DISCLAIMER: See previous chapter.

THE TRUTH REVEALED

It only took 28 hours for Odo to flush out the false Wesley Crusher. Unfortunately, for the second time, Odo had to kill a Changeling in order to protect his friends and the station.

Bekah sent a message to the flight hanger on Saturn, asking that Wesley contact her as soon as possible. She hoped he'd get a message out to her soon. She had to know how a changeling had discovered so much about her past with him.

Julian was working in the Infirmary. He kept setting the PADDs on the console in front of him, distracted by the situation with Rebekah. He wasn't exactly sure how he felt about her. He knew the last 28 hours had affected him greatly. He'd always been worried about his friends and crew mates when threats were realized, but Bekah's threat had affected him in a big way.

He knew he wasn't going to be able to overlook his feelings for her for much longer, but, as smart as he was, he didn't know what to do about it.

He was just getting back to his reading when Captain Sisko came into the Infirmary.
"Dr. Bashir," he said.
Julian looked up from his reading and got out of his chair. "Something wrong, Captain? Are you ill," he asked.

Sisko shook his head. He actually wished he was asking the doctor for his professional services.

"Bekah sent a message to the flight hanger on Saturn requesting a conversation with Wesley. She's hoping she can find out how a changeling was able to get so much information about her. The hanger contacted me because they have been looking for Cadet Crusher's next of kin. Apparently the Enterprise is traveling through a nebula on their way to deliver a delegate to the negotiations, so communications are spotty," Sisko said.
"What happened," Julian asked.

"Six days before the changeling arrived here at the station, there was an accident at the hanger. Several of the fighter pilots were injured. Two were killed," Sisko said.
Julian's heart hit the floor. He knew what the Captain was trying to tell him. "Wesley Crusher was one of those killed. They don't know what caused the accident, but, with the appearance of the changeling here, it's obvious why the 'accident' happened," Julian said.
Captain Sisko nodded his head. Julian grabbed the console in front of him and dropped his head.

"Who's going to tell Rebekah," Julian asked, amazed he had found his voice.
"That duty falls to me," Captain Sisko said.
Julian shook his head. "Let me do it. Rebekah shouldn't hate you for giving her that information."
"You don't have to do this," Sisko said.
"I know, but I feel like I have to," Julian said. He walked past Sisko and headed toward the lift and the Habitat Ring. He'd gladly face an army of Jem'Hadar soldiers then deliver news he knew would upset Rebekah.

While waiting for them to respond, Bekah sat at her desk in her quarters to go over the information they had gathered thus far.

She was just starting to read the second priority memo from Starfleet when her door sounded.

Pulling herself out of her work mode, she announced "Come in."

The door swooshed open to reveal Julian. She couldn't hide the smile on her face when she saw him standing there. This whole ordeal, despite taking only 28 hours to solve, had affected both officers in ways they weren't ready to reveal.

"What are you doing here," she asked, as soon as she found her voice.

"I have some information for you," he said, entering her quarters and gesturing toward the couch.

He sat on the table in front of the couch and took a deep breath.
"Captain Sisko heard from the hanger on Saturn," he said.
"Why didn't they talk to me? I sent the message. I'm a commanding officer. Why did they contact him," Bekah asked.

"They had been looking for you. They thought you were still on the Enterprise with Wesley's mother," Julian said.
"OK, they found me, so when do I get to askWesley how the changeling impersonated him so well," she asked.

Julian took her hands and looked into her eyes. Her eyes showed she had no idea what Julian was about to tell her.
"There was an accident at the hanger. Some cadets were injured and two were killed," he said.

Bekah looked at him. She knew what he was going to say and she was bracing herself. She saw that what he had to tell her was painful, so she helped him out. "Wesley's dead, isn't he," she said.
"Yes. I'm afraid he died a few days before the changeling arrived at the station," he said.
Bekah's face fell. She had always known that she might get a notification like this because of her Starfleet ties. She knew it was possible her commanding officer or close friend would arrive to tell her that her brother was dead or Geordi had been seriously injured. She guessed it was naïve of her to assume that she'd never get a notification of death regarding Wesley.

"Do you know any details," she asked.
"Chief O'Brien has a tape that he's watching. He thought he could do that for you so you could be warned about the contents," Julian said.
"He's dead," she kept repeating, more for herself than for Julian to understand.

Julian saw Rebekah's demeanor start to crack, so he reached out and wrapped his arms around her. He sat on the couch and gathered the petite woman in his arms. He didn't think of her as a commanding officer, but as a woman who was hurting and sometimes, the only way to comfort that hurt was to hold them and provide a physical support for them.
As Julian held the sobbing Rebekah, he swore he would be the one to protect her and help her heal.

A while later, Rebekah had fallen asleep, fresh tears on her cheeks.

Julian had unwrapped himself from her body and covered her with a blanket. He wasn't going to leave until he knew Rebekah was OK, so he got some tea and sat on the other end of the couch.

Her bell sounded.
Julian got up and neared the door before calling, "Come in."

Captain Sisko stood their with Worf and O'Brien.

"She just fell asleep. I thought I'd have to sedate her because she became very quiet and didn't say anything. She just cried," Julian said.
"I notified her brother. They had just gotten the official notification from Starfleet. His mother is preparing a memorial service. Will wants Bekah back on the Enterprise for that memorial. He understands the problem with what's happening here, so he said they'd do the memorial when Bekah could arrive on the ship," Sisko said.

"I would like to accompany her, if that's acceptable," Julian asked.
Sisko nodded his head. Julian glanced at the sleeping figure on the couch, relieved that he'd be able to help her through this terrible ordeal.

"This is another thing the Dominion and this war has taken from us. We are losing too much to this war. We have to figure out how to stop it," Worf said.
"I agree. But how do we do that? The Dominion may not have succeeded this time in killing Bekah, but they did wound her," Chief O'Brien said.
The four men looked at each other, not knowing the answer to that question.

The men spoke in hushed whispered and didn't notice Bekah stirring on the couch.

"I'm going to find a way to end this damn war before it takes something else away from me that I hold dear. I am drawing the line, right here, right now," Bekah said. She remembered Captain Picard uttering those words during their battle with the Borg and it seemed fitting.
The four looked at her. Worf saw the determination in her eyes and knew the Dominion had made a terrible mistake in making an enemy of Rebekah Riker.