Disclaimer: None of the recognizable characters belong to me.

Here goes...

Liam walked out of the Embassy lifting his face up letting the sun's warmth wash over him. It was a relief to be out of the confines of the embassy for a while, away from the all-consuming roles of protector/spy. A relief to be just normal. He smiled cynically; normal, something he could never truly be. His heritage made sure of that. Added to that he had in the first day of his life made sure it became a hell of a lot more complicated by becoming Da'an's protector.

Everyday from then on had been a struggle for him. He had to carefully maintain the facade of adulthood that had been thrust upon him. It frustrated him that sometimes everyone forgot that he was not even a year old. Granted he didn't look it nor was he at the level of a regular human infant but he was still a child.

The deception he constantly had to keep up didn't help matters either. Having to pacify xenophobes like Renee by remaining in the Resistance and expressing hatred against the Taelons while really he wanted to leave everyone and everything he knew and start again. A new start where no one knew him as an alien or a companion protector or as the leader of the Resistance but rather as a person. He didn't hate the Taelons, not even Da'an despite his betrayal. How could he hate someone who was like a parent to him, someone who had watched over him from day one, who had taught him not to hate his alien side but to cherish it as a part of his wonderful unique-ness? In an emotional sense Liam was very childlike, he was betrayed and granted it hurt but in the end Da'an was loved far more than he was hated. In fact to say he had ever hated Da'an would be too harsh he had felt extremely upset and had been disappointed but to hate, no that was too difficult. Few people realised what a giving and loving nature Liam had. Many of the volunteers on the embassy thought him very kind, after all he was only the companion protector who remembered their names and actually went out of his way to facilitate their needs, but few comprehended the true brightness of his soul. The volunteers just thought it was because he did not possess an implant.

While pondering on the nature of his life, Liam had ambled over instinctively to a Thai restaurant near the Embassy, which he had recently discovered, and it had soon had become his favourite. He had initially been hesitant to go to the restaurant, thinking it had simply been because of his father's fondness.

His father, another irony in his life. There was great love here too. Despite never being shown any kind of respect let alone affection, Liam still cared very deeply for his father. Sandoval before his implantation was someone who he could proudly have called father and this sustained Liam on those days when Sandoval was being especially cruel. He knew that it puzzled Sandoval that Liam had never exposed him nor had him killed and this made him very suspicious and ended up in an even closer eye being kept on Liam. Liam smiled cynically; somewhere along the way Sandoval had lost any semblance of trust in others. The Taelons had made him so distrustful that, even with the absence of the motivational imperative, he could not find it in himself to believe in any kind of friendship, always fearing some sort of backlash. Yet Liam had not given up hope for his father's redemption. It was a bleak hope but he obstinately held onto it with the unwavering faith that only a child can have.

'Sir, excuse me, sir.'

A voice startled him out of his thoughts, 'Yes? What?'

It was the waitress, 'Sir are you ready to place your order?' She looked bored and somewhat annoyed with his lack of attention.

He quickly placed his order to get rid of her and delve back into his introspection. The peace he found with her departure was short-lived though, his global suddenly beeped insistently. He sighed wishing he could just ignore it but opened it nevertheless to find himself staring at the subject of his thoughts.

'Major, where are you?'

'Sandoval I am trying to have lunch. Can this wait till I'm done?' he asked somewhat plaintively.

Sandoval frowned, sometimes the Major was very childish and this was one of those times. Ignoring his request Sandoval continued, 'Something's come up, report to the Mothership immediately Major.'

Liam mentally stuck his tongue out at Sandoval and replied, 'I'm on my way.'

Without a reply, Sandoval disconnected leaving Liam staring at a blank screen. Someday I'm going to be the first one to shut this thing, he thought, collecting his belongings in readiness of his departure.