Hello, faithful readers. If you've come this far, you really are faithful, and you are much appreciated!

If you are unfamiliar with the Tom Quinn/Adam Carter part of the Spooks/MI5 background of the story, I suggest you type in "Spooks/MI5 Tom's Decommissioned" in youtube and watch the scene as I've added my own twist to that scene in this chapter.

As always, I do not own any BBC characters - only my Genevieve and my plot line. Thanks to those who take the time to review. Silence may be golden but reviews are priceless! ;)


Parting from Lucas a second time was one of the hardest things Genevieve had ever done. But his safety from the TIMErs was all that mattered, and Gene felt confident that she had secured that. No one would look for him there. A British arrogance in the TIMEr hierarchy concerning the insignificance of the time and place that Gene had chosen would ensure that no one would look for him there.

Now she was back in Scotland driving from Plockton to her small house on Loch Duich. Technically it was just a few hours after her and Guy's departure to find Lucas. In all the stress and danger surrounding the last few days for her, it would have been easy to forget Adam Carter, the blond imp who had been at their sides throughout it all, but Gene refused to do that. The lad had become so important in their lives that Gene didn't know what she would do without him. She hated that she hadn't told him about the plan to save Lucas, but Guy had been fiercely protective of the blonde boy. But now that it was done, she was sure that Adam would stay and help her watch over Guy in his imprisonment. Adam was clever, adapted well to new situations, and was amazingly trustworthy and loyal. She could set up a cover for herself and Adam as mother and son. Together they could keep each other sane as they dealt with the absence of both Guy and Lucas. Yes, Adam was irreplaceable being her anchor to her life in Nottingham for those few short months when she was truly happy.

She pulled into the drive of her small loch side house which was built into the ground with grass for a roof. Stepping down to the front door, Genevieve unlocked it and entered finding Dr. Cameron sitting at the kitchen bar facing the door. A cup of tea on the bar was left untouched and had gone cold. Gene called for Adam and looked around for him but only an eerie silence answered her.

Dr. Cameron looked up at Gene, "I'm sorry, old gel. He was determined that he could do something to help. And who was I to stop him?"

Gene looked at her friend in shock and disbelief, "Oh, Cameron, what the hell have you done?"

Four years had past since Guy's capture, but the some of his roughest days were in the beginning. Although his body was in shock from the harsh conditions, Guy's torment came from the anxious feeling in the pit of his stomach about the fates of Lucas and Genevieve. Then one day Guy found a message on a small bit of paper in his cell. All it said was, "He is safe," but Guy breathed a sigh of relief for his son. Knowing that he wasn't truly alone was also a comfort to him. Gene watched over him, and he trusted no one with his life more than her.

Finding an old tattered copy of William Blake's poetry in his first month of captivity was also a salvation for Guy. He connected with the words and pictures relishing the irony as Blake's "Ancient of Days" was tattooed across his chest. If anyone had earned that symbol, it was him. And even though hundreds of years separated these new tattoos from his first one on his right arm, the one that Robin Hood had sliced through and that the Sheriff had burned away, the process of the art was essentially the same – primitive and painful.

Guy suspected Gene of leaving the book, but there was no way to confirm his thought. He simply tried to get by – day by day with only hope and love to sustain him. Somehow, when his resolve was the weakest there would be another note. The ones that cheered him the most simply said, "I love you."

The only way he survived the brutalities of the Russian prison was by thinking of Gene, Lucas, and Adam. The thoughts of his wife and child safe and sound bought him sanity in a hell that broke men on a daily basis. He grinned to himself. He and Genevieve had never actually married, but his mind and soul claimed her as his wife. Guy vowed if he ever got out of this alive that he would declare it in front of God and the world that he loved that woman. He also thought of Adam and felt comfort in the belief that Gene and Adam would take care of each other and not be alone as he was.

Life in the prison was not unlike the one he had left not so long ago. Strength and position were valued while any show of weakness could shorten your stay permanently. However, word quickly spread of "Lucas's" strength. The first year he barely spoke to anyone from fear he would reveal his ignorance of the language. But he was a quick learner and by the end of that first year was fluent in Russian. His unwillingness to give his captors information while being waterboarded soon made him a respected and feared member of the prison. The truth of waterboarding was that eventually everybody breaks. The fact that this silent Englishman refused to give his captors that satisfaction again made his status rise.

The two things he promised himself if he survived this ordeal – 1) marry Genevieve and 2) discover what the hell this 'Sugarhorse' was.

Tom Quinn quickly swerved the car to avoid hitting the helicopter that was chasing him. He ordered his passenger to get out, and they both walked to the four figures emerging from where the helicopter now rested on the road. Tom immediately recognized three of the occupants and disregarded the fourth as simply extra muscle should he decide to be a problem. He had had enough though. He was tired of risking innocent lives, and his actions had created his own private hell which continued to plague his sanity.

He was upset and emotional now. Maybe that's why he didn't recognize that there was an odd look in the strange man's eyes. As the blondish man guided Tom's passenger away from him, Tom thought he saw a glimpse of raw anger in his eyes for a split second. But Tom couldn't focus on the stranger as he continued to argue his case. Danny and Zoe were deserting him, and he was rapidly loosing his grip on the situation. Tom didn't refocus on the blond man until he heard him whisper in Harry's ear, "Check if he's got a gun."

It was over now, and Tom knew it. His position in MI5 was blown, and he feared what the TIMErs would say about that. This would obviously diminish his usefulness to them. As Harry turned and left giving the blonde man orders to take Tom back to Thames House, Tom couldn't help but ask the new comer, "Do you understand?"

A grown-up Adam Carter gave him an unreadable look. "No. Sorry."

Then Tom turned walking back to the car, and Adam followed. As soon as the helicopter and the police were gone, Tom turned the car and drove in the direction of London. Adam pulled his gun putting the base of it at Tom's head. "There's so much that I don't understand, Tom. I need you to explain it to me. I just hope you're better at the truth now than you were back in Nottingham or this may be a very short ride."

Although Tom kept his cool and remained silent, Adam could tell that Tom was racking his memory trying to place him.

"I'm not surprised that you don't remember me, Tom. It's been a long time. Well, longer for me than it has been for you, but I think I'd remember you if it had been a hundred years since I last saw you."

"So, you're another TIMEr?"

"Not really. Well, I've crossed time twice, but that doesn't loop me in with you people."

When Tom didn't volunteer to talk, Adam continued. "Let me tell you a story, Tom. A story of four friends sworn to protect an amazing lady. All but one was loyal. So two of the remaining three lost their lives to a heartless traitor. Remind you of anyone at all?"

Tom's eyes widened. He didn't know how but that young blonde hair boy had survived, crossed time, and grown into a man. The only word he could manage to say was, "Carter."

Adam smiled sadly at the fallen MI5 agent, "Hello, Quinn."