PEACE BETRAYED--ANNIHILATION

          It took them several centons to cross the Galactica to where Roark had his quarters.  At the metal door, Harry reached out immediately to touch the entry plate, hearing it chime asking for entry.

          "Enter," came his muffled response, the door sliding open with a slight hiss.

          Roark was at his desk, a folder lying open beside the laptop, which was, as usual, humming as it worked.  As he was off duty for the night, he had changed into a pair of sapphire blue sleep pants, with a matching shirt.  Turning as they entered the sitting area, he smiled warmly, rose to his feet, and moved to give each of them hugs.

          "So, what brings you lot to my door this evening?" he asked.

          "Can't we come to see you for absolutely no reason at all, Rory?"

          "Of course you can, Uncle Zac, but you haven't come for no reason, have you?"  he asked, head tilting just a bit as he looked at them.

          "Have we been so lax in our familial duties, Roark?"

          A frown.  "I don't know, Uncle Apollo.  Have you?  We've all been so very bus--"

          "I'm sorry, Roark Christopher," he said suddenly, interrupting him.

          "Sorry?  For what, exactly?"

          "Rodolphus.  Your sealing ceremony.  Doubting you, AND your word in concern to your feelings for him.  Avoiding you in favor of giving you the time you obviously did not need, and generally being very lax in my duties as your loving, adoring uncle."

          Roark raised his arms in an almost defensive move, crossing them over his chest, a midnight brow arching.  Harry was smirking slightly as he moved to take a seat on the arm of the couch, while Roan, Dylan, Colten, and Kili all sat on the couch, watching them with amusement.

          "Because?" came the question.

          "Because," Apollo began with a sigh, running his fingers through his hair, "I guess I felt that, since you found out the Durins were your real family, you didn't need us anymore."

          "Oh, Uncle Apollo," he shook his head, sighing deeply at his uncle's idiocy.  "You great fool," he looked over at Zac.  "I suppose you and Aunt Athena were feeling the same way?"

          Zac shrugged, looking more than a little ashamed.

          "BLESSED KOBOL!" he threw his hands up in exasperation.  "FOOLS!  Idiots!  All of you.  Just because I found out that the Durins are my birth family does not mean I would EVER deny the one that adopted me.  Harry and I are closer now than we ever have been, AND I kept the Peverell Potter name for a very good reason."'

          He stepped forward, his silver eyes glaring as he poked a hard finger into each of their chests.  "You two fools will ALWAYS be my uncles, just as Athena will always be my aunt."

          "Will you forgive us, Rory?"

          "I guess that will depend entirely on one thing."

          "What would that be?"

          "On whether you two continue to be idiots."

          Both nodded.  "Yes, done being foolish idiots.  We love you, Rory."

          A smile.  "Love you too, and yes, you are forgiven."

          "Told you," Dylan muttered.

           "Yes, yes Dylan, so sorry to have doubted you."

          A sniff.  "I should certainly hope so," he shot back.

          A chuckle sounded.  "So...are you going to tell me what brought you to my door tonight?"

          "Can't get anything past you, can we?" Apollo asked as his nephew arched a brow.  "Okay, okay.  Will you tell us what you meant by the comment Jolly heard you make?"

          "You know, the one about 'if we get home.'"  Zac looked at him. 

          He turned his head to look at Harry, who met his eyes, then over at Colten, to Roan, then to Dylan and Kili.  He heaved a sigh, running a hand over his face.  "I guess I should have known he'd go to you," he said, moving back to his desk and sitting.

          "Tell us what he meant, Rory?  Please?"

          The laptop beeped just then, drawing his attention away from them.  A deep frown appeared as he read what had come up on his screen.  Looking down at the file, he flipped back a few pages, entered some information, flipped back ahead, entered something else, then flipped ahead a couple more pages to enter something else before hitting send.

          Harry and the Durins waited patiently for him to finish what he was working on, but Apollo and Zac?  Not so much.

          "Sorry about that," he told them, turning his attention back to them.  "Raphael sent me something that they needed me to look into," he shook his head, a wry smile curving his lips.  "It's a very good thing I thought to have my files sent up, or I'd have been in real trouble."

          "What are you looking into?"

          Roark shook his head.  "Can't answer that, Uncle.  Not yet."