Disclaimer: No, I do not own them. I humbly bow towards those who do...please do consider this as a complement as it was intended. If you didn't create such convincing characters, you wouldn't leave us all wanting more, now would you? Lastly...I will state again, it's less than pointless to sue me.

Authors note: I'm sending a special shout out to Kimmy (iluvaqt) for all of her help and encouragement on this story. So everyone go read her totally awesome stories, and give her some kickin reviews ok. And keep your eyes peeled for our special collaboration, hitting your screens soon. And everyone...not to be a review hogger or anything...but the same three people have reviewed the last two chapters...I'm thinking of just finishing this and sending the rest of it to them. Cause if ya'll don't review, I don't know that you're reading and if you're not reading I have no reason to post. So please?

Fractured Fairy Tale Chapter 3

After driving late into the night he pulled over at a road side hotel, and got a room. The hotel clerk didn't even look up, just slid the key over the counter after he'd presented the cash. The teenager grunted something that sounded like no when he asked if the room had two beds, and only the fact that he was bone weary and didn't want to draw attention to himself kept him from smacking him out of his chair as punishment for his rudeness. He decided to let it slide for the moment and headed back to the car.

Fortunately he was parked near the room so he turned the key in the lock, and opened the door. He'd become accustomed to cheap hotel rooms in the years that he'd been looking for his kids. The fact that no noxious odors greeted him as he opened the door was a definite plus. He flipped the light switch on and looked around. Not bad overall…it's not the best I've ever seen, but its not the worst either. It'll do for tonight. He left the door open and went to retrieve Adrianna.

He carried her once again cradled to his chest like one would a small child. She nestled into him again as soon as he touched her, and he smiled. I wonder if you're going to feel like doing that when you're awake? He gently laid her on the bed, and removed her socks and shoes. Then he decided that she was going to be sleeping in her or rather his clothes tonight. There were some limits to even his will power. He tucked her under the covers, before heading into the bath room to change.

As he washed his face he thought of what he should say to her tomorrow, and when nothing brilliant came to mind he decided to employ a tactic he hated although he was good at it. He would wait and see what happened, and then deal with the consequences as they arose. He looked in the mirror, searching his reflection for answers. Instead he found only visible proof of the ways he'd changed since she'd been gone.

The planes of his face had hardened, making it nearly impossible to imagine that he'd once laughed easily and often. Faint lines had appeared around his mouth, and they seemed to deepen under his scrutiny, as did the furrow in his forehead. Those at least he could accredit to gross repeated military incompetence, and the stress of trying to bring his wayward children in from the cold. He'd had a small victory with the return of Brin, but it was greatly overshadowed by the repeated loss of both Max and Zack.

Zack's response to him in his interrogation still haunted him. "You want to bring your kids home Lydecker? You think you've made this a home for us? A haven?" Zack's questions required no response and had been flung at him with such anger and sarcasm. "Congratulations. You've created a place so miserable that they'd rather die than come back here. And I'll die before I'll help you drag them back."

Where did I go wrong? All I wanted was to make the world better. To keep my kids safe from the dangers and pain of the world. True he'd put his kids through grueling training, but it was only to make them better. To help them survive. True he'd forced them to relinquish emotion, but it was only to spare them the pain that it invariably brought. True he'd punished them, but how else were they going to learn to obey? He'd never done anything with the express purpose of being cruel, or of causing them pain.

But Zack's bitter words make him question his denials and rationalizations for the first time in years. As he opened the door he saw her face illuminated in the soft moon light, and in that instant he pondered what could have been. What if things had been different. What if he'd run from Manticore with her? Would they have both been killed? Would they have remained together? Settled down? Maybe even made a life, had children?

He shook his head to clear it of all such useless thoughts. There was no need to wonder what might have been, it was over and done with. He'd made his choices as had she, and now the two of them were going to have to deal with the consequences. But as he slid into bed beside her, a part of himself that he so often buried admitted that it would be nice to simply be the man in her life. The thought of a life with her, free from intrigue and deceit did have it's charms. But that's never going to be possible for us is it Adrianna?

As if sensing his thoughts she curled up beside him and lay her head on his chest and one of her arms around him, like she'd done all those nights before. He smiled then, a grim bittersweet smile and kissed her forehead gently, taking care not to wake her. Well normal may never be an option, but I'll take what I can get. And then he drifted off to sleep surrounded by her warmth, and the soft scent of lilacs.

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