Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

"Founder..." Weyoun bowed deeply to his god. "It is an honor to be summoned to your presence. How may I serve you?"

The Female Changeling narrowed her eyes. "I understand that you've spent a great deal of time with Vamshi."

"Yes, I have," he breathed as the spite in her voice stung him to the core.

"I can no longer permit that. I will not allow a Solid to come between Vamshi and her rightful place in the Great Link, much less a servant such as yourself."

"I obey the Founders in all things," he replied. Darkness and misery crept into his heart at her words, and he bowed his head in defeat.

"Now go."

He backpedaled at her cold, harsh dismissal and rushed down the hallway toward his quarters. He clenched his teeth at the onrush of emotion that threatened to destroy his composure, and he held his head high as he strode through the corridors.

"Weyoun!"

He closed his eyes and turned at her voice, bowing his head in melancholy respect. "Vamshi."

She walked up to him with a concerned smile on her face. "Is everything all right? When you didn't come to your lesson, I..."

She paused and lifted his chin. "Weyoun, what's wrong?"

"I've been forbidden to see you, Vamshi. I regret that things turned out the way they did, but-"

"Hold up," she interrupted, taking his arm and steering him around the corner and into a set of quarters. He assumed they were hers, as there were odd objects around the room and a couch was the only normal piece of furniture to occupy the space. She gestured for him to sit on it.

"I shouldn't be here," he murmured nervously. "The Founder was very clear in her orders."

"Weyoun," she whispered, taking his hand in hers and sitting beside him, "if the Founder has a problem with you spending time with me, she had better talk to me about it. I asked you to take lessons, and these are my quarters. You are not at fault here, honey."

He closed his eyes at the term of endearment, and he was utterly ashamed when a single tear trailed down his cheek. A gentle, warm thumb brushed it away, and he opened his eyes to see Vamshi staring at him with pity.

"All I ever wanted," he admitted in a quiet whisper, "was to be close to you, Vamshi."

Her face contorted in what looked like grief, and the next thing he knew, he was in her arms, his head resting comfortably against her chest. She leaned back with him against the armrest and stroked his hair.

"Shh...you're here with me now, and I'll be damned if that woman is going to destroy our friendship."

Shame filled him as another tear slipped down his face, then another, and another. She continued to stroke his hair, and once she realized he was crying, she pulled him up so that his face was level with her neck.

"Oh, baby...shh...it's alright...it's going to be alright..." She tried her best to comfort him, rubbing his back, whispering little things to him and occasionally kissing his forehead, and it seemed to be working. He composed himself, but she didn't seem intent on letting him go, so he rested his head on her shoulder and basked in unexpected joy. Surely, he didn't deserve such attention from her, but in his eyes, she was more than worthy of his devotion.

Her hand ran up and down his back, and as he settled down, she became very gentle, and it almost became a massage. Weyoun found it soothing, and it almost sent him to sleep. His eyes would close, then he would snap them open, only to have them close again. When he couldn't fight it anymore, he sighed.

"Vamshi?"

She had been lost in thought and hadn't even considered how late it was. "Hmm?"

But the Vorta was fast asleep in her arms, and she smiled as she thought about his reaction when he woke up. Slowly as to not disturb him, she removed his outer jacket and tossed it to the floor. The arm that had held him to her chest transformed into a blanket, and her other hand moved up and gently caressed his shoulder. His body was completely relaxed against hers, and she adjusted herself a bit to cushion him as much as possible.

Then she kissed his pale forehead and settled down, waiting until he woke up.

She distinctly remembered existing as the branch of a bonsai tree in the corner of the lab when Ravneet had walked in. She glanced around the room and tried to figure out what was different, as had become their game. But Ravneet was stumped and sat down on a stool.

"You know, we really do need a name for you, wherever you are. Humans like us...we all have names. I know you're not human, but...if you want a name, we'll find you one."

She set down a PADD. "I've come up with a list, if you want me to read them out loud to you..."

Vamshi slapped the wall with a quick tentacle to indicate yes. They had come up with rudimentary forms of communication until she could shapeshift the inside of her throat to include vocal chords.

"Alright! Um, let's see...you know, I've actually had a name on my mind. It's a boy's name, but...I like it. We could combine it with a girl's name if you like."

She slipped off the bonsai tree and transformed into a monkey, then swung up onto the desk. She stared at Ravneet expectantly.

"Rahaat likes 'Vamshi'...He's always wanted to name his son that. We don't have a son...or daughter..."

She looked at the Changeling and smiled. "Are you a boy?"

A head shake indicated no. "You think you're a girl?"

A nod. "Would you mind the name Vamshi?"

A head shake. "Then you approve?"

Another nod. "Well, I think we should combine it with something more feminine. What do you think?"

A third nod. "How about...how about Tanuja?"

Silence and stillness. "It means 'daughter'."

A final nod made Ravneet grin. "Ok. We'll call you Vamshi Tanuja. Rahaat is going to be so happy..."

Vamshi came forward and wrapped her arms around Ravneet, jumping down into her lap. Surprise sprang into the woman's eyes and she laughed.

"What, are you my baby?"

Vamshi nodded and kissed her on the cheek the way Rahaat kissed her. Ravneet started to cry and held the Changeling close.

"All right...that sounds good to me."

Weyoun shifted in his sleep, cuddling closer to her and sighing in satisfaction. She relished the feeling of his warm, soft breath blowing across her chest, and the sensation made her tingle all over. She gently ran a hand through his impeccable, curly hair and smiled.

"So you're telling me that you and the other Vorta have no sense of aesthetics?"

He nodded. "The Founders didn't include it in our genetic code. I sometimes think that's quite a shame, but..."

She sighed. "You really are progressing fast in piano. By this time next week, I'll have taught you all I know. So...what do you want to learn next?"

He looked up at her in surprise. "Whatever you will teach me."

A smile graced her lips. "Well, I don't think I can teach you aesthetics, per say...but I can teach you to judge art."

He grinned widely. "I would truly love to learn that."

The memory of the lunches they had begun to share made her smile, and she sighed in contentment. It felt wonderful to simply sit here, holding this Vorta in her arms as he slept, and she ordered the computer to dim the lights a bit. Then she stayed perfectly still until Weyoun awoke.

…

As he slowly drifted back to conscientiousness, he wondered why his bed was so very comfortable. It was heaven to lay on this thing; every inch of his body was cushioned and supported. He felt like he could melt into this thing, and it felt like paradise. Even his bed on his ship wasn't this comfortable, and the beds on the station were as hard as a rock. Something was off.

He opened his eyes and saw red fabric of some kind, and he frowned. His covers weren't red...

He sat up and realized he had been sleeping on his stomach, and he gaped in near horror as the red blanket turned into an arm. Vamshi smiled at him.

"Good morning, sunshine! Did you sleep well?"

He bowed his head in shame. "Founder, I did not intend-"

"Hey," she interrupted, lifting his chin, "it was my fault you fell asleep, Weyoun, and I just didn't have the heart to wake you or move you."

"If I have inconvenienced you in any way..."

"You haven't...besides, I thought you looked adorable."

He nearly blushed at that, but she simply clapped him on the shoulder and got up from the couch.

"What time is it?" he said demurely.

"0400. Am I right in assuming that Vorta don't need as much sleep as humans?"

He nodded. "Four to five hours is usually sufficient."

The memories of last night came back to him and he nearly winced. He immediately felt guilty, as he wasn't supposed to be near Vamshi, but confusion swept over him at her actions when he had told her. He distinctly remembered her warm embrace and her gentle hand running up and down his back...

Despite his nervous fear and guilt, a distinct feeling of happiness settled in his stomach at the thought of those memories. She had held him in her arms for four hours, as tenderly as a mother holds her child, or as a woman holds her lover...

He shook his head of those thoughts and picked up his jacket off the floor. He didn't recall removing it, so he assumed Vamshi had taken it off him to make him more comfortable. Weyoun smiled at the little gesture and looked around the room.

"The washroom's in there," she said, nodding toward a door to the left.

He walked into the small room and gazed into the mirror. He wouldn't be here long, he just wanted to make sure he looked neat and tidy before heading back to his quarters to get ready for the day. He didn't want to intrude on Vamshi any more than he already had.

He straightened his jacket and ran a few fingers through his hair, and as he tidied himself, his thoughts kept drifting back to Vamshi and last night, to their relationship in general. He had never been this close to a Founder in all his lifetimes, and his heart sang for joy that he had had this opportunity to get to know a god. She smiled down on him with amiable friendship, and he had only devotion to offer in return. But this seemed enough for his god, as she kept spending time with him. She had called him friend, taught him things he would have never learned on his own, and implied that she would protect him if worst came to worst...

And then there was the physical strangeness of being around her. It was a habit of his to stand close to people due to his poor eyesight, and his gods were no exception. But he knew enough about Alpha Quadrant species and their body language, and the distance Vamshi usually stood from him told him that she was perfectly comfortable in his presence. She often took every opportunity to touch him, squeezing his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him when they played piano together, kissing his cheek every once and a while. As he considered this, he realized how very intimately Vamshi treated him at times, and he could recall more than one occasion where she lingered near him for a few seconds longer than was necessary...

A brilliant purple blush crept over his cheeks at the very thought, and he quickly banished it from his mind. It was obviously just his overeager imagination. He really did desire to be close to his gods, and Odo and the Female Changeling hardly gave him the time of day. Yet Vamshi had made it clear to him over the last month that she valued him and the time she spent with him. He blushed even harder at that, but as he gazed at himself in the mirror, he saw pure, unadulterated joy reflected in his eyes.

He turned abruptly at the sound of knocking, and when Vamshi poked her head in, he waved her in. She stood behind him and gazed into the mirror with him. His eyes tentatively roamed over her features: slightly tanned skin, deep brown eyes, a long, black braid of hair that hung down her back. She was a Changeling, but she had a uniqueness that made her stand out from Odo and the Female Founder.

"You ready?"

He nodded and they left the washroom together. "Do you want me to walk you back to your quarters?"

Weyoun shook his head. "I can manage. I've imposed myself on you long enough."

"Weyoun," she laughed, shaking her head, "Your presence isn't an intrusion, it's a blessing. Oh, by the way...since the Founder obviously isn't eager for Solids to get in between her and me, I suggest we continue our lessons in here. Like I said, you'll be learning art theories next."

"Vamshi?"

He looked nervous, so she came forward and took both his hands in hers. "I'm not going to let her tear us apart, sweetheart. I value you too much."

It nearly ashamed Vamshi to say the second sentence, and she felt idiotic for uttering it, but Weyoun seemed to take it to heart. He was noticeably touched by the sentiment, and she smiled.

"You have a nice day at work. I'll see you this evening."

At that, he bowed and exited her quarters, basking in a heavenly glow. She would protect him if the Female Founder ever found out that he had defied her orders, but he would have to be cautious to make sure she never found out. The Founder was also occupied with turning Odo to their cause, and that was bound to take up a lot of her time. Weyoun felt ten times better than he had at her cold orders yesterday, and the warmth of the thought of Vamshi stayed with him throughout the day.