Again in civilian garb, the pair hurried to San Diego. Alyssa had more time to devote to the activity and Kirk hardly cared about the delayed conference with the Thyrians. It will give them an additional two hours to find Jason Lattimer and hopefully before the Thyrians do. If he was tagged as a prisoner and might be part of the peace agreement, then they needed to locate him fast before he was surprised by either his grandmother's people or Starfleet itself.

Stepping out of the transport, Alyssa tripped over her feet. Kirk grabbed her before she hit the pavement, steadying her and walking by her side. Copying the same cover as they did before, they beelined to the map and studied it for a few minutes. To each other, they noted the places they already checked out and marked the others they had not. With so much to cover, they split the chore into three days, which they did not have. Their additional optimism turned into completing it before leaving for San Francisco later.

The first hour dragged. The two were more concerning about not being discovered that they headed to a restaurant first so that they appeared less like Starfleet officers. They lunched in silence, slipping into the familiar small talk about the weather, friends and family. During the course of this break, Kirk asked about the children. He learned more about Ryder and Ali than he had in the last decade. While he did not regret the agreement they made when Ali was born, he did have to drown a gnawing feeling in his stomach. There was so much he missed.

Regardless, life had to go on. He could not dwell on the past. What's done was done. In the long run, especially with Synprilox destroyed and many lives lost, it was best that he disassociated himself from Alyssa. However, the way things were running, he might have to face these things head-on.

He was so stuck in his thoughts that Alyssa noticed when she did not receive an answer to a question. "Hello, Jim? You ok?"

"What?" Kirk paused, recovering himself. "Yes. Yes, I am. Why?"

"You're spacing." The security officer let out an uncharacteristic giggle.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that you're staring into nothing and are so deep in thought that you aren't paying attention to shit. What's bothering you?"

Kirk waved the concern away. "Nothing."

"Are you upset about not being there for Ryder and Ali?"

"I said it was nothing."

Alyssa did not press the matter further. The reply from Kirk was pretty sharp. "I understand. Ready to go?"

The admiral agreed. They settled the establishment's payment requirements and set out again, linked arm-in-arm. While they roamed aimlessly for half an hour, Alyssa thought. She should not have talked about the children. Kirk had inquired kindly to avoid chatting about their assignment and she had obliged. She rolled into the best, funniest and even most annoying moments with Ali and Ryder. The most she talked about them though, the more Kirk withdrew. He would reply and laugh automatically after a while, but it changed everything about him.

It made Kirk more distant. Taking this into consideration, Alyssa decided that it was best to focus on their mission. No longer feeling close, she tried playacting her part and felt that it was forced. In any case, she had to push herself. Moving forward, she kept an eye out for anything unusual. So far, they did not see anything that merited their attention. Every so often though, Kirk would point to something out to Alyssa. She would mentally log it.

Finally, towards the end of the day, they saw somebody that might have fit in the description of the person they were looking for. While walking through the neighborhood that most Jolklins resides, they noticed a man that was similar to a Thyrian, standing outside watering his plants. Although the Jolklins were close in appearance to the Thyrians, the only characteristic that separated them was the hair color and the fact that this one also had some humanistic features.

Kirk nudged Alyssa. She saw the same thing he did and smiled. They both took down the address silently and began their return, considering the excursion to be a success and without the expected work. By the time they reached the pick-up site though, Alyssa was exhausted. She was doing everything in her power not to lean on Kirk so heavily and almost mouthed a girlish squeal of delight when their ride arrived. She was relieved when they boarded and were traveling back to San Francisco.

Curling up against Kirk, the security officer allowed herself a brief moment to relax and not be on high alert. Ever since Ryder was born and she had been kidnapped by Admiral Uriah, she never lapsed in this duty. She was always on the lookout and stalking, driving herself to the point of paranoia, and even lost nights of sleep thinking of people she would never personally know and were more important than she ever will be. Now, she could not help but think that, for a few hours, she was an ordinary person, not an officer of Starfleet, and that she could stroll through a city and not be recognized, nagged at or ordered around.

Eventually, she felt the urge to talk halfway through the trip. "You never answered my question, Jim."

Kirk turned to her, quieter. "Which one?"

"At lunch. Are you really that bothered?"

"About what?"

Alyssa thought that Kirk was dense sometimes. "The children. Ryder and Ali."

"Ahh." He paused. "Can we…discuss this later?"

The request was rational and she agreed. Alyssa saw the pain behind Kirk's eyes. She knew what it was like to bury that deep inside and to not want to talk about it. She recalled years of keeping old hurts secret. Before events spiraled out of her control, she remembered being a scared young girl, abused by her parents and suffering the guilt of her older brother's death. She even reserved some when her husband was killed. Recovering on Synprilox had been a lifesaver, but it also was her undoing in another way.

Another story for another day.

Upon arrival, the two immediately went back to Kirk's apartment and changed. They were back at Headquarters just in the nick of time. Ali had been released from her lessons and had been waiting for her mother outside the entranceway of the daycare with some of the other children. The girl tapped her foot impatiently against the floor, arms crossed. Her backpack laid at her feet, heavy and filled with enough homework that made Alyssa's head spin. Either from mouthing off or from boredom, she could not tell. In any case, Ali had work to do and Alyssa will be suffering a migraine tonight.

"What took so long?" Ali asked, eying the admiral with a raised eyebrow as she hooked her bag around her shoulder. She was suddenly interested.

"Isn't it such a tragedy that my daughter was kept waiting a minute?" Alyssa shook her head. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Is Admiral Kirk coming with us?"

"No. He has other…plans tonight. The Thyrian counsel has us both running."

"Not you. Where did you go? Ryder was just here an hour ago. He said that you had a training class waiting for –"

"I think Ryder has been reading into too many things and needs to stick to his own business," Alyssa interrupted in a rush, taking Ali by the shoulder and leading her out before the rush of other children ran them over. "Now, how much homework do you have?"

Kirk followed closely behind them, ignoring little heads bumping into his legs and back. He saw that Ali did not like that she was cut off at the pass, showing her displeasure in a face that reminded both parents of Kirk irked about a situation. It did not help matters when Ali briefly glanced back at him and mouthed off that she was innocent. Of course, he did not believe it any more than Alyssa did. Kirk also saw Alyssa roll her eyes.

When Alyssa turned back to her daughter, she had to listen to the vocal protests concerning the unfairness of the work Ali was given and the long hours she would be at it. Alyssa chuckled. Schoolwork was always too easy for Ali. The problem was that she was easily bored and would not finish it because it wasn't challenging enough.

Outside of Headquarters, Kirk remained with them, asking if he could tag along. While he had not checked his messages yet, he wished that Spock left one somewhere on the progress of decoding Lori's device. He also hoped to meet with his friends or to head home himself in order to sort things out. He didn't have the stomach to return to the future conferences, feeling that he still had nothing to add. Even thinking of Riley lingering near his office gave him a headache.

The two accepted, continuing their walk outside and into the city and towards their apartment. While Alyssa was pissy about Ali's attitude, it softened a little as they distanced themselves. They soon spoke of Ryder and his brief visit to Headquarters and what he was up to. Ali also asked about Magda. Alyssa was quiet about the nursemaid and only told her daughter that there are no answers at the moment. Ultimately, the conversation died down afterward, leaving Ali ample opportunity to fall back to bother Kirk.

"You really like Mom, don't you?" It was an innocent question from Ali, but nonetheless very perspective from a girl constantly fishing for information.

"I told you, she was on my ship years ago." Kirk was sticking with this story. It was the safest.

Ali wasn't giving up though. "You've been around a lot lately."

"What's wrong with that? I like being with my old friends."

"The last you saw my mother was just after I was born, right?

"Ali!" Alyssa saw the façade and motioned her daughter forward. "Leave the admiral alone."

Shamefaced, the girl caught up with her mother and continued the trek. She obeyed Alyssa, but kept chancing glances backwards at Kirk. The admiral was incredulous. This left him a lot of questions. One of them was how Ali knew that Kirk last saw her as a baby. Cornered, Kirk knew that this was the straw that was breaking the camel's back. He had to keep control and to compose himself. He took a side road towards his apartment, waving goodbye to the two.

His thoughts went elsewhere to keep off of the pair, mostly concerning Jason Lattimer. Kirk considered the day well spent, hoping to sneak out tomorrow if it was permitted to see if they can pick him up for questioning. When he took the turbolift to his apartment, he dismissed his problems and relaxed. Upon his return to his sanctuary, he closed the world behind him and would have ignored the messages left had not one of them been from the Vulcan embassy.

First thing's first though. The messages left by Riley were important. Most of them consisted of him recounting the talks that resumed earlier and when the admiral should be able to join in. Nobody had noticed his disappearance yet, although Cartwright was quite interested as to why he decided not to show up. In the end, Riley added that the Thyrians continued their demands and threatened to have the planet searched for their so-called prisoner.

Kirk skipped through the remainder of the messages and halted at the one he desired. It was from Spock. He asked that the admiral meet him at the embassy early tomorrow morning, before dawn. The computer had been unlocked and its information was imperative to review privately.

~00~

The next morning dawned clear and pretty. Similar to an Earth spring day, the green sun warmed the cold dew in the backyard gardens as it dripped to the ground. Kirk stepped out into it, feeling more refreshed than he had in the time he spent on the planet. Stretching his arms, he watched the morning unfolded, finding a seat away from the fire pit. When Alyssa served him coffee and eggs and toast a few minutes later, his mind turned back to their conversation the night before. She went away before he could ask her a question.

It left him alone with his thoughts. A lot of them swirled around what Alyssa told him. She had organized a transport to get the populace off of Synprilox due to war because Cartwright wasn't cooperating? That the Federation wasn't doing much for these people? That there was a small number who were safe, but missing their home?

The revelation was a far-fetched story and one that he wanted to confirm for himself. It was exciting to hear that someone was trying to alleviate some of the pain of war and not stepping on anyone's toes. To be honest, it was much more interesting than the tours, dinners and conferences. Luckily, his day was free to see this display. Tomorrow would be another story though. He would be back to official business and hopefully proposing an expansion of this setup.

Kirk was surprised to see Alyssa arrive again. She was without her cup of coffee, dressed and ready to spring into action. Oddly enough, she did not meet with her fellow security officers like she normally did in the mornings. She remained with the admiral and waited patiently until he was finished with his breakfast. She took the tray inside and returned with his jacket. He accepted it, eying her with a little curiosity.

"I thought you mentioned that you'd like to see the arrangement, Sir," Alyssa said as a form of explanation.

Amused, Kirk put on his jacket. "You've read my mind. Don't you have work to do before we leave?"

"I can technically on medical leave, Admiral," Alyssa confessed with hesitation. "I still perform my duties. It does not affect it."

"What happened?"

"A few years ago, I was in a town just outside of the capital. I was assisting some civilians with moving when we were attacked with the radiation blasts. Like many others, I was hit multiple times. It has occurred numerous instances afterward."

The tale turned Kirk's blood cold. "And you're recovering?"

"Yes, I am. Thank you, Sir. Now, do you want a transport or do you want to walk? It's a long journey. I do have a vehicle."

The admiral opted for the latter to stretch his legs. Smiling, Alyssa led the way through the house and to the front, following the well-worn pathway out. Passing through the opening marketplaces and sleepy palace workers, they eventually reached the city limits after over an hour. Panting, the two stopped to rest underneath a tree, its blue leaves dipping up and down with the breeze. Ahead was another urbanization, its people just as busy as those behind them. Kirk tried seeing past it, noting how it became more rural and deserted as the miles strained endlessly in front of him.

"Are you sure you don't want easier transportation?" Alyssa's hazel eyes sparkled.

Kirk admitted defeat. "Well, maybe if we can find one."

"It's difficult in these parts, Admiral, but we'll manage. I am sure I can ring something up."

The old phrase caught Kirk off-guard. It took him a minute to figure out what she meant. By then, the security officer was already ahead of him, waving down a wagon. She talked with the driver for a few minutes to barter for a ride. Alyssa soon achieved her goal. Pulling something out of her pocket and handing it to their savior, she climbed into the rear, gesturing to the admiral to do the same.

He obeyed, seating himself next to her. Their carter started up again and was soon on another open road, yelling angrily at everyone in words Kirk could not understand. While Alyssa smirked and tried hard not to laugh, the admiral had to wonder how she knew what he was saying since her qualifications did not include alien tongues other than Standard. He was also not aware that Synprilox had a set language other than the Federation universal. This was something he would need to inquire about.

Coughing as the dust kicked up, the admiral endured the remainder of their trip in silence. Half an hour later, they were dropped off. As they jumped out, Alyssa spoke to their driver in the same tongue. He grunted consent to whatever she asked and was soon on his way. Chuckling, Kirk joined her as they walked a pathway towards a large building. It reminded the admiral of an old Earth factory the way it was built. The inside though was quite the opposite though.

Obviously renovated, this worn and friendly facility held several families in different stages of the relocation process, all of them vying for attention as soon as Alyssa entered. She dismissed them politely, saying that she was on personal business, and pushed her way through screaming children, frantic parents and weary elderly competing for a place to rest. Kirk followed suit, watching the scenes with amazement as a pathway cleared. He listened to Alyssa's speedy explanation of the system, although most of it went in one ear and out the other.

He was speechless when he saw the transporting system in the back, protected by its own awning and guarded by several officers, from Starfleet to civilians. He studied it for a moment, his eyes unbelieving as they scanned the crowds. Whatever the system was, it resulted in their people forming a line to this destination and being shipped to Kepler III through the guidance of these workers. It wasn't without its faults though. There was desperation and weariness of these people attempting to escape, all of them energized by the stage they were in the process. Most of the line shoved each other in an effort to leave earlier than anticipated.

Despite that, the perimeter been attacked several times and not just by the families (constant usage and fighting was hardly damage enough, he noted). It was akin to a war zone. An enlightenment about why they had not moved this location yet was not offered. When Kirk went to ask for it, he was stopped by a sudden burst of thunder. As rain started falling suddenly, he darted to the nearest shelter, which was a cove of trees. He did not want to cause more chaos by using the canopy. Already, the line leading to it was rushing forward in an attempt to remain dry.

Alyssa was right behind him, a quiet and willing partner in this venture. On impulse, they grabbed each other's hands during the dash and remained linked even under cover. They stood awkwardly out of sight and watched the storm together, all the while unwilling to pull away from each other. Kirk could not say if it was an attraction or for protection and who was actually doing what for the other. Most certainly, he did not mean to make the situation worse than it should have been.

Alyssa would understand.

The utter conviction of the thought propelled him to keep the topic off of their budding relationship. He did not want to talk about them and risked something else. "How does it rain on a planet that is an underwater world?"

"You know that all worlds have weather patterns," Alyssa elucidated. She did not remove her hand, only using the other to wipe her wet black hair from her face. "The founders of Synprilox decided that they wanted to make this almost like Earth. When it rains above the surface, the bubble uses the water to give us the same. The system also copies any other weather-related activity to make it more realistic."

"It's…wonderful." Kirk inches closer to her.

"You should see it when it tried to snow," the security officer said, laughing as the heavy wind splashed some mud in the face. It ruined her tan uniform. "They cannot gauge the temperatures quite right. It always turns into slush or more rain. There is never an ice storm."

"Really? When does that occur?"

"During the wintertime. They do not attempt it in the autumn season. It makes it difficult to conduct business, so they try to make it brief. Luckily, the weather is usually mild and never too hot."

It was an unusual thing, discussing the weather, when so much else was in the balance. Kirk decided not to reply, instead withdrawing further into the privacy of the wooded area. Alyssa followed him and allowed him the lead. As the rain receded, they both wished that the moment would not end. Then, it was time to make the decision and they took the initiative. It was like a magnetic force drove them together with their mutual consent, right into each other's arms. It was too late to stop it now.

"Jim," Alyssa warned in a frightened voice.

Kirk did not respond vocally. He kissed her, elated when it was returned just as eagerly.