A/N Face/Off is a fantastic movie written by Mike Werb and Michael Colleary and directed by John Woo.

This story takes place when Adam is 19 years old and immediately after Sean Archer's death.

I own absolutely nothing.

Adam and Eve

Another funeral.

Eve Archer stared at the casket by the graveside and felt curiously detached from everything and everybody. He certainly deserved his due but it had been a long day and quite draining what with all the pomp and circumstance afforded a man of his accomplishments. All of the FBI brass was there, as well as the LAPD and the city Mayor. Eve felt like she was having an out-of-body experience but was almost thankful for it; she felt as if her other self was watching over her and directing her: yes, shake hands graciously; yes, say thank you and remain stately; no, you will not fall out in a heap, now; soon it will all be over.

The last words had finally been spoken. All of the attendees were beginning to disperse, some of them headed to her very house. Her other self told her to walk away and head to the limo; yes, link arms with Jamie and Adam and go home now; that's it, one foot before the other—you can do it. But Eve found herself unable to obey as she went to a chair under the tent instead and took a seat. She wanted to see the casket be lowered and had requested it earlier, unbeknownst to the children.

Jamie and Adam looked at each other but understood completely and said nothing as they each took a seat beside her; they all watched silently as the caretaker scooped the dirt into the grave by backhoe. When he was done he gave the family a respectful nod and went on his way.

"Mom? We really should get going now," Jamie said delicately after some time had passed.

Eve stood and walked towards the two graves and finally shed fresh tears for her husband and son.

"Well, Sean, this is it. Watch over our baby."


At the house it was starting to wind down. Eve stood at the dining table holding a stiff glass of scotch as she surveyed the house and all of the people in it. Jamie excused herself from two FBI agents then approached her mother and put an arm around her.

"Well, baby, it's just you and me, now," said Eve glumly.

"And Adam," Jamie reminded her with a smile. Eve looked over at Adam then, as he stood talking to one of Sean's old LAPD cronies but she did not answer her daughter.

"Here today, gone tomorrow," she said with a heavy sigh. "It's such a cliché but it's so fucking true. I mean, one day your dad I were sitting across from each at the dining table, talking about paint chips, of all things—he wanted to re-paint Adam's room. And the next morning he was dead beside me in bed. His heart just said, 'No thanks, not beating today.' Shit." Eve shuddered visibly as that horrible morning loomed fresh before her eyes.

"Oh, mom," Jamie tried to comfort her.

"I'm sorry, honey, I really need to lie down."

"Of course, mom."

"Please make my apologies, I really can't take anymore."

Jamie gave her mother a kiss upon her cheek. "Go on, mom, I've got this. I'll be in to check on you later."

"Thank you, honey." With that Eve left the room quietly, her weariness evident with every step.

At last the house was their own again. A cool sea breeze wafted through the house as Adam collapsed in a heap on the couch.

"I'm going to check on mom. Be right back."

"Sure," Adam said as he lit up a cigarette and threw the pack onto an end table next to the couch.

Jamie went to her parents bedroom to find her mother out like a light on top of her bed and shivering a bit in her sleep. She quietly closed the bedroom windows and covered her mother up with a blanket before tiptoeing out again.

"She okay?" asked Adam when she joined him on the couch.

"She's out cold. Scoot over...light one of those for me, would you?" she said, motioning to the cigarette he had just crushed out in an ashtray on the coffee table.

"Sure." The cigarette pack was on the end table next to Jamie. Adam leaned slowly across her, his body grazing hers ever-so lightly, never breaking his gaze away from hers as he retrieved the pack.

Jamie flashed back to an evening long ago when Castor Troy, disguised as her father, had entered her room and pulled almost the same exact move on her while she stood before him clad only in a t-shirt and panties. She didn't know it was not her father at the time and the uneasy feeling she'd felt then was eclipsed only by the fear of her father finding the cigarettes in her room. What a shock it had been when he lit one up instead of going all batshit, like she had expected him to do. Now, here was Adam acting so much like his real father that it almost frightened her. She had seen Castor with her own eyes but had only seen pictures of his brother Pollux. Adam looked like a nineteen year-old twin of his uncle, but without the glasses. It was uncanny.

Adam settled back in to his side of the couch and lit her cigarette, taking one long slow drag before he handed it to her. "Here ya go." He drank her in as she smiled knowingly at him. Jamie had been a lovely girl and had grown into quite a beautiful woman. At thirty she was fit and shapely and still looked like prom was just around the corner instead of a dozen years behind her.

"Are you as fucked-up right now as I am?" she asked him after she took a drag.

"More."

They both chuckled.

"Are we okay?" she asked him then, very seriously.

"Of course we are. Why wouldn't we be?"

"I just...last time, when..." she began uneasily.

"That was three long years ago, Jamie. I don't have any regrets and you shouldn't either. That was on me, not you."

"But..."

"But nothing. I'm not jail bait, anymore—we could be okay again if you want to," he said as he took her hand in his seductively.

"Stop it," she took her hand out of his and batted him lightly away.

"We're not brother and sister and you're not married anymore. So?"

"Seriously, Adam, stop. It was irresponsible of me then and still would be now. And you're still jail bait, dude, make no mistake about that."

"So you would if I was 'legal', huh?" he reached for her hand again.

"Adam, really. Stop," she said firmly through a smile.

"Okay, okay. I'll stop. For now." he unhanded her but not before he gave the back of her hand a sweet kiss. "So, how's Chicago been? I thought you would come back here after the divorce."

"What can I say? I love my job. Tim is a bit of a nuisance, but everything else is really great."

"What do you mean 'a bit of a nuisance'?"

"I had to get a restraining order against him."

"Oh, hell no. Maybe it's time that Tim and I finally met..."

"What? What do you mean? Are you going to come to Chicago and kick my ex-husband's ass? Is this what I'm hearing?" she laughed out incredulously.

"Yes, I would love to, thanks for asking."

"Bless your heart. I'm okay, really. Really."

They looked at each other, Adam searching her eyes for any trace of fear or wavering confidence and found none.

"Okay, but I'm available for rubbish collection anytime you need it."

"Hush, you. How's school going?"

"It's going. And I should be going, too. I think I'll look into some colleges in Chicago. I could use a change of scenery."

"What's wrong?"

That was a loaded question that Adam didn't know how to answer tactfully. Quite frankly, what was wrong was Eve. But he could never tell Jamie that.

"I just feel like I need to try somewhere new."

"This wouldn't be a good time to leave mom, Adam. And how about your aunt Talia? She would miss you like crazy, too."

Adam knew that leaving Eve would be a good thing, regardless of what Jamie thought. But the part about his aunt was definitely true.

"I need to go see her, actually. I haven't been by her place in a couple of weeks."

"Why didn't she come to the funeral?"

"She didn't want to upset Eve. Be honest, Jamie, you know Eve has never really been down with Sean introducing me to her all those years ago," Adam said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, I know. I remember how pissed she got when dad took me with you guys that one time to visit with her."

"That's what I'm sayin'."

"Are you really okay, Adam? Has mom been giving you a hard time? Honestly, tell me."

"Look, I loved being a part of this family," he began delicately.

"'Loved'? You're still a part of this family, Adam."

"You know, I don't really want to talk about it. I just think it's time for me to make my own way. I went to school because they wanted me to and I'm grateful for the opportunity. But Sean is gone now and I think Eve could use a fresh start, as well."

"Adam, talk to me," Jamie pleaded.

"I love you, Jamie. I loved you all," he said, realizing that was a partial lie. "But the glue that held it all together is gone, that's all." He rose from the couch to go.

"Adam, where are you going? Adam?"

"It's been a long day. And I am real fucked-up right now. I'm gonna take a walk down to the beach."

"I'll come with you," Jamie rose to go with him. "We all miss him, Adam," she said as tears began to brim in her eyes.

"I know. And I'm sorry, but I just need a little time alone. And we shouldn't both leave Eve right now. I promise to be a better shoulder when I come back, okay?"

"I think I understand. I'm here for you. I know you're there for me, too. Just don't be gone too long."

"Thanks, Jamie," he said as he headed for the door. Just as he was about to close it behind him Jamie called out to him.

"Adam?"

He turned to face her, looking a question.

"I think you would really like Chicago."

He smiled at her warmly and then turned and shut the door quietly behind him.


There was a knock on her door.

"Who's there?" she asked loudly and gruffly. It was after ten pm, for God's sake. Talia Burke's husband was out of town and she was home alone so she tried to make her voice sound as menacing as possible.

"Aunt Talia, it's me, Adam."

"Oh, baby, get in here," she said, her tone now full of love and concern as she rushed to undo all the locks and let her nephew in. "Adam, baby, are you alright?" she said after she released him from a warm bear hug.

"I'm okay. I just needed to get away for a while."

"Well, get on in here and have a seat, already. I really wanted to come, you know."

"I know, auntie. You don't have to explain to me."

"So, how is she?"

"As well as can be expected, I guess. It was a damn long day."

"Yeah, I saw some of it on TV. And Jamie? How is she?"

"Well, she's gotta be a rock for her mom, right now. I kind of boned out on her, but I really think she understood."

"I'm sure she did, honey. I mean, from all that you've told me over the years I really think Eve just started to freak the more you started looking like your uncle. I mean, I see Castor and Pollux both in you but you look like Pollux more than any body. Genes, huh?" she smiled at him and then took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "I think if your mom had been able to have more kids I would have had some nieces and nephews that looked like us, too. But I'm not complaining."

"I mean, she used to be really cool when I was little, but I think you're right. I mean, sometimes I catch her looking at me funny, you know? Like she's remembering something really bad and like it's all my fault. I can't take it anymore. I mean, I got my own feelings to deal with, you know?"

"Like what, baby?"

"Like, fuck...everything. Sean killing my father, my mother and my uncles. Damn."

"He didn't kill them all and you know it. And he really loved you, Adam. He helped your mother's dream come true for you."

"What dream is that?"

"To be a good boy. To grow up to be a good man. There's so much you don't know, Adam."

"Really? Well, enlighten me, huh? Once for all. Please. I really want to know the truth. What is the big secret that Sean kept from me all of these years? What else could there possibly be to know? My father was fucking insane and a criminal; my mother was his woman and my uncles were criminals, too. So, what else?"

"You don't know about the switch."

"What switch? What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm going to tell you some things, Adam, things that will make them all look bad, Sean included. But his heart was in the right place. And when it counted, so was your father's. It's some pretty unbelievable shit, but I promise you it all happened."

In the quiet of that late night Talia Hassler Burke told her nephew the story of Castor Troy and Sean Archer and how their lives had become so completely intertwined more than twenty years before.