AN: This is a little one shot exploring an "episode" in Lwaxana and Odo's married life. It's a simple little "first argument" of sorts between the two. If you enjoy it, I do hope you'll read some of the others that I've written, but I also think that it can stand alone.

I own nothing from Star Trek.

I hope you enjoy. If you do enjoy, please do let me know! I love interacting with you, and I love sharing stories with you!

111

Odo was happy enough that it took most of his self-control to go about his work on the station and not to catch himself doing ridiculous things like skipping. He had heard of members of all species feeling overcome by their feelings of love and joy for their relationships, but he'd never felt so truly overwhelmed that he could understand the stories he'd heard. However, now, he understood them entirely.

Odo was happily married to Lwaxana Troi, and sometimes he even said her name to himself, when he was very much alone, just to hear the musical quality of it, because he found it quite musical. Odo was also a brand new father. His son, Veta, was conceived by Lwaxana in her previous marriage, but the child was half-Tavnian, and Tavnian law made Odo his father, in every way possible, the moment that Odo won Lwaxana's hand in marriage. Veta knew no other father than Odo, and Odo had loved him since before he'd been born.

Veta, now, was almost a month old. He'd been born aboard the Enterprise, when Lwaxana had insisted that she needed to return to Betazed for the birth. The Enterprise had been meant to transport her there and, while aboard, she would also have the chance to tell her daughter, Deanna, about her marriage to Odo and the impending arrival of Veta. Veta hadn't wanted to wait until they reached Betazed, however, to be born. For nearly a month, Odo and Lwaxana had stayed aboard the Enterprise to allow Lwaxana to recover from the somewhat difficult birth that was typical for Betazoids. At the end of that time, Odo had convinced Lwaxana to return to the station with him instead of going on to Betazed.

They had only been back on the station for one night, so far, but Odo was already bubbling over with an inexplicable excitement over the fact that he was at home—since he had little else to consider home beyond Deep Space Nine—with his whole happy family intact. Now, he could go around the promenade seeing families coming and going from various ships and situations, and he felt a part of something that he'd never understood before. He was a happy family man with a happy home full of love—and he would return to it the moment that his work for the day was done.

Lwaxana was still available for her duties as Ambassador to Betazed, but for the time being she was only available via tele-call. In the future, people could visit the station when necessary, and she would travel as she always had, but she still required time to fully recover from Veta's birth.

Her proximity to Odo's work meant that he'd been able to call her, easily, throughout the day to check on her and Veta. It also meant that he'd had to fight against his strong desires to pop in and spend time with her—only allowing himself that indulgence when it would have been his lunch hour. Having no need or ability to eat, Odo had never taken a lunch hour before, but he'd asked about it and been assured that he could have the time, even if he wanted to have it only to watch Lwaxana consume her meal in his presence, and to give her a little break from tending Veta while he entertained the infant.

Odo's first day at work, with his complete little family waiting for him at home, was done, and he was going back to his quarters.

Odo pushed open the door to their quarters with admittedly more enthusiasm than he typically used in opening a door, but instead of flinging open and possibly bouncing against the wall, the door stopped when it hit something.

Odo stepped inside.

Odo had relatively few things. He really required next to nothing. The frame that he had for shapeshifting and stretching was there, as it always was, but the space—almost all of it, in fact—around the frame was gone.

Everywhere Odo looked, it seemed, there were things.

There were too many things. Odo felt very nearly like he wanted to recoil from the space. It was crowded and overwhelming.

"Lwaxana?" He said, barely raising his voice. He heard no response and made his way through the space, stepping around the furniture. He made his way into the main bedroom of the quarters—a space that had, until Lwaxana had married him—been entirely empty. When she'd agreed to stay with him, and not to annul their marriage, he'd agreed to have a bed placed in the room for her so that she could sleep there instead of sleeping on the floor.

Odo did not, in any way, require a bed for sleeping, though he did sometimes lie in the bed with Lwaxana so that he could hold her while she slept, slipping away when he'd had his fill of affection and she was sleeping peacefully.

The room, now, seemed abundantly full—much more so than he recalled it having been before. Still, however, he didn't see Lwaxana.

Odo made his way back through the overly cluttered space that had once been open and available for free movement, and he reached one of the extra rooms that he'd often simply kept closed off from the rest of his quarters. The family quarters provided plenty of space for families, but Odo had never had need for anything more than his own personal space. It was in this usually empty room that he finally found his wife—humming to herself and arranging more of the overwhelming mass of things while something in the room played soft music.

"Lwaxana!" Odo said. His voice, this time, came out a bit louder than before. Lwaxana, absorbed in what she was doing, jumped at the sound of it. She turned toward him and smiled when she saw him. Immediately, she came to him like she was gliding across the floor. Her arms went around his neck and she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Odo! Oh—you're home, Husband! We missed you!"

The "we" in question was, undoubtedly, in reference to Lwaxana and Veta, though Odo wasn't quite sure where Veta was at the moment. In the corner of the room, though, he did notice one of the crib-like apparatuses like they'd had on the Enterprise, during their brief stay, which had been used as a bed for Veta. He assumed his son might be there for the time being.

"Lwaxana…Wife…what is all of this?" Odo asked. He felt like he could barely move without encountering some object or another.

"All what?" Lwaxana asked, looking around as she straightened up from hugging Odo and smoothed her dress down—a bright, glittery, fuchsia ensemble that was more reminiscent of the Lwaxana he'd always known than some of her choices had been during her recovery from Veta's birth.

"This," Odo said, gesturing to indicate the overfilled room.

Lwaxana smiled.

"Why—I've been decorating Veta's nursery," Lwaxana said. "Don't you like it?"

Odo looked around. He did not like it at all. He was accustomed to simplicity and open space. This room seemed anything but simple and open.

"It is over-filled, Lwaxana," he said simply.

Lwaxana looked around, the crease between her brows growing.

"Why—whatever do you mean, Odo? Veta needs things."

"Some things, yes," Odo agreed. "However, he does not require that every particle of space in his surroundings be over-filled with material items. He would benefit more from room to move about and breathe."

"Room to move about?" Lwaxana responded. She laughed. "Odo—he can't even roll over on his own yet. He's hardly practicing Orion dance or Klingon calisthenics in his room. In fact, he still sleeps in the bassinet by the bed most of the time."

"That is not the point," Odo said.

"Then—what exactly is the point, Odo?" Lwaxana asked. There was a sudden sharpness to her tone. Maybe it matched his own, but he couldn't be positive. Odo thought he felt the air around him practically prickle like there was static in it. It only added to the uncomfortable feeling that had started because of the lack of space. He felt his own form tense with irritation.

"There are far too many things in this room, Lwaxana," Odo said.

To his surprise, Lwaxana hushed him in a sharp manner and pushed at him. He let her push him out the door, but he was irritated by the time she was closing the door behind them.

"Don't wake the baby, Odo!" She barked.

"If either of us were going to wake Veta, it would be you, Lwaxana!"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that your voice is shrill, and it carries a great distance!" Odo responded.

Lwaxana looked at him with her mouth open, as though he'd slapped her. Inside himself, he felt sorry for what he'd said, but he also felt oddly driven to continue speaking his peace. He thought her already black eyes darkened, if that were possible, and the air around him definitely felt charged and electric.

"I'm sorry, Odo, but I believe that I know, more than you do, what things I require to tend to our son!" Lwaxana snapped. "Would you rather I throw out his crib and have him sleep on the floor—like I did for weeks while I was expecting him?"

Odo backed down just a touch.

"Veta may need things," he ceded, "but haven't you also been decorating the rest of my quarters in your…your over-materialistic fashion?"

Lwaxana looked around the living area that was now a great deal more crowded than it ever had been before.

"What's wrong with what I've done?" Lwaxana asked. "I've simply made it more livable…"

"Livable for whom?!" Odo barked at her. "It's impossible to move about in any part of my home now!"

"Well—clearly not livable for you," Lwaxana responded. "I'm so sorry, Odo, for disturbing the Spartan design of your home. I was under the clearly misguided impression that, since I was being expected to live here and conduct my work from here, that I could consider this my home—Veta's home—but I see now that I was wrong! Please excuse me for any disturbance that I may have caused you! I'll…I'll gather just what we need and I'll speak to Commander Sisko about arranging a transport shuttle to the next ship passing through that's headed in the direction of Betazed!"

Odo felt struck. He felt uncomfortable. He felt like losing his shape, entirely, to puddle somewhere dark and out of the way until he'd had time to deal with the feelings inside of him.

"Why would you do that?" He asked.

"So that you can have your home back, Odo," Lwaxana said, her anger still flashing in her eyes. "So that you can have it just as you like—and Veta and I can have our home…on Betazed."

Odo felt the last of the anger and irritation he'd felt draining out of him. He half expected to see it spilling onto the floor.

"You wish to return to Betazed, Lwaxana?" He asked.

Lwaxana stared at him, hard, and then her shoulders sagged slightly.

"I have to have a home, Odo," Lwaxana said. "I'm fine with travelling—moving here and there for my work. But—I've always needed a home to go back to. I need a place where I belong."

"I thought you belonged with me, Beloved," Odo said. The tight, restricted feeling he'd felt over things, before, was back, but now it was coming from inside him. He was suffering with something else entirely—he thought it must feel very much like the suffocation that air-breathers felt sometimes.

Lwaxana frowned at him. The frown went all the way to her now-damp eyes.

"You don't want me in your home," she said. "You don't want Veta in your home. So—it can't be our home and just yours, Odo."

"My home is with you," Odo said. "You are my home, Lwaxana. You said you wanted to spend your life with me."

Lwaxana smiled, but there was a sadness in her soft smile.

"I do," she said. "I did. But—I also won't make you feel unhappy in your home, Odo. I don't want to live with anyone who resents my presence in their life."

"I wish to make it clear, Lwaxana, that I never protested your presence—or Veta's."

Odo reached out and squeezed her arms in his hands. He held her there, feeling her presence in a very purposeful and mindful way.

"I do not wish to be in a space, Lwaxana, where you are not," Odo said.

"You just want to be rid of my—shrill voice?" Lwaxana asked.

"I didn't mean that," he said.

"You were feeling overwhelmed," Lwaxana said. "It's a big change for you." Odo nodded. Lwaxana mirrored the nod. "Oh—Odo—it's a big change for me, too."

Odo felt an ache as he realized she was telling the truth. He pulled her to him, and she came. She sank into him in a hug, and he held her tightly, enjoying the feeling of her body against him, warming him. They stayed that way for what seemed like a long time. The crackling static in the air around them gave way to a calm, stillness.

Odo smiled to himself.

"My peace," he mused. "I found it again."

"You never lost it, you silly man," Lwaxana teased, pulling away, though not entirely.

"I fear I came close to losing it," Odo admitted. "Please—Beloved—do not go to Betazed. At least—do not go to Betazed unhappy with me, and with no intention of returning. Your home is here—with me."

Lwaxana looked around.

"Odo—what if we're not compatible?" She asked. "I can let go of some of these things, but…I have to have some things. I can't conduct my work from here, Odo, if I don't have anything. I have to care for Veta, and…I thought we talked about talking to Doctor Crusher or Doctor Bashir about…whether or not there was any way for us to have a little Odo in the future."

Odo felt the warm tingly feeling buzzing around inside him.

"If you would still like to explore our options," he said, nodding his head.

Lwaxana laughed to herself and shrugged her shoulders, still looking around.

"Am I supposed to sit on the floor, Odo, while I conduct tele-calls for work? And—am I supposed to somehow entertain Veta in a Spartan environment while…trying to get off the floor and carrying another child? Odo—I'm tired just thinking about it."

"Keep your things, Lwaxana," Odo said. "I want you to have them. I want you to have—whatever you need to feel comfortable."

"And I don't want to force you to have anything that makes you uncomfortable, Odo," Lwaxana said.

"Maybe we can—compromise," Odo said.

Lwaxana smiled. She raised her eyebrows.

"All great marriages are based on compromise," she said, almost sounding excited by the prospect.

"You can keep your things," Odo said. "Perhaps, we could keep the bedroom and…Veta's room…and…and the room for the baby, should we have one, as you want it. And we could limit the furniture in the main living area."

"We keep the table in the kitchen," Lwaxana said. "We'll want to have family dinners."

"We will keep somewhere for you to sit," Odo said. "A couch. You did like the one on the Enterprise for feeding Veta."

"And you did like sitting with me," Lwaxana pointed out. "Couches are good for cuddling, Odo, and you do very much enjoy cuddling."

Odo felt his whole form respond to the mere mention of the word. He did, very much, enjoy the simple pleasure of practically forming himself against Lwaxana and sharing the comfort of resting in each other's presence.

"Do you require—that?" Odo asked, gesturing to a piece of furniture.

"I could part with that," Lwaxana said. "It's really quite clunky and…old-fashioned. Now that you mention it, I don't care for it at all."

Odo beamed.

"What about—this?" He asked, moving away to gesture to something else.

Lwaxana considered it and shrugged.

"I don't really need that," she said. "And—that's really just clutter, there, too. Really—all that I have to have in here is somewhere to sit, Odo. I love to spend time with you when you're…you know…stretching, but…it does hurt my back to sit on the floor, and it's so hard to get up."

"We'll keep the couch, Lwaxana. And—and that table. For your tea and snacks, and for the little things that Veta needs while you tend to him."

Lwaxana smiled at him.

"You don't mind?" She asked. "If we move all of that out, you'll have more room, but it'll still be more crowded than it was, before Veta and I were here."

Odo closed the distance between them again. Many times, it was Lwaxana that offered him a kiss and, though he enjoyed the kisses, it was him that simply returned them to make her happy. This time, it was Odo that offered Lwaxana the kiss first, and she returned it.

"My quarters were emptier before you and Veta were here," Odo said, "but so was my life. I've come to enjoy a little clutter, my beloved. I'm sorry that—I said what I said. Yours is the voice that I love most in the world."

Lwaxana laughed at him.

"It's fine if you think I'm loud and shrill," she said. "You wouldn't be the first to wish that I would stop talking. I'm sorry if—you felt like I was taking over your life…"

"I'm sorry if you felt like I didn't want you here," Odo said. "If you felt like—I didn't want Veta…and our family, and all that it may become, if we're lucky. I want all of it, Lwaxana, forever."

Lwaxana smiled at him. Tears glittered in her eyes, and one dropped to her cheek to fall in the track of the few that had slipped out during the whole discussion. Odo wiped it away.

"Well," Lwaxana said with a sigh, "I guess—we've had our first argument. It was bound to happen."

"I didn't enjoy it," Odo said. "Is it over now?"

"It's as over as it'll ever be," Lwaxana said. "Though—I'm sure another will be along before long."

"I would prefer if we didn't argue," Odo admitted.

"Me too," Lwaxana said. "But—these things do happen in marriages. The important thing, Odo, is that we don't let the arguments get between us. We have to…well…do just what we did. We have to compromise."

"That won't be a problem," Odo said. "There is nothing that is more important to me than you, Lwaxana. Well—you and Veta…" Odo said, hearing the baby start to fuss in the other room and instantly being reminded of how truly precious the baby was to the both of them.

"I understand," Lwaxana said. "And I feel the same. There is nothing more important than our family, Odo. Our life together. We'll figure out the rest. For now—do you mind calling Mr. Homn to get him to move all of this out to the large recycler? I think your son needs my attention."

"Go to him," Odo said. "We'll clear the unnecessary items out of the living area. And, then, perhaps you and Veta could keep me company while I unwind from work?"

Lwaxana smiled at him.

"We would love to," she said. "And you know how Veta likes to watch his Papa's exercise."

"I'll see if I can think of something particularly entertaining for Veta to see," Odo assured her.

Lwaxana kissed him on the cheek and started back toward the door to Veta's room to rescue the baby boy before he worked himself into too much of a fit.

"Lwaxana…" Odo said, calling her back. She stopped and looked back, smiling at him over her shoulder. "I do love you. I hope you know that hasn't changed."

Lwaxana laughed softly.

"Oh—Odo. I love you dearly," she assured him. "And nothing will ever change that."