AN: Here we are, the last little chapter in this story, but of course I have thousands of silly little Lwaxodo stories to come! If you liked this one, I hope you'll give some of the others a try!
I hope you enjoy! If you do, please do let me know!
111
The walk to Odo's quarters—her home, now, aboard the station, Lwaxana supposed—was going to practically be a journey, given how Lwaxana was currently feeling.
Lwaxana was exhausted, and there was no other word for it. She felt at least some mild-grade pain radiating from everywhere in her body—practically from her head, where she had an ongoing dull headache and even her teeth seemed to ache—all the way to at least her calves and, at times, to the bottoms of her aching feet.
She had, as an ambassador and as simply a lover of individuals, encountered and interacted with members of a great many different species. She loved to learn the differences in members of each species she encountered. She enjoyed the traditions and practices of different cultures, and she was fascinated by the innate and inborn differences of different species—even if they weren't necessarily pleasant.
She knew that few beings understood some of the particular challenges of Betazoids, however, and she was fully aware that few beings found joy in truly trying to understand others. They often had ways of dismissing others, or of creating their own narrative to explain what others tried to tell them about their experiences.
If she had communicated to anyone how she really felt, at this moment—outside of her own family, members of her own species, and the doctors who seemed to want to understand—they would have dismissed her as being simply overdramatic and attention-seeking. The truth was that Lwaxana could be attention-seeking at times, but this wasn't one of those times.
This was simply the result of very recently having brought a new life into the world, and of not having much significant rest since. She knew that she needed to recover. Veta, for his part, was tired and sore. Few non-telepathic and non-empathic beings, and even those who had a less intense telepathic and empathic connection to others, realized how trying it was to a newborn to simply be born.
As his mother, Lwaxana had experienced his "awakening" of sorts when he was at around six weeks of development in her womb. They had been connected since then, and she had felt what he felt. She was processing, at the moment, her own feelings and his, and it would difficult to separate the two for some time. It wouldn't become easier until he was a bit older and began to truly become something of an "individual."
Birth, for Veta, had been the most painful experience of his existence, and that was how he'd processed it. The pain that he felt following it—by all accounts, probably something minor to anyone with more experiences and perspective—was the most profound pain he had ever felt since the birth. The fear he'd felt during birth was the greatest fear he'd ever experienced. The fear he felt, now, when he encountered someone or something new—which was a nearly constant experience—was profound and overwhelming, though all of these things would lessen more and more as time went on and he learned more about the world around him.
His greatest peace was when he was safely nestled in the arms of Lwaxana or Odo, and he could rest.
And Lwaxana was feeling everything for both of them.
She had done her best to block most of her feelings from Deanna, knowing that her daughter would worry, and would also experience a great deal of Lwaxana's discomfort otherwise. She was keeping her shields raised as much as possible, so that she didn't project too much of her fatigue and discomfort on anyone around her. She told both Doctor Crusher—Beverly—and Doctor Bashir—Julian—what they needed to know, but she watered down the truth to keep from overwhelming minds that had no frame of reference for her experiences.
She had learned that individuals of all species had a tendency to confuse confessions of needing to rest and recuperate with regret and even dislike of a current situation.
Lwaxana was tired, and she ached, but she was the happiest she could imagine being, and there wasn't even an ounce of regret in the whole of her being.
Still, she only shared her absolute truth with Odo.
And Odo accepted it, as she accepted everything about him, and he didn't judge her or call her attention-seeking. He called her "beloved," and he held her when they were alone, and he promised her that, as soon as they were safe aboard the station, she could hide away and rest in their home for a few days until she felt recovered and refreshed, and Veta had had enough time to process his surroundings so that every single thing wasn't quite so scary to him.
And Odo would take care of them both.
Lwaxana had never been truly taken care of after the birth of her children—not by the father of her children, at least, and not beyond the professional role of her valet's paid assistance. She hadn't told anyone that—nobody except Odo—but Ian hadn't been present for the birth of either Kestra or Deanna. He hadn't even seen Kestra until she was nearly a year old, and Deanna had been several months old before he'd been granted leave. Starfleet bragged about their leave for such things, but they forgot to publicly declare that it always depended on the mission or assignment of the person, as well as their rank to some degree. Lwaxana had kept much of it secret. Betazed wasn't without its judgmental people, and some had strong opinions about Starfleet and even about interspecies marriage. As a telepathic and empathic society, rumors could also run rampant when someone used obvious mental shields in the presence of others. Lwaxana had hidden away, in her home, for a few weeks following the birth of her daughters, and she'd healed and helped them adjust to the world around them alone.
A part of her was very much looking forward to resting and sharing this very special and precious period of rest, recovery, and learning with Odo.
But, first, there was the long walk to the quarters they would call home.
They would bring a chair, of course, if Lwaxana wanted it. It had been offered to her, but her pride wouldn't let her accept.
"I'm fine," she had said. "I've never felt better."
There was, of course, a good bit of truth in the statement. She felt wonderful—she was happy, overflowing with love and contentment. The rest, she wasn't ready to share, so she simply raised the shields around her mind with what energy she felt like she had left, put on a smile to perfect the performance, and reassured both doctors that she was absolutely at her best.
Julian had come aboard to talk to Beverly, and to take part in a quick check-up for Lwaxana and Veta, before they disembarked. He transported back to the transporter area on the station first. Lwaxana and Odo sent Mr. Homn ahead with their things.
Then, they said their goodbyes, expressed their thanks, and transported together to the small area that was somewhat private. As soon as they stepped out of the transporter area, they would likely be greeted by those waiting to get their first peek at the baby—and to witness for themselves, very likely, the truth to the rumor that Odo had brought Lwaxana Troi back to truly be his wife.
"Are you truly well, Beloved?" Odo asked, as soon as they rematerialized.
She smiled at him. Her chest ached with the love she felt for him. She nodded.
"Tired," she said, which he already knew, "but…wonderful. Odo…"
"Yes, Lwaxana?"
"I do love you so."
He smiled.
"And I, you, Beloved. You will rest soon. For as long as you like. Would you like me to carry Veta? He is more at peace in your arms…and I fear the station may be busy…but I can tell how tired you are…how tired you must be…"
"I'll carry him," Lwaxana said. Odo made the transfer of the newborn to her arms. For the briefest second, she dropped her mental defenses, sensing Veta entirely. She drank in his peace, felt the ache of his little body—an ache he believed to be the worst he would ever feel, and thus she absorbed it as that, because he knew no better yet—and she sensed the happiness in the air that she knew came from Odo. She couldn't read him yet. She couldn't truly sense him. But he did project emotions that everyone could feel, and she was very sensitive to those, even if he was still largely unaware of them and the effect they had on others.
She also believed that, someday, she would fully connect to him as her true and complete Imzadi, and then she would be able to read everything about him.
Odo wrapped an arm around her and the other he wrapped in front of her, helping to support Veta's weight—able to shift, ever so discreetly, so that he could actually support a great deal of Lwaxana's weight, and the baby's weight, without it being truly visibly detectable to any passerby.
Lwaxana felt a vibration run through his whole body, something she now knew was a tremor of happiness, and she closed her eyes and smiled at the sensation.
"Are you ready?" Odo asked.
"How do I look? Presentable? Remember—all your friends are likely to have come…and they'll be judging me, Odo. They'll be judging you, too, for deciding to truly be my husband. It was one thing to marry me for the good of the baby. It's another, entirely, to say it's because this is what you want. I'm what you want."
Odo gave her a tender look.
"This is everything I want, Lwaxana—and more than I ever dreamed I'd have. You are everything I could ever want. You look beautiful, and I don't care what anybody out there thinks. All I care about is this—you and Veta."
"Our family?" Lwaxana offered, knowing how much Odo relished the words.
He nodded, unable to verbally respond for a moment, since the words were still so powerful for him.
"Our family," he echoed when he could gather himself together enough to make the vocal cords that he'd created for himself vibrate to produce the words.
Lwaxana smiled at him and winked her eye.
"Come, Husband. Let's go home."
"You're sure you're up to it?" Odo asked. "It's OK, Lwaxana, if you want to…"
"I have never felt better, Husband," Lwaxana assured him. "And—after all—I have your support."
"You do have that, Wife," Odo assured her. "Forever."
"That's enough for me," she promised, stepping forward to start the slow walk to their quarters.
Lwaxana was right. All of Odo's friends, it seemed, had come to see his return from his mission to secure a family for himself. They'd gathered just outside the area where they disembarked, and they offered smiles and well wishes. As they walked, Odo and Lwaxana were approached by those who wanted to offer pats, hugs, and other physical congratulations. People strained to see the baby that Lwaxana carried, and she gently tipped him in one direction or another, careful not to wake him.
Some people followed them some distance, talking as they went. Lwaxana was too tired to really follow the conversations that happened around her, but the gist of all of them was that Odo's friends were happy for him. They were happy to see him happy, and they planned, at some point, to do something to truly welcome Lwaxana and Veta—something Odo insisted would have to wait until they'd all had a few days to rest and settle in.
Lwaxana wondered if Odo realized that these were all his friends, and that they cared about him, at least in some shape or fashion. She wondered if he even noticed them, now. Mostly, as they walked, she didn't see him paying too much attention to those around them. Mostly, she noticed that he kept stealing glances of her and Veta—watching over every step that she took with the infant.
Lwaxana saw his friends, though. And she saw the way that Major Kira Nerys looked at him. There was a certain something there, perhpas—a glimmer of recognition. She'd never seen this side of Odo before—the side that could be a husband and a father.
Lwaxana couldn't read Odo, not entirely, but she hoped that, when the day came that she knew how to read him, she wouldn't find that he had regrets.
Almost as though he could, somehow, sense her thoughts, Odo squeezed Lwaxana gently as the thought flickered across her mind. She offered him a soft smile, and he smiled back at her. She wondered if he somehow knew what she'd been thinking, and was truly trying to reassure her, or if his timing was simply impeccable.
"I love you, Husband," she said quietly, as they continued on their way to their new home.
"I love you, Wife," Odo said, not even trying to keep his voice down as much as Lwaxana had, in order to be sure that she didn't accidentally embarrass or overwhelm him.
She smiled, comforted by the words. She might not be able to read Odo entirely, but she still felt the truth in what he'd said.
111
"You need to eat this, Beloved," Odo said, offering out another of the bites of food from the plate that had been specially designed with a handful of Lwaxana's favorite little snacks on it.
She scoffed and eyed the food in such a way that Odo nearly laughed at her. She would take it, but even her teasing that she might not made him happy in an overwhelming way. He was finding that everything he did with Lwaxana made him happy in an overwhelming way.
"Lwaxana," he said, pretending to scold her as much as she pretended to defy him, "our son must gain his nourishment from his mother—and his mother must have all she needs to provide for him. Dr. Bashir and Dr. Crusher were very clear about your calorific requirements. Please…"
She visibly softened.
For just a moment, Odo thought she might cry again. She'd cried several times since their arrival no more than an hour earlier. She'd cried over the fact that, in their absence, Odo had arranged for there to be furniture brought for their bedroom and a nursery, as well as some comfortable seating for a dining area and a living area. She'd cried over the fact that he'd insisted on kissing her as soon as they'd entered their quarters—feeling that it was only fitting to share a very sincere kiss just over the threshold of their home. She had cried when he'd taken care of Veta, changing a diaper, while she had time to freshen up a little and get comfortable to settle in and relax. And she'd cried when he'd brought her pillows and blankets to have the same kind of cozy nest she'd had on the Enterprise for their short trip to the station.
Odo had already tele-called Beverly Crusher to be sure that it was quite alright that his wife appeared to have sprung several leaks over which he couldn't keep any definitive control, but Beverly insisted that tears so soon after birth were to be expected—especially from a Betazoid wife.
Odo would have to learn everything there was to know about Betazoids. He looked forward to it—and he mostly looked forward to the hands-on learning that he could do as Lwaxana's husband.
"You don't have to feed me, Odo," Lwaxana said.
"You are feeding Veta," he said.
"Still…Odo…"
"I do not like it when you tell me that," Odo said, honestly. "It makes me feel as if…you are going to deny me this. I ask you, Lwaxana, not to deny me this, if it does you no genuine harm."
She frowned at him, but she didn't cry as she had so many times before. She nodded, and she accepted the food that he offered her. He smiled at her.
"Thank you," he said sincerely. He picked up another selection from the plate and readied it for when she'd finished chewing the one he'd just given her. "When Veta has fed, I think you should sleep. I will entertain him. You'll need to sleep as much as possible outside of my regeneration time, so that I can help you care for him."
"If I sleep the entire time you're not regenerating, and you're regenerating while I'm awake, I'll miss you," Lwaxana said.
"Not the entire time," Odo said. "Mr. Homn will assist you. But—I would like to know that you are resting, Beloved. It's how you recover."
"I am already doing much better," Lwaxana promised him.
He didn't tell her, but he supposed that she already knew that he worried a great deal about her recovery. He'd been assured that she was healthy, and that nothing was out of the ordinary, but he longed for her to be fully recovered—the same Lwaxana that he knew who could practically chase him through the corridors, if she so desired, and probably catch him, no matter how fast he ran.
Now, he thought with the slightest flash of amusement, he ached to be caught by her every time.
"What's funny, Odo?" She asked with a smile.
"Nothing, Lwaxana," he said, shaking his head gently. He offered her another bite of food, and she took it without forcing an argument. "Only—a passing thought." She raised her eyebrow and he understood that she was asking for more, even though she was chewing and didn't wish to ask him in any other way. "Only—there was once a time when Commander Sisko suggested that…well…that you might be chasing me and that, perhaps, I might consider letting you catch me. I might find that I enjoyed it."
Both of her eyebrows went up, and she looked amused.
"And?" She asked, clearly holding back until he'd finished speaking.
He realized how she might be hurt or insulted, depending on what he was to say next.
"And I was thinking that…if this is being caught by you, I would love to be caught by you every day, forever."
She laughed quietly.
"If this is me catching you," she said, "then…I would hope to always catch you."
Odo felt a sense of relief. He hadn't said anything wrong. She wasn't unhappy with him. If he had said anything wrong, after all, he wouldn't have meant it. He would never hurt Lwaxana again—not on purpose, and not if he could help it.
The door chimed.
"I will be right back," Odo told Lwaxana. He sat the plate on the table, and he leaned to kiss her even before going to answer the door. She returned the kiss, and he stroked her cheek after the kiss broke. Then, he touched Veta gently as the little one fed at his mother's breast.
"We're not going anywhere, Odo," Lwaxana said gently, with a smile. "See who's at the door."
Odo nodded, feeling inexplicably sad that he had to leave her, even to go to the door. When he answered it, he was surprised to find Commander Sisko there.
"Commander…"
"Constable…I hope I'm not interrupting," Sisko said.
"Not at all," Odo said. "Not really," he amended. "Veta is just—having a meal, and I was…helping Lwaxana."
"I can come back, if it's a bad time," Sisko said.
"It's a perfectly fine time," Lwaxana called from her position. "We're pleased you could come! I would get up, but…"
"Please…I don't mean to interrupt your recovery, or your son's meal," Sisko said, holding a hand out in Lwaxana's direction as if to still her. "I remember those days. They're exhausting, and chaotic, and absolutely wonderful."
"They are," Lwaxana agreed from her place.
"And I'm so glad that…you get the chance to experience them, Odo," Sisko said.
Odo felt genuine affection from Sisko. He believed the man meant the words he said. A part of him wondered if he should thank him for all the advice—every piece since the moment that he'd first suggested that Odo let Lwaxana catch him, all the way to his most recent advice that Odo go after her. He didn't thank him but,somehow, he hoped the man would understand that he appreciated his guidance—no matter how annoying it might have seemed in the moment.
"I am…thrilled, Commander, beyond words," Odo said.
"I can tell," Sisko said. "The entire station can tell."
Odo thought the words were odd, but he accepted them, at any rate.
"Is there—something I can help you with? It is my understanding that I have leave at least until the day after tomorrow to remain with Lwaxana. Is that correct?"
"That's what I came to talk to you about," Sisko said. "I read your request…"
"If you need me earlier," Odo said.
"We need you at all times," Sisko said. "However, we are making do. No—what I came to speak to you about is protocol for station leave. There are many stipulations regarding leave for various species and such, as I'm sure you're aware. Paternity leave for a Betazoid is no less than two weeks. According to Doctor Bashir, this is to ensure that mother and child have adequate support while they are recovering and adjusting to the mental and physical exchanges that are constantly taking place as a result of their species' unique connections."
"I am unfamiliar with paternity leave practices," Odo admitted. "And—I am a Changeling. I doubt there is any information about my species."
"You are correct about that," Sisko agreed. "However—your wife is a Betazoid, and therefore, she requires the support mentioned."
"But—I am not a Betazoid," Odo said.
"Your paternity leave has been requested and approved—effective immediately—so that you can be available to offer sufficient support and care for your wife and brand-new son, Odo," Sisko said. He smiled broadly, almost sounding as proud of Odo as Odo felt, at times, of his new family.
"I don't—know what to say," Odo admitted.
"Don't say anything," Sisko said. "Just—take care of your family, Odo."
"I will," Odo said, nodding his head. "Thank you for…allowing me this time to spend with them."
"Enjoy it," Sisko said. "It will go by far more quickly than you can ever imagine, and it will always remain some of most precious memories of some of the most wonderful moments in your life."
Odo smiled at him.
"I can—already see that," Odo said.
"Mrs. Troi…"
"Lwaxana," she corrected from her nest, most of her attention directed to Veta, who had finished his meal.
"Lwaxana," Sisko corrected, "congratulations. I saw him earlier, and your son is perfect."
"You'll come back and truly meet him sometime?" Lwaxana asked.
"Soon," Sisko said. "Once your family has had a chance to settle in."
Sisko turned back to Odo. He smiled at him and clapped him hard on the shoulder.
"Congratulations, Odo. On your wedding, your wife, and your son. You have a beautiful family."
"Thank you," Odo said sincerely.
Sisko laughed quietly.
"And congratulations on a very important mission accomplished."