Thanks to Sol Invictus for betaing this. I do not own any suit life or honorverse properties. Here's Part 2:

The clothes basket sat forgotten on the couch as Joanna's body sagged into the couch. Her eyes glazed over at the images of the three pictures on the table. Her teeth biting down on her fingernails as her mind raced.

She did not move when the door was knocked on for the first time. Or even the second time, a few minutes later. She was in her world, built up by fears and worries and soul searching.

Not until the door opened was she jarred. She instantly rose to see Karl Velazquez, the San Martian-born armsmen with his tank-like form and his deep voice speaking to her.

"Excuse me, I apologize for disturbing you but there's a man who says he needs to talk to you…"

Joanna's official mask covered her inner turmoil.

"Did this man tell you his purpose?" Joanna watched his hawk-like face with its hazel eyes try to hide a grimace but she detected it.

"He did after we told him we would not allow him inside without it. Detective Trufont's from the Boston Police Department's Special Victims Unit. He's outside right now and he's quite adamant about seeing you."

"I see… Please send him in." Velazquez hesitated for a split second then opened the door and a plain clothes man with a police badge clipped to his jacket walked in.

"I apologize for my security Detective, but they are quite protective of me."

"I understand but I must say handing over my weapon was unexpected at first. " Trufont sat down in a chair across from Joanna after they shook hands.

"I will make sure you will get back once you leave, they just want no one to come in here with a weapon."

"An assassination attempt, eh? I don't think your people would have to worry too much about that considering…" The black haired man's words dropped with the insinuation. Joanna knew where it was heading.

"Even with our technology, we learned never to be careless. It only takes one mistake or slip-up for something to go terribly wrong. Now, Detective, what is it that you need to see me for?"

"I'm following an investigation to a trial which is happening now in New York City. Your foster son Zackary's name came up in the background search of the accused and I was ordered to check it out. So here I am."

"You seem to be dodging the reason for coming, Mr. Trufont." The detective's eyes widened as he realized Joanna's directness. "Considering Zack's name came in up this man's past, I can at least have the man's name so I can look him up."

"Of course, it's Jeffery Lumond." Joanna got up and walked over to Ken's desk. After inputting the passcode, a drawer opened. She grabbed and opened a folder. Her eyes searched the papers until she looked up at the detective, her eyes made the detective blanch.

"Detective, I would appreciate it if you tell me everything you can about this right now."

…..

"He seems to be quite the fighter, sir."

"So it appears…" Ken replied to Captain Wilkins's suggestion as the pair watched the group of Marines and kids near the punching bag. Max watched Zack jab the bag lightly as she tried to talk to couple of the female Marines watching the attempt while Tom kept his distance from any Marine but stood nearby.

"What I mean, sir, is the way he acts. You see him testing out the punching bag with very little hesitation. Most first timers on that are hesitant. His brother seems to be avoiding it."

"Well, he is the older brother, Major…" Ken looked at the Marine officer with his traditional promotion to avoid confusion in the ranks "But Cody's no weakling at all, he just shows his strength in different ways. But they are very close, to an extreme even."

"My people figured that after that night. There's no way they both did not fight to survive." Wilkins' eyes caught Ken's stare. "Our people have kept the secret. They realize the damage that could be done if it ever gets out. Both for you and us. We do not need our Oaths to remind us of that."

A treecat's eyes stared at him. The creature evolved into an almost normal presence in the building. Wilkins could not help but wonder what happen if a Marine was adopted by one. Marine Country would never be the same again.

"Captain, I apologize for my words…" The ground pounder looked to see a light smile on his counterpart's face.

"No harm, no foul, Major. Just forget it. I trust you with my life…" Alexander's movements cut him off and raised voices sucked him back to the punching bag.

"Hey, kid, you have stop, okay? You're punching too hard. You will hurt yourself." Cody tried to add his familiar voice to the Marine's mezzo-soprano.

"Zack, please listen to her! Stop!"

But Zack refused stop, in fact he went faster. His punches machine-gunned into the bag. Left and rights busting the wobbling bag. His friends stood paralyzed, unable to do anything. Cody tried to grab his arms but they moved too fast, out of control.

Until two arms wrapped around Zack's body and pinned his arms to his sides. Cody stammered silently as he watched Ken fight to contain the flailing boy.

"Zackary, that's enough." The boy struggled shoving his head towards Ken, but he only banged it against the man's chest. His arms trying to break his imprisonment but Ken's grip held firm. His kicks hit only air as Ken lifted him slowly a few inches off the ground.

The boy's thrashing mirrored a fish out of water until his movements died and he sunk into Ken's forced cocoon. A swinging shadow hid his face.

….

A low hissing broke the silence as gentle fingers guided themselves over the boy's fingers. Silence joined the elder digits as they discovered the damage. The silence died.

"You gave that bag quite the pummeling" Ken's attempt at humor failed to reach his patient. Zack was biting his lip as the gauze was applied to his knuckles. "You have potential to be the world heavyweight champion, dropping them in the first round. Although your form has to be worked on a lot or else you might end up with completely busted knuckles."

Zack's eyes shimmered as he avoided Ken's sight. The thin white wrappings hid purplish-black bruising on his fingers and knuckles. His hand shook as Ken released his right hand from its temporary prison. Then slowly reached for Zack left. It was pulled back as the adult's fingers reached for it. Ken looked up but said nothing. His frozen posture with his hands barricading either side of Zack's legs as the boy sat on the bench. The equipment room was quiet except for human breathing and the occasional creaky noise.

Ken watched as pain ravaged the boy's face as he tried to bend his fingers. Single tears escaped down his cheeks. Cautiously, the second damaged hand laid on top of Ken's open right hand. He lifted it and searched for any fractures and disjointed bones.

"Thank goodness I had to learn first aid for being a foster parent. It's amazing when it comes in handy." Ken watched as Zack's eyes traveled to his face. It was relaxed but concentrated on his task. Soon the left matched the right and space was put between child and parent. Zack looked at his partially mummified fingers.

"It will take a few days for the bruises to go away. You did a number on them. Call it luck that you did not break anything." Zack said nothing as he laid his wrapped hands on his thighs."Of course the obvious question is why did you do it in the first place? Pound the heavy bag until your hands are sausages?"

Ken sat next to Alexander on the bench next to Zack as seconds passed.

"You know you can tell me anything you want, anything at all and I will listen. I promise." Ken's promise hit the human brick wall and fell. He decided to open up about himself. "I know my life has been pretty rough, you know? It was never really easy….No, I drew the short straw you could say." Zack's head turned until he looked at Ken, confusion distracting from the pain. Ken smiled as he saw he caught his attention and turned sideways across the bench.

"Okay, confession time, kiddo. Hopefully this might break the ice between us. You see, Zack, I have no birth parents. I am an orphan in the truest form. I was a foster child practically since I have been alive." Ken waited for the pieces to fall into place inside Zack's head. Minutes passed as the huge tidbit hit Zack until the boy started to speak. The slow words had their purpose.

"It is true? I mean your past?"

"Absolutely."

"Why?" Ken answered the obvious.

"Well, you know Joanna's background. Why not mine?" Ken paused before continuing. "Besides, I know there's a wall between you, your brother, and I. I've had some of the same fears as you, the same worries…The way life it seems just keeps throwing stuff at you."

"Life just sucks…" Ken smiled at Zack's pronouncement.

"Yes it does and the mistakes we make tend to make it worse. Especially recently."

"I've made a lot of mistakes too. Regrets too. Have you had those too? I mean a lot?"

"Yes, then and now. Mistakes that will haunt me for a very long time. Mistakes of command and authority. Mistakes that caused people to get hurt or even lose their lives." Zack looked stunned. "It comes with the career." Ken's matter of fact comeback surprised Zack, who stated to fidget, his fingers fighting with each other. His eyes not staying still.

His eyes paused in their frantic back and fro when Alexander moved in front of him, the deep green eyes mesmerizing. Alexander startled Zack when he jumped on his bench and laid his head on Zack's lap. The boy looked at Ken, who was the picture of serenity at the scene.

"It's fine." Zack became acclimated to Alexander's presence and he went to his thoughts. His eyes whipped open as he felt Alexander patting his leg. It felt comforting, his resolving started to built and leaped…

"I made a mistake that when we ran that night…." Ken's calm slowed his heart.

"Blame can spread pretty wide for the night. You never should been told to stay in the suite that night but I did not think you would like all the schmoozing we had to do." Zack shook his head quickly, the words firing from his mouth quickly.

"I was afraid of you hurting Cody and me. I had to protect him since I suggested we go to the party to see what was going on. But I just got us in so deep, I could not get out of it."

"Zack, we both overreacted. It happens sometime. Sometimes it's inexperience, sometimes it's stress getting to us. For me, it was both, you are my first foster child. It takes some time adjusting to that…"

"But you raised Tom…" Raised eyebrows met this little insight.

"I was around Tom a lot when he was younger…" Zack looked to dispute this so Ken moved on. "…even though he was not my kid. I must admit I liked it. It showed things about myself I never knew. Its one of the reasons for why I became a foster parent. So how am I doing so far?" Ken's smile threw Zack off-guard but he recovered.

"So far…" Zack left bandaged hand started to run across Alexander's head. The treecat stayed still at the human touch as Zack hesitated. "…you pass. I mean you did not really yell at us earlier." Ken snorted.

"I suppose I'll take that as a compliment." A smile smirk jumped onto Zack's face but it withered and Ken felt something from Alexander as the furball's head looked at Zack.

"Especially since I was the one who led the gang into the building. What Tapeworm said earlier was true, I gave them a choice and they followed me in." Zack waited for Ken's outburst as his palm paused on Alexander's fur. But it instead he got a quip.

"Something tells me you can be very persuasive when you want to be, Zackary. Curiosity get the best of you?" Zack could only nod and Ken accepted it. "How normal. What I said still holds true though…" The edge was back in Ken's voice but it disappeared Ken looked at the clock hanging from the wall above them and gripped Zack's shoulder.

"You have made some very good friends, Zackary. Never lose them. Trust me." Ken caressed Alexander's fur. "You know, I'm glad you decided to tell me these things. You can tell me anything you want and Joanna and I will listen. Trust me I've seen more in my life than any normal person should ever see…"

"Promise?" Ken answered Zack binding question.

"I promise." Ken felt relief from Alexander at the turn on conversation as Zack seemed to accept his answer but then opened his mouth.

"Do you still keep in contact with the people who brought you up?" Ken answered Zack's fishing expedition.

"My foster parents, of course. About once a month on average depending what I am doing or what's going on. Anything else?" Zack paused, still looking at Ken.

"Did anyone take you in permanently?" Ken found the insatiable curiosity in the boy's voice welcoming but knew the question's depressing answer.

"No" Zack's head lowered as his eyes dropped and Alexander's discomfort returned over Ken's bond as his ears flattened. Ken filled in the rest. "But they were there for me. Always. Sometimes I realize how much crap I put them through…They even said goodbye to me when I went to the Naval Academy." Ken saw the darkness in Zack's eyes pull back as he looked at him as he finished.

Come on, let's go before your brother decided to tear through the door." Ken ruffled Zack's hair and the blond instantly fixed it as Alexander dropped to the floor and climbed onto Ken's shoulder.

"For a long time, I thought Cody would be the one who paced and sweated the time out, but not anymore. Not after he hit that guy with his backpack in the alleyway before you came…" The boy's voice dropped off as memory and the implications arose.

"He did?"

"He clocked him. Knocked him out." Zack sounded like he could not believe his own words. Ken opened the door and let Zack out first and found Cody rushing up to meet them.

"That would explain the busted 'pack". Zack looked up to see a prideful smile grow on Ken's face. A father's pride. Cody's thunderous footsteps distracted him but not before he heard three words from Ken.

"Good for him."

…

The silence was disturbed by the opening door as the twins and Ken walked into the suite. Their eyes immediately zeroed on the crowd of Joanna and four armsmen. Ken's hunches immediately flared.

"What's going on?" Joanna said nothing but stared at Alice Powe, Asshanti, Scott and Karl. The civilian clothed but armed guards shared her silence. Ken watched her pick up a folder and some paper off his desk and walked over.

Suddenly he felt great anxiety and worry from Alexander and it rippled into him. When he added Joanna's mask, he knew something was wrong. Then he watched as her eyes stayed on the boys as she walked over.

Something was very wrong.

But all Ken could do was wait for her to explain, but her eyes locked onto the twins.

"Your room was being cleaned today and something was found." Three pieces of papers showed themselves in Joanna's grasp. He saw colors and images on them but before he was able to see what they were, they were snatched from Joanna's hands. He recovered to see Zack holding the paper against his chest, almost cradling them while he slowly backed away from both groups of people. His bandaged hands shaking.

"They're mine!" Ken tried to get his feet under but Joanna was ahead of him.

"They were hidden, Zack. Hidden like they never wanted to be found." Ken's confusion plus the cornucopia of emotions made it impossible for Ken to completely decipher Alexander's discoveries but he stepped in.

"Is this true?"Ken quickly looked at Cody, who looked slightly shaken at his twin's outburst.

"They're nothing…" Ken glanced over at Joanna who mouthed "I'm fine". He returned his attention to the current situation and felt Alexander focusing his attention on Zack from his shoulder as well.

"If they are nothing, then why are you protecting them like they are?" Zack's eyes widened at Ken's question. His mouth moved but nothing came out.

"Zack, can I see them?" Cody soft voice touched his twin, who looked at him. Cody's need to know pushed him in one direction while his guard shoved back. His struggle paused when Ken butted in.

"You know these pictures could tell us something? Something you could not tell us in words. We are not your enemy here. You can keep them if you want, we just want to look at them." The grip loosened on the artwork but the hesitance still remained.

"Zack, remember I promised Joanna and I would listen to anything you or Cody said to us. I keep my promises. And so does she." The trapped boy looked between his foster parents and his bother. Slowly but surely the boy walked forward and lowered his arms and freed the pictures. His face was turned away from them as Ken picked them up. Ken laid a hand on Zack's arm.

"Thank you." Ken sat down. Cody waited nearby but Ken caught him.

"You have even more right to see these than I do." Cody looked at his brother with an indescribable expression. But Ken was willing to bet otherwise. Ken felt Cody presence next to him with Alexander on his other side. The armsmen moved closer toward Joanna but gave Zack space. But all this was by instinct to Ken. Ninety-nine percent of his attention was on the pictures in his hands. He looked at Cody with eyebrows raised and the boy seemed ready as his head bounced up and down. Ken turned the pictures over.

At first Ken could not see exactly what the first picture was about. Until his mind figured the lines sticking out of the blackness. Not the color of the paper but the color from the color pencils that transfigured the paper.

But a window fell together from the lines. A broken window. The shards scattered behind and in front of the empty frame. But the pieces and the window looker larger than any window should be. That was until Ken's blood chilled at what inside the broken glass.

Body parts. No blood. Just plain old body parts. A living mannequin. Except this human form had blond hair and green sticking out of the largest piece with the rest of his bland form sticking out of the other glass.

Ken looked at Cody. There was no words exchanged at these ghastly scene. It was drawn beautifully with his heart was poured into it but instead of warmth, this patch of darkness arose.

"What does it mean?" Sadness and fear tinged Cody's question as Ken looked at him. The boy kept turning to glance at his brother, who refused to look anywhere but at the carpet.

"I don't know." Ken felt helpless as the image burned into his mind. But morbid curiosity pulled him to look at the second drawing.

Ken was completely lost. It was a set of rooms. But it showed the whole thing as if someone could see the inside of each room from the outside.

"Ken, it's the suite. Your, I mean… our suite." Timidity showed in Cody's acknowledge of their living arrangements. But Ken needed no confirmation to know it was the suite they were currently in.

The chairs, tables, couches even the TVs. Zack had laid everything out the way it was, almost to perfection. The little touches with the curtained windows or the cabinets showed care.

But Ken almost smiled when he saw the twins' room. Obsession ruled the drawing here as Zack even put books in the bookcases and the sports table where it was in the room. It was almost as if Zack imprinted picture of the room onto the paper (minus the usual mess).

It took a second for Ken to realize why Zack drew the portrait.

"It seems like you care about this place a lot don't you?" Ken's question arched its way to Zack, who stared at his foster father only to shake his head yes wordlessly.

"So do I." Ken looked over at Cody's addition and gently squeezed his shoulder. Cody smiled briefly.

"Can we look at the last one?" The attention turned to the final picture as Ken placed it on top of the pile. Almost instantly the sound of sucking in air reached Ken's ears as Cody sat next to him. He could see why.

It was dark in color like the first picture but not the same context. But it made it no less creepy. First off there were no bodies, not even in pieces. There was just two heads, both shrouded in darkness. Their eyes did not stare straight ahead or anything in particular. They could not with the lack of lighting in the picture. It was easy to see the faces matched each other perfectly. They looked lost as their eyes were looking in different directions while their mouths silently spoke.

It was almost as if they trying to find something or someone but could not. But the weirdest part was the obvious crack in the "ground" in between them and the pair was walking right towards it.

Cody and ken both looked at each other for a few seconds then at Zack, who was waiting on them.

"Here…" Zack moved closer to grab his pictures. Ken held them out and as Zack reached out for them, Ken talked to him.

"We'll help you in any way we can." Zack retreated with the artwork in hand continuing to stare holes in Ken's head. Cody left Ken's side and looked at his twin. His eyes searching him until Zack noticed him. Zack flinched under his twin's sight but did not pull away as his brother wrapped his arms around his middle and pinned the pictures and Zack's hands between them. Ken watched Zack's eyes avert Cody even while they hugged.

Ken turned his eyes toward Joanna, who looked almost skittish. Until it disappeared and Ken felt something from Alexander as the treecat laid behind him on the couch. He could put a clear finger on it but felt like anticipation. Dreaded anticipation.

"We also had a detective visit today…." Joanna looked at Zack as she watched Cody grab onto Zack with his right hand as they broke apart.

Do you remember a man named Jeffery Lumond, Zack?" Alexander's tail whacked Ken's neck as he whipped around to face Zack. Joanna saw Cody's and Ken's confusion.

"He was one of Zack's foster fathers when he was separated from Cody. Lumond stepped in after Zack's former guardian died. What made it unique was that he was her boyfriend." Ken's interest was piqued as Joanna gained a colder edge. "You see, Mr. Lumond is on trial in New York City right now. Zack's name was discovered in their investigation and they wondered if he would have anything to add that might help them."

Joanna moved to sit next to Ken. She opened the folder in her lap and Ken recognized a news article along with Zack's file. Joanna handed both to ken and leaned closer to his ear and whispered.

"I'm afraid this might afraid us a lot more than any of us wanted or anticipated…" Joanna's eyes evolved into an ocean of colors and unreadable emotions but the folder and article caught his attention. He saw when Zack stayed with this Lumond guy. Over one year. Right in the middle of the time period when Cody was kidnapped…

The article headline almost ripped at his insides. He felt Alexander's support through the empathic bond and the tail wrapped gently his neck. Ken looked back at Joanna, who caressed his cheek with her hand.

Then Ken lifted himself and walked over the frozen twins, who watched his approach with Alexander clawed into his shoulder. Ken lowered himself to their level. A glance at Cody and the younger boy let go of his brother but he stayed shoulder to shoulder with him.

No matter. Ken stared at Zack for a few seconds before talking.

"You know when you first started living with me, we never got along. I chalked it up to living adjustment, which is understandable. But now I think I know the true reason behind it all." Ken steadied himself before pushing himself. "I'm sorry for not realizing it sooner. Perhaps it was nerves with you being my first or something else entirely. I accepted the situation way too easily… Life as they say is a learning experience. Perhaps all of us have learned something about trust…

"I need you to trust me Zack. Trust me that I won't throw you away or toss you aside. I care about you and your brother." Ken stopped before continuing. "As long as I know you, I will be there for you through anything. I don't care how it long it will be…" Zack's emotions flowed through Alexander to Ken. They felt like the strongest dam was blocking them off from himself. A dam that was constantly reinforced and guarded. Ken wondered how to get around the barrier as Cody stared at him.

"The only way we can get past whatever is bothering you is if you tell us what it is. I guarantee none of us in this room are going to run from it. I know I'm not. I promise." Zack looked at his brother, then ken and Joanna and finally the audience of almost forgotten armsmen watching the thing.

Ken watched Zack's eyes as the walls stood firm, only to crumble piece by piece.

"Okay, I will try." Ken turned to look at Joanna.

"Love, I know we will going to need with help with this."

"I know, help is on the way."

By the way, I tried to cut the Maddie and Joanna a little shorter but I just scraped the surface of the effects of Prolong. Trust me, it's been debated/ discussed among the fans to an amazing level. I am not kidding either…

By the way, I left some of the interpretation of the drawings open, so I would really like to hear your opinion about them.