Tightening his grip on the bottle of whisky, Bashir felt anger building up inside him. He had no idea who the man was and what the hell he was talking about but one thing was clear, he said he would harm the Doctor's kid and that, for some reason, made Bashir's blood boil.

Using every ounce of self restraint and control he had, he decided to play along and elicit more information, if only to satisfy his curiosity.

"You're so tough and you can't handle a single Cardassian?" he asked, giving the man a skeptical look.

"He's not working alone, as you're well aware of," the man replied, trying to sound casual but there was an evident overtone of anger in his voice. "He's already taken out five of our agents in his little quest for vengeance".

Interesting, Bashir thought, still confused as to what was going on. From what he'd gathered, the aforementioned Cardassian had a grudge against some sort of secret organization and went on a killing spree to avenge… the good doctor? Who were those people and what had they done to ignite the Cardassian's wrath? Whatever was going on, it was obvious that the boy's life was at stake.

The man tilted his head and carefully eyed Bashir, anticipating a response, but his interlocutor didn't say a word and just stared intently at his bottle. That surprised the agent. In fact, Bashir's behavior seemed odd from the very beginning. Drinking alcohol on duty and the passive-aggressive attitude stood in sharp contrast with claims of professionalism and "amicable demeanor" in the doctor's psychographic profile. Perhaps all those years spent on the Teplan homeworld, suffering of a terminal disease, hardened Bashir or even caused serious emotional issues?

Shrugging mentally in dismissal, the man stood up from his chair and decided to give Bashir one last warning to drive his point home, "You've got twenty-six hours to call off your dogs, otherwise, this time, even the Changelings won't be able to help you or your son".

With that, the man turned on his heel to leave, oblivious to the fact his words made Bashir snap. He didn't take two steps when Bashir suddenly came up behind him and smashed the bottle of whisky over his head with a loud crack. The agent instantly fell to the floor along with several shards of broken glass and the last drops of the cool, amber liquid.

Overwhelmed by pain and confusion, the man couldn't even defend himself when Bashir grabbed him by the collar, dragged him across the room, and with a forceful punch, sent him flying over Quark's counter.

The Ferengi bartender could only watch in horror as the mysterious man crashed into the rows of goblets and carafes on the shelves, sending fragments of glass into the air.

"Will people stop brawling in my bar!" Quark shakily yelled out, his back plastered to the wall.

But Bashir wasn't finished. Once again, he angrily pulled the semi-conscious agent to his feet and pinned him against the counter, burying a phaser against the man's bleeding temple. The agent struggled to stay awake at that point but even through his blurred vision his mind registered – to his horror – that the weapon was not set on stun. It was set to kill.

"This just isn't your day," Bashir snarled savagely. How dared the man threaten to harm an innocent child? Julian's child! Just when he thought there was a universe where Julian Bashir could live happily ever after, that man showed up and contaminated it with his misplaced menace. For that, he would pay.

He was about to fire when Parias and four of his men, along with Sisko, O'Brien and Julian dashed into the bar.

"Drop it," Parias warned in an even but commanding tone, his own phaser aimed at Bashir.

Both Sisko and O'Brien gasped in shock while Julian looked at his counterpart with a mixture of horror and confusion.

Breathing heavily through his nose, Bashir stubbornly remained in the same position. The adrenaline racing through his veins only heightened the urge to pull the trigger.

"I said, drop it," Parias repeated, his expression letting everyone know there wasn't going to be a third warning.

Julian took a few cautions steps forward. "Please, do what he says".

Rolling his eyes in resignation, Bashir reluctantly let go of his phaser. Just then, he unexpectedly punched the agent one last time, effectively knocking him out.

"Oops, my hand slipped".

As the man slumped to the floor, Julian rushed to his side to check his pulse. Once he found it, his relief was quickly replaced by outrage.

He looked up at Bashir, who was being restrained by Parias, and asked in an accusatory tone, "Why the bloody hell did you do that?"

"He threatened the boy," Bashir replied in a low voice, making Julian even more confused than he was before.

"I beg your pardon?"

Bashir's voice was laced with disgust, "He said if you didn't call the Cardassian off, he would harm your son".

The doctor's eyes widened in shock before he jumped to his feet, a sense of dread washing over him. "Tobian!"


Julian rushed through the Promenade with Chief O'Brien and two Bajoran security guards in tow. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. If what Bashir said was true, Section 31 was on the station and Tobian's life was in great danger.

Pushing through the crowd, they ignored the surprised glances from the onlookers and after a few minutes – which seemed like hours in Julian's mind – they finally reached Keiko's classroom.

The doctor stormed inside, his eyes darting back and forth in search of his son. He then mentally thanked every human, Bajoran, and Klingon deity he knew because Tobian was right there, safe and sound. With a loud sigh of relief, he approached the boy and wordlessly pulled him into a tight embrace.

Tobian was too shocked and disturbed by his father's behavior to even feel embarrassed in front of his classmates.

"What is going on Miles?" Keiko whispered in her husband's ear, feeling a pang of concern at the sight of the security officers.

O'Brien shook his head and muttered, "Section 31 might be back".

Her eyes widened at the revelation but she did her best to remain calm, careful not to aggravate the situation. Several years of experience as a teacher made her aware of how fast kids could pick up on adults' anxieties and she certainly didn't want to instill panic among her students.

"Come with me," Julian said as he took Tobian's hand and tried to lead him out of the classroom.

A puzzled frown appeared on the boy's face as he pulled his hand back. "Where are we going, dad? Did something bad happen?"

Julian opened his mouth to respond then quickly closed it again, unsure of how to reply. What was he supposed to say? After he'd barged into the classroom, he left Tobian agitated but it would be best if the boy didn't know the exact reason behind his father's actions.

Fortunately for him, Keiko decided to step in. "Class, I'd like to introduce my husband, Chief Miles O'Brien, and Tobian's father, Doctor Julian Bashir".

As the class murmured their greetings, Miles forced a smile and awkwardly waved his hand, relieving some of the tension in the room.

"It is almost time for recess, "Keiko continued in her most pleasant tone, "so why don't we take some time off while Doctor Bashir and Tobian have a little chat".

Keiko and the kids swiftly left the classroom, leaving Bashir and his son as well as Miles and the security officers behind.

"Tobian, I'm so sorry about all of this, " Julian said, crouching down to be eye level with his son, "but you need to get back to our quarters right now".

"Am I in trouble?" the boy asked, his resolute eyes filled with worry.

Julian shook his head. "I'll explain later but right now I need you to trust me".

"I always trust you, daddy".

Julian smiled. "Officers Rocco and Trent will look after you," he pointed at the two Bajorans, "and I'll join you as soon as I can, alright?"

The boy reluctantly nodded in confirmation, though, he didn't feel any less anxious.

"Everything's going to be alright, I promise," Julian quickly added in an attempt to console his son. He could only hope he sounded more convincing than he actually felt.

Julian kissed his son on the forehead then stood up and motioned for the security guards to take over.

As the two Bajorans gently urged Tobian to go forward, O'Brien muttered to Rocco, "Don't let him out of your sight".

"Yes, sir," the Bajoran replied and escorted the child outside.

Julian stood in silence as his gaze lingered on their retreating backs. He anticipated that Section 31 would eventually reappear in his life to cause havoc, but he did not expect it to happen so soon.

"What am I going to do?" he muttered resignedly, the question directed more at himself than at his friend.

"What are we going to do," O'Brien corrected. "Don't you think for a moment you're alone in this. We have your back, Julian". Miles' tone was determined. He wasn't going to let Section 31 hurt his best friend ever again.

Just then, Captain Sisko entered the room. "You're damn right we do".

Julian reciprocated with a sad but grateful smile before taking a deep, calming breath. This wasn't the time to succumb to despair. He needed to get a grip and face the situation head on.

Raising his chin, he finally asked "Where is that man?"

"He was transported to the Infirmary and placed within a containment field," Sisko replied. "We have three security officers there, making sure he stays put while Parias is trying to establish his identity".

O'Brien eyebrows arched in confusion, "Trying to?"

Sisko nodded. "His DNA doesn't match anyone in our data base. We don't know his name and we don't know how or even when he arrived on the station".

"Figures," O'Brien said under his breath. "Serves to prove he may as well be an operative".

"Parias put his deputies on full alert," Sisko added. "If this man is indeed a Section 31 agent, his accomplices might be on the station as well".

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, " Julain said, earning a surprised look from Sisko and O'Brien. "I remember Sloan suddenly appearing in and disappearing from my quarters like a ghost. He'd never risked being seen anywhere else on the station".

Miles quickly picked up on what Julian was saying. "It is possible that Section 31 is in possession of a sophisticated, long-range transporter, allowing them to beam their men back and forth from outside of the station".

Captain Sisko was quick to catch up with them, "So, it's safe to assume there is a cloaked ship somewhere within the station's radius".

"Their ship is somewhere out there, alright," O'Brien said, "but like I've said, they are probably using a long-range transporter so the ship might be hundreds of light-years away from the station".

Sisko scratched his goatee, pondering something for a while then turned to O'Brien, "Chief, you and Commander Worf will take the Defiant and go on a little hunt".

"Yes, sir".

"Meanwhile," Sisko continued, directing his gaze at Julian, "you'll have a little chat with Captain Bashir".

The prospect of talking to his belligerent counterpart sent shivers down Julian's spine but he knew it had to be done. Perhaps Bashir had additional information.

"He did mention something about a Cardassian," Julian muttered to himself when a realization hit all three of them.

"Garak!"

"I knew something fishy was going on when he refused to join us on our way to the Changelings' homeworld," O'Brien said.

"Well, now we know what he's been up to," Sisko added, "he's after Section 31!"

Julian tiredly ran his hand over his face as conflicting thoughts raced through his mind. Should he be grateful or terrified? Probably a mixture of both. How was he suppose to call Garak off? Did he even want to?

"I guess I'd better talk to my infamous twin," he finally said. "Where is he, anyway?"

Sisko gave him a sort of isn't-it-obvious look and Julian immediately realized where he was supposed to go.


Parias and Julian stood outside of Bashir's holding cell, an invisible force field separating them for the cell's occupant. Oddly enough, Bashir seemed relaxed, sitting on the bunk bed with his back against the wall, his legs crossed, and his hands clasped behind his head.

"Ah, I knew you'd eventually show up, Doc," he said, his mouth twisting into a self-satisfied smirk.

Julian ignored him and turned to Parias, "Lower the force field, please".

Parias gave Julian a skeptical look but before the doctor could say anything, his volatile doppelganger cut in, "It's alright, I don't bite".

The Bajoran narrowed his eyes but when Julian nodded to confirm his earlier request, he decided to comply. "Just be careful, doctor. I'll be in my office if you need me".

The moment Julian entered the holding cell, the lowered force field immediately lit up behind him. Wordlessly, he sat on the bunk next to Bashir, mimicking his position.

Neither of them said a word for a while before curiosity got the better of Bashir. He gave the doctor a sideways glance and casually asked, "Is the kid okay?"

Julian looked up, a little surprised at the question but then he recalled the reason Bashir beat the agent up in the first place.

"Tobian's fine. Thank you for asking".

Bashir rolled his eyes, a little irritated by his counterpart's insistence on being so damn polite all the time. "So, who was that creep?"

Julian pondered how much information he wanted to reveal then decided there was no point in hiding anything. He figured if he opened up about his life a little bit, perhaps Bashir would be willing to do the same.

"He's an operative of an organization called Section 31. Many years ago, they tried to recruit me and… I guess they didn't take my refusal lightly…"

"What did they do?"

Julian furrowed his brows as memories started to resurface, painting horrible images in his mind. He shook his head as if to swap them away then proceeded to tell Bashir all about Section 31's assault on him, about the Quickening, his time on the Teplan homeworld, his son, and even his late wife.

To his own surprise, the more he talked, the easier it was to let the words flow out of his mouth. He supposed Ezri was right about him needing to talk to someone and get some things off his chest. He just didn't expect the person he'd confide in was going to be… himself.

Bashir took it all in, each new revelation cracking the facade of indifference he had previously assumed. It became painfully obvious that the doctor's dimension wasn't the idyllic utopia he thought it was. If anything, sometimes it seemed even more disturbing than his own troubled world.

"So, once these Changelings cured you, you got back to the station," Bashir tried to put the puzzle pieces together, "and sent the Cardassian after your enemies?"

"No!" Julian protested. "I didn't send Garak after them. I had no idea he got involved until now".

Bashir was both confused and intrigued by the story. "What's in it for him, then?"

Julian shrugged. "I guess he wants to avenge me?"

"Why?"

"Because he's a friend".

When Julian saw the bemused look on Bashir's face, he shrugged again. The doctor didn't expect him to understand the complicated friendship he shared with Garak. Then again, sometimes the Cardassian's actions and the motivations behind them were a mystery even to himself.

"Interesting friend," Bashir remarked then another thought popped into his head. He narrowed his eyes and eyed Julian from head to toe. "Why would Section 13…"

"31," Julian cut in.

"Whatever. Why would they want to recruit you, anyway?"

Swallowing hard, Julian realized Bashir inadvertently stepped onto a very shaky ground. Still, that could be the only opportunity to ask his twin about his genetic background.

"The reason they were interested in me is because I was genetically enhanced as a child," he admitted, carefully studying his interlocutor's face for a reaction. He got one. Bashir's expression became somber and he looked as uncomfortable as Julian was.

"What sort of enhancements are we talking about here?"

"Mostly intellectual, " Julian replied, "but my reflexes, stamina, and hand-eye coordination have been improved as well".

Bashir forced his face to remain impassive. "I see," he muttered under his breath. When he didn't provide any additional comment, Julian realized he would have to drag the conversation along.

"What about you? What's your story?"

Bashir's first instinct was to tell the good doctor to bugger off but he surprised himself with how much he needed to let it all out. Not a single person in his universe knew about his past. He'd never told Smiley and he'd never even told Jadzia, back when she was still….

Bashir had to admit that if he was going to reveal his secret to anyone, he supposed Julian was his best choice. Still, he didn't even know where to start so he remained silent.

Sensing his discomfort, Julian tried a different approach. "I know you've been enhanced as well. Do Terrans have access to that kind of technology?"

"They don't, but the Bajorans do," Bashir replied, keeping his tone even as if to detach himself from the story he was about to tell.

"The Bajorans? Why would they want to enhance humans?"

Julian noticed the way Bashir nervously clenched and unclenched his fists but he pretended it didn't bother him.

"I was a part of a project called The Fifth Column. Bajoran scientists would conduct genetic experiments on Terran slaves, especially on the ones they deemed… lesser developed".

Julian cringed at the horrible term but allowed Bashir to continue.

"They took me along with dozens of other Terrans and… began tampering with our DNAs. Once they were satisfied with our mental capabilities, they intended to brainwash us with some rubbish Alliance propaganda".

"What was the point of it all?"

"To release us among Terrans as their moles. They wanted us to infiltrate resistance cells and report back to them".

Julian's mouth twisted in disgust. "So essentially, they tried to create their own spies".

Bashir replied with a curt nod. "Hence, the codename".

"Did they enhance you physically in any way?" Julian knew he was pushing his luck at that point but his inquisitive nature got the better of him.

Bashir shrugged. "Not considerably. The Bajorans wouldn't risk creating Terrans that were physically and intellectually superior to them, in case their plan didn't work".

"Good call. You don't sound like a spy to me".

"The device they used to brainwash us got destroyed when a rogue group of rebels attacked the lab. It did fry a few cords in my brain but I've managed to escape before they turned me into their mindless puppet".

"That would explain the anomalies I detected in your nervous system," Julian concluded, not noticing the nasty look he was given. "You know, I can fix that if you want…"

"I'm not broken, doctor!" Bashir groused through gritted teeth then averted his gaze, his whole body language letting Julian know their conversation was over.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" Julian started but Bashir waved his hand in dismissal.

"Forget about it," he said and decided to change the topic, completely ignoring the gravity of the previous one. "What are you going to do about these creeps? The Cardassian effectively managed to piss them off, killing five of their men. He's not working alone, you know".

"I figured as much," Julian said, shaking his head in resignation. "But I have no way of contacting them. I don't know how to stop them".

"Why would you want to stop them?!" Bashir asked incredulously as he stood up from his bunk. "The way I see it, you should let them finish the job. It's not very often someone is willing to do the dirty work for you".

Julian furrowed his brows and sharply looked up at Bashir. "This is just wrong. Believe me, I want to get rid of Section 31 more than anyone in the world, but not like this. I want to expose them, not have them killed one by one!"

Crossing his hands over his chest, Bashir leaned against the wall and shook his head in disbelief. He glanced down at Julian in a way a teacher would look at a slow, disoriented student. Julian knew that look all too well. "Has anyone ever told you how naïve you are?"

Julian's downbeat expression was enough of an answer.

"These men tried to kill you and now they're threatening to kill your son," Bashir continued, his voice rising with every syllable, "and here you are, taking pity on them?!"

"I just don't want any more blood to be spilled!" Julian yelled back, standing up so that he was eye level with Bashir.

"And what are you going to do about it?"

The question caught Julian off guard. "I… I don't know".

Bashir grunted in disapproval, then, in that irritating, sarcastic manner of his, he remarked, "I thought you were supposed to be the smart one here".

Letting out a puff of air, Julian leaned against the wall next to Bashir. He took a few calming breaths and surprised his counterpart with how quickly he managed to regain his composure.

"I can't do anything that might endanger Tobian's life…"

"You have to do something," Bashir interjected. "You have to stand up for yourself, otherwise, you'll be a victim all your life".

There was something genuine about Bashir's tone, a hint of earnestness that hadn't manifested itself before. Julian looked him in the eyes but remained silent, prompting the other man to continue.

"Think about your options, Doc. You have one of their men now. That's leverage. Use it to your advantage. Consider your resources. If you want to expose those people, you need to come up with a plan".

Julian silently marveled at Bashir's determination and ingenuity. He was a rebel and he thought like a rebel. Genetic conditioning would never be able to replace years of experience in a resistance cell. In that regard, Bashir reminded him of Kira. But most importantly, he was right. Julian finally got the chance to take Section 31 down and he would be a fool to pass up such an opportunity. He didn't want to be the victim anymore. He needed to fight back, not just for himself, but for his son's future.

"Leverage, you say?"

Bashir smirked knowingly, glad to finally see a fiery glint in his counterpart's eyes. "Now you're talking, Doc."


Author's notes:

Thank you once again for taking the time to read my fic. As always, I'd like to give a special shout out to the wonderful people who leave me feedback and who follow/fav the story. Your support is very much appreciated! Please, let me know what you think :)

Next chapter: A face off between Julian and S31. Stay tuned!