14

*"What's the first thing a New Yorker notices about L.A.?" –David Sinclair

"No good pizza." - Megan Reeves

"Okay, what's the second thing?" - David Sinclair

Season 2, Episode 21: Rampage*

*Hours Later*

As the sun slowly climbs its way above the horizon and casts its golden glow upon the city, Robin marvels at how something so mundane and familiar could feel so different...so...corrupted. However, listening to Ian talk all night, Robin realised that it wasn't the city that had changed it was her. Or at least something inside of her. It felt strange, like she was only just waking up from a really long sleep.

Not a whole lot had really happened in the last few hours, Ian had talked, Robin had listened...oh what he'd had to say! Maybe it was the city that had changed because Robin certainly felt like everything she had ever known...ever trusted...was somehow tainted now. All her life, she had worked to uphold the law. She had believed in the whole 'truth and justice' thing, and to have Ian tell her that it was all just some line? Made up by the Government? Because who knew how deep PR's roots went. From what Ian had to say they went pretty far…God listen to her, the conspiracy nut!

"Have you thought about what I asked you earlier?" Ian asks politely, gently waking her from her reverie, she didn't know how long he had given her to think, but from the sun's steady climb upwards a few hours had passed. Ian's patience astonished her.

"Tell me...what do you see when you look out the window?" Robin asks quietly, skirting the question, though not intentionally as she was still trying to process everything.

"I don't understand the question," Ian replies robotically as he stares at her in confusion. For the first few hours he had talked to her cautiously, like something as fragile as a porcelain doll or as unstable as a grenade that had lost its pin.

"It all looks the same," She muses quietly, "but it's not..."

"I guess I've lived in too many war zones to notice," Ian ponders thoughtfully.

"LA is hardly a war zone," Robin chastises gently as she turns her head to look out the window once more. The sun was just poking out above the tallest buildings and Robin was dazzled by its light.

"Isn't it?" Ian quirks his eyebrow up suggestively as he too quietly turns to take in the sunrise.

"I guess it is, just not by your usual standards," She admits reluctantly as she turns her face to consider Ian's profile, so calm…so unmoved.

"I guess I just gave up believing that this sort of thing doesn't happen. That our Government doesn't let it happen. You work for enough intelligence agencies over the years and you come to realise that we only ever really see the tip of the iceberg; the stuff that they can't stop from leaking. People, weapons, secrets, they can all be traded…everything has a price and back ally deals happen with or without our knowledge every single day."

"That's quite a jaded point of view," Robin whispers surprised at the bitter edge to Ian's voice. "What's happened to you between now and leaving LA last? You look thinner…"

"I've always been this cynical Robin; but you're right. Your husband once asked me if I ever get tunnel vision being on a man hunt for this long. I laughed him off, told him I don't. Hunting chose me you see, it's my life…it's literally my job to put my head inside the mind of a killer and on occasion…like in this case…play the part of one…I'm just worried that…"

"You're worried that the whole thing has tainted you somehow…that it's corrupting you," Robin finishes the sentence for him. "Funny…I was looking out the window just now thinking the same thing. Has the rest of the world changed? Or just me?"

"Does that mean that you've thought about what I've asked?"

"You made your case quite perfectly. You tried to speak to the rational part of me that knows that what you ask is the best and most logical solution to the situation at hand," Robin smiles ruefully for the first time in a long time. "You would have made a good lawyer; it really was a spectacular closing argument."

"But?"

"Have you ever lost someone Ian? Someone you loved more than life? Is there a woman out there that you grieve for?"

"Once…a life time ago…in another city in another part of the world when I was but a young recruit in the army…there was such a person. What's your point?"

"My point is that if you could go a few minutes down the road, knock on a door and know that they will answer the door…would you listen to anyone who tells you that the logical thing is to go home, forget about ever being there and carry on pretending to yourself and the rest of the world that you are still in the dark?" Reaching across the table, Robin takes Ian's rough hands in hers. "He may not have actually been dead…but to me, for the past six months he has. I've missed him, I would play the 'what if' game till I would fall asleep…playing my last words to him over and over again in my head. Do you know what those words were Ian?"

"No."

"Neither do I."

"But…"

"I took a phone call. Before the conference Brandon ran over to Don but I took a phone call. I don't think I even saw him properly that morning. My last words were probably no more profound than 'don't forget to get milk on your way home'."

"But you know now that those won't be your last words to him, I'm just asking you to postpone the scolding so that Don doesn't get distracted when he most needs to be focused," Ian tries to reason with her but Robin was already shaking her head as she smiled sadly.

"Because what you are doing is dangerous. My family's lives are on the line. I know."

"Then you know that I don't ask this of you to be cruel."

"Ian. What if he dies for real?"

"What?"

"What if I do as you ask? I go home; I pretend that I am none the wiser. Don goes out on one of your little spying sessions, is made and shot for real. What if he dies for real and I had a chance to see him now and didn't. I can't go back to wondering what my last words were. I'm sorry…but I need to see him. Surely you can see that?"

"I can. But for the record…if it was me…if I knew that Talia was a few minutes down the road and I could knock on a door and she would answer it. I wouldn't go."

"That's easy for you to say…"

"It's true. If I knew going there and seeing her would put her safety in jeopardy…as hard as it would be…I'd walk away." Ian whispers sadly as he pulls his hands back. "And I'm not just saying that to get you to do what I want. I really did walk away."

"…is she?"

"Dead…no. She lives in Baltimore. She works at John Hopkins as head of Trauma. She has a husband now, two kids and a dog. She's happy and has the life she always wanted…that we always wanted."

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. I wanted that once…but two tours in Afghanistan and the man who came back wasn't the one who left. You have a choice to make…sounds like you've made it. But in case…here is my number. I will keep you updated when I can."

"Where are you going?"

"To Gary's, we need to deal with James's body…"

"…Ok."

"Ok what?" Ian asks confused as he pulls on his jacket ready to leave.

"Marc will have gotten home ages ago and Brandon will be worried sick about me. I should really go home."

"Thank you Robin."

"I guess my rationality won out, it's why I make such a good lawyer."

"I'll walk you back to your car," Ian nods sadly as Robin pulls on her coat and follows him out of the old diner. They were lucky that it was a twenty-four hour one for they had spent the whole night talking. Robin was just worried about how long that luck would last.

Don't you dare die on me!

Leading the way, Ian walks briskly from the small diner back to Robin's car, anxious to be on his way again. Convincing her to not see Don had taken longer than expected and had been more emotionally draining than he'd thought it would be...what's this a conscience? Shaking his head, Ian shoves his hands deep in his pockets and ups the pace, he needed to go home and change before meeting Gary to bury James's body...sheesh, when had sentences like that become so normal too him? Either way he was too tired to ponder it now...

Watching conflicted, mouth set to a grim line, Ian stops by Robin's car and waits patiently as she makes for the driver's side. There wasn't really anything left to say, and yet Ian felt compelled to say something. "Thank you Rob," He grunts embarrassedly, stopping her in her tracks as she opens the driver's door to get in. "I know I ask too much..."

"No," She shakes her head understandingly, "You ask just enough." Closing the door, Robin walks back over to Ian until their bodies are only separated by the slightest of margins. "It's ok, honestly...just do me a favour and keep him alive ok? There is a reckoning to be had but...ultimately I just want him home. Deal?"

"Deal!" Smiling his relief, Ian reaches out and gives her shoulders a gentle squeeze and is surprised when Robin takes a step forward, stands up on her tip toes and kisses him briefly on his stubbled jaw.

"What was that for?" He asks confused, as she opens the car door once more and climbs inside.

"You're a good man Ian Edgerton; don't let your doubts tell you otherwise. Sometimes it's possible that what feels like the wrong thing is actually the right thing to do."

"Who said that?"

"My father."

"Should have known, it sounded too much like a lawyer's logic," Ian smiles ruefully as he closes the door for her and waves her off as she pulls out of the motel's small car park and into the early morning downtown traffic.

Turning around to head to Don's motel room to touch base quickly, Ian is shocked to find Gary blocking his path. "Gary?"

"Hello kid, I think we need to have a little chat about a few things, don't you?" Gesturing at Ian's jeep, Gary motion's for Ian to get in.

"We're you following me?" Ian asks afraid, his heart beating a million beats per second as his tired and scrambled brain races to work out how much Gary could have seen or heard.

"I introduced you to three of the biggest players in PR last night, you honestly didn't think we would let you sit at the table and then not check up on where you go next? Did you?"

"You just surprised me, that's all," Ian replies reluctantly between gritted teeth as he tosses up his options. His cover was either blown or it wasn't, either way he didn't really have a choice but to get in the car with Gary. "Do you want to drive or should I?" He adds in a way that he hopes sounds unconcerned of Gary's choice. Secretly he wanted to drive because he knew he had a pistol taped to the underneath of his steering wheel for easy access…you know, worst case scenario and all that…

"You can drive," Gary smiles, though it's hard for Ian's tired brain to work out if it's genuine or not.

"Sure thing," Ian forces a smile on his face as he climbs into the jeep and turns on the ignition. "Where to?"

"How about that little spot we went too when we first discussed your role in PR? Seems appropriate," Gary smiles again, this time with a hint of steel. There was something he wasn't saying, like he was hinting at a joke that Ian wasn't privy to.

"Appropriate how?" Ian asks confused as he climbs in the car and feels with his knee to check that the gun was still there. Phew, it was.

"You'll see when you get there. In the meantime, you know I have to ask."

"Ask what?"

"You and Robin. How long has that been going on?"

"What exactly do you think is going on?"

"I think that you are banging the wife of the man you killed to get into PR."

"Is that a problem?" Ian replies nonchalantly whilst his brain scrambles to put together a believable lie.

"It might be," Gary replies cryptically but refuses to elaborate.

Ian was convinced that his cover couldn't be blown but just in case his hand never strayed far from his concealed pistol, he was driving out to a remote field after all and Ian was never one to take chances.

Closing the door gently behind her, Robin listens quietly for a moment to the sounds of her children's laughter as they go about making their breakfast and to the general noise of them getting ready for school. Her heart pinches with pride at the thought and not for the first time that night she wonders about how she would explain everything to Gracie. Marc and Brandon already knew, and she was cross about that, but more so at Don for putting them in the middle and ultimately for pulling them into his web of lies than at them for lying.

But Gracie...how was Robin going to explain to her sweet little Gracie that her father was just pretending to be dead to catch some really bad men? She supposed she would just have to go about it like that, she knew once Gracie was in her father's arms again she wouldn't care about the why or how of it all, just that her father was alive and home. She was very much her daddy's girl.

For the most part that was what Robin wanted too. Just to be held by him again, to kiss him and have him home, her heart could think of nothing better...but she wasn't five years old, her world wasn't full of absolutes and Don's absence had hurt her. It hurt her pride, it hurt her heart and ultimately it had hurt their family. Don would have to answer for that before Robin would so readily forgive him...

"...Mom?" Marc asks quietly, bringing her back to the present.

"Marc..." Robin replies hesitantly as she takes in her tall son's tense posture, unsure of what to say next.

"Where have you been?" Marc asks eventually, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen between them. Usually Robin had no trouble communicating with her eldest son but this was different, now there were secrets between them and Robin hated Don for that, she also hated Ian for asking her to keep up the lie. No wonder Marc and her relationship had suffered, if he felt even the slightest bit as awkward hiding Don's secrets as she did...well she could understand that he might choose to just say nothing at all...oh Marc!

"I was at the office," she replies eventually, and her heart breaks as she sees the slightest pinch of doubt that crosses his face. He knows...her mind races as her heart begins to beat faster in her fragile chest. He must do...how could he not? Her lies were probably written all over her face! "There was an emergency...it took longer than expected..." She adds lamely and is disappointed to see Marc's distrust only deepen as he seems to stop and openly study her face for traces of lies. She knew that he was only looking out for his family, much like Ian claimed Don was, but that didn't mean it didn't break her heart to see naked suspicion on her own son's face!

"What sort of emergency?" He asks after what feels like a decade of silence.

Standing there in the hallway, under Marc's doubtful frown, Robin feels exposed, it was all she could do to try and hold on to her composure. You are a world class Lawyer! She chastises herself furiously; lying is your bread and butter! So lie better!

"That's confidential," she replies sternly, adding an edge to her voice that would put an end to the line of questioning. She was the parent god damn it! Not some rouge teenager that was trying to sneak in the next morning!

Backing down immediately Marc stands up straight and hovers uncertainly in the doorway, his act of bravado falling, revealing a mixture of hurt and regret. "Sorry," He mumbles gruffly as he looks anywhere but at her. "I was just really worried."

"Darling," She whispers sadly as she rushes to embrace her son. He may be eighteen, but he would always be her baby boy. "I'm sorry I worried you. I told Brendan where I was going though."

"I know but he said you were only supposed to be gone for a couple of hours and then you were gone all night!" She couldn't see his face as it was pressed tightly against her shoulder but Robin heard the definite wobble to his tone.

"Oh Marc," She sighs as realisation hits. He'd thought PR had done something. Ian said that they had people watching the house. What if they had found out about Don and taken Robin? No wonder he had looked so scared. "I'm fine baby. In fact I'm pretty beat…could you please take your brother and sister to school for me?"

"Of course," Stepping back Marc coughs and looks down to hide the unshed tears in his eyes. "Sleep well and…and dream big."

Smiling a watery smile, Robin fights the urge to cry. That was what she always said when she'd bid him goodnight as a boy. She hadn't heard Marc say it in a long time. Maybe this could be the start of trying to get Marc back on track with school…"I will," She nods as she moves over to the stairs before stopping on the first step. "Marc?" She asks hesitantly.

"Yeah mom?"

"Promise me you will start upping your game at school. I have no doubt you will be a great FBI agent one day. But school needs to come before any extracurricular activities…you still need to pass first."

"I promise," Marc replies embarrassed before sending her a suspicious look. He looked like he wanted to ask her about what she knew of his 'extracurricular activities' but thinks better of it and exits into the kitchen to round up his siblings instead.

"Sorry Marc," She whispers sadly as she hides Marc's phone in her pocket. She had picked his pocket during the hug. She didn't know why she'd done it…but then she didn't know why instead of heading upstairs she heads to the front door either. Making sure to close the door quietly behind her, Robin quickly heads down the street towards Gracie's favourite playpark, carefully watching about her the whole way to make sure that she isn't followed. When had this become her life?

You have a lot to answer for Mr Eppes!

Pulling to a stop next to the old familiar dirt road, Ian has to silently remind himself to play it cool. After some gentle probing, Ian was about seventy percent sure that his cover was still intact. What could he say? He'd faced worse odds before...in fact from the little he had managed to glean over the duration of the car journey it seemed that the reason Gary was so troubled was because he thought that Ian was carrying out an illicit 'relationship' with Robin.

After replaying the night's events over and over again in his mind's eye, he could see why Gary would have come to that conclusion...Ian was just unsure why it seemed to be plaguing the old Lieutenant so much. Sure on the face of it Ian could see that dating the wife of the man he had supposedly murdered in cold blood might make him look like a monster, but in this world there were only monsters. If he had been a betting man he would have said that Gary would be impressed by Ian's blasé attitude towards ethics, but that didn't seem to be the case this time and Ian's tired brain just couldn't work out why?

Relaxing in his seat, Ian pulls up the handbrake and turns to face his troubled mentor. "Look I can see that the whole Robin thing has thrown you for six, but you should know that she doesn't mean anything to me. I have an itch and she scratches it. If it's that much of a problem, consider it finished."

"It's not that," Gary shakes his head thoughtfully as he considerers his next words carefully. "You should know that I had my reservations about you. When you first joined...I had doubts."

"I expected as much," Ian smiles ruefully at Gary's discomfort. Say what you will for PR and the whole scandal of a group of dirty agents, cops and politicians...Ian had grown to respect the old Lieutenant. It was a shame that they had to find themselves on opposite sides, had the circumstances been different he was sure that they could have been friends. "I wasn't born yesterday; however, I knew that if I was to have a place in PR I would have to prove my loyalty."

"And prove it you have, in fact Sacco was very impressed with what he saw. You didn't flinch Ian and Rob has a need for men who don't flinch."

"Are you saying that Rob is the head of PR?"

"No, but you don't get any closer kid."

"So…what now?"

"Well as you were witness to last night, a seat has just become vacant at the table...and it's yours if you want it." Gary smiles proudly, if not a little hesitantly.

"That's a good thing though...isn't it?" Ian asks confused as he plays subconsciously at a loose thread on the bottom of his steering wheel.

"Yes..."

"Then why do you look so unhappy about it?" Ian frowns as Gary sighs sadly before turning to look Ian in the eye.

"I am happy about it kid. I knew from the off that if you were legit that you would go far...I guess I've just come to rely on you. A seat at the table means you get your own piece of the pie to manage. I will no longer be your handler."

"Oh..." Ian whispers as Gary's words begin to slowly sink in. PR was offering him a leading role. A chance to step up and be the man they believed him to be. They were offering him a controlling interest. And it was a surprisingly tempting offer...if he was only dirty for real…but he wasn't.

Forcing a grin, Ian turns to his mentor and gives him a gentle tap on the shoulder. "We'll still see each other," he laughs softly as Gary gives him a mocking rap on the back of his head.

"I know that you loon!" Gary laughs in reply, didn't mean it didn't hurt him any less, Ian was very much the son Gary had always wished for.

"So…what is my piece of the pie?" Ian asks once the pair had finished laughing and an air of lucidity had returned once more to the cab of Ian's jeep.

"Well you did such a good job with the Esteban mission that Rob thinks that you should take control of the farms and the harvest."

"What about the delivery of goods? Does that fall into my slice?"

"Usually we try to keep the two unrelated, but Rob see's potential in you kid. Your plan to have Esteban's case thrown out, whilst recovering a taste of the goods and then redistributing those goods by turning Esteban into an asset, showed a level of higher thinking that Sacco admired. He says the boss wants to see what you can make of the farms if he puts you in charge of everything. This is a big deal. The boss must really trust you." Gary replies a little awed by the whole request.

"He doesn't trust me enough to meet me though," Ian replies sourly, unable to keep the level of unhappiness at being left in the dark from his voice.

"Few have," Gary admits reluctantly before adding, "I unfortunately am not one of those few."

"You too?" Ian asks surprised as Gary nods sadly.

"It's important that his identity remain a mystery. In fact it's important that most people are unaware of any not directly involved with their cell. Should a link in the chain break or go rouge, he can't take more than his team and immediate superior out. PR survives. The boss is the only one who knows every cog in his machine."

"So what is it about mine and Robin's...time together that has you so worried?" Ian asks confused not seeing why Gary should still be tense about the whole thing.

"Esteban is stepping out of line. You need to nip it in the bud now. You need to make good on your threat to his sister."

"I'm not really going to rape and torture Esteban's sister," Ian replies incredulously. He knew he should probably just pretend to go along with it and help the sister disappear but having already taken that risk with the desk clerk James had brought up at the poker game, Ian was hesitant to try and trick them all again.

"Nor do I expect you to. Don't worry Ian, I know that you will do what's necessary, but that's not necessary yet. I just want you to start dating her. Get in her life. Get real cosy with her, show Esteban that you weren't kidding when you told him his family isn't safe from you."

"Now that I can do."

"And Ian...whilst I personally don't care who...scratches your...er...itch...Sacco would. End it. You'll only be putting Robin in danger if you don't."

"You're right of course," Ian stifles a sigh as he pulls out his mobile and punches in Robin's number. "Shame though, She really is a good lay," Ian adds crudely as he presses the call button and places the phone next to his ear.

"Ian?" Her soft voice comes hesitantly from the other end of the line. "...Everything ok?"

"Yeah...look I'm sorry Rob, but we can't see each other anymore."

"Ian...I don't understand...where is this all coming from?"

"I just have business outside the city to be getting on with...its time I move on from LA...look we both knew this was just a bit of fun...two lost souls in need of comfort..."

"Comfort...?"

"Yeah so if you have anything in the room you want to get I suggest you get it now...I'll be back in a few hours and there isn't really a point in having a long good bye."

"Don't worry nothing of mine will be there when you get back." She replies stiffly and then hangs up. Ian wasn't sure if she had gotten his hidden meaning but by the look of incredulous disbelief on Gary's face, at least he hadn't.

"Wow, we really need to talk about your skills with the ladies," Gary laughs gruffly. "You won't charm Esteban's sister that way."

"I'm just bad at goodbyes," Ian shrugs unconcerned as Gary starts getting out of the car. "Where are you off to?"

"We still need to bury James's body," Gary grimaces uncomfortably as he motions for Ian to get out of the car too. "Welcome to PR's graveyard kid."

"You brought me to PR's graveyard the night I gave you the file to burn?" Ian raises an eyebrow as he gets out of the car and follows Gary up the old beaten path.

"Good thing you were legit eh?" Gary only laughs in reply as he grabs a shovel that had been left besides a small mound of bin liners.

"Is that James?" Ian asks uncomfortably as he also takes a shovel and starts helping Gary to dig a trench in the ground.

"Yeah, Sacco and the Senator left him here for us on their way out of town."

"That was nice of them..." Ian frowns distastefully as he notices the body is in several different bags...they had chopped up the body...

"I didn't take you for the squeamish type," Gary pauses and looks up at Ian, suspicion in his tired old eyes.

"I'm not; I'm just thinking about how low to dig the whole."

"Just keep going till I tell you to stop. I'm quite practiced at this now, I can tell just from sight."

I'm sorry James, Ian curses silently as he never loses pace with Gary and eventually starts lowering the bags in piece by piece. I promise to come back and give you a proper burial.

*Meanwhile*

"Don't worry nothing of mine will be there when you get back." Hanging up the phone, Robin takes a moment to consider Ian's message. He wanted her to clear out the motel room. Was his cover blown? Was Don's cover blown? She didn't think so...at least Ian hadn't sounded like he was in trouble.

"What did Ian want?"

"He told me to clear out the motel room; I think he wanted me to warn you that it's been compromised."

"Walker...he must have followed Ian after the game..."

"He did act like he was breaking up with me...maybe Gary saw us together this morning and put two and two together and got four..."

"What were you doing that he might think you were an item?" Don asks jealously as Robin only waves away his concerns with a dismissive flick of her wrist.

"Don he only gave us a couple hours, we need to go, now."

"We can use my car."

"You got a new car?"

"It's a rental," Don shrugs as he stands up and turns to offer Robin his hand.

"Of course it is," She replies sarcastically as she ignores his hand and pushes herself up off the bench.

"I thought we agreed to fight later and put the case first," Don replies quietly, his tone betraying the hurt he felt from her cutting remark even if his face didn't.

"We did, you're right," Robin sighs tiredly. "Lead the way."

Moving quickly out of the park, always looking around themselves to make sure that they weren't followed, Don leads Robin over to a black Chevy SS and opens the passenger side for her.

"Nice car," she sniffs gruffly as she climbs inside and waits for him to make his way over to the driver's side.

"Ian recommended it. I wanted a monster that looks like it's wearing a suit," Don laughs and Robin hates herself for the way her heart flutters at the sound. She had really thought she would never hear it again...it didn't matter how much she had strained her ears or her mind, she'd never been able to quite recreate it in her memory and the realisation had rocked her severely. "What's wrong?" Don asks concerned as he turns the ignition on and turns to reverse out of the parking space, catching a glimpse of her face in the process.

"He said that he was going out of town."

"Who?"

"Ian."

"Did he sound like we should be worried about that?"

"No..."

"Then it's probably a PR thing, Ian will make contact when he can," Don shrugs as he gets them onto the freeway headed for downtown LA.

"How can you be so calm about it all?"

"I've had six months of practice...Rob..."

"Later," Robin shakes her head sadly as she realises that whilst she had undergone some changes these past six months, so had he.

As they arrive at the motel, and Robin goes inside for the first time, she's amazed by what she sees. Don had moved the motel's furniture around, evidence of which could be seen on the faded wallpaper. "It's like you've created a little war room," She muses as she takes in the piles of boxes that she assumed were filled with files, and the massive mural on the wall. Photographs of several men and women covered the wall with lines of red twine linking them together. Looking closely, Robin realises that she recognises a large number of the people pinned to the wall. Worst of all she counted several of them as friends. If she hadn't seen the mural for herself, she never would have believed any of it. She still didn't entirely. "Are all of these people definitely PR?"

"Yes," Don replied candidly, not willing to sugar coat it for her. The unconfirmed ones are in that box there."

"And the other boxes?"

"All confirmed. They are all filled with people not deemed high enough to play any significant role in PR. The plan is to flip them against the higher ups later. That's more your department though."

"You're already thinking that far ahead?"

"Yes because we're close Robin. We only need the name of the boss and his top lieutenants and PR is finished." Don smiles faintly as he joins Robin at the base of the mural. Six months of hard labour and they still didn't know who the top brass were...but he was sure that the poker game would reveal a lot. He just needed to get a hold of Ian for a debrief first...

"You make it all sound so simple," Robin frowns disbelievingly as she turns to face Don.

"In theory it is," Don replies hesitantly as he turns to regard her as well. "Ian went to a poker game last night that we think might have had some of PR's top people."

"I know," She replies quietly, "He told me last night," She adds when he quirks his eyebrow at her in silent question.

"We were hoping that the game might mean that Ian was finally penetrating the top level of PR."

"It was...he told me last night that he met four of PR's top lieutenants."

"Did he give you their names?"

"Yes...Don...they shot James."

"Fuck..." Don hisses angrily as he rocks back on his heels, as his face drains of all colour. "I think it's my fault..."

"How? What did you do?" Robin asks confused as she reaches out to reassure him but drops her hand at the last second.

"He wanted out, but I forced him to go back in one last time. We needed the game to go without a hitch...we were so close to ending it all...I should have listened to his concerns...I just...I couldn't have anything look amiss at the game."

"It's not your fault Don...we all make choices...James was clearly walking a very thin line before you and Ian ever got involved."

"That's a very black and white way of looking at it," Don replies surprised at the hard edge in Robin's tone. That hadn't been there before...did he do that?

"Well a lot has happened in six months. Maybe I'm tired of living in so many shades of grey."

"Rob...you've got to know...I never thought that we'd be doing this for so long..."

"And by 'we' you mean, you, Ian, Brandon, Marc, Charlie, Colby and Amita?" She replies angrily as she steps back and folds her arms tightly around her.

"That's not fair, I didn't involve them...they worked it out."

"So as per usual you thought you could do it all alone," She snaps as the flood gates open and all of her resentment comes pouring out.

"That's not it at all!" Don replies affronted as he takes a step towards Robin but stops when he sees her eyes flash a warning to back off. "Didn't Ian tell you? We were trying to keep you all safe!"

"By keeping us in the dark? People were watching our family!"

"But they never did more than watch, I made sure of that."

"Exactly, once again you thought that you were the only one who could protect this family."

"I know that you are more than capable of protecting our family," Don whispers apologetically as he sits down on the bed, watching her warily from across the room. He had known that he couldn't expect her forgiveness for his actions, but he had always thought she'd understand them...but now he could see he'd hurt her too much for that. "It's why I didn't tell you to leave LA." He finishes lamely.

"That's easy enough to say now."

"Rob...I know I've hurt you," Don replies sadly, hanging his head in shame. "I know that I shouldn't expect your forgiveness, hell that I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness...but you told me that you didn't want anything to do with the file. You knew it was bad news but you gave it to me anyway."

"That's because I trusted you!" She shouts angrily as Don looks up surprised.

"And what? You don't now?"

"I...no...no Don. I'm sorry, but I don't."

"Then I don't think that there is anything left to say. Let's just get these boxes in the car and get out of here."

"I'll take down the wall."

"Take some pictures first."

"Yes sir," Robin mumbles sarcastically under her breath as she snaps a few pictures with her phone as Don starts taking some boxes out to the car.

"Don...this man..." She waves at him as he comes back into the room.

"Rob Sacco?"

"He was one of the ones at the poker game last night."

"Sacco? But he's just a forensic accountant for the FBI. We knew he had ties to PR but we figured he was just low enough that he would be one of the ones we would try to flip on the top brass. Why would someone like him be invited to the poker game?"

"Because he's not just a forensic accountant for the FBI!" She replies enthusiastically as she tears the picture off of the wall to look at it closer up.

"What do you mean? Do you know him?"

"Yes, many...many years ago when I was an associate in my father's law firm. Only Rob Sacco wasn't his name back then."

"Who was he?" Don asks curiously as he comes up behind her to look at the picture over her shoulder and for the first time that morning, Robin didn't shy away from his presence.

"Marland Bevin."

"I can see why he changed the name," Don replies jokily as she turns to face him excitedly.

"Yeah, that and the impending criminal charges he was facing. Marland Bevin was an infamous money launderer for the South Kings gang in New York City. Well...actually he was more than a money launderer; he was more like the gang's private financer, the 'consigliere' so to speak."

"What happened?"

"He skipped town before we could arrest him," Robin replies softly as her nose scrunches up with remembered frustration. "It was believed that he fled the country and was living off his millions in some non-extradition country somewhere."

"How did he manage that?" Don asks interestedly as he battled to ignore her closeness and the effect it was having on his mind and body.

"We think he had someone helping him from the inside."

"A cop?"

"Cop, FBI, ATF, we could never prove anything for definite. We had a few agencies working together on a joint task force.

"So a member of that team could well be connected to PR now?" Don thinks aloud.

"That's a bit of a stretch don't you think?"

"Is it? Corruption in both New York and LA and they both happen to have the same money man? No I don't think it's a leap at all. The FBI does thorough background checks one everyone. He couldn't be an agent unless someone made that happen. Someone from inside the FBI. I mean what if he never left the country at all?"

"So you think that the operation in New York was never shut down? But moved to LA?"

"Crazier things have happened," Don shrugs as he runs the logic through his head. "What if the South Kings Gang was being overseen by the...PR 1.0? When you shut it down PR 2.0 sprung up some years later in LA..."

"So whoever was on the task force back then would have to be here in LA now," Robin muses, joining him in his crazy reasoning. "It could narrow down the list a little."

"I know it's a stretch. But Charlie has taught me to never ignore coincidences. When we are done here we should get investigating Bevin or Sacco or whoever he is. People don't just disappear."

"We?" Robin asks surprised as she looks up at Don, her mouth so close to his. They had somehow drifted together in all the excitement. He could feel the warmth of her body, even though they were standing slightly apart.

"You were right. I'm not the only one who can protect this family...and I could really do with your help...Robin...I need you."

"In that case I think we need to go on a little road trip," Robin smiles as she steps away from him, taking the warmth with her as she starts dismantling the wall once more.

"Where?" He asks gruffly as he tries to concentrate on what she's saying.

"You think I store copious amounts of records, you haven't seen my father's library."

"New York? That's going to be a long drive..."

"Well it sounds to me like New York holds more answers right now than LA...so it's up to you," Robin replies hesitantly. It was hard for Don to tell whether it was at the prospect of being stuck in a car with him for hours on end or just the long journey that had her worried.

"Ok, well we'll finish up here and then hit the road. Do you think that your mother will mind looking after the kids whilst we are gone?"

"She moved in with me during this whole mess, she won't mind keeping an eye on the kids."

"Then lets hurry, you can call her from the road."

Making quick work of clearing out the room and righting the furniture, Don and Robin were on the road headed for New York before noon. It wasn't at all what Robin had expected to be doing with her morning, but then she was learning quickly how to roll with the punches.

God she just hoped that they were right!