Bashir had literally no gray hair despite the fact that he was nearly pushing 50, he still looked exactly like he had on his 30th Birthday, pushing 30 and still strong and energetic as ever.

Bashir felt young and he was fit and perfectly healthy yet still he had no idea how he was going to pull off Dinner plans along with attending to his patients, Debriefing Sisko and Taya to these dinner plans and then somehow managing to fill the Captains chair as well as having someone sit in for Odo while he was gone off clearing his head.

"Doctor Bashir to Security.

Um Odo is taking sick leave for the rest of the day.

I had him examined today and I believe he needs a good dose of

RR.

It's his mental health, it's terribly compromised.

I just wanted to let the team know that I gave him the day off.

Doctor's orders".

Bashir regretted those words the moment he said them out loud.

"Copy. We'll fill in for him.

Security will be on Alert in his absence".

"Fantastic. Thank you".

He switched off his intercom badge and then did something he hadn't done in 15 years.

"Bashir to Captain Sisko.

Come in".

"Sisko to Bashir.

You don't know how much I've missed hearing those words after all these years.

"Well it was the least I can do.

You always will be a Captain to me anyway. Ehem...Um... Benjamin...I have a favor to ask you.I know you just got here but I was wondering if... you could meet me at the promenade perhaps".

"I'd be delighted to but I'm wondering why is it that you look like you've barely pushed 30 after 20 years?"

Bashir swayed his head rather comically, manically his eyes scanned the area outside Sick Bay.

Bashir almost passed over him twice yet finally he couldn't help but notice Sisko's Brilliant smile floating through sporadic crowds like a invisible Cheshire cat.

"Surprise".

Sisko made his voice ring joyfully as he gave him a celebratory greeting of Jazz hands, which nearly brought Bashir to bashfully blush but he was far to pleased to see him to be embarrassed by Sisko's goofy gestures.

"I'm definitely surprised.

You know Odo is looking for you".

Bashir chuckled as a child would in the middle of a punishment.

"I know.

I actually snuck right past him a couple of times.

We've been playing a little cat and mouse for the last 30 minutes.

So what's this favor you want to ask from me?"

Sisko swung his arm over Bashir's shoulder, patted him on the back vigorously and then leaned in to boast of his cleverness.

Sisko had that playfully wicked smile, the kind that you'd expect from a masked pirate who had switched the poisoned drinks on purpose and he was the only one that knew which one was actually poisoned.

Although Bashir loved Benjamin as a brother he did not appreciate Benjamin being so close so throughout the conversation he chuckled nervously and kept darting his head around the room.

Benjamin was oblivious to his reluctance but thankfully it wasn't really that long of a conversation.

"Well it's about Odo.

He's terribly stressed out.

He was left in charge of them station in Kurland's absence and he's attempting to manage security details at the same time, yet on top of that something wonderful has happened.

We have a newcomer.

She's in Sick Bay right now, waiting for me to come back in, so I'll have to make this quick.

How would you like to be at helm of this station again?"

"I'd love to.

Is the Captain's Chair empty?"

"No, we both know you rode home in the captain's chair, Sisko, so it wasn't empty.

Now the commander's chair on the other hand is completely empty and it's waiting just for you.

It's calling you Benjamin.

Can you hear it call to you?"

"Why yes of course I can.

Commander Sisko, Captain of the USS Defiant, returns to Deep Space Nine yet to be fair that chair has been hailing me for the last 15 years, Bashir.

Being called The Sisko has it's benefits but nothing is like hearing Commander Sisko is on Board yet again."

"Yes it does have a better ring to it than "The Sisko".

"The Sisko" Sounds like some iron clad linebacker.

Look it's only going to temporary and it's not really for me it's for him.

Odo has not been the same since Kira left and who knows what wonders he picked up while staying with his people.

The great link is a very powerful and mysterious thing.

I don't think even he himself understands it."

"Julian I know and I'm already all for it.

Kurland I'm sure won't mind me filling in for him.

It's really no trouble.

You and Odo are my friends, so I'm not just doing it for him or for you, I'll be doing it for the both of you.

So you mentioned there was a newcomer.

Is she... attractive?"

"Um...Yes... she's definitely a real find, a treasure if you will but she has these issues...and they tend to drive Odo kind of crazy".

"Oh so she's Odo's girl.".

"No, no, no she's certainly not his, not after Kira and she's not mine either.

She's um her own person so to speak.

I think it would be best if you were just to meet her, she's kind of hard to describe.

Do you like endless sagas by any chance?"

"Oh you mean stories?"

"Yes endless stories, that's it, well she's full of them and the crazy thing is that they all are true."

"She sounds like quite the story teller.

Now, Bashir you're not trying to set me up with this girl are you?"

"No, no heavens no, I just wanted you two to get acquainted... as friends".

"Uhhuh... Anything else you want to add to this plan of yours or are you finally at a loss for words?"

Sisko smiled knowing Bashir never had been at a loss for words, since he was always incessantly talking and Often he'd talk so fast his words would overlap eachother and his voice would grow thin mocking and comically official like the voice of a irritated British General who had inhaled a bit too much helium and was just about to pass out from the overexposure.

"No, never.

Okay I'll stop beating around the bush.

This lady that arrived on the station, she's a real mystery, Nobody knows where she came from, or how she got here, she just showed up and she claims to have met Odo before.

Now Odo isn't sure if he can trust her.

He needs support.

He's torn between his own logic and his own conscience, his feelings and his own iron clad morals.

He wants to do the right thing but he's afraid he'll mess up.

So I suggested he get a little RR in and have dinner with you, just to catch up and reminisce over old times.

Unfortunately like an Idiot I chimed in afterwards and blurted out the first thought that came to my head.

Oh why don't you bring Taya along with you?"

Bashir spoke in a ultra feminine voice mocking his own poor judgement.

"Oh so the lovely lady's name is Taya.

That's a very unusual name.

She sounds absolutely fascinating.

You know I have a good feeling about this new friend of ours.

I'd love to meet her Bashir.

When's the dinner date?"

"It's not a date, it's a nice friendly get together, amongst friends.

It's just to put Odo at ease.

I put my 5 cents in already but I think it would mean more coming from you."

"He values your 5 cents too, Julian.

I thought this was dinner not an intergalactic intervention."

"It still is in a way, Sisko.

He's just rather indecisive right now.

I mean he has decided to have her stay here but he's just not all that sure about it.

He wants to do his duty as Head of security but he also wants to do the right thing as the Commander of DS9.

He doesn't want to disappoint anybody yet he also doesn't want to endanger anyone aboard this station."

"It's a certainly a tough position to be in.

I've had to deal with such decisions before as both Captain and Commander.

You see I wanted all of you to like me but I also wanted respect, so I had to decide between being a Leader and being a friend.

You can do both you know, just not at the same time.

There has to be a balance, between friendship and leadership.

You can't abandon either one, both are vitally important when you manage both The Federation and the Bajoran Government.

Its not easy finding that balance but Odo is quite resilient, he's adaptable and I believe he can use more than two hands to juggle all of this responsibility.

He is a shapeshifter after all and from my experience he's never been a liability to this station and he's never been a disappointment to anyone aboard DS9."

"You're right.

I guess all I'm trying to say is Odo needs a friend to advise him and support him.

He needs to know he did the right thing so maybe if you meet this newcomer, observe her, use your instincts and your sixth sense stuff, you could decide for yours if she's trustworthy or not.

Now I don't want you to compromise your own opinion and I don't want you too water down your own feelings on the matter.

Just be honest with him.

Odo knows when you're lying and the fact that he can't define a lie from a overly flourished story from some stranger is really worrisome.

Something is wrong and I don't know what it is and don't know if I can even fix it.

It's almost as if he's reverting back to the Odo he was when you first came to this station.

I don't want him reverting back to the Odo he used to be.

I rather like the Odo that got stuck in Elevators, the Odo that went to the Bajoran Festivals and the Odo that uses his bucket as a

flower vase."

"Even those versions aren't the Odo we see here and now.

He's always evolving and so are we.

You what?

It's about time we remind him of it.

He desperately needs to know that he isn't alone in this struggle and this seemingly endless search for balance.

He has us and I'm going to go prove that."

"Yeah By Allowing Odo to finally find you?"

Bashir attempted unsuccessfully to suppress his laughter.

"No by sitting in the Commander's chair".

"Um the chair has been calling you for 15 years, Benjamin, so I think that chair can wait.

Why don't you find Odo first?

No doubt he's ready to decompartomentalize now as we speak."

"I'll bring a bucket."

"No, Buckets are so yesterday, why not bring one of those snazzy blue coffee cups from the Food replicators instead?"

"No Coffee is far too tempting for the people of this station.

Some one might take a drink from the wrong cup.

Don't worry I'll get to him before 16 hours have passed".

"You do that.

He's counting on you.

We all are".

"I know it's fabulous to be wanted again by the team.

Who knows it may even become permanent."

Sisko's laugher roared through the halls like a lion let loose from the zoo.

No doubt Odo heard him.