Julian's heart sank. "You don't know who I am do you?" he asked. "It's Julian. Julian Bashir."

"No, I don't know you." Beth said genuinely sorry. Then she looked at Data. He moved from behind the transporter station towards her. Beth smiled at him and put her arms out, "I know you though."

She moved forward and embraced him. Data closed his eyes as he held her close. He drew from the emotional memories he had sent himself from the other time line. The time line in which he was in love with this woman and she was his wife. The joy of seeing her overwhelmed him, "Elizabeth." He whispered.

"Data," Geordi said looking at the control panels, "We're getting some strange readings here."

The moment interrupted, he turned to his friend, "What type of readings, Geordi?"

"I'm not sure. It looks like feedback… You'd better come take a look, you know more about this time transporter than I do."

As he slowly pulled himself away from Beth, Julian approached her with a medical tricorder.

"What are you doing?" She asked, stepping away from him.

"You're completely healthy." He said. He looked both elated and distraught.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"The Beth Bashir I knew had Orthrupts disease."

"Beth Bashir?" She asked, "What's Orthrupts Disease?"

Geordi looked up from the station, "Wait a minute, I thought Orthrupts was highly contagious! I spent two days with the other Beth. Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"The first three stages aren't contagious at all." Julian reassured, "You were in the third stage, of a deadly disease." he said to Beth. "There are 6 stages. The first three are the harmless incubation period. Without a definitive test, the infected patient has no idea they are infected. At the end of the third phase symptoms start to appear, mostly treatable, such as headache and fever. But once the forth phase is entered, the patient becomes highly contagious. Even a simple touch can transfer the disease."

"Do the symptoms start to increase to fatigue and joint tenderness?" Beth asked.

"Yes." Julian nodded.

"Sounds like RokiT'ok." She said. "That's what we called it in my timeline."

"Really?" Julian said amazed.

"This is all very fascinating, but I'd like to be tested. Just to be safe." Geordi said.

Julian ran the tricorder over him and declared, "Your system is complete void of the contaminate."

Geordi sighed in relief and went back to monitoring the transporter system.

Beth looked confused, "Even if you had been contaminated, it takes years to develop to the forth stage. You could have been treated very easily."

Julian said, "Beth, we don't have a cure for Orthrupts."

"You don't have a cure yet?" she asked, then very earnestly she said, "I know the antidote! And I could develop a vaccine with my eyes closed!!"

"You do?" Bashir said, "Well we have sixteen Gem'Hadar civilians and dozens of other species on Stolstic who will be very happy to hear that!"

Her face turned ashen. "Gem'Hadar?"

Data looked up from the transporter station, "In this time-line, the Gem'Hadar have rebelled against the Founders and have left the Dominion. They pose no threat, I assure you."

Beth took in a deep breath, "Then we've finally discovered how to create the white for them?"

"No." Julian said, "I was able to rid them of that genetic dependency."

"That is truly remarkable." She said, "It's going to take a while to get used to things." Then looking out the window she continued, "I certainly am pleased to see Stolstice is up and running. I wonder if it's everything we hoped it would be." She turned to Bashir, "You'd better take me to the Chief Medical Officer so we can start working on that cure."

Jullian smiled, "You are the Chief Medical Officer, darling."

Beth looked at Data for confirmation.

"It is true, Beth. You are the Chief Medical Officer of Stolstice." Data confirmed. "But contrary to what you may be thinking, you are no longer Julian's wife. You were divorced fifteen years ago."

Beth looked accusingly look at Julian.

"I was getting around to explaining that." He said offended by Data's inference. "I just think saving the patients is more important than discussing personal issues. There are two Gem'Hadar in the late fifth stage of Orthrupts."

"I'd better transport over to Stolstice and get working on the antidote. But I do want a full briefing on this time line." Beth said.

Data nodded.

Julian said, "Of course."

"There!" Geordi said, "Did you see that?"

Data looked at the instruments and Julian and Beth transported to the station.

"I 'm very disappointed at how far off I was." Beth said, looking at her work. "But I'm not surprised. The actual cure was developed by a Romulin physicist who's concepts took me almost a year to understand, let alone get to a place where I could put them to practice."

"Well the Romulins in this time line have not been exposed to the virus. So we've been on our own.." Julian said, "But don't be so hard on yourself. We've been able to slow down the disease considerably."

"Thanks to your brilliant stasis fields." She said.

He flashed a huge grin at her.

"But what amazes me the most," she said, "was that I was able to figure out that this disease is transferred through the air in the fifth stage, but I missed the pheromones connection." She took the dropper and added a drop of liquid to the beaker. "Two cc's of this and most of those in the first three phases will be on the road to recovery within a few days, some sooner. It'll take me several hours to come up with the more potent version for the other patients." She handed Julian the hypo-spray.

"Aren't you going to administer it?" he asked taking it.

Beth hesitated, "Is that necessary?"

He moved around the lab table to her, "These patients have been facing a very painful death. They've been in your care for months, some of them years. You were," he hesitated, "Let's just say tenacious about your patients. And they know that. If a nurse administered this drug, or even if I did, they would be very suspicious."

Visibly shaken she said, "Julian. Where I come from, the Gem'Hadar"

"What?" he asked.

She sighed, "I guess I should just get used to things this way." She said, "I'll do my best."

"What are we going to do?" Geordi asked.

"The feed back wave does not seem to be growing. We should monitor it for any consistent pattern of change." Data answered. His hands flew across the instruments as he summoned a tracer to be placed on the time line readings. "Currently it does not appear to be a threat to this time-line."

"Data, slow down, I can't keep up with what you're doing." Geordi said.

"I am sorry, Geordi." Data said. His speed did not decrease.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Geordi said putting his hand on his friend's arm, "We need to talk."

Data stopped and looked at him, waiting.

"I know what you're doing. You want to get down to that station because you're worried about Julian being alone with Beth."

"Perhaps you are correct." Data said, "This is a very confusing time for her and I feel it necessary to be part of her formal briefing of this timeline. After all, I do have memories from both and can best highlight the differences."

Geordi said, "That is important, but so is this," He said pointing to the controls. "Are you sure there isn't something more you're worried about?"

"Explain." Data said.

"I've never seen you hug anyone the way you did Beth when she came down off of that transporter." He said.

"I was simply greeting her the way she expected to be greeted by me. I was attempting to ease her entrance into this time line."

"Are you sure?" Geordi asked.

Data looked down, thinking. Then he looked back up at his friend. It went against his programming to be dishonest. "No. I am not."

"There you are! That's the last of it." Beth said, feigning cheerfulness. "Too bad your metabolism isn't as fast as a Cardassian, then you'd only have to wait one day instead of two for this to start working."

The Gem'Hadar scowled at her, "I have never known you to use humor as part of your bedside manner, Dr. Bashir. Perhaps you should refrain from it in the future."

Beth froze. "Yes, I will." She couldn't hide her fear.

Julian walked up to her and gently nudged her away from the angry Gem'Hadar's bed. "I'm sorry Mortak. She's been up for nearly three days straight and isn't thinking well."

Once they were out of the room Beth started shaking.

"What did I do? I thought you said they liked me? I thought you said…"

"Shhh…"he said instinctively pulling her close to him. He hadn't ever seen her frightened like this before, "You didn't know…"

She looked up at him and pulled away a little, "Know what?"

"The Cardassian race was wiped out by Orthrupts disease ten years ago."

"Wiped out?" She said, "All of them? But in my time line the Russects, an alien race, brought RokiT'ok into our sector years before that. The Cardassian's would have had to have contracted it before that."

"Elizabeth!" Data said, walking quickly down the hall.

"Data!" she said, immediately leaving Julian and embracing him.

"I am here to brief you." He said to her. "There is much that has changed."

"I've already told her a lot of what she needs to know." Julian broke in, "And we should get to the medical lab to get the antidote for the later phases of Orthrupts developed more quickly."

She nodded at Julian, "You're right. But we can all work together, there's a lot to do."

"I would be glad to be of service." Data said.

Beth yawned. Julian yawned. Data looked at them. As an android, he was completely awake.

"The two of you are in need of sleep." He said, "Perhaps we should reconvene in a few hours."

Beth nodded. Then shook her head, "No we can't. We need to monitor this reaction. If we don't add the phosphorus at just the right time, the syrup is too strong for the monodies to bond."

"I am perfectly capable of monitoring that response." Data said.

"Yes, but it takes experience to know just how much solution to add. The color and the temperature have to balance at just the right…" She explained.

Data interrupted her, "Then I will call for you when that time arrives. If you do not sleep you may not be functioning properly to make the adjustments."

"I guess you're right." She said.

"Well," Julian said, "You don't have to argue with me, I'm beat."

After explaining to Data what to look for in the reaction, Beth and Julian left the lab.

"I don't even know where my quarters are!" She said half laughing.

"Oh that's no problem." He said, "You're right this way."

He followed her in.

"Wait a minute." She said, "Don't tell me we share quarters."

"Actually…" Bashir said, "For a couple years now. But if you'd like, I could stay in guest quarters on one of the lower levels. I'll just gather some of my things. I understand."

"No, wait." She stopped him, "Why don't you just take the couch? We're not going to get much sleep as it is. No sense in cutting your time down even more."

"That's very kind of you, Beth."

Data used the computer to locate Beth's room and rang the chimes. When a disheveled Julian answered the door Data felt a twinge of anger. He stifled the emotion.

"The reaction has occurred and is ready for Dr. Julian's attention." He stated.

Julian scratched his mussed hair and motioned for the android to enter, "I'll go wake her."

Data looked around the room and saw the couch draped with blankets.

Beth came, fully dressed, out of the back room. "Alright. Let's get going." She said, "just let me get some coffee from the replicator."

Bashir sat on the back of a chair, "Do you need my help?" he asked.

"Naah." Beth said, "This won't take long at all. You get your sleep."

"Is the couch comfortable, Doctor?" Data asked.

"Comfortable enough." He answered, crossing his arms.

Once in the lab Beth said, "Julian told me about my life here on this station." She looked at the tubes and began adjusting the temperature controls.

"No doubt he described his relationship with you as well?" Data asked.

"Of course he did." She answered. "In very fine detail."

Data cocked his head. "I am curious for your reaction."

She took a dropper of phosphorus and added small amounts to each tube. The colors began to change and she adjusted the temperature accordingly. Then she stood up straight and looked at him. "My reaction? Well, it all sounds so unreal, like he was describing someone else's life."

"He was, Lizzy. You are not of this time-line and therefore the life he described is not in your memory. However, it is the past that you have inherited."

She gave him an amused look, "That's not what I mean, Data." She said.

"What do you mean then?" He asked.

"I just can't imagine living a life without you."

He took a deep breath, "Nor I without you."

Beth looked at him strangely, "But you did. So you should be able to." She said, "You've been acting strangely since I got here."

"How would you expect me to act?"

"That's just it, you have been acting like I would expect you to act. Like the Data I know. But if I take what Julian said seriously, you only just met me a few days ago. You shouldn't be so familiar with me. You should not be acting like I expect you to act."

Data raised a brow and nodded, "Ah. I see your point. You are unaware that along with the ethical program I created and you installed, I also logged memories of my life with you. So in essence, I remember much of what you remember."

Her face brightened, "He…You…"

"I couldn't let myself forget the only woman I've ever loved." He said. "And considering in this timeline I have not ever found an other with whom I could develop such an attachment, I believe I made the right decision."

Her voice almost broke as she spoke, "You're not telling me that, you still love me, are you? Is that possible?"

"Did I not say to you once that I would love you in any timeline?"

"Yes, you did." Her eyes flooded with tears as she rapped her arms around him and squeezed him, "I just didn't think it would actually happen. That we could be that fortunate!"

"It is good that I am an android, or you would now be inhibiting my breathing." He said. Then he returned the embrace, much more gently than hers.

Julian walked into the stations main promenade and finally spotted Data and Beth. He walked over to them and gingerly interrupted.

"I've been informed that the stage four Gem'Hadar patients have been administered the treatment. Seems I've slept through quite a bit."

"Yes, you have, Doctor." Data said.

"Julian." Beth started, "We need to talk."

"That didn't take long, Commander." He said to Data.

"Data, we'd better do this without you." Beth said.

"Why not let him join us, so he can gloat?" Bashir said.

Data kissed Beth lightly on the cheek, glanced slightly at Julian, walked away.

"I've decided to leave Stolstice and return to Earth with Data." She said.

"Oh. That's a shocker."

"I don't belong here, Julian. You said so last night, I barely even know how to run the new technology let alone administer this huge station!"

"I said no such thing. I said you were going to need my help coming up to speed." He defended.

She leaned against a partition. "I know this isn't easy for you, but you have to understand where I'm coming from."

"I understand. How can I compete with a perfect android?"

"This isn't about you. It has nothing to do with you." She said.

"Weren't you listening last night? I admit I made the biggest mistake of my life leaving you to return to Deep Space Nine, but don't you understand I gave up everything to come back here and assist you. The last five years of our lives have been working to build this relationship back up from the shambles it fell into. I don't want to throw all that away…"

"Stop!" she interrupted, "There's nothing left of that relationship to build. As hard as it is for you to hear, I'm not the same person you used to love. I have no feelings for you what so ever. I don't even know you!"

Julian ran his fingers through his graying hair and then covered his mouth. He looked at Beth with a sudden fear, "So you're just going to walk away from this entire life?"

Data walked up to the two of them.

"Not now, Data, we're not done." Beth said.

"I am sorry to disrupt this conversation, but Geordi has discovered something that…" he looked at Beth and paused, "…we must to return to the ship immediately."

"At first I didn't understand what I was reading." Geordi said, "I thought it was a feedback loop of some sort. Like a rift in the space time continuum. Then it started to fade and I noticed the pattern was degrading at a familiar rate. The more I looked at it, I realized that it was a signal, from the past. Only for some reason it isn't coming in on the spectrum frequency we expected it to."

"From where?" Beth asked.

Data held up a ring and spoke, "The beacon ring that you wore did not work in your time line it. I was able to find you by coordinating the phasor fire with the subspace transportation of the Cardassians."

"Then whose signal is that?" Julian asked.

Geordi said, "The other Beth's."

"She's out there?" Beth asked, "Where?"

"She's in the past at a single point in time, waiting for us to bring her back." Data said.

"Well what's stopping you?" Bashir asked.

Data looked at Beth, "We are uncertain what would happen to you."

Geordi said, "You may cease to exists, especially since this isn't your timeline to begin with."

"No." Beth said. "Don't bring her back." She turned to Julian, "I know what you're thinking, that you deserve a chance with this woman you loved. But you said yourself that she was an unhappy bitter person that for some reason you were in love with. But I'm not. If you really love me you'll want me to live the life in which I am the happiest. And a life with Data is it. And you know it."

Julian looked at Data.

"I would have to agree with her, Dr. Bashir."

Julian looked at Geordi.

"I'm not getting involved." Geordi said, throwing up his hands.

Julian backed into a wall and looked out at Stolstice. He said in distant thought, "So what happens to my Beth, then? Is she just floating around in nothingness, forced to live her existence between timelines?"

"I can not answer that question." Data said.

"It's probable that she isn't anywhere." Geordi said, "But in certain theorists view of time, it's possible that she's alive in some other time-line."

"Oh, no." Beth said. Her face turned ashen.

"What is it Beth?" Data asked.

Julian turned to her. She looked at him and asked in a dry voice, "How did the Cardassians contract Orthrupts disease before the rest of the quadrant?"

Julian looked at her in confusion, "No one knows. Why?"

She looked at Data. "I gave it to them." She said.

"How is that possible?" He asked.

"Wait a minute!" Geordi said, "Julian, you said that the other Beth had Orthrupts disease?"

"Yes, she was in the…" he paused, realizing the paradox, "…third stage."

Geordi continued, "If that's true and we don't answer this beacon and pull that Beth back, she gets captured by the Cardassians along with Data."

"Giving them the disease." Beth finished. "They aren't supposed to get it first. They aren't supposed to get it until ten years later."

Geordi said, "For all we know, the Cardassians never went extinct at all."

"You have to bring her back." Julian said.

After a moment of silence Data spoke. "May I have a moment alone with Beth?"

Julian slowly walked out. Geordi followed, but said gently to Data, "The beacon is degrading, we have to do it soon."

"I understand." He said.

Beth stood beside Data and watched the red light glowing in pulses on the transporter grid. She felt Data's fingers lightly brush her hair over her shoulder.

"We were so happy." She said, not looking at him.

"I know." He said. "I was hoping to experience some of that happiness rather than just recalling it as memories."

She reached out and put her finger on the red light. The halo of red flashed around her finger. "I never liked Cardassians anyway." She said quickly, "Let's just forget the whole thing and take off together somewhere."

He pulled her close, "And how happy would we be knowing our love cost the lives of so many?"

"I know." She said. "We've had this conversation before, when we decided to send me back in the first place." She looked up at him, "I guess I'm just glad to have stolen a few more days with you."

"And I am glad to have known you as more than a memory." He said.

Then he leaned down gently and kissed her. In him he felt the memories of all the love he had had for her in the other time line. For an instant he blocked them out and felt his own emotions flow through him.

As their lips parted, the sadness in his heart grew stronger. "I do love you Lizzy."

"I know." She said.

"No. I mean, I love you. In this time-line, it is not just memories of love anymore."

This time, she kissed him.

"We better get this thing over with." She said. "Do me a favor, Data."

"Yes. Anything." He answered.

"Leave the other Beth alone." She said.

He looked at her confused.

"What I mean is, I don't think she could ever love you like I do. From what Julian said, she's been so hurt her heart has grown cold. Let him chip away at the ice some more."

Data nodded. "I understand."

"Ready for transport." Geordi said.

"Ready." Data said.

Julian waited tensely staring at the transporter.

Beth waved at Data as Geordi worked the controls. She slowly faded away and in her place another woman appeared. A woman with the same face, only void of tears, and short hair.

When she was fully materialized she said, "There, just as I suspected nothing."

Julian walked towards her, "Beth?"

"Whom did you expect?" she asked. "This whole thing has been a waste of my time."

"It's her all right." Julian said, smiling. He walked up to her and gave her a big hug. "I'm so glad to have you back."

Beth looked a little shaken, "What was that for? What happened?"

"It's a long story. But you have a few very pleased Cardassians throwing you a reception this evening on the station."

"The antidote worked?" She asked.

"Not the one you gave, the one the other Beth gave. Come, I'll explain it all to you over lunch."

"You'd better." She said. Then she turned to Data, "Looks like you got what you came for, Data."

"Thank you for participating, Dr. Bashir." Data said

At that, Julian and Beth departed for Stolstis.

"I guess now we head for home?" Geordi said.

"I am interested to know if my old position will still be available. Considering the mysterious circumstances of my resignation, I may have difficulty finding another." Data said.

"Data, one thing you will never have to worry about is finding work." He said, laughing. "I on the other hand have a lot of explaining to do. And I've got to get this ship back!" Geordi looked at his friend, "Are you going to be all right, Data?"

Data sat down at the helm of the ship. "Yes." He said, setting the coordinates for Earth, "But I believe it may take a lot of something, which I have no shortage of. "

"What's that?" Geordi asked.

Data answered, "Time."

The End