It had been 3 months since the miscarriage and Raina started to feel less angry over it. Moments of sadness hit her, mostly at night when she had time to think of that brief little life. She found out that it was a girl, which was some comfort. She named her, Zora after a character in a story that the children taught her. She got a small star tattooed next to the footprints of Ellie. She also got another star added for Ziyal so the sisters could be together. She had never met Ziyal, but she shared a part of Zora.

She hadn't seen Dukat in that time either. He stayed away to give her the space she wanted, but his absence in her life genuinely hurt. She only lasted two weeks when she had to stop herself from begging him to visit. She loved him desperately, but she needed to work on herself before she could be happy, and she didn't want him to suffer because of her issues.

It was her 28th birthday and Jadzia had insisted on celebrating. Raina didn't want a fuss, so she invited them to her cabin for drinks. Kira, Jadzia, Julian and Garak had arrived together carrying gifts and bottles of drink. "All that for 5 people?"

"It's your birthday, Raina." Julian said while handing her a bottle. "We need to celebrate."

Raina sat and listened to them chat, but she remained quiet for most of it. She zoned out thinking of Dukat, wondering if he remembered her birthday. "Is he thinking of me?" She said out loud.

Kira gave her a sad smile. "You miss him, don't you?"

She nodded, the tears threatening to fall. "Do you think he remembered it was my birthday?"

Garak picked up a box that he'd brought him and placed it on the coffee table in front of Raina. "He did remember."

Raina felt a single tear fall down her cheek as she opened the box to find several small presents and a velvety box underneath. When she opened the velvety box, her tears streamed down her cheeks as it revealed a beautiful Jevonite necklace with a diamond on the pendant. "For a man, he always did have fantastic taste." She laughed through the tears.

"What else is there?" Jadzia asked.

Raina looked through the box, finding smaller presents, like pictures, trinkets and other little things. At the bottom of the box was a letter, obviously written by a child. "It's from Talyn."

"What does it say?" Kira noted the tears welling again in her eyes as she read the letter.

Dearest Mother,

Happy Birthday from me, Mekor and Jacen. We are sad that we couldn't visit you, but father said we could put together a box of presents.

Mekor finally told him that he wanted to join Starfleet. Father told him that some of the people he respected most were in Starfleet and he would be proud to count his own son amongst them.

Father told us about Ziyal and the baby, but please don't be mad at him. He's very sad. He cries at night when he thinks we can't hear him.

Grandmother says she is visiting the station for business so we might be able to go with her. I hope that's ok.

We miss you,

Love, Birdie, Sunshine and Chuckles.

Raina accepted a cuddle from Jadzia as she sobbed into the letter. "I miss them so much."

"I didn't know they called you Mother." Jadzia soothed as she hugged her friend.

"They started calling me that about 18 months ago." She composed herself and tucked the letter back in the box. "They are my kids."

Garak and Julian left to take of something for Sisko and the three women settled in and chatted, hoping to cheer Raina up. After a couple of drinks, a happier and carefree Raina emerged.

"So, what does Dukat have, that many other handsome men that have begged for your attention, don't have?" Kira said, a little bit tipsy as Jadzia laughed.

"Honestly?"

"Yeah." Kira grinned.

"Stamina." All three women burst out laughing. "Seriously, at the beginning it was just a sexual attraction."

"So who mentioned love, first?" Jadzia asked.

"He did." Raina smiled at the memory of their rendezvous on the bridge of his ship. "He's very loving and affectionate. He's everything that all my previous lovers weren't."

"Come then…" Kira teased. "What do you know about him that no one else does?"

Raina sipped her drink, thinking of her answer with a smile. "He likes to cuddle. He's all about the physical contact."

"That's quite sweet." Jadzia laughed, giving Kira a knowing look. "What other little secrets does he have?"

"He can sing." Both women erupted into hysterical laughter. "I'm not joking. He's got a lovely singing voice. He sung Cardassian Opera to me. He got a whole lot of lovin' after that."

"Despite my feelings about him, Raina he genuinely does love you." Kira offered her friend a sympathetic smile. "I know you want space, but don't shut him out completely."

"Do you think I should call him?" Both women nodded in response. "You're right, I should never have pushed him away so much."

"We'll leave you to it."

When both women left, Raina sat at her desk, preparing herself to call him. She knew it would be late evening so she hoped he would be in. She waited for the connection to be established and for someone to respond. A face appeared on screen, only it was a woman, not Dukat. "Oh, Hi. Is Skrain home?"

"No, he's at the gentleman's club getting over some woman." The young woman said with total disinterest. An older woman appeared behind the younger one, telling her to be quiet. "What is it grandmother?"

"I've warned you before about stirring up trouble, Zella." The woman moved Zella out of the way. "I'm sorry about my granddaughter. Her mouth works too fast sometimes. I am Iyza, Skrain's aunt."

"Pleasure to meet you." Raina forced herself to smile.

"Skrain isn't here, but I'll tell him you called."

"No, uh, just forget I called." Raina hung up and climbed into bed. The tears flowed and she cried herself to sleep. Had he already forgotten about her?


Dukat sat in the gentleman's club surrounded by beautiful women draping themselves over him. His friends and colleagues decided that he needed to rediscover the delights of Cardassian women. The only problem was that women, Cardassian or otherwise, no longer did it for him. There was only one woman he wanted, and she had shut him out for 3 months.

Raina was his love, his inspiration, his everything. He felt like he was suffocating without her, but it was a situation of his own making. If only he trusted her. He may not have been able to prevent her miscarriage, but he would have been there to share their brief joy. He knew more than anyone how much Raina wanted to create a family and have children, all things he was more than prepared to do with her.

He dismissed the women around him, not interested by their presence, more annoyed. The only saving grace was that Akellen had given up on lecturing him. Although it was from a place of caring, Dukat was still irritated by hearing how he had the perfect woman and he squandered it. He knew what he lost and was living with it, minute by minute. Even Gul-Tar Keve had given him grief over it and demanding to know why Dukat hadn't begged on his hands and knees for forgiveness. He would do that if he knew it would work, but Raina needed time, not to be begged.

He spotted Akellen marching towards him, no doubt ready for another lecture. "Akellen, it's been 2 hours since your last lecture."

"She called." Akellen said, quickly.

"What?!" Dukat stood up, his body tense and surprised. "My Raina called me?"

"Yes and dippy Zella told her that you were out trying to get over her."

Dukat growled as he stormed out of the club, making his way home with his cousin following. He stormed into his house, immediately cornering Zella. "What did you tell, Raina?"

Zella froze in fear at the near murderous look on his face. "I told her where you were. I never lied to her."

"Why would you tell her that and you knew I was only there because I was forced to go."

"That's the reason why you lost her." Zella braved telling him the truth. "You lost her because you don't think of the consequences to your actions even when they are actions you don't want."

Dukat moved away, standing next to a bottle of Kanar, willing himself to leave it alone. "Don't lecture me."

"If you want this Human back, then you need to start seeing things from her perspective. You treated her badly and still you don't get it. That's why I told her truth, Skrain." Zella knew her cousin too well and he never could see past his own pain. "I thought if she did what you did, then you would know what it felt like to be her."

"I know what I've done." He said, sadly.

"Listen." His Aunt put her arm around his shoulder, pulling him to her in a motherly hug. "She called you, which means that she is ready to communicate. So, maybe put down in words what she means to you."

Dukat nodded. "I'm going to bed."

In the early hours, Dukat was trying to form the words together to accurately describe what she meant to him. In the end, he opted to say it a way that she would appreciate.

Dear Raina,

I'm a fucking idiot.

But I'm your fucking idiot.

Always!

I love you,

Skrain.

P.S There is no getting over you.

He sent the message, knowing she'd get it when she woke in the morning. He imagined the little laugh that would escape but he didn't think she would reply. At least, not so quickly.

When he woke in the morning, a message was waiting and his heart stopped, hoping and praying it was Raina.

Dear Skrain,

Such vulgar language!

I love you,

Raina.

P.S Likewise….

Both of them knew that the love was still burning as intensely as it always did and deep down, the trust was there. The problem is, they didn't trust themselves and until they could, they'd never be happy together.


"Mother!" Talyn shouted as she spotted Raina waiting outside the docking bay. She and her brothers ran to her, pulling her into a crushing hug. "We missed you."

"I missed you too." Raina was so happy to see the kids again. It had been 5 months since saw them last and they were changing before her eyes. Mekor was turning into a young man and his height rivalled his father's. Jacen was not far behind but still had his baby faced features. Talyn was still young but getting more like a young lady every time. "Where's your Grandmother?"

"Greetings, Raina." Dukat's mother nodded politely.

"Hello, Yva. You're looking well."

"Thank you." She smiled briefly. "Why don't you kids run along and put your things away."

"My cabin is all ready and I've got some time in the Holosuites for you." Raina smiled as the kids ran off in such of fun. "I sense you want to talk."

"I do." Yva linked arms with Raina and led her through the Promenade deck to a restaurant. "Dine with me and we can talk." Once they had their food, then sat down. "I need to talk about my son."

"Why, I thought you'd be delighted that we've parted for a while."

"I can tell you, I'm not." Yva grimaced at her tone. She didn't want to seem displeased with Raina, because she wasn't, just the situation. "You are the only woman my son has picked that I approve of."

Raina felt like someone had hit her in the face. "Why?"

"Because you put my son in his place." Yva smiled at the memory of her own husband. "Procal, my husband was a wonderful man in many ways, but when he had an idea in his head, he couldn't be stopped, until I threatened him with divorce. Skrain is just like his father and he needs a good woman to keep him in check at times. Added to the fact that you have all but adopted those children as your own and that you care about Cardassia as many others don't."

"I love him, but sometimes he does things that make me want to kill him."

Yva laughed as she clutched Raina's hand. "Another way in which he is like his father. Forgive my idiot son, but only when you are ready."

Raina was about to make a joke when she spotted Naprem walking past. She hated that bloody woman with a passion and the only reason why she hadn't shoved her out of the nearest airlock was due to the fact that she was the mother of one of Dukat's children. She had claimed for months to anyone who'd listen, that she would win Dukat back and they would marry and start a new family. "Bitch." Raina mumbled under her breath.

"Is that her, this Naprem?" Yva spat.

"That's her. She has been lauding her relationship and ability to have his children over me." She clenched her fist so tight that her nails dug into her palm. "Somehow she found out about my other daughter and she's been joyfully spitting it back at me since."

"Why don't you go and find the children?"

"I'll take the children bowling, so meet you there."

Yva found Naprem working in a shop and fortunately, she was alone. Threatening someone was much better when they were isolated from people who could help. "Naprem?"

"Yes." She smiled. "How can I help?"

"You can help by staying away from my son." She said, coldly.

"Excuse me?"

Yva stalked around Naprem slowly, as she were sizing up her prey. "I've heard rumours that you think my son will marry you."

"He will. Once that Human has gone."

"No he won't." The older woman insisted. "You may think that Skrain loves you, but he doesn't."

"I suppose he loves that Human." Naprem was getting uncomfortable by the glares that his mother threw at her.

"Because of that Human, my son and I have forged a better relationship. His children are happy to have a mother that loves them, and the family approve of her. He's made a wonderful choice." Yva stopped in front of the Bajoran, fixed her in place with an icy glare. "Let me be clear, Bajoran. I will let nothing get in the way of my son's happiness. Nor will I let you torture Raina for being the one he wants. Is that clear?"

Naprem could only nod. She had to admit defeat. "Perfectly."

"Good." Yva gracefully left the shop with her head held high to find her grandchildren, knowing that she had eliminated one problem. Now it was time for her to bond with the woman who may carry more of her grandchildren one day.