with them, Sarina ponders where she will go and what she will do with herself apart from the only family she has ever known. Bashir responds that she needn't go anywhere, tenderly kissing Sarina and nearly overwhelming her.

Act Four

Later, Bashir explains to Jack and the others that Sarina will not be returning to the Institute with them but will instead be staying in her own quarters on the station. Patrick implores Bashir to help the three of them the way he has helped Sarina, but Lauren and Jack quickly bring him to the realization that they are beyond help and that their already small group has now been further diminished. Dejected, they return to their efforts to save the universe. Learning of this, Sarina wishes to commiserate withher friends before their departure. However, Bashir persuades her that there will be time for that the next morning, that her friends need time to grow accustomed to her absence, and that she should come with him to have some fun.

At Quark's, Bashir shows Sarina off to the crowd of dabo players, eliciting her impressive computational skills to run the table, but the attention of the crowd and the boisterous and noisy atmosphere of Quark's begins to wear on her enjoyment of the experience. After Bashir puts off Quark's suggestion that they sit down to a bottle of spring wine, Ezri notices that Sarina has had enough for one night. As they leave the table, Bashir nearly ignores Sarina when a disruptive accident in the bar causes her