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Lwaxana Troi pays
a visit to Odo's office with the surprising news that she is
pregnant. She is thrilled to be having a baby boy, but her
Tavnian husband insists she adhere to the custom of giving him
their son to raise alone until the child is 16. Unwilling to
give away the baby, Lwaxana decides to give birth to him on Deep
Space Nine. Meanwhile, a mysterious alien woman named Onaya
arrives on the station, telling Jake that she can help him with
his writing.
Lwaxana finagles an invitation
to Odo's quarters, and while Odo is initially uncomfortable —
she once had a romantic interest in him — he starts to warm up
to Lwaxana and even feels her belly as her baby kicks.
Meanwhile, Jake opts out of a trip with his father and shows up
at Onaya's quarters. She encourages him to write on paper,
something he has never done before, and touches him as he works.
Amazingly, Jake's thoughts flow more freely than ever before,
and he is clearly excited by what is happening. What he fails to
notice, however, is that Onaya is somehow drawing energy from
him as he writes.
Lwaxana and Odo continue to bond until her husband Jeyal arrives
on the station. Odo tells him that he plans to marry Lwaxana,
which will cause her union with Jeyal to be automatically
annulled and give Odo claim to her child. He tells Lwaxana of
the plan — they will marry in a legal Tavnian ceremony, she will
have the baby, and after a few months, they will get an
annulment of their own. But Lwaxana informs Odo that in order
for the marriage to be valid, he must convince Jeyal that he
truly loves her. Meanwhile, back in Onaya's quarters, Jake
continues to write, unaware that Onaya is literally sucking the
life out of him.
 The officers assemble for Odo and Lwaxana's wedding, where he
surprises everyone by revealing true, heartfelt feelings for
her. Even Jeyal is unable to deny his sincerity, so the two are
married and Jeyal leaves the station. Jake, meanwhile, is still
writing, drained and exhausted but determined. Onaya, who can't
absorb any more of his energy at the moment, insists he rest. He
reluctantly agrees, but passes out while heading for his
quarters. Bashir tells Sisko, who has just returned, that
something has been stimulating Jake's cerebral cortex to the
point of near-synaptic collapse. But soon after they leave the
unconscious Jake, Onaya appears and takes him away.
Using traces of Onaya's energy as a lead, Sisko sets off to find
his son, while Jake, near collapse resumes his writing while
Onaya absorbs energy. Suddenly, Sisko bursts in to their hiding
place, phaser in hand. Onaya tells Sisko that she gave countless
legendary creators their inspiration — and immortality — at the
cost of their lives. Sisko tries to stop her from leaving, but
she transforms into an energy being and disappears. Meanwhile,
Lwaxana informs Odo that she is also leaving to have her baby on
her homeworld. Odo is surprised and disappointed, but
understands. Later, Sisko reads Jake's unfinished manuscript and
is clearly impressed. Jake worries to his father that Onaya
deserves the credit, but Sisko reminds him that the words and
ideas were his own — she only used her power to draw them out.
All Jake needs to do is find that power within himself.
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