by Agent 7
Garak hated surprise attacks, especially when he was not informed ahead of time. Perhaps one too many of his "friends" have been killed over the years to supply him with a personal warning.
Never the less, he did manage to make it halfway down the Promenade with only being shot at once. The Federation was aiming at him because he was Cardassian; the Dominion was because he helped the Federation. He was a very popular target in melee.
Taking refuge in the closed entrance of a shop, he glanced at the area that was once the Replimat, he decided that was his best chance. The overturned tables and chairs would act as cover. As he was mentally planned his route, he noticed someone cowering under one of the tables. It was a child. Why people would endanger their children by having them in a war zone still baffled Garak, but he understood how painful it was to be apart.
Taking a second survey of the fighting, Garak sprinted and dived under the table. Frightened, the girl squealed and tried to escape the strange Cardassian. "It's all right," he whispered holding onto her arm. "I'm going to help you." The girl turned and he realized she was human, and the daughter of Chief O'Brien. "I know your father," he added. "I won't let anyone harm you."
With wide, frightened eyes, the girl nodded silently.
"Good." He noticed the path to the turbolift was clear. No interference, no cover either. "We need to get over there," he pointed to the doors. "Start running when I tell you too." She nodded again. Taking out his phaser, he lowered the setting down to the barest of a touch; it wouldn't even stun an injured cockroach. Training it on the keypad of the lift, he hit the call button. Resetting the phaser and putting it away, they waited. The familiar whine of the approaching lift still could be heard, despite the combat going on around them. Once he heard it stop, he announced, "Now!"
Both of them bolted from their hiding position. Garak entered the lift first and pulled Molly in as he pressed the close key. If anyone shot at them, he didn't notice. Breathing heavily, he declared his destination as the habitat ring followed by a security command. The lift will not stop until it reaches there.
Looking down at the girl by his side, he realized she was gasping for air along with him. "Are you all right?" he asked.
Staring up at the large stranger, she nodded. "I was scared though," her small voice admitted.
Sliding down to her level, he spoke to her. "So was I, but we're going to be okay now. The worse is behind us." He paused, "Do you know where your parents are?"
"No, I was with Mommy, but I got lost. They say whenever I am lost, to go home. Someone will find me there. That was where I was trying to get to."
Garak smiled, one advantage of living on a space station, you can never really be lost. "That's wise advice, so that is what we will do. Who knows, maybe your mother is already there." He stood as the lift started to stop. Taking his phaser, he made sure the corridor was clear before him and Molly left the lift. Satisfied, he took her small hand and stared rushing down to her quarters.
He was a better target than ever, a Cardassian with a small human child. He might as well have a bulls-eye painted on his back. They reached the O'Brien's rooms without incident. Placing a security lock on the door, Garak then checked all the rooms. As he suspected, they were alone.
Close to tears, Molly sat on the couch, "What if Mommy or Daddy can't get here?"
Sitting beside her, Garak tried to think of the most comforting thing to say. "They might not be able to right now, but they have to sometime. You're home, remember? You're safe here."
All of the sudden, she panicked, "You not leaving me are you, Mr..."
"Garak. And no, I'm not leaving you. I'll stay until one of your parents return." Hiding in the Chief of Operations quarters were marginally better than bunkering it out in his. "Since you know my name, what's yours?"
"Molly."
"Ah, that does sound familiar. Why don't you play, Molly, it will make the time pass more pleasantly."
He was awarded with the widest smile as she climbed off the couch and disappeared into her bedroom. Moving over to a chair so he had a clear view of the entire room, he wondered when did he begin to grow as soft as an hasperat soufflé. Just staring into those innocent black eyes melt his indifferent heart. "Thank Guls Tain is dead," he thought, "So he couldn't see me this way."
A few minutes later, Molly returned with a PADD and a stack of blank papers. Going to the desk, she settled down and started writing. Garak tried his best to ignore her, leave her alone as she obviously worked on her studies, but boredom and curiosity won out. "What are you working on?" he asked.
"Nothing," she didn't even look at him. She continued writing, swinging her legs underneath her.
"You have to be doing something. Even if it's writing the word "nothing" over and over again." He stood and walked over to her.
She became very shy and bashful as Garak peaked over her little shoulder. It was a poem. Several poems actually. "Daddy's birthday is soon and Mommy thought it'd be good gift if I wrote a poem." She whispered, "Don't tell him. It's a surprise."
Garak nearly laughed at the seriousness in the little girl. "I won't tell a soul. I'm very good with secrets."
She laughed and threw her arms around his waist. Garak was stunned. She might as well shot him with a phaser than gave him a hug. He drew away and tried to regain his composure. "Do you--need any help?"
Returning to her work, she shook her head. "No, thank you. I want to do this all on my own."
Garak was use to doing nothing. Tailoring, though profitable, is not very active work. But staring at the doors of Chief O'Brien's quarters for an hour was about his limit. Sighing, he shifted his weight in the chair.
Molly stopped writing and turned to him, "You're bored, aren't you?"
With a flattering smile, "Sitting here isn't as much fun as it seems."
It took a few moments for her to understand what the Cardie meant. "Do you want something to read?"
"That would be most kind."
The girl hopped down off her chair and ran into her room. Few seconds later, she returned with a PADD and handed it to Garak. "Here, this is my favorite story."
"Why, thank you, Molly." He hid his chagrin of receiving a child's story. Then again, the tale Dr. Bashir told him of the boy who called wolf was quite graphic. Maybe some Earth children literature will help him understand humans a bit more clearly.
Molly scanted off to the desk as Garak began to read.
Garak must of made a sound because Molly eagerly asked, "What part are you on?"
Mortified, he answered, "The house just landed on the witch."
"It's okay, she was evil."
Shocked my little O'Brien's easy dismissal, Garak asked, "Why was she evil? What did she do that was so awful?"
Molly shrugged, "I don't know. The book says she was wicked. Keep reading."
About to press the question, Garak stopped, realizing she was only a child and not Dr. Bashir. Hmmm, he just found his next piece of literature to share with the good doctor. Reading on, he found no claims to why this woman was wicked, only the exuberant cries of the Munchkins. And he was worried about phaser fire, it could be worse, a house might land on him.
Garak read on, to be interrupted every ten minutes by Molly's inquiry, "Where are you?" He excused the child for her excitement of someone reading her favorite story. He had felt the same way when he gave Dr. Bashir the "Enigma Tales". He couldn't wait until he was finished so they could discuss it.
"Molly, if you are going to ask me that every few lines, why don't I read the story to you?"
Her eyes light up, as if he handed her the universe in a glass jar. "Really?"
"Of course, why are you so surprised?"
"Because Mommy or Daddy won't read it to me anymore. They say I'm too old and Daddy says he'd read it so many times that he could recite it backwards by heart."
"Well, I don't mind."
Smiling, Molly left the desk and climbed up onto Garak's knee. "You can start where you left off." Her little head rested against his shoulder.
As he read, he couldn't help but imagine what the two of them must look like. A Cardassian reading to a small human girl on his lap. Probably the perfect campaign poster if Cardassia ever lost its mind and wanted to join the Federation. Poor Tain, he'd be rolling in his grave, if he had one.
He read on steadily for over an hour. Gradually, he lost his audience in the field of poppies. Remembering where she fell asleep, Garak continued to read the story. Finding it utterly fascinating that a children's story would have a witch try to kill a little girl and her companions. He would expect such from Klingons, but morally uptight humans? Instead of understanding them better, he was even more confused.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of someone trying to enter the quarters. Placing the PADD aside, he grabbed the phaser from between the chair cushions and aimed it at the door. Seconds later, a very disheveled and haggard Chief enter the room, stopping short when he noticed a Cardie training a phaser on him.
He didn't need this now! His daughter is missing. The station is falling apart and this damn Cardie is sitting in his quarters with a phaser on him! Who the hell does he think he is?
"Garak?" O'Brien's frantic mind finally identified who it was and who sat curled in his lap. "Molly!" he rushed to take her.
"Shh," Garak hushed the relieved father. "She's sleeping," he whispered.
Touching her, as if to ease his mind, knowing that she was safe. "Is she hurt? Is she okay?"
"She was a bit frightened earlier, but she is fine know." Garak tilted his head, "You look rather exhausted. Are you all right, Chief?"
The Irishman sat down on the floor, staring up at his first born. "I'm all right now. Knowing that Molly was missing...it took ten years off my life." Needing to hold her, he slipped the sleeping girl off Garak's knee into his arms.
Waking, she blinked her eyes several times until she saw who held her. "Daddy!" Her small arms flung themselves tightly around O'Brien's neck. "I was so scared I was never going to see you again!"
"It's all right," he cooed to her. "You're safe now."
Molly pulled away from her father's shoulder, her face wet with tears. Nodding, she said, "Mr. Garak saved me."
Garak was slightly worried that the Chief would faint. "Garak?" repeated O'Brien in disbelief.
She nodded again, "He's very nice, not like other Cardies."
The Chief opened his mouth, then closed it. He was utterly speechless. Taking over, Garak reached out to Molly. "Come Dear, I'm sure your father has a lot of work that he needs to get done." Fearlessly, she left her father and seated herself on Garak's knee again. "Where is Mrs. O'Brien?" Garak asked the Chief.
Shaking away the stunned feeling, he explained, "She's in a cargo hold. The civilian shuttle wasn't able to leave before the attack and they're all in the cargo bay. Some how Molly got separated from them." He stopped and looked around the room, "I can't stay with her now and I can't take her to Keiko. Would it be all right if you could--"
"--I'd be delighted to stay with Molly," Garak finished for the flustered Chief. "We have a story to finish."
Slowly nodding, he went to leave the quarters. "I'll come for her when I can."
"I understand."
Nodding again, he left his quarters. Of all the things he had seen in his life, he never imagined that he would feel secure with leaving his child in the hands of the bloody Cardie. What was he going to tell Keiko?
They finished the story and Garak was fascinated that what the quartet sought, they already possessed. "Why is this your favorite story?" he asked her.
She thought for a while before answering, "Because it isn't where you are that makes it home. It's whom you're with. If you're always with your family, you're home." She looked into his bright blue eyes, "You aren't home, are you?"
Startled by the girl's observation, he said, "No, I can never return to Cardassia. I'm exiled."
"Do you have any family?"
He shook his head.
"Friends?"
"Not many."
Molly took pity on him, "You must be terribly lonely."
"It's not so bad," he lied.
"Am I your friend?"
Garak hesitated before responding. "For right now, you are my friend. I won't hurt you or let anyone else."
"You're awfully nice. I don't see why you don't have more friends?"
Luckily for Garak, the door chime prevented him from answering. Motioning to a corner of the room where there was a large plant, he whispered in her ear. "Hide over there while I answer the door."
Nodding, she slipped off his lap and did as she was told. Taking his phaser, Garak answered the door to a large, human security officer. "I am here to take Chief O'Brien's daughter to her mother," he declared in a deep, rough voice.
Standing back, Garak allowed the officer to enter and motioned Molly to emerge from her hiding place. Taking a good look at the towering security guard, she decided she liked Garak better. She gripped the hem of his jacket and tried her best to hide behind him.
Garak had to agree with Molly's reaction. This was certainly not a very jolly lieutenant. "Very well," he spoke in his lightest voice. Switching his phaser to his other hand, he took Molly's hand. "Ready, Dear?" With wide eyes, she nodded. "Lead the way," he spoke to the officer.
"I had orders to take her alone." He wasn't thrilled with the assignment and wasn't about to parade a Cardassian traitor across the station.
"Oh, come now, were you told to be alone, or just to take her there." He felt Molly tugging on his hand.
Kneeling down, she whispered in his ear, "I won't go without you."
The security guard sighed, "Fine, come on." Anything to get this babysitting assignment over with.
On the way, Garak attempted small talk with the guard. "Is there still fighting?"
Silently, the security officer continued to rush down the corridor. For a moment, Garak thought he wouldn't answer him. "There is still fighting in spots, but no longer on the station."
"Will the shuttle be leaving for Bajor soon?"
"I don't know," he snapped.
"Lie" the word automatically flashed inside the Cardassian's brain. Molly stumbled from the frantic pace, but didn't fall. Garak stopped and so did the guard, eventually. He stared at them, utterly annoyed. Being small for her age, or as Garak thought, he picked her up and carried her. The Starfleet officer was beginning to annoy him as much as they were irritating him. They continued their way down to the docking ring. Thank Guls they didn't cross the promenade or the infirmary. The spoils of war were something little O'Brien could live without. She had already seen too much.
They stopped in front of a docking entrance and Garak set her down. As the doors began to slide open, they reviled a very distressed Keiko O'Brien. "Mommy!" Molly ran to her and literally jumped into her arms.
"I was so worried about you!" Keiko cried. Looking up at the officer, she thanked him.
"But Mommy," interjected Molly, "He didn't do anything. It was..." she turned to find Garak was gone. "Where did he go?"
"Who, Sweetie?"
"The nice Cardie who took care of me, Mr. Garak."
"Garak?" Miles didn't tell her that. Just that someone was watching her. Never in wildest nightmares did she suspect Garak. The same man, who tried to kill her husband, saved her daughter.
"Are you all right, Mommy?" she noticed her mother's ashen pallor.
"I'm fine, Sweetie, I'm fine. Come on, they're waiting for us."
Completed: October 10, 1998
Disclaimer: All rights and characters of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are owned by Paramount.