A/N: A long journey has finally ended. There's just one question: Should this be titled "finding a family" or "The tight lies that bind?" reader's choice. Whichever one gets more votes, wins!

One Month Later

Don sighed as he checked his paperwork twice, dotting the E as he signed his name. He waved to Colby as he walked in the door. Things were going good. A month since the madman who had raped his mother, twice, and terrorized their life, things were going much, much, better.

Don exhaled slowly and closed his eyes as he took a long sip of coffee. This would be the first day Colby and he had both been back to work. Don had taken some time off, and then Colby had, and they hadn't gotten much of a chance to talk to each other. Not that it mattered; the work had all pretty much been paperwork anyway.

Wright was taking it easy on them, Don could tell.

"How are you feeling?" Don asked as he raised his eyebrow at Colby.

"Better," Colby responded with a tired yawn. "I'm just exhausted," he admitted sheepishly. "I was kept up half the night. Samantha – that's my cousin – kept having nightmares." He grinned.

"I know we haven't gotten a chance to talk much since it all went down," Don said as he leaned against his desk.

Colby raised his hand. "Look, Don, it's okay. I'll just stay out of your life if you want me too. I'll take a transfer in DC… wherever." Colby sighed as he shoved his cell phone back in his pocket.

"That's not what I was going to say, Colby," Don responded. He sighed. He really wished he'd talked to Colby sooner. "I wish I'd believed you from day one, and I'm sorry that I didn't. But… Colby, if you want to be my brother, the door's open."

Colby seemed to stare everywhere but Don. He sighed as he looked at the floor, then at the ceiling, and finally back at Don. "I'm sorry, Don. I didn't mean to wreck your family's life by finding this out."

"Colby," Don responded, "This situation isn't your fault. You know that, right? This wreck was caused by Crane and by my mother's inability to deal with the truth twenty-two years ago."

"I know. But I kinda feel like…"

"I wish I'd known the truth, Colby. You shouldn't have been put in this situation. Mom should have never given you up," Don responded. "Look, half brother or not, Alan has been more of a father to me – and to you – then this guy Crane ever was."

A small smirk formed on Colby's lips. "We both got an experience of what living with the guy was like, didn't we?"

"Yeah, and he's a psychopath I'd rather not have Charlie be around," Don responded. "Listen, Colby. You should come Friday to my house. Charlie and I are getting together and watching football."

"Football?" Colby asked, his grin real for what felt like the first time in months.

"Yeah, football. You know, since it's a sport you actually like, Idaho-head," Don teased as he nudged Colby playfully.

"It's the only real sport, anyway," Colby said with a smile. "I mean, baseball? Seriously, you guys want to watch them throw around a ball at the plates for hours?"

David smiled as he glanced at Nikki. "Looks like Don got his brother back," he responded with a smile.

"Looks like Colby gained a family," she added.

There was just one major obstacle, David knew, to gaining a family for Colby. That was Alan's acceptance. He sighed, wishing the man would recognize Colby as his son, or at least re-ignite the relationship that Colby had with Alan before.

## - ##

"My family seems to like the koi a lot," Alan responded with a smile as he sat down next to Colby as he watched the fish swim. "They seem very fond of contemplating them. I've also noticed that my family likes to spend a lot of time in the garage."

Colby sighed as he leaned back. "So is this it, then? Where you tell me that I'd be better off not in LA?"

"No, Colby. Look; I should have never said those things that I did when I found out you were my son. It's just that; our son, Colby, he died to us years ago. I couldn't bring myself to hope again." Alan sighed as he looked at the ground. "And you do realize," he added with a smirk, "that we actually named you Colbert?" he responded with a smile.

"Colbert?" Colby asked with a raise of his eye. "Why on earth did you name me that?"

"Oh, there is a long, long story behind that one," Alan responded.

"Well, Dad," Colby said with a smile, "I've got plenty of time."

Alan smiled back at Colby. "Welcome home, son."