Disclaimer: I don't own the Suite Life TV series or the Honor Harrington book series. I would to thank sol invictus for betaing this.

"He seemed really nervous. And of course he left the dishes." Sarah looked at the closed door and rose as Joanna left the table.

"Yes he was." Joanna picked the dishes up as Sarah followed her into the kitchen with the rest of the used dinnerware.

"You know, there is one thing this planet has taught me. It's appreciation." The women filled the dishwasher and closed the door and turned it on.

"For the finer things in life?"

"Not really, it's more like appreciating what you have now because you might lose it very suddenly."

Joanna paused before answering. "Yes, it's true and it's so easy to forget that. I have realized that ever since I arrived." Joanna's eyes rose slightly as the words slipped out of her but Sarah gave no obvious acknowledgment.

"But it's not. We're the ones who needed to be taught the lesson of humility. We had life prolonging extensions. Advanced vaccines and medical technology and knowledge that can beat almost all diseases. That does not even include space travel. We were surrounded by it. Like it was given to us by destiny or something."

"I think that's a little too strong of a word for it. Something to drink?"

"Yes, please. Water's fine." Sarah smiled thanks as the glass was handed to her and they made their way to the living room couches and sat down. "I am not too sure. Ever since I came here, my viewpoint has widened. Maybe it's because we never experienced the type of widespread struggle this planet has. War, disease, hunger, the list goes on…" Sarah took a sip from her glass while Joanna waited for her to continue.

"We may have to go back to the Kingdom's founding and the plague that wiped out 60 percent of the original population to find a truly serious threat to our survival. Let's be honest, we've had it good compared to here. A hub of intergalactic trade, a stable political system among others. I mean, we've never really had to struggle tremendously in the last couple hundred years."

"I can see that, but a sense of complicity? I doubt certain people would agree with you."

"Like the Queen, your Highness?"

Joanna froze for a split second at the sudden turn but Sarah continued steadily like nothing ever happened.

"Yes I know who you are, your highness. I was shocked to figure it out it was you when I walked in. I mean the security risk…." Sarah rolled the glass in between her hands. The water splashed around but stayed inside. "Using your father's maiden name was what gave you away." Joanna turned her head just enough for eyes to catch Alice Powe, her personal armsman biting down on her lip hard than back at Sarah.

"And I ran into some members of your family at certain functions back home. The House of Winton's look definitely shows in those born into the royal family. Add in the security and it all came together quickly."

The beginnings of a grimace appeared on Joanna's face as the truth hit her. Someone who knew what to look for and had been around members of her family recognized certain characteristics inherent in the family. The Winton chin, the cheekbones, intelligence… The grimace was smothered as Joanna turned around to face Powe.

"I guess we have to add another to our little list?" Powe stared back with an openly unsatisfied expression on her face.

"No disrespect, your Highness, our list is a tad bit longer than I would have liked." Joanna matched her exasperation.

"I know…" Joanna turned back to see Sarah apologetic.

"I did not mean to cause problems, but…" Joanna finished the woman's sentence.

"…You're not the first and I am afraid you will not be the last. Do not worry about it. However, I would ask you to keep that knowledge to yourself." The answer to the answer was straight forward.

"No need to ask. Besides, I do not think Ken would be very happy with me if I somehow blew it. I take it as a matter of pride as a Manticorean." Sarah looked shocked at the smile on Joanna's face. "If I may ask, what's so funny?"

"Ken. I am just imagining the look on his face if he could hear this conversation."

"I can understand that. The one man connection between us…" Joanna's smile flickered as Sarah realized her mistake and did not panic. A few seconds passed...

"Your Highness, can we be honest with each other?"

Joanna's mask shattered at the simple question but answered anyway.

"Considering we each know who the other is, I think we are halfway there." The line brought a smile to Sarah.

"So true. I meant about us. Here we are, one the current girlfriend, the other the best friend sitting in a room alone talking. Both daughters of politics. Both with preconceived notions of how to act and what to expect. One of birth, the other of career. Well, alone except for them of course." Sarah mentioned toward the blood red uniforms of the Queen's Own. "I don't think I could ever get used to being surrounded by security like this."

"Trust me, Ken's still adjusting and he's had two, almost three, years to work through it. That is even after he told me what he was." Sarah's eyebrows rose at the end of the sentence and started to say something then stopped. Joanna put forth a further explanation.

"Yes, he told me all about it. He was a little hesitant at first. I think he was afraid I would him reject later if I did not know. And yes, he was truthful about the depth of your relationship." Gray eyes narrowed after the reveal.

"Yeah, he would do that…Three years, he forgot to mention that. Then again, I guess he was afraid of my reaction." Sarah sighed as she sipped her water."Your Highness, I will not get involved in your relationship with Ken. I care about him too much to do that. He and I had a talk about that years ago. He was extremely adamant."

Joanna's relief leaked into her voice. "I know that and thank you. Ken's is always a little overprotective of other people and their reactions to things and can be stubborn to a fault sometimes" Sarah shook her head.

"Some things never change with him. No matter how old he gets…" Joanna jumped on the opportunity.

"He never talked about his childhood much, did he? Sarah walked slowly into the potential minefield.

"You mean before he came to the Star Kingdom via Beowulf?" Sarah waited for Joanna's confirmation. "No, but there were signs though. Certain opinions given out, his moral code…Stuff like that."

"It's the same with me. He acknowledges it happened. He admits it made him who he is in a way but you have to wonder how much it has changed him. Or least what part of him is his choices and what part is from what those monsters made him. " Joanna's morbid comment drew an icy silence until Sarah's voice broke through.

"A very large part of me does want not to know. It could be out of a fear of knowing. Knowing my best friend may have had no choices at all or knowing the choices he made may have cost him something deeply. Not empathy, he has that…"

"A certain disregard for the rules in certain situations. That wall that stops him from jumping at the first sign…" Joanna suggested. Her opposite shrugged.

"I'm not quite sure exactly. You noticed he has very little tact when it comes to social graces?" The princess nodded with a small smile brimming at her lips.

"More than once. It would not surprise me if that went all the way back somehow. But its not like we can understand what he went through."

"The only ones who can are people who went through it. Thankfully our Star Nation has a lot of experience dealing with this. Bred to do manual labor, sometimes in dangerous situations. Let alone the ones like Ken who were born to vanquish every person's sexual desire. It's plain to see why the Audubon Ballroom does what they do. Of course the assassinations and kidnappings of their former masters and creators is what made us outlaw them in the first place "

"Your comment about Ken's choice is coming to mind right now… " Joanna spat out as she moved over to the other couch on which she was sitting.

"Me too. His choice to join the navy instead of joining in on the revenge killings comes to mind." Sarah did not mention how the lines could be blurred so easily.

"Yes, like other genetic slaves who made the choice to join the Navy after arriving to our beacon of second chances. "

"You know, I noticed one particular choice that affects both of us, Sarah." Ken's best friend looked up at the usage of her name with a quizzical expression. Joanna's warm smile brightened the room.

"His choice of strong women."

"I did not notice until now, thank you. But do you think if its because he needs it or because he needs someone who he knows can endure how he acts?"

Joanna snorted. "I don't know for sure but if I know one thing: It's not going to be boring."

"It never is…Now that we've gotten the nervousness out of the way, should we go back to our original topic: the positives and negatives of this planet?

"Sure, you have an interested audience." Joanna readjusted for the second time and listened as Sarah wondered that particular path.

…..

"It sure is cold in here." Ken and Tom's joint laughter puffed up Cody. But Ken shook his head as he gently squeezed Cody's shoulder.

"Sorry, its just that I've spent a lot of my teenage years in winter and I developed an immunity to the cold, like Alexander here with his thick, multilayered coat. Being surrounded by all these freezers is like a paradise compared to some of those days."

"Wait! Years!?... Ouch!" Zack walked into an open freezer door with his face smooched against the glass. Ken bit his lip as he waited for the boy to regain his senses. Alexander had no restraint and bleeked in laughter. Zack glared at the treecat with watery eyes, who only bleeked again.

Zack's eyes cleared and in his vision was Ken, his worried face filling his entire vision.

"You alright?" The foster father's eyes scanned Zack's face. The boy backed up.

"I'm fine" The words slithered through Zack's gritted teeth and the hand covering his nose.

"If you insist…" Ken backed off with a frown, ignoring the stares of store employees and customers as the foursome stood in the aisle.

"To answer what I believe was going to be your question, I'll keep in simplest terms."

"I'm not stupid, you know!" A level adult voice faced off against Zack's outburst.

"I never said you were but I don't want to go on a 15 minute on the basics of astronomy. Especially not here and now." Ken paused as he waited for Zack to cool off then continued. "When your planet rotates completely the sun, one year has went by…"

"Yeah, I know all the seasons have gone by…" Zack interspersed into the mini-lecture.

"Correct but in Sphinx's case, it takes about 5 of your years to do the same thing. So we end up having very long winters and summers with short springs and falls thrown for good measure."

"So you get a lot of snow then?" Ken chuckled at Zack's question.

"Oh you could say that…" Ken saw Tom's smile in the freezer's glass door's reflection. "We jump straight to measuring meters. Its more efficient that way." Ken looked down at his wristcom.

"Whoa…time flies." He stares at the semi circle of three boys. "Pick something simple. I don't care…" Cody shouted a suggestion.

"Ice cream!"

"That works…Go. We don't much time. All this yapping reminds me of the time I taught at the Naval Academy…" Zack turned around instantly.

"You taught at the Naval Academy?"

Ken answered rapidly, almost tapping his foot the whole time. "Of course, when I was younger. Now hurry up please. I don't want a certain two woman to send a search-and-rescue party after us. It would not look good for me."

Ken missed the amused expressions on the boys at the prospect of the situation as he continued to look at the time on his wristcom. Someone's presence caught his attention.

"I would have thought you would pick out your own stuff, Tom?"

"No, I'll let them choose. Besides, they deserve it after yesterday." Ken nodded in reply and turned to watch as the twins dashed from freezer door to freezer pointing out the different flavors and conversing.

"How are you?" The question drew a prolonged shrug.

"I'm fine considering everything. Except for yesterday. I mean it was close…I can't imagine what it would like to be torn away from everything I knew in no time…At least when I moved here, Mom was right there with me." Tom looked to the ground, biting his lips, his voice wavering. Ken wrapped his arm around his godson's shoulders and squeezed. Tom smiled back and returned a hug to the man. It lasted just a few seconds.

"Thanks, I needed that. Seeing their faces when there were taken from school yesterday…It was like it was expected to them…"

"Come on, I've known you since you were born. Heck, I probably fed you a couple of bottles or helped you go to sleep. You know I am not into that whole guy that swallows his pride and hides his emotion shtick. It's probably one of the stupidest ideas the human race has come up with. I mean seriously…"

"You are lecturing again. You sure the military was your calling? Not a politician or droning professor or one of the telemar—Hey!" Tom jumped back as Ken poked him in his stomach with a matching urchin grin.

"Since when you did develop an attitude, hmm?" Tom could not help but smile at the question.

"Mom blames you completely." The boy laughed at the bewilderment on the officer's face. "And you know, the way I am acting right now, she maybe on something." Double raised eyebrows increased the stakes but Ken's did not attack. He ignored it.

"I missed you too." The daring smile disappeared as Tom moved within arms length of Ken, his mind brimming with questions.

"Why did you stop sending letters? I mean, even when when your commands took you far away the letters made it seem like not so much. But then you go off when we discover this planet and the letters just stop with no reason or explanation." Ken's tried to focus on the twins' movements in their search for sugary delights but instead dwelled on Tom's confusion, anger…and loss kept the temptation at bay as Tom continued unopposed. His voice lowered to below normal volume but still effective. His words struck at Ken's heart

"I waited for them. Do you have any idea how I missed you? Those letters were a lifeline. I know you and Mom aren't together but I needed you even if it was just your words. I love Mom but there were some things I could not tell her.."

"Guy things?" Ken's feeble words stopped the onslaught of emotions for a second as he looked at Tom. Alexander's tail wrapped around his neck while his back bent over. Random people staring at the display of human interaction. Of course, they could been staring at the treecat as well.

"Among other things…I don't remember a time where you were not there for either Mom or me. You're in half the pictures for goodness sake." Tom's reactions even stopped the twins' dessert powwow as they stared at their friend, frozen like the semi-solid delicacies in their grasps. "It's also the reason when I realized it was you Zack and Cody lived with, I hung so much. To make it for lost time."

A beautiful woman stared at Ken, her eyes fixated on him, memorizing him. His model features cemented her feet to the floor. Any other time Ken would have been polite and smiled but not today. No, now he was fixated on the complaints of a 12 year old boy instead of the irritating stares of a woman.

"You're right. I never should have cut you off like that. I was just busy with making contacts and dealing with all the issues of interplanetary relations. We were used to dealing with a mostly unified planet under one government. But here we are dealing with multiple powers and rivalries going back decades, even centuries." Tom tried to intervene but Ken stopped him. "Still, that's no excuse for severing my ties like that." Ken paused before ruffling Tom's hair and went level with his face.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I never realized how much they meant to you. Needed to get it off your chest, huh?"

"Yeah. It's just…" Ken returned to full height and the pair returning to watching the twins barter with each other over flavors while their dialogue persisted.

"I know…Trust me. There are some times where you just need to let off stream. But I do have two questions: Why didn't you say anything when you first saw me in the suite? I certainly recognized you." Tom read Ken's eyes. No pressure, just plain curiosity.

"I did not know how you or mom would react when you both found out…" Relief poured into the auburn haired preteen as Ken refrained calmly. Not even surprised.

"I understand…Don't worry about it. Both of us are fine. Our friendship will not go down the drain because of this." Ken did not see the shifting features in Tom's face.

"And the second question?"

"Did you tell that girl Max or Tapeworm about all this, especially your true identity?" Tom wilted under the question and Ken shook his head.

"Oh boy, you are in deep. You're into dangerous territory here. They've known longer long than Zack and Cody and you never told them?"

"Well.." Tom stopped as Ken's already shaking head.

"Doesn't matter. If you have any belief in your friendship with them, you will tell them. Its unfair to them that the twins know but they don't…" The boy's quick acknowledgment stopped. But Ken switched topics with a much calmer voice after a few seconds and a scratching of Alexander's fur.

"You know, you are allowed to call me Uncle if you feel like it, Thomas. I have no problems with it." Tom twitched at the use of his birth name but a smile erupted as his vision continue to focus straight. His answer was riddled with unmistakable laughter.

"Ah..maybe later…especially you might want to look at what they decided on.." Ken looked in the direction his godson was looking. His eyes bulged, Alexander bleeked, and a stiff wind could have easily knocked him.

Zack walked up two large one gallon tubs of ice creams, one in each hand. His cheeks were puffed as he walked or waddled. Tom laughed as Ken was staring at what was under Zack's arms: Bottles of chocolate and caramel syrup. Anxiety ticked up as Zack continued as the bottles moved under pressure.

Cody's hands were not empty either. But instead of waddling like a duck, his concentration was like a trapeze artist on a rope but with jars and more bottles instead. He had turned his jacket covered slender arms into the weakest foundation for a tower of food ever constructed.

The twins finally reached Ken and Tom with their day and night expression of amusement and exasperation.

"I said something simple."

"It's ice cream.." Zack says innocently. "It can't get much more simple than that. You put it in a bowl, dump the toppings on top, and eat it." Tom and Cody stared at Zack then Ken with amazement, nervousness, and anxiety. But Ken said nothing. He only looked toward Cody.

"Speaking of toppings to compliment mountain of ice cream and the bottles of sauce snug under Zack's procession, we have…" A jar dropped from Cody's arm basket but Ken caught it. Then a can fell into Ken's other open hand.

"Cherries, whipped cream, wet nuts, sprinkles…Cody don't move please…" A boy statue now presented itself in front of Ken, jars and bottles stopped shifting.

"Plus that magic shell that becomes a hard chocolate shell after a few seconds…oh yeah, plus hot fudge…yummy." A look of astonishment covered Ken's face as he looked toward Zack.

"You truly want to be a sugar coma by the end of the night, don't you?" Cody stifled a laugh as the condiments in his fragile grasp started moving again.

"Hey we brought enough for everyone. I was not being greedy…"

"Of course, you brought enough to last the whole weekend…" Ken waved away Zack's response.

"Nevermind, let's just get out of here." Ken reached to grab a plastic basket and put it in front of Cody. "Please put them in there. For everyone's safety." Cody did as he was told while Ken turned to Zack. "The same with the syrups and hand me one of the gallons of ice cream. You will be tired carrying both the whole time."

Zack grumbled but handed one over as his brother grabbed the bottles under his arms. The boy stretched, relieved from all the weight.

"Hey,…" Zack looked to see Tom look at him. "You know he's trying to helpful. Even if he is a little rough about it sometimes." Zack only nodded.

Tom wrapped his arm around Zack's shoulders. Zack stopped suddenly and shrugged, pushing the arm off. He stared at Tom who looked hurt.

"I'm not comfortable with hugging too much..Except for Cody. Maybe."

"I understand. We come from different places. But we are still friends. Friends are there for each other." Zack blushed a little and smiled.

"Thank for ah…yesterday, you know."

"No problem. I know you would do the same for me." Tom held a closed fist in between Zack and himself. Zack looked at it and smiled and bumped with his own.

The two walked out of the aisle as Ken waited for them at the end.

"You know, just so you know, Ken's the emotional huggable type who does care about you."

"I know already."

"Good. Let me carry that for a while. Your arm's about to fall off." The tub of ice cream followed Zack's devilish smile into Tom's waiting arms.

…..

"Zack, slow down…" Zack's spoon moved faster in its flout of Joanna's instructions. The faded blur of metal, milk and chocolate clanked against the bowl. Zack, unaware of the audience watching the show with amazement, disgust and a little embarrassment, continued his drive towards filling his stomach. The quenching of his hunger succeeded…But not without costs.

"Aw…my head hurts…" Zack's head pushed the almost empty bowl forward as he laid his head on his folded hands. Joanna's words were soft but still direct, her sigh and disapproval evident in his congealing mind.

"Zack…I told you to slow down…" the cut off allowed the boy to deal with being the prisoner of his own impulses, hoping the cold would drain from his skull and let him be. Suddenly he felt something up and down his back and it was warm and comforting. He turned his head to his left.

The pain of his headache pushed aside and his vision opened up to see his almost mirror self looking at him. Cody's left arm moving up and down matching the comforting vibrations on his back.

"Its okay. It will go away soon." Zack attempted to smile but the cold threw pain on the attempt and a grimace formed instead. A grimace edged by chocolate lips. Cody smiled as he continued the ministrations against Zack's groans of suffering.

….

The suite's door opened and a green eyed, black haired woman walked in. Cody looked up and smiled.

"Trisha!" Cody leaped from the table, ran over and hugged his case worker. She smiled down and returned the gesture.

"You look wonderful." Cody smiled and watched as Trisha look around the room to find Zack. Who was rubbing his head.

"What happened to you?" Trisha as she moved closer to the table.

"He had too much of a good thing. In this case, ice cream. By the way, hello." A smirk marked her face to Ken's words. Alexander grazing at her, his head inches from Ken's as he laid on the back of the chair.

"Of course…" Trisha leaned down to Zack's side and whispered. "Was it worth it?"

A giddy smile was all she needed…that and a couple napkins. She offered them to the child.

"You have chocolate all over your face." Zack went cross eyed as he looked down. Ignoring the napkins, he simply wiped his face on his sleeve. Which drew an eye roll from Joanna and a chuckle from Ken. The fourth adult at the table drew her attention.

"You're Mrs. Connelly, I presume?"

A stunned Sarah answered.

"Yes I am. This is my son, Tom. He goes to the same school as the twins." Her son and Trisha exchanged polite greetings.

"I hoped you were with the way my boss described you from yesterday. I think you turned the tide on the decision, if you want my opinion."

"Thank you" Sarah looked at the wall clock and looked toward Tom. "Time to go."

"Okay. Thanks for dinner, it was good." Ken smiled.

"Yeah well, I am still improving. Before now, it was like forever since I had to cook for myself."

"Life's a learning experience." Joanna gave back to him, which he accepted and watched as their dinner guests left.

In the meantime, as for you two, it's time for bed…" Zack started to complain.

"But its not even eight yet..Could you please let us stay up a little longer? Please?" Zack's eyes took on their puppy dog look but Ken only smiled defiantly.

"Nice try, but it's been a long last couple of days. We'll need our sleep, especially you. We'll be in to check in on you in a little while." Zack recognized a lost cause. The brothers looked toward Joanna, who simply nodded and made a short shooing motion. The twins turned and walked to their room.

"So how are they?" Ken turned away from the closed door toward Trisha.

"They are resilient. But its not surprising with their background. Sit sill it worries me a little on some levels…" Ken waved away the thoughts after seeing the women's probing glances. Joanna spoke to Trisha Cunningham, princess to foster case worker.

"They are better than they were. It's the little steps, you know. The schoolwork, being here on time, all together for dinner, making friends. But yesterday stopped it…" Trisha motioned to Zack's chair. Joanna okayed it and the woman moved the chair to the end of the table to get a full view of both foster parents.

"I'm here to apologize for yesterday. I did not even know my department was doing a full investigation. The twins were pulled from school without my knowledge. I did not even know about it until after you left with them. It's like they wanted to pull the wool over my eyes." Trisha's energy surprised both parents but Joanna reacted first.

"They were doing jobs, which is protecting the twins from harm…" Trisha's outburst cut off Joanna., not caring one tiny bit about the shattering of protocol. Of course this was a woman who knew about Joanna's true background and kept the true depth of it from being in the files.

"I realize that, Joanna. It's just that I feel I got stabbed in the back. I feel like an idiot for not seeing it."

"Trisha, stop berating yourself up about it. What's done is done now. I don't blame you for it." Joanna agreed with her boyfriend then continued.

"You are clearly in an under-appreciated, overstressed and overworked position. You clearly care about the twins but beating yourself up over their single case will wear you down and prevent you from helping others to the best of your abilities."

"Thank you, Joanna. I feel after letting that out." Trisha paused before asking another question. "How are they with the counseling? Any improvements?"

"Piecemeal. Cody is getting better gradually. He's a little more open and comfortable but that could be because he's around his brother again and time has passed. As for Zack, I don't know for sure. He's like a normal child but I've not seen any of his artwork Claire Fletcher, the counselor, said he could do to help get through it."

"He could be hiding the artwork from us, only showing Ms. Fletcher? I mean they are his thoughts and feelings. Maybe he just needs more time to figure them out." Joanna's suggestions brought a frown to Ken's face.

"Yeah, I know. I just don't like it. Still…" Ken smiled. "He copped an attitude with me twice today. Something I don't think he's done before. And not in a joking manner."

"Are you sure?" Trisha was a little taken back by the comment, which Ken replied quickly.

"Yes, definitely. Something's changed. Maybe he's grown to trust me. I'm not sure but I liked it. It's better than the barely responsive, cold person he was when I first met him. A lot better."

"And the investigation?" Cunningham's query killed Ken's upbeat mood as he looked at Joanna and sighed.

"We don't really know anything. We are in the dark on it. We figure it's still active or we would heard something about it by now.

"So all you can do is wait." Ken snorted as Alexander rubbed his head into Ken's neck and realization set in on how things were not truly in their control.

"Yep, all we can do is wait. Wait and hope for the best." The three adults looked at each other and their shared helplessness.

And there's part two. Please read and review. Whatever opinions you have I wouldn't mind hearing about them. Oh by the way, the reason for the split was the final draft came over 8000 words. I figured not everyone would want to read all that in a single sitting.

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