AN: This is just a moment in the lives of Lwaxana and Odo. It can be read alone, but it would be enhanced by having read the other stories that I've written.

I use * before any telepathic communication.

I own nothing from Star Trek.

I hope that you enjoy! If you do enjoy, please do let me know!

111

"Veta—be careful. Mommy's got you, Little One. Do you want milk? Veta—come have your milk and then you can play. Don't put your feet in Papa, Veta. We don't step in Papa when he's resting."

Odo felt warm and happy, despite the fact that his son did put his foot into him, pressing down Odo's gelatinous form as flat against the mattress as it could be before Lwaxana, presumably, lifted the baby's foot off of Odo. Veta shrieked. The sound was more like laughter than discomfort, and then he babbled at Lwaxana, including a few versions of both "Mama" and "Papa" in his discourse.

"I know my little love," Lwaxana said. "But—you're going to want your milk, Veta, if you don't take it now, and Mommy has to start getting ready for her appointment with Dr. Crusher. Fine, Little One. If you don't want it, then Mommy is going to get dressed, and you will have no milk this morning."

Odo felt the shifting weight on the bed as Lwaxana left the position she'd taken after bringing Veta to bed to nurse him after he'd woken up. Odo heard her place Veta in his little playpen—the only place, besides his crib, where she was comfortable leaving him alone for even a moment—and he heard her as she started to get dressed.

Odo heard Veta start to play in his pen, happy babbling issuing forth from the baby, and he heard the exact moment that the baby boy stopped happily making noise and realized, somehow, that his favorite part of his breakfast was not only being delayed but was, in fact, being denied to him altogether.

Odo slipped back into the form his family saw most often when the piteous wail issued forth from Veta's little pen. The baby boy was on his hands and knees, face pressed against the mesh of the pen, wailing in the direction of the room where Lwaxana was dressing. Given his expression and the sound of his cries, he believed the gravest injustice was being done to him, and nothing could ever set right this terrible betrayal he was suffering by his beloved mother.

Odo sat on the side of the bed and watched the chaos of his life for a moment. He assumed that it might have irritated some people, but for him, these were some of the happiest sights and sounds he could imagine. This was his life, and his life was very, very full.

Odo had once believed that he would spend his life alone, and he had known a deep and profound loneliness, because it wasn't a solitude that he'd chosen, even though he had sometimes pretended that it was.

Now, he was married to Lwaxana Troi, and he'd taken her name as a bow to the matriarchal practices of Betazed—a planet he had practically adopted as his own now. Of course, he'd also been happy to take Lwaxana's name, since it gave him a happy feeling to have a surname of his own and to share one more thing with her than that which they already shared in their lives.

Odo belonged.

Together, they had a son—Veta—who was half-Tavnian and half-Betazoid. He was entirely Odo's son, though, despite their lack of shared biology.

And, biologically, and with a little help from Dr. Beverly Crusher and her lab, they had twins that were currently growing in their mother's womb—twins that, this morning, they would see for the first time in a detailed scan.

"Beloved—why is it that you have chosen to torture our son?"

Lwaxana turned around, clearly not having realized that Odo was fully awake. Immediately, he felt her fatigue. She must have been closing herself off to him so that he would rest without her emotional input. Odo stood up and walked toward her, arms out. She didn't come to him, but she didn't pull away, either. She simply let her shoulders sag a little. She was half-dressed, and she hadn't yet put on a wig. Odo preferred her hair as it was currently, though. It was black and curly, and she'd let it grow just a little to tousle it more easily and please herself with its appearance, since he insisted that she come to him in her most natural form when they made love.

Lwaxana sank into his embrace when he met her, and she rested her head against his shoulder.

"You are absolutely exhausted, Lwaxana. Why didn't you tell me that you needed me?"

"You were regenerating," Lwaxana said.

"Once I left my bucket, I was merely resting," Odo said.

Often, in the mornings, he finished his regeneration cycle and made his way to the bed to puddle next to Lwaxana while she slept. He could rest there, only barely using any energy to maintain his shape enough to remain on the bed.

He often drew, from Lwaxana, more energy than he spent in those moments, and so he regenerated in her presence.

"I have leeched too much energy from you," Odo said. "Between me and our little ones…and Veta…we've hardly left you enough for yourself. Are you OK, Beloved?"

Lwaxana pulled away and smiled at him.

"I'm fine," she said. "Don't fuss, Odo." She sighed. "Please? Veta is doing quite enough of that for all of us."

Odo left her and returned with the red-faced baby boy. Upon being picked up, Veta stopped howling, but he didn't stop whining. Odo had placed one of his pacifiers in his mouth, and he sucked on it, but he looked at Odo with wet, black eyes that spoke very clearly of the betrayal he felt. What he'd been offered to suck on gave him nothing of what he wanted—and his mother was cruel, because she continued to dress and ready herself for their appointment.

"Lwaxana—you are going to feed him, aren't you?" Odo asked, nuzzling their son. "Before we go?"

She gave them both a disappointed look as she adjusted her wig.

"Mr. Homn will make sure he has breakfast," Lwaxana said. "He's been refusing me all morning."

"You know that milk is his favorite part of breakfast," Odo said. "He's merely excitable. I can feel that you're nervous and excited, Lwaxana. He'll only be responding to your emotions. Lwaxana—you can't honestly refuse him something to eat."

Lwaxana laughed and turned around. Finally dressed, she would have to at least partially disrobe to nurse the boy, but she'd taken her nursing of Veta into account with all of her clothing since he'd been born. She held her arms out for him and the baby boy reached for her. He loved Odo, but nothing and nobody compared with Lwaxana. Odo assumed, really, that was how it ought to be. Lwaxana nuzzled him, and then she carried him over to the bed and got them both situated.

"Really," she said, "you're both so dramatic."

Odo swallowed back his amusement, and sat beside her on the bed to keep her company while she nursed their son. Realizing that his mother might deny him, Veta fed enthusiastically, though he did so with his eyes closed, as though that enhanced the meal.

"We can't all be as level-headed as you," Odo teased.

"Someone in this family has to be," she remarked.

111

"Oh—I feel wonderful!" Lwaxana declared. "Really…I do, Beverly, dear."

Odo might have believed her entirely, too, if he didn't know her as well as he did. Lwaxana was a very good actress when she wanted to be. Since she'd had Zanthi fever, though, some time back, she couldn't help but project her feelings—sometimes quite powerfully—outward. It meant that she might fool people intellectually, but nearly everyone around her would react to her genuine emotions.

Thankfully, Dr. Crusher knew that, too. Even if she couldn't feel Lwaxana's fatigue, she had received the private notes that Odo sent her before their appointment, and she'd thanked him for them, knowing that Lwaxana might not be entirely honest—and she might not be entirely thankful to Odo if she heard him tell Crusher everything that they shared between them.

"That's wonderful, Lwaxana," Crusher said. "Now—this won't harm the babies. It's simply a stronger vitamin supplement than what you've been taking. I'll be programming this in place of your old one."

Lwaxana slipped her hand over her neck as a clear indication that she wouldn't accept the hypospray until she was satisfied.

"Whatever's the matter with what I've been taking?"

Dr. Crusher smiled at her.

"Nothing," she said. "But—it was a simple prenatal vitamin mix that wasn't designed with your specific needs in mind. I've gathered enough data now that I know what you need to support yourself, breastfeeding Veta, and providing two growing babies with everything they need."

"Not to mention the fact that her husband does have a tendency to draw energy from her body," Odo added. "I don't seem to be able to help it."

"Odo…" Lwaxana said, reaching her hand out like she might wave away his concern. He caught both her hands and worked them in his.

"I, for one, think a better formulated vitamin supplement is a wonderful idea," Odo said.

"This formula might sting a little because of some of the concentrations," Dr. Crusher warned.

Lwaxana laughed after she accepted the injection. She rubbed her hand over the spot.

"If you're warning someone in the future, Beverly, you may want to say that the sting is substantial, not possible," Lwaxana said.

"I'm sorry," Dr. Crusher said sincerely.

"Oh—it's nothing, really," Lwaxana said.

"You'll feel much better," Dr. Crusher assured her. "We can adjust it as needed, but I think it'll help you a great deal—along with making sure you get adequate rest and nutrition. How has your morning sickness been?"

"If you can call it that…" Lwaxana said.

"Nausea," Dr. Crusher added, clearly at least a little amused.

Lwaxana shrugged.

"It comes and goes," she said truthfully. "The hyposprays help, though I try not to use them more than absolutely necessary."

"Use them when you need them," Dr. Crusher said. "They won't harm the babies."

"Can we see them, now? I don't mean to sound anxious, but…I hardly slept because I just couldn't wait to see the little ones. I just know they're going to be little dolls…so much like their father."

Dr. Crusher smiled.

"Let me organize a few things. You can get comfortable."

Odo had to believe the smile that Lwaxana gave him. She winked her eye at him, and he felt warm. He helped her get comfortable, and she happily arranged the teal gown she'd been given to wear. Odo spread the sickbay blanket over her legs, not that she was ever too concerned with modesty.

The part of sickbay where they were had been cleared out, at any rate, for their privacy and comfort.

"Are you comfortable, my love?" Odo asked.

Her smile, Odo was sure, could have lit up the entire sickbay on its own.

"We're going to see them, Odo," she said. "Really see them. I can hardly stand it!"

Odo rested his hand against the exposed skin of her abdomen. He focused a moment, wishing that he could feel them. They were physically too small for that, though. He hoped, at least, that they might be empathically projecting enough for him to feel, but all he could feel at the moment were the projections from Lwaxana. Those, however, were enough to nearly have him needing to sit for a moment.

"Are we getting any response from the babies?" Dr. Crusher asked, coming back.

The first half-Betazoid and half-Changeling babies recorded—and the first ever Changeling babies to be recorded—held a great deal of scientific and medical interest for the Federation. In exchange for allowing their babies to be studied, Lwaxana received the best medical care that they could possibly give her—and she and Odo maintained constant control over what happened and what was recorded.

Lwaxana hand-picked Dr. Crusher as her doctor for her bedside manner and, Odo was sure, her status as a mother. Odo thought the selection was a good one. She was interested in recording everything about the pregnancy, but she also treated their little ones as babies, and not simply as something to be studied.

Lwaxana looked thrilled by the question.

"A great deal! They're very excited…and nervous," Lwaxana said.

"Some of that might be reaction to their mother's feelings, don't you think?" Crusher teased. Lwaxana wasn't bothered. She reached a hand out to Odo and he took it and held it.

"I'm just anxious to see them," Lwaxana said.

"Let's have a look at them now," Crusher said. "This may be a little cool. I'm going to use a little pressure to get some good views, but if it's uncomfortable, you let me know. We're coming right in on…let me just check…Baby A. That's what we've been calling this one."

"How can you tell?" Lwaxana asked, trying to lift up a little. Odo made her more comfortably using his free hand as a pillow that would lift her head as high as she needed it to go. He saw Dr. Crusher's eyes quickly glance in the direction of his shape change, but she didn't say anything, and she quickly turned her attention back to Lwaxana. She was growing accustomed to Odo's abilities.

"It's the location in your uterus," Crusher said. "I've recorded everything for each baby under their letter. This one is Baby A. And you can see here that we get a really good profile."

"I feel like these have improved since even Veta was born," Lwaxana mused.

"This is state of the art," Crusher said. "Starfleet Medical made sure that I had the best imaging equipment they could provide. It would be difficult to take any image that's clearer than these scans."

"That's our baby?" Odo asked. He looked away from the screen to Lwaxana. She bit her lip and smiled at him. He heard her in his mind.

* "Are you happy, Imzadi?"

He felt a tugging need for reassurance—Lwaxana's, not his own. She must know that he was happy, but he was willing to accept that she had a great deal of feelings with which to contend. He could feel them radiating out from her like a tornado of emotions that he couldn't even sort through. A glance at Crusher's face told him that she felt the emotional projection, too, and was doing her best to sort through it for herself.

* "I am as happy as I can possibly be, Beloved."

"This is Baby A," Crusher said, again, unable to hear their telepathic communication.

"Is it supposed to look like that?" Odo asked. "I mean—does it look…normal?"

"This is exactly how a Betazoid fetus should look at this point in development," Crusher assured him. "There's the heartbeat. You can see that I'm isolating it…and measuring it. It's 175 beats per minute, which is right in the expected range for a Betazoid at this stage."

"I don't understand," Lwaxana said. Odo felt something like sadness or disappointment radiating out from her. "What about…well…I thought they'd be Changelings. Did something happen? Did they somehow…lose part of their DNA?"

Odo squeezed her hand, feeling her concern as it radiated out.

"Even if the babies are somehow simply Betazoid," Odo said, "it won't matter. They are healthy…are they not? That's all that matters."

"I think everyone needs to just—take a deep breath," Crusher offered. She made a nervous laughing sound, and Odo remembered that the human woman was defenseless against Lwaxana's emotional projections. She could only keep herself grounded with things like breathing exercises and focusing on her own feelings instead of what she was picking up from her environment.

Lwaxana was a particularly strong telepath, and her pregnancy only made her projections stronger. The breaths in question were needed more to calm Lwaxana and to help Crusher maintain her composure and control.

Odo didn't point out to her that he didn't actually breathe. Instead, he focused on stilling himself, and he simulated breathing in Lwaxana's direction as a way to convince her to ground and calm herself—something that would benefit everyone present.

She still looked sad, though, when she'd taken a few deep breaths and some of her tension had dissipated.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "And—oh—I don't want you to think I'm a horrible mother, Beverly. I love them no matter what, I just…wanted them to take after their Papa at least a little. You must understand…"

"I do understand," Crusher offered. "And—your babies are still very much half-Changelings. I can tell that whenever I scan them. As we talked before, even from the rudimentary scans, it would seem that they have the ability to appear as either Betazoid or Changeling. We do know they used to change frequently, and we have no reason to believe that's changed. Nor do I know, right now, why the baby is showing as a Betazoid, but that doesn't mean that we won't see a change before we're done. OK?"

Lwaxana nodded, and Crusher produced tissue for her, having anticipated it might be necessary.

"You must think I'm ridiculous—Odo—this won't do…" Lwaxana said.

It was something to say, Odo assumed, because he had no control over her emotions, and he knew that she knew that. He simply squeezed her hand.

* "You are doing wonderfully, Beloved," he sent her. "Being their mother. Giving them life. Our babies are perfect."

"Is the baby healthy?" Lwaxana asked. Crusher continued her examination of the baby, making notes as she went.

"Baby A looks perfect," Crusher said. "I'd like to do at least semi-frequent scans to closely monitor growth. Not because there's anything wrong, Lwaxana, but only because—it's absolutely fascinating."

Lwaxana laughed at that, and Odo was glad to hear it.

"I'll never turn down an opportunity to see them," Lwaxana said. "What is that?"

Crusher's eyes went big and she practically danced in her seat. Odo couldn't feel her emotions the way that he could Lwaxana's but he still sensed an excitement in the way her body tensed.

"That is Baby B," Crusher said. "And—I believe this is what a Changeling looks like in the womb!"

Odo could tell the doctor was amazed as she quickly recorded images of the baby for her files—and for the Federation, since he already knew that she was sharing everything with them.

Odo felt Lwaxana's earlier tension melt away. The image of their baby, as it was, had alarmed her. Now, knowing what she saw, he felt her relax. Her relaxation ran through him and he imagined it was much like the drugs he'd heard some addicts describe.

He felt a sensation he wouldn't try to describe as he gazed at the screen. There was a distinct feeling of recognition. He'd known that Dr. Crusher had extracted some of his DNA from a tissue sample and, using a Federation practice, she'd combined it with eggs she extracted from Lwaxana to create their little ones. He'd known that the embryos had been implanted in Lwaxana's womb. He'd known that tricorder scans—far more rudimentary than what they were experiencing now—had confirmed the presence of their twins and their biological composition. He had even seen the slight changes to Lwaxana's body as it began to adjust to the idea of carrying two babies.

This was the first moment, though, that Odo truly knew that these were his biological children—and he was no longer the only Changeling known to the Federation. He could hardly bring himself to tear his eyes away from the image on the screen.

"You can see there's no distinguishable shape," Crusher was reporting. "And the shape is constantly changing. Lwaxana—I've said it before, but this is likely one of the reasons for the extreme fatigue you've been experiencing. Your babies are using an incredible amount of energy in comparison to…to…non-Changelings."

Odo laughed to himself. She'd struggled for a way to say what she wanted to say without being offensive at all. Rather than be offended by her hesitation, as she'd likely searched for a way to avoid saying "normal," Odo felt thankful that she wanted to make him and his children, by extension, feel perfectly normal and accepted.

"Look at that—it's incredible to see it. There's the heartbeat…and you can see it shifting location as the shape changes," Crusher said.

"Is it healthy?" Lwaxana asked.

"We only have Odo as a baseline for Changeling health," Crusher said. "And an adult doesn't always translate to fetal health. However, the heartrate is normal for a Betazoid, and every other scan is coming back normal. I would say that Baby B is just as healthy as Baby A. I'm going to apply just a bit more pressure—let me know if it's too uncomfortable."

"What's happening?" Lwaxana asked.

"Is there discomfort?" Crusher asked.

"Well—I'm aware of your pressing quite hard, Beverly, but…I wouldn't say that I'm in any real pain," Lwaxana said. "What's wrong with my baby?"

Odo felt her tense up. He felt her squeeze his hand.

"I don't think anything is wrong," Crusher said. They all watched as the baby, in reaction, perhaps, to the pressure, or perhaps in response to his mother's tension, shifted into what was nearly a replica of what Baby A had been."

"Oh—I don't think they like that," Lwaxana said, shifting her whole body. "I can feel them. They're upset."

Crusher held up her hand in a sign of mock surrender, and the visual on the screen went blank as she lifted the device that had allowed them to see the little ones.

"We won't bother them anymore today," she said. "I am still learning about Betazoid pregnancies, but with the exchange of emotions between the three of you, I think that's enough for one day. I've got some great images that I'll share with you, and I've got some vitals and statistics for all three of you. Their first scan was a big experience for everyone. We'll probably be able to get a little more time with them on the second scan, when everyone knows what's happening a bit better. And—I'd like to arrange at time when we could do an ongoing monitoring of them."

"What's that?" Lwaxana asked. When Crusher had cleaned her up from the procedure, Odo noticed that the doctor laid the blanket over her. He had no doubt that it was as an added layer of "security" and reassurance that everything was "done" for today and everyone in question could relax as entirely as possible.

"Nothing serious or troubling for any of you," Beverly said. "We'll set aside a period of time when they're a little larger, and you'll remain aboard the Enterprise for a few days so that I can monitor you. I'll temporarily attach monitors to you, and you'll wear them so that we can get some long-term readings on the babies. It will just give us a more in-depth understanding of the twins."

"That sounds wonderful," Odo said, hoping his own enthusiasm may rub off on Lwaxana. "When do you recommend we do it? I know that Lwaxana always enjoys her visits here for the time it allows her to spend with Deanna."

"I think we should wait at least ten more weeks or so. Lwaxana should be about twenty weeks, then, and we should get some really detailed information about your little ones."

"But they are healthy?" Lwaxana asked.

"They appear to be very healthy," Crusher said. "As do you. I recommend that you keep doing what you're doing. Take the vitamins—and we'll adjust if we need to. Rest when you're tired. Eat when you feel like you can, and don't skip the hyposprays if you're feeling nauseous."

"I will see to it that she does all those things," Odo assured Crusher. She smiled at him.

"I know you will," she said. "How long until you leave the Enterprise?"

"Tomorrow," Lwaxana said. "We'll just be going back to the station."

"If you need anything before you leave, let me know," Crusher said. "Of course, I'm always available, if you need me after you leave. I'll send your images as soon as I have a chance, and you can look at your little ones whenever you want."

"Thank you, Beverly," Lwaxana said, sitting up since she realized she was going to be set free soon. She offered the doctor a hug, and Crusher accepted it. "I cannot express to you how appreciative I am of the care you're taking of our little ones."

"It's my pleasure to get to experience this with you," Crusher assured her. "You can get dressed when you're ready. I'll put all this away later."

After she left, Lwaxana closed her eyes a moment and rested her hand on her belly. Odo rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you all OK?" He asked gently.

She smiled before she opened her eyes.

"We're wonderful," she said.

"None of you have had a proper breakfast," Odo said. "Would you like to go to Ten Forward and have something?" Her eyes grew big with the excitement of going and doing something—seeing and being seen.

"I would love to," she said. "Odo—tell me the truth. Are you happy about the babies? Are they everything you'd hoped they would be?"

He sensed her insecurity, though he couldn't begin to imagine where it came from. It didn't matter where it came from, he decided. He gazed into her big black eyes and leaned to kiss her. She accepted the kiss enthusiastically. When it broke, he kissed her forehead and held her face a moment before dropping a hand to her belly. It was warm beneath the teal gown. She pressed her hand over his, and he felt the softness of her body beneath his hand. He was distinctly aware that, inside of her, two very small babies were recovering from what they likely perceived as a harrowing ordeal. He smiled to himself. They would take extra special care of them today as they processed everything they'd experienced in whatever way they could.

"I remain forever overwhelmed by you and all you give me—all you continue to give me," Odo said. "Seeing our little ones is something that I will forever treasure. I am no longer alone—in every sense of the word—and it is you who has made my life so abundantly full. I could not be happier, Lwaxana, if I tried."

She smiled at him and nodded.

"Are you happy, Beloved?" He asked.

"Can't you feel it?" Lwaxana asked.

Odo laughed to himself. He could, and the feeling made his whole body react with a flood of warmth, affection, and the pleasant buzzing sensation of joy that he had never known as regularly as he did now.

"I do," he said. "Come, Lwaxana. Let me help you dress. We'll call Deanna to join us at Ten Forward and, perhaps, Dr. Crusher will have sent us the images, by then, to share with her. I can see to it that my wife and children are properly fed."

"Ever the romantic and the perfect family man," Lwaxana said.

Odo smiled to himself, realizing that she wasn't teasing, and he went for her dress to help her put herself back together for the public.

"I am the perfect family man only because I have the perfect family," he said.