How do you like it so far? Oh and Liam mean Determined Protector. Cute, no?

Avery and Liam were in a van on the way to where ever Storm Shadow was headed. Liam shivered while sitting in Avery's lap and she knew what would happen if he wasn't warmer. A child as young as him could easily catch any number of deadly things so she removed her warm hoodie and put it around him. "Mama?" He asked fear evident in his voice.

"Don't worry Liam. I'll be fine, you need it more." When Avery said this snuggled further back on her lap in a vain attempt to give some of the warmth back. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.

"Sir, we've got a problem." As soon as these words left the Vipers lips Avery, holding Liam tightly in her arms, dashed to the door opposite her and flung it open, she jumped out and rolled. Her body balled around the child in her arms in a n attempt to protect him. Just as she stopped rolling the van in front of the one that they had been in exploded.

Standing up she ran out into the woods as fast as she could while carrying Liam. "Mama, what's going on?" He started to shake in fear. In less than an hour his entire life had been tuned upside down and inside out. Only two hours ago his mother was pretending to head bang and dance in a weird way to the song 'I'm A Gummy Bear' to make him laugh and now her face was so serious that he had no idea of what was happening.

"The Joes are here. We have to get away from those bad people or we might accidentally get hurt. Don't worry, I'll protect you." Liam stopped shaking so badly and Avery calmed down a bit. Slowly her steps came to a halt. She stood and looked around, listening for anything. "This is not how I wanted you to meet your father but I guess that now is as good as any."

Avery sat down and held Liam in her arms still. "We'll get to meet him? Are you sure?" Nodding Avery held him close and started to hum a lullaby that she had made up for him and soon enough Liam was asleep in her arms.

"Stop! Aurora! You know that he is just using you!" This sounded like Duke To avery but she wasn't going to move and endanger Liam if it was a false alarm.

"Fuck off Duke! You guys never cared for me. You hated me. But Storm Shadow really does love me. Let me go. I said let me go!" At the voice of Unk, a girl she had barely know but saved Avery, she stood up and carried Liam closer to the voices. As soon as she could see the pair she saw that it was indeed Duke and Unk. Duke was wearing the Joes uniform but Unk, she was wearing an all white outfit that reminded Avery of Storm Shadow.

Unk slammed the heel of her boot on the toe of Dukes shoes. In pain he hollered and released Unk. And off she ran. Duke was just about to race after her when he Saw what he thought to be a ghost of the past. "Avery?" He asked. Everyone from Alpha Team missed her and was anticipating her return in several weeks. Especially Snake Eyes, he still loved her and regretted letting her go. And only he knew why she truly left, along with the Irish twins and Cybergirl. Stepping out of the shadows she heard Duke gasp. "Is-is that why you left?" He was indicating that she had left because she had gotten pregnant.

"Snake Eyes said that he wanted to wait five or six years before starting a family." Her voice held a plea. She wanted to come back with him. Avery needed to say no more words because Duke motioned for her to follow and come with him. The silence was deafening so Avery tried to start up a conversation. "His name is William but he prefers Liam."

Suddenly Duke turned on her and with a snarl spoke. "You didn't need to leave! Snake Eyes is a fucking mess because of you. It's like part of him left with you. He hasn't been the same since. You broke his fucking heart!" Avery winced and took a step back.

"Don't you be mean to my mama! You don't know what she had to go through!" Liam yelled at Duke. The yelling from Duke must have woken Liam up. "She is really good and she has told me that she regurates leaving. She still loves Snake Eyes a lot. Mama talk of him a lot you know. And if what she says is true, then he will undo-under- he will see that she had too and forgive her." Liam looked to Avery.

"It's 'regrets' and 'understand'. But I can not be sure he will." Avery's eyes widened a tiny bit as Liam's bottom lip started to quiver. Duke saw this and was about to try to reassure the kid. When Avery spoke again. "Aw Lama-Lama, don't cry. I believe that he will understand and love you all the same." When Liam had first learned to speak he couldn't say 'Liam' and instead said 'Lama' So Avery called him Lama-Lama When she wanted him to not cry.

"Don't call me Lama-Lama, I'm mad at you. You can't call me that when I am mad because I will forgive you." Liam wiggled and tried to get to the ground so Avery let him get down but still held his hand.

"I'm sorry Lama-Lama. Also you need to say sorry to Duke, you were being mean when you yelled at him." Liam looked at the man, Duke, and glared then shook his head.

"Actually I'm sorry V. I let my emotions get away with me. Come on everyone is waiting." Pressing the button on an ear piece he spoke to it and not Avery. When he started to walk Avery and Liam followed. "Hey guys, I got good news and bad news. Bad new is that Unk got away." Avery could hear someone yelling at him over the ear piece. "I had to! A- There was someone else in the woods. I'm coming back." The other person was speaking too quietly for Avery to hear them. "Don't worry We'll be there soon." He pressed the button and removed the ear piece. "Breaker isn't too happy."

"Who's Breaker?" Liam, now that there seemed to be no more danger, was curious about who Duke was. "And just who are you? How do you know my mama?" Aver quickly lifted Liam back up when he stumbled over a tree root. He paid no attention to his mothers actions and kept talking with Duke.

When they made it to the jet Avery paused. "Come on mama, you gotta be brave and see Snake Eyes again. If Duke is right he needs to see you."

A slight laugh left Avery. She was getting advice on love from her five year old son. "Yeah you're right. I gotta fix what I broke." She winked at Liam and set him down. "I just gotta learn that I can't run from my problems. And as you know that isn't easy."

"That cat was not my problem! I dropped a piece of bread and it wanted more." Liam knew his mother was joking but he had to defend himself. She might protect him from everyone and everything but she allowed herself to attack his pride at times so he had to defend it.

"Well then let's go. You have a father to meet." Avery grabbed Liam's hand and once again started forward. Her face was expressionless and Liam knew that she was nervous.

"Don't worry mama, if he doesn't want you I still do." Liam gave Avery's hand a light squeeze and walked right by her side. He was looking up at her face so he saw the soft smile she gave him. Once he saw that a grin of his own broke across his face.