Anna opened the doors and spread her arms to take in the sailing missile that was her son as he tried to plow into her. She barely caught herself from slamming back into the door at the force of his throw before he wrapped his arms around her legs. The strength of his arms in clinging to her had Anna dropping her bags to embrace her son.

"He's be missing you something fierce." Anna peeked up as a smaller woman, with brown hair, trilling over her Scottish accent as she dipped to help retrieve Anna's bags. "Told us all about his plans to abduct you to his rocket ship so he could take you to another planet and you wouldn't be able to go away again."

"Did he now?" Anna ruffled the boy's hair as he peeked up at her. "And where is this rocket ship Henry? Do I have to wait all day to see it?"

"This way." Henry grabbed her hand and tugged her after him into the sitting room.

A tall man, bent double to apply some duct tape to a sagging piece of cardboard, turned his head at their entry before raising both hands. "Now I can't recommend this craft for safety or security. It's bound to spring a leak and cause your O-rings to snap on reentry. You'll have to brace for delays and a possible emergency water landing."

"That's okay Grandpa," Henry wriggled between the man and the cardboard construction. "We're just doing flight checks now."

"Are we?" He turned to Anna as she hugged him, "I thought you raced the sun to be here to take an actual ride in it."

"Things change Charles Carson," Anna would have turned to face the woman again but Henry tugged her hand and dragged her into the cardboard rocket.

"Yes, but it still need work. The drag fins are-"

"Flight checks!" Henry called over Carson's arguments and Anna settled herself cross-legged in the back of the cardboard rocket as Henry pocked and prodded different colored segments on a slanted piece of cardboard secured to look like a control panel. "Boosters ready to test fire."

"In that case I should move my favorite chair." Anna turned over the side of the ship to see the woman adjusting her chair. "Don't want it caught in the afterburn."

"I think it'll be fine Elsie." Carson ripped a piece of tape with his teeth and raised a piece from the floor. "Ready to attach the left wing now Captain?"

"Yes!" Henry looked over his seat to address his mother. "How about your seatbelt."

"Right," Anna dug for it and found the bungee cord, holding it up, "Right here Captain."

"All wings secure?"

"Secure enough." Carson shook his head, "The union would have field day at the possible violations here."

"Then it's good they're not here." Elsie came over, holding up two books, "Which one for bedtime?"

"We've not got time for bed." Henry dug himself into the ship, flicking his finger at painted buttons and switches, "We're about to do a test run."

"And I think your Grandmother's hoping we can test it tomorrow so she can use her chair." Anna stood, grabbing Henry under the armpits to lift him from his seat. "The best part is that we'll take to the park and have a go round."

"Because it's weekend?"

"Exactly." Anna settled Henry on his feet, outside the rocket. "Now, bath time and then bed. Hurry through the first and we might squeeze two stories into the second."

Henry was off faster than a shot and Anna finally hugged Elsie, taking the books from her hands. "Thank you."

"It's a pleasure to help Anna." Elsie embraced her back, "We're here anyway."

"I meant for all of it." Anna flailed a hand, "Living here, taking care of him, just…"

Words failed her but Elsie rubbed up Anna's arm. "You're saying this because you're jetlagged and feeling like a guilty mother."

"Aren't I?" Anna flinched at the slam of a door and then heard running water. "I'd better get up to make sure he doesn't flood the bathroom or drown himself."

"Anna," Carson came to her shoulder, putting his hand there. "We're happy to help and he's a joy to behold."

"Even if he's breaking building codes to make his rocket?"

Carson shuffled, "I'll admit. As an engineer and a construction expert I have great reservations with his building practices but I think the design is sound and-"

"Thanks Dad." Anna hugged him again, pulling away to take the stairs.

"And I left your bags in your room."

Anna laughed, calling back down the stairs to Elsie. "I'm old enough to sort my own laundry."

"I'd hope so since I won't touch anything not mine anymore."

Anna hurried into the bathroom and reached to turn off the faucet as Henry readied himself to jump from the toilet to the bathtub. She grabbed him by the stomach to stop his leap and stripped the last of his clothes from him. "Okay, we're not swimming this evening in the bathtub."

"Mum!"

"Nope," She deposited him in the tub, reaching for the soap. "Tonight we're getting you clean, not soaking this bathroom."

Taking the flannel to him, Anna started the scrub. "How was it?"

"Grandpa helped me build the rocket and Grandma helped me with my maths. She read me three stories one night and we went to the park in the afternoon one day."

"Oh?" Anna scrubbed hard at his back, helping him dunk his head under the water before soaping up his hair. "I hope you're not about to ask me to do the same as penance."

"What's peanuts?"

Anna laughed, "It means that you think I should pay for the fact I spent three days away from you."

"I don't mind it." Henry focused on the water and Anna stopped.

"You don't mind?"

"No," He grabbed for a plastic boat, sailing it in the water. "Grandma and Grandpa are fine."

Anna pulled back a second, chewing the inside of her cheek. "You don't mind it?"

"Nope." He grinned up at her, "We could go to the pool tomorrow if Grandpa gets his work done."

"We could go just you and me?"

"I want to go with Grandpa. He's going to build me a slide."

Anna coughed and continued scrubbing. "May I come along?"

"Sure." Henry bumped the boat against the side of the tub. "You're fun too."

It took only a story and a half before Henry's deep breathing filled the room. Anna set the books to the side and picked herself up from the tiny chair, leaving the room with the door cracked and the night-light blinking in the corner. She spent one minute staring at the bags still sitting in her room and ignored them to go downstairs.

The soft chatter from the sitting room drew her there and Anna took a seat on the sofa. Elsie moved closer to her, putting an arm over her shoulders to pull Anna's head down to kiss her there. "You've got that look on your face."

"What look?"

"The one you get when you're stewing over something." Elsie shifted slightly, "What's got you going?"

"Henry told me he didn't mind me being gone." Anna took a deep breath, "It's… I'm missing too much of his life and he's going to grow up thinking his mother's unnecessary."

"Henry doesn't think you're unnecessary." Carson sat down, offering two cups of tea to the women on the sofa. "He's young and doesn't understand."

"I can't…" Anna shook her head, "It's difficult because he doesn't know any differently. He thinks I'm only here as a visitor instead of actually being his mother."

"Anna," Elsie ran a hand over her arm. "There's something you need to know and that's that Henry loves you."

"I'm gone too much." Anna ran a hand through her hair, sighing before sipping at her tea. "I need to renegotiate my contract and get more home work."

"Do you think you can do that?" Carson raised an eyebrow, drinking his own tea. "I know your work is important and the biggest problem is that you're working promotions in an international company?"

"Maybe I take a pay cut so I can stay close to my son."

"It's your decision, Anna, but I think you're doing the best you can." Elsie rested her head on Anna's shoulder. "Henry loves you and no matter what you think, he's only five and so the ideas he has are those of a smaller world."

"Your mother's right," Carson finished his drink, setting it to the side. "And I believe that when you were five you thought our neighbors where aliens and then worked surveillance on them for three weeks until you realized they were normal."

"I'm not sure what that means."

"It means our views of the world change." Carson shrugged, "He's fine and he'll grow up and look back on his life and see you as an inspiring and hardworking mother who did quite a bit for him. He doesn't understand it now because he can't see the world as it is now."

"None of us see how the world is." Elsie snorted, "And if we're adults then we just convince ourselves we know things we really don't."

"Thanks Mom." Anna nudged Elsie to the side, hugging her. "I'll go to bed since I've still got to work tomorrow."

"You're tired, Anna, and you're jetlagged. Don't let this trouble you."

"You've already used that excuse on me once this evening." Anna pushed off the sofa, "And I think I can only take one of those for an emotional breakdown."

"Take as many excuses as you like for the jetlag." Carson stood, taking her cup and hugging her with one arm. "You're our girl and Henry's our boy. I think you're going to be fine. He's going to fine too."

Carson turned to the cardboard rocket, "After I fix that rocket. It's not stable and I don't think it will hold up under scrutiny."

"I'm sure the five-year-olds at the park will be just fine." Anna hugged Elsie as well. "I'm only doing half day at the office and I'll be back for lunch so I can take him to the park."

"He'll love that." Elsie pushed Anna toward the stairs. "Now get some sleep and you'll feel better."

Anna stumped up the stairs and stopped in her doorway as her phone buzzed in her back pocket. She fumbled it loose, pushing her bags to the side, and landed on her bed. "Hello?"

"Secure the line."

Anna pulled the phone back and hit a button or two before putting it back to her ear. "Line is secure."

"Other ears listening?"

Anna kicked the door with her foot to close it. "No other ears."

"Good. We've got the word that businessman Kemal Pamuk died two days ago. Well done."

"Thank you."

"We've also got wind that both Duke Crowborough and Thomas Barrow were killed in your vicinity yesterday."

Anna adjusted on her bed. "There's another player in the field?"

"We've had rumblings for some time but thus far we thought there was nothing to it but rumblings." The voice on the other end exhaled, "We're hoping you can give us insight."

"We weren't playing to get the same person so I didn't run into anyone. I got out clean."

"Good. We'll do your debrief in the morning."

"Could I-" Anna bit down, "I need ten minutes of the Dowager's time, if I can get it."

"She's very busy."

"I know but this is important."

"I'll put you on for first thing after your debrief."

"Thank you." Anna waited but the line clicked off. With a sigh she set the phone on her bedside table and hunted for her charger.

Anna hurried through the scanner and raced toward a cubicle, throwing down her things on the chair before reaching for one of the suit jackets hanging on the convenient coat rack in the corner. Nabbing one she dodged someone balancing a tower of coffees and landed at the door in front of a tall woman with severe cheekbones checking her watch. "You're late."

"Traffic."

"Lie."

"Henry didn't want to get up today and it took every ounce of convincing I had to get him out of bed." Anna nodded at the door, "Besides, they're not ready for me yet anyway."

"What if they were?"

"Then I'd have a different excuse Mary." Anna pulled at her suit jacket, "I don't have anything on me do I?"

"No. Though always wonder how you balance the work you do with the empathy it takes to raise a child."

"You've got George."

"I don't shoot people."

"No, that's right," Anna responded with all the theatricality she could manage. "You only set them up so I can shoot them."

"You didn't shoot Pamuk."

"His allergies did him in." Anna managed a little smile, "Word on the street is that they're combing his office for a potentially deadly cup of something."

"And some desperate intern'll be fired because of it." The door opened and Mary nodded at it, "They're ready for you."

"Thank you Mary."

She ducked into the room and smiled, "Good morning gentlemen."

"Ms. Smith," The shorter of the two men reached over the table and shook her hand, "Glad to have you back."

"Glad to be back Blake." Anna took her seat, after shaking the taller one's hand. "And how are you Tony?"

"Netter now that I know Pamuk won't be our problem any longer." Tony interlaced his fingers over a report. "We're just here to talk about the mission."

"It was a success and I loaded the file with my after-action the moment I landed." Anna put up a hand, "It was a secure network, encrypted appropriately, and you'll find all of my details almost frustratingly exact."

"That's not what this briefing is about."

Anna frowned, "All of my debriefings are about how I got the job done. That's what they're for."

"Not this time." All three of them stood as a woman, leaning heavily on a cane, entered the room. "This time we want to talk about what you did after your work was through."

"Ma'am?" Anna remained standing as the woman took Blake's chair and ushered the two men to the side.

"Dowager we weren't aware you'd-"

"Quiet you two." The woman flexed her fingers on her cane. "And shut the door on your way out."

Anna watched Blake and Tony leave, both of them grimacing at her but only Blake risked a hand to her shoulder in support before leaving the soundproof room. She turned back to the Dowager. "Ma'am I'm a bit confused as to what's going on here."

"You wanted ten minutes of my time I thought we'd kill two birds with one stone." She pointed to Anna's seat, "So let's take those ten minutes and use them wisely."

Anna hurried to sit, "Ma'am I wanted to request that I get more local assignments. My son is young and he needs me home more than away, especially now that he's five and starting to notice my absences and-"

"Request denied." The Dowager sat back, pursing her lips. "I'm not in the habit of encouraging our best agents to bench themselves."

"I'm just asking for assignments that aren't week-long ventures. It's putting a lot of strain on him and-"

"Then resign."

Anna gaped, "I can't do that ma'am."

"Why? You're qualified to do the job you claim to everyone else to do and you've got more than enough experience to get a job elsewhere." The Dowager slid her cane on the floor a touch as she moved her hand on it. "Why don't you leave and take you need for local work with you?"

"I'm good at this job, ma'am."

"That was never in question."

"Then why-"

"Because of your activities after you helped us eliminate Mr. Pamuk." The Dowager opened a folder and slid it over the table for Anna to see. "I'm sure you recognize the man who shared your dinner and then your room."

Setting her jaw, Anna looked up from the pictures of she and John. "What I do, when the mission is complete, is my business, ma'am."

"What you do with a suspected agent of an opposing firm is ours."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sure Mr. Bates is receiving a dressing down of his own for whatever shenanigans the two of you engaged in while in one another's company."

"Mr. Bates is an IT consultant."

The Dowager snorted, "And he believes you work in corporate HR. That's how covers work."

Anna sighed, sitting back in her chair. "Is my request for local work being denied on the grounds that you believe I exposed this agency during my nighttime activities?"

"I trust your professionalism and your discretion. And in any other case you're activities off the clock are no one's business but your own. This is not a slut shaming activity."

"It feels a bit like one."

"That has to do with your vetting of said choices."

"Vetting?"

"Risk analysis."

"It might be that I'm out of practice in the world of dating, given I haven't done it in some time, but I don't remember the primer on vetting the people you run into in hotel elevators."

"And the people you take to bed with you?"

Anna took a breath and let it out slowly, "It was a one-time thing. It won't happen again."

"Unless we want it to." The Dowager closed the folder and chuckled at Anna's confusion. "There's a way you can kill two birds with this stone, Ms. Smith."

"And how's that, ma'am?"

"You want a more local posting and we need to analyze the threat Mr. Bates could pose to our operation and the reputation of this firm." The Dowager pulled another folder out, handing it over the table to Anna. "We've ensured that your involvement with him in Shanghai will go unnoticed by his division. They're not too bright as it stands and we've got better people here."

"I'm sure we do."

"The funny thing is," The Dowager snorted, "We actually tried to recruit him on Robert's suggestion and he turned us down. That was when his wife left him."

Anna looked up from the file. "Am I being assigned to seduce him into recruitment?"

"We want you to turn him so we can burn his firm to the ground." The Dowager smiled, pushing herself to stand and leaning on the cane with both hands. "Do you want the assignment or not?"

Holding the file in her hands, Anna nodded. "Yes ma'am. I'd like to take it."

"Good. Then enjoy your half day."

She left through a door opposite Anna, who turned to open the door behind her and almost ran into Mary. "Good G- What are you doing here Mary?"

"My job." Mary handed over another file. "That's the latest surveillance on John Bates."

"Already?" Anna sighed, shaking her head. "How'd you get this so quickly?"

"I'm efficient and I'm late for George's dentist appointment."

"Mary?" Anna hurried to keep up with her as the other woman went to her desk and gathered her things. "How do you do it?"

"I get used to the fact that I feel like I'm failing more grandly every day." Mary smiled at her, "Enjoy your half day Anna."

"Right." Anna tapped the files in her hand against the desk before turning back to her own.

She hurried through the files, making notes, and lost herself in the contents so that her buzzing alarm made her jump. Turning it off in a hurry she fumbled it into her pocket and hurried to get her things together. Narrowy bowling over both Blake and Tony, she managed the lifts.

The drive back home almost had her wishing she lived in the city but when she opened the door to see Henry and Carson making final touches to the rocket in the garden she changed her mind. Henry waved at her for a moment and then focused back on where he held the wing steady so Carson could adjust an added strut. Anna dropped her things inside and had her blouse halfway unbuttoned when Elsie knocked on the door. Turning over her shoulder, Anna smiled at her and urged her in.

"Best if I shut this." Elsie closed the door. "Don't want to explain anything you're not ready to use detailed anatomy figures for yet."

"I've had a few of those discussions." Anna paused, her mind flicking back to the dinner conversation with John. "What's up?"

"I'm just making sure you're alright. You were in a state last night."

"Sleep did me a world of good." Anna worked herself out of her trousers and into a pair of jeans. "And my talk with my boss went extremely well."

"Did it?"

"They're giving me a contracted post locally for a bit." She shrugged, "It'll keep me close to Henry for awhile and give me a chance to think about another job."

"I thought you loved your job."

"I do but maybe I need to think longer term about something good for Henry as well as me." Anna fumbled for another shirt, standing in just her jeans and bra. "He's going to need me more, not less, for a long time and I want a job that'll let me be there for him."

"Whatever you choose, Anna, just don't think that sacrificing your own happiness'll make it all better." Elsie pulled a shirt loose from the drawer and handed it over. "As much as parents love to convince themselves they're doing what's best for their children, anything you might be tempted to use as fodder against them later isn't worth it."

"You think I'd blame my son for a shitty job?"

"We all find ways to pass blame to someone else when life doesn't quite measure up to our expectations." Elsie sighed, "Don't think I didn't regret taking you on when you were PMS-ing."

"I'll always be grateful you saw a shy little girl in that home and thought, 'my wouldn't she make a good housekeeper'." Anna teased, ducking the swat Elsie aimed for her.

"You never did learn how to properly dust."

"A sin I'm sure I'll take to my grave." Anna finished dressing, digging a pair of trainers from the back of her closet. "Think they're ready to test the flight of the rocket?"

"I think if Charles gets his hands on anything else it really will have the capacity for flight." Elsie nodded, "I think you should stop that and I should take him on a little date."

"You deserve it. Taking Henry on until preschool starts again." Anna fit her things into a drawstring bag, taking her keys. "That's got to be a struggle."

"It's a chance to find out what little children would be like since we got you when you were nine and that's basically adulthood."

Anna laughed and hurried out to the garden, "Who's ready for the park?"

Henry jumped out of his rocket, pelting toward Anna's car, and she helped Carson load the rocket into the backseat before working Henry into his booster seat as well. They shut the door and Carson nodded toward it, "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Yes." Carson raised an eyebrow and Anna nodded. "I can do this."

"I know. I just want you to know you can."

"If the rocket doesn't survive, I hope you don't mind." Anna cringed, "I guarantee our survival but not the rocket."

"I can always build another one." Carson shrugged, "It's just cardboard."

"It's a rocket, Dad." Anna kissed his cheek, "And it's beautiful."

"Treat it well then."

"Promise."

Anna drove them to the park, helping Henry extricate the rocket from the car, and then carrying it to the edge of the play area. She almost dropped it but someone helped her by catching the other wing. Turning to the savior, she saw a girl with dark hair and oddly familiar eyes.

"Thank you."

"I couldn't let this beautiful piece of art fall."

"It's going on the ground anyway but my father would thank you." Anna lowered the rocket to the ground but noted Henry sprinting up the stairs to play on the set. "Though he's not as interested in it now that he's got a huge arena now."

"Kids all have ADD." The girl held her hand out, "I'm Catherine."

"Nice to meet you." Anna frowned, "I feel like I've heard your name before."

"Probably, it's common."

"No, not like that." Anna pointed around them, "Is it too horrible to ask if any of them are yours?"

"I'm a bit young for that."

"I figured." Anna laughed with her, "I was wondering if you're here as a babysitter."

"I've got the two twins over there." Catherine pointed to the girls on the swings. "They're mother's picking them in about ten minutes and then I'm free."

Anna turned to her, "What's your going rate?"

"About ten quid an hour, depending on the variability of the child." Catherine snorted, "You wouldn't believe how many kids are so spoiled I can't get them to do anything without dangling an iPad in their face."

"I'd believe it." Anna folded her arms over her chest. "What about a rambunctious five-year-old who has dyslexia and tends toward the chaotic?"

Catherine shrugged, "I once had this kid who threw his maths book every time he couldn't figure out a fraction. That thing was in tatters and I had him three days a week."

"Well I-"

"Catherine!" Anna and Catherine both turned as a man ran over to them. "I've been calling you for ten minutes."

"It's just on vibrate and in my back pocket, Dad, it's not a national emergency." She reached into her pocket and showed him. "See?"

"I-" He stopped, turning to Anna. "Hello."

"Hello." Anna smiled, "We meet again."

"You two know one another?" Catherine pointed between and John nodded.

"We met rather recently."

"You said you lived in Essex."

"I did." He ground on his jaw before cringing. "I should've said I lived there."

"Past tense?"

"We moved three weeks ago." Catherine flashed a glare toward her father. "Said the schools were better."

"He's not wrong there." Anna peeked over her shoulder, "Excuse me. My son's trying to fly without wings."

She jogged over to where Henry tried to climb to the top of the monkey bars. "If you jump off of there you'll hurt yourself and you won't be back here anytime soon."

"But it's just-"

"Henry Jeffery Smith you'll get down right now or I'm coming up there and taking you home."

Henry pouted but dropped back down and raced to another part of the play area. Anna sighed, shaking her head and turning back to where Catherine walked away from her father, getting the two girls from the swings to take them to their waiting mother. Jerking her head in Catherine's direction, Anna smiled at John.

"She's a credit to you."

"You've barely met her."

"Didn't take long."

"Like how long it took for you to decide not to call me."

Anna winced, "I need to apologize for that."

"I wasn't expecting an apology but I guess I'll take one."

"I did a load of wash this morning and you know the thing about pockets…"

"It's in shreds now isn't it?"

"It looks like it went through a blender." Anna laughed, "I'm sorry. I should've sent you a text or something as soon as I landed but you know how it is with international flights."

"Exhaustion is a thing." John rubbed at his eyes, "I'm still recovering."

"You get back this morning?"

"Yes and the time change is screaming at me." John pointed to Henry, "He's yours?"

"My pride and joy."

"I can see it." John nodded down at the cardboard creation, "Yours as well?"

"His, technically, but I'm the manual labor for transport so I guess it's mine too." Anna grinned, "Like it?"

"If you built it I'm almost obligated to compliment the construction but I don't think a false compliment's necessary in this case."

"I didn't build it but the engineer who did'll tell you all the ways it's flawed." Anna shrugged at it. "Grandfathers, what can you do with them?"

"Not much without them."

They stood in silence a moment, Anna making sure Henry's race up to take another zoom down a slide ended without tears. "You moved here?"

"Three weeks ago." John raised a hand, "I know, it probably sounds like a lie but I was a bit over my head in Shanghai and I defaulted to-"

"It's hard to memorize a new address and you owed nothing to a stranger." Anna turned to Catherine as she returned, "So, are you looking for work?"

"Babysitting?"

"Him." Anna pointed to Henry. "His grandparents have been doing a lot of it lately but I want to find someone who might let the part time workers who pretend they're retirees actually be retired."

"For ten quid an hour?" Catherine pressed but John cleared his throat.

"That's not-"

"It's a fair wage for something like this." Anna sighed, "I'll warn you, he's a lot like his father."

Catherine looked around, "Can I meet him?"

"Oh… no, Jeff's not…" Anna coughed, "Sorry, that was not an explanation at all for someone."

"It's fine."

"Henry's… a little firecracker. He's all quiet contemplation and then bursts of action." Anna sighed, "Bit like waiting for a bomb to go off really but if you leave him for a minute he cools down just fine."

"Does he throw maths books?"

"Not yet. His grandfather helps him with maths mostly but his grandmother's good with numbers. She taught algebra for years. So you'll only have to battle him for bedtimes a few nights a week and other days you'll have him for work hours."

"Not to be rude," John cut in, "Can you handle the expense of someone for ten quid an hour for… eight hours a day?"

"It'll be more like four since my parents take some convincing to leave the house and actually find lives of their own and then a few evenings if I work late and they're out." Anna faced Catherine, "Job's yours if you want it."

"Yeah," She grinned, "I'd like that."

"Then," Anna dug out her phone, flicking over to contacts and handing it to Catherine. "Give me your numbers and I'll get you a schedule."

"Mummy!" Everyone looked down as Henry grabbed at Anna's jeans. "I'm ready for the rocket."

"Well then," Anna pointed to Catherine and John, taking back her phone as Catherine handed it over. "Meet your new babysitter."

Catherine crouched, extending a hand, "I'm Catherine."

Henry frowned, "But Grandpa and Grandma-"

"Will still be there. She's going to help them out. If they want to go shopping or have to run an errand."

Henry kept his lips pursed but nodded, turning to take Catherine's hand. "Do you know anything about rockets?"

"A bit." Catherine inspected the cardboard. "It just needs one thing."

"What?"

"Wheels."

John groaned and Henry brightened. "How do we get wheels?"

"I know just the place."