Dax followed Julian onto the Promenade, covering the last few steps in a steady jog. "Julian, I… I'm sorry. Honestly. I never meant to alarm you."

He paused, turning around to face her, and noted her slightly anxious half-smile. And suddenly he felt just as awkward for having been the first to leave. But there had been something about the conversation, something thathad made him desperate to escape into the open.

"How about dinner tonight?" Ezri ventured. "It'll be just us - I promise. To make it up to you."

Finally, Julian smiled, and he noticed the younger woman's smile relax in turn. "You don't have to make up for anything," he made certain to reassure her. "But dinner does sound nice."

"It's a date." She turned and strode away along the corridor, a definite spring now marking every step.

But at almost the instant he was sure that no-one would see, Julian's expression changed. His lips tensed, curling inward to rest between his teeth, and a marked furrow immediately appeared between his brows.

The isolation of his office was a welcome place to which he could return. He relaxed noticeably, rubbing the tension from his eyes, and paused for a moment at a point just by the entrance. His infirmary was still relatively quiet in its place just by the Promenade, with none of the bustle of the previous day. And with the briefest chance for his thoughts to wander, he was vaguely surprised at the direction they were taking.

He stood, repeatedly opening and closing his hands and forcing slow, controlled breaths steadily through his nose. And then, an instant before he realised it, his feet were tracing a direct path towards a broad, square console, fingers tapping lightly on the illuminated controls.

"Computer. Access Federation Security record--" He sighed, distantly curious as to why heshould be whispering. "Badin Fen."

"You never took my challenge," said a voice at the entrance. Julian jerked his head around, and wondered with some anxiety if he'd been quick enough to cut the image of Badin's ivy-tinted face.

Professor Dowling stood, behind him - and he had never even heard her enter. "What challenge is that?" he asked, fashioning his expression into the slightest degree of polite confusion.

"Truth or dare."

"Alright then, Professor." Julian leaned back. "I'll play along. Dare."

"How about if I dare you to stop avoiding me? Or do I have to snap my arm in half a dozen places to get you even to say hello?"

Julian glanced around him like a rabbit trapped at the back ofits burrow, andfought to conceal the sudden discomfiting anxiety. "What makes you say that?" he asked with deliberate innocence.

Amy'sforehead tensed into an irritable scowl. "I swear I could throttle you right now, Jules Bashir!"

"All right!" Hands flailing wildly - as they often did when his thoughts were moving much too fast, Julian stood and stepped away from his seat. "You've got me. I guess I was just… nervous, perhaps? Or… I'm not exactly sure. I thought… I thought you might have forgotten all about me."

Amy laughed softly, visibly relaxing. "I guess I thought the same. Until I saw you again at that bar. Interesting place."

Her old friend's answering smile was easy and open. There were understatements, and then…

"Your turn," he said. "Truth or dare."

"Truth, I suppose." Eyebrows raised in wary anticipation, Amy waited. She didn't have to wait for long.

"Why 'Dowling'?" Julian was just as surprised to hear himself ask.

His companion ignored a cloud of fine hair that strayed across one of her eyes, as her smile turned to a thoughtful frown. "What do you mean?"

"You changed your name. I was wondering why. Do you have a husband now, or something?"

"Husband…?" Now she laughed, shaking her head as she leant against the opposite wall.

"It's not entirely unbelievable," said Julian, slightly offended.

"Sorry." Amy straightened and struggled to contain the sudden burst of amusement. "No, I'm not married. It's just… I was twelve years old when my foster parents adopted me, andI honestly can't count the number of places I was in before then. Besides, it wasn't safe to call myself 'Tanner' any more. Even with false records, people can still discover things you don't want them to know, and I didn't see why Iought tomake it any easier for them to find me."

Amy sighed, lowering her eyes. For a moment, there was silence, and Julian scratched his head, suddenly unsure of exactly what to say. The need to keep secrets was hardly unfamiliar ground. Life came in compartments, many of which were never to be re-opened. Stay away - admit to nothing, and trouble could be put off for another day at least. He had sensed from their very first meeting that Amy understood the same.

"I… er…" He scratched his head. "I knew that was you in Paris."

He was even less certain of where these words had come from, even after they had escaped unbidden through his lips. "Well, maybe not at first. But…"

Before the professor had a chance to reply, there was movement outside the door. But her open stare said more than enough to abandon any need for words.

"You wanted us to report for a physical," Ro Laren reminded him, answering the momentary uncertainty in their eyes before either of them could ask. "Well, I'm here. So let's get this over with."

Julian held back an oddly accusatory frown. It was almost unheard of for any officer to volunteer for a physical exam, and Security officers were among the most notorious of all. "Of course," he said, flashing a smile in her direction. "Right this way."

"…Unless I'm interrupting something." Ro cast a brief glance attheir companion.

"No, no. Not particularly." But before disappearing through the door, Amy turned back to Julian. "How about supper?" she asked him suddenly. "Tonight at the Klingon restaurant."

"I'd like that," the doctor told her. "But… wait a minute. I already have plans. Shall we say tomorrow instead? Lunch? You can tell me some more about that ecological research of yours."

Amy nodded. "Tomorrow it is." She reached forward and shook his hand. "See you then, Doctor."

"Professor," responded Julian. Finally, she vanished, leaving him behind to face Constable Ro's ironic stare.