Allison was surprised at Ned's call. Although the two were close friends, Ned had always made a point of keeping both their businesses, intelligence and action, or later, administration, separate. This call we clearly mixing the two, and she had been about to say so, when some pained part of his voice registered with her, and she decided to simply comply.
Being the head of Intelligence didn't give her much experience in dealing with Network prisoners or other nasty people their goal often had them encountering. She didn't even know who, beyond Ned, was responsible for them. Hoping that Ned hadn't handed her off a whole lot of prisoners, she took the helicopter keys from him and waited.
It wasn't prisoners, to Allison's relief, it was prisoner. He was tall, dark, and well built, but his eyes reflected a confusion that made her heart go out to him. She quickly chastised those thoughts. With only one prisoner, and no clear idea on the procedure, she was at a loss of what to do. The guards accompanying the prisoner were workers at Pacific Shipping and didn't know anything about the island. Well...
In a response to her dilemma, she decided to take the prisoner to the only person she knew who would know what to do besides Ned: Melanie. She really hoped that her boss wouldn't be too upset.
"So, it's settled then?" Melanie asked when Ned walked in the door. Never one to socialize, he thought dryly.
"Not really," Ned said, also cutting down to business. "First of all, I don't think he was working alone and he hasn't leaked his partner's name yet, and second, there are a few other snags."
"Oh?" Melanie didn't push him. She had recognized his expression on his face and knew it was best to let Ned tell it in his own way.
"It's what you might call a personal problem, Mel. I know this guy."
That set Melanie's back up. Ned Brenden had been a nobody when he came to her. He hadn't known anybody.
"I don't know how to say this. I guess it would be best to start with me. The man you know as Ned Brenden is really me. I am as you know me, no hidden personality. The little problem is that fourteen years ago I switched lives with the real Ned Brenden."
"What!" Melanie shook her head in confusion. "Just who are you?"
Ned grimaced. "I was about to get to that. You know me as Ned Brenden, except, that was not my name until I came unto the Lady of Shadows. Before that, I was someone else. The real Ned Brenden's past is as you know it, except that the real Ned actually died when I took on his name."
Melanie blinked. "So you killed him?"
"No! Never! He was on the Wraith. I was his friend. When I came on the Lady of Shadows, I took his name. I was on the Wraith as an undercover agent trying to figure out what happened to all those ships. That's why I stowed away. I stayed undercover on the island, trying to figure out what was going on here, and I fell in love with your cause. Then I realized that I didn't want to die for my old cause and converted, really giving up my life and becoming the person you know now. So you see, it didn't really matter what my past was, just as long as I was who I was. That's why I didn't tell you."
The red head nodded. "I see. And now?"
"Well, the prisoners name is Frank Hanes, but he's undercover and I know his real name to be Frank Hardy. Does that ring a bell?"
Melanie raised her eyebrows. "Oh yes it does. He's forced us to close down a whole bunch of operations, but he's never gotten his hands on solid information before so we've left him alone. He just went to far this time."
Ned winced. "Well, my birth name and old identity was Joe Hardy, Frank's dead brother."
Melanie dropped her pen in shock. "This does present a problem." She considered for a moment and then understood everything Ned/Joe was going through. "Does he know?"
"Suspects, but doesn't know for sure. Right now I'll bet he's mighty confused."
"Marital status?"
"Married, one kid named Joe." Ned remembered the pain he had felt once he had discovered that, but remained silent.
"Then he probably won't convert, will he?"
"No, I doubt it."
Melanie sighed deeply, closing her eyes. "I can honestly say I don't know what to do right now, Ned. Well, give him the run of the place and a job as a dock worker and you and I can put our heads together."
Ned let out a sigh too, this one of relief. "Then you're not mad?"
"What is there to be mad about?" Melanie said. Then she tilted her head, as if thinking. "Except maybe not giving me a kiss when you came in the door...I am mightily steamed about that."
"I'll just have to make that up, won't I?" Ned said with a smile. After a moment of passionate kissing, Ned pulled away. Melanie frowned. "Mel, when I was away I bought you something."
Taking a deep breath, Ned dropped on his knee and pulled out a small box from his coat. He had decided this too on the copter ride that if Melanie wasn't mad at him... "Melanie, will you marry me?"
The head of the whole island let out a huge shriek and flung herself into Ned's arms. "Yes! I had hoped, but never imagined..."
And then there was a knock on the door. Melanie pulled herself away, wiped her eyes, and slipped the 20 karat diamond ring on her finger before saying, "Come in."
A/N: Sorry for the wait...I was busy, but thanks for making me feel appreciated! I finished writing the conclusion tonight! I plan on making you wait, of course::flashes evil grin: but there's only three chapters left you'll just have to deal with it...