Disclaimer: I do not own the Suite Life TV series or the Honor Harrington book series. Thanks to Sol Invictus for betaing.

"Tom! Tom! Dude… stop already!"

Inferno eyes made the sidewalk seem like quick drying cement to Zack and Cody's sneaker soles. The crowds swerved around the child and his friends. Friends who he stared at with a scorching glare as they stared and waited for his eruption.

But it never came. The fires dimmed in his eyes and their grey, ashen color returned. The darkness in his face lifted and the air around him lightened to match the sunny day around the three of them.

"Why did you run?" Tom listened to Zack's question even as the trio's slightly labored breathing bought time.

Time stopped as the brothers waited. But their friend remained mute. His eyes losing their color until dimness took over. Then the auburn haired boy turned instantly and continued on his previous course.

"What's up with him?" Zack's words touched Cody, who shrugged as both sped up to stay in contact.

"I have no idea. Just be happy he's not running anymore."

…

The bird's caw seemed like the only thing around in the Boston Commons. Besides the grass, some trees, a bench or two and one eleven year old boy. But soon the isolation was broken by two others.

The two interlopers looked at each other then the younger one moved forward toward his friend.

"Do you mind if we join you?" The soft words forced a smile from Tom.

"Sure." The twins sat down in the grass and let the quiet surround them. Until their own natural nosiness got in the way.

"Tom's what's wrong?"

Tom's voice was clear. "Nothing."

"So you are saying getting mad and giving us looks that scared and confused us, are nothing?"

Zack's challenge forced Cody to tap his brother's foot with his own but Tom did not do anything but get off the ground. Zack rolled his eyes at Cody at the potential for repeated running but watched as Tom strolled toward a small pond a few feet and looked down. His simmering image staring back at him.

Cody bit his lip as he watched the sullen child kneel down for a closer inspection. His eyes going blank then refocusing as he almost sprinted to his friend's side. Zack watched until he, too, followed.

"I've never seen you this angry before. I mean I realize we may not have been friends long but I would thought what we have would have meant something." Tom's shimmering eyes touched his soul but determination pushed past his sensitive nature. "I have to ask this: Does it have to do with that...em…guy in the suite?"

Cody stared back toward Zack as he waited for the answer, his brother's humor not evident even now.

"It does…" Both blonds whipped toward Tom. "It does, but before I say anything, I have to apologize for lying to you."

"How?" Zack's stunned voiced asked the obvious. "You are Tom Connolly, right?" A hollow laugh fell from the awakened one as he rose to full height.

"Yes, that's my name. I meant I lied about my background…" The hesitation brought a sigh until the words flowed. "You see I am and always have been a citizen of the Star Kingdom of Manticore."

"No way…that's not possible." Zack's skepticism and his loudness forced the birds into the air as well as a few onlookers turned to look at the boys as well. Tom started to rock back and forth on his feet.

"What I think my brother is asking is how did you get here and what does this have to do with you being upset?" Cody's even tone relaxed Tom as he organized his thoughts.

"In a word: Everything….Where do I start?"

"From the beginning, where else?" Cody shook his head at Zack's wisecrack.

"I'll start with the basics. You know my name and I was born on Sphinx. I moved here last year, a couple of months after we revealed ourselves to you."

"But why Boston of all places?"

"That was that Mom's choice. She wanted my opinion on where to live." Tom's fingers touched the pond water as he continued. "Sphinx has a lot of forests and virgin territory where it's dangerous. I guess she wanted a complete change of scenery. Which was understandable considering what she went through."

"Which was…?" Gray eyes meet deep green as Tom smirked at Zack and then at Cody.

"Does he always act this impatient?"

Cody paused and then smiled. "Sometimes"

"I just had to ask, that's all." Zack's interjection was cut off by Tom's continuance.

"My mom got into trouble back home and we moved to get away from it. I realize that does not explain everything," the storyteller added as he saw a raised hand from the markedly impatient one.

"My mom was involved in politics as an adviser to the Opposition and the Conservative Association as well. You see when the discovery was announced about this place, it caused a lot of excitement to go on back home. But not everyone was happy about it."

"Why not? It would be a new place for you guys to explore." Tom nodded.

"I am not sure. I guess they would lose something from it. But they tried to hide it from the public and say they were thrilled about the discovery as well. But some reporters printed stories about their true feelings about the whole thing. It ticked my mom's bosses off badly. I really was not paying attention with school going on, so I almost ignored it. Good thing I did not because their anger changed everything."

A scowl crawled onto his face as his fingernails dug into his palms as the twins wore worried looks.

"They tried to tell who revealed their lies. It was almost like a matter of pride of them. They were embarrassed. They took it out on people they found out about."

"Your mom…"

"Yeah, she was one of them. And they killed her career. Of course it was done behind closed doors but it still sucked." Venom poured from the last word as a shadow of previous anger resurfaced.

"So you blame the guy in the suite for your mom's career ending?" Tom winced at the younger twin's suggestion but Zack interrupted him.

That guy's not a man. He's a whale. I don't know how he can move without being crushed by his own weight." Cody stared at him in shock but Tom's boisterous laugh drew him short.

"Thanks. I needed that. And that's why he has the chair. To support his weight." Tom grinned until he went serious.

"I guess the guy just brought up bad memories since I recognized him being a guy with power. Or least someone who I think could have had something to do with it. I mean I know he works with the people who forced my mom out. But this is the first time I've met him so I don't think he recognized me at all."

"I guess I can't blame you at all. I know I would have the same feelings as you." Tom exchanged smiles with Zack until Cody broke into the camaraderie.

"What about Ken? Do you think we should tell him about this?"

"Why? What's the point? He does not have to know!"

"But Zack, he takes care of us. This might affect him. I mean, you know…" Tom disintegrated Cody's attempt at a lecture.

"I am sure you will not have to worry about that part I'm afraid." Inquiring looks pulled the rest out of him. "Well I am very sure Ken knows who I am. You see, my mom and him have known each other since they were a little older than us."

"So I'm sure she has changed a little bit since then, right?"

"Not much as you would think, Zack. Prolong slows down aging remember? They both are not so much older than they looked in college and the academy. I saw a picture of them from back then. No change almost except hair style and clothing. Besides, there's another little thing about Ken that practically guarantees he knows who I am."

And what would that be? " Tom mischievous smile threw both off guard. What said could have blown them off with a light wind.

"Well, Cody, Ken happens to be my godfather as a matter of fact."

"You're not kidding, are you?" A head shake answered Cody. With Tom, turned away from the pond and stretched.

"Wait a moment…if Ken knows who you are, them how come he has not said anything about it?"

"That one stumps me as well. No way has he forgotten what I looked liked. He has pictures of me. Heck, my mom sent him one of me from three years ago. Then again it's been almost two years since we talked when I met him in the suite the first time.

"Two years. That's insane." Shock reached Tom as the trio walked back onto the park's pathway.

"I know. I guess with being assigned here and before that all the different posts he had, he just never found time, I guess." Unhappiness took the air from the boys for a few seconds.

"And your mom never asked him to help?"

"I don't think so. If she did, it was not anything I noticed. We requested immigration to this planet and were allowed to do so. Oh, by the way, as long as I am confessing, I have been not trying my hardest in class."

"Why would you be doing that, you got a B on the last math test?" Tom turned and raised his eyebrows at Cody.

"To tell you the truth, I was sort of bored. It's not very challenging in some ways." Zack and Cody's chins dropped. "Besides, think about it, it's great cover. With that, I'm just an average student. Not sticking out or making noise." The Manty turned and walked away, leaving two stunned preteen twins behind. They shook themselves and caught up with the newly revealed citizen.

"Okay that's it. What else do you know or…"

"What are you not telling us?" Cody completed Zack's thoughts.

"Well, if you must know…." A sly grin creased Tom's face as he almost mesmerized his two companions as they walked towards the Boston Common entrance.

…..

"Am I the only one who feels like he has to take a shower after that?!"

"I think that's a bit of an exaggeration."

"Not for me, I almost could not stand him. I'm thankful he's gone."

"He's a fat spider in his web using his knowledge for the best advantage he can get. He's like any other politician I can think of." Joanna fired back with a flourish of intensity.

"All politicians, you say?" Ken tensed at Joanna's prickly response and pushed through his idiocy as he swallowed his foot.

"I did not mean you, obviously. Or the Prime Minster. Or the Queen." Ken swallowed as he finished counting and saw Joanna looking at him expressionless.

"I would hope so. At best, it's condescending. At worst, it's career ending."

I'm just saying…"

"I understand completely and in North Hollow's case, I agree with you in completely personal and unofficial terms as possible. He's a toad, plain and simple."

"Ha! So you agree with me." Ken's exuberance forced a smile on Joanna's face.

"I understand why you think that…" Joanna's finger started to tap the couch arm as she watched Ken acknowledge her words. She paused to scratch Alexander's neck as the treecat sat behind her. The Queen's Officer smiled at the treecat's relaxed pose.

"…But it's an old argument between us. One stumped on too much by both of us. Like a dance we've memorized. Immediately something caught my attention and almost distracted me from the meeting. You saw Tom?"

"How could I not?" Apprehension flexed his fingers. "If Tom was 20 or 30 years older, we would had a massive problem on our hands."

"Especially since we confirmed our suspicions with that background check the Queen's Own did." Joanna recognized a thin smile broaching on his face.

"Just like me…"

"Standard security procedure. It feels wrong checking out a child like this…"

"But you had no choice. Your security cannot be risked. It was a simple background check."

"But sir, it was strange what we discovered. It was a mixed job. Mrs. Connelly never changed their names in the documents. But she did try to hide the fact they were moving in the first place. It was half done…"

"Strange indeed." Ken responded to Alice Powe's add-on to the conversation. The Queen's Own detachment CO was a few feet behind Joanna but never completely invisible. At least not to Ken.

"You're right. It's not like her at all. Could have been a rush job to get them both out ASAP. Especially if she was afraid of any backsplash onto Tom."

"What do we do now? I mean Tom acted like a normal child and he still is." Joanna added seeing Ken's rebuke."But we have to play this carefully." Joanna saw shadows of movement as Alexander pounced from the back of the couch to the chair Ken was sitting in. The fur ball climbed up the chair to his familiar place at Ken's shoulder.

"Yes, definitely. I don't want to be the cause of destroying whatever she is trying to create. Our friendship is worth too much to do that. I have a responsibility to protect Tom. It's not his fault he is in this situation."

If Ken had looked up at that exact moment, he have noticed a strange expression on Joanna's face. Uncertainty covered all but it was pushed away just as fast. But it came out in another way.

Words.

"You still love her, don't you?"

….

Emotional earthquakes destroyed any comfortable atmosphere between the couple.

Oral concussive blasts shattered Ken's reflective nature. A flesh and blood statue replaced him. It became complete with matching treecat claws digging into his shoulders as both suffered under the burden of the query that sideswiped them. One which could force them into very dangerous territory.

Ken gathered up the pieces of his mind and attempted to put them together, humpty-dumpty style. His mind was still coming together. It was not complete but it was coherent.

"Yes…" The answer flummoxed the princess. But Ken recognized a hurricane brewing between the facial tick and her hands flexing open and close. But Joanna simply breathed in and out while the storm brewed inside. But Ken continued while this happened.

"I do love her…" Ken moved forward and wrapped his hands around Joanna's arms. "But not in the way I love you." Joanna looked up and saw the heavenly smile on his face. "Not in a romantic way but a higher way." Ken saw her serenity reach back into her eyes. " I cannot do anything else but thank her for what she did. You see, when I first arrived in the Star Kingdom, I was closed off. A child completely cut off and cold to the outside. Everyone was in another universe compared to me. I did not care about anyone or anything. I was more a computer than a human. No faith in the goodness of others, only figuring out how they affected my life. Mostly in a negative way."

The anger vanished and understanding shown on Joanna's face as Ken's tale continued as Alexander's tail wrapped itself around his neck as the treecat continued to move himself closer to his human.

"Sarah, in her own way, refused to let me go. Her…gentle ferocity cracked the despondency I was in. It was like some big weight was taken from me. Or like I was released from some self-imposed trap. Do you understand?"

Joanna stared directly at her boyfriend. A sometimes fragile title.

"Not totally to be honest. You told me and my family what you went through and sometimes it seems so hard to completely get around it. I can hear your words and decipher what you tell me but on some level, I can never truly know what you went through. "

Joanna paused as her eyes cleared then sadness peaked in them along with truth.

"Not in my soul anyway." A transfixed expression wandered onto Ken's face. Almost humorless but not anyway laughable.

"They say experience is the best teacher. In this case, it could not more truthful. Especially when it comes to life, pain and tragedy. " Ken realized his words struck home too late. "Sorry…my blunt side came out again."

You're forgiven. This time." A fingertip buried itself in his chest with a matching smile.

"It's just that sometimes I am afraid of what I would have become if it was not for her. Especially with how some other victims have reacted under similar circumstances. With direct action."

"The Audubon Ballroom is a terrorist organization which even the Star Kingdom has outlawed, Ken. Let alone the rest of the known galaxy." Joanna bit her lip as she stopped her speech. "But I can understand if your ideas conformed with theirs on certain things. Or at least sympathized with them."

"Getting back at the people who hurt or made us from scratch to suit certain needs and sell us like cattle. I'd hope so. That does not mean I agree with their colorful methods of execution and attempts at persuasion."

"Good for all of us then. Besides what some may call persuasion, others may call revenge." Joanna cupped his face then kissed his cheek. Ken watched as she walked away.

Yes, love it's true. But even an urge for revenge sometimes catches up to the best of us. We're only human after all.

This two part chapter went a little longer than I anticipated (No kidding, right?) and I had get rid of a few humorous bits to shorten it but those can be used for another time. Maybe even the next chapter? However, as they say, the plot thickens.

Until next time……