeing O'Brian again?" Ezri walked to Bashier sitting on the panel in front of him. "Yes... you were standing there a bit eh? "Okay you caught me. I walked in on you mentioning Sloan." "You do the battle of Thermoply with me why not join me in searching out Section 31 with me. I can't tell you the great time Miles and I had doing it."
Ezri rolled her eyes at Bashier's half-sarcasm half-sincerity. "Is that because it wasn't a great time?" Bashir coyly looked down and back up to Ezri. "Well if you don't mind we have a date and this time I've picked where." Bashir ginned "Oh and what did we choose?" "No what 'I' chose. Unless you changed your mind."
Bashir leaned back grinning more waving his arms as if conceding,"Alright alright. What did you choose?"
Ezri stood up pulling Bashier up, "You will see." Ezri leaned in as Bashir at the same time pulled her closer as they kissed Bashir and Ezri gazed into each other's eyes for a moment before he announced "Alright lets go!"

The holosuite program ended with Ezri in a beautiful flowing dress and Bashir in a dashing zorro costume. Ezri smiled taking the mask off his face. Bashir taking the mask as they exited the holosuite, "I've never even heard of this zorro before." Ezri pushed on him a bit, "The more you live the more you learn."

As they walked out of Quark's holosuite as they started to descend down the winding stairway to the bottom level of Quark's. Chitchatting as they went.

"So that's all you have to say about the program?"
Bashir rolled his eyes back thinking about what to say, "Well it just seems unrealistic. I am so used to doing holo programs that are realistic." "Like your spy programs?" "Well. True. But." "But nothing."
Bashir was caught and he knew it, so putting together the best argument together on how it was absurd even though she had him cornered, "Faking my own death to escape a prison? Frankly I am surprised they had that in the program. I knew I was safe but imagine all the people it will give nightmares to. Buried alive." Ezri chuckled knowing she had won with such a weak argument from him,"More business for me then!"
Bashir and Ezri were in the turolift as he was walking her back to her quarters, "More like more WORK for you then." Ezri decided to be generous, they were in love after all, at least she thinks they were with all the host feelings and memories sometimes she got a bit mixed up still internally but no reason to share this factoid, "Yes you caught me but I wanted to do something that wasn't about war or battles. Something a little more romantic and creative. Something we both could potentially enjoy." Bashir nodded, "I just was wondering why we couldn't do the battle of britan, the alamo, or a spy program?" Ezri nodding now too even though she wasn't looking to Bashir, "I suppose. I suppose we could try it. You tried my program it is only fair that I try yours. But can we take it easy. Not the battle of Britan, I get flashbacks of the shuttle accident." "Okay then the Alamo?" "Guns going off. Reminds me too much of the Domnion war." "Ah! Well how about a spy program?" Ezri nodded, "I think I can manage that." The professional and doctor side of Bashir was activated hearing her issues, real issues, with his programs. Part of him felt like they shouldn't do it at all. "Well you know if it is too much trouble we don't" "No I insist." Ezri paused, "At least I think. Yes I insist. Well. Yes." The turbolift stopped as they walked out chitchatting a bit more.

Now at Ezri's quarters, more a formality and blurred line now as Bashir and Ezri became much more close, Ezri waved as Bashir walked away back to his quarters. As he faked his own death something lurked in his mind, what if Sloan faked his own death, but that would be impossible wouldn't it? He had turned Sloan's body nearly inside out and shook it during the autopsy. O'Brian seemed to have a hard time believing a man who could fake disintegration so expertly and leave no trace, even fooling the Romulans who found everything that one would expect after a disintegration and no trace of a transporter. Maybe he needed to see Sloan's grave and touch it to see that he is in fact dead beyond any shadow of doubt to settle this lurking thought in the back of his mind. He would soon have the chance too with his trip to Earth in a few days.