This story takes after Heart of Stone, but before Fascination Ambassador, Zandra By Lena M. M. Zandra was awakened with the news of the space station coming into view and they would be docking soon. It was odd, being chosen as Ambassador. She was sent across the quadrant, away from her parents, and her friends, just because of the fact she had no pre-judgmental thoughts. It was a rare talent among her people, to not prejudge anything, or anyone, if she chose to use this talent of Aksjod. Zandra could not help but prejudge a few things but if she concentrated she could. She had gotten it from her grandmother, who never prejudge anything and was an Ambassador herself for over 8 decades, she had meet over 139 races, while this will be Zandra first encounter with another race as an Ambassador, and she had only been alive for little more then a decade herself. Zandra looked herself in the mirror. She fixed her shoulder length, curly, & dark blonde, hair to a single low pony tail. It was pulling most of her hair to the back of her head. The hair that was not long enough to be pulled into the ponytail, was used us to make two basic braids to lay along side with a the ridges which go from the top of the temple to her check bones, and back up to the bottom of the ear. Finishing her hair she decided to wear a different out fit. It was a dark maroon shirt with long sleeves. It was one of the most favored fabrics to ever be made on Kaspar, her home planet. Mainly because of the intricate detail put into weaving the cloth. Kasparos have a incredible sense of touch, especially when on have the accute since of a Aksjod, or 1/4th Aksjod as Zandra was. When Zandra shook hands with someone she could fell the blood the skin, and depending on the race Zandra could sometimes even identify some one if they were to put there hand on her shoulder. This fabric to note was a little stretchy. It was also very lose fitting but still hung quite well. Zandra wore a skin tight pair of shorts, but because of the length of the shirt you only saw 2 inches of the black shorts. The outfit was quite comfortable. Zandra had never liked shoes, so she decided not to wear any. They did not teach her any rules about how to act or dress so she decided not to even try and dress the way ‘elegant’ people were supposed to. Zandra took the advice her grandmother had given her, "Don’t always try and be a perfect little girl, Zandra. If you do, nothing will ever be real or interesting… Oh and could you take off your shoes? I don’t want to clean the carpets again this week." In this case both parts of her grandmothers advice was working in her favor. "Captain to Ambassador Zandra, it’s time." The captain informed Zandra. "Thank you Captain I am on my way, Ambassador Zandra out." Zandra said cheerfully. {~!~} Sisko, Dax, Bishir, & Kira, waited at the air lock for Ambassador Zandra who they have not yet seen. "I see you decided to wear your dress uniform, doctor." Commander Sisko teased. "Will you ever drop that?" Bishir whined. "I don’t think you’ll be so lucky, Julian. I’m shocked he still teases me about the time Curzon…" Dax started. "Sorry Sir," Odo said walking to the air lock. "Security, problem. It’s been a bad afternoon." "Saved from another Dax story." Bishir said under his breath. "It’s all right Odo. The Ambassador isn’t here yet." Sisko replied. "I’m just glad we don’t have dress uniforms." Kira teased Bishir. Bishir just grumbled something. The first door opened on the other side of the air lock. "Get ready." Sisko informed his crew. The second door opened to show a young girl about 12 years of age, dressed very comfortably. "I am Commander Benjamin Sisko." Sisko said calmly, even though the Ambassador seemed nothing like he thought she would be like. "Its nice to meet you, I’m Ambassador Zandra." Zandra put her hand out. He shook it. Sisko started to introduce his crew. "That is my first officer Major Kira Nerys." Zandra shook hands with Kira. "My chief medical officer Dr. Julian Bishir." They shook hands. "My science office Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax," They shook hands. "And our Chief of Security Odo." Odo and Zandra started to shake hands but before they finished she took her hand back and looked at it, then back a Odo. "It’s nice to meet you. I don’t mean to be rude or anything but, what are you?" Zandra asked curious. "I’m a shape shifter." Odo said sick of being asked that particular question. "Never heard of it." Zandra smiled. "But you have a very interesting hand. I would like a book of laws. Can you get me the book of laws?" "Book of laws?" "Your rules of conduct." Zandra paused. "I do not want to brake any of them." "All right. I will get it to you later." Odo said still shocked by the hand statement. "Thank you." Zandra turned to Sisko. "Is there anywhere I can get something to eat? I’m just ravished." "Of course. Major Kira will take you to the promenade for lunch." Sisko said turning to Kira. "All right?" "Yes sir." Kira said happily, mainly because she was hungry. "My crew and I will be going back to work. Is that OK?" Sisko inquired. "Great. I don’t mind. I just want lunch." Zandra said cheerfully. {~!~} In the turbo lift Zandra and Kira. "Odo, is a liquid." Zandra stated. "Yes. How did you know?" Kira asked. Zandra replied, "He fells like a liquid." "Really? I thought he felt solid." Kira teased. "Yes he is a liquid, that’s true. He is a changling." "A Chang-link?" "A changling, is some one that can change shapes." "Oh. Well, I guess that would explain it. Under his skin is just a thick liquid." Zandra smiled. "It is very soothing." "Soothing?" Kira asked confused. "He ripples. Under the skin. It is a pattern almost but not quite, much like the waves on a beach." Zandra said looking at her hand. "You know this all by shaking his hand?" Kira inquired shocked. "Yes, I am Aksjod. I don’t prejudge" Zandra said as if she had explained this a hundred times, "and I have a enhanced sense of touch. I got it from my Grandmother. Most Aksjods are Ambassadors." "Are all Aksjods children?" Kira inquired. "No! No, Aksjods are not all children." Zandra answered shocked, "Aksjods just make the best Ambassadors. The other 28 Aksjods on my planet the others are either busy with another planet, retired, aren’t Ambassadors, or on vacation. My grandmother just retired and I am taking her place on this trip." "Ah." Kira said as the turbo lift doors opened. "Well we’re here. Where do you want to eat?" "Well, what is that place over there?" Zandra asked pointing to Quarks. "That’s Quarks." Kira replied. "What’s a Quarks?" Zandra asked confused. "Its a bar, named after Quark the owner." Kira answered. "Then let’s eat there." Zandra replied happily. Kira and Zandra enter Quarks. Kira goes to get a table and Zandra waits for her at the bar. A odd looking man with very large ears, came up to her. "I’m sorry Ms.?" Quark asked, bothered by the fact that a lone 12 year old is at his bar. "Zandra." She answered entertained by the small man. "Ms. Zandra. I have to ask you to leave this bar if you are not going to buy anything." Quark said. "Well, in that case I’ll stay here, thank you." Zandra replied innocently. "Are you going to buy anything?" Quark asked annoyed. "Yes, why would I still be her if I was not planing on getting anything?" Zandra answered confused. Quark was now very upset! "What are you getting then?" "I’m getting lunch. It’s lunch time now isn’t it?" Zandra asked now very confused. "How are you paying for your lunch?" Quark asked slowly. "With a form of currency, I presume." Zandra stated. "Get out of my bar!" Quark yelled pointing to the door.. "Why?" Zandra asked confused again. Quarks eyes widened. "You don’t have any latinum, you seem to be standing in my bar for no reason, and you are taking up space!" Quark yelled. Zandra, now angered replied "You are a horrible, horrible person! Is your race as bad as you or are you odd among them?!" "How dare you say that!" Quark yelled. "I am very normal in my race! I am better then normal! I can recite all the rules of acquisition!" Odo came in the front, while Kira came down the stairs after hearing the yelling. "What a horrible little man! I will make sure my race never does business with you, or your race! You horrible little man!" Zandra answered loudly. Quark responded with, "You little female get out of my…"He was then stopped by the presence of both Kira and Odo. "Ambassador Zandra, is this man bothering you?" Odo asked hopefully. Quarks eyes widened at Ambassador, he swallowed hard. "Yes he is." Zandra answered suddenly more calm. "He was asking me to leave his bar, I ask why, and he starts yelling at me. I shouldn’t have yelled back I’m sorry, was that against your law?" "No, in fact what Quark did was against the law, depending on what he answered." Odo said turning to Quark. "Quark, what did you say to this young lady?" Quark smiled one of his best smiles which he only used when he was in it deep. "Yes Quark what did you say to Zandra?" Kira joined in. Zandra was very happy with what was going on. She took a seat at the bar and ordered a glass of ice water. Then she watched as Kira and Odo intimidated Quark. It was quite enjoyable it was also easy to see that Odo was enjoying this, and so was Kira, it seemed to make them enjoy the interrogation even more because they got to do it together. It was quite entertaining. Quark was now being asked about more then just about what he said to Zandra, but also about illegal gambling tables, a stolen cloakng device, and illegal selling of a rubies on the black market. Eventually Quark scurried away from them, but if Zandra chose to, she could press charges on him. "No, I don’t think I will. Thank you, though." Zandra answered smiling. "For what?" Odo asked. Zandra grinned and replied "For letting me watch him squirm. Last time I saw that was when a teacher was asking Raglan if he cut Soirée’s hair!" Zandra giggled at her private joke. Kira smiled and replied, "Ah well, that sounds quite interesting, but I’m very hungry now. May we get something to eat?" Zandra saw the slight look of sadness in Odo’s eyes and she decided to have him join them. "Only if Mr. Odo can join us. Join us Odo?" Zandra also saw the longing in his eyes soon covered by a stone gaze. "Well, actually I’m quite busy and…" "Nonsense! You can take some time for a small break! Please join us. You look like someone you should take a break once in awhile." Zandra said hoping for him to come along too. "All right." Odo said with false reluctance. Zandra wondered if she was sensing his emotions or if he just had lots of emotion in his eyes, might be both. "Zandra, do you still want to eat here?" Odo asked. "I don’t see why not. I mean he still has to serve us right?" Zandra asked. "Yeah, he still has to serve us." Kira answered. "OK, then do you two want to eat here?" "I am all right with it." Kira answered. "I don’t really care. I don’t eat." Odo replied gruffly. Zandra took this at face value and didn’t even comment, knowing he didn’t want to hear it. "What table did you pick out for us." Zandra asked. "That one up there." Kira pointed to a full table. "Well, I guess not that one." Odo then pointed to one on the first floor it was in a corner, but it was a booth. "Will that one do?" "Its good, let’s go." Zandra replied. Odo got a extra chair for himself and Kira and Zandra sat down and looked at their menus. "I’m not quite sure what to get, its all so, so oddly named." Zandra read a dish off the menu. "Tuna fish san’dwitch? What is a san-dwitch?" "Sand-witch. It’s a fish sand witch, from Earth." Kira said matter-a-factly. "Well, first what is a s-and-witch, and what is a fish?" Odo looked up from the table top and answered Zandra, "A sand witch is two pieces of bread that surrounding a edible food product. In this case fish is what is in between the two pieces of bread. Fish are not intelligent animals, and they swim in water. The Tuna fish is from Earth’s fresh water." Kira was astonished by the detailed explanation, but Zandra was thankful for it. " That could have taken a long time. Thank you. No offense Kira." Zandra thanked. "None taken." Kira said thoughtfully. "So, do you think you are getting the tuna fish?" "Oh, yes!" Zandra said turning to Odo. "I think anything else I picked now would take to long to explain." Zandra teased. "Well, that’s good, because most of the other stuff on the menu. I have no idea what it is." Kira chuckled at Odo’s’ joke. At this Odo rippled intensely. "I will go and see what is taking that waiter so long." Kira said still with a slight chuckle in her voice, and she left. "So, Odo. Did you know you ripple?" Zandra asked sincerely. "Yes. How did you?" Odo asked shocked "I just knew it. I think I can sense your feelings." Zandra said, mildly worried by how he would react. Odo was shocked, worried, angered, embarrassed, realizing, and then calm. All in the same moment. Zandra was a little overwhelmed for a moment, but his calming ripples seems to also calm her down. "Just feelings? Not thoughts?" Odo asked calmly. Zandra laughed, "No just feelings. You know shock, worry, anger, embarrassment, realization, calm, but I sort of noticed that, you and Kira, well..." Zandra already sensed that he knew what she was saying. "Ah. Well yes. Great! Now the Founders, the Romulans, Laxanyan, and Quark know! Just what I need. Two races, 3 people." Zandra blurted out in a harsh voice. "What did you say?" Odo asked shocked. In only a few moments Kira came back and Zandra just wanted to tell her! Tell her Odo was in love with Kira? This was getting bad! Very bad. "Zandra, you look ill!" Kira said worried as Zandra changed shades a bit. Zandra forced herself to nod. She was going to say it! She couldn’t stop it. She was going to tell someone she just meet that another someone she just meet was in love with them. "You need to see our doctor." Odo said quickly reaching to help her up. Zandra started to shake trying not to say anything. Kira hit her combadge. "Kira to Dr. Bishir, Medical emergency in Quarks!" Odo started to melt into his natural form starting from the feet, and Zandra lost consciousness. {~!~} In the infirmary Kira, Bishir, Odo who is in a container, and Zandra laying in a bio-bed. "I think they linked." Bishir said tiredly. "How can that be?" Kira asked confused. "How could a changling and a humanoid link?" "That’s the odd part. Our friend Zandra here has changling d.n.a." Bishir stated. "How can that be?" Kira asked confused. "I bet she can tell us. Once she wakes up, any way. At least I hope so." Bishir said softly. "Could she be a founder?" Kira asked. "No, she is almost completely human. She probably just has a over developed sense of touch, and a communicating ability with full changlings." Bishir said. "You mean that a changling and a humanoid can, can, have a child?" Kira said shocked. Bishir ralizing what must be said said slowly, "Yes, I, I guess that is what I’m saying." Bishir then asked. "Did she say she tell you why she was a Ambassador? You know, her race age much the same way as ours and well, did she tell you why they did not send a adult, or why she wasn’t wearing shoes even? "She wasn’t wearing shoes?" Kira paused as Bishir shook his head yes. "Well she did say she was a, a what did she call it?" Kira paused thinking. "Aksjod. That’s it! She said there were about, oh, I think she said almost 30 others like her on her world. She said that Odo ripples, that she felt it when they shock hands." "Why didn’t you tell any one?" Bishir asked shortly. "I was a little shocked! I mean when a ambassador goes unconscious and your best friend turns in to a puddle you don’t think the first thing you say it that he ripples!" Kira yelled. At the same time a moan came from the bio-bed. It was Zandra. "Wow." Zandra said sitting up. "What a dream." Zandra looked around. "Oh shit!" Zandra and looked at Kira. "I didn’t say anything did I?" "Say anything?" Kira asked confused. "About what?" Zandra let out a sigh of relief. "Nothing, never mind." At about this time Odo got out of his container and reformed in to his customary shape. "Odo, are you all right?" Bishir asked. "Fine." Odo answered. "Is Zandra all right?" Odo asked worried. "I’m fine!" Zandra answered. "Little, a little I don’t know, dizzy." "Well that would be understandable!" Bishir said reading his medical tri-corder. "Your pulse is racing and you just got out of a major experience. Don’t worry, it will all make sense soon, it just has to organize itself a bit. Zandra you have to stay in the infirmary for a while, but you can leave if you wish Odo. I will call you if I need you." Bishir said. "Thank you doctor." Odo said shortly. Odo started for the door and Kira followed. In the background Zandra asked for a pair of socks. {~!~} "Are you all right Odo?" Kira asked worried. "I’m fine." Odo said with his back turned to her. Kira touched his shoulder. "No you’re not." Odo turned to her. "She will never stay you know." "What?" Kira asked surprised. "She will leave." Odo said quietly looking at the floor. "She will remember, what happened to me. It will become clear to her. She will retract from us, she will leave here never to return. She will become frightened and leave." "I hope you don’t mean that." Kira said quietly . "I’d hate to think that you didn’t care for me." "That’s not what I meant at all! I just mean," Odo hesitated. "I don’t know. Everything is so confusing." "I know what you mean. I lost many of my friends, in the resistance…" Kira started. At this distracting fact, Odo thought, ~ At least you had friends to lose. ~ "I see no sense in comparing war stories. I know you and me could swap stories any time. I want to absorb the knowledge I got from Zandra." Odo said quietly. Kira smiled slightly and asked, "You want to talk about it?" "For once, I think I need to talk about this." Odo stated. {~!~} Back in the infirmary Sisko was talking to Zandra. "How are you felling, Ambassador?" Sisko inquired. "Well, I’m much warmer now that I have socks." Zandra said avoiding the subject. "Other then that?" Sisko nodded. "Then I fell, I guess the way I first described how I fell would be best. Dizzy. Very, very dizzy." Sisko then asked, "Dizzy? How so?" "I have memories that are not my own buzzing though my head." Zandra smiled. "One think I will say for Odo is that he remembers every second, every scene, and it has really messed up the way I look at life. I think maybe for the better, though. Every thing reminds me of one of his experiences." "Ah." Sisko said knowingly. "I don’t mean to be rude, but could this effect your Ambassoring?" "Oh profites, no!" Zandra hesitated knowing that she just bothered Sisko with the phrase. "See, I just used a phrase I’ve never heard before now. It will give me a new out look. I am still the Ambassador and I must not let effect the way I display you to my people, but I may spend more time with Odo." Zandra smiled. "Also, you don’t have to worry about me breaking any laws! I now know them all by heart, or by his heart which ever you prefer." Sisko smiled, but he was worried. {~!~} Kira and Odo talking, now in her quarters on the cough. "I’m glad. I talk to you about all my problems so I think you get to tell you all my problems." Kira said. "It’s not really a problem. I just need to talk about the memories." Odo said oddly calm. "Ok. Go on." Kira urged. "Well, its like looking though another persons eyes. I see everything in two versions. My own version, and her version. Its not like two people are here just two, two windows in one house. " "How are the windows different?" Kira asked intrigued. "Well, one has no basic experience, no life lessons, and sees the sunny side of things. While I see, well, I guess a more…" "More direct?" Kira suggested. "Yes. More direct. I see shape and texture before substance. Her vision sees substance and activity before shape. When her vision sees a sphere it is looked for uses, perpose, and lastly form. My vision sees form, then purpose, and then uses. I know a room when in a room, she dose not know a room for a long time, she sees, but can not know, ever." Odo tried to explain. "I think I know what your trying to say. I don’t know a room by being in a room. I just see a room. We can learn what is in a room, and see it in the minds eye but we can not know a room." Kira said understanding. "Minds eye?" Odo asked. "What we can imagine when you can’t see." Kira answered. "I have an imagination but I always see. I don’t see as you do, I just always see." Odo explained. "What type of experience did it give you?" Kira asked. "It was like a holoprogram that you remember later, almost. I remember as though I was her. I remember parents, and siblings and grand parents. It was all very shady, very dull to my senses. They just come back, when ever they want to, I cant control them." Odo said. "That’s probably disconcerting." Kira said. "Yes. It is." Odo said. "It’s also interesting, it gives me a unique edge. Something to think about." Odo smiled. "I’m going to go check on our Ambassador, ok?" Odo smiled and nodded. Kira left Odo to think while she went to talk to Zandra. {~!~} Zandra was looking at some of the doctors equitement when Kira came in. "Kira!" Zandra said smiling. "Its very boring here and I would like to talk with you. If you have time of course." "That’s just why I’m here I need to be the one to show you around and be a diplomat. Any way it gets me out of duty rosters." Kira said happly. "You are upset. Why?" Zandra said forwardly. "Why would you think I’m upset?" Kira asked. "Your posture, your face, and your tone." Zandra said knowingly. "Let me guess. You got it from the link?" Kira said with a sideways smile. "Yes. Also you are still upset. Its about Odo isn’t it?" Zandra said directly no longer smiling. "Yes." Kira said shortly looking sad. "I’m not going to run for him. Deep down Odo knows it." Zandra said wisely. "He dosen’t seem to think so." Kira relentlessly replied. "He’s insucrure, no matter what kind of shell he’s built he’s had a hard life, and he’s insucrure." Zandra said looking at the floor. "We all had hard a life in the occupation! We got though. He doesn’t have to be insecure anymore! " Kira said determined to not let the shell be broken. Zandra having no idea how to deal with all the old memories of bottled emotion became enraged with Kira. "You’ve hit the nail on the head. ‘We all!’ He was alone, no faith, no family, no people!" Zandra was now glaring at Kira. "You wouldn’t know what that would be like! You have faith! You have people! You had friends! What do you think he would make him insecure?! He grew up in a labratory under the eye of a Cardassain. Mabye that he could lose his job at any time because of the federation? Better yet that his people are no more than…" That’s when Kira slapped Zandra. Zandra stopped and looked in to Kira’s dark brown eyes. Kira hugged her while she cried. "It will be all right Zandra every thing will be all right." "No it won’t." Zandra said. "Not for him." Kira let go of her new friend so they could talk more if she liked. Zandra now conscious of her tears wiped them away. "He doesn’t really have anyone." "Yes he does. He has me." Kira stated passionately. With that Zandra eyes filed up but she didn’t care. "No. Not yet. Not until the bairrers are gone." Zandra lauged, and with a voice dripping of scorn said, "That’s not going to happen." "Are you sure I couldn’t break though?" Kira said as a joke but also half hopefully. Zandra smiled sweetly. "You could, but don’t go too fast. He’ll think there is something wrong. You know you have never asked him about his past. You ask him how he is that day, and once you asked him if he ever ate but you’ve never asked him about his past." It was almost comical the look on her face, if Zandra had squinted she could have swarn a light bulb had just been turned on. "I know why. The shell." Kira then said. "You know Odo won’t like you telling me all this." "I know." Zandra smiled. "I like metteling in other peoples affairs." Then Zandra thought, *Espeaily love affires.* "You know I just rembered somthing." Kira asked happly. "What?" Zandra asked happily "We never ate lunch." Kira said smiling again. After a lunch of tuna fish sandwiches Kira left and Zandra went straight to contacting Odo and telling him what she had done. {~!~} Odo was shifting in his quarters when he got a communications message. Odo answered, it was Zandra. "Odo. I… Did something stupid." Odo eyes widened, "You didn’t tell…" "Oh no! No!" Zandra said. "I just yelled at her about your past and ate tuna fish sandwich’s with her." "About my past? What exactly did you say?" Odo said almost angrily. "Oh, yes, I, well, I told her you were insucure and that you didn’t have any family or faith or people during the occupation. That she had never really inquired about your past, only asked you if you had eaten, and so one. Basicly I was a total bitch." Zandra said smiling nervously. "Oh? So you told her all that and ate tuna?" Odo replied unhappy. "Yes, and on top of that it was Kira’s first try with tuna. She hated it. I thought it tasted all right." Zandra said with a shrug. "Let me guess, you told her to get to know me, eh?" Odo said using a phrase he picked up from Chief O’brien. "Yes. My guess is…" but before Zandra could finish her statement Odo door chimed. "That’s her, bye." Zandra finished at the screen faded to black. "Come." Odo called. Kira did, but she was in civillion cloths and not her uniform. "Hi Odo." Kira said calmly. Odo knew immediately why she was there and decided to talk to her, about somthing other then him! "Ah, Major. Guess who just contacted me? Zandra." "Oh. I still want to know about you. Its true, and not fair. You know all about me and I know nothing about you." Kira stated truthfully. "Well, tell me on thing you don’t know about me." Odo said hoping she didn’t have a an answer. "Um, where you got your name." Kira said smiling. "Got it at the lab." Odo said, not wanting to explain it. "What you did before you were constable here, and after you left the lab." Kira said wanting to know. "Worked in ore proscessing." Odo added, "Both here on the station and on Bajor." Kira smiled knowing just what to ask. "If you ever had a girl friend." Odo looked at the ground, "Yes." Kira’s eyes widened with shock. "You did?! What was she like?" "She was a very nice Bajoran, she had long dark brown hair and she worked with me in the mines." Odo went to his window sill and looked out over the universe. "She got transported to another section." "What happened to her?" Kira asked. "She’s a grandmother now. Married 2 years after she left the mines." Odo said smiling. "She’s happy, now. I saw her at a reastunt a few years ago with her grandchilden. Nice kids." "That’s good." Kira paused saddly, "Odo, I don’t know any thing about you." Odo gave her a questioning look. "I… I’m sorry. I never inquired about you past before did I?" Odo thinking over the facts knew she was right. "There is no reason to fell bad. I don’t volunteer information quickly even to my friends. I should have told you some of my past." "I never asked." Kira said to her self. "I never asked my best friend the most important person in my life about his past, hell I hardly inquired about your state of mind!" "Now that’s not true!" Odo said more harshly then he meant to. "You have asked me nearly every Tuesday morning how my week went." "I did?" Kira asked. "Just last meeting." Odo stated firmly. "I, did didn’t I?" Kira smiled a small smile, which grew with her next statement. "You are a sweet man." Odo hrmped in a responce. Kira grinned at that. "You are, you always have my ractajeno ready for me on tuesday and I can always come to you to talk." "That is all that you have to do to be a sweet man?" Odo asked only half jokingly. "No. No its not." Kira said. "You also have to be a good man, and one that can get on Quarks nerves, then if you have just the perfect mix, then your a sweet man. I’m just luckly enough to have found one for a best friend." Kira paused grinning. "You also have to put up with me and you seem to do that perfectly well." A faint smile came on to Odo’s lips. "So, I have put up with you, now? Oh no! That will be absolutely," Odo paused. "Simple." "Simple!?" Kira said in a mockingly agry voice. "Since when have I been simple?" Kira paused smiling, "Or easy to tolerate?" "Oh tolerate?" Odo said in a mock shock, "I just stop lisening. Its really simple when you don’t have to cover your ears and you can just plug them up from the inside." Odo said with a smile. "Yeah, yeah. Very funny." While Odo, and Kira chuckled Odo’s comunicatio bord went off. "Excuse me for a moment, Kira." Odo said turning to his terminal. The screen went from dark to light as Zandras’ face came on the screen. "Odo is Kira there with you?" Zandra asked. "Yes." Odo answered shortly. "Well, get her over here!" Zandra said smiling. Once Kira was on the screen Zandra continued. "I noticed that our meal was cut short and I would like to invite you back to the ship and share a meal. If your not to busy of course." "I would be delited." Odo said. "I’ll be there." Kira agreed. "Then I’ll see you both tonight, at 20 hundred hours? See you there." Odo nodded as Kira said, "Great! See you then." As the screen went dark, a smile spread across Kira’s face as she thought about what kind of dinner a 12 year old might hold . {~!~} Kira and Odo were standing out side of the air look. It was now about 20 hundred and 15 hours when Zandra finally showed up, at the air lock. "Sorry to keep you both waiting." Zandra said as the air locked opened. "I was cooking, and I burned the Omea, I hate burned Omea, so I had to make another." "This not replicated?" Kira said shocked, and a bit worried. "By no means, no! I’ve been eating replicated for the hole trip. Our food is a great deal more tasty if you cook it." Zandra stated. "Ah." Kira said trying to think of what to do if the young girl could not cook. "Here we are." Zandra said unlocking door. Inside of the doors was a quite remarkable room. It was very bright, and textured. "If you’ll wait here, I need to check on dessert. The Omea really slowed me down." "You always have to be a perfectionist." Odo said "I bet it wasn’t even that over done." "The top was purple, and flaking off in sheets." Zandra said chuckling. "Ah, too much cerb! You know your Grandmother warned you of that." Odo said chuckling himself. "My Grandmother, only warned me against it after she failed to do it herself!" Zandra paused. "I also don’t think I’m the perfectionist here!" Zandra said smiling. "I’ll be right back. You can have a seat over there." She said pointing to a long purple sofa of sorts. Kira thanked her with a tip of her head and sat down on the sofa. "Odo!" She callled. "You have to try this. This is the most comfortable sofa I’ve ever been in!" Odo came over and sat on the edge in his usual ramrod back fasion, only to side into a very relaxed possion. "This, this is the most wonderful texture." Odo said almost to himself. Only a soft contented sound came from Kira. At about that time Zandra came in. "Now this is a change!" Zandra said smiling. "Odo, the bar, now bending? No more ramrod back. That really is a very comforting sofa. I thought that it was odd how unconfortable those chairs were in Quarks. So straight, ridgid, and most to un-textured." Zandra said with a face of distaste. "Don’t worry, the chairs at the table are most comfortable, although not nearly as much so as that. Come, the table is in the other room." Zandra said leading the way. Kira and Odo left the sofa most unhappily, but because of politeness, and Kira’s hunger, they followed her. The dinning room was also most incredible. "Now these chairs are made to keep you upright, but don’t worry, its still comfy."