Please see the Disclaimer in Part One!

Miles O'Brien looked up from the science station he was fixing as Jadzia Dax stifled a yawn beside him. "I hope I'm not keeping you from your work, Lieutenant." he said.

"No, that's quite all right, take your time," Dax replied vaguely. Miles frowned at her, a little concerned. It wasn't like the Trill to be so distracted.

"I guess you had a pretty long night, then?" he prodded. "I mean, you being so tired this morning."

Across the room, the carefully engineered acoustics of Ops brought O'Brien's comment to the ears of Major Kira Nerys, who looked quickly at her feet and bit her lips fiercely.

Dax looked startled, but recovered quickly. "It was certainly long...and hard, too," she replied, straight-faced. Kira gave a strangled gasping laugh, which she launched into a coughing fit for cover. The ensign at the weapons panel shot her a curious sideways look. Dax's face remained as blank and unruffled as a Vulcan's.

Miles wasn't sure what was going on, but he could play along, that was for sure. "Well, it certainly hasn't done you any harm," he observed. "For someone who didn't get much sleep, you're awfully chipper."

"There is entirely too much of that going around this station," announced Security Chief Odo as he stepped off the lift. "All this good cheer is bad for morale."

Kira frowned in confusion; Dax gave Odo her sunniest smile. "As always you're a ray of sunshine on an otherwise dreary and dismal morning, Constable."

Odo glared at her. He was obviously not a morning person. "Report!"

Dax raised an eyebrow. "All systems normal," she said crisply. "Commander Sisko reports no new developments: he still expects to be back in three days."

"If you won't be needing me, I'd like to consult with Lieutenant Dax in private for a while, Odo," Kira said, meeting Odo's eyes. "She's been teaching me about Trill customs and habits. It's very educational." It was Dax's turn to cough. Odo nodded briskly.

"By all means, Major," he repled deferentially. "We'll keep you informed."

"You do that," Kira said jauntily. "Dax?" The two mounted the stairs and entered the lift. O'Brien closed the science panel and hauled himself to his feet. "Wonder what's gotten into Major Kira?" he said to Odo. "Don't think I've seen her look that relaxed in a long time."

Odo grunted ill-temperedly. "Nothing you humanoids do surprises me," he growled cynically, and strode into Sisko's office. O'Brien shrugged and went to work on the weapons array.

As soon as the lift was out of sight of Ops, Kira reached over and tapped Dax's comm badge. "Kira to sickbay," she said, letting her hand linger on Dax's breast. Dax stood at attention, gazing off into nothingness, although there was a look of anticipation in her eyes.

"Sickbay," said an unfamiliar female voice. "Ensign Jorash here."

Kira moved closer to Dax, backing her up against the wall. "Where is Doctor Bashir?"

"The doctor's not due in for another hour at least, Major," the ensign said. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"No...I'm sure I'll manage, thank you," said Kira, placing Dax's hands on her hips. "Kira out." She gave Dax a quick kiss on the lips before breaking contact. When the lift doors opened the two were several meters apart and looked completely composed. They stepped out onto the Promenade and headed in the direction of Julian's quarters.

As Kira and Dax passed by Quark's, the little proprietor burst out the door, hauling his young nephew by the arm. Kira winced at the memory of yesterday's collision, and again at the shrill protests of the young Ferengi.

"I didn't mean to, honest, Uncle Quark!" Nog cried. His father hovered anxiously in the background.

"I don't care what you meant, you dropped my best bottle of Saurian brandy!" Quark scolded. "You're fired!"

"No, Quark," Rom protested, "don't fire the boy, just make him pay for it."

"I don't have any money!" the youth whined. Major Kira saw that Dax was about to intervene, and grabbed her arm.

"Let them be," she said. "It's just their morning exercise, anyway." The two continued hastily on their way, with the high-pitched sounds of Ferengi family conflict fading in the distance.

In moments they stood outside Julian's door, Dax pressing the doorbell. Julian's voice filtered out to them, "Who is it?"

"This is Major Kira," Kira said in her most authoritarian voice, the one that made Dax quiver deliciously. "Open the door, Doctor."

"Egmph," said Julian's voice indistinctly, and the door opened. Kira and Dax stepped confidently inside, to discover Julian -- not alone. Dax's eyes widened hugely. Kira stopped short.

"Vedek Bareil?"

"Good morning, Nerys," said the tall, handsome Bajoran, his hand resting lightly on Julian's shoulder. The young doctor was flushed underneath his dusky skin coloring. Bareil looked completely at ease, smiling with genuine pleasure at the interruption; the way both men licked their lips left little doubt as to exactly what had been interrupted. Kira's own delight at seeing Bareil was equally impossible to misread. Dax had seen many things in seven lifetimes, and was hard to surprise, but Jadzia was not quite as experienced -- she wasn't sure what to do.

Major Kira didn't have the same problem. She moved forward, as sleek and graceful as a cat, sliding between Bareil's arms, and kissed him thoroughly. Julian began to fidget. The kiss broke, and the two Bajorans looked each other in the eyes.

"Tastes wonderful, doesn't he?" Kira said huskily. Julian turned even redder.

"Well, apparently you would know," Bareil replied, releasing Kira and watching with a gleam in his eye as she walked over to Julian. She looked him up and down for a moment -- mostly down -- and then slowly turned her back to him. He hesitated only a moment before seizing the zipper of her Starfleet-issue uniform and pulling it smoothly down. The rasping sound filled the room and harmonized with the audible hiss of breath from four throats. The fabric pooled around Kira's ankles as she stepped out of her shoes.

Kira walked naked across the room, plopped down on Julian's bed, bounced once, and asked with a wicked grin, "Who's first?"

"Why take turns?" replied Dax with a wink to Bareil. Both moved toward the bed simultaneously, pulling Julian with them and removing his clothing as they went. He barely had time to order the door locked before his mouth was better occupied....

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