Work Text:
“No, you turn here!” Molly O’Brien emphatically stated.
“We go straight!”
“Turn!”
“Straight!”
“Turn!!”
“Straight!!”
“Stop!” Kira Altik yelled.
The three children looked at one another. Besides Molly and Kira, there was Toran Garak-Bashir. Kira had sworn he knew a secret passage that went behind Quarks. He had seen Quark place Bajoran stick candy, a rare delicacy, underneath the liquor display. This passage, he claimed, went directly behind that display case and had access to some of the cubbies. Toran had, of course, challenged his claim. Kira’s reply? Smuggling needs of course.
“You’re both correct,” Kira continued.
“How can we both be correct?” Toran questioned.
“Because, we continue straight for a little while longer but then we have to turn to move towards Quarks. We’re having to take this route to get to the correct juncture point.”
“Do you really know where you’re going?” Toran shot back. “There are a million juncture points and more than one way to get to each.”
“Toran…” Molly urged.
“Of course I know! You’d think I’d share this information with just anyone?”
“Possibly,” countered Toran.
Molly began crawling away.
“Molly!” Toran cried. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Well, if you’re going to fight about it, I’m leaving! I’ll find my own way out or my own way there!”
“That’s not fair,” shouted Kira. “I’m the one who knows!”
“Well, not anymore!” she called back.
*****************************
An hour later, the three were still crawling through the tunnel system.
“We should have been there,” stated Toran.
“We must have continued straight when we should have turned,” Kira replied.
“You said you knew where we were and where we were going,” returned Molly.
“You distracted me with your argument!” retorted Kira.
“Really?!?!” Toran.
Kira looked around. “Oh see that?” He pointed down the corridor. “That’s an access door. I’ll head over there, pop out, take a quick look-around to get my bearings and be back.”
“We’re coming with,” stated Molly.
“You don’t need to….”
“Yeah we do.”
“Fine!”
Kira led the way as they crawled to the door. He easily opened it.
“Be right back!”
Molly and Toran settled themselves near the entrance just in case they needed to reach out and grab their brash new friend.
“Mr. Kira,” a deep voice stated.
“Oh no,” Toran whispered to Molly.
“Let’s have your companions come out as well.”
Molly and Toran looked at one another before they reluctantly crawled out.
Captain Sisko sat in his chair, in his office, baseball in hand and turned towards the children.
“Mr. Garak-Bashir,” he said as Toran came to stand next to Kira. “And Miss O’Brien.” She stood next to Toran.
“Hello sir,” Molly quietly stated.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”
“I had this idea….” Kira started.
“You see, there was stick candy…” Toran spoke over Kira.
“We must have taken…” Molly came in over the other two.
All of them continued to speak over each other.
Sisko held out a hand and they quieted. He swiveled his chair slightly away.
“Did you understand any of their explanation?”
Molly, Toran and Kira turned their heads.
“Oh we’re in trouble,” murmured Toran.
Major Kira Nerys, Dr. Julian Bashir, Chief O’Brien, and Elim Garak stood on the other side of the room eyeing their wayward young family members.
“I heard that young man,” Dr. Bashir countered. “You are most definitely in trouble.”
“I believe that that ends our meeting for today.” Sisko continued. “Dismissed.”
Chief O’Brien held his arm out toward the door and followed his daughter out.
Major Kira came over. “Kira….”
The younger Kira sighed. “Fine, I know.” He slumped out the door behind Major Kira.
“My brother entrusted your care to me while he and your mother…” the door closed behind her words.
“Young man,” Dr. Bashir glanced at his son.
“Dad…”
“Let’s go. I am not having this conversation here.”
Toran rolled his eyes as he went through the door.
“Did you just….” Dr. Bashir’s words were cut off.
Sisko looked at Garak.
“And you’re going for a third?”
Garak absently placed a hand on his slightly protruding stomach.
“You assume that my being implies a voluntary act of trying. We are as surprised as everyone else.”
Sisko chuckled at that.
“Besides, no one said children were easy. And I do believe Chu’liana is also going to ‘put us through our paces,’ as you humans say.”
“Worse than Toran?”
Garak inclined his head. “Perhaps; we shall see. Chu’lian and I do like a challenge.”
“It appears you’ll both be given plenty.”
“Indeed.”
Garak moved towards the door.
“Try not to have this one on the Promenade.”
“And deny everyone another chance for a rare educational opportunity?”
Sisko smiled at that one.
“Those that missed it the first time should have planned better,” Garak replied as he walked out the door, leaving Sisko laughing in his wake.