The Great Link
By Amylynn

Disclaimers: Yes we all know these characters belong to Paramount, but we have
more fun with them than THEY do!!



"I can't believe you two just kissed on the PROMENADE!" Jadzia had pulled her
friend into the Replimat after what was to be known as the "kiss of the
century" to those who had witnessed it.
        "Well, I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later;  but no one expected
it to happen then, did they?"  Kira was still a little flustered over the
whole thing, "Is it warm in here, or is it just me?" She pushed at her collar
in annoyance.
        Dax chuckled gleefully;  she loved this romance stuff.  "Wow, it must have
been as good as it looked!"  She took Kira's hands in her own, "So, how does
it feel to have found ‘the one'?  I wondered how I was going to get you to
explain your 'moment of pure clarity'.... I guess I know now!  So what exactly
happened?"
        Kira had seen this question coming, and she explained the entire incident in
the holosuite, much to Dax's amazement.  "He what?  Spoke French?  Our Odo?
No wonder you kissed him;  he sounds so ... different.  So human!"
        Suddenly Kira stood up, saying, "Dax, what do I do now?  How can we have a
relationship?  He's a changeling, no matter what happens.  How do I know that
that..." her face held a look of utter contempt for the founder who nearly
took her friend away from her, "female won't come here and try to 'link' with
him?"  As she spoke, she began pacing back and forth through the Replimat.
Her mind was reeling with emotion;  on the one hand, she abhorred all that his
people had done over the past year, with their Order and Chaos way of life.
She knew that there was still something pulling her lover away;  but, on the
other hand, she would fight to the death for him.
        "I've got to go, Jadzia."  She suddenly looked very distraught as she
continued, "I'm having some really conflicting thoughts, and I need to
meditate."  She turned to face Jadzia, who was still smiling happily at her.
"Why are you smiling like that? Did I say something funny?"
        "Oh, Nerys, I'm so happy for you!!  You're finally in love!" Dax jumped up
and hugged her fiercely.  "You go and meditate;  I'm sure the Prophets will
confirm what you already know to be true:  that you and Odo are meant for each
other!"  She kissed Kira on the cheek and headed off, humming to herself.
Kira stood in the Replimat, staring dumbfounded at her friend as she walked
away.

        Later that evening, she turned down dinner with Odo, explaining to him that
she had a lot of things to think about.  She promised him breakfast in the
morning to reassure him that she wasn't regretting their kiss at all;  she
just needed some time.  He accepted her excuse with only a little hesitation,
then wished her good night.  "Be cool, chick," he said with humor, and she
laughed and terminated the transmission.  It had been quite an eventful day,
and she had much on her mind.
        Just as she had settled down on the couch with some music and her thoughts,
her door buzzer sounded.
        "Come in," she said, a little annoyed at the intrusion.
        The door opened, and Quark stood in the doorway, cold bucket of ice in one
hand, and bottle in the other.  "Hello, Major, may I come in?"
        "Quark.  What is all of this?"  She tried to sound angry, but she couldn't
help but smile.  She knew that he wished them well, although she was sure that
he'd make a profit out of it somehow.
        "Well, Major, I'd like to be the first to congratulate you."
        "Congratulate me?  On what?"
        "On finally thawing out our Constable!" His craggy face was smiling in a very
un-Ferengi-like way.  He put down the bucket and popped the cork on the
bottle, saying, "Dom Perignon ‘55.  Just like in Julian's holosuite, only
real."
        "Oh Quark!  How thoughtful."  Kira smiled at him;  then her eyes narrowed,
"How much am I paying for this ‘kindness'?"
        "Major!! You wound me!  I'm very happy for you two!  I always knew you were
perfect for each other, but I never dreamed that it would happen right on the
Promenade!  I only wish I'd had a holoimager to preserve the memory.  I'd hang
it in the bar as a testimony to ‘miracles'!"
        That made her laugh, in spite of her distrust of his motives.  "Yes, it was a
bit...spontaneous.  Thank you, Quark.  I almost believe you're sincere." She
paused, then repeated, "almost."
        "Believe me, I had almost given up on you two.  I'm just glad you both came
to your senses."  With that, he poured champagne into the glasses and handed
one to Kira.  "To you and Odo:  may you live for each other for as long as
it's profitable."
        Kira laughed and drained her glass.  "Great stuff," she said appreciatively.
"Okay, Quark.  If you don't mind, I've got a lot on my mind and would like to
be alone."
        "Of course, Major.  No offense taken.  I understand;  you have plans to make,
decisions to ponder."  He turned to leave, then stopped and raised his hand.
"May I say one thing?"
        "Sure, as long as it doesn't start with ‘I want,'" she smiled.
        "No, no, Major.  I just want to say one thing for the record.  Odo's a very
special person," he fumbled for words, "and he deserves to be treated well.
Please be good to him, and don't hurt him."  With his piece said, he placed
his glass on the table and left.
        "Hmm..." she said, her mouth full of champagne.  She was surprised at his
words;  they gave him an unselfishness that she didn't know existed in him.
She poured herself another glass and sipped thoughtfully, then sat down in her
chair and prepared to meditate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just then, the buzzer sounded again. "Yes, who is it?" she asked, with a hint
of annoyance.
        This time, it was Miles, carrying a large bottle containing an amber liquid,
and Julian, holding a net bag with green fruit in it.  "Hello, Major!  May we
come in?"  Julian spoke first, smiling widely.
        She was sensing a set up;  it was just TOO coincidental that they should show
up right on Quark's heels.  "Sure, why not?"  she chuckled at their enthusiasm
and stood aside to let them in.  She recognized the amber liquid as tequila,
an Earth beverage.  Miles and Julian had tried to get her to taste some a few
months before, at a party given by the O'Briens to celebrate Kirayoshi's
birth, but she had turned it down.  She had not had much practice with hard
liquor, preferring spring wine to anything else, but now she decided to have a
little fun ... after all, she should be happy!  Her excitement got the best of
her, and she accepted Miles' explanation of "shots."  Soon the three of them
were joking and laughing, doing "shots" of the tequila with the limes.
        Five minutes later, there came another buzzing at the door;  Kira looked
narrowly at Miles and Julian, who tried their best to look innocent (and
failing miserably), and yelled, "Come in, Dax!"
        "How did you know it was me?"  she took one glance at the two smirking men on
the couch and said, "Oh, thanks a lot, guys!"  She came in and hugged Kira.
"I tried to get them all to show up at once, but the boys were too anxious to
start the festivities."  She sat next to Julian and smacked him playfully,
saying, "Give me that glass ... what is this, huh?" She poured herself some
tequila and raised the glass high.  Miles did the same.
        "I'd like to propose a toast to..." Dax stopped as the door buzzer sounded.
        "All right Dax, who's coming now?"  Kira asked.  
        Dax shrugged and replied, "I don't know;  Benjamin is on Earth visiting his
dad, and Worf is going over some battle drills with Martok.  That just
leaves..."
        "Odo?"  The question disturbed her.  Here she was, playing hostess to a room
full of friends when she was supposed to be deciding her very future!
*Prophets, what will he think of me?*  She jumped up and ran to the door,
opening it wide.
        "Why, hello, Kira," he said, giving her a look that was part amusement, part
disappointment.  "I thought you might have changed your mind about dinner, so
I decided to drop in.  Did I interrupt anything?"
        Just then, Dax showed up at the door, grinning widely and saying, "ODO! The
man who finally won our dear Major's heart!"  She had a glass of champagne in
her hand, having given Julian back his tequila.  She raised the glass again
and began, "Now that you are both here, we'd like to propose a toast to..."
        "To Kira and Odo!"  they all chorused, clinking their glasses and drinking
deeply.
        Kira shrugged and leaned in close to Odo, "They all just showed up.  They
must have figured you'd be here, and they wanted to congratulate us."  She
tried to look annoyed, but her happiness won over and her face broke into the
biggest smile Odo had ever seen as she stated, "It really is wonderful, Odo,
here we are with our best friends.  Who says that solids don't form ‘links'?
Here's our Great Link right here!!"  she kissed him passionately in front of
the whole room, amidst the cheers and whistles of Julian, Dax, and Miles.
        Odo paused for a moment to look into Nerys' eyes, considering what she had
said.  He thought, 'That changeling was wrong.  I HAVE formed my own Great
Link, completed now with Nerys at my side.'  He finally smiled his un-Odo-like
smile and agreed. 
        "Yes, it is a Great Link," he replied, and he kissed Nerys once more.

The end