"That's what I keep trying to tell you, Constable, I don't know what happened.

It just started spitting sparks all over the place.

It was nothing I did, I hardly touched the thing, it just malfunctioned. You can hardly blame me, I rarely use it enough as it is.

Rom you tell him how I hardly touch the thing".

Rom gave him sheepishly reproachful look.

"I don't work for you anymore Brother.

I'm Starfleet staff now.

So don't look at me.

I'm the idiot remember".

Rom childishly spoke under his breath.

"Thank you Rom for your input.

Quark, you bang the living daylights out of that thing, at least 10 times a day, I see you and even if I haven't been witness to it, I have ways of finding out what happens in this place. According to Rom and my other Technical Advisor malfunctions in replicator or food synthesizers are quite rare unless provoked by a very careless handler.

Now that you have been negligent in the maintenance of this wonderous piece of star fleet technology, it is now a major security concern.

Rom Step aside.

Odo to Ensign Nollo, you can come Inside now".

"Why hello, sweet thing.

Wait she's your technical advisor?"

Quark was happy to see her but his delight shifted to disgusted incredulity.

"Yes, you didn't know.

Allow me to fill you in, she is not only one of my deputies she is now my official technical advisor which means I can authorize her at any time to inspect your equipment.

O' Brian needs your approval, I on the other hand do not, so I can bring her along anytime I want to and I can have her check in as many times as I deem necessary.

These will be routine inspections of course, nothing major or serious since she's not a official engineer as of yet but since I clearly have the authority to enlist personnel, I can clearly order my personnel to take on any duty I wish.

From now on Taya you're an engineer, don't let that go to your head though Ensign".

"Well you've finally done it, Odo.

You've finally cracked, you are now officially crazy.

You've lost it, you've lost your mind.

You can't just walk up to people and name them an engineer or a security officer.

That's not how things work and I'm pretty sure their are star fleet regulations that prevent you from making that many technical inspections".

"I'm not Star Fleet, I am under the jurisdiction of Bajor which means most of those so called Star Fleet regulations don't apply to me.

Now unless there are some obscure rules of acquisition that you wish to point out that could prevent me from doing this, I see no problem in continuing."

"No, Odo, you can't do this.

Surely Sisko can say something, anything as long as it stops you."

"No there is nothing Sisko can do or say that can stop me.

Do you remember Captain Kurland?

He happened to be commander and oddly enough before he took off in the Defiant, he left me in charge which means Sisko can't help you because he's not actually in charge, I am.

Besides Sisko has taken a bit of shine to my new technical advisor, so it might be rather tricky trying thrawrt my daily inspections."

"You're actually in charge then?

Kurland must either be an idiot or a madman to leave you in charge.

You of all people, did he have to pick you?

Tell me did it have to be you?"

"Yes it had to be me.

It's where the chain of command leads and I am where it ends, so stop fussing and step aside, Quark".

"Alright, You win.

Whatever is the matter with you these days?

Really what's eating you?

Did Nerys make a surprise visit or something?"

"What about Nerys?"

Odo allowed his arm to unnaturally shoot out and grab him, his hands gripping his collar, while Quark attempted to scream but Odo's snapped back into place like a rubber band and Quark found himself very close to Odo even though he had been nearly 10 feet away not too long ago.

Odo made sure he was looming over him, his face hanging over Quark's like a pale ghostly shadow.

"What about Nerys?

You have something to say about her?

Tell me about Nerys?

She's gone now, so why not talk about her?

Nerys, Nerys, Nerys.

I'm so very interested on the subject why I could talk about her all day."

Odo's voice was crazed and whimsical but you could hear the dangerous venom in his voice that clearly stated how keen he was on the Subject of Nerys.

"Nothing. What do I know about her?

Let's change the subject.

Your Technical advisor for instance, I'm wondering when these inspections take place is it just going to be her or are you tagging along with her?"

"I don't tag along, she tags along with me and no she won't be alone with you ever".

"This is a bar, Odo, so even if she came without you, she'd hardly be alone".

"Drunken Dabo players, retired Klingon Warriors and overly talkative Lurians do not count."

"But I do apparently".

Quark decided to take his place on one of the bar stools.

Quark grinned and chuckled smugly while eying Taya with wayward eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself Quark.

She has no interest in your company or in the company of your other disreputable guests".

"Really? Have you asked her?"

Quark feigned his concern.

"I don't need to ask her.

She hasn't been to this bar in over 4 weeks, Quark.

Something tells me she isn't fond of the place".

"Well maybe she's just shy.

You know like you said she was".

Quark did not waver his gaze from off Taya but kept smiling at her cheekily.

Rom snuck behind the counter and crawled towards the replicator.

Rom was no longer afraid of his brother but he still was a little anxious about Odo spotting him too close to Taya.

Rom smiled at up at Taya goofily from the ground.

"Can I be of help to you, somehow?"

Rom whisperered to her.

Taya glanced over at Odo just to check if he was busy or not, then she returned his offer with a plucky and playful smile, nodding to him approvingly.

"Did you think that maybe, just maybe that she might be actually be afraid of you?"

Odo challenged Quark.

"Afraid of me? Why isn't she afraid of you? Does any of these prized pieces of furniture you have in your possession happen to be a mirror?

Because you are not exactly easy on the eyes!"

"Really? I'd like to say the same thing to you!"

Odo barked back at Quark.

Rom handed her a strange tool that had a orange bulb like cone on one side and an a green rustic handle on the other.

The bolt on the handle was loose, she knew this by how the handle crunched and jitterly jingled like dull metal bells without resonance.

She used the device to unlock the screws that held the front metal frame to the food synthesizer.

She began searching aimlessly for a problem she knew wasn't there.

Taya manipulated her tricorder as she held it up to the replicator for it to read a high omission of Tachyon particles.

"Constable there is a read out for a fairly large leak of Tachyon Particles, it looks like the leak has stopped somewhat yet there still is a chance that there is a small trickle left which means that after about 4 hours, the radiation levels will go well above 80%.

Most Carbon based lifeforms can't even withstand that much especially all at one time but dragging it out only means prolonging death and allowing the radiation to kill us slower.

Permission to resolve the issue before it gets out of hand Constable".

"Permission Granted. Initiate Resolve, Ensign."

"Oh so she does speak after all.

Ooooh dear what have you done to her?

She sounds like some lifeless robot."

"She is just being professional unlike you and I don't believe it's any of your business on how I train my security personnel."

Meanwhile Rom quite forgot about remaining quiet and unseen behind the counter, so his whispers soon shifted to animated chatter.

"I used to work here you know but I gave it all up for Star Fleet.

So sometimes when my brother wasn't looking which was most of the time I'd tinker here and there around the bar, I'd loosen a few bolts and a few screws and he'd think all the sparks meant they were broken or malfunctioning.

The best part is he still doesn't know."

Before her brain could even stop her, Taya, let out brief hollaring

laugh at this little secret Rom told her.

"Oh yes she's very professional.

Clear sophistication over there for sure.

She's just laughing up a storm over there with my brother Rom.

What's scary is she's actually laughing at his jokes.

Look ,Odo If she was truly professional she wouldn't be keeping company with Rom.

He's an idiot, he has no mind for money, he has even less luck with the ladies and his sense of humor is as dull as a rock.

If were you I wouldn't have her associate with him."

"Thank you for the lovely suggestion but I'm more worried about her associating with you not with your brother Rom.

He has more sense than you do, he's quiet, he minds his own business, he does not stalk people around this station as a hobby like you do and he actually fixes things and they stay that way.

So Rom can associate with Taya as much as he wants".

"Oh Rom takes orders from you now too?

Good to know.

So this new toy of yours, do you also get to decide who she associates with as well?

Is this how it is, she's your toy and no one else can play with her?"

"She is Not a Toy, Quark!

I don't think I like what you are implying.

I have no control over her, so she can associate with whomever she pleases with or without my consent.

She doesn't belong to me, she only works for me, Got it?!"

"Oh I got it alright.

You just don't want to compete with someone like me.

You might get jealous and the same thing is going to happen if she starts associating with Rom.

She'll start spending time with him, going places with him, they might even go to each other quarters on their spare time or even on the weekends.

Just save yourself the trouble Odo, she's really not that interested in you and even if I was out of the pictire you still wouldn't have a chance with her.

Take my advice, love is trouble, women are trouble, they drag trouble in, they create it, so give it up already.

It's getting embarrassing".

"I'm embarrassing? That's a laugh.

I'm not interested in women, Quark, so rest assured I won't be troubling myself in throes of young love, so I don't want a chance with her or with anybody else for the matter.

We both know neither of us have a chance with her so why don't you save yourself the trouble by leaving her alone.

Oh by the way she's not that interested in you either and it looks like you may have another competitor to take my place in the playing field, so look who's jealous now.

Ensign are you finished yet?"

"Yes Commander, The couplings have been mended and the tricorder readings have come back clean."

"Another Disaster averted.

I hope you enjoy the newly fixed replicator, I do hope nothing else in this fine establishment breaks down soon, I'd hate to write up your place as a safety violation.

It comes with a nice hefty fine, so I'd have O' Brian or one of his Engineers on staff take a look at everything.

It would be a pity for this place to shut down."

Odo grinned wickedly as he sauntered out of the bar.

"He's really grumpy.

Have you noticed that Taya?

I mean he's not just grumpy he's almost evil today.

Well thank you for fixing the leak.

We really should stop meeting like this".

Taya snatched her tricorder and strode out the door after Odo.

"Rom, get out.

You know you're still as useless as ever."

"Hey don't take it out on me Brother.

Odo's right, Quark, you are jealous."

"Jealous of you, Rom?

Really?

You're so...so...so ordinary Rom.

You have absolutely no charm and your sense of humor is like watching paint dry.

I have nothing to be jealous about".

"Good, I'm glad to hear it.

So I suppose since you aren't jealous, you won't mind if I take her out to that new Vulcan Cuisine place just across the way".

"You stay away from her, Rom.

She's too much for you to handle.

You probably haven't even asked her yet.".

"No but I will... tomorrow in fact".

"Tomorrow? Why not wait a couple of weeks, a few more months, heck if you play your cards right you might even be able to wait a couple of years.

Love takes time, so don't rush."

"I don't want to wait a few years, If you keep going with that attitude, I'll ask her today!"

"Ask her today, tomorrow, next week, what do I care?

She'll probably say no but at least you tried".

"That does it, I'm asking her now, Today and you can't stop me!"

"Why would I stop you?

You'll only make a fool of yourself but don't listen to me, oh no, I'm your lesser known brother, the one, mother forgets every year.

Nevermind that I was just looking out for my only brother.

I was just trying to help but no I'm always the one that's making trouble for people.

Never, Rom, Oh no he's far too sophisticated for making any sort of if trouble".

"Yes you keeping telling yourself that brother.

Meanwhile Moogie has written to you numerous times over the years but I hid all the letters".

Rom ran out the door his honking laughter following behind him.

"Little Brat.

Now Where would he hide those letters?"