Lee

Lee found Toll down by the water throwing stones. He felt unsure around Toll since the whole Norah situation despite their making amends, but he knew Toll needed a friend right now. He also knew that someone had to tell Toll that Norah had children with Lee.

"Hey," Lee said, approaching with his hands in his coat pockets. Toll turned to see him and gave a nod of his head.

"You're out late," Toll commented, throwing another stone.

"Yea. Couldn't sleep."

"Me either."

"I really am sorry, Toll," Lee said after a moment when Toll didn't say anything else. It was implied for not just Victoria and Bobby, but Norah too.

"You know, if you'd asked me when I was a kid if this was how my life would end up, I'd have called you a liar," Toll advised, giving a scoff and shaking his head. "Orphan. Twinless. Alone."

It was kind of ironic because Lee was pretty much in the same boat, but he refrained from pointing that out. Also, he possibly still had Norah and two children, so he wasn't alone, not that he was anyway. He had the team. A fact he felt he needed to remind Toll of.

"Well," Lee started until Toll held up a pointing finger to stop him.

"Don't say I'm not alone, cos I am," he insisted.

"In the sense of no biological family, yea," Lee agreed, "but sorry, you're not alone because you have us."

"Does it ever stop hurting?" Toll asked, looking at him through the semi-darkness now. "I forget sometimes that you lost a sibling and your parents too."

Lee sucked his teeth and exhaled slowly, looking off into the distance. The waves lapped the shore gently.

"Honestly? No," he answered finally. "But it's not as suffocating anymore."

"Makes sense," Toll agreed, nodding slowly.

"They're always with us," Lee went on. "That'll never change. The only thing we can change is the feelings of guilt. You and I...we did nothing wrong. Therefore, not guilty."

"Why does it feel like that, though?"

"I guess it's because we think of all the things we could have or should have done differently to avoid the actual outcome," Lee surmised. "But still...it was out of our hands."

"I hope I can get to that place," Toll sighed.

"I think you will one day," Lee indicated. "Just keep being kind to yourself."

"Thanks, Lee," Toll said, giving a very small smile now. It made Lee hate what he was going to say next.

"Listen," he started, reaching to rub the back of his head. "There's something I need to tell you." Toll went still and kept looking out at the water, but he was listening.

"Yea?" he prompted when Lee stopped talking. "What is it?"

"It's about Norah."

Toll gave a light scoff and threw another stone. "Let me guess: You're back together."

"There's kind of a bit more to it than that," Lee advised, and Toll heaved a sigh before turning to face him again.

"You proposed?"

"No..."

"Just spit it out, man," Toll ordered. "What is it?"

"She gave birth to twins," Lee blurted finally. He waited a beat before adding: "And they're my kids." He braced himself for some yelling, but in the end, that's not what he got.

"Wow," Toll said. "That's great." There was some sarcasm in his voice. Lee didn't miss it. He clenched his jaw slightly, trying not to say something snippy back in return. The man had lost a lot recently after all.

"I wanted you to hear it from me," Lee started.

"Well, thank you for that," Toll cut him off. "Thanks for rubbing it in my face that not only did the girl of my dreams leave me for you, but she now has your kids. You're gonna be a nice little family now, aren't you? You just couldn't let her go, could you?"

"You wanted me to be miserable forever like you?" Lee countered, unable to stop himself. Toll stared at him, his cheek twitching slightly. Lee regretted it as soon as he said it, but there was no taking it back.

"I think, in my case, I have every damn right to be miserable forever," Toll said through gritted teeth.

"Toll, I didn't mean..."

"Just leave me alone, Lee. Go live your happy little life. Congrats on being the chosen one," Toll snarked, moving away from Lee now. There wasn't anything else he could say that would help in this situation; he was pretty confident about that.

Gunner

He returned home late. He still wasn't even sure why he was doing what he was doing: betraying his team. What was the point? What was it going to do for him? He had no idea. He just knew that he was angry and felt betrayed by them first.

Tomorrow, he was going to enact the plan. Tomorrow, he'd get his revenge. His logical brain was long gone by now, and he found he didn't care in that moment. He took a swig of his whiskey, letting it burn down his throat. Hell, he might even get lucky and end up dead. That'd be fine by him. Living was too painful nowadays.

He fell asleep with the whiskey bottle on his chest.

The Next Morning

Yang

He sat peering at the computer screen alongside Barney and Lee. They had put together that Church was CIA and that the mission they'd been given was the CIA trying to get rid of their own man gone bad without pulling the trigger. Yang could tell that Barney was torn on what to do because of Sandra. Lee had filled him in on her.

"You don't owe her anything," Lee said now, looking at Barney.

"Maybe not, but wouldn't you rather have tried to do something instead of standing by doing nothing?"

"And get myself killed over something that's the CIA's problem?" Lee countered. "I think not."

"What if it was Norah?" Barney challenged.

"I knew you were gonna go there," Lee growled. "It's not Norah..."

"But Sandra's still a person. She's still someone's daughter. She doesn't deserve to get killed because we sat on our high horse and decided not to help her."

"They have a huge bloody army!" Lee exclaimed, lifting his arms and then dropping his hands on his knees loudly. "We can't go up against that! Like Caesar said yesterday at our meeting: We are only five men."

Yang appreciated that he didn't say four and a half men. Yes, it was meant to be witty, but sometimes Yang disliked having his height picked on. It was ironic, yes, because he picked on Gunner's height, but that was just in return for Gunner's comments first. It was a vicious cycle.

"Well, I can't just sit here and do nothing," Barney said, getting up and leaving. Yang knew in his heart that he was going to go with him. He had nothing to lose after all.

Lee

"Barney!" Lee yelled after him, getting to his feet and chasing him. "Barney, I'm not doing it." He stood his ground when Barney turned to face him. He couldn't do it, not with Norah counting on him to make the right choice, and he knew what that choice was. He also wanted it. It had become very clear to him in the last 24 hours.

"And I don't blame you," Barney replied. "But I am." He turned and walked away, and Lee ground his jaw before swearing and smacking his hand against the first thing he saw. Yang slipped by in his peripheral, but Lee didn't say anything. He was angry. He stormed to his bike outside and took off. He was tired of taking on everyone else's emotions and shit. He wanted to just have his, but he also didn't want to feel guilty for letting Barney go and get himself killed. He'd always wonder if he did the right thing by walking away if that happened.

He found himself by the water, and he sat on the sand and breathed slowly. He knew in his heart what he had to do, and he hoped that it would be understood. He pulled out his phone, looking at it for a moment before flipping it open and dialing.

"Hello?" Norah's voice sounded both eager and wary.

"Hey," he replied, feeling warmth inside just from hearing her. "How are you? How are our children?" Saying it out loud felt weird and foreign, but he liked it. Our children. He had children with someone. He had children with Norah.

"They're cranky pots right now because it's time to eat and I'm not quite ready yet," Norah replied. Lee felt a smile growing on his lips. He could picture them waving their little hands and squawking. He hadn't known them for long, but they were ingrained into his memory already.

"And you?" he asked.

"I'm on edge waiting to hear if the man I love is going to choose me and his family or his work," Norah replied. Lee's fingers gripped his phone a bit tighter, and he evened his breathing.

"I choose you, Norah," he said.

"Then why do I sense a 'but' in your tone?" she asked.

"I have to help Barney finish this last job."

"Lee..."

"I can't in good conscience let him do it alone," Lee cut her off. "Norah, I already beat myself up for things that I wish I could go back and change because I think the outcome would be different, and I really don't want to add this one to the list. Please, I need you to understand."

"But there will always be a job," Norah insisted. "Barney will always be doing jobs, so are you going to run off to help him every time he's in trouble? I can't take that. Our children can't take that."

"I know," Lee said strongly. "I know, Norah." He could just tell her that Barney was thinking of retiring, but he didn't know if that was going to be true, and he didn't want to get her hopes up. It was biting him in the ass, though, keeping that information to himself.

"I think...I think I have to be the one to make the choice," Norah said, sounding tearful now.

"Norah, no. Please..."

"You can see our son and daughter whenever you like, but I can't have a relationship where there's the risk of you taking off and dying on me at any given point," she talked over him. "I give Char big credit for that, but I can't do it."

"So you'll let me be in our children's lives, but I can't be with you?" he clarified. "How does that make any sense?"

"I...I can't do this right now, Lee," Norah said. "I have to feed them, and you have to go play hero, so I'll just talk to you later, if you're even still alive to talk to."

"Norah!"

She hung up on him, and he resisted chucking his phone into the water. He pressed his fingers into his temple hard. He knew her being upset was the risk if he was going to save Barney's ass. He was risking losing her, but he had meant what he'd said. Once he was finished, he wasn't going back to this. He'd prove it to her.

He got to his feet, calling Caesar. He was going to meet Barney at his plane.

Gunner

It had all happened so fast. One minute he was chasing Barney on the road in his car, the next he was changing his mind about what he was doing and fighting Yang after crashing into a building, and then he was flat on his back with a bullet in him while Barney walked over to him.

"You shot me," he said, feeling surprised.

"You were gonna kill Yang," Barney pointed out.

"I was just scaring him," Gunner promised. He really hadn't planned on killing Yang. He swallowed, coughing. He hurt all over, and not just from the bullet.

"Gunner," Barney said. "Why?"

"Anger," Gunner answered. "I felt...betrayed. I wanted you to know how that felt."

"You felt betrayed because I let you go in order to save you and our team?" Barney asked. "Gunner, you need help, man."

"I know." He felt like he was dying. Maybe he was. At least it wouldn't hurt anymore. "I...I have the layout."

"You do?" Barney's voice held hope suddenly, and Gunner wanted to give it to him. They could all use some hope right now.

"Yea. C'mere," Gunner said, and Barney leaned his head in closer while Gunner began to speak.

Norah

The twins were down for their nap, and Norah finally let herself cry. She sat on the back step of the house and hugged her knees to her chest. She really had wanted things with Lee to work out. She hated that she understood what he meant, though. She knew that if he didn't help Barney and Barney died, he would beat himself up forever about it. She couldn't be the wife of a mercenary, though. She couldn't do it. She wasn't as strong as Char. She knew she couldn't handle watching Lee leave and fret the entire time that he might die.

"Aunt Norah?" Oscar asked, coming out to join her. "Are you sad?"

"Yea, buddy," she answered, wiping at her eyes and giving him a sad smile as he sat next to her. "I'm a little sad."

"Why?"

"I just wish some things would come true is all." She watched her nephew survey her carefully; she could see him thinking hard. He put his arm around her and rested against her side after a moment.

"I think what you really wish for will come true," he advised. "I think it just has to line up right."

"When did you become so wise?" Norah asked, looking down at him. He smiled.

"I just have a feeling," he insisted. Norah ruffled his hair and kissed the top of his head before resting her cheek on it. She hoped he was right.

Barney

He and Yang stepped into his plane and found Lee, Toll, and Caesar waiting for them. He stopped short, feeling surprised. Lee was resting his hand over his head against the ridge in the roof, a small smile on his face.

"Sometimes, it's a pain in the ass to be your friend," he commented. Barney scoffed, but he smiled too.

"Thanks," he replied.

"So, are we going to kick some ass or what?" Caesar asked.

"Yea," Barney confirmed. "I got the layout."

"I still think we're insane for doing this," Toll advised. Barney turned to face him.

"I won't judge anyone if they walk out right now," he promised. "I know this is a big ask."

"Nah," Toll said, shaking his head. "I've got nothing keeping me here anyway." Barney felt sad for him in that moment. He pressed his lips together and gave a curt nod. Then he looked around at them all.

"I've got something to say," he said. "Before we go."

"I think we're past pep talks," Caesar commented.

"No, it's not that." Barney shook his head. "This, uh, this job...it's my last one." There was silence so loud one could hear a mouse sneeze. He could see the surprise in Toll and Caesar's faces. Yang looked neutral. Lee looked relieved.

"Really," Caesar said finally. "You, uh, you're leaving the team?"

"I'm retiring the team," Barney corrected. "If you guys want to find another team, go for it, but I'm done."

"What led to that decision?" Toll asked. Barney looked at Lee, and his friend just made a gesture to say he could go ahead.

"Well, I've got family to think about now," Barney replied. "I spent a lot of time running from them and punishing myself for something that was out of my control. Recently, some new additions came to my family, and I...I really want to be in their lives, so I think it's time to hang up the guns for good."

"Good for you," Yang said. Barney noticed something in Yang's eyes at this, and he wondered what it was.

"Well, that's good because I was going to talking to you about retiring," Caesar said now, making Barney look at him next. "I've been doing a lot of thinking after the whole incident with Sasha, and I came to the conclusion I can't do this job anymore, no matter how good at it I am or how much I enjoy it. It's time to give my family peace of mind."

"I thought you might," Barney commented, looking at him again. Then back to the others. "Toll, Yang, I know you might not feel the same way..."

"It's okay," Yang insisted. "I can work with Trench."

"Ugh, really?" Barney asked, wrinkling his nose. Yang laughed out loud.

"Yea. He's been trying to steal me for a while now."

"That bastard," Barney said, feeling a bit outraged. How dare Trench try to poach his team members!

"Think he's got room for me?" Toll asked, and Yang nodded.

"I imagine so."

"I'm sorry," Barney started, but Toll held up his hand.

"It's alright, man. If I had kids, I'd do the same thing, and you've been doing this for so long, I think you deserve to have a life now."

"Thanks." Barney appreciated it. He just hoped he would get to live to enjoy it.

"I can hear Tool clicking his heels from here," Caesar added, making them all laugh. They knew Tool was looking forward to retiring finally too, that he stayed because he felt a sense of duty towards his brothers. Barney went to the pilot's chair and started clicking things to life. Lee was soon by his side, doing his part. Barney turned his head to look at him, and they locked eyes for a moment.

"Think I'm making a mistake?" Barney asked.

"No," Lee answered with a slight shake of his head. "Not at all."

Barney nodded slowly and stuck a cigar into his mouth before finishing what he was doing. He lit it after a moment, making Lee give a scoff.

"What?" he asked.

"You're gonna want to quit that too if you want to live a long life," Lee advised.

"I think it's too late for that," Barney retorted, and Lee laughed. Barney got the plane moving, and as they went up into the air, he hoped to hell that all of them would come back from this.

Oscar

Oscar crept into his mother's room, and at first, he felt really guilty. He knew he shouldn't be in there, but his burning desire to know who his father was overtook those feelings. He tiptoed across the room to the bed where he knelt down and looked under it. He saw some boxes, and he reached for one. He pulled out and slid back the ones that were of no interest to him until he found one that said "Memories." Intrigued, he lifted the lid. There were some photos near the top that he took out gingerly, examining their faces. He didn't recognize any of them. He set them down and pulled out mementos and trinkets that his mother had deemed important enough to save. Then he found a photo strip at the very bottom, and he suddenly felt something in his gut as he looked at the man laughing and smiling at his mother while she tilted her head back laughing with her eyes closed. He just knew.

This was his father, and he'd seen him before.

He turned his head to listen in case someone had discovered him yet, and when he heard nothing, he set the photo strip aside and put everything back into the box. He crept out of her room and went to his. He quickly packed his backpack and slipped down to the kitchen to grab snacks and water bottles, leaving a note on the counter for someone to find. His mother was out with Winston, and his grandfather was watching the news. He could hear Norah talking to his cousins in the other room, and he felt bad for his plan, but he wasn't getting any answers from anyone here.

And he needed answers.

So, he put his shoes on and pulled a ball cap over his head, shutting the door behind him quietly before going down the steps and running towards his destination as fast as he could.

Lee

He finished typing his text to Norah as the others were finishing gearing up. He felt tired; it was late, but adrenaline was buzzing through him. The plan was simple. They were going to wire up the place and blow it. Then they were going to take care of Munroe and get the hell out of there.

"You good?" Barney asked.

"Yea," Lee replied. "Let's go."

They ran single file towards the structure. Even though it was late, something was going on in there. Lee ran and slapped charges onto the pillars as he went. The others had split up to do the same thing. When they all met up again, Barney was missing.

"What do we do?" Caesar asked.

"If he's not back here in ten minutes, we leave," Lee replied, knowing that's what Barney wanted.

"No way," Toll argued. "We can't leave him behind."

"Ten minutes," Lee repeated sharply, moving away. He tried not to panic. Obviously something had stalled Barney. After five minutes, he growled and knew he couldn't leave his friend in there to die. Without a word, he headed back towards the building with the others right behind him.

Toll

It all happened so fast. One minute they were sneaking along quietly, and the next, they were in a full out gunfight, fistfight, knife fight...you name it. Then they'd gotten cornered by Munroe's army until Barney was able to blow the building once Sandra was out. Toll ran and got into a fight with the big bodyguard, and he relished every punch and kick he got into the man. All the rage and grief over Bobby and Victoria came out of him, and he honestly didn't care if he lived or died. He was just going through the motions.

As he watched the big man fall into the flames and start to burn, he watched without flinching. He imagined the man as being the demon that had taken his sister away. It didn't make him feel any better, though.

Once it was over, he ran to find the others.

Barney

He was aching and sweaty and bloody. He stood there looking at Munroe, who had Sandra by the neck and hair. He kept his gun aimed until Munroe told him to put it down. He had and hadn't anticipated getting shot right after. Sandra's scream hurt him more than the bullet, if he was honest, which really had hit his vest. As he stood up slowly again, Munroe launched into a tirade about them both being black hearted mercenaries who were dead inside, so why had Barney come after him? The answer left Barney's lips easily enough.

"I didn't come for you, meathead. I came for her." He saw Sandra's eyes widen as an emotion crossed her face. Then he pulled out his other pistol while Sandra shoved Munroe to the right. Barney filled him with lead just as Gunner's big knife went through his chest. Munroe toppled over, dead. Barney released the breath he'd been holding as Sandra ran down towards him and embraced him. He looked to see Lee standing there with a smirk on his face.

"I will concede to a tie," he advised.

"Whatever," Barney replied, but he was smiling too. He limped his way back to the rest of the team, who were looking worse for wear too. The relief that they were all okay was immense.

"Can we go home now?" Caesar asked.

"Yea," Barney answered with a nod. "We sure as hell can." He fist bumped Yang and Lee before Caesar. Toll was standing off to the side, looking indifferent. Barney wondered if he was disappointed that he was still alive.

"You good?" he asked Toll as he passed him.

"Yea," Toll answered after a pause. "I'm good."

He'd take it for now. Sandra asked him a question, so he turned his head to answer her as he kept walking. He eventually left with the team to go rest for a bit in the plane until he was feeling alert enough to fly back home. He knew Lee was antsy to get out of there, but he also knew Lee didn't want to get into an accident either if Barney was seeing double.

It felt bittersweet, knowing this was his last mission, but it also felt good. He'd done enough time in the muck and the mud and the sweat and the blood. It was time to see what real life was like, what having a family outside of the boys was like. It was time to end this chapter of his life and start another.

The Expendable Team was officially coming to a close.

Gunner

He opened his eyes when Tool came into the room. He was aching where Barney had shot him, but he was alive. He didn't know what to make of it if he was honest. He watched Tool sit down and sigh as he looked at Gunner.

"What were you thinking?" he asked.

"I wasn't," Gunner admitted. "I just got lost."

"You almost got dead," Tool stated matter-of-factly. Gunner nodded.

"I know."

"You know we'd never betray you, right? You're one of us, whether you're on this team or not. You're still our friend, Gunner," Tool advised, and Gunner felt some tears well in his eyes.

"That means a lot," he said. "I'm sorry I went off the rails."

"You endured a tragedy. It happens," Tool reasoned.

"It happened to all of you too," Gunner countered.

"We all deal with grief differently," Tool stated. "I turn to women and art. Barney turns into a live chimney and goes out on more jobs. Lee broods. You get what I'm saying?"

"Yea," Gunner confirmed. He shifted on the bed, swallowing and trying to keep from showing too much emotion.

"When you get out of here, let me hook you up with some help," Tool said now. "Please?"

"Okay." Gunner nodded. He knew he had to stop, and he knew he needed help to do it. He couldn't do this alone.

"Good," Tool said, reaching to pat his arm fondly. "We got you, brother."

Gunner didn't say anything, afraid he would burst into tears if he did. He just smiled and nodded, feeling grateful that not everyone had given up on him. He realized there just might be hope for him yet.

And he was going to accept it.

Rose

Winston had dropped her off early in the morning after their date and sleepover, and she was taking off her shoes and pulling her hair out of it's clip when she found Norah sitting on the couch in the living room. Their father was passed out in his recliner, mouth open and snoring. She guessed he had been there all night.

"How was your date?" Norah asked as Rose sat down beside her.

"Good," Rose answered. "We're making some headway on our wedding plans."

"That's good."

"You seem...happier," Rose noted, lifting a brow at her. Norah's face flushed a little, and she held up her phone for Rose to see. She took it, squinting at the message there.

Norah, I need you to know that I meant what I said: I'm quitting. When I come back (and I will come back, I promise), I'll be on the first plane ride back to you. The only way I'll leave you is if I die. It's been a long time since I was happy, and it's because of you (and now also our children). You make me so happy. Without you, I'm not complete. I want you, need you, in my life, and I promise that I'm in this forever. 100%. No wavering. I love you. I'll see you soon.

"Wow," Rose said, handing the phone back to her after finishing. "See, I told you he'd be back."

"I'm trying not to feel scared that he's going to die on this last job," Norah confessed. Rose put an arm around her snugly and held her close.

"I think he's got a very good reason to survive," she replied. Norah smiled, and Rose gave her a small shake. "Is Oscar in bed?"

"Oh, he's at a friend's place," Norah answered. "He left yesterday evening for a sleepover."

"A friend? Who?" Rose asked, feeling slightly alarmed. Oscar didn't have any friends. He'd almost had a friend in Ashley a while ago, but that had petered out to her dismay. Norah frowned.

"Someone named Grant," she told Rose. "He left a note."

"He left a note?! And you didn't think that was odd?!" Rose exclaimed, getting to her feet. Joe lurched awake now, and he cleared his throat roughly and looked over at them.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Oscar's gone," Rose answered, rushing to her son's room. Why would he leave?! She didn't get it. Was he mad about Winston marrying her? No, he loved Winston. Something was going on, but what? She ransacked her son's room, looking for clues, but she didn't find any. Norah and Joe were standing in the doorway, watching.

"Rose, I'm sorry," Norah said. "I really thought he'd gone to a friend's house."

"Well, if you'd paid attention to things outside of your issues, you'd know he has no friends!" Rose exclaimed, going to her room next.

"That's not fair," Norah replied, following her. "When I pick him up at school, he sometimes is talking with some kids. I thought he'd made a friend!"

"You don't just go by a note!" Rose shouted, raking a hand through her hair as she scanned her room. What was out of place? Anything? "There was no phone number to call Grant's mom, was there?! Why didn't you ask me about it?!"

"I assumed you had it already," Norah confessed. "Rose, I'm so sorry..."

Her bed. The comforter was twisted wrong. She hit the floor fast and reached to pull her box out. She yanked things out, looking for the one thing in there that would be of interest to her son. When she didn't find it, she knew exactly what her son was doing.

"Rose? What is it, honey?" Joe asked.

"He's looking for his father," Rose answered, her voice tight and emotional.

"What?" Norah sounded surprised. "How would he know where to look?"

"He doesn't, but I had a photo strip in here," Rose answered, slapping her hand against the box now. "It was the only thing I had of his father. Oscar has a face to his father now, and he'll ask everyone he sees if they know him." She looked at her sister and father with tears streaking down her cheeks. Why hadn't she just talked to him about it more? Why hadn't she told him she was going to make the effort to find his father? Why had she thought burying it would make it go away?

"He can't have gotten far," Joe reasoned. "He's a boy on foot..." No one said out loud what they were thinking: he'd been gone almost twelve hours.

"I really hope you're right, Dad," Rose said, moving past them now. "I really friggin hope you're right."