There were tears when Raina had to say goodbye to the kids and Yva. She didn't know when she would get to see them again as in less than month, she was being temporarily reassigned. It meant that she would get a chance at her own command and a promotion to Commander. Despite her personal issues, her career had really taken off in a big way. She had done work with the Bajorans that led to some interesting opportunities for both Bajor and the Federation.

Starfleet decided to utilize her natural charm and peacekeeping abilities to build rapport with non-Federation species. They acknowledged that other races seemed to react more positively to her than they would anyone else. Even Klingons knew to behave around her and the Cardassians would only deal with her.

After saying her goodbyes, she headed to Ops for a meeting with Sisko. She knew he wanted to talk about her relationship with Dukat. Although, it had been months since their separation, she hadn't discuss it with him and she thought it best to do it before she left for 6 months.

She walked into Sisko's office, giving him a brief smile. "Morning, Ben." She greeted as she sat down.

"Morning, Raina."

"I know you are desperate to lecture me about Dukat, so get on with it."

Sisko sighed. "I thought that you had settled here and your issue with Cardassians had been resolved."

"It has been." Raina insisted. "I didn't get involved with him because he is a Cardassian. It happened because he is Dukat and I fell in love with him."

"So he never took advantage?"

"No. He did nothing that I didn't invite." She noticed Sisko body language relax when she said no. "He was very respectful and loving towards me."

"Does he know about the reassignment?"

Raina frowned and shook her head. "If I tell him, he'll really believe that we are over."

"Isn't that what you want?"

"No." She protested. "The last 2 years with him were amazing, but I spent all that time wondering when it was going to go wrong. I can't keep living like that and I can't put my issues on him."

"You need to discover your self-worth?"

"I do and until I do, I will keep sabotaging a good thing."

"Well, I've told Command that they aren't having you for longer than 6 months."

"That's good. I need to be here if my plan to take over the station is going to work." She teased.

Sisko chuckled. "Go and enjoy the rest of your time here."


Dukat sat in his chair on the bridge, getting all the more anxious as they approached DS9. He didn't even have a plan to dock, he just needed Raina urgently. As the ship neared the station, he barked orders at his officers. "Helm open a channel to the station. Tell them it's an emergency."

"Aye, sir.

"This is Gul Dukat. I need to speak to Lieutenant Commander Cavendish urgently." He barked into the comm. His heart stopped when Raina appeared on the screen, looking different from the last time her saw her. How was it possible for such a beautiful woman to get even more beautiful? Her hair was a deep rich red colour and she wore striking red lipstick to match.

Raina could feel Dukat's panic before she even saw his face. Then she found out why. "Skrain, where's our children?"

"The transport ship never made it back to Cardassia. The warp trail leads to the Badlands."

Raina turned to Sisko. "I need the runabout." As soon as he nodded his permission, she stepped into the life. "Skrain. I'll beam you abroad as soon as I've undocked."

In barely more than half an hour, Dukat was beamed abroad the Rio Grande and Raina had piloted the shuttle towards the Badlands. They sat in silence for the first hour, neither knowing just what to say to each other. "So, how have you been?" Raina finally asked.

"Fine." He replied dismissively.

Raina felt irrationally irked by his response. Well, if he wanted to act so cold, then she could too. "Just so you know, I'm being reassigned for 6 months to the Beta Quadrant."

"Good."

With that icy acknowledgement she turned to face him, so mad that her fist balled up in a rage. "Is that it? Two words is all you have to say to me."

"What else would you rather me say?" He fired back.

"I don't know. How about something that actually shows me that you did actually love me."

"You have no idea what it's been like for me over these past few months."

"I have no idea…."She said incredulously. "In case you forgot, I had a miscarriage of a baby I wanted. I've spent months listening that bitch, Naprem throwing my inability to carry children, your children in my face. How you'll come to your senses and marry her." Raina slammed her fist down on the console. "And you wanna know what the kicker is? People look at me as if I was in the wrong. Like I stole you from her."

"It was my baby too." He roared.

Raina got up quickly and moved to the back of the cockpit. "You should try being my place, Skrain. Two babies I've lost. Twice my crappy womb couldn't do the basic thing of growing a baby properly." Tears streamed down her face, but she was still angry. "And the baby was girl. Don't you ever call Zora "it" again." She screamed.

They sat in silence until they reached the Badlands. "This is where we lost the warp trail." Dukat told her, not even daring to look at her.

A familiar voice echoed around in Raina's head, telling her that is was an attempt at misdirection. Then she picked something up on the scanner. "There's something on sensors. It's a probe."

"Can you download the files?"

"Give me a sec." Raina broke into the probe and suddenly a face that she hadn't seen in year, appeared on the screen.

"Hello Raina." Jason Cohen grinned malevolently.

"Who is this?" Dukat asked.

"That is Jason." She sneered at her ex fiancé's image. "The biggest mistake I've ever made."

"It's been a long time, Raina." He laughed. "Since Starfleet are unwilling to deal with you, I've decided that I'll do it. I tried to with that lovely infection that released on Cardassia. Only you had to go ahead and find a cure."

Raina clutched Dukat's hand and she could feel his anger as he shook with rage. He clutched it back, moving closer to her.

"I watched you and that latest Cardassian. It was disgusting to see you in the enemies arms, so as punishment, I've taken what you hold dear so much. If you want them back, you'll play my little adventure game. Follow the clues and find me. But when you do, I want a full statement where you confess to all of your lies. Do this and I'll let them go. Whether I let you go, is another matter."

Raina pressed her head into her hands, trying to rub the tiredness out of them. "If he harms them in anyway, I'll torture him until he begs me for death." She promised Dukat.

"We aren't too far from the nearest colony. I think we should get supplies and maybe some sleep."

"Good idea. It'll give me time to work out where we need to go."

Dukat laid in one of the bunks on the shuttle, pretending to be asleep while he discreetly watched Raina over at the opposite bunk. They had stopped at a Cardassian colony on the edge of Cardassian space so they could stock up for a long trip and get some rest.

"You aren't asleep, sexy man." Raina smiled. "Am I that fascinating?"

"I'm trying to work out how such a beautiful creature, got even more beautiful." His voice was low and dripping with charm.

Raina laughed as she jumped down from her bunk. "It always makes me wonder why they made these bunks big enough for two." She climbed into his bunk, crawling over his body before pressing herself against him. She lifted the blanket he used to cover himself, peeking underneath. She tutted as she slipped her hand underneath the blanket and raked her nails over his skin. "Imagine the nerve of laying naked next to a Starfleet officer."

"Imagine that Starfleet officer wearing the thinnest vest possible while pressing herself against a high ranking Cardassian officer."

"Well, if it offends so much….." Raina expertly stripped off her vest with one hand and chucked it on the other bunk. "And in the interest of fairness." She stripped off her shorts and quickly discarded them. "Happier now?"

"Not quite." He moved quickly so she was pinned underneath his weight.

"What is it that you need?" She rolled her hips, grinning as he growled.

"I want to fuck you until you scream my name in ecstasy."

Normally, Raina would have retorted, instead she pulled him to her for a bruising kiss. It had been 5 months since they had been so close but the desire for each other was still as strong as it always was. They kissed like they had been starved and the only sustenance was each other as their tongues moved together with perfect synchronicity. Raina pulled away gasping for air, but still kept him close. "Before we go any further, I warn you now I'm not on any birth control."

Dukat silenced her with a kiss before he entered her slowly, just revelling in the pleasure. "I've missed you." He groaned into her hair as he moved frustratingly slowly.

"I've missed you, too." She clung to him as moved, rolling her hips to meet his thrusts. Her fingers wove into his hair, tugging at it gently. "I masturbated so many times thinking about you. How you used to bend me over your desk, fucking me even when you spoke your crew."

He gripped on to her thigh, probably hard enough to leave a mark, pushing her leg upwards to rest her leg on his shoulder. He propped himself up on a hand near her head, to avoid hurting her in the new position. His thrusts increased and her hips rose to meet his. "You are divine." He groaned.

She craned her neck to kiss him, completely oblivious to her surroundings. All she could focus on was the man above her, driving her closer and closer to first proper orgasm in months. "More…." She pleaded.

He pounded into her forcefully, peppering her leg with kisses as moved. He slipped his hand down between them to massage her clitoris. It was just what was needed to make her shatter beneath him. He hissed with pleasure as her nails dug into his skin as she neared her orgasm. "Scream my name." He demanded.

She gasped loudly, throwing her head back. "Skrain…" She roared into the air as waves of intense pleasure crashed around her.

Moments later he joined her as his body went ridged, spilling his seed into her, groaning her name as if it were the most erotic thing in the galaxy. He collapsed on top of her, burying his face in her hair. Together they lay panting and unable to move. "Don't forget me." He pleaded.

Raina pushed him up so she could look at him, cradling his face in her hands. "I'm yours. As your friend, lover, partner and your wife one day. You are etched into my very being and I guarantee, I'll be your wife by the time I'm 30."

"That's only in 2 years."

"Am I worth waiting 2 years?"

He gave her a tender kiss on his lips, letting his lips linger on hers. She had dreams she wanted to follow before she settled down and he refused to the one who stifled her brilliance. She would come back to him one day and he would be waiting. "2 years will give me enough time to build the home you want."

"Once I move in, you won't get rid of me." She teased.

"I love you." He whispered as he kissed her nose.

"I love you, too."