AN: This is a little oneshot that I wrote to explore some of the possible complications of Odo and Lwaxana's physical relationship. I may explore the theme in other stories, but this is just one possible exploration. It can be read as part of my other stories, but I also think that it can stand alone. It's rated for the subject of discussion, but there's nothing really very sexual in it.

My other stories, in order, are: "A Shared Peace," "Whatever Is Needed," and "Everything."

I own nothing from Star Trek.

I hope you enjoy! If you do enjoy, please don't forget to let me know! I love hearing from you!

111

Odo beamed at his son.

Veta was the perfect baby, and nobody could have convinced Odo otherwise—not that anyone had tried. Odo had never imagined himself becoming a father before he married Lwaxana and, through Tavnian law, became Veta's legal father, but now he could hardly believe that he would have been content to live his life without the child.

Veta was only two weeks old, but he was already an immense source of joy for Odo and Lwaxana, both.

They were currently aboard the Enterprise. Originally, their intention had been to disembark at Betazed so that Lwaxana could give birth to Veta there. They'd joined a Ragnian diplomat on his trip to the Enterprise, since they would have to pass by Betazed in order to reach Ragnia. Their time aboard the Enterprise would also give Lwaxana time to tell her daughter, Deanna, about her marriage to Odo and the impending arrival of Veta.

However, Veta had his own ideas about how things should happen and, now, they were aboard the Enterprise until it was able to pass back in the direction of Betazed—Lwaxana had felt no need to try to pull any strings with the Federation to become a priority. She needed to recover from Veta's birth, and she was enjoying the time she was able to spend with Deanna while they were aboard the ship.

This afternoon, Odo was tending to Veta by himself—a practice that he enjoyed when the infant was well-fed and mostly satisfied—while he gave Lwaxana some time to relax and enjoy tea with her daughter in the living room of their temporary quarters aboard the Enterprise.

Odo meant to give the women complete privacy, but he couldn't help but have his attention caught when he overheard his name mentioned by Deanna. His hearing was, on the whole, acute, but he couldn't resist the temptation to transform part of himself into a device that would make it easier for him to overhear the conversation. Inside, of course, he felt some guilt for eavesdropping, but not enough to cease the activity entirely.

"A shapeshifter, Mother…that must be an…interesting relationship. Even for you."

"Odo is very unique, Little One," Lwaxana responded. Odo practically quivered. He could hear her affection in her tone, and it moved him in ways he'd never felt before knowing her. "He's the most attentive, most caring being that I've ever known."

"But surely the—sexual relationship is the most unique," Deanna said.

The Betazoid species—and, in particular, Betazoid women—were known for their sexual prowess and their sexual appetites. Sexuality and passion were as much a part of their species as shape-shifting was a part of Odo's species. There was no shame in their culture over sexuality and sexual practices. Lwaxana was a very sexual woman and, in fact, she practically exuded that. However, she had made no sexual advances toward Odo since they'd been married.

"Oh—it's really not about that, Little One," Lwaxana said, audibly waving away the point that Deanna had tried to bring up. Deanna laughed.

"Not about that? Mother?" Deanna asked.

"Odo's species doesn't…you know…they don't practice procreation the way that we do. There's no need, in their society, for sex to keep the species going. And, from what I can tell, they don't practice it for pleasure, either."

"And how does that work for you?" Deanna asked.

"Well—it simply hasn't been important," Lwaxana said. "Honestly, Deanna, you act as though I can't control myself."

"You're simply a healthy, Betazoid woman of a certain age," Deanna said. "And—you forget that I know you, Mother."

Lwaxana laughed. It was high-pitched, and it sounded a bit nervous. Odo felt the desire, inside, to go and comfort her. He wanted to rescue her from anything that might make her uncomfortable or unhappy. He fought against it.

"Really, Deanna—do stop belaboring the point," Lwaxana said, somewhat sharply. When she spoke again, her tone was softer. "Little One, Odo and I are happy. I am happy. In fact—I haven't felt this happy since your father was alive. Isn't that enough?"

"It's enough for me, Mother," Deanna said. "I never meant to suggest anything different."

111

Odo left Deanna and Lwaxana to have the rest of their conversation in privacy. He spent his private time with Veta rocking the infant and telling him stories while the baby moved between stages of sleeping and wakefulness. He changed him, once, when he required it, and he soothed him with the pacifier that he liked when his mother wasn't available.

Odo's mind, however, mostly drifted back to the conversation that he'd overheard.

"Odo…"

Lwaxana's voice came through their quarters with the happy sing-songy quality that she employed when she was feeling light and playful. Odo smiled just to hear it, though he felt the residual ache that had been with him most of the day.

He rose from his seat and brought Veta with him into the living area of their quarters.

"Has Deanna left already?" He asked. His voice trembled, and he wondered if Lwaxana heard it.

"She had some things to do, my darling," Lwaxana said. She turned around from what she was doing—preparing herself a snack from some things on a tray that she'd replicated, since she'd dismissed Mr. Homn for some recreation aboard the ship—and smiled at Odo. "Oh—and how is our Little Man?"

"He is starting to show signs of desiring a meal," Odo said.

"Of course he is," Lwaxana said. "Oh—it's really been too long. He must be famished. I didn't mean to make him wait. Pass him over, I'll feed him."

Odo did pass their son over to Lwaxana's arms. She got into a comfortable position to nurse him. Odo watched her, as he often did, somewhat amazed at how her body was simply created to do just this—among other things, of course. She had brought their son into existence, and she could sustain him as he grew.

Odo watched her face a moment as she fed Veta, and he saw the look of absolute love flooding over her features that he usually saw there.

The look of love she had for Veta was unique to him, but it wasn't entirely unlike the way she looked at Odo. Odo felt her love for him flood out, as well, when she looked at him. It was warm, and comfortable, and he treasured it above any material thing that he could have ever named.

"Would you like for me to feed you?" Odo asked.

Lwaxana looked at him with question on her features. He realized that the question had come out of nowhere, really.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I only thought—you haven't had a chance to finish your food because Veta requires your attentions. It would not be any trouble for me to feed you while you care for Veta."

"You don't have to do that," Lwaxana said, verbally waving him away.

Odo ignored her. He took one of the small triangles of food from the tray and offered it to her. She hesitated a moment, searching his face for some kind of sign that he was doing this of his own accord. He offered it to her again.

"Eat, my beloved," he urged. Lwaxana smiled and her cheeks flooded with color. She accepted the food that he offered her. When she'd swallowed the bite of food, he offered her another. His whole form quivered with happiness over the simple act of watching her eat the food he offered her. He wanted to feed her more—he wished to feed her all her meals, but he didn't say so. "It's not so bad," he offered, instead of saying what he was thinking. "You require nourishment as much as Veta does."

"It's really quite nice, Odo," Lwaxana said. "The way you care for me…"

Her tone made the happy quivering only intensify, and Odo noticed that his hand shook slightly as he offered it out to her with another bite of food.

"Would you care for something to drink?" He asked.

"I'm fine now, thank you, Odo," Lwaxana said.

Somewhat reluctantly, Odo replaced the uneaten portion of food on the tray. He was sorry that the moment had passed. If Lwaxana was sorry, though, she didn't show it. She seemed happy and peaceful.

Odo considered his words—he considered all of them that he'd held onto throughout the time he'd been thinking about the conversation he'd overheard.

"When I look at your body, I feel love," Odo said. Lwaxana looked at him with a furrowed brow and just as much question as before. She hadn't spent the day thinking about things quite like he had. Still, he knew that ceasing to speak would mean that he might not begin again. "I feel—love and warmth. I feel happiness. Yours is a body that I love, and it belongs to the woman that I love, and it gave life to the son that I love. It cares for him, even now. I crave your affection in a way that I have never craved affection before, now knowing what it is to be loved. I enjoy touching you, and being touched by you. Holding you is one of my favorite ways to spend quiet moments."

"Odo that's…beautiful," Lwaxana said. "I hope you know that…I love you. Whatever your form."

"That knowledge is one of my most treasured pieces of true joy," Odo said. "It brings me a comfort that is indescribable."

"I'm sensing some sort of turn, here, Odo," Lwaxana said. "And—it's making me uncomfortable. Veta will sense it soon, from me, so if we're to keep from making him uncomfortable…maybe you should say whatever is on your mind."

"I love your body, Lwaxana, like I have never loved a body before. I love it because it is your home, and you are my home," Odo said. "However, I am not sure that I desire your body in the way that is common to your species."

"You mean—you don't desire me sexually," Lwaxana offered, a smile just barely turning up the corners of her lips.

"I have no foundation on which to base whether or not I even understand sexual desire," Odo said.

"That's OK," Lwaxana said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I beg your pardon?" Odo asked.

"I said—that's OK, Odo," Lwaxana said. "If you don't desire me sexually, well…that's OK."

"But you're a Betazoid," Odo said. "For your species…"

"Have you been eavesdropping, Husband?" Lwaxana asked. There was just a hint of sharpness to the tone of her words.

"Perhaps," Odo said, feeling a little guilty.

"Odo—it's true that Betazoids have a…well…a remarkably high sex drive," Lwaxana said. "And we enjoy physical intimacy of all kinds."

"And if I can't offer you that?" Odo asked.

"You may not be able to offer me certain things, Odo, but I treasure what you do offer me," Lwaxana said. "Despite what some may say, there are ways to be intimate with each other that don't involve sex. You hold me, Odo. And we both enjoy it, don't we?"

Odo smiled.

"I do love to hold you," he agreed.

Lwaxana laughed quietly.

"And you fed me. That's an act of intimacy and love. I felt very loved. Did you feel love for me when you did it?"

"I would like to do it again," Odo said, nodding his head.

"When I was tired, two nights ago, and Veta wouldn't stop fussing…and I cried, Odo, you wrapped your arms around me, and you wiped my tears, and you told me you would take the baby for a walk so that I could have a nap."

"I was caring for…for you and for Veta. My wife and son."

"And when you came back, and Veta finally slept, you held my hand," Lwaxana said. "And you kissed my face, and you let me sleep on your shoulder. You loved me, and you showed me that love."

"You're my beloved wife," Odo said.

"And you're my beloved husband," Lwaxana said. "It doesn't matter what love and intimacy look like to other people, Odo. Not in our marriage. In our marriage, all that matters is what makes both of us feel happy, and loved, and fulfilled. Odo—I feel all of those things with you. Very much. Do you feel them with me?"

"It's unlike anything I ever imagined," Odo said. "But—what if it isn't enough?"

"You mean sex, Odo?" Lwaxana asked.

Odo shrugged and nodded.

"There are urges that are particular to your species," Odo said.

Lwaxana laughed quietly.

"And there are ways to satisfy those urges," Lwaxana said. "Alternate methods, shall we say. I'm open-minded, Odo. We can explore them together or…well…right now I'm not interested in any of it. But when the time comes, we'll find something that works for both of us. That's part of a healthy marriage, isn't it? Figuring out what makes both of us happy and comfortable."

"You do not regret your choice to remain married to me, then?" Odo asked.

Lwaxana gave him a look that answered that question all on its own.

"I don't believe in regretting things, Odo, as a general rule. Everything we do is a lesson, if nothing else. Still—marrying you has been a blessing, and it's one that I hope to continue to enjoy for many, many years to come. After all—we'll have so many wonderful years of watching Veta grow into all that he'll become."

Odo smiled at her and patted her arm with his hand. She didn't pull away from him at all. She looked at him with tenderness, and he moved next to her, draping an arm around her shoulder and changing its shape to offer her a pillow so that her neck wouldn't get tired.

He leaned his head against her and watched as she fussed with Veta, changing his position so that he could continue his meal—a lazy meal that seemed interrupted by catnaps that the baby took while he ate.

"There are alternate methods of procreation, as well," Odo said. "It is not impossible to conceive of the idea that…one such method may exist that could help us to create a child of our own. If you were to be interested in such a thing, of course. Veta might prefer not to grow up alone."

Lwaxana leaned and kissed him softly. Odo didn't think he understood the sexual urges that he heard others discuss, but he did enjoy her kisses, and he returned them to share that feeling of happiness back with her.

"I think Veta might very much enjoy having a little brother or sister," Lwaxana said. "When the time comes, I'm sure that…Doctor Crusher or Doctor Bashir could help us figure out an alternate method that would work for us."

Odo smiled.

"We'll figure it out together," Odo offered.

"We will," Lwaxana assured him. "That's the key to a happy marriage, Odo. Figuring out, together, what works for us."

Odo nuzzled his face against hers, enjoying the intimacy of a moment of cuddling with his beloved wife and his son—recognizing exactly what she'd meant when she'd pointed out that they could love each other however worked best for them. They were good at that.

"Then, ours will be the happiest marriage there is," Odo offered.