"Handler?" The man jumped and bobbed a little in his seat. "What an opportunity for me."

"I think you're perfect for it and Mrs. Crawley gave me the 'all-clear' on you to start the transition." John paused, "You do realize, Joseph, that this'll require you to play the part of Ms. Baxter's…"

"Paramour?"

"I was going to say 'boyfriend' but whatever word works for you." John handed over the flash drive. "Here are the details for the first drop and the particulars of your… relationship. She's got a file just like it."

"So we'll just meet and it'll start?"

"You'll get a little time to get to know one another before we throw you to the sharks but yes, it'll be high-intensity the moment you start." John paused, "Are you sure you're got this?"

"I'm just as experienced in all of this as you."

"But not with seduction, Joseph." John took a breath. "You're one of the best agents we've got for long-term plants but this isn't like those."

"I'm playing a role, aren't I? Same as any other time."

"This one is romantic, Joseph. You'll have to be romantic." John grimaced, "Can you be romantic?"

"Not your level of romantic but I've got a few charms." Joseph almost unconsciously preened for a moment before settling. "I can appropriately woo your Ms. Baxter and get the job done."

"If you think you're up for it then we'll get started." John went to move but Joseph put out a hand.

"You said you thought I was perfect for it. Why question me now?"

John rearranged himself in his seat. "Because I can have all the confidence in the world in you Joseph but it doesn't mean shit if you're not confident in yourself." He shrugged and nodded at Joseph, "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure I won't cock it all up."

"Good enough for me." John stood and clapped a hand on Joseph's shoulder. "And don't worry, we'll be listening in if you need help."

"Is that…" Joseph swallowed, "Is that strictly necessary?"

John blinked and took a breath before blowing out slowly. "I guess not. If you want this to be more private then we'll just keep the line open for when you need help… If you need it."

"I'll keep the line open." Joseph tucked the flash drive into his pocket. "If I need it, I'll call."

"Then I wish you luck." John checked around the café before heading for the door. He risked a look back to see Joseph pulling out a book to hide the tiny jitters in his hand. John gave a little smile and left the café, crossing the street to the bookstore where Catherine flipped through a book in the window display.

He tapped on her shoulder and Catherine only rolled her shoulder to dislodge John's finger. "Stop it."

"I'm ready to go if you are."

"I'm not ready yet."

"Why? Good book?" Catherine did not respond, only glaring at John over the top of the book, and shuffled sideways to block John's view. He checked the cover of the book before Catherine could pull it away and grabbed an identical copy to ready over it. "I thought you read this one already."

"It's the sequel."

"Then we'll grab it." John put his copy back and noted Catherine rolling her eyes. "What? You don't believe in buying actual books anymore?"

"I'm almost finished reading it." Catherine showed him her progress. "Give me another hour and you don't need to buy it."

"If you don't read faster we'll be late to Henry's birthday party."

"I'll make it." Catherine moved the book out of John's grip. "Go find a book for yourself if you're so worried."

John gave a laugh and moved away from the window display to explore the other shelves. As he moved into the history section, John reached for a book as another man did as well. "Sorry. I-"

"No, it was my fault, Mr. Bates." John clenched his jaw as the rail of a man next to him turned on a pivot, his hand holding to a cane. "I interrupted your perusal and I apologize."

"I'm sure that was your explicit purpose." John shifted, his eyes flicking toward where Catherine continued reading. "Otherwise how'd we end up at the same bookstore when there are so many options?"

"Coincidence is a thing, Mr. Bates." The man took a breath, "But you're right, I'm here with a purpose and on purpose."

"And what is your purpose, Mr. Carlisle?"

"To warn you away." Carlisle leaned on his cane, his hand shifting over it as if debating the best way to hold it if a fight should break out.

"From?"

"From my operations, Mr. Bates." Carlisle took a breath. "You see, I came here alone today but, should the issue arise, I could bring someone with me to take care of your daughter."

John's fist clenched and he almost cracked his teeth keeping his jaw locked tightly. "Don't threaten my daughter."

"Then don't get in my way." Carlisle cut the space between them, the inch of difference in their height used to his advantage as he leaned over John. "Don't give me cause to put your family in jeopardy."

"Because you even being alive isn't a threat to them?"

"Because I made a promise to Vera, when she left you, to leave you alone all of these years and I'd hate to disappoint her."

John blinked, "Excuse me?"

"Didn't expect that she's ask for your protection?" Carlisle shrugged, "I guess you underestimated your ex-wife, Mr. Bates, and her desire to protect her daughter."

"That's what she did when she chose to work with you?"

"We all make decisions that lead us down roads we never see happening." Carlisle shrugged a single shoulder. "And I respected her wishes, since I've no desire to bring children into this, but if you make one wrong move I'll eliminate that promise of protection. As much as that will hurt her, and therefore me, it's what is necessary to protect what's mine."

"And you'll threaten what's mine to do that?"

"To my dying day." Carlisle straightened slightly, pulling at his jacket. "If you cross me, Mr. Bates, I'll not hesitate to kill you and burn everything else around you as you die."

"Is this a warning for just me or am I supposed to pass this up the chain?" John waited, watching the twitch of Carlisle's hand on the top of the cane. "Or is this a personal warning because you're already ready to wreck everything else?"

"I've no beef with your company. Just as I've no argument with you."

"As long as we let you do your business and don't interfere?"

"That's the way it works when you don't want to disturb the giant."

John nodded, biting at the inside of his cheek. "Giants fall all the time, Mr. Carlisle, and anyone who believes they're a giant should be watching for the Jacks and the Davids that are waiting in the wings to bring them down."

"Are you saying you're one of those Jacks or Davids?"

"I'd never be so self-assured." John shrugged, selecting the book he went for originally. "It's just a warning."

"Should I say 'thank you'?"

"No." John grabbed another book and held them both in his hands before picturing his next move. "I don't need you to say anything at all."

It would be quick. A kick sideways would unbalance Carlisle enough for him to stumble. The spine of the book in John's right hand would crack down on Carlisle's left to force him to release the cane completely. An upset like that would leave Carlisle tipped forward and in the perfect position to meet the spine of the book in John's left hand as it crushed his windpipe. It would not take much force but with gravity assisting him and a twist of his hips, the spine would barely leave a bruise. Carlisle would hit the ground and John could replace both books before calling for help. Help Carlisle would not need as he gasped for air and died before any kind of emergency service could come to his aid.

The action played before his eyes, almost too easy, but John caught sight of Catherine thumbing through the last pages of her book and he made a show of checking the spines of the books in his hand before replacing them on the shelf. "I just need you to stay away from my daughter."

"That's contingent on your actions, Mr. Bates."

"My actions are my own, thank you very much, and if Vera bargained for my life then you wash whatever debt you think you owe her on my behalf away." John ignored the slight height difference and stood toe-to-toe with Carlisle. "Whatever problems you have, they are with me and me alone. Should you ever bring my daughter or my family into this again I promise you that it won't matter how many goons or thugs you hire to get in my way. I'll end them and then I'll end you."

John stepped back. "Don't threaten my daughter again."

"Because you'll end me?"

"That's right." John paused, "And because for as much bad blood swirls the waters between Vera and I, she only bargained for my life so I could care for Catherine. She's got nothing for me and I've nothing for her."

"Vera never mentioned your daughter in the bargain."

"She wouldn't have, if she were smart." John picked another book off the shelf and weighed it in his hands. "But Vera's always had an odd way about how she decides to express what is and isn't important to her."

"She obviously thought well of you."

"She thought well of my abilities to care for our daughter." John showed the book to Carlisle. "How much dirty work do you get to in your organization?"

"Is this a test?"

"It's an invitation." John handled the book. "Just a few weeks ago I almost used a crowbar to cave in someone's skull while someone else used the boot of my car as a secret entrance into a fight."

"I heard something about a scuffle in the warehouse district."

"It was something like that." John rearranged his hold on the book. "But it also served as a threat. One that came back to haunt a friend of mine and I can't help but notice the similarities in the interactions between the two."

"Your friend and her threat?"

John gave a little smile, "I never said my friend was a 'she'." He stabbed the spine of the book down on Carlisle's hand, trapping it to the cane before he grabbed the back of Carlisle's neck to bring the man's mouth to his shoulder so the shout of pain muffled in John's coat. It also put Carlisle's ear next to John's mouth. "Whatever bastard you sent to try and intimidate Anna only worked to strengthen our resolve. The same applies here."

Releasing Carlisle and tossing him back to stumble before he impacted on a bookcase, John held the book up as a warning. "You threaten our families and we'll end you without a second thought."

"You seem to be thinking an awful lot about it right now." Carlisle switched his hold on his cane, trapping his reddening hand between his body and other arm. "If it was any other way, you would've finished me off already."

"I might still." John replaced the book on the shelf. "But my daughter's just over there and I've other things on my docket for the day. Killing you, while appealing, will just have to wait."

"Ever the gentleman?"

"Not with people like you." John nodded at him, "You enjoy the rest of your day, Mr. Carlisle, and remember to put ice on your hand. I'd hate for it to get swollen. Then you'd have to rely on someone else for company."

Carlisle's face purpled but he said nothing else as John left the aisle and returned to where Catherine left her book on the window display. "All done?"

"Yeah. Not as good as the first one but the story finished okay." Catherine frowned over John's shoulder and he twisted slightly to watch Carlisle walk out from between the shelves. "You know that guy?"

"Should I?"

"I saw you two chatting in the shelves. It wasn't the kind of chat you have with a stranger."

"We're… We've worked similar projects at work but for different companies." John led Catherine outside. "He knows your Mum."

Catherine paused, "Did you talk about her?"

"A bit." John waited a second, pushing on the indicator to cross the street. "Does that bother you?"

"She's never really bothered about me so I can't see how I'm supposed to care about her." Catherine led the way, barely waiting for the walking man to appear, and John hurried to keep up with her. "She's not even written. I don't even have a stupid postcard to know what her handwriting looks like."

"Would you want one?"

"I don't know." Catherine shrugged. "I remember all those days, at school, when Mums would come in for Mother's Day or Sports Day or whatever and everyone would cheer and hug them and I… I always felt a little left out by it. But I have you and Gran and there's a lot we've done that I don't know if I'd do with a mother so… I don't know."

"It's okay to not know." John dug in his pocket for his keys. "I never really knew my father."

"But your Dad didn't abandon you." Catherine got into the car, folding her arms after she buckled the belt.

John paused, flexing his jaw, and then tucked himself into the car as well. He buckled his belt in silence before letting out a breath, "Catherine, what is that you think I do for a living?"

"What?"

"Do you know what I do for work?"

Catherine frowned and shrugged, "Last I knew, when you took there on Career Day, you work as tech support or something. The IT Crowd type who's always belabored and telling people to try switching it off and then back on again."

"Do you believe that?"

Catherine's forehead deepened into furrows, "Should I not?"

"No." John dug into his pocket for his phone and flipped through the apps before clicking one. He held up a finger when Catherine went to speak and waved the phone slowly over the interior of the car until it beeped. Waving it again had the beep go off at Catherine's jacket pocket and John reached in to pull out a black, silicone dot. He held it up to show Catherine before tossing it out the window. "Not after I found that."

"What was that?" Catherine twisted in her seat to try and follow the dot as John steered the car away. "What the hell was that?"

"That was a tracking dot. It could also be used for short-burst audio transmission." John tucked his phone away. "Hence why I wanted to check you before I told you the truth."

"Truth about what?"

"About what I do for a living and why your mother left you as a baby." John steered the car into traffic and pulled off at a park, urging Catherine to leave the car. "It's harder for them to track us this way."

"Who's tracking us?" Catherine shook her head, "This is freaking me out Dad. Like not in a 'ha ha, you're so funny' way but a 'I'm really nervous' kind of way."

"I know." John led her to a bench and sat down, taking Catherine's hands with his. "And I'd hoped to go your entire life without having to tell you this but… After the bookstore, I need to."

"Then you did know that man in the bookstore? More than just work friends or a friend of Mum's?"

"That's right." John took a breath, "That man's name is Richard Carlisle."

"The newspaper man?"

"That's his cover. He's… He's a runner, Catherine. That means he runs drugs, trafficks people, and works to get his hands on all the bad things in the world so he can get them to bad men and women to hurt people."

"I'm not five, Dad, you can tell me he's just a fu-"

"Hey," John leveled a finger at her. "Language will not be tolerated."

"You're the one who had a conversation with a man who peddles drugs."

"He does that but that's not what I'm here to talk to you about." John took a breath. "He threatened me with your life if I don't back down."

"What? Did you hack his server or something and you're going to out him to the press or the government?"

"No because I don't really work in IT. At least not full time." John adjusted his hold on Catherine's hands. "I work for a company that does contractual work. Some of that work, specifically mine, is for contract killing. Assassinations that look rather benign, in general, or that send a message."

Catherine blinked at John, slipping her hands free from his. "You kill people? For a living?"

"Yes and I have since before you were born." John nodded at his leg. "When I got injured I was offered a position by my former Commanding Officer. I took it and I was very good at it. The company split and I went in a different direction but when I met Anna in Shanghai-"

"Does she know?" Catherine's hands clutched the seat of the bench, whitening every time she took a breath. "Does Anna know what you do?"

"Anna and I do the same kind of work, Catherine, just for different companies." John nodded at the drop of Catherine's jaw. "And our companies are working together to take down Mr. Carlisle and his organization."

"So you're the better bad guys than he is?"

"If you want to think of it that way." John went to hold Catherine's hand but she scooted away from him. "I know it's a lot to take in but I'm not finished yet."

"What? Did she target us and now you're working on an alliance because the woman you're sleeping with might kill us?"

"No." John shook his head, "Anna and I are nothing but genuine with each other. Just as I'm trying to be with you."

"Can you even fix a computer?"

"Yes, I'm a trained IT technician and I'm actually rather good at it." John took a breath, "But it's also what drove your mother away."

"You're the reason Mum's gone?" Catherine almost stood, tripping herself back onto her seat in her haste. "You drove her away?"

"No, she drove herself away."

"Because she found out you're…" Catherine lowered her voice to hiss at John, "A murderer?"

"No, because I found out she was a traitor to our country and working for others that would put you in danger."

Catherine shook her head, "This is too ridiculous."

"It is but the truth of it all, Catherine, from top to bottom, is that I forced your mother to leave to protect you." John waited for Catherine to move but she stayed still. "Because of who she worked for then, and who she works for now, I insisted that she leave our home and leave you safely in my care."

"Who did she work for?"

"When we met she told me she worked for MI6 and she did, for awhile, but Vera…" John bit the tip of his tongue. "Your mother always wanted more. More adventure, more risk, more reward… And she decided to work as a double agent for the Russian government for awhile."

"And then?"

"When MI6 found out she escaped to Russia but she turned on them the way she turned on her former bosses and had to flee Russia before they killed her." John shook his head, "She was always one for the short term gain."

"Where is she now?" Catherine stopped, "Is she even alive?"

"As far as I know." John waved his hand, "The man at the bookstore, Carlisle, he's your mother's boss."

"She works for that sod?"

"Yes. And she… She worked out a deal with him to protect you by bargaining my life. As long as I don't interfere with his work then he'll ignore that I exist." John finally managed to put his hand on Catherine's and she didn't pull away. "And he'll ignore you. It was meant to keep you safe."

"Then why are you telling me?"

"Because he threatened you today."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because my company, and the one Anna works for, have declared a war of sorts on him and his." John flexed his jaw, "The whole reason I'm telling you this, Catherine, is because your life is in danger. For the first time you might actually be a target and I don't want that. But I didn't want you living as a target without knowing. I didn't… I couldn't lie to you when I need your trust to keep you safe."

Catherine's hand almost went to her pocket. "And the little thing you found in my pocket? The black thing?"

"I think Carlisle might've slipped it into your pocket at the bookstore."

"How can you keep me safe from someone like that?"

"I've a house, in Yorkshire, where I can send you and your grandmother. A place where you'll be safe." John managed to move closer to Catherine. "I've got new identities for the both of you and enough money to keep you safe for a very long time, if that's what you want."

"And we'd be safe there?"

"As safe as I can make you." John waited a moment, "Your Gran doesn't know, in case you think I left you out of a grand secret."

"You did." Catherine shoved at him before wiping at tears. "You kept this from me until… Until you had to tell me."

"I thought it would keep you safe."

"But they found me anyway." Catherine pulled at her pocket before ripping her jacket off and throwing it away. "They got to me anyway."

"I made a mistake and I wasn't perfect." John sighed, "I'm so sorry, Catherine. I… I didn't want you to get hurt. I didn't want you to every know I was a part of this life or that it might have an effect on yours."

"Then why'd you get into this in the first place?"

"Because I was injured, I couldn't find another job at the time, and someone tossed me a lifeline to do what I was good at." John went to speak but stopped himself. It took another minute for him to organize his thoughts. "I understand if you hate me and if you never want to see me again but-"

"Did you send Mum away because her work threatened my life or because she didn't want to be my Mum?" Catherine met John's eyes, the tears streaking her cheeks. "Am I why she left?"

"You're why I told her to leave." John put a hand to Catherine's cheek and she leaned into it. "It was hard, for your Mum, to think about leaving her life behind. She wanted adventure and I wanted you. She chose to try and mix them both and it… it almost put you in danger when she was pregnant. So I insisted that, once you were born, she'd have to make a choice. She chose her job and when I found out what her job really was… I told her she needed to leave to keep you safe."

"And now you're putting me in danger?"

"Yes."

"How does that make you better?"

"It doesn't." John shrugged, "I make mistakes and I'm not perfect."

"This one's a pretty big cock up." Catherine wiped at her tears, sniffing away the rest of them before shaking her head as if the tears would return to their ducts. "Like a huge one."

"It is."

Catherine turned her knees to bring her face-to-face with John. "How would you tell Gran?"

"I was planning on never telling her."

"Then how do you explain why we need to move to Yorkshire?"

"I was hoping you'd agree to go to an advanced school there. Private and exclusive and-"

"And filled with the kinds of girls I hate."

"Maybe they'll be a few rebels there for you." John pulled Catherine into a hug. "I don't deserve you."

"It's true." Catherine hugged him back. "And I'm still furious with you."

"I know."

"But… If this was what you thought was right…" Catherine let out a breath. "At least you told me the truth now right?"

"At least I did that."

Catherine checked her phone. "We'd better hurry. We're going to be late to Henry's party and he's still hoping to marry me when he's older."

"Poor kid." John stood up, putting his arm around Catherine to pull her close as she shivered, leaving her jacket near the bench. "He's not idea what he's gotten himself into with that."