Family Business

Chapter One

Steve was puttering, an occupation he'd grown quite good at since his retirement, ten years earlier. He and Jaime had decided that the almost forty years the two of them (combined) had given the OSI was more than enough, and finally the government was in agreement and let them go. Jaime and their eldest daughter, Lauren, were spending the afternoon together, lunching and shopping, and Steve was on his own, so he was contentedly puttering around the house. He was about to relax in his easy chair with coffee and the newspaper when the doorbell rang. He looked through the peephole and groaned inwardly; the man on the porch was not on his list of 10,000 favorite people.

Michael Marchetti. If Hannah Austin hadn't been dating Daniel Marchetti, Steve would've simply pretended not to be home, but instead he grudgingly opened the door.

"If you're here to see Jaime," Steve began in a barely civil voice, "she isn't -"

"Actually, Steve, I was hoping you and I could talk."

"Ok," Steve said, even though he'd rather have every one of his teeth pulled without anesthetic. He stepped aside so Michael could come in. "Can I get you some coffee? A drink?" he offered. I could use a good, strong drink, myself, he thought.

"Brandy would be great. Thank you."

Steve poured the brandy and a double martini, and the two men sat down together in the den. "Hannah and Daniel seem to be getting pretty close," Steve observed.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Michael explained.

"Oh?"

"Daniel wants to ask Hannah to marry him, but...he's worried."

"He shouldn't be. They're perfect for each other."

"He's worried about us, Steve," Michael said quietly.

"Us?"

"He's worried we might try to throttle each other at the first family get-together," Michael told him. "Will we?"

"Why? Because you and my wife got closer than a doctor should ethically get to a patient, a quarter of a century ago?" Michael flinched, then frowned, and Steve went on. "That's long over with...isn't it?" Michael didn't answer, but Steve couldn't miss the way his skin had paled, or the faraway look in his eyes. "My God," Steve whispered, "you still love her, don't you?"

"Steve, I came here to get it out in the open, so I can tell Daniel – and Hannah – that we laid all our cards on the table and cleared the air. For the sake of our kids -"

"Hannah doesn't know about you and Jaime; none of our kids do."

"Steve -"

"You didn't answer my question."

"Steve, Hannah knows," Michael said, barely able to get the words out.

"You told my daughter? You had no right!"

"Daniel told her. He...wasn't aware Hannah didn't know, and he wanted to hear her feelings about it."

"Well, that's just great. Dammit – there was no reason for that to come up."

"You don't think so? Steve, think about the holidays, the family occasions when you, Jaime and I would all be in the same room."

"I'd rather not," Steve said, civility nearly gone now. "But I suppose it's no good to close the barn door when the horse is already out. So, are you?"

"Am I what?" Michael asked.

"Are you in love with my wife?"

Michael's eyes were beyond sad. "In love, no. Jaime's heart is with you; always has been. I didn't try to interfere with that 25 years ago, and I wouldn't dream of coming between you now."

"Just answer the question."

"I...do have feelings for Jaime – yes." Michael shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Feelings I would never act upon, and that have nothing to do with our kids."

Steve wasn't sure if he wanted to punch him or thank him for his honesty, but the insistent ring of the telephone saved him from having to decide, at least temporarily.

"Hello? Lauren, what's wrong?" Steve couldn't understand what she was trying to say. "Take a deep breath, Honey. Good. Now – what happened?" He nearly dropped the phone as he listened to his daughter. "Ok, Lauren, I want you to head straight to Oscar's office. Tell him exactly what you told me, and I'll be there in twenty minutes. Don't worry," he told her, knowing those two words were utterly useless. "We'll get her back. I love you, Honey – now go straight there. And be very careful."

Steve hung up the phone, and Michael was already on his feet. "Steve...?" he asked, sensing in the pit of his stomach that Jaime was the subject of the frantic phone call.

"A couple of thugs with guns grabbed Lauren – she helped take their boss down, apparently – and Jaime..." Steve had to stop and take a deep breath himself. "Jaime offered herself in Lauren's place, as an ex-operative with even more to offer them."

"Oh, God -" Michael uttered, shocked, as he and Steve both ran from the house.

"The last Lauren saw of her mother, they stuck her with some kind of needle, and two men threw her into the back of a van."

"She get a plate number?"

"Yeah; she'll give it to Oscar. Hopefully he'll have a location, or at least a lead for me, by the time I get there." Steve hesitated very briefly. "Michael, would you do me a favor?"
"Of course."

"Go back in the house, and just wait there, for now, in case there's a ransom demand, or if somehow, Jaime calls. Reach me through Oscar if you hear anything."

Michael nodded, and Steve took off at a dead run, choosing not to battle mid-day DC traffic, knowing he could get there faster on foot.

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