It took Dan several weeks to build up the courage to pitch his idea of changing his last name to Backshaw to Mason Morgan. Zoe had urged him towards it – if he was going to be targeted by KORPS for his relation to a member of the original M. team, he should at least wear the name of said original M. team member.
"Dad." Dan said, walking into the kitchen two and a half weeks after he was released from hospital after his capture from KORPS.
"Yeah, Dan?"
"What would you say if . . . I asked if I could change my last name to Backshaw?" Dan asked.
Mason turned to look at his son and Kevin, sitting in the living room, froze, all his attention focused on the conversation his younger brother and father were having – he even muted the TV to hear them better. He knew that the blonde was treading dangerous waters now. The tension in the air was so thick that Mason could have grabbed a knife from the counter and cut it.
Mason stared at his youngest son for a long time until he said quietly, "I would say that that makes you more of a man that I have ever been, Daniel."
It was like someone had simply sucked up all the tension, leaving no remains, allowing the room to breathe again.
SIX WEEKS LATER
Billy Backshaw slowly got out of bed, noticing the piece of paper on his bedside table. He picked up the document, feeling his mouth tug into a smile as he read the name printed on it – Daniel James Backshaw.
"I knew the whole crazy thing was just an act." Said a voice from the doorway. Billy looked up to see the mirror image of his younger self – although this one wore jeans and a grey V-neck T-shirt.
"You're a smart kid." Billy said.
"You're smarter." Dan replied, moving to sit in the chair at Billy's bedside. "Even back when Dad was eighteen, you knew KORPS were going to come after us."
Billy nodded. "That's just how KORPS are. When I found out that Jack had turned traitor, I knew that KORPS would come after me and Emily, as well as our descendants. I knew that if I angered Mason enough, he would move away, take his mother's name and create a new life for himself. I hoped – I'd hoped that it would be enough. Well, you're still here and you're brother and father are still here, so everything worked out okay."
Dan shook his head. "It didn't. Emily's daughter – Lisa, she, um . . . KORPS killed her."
"And her daughter?"
"She's in M.I.9 foster care." Dan replied.
Billy nodded. "We must protect our own, Daniel."
Dan nodded. "There's someone I want you to meet."
Billy looked intrigued. "Who is it?"
"Zoe!" Dan called. Within seconds, the pretty redhead was at the doorway, cautiously making her way to stand beside Dan's chair. Dan took her hand, smiling up at her lovingly. "Grandpa, this is my girlfriend, Zoe. Zo, this is Billy."
"But you already knew that, didn't you?" Billy asked. "You're the one who figured it out."
Zoe flushed. "Yes sir. Uh . . . I don't mean to be rude, but . . . why did you pretend to be crazy, all these years?"
"To protect my son and to protect my grandchildren." Billy replied. "I thought that if people thought I was crazy, no one would make the connection between Billy Backshaw and William Morgan."
"Except me. I didn't know that you were in here until Dan told me." Zoe said. "That why I made the connection. If I had kept coming up with you, but I had known you were 'insane' I would have deemed it a lost cause, because you're 'crazy'."
Billy nodded. "That day the two of you came to see me, I pretended to be crazy because I hoped that if you thought you weren't going to get the answers you were looking for, you'd stop looking. It's more dangerous now that you know who you are, but you'll also be able to prepare yourself better. I never thought you'd go and search out Jack. I thought he'd died in an M.I.9 prison cell three years ago."
"He was never at M.I.9." Dan said. "I checked his records – he was fired at the same time you were, but he was never imprisoned for any involvement with KORPS."
Billy sighed and leaned forward, taking one of Dan's hands and one of Zoe's. "Take care of each other."
"We already do that." Zoe said.
"Promise me." Billy said.
"I promise." Dan said. This seemed to satisfy Billy – he leaned back against his pillows, seemingly exhausted.
"Goodnight, Billy." Zoe said gently, walking out.
"Night, Grandpa." Dan said softly, taking the documentation of his name change and following Zoe out.
"So, Dan Backshaw, huh?" Zoe said, grabbing the paper from him. "It's got a ring to it."
"I can think of a name that's even better." Dan said, pining Zoe against the wall.
"And what name would that be?" Zoe asked breathlessly, her green eye peeking up at Dan through her lashes.
"Zoe Backshaw." Dan whispered in her ear. He felt Zoe shiver against him as he captured her mouth in a kiss, his hands holding her as if she were the most precious thing on this earth.
"One day, Dan. One day." Zoe whispered when they broke apart, smiling up at him.