A/N: I know. I'm a bad person for starting another fic. Especially one so out there...I hope I pull this off.

I advise you to consider this story completely AU. It's set post-Stormbreaker, but, well...you'll see. Eventually.


The Capgras Project
by Kiyuzanova

0.
Prologue

"Hello?"

"I'm looking for Rider."

"This is Rider...wait, John, is that you?"

"Unfortunately? Yes. What's up?"

"You—you; don't just call and say 'What's up?'! They said you were dead!"

"And you honestly believed that?"

"...No, not exactly. But you didn't have to take three years before you called me back."

"Sorry. Got into some, ah, sticky situations. What'd they say?"

"The official explanation? Aeroplane accident."

"It's always a plane. That, or a car crash."

"Not true; Hall used a shipwreck and Fitz had a shootout."

"Technicalities, technicalities. So, anything happen on your end?"

"Not much. The bank's getting busy now and seems to be having more clients. But I bet you don't care, since —if I know you— you're in Hawaii or something."

"Africa. We're going to Sweden in a week or so."

"Right."

"So, how are the girls lately?"

"I could say the same of you. How's Helen?"

"Helen's doing wonderfully. You know, we have a son now."

"Smooth. Name?"

"Alex. Helen named him."

"And you just agreed, like that?"

"Please, give me more credit. Alex is a perfectly good name."

"Right. She probably stared at you for one hour until you gave in."

"Half! Ian, have more faith in me!"

"Not in you, in Helen."

"Hey, you can't talk to your brother like that!"

"But legally, you're dead."

...

"Look, I've got to go."

"Alright. If you ever get the chance, call me."

"Will do. Ciao."

...

BEEP.

CONVERSATION RECORDED. JANUARY 25, 4:28 PM.

...

ARE YOU SURE YOU WISH TO DELETE THIS RECORDING?

...

CONVERSATION DELETED.