It's the festival of freedom, the celebration of the end of Cardassian oppression. Yet Kira wasn't at the celebrations, or at any of the smaller quieter parties she had been invited to. Instead she sat staring out the window in her room at the stars and waiting to catch a glimpse of her planet when the station rotated just a bit more.
She was remembering all those who were lost, all those still wearing the scars of the oppression, all those who never made it to see the end of the Cardassian occupation, and the beginning of hope. She was remembering every time she had pulled the trigger, hands rubbing together as though to wipe the memory off.
Hearing her door chime she hastily wiped her eyes with her sleeve, taking a deep breath before calling out "come in" The figure that entered the room was achingly familiar, the footsteps precise and just heavy enough to make a sound. She turned away from the hand that came to rest on her shoulder, staring at the first glimpse of Bajor as it came into view. Struggling to hold back her tears.
"I thought you would have been celebrating Major" came Siskos voice, and they both knew that he didn't mean it. He had expected this, knew where she would be and why. "Maybe later" she replied, voice strong because she was used to putting on a strong front, whilst she broke inside.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" she asks pointing slightly at Bajor, growing over it's battle scars, like she was supposed to be. "yes" Sisko paused and squeezed her shoulder "it is"
She felt him kneel beside her, wrap his arms around her so gently it hurt almost. A gentle embrace that nearly tore her to pieces, and suddenly she wasn't very good at pretending. Suddenly the dam broke and she was sobbing like a child, like the child she had been before they took everything from her.
She was gently turned so her face was pressed to his shoulder, grasping at his uniform as sobs racked her body. She felt weak, helpless and gasping for air like she was drowning, but still Sisko held her. Ever gentle.
Finally when she had calmed down enough to think again she heard that he was humming an old Bajoran song. She almost laughed at the sound of it, of his human voice humming a song she just about knew. His chin was resting gently on her head and he didn't seem like he was going to move any time soon.
"Kira" his voice was soft even in the silence, soothing like cool water "Kira I need you to do something for me. If not as a friend, if not as an officer, then for the Emissary" she nodded gently into his shoulder grip still white knuckled around his shirt. "I want you to forgive yourself, Kira I want you to allow yourself to be happy, to heal"
There at that moment was a clicking together of a tear stained mind, an aching heart. She nodded again, voice gone and knew it would be a hard journey. "I'll be here Kira, rest now" and she knew he meant more than at that moment, he meant on her journey. For the first time in too long she let herself slip into an easy sleep, still held in Siskos arms.
In the wormhole the prophets knew that the Sisko had fulfilled part of their destiny, had comforted the Kira. And as Bajor passed the window Sisko continued to hum.
