Raina's first command was going quite successfully, much to her relief. The USS Venus was a small but powerful ship with a hand picked crew. It had taken them to relatively obscure worlds and there were many more to go.
She enjoyed meeting new people and forging those important ties. Yet, she missed Dukat and their children so much. She spoke to them as often as she could and teased the children about the all the mementos that she would bringing back from each world she visited.
She did have a minor issue by way of the first Officer who seemed to have developed an attachment to her. Fortunately, the persistent mentioning of Dukat whenever he made his move on her sent a very clear message. He moved on to another woman very soon after.
Three months in her assignment, she began to notice her body shape changing, particularly her stomach. But she chose to ignore it, just putting it down to weight gain as she navigated through her first command. But, as people started to notice her expanding waistline, she was left with little choice but to see the ships doctor, Dr Wrinn. "Good morning, Doc."
"Ahh, Commander." He began as he looked up from his desk. "I wondered when you would show up. On the bed."
"It's probably nothing." She said as she got on the bed. "Just weight gain."
He gave her a pointed look. "Well, you are gaining weight but not from overeating."
"So, a tumour then."
"Raina, you are pregnant." He told her plainly. "Sixteen weeks if you're curious."
"Doctor, I have lost my last two pregnancies. I was given a fifteen percent change to carry a child to term. This one wont end happily." She got up from the bed, walking towards the door. "I don't want anyone to know."
She carried on with her duties as normal, ignoring all the questioning looks from her crew as she got bigger and bigger. Even the delegates she hosted seemed to regard her stomach, fully aware of what in meant.
She had done a good job of ignoring her body, but after a long and exhausting day, a shower was needed. As she let the gentle sonic waves soothe her, the skin of her stomach protruded and retracted quickly, and her stomach fluttered excitedly with growing life. This time she couldn't ignore it for it wouldn't be ignored. She rubbed her hands over her skin, reward with feisty kicks to her palms. It was a sign to say that the life within was there to stay until it was time to greet the galaxy.
Moments later, she was in sick bay. "Dr Wrinn, I want to see it."
"On the bed then."
Raina waited nervously as the doctor started up the scanner. She gasped as the sound of two determined heartbeats echoed throughout the sickbay. "It is twins?" She asked as her eyes welled up.
"Twin girls, Commander." He brought up the image of the two babies. "Look."
Raina's eyes were glue to the vision of two healthy half Cardassian/Human girls, yawning simultaneously. "They are ok, right?"
"Growing as two twenty-two week foetuses should." He reassured her. "I'll monitor your pregnancy closely and you should take time purely for rest."
"Will you sent a message to the crew?" She asked. "I need to get my head around this and maybe apologise to my girls for ignoring them for so long."
"The crew will be delighted with the news."
Raina headed back to her cabin, all the more aware of her twins moving happily inside of her. She wanted to call Dukat, but she didn't want him to know in case it went wrong again. She saw his reaction to their previous loss, and she wanted to protect him from that.
There was one person she needed to tell. A confession to her father about her relationship with another Cardassian. She swallowed hard when he appeared on screen. "Hi, dad."
"Hi sweetheart. This is a surprise."
Raina sunk her head desperately trying to stop herself from crying. "Dad, we need to talk."
"Baby, what's wrong?" He asked gently as he saw her tears.
"I've been in a relationship for the past 2 and half years with someone you nor Starfleet Command would approve of."
"Who?" He asked, confused.
"A Cardassian, Gul Dukat." She closed her eyes and braced herself for the onslaught.
John's heart broke when he saw the tears slip down her face. While Starfleet Command wouldn't be too pleased, he trusted Raina to act dutifully for Starfleet while conducting her relationship. "Raina, you are more than capable enough to not need my approval."
"I didn't want to let you down."
"Rosie…." That was the first time he had used her nickname since his wife died. "When have you ever let me down? Does he make you happy?"
She nodded, wiping her tears away. "We've had a few ups and downs, but he treats me like a Queen."
"Then you leave Command to me."
"Dad, I'm pregnant." She blurted out. Her tears flowed again when she saw joy on her father's face. "Twenty-two weeks with twin girls."
"So, you'll be wanting to go back to Cardassia soon?"
"At least a month before the babies are due. I haven't told Skrain yet and I want to feel sure that this pregnancy will end happily before I do."
"I can't get you out now but perhaps I can get you back in six weeks."
"Thanks, dad. He was disappointed to know I would be later than we thought but he'll be happy to know I'll be returning soon." She stroked her bumped, elated at the thought that she could give birth in the home that he had built for her. "You'll have five more grandchildren soon."
"Five?" He laughed. "You've been busy."
"Dukat has three children, Mekor, Jacen and Talyn. They see me as their mother, and they are my babies."
"Well, I would love to meet these children and my future son in law."
"Mekor has plans to be the first Cardassian in Starfleet."
"Well, he's practically a Cavendish. His entry into Starfleet is pretty much guaranteed, especially once his old grandad has sponsored him."
"You'd do that for him?"
"If he's learned anything from you, he'll make a fine addition to Starfleet."
"Dad…" She started. "I want you know that you've been a wonderful father to me, and my children will adore you as much as I do."
"You've been a wonderful daughter." He smiled as a tear slipped down his cheek. "Tell your man that you'll be home in 6 weeks. I'll come for a visit before the babies are born so I can spend time with the older ones."
Raina hung up with her father, feeling so happy and hopeful. She knew her father would get her back to Cardassia so she could settle before the birth. She desperately wanted to tell Dukat that she was pregnant, but she knew he would worry until she was home, so she would surprise him with it.
Within minutes of her hanging up with her father, she was inundated with messages of congratulations. Her favourite was a message from her niece and nephew singing congratulations to her. It overwhelmed her knowing how excited and happy people were for her.
Six weeks later, Raina was on DS9 saying goodbye to her friends. They were stunned to see her heavily pregnant and glowing with happiness. They had showered her with gifts for the twins and made her promise to bring the babies for a visit.
As she was leaving, she caught sight of Naprem who had noticed her unmissable baby bump. Raina nodded politely to the woman. She had no ill will towards the woman anymore. Raina had everything she wanted, and it would make her a person she wasn't to gloat about it.
Dukat stood in the new home he had built overlooking the town of Urdassa, proud of his hard work. He may have gone slightly overboard with the house, but Raina deserved the best. It had more bedrooms than possibly needed and a separate guest house. Thanks to her brother, Andrew the house was built using photos of the Cavendish manor in which Raina spent many summers. She was choosing to live on Cardassia, but he knew she would miss home, so he decided to bring a little bit of Earth to Cardassia.
"Do you think she'll like it?" Talyn asked her father.
"I think she'll love it." He pulled his daughter into his outstretched arm.
Both Mekor and Jacen stepped into the house, having been working out in the garden. "The garden is finished." Mekor told him.
"When is mother due home?" Jacen asked.
"In two days." He replied. "She was waiting for some things to be delivered from Earth before she headed back. She's spending time with some friends on the station first. She said she didn't know when she'd get to see them again."
"Well, at least we have time to get everything perfect." Talyn said.
"Did you find our incubator, father?" Mekor refused to call Athra mother or even birth mother. Only one woman deserved to have the title of mother and that was Raina. For years, Mekor and his siblings felt rejected by Athra. She was always clever to make sure Dukat never knew the extent of her neglect. She would always imply to people that Dukat was the neglectful parent, but he was nothing of the sort. Once she had gone, their father really doubled his efforts to be a good parent.
From the moment they met Raina, they could feel her affection for them. She took the time to get to know them and showered them with love. It was Jacen that had called her mother first, but it was purely accidental. It was almost just a natural progression from using her name to calling her mother. The reaction from Raina and their father was as if they had been calling her mother all of their lives. She was their mother. Not adoptive mother, just mother. Mekor, once a shy child became more outspoken. Jacen felt more secure. Talyn forever her father's daughter, blossomed under Raina's influence.
"No, son. I can't think of where she would be."
"Will formally recognise Raina as our mother without her permission."
"Talyn, unfortunately we need Athra's permission. But don't worry, we'll find her."
"Father, do you think you and Raina will have more children?" Talyn was desperate to have younger siblings. She wanted to be an older sibling.
"Maybe, but Raina may need to help to carry them."
"I had a dream last night that I had two new baby sisters."
"Maybe one day, Talyn." He chuckled, opting not to tell her that he had a similar dream.
Raina stepped into the old house near headquarters under the cover of night. She knew that only Dukat was there as the children were staying at the new house with Yva. She crept into the bedroom and stripped off her clothes before climbing into bed. She wrapped her arm around his sleeping form, pressing her bump into his back. She would tell him in the morning about their girls, but for now, she just wanted to enjoy being back in his arms.
