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From: "Keith & Jessica Bratcher" <campbratcher@psci.net>
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Date: Sun, 9 May 2004 22:53:38 -0500
Subject: [ASCEM-S] NEW DS9 "Nineteen Shades" 9/12 (G/B) [NC-17]
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Please see part 1 for codes, disclaimers, and notes.

-------------------------------------------
Nineteen Shades, by Penumbra (part 9/12)
-------------------------------------------


Dazed, Chief O'Brien staggered down the steps to the lower level of
Quark's, not really looking where he was putting his feet. Julian's
words were ringing in his ears so loud they drowned even the sounds of
the dabo tables where people were crowing for lady luck even at 0800
hours. Making his way to the counter, he nodded an absent greeting to
Lieutenant Dax and plopped down onto the barstool next to hers. 

"Morning, Chief," Dax said by the way of greeting, her eyes on a PADD
as she sipped her morning raktajino.

"Sir," O'Brien mumbled and waved at Quark, who came over and gave him
the once-over. 

"Well, you look like you could use a stiff drink or two," he
proclaimed and set down a tumbler in front of him. "Scotch?"

"Please," O'Brien croaked, pressing his thumb and forefinger into his
eyes for a moment. "Better make it a double."

"Working the Gamma shift can't be that bad," Dax's voice asked and
O'Brien opened his eyes to look at her. There was a sympathetic smile
on her face and she'd put her PADD down. "Can it?"

"It's not that. Julian just told me something that was, well,
surprising to say the least."

Dax's eyes twinkled as she swiveled her bar stool so that she was
facing him. "Oh, do tell," she crooned, obviously delighted at the
opportunity to gossip.

"I don't know if I should. It's kind of private," O'Brien said and
cringed internally. Private indeed, not to mention something that was
hard for him to actually say out loud. 

"Oh, come on, chief," Dax said, gesturing at him with her mug. "You
know that if you don't tell me I'll just find Julian and ask him, so
you might as well save me the trouble of a trip to the infirmary."

O'Brien sighed. All he'd done was finish his night shift before going
meet his friend for breakfast at Quark's. Over his eggs Benedict, he'd
asked why Julian was looking so happy and content that morning -- a
fairly routine inquiry that, in O'Brien's mind, was the equivalent of
talking about the weather or the state of the lateral sensor
arrays. Normal idle conversation, in other words. To say Julian's
answer had floored him was to make the understatement of the century. 

"Well, it seems that Julian is, uh..." O'Brien said, waving his arm
about in a manner he recognised as nervous. "It seems Julian and Garak
are, well, y'know."

Dax leaned forward, pinning him into place with her gaze. "Dating?
Having sex?"

O'Brien blinked. "Uh. Dating," he said slowly, his brow drawing into a
frown. "How did you guess?"

If O'Brien was uncertain about the sanity of the universe before, his
confusion was propelled into complete incomprehension when Dax turned
to Quark and extended her hand. "My loot, if you please," she crooned,
smiling the triumphant smile of a victor. "Gimme," she added, wiggling
her fingers.

"What the devil?" O'Brien muttered under his breath and watched as
Quark grumbled something obscene under his breath and tossed a bar of
latinum to Dax.

"Two bars, Quark. Or else I'll go and talk to Odo about Cargo Bay 6."

"All right, all right," Quark barked at Dax and produced another
bar. "I suppose you want your raktajino topped, too."

"Yes, please. If it isn't too much trouble," Dax replied, still
smiling as she pocketed the latinum. Glancing at O'Brien, she cocked
an eyebrow at his obviously puzzled expression. "We made a bet," she
explained. "I wagered two bars of latinum on Julian wanting an actual
relationship with Garak, while Quark here thought he was just after
some hot inter-species sex with no strings attached."

O'Brien blinked, not knowing whether to be angry on Julian's behalf or
break out in hysterics. He made do with a fake cough and a sip from
his tea before giving Dax a wary look. "You made a *bet* on whether
Julian would do *what* with Garak?" he asked, not believing his ears.

Waving her hand, Dax tsked. "A completely harmless way to pass time, I
assure you, chief. What Julian doesn't know won't hurt him."

"It was not that harmless -- I just lost two bars of latinum! A
relationship with a Cardassian, psah," Quark groused as he polished a
glass with jerky moves and shook his head. He put the glass down with
a bit too much force and glared at Dax. "I just don't understand that
after living seven lifetimes you're not more of a cynic when it comes
to the human condition, Jadzia."

"It's those seven lifetimes that have made me a romantic, Quark," Dax
replied, her tone amused and languid.

Quark sighed. "Figures. Only an incurable romantic would find Worf's
incessant tales of Klingon glory and death interesting."

"Watch it, Quark, or I'll tell him you think prune juice is for
wussies."

Finally over the fact that both Quark and Dax seemed to have known of
Bashir's interest in Garak before his revelation, O'Brien interrupted
the verbal ping-pong match by clearing his throat loudly and lifting
his eyebrows at the bickering pair. "Since you two seem to be such
keen students of Julian's private life, care to explain something to
me? 

Dax sipped her raktajino. "Shoot."

"Why Garak, of all people? I don't get it."

"Chief, never underestimate the lure of a charming rogue," Dax said
and cast a humoured eye at Quark, who waggled his eyeridges
suggestively. "I should know. I used to be one."

O'Brien smiled. There was no mistaking of the wistful look Jadzia got
when she was thinking of one particular past host. "Let me
guess. Curzon?"

"Oh, yes. He was perhaps not quite as devious or dangerous as our
Mr. Garak is, but certainly he had that *je ne sais quoi* that, hm,
impressionable people find irresistible."

"I don't think Julian is that an impressionable person," O'Brien
objected, unsure on whether he should be offended for his friend even
when he recognised the glimmer of truth in what Dax had said.

"Oh please," Quark said and snorted. "Our adventurous Doctor
I-Love-Frontier-Medicine?"

Dax nodded and shared a knowing glance with Quark before focusing on
O'Brien again. "I'm not talking about naivete. Julian is the kind of
person who's always drawn to that which is a mystery to him and if
there's one person on this station who's a complete and total enigma,
it's Garak."

"I guess I just..." O'Brien said, trying to put into words what it was
that was so bothering him. "I guess I just worry about him. That he
might be in over his head with this, uh, relationship," he finished
lamely, gesturing with his hand as if he could wave away the cloud of
unease clinging about him. "I don't trust Garak."

"And that makes you a wise man," Quark said as he leaned against the
counter. "That man is more devious than a dozen Tal Shiar agents put
together."

"Then again, nobody ever trusts you either, Quark," Dax shot back,
meeting Quark's glare with a smile. Leaning forward, she touched
O'Brien's shoulder. "And I wouldn't worry about Garak. From what I've
seen, he absolutely dotes over Julian and should that ever change,
that's when Julian will need us. His friends."

O'Brien smiled and fingered his mug handle. "Yeah," he said, feeling
much better at Dax's words.

"So if, and I mean *if*, something happens, we'll deal with
it. Meanwhile, I'll be the first one to voice my support for them. I
saw Julian this morning and I haven't seen him glow like this since,
well, ever," Dax said, flashing her best smile, which was very good
indeed. "Whatever Garak does to him, it's gotta be *really* good," 
she added, her voice oozing lascivious innuendo.

"Oh, lord," O'Brien groaned and covered his face with his hands,
trying very hard not to claw his eyes out. "Don't go there,
sir. Please."

Dax laughed and leaned forward, prying O'Brien's hands away from his
face. She caught his eye. "I won't if you promise you'll be happy for
Julian, too."

"I'll try, sir," he replied with a sigh. It was not like his circle of
friends was devoid of odd relationships, from Dax and Worf to whatever
it was that had been brewing between Odo and Kira for the past few
weeks. He'd live with Julian dating a Cardassian; he just wasn't sure
the rest of the universe was ready to do so, too.

-------------------------------
End of part 9/12.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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