AN: Here we are, another piece to this one.

I hope you enjoy! If you do, please do let me know!

111

Luckily enough, there was a doctor who also fit Lwaxana's criteria of being a mother who happened to be quite near the station. Dr. Beverly Crusher served aboard the Enterprise—the ship that, Lwaxana's daughter also served on—and she was happy to answer the request that Odo sent through official Starfleet lines. The need for privacy was stressed—not even Lwaxana's daughter should know the reason for Dr. Crusher's visit yet—and all that anyone was told was that it was a medical situation involving the ambassador to Betazed.

Odo noticed that relations with Betazed must be of paramount importance to Starfleet, because they wasted absolutely no time in coming back to Odo with the call that Dr. Crusher was on a transport and would arrive very shortly at the station to help with Lwaxana's situation.

Odo and Lwaxana didn't talk much about the proverbial elephant in the room while they waited for Dr. Crusher's arrival. Lwaxana was worried enough that it was contagious, and Odo chose to keep her in his quarters and far from everyone else, lest the entire station be in a state of chaos.

Odo's decision, then, was to focus their waiting time on simply calming Lwaxana.

She refused anything to eat, but she would take tea. He requested tea with calming properties and insisted that she sit with him on a pallet that he made for her from blankets and pillows he pilfered from nearby unused rooms. He determined that he would request furniture for his quarters—hopefully their quarters—to make everything more comfortable for Lwaxana, but some things had to wait.

While they waited, he told Lwaxana how happy he was that she wasn't requiring him to wait three more months to convince her that he loved her. He held her, since they both enjoyed the affectionate touches, and she held him back. When she started to calm, he felt it. Together, they were both eventually wrapped in a cocoon of peace and stillness. When Lwaxana drifted off to sleep, Odo determined not to move at all until absolutely necessary.

And he'd stayed that way, holding her while she slept, until he received the call that Dr. Crusher was on the station and waiting for them in a private area of the infirmary.

Odo felt Lwaxana's anxiety growing with every step. He was certain she left a trail of it in her wake, and he imagined that his security team would be dealing with the fall out while he was on something of a "vacation" until things were calm. Dr. Crusher met them at the infirmary, and she escorted them directly to the private area set aside for them. She drew a curtain and erected a field to grant them additional privacy.

"Now," she said. "Ambassador Troi…"

"Please…if you will, call me Lwaxana, and this is Odo, and…may I call you Beverly?" Lwaxana asked. Her anxiety was causing a squeezing sensation over most of the surface of Odo's body, and he wondered if the doctor's move to keep touching at her own chest and neck was owing to something of a suffocating sensation that came from being so close to Lwaxana.

"Beverly is fine," she said, trying to sound pleasant. She cleared her throat. "Lwaxana—why don't you…try to relax and tell me what's wrong…"

"If I may," Odo interjected. Beverly gave him a nod. "Lwaxana has requested your assistance, specifically, because you are a mother and, as such, you will be more sympathetic to her…to our…concerns."

Beverly looked at Lwaxana with a furrowed brow. Lwaxana hadn't made it onto the biobed provided for her. She hadn't even let go of Odo, and he wasn't pushing her off. In fact, he held her more tightly when she indicated that's what she needed from him.

"I'm pregnant," Lwaxana said. "And—you have to help me. I won't let anyone take my baby."

Beverly looked at Odo and back at Lwaxana.

"First—let me say…congratulations," Beverly said. Odo could hear something in her tone, but he didn't dare try to place a name on what it might be. She smiled at Lwaxana, though, and extended her hands to touch Lwaxana gently on the arm. Lwaxana didn't pull away, and Odo thought he sensed her relaxing just a bit. "I am happy to help you with…everything. Is there any particular reason, Lwaxana, that you're feeling threatened or…as though anyone would try to take your baby? Maybe if you just tell me what's going on, I can help you with that."

"Oh—our baby is half-Changeling!" Lwaxana said. "I can't let them take the baby as some kind of science experiment."

Beverly looked surprised, but she quickly covered over the expression. She replaced it with a smile.

"That's…wonderful! Congratulations to you both, I suppose, is in order…" Beverly said. "I will need to report this, of course, because…it's the first of its kind. But, I can promise you that nobody is going to take your baby. If you would allow it, we might run some minor tests for educational purposes, but nobody is going to hurt you or your baby."

"You see, Lwaxana?" Odo said. "It's fine. It's all going to be fine."

"Why don't you—change into this gown?" Beverly said. "I'll just talk to Dr. Bashir and gather a few things, and then we can see how the baby is growing. From there, we can talk about a plan for the future."

Lwaxana's face was wet with silent tears. Beverly pushed a box of tissues in their direction with the gown, and then she slipped out, resurrecting the privacy field as she exited.

Odo helped Lwaxana change, reiterating to her what Beverly had said—the baby would be safe. Starfleet would protect the baby, not subjugate it to the suffering that Odo had known. He did his best at keeping his own anxiety in check—anxiety at the very idea that there might really be a baby, and he might really be a father, as Lwaxana had said, which was something for which he still felt quite unprepared.

"Just relax," Beverly had urged Lwaxana as soon as she'd returned with a few things. "I spoke to Starfleet Medical. Lwaxana—given your…status…"

"As Ambassador to Betazed?" Odo asked, interrupting. He noticed an exchange between Lwaxana and Beverly that was silent, but also spoke volumes. There was something that he didn't know. He began to imagine that there might be many things that he and Lwaxana still had to learn about each other.

It didn't matter. There would be time for all of that.

"We'll talk about it soon," he said, saving either from having to decide what was appropriate for the moment.

"You have the right to request treatment from me whenever you want it," Beverly said, returning to what she was communicating to Lwaxana. "I would love the chance to study your…your whole family, throughout this process, if only for a better understanding of everything. But I would promise you that nothing would be done without your consent. At the times when I'm not immediately available, I'd also like to suggest that Dr. Bashir be brought in to assist with things. We can stay in communication about your care."

Lwaxana nodded and reached a hand out for Odo. He understood, and took her hand to hold.

"I'm afraid…Lwaxana is still feeling a bit overwhelmed."

"That's putting it quite mildly," Lwaxana managed to say.

Beverly laughed quietly.

"Of course—of course you are," Beverly said. "As a mother, the first thing we really want to know is that our baby is safe and well. Your baby is safe. Would you allow me to examine you, now?"

Lwaxana nodded. She handed herself over for the examination. Odo kept his distance, but he watched everything. Something in him felt different—he felt tension, anxiety, and an intense need to make sure that everything was as it should be. He needed to protect Lwaxana, though she was currently in no danger of which he was aware, and he needed to protect her on a purely instinctive level that was new and strange to him.

Perhaps, he thought, he was putting something out as surely as Lwaxana was projecting her emotions—something that had been suggested to him by Commander Sisko when he'd first realized that Odo was heartbroken by Lwaxana's six-month required wait to continue their lives together—because Beverly kept glancing at him with at least a touch of discomfort showing on her features.

The poor Terran woman was, without a doubt, quite overwhelmed by everything trapped in the privacy bubble with them, but she was doing her best to remain calm and upbeat for Lwaxana's benefit.

"OK…now…Betazoid pregnancies are ten months at least," Beverly mused, pressing gently at Lwaxana's exposed belly. "Hybrid pregnancies can alter that."

"And we have no information on how long Changeling pregnancies last," Lwaxana said with a laugh. She had relaxed a great deal, and Odo was thankful for that. Focusing on the baby, it seemed, was helping her to calm.

"We are not even sure that Changeling pregnancies are possible," Odo said. He suddenly had the attention of both of them. Beverly stopped her probing for a moment. "I am the only known member of my species. I don't even know how my species procreates—or if we procreate."

"Well…clearly you procreate," Lwaxana said. Odo felt a spike in the energy around him.

"Of course you procreate in some way," Beverly said. "You're here. You came from somewhere."

"But we don't know where," Odo said. "As far as we know, I am neither truly male nor female. This form is a form that I have chosen. I could just as easily be a child's toy or a Berovilian wild boar."

Beverly laughed nervously.

"I'd prefer if we were to keep wild animals out of any place where I'm practicing medicine. Odo—am I to understand that…you're not sure if this is your child?"

"I'm not sure there's a child at all," Odo admitted. "I don't mean that to upset anyone, only…I have only just learned of this, and there's been nothing to make certain…"

"Oh—there is a baby," Beverly said with a smile. "It registers on the scans, but…right here? If I press right here, I can feel Lwaxana's uterus. Just the top of it. The baby isn't big enough to show itself much, but…it's coming. It won't be long before there will be some visible evidence of this little one's presence."

"You've found it?" Lwaxana asked. Her eyes glittered, and Beverly nodded. "Oh—I can sense it, but…I was still afraid it was all my imagination."

"Let's get a scan," Beverly said. She went about setting things up, and then she showed Lwaxana a disc-shaped item. "I am sure you know what this is, but just in case, I'm going to use this to project images of your baby onto that screen. It will record the results for me, but it will also let us get an idea of how your baby is developing. It won't be uncomfortable to either of you, so just relax."

"They've come a long way since the last time I did this," Lwaxana said, allowing Beverly to do what she needed. She rested one hand behind her head, but she held onto Odo with the other.

"There are wonderful developments each year," Beverly said. "These images are just…me looking around at you and the little home you've set up for baby."

Lwaxana laughed at Beverly's description. Odo tensed. He knew very little about women and about procreation, but he felt that he might be about to learn a great deal more, especially if he really was about to become a father.

"I do hope that it's acceptable," Lwaxana said.

"Everything looks wonderful," Beverly assured her. "And this…oh…there you go! There's your baby. And we couldn't have asked for a better position. Have a look…Mother?"

"Oh—Mommy," Lwaxana breathed out. "Oh—Odo—look!"

"Father or…?" Beverly asked.

"Of the options I was given," Odo ventured, "I was rather fond of Papa."

"Papa it is," Beverly said. "This is your baby. Now—it's still early, so that's why baby doesn't look at all like he or she will when they're a bit older. But—there's a heartbeat. It looks strong. I'll get a reading on that in a minute. And we can see that there are clear indicators of brain activity, here, with this scan. The body appears to be forming as it should." She pointed to various numbers and indicators on the screen. "I think I have what I need. I'll make sure you each get a holo-image of the best view we got."

"The child is nothing like me," Odo said, as Beverly was straightening up from the scan. Lwaxana covered herself with the gown, not that she was ever overly concerned with modesty, and sat up slightly on the biobed.

"I beg your pardon?" Beverly asked.

"I am…not like that. It is not like me," Odo said. "Not in any way."

"I am about to take this very personally, Odo," Lwaxana warned.

"I'm sorry…are we unsure about the baby's parentage?"

"No!" Lwaxana said. She sighed. "No. I am not unsure about the baby's parentage. I haven't been with anyone for nearly a year except for Odo. I fell in love with Odo and, despite his rejection, I couldn't just move on. I didn't want to. I wasn't with anyone except Odo. I know when the baby was conceived."

"My only concern is that…if the child is not mine, then Lwaxana may not be well," Odo said. "It may be some sort of…some sort of unknown alien interference that put it there."

"I know exactly which alien put it there!" Lwaxana said loudly and with enough anger that Odo sensed it physically.

"I am not certain how it is possible, if I am neither male nor female," Odo said. "From my understanding of humanoid reproduction, there are certain requirements."

"And there are many species who are simultaneously both sexes," Beverly said, "and plenty that can change their sex, especially when necessary for procreation. It's entirely possible that you're one of those species. When your genetic material came into contact with Lwaxana's, it's entirely possible that it simply shifted to become whatever was necessary to create your baby."

Lwaxana smiled.

"See, Odo?" She said. "You're a shapeshifter. It isn't difficult to imagine that might play into the creation of our baby, too."

"But we don't know that's the case," Odo said. "And if this has something to do with some other alien lifeform, we need to be sure that Lwaxana is safe…"

"OK—let's all remain calm," Beverly interjected as soon as Lwaxana started to say something, her mood not as good as it might have been. Lwaxana stopped, giving Beverly space to speak. "This is simple. Odo—the child registers as Betazoid and Unknown, currently. If I could have a sample from you, I can cross reference your DNA with the DNA of the baby. There will be no doubt, then, and we can relieve any insecurities."

Odo nodded.

"I will gladly give you a sample. I can—separate my own, if you have something…"

Beverly quickly slipped away and returned, almost immediately, with a small petri dish. Odo gave her a drop of himself to examine.

"Do you—simply regenerate mass, if you lose it?" Beverly asked.

"I do, though I'm limited to how much I can regenerate at any given time."

"It's easy to see how you might have…well…provided Lwaxana with all she needed to create a child," Beverly said. "Let me just put this in for analysis, and I'll be right back."

When they were left alone, again, Lwaxana fidgeted with the gown she was wearing, wrapping it tightly around her.

"You are upset with me," Odo said.

"You don't want this baby," Lwaxana said. She sighed. "Oh—Odo—I'm not upset with you, but I am upset. I know it's a great deal to take in, all at once, and maybe I was wrong to let my heart and my mind run away together."

"What do you mean?" Odo asked. He touched her face, and she didn't pull away, but she did close her eyes. He offered her tissues from the box they'd been given, aching over the fact that she was clearly pained.

"I guess I let my imagination get the best of me," Lwaxana said. She shrugged and laughed to herself. "I started thinking—what if we…oh…I don't know, Odo…what if we married? What if we raised our baby together, as a family?"

"I think you misunderstand me," Odo said. "I'm afraid that, sometimes, I am not as…gentle…as I would like to be. I'm sorry. It's my way, perhaps, but it isn't the way that I would want to be for you, Lwaxana."

She looked at him.

"It isn't?" She asked. He took some of the tissues and mopped at her face for her. "Oh—Odo…" she said, somehow making it a statement all its own.

The way she said his name always made him feel warm and loved—and the thought of that made him ache.

"If I have hurt you, I am sorry, Lwaxana," Odo said. "I have never had a family—and the thought of having one with you is…"

"Terrifying?" She asked with a laugh.

"I was going to say wonderful," Odo responded. "Please—do not misunderstand me. If the child is not mine, then I am only concerned for your safety and, I suppose, the safety of the child. It is best to know what's going on. But—no matter how the child came to be, Lwaxana, if you would have me as your husband…I would treasure the opportunity to be its papa."

Lwaxana smiled at him, and the tears ran freely from her eyes. He grabbed several more of the tissues and immediately tried to soak up the tears.

"Oh, dear…I seem to be failing at this rather profoundly," Odo said. "I can't seem to stop making you cry."

"Oh—I can't help it," Lwaxana said. "It's the baby, Odo. Oh—I do remember before…I cried so much. Happy, sad, angry…" She laughed and shrugged. "I can't help it. I am sorry…I know you don't care for tears."

"I don't mind the tears," Odo said. "It's only the knowledge that they come from your sadness that bothers me."

"What if they're happy tears?" Lwaxana asked.

"Are they?" Odo challenged.

"Are you—asking me to marry you, Odo?" Lwaxana asked.

"Yes," Odo said. "I—suppose I am. If you want to marry me, that is."

"Nothing would make me happier," Lwaxana said. "Except, maybe…having a family with you."

The way she looked at him, Odo understood what she wanted. He leaned in for a kiss and closed his eyes, savoring it—allowing himself to think about the fact that Lwaxana was going to be his wife.

"What was it that you said Betazoids called their soul partner?" Odo asked.

"Imzadi," Lwaxana said. "Beloved."

Odo smiled at her.

"Beloved," he said. "My beloved."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Beverly said, reappearing through the curtain as soon as the privacy shield lowered. She raised it immediately.

"We were just—clearing the air a bit," Lwaxana said. She winked at Odo.

"I—hope I bring good news," Beverly said, glancing quickly between the both of them. "Odo—congratulations…I hope. It's a genetic match. This baby is, officially, the combination of your DNA and Lwaxana's DNA."

"That means…" Odo said.

"You're going to be a papa," Lwaxana said. "Just like I've been telling you."

Odo felt he could barely hold his shape.

"A father," he mused. "And—a husband."

Beverly's eyebrows went up in surprise, and she looked at Lwaxana for confirmation. Lwaxana nodded her head.

"Congratulations for that, too, then," Beverly said. "It's…quite the day."

"A very happy day," Lwaxana said. "I can't seem to stop crying, though…"

Odo moved to rest a hand on her back and to hug her gently against him.

"As long as the tears are happy, there's room for them," he offered. He looked at Beverly. "But—the baby…appears to have…well…a shape."

"I don't pretend to understand how Changelings function," Beverly said. "I hope to learn some of that with your help, but most of this is going to be us trusting that your baby is healthy. We'll watch the markers we have for a Betazoid baby, in the meantime."

"Lwaxana is healthy?" Odo asked. "Carrying a Changeling might be difficult…we don't know that it's ever been done before."

"It may prove to have its challenges," Beverly agreed. "And for that, we'll keep an eye on things. For now, however, Lwaxana looks very healthy." She looked at Lwaxana, smiled, and winked. "My recommendation is…just keep taking very good care of her."

Odo felt a little shaky.

"I don't know…what to do," he admitted.

Beverly smiled at him.

"Lwaxana will let you know what she needs," Beverly said. "And—follow your instincts. Beyond that, there is some reading that I can have downloaded to a padd for you, if you'd like it."

"I would appreciate anything," Odo said.

"Great," Beverly said. "I will—get that, and I'll bring Dr. Bashir in. Is that OK with you, Lwaxana? He can help to take care of things whenever I can't be here, and he can handle any emergencies while you wait for me to arrive."

"Beverly—dear—I was quite sincere in that I will not allow anyone to take my baby," Lwaxana said.

Odo felt something—a touch of her anxiety rising back up. He held her close.

"We will not allow anyone to take our baby," he said, offering his support.

"Nobody will," Beverly said. "Nobody has any intentions to try, but if they did? I wouldn't allow it, either. I'll go and get Dr. Bashir. You two—think about how you want to celebrate, when you're done here."

Beverly left them alone again and Lwaxana smiled at Odo.

"We should celebrate," Odo said, echoing Beverly's words. "I am afraid—I am not accustomed to having much to celebrate, and this feels like a great deal to celebrate all at once."

"We don't have to do anything, Odo," Lwaxana said. "Just being with you is enough."

Odo felt warm and he ached for all the love he felt for the woman who allowed him to hold her, even in the cold infirmary.

"How about a picnic?" Odo asked. "I believe I owe you one, Beloved."

Lwaxana laughed quietly.

"I would love to have a picnic with you, Odo—any time."