"Christian?" Chris said in surprise as he answered to the voice on the other end of his phone.
"Hey Christopher! Don't sound too surprised."
"I'm not, well yeah I am. I thought you were on a mission across the big pond."
"We were, but I got back two days ago."
"Sounds like you're doing alright."
"Yeah. No injuries for you to worry about."
"When are you going to retire? You've been in the Navy for about five years by now."
"Yeah. I made Captain! Wasn't that your rank when you retired?"
"I retired from the Navy, Christian. I'm not sitting at the ranch rotting away. I'm an ATF agent."
Chris heard the sound of a whistle on the other end, "Look at you being all fancy. I didn't think you'd be retired. The nation would fall if that were the case."
"Funny. The nation is still a mess. It's like it keeps growing back."
"Always does. Once you get rid of one, another grows in its place. Just like the weeds they are."
"So what's the point of this call? You need somewhere to stay before heading back after your break?"
"Don't sound too disappointed. I haven't seen my horse in a long time. You probably haven't been taking of him properly."
"That horse of yours has been cheating on you with one of my agents and has been spoiled rotten in your absence. You better have something good for him when you come."
"I can't believe you let someone move in on my horse!"
"And room. You'll have to sleeping around some other people's stuff."
"What, did all of my stuff get sent to storage or something. Did you not think I was coming back?"
"Weed, Christian, I knew you were coming back. I can't get rid of you that easily."
Laughter on the other end made him relax a little more.
"I'll see you later on tonight." They said in unison to each other.
"We really need to stop doing that." Chris grimaced.
"I totally Jedi you."
"No you didn't." Chris shook his head, "See you."
After hanging up his phone he looked up and looked out the room of his office. Ezra and Vin were sitting with their desk sitting in an L-shape. Vin's was the closest to the window and was cluttered with junk. Ezra had put up a divider between the desk like he was on the Office, trying to keep the stuff from spreading onto his desk space. Ezra's area was clean with only a cup of coffee sitting on a coaster and a framed picture that was gifted to him from the team. The two were talking to each other about something while Vin played idly with his nerf gun.
Buck and JD's desk were facing one another with enough junk on the both that it blended together. The only way someone was able to tell the difference of what stuff belonged to who was just looking at it. Buck had sports magazines and others that had pictures of women. JD had a nice collection of comics sitting on his desk with a few action figures sitting carelessly on them.
Vin used one of his nerf bullets to shoot one of them down which excited a mini war between the two work stations.
Ezra shook his head, trying to ignore his immature work mates, but was brought into participating when he was shot in the face while trying to drink his coffee.
Josiah and Nathan's desk were in an L-shape too, both clean with only a few files and personal effects on top. Nathan had a picture of his wife and another of his father. Josiah had yet had the strength to bring the one of his sister Hannah out from inside his desk.
Nathan and Josiah watched with humor as the 'children' of the group got into it again.
"I hope you all are almost finished with your reports if you're playing around already." Chris called from out of his office. He smiled with satisfaction as the fire ceased and heads dropped back down to their computer screens.
Chris looked at his clock which he had over his door. It hadn't even been forty-eight hours since they had returned from their last mission. The men would all be seeking some sort of way to distract themselves from what had happened.
Ezra and Vin had been in the thick of it, but were fortunate enough not to suffer any injuries. The two were the worst when it came to being in hospitals, after him. If both of their legs working and didn't have their organs ready to fall out of them, they'd be trying to escape to the door.
The ride to and from their mission had been hell for all seven of them. They were forced to sit coach which never ends well for any of them. Josiah was too big for the seats, his shoulders going over into the space of the people sitting next to him. Those of course was Buck and Nathan. All three of them had long legs and had no room to stretch. Vin was practically ready to climb over him and trying to get out of the plan, he was so claustrophobic. Nathan thankfully had some medicine that knocked him off for the rest of the trip, but the results were that they had to carry the man and his stuff once they touched ground. JD lost his luggage. The kid could never catch a break when flying. Ezra, Ezra was the worst of them when it came to his complaints. He claimed there was an unidentifiable object on his armrest. The kid kicking and crying behind him made it impossible to sleep and he was sure someone had farted in his vicinity.
It was still too early to call in vacation time for the group to have a longer rest, but after that flight, he was tempted to at least take a short one for himself.
Rubbing his temples, he wondered if it wasn't such a bad idea. Christian was in town for a while and he hadn't been able to see him and a long time.
Standing up, he stretched his still aching limbs before going out to check on his team.
"And he emerges from his brooding den." Ezra smirked.
"I was not brooding. You should worry about your report than me, Standish."
"Why? I'm always punctual in regards to my reports."
"Yeah, your rough draft littered with five dollar words. You seem to forget you need to dumb it down for the people reading it."
"If they actually pick up a dictionary once in a while they'd learn something." Ezra muttered to himself and turned back to his screen.
"Vin, why not open word doc to actually start your paper."
"I was. Just needed to prepare myself mentally." Vin grinned.
"These are due tomorrow." Chris reminded them.
"Yes and you always end up turning them in late because of the procrastinators and others who have to revise things." Josiah smiled. "I'm sure the people upstairs have gotten used to not expecting the reports from our team on time."
"Yeah well for once I'd like to surprise them and have them done." Chris said gruffly.
"Did you finish yours already, Stud?" Buck asked from his desk.
"Yes."
"Bet it's straight to the point as always." Ezra smiled.
"Hey, he's very economical when it comes to his words." Vin chuckled.
"If you fall behind on your paperwork don't expect me to help. Ezra no helping Vin either."
The group all sighed.
Everyone hated office days, but it was always inevitable when they came back from their missions.
The office was quiet with the occasional sound of someone talking. Everyone was busy trying to fill out their individual reports. Chris went back into his office to chew out the person who had put them in coach and could be heard from the closed door.
"You think Chris is finally going to pop that vein of his on his forehead?" Vin chuckled.
"I bet it's going to end up being you who assist him in finally popping it." Ezra mused.
"Me? You're just as bad, if not worse with your pranks."
"You're both Satan's spawns to Chris when it comes to the mischief you two get into together." Buck said with a grin playing across his face.
"You ain't innocent either Bucklin." JD huffed
"I know, but I ain't nearly as bad as the two of them. You aint' innocent either! I know you've been helping if not the sole person who's been pranking me."
"You have no proof."
"Proof don't mean anything. I get even."
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Chris surprised everyone when he said he wasn't joining them to the Saloon.
"Well we'll spill some for you." Josiah said as the man left first.
"Some? You might as well spill a whole pitcher." Vin smirked.
Chris pulled into his driveway of his ranch and noticed the motorcycle already parked there. Climbing out of his truck, he grabbed his bag and made his way over to the stable where the horses were.
"I see he still recognizes you." Chris mused as he watched his brother talk to his old horse.
"Of course he does. Chaucer is smart. Bet he has no problem telling us apart." Christian laughed.
He was the spitting image of his older twin brother. Christian was the easy and outgoing of the pair, getting into as much mischief as Vin and Ezra. Though they both ended up joining the Navy, they joined at different years and were assigned to different ships.
Christian gave his brother a hug that lasted for a minute before letting go.
"You sure you're alright?" Chris frowned at his brother's behavior.
"Yeah, it's just been a while. Sorry, I know you ain't one for hugs still."
"No it's fine." Chris sighed.
"I made sure to bring extra treats for Chaucer since it might be sometime before he sees me." Grinned Christian.
"The damn horse is already spoiled rotten." Chris shook his head. The two went inside after Chris unlocked the door and they set their stuff down.
"Place looks different." Christian noted. He noticed that there were new framed photos of his older brother and a group of men. They stood alongside the ones of Sarah and Adam. "I went to see them before I came up. Can't believe it's been three years already."
"Yeah." Chris murmured, looking at the photo of his lost family.
"Seems like you found a new family though. I'm glad."
Chris looked at the one with team 7. It was taken on Ezra's first time out at the ranch. Chris smiled, "It would seem so."
When they finished eating dinner, Chris and his brother sat down in front of the fire.
"So how long are you on leave?"
"A couple of weeks.
"What are you planning on doing during that time? My team sometimes come up on the weekend, but I could cancel it—"
"I don't want you to have to cancel anything for me. I can entertain myself just fine."
"I'm sure." Chris shook his head with a smile playing at the corners. "Trying to get into as much mischief as possible in two weeks?"
"I wouldn't be me if I didn't."
"Well can I ask in advance not to be the receiver of any of these pranks. I get enough at work. Plus, I'm housing your ass."
"Promise." Christian laughed. "I heard from some old acquaintances that one of your SEAL friends is on your team."
"Yeah and I have a dirt pounder as well." Chris grinned at his brother's surprised expression.
"Well he must be good to be on your team. I hear you formed an elite team."
"Kind of need one with the people we go after." Chris nodded.
"So when do I get to meet them?"
"Well probably the weekend."
"Hell Chris, that's three days from now." Christian almost whined.
"Captain my ass. You still act like you're six."
"Only around you do I act my real age." His younger brother laughed.
"Well we don't really have visitors come in, but I guess you can meet them at the Saloon."
"Hey, do you remember my favorite movie?" Christian, changing the subject suddenly.
"Yeah." Chris frowned, "Parent Trap. Why?"
"Do you mind if I pull it off on your team?"
"Chris, that'd never work." Chris rolled his eyes just thinking about the whole thing being a huge disaster.
"No it won't because no one knows about me. Not unless you've suddenly changed personalities and have been opening up to everyone about your family and childhood."
His younger brother did have a point there. Not even Buck knew about him having a brother, let alone an identical twin brother.
"It still wouldn't work, you and I are complete opposites." Chris shook his head.
"That'd be the beauty of it. The best prank ever! You can't pretend you're not interested."
"And what would I be doing while you're playing my doppelgänger?"
"You can chill here and get some rest. You look like crap by the way. I wasn't going to say anything about it."
"No of course you weren't."
"Your team will be in good hands. I promise."
"They're supposed to be finishing their reports tomorrow."
"Great! I'll make sure they finish their work on time."
"You?" Chris scoffed, "Chris, they've never finished their work on time."
"Bro, I'm nothing if not creative in getting what I want." Grinned Christian.
"You're sounding a lot like Ezra right there."
"I could rival your undercover agent's performance."
"On what? Pretending to be some hyped up Captain?"
"By the weekend they won't know what to think." Christian grinned.
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Christian was practically giddy as he walked into the building where ATF was housed. He carried a box in his hand as well as his brother's bag on his shoulder. A smile was spread across his face and he greeted everyone cheerfully. Agents who he passed looked scared shitless, probably wondering who he was here to kill. This only made things more hilarious to Christian.
He stepped into the space that team 7 was located and took a deep breath and said loudly, "Good morning Denver!"
The silent response he got with gaping mouths and smiles was exactly what he wanted.
He walked over to an empty table and set down the box, "Santa has brought gifts for his hard little workers."
Opening it, he revealed donuts.
The person he figured was Vin was the first out of his seat and rushing to the desserts. The youngest, JD he gathered was next up.
"Something good happen Stud?" asked one of the men.
"Oh Buck, it's just one of those days where you just need to stop and appreciate the things and people in your life. I don't get to do it really, so I thought you could use these."
The others looked at him in confusion. Must be because he was still smiling and his brother probably smiled a handful of times in three years.
"While I'm at it, I want to tell you that you all don't need to finish the reports."
Vin's chewing stopped and the black man dropped his pen.
Nathan, if I remember correctly.
"Mr. Larabee, you told us yesterday you wanted them to be finished today."
"Ez, isn't it about time you started calling me Chris? Why bother with having to tell you all to finish the reports. You obviously don't want to. What's a little rebellion going to mean anyway? A week doing office work? I don't know about you guys but paper work don't bother me." He smiled at Ezra and Vin, "Though I can imagine a couple of you who won't be fond of spending early mornings and a week behind a desk. I hear carpal tunnel syndrome isn't too fun though."
Christian then left the stunned team and went into his brother's office. It was just as plain as he'd imagine.
"That's it, you guys finally broke Chris." Nathan glared at the four men.
"What? I didn't do anything!" JD stuttered.
"He was smiling." Ezra mumbled, still surprised, but then snapped out of it, "Did he call me Ez?"
"Maybe he's sick?" Vin thought.
"Never knew Chris could smile that long."
"Definitely does seem happy." Josiah smirked.
"I think he's just doing this to make us finish the report faster." Vin thought finally.
"He did just throw an obvious reverse psychology trick on us." Ezra frowned in confusion.
"Did you notice how long he talked? He spoke just as long as Ezra." JD added.
"That's it, he's on some kind of drug." Nathan shook his head.
"Is that what you got from looking at him." Josiah rose an eyebrow.
"Everything physical looks normal, but he was just too off that it has to be something. What did you get?"
"He looked happy. Genuinely happy."
"I couldn't hear him lying at all." Ezra said thoughtfully.
"I told you aliens exist." JD hissed.
"What?" Buck smack the younger man upside his head, "Are you kidding? Chris isn't an alien."
"He was taken and they changed his personality."
"That's it, no more sci-fi movies for you." Buck groaned.
Vin shook his head with a grin at the pair.
Chris continued to act weird for the rest of the afternoon. He openly flirted with the secretary and successfully freaked Ezra out by coming up behind him and give him a shoulder massage.
"This has to stop." Ezra said determinedly.
The group had gathered in the break room while Larabee was out of the office.
"Is he doing this because we haven't given him the reports?" JD asked. "I felt him hit me with spit balls at least five times."
"Seven. The rest were on your back." Vin corrected.
"I never knew Chris to be passive aggressive." Buck frowned as he scratched his head.
"Did Nathan tell you what happened when he went in to ask if Chris was feeling alright?" Josiah grinned.
"He hugged me and thanked me for being 'so caring and thoughtful. That I don't get thanked enough for the love and care I pour out for the team.' His words."
Josiah relaxed back in his chair, "I don't know, I kind of like this Chris."
"That's because you aren't getting spit balls smacked against you." JD rolled his eyes.
"Or uncomfortable massages from behind." Ezra said with a quick glance over his shoulder when Vin tried to sneak up and pretend to be Chris. "He told me that I need to relax more because I'm so tense. That I'm appreciated."
"Aw, and that made you get up and run across the room?" Vin grinned.
"No, him sneaking up behind me and whispering it in my ear made me get up and walk quickly across the room."
"Let's just give him the reports then so he can stop traumatizing Ezra and JD." Buck laughed.
"I kind of like it." Nathan smiled.
"Careful, you don't want his attention turned unfavorably on you." Ezra frowned at the other man.
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"How did work go?" Chris asked as he sat up on the couch and set aside his book.
"Your reports are sitting on your desk." Christian beamed with pleasure.
"What they hell did you do to accomplish that? Did you bribe them?" Chris asked, getting up to sit with his brother in the kitchen.
"Sort of. I brought donuts and then loved them until they were scared of me. I think I put the fear into them without having to frown once."
"We'll see how that plays out tomorrow." Chris shook his head in disbelief.
"Oh and Ezra might think that you were hitting on him, JD thinks you have a personal vendetta against him because he knows you're an alien, Vin and whoever ate more than one donut might be visiting the bathroom a lot. Nathan thinks you're on drugs, but is okay with it because of the compliments I gave him. Buck I just confused until he doesn't know what to think."
"I see you've been busy."
"Oh yeah. Feel free to be yourself tomorrow and confuse the shit out of them."
"Oh I will. No more happy Chris."
"Shame, playing you—well not you but having your identity was pretty fun. We should do this more often."
"That would only work if no one knows you exist."
Christian shrugged and drank his coffee.
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Chris went into the office and found the room staring at him.
Man, Christian sure did leave one hell of an impression.
He walked to his office and found the reports, like his brother had said, sitting on the desk waiting for him. Looking them over, Chris was pleased to find that he wouldn't have to go back and have any of them redo them.
Chris walked out of his office with the reports in hand but was stopped by Vin calling his name.
"You fine now that you have your reports, Cowboy?"
"What are you talking about?" he frowned, feigning ignorance.
"Like you torturing JD and putting laxatives in the donuts."
Chris had to keep himself from cracking a smile, "I don't know what the hell you're talking about."
He turned and walked away, smile finally showing as JD began whispering loudly to Buck that Chris had definitely been abducted and that yesterday's Chris was an alien.
A/N: Been goofing off with a lot of what ifs. Thought I could throw in an original person in the mix. Christian I actually planned was for another universe where it was Larabee's real name before he changed it, but for now it's his twin.