Prologue
1997:
Don warily entered the craftsman, as he didn't want to have yet another argument with Alan about his job or anything related to the FBI, he just wanted to see his family for the first time in two months, he barely had even seen them in the two years since he graduated but Alan never seemed happy to see him, instead he just gets upset about Don's job, which is getting really tiring and he doesn't know how to get Alan to just understand him and his job.
He was filled with further dread as he saw that Alan was cleaning the kitchen, as he was hoping that his father wouldn't see him as he went to sleep in his old room and leave without his parents knowing he was there but that doesn't seem to be happening.
"Donnie." Alan said in a tense voice as he saw his eldest.
"Hey, Dad, how have things been?" Don asked in an equally tense voice, just wishing that they could avoid any arguments but they always seemed inevitable.
"Well, fine, considering we haven't heard from you for awhile again." Alan huffed, upset that his son doesn't talk to him much
"Look." Don began, trying to stay patient with his father, "I try to keep in touch, but it is difficult whenever I get assigned a case, and I am required not to have any contact with anyone on the outside until the assignment is done."
"Oh, really?" Alan said angrily, "And it's not to avoid your family for important events like an award ceremony for Charlie?"
Don was losing patience and his father's comment wasn't helping, "Dad, I have been trying and Charlie gets a lot of awards, and I was at the one before I got assigned two months ago."
"And you had to leave early, didn't you?" Alan asked unhappily
"First off, I was there for the first two hours and I did warn you guys in advance that I would have to leave early due to some meetings, why can't you just understand that I get busy like Charlie does?" Don said, now just frustrated that his father seems to think that he doesn't value family at all, which he does.
"You work for the FBI, you know what they did back in the day." Alan said, clearly not understanding, "Plus your mother was upset about you not being there for Charlie."
"Really, because of one night? Dad, I was always there for Charlie when we were growing up, when I was trying to have my own thing with baseball, which you were never around for, so I wish you would be more understanding, especially when you said he required more attention."
"Your mother and I were there for you." Alan said, getting a little hint that he might be pushing the wrong button
"Sure, when Charlie was at camp or was visiting Irene, and when it seemed possible, but when I was at pro-ball, you guys didn't seem too impressed and Mom is a lawyer so why are you so upset that I joined the FBI."
"Unlike the FBI, your mother actually helps people." Alan said, before regretting his words, as he knew his son but the look on his son's face that the damage was already done.
"Wow, just wow, here I thought you were actually concerned about my safety when all this time you just think of me as another fed, well this "fed" is going to leave now before either of us says another more we will regret, so goodbye and tell mom and Charlie I stopped by!" Don said angrily leaving the house, not to be back for quite some time.
Unbeknownst to both of the men, Charlie was upstairs, listening the entire time, deeply saddened about how things are going between his dad and brother, as he wondered if his father really did think of Don that way or if it just came out wrong.
He just wished that they could come to some kind of understanding.
Meanwhile Alan was wondering, why couldn't he understand and, more importantly, will he ever see his eldest son in the near future and, if he does, will things ever get better between them?
It is an answer he would have to wait years to know.