Crazy

It didn't escape Garret's attention that Maggie was sitting like him, which caused a strange feeling he'd never experienced. On one had it almost felt good - she was so sweet and so childlike. On the other hand, it made him leery - Nate and Laura knew what kind of man he was, and surely they would not approve of Maggie trying to imitate him in any way, shape or form.

He subtly tried to shift positions so Maggie's attention wouldn't be so obvious. "I didn't come to keep myself safe," he responded evenly to Nate. He'd come to keep Victoria safe with him. And now that his plan had fallen through, he cared little whether he was a walking target or not.

The offer to stay until the rain stopped did come as appealing though. If he was completely honest...he really didn't want to go back out and walk at all. His feet hurt, he was physically tired, mentally exhausted, and had nowhere safe to land. But then...when had he ever? The feeling was nothing new.

He was about to open his mouth and decline, when Maggie's interruption made his eyebrows shoot up again. If she only knew that his manners were but a front to cover up a lying, heartless assassin. His good manners meant nothing other than the fact he'd been trained to behave in public. And he sighed.

He offered her a bit of a crooked smile and glanced back at his plate of half-eaten food. "Well, I'll at least finish my food." But he wouldn't promise any more.

"There's ice cream in the freezer," Laura added. She might not trust Garret, but she knew how hard her husband was trying to show Garret there was a different way to live. A good way. A loving way. A clean way. And that involved family time.

Garret cocked his head, his eyes squinting as he studied her. "Serious?" He looked back at Nate. "Your family is as crazy as you are, you know that?" He wouldn't answer Laura. He wanted to leave. He wanted to stay. He couldn't decide. His heart wanted to. His logic didn't. His spirit longed for this atmosphere. His mind said it was a mistake. 

No cell for Garret!

Maggie couldn't help but let out a small laugh at Garret. There was just something about him, that to her was comforting, likable, and it made her smile bigger than she had in a while. Looking back at her own food again Maggie sat a little taller, and places her arms on the table like Garret.

   "No one wants to keep you in a cell Garret and being with the Elite, is one of the safest places for you to be so the Agency wont find you. But I understand you dont want to go back. I wont force you."

Nate takes a sip of he water looking around the table at his family. Giving a smile to Laura, and than looking to his son, than his sister. They were his life, his family. Something so special to him. He wished everyone could have them, every one could have the feeling of love. He wished Garret had known this more in his life.

   "You are more than welcome to stay here for a little while till the rain stops if you'd like."

Perking up at the mention of Garret staying Maggie looked to him with big eyes before looking back to Nate. A small smile played at the couner of her mouth as she still tried to mimic Garret's composure.

    "No cell for Garret, he has good manners, He can stay. He says yes! Right Garret?"

Maggie looks to Garret again wondering if he really would stay. Her eyes twinkled as she looked at Garret, hopful that maybe he would.

Done

-->

Garret quirked an eyebrow at Maggie – certainly not offended in the least, and not even really awkward. Perhaps it was amusement that twinkled in the very corners of his eyes. He’d dared to play with his food once as a child. Maybe twice. And that was it. It was simply not allowed where he’d been raised. Seeing Maggie’s innocence accepted at this dinner table was…different. He didn’t know why it made him want to smile, but it did.

Receiving his own spoonful of macaroni and cheese, he gave Maggie a little grin before taking a proper bite. He couldn’t bring himself to suck the cheese out, but he wouldn’t ignore her. “I like eating mine four noodles at a time. I can’t count any higher than that,” he teased. The simple pasta actually tasted pretty good. Maybe it was just because he was so hungry, but maybe it was because it was home-cooked. And the chicken? It tasted awfully good, too. He didn’t like not fending for himself…but maybe this once it was okay.

Sitting straight and eating with fork and knife, one would never guess his former line of work involved such things as deception and murder. But it was also apparent that relaxing at a family meal was not something he was used to. He had a longing to relax, but his body wouldn’t let him.

Nate’s question went unanswered for a few moments as Garret allowed himself to finish chewing and take a sip of water. His eyes roamed his plate as he tried to formulate an answer. The truth? He didn’t know. And that was not a normal part of his former life. He always had a plan. Until now.

“Anywhere but back to an Elite cell.” He glanced at Maggie again, then Laura, not particularly comfortable talking in front of them. Maggie liked him – what if she knew he belonged behind bars?

“It would probably be best if I disappeared for a while,” he finished with confidence. “I’ll find somewhere to establish a new identity until the Agency finds me and­–” He bit his tongue from finishing his gruesome statement about receiving a bullet to his head. “And I’ll deal with it as it comes.” He took another bite of food before looking back at Nate and catching his eye. “Done with cells,” he concluded.

Mixed Emotions

As Garret sits down Nate sits down as well and gives a small smile to Laura. He new that she would be on guard a little and rightfully so. Garret was after all from the Agency and she didn't know him. He was thankful though that she was willing to at least trust him. He was suprised Garret was here to start with but at the same time he was happy. At least here he new that he was safe, and doing ok.

   "Enjoy, and eat all you can. Laura is a good cook, and if we dont have any left overs thats ok with us."

Maggie coudln't help the small smile and blush that came to her cheeks as Garret sat next to her. Pushing the noodles around her plate she took one sucking the cheese out of the middle before putting the rest of the noodle in her mouth. Looking to
Garret again a even bigger smile spread across her face before she leaned over to him and nodded to his plate.

   "Now you do it, it's fun. Try it."

Nate watched his sister and Garret and couldn't help but smile. There was just something about how they interacted that Nate liked. Garret was soft for being such a tough assassion. It was a moment like this Nate could see more to Garret than anyone else could. It was these moments that let Nate know this was why Garret was not a loss cause.

   "So, where are you headed?"


Hearing Justin say he loved her Beth couldnt help the shock once again but for a different reason. In the mist of the sad emotions there was a new emotion that filled her as well. Never had she been told by someone other than family that they loved her. She might be along now but she wasn't truly alone. Justin would be there for her always, and she believed that
now.

   "I love you too Justin. The Agency will pay and I want to help. I have to some how help, for Sarah."

She didn't know what to do, but she had to do something. This whole thing she felt helpless and she didnt like that feeling at all. She was hurting, Justin was hurting, everyone was hurting and she couldn't do anything. She felt weak even after she
started feeling strong.

   "They just cant get away with it."

Walking inside Xander looks around at all the faces that looked up to him. Some he new, some he didn't and some brought back so many memories. There was one face that he landed on and lingered. Rosetta still looked the same to him. She always
had a raidant look about her. So many memories came back to him about a time long ago.

Coming over to Mick it took Rosetta a moment to relize who was with him. Xander had changed so much over the years. Last time they had parted things had been rough. There were good times, and there were bad times. They had been close at one point, and things had ended. Rosetta wasn't upset, the Agency had played there part like they always did. Mixed emotions were involved, but she forced a smile anyways.

   "Xander, it looks like the years have been good to you. Are you the contact to help us?"

Xander didn't know if this would be awkward or not but he had a job to do and he needed to put all other emotions aside for now.

    "I know shocker right? I've been under cover for the Elite for some time now, and with everything going on they thought it best for me to head here and help. All in All my cover will be blown. Bit it will be nice to get a normal life back."

Macaroni

Garret's eyes widened at Maggie's enthusiastic greeting. He'd forgotten how she'd been the first time he'd been here, but was quickly reminded as he was embraced in a most friendly hug. It sent a strange little warmth to his heart that somehow...he enjoyed. Maybe after all his fighting to get people to trust him, having Maggie's blind innocence was a relief. All he could do was give her a rather awkward half-hug in return with his free hand, though a slight smile did come to his lips. "Hey, Mags."

As he was released and Nate approached, he straightened, his smile fading quickly. He shifted restlessly, not even really sure himself why he’d come here or if he wanted to stay. “Um…” Glancing over his shoulder, he noted the light rain had started. “Guess coming in would be better than walking around in wet britches.” Only after saying it did he realize how ungrateful it sounded, and his expression changed. “I am a bit hungry,” he admitted. “I’ve just…been walking all day.”

Welcomed into the house, Garret felt as if he’d just been wrapped in a warm blanket. What caused it, he didn’t know. It was almost unsettling. Yet it was…nice.

Back at the table, Laura tried to get Brian to eat a little more, although he was much more interested in playing with his spoon than actually eating. At the same time, she made sure Maggie got what she wanted. Macaroni and cheese was a staple around here, so that’s what accompanied their baked chicken and broccoli. For some reason, Laura had fixed more than normal. It wasn’t like her to misjudge that much, but it seemed tonight it was a good thing they had extra.

Seeing Nate return with Garret, Laura knew without asking that Nate had invited him to stay and eat. It did make her a little leery, but as long as Nate was close, she was fine. She stood to go get another plate. “Garret, you can sit in the empty chair next to Nate.”

It was also next to Maggie. After setting his backpack in the corner, he took Laura’s cue to sit, but only after she’d returned and sat as well. He might not be at a fancy dress ball, but his training still ruled his actions. How often he’d been whacked upside the head for not being polite enough while learning to be a gentleman. His hat automatically came off and he hung it on the back of his chair before finally seating himself. So…this is what a family meal looked like? His eyes shifted to the side and he gave Maggie a wink, knowing full well she’d like it that he was sitting there.


As Beth came down the steps to join him, Justin couldn’t bring himself to look up at her. His emotions were threatening to spill over, and that was one thing he didn’t want to happen. Not now. Not when he was supposed to be strong. Not when Beth needed him. 

Standing to meet her embrace, he sighed deeply and held her tight. It was over. Her sister was gone. She had no more family. And it didn’t matter how many times she told him it wasn’t his fault – he wasn’t sure that the feeling of guilt would ever leave his heart. 

“The Agency is full of cruel, cruel people,” he responded quietly. “They live to torture. And I got involved. I got involved through the Elite. Otherwise…this wouldn’t have happened.” He swallowed hard. “I’m not giving up what I love. What I love is you…and I can’t stand to see you hurt any more.” 

He drew back, finally looking her in the eye. “I didn’t realize that I’d walked into the frontlines of the war. It was my mistake. And I won’t make it again.” 


Mick nodded, then motioned towards the house as he started to walk. “Yeah, we’re as set up as much as we can be. We’ve been left alone for so long that we don’t have a regular setup, but Con’s got a handle on things. It’s not looking good for Travis, but we figured out he’s not too far from here, so as soon as you get together on his plan of attack, I’m pretty sure he wants to go in without wasting any more time.” Stepping up on the porch, he opened the door for Xander and let him go inside first.

Con looked up from the table, hoping this was their contact, but remained standing over a map at the table, drawing out the route he wanted to take.

Mick caught sight of Rosetta nearby, and waved her over. “Hey…look who the cat dragged in.”

GARRET!!!!!!!!!

Hearing the door Maggie's ears perk up as she looks to Nate. Once Laura comes back she cant help her own wonderment for who was at the door. Getting up and peeking around the corner Maggie cant help the smile that spreads on her face seeing Garret.

   "GARRET!!!!"

Going to the door Maggie trows her arms around him and gives him a big hug before stepping back and her face was red. She was happy to see him again. She enjoyed talking to him the last time he was over.

   "Do you want to come in?"

Just around the corner Nate watched at Maggie and Nate interacted. Hearing her invite him inside he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. She was so innocent, no fear, and she once she cared for someone there was no going back.

Stepping to the door he sets a hand on his sisters shoulder and gives a smile to her before looking to Garret and nodding.

   "Maggie, why don't you go finish dinner."

Once she was gone to the other room again Nate turned to Garret again. He wondered why he was here and what was going on. Maybe he had a change of heart after all.

   "Come on in Garret. We are just having dinner, are you hungry?"

Just siting there as Justin talked Beth had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She didn't know what Justin was going to tell her but she felt like something was looming. Her sister didn't have to die, that was something she new already. No one ever had to die, but it didn't ease the pain. About to say something she stops as Justin's cup goes crashing to the ground. 

As Justin starts to talk once again she couldn't the shocked look on her face. This was the same people that took Grace. She didn't understand any of what was going on and why this was happening. To her, to Justin, it Grace to anyone. What did these people want. 

Seeing Justin move Beth could see how much he was hurting just like she was. How could she be mad at him? If she was mad at anyone it was this Agency. Her heart hurt for two reasons no, Justin and herself. Going over to him she bends down with him and taking his hands into her own she just holds them for a second before taking the cup fragments and putting them on the ground. Pulling him into a hug she couldn't help the tears that streamed down her own face.

   "Its not your fault Justin. Please dont think that....dont give up what you love. This is not your fault and I dont blame you. I blame the Agency for whatever reason they did this. They murdered my sister."

Having Mick realize who he was put a small smile on his face. He hopped everyone was as happy to see him as Mick was. Even though this was mostly business he was still a little nervous. It had been a long time.

   "Ive been with them for a while now working undercover. After leaving here years ago, and seeing so many lives destroyed I just felt I needed to do something to help. No ones lives were easy, and so many futures had been destroyed."

Even if things had worked out for most people, he always wondered how things would have been without the Agency, how many things would be different. He had just felt the need to stop or try and stop this madness before anyone else had there lives runed. 

   "For the most part I have been updated. I'll just need the finer details, and how everything is going to work. I'm guessing you have a base set up?"

Foreigner

Hearing Nate mention Victoria, Garret stopped in his tracks. He turned slightly, his face barely visible under the shadow of his cap's brim. Was it true? Had Victoria really been in contact with Nate? Why hadn't she told him? Why had she not wanted him to know? His emotions felt hurt. But his logic knew that she had only done the smartest thing to keep them both safe. Had he known she was helping him from a distance, he would have gone back in to try and get her out...and she knew that. But why even help if she hadn't wanted to stay? Why involve and endanger herself like that if she really didn't agree with him in the first place? And now that he knew, what was he supposed to do?

Having remained silent, Garret suddenly realized that Nate was heading back to his truck. Deciding not to respond, he simply turned to keep walking in the opposite direction. His destination? Unknown. But he wasn't ready to go back. All he wanted was to be alone...

...Evening. Clouds had covered the sky most of the day, and there was a scent of rain in the air. Garret's boots crunched on the bits of gravel along the edge of the road before he stopped at the end of the driveway. He wasn't sure how many miles he'd walked today, but he'd only taken a rest once or twice. He'd skipped supper the night before, and now having not had any food or water all day, his body was warning him not to push it much farther. In spite of all the miles though...he was still in North Springs.

Just standing at the end of the driveway for a few moments, he stared at the house. He couldn't have told anyone how to get here, and he didn't know the address, but his good sense of direction had led him, and he'd found it. Why, he wasn't quite sure. And a good part of him would just as soon keep right on moving. But without a destination...this was the only place he could think of where he might find a moment of rest before he decided whether he'd really go back to the Elite or not.

As his stomach growled, he sighed. Asking favors was not something he was used to. Finally he walked up the driveway and stepped up on the porch just as the first few raindrops started to fall. He shifted his backpack on his one shoulder, then rang the doorbell.

When the door opened, warmth, light and the smells of dinner wafted out into the evening, wrapping around Garret's senses. And in the silence, he wondered if that was fear in Laura's eyes or just caution. Seeing the toddler on her hip, it was probably just the caution of a mother, and Garret couldn't blame her for that. "Is Nate home?"

Laura blinked. She'd heard about what happened today and certainly had not expected the rogue man to show up here. Her hand still held a crumpled napkin with traces of macaroni and cheese she'd wiped off Brian's chin. "Um. Yes...yes he is. Wait right here."

Going back down the short hallway and around the corner, Laura forced a smile so as not to upset Maggie, before looking to Nate. "You have a visitor. He's waiting at the door."

Remaining outside the open door with respect, Garret waited. Who knew? With him going off like he had, Reese might not even allow him back into the Elite building anyway. Not that he wanted to. Did he? Would Nate even allow him to be here at his home? Most people would shut the door in his face and lock all their windows to keep an assassin like him away from their family. This...this was what made him feel like a foreigner.


Justin moved his his coffee mug to his other hand so his fingers could intertwine with Beth's. Turning, he kissed the top of her head, and just let her rest against him, quiet for a few moments. "The sun is always shining," he answered quietly. "Even if the clouds cover it up...it's there." 

Those were brave words for someone who felt as if his world was covered in one of the darkest rain clouds he'd ever experienced. He had to tell her. He had to tell her the truth before she learned it from someone else. He wanted to wait. Would that be better? No...no, it was best to get it over with. He took a sip of tea while trying to muster up enough courage. 

"Before anything else is done," he started softly, "there's something you need to know." How was he supposed to help her through this when he'd caused it in the first place? He swallowed hard. "Your sister...she shouldn't have died. She, um..." His nerves got the best of him as he fidgeted too much with his warm drink. Without time to react, the mug had slipped from his grasp. He tried to catch it, but it was no use. Shattering on the porch step, fragments and hot tea went everywhere - including his bare feet and pant legs. "Oh for crying out–" He bit his tongue, only because Beth was there. 

Sighing, he stared at the mess...and the mug he now owed his mother. The scene was exactly how he felt inside, too. "Your sister's death wasn't of natural causes," he finally told her. His eyes remained down. "It was the Agency - the group who kidnapped Grace. There were two targets...to ensure they would get to me one way or another. And...I didn't think about having anyone guard your sister. I didn't think they'd go that route." As his emotions threatened to emerge, he stood and walked down a couple steps to kneel and pick up pieces of the broken mug. "I'm sorry..." He still couldn't look her in the eye. "It's my fault this happened and... I don't know what to do, other than stop being involved with the Elite so no one else will get hurt." 

Warm, wet shards lay in his palm and he remained on his knees, afraid to get up lest Beth see the tears behind his eyes. "But that doesn't do anything to help your sister now."


Realizing the stranger knew him, Mick stopped and squinted at him. That face...something about it was familiar, as was the voice. Like a voice out of the past...the distant past. He cocked his head, still confused. Then it hit him and his eyes widened. "Xander?" He shook his head then offered a handshake. "Good land it's been a long time! You're our contact? Here to help get Travis? I had no idea you were connected to the Elite." 

He blinked again, still in a bit of shock as old memories flooded his mind. Most of them were good, even though the times had been hard. Xander had been as much a part of the family as Luke had. There for a while, Mick had even thought that Xander and Rosetta would start a life together, but like for most of them, paths had parted. 

Clearing his mind, Mick shifted his shotgun under his arm and nodded to the house. "I have a feeling we're going to have hours of catching up, but unfortunately we've got a more dire situation on our hands that needs our attention first. Were you brought up to speed before coming?"

For the right reasons...

Nate's eyes searches Garret's and as he pushed by he stepped as well. He wasn't going to try and stop Garret he just wanted to have him listen. But he wouldn't force him and he wouldn't push his own luck even if he wasn't all the scared of Garret. 

Just watching him walking away Nate studied him. There was so much more to Garret, more than he was willing to show, and more than anyone else could see. He didn't want to see him walk away, he didnt want him to be in he open where it was dangerous. He did care no matter what he did.

Letting out a long sigh and turning to head back to his truck Nate stopped and closed his eyes for a second. He'd made a promise, one he wondered now if he would ever be forgiven for breaking. Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't but if he did now would be the best time as ever.

   "You know she still cares about you. Victoria will love you till the day she dies, and though she herself didn't stay, she wants you to be happy and to be ok."

Nate turns slightly playing with his keys in his hand. Even if Victora was in danger she loved Garret enough to risk it anyways. He truly did believe there love was very deep.

   "Since you have been here, and she has left. She had been feeding me information to try and help you. She didnt have to, and we didn't ask her too. She did it herself because she cares. Also she didn't want me to say anything but I figure sometimes breaking the rules is ok, for the right reasons. Anyways, you know where I live if you need me, and hope to see you back at the office soon."

Turning and heading back to his truck again Nate starts walking again. He'd done all he could, and he didnt honestly know what else to do. He just hoped Garret would be a ok and safe. 

Locket

Frustration boiled under the surface as Garret listened to Nate. He understood the words, but didn't understand how people out here functioned - outside the Agency. He might as well be on Mars with an alien race. The way these people worked just didn't make sense to him. There was structure, but it was built on what couldn't be seen and he didn't get it. What was the point if he was going to get in trouble no matter whether he told the truth or not? What difference did it make?And how could he trust them when they never would give him the benefit of the doubt anyway?

He was ready to just drop the whole thing, move on and walk away, when Nate stepped in front of him. Stopping short, he stared Nate in the eye, anger flashing in his gaze. No one blocked him like that - no one. His muscles tensed and he stood taller, his hand gripping his backpack strap tightly as his fingers curled into a subtle fist. He was going to reject any more talking, but when Nate's final words hit his ears, he froze.

His grip on his backpack flexed, and he maintained his defensive stance. There was more than anger there now, though. Nate had struck a nerve - a nerve that had been buried years before.

For the longest time, his eyes remained locked on Nate. Even when another car passed, he didn't flinch. Eventually though, he found his voice - which came out with an eerily icy edge. "I came to fight a war, thinking I could win. It was arrogant of me and I see that now." He was a square peg trying to fit in a round hole, and chipping off his corners was too painful. He'd failed at his attempt to be with Victoria, and that's what had driven this entire thing in the first place. Without that, he had no purpose.

"There's no possible way I can fit in here, and I couldn't care less whether anyone thinks they're worried about me." His jaw tightened. "I didn't come here to make friends."

Finally shifting his gaze, he started forward again, shoving past Nate with his shoulder. As he did though, his eye caught a shiny object on the side of the road, half-covered in gravel. He wouldn't normally pause, but something drove him to stop and bend to pick it up. It was a very battered locket - probably lost here weeks ago, according the scuffed silver plating and broken chain. But as the worthless piece of jewelry rested in Garret's palm, all he could see was Cassandra's locket...the one he'd taken off her body...the one he'd given to Victoria that fateful day. He'd been ordered to kill the mother of the woman he loved. And that...that is why he hated the Agency. Hated Medridge. Hated his entire life. His fingers curled around the shiny trinket.

He glanced back over his shoulder to Nate. "I'll come back on my own terms," he commented gruffly. "Leave me be... I want to be alone." Adjusting his backpack, he started forward again, letting the locket fall from his grasp to rest again within its grave of dirt and gravel.

Figured Out

Walking up the drive way Xander took in the ranch. It had been a long time since he was last here. Though somethings where in the exact same spot, a lot had changed and grown. Time never stood still, it always kept going no matter what happened. '

He couldn't help wonder who was still here, how had moved on, who was new and what everyone had been up too. This had been one of his many homes, and it was always be important to him. He cared about the people here, and he did care what happened.

Seeing someone coming down the driveway Xander didn't expect anything less with all that was going on. Drawing closer there was something about the man that he new, He was sure everyone here had changed a little like he had but still there was those little things that never changed. A small smile slipped across his lips as he finally stopped.

   "Mick...It's been a long time."

Back inside Angel nodded her head to Con. She could do her best, and she would be there too the check over Travis and make sure he was alright. Her nerves were shot at this point, and she was worried about everything but hopefully this would all be over soon.

   "I'll be there. I wont leave anyone high and dry."

Thinking for a long moment as Nate walked with Garret He new understood why Garret had killed the Agency man. It made sense and was clear. That is all Reese has asked for was for the truth but it was so hard for Garret. His heart ached for his friend and the whole situation.

   "You really like you have everything figured out don't you?"

Nate stopped for a second collecting his own thoughts. He tried to imagen how it was from Garret's side and as hard as he tried He just couldn't.

   "It's not we don't trust you Garret, you are not trusting us. It's a two way street not just one way. If you had told Reese exactly what you just told me, I can guarantee he would believe you. Sure he might be upset, might tell you next time don't do that. Bring the guy in and we would figure it out. But he would believe you. All he asked for what your reason why and he wanted to the truth. But you didnt trust us enough to do that. We can't trust you, if you can't trust us."

Turning and standing in front of Garret so he couldn't walk anymore Nate looked him in the eye. Some might be scared to do that to Garret but Nate was not.

   "Sure we have rules, we have guidelines we need to follow, and even I have dont agree with them all the time. But they have to be followed none the less. Reese doesn't want you to disappear and neater do I.  I'd rather know you are safe with the Elite, than without the Elite, not to mention I'd rather know my friend is ok in general, than aways wondering."

Waking Beth slowly looked around the room gaining her bearings. For a moment she forgot where she was. But slowly it came back and so did the sadness that followed. If only this all really had been a dream. But it wasn't and everything had been very real.

Slowly slipping out of bed Beth wondered from the room to see where Justin had gone. He said he wouldn't leave her so he had to be somewhere. Wondering to the door and looking out she saw him. Slipping out and sitting down next to him she tucked her arm under his and leaned her head on his shoulder.

There would be much for her to do today. Preparations, cleaning of old things and Sara's room. She would not ready to face any of the stuff but she would have to sooner or late. She was just happy she had Justin to help her though it all and she wouldn't have to be alone.

   "I wonder if the sun will make its appearance today or if the clouds will keep it at bay. I'm not sure what one i'd want more."

New Arrival

Jared was pretty sure he didn't deserve Grace's forgiveness, so receiving her words was music to his ears. He returned the squeeze to her hand, and kissed the top of her head. Maybe being so close to losing her had made him realize just how important she really was to him. Funny how life was... it wasn't so long ago that being in this position with a woman on a night like this would lead to quite different circumstances. But right here, right now... he wanted nothing more than to simply sit here and enjoy Grace's presence - nothing more...

...Despite the very short night, it was Justin who was up first with the rising sun. He'd stayed with Beth all night, but had slept very little. He was careful not to wake her as he quietly slid off the bed and made sure the blanket was still covering her shoulders. No one else was up yet - except Jamie since it was her turn to keep watch. Justin told her she could go though, and he'd let Pete go a little later, confident there would be no more incidents. 

Only a few minutes later, Justin eased down on the top step of the porch and slowly sipped a hot cup of tea. The porch was cool on his bare feet, and the morning breeze made the hair on his arms stand on end, but he hardly noticed. The world around him was starting to rise for the day. People drove by on their way to work. An airplane flew overhead. Birds sang their morning songs. Nothing had stopped. It didn't matter who suffered or who died. The world never stopped turning. And neither did the Agency. 

Setting his mug aside, he retried his phone from his pocket and thumbed through some numbers before choosing one and letting it dial. He knew he'd have to leave a message this early in the morning, but that was fine with him. "Yeah, Reese, this is Justin. We need to talk about my position with the Elite. Give me a call back when you can." 

As soon as he ended the call, his phone buzzed that a new call was coming in. It was so sudden that he almost dropped his phone. The caller ID read Dr. Hawks. Justin sighed, but answered it. "Uncle Kash. You're up bright and early."

"So are you. No surprise, though. I just wondered if everything was alright this morning."

"Yeah. Yeah. I mean, as well as it could be." 

"I heard about Sarah Parker."

Justin's jaw tightened. "It's despicable what these people will do to prove a point."

"So it really was connected to the situation with you and Jared."

"Yeah." Justin rubbed his eyes wearily. His uncle was too smart not to have figured it out. 

"How's Beth?" 

"Not good. 'Bout as you'd expect. She'll be okay - she's strong. Doesn't make it any easier though." 

"And how are you?"

Justin swallowed hard. He was quiet for a few moments as his eyes found a caterpillar on the sidewalk. "I'm better than Beth." 

"You know I'm here for you." 

Justin straightened and cleared his throat. "Yeah, I know. Thanks. Listen, I'll let you know if you need to be on alert anymore."

Dr. Hawks knew well enough not to push his nephew, and allowed the conversation to end. "Okay. Take care." 

Once the call was over, Justin tucked the phone back in his pocket and picked his mug back up again, letting it warm his hands and face. There was a time for everything. A time to win, and a time to lose. A time to fight, and a time to surrender. And there was no shame in throwing in the towel to avoid any additional heartache. 


Walking at the edge of a side street, Garret heard a vehicle behind him pull to a stop. He didn't turn or stop though. He had a feeling he knew who it was, and a few moments later, his peripheral vision proved him right. But he just kept walking. He really didn't care if Nate walked with him. He'd give up eventually and go back to the Elite.

Despite his continued pace, he did listen to what Nate had to say even though it would seem he was ignoring him. He adjusted his backpack and kept up his route, aiming for the outskirts of town, even though he didn't have a destination in mind. He wanted to believe Nate. He wanted to believe it was all just that simple. But it wasn't. Not in his world. Nothing was simple. Ever.

After hearing him out, Garret walked a littler further until he finally stopped under a big oak tree beside a lonely intersection. He would say he couldn't trust anybody in the Elite...but deep down, he knew Nate was trying. He knew Nate was as close to trustworthy as he could get at this point. And even though all of this made him mad, there was just something that pushed him to at least speak now. Turning, he looked Nate square in the eye. "Chris Murphy. If you wanna label the corpse, there's a name. He recognized me. Even if he woulda been put in prison, word would have gotten back to Medridge that I'm still alive. And you know what would have happened next? He woulda had Victoria killed because she told him I was dead. She's a traitor for that lie alone and traitors don't survive."

He shifted as a car passed by, his eyes ever wary. He was safe nowhere. "But who's to say I'm not lying now?" His attention returned to Nate. "I could walk right back to the office and tell Reese the same thing, and he would still say I'm lying just because he doesn't trust me. Or let's pretend for a moment that he did believe me - then he'd have me locked up again because I killed someone just to save Victoria's hide, and since that's not protocol, it's not a good enough reason. So basically I'm screwed either way. Either he thinks I'm lying and I'm in trouble, or the truth itself gets me in trouble. So what's the point?"

Anger burned under the surface. Not against Nate, but against the system. Against him feeling like a fish out of water with no hope. Against being between a rock and a hard place without any way out. A crack in his inner wall allowed some unexpected emotions to seep through, and he dropped his gaze before setting a hand on his hip and taking a deep breath. Not that long ago, he'd haul off and take Nate down - the adrenaline would get rid of any uncomfortable emotions. But today...for some reason...he couldn't.

"It was a mistake. Coming here. This whole thing. I never should have left the Agency. I never should have even considered listening to my emotions instead of my head, let alone actually following through." As he regained control, his eyes rose to Nate's once more, and his voice adopted an icy edge. "The smart thing for you to do right now is just let me keep walking. Reese will be thrilled to be rid of me, and I won't endanger the Elite anymore. I've disappeared before...I can do it again. And no protocol or regulation can stop me."


Travis pried open one eye. How long had he been out? He had no idea, but he was still sprawled on the hardwood floor where he'd been dragged earlier. Picking himself up, he used his left arm for leverage, which was the wrong thing to do. Collapsing with the shooting pain, he just laid still, now also feeling his sore ribcage, and a splitting headache.

Con turned his attention to the screen again. "He's awake." It was the next day, and the ranch was no less tense.

Getting over the initial painful shock, Travis finally managed to sit up, only now noticing that he was chained to the floor. At least he could move around a little, but the downside was even less hope of escape. Already, the heavy shackle was making his ankle sore, and there was no way he'd be able to pick the lock.

Leaning back against the wall, his eyes fell shut. He wondered if his left arm was broken, and the way his head felt, he questioned whether or not he had a concussion. He was glad he couldn't see himself in a mirror. He could feel the half-dried blood in his hair and down the side of his face. His eyes fluttered open again and he glanced up at the camera on the other side of the room. If his dad was watching, he was probably beside himself. Or was he? Doubts had started to creep into Travis' mind. Doubts about being rescued. Doubts about his own dad's life. What kinds of things hadn't he been told? Why were such terrible people after him? That didn't just happen for no reason.

New tears flooded Lane's eyes as he stood nearby watching. He'd gotten an hour or two sleep last night at most, which didn't help, but he did his best to stay in control of his emotions this time. "Why doesn't he say anything?" he questioned aloud.

"He probably doesn't know we can hear him. Or he thinks it's just a lie and no one's really watching." Con leaned back in his chair and sighed before looking at his watch. "As soon as our contact gets here, we're going in. But you need to stay here."

"What? Why? I have to go with you!"

"No. We can't risk you losing your head, and you know good and well you may not be able to refrain from doing something stupid."

Lane bit his lip. How could he stand by and watch while someone else went to rescue his son? "I'll keep my distance. I promise. Please. Just let me go."

"You and Angel both," Con compromised, looking to Lane's sister. "Your job is to keep your brother under control, and to be ready once we've got Travis on the move back here. Can you do that?"

Mick stood nearby, listening and watching out the window. Jim and Becky were nowhere in sight - Mick guessed they were having a much-needed family meeting after last night. Everyone else was going about their duties as told. Word had come that someone was coming to help, but no one was exactly sure who it was. The only thing they knew was that they were supposed to arrive soon, and Con hoped to put their plan into motion immediately upon their arrival. Until then though, the stress level remained high.

Catching movement at the end of the driveway, Mick tucked his shotgun under his arm, tugged his hat brim low, and headed out the door. Most likely it was their contact - but he wasn't going to take any chances. Once outside, he walked down the driveway to meet the man who was approaching the ranch yard...

Different

Letting out a sigh Nate watches Reese as he walks back to his office. This whole thing was a mess and having the FBI agent here was not helping one single bit. He couldn't help but wonder if it was better if Garret wasn't here. He didn't like thinking that but this whole thing had put stress on them all.

Sitting down and tapping his pencil on the desk Nate finally pushed him away from the desk and stood grabbing his jacket and keys. Heading for the door his own mind races. No matter what was right or what was wrong Nate couldn't just let Garret walk away. Not the Elite's sake, and for Garrets.

It didn't take Nate long to see a form in the distance. No matter how good Garret was he could only walk so fast, and there was only so many places he could of walked. Driving past Garret and parking the truck Nate got out and waited for a second till Garret got to him and than continued to walk along side.

   "You know if you just had told Reese the truth no matter what it was, this whole mess woldn't have happened."

Nate felt bad for everyone involved, this was new to Garret, this was different for Reese, not to mention all the other stress put on them all. He just wished things could be differently. Before he could give Garret time to talk again he started.

   "I know this is a lot different for you and I can't even start to guess how hard it really is, but things here are a lot different than the Agency. Here we have to give reports, and we have to know why something happened. That's all Reese wanted was an answer, the truth, thats how you build trust. You can't give up before you even start. We haven't given up on you, and if we had, the cops would be here for you, not me. Are you really going to walk away already?"

 Sitting next to Jared Grace was happy that she was offered to stay there the night. She hadn't told anyone but she really was shook up still and going home alone, but didn't seem like something she wanted to do right.

Hearing his apologize Grace just studys his face for a long moment. She could tell by the look in his eye he really was sorry, and inside she was sorry she had gotten upset too.

   "I forgive you. I'm sorry I got upset as well. I just wanted you to do it on you own, because I know you can. I never really left you though. You just didn't see me anymore."

Leaning her head on Jared's shoulder Grace gives his hand a light squeeze. She did forgive him no matter what he had said. she new he'd been frustrated. She was just happy she was safe now, and in his arms once again where she felt safe.

Pigeon

Jared looked up quickly at Grace's voice, startled. She looked...pale. But she was alive and as well as could be. She was in one piece and it had been a terrible event but she was okay. The relief Jared felt was indescribable...and so was his guilt. 

Being hugged wasn't what he expected either. But nothing could stop his arms from wrapping around her. All he wanted to do was be able to stand on his own two feet to hold her...but he couldn't. So instead, he let her slide down into his lap. "I'm so glad you're okay," he whispered. "I was so worried." 

It was uncertain how long they'd sat there, but it wasn't too long before Rick showed up. And though he didn't want to interrupt them, he didn't want to be here all night either, so he convinced them to let him take them back to Lydia's where Grace could stay in peace for the night...


"Thank you." Justin nodded to Jamie, then glanced at Pete. A quiet moment followed, before he turned to aim back to the hall. "Goodnight." There was nothing more he could say. Nothing more he wanted to say. He felt...numb. And he'd rather feel that than the pain that was underneath it all. 

Going back to the spare room, he paused, just looking in at Beth's form. And his heart broke a little more. He wanted to go to his own room and crawl in his own bed and forget anyone else existed. But he couldn't. Not now. Not yet. So instead, he slipped off his shoes, came to the far side of the bed, crawled on top of the covers behind Beth and wrapped his arm around her tight. And that's all he could do. 


...Jared knew the late hour would catch up to them all tomorrow. But his mind was still reeling. After he and Grace had gotten here, his mother had, of course, made sure Grace really was okay before going to bed, then Jamie and Pete had decided who would take first watch at the other end of the house. But in the living room, Jared sat with Grace on the couch, with only a small lamp providing some dim light. 

Sitting next to her, his hand fiddled with hers while he sat rather stiffly. He'd been quiet up until now, with more tension in the air than anyone deserved, and he knew it was his fault. "I'm...sorry," he finally apologized quietly. His eyes remained on the floor. "Not just for what you've been through but...but for how I treated you the other day. I...said some mean things and... and I'm just sorry. You didn't deserve that. I was mad and I just took it out on you." 


It was the next morning at the Elite. Aaron paced the cell...as much as he could, anyway. He could only stay standing a few minutes at a time before he couldn't take the pain in his knee anymore. The weird thing was why they'd put him down here. He still hadn't figured that out. Something had happened - he'd heard the scuttlebutt. But what it was, he wasn't sure. Then there was this cell. He'd expected no more than a stark prison cell. But instead, the cot was decent, there were nicer necessities than he would have imagined, a small table and chair, and even a couple magazines. A change of clothes was there too, which boggled his mind even more. After being cuffed to a bed since getting here, this was quite a change. He really had thought as soon as his leg was stable, they'd ship him off to prison. Why were they keeping him here? And why wasn't he cuffed or shackled or anything? Why weren't they beating him to a pulp for Agency intel?

Wincing in pain, he finally half-sat, half-fell back onto the cot. There was a part of him that would have preferred remaining cuffed upstairs in the infirmary. At least then he caught glimpses of what was going on. Down here, there were no windows. No view to the open world at all. Every once in a while he heard something, and he had a pretty good idea that Garret was right next door. Of course, that traitor had free run of the place, which made Aaron sick. He'd lost track of the days, he'd lost the man he'd respected most, and his future was more uncertain than it had ever been before. He didn't know whether to prepare for a life behind bars, a life stuck here, or try and plan for escape back to the Agency where at least he was secure. He'd go for the last choice if it weren't for this blasted knee. He automatically scowled when thinking of Victoria. At the very least, he should be able to somehow get in contact with the Agency even if he couldn't physically leave. Then Victoria and Garret would both pay.


Reese would just as soon have taken today off. After getting home so late last night, all he'd wanted to do was stay in bed for at least two more hours, then just spend the day with Angelica. But this job wasn't something he, or she, could ignore, unfortunately. At least he always had her by his side, even when he'd come home at ungodly hours of the night. Right now though, he couldn't daydream about the love of his life. He had work to do, and it wasn't pleasant. "Are you aware that the second target died last night?"

Garret stood in Reese's office mid-morning, along with Nate. He'd heard from no one until being called upstairs. Hands clamped behind his back, he stood with feet apart, evidence of his past training when in the presence of the commanding officer. "I was not."

"It was a young woman." Reese leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. He'd included Nate in on this because of him being Garret's handler, and he also wanted a witness. And... he'd never say so out loud, but he wasn't so sure if confronting Garret alone was the wisest thing to do. "Sister of Justin's girlfriend."

Garret pursed his lips. Justin would be feeling that one, just like the Agency wanted. "That's too bad. I'm sure the Agency has had her as a possible target for longer than you think."

"That's a good possibility. Of course, we might know for sure, if we had a certain operative in our custody instead of in the morgue."

One of Garret's eyebrows rose. "I doubt you would have gotten any information from him."

"But you realize that's not your call to make."

"Sir?" Old habits died hard as his response mimicked that which always gave Medridge.

Reese fiddled with a pencil. "We have clear evidence that your earpiece was removed before your fight. That means you lied about what happened. So I'm giving you once chance right now to tell the truth."

Garret glanced at Nate before looking back to Reese. "It happened very fast." He wasn't about to reveal the truth - he couldn't. "Details tend to get lost in a situation like that."

"Not good enough." Reese shook his head. "Either you give me a satisfactory answer now, or your time here is over."

"Seriously? You've got one less Agency idiot to worry about and now you wanna get rid of me. You really don't make any sense, you know that?"

Reese looked to Nate. Somehow, Garret was going to have to learn. He'd told Nate earlier that he wanted to get to the truth, but it wasn't being made easy. "Garret, around here, killing is the last option no matter who it is. All I'm asking is the truth about why you took that man's life instead of bringing him in. If you can't even do that, then this is obviously not going to work."

Garret gritted his teeth as he could feel the Elite reins beginning to tighten. "So basically the fact that I advised the team, suggested the correct plan of attack, helped execute the rescue and assisted in bringing back the girl alive has no bearing whatsoever?"

"Not if you continue to lie." Reese was not willing to play this game. "I don't send thank you cards - we're a team and do what needs to be done. The truth. Now."

"And when will you start believing me? Or is this all because your little boy got squeamish around a dead body?"

Reese set aside his pencil and folded his hands. "Is this display of attitude due to the fact that we're questioning your honesty, or because you know we're not going to like the actual truth?"

Garret threw Nate a glare. So this is what he got for helping? Why had he even tried? "If any of you want to have a decent conversation, I'll be in my delightful little cell," he hissed.

As he spun on his heel, Reese called after him. "Stop right there." Garret kept walking. "Garret, I'm warning you!" But his words did no good, and Garret disappeared around the corner. "Dang it." Reese growled before running a hand over his face. "This has got to stop."

"Hey, um...sorry to interrupt."

Reese looked up quickly and withheld an expression of disdain. "Yes. Kirk. What can I do for you?"

"I was just wondering if I could get a copy of the report from last night."

"As soon as it's written."

Kirk bit his lower lip and remained paused in the doorway. "I don't think I need to tell you the thing that will hurt the Elite most when it comes time for change is your stubbornness to keep that walking timebomb around."

"No...you don't need to tell me," Reese stated flatly.

"If I were you, I'd–"

"And what authority do you have?"

Kirk redirected his train of thought. "I guess I'm just considering what options you may have in the not so distant future, and I think it's only fair to warn you that your tolerance for rogue behavior may not go over so well."

Reese's eyes narrowed. "Thank you for your opinion, Agent Young. And how long did you say you were here for?"

"I didn't." Kirk moved to leave. "I'll be awaiting that report."

Once alone again, Reese let out a groan. "Nate, is it worth it? Is all this really worth it? Maybe we should just pack it in and let the police and FBI take on the Agency."

"Hey, Reese?"

"Now what?!" Reese looked to Gunner who had just poked his head around the corner. "Can I not be left alone for two minutes?"

Gunner quirked an eyebrow. "Fine by me, but your pigeon's flying the coop."

"What?" Reese was on his feet and came out to the main floor just in time to see Garret heading for the door.

Garret had his backpack slung over his shoulder and ballcap on just as he'd been the day he'd come. But this time he was going out instead of in.

"Garret!" Reese barked. "Where do you think you're going?"

Garret stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Even if I told you, you probably wouldn't believe me anyway." He kept walking.

"Garret, you stop right there or you will regret it."

Garret just kept walking.

Reese was halfway to he door himself now, and stopped, drawing his gun. "Stop! Or so help me, you won't be able to walk out of here. I cannot let you go free."

Garret's hand was already on the door handle and he turned slightly, looking at the handgun. The corner of his mouth turned up. "Really?" And without a second thought, he was gone.

Reese's jaw couldn't have been more tight as he returned his gun to his holster. Garret had known he couldn't fire...and he'd been right. Reese looked around at the pairs of eyes that had watched the scene. No one else had dared interfere - they all knew no one here was a match for Garret...and he'd just made a total fool out of their leader.

Reese spun on his heel and stalked back to his office, slamming the door after entering, which kept anyone from even trying to find out what to do next.

Outside, Garret's stride didn't break as he headed across the parking lot. He had no idea where he was going - it was the only time he could remember, ever, that he didn't have a plan. He just knew he couldn't stay here. He'd been wrong to think it could work. 

Of Course

Knowing Justin was there helped Beth relax just a little more. She was still hurting, she still wanted to cry but his comfort meant a great deal to her. She didn't know what she would do with out him. As he want to leave she tried to force the best smile she could. Though she was hurting she wanted Justin to know she would be ok, in time, even if now it hurt.

Once Justin was gone Beth changed into some sweat pants and an over size sweat shirt. Sitting down on the bed a few tears ran down her face. She still didn't understand how this all happened. It was confusing. How was her sister find one moment and not the next. Maybe that it what made this whole thing so hard.

Snuggling under the covers she tried her best to just forget about everything for now. It wasn't easy, and her mind races, but maybe tonight sleep would come. She doubted it though.

Looking up at Justin as he came back into the room Jamie glaces at Pete for a second question in her eyes. She understood why Justin wanted them there still but it seemed like there was a little more there than what was being told.

Hearing the Justin was pretty sure Sarah had been the second target Jamie's expression dropped to sadness all over again. It was said the girl had died, but to know she had been killed hurt even more. She felt sick to her stomach and angry at the same time. She would never understand how or why anyone would do something like this.

   "Of course we will stay just to make sure everything is ok."

Searching Justin's face for a long moment Jamie's heart ached for him too. He didn't say it but she could see the pain, fear, and guilt in his eyes. This wasn't his fault, this one no ones fault but the Agency. She only hoped he new that, and believed it.

Giving a small smile to Rick Grace slipped down from the table and just winced a little bit. She didn't feel like anything was majorly wrong she was just sore all over. Her want to see Jared over ruled that though. She just wanted to see someone she was close to.

Making her way down the hall to where Jared was Grace looks in the room. Seeing him she let our a small breath he was there, and she did find him ok. Just standting there for a second she takes him in. She didn't know if she'd see him again, she didn't know anything was she was kidnapped.

   "Jared?"

Finally going the rest of the way into the room tears sprang into her eyes. Wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a big hug she bury her face into his shoulder. She couldn't help the tears that rolled out of her eyes.

   "I thought I was never going to see you again. I was so scared. "

Sitting on the couch Angelica was curled up in a blanket the radio playing soft music. She was drifting in and out of sleep but she told Reese she was up still and she had a pot of coffee on. Her day was long but she could only imagen how long his was.  She'd be there no matter how tired she was.





 
 

Coward

Wrapping his arms around Beth, Justin hugged her tight. If only an embrace could take away the pain. The sorrow. The injustice. But it couldn't. No matter how closely he held her, it wouldn't take any of this away. It wouldn't fix anything. And it wouldn't remove the despair clinging to the very depths of his soul. For he had caused this pain. Just letting Beth cry into his shoulder though, he withheld his own emotions. For now, she was his priority.

Seeing Jamie, he gave her a nod. "I'd like it if you and Pete spent the night," he answered quietly. "I have some things I need to share with you." Gently, he prompted Beth down the hallway to one of the spare rooms. "Come on," he encouraged. "It'll be okay. Just change into something comfy and crawl under the covers." He kissed the top of her head and brushed some tears from her cheek. "I'll be back in just a few minutes. I won't leave you."

But for the moment, he needed to. And he would rather let the others know what was really going on without Beth present. He couldn't tell her to her face...not yet. Slipping back into the hall, he returned to the living room. His mother looked at him with worried question. Pete wandered in from the kitchen, also sensing something more was up than he knew, and he took up his stance next to Jamie.

"I'm pretty sure the threat is over for now," Justin admitted. He hoped Beth would stay in her room and wouldn't overhear. "I received a message that confirmed Beth's sister was the second target and...knowing the Agency, they'll let me take time to lick my wounds before attacking again, so..." He pursed his lips, desperately trying not to show how much pain he was in. "Anyway, I'd feel better if you stayed the rest of the night just to be sure nothing else happens." It was already almost one o'clock in the morning. "I'm assuming Jared will be back soon as well - possibly Grace. So a few extra eyes won't hurt until tomorrow when things are more clear."


Rick nodded to Grace. “Of course. I think he’s a couple doors down on the left. As long as you don’t have any other discomfort, I think we’re done. You’re more than welcome to spend the night here in a room we’ve got set up, or I can take you and Jared back to his mother’s house. We have a couple agents stationed there already so you’d be safe. It’s completely up to you, though.” He gave her a reassuring smile, knowing that if the Agency stuck to their pattern, they wouldn’t use her anymore to get to Justin. They’d find something else, but for now, Grace was probably just as safe as she’d been before Justin got involved here. “You don’t need to be afraid. The worst is over.”

In the breakroom, Jared still sat alone. He’d aimed for the door several times, but had never made it all the way into the hall. After Justin’s fast exit, he didn’t have much choice but to stick around here anyway, but facing Grace was a whole other subject to tackle. He really had treated her badly. He hadn’t liked the way she’d walked away from him when he’d fallen. He hadn’t liked it that she’d forced him to make it back to the house himself. He hadn’t liked it that she’d proven a point while he’d felt humiliated. But he also knew good and well she’d only been trying to help. And he might never admit it, but being forced to take care of himself had only proven that he could – painful as it had been. The words he’d spoken to her in anger had been uncalled for…and he was sorry. She could have been killed…and his last words to her would have been hurtful ones. What must she think of him?

His hands gripped his chair’s wheels again, but he remained frozen in place. What did it say about him that he couldn’t even go see her when she’d just had one of the most traumatizing experiences of her life? Maybe he was more of a coward than he thought.


"...And what, you mind that we've got one less Agency operative to worry about?" Jason slipped off his boots and looked at Wyatt who remained stood in the doorway after escorting him home.  

Wyatt was still worked up after his brief confrontation with Garret, and fiddled with his car keys. "It's not that. It's the fact he just executed a guy with no apparent reason. Sure he was a bad guy. But not only did Garret snap his neck, he also lied to us about what happened, and that makes the whole thing even worse in my book. But apparently he can get away with whatever he wants just 'cause he's got my dad scared."

Jason sighed and folded his arms. It was super late. He was tired. He was annoyed he'd had to wait at the office so long just to be babysat on the way home. And he had no way to help Wyatt. "Garret mighta had some personal issue with that thug - who knows? Coulda been someone he'd rivaled for years. Or maybe even though the evidence doesn't add up, he really did feel he didn't have an option but to kill the guy. I agree his behavior is questionable, but I'm also sure your dad will deal with it in his own time."

"But how can we-" 

Jason held up his hand to stop him. "Wyatt, my head hurts, I'm tired, and you're mad. Can we continue this conversation tomorrow?"

Wyatt clamped his mouth shut and shrugged. "Whatever. But mark my words - Garret is gonna cause trouble for all of us." 


Staring into Chad's eyes, Rosalyn felt a shiver run down her spine. There was no denying Chad's genuineness and honesty. She'd finally realized he was serious about them...but this sounded just about as serious as he could get without actually getting down on one knee. 

Her cheeks flushed as he gave him a small smile. "I kind of have a feeling I'm not ever going to get tired of you," she responded quietly. She leaned towards him and gave his lips a soft kiss. "And I can't promise I'll be perfect either." She gave him another kiss before leaning her forehead against his, and she brought a hand up to cradle the side of his face. "I would follow you to the moon," she whispered. "Just love me and don't let me fall."

My Promise

As Justin leaves again to answer his phone Grace just lets Rick finish. Her mind drifted to Jared. Was he still mad at her? Or was he feeling bad about there might and than what happened? All she new is she wanted to see Jared as soon as she could.

Seeing Rick was done Grace looks at him searching his face. She wondered if she was ok to go or if they needed her to stay around longer.

   "Can I go find Jared since Justin said he was here? I wont leave, I just...I need to see him."

Sitting with Lydia Beth's tears had stopped but she sat there still, her cheeks stained with tears and her eyes blood shot. She had cried hard, harder than she had in a long time. Her only family left was gone. On the inside she still was crying but the tears just wouldn't fall anymore.

Hearing someone come in the front door Beth didn't even move. Maybe it was Justin, or maybe it was someone else she didn't know. Looking up though as they came into the living room she was thankful it was Justin.  At the moment he was really the only person she wanted.

Standing and going over to Justin when he held out his arms Beth just buried her face into his chest. Tears find her eyes once again and she shoulder shakes. She just hoped this was a dream, but with every hour that went by she new it wasn't/

Seeing Justin Jamie gives a nod and a sad smile. In the pit of her own stomach she couldn't help but wonder if this had been the second target. They had taking so much care in making sure everyone was safe and still the Agency had the upper hand. 

   "We can stick around longer if you need us too."

Nate sat in his cubical alone going over notes. Today had been a success, or had it really. Garret killed someone, someone bad, someone who might have ended up killing another person. If not this time, another time would come. So had it really been wrong? Nate new the answer to that question, but he also new everything that revolved around this whole thing with understanding. To Garret this was nothing, this was't even a kill that would of satisfied him. But this was normal. Nate tried to build a defense in his head before anyone even asked. He new time would come someone would...He just wanted to be ready. 

Giving a nod to Rosalyn's response Chad understood. He new too though this would even be harder with just a phone call. He just hoped her mom and bother would understand, and they were doing the right thing.

Going over to the couch and sitting down Chad motioned for Rosalyn to sit down next to him. Turning a little to look into her eyes his gaze was still loving, but perhaps more serous than he'd ever been before, at least around Rosalyn.

   "To be honest, I'm scared to death too. Not just of this threat we are facing but the love I have for you too. "

Stopping for a second Chad searches Rosalyn's face. Would she ever tire of him? Would he let her down sooner or later? These were all his own fears he had even if he seemed very confidant.

   "I've never loved some one as much as I love you. I didn't even know it was passable honestly.  I can't promise you I will be perfect, and I can't promise things will be easy. But I can promise I will always love you no matter what life throws, I'd make you do anything you didn't want too. You'd always have a choice.  I just hope...you'll never get tired of me."

Fault

Seeing Justin was joining them, Rick just offered Grace a warm smile. Yes…yes, this place was “more.” But it would take more than a few minutes to explain. 

Justin nodded thoughtfully as his eyes took in everything about how Grace was reacting to her situation. Her first thought was of her confusion about what had happened. But directly after came her want to see Jared. His brother was an idiot. 

“Um, yeah. Yeah, he’s here. We’ve been taking turns worrying about you all day.” He grinned a little. “This whole thing has been hard for all of us to understand. The Elite here is a branch of law enforcement and I’ve been doing some work for them. Apparently some really bad guys didn’t like it so they decided to get back at me. And…you got caught in the crossfire. That’s why I’m sorry. This never should have happened. I’m just glad you’re okay.” 

He paused as Rick bandaged a cut on the side of her face. “As for Jared… he’s okay too. Just shook up and…having some trouble imagining you want to see him after your apparent…shall we say…conflict.” As his phone buzzed in his pocket, he checked the screen. Beth. She probably wondered if he was coming back tonight since it was so late. “Give me a sec,” he apologized. “You’re in good hands.” Turning and heading to the door, he answered on his way into the hallway. “Hey. What’s up?” 

Hearing the tone of Beth’s voice, Justin stopped in his tracks. “Whoa, whoa, slow down.” His pulse started to race. Sarah was dead? She’d been physically fine. With as much care as she had every day, a sudden death was a very strange occurrence. “Oh, Beth, I’m so sorry. Just hang in there, okay? I’ll be home soon. Stay there and tell Ma what’s going on.” She’d take care of Beth until Justin could get there. “I’ll see you shortly.” 

It was only after he ended the call that he allowed his mind to travel to a very dark place. A dark place that caused fear to surge through his veins. A dark place with facts he didn’t want to acknowledge. This whole thing with Sarah was far too coincidental. And in that dark place, he knew. He knew the truth, whether he had evidence or not. But evidence was what he needed. 

Pushing aside his emotions, he quickly walked down two doors, glad to see Dalton was still there. He needed some fast calls…and hacking into Brookshire’s system if necessary…

…Fifteen minutes later, Justin was behind the wheel of his pickup. He’d left Jared in the Elite’s hands, unable to wait. Getting to Beth was his only focus. As he stopped at a red light, his phone buzzed again. Dalton. He was even faster than anticipated. And the news wasn’t good. There was no official confirmation yet, but they suspected Sarah had been poisoned. And before Justin could even begin to process what that meant, he received a text message from an unknown number. 

Happy with your choice?

And that was all the confirmation Justin needed. Sarah had been murdered. And it was all his fault.

Parked in the driveway with the engine off, Justin sat in the dark. He should go inside. He needed to go inside. Beth needed him. Or did she? If it weren’t for him, her sister would still be alive. How could he even face her? He had feelings for Beth that ran deeper than he’d had for anyone else. And he had effectively murdered her own sister by thinking he was immune to the Agency’s schemes. 

A barrier was lowered to shelter his heart as he finally exited his pickup. Beth needed his support. And that came first, before he’d be able to tell her why Sarah was gone. 

Getting inside, he was greeted with a silent nod from Pete, before he went to the living room. His mother was dressed in comfy clothes for the night, but her subdued greeting proved she’d been with Beth as Justin had hoped. Then there was Beth. He remained standing as he saw her, and simply held out his arms. 


Once the team was dismissed from Reese's office, Wyatt, unhappy with the results of the night, aimed for Dalton's office, hoping the giant was still there. "Hey, Dalton?" He knocked on the open door and wandered closer, pulling a small device from his pocket. It held the recordings of the entire communication that had taken place during the mission. "Do me a favor?" He chewed on the inside of his lip. He hadn't asked permission. But he needed to know. "Garret's set got knocked off his head...or so he claims. But it was still on. All we can hear is static, and some muffled words. Think you might be able to clean it up so we can hear what really went on?"...

...The sound of scuffling.
Silence.
The thump of the communicator being dropped onto the ground.
More scuffling.
An unfamiliar voice. "Garret. You s-"
"You're not walking away from this," Garret threatened.
"Kill me and you kill another innocent life."
"They're dead anyway."
More scuffling.
The voice returned, strained now. "You're as good as dead, Garret, you know that."
More scuffling.
Silence.
Static.
Finally it was Garret's voice again. "All clear. Target in hand and headed your way."

Wyatt's face was tense with anger. Garret had been heartless when it came to the mention of a second target. He hadn't thought twice about killing the other guy. And he'd gotten rid of his earpiece before the fight had even begun. "I gotta take this to Reese. Thanks, Dalton."

Halfway to his dad's office, Wyatt's anger had piqued. And passing Garret didn't help matters. Instead of continuing his route, he stopped in the hallway, blocking Garret's path. "You're a heartless killer," he hissed. "And you have no place on our team."

Garret stopped in his tracks and straightened as Wyatt's words immediately got his hackles up. "You wanna run that by me one more time?"

Wyatt presented the thumb drive that now held the new recording. "That operative recognized you, didn't he? And you knew that if he lived, you were as good as dead. So you didn't think about anyone else, but decided right there that you were going to kill him. Didn't you?" By now, he was face to face, glaring at Garret.

Garret's eyes narrowed. "And here I thought we were all on the same side."

"You'll never be on our side."

Garret held up his first finger as a warning. "You better just let me by and-"

"What's going on?"

Neither man moved as Reese approached.

"Here." Wyatt shoved the thumb drive towards his dad. "It wasn't self defense. Garret here just killed that guy so word wouldn't get out he was alive."

Reese frowned. "That's a pretty serious accusation." He swung his gaze to Garret. "Care to explain?"

"I don't need to explain myself," Garret retorted. "I told you what happened, now if you'll kindly excuse me..."

Wyatt folded his arms. "You're not going anywhere."

Garret shifted his weight, and lifted one hand, ready to use force.

A sudden surge of fear coursed through Reese's veins, causing him to step between Garret and his son. "Garret, you're dismissed."

Considering his options for just a moment, Garret relented, then skirted around Wyatt to head downstairs. Instead of going to his cell though, he went to the rec room.

Back upstairs, Reese turned around to face his son and took a deep breath to keep from raising his voice. "What on earth were you thinking, confronting that man?"

Wyatt's eyes widened. "I'm not scared of him!"

"Well you should be!" Reese shook his head. "He just broke a man's neck for goodness sake. Do you really think you could handle him?"

"I'd like to think I could hold my own and-"

"You wouldn't last sixty seconds." Reese didn't mean to belittle Wyatt's skills, but there wasn't anyone in this entire building who would be able to take Garret. There was a chance Carson could stand his ground for a little while, but Reese would still put his money on Garret.

Wyatt scowled at him. "Nice. So let's keep him here so he can throw his weight around and get away with whatever he wants just because no one has guts enough to stand up to him."

"I didn't say that. I think we-"

"Forget it." Wyatt tossed him the thumb drive. "I gotta get Jason home."

Left standing alone, Reese sighed. This was getting out of hand. Maybe he could catch Nate before he left. Heading to the main floor, he turned only to almost run right into Agent Young. "Oh, excuse me."

"No worries." Young cocked his head. "Been pretty exciting around here."

"That's one way to put it."

"You, uh, think it's a good idea to allow Garret that much free rein?"

"I think he's a success story in the making if I give him a chance."

"No matter who he kills in the process?"

Reese bit his tongue from retorting, and forced a smile instead. "I need to wrap things up before I leave. I assume I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight." Sidling past Young, he changed his route and went to his own office. He'd talk to Nate another time. They were all tired, and it was late. He took his phone out of his pocket as he walked and thumbed a text message to Angelica.
Still up? I'll be home soon.


Downstairs, sweat poured down the sides of Garret's face as he beat the punching bag with pent up energy.


Rosalyn remained nestled into Chad's arms, but shook her head. "I can't go back to the ranch. They don't want anyone coming or going right now - not even me. I can call my mom and brother though."

Despite the joy mixed in with this bizarre situation, a tear escaped to soak into Chad's shirt. "I'm scared," she admitted. "I don't want to make the wrong choice. I trust you... Its me I don't trust because I would go anywhere with you and do anything you asked."

Gone

Just standing there with Rosalyn Chad soaks in the moment. They we be together a lot more now, but this moment he still wanted to remember. Every moment with Rosalyn he wanted to always remember and cherish. How had he gotten so luck to find someone like her? Did he deserve to be this happy? He didn't think so, but he wouldn't let it pass him by, never again would he take what he hated for granted.

   "I am guessing you will want to say goodbye to your friends, mom and brother. So why dont we go to the ranch tomorrow to spend a little time with them if you want. Than we can leave the next day."

Chad looks down searching Rosalyn's eyes for a long moment. He really hoped this was what Roslyn wanted this and was ok with he. She wouldn't have agreed if she wasn't but still there was that little fear he had.

   "I know I was going to stay a little longer, and we still can if you want. I just think it would be best if we got as far away for right now as we can. But I want this to be what you want too and not just what I think it best. So shoot some ideas at me. I'll follow you anywhere."

Getting back to the Elite Grace followed everyone inside before heading to the infirmary with Rick. Looking around she takes in everything. What a strange place that she new so little about. Everyone seemed really nice so she hoped that this place really was safe, and not just another tactic from the people who took her.

Sitting down and letting Rick look her over Grace was quiet and just let him work trying to keep calming her nerves. She didn't understand any of this. She new Justin helped people, but she really didnt know what he did beyond that.

   "What is this place? I though Justin just helped people. This feels....more."

Hearing Justin's voice and seeing him come along side Rich Grace breaths a small sigh of releaf. If Justin was here than these people really where there to help her. Her nerves seemed to calm down a little. 

   "It's ok Justin...I don't think anyone could of known. I dont even understand any of this."

Falling silent again as Rick cleaned some of her cuts that were a little more sore Grace had a moment to think. Letting the pain pass she finally looked at Justin again. even if her nerves were calming down a little but her min was still turning, and she still was shook up. But she did have one question she did want to asks.

   "Is Jared here? He is ok? I'd like to talk to him if I can."

Feeling her phone ring Beth pulls it out of her pocket. They had gotten word that Grace was safe and she felt releafed.  She really didn't know Grace that much but still she could only imagine how frightened she must have been. Seeing it was the hospital she answers it.

   "Hello...What when?..."

Beth's fast went ghost white as she gasped for air, and tears sprung into her eyes. She couldn't believe what was happening nor did she understand it. Not saying anything else Beth hung up the phone and just stood there for a long moment before taking the phone and dialing Justin. 

Waiting for him to answers Beth was quiet even after his hello. Only maybe her soft sobs could be heard from the other end. Finally trying to compose herself as best as she could she squeaked out what she could. 

   "Justin.....She's dead....Sara is dead....they said it happened suddenly, and.....and they dont know what happened because she was healthy. She's...gone....what am I going to do."