AN: Thanks for the reviews. This is the end of the first arc (sort of). I think you'll all like what I have in mind for the second one. I am still figuring out a few of the details. I thought I'd leave one up to you. So here is a quick poll, open until the next chapter: Should I write in a grown kid for Sam? You can vote yes or no in a review or PM me with your answer. :)

Chapter 12 ~ Lifeline

Covert intelligence at the most basic level is a type of weapon. Like any weapon it can be used for good or evil, to make war or peace or to serve justice or power. It comes down to one thing: what you decide to do with it ~ Michael Westen

Fiona sat Natalie on the bed. She sat down and took a breath. "I heard what you said to Andrew," Fiona said.
"You weren't supposed to," Natalie replied.
Fiona took her daughter's hands, "I'm glad I did. Will you listen for me?" Natalie nodded. "We all love you," Fiona made sure to make eye contact, "Especially your father."
"Mom…"
"You said you'd listen. Wasn't he a good father?" Fiona pressed.
"You know he was," Natalie answered.
"Good fathers protect their children," Fiona asserted.
"I'm an adult," Natalie countered.
"You could be eighty- you'd still be our child," Fiona insisted.
"I wasn't supposed to get this old in the first place," Natalie replied, "Maybe it would have been better if the cancer had taken me."
"Do you really wish that on your father? Michael survived a lot, but losing a child? It would have completely destroyed him," Fiona stated, "Especially if he lost his little girl- you were always his favorite."
Natalie chuckled, "Dad didn't play favorites."
"I can't imagine what was going on in his head that night," Fiona said, "Maybe in that split second he thought about how much it would hurt me or your brother or…" She flicked her head. "Andrew…" Fiona mumbled. She was still getting use to that idea. "You matter to a lot of people," Fiona added. Natalie had nothing to say to that so she kept quiet. Fiona let the silence settle for a moment. She looked down at their still joined hands. "I don't think I would have ever forgiven him if he had let you die," Fiona admitted.
"Wouldn't he have done the same for Max?" Fiona questioned.
"Yes-," Natalie answered.
"Damn straight he would have- I love your brother, but he's useless with a gun," Fiona replied.
"How old was he when he saw dad get shot for the first time?" Natalie inquired.
"Four," Fiona frowned, "His aversion started there I suppose."
"Max wouldn't have gotten himself put in the position I did," Natalie sighed.
"It was the wrong place, wrong time- you were just there to have dinner with your dad. You had no idea that Jesse would show up and attack," Fiona began to ramble, "Or that he was capable for that matter. I didn't know. They had lost touch for a while and were barely civil to each other when they did speak, but-."
"Barely civil?" Natalie raised an eyebrow.
"Ok, they were fighting," Fiona conceded, "Your father never told me what those fights were about." Fiona shook her head. Natalie pressed her lips together. Before the shootout, she had been privy to one of the last fights between the men, but wasn't going to burden her mother with the details.

Andrew came back down the main stair case and looked around. Fiona nor Natalie were in the kitchen or dining room. He figured they were still talking in the master bedroom. It delayed his plans to get to his peace offering present. A box of Snezhinki cookies. They were Natalie's favorite. He keep a box tucked into the side of his bag for emergencies. Andrew went into the living room to wait for them. Who should he find stewing there on the couch, but Emilio? Andrew was thinking of backing out of the room, but Emilio had already seen him.
"If it isn't the cradle robber," Emilio got up.
Andrew set his jaw, "Emilio. I didn't see you there."
"Probably wouldn't have come in if you had," Emilio's lip curled back.
"You don't want to be around me either," Andrew replied.
"I understand you, but you're stopping Natalie from coming around me too," Emilio argued.
"Not my call," Andrew shrugged.
"Oh, so secure aren't we," Emilio taunted, "Well, Mr. Rebound, we both know Natalie still loves me."
"And how do you figure that?" Andrew asked, "That's not what Natalie's actions are showing me."
"She rode you last night- so what?" Emilio threw out, "It means nothing in the long run." Andrew's expressive face flew into incredulousness for a moment before he recovered. He threw his hands up and walked away. "We're not done here!" Emilio grabbed Andrew by his shoulder and spun him back.
Andrew removed Emilio's hand from his shoulder. "Keep your hands off of me," he stated, "We are done."
"Aw, someone is being a little bit sensitive," Emilio taunted.
Andrew huffed, "For a guy that's been trying to win Natalie back where is your respect for her?"
"I do respect Natalie," Emilio said.
"If you did you'd respect her decisions and you wouldn't talk about her like that," Andrew countered.
"And you don't?" Emilio replied.
"No," Andrew shook his head vehemently.
Emilio cocked his head, "Am I supposed to believe you're banging a smoking hot nineteen-year-old and not bragging to your boys about it?"
"I don't, but my relationship with Natalie is none of your concern," Andrew restated. He straightened his shoulders. "Maybe you should be more concerned with what I know about you," Andrew cautioned.
"Like what?" Emilio sneered.
"Like what you did to Natalie the night she dumped you," Andrew
"Guess who she called to pick her up," Andrew said, "I saw the mascara running down her checks, her cut lip, ripped clothes- you messed her up."
"She broke my nose."
"To get away from you," Andrew scoffed, "You were trying to rape her."
"I was-," Emilio began.
"Stoned?" Andrew cut him off, "Stoned, drunk or both- there is no excuse. If Mike had seen her the way I did he would have killed you on sight. I wanted to."
"Why didn't you?" Emilio challenged.
"Taking care of Natalie was more important," Andrew explained.
"I've been sober for eight months," Emilio said, "No alcohol, no drugs."
"Good for you," Andrew said, "I hope it enables you to get a life."
"I did it for her," Emilio pronounced.
"If you didn't do it for yourself it's not going to last," Andrew warned.
"Is that what you're going to tell Natalie?" Emilio snapped.
"She makes up her own mind," Andrew said.
"When it suits you," Emilio accused.
"You don't give a damn about Natalie!" Andrew declared. He threw up his hands. Andrew headed for the doorway.
"Don't walk away from me!" Andrew caught Emilio's arm before he touched him again. He brought it be behind Emilio's back. Andrew pinned the younger man to the back of the couch.
"What the hell are you doing?" Emilio said, "Don't you know who my father is?"
"Carmelo Dante," Andrew rolled his eyes, "When you get home ask daddy who Trevor Frisco was." He got up and tossed Emilio to the side. They both righted to find Fiona and Natalie standing behind them. Natalie went to Andrew wrapped her arms around him.
"He pinned me," Emilio whined.
"You were being an ass as usual," Natalie stated.
"That's not the whole story," Emilio insisted.
"Andrew has his buttons and you pushed them- you had to deal with the consequence," Natalie replied. Emilio looked to Fiona for support. She shook her head. This was Natalie's decision at hers. Emilio glared at Andrew. The hatred in his eyes did not sit well with his ex. Natalie stood in front of Andrew like a shield. "From now on stay the hell away from Andrew," she ordered. Emilio had heard her angry- this was not anger. There was no passion in her steeled eyes. She was cold except for the lethal growl that escaped her throat when she said Andrew's name.
"Fine, Miss Obvious Daddy Issues," Emilio spat. He turned to leave.

Max threw the door from the stairs to the bonus room. "Hey!" he shouted at his 'friend's' back. Emilio froze. Max sounded pissed.
"Has Elizabeth figured out what that USB device was?" Andrew asked.
"Yeah," Max threw it at Emilio, "What don't you tell them what it is?" Emilio stood silently frowning. "It was synced to your phone," Max charged.
"You little sh!t!" Natalie growled. Andrew grabbed her around her shoulders.
"Emilio," Fiona put her hands on her hips.
"What's going on?" Michael asked. He joined the group from guard duty. Paris had taken Selma to the group of her guys and Quatermaine that were the first shift going back.
"Emilio here's our little jammer," Andrew answered.
"You're sore because they caught you," Emilio retorted.
"That's not the issue here- you endangered the entire team! Natalie had no warning system, Paris' wife is waiting for him, Jason & Elizabeth have two young boys to get home to, Fiona is the only parent Max and Natalie have left, do I even have to mention Mike?" Andrew charged, "I mean you do want Natalie to be born right? I sure do."
"Max too," Natalie added.
Max did the math from his birthday in his head, "Actually, I'm good."
"Fi's already pregnant?" Michael gulped. That put a new layer of pressure on.
"Try to act surprised when I tell you," Fiona crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her eldest.
"She'll be out before I'm born," Max promised.
Michael couldn't find a response. His mind was busy trying to figure out how the hell he was going to make that happen.
"Funny thing is you didn't have to turn it on- they already had me; you were getting what you wanted without lifting a finger," Andrew said.
"Not quite," Emilio rejoined.
"I hope you got your money's worth," Andrew sneered, "You just bought yourself a ride on the first trip out of here." He shoved the teenager toward the hallway to find Paris before the first group was gone.

The family gathered in the foyer for their goodbyes. Michael was leaving in the van to ditch it and they were going home. Andrew approached first, "It was good seeing you, Mike."
"Nice meeting you," Michael shook his hand.
"I'll do my best to take care of them," Andrew promised.
"Thank you," Michael replied.
"They're family," Andrew said.
Michael turned to Max. "I miss you so much," Max hugged his father.
Fiona beat a hasty retreat out of the room. "I don't think she can say goodbye to you again," Max shoved his hands into his pockets. Michael nodded his understanding. Max stepped aside.
Natalie flung her arms around Michael. "This is so hard," she told him.
"Stick close with your mom and brother- the three of you need each other," Michael instructed. Natalie wiped away her tears and nodded.
Michael was out the front door. He made it down the two steps went he heard the door open behind him. Andrew came down to him.
"Don't forget your jacket," Andrew handed it over.
"Thanks," Michael said. With the tip of his head Andrew was gone.
Michael went to put the jacket on and an envelope fell from it. He bent down and picked it up off the ground. A man's hand had written the word ANSON across the front. "Sneaky devil," Michael muttered. More than a hunch told him this was Andrew's doing. Michael tore the envelope top. Two pieces of printer paper were folded together. He straighten them. Reading over the first one he found it to be a bank account record, complete with an account number to trace. The paper had several items highlighted as well. The other was a surveillance picture of Anson. Michael turned that one over to find a date on the back. Two days from then. He smiled and took out his cell phone. He tapped the icon for his brother. It rang twice before it was answered.
"Hey, Bro," Nate greeted, "Everything go ok?"
"Where are you?" Michael opened the driver's door and got in.
"With the guys at my place," Nate answered.
"I'll meet you there- I've got a lead on Anson," Michael slipped on his sunglasses and turned on the engine.