He had gotten in rather late the night before. Graduation was approaching, and he and his classmates were attempting to squeeze in as much carefree college living as possible before being kicked out into the real world.
Billy wasn't immune to the strange mix of fear and anticipation like he'd expected he'd be. He felt like he'd been out in the real world all his life. The closest he'd gotten to any carefree time had been in Fandom. And maybe just after his freshman year at Eckerd.
Maybe it was the added bonus of being a father.
Speaking of which...
“Daddy?”
Billy opened his eye, to find Anastasia standing at the edge of his bed, staring. He couldn't interpret the expression on her face, it seemed to be a mix of fascination, and horror. He realized this was the first time she had ever seen him without his patch.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “Does it hurt?”
“Hey Ana.” he said gently, sitting up and reaching for the patch. “No it doesn't hurt. It happened a long time ago.”
Ana looked like she wasn't quite convinced. And he was touched when he realized the horror wasn't so much at his appearance as the idea of someone having hurt him.
“Oh good.” she sighed. “Can I have chocolate cake for breakfast?”

With only a few months left of school, it had been decided that Billy would continue his studies at Eckerd. In the meantime Tommy and Ana would stay with their Grandparents in Astoria. He was already searching for a good Graduate program in an area where he could raise the children.

Storm Shadow had already begun Ana's training as well. It all seemed to be going rather well. The only complicated part was trying to figure out how to get his kids quality time with their mother. Also trying to explain things to his friend and teacher.

"No, no Tommy I don't think it's just her imagination. It happened in Fandom so it's entirely possible a pink pony told her that tattoos were called cutie-marks."

The first person Billy had called when he and the kids were safely in Fandom, had been his mother. He felt it important that a civilian know about the kids. Also, he really wanted to tell his mother she was a grandmother.

Next he called Storm Shadow. Again, partly to share the news, partly to get another person on his side. For Billy didn't know if the military would try to take custody of the children. He also didn't know how much trouble he was in for meeting and working with a woman who was near the top of Interpol's most wanted list. And Storm Shadow worked with G.I. Joe, but was not completely under their authority.

Storm Shadow smoothed the way, and then put him in touch with General Colton. Billy had explained the situation, and also said that if need be, he could take the children to another world completely. This was both an offer of no longer being the Joes' problem, and a statement of 'you'll never catch me'.

Billy's long standing good karma with the team served him well. His team-up with the Baroness was overlooked, and soon his children had official birth certificates for the United States. By Tuesday he was celebrating a joint birthday for Anastasia and Tommy at his mother and step-father's house, breaking his phone with too many pictures and trying to get Ana to stop calling the Arashikage tatoo a 'cutie-mark'.

The attache case The Baroness had brought to the lab had contained, as well as the blanket she'd wrapped Tommy in, some warm Pajamas for Anastasia (Jr?), a large stuffed otter Billy had insisted on bringing, and gasmasks.

The masks were because there had also been gas grenades in there that the Baroness had set off to ensure a quick and easy escape. Just before they left, Billy had activated a homing beacon that would lead the G.I. Joe team to the lab. He was confident they would arrive in plenty of time to apprehend Splice and all his staff.

But by the time they arrived, he and his family would be long gone. They couldn't risk agents of the Unitest States military finding the kids. Not yet.

"I wish there were another way." The Baroness said. Billy had never seen her like this before. So emotional, so vulnerable. It was unnerving.

"No arguments here." he said softly. Anastasia was asleep on the bed, curled up close to her baby brother. One arm clutched the otter, the other hand rested near the boy, who had reached out at some point and wrapped his tiny fingers around one of hers.

"But we have to take precautions. We both know that. Until these kids have some kind of legal standing they're in danger from the 'good guys' as much as they are from anyone else. I know just where to take them where they'll be safe. You've got the connections to do what needs to be done in case I can't do it legitimately."

The Baroness nodded, still unhappy, then suddenly seized Billy in a fierce hug. "Your father was never worthy of you William. Take care of them, and I'll see you soon. But remember. I've got the easy job." she smirked.

He suspected he had no idea just how true that was.

( Nothing AU about it now )

The only one who could get access to the cloning lab where their children were being kept was Cobra Commander. The obvious solution would be to use Billy's access to speak to the Commander, somehow convince him to help them.

This was also a very stupid idea. For one thing the Joes would want to know what was going on, and The Baroness was a wanted criminal in most nations. For another, even if Billy's father deigned to tell them anything, there was no way they could trust anything he said.

There was another way. One Billy found almost as distasteful. Baroness had everything they needed, the codes to open the doors. The words and phrases that needed to be spoken in order to gain entry. All they needed, was for all that to come from their bitterest enemy.

Billy looked at himself in the mirror. It was like one of his nightmares come to life. The fact that the uniform actually fit made his stomach churn.

It's for my children. he reminded himself. Was that what Cobra Commander had said when he first started down the path that led to all this?

Praying this wouldn't backfire horrifically, he slowly put on the helmet.

[Open for calls, texts, etc.]

( Insert proper 'speaking to the dead in a cemetery' music here )

To be continued...

Like Serpentor, Billy's daughter is an amalgamation of some of history's greatest leaders/conquerors/warriors etc. I'm trying to compile of list of such female figures that may have gone into her DNA.

So far I've got Cleopatra, Hippolyta, Catharine the Great, Boudicca, Xena (just kidding), and The Queen of Sheba. Any other ideas?

"I can't believe you never played with Legos." Tony, Billy's roommate said. He added the finishing touch to a lighthouse he'd been working on.

Billy, Tony and a visiting Zanya had raided (not literally a nearby toy store and bought a ridiculous amount of Legos. They had begun building a model of Fandom based on Billy's pictures of the place.

"I can't believe they made G.I. Joe Legos." Zanya muttered. She had just completed a Hiss Tank with a little Lego Destro in the gun turret and set it at on the beach. Billy was using Lego sets from Galaxy Quest, Space Battles and Barry Plotter to stand in for an army of Fandomites led by Anakin and various Joes against the invading Cobra forces.

"They were a custom set some guy made back shortly after G.I. Joe was declassified." Billy explained. "I saw it for sale on e-bay." It had arrived the day before, hence the building spree.

"By the way," Zanya said, putting a Lego pseudo-Umbrage in a passionate embrace with a Lego Cobra Commander, "If you tell any of the Dreadknocks we did this I'll kill you both."

"Zanya," Billy sighed, "You know threats will only encourage us."

"Damnit."

[This post inspired by this site.]

"Hey stranger." said a voice.

Billy looked up from where he sat, coiling rope. He'd been Mr. Buffet's teaching assistant for a few months now, and cleaning up after classes was one of his duties. "Well now," he said, smiling slightly, "There's a face I haven't seen much of for a while."

Mei Ling stood before him, still looking as dazzling as when he'd first met her four years ago. They had dated for a while until she'd been scared off by a glimpse of his real life. He couldn't say he blamed her. Since they had broken up they hadn't seen much of each other outside of classes. And as the years went by those intersected less and less.

"What's up?" he asked. "You ready for graduation?"

"As I'll ever be." she said, standing awkwardly. "I'm going back to Australia to continue my studies."

"Good school then?"

"Yeah. And I miss my family."

There was something about how she had just said that, a catch in her voice, that made him look at her carefully. She wasn't his girlfriend anymore, barely more than an acquaintance really. But in honor of the closeness they once shared, he decided to ask.

"Everything okay?"

Mei Ling grimaced. She'd gone for a walk to try to get her head around what was happening. She hadn't expected to run into anyone, much less Billy. But now, with the question asked, she really wanted to talk about it.

"My father and my little brother are fighting. My brother has wanted to be a musician all his life. And he's good! I mean incredible! But my father..."

"Lemme guess, dear ol' daddy don't approve?"

"He wants him to be a doctor. My career choice was okay I guess cause it was 'intellectual'. But music...he's threatening to disown my brother if he doesn't agree."

"Your father is wrong." Billy said simply. "I'm tempted to say unworthy of being a father but I don't want to hurt your feelings."

She looked shocked. "Bill-"

"I know better than most that parents need to prove themselves worthy of their children. Not the other way around."