It had been two weeks since Solok had seen Cleo or T'Lyn. Cleo had taken their daughter to Gol to recuperate after their family doctor declared that she was suffering under a state of extreme exhaustion. The diagnosis made Solok feel foolish. There had been a physical reason for her behavior. She was young, and had endured a complete change in times, sleep patterns, atmosphere, gravities, and him, forcing her to stay at the table and study for hours after school. He had even insinuated that she was being lazy. He was standing at the door waiting. They were both due in in ten minutes forty five seconds. It would be agreeable to see them; he found their absence in his life…disturbing. He found the barrier in his bond with Cleo nearly intolerable; his Katra ached to feel her presence in his mind once more.

He heard the flitter pull up and stood at attention. He waited until he heard Cleo's boots before the door and pulled it open for her. She was standing there alone, "Where is T'Lyn?" Solok said looking around.

"She is at the school. You arranged for her to live at the academy remember? She was not pleased with it, nor really am I, but I honored your decision." She pulled her pack up over her shoulder, "I am surprised you are here waiting as you are."

His head dropped slightly, "I ached to feel you in my mind again, Cleo. I have…been disturbed without you and T'Lyn."

Cleo eyed him, she had missed him too, painfully so, which was one of the reasons why she did not drop the barriers she had constructed in their bond. She did not want to give him the secret satisfaction to know she yearned for him.

He tentatively held up two fingers for her. He did not know what to expect, but he was compelled to offer his touch, because he needed hers.

She looked at his fingers, and pulled off her gloves, pressing her fingers against his. She saw his shoulders release some of his tension, as she stroked up and down her slender digits. "Am I to take this as a sign that you will not leave me?" He said with an even dispassion, though inwardly his emotions sat like a coiled spring.

"I have no desire to leave you, Solok, or break our bond." She replied watching his fingers slide over her skin. He stepped forward and she put her hand up to his chest, "But things do need to change. " She looked up into his blue-grey eyes, "I love you, Solok, but I will not give you permission to hurt me, or our children."

He wrapped his hand around hers. "I do not wish to harm you, or our children." He blinked and let a slow sigh, "Forgive me, Adun'a." He brought his hand to her cheek and slid the backs of his fingers down her cheek, "Forgive me." He bent and very softly placed his lips on hers, careful to wait for her to return the kiss before presuming to kiss her deeper.

Cleo felt his warmth against her body, then against her lips. He was being tentative; he had asked her forgiveness, for the first time ever. She opened her lips to him returning the kiss cautiously. She wanted him to know he was loved, and missed, but not that he was completely forgiven. It was hard to do when she ached so deeply for him. She pulled back, looking up at him it was frightening how much she loved him. He pressed his forehead against hers. "Adun'a," he whispered.

Sovar entered from the family room, T'Pel at his side. He felt T'pel in his mind: It is good to see this. It was painful to see our son so disturbed, and the thought of losing Cleo…

Sovar pressed his fingers into T'Pel's: We are becoming sentimental in our dotage, my wife. He cleared his throat to announce their arrival before asking, "Where is our granddaughter?"

Cleo moved, "She is at school. Solok made the living arrangements before T'Lyn took ill. I made her teacher aware of her health issue, he said he would be understanding. She has not lost her standing in the advanced class either. It was surprising, Tamok seemed very exacting about his expectations but has so far been very accommodating with T'Lyn."

"That is most fortunate." T'Pel said, "Welcome home my chosen daughter, your absence was felt."

"I missed you and Sovar as well." She gave them a small smile, "Now, I should unpack, it was a long trip from Gol."

Solok stood erect, "May I assist you?" he quirked his eyebrows in a way to indicate he was open and desiring physical intimacy.

Cleo smirked, "No, Solok, not tonight. I believe I-Cho is still in need of your company…for now."

Solok frowned; a night in the sehlat house was not exactly what he desired, literally or metaphorically. "Understood." He followed her to the stairs, "Will you drop the barriers between us at the very least?"

Cleo's eyes twinkled, "No. If I did that," She kissed the tip of his nose, "You would then know how painful our parting has been." She turned away, walking up the stairs, her hips swaying provocatively.

Solok watched her, a mixture of desire and disappointment swirling in his mind.

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T'Lyn entered the academy living area. She was feeling more centered than she had before, and why she had been so emotional was something of a blur to her young mind. The moment she opened her quarter's door and saw Tamok waiting for her , it all came rushing back to her. She dropped the bag she was carrying and turned to run away. She felt his hand on her shoulder and she was cursing her short legs.

Tamok chuckled, "I'm sorry T'Lyn did I startle you? I have been told you have been emotionally compromised these days. " He turned her around to face him, "We will have to work on that T'Lyn. I promise you, we will."

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Solok stood in the kitchen watching Cleo and T'Pel prepare dinner. It had been eleven months since T'Lyn had gone to live at the academy, and tonight was her birthday, she would be ten. It was the first time they had seen her for more than a few hours at a time through nearly the whole year. They had received good word on her progress, and her grades were more than acceptable. She was advancing through classes in a most pleasing fashion.

The doorbell rang, Cleo looked at Solok through their bond she spoke to him, Would you please get that, I'm sure it is our daughter home and I think she would be agreeable to seeing you.

Solok nodded. He opened the door and saw Voramik with T'Lyn at his side. She looked thinner than when he had seen her last and very pale. "Master Voramik, it is agreeable to see you. I did not expect your company as well as my daughters'."

"I will not be staying Ambassador, I just wanted to see her home safely. She was so tied up with her studies, she missed the flitter home. I gave her a ride." Voramik placed a careful hand on T'Lyn's shoulder, "Go, and we will see you in a few days. "

T'Lyn nodded mechanically and entered the home. She watched longingly as Voramik left, staring were he stood long after he had returned to his flitter. Solok put his hand on her shoulder and she jumped. "Welcome home, my daughter."

T'Lyn gave a curt nod. "It is agreeable to see you father." She whispered softly.

"Your mother and grandmother are in the kitchen, they are most anxious to see you." Solok looked at her strangely, "Are you unwell?"

"No, sir, I am agreeable." She said in a dead monotone, looking up briefly at him and then returning her stare to where Voramik had been.

Solok guided his daughter from the door and into the kitchen. Cleo and T'Pel dropped what they were doing. Cleo walked around the island and dropped to her knee hugging T'Lyn tight. T'Lyn stood motionless. "It is agreeable to see you mother."

Cleo pulled back and looked at her daughter, "T'Lyn?" she pressed her hand to her forehead, "Are you unwell?"

"I am well, mother. Perhaps fatigued. " She looked nervously over her shoulder, "I would like to lay down please."

Cleo nodded, "Go nap before dinner, sweetie." She opened her mouth to say something else but T'Lyn had turned on her heel and left the kitchen.

Solok watched his daughter walk out of the kitchen, through the room and scale the steps. He turned back to Cleo when she was out of sight, "Her behavior is odd, but she seems to have her emotions in check. Still, she seems…"He sniffed, "I believe we should get a physician."

T'Pel spoke up, "I concur, she is pale."

Cleo nodded, "I'll comm the doctor."

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Voramik pulled his flitter into a discreet rock nook and opened a secure channel. S'Vec flickered on the screen, "You have a report, Voramik?"

"Sir, since my last report I believe things to be…improved. I just delivered her to her home, Sir. She is…unwell. I believe Tomak has pressed her mind again. She is…nearly non-responsive, and I tried to intervene, but it did not help. Tomak has…vanished Sir. "

S'Vec sneered, "When did he disappear? Why am I only now hearing about this?"

"Sir I found her unconscious moment before she was supposed to report to her parents. I had to stabilize her and deliver her to her home before suspicion was raised. Sir, I assure you, yesterday she seemed on the prescribed path, and today…"

"Find Tomak, I am on my way to Vulcan, if you haven't found him before I arrive you will die in his place." S'Vec slammed his fist against the console and the screen went black.

Tomak keyed in the frequency for Tomak's tracking device, nothing registered on the screen. He had to believe that he was taking matters into his own hands; he had to be planned on abducting T'Lyn. He commed one of his minor agents, "I want a list of all the departing shuttles, and orbiting ships downloaded to this console. Prepare a shuttle and put it in atmosphere, lock onto my signal and beam me to the shuttle on my mark." His agent nodded his understanding.

He leaned back in his seat. There were very few option left to him. He could return to the residence openly, but there was a likelihood that Tomak might have planned for that and was now poisoning the family against him. He could sneak into the home and abduct her before Tomak, and hope that S'Vec would see his securing the girl as service enough to not be killed for losing the traitor. There were so few options.

The console beeped, and he read through the list of departing shuttles, both the official record and the handful of off the books ships. There as a shuttle, off the books waiting for departure. Looking deeper it seemed to have been made ready in the early hours of the morning. There was obviously no flight plan logged. It was waiting twenty minutes from T'Lyn's home, in the middle of a small dessert region. There were only three ships in orbit, but Voramik knew there had to be a Romulan ship cloaked up there or nearby, the class of shuttle in the dessert would not get them very far or very fast. It did, however, have an impressive transporter system.

Voramik started his engine up. He pointed his flitter in the direction of the shuttle. He wished he was a praying man because he knew if he miscalculated Tomak plan he was dead, and the girl was lost, or worse.

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Cleo had just turned the comm off with the doctor, "He said he would be here soon, Solok."

Solok put his hands behind his back. He was about to speak when the door chimed. "That was impressive if that is the doctor." He and Cleo moved quickly to get the door.

Solok opened the door and a very bedraggled Tomak was standing there, green blood seeping from over his eye. "Osu," Tomak said as if he was gasping for air, "T'Sai, Osu…I have most distressing news, it concerns Voramik, and T'Lyn."

Solok and Cleo stepped aside letting him enter. "Tell us." Cleo demanded.

"T'Sai, forgive me…but, I believe T'Lyn is being abused by Voramik. I found her this morning in a most disturbing state, I moved to help her and …I believe he knocked me out. When I woke, she was gone."

Solok frowned, "He brought her here."

Tomak gasped, "Where is she we must see that she has not been taken. I found flight plans, I think he plans on taking her."

Cleo and Solok looked at each other, and they both began to run upstairs, as soon as their back were turned Tomak opened fire on them and they fell limply to the ground. He ran up the stairs, as the internal alarms began to sound. He cringed, not banking on the internal security of an ambassador's home. He kicked open the doors as he went pulling at T'Lyn though the bond he had formed with her, he heard her scream and ran toward the sound.

He kicked open her door and found her balled up on her bed.

T'Pel ran from the kitchen and saw Solok and Cleo lying face down on the floor. She checked their pulse, they were both still alive. She rolled Cleo over and her eyes parted, "Get…T'Lyn. " she muttered as she tried to rouse herself from the stunned state. "Take weapon."

T'Pel grabbed the sword that hung over the fireplace and ran toward T'Lyn's bedroom, leaving Cleo to try to rouse Solok.

Tomak grabbed her up with one arm and slung her over his shoulder, "Don't worry my pretty, soon we'll be alone, and we will be together, you and I. You'll like that. I will take you to a pretty planet and give you whatever you want."

When T'lyn screamed in reply he tossed her back on the bed and pointed his phaser at her, "I'm sorry my sweet, I cannot afford you playing games, not now." He fired the pistol at her chest.

He heard someone approaching and he grabbed T'Lyn up putting her in front of him he attempted to activate the transporter. Nothing happened. "Damn!" he swore, it must be the internal security. He was going to have to get out of the barrier of the home.

T'Pel stood at the door way, "Let go of my granddaughter."

"No! You don't understand. " Tomak said deathly calm, backing away from the woman and her sword, "One step toward me and I'll kill her, and you, and everyone else in this house. "

T'Pel froze seeing that there was already damage done to her granddaughter, "Give her to me, and you can go free. Just hand her over."

"NO!" he screamed, "You don't understand! She is mine! : He stepped up on the ledge of the window, and looked back. They were on the edge of a cliff. He was betting he could jump with T'Lyn and activate the transporter before they fell to their deaths.

T'Pel saw what he was doing, "No, please…you'll both be killed. Please…" She jumped toward him in hopes of snagging T'Lyn but they had vanished from the window ledge. It took all she had to look but when she did they were free falling into the chasm below. "NO!" T'Pel screamed and turned away, just as Solok and Cleo entered the room.

Solok rushed to the window as Cleo stood in silence her hand across her mouth, Solok turned, "They transported. I saw the flash. Come my wife. We will take the ambassadorial shuttle and use the scanners. We will find her, we will find them both. He will pay for this."