"You always said I looked good in a tuxedo."
She straightens his bowtie and smiles at him through the tears that are threatening to spill down her face at any minute. "You do."
"Then this is the way I want you to remember me." So dignified, so noble. So very typical Odo. It's exactly how she'll remember him.
"I'll never forget you," she says. The pain she's feeling is echoed in his eyes. They're both determined to be strong, to rejoice in the happiness they found rather than the sadness of knowing it has come to an end. Neither one of them is going to make this any more difficult than it already is by breaking down. It's one of the hardest things she's ever done.
He tenderly brushes her cheek one last time and then he's saying, "Goodbye Neyrs." She holds on to his hand as he goes, wanting beyond belief to yank him back to her, not let this happen, not let him go. But she doesn't. And he disappears into the link.
She stares at link for a while, watching as the sickly green sea slowly turns to gold. Then she goes back to the runabout leaving a piece of her heart behind. The voyage home is spent in a daze. By the time the familiar sight of the station appears in front of her, she has, not moved on exactly, never that, but pulled herself together enough to be functional. And that's all she cares about or needs for now.
-A month later-
"Why am I here Bashir?" Kira growls in frustration as she sits on the bio bed. "I really don't have time for this right now."
"Relax Commander," the doctor says in his best calm-the-cantankerous-patient voice. "I told you, Starfleet wants updated full physicals on record for everyone. That includes you. This shouldn't take long." She grumbles again and lets out a mild curse but ultimately sits quietly and complies with his instructions.
Bashir figures he better get to it before the Commander decides to change her mind and leave after all. A couple minutes into his diagnostics, Bashir looks at his tricorder readings in confusion, "What the heck?" He grabs another instrument off the nearby tray and runs that one up and down Kira's body as well.
"Is something wrong Doctor," Kira looks at him mildly concerned but with irritation more than anything else. She's surprised when Bashir gives her one of his huge goofy grins.
"Well, that depends," Bashir says. "On how you feel about being pregnant."
"What!?" Kira stares at the doctor dumbfounded. "You're wrong. You must be. How is that even possible?"
The doctor's grin gets even wider. "I believe you understand the mechanics involved, though I'd be happy to explain."
She interrupts him, "Julien, I'm telling you, it's not possible. I haven't had sex since…" Her jaw drops open and she stops talking mid-sentence as she realizes what exactly he has been getting at.
Bashir stops teasing her and softens his tone. "Nerys, the child you're carrying has changeling DNA. There's no doubt it is Odo's. I'll want to run further tests of course, but you should have a normal term. It appears to be more humanoid than changeling. I think it must have something to do with Odo's time spent as a human... " He babbles on about the medical miracle of it all. Kira, however, barely hears what he's saying.
As if the prospect of a Bajoran/Changeling pregnancy wasn't surprise enough for the day, Bashir is faced with something else he never thought he'd see – The infamous Kira Nerys falling to pieces right there in his infirmary. Faced with this new news, the tears she's been holding back for the last month finely can't be held back anymore. He holds her and lets her cry it out as she clings to him and sobs as she never has before.
-Fifteen years later-
"Uncle Miles!" Kirayoshi!" The slim blonde Bajoran teenager launches herself at the two men stepping off the airdock.
Former Chief Miles O'Brien grins at his enthusiastic welcoming committee as he walks back onto the space station he left so long ago.
Embracing the young woman in his arms into a tight bear hug, he asks her, "Where's your mother 'Zia? Too busy running this giant hunk of Cardie metal to come great us herself?"
Kira Jadzia smiles and breaks free of his hug. "Mom's in Ops. She said to tell you she's sorry and she'll meet us on the promenade in an hour. We put you in the quarters next to ours. Come on." She links an arm with each of them and drags them down the corridor, talking a mile a minute the whole way.
The two of them sit on the second level of the promenade, legs and arms hanging over the railing, observing the adults in Quarks below. Kirayoshi watches his father laugh heartily and throw a companionable arm around the doctor's shoulders. To 'Zia, he says, "Dad talks a lot about when he was living here. He was happy here I think. He's certainly thrilled about my decision to take classes on Bajor. Gives him an excuse to visit the station, he says."
'Zia gestures towards the group at the bar. Her mom, Uncle Miles, Doctor Bashir and the Ferengi bartender. "They last time they were all together my Dad was with them. Do you think they are talking about him? Miss him?"
"Probably." Kirayoshi thinks for a moment. "Dad talks about Constable Odo sometimes. I wish you could have known him 'Zia."
She thinks about the last conversation she had with her mom about her dad:
"But he's still alive though right?"
"I think so dear. I certainly hope so, but I really just don't know."
"We could go and find out couldn't we? Why can't we go visit him?"
"No, 'Zia. I will not seek him out. I want to. Prophets know I want to. Not a day goes by that I don't think about it. But I can't. He belongs with his people and we have to love him enough to let him be with them. I hope you can understand that."
'Zia doesn't understand, not really. But even though she's stopped bringing it up with her mom, she certainly hasn't stopped thinking about it. Now though, an idea starts to come to her. "Maybe I can Kirayoshi," she says. "Maybe I still can know him."
"I caught them in the runabout sir". The security officer looks rather uncomfortable and Miles sympathizes. He figures all of them are rather relieved the guard called Miles and not Captain Kira to deal with whatever their respective wayward offspring have done.
"Ok. I'll take it from here. No need to notify the Captain," Miles says. A look of gratitude flashes across the young officer's face and he nods his thanks and takes off down the corridor.
Turning to his son and god-daughter, he asks "Just what were you two doing?" Miles knew he wasn't the most observant man, but he could certainly tell the young adults were up to something. Kirayoshi looks guilty. Jadzia, defiant. Miles sighs and waits for it.
"We were borrowing the runabout, not stealing it," Kirayoshi finally mumbles.
"Do you even know what to do with a runabout?" Miles explodes at his son. "What are you thinking?"
"I've picked up enough from you to know the basics," Kirayoshi shows some spirt. "Plus, these things practically fly themselves"
"That's not the point!" Miles thunders.
'Zia speaks up, "I was going to pilot. My mom taught me. I'm better than most of the Starfleet cadets we get here."
Miles has to laugh. "I don't doubt that you are 'Zia. You are definitely your mother's daughter, with a dash of your namesake thrown in as well. But, tell me what do you two need a runabout for?"
Kiryoshi shoots 'Zia a rather apologetic look. "I warned you we'd probably get caught," he hisses at her. Squaring his shoulders, Miles is astounded as his son turns to him and confesses, "Zia wants to meet her father. We were going to find him."
Miles stares at the two teenagers dumbfounded. This was about the last thing he was expecting to hear. "Let me get this straight," he says. "You were going to take a runabout and go looking for the founder's home world? Are you insane?"
"I know where it is," 'Zia says softly. "I have the coordinates. I want to know my father, Miles. He's out there. My mom may have promised not to go back, but I didn't. He doesn't even know I exist."
"Zia, he's been with the great link for fifteen years." Miles sighs. "It's possible he's no longer the Odo we once knew. It's possible he won't welcome you."
"And if that's the case, at least I tried. I need to know" says 'Zia stubbornly.
Miles sighs again. "You're determined to do this aren't you?"
She nods her assent.
"That's what I was afraid of," he says. "Then, I'll be the one to take you so you don't get yourself killed on the way." He shakes his head and says under his breath, "Nerys is going to skin me alive or worse for this."
The whir of a transport beam and in an instant they are standing on a rocky shore beside a glistening golden sea. "It's gorgeous," gasps 'Zia, staring in amazement.
Solids! The knowledge of the three humanoids' presence ripples through the great link. Apprehension. No. We recognize this solid. He is known to us, not a threat. Curiosity. Why this one and for what purpose? Unexpected longing. Why not the one known as Nerys? Nerys is beloved to us, we miss her. Nerys!
The part of the link that was once known as Odo starts to break away. Before he consciously knows what he's doing he arranges his cells and body mass to return to a long since used, but never forgotten, form.
"Look!" Kirayoshi points to a shimmering gold tower rising out of the lake in front of them. The gold liquid slowly takes the shape of a middle-aged human wearing a rather outdated Bajorn security officer's uniform. 'Zia immediately recognizes the figure as that of the man from the holo-pictures her mother keeps in their quarters. Her father.
"Odo?" Miles addresses the man, but is wary. After all, this could be any one of the founders assuming Odo's form.
"You were expecting someone else?" the changeling replies with a disbelieving snort and crossing his arms in front of his chest.
Miles snickers. "It's you alright. Cheerful as always. It's good to see you again Odo!"
"What are you doing here?"
"We came on a bit of a social visit really?"
"Oh?"
'Zia takes a deep breath and steps forward. Not quite sure how to begin, the words tumble out of her mouth in a jumble. "We're here because of me. I wanted to meet you. Mom told me we couldn't, but she misses you very much and I had to come…"
He turns to look at her. Really looks at her. "Your mother misses me?" he repeats confused. But in a flash, he realizes who this child must be. "Nerys," he gasps.
'Zia is stunned by the change that comes over the man as he speaks her mother's name. His whole form seems to shimmer and soften. She continues, "Yes. Nerys' daughter. And yours."
He stares at her speechless, but knows the truth of her words. Shock and awe flicker across his strange smooth face. "I can't believe it," he whispers. "Tell me everything about you and your life. I've missed out on so much."
The four of them sit and talk for hours until the teenagers begin to doze off. Even Miles stifles a yawn. Odo holds his sleeping daughter to his chest. His daughter! He nods to Miles, "I'll take her to her bed on the runabout." They transport back. Odo stares at the sleeping form of his daughter, before he too, must regenerate. Not wanting to leave his newly discovered daughter to go back to the link just yet, he replicates a bucket that he places in a far corner of the bridge. Powerful emotions he doesn't quite know what to do with flow through him as he liquefies and reverts back to his true state.
Odo drifts back to consciousness to the sound of familiar voices. With a flash, he remembers the events of the previous day. He forms to find his daughter on the bridge of the runabout, her back to him, hunched over a view screen. On the view screen talking is none other than Nerys. Rooted in place, Odo takes in the sight he thought he'd never see again. Her vibrant hair is longer now and touched with gray. Her face is more lined but her eyes still sparkle. She is still beautiful. She could never –not- be beautiful to him. His Nerys. Or at least she was once his for a time. The most precious thing he's ever had was her presence in his life.
Meanwhile, on the screen, Nerys finally sees him. She chokes, sputters and nearly drops the raktajino she'd been drinking. Without taking her eyes from Odo, she addresses her daughter in astonishment, "Prophets, what have you done child?"
Then to Odo, "Odo. My love." She's speechless, doesn't know what to say to the man who still means the world to her. Even after fifteen years.
"Nerys." He steps forward and reaches towards the view screen as if to touch her. If only he could. "I would have stayed," he rasps. "I would have come back if only you'd told me."
"I know Odo," she says sadly. "And that's why I couldn't. You had to go. It would have killed you to stay. I couldn't let you sacrifice your people for us."
He nods, knowing she's right. His Nerys. Strong enough for both of them. And she's paid a heavy price for it. Because of him. No more, he realizes. No more. "I'm ready to come home now Nerys," he tells her. "If you'll have me."
She smiles. "Of course, Odo. Get moving and come back to me where you belong."