Have you ever seen a very happy Ferengi that couldn't hide it? It was hilarious. Quark and his sister Rom were practically jumping around like excited and starving puppies being served the best dog food on the market. The ten fully intact crates were carried off of the shuttlecraft and deposited onto the cargo hover cart.

“Thank you for delivering them and keeping them pure, captain.” Quark said, his hand shaking a little as he shook mine in thanks. “You transferring them to the station by shuttle wasn't expected; but, it's greatly appreciated. You saved me quite a bit more money and I'd never refuse that!”

I froze when Panacea's power diagnosed Quark and a touch of telepathy found out why he was still male in a gender-switched universe. It was because as the oldest child of his household, females were considered property and had to listen to the males. The females weren't allowed to own property, run a business, or even work in important jobs. So, Quark had gender-reassignment surgery to ensure his ambitions couldn't be stifled by his own people's values and views.

The funny thing was, he wasn't alone in making that choice. Nearly a full third of male Ferengi had started their lives as female and were even more ruthless in their business practises to make up for it, as if to prove they had made the right choice in switching genders.

“I was visiting the station anyway and none of the docking pylons were free.” I said and let his hand go as Rom sat at the controls of the cargo cart and she started playing with them. “It's not worth my life to try using the transporters anywhere near all this busy traffic and shipping businesses.”

Quark chuckled. “It's been a little busy lately, with the Maquis taken care of and the Bajorans finally realizing they can move about in their own ships without the Cardassians jumping all over them to keep them contained to their own space.”

I nodded and Rom let out a little giggle as she made the cargo cart rise up on the hover lift and back down again. “You better get going before she figures out the accelerator.”

Quark barked a laugh and reached out to tickle the female Ferengi, making her jump and her giggle went to full blown laughter. Quark pushed her over on the seat and nodded to me, sat at the controls, then he deftly used them and drove the cargo cart out of the cargo bay.

“Ready to head out yourself, Lieutenant Paris?” I asked.

“Sir.” Tammy said and saluted.

“At easy, lieutenant.” I said with a chuckle. “Are you sure you don't want to shop along the Promenade Deck? I hear they have things from all over the place for sale there.”

“It's tempting, sir.” Tammy said and blushed slightly. “I... ah... can't really afford...”

I held in my sigh at hearing that. I would have to get after Starfleet personnel department for withholding her official rank promotion and the corresponding pay in Federation credits. Instead of saying I'd take care of it, and I would, I reached into my pocket and pulled out several slivers of gold pressed latinum and two strips.

“C-c-captain, I... I can't...” Tammy stammered.

“Go have fun, Tammy. It's on me.” I said and put the money in her hand. “See if you can find something nice to show off to Helen.”

Tammy lost the blush and smiled. “I guess that is a good reason to check the place out for myself.”

“Just be careful and don't cause any trouble.” I warned her.

“I'll be good as gold, captain!” Tammy said and saluted.

I barely stopped from laughing at the pun. “Secure the shuttlecraft first and I'll meet you back on the ship later.”

“Aye, sir.” Tammy said and disappeared back into the shuttle. She talked to the cargo bay's controller and moved the shuttle out of the way and parked it.

I walked out of the cargo bay and onto the station proper. I didn't really have a reason to be there, officially anyway. Unofficially? I had a certain shapeshifter named Odo I wanted to talk to.

*

Odo sat in her office and mentally nodded at the efficient layout. It had little in it to disrupt its function, and that was the way she liked things. She was head of security for the station, just as she had been under the Cardassians, and surprisingly, no one objected to her continuing in that role. She had always been strict and fair in her dealings, and everyone recognized that.

Her thoughts suddenly drifted to over 50 years ago and how she had been found as a gelatinous mass inside a small ship in the Denorious Asteroid Belt in the Bajoran system. Dr. Mora Pol had rescued her and thought she was little more than a curiosity that could mimic other things, with no sentience at all. It just took the creature a long time to learn the language and how to behave, since all she had known was lab life inside a sample container.

Things changed when the Cardassians brutally invaded and occupied the Bajoran system. The Bajoran label of the container she had been in, 'unknown sample', was translated by the Cardassians as odo'ital, which soon became her name, Odo Ital. She learned to mimic human form in order to fit in and resented having to do so, mostly because she could never do it right.

Her clothing she could easily copy; and yet, her face and hands always looked too smooth and unfinished. The details always eluded her and she usually refused to look in a mirror, since all that did was remind her of her own failings.

It didn't take long for her to show her competency to the Cardassians, and she learned how to become the best security personnel on the entire station, using Bajoran law. For years she did the job and then the station changed owners from the Cardassians to the Federation... and she barely noticed the difference. The people on the station were still the people on the station, and she had the same job and she did it well.

Odo was brought out of her sudden introspection as her office door chimed. “Enter.”

Her entire world changed when the door to her small office opened and the most handsome man she had ever seen stepped inside wearing a Starfleet captain's uniform. She felt an almost instant connection to him, for some reason, and she had absolutely no idea why.

“Good afternoon, Constable Odo. I'm Captain Kevin Janeway of the USS Voyager.” Janeway said to the stunned-looking changeling. “I just finished delivering Quark's shipment of Romulan Ale and wanted to report to you that I and a few members of my ship will be perusing the Promenade's wares for a couple of days.”

Odo just stared at him and couldn't respond. She was too busy trying her best to not drop her humanoid form and flow over the man as a gelatinous mass to hug and hold him.

“Are you all right?” Janeway asked, deep concern in his voice, and walked over to his desk. “Should I contact DS9's medical bay for you?”

“P-please... stay...” Odo choked when her brain refused to continue and say 'away'.

Janeway reached out towards her shoulder to comfort her. When his hand was an inch away from her uniform, her shoulder deformed into gel and shot out a tendril and grasped onto his hand and wrapped around it as if it wanted Janeway's hand to become a part of it.

Both Odo and Janeway gasped, only for much different reasons. Odo because she could feel the man she was drawn to was part shapeshifter and Janeway because of Odo's distinct biology and all the mental and physical blocks he detected she had.

“Who crippled you?” Odo and Janeway angrily asked at the same time. The two startled at that reaction and stared at each other for a moment to compose themselves. Odo slowly stood and inadvertently drew the tentacle back into herself and pulled the man's hand into herself. Janeway saw she was his exact height, just like Spock was, and wondered if that was one of the reasons.

“I've been in love with Kiro Nerys since we became friends years ago.” Odo suddenly said.

“I'm the chosen mate of Spock and we can't make things official for another seven years.” Janeway responded.

“Then why can't I let you go?” Odo asked in a whisper. “I'm trying, very hard, and I can't.”

“I don't know.” Janeway whispered back and looked at his enveloped hand. It felt like he was touching something much more intimate than the woman's shoulder, then remembered her natural state was a gelatinous mass and he very well could be caressing a reproductive or sexual organ of some sort. “I apologize for taking liberties like this.”

Odo successfully simulated a humanoid's blush for the first time in her life. She couldn't believe he was apologizing to her for her own inability to keep her form under control. The door to the office opened without chiming, which meant someone with unrestricted access had just entered.

“What the hell is going on here?” A short Bajoran man asked with a stern voice.

“K-Kiro.” Odo said and her blush didn't fade. “I don't... this isn't what it looks like.”

Kiro's eyes narrowed and looked at Odo's morphed shoulder engulfing the man's hand. “And what does it look like, instead of the obvious?”

Janeway took a breath and let it out. “As far as I can tell, it's an involuntary reaction to our first meeting.”

Odo gasped when Janeway wiggled his fingers and she let out a soft moan, which confirmed Janeways hypothesis about it being an intimate part of the changeling that desperately wanted him to touch her there.

“Nothing like this has ever happened before, to either of us, and I'm afraid if I try to yank my hand back to disengage, it will severely hurt Odo or cause her undue pain and suffering.” Janeway explained. “I'm sure if I deny her body's reaction, or try to ignore it and reject it, her condition could get worse or I could suffer a more invasive reaction than merely holding me tenderly.”

Both Kiro and Odo looked surprised at that.

“Odo? Would you like to see if Kiro can take my place here? If the person you actually care about tries, it might work.” Janeway suggested.

Kiro looked embarrassed. “Odo and I have never seen each other that way. We've been friends for years and we can't be anything else.”

Neither Odo nor Janeway visibly reacted to the rejection. Internally? Odo felt despair and seemed to mentally wilt as she tried to pull her feelings back into herself to bury them deep. Janeway mentally slapped her for it and Odo's mind focused on him instead of her perceived loss.

“Then if you will excuse us, we have some private things to discuss. Dismissed.” Janeway ordered. He kept his voice even, despite wanting to yell at the other man for being so stupid.

Kiro could clearly see his longtime friend was in a compromising position and could have used his help to get through it, only for him to firmly reject the possibility of becoming more than friends with Odo. The shapeshifter didn't need that kind of negativity in her life, especially now.

Kiro looked surprised at the order and then saw Odo's face. Even though the female shapeshifter's face was mostly smooth, the man could see the sadness and disappointment there. Without a word of apology, Kiro nodded and left without saying why he had visited in the first place.

“I'm very sorry about that, Odo.” Janeway said and reached down to the desk with his free hand and entered the security codes that locked the office door and obscured the windows.

“How did you do that?” Odo asked at him using her own codes to use her system.

Like this. Janeway whispered into her mind and the did something that destroyed one of the blocks in Odo's head. The changeling gasped as she was sucked into what she could only guess was a very intimate mental link between Captain Janeway and Ambassador Spock.

Welcome and be at peace, Odo Ital. Spock greeted her. I see what you mean, Kevin. She has been lost for far too long.

I had hoped we could help her find her way. Kevin thought. Thank you for allowing this.

We all need hope in our lives, no matter how fleeting it can be and so easily given up on. Spock said, wisely. Let us work together as one for the betterment of all.

Odo visibly shivered as she was fully included into the mental bond. Her mind expanded as Spock's ordered and organized mind resonated with her own and Kevin's telepathy opened her up to sharing everything with the both of them, from all of her struggles from when she was found to how she handled conflict on the station with stern fairness.

She easily folded into both minds and realized they had a lot in common, despite the three of them being different species. All they really needed to overcome their differences was understanding and acceptance. Being different wasn't a bad thing, because it made you distinctive.

Odo realized then that her status as an unknown alien wasn't keeping her separate from others, it made her stand out among the rabble. No matter how she came about to being where she was, she had worked hard to get where she was and she was great at her job. No one could take that from her, not even the nature of her people.

Her people! Odo thought with a gasp and Kevin's memories of what he remembered about the changelings became available to her. She devoured it all in moments and it would take her quite some time to sort through it all.

It was almost an afterthought as Odo figured out her physical reaction to Kevin. Her subconscious need to touch another of her species to create a mental link to help her regenerate herself. He really was a part shapeshifter called a partial metamorphmagus, which was a different one from her own race and yet very similar.

She didn't notice the physical blocks being removed from her own abilities and the associated mental ones as well. She had full access to Spock's and Kevin's minds and had given them access to hers. It didn't take them long to help Odo accept that her faults were nothing of the sort. They were installed into her to limit her until she met another to fix them.

Meeting Kevin jumpstarted her biological need to do so and Odo felt nothing but gratitude to him for it. Kevin's own gratitude matched and went to Spock for her understanding. The old Vulcan woman sent amusement along their mental link and her own thoughts of sexual relations. It was just a biological reaction to attraction and she had long ago accepted it would happen when it happened.

Sexual interactions in the future were much different than a twentieth century man would expect or understand at first. A post-scarcity society was much more relaxed about things and you only worked at what you were passionate about, which changed people's motivations to better themselves. Sex was a small part of that and everyone accepted it and enjoyed it when it happened.

When Odo woke up from the mental trip she had with two people that had fully accepted her for who she was, and she deeply loved the two of them for it. She also realized she was completely in her gelatinous form and was wrapped around Kevin's waist with his very firm and perfect member deep inside of her.

This is a very interesting way to pleasure oneself. Spock said to the two of them as she went along for the ride. There was no real thrusting movement needed, because Odo was able to move any part of herself to the microscopic level. The stimulation she could give to a man was unheard of and Kevin blew his load only a short time later.

Odo almost glowed as she accepted his donation, one that proved he cared about her, because he asked her if she wanted to get pregnant like Spock was. She only thought about it for a moment and agreed. She was tired of being alone and knew her people wouldn't readily accept her back into the Great Link on their home planet, because her thought processes had been too affected by the 'solids' she regularly interacted with and would contaminate their species with the wrong way of thinking.

To their surprise, a very small part of Odo separated immediately and Kevin grabbed Odo's regeneration pot to make a copy of it. The 'baby' slid into the copy without a sound and settled at the bottom for however long a changeling needed to stay there to become a changeling.

Odo reformed into her humanoid form and picked the pot up. “I will guard you with my life, little one.”

Kevin put a hand on her shoulder and Odo's shoulder grabbed his hand to hold it. “I'll add some protections to the pot as well, not to mention a forcefield and emergency teleportation beacon.”

Odo nodded and turned to give him a kiss on the lips. “Thank you.”

Kevin knew it was for more than that, as Odo's thoughts went to her keeping her Chief of Security job on the station. He let her shoulder go and Odo let his hand go. “Just like I promised Spock, I'll be back to visit whenever you want me to be here.”

“So, tomorrow.” Odo said right away.

Kevin laughed and nodded. “Bright and early. I'll join you for your rounds on the station.”

Odo smiled and nodded back.

“Just remember to not avoid Kiro. It's not your fault he doesn't see you that way.” Kevin reminded her.

“I know. He only wants to be friends and we will be.” Odo said with a soft smile. “I won't cut him off for not wanting to ruin that. It wouldn't be fair to him or to me.”

“Or our future daughter.” Kevin said and caressed the edge of the pot. “She'll need guidance as soon as she starts to stir.”

Odo huffed. “If she's anything like me, it might take up to ten years before she's ready.”

Kevin gave her a one arm hug. “I think we'll all be very happy if she takes after you, dear.”

Odo blushed and leaned against her bonded. “Will she have any of your powers?”

“Oh, yes. Quite a few, I'd guess.” Kevin said. “Her morphing alone will outclass everyone's.”

Odo smiled at the thought. “It would be nice to pass for a normal human without giving herself away.”

“Like you can?” Kevin asked with a smirk.

“Wh-what?” Odo asked.

Kevin walked her over to where there was a thin strip of metal from floor to ceiling and Odo gasped when she saw her reflection. She looked like a real woman and she didn't have to concentrate on it.

“I believe your investigations are going to have a sudden increase in success rates in the near future.” Kevin said with a laugh.

Odo could do nothing but nod as one of her hands held the pot securely and the other traced the laugh lines around her eyes. She had actual laugh lines and when she smiled, her eyes crinkled to show she was really smiling, instead of the nearly blank face she usually had.

“Thank you.” Odo whispered and turned to the man that had given her everything she didn't realize she needed. “Thank you very much.”

“You're welcome, dear.” Kevin said and gave her a qick kiss. “Let's get our daughter secured and then you can get back to work.”

“Yes, dear.” Odo said and they both went to work to make her daughter's pod the securest thing on the entire station.