The pair slept side-by-side in their separate chairs, the fire dying to embers as the hours passed from night to day. By the time the sun streamed through the living room, they were alert and dressed. Alyssa decided to continue whatever duties she had remaining to her and escort her children to their day activities (Ryder to his ship and Alyssa to the daycare). Kirk still had to sit at the conference table with or without their guests.

To be honest, Kirk was disinclined to deal with Cartwright and had little faith in his abilities. At the same time, the admiral was in charge of the situation and hardly seemed interested in controlling it properly, only putting his nose into everybody else's business. Kirk only hoped that the Thyrians would be wise enough to remain at recess until the investigations were completed by all parties. That way, he and Alyssa could still conduct their search quietly and without Cartwright on their backs.

As the morning progressed and they settled down to some coffee, Kirk found it strange that Riley did not page him as he normally did. Thinking that two kids kept him busy as soon as they woke up, he figured that he and Alyssa will see him on their way out and pry Ryder and Ali away from their petty arguments. He mentioned this to Alyssa as they finished their coffee. She agreed.

"Riley is probably getting a headache," she said. "I would. Those two fight like cats and dogs most days."

Kirk chuckled. "That bad?"

"You have no idea." Alyssa stirred some dairy into her concoction and drained the remainder of the cup. "Those two have gotten into the worst arguments. It makes battling with the Romulans tame."

He got the point. Kirk too finished his coffee. "Riley has his hands full then."

After putting the empty mugs in the kitchen sink, they departed from Kirk's apartment together and walked the few yards over to Riley's door. Kirk rang the doorbell and waited. There was no answer. This too was out of the ordinary. Even though Riley had instances where he was irresponsible and open to heavy drinking, he was always awake and pushing the day's agenda at Kirk. There was no way the aide could have found time to become intoxicated.

Alyssa noticed Kirk's frown. "Do you think he's still sleeping?" she suggested. She doubted it.

"No," Kirk replied quickly. "I'm sure he went to bed after I left him…"

Alyssa didn't like this situation any better than the admiral. She had a bad feeling and terror soon filled her. Drawing her service weapon and setting it to stun, she waved Kirk to one side and commanded the computer to exert the building's security keypad. Using a genetic code to bypass the alarms and to gain access into the apartment, she waited a moment for the doors to open. Seeing nothing ahead, she peeked inside and gasped.

The security officer had seen several scenes over the years, from minor altercations between couples to brutal mass killings of innocents. Although compared to those, the mess before them was relatively small, albeit a hard one indeed. There had been an obvious struggle for power. Furniture was overturned or broken. Items were scattered everywhere. The windows had been shattered. The door leading to the balcony had been used as a point of entry, the only area that was not entirely destroyed.

Inside, Alyssa was screaming. On the outside, she calmly went into the apartment, calling for the occupants' names over and over again, searching each room carefully. She did not care that she destroyed any evidence. The only thing she was focused on was finding her children. Fear chilled her.

Each room had revealed nothing. Riley's bedroom was empty, literally ripped to shreds, from the walls to the sheets on the bed. His bed was slept in, but he had been pulled from it by surprise from the way the blankets and pillows had been placed. Alyssa saw little blood there too, indicating that Riley put up a good fight and had been disabled.

Alyssa struggled to keep her heart from pounding out of her chest as she emerged from Riley's bedroom. Keeping steady by holding the wall, she realized that Ryder and Ali were obviously not in the apartment, but there were items around her that might indicate where they went. She soon found their overnight bags, passed in her hurry to find the trio. They had been opened and tossed around the living room like they were being used to distract someone.

Some of their clothes had also been sent in the same state of Riley's bedroom. Most of them were Ali's pajamas. Alyssa groaned. She kneeled before the blue and white set with trepidation and hung the stripes over her fingers, shaking. This wasn't supposed to be real. This wasn't supposed to be happening. Her children, the pride and joy of her life, were gone, kidnapped. They possibly could be dead.

Her worst nightmare had come true. She wasn't there to prevent it. It was all her fault.

Kirk did not openly show that he too was feeling the same way. Stepping in as he pushed away his own madness, he met Alyssa near the ruined clothing and helped her up. He caught her in his arms as she collapsed in grief and guilt. He saw that she was growing spastic. Although taking deep breathes to keep calm, Alyssa was shaking. Her eyes darted left and right constantly, seeking any more clues that would lead her to Ryder and Ali.

"I already called base security," Kirk said. He forced Alyssa to face him, eye to eye. "They'll be here in a few minutes."

"Someone should have heard something," Alyssa insisted. Fat tears sprung out unexpectedly. "I should have known. I should have stayed with them, Jim. This would not have happened if I was with them. Ali and Ryder and Riley –"

"And done what, Alyssa? We would have been in the same predicament if we stayed here. Riley was with them. He must have done what he could. It might have meant that he could not ring for help."

"At least I would have been there with them!"

Kirk was surprised by the outburst. He felt the same way though and that was the problem. He saw the situation as preventable. He also believed that he and Alyssa would have been used, not the children, and did not view them staying with Riley as a target. Somebody from the Thyrian camp was watching them. He was sure of it.

But who? And why?

He soon found Alyssa slowly becoming unreasonable and sometimes illogical. She talked about what-if possibilities and what she could have done in a fast-paced manner, almost to the point where he could not understand what she was saying. Everything taught to her by Kurt and her experiences with Starfleet were caught in a fantasy world that he did not understand. Eventually, he stopped her midsentence and released her.

"We don't know what happened, Alyssa," he reminded her. "They could be anywhere. Anybody could have them. We have to wait and see."

"I know the drill," she replied. Her voice was soft and tinged with anger. "We sit on our laurels and pretend that we are normal people. Dammit, Jim, we are not. Our children and your aide are out there. They need us!"

Kirk struggled for a reply. He acknowledged that Alyssa was right, but did not want to tell her directly yet. "And we are walking a very thin line, Captain. I think you need to remember that."

Alyssa's face flushed bright red. Kirk could not tell if it was fury or embarrassment by the formality. She was about to retort when they heard the turbolift behind them open. Their help had arrived and the discussion had to end.

They both found that it was easier for Kirk talk with base security for a few minutes and answered their questions. While still obviously distressed, Alyssa chimed in every once in a while in a mousy voice. She mostly kept to herself though, eying the apartment every once and then, like she was searching for a clue to the trio's whereabouts that nobody could see. She was almost shocked into silence.

After the preliminary check began, Kirk escorted Alyssa back to his apartment. When she sat before the fireplace without complaint, he placed a call to Cartwright in the other room to cover his ass. He explained everything that conspired since the night before minus a few key details. While placing Earth on high alert was a big deal, no details had been forthcoming and those in Starfleet and the Federation had been annoyed that their usual activities had been curtailed. It was within Alyssa's jurisdiction to keep some decisions discrete and tell whoever she feels required the information.

Cartwright had just been informed of Alyssa's orders from her subordinates and was not pleased with the restrictions and little explanation. He accepted this decision though. He covered for Alyssa whenever possible, Kirk heard through a series of complaints. Having to ground every vessel and search every pocket was not the night some dignitaries, officials and officers desired. However, with an attack on a Starfleet officer and few witnesses, threats had to be taken seriously.

He only ordered them both to remain out of sight until he had discussed the situation with the Federation president in greater detail. Already, there had been some guards placed near the Thyrians and mostly because they already cast a suspicious shadow. Kirk and Alyssa were not the only ones who detested their actions. Cartwright played off that he too did not like them and was on their side the whole time.

"And the assassination attempt?" Kirk inquired. "Will this too be investigated further?"

"That is also still under review," Cartwright revealed. "Nothing more can be said, Jim. You don't give much either. At this point, you and Captain Elma need to stay out of trouble."

"It's easier said than done, Lance. Trouble likes coming to us."

"I see that. I hope this is concluded to Captain Elma's satisfaction though. Having the children of our head of security missing is no laughing matter."

"Lance, keeping anybody that high up the food chain is no laughing matter. Being an officer of Starfleet has its honors, but it also comes with this high price."

Cartwright sighed. "I agree. But what were Captain Elma and her children doing with you and Commander Riley anyway, Jim? Something going on between you two that I should know about?"

"Well, since Captain Elma felt there was a threat, she decided in a logical manner that being together would ensure everybody's safety. This was a huge miscalculation."

"I'd say. Now, I have a ship captain pestering me about his recently graduated cadet, a daycare matron relieved to be rid of her pest, the head of Starfleet security out of her mind and an admiral with too many secrets."

Kirk felt the jab sharply. He forced himself to smile. "I've told you everything I knew, Lance. Whenever I get more information, I'll let you know. Kirk out."

The admiral returned to his living room to find Alyssa missing. Suddenly frantic, he started looking for her, but was instantly calmed when he saw her on the balcony outside, watching the bustle below. Kirk joined her, standing to her right. He felt that there was nothing much to say to her. After his rebuke, his tongue was tied. For the first time in over a decade, he had treated her worse than a yeoman. For that, he was sorry.

But Kirk didn't want to admit it yet. That would mean facing his greatest fear and taking part of this misery. Instead, he followed Alyssa's eyes below them. There wasn't much going on in a typical workweek in San Francisco. While the town was the main headquarters for Starfleet and the Federation and their guests, the streets below were going about like nothing had happened. Life had continued to circle and nobody understood that three people were missing and the Thyrians were under a microscope bigger than theirs.

On display before an audience, Alyssa was coping well enough. If the admiral looked closer though, he noticed subtle movements that indicated more than parental worry. It was culpability. Her worst fears had come true. Alyssa had sworn to protect her children and felt that she had failed in that obligation. Kirk could not blame her.

She broke that trance. "What did Cartwright say?"

Kirk wasn't going to lie to her. He hid the call already. "Follow the usual procedures and keep out of trouble."

"What Cartwright doesn't know will not hurt him."

"Alyssa, we have to wait for –"

"At this point, Jim, I don't care anymore." She faced Kirk with fierce, fiery eyes. "My children…our children…are out there. Riley is who-the-hell-knows where! We don't know who exactly could have broken in without someone seeing or hearing them. No." She paused. "We have other options, Jim. There are different leads to follow. All the threads connect back to here."

He conceded her point. "Who did you tell about Jason Lattimer?"

Alyssa's temper flared. "Nobody! Nobody at all! Ali might have known something, but she was guessing. A few days ago, she was outlining what will happen during and after the conference." She caught her breath and suppressed a sob. "She didn't mention this."

"Do you remember what else she said?"

"Not all of the exact details, no." At the realization, Alyssa burst out crying. She sat down on the chair she used the night before. "Jim, I don't know. I don't know! I should have paid more attention to her."

He sat down next to her, putting an arm around her shoulder and embracing her sideways. "Alyssa's there was no way we could have seen this coming. I don't think our daughter would have either."

Alyssa wanted to laugh. It was a ridiculous notion that Kirk would admit his ties. But she had more important things to concern herself with. Out there, her children waited for her. There was also their main suspect, Jason Lattimer. He might be their key.

She wiped away her tears. "What can we do now?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Kirk said. He encouraged her to rise.

Composing herself, Alyssa followed Kirk. They settled in a side room where he communicated with officials and had his computer. Kirk requested some information concerning the refugee program from it and waited. Alyssa paced, her brain racking what else she could do. She had her reservations though.

It was obvious that Cartwright was on their case. He wasn't exactly on their side. He was nagging them about what they found and why. He was also pretty nosy about something else. When she recalled their meeting the night before, she thought his questions to Ryder ridiculous. Now, they made sense. Cartwright was interested in what kind of relationship she and Kirk had.

Alyssa knew about the rumors. She disregarded them every time she heard them. It was easy to lie when the truth had been denied for years. But why was Cartwright so interested in it? What was he hiding? Alyssa knew that he had a hand in the situation with Synprilox. He should have all the details excluding her love affair with Kirk.

The admiral interrupted her thoughts. "The refugee program is located in Sacramento. They are a branch of Starfleet, but there isn't as much paperwork to process. They can have agents pick up anyone within the hour."

"Can they accommodate what we need?" Alyssa asked. She felt weak and leaned on the back of Kirk's chair for support.

"I'm sure they can if some strings are pulled."

"Are you using your rank?"

Kirk grinned. "Advantages of being a rear admiral."

She nodded. It wasn't often that Kirk lauded his promotion. "When do you want to leave?" Her voice almost came out as a squeak.

"You should stay here or go home," Kirk suggested. "I can take care of this. You shouldn't overwork yourself."

"Don't coddle me, Jim," she warned again. "I can take care of myself. Besides, if I stay behind, I'm liable to be stuck in my head. Best that I listen to Cartwright and stay out of trouble."

Kirk could see Alyssa's point. He was worried about her though. Images passed through his mind, mostly almost impossible situations that she would put herself through. He pictured her running through San Francisco and beyond, picking apart every lead to find Riley and the children. He also saw her being sent to the Federation Funny Farm too and breaking free at the first opportunity.

She was right. Keeping her busy might keep her from rushing into bad decisions. But the insane part of it was that he would have done the same thing. If they didn't have this one lead, Kirk would be off with Alyssa. His newfound feelings resurfaced with an intensity he could not shake off anymore.

"All right," Kirk agreed. "One wrong move and I'll have McCoy sedate you."

Alyssa smiled. She tried remaining light in this serious moment. "I should say the same about you."

~00~

Kirk felt that he was racing against time. His guards could not keep up with his pace, losing the admiral within a mile after his run began. He did not care. He flagged down transportation when he could and kept requesting to be brought to the next town over, whatever it was, to retrieve the Starfleet officers that were involved in a skirmish. He was mostly turned down. The last person informed him that nobody would near the fighting.

Finally, he tired of receiving negative answers and sought another way to get there faster. "Can you at least give me directions?"

"What does it matter to you?" the man volleyed back in Standard. He flicked the reins to his horse from his high wagon seat. "It's all the same to us. Death. Civil war. Revolution. Repeat. Nothing will stop it."

Kirk did not like reminding people that he was an admiral and worth of respect. While he had remained low when it came to the civilians of Synprilox, he again attempted to use his rank. "There are Starfleet officers that are involved in a fight with your people. They are my responsibility."

Before Kirk could continue, the man spat on the ground near his feet and took off. "Starfleet has done nothing for Synprilox," he called back. "Let them all be buried six feet deep."

It gnawed at the admiral that the people of Synprilox would allow Starfleet officers to perish. As he watched his last chance drive away, he reevaluated his predicament. He had no idea where this place was and how to get there. Nobody was willing to help him. And by the time he reached this place, he might be too late.

He thought that he could find some answers at the resettlement transport. He hardly remembered where it was and continued asking for a ride every opportunity he saw. He managed to negotiate one once he refrained from mentioning the outbreak or about Starfleet. Any reminders seem to seal him from any answers.

After being dropped off twenty minutes later, he pushed his way through the lines from the entranceway onward. Some of the refugees recognized him and called out his name, asking for a greeting or for help. He waved absentmindedly and frantically searched the recently returning groups storming in suddenly. He stopped before their entranceway and watched.

All of them were obviously in need of medical care. A majority were requesting a transfer to Kepler III after they recovered. The others not involved heard these stories and started gossiping about the altercation. What Kirk heard from his position was that Starfleet officers had passed by a group of frustrated farmers. These civilians had enough of them and pelted their visitors with rocks and tools for no reason. It morphed into an all-out battle that would have gotten worse had not one of the Starfleet officers put an end to it.

Kirk decided that enough was enough. He went past the line again and stopped someone explaining their situation to an intake employee. "Who stopped them? Who stopped the fighting?"

The woman shrugged her shoulders. "Some female officer," she said. The worker beside her also took this information down. "She was behind us a while back. I don't know where she is now."

Kirk had no time for details. Without thinking, he ran outside. While watching the crowds, his eyes scanned each one for Alyssa. She had to be that woman, she reasoned. She had to be!

He continued this until he saw the first line of Starfleet security officers heading off the rear of the procession. A lot of them he recognized as Alyssa's subordinates. Some were hurt and others used as their backup, he noticed. He met with them and pelted each with questions.

All of them had the same story as the Synprilox refugees, but added a few details that the civilians did not have. They were issued orders to keep a perimeter around the farming sector from Admiral Ciana. There were reports of retaliation from other industries and a possible insurrection from within their quarters as well. Alyssa took the lead, first calming the farmers down and then sending some men to meet the leaders of the different businesses rumored to be part of the conspiracy.

"How did it start?" Kirk demanded.

"I don't know, Admiral," one admitted. "We were talking pleasantly with the farmers one moment. The next, we were being hit with anything they could throw at us. We had to protect ourselves and the innocents."

Kirk was frustrated. Thanking them, he allowed them to go forward. He still continued his search for Alyssa, meeting with each Starfleet officer until he noted her, the last of the security to come. She was helping a family of five, carrying two young sleeping children in her arms and keeping her balance well despite a limp. The mother behind her held hands with two older ones. All six of them had been injured.

He met with her silently, taking one of the slumbering wards out of her arms. He followed her to the medical ward and ensured that the family was seated together. The mother nodded her appreciation to the pair as a medic met her and her children. As Alyssa and Kirk retreated, she began her tale of woe and gratefulness to the workers.

Before they left the medical ward, another worker tagged Alyssa. Noticing her limp, he made her lay on a bed despite the arguments she put up. Kirk encouraged this, ordering Alyssa to listen. He himself sat in a chair next to her and asked for some privacy. Once the medic closed the curtain around her and the admiral, their argument started.

Alyssa sat up, rubbing her sore ankle. "Admiral –"

"You could have been killed." Kirk found himself angry and hurt. "What the hell did you think you were doing?"

"My orders came from Admiral Ciana," she replied coldly. "In order to protect a food source and to keep Synprilox was starving, my men were told to retain order. The farmers had been threatened by several foreign industrial workers. As I understand it, someone falsely gave them information about Starfleet and one of them began instigating the farmers to attack us."

"How did you get so involved? You could have left."

"Admiral, it is my responsibility to restore order and I had to use any means possible. By the time it turned into a riot, houses had been destroyed and people had been hurt and killed. I stayed behind after consoling all parties. I decided to resituate the survivors and to report the damages."

Hot, churning acid dripped from the admiral's tongue, but he refused to spit it out again. Instead, a jumble of words jumped out and all of it about regulations. "It was a fool's notion to station Starfleet officers in an area where it's known to have trouble. There should have been backup at the very least."

"Yes, Sir. I apologize. Admiral Ciana did not mention –"

"It does not matter what Admiral Ciana did or did not mention! She should have known the whole picture. Did you mention that to her?"

"She is aware of the –"

"I did not ask you what she was aware of, did I?!"

Alyssa was surprised by the outbursts, involuntarily flinching. Taking a deep breath to show she was not intimidated, she said, "No, you didn't, Admiral. To answer your question, I did tell Admiral Ciana. She was supposed to pass it to Admiral Nogura for further review. The head of Starfleet security and the Federation were also supposed to report their findings. No answer has been received yet. Proper procedure has been followed."

Kirk felt like he was knocked off of a high horse. His breath was taken away. The simplicity and strength of this woman, who was so quick to calm this rage, was amazing. His mask fell off as quickly as it had been put on. With nobody nearby to see and hear them, he was brave enough to take Alyssa's hand and hold it tightly.

"I love you, Alyssa," he admitted. He never said those words to someone and meant it so deeply before. "I love you. I was so afraid that I lost you."

Alyssa exhaled slowly. "I know, Jim. I know."