Disclaimer: Only Maru's really mine, but I wish the rest were.

Rating: PG

A Short Interlude

"You're right," Lydecker agreed. Zack had just filled Lydecker in on what the others had figured out about Renfro. "We don't have proof if she's dead or not. It's not much, but it's a lead. Is that all?"

"No, it concerns the kids," said Zack. He decided now was as good a time as any to ask. "They're getting very restless. I don't think Maru or Maxie have ever spent more than several hours a day inside. They need to use up their energy somehow. Sooner or later they'll mess something up with all the energy they have."

Lydecker understood what Zack was saying. Maru and Maxie, especially Maru, have a lot of energy. They needed to use it up. "I think that I could arrange a section of the woods to be empty for them to play in."

"Thanks," replied Zack. He left Lydecker's office to meet with the others. Zack walked into their barracks to see everyone was sleeping. The only ones not in the barracks were Jace, Charlie, and the kids. Lydecker offered them VIP rooms because they generally didn't stay at Manticore.

"Psst Maxie," whispered Maru to her cousin. They were sharing the bed and Jace took the couch.

"What?" Maxie mumbled back. She was still half asleep so it sounded more like 'whmm?'

"I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat."

Maxie was slightly more awake at this point and she looked over to the clock. "But it's three in the morning. Go back to sleep."

After Maxie rolled over and fell back asleep, Maru slid out of bed and walked over to her Aunt. Maru stood in front of her Aunt for a few minutes debating weather or not to wake her up. In the end Maru decided not to. She walked to the door and slowly slid it open so the door wouldn't creak. Maru was able to get from the VIP quarters to the X series barracks without running in to anyone. 

Once Maru figured out where in the barracks her family was, she slid into that room.

Zack was always a wear of everything around him, even while he slept. So it only took him  a  moment to realize someone was standing beside his bed.

"Maru? What're you doing here?" Zack asked concerned and now fully awake. Several of the other X-5's stirred and woke up, but then pretended to still be fast asleep.

 "I'm hungry and I had a bad dream," Maru whispered. She crawled into Zack's arms when he motioned for her to snuggled up to him.

Zack replied softly, "The hunger I can't do much about. There's no one in the kitchen this early, but the bad dream I could fix. Why was your dream so bad? Unless you really knew Zack you wouldn't think he could be this caring.

"Everyone was disappearing in my dream. And soon I was all alone. I was crying and crying but no one was coming."

Maru started to cry as she told her father about her bad dream. Zack held her close and pulled down onto the bed beside him. Soon Maru fell fast asleep and Zack stayed awake, watching his little angel sleep.

"Tag! You're it!" Maxie had just jumped out from behind a tree and tagged Case. Maru, Maxie and Case had been playing games out in their section of the woods all morning.

"How about we get Maru and go get some lunch. I'm starved," suggested Case before Maxie ran off.

"Sure," agreed Maxie. "Maru, game's over!"

The section was big enough to play in, but not so big that Maru wouldn't be able to hear someone yelling to her.

"Maru come out. This isn't funny," yelled Case. He wasn't too worried. Maru did this every time they wanted to go inside. She would come out after a few minutes. But a few minutes pasted then five and ten. Case was the fist to say it, "Something's wrong. Let's go get Uncle Zack."

Maxie agreed and off they ran back inside to find Zack.

Zack was in the mess hall with Jace, Charlie, Jondy and a few other X-5's. The mess hall was mostly empty and so they noticed immediately when their kids came running in, out of breath and missing the youngest.   

Jondy was the fist to ask, "What's wrong? Where's Maru?"

"We were playing tag in the woods, and then when we yelled to Maru to come out because we were going inside she never came. We waited and waited but she never fools around for that long. She thinks it's too boring," explained Case and Maxie together.

The adults all glanced at each other before jumping up and going off in separate directions. Charlie stayed with the kids.  

***I wrote this section a long time ago and now I have no ideas where I was headed. So, if you have any ideas please feel free to let me know. ;)