Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

Vamshi followed the Jem'Hadar soldier through the corridors, nervous yet angry. After all that had happened with Weyoun, she didn't even want to see the Female Founder ever again. But she had summoned her, and Vamshi felt it best not to refuse.

She entered the Changeling's quarters, and as she walked in, two Jem'Hadar moved off to the sides, revealing a heap of brown and black and pale blue on the floor. She gasped and ran toward the heap, then gathered Weyoun in her arms.

Her eyes were ablaze with fury as she stared up at the Female Changeling, who was staring at the scene nonchalantly, as if this were a simple matter of sharing drinks. This only infuriated her further, but Vamshi softened her gaze as she looked down at Weyoun's battered and bruised face. His breathing was ragged and gravely, but he was still breathing.

"What have you done to him?" Vamshi growled at the Founder.

"He disobeyed an order," she said calmly, "and for that he must be punished."

"He didn't disobey you, I did," Vamshi said emphatically. "I asked him to spend time with me, and I told him that if you have a problem with that, you bring your problem to me." She glared at the elder Changeling, but she still held Weyoun in a tender embrace. "I can't believe this...he does your every whim, never dares to question you and you beat him within an inch of his life because he wanted to be close to one of his gods!"

"He is nothing but a chain, Vamshi," the Founder said softly. "He's tying you to the world of the Solids, and you do not belong in that world. Because of this...he must die."

Her gaze jerked upward toward her and Vamshi's grip on Weyoun tightened. "No," she growled.

"It's best for everyone, Vamshi. He does not belong with you, and to deny him his rightful duty would only bring him pain. If you truly care about him, you'll let him do this."

"Weyoun?" she looked back down to him and tilted her head.

"I obey the Founders," he rasped, his voice barely audible, "in all things."

Vamshi closed her eyes and nodded. "You want to kill him, I guess that is your right." Her cold glance found the other Changeling's. "But whatever you do to him, you're going to have to do to me."

She wrapped her arms protectively around the Vorta, crouching her body over him. Then she looked back at the Changeling and waited.

The Founder sighed. "Very well. I will forgive this infraction for your sake, Vamshi. I see now that you simply do not understand. We'll talk more later."

Vamshi relaxed, then worked her arms under Weyoun's body and lifted him up.

"What are you doing?"

The younger Changeling glared at her. "Doing my duty."

She shook her head. "Your duty is to return to the Great Link. It was what you were born for, Vamshi."

"Born to be like you? I am nothing like the Founders! But if Weyoun is going to treat me like a god...I'll show him what true godhood is."

"You don't understand us, Vamshi. If only you would join the Link, everything would be clear to you."

Vamshi ignored her and walked toward the door, but before she went out, she turned back around.

"If he dies because of this," she hissed, "I'm holding you personally responsible."

…

Weyoun couldn't recall much of the conversation between the two Changelings, but he did know that he wasn't going to die. He vaguely recalled being lifted gently, and he opened his puffy, bleary eyes.

The ceiling was moving, or he was moving, and he looked a little to his left and saw Vamshi's stone-cold expression. His neck was cradled in the crook of her elbow, and his legs dangled limply over her other arm. He sighed, then was overcome by a racking cough. Her glance flicked down to his and she stopped.

"Shh," she whispered gently, her expression melting into a soft, loving pity. "You're going to be all right, Weyoun."

He nodded and closed his eyes, then they moved again, slowly and carefully navigating their way through the corridors.

"Vamshi!"

A young woman's cry pierced the comfortable silence, and he winced.

"Vamshi, what happened?"

"I'd rather not explain, Ziyal," came Vamshi's whispered response. "Please, do me a favor and send a doctor to my quarters."

"Of course."

His eyes opened a sliver, and he saw the Changeling lean forward and lightly kiss the young woman's cheek.

"Thank you, Ziyal. I owe you one."

They continued through the corridors, then finally he heard the hiss of a door, then silence, then another hiss. He was carefully and tenderly laid down on a bed, and gentle hands started to remove his clothes.

"Sweet merciful universe," she breathed, "what have they done to you?"

Warm, soothing lips pressed to his forehead, but he could feel an undercurrent of passion beneath them. It confused and frightened him, and his apprehensions were not abated when her fingers began to carefully examine his ribs. Her gentle, tender fingers lightly brushed his hyper-sensitive skin, and he convulsed once or twice at the sheer tingling sensation he felt at her light touch, and this in turn caused him to cough, and coughing was painful. She pulled away when she realized this, and she kissed his forehead again.

"Oh, sweetheart...I did not intend for this to happen. I'm so sorry..." she whispered in his ear. He closed his eyes and a tear streamed down his cheek. She kissed it away, then took in the damage they had inflicted.

His left eye was puffy and was starting to turn dark purple, and a thin line of blood trickled from his nose. An ugly cut ran parallel to his eyebrow, and his bottom lip had split open. As her eyes roamed further down his bare chest, her horror grew. He was covered in bruises and scratches, and her fingers told her that he had at least two broken ribs. She didn't even want to see his back if this was any indication of the kind of brutality he had endured. He had endured it for her, and she had to restrain herself from kissing his pale lips at the thought. Guilt washed over her as she realized this was her fault. She had underestimated the Female Founder and was far too overconfident in her own ability to keep her relationship a secret. Thankfully, the Founder still held her in high enough regard that she didn't kill Weyoun for her sake, but she knew that would only go so far.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard her front door open. She turned around as Ziyal and a female Vorta entered the room, and the Vorta bowed to Vamshi, then tended to Weyoun. The Changeling made sure to keep out of the doctor's way, so she and Ziyal went into the other room.

"What happened?"

Vamshi shook her head. "I made a mistake, Ziyal. And now Weyoun might die for it. I should have never gone behind her back..."

The woman stared at the Changeling as Vamshi's eyes kept straying to the bedroom door. "Do you think he's all right?"

"Vamshi," Ziyal whispered with a reassuring smile, "he's in good hands. The infirmary assured me that this was the best Vorta doctor on the station."

She nodded in defeat and sat on the couch. "What's her name, do you know?"

"Kelaren."

Vamshi smiled soberly. "Pretty name. I'll have to make this up to her somehow."

The woman smiled. "By giving her art lessons too?"

Vamshi grinned despite herself. "I'll think of something."

With that, Ziyal took her leave and left Vamshi to her thoughts, and after five minutes of sitting in silence, she returned to the bedroom to watch Kelaren work. She had healed the majority of Weyoun's bruises and was starting on the few little scars he had on his face.

"Can I help?" Vamshi said in a small voice.

The Vorta female turned and smiled. "If it's not too much to ask, could you hold him while I work on his back? Just be careful, he's got a broken arm."

Weyoun stared at the other Vorta in shock. "Kelaren, how-"

"I'd be happy to do that, doctor."

The female soon finished Weyoun's face, then Vamshi tenderly took the Vorta in her arms with his chin resting on her shoulder. Kelaren gently ran the dermal re-generator over his back, and Vamshi gently ran her hand over his hair. It infuriated her to see the amount of bruising he had on his back, and she had to restrain herself from digging her fingernails into his skin. She sighed and continued to stroke his hair and shh him, and Kelaren's glance kept coming back to Vamshi's hand on Weyoun's hair.

As for the female Vorta, she was insanely jealous that Weyoun had captured a Founder's attention and affection so much that the Changeling was willing to hold him in her arms without complaint. Ziyal had told her that Vamshi was no ordinary Changeling, not at all like the Founders they dealt with every day. Vamshi laid Weyoun back down onto the pillow, covered him carefully with the blanket and kissed his forehead as the Vorta drifted off to sleep.

"I'll be right back," she whispered sweetly, and Kelaren had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at the contented smile that graced his face. In truth, she didn't blame Weyoun for smiling like a giddy schoolboy, but it annoyed her for some reason. She was simply very jealous.

Once Vamshi was convinced that Weyoun was comfortable, she turned to Kelaren with a smile. She nodded out the door and they left the other Vorta to sleep.

"I can't thank you enough for what you've done, Kelaren. You have my undying gratitude for this."

The woman's eyes widened and she bowed submissively. "I obey the Founders in all things."

"I know," the Changeling said softly, "but still, I'm so glad you came."

As she didn't receive any protest from the Vorta, Vamshi pulled the female into a gentle embrace.

"Again, thank you, doctor. I'll call you if he needs anything else, ok?"

Kelaren nodded and bowed her way out of the room, and as soon as she was gone, Vamshi returned to Weyoun's side. He was fast asleep, that contented smile still on his lips. She smiled sadly at that, kissed his forehead one last time, then went back into the other room to think. She wanted to pay Kelaren back for her work, but she knew a visit or any type of lesson was out of the question. But an idea came to mind, and she grabbed her sketchbook and a PADD, then kept her vigil on the floor next to the bed. She watched Weyoun sleep and looked up her information on the PADD, and by morning, she had a plan.

…

"Jake! Thanks so much for coming," she said with a smile and a hug. The human clapped her on the shoulder and laughed.

"I haven't seen you in a few days, and you're not at the shop. What's up?"

"I'm taking care of some...business, and if it's not too much to ask, would you do a few things for me?"

"Like what?"

She handed him a silk bag and a PADD. "Could you please go buy me the things on that PADD? All the money you should need is in the bag."

He smiled and nodded. "All right."

Two hours later, he came back with another bag full of the supplies she had asked for. After hugging him and giving him an extra slip of latinum as a thank-you, she got to work. She laid down some spare paper and pulled out the woodcarving set and the two-inch slip of wood. She worked through the night as Weyoun slept in the bed, and by morning she was ready to paint. She worked all morning as Weyoun watched over her shoulder, and she showed him the finished product with pride.

...

Kelaren was walking back to her quarters that evening when she heard someone call her name. The human boy Jake Sisko ran up to her and handed her something wrapped in tissue paper.

"Vamshi told me to give this to you."

She took it and nodded, and he left her alone. When she reached her quarters, she unwrapped the item. Tears nearly sprang to her eyes as she picked up the wooden necklace.

Intricate carvings swirled around a raised painted flower, and although she couldn't appreciate the beauty of it, she could appreciate the effort the artist put into the piece. The color of the flower matched her eyes perfectly, and she noticed a note in the middle of the tissue. She didn't understand it, so she put it through the Universal Translator.

A little flower in the rain is waiting for the sun

But she needs the water, else her life will be undone

You saved my little soldier, so he can march back home

So wear my gift with pride, my dear, wherever you may roam

-Vamshi Tanuja

Tears streamed down her cheeks in earnest at the sincerity of the note. A Founder had called her 'dear' and took the time to make her a gift. Somehow, she knew that Vamshi had made this for her, and she put it around her neck and tucked it under her clothes without another thought. She held the note to her heart as she cried on her couch. The gift held a new significance for her as she remembered that her name meant 'faded flower' in Dominionese, and she traced the lines of the petals with care and devotion.

She fell asleep on her couch with the wooden pendant still clutched in her hand, and that night Vamshi smiled to herself as she watched Weyoun sleep.