"Gilly 14, you are cleared for landing in bay six" a voice crackled over the in-flight radio.

The Langley field office's helicopter bay was far less glamorous than Maddie had anticipated. Maddie knew she had only been to one other CIA facility, but compared to the ultra-hidden, new-age pentagon city office, she wasn't expecting cracking concrete and tinted, bulletproof windows. They at least ought to be explosive proof, in Maddie's opinion.

The helicopter settled to the ground, and Olivia cut the engines. Tiffany unlocked the hatch, and Maddie's classmates exited the helicopter one by one.

Logan was the last to climb out, hesitant to let go of Maddie. "It's okay," Maddie said quietly. "But do you think you could give us a minute?"

Logan's eyes went from Maddie to her father and back. Then he nodded once and climbed out of the chopper, leaving the two of them alone with their secrets.

Maddie's father looked at her sadly, like he didn't know where to begin.

"I've missed you so much this spring," he said, finally. "Obviously this isn't how I wanted it to happen, but I'm so happy to see you."

Maddie nodded, forcing back the tears that we're pooling in her eyes.

"I've missed you too," she choked out. "But we need to talk."

"I know." Michael Manchester sighed heavily, and stared at Maddie until she met his eyes.

"Mad Dog," he said carefully. "What I'm about to share with you is one of the greatest regrets of my life. But I think you have to know. And I think you have to hear it from me."

Maddie nodded, waiting.

"Your mom was only 22 when we first started dating. She'd just graduated from Gallagher a few years before, and she was pretty close friends with another young agent I'd been mentoring."

"Abigail Cameron," Maddie chimed in.

"Yes," Michael Manchester nodded, and continued. "She was eight years younger, but she was so determined in the way she pursued a relationship with me, that eventually I just gave in. And I'm glad I did, for the short time that it lasted, your mother and I were amazing together."

"Your mom didn't want to stop working when you were born, and I understood that. She was just getting started on her career, and I knew she would never be satisfied if I asked her to give it up. She was just so good at what she did. And that's how she happened to be on the president's detail the night someone tried to kill him."

Maddie's dad ran a hand through his hair nervously before he continued.

"There had been threats circling for a while, but there was nothing concrete that we could work with. Everyone was on high alert that night, and that's why they were ultimately successful in foiling the assassination attempt. But your mom caught a bullet that night, and she died in surgery."

"She was protecting Agent Cameron," Maddie filled in.

Michel Manchester nodded, and smiled sadly. "That's exactly the kind of person she was."

"You know that in our line of work, tomorrow is never a guarantee, but I didn't expect to be 32 and alone, raising an infant daughter by myself," Maddie's dad continued. "I was devastated to lose your mom. It didn't take me long to figure out who was behind the assassination attempt, and being younger and stupider and drowning in grief, I vowed to get revenge. So I did."

Maddie's father looked at her then. "And, if I could go back now, I'm not even sure I would make a different decision. But I have been ashamed of what I did for the last fifteen years."

"Before tonight, the only person who ever knew was Abby," Michael Manchester admitted. "At least, I think she did. She watched you while I disappeared for a few days. I didn't tell her where I was going, and she didn't ask. But I think she knew anyway."

"I didn't know Rosalie and the man I killed were connected for a long, long time," Maddie's father continued. "But I saw her once, when you and I were working the campaign circuit. You must have been about eight. Rosalie was working private security for the Winters-McHenry campaign back then, and her daughter was about the same age as you. I found Alice wandering around the grounds, unsupervised, so I was trying to find out where she belonged. She introduced herself to me as 'Alice Maxwell,' and the resemblance was so unsettling, I couldn't sleep for weeks. When I returned her to Rosalie, I recognized her from my reconnaissance mission years earlier. I introduced myself to Rosalie, and she looked at me with an expression I'll never forget and said, 'Oh, don't think I don't know exactly who you are.'"

"When the Circle of Cavan fell, I learned that Maxwell Edwards, the cousin of the man I killed, was a descendant of the original leaders, and had been feeding our information to the Circle for a long time, even visiting the Gallagher Academy and subtly recruiting for the Circle while on agency business."

"We moved to Alaska not long after that, and, like everyone else, she must have assumed we were both dead," Maddie's dad said.

"Until I rescued Logan," Maddie said softly.

Michael Manchester nodded. "Until you rescued Logan," he repeated.

"I think I'm pretty clear on what happened after that," Maddie said. "The best way to get to you was through me, and the best way to get to me was through Logan."

Michael Manchester nodded, silently.

"I played right into it," Maddie admitted.

"So did I," her father responded. He moved across the cabin, and gathered Maddie into his arms. Michael Manchester had never been an emotional man, but he held Maddie tightly, and when he pulled away, Maddie could see a tear in the corner of his eye.

"Mad Dog," he said, stroking her hair. "I just need you to know that I am so deeply proud of you. You're the best thing I've ever done with my life, and I know I don't always do a good job of showing it, but I love you."

"I love you too, Dad," Maddie responded. Silence fell over the two of them, but Maddie had never really been allowed to ask about her mother, and she wanted to know more.

"Can I just ask one more question?" Maddie asked, and her father nodded, so she continued. "Where did you and Mom first meet?"

Michael Manchester laughed. Then he winked at Maddie and said, "Buenos Aires."

"Of course," she said, rolling her eyes. It was fine. Her father could keep his secrets.

Except for one.

"Mad," he said quietly. "We're going to get out of this helicopter, and we're going to go to separate rooms and be thoroughly debriefed about everything that happened." He swallowed hard before continuing.

"I'm going to tell them the whole truth, Maddie," he said, meeting her eyes. "I don't know what's going to happen. But I know that it's time for me to face what I did."

Maddie nodded silently.

"I love you so much, Maddie," he said gently. "Everything I've done in the last sixteen years, right or wrong, I did out of love for you. I hope that you'll forgive me for all the mistakes I made."

Maddie could feel the tears falling down her cheeks as she met her father's eyes.

"You know what they say," he said firmly, waiting for Maddie's answer.

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free."

"That's right," Michael Manchester nodded and reached for the helicopter door. "The truth shall set you free."