We don't need the world right now

We got time to work it out

Hold on tight, I'll hold on too

Cause all I need is you

All I need is you

-The Click Five "All I Need Is You"

The fact that Gerron didn't join him for dinner didn't alarm Gerron. The young Bajoran had been splitting his time between eating with him and eating with Tal and Billy, which was fine. It was good really, because the two Starfleet officers were closer to Ral's age. Dalby was happy to see Ral finally starting to come out of his shell and making other friends.

That didn't mean he wasn't going to still look out for the kid and so as he listened to Henley and Chell's conversation while he ate, Dalby looked casually around the mess hall. He finally spotted Tal and Billy at a table across the room. Gerron wasn't with them yet, but Dalby thought maybe he was on his way.

Ten minutes later there was still no sign of Gerron, and Dalby started to worry. Quickly excusing himself, Dalby trashed the rest of his dinner, ignoring Neelix's question about whether there was something wrong with it.

Out in the corridor Dalby tapped his combage. "Dalby to Gerron."

He waited a minute and when he got no reply inquired with the computer as to Gerron's location. When the computer told him that Gerron was in one of the jefferies tube, Dalby officially became worried. Gerron usually hid out in the jefferies tubes when people were giving him a hard time.

"You didn't need to come looking for me," Gerron commented a little while later as Dalby crawled through the jefferies tube to where the Bajoran was sitting. Gerron was sitting with his back to the wall, knee drawn up in front of him and arms wrapped around his knees.

"You know I always come looking for you when you don't show up for a meal," Dalby replied, as he reached his fellow Maquis. "So who's giving you a hard time."

"Who said anyone is giving me a hard time."

"No one but I know you. This is where you hide when you're trying to escape."

Gerron gave a long sigh. "Ashford and a couple of his friends were getting on my case. I figured the best thing to do is to just get out of sight."

"You could have come to me, you know," Dalby told him.

"The last time I went to you, you ended up in trouble for punching him. I didn't want to risk it."

Dalby slipped his hand across Gerron's shoulder. "I don't mind getting in trouble for you. Besides, Ashford had that black eye coming to him."

"Well, don't go picking any fights this time, alright. I actually feel better just knowing you cared enough to come find me."

"I'll do it every time, Kid," Dalby told him, knowing that if he did confront Ashford he'd make sure that Gerron didn't hear about it. He had no intention of upsetting him more.

The two fell into a companionable silence. For awhile the rest of the ship wouldn't exist, it would just be the two of them and for now that was enough.