By Proxy

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Before you read, and just so you know, I am taking liberties with the timeline here in respect to the events of ST: FC. I figure I can do that since TPTB take so many liberties with things themselves!
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DISCLAIMER: Not intended to infringe on copyrights of Viacom, Paramount, nor any other legal holders of Star Trek copyright.
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By Proxy
by OdoGoddess
Part 5

As luck would have it, Odo ran into someone on his way to his quarters. Stepping from the turbolift, Jadzia Dax nearly bowled him over in her own haste.

"Excuse me," he muttered, bending to pick up the clothes she'd knocked from his distracted grip. Then he stood...and froze. Tears were streaming from Jadzia's eyes, making him forget all about his own problems. His voice reflected concern and bewilderment. What could be wrong? "Jadzia?"

With a wrenching sob, she threw her arms around him. He hesitated, then drew his free hand up to hold her gently. He could feel the hot tears running down his bare shoulders, mixing with the slick of green paste he still had adorning his chest and torso, not to mention the... Odo quickly urged her to walk with him toward his room which wasn't too far off, hoping no one saw them before they got there. She stumbled along willingly, pressing insistently against him.

As they reached the safety of his room, her commbadge signalled. "Sisko to Dax."

She ignored it. Odo frowned, then dropped the clothes he held down on the floor and eased his hand between them to tap her commbadge himself. "Captain this is Odo...the commander is...indisposed at the moment."

"Constable!" he sounded surprised. Well he might, thought Odo, since he and Kira both had been given four whole weeks off-duty-- paid-- by order of the First Minister as reward for the duty they were performing for him...had performed for him. This thought made him scowl, then wait for Sisko to continue. "Is Dax with you?"

"Yes. May I ask--"

"I'm afraid we've received bad news in regards to Defiant and Mr. Worf." a sob issued from against Odo's shoulder and he awkwardly patted her shoulder, realizing now what had caused Jadzia's regrettable condition. "The Defiant was badly damaged and Mr. Worf was transported to the Enterprise, however...reports have come in stating that the Enterprise was lost during the destruction of a Borg ship. The details are sketchy and there are some strange discrepancies, but for now, the Enterprise is considered to be lost with all hands."

A soft wail followed this and Odo sighed. "Thank you for informing me, Captain. Odo ou--"

"Hold up a moment, constable. Am I to take it you've...completed your assignment?"

Odo scowled, almost giving vent to some of his now re-surfacing feelings and managed to mutter instead, "Yes, I have. Odo out."

He turned then to the weeping woman in his arms and frowned, feeling sympathy and frustration both. He could never seem to be able to give vent to his own feelings, but others always seemed to turn to him. O'Brien with his constant griping about Keiko and Kira carrying his child and the teasing comments he had to put up with behind his back about the baby coming out with a Bajoran nose. Jake and his constant mooning over women or his writing, loitering on the Promenade as if he would find the answers to existence there. Bashir and his lunches and irritating tales of sexual conquest, which both aroused him as well as reminded him of his own unrelieved tension. Not to mention his exercise sessions with Worf and Jadzia which he'd bowed out of after the first few when it became obvious the entire exercise was--to them--a sexual escapade and not a genuine lesson in self-defense, but still they asked him and Worf continued to irritate him by humming Klingon opera all day while Dax kept pestering him with good-natured and motherly advice thanks to her past histories as a mother. Quark...well, Quark was always an irritation. The Captain had been most solicitous since his conversion, but the Captain was also a very busy man and so Odo never intruded on his time with non-duty issues. Garak and his breakfasts...well, actually those were fairly pleasant, if only because the Cardassian had taken to giving him literature of all sorts to read. He had discovered a great affinity for old earth books, in particular the genre of romance novels. While it embarrassed him at first to call up the database archives of the books to download, at the same time he had learned a great deal from those books. Not to mention achieved a great deal of...release.

To his consternation, these thoughts were leading to a reaction he would have thought his body would be tired of after his earlier session with Nerys. Then again, his body was very, very young according to Bashir and the hormone levels were quite high. Odo didn't think about it, but he'd been devouring two or three romance novels a day...with accompanying time spent in the lavatory as a natural result. Apparently his human body required more than just the sating of hunger and thirst.

He urged Jadzia to the couch now, sat her down, wondered if he shouldn't have gone to the replicator and gotten a towel. He was very wet now with her tears, not to mention a little self-conscious; the Salk'Haian ointment was smeared all over Jadzia's uniform and his torso, and the semen Kira had rubbed into his skin was a crusty mess that was flaking between them. In all it was a most unappetizing and uncomfortable sensation.

"Jadzia..." he sighed, wondered what to do. "I'm sorry for your loss."

She nodded and to his surprise began pulling back. "I'm sorry, too, Odo." Her voice was thick and hoarse, and to his private consternation, her normally clear blue eyes were red and the lids were heavily swollen, her cheeks flushed and wet. Green ointment was smeared over her uniform from breasts to belly and along her side where he had positioned her in order to be able to walk them to his cabin. "I...I just wanted to get...get to my quarters and..." a soft sob broke from her and she began to weep again, this time keeping from him and burying her face in her hands.

Odo considered this, then carefully got up and went to the replicator where he ordered two towels, one damp, and a glass of water. Before heading back, he used the damp towel to wipe off his sticky, itchy torso, then walked to the couch. Seating himself by her, he pressed the towel to her. She took it after a moment and cried into it. He set the water by the couch and waited. She managed to calm this outburst surprisingly fast, whisking at the tears with the edge of the towel, considering herself and the condition of her uniform and grimacing. She looked up at him tearfully.

"I'm sorry, Odo...but could I borrow your, your sonic. I need to get to my quarters but--" she shrugged eloquently at herself and he nodded.

"Of course, please feel free." He fluttered a hand in the direction of his bedroom and Jadzia hurried off. He sighed and relaxed for the first time in several days. First I have to 'perform' in front of two government officials, one of them a man Kira is obviously still in love with...then this. Worf...dead. Who will Starfleet foist on me now?

This uncharitable if honest memorium was all the mourning Worf would get in his book. The man had been a thorn in his side and he wasn't the only one who felt Jadzia deserved far better. As for himself...

Odo got up and went into his bedroom. He still felt the need to have a sonic himself, but at least he could change out of these ceremonial trousers. He gave a brief glance at the lavatory door, conceded it no longer matter if Dax saw him bare-rumped since she'd already seen his body down to the most intimate of details and began to search through his meager closet for clothing.

He didn't feel like wearing his uniform, but he had very few off-duty clothes except for a form-fitting kayak suit, a baggy set of martial-arts clothing for self-defense training and a some pajamas. He decided on the pajamas. Only the bottoms since that was all he wore and the only reason for that was because he found that having what humans called a 'wet dream' was much easier to tidy up after if one wore pajama bottoms. It had saved him countless nights when he would have had to replicate bedsheets and remake his bed instead of just changing pajamas.

With a sigh, he began pulling off the rather tight pants, finally perching at the edge of the bed to peel them off his legs. As he did this, he heard his outer door open. A bit alarmed, he hooked the discarded pants back up to hold them against him. Who could it be?

Kira's drawn and tired face appeared at the doorway and he relaxed. "All right, I think we need to have a discussion, constable."

Just then Jadzia stepped out of Odo's lavatory, wearing nothing but a towel and carrying her soiled uniform. "Odo," she called, obviously believing he was in the next room, "This stuff is ground in, I'm going to need--" She paused, took in the tableau and winced a little. She looked to Odo and said in a stage whisper, "I'll just go into the next room and replicate myself a uniform and get out of here." She hurried off, struggling to hold the lower edge of the towel together with only minimal success. Odo sighed.

"What is going on here?" Kira hissed angrily. Her hands perched at her hips and she glared at him. "You take off without a word. It took me forever to get dressed...hell, it took me forever to stand up, much less make my way to your quarters and..." the swoosh of the door to his main room sounded and they both sighed with relief. "I come here. I thought those clothes out there in your living room meant you were just upset when you came into your room and you flung them down, but now I see something else is going on! How long has it been going on? Behind Worf's back? You're braver than I thought."

"Nerys..." he felt incredibly old and incredibly tired. To his surprise, he almost didn't care what she thought. Too much had happened in too short a time for him to muster appropriate concern at her tone of voice. He finally sighed and waved a hand. "Never mind...think whatever you like. I don't care." He reached for the pajama bottoms and began to shrug them on.

"Odo...talk to me dammit!"

"Look." He stood and hitched the pants up. "The commander ran into me as I stepped off the turbolift. She was crying. I walked her to my cabin. Sisko called her and I answered the call since Dax was crying too hard to do so. As it turns out Worf is dead."

"Dead?"

"According to Sisko, whatever this clandestine mission of his is, they encountered the Borg and the Defiant was breached. Some other ship beamed off the survivors but then that ship was destroyed. That's all I know."

"The Borg..." Kira whispered now, all previous thoughts forgotten. "Prophets..."

"Klingons don't believe in Prophets, Major. Mr. Worf is probably swinging his bat'leth in the Black Fleet or else singing his violent heart out in some celestial Klingon choir. Either way, I don't care."

"You don't care!"

"That's right. I don't care for a change." His blue eyes were cold and fierce and more than a little tired. "Why is it that Dax can come crying to me, that you can lose your temper, that Worf can blast Klingon Opera as loud as he used to or that Quark can ogle all the dabo girls he likes but when it comes to me-- I'm the odd man out on the station? Why is that? Did you never ask yourself that question, Major?"

"Well, I..."

His voice developed a raspy, vicious edge. "Probably never entered your mind. Prophets forfend I might choose to be the one doing some ogling of my own..."

"Odo!"

"Or make the Habitat Ring shake as I play music in my quarters and damn the other inhabitants...or lose my temper...finally and for once, lose my temper." his words trailed off into a fretful murmur as all his unexpressed frustrations rolled into one big burning ball in his belly, made his eyes sting as he remembered now what Kira had said earlier: 'Would you like me to treat you that way when we break up?' Tears filled his eyes and he sat down, suddenly exhausted.

Kira stepped quietly up to him now. She still looked a bit put-out, but her expression was also laced with understanding...and something else. She stroked her hand through his hair and he leaned his cheek into her palm. He couldn't help it; even when she hurt him, even when he was angry with the entire station-- he still loved her desperately. And the words needed saying now.

"Nerys...I...I do love you."

"I know. I love you."

"But I can't have a relationship of this sort...entering it with the thought that we'll eventually break up, that we'll do things by some book I didn't write and never read, that...that if we do break up, that some ceremony would make it right because...because I just can't. Can you understand that, Nerys?" His bright blue eyes implored her, open and honest, shining with all the love, all the emotions he'd been harboring for such a long time.

She nodded, stroked the edge of his ear and sniffed. "I guess I've been thinking for me...thinking like a Bajoran."

"You are Bajoran."

"You're right. But you aren't...and if this relationship is going to work then--"

"Actually I am Bajoran if you read the census." His thin lips edged with a slight smile and his eyes held something that took Kira aback, then delighted her.

"Oh! I thought you were serious."

"I am." He sighed and stood to look down on her, the open expression still worn and making his blue eyes sparkle with feeling. "What I was trying to say, Nerys, is just because I've lived among you and get counted on the census rolls doesn't mean I cater to the whims of your society. I respect it. I admire many aspects of Bajoran society, but...this way you have of viewing relationships in so many different grades; friends, lovers, mates, spouses, bonded pairings...I'm sure it's quite helpful to you, but...but all I know is that I love you. I want to be with you. Not for a night or a weekend or until someone else comes along to take your place in my heart. Nerys...Nerys you are my heart. You were even when I didn't have one. Do you see?"

"...Odo."

Her lips trembled as his own bent in to claim them.

Elsewhere in the universe the Borg were slaughtering lives, Klingons were discussing how to overthrow Cardassia, the Jem'Hadar were massing on two different fronts in the Gamma and Alpha Quadrant and Q, well, Q had wandered over to the Delta Quadrant to bother a few old friends. But all Odo and Kira knew was the moist warmth of their kiss...which eventually deepened and led to a natural--and binding--conclusion between them.

(-|-) * * * (-|-) * * * (-|-)

It was together on the Promenade where they made their intentions publicly known. This was the Bajoran way, in deference to one of the parties. Their hands were tightly linked together, a gesture of public affection. This was the Human way, in deference to the other party. It was also a sign of their solidarity and the only expression of their thus-far private relationship. This had been tacit out of deference to the third party they now approached. Odo felt a surge of pity as he looked on the man he was replacing.

Shakaar sat at the Replimat, a cup of coffee and a plate of hasperat before him. He looked up, noted their approach, and stood. Kira cleared her throat.

"We should sit." she indicated the mild curiousity some of the other station-dwellers eating breakfast were showing them. It wasn't so much due to the fact they were all standing, but at the normally stolid security chief's clothing. Odo wore a Bajoran tunic and trousers of dark and masterful navy. His hair was also not slicked back severely, but merely neatly brushed. Kira wore a simple Bajoran smock which hid her currently generous curves.

"I'll stand, thank you, Nerys."

"If that's the way you want it." She looked to Odo who gave her an encouraging squeeze of the hand. "I'm invoking the Rite of Separation, Edon, I think you know why. And I'm beginning the Rite of Bonding, with this man." She held Odo's hand to her heart.

"Rite of..." Shakaar looked stunned. He blinked several times, all bluster and anger gone as the full implications of what she said sank in deep. He focused on Nerys for a moment, still stunned. "I hear and understand, Nerys. And I'm sorry you feel the need to...to separate." He blinked again and turned to Odo, who merely waited uncertainly for whatever response would be forthcoming. The First Minister's gaze hardened, but not to anger, merely to disgust...and not directed at him. "Odo, I...I owe you an apology."

"Pardon, First Minister?"

"I thought you were two-timing with my girl," Edon noted without prevarication. "I thought you had been carrying on some affair on behind my back. I didn't realize you had fallen in love with her."

To Shakaar and Kira's surprise, Odo merely squeezed the hand he held in his own and murmured, "It wasn't hard to do."

Edon smiled at this as Nerys looked with delighted astonishment at the man by her side. "No. No it's not. But you're bolder than I am. Bonding? I was only recently thinking of when would be a good time for a betrothal!"

Odo's voice was a calm burr. "I know myself, First Minister. Once I choose a course of action, it makes little sense in my book, to commit to it with less than full dedication."

Shakaar nodded, unoffended. He stepped around the table and put a hand on Kira's shoulder. "I guess that month off will come in handy. I have to finish negotiations with the Salk'Haians this week. I can meet you though..."

"Odo and I are going to Risa," Kira informed him.

"Risa. I've heard of it."

"Well, Odo hasn't taken a vacation since he accepted his post. Since we're going to be bonded, I figure this will serve as a vacation spot, and a nice place to carry out our Bonding ceremony after our Rite of Separation is concluded. Julian came back and hasn't stopped talking about the place and well, it's got good medical facilities in case the baby comes early, but I don't think it will. Julian thinks I've got at least two months, maybe longer since he thinks the baby is developing more slowly because of the different blood factors."

Shakaar smiled. "In that case, why don't I conduct the Rite here on the station while you do that as you travel? That way when I get to Risa, we can conclude the Rite and you can get on with your bonding? And your honeymoon."

The two looked at each other. Odo spoke first. "That's very generous of you...Shakaar."

"Not at all. Consider it my bonding gift to the two of you. Good luck." He nodded at Nerys, then stepped off down the Promenade. As he passed, he suddenly turned to Quarks and stepped in.

Kira sighed. "Just like the old days. Sal'yal'ar Sal'yal'ar'a."

"In one and into another?" Odo frowned, certain of his Bajoran, but uncertain of this phrase he'd never heard before.

"Just something we used to say about Edon in the resistance," she explained, then looked at her newfound partner and smiled brightly. He responded with a small, but sweet smile of his own. "I am so glad everything turned out all right with Dax."

Odo considered this and shrugged. "Should have known even Borg wouldn't be interested in Klingons. He probably destroyed the Borg by blasting that terrible opera through their comm system."

"Odo!"

He put up a hand. "I agree, Nerys...I'm glad for Jadzia, too." He sighed, his smile deepening now to something else as he stared at the woman he had loved for so long...and finally won. A rush of warmth flooded him, settled in his groin and his lips barely moved as he murmured her name. "...Nerys..."

She smiled. "You know, constable...I'm very hungry."

He blinked at this, then looked around, noted the curious looks they were still getting, but somehow found he didn't care. "Well, we are at the Replimat, Major."

"Mm...that's not the kind of hungry I meant." She turned from the table and pulled him along with her toward the turbolifts. "I think we should get started on the Rite of Separation. Don't you?"

~ FINIS ~

The characters belong to Paramount/Simon & Schuster, et al.
The situations they're in belong to the author. Not meant to
infringe on any legal holders of 'Star Trek' copyright. No
profit was made on this or any other fanfic by this author.

A/N - All feedback is deeply appreciated! :)

Melrick, I hope you enjoyed the later chapters. :)

June, thank you so much for the kind words. I wish Odo & Kira had gotten together sooner, too!