Subject: To Heir Apparently (DS9, O/K, NC-17) Title: To Heir Apparently Author: Ian Toldman stidev@gate.net Romance: O/K Series: DS9 Rating: NC-17 Part: 1/1 Abstract: Odo conspires to give Kira something she dearly wants but when she faces the prospect she must decide on whether she is Odo's true mate. No angst, just a lot of delightfully sweaty fun. Timeline: Because of Dax's demise in the season closer, this story either occurs before that or forms an AU. Phooey! Dax was one of my favorite characters and a perfect foil for Kira. The season finale did, however, confirm some of the story technical details which I had to invent for this story before seeing that episode. Disclaimer: The gods of Paramount own the Star Trek franchise and the characters therein, I am simply allowing their personas to act out their own fantasy upon a stage of my devising. This story is owned by me. Copyright (c) 1998 Ian Toldman. Archive: Permission is hereby granted to the official ASC and ASCEM star trek archivists to retain this story in the official Startrek ASC or ASCE archive for all interested parties to retrieve and read for personal use only. No right is extended or granted to make any commercial use of this story in whole or in part or to place it on any other distribution site without the expressed written permission of the author. Such requests, however, will be considered promptly. Sept 1998 Star Trek : Deep Space Nine To Heir Apparently by Ian Toldman stidev@gate.net It was nearly mid watch when Nerys pressed her comm badge. "Kira to Odo." The computer responded, "Constable Odo is not available" //Huh?// "Computer. Locate Constable Odo" "Constable Odo is currently in the med lab." "Computer, override. Contact Constable Odo. Authorization KIRA 545 Alpha" "Constable Odo is not available." This was most curious. Odo was being more circumspect than usual. //If I didn't know better, I'd suspect that Odo had another `girlfriend' on the side.// Nerys reflected on their morning preshift activities, then smiled to herself. //Mmmm... No, I don't think so. I wonder what's going on?// She shrugged. //Oh well, I'll wheedle it out of him tonight.// She stopped at Dax's Op's station. "Dax, how about lunch?" Dax feigned a sigh, then grinned. "Kira, the only time we ever go to lunch any more is when you're stood up for a nooner." Kira blushed. "Dax! You know that's not... er... mostly not true." "Okay Kira, lets go. I'll buy if I can pick the restaurant." *** Kira was smoldering under her normal efficient appearance. Dax recognized the difference immediately. She trapped Kira as she came off of the lift, before she could become absorbed in the routine operation of the station. "Kira, what's up? Did you and Odo fight again?" "No and that's the problem." "Problem? How can that be a problem?" "Dax, Odo's hiding something from me and it's driving me nuts. Oh he was just as sweet and loving as ever last night but, every time I tried to ask him about his day, he somehow managed to change the subject." "He must be taking more Vic lessons." suggested Dax. "Huh? Maybe so, but remember yesterday?" "Umm?" "That's the third time in two weeks that he's done that. It's just not like him." "Well, I hate to be the possible bearer of bad tidings but my three hundred odd years have taught me a thing or two about male behavior -- from both sides. Have you considered that--" Kira cut Dax off abruptly. "No! It's not possible. Besides our sex life is fine. Better than fine, in fact." "Kira, I was only teasing." Kira glared at her best friend. *** "Are you sure that this will work Doctor?" "Odo, for the hundredth time, it will work fine." said Julian. "You just have to have patience." "Hurrmph. Patience." "Yes, Patience. I'll need about another week before we know if the DNA is stable and sequenced properly." "And if it isn't?" "Odo! We've been over this. If it isn't right, we simply recycle again to resequence the genes which aren't correct." "I worry. What if it doesn't work" "Odo, I know what I'm doing. Besides, look at where the base gene stock came from." "Ah. You're right. I guess there's nothing to worry about." *** Kira tugged at Dax's sleeve as they entered the spring ball court. "Dax. It's been three weeks now and I can't get a word out of him about what's going on. I swear I'm going to kill that changeling if I don't find out soon." "Kira, relax. Odo's probably cooking up something for your birthday." "I could believe that but my birthday isn't for months yet." "Forget it, Kira. Odo loves you and you love him. I'm sure that he'll tell you when the time comes." Dax said with a mischievous grin. "I suppose." "Two strips of latinum that I beat you two sets out of three." "You're on, Dax. Easiest money I'll ever earn." *** "All right, Odo. It's ready. The DNA checks out to too many decimal places to count." "Are you really sure, Doctor?" "Yes, Odo. I'm really sure." he said as if talking to a child. "And there is enough if the first time doesn't work." "There's enough for months of trying if you need to, but I don't think that's going to be a problem." "And the other?" "You shouldn't have any trouble if you follow instructions." *** Except for Odo's reading lamp, the lights of their sitting room were low. Kira was cuddled in the curve of Odo's arm listening to music as he read a new detective novel that O'Brien had given him. "Odo?" "Mmmm?" Kira summoned up the nerve to ask the question directly. "Are you ever going to tell me what you've been doing in secret for so long?" "Umm Humm." Odo teased her by saying nothing further. "Odo! Please" she said with a small voice, almost pleading now. Odo thumb marked his place then set the book padd aside, flicking off the reading lamp with the padd's remote control. Kira snuggled deeper into the curve of his arm. "Nerys, remember when we had to take care of Kirayoshi -- when the O'Briens nearly lost Molly" "Of course, what does that have to do with what you've been doing?" "You said that you would like to have one of your own?" Kira gasped and put her hand over her mouth. "Oh Odo. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry. I know that we can't have children." "Nerys, that is not quite true." "What? How?!" //Oh how wide your eyes are.// Thought Odo. "Remember that I was a solid for a while?" "Of course, how could I forget." "Well, last month, I asked Dr. Bashir about it and he told me that he had a small sample of my semen in stasis from when I was a solid." "A small sample? How much?" "Unfortunately, only enough for a single in vitro attempt." "In vitro. You mean artificial insemination." "Yes." "But that's against all Bajorian custom." //Whoops!// "I know that. I wanted to know if there was any other way. He said that he would look into it and get back to me in a few days." "And?" Odo had peaked Kira's curiosity. "First he had to come up with a way to generate more semen but to do that he needed more genetic material than he had in my sample." "So how did he get enough?" "He used gene replication using my DNA as a template and gift DNA." Kira was now completely puzzled. "Gift DNA, I don't understand." "I quietly went to Dax, Captain Sisco, O'Brien, Kieko, Leeta and even Worf. Everyone gladly donated genetic material to replicate and integrate with my available sample. I've been working with Doctor Bashir to grow a viable sperm culture in sufficient quantities." Kira was just beginning to understand what was possible. "But. But. Odo! I won't be artificially inseminated. It's not Bajoran. It's unnatural." "Nerys, You won't have to be." Odo let his voice trail off when he saw that Kira wasn't listening. She had retreated into herself, her emotions in turmoil //children?// -- from the possibility //his?// -- from the fear //mine?// -- from the suddenness of it all //ours?//. Suddenly she was back. "Oh Odo. You know I want to but... This is too sudden. Would it really be ours?" "In every way." he said trying to comfort her. "I don't know. I don't know." Kira began to cry from the joyous possibility, her tears disappearing as they dripped onto Odo's `tunic'. Odo held her quietly until she fell asleep, then carried her to their bed where he joined her, pulling the covers over them both. *** "You rat! You knew!" "Of course I knew." "Oh Dax, what am I going to do? Before Yoshi, I was indifferent to children. Now, I want a child of my own, but this -- I don't know." ... "Do you love Odo?" "With all my heart. More than anything." "More than you loved Shakaar." "Yes." "More than Bariel?" "Yes!" ... "And does Odo love you?" "You need to ask?" ... "And marriage?" "...Odo and I are joined in spirit in a way that I could have never believed possible. He is my pagh mate. Marriage is a formality." "So what are you waiting for? You're not getting any younger." "I know, but I'm afraid." "Of what?" "Myself." *** Julian had just finished giving Kira a rather complete explanation of what Odo had requested of him and what they had done together. "But isn't this kind of genetic engineering... illegal?" "Well, yes and no. The federation does not prohibit genetic manipulation for inherited physical deformities or other such defects. They simply proscribe against genetic mental or physical enhancement beyond the normal distribution or anything that would skew that distribution." "But you're genetically engineering a new person." "No, not really. Only half a person -- your genes will be the other half." "And the Federation. I wouldn't want what happened to you to happen to our offspring." "Because Odo is Odo they have issued permanent waivers just in case." "Julian! Am I the only one in the Federation who doesn't know about this?" "Actually only a few people are aware of it. We've kept what, how and why under pretty tight wraps. Need to know and all that." he said conspiratorially. "Oh..." Kira looked pensive. "I remember all of the cross species rigmarole you had me go through when I was carrying Yoshi. All of that junk you had me take -- I felt terrible." "That shouldn't be a problem. When Odo was a solid he wasn't really human but was, genetically, Bajoran. A lucky mistake but how could the founders have known? To be on the safe side, Leeta contributed additional Bajoran genetic material. The most you are going to have to worry about are those things associated with a normal Bajoran pregnancy" "Is that all!" She snorted, remembering. "What about Dax's contribution -- and the others?" "Raw materials and subsequences mostly. Odo's genetic sequence will be -- is Bajoran. I could reprogram for Dax's spots if you want?" Julian said jokingly. "Julian! Stop that. This is serious." "I know. I was just trying to get you to lighten up a bit. That's about it. Do you need to know anything else?" "Err.. Yes. You know that Bajoran custom frowns on artificial insemination. I just couldn't stand to do it that way." "Kira, Odo thought of this. I'm going to have to ask you some intimate questions as a way of answering your question. Okay?" "Mmm... I guess so." "Does Odo retain humanoid shape when you make love?" Kira blushed and replied somewhat embarrassed. "Most of the time." "And when you make love, do you sometimes join in the Bajoran manner?" Kira flushed even redder and nodded. "Then I don't see a problem. You see--" Nerys quickly placed two fingers over Julian's lips. "Julian. Stop. If Odo knows then I don't need to. I only want to know that it's not unnatural." "Kira. I don't know how much more natural it could be." Kira took Julian's hands in hers and kissed him aggressively in thanks. Now it was Julian's turn to blush. *** As the door to their quarters slid closed, he found himself in a candle-lit grotto. "Nerys?" he said softly. "Over here. Do I know you, Sir?" Nerys lounged in a sultry fashion against the door to their bedroom. She was undressed in a thigh length, green silk slip shift. The barest hint of makeup gave her beautiful eyes a sense of smoldering sensuality. Odo smiled, "Ummm... Have you... er... seen my girl-friend?" "No, But I think that I can keep you... how do you say it... amused until she shows up." Nerys shrugged away from the door frame and stalked Odo like a panther looking for prey. Her hips rolled in an age old motion signaling her intent. Once she was close enough, she captured him in her arms and rubbed up against him like a cat. "Ummm. If we hurry we can be finished before she gets back." "Oh you fiend!" Nerys said, beating him gently on the chest. "Never quickly." Odo pulled her to closer to him, tilted her mouth to his and kissed her longingly. She responded to him, melting into the exquisitely sensuous feeling of being desired. Their hungers grew stronger as each explored the other using lip, tongue and hand until they finally broke apart. "Ahhh... yessss...." Whispered Odo in her ear. "Never quickly... I've been looking forward to that all day." "So have I." "The lights and candles? Nerys?" "Uh huh. It's the right time, Odo." "Break out the Spring Wine; I'll change and be right back." "Better hurry or I might have to go out and drag some poor defenseless soul in here to do the deed." *** In the fresher unit, Odo removed a sealed chest from the cabinet and set it on the counter. He pressed the unlatch indentation. The case emitted a tiny hiss as it opened. Odo selected three capsules and closed his hand around the them. When he opened his hand again, they were gone. The case automatically resealed itself, emitting another tiny hiss. Concentrating, Odo focused inward, creating semi-autonomous parts of himself around each capsule. He wouldn't have to think of them again. *** When he reentered the sitting room, Kira became intrigued. Odo was wearing an elegant mid thigh house coat or robe, Kira wasn't quite sure what to call it as she had never seen anything like it before. It was broadly quilted in a blue-black and port wine color in some sort of subtle vertical pattern. The coat had a soft matte quilted edging about two inches wide which ran up one side, around the neck and back down to the hem. It was held closed by a darker cloth belt of matching design a thin golden accent line. "Very elegant." Noted Kira as he joined her on the couch. She stroked the house coat. "It's real!" she said in surprise. "I thought that we could at least be on equal clothing terms tonight. " he said, stroking her firm stomach through the silk of the negligee. "I've never seen anything like it before." Kira explored, running her hands over the sensuous cloth. finding the nearly invisible patch pockets below the belt. "And practical too. Is it comfortable?" "Very. Garak made it for me when I was a solid. He said it was a synthesis of design from earth's nineteenth century English and Oriental styles. I liked it so I kept it after regained my ability to shapeshift." "You keep surprising me." Kira said as she pulled her hands from beneath the lightly padded jacket and rearranged herself so that she was kneeling on the couch facing Odo. She raised his hands to her lips and kissed them. "I love you, Odo. Without reservations, forever. ja shalla, ja ahkayah." Odo shivered, captured her hands and then duplicated her actions. A feeling of love ran through her as Odo repeated the spontaneous vow. "I love you, Nerys. Without reservations, forever. ja shalla, ja ahkayah." Kira pulled him to her and sealed their vow with a long and intimate kiss. When she finally came up for air she whispered. "Mmmmm! That was nice. Now, where's that spring wine?" He reached down beside the couch to claim the chilled bottle and two glasses. "Here." He poured a glass for each of them and set the bottle aside. "To no reservations." he said, clinking his glass against hers. "No reservations." she replied taking a sip of the wine. It pleased her when Odo took wine with her, even though she knew is was in mime. He did it so naturally that he seemed fully Bajoran. When they had finished, Odo gently took glass from her and set it aside with his own. "Ready?" he asked. "I've been ready for weeks." Nerys cuddled onto his lap, sliding her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. Odo rose, lifting her slim weight easily in his arms and carried her into their bedroom. *** In the bedroom, Odo let her slide down until she settled gently on her feet, her arms still around his neck. "Time to get you out of this," he said, touching her slip. Nerys looked up in amusement. "Anxious?". "Mmmm." //You might say that.// Nerys released her grasp around his neck and worked her hands down his chest, slipping them briefly under his house coat to explore, and then finally dropping them to her sides. She now stood Venus-like in front of him, weight resting comfortably on one leg. //Yes, you might definitely say that,// thought Odo as he cupped her face in his hands. He moved his fingers along her jawline until they touched the sensitive area behind her ears. Odo lingered there until he finally moved gently along her elegant neck, sensing her heartbeat pulsing close to the surface. He slipped his fingers under the straps of her shift and brushed them off of her shoulders. The feminine fabric made a whispering sound as it puddled around her ankles. Kira felt vulnerable yet protected as Odo continued down along her bare arms. He paused to cup and caress her breasts. She closed her eyes and shivered as his hands stroked her naked, sensitive skin, causing her nipples to pucker. The stimulated nerve endings were triggering marvelous reactions and feelings all over her body. Odo continued on, tracing the narrow indentation of her waist and the flare of her hips until he finally touched the waist band of the tiny matching briefs which went with the shift. "These too?" "Of course. As pretty as they are, they would only get in the way." "I think you're right, they've got to go." He slipped a hand between her legs. "Damp." Kira laughed, delightedly. "I ought to be with what you've been doing to me." "And would that be?" he said impishly, sliding the briefs down to join their mate on the floor. "Guess. Now it's my turn." Now naked, a delightfully evil thought crossed her mind. Smiling and moving carefully so as not to warn him, she slipped her hands into his house coat, opening it along the front. Without untying the belt she quickly pushed it over his shoulders, pinning his arms behind him with the housecoat. //Gotcha! You're mine now.// Unable to stop her, Odo groaned as she kissed his exposed chest and then nibbled on his simulated but sensitive nipples. His exposed analog penis stiffened as his body remembered the feelings of being a solid and automatically concentrated additional nerves in the appropriate places. "I have been told..." said Nerys, grinning wickedly. "...that some men can get a bit nervous around a fertile woman." She wrapped her hand around him and stroked gently. "Mmmm. I'm glad to see you don't have that problem." "Nerys..." Odo pleaded. He could have easily shape shifted out of the capture but instead he struggled to keep to the promise that he had innocently made to her weeks ago -- an agreement which required that he retain his humanoid bajoran shape until she released him from it. She finally relented and tugged at the cloth belt of the house coat, untying it. Now loose, the house coat fell to the floor freeing Odo's hands. He folded her into his arms and began kissing her fervently starting with her forehead, ending on her soft lips. Without breaking the kiss she edged backwards, luring him towards their erotic playground. When she felt the bed, she broke the kiss and slithered out of his grasp. Odo watched, fascinated at the cat-like creature that now inhabited their bed. //I didn't know that Nerys knew how to shape shift.// he thought as the lovely creature reached the center of the bed, then sensuously turned and looked back along its sleek body, appraising her mate. "Do you think that you are up to providing stud service?" she said, provocatively wagging her backside almost imperceptibly in invitation. It took every bit of Odo's will power not to morph at that point to mate wildly and joyously with her in that position. //Damned promises!// he grumped. //She's a devious little minx tricking me into this.// He waited, agonizingly holding shape, as Nerys delighted in the exercise of her power. He waited, desperately, as Kira rolled and stretched on the bed deliciously flaunting her power. He waited, swollen with need, until with a crooked finger, Kira finally beckoned him to join her, offering to share her power. He stretched out naked beside her permitting Nerys to flow herself up along the full length of him. Purring, she took Odo's hand and slid it down her body, over her sensitive breasts and nipples, over her firm stomach, and finally pushed it between her legs. "I'm ready, Odo." "I see that you are." They stroked the petal like opening of her vulva with their combined fingers as Nerys rolled slowly to her back and spread her legs, pulling him with her. Odo followed until he was kneeling between her thighs. He held himself above her on hands and knees, his penis no longer a simulation but swollen, real and ready. "Would you like to do the honors?" he groaned. Nerys smiled at the gentle offer and wrapped her fingers gently around his fullness. "Remember, no shape shifting." Odo groaned as she directed the head of his fully functional penis to the opening of the path to her womb. She hissed delightedly when the head nuzzled into to her warm folds. "Now, Odo." She lifted her hips and used her thighs to urge him in. "Mrrrph" was Odo's surprised comment as his perfect illusion slid into the warm, tight sheath of his lover, his mate. At first, he held himself still within her, stretching and swelling gently within her smooth, contracting, fertile depths. "Ahhhh." They voiced in perfect two part harmony. //So tight// one thought. //So warm.// thought the other. Odo moved slowly out, then back in. On each repetition, Nerys became more vocal, losing herself in the sensations. Within a short time they had become noisy, sweaty, sticky Bajorans, making love ecstatically on the bed. Nerys's skin had become mottled and flushed with excitement, her breathing deep and desperate as her body convulsed, deliciously driven on by her lover. She finally clutched at the sheets and unconsciously cried out, laughing and moaning helplessly, as Odo brought her to the first of many orgasms that night. Part of Odo's mind watched with awe and amazement at the intensity of his lovers orgasms even as his own body betrayed him causing him to groan from his own overwrought stimulation. He tried to hold back -- to maintain a little self control -- as he moved within his lovers grip but it was a hopeless cause. Without warning, Nerys clamped down hard around him stripping him of any ability to think -- driving him into his own shuddering climax. Odo was dumfounded. Even though they had shared many wonderfully nights of erotic pleasure, loss of physical and emotional control was a completely new experience. Rational thought was impossible as Odo willingly gave into the exquisite intensity of uncontrollable sexual release. Acting on new instinct, he went rigid, forcing his hips to mate tightly against hers as he began to ejaculate. Nery's body immediately reacted to his flooding her womb with his seed by contracting around him, greedily milking as much semen as she could from him. Odo swelled within her with each pulse causing Kira to cry out as a final run of intense, shallow orgasms seized her -- like a stone skipping over water. Bathed in the comfortable afterglow of sated lovers, they finally collapsed, exhausted. Both she and Odo were covered with what appeared to be a sticky sheen. Kira kissed his neck. //Salt? Sweat?! Mine or his?// she wondered and then fell asleep. *** When Kira awoke, she found herself wrapped comfortably around a body pillow that was Odo. //Humm, soft sides.// She hugged him with arms, hips and legs, then unwrapped herself to stretch sensuously along his body. Kira kissed his exposed chest. //Salt again?//. "You awake?" she asked. "Mmm hmmm." He morphed his lower self back to its humanoid nude form. "You're salty." "I am?" Odo ran a finger over his skin. "Excess electrolytes I suspect. They had to go somewhere. Seems you bring out the best in me." he smiled. Kira smiled back then reached down and stroked him. "That was exquisite. Want to do it again?" she whispered, turning, looking up, the starlight shadowing the now endearing features of his face. "You are insatiable." "No, horny and fertile. It makes a difference." "I can tell. What have you in mind this time, Wench. Ye who would be mother of our children?" She pinched Odo. Hard. "Ouch!" Odo did not have time to retract his nerves out of harms reach.. Kira slid easily into the dialog of the Camelot role that Odo was bowdlerizing. She and Jadzia had dragged Odo into to the holoplay and he had handled himself admirably if a bit uncomfortably. "Now Sir. Bajoran tradition is satisfied. You have acquitted yourself... er... well. Now we can do it our way." Odo stroked the smooth skin of her back. "Nerys, we've done it so many ways, what's our way?" "Pooh! Now Sir, you will lie back and permit me to mount your... mmm... fine steed." Odo's penis started to swell again. "Very nice... in any case, good sir, I am going to ride on your... er... stallion until you have bred me in a proper fashion." "Is that all I have to do?" "Oh no Sir! You must do your very best to get me with child." "And this will make you happy?" "Indeed sir. This will make me very happy." "I think that I can do that. Yes, it just might work... but first this!" he said pulling her up and onto him, kissing her aggressively. Kira finally broke the kiss. "Faith, good sir, not a bad beginning, but..." Kira, not breaking her playful role, hauled herself up and straddled him. She then put both hands on his shoulders. "...first...." She finally squirmed around until she felt the head of his penis nestle into the right spot. "...Ahh... this!" Whereupon she slid backwards, delightfully impaling herself upon him. "Oooo. Nice, Odo. Now we do it our way." Odo grinned, released from the Bajor strictures he subtly but not visibly shape shifted, causing Kira to squirm as he invaded her fully. "Yes. Very very nice" She began, sliding back and forth on him. Odo had a new thought and began to pulse inside of her, pressing against a very sensitive area as she rubbed her ridged clitoris over the bumpy patch he had created. Kira quivered, then unexpectedly clamped down hard around her lover. Again a mottled flush covered her torso. Odo gave in to the intense stimulation and swelled, filling her completely. He went rigid beneath her and began pulsing, filling Kira's fertile womb with his seed offering. Fluttering in its own orgasm, Kira's womb drank thirstily of his offering. Panting, she opened her eyes, and leaned down. He could feel the heat radiating from her body. Suddenly she sank her teeth into his neck, biting him fiercely but gently. She released him and kissed the bite marks that hadn't faded yet, "You're pretty good at this. I don't think that I'm going to let your girl-friend have you back." "Oh?" Odo's penis was still partially rigid and full inside her so he flexed it again, giving her no rest. Caught unawares, she shuddered in the comfortable after effects of her orgasm. "Again?" she asked. "Now who's insatiable." He pulled her down and bit her nose gently "You started it." "Mmmm. I Guess I did" Pushing herself back up to a crouched sitting position on him, her hands still resting on his chest. "So what are you going to do about it?" she said smugly, thinking she had the upper hand. //This!// When she tried to raise a hand to wipe away a drip of perspiration, she found that they were stuck to him. Her eyes widened as she pulled but couldn't free them. When she tried to move her feet, she found her ankles and knees similarly bound. "Odo?" "I was yours to do with as you pleased and now you are mine." He then did what no Bajoran lover ever could. Her eyes went wide in surprise as she instantly shuddered into a final deep, strong climax as he invaded and stimulated every sexual nerve ending and opening she had. Her mouth opened in a silent scream. She threw back her head, panting for air as her vagina spasmed and clenched his fullness over and over and over. She finally went rigid with Odo as he erupted a third and final time, pumping the last of his seed deep into her to sate her thirsty demanding womb. Exhausted, Odo released her from her bondage. Nerys collapsed onto his chest and lay unresponsive, spent, panting, eyes glazed." "So that's what breeding is all about." he said in a happy voice. She finally stirred. "Mmmmm.. No, love, that's how pagh mates make children." "Nerys, it was so different, so wonderful." "I know. Odo, it's never been like that before for me either." The words came out in a soft rush. "Never, ever!" "Never ever..." he repeated, stroking her red hair. He kissed her gently as sobs of joy shook her body and the tears ran hot and delicious down her cheeks. When the passion storm had finally abated along with their kisses and expressions of love for each other, finally they ended up exhausted, silent, lips pressed against the others skin. Kira fell asleep first, still on top of and joined with Odo. Realizing that his lover was sound asleep, Odo lowered her through himself to the bed, enveloping her, slipping gently, reluctantly, from her sexual grasp. She made small noises as she snuggled into his golden gel. Without his conscious thought, his body extruded the now empty capsules and dropped them onto his housecoat. Finally settled, he formed a hand, and pulled the coverlet over them both, then collapsed into his own regenerative puddle around his lover. *** Several weeks later, Kira, wearing a new betrothal bracelet, was sneezing violently as she stepped off the lift. Even though she tried to contain the spate of sneezes, they followed her to her station accompanied by the applause of everyone in Ops. Dax came over to her, leaned down and kissed her gently. She then set a box of tissues she had acquired for just this occasion on the top of her control console. "Congratulations; girl or boy?" "We haven't got a clue and --" "-- we don't really want to know yet so it's still a whatever for now. I guess that we'll find out when it gets here." Kira said and grinned until she was overcome by another huge sneeze. End