By Noelle Morrow

*****

*No, it's too soon.*

Benjamin Sisko thought to himself. Too soon, hell, it s been five years.

*She's too young.*

Sisko dismissed that excuse as soon as he conjured it. Sure, Jadzia was nine years his

junior, but Dax was hundreds of years older than him. Benjamin tried to think of another excuse.

*I love her.*

That wasn't the type of excuse he was looking for. Ben was trying to think of cons, not

pros.

*She loves me.

I love her daughter as if she were my own.

We've been friends forever.*

That last reason could be a pro or a con. However, Benjamin's contemplation was

disturbed when Jadzia stirred in his arms. Her eyelids fluttered open and she slowly began to

awaken.

"Good morning."

Sisko smiled, "How did you sleep?"

"Pretty good," Dax stood and left her bed, "I've got to get Raelyn ready for school, and

then I'm on duty."

Ben got up as well, "I have a conference with Vedek Adonya at noon."

Jadzia was on her way out of the bedroom when he stopped her. He didn't know what

came over him, and in one swift breath, he blurted, "Marry me, Jadzia."

Dax stopped dead in her tracks. She slowly turned and looked at him, "What did you

say?"

Realizing it was too late to take it back, he decided to clean up the spontaneous proposal,

"I love you, Jadzia, and I want you to be my wife."

Dax was stunned. She was more than stunned. She slowly walked toward him and stood

before him, "Are you sure you mean that?"

"Positive."

"Benjamin, I don't know "

"It's still too soon, isn't it? You need more time "

"Worf's been gone for five years," she stated. It got easier to accept it every time she

uttered those words, "I loved him, but, he's gone. Just like Jennifer's gone."

"Jennifer's been dead a lot longer than five years. Thirteen."

"I know."

"Mommy " from the other room, Jadzia could hear her daughter's petite voice calling to

her. Jadzia gave been a look that he knew meant We'll talk. She quickly left the room.

Benjamin sat on the bed and let out a long sigh. He'd been the one who married Jadzia

and Worf, five years ago. Deep Space Nine had been taken by the Dominion, and in their last

moment together on the station, Dax and Worf agreed to get married. He'd been assigned to

serve with General Martok on the Rotarran, and she, of course, was aboard the Defiant. Three

months later, the two ships rendezvoused, and Jadzia and Worf were hurriedly married by Sisko

in the Defiant's mess hall. That was the last time she saw him. Worf rejoined Martok's crew and

headed deep into Cardassian space. Jadzia soon learned that she was pregnant, and she delivered

a girl, Raelyn, seven months later. At that same time, the Dominion was pushed back into the

Gamma Quadrant, and the Defiant returned home to DS9. However, she never had the chance to

tell Worf about his daughter. The Rotarran had been reported destroyed, with all crew members

dead.

Benjamin willingly became Dax's shoulder to cry on. Then, one fateful night, four years

after her wedding day, the shoulder to cry on turned into strong inviting arms, gently caressing

lips and a warm, bare body to hold deep into the night. After they made love, Jadzia cried,

clutching her husband's picture. Then, it began. She let go of Worf, and held on to Benjamin.

Their friendship became much more, they were lovers, passionate and strong. And now, he

wanted to be her husband.

That afternoon, Jadzia slowly ascended the stairs to her Captain's office. Once she

entered, she keyed in the code to lock the door. She was wearing a sly smile.

"What's going on?" he asked as he slowly stood from his desk.

"So you want to marry me, huh?"

"Yes, I do."

She nodded, chewing her lip and still wearing that smirk, "Mm, I see. Well, I guess you'd

better send a communique to Kai Winn. I'm certain she'd be insulted if anyone but her was

allowed to marry the Emissary. I'm sure the Bajorans want to make a big deal out of it. You

know, the capital city is beautiful at this time of "

"You want to get married?"

"Yeah, I do."

Sisko came to the front of his desk, cupped her face with his hands and kissed her deeply,

"I haven't been this happy in a long time."

"Neither have I. We both deserve this."

"Yes, we do. And if Starfleet comes up with some new war, I'm resigning. I can't lose

someone else "

"I know exactly how you feel," Dax replied, "So, are you busy the rest of the afternoon?"

"Yes, but, I'm the Captain, I can cancel."

Sisko sat in his chair, his hands were clasped in front of his face, and his long, slender

index fingers formed a point that rhythmically tapped his forehead. His eyes were welling up with

tears, Ben tried to force them back, but they slowly spilled down his cheek. Two days ago, he

and Jadzia Dax got engaged. And now everything was being thrown into a whirlwind. He knew

it was selfish to think this way, and he scolded himself for doing so. After all, this was supposed

to be good news.

His eyes wandered to his satlah'na clock. It was 1306. He'd have to tell her now.

Benjamin drew in a deep, shaky breath and tapped his comm badge, "Sisko to Dax."

"Dax here."

"I need to see you right away."

"On my way."

Within seconds she stood in his doorway. She waited for an indication of whether this

was official or personal business.

"I think you'd better sit down," he said seriously. She obeyed, and sat on his couch.

"What's going on?" she asked softly, she could see how wet his eyes were.

Benjamin tried to force a smile. Then again, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel

about all this, "I just spoke with Captain Evers of the Potempkin. They've returned from a

surveillance mission in the Gamma Quadrant "

"And?"

"The Dominion had always been insistent that they had no POW's, but, two days ago, they

released seventy- three survivors of the war. The officers had been reported dead, but were

actually imprisoned in their territory."

Sisko stoppped. The two of them held one another's gaze for a moment. Then, Sisko saw

her shoulders sag downward, "Oh my god " she breathed, her blood rushing in her ears, "It's

Worf isn't it?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yes. He's alive."

Jadzia braced her palms on the seat of the couch to keep from collapsing. An involuntary

smile formed on her lips, and tears of joy fell down her face, "Oh god, he's alive. After all these

years, all this time, he's alive " she buried her face in her hands, not able to control the tears.

Ben stood there, patiently, until she stopped crying. "When will he be here?" she asked.

"They dock at 1430."

"I'm less than an hour and a half from seeing my husband my husband. He'll finally get

to see our little girl I can't believe this is happening "

"I guess this means I can call Winn back and cancel."

Jadzia looked up at Benjamin. His face was pained, though she could tell that he was

trying not to show it, "I'm so sorry, Benjamin."

"He's your husband."

"I, I do love you," she said, trying to reassure him.

"You can't love us both."

Dax looked down and realized that her hands were shaking, "I'm scared, Ben."

He sat next to her and stroke her hair, "Of what?"

"I used to dream that something like this would happen. Lately, though, I'd accepted the

fact that it wouldn't. It's been so long, so much has changed."

"How do you feel about him?"

"I love him, I mean, I used to love him. I haven't had any contact with him in five years.

I'm glad he's back, and at the same time, I'm apprehensive. I don't want to hurt you "

"The next few days are going to be awkward. But Worf doesn't deserve to come home to

a wife who's in love with someone else. And don't feel bad for me. He's your husband, Jadzia. If

Jennifer walked through those doors, I'd run to her. I'll understand, Dax."

"What if his feelings have changed?"

"The man has been at war and in prison for five years. I'm positive that all he thought

about was getting home to you. Believe me, you won't feel this anxious once you see him."

Jadzia cupped his face in her hands, "Thank you."

"If nothing, Old Man, we'll always be friends."

"You haven't called me that in months."

"A lot of things will be changing changing back to the way they used to be."

"I don't want you to give up on us, Ben. I'm not going to just forget this past year. Just

give me some time to figure my feelings out."

He politely smiled, "Of course."

Jadzia stood to leave. He knew deep down that it was over. She wouldn't be back. Once

she saw Worf, the past year would melt away. Sisko leaned his head back, he could feel another

wave of tears. She was right, this wasn't going to be easy.

Jadzia hurried home. She had to get rid of all the signs of Benjamin Sisko as soon as

possible. Ben was right, Worf didn't deserve to come home to a wife who was in love with

someone else. He'd been through hell no doubt, and deserved a heros welcome. As Dax

rearranged their quarters, she forced herself not to think about the fact that she was supposed to

be marrying Ben. She could see the pain in his eyes. He was trying to be strong, for her sake, but

his emotions were obvious.

"Computer, give me the location of the Potempkin," she asked once she'd finished.

"The Potempkin has been cleared to dock at upper pylon three."

Jadzia sighed. She was trembling, and her palms were sweating. Five long, lonely years.

She used to dream about this day, and now that it was here, she was terrified. It was as if a ghost

were resurrecting. She was so used to the fact that her husband was dead, she had no idea how to

handle him alive.

She slowly walked to the airlock, trying to think of some witty welcome home line, "How

about, Welcome home Dear, I'd like to invite you to my wedding,'" she said aloud.

Jadzia wasn't the only one waiting for the ship to dock. Not all of the seventy- three

survivors were Klingon, over half were Starfleet officers, a few of which had family on DS9.

Lieutenant Palmer was wringing his hands tirelessly. His wife Serah had been missing over three

years.

"Tom, calm down."

"Calm down? How can you be so clam? I haven't seen Serah in years, I'm so excited I

think I'll pass out. How can you be so calm? From what I understand, Commander Worf doesn't

even know about your daughter."

"He'll be very surprised "

"After I found out, I went home, cleaned our quarters from top to bottom, and I went

down to the botany lab and got her some fresh roses," he held up the bouquet, "She always loved

them."

The gear rolled back and passengers started coming out. Most of the first wave were all

being escorted by medical staff. Serah Palmer was one of them. When she spotted her husband,

she broke away from the medic and embraced him. It was obvious that she was very ill, she

nearly collapsed in his arms. Tears streamed down Tom's face as he helped her to the infirmary.

Then she saw him. Her hands covered her mouth and her eyes welled with tears, "Worf!"

Worf spun around when he heard her voice. He knew it was Jadzia. Dax pushed through

the crowd and when she got to him she flung her arms around his neck. Worf lifted her off the

ground and squeezed her so tightly she thought she'd burst. They held one another for a long

time. Slowly, she pulled back, yet her body remained closely pressed against his, "Are you okay,

the others were hurt," Jadzia ran her hands frantically over his shoulders and chest, the tears were

still flowing.

"I am fine, Jadzia," his large hand enveloped her cheek, "Every night I dreamed of

touching you again "

She clutched the material of his shirt in her fist, "I missed you so much. I thought you

were dead, I'd given up hope on ever seeing you again," Dax's fingertips explored her husband's

face, and she chuckled, "You look different," she said, awkwardly squirming her nose.

"It has been five years. Five long years."

"I know," she brushed her tears from her cheek, "I'm so glad you're home. Are you sure

you're okay?"

"I have not felt this good in a long time."

"I have so much to tell you, so much has happened since we last saw one another, so very

much."

Worf's heart pounded so hard he thought it would explode in his chest. In his arms was

the most beautiful woman in the universe, his wife, his lover, Jadzia Dax. He spent two years

aboard the Rotarran and three years in a Dominion prison camp. All that kept him going was the

thought of seeing her, of holding her just once again. Sometimes he imagined that she'd forgotten

about him and found someone else, but judging by her reaction to his arrival, that was not the

case.

"Let's go home."

She smiled, "Okay. But first, we have to stop somewhere," Jadzia pried herself from his

arms, and they walked together. Worf reached down and clasped his fingers in hers.

"How long were you imprisoned?" she asked quietly.

"Three years. They made sure that the Klingon prisoners stayed in perfect health, though

the other prisoners were greatly mistreated. Often, several Klingons would slip away into their

barracks and give them portions of our food and fresh clothing. The Vorta used us for battle

training against the Jem'Hadar. Whenever we were injured, our ailments were immediately

repaired."

"You look bigger," Jadzia noticed, and she ran her hand over his broad shoulders.

"I have been fighting every day for three years. One thing is certain, I am a lot stronger

than I was when I left."

"So, you didn't suffer?" she asked quietly.

Worf's thumb grazed her cheek, "Aside from being away from the people I love, no, there

was no suffering. I am not certain why they finally released us, but, it does not matter. The

important thing is, I am here, with you," he bought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. The

intimate touch sent chills through her. They rounded one more corner, and Jadzia stopped.

"Where are we?" he asked.

Jadzia took a deep breath and slowly let it out, "Three weeks after we parted I found out

that," she paused, "That I was pregnant."

Dax had never seen his eyes get so wide, "We have a child?" he breathed.

She nodded, "Yes. A beautiful daughter. She's four, and her name is Raelyn. I spent the

first four months of the pregnancy on the Defiant. After that, I went to Earth and I stayed with

your parents. DS9 was retaken a week before my due date, and I jumped on the first transport

ship to get here. Raelyn was born here, five days later, Stardate 51721.5. We've been here every

since."

"Is she in there?" he asked slowly, pointing to the door.

"MmHm. Are you ready to meet her?"

"She does not even know me," he said shaking his head.

"Oh, now, that's where you're wrong. She may have never met you, but she knows who

you are. I guarantee she'll recognize you. Wait here."

Dax disappeared into the room. When she returned, she had a small child in her arms.

Her skin was a deep ecru color. She had two sets of mottled spots, one on each side of her face.

On her forehead were subtle ridges, the mark of her father. Her hair was black as the sky, was

thick with soft waves and hung over her shoulders. Worf's expression was amazed and his lips

were slightly parted.

"Raelyn," Jadzia began. Her breath was shaky, and those tears just would not stop

coming, "This is you father."

The little girl studied his face, "From the picture?" she asked her mother.

"MmHm."

"You said he was gone. You said I wouldn't see him."

"I know, Baby. I thought he was, but he's here."

Raelyn looked at him for a moment, and then outstretched her arms to him. Worf's

trembling arms held his daughter for the first time. Raelyn hugged his neck, and he slowly stroked

her hair, "Are you gonna stay with us?" she asked him.

"Yes," Worf answered softly, "Yes I am."

She put her hands in his face, trying to get acquainted with her father. Finally, her fingers

rested on his ridges, "You look like me, and like Alexander," she shook her head, "But not like

Mommy," Raelyn touched her own spots, "I look like Mommy."

Worf laughed with amusement, "Yes, that's right."

Raelyn turned her body in his arms, "Where's he gonna sleep, Mommy?"

Jadzia stroked her back, "Mommies and Daddies sleep together."

"Oh. But what about "

Jadzia cut her off, anticipating the curious child's next query. She was going to ask about

Benjamin. He often slept in Dax's quarters.

"Now we can go home," Jadzia said to Worf.

Jadzia had never imagined that their reunion would be this powerful. She didn't think that

after being buried for so long, these strong feelings could ever resurface. Yet they had, she was

more in love with Worf than the day they got married.

The three of them sat up for hours, hardly enough time to condense five years into. Jadzia

told him every vivid detail of her pregnancy, she told him about the three months she spent with

his parents. Worf was both surprised and thrilled to hear that Alexander asked to be enrolled at

Oghat, that Klingon military school. Jadzia told him everything, everything, except her past year

with Benjamin. They ate their first dinner together, and afterwards, she put an exhausted child to

bed.

Jadzia came out of Raelyn's room and saw her husband. He'd turned off the lights and was

standing in front of the window looking out. Dax stood in her daughter's door, staring at him.

His powerful body stood like a looming shadowy creature, only the light from the stars shone.

Worf was a foreboding sight, his arms were folded over his chest, and every centimeter of his

body was covered with large firm muscles. He wasn't in uniform, instead, he wore a black shirt

and pants that fit him extremely well. Dax remembered back to their last moments together, the

day they made their daughter. Right after the wedding ceremony, the two of them snuck away to

say good bye in the most beautiful way they could.

Worf could hear his wife's breathing, and turned to see her watching him, "She's had a

busy day," Jadzia said, "It isn't every day you get to meet your father."

Worf shook his head, "I should have been with you. You should not have been alone

during such a time."

Dax smirked. He was always blaming himself for things he had no control over, "I wasn't

alone. And besides, I wasn't very attractive during my pregnancy."

Worf gently smiled, "I missed that about you."

She came over to the window with him, "What?"

"They way you make a joke out of everything, especially when it is too emotional for you

to talk about."

Jadzia frowned, "When did you start analyzing me?"

Worf's fingertips grazed her face, "I spent five years missing you with all my soul. The

memories of everything you ever said, everything you did, are what kept me hopeful," he cupped

her jawbone, and his thumb settled on her lips, sending shivers through her body, "The way you

bite your lip when you concentrate, or when you are nervous. They way you hold your hands

behind you back when you walk. Or the way you look at me. You never showed fear, only

genuine understanding and admiration."

"Or the way I hold a bat'tleh?" she added, wearing a sly grin.

"There it is again."

Jadzia blushed, "Maybe this is a little more than I can handle. This morning I was a

widow, and now "

"Would you rather be a widow?"

"Now you're making jokes."

They were silent for a long time, until Worf spoke, "I love you, Jadzia."

She hadn't heard those words from him in five years. Dax looped her arms around his

broad shoulders, "I love you too," she breathed, right before their lips met. Worf was crazy with

want for her, but he forced himself to be calm. He didn't want to ruin their first time together by

rushing things, but it was hard to contain all she was feeling. Five years was a long time.

Jadzia searched the front of his shirt for a closure. Worf helped her, he lifted the shirt

from his body and flung it to the ground. Her hands explored the ripples of his muscles, but then

she frowned, "What is this?"

"A scar from a Jem'Hadar knife. I almost bled to death, Martok saved me."

"Did he make it out?"

"Yes. He is a stubborn man, impossible to kill."

Dax's fingertips touched the dark gash that was only millimeters from his heart. A

moment passed, and she decided to give him the same visual pleasure he was giving her. Slowly,

She unzipped her uniform. Worf watched as she kicked it to the floor, and then removed the blue

turtleneck bodysuit that was under it. Jadzia stood before her husband, her entire body exposed

to him. Worf's breath quickened, and he was not sure if he could contain himself any longer.

"You are more beautiful than I remembered "

"I want you," she whispered against his lips.

Without hesitation he lifted her up in his arms and carried her to her bed. They made love

over and over again, it was more explosive than anything either of them had ever felt. Finally,

they fell asleep, exhausted and clutching one another tightly.

Benjamin didn't want to get up. He didn't want to stay in his empty bed, either. What he

wanted, he knew he could never have again. Maybe he could. Maybe things hadn't gone well

between Jadzia and Worf, maybe her feelings for Ben clouded everything she'd ever felt for Worf.

Sisko knew that probably wasn't the case. As he got up, he noticed that his monitor was flashing.

He had a new letter, it was from Jake. Field correspondent Jake Sisko was stationed on Alderan

III covering the peace talks in the Alderanean/Tholian war. His message said that he was very

happy to hear that his father was going to marry Jadzia and that he'd make sure he was home for

the wedding. Sisko opted to wait to call him back and tell him there wouldn't be one.

Something made Ben think about Captain Kasidy Yates. He wasn't sure what it was.

Maybe he'd call her, they parted on pretty good terms three years ago, maybe she was still

available. The truth was, he doubted that it would work out. After Kasidy got out of prison,

something was different between them. Sisko wasn't exactly sure what, but, they never

recaptured the passion they had before. After the Dominion war, she took a job on Earth, and

their communiqu‚s were few and far between, until they stopped all together. Maybe it was time

to restart them, after all, he wasn't involved with anyone anymore.

"Jadzia "

"Hm?"

Worf ran his fingers through her silky hair, "This might sound foolish, but, at times, I

would imagine that you'd forgotten about me and moved onto someone else. I pictured you and

Dr. Bashir together, and that I would come home and find you married to him," he chuckled at

the absurdity of it.

Dax's body tensed in his arms. She'd have to tell him about Ben. But what would she

say? The moment she saw Worf, she'd made up her mind about her relationship with Sisko; it was

over. Worf might not be understanding about it, though. He had a tendency to be irrational

about these types of things.

She turned over to face him, and drew large, lazy circles on his chest with her finger, "I

need to tell you something. I want you to listen to me, and I don't want you to jump to any

conclusions. Just be calm and listen, okay?"

"What's going on?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"When I found out that I was pregnant, Benjamin was right there for me. He was there

when Raelyn was born, in fact, he was the first person to hold her. It wasn't easy for me, being

without you. Ben was always there when I needed to talk, or to cry, or if I just needed a

babysitter. I always kept up hope that you would return, that is, up until three years ago, when I

was told that you were dead. You have to understand, I thought you were dead, Worf "

"What happened next?"

"A little less than a year ago, my friendship with Ben turned into something more. At first,

I felt guilty about moving on to someone else, I felt like I was betraying you. Benjamin assured

me that it was okay to let go, and, I did."

"You and Captain Sisko "

Jadzia nodded, "There's more. A few days ago, he asked me to marry him."

"And you accepted." Worf added.

"Yes."

Worf lied on his back and stared up at the ceiling, "What now?"

"It's over. I'm going to tell him today, there's nothing more between he and I. You're my

husband, you're the one I love."

"Are you doing this because you really want to be with me over him, or because you feel

obligated?"

"How can you even ask that? I'm starting to question everything he and I had. I was still

vulnerable, and I ran to him for some security. You've got to believe me, I love you."

Worf was silent. He took several deep breaths, trying to push away what he was feeling.

Worf vowed not to ruin things by being unreasonable, "I do. I understand, Jadzia. You were

alone, and you thought I was dead. I cannot be upset because you went on with your life."

"I just want to make sure you know that I don't love him. I thought I did, but, seeing you

proved that I was wrong," Jadzia sat up, changing the subject, "I have an idea. Let's get away

from here."

Worf looked back at her, "You want to move?"

"No, no. Let's go to Earth. You haven't seen your parents in a long time, and they're

going to be thrilled to know you're okay. On the way there we can stop at the Homeworld and

see Alexander. School is in session at this time, but, I'm sure you'll be able to spend some time

with him."

"That is not a bad idea."

"I'm certain you need a vacation, and I need to get away from here."

"You mean, you need to get away from Captain Sisko."

"Yes," she admitted, "This isn't going to be easy for him. I think putting some space

between us for awhile will help him accept that I'm no longer his. So, what do you say?"

"We should call Earth, and tell them that their son has been resurrected, and that he's

coming to see them."

"Enter."

Jadzia stood nervously in Captain Sisko's doorway. Her hands were firmly locked behind

her back, and she was afraid her lips would be raw by the time she finished with this.

Benjamin was seated at his desk, but her stood when he saw her, "Jadzia "

"Hi Ben."

Their eyes locked for a long time. Finally, he spoke up, "Do you want to sit down?"

Dax hesitated, "Sure."

Sisko sat on the couch. He was expecting her to sit next to him, but instead, she sat in the

chair across from him. She sat slowly, and wore a pained expression as she did. Dax drew in a

sharp breath once she sat.

"Are you okay?" Benjamin asked her.

"Oh, yeah, I'm just a little sore."

"I guess that means the reunion went well," he stated flatly.

"Listen, Benjamin, this isn't going to be easy for either of us. He's my husband, and I love

him. I'm sorry, Benjamin. I don't want to hurt you."

"I guess it would be wrong for me to ask you to leave him so that we can get married."

"Benjamin," she whispered, "I couldn't marry you. Even if Worf hadn't come back, our

marriage would have never worked. Our relationship was built on the fact that I was grieving and

needy. Once those feelings passed, we would have had nothing. Think about it Ben, I never took

his picture from my nightstand. His clothes were in my closet, his hairbrush was still on my

dresser. Evev now, when you look up the quarter assignments, it says, Level 17 Room 189, Lt.

Commander Dax and Lt. Commander Worf.' Come on Ben, I don't think I ever really got over

Worf. And that would have been unfair to you. He's my husband, my daughter's father, and I'm

staying with him."

Sisko stood and paced the room. His hands roughly stroked his head, and his breathing

was loud and steady, "Give it some time, Jadzia. I can't imagine what you and I had just melting

away in one day. Don't throw this away so soon. Who knows how you'll feel a week from now,

or a month. You can't just dismiss us."

"And I can't just dismiss him. He's my husband, Benjamin."

"Your husband!" he exclaimed, "You two spent all of three hours as husband and wife

before he went away. I can't believe you're so attached to him."

Jadzia was outraged, "You seem to forget that we were together an entire year before we

got married. And even if I had only known Worf for one day, it doesn't matter," she stood,

angrily confronting him, "What happened to everything you were saying yesterday? All that talk

about how you'd understand, how Worf didn't deserve to come home to a wife who was in love

with someone else. Or, how you said that if Jennifer walked through the door, you'd run to her.

Let's turn this around, shall we? If Jennifer turned up, the real Jennifer, not some alternate reality

Jennifer, what would you do? What would you expect me to do?"

"I can't believe you're bringing her into this."

"You brought her into this yesterday when you made the analogy. I'm just expanding on

it. I can't believe you're being so selfish."

Benjamin's shoulders sagged, "Neither can I. I'm sorry. I let my emotions get the best of

me."

She lowered her voice as well, "I wish I didn't have to hurt you," Jadzia said.

He stroked her cheek, "I know. I guess people who've been friends as long as we have

should just stay friends."

Dax laughed, "You would have never fallen in love with Curzon."

Sisko laughed with her, "No, I wouldn't have."

Realizing that they were standing too closely to be just friends, Jadzia stepped back, "Um,

I wanted to tell you something else "

"What is it?"

"Worf and I are taking an extended leave. We need some time to get our lives back

together."

Benjamin smirked, "You need some time away from me."

She tilted her head, "Yeah, that too. We're going to Qo'noS, then Earth."

"How is Raelyn adjusting?"

"Fine, she's doing fine. You know how Raelyn is, she gets along with everyone. In fact,

she's with him right now."

"I miss her already."

"You can still see her, you know. I'm sure she'll be asking about her Uncle Ben, you've

been a very important part of her life."

"I love her."

"She loves you too," Jadzia let out a tense breath, "I need to go."

"You husband's waiting."

"Yes."

"Does Worf know about this?"

"Yes, I told him this morning."

"Oh boy "

"No, don't worry. He understands. Well, he says he does. This is especially awkward for

him, he feels like he's intruding on his own life. Worf's been through enough, I don't want what

you and I had to cause him any further pain."

Sisko nodded, "Okay."

"Then I guess it's time for things to go back to the way they were."

"Yes Old Man.

Dax wrapped her arms around him and they hugged each other tightly. Without another

word, she left.

August 5, 1997