AN: Wow, this is turning into an extremely angsty/gushy fic. I'm surprised anyone's still reading it. But for those of you who are, thanks sooo much! And sorry for the long-ish wait. I was busy…? And the site wouldn't let me access my account. Yeah, I know, excuses, excuses.

Chapter 14

The sirens wailing out in front alerted those inside that the police had arrived. Satisfied that the bad guys were secure, they went outside to meet up with Matt Sung and let him know that the children had been found and everything was alright.

After seeing that all four kids were present and accounted for, the detective turned to their rescuers. "Thanks for wrapping this case up for us and getting all of them safe."

Logan smiled. "Anytime, Matt. You know that. Gotta repay you for the good work you've been doing for Eyes Only all these years."

"And you know we're always glad to help," Max said, smiling as well.

Alec nodded his agreement. "They say helping people is good for your karma. And you know, we could use some good luck." He hesitated before continuing. "So. They're all okay. Guess that means they're going straight home. We could give a couple of 'em rides if you want," he said, shrugging nonchalantly, letting his gaze stray to the group of kids currently being checked out by the medics on the scene. The look in his eyes, however, contradicted his detached attitude.

Matt paused and followed his line of sight contemplatively before he answered. "The kids need to come down to the station so we can officially take down their statements. Then we'll call the parents to come pick them up." He eyed the younger man thoughtfully, again feeling that niggling sensation that he was missing something.

Alec simply nodded, his disappointment clear in his downcast eyes and not quite contradicted by the smile he forced onto his face. "Alright, then." He glanced back to where Sarah was watching the exchange hopefully from her seat on the trunk of a police car, her medical exam evidently finished. "You mind if…" He jerked his head in her direction.

Matt just barely remembered his promise to Logan not to ask about the connection between Alec and the Berrisfords. He nodded his approval. "Go ahead. I gotta go talk to one of the other officers about transporting the kids and the kidnappers to the station separately anyway," he said turning away as if he wasn't curious at all.

He tried not to watch Alec approach the suddenly happy eight-year-old swinging her legs against the dusty car. Sarah Berrisford definitely knew Alec. She became highly animated as the two of them talked, and Matt wasn't too surprised when the transgenic cupped her cheek in one hand in a gentle gesture. What did surprise him, though, was the way she suddenly grabbed onto him in a desperate movement, obviously sobbing. This prompted Alec to hold the girl close, his cheek on her head, and stroke her hair and back until she quieted. Huh. Interesting development. Matt realized then that he was staring and looked away from the unmistakably intimate moment.

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A few feet away, Max and Logan were watching the scene as well. Max huffed and a smile worked its way into the corners of her mouth as she stood with her arms crossed. "Funny how the fact that he could be a good dad doesn't seem so weird now that I'm seein' this."

Logan nodded. "Yeah. He's grown a lot since he first got out, hasn't he? As a person, I mean."

"Oh yeah. Definitely." Max bit her lip and sighed. "He's probably telling her that he won't be able to see her for a while again. The whole mixed transgenic thing wouldn't go down well if the media ever gets a hold of it. You know all those years ago, when you said the price of freedom is never cheap or somethin' like that?" she reminisced softly. "I don't want them to be the ones that have to pay with her growing up without a father. Her mother's already dead. No kid deserves that. Alec deserves to have his own family after all the good he's done. And I just--"

"It'll happen, Max." Logan fixed her with an intense look in his blue eyes and put a steadying arm around her shoulders. "It might take time, but it'll happen someday. After all, the good guys always win at the end of the movie, don't they?" He smiled lightly. "And we're the good guys. So someday."

Max only watched the pair next at the car with a glum look on her face. "I hope so. For their sake."

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Alec had just told Sarah they'd have to part again soon. She'd be taken down to the police station so that they could have her story on file. To say she'd reacted badly would be a bit of an understatement. She had tried to keep the tears at bay, tried hard to keep the floodgates from overflowing, but once the tears spilled over, she'd started sobbing and dove straight into her father's comforting arms. With a few murmured words of comfort, she'd calmed down enough to listen to his strong heartbeat through her own hitched breaths.

She didn't move from her position, though, until she heard a voice nearby address Alec. "Is everything alright? Is she okay?"

Alec's moment of hesitation was enough for Sarah to poke out a tearstained face from his arms and blubber out, "No, I'm not okay. I'm hungry. I haven't had anything to eat since dinner last night an' it was just a peanut butter san'wich an'…an' I wanna go hooome!" She succumbed to tears again and tuned her face back to Alec's chest.

The police officer who'd asked the question and Alec both looked completely dumbfounded at this reply, but the latter recovered first. Silently thanking the Manticore scientists for his daughter's aptitude for quick improvisation, he looked at the other man and repeated, "She's hungry," his tone implying menacingly, "so go do something about it."

The deputy stammered out, "I-I'll see what I can do about that. Umm. Yeah," and scurried off in search for his superior.

Alec stared down at the top of his daughter's tousled brown head. Muffled sniffling sounds could still be heard from where she'd buried her face in his shirt and her hands were still fisted tightly in the fabric of his jacket. He sighed. "Sarah, do we have to talk about this? You know why I can't stick around. It's—"

"—too dangerous," she interrupted, lifting her head up to look at him. "I know, I know. I get it." She frowned and sniffed. "That doesn't mean I have to like it." Her eyes watered again as she pleaded softly, "Can't you just stay with me until Grandpa comes?" Her lip trembled. "Just 'til then? Please?"

Awww. Alec melted. Who wouldn't, if they were confronted with the ultimate lost puppy eyes of doom? Or lost kitty eyes, considering her DNA. He told the military statistician part of his brain warning him about possible threats to just shut the hell up for once, and gave in to his heart which was telling him that he should savor this opportunity to spend time with his daughter. "Sure, baby. Just until then, okay?" And damn, that teary-yet-dazzling smile she gave him then made feel like it was well worth the risk.

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AN: A bit short and sappy. Sorry. The story's almost done. Just a couple more chapters, the way I've got it planned out. Let me know what you thought! Reviews = Love, and I love being loved!