CHAPTER SIXTEEN

In a field some miles from town a helicopter landed, setting down with ease, the blades nothing more than a blur. A few minutes later two vans, nearly identical, drove up.

Michael got out of the helicopter and went to meet them, Maria, Emily and Brandon just behind him. Brandon had his arm around Emily's shoulders. Miguel stayed where he was.

Murdock got out of BA's van and walked to his children. He put his arms around his son and daughter and pulled them close to him. Nick hesitated as he watched them, feeling excluded from the scene. BA put a hand on his shoulder and nodded to him. Nick looked up at him and then walked forward to join his family.

Murdock looked up and held out a hand to Nick. He put an arm around his youngest son and the four stayed like that for a long moment.

Brandon walked over to his dad and BA grinned. He clapped his son on the back and hugged him briefly.

Maria and Danny hugged and Face ruffled his son's hair and put an arm around his daughter.

Johnny and Hannibal shook hands both grinning identical grins. 'Good job kid.' Hannibal told him and Johnny glowed with the praise.

'I love it when a plan comes together.' He told his father.

Miguel joined Joseph who was leaning against the van watching the families reunite. He leaned back and stared at all the people who seemed glad to be together again.

'So.' Joseph said. 'Do you think we should hug too?'

'No.' Miguel told him casually.

'Thank God for that.' Joseph breathed a sigh of relief; he didn't do well with hugging.

Miguel chuckled and looked at him. 'We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Miguel Santiago, the man you were trying to kill.'

Joseph grinned at him and shook the hand that Miguel held out to him. 'Joseph Marshall, the guy who was trying to kill you.'

'Pleased to meet you.' Miguel said. 'Hope you're not going to keep on stalking me and trying to kill me.'

Joseph laughed amiably and shook his head. 'Oh no, I plan on leaving that all behind. Why did Stockwell hate you so much anyway? I've always wanted to know.'

'I'm his half-brother; he wanted the money that our father left to me.'

'You poor sod.' Joseph said sincerely.

Miguel grinned. 'That's what I've always thought. So Joseph, have you ever been to England?'

'Never.'

'Would you like to? I go back there every winter, my daughter doesn't want to go this year, would rather stay home with her friends and my ex-wife.'

Joseph was surprised, he hadn't expected this, and neither had he expected Miguel to be such a nice guy. Stockwell had always given him the impression that he was dangerous and mean. He couldn't have been more wrong.

'Well.I..'

'Oh you don't have to say yes, kid.' Miguel smiled. 'Just thought since you're not working with Stockwell and you don't have a family that you'd like to see a bit of the world.'

'How did you know that I don't have any family?'

Miguel gave a wry smile. 'A drunk can spot another alcoholic a mile off.' He looked at Joseph. 'I've been there too, I know the symptoms and besides I could tell from the look on your face. I'm jealous too; I'd give my right arm for a family like them.' He inclined his head towards Murdock and his children, Face and the twins, Brandon, Johnny and their fathers. 'They're a very close knit group; no doubt you'll have noticed that.'

Joseph made a decision. 'I'd love to see England.'

Miguel grinned. 'Then it's settled.'

Michael and Nick finally pulled out of the group hug and grinned at each other. 'Nice flying Mike.' Nick congratulated.

'Thanks.'

'Guess I'll have a rival now that you're back.'

Michael looked at him confused. 'But you hate flying.'

Nick grinned even more. 'You've been away too long big brother. Can you believe he doesn't know that I can fly, Dad?'

Murdock chuckled and looked down at Emily. 'You ok muchacha?'

Emily nodded, she hadn't moved even though the boys had. Murdock rubbed her back soothingly and kissed her forehead. He'd already decided that he wasn't going to let her out of his sight for a very long time, maybe forever.

'Dad.can we go home now?' His daughter asked, Murdock smiled and put an arm around her walking towards the others.

'You know what honey, that is the best idea I've heard all day.' And then he grinned at her.

*** Kelly brushed her hair and then laid the brush down on the dresser, looking at the bed which was empty. She wondered where he was, when he would be back, if he would be back at all. It had been bad enough when Murdock had gone off on his own to find Michael but the fact that both Nick and Emily were with him was so much worse.

She got up and removed her bath robe. As she turned to lay it on the chair she saw someone standing in the doorway watching her. She gave a gasp and the robe fell from her hands. She was wearing only a nightgown and for a moment she was terrified as the unknown person watched her. But then he walked into the light and she saw it was Murdock.

Her heart felt as if it was going to burst, in one moment he had crossed the room and pulled her into his arm, kissing her. Another gasp escaped from her lips as he kissed her lips but she didn't let go or push him away, she was too glad to have him back.

He pulled away and looked at her, eyes shining. 'I found him.'

Kelly's heart was in her mouth at his words. 'He.'

'He's home, everyone's at Hannibal's.' And before she could answer he was kissing her again.

Afterwards she lay in his arms full of so many questions that she didn't even know what to ask first. He kissed her forehead. 'I love you.' He said. 'But before you say anything else I've got something to say too. I'm sorry, sorry for all that I put you through this past year, running all over the world trying to find Mike. I didn't spare a thought for what you might be going through.'

She didn't say a word, he was right; things had been hard for her. Learning that her son was choosing to leave home and work for a man whom she and her husband despised had affected her badly, especially since she had no idea where Michael was. For the first time in nearly 19 years of marriage they'd fought so badly that sometimes they'd end up screaming at each other, for the past four months Murdock had been sleeping in the spare room. This was the first time in months that he'd slept in their bed, let alone made love to her. Sometimes she would come downstairs in the morning to find that he hadn't even been to bed, he would be asleep on the sofa, papers scattered everywhere.

'I know.' She said quietly. 'And I'm sorry too, I know how hard it was for you, you felt you'd failed him but you never had.' They were silent for a long time before she asked the question that she so badly needed an answer for. 'Is he ok?'

'Yeah, I guess. He's.different, working for Stockwell does that to you. But, he doesn't look at me like he used to now. He doesn't hate me anymore. I think he's going to be ok.'

'HM.' She said softly. 'He never hated you.' She so rarely called him that, usually when she was mad at him more than anything but right now it made him feel warm inside.

'If it wasn't hate then it was something very close to it. But he's back now and it's all going to be ok now Kelly. I promise, I'm going to make it up to both of you.'

*** When his parents walked in, Nick's eyes went wide; he and Emily shared a look of relief. Murdock and Kelly were holding hands and smiling. Nicky and Emily had been aware that their parents were having problems, it was hard not to notice when they were yelling at each other, he'd been scared for a long time that they would end up getting a divorce. Something which if it had been mentioned to him a year ago he would have laughed at. He'd have said that his parents were the most unlikely people to get divorced that he knew, up until this year he hadn't even been able to imagine them having a proper fight.

What had worried him more than his parent's getting divorced was the effect it would have on Emily. He made a mental note to tell Emily that under no circumstances was she to tell Michael that his leaving had nearly ripped their parents apart, for that matter he'd have to talk to the rest of the group too.

Kelly hugged Michael tightly and Nick found himself smiling again. He realised that he'd changed too, a year ago that would have made him insanely jealous that his older brother was getting so much attention but now he was just glad to have him back.