SOAA Part 3

To Tell the Truth

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Jamie asked watching as Lee set his things down just inside the door.

"I got the impression you needed backup; so here I am." Lee sat down at the desk and when Fred gave Lee a sideways glance Lee just smiled at him.

"Why would he need backup from you; we are heading home and if he needed backup for anything I am here."

"Fred, not all agents need Agency backup." Lee said quickly adding, "Fred can you give me and Jamie a few minutes alone please?"

"Just where am I going to go, Stetson?"

"I don't care, Fielder." Jamie heard the tone in his Dad's voice and intervened, "Hey, Fred, there is a little street fair a few blocks down. I recommend the steak sandwich and jazz." Fred looked between the two men and decided he really didn't want to take on either one at the moment so he took a room key and made his way out and on the way to street fair.

"Dad, I didn't ask for you to be here and as you can see Fred is still alive. Why are you here?"

"You needed something when you called and I have a feeling it had nothing to do with curiosity of your siblings health or if you shot Fred; everyone wants to shoot Fred, so cowboy up, son. What did you really need?"

Jamie had already decided to find the person who tried to kill his stepmother on his way back to his hotel. He knew he was going to need help; he knew he was going to need his Dad to get his father back. He didn't know what to do; he needed help but he didn't want to get his families hopes up if he couldn't figure it out.

"Jamie, I am still here and still waiting for an answer. What is going on? I heard it in your voice."

"How do choose between your loyalty of family and loyalty of your job?" Jamie asked as he sunk down on the bed and faced Lee.

"Until I got partnered with Amanda; my loyalty was always to the job. I lived, breathed, and would have died for this job. It was never any question; what could you have come across doing a surveillance exercise that already has you questioning where your loyalties lay?"

Jamie looked at Lee and knew he meant the best and he knew he needed help, "It really isn't my loyalties I am worried about; it is more of how my family will feel about me when all this is over."

"What is it that you have to do Jamie?" Lee questioned as the hair on his neck standing on end all over again at listening to the struggle in his sons' voice.

"I have to lie to them and as much as I don't want to I know it is the only means to the end of what started today."

Lee saw that same look of determination in Jamie's eyes as he had seen in Amanda's before and he also had heard the same do or die determination he used to have at the beginning of his career; Lee knew that whatever was going to happen to his son it was going to happen.

"Jamie, let me help you then." Lee pleaded.

"Dad, if you do then you will be lying right alongside of me. Why should you go down in flames because of something I have no choice in doing? You have a choice Dad I don't." Jamie stressed his point by pounding his finger to his own chest.

"I don't either; now whatever it is that your Amanda King talent for finding trouble got you into today; I am here to help you just like I did her. Look at it this way, you are new, not incapable, you are going to need some kind of help, as resourceful as you are. I have been known at times to be helpful, although depending on whom you ask they may have a different version; but I do have a number of contacts and resources that can work to get what you need faster. Jamie everyone needs allies in this business; let me one of them, tell me what is going on."

Jamie sat and thought about his words carefully and said, "I just have one question then before I know we can do this together and depending on your answer will allow me know if I can trust you to help me; did you know that my dad and Carrie didn't really die in that car accident seven years ago and was put into witness protection because of death threats toward Carrie?"

The color drained from Lee's face at his son's words, "Joe and Carrie are alive? God, no Jamie I swear I had no idea." Jamie let out a breath he was holding he knew Lee was telling the truth and he also knew that meant his mother didn't either.

"I don't want Mom or Philip to know until we can bring them back. Would be willing to help me bring them back to life?" Jamie knew he was asking a lot from his Dad, but he also knew how far Lee would go for him.

Without missing a beat or taking a breath Lee said, "You are my son too and I will do whatever I can to help and we will deal with the wrath of your brother and Mom when this is all over and ALL of us are back together. Now what can you tell me?"