NOTE: The characters in this book are owned by Paramount, and not the
author.  This story belongs to the author, and may not be copied without
the author’s express permission.  If you want to copy this story into your
website, or have any comments to make, contact me at eileen@getonthe.net.
                                                
                                                



(Opening segment: view of DS9 while Majel Barrett narrates.)

Barrett: Once upon a time, there was a you Starfleet Officer named
	Cinderella Dax.  Cinderella Dax was posted at a space station 
	commanded by an evil Captain named Sisko.  Sisko, and his senior 
	staff, were very cruel to Cinderella Dax.  She was a slave.  Her 
	only friends were the voles.  

(Cut to Ops, where Dax, in a grungy, torn uniform is polishing the
consoles.  Suddenly, Sisko walks out of his office.)

Sisko: Cinderella Dax!  Haven’t you finished cleaning Ops yet?!
Dax: No, Captain.
Sisko: Well, hurry up!  You still haven’t scrubbed the Promenade, or
	repaired the runabouts!  Do you expect us to live like pigs?

(Suddenly, Bashir and O’Brien walk in.)

Bashir: Phew!  What’s that rank smell?  It smells like something died in
	here!
O’Brien: It’s just Dax.  I guess she forgot to bathe last week.
Bashir: Dax?  Where is that lazy slime ball?  She still hasn’t done my
	laundry form last week!
Dax(meekly): I’m right here, Doctor.
Bashir: Yes, yes, I know, I followed the smell.  Now shut up and let the
	Chief tell Captain Sisko what he came here to tell him!
Sisko: What do you want, you Irish Pig?
O’Brien: Beggin’ your pardon, sir, but there’s been an official notice from
	the royal palace.
Sisko: King Martok?  What does that old battleaxe want?
O’Brien: The King and Queen are holding a ball tonight to celebrate the
	Prince’s eighteenth birthday.  Everyone in the sector is ordered to 
	attend.
Sisko: Was there anything else, O’Brien? 
O’Brien: Yes, sir.  The notice also said that the Prince is looking for a
	wife, so dress nice!
Sisko: Well, what are we waiting for?  Let’s get ready!  You two go find
	every woman on the station and slap some makeup on her!  Then get 
	read to go!  Dax, you polish the runabouts so we make a good 
	entrance.
Dax: But don’t I get to go too?

(Sisko gives one of those weird laughs of his while O’Brien and Bashir
leave Ops.)

Sisko: You?  You’d embarrass us all! Now get to work, Spot!
Dax (leaves Ops): I’ll never be happy!

(Cut to view of the shuttlebay, with O’Brien, Bashir, Sisko, Keiko, Morn,
and Leeta, all in their finest.  Barrett is narrating again.)

Barrett: So later that night, as everyone gathered in the shuttlebay to
	leave, Cinderella Dax decided to try to go to the ball.

(Dax comes in, wearing and Original Series uniform.)

Dax: Captain, I’m ready to go.  May I please attend the ball?
Leeta: EW!  Don’t let her go in that thing!  It’s older than William
	Shatner’s toupee!
Keiko: Yeah!  If she comes, then I am so outie!
Morn:
Sisko: Dax, get out of that uniform and get back to work!  I want this
	station spotless by the time I get back!
Dax (pouting, eyes watery): But, but, I want to go!  
Bashir: Tough luck, sister.  Now go do laundry!

(The crew, extras included, pile into the runabout and head for Bajor.  Dax
sits on the floor and begins to cry.  Suddenly a mysterious apparition
appears.  It looks a lot like Q.)

Q/Apparition: Stop crying, it hurts my omnipotent ears!  What the hell is
	wrong with you?
Dax: I want to go to the ball, but I can’t!  And who are you, anyway?
Fairy Q-father: I’m your fairy Q-father.  Now, let’s see if we can’t get
	you to this ball, hmm?
Dax: I’ll do anything to get there!  Prince Worf is looking for a wife!
Fairy Q-father: That’s nice.  Now, why don’t you get me a tricorder, a
	phaser, a couple of voles, and some Spring Wine?
Dax: Are you going to use them to make me magic things to get to the ball?
Q: Some of them.  The Spring Wine is for me, though.  Now go!

(Dax scurries off.  Several minutes later, she and Q are standing before a
phaser, a tricorder and three voles.  Q is busily putting away the Wine. 
He finishes, and Majel Barrett starts to narrate again as Q starts doing
weird things in front of the pile.)

Barrett: So the fairy Q-father began to dance around the pile-
Dax: You call that dancing?
Barrett: Shut up and let me finish!  Anyway, when he was done, the pile of
	mish mash had become Eddington, Dukat, Weyoun, and the Defiant.

Q (gestures): Done!  What do you think?
Dax: It’s great!  Cool ship! 
Eddington: Uh, What am I doing here?  I thought I was dead.
Dukat: It’s a parody.  These things happen.
Weyoun (looking around): Ah.  Very interesting.
Q: Okay, you can go now.  Just be sure to be back by 0:00 hours, and use
	protection!
Dax: But what about my dress?
Q: You’re right! That thing is hideous!  Here, hold on for a minute...

(Q snaps his fingers and Dax is in a beautiful black and blue gown, with
plenty of cleavage.  Her hair is done up regally, and her face has stunning
makeup on.  Q smirks.)

Eddington: Wow!  Why the hell didn’t I bag her when I had the chance?
Dukat: You were too busy betraying the Federation.
Eddington: Oh yeah.
Q: What do you think?
Dax: I’m beautiful!  Thank you, Q!
Q: Don’t mention it.  Now get going, or you’ll miss the ball entirely!  And
	remember to be back on time!

(Dax and company get into the Defiant and Q vanishes.  The Defiant sets off
for Bajor.  Here comes Barrett again.)

Barrett: So Cinderella Dax was able to go to the ball after all.  Soon, she
	had entered orbit of Bajor and had beamed down to the palace.  
	Once there, she met the Prince, and they began to dance.

(Cut to view of the royal balcony, where King Martok and Queen Kira are
watching the ball.  Suddenly, Martok sees Dax and Worf dancing)

Martok: Whoa!  Will you check out that piece that our boy is dancing with! 
	Wowza!
Kira: You pervert.  

(Meanwhile, down on the dance floor, Worf and Dax have retired to the
sidelines.  Worf is rubbing his bruised feet while Dax watches him
adoringly.)

Dax: Spiked forehead, beady eyes, bad breath, yellow teeth, no ears-I’ve
	finally met him!  The man of my dreams!
Worf: You better believe it, baby.
Dax: Oh, Worf, you’re so strong and handsome and brave.  If only I could
	spend the rest of my life with you!
Worf: What’s stopping you, my spotted petunia?
Dax: I..I...(looks around, notices the time) Oh my!  It’s almost 0:00!  I
	have to get out! (She runs out of the palace, and is beamed up by
	Eddington.  Within moments, the Defiant is long gone.)
Worf: Was it something I said?

(Cut to Ops, the next morning.  Sisko is drinking his Rockda-whatever,
Bashir is making out with Leeta, and O’Brien is beating up Nog.  Suddenly,
Jake walks in.)

Jake: Uh, dad, we just got a message from the Palace.
Sisko: In Vegas?
Jake: No, the one on Bajor.  Prince Worf is coming to the station, with his
	inspection team.  They’re going to inspect the station and look for 
	the girl he was dancing with last night.
Sisko: They think she’s here?

(Dax walks in, grungy again, and asks what's going on.)

Dax: What’s going on?
Sisko: O’Brien, lock Dax in her quarters.  We don’t’ want her to embarrass
	us in front of the Prince.
O’Brien (grimaces): Do I have to touch her?
Sisko: No.  Just lock her up.
O’Brien: Okay.

(O’Brien locks Dax in her quarters.  She sits down in front of the door and
begins to cry.  Meanwhile, Worf and his inspection team, namely Odo, Quark,
and Rom.  They all split up to search for the missing babe.  Quark, walking
by Dax’s room, hears her crying.)

Quark: Hello in there?
Dax: Help me, please!
Quark: Who are you?
Dax: I’m Cinderella Dax!  I’ve been locked in here by my evil Captain Sisko
	so Prince Worf won’t find out that it was me that he danced with last
	night!  Oh, please help me!
Quark: Help you?  We’ve been looking for you!  Let me break this lock, then
	we’ll get to Prince Worf.

( While Quark sets abut to breaking the lock, Worf and Sisko start walking
innocently down that same hallway.  Quark finally gets the lock open just
as they pass by, and Dax runs out right into Worf’s arms.)

Worf: Don’t I know you?
Dax: Yes, it’s me, the girl you danced with last night!  I was locked up by
	him (points at Sisko) so you wouldn’t find me!
Worf (turns to Sisko): Is this true?
Sisko: Er...
Worf: Quark, tell Odo that he can feel free to arrest Everyone on this
	wretched station.
Quark: But what will happen to the station?
Worf: It will become the new home of myself and... uh...
Dax: Dax.
Worf: It will be the new home of myself and Dax.  Now go!

(Quark runs off to do what he was told as Sisko faints and Worf kisses Dax
firmly.  Cut to outer view of the station with scientifically impossible
fireworks going off in the background.  Once again, Majel Barrett.)
Barrett: And so Prince Worf found a wife, Cinderella Dax found a man, and
Sisko, Bashir, O’Brien, Keiko, and Leeta went to jail.  They all lived
happily ever after.  The End.