A/N: I finished the story and will forget to update if I don't do it all now so UPDATE SPAM!

It felt like hours had passed when the tears finally stopped. Ezri had fallen asleep long ago, her arm still around Nerys's shoulders, protectively. Smiling Nerys stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. Anyone could tell she had been crying. Her eyes were red and swollen and her face was covered in makeup. Shaking her head she walked back to the couch and touched Ezri's shoulder to wake her.

"Ezri, time to wake up." Ezri woke with a start and stared at her.

"How are you?"

"Emotionally? Much better. Physically? I'm a mess."

"Yeah…you kind of are." Ezri noticed Nerys's smile looked genuine for the first time in a year.

"I think I'm going to beam to my quarters. Could you go out and send control of the transporter in here so that I can do that." Ezri smiled and nodded before leaving the room. After a moment the wall panel lit up and Nerys punched the buttons that had her materializing in her same old quarters. Even when she got a promotion and The Emissary and Kassidy moved out she had refused to get new quarters. Her excuse had been that she didn't need the space. In reality she didn't want to leave the place where she had Odo had practically lived together for a year.

After a good night's sleep and a long sonic shower, Nerys found herself in the ward room, waiting for the male Changeling to arrive. She had promised to meet with him so that she could help him in his quest. The doors opened quietly and there he stood, a Changeling. Nerys stood and rose to shake his hand.

"It's nice to meet you in person. I'm Captain Kira." He took his hand, his skin soft and cool, just like Odo's had been.

"It's so wonderful to finally meet you Captain. I'm Judoon."

"Have a seat Judoon. If I may ask you, why are you really here?" The question was not accusative, but merely came from the thousands of questions that nagged at Nerys's mind. Judoon seemed to understand this and smiled before responding.

"Because it was time. All of my people now see the xenophobia and error in our past ways. The elder ones feel shame at what they did. The Female Changeling was the only one of us to visit the outside world and the solids, and she told us all such horrible things. When Odo came, though, he showed us the evil in her, and the beauty of the outside. He showed us the diversity and caring of the solids. Slowly but surely he won us all over. We no longer desire to be "The Founders". We now only want to be like any other race. We want to explore and better ourselves. We want what you all have."

"But why you?" Nerys left the rest of the question unspoken. But why not Odo.

"Because I'm but a child. As you can see, my shifting abilities are lacking. I'm only about seven years old. My youth means that I still have the hope and innocence of a child. The link believed that I would be able to communicate best with the solids because of this. I'm still filled with wonder. They thought you would trust that." Nerys looked into his eyes and realized the truth in his words. He had the eyes of a child, scared and excited by everything. Odo's eyes had looked like that when she first met him during the Occupation.

"Well, Judoon, I would trust you no matter what. Hopefully my trust means something to the Federation. I'll let them know about your presence and your desire to speak with our government, to make our peace more than just an official document." Nerys stood and shook his hand once more before leaving the ward room.

Without stopping or thinking she walked straight to "Quark's". Over in a corner she spotted Julian at a table alone, reading. She collapsed into the chair next to him and leaned her head onto his shoulder. She had told no one anything before last night, but Julian and Quark seemed to understand somehow that she was still in pain and had always wordlessly comforted her.

"Well hello there Captain." Julian smirked down at her. Nerys only glared up at him.

"Doctor."

"Rough day?"

"You could say that."

"It's not even 11:00 yet." Julian continued to smirk at her, his sarcasm his way of comforting her.

"I met with Judoon."

"Whodoon?" Nerys laughed a little at him.

"Judoon. The male Changeling that came in on a transport last night."

"Ah. And how did that go?"

"His people want peace. Real, interactive, peace."

"And…is that not good?"

"I guess it is. I don't know why I'm in such a bad mood then." The Doctor grunted his agreement and put his arm around her shoulder before going back to reading. He didn't mention Odo. He never mentioned Odo. Deep down he knew that was what was wrong, that was always what was wrong, but she knew that. She certainly didn't need him reminding her of that every five minutes. And that was why Nerys came to him. He was going to marry her best friend. He was a dear friend to her and a part of her life, and he knew just what not to say. It helped that he had very comfortable shoulders, a fact Ezri had pointed out months ago and urged Nerys to take advantage of when she had a bad day. Nerys smiled again. Even though she hadn't told anyone what was wrong, everyone seemed to know. Ezri certainly wasn't surprised at her emotional outburst last night. Sighing she leaned fully into Julian and began reading with him, the dry medical text helping take her thoughts away.

From the balcony of "Quark's" a hooded figure watched the two. To an outside observer it would appear that they were involved. The way Nerys leaned against Julian and the way he seemed so comfortable with it. Even now they were reading the same thing together. To all eyes they were lovers. To Odo's eyes they were lovers. He was thankful for the hood as if he had been in another humanoid shape other than his own at the moment, he would have lost it. The heartache that flooded through him at the sight was almost too much. He sank into a seat, staring at his Nerys in the arms of another man.

Odo sat there for hours, staring. Nerys and Doctor Bashir had left long ago. In fact, everyone had left long ago. Odo only realized how long he had been sitting there when a voice sounded behind him.

"Hey bub, it's a weeknight. We closed an hour ago." Odo turned suddenly and looked into the face of Quark. The speed of his movements had thrown the hood off his face and the tray fell from Quark's hands. "Odo? Is that really you?"

"Yes Quark it's really me." After so long together Odo responded in the same gruff way he always did. The ease of the reply spared him from having to think in his emotionally compromised state.

"But, but. Kira! She was here, she was sad! She..you!" Quark was wildly gesticulating, seemingly lost for words.

"I saw her Quark."

"Then why didn't you talk to her!"

"Did you see her?"

"Yes, she came in, ordered some tea and sat with the Doctor for about 20 minutes before leaving."

"She didn't just sit with the Doctor. She was practically all over him." Quark began to laugh. "It's not funny Quark!" The laughter continued. Odo made to stand and leave when Quark put his hand on his shoulder and sat down next to him.

"Odo, Odo, Odo. That was nothing. They're just friends."

"That didn't look like friends to me."

"I can guarantee you it is. Ezri would have murdered them both long ago if it was anything but friendship."

"Ezri?"

"She and the Doctor are getting married. Next week! Not that he deserves her. Odo Doctor Bashir and Kira are friends. She turns to him for support. Hell, she turns to me for support. If you had walked in two nights ago you would have found me on my knees trying to recite Bajoran love poems to her."

"Love poems?"

"Yes! She took you leaving rather rough. I found out months ago that if I act madly in love with her it makes her laugh. After six months we all would have done anything to see her laugh again."

"She doesn't laugh?"

"Not really. Everyone on this station has done everything they can to comfort her. Dax, Bashir, and I just lucked out and our efforts worked. Dax and Bashir because they were always close with her, and me, well, I think she tolerates me because I was the closest thing to a friend you ever had in your sad, miserable, misanthropic years here." Odo just stared at Quark.

"You mean she…"

"Yes she still loves you. Now get out of here, I'm closing up."

Odo stood, the realization of it all coming over him. She still loved him. She still loved him. He realized he was in motion. Not just walking, he was running. Looking at the walls he realized where he was running to.

The door chime caught Nerys's attention. She had been sitting on her couch, staring. Staring at the floor. Seeming to hope it would shimmer, turn golden, and form into Odo. Sighing she turned to the door. "Come in."