#i just. want. zina. to be happy ToT

[apolesen]

Hi! I know it’s been while since youve posted anything about Parmak and his family you made for him, or I haven’t seen anything? But I’ve been so curious and I just love your Parmak family! I don’t know if you’ve talked about it before, but how would you think it’d be (if they survive the war) for the family together after the war and even when Kelas and Garak get back together? Love all your fics!

First of all, thank you for this! It was so lovely to receive, and it's an important reason why I've started posting fic again. Secondly, sorry it's taken me so long to answer it. Real life has not been kind to me the past few months, but now things are a little less intense and I have time to answer this properly.

So, to your question. I'm going to said right off the bat that I'm leaving Arva, Kerisa's husband, out of this, as that is a fic that I am hoping to write at some point. So I'll concentrate on Parmak's sisters and nieces.

They definitely survive the Fire. In fact, when I mentioned in Love in a Time of Oppression that they liked in Lakarian City, my beta wrote back 'but they live right??' A couple of years after the courts decide Parmak can live on his own, Kerisa moves the whole family sans brother to Cardassia III. They're now known as the family of a traitor to the state, and it's not fun for anyone. They get through the Fire, on account of being in an outer colony which was less heavily hit by the Jem'Hadar and also thanks to some quick thinking by some of the daughters. In time, they make their way back to Prime.

Kerisa is mildly disapproving of this whole democracy thing that Kelas has gotten involved in. She asks 'but what happens when they reestablish the old order?' 'They won't,' he says, and the hope and relief in his voice touches her. Eventually, she lets the question go. She doesn't really understand it, just like many older Cardassians don't, but seeing her brother so in his element, so respected... she can't help but be happy for him. That, in fact, is what she feels about Garak too. She can't figure out why she feels uneasy about him, but she acquiesces. This new friend of Kelas' makes him happy.

Kerisa's daughters, of course, are well aware of the role Garak played in the uprising against the Dominion. They are all adults at this point. I'm not sure what the three younger daughters do, but Zeetal, the eldest, has become a dentist and is fully on board with her uncle's proposals to reform Cardassian health-care. She's quite pragmatic and doesn't really say it, but she's secretly very proud of her uncle the dissident. She and her sisters are also under no illusions about what his and Garak's relationship is.

Garak, of course, spends a lot of time working to charm Parmak's family. Kerisa is a little stand-offish, but Zina adores him. He talks to her about music and soaps (he's a sucker for them, unsurprisingly). For her hatch-day he gives her a little succulent to take care of. Zina is still very sheltered, but with Cardassian society changing, Parmak prods Kerisa to let her spend more time outside and on her own. After a while, Kerisa allows Garak to take her to the botanical gardens. Still not quite able to let go, she gets a table at the garden's café, fully intent to watch them throughout their visit. Kelas says this man can be trusted, but she doesn't like leaving Zina alone with anyone. So she watches them as they walk along the flower-beds, Zina's hand in the crook of Garak's arm. They keep stopping, and Zina dips out of view. Kerisa tries to make sense of what they are doing. As they continue around the bed of roses, she can see them both in profile. She sees Garak gesticulate with his free hand – she realises he is talking. Then Zina leans forward, towards the rosebush. Taking a rose in her hand, she puts her nose close to it and smells it. Kerisa can't really name what she's feeling. Why does that make her feel so odd? Because she has never thought to take Zina to smell the flowers. But this man did. She finishes her tea and leaves. She knows Garak will get Zina home safely.