Disclaimer: don't own them.
Notes: I can't remember if the others found out that Face is actually Richard Bancroft, so seeing that this is my story, I am making it that only Ellen, Murdock, Stockwell and Murdock that knows the truth. (It's more fun that way! ;-)
Anyway I just want to thank everyone for their reviews:
Luna- Thanks for the review, hope you like this chapter.
TeacherTam- evil aren't I?? you should know by now, that I like to leave things hanging... Oh, and no, you didn't hurt my feelings. I really do appreciate that you pointed it out, I spotted that mistake in my other stories too, and I didn't know that I was using the wrong word. Now I do, and I learnt from my mistakes. English is a cool subject, I mean there are loads more words to describe stuff (there aren't that many descriptive words in Afrikaans). Anyway hope you enjoy the rest of the story.
Lelann37- I take it that you like the suspense? just wait! there's a lot more to come....
Nash Carter- I'm glad that you like this, I've still got a lot more in store for Face, hope you like.
o o o
Hannibal woke up in a fright, he sat up quickly as his eyes scanned the dark room and realised that he was in his room.
He used his one hand to rub the sleep from his eyes, as the other went in search for his watch. His hand felt along the bedside table, trying to get he watch.
After about thirty seconds he signed as he opened his eyes and switched on the lap. The bright light attacked his eyes, forcing them to shut. Hannibal groaned as he turned his head, trying to block out the bright light.
He waited a few seconds before he slowly opened his eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the brightness.
Once he could see, he looked at the table and noticed that his watch was just a few inches away. He picked up the silver watch and squinted to read what the time was.
Three am.
Hannibal mumbled a curse as he switched off the light before getting comfortable on his bed. He closed his eyes, allowing sleep to take him.
He felt himself begging to drift off when he felt something.
His eyes shot open, he remained in the same position as he tried to figure out what was wrong.
Everything was silent, everything was the way it should be. Yet, something didn't feel right. Something was wrong.
He took in a sharp intake as a feeling of dread filled him.
"Face!" Hannibal gasped as he bolted out of his bed.
He didn't bother with a coat, his mind was focused on one thing, Face.
He quickly walked out of his room, heading straight for the lounge where they had left him. He quickly scanned the room before entering it.
He slowed his pace, as he focused on his surroundings, making sure that he was prepared.
He slowly made his way to the couch were they left Face to sleep.
As he got near, he could feel his heart pounding against his chest as the fear grew. He closed his eyes as he took a step closer. Half of him wanted to return to his room, to pretend that there was nothing wrong, but the other half wanted to know if there was something wrong with Face.
He opened his eyes, but he was not prepared on what he saw....
The couch was empty.
Hannibal knew that he went to sleep after Frankie and BA, so that left Murdock.
"CAPTAIN!"
Hannibal growled as he turned around, heading straight for Murdock's room.
He knocked loudly against the captain's door.
Murdock bolted out of bed in fright as he heard someone knocking on the door. Wondering what could be wrong, he quickly opened the door to reveal a grumpy Col. John "Hannibal" Smith.
Hannibal's grey hair was sticking in all directions, he wore a old grey t-shirt, with grey tracksuit pants. What scared Murdock, was Hannibal's angry eyes.
"Colonel?"
"Where's Face?" Hannibal demanded.
Murdock frowned, his brain was in the process of waking up.
"He's in the lounge," Murdock answered.
"Damn it!" Hannibal swore.
"What's wrong?" Murdock asked in concern.
"Face is gone,"
All blood drained from Murdock's face as he looked at Hannibal in shock.
"Gone?" Murdock said barely above a whisper.
Hannibal looked at Murdock, and suddenly realised that Murdock had the wrong idea.
"He's not dead, he's missing," Hannibal explained.
"Whoa!" Murdock signed in relief.
"Get dressed, I'm going to wake up everyone," Hannibal instructed.
Murdock nodded.
o o o
Face winced as he had bumped his side as he turned the steering wheel. He wished that he had taken his medicine with him.
His side wasn't that sore when he left the room, but when he had to push the car out the drive way so that he didn't wake the others, that's when it began to burn.
If he wasn't trained to deal with the pain, he would have driven back, but he was a man on a mission. A mission to know why.
He bit his lip as he saw another sharp turn coming up.
"ou!" Face cried out as he made the turn.
He bit his lip as he felt the pain become unbearable. He looked at the familiar street, only a few more minutes.
Then he could rest.
o o o
Everyone assembled in the lounge. BA, Frankie and Murdock sat on the couch that Face had, only a few hours ago, slept on. They looked at Hannibal, waiting for their orders.
"Does anyone know where Face could have gone?" Hannibal asked.
Everyone shook their heads.
"Damn it, it's only been two days since he's been shot! He should be resting, not running!" Hannibal swore as he sat down heavily on the one chair.
Murdock bit his lip, not knowing if he should or shouldn't tell the others the truth.
"Hannibal, um, I think I might know," Murdock said shyly.
Everyone turned to look at the nervous Captain.
"Speak," Hannibal ordered.
"Well, when you guys went to sleep, Face-man asked me about A.J. Bancroft," Murdock said sheepishly.
Hannibal frowned, he didn't really know why Face would be so interested in an old case.
"Why?" BA asked.
Murdock swallowed nervously, he had thought that they had known.
"Um, well, you see, Bancroft is..."
Murdock stopped as he looked around. He didn't know how to explain it to everyone. Once again, he found himself cursing the day that he meet A.J. Bancroft.
"Spill it, Captain!" Hannibal said in a deadly tone.
"Bancroft is Face's father," Murdock said quickly.
Frankie's mouth dropped wide open, as he looked at Murdock with a shocked expression.
BA frowned as he looked at Murdock in disbelief.
Hannibal felt as if someone had just punched him, he just couldn't believe what had just been said. He looked at Murdock in total shock.
"I thought you knew, I found out by mistake, A.J had a picture of Face-man, and I asked, he told me that Face's real name is Richard, Richard Bancroft. I nearly flipped, but he begged me not to tell Face, because he was going to, but then he died," Murdock tried to explain.
"How come you didn't tell us, fool?" BA growled.
"I thought A.J. would tell Face, and that they would tell you, but he died," Murdock said in self defence.
"Then how did Face find out?" Frankie asked.
"I told him, because, he was going to ask Ellen out, and that was gross," Murdock said as he wrinkled his nose in disgust.
Hannibal didn't move, he just kept on listening to Murdock as his mind wondered why Face didn't tell him. He didn't want to admit it, but it hurt. It hurt that Face didn't tell him about this. Hannibal felt disappointed, a little jealous too.
Sure they weren't a family, a real blood family, but he always thought that they were. He was the father, BA the over protective brother, Murdock the kid brother, and Face, while, Face was special. Face was his son.
"What did Face ask you last night?" Hannibal asked softy.
Murdock saw the disappointed look in Hannibal's eyes and knew that this was going to be the hardest mission they would ever have to have faced.
"He asked me if I know why A.J. left him, and he asked me if A.J. had said anything about his mother," Murdock said sadly.
"What did you tell him?" Frankie asked.
"I told him what A.J. had basically told me, just in a different way. Looks like A.J and Samantha, Face's mom, married when they were young. A.J. said it was a mistake, so he left when Face was born. He tried to get back in contact with them, but he found out that Face was in the Orphanage. He didn't know what happed to Samantha," Murdock explained.
BA growled when he heard that A.J. had just left.
"How can he just leave face?" BA demanded.
"I don't know, but A.J. didn't get Face from the Orphanage, he left him there. When he found out that he was dying, that's why he called us. He wanted to see Face in person, but he didn't have the guts to tell Face," Murdock replied in anger.
Hannibal felt his blood boil as he heard what A.J. had done to Face.
"Where do you think he would go?" Hannibal asked Murdock.
"I think, to find his mom," Murdock answered honestly.
"Do you know where she is?" BA asked.
"No,"
"Who will?" Frankie asked.
Everyone turned to Hannibal, and they all groaned when they saw Hannibal smiling.
o o o
Face parked in the driveway that he had visited over the past month. He slowly got out the car, and slowly made his way to the door.
He had just enough strength to press the doorbell before he double-over in pain. He fell to the ground, feat covered his face as his eyes were tightly shut.
He vaguely heard the door opening, as he heard a woman call his name, before darkness claimed him.
o o o
End of Chapter four.