Commander Ed Straker sat at the desk in his quarters onboard the Andromeda going over some of the files that Andromeda had given him to read. A sound alerted the Commander to the presence of a visitor outside his quarters. "Who's there?"

"It's Blue. He wants to see you," Holo Rommie informed as soon as she appeared in front of Straker.

Straker frowned in uncharacteristic confusion. "Me? Whatever for?"

The hologram tilted her head towards the boy. "You can ask him yourself."

"He doesn't talk," Straker curtly replied.

Holo Rommie matched the commander's intense expression. "He may talk for you."

"It's not like a computer program to forget. I've already tried and he didn't talk even for me" Straker reminded, ignoring Blue for the time being.

Andromeda's folded her arms across her chest. "Maybe he's ready to talk now."

The Commander looked down at the boy standing in front of him and offered a faint smile. "It couldn't hurt I suppose. He does want to see me at any rate. Would you mind engaging privacy mode Andromeda?"

"Privacy Mode engaged," Holo Rommie announced before disappearing from view.

Straker knelt down on one knee in front of Blue, placing both hands on the boy's shoulders. "Now young man, what is you wanted to see me about? Oh, my mistake I forgot you can't understand Old Earth English. I don't speak common so I think that lets out verbal communication for now. Do you know sign language? Okay maybe I can come up with something else."

Blue began turned his head and his eyes scanned the room, as if searching for something. The boy eventually began staring at S.H.A.D.O.'s commander.

"Did anybody ever tell you it's not polite to stare?" Straker gently chastised. The boy continued to stare at Straker, trying to understand what the Commander had asked. Straker pursed his lips together and stared at the door. "I'm sorry Blue. I don't know how you're going to tell me or show me what you came here for."

Blue quickly reached into his shirt and pulled out a flexi, holding it with care, as if it held a file that was dear to him.

"So that's what it's all about. You want me to see whatever you've got on that flexi don't you?"

Blue held the flexi in hand of his outstretched arm and Straker took the flexi, patting the boy on the head for good measure. "Okay so this flexi is important is it?"

Blue stared at Straker and appeared frustrated at not being able to understand the Commander. Straker gently put a hand on the boy's shoulder and offered one of his rare smiles. "It's okay Blue, I'll have a look at your flexi. Why don't we go sit down on the bed and watch what's on the flexi together?"

Straker moved over to the bed with Blue following close behind. Both of them sat down and the Commander pressed the flexi's play button. A holographic image of a man and woman appeared in front of Straker and Blue.

Blue's gaze traveled from the man to Straker and back. Straker's eyes were opened wide, the only indication of his level of interest in the image before him. The man in the video was nearly an exact double for Straker; right down to the piercing blue eyes and platinum blonde hair. The only difference between Straker and his double is that the man in the video had wavy, shoulder length hair.

"I see why you wanted to show me this flexi," Straker commented without emotion as he paused the video. "That man could pass for my twin, with a proper haircut of course."

A tear began cascading down Blue's right cheek as he watched the still image of the man and woman from the disk. Straker put an arm around Blue's shoulder and pulled the boy close to him. Blue leaned his head against the Commander's chest as Straker continued the video.

Five minutes later the video ended with Blue's face streaked with tears. Straker took his right thumb and carefully dabbed the tears from Blue's face. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say those two people were your parents, or at least are related to you."

Blue looked up into the Commander's eyes with hurt and longing. No words were needed as Straker took the disk from the machine and handed back to the boy. Blue carefully replaced the disk back where he had stored it. Without warning, Straker uncharacteristically pulled Blue into a hug.

Holo Rommie fizzled into existence in front of the two humans who were oblivious to her presence. The hologram coughed and waited for her presence to be acknowledged. Straker turned towards the hologram and quickly released his hold on Blue.

"Yes Andromeda?" Straker asked with the appropriate amount of nonchalance in his voice.

"Colonel Straker, your presence is requested in Captain Hunt's briefing room," the hologram informed as she kept her gaze on the two humans.

Straker shot Holo Rommie an indignant expression as he replied, "I distinctly remember asking for privacy mode to be engaged."

The hologram's expression was equally indignant. "You had privacy mode; however, my captain overrode your request."

"Why did Captain Hunt do that?" the commander asked with an even tone.

"Captain Hunt will explain everything at the briefing," Holo Rommie informed. "I am having my avatar meet you and escort Blue back to the other children."

The commander's lips pressed together in a thin line. "The boy was crying on my shoulder, so to speak as you came in. Make sure your avatar is prepared for how the boy may react."

"My avatar has already downloaded child psychology programming," Holo Rommie replied before flashing the UFO leader a knowing smile. "I could see that Blue was in distress and you comforted him."

"Does that surprise you?" Straker asked as he led Blue to the door.

The hologram's features became solemn as her gaze fell on the boy standing next to the door. "Not at all. You were a father once and from all accounts a very loving and doting one. It was an instinctive reaction for you to comfort Blue when he was in distress."

Straker stood at the door with his hands on his hips. "Just don't let word get out about this or my people will start thinking I have a heart."

"Or a weakness" Holo Rommie countered with seriousness as she followed Straker and Blue down her corridor.

The commander glanced at Holo Rommie without any emotion showing on his face. Blue snuck his hand into Straker's and the two walked along. Holo Rommie followed along until her avatar met up with Blue and Straker.

When Rommie arrived Blue's grip on Straker's hand tightened. Straker gave the boy's hand a gentle squeeze as he smiled down at Blue. The commander released Blue's hand and gestured for the boy to go to Rommie, but Blue merely stared up at Straker with worry in his blue eyes.

As soon he took a breath, Straker knelt down in front of Blue. "Now Blue you are a big boy and you know Rommie is your friend; she won't hurt you."

"I'm just going to take you to be with the other children," Rommie began explaining with a mother tone. "Colonel Straker has to talk with Captain Hunt. You can see him again later."

Blue shook his head and latched onto the commander with a bear hug. Straker and Rommie looked at each other with twin frowns on their faces. The Commander gently pried Blue's hands from around his neck and moved the moved back a step.

"Rommie, I should get to the meeting. Would you try to figure out what's gotten into the kid?" Straker instructed as he backed away from Blue.

Tears welled up in the blond boy's eyes as he watched the commander walked away. Rommie grabbed Blue as he lunged forward in an effort to follow Straker. "Listen to me Blue," the avatar quietly and calmly instructed as she knelt down on one knee and looked into the boy's eyes. "There's no need to cry. Colonel Straker is only going to be gone for a little while."

Blue frantically shook his head as he struggled to free himself from the avatar's grasp on his upper arms. "No he's going away forever!" he shouted in Common.

Rommie's dark eyes widened as she took in the boy's words. "Did you just talk? Keep talking," she gently coaxed.

The orphan looked at Rommie with shock. Blue moved his mouth as if trying to speak before eventually uttering in a soft, halting voice, "He… he… wi will leave forever."

Andromeda's avatar's face beamed as she pulled Blue into a hug. "That was an excellent effort Blue. Now, don't worry about Colonel Straker, he'll be okay."

"No, I…I want to.. to go too," Blue protested.

"I'm afraid that's not possible," Rommie stated sympathetically. "You can't go where the Colonel is going."

Blue's lower lip began to quiver as he stood before Rommie. "How come? I go.. got no family."

The avatar's brow furrowed. "You mean you want Colonel Straker to adopt you?" The boy nodded his head. "I'm sorry but that's not possible, the Colonel is going to a place where you can't follow and that's all I am allowed to say."

Tears welled up in Blue's eyes which caused Rommie to wipe the boy's eyes with her left thumb. "Don't cry Blue, everything's going to be fine. Reverend Storm will find you and the other children good homes."

"Doesn't Colonel St… Straker have a good home?" Blue asked with desperation in his voice.

"Of course the Colonel has a good home," Rommie assured. "It's just that his home is someplace where you don't belong."

Blue began sobbing as he tried to continue pleading his case. "B… bu.. but don't I.. I belong in a good place?"

The avatar brushed a wisp of stray blond bangs from Blues eyes. "Of course you belong in a good place. It's just that while Colonel Straker lives in a good place, it's not right for you. You belong in different good place with a family that will love you and take care of you. The Colonel has many other responsibilities and would not have time to give you the attention you deserve."

"He doesn't want to be my dad?" Blue nearly whispered.

"It's not a question of whether Colonel Straker wants to adopt you," the avatar tried to explain. "he just isn't able to do that, for many reasons."

The boy's shoulders sagged as he stood in silence. Without speaking a word, Rommie picked Blue up and carried him in her arms down the corridor towards his quarters.