To The Journey

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine. This is an AU story.

Chapter Forty-Seven: What Brings You Back

Julian pulled Jenna close as the music changed to a slow song, smiling to himself. They'd been living on the station together for nearly a year now, and the connection between them had only gotten stronger. She loved her job and did it well, and they both loved being able to be together.

Several of the holographic club patrons screamed suddenly, and the holographic host stopped singing. In the next moment, they heard the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. At first, Julian worried that it was another surprise twist in the well-loved program. The last one had given them much more of an adventure than they'd ever wanted.

Jenna, who had been facing the direction where the chaos had come from, quickly tapped her combadge as Julian turned to see what was going on. "Security to Holosuite One."

But Julian recognized the man who lay on the floor of the holosuite, looking dazed and disoriented, still wearing a Starfleet uniform, looking just as he had when he had suddenly stopped in the middle of a dance two years ago - stopped in that exact place, as a matter of fact, and run out of the room. "Jen," he called out, already running to the man's side, "cancel that security call. Bashir to Infirmary -"

"Cancel that too," the man on the floor said in a deep, reverberating voice. "I'm fine, if you'll just help me off the floor."

Julian extended his hand and pulled the larger man to his feet. The man looked around in amazement. "You're even running the same holodeck program. Don't tell me you're still paying Quark to run it 24/7."

"No, although considering how many people run it, we're not that far off. I just happened to be running it tonight."

"Julian," the blonde woman queried, "what's going on?"

"Jenna D'Sora, meet Captain Benjamin Sisko."

"That's right," she said as she finally placed the vaguely familiar face, "you were at Tasha Yar's wedding, weren't you?"

He nodded, taking her hand and shaking it. "I remember, I approved your transfer just before I - took my leave. Taking on both Odo and Worf's responsibilities was a big job, but Tasha assured me you were up to it. How long has it been, anyway?"

"Almost a year."

"Kassidy -"

Bashir smiled suddenly, bright enough to light up the holodeck. "You have a daughter. She's four months old; her name is Alexandria Jennifer Sisko."

He was smiling too now, tears glowing in his eyes. "I want to see them. And Jake."

Julian glanced over at Jenna, and she took his meaning from the look. "D'Sora to Kassidy Sisko."

"This is Kassidy."

"Can you bring Lexie to Holosuite One?"

A pause. Then, "what?"

"Please. I'll explain when you get here."

"Okay, on my way. But this better be good."

Jenna grinned, and then made a similar call to Jake, while Julian discreetly removed the holographic club patrons. The holosuite door hissed open.

"I had just gotten her to sleep," Kassidy informed them. "I really hope you have a good reason for -"

"Kassidy."

She stopped in mid-step. "Ben?"

He nodded, eyes full of tears, and opened his arms. She ran into them, wrapping one arm around his waist as the other held the baby between them. "Meet your daughter," she whispered.

"She's beautiful," he whispered back. "Absolutely perfect. I can't believe you named her after Jennifer."

"I figured it was what you would have done. I wanted her to have a name that might have been one she would have had if you'd been there to name her."

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there to see her born. If I'd had any control over it - my family means more to me than anything, Kassidy. Even if I don't always do the greatest job of showing it."

"Dad?" said another voice from the doorway.

"Jake!" He pulled away from Kassidy to embrace his son and then pulled her back to him so he could hug all three of them.

"They're going to be here awhile," Jenna commented so only Julian could here. "What do you say we let them be and go continue this night somewhere else?"

xxxxxxxxx

In under an hour it was all over the station. Captain Sisko was back.

Apparently, he and Kira were now arguing over who would be in command of the station - not each arguing for themselves, as might have been expected, but Kira trying to abdicate to Sisko by virtue of his seniority and him insisting it wouldn't be fair to essentially take the station out from under her, especially since it was clear she'd been doing a great job.

Julian had taken on the job of calling the former Deep Space Nine senior staff members now scattered in various parts of the quadrant and letting them know - all except Odo, who no one knew how to reach. Jadzia in particular had been ecstatic; Benjamin was, after all, one of her closest friends. Jenna had called Tasha and filled her in too. Before a day had passed, Julian predicted, the entire quadrant would know Benjamin Sisko was again among his corporeal peers.

"Julian?" Jenna asked softly.

"Yes?"

"I thought you liked Captain Sisko."

"I do," he replied, now perplexed. "Why?"

"You seem excited, but you also seem almost disappointed. You forget how well I can read you."

"I don't forget," he countered, "I just thought I was doing a better job of faking it."

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's not Sisko himself, it's his timing. I just really wanted last night to be special, about us. Obviously it's not his fault, I'm not upset at him, I'm just generally upset."

"Julian," she chided gently, "we'll have more dates."

"I know," he replied, but he didn't sound placated.

"What's so special about tonight?" she asked, trying not to lose patience. "Is there something about the date that I've forgotten?"

"No. I mean, there isn't anything about the date yet, but I was going to make it into a date you'd never forget." Before she could ask, he reached for his jacket, now draped over a chair, fumbled around in the pocket, and pulled something out. "This isn't what I had in mind, but I don't want to wait for our next date. Jenna D'Sora, will you marry me?"

She looked more shocked than she had when Sisko had appeared out of thin air. "I don't know what to say."

"Say yes," he replied, sounding almost breathless.

"Yes," she said, beaming. "Yes, I'll marry you."

I had already started work on another chapter when I decided I wanted to do this one first, so I'm sorry about the long wait.

This chapter references the DS9 episodes Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang and What You Leave Behind.

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