A/N: So, to everyone who's been wondering why I haven't updated, a week's vacation ends up taking a week at least to catch up and recover from. As always, thanks to my beta who goes through this thing for me. Reviews are my addiction, and since you people got me hooked, you have to feed it. If you saw it on the screen, I don't own it.
"Captain, we have entered orbit around Betazed."
Jim looked at the view screen apprehensively as the planet came into view, along with a Cardassian ship. The planet was beautiful, but Jim knew that somewhere on that planet, crew from the Solaris were waiting to take Bones. He hadn't come up with a single idea how to stop this. He just knew that he couldn't let it happen.
Bones' formal protests, all twenty seven of them, were acknowledged but ignored. Spock had also lodged an official protest against Starfleet's "deliberate attempt to separate him from his husband in order to conduct the grossest violations of privacy and personal choice", a protest that drew the attention of Vulcan's ambassador to Earth. Apparently the admiralty had not fully disclosed the details of the transfer. Sarek had lodged his own complaint, on behalf of the High Council, that the doctor and his mate must not be separated.
Despite all the protests, Starfleet persisted in ordering Bones' transfer. Spock had discovered (through some unofficial and highly illegal hacking of Starfleet data banks) that the reason for the transfer was the presence of a certain distinguished scientist currently serving on the Solaris. Dr. Chang was Starfleet's preeminent scientist and physician, considered by some to be one of the greatest doctors in the Federation (an opinion Chang shared). It was only right that the most prominent physician be given what had fast become Starfleet's greatest medical case.
"Captain, we're being hailed."
"On screen."
A Betazoid woman appeared on the screen, seated behind a desk.
"Captain Kirk. We are pleased to welcome the Enterprise to our negotiations. You and your team may beam down at your convenience. I look forward to meeting you in person."
"We thank you for your hospitality."
The transmission ended, and Jim stood, stretching, before he looked back to Spock's station. His First Officer was watching him, almost expressionless.
"Well Spock, let's get this over with. Chekov, you have the con."
Spock rose and followed Jim to the transporter room. They were silent as they waited for the security detail to join them. Spock had nothing to say that had not already been said. He would not allow them to take Leonard from him, regardless of the orders from the admiralty. Further debate over the issue was illogical. He had taken the time required for the journey to Betazed to prepare. The ship was ready, stocked with provisions for the journey and anything that might be needed for Leonard. If Dr. Sayers' idea (which she had not revealed to him) was unsuccessful, he would take Leonard and leave. The colony was in need of Healers; Leonard could still practice medicine. It did not matter what Jim had to say; if Starfleet did not rescind the transfer, they were leaving.
"So glad you guys could join us, Cupcake," Jim commented as the security detail finally arrived in the transporter room.
"Sorry Captain. Ensign Parrish had a minor emergency which required a visit to Sickbay. We had to wait for his return."
"Is everything alright with Parrish now?"
"Yes sir."
"Alright then. Four to beam out, Ensign Rivers."
They took their places on the transporter pad, and in moments found themselves on the surface of Betazed. They were immediately greeted by the woman he'd just spoken with, and a Cardassian. Another Cardassian followed, at a respectful distance. Jim got the distinct impression he wasn't the only one concerned with security during this negotiation.
"Captain Kirk, welcome. I'm Larana Troi, and this is Gul Renat, emissary from the Cardassian Empire."
Renat was eyeing the away team in frank appraisal. Jim thought it strange that, though the basic introductions were made, Larana Troi failed to mention the part she was to play in these negotiations. He had to wonder if it was a deliberate omission.
"My First Officer, Commander Spock."
Spock and Renat stared at each other, their expressions unyielding. Troi was watching the exchange with interest, but Jim was concerned at the passive aggression displayed by both men. The last thing they needed was an intergalactic incident.
"Is this the whole of your party? Dr. McCoy did not come with you?"
Jim didn't think it was possible for Spock to stiffen more. He was proven wrong when the Betazoid woman asked after Bones, and the Vulcan's glare transferred from the Cardassian to her.
"Dr. McCoy remains on the Enterprise," he practically growled. Larana blinked, and almost took a step back at the vehemence in his tone.
"How disappointing. Will he be joining us at any time?"
"Why take such an interest in Dr. McCoy. If you are-"
Spock was silenced by the application of Jim's elbow to his side, very near his heart. It was not a sharp blow, but it startled him enough that he cut off, and looked at Jim questioningly. Jim shook his head in warning.
"A colleague of mine, Dr. Derrin Sel, hoped to meet your doctor. He is an admirer of Dr. McCoy's work in the field of neurosurgery in alien species."
Ah. She was not attempting—he had overreacted. He had believed his control was better; it would seem he was mistaken. Their hostess had not intended to attempt to separate them, but he had immediately interpreted her question as a threat.
"It might be possible for Dr. Sel to meet Dr. McCoy on the Enterprise," Jim offered, "but the doctor will not be coming down to the planet's surface."
Bones had decided that the simplest way to avoid the Solaris was not to leave the Enterprise. If they wanted him so badly, they would have to try to take him by force. Strictly speaking, his presence wasn't necessary for the negotiations; his orders were simply to leave with the crew of the Solaris who'd come to meet him, once the negotiations were over.
Larana was watching the humans curiously, but Spock had relaxed fractionally, so Jim wasn't too worried. If she was trying to read their minds, Spock would know it, and he wouldn't be happy about it.
"I am certain that Derrin would be delighted to have a chance to see the Enterprise, and to meet Dr. McCoy in person. If that is Dr. McCoy's wish, it will be arranged."
Spock nodded his acceptance. It would be much easier to control who had access to his mate on the ship. This Dr. Sel could meet with Leonard without having to fear that he would be removed to the Solaris.
"If you will come with me, gentlemen, I will show you to your rooms, and you can meet the others attending the negotiations."
Spock cast an imploring (for a Vulcan) look at Jim. Jim assumed it was supposed to be an imploring look. Both eyebrows were slightly raised, one just slightly higher than the other. Jim could guess what Spock wanted.
"I'm afraid Commander Spock will have to return to the ship for the night. But I am looking forward to enjoying your hospitality," Jim informed their host. That earned another curious look from the Betazoid, and the Cardassian, a look that Jim ignored. Spock was looking at him with gratitude, and that was enough to set his position. He wasn't going to be the one to try to keep a Vulcan away from his mate when there was a threat to the pair. If their hosts were insulted, well, they would just have to deal with it later.
"Very well then. Follow me, if you will, gentlemen."
They followed her, through a maze of hallways, to what Larana informed them was the government house until Jim was certain that he'd be completely lost if he ended up on his own somehow. Fortunately, Cupcake was paying careful attention to their route as was Ensign Roberts. They would be with him at all times; they wouldn't let him get lost and cause an accident.
"Negotiations won't begin in earnest until this evening, so once you've seen your rooms, you're free to do as you like," Larana finally stopped in a hallway with several doors, and opened the first.
"This will be your room, Captain Kirk, and your men will be just next door. You are just down the hall from a delegation from the Solaris, as well as Gul Renat and the rest of the Cardassian delegation. I trust you will find your quarters comfortable."
"I'm sure we will. Thank you, Ms. Troi."
It was a good thing Spock wasn't staying on the planet. Housing him beside the Solaris crew was just asking for trouble. Jim wasn't sure how comfortable he was with being housed so close to the Cardassians. They weren't exactly enemies of the Federation, at the moment, but they weren't allies, either. It was a shaky truce, at the moment.
"I assure you, Captain Kirk, we have no plans to attack the Betazoid or the Federation during this little negotiation." Gul Renat smirked at him, as if reading his mind, before leaving them to themselves. Wonderful.
ST-ST
Leonard was on the observation deck when his communicator beeped. He'd taken to daily walks around the ship, usually ending up on this deck. Walking was one of the few exercises it was safe for him to engage in. Moderate swimming could also be allowed, but he knew there was no way he could limit himself to a pace they called "moderate". So he settled for walking.
"Dr. McCoy, Starfleet Medical is trying to reach you. Admiral Boyce said it's important."
Leonard really wanted to ignore it. He knew what Boyce wanted, and he didn't feel like getting into yet another argument with the man he was quickly coming to despise. After so many assurances that he was eager to help Leonard any way he could, Boyce pulled a complete one eighty, and was now siding with Archer and Barnett, who wanted him where they could keep an eye on him. He was sick of the arguments, the hostility, and the orders. There was nothing this Dr. Chang, a man he wasn't terribly impressed with, could do for him on the Solaris that Neale couldn't do for him on the Enterprise. And he didn't trust that, if he went, he would be sent back to the Enterprise once the babies were born.
"Doctor?"
"I'll call him back, Lieutenant." he couldn't remember the name of the poor young man who alternated shifts with Nyota.
"He's holding for you, doctor. He insisted."
"Of course he did. Alright Lieutenant, just leave him on hold and I'll take it in my quarters."
So much for a peaceful walk. Leonard made his way slowly back to his quarters, taking as long as he could. He wasn't in any hurry to take this call. It took twice as long to reach his quarters as it normally should, but he was okay with that. When he finally sat on his couch and pulled up his personal terminal, he'd made Boyce wait for over twenty minutes. Good. It was obvious that the admiral didn't care for waiting, when his annoyed face filled the screen.
"Admiral."
"McCoy. Dr. Leighton informed me that you refused to approve his transfer onto the Enterprise. That you won't let him onto the ship."
"That's correct, Admiral. I'm not leaving the ship just to become someone's research subject, so there's no need for a temporary CMO."
He resisted to the urge to add the "dumbass" to the end of that statement. They'd been over this, repeatedly. He was getting tired of seeing Boyce, Barnett, or Archer daily.
"Leonard, you'll be on the Solaris in just a few days. I know you don't want to leave, but we're trying to do what's best for you and your baby."
"There's nothing Chang can do that Sayers can't, Admiral. There's no reason for me to leave here!"
"The Solaris has the most advanced research facilities in Starfleet, outside of Starfleet Medical."
"I'm carrying a humanoid baby, Admiral, not a hippo! I need an obstetrician, not a research facility. If you wanted to transfer me, you should have done it when I asked for it!"
Boyce sighed, and Leonard bit back a curse. What did Boyce have to be mad about? He wasn't the one raped by a Vulcan and now carrying said Vulcan's twins. No, that was all Leonard Horatio McCoy. When had his life become some damn Sci-Fi soap opera like the ones Jim liked to watch?
"Leonard, I don't have to tell you how important, how groundbreaking, really, your pregnancy is. A lot of people want answers, Starfleet and Vulcan, and we need you in the best facility possible, where you can be attended by the best doctors we have. That's on the Solaris."
Leonard just shook his head.
"I'm not going, Boyce. Chang is an asshole, and I'm not putting myself in his hands. I have the right to choose whether to remain on board during my pregnancy, and I choose to stay."
"Dr. McCoy, you've been given a direct order."
"So court martial me. I still ain't goin' to the Solaris. I'm not anyone's damn science project."
"We don't want it to come to a court martial, Leonard. But they will, if they have to, bring you up on charges. And you'll still end up on the Solaris. Do yourself a favor, and make this easy on yourself."
"Not a chance, Admiral. You guys have screwed with my life enough. I'm not about to go quietly while you try to ship me off to become some experiment."
He cut off the call, not in the mood to listen to any more of Boyce's arguments. Now they were threatening a court martial. Wonderful.
He understood their position, he really did. This pregnancy was unprecedented: he'd never heard of a male who didn't have the Carrier gene becoming pregnant. Everyone wanted answers as to how it happened, especially him. He could understand wanting to put him on a space station, where everyone would have access to him. He'd probably even make that recommendation to someone else in his condition.
But it all boiled down to the simple fact that a pregnant crewmember of a star ship had the right to choose whether to carry out their pregnancy on ship, or transfer to a space station, or go planet side. Leonard had made that choice, but for some reason, Starfleet seemed to think they could simply overrule his right to choose, based on the circumstances of the pregnancy. And there was no way in hell he was going along with that, not after they'd already taken away his other choices.
"You are troubled, Leonard?"
Spock must be back on the ship. Blocking the bond was turning out to require a lot more effort than he'd hoped. Senek had assured him that with time he would have no problems maintaining a constant block, but for now, he couldn't go much more than four hours without having to take a break. And of course, Spock was aware when that happened. He did have to give the Vulcan some credit; Spock was no longer pushing him to communicate mentally. He continued to "speak", and transmit thoughts and emotions, but no longer attempted to force an answer. Leonard was fairly sure that it was simply a reflex for Spock to speak across the bond.
The chime at his door was unexpected, and it slid open to reveal Spock standing on the other side.
"Spock? Is something wrong?"
"It is 2000 hours, Leonard."
Leonard looked over at his clock, and sure enough, it was 8:00 pm. Jim called it "date time", or "baby connecting time", which usually resulted in serious threats with hypo sprays. Leonard had just figured out that it was easier to have that minimal contact when his shift was over, and he was already dropping the block from sheer exhaustion. Spock had suggested that it would be easier on the human to be in close physical proximity, and since Leonard hadn't been able to detect any ulterior motives, he'd agreed to it.
"Alright, just give me a second."
He left Spock standing in his doorway while he shut down his terminal and hurriedly changed his clothes. He'd already changed out of his uniforms, but he felt a little underdressed in his gym clothes. They would end up somewhere with the rest of the crew, as he insisted. Plus, he really wanted out of the sneakers and into some comfortable sandals. The last thing he was aware of before he lost consciousness was Spock calling his name.
"Leonard? Can you hear me?"
He knew that voice, and turned his head in that direction as he fought to open his eyes.
"Oh good, he's coming around. Now Leonard, don't try to sit up too quickly. I want you to stay lying down."
He was in his room; that much he could tell. But what was he doing in bed? And why on earth was Neale here?
"What happened?"
"You fainted, Leonard. I summoned Dr. Sayers."
That was when he noticed the tumult of worry and concern in his head, and the fact that Spock was sitting in a chair right beside him, holding his hand.
"That's ridiculous. I've never fainted before in my life!"
"Congratulations, Leonard McCoy, now you have. You want to tell me why you fainted?"
He batted at Neale's hand, which was currently waving a tricorder over him, and tried to sit up.
"I told you not to sit up," she warned him before he was even halfway up, and Spock gently pushed him back down.
"You must listen to Dr. Sayers, Ashayam."
"I'm fine, Neale," he tried to sit up again, but Spock's hand easily held him down, "I don't know what happened, but I'm fine now."
"Your blood sugar is extremely low. When did you last eat?"
Oh. He had to think about it. He'd missed dinner because of the call from Boyce. Had he eaten lunch? Yes—no, he didn't. He'd had an emergency surgery come in that took nearly three hours.
"I had breakfast. It's been a busy day."
"That was over twelve hours ago, Leonard."
Yeah, Spock was pissed. The anger suddenly surging through Leonard's body certainly didn't belong to the human.
"It's hardly the first time. I've only missed a meal; it's not that big a deal. Ow!" he yelped as Neale cuffed him in the back of the head. She completely ignored Spock's growling, and his tense posture, as she directed her remarks to her patient.
"It may not be a big deal when it's just you that you have to worry about, Leonard. But you know as well as I do that pregnancy changes everything. Especially this pregnancy. Don't make me order supervised meal times for you. You know I'll do it," her eyes narrowed as he glared at her, as if daring her to try it, "I'll ask the Commander to oversee your eating habits."
"That's just low, Neale."
"Don't test my patience, young man."
"You will not do this to yourself again, Leonard."
He didn't need the mental contact to know that Spock had every intention of following through with Neale's threat. He wouldn't put it past the Vulcan to force feed him, if he thought it necessary.
"Look, it wasn't intentional, alright? I had an emergency surgery, and then this damn call from Boyce interrupted—I didn't skip eating on purpose."
"What call from Admiral Boyce, Leonard?"
"The one where he threatened to court martial me if I didn't just make things easy on myself and move to the Solaris."
Neither human in the room could miss the way that Spock stiffened.
Gone too far, will not happen, cannot lose ashayam, gone too far
"Spock!"
Leonard saw what Spock planned, and he was horrified. How long had Spock been planning to kidnap him? Had he ever planned to keep his promise of backing off? Was Senek teaching him to block the damned connection simply some sort of distraction, so that he wouldn't figure out what Spock was really up to?
"You can't do that!"
"I will do what is necessary. I will NOT let them take you from me, Ashayam. I will not lose you, or our children."
"Well, I think I'm done here, gentlemen. Leonard, make sure you eat something. Now. And take it easy for the rest of the night. You should be fine for duty by your next shift. Spock, don't do anything rash," she warned him as she left him alone. The Vulcan either didn't hear that advice, or decided to simply ignore it. Leonard could tell that Spock's resolve to leave the Enterprise and haul him off to the colony was strengthening.
"I'm not going."
Spock ignored his mate's declaration as he stood. If Starfleet was so determined to separate them, then Leonard's opinion could not matter, not if Spock was going to keep him safe. Leonard's opinion of him was less important than safeguarding their children. He could not protect them if they were taken from him.
"Did you hear me? I'm not going to your colony. I'm not leaving the ship."
"We may no longer have a choice, Ashayam. I will not allow them to take you away from me."
"You planned this from the start!"
"No," Spock denied. He would answer for his shortcomings, but he would not accept such accusations. "I give my word that I did not, Leonard. I fully intended to remain on the Enterprise, and allow you what freedom I could. Teaching you to block the bond was no distraction. But if the Federation will not see reason, we cannot stay. We must go where I can take care of you. All of you. I cannot let them take you so far away from me."
Leonard would understand. He MUST understand. He must know that Spock could not bear a separation of such a time and distance. Their bond could not bear it. It would hurt the children Leonard carried to be so separated.
If the human refused to understand, it would be regrettable. But that would not deter Spock from taking his family to his new home world, where he would be safe, and left in relative peace. They would be free of Starfleet if they left. Eventually, Leonard would come to accept his new home.
"You must eat," he finally remembered what he must do at present. Leonard must take nourishment, and then rest. "What would you prefer for dinner?"
"I'd prefer you to get out of here. I'm not goin'."
Spock did not comment. He simply made his way to the replicator and punched in an order for foods that he'd seen Leonard eat before, and then carried them back. When Leonard tried to sit up, Spock slipped an arm around his mate's torso and pulled him up.
"I'm not a damn invalid!"
"I never said that you were, Leonard. You must eat now."
Leonard eyed what Spock set in front of him, but had to admit that the Vulcan hadn't chosen anything he'd complain about. And he WAS hungry. He picked up a fork and started into the food until he noticed that Spock was still sitting, watching him.
"Are you just going to sit there and watch me eat?"
"I intend to make certain you finish your meal."
"That isn't necessary, Spock. I don't need adult supervision."
"Judging from today's events, you do."
Leonard glared at the Vulcan, but continued to eat. It was pointless to argue about his eating habits, when he had something so much bigger to worry about. If Spock wouldn't see reason—
"You think me unreasonable?"
He could tell that Spock was hurt by that, but—he just couldn't go to the colony. Much as he hated the idea of the Solaris, it would be better than going to New Vulcan. He knew that if Spock managed to get him to the colony, he'd never leave it.
"I think that running off isn't going to fix this."
"And yet you tried to do the same, did you not?"
Leonard saw the anger briefly flash across the Vulcan's face before it was suppressed, and fought back a shudder. If Spock lost control and lashed out, there wouldn't be anything Leonard could do to stop him.
"You attempted to leave me, leave this ship, rather than face the issue of our bond."
"And look how well that turned out!"
Spock shot from his seat, causing Leonard to jump. The dinner tray clattered to the floor, unnoticed by the two of them. Spock struggled to get himself in check. He must not—he was frightening Leonard, he could feel it through the bond. Where was the control he prided himself on? What was it about Leonard that chased logic and control away? It was most disconcerting to realize that his mate could do this to him.
"I-I would not harm you, or our children, Ashayam. We would have a life on the colony, free of those who would separate us. You could continue to practice medicine on the planet, and we would be left alone."
"Except for all of your damned Vulcan scientists who want a piece of this pregnancy!"
"No, Leonard. I would not allow it. Only the Healer who would deliver the children would monitor you, if you wish."
"I'm not going! How many times do I have to say it?"
"Why do you refuse to understand me? I am not—you cannot judge this situation from your human standards, Leonard. I am not human. I cannot lose you and our children. It is only logical to remove ourselves from Starfleet, and that is what we will do, if they attempt to force you to leave."
He finally noticed the overturned tray on the floor, and knelt down to clean it up. It was fortunate that Leonard had finished, there was actually very little mess.
"Spock, listen to me very carefully. I. Am. Not. Going. You try to take me to the colony and I will fight you every step of the way."
Spock stood, tray in hand, and set it on the table.
"Then let us hope it does not come to that. I would not wish to begin life on the colony with such animosity between us, Ashayam. I will leave you to your rest now."
Leonard gave into the urge to hurl the tray at him as he left, and he heard the thud as it hit the door that closed behind him. This constant conflict with his mate was growing tiresome. They had to maintain some form of peace, yet every effort Spock made seemed to backfire. He did not wish to force Leonard from the ship that had become his home. He would much prefer to stay. Life on the colony would not be easy, not when most full Vulcans still viewed him as an aberration.
Why could Leonard not see that he had no choice? How did one reason with a most unreasonable human? Loathe as he was to admit it, in this area he was lost. He did not know Leonard well, despite his attempts at learning more of his mate. He did not know how to reach him. He did not understand his mate, and did not know to whom he could turn for counsel.
A thought occurred to him. There was one he could ask, who knew Leonard better than anyone, even better perhaps than Jim. But would she speak to him?
ST-ST
"This had better be good," Scarlett muttered to herself as her personal terminal continued to beep at her. Her day had been bad enough that she just wanted to grab a drink, run a hot bath, and soak with a good book. Instead, she had an incoming transmission from the—Enterprise? What the-? Len always called her from his personal terminal, but this was a number she didn't recognize. Who else would be calling her?
"Spock? What—did something happen to Len?"
She was shocked to see that the Vulcan had contacted her, and had to assume that something was wrong. She hadn't spoken to Len for more than five minutes at a time in a few weeks, so she really didn't know too much about what was going on, apart from the fact that Starfleet was trying to cause even bigger problems for the man.
"He is well, but things are—complicated."
She'd never seen a Vulcan so close to having a panic attack. What was she missing?
"Alright, spill it," she ordered as she grabbed her drink and settled into the chair to listen. She could honestly say she never expected to play counselor to Spock, but she was ready to do so if it meant helping Len.
"I have spilled nothing, Dr. O'Hara."
"Don't be so literal, Spock. You know exactly what I mean. Fill me in on the situation."
Half an hour later, Scarlett found herself wishing she had another drink. Honestly, had the entire Admiralty taken leave of their senses? Of course they had. She was disappointed. She'd thought that Admiral Pike at least had a modicum of sense. He'd been on the Enterprise with her during "The Incident" involving Vulcan martial arts and an operation for a punctured lung. He knew how Spock would react to a threat. But on to more important issues, namely, the issue of Spock trying to force Len off the Enterprise.
"Do you actually have a plan for getting Len off the ship, or are you just venting?"
"I have a ship, Dr. O'Hara."
So this was an actual threat, then. Alright then.
"I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but you're not being Vulcan enough."
To one who was familiar with Vulcan facial expressions, the confusion was clear. One eyebrow was raised slightly, and he looked blank.
"I do not understand your meaning, doctor."
"Spock, you're too emotional on this. Don't get me wrong, I think it's awesome, but if it does come down to leaving the ship, you will have to convince Len that it's the best solution, and you won't do that by insisting that you just know it."
"Then what would you suggest?"
"That the admirals pull their heads out of their collective asses and realize they're just shooting themselves in the foot with this. For you? Len's a scientist, just like you, and that's your best bet. I don't want to sound like a petty bitch when I say this, but we both know that the only reason he'd ever agree to leave with you is for the safety of the children he's carrying, right?"
Spock nodded on the small screen, but Scarlett could swear she saw a brief flash of hurt in his eyes.
"Then you have to show him proof that such a long separation would hurt them. You can't be the only Vulcan who's ever faced a long separation from an expectant mate. You have to have records of relevant cases somewhere in your data banks. Find the data."
"Data."
"Yes. Scientifically proven data of what could happen to the children he carries. Find that, and make your case. That's going to be your best hope for cooperation from him. But Spock, don't try to take him to the colony unless it becomes impossible to stay. If you manage to get him off the Enterprise, only to find out that the admiralty changed its mind, he'll never forgive you."
"Thank you, doctor."
"You're welcome, Commander. But if it gets to that point, call me, because Len sure as hell won't talk to you if you take him off to New Vulcan."
"I will."
She would have ended the connection, but Spock stopped her. He looked almost hesitant to say whatever was on his mind.
"You should know, doctor, that your son is alive. He was on one of the transports that escaped the planet before it was destroyed."
Rhys was alive? He didn't die on Vulcan?
"You're certain?"
If she got her hopes up, only to find out that Spock was wrong and Rhys was dead, she didn't think she'd be able to handle it.
"I am. My father made inquiries after our last meeting. He survived."
Scarlett couldn't help the distaste coloring her tone.
"And why should I believe anything your father has to say concerning my son?"
"I can make no excuses for what he did, but he believed he was acting in your son's best interests. He has no reason to lie."
"Where, where is he?"
"I do not know. He would not tell me the child's location, only that he lives."
That was something. As long as Rhys was alive, she would find him.