A little certain something in thanks to my Irish heritage, meaning "eternity". Enjoy! :)

Chapter Nine

Bound

He loved sleeping when not on duty; it was peaceful and one of the only times he had alone. His body succumbed to a zen taken for granted by many, his mind going elsewhere instead of to the present, which was otherwise known as dreaming. Not all Vorta dreamed, though; in his, however, he would often forget what he was dreaming about by the time he awoke. Lately was about Mia. Opening his eyes, Weyoun saw her asleep beside him, her body curled up into his so warmth radiated through their bodies.

She looked so soft and innocent in her uninterrupted peace. Weyoun smiled and drew her closer to him. Her heartbeat matched his own; the rhythm reverberated throughout his system. He wanted nothing more than to call her his at last, but there was still so much to discuss with her. He did not regret their ardent lovemaking, but he worried about how it would end for them badly. Something burned between them even brighter and hotter than what they shared last night, than any sun on any system. He'd felt it last night, but this morning it was stronger than ever, proving it was still there...

And then it hit him like a phaser blast.

They were bound.

It was the soul mate bond, in which commonly in Vorta, the link between the two people was far more powerful than any other in the universe; it connected them for eternity, transferred and shared powers so they could communicate, sense the other's pain, and never traded secrets amongst any other but themselves. That meant she would show him her hand-to-hand combat and self-defense, and how to use every type of weapon. And he in return transferred his telepathic abilities to her.

Mia stirred when he slowly shifted from under her; the time was nearly six hundred hours. "Sleep well, Ambassador?" she teased, voice groggy with sleep. Her eyelids fluttered, blinking it away. He smiled over her and nodded, leaning over to kiss her forehead before moving to get out of bed, get dressed and join Dukat. But the sooner he sat up and his back turned to her, she gasped. "Weyoun!"

He jerked his head back around and frowned at her. "What's the matter, dearest?"

"Your back...left shoulder..."

Weyoun twisted his head as far as it could go, seeing something dark and printed into his wax-colored flesh, but he couldn't make out what it was exactly. "Excuse me," he said to Mia, rising and letting his privacy show for her and marched over to the wall mirror. He turned the left side of his back into the reflection, letting his jaw drop so a gasp would escape. "Founders have mercy, Mia - what is this?" It looked like a skin art of some sort, looking like a tree of some sort, with strange interwoven scrolls that he didn't see a beginning OR an end.

"It's what I have," she said in amazement, turning around so he could see her back. Behind her right shoulder was exactly the same image in her soft skin. "Back on Earth, when I turned sixteen, I got this as a birthday present, but my father before Benjamin wasn't exactly happy with it," she told him with a little laugh. "It's a Dara Celtic knot - the word Dara having come from the Irish Gaelic work doire which means "oak", one of the trees living on Earth." He was very much fascinated with history, but what was "Celtic" and "Irish Gaelic"? "It's hard to explain to you," she went on, "but Celtic refers to old-age Ireland, England and Northwestern Europe. Let's say they were among the most ancient of the human race, and they were the wildest at heart, just like many of us humans, humanoids and aliens. These knots..." She motioned for hers and then his new one. "...are so distinct with very little written history. But what makes them so rare yet perfect is their never-ending paths, representing eternal love, friendship, loyalty and faith, and our overall spiritual life - no beginning, no end." She finished with a soft smile.

"This one knot in particular is the one I love the most, because it's a symbol of how we must remain strong in all times, easy and difficult. In the Druid times, the oak was most precious to them for exactly this reason. As for what it represents, it goes from wisdom, power, destiny, strength, endurance, and leadership. We always have inner strength even when the outside surface doesn't know that."

Weyoun took one last look at his new engraving. The knot meant eternity, no beginning and no end - last night when they "bonded", the link itself was drawn between them, forever binding them together no matter whatever challenges lay ahead. He didn't know what was in store, but no matter what, they belonged to each other the moment they first met.

Weyoun was forever tied to Mia as she was tied to him.

~o~

Tekeny Ghemor had passed away two days later, but Captain Sisko refused Gul Dukat's offer of returning the body over to the Dominion and his home planet so he could receive full military benefits, instead choosing to have him buried on Bajor, next to Major Kira's late father, Kira Taban. Mia was more than happy that Nerys took her words to heart, but also learned Julian had his part said to her. She laughed, too, as she remembered how Benjamin described to her the Gul's reaction to the decision to have the former Legate buried on Bajor instead. Ghemor would have been labeled an asset for the Dominion if Dukat's plan of turning Kira against him worked by revealing his involvement in the Kiessa Monastery massacre years back.

Weyoun had gone back with Dukat to the Founders, wherever they were now. She missed him already, but he had duties as she had. Through their link, they would send telepathic messages as often as they could spare without having to go through the troubles with the communication system without getting caught. They avoided talking about Dominion vs. Federation, and vice versa, matters, instead her telling him more about herself, and how she was originally from Puerto Rico, a country below the continent of North America, and everything she could muster about her home country on Earth, as well as how the whole planet was like every different planet of this universe. Her parents relocated to America before she was seven, and by then they met the Siskos, where Mia and Jake grew up together before her parents were dead as well as his own mother, and that was when Ben Sisko welcomed her into the family.

He told her his side as to how the Founders "created" the Vorta: centuries before, they were once little ape-like creatures living on Kurill Prime, living in trees and feasting on kava nuts and rippleberries as well as assorted other fruits, which explained why he never seemed to eat anything stronger. Even if he did, he wouldn't know the taste besides the texture and filling. And one day, he said, a Changeling was pursued by a mob of angry "solids" and hid with a family of Vorta who nurtured him back to health and kept him for as long as he wanted. In return for their kindness, he offered them a big return: one day they would be changed entirely from the way they were now into even more powerful creatures and spread across the universe. The shape-shifter had kept his word - and look at the way Weyoun's people were now. Cloned lackeys doing every cruel bidding; she couldn't blame them entirely for the crimes of the shape-shifters. The Vorta had no choice other than to obey or face death for their mistakes.

It had been less than two months since she and Weyoun parted. But she tried her hardest to mask her emotions from everyone else - yet she could have sworn she saw Odo watching her very closely. And tonight, with her father having invited everyone for dinner, the mood was not much better than the aching longing in her heart. She was really beginning to love Weyoun despite their differences, but right now, her family and friends weren't faring well, now that threats from the Dominion were greater than ever.

It had been awhile since she'd seen her brother, so it was great to see Jake again. He and Nog offered to help with dinner, but even they couldn't raise their father's spirits or the rest of the crew. Nor did the mention of three Federation ships vanishing in the past three weeks along the border of Cardassia. Thank God her father rose to change the topic.

"Chief, what about Kirayoshi? Is he walking yet?"

Miles' answer sounded like he'd been off elsewhere and tried to stay awake. "Oh, no. Not yet." He managed another drink of Scotch her father owned from Earth still.

"Odo, I understand you plan on going to Bajor next week. Do you plan to see Dr. Mora?"

Odo had his arms folded across his chest. "Actually," he answered, "I've cancelled my trip. There's been a seventy-five percent jump in the theft of medical supplies and food rations on DS9." His news didn't lighten the atmosphere any higher than that of Kirayoshi O'Brien not walking yet. Then Bashir announced he was retiring for the night; soon everyone else was filing out. That left Mia, Jake and Nog left, but Ben dismissed them for the night, saying he would clean up himself later. Mia wanted to say something, but he waved her off. Sighing, she decided to take her brother and his friend - Quark's nephew - to the bar since her shift was over.

"Thanks for the invitation, you guys," Nog complained over his drink. "That was a lot of fun." Mia couldn't offend him because she wasn't happy anymore than he was.

"Did you see the way Dad looked?" Jake asked. "He tried hiding it, but I could tell he was really depressed."

"He was," Mia answered. "I hate seeing him like this." She stirred hers thoughtfully. "I mean, look around at everyone; they go to Daddy for encouragement when the mood is this sour." She looked up when her boss approached them. "Ah, Quark, good to see you," she said happily.

"It's good to see you, too," he answered, and then turned to Jake and Nog. "I hope to see you two at twelve hundred hours."

His nephew answered - or rather questioned - glumly. "Why?"

"Why?" Quark repeated. "Because there's going to be an auction of some of the galaxy's rarest and most valuable antiquities. Here." He reached under the bar and pulled out a PADD. "Find something you like and make use of that stash of latinum you got under your bed." Nog shushed him, amusing him. "Oh, I see. You don't really keep it under your bed."

"No, of course not."

Jake leaned over and squinted at the list. "Where did you get all of this stuff, Quark?"

"I'm just conducting the auction," he replied. "The items are up for sale; the Bajorans found them in a cargo about a light-year from here. The cargo was crammed with valuable items of every description." Mia's attention was rapt, but her brother was really not interested. "Antiques, paintings, vehicles..." He was interrupted by his nephew.

Nog scoffed. "It's all a bunch of junk. Listen to this stuff: a mid-twenty-fourth century ceramic Romulan vase - slightly cracked. A pair of shoes, date unknown. A mid-twentieth century human baseball card -"

That last one triggered her brother. "Baseball card?!" Jake snatched the PADD from Nog for him and Mia to lean in together and read it aloud at the same time. "Mint-condition Willie Mays rookie card?! Nog, this is it!" This was perfect then; this was how they could cheer up their father because he LOVED baseball. "He'll go nuts when he sees this," Jake said, enthusiastic as Mia was.

"Tell him," Quark said, "that he can be here at twelve hundred hours and can bid, along with everyone else."

Mia agreed with her brother that he should go. Ben always did something for the both of them that they wanted to do this for him, too. "So it's agreed," she said. "All we have to do is give him this card. How hard can it be?"

~o~

Nog wasn't willing to spent five latinum - his life's savings, as he called it - on a baseball card for Ben Sisko, the captain who took him in and made everything possible. But Jake and Mia were both desperate; this was their father's happiness they were talking about. Reluctantly, he agreed, and all with a little "coaxing" from Jake.

Meanwhile, Mia was elsewhere, conversing with Weyoun in the air.

We are to revisit Deep Space 9, he told her. She nearly jumped up and down with joy. Finally, they would see each other again after what felt like so long a part - but this also came with some bad news. The Founder requested that Kai Winn speak with me to discuss a private matter.

She probably fears an invasion from you and the whole Dominion, she stated coolly. She could almost see his crestfallen face that she would hurt him by talking about his side that way. This was the main disagreement which would cloud their long-distance relationship.

Why, Amelia, why would you always break my heart this way? he asked her.

Because while I love you, I can't love the Dominion you worship. So, please, let's talk about something other than this. She changed the topic to the auction in the bar, working at the time while her brother and Nog bet four bars on the baseball card - but in the end, it wasn't them.

Some mysterious man had bid ten bars, which was twice of what Nog could afford. Mia almost broke down and cried that her father's baseball card was lost - but knowing Jake, he wouldn't give up on getting that thing for their father. Oh, dear Mia, Weyoun spoke soothingly. Don't cry, my sweet. I will be there soon.

The Dara Celtic Knot is one of many known Celtic knots, all of its history true as Mia has told. :) I thought it was perfect as her tattoo and her and Weyoun's soul mate bond symbol, also because I have a small amount of Irish in my own blood, and I am full American.

I thought it fun to have Mia involved in acquiring the baseball card for her father. This is going to be a fun ride now that she is along for the ride with Jake and Nog. :D