Daniel Horton

Daniel somberly opened the door of the van and got out of the vehicle, pausing for a moment to wipe at his face before letting the door slide back. It slid back on its track, but just bumped against the door frame as a hand print indented into the metal kept it from being able to close completely. Strangely, though, Daniel didn't seem to be showing his usual anger. He rubbed at his eyes for a moment and straightened his collar, never saying a word, before going inside. He went straight up to the Alpha Prime suite and came mutely into the living room where he assumed everyone would have gathered. His shoulders were a little slumped, his usual easy grin replaced with a look that could only be described as carefully neutral. Daniel was arguably the strongest man in the world, yet to the others he looked tragically weak all of a sudden.

He looked at the others with that hollow expression before going to his room. If anyone followed they would find him sitting on the edge of his bed, facing the window. In his hands, he held a photograph. The picture was of four people, Daniel, a woman, and two little girls...his family. His wife was a good deal shorter than he was, but she had fit herself snugly against him, holding the younger of the two girls in her arms while the other hugged daddy's leg. The girls all had their mother's raven-black hair, pale skin, and green eyes and they were all beautiful. Everyone was smiling, beaming, looking in that frozen moment like the happiest young family in the world. Daniel held the picture in both hands, just staring at it, while tears ran in rivulets down his cheeks.