A/N: Still don't own it.

So sorry this took so long. I have a million excuses but I won't waste your time with them. Let's just say I had some family stuff going on and I wasn't in the mood to write. I noticed a lot of grammatical errors when I reread the first chapter. I apologize. My own grammar is my greatest weakness. I have no problem finding the flaws in other people's work but I always have issues finding my own. That being said, I am in desperate need of a beta if anybody can recommend one. Also, I know I said this was gonna be an M/Z fic but I think it's bordering on the lines of friendship/family. You may yet see some M/A action in the future. Also, I have a whole chapter of the M/A story I promised written. I just can't think of a title for it.

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Zack awoke to someone standing over him and instinctively jumped up and grabbed him by the throat, pinning him to the wall before he could even blink.

"Adam, it's me, Buddy," he choked out as he gasped for breath.

"It's Zack," he said as he loosened his grip and lowered Buddy to the ground.

"I know."

"All those doctors… all this time not knowing who I was and you knew the whole time? Why? How could you lie to me about who I am," asked Zack in anguish.

"Perhaps you should sit down, son. It's a long story," he motioned to the couch as he took a seat in an armchair in the living room eyeing Zack warily as he made his way to the couch to sit down.

"Look… About a year ago a friend of mine, who I happened to owe a favor to, contacted me and said that he had a friend who had suffered a head injury and needed a place to stay and a fresh start. He didn't give me all the details but what he did say is that you had lost your memory. When I arrived at the hospital to retrieve you, I met your sister, Max, she said that there were bad people looking for you and things in your past that you were better off not knowing. She gave me everything you would need to establish your new identity and made me promise that I would never tell you about her. I know now that I should probably have asked more questions but I didn't. It wasn't until later on when the news about transgenics started to get around and I saw your sister on the news that I realized you were one of them. It all made sense, the tattoo on your neck, the way you can do your work so much faster than the rest of us and not even break a sweat. Still, I kept my suspicions to myself. You see, Adam… Zack, this past year, you've become like a son to me and to Mary. You're just as much a part of this family as my own children are and I didn't want anything bad to happen to you. I'd heard all about the terrible things they were doing to the transgenics in the big cities and the government agencies that were out to capture them. That's one of the reasons I never let you go on the delivery trips. I didn't want to risk any of those big city lynch mobs seeing that barcode of yours. I figured it would be better if you stayed close to home."

"Home," Zack scoffed. "Never really had one of those before."

"Well, you have one now."

"I have to go," Zack said as he rose abruptly from his seat and made his way upstairs to his room.

Nick and Carrie peered out their parents' bedroom door trying to see what was going on while their mother beckoned for them to come away from the door and give them privacy.

"Now, hold on there, son. You can't just up and leave…" Buddy said from the doorway trailing off as Zack sent a glare his way.

"I-It's not safe out there for your kind."

"I need to see her. I need to understand why she would do this to me. I had responsibilities, family to look out for, and she just sent me away," he said, stuffing his bag as he spoke. "Besides, I can take care of myself, always have," he added as he zipped up his bag, promptly snatching it up and making his way to the front door.

"Adam, where are you going," cried a bewildered Carrie, running towards him as he made his way out the door, tears in her eyes. Of all the members of his new-found family, Carrie was the one he was closest to. But who could resist such an adorably sweet little girl? Nothing made him happier than seeing those cute little dimples when he made her smile. His features softened and he turned to face her as she wrapped her arms around his waste.

"I have to go away for a little while, Sweet Pea," he said, dropping his bag as he knelt down to embrace her.

"Why?" she sniffed, tears streaming down her face.

"Because…" he paused. "Well, there're some important things I have to do, people who need me. I'll be back as soon as I can, OK?"

She nodded but made no move to let him go.

"At least wait until the next delivery run," entreated Buddy. "It'll be a hell of a lot easier on you if we get your paperwork in order so you don't have to sneak past sector checkpoints all the way there and back. Why don't we sit down and have some dinner and we can take care of the arrangements in the morning?"

"You know what? I think your Daddy's right. I can wait for the next delivery. How's about we go set the table," conceded Zack as he lifted her up onto his shoulders and carried her into the dining room.

He couldn't help but notice the tear stains on Mary's cheeks as she carried the food from the kitchen to the dinner table and he was wracked with guilt at having put them there. It was then that he realized it wasn't going to be as easy to walk away from his new family as he thought it would be. He was too emotionally attached to them now, something he couldn't even have fathomed a year ago.