Chapter Text
1 - JULIAN
JJ: Hello hello my lovelies, welcome to Stars and Supernovas, The LA Talkshow! I’m your host, Jeremiah Jockstrap!
Audience: [cheers and applauds]
JJ: My, what a weekend. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had more Taryllian spinach waffles than sexual adventures, and that’s saying something.
Audience: [laughs]
JJ: Great show for you tonight – Hortense Hirondelle is joining me later, how about that!
Audience: [applauds]
JJ: But first, let’s talk about something I heard about this weekend. Now, I won’t name names, you know me –
Audience: [giggles]
JJ: – but something truly outrageous has reached my ears, and everybody knows that my ears are better than those of the entire Ferenginar Golden Orchestra!
Audience: [laughs]
JJ: I have heard, my lovelies, rumours of an extreeeemely interesting nature concerning an alliance between two people, who – I will say this much – aren’t necessarily from the same corner of the universe, but from the same riverbank if you get my meaning!
Audience: [oohs]
JJ: Being from two different planets is of course not so unusual these days – although I’ve got to say, some of the couples you see walking around this town are truly amazing. Once you’ve seen a seven-foot Hupyrian arm in arm with a Dwarf Gorn, which is actually more a case of ‘arm around leg’, you’ve seen it all.
Audience: [laughter]
JJ: Anyway, in this case both persons involved lend a certain… how shall we say… politically explosive nature to the affair. Now, that’s all I’m going to say about it, my lovelies –
Audience: [awws]
JJ: – except maybe that this may very well be a huge step towards lasting peace between Earth and a certain other planet whom we haven’t been very friendly with lately!
Audience: [oohs]
JJ: Now, let’s get on with the show!
***
A little trip to planet Earth would do them good, they had said. Lots of different-looking people, lots of mixed-race friendships and relationships, easy to blend in. Time to relax a little.
Well, bollocks.
Julian peeped through the blinds for the umpteenth time. Yet another journalist had joined the not-so-silent vigil in front of his parents’ house. That made a total of eighteen. That there was nothing to film except a pretty little house with the blinds drawn on all the windows and an immaculately tidy front garden didn’t seem to faze them. They appeared sure that he would leave the house at some point.
“Secure connection established,” announced the computer, and Julian leapt towards the nearest console.
“Contact Star Fleet Headquarters, subdivision Foreign Liaisons.”
“Foreign Liaisons, how can I help you?” asked the timid-looking ensign who appeared on his screen. Hmm, no reaction to seeing his face. Hadn’t read the newsreel yet, then, or was a better actor than he looked.
“Dr Julian Bashir. I’d like to speak to the Cardassian ambassador, please. He knows who I am. I’ve already tried to reach him three times today on his personal communicator.”
The screen went black for a few moments, then the timid ensign reappeared. “I’m sorry, Dr Bashir, the ambassador is busy. Can he call you back?”
Julian stared at him. “Busy? How do you mean?”
“He can’t be reached momentarily.”
“You did tell him my name,” Julian said, although it came out more like a growl.
“Yes, doctor,” said the ensign patiently. “He asked me to tell you that he was busy, and that he would call you back when he was available.”
“Fine,” said Julian through gritted teeth, closed the connection, and hit the console with his flat hand. The customary warning against deterioration of technical hardware in case of improper use was played by the computer, which Julian barely heard.
What the hell was Garak doing, ignoring him like that?
An incoming call was announced, and Julian accepted it instantly. Miles O’Brien’s face appeared on the screen, and for the first time ever, Julian was disappointed it was him.
“Hold on, I’ll switch to a secure connection.” He tapped a few buttons, and Miles’ face reappeared.
“It was secure already,” grumbled Miles. “Which I would have told you had you given me a second.”
“Sorry.” Julian ran a hand over his face. “Bit stressed right now.”
“No wonder. That’s one hell of a mess.”
“Yeah.” He switched the message to a hand-held screen and sat down on the couch.
“How are you holding up?” asked Miles, looking sympathetic.
“Well, I’m under siege in my parents’ house, eighteen journalists on the lawn, I can’t reach my parents because they’re down at the beach with no communicator on them, and Garak won’t respond to my calls.” He frowned. “All in all, great.”
“Sorry to hear it, mate. Anything I can do?”
“Unless you know how to install a transporter in this house by remote control, can’t think of anything.” Julian shook his head, realizing he had sounded rather unfriendly. “Sorry. Actually, it would be great if someone could contact my parents and tell them about this before they come up from the beach and find out from –”
He stopped. There had been a sudden violent increase in volume from outside, and he ran to the window.
“Ugh. Never mind, Miles.”
***
“Julian,” said Amsha, rushing through the door, and hugged him. Julian held on to her tightly while watching his father roughly push the most insistent of the journalists back onto the lawn and shut the door forcefully behind him.
“What happened, Julian? What do these people want?” he asked without preamble. Julian dimly noticed, through the haze that had settled over his mind, that while his mother had put on her djellaba over her swimsuit, Richard Bashir was only wearing a pair of swimming trunks and a towel that was too small for him tucked around his waist. Great. Another picture to add to their collection.
Julian sighed, sinking back into the couch. “What did they tell you?”
“I didn’t really understand it, they were shouting so much,” Amsha said, smiling, and Julian instinctively smiled back – and then stopped at once when he remembered what he had to tell them.
“There was something about an affair and Cardassia,” said Richard. “I didn’t get the rest.” They looked expectantly at him, and Julian ran a nervous hand through his hair.
“I wish I could have told you about this in my own time,” he said. “Please believe me that I did want to tell you soon, though. Just… well, not like this.”
He paused, not for effect, but to collect his thoughts, and Richard gave one of his short, good-humoured laughs. “You make it sound so dramatic, Jules,” he said. The old name still slipped out every now and then, but Julian didn’t mind so much now. “Surely it can’t be that bad.”
“Er,” said Julian.
The PADD on the table beeped, announcing an incoming call.
Julian winced. “Sorry, I’d better take this.”
“Dr. Bashir,” said the man who appeared on the screen. “I am Lieutenant Ferris, in charge of Starfleet personnel security on Earth. I’ve been informed by Senior Chief O’Brien that you are currently facing a… situation at your parents’ house. Do you require assistance?”
Julian had to smile. Miles was quite something.
He looked at his parents, who nodded. “Anything to get those off the front lawn,” murmured Amsha.
Julian arranged the proceedings with Lt. Ferris, and not fifteen minutes later, after having packed the most necessary things as instructed, they saw a ground shuttle turning into their street. Three ensigns got out, made their way through the swarm of journalists without saying a single word, and escorted the Bashir family back through the mob into the shuttle.
Very efficient, thought Julian, and wondered how he had managed to be so high priority.
There was no time and no occasion on their way to Starfleet HQ to talk to his parents, and Julian just hoped he would have a quiet moment with them before someone else told them what was going on.
***
“Thank you for your quick reaction, Lieutenant,” Julian said as they entered Lieutenant Ferris’ office inside Starfleet HQ. “Er, these are my parents, Amsha and Richard Bashir.”
They shook hands and sat down. Julian saw Lt. Ferris studying his parents curiously, maybe wondering why they were looking so clueless, or how they would react when they found out. Or maybe Julian was just getting paranoid.
“So we owe it to Miles O’Brien that we got transferred here so quickly?” Julian asked.
“Well, Senior Chief O’Brien and Ambassador Garak contacted me at almost the same time. But we’d heard about the, er, affair earlier this morning.” Julian, seeing him studying his parents again, slowly started panicking. “As a matter of fact, the whole matter has now been labelled high risk.”
“What sort of affair –” Richard began, but Julian cut him short. “High risk? Why?”
“Well, the last similar case ended up endangering the family of one of the people involved.” Lt. Ferris cleared his throat. “I don’t wish to alarm you, Dr Bashir, but you might want to look up a few details concerning Amanda Grayson’s history.” He raised his eyebrows meaningfully, then added, “Of course, we’ve come a long way since then.”
“Oh, a very long way,” said Julian, sarcastically, and he thought Lt. Ferris gave him a small smile. “Well, at least we’re in famous company.”
“Julian –” began Richard again, and Julian looked at him. “I’m sorry, dad, mum – I promise I’ll explain this to you later.”
His mother looked even more concerned at that, while his father looked slightly irritated at being kept in the dark. Finally, they nodded. Julian noted that Lt. Ferris had tactfully found something interesting to study on his console.
Having assigned the Bashirs temporary quarters at HQ, Ferris called an ensign to escort them there. “You’ll find me here if you need anything,” he said, getting up. “Oh, and… you might want to stay in HQ for the time being. We have a front lawn, too, if you know what I mean.”
Julian swallowed. “I see.” He hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should ask if the Lieutenant had heard from Garak or if he could tell him where to find Foreign Liaisons. In the end, though, his pride got the better of him. What would Ferris think about the state of their relationship?
“Thank you for everything, Lieutenant,” he said instead, and shook the Lieutenant’s hand.
“Good luck,” he thought he heard Ferris say quietly as they left his office.
***
“So,” said Richard Bashir, sitting down next to his son.
“So,” said Julian.
There was a long silence.
“Do you want us to guess?” asked Amsha, in that sweet, playful manner she always adopted when she sensed someone was uncomfortable.
“I doubt you can,” mumbled Julian. This was much worse than announcing his engagement to Palis, whom he knew his mum hadn’t particularly liked. At least she’d been human. And a woman. Not that this kind of thing should really matter these days, har har.
“Well, let’s see,” said Richard, sounding his most jovial, and Julian forced himself not to glare at him. “Some article or other has been published about you, involving you in some sort of affair that’s got to do with Cardassia. It’s ‘high risk’, so my guess is it’s political. You’re not involved in their secret service or something, are you?”
Julian had to chuckle. How ironic that his father would think of that first, when his thoughts concerning Garak had turned around nothing but that for years and years, completely blocking out other thoughts or feelings.
“No,” he said. “No secret service. It’s not even political. Well, apart from the fact that there’s an important politician involved…” He got up and tried not to feel paranoid as he checked all the doors and did a quick check on the computer for surveillance. All clear. Well, here goes. He turned back to his parents, who looked up at him expectantly.
“The truth is, I’m… When they said ‘affair’, they didn’t mean as in ‘coup’ or something. They meant it as in ‘relationship’.”
His father’s eyes widened. “You’re in a relationship with a Cardassian?” He could tell Richard wasn’t sure whether to be delighted or worried.
“Er, yes. And not just any Cardassian.” It had to be the most annoying one of them, he thought. “This is going to be a little hard to get used to, because it’s not the kind of person you would usually have seen me with.”
He could see the moment the penny dropped in Amsha’s mind, and then saw, almost in slow motion, her hand go to her mouth, and Richard turn to her for the answer.
***