Chapter Text
Kira’s comm badge chirped as they both made their way to Dax’s quarters with the anti-grav lift. “Kira here.” She answered with trepidation.
“Major,” Sisko’s voice cut through the silence of the corridor, “the Cardassians have managed to get a response from the Detapa Council, and everything has been cleared for them to transfer parental rights to you. The crew of the Navark wish to leave within the hour once repairs are done.”
“Thank you Captain.” Kira looked to Dax, gripping her arm. “And where is this transfer to take place?”
“Executor Idris is in my office if you’d care to join us there.”
“I’ll be up shortly.” Kira replied and closed the channel.
“That’s great news Nerys.” Dax encouraged her, seeing the worry on Kira’s face. “You’re getting your daughter back.” Dax started pushing the anti-grav lift again. “I need to take this to my quarters. Would you like me to join you in Sisko’s office? Or should I continue packing and meet you in our quarters after?”
“We can do this together. Your quarters and then we go up to Ops and get my daughter.” The word sounded strange to say out loud and seemed to echo in her ears as they walked quietly down the corridor, pushing to lift together.
In the Turbolift to Ops, having left the anti-grav lift to Dax’s quarters, Kira suddenly broke the silence. “This is still very surreal. Two hours ago I was sitting in Ops, hoping for something to break the monotony of the day. I was thinking some minor computer malfunctions, or space phenomena for you to get excited over. If you’d asked me, I would have thought it more likely that Dukat would give a heartfelt apology over the Occupation, than having my daughter returned to me.”
“It’s taken me by surprise too. I did not expect Garak to be watching over her so closely. He must have known.”
“I cannot continue to be indebted to that man. It doesn’t sit right with me.”
“I’m sure he’s not counting the times.” Dax reassured her as the turbolift doors opened into Ops.
Kira strode quickly over to Sisko’s office, seeing the room filled with Cardassians, and taking a deep breath before pressing the call button.
“Major, the Detapa Council is grateful that you will take this child so she doesn’t become yet another face amongst many in our overcrowded orphanages.” Idris greeted her, his views on Kira’s ability to parent vastly different to earlier. “If you would be so kind as to put your thumb print to acknowledge that you will be her legal guardian from now forwards.”
Kira looked over the dataPADD and the pages long contract.
“I hope you don’t mind Major,” Sisko looked at her from behind his desk, “but I read over that contract myself. Executor Idris and I came to an agreement to remove clauses that excused the Cardassian Military for any responsibility and future reparations you may have on behalf of Elka. What you are signing is now more equitable.”
“Thank you Captain. It’s always good to have another set of eyes over things like this.” She scrolled through it, Dax looking over her shoulder too. Feeling satisfied that it did not allow for a loophole in which Elka would be taken away from her again, she put her thumb to the scanning pad at the bottom of the device.
“Very well. Devira, if you could hand her over, we will be on our way.” Idris took the PADD from Kira, sending orders for a trunk of Elka’s belongings to be offloaded into the cargo bay.
Kira took Elka's hand in hers. "You're coming to live with me and Jadz… Evrah, Elka. We’re your family."
“They’re not going to send me to an orphanage?” she asked, eyes wide with fear and uncertainty over everything the adults were deciding for her.
Devira shook her head, trying not to be sad for Elka's sake. "No, they won’t because you have family. You have your mama.” She looked to Kira. “You will let me know how she is? I do care about my sister."
"Of course. You're more than welcome to contact her, even visit when relationships between the Federation and Cardassia allow it.” Kira encouraged.
Devira squatted down to her level. "Elka, it's time for me to leave now. Remember what I told you?" Tears began to form in Elka’s eyes. "You mustn't cry. You have a family, and maybe one day I can come and visit you."
"But I want you to stay." Elka started whimpering.
"I wish I could, but I have to go back to Cardassia. You belong here now." She hugged Elka, who softly started crying. "Be good for your mama and Evrah."
"Devira!" Elka wailed, reaching out for her to stay.
"Thank you for bringing her home to me." Kira told Devira, putting a hand on Elka’s shoulder in comfort.
Devira sadly smiled, turned, and left.
Elka screamed out, crying after her sister. Dax enveloped Elka from the other side, comforting both Elka and Kira, whose face was torn with anguish as her daughter cried inconsolably.
They stood together until Elka eventually calmed, hiccupping from the effort of crying so hard.
“Major, take your family home. You’re on parental leave as of two hours ago.” Sisko told her.
“Captain, I’ve got roster adjustments to make, and trade negotiations…” Kira suddenly remembered work that she had been putting off.
“We’ll find a way to manage without you. You too, Old Man.” He looked to Dax, who had been about to speak up. “Adoptive and step-parents are entitled to parental leave too.”
“I didn’t think I’d be entitled to anything since technically I haven’t declared to be in a relationship. I was going to request to use some of my leave I have built up.” Dax shrugged, realising how much trouble the revelation of their secret relationship was going to cause.
“I’ll be putting in a few calls to Starfleet about this. Expect there to be a few forms for you to fill out over the next few days, and possibly some questions from Starfleet command.” He turned to Kira, who looked worried. “Major, we can tackle the Bajoran Militia together over your relationship when you get back from leave. We’ll let the dust settle on this change for you first.”
“Yes sir.” She nodded, looking down to Elka, realising that nothing was going to be the same anymore.
=/\=
Kira slowly sat down on the couch, the service workers now left after moving furniture between quarters and bringing Elka’s trunk from the cargo bay. Her personal belongings were unpacked and Elka was settled into her room and quietly playing with toys that had been bought with her.
“I can’t believe how much stuff I have accumulated over the years. So much more than the tattered box I arrived with.” Kira commented, watching Dax continue to look for places for all her things.
“You should try three hundred years.” Dax looked at the book in her hand, “this was Emony’s favourite book. I still like to read it every decade or so.” Dax continued to pull out paper books from a box, stacking them on the shelf.
Kira closed her eyes for a moment, before the door chime rang and interrupted the moment of meditation. “Prophets! Now what?” She furrowed her brow, then straightened up and calling for the door to open.
Doctor Bashir stood on the other side of the door, dataPADD in hand and looking in with eagerness and curiosity. “Major. Commander.” He greeted them both. “I just had some new station occupant medical records come across my desk, and, well curiosity of the better of me, so I thought I should come and say hello to your daughter, as well as see how you are both going.” He let himself into their quarters before being welcomed, sitting down across from Kira.
“Such personal service.” Dax smirked, placing the books quickly on the shelf and coming to sit with them.
“I see you’re both living together now. That’s a big move to make, considering nothing has changed on Bajor.”
“There wasn’t much choice. I don’t know how to be a parent, and…” Kira looked at Dax, “it’s probably about time we did this. I’ve been apprehensive of the consequences, but Elka needs a parent, and I need help learning.”
Bashir shook his head. “No need to explain. I realise what you could be going up against but know that I’ve got dataPADDs full of research and evidence on the harm of coercion therapy for whomever on Bajor needs to read it. I’ve been building a database on the matter ever since I learned it was still being used on Bajor. This is a battle I’m ready to fight.”
Kira was touched by his sincerity and eagerness to help.
The door to Elka’s room opened and she peered around the corner cautiously when she heard an unfamiliar voice. “Mama, may I have another drink of water?”
“Of course.” Kira got up, getting a glass of water from the replicator. Elka drank the water, staring at Bashir.
“Hello young lady. I’m Doctor Julian Bashir, the doctor here on Deep Space Nine. When I got a report about you coming to live with your mama, well I just had to come and meet you.” He introduced himself.
“Hello.” She said timidly.
“Kira, her medical records over the last year are patchy at best. I don’t think she’s seen a doctor in a while, especially since the Klingon’s have been in the area. Do you mind if I give her a quick medical scan? Just to make sure there is nothing immediately of concern. You can bring her down for a proper physical examination and to catch up on any vaccinations when you have the time.”
“That’s fine. Elka, can Doctor Bashir give you a quick medical scan?”
“That’s okay.” She watched him wide eyed as he ran the medical scanner over her, relaying information back to the tricorder.
Bashir gave them a smile. “Nothing to be concerned over, other than she’s a bit malnourished. It doesn’t look like it’s been anything long term at least.”
Kira stared at him wide-eyed, then to the glass of water in Elka’s hand. She returned to the replicator, ordering a tray of different dishes and putting them down on the coffee table in front of Elka. “You’re hungry, aren’t you?”
Elka nodded, staring in amazement at the amount of food in front of her. “Can I have some?”
“You can eat whatever you want on there. There is more food if you want it, but try not to eat too quickly or you’ll make yourself sick.” Kira explained, watching as she cautiously ate a piece of fruit, then a pastry when she saw that no one tried to stop her or take it away from her.
“How did you know she was hungry Nerys?” Dax asked, curious about what Kira had seen that she had not.
Kira paused at another pained story from her childhood. “Because I know that when you have nothing to eat, that water will at least help with the hunger pains.” She turned to Bashir, concerned by what she had learnt. “What does she need?”
Bashir looked over the spread in front of Elka. “It looks like you’re doing it right. A few good meals like that, with a variety of different foods, lots of fruits and vegetables, plenty of protein, and I’m sure any deficiencies she has will be met. But do come down for regular scans to make sure she’s progressing well.”
“I hadn’t realised things were that bad on Cardassia.” Dax mentioned, putting her hand on Kira’s as she nervously watched Elka eat.
“Garak has been telling me fragments of what is going on there.” Bashir explained, packing away his medical equipment. “The humanitarian need is great. Cardassia Prime itself is very resource poor, so when the Klingons cut off so many of their trade routes and restricted movement, it’s caused the people to suffer.”
“I knew that Garak would have ways around the Klingon blocks.” Dax commented. “You can see why I asked him to keep a watch on Elka.” She told Kira.
“I’m not angry with you for that Jadzia. I’m sure if you’d asked me at the time I would have said no, but now I know that I could have lost my daughter today if it hadn’t been for Garak. I’m grateful.”
Bashir pulled out a dataPADD from this medical kit. “Despite what you think of him Nerys, Garak does genuinely seem to care for the people of this station, yourself included. You really should try and get to know him.”
“And how well is it that you know him?” Dax asked playfully, and they both watched him blush, stammering with embarrassment.
“It’s… um… not like that. I.. I… I’ve got to know him over the years here. I don’t think he’s going to try and get any Starfleet secrets from me like I initially thought. I think he just genuinely enjoys the companionship and our lunchtime discussions.”
“You want it to be more though?” Dax pushed, partly good-natured teasing, partly curious.
“You know Cardassians don’t flirt like that.” He looked through the dataPADD he bought with him, trying to change the subject away from himself. “I did come here for another reason, not just to meet your daughter. I know you decided to cut contact with Counsellor Bolim after your last session with her after Kirayoshi was born, so I’ve spoken with her about coming out to the station to meet you all. She’s going to stay here for a few in person sessions, both separately and together. And she’ll be happy to continue to work with you via subspace.”
“Julian, I don’t need a counsellor, so you can send her back.” Kira dismissed him.
Both Dax and Bashir looked at her quizzically at her attitude.
“Well luckily, she isn’t just coming here for you. Both Jadzia and Elka will be seeing her too. This is a big change for a young person. We all need to make sure she is supported through this transition time in her life.”
Begrudgingly Kira accepted, not happy with what Bashir had organised.
Elka turned to Kira, tapping her lightly on the arm. “Mama, what is this?” she pointed to the unfamiliar fruit on the plate.
“That is a teakle berry. They’re very sweet.” Kira picked one from the bunch, popping it in her mouth, before offering one to Elka.
Elka’s face lit up. “I like it very much.” She took another berry from Kira, before leaning up against her.
Kira moved to sit on the couch in a more comfortable way, and Elka took it as invitation to sit on her lap, inching her way closer to Kira before curling up against her.
“That’s a good sign.” Dax noted, gently stroking Elka’s hair.
“Looks like she’s feeling sleepy. A full belly can do that to you.” Bashir moved to get up. “I should leave you to get her to bed.”
Kira looked down to Elka, eyes now closed as she nestled into her.
“We don’t even know what time she usually goes to sleep. For all we know, this could be well past her bedtime, or it could be a short afternoon nap.”
“Whatever it was, she’ll get use to station time eventually.” Bashir told them. “I’ll leave you to get her into bed.”
Carefully Kira stood up, trying not to wake the sleeping girl in her arms, and carrying her to her bedroom. She shuffled a few soft toys off the bed to lay Elka down, finding a hand-stitched comforter blanket laying over the edge of her trunk, and covered her with it. Elka murmured something, her hand searching out for something and landing on one of the toys, which she quickly cuddled in to her chest.
Kira sat there a moment with her, watching her as she slept, and taking a moment to study her properly. She was hardly the same scrunched up pink baby she had last seen years ago. Her Cardassian features had become more prominent since then, but as Dax had pointed out before when looking at the few photos she had, she was definitely Bajoran, and definitely a Kira. She had five ridges on her nose, just as she and her mother had, and some hint of fire to her hair, and as she had seen at the airlock today, fire in her spirit too. Boney ridges around her eyes and forehead made her look more angular than the usual Bajoran face, but she had missed out on developing any real Cardassian scales to her facial features. Of course, the spoon shaped indent in the middle of her forehead beside the two ridges was an unmistakeable sign of her Cardassian heritage. Brushing back her hair from her neck, she noticed that the scales started on her neck, just below her ears, growing along her shoulders, and no doubt further along her body.
“She’s beautiful Nerys.” Dax said from the doorway, approaching them and putting a supportive hand on Kira’s shoulder.
Kira turned around to look at Dax, with a glisten of tears in her eyes. “What am I going to do?" She whispered, “I don’t know what I’m doing being her parent. Every time I look at her, I am reminded of what happened to me all those years ago in the interrogation centre. I can’t just step in and be that person she needs me to be, because who she is and why she is here repulses me. It’s still part of my nightmares.”
Dax kissed her lovingly on the head. “Six years of emotional repression is going to be a lot to heal. I don’t have the answers for you, but hopefully Julian’s counsellor will. That, and time and patience with yourself.” She pulled the blanket up around Elka’s shoulders, motioning for Kira to leave her to sleep by herself and for them to both go out into the main room. “I can’t begin to imagine what you are going through right now, but I also know how strong you are.”
“I don’t feel that strong. I thought that if I reminded myself that she is my daughter, she is from my body, that it would all be okay. But I’m not.” She rested her head on Dax’s shoulder. “Maybe I do need that counselling.”
“Just because you need help, doesn’t mean you aren’t strong. This is a difficult situation. No one would think any less of you for seeking help.” She held Kira’s hand, “I’m going to see this counsellor and I’ve had children before. I wasn’t expecting to become a step-parent to a child who has lost one parent, and their primary carer is very unprepared for parenting at all. It’s going to change our relationship a lot. Living together is going to be a big change, even without Elka, and Bajor. But I’m here for you. You know that?”
Slowly Kira nodded, accepting what Dax was telling her. "Zia, I'm also scared about looking after her. Remember Rugal, his Bajoran parents had taught him to hate the Cardassian that he was. I'm afraid that no matter how much I try, my prejudices will influence her, but I don't want to teach her to hate. I especially don’t want to teach her to hate herself."
"You'll learn control and to be careful of what you say around her. I know you guard yourself with what you say to Ziyal about her father. It's one of those skills as a parent that will come to you. You also have an advantage over Rugal's parents, and many others on Bajor. Living up here, having to work with Cardassians on many occasions, you've broken down many of those prejudices learned during the Occupation. You can identify your hate, and if you can see it, you can also try to stop it."
"I'm just afraid of slipping up. I don't think anyone will be able to make me feel anything but hatred for that man. What he did to me was unforgivable. But he loved Elka enough to provide a home for her when I couldn't, and she obviously loved him. I don't want to make her hate her father. I'm afraid of confusing her, and that she'll end up resenting her father, or me."
"Parenting is a terrifying thing. And you will make mistakes. Every parent does. None of my children were perfect, and I'm sure my mother says the same about me. But I'm sure she'll turn out to be a fine child."
"I guess you're right.” Kira nodded, moving to get up. “Would you mind if I meditated for a bit? I want to set up my prayer alter and spend some time with the Prophets.” She seemed hesitant, having never prayed or spoken much about her faith with Dax.
“Nerys, this is your home too. You don’t need to ask me. Just let me know and I’ll give you some space and privacy if you need it. I was just thinking we still need to organise the bedroom so we can go to sleep. You can set up your altar wherever you need it to be, I’ll just be in the other room putting my clothes in the wardrobe.”
Kira gave a curt nod, a smile breaking out over something that had been worrying her about their new living arrangements.
=/\=