THE ORPHAN AND THE DEVIL PART 2

Timeline of chapter: Season 4, Episode 12

Warning: This chapter is pretty long too.

Somewhere over the Atlantic

We zoom in on Tom's right palm, which is being stitched up by someone. We see that whoever is doing the stitching is on stitch #4 of the bullet wound that Tom just suffered earlier that night.

The person finishes up the stitch, then places a small gauze pad over the wound and tapes it tight to Tom's hand. We scan back a bit to see Tom in a navy blue t-shirt and white khaki shorts, sitting at a small two-person table against the airplane wall. The ghastly scar is very noticeable on his right arm, running up it almost like a long, red ditch on his light-complexion.

Sitting directly across from him is Nadia, who is also wearing a navy blue t-shirt to go along with athletic shorts. She's cleaning up the medical supplies she just used.

Tom holds up the hand and smiles. "You do a good field dressing, Nadia." As she finishes her cleaning, she says "Thanks, I've done a few before, including a couple to myself."

Tom winces a bit. "Ouch! When?" Nadia smirks and points to her right shoulder as she looks back at Tom. "The first time was when I cut myself on razor wire when I was 18 and living on the street in Argentina. That's how I learned."

Tom smirks and shakes his head at the thought of that and looks back down at his hand. A fearful look takes over on his face. After a few seconds, he lets out a nervous sigh. "Nadia, I'm so scared..." Nadia has noticed that Tom has been consumed by fear since Cesar's bullet bounced off his hand and this has her concerned. "Tom, I've never seen you like this before. It's going to be ok."

Tom, still looking at his hand, shakes his head. "What I'm about to talk about was very traumatic for me, and left me forever changed." Tom then looks back up. "You have to make up your own mind, but all I ask is that you please...please don't think any less of me as a human being after I'm done with this."

Nadia gives Tom a sincere, yet intent look. "Tom, when I told you about my life, all of the crimes, the arrests...then killing Fox...you chose not to judge me based on that. You continue to love me, even though I've done things I'm not proud of, either." Tom sighs and looks down at the table. "I felt pity for you. I understand what you went through. But Nadia..." Tom then looks back up at Nadia again with a somber look. "...what I did was something I've never forgiven myself for."

Nadia then stands up. "Come on, you'll feel better after you tell us. And I'll be objective, no matter what you have to say." Tom nods, stands up, and just says "Thank you."

Nadia and Tom walk across the plane, where Vaughn and Sydney are sitting together. Nadia sits in an airplane chair across from Sydney on the window-side, leaving a seat for Tom across from Vaughn. However, Tom chooses not to sit.

He closes his eyes and sighs, trying to compose himself. Sydney, noticing Tom's consternation, says "I understand what you have to say is going to be difficult. Take all the time you need."

Tom then opens his eyes and looks at Sydney. With a low, humble voice, he says "Thank you. First of all, and I just got done saying this to Nadia, all I can do is hope that you all don't view me as any less of a human being after what I have to say. But if you do, I understand." Vaughn shifts in his chair a bit. "Why would we think that?"

Tom quickly replies "Because you'll either view me as a man with a handicap or as a rotten human being. Or both." Vaughn nods his head, but doesn't say anything.

Tom decides it's time to press on. "The first thing I want to talk about is my medical condition. That very condition allowed a bullet shot from Cesar Martinez's gun to bounce off my hand and end up in his forehead. However, you know what they say about a picture being worth a thousand words...so before I explain it, it'd be best if I showed you it first."

With that, Tom turns around, with his back towards Vaughn, Sydney, and Nadia. He holds his head up and looks towards the ceiling. "This is it" he thinks. Then, he takes a deep breath, then reaches and grabs the collar of his shirt, bends over, and pulls his t-shirt off.

Vaughn's jaw drops a bit. Sydney and Nadia's eyes bulge at what they're seeing on Tom's back.

They're seeing a nasty-looking red scar in the shape of an I on his back, with a scar going from shoulder to shoulder and another from one side of the hip to the other. The I is completed with a scar going straight up the back along the spine. There's also a little stem that extends from the top of the I up to the back of Tom's neck, disappearing in Tom's hair. We also see the entire scar that runs down Tom's right arm, as that side is facing them.

After a few seconds, Tom turns around to reveal a new set of nasty scars on the front side of his body. These scars are in the shape of a C, with a scar going from his left shoulder, across his collarbone, and ending at his right shoulder, then cutting down the side of his body and ending at the hip. From the right hip, it cuts across his body and ends at the side of his left hip.

Tom sees the look that's on the faces of his three companions, and he's not the least bit surprised. Blankly, he asks "Is it ok to put on my shirt now?" The three of them just nod, not saying anything. Tom throws on his shirt quickly. Nadia, with a look of horror on her face, asks "My God...what happened to you?"

Tom looks at her and blankly replies "The Covenant happened." Sydney leans forward, her eyes perked at the mention of the Covenant. "The Covenant did all that to you?"

Tom lightly nods. "Yup, this is their handiwork. I was their first successful patient of Project Alloy." Vaughn, still a little stunned at Tom's scars from earlier, asks "What's Project Alloy?"

Tom turns around and finds a basic chair. He grabs it and sets it at the end of the seats that Vaughn, Sydney, and Nadia are at and takes a seat. "Project Alloy is a procedure where your skeletal system is yanked out, and replaced with titanium replicas. All of my bones in my upper body between my head and hips and my right arm are now made by the same material they put in Tiger Woods' golf clubs."

Nadia shakes her head and has a mortified look on her face. "The pain this must have caused...how did you survive the surgery?" Tom leans his head back and looks at the ceiling, shaking his head. "I've been asking myself that same question every single day since I woke up from the operation." Tom looks back down at Nadia. "I have yet to figure that one out."

Vaughn quick-fires another question. "If you don't have your real spine back there, how are you able to walk?" Tom nods and says "I don't understand all of it, but the doctor that worked on me somehow worked it so my metal spine functions like my regular spine. But, there were still some neurological hurdles to deal with. Up until about a month or so before I joined APO, I was still having some coordination issues with walking and running. Those neurological issues are the main reason why I'm not a full field agent. However, I haven't had any issues since joining APO."

Sydney says "Your motor skills are keeping you from being a field agent?" Tom quickly replies "Yes and no. I still had full control over my arms and hands, but the legs were the issue. But, when I was offered the job here in APO, the CIA still had concerns about my legs. They also believe that, at some point during the surgery, the doctor accidentally bumped my brain pretty hard. They're worried about the possibility of blackouts or a hard blow to the head easily giving me a concussion."

Nadia quickly says "You said you got hit on the head by one of Cesar's men. How do you feel now?" Tom feels the back of his head. "I still have a lump on the back of the head, but I have no headaches, no blurred or double-vision...nothing. And I have yet to randomly black-out like they were worried about. When I get back, I have to get tested right away. It's a condition of my employment in the CIA, because they're still wanting to know more about my condition. My left arm, which is real, gets a little achy where it connects with my metal shoulder after I do something strenuous with it, but besides that, I'm physically fine."

After a bit of silence, Sydney then says "Tom, I would have not guessed you went through all that. Outside of the scars...I probably would never have had any idea what happened to you." Vaughn nods. "I agree. In fact, were it me, I'd be pretty mad at the Covenant. I'd find that anger hard to hide." Tom shakes his head. "I've come to grips with what they did to me. In fact, I'm actually thankful. Because, without this procedure, I'd be a paraplegic, and I wouldn't be having this conversation with you now."

Tom then closes his eyes and hangs his head. "And this is the part that is difficult for me to talk about." Nadia looks troubled again at seeing Tom so down. "It's ok, we're here for you."

Tom, with his head still hung, says "I was the leader of a tactical team called Storm Crew. Myself, Mike Walcott, and Chris Cooper, two of my real good friends from the Anti-Cartel, were recruited by Dark Cover to get the team going. Our first addition was an op-tech named David Marston, a young single father that was facing a prison sentence for hacking into the FBI database. Instead of prison, we got him a job, and he proved to be invaluable. We also added Mitch Hayes, my mentor in the Anti-Cartel who was working at a desk at Langley when I brought him on...long story there. The remaining 5 spots on the team we handpicked ourselves."

Tom pauses for a moment, takes a deep breath, then continues. "Flash forward to June 6th, 2003. James Lennox, my former boss, had received intel that the doctor that was heading Project Alloy was found to be working in an old building in Torino, Italy. Our whole team was to be sent to infiltrate the place. Mitch was not invited at first because we suspected him to be a rat for leading us into a death trap a couple months earlier in Cordoba, Spain...along with other reasons. However, I let him tag along with us after Mike was tasked with something else the day of the mission."

Vaughn tilts his head. "If you thought the guy was a rat, why did you take him along?" Tom looks at Vaughn with an angry look. "Because I wanted to see if this guy would try to run to the protective arms of the Covenant. He was worthless to them if he wasn't within earshot of me. Or, on the alternative, I wanted to see if he'd eat a bullet during the mission. Bottom line, my hate for the man clouded my judgment. I just wanted him gone and out of my sight...seeing him at work every day, knowing that he betrayed me and the team...it was starting to make me physically sick."

Nadia then asks "So, what happened in Torino?" Tom chuckles. "Well, I was right. Mitch ate a bullet early in the mission, courtesy of the Covenant. I'm not sure why or how it happened because I was elsewhere in the building, but my guess was he was running. Even though I considered him a friend and mentor, I was 100% sure he was a rat, so I wasn't the least bit sad at his loss. Anyway, more on him later. By the time he was killed, I had proceed up to the third floor while the rest of the team handled the Covenant forces that were set up on the 2nd floor. I get to the main room in the 3rd floor...and it's this HUGE room, about three stories high, with these old stone pillars holding up the roof. And right smack-dab in the middle of the room is our doctor...or so I thought. But something didn't seem right. The room was different than what was presented in the schematics."

Tom then lowers his head and shakes his head. "Then I ignored my gut instinct. A quick scan of the room revealed no traps, and I decided to proceed. I starting running across the room. And that is when I made the worst mistake of my life." Tom then puts his head in his hands. He doesn't say anything for a few seconds as he tries to compose himself for the really hard part. Sydney, in a somber tone, asks "Tom...what happened?"

Tom pulls his head away from his hands. His eyes watery, he says "I didn't see a clear wire that had been strung across between two pillars. I tripped over the wire...and the wire triggered two explosions. One to the right, and the other to the front. The doctor died, but as it turns out, he was just a Project Helix clone. I hit the deck and saw that the roof was caving in, so I just braced myself for my death. A few seconds later...a stone pillar from off to the right comes crashing down on my right arm and back, smashing them to bits. I passed out from the pain shortly after. Over the course of the next month, I only woke up once, and that was during the surgery...when I got to get a good look at my guts and my skin folded open like a book. I had never felt such pain in my life."

Vaughn, Sydney, and Nadia all wince a bit at the thought of that. After a while, Nadia asks "How did you escape from the Covenant? Or did they just let you go?" Tom thinks for a bit, then says "After I woke up for good, they tried to brainwash me into becoming a Covenant agent."

Sydney raises an eyebrow. "You too?" Tom looks at her and nods. "Yeah, and they used the same tactics they used on you...neurotoxin and old family videos. Only with me, the neurotoxin was worthless." Sydney, a little surprised, asks "How come?" Tom shrugs. "I never found out why. I'm guessing I wasn't wired right after the surgery. Anyway, after a few days, I make my big escape and make contact with Dark Cover. James came down to debrief me and take me back to Baltimore...and that's when I learned a horrible truth."

Tom then starts openly weeping. His head quickly goes back into his hands. He doesn't want to have them see him like this, but he can't help it. Nadia slides over to the empty seat next to Tom and puts an arm around him. Tom notices, but doesn't break what he's doing.

Finally, after a few seconds, he raises his head back up. "I had learned that I had gotten my team killed. All six of my teammates were either blown up or crushed by the building falling on them." Tom starts sobbing again. "All because of a STUPID mistake a child would make!" Tom then composes himself again after a few seconds. "Those men...those were my friends. We became more than co-workers because of something my old Anti-Cartel director told me: 'It's easier to have the back of a friend than a co-worker.' And in the two years we worked together, I had gotten to know them all as my friends. I knew their wives, their girlfriends, their children...I can still see their faces...and I took away the men in their lives...with one...STUPID mistake! My team looked up to me to lead them safely in and out of our missions, and I had NEVER even tested their confidence in me. Not once. And I rewarded their loyalty and faith by killing them."

Tom buries his head back in his hands. Nadia, who still has her arm around Tom, looks at Sydney, who looks troubled over what she just heard. She then looks over at Vaughn, who has a sad look on his face. Nadia then looks back at Tom, who's just a basketcase right now. "Tom, I hate to ask this, especially now..." Tom just keeps his head buried in his hands. Nadia continues. "But during our last mission, Cesar kept calling you 'the Devil' or 'Halcón Diablo'...the Falcon Devil. What did he mean by that?"

Tom slides his head down, his forehead now leaning on his hands and facing the ground. "Halcón Diablo was a nickname that Latin American gangs would call me. I had that nickname because some people really thought I was the devil. I was a ruthless man in the Anti-Cartel. I did so many unspeakable things to so many people...and I think what happened to me at Torino, and afterwards, was my punishment for that. It wasn't hard being Tom Falk before June 6th, 2003. I had gotten away with so much, without even a hint of backlash. And it all came crashing down on me in one fell swoop."

Tom then looks back up and looks at Nadia with an extremely pained look on his face. He realizes he needs to change the subject quickly. "Remember a couple weeks ago, during my suspension, when I went to Baltimore? The day Anna kidnapped you, then later shot you?" Nadia nods her head. Tom continues. "I went to Baltimore to visit the graves of those friends. I went to their graves to do the same thing that I did every...single...day since I returned to Baltimore after my procedure. I went there to beg for forgiveness. And to this day, I still haven't received an answer, and I don't think I will until the day I leave this earth. And until that day comes, I still have to live with their blood on my hands and the scars on my body; a constant reminder of the man I was, and of the men I got killed in Torino."

Sydney then cuts off Tom's train of thought. "Tom, I'm not sure if this will mean much, but what happened to your friends reminds me of something I went through years back." Tom looks at her with a look of surprise. "You got a group of good people killed, too?" Sydney nods her head slowly. "Yes. I had just become a double agent for the CIA, working against SD-6. I went on a mission with Dixon in Badenweiler, Germany. I was to retrieve an inhaler, then Sloane ordered me to blow up the facility so no one else could get the vaccine. However, I was to give a group of CIA agents some time to switch inhalers and disable the explosives so they could get the vaccine later. Well, I disabled one detonator, but Dixon had a backup and blew up the building while the agents were still in it." (Note: If you want to reference this, look up Season 1, Episode 5 and the very beginning of Episode 6)

Sydney then hangs her head, which Tom notices. "You must have been devastated." Sydney nods her head. "I felt as responsible for their lives as you did. They trusted me, and I had let them down. Vaughn knows...I was pretty tore up after that." Tom scans over to Vaughn, who nods his head. "She took it hard. But...like I told her then, there was no way of knowing what would have happened."

Tom shakes his head. "But Sydney didn't have any control over the second detonator...but I...I could have walked away! So what if I turned out to be wrong, my team would have lived to fight another day!" Vaughn shakes his head. "You made a judgment call. You assessed the situation, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. You couldn't have envisioned what would have happened."

Sydney then says "And it's not like you willingly killed your friends. You had the best of intentions, just like I did." Tom lets that comment sink in a bit, then just nods, acknowledging Vaughn and Sydney's rationale. He then continues. "Anyway, the CIA officially blames the whole ordeal on Mitch's treachery. The day of the mission, the CIA anonymously gets a packet of information detailing Mitch's dealings with the Covenant. Phone records, transcripts...he had his dirty meat hooks into us for a year and a half. But, there was one more cut on my psyche yet to be made."

Tom hangs his head again. "The CIA had presumed me dead. I was gone for over a month after the mission. When I came back, I had learned they informed my wife that I was CIA for the past 12 years. My wife never knew about my CIA career, she had always thought I was an undercover cop. I was a cop in our small-town in Missouri after I graduated high school, and when I joined the Anti-Cartel, I told her I had joined the LAPD, then the Baltimore PD when I got the Dark Cover job. That was my cover. But, when I returned home, after I learned that she knew about me, she tore me a new one. She told me she was cheating on me for a while, that she was 4 months pregnant with a child that wasn't mine, even though she said it was before the mission..."

Nadia immediately says "Oh no..." Tom looks at her and nods sheepishly. "Yeah. That child was one of the things that motivated me to escape from the Covenant. I wanted to be a father to that kid. But, I guess it was not to be. Anyway, she also informed me that she was breaking up with me and going to live with that kid's father. I begged her to stay and I showed her my scars. Instead, she told me that not only could she not live with a liar...she could not live with a freak. That was the last thing she ever said to me."

Nadia grabs Tom's right hand hard, partly out of comfort but also out of surprise anger. "You're not a freak! How could she say that?" Tom looks at her and smiles. "I know...and thanks for not thinking of me as a freak. You may not realize it, but that means a lot to me." Tom then looks back at Sydney and Vaughn. "What she told me was a big reason I didn't tell you guys all of this before. I didn't want my condition and the incident in Torino to define who I am with you guys. I didn't want to be viewed as a 'freak' or as some guy with a handicap, and I didn't want to be viewed as an awful human being who gets his friends killed. Before I go to bed, I'm going to give Director Chase a call. We both mutually agreed to keep my condition and the Torino mission details a secret. Well, I was recently informed by Marshall that Sloane sent a request to get access to these records. And I'm going to let him have it. What scared me the most about revealing this is...being with this division, with you guys...with Nadia...for the first time since Torino, I can smile at the face I see in the mirror, and I don't want to lose that. I don't want to leave you guys. But, I have a feeling Sloane is going to push for my termination or reassignment."

Right after he says that, Sydney chimes in. "You still have me in your corner. If Sloane's going to try to get rid of you, I'll have your back." Vaughn nods his head affirmatively. "Same here. You're still good in my book." Tom seems touched by the sudden outpouring of support. He then looks over at Nadia, who has a reassuring look on her face. She tells him "I'll always have your back, because I know you'll always have mine."

Tom smiles at Nadia, then stands up. "Thank you for hearing me out, and thank you so much for not thinking any less of me. This really means a lot to me. Now, if you guys don't have anything else, I'm going to contact Director Chase, and then get some sleep." Sydney quickly says "Yeah, we all should be getting some sleep, actually. It's been a long day. We still have a few hours before we get to LA." Vaughn says "You and Nadia can take the two twin beds in the backroom, we'll sleep out here." Tom nods his head and says "Thanks. Good night, everyone." Vaughn, Nadia, and Sydney all say "good night."

Tom turns and walks into another room on the plane, which has the two beds that Vaughn mentioned. He sits on the edge of the bed on the right and picks up the phone on the small table against the wall. He quickly punches in a number.

On the other end, Director Chase picks up her cell phone. "Hello, who is this?" Tom says "It's Tom Falk, from APO." Chase, a little irritated, says "Why are you calling me this time of night?" Tom quickly replies "Because we need to talk about my Project Alloy and Torino records."

Chase sighs. "Tom, Sloane put in a request to view them. I'm informing him first thing in the morning that those records are top secret and in no way, can he..." Tom intently says "No. Let him see them. Make them available to Jack and Sloane. It's time they know."

Chase gets a little flustered. "Tom, we both agreed that keeping these a secret was the best way to handle it." Tom quick-fires "Chase, tonight in Minsk, I killed a man by blocking a bullet with my right palm and having it ricochet into his forehead. I can't hide that in a debrief. Bullets aren't supposed to work like that. Now, I just got done giving Nadia, Sydney, and Vaughn the details, so the cat is out of the bag. It's time."

Chase lets out a loud sigh. Then, she nods her head. "You're right, Sloane and Jack need to know now. I'll arrange a briefing during the day tomorrow with Sloane and Jack Bristow so I can fill them in and discuss where we go from here. In the meantime, were you injured?" Tom says "Nadia patched up my hand, and I got hit in the head with what I think was a lead pipe."

Chase immediately fires back "You need to report to our doctors as SOON as possible..." Tom cuts her off. "I know, I know. That's another reason I'm calling, so you can get a heads up that I'll be checked out. But, I'm not feeling any adverse effects. I was unconscious for a little while, but I don't think it was long. Physically, I'm fine."

Chase nods. "Good. I'm also going to put you through some testing while you're with the doctors tomorrow. We need to know where you stand physically with your condition, and I think Sloane and Jack would like to know as well. Also, as I'm sure Jack has told you, we found some things in your and Nadia's blood that we want to examine a little further, so we'll take care of that tomorrow. Afterwards, you can take the rest of the day off. I'll brief with Sloane and Jack, and you'll know the next day where you and we stand." Tom nods. "That's fine. Anything else?" Chase says "No. Have a good night". Tom says "You too".

Tom hangs up his phone and lies down on his bed, reflecting on the events in the past hour or so. As he recalls the conversation he just had with Vaughn, Sydney, and Nadia, there's only one conclusion he comes to.

To no one in particular, he utters "It's good to have friends like these."

Sydney's Apartment, the next day

Tom stands outside of Sydney's door, still in his business suit and holding a small backpack as well as two zipped-up hangers. He sets down his backpack and knocks on the door.

Sydney answers the door smiling. "Hey! Oh, let me get that!" Sydney reaches down for Tom's backpack, but Tom cuts her off. "Nah, I can get it...you can carry this, though..." Tom hands Sydney one of the hangers. "I've been meaning to bring those over. Those are my emergency clothes in case I crash here and APO suddenly calls us."

Sydney's eyes perk up a bit. "Oh! Yeah, good idea! I mean, I wouldn't want to see you in Weiss's clothes again!" Tom laughs a bit. "Yeah, that was not a fun morning. Anyway, I've seen Nadia's closet and I don't think there's any way I can fit these in there, even after she moved some of her stuff over to my place. I was hoping you could find a spot for these somewhere."

Sydney laughs a bit. "Sure! I'll just put it in the hall closet. Come on in!" Tom grabs his backpack and walks on in. Tom walks down the steps leading to the kitchen. Sydney, following him, says "You can set those in Nadia's room, she's taking a shower right now."

Tom walks into Nadia's room and sets the luggage on the floor next to the bed. He walks over to a coat-rack and hangs his other set of work clothes on the rack.

Tom walks back out and sees Sydney working on dinner. "You need any help?" Sydney, as she's stirring something in a pot, says "You can set the table if you want."

Tom walks over to a cabinet next to Sydney and grabs some plates. He sets the plates on the counter and starts to grab some silverware. "Thanks for letting me eat dinner and stay the night here tonight." Sydney looks at him with a dismissive look. "You're always welcome here, you know that."

Tom looks down at the ground. "I know...I'm just glad I'm still welcome here after what I said on the way back from Minsk." Sydney stops what she's doing. "You know, you talked last night about your condition not 'defining' you and making you seem like less of a person to us. Tom, you couldn't be more far off from the truth if you think that those things define you to me, Vaughn, and Nadia."

Tom leans on the counter casually. "What does define me to you, Sydney?" Sydney says "Well, your complete devotion to Nadia, for one. You go so far out of your way to make her feel loved and appreciated." Tom gives Sydney a faint smile. "I still owe her a lifedebt after the mission we were in in 2001. Plus, with all she's been through in her life, she deserves to feel loved and appreciated."

Sydney nods in the affirmative. "I know. I'm glad you're in her life. Also, there is something else that defines you...and a lot of people can try to take credit for this, but few actually can." Tom stirs a bit. "This should be interesting..." Sydney, unfazed, says "You stand up for what you believe in, and you stand up for the people you believe in...even if it means exploding in Sloane's face defending them!"

The two share a laugh at that. After a few seconds, Sydney goes back to making dinner while Tom starts setting plates on the table.

As he arranges the plates and silverware, he hears a shriek from his left. He looks over and sees Nadia standing in just a bath towel, shocked that he's there. In her shock, she exclaims "I thought you were coming later!" Tom just stands there and smiles. "Hello to you too, beautiful! I thought I'd see if Sydney needed any help with dinner since I got done early with my testing."

From the kitchen, Sydney asks "Oh, I meant to ask you about that. How did it go?" Tom starts to speak, but Nadia says "Wait! We can talk about it over dinner..." Nadia then turns to Tom with a look of mock outrage. "...after I get some CLOTHES on!" Tom shrugs. "I think you look good! You stay like that, and I'll put on those glasses I wore in Minsk!" Nadia just lets out a "grrr!" and stomps by Tom, still embarrassed that he's seeing her like this.

Sydney's Apartment, a half hour later

A now-clothed Nadia sits to the right of Tom at the dinner table. Sydney is seated at the head of the table to the left of Tom. All three are enjoying spaghetti, especially Tom, who looks over at Sydney and says "Great job in the spaghetti! I haven't eaten all day, and this just hits the spot!" Sydney smiles and says "Thanks! Believe it or not, my dad taught me how to make it."

Tom raises an eyebrow. "Jack cooks?" Sydney nods quickly. "Yeah, he's really good, actually!" Tom laughs. "Let me guess, he pays attention to detail!" Sydney laughs back. "Yes, right down to the minute!"

Nadia finishes her bite of spaghetti and asks Tom "So, how did it go today with the testing?" Tom just shrugs a bit. "Alright, I guess. They ran a lot of physical tests on me, testing my reflexes. They also ran a CAT scan on me, x-rays, blood tests..." Nadia leans in after he says that last part and whispers in Tom's ear "For our 'connection', right?" Tom looks at her and nods. "Right."

Sydney apparently heard Nadia's whispering. "What connection?" Tom and Nadia both look over at Sydney surprised. Nadia audibly drops her fork. Tom gently sets his down and looks at Nadia. "Maybe we should tell her, it can't hurt." Nadia looks at Tom a little curiously. Sydney, meanwhile, leans forward, intrigued. "Ok guys, what is it?"

Nadia looks back over at Sydney, still somewhat concerned. "This doesn't leave the table, ok?" Sydney nods her head. "Of course." Nadia wipes off her mouth, as a precaution, and says "Jack called us into his office a few weeks ago. Apparently, there's some anomalies that are in both of our bloodstreams. One is naturally produced by our body, but they're not sure of its purpose. The other they suspect is a Rambaldi device."

Sydney's eyes widen. "What? What would Rambaldi want with Tom?" Tom slaps his hand on the table. "I know, right? That's what I said!" Nadia says "Well, they say that this possible Rambaldi device interacts with our pheromones and apparently 'connects' us. Being near each other triggers it."

Sydney laughs and folds her arms. "So, that's why you two are like high school lovebirds around each other!" Tom smiles and shrugs. "I was worried for a while after Jack told us about these anomalies that what we had wasn't real...but like I told Nadia in Minsk..." Tom turns back to Nadia. "...I've never felt anything more real in my life." Nadia smiles and rubs Tom's shoulder a bit.

Tom turns back to Sydney. "So, did anything happen at work today while I was away?" Sydney quickly turns to Nadia. Tom notices and turns to Nadia, who's smile has been replaced by a look of frustration. "I talked to my father about the mission in Minsk. He was upset that I kept my history with Cesar a secret, and he was upset that I hung you out to dry. He was right, I'm so sorry I sent you in like that..." Tom waves his hand and shakes his head. "Nadia, you had your reasons for keeping your secret, and they're the same reasons I kept my secrets...I was afraid just like you were. Plus, I got over-confident, so don't worry about it. All that matters is we're alive, and we got the glass."

Nadia sighs. "My father is talking with Chase and Jack about your condition as we speak. When we talked earlier, I told him that, on behalf of Sydney and Vaughn as well, that we still trust you and have faith in you. In fact, I told my father that if you are forced out of APO, I'm following you out." Tom's eyebrows shoot up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Nadia, that's a little extreme..."

Nadia shakes her head. "No, I meant it. You mean too much to me." Tom leans back in his chair, now curious. "What did he have to say when you threatened to walk?" Nadia shakes her head. "Basically the same thing you did. Then, we adjourned our meeting. He gave me no indication on where you stand."

Tom then looks back over at Sydney. "Did your dad have anything to say?" Sydney shakes her head. "I think you already know the answer to that..." Tom nods his head and sigh. "Yeah, I can see his poker face now, telling you something about it 'being addressed' or something."

Tom then sighs, then looks at Nadia. "Hey, do you want to go see a movie? I've been nervous over what's going to happen tomorrow...a movie might get my mind off things." Before Nadia can respond, Sydney says "Vaughn was going to come by in about a half-hour and watch Bourne Supremacy with me. You two can stay and watch with us."

Nadia shakes her head. "No, I don't want to impose..." Sydney shakes her head back and smiles. "You two wouldn't be imposing at all! In fact, it'd be fun to have the four of us together." Tom smirks and nods in agreement before turning back to Nadia. "I agree with Syd. Besides, there's a brand new package of cookie dough ice cream in Sydney's freezer that has been calling my name for a few days now. I don't think I can resist anymore..."

Nadia smiles as she realizes something. "Oh yeah, and I just bought some chocolate chips, sprinkles, whipped cream, chocolate syrup..." Tom, now with a look of total lust on his face, suddenly leans in and gives Nadia a smooch on the cheek. As Nadia looks at him surprised, a beaming Tom says "Just when I thought I couldn't love you any more, Nadia!" Nadia laughs and gives Tom a peck on the cheek. Sydney smiles and then says "So, I guess we're having movie night then!"

Tom nods finishes off his last bite of spaghetti. Just like at Nadia's party, he's the last to finish. He then stands up and grabs Nadia's empty plate, then reaches for Sydney's plate, but is stopped by Sydney's hand. "I'll get it!" Tom shakes his head. "No, you did great with dinner tonight. Relax, I've got the dishes." Nadia then gets up. "I'll help you dry them."

Sydney then eyes down Tom a bit. "Are you going to wash the dishes in your business suit?" Tom looks down and starts nodding. "Ah, good catch. Let me change into my shirt and shorts and I'll be back out."

Tom grabs Sydney's plate and walks over to the kitchen counter and sets the dishes on the counter, then walks left and walks into Nadia's room.

A few minutes later, Nadia and Sydney are seen putting the leftovers away. Nadia then hears her cell phone go off in her bedroom.

She quickly walks over to her bedroom door and opens it. She quickly stops when she sees a shirtless Tom with his back turned to her, his back scars fully exposed. Tom's standing in front of a mirror, examining his front scars, and not paying much attention to Nadia.

By now, Nadia's phone has stopped ringing. She slowly walks up behind Tom and wraps her arms around his waist. Tom, still looking in the mirror, cracks a small smile as Nadia hugs him from behind. He softly says "Hey, beautiful." Nadia smiles as she looks in the mirror at Tom and softly says back "Hey, handsome."

Tom takes a deep breath, then smiles. "I'm still handsome to you, even with these scars..." Nadia nods her head. "Of course."

Nadia then looks down and grabs Tom's right hand, which now has a smaller bandage on Tom's palm. She asks "How's your hand?" Tom looks down at it and nods. "It's healing good. Doctors were impressed with the field dressing you did. They say it's going to heal normally, probably with no scar as long as I keep Neosporin on it. That's good, because I have enough scars already."

Nadia chuckles as she spins Tom around to face her. Looking into his eyes, she says "I knew being with you gave me a solid foundation to stand on. I just didn't know how solid you really were!" As she says that, she starts grabbing Tom's arm and body a bit to accentuate her point. Tom smiles as she does that. "And speaking of solid, I knew you were strong...tough...and now I fully know where you got it from. I hate that you had to go through all that in your younger life, but you truly turned out to be something special."

Tom then grabs Nadia's other hand and looks deep into her eyes. "I love you so much, and there is nothing in this world I'd change about you." Nadia then looks at Tom with a sincere smile. "I love you, too. And there's nothing I'd change about you. You're wonderful the way you are." Tom, who looks genuinely touched by that comment, brushes Nadia's hair back behind her ear. As he does that, Nadia runs her hand through Tom's short blonde hair a bit. Then, in what's becoming her trademark, she puts her hand on the back of Tom's head and yanks it towards her so she can give him a nice, long kiss.

APO Office, the next day

Tom and Nadia walk in the front entrance together, followed closely by Vaughn and Sydney. Despite it being the morning, the four of them look like they're in a great mood.

We hear Vaughn say "And once again, Matt Damon convinces me that he can be an ass-kicking machine." Tom raises his eyebrows. "Well, you get to date the female Jason Bourne! Sydney can snap your neck and, at the same time, be one of the nicest people I've met!"

Sydney's eyes furrow at Tom. "I'm not THAT nice..." Tom steps back a bit and holds up his hands. "Whoa, whoa, Jenny Bourne!" Sydney and Vaughn start laughing at that. Nadia chuckles a bit and says "I always find it interesting watching those kind of movies, considering what we do for a living." Tom asks "Hit a little close to home for you?" Nadia laughs. "Sort of. But, I guess even spies need heroes. I wish I could do half of what Bourne can do!"

The four of them turn the corner into the APO office. Sydney and Vaughn keep walking down the hallway and wave at Tom and Nadia, who turn right down the middle hallway towards their desks at the end of the row.

As they get to their desks, Jack rushes up to their desk, alarming both Tom and Nadia somewhat. Jack quickly says "Director Chase has asked for you, Tom. She's in the office with Sloane. But, before the meeting, I wanted to let you both know about the potential Rambaldi anomaly in Tom's blood." Tom folds his arms. "You got the results back from my testing yesterday?"

Jack nods. "Yes, we have everything back. But, of course, Sloane can't know about this, so I'm telling you now. Your anomaly has been VERY active lately." Tom looks at Nadia. "Well, we've been spending more time with each other outside of APO..." Jack cuts him off. "That's probably why. We're now pretty sure that you two have 'The Connection' in your systems. Anyway, I thought you two should know. Tom, come with me."

Tom looks at Nadia and gives her a sheepish smile, fearful about the conversation that's to come. Nadia gives Tom a reassuring smile and says "It's going to be ok." Tom just nods and follows Jack into Sloane's office.

In the office, Sloane is seated behind his desk. Director Chase stands to his back-left, and Jack takes his position on Sloane's back-right. Tom walks up to a lone chair in front of Sloane's desk. Sloane then makes a hand motion towards the chair. With his usual poker face, he says "Have a seat, Tom."

Tom sits down as instructed and, to the surprise of the three, starts talking. "Before we begin, I just want to apologize to Sloane and Jack for keeping my condition a secret and leaving you in the lurch for as long as I have." Before Tom can say more, Director Chase says "Keeping Project Alloy a secret was not your final decision. You have nothing to apologize for. You were ordered to keep quiet."

Tom nods. "Very well. Anyway, I realize that my condition has caused my participation level here to be limited somewhat. And I understand this could be causing a problem. So, if I'm here to be terminated or reassigned..." Tom looks down at his shoes and now looks worried. "...I beg that you reconsider. I truly feel I have found my purpose in life here. I enjoy working here, and I don't want to leave." Tom then looks back up at Sloane, Jack, and Chase. "But, if it is indeed my fate to leave APO, then I understand, and I just want to thank everyone here for the opportunity to serve this division. That's all."

Tom then takes a deep breath and relaxes a bit. Sloane looks down at the table and doesn't say anything. Jack and Chase give each other a curious glance. Chase then turns to Tom and asks "What gave you the impression that your position here was in jeopardy?" Tom looks at Sloane and says "I know it's bothered you, Sloane, that you didn't know of my condition. And after what happened the other day in Minsk..." This time, Jack cuts him off. "We have no problem with your performance in Minsk."

Tom looks at Jack curiously. "Jack, I got captured, and if I didn't have a metal hand, myself and Nadia would be dead..." Sloane cuts Tom off now. "You'd be dead because Nadia didn't inform you about her past with Cesar. She knew what Cesar was capable of, and she should have stopped you. You didn't know about his past with Nadia, and you didn't know about his desire to kill you."

Tom shakes his head. "Nadia was afraid to tell anyone about her past, just like I was afraid to tell anyone about mine. Besides, I got over-confident..." Jack cuts Tom off again. "You were confident because you trusted that you had all the information you needed from your fellow agent and made a decision based on that information. You did nothing wrong. And your work here has been very good of late, so you have nothing to be ashamed about." Sloane immediately says "I concur with Jack. You've been very helpful to this division."

Chase then says "The subject of your termination or reassignment never even came up in our conversation. In fact, I've come to understand that you've assimilated yourself very well here, and have already earned the trust of your fellow agents. So, you're not going anywhere." Tom smiles wide. "Thank you. I'm glad to hear that."

Chase then walks up to Sloane's side. "We have all your test results back. Now, before I reveal them, I want to ask you one more time...how are you feeling physically?" Tom shrugs. "Very good. My head feels fine, the lump from the blow is almost gone. No blurred vision, no double-vision...nothing like that. As for the rest of my body, I'm feeling rather good, actually."

Chase nods his head. "That's good. Your CAT scan revealed no damage to the brain from the impact a couple days ago. In fact, doctors had a hard time finding any evidence of bruising or damage from the original accident that happened during surgery. They're giving your brain a clean bill of health. As for your physical tests, your reflexes graded out high. Everything else came back good as well, which tells us that your body has completed the recovery process from Project Alloy"

Chase then looks down at Sloane. "You wanted to take this next part, Arvin?" Sloane smirks as he looks at Chase, then back at Tom. "The CIA is lifting any medical restrictions you may have had because of the surgery. I talked with Chase, and I talked with Jack...and we feel it is best that you not only continue on with us...but that you continue with us as a full field agent."

Tom's eyes widen and his jaw drops. He lets out a chuckle...then starts laughing. He claps his hands together and hunches over. "My God...I don't believe it! Thank you! You don't know what it means to me, to no longer be considered something less than what I am!"

Sloane stands up as Tom does. Tom reaches over and shakes Jack's hand, then curiously goes around Sloane to shake Chase's hand. Then, he looks over at Sloane and extends his hand for a handshake. "Thanks for having faith in me." Sloane smirks as he shakes Tom's hand. "Keep up the good work."

Jack then hands Tom new CIA credentials. "I updated your credentials to reflect your full agent status. It goes into effect immediately." Tom looks at the credentials, which has his picture as well as details on his CIA status. He then looks at a part that says 'Medical Restrictions'. He smiles as he sees the box next to it is not checked. He grabs his old CIA credentials and holds them side to side with his new credentials. His old credentials have that box checked.

Tom then tosses his old credentials on Sloane's desk. "I won't be needing those anymore." Then, Tom walks off beaming, with his new credentials in hand.

Tom walks back to his desk, looking at his CIA credentials with an amazed look still on his face. Nadia, who was sitting at her desk, stands up and walks up to him. "Hey, how did your meeting go?" Sydney notices and walks up to Tom's desk herself. Tom notices and waits for her to get to his desk.

After she does, Tom looks at Sydney and says "I no longer have a reason to be defined by my condition anymore." Tom then looks at Nadia. "Not only am I going to stay here, but I don't have any medical restrictions anymore. I'm now a full field agent."

Nadia beams and gives Tom a hug. "Congratulations! I'm so glad for you!" Sydney pats Tom on the back. "Yeah, congratulations. I'm happy to hear that." As he's hugging Nadia, he nods his head at Sydney. "Me too...me too."

Tom releases the hug and looks at his new CIA credentials again. All he can do is smile at the face he sees looking back at him in his photo ID.

For the first time since the morning of June 6, 2003, he felt whole again.