CHAPTER 1

Fox looked outside the window of the skyscraper. It was raining heavily yet the drops against the window calmed him. Something about rain made him feel happy. He needed something to cheer him up right now. He was still haunted by the imitation of his father by the Aparoid queen. Perhaps his father really was dead this time. He tried to make himself believe that the queen had obtained information about his father from the various beings it had assimilated but that didn't quite comfort him either.

Behind fox a door suddenly slid open. Krystal stood in the doorway looking down at the floor. She could feel his sadness in her head and rested her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. It seemed to help as he looked over at her.

"Are you ok fox?" she asked with care in her eyes.

"Its nothing. don't worry about it." Fox sighed.

"now Fox. You know I'm a telepath. I know when something is troubling you." she said in a more serious tone.

"Its just that I want to know what happened to my father. that's all." fox said sighing again.

"wasn't he executed on venom during the Lylat wars? Fox you can't allow this to trouble you anymore. I hate to put it like this but James is dead." she said with care. She didn't want to hurt him more than he already had been.

"thanks Krystal. You always put things in perspective." Fox said. He actually smiled a bit.

"glad to be of help" she said happily.

Fox waited until she had left before he thought of the truth. His father wasn't dead. At least he wasn't after the Lylat wars. Fox was saved by him after all. He knew better then anyone but why would his dad leave him? It didn't make sense.

Downstairs Falco sat on the couch watching TV. Slippy was busy fixing rob…again. The robot needed oil changes all the time. Slippy enjoyed it though and he hummed happily while using his greasy hands to fix the robot.

"there you are rob. All fixed up and ready for action." Slippy said with a smile.

"affirmative" rob answered in his robotic voice.

Slippy was basking in his own glory when pepper's image suddenly appeared in front of him. The toad was so surprised he fell from his chair. Falco could do nothing but laugh.

"I'll go get Fox." the bird said as he laughed up Slippy's response.