The BLTS Archive - Sinless
The Third Garak and Bashir Mystery
by JA Ingram (cjjingram@localnet.com)

---

Disclaimer: <shakes head> I hate these goddamned things.
Figure it out for yourself. Anyway, Paramount contributed a
little to the story, but not much.

Summary: Sequel to The Cheap Date, the first Garak and
Bashir mystery (please see the revised version), and yes,
nookie happens. Political intrigue, murder, mystery, and a
twist, oh my! Consider this pretty much AU. There is a
definite basis in canon throughout this story, but consider
it sliding into AU and every other story in the Mystery
series after Sinless will only use actual canon as a
touchstone. I'm setting this during Season Five, before they
started fucking it all up. After this, it's all me and my
twisted brain.

Author's Notes: Charlene Vickers helped me keep my eye on
the prize and really deserves a co-author credit for
everything she has done to help me with this story. She
stayed up for almost 24 hours to help me hammer out the plot
of the mystery, she came up with most of the characters
names, and she beta'd this story for me-let's just say, if
it turns out to be a good read, it is mostly because of her
doing. I just provided the voice and the key strokes.

First and foremost, this is dedicated to Charlene Vickers,
my psychically conjoined twin (I can't gush enough about her,
honestly), for Mark Stanley, my sweet baby brother who
wanted more (Honey, you got more. You owe me--big time.),
and lastly, to Sophie Masse, also known as BGM, who will
always be my sister in slash--I don't know where you are,
but if you find this, I know you'll enjoy it.

---
Chapter One: The Vedek's Dilemma
---

The clicking of the knitting needles soothed Garak as he
watched the sweater he was creating for his lover come into
being. The silky soft Bajoran cotton slipped though his
fingers; he cleared his mind of every thought, concentrating
only on the stitches and bindings, and combining the deep
bronze yarn with the lighter gold in a simple yet elegant
pattern. He wore a pair of spectacles over his eyes as he
stared intently at his work, his long, nimble fingers
weaving the patterns and working with the plain metal tools
in his hands. The shop had been fairly empty that day thanks
to the lull that followed the annual festival season.
Business wouldn't pick up again until the harvest began on
the main continent next month, bringing farmers and
tradesmen eager to sell the fruits of their labors and spend
the proceeds. Fresh produce was always in demand for those
who were tired of eating replicated foods, and several
restaurants aboard Deep Space Nine specialized in its
preparation.

The few customers who had stopped by stared curiously at the
older Cardassian, amused to see him seated in a comfortable
chair at the counter knitting his sweater with the
spectacles perched on his nose. Some snickered, some stared,
and a few of the station's inhabitants merely shrugged and
chalked it up to Garak's eccentric ways. Even Julian Bashir,
his lover of only a few weeks, looked at him oddly. Garak
was so intent on the motion of his hands he didn't notice
him approach until the other man was practically standing
over him.

"If your eyes are hurting you, I could take you to the
infirmary to have them checked," Julian said, looking highly
amused.

"What? Oh! Hello, Julian," Garak said with a wide smile,
tilting his head up for a quick kiss. "No, that's all right,
I only use them occasionally. The Retinax V solution makes
me nauseous and I only have a slight astigmatism. For a
Cardassian my age, I happen to be very fit, as well you
should know." He winked flirtatiously, then finished the
last stitch and arose from the chair, stretching his sore
back. "Is it lunch time already?"

"Not quite. In fact, I came by to tell you I won't have time
for lunch today. The captain wants me to go down to Bajor
with him, and I figured I'd stop by and give you the bad
news personally," Julian said, picking at the knitwork
curiously. "What is this?"

"It's a sweater," Garak said, removing the spectacles and
gesturing toward him, "for you. I thought you might like it
just to lounge in on your off hours." He rubbed his
knuckles. "I'm a little out of practice, but it's coming
along nicely, I think."

"You knit?" Julian asked dubiously.

"Yes: why? Haven't you ever seen anyone knit before?"

"My mother and my aunts," Julian said, leaning on the
counter. "It's not something you'd expect out of a former
spy, though. It's something you'd expect old ladies to do in
their spare time. I always imagined you'd be more interested
in chess or some other game of strategy for relaxation, not
knitting and purling the day away."

"Then you obviously don't know a lot about this kind of yarn
work." Garak arched one eye-ridge in a gesture of
superiority. "It keeps the hands limber and it's very
relaxing, almost meditative. Several of the greatest
warriors, assassins, and sportsmen in history knitted,
including many a battle- scarred Klingon, believe it or
not." Garak shrugged. "Not that I aspire to be a Klingon,
but I don't often get the chance to work with yarn and,
unlike your holonovels and strategy games, when I'm done,
not only are my hands exercised and my mind clear, but I
actually have something tangible to show for my labors." He
held the half finished sweater against his amused lover and
smiled. "That looks like it's going to be a nice fit, don't
you think?"

Julian chuckled and laid a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"You are something else, Elim Garak. Most people would be
cursing my parentage for skipping out on them for the third
time this week and here you are knitting me a sweater." He
pulled Garak close and laid a sweet kiss on his lips. "I'm a
lucky man to have you."

Garak felt his body lighten and his senses tingle at the
intimate gesture. "You have me, then?" he asked coyly.

"Twice last night and I believe you managed to catch me once
too, or have you forgotten," Julian growled softly in his
ear and Garak flushed warmly. "I wish I weren't so busy
today or I'd play hooky and remind you."

Garak nuzzled Julian's cheek and asked, "Are you coming over
later then?"

"Hopefully." Julian stepped back and smiled broadly. "I
really should start leaving a few more things at your place.
This getting up in the middle of the night and going back to
my quarters is getting old."

"Maybe...we could change our routine, then?" Garak ventured.
"Perhaps we should rethink our arrangement a little?"

"That's a great idea," Julian said, settling a warm hand
behind Garak's neck and threading his long fingers through
the Cardassian's silky black hair. "Why don't you start
meeting me in my quarters instead. Your shop doesn't open
until after my shift starts so you'd have more than enough
time to go home and change."

"That...sounds good," Garak said, more than a little
disappointed that Julian didn't get the hint.

Julian kissed the tailor one last time and gave him a quick
pat on the behind. "Thank you for the sweater, sweetheart."
He grinned, "Look at you! Only three weeks together and
we're already practically settled. See you tonight!"

Garak stared after him as he rushed away toward the
infirmary, the doctor still blissfully unaware of the effect
his words had left behind. "Settled." The word left a bitter
taste in his mouth. He picked up his knitting and sat back
down, "Only old women knit, eh? You're getting to be an old
fool, Garak," he muttered. Julian was more right than he
knew. After they had captured Colonel Ranol, the Bajoran
extremist and drug lord responsible for infesting DS9 with a
narcotic known as Orange D, Julian Bashir had taken Garak to
the infirmary, fixed his bruises and cuts, and then
proceeded to take Garak to his quarters where they had made
mad, passionate love for the first time. Since then, they
had spent nearly every evening in Garak's quarters where
they began the night with a simple meal followed by
lovemaking, after which Julian would take a quick shower and
go home.

At first, the arrangement had worked well for Garak. It had
started out as a - what was the term Julian had used - quick
roll in the hay, but then Garak's age and nesting instinct
had taken over and he had grown used to the doctor's
presence in his quarters. There was probably some
deep-seated psychological reason for it, Cardassian nature
combining with a lack of childhood nurturing he supposed. He
picked up his knitting and began to soothe himself with the
click-clack of the needles again. As a child he had been
hidden away, never afforded the love or comforting touch of
a parent. As an adult, he learned the first time one of his
lovers was killed for just knowing him that having a private
life was a detriment to an agent.

He'd grown used to the solitude of his life in exile in as
much as any Cardassian could, using the wire the Order had
implanted to release a constant stream of endorphins until
it had malfunctioned. After Julian had removed it and saved
his life a few years back, he decided he needed to create a
community around him in order to combat the loneliness that
almost destroyed him. Survival instinct won out. Slowly, he
had reached out to the denizens of the station and the
Federation personnel, which led to him building up a fairly
successful business. Despite Garak's best efforts though, he
had never truly felt like one of them. He felt he would
always be an observer, living among them but not a part of
them. Garak never forgot he was a man without a homeworld,
but just when he had begun to accept that, Julian had worked
his way into Garak's life and into his heart. Now, much to
his chagrin, he was very much in love with the human doctor
who was almost twenty years his junior. Well and truly
trapped. Tain would be amused.

It had started with the light touches Julian rewarded him
with throughout the day, the soft kisses and thoughtless
caresses which told more of his affection toward Garak than
mere words ever could. Those brief moments of physical
contact had become addictive, and every night the tailor
schemed to make his beloved Julian stay just a little
longer. Julian'd finally started sleeping over the whole
night on his weekends off, bringing some toiletries and
allowing Garak to provide him with a change of clothes and
space in his wardrobe for his things. There were two
toothbrushes on the sink, and there were always Medical
Journal PADDs sitting on the counter near the toilet for
Julian to peruse as he slowly began the process of waking up
and facing the day.

For Garak, their relationship had been building for five
years, finally culminating into intimacy in the last three
weeks. This was the reasoning of a 50-year-old Cardassian
starved for companionship, however. It was painfully obvious
even to Garak that although Julian Bashir cared for him
deeply, the 31-year-old doctor wasn't as eager to move their
relationship to the next level. For Julian, their
relationship began the night he laid Garak on soft white
sheets and made eager, passionate love to him in the way all
young men did, filled with promise and abandon. As intimate
as his behavior seemed, Dr. Bashir was still a bachelor and
Garak merely a lover among many. Their relationship was
currently monogamous and probably would remain so until the
sex lost its bloom, but the Cardassian desperately wanted
more these days. More than he suspected Julian Bashir had to
offer.

"You're an idiot, Garak," he fussed aloud as he counted his
stitches. "Chasing after a man almost half your age, then
expecting him to be happy settling down with you when he's
got a universe of fresh young things vying for his
attentions." He made a disgusted sound in his throat. "Be
happy with what you've got, give him his damned sweater, and
don't forget to bring a change of underwear when you go
sneaking into his room tonight. Oh, and don't forget to
thank him before you go shuffling back to your room to
fiddle with your knitting and jigsaw puzzles. The life of a
former spy! Might as well call myself an old spinster and
acquire a cat." He paused. "I wonder where I'd go about
getting a permit for one? Oh well, with my luck, it'd mate
with a vole and cause some kind of station-wide disaster. Be
worse than a bunch of tribbles and cause a planet-wide run
on kitty litter or something."

"And what exactly is a cat?"

Garak's head snapped up and he looked into the amused eyes
of an older woman dressed in the robes of a Bajoran Vedek.

"Is that one of those domesticated Terran animals that goes
about urinating on trees and eating skeletal remains?"

"No madam, I believe that's called a pog or duppy or
something." He really was losing his touch, he thought. This
is the second time in less than ten minutes he'd been snuck
up on. "A cat is a small furry parasite that claws furniture
and tends to bond with older humans. Several of the
Starfleet people seem fond of them, but personally I prefer
a nice wompat. They don't shed as much from what I
understand." He looked at her curiously. As a rule, Vedeks
rarely ventured into his shop. A few Bajorans shopped with
him regularly, used to his presence and viewing him as a
non-threat. He didn't recognize this woman, however. "Did
you need my help with something, madam?"

"You're Mr. Garak, aren't you?" she asked, approaching him
with a curious smile, "Of course you are, how silly of me.
You're the only Cardassian on Deep Space Nine, correct?"

"As far as I know." Garak put his knitting aside and stood
up. "I don't normally receive clergy in my shop. Do you need
me to make you some ceremonial robes or perhaps you're
looking for a gift for someone?"

"Actually, I am looking for something." The Vedek looked at
his chair. "May I sit? It's been a busy morning for me."

"Of course." Garak moved out of the way and allowed her to
sit in his chair. She picked up his knitting and examined it
carefully.

"This is very fine work, Mr. Garak," she said admiringly. "I
used to do this sort of thing, but my joints get so sore
these days, I'm afraid my hands can't manipulate the needles
anymore."

"Thank you." Garak bowed slightly in acknowledgment of the
woman's praise. "It's the damp," he said, making small talk,
allowing her the time to get to the point of her visit. "As
my age catches up to me, I find my own joints creaking now
and again. The knitting keeps me well oiled," he joked.

"For your grandson?" she asked.

Garak winced. "My...friend."

"Ah, you are a blessed man indeed then," she said, folding
the knitwork carefully. "I have a friend who told me about
you, in fact. She works with orphans on Bajor-- Jomat
Luson?"

"I remember Ms. Jomat," Garak said carefully. The
conversation was beginning to go in a rather unexpected
direction, and Garak began to eye the older woman with
renewed interest. "Forgive me, I seem to have forgotten your
name."

"That's because I neglected to give it," the Vedek said,
suddenly quite serious. "My name is Merel Atina, First Vedek
of the Capital Temple." She gestured to the door of his
shop. "If you would be so kind as to lock the door, I have a
proposal I would like to discuss with you. I'll be happy to
recompense you for any lost business, Mr. Garak, so you have
nothing to lose but time."

"When you grow to be our age, Vedek Merel, time becomes a
very precious commodity. However," he said as he reached
over and pressed the panel which closed the door to his shop
and turned to face his companion, "the day is going quite
slow and my lunch companion has abandoned me. Perhaps after
our talk you would care to join me at the replimat."

"You don't think a Bajoran Vedek and a Cardassian tailor
eating together would seem odd, Mr. Garak?" she asked.

"Not really," he answered. "I imagine it's about as odd as a
Bajoran Vedek considering blackmail."

"I'm not here to blackmail you, Mr. Garak," Merel said.
"Would you please sit with me?"

Garak nodded and walked over to the fitting rooms, taking a
stack of hat boxes off the plush chair against the wall and
dragging it over to the counter. "I'm afraid I haven't any
tea or anything in the shop. I dislike having food and drink
around the material."

"I'm fine." She patted the chair. "Please?"

He sat and waited quietly. He had a feeling that, as Julian
would say, the other shoe was about to drop.

"I understand your reaction, but I don't believe anything
Luson shared with me could damage your position on this
station." She nodded her head as his spine stiffened. "I
know about your connection with her, but I won't repeat the
information to anyone - which is why Luson took me into her
confidence to begin with. In truth, if you told the Emissary
what really happened..."

"Madam, I appreciate your discretion and faith in Captain
Sisko, but I assure you: even if I cared to tell anyone what
happened all those years ago, they wouldn't believe me.
Besides, while I do not regret making the choices I did,
that was what in part led to my current situation and exile.
I am still a traitor to my government, what the reasoning
was behind that betrayal matters very little."

"It matters, Mr. Garak." She reached out and patted his
hand, which again surprised him. "It mattered a great deal
to Luson, which is one of the reasons I know I can trust
you."

"Trusting me," Garak said grimly, "would signal that you are
here out of desperation. I'm curious of what has you so
desperate as to come to me, despite the praises of a former
terrorist cell leader turned social worker."

"I'm aware of how you captured Ranol a few weeks ago and I
know you have contacts within shadier parts of the Bajoran
community," she said bluntly. "My grand-niece is
missing...and I have been advised that she may be dead. I
want you to find her, and if my informant is correct, her
killer as well."

"This sounds more like something you'd bring to the police,
not a tailor - despite what he may or may not have been in
the past," Garak pointed out.

"I can't." Merel looked him in the eye. "I will be frank,
Mr. Garak. My grand-niece is, or was, a prostitute. I've
never met her. My sister and I were separated during the war
and I didn't even know she'd survived. I recently received
information that her granddaughter, Kel Sinles, was murdered
by a high ranking political official because she was
blackmailing him. If I report this to the authorities, it
will ruin my career and the lives of many other people. The
social programs I am trying to establish will be jeopardized
and the Temple officials will be faced with a public
backlash if it comes out that I, the First Vedek of the
Capital Temple, abandoned my only surviving relative to a
life of prostitution. Never mind that I didn't know she
existed; the conservative party will say I should have at
least looked for her...and they'd be right." She sighed,
running a hand over her forehead wearily. "I'm not worried
about my reputation, Mr. Garak. If Sinles is out there, dead
or alive, she is my family and I want to do right by her, no
matter what the consequences. If she's dead, I want to bring
her killer to light, but I also want to be absolutely
certain of his guilt before I accuse him. I need undeniable
proof that he did it."

"Who is 'he'?" Garak asked, his attention entirely focused
on the woman's story.

"According to my informant: First Minister Shakaar."

Garak sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. "I see."

Merel chuckled grimly. "I imagined you would."

"Who gave you the information?" Garak asked.

"Anonymous tip," she said, shaking her head. "I know, I
thought it was a hoax at first, but they sent me this."

Garak took the data PADD from her and turned it on. There
was a picture of a pretty young blonde Bajoran woman dressed
in very stylish clothing, staring off to the side. He
clicked the PADD again and the picture zoomed out. She was
standing near a dais where two men appeared to be having a
political debate. One was First Minister Shakaar and the
other was the conservative political leader of the Bajor
First Party, Krath Milnar. She seemed focused on Shakaar,
her mouth soft and her large brown eyes filled with some
tender emotion as she watched him make his speech. "She
looks like you, only blonde," Garak noted.

"Her grandmother was my twin sister," Merel said sadly. "She
must get her hair from her father or grandfather. Like I
said, I didn't know Linnet had survived, much less married
and had a family. I suppose she thought the same of me."

"Sinles," Garak said to himself, "what did you get yourself
into, young lady?" He activated another program in the PADD
and read the note detailing the information Merel had
already given him. "Vedek-"

"Call me Atina, please," she interrupted. "After all, you
know more about me than even my closest friends at this
point."

"Well, I could say the same of you for me," Garak returned
dryly. "Atina, I'm not a detective. I haven't the
qualifications for this kind of work."

"Come now, Mr. Garak," Atina scoffed. "You have more
qualifications than most, and you certainly have the ability
to get what I need from you. Luson said you were a friend
once upon a time and I trust her. Therefore, I trust you.
Help me, I'm begging you."

"Ms. Jomat and I weren't exactly friends," Garak corrected
her, unmoved by her words. "And no matter what you heard, a
Vedek of your age and experience, no matter what forgiveness
your Prophets teach you to feel toward their enemies,
wouldn't trust a Cardassian merely on the say-so of an
acquaintance. Why me?"

"Because, as you said, you are a Cardassian in exile," Atina
said coolly. "If you betray me, the word of a Cardassian
will not be believed by any Bajoran no matter what their
political leanings are. Also, when I said I know everything
about you, Mr. Garak, I wasn't kidding. I was Bajoran
Resistance; Intelligence and Recon. You and I probably
crossed paths a few times. Luckily, you never noticed. I
understand you were very good at your job until you
met...well, that's your personal business. I know you live
quietly here and I also know about your relationship with
the human doctor."

"We haven't exactly been discreet," he acknowledged with a
slight nod. "As for the rest, I will take your word for it."

"He doesn't know, does he?" she asked curiously.

"No," Garak said simply. "He doesn't need to."

"Why not? I mean, if I may ask?" Her aged eyes searched his
face.

"He's a good man, and yes, it would probably be something he
could accept, but I need to keep my secrets. As you said, I
am still a Cardassian, and always will be, exiled or not."
Garak paused, "You said you were in Intelligence?"

"Yes. I served as a cell coordinator for more than thirty
years."

"Impressive," he replied. "Especially since neither I nor
Enabrin Tain ever caught up with you."

"Oh, he did." Merel Atina's eyes darkened. "I was questioned
by some of his lower level interrogators, like any other
random Bajoran, but since I was young and strong, they
released me so I could work the fields and mines. I wasn't
clergy then, just a girl with a strong back and not pretty
enough to join a Gul's harem or refined enough to serve as a
Military wife's maid. It kept me alive with the minimum of
scarring and my sanity intact."

"It was a war," Garak said, not unkindly. "I, myself, was an
interrogator, Tain's best. I didn't often deal with
Bajorans, although I did from time to time. Saying it was
under orders doesn't erase what I did, nor does it justify
anything, I just did my job and I survived. As you are
doubtlessly aware, my exposure of Dukat's father isn't quite
what led to my exile, but it is what fueled it. That said, I
know the risks one takes when they only do what they believe
is right and patriotic. I know that had I buried the
evidence against the elder Dukat, I would probably now be on
Cardassia as head of the Obsidian Order and not a mere
tailor dallying with a Starfleet doctor and sewing clothes
for tourists and Dabo girls. Simply put, I know you could
follow this chain of evidence yourself. You have the skills
to do so, so why come to me, then? Is it because you're
afraid of sharing my fate or because you're afraid of the
answers? If that's the case, then even if I do tell you what
happened to this girl, it won't make any difference. All
I'll do is give you something else to lose sleep over."

"You do have a point, Mr. Garak," she said after a long
pause. "However, I'm not afraid of being exiled; I would be
ostracized, perhaps. I might lose my political connections
and clout and a lot of people would be happy to see me fall
on my face. I may even be killed, but I have faith in the
Prophets so I don't fear retaliation. I think what I fear
the most is myself and what I would feel as I delved into
Sinles's life. I'm afraid that if I tried to follow this
case through myself, I'd stop before I reached my goal
merely because I don't want any of this to be true. I
failed, Mr. Garak. I failed my mother by not keeping my
promise to always stay with my sister. I failed my sister by
not looking for her. I failed this girl who I never knew,
because I was so driven by my need to help others that I
never thought of helping my own family. Basically, I need
someone whose heart and life isn't invested in this story,
just in the solving of the riddle."

He allowed himself to absorb what she had told him before
coming to his decision. "In that case," Garak stood up and
offered her his hand. "I will accept your proposal, madam."

She looked relieved, almost to the point of tears, but she
held herself together and looked him in the eye, "And your
payment?" Merel took his hand and rose to her feet. "Despite
my elevated status I'm still merely a member of the clergy,
but I may be able to compensate you in another way. I have
some political clout, for now at least. I may be able to
find you a home on Bajor. It would take some doing, but you
could live safely albeit simply. My order could give you
sanctuary."

"I have made a home here," Garak replied, declining. "For
now, given Gul Dukat's own exile, he can't reach me and I
also have...other reasons for staying." He patted the
knitwork. "I'd prefer to merely do this as a favor to you -
with the knowledge that should I need it returned, my
service to you will not be forgotten."

"I trust my Ranjen implicitly. Owin Grea is my chosen
successor and should I go to the Prophets before you have
had your debt repaid, he will honor it. If you need
anything, you can talk to either of us freely." She headed
to the door and turned to Garak again. "If you need access
to any documents, we will provide you with whatever you
need."

"Any documents relating to this, my dear madam, would be
beyond even your reach. No, I think my own skills shall be
sufficient."

He touched the panel and the door opened.

"I regret I cannot join you for lunch," she said with a
slight smile. "When your work is done, however, I would be
happy to be stared at in your Replimat by whomever passes
by. In fact, should this turn out for the worse, I may ask
you for a job. I used to sew all my own clothes before I
entered the service of the Temple."

"I doubt it will come to that, but should that happen I
think I could find you work. Good day." He smiled
confidently and watched her make her way through the crowd,
occasionally stopping to bless a passing Bajoran who bowed
his head to her.

This had become quite an interesting morning after all.
Julian would be sorry he missed it.

---
Chapter 2: Medical Intervention
---

"Garak."

"Oh. Hello, Constable," Garak said in greeting as he entered
the turbolift holding his yarn bag.

"I was just coming to see you." The Constable glowered at
him. It was his usual expression, at least the one he used
whenever he was in Garak's presence.

"Isn't it fortunate that we bumped into one another then?"
Garak said brightly. "Habitat Level H-3," he ordered the
lift.

"Why aren't you in your shop?" Odo asked, his arms crossed
in a sign of annoyance.

"Why aren't you in your office?"

"You disabled my monitoring equipment." Odo glared at him.

"I did that a full week ago, you didn't come to me then, why
are you so concerned about it now?" Garak replied as he
walked out of the lift and headed toward his quarters at a
comfortable pace.

"Because a week ago you didn't have an influential Vedek
enter your shop and stay behind closed doors for nearly half
an hour!" Odo shot back as he followed after the Cardassian.

"You know the clergy," Garak said, waving him off with a
flighty gesture. "She asked that I close the doors while she
had her fitting. Didn't want anyone seeing what was under
the robe, I suppose."

"I don't believe you."

"I don't care."

"What were you two talking about?" Odo asked suspiciously.

"She was taking my confession," Garak folded his hands in a
pious gesture and looked toward the ceiling. "I've
converted. I'm thinking about designing my own earring,
something with some dangle to show off my swan-like neck. As
soon as I get to the jeweler to have my ear sized, I'm
planning a religious retreat to celebrate! I've already
offered to sell cookies to raise money for my Temple group.
Care for a box of Thin Mints, Constable?"

"I am not amused," Odo replied cooly.

"You so very rarely are," Garak retorted.

"Why have you closed shop for the day?" The shapeshifter
moved to stand in front of Garak, effectively stopping him
in his tracks.

Garak sighed. "Business was slow so I decided to go to my
quarters and take the rest of the day off."

"Dr. Bashir isn't on the station," Odo said, looking at
Garak as if he'd caught him dead in a lie.

"And what does that have to do with anything?" the
Cardassian asked in confusion.

"Lately, he's the only reason you've had to head back to
your quarters early," Odo said meaningfully.

"Apparently you still have some surveillance equipment still
working," Garak muttered. "It's very rude to eavesdrop, you
know."

"I like to keep my eyes on you Garak, for obvious reasons."

"Oh, I see." Garak made a show of dropping his voice and
looking at the constable with a coy smile. "My dear Odo,
while I appreciate your feelings, as you pointed out, the
doctor and I are in something of a relationship. Besides,"
he added with a wink, "I thought you had a thing for the
major?"

Odo never even blinked. "What are you up to, Garak?"

"Chamber 900," he said looking at the door beside Odo's
head. "I'm headed to Chamber 901 which is down the hall, so
if you don't mind?"

"I'm watching you, Garak," Odo called after him.

"And believe you me, I feel so much the safer for it, my
dear Constable." Garak waved over his head and disappeared
into his quarters.

---

After replicating a quick lunch and a large pot of tea,
Garak sat at his terminal and began to hack into the records
of the Provisional Government. He went through every file,
every scrap of information, and every press clipping he
could find about First Minister Shakaar, but there was of
course, no mention of Kel Sinles. He spent hours and hours
glued to the screen, not looking up until the door to his
quarters chirped. He got up and stretched, then walked over
to the door and touched the panel. "Oh Julian, you're back
already?"

"Already? You were supposed to meet me an hour ago," the
doctor said in an aggravated tone. He strode into the room
and looked around. "I ran into Morn and he said you closed
the shop early today. What have you been doing?"

"I've been working on a project," Garak answered simply and
sat back behind his desk to continue staring at the screen.

"How many sweaters are you making me?" Julian asked with his
hands on his hips.

"Sweaters? No, this is something else entirely." Garak
didn't even glance up, he just continued to scroll though
the information, his entire attention focused on the screen.

"What kind of project? Garak, what are you looking at?"
Julian walked over to the desk and peered at the screen.

"It's rude to read over someone's shoulder." Garak paused
and looked toward the ceiling. "Great Gods, maybe I am
getting old. It's the second time today I've felt the need
to correct the manners of a grown man."

"Garak," Julian said, stepping away from the monitor slowly
as if it were a bomb on its way to the last tick, "those are
confidential files you're accessing."

"I'm aware of that," Garak said absently as he clicked to
another document. "After all, I did go through all the
trouble of retrieving them myself."

"Those are personal, confidential *BAJORAN* files! Shakaar's
name is all over them!" Julian was practically shouting by
the end.

"Do keep your voice down, dear man. I do have neighbors, you
know." The tailor's eyes were squinted and he rubbed his
temples. "Maybe I should try the Retinax solution after all.
Have you any formulas that don't have such stomach churning
side effects handy?"

"Let me see?" Julian patted his pockets in exaggerated
confusion and said, "No. No, I don't seem to have any handy,
unless of course they're JAMMED UP MY ARSE!"

"I did mention the neighbors, didn't I?" Garak asked without
looking up, "Oh and, if you wouldn't mind, on your way to
replicate some or however you plan on fetching it, would you
mind replicating us a bite? I'm feeling a bit peckish."

Julian was practically vibrating with rage as he silently
leaned against the monitor and turned to stare hard into
Garak's eyes.

"Frowning like that causes lines around the mouth, you
know," Garak said, unmoved.

"Tell me now why you are hacking into Bajoran Government
files or so help me, I will call Odo, lover or not," Julian
said coldly.

"Did you have a bad day, my dear?" Garak blinked, feeling a
bit hurt. "Really, there's no need to be so callous." He
watched as the doctor closed his eyes and silently seemed to
count to a slow ten, then apparently thought about what he
was going to say and decided a ten count wasn't long enough.
As Julian struggled with controlling his anger, Garak turned
off the monitor and picked up his knit work and began to
fill the silence with the steady click-clack of the needles.

"What do you think you are doing?" Julian asked through
gritted teeth, drawing out each word slowly.

"One of the sleeves," Garak replied, holding it out for him
to see.

"Damn the sweater, man! What the hell are you up to?!?"
Julian growled and slammed his hand on the desk.

"Oh, you mean the intelligence gathering?" Garak sighed and
continued his work. "Business is slow so I decided to
diversify. It's not exactly for profit, mind you, but there
could be some sort of benefit down the line."

"Diversify?" Julian asked sarcastically as he sat on the
corner of the desk. "If you wanted to diversify you would
have gone into jewelry making or perhaps opened a scent or
gift section to your shop, you wouldn't have gone into
spying on the Bajoran First Minister!"

"You know, that idea about the gift section isn't half bad.
Perhaps something with tasteful souvenirs or art work? A
scent shop could get cloying by the end of the day,
especially if customers kept spraying it, not to mention how
the oils would damage---"

"Seriously, do I look that stupid?"

"The uniform could use a little work, but that's hardly your
fault," Garak offered.

"Enough with the banter," Julian ordered quietly.

Garak's hands stilled and he looked into his lover's eyes.
He knew he was on dangerous ground when he saw the
expression on the other man's face. Julian was beyond
angry...in fact, what he saw wasn't even anger anymore. It
was pain. His face was white and his eyes had a hollow,
desperate look to them. The sight of his friend in this
state softened his resolve.

"Fine. The truth then?" Garak sighed.

"That would be my first choice, yes." Julian said the words
plainly, without even a hint of irony. "Are you back to
doing business for the Cardassians?"

"No! I'm not suicidal or stupid, Julian. I could hand this
station over to the Military Command with a bright red bow
attached and still face a firing squad the second I touched
home soil." Garak scowled. "I'm looking into the
disappearance of a girl. A Bajoran girl - her family
believes she may have been murdered."

"I thought you were going to tell me the truth." Julian
said, sitting on the corner of the desk and crossing his
arms in front of his chest.

"That is the truth!" Now Garak was getting annoyed. "For
five years all you've wanted from me was a straight answer,
and the one time I give one I have to put up with-!"

Julian waved his hand defensively and said, "Okay! Fine!
You're helping a poor Bajoran girl - okay. I can believe
that. I was there five years ago when you helped that
Cardassian boy and I saw you with the mixed race orphans. I
know you have a soft spot for children, Garak. What I don't
understand is if you're looking for some lost, and possibly
murdered, girl, why are you looking into Shakaar's files?"

"Well..." Garak looked at Julian warily.

"Spit it out!"

"You won't believe me!"

"Try me."

Garak took a deep breath. "Her aunt thinks he's the one who
murdered her."

Julian was quiet for a moment as he took in his companion's
statement. "You're right. I don't believe you."

Garak threw up his hands in defeat and Julian got up from
his perch on the desk and added, "Wait, I didn't quite mean
it the way I said it. What I meant was that I believe that's
what she told you, I just don't believe Shakaar is the type
of person who goes around killing little girls!"

"Neither do I and neither does she - THAT'S the reason she
asked me to look into this!" Garak was now the one throwing
up his hands in annoyance.

"Okay, all right, calm down." Julian got down on his knees
to look Garak in the eye. "I believe you. In fact, I'm going
to help. I can use a few of my contacts and-"

"Julian," Garak interrupted, "You weren't the one she asked
for help. It's my investigation."

"Well..." Julian patted his leg patronizingly, "You don't
have to handle this by yourself. I'm perfectly willing to
lend a hand, and I'm sure once we've found the remains, a
trained physician will come in handy. You'll need DNA
evidence, an autopsy, the whole nine yards. Plus, I did take
several psychology courses at the Academy. I can provide a
profile of the killer to the authorities and perhaps comfort
the family if it comes to that."

Julian smiled sweetly, "You don't even have to bother
thanking me, as my friend and my companion, I'm more than
happy to step in and assist you."

Garak stared at Julian, his mouth slightly open, not out of
shock, but because he had no idea of what he should say
first. A lot of things came to mind. First, that he'd never
noticed how much of an ass Julian Bashir could be and how
completely annoying that particular smile he was bestowing
upon him was. On one hand, Julian was genuinely offering to
help, and Garak was sure that in his mind, he wasn't trying
to be a complete jackass. On the other hand, whether Julian
had realized it or not, he had just proceeded to imply to
Garak through his actions and attitude, that the elder
Cardassian was somehow less than competent because the
doctor had syphoned all of the Cardassian's knowledge and
skills through the act of intercourse like a mosquito. Only
in his case, this particular mosquito rolled over and went
to sleep after sucking you dry, then proceeded to hog the
covers.

"No." It was the simplest and least obscene word he could
think of.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" Julian asked, looking at him
slightly askance.

"I mean 'no'," Garak stated, "as in, no, I don't want your
help. No, I don't require your help. No, I have not gone
senile merely because you've seen me naked - no, no, no,
and, by the way, NO!" Garak jumped up from his chair and
stalked toward the door to his quarters slapping the panel
forcefully. "Now, go home and leave me to my work."

"Dammit Garak, calm down! I didn't say anything to warrant
this childish reaction!" Julian shouted. "Now sit down and
we can start over."

"Did you just tell me I was behaving like a child?" Garak
asked slowly.

"Yes - no, damn it!" Julian ran his hand through his hair,
then pointed to the couch, "Can we please sit down so I can
at least apologize for sticking my foot in my mouth?
Please?"

Garak thought about it. He considered a slew of violent
actions mixed with inventive and obscene phases, but decided
against it. He hit the panel to shut the door, then walked
back to the sofa and sat down. He didn't say anything, he
merely glared at Julian.

"I'm sorry," Julian said, coming to sit next to him. "I'm so
sorry. I was an ass and I said the wrong thing. I, in no
way, meant to imply that you were incapable of doing
something like this alone. You, my darling Garak, simply
blow me away. You are the most exciting, most vigorous, most
intelligent man I have ever known. You are my best friend,
my confidant, and if I was ever in trouble or needed help
like this girl and her family, you are the one person I know
I could count on to save me."

He lifted Garak's hand and kissed it, then pressed it to his
cheek. "I not only get to learn from you and benefit from
all of your travels and experiences, but I get to wake up
next to you. Never let my stupidity or my clumsy attempts at
offering to help you with something, cause you to forget
that I'm here because I care for you, not Garak the tailor
cum spy, but my lover. More than that, someone I could
love."

"Well..." Garak felt his mouth twitch upward. "If I must,
then you're forgiven."

"Thank you,"Julian leaned over and kissed Garak on the mouth
softly, his tongue teasing his lips ever so slightly until
the Cardassian melted into the embrace.

When they parted, Garak asked shyly, "So, you just told me
you could love me."

"I did, yes." Julian smiled.

"You never said that before." Garak brushed some imaginary
lint off Julian's shoulder and looked down at his shirt.

"Yes I have," Julian said with a mocking frown, "I say it
every time I touch you, just maybe not with so many words."

"I must admit, I liked the words. Very much." Garak knew he
had a silly grin on his face, but didn't care.

"And...do you think you could love me?" Julian asked,
kissing Garak's neck and holding one of his hands.

"Perhaps," Garak breathed.

"Are you going to say it?" Julian began to nibble on Garak's
neck playfully.

"I love you, Julian," Garak moaned, feeling himself begin to
grow very warm and hard.

Julian took Garak's face in his hands, searching his eyes
before kissing him with tender passion. He rose from his
seat, pulling Garak with him. Julian then wrapped his long,
lightly muscled arms around Garak's waist, again kissing
him, only this time with barely contained need. Julian was
so hard Garak could feel him through his clothes as their
erections ground against each other. He felt all the breath
leave his lungs and his vision swam. "Come with me,"
Julian's voice was hoarse with desire and the Cardassian
followed him obediently into the bedroom.

When they got to the bed, Julian turned to Garak and kissed
him again, sucking at his lips slightly. He unzipped his
jacket and let it slip to the floor, then stopped kissing
the other man just long enough to pull the blue turtleneck
over his head where it landed by the discarded jacket. Garak
looked at the smooth contours of Julian's chest, at his flat
stomach and bronze flesh, and reached out to touch him.
Julian tugged him close and teased his lips with his tongue
and unbuttoned his tunic. Garak's clothes joined Julian's on
the floor and he gasped as his human lover began to suck and
bite at his throat, licking the small fleshy teardrop shaped
embellishment on his chest..

Garak massaged the muscles of the other man's shoulders,
enjoying the feel of the tight, smooth skin under his
fingertips. He loved the way Julian smelled, spicy and
exotic, his skin warm and sweet. Julian reached up and
pulled Garak's hand down to his erection, grinding himself
into the other man's palm. "Can you feel me?"

"Yes," Garak gasped, unzipping Julian's trousers and
reaching into his underwear to hold his velvety hardness. He
stroked him up and down, causing Julian to moan.

"I need you naked," Julian growled, pulling at Garak's pants
and releasing his own erection. "Get on the bed."

Garak hastily finished undressing as Julian watched. He
kicked off his shoes and sat down, removing his socks, then,
slipping up the mattress, waiting for his lover to join him.
This was the Julian he loved. Dark and sleek, totally aware
of his sexuality and of its effect on him. Julian slowly
finished undressing himself, his eyes burning with an almost
frightening intensity. How many others had ever seen this
side of Julian Bashir, Garak wondered. Not many. If they
had, they never would have let him go.

His black hair was slightly damp with sweat, his lean
muscled body glowing with a copper sheen in the low light.
He had very little hair on his chest, just a little around
the flat, brown nipples and lower still, leading down to his
washboard stomach. His penis was lying against his navel,
hard and waiting, framed by tight, dark pubic curls that
Garak longed to bury his face in.

Julian Bashir's body was a wonderland of delights.

---

As the Cardassian greedily drank in the sight of him, Julian
allowed his own eyes to steal over Garak. In the last few
weeks they had been intimate with one another dozens of
times, but he still delighted in the novelty of the
Cardassian's naked form.

Garak was very fit and trim, his thighs well muscled, his
stomach flat and his body well kept up. He didn't look like
a 50 year old man. How Garak had managed it, he didn't know.
He'd never seen him work out and he knew Garak had a
penchant for rich foods, but looking at his naked,
sculptured physique one would never know it. This was the
body of a disciplined man, Julian thought. It had been a bit
unsettling to him when they first became intimate, the
texture of his skin and seeing how his body reacted to his
touch was a completely alien experience. His skin had a gray
cast, and like a snake's flesh, it was almost glassy smooth
with textured scales. He loved the embellishments and whorls
that decorated his lover's body, the complexity of his form.
Garak's masculine beauty filled him with powerful emotions
that he had never felt before. His cock was of a darker
shade of gray, smooth and hard. Julian stepped to the bed
and crawled on his hands and knees between the other man's
legs, kissing his way up his thighs before running his
tongue up Garak's shaft.

Julian wrapped his hand around the base of Garak's penis and
began to stroke him. He opened his mouth and drew him
inside, causing Garak to gasp and claw the sheets. He then
used his tongue to tease the slit of his penis as he gently
sucked and circled his erection with his mouth, his hand
keeping a steady pressure at the base. Julian did this until
Garak began to moan and shift, then he removed his mouth.
Garak groaned in disappointment then gasped when he lifted
his sack and began to suck and nibble at the flesh under his
heavy balls above his entrance. He drew up his knees as
Julian teased the forgotten erogenous zone, his strong hands
gripping the Garak's thighs. Julian reached back for Garak's
penis and began to suck at his again, this time taking him
inside until he hit the back of his throat.

"J-Julian-" Garak gasped as he came.

After licking him clean, Julian looked up and grinned. He
began to bite and nip at Garak's stomach playfully, his
tongue dipping into his navel. He made his way upward until
he got to Garak's nipples and he began to suck and tease
them with his teeth, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to
make the Cardassian's stomach tighten with need.

Seeing Garak like this, stark need etched on his face and
his breath coming in short, desperate pants; it was almost
intoxicating. How Julian had managed to resist the
Cardassian for the last five years was mind-boggling.

---

Garak felt himself harden again. He gripped him under the
arms and pulled him up, kissing him as Julian ground their
erection's together. He tore his mouth off of Garak's and
nibbled on the thick ridges on the side of his neck. Garak
moaned and looked down Julian's muscled back, watching his
rounded buttocks flex as he teased him.

"I need you," Garak gasped.

"Where?" Julian asked.

Garak reached out to his nightstand and fumbled for the
drawer. As soon as he had the bottle in his hand he handed
it to his lover. Julian smiled and sat up. He poured a small
amount of the slick fluid onto his hand and stroked his own
hardness then reached for Garak. The Cardassian braced
himself for the coldness of the liquid, then as it warmed
against his skin he began to thrust himself into Julian's
fist. Julian kept one hand on Garak's erection, then, after
he tossed aside the lubricant, he positioned himself at
Garak's opening and eased forward gently.

Garak held his breath, then let it out slowly. He
concentrated on keeping himself loose as Julian eased
himself forward, giving Garak time to adjust after each
tentative thrust. This was how they liked it, rough, but not
too rough, with just enough lubrication to ease the
penetration without losing too much of the friction. When he
was in, he began to make love to Garak with long, smooth
strokes, the hand wrapped around his erection keeping time
with their bodies.

He looked up at Julian. His face was alert, his eyes locked
with the Cardassian's as he thrust himself gently inside of
the other man's body. The light from the living area made it
look as though Julian was surrounded with a halo, his black
hair damp against his forehead. He reached up to stroke the
other man's chest, lifting his legs a little higher so he
could take him further in. Garak tightened himself and
watched as Julian's jaw flexed in response. Julian shut his
eyes and moaned, then looked down at Garak again, something
primal reflecting in his eyes. He gripped Garak's thighs and
thrust hard, pounding inside of him over and over again,
tenderness giving way to raw need. The Cardassian cried out,
shutting his eyes hard as he gave in to the sensation of
being loved by Julian Bashir, coming. At the same time
Julian shuddered above him, crying out as he felt Garak's
seed splash against his stomach.

After what seemed like hours of lovemaking though it was
probably only a few minutes, Julian rolled off Garak and
they both gasped for air, sweat dripping from their bodies.
Garak's heart was pounding so hard for a moment he thought
he might be having a heart attack. "That was..." His voice
sounded strange to his own ears as his thumping heart tried
to drown it out. "That was good."

"Very good," Julian agreed, feeling sleepy but content.

"No, that was very, very good," Garak said in amazement. "In
fact, I don't think I've ever had sex that good in my entire
life."

Julian rolled on his side to face Garak, his arm propping up
his head against the pillow, "Really?" He grinned, "The best
you ever had?"

"Really." Garak turned to look at him, willing his sated
body to move. "It was...I've never gotten an erection back
that fast and that thing you did to me? No one's ever done
that before."

"Which thing?" Julian asked in surprise.

"The second thing," Garak answered. "You know, when you put
your mouth under there?"

"Ooh." Julian frowned. "No one's ever done that to you
before?"

"No," he answered. "I guess I've never had anyone want to do
that to me before now."

"So I was your first?" Julian seemed inordinately pleased
with himself.

"For that, yes," Garak replied, running his hand down
Julian's chest.

"I wonder if there's anything else I could do to you that
you haven't done before?" Julian asked with a scandalous
grin and he caught Garak's hand, then nibbled at his
textured fingertips.

"You could try, you never know," Garak breathed as Julian
leaned in for a kiss.

"We're going to have to take a shower later but right now
all I want to do is hold you in my arms and get some sleep,"
Julian said, pulling Garak to him and letting the Cardassian
lay his head on his chest.

"You are a treasure, Julian Bashir," he said, the thumping
of the other man's heart lulling him into sleep.

"A treasure? No one's ever called me that," Julian murmured.

"You are a treasure beyond price and I would do anything
just to see you smile and to be held just like this." Garak'
breathing was beginning to slow and he let his eyes fall
shut.

Julian made small circles on Garak's back and caressed the
tender scales between his shoulders. "Anything?"

"Mmm," Garak responded, his mind already beginning to slip
away.

"So you won't mind me giving you a hand with the
investigation then?"

The Cardassian's eyes suddenly popped open with anger.

"Go. Home."

"But Garak-"

"Out!"

"Garak wait!"

"NOW!"

"Listen to me dammit-!"

"I cannot believe that you ruined what could have possibly
been the - you need to leave!" Garak arose from the bed,
wrapping the top sheet around his waist. He stumbled
slightly but didn't stop until he was through the living
room and to the door, slapping the panel angrily.

"I told you I was sorry!" Julian said plaintively. Tugging
on his pants and carrying his shoes with his shirt and
jacket slung over his arm.

"And then you tried to manipulate me!" Garak nearly shouted,
"Not that I don't appreciate your methods, DOCTOR Bashir,
but I have a lot of work to do and I would appreciate it if
you would go to your own quarters!"

"Well, if we can't discuss this, then at least we could just
go to bed, right? It's late and we could both use some
sleep. We can work this out over breakfast." Julian smiled
and held out his arms invitingly.

"I think I'd rather sleep with Gul Dukat without the benefit
of an antiviral chaser than spend one more minute in your
company. Good night, doctor!" Garak was practically seething
with anger.

Julian walked out of the door quietly then turned, "Garak,
if you would just-"

"And as for needing your help with anything, *doctor*, I can
damn well get the DNA myself and, if it comes to it, the
autopsy, too! It can't be that hard if you could figure it
out!" Garak slapped the panel and punched in a lock out
sequence. If Julian Bashir wanted any more sex, he could go
screw himself. "I hope you step on something sharp on the
way to the turbolift!" he shouted at the closed door.

---
Chapter 3: Bashir goes snooping
---

"Garak? Open the door! We can work this out." Julian hit
the buzzer again. "Come on, sweetheart! It's just a little 
misunderstanding! It's our day off tomorrow and I was
going to make you breakfast. You know how you like fresh
scones! I have everything set up in my quarters, Garak.
Open up, I'm tired!"

//Shove your scones, Bashir! And if you don't leave my door
I'm calling security!//, came Garak's response over the door
intercom.

Julian heard a stifled laugh and spun around to find Garak's
neighbor and a female companion staring at him, snickering
at his disheveled, half- dressed state as he stood gaping at
the door of Garak's quarters. "Um, doc...?" Ensign Patrick
said, his voice trailing off as he looked down pointedly and
his girlfriend giggled.

"What?" Julian looked down and blushed. "Oh. OH!" He zipped
up his pants, then quickly then doubled over in pain. "Shit!
Dammit!" He tugged at his crotch and his eyes began to water
profusely.

The man grabbed his girlfriend's hand and they hurried into
his quarters leaving Julian cursing and pulling at his
crotch. He kicked Garak's door, then howled and hopped on
one foot. "Dammit!"

When there was no response, Julian limped toward the
turbolifts. As he stepped inside and commanded the computer
to take him to his quarters he straightened and mumbled,
"This is definitely not going the way I planned."

---

The next morning Julian awoke in his quarters with a sense
of purpose. It was Friday, both his and Garak's day off.
Garak always closed the shop on Fridays because it was the
Bajorans' day of worship and, being the lone Cardassian on
the station, the last thing he felt he needed to do was
further irritate his landlords by selling his wares on their
Sabbath. This meant that Garak would be holed up in his
quarters hacking through Bajoran encryptions and such,
smouldering over last night's fight. By now, news of their
late night argument was probably all over the station, not
that he cared. It was an unpleasant turn of events, yes, but
it was his own fault as much as Garak's. He should have
anticipated that Garak's stubborn nature would get the
better of him. Julian had decided to deal with this
situation in a more constructive way. He had decided to
conduct his own investigation, then present the evidence to
Garak with all the grace and dignity he was capable of.
Garak would then apologize, and, naturally, Julian would
forgive him with a gentle reminder that had he just
listened, they could have worked this out much sooner.

One couldn't fully blame Garak for his behavior, really. He
had put his proverbial foot in it and it was perfectly in
keeping with who he was to say the absolutely wrong thing to
a lover. Julian had never really excelled at the art of
conversation - debate, yes, not pillow talk. His 
experiences in physical and emotional intimacy were somewhat
limited. Since coming to Deep Space Nine, he had sex with
some women and a few men, but they had mostly been Bajoran
or human, and none of them had prepared him for his
relationship with the Cardassian. Garak was a different
experience altogether. He was a contradiction. First off,
while mildly effete, he was very much a man. He had his
moments of feminine hysteria, like last night, but that was
probably due to his artistic temperament. At the same time,
he could be very logical and highly intelligent. Once Julian
showed him that he was capable of providing a valuable
contribution to this investigation, he was sure Garak would
let him participate.

Julian formulated a quick plan as he got dressed, opting for
his uniform instead of his usual off-duty clothes. On
Fridays he would either hit the holosuites for a bit of
adventuring or, as of the last few weeks at least, he and
Garak would spend the day together either in his or Garak's
quarters or out and about enjoying one another's company.
Since Garak despised the Starfleet uniforms, Julian usually
wore a nice suit to their dinners or a comfortable pair of
jeans and a sweater when at home.

"Sweater," Julian said quietly, reaching for the thin dark
blue sweater hanging in his wardrobe and rubbing the silky
weave between two fingers. He'd bought that sweater the
first weekend he and Garak decided to play tourist and visit
some of the newer shops along the Promenade they'd never
been to before. They had a nice brunch together, then gone
shopping. Garak wanted him to buy a tan sweater, saying it
would better suit his complexion. He'd chosen this one
instead because it reminded him of Garak's eyes. When he'd
said that, Garak first looked startled, then said, "My eyes
are not that color." He responded by saying that obviously
Garak had never looked in a mirror when he was in the middle
of an orgasm."

They quickly paid for the sweater, then spent the rest of
the day in bed.

"Are you still knitting that sweater for me, I wonder?"
Julian mused aloud, "Or are you so angry that you've tossed
it in the recycler?"

He didn't like fighting with Garak. He just wanted things to
be back to the way they were. Things had been going so
smoothly up until this point and he wanted to walk into the
next room and see Garak lounging on the couch doing a puzzle
and humming along with whatever was playing over the
computer's sound system. He wanted him back where he
belonged. Although he needed his own private time during the
week to refresh and regenerate, on the weekends he had
gotten used to not sleeping alone. The sex was better than
he ever imagined, but the lack of company, their link, is
what he missed most. When he initiated his relationship with
the tailor, he never expected he would wind up feeling this
way.

Julian shook off the morbid mood that had come over him and
quickly put on his uniform. This whole situation was
spiraling out of control. He'd tried to say he was sorry the
night before and Garak had thrown him out of his quarters.
Now, it was Garak's turn to apologize and once he had gotten
the information he needed, he'd present it to Garak and the
Cardassian would rush to make amends.

Julian walked out of his quarters, took the turbolift to the
Promenade, then exited, heading toward Odo's office. There
were two things he could absolutely count on when it came to
the constable: His paranoia and distrust of Garak, and his
daily schedule which he kept with religious accuracy.

He needed to be able to identify the aunt in order to find
the niece, but to do that he'd need Odo's surveillance
footage. He knew, though, that if he merely told Odo what he
needed, the constable (being a stickler for protocol) would
contact Major Kira. Since Kira was somewhat involved with
Shakaar, the investigation would likely end before it had
even begun. Julian went to the little coffee shop across
from the security office and waited for Odo to emerge while
he pretended to type on a PADD, as he ate a bearclaw. He
didn't have long to wait. Precisely at 0830 hours, Odo
emerged and headed toward the turbolifts to Ops for his
daily security report with Captain Sisko. Julian grabbed his
PADD and casually wandered into Odo's office.

"Dr. Bashir? Isn't today your day off?"

Julian smiled at the man sitting at the receptionist desk.
"Good morning, Leanis! Yes it is, but Odo needed some follow
up information from that nasty business we had last month.
Is he in?"

"No sir, you just missed him. Can I take the files for you?"
he asked politely.

"That's okay, I can leave it on his desk. Odo said if I
missed him to go right in, he left a PADD for me to read
through and sign. You know how the Bajoran and Federation
legal systems are - everything has to be done  in
triplicate. Personally, I don't understand why I have to do
all this paperwork. It seems to me that we have that so
called 'Colonel' dead to rights."

Tell me about it, that's all I've been working on for the
last month!" Sargent Leanis said. "Normally I wouldn't let
anyone into the Constable's private office, but since it's
you, doctor..."

"Thanks. Odo said it would take a while. Any idea if I'll be
out of here by lunch, or do I need to order in?" Bashir
smiled and winked.

Leanis returned the man's grin and pointed to a large stack
of PADDs on his desk. "I don't know exactly what he wants
you to sign, but given what I've had to type up lately, it
might take a while. I'm fairly certain you can get through
it within a reasonable amount of time, though. Just make
sure you read your statement thoroughly and if you find any
discrepancies, let me know and I'll make any corrections you
need." Leanis looked at the coffee cup in Julian's hand. "Is
that from the new place across the Promenade?"

"Yes, it is. It's a pretty nice little place, actually. The
pastries are wonderful." Julian lowered his voice, "If you
wanted to sneak away  for a few minutes and treat yourself,
I promise I won't say anything."

"I couldn't-" the young man said, eyeing Julian's cup with
envy. "I can wait until the constable comes back."

"Are you sure?" Julian asked, "You know how dreadfully long
those meetings can get."

"No, I-well..."

Julian, seeing the man's hesitation, forced his smile to
remain casual and relaxed.

"I do have to go to the head," Leanis said in a low voice.
"You wouldn't mind watching the desk for me? I'll be back in
five minutes, tops!"

"Grab a cup of coffee while you're up," Julian said
smoothly. "And you have to get one of their doughnuts. The
bearclaw I ate was as big as my head."

"Pretty good, huh?" the young man said wistfully as he
looked over toward the shop. "Yeah, maybe I will-that is, if
you don't mind?"

"Go on, and hey," Julian finished his coffee and handed
Leanis the  cup, "Mind getting me a refill while you're over
there? I didn't sleep very well last ...

"Sure thing, doc!" Leanis got up from the desk and took the
cup. "Want anything besides the coffee?"

"I shouldn't, but...get me one of those Develian Cream
eclairs, would you? I think my waistline can handle it." He
chuckled. "Just don't go blabbing about it to my patients.
Wouldn't look good to see the CMO stuffing his face with
sweets this early in the day!"

"Man, that does sound good!" Leanis's mouth was practically
watering. "I'll be right back."

"No problem," Julian said as Leanis buzzed him into Odo's
office.

"Just comm me if you need anything!" Leanis said as he
headed toward the shop.

"If anyone could see this they'd say that sleeping with a
Cardassian is beginning to rub off on you, Bashir," Julian
said to himself as the door closed behind him.

Julian sat behind Odo's desk and began to access his
terminal. If he tried to hack into Odo's files without his
password, all kinds of alarms would probably go off.
Luckily, he had a back door. He reached into his pocket and
pulled out a small cylinder-shaped instrument about three
centimeters long. He turned the device on and connected it
to an access port on Odo's terminal. He'd kept the
instrument well hidden, even from Garak. He had his own
secrets, and if anyone began to suspect him of something, he
had wanted the means to protect them. Within a few moments,
the terminal's interface flashed and Julian was inside.

The way the device worked was ingeniously simple. Instead of
trying to access encrypted information, it counted
keystrokes and determined which words or codes were used
most often and when. It then quickly ran through the list of
keystrokes until it came up with a likely password. The
device, known as a code stylus, was very illegal and very
high tech. He had bought it from someone he'd met through
Morn. Luckily for him, Morn owed the doctor a few favors,
and if nothing else, could be depended on to keep his mouth
shut. Within seconds, Julian had full access to Odo's files.
He scanned through the video files from yesterday, but found
nothing related to Garak's shop.

"Apparently, when he told me he disabled Odo's bugs, he
wasn't kidding." Julian's brow wrinkled in frustration.

Julian scrolled through the files and came across one
labeled, "Main Promenade". "Okay, let's see just how
thorough Odo is with his security feeds."

Sure enough, there was Garak's shop, although the video was
taken from a great distance. He scrolled though the feed
until he saw a woman walk toward Garak's shop and enter.
Unfortunately, he couldn't zoom in enough to see her face
clearly, so he advanced the footage until she left and
noticed she paused to speak to a few Bajorans along the way.
In one frame she was standing near the Bajoran restaurant
across from the Temple. Julian went back to the list of
files and found the security camera nearest the restaurant.
He fast-forwarded until he came to the correct time code,
and sure enough, there she was. "A Vedek? Now that is rather
unexpected."

He didn't recognize her, but then again, Bajoran Vedeks
often came onto DS9 to talk with Captain Sisko. His position
as Emissary meant that besides running the station he was
also a religious figure to those faithful to the Prophets.
He downloaded her picture into his PADD, and decided to pay
a visit to the Temple. Julian started to get up, then
paused. He scrolled back through the security files and
finally found some footage with Garak's name listed from
about a week ago. "That must have been before he disabled
the cameras," Julian muttered. One particular file caught
his attention. It was labeled, 'Garak-901'. "That's his
quarters."

Julian punched a key and the next thing he knew, he was
looking at video feed from inside Garak's quarters. The
camera was looking down at the living area, above the sofa.
As Julian watched, images of he and Garak stumbling into
view filled the monitor. Garak was tearing at Julian's
clothes while they kissed, falling onto the couch where they
began to make love. He saw his face melt in pleasure as
Garak writhed beneath him, his eyes shut tight. Without
thinking, Julian began to delete the feed. The next thing he
knew, an alarm went off in the office and he quickly
disconnected the code stylus and turned off the monitor.

Leanis rushed into the room. "Doctor? What happened?"

"Oh!" Julian picked up his PADD and arose from Odo's chair,
"I dropped my PADD on Odo's keyboard. Oops." He shrugged.

"Oh, yeah, he's got the computer set up so if you enter an
incorrect password the alarm goes off," Leanis reached over
and punched a few buttons, turning off the alarm. "It's
okay, I've set that thing off myself. You find everything
you need?"

"Yes, it wasn't nearly as interminable as I expected."
Julian patted a stack of PADDs on the corner of the desk.
"Is my coffee out there?"

"Yes sir, on the desk." Leanis looked at Julian curiously,
"Say, doc, are you feeling okay? Your color is a little
off."

Julian blocked the images from Odo's monitor out of his mind
and tried to smile. "Like I told you before, I didn't sleep
well last night. In fact, now that I'm done here, I'm
probably going to take a nap or something."

"Well, anyway, thanks for watching the office for me,"
Leanis said as he followed Julian out of the room. "Don't
forget your coffee and eclair."

Julian picked them up and nodded. "I'll probably run into
Odo before I head back to my quarters, but on the off chance
I don't, if he asks tell him it's on his desk."

"No problem." Leanis waved as Julian left.

Later, he was definitely going to have to talk to Garak
about Odo's surveillance footage, that is, if Garak would
talk to him at all. The thought of Odo watching them while
they - Julian tensed. He couldn't have watched the whole
video or he surely would have heard from him by now. He
cleared his mind and headed toward the temple. He couldn't
worry about that now; he had to get Garak back and to do
that he needed to take an active role in this investigation.
Julian Bashir wasn't particularly religious, but he knew
most of the Bajorans who lived on the station, and the
doctor, for the last four years or so, had often volunteered
his medical services to the Bajoran Children's Project. He
entered the sanctuary and quietly made his way past the
worshipers to the office in the back. The temple secretary,
Milina, was busy tapping at her PADD and looked up as Julian
entered.

"Oh, hello! What can I help you with, doctor? If you want to
speak to Prylar Kelvin, he's in the middle of prayer...?"

"No, no, I just wanted to ask you a question." Julian pulled
out his PADD and showed her the woman's picture. "One of my
nurses said this woman came by the infirmary yesterday to
speak to me about my volunteer work on Bajor but I was out
and she didn't get the woman's name. I was just checking to
see if she was here."

"No," Milina said slowly, "That's Vedek Merel. She was here
yesterday, but she went back to Bajor. I'll bet she wanted
to ask you about the orphans!" She smiled, "The Vedek is
very dedicated to them. She's an amazing woman."

"Is she?" Julian asked curiously.

"Oh yes, in addition to all the social programs she has
initiated on Bajor, she also is First Vedek of the Capital
Temple. She's very close to the First Minister."

"I'm sorry I missed her then." Julian smiled. "I'm surprised
I've never heard of her."

Milina gestured for Julian to come closer and whispered,
"Between you and me, there's a lot of whispering among the
Vedeks that she should have been the one to succeed Kai
Opaka instead of Kai Winn. Politics," she shrugged. "She
does a lot of good work though. If Vedek Merel had become
Kai, she probably wouldn't have been able to make as much of
an impact as she has. The Kai, well, it seems the higher up
you get, the further away you have to keep yourself from the
people."

"Well, it seems like that would apply to Kai Winn," Julian
commiserated.

"Awful woman," Milina said quietly. "The Prylar would skin
me alive for saying so, but the last time she visited she
treated us like we were here to fetch and carry for her. Kai
Opaka was so much nicer."

"I agree," Julian smiled. "Thank you. I'll call down to
Bajor as soon as I get to my office and find out what she
needed."

"You're welcome, doctor, and please give the Vedek my
regards."

Julian exited the Temple and headed for the infirmary. Not
bad if I do say so myself, he thought. In less than an hour
he already had a great number of the pieces to the puzzle.
He still didn't know what would motivate a high ranking
Vedek to go to a Cardassian exile for help, but he now
understood her connection to Shakaar Edon. Now all he needed
was the name of her niece. It shouldn't be too hard. Despite
being cruel overlords, the Cardassians were very good at
keeping accurate records. During the occupation, all Bajoran
births were well documented. Julian could access the records
through the terminal in his office.

Julian was nearly at the infirmary when someone tapped his
shoulder. "Yes?" He turned to find Odo glaring at him along
with two security officers.

"Dr. Bashir, I'm afraid you're under arrest for illegally
accessing security files. Please follow me," Odo said in a
gravelly tone.

"I don't suppose I could explain -?"

"Explain it to the Captain," Odo interrupted him. "He's
waiting for us in his office." Odo held out his hand for
Julian to proceed. "After you, doctor."

From the look on Odo's face, this wasn't going to be
pleasant.

---

Sitting in the Captain's office while Odo and Sisko silently
stared him down like he was a schoolboy being sent to the
headmaster for a scolding, Julian lifted his chin a little
and made sure to keep a calm expression on his face.

"Dr. Bashir, would you mind explaining to us why you were
deleting secured files in Odo's office?"

Julian quickly and carefully considered his options. He
couldn't very well say that he was snooping around because
he was trying to get to the bottom of some mystery Garak was
working on, could he? Sisko would hardly be amused. His only
other option, even though it was a risk, was to come out
fighting. "Tell me sir, did Odo happen to tell you what was
on the file I was trying to delete?"

Both he and the Captain turned to Odo who was beginning to
look uncomfortable.

"No, he didn't." Benjamin Sisko eyed the changeling
curiously. "Constable?"

"It was surveillance footage of Garak," Odo said evenly.

"And why would you be deleting surveillance files of Garak's
shop, doctor?" The captain turned back to Julian.

"Not his shop, sir. His inner quarters," he replied
stone-faced.

"I see," Sisko said slowly. "I've heard some rumors to the
effect that you and Mr. Garak are involved."

"We are, sir," Julian replied evenly. "We haven't tried to
hide our relationship in any way, however, I do think some
things are best kept between consenting adults."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning sir, that the surveillance footage I attempted to
delete was of a sexual nature." Julian flushed at the words
and avoided looking at Odo.

"Is this true, Mr. Odo?" Sisko's face was beginning to
darken, from anger or embarrassment Julian couldn't tell but
it was probably a mixture of both.

"I assure you, Captain, I was unaware of their...personal
interaction until after the fact and the feeds were
disconnected," Odo said calmly.

"The feeds were disconnected because Garak disabled them,"
Julian pointed out.

"I did not look at them in their entirety and had I been
informed, doctor, that you and Mr. Garak-" Odo began before
Sisko cut him off.

"Mr. Odo, I understand that as the lone Cardassian aboard
the station it is important to keep track on Garak's
activities, but that doesn't excuse this type of invasion,"
the captain said tightly. "You will delete all files
collected from Mr. Garak's quarters, sight unseen. Are we
clear?"

"Yes, sir." Odo's face was tight and calm, but his voice had
a cool edge to it.

"In addition, you will disconnect those camera feeds
permanently, understood?"

"Of course," Odo agreed. "And, as I mentioned before, I
assure you, doctor, that I stopped watching the surveillance
as soon as I realized what was happening, I merely filed it
away."

"You should have deleted it. In fact, you should have never
had it to begin with," the captain looked livid. "Mr. Garak
did your office and this station a great favor when he and
the doctor brought that drug ring down. Admittedly, I don't
entirely trust Garak, but he still has a right to a certain
amount of privacy."

"Understood, sir," Odo said. "And I agree totally. I'm very
sorry, Dr. Bashir. I assure you that your private business
will remain private."

"Thank you," Julian nodded in Odo's direction. "I'm sure
Garak will appreciate that as well."

"Now, with that said, had you merely come to me and told me
what your concerns were, doctor, I would have had those
files deleted without you having to break and enter into
Odo's office," the captain leveled his dark gaze back toward
Julian. "However, as I understand it, those particular files
weren't the only ones you accessed. Mr. Odo was briefing me
on Vedek Merel's visit with Garak yesterday when you broke
into his files. I want to know what that has to do with
you."

Odo turned his piercing gaze toward Julian, "As soon as you
tried to delete that particular file, I was alerted and I
was able to find which video feeds you accessed. Given the
personal nature of your relationship with Garak, I'm
wondering why you felt the need to check up on his visitor
by breaking into my files. Why not just ask Garak?"

Damn. "That's a long story," Julian said, fidgeting in his
chair.

"Well, lucky for you, doctor, I'm in the mood to listen to
your tale. Where is Mr. Garak now?" The captain turned again
to Odo.

"I sent a security detail to fetch him. They should be here
momentarily," Odo answered.

"Anything you need to tell me before he gets here, doctor?"

"No, sir," Julian replied.

"Very well," the door to Sisko's office opened and Garak
stepped in. He was freshly showered and wearing casual
clothes, a simple black tunic and pants with a pair of soft
loafers. "Mr. Garak, glad you could join us."

"I didn't have a lot of choice in the matter, captain,"
Garak said. "Odo's men barely gave me time to throw on some
clothes. I almost arrived here wearing only a towel."

"I apologize for the inconvenience, Mr. Garak, but I'm
curious as to why you were entertaining Vedek Merel and what
that has to do with Dr. Bashir breaking into Odo's office?"

Garak looked at Julian in surprise. "You broke into Odo's
office?"

"Well...yes." Julian scowled at him.

"Why?" Garak seemed genuinely confused.

"To figure out who the woman was, of course," Julian said,
completely ignoring the fact that Odo and the captain were
looking on.

"No, I meant why did you have to break into Odo's office for
that?" Garak seemed almost amused. "I thought that by now
you would have learned to use a remote terminal for that
sort of thing. You never go into the proverbial lion's den
unless absolutely necessary, doctor."

Odo scowled, ignoring the insult Garak had just paid to his
security measures. "Answer the question, Garak."

"Vedek Merel was having a private fitting," Garak said
simply.

"Somehow, I doubt that," Odo muttered.

"Can you prove otherwise, Constable?" Garak shot back.

"Mr. Garak, Vedek Merel is a very important political and
religious figure on Bajor. Somehow I can't see her having
clothing tailored by a Cardassian exile, however talented he
may be," the captain leaned forward, eyeing Garak sharply.

"Why thank you, captain, I appreciate your confidence in my
workmanship." Garak beamed.

"I am not amused, Mr. Garak," Sisko said coolly. "Now tell
us what is going on."

"I'm afraid that I can't, sir," Garak said. "What the good
Vedek and I discussed was of a personal nature and of no
interest to you or the Federation. It was told to me in
private and if Vedek Merel did not share her confidence with
you, neither will I."

Benjamin Sisko leaned back into his chair and folded his
hands. "Very well, Mr. Garak. I can appreciate your loyalty
and your honesty." He turned to Odo. "Arrest Dr. Bashir for
breaking and entering and records tampering. I'll begin
court-martial proceedings as soon as I can contact Starfleet
Headquarters."

"What?" Julian sat up in his chair, "But captain, I-!"

"I'm sorry, doctor," the captain shrugged. "Since Mr. Garak
is unwilling to cooperate, I'm afraid that I have no choice
but to prosecute you."

"That makes no sense!" Julian burst out.

"You did violate security when you entered my office under
false pretenses, doctor," Odo pointed out.

"Yes, and the only thing I deleted was a sex tape you had of
me and Garak!" Bashir's face was red with frustration.

"You had a sex tape of us?" Garak turned to Odo. "Why
constable, does the Major know about your proclivities?

Odo squared his shoulders. "It was an accident."

"I think placing hidden cameras in a person's quarters and
then, apparently, keeping potentially embarrassing video
files on their sex lives seems fairly deliberate," Garak
said evenly.

"Mr. Garak-" the captain began.

"Captain, if you prosecute Dr. Bashir then the circumstances
of his capture will come into light. While Mr. Odo's
surveillance may or may not be legal given my indeterminate
status as a Cardassian exile, it would certainly cause a
great deal of embarrassment to your command," Garak said
evenly, "If you want me to tell you why Vedek Merel
approached me, fine. However, our discussion must be off the
record and private." He turned to Odo, "Not that I don't
trust you, despite your recent fascination with my love
life, but it is a private matter."

"Nothing about you or your love life fascinates me, Garak,"
Odo bit back.

"Then what exactly were those cameras doing in my quarters,
Constable?" Garak asked innocently. "I've seen those looks
you give me, you gorgeous blue-eyed devil. Why, if it
weren't for Julian..."

Odo started to make his rebuttal, but Sisko stopped him.
"Enough, gentlemen. Mr. Odo, if you wouldn't mind excusing
us, please?"

"Very well," Odo said stiffly then exited the room.

Julian looked over to Garak. "Is it all right if I stay?"

"Might as well. If I say no you'll probably just get into
trouble again," Garak replied.

"I wouldn't have gotten into trouble if you had just talked
to me instead of flying off the handle like you did!" Julian
returned.

"I wouldn't have gotten angry if you hadn't been patronizing
and condescending," Garak shot back.

Sisko rubbed his temples and took a deep breath. "Can we
just get on with this, please?"

"Very well, but only if I have your word that none of the
information I give will leave this room and that Dr.
Bashir's record will remain unblemished." Garak turned his
steely gaze toward the captain and awaited his reply.

"You have my word. Now talk," Sisko ordered.

Garak sat back in his chair, "Vedek Merel received an
anonymous tip that her grand-niece whom she had never met,
had been murdered by First Minister Shakaar."

Sisko blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I reviewed the information she was sent and it seems
credible. I don't know if Shakaar killed the girl, but I am
fairly certain they did know each other. I believe she may
have been his mistress."

"That's...quite a story," Sisko said carefully.

"Wait, I thought you said it was a little girl?" Julian
turned to Garak.

"I never said that. You just assumed it," Garak retorted.

"All right." Sisko held up his hands in defeat. "Get on with
it, please Mr. Garak."

Garak turned to the captain and continued. "I retrieved some
files from the Bajoran Central Archives and finally found
Kel Sinles's birth records. She is Vedek Merel's
grand-niece. I tried to find more, but I could not find
records of her clearance to work in the sex trade - or any
arrest record, for that matter."

"She was a prostitute?" Julian asked in surprise.

"The source said she was, but I couldn't find any proof of
it." Garak turned to the captain. "Prostitution is legal in
certain provinces on Bajor. Had she been a legal sex worker,
she should have been registered. If she was working
illegally, she'd never been arrested or fined."

"Anything else?" Sisko asked.

"I wasn't able to find any more information on her other
than her birth records. I have a picture and I know that she
bears a resemblance to Vedek Merel and that the woman in the
picture looks to be 20 or so, which is how old Kel Sinles
would be now," Garak shrugged, "I really don't have much
else as of yet. The Vedek came to me because she knew I had
some contacts and she also knew that as a Cardassian, if I
told anyone about this investigation, I wouldn't be a
credible witness. The informant said that Sinles was
blackmailing Shakaar and he accidently killed her and
disposed of the body. I don't know if it's true, but so far
the rest of the information she was given appears to be
accurate."

"I know Shakaar, and I doubt if he would be capable of
something like that." Sisko shook his head.

"I've seen a lot of men do things they didn't think they
were capable of, Captain. Shakaar is up for re-election and
the opposition has a lot of support from Kai Winn and the
conservatives. This could be true or it could be a ploy to
discredit him and Vedek Merel. That's why she asked me to
look in on it for her." Garak paused. "On the off chance it
is true, if Starfleet gets involved, Shakaar could destroy
all of the evidence before we can bring it to the Bajoran
authorities. If it's not true, starting an official
investigation this late into his campaign will ruin his
chances of being re-elected and Bajor would not likely be
joining the Federation at any time in the near future. As I
understand it, Krath Milnar, the conservative candidate, is
vehemently opposed to it."

Sisko stared at his hands, deep in thought. Finally, he
looked up and said, "Continue with your investigation.
Officially, I can't know anything about it, but unofficially
I want you to report anything you find directly to me. If
you need any resources from us, they're yours, but I want
you to work with Dr. Bashir on this." When it looked like
they both might have something to say about that, he held up
one hand to silence them. "I don't want to hear about it.
Whatever your personal problems are, work through them. I
want Dr. Bashir on this. If we need to back up any evidence
you uncover, frankly a decorated Starfleet officer might be
seen as a more credible witness to the Bajoran courts than a
Cardassian tailor."

"Understood, Captain," Garak acknowledged.

"Yes, sir," Julian nodded.

"Excellent," Sisko smiled. "I'll expect you to report to me
regularly on this. Dismissed."

Julian and Garak both headed out of the office toward the
turbolifts. As the doors closed, Julian turned to Garak,
"Can I ask you something?" Garak looked at him curiously.
"When I mentioned the surveillance video of us - you know,
you didn't seem all that shocked. Why not?"

"That's because I already knew about the cameras," Garak
replied.

"You knew?!?" Julian's face went beet red. "You knew Odo
could - would - saw that and you didn't tell me?"

"Why do you think he didn't complain when I disconnected all
of his cameras the next day?" Garak said with a smile,
leaving Julian to glare at him in silence.

---
Chapter Four: The Game is Afoot.
---

Garak sat at the desk tapping on the keyboard as Julian
lounged on the couch, his PADDs piling up around him. For
the last two days that they had worked together, their only
conversation had been in reference to which foods they
wanted replicated or to ask the other person to pass them a
PADD. It had been a war of silence, and frankly, Garak was
tiring of it.

"Julian?"

"What?" Julian asked in a bored, slightly abrupt tone.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Julian asked. "I'm the one who can't keep
himself out of trouble." He clicked through a few screens on
his PADD, not bothering to look up. "After all, I'm the one
who panicked and deleted files just because I saw my naked
butt bobbing up and down on Odo's monitor. I should have
done like you and been all casual about it. Maybe give him
the thumbs up right before my big finish? You know how proud
I am of that swivel move I do with my hips!"

Garak threw his hands up in frustration and pushed his chair
away from the desk to look at his lover. "I'm trying to
apologize here. If you keep it up, I'm going to have to
think of Odo's face when he saw us and start laughing so
hard the apology won't seem genuine anymore."

"Personally, I think he saved it so he could learn my
techniques, that way when he finally does get into Kira's
knickers he'll actually have something to show her," the
doctor muttered darkly.

"My darling Julian, the man is a shapeshifter. He could out
maneuver both of us with his eyes closed." Garak sighed.
"Believe me, as aggravating as the man is, I've considered
the possibilities. Why Major Kira hasn't I'll never know."

"Somehow I don't think you're his type," Julian said,
dropping his PADD on his lap and rubbing his eyes wearily.

"The question is," Garak said, getting up from behind the
desk and walking until he stood above Julian, "am I still
your type?"

Julian looked up and said, "Of course! I'm just feeling
pissy because I made a horse's arse out of myself and
managed to do it in front of Sisko of all people! The man
hardly seems to tolerate me as is. Then, to top it all off,
here I was set to prove to you how clever I could be and you
had to save my career because I made some damned foolish
mistake. I guess those spy holonovels didn't teach me as
much as I thought they had." Julian sat up, pulling his feet
off the couch to make room for Garak. "I suppose the reason
I've been acting so cold for the last two days is because my
pride is stinging."

"You have nothing to be ashamed of," Garak said, sitting
down and cupping his cheek. "You have the most marvelous
mind and you heal people! If I had your intelligence and
your dedication-well, not that it needs to be said, but, I
admire you very much. I still can't figure out how you got
past all the encryptions."

Julian looked at his hands and smiled slightly, "Well, I do
have a trick or three. Nothing on your level, of course."

Garak grinned. "And so modest! It took me weeks to crack
Odo's codes and you did it in a matter of a few minutes.
We'll make a spy out of you yet! With those results I think
I'll start playing those holo-adventures myself!"

Julian kissed Garak on the mouth softly. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For not rubbing it in. I was an arrogant, egotistical,
condescending idiot and you could have really let fly and
been perfectly justified, yet here you are making me feel
better," Julian said. "Why are you so good to me?"

"Probably because I want to have sex again in this lifetime,
but instead I'll say it's because you've been a good
influence on me."

"Good answer," Julian said, leaning in for another kiss.

After a minute or two, Garak pulled away with a groan, "If
we keep this up, we'll wind up in bed and we'll never sort
this mess out."

"Let's just forget about it and go to bed then," Julian
suggested. "We've been at this for the better part of two
days and the most we've come up with is that Kel Sinles was
a good student and the last thing either of us found was
some accounting records showing she worked for a library
half a world away from where her picture was taken during
the debate Shakaar had with Krath Milnar."

"It's not adding up," Garak said, obviously frustrated. "How
does an intelligent young woman who has an interest in
library sciences wind up becoming a blackmailing mistress to
a politician? I think we're going about this case in the
wrong way."

"How do you mean?"

"I mean, we're dealing with far too much information," Garak
said, rising from the couch so he could pace back and forth.
"We're concentrating too hard on details we already know. We
need to stick to the basics and work from there!"

"We...well, we want to know where the Vedek's niece is,
right?" Julian asked.

"Exactly, at the heart of it, that is essentially what we
want to know!" Garak turned to look at his companion. "Think
about it. If this were simply a missing persons case - no
political intrigue, no murder investigation - would we be
relying so heavily on the information we were sent? No. Thus
far we've used this anonymously sent PADD and have been
trying to find facts which fit what it tells us. It's not
bearing fruit! I say we pursue the Kel Sinles we know
exists. We know where she was born, we know that she paid
taxes and held a job, we know according to the Provisional
Government that no death certificate has been issued for
her. That is who we need to track down!" He picked up the
PADD and looked at her picture, showing it to Julian, "Look
at this woman: that is not a librarian from a backwater
town. That woman is wearing the latest hand tailored Bajoran
fashions, her skin and hair are flawless. That is not the
face or the style of a woman who spends her days cataloguing
data! This is a woman with a certain amount of street smarts
and cunning. It doesn't add up."

Julian took the PADD and examined it, then looked up,
"People change, they grow! Shakaar could have bought her the
clothes and the hair and makeup are merely cosmetic. All I
see is a picture of a beautiful girl around 19 or 20. I
think you're relying too heavily on instinct."

"Instinct, my dear, is why I'm still alive," Garak said
simply. "No, I have to say the problem I'm having with this
is the fact that I haven't been following my instincts." He
tapped the PADD in Julian's hand. "This is leading us on a
wild goose chase! We need to look for Sinles where we know
she was last. We need to go to Bajor, specifically to the
Belava Provence, and find that library where she worked.
Even if no one knows where she went from there, we can at
least confirm that this is her picture and maybe get a
handle on how she thought. I need to know who she really was
so I can predict where she'd go from there."

"Bajor?" Julian put down his PADD and thought about it. "It
won't be easy getting you there. Not many people are going
to want to answer a Cardassian's questions."

"True." Garak sighed and sat back down on the couch.

"I could go alone, or we could place a call down there from
here?"

"No," Garak said, "for something like this we really need to
be down there together. There are subtle physical cues to
watch for, plus I want to walk in her footsteps, see what
she has seen...I have to go." He turned to Julian, "Tell
Sisko we need a transport to Bajor first thing in the
morning. I'll contact Merel Atina and tell her what we're
planning to do and ask that she send her assistant to meet
us. His presence could help open some doors which would
otherwise remain shut."

"Any idea how long we'll be staying?" Julian asked.

"More than a day, possibly a week or more. We'll have to
pack and we'll need lodging," Garak said thoughtfully. "I
know a Bolean on the station who does some specialty
lacework for me from time to time. I can get him to take
over running the shop for a week. Merel said her order would
give me shelter if we needed it so that's done. As long as
Sisko approves you taking some time away from your duties to
go to Bajor, we should be set."

"Looks like we're going to Bajor."

"Looks like it."

"So," Julian said, casually placing his arm around Garak, "I
guess we should think about going to bed and getting some
sleep?"

Garak turned to the doctor slowly. "Sleep sounds good," he
smiled, "but first..."

A few minutes later, Julian gasped, "I like this plan so
far."

---

They landed the shuttle near the monastery gate. A tall,
grey-haired man wearing the bright blue robes of a ranjen
approached them as they stepped out into the bright sun.
"Mr. Garak, Dr. Bashir," he said, nodding at the two of
them, "I am Owin Grea, Vedek Merel's ranjen. Please come in.
The prylars have made us lunch so that we can discuss our
business together."

"Thank you," Garak said, looking around at the structures as
they entered the gate. "It's very beautiful."

"It is," Julian agreed, breathing in the sweet smell of the
fruit ripening on the trees, "and not at all what you'd
expect a monastery to look like.

Owin chuckled. "Oh yes, I had heard in some of the human
religions, monks live a very spartan existence. The members
of our sect do not live extravagantly, but they do live
well. This particular monastery harvests the fruit of the
Agauba trees to make everything from preserves to natural
medicines. They are completely self reliant. All the grains,
fruit, and vegetables they need are grown right here. They
keep cows for milk and braga fowl for eggs, and each one of
the Prylars has a background in animal husbandry or
agriculture." He pointed to some children playing near a
well. "They also have an orphanage here where the children
are taught a skill or trade so that when they are old enough
to leave, they will be able to support themselves."

Garak looked closely at the features of one of the children.
"He's part Cardassian."

"Oh yes." Owin nodded and smiled kindly at Garak. "I chose
this as your home base exactly for that reason. Many of the
children here are of Cardassian descent. They call this the
Forgotten Children's Home. Some of the monks here are also
of Cardassian lineage, and were hidden here during the
occupation because of the purity laws sent down by the
Military State. The villagers near by have learned to be
tolerant of us and trade easily with the monks, and they,
for the most part, feel no need to leave the confines of
these walls. It is a place for joy and self-reflection."

"Half-Cardassian monks?" Julian asked. "I've never heard of
that."

"Our numbers are not many, but we exist." An older man with
slightly softened Cardassian features and the nose ridges of
a Bajoran approached them from where he had been working the
soil of a small vegetable plot. He was wearing the rough
brown work robes of a Prylar and smiled at them both. "May
the Prophets guide you both to what you seek, I am Danna
Bril. I will help you find whatever you need during your
stay with us."

Owin bowed his head slightly in the other man's direction
and touched his ear in blessing. "May the Prophets bless
you."

"And you as well, Ranjen," Danna returned. He looked at
Garak curiously. "It is a pleasure to meet you both,
especially you, Mr. Garak. You are welcome to stay with us
for as long as you like."

"Thank you," Garak said. "I'm looking forward to trying some
of those preserves Ranjen Owin was telling us about."

"We have some excellent, full-bodied wines as well! Please,
follow me."

The lunch was simple but well prepared and after eating, the
Prylar excused himself to return to his weeding leaving them
with Owin Grea to discuss the case. "Vedek Merel said that
you tracked her niece to a village near here?"

"We found some employment records saying she worked at a
library," Garak elaborated. "We need to travel there this
afternoon to ask some questions."

"Ah yes, I know where that is. As I said, the villagers
there are used to our presence. If you have any trouble
accessing any records, just tell them to contact me here.
I'm not leaving for several more hours. The village is less
than two kilometers from here. You can walk or use one of
the land transports the Prylars keep. When you return, Danna
will show you to your rooms."

"Thank you for your hospitality," Garak said.

"Yes, thank you; lunch was delicious," Julian agreed.

"Thank you." Owin bowed his head in acceptance. "Just find
Sinles, please. I'm afraid this whole business as worn
heavily on the Vedek. I'm ready to see it done, whatever the
outcome."

"That's our intention," Garak said, his voice confident. "By
the end of today, one way or another, I intend to find
someone who knew this girl."

"Prylar Danna is not aware of the specifics of your mission,
just that you are looking to reunite a woman with her
family. If you need anything, ask him, but the Vedek
requests you keep the information as confidential as
possible. He knows that I have authorized him to provide you
with any documentation or contacts you require and will not
ask you any questions specific to the case. If you need me,
for anything, call me on the communications console in your
quarters and I will be available day or night. May the
Prophets aid you both in your search."

"I'm not a particularly religious man," Garak said, "but
I'll take help where ever I can get it. Thank you."

---

The Belava Provence wasn't quite a backwater village, but it
certainly wasn't very large. People milled around, wandering
in and out of some of the quaint shops and restaurants.
There was a farmer's market filled with some of the early
harvest and children ran about playing between the fruit
stands, snatching small grapes and eating them while the
fruit sellers were distracted. All in all, picture perfect.
Hardly the type of place you'd expect a sophisticated
politician's mistress to call home.

Garak received a few glares, but as the Ranjen had said,
most of the villagers ignored his presence. "I think that
large central building is the library," Garak said, pointing
to a tall white structure on the main street.

"It does fit the description Owin gave us," Julian agreed
and they walked in together.

The library was big and dimly lighted to protect the few
paper scrolls and books that it contained. Most of the room
was taken up by the large tables and many chairs in which
sat various students, citizens, and a few clergy who were
examining various documents and terminals. They quietly made
their way to the information desk where a small boned woman
with brown hair and eyes was typing at her computer. "Miss?"

The woman turned to Garak and almost did a spit take. "You -
hello? You're...not one of the Prylars, are you?"

"No, I'm not," Garak said easily. "I'm here looking for
someone who worked here recently."

"Okay." She looked at him askance. "How may I help you?"

"Have you ever seen this woman?" Julian asked, handing her
the PADD with Kel Sinles's image.

"No..." she said, examining it with a frown. "I've worked
here for nearly three years and I've never even seen this
woman. When did you say she worked here?"

"It would have been while you were here," Garak said, his
voice tight with disappointment. "Is there any chance she
may have worked on a different shift or are there any other
libraries near here?"

"No, sorry," she said, then gestured toward an older woman
who was bent over the terminal of a young boy, tapping on
his keyboard and showing him something on the monitor.
"That's Mrs. Dekalpa, our head librarian. She might know who
this is. She works with most of the students and tends to
have a better memory for faces than I do."

They thanked her, then walked over to the older woman who
straightened when she noticed them approaching. "Gentlemen,"
she greeted.

"Good afternoon, madam," Garak nodded respectfully. "May we
borrow a moment of your time?"

"How may I help you?" she asked, looking from one man to the
other.

Julian handed her the PADD. "We're looking for this woman.
Your records show she was recently employed here. Do you
know where she is?"

"I'm sorry, but this woman has never been here," she said,
examining the picture and frowning.

"Look carefully," Garak urged. "Her name is Kel Sinles,
she's 20 years old and she was hired a few years ago."

"What did you say?" She looked up sharply.

"Kel Sinles," Garak repeated. "Do you know her?"

"I know Sinles, yes, but this isn't her." The woman
chuckled. "I'm afraid you gentlemen have been misinformed.

"We were told this woman may have been the victim of foul
play," Julian said, pointing to the girl's image.

"That's a shame," Mrs. Dekalpa said softly, "but Sinles is
very alive and well."

"Where can we find her? Sinles?" Garak asked.

"You already have. She's at the information desk."

---

"My great aunt? But I don't have any family."

They were in the office. Garak and Julian stood across from
Sinles and Mrs. Dekalpa and were trying to explain why they
were there without giving away too many details of the case.
"Vedek Merel. She's your grandmother's sister. She didn't
even know you were alive until recently," Julian said.

"And what exactly does this have to do with the blonde girl
in the picture?" Mrs. Dekalpa asked curiously.

"Someone told the Vedek that this was Sinles and that she
had gone missing about a month ago. She asked that we help
find her," Garak said carefully. "I realize this has come as
a shock, but Merel Atina genuinely wants to get to know you.
She was separated from her sister and assumed she was killed
during the Occupation; that's why she never looked for you.
She's been searching ever since she discovered you existed."

"That I existed or this woman?" Sinles asked coolly.

"You," Julian reassured. "That was just some bad information
she received from an anonymous source. She'll be thrilled
when we tell her you're alive and healthy."

"I'm not interested in meeting her," Sinles said simply,
putting the PADD back down on the desk.

"Sinles," Mrs. Dekalpa began.

"No," Sinles turned to look at her. "My parents died when I
was 15. If you and your husband hadn't taken me in, I would
have had to live with the Prylars or at some other
orphanage. She didn't care enough to find me until she saw
this...this - whoever this is, and frankly, she can keep
looking. Tell her I don't need her."

"We'll tell her," Julian said reluctantly, "but if you
change your mind..."

"I won't."

"Come on, doctor," Garak said, "Ladies."

As they walked out of the library toward the monastery,
Julian turned to Garak. "That's so sad."

"What is?"

"That girl. All those years alone and she doesn't want to
meet her only living relative? The Vedek is going to be
crushed."

"We have bigger problems to worry about than that, doctor,"
Garak said cryptically.

"What problems? We found the girl, the job is done," Julian
said simply.

"Half done," Garak corrected. "We found Kel Sinles, not the
girl in the picture."

"So?" Julian said in confusion. "The informant got the facts
wrong. It's obvious that Kel Sinles isn't anyone's mistress
and we know she's still alive. The Vedek just wanted to find
her niece."

"We'll see," was all Garak would say. "We shall certainly
see."

---
Chapter Five: Settling for Second Best
---

They ate a delicious, if rather subdued dinner that night
and afterward were shown to the visitor's housing by the
Prylar. "There are two bedrooms," he pointed to two doors
across from one another, "and this is the main living area.
There is a bathroom behind that door. Only one, I'm afraid,"
he apologized. "The communications terminal is on the desk
near the window. There is no kitchen, but if you get hungry
the dining hall isn't locked. Help yourself, just make sure
to clean up whatever dishes you use. We don't have
replicators here." He opened the door and smiled. "If you
gentlemen need anything, just ask. There are extra blankets
in the closets and wood near the fireplace. It will get cold
tonight, so you may want to start a fire now. Sunset is in
twenty minutes or so and the temperatures fall rapidly here
in the hills."

"Thank you," Garak said. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Yes," Julian said, looking around at the simply furnished
but very comfortable room, "this is wonderful."

"Blessings of the Prophets on you both, then. Goodnight."

Garak looked around the small cabin and took a deep breath.
"I could really learn to like this."

"I would have thought it was a little on the rustic side for
your tastes," Julian chuckled, sitting down on the canvas
covered couch in front of the fireplace.

"It could use a few homey touches, some art on the walls and
a little color here and there, but it's all anyone would
really ever need," Garak said admiringly. "One couch, a desk
and a chair, a bathroom, and a bedroom. Not much less than
what I already have on the station, really."

"Well, if this is the VIP suite, I wonder what the monk's
cabins look like?" Julian scoffed. "No replicator, no
computer other than the comm unit, no holovid - what is
there to do but look out the window."

"I can think of a few things," Garak said, throwing him a
playful wink.

"Yes, but they're monks," Julian rolled his eyes.

"Julian, Bajoran clergy aren't necessarily celibate."

"I know," he said, "but these are monks."

Garak leaned on the fireplace mantle and grinned. "So?"

"Well...I mean..." Julian paused, "Danna and his fellow
clergy don't seem to be the type who throw wild orgies after
picking fruit and weeding the flower beds all day."

"There's an old saying I learned from my time with the
Obsidian Order. It goes, 'You never can tell what's hiding
under a priest's robes'." Garak scratched his chin in
thought, "Of course, that was referring to hidden weapons
and such, but it could apply to this situation as well."

"Stop. I'm getting mental images and it's hurting my brain."
Julian closed his eyes and leaned back on the couch. "I keep
seeing Owin Grea adjusting his garter belt and fishnet
stockings under that blue robe of his."

"That could be interesting..." Garak said thoughtfully.

"Stop that! You're scaring me."

Garak chuckled. "Enough playing. I have to comm Merel about
her niece. You start the fire and I'll ring her up."

"Sounds good," Julian said, getting up from the couch and
wrapping his arms around Garak's waist. "Maybe we can steal
a teapot and some muffins from the kitchen and sit by the
fire later."

"An excellent idea," Garak said, kissing him lightly. "And
when we're full and all of the tea is gone, we can commit
sacrilege on the sheets of holy men."

"I love it when you get in a blasphemous mood." Julian
chuckled and kissed Garak again, cupping his bottom and
squeezing playfully.

"I could call her later," Garak said breathlessly against
Julian's mouth. "Tomorrow maybe?"

"No, work first then..." Julian kissed along Garak's jawline
until he got to his earlobe and then sucked and tugged at
the ornate lobe, using his tongue to tease the whorls of his
ear until Garak began to pant with need. "You have such
sensitive ears," he chuckled. "What are you, half-Ferengi?"

"You'll pay for that one," Garak said, rubbing Julian's
hardening erection through his trousers. He kissed the other
man's throat and began to bite and suck at his Adam's apple,
"but later." He moved away from Julian who practically
groaned in disappointment. "It was your idea, remember?"

"I changed my mind?"

"No, sorry." Garak walked over to the terminal and began his
call to Merel Atina while Julian shrugged and started piling
wood and kindling into the fireplace. "Vedek Merel?" Garak
asked as soon as the woman's face appeared on the screen.

"Mr. Garak!" Merel said, smiling with relief, "Owin gave me
the news. He said you left him a message that Sinles was
alive?"

"Yes, she is, but I didn't tell your Ranjen everything. I
thought it might be better to tell you this myself." Garak
took a deep breath, "I'm very sorry, but she doesn't want to
see you."

Merel's face fell, but she kept her composure. "I see."

"Right now she's stinging from the fact that you didn't come
to find her sooner. If it's of any comfort, I think she'll
eventually change her mind. Her foster mother seems intent
on having her talk with you, for a sense of closure if
nothing else."

"Thank you for your reassurance. That's very kind of you,
Mr. Garak," Merel said. "As I said before, whatever you
found at the end of this journey, I would be satisfied.
Perhaps, someday, Sinles will contact me. I would like to
meet my sister's granddaughter, but only when she is ready."

"I do have something else to add," Garak said. "As Owin may
have mentioned, Sinles was not the woman in the picture your
informant gave us, nor was she ever a prostitute. I'm not
sure what is going on, but whoever that woman is, she's
still missing, if she even exists."

Merel looked at him thoughtfully, "Do you think that there
really was a murdered girl, then?"

"I don't know," Garak said. "The picture is genuine, I know
that. I found another copy of it in some articles written on
the political debate and Julian ran across two other
pictures where this woman was somewhere in the background or
seen talking to the First Minister at a rally. Whoever she
is, she does appear to know him. We have to now decide if
the informant was lying about everything, or if the only
mistake he or she made was naming the girl as your niece."

Merel remained silent as she considered his words carefully.

"I'm willing to continue the search if you want to find
her," Garak said. "If you choose to drop the investigation,
I will understand and Dr. Bashir and I will head back to
Deep Space Nine in the morning. However, if you want to
pursue this, we can stay until the end of the week. I'm sure
we'll find something by then."

"If this girl was murdered, then we are the only ones
looking for her," Merel said at last. "I don't want that on
my conscience. Find her, for better or for worse. Hopefully,
she'll be safe and sound as well. Comm me when you know
something."

"I will," he agreed.

"And Garak?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. I owe you lunch at your replimat for this, no
matter what else you find." She smiled, then the screen went
blank.

Garak rose from the desk to watch Julian struggling with the
fire. "It's not lit yet."

"I know that," Julian said irritably. "I can't get this
bloody thing to work!"

Garak frowned, "It's just a fire, what do you mean you can't
get it to work?"

"See for yourself." Julian handed him a pewter box and
grimaced. "I can't find the damned button. I've pressed
every inch of the bloody thing, but I can't get it to do
anything."

Garak look at the small metal box carefully, rasping his
thumb against the textured surface, then smiled. "I think I
have it!" He pushed the top of the box and it slid aside to
reveal a gray stone inside the container. "It's a tinder
box. The monks here must be very dedicated to doing things
the old way. Strike the stone against the ridges at the top
of the box and it will spark."

"If you say so. Personally, I don't see what's wrong with a
plasma lighter or at least a box of matches. Old ways,
indeed." Julian took the stone and struck it against the box
causing a flurry of sparks to hit the twigs he used as
kindling. The fire began to sputter and smoke so he used the
stone again to produce more sparks, "Shit!" He sucked his
thumb. "I burned myself," he grumbled.

"Yes, but look at what a lovely fire you have to show for
it," Garak said with a smile.

Julian got up from the floor, still nursing his thumb. "It
would have been easier to just use a phaser on low stun and
it wouldn't have caused me to lose skin in the process."

"Here, let me see," Garak clucked, looking at the small
white burn on the pad of Julian's finger. "I guess it's
true; doctors do make the most god-awful patients, don't
they?"

"I'd offer you an obscene finger gesture but you're holding
my hand," Julian grouched.

"Where's your medkit?" Garak asked, looking around.

"With the suitcases over there." Julian thrust his chin over
toward the bags stacked by the front entrance. "The DR unit
is near the top."

Garak took the small instrument from the top of the bag and
walked over to Julian, adjusting the power levels as he
walked. "Here we are."

"I can do it." Julian reached for the instrument.

"As can I. You're the patient, remember?"

"Fine." Julian held out his thumb. "Just make sure to adjust
the power output and set it on level 4."

Garak gave him an exasperated look. "I know." He ran the
scanner over Julian's burn and watched as it slowly began to
heal. "As time goes by, I'm beginning to believe that you
have control issues."

"I have control issues? Me?" Julian scoffed. "You're the one
with control issues!"

"How so?" Garak asked, putting down the dermal regenerator
and crossing his arms across his chest defensively.

"Just look at you, the way you're standing speaks volumes,"
Julian said, rubbing the new pink skin on his thumb
tenderly. "If I hadn't made the first move in this
relationship, we would have spent the next few years tap
dancing around our feelings and we never would have gotten
together. You're always hiding behind innuendo and mystery,
so focused on self-preservation that you never let go enough
to live life." The doctor looked at him, "Actually, that
does bring something to mind. I've been thinking we need to
have a talk about our relationship."

"I think you're just being melodramatic." Garak tried to
move away but Julian held his arm.

"No you don't, we're having this discussion," Julian
ordered. "Come sit with me."

Garak shrugged his shoulders in defeat and they both took a
seat on the couch, the light from the fire casting shadows
on the walls and lending a cheery warmth to the small room.
"I was just making a small joke, Julian. There's really no
need to get all morbid."

"I'm not trying to be morbid," Julian said. "I'm trying to
have a serious discussion with you, for once."

"We have serious discussions all the time!"

"We talk about politics, literature, and station gossip.
Lately we've been doing a lot more groping than talking, but
we've never really talked about us." Julian took a deep
breath and reached out, taking Garak's hand in his. "There
are a few things I need to say to you, and now is as good a
time as any."

Garak gave him a dubious look. "You aren't going to...I
don't know, ask me to marry you or something? I refuse to
wear a dress - even for you, Julian - and damn medical
science, I'm too old to be carrying your baby!"

"Hush up, you old fool, I'm trying to be serious here,"
Julian scolded. "You see, this is what I mean! You're always
using wise cracks and wry humor when it's inappropriate."

"Defense mechanism," Garak shrugged. "Sorry."

"It's just...this whole thing we're doing has me thinking,"
Julian said slowly. "Vedek Merel is all alone in the world,
I mean, she has a family of a sort. Her sect and her
friends, but the one person to whom she has real family ties
just refused to have anything to do with her. And this other
woman - we don't know if she's alive or dead, and no one is
looking for her...that's very sad, I think."

"I agree," Garak said carefully, trying to follow exactly
what it was Julian was trying to get across.

"I know I'm not making much sense," he ran his hand through
his dark hair then reached out for Garak's hand again. "You
and I tend to get ourselves in a lot of trouble."

"To say the least."

"Exactly," he agreed. "I want to say this now, while we're
safe and warm and here, not on the station dodging Odo's
cameras and the alien menace of the week." He looked at him
intently, "I care for you a great deal. I've come close to
saying it, but I've never actually said the words before..."

"Julian-" Garak looked down at their entwined hands.

"No interruptions, this is hard enough." Julian chuckled
nervously. "I- I'm in love with you. There, I said it." He
took a deep shuddering breath and closed his eyes. "That
wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Is that it?" Garak asked.

"What do you mean, 'is that it'?" Julian asked,
flabbergasted. "I'll have you know, that was pretty damn
hard to say for someone like me. What I'm really trying to
tell you is that I'm ready to consider exploring the idea of
a commitment."

"A commitment?" Garak asked with a raised eyeridge.

"Not anything permanently binding," Julian hastened to add.
"Just...more of the same only, well...more."

"More?" Garak's heart seemed to skip a beat or two, "Like,
perhaps, sharing quarters?"

"Living together? God no!" Julian said, then hastened to
add, "I mean, not that I wouldn't like to, you know, do that
eventually, maybe, but..."

"But what, exactly?" Garak asked, narrowing his eyes
dangerously.

"I'm doing this all wrong," Julian muttered. "I just meant
that we should agree to be together exclusively - as a
couple. We should start taking vacations together and go to
social functions -- test the waters, so to speak. All we do
now is eat in and sleep together, and every once in a while
we have lunch or shop on the Promenade and that's all we
do!"

"We live on a space station. That's all there is to do,"
Garak pointed out.

"I just thought we should say it out loud, that's all,"
Julian sulked.

"So, let me clarify what it is you want me to understand,"
Garak said slowly. "You are in love with me-"

"Yes! Exactly!" Julian said, relieved.

"And you want a commitment?"

"Right!"

"But not too much of a commitment."

"Yes! See, now that is why I love you, sweetheart." Julian
kissed Garak's hand and grinned. "You understand me
perfectly."

Garak rolled his eyes, "I understand that you are a complete
and utter ass, Julian."

"But-"

"Don't get me wrong," Garak sighed, "I've known you were an
ass for quite some time and I accept this about you. In
fact, it's one of the things I love most about you for some
god awful reason."

"Thanks, I think..." Julian said with an uncertain frown.
"Are you mad at me now?"

"No, I'm not mad," Garak said, slightly disappointed. "And I
want you to know that I love you as well. I'm glad you were
honest with me and said what you said."

"Thank you," Julian felt a little uneasy still. "Did you
want to move in together or something?"

"No, of course not." Garak avoided Julian's gaze by staring
into the fire. "I'm perfectly satisfied with our
relationship as it is now. I wouldn't change a thing."

Julian squeezed Garak's hand, "I'm glad, and I agree
totally. Things are really good between us, and I hope they
will be for a long time. Who knows? Maybe some day, a few
years from now, we might decide to do something a bit more
permanent. I just wanted to tell you that I'm in this for
the long run."

Garak didn't answer him. Instead he got up from the couch
and looked around the room. "This is a really nice place,"
he said. "A man could really be happy here, don't you
think?"

"I suppose," Julian said, looking around. "Personally, I
prefer the station. Like I said, it's on the rustic side and
I imagine it could get pretty lonely. All these monks have
are each other and their gardens."

Garak picked up another log and tossed it on the fire,
watching the sparks fly. "Did I ever tell you I worked as a
gardener once?"

"On Romulus - I remember." Julian chuckled. "Has it come to
the portion of the evening where you tell me some cock and
bull story about how you planted some peonies and somehow
that led to a politician's unfortunate demise?"

"No, nothing like that," Garak said softly, sitting on the
floor tucking his knees up and watching the flames lick at
the wood. "You've already heard most of those stories. No, I
was just going to say that I enjoyed working with the plants
back then. I enjoyed the whole process of it; working the
soil, choosing the seeds, watching them grow into beautiful
flowers and vegetables - it's like working with cloth,
really. You start out with something raw and when you are
done, you have this beautiful creation and the satisfaction
of knowing you've accomplished something real. I loved
gardening especially, because what I did made things
beautiful and fed people. That's something I never liked
about working for the Order. It seemed like all I ever did
was destroy things then, tear down lies and lives. The first
time I ever felt truly at peace was when I worked as a
gardener. Sort of the same way I felt when I was knitting
you that sweater." Garak smiled sadly. "I wonder if I'll
ever get to finish it?"

"Of course you will," Julian yawned. "As soon as we get back
to the station, you'll finish it up and I'll wear it the
next weekend we have off together."

Again, Garak didn't say anything, he merely turned and
kissed Julian on the mouth as he arose from the floor. "Have
you looked at the bathroom yet?"

"Not yet," Julian gave him a crooked grin. "I wonder how big
the tub is?"

"Let's go find out, shall we?" Garak invited, pulling him
off the couch and tugging him along, their hands clasped
together as they acted once again as lovers should.

---

Garak lay on the bed, listening to the sounds of the fire
popping in the next room and the light snores of his lover
whose head was nestled in the crook of his arm. They had
taken turns in the bath, washing one another's hair and
backs, then retired into one of the bedrooms. Garak made
love to Julian that night, entering him slowly and
stretching out every moment of pleasure until they both
came, shuddering and crying out in fulfillment. The bed was
small, smaller than his bed on the station, but the mattress
was soft and Julian usually slept on his side anyway.

He couldn't sleep. His mind was too busy running around in
circles. Julian slept as if he hadn't a care in the world,
and he probably didn't. All was well with Julian Bashir. He
had everything he ever wanted: a respected position,
friends, a home, and a lover he could depend on to warm his
bed without demanding more from him. Unfortunately, very
soon Julian Bashir was in for a very rude awakening.

Garak had made up his mind, after he found the girl in the
photo, he was going to call in Merel Atina's favor. She
could grant him asylum here in the monastery, perhaps even
secure him Bajoran citizenship. He wasn't overly certain
about taking up the cloth, as it were, but he had done a lot
of things he didn't quite believe in for a lot less. Who
knows? As time wore on, perhaps faith in the Prophets would
come as well. Cardassians had once worshiped the Hebetian
gods whose tenets were very similar to that of the wormhole
aliens. Perhaps, like love, faith happened quietly, sneaking
up on you until it was just there.

He stroked his hand down Julian's back and smiled tenderly
as the doctor snuggled deeper into his chest. He could still
see Julian. The doctor came down to Bajor quite frequently,
and even if he did accept the robes of a Prylar (if they'd
have him) the Bajoran faith accepted the concept of
homosexuality easily and did not force celibacy upon its
members. And this way, when Julian eventually tired of him,
which he undoubtably would, he'd have something to fall back
upon.

He kissed the top of Julian's hair and rubbed his chin on
the other man's soft curls. He could sell his shop to the
lace maker, the Bolean had let him know on previous
occasions that he'd be interested in that sort of
arrangement. He could donate the proceeds to the order as a
sort of good faith buy-in, and perhaps secure a position
teaching at the small school here on the grounds. He'd
always wanted to become a teacher, but, of course, he'd
never told anyone that. He smiled. Enabrin Tain would be
livid if he knew his only son and protégée had given
everything up to become a Bajoran priest and teach half-cast
children how to read and write. That alone made it
worthwhile. Perhaps this was his destiny after all.

His eyes darkened with pain and he hugged Julian's sleeping
body a little closer. He was utterly in love with this man,
he thought. So much so that anything less than a full
commitment would slowly drive him into despair. Julian was
so young, so full of promise...naturally he didn't want to
be saddled with a middle-aged man who only wanted to settle
down. He would love Julian for as long as he would allow
himself to be loved, but doing this, moving here, was a
matter of self-preservation. If Julian left him, he couldn't
bear to spend the rest of his life alone on the station.
There was no wire in his head to turn to, no other person he
considered enough of an equal to the doctor whom he could
invite into his bed. He needed a place where he could have
the distractions of peace and sunlight and the laughter of
children. He'd never find that on Deep Space Nine. Not now.

Garak closed his eyes and allowed sleep to overtake him.
Tomorrow they would start the search for the politician's
mistress and when they found her, he'd contact Merel and
tell her of his decision. It would be a double victory for
her, really. Even if they did wind up taking down First
Minister Shakaar, she could use his conversion to her sect
as a political coup. Here stands Elim Garak, Tain's most
feared operative, now a monk in the service of the true
faith! If she played her cards right, she could become Kai
someday on the merit of his conversion alone, possibly even
qualify as a living saint. For that matter, if he ever tired
of being a simple monk, who knows? Perhaps he could reach
the heights of Vedek.

Vedek Elim Garak, voice of the Ministry of the Forgotten
Children.

He chuckled quietly and tugged the covers tighter around
them both. He might not ever be the most faithful of their
sect, but he could make up what he lacked in piety for what
he possessed in ambition.

His mood dampened as Julian made a happy noise in his sleep.

So beautiful, Garak thought as he ran his hand over Julian's
naked spine. Such a beautiful man, and so very dangerous.
Julian Bashir would be the death of him. He had no other
choice but to leave while he still could. It was just a
matter of time before Julian destroyed him with this
half-love he so brutally wielded like a knife. It cut deep.

Too deeply.

You can't always get what you want, so you settle for what
you can have. That's how you've survived, he reminded
himself.

Garak ignored the salt burning the corners of his eyes as he
breathed in his lover's scent and willed himself to sleep.
There would be a life for him here.

A life, but not the life he truly wanted, just the
biological instinct to survive for as long as he could.

That's all that really mattered anyway.

---
Chapter Six: Secrets
---

"Okay," Julian said, handing Garak another PADD from the
stack he'd been sorting on the floor, "I've been going
through all the press coverage of the election and I found
her in at least six different pictures." He pointed to each
one in turn, "Here's the first one where she's just on the
edge of the crowd, here she's actually talking to Shakaar
and shaking his hand, in this one, this one, and this one
she's in the audience near the front row, and this last one
is the one Vedek Merel was sent originally. I can't find
anything else with her picture in it and this last one was
taken seven weeks ago."

Garak sipped his tea and grinned at Julian. He was barefoot
and dressed in a pair of jeans and the blue sweater he
usually wore on their weekends together, his hair slightly
rumpled and his chin showing morning stubble. He loved these
stolen days together and for a minute he allowed himself to
indulge in a fantasy. Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyday
could be like this? No station and no Starfleet to rush back
to, just the two of them sorting through riddles and
relaxing over a cup of tea?

"Are you even listening to me?"

"No." Garak bent down and gave him a kiss, then handed him
his cup. "I'm too busy admiring your blue jeans and naked
toes."

"Pervert," Julian scolded, then looked at the tea. "Do I
have a cup?"

"Drink mine," Garak said off-handedly as he sat on the couch
and began to scan through the PADD in his hand.

"That's gratitude. I spend all morning sorting through all
this...stuff - and all I get is a used cup of tea," he said,
sipping it, then wincing. "You didn't put enough sugar in
it."

"I didn't put any sugar in it," Garak corrected him. "I
drink mine black."

"Not anymore." He got up off the floor and dusted off his
back side. "I'm going to go corrupt this cup with something
sweet. Want anything from the kitchen?"

"Yes. If there are any more of those muffins Danna had at
breakfast, I wouldn't mind one or two. That is, if the
children haven't wiped them all out." He tapped at the PADD
distractedly.

"Good luck," Julian said, kissing the top of his head, then
walking over to the door to slip on his loafers. "We've been
here for nearly three days, you know. Maybe we should
consider making a move before the monks get sick of us."

"I was just thinking of that. Julian?" Garak looked up and
motioned the doctor back over to him. "This article? Where
did you find it?"

"Uh, over here..." He searched through the PADDs littering
the floor and handed one to Garak. "The rally was held in
Opalas, about 180 kilometers from here."

"On your way to the kitchen, ask Danna if we can take one of
the land transports for a few days. Also ask him if they
have a sister parish where we can spend the night. I want to
drive out there and ask a few questions."

"Do you think she's there?" Julian asked curiously.

"Possibly," he said. "The girl was in at least one picture
at every campaign stop until this one." He held up the PADD.
"She isn't seen in any others after the Opalas debate. I'm
guessing this is where she might have been buried, if she
really was murdered. It's funny..."

"What is," Julian said, sipping the tea and grimacing again.

"It's almost as though she tried to get in every picture on
purpose." He held out the PADD and flipped through the
shots. "In each one she's looking at the camera, like she's
trying to get the photographer's attention. All of them
except the last one." He tapped the screen. "In this one
she's looking directly at the stage."

"At Shakaar."

"I'm not so sure about that anymore," he said thoughtfully.

"Of course she's looking at Shakaar," Julian said. "She's
talking directly to him in one of the pictures!"

"Yes, but look at them." Garak motioned Julian over and he
joined him on the couch, "These were all taken by different
photographers all working for different news agencies, yet
every time she's moving toward the cameraman's line of
sight. Even in the photo where she's shaking Shakaar's hand,
she's looking for the camera out of the corner of her eye!
The only one where she's not looking for the camera is this
one. The one that Merel was originally sent." He looked at
Julian with a raised eyeridge. "There are two men on that
dais, one is Shakaar and the other..."

"Krath Milnar?" Julian said, finally beginning to understand
what Garak was hinting at. "You think this whole thing was a
set up by the Bajor First candidate?"

"A sex scandal to bring down the liberal candidate isn't
exactly a new strategy." Garak shrugged. "Get a girl to pose
for the cameras, build your platform on family values and
the good of Bajor, then spread a rumor that the man who
wants to corrupt Bajor with Federation standards and
practices is sleeping with a prostitute - it's almost
boring, actually, but at least it's a proven tactic."

"I don't get it," Julian said, staring hard at the PADD, "If
Krath wanted to frame Shakaar in a sex scandal, why send an
information packet to Vedek Merel? Why not leak it to the
press, and why say the girl was murdered? It's more than a
little sloppy."

"I agree. We're still missing a few pieces here." Garak
sighed and leaned back into the cushions. "Perhaps he
intended to kill two birds with one stone? Take out a pesky
Vedek active in social programs at the same time by naming
her as the mistress's aunt? Perhaps he thought she'd be so
easily fooled she'd run to the authorities, exposing Shakaar
to public scrutiny? By the time the truth comes out, he's
first minister and Shakaar is out on his ear, a social
pariah. The problem is, in order for any of those scenarios
to work, there still has to be a body."

"Do you think he'd really kill some girl just to gain a few
votes?" Julian asked, his voice laden with doubt. "Even if
he got elected, once they found out the truth he'd still be
arrested for her murder."

"Supposition, innuendo, and outright mystery! Unless we get
out of here, none of this is going to start making any
sense!" Garak rubbed the back of his neck and glared at the
pile of PADDs littering the floor at their feet. "We aren't
accomplishing anything here; all we're doing is taking up
space and wasting our time."

"I wouldn't say that," Julian said softly, rubbing his hand
down Garak's back. "We found Sinles."

"Who was living less than two miles from a monastery Merel
has probably visited on numerous occasions. Had she really
wanted to, she could have found her years ago."

"But she didn't," Julian said simply. "You found her, and
someday, maybe, Sinles will appreciate the fact that her
aunt did try to find her, even if she was late in doing so.
If there is something else to all this, then you'll find
that, too. I know you, you won't ever drop this until you
have all of the answers."

Blue eyes searched brown as Garak looked at the doctor. "You
have that much faith in me?"

Julian cupped his cheek and leaned in close. "I have all the
faith in the world," Julian said softly. "I don't know if
I've mentioned it lately, but I love you."

"I love you, too," Garak whispered against the doctor's
mouth, kissing him. He wrapped his arms around him and
pulled him close, tugging the sweater up just enough so he
could place his hand on Julian's bare back. The doctor move
in closer, his hands tangling in Garak's hair as he deepened
the kiss.

They both forgot about tea and political intrigue, focusing
only on the moment. Garak arose from the couch and held his
hand out wordlessly. Smiling, Julian allowed himself to be
led to the bedroom, his cock already hardening in response
to the heat he saw radiating from the Cardassian's gaze.

Garak closed the door and pulled Julian toward him, his lips
meeting the doctor's softly. He slipped his hands under
Julian's sweater and pulled it over his head and looked at
the lightly bronzed flesh and inhaled his spicy scent. "What
are you thinking about?" Julian asked, chuckling at the
expression on Garak's face.

"You."

"Me?" he asked, his voice husky with need.

"Just you, only you," They kissed again, but this time was
hotter - deeper. Garak ran his hands down Julian's back,
then slipped his fingers under the waistband of his jeans,
luxuriating in the feel of his smooth naked flesh.

"Are we going to make love or have a conversation?" Julian
chuckled, pulling at Garak's tunic.

"Conversation is overrated," Garak replied before shucking
off the tunic and reaching for Julian's fly. He unzipped
him, then pulled down his lover's trousers and underwear and
buried his nose in the dark curls framing Julian's cock,
breathing in the musk of his arousal.

"This is unexpected," Julian gasped, stroking Garak's hair
as he licked and sucked his cock. "Don't you want to move
this to the bed? *gasp* Your knees-?"

"I'm fine." Garak tongued his glans. "More than fine, in
fact."

"In that case, don't let me stop you."

"Your generosity overwhelms me, my dear doctor." Garak
smiled. He wet his fingers with saliva, then reached between
Julian's legs to brush the pads of his fingers against his
lover's opening.

"Oh God, yesss..." Julian whimpered, kicking his leg free of
his jeans so he could widen his stance, allowing Garak
entrance.

Garak concentrated on relaxing the muscles of his jaw,
taking the doctor's hardness as deep into his mouth as he
could without gagging. His finger probed Julian's tight
entrance delicately, easing past the muscle and seeking out
his prostate.

"Ah!" Julian lurched and clutched at Garak's head, pulling
his face toward him. He shuddered and held his breath,
"Careful...I'm going to come if you do that..."

Garak withdrew his finger slightly ,then added another,
slipping in and out as he sucked and licked Julian's cock.
He withdrew his mouth and whispered against the head of
Julian's cock, "But I want to make you come." He kissed
Julian's shaft and moved his tongue downwards. "I want you
to always remember this moment, remember me."

"Goddamn you, Garak! Stop playing around and fuck me
already!" Julian cried out.

Garak leapt to his feet and kissed Julian fiercely, crushing
him to his chest. He backed him up to the closed door,
causing the doctor to gasp as Garak growled with animal-like
ferocity, biting and sucking at his neck. "Do you like
that?" he asked, reaching for Julian's cock and fisting it
roughly. "Ask me to come inside you! Tell me!"

"Yes! God, yes! I need you inside me now!" he moaned.

Garak grabbed Julian's shoulders roughly and spun him around
so he faced the door. As Julian steadied himself, his hands
clutching at the wooden frame, Garak pulled his hips toward
him and positioned himself. He pressed the blunt head of his
cock against Julian's tight opening and paused, "Tell me how
you want it. Do you want it easy?" He eased forward just a
little, causing Julian to flinch and moan. "Or rough?" Garak
slammed his hips into Julian's causing the doctor to scream
out in a mixture of pleasure and discomfort. He was not
going to be the gentle lover this time, he thought. This was
possibly the last time he and Julian would ever be together
like this and he wanted to make it so that every other lover
he ever took to his bed would pale in comparison. No one
else would or could ever satisfy him again. That would be
his sweetest revenge and his greatest gift to Julian Bashir.

Garak held the back of Julian's neck and forced him to bend
at the waist. Julian grabbed the doorframe, his knuckles
turning white as he held on for dear life. The Cardassian
then put his hands on Julian's hips and began to thrust
inside of him, his balls slapping against the doctor's
thighs, punctuating his words. "You want this, don't you?"

"Y-yes!" Julian gasped.

"And me? You want me? Say it!"

"Yes, oh Christ! Do it!"

Garak shut his eyes and concentrated on keeping himself from
coming. "Tell me you'll never let anyone else touch you like
this."

"No one," Julian whimpered, his balls drawing up as he felt
his belly tighten and his orgasm beginning to rise, "Not
ever, just you..."

"Tell me!" Garak demanded, tightening his grip on the
doctor's hips as he thrust inside as deep as he could go.

"You! Just you! GARAK!" Julian cried out, screaming in his
pleasure as his orgasm splashed against his stomach.

Garak roared in his release, feeling himself spill into
Julian. He held his lover tightly as he shuddered and jerked
with his own orgasm. He withdrew himself and wobbled as
Julian fell to his knees, desperately trying to catch his
breath.

"What...the fuck...was that?" Julian gasped, running a shaky
hand through his hair as he turned toward Garak, his back
leaning heavily on the door.

Garak moved to the bed and fell on the covers face down,
mumbling incoherently into the quilt.

"I didn't quite catch that," Julian said, wiping the sweat
from his eyes.

Garak turned his head so he was no longer speaking into the
mattress. "I said, it was a spur of the moment impulse."

"Well, I liked it." Julian grinned, then winced as he felt
the burn in his rectum. "I'm going to be walking bowlegged
for a day or so, but it was good. You should have those sort
of impulses more often."

"I thought you might enjoy it," Garak said lazily, shutting
his eyes. "Usually you take the lead, so..."

"So you decided to make me come so hard my knees turned to
jelly?"

"Exactly," Garak mumbled, not bothering to open his eyes.

"Well," he said as he yawned and rubbed his neck, "keep
doing that and I'll become your little bottom slut instead."

Garak's eyes popped open and he looked up at his lover,
supporting his chin on his arm, "Wait a minute, did you just
call me your 'little bottom slut'?"

Julian arose from the floor, grinning. He sat beside Garak
on the bed heavily and slapped his bare buttocks, "Damn
right, and well you should know it!"

"First of all, doctor," Garak said with mock fierceness, "I
am not 'little' as your current discomfort should attest to,
and secondly, I am not anyone's 'bottom slut'. I do bottom
more often, yes, but I am hardly promiscuous. You're the one
who has gone through half the Dabo girls and ensigns on the
station if I recall correctly. Until you, I had been
celibate for over two years."

"Only two years?" Julian frowned, lying back on the bed and
letting his legs dangle over the side. "And here I thought
you'd been secretly lusting for me the last five years."

"I was," Garak said, yawning, "That doesn't mean I was so
enamored with you that I couldn't take a lover."

"A lover or a lay?"

"What's the difference?"

"There's a big difference," Julian said. "A lay is just
someone you use to scratch an itch, whilst a lover implies a
relationship beyond just releasing some sexual tension."

"He was my lover, I suppose then," Garak said thoughtfully.
"We did see each other on more than one occasion, so by your
narrow definition, it would be a type of relationship."

"He?"

"Yes."

"A man?"

"You find this surprising?"

"No, of course not," Julian replied, "I was just trying to
think of who it could have been. Do I know this person?"

"What difference does it make?" Garak asked.

"It doesn't, " Julian said with false casualness, "I'm
merely curious, that's all."

"Well, don't be." Garak sat up on the bed and scooted up so
he could lean against the headboard. "You may have met him,
but it's of no matter. He was a silk merchant and I haven't
seen him in two years. I think he got married or something."

"A silk merchant?"

"Yes."

Julian joined Garak at the top of the bed and nestled into
his shoulder. "A Bajoran?"

"Of course not," Garak scoffed. "No self-respecting Bajoran
would ever have an affair with a Cardassian, at least not on
the station. He'd never be able to live it down."

"A human or a Trill, perhaps?"

"No, although I do admit a certain fondness for Lt.
Commander Dax," Garak answered thoughtfully.

"Who doesn't have a thing for Dax?" Julian smiled. He
suddenly looked at Garak with a disgusted expression.
"Surely you didn't have an affair with a Ferengi?"

"Great Guls! What do you take me for?" Garak shuddered.

"Then who?"

Garak sighed. "If you must know, he was a Vulcan. His name
was Sek and he was from the Vulcanis Lunar colony." He
closed his eyes and smiled softly. "He was young and
dark-skinned, very intelligent - we played Kal-toh quite a
bit when we weren't...engaged elsewhere. I believe he
mentioned his father was with Starfleet. Lost in action,
unfortunately. Sek sold me some of the finest Vulcan silks I
had ever had the pleasure of handling, but really only came
to the station to check on the status of his father's ship.
Other than myself, there aren't many other tailors who work
with that type of material. He was actually losing money by
coming to this sector. Vulcan silk is notoriously delicate
and difficult to work with. So, when his father and the rest
of his crew was officially deemed lost, we parted ways. It
wasn't worth his time to keep coming all the way here just
for a single client, even if we did have a personal
relationship. Last I heard, he went back to the colony and
married some Vulcan woman. I believe they have a child now,
but I don't know if it was a boy or girl to tell you the
truth. We don't correspond or anything; we didn't have that
type of relationship."

"A Vulcan?"

"Yes."

Julian looked at him doubtfully. "I didn't think Vulcans
were the type of beings who engaged in casual affairs."

"It wasn't casual as much as it was convenient," Garak
corrected. "Never mistake a Vulcan's cool reasoning for
coldness. He was a very adequate lover and, knowing how
strong we Cardassians are, he logically came to the
conclusion that I would be a suitable sexual partner. He
could, well, express his passion openly and unfettered
without fear of hurting me and, as a man of a certain age
and experience level, he knew I wouldn't form an emotional
attachment. According to him, human and Bajoran females
tended to confuse sex with intimacy, so when he traveled he
preferred men of a certain age who wouldn't impede him with
a lot of conversation or imagine they were falling in love
when all they were really doing was fulfilling a biological
imperative. "

"That last part sounds like something a Vulcan might say,
but the rest of it? The passionate sex? Who ever heard of a
passionate Vulcan?"

Garak rolled his eyes. "You're a doctor, surely you realize
Vulcans can have sex without being in the midst of their
mating imperative?"

"It just..." Julian struggled with his words, "doesn't seem
right, I suppose."

"I assure you, I came quite often and was very satisfied by
the lovemaking. However," he added, "it was a relationship
built on sex, convenience, and intellect. We did not
socialize other than the occasional Kal-toh match after
intercourse, and he certainly never screamed for me or told
me he loved me." Garak smiled indulgently. "Are you
jealous?"

"No," Julian said defensively. "It was a few years ago, like
you said. Besides, it's not like I have that kind of hold on
you. I mean, I prefer to be monogamous, but if you had other
lovers, I couldn't really say anything about it, could I?"

"You couldn't?"

"Well, we aren't married or anything," Julian scoffed. "It
really wouldn't be my place to say anything."

"I see."

Silence stretched between them before Julian spoke again.
"So, you've only taken male lovers since being on the
station?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Curiosity, like I said." Julian looked at him again. "Have
you ever had sex with a woman?"

"Many times," Garak answered lazily.

"How many?"

"I haven't counted. A lot."

"More than twenty?"

"Perhaps. I've never bothered counting."

"More women than men then?"

"No, I prefer men, as well you know, but women have their
charms as well." Garak opened his eyes again, "This
conversation is delving into some rather intimate areas,
wouldn't you say so?"

"Just tell me, specifically, who have you slept with? What
is your sexual history?" he urged.

"What do you specifically want to know?"

"The details." Garak's eyeridge rose dramatically and Julian
quickly corrected himself, "Not - you know...just the
circumstances and general details such as names and
whatnot."

"I thought that it was a human courtesy not to 'kiss and
tell'?"

"Stop being so damned difficult and talk to me," Julian
demanded.

"Ask and I will answer as honestly as I can, but I won't
expose my former lovers to speculation, even from you. It
would be..." Garak searched for the right phrase, "tacky."

"Fine, I'll start with the hard questions." Julian took a
deep breath. "When you were with the Order working as an
interrogator, you didn't...?"

"No." Garak said definitely. "Some did, but not at the level
I worked. What you are so tactfully referring to was done by
field commanders and soldiers who were more interested in
forcing themselves on men and women so they could prove they
had some kind of power over them. Those immoral and vicious
acts had nothing to do with information gathering, they
didn't even have anything to do with sex! In fact, had I
ever caught one of my subordinates engaging in rape, I would
have arrested and then disposed of them myself. Even
Cardassians have a certain ethical standard we follow during
war, or at least, I did." He scrubbed his head in agitation.
"I can't believe you even asked -"

"I didn't think you would," Julian said quickly, "but you
did torture people, didn't you?"

"At times, when I had no other choice." Garak sighed,
suddenly feeling his age weighing heavily upon him. "Julian,
you have to understand what it was I did. I can't ever tell
you everything, if I did your life would be even more
endangered than it is now. I can tell you that my job, what
I did for the Order, was to get information any way I could.
I did this mostly through being clever and by getting my
informants to volunteer the information I needed. If you
torture a man, he'll only tell you what you want to hear so
you'll stop hurting him. It's better to encourage them to
talk by less violent means, make them believe that the truth
will set them free."

"You tortured Odo once," Julian said quietly.

Garak winced, his eyes clouded over with shame, "I did, yes,
but he forgave me. I did what I needed to do and he
understood that."

"Did you ever forgive yourself?" Julian asked softly.

"No. Are we done yet?"

Julian took Garak's hand and rubbed the back of it
soothingly. "Were you ever married? Did you have children?"

"No."

"Did you ever want them?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"...because I always knew that I would wind up either an
exile or a dead man. I would never put a child through that
type of pain and loss."

"Were you ever in love?"

"Yes."

"With someone besides me?"

"Yes."

"With a man or a woman?"

"Both, but it doesn't matter anymore."

"Why not?"

"Because the dead can't love you back," Garak said simply.
He got to his feet and walked to the door. "We have to get
cleaned up. I want to be in Opalas by this afternoon."

"How did they die?" Julian asked, staring at him from his
place on the bed.

"How do you think they died?" Garak asked angrily, his eyes
flashing bright with pain. He steadied himself against the
door and took a long, shuddering breath. "I don't want to
talk about this anymore."

"Why not?" Julian demanded, stepping off the bed and walking
toward Garak. "Talk to me, tell me!"

"What difference does it make?" Garak yelled, turning on
Julian. "What do you care? It's not like knowing what
happened will change the way you feel about me! You'll leave
me eventually anyway!"

"How could you say that?" Julian asked, stunned. "I love
you, I told you that. Several times!"

"You love me." Garak looked at the floor and laughed
bitterly. "Yes, I know you love me, Julian. You love my
conversation, you love my wit, you love my talent, you love
my COCK! You love me but only just so far and then you stop
caring about everyone and everything but yourself. Face it,
Julian, you love when it's convenient, when it feels good,
but if you ever had to put yourself out there, you'd run.
You'd run and you'd never look back."

"That's bullshit!"

"No it isn't!" Garak stepped forward, his face so close to
Julian's that he could feel his breath. "You ask all these
questions! You demand all these answers, but not once - NOT
ONCE-have you ever offered me anything except a pat on the
head and a minimum of affection!"

"That's a lie!"

"Is it? Is it really?" Garak grabbed his arm painfully, "You
were completely honest with me?"

"Yes!"

"You never withheld anything?"

"Yes, damn it! You're the one who always withheld every
damned detail of your life!"

"Then when were you planning on mentioning your genetic
enhancements?"

Silence.

Garak looked at him, smiling grimly. "I was very good at my
job, Julian. I knew all about you from the first day you set
foot on the station, but I never forced you to tell me
anything. Not anything - ever! And do you know why? Do
you?!?"

Julian, now pale as a sheet and looking slightly faint,
whispered, "No."

"Because, unlike you, I know what real love is," Garak said
grimly. He loosened his grip on Julian's arm and stroked his
cheek. He forced Julian's chin up and looked him in the eye.
"I've been in love, I've seen the pain it brings. I have
loved with all of my heart and soul to the point that it
nearly destroyed me - it took everything I had and left me a
broken man! It took my home, my reputation, and everything I
ever was and I would do it again just to feel it one last
time!" He took a steadying breath, "I will tell you what
true love is, Julian--just so you'll know it when you see
it, if you ever get lucky enough to allow yourself to feel
something that deeply: Love is not needing to know the
secrets, because they don't matter. The only thing that
matters is the person you are in love with, not the
circumstances of how they became who they are. You merely
accept it and move on." He dropped his hand and turned his
back on his companion, "The way you are now, you'll never
know that kind of love, not even when it's staring you in
the face. You'll never have the courage it takes to make
that kind of sacrifice...and I feel sorry for you
because...it doesn't matter. We have things to do and this
is just a waste of time."

"Garak?" Julian asked, feeling sick and disoriented,
"Please...please, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"You never do."

Julian trembled, "I-I-I don't know what to say. I guess, I -
Garak, please, what does this mean for us? For me? What do
we do now?"

"Now?" Garak opened the door and looked over at his lover,
his body bathed in sunlight from the livingroom window, "Now
we get cleaned up and get dressed. We still have a job to
do."

"You can't just leave me like that!" Julian shouted, his
face red with frustration. "Goddamn you, Garak! I love you!
Don't quit on me, that's not fair!"

"I'm not quitting, Julian, and I have no intention of
leaving you," Garak said sadly as he turned his back on him,
"This isn't about me, it's never been just about me. This is
about you."

Julian stood there, still and silent, listening as the water
splashed against the tub in the next room. Garak was right.

They still had a job to do.

---
Chapter Seven: Hunters
---

The land transport they borrowed from the monastery was
basically a flat bed hover truck which they used to
transport livestock and vegetables. Although it was old, the
monks kept it in good repair and they arrived in Opalas by
early afternoon.

The journey was quiet. Julian, more familiar with hover
vehicles, drove them across the countryside as Garak sat
quietly beside him staring into the distance. Opalas was one
of the last great forests left on Bajor. The Cardassians had
pretty much stripped it of most of its natural resources,
but the great forest of Opalas remained untouched, mostly
due to the fact that a powerful Gul named Justem had claimed
this land as his own. He had turned it into a private
plantation and filled the forest with rare animals he had
collected; he had also preserved some of the last specimens
of Bajoran primates and various other native wildlife. It
wasn't for altruistic reasons, Gul Justem was an avid
hunter, often using Bajoran prisoners as bait or in the
place of hounds to run down his prey. When the Cardassians
abandoned Bajor, Justem left everything behind.

The Provisional Government had declared Opalas a national
park, and a major part of Shakaar's platform which he
revealed on that fateful day of his campaign stop, was to
take advantage of the Federation's terra forming and soil
restoration technology to transform all of Bajor into a lush
oasis, much like the park. It was a powerful promise, and
one that could very well guarantee him the re-election.

Garak never bothered to look at Julian or to speak. He'd
said everything that needed to be said. He could feel
Julian's eyes bore into him occasionally and he listened to
his companion's grumbles as he drove. Julian wanted him to
take it all back, but he couldn't. What was done, was done.
Garak had faith that Julian would crawl back into his bed;
anger had never stopped Julian from getting an erection.
Right now, his feelings were hurt, but he hadn't inflicted
any real damage. In order to do that, Julian would have had
to actually feel something real and that wasn't the case.

Instead of dwelling, he chose to soak up the sun and enjoy
the wind as it swept through his hair. He missed the feeling
of freedom. Recycled air pumped through vents and artificial
sunlight could never replace this, he thought.

"We're almost at the ranger station," Julian said tersely.

"Good. Owin said he'd talk to the Head Ranger about taking
us up in a runabout."

"Oh, so you've decided to speak now? Fantastic," Julian
growled. "You haven't said a damned thing in almost two
hours and now you're all excited about hopping in a runabout
to scour the countryside for a corpse!"

"We don't know that we're looking for a body. We're just
investigating this as a homicide until we have enough
evidence to indicate otherwise," Garak said calmly, still
staring out over the lush hills and valleys.

"Are you going to talk to me about what happened at the
cabin or not?"

"I already told you no."

"I have had enough of this!" Julian hit the brakes and the
hover-truck lurched suddenly, then settled on the side of
the road.

"We're wasting daylight!" Garak finally turned to face
Julian. "You're acting like a child, Julian. Really, this
isn't the time or the place for this sort of thing."

"Then when is the right time?" Julian asked. "Apparently,
you decided the right time to lay all of this bullshit on me
was right after giving me the best sex of my entire life - I
happened to think that was very inappropriate timing!
Consider this payback, now talk!"

"What do you want me to say?"

"Tell me you love me, tell me you hate me, tell me you never
want to see me again or that you want me to kiss you - just
tell me that you aren't planning something stupid!"

Garak gave him a disgruntled look. "Fine, but what makes you
think I'm planning anything?"

"I know you," Julian said, crossing his arms and leaning on
the steering wheel. "You might think I'm a selfish,
egotistical bastard - and you may be right - but I've spent
the better part of five years doing nothing more than
observe you, Garak. Believe it or not, loving you didn't
just happen for me a month ago - I have been utterly
intoxicated by you for years, and now that I know you know
about the...enhancements, you know I'm smart enough to at
least figure out when you're planning to leave me."

"I'm not leaving you."

"Right."

"I'm not leaving you," Garak repeated, "I'm not.
I'm...leaving the station."

Julian just looked at him, absorbing what he just said.
"That's insane."

"I don't happen to think it's insane at all," Garak said
reasonably. "Merel agreed to offer me sanctuary within the
monastery if I found her niece, which I have. I intend to
collect on her promise after we finish what we started."

"You can't live there."

"Why not?"

"You're a bloody Cardassian! This is Bajor - think about
it!" Julian ran his hands through his curly dark hair,
obviously frustrated beyond words. "You don't belong here
and even if you could, by some miracle, get permission to
live here, every assassin and bounty hunter in the sector
will be after you, not to mention the locals who would love
nothing more than to hang you up by your lovely neck!"

"Cardassian or no, I don't think any Bajorans would be
willing to hang one of their clergy by the neck, no matter
how angry they are. As for assassins, there hasn't been a
hint of anyone looking for me in at least a year or two and
Dukat would hardly be stupid enough to sneak into a
monastery just to slit my throat."

"But you aren't one of their clergy - you're an ex-spy for
the Cardassians!"

"I will be, though," Garak said stubbornly. "I'm joining the
order. I'm going to take up the robes of a penitent Prylar."

Julian blinked, then began to snicker. "Oh. Oh, I see.
You're joking. This was all a joke, right?"

"No." Garak glared at him. "I'm quite serious."

"But - but you don't even believe in the Prophets, for God's
sake! You're a bloody agnostic!" Julian held his sides in
laughter. "Oh, this is rich! You almost had me worried
there."

"I'm not laughing, Julian. I intend to remain here."

Julian looked at Garak's hard expression and his smile
faded. "Garak...you can't possibly mean to do this."

"Why not?"

"Garak, sweetheart," Julian said soothingly, "first off,
you're a Cardassian and by definition, not among the
Prophet's chosen followers. Besides, being religious is a
major requirement toward becoming a monk. It won't work! You
can't just decide to be a Prylar and not believe in what
you're representing. It's hypocrisy!"

"Danna is a monk, so are at least three others at the
monastery who all have Cardassian blood. If they can do it,
so can I. Besides," he added, "faith may come later, and
even if it doesn't, I can still perform all the necessary
functions I need to survive."

"Danna and the others are also half Bajoran." Julian sighed
and put his hand on Garak's arm. "I realize I hurt you when
I said I wasn't ready to make a full commitment, but you
have to see reason. Your life is on the station with me."

"But I don't have a life there," Garak said softly. "Julian,
we can still be together on Bajor. You come down here at
least once or twice a month anyway and you can visit on the
weekends. It won't be any different really."

"Yes it will," Julian said, taking Garak's hands in his and
stepping toward him. "Can't you see that? We won't be able
to spend the night together anymore - you'll be restricted
to the monastery until you become a full fledged Prylar, and
even then, you won't be allowed to go anywhere - it would be
too dangerous. You're talking about living in a cage,
Garak."

"And the station isn't a cage?" Garak laughed and flung his
arms out, looking all around him. "Look at this! Sun, air,
grass - if I have to live my life as a prisoner, then I'd
much rather live it here, where at least I don't feel the
damned walls crushing in on me."

"So, tell me something. This decision you've made, is it
really about me or is it about you just wanting some R and
R?"

Garak stilled. "Honestly?"

"Yes, I want you to be honest even though it scares the hell
out of me to ask." Julian looked at him somberly. "Lately,
all this honesty you've been sharing has made me miss the
half-truths and deceptions."

Garak didn't smile. Julian wasn't making a joke, in fact, he
looked as though he were about to shatter in a million
pieces. "If I thought that you would ever really want me,
I'd stay on Deep Space Nine. I'd put up with Odo's security
measures and the stares of all the strangers, I'd even put
up with only having you part-time. But, as much as I love
you, I know that you will leave me. It might not be on
purpose, but eventually something will happen; you'll get a
transfer, or you'll get killed doing something stupid, or
you'll meet someone else. I have to do this while I still
can."

"Why? Why now?" Julian's eyes were filling with tears.

"Because if I wait, I won't survive losing you."

"Garak..." Julian reached toward him and kissed him softly.
"What makes you think that will ever happen?"

"I...I just-"

"No." Julian kissed him again, wrapping his arms around his
waist. "No one knows the future, no one. All I'm asking for
is some time. Not a lot, just enough to make sure that we're
ready for each other."

"And then what?" Garak asked, melting into the embrace.

"I don't know - I can't know. Do I think I could spend the
rest of my life with you? Yes, but I won't know for sure
until I have more time. I'm not you, Garak. I don't plan for
every little contingency. I just live day by day the best I
can."

"And I can't promise I won't stay here," Garak said sadly.
"I'm sorry, but I can't live my life hoping that you'll
eventually want me, all of me. You have to understand that.
I don't want to lose you, but I also need to protect
myself."

Julian crushed Garak to his chest and held him there. "I'm
not giving you up, do you understand me? If this is what you
have to do, fine - you do it, but you aren't getting rid of
me." He tilted Garak's chin up and kissed him. "I'm going to
be annoying as hell, turning up every other day to interfere
with your gardening and every weekend I'm going to make you
scream so loud the monks will evict us permanently."

"And if I truly want to stay?"

Julian smiled. "Then I guess I'll have to get an earring,
too. The Prophets will be having a banner year for
recruiting new clergy."

"You wouldn't give up your commission," Garak protested, his
heart skipping a beat as he allowed himself the hope that
perhaps Julian was finally beginning to take a crucial step
forward.

"Let's face it, I knew joining Starfleet was a risk," Julian
said seriously. "My parents both warned me that I'd be found
out. As much as I'd like to believe that your talents were
the only thing that allowed you to uncover my secret, I know
that eventually someone will figure it out. I chose Deep
Space Nine hoping that if I took a posting far enough away
from Earth, I could keep my enhancements under wraps and
still practice medicine. How was I to know a bloody wormhole
would pop up out of nowhere?"

Garak chuckled. "It was a bit of a shock. Still, you might
be right. I only discovered what I did because of my
contacts in the Orion syndicate. If no one has found out by
now, they may never."

"I hope so," Julian said, "but as long as I can, I'm going
to try to live my life as I have been. I think the main
reason I kept myself from loving you or anyone else
completely was because I had this hanging over my head for
so long."

"And now?"

"Well, it's still there, but at least now I know I can trust
you." Julian nuzzled his cheek and whispered in Garak's ear.
"And believe me when I say I never thought I'd ever be able
to say that. If I can trust Elim Garak, then anything is
possible."

They stood together, kissing for several minutes, their
light touches growing more passionate until finally, Garak
pulled away with a gasp. "We're in the middle of the road on
a cattle truck; this is not the most appropriate place for
doing this."

"Not to mention the fact that the ranger was expecting us
half an hour ago," Julian said ruefully. He leaned in and
flicked his tongue over Garak's earlobe. "If we weren't in
the middle of this damned investigation I'd take you here
and now."

Garak groaned. "Don't do that, my tunic isn't long enough to
save me from embarrassing myself. The ranger will assume I'm
a rampaging sex manic!"

"If he so much as tries to put the moves on you, I'll snap
him like a twig!" Julian grinned, squeezing Garak's buttocks
possessively.

"Tell me, did one of those enhancements involve transplanted
Klingon DNA?"

"No, but it would have been nice," Julian said as he got
back behind the wheel and headed toward the Opalas National
Forest. "You do know that they have redundant reproductive
systems. I'd be coming with one cock and fucking you silly
with the other."

"And to think, all this time I'd been ignoring Mr. Worf. Had
I known, life might have been a lot more interesting..."

---

The ranger was a large, burly Bajoran with several scars and
a dark complexion which testified to his time outdoors.
Apparently, Bukash, their guide, was a relative of one of
the clergymen. As distasteful as he found the idea of
escorting a Cardassian around the air space above the park,
he was still respectful toward Merel Atina and Owin Grea.

Occasionally he threw them a dark look, particularly when
Julian very possessively and purposely placed his hand at
the small of Garak's back. Julian merely ignored him and
continued to fine tune the sensors so they would be able to
detect a decaying Bajoran body and eliminate all other
methane sources, such as dead animals, leaves, and sewage.

"If there is any dead woman down there, the remains are long
gone," Bukash said. "You're wasting your time. Between the
rodents and scavengers, there won't be so much as a bone
left."

"There would still be a faint vapor trail or some lingering
bio-signature," Julian said, not looking up from the
monitors.

"Bio-scans won't work," he said brusquely. "There are plenty
of things in those woods just as big or bigger than a
person. We've got reports of giant bats, diggers, Yar-bear,
sabre bear, targs, and even a pack of riding hounds down
there! Justem was one crazy fuck. When he took off, he
basically released a private zoo that has taken over the
better part of the forest."

"I can eliminate those signs, but it'll still take time to
figure out where they could have dumped a body," Julian
said, obviously becoming frustrated. "This forest is huge
and these sensors aren't nearly as powerful as the ones we
use on the station."

"That's the other thing I tried to explain this to the
Ranjen when he called - you can't get in those woods without
having some serious clearance! All of this air space is
restricted and there's no way anybody could just wander in."
He indicated his facial scars. "I got this when some kids
decided to go on a nature hike and ran into one of those
Vulcan bears, a sehlat they call 'em. The kids had heard
that you're supposed to be able to domesticate the fucking
things. They thought they were all cute and cuddly looking
until it came at them with those six inch long fangs and
claws! I barely got 'em out alive. Now, only certified
rangers are allowed to patrol in the hot spots and even then
we don't do it by foot."

Garak looked at him thoughtfully. "But if someone did have
clearance - let's pretend it was because they were in a
diplomatic shuttle craft - and wanted to get rid of a body,
where would the most logical dumping spot be? It would have
to be somewhere that was somewhat protected so something
would be left of the remains. You can't frame someone
without evidence, so it would have to look like it was
dumped there by someone who missed their true target. The
body can't be out in the open, but it would have to be
visible to sensors." Garak held up a finger in emphasis.
"Are there any ravines or caves that would be protected by
the larger scavengers? Anything like that?"

"No," Bukash said, then paused. "Wait a minute, let me
think." He turned the shuttlecraft west and headed for a low
lying mountain range. "We don't have anyplace like that
within the Park, but on the edge of the forest, there are
several rocky outcroppings and weird rock formations.
Technically, it falls outside of our regular patrol because
it isn't considered to be within the borders of the Opalas
National Forest, but some of the animals migrated out there.
We've had reports of some wolf packs, mammoth, and bears out
there as well as a lot of scavengers. The food supply isn't
as plentiful so we get complaints from the farmers and
ranchers that some of the protected wildlife from the Park
keep killing off their herds and ripping through their
fields. Right now, there's this big controversy within the
Provisional Government about fencing in the borders so the
animals have to stay confined."

Julian looked up, "What do you think?"

"Personally, I think we should consider it. We have a herd
of Wild Ktarian ponies that keep wandering into the
populated areas. Like I said before, we post all kinds of
signs telling people not to approach the wild animals but
every year we get at least three reports of someone getting
hurt or killed because a horse bucked up on them. Damned
idiots," he grumbled. "These animals weren't meant to be
here in the first place, and now that they're here and a
part of the eco-system, people gotta learn to leave 'em the
hell alone, no matter how 'cute' they are."

"We've had similar problems on Earth," Julian said
thoughtfully. "What about force fields or invisible
fencing?"

"See, the problem is that Gul Justem brought a lot of
species from several planets here to create his own private
little hunting grounds. Some of these animals are smart,
bordering on sentience, and others are just plain deadly. We
even have some that can walk through a level 10 force field
like it's thin air! For the most part, the mountain range
and the river fence the forest in naturally, but with
terraforming and soil replenishment technology being the big
political shit fit this year, a bunch of farmers and
ranchers are crowding the animals because of the rich soil
deposits in Opalas." He sighed. "I understand both sides.
The farmers are sayin' it's more important to feed our own
people than to preserve a bunch of animals that don't even
belong here, but it's not like Cardassia left us with a
great eco- system after they fucked us during the
Occupation. No offence." He turned to Garak.

"None taken." Garak looked out toward the mountain range as
they approached. "I never met Gul Justem, but you were
fairly accurate in your description of him. The man was a
sadist. He was arrested and executed not even a year after
his return to Cardassia for crimes against the State."

"What did he do?" Julian asked, his interest obviously
piqued.

"No one ever said, but I heard whisperings. His sexual and
violent proclivities extended toward his own family as well
as his servants. From what I understand, his wife quickly
remarried and is now much happier for it."

"He was a real son of a bitch, that's for sure, but these
animals represent the future of Bajor, for better or for
worse. Other than a few species of vermin and bats, they're
all we have." He motioned Garak over toward the front of the
craft. "See this ridge line? There are some pretty weird
rock formations over here, lots of niches and deep caverns.
We're between the forest and private land, so you wouldn't
actually need clearance to fly over here, but it's pretty
harsh territory so we don't get a lot of foot traffic. Not
too many of the animals wander up this far, but I do know of
some goats and bear, and someone called in a sighting of
something they thought was a le-matya. We told 'em that
according to our records Justem never imported one, not that
he wouldn't have if he'd been able to. Something like that -
poisonous claws and a cross between a dragon and a tiger -
it'd be right up his alley."

"I'm picking something up," Julian said excitedly. "Over
there, near that outcropping!"

Bukash landed the shuttle on a flat spot near the ridge and
the three of them exited the craft. "Here," said as he
handed them both a phaser rifle. "I'll take point. The
phasers are on mild stun, but if we run up on something
tough, you shoot to kill, understand? My job is to protect
the animals here, but not at the expense of someone's life."
He grinned and handed a rifle to Garak, "Not even a Cardie."

"I appreciate that," Garak said dryly as he checked and made
sure the weapon was charged and operational.

Julian waved them over. "I'm getting bio-readings from about
200 meters east of here. It's definitely the remains of a
humanoid as well as those of several species of small
rodents."

Bukash took the point and, after a few minutes, they came to
a rocky clearing. The smell was fairly rank, and Garak felt
his eyes begin to water. "I believe we found our body,
doctor."

"Yes, but where?" Julian asked, looking around.

Bukash took a well-washed bandana out of his back pocket and
tied it around his face, leaning his rifle against his leg
in case he had to grab it quickly. "I'm thinking it's over
there, under that rock shelf. See those small bones over
there?" He pointed and both men looked. "There's only one
animal I know of that hunts like that."

"Riding hound," Garak said thoughtfully.

"Right. Don't ask me what the hell he's doing this high up,
but if he's been kicked out of the pack, he's either hurt or
old. He's also hunting small game so he's gonna be hungry.
Keep alert."

"But wouldn't an animal that large have eaten the remains by
now?" Julian asked quietly, moving to stand near Garak as he
scanned the area with his tricorder.

"Riding hounds won't eat decaying flesh, no matter how
hungry they are," Garak explained quietly. "They're
omnivores, but when they eat meat, it has to be fresh."

"They're also smart, bordering on downright scary," Bukash
added, looking around as they approached the rock shelf.
"He's been using that body as a lure for the voles and other
scavengers. That won't be your crime scene up there. He
probably found the body and dragged it over there to protect
it, built himself a trap using the body as bait."

Julian stepped forward, breathing through his mouth, and
ducked under the rock shelf as Garak and Bukash stood watch.
"I've got it. The body is barely recognizable; the flesh is
desiccated and the bones were obviously shattered. It's
fairly impossible to tell if it is male or female by sight,
but it is certainly humanoid." He started his scan.
"According to these readings, the animal probably found it
weeks ago. You were right." He turned to Bukash. "I'm
detecting saliva from a Cardassian riding hound, but only a
minimum of animal predation. The torso is well-preserved and
relatively untouched but there is some evidence that
scavengers got to it early on. She's missing some fingers
and toes."

"She?" Garak asked.

"She," Julian confirmed. "It's a woman."

"Is it the woman from the picture?" Garak turned to look
over to Julian.

He bent closer to the remains but shook his head. "She's too
badly decomposed to verify if it's who we're looking for.
The hair appears blonde, but for all we know it could have
been bleached out by the sun before the hound dragged it
down here. I'm pretty sure you're right about this being a
secondary scene. I'm going to put a beacon near the remains
so we can beam it up into the shuttlecraft then back down to
the monastery."

"Why not take it straight to the station?" Garak asked.

"Chain of evidence. She's a Bajoran citizen and so the
remains have to stay on the planet for now. Bukash, do you
have jurisdiction or do we need to get clearance from the
local constable?"

"Technically, we're on the edge of my jurisdiction here.
There shouldn't be a problem, but since the Ranjen told me
some of what you guys are doing here, we need to go by the
book. When we get back to my shuttle, I'll call the
constabulary and tell them what we found. That way they can
give me authorization and I'll stay with you men until we
get to the monastery and transfer the remains into your
custody." Bukash looked around. "You better go ahead and get
whatever samples you need. A riding hound wouldn't leave his
trap for long and we don't know how feral he's gone."

"It'll just take me a minute or two to get what I need, then
you can take the shuttle up and transport the body while
Garak and I get the rest of the samples. We're going to have
to find the primary scene before we-" Julian stopped.
Standing over him on the outcropping was a very large, very
thin dog-like creature the size of a pony with slightly
serpentine features and smooth scales. It was relatively
hairless except for a thick, dark ruff of fur that began at
a widow's peak on its forehead and merging merged into a
lion-like mane down its neck. It emitted a low growl as it
advanced, obviously communicating to the doctor that he
needed to back off.

"Shit." Bukash said quietly. "You need to back away slowly.
Don't panic, and don't make any sudden movements - the
minute you're clear, I'll put it down."

Garak stepped forward slowly, his rifle at the ready. "Walk
backwards toward me. I have you covered."

At the sound of Garak's voice, the hound's ears perked up
and he began to pant. He made a low keening sound and
scratched at the rock, bobbing his head up and down. He
dropped to the floor and rolled over, his tongue lolling out
of his massive jaws as he stared at Garak, obviously in
submission.

"I'll be damned," Bukash said quietly. "That thing knows
you're a Cardie. Stay where you are, doc. You, uh..."

"Garak," the Cardassian supplied quietly, not taking his
eyes off the animal.

"Garak. You put your rifle down slowly and walk toward the
doctor. I've got you covered in case he's playing us."
Bukash adjusted his grip on the rifle. "See what he does,
but be careful and walk slow and evenly."

"No, Garak," Julian said quietly, frozen in place. "Stay
put."

"It'll be all right," Garak assured him, setting the gun
down and leaning it on the trunk of a nearby tree. "I'll be
there momentarily."

As Garak approached the doctor, his hands low and away from
his sides to show the animal he was unarmed, the hound got
back to his feet and tilted his head curiously. His ears
were perked up, and for one giddy moment, Garak almost
thought the animal was smiling at them. Steeling his nerves
and trying not to panic as the animal hopped down off the
ledge and began to limp toward him, he continued his slow
journey toward the doctor.

The animal was within a foot of Julian when it stopped and
began to sniff him curiously. Garak felt his heart catch in
his chest and he froze. The animal was as tall as his human
companion, and even as emaciated as he was, outweighed him
easily by several hundred pounds. He listened for the click
as Bukash adjusted the power output on the rifle. If the
animal attacked, he wouldn't want to use a wide beam this
close to Julian.

The riding hound sniffed Julian's hand thoughtfully and
looked first at him, then at Garak. He sniffed the air, then
turned back to Julian, his head lowered. The animal
stretched out his neck and his long, red tongue snaked out,
lapping at the doctor's now shaking hand.

"Oh thank you God," Julian whispered, his shoulders
beginning to slump. He carefully reached out his hand and
touched the animal's neck. He flinched, but did not object
when Julian stroked him tentatively. "I think he's hurt."

Bukash slowly lowered his rifle, slinging it on his back and
he and Garak joined the doctor. "That foreleg looks bad," he
said, bending down slowly and examining him. "It's not
broken but there's a nasty cut on it and an infection." He
touched the animal's withers and the hound whipped his head
around, emitting a sound which was between a soft growl and
a whine. "Easy there, big fella. You've been in a fight,
huh?" He got up and looked at Julian and Garak. "He's not
very old for a riding hound, probably about ten or so. He
wasn't more than a whelp when the Occupation ended. I'm
guessing he's in his first mating season, which is where he
got the wounds. The bull hound probably thought he was too
much competition."

Bukash reached out, slowly but assuredly, and took the
hound's face in his hands. The animal seemed nervous, but
his mannerisms put him somewhat at ease. "He's got a bad
infection and his eyes are pink, which means he's dehydrated
and feverish." His lips tightened and his face grew still.
"With medical attention and food, he'll live, but he won't
be accepted within the pack. He can't make it on his own out
here, too many predators even for someone his size, and the
minute he crosses into the bull hound's territory, he'll be
ripped to pieces. I'm thinking we should go ahead and put
him down."

"But-" Julian looked from the Bajoran ranger to the animal,
"if he can be treated, why can't we just let him live?"

Bukash shook his head. "Sorry doc, an animal this size isn't
a house pet. He's survived this long only because he was in
a pack. Without the pack, he won't make it through winter.
No one has the resources or the room for an animal like
this. It's the law of the wild; letting him die out here
would be cruel."

Garak stepped forward and touched the animal softly. The
hound whimpered and butted his large face against his hand,
demanding affection. "I rode one of these when I was just a
child," he said softly. "He was much bigger than this one,
and half wild. It was one of the best memories I had of my
f-childhood." He cleared his throat. "What if we transported
him to the monastery? A hound, even a young one, could be an
asset on the farms, and the veterinarians there could treat
his wounds."

"He's still a wild animal," Bukash said.

"He's at least semi-domesticated," Julian argued, "enough at
least that he recognized Garak as a Cardassian. If he can't
be trained, then maybe we can find a zoo or a private
collector who'll take him in."

Bukash shook his head. "Fine. I sure as hell don't want to
put him down much less dig a hole that big. Listen, he can't
be transported like this though - he'll panic the minute he
arrives in the monastery. Do you have anything in your
medical kit to sedate him? He won't fit in the shuttle."

"Yes, I might." Julian took a hypospray from the pack at his
side and adjusted the dosage. "Keep him calm, all right?"

Garak held the animal's snout, rubbing it soothingly as
Julian administered the sedative. Within a few seconds, the
animal began to blink and shift his stance.

"Back up," Bukash ordered. "He's nice and friendly now, but
when he goes down he might panic and lash out. Slow and
steady."

They stepped back and the hound sat heavily on his haunches,
a look of confusion written all over his face. "That's it,
time to take a nap," Julian said quietly. The animal dropped
down and laid his head on his forelegs, his eyes shutting.
"Give him another minute just to be sure."

The three men remained still as the hound adjusted himself,
laying over on his side. Within several seconds his
breathing became slow and measured. "Okay." Julian walked
over and opened the riding hound's massive jaws, pulling out
the long tongue and laying it out to the side, "You go ahead
back to the shuttle and transport him first, then the body.
Tell the head monk, Prylar Danna, what to expect. He'll give
you the coordinates for the two transports. Garak and I will
stay here and document the scene and the evidence. Can you
set your communicator to my frequency?"

"Already done."

"Good. We'll comm you when we're ready to be beamed up."
Julian took out his tricorder and scanned the animal.

"Are you checking his respiration or something?" Garak
asked, kneeling down and placing his hand on the hound's
chest and feeling its heart thumping steadily against his
ribs.

"No, I'm programming his DNA signature into my tricorder,"
he said. "Since he moved the body from what we assume is the
original drop, I might be able to track his movements. He's
wounded so I'm guessing his hunting grounds won't be very
extensive."

"Very clever," Garak praised.

"Thank you, I thought so, too." Julian returned his grin.

"I'll get going," Bukash said, heading for their transport.
He stopped and reluctantly turned toward Garak. "You know,
you aren't all that bad...for a Cardie, I mean."

"Thank you," Garak said dryly, rising to his feet. "You're
okay for a Bajoran, yourself."

"That's fair." Bukash held out his hand offering it to
Garak.

He clasped the man's hand. "Thank you for your help."

"Thank you for not getting us eaten," Bukash chuckled,
"although technically I suppose you had nothing to say about
it either way." He released Garak's hand and headed toward
the shuttle. "I'll comm you when I'm ready to transport."

As he walked away, Julian held out his hand for Garak to
help him up. Julian watched the man walk out of sight before
turning to his lover. "I'd like to second that sentiment. If
I'm going to be devoured today, I prefer it be by a
Cardassian who views me as an incredibly sexy human being
and not as a tasty treat."

"What if," Garak wrapped his arms around Julian and looked
up into his eyes, "you could have both?"

"Well..." he leaned in towards Garak, his eyes gleaming
mischievously.

//Bukash to Bashir//

Julian's face reflected his disappointment at not being able
to finish the kiss. He hit his comm badge. "Are you ready to
transport the animal?"

//Doing it now. Make sure you're clear.//

Julian and Garak stepped away from the drugged animal and
watched as it began to shimmer and vanish.

//He's in the buffer so now I'm transporting it to the
monastery. Prylar Danna said they'll have the animal secured
by the time you get back and he'll store the remains in the
Temple infirmary. I got the all-clear from the village
constable; all he asked for was a release form and to be
copied on any files. Comm me when you're ready to transport
the remains. Bukash out.//

"Well, I suppose we better get moving if we want those
samples," Julian said, walking toward the rock shelf.

"First things first," Garak gripped his arm and pulled him
back, kissing him gently.

"Keep that up and we'll never get this done," Julian
whispered.

"Then let's go," Garak grinned, kissing him softly one last
time. "We need to get this done quickly and head back, but
later I promise I'll show you just how tasty I think you
are."

"Promises, promises," Julian said as they walked toward the
remains, hand in hand. Julian leaned down and scanned the
body again. "I'll have to do a more thorough examination
later, but according to these readings, this poor girl
wasn't the only victim."

"Someone else's DNA is on the body?" Garak asked, searching
the remains with sharp eyes.

"In the body," Julian said sadly. "She was pregnant. She's
at least three to four weeks along."

Garak looked up at Julian thoughtfully. "That would be a
pretty good motive for murder, especially if it came out
that she was carrying the child of a political candidate."

"Shakaar isn't married," Julian pointed out.

"Yes," Garak said, "but if she really was a sex worker, it
won't look very good. Still, you have a point. If Shakaar
wanted to avoid a scandal, he could have had his spin
doctors fix the situation. He could have paid her off, or if
he was desperate, married her and made it sound like he was
saving her from a life of scandal. We'll need a DNA sample
from him to be sure."

"Oh, that'll be fun," Julian said sarcastically. "Bashir to
Ranger Bukash."

//You ready?//

"When you transport the body, be sure to take some of the
rock face, at least a quarter of a centimeter in depth, and
about a three centimeter margin around the body. Tell Danna
how we're doing it so he can be prepared."

//Doing it now.//

"We need to find that primary scene," Julian said to Garak.

"Have the ranger see if he can detect any residual trails
from where he is and give us an idea of the terrain," Garak
suggested.

"Bukash, see if you can track the riding hound's DNA trail
from up there and tell us about where to start looking for
the primary crime scene."

//Okay, let me transport the remains first// As he spoke,
the air surrounding the body shimmered and it disappeared
along with a cleanly shaven slate of rock beneath it. //I'm
detecting the animal's last bio-signature...You need to head
east. That's where he seems to hunt. Makes sense because
he'd be downwind so none of his prey can detect him as
easily. There's a flat spot on top of the mountain that
looks like a likely spot about two and a half miles from
your location. It's been too long to detect anything from
our hound from up here, but it's within his range. I'll
transport you and save you the walk; it's pretty rough
territory.//

"That would be great. Ready when you are."

Julian and Garak stood close as the air around them seemed
to sizzle and burn. There was a smell of ozone and the usual
mild disorientation, and then the world changed almost
instantly. The view from there was magnificent and Garak
held his breath slightly, "Look at all the trees..."

"This reminds me a little of the mountains around Tennessee
and Virginia," Julian said softly. "I can understand why
Shakaar is determined to build his campaign around it. Just
think, all of Bajor was once this green and lush."

"Before my people came here," Garak said grimly.

"It's not like you had anything to do with it."

"True," Garak admitted reluctantly, "but if I could go back
in time, I would have done things differently. I probably
would have listened to Tain more, advanced in rank so I
could be a part of the elective council. Then again, if I
had, I would probably been seen as a radical and lost in the
end anyway....and I never would have met you."

"And if my parents hadn't been ashamed of having a child who
was less than perfect, I wouldn't be here," Julian said,
looking over toward his companion. "Age has a way of showing
us why we had to go through what we did in order to be who
we are."

"Still, I have my regrets," Garak said, adjusting the strap
of his rifle and then reaching for his own tricorder in his
belt pack. "One regret I now have after seeing this place is
that I never asked to be stationed on Bajor. It's beautiful
here."

"You had never been to Bajor before your exile?"

"I came here, yes, but I was never officially assigned here
until just before my exile. It was temporary, I wasn't
supposed to be here for more than a few weeks...obviously it
didn't work out that way." Garak smiled slightly. "Are you
digging for more details?"

"After what happened last time, I think I'll leave it
alone....unless you want to volunteer anything?" Julian
asked hopefully.

"I'll tell you what. After we finish with what we have to do
down here and get back to the monastery, I'll answer a few
questions - as long as they don't delve into anything
classified." He looked at Julian pointedly, "Cardassia may
have rejected me, but I took an oath. Exile doesn't change
that."

"Agreed, I'll settle for anything that involves more than a
list of your favorite foods and which lubricants you
prefer." Julian quirked an eyebrow. "Although a discussion
on lubricant and its many uses wouldn't be completely
unwelcome at this point."

"I think we've already figured that part out," Garak
chuckled. "Now, back to the job at hand. I'm picking up
traces of dried blood over there near the edge."

Julian walked over to where Garak was pointing. He knelt
down and examined the rock, "There's some blood stains here,
but they're pretty faint. It's rained quite a bit since the
debate, if that's when she died. There is a definite
splatter pattern, though." He scanned the area. "It's our
corpse's DNA all right, but we can't be sure it's who we're
looking for. It could be a coincidence."

"Very doubtful."

"I agree, but we're going to have to prove all of this in
court, and unlike Cardassian justice, Bajor and the
Federation believe their accused are innocent until proven
guilty."

"That can be bothersome at times, but I've learned to
appreciate Federation patience since I've remained alive
because of it," Garak admitted. "Still, there are aspects to
swift and decisive justice one can appreciate. Throwing
pregnant women out of shuttles deserves some amount of
vengeance in my opinion."

"You think she was thrown out?"

Garak sighed and knelt down near the stains on the rock, "If
she were merely transported, the blood would have pooled,
not splattered. You'll have to perform a detailed autopsy,
but I'm willing to bet she was alive when she left that
craft. See here?" Garak pointed to some rocks on the side of
the cliff, "The blood pattern and the way it flowed indicate
she was alive for at least a few minutes after she landed on
the cliff. Her heart was still beating - this was arterial
splatter."

"It could have been from the impact," Julian argued.

"No," Garak said. "The impact patterns are in a more regular
pattern. Step back," Garak ordered and Julian arose to join
him, "It's faint, but do you see the void in the blood
stains? That was where her body was laying." He punched in a
few commands on his tricorder and a thin blue beam of energy
emerged and split, lighting up all the blood residue.
"There, that's better."

"I see it," Julian said, walking around the laser-defined
crime scene. "This looks like her femoral artery was
severed, possibly by a broken bone. I won't know until I
examine her, but it's fairly obvious she died as a result of
impact." He began punching in data to his tricorder and
looked up, squinting against the sunlight. "They must have
been flying fairly low, though."

"The mountains have a lot of naturally magnetic ore," Garak
said. "The pilot might have been using it to confuse any
ground sensors."

"I'll go ahead and concur with that," Julian said
thoughtfully. "It also goes to prove there was a certain
amount of premeditation. Bajor has a death penalty, at least
for now. It's one of the major obstacles blocking their
entry into the Federation."

"The other being the Bajor First party."

"And them as well," Julian said. "Shakaar has been
vehemently opposed to the continuation of capital
punishment. If the evidence points towards him, his politics
won't help his case."

"Let's finish taking samples and beam back up to the
shuttle. We need to get better acquainted with our victim
and then we need to have a sit down with First Minister
Shakaar."

---
Chapter Eight: The Politician's Woman
---

Garak stood outside of the large gate to one of the smaller
barns on the monastery grounds and watched as Danna and
Reven, the Order's large animal vet, examined the hound. A
couple of the children wandered over, their faces bright
with curiosity and wonder at the sight of such a large
canine.

"Can we ride him?"

Garak looked down at the small Bajoran girl pulling at his
tunic. "Not yet, my dear. He's very ill."

"Is he gonna die?"

Garak turned to the half-Cardassian boy he'd seen when he
first arrived. The child appeared to be around seven or
eight. "I don't think so, no, but we have to wait for Prylar
Reven to finish his examination first."

"My mama got sick and died," he said quietly. "The Prylars
couldn't do anything for her either."

Garak looked at the boy, not knowing exactly what he should
say. "What's your name?"

"Lewin."

"Hello, Lewin. My name is Garak."

"Garak is a funny name," the little girl said, walking over
to hold Lewin's hand.

"It's my last name, that's why."

"What's your real name then?" she asked.

Garak squatted down so he could look her in the eye, "Elim,
but no one calls me that. What's your name?"

"Her name's Kela; she's my sister," Lewin said. "She's
four."

"Kela...that's a very pretty name," Garak said, touching her
shoulder gently. "I'm sure everything will be fine." He
looked from one to the other as he spoke. "In fact, I'll bet
if you got some fruit and grain for the riding hound, that
would help a lot."

"Yeah. Yeah we can do that," Lewin said, his face
brightening. "Should we go ask Prylar Del for some fish
heads as well?"

"That would be a good idea, just tell him they have to be
fresh - not the ones left over from last night. Those can go
to the boar."

"You look like Lewin," Kela said, touching Garak's cheek.
"Are you his real daddy?"

Lewin flinched. "Kela..."

"I don't have a daddy, but if you're Lewin's daddy maybe you
could be mine, too." Her brown eyes were bright with hope.

Garak swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat,
"No, my dear. I never knew your mother, but I can be your
friend if you like. Would that be all right?"

"I guess, but I'd rather have a daddy," Kela said, obviously
disappointed. "I always wanted one."

"So did I," Garak said quietly. He got up to his feet and
looked at them both, "It seems we three have something in
common. That said, I can't think of anyone better qualified
than the two of you to help care for the riding hound.
Lewin," he said as he patted the boy on the shoulder, "Your
job is to feed him. He needs to be fed at least four times a
day, small meals at first and then you can add more grains
and fruits to his diet. He'll also need someone to wash his
mane and help Reven take care of his wounds."

"I can do that!" He grinned, his face suddenly animated. "I
can get some of the other kids to help, even!"

"And you, young lady, your job is to name him."

"Really?" she asked, clapping her little starfish shaped
hands together. "I can name him anything I want to?"

"Within reason," Garak smiled softly. "You'll have to get to
know him first, though. We wouldn't want to give him a name
that didn't fit, would we?"

"No, I promise I'll do real good, Elim," she said, bouncing
up and down. "Can I go tell my friends now?"

"Go on, and don't forget to stop by the kitchen first. Our
friend is very hungry!"

Garak watched with amusement as the two children ran toward
the central building, shouting excitedly at their friend who
were playing in the small playground near the school.

"I wish I had a tenth of their energy."

Garak looked over to Prylar Reven who was wiping his hands
on a rag. "I'd settle for half that. How's the animal?"

"Good, better than I thought he'd be," Reven answered with a
nod. "He wouldn't have made it another week like that. The
wound had staph in it and he's terribly malnourished. He's
fairly tame, though, and he's enjoying all the attention.
I'll have to shave off that mane of his. He's crawling with
mites, but he'll live." He nodded toward the kids. "I
eavesdropped a little on your conversation. That was nice of
you. Lewin and Kela usually have a hard time opening up to
people. People see a Cardassian hybrid and a Bajoran sibling
set and tend to get very judgmental. They had a hard time of
it before they came here."

"I would imagine so," Garak said quietly.

"Their mother was a prostitute," he said in a low voice.
"She was a field commander's woman during the Occupation and
when he left or was killed, she was turned out as a
collaborator. She never knew who Kela's father was. At best,
he was a client, at worse, one of the 'patriots' who thought
raping a Cardassian's concubine would teach her a lesson."
His face darkened. "I'm no fan of the Cardassians, but it
angers me when our own people destroy themselves with anger
and violence - the only thing they really accomplish is
leaving these kids without a family or a home."

"I've known a lot of men," Garak said seriously.
"Cardassian, Bajoran, Klingon, human - and in all this time,
I've learned race has very little to do with whether we are
good or evil. We, as individuals, make the choice to help or
to hurt. As for the Occupation..." He sighed. "I had my part
in it, that's the truth, but we all had our roles to play.
It's sad that the children are the ones who pay the price
for our foolishness."

"Well said." Reven looked at Garak with a newfound respect.
"If nothing else, that's what these children have taught us.
We have fifty children here, 19 of them are half or quarter
Cardassian - that's a huge number considering most of them
were never supposed to survive infancy, much less the
Cleansing after the Cardassians pulled out. Still, every day
we're getting requests to take in more from orphanages which
are afraid of losing funding because local politicians
dislike paying the costs for children which are, for the
most part, unlikely candidates for adoption. Those two came
to us because the last orphanage didn't want them separated.
Plenty of families wanted the girl, but no one would take
Lewin. They've made a home here."

"It's a wonderful place," Garak said, his eyes wandering
over the grounds.

"The Ministry of the Forgotten Children." Reven chuckled.
"When I first heard about this place, I thought it would be
depressing and dark. Now, I can't ever imagine leaving."

"I'm finding the concept a bit hard myself, actually," Garak
admitted.

"You're thinking of joining the order?" Reven's eyebrows
rose in surprise.

"You don't think I'd be accepted?" Garak asked, keeping his
expression neutral.

"No, not at all!" Reven said with a wide grin. "In fact, if
Danna doesn't want to sponsor you for penitence, I'd be more
than happy to. A lot of these kids were taught to hate their
Cardassian heritage -  having a full - blooded Cardassian,
well, it would do wonders for us."

"I'll certainly keep that in mind," Garak said, shaking
Reven's proffered hand.

"Excellent! Excellent! Danna!"

Julian emerged from the Infirmary and walked toward the pen
just as Danna approached his colleague. "What is it, Reven?"
he asked.

"Garak wants to join our order!" The tall Bajoran's tan face
fairly glowed with excitement.

"Really?" Danna nearly stumbled over his own feet in his
haste to rush over. "You want to join the monastery?"

"We have to call Vedek Merel immediately!"

"Garak..."

He looked over toward the sound of Julian's voice. Julian's
face was still, his eyes dark and hooded. It was obvious
that he wasn't happy with what he was hearing.

Garak licked his lips, his mouth suddenly dry. He didn't
like the look on his lover's face. "Gentlemen...perhaps that
wouldn't be an appropriate course of action, quite yet. I
still have a lot to consider first." He turned back to the
monks. "I have a business on the station I'd have to sell
first, as well as...other things."

"Oh. Oh!" Reven looked over at the doctor. "I understand. I
- you know that our order doesn't practice celibacy, right?
In fact, Danna and I-"

"Stop trying to sell him on the idea, Reven," Danna said,
placing his hand on the blond man's shoulder. "Come on, we
need to get this new addition to our family settled in. Let
Garak and his friend talk in peace."

They walked away from the two men, Reven still chattering
excitedly, "For Prophets' sake, Danna! You make me sound
like some kind of Ferengi! I was just -"

"I know, Reven, I know..."

Garak looked at Julian, saying nothing: he merely waited.

"You told them about what you were considering - moving
here, to the monastery."

"I did tell you first, Julian."

"Yes, but..." Julian rubbed the back of his neck, his
agitation obvious. "I thought we'd discuss it some more
before you made any concrete decisions."

"You mean, you wanted time to talk me out of it first."

"No! Well, yes. Yes, damn it, I did!" He took Garak's hand
in his own. "I don't want to...I don't want you to go. I
want you to stay with me - on the station. I want to sleep
with you, and not just for sex - I want to come home and
know that you'll be there, every day."

"But you said you didn't want a commitment."

"I don't! I-" Julian bit his lip, and softened his tone,
"I'm not ready to move in with you, Garak. I'm not ready to
say to Sisko, 'Captain, I'd like you to start the paperwork
so that I can get permission to marry Garak.' I'm not yet
prepared for any of that, but that doesn't mean I won't ever
be ready! You're talking about making a lifelong commitment
to living on Bajor, I can't just leap into that kind
of...damn it."

"But you are asking me to live my life around based on the
hope that someday you might want to," Garak pointed out, not
unkindly. He touched Julian's face. "I love you - now. I
love you and I never said I couldn't love you from Bajor. I
never even said I wouldn't stop loving you if I stayed and
you changed your mind all together. I just...I need
something stable in my life, can't you understand that?"

"Let's just...let's just talk about the case."

"Julian...?"

"No, Garak! Not now." Julian took a deep breath. "If we talk
about this now, I'll get upset and then I'll get angry. I
don't want to do that, so let's just deal with this first
and we'll talk about the rest of it later."

"Agreed." Garak nodded, he cleared his mind of everything
else. The rest of it could wait for when they were alone.
"What did you find out?"

'Let's go into the infirmary." Julian tilted his head toward
the children playing off in the distance. "They're going to
wander over here soon to look at the riding hound. I don't
want small ears hearing any of this."

"Good point," Garak said. Already the children were pointing
over toward them and chattering amongst themselves
excitedly. "After you."

They entered the small infirmary which smelled of lemons and
sweetgrass, a much more pleasant aroma than he had expected.
His expression must have reflected that because Julian spoke
up. "The doctor here explained that because some of the
children associate the smell of antiseptic with pain and
illness, they use natural cleansers instead. They're just as
effective at killing germs, but much more pleasant to live
with. If Starfleet Medical didn't have such stringent
policies, I'd be tempted to incorporate it into my infirmary
on the station." He grimaced. "Usually by the end of my
shift I smell like mouthwash. I'd much rather smell like
lemons and Bajoran herbs."

"It is rather pleasant," Garak agreed, frowning, "but what
about the, well..."

"Decaying flesh?" Julian supplied. "I used a stasis field to
keep the smell down. I've performed my fair share of
autopsies, but I really prefer not to have to endure that
particular part of the experience if I can help it. Besides,
it tends to linger and this isn't exactly a normal hospital
- I was afraid one of the orphans might wander in. They can
do emergency surgeries here, but it's mostly used for common
childhood ailments; cuts, scrapes, and the occasional broken
arm." He walked over to a cloth screen. "She's in here."

Garak followed him into the enclosure and looked at the
leathery pile of twisted skin and bone that was once an
undoubtedly beautiful young woman. "I've seen a lot of
death, but seeing this...I've never gotten used to this part
of it."

"No one does," Julian said in a low voice. "The day you stop
flinching when you look upon what used to be a real live
person turned into nothing more than a mummified carcass,
that's the day you've lost your humanity."

"Even though I'm not a human, I'll still thank you for the
sentiment. Did you find anything useful?"

"Quite a bit," Julian said, picking up his PADD and briefly
scanning his notes. "Federation tricorders are very
sensitive, but even then three weeks is on the cusp of
detection for fetal cells in the bloodstream. Fetal
development at this stage would have been epithelial tissue,
cartilage, and some of the internal organs. It was a boy, by
the way." Julian looked at her sadly. "Bajoran pregnancies
are shorter than human or Cardassian pregnancies, between
twenty to twenty-two weeks, so at three weeks along she
definitely knew she was pregnant. She had even begun to show
a little, just a slight curve to her stomach. I don't think
she could feel the baby kick or anything, but she had
various medicinal herbs in her system, makka and the like,
which is common for expectant Bajoran females. She planned
on keeping it...otherwise I doubt she would have been taking
them."

"Anything else?"

"No sperm, no definitive signs of rape. I can't tell if
there are any defensive wounds due to the condition of her
skin and the impact injuries, but I can tell you she wasn't
drugged and she died from massive blood loss."

"Wasn't there head trauma as well?"

"Yes," Julian nodded, "but she might have survived had she
gotten help. The craft she was in must have been flying
quite low because even though she was hurt she wasn't
unconscious." He indicated the bone protruding from her
thigh. "When she tried to move the bone shifted and nicked
the femoral artery. She must have tried to stop it herself,
but between her injuries and blood loss, she passed out and
was dead within minutes."

"Is there any way we can identify her?" Garak asked,
averting his eyes.

"Fingerprints won't do us much good." He sighed rubbing the
back of his neck in a familiar gesture that Garak knew meant
Julian was feeling agitated. "Animal predation and
decomposition destroyed her fingertips. DNA could help if
she's in the system, but from here on out we have to go
through the proper channels. The local constable knows we
have her. We can't keep this quiet any longer."

Garak looked at Julian expectantly.

"Garak," he said with a frown, "I downloaded Shakaar's
medical records from the station. I treated him in the
infirmary once." He looked up at the Cardassian, his dark
eyes cold and hard. "He's definitely the baby's father. I
think he might very well be our murderer."

---

"And you're sure about this?"

Julian looked at Sisko who was talking to him on the
viewscreen. "Yes, sir; there's no doubt, Shakaar is the
father. All the evidence is starting to point to his guilt."

Sisko looked down at his desk. He took a deep breath, picked
up the baseball he always kept there, and leaned back in his
chair, squeezing the ball and tossing it back and forth
between his hands as he absorbed the information. "Do the
local authorities know yet? Or Vedek Merel for that matter?"

"No," Julian said. "Garak told me to hold off until I spoke
to you first. Captain..." Julian said reluctantly, "we can't
keep this under wraps for much longer, and I, in all good
conscience, can't be a part of a cover-up."

"No, no of course not," Sisko said, his face grim. "I have
no choice but to inform Major Kira and Odo about this. She
can authorize the transfer of the body onto the station for
further testing. "We need to identify the body. If we leave
it on Bajor, God knows who could tamper with the evidence.
I'll have Odo meet you at the monastery first thing in the
morning; that way we'll maintain the chain of custody and
let Odo take the shuttle quietly. This has to be by the book
and we're already in a gray area here."

"And Merel?"

Sisko shook his head. "Say nothing to her. I know she's the
one who brought you the information to begin with, but we
can't risk her tipping off Shakaar. I'll contact him and ask
him aboard the station on some pretense, then Odo will take
him into custody. We'll question him here first and then
we'll hand him over to local authorities." He sighed. "I
don't intend to cover up anything, but I still believe
Shakaar is incapable of this type of crime. I want to hear
what he has to say before I destroy his career and
reputation, not to mention Starfleet's plans of
incorporating Bajor into the Federation."

"Understood, sir."

"And doctor,"Sisko said as he looked up at the screen again,
then hesitated, "tell Garak that he did a good job, despite
how it turned out. Tell him I said...thank you."

"I will," Julian promised.

"When you both return to the station I want you to report
immediately to my office after dropping the body off in the
Infirmary. You both need to be fully debriefed and Mr. Garak
will have to fill out some forms." Sisko paused. "This isn't
the first time he's been helpful to us in this sort of
situation. Do you suppose he might consider accepting a
consultant position within Starfleet? His skills in
code-breaking and crime scene analysis could come in very
handy."

"I'm...not sure," Julian said. "I believe he may have other
plans."

"I thought you two were in a relationship?" Sisko asked with
a confused expression. "I thought perhaps he'd like a more
permanent status on-board. There would be several perks to
accepting this sort of position, not least of which is
Federation citizenship."

"He's-he's thinking about remaining on Bajor, actually. He
intends to join the religious order here." Julian didn't
meet Sisko's eyes when he said this, his expression closed
and obviously displeased.

"Really?" Sisko's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Well...that
is unexpected. I wasn't aware Garak was religious."

"Neither was I."

Sisko nodded thoughtfully,"Tell Mr. Garak congratulations on
his chosen vocation and let him know if he changes his mind
that I can file the necessary paperwork upon his return."

"I will, sir. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Garak had watched the exchange from across the room. When
Julian turned off the comm screen and looked at him, he kept
his expression pleasant but neutral. He waited for Julian to
speak first.

"You heard?"

"Yes."

Brown eyes met blue. "If you want a real home, you can still
have it on the station. The captain will get you your
citizenship - I'll even send a letter of recommendation to
Federation Headquarters on your behalf. You wouldn't have to
worry about paying rent anymore, you'd have better quarters,
a job, a-"

"Julian..."

"No! You said the only reason you wanted this was because
you needed some stability, some permanence! You can have
that," he said as he arose from the chair and approached
him, "with me."

Garak looked at the lovely young man standing before him,
his tan skin glowing softly. The light from the fireplace
accentuated his finely-boned features and made his eyes seem
even darker, larger. Standing there, his arms spread out and
welcoming...it was almost too hard to resist. "I have to
think about it first."

"What's to think about?" Julian asked irritably. "What does
Bajor have that you can't get on the station?"

"Sun, trees, fresh air..." he sighed, "the sound of children
laughing. People who need me."

"I need you."

"You want me," Garak corrected softly, "but you've made it
very clear that you don't actually need me."

"You don't know that."

"I do."

"No you don't!" Julian shouted, pointing his finger toward
him in emphasis. "And don't you dare to presume that you do.
You don't know anything about how I feel! You just assumed
that because I hesitated to jump into a full-blown
commitment that I'm just using you until another warm body
makes itself available!"

"Julian-"

"Shut up!" Julian scrubbed his face with his hands and then
glared at Garak. "You're always reminding me of how shallow
I am, that I'm arrogant and undependable, but you - YOU turn
around and issue this high-handed-

"I-"

"-HIGH-HANDED ultimatum and expect me to roll over and
accept it!" Julian walked toward Garak and put his hands on
his shoulders, squeezing painfully. "I will not accept that!
I will not allow you-"

"You won't-" Garak was beginning to get angry.

"Don't interrupt me!" Julian snapped. "I will not allow you
to destroy your life or mine because you've decided in a fit
of melancholy and hysterics to become a fucking monk! You
and I both know that this is just another manipulation on
your part and I will not stand for it!"

Garak jumped up and pushed Julian away. "Get your hands off
me!"

"I won't play your game, Garak," Julian warned, his eyes
flashing with anger.

"I'm not playing a game!"

"Yes, you are."

"How dare you?" Garak blazed, "How dare you speak to me like
this! How dare you order me to do anything! I am not your
property or your subordinate!"

Flabbergasted, Julian's jaw dropped, "I never said you
were!"

"You say it every time you pat me on the head and treat me
like a toy you can play with, then put down at a moment's
notice!"

"I have never-"

"Oh no, doctor! Don't you dare interrupt me! I put up with
your nonsensical ramblings and now it's your turn to listen
for once!" Garak's clenched his fists. "You - you just waltz
into my life one day, deciding to sweep me off my feet! You
made it clear you wanted me. You proceeded to make me fall
in love with you. And then in an act of complete arrogance
you tell me in NO uncertain terms that you are NOT prepared
to return my love in the same way!" His voice was growing
increasingly strident. "But do you set me free? Oh, no. You
want me to remain available, receptive to all your physical
and emotional needs while you ignore mine! I can understand
now you've gone through so many lovers on the station. No
one can possibly hope to endure the kind of mental and
emotional torture you inflict on anyone who tries to get
close to you!"

"That's not true!"

"Yes it is!"

"I told you I loved you!"

"Your 'love' came with quite a few strings attached if I
recall correctly."

"Fine!" Julian held up his hands in defeat, "You win! I give
up! I quit! Let's just get this all over with once and for
all!"

Garak turned his back on Julian and willed his expression to
remain calm. This was it, the moment he'd been dreading for
weeks...Julian was finally breaking up with him.

"Garak..."

He held his breath, feeling his heart break in his chest. He
needed air - suddenly it hurt to breathe.

"Marry me."

Garak blinked, then whipped around, "What?!?"

"You heard me," Julian said, his arms crossed and his
expression unreadable. "I said, let's get married."

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious!" he said, his face tight with anger.
"Why the hell would I say it if I wasn't serious? You want a
commitment? Fine. No more discussion, we're getting married
and that's the end of it."

"You're serious?"

"Goddamn it, Garak! I'm serious! Now shut up and just deal
with it!"

"But-" Garak's mind drew a blank. "I don't understand."

"I know people get married on Cardassia and I also know
you're familiar with the term. You aren't stupid." Julian
gave him a scathing look. "I love you, you love me, I don't
want to lose you and I won't allow you to run off and leave
me behind. This would have eventually happened anyway. Hell,
had I not been a complete idiot, I would have had you in my
bed the first week we met. When you think about it, this is
long overdue."

Garak blinked several times. "You said you didn't want that
type of commitment."

"I lied."

"You...lied."

"Yes, I lied to the all knowing, all seeing Elim Garak."
Julian gave him a hard look. "Now close your mouth before
you catch flies and let's just get on with it, shall we? We
have a lot to do and this needs to be settled as quickly as
possible. I'm not in the mood to be making flowery speeches
or get into a long conversation about this. Just deal with
it and let's get some sleep."

Garak absorbed that and sat down on the couch, his mind
awhirl with emotion. "I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing to say," Julian said with a satisfied nod.
"We're getting married, end of discussion."

"I was just...thinking about moving in together or
something," Garak said numbly. "I never expected this."

"Tough. You wanted a commitment, now you've got one. You're
just going to have to live with the consequences."

"You're really serious?" Garak asked, unsure of himself and
what was happening.

"Yes."

"This is...very unexpected. Sudden, even..."

"Not really," Julian said, still looking down at him from
where he was standing. "I started thinking about it a while
ago, I just figured I wouldn't be doing it so soon. I
thought if I asked you any sooner, people would say we
rushed into things. I wanted to make sure we were an
established couple before this happened, but circumstances
have changed. We just have to move up the timetable a bit,
that's all."

"When did you..." Garak swallowed nervously, looking up at
his companion, "come to this decision?"

"Several days ago, after you started talking nonsense about
becoming a monk." Julian snorted. "I knew you'd do it, too,
if only just to prove to me that you could. You're just that
damned hard-headed! I decided that I wasn't going to allow
that to happen. I won't lose you and the only way I can
think of to make sure you can't get away is to marry you -
legally - that way if you want to go skipping off to Bajor,
you'll have to give me a little more consideration than a
brush-off and a kiss goodbye."

Garak looked up again, frowning. "This isn't
exactly...romantic. Shouldn't you be more...well, less...I'm
not sure how to put this? Just telling someone they're
getting married is a little...off-putting. Isn't there some
sort of custom or something in your culture? I mean, this
feels a little clinical, just announcing that I have to
marry you and bringing up legal terms and things. It's just
not what I expected at all."

"Why do I need to ask you?" Julian asked. "It doesn't
matter. We're getting married and that's all there is to
it."

Under normal circumstances, if any other man ever was to
talk to me in this way, Garak thought muzzily, I'd be
tempted to throttle him...but this was Julian. His Julian,
and for better or for worse, he loved him. He tried to
remain calm, and took a steadying breath, "I don't know...it
just seems like it would be nice to be asked."

"We're getting married; I don't have to ask," Julian
repeated.

"But, still," Garak said insistently, "I want you to."

Julian threw up his hands in defeat. "Fine!" He looked at
Garak, his eyes dark and dangerous, "You had better not say
no."

"All right," Garak agreed.

"Well, then..." He gave Garak a steady look and then slowly
dropped to the floor on one knee. Garak looked at him in
surprise as Julian took his hand, "Garak..." He stopped, and
smiled softly. "Mr. Elim Garak, will you do me the great
honor of becoming my husband?"

Garak looked at him for a long moment. "Are you serious?"

"YES! YES, DAMN IT I'M SERIOUS!" Julian roared, jumping to
his feet, "Now answer the damn question!"

"All right, I'll marry you," Garak said quickly, his eyes
wide with shock.

"Good!" Julian grabbed Garak's hand and pulled him off the
couch, dragging him toward the bedroom.

"What are we doing?" Garak asked numbly, stumbling behind
him.

"We're going to consummate this right now and then tomorrow
we're going to tell Sisko to start the paperwork! I'm not
letting you get away with a long engagement, not after what
you've put me through!"

"Aren't we supposed to kiss first or something?" Garak
asked, right before Julian shoved him against the wall and
gave him a hard, deep kiss that took his breath away.

"Happy now?" Julian asked, releasing his lips and tugging at
the buttons on Garak's tunic.

"Getting there," Garak said with a nod as he allowed Julian
to pull his garments over his head and then reached out to
undo his companion's trousers.

"I want you to know right now, and," Julian paused for a
deep kiss, "I'm not going to be easy to live with." He undid
Garak's pants and let them drop to the floor. "I work odd
hours, I won't come home some days when I'm on away
missions." Another kiss and he bent to slide down Garak's
underwear. "I could be transferred anywhere at any time so I
don't want you to say a word if we wind up on Earth! No
complaining about how crowded San Francisco is or how bland
the food tastes!"

"I promise, I won't!" Garak said, toeing off his shoes.

"And I'm not changing my name to Dr. Garak or Bashir-Garak
or Garak- Bashir-I have enough trouble with people
pronouncing my name correctly and I have to sign a thousand
damned reports a day! I'm not going to deal with having to
hyphenate and all that crap on top of everything else!" He
grabbed Garak's shoulders and pulled him close into an
intoxicating kiss. "You can do what you want. Elim Bashir,
Elim Garak-Bashir, or plain simple Garak, I don't care as
long as you know who you're married to!"

"I won't forget - are you going to take off your shoes?"

Julian finished undressing and pushed Garak onto the bed.
The last time they were there, they had moved the other bed
into the room and pushed the two mattresses together so they
could both sleep in comfort. Garak landed with a grunt and
Julian laid on top of him, nibbling on his neck ridges as he
ground their erections together. "You'll have to meet my
parents, which won't be fun," he gasped. "My mother will
like you but my father is an utter ass. I apologize ahead of
time."

"Like father like son; I'll learn to love - oh - him as
well." Garak groaned as Julian began to lick and suck his
way down his chest.

"I want you to know," Julian said, pausing every once in a
while to lick Garak's cock, "I want children, but probably
not right away. Maybe not even until after we've settled
somewhere permanently. All right?" He swallowed him whole
and Garak jerked his hips up into the doctor's warm mouth,
his breath coming in harsh gasps. Julian pulled away. "I'm
not necessarily stuck on the idea of a biological child, so
I was thinking of adoption. Is that a problem for you?"

"No, no, just keep doing that, please," Garak moaned.

"As for religion, I'm not a practicing anything, but if
you're serious about the Bajoran faith, I'll go with you to
the Temple. I'll even agree to be married in one. Mom would
like that," Julian said, before sucking on Garak's balls.

"Oh yes!" Garak gasped, "Whatever! Sounds good,
just...more!"

Julian snatched the lubricant off the night stand and poured
some in his hand, slicking up his cock. "Now that I'm
thinking about it, this could be a really good thing. We'll
get married housing and with both of us working we can save
up for a really nice house for when I retire." Julian stuck
two fingers inside of Garak and began to scissor them back
and forth. "We don't have to live on Earth, but I think
you'd like the climate. Anywhere is fine with me though.
Even Bajor, that way if you ever were permitted back to
Cardassia, ahh," he moaned as he slid inside and began to
fuck Garak with long, smooth strokes, "we could, ohhh, make
the commute - God, you feel so tight!"

"So goood," Garak moaned as Julian stroked his prostate in
just the right way. "Harder!"

"I just realized-" Julian stopped mid-stroke. "I'm
monopolizing the conversation here. Do you have anything you
want to ask me?"

Garak opened his eyes and looked at Julian, his eyes glazed
over with passion. "Wha-what?"

"Questions? Concerns? Comments?" Julian thrust his hips
forward sharply and Garak moaned. "Anything?"

"No no, just-just fuck me!"

"No, no," Julian said with a maddening grin, "you accused me
earlier of taking you for granted. You need to tell me what
you think about this."

"I will kill you if you don't move!" Garak growled.

"I'm not moving unless you ask me a question."

Garak wiggled his hips and thrust upward, but Julian pulled
out a bit causing him to moan in disappointment. "Fine!
When...when were you thinking of retiring?"

"In ten years, maybe less." Julian fucked Garak with sharp,
deep strokes that made both of them grunt in pleasure.
"*gasp* I don't-shit, stop doing that with your hips or I'll
come - really want to make, ahh, a career out of the
military. I really want to go into, oh yesss, oh you feel so
good - private practice eventually!"

Garak licked and sucked at his throat. "Uh, um, ohhh...you
feel so-uh, I can't - can't introduce you to my family.
There! Yes! Harder!"

"Why not?" Julian gasped.

"We're estranged! AHHH! Please, fuck me harder! You won't
hurt me, I just need you inside of me!"

Julian reached between their bodies and grabbed Garak's
rock-hard shaft as he pumped in and out. "Too-uh, uh-bad!
Ahh! I'm-I'm going to come!"

"Yesohyesohplease! Squeeze me harder! AHHH!"

Julian roared with his release and they both lay gasping,
their hearts beating in rapid staccato against their chests.
Julian rolled off of Garak and tried desperately to catch
his breath, "You said, oh god, earlier that you'd, ah, tell
me something about your past."

"You want me to tell you that now?" Garak mumbled, not
moving a muscle.

"Well, I'm thinking a nap first wouldn't hurt," Julian
yawned. "But I'd like to hear about it before we leave in
the morning."

Julian tossed him a towel from beside the bed after wiping
himself off and handed it to Garak who wiped off his stomach
and thighs. They pulled back the covers and slid into the
cool, clean sheets, each sighing with contentment. Garak
laid his head on his lover's chest and listened to the
steady thump which was lulling him to sleep. "I'll tell you
whatever you want."

"I'll hold you to that," he yawned.

"Goodnight, Julian."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

---

"Garak."

He was floating on warm waves of sleep; he felt as though he
were completely numb and comfortable.

"Garak."

Soft covers, warm toes, the heat of another body next to
him...perfect.

"Garak, wake up!"

Garak opened one eye and mumbled something which was
supposed to mean 'five more minutes, please'.

"Wake up. We have to talk."

"Noooooo," Garak groaned. He looked around the room still
bathed in total darkness. "What time is it?"

"It's around 0430."

Garak grabbed his pillow and stuck it over his head. In a
muffled voice he said, "Go back to sleep, Julian. Odo won't
be here until eight in the morning."

Julian snatched the pillow off of Garak's face and switched
on the light. "Nope, you're not getting out of this. You
promised we'd talk."

"We don't need three and a half hours' worth of
conversation!" He blinked against the harsh light. "Let's
just go back to sleep and we'll talk during breakfast or
something."

"No, I want to talk about this now while we're alone and in
private," Julian demanded. "If we wait, we'll have to put it
off and you'll forget about it or something."

"I have an excellent memory, I promise." Garak held his hand
out. "Can I have my pillow back."

"You promised."

"Fine!" Garak grumbled, sitting up in bed. He snatched the
pillow away from his lover and put it behind his back. "I
want you to know that after we're married, I expect to be
treated better than this."

Julian offered him a goofy grin. "That sounds so...weird,
doesn't it? Us, married?"

"Are you thinking of changing your mind?"

"Nope, actually I'm settling into the idea." Julian grinned,
propping his arms behind his head. "Now I can go into
Quark's and complain with Miles about how much you nag me
and say things like, 'My husband and I ran across one of
those last week while antiquing,' during staff meetings." He
chuckled. "It's strange because the idea of a commitment
always scared the devil out of me before but now..." and he
leaned over and gave Garak a quick kiss, "I'm really getting
excited about the whole thing."

"Really?" Garak asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yes, really!" Julian rolled his eyes in mock exasperation,
then chuckled, "Remember when we were talking earlier and I
was being an arrogant ass..?"

"There have been so many of those conversations in recent
memory. You'll have to be more specific." Garak yawned.

Julian glared, but continued on, "And you told me that you
wouldn't wear a dress or bear my child no matter what
medical science came up with?"

"Vaguely."

"I had the most disturbing dream that you were pregnant as a
penguin and wearing taffeta and tulle," Julian mused.

"It had to be a dream because I assure you, it would never
happen in real life," Garak muttered. "Besides, even if it
did, I would never wear taffeta. It would make me look too
hippy."

"Oh well, in that case, for the real thing we'll have to
settle for some nice suits and a simple ceremony. Maybe
Quark will host the reception?"

"You want our reception to take place in a bar?" Garak
snorted. "Next you'll say you want it in the replimat or
something."

"Well...we did first meet there..."

"I think it's a little too early in the morning to plan a
wedding, besides," Garak said pointedly, "we won't have
anything to say about it anyway. Your mother will
undoubtedly take the whole thing over. We just have to sit
back and wait for her to hand us our clothes and tell us
where to stand."

"How do you know?" Julian asked.

"I may not ever have been married before, but that doesn't
mean I'm completely ignorant on the subject. I'm a tailor, I
deal with this sort of thing all the time."

"Since weddings are off the discussion list, tell me about
how you first came to Bajor." Julian yawned, stretching his
arms over his head.

"All right. Well, it was-"

"Wait! Julian interrupted. "On second thought, answer a
question for me."

"Ask away."

Julian rolled over onto his side and propped his head on his
hand, looking at Garak in the eye. "Ever since I've known
you, you always speak in riddles, half-truths, and
obfuscations - you still do to everyone else on the station,
and yet, in the last few weeks, you've been abnormally
direct with me - open even. My question is; why now?"

"Why have I been honest with you?" Garak asked with a raised
eyeridge.

"Not that I don't appreciate it, but why? Why suddenly do
you cut to the chase and just tell me everything...well,
almost everything?"

Garak thought about that for a minute. "Do you know how I
told you once that I'd been in love before?"

"Yes," Julian said drily, "I think my ego is still bruised
from that particular tongue-lashing, actually."

"Well, it's true that I've loved before - I'd even go so far
as to say that had my life gone differently, I might have
gotten married and had a family by now. I might even have
been happy." He paused. "But until I met you, I never
trusted anyone before. You're the first."

"Oh," Julian said softly. "That's...I don't think anyone has
ever said anything that...special to me before."

"Once upon a time I called you a treasure," Garak said. "I
wasn't exaggerating."

"I'm your pot of gold, your unicorn made flesh?" Julian
joked.

"You're more than that," Garak said, touching his lips
softly with his fingertips. "You're the first person who
actually gave me a reason to live, not just survive."

Julian leaned over and kissed him softly."If you keep saying
things like that, I'm going to accuse you of going soft and
suggest you start writing romantic fiction or something."

"Ugh, anything but that!" Garak said in mock horror.

"You could make a lot of money on Earth doing that." Julian
wiggled his eyebrows mockingly.

"Really?" Garak brightened. "In that case I'll keep it in
mind."

"Just remember, first rule of writing: write what you know."
Julian scooted closer and kissed him again, taking him in a
tight embrace. "I hereby volunteer to help you research all
your love scenes."

"Offer accepted," Garak said breathlessly. "Are you sure you
want to hear about my experiences on Bajor? I have another
suggestion if you're up for it?"

"Oh, I'm up for it," Julian chuckled, "but I want to hear
about you more. Talk!"

Garak groaned, falling back on his pillow. "Fine!
Bajor...well, it was seven, almost eight years ago - a
friend of mine was an acquisitions officer in the mobile
infantry. He noticed a discrepancy in the books and became
intrigued. He did some research and discovered that a large
amount of weaponry and supplies which were supposed to going
to the ground troops were being diverted, but he didn't know
by who or how."

"And he called you? Why?"

Garak sighed. "He was a fairly low level officer. If he
accused someone higher up of embezzlement, they'd merely
blame him for it and he'd be sent to prison for the crime
instead."

"That's not very fair," Julian frowned.

"Very little about martial law justice is fair, my dear,"
Garak said. "He knew me from University, and he knew I was
in the Order. He contacted me and asked that I begin an
investigation - leaving him out of it. I was off-world at
the time and had just finished an assignment; the last thing
I wanted to do was come to a backwater like Bajor over some
accounting mistake. Still, I looked over the information he
sent and became intrigued. I dug into the files and
discovered that what my friend had found was just the tip of
the iceberg, so to speak."

"What happened?"

"I came to Bajor and I looked around. I ran into an old
friend of my - my superior officer's, and I began to suspect
that something wasn't right. After a few weeks, I had
evidence that he had sold Cardassian Military supplies and
weaponry to the highest bidder and set up an off-world
account for his retirement." Garak's face darkened. "Men and
women died because he sold our weapons to enemy troops
through a Ferengi middleman. They went hungry, they got
sick-and all so a fat Legate could have a nice retirement
somewhere warm."

"What happened," Julian asked, utterly intrigued.

"I was high enough in rank that I couldn't be touched, but
Enabrin Tain intervened and warned me that if I turned in
the officer, there would be a price to be paid for my
'conveniently timed scruples', as he called them."

"You didn't listen."

"No, I didn't," Garak admitted. "I had been sick of watching
men die - good men, because they were loyal to the same
officers who were more interested in fine wine and women
than actually saving the lives of the soldiers who died for
their war. I turned him in and he was tried and convicted.
Executed."

"Was it...?" Julian hesitated.

"No. If you're thinking it was Gul Dukat's father, that came
later. Legate Zem was the name of the man I apprehended, but
in the process of seeing him prosecuted he was transferred
back to Cardassia Prime. Procal Dukat, Gul Dukat's father,
was one of the High Justices overseeing the case. In a last
ditch effort to save his own life, Zem attempted to bribe
Dukat by using an off-world account he didn't know we had
purposely left open and flagged."

Julian appeared riveted. "You knew that Justice Dukat was
taking bribes?"

"Not at the time, no," Garak admitted. "We left the account
open hoping he would lead us to other officers who were
stealing from the State. When we traced the money transfer
to Justice Dukat, no one was more shocked than I."

"And that's why Dukat's father was executed."

"Yes," Garak answered. "But before that, I was advised to
destroy the evidence and leave Justice Dukat out of it. Gul
Dukat was already Prefect of Bajor and the family had a
great deal of power. Justice Dukat had a lot of friends in
high places."

"Including Tain."

"Including Tain," Garak admitted. "Still, it wasn't
friendship Tain was sorry to lose, it was political
leverage. He had plans for both the elder and the younger
Dukat, and I ruined them."

"So that's why you were exiled?" Julian asked.

"No," Garak said, slightly uncomfortable, "but it led to
it."

"Why were you-?

Garak laid a finger across Julian's lips. "If I tell you
now, there won't be anything left for later."

Julian smiled slowly. "What comes later?"

"I thought that as a special gift," Garak shifted his
position so he was talking against Julian's mouth, "on our
wedding night I could tell you another secret, and then
every year after that, on our anniversary, I could tell you
another."

Julian kissed him softly. "So instead of springing for an
actual gift, you're going to cheap out and offer me a story
instead?"

"There is a certain fiscal advantage to it, yes," Garak
admitted, "but mostly it's so you'll stay married to me
until you hear everything I have to say. Your curiosity will
force you to remain with me no matter how much I aggravate
you."

"That's evil."

"I thought it was rather clever, actually."

"Speaking of evil," Julian said with a sigh, "I can't
believe that I ever believed Shakaar was innocent. How could
he murder the mother of his child like that?"

"We don't know that he did," Garak pointed out.

"All the evidence says he did!" Julian said, his face tight
with frustration. "I'm tempted to throttle the man myself
for what he did to that poor girl."

"I don't think so," Garak said slowly. "If I were you I'd
reserve my judgement on that until we meet with him
tomorrow. There are still some things that just don't add
up."

"Like what exactly?"

"Like the fact that Shakaar was the leader of a Bajoran
terrorist cell - if anyone knew how to kill someone and bury
the evidence, it would be him."

"Maybe he made a mistake?" Julian suggested.

"I doubt it." Garak shook his head. "He didn't survive the
Occupation by making mistakes, and he certainly wouldn't
have done something this clumsy. Also, why was the girl
going by the name of Kel Sinles? What would be the point of
it? If someone really did want to tip off the authorities,
why not just sent the packet to the Militia? Why involve the
Vedek? And how did they know that Sinles never knew about
her aunt? It doesn't add up."

"So you really think Shakaar is innocent?"

"I never gamble on the ethics of men, especially not on the
ethics of politicians, but if Quark had a betting pool on
Shakaar's guilt or innocence, I'd have to say I'd put odds
on Shakaar."

Julian thumped his head against the simple wooden headboard
in frustration. "So now what do we do?" he asked.

"Now, we go back to bed and wait until Odo comes in the
morning," Garak said simply. "Tomorrow will be here soon
enough."

"So...we should just go to sleep then?"

"You had other ideas?"

"A few."

"Well," Garak grinned as Julian shut off the lights and
reached for him, "let it never be said I didn't enjoy our
discussions..."

---
Chapter Nine: Confrontations, Accusations, and Answers
---

"We have a lot to talk about before we meet with the Captain
back on the station."

"About what?" Garak said absently as he made notes on his
PADD.

"About us."

Garak looked over at his companion, a small smile playing
over his lips. "I rather enjoyed our earlier discussion;
perhaps we can have another like that one after our meeting,
instead? Only this time, I'd prefer to be completely awake."

Julian chucked and squeezed Garak's knee affectionately.
"Later, my love; but seriously, there is something I need to
talk to you about and I want to do it while no one else is
around."

"Like what?"

Julian took a deep breath. "Well, usually when two people
become engaged, Starfleet allows the captain to go ahead and
assign them married quarters before the actual wedding."

"Really?" Garak pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Well, it will
be difficult, but I can get Ajaz to continue running the
shop for me until we're settled. I have quite a few really
nice pieces of furniture we can use...I don't want to risk
some of the better antiques, so I wonder if Chief O'Brien
can just beam them into -?"

"No, Garak-" Julian interrupted, "You don't understand. I
don't want us to share quarters before the wedding."

"You don't?" He tried to keep the hurt tone out of his
voice.

Julian switched on the auto-pilot and turned in his seat to
look Garak in the eye, "Sweetheart, it's not what you think.
It's just...my mother is a very old-fashioned woman."

"I see." Actually he didn't, but he listened anyway.

"This is the reason I was glad Odo took the remains in a
separate runabout," Julian muttered. "I just knew I'd screw
this up. I'm not trying to hurt your feelings," he sighed,
"and I know you think I'm avoiding commitment again, but
that's not it."

"It isn't?"

"No!" he said, smiling. "Now, more than ever, I want to be
with you, but if you want us to be together as a family,
then we'll need my mother's support to win over my dad. In
order for that to happen, we need to at least make the
attempt to try and follow her ways, to show her respect as
her sons, can you understand that?"

"I understand," Garak said slowly. "Obviously she's going to
realize that we've been intimate; what difference will our
not living together make if she knows we've already had sex?
Won't she be upset?"

Julian shrugged. "I can't explain it. All I know is that
even though she realizes we have obviously engaged in
intercourse, in her belief system only married people should
live together. Marriage is a sacred institution and when we
marry and join our households together, you'll be her son
just as much as I am. It's just the way she was raised.
Until the wedding, we need to keep separate quarters so that
when they come to visit, she can see that we're very serious
about this and that we're not just 'playing house'. Can you
do that for me?"

Garak looked at him for a long moment and nodded. "Of course
I can, Cardassians have a similar belief structure, and
showing respect for one's parents is sacred. I promise you,
I will treat your mother as though she were my own...even if
that means not being able to share your bed every night, all
night, until the wedding." Garak touched Julian's cheek
tenderly, "You could have told me this before we left. I
would have understood. "

"I would have, but this morning was insane," Julian said as
he turned in his seat and began piloting them back to the
station again. "Between the kids all crowding around us and
Reven hinting that we should think about adopting right
away, I didn't even have time to breathe much less get two
words in." He ran his fingers through his hair tiredly.
"Then Odo showed up and we had to deal with his being pissed
off that we kept him out of the loop on this one - well,
I'll just be glad when we get back. I'm actually very
worried about the Major. She's due to give birth to the
O'Brien's baby in just under a month and now she has to deal
with this? She and Shakaar aren't just friends, they're
still lovers, I believe. Odo seemed very grim this morning -
I think this whole situation is really hurting her."

"Odo is always grim," Garak snorted, "and as for the Major,
she knows full well that Shakaar is merely mortal. They've
maintained a long-distance relationship for some time now,
long enough for her to know what he's capable of. She'll
undoubtedly be angry, but she'll realize quickly that
infidelity and murder are two very different things."

"Odo looked at all of the evidence and seemed to think he
was guilty," Julian pointed out.

"Odo is in love with Major Kira and, even if he won't admit
it, he wants Shakaar to be guilty. Instead of opening up to
her and telling her how he feels, he just sits around hoping
she'll notice him." Garak picked the PADD up and began to
type again. "Life doesn't work that way."

"It worked for us," the doctor pointed out.

"No, it didn't," Garak stated. "For five years we hedged and
ignored our feelings and we would have continued on
indefinitely that way if one of us-"

"Me."

"-if ONE of us hadn't finally made a move, we would have
never admitted our feelings for one another," Garak finished
with a glare.

"You mean if I hadn't thrown you against a bulkhead and
ravished you, we'd both be sleeping in a cold bed tonight,"
Julian said with a self-satisfied grin.

"You still might," Garak grumbled.

"You just like being the one who is always right," Julian
snorted.

"And you're too arrogant as it is," Garak grumped, "but I
love you anyway."

"You always were a sweet talker, Garak. It's amazing how I
resisted you for so long."

---

"Constable, what do you think?" Sisko asked as he lifted his
eyes from the doctor's report.

Odo glanced at Kira who was sitting across the conference
table, her posture stiff and her expression unreadable. "I
regret to say that the evidence does make it appear that
First Minister Shakaar may be guilty, captain." He nodded
toward Garak and Julian, "And on a personal note, I would
like to say that I was quite impressed with Dr. Bashir's
meticulous attention to detail during this investigation,
and, as much as it pains me to say so," he said reluctantly,
"Garak's skills as an investigator were of invaluable use in
uncovering as much as they did."

"Why thank you, Odo," Garak said brightly. "Perhaps the good
Captain could assign me to Security! I'm sure we'd work well
together."

"I think not," Odo muttered.

Bashir snorted, causing the captain to give the three of
them a sharp look. "Do you agree that Shakaar should be
arrested?"

"On the evidence we have here, I don't see how we couldn't
take him into custody, Captain," Odo said gravely. "If we
don't act upon this, we could be accused of showing Shakaar
preferential treatment."

Garak held up his hand. "Captain Sisko, I have to admit the
evidence does appear to be damning, but..." He pursed his
lips. "I just don't think Shakaar did this."

Kira and Sisko both looked at Garak in surprise. "But the
fetus..?"

"Just because he fathered this woman's child doesn't mean he
killed her," Garak pointed out. "Captain, I don't know First
Minister Shakaar at all, but I'm sure if he did commit a
crime of this nature, he would have been much more careful
in his disposal of the remains. Not only that, but I have
several questions concerning some of the other aspects of
this case. For instance," he paused, tapping his lips with
his finger thoughtfully, "who sent us the PADD with the
evidence, and why involve Vedek Merel in all of this when he
or she could have just given it to the police? Also, why
provide us with the identity of a librarian who is very much
alive and knows nothing about any of this? It doesn't make
any sense."

Sisko nodded and thought about Garak's words carefully.
"Major, you've been very quiet through all of this, what do
you think?"

"I think Garak is right," Kira said, shifting in her chair.
"I know Shakaar, he wouldn't do this, but if he did he
wouldn't have gotten caught. I don't know if he slept with
this woman or not, but at best I think we have in front of
us the evidence of an affair, not a murder."

"We have a dead woman who would prove otherwise," Odo said,
causing Kira to glare at him coldly.

"You don't know him like I do, Odo! You think that everyone
is capable of-"

"Enough!" The captain called the room to order. "Fighting
among ourselves will resolve nothing. We need to speak to
Shakaar and hear what he has to say."

"I suggest moving him to one of the interrogation cells as
soon as he arrives on the station," Odo said, ignoring the
flash of anger in the Major's eyes.

"I disagree." Garak shook his head. "I have some experience
in interrogation techniques-" Odo chuckled darkly, but Garak
ignored him. "If you truly want to get him to answer your
questions you need to catch him off guard. If we arrest him,
he'll clam up and we'll never find the truth. He's been
conditioned to resist the kind of intimidation Odo is
suggesting."

"And we all know who the interrogation expert is in the
room, don't we Garak?" Odo said pointedly.

"Glad to know my expertise is valued, Constable." He flashed
a toothy grin at the shapeshifter.

"Well, I have had the opportunity to experience those
techniques personally," Odo said with dry humor.

"I think Garak has a point," Julian cleared his throat,
eyeing the exchange between his lover and the Constable
nervously. "We should bring him here, with all of us present
and ask him directly. We should present the evidence to him
as it stands and gauge his reactions."

"And you, doctor? When we spoke earlier, you seemed
convinced of Shakaar's guilt."

"That was before I listened to what Garak had to say,
captain," he said. "Honestly, I don't know if he did it or
not, but Garak hasn't been wrong yet. I think we should let
this play out before we arrest anyone."

"I agree." Sisko hit his comm badge. "Sisko to Ops. Inform
me when First Minister Shakaar arrives and I'll send someone
to escort him to the conference room. Tell him I need to go
over something privately with him."

//Acknowledged. His vessel is docking now. I'll relay the
message.//

"Odo, go and meet the First Minister and bring him here.
Make sure he doesn't suspect anything is amiss."

"Aye, sir." Odo got up from his chair and headed out of the
room.

"I'd like to go with Odo," Kira spoke up.

"I don't believe that would be wise, Captain," Garak said.

"Frankly, Garak, I don't give a damn about what you think!"
Kira said angrily as she turned her frustration from Odo to
the tailor. "I don't understand why you're in the middle of
all this anyway, and if I find out that you had anything to
do with this, I will personally see to it that -"

"Major," Sisko said, interrupting her angry tirade. "Garak
is right." She opened her mouth to say something and he
hushed her with a look, "You and Shakaar are in a
relationship; he might not feel comfortable speaking about
this in front of you."

"Kira...Nerys, perhaps you should wait in your office,"
Julian said gently. "You're too close to your due date to
risk the baby's health by getting upset."

Kira glared at him, but laid her hand on her stomach
protectively, "Fine, but only out of concern for Miles and
Keiko's son. I want to be kept in the loop on this."

"I promise that I will keep you apprised of the situation,"
Sisko nodded.

Kira gave Garak one last dirty look before leaving the room,
her stiff posture communicating just how angry she was about
the whole situation.

As soon as she left, Julian turned to the captain. "I know
this is an odd time to mention this, but Garak and I have
something to tell you."

"Is this about the job I offered you earlier?" Sisko turned
to the Cardassian, his expression hopeful. "Given our recent
conflict with the Jem'Hadar, we could use someone with your
skills, Mr. Garak. The situation with the Founders is
beginning to escalate and Starfleet Intelligence is
concerned that they may be planning some sort of an attack
soon. I'm sure the doctor told you what I was offering in
exchange for your full cooperation in dealing with this
situation. Would you be interested?"

"Yes, actually," Garak said slowly. "I would very much
appreciate the position you're offering me and your terms
are quite generous, but that's not what Julian was referring
to, I believe."

"What is it you need to tell me, doctor?" Sisko looked at
him questioningly.

"Garak and I are involved with one another, as you know, but
our relationship has become a bit more serious recently," he
said, taking a deep breath. "I asked him to marry me and he
accepted. We were wondering if you could start the paperwork
for us so we can get married as soon as we get clearance
from Starfleet." He straightened his shoulders. "I realize
that Garak is a non-Federation citizen now, and he has ties
to a hostile foreign government, but you know his situation
better than anyone. I thought that since he has to be
cleared for his new position anyway, we could go ahead and
make our application now - we'd like your support on this,
sir."

Sisko blinked and sat back in his chair. "This...is a
surprise."

"I know this seems sudden, captain, but I assure you I've
thought about all the implications," Julian said quickly.
"Garak has contributed to the safety and the security of
Deep Space Nine of several occasions, as you, yourself, have
pointed out. This - it's just time. We want this."

Sisko nodded. "Like you said, they will have to meet with
Garak anyway when they approve his security clearance. I
don't believe there will be any problem with your
application. Actually, this might help speed things along."

"Really?" Julian brightened.

"Mr. Garak is going to be on our team now, officially - the
fact that  he's also going to be a member of our family
should tell  Starfleet Intelligence everything they need to
know," Sisko said with a smile. "That isn't to say that it
will be an easy process. There will be some hard questions
for you both in the beginning, but I'm sure we can get you
settled within the next month or two, if that's not too
soon."

"No, no, that's fine," Julian said, with a grin. He reached
for Garak's hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"I'll go ahead and start the paperwork to assign you married
quarters. I'll have to ask the Major, but we should have
something available by the end of the week." He reached for
a PADD, but Garak stopped him.

"Captain, we appreciate the offer, but there's no rush," he
said, looking at Julian. "We'd prefer to remain in our own
quarters until after the wedding, if that's all right."

"That's fine," Sisko said, putting down the PADD. "May I ask
why, if that's all right?"

"It's important to Julian's mother that we maintain a
certain appearance, Captain, therefore it's important to me
that we show respect for her beliefs," Garak replied.

A faint smile crept over Sisko's face. "Mr. Garak, you
continually amaze me. I must admit, when I first learned of
your relationship with Dr. Bashir, I was skeptical, but now
I have a feeling everything will work out fine." He arose
from his desk and shook both of their hands, each in turn.
"Congratulations to you both."

Julian looked at Garak and said, "There's something else,
captain."

Both Garak and Sisko looked at him in surprise. "Yes?"

"Can you make sure we get a three bedroom suite?" He took a
deep breath. "We're planning on adopting two children at the
orphanage where we were staying. I started the process this
morning."

"What?" Garak's face registered his shock. "But you said -"

"I know what I said," Julian reached for his hand again. "I
said a lot of things that I thought I meant, but I realize
now I was wrong." He looked down at the floor. "I spoke to
Reven and Danna before we left. They told me about the
siblings you'd taken an interest in and suggested we take
them into our home as foster children. I wasn't sure about
doing it until I saw how you were with them this morning.
Garak, I - I know I can come off as an oblivious ass at
times, but I saw how those kids looked at you when you said
goodbye to them at the riding hound's enclosure. I heard you
telling that boy, Lewin, that we'd be back to visit and how
sad you were when we had to leave." He touched Garak's face,
completely ignoring Sisko who was looking on in silent
amazement. "I know adoption is a big step, and I considered
just going the fostering route, but there's no real
permanence in that...and lately, permanence has felt pretty
good and I'd like to share that feeling, you know? You're
the first person who has ever made me feel like I could have
a family, a life. If it's too soon, we-"

"No, no!" Garak said quickly. "Of course I want this - them
- all of it! I just can't believe you'd-!"

"Gentlemen," Sisko said, his mouth twitching in amusement.
"I imagine you both have a lot to discuss, but right now we
need to get ready for First Minister Shakaar."

"I'm sorry, captain," Julian apologized before looking back
at his fiancé. "In any case, it won't be for several months.
We have to get settled in first and then the Bajoran Social
Services will have to approve our application for adoption.
Reven and Danna will both recommend us, I'm sure."

"I'd be happy to give you both a reference as well," Sisko
said quietly.

Garak nodded at the captain gratefully. "Thank you." He
turned his attention back to Julian, "Did they say how long
it would take for the paperwork to go through?"

"Danna said the process is a bit long, about six months to a
year, but it will give us time to settle in and prepare for
their arrival and we can visit them often so they can get
used to us. They can even come up here on the weekends."
Julian cleared his throat. "I know I shouldn't have sprung
this on you but..."

"No, this was a good surprise," Garak said softly. "This was
- is, the best present you could have ever given me."

The door to the conference room opened and Odo stepped in
with First Minister Shakaar, who looked around curiously.
"I'm sorry, were we interrupting something?"

"Not at all," Sisko said, gesturing Shakaar to join them.
"Come right in and have a seat."

Julian and Garak sat beside each other while Shakaar took
the chair at the end of the table facing the captain. Odo
remained standing at the door, his eyes fixed on the First
Minister.

"Mr. Garak, doctor, so good to see you both again, but, ah
-" Shakaar looked over to the captain, "Emissary, I was
under the impression you needed to speak to me privately."

"Mr. Garak and Dr. Bashir are both aware of why I asked you
to join us."

"I'm sure they are, but I wish *I* were," Shakaar said a bit
impatiently. "Emissary, I am in the middle of a political
campaign; I really don't have time to meet with your
station's tailor. What's more, I'm in perfect health and I
have my own personal physician." He looked over at them.
"Thank you for taking the time out of your schedules,
gentlemen, but I have no need of your services."

"Garak's not here as a tailor, and I'm sure Dr. Bashir
believes you're perfectly healthy," Sisko said as he sat
down and handed him a PADD. "I'm afraid, First Minister,
that they're here because of this."

For a moment, Shakaar appeared confused, then slowly he
began to realize the implications of what he was seeing. He
looked up from the PADD and glared at Sisko, "Since when do
I have to explain my relationship with members of my staff
to you or anyone else? And what do a doctor and a dressmaker
have to do with anything?"

"Who is that woman, First Minister Shakaar?" Garak asked
curiously.

"Why? Are you looking for another client? She already has
enough gowns, thank you, but I'll be sure relay the message
just in case. What is this?" he scoffed, looking up at the
captain.

"Answer the question, please," Sisko requested in a hard
voice.

He looked at Garak, then at Sisko again. "Is the Federation
in bed with the Cardassians now? Is this some sort of
bargaining tool to get me to hand over Bajor to the
Federation?"

"We just want to ask you a few questions about this woman
and your connection to her," Sisko said evenly.

"Well, it's none of your damned business." Shakaar arose
from his chair and tossed the PADD on the table where it
landed with a loud smack and nearly slid off the edge.
"Until now I thought we had a good relationship, *Captain*,
but I won't be blackmailed, not by you or the Cardassians!"
He threw Garak a filthy look. "Go ahead and make any
accusations you like, I won't be blackmailed or have my
reputation or the reputation of anyone working for me
smeared in the press! It isn't a crime to hire a beautiful
woman. She worked for me, that's all."

"It's not a crime to hire someone, but it is a crime to
murder them," Garak said, his eyes fixed on the First
Minister.

"Murder?" Shakaar looked around in confusion. "What the hell
is he talking about? Whose murder?"

Julian handed him another PADD, this one showing the remains
of the girl. "This murder."

Shakaar paled and clutched the back of the chair. "I don't
understand."

"We performed tests on the remains, including a holographic
feature recovery on the skull. It's definitely the same
woman in the picture," Julian said coolly.

"That's-that's impossible," Shakaar stuttered. He slowly sat
down in his chair and shook his head. "She can't be dead."

"Her name, what was her name?" Garak repeated.

"Sinles. Her name is - was Kel Sinles," His skin was an
unhealthy shade of yellow and he swallowed convulsively.
"How?"

"Are you sure her name was Kel Sinles?" Garak leaned
forward, his eyes searching Shakaar's face.

"Yes, of course I'm sure!" Shakaar burst out. "What's wrong
with you people? Where's Nerys? I need to explain to her-"

"Major Kira is aware that you've been arrested," Odo broke
in. "Due to her condition, the doctor recommended she not be
present during your questioning."

"I'm being arrested for this?" Shakaar's voice grew shrill.
"I didn't kill her!"

"The evidence says otherwise," Odo said in a matter-of-fact
tone.

"What evidence?" He flushed with anger, "How can there be
evidence if I didn't do it? How do you know that the
Cardassians - that HE didn't plant the evidence?" He pointed
to Garak, his voice rising with every word.

"Actually, First Minister, you should know that of everyone
here, I'm the only one who is convinced of your innocence,"
Garak stated.

"This isn't happening," he muttered. "This is insane!"

"Shakaar," Sisko said sharply, "tell us about this woman who
called herself Kel Sinles - how did you meet her and when?

"I met her a few months ago," Shakaar ground out. "She
volunteered at my campaign office and we struck up a
conversation. After a while she became my personal
secretary. She joined me on the campaign trail - it was her
job! There's nothing sinister about that!"

"And what else?" he asked.

"There is nothing else!" he shouted, "She just worked for me
and then about seven or eight weeks ago she quit! I haven't
heard from her since."

"You didn't think that was suspicious? Her just disappearing
without a word or asking you for a letter of
recommendation?" The captain leaned forward.

"People leave all the time; it's a stressful job," Shakaar
snorted. "I've been through three secretaries this year
alone, Captain. I'm a difficult man to work for, I keep long
hours and I travel a lot. She was a young girl, good at her
job, but she wasn't even twenty years old. You know how
unreliable young people are! My schedule made it so she
couldn't keep a boyfriend, she couldn't take any time off
for herself - hell, I haven't even seen Nerys in almost a
month! Of course she left, and I replaced her within two
days. Life goes on." He got up to leave. "Now, if you'll
excuse me, I have other business to attend to."

"Sit down, First Minister, or I'll have to restrain you,"
Odo said coldly as he stepped forward.

"Are you serious?" He turned to Sisko in disbelief. "What is
this?"

"You're a suspect in the murder of one of your...employees,"
Odo said carefully. "Right now this is merely an informal
questioning, but if you attempt to leave or request legal
council, this all goes on the record and I don't think that
would look good to the voters, do you?"

"I'll just bet you're loving this, Odo." Shakaar's voice
dripped with venom. He sat down and gave the constable a
dismissive look. "This is ridiculous! Dragging me all the
way up here for something we could have discussed over a
comm channel - this was your idea, wasn't it, Odo? You think
I don't know how you feel about Nerys? It's obvious. In
fact, the only one who doesn't see it is her! You probably
figure that if you pin this murder on me she'll come running
to you - well, it's not going to happen."

"I suspect that the minute Major Kira found out you were
sleeping with someone else, your relationship was over
anyway, whether you actually killed her or not," the
Constable said simply.

Shakaar blanched. "Who said I was sleeping with her? I never
said that! Is that what you told Kira?" He turned back to
Sisko. "Ben, I have to talk to Nerys about this, please.
It's not how it looks. I mean - damn it! How could you just
spring this on me? I thought we were friends, I thought..."
He started to get back up. "Where is Kira? I need to speak
to my campaign manager as well-"

"First, you need to talk to us," Sisko said calmly. "The
girl, tell us about her."

"Sinles?" Shakaar scrubbed his hand over his face and
slumped in his chair, "She...we met a few months ago at a
fundraiser. She was very shy and well-spoken. She offered to
volunteer at my campaign headquarters so I told her who to
get in touch with."

"And then?" Sisko urged.

"Then she started working there full-time. She was very
skilled at data entry. My secretary was offered a position
with a company located in Risa and he quit without giving
notice, and Sinles offered to fill in. We were strictly
professional with each other," he sighed.

"You're lying, First Minister," Garak chided.
"Understandable, but you're making a big mistake."

"What the hell do you know about any of this?" Shakaar asked
angrily.

"More than you think," Garak returned. "There's an old
saying among interrogators: Little lies leads to big lies.
Right now, you're lying about your relationship with your
secretary because you're surrounded by men your lover, Major
Kira, calls her friends. You don't want to admit you had an
affair, that you cheated on her, because that would make you
look weak and possibly cause you to lose face, not to
mention damage your relationship with the Major. Your fears
are unnecessary, I assure you." Garak tilted his head and
looked at him calmly. "She already knows about the affair.
She has proof of everything. Your relationship with Major
Kira is now moot: start worrying about yourself instead.
Tell us about Sinles."

Shakaar looked at Garak assessingly, a muscle working in his
jaw. "What proof do you have?"

"You'll find out soon enough," the Cardassian said
enigmatically. "Now, are you going to start telling us about
the girl, or should the constable go ahead and charge you?"

Odo stepped forward. Shakaar looked at him and growled,
"Fine! Sinles started working for me and we eventually
became lovers - satisfied? Is that what you wanted to hear?
I'm not going to deny any of that. She's a beautiful woman
and I am a single man; there's nothing illegal or immoral
about anything we did, but just because we had sex does not
mean that I killed her!"

"While you were in a relationship with Major Kira." Odo
pinned him with his ice blue stare which Shakaar returned
with equal venom.

"Yes, I was in a relationship with her, but Nerys was more
concerned about this station than me. So much so, she
decided to carry her crewmate's baby without consulting me,
and did so knowing how badly it would reflect on us both!"
hesaid roughly. "Krath was already harping on family values
and the fact that Nerys and I weren't married - her
surrogacy just poured fuel on the political fire!"

"That's a little convenient," Julian said accusingly. "Nerys
offers to save the life of an unborn child and you use that
as an excuse to cheat on her?"

"You weren't there!" Shakaar said defiantly. "It
wasn't...tawdry or anything like that. Nerys and I were
just-we were seeing each other, but we never said we were
going to be exclusive and, like I said, I was a little put
out that she didn't consult me about becoming a surrogate
first."

"There wasn't any time!"

"I know that, doctor! Do you think I didn't know that?" He
rubbed his temples. "I was under a lot of stress, Kai Winn
was using every excuse she could to hurt my campaign and the
Bajor First party was calling me a liberal traitor. They
smeared my reputation in the press saying that I wanted to
sign Bajor over to the Federation just so I could hang on to
a few soil reclaimers. My numbers were down in the polls,
Nerys was stuck on Deep Space Nine, and Sinles was there,
wanting me, listening to what I had to say. So, one
night..."

"You started an affair," Garak finished for him.

"Yes, we started an affair." He closed his eyes. "She was so
shy, so unsure of herself, but utterly...charming." He
cleared his throat. "We just - I meant to end it after that
first night, but I couldn't. We're all men here," and he
glared at Odo, "most of us, anyway. I'm not saying what I
did was right, but surely you can understand how it
happened." He looked around, "How did you even find out
about this? What evidence do you have that makes you think I
killed her?"

"We received an anonymous tip," Sisko said quietly.

"That's it? You're prepared to destroy my career, everything
we've worked toward on an anonymous tip?" He scoffed. "Yes,
I had sex with her, I won't bother lying about that anymore,
but like I pointed out earlier, I'm not married. Nerys and I
are dating but she has no illusions about who I am and what
my needs are. I asked her to come back with me to Bajor and
she chose to remain here. I may be many things, but I am not
a killer and some - made-up piece of fiction isn't going to
change that or get you a conviction in a Bajoran court!"

"We have more than just the PADD, First Minister," Odo said
in a gravelly tone, his eyes boring into the Bajoran from
across the room.

"Tell me then, Constable, what evidence do you think you
have?" Shakaar asked, turning in his chair to face the
changeling.

"She was pregnant with your child."

Shakaar reared back as if struck. His face paled. "You're
lying. Ben," he looked at Sisko for conformation. "He's
lying, right?"

"No, Shakaar, I'm afraid not." The captain's face remained
expressionless, his voice cool and detatched.

Julian placed a second PADD in front of him. "She was a
month along, at least. She knew she was pregnant."

Shakaar picked up the PADD, then allowed it to slip from his
fingers numbly. "Oh my Prophets, this...this can't be
happening." He laid his head on his arms and began to breath
raggedly. "I didn't know...she said... she said she had
something to tell me, something important, but then she just
disappeared. I thought she was going to tell me she was
leaving me." A sob caught in his throat. "I was so angry
with her and now - she's gone. My baby..." He looked up, his
expression stricken. "If she had told me I would have taken
care of her, of our child! I-I." He looked toward Julian.
"What was it?"

"What?" Julian said, his demeanor obviously unsettled by the
look on the man's face.

"The baby? Was it a boy or a girl?"

"A boy," he said quietly.

"A boy. We had...would have had a son..." Shakaar turned to
the captain, "I don't know if Nerys ever told you this, but
I had a child once, a girl. Her name was Mirena. She was
only four when she and my wife - when they were murdered by
Cardassian soldiers. I would never hurt her or our baby! You
have to believe me, Ben. I would never hurt my own child!
You're a father, you know what I'm talking about!"

"But like you said, you didn't know she was pregnant," Odo
pointed out.

"It doesn't matter! I cared about her! About Sinles - she
knew that, she could have told me!"

"This wasn't just sex, was it?" Julian asked quietly.

"I...no, I guess it wasn't."Shakaar hung his head. "I was
probably lying more to myself than any of you when I said it
was just a casual affair. It wasn't love, not like what I
felt for my wife when she was alive, but it was more than
what I wanted it to be, especially on her part."

"What do you mean? Was she pressuring you, stalking you?"
Garak asked. He watched Shakaar, gauging his reaction to the
question carefully.

"No, no not at all." Shakaar rubbed his eyes and shook his
head. "She just..she got very clingy; it was obvious that
she was falling in love with me."

"What did you tell her?" Julian asked.

"I made sure she got the message, that sex was as far as I
was willing to go."

"Then what?" the doctor urged.

"She left the next day, so I figured she didn't like my
answer."

"Who else knew about the affair?" Garak asked him carefully.

"No one." Shakaar rubbed his eyes with his thumb and
forefinger. "I didn't even tell my campaign manager about
it. If he found out, he would have given me hell over it."

"Do you trust him?" Garak asked.

"I trust Salum with my life," Shakaar said, "but I knew he
wouldn't approve of me taking my secretary into my bed, much
less my cheating on Nerys! We all served together during the
Occupation."

"If he did find out, what would he have done about it?"
Julian asked, suspicion written all over his face.

"There's no way he would have had anything to do with this!"
Shakaar insisted. "If he had found out, he would have
confronted me first. The worst thing that would have
happened is he'd have punched me in the jaw. If he did find
out about Sinles and kept it from me, I could conceive of
him firing her, maybe even paying her off, but I know for a
fact that didn't happen. He was as surprised as anyone when
she just took off after the rally like that."

"In Opalas?" Garak supplied.

"Yeah - yes," Shakaar said, shaken by Garak's answer.
"Was-was that where you found her?"

"What happened at the rally?" Garak asked without answering.

"She - well, it was just another rally." Shakaar shrugged
off his distress and continued. "I made my speech and had a
debate with Krath Milnar. She was at the edge of the stage
watching us, like always." He took a breath. "She was
radiant, happy - I thought it was because the debate had
gone so well. We had to be at another rally the next day, so
I made plans with her to meet in my room later. I had to
prepare my speech for the next day and...well, we had fallen
into a habit of eating in and sharing breakfast the next
day. I always got us connecting rooms anyway. I do that with
all my secretaries so if anything comes to me in the middle
of the night, we can work on it together. Don't assume that
means I'm in the habit of seducing my staff! She was the
first."

Odo snorted humorlessly causing Sisko to give him a
censuring look.

"After the rally, what happened?"

"I looked for her and she was talking to Krath's Chief of
Staff, some woman, I think her name is Hali or Howlie or
something. All I know is she's a real ball-buster from her
reputation. She was talking to Sinles about how the debate
went, and I thought about stepping in to rescue her, but
then Krath wanted to discuss a few things with me and I was
trying to keep the lines of communication open. I mean, I
wanted to get the campaign back on track and all the
muck-raking was doing was alienating the voters from the
real issues. We talked for about three hours over drinks -
my campaign manager was there the whole time. When we got
back to the hotel, she wasn't in the room. I figured she got
tired of waiting and went out to eat with the rest of the
staff. Salum and I worked until late and I went to bed. She
wasn't there when I got up."

"Then what did you do?" Julian asked.

"I looked for her, I called Salum and he asked the staff
when they'd last seen her. I was worried she'd been hurt or
something, but our shuttlecraft pilot said he saw her leave
right after we went to the hotel bar. He said she'd packed
an overnight bag and was headed toward the shuttleport. She
didn't say a word to anyone, so I figured she had gotten mad
about what I had said about not wanting to break things off
with Kira and was leaving me."

"Did you consider leaving the Major for her?" Sisko asked,
his eyes flashing with subdued anger.

"Yes - no - Ben - I know it-this whole thing, looks bad, but
you don't understand." Shakaar took a breath. "This election
has been tough on me, and Nerys...she hasn't been there. I
don't blame her, but I was alone during one of the most
stressful times of my life. I knew Sinles could do the job
on short notice so after my last secretary took off, I
brought her up to my office. There wasn't anything sleazy or
sexual about my decision to hire her - the sex came later. I
got to know her, you don't spend 20 hours a day with someone
traveling from one end of Bajor to the other without getting
to know them, for Prophet's sake!" He rubbed the slight
scruff of his beard in agitation. "I was impressed with her
knowledge of politics, her demeanor...she was a very
intelligent woman. People walk in and out of campaign
offices every day, so I only did a cursory background check
on her. When I saw she was related to Merel, like I said
before, I figured if she didn't want to talk about it and
since she didn't put Merel down as a reference there must
have been a good reason. Still, she was there, she was good
at her job, and she was a very smart, beautiful girl. Nerys
was nowhere in sight, and even if she could be, she wanted
us to stay apart during the campaign. I understand why she
became a surrogate, but the average voter might wonder why
the girlfriend of the liberal candidate is pregnant with
someone else's baby."

"That's perfectly understandable," Garak agreed quietly.

Shakaar glanced over at him, then looked around. "Look, not
to change the subject or to repeat myself, but am I the only
one who finds it more than a little ironic that even though
I'm surrounded by people I've known and worked with for
years, the only person here who believes me is the
Cardassian?"

"Life is filled with little ironies, First Minister," Garak
said with a smile. "For the last several days I have been
tracking this woman, gathering the evidence you see before
you, and sifting through untold amounts of information. What
I find ironic is that you were the successful leader of a
terrorist cell and are a formidable politician and yet you
missed one vital piece of information about your secretary
that it only took me days to find out for myself."

"And what was that?" Shakaar asked, looking at him askance.

Garak sat up and looked him in the eye. "This woman was not
Kel Sinles."

"What the hell is he talking about?" Shakaar looked around
in confusion. "Are you people trying to drive me insane?"

"No, I'm merely giving you the facts as I know them," Garak
answered. "The real Kel Sinles is alive and well, and not
the woman you hired as your secretary. I don't know why she
infiltrated your offices, but I doubt that her getting
pregnant was a part of the plan. I also find it a little
suspicious that the last person you saw speaking to her was
affiliated with your opponent's campaign; however, I
digress. Tell us about the conversation you had with her the
night before."

Shakaar slumped in his chair tiredly. "Sinles, or whoever
she really was, had begun to get very attached. She kept
hinting that she wanted me to break things off with Kira.
She specifically asked about her pregnancy, if it was my
baby and if I was planning on marrying her."

"What did you tell her?" Julian asked.

"I said no, she was carrying the child of one of her fellow
officers as a surrogate, but that we were in a relationship.
I told her I cared for Nerys, but marriage wasn't something
I was prepared for yet."

"Then what?" Garak urged.

"She asked if I ever wanted more children of my own."
Shakaar sighed. "She knew about Mirena, everyone on my
campaign did. I keep a picture of her on my desk. I had seen
her staring at it a few days before. I told her that I
hadn't ever allowed myself to think about it, but if I did
ever have another child, it would be welcome."

"And this didn't raise any red flags in your mind?" Garak
asked.

"I thought she was testing to see if I would consider
breaking up with Nerys. I figured she wanted to take our
relationship to the next level, and I didn't lie to her." He
clenched his jaw reflexively. "I told her that I liked
working with her, but so far the only thing we had in common
was sex and our jobs. I said that before I would consider
having a real relationship with her, we needed to get to
know one another better. There were still so many things she
hadn't told me - I didn't even know where she came from! She
mentioned coming from somewhere in the valley near the
river. I figured she was from Gantrip or Walsport or
somewhere up near Belava because she had mentioned that the
farmers market in Opalas reminded her of her childhood.
There aren't many places left on Bajor that support natural
crops anymore. I also let her know that even though I was
having sex with her, I still cared about Kira and that we'd
known each other for years. I told her that I cared deeply
for her, but that I was happy with how things stood between
us, and until something changed between Kira and me, I had
no intention of breaking up with her."

"Basically, you wanted to have your cake and eat it to," Odo
said accusingly.

"Yes, Odo, I'm merely mortal, I make mistakes," he shot
back. "Why don't you go crawl into a bucket for a while and
contemplate that?"

"Enough, gentlemen!" The captain silenced them, then turned
to Garak. "How do you want to proceed with this, Mr. Garak?"

"You're leaving my fate up to your tailor?" Shakaar blinked.
"Seriously?"

"Mr. Garak is the reason we're even listening to you,
Shakaar. Based on this evidence alone, we could have turned
this whole thing over to the civil authorities and you would
have been arrested days ago," Sisko pointed out. "Mr.
Garak?"

"I want to go back down to Bajor and talk with the real Kel
Sinles again. I also want to talk to this woman who works
for Krath. She may have seen or heard something that could
help the First Minister's case."

"You can't let her know anything about what's going on!"
Shakaar was insistent. "If the Bajor First Party hears about
this, I'm ruined!"

"I will be discreet, I assure you," Garak told him
soothingly.

"A Cardassian asking questions about the secretary of her
candidate's opponent, that'll seem very discreet," Shakaar
muttered.

"I have my methods, First Minister. Your secret is safe with
me until such time as my opinion of your innocence changes,
at least."

"Very reassuring. And what about my campaign? I have another
rally and several meetings scheduled for tomorrow," he said.

"You're going to have to cancel them," Odo said from his
place at the door. "Until this matter is settled, I have no
choice but to hold you on the suspicion of murder." His icy
gaze lit upon Shakaar. "I won't charge you-yet, but if Mr.
Garak can't find a way to exonerate you, in 72 hours I have
no choice but to place you under arrest and hand you over to
the Bajoran Civilian authorities."

"What will we tell people?" Shakaar asked numbly.

"We'll have your staff issue a press statement saying that
you were called away for an emergency summit concerning the
recent hostile actions of the Founders." The captain got up
and walked around to Shakaar, dropping a hand on his
shoulder. "I don't believe you did this, Edon, but I have to
follow procedure."

"Seventy-two hours," Shakaar said weakly. He turned to
Garak. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"You can't," Garak answered. "But I'm all you have right
now."

"That's not exactly comforting," Shakaar muttered. He got up
to join Odo. "So now what? Are you going to handcuff me and
drag me to a holding cell?"

Odo's face remained expressionless, but his eyes flashed
with annoyance, "For now, I will trust you to behave and
have my men escort you discreetly to your quarters. I will
be posting guards on your door, however. If you attempt to
escape or make any hostile movements, I will arrest you and
charge you with murder - is that clear?"

"I need to speak to my campaign manager; he's waiting for me
in Quark's. And Nerys?" he asked, "When can I see her?"

"I'll tell her you asked about her, but I can't guarantee
she'll meet with you." He hit the panel near the door and
gestured for Shakaar to precede him. "After you, First
Minister."

Shakaar left followed by two of Odo's security guards. Odo
looked over to the captain, "I'll quietly inform his
campaign manager of what has happened, then brief Major Kira
for you, Captain. "

"Thank you, Mr. Odo."

After they left, Julian shook his head and sighed in
annoyance. "Now what? He obviously had nothing to do with
it. He may be a total bastard for cheating on Kira, but he's
not our killer.."

"Don't come to any conclusions until all of the evidence is
in, my dear," Garak said cautiously. "Shakaar is a
politician and words are now his weapon of choice. He could
have been faking his shock at the news of his lover's
murder. Men kill their companions every day, men even kill
their children, born and unborn. We won't know anything
until all the players have made their appearance."

"You think there is a bigger plot behind this?" He asked.

"I'm saying I don't know yet. I do know that Shakaar has an
alibi and that he saw 'Sinles' speaking with Krath Milnar's
Chief of Staff at the rally. The pilot had no reason to lie
when he saw her leave on the shuttle, so we should track
down her flight plan and question the woman she was speaking
with. The only thing we know for sure is that Shakaar's
lover is dead and that she was not who she said she was. If
we find her true identity, we'll find our killer."

"How do you intend to do that?" Sisko asked as he leaned
against the table, watching the by-play between his CMO and
the tailor with interest.

"I have a few ideas, but first I think we should go back to
Belava and talk to the real Sinles again. I think she may
know something."

Julian wrinkled his brow in confusion. "You think the
librarian was lying?"

"I'm not sure yet. It may be that she knows our mystery
woman, she just didn't realize it at the time." Garak
sighed, "In any case, our victim knew her."

"You're basing that on the fact she knew her name and had
some idea of where she lived?" the doctor snorted, "She
could have just read that off of a computer terminal."

"But why?" Garak returned. "Why pick Sinles as her
identity?"

"Because of her connection to Merel." Julian shrugged. "She
knew her relationship to a powerful Vedek would open doors
for her."

"Ah, but she didn't use that information, did she?" Garak
pointed out. "Shakaar stumbled onto that information
himself. Remember what he said: his Sinles never talked
about Merel. What she did talk about is where she grew up,
and even then she wasn't specific. I think the answer lies
in Belava after all."

"So you're saying all this was just an accident? That the
victim just 'happened' to pick Sinles as her name and
'happened' to wind up sleeping with a politician who
'happened' to know Merel Atina and then she 'happened' to
get murdered so someone sent Merel the PADD? Come on!"
Julian burst out. "That's just ridiculous!"

"I've heard of stranger coincidences." Garak shrugged.

"I thought you were the one who didn't believe in
coincidences?"

"I never said that, my dear. What I said was that I do
believe in coincidences; I just don't trust them." He smiled
and patted Julian's hand affectionately.

"Well, I think there's something more going on here," Julian
scoffed.

"As do I," Garak agreed, "but first things first. We need to
speak to Sinles and go from there."

"He's right, doctor. We only have half the information we
need to close this investigation," Sisko said. "I'm going to
let you take the lead on this, Mr. Garak, So far your
instincts have been dead on. I'm leaving this to you, just
tell me what you need."

"I appreciate it, Captain," Garak said, obviously moved by
the gesture.

"You're going to be a part of my team, Mr. Garak," Sisko
replied. "For now, I'm trusting you. Don't disappoint me."

"I won't," he nodded. He looked over at Julian, "I'll need
to borrow the doctor for a few more days along with a
runabout, and then I'm going to have to meet with Merel
Atina at the capital. I'm going to need her help after all."

---

Garak and the doctor walked to his quarters and stepped
inside. As soon as the doors closed, he pulled Julian into a
light embrace and kissed him softly. "Care to spend a few
hours in bed with me before we leave for Bajor?"

"I'd love to," Julian whispered against his lips, "But I
still have some paperwork to catch up on and I'm exhausted.
If I stay here, I know what will happen and it won't be
sleep."

"We'll sleep," Garak promised, kissing his neck, "after."

Julian pushed Garak away regretfully. "Later," he promised.
"I have to make a few calls and check on the infirmary
first. I have a very good staff working under me, but there
are some things only the CMO can do. I have nearly a week's
worth of reports to sign off on and if I wait until we get
back, I'll be spending days just sorting through it!"

"At least stay for lunch?"

"Oh please, like you're even hungry," Julian snorted.

"I'm absolutely famished actually," Garak insisted as he
pressed Julian against him.

The doctor gave his companion a warm look. "You're
insatiable."

"Very," he kissed him again.

"And what happens when the children get here?" Julian
whispered as Garak nibbled his ear, "We can't let them see
their parents always pawing each other just because one of
us has to go to work, can we?"

Garak offered him a radiant smile. "I can't believe you
arranged all that behind my back!"

"I knew it was what you wanted," he said simply. "All I want
is to make you happy."

"I am more happy now than I have ever been in my entire
life," Garak said, his eyes bright with sincerity. "I've
been thinking, since I've taken this position with
Starfleet, I'm going to talk to Ajaz about buying my shop
after all. That way I can spend more time here with the
children helping them settle in, and the rest of the time I
can work on whatever it is the captain needs me for. I
should contact Mrs. O'Brien and see what she says about the
new teacher at the station's school. In fact, I'm going to
go ahead and have Danna send me their records so-"

"Garak, sweetheart, they won't even be living here for at
least six months!" Julian laughed. "We have time."

"I suppose, but I still have a lot to do," Garak nodded
reluctantly. "I know we said that we wouldn't move in
together before the wedding, but couldn't we go ahead and
have them assign us quarters? That way I can start
decorating their rooms and buying them toys and things. I'll
give up these quarters and live there so when the kids come
up for weekends they can stay in their rooms and you can
sleep over."

"I think we could do that, as long as I stayed in my own
quarters the rest of the time. Even my mother would
understand that. She wouldn't want the children to sleep on
the floor just because we want to keep up appearances, but
shouldn't you be concentrating on our wedding and planning
for your interview with Starfleet Intelligence?" Julian
asked in amusement, "Not to mention this pesky little murder
we're in the middle of solving?"

"I already know what our next step is in the investigation
and I can't do anything until I speak to Sinles." Garak
smirked, "As for the rest, Starfleet Intelligence will take
care of itself. They wouldn't have offered me the job if
they didn't already know exactly who I was and what I could
do for them. And about our wedding," he kissed Julian again,
"I've decided to wait until I meet your family before I deal
with that. Until then, I'm going to just concentrate on the
honeymoon."

"Oh, you're such a temptation," Julian moaned as Garak
nibbled his throat. "Enough!" He pushed him away playfully.
"I have to go now or I'll wind up tumbling into your bed and
forgetting about work! Until you get your official clearance
from Intelligence, I'm the only one in this family with a
job. Do you really think the Bolean you hired will be
interested in buying your shop?"

"Ajaz has already made inquiries about the possibility of my
either selling or taking on a partner," Garak nodded. "As
soon as you leave, I'll walk over and discuss it with him,
but first I think I'll design myself some work clothes for
my new position."

"Work clothes? What do you mean?"

"I assume that since I'm going to officially be a member of
Starfleet that I should at least dress the part." He brushed
some imaginary lint off of Julian's shoulder and grinned.
"You know, now that I really look at it, the new uniforms
aren't as bad as I thought they were. I rather like the
black and gray jackets. I do hope the Captain doesn't expect
me to wear a security yellow undershirt though, the command
burgundy would look much nicer with my skin-tone."

"What are you talking about?" Julian asked confused.

"The new uniform. With some minor alterations they could
even look stylish," Garak quipped.

"Oh." Julian looked down at himself. "I'd gotten so used to
these I don't even think of them as the new uniforms
anymore. I'm glad they changed them though; you're right,
the old ones were a bit gaudy. I just wished they had given
us a little more notice about the change over."

Garak frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You know, when they scrapped the old ones for the new
design?" Julian grinned, "I had just wasted a huge chunk of
credits from my monthly uniform allowance replicating extra
clothes for my trip and when I got back from the medical
conference, they decided to switch over. I had to go to the
assay office and ask them to reimburse me - it took all
morning just to get it settled."

"The medical conference you went on just before we started
going out?"

"Yes, of course!" Julian chuckled. "It's not as though I go
on conferences every other week, Garak."

"Oh yes, I had just forgotten about it, that's all. It took
all morning you say? That does sound rather annoying," Garak
said, trying to hide his confusion.

"Well, at least the new uniforms are a lot roomier than the
old ones and these finally have pockets!" Julian chuckled.
"What idiot designs a uniform without pockets, I ask you?"

"The same one who thought lavender goes with everything, I
suppose," Garak said with a weak smile.

"You and your fashion obsession! Maybe after we leave Deep
Space Nine permanently, we can get you a position as the
head tailor for Starfleet. We'll all be running around in
leather leggings and wide necked tunics!" Julian gave him a
wicked grin then pulled him close and gave him another
passionate kiss, "Give me four hours to do what I have to do
and I'll meet you here. We'll catch a quick bite and then
we'll head down to Bajor. You go ahead and call Merel and
see if she can arrange for us to stay somewhere in the
capital tonight. Make sure where ever it is, that they have
a tub built for two." He nibbled Garak's textured lips and
whispered against his mouth, "I want to start our honeymoon
early."

"I'm looking forward to it," Garak said, shaking off his
sudden discomfiture and leaning in to the kiss.

A few minutes after Julian left, Garak stood at his
replicator sipping a cup of tea and going over their
conversation in his mind. He distinctly remembered the
doctor saying how he was looking forward to the new, far
more practical uniforms just a week or so before he left for
that last medical conference he went on. He was complaining
that while he was gone the uniforms were scheduled to change
over and that the replicator wouldn't allow him to go ahead
and download the new ones until he got back. The planet
hosting the conference was rather cool that time of year and
the heavier jacket and natural fibers would have been
perfect for his trip.

Another thing that now bothered him, even though at the time
he hadn't thought much of it, was his lack of reaction when
Garak had discussed one of his former lovers with him.
Julian hadn't seemed to remember his meeting with Sek, the
silk merchant. Granted, it had been two years since their
brief meeting, but he had gone on and on at the time about
Sek's father being one of his Academy instructors.

"You're just looking for things to nitpick at now, you old
fool," Garak muttered, putting his empty cup back on the
replicator pad. "Julian's always been a bit oblivious when
it comes to things like that. I'd better go speak to Ajaz
before he closes up for lunch."

---

"How did it go with the lace maker?" Julian asked as they
landed the shuttlecraft within easy walking distance of the
library.

"He said he needed to discuss it with his wives and husband,
but I could consider the shop sold." Garak yawned and
stretched. "I got a very good price for it, too. Probably
not as good as a Ferengi could have gotten, but at least I
left him on good terms. He's even offered to give me access
to the shop and help me make Kela and Lewin new wardrobes.
He has some really beautiful lace he made when we were gone
- a beautiful deep blue fine lace that would look perfect on
a little girl with her coloring. I wonder if we can get
permission to bring them up for the wedding?"

"A Bolean making blue lace?" Julian asked with a crooked
grin. "Not too stereotypical, is it?"

"They're a race that is nothing if not consistent," Garak
chuckled, "but it really is beautiful. I can't wait to see
her in it."

"We can ask, but I'm not sure we should tell them about what
we're planning until it goes through Bajoran Social
Services, first. We may get turned down, you never know,"
Julian warned him.

"Do you think that's a possibility?" Garak asked, suddenly
worried.

Julian shrugged. "Danna didn't think so, and Merel owes us a
big favor so we probably won't run into a whole lot of
obstacles, but still you never can tell." He reached over
and squeezed Garak's hand. "One day at a time, okay?"

"You're right, of course," Garak grumbled. "However, since
I've already started making the dress, someone is going to
wear it. If I have to, I'll make two and Molly O'Brien can
wear one of them and we'll save the other for Kela, just in
case."

"Miles and Keiko would like that," Julian mused. "I didn't
get a chance to talk to him about it today, but I think I'll
ask him to be my best man."

"What's that?"

"It's a human tradition," Julian answered. "A witness who
stands next to you during the ceremony."

"What's the purpose of this witness?" Garak asked curiously.

"I...really don't know actually." Julian shrugged, "Maybe
he's there to take the groom's place in case he backs out at
the last minute."

"Well, you'd better not!" Garak raised a critical eyeridge.
"Even if Keiko were willing to get rid of the Chief, I
certainly don't want to be stuck with him."

"I'm sure he feels the same about you." Julian grinned.

Garak scratched his chin. "Do I need a best man as well?"

"Yes, I suppose you do. Any ideas as to who you'll ask?"

"Maybe," Garak said thoughtfully. "But it will keep until
we're back on the station."

"Oh, and by the way, I was thinking about what you said
about the new uniforms and I think you're right." Julian got
up from his chair and straightened his cuffs. "I hadn't
thought about it until now but this one is much less tight
around the neck as the old one. I doubt you'll be required
to wear a uniform, being a civilian contractor, but I'll bet
you could modify the design a bit so you blend in." Julian
suddenly chuckled. "I can't wait until Dukat sees you in it,
he'll have an apoplexy!"

"Yet another thing to look forward to," Garak said with a
smile. "I still haven't gotten used to the idea of Dukat
fighting alongside Starfleet. I still say that's going to
end badly."

"His daughter has been a positive influence on him." Julian
shrugged. "Maybe Ziyal will help him finally see the light?"

"Ziyal's a sweet girl, but Dukat is far too corrupt to let
sentiment get in the way of his quest for power. I wouldn't
start trusting him just yet."

"I don't and neither does Sisko or anyone else for that
matter," Julian said seriously. "He's still cold-blooded as
hell, but for now he's playing along so he's an asset."

"Like me."

Julian gave him a tender look. "You're not just an asset,
sweetheart - you're an absolute treasure." He gave him a
quick peck on the lips. "Now, let's get off of this ship
before I have you bent over the console for the world to
see!"

The two men rose from their seats and headed out of the
runabout. Garak stared after Julian thoughtfully, looking
him up and down. "You never told me your uniform was tight
around the neck. If you had told me the old one bothered
you, I could have adjusted it for you," Garak said,
following out of the runabout.

"Doesn't matter now." Julian shrugged. "I'm just glad they
changed them - so glad that I tried to blot the old ones out
of my memory! Plus, I was exhausted, I didn't even get to my
reports after all, I just took a four hour nap and recovered
a bit."

They walked down the path toward town and Garak looked at
him warmly. "You could have slept in my bed, you know."

"Then I really wouldn't have gotten any sleep." Julian gave
Garak a naughty smile and patted him on the behind.

"Probably not," Garak admitted, but something at the back of
his mind began to gnaw at him. He just wasn't sure what it
was yet.

"So, what's the plan?" Julian asked as they neared the door
of the library.

"I don't know yet," Garak said quietly as he opened the door
and looked around the room. When he saw Sinles, he smiled
grimly, "but I suppose we're about to find out. Just follow
my lead."

"Anything you say," Julian whispered back. "I just wish
you'd fill me in on these things ahead of time."

Garak laid a warm hand on Julian's shoulder briefly, "Just
trying to keep you on your toes, my dear."

"Why does that concept not make me feel the least bit
reassured, I wonder?" Julian muttered.

As the two men approached, Sinles looked up from the
terminal she was typing on and frowned, "Oh. Hello again,
did you need something else?"

"Yes we do," Garak said, gesturing toward the office, "May
we speak to you in private?"

"I'm not interested in talking to my aunt if that's why
you're here." She started to walk away, but Garak held her
arm. "Get your hand off of me," she said coldly.

"Ms. Kel, you can either talk to us now or I can have you
arrested for impeding a murder investigation."

Julian's eyebrows rose sharply at Garak's bluff, but luckily
Sinles didn't notice. "Wha-what did you say?"

"You heard me, now move," Garak growled and she reluctantly
led them to the office.

After the door closed behind them, Sinles looked from one
man to the other nervously. "What's this all about? What
murder?"

Garak nodded at the doctor who produced the PADD with a
picture of their victim on it. "Remember when we showed you
this woman's picture? You said you'd never seen her before."

"I haven't," Sinles shook her head.

"You're lying," Garak retorted. "Now this woman-" He took
the PADD and tapped one of the commands so that her remains
lit up the small screen, "is just a heap of decayed flesh
and bone. Now, I'm not sure what your motives are, but
either you're lying about knowing who she was, or you're
lying about who you are, either way you're guilty of
impeding our investigation. The question you have to ask
yourself is this: do you want to go to jail for withholding
evidence, or accessory to murder?"

Sinles began to shake all over, her brown eyes wide with
fear, "I-I-I need to speak with Mrs. Dekalpa-"

"You'll speak to us first," Garak said sharply. "How do you
know this woman?"

The woman remained silent, her eyes shifting toward the
door.

"Answer me!"

"Garak..." Julian said softly, but Garak brushed his hand
away and stared into the frightened girl's eyes.

"She's dead, and she was living under your identity. She
knew details about this town and your life - you know
something you aren't telling us."

She still said nothing, her eyes shut tight as she shivered
and clutched her arms.

"When you first said you didn't want to see your aunt, I
thought it was because you felt abandoned by her and you
were angry that it took so many years for her to reach out
to you, but then I started thinking about this woman, about
how much she actually looked like Merel and about
you...you're nothing at all like her, are you? Garak said
thoughtfully. "All this time, we've thought you were the
real Kel Sinles, but maybe you're the imposter. Am I right?"

She took a shaky breath and turned her face away from Garak.

"It's the only thing that makes sense, really," Garak
continued. "We've been spending the lion's share of this
investigation asking ourselves who this woman was. Everyone
who knew her said she was Kel Sinles, including whoever sent
us this PADD. We kept wondering why anyone would go to all
the trouble of providing us with so much accurate
information, and yet lie to us about who she really was. I'm
beginning to suspect it's because she really was Kel Sinles;
they just didn't know you were living under her identity."

Julian looked at her in surprise, then back at Garak, "She's
not Sinles? I don't get it. Why would she lie about that?
What's the point?"

"Excellent question, doctor." Garak looked at her sharply.
"You have caused us to waste several days trying to figure
out the identity of this woman and you might have given her
killer the time he or she needed to cover their trail. A
simple bio-scan will answer all of our questions, whether
you want to or not." He waited, then turned to Julian.
"Fine, have it your way. Doctor, use your tricorder and
compare her DNA to -"

"Okay! Okay! I'm-I'm not really Kel Sinles," she said
quietly.

Julian looked at her in shock while Garak just narrowed his
eyes. "Who are you then?"

"My-my name is Fara Nal. I was in a group home with Sinles
for a while, that's where I got her name."

"Why did you steal her identity?" Julian asked, surprised.

"I didn't steal it," she defended, "I just...borrowed it."

"Why?"

Nal pursed her lips in frustration, "You can't tell Mrs.
Dekalpa - promise me you won't!"

"Tell us what you know and we'll consider it," Garak said,
his eyes flashing with annoyance.

"Sinles and I - we-we were both living in some rat hole of a
group home about 15 kilometers from here, It was a home
for..." she sighed, "It was a rehabilitation home for
endangered teens."

"And?" Julian asked.

"Do you even know what that is?" She gave him a withering
glare, "It's a home for child prostitutes and habitual
runaways."

"And you were a...?"

"Well, let's just say that of the two of us I wasn't the
runaway," Nal ground out.

"Why did you take Sinles's identity?" Garak asked again.

"The home is less an orphanage and more of a trade school,"
Nal explained. "Potential 'sponsors' read your file and hire
you for on the job training. Sinles and I were friends and
when we got picked, I was supposed to go to the capital to
work in some secretarial pool and Sinles was supposed to
come here to work at the library. My old...well, for lack of
a better term, 'boyfriend' lived in the capital and if I
showed my face back there he'd kill me. Sinles said she
wanted to go to the city instead; she had this dream about
becoming an actress or something. I told her the only acting
job she'd find would be in holo-porns screwing whatever
alien of the week the director could find, but she didn't
listen to me. It was her idea! She said I could use her
identity to get this job and she'd use mine. She wasn't
supposed to go back to using her old name! She gave it to
me, fair and square," she sulked.

"Couldn't Mrs. Dekalpa tell by your picture that you weren't
Sinles?" Julian asked.

"They don't see your picture, just your bio and case file,"
Nal snorted. "They claimed it was to protect our identities
and save us from the shame of it all, like when you show up
they forget what they read? Please. Anyway, I came here and
I liked it. I liked the quiet and the books, and Mr. and
Mrs. Dekalpa treated me nicely, almost like I was family. If
I was just some street whore they never would have taken me
into their home like that!"

"Where did Sinles go when she left the group home?" Garak
prodded.

"Some entry level position at a firm called Hali/Meenks
Enterprises in Dahkur," Nal said with a shrug. "I figured
with my arrest record, some pervert picked my file so he
could make me his personal 'secretary', the kind who doesn't
exactly type if you know what I mean. I warned her, but she
said she could take care of herself."

"Has she contacted you at all in the last four years?" Garak
asked.

"Only once," Nal admitted. "About a year after she left, she
sent me a text over the library terminal. She said I wasn't
totally wrong about the person who picked my file but that
everything was okay now; she was in love and everything was
great. That's all she said except that she hoped that my
life was turning out as well as hers had. I never contacted
her and until you showed up, I hadn't seen her in four
years."

"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Julian asked,
flabbergasted.

Nal looked at him and rolled her eyes, "And go back to my
old life? I have a life here, as Sinles. She didn't want it
and now it's mine! I'm sorry she's dead, but I have a home
here, friends--I even go to Temple every Friday now. What
would happen if the same people who trusted me to tutor
their kids found out that from the time I was 12 years old I
worked by sucking off drunken soldiers and bored husbands in
a back alley? I'd be run out of town!"

"You might be surprised," Julian said quietly. "These people
seem fairly tolerant and adhere to the teachings of the
Prophets; they might understand."

"Oh yeah, that whole 'forgiveness is a part of the will of
the Prophets' spiel?" Nal snorted humorlessly, "Works in
theory, not so much in practice. Now that you have your
information, could you just leave me in peace and, do me a
favor - don't come back."

"We have what we need," Garak said, gesturing for Julian to
follow. As he reached the door he bowed his head elegantly,
"Thank you, Ms. Fara. You may not believe this, but it has
been a rare pleasure indeed."

"I've heard that before," she said just before the door shut
for the last time.

---

For a long time, Julian said nothing as he piloted the small
runabout toward the capital. Finally, he asked, "When did
you figure all that out?"

Garak looked up from the PADD he was working on and
shrugged, "Honestly, I'd been thinking about it ever since
the interview with First Minister Shakaar. I should have
figured it out a lot sooner than that, actually."

"Why do you say that?"

"You kept saying it yourself: what's the point of her using
a false identity? It held no strategic value for her or the
killer. The only thing it accomplished was to complicate the
whole investigation," Garak said slowly. "I started thinking
to myself; what if we had never found the 'real' Kel Sinles?
The investigation would have gone in a whole different
direction. We immediately would have started by
investigating her history and discovered that she was
Shakaar's secretary. He would have been arrested more than a
week ago and that would have been that. Obviously, the
anonymous source had that scenario in mind when he or she
sent the PADD to Merel Atina."

"Why do you say that?" Julian asked. "I mean, if they really
wanted to implicate Shakaar, why wait seven weeks after she
dies to do it?"

"Timing, my dear." Garak punched some information into the
PADD and showed it to him. "The elections are taking place
at the end of the week and Shakaar is up in the polls. If
Merel had done as I suspect the informant intended her to do
and simply gone to the civil authorities, he would have been
arrested in what would have appeared to be an open and shut
case. Whoever this person was, they didn't count on Merel
Atina coming to me with the information she had acquired and
they certainly didn't know about the librarian."

Julian seemed to quietly absorb what Garak had told him for
a moment before speaking again. "So, following that logic,
the person we're looking for is on Krath Milnar's staff, and
since his Chief of Staff is named Hali and Kel Sinles worked
for a firm called Hali/Meenks Enterprises, she's just
graduated to the top of our list of suspects."

"Not to mention that according to Shakaar, Ms. Hali was one
of the last people to speak to Sinles before she
disappeared." Garak's tapped his chin thoughtfully, "We need
to get close to Shakaar's opponent if we want to bring
Sinles's killer to justice."

"I doubt he'd just welcome us with open arms, Garak." Julian
snorted. "From what I've heard about him he likes the
Federation about as much as he likes Cardassia. Besides," he
added, "if we start asking questions about Sinles, he'll 
know something is up and we'll never get any information out
of him! Shakaar only has a couple of days left before Odo
has to charge him."

"You're right." Garak's face suddenly lit up he turned to
Julian. "Take us back to the station immediately!"

"Why? What's going on?"

"Just do it. I have to comm Merel and then we need to get to
the Infirmary as quickly as possible!"

"Are you sick? What am I missing here?" Julian searched his
face as he took the runabout into a higher orbit.

"No doctor, I'm not sick, but I am going to need some
emergency surgery...and so are you." He grinned.

---
Chapter Ten: Charity Begins at Home
---

"This is insane!"

"We've seen this sort of thing work before."

Julian crossed his arms and gave his fiancé a stubborn look,
"What you want to do-we just don't have enough time! A
simple scan will tell them everything they need to know!"

Garak sighed and jumped up on the biobed as he rewarded
Julian with a patient smile, "How many politicians scan
every visitor that crosses their threshold with a tricorder?
Not many, I'll bet--not even xenophobes like Krath Milnar."

"Garak, you're talking about major surgery here!" The doctor
turned to his associate for help, "If you won't believe me,
ask Dr. Okuna! Dan, please talk some sense into him?"

Dr. Okuna looked from his superior officer to the tailor
slowly, "Dr. Bashir is right, Mr. Garak. I mean, I can do
the surgery if that's what you both want, but all I have to
do for the Doctor is add some nose ridges. To make a
Cardassian look Bajoran is major surgery that takes several
days."

"I don't need to look Bajoran," Garak sighed. "I need to
look like a Bajoran/Cardassian hybrid and I don't need to
have any genetic manipulation done beyond the cosmetic."

"It's still risky," He pointed out. "There could be
scarring."

Garak rolled his eyes, "I assure you, despite what you may
have heard about me, I'm not so vain as to be devastated by
a few unsightly scars. I'd even learn to live with the nose
ridges if I had to. Ziyal looks quite charming with hers,
and it would probably get me a better seat in the Bajoran
restaurant the next time I get a hankering for fried Happa
fruit."

"This isn't funny, Garak," Julian growled.

"I never said it was, my dear."

The Infirmary doors opened and Captain Sisko walked in.
"Vedel Merel just commed me. She said that she'll meet you
at the Capital Temple with your documents and everything
else you asked her to bring."

"Captain, this is madness!" Julian cried. If we really need
to do this, I can go alone or I'll get someone else to join
me-perhaps Odo can shape shift and pretend to be a Bajoran?"

"No." Garak shook his head, "As much as I respect Odo for
his investigative skills, his ability to keep the shape of a
human or Bajoran is limited. Besides," he added, "no one
would ever believe Odo was anything but law enforcement, no
matter what face he assumes."

"But-!"

"He's right, doctor," Sisko interrupted. He turned to Okuna,
"How long will it take to make the changes to Garak's
appearance?"

"Well..." he scrutinized the tailor's bone structure and
features carefully. "If I use Ziyal as an example of what
the average Cardassian/Bajoran hybrid looks like and I
didn't do anything but simple surface changes, I'd say no
more than four hours. It would be fast and dirty though, and
with at a higher risk to the patient. I'll have to soften
his ridges and change his skin tone along with the
rhinoplasty, and he should rest for at least another eight
to ten hours after that so I can monitor his reaction to the
procedures carefully. In all good conscience, Captain, the
earliest he could leave is late tomorrow afternoon and even
then there is a risk of permanent damage to the epidermis."

"That's too long," Garak shook his head. "I want to be on
Bajor tonight."

Okuna shook his head, "I'm sorry, as your surgeon I can't
recommend that at all."

"It's not up for debate." The Cardassian said stubbornly.

Julian scowled at Garak then turned to the doctor, "Fine!
You want to do this, I'll go with you. Just do the surgery,
Dan. I'll be there to monitor his medical condition
personally."

"But, what about your surgery?" Okuna asked with a frown.
"If you want me to do both procedures tonight-"

"You work on Garak, I can perform my own rhinoplasty."

"But-"

"It's just a simple surface procedure," Julian held up his
hand to stop him. "I'll go to my quarters and do it in the
bathroom mirror. I only need a local anesthetic anyway. The
surgery will take twenty minutes, tops, and I'll nap
afterward. Comm me as soon as Garak is ready for transport
and we'll meet Vedek Merel on Bajor and spend the night at
the Temple."

"Dr. Bashir..." Okuna began.

"Dan, if anyone knows how to do this surgery, it's me. You
just take care of Garak." Julian walked over to the biobed
and kissed the man in question softly before glaring at him,
"And do me a favor; sew his mouth shut while you're at it."

"Are you sure you want to see that happen, my dear?" Garak
asked with a bawdy wink.

"Don't push it!" Julian turned to the other surgeon. "That's
my fiancé on that biobed, Okuna-screw up and you won't like
what I put in your year- end evaluation, understand?"

"Uh, yes sir." Okuna said, his almond shaped eyes flicking
from one man to the other.

"Good luck, gentlemen." Sisko nodded to Garak. "I'll comm
Merel back and tell her to expect you."

"Thank you."

Julian laid his hand on Garak's cheek and gazed deeply into
his eyes, "I don't like this."

"I know," Garak said softly. "It has to be done though, my
love. Besides, I'll have my own personal physician watching
over me the whole time, right?"

"Just try to get rid of me!" Julian kissed Garak again. "Be
safe," he whispered.

"You, too." Garak smiled, "I'm going to miss that nose of
yours, you know."

Julian chuckled, "It's not like it'll be permanent or
anything."

"No, it won't."

Julian narrowed his eyes a little, "I'm not overreacting
here, Garak. A few nose ridges are a lot easier to reverse
than what you're having done."

"I'll be fine." He assured him.

"You had better." Julian kissed him one last time, "And
don't even think about flirting with Dan! You already have a
doctor on the hook and I doubt his girlfriend would
appreciate you getting fresh with him."

"Damn. You figured it out." Garak pouted comically causing
Okuna to snicker at the antics of the two men.

"Gee, Dr. Bashir, you didn't tell me I was going to be
operating on Don Juan today," Okuna joked.

"Not quite, but he does have his dubious charms." Bashir
said drily as Garak offered the other physician a playful
wink. "Knock it off."

"Of course, my dear."

"Are you coming, doctor? There's a few last minute details
we need to discuss before your surgery." Sisko called from
the door.

"Be good." Julian said, patting Garak on the cheek
affectionately before joining the captain.

Garak watched Sisko and Julian leave then lay back on the
biobed. "Are you sure about this, Mr Garak?" Okuna asked
before beginning the procedure. "I wasn't exaggerating about
the dangers associated with performing this type of
procedure in such a short time period."

"Thank you for your concern, doctor, but I'm sure."

Okuna smiled as he followed Garak's gaze. "I've known Dr.
Bashir for about three years now, and I have to tell you,
even before you two got together you're all he ever seemed
to talk about. Even when he dated Leeta, all he talked about
was what the two of you discussed during lunch." Okuna
placed a gentle hand on the Cardassian's shoulder, "I know a
lot of people weren't too thrilled when the doctor took your
relationship public, but I'm glad he's happy now. Since the
two of you got together, it's like he's a whole different
man."

"You think so?" Garak asked, trying not to look desperate.

"God, yes!" The surgeon snorted, "Before you two started
dating, well- Dr. Bashir was always a great doctor, but he
was always a little...closed off, you know what I mean? He
always tried to give people the impression that he was
sensitive and funny, but he never really let anyone get
close. Since the two of you got together it's like he's so
much more serious and focused. I've never seen him so in
touch and public with his feelings before. As long as I've
known him, he's never been so unabashedly affectionate
toward anyone until you."

"I've noticed the changes as well, but I thought I was
imagining them." Garak wrinkled his brow in thought, "And
you think that this is a positive change? I mean, in regards
to his work?"

"He's a lot better with his patients, that's for sure,"
Okuna said with a smile. "He always made sure to appear very
caring and charming, like I said, but it was just on the
surface. As soon as they left the Infirmary, he'd switch
off, you know? Now, it's like he wants to know everything
about the patients he treats-where they work, what they do,
where they go in their spare time, little stuff. I don't
think there's anyone left on the station he doesn't know by
name. Before, he always had to look at their charts even if
they'd been in before. He's even more friendly toward the
medical staff. I used to ask him to join Eliza and me for
dinner at least a couple of times a month and he always gave
us an excuse why he couldn't come. Just the other day, out
of the blue, he said that as soon as you and he finished
your project that he wanted us both to join you guys for
dinner! He's never done that before. You've really been good
for him."

"He's been good for me as well," Garak said softly, so
touched by what the young man before him was saying that he
didn't bother to hide behind his usual sarcasm or false
smiles. Maybe he was changing as well, he mused.

"But enough of that," Okuna said squaring his shoulders and
once again slipping into the role of physician. "Do you have
any questions or concerns before we begin?"

Garak's brow wrinkled in thought, "Yes actually. During the
procedure...?"

"Yes, Mr. Garak?"

Garak looked up at him and grinned. "After you add the
wrinkles to my nose, could you perhaps remove any others you
run across at the same time?" He winked jauntily. "I promise
you, I won't be needing them back."

Okuna chuckled, "Might as well. Starfleet's paying for it,
right?"

"Good point! In that case..."

---

"ow."

"Oh shut up."

Garak poked his face gingerly and winced.

"Stop touching it!" Julian said smacking his hand then
scowling as he piloted the runabout toward the landing pad
behind the Temple.

"I think the anesthesia has made you cranky," Garak sulked.

"And I think you've finally lost your mind!" Julian snapped.
"I should have never let you do this."

Garak turned gingerly in his seat and examined his lover's
face, "You know, I wouldn't have thought so before, but you
look very attractive as a Bajoran."

"Save it! I'm tired, sore, and angry and there isn't a
chance in hell that I'll be falling for that dubious charm
of yours anytime soon!" he growled. "It's the middle of the
goddamned night and you had major surgery less than seven
hours ago but instead of being in the Infirmary where you
belong, you've got me smuggling you into a Bajoran Temple so
you can play spy in your golden years! How I ever let you
talk me into this, I'll never know."

"You volunteered, remember?" Garak poked at his sore ridges
again. "By the way, you really hurt my feelings just now.
That comment you just made was totally uncalled for."

"What comment? The one about your dubious charms?"

"No, the one about me playing spy in my golden years," Garak
sulked. "I'm barely out of my forties, I'll have you know.
Plus, I happen to be quite fit and many people have
commented that I look much younger than my actual age. I've
had people say I look maybe thirty, thirty-five at the
most."

Julian rolled his eyes as he landed the craft. "Good Lord,
man. I've dated women less vain than you."

"Now you're just being unpleasant."

Julian arose from his seat and offered Garak his hand, "Come
on then, we have to get you settled in bed and first thing
tomorrow we have to put this mad plan of yours into action."

Garak looked at Julian's hand crossly then got up from his
seat ignoring the younger man's offer of help. He took three
steps toward the door then stopped, swaying slightly, before
clutching at one of the panels and breathing heavily.

"Garak!" Julian reached out to steady him. "Are you in pain?
Nauseated?"

"I-I'm fine, just dizzy," he mumbled.

"Bloody hell! I told you we left too soon! That's it, we're
going back-"

"No, no!" Garak said quickly, "It's just a touch of
traveler's sickness, that's all. Perfectly normal."

"The runabout has state of the art stabilizers and you've
never been travel sick a day of your life until now." Julian
grabbed his medical bag and pulled out his tricorder,
scanning him quickly. "You're a little anemic from the
surgery on your ridges and the Dermalyse injections Dr,
Okuna used to soften your skin can add to that. I really
hate it when you put yourself in the middle of these things,
I warned you there would be side effects, but did you
listen? No. You never listen!" Julian took out a hypospray
and injected something into Garak's neck.

"Ow."

"You bloody idiot!" Julian cursed him. "When are you going
to get it through your thick skull that as a doctor I might
have a better handle on what is and isn't safe? Ten hours
wouldn't have made that big of a difference."

"It had to be done." Garak said dourly. "You're right
though, I probably should have listened, but we're here now.
Can't we just do what we have to do and get settled in our
room? I'm very tired."

Julian's anger appeared to melt away and he took Garak's arm
carefully. "As soon as we can we're going to bed and I'm
giving you a thorough examination."

"Sounds like fun, my dear, but I might not be up to it
tonight, I'm afraid." Garak joked weakly.

"I am not amused," Julian said darkly as they exited the
craft.

Garak squinted his eyes and peered at Julian's face, "Odo?
Is that you?"

"Oh, hilarious. Knock it off."

"I thought it was funny."

"I didn't."

"Garak?" Merel Atina, followed closely by Owin Grea, walked
toward them, slowly taking in the Cardassian's much changed
appearance. Garak's skin was much pinker now, his ridges
less defined and the spoon-like embellishment on his
forehead now quite shallow. In addition, five well defined
ridges now adorned his nose. "Oh my."

"I look that good, eh?" Garak asked wearily.

"You certainly look...different." She turned to Julian, "Is
he all right?"

"He's weak. He'll probably be fine by morning." Julian put
his arm around Garak's waist tighter and turned to Owin,
"Would you mind getting our bags for us?"

"Oh, of course," the older man said as he hurried forward to
take the doctor's medical case and their small duffle bag.
"Do you need help getting him to the rectory?"

"I think I can manage under my own steam, thank you," Garak
said shakily.

The four of them walked slowly toward the large stone
structure next to the Temple. Owin walked behind Garak while
Merel kept pace beside Julian.

"I don't believe we've ever been formerly introduced," she
said to the doctor quietly. "Many of my fellow priests have
told me good things about you though, doctor. Your work with
the orphans is most appreciated."

"Thank you, ma'am. Your mission is a very worthy cause, I'm
just glad I can help." He smiled as he helped Garak climb
the short flight of stairs into the rectory.

"The captain said you have the information and documents I
requested?" Garak asked before wincing and patting at
Julian's hand to loosen his grip on his side.

"Sorry." Julian apologized, moving his hand to a less
inflamed area .

"They're in your cell along with your robes," Merel nodded.
"I've contacted Reven and Danna to let them know that should
anyone other than myself or Owin ask for them that the other
monks are to say that they are in the capital on behalf of
the mission gathering financial support. You have everyone's
full cooperation. My fellow priests here at the rectory have
no reason not to accept you as anything other than the
prylars from Belava Provence. Neither of the two men have
ever been here nor have any of the prylars serving here seen
them. If any of our brothers and sisters suspect otherwise
they'll not voice their concerns to anyone other than myself
or Owin."

"Excellent," Garak said softly. "Does our room have a
bathroom attached by any chance?"

"Garak's skin is still very sore, he can't use a sonic
shower for at least a few more days," Julian explained.

Merel nodded, "Your captain told me. You're both being put
up in the visitor's quarters. The Temple has enough
resources that we have water showers and other plumbing
fixtures in each room. Yours has a tub as well in case he
can't tolerate the pressure of the spray."

"Thank the Prophets," Garak fairly moaned in gratitude.

Merel smiled, "Have you decided to take up my religion since
last we met, Mr. Garak?"

"Just getting into my role, madam." He said painfully.

Merel led them to a large wooden door and placed a soft hand
on Garak's shoulder, "Mr. Garak, I really want to thank you
for all you've done for me and for my niece." Her expression
was pained, "The Emissary told me that she was...well," she
blinked her eyes and smiled. "She's with the Prophets now
and I have confidence that you'll bring her killer to
justice."

"I'll do my best," Garak said meeting her eyes confidently.

"I don't doubt it, already you've done far more than I ever
could have asked." Merel nodded sadly then regained her
composure. "Breakfast is at 8 am after morning prayers.
Neither of you are required to attend, we've already made
your excuses saying that the journey has aggravated a
previous medical condition and if you need it your morning
meal can be brought up to you."

"That would be best, I think." Julian said. "He should be
fine by morning, but we could both use the extra rest and
the less the other monks see of us the better. If you could
have two plates sent up around then, we'd appreciate it."

"Of course." She nodded, "Sleep well and know that you are
both in my prayers."

"Goodnight to you both as well," Julian returned on behalf
of them both. He allowed Owin past to open the door to their
room before helping Garak inside.

"Goodnight." Owin nodded as well putting their bags inside
the room before following the vedek down the corridor.

Julian gently kicked the door shut with his foot then
maneuvered Garak onto the bed.

Garak looked around the large airy room, taking in the light
pink stone of the walls and the colorful tapestries that
decorated them. The bed was more than large enough to sleep
both of them comfortably and was covered in crisp, white
cotton sheets and a warm fluffy duvet. "Had I known how the
Bajoran clergy lived I wouldn't have bothered becoming a
tailor."

"It is nice," Julian agreed testing the mattress. "Very soft
though; our backs will be sore in the morning. Both of us
are too used to those rocks Cardassians call beds."

Garak looked at him tiredly, "I wouldn't care if it was
filled with sharp spikes at this point. I just want to lie
down."

"Not yet." Julian walked over to the door to collect his
medical bag and then placed it on the night stand. "Do you
need help removing your clothes?"

"Actually, yes." Garak admitted reluctantly. "My arms feel
like lead weights."

Julian shook his head as he scanned Garak with his
tricorder, his lips thinning with frustration. "So bloody
stubborn. According to this you have a severe abrasion on
your shoulder ridge." He put down the device and carefully
unbuttoned Garak's tunic, watching him carefully. "Tell me
if you feel your skin begin to pull, all right?"

The doctor quickly but carefully removed his tunic then
pulled his thick undershirt over his head, careful not to
open the wound further. Garak hissed in pain.

"Sorry." He said quickly before examining the wound. He
reached for the lamp beside the bed and removed the shade so
he could see better then picked up the dermal regenerator.
"The scales around your shoulder blade are abraded and have
begun to bleed a little, probably because your shirt was
rubbing it. I'm going to start the tub and wash you with an
antibacterial soap then I'll massage some oil into your skin
so it will retain its flexibility. If it doesn't improve
enough by morning I'll have Owin replicate you a soft slip
to wear under the robes so they don't rub you raw."

"Sounds good to me," Garak sighed as the DR unit passed over
the soreness and soothed it away. "I'm fine now if you want
to start the water- extra hot, please."

"Just over luke warm," he corrected. "Until those scales
heal, your skin is too sensitive for that. After the bath
I'll check you over then give you a massage. Had you done as
I told you and not been a complete idiot, we could have done
this in the Infirmary."

"Yes, but here we have real water to soak in," Garak said
with a wide smile.

"Oh well, that makes it all worth it then, doesn't it?"
Julian retorted before going into the bathroom. He stopped
at the door of the adjoining room and let out a low whistle,
"Okay, I'm now rethinking that whole argument about you not
joining the monastery. In fact, I'm resigning my commission
and joining you."

Garak arose from the bed stiffly and joined him at the
entrance of the bathroom. A large rectangular tub, sunken
into the floor and surrounded by thick, white towels and
wash cloths, filled most of the large room. Off to the side
was a large mirror and sink and a toilet tucked off into the
opposite corner. "Is it just me, or does it seem obscene
that clergy live in this much comfort and excess?"

"Well, it is the VIP suite, and since we're the ones being
treated to it, I'm not complaining." Julian gave him a slow
grin, "That tub is more than big enough for two, don't you
think?"

Garak smiled wearily, "I'm willing to share, but to tell you
the truth I can't do much more than offer to wash your back
for you and even that's going to be a trial."

"That's more than enough for me." Julian quickly shed his
uniform while Garak sat on the commode then turned on the
taps making sure the water was neither too hot nor too cold
for Garak's inflamed skin. "Do you need help removing your
trousers."

"Yes, please," Garak said, getting up stiffly. "After our
bath I wouldn't mind another hypospray of pain reliever.
I've had beatings that were less

uncomfortable

Julian arched an eyebrow but said nothing. Instead he
allowed the other man to lean on his shoulder as he removed
Garak's boots and socks then helped him slip out of his
trousers and underwear. He led Garak over to the bath and
helped him in before going back into the bedroom and
bringing back a bottle of liquid soap. He slipped behind
Garak and reached for a cloth, working the soap into the
cotton fibers until it was good and sudsy. "I'm going to
wash your back; let me know if I'm scrubbing too hard."

Garak groaned in pleasure as his lover began to wash his
sore back carefully, not even minding the slight sting of
the water touching his reddened flesh. "That's good."

Julian lifted himself up and sat on the corner of the tub.
"Lay back and wet your hair so I can shampoo it."

Garak held his breath and lay backward until his head was
completely submerged. He kept his eyes closed as he listened
to his own heartbeat under the water.

Julian tapped his shoulder, "Get up before you drown."

Garak lifted himself out of the water reluctantly and leaned
against his lover's legs as Julian began to wash his hair.
He shut his eyes and nearly purred as Julian scratched
softly at his scalp, carefully distributing the shampoo
throughout his hair and massaging the ends. "I never want to
leave this tub."

Julian chuckled softly, "I think you'd get fairly
waterlogged after the first day or so, don't you?" Julian
reached for the hand shower and turned on the spray,
adjusting it until it was the right temperature. "Close your
eyes."

Garak sputtered a bit as the doctor rinsed out his hair and
the water ran into his mouth. When he was done, he held out
his hand for Julian to pass him the wash cloth then wiped
his eyes. "Want me to wash your back now?"

"Finish washing your body first. Do you need help with your
legs?"

He shook his head no and picked up the bottle of soap Julian
had brought with them adding a bit to the cloth and running
it over his chest. He washed himself thoroughly starting
with his chest then his groin and buttocks, then down both
legs. The warm water had loosened his muscles somewhat but
by the time he was finished he was nearly done in from the
exertion.

"Go brush your teeth," Julian said, pushing his shoulder
softly. "I don't need my back washed."

"Are you sure?"

"Go."

He considered arguing, but he was tired and if he tried
Julian would probably not appreciate it. Instead he got up
from the bath and wrapped one of the large towels around his
waist then selected another for his hair. He walked over to
the sink before frowning, "Did you bring the toothbrushes?"

"Oh damn," Julian cursed softly as he started to rise from
the water. "Stay there and I'll get them."

"No stay," Garak ordered. "I can get them."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

When he got back to the sink with their combined toiletry
case, Julian was already scrubbing his hair and sitting up
in the tub. He smiled as he watched his lover dunk his head
under the water then pop out with a splash, reaching for the
soap and another cloth.

"I only wish they had water showers and tubs back on the
station."

"Unfortunately, when Terok Nor was built the State wasn't
overly interested in the comfort of their soldiers," Garak
said ruefully as he took out his toothbrush and activated it
so that the small laser bristles appeared and began to hum.
He started to scrub, feeling the warm sensation and
vibration of the light as it cleaned and disinfected his
mouth thoroughly. When he was done, he filled one of the
small disposable cups near the sink with water and rinsed
his mouth. "Do you suppose it would be strange if we asked
Merel if we could come back here on our honeymoon?"

Julian chuckled as he scrubbed his underarms vigorously, "I
think that honeymooning in a monastery, even one as nice as
this, is a bit inappropriate

"Oh well, wherever we go I hope it's warm and has real water
plumbing."

"Risa?"

"Not Risa! I refuse to honeymoon in the same place you used
to break up with your girlfriend."

"What's that?" Julian asked.

"Leeta. You broke up with her on Risa, remember?" Garak said
frowning at him.

"Oh right," Julian shrugged. "I guess that Risa is off the
list then."

"You forgot about that trip?" He asked, looking at the
doctor curiously.

"It slipped my mind," he said seemingly unconcerned. "I
don't think much about Leeta and that time of my life
anymore."

Garak watched as he activated the drain and got out of the
tub, wrapping a towel around his waist as well. "Really? I
thought you were still on friendly terms."

"We are," Julian said coming up from behind Garak and
wrapping his arms around his waist before kissing his
shoulder gently, "but she doesn't occupy my thoughts
anymore. You're the only lover I need or want, remember?"

Garak allowed the small warning tickle at the back of his
brain fade away as he leaned back and soaked up the heat of
the man he loved. "I hate that you chose to say something
like that now of all times."

"Why?"

"Because I'm too damned tired to do anything about it,"
Garak complained.

Julian chuckled and patted Garak on the behind before
reaching into the bag for his own toothbrush. "Go lie down
on the bed and I'll be there in a minute."

Garak started to the room then stopped. He turned and drank
in the sight of Julian scrubbing his teeth in front of the
mirror, his black curls clinging messily to his forehead and
the white towel slung low on his hips.

"What?" Julian asked, his mouth full.

"I love you."

"I know that already."

"No," Garak said softly, "I mean I don't just love you or
the passion or the company; I love this."

"What do you mean?" Julian asked picking up his cup and
swishing the water in his mouth before spitting it in the
sink.

"I love being intimate with you."

Julian quirked an eyebrow at him then turned around with a
curious smile, "You're across the room, love. I pride myself
on being decently endowed but I can't reach that far on my
best day."

Garak rolled his eyes, "Not sex, you beautiful
idiot--intimacy. I mean I love these kinds of moments." He
sighed, "I think that's the hardest part of exile, at least
for me it has been."

"Lack of intimacy?" Julian asked.

"Lack of someone sharing all the little in between times,
yes."

"I'm here." Julian said walking to him and kissing him
softly. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I know." Garak allowed himself to be held, soaking in the
other man's strength as he allowed all of his fears and
obsessions to melt away.

"Now," Julian said pulling away slightly, "go get on the bed
so I can look at you and make sure you haven't done any more
damage to yourself. We still have a murder to solve,
remember?"

"The sooner the better," Garak said walking toward the bed.
"First a good night's sleep for us, then we put this mystery
to bed tomorrow."

"You think we can really pull this off before Odo has to
charge Shakaar?" Julian asked.

"I'm counting on it."

---

"Um, Representative Krath?"

//I asked that I not be disturbed.//

"Yes sir," the receptionist answered nervously as she stared
at the two men standing in front of her desk, "but there are
two prylars here who wish to speak to you. They say it's
important."

//Prylars?//

"Yes sir, from..."

"The Ministry of the Forgotten Children," Garak reminded her
softly.

"The Ministry of the Forgotten Children, sir. They said that
Vedek Merel sent them."

//Merel? Send them right in.//

"Yes sir." The young Bajoran woman got up from her desk and
escorted the two men through the double doors behind her
into Krath Milnar's office.

Garak looked around the spacious room curiously. In only a
few short years, Krath Milnar, a self-made businessman, had
amassed a large fortune on Bajor by manufacturing high
quality food replicators and sub-space comm units which were
financially accessible to the general public.

The room was very large and comfortably furnished in a style
which was neither traditionally Bajoran nor did it have the
glorious excess of the Cardassian eye. Instead it was
minimalist yet warm; almost Japanese in its presentation
with its focus being on the dwarf Huppa trees on the edges
of the room and the functional yet aesthetically pleasing
office furniture with its clean lines and soft palette. This
struck Garak as ironic since Krath Milnar was no fan of the
Federation or any of its cultures. In fact, other than his
campaign promise of setting up a free trade agreement so
that Bajoran manufacturers and artisans could sell their
products without having to go through Ferengi or other
distributors, he was completely against Bajor being
assimilated into the Federation of Planets.

Krath rose from his desk where he had been eating lunch with
a formidable looking woman that Garak knew from his research
was his wife, Krath Rushka. Tall and broad in shoulder,
Rushka was not a conventionally beautiful woman, but she was
handsome and somewhat imperious in the way she held herself
as she examined her husband's unexpected guests. For a
moment, Garak allowed himself to imagine that she was a
Cardassian in disguise but quickly disregarded that idea
after looking at her outfit. No Cardassian woman of breeding
would ever wear a mid-calf skirt suit and sensible heels.

"Gentlemen," Krath greeted after wiping his mouth on a linen
napkin, "please join us. Would you care for something to eat
or drink?" He smiled apologetically, "Between the campaign
and my duties here, the only meals I get to share with my
wife these days are at my desk."

Julian opened his mouth to politely refuse but Garak beat
him to it, "Actually, a nice cup of tea would be nice and
perhaps a small pastry? It's been a while since breakfast."

"And you, Prylar?" The receptionist asked turning to Julian.

"The same, but I'll just have the tea if you please. I
haven't an appetite right now." Julian said, his eyes
flashing as he met Garak's own amused look.

"How do you take it?"

"Tarkelian tea please, extra sweet for both of us," Julian's
small triumphant grin let Garak know he was getting a bit of
revenge.

Garak's smile faltered slightly as he realized he was going
to be forced to drink something so sickeningly sweet, but he
nodded to the receptionist in confirmation all the same.

"Would you care to sit down?" Krath asked.

Garak and Julian both took their seats on the low backed
leather chairs situated in front of the Representative's
large glass-topped desk. Behind him a massive window
overlooked the Jalanda City skyline, the largest city in
Dahkur Province. "What a wonderful view," Garak
complimented. "It must be wonderful to be able to stare out
over the city while you work."

Krath looked over his shoulder. "That's what I thought when
I designed this office, but nowadays my nose is buried so
deep in a PADD with all the speeches I have to memorize and
contracts I have to go over I don't even have time to
notice. If it wasn't for my wife making sure I got my meals
sent in, I'd probably starve." He gestured for his wife to
come forward, "Where are my manners? This is Rushka, my wife
and business partner."

"Good afternoon," Rushka greeted with a friendly yet
calculating look Garak often associated with large
man-eating creatures or Kai Winn. "And you are?"

Both men got to their feet as she approached. Garak inclined
his head, "I am Prylar Danna and this is my fellow monk,
Prylar Reven."

"Hello," Julian said in a dignified manner.

"We're representatives from the Ministry of the Forgotten
Children in the Belava Province. Vedek Merel asked that we
speak to you," the receptionist handed him his tea and
muffin and Garak gave her a friendly grin, "Thank you, my
dear-Vedek Merel asked that we speak to you on a matter that
is most urgent."

"Thank you," Julian said softly accepting his refreshment as
well.

"Please, sit." Krath invited as he leaned against his desk
and looked from one to the other curiously. "Is this about a
charitable contribution, perhaps?"

"Uh, not entirely, no." Garak looked at the receptionist
pointedly and Krath nodded at her which signaled she should
leave and close the doors behind her. After she was gone,
Garak continued. "As you know, Vedek Merel has been a
staunch supporter of First Minister Shakaar's re-election
campaign up until now..."

"'Up until now'? Has she changed her mind about offering her
support to the First Minister?" Krath asked slowly, his tone
casual even though it was obvious that Garak had piqued his
curiosity even further. Rushka also sat a little straighter
in her chair, her eyes locked on Garak in anticipation.

"Recently, some information has come into the Vedek's
possession which has...disturbed her greatly. To put it
plainly, she has decided that based upon this information
and the First Minister's waning interest in protecting the
Forgotten Children of Cardassian heritage, she would be
interested in helping you succeed him as First Minister."

"Oh really?" Krath said, slightly stunned. "I was always
under the impression that Shakaar was dedicated to her
ministry. In fact, he based his last campaign on the concept
that those children were as much Bajoran as Cardassian and
it was our duty to stand as a people, united."

"Empty campaign promises, I'm afraid." Garak said
reluctantly. "In the four years since he's become First
Minister we've received no more financial support from his
office or the Provisional Government than we did before he
became First Minister. Prylar Reven can attest to that as
well."

"Oh yes," Julian said quickly. "In fact, the only medical
care we have for the children is from Starfleet volunteers
and even that is the bare minimum. I, myself, have become
the orphanage's head physician out of necessity even though
my background is in the veterinary arts."

"It has been most upsetting," Garak added solemnly.

"I imagine so," Krath said, his expression slightly
horrified by the idea of a vet acting as a pediatrician.

"Still, Vedek Merel was willing to be patient and wait until
after the election to ask the First Minister to make good on
his promises, but then..." Garak allowed his words to hang
in the air as he bit his lip in a subtle gesture of shame
and unease.

"Tell me, what happened?" Krath urged, completely wrapped up
in Garak's political melodrama.

Rushka had also arisen from her chair and joined her
husband. Garak noted the lean, hungry look in her eyes that
reminded him of a Riding Hound tracking its prey.
Interesting, he noted.

"It's alright, Brother Danna," Julian said placing a hand on
his lover's shoulder as he launched himself into the
dialogue they had agreed on that morning. He looked at the
Representative and his wife apologetically. "This has been
understandably hard on Danna. You see," he took a breath,
"Vedek Merel has always been very dear to him, and the shame
of this scandal has affected him deeply."

"Scandal?" Krath frowned.

"Here," Julian said removing an Isolinear rod from his
robes. "The Vedek sent this so she could explain it to you
in her own words."

Krath accepted the data rod curiously and walked around to
his desk chair and sat down. He pressed a button which
lowered the blinds on the large windows, dimming the light
in the room considerably. He then inserted the rod into his
terminal and a holographic image of the Vedek floated above
his desk.

//Representative Krath// the image said //I apologize for
the way I was forced to approach you, however I was afraid
that if I came to you myself that Shakaar would catch wind
of it and attempt to eliminate all of the evidence we have
gathered.//

"Evidence?" Krath asked aloud.

//I have sent my two most trusted representatives to you on
the hopes that justice may be done. I have received
indisputable evidence that First Minister Shakaar seduced my
only niece and left her with child before abandoning her in
a most despicable way. Shakaar's many indiscretions
throughout his time in the Resistance were known to me, but
his behavior in this situation has convinced me he is not
the right man to lead Bajor into a new dawn. I have decided
to back your campaign and hope you will lend me your support
in seeing to it that the person responsible for hurting my
niece is made accountable for his actions.//

The image faded and Krath hit the button on his desk so that
the blinds opened up, allowing the sunlight to stream in
once more. "I'm not sure exactly what the good Vedek expects
me to do about this," he asked with a frown. "What does his
seducing her niece have to do with my campaign?"

Garak made a show of blinking his eyes in surprise, "But
Representative Krath, can't you see what this means? Shakaar
Edon is a cad, and worse! In fact, he's a-!"

Krath cut him off, "Shakaar is a single man and I'm assuming
this niece is of age, so what crime is he guilty of? As much
as I dislike Shakaar's policies, I'm not about to smear the
man's reputation over some affair he had with a woman, no
matter who she's related to."

"But Representative-" Julian tried to cut in.

Krath waved him away, "No, I'm sorry Prylar Reven, I don't
want to hear anymore about this. Despite the fact that Kai
Winn has offered her political support to my campaign and I
have taken the position that Bajor should take care of Bajor
first and foremost, I am not a conservative zealot. I am not
Jaro Essa and the Bajor First party is not associated with
The Alliance for Global Unity. I do not see the office of
First Minister as some moral high ground with which to
punish Bajorans for what I may or may not see as moral
turpitude." He folded his hands in irritation and eyed both
men with distaste. "If Vedek Merel wishes to back my agenda,
based on real issues, then I am more than happy to welcome
her into my camp-however, I am not interested in leaking
this information to the global press just to glean the votes
of a few conservatives who view premarital sex as an affront
to the Prophets."

"But Milnar," Rushka said, imploringly, "perhaps if you
thought about this a bit longer-"

"No, Rushka, I've told you and Hali both how I feel about
these sort of tactics. I met with Shakaar and we agreed to
keep this election on point and I will not hear anything
more about it!" His face was flushed with anger as he
rebuked his wife who tightened her mouth in frustration but
did not contradict him. "Now gentlemen, if you will excuse
me I would like to finish my lunch."

"Good afternoon, Representative." Garak said quietly as he
arose from his chair leaving his tea untouched. Julian
joined him and they both solemnly exited the office and
headed toward the turbolift.

As soon as the doors closed, Julian turned to Garak. "This
was a big waste of time, not to mention the fact that you
could have caused yourself permanent physical damage over
this-this-" he rolled his eyes, "whatever the hell this is."

"What do you mean?" Garak asked calmly. "As I see it,
everything is going according to plan perfectly."

"Are you kidding me?" Julian burst out.

"Keep your voice down," Garak ordered as the turbolift doors
opened and they exited into the lobby.

"Garak, the man didn't do it. You heard him," he added in a
sotto voice, "he doesn't want anything to do with a scandal.
In fact," Julian said with a raised eyebrow, "if I were a
Bajoran I'd probably vote for him based on that fact alone.
I have to say that so far I like him far better than Shakaar
despite his reluctance to join the Federation."

"Don't let Captain Sisko hear you say that," Garak warned in
amusement. "Besides, the game's not over yet. Not until all
of the players have taken to the stage and made their final
bows."

"Who else could be behind it?" Julian asked confused. "We
suspect that Hali woman has something to do with this but
her only motive would be to further Krath's campaign. If
Krath isn't interested in creating a sex scandal, her motive
disappears."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you."

"But Garak, Krath said-"

"My dear man, I never would have pegged you for such a
sexist. I thought that Federation ideals were beyond such
primitive concepts. Why it's simply scandalous!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Julian asked as they
stepped onto the street.

"Excuse me! Prylar Danna! Prylar Reven-wait!"

Garak's eyes twinkled in triumph as he turned to see Krath
Milnar's receptionist hurrying toward them. "Yes, my child?"

The young woman, winded from her exertions, handed Garak a
small business card. "Mrs. Krath wanted me to give this to
you. She said she'd like to speak to you again this
afternoon with Representative Krath's Chief of Staff if you
have time." She took a gulp of air, "The card has the
address of Hali/Meenks corporate offices on it and she asked
that you meet them both there at six o'clock to discuss some
donations to your ministry."

"Tell Mrs. Krath that we would be delighted to meet her and
her associate there and that the blessings of the Prophets
are upon her." Garak said smoothly as he pocketed the card.

The girl nodded her head enthusiastically and then looked at
Garak in anticipation.

"Oh, yes." He reached out and caressed her ear gently, "Go
with the light of the Prophets upon you, my child."

Julian cleared his throat and gave Garak a glance that spoke
volumes before the girl turned to him as well, "Oh, uh, what
he said. Prophets bless you, my...dear."

The girl nodded at them both happily then scurried back to
her office.

"Very nicely played, my love." Garak chuckled.

"Oh shut up." Julian said grumpily as he followed Garak down
the street.

"Now that's not nice!" He pouted in mock seriousness.
"Didn't you know that prylars are supposed to represent
dignity and love?"

"Fuck you very much as well." He said without heat. "That's
what you meant when you accused me of being sexist? That the
real power is the woman behind the man?"

"Not 'woman', my darling, 'women'." Garak corrected him.
"Never underestimate the 'gentler' sex. Women are the
fiercest hunters, the most feared predators, and the
greatest of diabolical strategists in all of nature."

"Then why are you attracted to men?"

"Do you really need to ask?" Garak quirked an eyeridge at
him.

"So now what?" Julian chuckled, "Do you want to get some
lunch and ask for the clergy discount? We have plenty of
time to fill before six."

Garak appeared to ponder that for a moment. "No, not right
now. First I think we need to make a quick stop and do what
we do best."

"Which is?"

"What do you think it is?" Garak asked with a wide grin.

"The mind boggles! I give up." Julian returned. "What?"

"We go snooping."

---
Chapter 11: Into The Lion's Den
---

"Why do I let you talk me into these things?" Julian
whispered furiously.

"Because I'm irresistible," Garak answered as he
bypassed the security codes to the door. "Ah!" The
heavy door swung open and Garak turned toward the
doctor with a flourish, "After you, my dear."

Julian scowled and walked into the penthouse apartment
slowly, looking around carefully for any security
devices. "What about surveillance equipment or armed
guard response? I still think we're going to get
caught."

Garak rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him.
"It's not like this is my first time breaking into
someone's residence, Julian. I researched the building
schematics thoroughly before we even came here and
other than the door code and the guards on the first
floor, there are no other security measures." Garak
sniffed derisively. "Rather slip-shod if you ask me,
but then again, Bajorans never did appreciate virtues
of paranoia."

"Damn them and their well adjusted attitudes," Julian
said dramatically, then snorted. "Anyway, it's been
seven weeks since Sinles died. If this woman is smart
enough to build her own successful business and hook up
with a politician like Krath, what makes you think
she'd keep the evidence in her home after all this
time?"

"I don't think she would." Garak shrugged looking
around and admiring the modern furnishings and high
ceilings of her penthouse. "Very nice...ooh, a
fireplace!"

"Garak!"

The tailor turned to his companion. "Hmm?"

Julian crossed his arms and scowled. "We're not here to
view an open house - we're breaking and entering and a
man's life is on the line. Do try to pay attention,
won't you?"

"Spoilsport," Garak muttered before walking into the
open kitchen area and admiring the large high-end
replicator unit. "Oh, this is fabulous. Even if this
woman is a murderer she has excellent taste!"

"Good lord, you're insufferable!" Julian groaned.

"Seriously," Garak said looking at him and pointing to
the sleek appliances, "if I wasn't completely devoted
to you, I'd be tempted to court this woman."

"Just...get on with it, will you?" Julian said, sitting
at the bar and propping his head in his hands. "I just
know this Hali woman is going to walk in on us and then
we're going to wind up sharing a cell with Shakaar."

Garak merely rolled his eyes dismissively, then turned
to the Replicator unit. "One large Tarkelian tea, extra
hot and extra sweet and one large Raktajino, steamed
with jacarine peel -no sugar."

"So now we're just going to sit here and drink coffee
in this woman's house all day?" Julian asked wearily.

"I'm drinking coffee, you're drinking tea," Garak said
placing it in front of him.

"Shouldn't we search her home office or something? Look
for a safe?"

"Why should we?" Garak asked. "She'd never keep
anything we could use in a safe. No, she'd dispose of
it immediately."

"Then why are we here?" Julian repeated in
exasperation. "If you wanted coffee, I could have bought
you one at a restaurant somewhere. And besides," he
added, "wasn't it you who said to never go into the
lion's den for information when you could access it
just as well from a remote terminal?"

"Under normal circumstances, yes, but her replicator
unit isn't hooked into any networks that I can access
from a remote terminal."

Julian put his cup down heavily and looked at him in
disgust. "So you're telling me that the reason you
dragged me up here really was just so you could fiddle
with her replicator? My god, you really are a
cheapskate, Garak! I have an expense account; we could
have -"

"Think about it for a minute," Garak said, cutting him
off. "If you had evidence you needed to dispose of
quickly and in the privacy of your own home, how would
you do it?"

"Erase it from my computer's memory," Julian answered,
sipping his tea.

"What if it wasn't on your computer? What if it was
some other kind of evidence like holoimages or
isolinear rods that you couldn't erase easily, what
then?"

"I'd...." He thought about that for a minute. "You
think she disposed of it in the replicator? What makes
you think she didn't use the recycler instead?"

"This is a very old building which once housed
upper-class military officers and their families during
the Occupation. It was quite the fashion at the time to
keep servants to take care of that sort of thing,
therefore the building was not designed with individual
recycler units. Each floor has a garbage chute leading
to the basement. The discarded trash is stored and
eventually used as an energy source for the building."

"So you're saying she couldn't just walk down the hall
and toss it down a chute?" Julian asked with a shrug.

Garak waved his hand in a sweeping gesture, "Look at
this apartment, my dear. This woman isn't the type to
haul her own trash and toss it down a chute! She's the
type of person who hires people for that sort of thing
and she certainly would never dispose of potentially
damaging materials without being absolutely certain
they had been destroyed!"

Julian looked unimpressed. "You hacked into her
financial records and found out she had a cleaning
service on retainer or something, didn't you?"

"Three times a week...and every other weekend," Garak
admitted.

"You couldn't just tell me that, could you?" he said,
rolling his eyes. "Okay, so theoretically if she had
something that could be used as evidence she would have
tossed it into the replicator and disposed of it. What
makes you think she'd even keep it here? She has an
office downtown; why couldn't she have disposed of it
there?"

"I'm not saying she didn't. I just can't break into her
office and root around as easily," Garak said before
turning to the replicator and pulling the panel off the
wall to examine the internal components.

"Oh Christ, now you're going to tear her replicator
apart? Damn it, man."

"I'm examining it, that's all," Garak explained as he
perused the circuitry with a practiced eye.

"So tell me, is the evidence in there?" Julian asked
sarcastically as he drank his tea.

"That's what I'm looking for," Garak said distractedly.
"I'll tell you one thing, Krath Milnar makes a very
fine product."

"I'm sure he'd be very flattered to know you think so."

"Aha!"

"What?" Julian asked sitting up a little straighter.

"Watch and learn, my dear!" Garak crowed in triumph as
he snapped the panel back into place and then activated
the menu display.

He punched a few buttons then scrolled through the
list. "No, no, no, not that one - stop! Now that is
interesting." Garak ran his finger over the digital
display, highlighting some script then gave the
command, "Reintegrate."

The replicator hummed and on the pad a stack of leather
bound journals and scrapbooks appeared.

"What the-" Julian jumped up and walked around the bar
to look closer. "How in the hell did you do that?"

"Krath Manufacturing really does live up to their
advertising," Garak said appreciatively.

"What are you, the company spokesman all of a sudden?
How did you do that?" Julian demanded.

"Simple," Garak said, gathering the materials and
spreading them out on the bar. "You do know already
that replicators and transporters are basically the
same; they both break objects down to their most basic
molecular levels, absorb the information into a buffer,
and then rematerialize whatever it is on a pad."

"Yes, but once something is recycled into the
replicator it's gone - the buffer doesn't keep the
information," Julian pointed out.

"Not so," Garak said, wagging a finger at his lover like
he was a professor talking to a particularly dim
student. "This particular replicator is quite advanced.
It's designed for large dinner parties and whatnot, so,
on the off chance that some china or a serving platter
was inadvertently disposed of, Krath designed a back up
system so that it could be instantly recalled."

"You figured that out by looking at a tangle of wires
behind the display panel?" Julian asked with disbelief
evident in his voice.

"No, I figured that out by reading the product pamphlet
in the lobby of his office."

"Oh."

Garak turned back to the replicator and popped the
panel back off so he could restore the replicator to
its original configuration.

"Now what?" Julian asked.

"What do you mean?" Garak popped the panel back into
place and held out his hand for Julian to pass him
their used cups.

"Well, I'm assuming you want to go through all of
this - whatever this is, right?" Julian asked, gesturing
at the pile of objects littering the counter.

"You assume correctly," Garak answered as he disposed
of their mess.

"We can't exactly walk out of here with all of this.
The guards saw us come in empty handed and there's just
so much one can hide under these robes." He lifted up
his vestments doubtfully. "What do you propose we do
now?"

"Well," Garak said turning to his companion with a
far-away expression, "we could just stay here, order
in, watch something on the holovid, get cozy by the
fire..."

Julian narrowed his eyes. "We're breaking and entering
in some stranger's home and now you want to take up
residence here?"

"Or," Garak continued as though he hadn't been
interrupted, "we could sneak our bounty out using
nothing but our wits and the materials at hand."

"Which are?" Julian inquired dubiously.

"Watch and learn, my dear boy, watch and learn..." He
turned toward the replicator and entered a set of
commands.

--

The security officer watched the two prylars exit the
lifts and eyed the hybrid with distrust. A Cardie was a
Cardie, he thought, even when they have just enough
Bajoran in them to make them somewhat tolerable. The
fact that this one was a monk didn't make up for his
dubious heritage.

As the hybrid and his tall, dark haired companion
walked toward him he noticed that they were both
carrying canvas totes. He tried to remember if they had
them when they came in, but he was fairly certain they
didn't.

"Sorry gentlemen," he said stepping in front of them,
"but I have to check your bags. Procedure. I'm sure you
understand."

"Not at all, my child," the hybrid said graciously, then
opened his tote to reveal several leather bound volumes
of Bajoran meditations. "In fact, perhaps you'd like to
donate to our mission and accept one of these prayer
books with our thanks. The children need any support
you can afford to give."

"Or perhaps you'd like to buy some cookies?" The dark
haired Bajoran monk opened his tote as well to reveal
several brightly colored baggies. "We're trying to
raise money so that our Temple class can go on a field
trip."

"We have thin mints..." The half-Cardie said in a
sing-song tone.

"Uh, no. No, thank you. I, uh, already gave earlier."
The guard stepped back.

"You're sure?" the taller one asked with a cheery grin.

"Positive." He held open the door for them, "You
gentlemen have a good day and, uh, good luck with
selling your cookies."

"Prophets bless you, my child," the hybrid offered as
they left the building.

"What was that all about?"

The guard turned to his partner who was just stepping
out of the men's room adjacent to the lobby. "Nothing,
just a couple of prylars looking to get some
'donations'."

"Prophets save us from all these priests trying to sell
something," the other man muttered as he sipped some
water from the drinking fountain. "Bunch of damn
thieves if you ask me."

"You said it."

---

"Prylar Danna, Prylar Reven, so good of you to come,"
Krath Rushka greeted them before ushering them into the
room. "I was afraid you'd refuse after the way my
husband treated you."

"Not at all, my dear lady," Garak said smoothly. "I
fully understand how it must have appeared to a man of
such high principles as your husband. I only wish he
had allowed us more time to fully explain the
situation."

"I'm so glad you understand. I'd like to introduce you
to my husband's Chief of Staff and publicist, Hali
Tafan."

"Ms. Hali," Garak said, bowing slightly.

"So glad to finally meet you both. Rushka explained to
me why you were coming," Hali said with a cool
confidence. "I so look forward to meeting with Vedek
Merel. Is there any chance that she'd meet with us
without the Representative?"

"He'd rather not be directly involved with this
matter," Rushka added, "As you can probably understand,
he prefers to be seen as a candidate who doesn't sully
his hands with this sort of thing, but we have every
intention of seeing to it that Shakaar Edon is held
responsible for what he has done," Rushka added. "You
may speak to me as though you were speaking directly to
my husband."

Garak had been surreptitiously examining Hali Tafan
since he had walked through the door. Tall, pale, and
as lean as a riding hound, her predatory eyes gleamed
with unfettered ambition and a glacial hardness that
spoke volumes to Garak's experienced eye.

Too bad she and Dukat had never met; this woman would
be perfect for him.

Julian, who had remained silent until now, spoke up.
"The Vedek wishes to meet with both of you as well.
However, for much the same reasons as Representative
Krath, she is not comfortable with meeting you here on
Bajor. Too great a chance of public exposure, you
understand."

"Absolutely," Rushka agreed. "Perhaps then we could
meet her somewhere less open to discuss these matters,
then?"

"Elections are at the end of this week," Hali added
carefully. "I'm sure none of us want to see the wrong
man get elected into public office, do we?"

"We are all of the same mind in that regard," Garak
said with an easy smile. "The Vedek wishes you to meet
her tonight at 2200 hours on Deep Space Nine in the
Temple on the Promenade. This way you will be able to
discuss all of this openly and if anyone inquires about
your trip you can claim that you were making a
pilgrimage to the Celestial Temple so you could pray
for your husband's victory."

Rushka considered that with a raised eyebrow, then
said, "That's...not a bad idea actually. Your Vedek
Merel is a clever woman."

"She has said the same of you and your associate,"
Garak complimented them. "She has heard much about both
of you from several different sources and it is fairly
obvious to her exactly who is the power behind your
husband's campaign."

Julian touched Garak's arm lightly, then turned to the
ladies, "If you will excuse us, we must return to the
Capital Temple for evening prayers, but we will be
joining you on the station along with Vedek Merel. The
Prophets blessings on you both."

"Safe journey." Garak nodded and headed out the door.

"To you both as well!" Rushka called out to them as
they headed toward the lifts.

Garak and Julian walked into the turbolift and as soon
as the doors closed the tailor addressed his companion.
"Are you ready to finish this?"

"Absolutely," Julian said with a triumphant smile.
"More than ready in fact."

"So am I, my dear, so am I...."

---
Chapter 12: Confessions
---

The Temple was dimly lit and very warm which Garak
found to be quite comfortable while Julian, who was
kneeling next to him, kept tugging at his robes and
muttering about the excessive heat. Most of the light
was provided by the prayer candles lining the walls
which flickered and danced due to the slight breeze
caused by the station's air reclamation system. He
found himself growing a bit sleepy in the pleasant
stillness of the Temple and couldn't help but yawn
every so often. Unfortunately, whenever he did so, the
Bajoran 'earring' he was wearing bit unpleasantly into
his still sore ear. Also, the chains and religious
symbols that dangled from it further irritated him by
tickling his overly sensitive scales in such a way as
to make him itch almost unbearably. He reached up and
scratched at the shell of his ear and tried to adjust
the bite of the ear cuff.

"Stop that," Julian said quietly beside him.

"It's bothering me," Garak complained, his voice barely
above a whisper.

"You'll tear your skin - it hasn't healed yet," Julian
warned.

"What time is it?" Garak asked, ignoring his advice.

"It's nearly time for them to be here. Where's Merel?"

"Waiting in the priest's ready room for us to join
her," Garak said as he lifted his hand to tug at his
earlobe again.

"Stop it!" Julian hissed, nudging him with a hard
elbow.

"It *itches*," Garak bitched.

"I wish you'd both just stop talking altogether," Odo's
disembodied voice broke in gruffly.

Julian shook his head in frustration as he glanced at
the Temple doors. "I hate this! Do you realize that if
they show up and we can't get them to confess, all the
evidence we gathered from Hali's penthouse is useless?"

"Why?" Garak asked quietly as he shifted his weight
from one knee to the other. You'd think the Prophets
would provide the faithful with kneepads or something,
he thought. The least they could have done is use some
of those charitable donations for some decent carpet
padding.

Maybe taking up religion wasn't such a good idea after
all.

"We didn't have a search warrant or probable cause,"
Julian sighed. "In fact, we committed a crime by just
being there."

"Did you resign your commission?" Garak asked.

"What?"

"Are you a member of the Bajoran Militia now?"

"No," Julian frowned. "What are you going on about?"

"If you aren't a law enforcement official then you
don't need a warrant to gather evidence, now do you?
Besides," he added, "she had disposed of everything we
obtained from her apartment which means she didn't want
them anymore. That, by Bajoran law, makes it fair game
and does not require a warrant."

"Is that true, Odo?" Julian asked.

"Technically...yes." The unseen Odo agreed tersely.
"Now will you two be quiet! This is not the time to
engage in idle chit-chat!"

"But we were still breaking and entering," Julian
pointed out, ignoring Odo.

"She invited us over." Garak shrugged.

"No, she didn't."

"Yes, she did."

"Garak, we hadn't even met her when we broke into her
apartment, how could she invite us anywhere?" Julian
asked, exasperated.

Garak sighed. "She sent the receptionist with the
business card and told us to meet her at six o'clock,
remember?"

Julian scowled at him. "That was Krath Ruksha and she
invited us to Hali's corporate headquarters, not her
home, and we were there, rooting around for evidence,
much earlier than six o'clock."

"So we were early."

"Garak..."

"I misunderstood what she meant and didn't realize that
Ms. Hali wanted us to go to her business office and not
her home until we had already arrived. By that time, as
you may recall, we were both quite thirsty." Garak
sighed in frustration as he resisted tugging at his ear
again. "She wouldn't begrudge a couple of prylars a
simple cup of tea, would she? So, knowing that she
would want to be hospitable, we invited ourselves in
and used her replicator. Who knew that some wires would
get crossed and instead of our cups being refilled we
received a bunch of...well, you know the rest."

"Do you honestly think that anyone would ever believe
any of that crap in a million years?" Julian asked
drily.

"I don't know. Odo? What do you think?"

"I think that if you both don't shut up you're going to
ruin this whole thing before it gets started," Odo's
voice invisibly chastised them.

"See? Even Odo believes me," Garak whispered confidently.

"No, I don't," Odo contradicted.

"See?" Julian said.

"However, as long as Mr. Garak is willing to sign a
sworn statement to that effect and Captain Sisko is
fine with it I suppose I'll have no other choice but to
accept it," Odo rejoined. "Now that's enough! Not
another word!"

They remained quiet for a few minutes until Julian
whispered, "Even if the courts buy that, there's still
one major flaw in your logic, Garak."

Garak sighed. "And what is that, my dear?"

"Although she probably wouldn't begrudge a couple of
prylars a simple cup of tea, *we're* not prylars."

"That just a simple bit obfuscation, my dear, and
completely irrelevant to the case at hand." Garak
shrugged.

"Why do I find you so damned attractive? You are
completely amoral," Julian grumbled.

"It's because of my good looks and incredible stamina."
Garak smirked.

"I...really don't want to hear this," Odo grumbled.

"I don't know why not. You did, after all, put
recording devices in my quarters so you could 'monitor
our activities'." Garak pointed out.

"I told you that was an accident!"

"Keep your voice down, Odo. You're supposed to be
concentrating on the job at hand, remember?" Julian
said archly.

"In my opinion, doctor, Mr. Garak has not been a good
influence on you," Odo grumbled.

"You sweet talker you," Garak purred. "Go ahead and
keep whispering those sweet nothings in my ear - Julian
won't mind."

"I truly despise you, Garak," Odo grumbled morosely.

"I can work with that."

"Enough! I think they're coming," Julian said just
before the Temple doors opened to reveal Krath Rushka
and Hali Tafan.

The two women walked up toward the altar and Julian and
Garak arose to greet them.

"Good evening, dear ladies," Garak said with a kindly
smile. "If you will follow us please, the Vedek is
waiting for you in the back. She felt that you would
appreciate the additional privacy."

Julian inclined his head in a dignified manner as he
led them to the back of the Temple and opened the door,
"After you, ladies."

Vedek Merel stood in the center of the room apparently
studying an oil painting. As they entered she turned to
face them, a pleasant smile lighting up her delicate
features, "Ah, at last we meet. I'm surprised we
haven't had the opportunity to do so before now, Mrs.
Krath."

Krath Rushka stepped forward and smiled politely, "I've
been looking forward to this as well and I am sure that
given our shared goals we will have reason see each
other quite often after today."

"Of that I have no doubt," Merel said enigmatically
before turning her eyes to Rushka's companion. "And you
must be Hali Tafan, I have heard many things about you,
my dear."

"I am flattered, Vedek Merel. Your reputation as a
competent leader and respected advocate for Bajor's
less fortunate proceeds you as well." Hali said
politely, her icy gaze betraying nothing as she greeted
her hostess.

"I have never been one to dwell on formalities, ladies.
Please," she gestured for them to follow her as she sat
on a high backed chair on the other side of an antique
wooden bookcase which had intricately engraved glass
cabinets. To the side of that was a small writing desk
with a water pitcher and several glasses . The ladies
each took a seat and Garak sat down by Merel while
Julian stood patiently behind her. When they were all
settled, Merel gestured for Julian to pour her a glass
of water from the tall pitcher on the desk which she
accepted gracefully. "Would either of you care for
something to drink?"

Both ladies answered with a polite, "No, thank you."

Hali was the first to speak. "I think it would be best
we get right down to business," she said. "We need to
move quickly on this information, that is unless you
have any objections?"

"None at all," Merel said handing her glass back to
Julian. "I also appreciate the time constraints we are
under and wish to have this settled as quickly as
possible." She folded her hands on her lap and looked
Rushka directly in the eye. "I hope you don't mind my
bluntness, Mrs. Krath, but I find this whole situation
quite distasteful. I would have thought a woman of your
stature would have learned to control your staff better
by now."

"What?" Rushka said in surprise. "I-I'm not sure what
you're talking about. I was under the impression that
we were here to discuss Shakaar, not my personal
staff."

"We are here to discuss both." Merel held up her hand
and Julian opened a drawer of the desk and handed her a
folder. Merel opened it and made a show of looking
through the information carefully. "I am not unfamiliar
with politics nor do I have a problem with taking
advantage of opportunities as they present themselves.
However, I do have a problem when such matters are
handled this incompetently."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Rushka asked, her
tone growing more strident.

"I'm talking about this distressing situation with my
grandniece. Don't misunderstand me; I understand what
motivated you to use Sinles as a plant in Shakaar's
offices. It was very clever actually. The inside
information she passed on to you allowed your husband
to get the upper hand in several of the debates. By
giving him insight into Shakaar's political strategies
it made you invaluable to your husband." Merel's eyes
were sharp and knowing as she continued her verbal
assault. "He probably never even realized how you got
your information, he just took it at face value. I even
understand why you continued after she began sleeping
with the First Minister. After all, if the girl was
stupid enough to sleep with him that was her business
and it was an opportunity you would be a fool to pass
up on."

"I never..." Rushka began.

"Don't bother denying it. In fact it's one of the
things I like most about you," Merel shrugged. "It
shows that you are a woman of great intellect and
pragmatism. It should be you running for office, not
your husband. My niece's stupidity is not your fault in
the slightest."

"Do you have proof of any of this?" Hali asked as
though she didn't care one way or another.

"I do," Merel said, looking her in the eye.

"Yet you asked that we both meet you here - why?" Hali
asked.

"Because I also believe in taking advantage of
situations as they present themselves," Merel answered,
then handed the folder back to Julian.

"What do you want?" Rushka asked coldly.

"To see to it that the right person pays for what was
done to my niece," Merel answered simply. "It was
Shakaar's decision to seduce Sinles and get her
pregnant. If he has to pay for that with his career, so
be it."

Rushka squared her shoulders. "So you still want to go
ahead with leaking this information to the press?"

"I want to do much more than that, Mrs. Krath. I want
the person who destroyed my niece prosecuted for what
they have done," she answered, her face hard.

Rushka shook her head in confusion. "Admittedly,
abandoning a pregnant girl is awful but not a crime. If
Sinles wants, my foundation would be willing to pay her
legal expenses and sue Shakaar for child support as
well as sexual harassment, but that's still a civil
matter in Bajoran courts, not criminal."

"I'm afraid Sinles won't be able to do that," Garak
broke in.

"Why not?" Rushka said looking from him to Merel
curiously before smiling slightly in understanding.
"Oh, because of the stigma attached to her status as an
unwed mother? She has nothing to worry about. When
we're done the press will love her, and besides, these
days unwed mothers are commonplace."

"And her criminal record?" Garak asked slowly.

"You know about that?" Rushka asked.

"There is very little I, or my people, don't know,"
Merel responded, her eyes flashing.

Garak glanced briefly at Hali, gauging her reaction to
Merel's statement. She stiffened in her chair, alert,
but not panicking, watching Merel and Garak carefully.

Despite himself, he couldn't help but admire her
self-control. Rarely had Garak had to expend so much
energy in the pursuit of an investigation. Until now,
he had worried that perhaps he was losing his edge when
they had encountered one false lead after another.
Examining Hali Tafan's confident mannerisms and sharp
gaze, he realized it wasn't his age catching up to him,
but instead it was because he had been dealing with a
most worthy adversary.

Well played, my dear, he congratulated silently.

"I am quickly beginning to find that out," Rushka
complimented her. "I destroyed any evidence of her
unfortunate past soon after she came to work for me.
There is no paper trail to associate her with anything
she may have done as an adolescent and, on the off
chance someone did find something, she was living under
an alias at the time."

"You are a very resourceful woman, indeed," Merel said
slowly. "Unfortunately, Prylar Danna was not referring
to any alleged past indiscretions or her unwed status."

"She's not still in love with Shakaar, is she?" Rushka
laughed in derision, then turned to Hali, "I thought you
said you had talked her out of that nonsense?"

Hali didn't answer her, choosing instead to address
Merel, "The last time I saw Sinles she was leaving
Shakaar. She told me that he had been abusive and that
she was planning on going into hiding because he had
threatened to kill her if she didn't have an abortion.
I doubt she would want to go back to him after that."

Rushka tutted under breath. "Poor dear. If she is
afraid of Shakaar I can assure you that I will
personally see to it she is protected. After the
election, I'm sure we can see to it that she is given a
home and a comfortable income to provide for her and
the child."

"I'm afraid there is no child anymore, Mrs. Krath,"
Merel said.

"She lost the baby?" Rushka asked, her voice dripping
with sympathy. "That poor girl. No matter, Shakaar
still owes her recompense and my offer still stands.
I'll even find a place for her on my personal staff if
she would like."

"She's dead," Merel said bluntly.

Krath Rushka stared at them in open-mouthed shock.
"Dead?" she asked, her voice weak.

"She died seven weeks ago," Julian said, handing her a
PADD.

Rushka looked at the image of Sinles's mangled and
desiccated corpse and flinched, placing it face down on
the low table in front of her. "Oh Prophets." She shut
her eyes for a moment, then opened them again slowly,
"How long ago did she die again?"

"Seven weeks ago according to her autopsy," Julian
repeated, watching her reaction as she absorbed that
information.

Ruksha looked over at Hali, whose steady gaze and cool,
unruffled appearance was at odds with the information
Merel had just presented. She turned back to Merel. "I
see...I had no idea Sinles was suicidal. I assure you
that had known she had emotional problems I would have
gotten her the help she needed."

"It was murder, not suicide," Julian corrected her.

"Mur-murder?" Rushka was taken aback, then straightened
her shoulders and took a deep breath. "Well, obviously
Shakaar must have done it! He was the only one with
enough motive and, as Hali pointed out earlier, he had
a history of violent behavior and threats where Sinles
was concerned. I assure you that I will see to it he
pays for her death and the death of that unborn child!"

"You know, it's interesting that you should mention
motive, because Shakaar wasn't the only one Sinles was
romantically involved with at the time." Garak leaned
back in his chair. "And, although it is true that
Sinles was the victim of domestic violence and threats,
they didn't come from Shakaar, did they Ms. Hali?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Hali's voice
was even and cool, her expression still confident.

"You were her lover, were you not?" Garak asked
amiably. "We have letters and diaries written by Sinles
documenting not only the fact that you had started
sleeping together shortly after she joined your company,
but that during the course of your four year
relationship you had become increasingly possessive and
controlling. If nothing else, it proves that you are
guilty of the statutory rape of a minor and sexual
harassment."

"That's ridiculous." Hali gave a small laugh. "Even if
we had a relationship, Sinles was nineteen years old."

"Yes, but she was fifteen years old when you decided to
'mentor' her." Garak reached for the PADD on the table
and brought up Sinles's birth certificate, "as well you
know." He handed it to Rushka.

"So? I don't deny she worked for my company and, yes,
after a while we did grow very close. I was her sponsor
and later, she stayed with me from time to time.
However, I never 'raped' her and I wasn't the one who
got her pregnant." Hali snorted. "Shakaar's the one who
accomplished that little feat, not me."

"True, it was Shakaar's baby," Julian said from his
position by the bookcase, "but he has an alibi for the
night Sinles was killed and you were the last one seen
with her."

"Circumstantial evidence at best," Hali dismissed.

"What are you getting at?" Rushka asked slowly.

"Hali is the one who sent that PADD to the Temple
saying that Sinles was killed," Merel answered "We have
journals written in Sinles's own handwriting stating
that Hali was a controlling and jealous lover and after
she told her she was keeping the baby and remaining
with Shakaar, Hali threatened her."

"That's not true," Hali said sharply, her confidence
beginning to break. "You can't prove any of that."

"Why because you disposed of the evidence?" Julian
asked.

"No," she scoffed, "because there was no evidence to
begin with!"

"Not so," Garak said gleefully as Julian pulled out an
isolinear rod from the pocket of his robe, showing it
to her with a flourish. "She made a recording of the
last comm you sent her."

Hali's face hardened. "You're bluffing."

"You really should remember to clear the buffer of your
replicator after disposing of potentially damaging
evidence, my dear," Garak suggested, with a dangerous
smile.

"You had the means, motive, and opportunity and you're
the one who planted the evidence implicating Shakaar,"
Julian added. "You killed her. The only question now,
is whether it was an accident or if it was on purpose."

"What did you do?" Rushka turned on her.

"You're the one who came to me about putting one of our
people in Shakaar's campaign office," Hali said,
snapping angrily. "If you turn on me, you'll be ruined
as well - don't forget that."

"Now that is exactly what I meant by you having no
control over your staff," Merel said, her eyes
glittering as she closed in for the kill. "Now, do you
want to salvage this situation or do you want to see
your husband's political career destroyed?"

Rushka gritted her teeth. "What do you want? Money for
your mission? A position on my husband's cabinet?
What?"

"I want justice," Merel answered. "The only question
now is how do I get it?"

"What we are proposing is simple." Garak smiled and
kept his tone casual. "Ms. Hali confesses that she
killed Sinles and turns herself in. She can tell them
anything she wants as long as she takes responsibility
for what she has done. The Vedek will lobby the courts
to show her mercy and we will call in a few favors to
make certain that you and your husband are not
implicated in the conspiracy. At the end of your
husband's term, Ms. Hali can be pardoned and may slip
into obscurity for all we care. Shakaar will still be
humiliated in the press and if you play your cards
right, you can say you were the one to convince Ms.
Hali to co-operate with the authorities. She can even
accept responsibility for any evidence of political
espionage that might crop up leaving you and the
Representative completely blameless."

"You could even offer to pay for Sinles's funeral,"
Julian suggested. "Start a foundation in her name which
is dedicated to women's issues. I imagine that would
make you and your husband look very good to the public.
Perhaps after Krath finishes his second term you can
run for First Minister with Vedek Merel backing you all
the way. Kai Winn is beginning to fall out of favor in
the capital. Having the endorsement of one of Bajor's
most beloved members of clergy could make you an
extremely attractive candidate. "

Rushka appeared to absorb all of this carefully before
speaking. "That sounds like a solid plan. The Kel
Sinles Foundation for Women? That could really work."

"You can't be serious?" Hali burst out.

"You started this mess by screwing up the situation
with that girl and instead of coming to me immediately
you compounded your stupidity by sending that PADD to
Vedek Merel!" Rushka bit out. "Now the only way we
salvage anything from this is if you do what you're
told, and you're going to do it exactly as Vedek Merel
has suggested. I have friends in the court system, I
doubt you'll serve more than a couple of years if we
play it right."

"I'm not going to throw my life away so you can be
First Lady of Bajor!"

"You'll do it or you'll go to prison for premeditated
murder." Merel's tone was icy.

"You can't prove anything!" Hali got to her feet and
shouted. "It was an accident, it wasn't murder!"

"You threw her out of the shuttlecraft," Julian said
stepping forward. "The medical evidence is
overwhelming."

"She fell out!" Hali rounded on him.

"How does someone just 'fall' out of a shuttlecraft?"
Julian scoffed.

"We were arguing! I told her I didn't mean what I said
and that if she wanted to keep the baby we could raise
it together - it was her fault! She pushed me too far!
She told me -" She bit her lip and clenched her fists in
anger.

"That she was leaving you?" Garak asked, rising from his
chair to stand slightly in front of the Vedek. "That
she wanted Shakaar?"

"He didn't want her." Hali gave a humorless laugh. "I
told her that Shakaar had bedded dozens of women just
like her, she wasn't the first - she wasn't even the only
one he was sleeping with at the time! I only wanted her
to listen to me and then we started to struggle."

"You hit her?" Julian asked.

"No! Not - she hit me first! The next thing I know she
knocked me into the control panel and we lost altitude.
She fell back against the shuttle door and it opened - I
had nothing to do with it!"

"She fell back against the doors and they just opened?"
Garak asked quietly.

"Yes!" Hali's hands were trembling as she took a
calming breath. "I fell back on the control panel and
must have accidently pressed the hatch release. I was
so busy trying to get the shuttle stabilized before we
crashed that I didn't even see her falling until it was
too late."

"I had nothing to do with this," Rushka said, getting
out of her seat and backing away in order to put
distance between her and Hali.

"You told me to talk some sense into her!" Hali pointed
a finger at her, then looked at Merel. "She told me to
follow her and get her back - do whatever I had to do to
make her see sense! If Rushka hadn't told me to do that
Sinles would still be alive."

"I never-"

Hali rounded on Rushka, "You told me to do it! You said
to make her go along with the plan!"

"I didn't tell you to kill her!" Rushka insisted.

"I didn't kill her! It was an accident - that's not a
crime!"

"But you covered it up," Garak said pointedly.

"I got scared. I was confused and upset and I wasn't
thinking clearly at the time," she said in a calmer
voice avoiding his gaze.

"You planted evidence against Shakaar," Julian added.

She pointed to Rushka again. "She told me to send the
Vedek the message about Sinles. After she died, I just
changed it a little. It was still her idea!"

"Oh, I believe you," Garak shrugged. "I'm sure this
whole thing is just one big misunderstanding."

Hali's eyes flicked up to meet Garak's. "You believe
me?"

"Absolutely," Garak reassured her. "It's obvious who
planted all of the information and what the original
plan was. You just did as you were asked."

Hali stood up a little straighter, but her expression
was no longer one of cool confidence but of
vulnerability. "That's right. It wasn't my fault. I
loved Sinles."

"I believe you," Garak nodded, his expression kind.
"I'm sure you did everything you could to save her from
herself."

"I did! I gave her a home, I taught her how to dress,
how to act in public - I made her!" Hali insisted. "I
would never hurt Sinles!"

"And when she fell out of the shuttle I know you tried
to help her but she was already dead. You tried to
bring her back, but it was too late."

"Yes!" Hali nodded vigorously. "I landed the shuttle
and tried to help her, but she was already gone - there
was nothing I could do."

"That's funny," Julian said scratching his chin.
"According to the autopsy it took several minutes for
Sinles to succumb to her injuries. If you had just put
a tourniquet on her leg and got her into the
shuttlecraft she could have easily survived the trip
back to the hospital in Opalas."

Hali suddenly jumped from her seat and grabbed a large
silver candlestick from the side table, brandishing it
in front of her as if it were a weapon. "I am not going
to jail!" she hissed, her eyes blazing.

"You stupid little Bitch!" Rushka screeched at her.
"Are you completely insane?!?"

Hali lunged for Rushka but at that moment Garak's
earring shimmered and shot across the room. The crimson
and gold liquid wrapped around Hali's arms and legs and
held her in place.

Hali screamed, dropping the candlestick with a clatter.
The liquid seemed to coalesce around her and grow
solid, streaming into a humanoid shape until standing
before her was Odo, his smooth features broadcasting
exactly what he was feeling as he said, "Hali Tafan,
you are under arrest for the murder of Kel Sinles,
conspiracy, and evidence tampering - and that's just to
start."

Rushka was slowly making her way toward the door trying
to be as unobtrusive as possible, when two security
guards blocked her path. Sisko and First Minister
Shakaar joined them as the guards placed her in
handcuffs. "First Minister! Emissary! I, uh-"

Shakaar smiled at her coldly. "Well hello Mrs. Krath.
So nice to see you again."

---

The sky was blue and clear with only a few white,
fluffy clouds floating past the warm Bajoran sun. It
was a small funeral, but still well attended and with
an unusual number of high profile mourners. The
Emissary to the Prophets, Captain Benjamin Sisko, laid
a bouquet of irises on the coffin as it slowly
descended into the ground. First Minister Shakaar
watched with unconcealed sorrow as Vedek Merel finished
the last prayer of Bajoran funerary rites, his former
opponent, Krath Milnar, looking on from a short
distance to offer his condolences and respect. There
were several others in attendance as well - co-workers,
members of the Temple, and campaign workers from
Shakaar's staff. Many of them had never met Sinles, but
were there instead to support the living as well as
honor the dead.

Also in attendance were Dr. Julian Bashir, Garak,
Constable Odo, and Major Kira. They remained silent and
still as Shakaar tossed a handful of dirt in after the
coffin and then stepped back, his face wet with tears.

Garak looked at the sky and thought to himself how
appropriate the weather was for this occasion. Yes, it
was indeed sad that such a young woman was dead, but
from her passing there came clarity and purpose. His
eyes landed on the stone arch which marked her grave
and he couldn't help but smile ever so slightly. Across
the top it read in Bajoran script:

KEL SINLES Born 13.06.2354 died 21.07.2373

SHAKAAR KEL Unborn Infant

MOTHER AND SON

"FOREVER LOVED, NEVER FORGOTTEN."

As Garak contemplated that, Julian took his hand,
squeezing it tightly. He looked into the doctor's eyes
that glowed with warmth and heard him whisper, "Elim
Garak, you are forever loved."

Perhaps that was the whole point, Garak thought.
Perhaps that was what all the pain, loneliness, and
heartache was for; it made the in-between moments that
much better.

In a rare display of sentimentality, the Cardassian
allowed himself to grieve for a girl he had never known
and for a life he hoped never to live again.

He squeezed Julian's hand back.

---

Captain Sisko lifted his glass and looked over the
small group that was gathered together in the reception
room of the Capital Temple. "On Earth we have a
tradition of celebrating the lives of the ones we have
lost by coming together and sharing our memories over
good food and drink as family and friends united.
Please, enjoy."

As the small group began to mill about, Merel walked
over to Garak and Julian who were talking in subdued
tones with the First Minister.

"You know, Edon, I didn't have a chance to thank you.
It was good of you to take care of Sinles's funeral,"
Merel said to Shakaar.

"It was...important to me - she was important to me. My
only regret is that she never knew how much," Shakaar
said slowly.

"She knew," Merel said. "But if you truly want to honor
her memory then you have to live your life the way she
wanted you to; you need to keep helping the people of
Bajor. That's what she died protecting."

Julian looked from Shakaar to Merel, his eyes soft with
emotion. "I heard that you were starting a foundation
in Sinles's name?"

"The Kel Sinles Foundation for Women?" Merel nodded,
then smiled. "Yes. I realize it was originally just a
part of the ruse we had concocted to trap Hali, but
after I'd thought about it, the idea grew on me." Her
eyes filled with pain, "I never got to know my niece,
but perhaps I can help other young women who might
benefit from her legacy."

Krath Milnar joined the small group with a bit of
hesitation, his face reflecting the shame he felt at
that moment. "First Minister, Vedek Merel, I apologize
if my presence is unwelcome in your time of grief, but
I just wanted to pay you both my respects and apologize
for-"

"No apology is necessary," Merel assured him gently.
"Your wife confessed everything, including the fact
that you had no idea what was going on."

"I still bear some responsibility in all this," Krath
said, averting his eyes. "I was...not the best husband.
My work consumed me to the point that I rarely spent
time with Rushka and then when I got into politics, I
never saw her at all unless she came to my office or
joined me on the campaign trail. When she started
taking such an avid interest in furthering my career I
was so caught up in the whole thing that I didn't
notice that she was doing it just to please me. Had I
been a better man and husband, this never would have
happened."

"You can't do that to yourself, Krath," Shakaar broke
in. "You've already resigned from the election over
this, don't punish yourself over what you might have
done differently." His voice grew strained with
emotion. "Believe me, I know what that's like."

"We're a fine trio," Merel said to her companions.
"Each one of us were so involved with the idea of
making Bajor better that we neglected our families in
the process, but we can't dwell on that. It's not what
Sinles would want for any of us. We need to keep going
forward because right now Bajor still needs us."

Krath held out his hand. "I want you to know that
although we have been political adversaries in the
past, if there is anything you need, First Minister, I
will be happy to support you."

Shakaar took his proffered hand in a firm grip. "What I
need is someone in my cabinet with a strong grasp on
domestic policy. Would you be interested in the job?"

"Are you sure?" Krath asked in surprise.

"You had some good points about expanding our economy."
Shakaar nodded. "Had you not dropped out of the race,
there is still a good chance you would have won. You
had a good grasp on the issues. I'd be honored if you'd
agree to join me in public service for the good of
Bajor."

"I accept," Krath nodded with a small smile. "Now if
you will excuse me, I need to get back to the office.
Again, my sympathies go out to you both."

Garak watched as the Representative walked away before
commenting, "That was a very interesting strategy,
First Minister. By bringing Krath Milnar into your
administration you'll strengthen your power base and
unite the dueling political parties in one fell swoop."

"You know what they say in politics Mr. Garak; keep
your friends close and your enemies closer," Shakaar
said softly.

"That sounds like something a Klingon would say on his
honeymoon," Garak drawled.

"True," Shakaar admitted. "While we're clearing the
air, I want to apologize to both you and the doctor for
the way I behaved before." He looked from one man to
the other solemnly. "What you did for me and for Sinles
is something I could never repay with mere words. You
have my eternal thanks."

"And mine as well," Merel added. "You went above and
beyond what I could have ever asked for." She looked at
Garak, examining his altered appearance closely. "I was
just wondering if you were planning on keeping your new
face, Mr. Garak. You look very attractive with the nose
ridges."

"You think so?" Garak asked before turning to Julian.
"What do you think, my dear? Should I cancel my
appointment with Dr. Okuna and keep the nose?"

"I think I prefer your old face better," Julian
laughed.

After a while the wake began to break up and, as they
were saying their farewells, Julian tapped Garak on the
shoulder and gestured toward the Major who was talking
in low tones to Shakaar. "Think they'll try to make a
go of it again?"

"They'll remain friends, but she'll never trust him
enough again to have an actual relationship," Garak
said, his tone confident.

"How can you be so sure?" Julian asked.

"Because without trust there can be no love," Garak
said, touching his face.

"I love you, too," Julian whispered.

Garak sighed, "I could ask Dr, Okuna to reschedule the
surgery and we could just go straight to bed?"

"No you don't!" Julian said pushing him a little as
they headed for the door. "I wasn't kidding before; I
miss your face-the real one."

"The things I go through for love..."

---
Chapter 13: Epilogue
---

Julian walked into his quarters and unzipped his uniform
jacket, tossing it on the closest chair. He walked over to
the subspace comm unit and punched in the codes.

//I wasn't expecting to hear from you this soon. Where is
Garak?//

"He's resting from surgery. I told him I needed to get some
sleep and I wanted to call home to share the news with my
family."

//What news is that?//

Julian looked at the woman on the screen and smiled broadly,
"I asked Garak to marry me and he said yes."

Silence.

"I know it seems a bit sudden, but..."

//What about your other plans? Isn't this going to change
everything?//

"Not at all. In fact, this is even better," he said with a
nod. "Besides, if I didn't ask him to marry me now, Garak
was going to leave and I couldn't risk losing him."

//You're sure about this then?//

"Very."

//Then you have my approval. I will continue to support any
decision you make on this matter.//

"How is everything on your end?" Julian asked.

The female Founder on the screen appeared to be in good
spirits as she relayed the information. //The Klingon
general is still alive and quite hearty from what I
understand. He's taught the Jem'Hadar well.//

"And Bashir?" Julian asked.

//Dr. Bashir has managed to keep Tain alive, but he's no
longer of much use to us. The Cardassian is old and his time
is coming to a close soon. Do you want us to dispose of him
as well?//

"Keep him alive," Julian ordered. "I still need some genetic
material from him when the time comes. I need them to
believe he died in the explosion so I can complete my
mission." He rubbed his face wearily.

//You should go regenerate.//

Julian sighed, "You're right. I've had to go days without
going back into liquid form. You wouldn't believe how
difficult it's been sleeping in a bed like a solid." He
shuddered.

//Rest. Contact me again when you can.//

"I will."

Julian shut off the monitor and walked into the bathroom. He
reached under the sink and pulled out a bowl then stepped
into the shower stall. With a sigh he allowed his body to
revert to its natural form and flowed into the bowl,
settling in for the night.

Within seconds he was dreaming.

He dreamt of being a part of the Great Link again, all
thoughts of the solids disappearing from his mind except
one. One face still haunted his thoughts.

It was the face of Garak...the man he was going to
ultimately destroy.

---

The End

--
Author's Notes:

Yeah, he was a Founder both in this story and in the revised
version of 'The Cheap Date'. There were hints, but in case
you missed them you might want to read this a second time.

The next story in this series will be The Never Ending
Sacrifice; A Garak and Bashir Mystery.

Hope you enjoyed it.

-Jen