A/N Face/Off is a fantastic movie written by Mike Werb and Michael Colleary and directed by John Woo.

I own absolutely nothing.

Adam and Eve

Ch 10 Our House

It was a quiet ride back to Jace's house. They slipped in quietly through the kitchen door just barely missing Mr. Cutter as he rushed out through the front door.

"He's running late," Jace chuckles as he looks in the fridge for a snack.

"It should be a crime to have to be up at this hour running late for work," Adam half whispers, afraid that Mrs. Cutter might be up and able to hear them. Jace apparently has no such worry as he ransacks the refrigerator loudly looking for something to eat.

"You're tellin' me dude. Twenty-five years on that job, man—fifteen...of his ass bein' home every day when I got home from school...just fuckin' wrong—I could never get this place alone to myself..." Jace chuckles as he thinks back on his high school years. "Cock-block Central, man..." he says then as he shuts the fridge and tosses Adam some left-over fried chicken wrapped in foil.

"I'm not hungry..." Adam tells him as he grabs some paper towels for his friend.

"I get that," Jace yanks open the freezer and spies what he's looking for nestled on top of the bagged ice. "Maybe you're thirsty," he says when he slams the door shut and shows Adam a bottle of vodka.

"Yeah...that I am."

Eve has been up all night and is sitting at her kitchen table waiting for dawn to break through the cold gray fog, cradling a hot cup of cognac-laced coffee. Jamie, gone to see Talia Burke, has still not returned. There has been absolutely no word to either of them from Adam.

As she had promised Jamie she called her contact at the FBI, which was Wanda Cho, Sean's former right hand and now the current FBI Assistant Director. That had been over six hours ago. Though the hour had been late Eve was not surprised to hear Wanda answer her desk phone. Eve stared into her cup as she thought back on their short conversation.

"Eve, are you alright?" Wanda's concern was genuine.

"Wanda, I hate to disturb you," Eve began with difficulty.

"Let me just say first that I'm sorry I wasn't able to come to the house after the funeral, but I got a call..."

"Wanda, you don't have to explain to me," Eve assured her. "No, I'm fine, but I have a problem—it's about Adam." Eve heard Wanda's sharp intake of breath.

"I've been so afraid that I would get this call, someday, Eve...has someone come looking for him? Are you afraid one of Castor Troy's enemies finally..."

"Wanda, I don't really know—Adam left here yesterday—under the impression that someone is after him, yes. He left to protect us, me and Jamie—and you know about Talia Burke."

"Of course...oh my God, Eve..."

"I have no idea where he's gone, Wanda, no possible idea at all. We had a falling out..." Eve said at last, feeling as horrible as she sounded. "I know he won't come back here. And I don't know where to begin looking. Jamie's gone to talk to Talia...I'm waiting for her to get home now. I need your help."

"Eve, I'll send some agents over right away—I'll go see Talia and we'll take it from there. I know you two grew a little distant over the years—Sean told me about it before he retired," Wanda told her delicately. "Just try to stay calm, Eve. He's probably with someone he trusts, just laying low. We'll find him," she said very definitely.

"I feel awful, Wanda..." Eve said then, desperately trying to hold back tears.

"I know you do. It's not your fault, Eve. I understand completely. Two of my people will be there within the hour. Just hang tight for me, okay?"

"I'll try, Wanda. Thank you so much."

"Good girl. I'll be by after I talk to Talia for myself. See you as soon as I can."

"Goodbye Wanda." The women rang off.

Wanda's agents had indeed arrived shortly before midnight. Eve had fixed them coffee and answered their questions to the best of her ability; she was unable to tell them if he had a FaceBook or any other social networking account—Sean would surely have known—but they both assured her it could be checked out anyway. They searched Adam's room for any other possible clues and headed out with a very short list of friends and acquaintances supplied by Eve.

Finally she hears the front door open. Jamie appears in the kitchen doorway then, with Wanda Cho and Talia Burke in tow.

Eve rises in anger. "What the hell is she doing here?"

"Eve, please. You three women are the most important people in Adam's life. I want you to put your anger aside right now—I need you to do it and more importantly, Adam would need you to do it. We're going to find him. The three of you need each other right now," Wanda tells her sternly.

Eve looks at her daughter and see's that she is holding Talia's hand in one of her own and reaching out the other for her mother's. Before she knows it she is caught up in their embrace and shared anguish as the three women cry softly into each other, their tears flowing unchecked.

"Cas, are you alright?"

They are back at Ajax's Malibu Canyon compound and Olympia has just settled Castor on his bed in his room.

"I'm fine," he manages.

"Just relax yourself, if that's possible," she says soothingly as she takes off his shoes and puts an extra pillow behind his back.

Ajax stands in the doorway watching his sister fuss over him.

Castor stills his sister's busy hands with his own and gives her a look that lets her know that she can stop.

"Okay, okay, I hear you," she smiles down at him. "I'm going to put on a pot of coffee—I'm never going to get back to sleep now. Anybody want anything?"

Both of her brothers nod their "no's" at her. She gives Castor a kiss to his cheek and Ajax a pat on his broad chest as she passes him and leaves the room.

"Dr. Nauheim will be here at eight this morning, Castor," Ajax smiles at him from the doorway. "You are going to get your voice back, little bro, that is a promise."

The two brothers share an easy silence. Finally Castor speaks again.

"He is something to see, isn't he?" Castor says slowly through a proud smile.

"Yes, he is. Don't strain yourself any further, Cas. You want up or down, now?"

Castor gives his brother a thumbs down to let him know he wants to lie down. Ajax goes to him then and helps him do just that.

"Get some rest. See you in a few."

Castor gives him a thumbs up as his brother leaves him.

Ajax goes to the kitchen to find Olympia just sitting down in the breakfast nook at the table with her coffee.

"Those fucking bastards," she says, her voice low and seething with anger.

"I know."

"To treat him like that, like some kind of Goddamned fucking lab rat..." she stares into her cup as she grips it tightly in her hands.

"I know, Olympia..." he is trying to keep her from working herself in to a total rage by keeping the register of his own voice calm and cool.

"Twice, Ajax! Twice! And then to release some other poor bastard's corpse to you...how can we even be sure about Sasha and Dietrich, now? Adam has to know..."

"Sasha and Dietrich are confirmed, Olympia. We will tell him everything, please try to calm down."

"They have to pay, Jax," she looks up at him then through gritted teeth, her eyes ablaze.

Something about the set of her jaw, the angry lines around her eyes, causes Ajax to flash on his father suddenly. He had only set eyes on the man once in his life, but had spent many years analyzing that picture on his bedside night table as a boy—until that night he took Castor and Pollux away. Ajax had taken the frame the next day and thrown it to the ground, then stomped upon it before he retrieved the photo through the broken glass and ripped it to shreds. He didn't need a picture to remember him by; the look on his face and the venom in his voice he witnessed that night in his mother's house was more than burned into the synapses in his brain.

It was his father's countenance he recognized in the dark rage that had visibly taken over her every facial feature. They had all inherited their father's terrible, dark rage, his capacity to lash out with awful vengeance; his lust for blood; his talent for killing. He hates to see it in her, but he truly understands. Yes, she is a Troy, alright—a worthy ally—he thinks to himself proudly.

She has risen from her chair and stands before her brother defiantly.

"They have to pay."

Ajax takes her face in his hands and gives her a kiss upon her cheek, blushing red and warm to his lips.

"They will."