Emma looked around the cell Felix had shoved her back in to. They had taken Wash a few seconds later and he had been gone for quite a while. Luckily she couldn't hear what they were doing. She tried to get herself to relax, but that just let the guilt settle in more. Same with trying for a nap. Every time she closed her eyes, the faces of everyone she cared about would just flash by and she didn't want to think about that either.

She needed to think about how she was getting her and Wash out of this situation since it was her fault they were in it to begin with. Unfortunately, there didn't appear to be anything of use inside the cell.

Footsteps coming down the hall made her lift her head to look even though she really couldn't see much. There were two soldiers that walked by her cell after she heard the one next to her close. She waited until they faded to move to the front corner. She heard Wash breathing a bit on the heavy side and coughing nearby.

"Wash?"

"I didn't tell them anything," he muttered.

"While I appreciate it," she rolled her eyes, "I was actually more concerned about you."

"Don't be."

"Then I'll just sit here and drown in my guilt for getting us into this mess."

"Don't do that either," he gave a brief chuckle.

They sat in silence for a few moments. She heard Wash grunt and assumed he was probably trying to readjust himself.

"What happened?" Emma asked. "You don't sound ok."

"Tried to get me to talk," Wash coughed. "Tell them if I knew where the kid was. When they realized I wasn't going to, they decided they needed to figure out a different strategy. There was talk of shoving an AI in my head and having it root around and see what it can find out."

"Good thing they don't have one," Emma sighed leaning her head back against wall.

"Apparently he's pretty close to getting one."

"Wash, I'm sorry," Emma sighed. She felt her throat getting tight and her eyes start watering. "I'm so sorry. I-"

"Just stop it already. Everyone has to know by now we're missing. They'll figure it out and come get us." Emma knew he was trying to reassure the both of them, but it wasn't working in the least. At least not on her end. She didn't say anything though and did her best to keep the tears as silent as she could, resting her head on her knees.

"What's the plan?" North asked the second he, York and Ally walked into the make shift control room at the temple where Carolina was waiting for them. Her helmet was resting on the table in front of her and she had a tired look on her face.

"Why hello Agent North," Church retorted popping up, "How nice to see you here on such a pleasant day."

"Church," Carolina scolded as Ally ran over to give her a hug.

"What? He was the one being ru-"

"Just shut up already," Carolina sighed. She looked at her former team-mate. "We don't have much of one to be honest. We don't even know where to begin looking for them and there hasn't been any sort of ransom or anything yet."

"Give North a break," York said to the AI who had started grumbling. He removed his own helmet when he got closer, "Hey there Lina. Where's everyone else?"

"Patrol," she sighed as he kissed her cheek in greeting. "We're still on watch here for the pirates to show up. Kimball is assigning the rest and touching in with the other base."

"You guys sound like you have your hands full," York commented leaning back against the table next to her. Ally bounced over and shoved herself between them.

"We do," Carolina nodded placing a hand on Ally to halt the bouncing. "Did you give her coffee or something?" Ally giggled at the question and shook her head before grabbing the hand Carolina had put on her shoulder and examining it.

"So why did you have us come here then?" York asked curiously. "No plan, no idea, yet here we are."

"Maybe hoping that three heads are better than one," Carolina sighed. "That and if they were able to get their hands on Emma and Wash, then it was only a matter of time before they found you guys."

"How bout we figure out what we're going to do about finding Emma and Wash then?" North interrupted.

"Yea, I want to help too!" Ally added taking up to bouncing again next to Carolina.

"It's too dangerous for you to help," Carolina sighed.

"Daddy let me help on the last mission!" Ally argued. York held in a groan as Carolina turned to look at him. "I want to help find Aunty Emma and Uncle Wash too. It's my fault they got captured."

"Ally, I told you it's not your fault," York sighed ignoring the look of steel he was getting. "And your mom's right. This is a bit more dangerous than the last mission."

"But maybe I could throw off whatever guards there are again," Ally retorted.

"Again?" Carolina growled. "Ally, what kind of help did you do on the last mission?"

"Nothing really," Ally answered quietly realizing she said too much.

Carolina looked up at York, "Would you care to fill me in?"

"You really think I would let her do anything dangerous?" York asked.

"I don't know, would you?"

"Of course not. Why would you think that?"

"I don't know, maybe because you've had a knack for letting her do things she shouldn't be doing?"

"That doesn't mean I take her out on a mission and let her involve herself."

"It was my idea, Momma," Ally provided helpfully. "Don't be mad at Daddy."

"What was your idea?" Carolina asked turning to look at Ally.

Ally looked up at York before glancing at North and then back at her dad. He let out a sigh, "You already said too much. Might as well just tell her."

"Fine," Ally huffed. She looked at Carolina, "But you can't be mad at anyone because it already happened and it worked."

"Whatever," Carolina rolled her eyes. "Just spit it out already."

"There was two guards and Daddy and Uncle North weren't sure if there were more so I went up and asked them."

"You did what?" Carolina growled.

Ally kicked at the floor, "I pretended I was lost and went up and asked them if there was anyone else around which there wasn't and then Daddy yelled drop and I dropped to the ground and then Daddy and Uncle North shot them." Carolina turned her glare on both North and York. Ally grabbed her arm, "You can't be mad at them though because it was my idea and I didn't really tell Daddy until I was already doing it and it turned out ok and helped out on the mission so no being mad at anyone."

Carolina glanced at the other two adults before looking down at Ally, "Fine."

"Besides, Daddy already yelled at me," Ally admitted.

"Did he now?"

"Well, not yell. We had a mature discussion about how to handle any future plans of hers," York added.

"Which there won't be," Carolina looked down at Ally. Ally shrugged at her in response. "I mean it Ally."

"Ok, but what if you or Daddy or anyone else needs a really good idea for how to surprise someone?" Ally asked.

"No more ideas that pertain to dangerous situations where people are potentially getting shot," Carolina remedied.

"Any surprise involving you could end in someone getting potentially shot," Church decided to pipe in.

"Church does have a pretty good point," York chuckled.

"Can we get back to the real problem here?" North huffed. "You guys can duke this out once Emma and Wash are back. Now what are we doing?"

"Waiting. It's all we can do," Carolina answered.

"Not good enough," North shook his head.

"What else do you want us to do, North?" Carolina huffed. "We have nothing to go on."

"Do you still have Emma's equipment?" he asked.

"Yes, but what good is that going to do?"

"Has Church tried back tracking the message the Chairman sent her?" North asked. Both remained silent. "Has he?"

"I uh…haven't gotten around to it," Church admitted.

"Or thought of it apparently," North huffed.

"We don't know if that's where she is though. He could have her and Wash anywhere," Carolina pointed out.

"Yes, but it's a place to start," York replied. "Besides, even if Emma and Wash aren't directly with the Chairman, maybe Church checking out the trail could get him back into that system and he could ultimately find out where they are."

"Or set off a million different alarms in the process," Carolina argued.

"It's a risk we'll have to take if we want them back," North replied.

"Think you can do it Church?" York asked looking at the hologram.

"I can't guarantee anything, but I can try," Church nodded.

York looked back at Carolina, "It's the best shot we have at this point in time."

Carolina took a few moments to see if she could think of something better before nodding her head, "Go head Church. Just be careful. We don't need you pushing yourself too far again."

"Hey, I got this," Church chuckled.

"Ya know, I have much better things to do than cater you back and forth," Felix huffed. "I keep telling the man to just let me go about my own way of things, but nope. He doesn't want a hair harmed on your head until he says so. Such a waste..."

"Where's your partner?" Emma ventured.

"Around. Don't you worry about it sweet-cheeks."

"Can you not call me that?" she huffed he walked her back into the same room she had been in earlier. The screen was black this time. "I thought he wanted to talk to me again."

"He does," Felix shrugged. "Maybe I wanted a chat with you first." Emma glanced up at him. "See, there's a few things I'm curious about."

"Like where your brain went?"

Felix got dangerously close to her, his armor pushing her down into a seat near the computer screen, "What I'm curious about is why all of a sudden after staying away from that Carolina bitch, you magically show up back next to her." Emma tried to keep her face a blank as possible. "Cuz we've been keeping track of certain comings and goings when we could and you, let alone a midget, never really popped up on the radar. When you did, there was two other mystery dudes with you. And now, we come to find you with those idiotic sim troopers, no midget brat kid running around. Know where I think she is?" Emma stared him down. "I think she's with the mystery guys. So who are they?"

Emma was saved from attempting not to answer the question when the door opened and the old Project Freelancer Counselor stepped in the room.

"Felix, you are to go meet up with Locus," he said looking at the mercenary.

"I'm not done with her." Price gave the mercenary a hard look until he finally shrugged. He looked down at Emma, "Until next time sweet-cheeks."

"Bite me," Emma spat as he chuckled at her, sauntering from the room. She caught sight of two guards standing outside the door. So much for taking Price out and attempting to get out. There wasn't much she could do in her under armor alone and the guys stationed outside were in full armor and while her shoulder was semi-healed, it was still pretty useless for fighting. She looked up at Price, "What do you want?"

"I could ask you the same question," he replied putting his hands behind his back. "But I'm sure I already know that answer to that. You want Ally safe." Emma glared at him. "If you cooperate, the Chairman may grant you leniency and let you continue to raise her."

"Sure he would," Emma growled. "Only because he wants nothing to do with her except use her for his political power game."

"I think your father would be hurt to hear you think that of him."

Emma gave a bark of laughter, "Like it isn't true. You know more than anyone what he did to the Director and what he's trying to do now. Blood isn't all the important to him. You don't think he'd take advantage of the fact that he could gain yet more favor for losing both his daughter and his granddaughter in some tragic accident?" Price remained quiet. "He may have me, but he will never lay his hands on Ally ever again. My question to you is, are you really going to risk the life of an eight year old little girl who is nothing but a bystander in this? I know the Director may have been a harsh and uncaring man in the end, but do you really think he meant this for Ally? He cared about Carolina at one point in his life, why not her too?"

"The Director was a broken man."

"That you followed loyally until they took you prisoner," Emma growled, "and you let him rip her from her mother to hand her off to someone who only used her to further his political status and solidified both of your ends. And you're about to follow another man blindly right back into the very cell he pulled you out of."

"I may have been loyal to the Director, but that doesn't mean he told me everything," Price commented as he turned away from her. "There was quite a bit I was blind to back then as well. One thing I did know was that he believed that his granddaughter would have a better life away from all this. He thought it was her best chance what with the Meta going after the remaining AIs and the Freelancers on the run. It was only a matter of time before each one was arrested and tried for what they had done or worse, killed. Should that have happened while Ally was in the care of her mother, she would have been thrust into foster care, just like Agent York had been. The Director thought this was the best chance for her."

"I'd say he was mistaken then, because look at what she's involved in now," Emma growled.

"That is an unfortunate mistake."

"Mistake because she's back with her mother?" Emma pointed out coolly. She sat up a bit and looked at the man in front of her, "What was the point of erasing her memory anyway? Did you really think it would never come back or did you all expect her to be killed before she had the chance to recover them?"

"Another unfortunate mishap," Price replied.

"How was erasing someone's memory a mishap?" Emma snapped. "Or is because he knew that he just made an enemy out of his own daughter?" Price chose not to answer. Emma leaned back in the seat and gave him a smug look, "You know, none of it really matters anyway because once the UNSC finds out what it is that my own father is doing, you'll both be sitting in a jail cell again."