Alexander embraced his father one last time before he stepped onto the transporter pad to be sent back to his ship from the Enterprise. His mission hadn't turned out the way he had planned for it to. He had hoped to alter his younger self's attitude toward becoming a Klingon Warrior. Instead, it appeared that he'd only reinforced the child's desire to have nothing to do with the idea. Oh, sure. He'd gotten himself to enjoy sparring a bit but there was still much more that he'd hoped to accomplish.

When the beam cleared, Alexander set himself to the task of putting in the coordinates for the Bajoran system. From there, he would return to his own time. Taking one last look at the ship that had been very much his home as a young boy, Alexander felt a surge of homesickness. He had forgotten just how much he'd enjoyed living aboard it with his father, despite the tensions between them.

Inhaling deeply, Alexander's mind began to go over the events that had taken place on the Enterprise since his arrival on the Klingon Colony where he had first made contact with his former self and father. Especially when his father had interrupted him when he had finally decided that it would have been better to die as a child rather than to grow up only to watch the only remaining parent that he had die in front of him. He had already witnessed his mother die, he had no plans to watch his father die once more.

He knew that a part of his father still doubted that he really was his son from the future. To be honest, if he'd been in Worf's position, he probably wouldn't be too willing to believe it either. In the end, though, Worf had been able to put his doubt aside and discuss Alexander's reasoning for not only traveling through time but for his willingness to kill himself as a child if need be. He hoped that his father was right about having already changed the future just by being on the ship and telling him what the future held. He also hoped that once he arrived back in his own time, things would be different.

The days back to the wormhole went by in slow agony for Alexander. Once he arrived, he was just one more Klingon vessel seeking passage through it to the Gamma Quadrant. The only difference was his vessel would never make it to the other side. He was given his clearance and Alexander steered his ship toward the entrance to the Celestial Temple where he hoped that the same man who sent him back through time would then send him back to his own time. Fortunately, only seconds after his ship entered the cosmic gateway, the ship stalled in the strange phenomenon and the dark-skinned man who appeared to be human and oddly familiar revealed himself to Alexander once more.

"I see you have returned. I trust that your mission was a success."

Alexander stood from his console and turned to face the strange man who had help him do what had seemed to be impossible; travel back in time.

"I am back. Success, though, is uncertain." Alexander shook his head before he continued, "I have forgotten just how stubborn I was at that age. I don't believe that I got through to him."

Smiling, "Well whatever you said, it must have been the right thing. The future has been changed. Not much, just enough to alter what needed to be changed."

Relieved, Alexander allowed himself to feel the great burden of his father's death being lifted off of his shoulders. With his mission now complete, he also permitted himself to wonder and ask just why the odd man would choose to help him break the laws of time itself.

"Let's just say that in another life, I knew your father." He thought back to the first time Worf walked into his office on Deep Space Nine. It was hard to believe that the two of them would develop such a strong working relationship. Even now he held a strong respect for the man.

"Another life? I don't understand."

"Time in this place isn't linear. From here, I am able to see both the past and future as well as other possibilities that could take place if certain events were to line up just the right way. I'm not really supposed to interfere with the events of others anymore but considering that there is still work for me to do, work that I'll only be able to accomplish with your father's help, I felt that the costs were worth it."

"How can my father help someone like you?"

"That isn't for you to worry about. For now, return to your own time. You will wake up and the events of the other timeline will feel like a bad dream. You'll be able to pick up right where your counterpart would. I do want you to do one thing, though, for me afterwards."

"What is it?" Alexander figured that if this man had been able to avert his father's death then whatever he asked of him would be a small price to pay.

"I want you to go to Bajor and find my sons."

"Who are your sons?"

"Jake and Jeremy Sisko. I had to leave them and my wife a long time ago but I've been watching them every day of their lives. I want them, both of them, to know that I'm proud of them. I'm sure that you of all people can appreciate the importance of knowing a father's approval and love. That is all I ask."

Alexander nodded. Yes, he could understand that. "Consider it done... Mr. Sisko?"

"Call me Ben. Benjamin Sisko. And I'll be seeing you again, Alexander. In one time or another."

With that, the bright light that had surrounded Alexander when Ben showed up on the ship disappeared. Alexander found himself in his bed back on Qo'noS beside his wife. Everything looked just as it had before he had left the last time he had been home. As he shifted in bed, his wife stirred beside him and began to mutter in her half-awake state.

"I told you to set your alarm. You were supposed to leave for your rendezvous with the Enterprise and Admiral Picard two hours ago. Your father will not be happy if he's kept waiting."

He was supposed to meet his father on the Enterprise? He's alive? Slowly, his memories of the new timeline began to flood his mind. From his father's service during the Great War for the Alpha Quadrant to his brief ambassadorship before returning to Starfleet after Martok's assassination. Worf was now the Captain of the fleet's flagship and Dax was his first officer. Smiling, Alexander knew that he truly had completed his self-appointed mission. His father was alive. For now, that was all that mattered.

"My father is rarely happy. But you are right, I should have listened to you. Are you sure that you don't want to come with me to visit him?" After being given a dirty look, Alexander watched his wife roll back over to return to sleep. Chuckling, "I'll take that as a no. I'll try to return as soon as I can. Just as soon as I stop off on Bajor. I have someone to speak to, there."

With that, Alexander prepared to join his father, curious as to just what his father's reaction to learning of his recent meeting with Captain Benjamin Sisko; the man who had helped him bring Worf back from the dead.