Disclaimer: I own nothing it all goes to Kudos and BBC. The only things I own would be the original characters.
Chapter I: Blast From The Past
The falsely raven-haired thinly framed woman stared darkly at her boss, Sir Harry Pearce. She had never been so angry in her entire career with MI-5 but her features were schooled to a stiff pointed stare.
"Adam take Decima with you to see Jo." Harry insisted, using her surname.
"No I am going to help you with exchange." She replied flatly, "Besides she only truly trusts Adam."
"Dez is right just go Adam and we'll get him bring him home." Ben stated Adam went off without another word. Ben then whispered something to Harry that caused even more silence when they entered the car.
The rendezvous point of Bexley Industrial Park had spread out before them waiting for the other side. Soon it lit up on the right side across from them.
"If this isn't him this'll be the shortest walk you ever took Edward." Harry spoke breaking the silence. Exiting the vehicles both MI-5 and FSB officers grabbed their trading pieces. Lucy looked at the man with the hood over his head as she remained in the car. Arkady quickly removed the hood, showing the spooks that it was in fact Lucas North. His body was weak if not his mind. He nearly slumped as he tried to walk over to the car. His eyes fixed on Harry whom he greeted with a hello.
"Welcome home Lucas… how are you feeling?"
"Fine…good- the man sniffed a bit- cold…" Ben ushered the frail form of Lucas into the car.
Lucy knew he hadn't seen her until she spoke to him.
"Lucas. Do you need me to turn on the heat?" she asked.
"Please." He rasped. She forced the vents bursting with warm air onto him. He couldn't help but stare at her.
"Mena este că vă?" he spoke to her in her native tongue which made her worry he had only spoken Rumanian to her a lifetime ago. It sent a core chill down her spine.
"Fireşte…" she replied.
"Let's get you back to Thames House." Harry said.
Half of the drive was mostly spent in silence, Harry asked how they had treated him, and he sensed no clear answer would come from Lucas yet, who had a hankering for some fish and chips. Lucy almost smirked at the very concept but didn't allow it to be seen.
Before they reached the Grid signing in Lucas, Lucy's phone rang.
"Excuse me Harry, Ben… Lucas." She went off to answer it.
"Lucas North, Adam Carter." Harry said in a brief introduction the former wiped his hand on his shirt before shaking the latter's hand.
"Welcome Home."
"Thanks…" Lucas replied sheepishly.
"Where is Lucy?" Adam quickly implored.
"Phone call." Ben stated quietly with Adam's reply only a curt nod of the head.
Lucas offered a chip to Adam who gladly took three. Lucy headed back into sight and led Lucas and Adam to the grid.
Connie looked at the younger spook then to the newly returned Lucas, who looked at all the computer screens and noise bustling. Lucy went to her desk stoically as Connie made her introduction.
"Connie James; stuff of legend."
"Nightmares more likely."
Then finally a face Lucas recognized approached him,
"Malcolm!" Lucas embraced his old friend, "How is your mum?"
"She's very well. Very Well."
Adam had gone over to Lucy who looked down right pale and frozen.
"What's wrong Luc?" Adam rubbed her back lightly. Lucy whispered what that something was to him and caused Adam to nod and let her up.
"Has it really been eight years?" Malcolm furrowed his brow. Lucy heard the tail end of the conversation trying to get passed the two of them. "I suppose that's true enough."
"I am taking Lucy home Harry." Adam declared with a nod from the Section head as Adam grabbed her coat.
"Lucy is everything alright?" Malcolm asked, she acted to ignore that question and exited the Grid once again.
"Eight years of Russian hell and I still don't understand her." Lucas sighed.
"Did you ever? Malcolm smiled.
"Once upon a time I did. So her and Adam after all that's happened." Lucas looked Malcolm dead in the eyes.
"No. Lucas, there are only two people in her life now." Connie interjected.
"Connie, Malcolm a word…" Harry beckoned them while Lucas started to talk to Ben.
"What's wrong?" a mirrored question.
"It's Lucy… she sent me this text." Malcolm grabbed Harry's phone to grasp it a better look at the text. "Oh that dear girl no one deserves this, least of all Lucy."
Harry looked at Lucas, and sat down in a chair and sighed. "He's damaged…"
"He isn't broken Harry, he is still strong."
"Malcolm I know he was like a kid brother to you but things are different now. If you'll excuse me. - as Malcolm nodded and exited-We need to pull Range Finder out of Russia; Now." He muttered to Connie.
"But of course…" She fumbled quickly to the phone.
Then there was a red flash alert for all staff on the Grid.
***Andrews Saint Hospice House***
"Lucy, you didn't have to do that tonight." Adam said.
"My mother just died Adam; I had to at least see her one last time." Lucy's accent came pouring into her speech as her emotions took ahold. "You have been too kind Adam and I- He stopped her with lightly pressing his lips to her cheek she flushed- I cannot let you get away with that."
"I am sorry Lucy. It was highly inappropriate for me to do that." He hotly whispered.
"Take me home Adam. I have to tell them that their bunicuță is with the angels. You have so many people that owe you. Jo, me, are the ones that spring up first."
"Everyone matters or no one matters." He sighed starting the ignition and took her home, home to her adorable twins, Brennan and Cordelia; her tears and heart.
"Mummy!" they called in unison soon clasped to embrace their mother.
"Cord, Bren you remember Mister Carter." She bent down and kissed their heads.
"No this cannot be the Bren and Cordy I know. You are too tall to be Bren and you are too smiley to be Cordy. How in the world are you going to prove it?"
"Adam…" the Mother warned.
"I was only teasing Luc…"
"Thank You I can see that, and now you two need to go to bed big day today and it is well you're your bedtimes." Lucy said strained.
"Yours too, Mummy." Adam snorted back a laugh at Cordelia's earnestness.
"Mummy will be in bed soon but you two go on." She ushered them onto their rooms. Adam looked at how stiff she was again after they climbed the stairs and closed the door to their bedroom.
"When are you going to tell them?" Adam asked.
She sharply breathed in, "When they come home and Carter not a word, a breath of this to the Grid."
"The Grid or Lucas?" he replied cheekily.
"Get back to the Grid." She heaved, he smiled and exited. Her cell rang, noting that it was marked as a private caller HP. She picked up,
"Hello Harry." She slid off her heels.
"Lucy… I am sorry for the way I acted before when you wanted to get Lucas." He started.
"Think nothing of it."
"It's just you remind me of someone… and she nearly died several times."
"Ruth…?" she said as more a statement than a question.
"Yes. Can you forgive me."
"Of course you silly old sod-she laughed mirth filling the earpiece- How is Lucas?"
"Being debriefed a bit before we place him, but I cannot tell yet if I can say he's okay."
"As Adam said everyone matters or no one does. Goodnight Harry."
"Goodnight Lucy." Click. She slunk down into her bed and turned into the pillows, voices rang in through her ears…
"Lupta pentru ultimul picătură de sânge" her mother's voice said.
"You are now Lucy Decima." Tom Quinn's voice hurriedly swept in and out.
"Twins you are having twins…"
"Who's the father?"
"Everyone matters or no one does."
"Mena, este că vă." His baritone richness had finally reached her ears as she finally drifted into a warm sleep for the first time in that night.
