A/N: My apologies for the delay on this chapter. So much stuff happened this month, I don't even remember most of it. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this extended look into Slade's past.

Chapter Ten "That Thing Faulkner Said About the Past"

Six years ago…

Blood dripped down the side of Slade's face, but that wasn't the worst of his problems. The sharp needles of the evergreen trees had whipped at him as he fell through the canopy. His parachute was stuck in the branches above, and he still had a long drop. Billy was nowhere to be seen. This was just the sort of luck he might have expected. Everything seemed to be going wrong lately.

The sound of Billy's laugh carried from below, but Slade couldn't see him. "Wish I had a camera for times like these," he said.

Slade rolled his eyes. "Very funny. Are you going to help me?"

Billy limped into view, favoring his right ankle. "That might be difficult," he said with an apologetic smile. "Think you could just drop, and I'll try to break your fall?"

"You would go and sprain your ankle at a time like this."

"As if it was my idea to get shot out of the sky. Come on. The longer you stay up there, the funnier this story gets."

Slade grumbled to himself as he unhooked the parachute. It still looked like a long fall, but he didn't have a choice. He lowered himself as far as he could by holding onto the harness. Then he let go.

Billy caught him and they both rolled at the last second to avoid the full impact. The wet ground immediately started soaking through Slade's clothes. He got to his feet and helped Billy up.

"We need to get moving," Slade said. "Can you walk?"

"Guess I'll have to," Billy replied. "It's like they knew we were coming."

Slade shook his head. "I don't think a lot of people come this way. But it's going to be difficult to find Yao Fei and stay away from the mercs."

"There's a bit of a trail that way." Billy pointed back the way he had come. "Did you see where the plane went down?"

"It was further north," Slade said. "Which means we need to go the opposite direction. But it might be better to stay off the trails when those soldiers come looking for us."

Billy looked around and grabbed a small, dead branch. He broke off some excess boughs and tested its strength. When he was satisfied, he turned back to Slade. "Lead the way."

Slade consulted the map he had thankfully stored in one of his pockets before the plane got shot down. They had a long way to go. Leaving the path was a good way to get lost, and Billy wasn't exactly in all-terrain shape at the moment, but they would last longer in the forest than they would in the open. Fyers and his men would be looking for survivors.

After a few hours hiking through the dense underbrush, Billy had to stop. The light was fading, and Slade almost thought he could hear something coming in the distance. Billy was out of water, so Slade shared some of his.

"We can't stop long," Slade said.

"Just give me a second," Billy said breathlessly, leaning against a fallen log.

Slade looked back the way they came. He couldn't see any movement through the trees, but that didn't mean they weren't being followed.

Billy was still breathing hard. He must have been worse off than he let on. "You should go on without me," he said. "I'll catch up."

"Don't be ridiculous," Slade replied, pulling Billy up and supporting him. "Let's go."

They moved slowly through the trees. It was a risk, but Slade wasn't going to leave his best friend behind. He didn't know how much time had passed when he realized it was completely dark. He only noticed because of the flashing lights around them. He stopped.

"What's going on?" Billy moaned.

"Shh!" Slade held up his hand.

The lights were getting closer. Soon they would be surrounded. Slade looked for an opening. He found the biggest gap between the lights and started running in that direction, dragging Billy along with him. He saw sky, the horizon, just before the edge of a cliff. Slade stopped, keeping ahold of Billy so he didn't fall. There was nowhere to run now. The lights were all behind him. He could hear the pounding footsteps of the soldiers now. They hadn't been fast enough.

"I'm sorry," Slade said, knowing whatever was coming would be harder on his injured friend.

"It's not your fault," Billy said.

"We will get out of this somehow," Slade promised.

He had to get home. He had to make things right.

###

Slade woke with a pounding in his head. He had given the last of his water to Billy yesterday; he was dehydrated. The bamboo bars of the cage dug into him no matter what position he was in. Add to that, he was sore and tired and wet.

Billy had it worse off. After the soldiers caught up to them, they proceeded to march them several miles back to their camp. Billy could barely walk as it was, and they wouldn't let Slade help him. Eventually, two of the soldiers dragged Billy the rest of the way.

No one had asked them any questions yet. They threw them in the cages and left them for the night. Slade did not make the mistake of thinking they would be left alone for long.

It was light enough to see now, though the sun wasn't exactly "out." Slade convinced himself to get used to being cold and wet indefinitely. The less he thought about how uncomfortable he was, the more time he could spend figuring out how to escape. The plane was gone, but Fyers had to have boats or something. If there was a way off this island, Slade was going to find it. And he was taking Billy with him. Maybe they would be able to find Yao Fei and complete the mission, but if it came to a choice between that and survival, it wasn't much of a choice.

As Slade expected, a few soldiers approached the cages not long after he woke. He could see Billy slumped over in the next cage, his back to Slade. The soldiers unlocked Billy's cage first and dragged him out. Slade watched for any sign that his friend might fight back, even half-heartedly. But there was none. Billy stumbled and landed on his knees. One of the soldiers yanked him up and pushed him forward. He could barely put weight on his injured leg.

In the meantime, the other two soldiers opened Slade's cage. He got out on his own and made a point of showing no signs of the aches and pains that came from falling from the sky and then running through the forest for a few hours.

The soldiers herded them to a tent across the compound. Inside, a man sat at a wooden table looking a little too relaxed for the circumstances. He gestured to the soldiers and they let go of Slade and Billy to step back and guard the entrance.

The man at the table smiled. "Welcome to Lian Yu, gentlemen," he said. "My name is Edward Fyers. Whom do I have the pleasure of entertaining?"

"I'm not feeling particularly entertained, so I would have to say no one," Slade replied.

"Then by all means, sit down." Fyers gestured to a couple of chairs on their side of the table.

Under other circumstances, Slade might have chosen to stand out of pure stubbornness, but Billy could hardly stand as it was, and there was no need to make his injury worse. They sat across from Fyers, and Slade assumed his hospitality would end there.

"That's better," Fyers said. "Now, would you like to tell me who you are, or shall I be forced to find out for myself?"

###

Fifteen years ago...

The sound of fists hitting a vinyl bag echoed through the otherwise empty gym. Normally, Slade would be annoyed at still being in the ARGUS facility after a full day of debriefing from his last joint mission. But it was Adeline. While she often went to the gym for fun, she never went alone so late at night. Something wasn't right.

Slade approached cautiously. Adeline was lost in her own world. The tension in her shoulders and frantic blows to the punching bag displayed a kind of anger Slade had never seen in her.

Before he could say anything, she spun around and took a swing at him. Slade blocked just in time, but instead of backing off, Adeline kept throwing punches, forcing him to take a step back to recover. He held his ground, but only in defense, while she seemed to really be trying to hurt him. She looked right at him, but it was as if she couldn't see him. Her blows became more chaotic, expending more energy than actually doing damage. As she began to falter, Slade took the opportunity to subdue her. He pinned her arms to her sides by wrapping his arms around her torso. She struggled against him for a moment, but not like she would have if this had been a real fight. Her whole body went stiff, and she pressed her forehead against his chest. Her sweaty hair stuck to her face as she gasped for breath.

"What is it?" Slade whispered.

Adeline let out a choked sob. Then with a burst of strength, she broke Slade's hold and pushed him away. She turned to the side and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Lyla said you were down here."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Doesn't it?"

Adeline looked at him with a confused expression. So, she didn't know. Strange, since Slade was painfully obvious.

Adeline nodded toward the bench along the wall. Next to her gym bag was a thick file folder. "Colton gave me that," she said. Then she laughed mirthlessly. "Turns out he's my half-brother."

"Well, that would be upsetting for anyone," Slade said.

She shook her head. "There's more. My father had his mother killed to cover up their affair. My father..." Adeline clawed her fingers through her hair, disheveling her ponytail.

Slade reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. She was still stiff, but she didn't pull away this time.

"Are you sure?" Slade asked.

"The stack of evidence is difficult to ignore." She glanced at the folder.

Slade's first instinct was to question any information from Colton Six, but he could see in Adeline's hazy eyes that it was true. He pulled her into a proper hug, and she didn't resist. He wouldn't normally do this (much as he wanted to); it was unprofessional. But Adeline wasn't a coworker right now—she was a friend.

"I'm sorry," Adeline said, her voice muffled by his shirt.

"Don't be," Slade replied.

Adeline looked up at him with a hint of mischief in her eyes. "I did hit you a few times."

"You tried."

She leaned her head back down on his shoulder. For a moment, neither of them said anything, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. Then Adeline pulled back, still close enough that her hands rested comfortably on his chest, and his settled on her waist. Something like realization showed in her eyes, and her mouth turned into a faint smile. It was the confirmation Slade had been waiting for: she knew how he felt, and she felt the same way.

The timing was all wrong, but they had so few opportunities. They couldn't waste time.

Adeline's face was inches away. Slade could feel her shallow breath. The space between them seemed to shrink of its own accord, and Slade couldn't tell if it were his heart racing or hers. She looked him straight in the eye, never wavering. Suddenly, he was kissing her, and he didn't know how. Her hands slid over his shoulders and behind his neck, fingers brushing the ends of his hair and sending shivers across his skin. Slade wrapped his arms tighter around her, feeling the tension start to fade from the muscles in her back and shoulders. He tasted salt.

Adeline pulled back, breaking their connection. She rubbed the side of her face. She was smiling, but her eyes were unfocused.

"Not like this," she said.

"Like this?" Slade repeated, hating the way his voice came out rough.

Adeline rested one hand on her waist while gesturing vaguely with the other. "Not when I'm so…"

"Conflicted?"

"I was going to say sweaty, but conflicted works too."

"Well, I don't mind the sweat."

"Of course not." She shook her head, almost laughing. "You're right though. I want to be happy about this. I am happy about this. But…" She looked Slade in the eye again. "My father is still a murderer."

Slade nodded slowly. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet. Colton thinks I shouldn't confront him. It's like he doesn't care."

"While I hate to agree with Six on anything, it might be for the best."

"For the best? To let him get away with it?"

"Think about what it would mean for you to go to the police with this. There would be an investigation, a trial. It could take years, and you would have to be there every step of the way. If you think it's worth that, then of course you should confront him and take the evidence to the police. If not…"

"That's the question isn't it? On the one hand, I want justice for Colton and his mother. On the other… I never want to see my father's face again." Adeline walked over to the bench and shoved the file into her bag. "I'm going to take a shower. How long are you here?"

"Roughly four hours. My flight leaves a 9:30."

Adeline looked disappointed. "That soon? I guess you'd have time for dinner, though."

"Are you asking me on a date?"

She shrugged. "You never asked me."

"I was waiting for you to seem interested."

"So punching you a few times did the trick?"

Slade smiled. "I'll meet you outside."

Adeline slung her bag over her shoulder. "Wear something pretty," she said with a wink as she headed off to the locker room.

###

Six years ago…

Slade watched the memories play through his mind as if they had happened to someone else. He couldn't now imagine ever being that happy. He woke on a hard tent floor. He hadn't fallen asleep there. The had passed out or been knocked unconscious—he couldn't remember. The constant pounding in his head from dehydration was all he could feel, all there was. Everything hurt.

The soldiers had dragged him and Billy here each day for Fyers to interrogate. Slade had lost track of how long it had gone on, but it could only have been a couple days since he hadn't had water all that time and was still alive.

The world slowly came back into focus, and Slade saw Fyers' pacing feet in front of his face.

"You are both incredibly resilient," he said.

Slade had no energy to respond. It didn't matter; he would be dead soon. No one would ever know what happened to him. Perhaps they would mourn and then they would move on. Adeline would find someone else. Joe would forget what his father looked like, the sound of his voice. Slade felt the front pocket of his jacket where the crayon scribbled drawing was still tucked away. He couldn't give up now, but he couldn't see a way out either.

"I could use men like you," Fyers went on.

Slade wanted to laugh. They would never join him.

"You would be well compensated in addition to food, water, and medical care," Fyers said. "Whomever you are loyal to cannot possibly be prepared to offer what I am."

When neither Slade nor Billy replied, Fyers gestured to one of the guards standing behind them. The man walked over to Billy and put his foot over Billy's ankle. With a small amount of pressure, the guard elicited an agonized scream.

Slade pushed himself up on shaky arms, struggling into a sitting position.

"It did not have to come to this," Fyers said, his voice cutting through the screams. "Won't you save your friend?"

Slade looked around the tent. The guards had guns. Normally that wouldn't be such a problem, but Slade was weak; he couldn't fight them. He tried to reach for Billy's arm, but the second guard shoved him back. Billy was trying to crawl away, but there was nowhere for him to go.

"Slade…" His voice came out desperate, pleading. He was giving up.

"Shut up," Slade whispered. He couldn't afford to show sympathy right now.

"Is that you name?" Fyers asked, as if that were fascinating information.

Slade said nothing.

Fyers gestured to the guard again. "Kill him."

The guard pointed his rifle at Billy's head. Slade felt as if his heart were in his throat. Billy's eyes widened with fear.

"No, no," he said hoarsely. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know. I'll join you."

Fyers smiled, and Slade felt the knot in his throat drop down into his stomach. This wasn't happening; Billy was just buying time. But it didn't feel like a ruse. Slade could feel the terror emanating from his friend. Billy was in survival mode. He wasn't thinking about the mission, about loyalty.

Fyers leaned down in front of Billy. "Tell me your names, who you are working for, and why you are here," he said.

Billy did.

Slade tried to stop him, but the guards restrained him. He couldn't do anything to save the mission now.

Fyers went over to his desk and picked up a water bottle that had been sitting there every time they were brought here. He handed it to Billy. "Thus concludes the interview," he said.

Billy drank down most of the water before he stopped suddenly and held out the bottle toward Slade. One of the guards kicked his hand, sending the last few precious drops soaking into the canvas floor.

Fyers grabbed the front of Billy's jacket. "You are loyal to me now," he said. "Mr. Wilson is no longer your concern."

Billy glanced over at Slade, but there was no real conflict in his eyes. He knew what his choice would be. He nodded slowly, and Fyers let him go.

"Take our new friend to the medical tent and see to his injuries," Fyers said. "Put the prisoner back in his cell."

"Billy?" Slade said as the guards started dragging him away.

Billy didn't even turn his head.

###

Fifteen years ago…

Six months of phone calls at odd hours and the occasional sappy letter had all been building to this. Slade was nervous as he stared out the plane window at the Gotham City airport below. He didn't know why; he had never liked the idea of a long distance relationship, and it was about as much fun as he expected it to be. Still, the thought of seeing Adeline for the first time since she dropped him off at the airport made his palms sweat and his stomach churn. Being in love was a lot like having the flu in Slade's opinion. Of course, the 24-hour flight with little food or rest couldn't have helped.

All the way through the terminal and to the baggage claim, Slade thought about what he would say when he saw Adeline. Nothing seemed to capture what he was feeling. It was almost as if they hadn't spent the past six months talking about everything they could think of.

To further complicate things, Adeline wasn't alone. Slade saw her from across the baggage claim, facing away from him and talking to a vaguely familiar man close to her age and an older man in a butler's uniform. Slade knew it was her from the long, dark hair and the way she carried herself.

The younger man noticed him, and something in his expression must have caused Adeline to turn and follow his gaze. She broke into a broad smile and ran toward Slade. It turned out he didn't have to say anything at all. Adeline threw her arms around him and kissed him forcefully. For a second, Slade let himself forget they were in public. The tension he remembered from their last meeting was gone. Adeline was happy, and he could feel it radiating from her like heat. The nerves and exhaustion melted away.

Then Slade remembered they were in a busy airport, and he probably shouldn't get too carried away. Adeline seemed to sense that and pulled back, still smiling.

"I thought you'd never get here," she said.

"So, you did miss me?" Slade asked with a smirk.

"As if I didn't tell you every night."

"There is the fourteen hour difference, so it was usually in the morning."

"That really doesn't affect cell reception." Adeline punched his arm. "Come on. I want you to meet someone."

She took his arm, and they walked back toward her friends. The older man was now holding Slade's suitcase. He was actually wearing white gloves and had a driving cap under his arm. The younger man stepped forward with a smile.

"Welcome to Gotham City Mr. Wilson," he said, shaking Slade's hand.

"Slade, this is Bruce Wayne," Adeline said. "We grew up together. And this is Alfred."

The butler nodded in greeting.

"When you said I would be staying with your friend, I didn't think you meant…" Slade trailed off.

"Bruce has been helping me sort out my family situation," Adeline said. "But we can talk about all that over dinner. Alfred is the best cook on the east coast."

"You are too kind, Miss Kane," Alfred said with a hint of pride. "This way to the car."

They walked outside, and the first thing Slade noticed was a section of the curb blocked off for a limousine. Alfred held the door for the other three, and they all climbed in. On the drive, Bruce had a lot of questions.

"How long have you two known each other?" he began, innocently enough.

Slade couldn't imagine Adeline hadn't told her oldest friend, but he dutifully answered all the relationship questions, leaving out the details of exactly how they knew each other, given the classified nature of their work. Bruce seemed more interested in the personal side of things anyway.

Alfred drove them out of the city into a neighborhood full of trees and mansions. As the buildings got thinner and the woods got thicker, they slowed and turned onto a long, winding driveway. They stopped in front of the biggest house Slade had ever seen. It was more of a castle than a house, really.

Bruce led the way up the steps to the door while Alfred followed behind with the luggage. The entered an enormous hall with two curving staircases. The walls were covered in classical art and portraits of family.

"Dinner will be served in thirty minutes," Alfred said. "I will show Mr. Wilson to his room."

Slade wasn't particularly interested in leaving Adeline, but she came along as far as the top of the stairs.

"Meet me on the balcony," she said before kissing his cheek and turning in the opposite direction Alfred was leading him.

Alfred entered one of the many doors along the spacious corridor. Slade counted to make sure he could find his way back later.

"If you require anything, please let me know," Alfred said after he had set the suitcase on the bed.

"Thank you," Slade replied.

"Oh, and the balcony is on the right," Alfred added with a gleam in his eyes as he left the room.

Slade quickly scanned the space he would be staying for the next two weeks. He calculated that his apartment could fit inside this room nearly three times over. Aside from the grandness of it all, there was nothing unusual about the room. The high windows looked down over a manicured lawn bordered by thick trees. This was the sort of place Adeline had grown up, all that luxury and space. Growing up with just his mother in a tiny old house, Slade couldn't imagine living this way all the time. He wondered if that was what Adeline wanted. Her choice of profession seemed to indicate otherwise, but they would have to talk about the future eventually.

With that thought, Slade left the room and headed back the way he came, passing the staircase and keeping to the right as Alfred told him. The balcony was easy enough to find from all the light of the setting sun coming in through the glass doors. Adeline was standing next to the stone railing, enjoying the view. As quiet as he could be, Slade knew Adeline must have heard him coming as he walked across the balcony to her. But she didn't turn around. He stopped behind her and put his hands on her waist, pulling her closer to him. She leaned back, taking a long breath.

"You see that house?" she said.

Slade followed her gaze to where he could just see the rooftop of another mansion above the trees.

"I grew up there," she said. "My father is there right now."

"You still haven't talked to him?" Slade asked.

Adeline shook her head. "He still calls. I know I'll have to. I just needed to talk to you first."

"About what?"

"There's an ARGUS facility in Sydney. I've looked into a transfer. It's only a few hours from you and a whole world away from him."

Slade took Adeline's arms and turned her around so she was facing him. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

She nodded. "I do have to warn you, though, Colton wants to come with me."

"Naturally," Slade deadpanned.

"He joined ARGUS to find me. He may not care about most things—or people—but… he does care about me. I know you don't get along, and I don't expect you to put up with him all the time. Bruce doesn't even like him that much, and Bruce is nice to everyone."

"I noticed."

"He's going to come with me—Bruce, I mean—to talk to my father. They know each other, and it will be easier to get through the conversation with backup."

"What are you going to say?"

"That I know what he did and I never want to see or hear from him again in exchange for my silence."

"I know you want justice for Six, but I think that's a good idea."

Adeline nodded. "That's what Colton says, and even Bruce agrees, and he's a genius, so…"

"Soon you will be able to put all this behind you," Slade said with a smile.

She smiled back. "It will all be worth it when…" She ran her hand along the side of his face.

Slade caught her hand in his and pressed her fingers to his lips. She pulled him closer and kissed him again, deeper than before. Slade thought he would be fine staying in that moment forever. Food and sleep and the rest of the world no longer mattered.

A knock on the glass startled both of them, and they turned to see Bruce standing in the doorway. "Sorry to interrupt," he said. "But Alfred gets more sarcastic than usual if dinner isn't served on time."

"And it takes ten minutes to get anywhere in this house," Adeline said, seeming more annoyed about the inconvenience than she usually would be.

Slade had to smile, knowing it was because of him.

They headed downstairs, and while Adeline had exaggerated, it did take longer than one might expect to reach the dining room. A long table was set for three.

"I told Alfred your brother wouldn't be joining us," Bruce said. "I presume that is still the case."

"He's out of the country. And your house is the one place he doesn't just waltz into," Adeline said as they sat down.

"Must be all the iron fences and guard dogs," Bruce said as if it were unexpected.

"Do you have those just for Six?" Slade asked.

"It's something you might consider when he moves to Australia. A little bit of Colton Six goes a long way. And he eats all my food and drives Alfred crazy."

"I don't think my apartment allows dogs or iron fences."

"No dogs?" Adeline said. "You'll definitely have to move."

"You want a dog?"

"It might be nice. A dog, a few kids, you know." She shrugged as if it weren't a big deal, but Slade knew better. They had talked about it before.

"I'm more of a cat person," Bruce said.

"Cats opposed to kids or cats opposed to dogs?" Slade asked.

"I don't mind any of them. I never really considered kids. It's difficult to find the right person."

"Of course," Adeline said with a mischievous grin. "You have to go to Australia."

###

Six years ago...

It rained hard that day, but Slade barely noticed as he drifted in and out of consciousness. He was going to die soon. He didn't know why they didn't just shoot him to save time. They didn't need him anymore.

Across the camp, Billy walked on crutches, now wearing his mask that Fyers had taken away when they were captured. Slade felt a mix of rage and confusion when he looked at his friend. He couldn't understand how Billy could betray everything they worked for. Slade knew the instinct to survive well enough, but he could never compromise the mission or abandon a friend to save his own life. He had thought Billy was the same.

Slade faded from consciousness again, too weak to keep himself awake. He had dreams or hallucinations, memories of his life when he was happy. But he saw them from a distance. He wasn't part of the memories. That was some other guy, young and full of hope. A softer, kinder man.

Slade woke in darkness. The rain had stopped. A guard was standing outside his cell. He pushed a small bundle through the bamboo and walked away. Slade reached for it and unwrapped the plastic covering. Inside was a bottle of water and a protein bar.

So Fyers needed him alive. That couldn't be good.

###

Eight years ago...

Adeline did not want to go to her father's funeral. It was Six who said they should all go and make a family trip out of it. Slade found it unsettling to turn someone's death into an occasion for a vacation. But Bruce offered to have them all stay with him, and as the sole beneficiary of her father's estate, Adeline needed to make a trip to Gotham City to settle his affairs.

Flying across the world with an overgrown child was as enjoyable as it sounds. And then there was the three-year-old. Joe behaved far better than his uncle on the trip, but they arrived without serious incident. Alfred was waiting for them with the car, and a young boy about five or six stood next to him.

"Bruce was definitely taller last time I saw him," Six said.

The boy stepped forward before Alfred could respond. "I'm Dick Grayson," he said, holding out his hand.

Six shook his hand as if he were an adult. "And you thought you'd get an early start in the limo driver business?"

"Alfred says I'm too young to drive."

"Master Dick is living at Wayne Manor," Alfred said. "He is Master Bruce's ward."

"What's that?" Joe asked.

"Means he adopted me," Dick said. "Sorta like he's my dad now."

Joe looked up at Slade. "Did you adopt me?"

Slade smiled. "No, you were mine to begin with."

"My real parents died," Dick explained.

Adeline leaned over and whispered to Slade, "Trust Bruce to adopt a kid without telling anyone."

Alfred gestured to the open car door. "Please take your seats and fasten your seatbelts," he said. "That means you too, Master Dick."

On the ride back to the house, Joe and Dick chattered away with occasional interjections from Six who thought he was very funny. When they arrived, Bruce wasn't home from work yet, so Alfred showed them all to their rooms and announced that dinner would be served at exactly 6:30 p.m. Dick invited Joe to play with his train set, and Six disappeared shortly after, leaving Slade and Adeline to themselves for the rest of the afternoon.

In spite of the uncomfortable occasion, Slade found himself enjoying the sense of familiarity surrounding the place. It was the site of many happy memories from his two week visit seven years ago. As the sound of children's voices wafted down the halls, Slade and Adeline made their way out to the second floor balcony.

"Almost makes you want to have another one," she said a she gazed out over the expansive grounds.

"If only we could find the time," Slade replied, resting his arm across her shoulders.

Adeline leaned against him and sighed. "You know, when I was a kid I spent more time with my nanny than either of my parents. At my mother's funeral, everybody was saying all these nice things about her, and I couldn't think of more than two or three good memories in fifteen years. I know your mother loves having Joe when we're gone, but it feels like... like we're only a family part of the time."

Slade had been thinking the same kinds of things lately. He loved his job, and he knew Adeline loved hers too, but they couldn't live two lives. They had to choose what was most important to them.

"We work too much," he said. "That is not an easy problem to resolve."

"It's not like they'd fire us if we didn't."

"No." Slade shook his head. "It is a matter of choosing to limit ourselves."

"Work/life balance, right?"

"Is there such a thing?"

"Unless you want to quit our jobs and live off my father's money for the rest of our lives."

"I do not want to do that."

Adeline smiled. "I thought not."

###

Five years ago...

Slade checked the date on his watch. It had been a year since he left home. Every day he came up with new schemes to escape, but none of them ever succeeded. Fyers didn't question him anymore, instead leaving him alone in his cell. Why they kept him alive all this time was still a mystery.

Too often, Slade filled the empty hours, days, and weeks with thoughts of his family. He wondered if Adeline looked for him when he didn't come home, if she still waited for him, or if she had given up.

He worried about Joe growing up without a father. Slade had always said he wouldn't make his son suffer the way he had after his own father died in Vietnam. He couldn't remember anything about the man except what his mother told him. She was alone now, Slade realized. He couldn't imagine the pain she was going through, believing her son was dead.

Slade didn't think about the baby, the child he never got to meet.

He had to get back somehow. Even if it were impossible, he couldn't allow himself to believe it. That was the only thing keeping him sane, reminding him of who he was.

Movement in the trees at the edge of camp distracted Slade from his thoughts. There was no wind. It could have been an animal, but they usually stayed away from people. A break in the pattern of leaves showed green and black. A man's face appeared between the trees. He looked straight at Slade, and a sense of familiarity struck Slade as he recalled all those mission briefs. Yao Fei Gulong. The man he came to rescue.

Slade wanted to yell at him to get out of there, but that would have alerted the guards to his presence. Yao Fei put his hand to his mouth and then raised a weathered bow with an arrow on the string. Slade followed his line of sight to a group of guards across the camp. This would not end well.

Too quick to see, Yao Fei fired off three arrows, taking down the guards, and then he was gone. The camp erupted into chaos, and Slade realized this was his chance. He found the spot in the corner of his cage that he had been slowly wearing down in anticipation of another escape attempt. He started kicking as hard as he could, and an opening began to form.

More arrows flew from a different spot in the woods. Yao Fei was distracting the soldiers to give Slade a chance to escape.

The wall of the cage finally came free, and Slade crawled through the opening. A couple of guards spotted him and moved to intercept, but suddenly stopped in their tracks and fell forward with arrows sticking out of them. Slade grabbed one of their guns and ran for the trees. He was weak from months of inactivity and little food, but the adrenaline made up for that in the moment. He reached cover just in time to see Yao Fei take down another guard. He turned and motioned for Slade to go.

"I found your plane," he said. "I will lead them away."

There wasn't time to question why he was helping. Slade turned in the opposite direction and ran. He didn't know exactly how far the plane was from the camp, but it was close to the other side of the island if he remembered correctly. Billy hadn't seen it go down, which meant it was still a safe place to hide.

The shouts of soldiers faded in the distance the farther Slade ran. After a while, he stopped worrying that he was being followed. A few hours later, the adrenaline wore off, and Slade trudged through the woods, aching with every step and wishing he had some water.

It got dark quickly, and Slade had to stop because he didn't have a flashlight. He found a tree with low branches and climbed up for the night. He didn't think anyone would come for him, but he couldn't be sure. He kept watch until dawn. He wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway.

As soon as it was light enough to see the way ahead of him, Slade set off again. He went slower now, conserving as much energy as he could. The sun was high overhead when he finally reached the plane. A year's worth of moss and vines grew over the fuselage. A large crack in one side made for a decent door.

Inside, a jumble of broken seats, crates of supplies, and debris gave the impression a tornado had passed through the plane. Slade found a crate of emergency food and water and felt a surge of excitement that the contents were intact. After eating and drinking, he set about cleaning up the space and making it livable.

Late in the day, Slade stopped and sat down on a pile of crates. He took off his jacket, feeling warm for the first time since he came here. He looked down at his arms and barely recognized himself. He would have to work on building up his strength again. Escaping Fyers' camp was only the beginning. He still had to get off this island.

But at the moment, he was exhausted, so Slade found some blankets and settled in for the night. He slept soundly for the first time since he came here.

Over the next few days, Slade finished cleaning out the fuselage, scouted the area for fresh water, and set traps for fresh meat. He could live on the bottled water and MREs for a while, but they would run out eventually.

On the third morning, Yao Fei showed up, bleeding from some minor wounds and looking exhausted.

"You are alive" was the first thing he said.

"Thanks to you," Slade replied. "No one followed you?"

Yao Fei shook his head as he sat heavily on one of the crates. "We must find a way off this island before Fyers discovers our location."

"No argument there. Did you have a plan?"