I'm sorry it's been so long, guys! I had one last college app, and then I got back to school and things started to get hectic again... thank you all for waiting so patiently! This will be the last chapter, with the exception of a short epilogue. I enjoyed writing this story, and it makes me happy to know y'all enjoyed reading it :)

It was the end of January, and Violet and Lily were due at the Campbell's in the next hour. Joan's sisters and their families were sitting in the living room, making small talk and the kids were in Audrey's room, watching a movie. Joan stood in the kitchen, staring into the sink as if it had all the answers she craved.

Arthur stood in the hallway for a moment before going in. Joan was so nervous that he was surprised the tapping of her ballet flat hadn't created a dent in the floor yet.

"Honey?"

Joan looked up at him, in a bit of a daze.

"Huh?"

He admired her bravery – when he told his family about his overt status, they all assumed he had gone straight from the Navy to being the DCS. And he hadn't corrected them, told them about the ten or so years he spent as a covert operative.

He put his hand on her shoulder and kissed her lips.

"You can do this."

She nodded absentmindedly and switched to staring at the fridge. Joan was dressed impeccably, as always – dark straight-leg jeans, a pretty blue floral top that brought out her eyes, and a gray sweater looked perfect with her hair half-up. He loved seeing her dressed in regular clothes instead of her sheath dresses and heels for the office. But complimenting her outfit wouldn't help, so instead, he whispered, "And remember, I'm right beside you."

She nodded and took his hand in one of hers, her other hand reaching for the "safe passage" necklace Arthur had given her on their last anniversary.

The doorbell rang and Joan froze. Arthur was afraid that she was going to stay glued to the floor, but she unfroze and walked to the foyer, bringing him with her.

Cat was pulling open the door to reveal – Lily. Healthy and happy, her bright smile and blue eyes shining. Her hair looked wonderful, blown out and trimmed, and she was wearing jeans, flats, and a light pink cashmere sweater. Violet stood behind her, and made eye contact with Joan the moment she stepped inside.

Joan nodded, to tell her mother that she was fine.

Hugs were exchanged between everybody, and Lizzie went to grab the kids. Megan, Jacob, and Emily gathered around their aunt, hugging her and commenting on how good she looked. Audrey shyly made her way through her family, wearing the white lace dress Arthur gave her for Christmas. She passed Joan and Joan squeezed her niece's hand, then watched as Audrey threw her arms around her mother.

"Mom!"

"Audrey." Lily sighed happily, holding in daughter in her arms. When they finally pulled apart, Lily stroked Audrey's hair and kissed her cheeks.

"Oh, honey, you look wonderful. So healthy and happy."

She looked up at Arthur and Joan, grinning.

"Thank you so much, again."

Arthur smiled and nodded. "Any time. Audrey is a lovely girl and we had a great time together."

"Yeah, Uncle Arthur bought me this dress," Audrey told her mother as they walked into the living room. Lily laughed.

"You did, Arthur? I guess your shopping skills have come a long way."

Joan laughed, and only Arthur noticed that the light was absent from her eyes. Lily looked at her sister.

"You remember that, Joanie?"

"What?," Audrey asked, looking from her mom to her aunt.

"I certainly do," Lizzie chimed in. She smiled at Audrey. "It was Uncle Arthur and Aunt Joan's second anniversary, and he wanted to buy her some clothing at Anthropologie. He was so proud of himself, and he showed the clothes to Lily. They were totally not Joan's style! So he and Lily went back and spent 2 hours picking out the perfect present for Joan."

Everyone laughed and more funny family stories branched off of Arthur's rookie shopping mistake. After an hour, there was a break in conversation Joan knew she had to seize. She didn't want to steal her sister's thunder, but somewhere in conversation, Lily had firmly stated that she didn't want to talk about the hospital today, she just wanted to focus on moving forward. She wanted it to be a normal family gathering.

Well, Joan was throwing a bit of a wrench into that. She squeezed Arthur's hand and cleared her throat.

"I, um... I have something important I want to share with everyone," Joan said. She looked around the living room. Audrey sat in Lily's lap, their backs against the coffee table, and Violet was sitting beside them, holding an iced tea and glancing over at Lily every few minutes. Elizabeth and her husband Matt sat on the couch, Jacob and Megan squished between them. Cat and Emily were sharing an armchair, and suddenly Joan felt nervous.

'The last few months have shown me the importance of family, and I feel that I could be closer to all of you than I am. I'm a closed-off person, but I want that to change. To change, I need to give you all full disclosure about why I've seen so isolated for the last twenty years, and I'm sorry I've lied about it."

She studied everyone's faces. Concern, confusion, worry. She felt Arthur's hand on her lower back and continued.

"I'm a spy. I work for the CIA. My job may be dangerous, but despite that, I love it. I can't imagine doing anything else."

Lizzie smiled at Joan, and raised her hand just the slightest bit to indicate a high-five. Joan winked at her, and then surveyed the rest of the family's reactions.

The kids mostly looked stunned and confused. Violet didn't look surprised, and her smile suggested that she had figured it out long ago. Emily was trying to wrap her brain around the fact that her aunt was a spy, and Cat looked worried, with a hand on her heart to match her pained face. Lily was unreadable, and likely still processing.

And then Jacob broke the silence.

"Wait, but don't CIA trainees have to pass rigorous physical tasks before going out in the field?"

Joan was confused. That was the first question about her job? She nodded."

"Um, yes, Jake. We do. I passed with the second-highest score in my class, actually."

"But.." he was obviously confused. "I beat you when we went on that run the day after Thanksgiving."

Joan laughed. There it was.

"Sorry, kid. I let you beat me," she said with a grin. He groaned.

"Aunt Joan!"

"But only a little. You're good," she said. He smiled, satisfied.

There was more silence, and then Cat spoke up, clearing her throat.

"So… you've been a spy. This whole time."

Joan nodded, bracing herself.

"Yes."

"Joanie, why? I mean, you could get hurt. It's a completely reckless job choice. Didn't you think to tell us before taking on such a dangerous job? What if you died, and we never knew why? "

Emily put her hand on her mother's arm.

"Mom, it's okay." She looked at her aunt and smiled. "I think Aunt Joan is really brave. She protecting our country from really bad people. She's not reckless, she's brave."

Cat's face softened and Joan returned Emily's soft smile.

"Thanks, Emily," she said quietly. Emily nodded.

"I suppose you're right, dear," Cat said to her daughter. She turned back to her younger sister.

"You are brave. You always have been. I'm just being an older sister, worrying about you."

Joan nodded. "I would expect no less." She grinned at her sister. "And you can worry a little less, because I'm not in the field anymore. I manage a whole division, actually. My operative are the ones out there in the field, and there are a few that I hold my breath for every time I send them out." She thought of Annie and Auggie, and she knew Arthur could sense it. He squeezed her hand.

"You're a hero."

Everyone turned and saw Lily, hugging her daughter close to her, looking at her sister.

"Michael died for his country, and while there isn't a day I don't miss him – " she bent over to smooth Audrey's hair and kiss her forehead. " – I'm proud that the man I married was brave enough to disregard his own safety for our country. Just like I'm proud of my big sister."

Joan felt like she was about to cry, and she felt her heart expand in her chest, Grinch-style. It was the most wonderful thing anyone had said to her in a long time. She had never heard Lily reference Michael's death so directly, and besides the fact that it was a beautiful sentiment, Lily's words made Joan realize that her sister had changed this time.

Joan smiled, and a tear slid down her cheek. "Thanks, Lil."

Lily nodded. "I love you, Joanie. You've always been my hero, my champion. Whoever you're saving, whatever you've done – they're lucky to have you."

Joan looked around at her family, all of whom were nodding or smiling. And then, of all people, Audrey piped up.

"Aunt Joan, you're awesome."

The room broke out into laughter and Arthur kissed Joan's hair. There was something about Audrey's simple statement that made the truth easier for everyone. Because it really wasn't much more complicated than it sounded. Yes, Joan had a secret life, and yes, she had been lying to her family for years. But at the center of all of that, she did what she did to protect not only her family, but her country. And everyone could agree that it was pretty awesome.