This story is a work of colorful and slashy fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents have been long-standing slaves of Paramount Pictures. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is probably because the author has written too many of these already. Forgive her. STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE is a Registered Trademark ® of Paramount Pictures. Copyright (c) 1996 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved. No infringement was meant. Well, not consciously anyway. TITLE: THE VOID AUTHOR: BGM RATING: R (for one sexual scene that isn't all that explicit) PAIRING: Garak/Bashir NOTE1: The author wishes to ask forgiveness in writing a G/B story in which the two don't boink each other like rabbits in heat. She is presently bed-ridden, to recover from the shock of having produced a story that actually follows a plot. NOTE2: The author, breath wheezing, would also like to convey her sincere thanks and appreciation to Nancy Lee for having Beta-Proofed her story before she could release it to the general public (and thus embarassing herself). Thanks Nancy! --------------------------------------------------------------- Don't cry baby Kiss me and say farewell Nothing's going to break the spell And if you're thinking time will tell I want you to know ... Every minute of every single day Even when I'm miles away I'll keep the promises I made I want you to know ... I will be faithful to my lover's prayer Faithful -- and I don't care If the world around us gives up on love I will make you see You can count on me I will be faithful -- Faithful to my lover's prayer To my lover's prayer Listen baby You can lean on me Though we sail on stormy seas Nothing good comes easily But I won't let you down ... I will be faithful to my lover's prayer Faithful -- and I don't care If the world around us gives up on love I will make you see You can count on me I will be faithful -- Faithful to my lover's prayer Baby you can lean on me You can lean on me Baby you can lean on me You can lean on me Baby you can lean on me You can lean on me Baby you can lean on me You can lean on me ... Trust me baby this is not goodbye There's no need for you to cry What we've got's too strong To be denied ... I will be faithful to my lover's prayer Faithful -- and I don't care If the world around us gives up on love I will make you see You can count on me I will be faithful to my lover's prayer Faithful to the dream we share If the world around us gives up on love I will make you see You can count on me I will be faithful Faithful to my lover's prayer Faithful to the dream we share ... "Faithful" - Go West ---------------------------------------------------- PROLOGUE "Bloody hell!" Dr. Julian Bashir cocked his head, a light smile on his lips as he watched his friend extract himself from under a panel, holding his head. "Trouble, Chief?" he asked mildly. "You could say that," O'Brien grumbled, glaring at the offending panel. "I've just spent an hour trying to reconfigure this damned conduit. An hour!" he exclaimed, hoisting himself up to his feet. "And how does it repay me?" he asked, waving his phase coiler at the computer, "By spitting sparks at me! I'd have better luck with the computer at Ops." Dr. Bashir gave voice to a warm laugh, swiveling back in place in front of the controls. "Relax Chief. We're almost there. I think we can survive without a replicator for a few minutes." Miles directed his glare at the young man. "You may be able to survive without it, but I don't like leaving things undone," he snapped, his Irish accent particularly heavy. "Besides, the Captain wants me to make sure everything is in functioning order. Specially aboard the runabouts." "Hm," was all Julian said as he studied the readouts. After a moment, a scowl darkened the doctor's deep mahogany eyes. "Chief ... what do you know about spatial anomalies in general?" This drew the chief's concerned glance over to Julian's board. "What d'you mean?" he asked, trying to decipher the unusual readings. "Julian, where are you picking this up from?" he inquired suddenly, his eyes reflecting nothing short of dread. "Off our port nacelle ... maybe twelve meters or so ... If I hadn't done an active scan, the sensors wouldn't have picked it up at all. Is it dangerous? What is it?" "Get us the hell out of here Julian, NOW!" Miles cried out, but it was too late. The lights flickered, the panels erupted and life support shut down. The runabout drifted inside the anomaly, flickering in and out of the dimension in an odd swirl of unnatural colors. ------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTER ONE I. Kirayoshi burbled happily as Kira balanced him on her knees, tickling his belly while she held him fast. The O'Briens's baby gurgled, his little face crumpled with glee as he flailed his little arms. Sitting across from them Keiko looked on with a soft smile, watching surrogate mother and child at play while she kneaded her hands unconsciously. She didn't know when she had started to resent Kira's presence in their lives. Of course it would have been too demanding to ask that the Bajoran give birth then simply vanish from their existence. Keiko knew ... she had learnt from first-hand experience that pregnant women forged a bond with the unborn child, whether they wanted to or not. And right now, Keiko would rather have them NOT so close. "He's adorable Keiko ..." Kira said, tickling the child's chin as it gurgled gleefully at her. "He has his mother's eyes," she grinned. "Which one's?" Keiko suddenly quipped, throwing Kira off guard. The Bajoran became suddenly very quiet as she bounced Kirosiyo over her knee. After a moment, she looked down and picked up the infant. "Well ... it's late ..." she said with a nervous smile. "I suppose I should get going." "Nerys ..." Keiko began, lowering her eyes. "I'm sorry ... I didn't mean anything by it. Look ... Miles and I are scheduled for an evening at Quark's tomorrow ... maybe you can babysit Kirayoshi then?" Keiko followed her friend with contrite eyes as Kira got up, cradling the baby in her arms. "Of course. I'll drop by right after my shift." As she transfered Kiro from her arms to Keiko's, she added with a soft voice, "You know you can always count on me." She smiled faintly, and nodded. "Good evening Keiko. I'll talk to you tomorrow." With that she left, leaving Keiko to stare after her while she caressed Kiro's back. II. The glaring red emergency lights were dim as they flickered on and off inside the shuttlecraft. Panels had been torn off by the sheer force of electrical damage; conduits and wires dangled from the ceilings and spat fierce sparks that lit up the interior with pale, shuddering light. There was movement, a rustle of clothing, then a whimper. "... What ... what happened?" Julian groaned, holding his temples as he sat up straighter in his chair. Frowning wearily, he looked around, coughing amidst the smoke coiling from the battered consoles. "Miles?" he called out hesitantly, his voice husky. There was a groggy moan from the back of the shuttle before Julian picked up a barely audible "Alive" from the darkness. His face alight with the flickering emergency light, Julian barely glanced at the controls as he hurried to Miles's side. "Are you all right?" he asked with concern, his hands roaming professionally over his friend's chest to assess possible damage. *No internal bleeding, no outward hemorrhages.* Julian blew a breath of relief. "Can you sit up?" The older man nodded, grasping Julian's proffered hand as he sat up. He rubbed the back of his head and blinked. "What happened?" "I'm not sure," Julian answered. Reassured that Miles had not been severely injured, he returned to the controls to make sense of the gibberish flashing on the monitors. After a moment he shook his head in frustration. "Nnn, I can't make anything out of these readings ... the computer must be malfunctioning. It says here there's no life support ... that the shuttle has lost all pressure. In fact ..." Julian pushed a few other panels. "The readouts show nothing ... I don't even know where we are ..." Miles sat in the co-pilot's seat, clearing away debris and stray wires. The shuttle might as well be written off for the space pound. He pressed a few panels, his brow crumpling as his efforts were met with useless results. "This is all nonsense ... we're breathing aren't we? Obviously there is still pressure and life support in here ..." Julian froze. His eyes grew wide, and his lips parted in a display of utter shock and dread. "I ... Miles, I'm not so sure we are breathing ..." Following the startling reflection he'd glimpsed on one of the control panels, he turned around until his eyes rested on a familiar form. Miles frowned at him curiously before he too followed the doctor's gaze. Both stared in horror at Dr. Bashir's mangled body trapped beneath a serrated beam. III. "I mean, who knows? Maybe it is a bad idea to be spending so much time with Kirayoshi ... but, he's a part of me that I can't deny ..." Tora Ziyal looked sympathetically at her friend, her hands wrapped around her morning tarkalean tea. She looked down into its darkened depths before she said, "You're not wrong in wanting to spend some time with him ... but ... maybe Keiko is feeling a little envious. Maybe even protective ..." Her eyes rose hesitantly to face Kira. "Maybe she thinks it's a bad idea that Kirayoshi's surrogate mother spends so much time with her child. And maybe she's wrong ...?" The Bajoran woman crumpled her nose and leaned back against her chair. "Is it only coincidence that this conversation is reminding me of another situation we have to discuss?" Ziyal shrugged pleasantly. "We never have. You just keep glaring, and I keep seeing him. Maybe we should discuss it. I mean, this is not what you think ..." Kira avoided the young woman's eyes and gave a decisive sigh. "You're old enough to make your own decisions Ziyal. I may not be fond of the idea, but if you think seeing Garak is enriching your life -- *though for the life of me I could never see in what way exactly* -- then by all means. Don't let my glaring interfere with--" "Dax to Kira; Major we have an emergency on our hands. We just found the Oricono adrift ... the Defiant is tractoring her in. Report to Cargo Bay 6." "Prophets ... adrift? I'm on my way. Kira out." She tapped her insignia and looked up. "Ziyal, we'll talk later," she promised as she stood and made her way out of the replimat. The Carjoran nodded hastily, worried at the implications. Dr. Bashir was aboard that runabout ... Leaving her lukewarm tea, she stood and headed for the tailor shop. IV. "I must be hallucinating ..." a horrified Julian whispered. "BOTH of us hallucinating the same thing?" O'Brien queried harshly, unable to wrench his eyes from the sight of his friend so horribly decapitated. It was just so surreal to see him THIS way, then look up to see the same man in perfect health. Well, save for the unnaturally white tone of his face anyway. "I ... I don't know, all right?" Julian screeched, hysterical in spite of him. This was just too horrible to contemplate. Was he dead? Which one of the two was real? Or was he even that? Was he his own soul hovering over his deceased body? No! This couldn't be happening. O'Brien must have seen how close he was to a panic attack because he now felt the man's hands on his face, his grip harsh enough to still his nervousness. "LISTEN to me Julian ... just CALM down ... we're fine. Just calm down and let's look at this rationally." Seeing that Julian was calming down, Miles let go of his friend and looked over the wreckage. For some reason, he couldn't find a double of himself ... "Maybe we should explore the shuttle. Find out what we can on what exactly happened to-" They each paused as they felt the runabout buckle under their feet. Oh great gods ... not again ... "What's that?" Julian inquired, the hysteria returning to touch his voice. "I don-- .... Wait a minute," O'Brien suddenly looked as though he was relieved. They were about to die -- again -- and he was relieved? Julian parted his lips to ask what was wrong when the Chief grinned. "Tractor beam ... we're being pulled in." Julian didn't share the grin. "Being pulled where?" For some reason, Miles lost his own grin. Not because of Bashir's question; because of what he saw over his shoulder. V. They all watched from the cargo bay as the Orinoco was being tractored inside. The only place large enough to tractor anything inside Deep Space Nine was the cargo bay, and it was the only space where they could stand around WHILE the shuttle was being pulled in without fearing the vacuum of space beyond the continuous energy field. The pads were simply not advanced enough to allow that luxury. And right now, they NEEDED to be present ... who knows what emergency they'd be faced with. Kira was the one to speak first. "Prophets guide them ..." she murmured under her breath. She KNEW. She knew nothing inside that shuttle craft could have possibly survived. Not with the gaping hole on its port side. Resuming her authoritive stance, she turned to the medical team. "Move! If there are any survivors we don't want to wait around all day." They all nodded hurriedly as they rushed to the shuttle. Dax shook her head very slowly. "What could have done this?" "Or who," Kira added with gritted teeth. Sisko finally spoke, his voice calm and utterly collect. "This is no time to speculate. We'll do that later. For now let's concentrate on the present shall we?" he said starkly, and both women nodded hastily. After a moment, the team extracted themselves from the mangled shuttle, carrying an anti-grav stretcher that made the exit a little smoother. When they paused beside the three officers, one of the attendants shook his head. "I'm sorry ... we only found one body, and he was beyond help." Dax felt Kira's fingers brush over her sleeve, perhaps in some unconscious gesture of support ... or NEED of it ... "Who was it?" she asked, her voice trembling. The man shook his head. "I'm sorry ... we just can't tell yet." They had an idea of course ... the bits and pieces of the tell-tale blue uniform ... the locks of dark hair ... they just didn't want to say anything definite right away. *Let them grieve first*, one of the nurses thought. "Prophets ..." Kira looked down at the stretcher, the body outlined by the heavy sparkling sheet stretched over it. She could tell the body was no longer recognisable ... the calcination mixed with the loss of pressure ... She hoped it had been a quick death. Sisko nodded to the medical team and they hurried out of the bay, leaving the officers to stare mutely at the shuttle craft. "Computer, begin priority log," the captain instructed, still staring at the debris. "Stardate 29475.0. Doctor Julian Subatoi Bashir and Miles Edward O'Brien were both lost in the line of duty due to a runabout failure. Cause to be investigated at a later time. Family and friends not currently residing on Deep Space Nine should be notified. For the record, both these men should be commendated for their courage and loyalty to Starfleet. This is a sad ..." he paused, reigning in his emotions before adding, "... sad day. End log." "Prophets be with them ..." "Amen." CHAPTER TWO I. "We've identified the victim ..." Sisko announced to the conference room. All around the oaken table people stared at him with ashen faces and expectant looks. They had waited an entire day to know ... *Make it O'Brien ... I don't fucking CARE if the bastard dies, just don't make it be--* "It was Doctor Bashir ..." Ziyal broke Garak's thoughts as she left Kira's side. She had been allowed into the conference room by Kira's suggestion, and had listened to the compassionate speech Captain Sisko had given upon delivering the horrid news of Doctor Bashir's death. And Garak had waited for her outside ... she now moved to his side while behind the Bajoran waited for Dax before they walked away from the people still filing out of the conference room with somber expressions. "No ..." Ziyal took his arm. "Maybe we should go to my quarters ..." she suggested. If she knew Garak as well as she thought she did, he would need to be relaxed ... soothed until the initial shock faded. She of all people knew how close Julian and Elim had been as friends. "NO! I do not WANT to go to your quarters ... this is impossible. They ... they made a mistake! The body was so mangled it could have been either of them ... I refuse to believe that it was Jul-" "Elim!" Ziyal said sternly. "Are you forgetting about the breech in the shuttle's hull? Even if the body they found wasn't Doctor Bashir's, what do you think happened to the other one?" He looked at her then, his eyes wide with anger and remorse. She just couldn't tell which emotion was more dominant. "He can't be gone ..." he whispered before he limply let himself be drawn into the Carjoran's arms. II. "I can't be gone ..." Julian murmured to himself, sitting dejectedly over a computer console. "YOU can't be gone ... where the hell am I then??" Miles spat, waving his hand unsuccessfully in front of Kira's eyes. "This is idiotic ..." the young man said, looking up just as Kira walked away from Miles with a dejected look. None of their efforts to make themselves visible to the crew had worked so far. "I mean ... I can't be dead, I'm right here! Don't tell me we're lost souls roaming the station because I won't believe it!" "What other explanation are you suggesting then?" Miles retorted. "I just watched while they sent YOUR death certificate to Starfleet and MY Missing in Action log! If we're not dead, then I don't see wh-" he trailed off, his jaw dropping suddenly. Julian frowned at him just as the Irishman rushed to the open turbolift. "Chief! What's wrong?" "Keiko ..." he said breathlessly as an ensign entered the lift with him. While the man spoke to the computer, O'Brien called out to Julian, "I have to see Keiko!" Julian watched as he disappeared beneath the deck, then looked off morosely at the crew. His friends, and he was standing mere feet from them without their being able to see him. *Great,* Julian thought. *Damn it, we are NOT dead ... this is scientifically impossible. Consciousness doesn't just fly out of a body and roam around. Where are the others? If we ARE dead, we should be seeing all the others who died here ... Bajorans, Cardassians ... everyone who perished during the Occupation. Oh this is absolutely silly ... there MUST be a reasonable explanation for all of this, and I for one am going to find it,* he nodded, hopping off the console. "Besides, if we're dead, why the hell can I move through walls but not fall through the floor?" he muttered to himself as he walked through the door leading into the main corridor. III. Garak stood at the threshold of Julian's quarters, silent and immobile. *So this is how it feels ... losing someone you care for.* He walked inside, just enough for the door to shut behind him. *To lose someone you've loved when you've tried to deny the fact for so long. You have to understand Julian ... I've never had this feeling before. All the people I knew who died were people I hated ... enemies ... people I never cared for. Even my father. The mourning was quick to pass. Now ... now it seems I won't ever stop mourning you.* He looked around morosely. "What secrets did you leave behind, dear one? What secrets did I never have the chance to pry out of those sweet lips of yours ..." he said aloud, as though perhaps ... perhaps Julian could answer him. Call it chance ... call it destiny. Julian Bashir seemed to have picked that moment to pass through his quarters, taking the shortest route toward the cargo bay where the shuttle still lay. Somehow, the sight of someone, especially this someone, standing in his quarters alone was enough to make him reschedule his investigation. He stopped short at the Cardassian's words, turning to face his friend. "Garak?" But of course, there was no answer. *What is he DOING in here I wonder ... taking care of my things? But ... I didn't leave a will ... Elim, talk to me ...* Forced perhaps by the charm of his voice, even across the threshold of life and death, Garak began picking up stray pieces of clothing as he began reminiscing by himself. "I remember the first time we met ... Gul but you were naïve," he chuckled slowly, rearranging the clothes neatly across a chair. "I think you were convinced I was there to kill you. You were so nervous, so fidgety ... I thought you were the perfect target. The ideal source of information. If I played my cards right, you would have said anything." He sighed, oblivious to his unexpected audience as he left the clothing and stepped into the bedroom. Julian followed, intrigued. "Turns out you weren't so stupid after all. In fact, as days grew ... as weeks passed, I found I couldn't quite live with myself if I used you the way I had planned. So I tried to push Cardassia aside for once, and maybe try to enjoy myself a little. Maybe it was a mistake ... maybe I shouldn't have allowed myself to be so weak." Garak paused as he sat at the edge of Julian's bed, his eyes fixed on nothing. "Why am I saying all of this? Perhaps because I'm foolish ... maybe I'm turning insane. Or perhaps ... there's a chance you can hear me. And this way, I have no aversion to saying what's really on my mind. Call it cowardice ... you're right, as always Doctor. I never COULD face up to reality. Lying was always an effective cloak. But no more Julian. My dear ... if you can hear me ..." His eyes rose from their mindless staring, and for a moment they seemed to find Julian. His lips parted, and Julian leaned forward in anticipation. "I love you ..." IV. "... and that's all that matters. Please Keiko ... God, I wish you could hear me right now." O'Brien hovered helplessly around his wife, his arms reaching for her. He recalled them when he realised he could not hold her. He could never hold her again. He dropped over the couch, feeling his eyes sting with tears. "God ... look at me. It's like I'm mourning ..." Keiko was oblivious to him as she prepared breakfast for Molly and Kiroshiyo, her behavior slack and unemotional. It was not the first time she had dealt with her husband's death. Unlike poor Doctor Bashir, Miles had NOT been found ... there was always a chance ... slight ... but still there. Fortified, she had focused on being there for her children, brave in the face of Molly's innocent questions and Kiro's constant cries. They needed their father. V. "Are you going to plan a funeral?" Kira asked Dax quietly. The Trill stared at her raktajino, then gave voice to an unruly laugh. Kira drew back, and a few patrons of Quark's glanced in their direction. "I'm sorry ..." Jadzia murmured, passing her hands against her face. "It's been a long week ... and it just seems like we've been THROUGH this already ..." "We have proof this time Dax," Kira supplied. "I don't think either of them could have survived that kind of atrocity." She hesitated, then covered the Trill's hand with her own. "They're both gone." Dax's bright blue eyes rose to look upward; tears were glittering softly over her cheeks. "I guess." Something else seemed to take her over as the moment stretched on. Her eyebrows lowered to shadow her eyes, and her lips pursed tightly. "I'll see you later Nerys," she said as she left the table. Kira called after her. "Where are you going?" "To find out what happened," the Trill threw over her shoulder as she left Quark's. ----------------------------------------------------- CHAPTER THREE I. Garak tried unsuccessfully to sleep. Ziyal had left his quarters an hour ago, and all this time he had been concentrating on getting some rest. He shifted under the bed covers, drawing the sheets under his chin as he stared blankly at the wall in front of him. "This is useless." "I wish I could touch you ..." Julian murmured, perched between the wall and Elim's face. "I wish ..." He reached for Garak's face, but simply passed through it like a spirit. He curled his lips angrily. "I refuse to believe this is what happens when you die!" Garak shuddered a bit, clutching the sheets tightly. "I never thought it would affect me so strongly ..." The Cardassian shifted again, now staring at the ceiling. "And I'm such a SELFISH, selfish bastard for thinking ... thinking these thoughts. Being ANGRY that you left before we could get together ... I suppose I only have myself to blame; for not having the courage to tell you sooner." He sighed, and Julian stared dejectedly. He reached forward and pressed his cheek to the bed. He closed his eyes and decided to sleep here until morning, when he could start a more thorough investigation. A moment passed. Julian heard Garak's breathing and felt the bed shift ever so slightly with each subtle movement. Then suddenly Julian opened his eyes. *I'm leaning on the bed ...* he began thinking before he sank through it. Straightening up, he looked incredulously at the mattress. "I did it unconsciously ... just like walking ..." Licking his lips, sliding his eyes up to the peacefully sleeping Cardassian, Julian decided to do an experiment. "If I think of myself as normal ..." Garak danced on the edge of slumber and consciousness. That time when the slightest movement or sound can rouse you, or a fleeting image or subtle whisper can become part of a dream. Garak thought he was dreaming when he felt the bed shift under him, as though someone else had climbed in. This roused him and he sat up straight. "Who's there?" he called to the darkness, but there was no answer. He shifted his eyes to the side, toward the night table where he kept a disrupter. Reaching his arm slowly for it, he kept his eyes sharp as he called again. "I asked who is there ..." The bed shifted again, and he frowned. He was certain no-one was ON his bed, so what was making it move? He hiked up higher in bed to better reach the disrupter when he felt the unmistakable touch of a hand over his bare chest. Panicked, Garak fumbled over the drawer, but another hand was taking his wrist and pulling it back over the bed. "Who are you??" he queried hysterically, his eyes darting here and there for an explanation. Lips touched his cheek now, and he pulled back with a startled gasp. Relentless, they now fell to his neck ridges, nibbling softly over the sensitive scales. Was this a dream? Garak couldn't focus anymore. With a whisper, he closed his eyes and said, "Julian ...?" More enthusiastic kissing, he knew it was him. The long slender fingers which danced over his chest with the grace and agility only a surgeon would have ... the lips, so luxurious in feel, such exquisite kisses which rained down his neck. He parted his lips, his head falling back heavily as sharp, even teeth attacked his throat, grazing the numerous scales at the base of his throat. The hand on his wrist never yielded, and another now wrapped over his other wrist, holding them steady over the mattress as the ghost's lips trailed over each nipple with careful dedication. Garak shifted again, now growling beneath his gasps. He was not used to being so passive. He wanted nothing better than to ravish Julian's body for himself, kiss him until they were both breathless ... but what use was it when your lover was ... not there? At least, not visibly so ... the pressure of lips was there, the weight of another's body on him felt very real, but try as he might, he couldn't reach out with a leg and wrap it around the incorporeal body. There just wasn't anything there. Though Garak would refute the fact right now with the determination of a razor hound. He moaned softly as invisible lips now trailed down over his stomach, hands caressing down his arms. All Garak could do was writhe in bed, any inquiry about the odd situation flittering out of his mind as he lost himself to pleasure. Then ... nothing ... Garak opened his eyes wide, panting in the darkness of his quarters as his senses wreaked havoc on his mind. More ... he needed more ... And he got just that. Not a mouth which engulfed his sex ... but a distinct tightness. Oh Guls but it felt good ... Garak clutched a pillow to his chest to make up for his inability to hug Julian, cried into it as over and over Julian rammed himself onto him with luscious thrusts. Garak's hips rose to meet air, but he had closed his eyes and he could see Julian ... so beautiful and desirable, clutching at him as he impaled himself on the Cardassian's sex. Garak tensed, and spilled his seed over his belly with one final cry. The touches were gone ... the kisses a mere whisper on his flesh now. Garak turned in his bed and clutched the pillow tightly against him as he fell into a fitful sleep. Beside him, Julian curled over the floor, a satiated smile on his lips. II. Dax looked at the Cardassian with wild bewildered eyes, and tried again to process what he was trying to tell her. He waved his hands at her, repeating frantically, "I'm telling you Commander, Dr. Bashir is still alive. I don't know how, but he is on the station as we speak." Dax and Garak's conversation was degenerating into an argument when O'Brien entered the scene. He touched Bashir's shoulder, drawing the young man out of his focus on the two bickering people. "Hey, I figured out something last night ... I know why we can walk on solid ground ... that's because it's an uncon--" "Yes yes yes, I know that," Julian said impatiently. O'Brien regarded him curiously before turning his attention to Garak and Dax. "What's going on?" "Garak is saving us." "Pardon me?" Julian turned to Miles, his wide excited eyes again reflecting that patented lively enthusiasm of his. "We're not dead Chief. I'm positive now. Dax has been trying to find an explanation for the shuttle's failure, and now Garak is trying to convince her we're actually on the station." O'Brien suddenly scowled. "Wha--? How the bloody hell did he figure out we were here??" His features hardened. "And don't tell me it's a coincidence." To the Chief's surprise, the young doctor actually blushed. "Look, ask me another time, okay?" he asked, and O'Brien acknowledged the odd request. "Sure. So ..." He turned to Dax, who was now tapping away madly on the console with Garak peering over her shoulder. "... What have they figured out? That we're spirits or something?" Julian folded his arms across his chest and watched Dax work. "If there's a scientific explanation, Jadzia will find it," he said, a trace of admiration touching his words. O'Brien smirked and elbowed his friend. "Still hopelessly in love are ya?" Julian shifted his eyes to Garak, and whispered, "Yes." III. Sisko had never seen Dax enter Ops with such an excited grin on her face. What was more unusual was her companion, Mr. Garak, who mirrored her enthusiasm. "Benjamin," she said without preamble. "We got it." They gathered in Sisko's office; five corporeal beings and two wandering souls who occasionally clutched at each other's shoulders for support in their excitement. "Miles O'Brien and Julian Bashir did die aboard the shuttlecraft. I narrowed down the cause to one possibility; a phase variant anomaly ... We scanned the hull very thoroughly, and there were no traces whatsoever of disrupter signatures which might have indicated an attack." Kira made a "so what" gesture, spreading her hands and looking at Dax incredulously. "And ...? We'd already established that." Dax shook her head, and offered her a PADD. "I began scanning around the shuttle craft in the bay." While Kira busily looked over the results, Sisko turned to her and Garak. "Why around?" The Trill glanced at Garak briefly before she replied. "Let's just say we went on a hunch." She waved at the PADD in Kira's hands. "And we finally found something that could very well bring them back to life. Both of them." Sisko opened his mouth to spit out some unbelieving exclamation when Kira cut him off. "This is incredible ... Dax!" she said with her lips parted in surprise and delight. "They're still alive!" Julian approached Garak's shoulder, hovering as he and Miles listened intently to Dax's explanation. "The transporter buffer ... the Chief must have--" "Bloody hell ... I'd forgotten about that ..." Miles muttered to himself. When Julian turned to him, the Chief looked up and launched into an explanation; "A few months ago I began tinkering on a transporter program. It was only meant to be experimental, but after a while I went ahead and implemented the Orinoco with a copy of it." "What is it?" Bashir asked as behind them the group participated in an agitated discussion. "It's designed to emit a continual, low-frequency sensor scan inside the shuttle craft. When there's a loss of life support, the program is meant to transport the occupants of the shuttlecraft and place them into the buffers. I mean, this isn't fool-proof; if the shuttle explodes, that's that. But if somehow the transporter logs and buffers remain intact, the patterns of those it transported should still be in the computer." "So what are we?" Miles was thoughtful for a moment. "Somehow, the blow to the hull from the phase variant anomaly must have disrupted the transporters. Our patterns might have somehow re- assembled themselves, but not totally. We split off into two different sets of molecule cohesion ... one was successful, the other was not. We might be living in a slightly different ... dimension, for lack of a better word, from our normal universe. Our bodies were the other set ..." "So the program was successful ..." Julian breathed. "I was right, we're not dead!" They turned just as Dax was excitedly saying, "I can pull out the basic pattern buffers for Julian and Miles and re-program the computer accordingly ... if they are here, and Garak assures me at least Julian is, we can attempt a successful reintegration." Sisko turned his suspicious gaze to Garak. The tailor had not said much in the last half-hour, but the gentle smile on the Cardassian's lips was somewhat unnerving. "Tell me Mr. Garak, just how were you able to find out that Julian is here?" All eyes fell on him, yet there was never a break in the Cardassian's smile as he said bluntly, "Cardassian eyesight." Sisko frowned, as did all the rest. "And can you tell me if Dr. Bashir is here right now?" Inconspicuously, Julian reached down to pinch Garak's ass. The Cardassian's lips twitched before he nodded mutely. Sisko turned his eyes to the office. "And Mr. O'Brien?" Julian pinched again, and Garak again nodded. "Yes, both are here." Sisko frowned and nodded at Dax. "Install the program. I want to start this as soon as possible. If there's one thing Mr. O'Brien often warns me about it's the frailty of pattern buffers." Dax nodded once and walked out of the office. When all had stepped down to Ops, Garak glanced over his shoulder and glared at the empty office. "Naughty ..." he hissed, before stepping down. Julian laughed, leaving O'Brien puzzled as they exited Sisko's office. IV. "Well Chief. This is it. Our second chance. If it fails, it was an honor serving with you." Miles didn't look at him as they poised themselves over the transporter pad. "I feel like we've done this not so long ago." Grinning, Julian nodded once as they laced their hands behind their backs. Dax punched a few panels over her console, then looked up at Sisko with a nod. "Program ready." Kira looked up. "I installed a few backups on the pattern buffers just in case we encounter difficulty. If the program is still intact, we shouldn't have any problems though." Sisko nodded. "Good. This is it people." He nodded at Dax. "Energize." Miles glanced at Julian as energy began to flare about them. "It's not Dax you really love, is it?" he said with realisation. Still looking forward, Julian smiled brightly. "No Chief. It's not." Garak took a step toward the pad. "I can see them ..." he said, his hand moving to reach for Julian. Kira glanced briefly at the show, then back at her console. "The computer's having problems resolving the phase variance ..." Sisko turned to her with a harsh frown. "I didn't want any problems, Major ..." Dax worked furiously on her monitor. "Captain, I think I have it ... boosting the buffers to 200% ..." They all turned toward the pad, both Julian and Miles already visible through the glare of the transporter light. Balling his fists, Garak clenched his jaw. "Work damn it ..." he muttered, unconcerned about the reactions he might get from any witnesses. It was like being torn apart from the inside, then glued back together starting at the tip of his toes. Julian arched his neck back ... did so in his mind's eye anyway since right now he was merely a bunch of molecules trying to make some sort of recognisable cohesion. His toes tingled for a moment, then his ankles, then legs ... until finally he could wiggle his fingers and arch his neck for real. He opened his eyes, and was blasted with the weight of reality. He almost fainted. "Whoa there ..." Sisko said, catching him easily. He wore the brightest smile Julian had seen on his Captain's face in a long time. He blinked once, then straightened onto his feet. "It worked," he breathed. "It did," Dax grinning, waving a tricorder at them both. Miles turned to grin at him, and Julian inhaled deeply. He looked beyond Sisko's shoulder, and was greeted with a serene smile from his friend. His lover ... he smiled back, his eyes conveying his gratitude better than words. V. Dax shook her head the following morning. "What I want to know is how Garak, of all people, was able to catch on. The chief told me they tried several times to get our attention and we never saw anything. Out of the blue he sees him?" she said with a suspicious lift of an eyebrow. "Cardassian eyesight?" Kira ventured. Ziyal looked off at Garak and Julian, gazing tenderly at one another across the replimat table. "Try love," she sighed with a disapointed smile. She looked back at the two women, and shrugged at their incredulous looks. "So call me romantic. It's not a crime," she snipped as she stood to leave. Her two friends laughed slightly and turned to each other for their morning briefing. Ziyal shook her head with a grin and turned abruptly, managing to collide head first with a young man. She winced as he dropped the thing he was carrying. She bent down to retrieve the fallen PADD, and went to give it back when the title across it caught her eye. "Neverending Sacrifice!" she exclaimed. Astonished, she looked up, finding there not a young Cardassian male, but a handsome Human. She blushed and gave him the PADD. "Excuse my reaction. I just haven't met any non-Cardassians aside from Doctor Bashir who've read it." The man looked down at his PADD, smiling shyly. "It was supposed to be a research ... I was studying the writing styles of varying cultures. I was told this was one of Cardassia's best novels." She nodded greedily. "I agree! It's so riddled with political intrigue and such fierce devotion to the State!" she added with partisan enthusiasm. "Well ..." the young man averted his eyes again. "I sorta thought it was redundant in places ..." She grinned good-naturedly. "That sounds familiar. You want to share a cup of tea with me and discuss it? If it's for research ... I mean ..." she looked down at her hands. "I'm far from being an expert, but maybe I can provide you with some insight ... I've discussed the novel at length with Garak, and he knows everything," she added proudly. "Sure ... tea sounds nice," the young man grinned, and she nodded with evident delight as they walked off to another table. "My name is Tora Ziyal, by the way," she introduced herself belatedly as they sat. "Yeah, I know ... Um, I'm Jake. Jake Sisko," he smiled, and both shook hands. Off in another corner, Elim Garak smiled sweetly at them before he resumed his intimate discussion with his newfound love. THE END