Disclaimer: Paramount owns it all. I own nothing. Opening dialogue provided by the wonderful writers of DS9. To bad you didn't finish it this way. :)

Bridging the Gap
by Kathy P

Doctor Julian Bashir stood silently in what remained of a room in what was formerly the headquarters of the Dominion and Cardassian alliance. He looked down at one of the few remaining computer consoles and watched as the casualty and destruction figures were updated.

His golden skin bleached out with horror as the first estimates were shown. Eight-hundred-million dead. Ninety percent of the capital city destroyed. More than thirty other major cities totally wiped out. Gone. Wiped off the face of the planet.

Shaking his head, he reached out with a trembling hand and turned off the display.

Turning, he looked over at Garak who stood beside him. The Cardassian was looking at another terminal silently, no emotion evident on his face.

"Eight-hundred-million dead," Julian said softly with a pained look on his face.

Still staring at the computer screen Garak replied evenly, "And casualty reports still coming in." He turned suddenly and looked at Julian with a bemused look on his face. "Well aren't you going to congratulate me, doctor? My exile is officially over. I've returned home. Or rather to whatever is left of it."

The Cardassian's gaze flickered all around the room, never staying in one spot too long. With a sharp pang Julian realized that his friend could not, or would not, look straight at him.

"I know that this must seen....." he began softly, trying to comfort him. The distance that had grown between them during the war seemed to stretch even wider. He didn't know what to say to help Garak deal with the horrors that had happened.

Garak's head snapped up and he pinned Julian with a wild gaze. He stepped closer to him as his face tightened with irony. "Some may say that we've gotten just what we deserved," he said as his body started to shake. "After all we are not entirely innocent are we, and I'm not just talking of the Bajoran occupation. Our whole history is one of arrogant oppression."

Julian was horrified by the look of rage that moved over Garak's face. The Cardassian's features were twisted with a mixture of self-loathing and hatred for the events that led to the Cardassians' demise. He remembered the struggle that the tailor just went through back on the station when his guilt over betraying his people to help the Federation had exacerbated his claustrophobia.

Not knowing what to do Julian let his friend continue to vent his feelings.

"We've collaborated with the Dominion," Garak grounded out as his gaze continued to flicker around the room. "Betrayed the entire Alpha Quadrant. Oh, there is no doubt about it, we are guilty as charged."

Julian couldn't look as the distraught man moved around behind him coming up on his other side. He looked down at the blank screen not wanting to see the look of defeat in Garak's eyes.

"You and I both know that Cardassians are a strong people. They will survive. Cardassia will survive."

He raised his head at Garak's bitter laugh and their eyes locked on each other.

"Oh please, Doctor, spare me your insufferable Federation optimism. Of course it will survive, but not as the Cardassia that I knew."

Julian turned away again but he could feel Garak's gaze piercing him. It seemed that the older man could always make him feel like the naive, young doctor that had first come to Deep Space Nine.

The Cardassian continued his tirade. "We had a rich and ancient culture. Art, literature, music, it was second to none." He voice dropped to a hoarse whisper as if he couldn't make the words come out anymore. The tailor moved around him again, "And now so much of it is lost. So many of out best people, out most gifted minds...." The words trailed away as he stared off in shock.

"Garak, I didn't mean..." Julian said softly with pain in his voice. He hated seeing the look of helplessness on Garak's face. This was not the way it was suppose to be, Julian raged in his own mind. This is a strong man, and good man, whatever trails his past had put him through had not destroyed the deep core of goodness in him. Now the destruction of Cardassia sought to pull him under, into a deep well of despondency.

"Oh, it's all right, doctor," Garak said brokenly, waving away the doctor's concern. Pulling himself together quickly he turned toward him again.

Their faces were inches apart. They stared each other in the face for what seemed for eternity.

With a slight smile Garak broke the intimate moment. "What are your plans now, doctor? Will you be returning to Deep Space Nine?"

A feeling of overwhelming regret at their strained relationship washed over the doctor at Garak's words. How could their friendship have come to this point? There had been a time when he thought that they would move beyond friendship together, but nothing had ever happened. I have to make this right, Julian thought to himself. Our relationship can't be left in tatters like this.

With a shake of his head, Julian replied, "The Federation and Star Fleet have volunteered to assist in the rebuilding of hospitals and housing on Cardassia, I'm going to be part of the restructuring committee for the hospitals here on Cardassia Prime."

Garak turned away again, moving restlessly around the room. "How very noble of you, Doctor. You have alway been to kind to the castaways in the galaxy."

There was nothing Julian could say to that. The slight bitterness in the older man's tone confused him. Could it be that Garak didn't want him around, didn't want to try to heal their broken friendship?

"When do you expect to be leaving then?" Garak said, not looking over at the doctor.

"Leaving?" Julian said puzzled. "What makes you think that I'm going anywhere? I was hoping that I would be able to stay on the planet with you while I work with the restructuring committee," the younger man confessed.

Tilting his head in confusion, Garak finally turned to look at the younger man. "Why ever would you want to do that?"

Julian took a few steps toward the Cardassian. "Garak, I don't pretend to know what happened between us, why there is such a distance, but you are still my friend and I'm not going to leave you."

With a slight smirk, Garak replied, "Your friend you say? If this is the way you treat a friend then maybe you should have been an operative with the Obsidian Order. I would hate to see the way you treat your enemies."

Julian's eyes widen at the hostility in the tailor's voice. Had he been wrong? Was there any friendship left between them that he could salvage?

"Garak, I.."

"Save your pathetic excuses for someone more gullible, doctor. Your professed friendship is nothing more that a farce. Any relationship that we had is long over. The only time to put any effort into talking to me was when you wanted or needed something."

Gasping slightly, Julian stared at the angry man in disbelief. "Where are you getting this from Garak? I've never treated you like that."

"Haven't you? I see to recall being shoved to the side rather quickly once Chief O'Brien decided that he liked you after all. Why would you need to be friends with a Cardassian when you had one of your own kind to ‘play' with."

Julian stood in shock, absorbing Garak's attack. The painful accusations cutting like a knife, deep into his soul.

"Let's not forget how you fobbed me off onto that little girl, Ezri, when my claustrophobia reared up. You couldn't get me out of your hands fast enough!"

"Ezri is a trained counsellor, Garak. I thought she would be able to help you more than I could."

"I'm sure you thought that, doctor," Garak spat out as turned away from the younger man again. The tailor placed both hands on the computer consul, his broad-minded shoulders slumping as if in defeat.

In the oppressive silence of the room a whispered confession floated softly through the air. "Maybe all I need was you, Julian."

The forlorn voice caused tears to spring in Julian's eyes. Moving over to the older man, he stopped right behind him. Not knowing how his actions would be received, but needing to touch to the other man, he raised his hands and grasped Garak's shoulder, using his superior strength to turn him around.

Looking deep into the crystal blue eyes he saw an echo of the feeling that now coursed through his body. In a wild leap of intuition, Julian's enhanced mind put all the pieces together.

Garak's withdrawal in the months before the Dominion occupation of the station. The insults on board the Defiant when they were trying to retake the station. The attack just now, reminiscent of the attack from when Garak was withdrawing from the effects of the wire planted in his head. The sick man had tried to drive him away then, to shield himself from Julian's concern.

Garak had always been fiercely protective of his true feelings, constantly laying down an intricate web of lies to misdirect anyone who tried to get close to him.

Inwardly cringing with self recrimination, Julian realized that he had allowed the proud Cardassian to withdraw from him, even though he had always been aware of Garak's method of self preservation.

Standing in the shattered room, Julian came to a decision. Leaning forward, Julian brushed his lips gently across those of the stunned Cardassian. Arms suddenly went around him, pulling him against a strong body, as Garak's lips pressed harder against his own. Julian opened his mouth and encouraged the tailor's tongue to enter the warm, moist cavern.

The two men stood braced together in the room, oblivious to everything as the kiss lingered on. Finally, the need for air broke the kiss, but the embrace didn't end.

Two brilliant sets of eyes met, holding each other captive in an emotion filled gaze. A loving hand reached up to stroke a soft, golden cheek.

"Julian, I..." Garak started to say softy, as he caressed the younger man.

"Shhhh. I know, Elim," Julian replied as he looked into his eyes, recognizes for the first time the love that had always seemed to shine out of them.

"I never meant to hurt you," the older man whispered.

With a soft smile, Julian replied. "We hurt each other, Elim and now it's up to us to heal the wounds."

Garak pulled Julian even tighter, tucking the younger man's head under his chin. "Always the doctor, my love," he chuckled into Julian's hair.

"It's what I do best," the younger man replied as a feeling of contentment fell over him.

"There are some very hard times in front of us. The rebuilding of Cardassia will go on long after we are gone," Garak said as he held his new lover.

Julian raised his head from off of the older man's chest, and reached for his hands. Holding onto both hands, he made a vow to himself. "You're right, there are a lot of hard times coming our way, but as long as we are together I truly believe we can weather them together."

Garak looked fondly at him. "Federation sentimentality again?" the tailor said as he gathered the younger man into another embrace.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Julian said with a grin as moved back into the secure embrace. He tilted his head to the side, silently asking for another kiss.

Chuckling the Cardassian moved to accommodate the younger man. Just before their lips met, Garak murmured softly, "My dear doctor, I wouldn't have it any other way."

The End

Let me know what you thought of this story. E-Mail comments to me at kbpfic@yahoo.com

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