A scream higher pitched than anything known to the human race rang out through Molly's as Voight ran as fast as he could towards the door wailing like a banshee.

Mouch stood satisfied that the car had gone up in flames and knowing Camille had not been in the vehicle when it went up. It was a message being passed on to Voight not to mess with the family. Everybody but one was sat in Molly's watching the altercation between Mouch Trudy and the girls and Hank decided everyone was going to pay for what they'd done. Patrick saw the whole scene unfold in front of him as he stood in the side alley of Molly's.

He knew this had been a long time coming and his time in AFI meant that he knew how to cause the fire without suspicion being aroused because he wasn't at the venue. Everyone thought he had a shift at 51 after everyone had left. He had called the fire in as planned. The hit hadn't come directly from him. The person behind it was in the background but not far from the fore ground and was stuck right in the middle of it all. The place where no one suspected them to be. Karma was a bitch and that was what was going to be served on anyone linked to the shit storm of the last weeks where everything had changed. Enough was enough and people deserved to know who had the strongest family in Chicago and after tonight there was going to be no question about who it was.

A message had been sent and a message had been received.

Clear as day.

Inside Molly's the gathering was growing bigger as the other firehouses finished their shifts.

Herrmann had opened it up to an open function now the formalities and the plan had been carried out. Jess and Maverick stood proudly in the corner of Molly's knowing that they had just confirmed a new start for their family.

Chris and Tom stood proudly watching their comrade and brother in arms.

He had come through so much although not many people knew how much he had actually faced over the years. His mother had disappeared at birth despite Maverick being told she had died. For some reason the truth had been kept hidden. He had come through being beaten by his drunken father and being put in to the care of the state and then being moved around from collective foster homes to another. The abuse had taken its toll on Mav over the years but it improved when he joined the army. He broke free from his cycle. The foster parents had beaten him black and blue and the foster carers who had supposed to be looking after him and in a position of responsibility used his troublesome behaviour as an excuse to bestow the beatings. Nobody but Mallory had known about the abuse. He had kept it to himself until he turned up for basic training and everyone had all noticed the bruising in the showers. Nobody dared to ask about how it had happened but one night Mallory and Chris found Maverick sobbing hysterically in the corner of the NAAFI after he had been drinking for hours on end. He had been missed that afternoon in the classroom. Nobody except Mallory, Chris and Tom had realised that Maverick had even disappeared. They had all finished their exams and everyone had been searching the base even the guard hut and the military police cell block to see if he had somehow been arrested. No one would put anything past Mav the way he had been recently. In actual fact his instructors had been getting increasingly worried about him not that they voiced this to anyone but Mallory. Mallory seemed to be the only one that Maverick listened to and related to recently. Although Mallory didn't know the reason yet as to why Maverick took it upon himself to listen but he had recently found out that his birth mother had been alive all this time and no one had told him as to why he had never been told. Before his episode in the NAAFI and that morning when the air mail came in. it was a lot for Maverick to get his head round. The thing is he just shut it all out and never really dealt with it or even processed it. Just thought for years that it was his fault. It must have been because it always happened to him never anyone else. Everyone else was treated really well he was treated like the scum of the earth. Well no more. That morning when he found out his mother was alive it broke him. He had been through so much he didn't think he could take any more so he took off on his Harley and off base and avoided his exams. He got back about two hours ago and had been in the NAAFI ever since. It was there that Mallory, Tom and Chris found him. As soon as Mav saw Mallory he threw himself at Mallory still clutching the letter in his hand. Mallory hugged him like his life depended on it and looked at the twins over his shoulder with a look of concern etched on his face. Mav had never been like this. Mallory knew something had happened. Mallory pulled back as Mav stood hunched over with tears still running down his face. The group huddled together as Mav calmed his breathing and started waving the letter around hysterically. He started to raise his voice saying that the bitch was alive and he had been lied to all his life. The questions started to form on his lips. The most prevalent question was why Mallory hadn't told him that they were cousins and how he had never been there. All his life with no one. And even when he joined the army and met Mallory why had something not been mentioned. Unless of course Mallory didn't know. Now wasn't really the time to question him but Mav had no self restraint.

"Mallory why is my birth mother asking if her nephew Mallory is ok and asking if he's still in the same attachment as me"

Mallory starts to back away slowly with hands raised in the air. "Mav its not what you think."

Mav starts to walk towards Mallory. He had that look of demeanour on his face.

"Maverick Mitchell if you do not back off from me now you will regret it." Tom shouts at him.

"Anyway your more pressing question should be how we know your name and how you came to be in the army. Remember about two years ago when you were moved from the foster home to the house with a set of twins living with a lady and man called Tallulah and Patrick? Well little brother you lived with us."

"What the actual fuck?" Maverick stands still and shouts.

"Is it really you?"

"Yes little brother" Tom and Chris say in unison.

The three men share a hug. Mallory being forgotten looked at the group.

"Does this mean I am forgiven?" Mallory asks.

"Forgiven but not forgotten. Now get over here and join in this hug. Cant believe we are all related."

"Ah well onwards and upwards. Next round is on Mallory." Maverick declares.

Mallory laughs. "Not a problem cuz."

"Did mum and dad ever tell you that the adoption had been successful?"

"No they hadn't."

"Yeah well that now means we are brothers and always will be. And Mallory that now means you're now our cousin as well."

"Welcome to the family."

Chris and Tom share a look as they remember the memory of the day it was found that they were all related. It was a memorable day one of which the three of them would never forget although no one in the McHolland clan knew about their link they had kept it all to themselves. Jay was the only one who knew. Jay also knew a lot more about what had been going on than they thought. He knew why Mavs mother had come back to life and he also knew why she disappeared. Not that the BIA knew. Or the SOJs for that matter.

Well apart from one…