Chapter Thirteen: Loose Ends
"I wonder how long the police will hunt for my lookalike," Steed mused.
Sisko raised an eyebrow. "You're an agent; won't it be your job?"
"Attempted murder of an admiral…you may be right. Would it disrupt the timeline to tell the authorities that I killed him?"
"Not at all," Sisko assured him. "It sounds to me like that would put history right back where it's supposed to be."
"What will you do with him?" Miss Gayle asked soberly.
"We'll be turning him over to Starfleet," Sisko replied. "In the end, the double didn't have a choice; he only did what he was created to do."
"Everyone has a choice," Bashir muttered.
Steed raised an eyebrow; for someone concerned about being found out, Bashir made a lot of asides about enhanced individuals.
"But I think they'll actually be more interested in tracking down his creators," Sisko continued, apparently not noticing Bashir's remark. "They're guilty both of genetic manipulation and attempting to change history." He grimaced. "Which reminds me; I suppose we'll be meeting up with the Department of Temporal Investigations when we get back."
Bashir winced, feeling strangely as if he also were guilty of a double crime. But he hadn't asked for his enhancements, he reminded himself, and everything he had done here had been to preserve history, not change it. "They may be visiting you as well," he warned Steed. "If they think you saw too much, they'll likely brainwash all three of you to forget this whole thing ever happened."
"Oo," Steed grimaced.
"What if we play dumb?" Miss Gayle suggested.
Sisko shrugged. "I don't know if you can get away with it, but it's worth a try if you really want to keep your memories. Just don't ever tell anyone else about it, either."
"Word of honor," Steed promised.
"And Dr King?" Bashir questioned; the doctor had returned to his neglected patients after dropping Miss Gayle off.
"I can vouch for him," Miss Gayle said quietly.
Sisko nodded. "It's time we were getting back, then." He tapped his combadge. "Dax, two to beam up."
As he materialized on the Defiant transporter pad, Bashir suddenly realized he was still carrying the medical bag Steed had found for him. He grinned, instantly deciding he would keep it as a souvenir.
Epilogue coming next week!
I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know! (Note that the spelling of some Avengers characters' names has been changed intentionally.)
Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. If you have questions regarding my Deep Space Nine or Avengers alternate histories, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie