Luke and Jason left quickly, eager to get home. Rafe hesitated for a moment as he passed Colby, but changed his mind and didn't stop to talk.
Darla lingered and got her mother's attention. As they moved off for a more private conversation, Megan asked, "What's wrong, Darla?"
She smiled and hugged Megan, "Nothing's wrong. I just think you should call it a night and get some rest. You look all in. I'll drive you home."
Megan looked amused, "First Cam, now you. What's going on?"
Darla shrugged, "Nothing really. Just worrying about the parental units."
"Parental units?" Megan laughed. "We won't be much longer, Darla. I promise." Megan laughed again at Darla's look of disbelief. "Alright, alright. Stay for a few minutes while I talk Don into quitting for the night. You can drive me home if it'll make you feel better."
As her mother made her way back into the den, Darla murmured to herself, "Cam's right, none of you are getting any younger. And we've done squat in return for everything you did."
-----
Rafe brooded as he drove home. Verity's smoky gold eyes and full lips had haunted him since she'd pushed away from him. He'd caught her when she tripped. She'd clutched at his chest to brace herself, and he'd tightened the arm he had around her. He would have sworn that her eyes darkened and lips parted, and that her head had tilted for his kiss.
He sighed softly as he remembered the scent of her. Well, he was nothing if not persistent, especially since he was sure he'd seen desire in her eyes. Perhaps she just needed time to mourn Darren, but she'd be ready to move on someday, and he'd be there waiting.
His thoughts moved on to her father and brother, and wondered at the cards that fate had dealt. Colby's watchful eye over his daughters was legend at the FBI, Rafe would have to be careful. And Cameron. He'd never thought their paths would cross again.
-----
"Hey," Hannah smiled as Colby walked in the door.
"You didn't have to wait up, sweetheart," Colby murmured as he pulled her in for a kiss.
"Mmmmmm, I know. I was just talking to Robin on the phone," Hannah moaned softly as he nibbled and kissed his way from her ear to her throat, "She told me about the hot chocolate. Said it made her think of the picture I'd taken when you taught them how to make hot chocolate for the first time."
Colby snorted a laugh, "Funny, that's what I thought of too, though I hadn't in years. I remember having to clean all that mess up, off the kitchen and off the kids. Got ragged for getting chocolate on my Kevlar vest." He said thoughtfully, "Cameron worried me there. And he surprised me with a hug on his way out. I still don't know what any of that was all about."
"Near as Robin could make out, he was worried about you because you looked tired."
"He's seen me tired before."
"Don't you think you should ease up a little on this investigation? Let the younger agents handle the legwork?" She snuggled closer and nuzzled her face into his neck with a soft sigh of satisfaction.
He hugged her but didn't reply. She hadn't really expected one. "Want a back rub?"
"Yeah. I could really use one."
Grinning with mischief, she patted him on his behind as he got in the bed. He laughed and shook his head at her as he settled in. With gentle, loving hands she began kneading the muscles, starting from the shoulders. She thought about the first time she'd given him a back rub. It had been on their second date. She'd invited him to her home for dinner, she'd felt sorry for him, he'd just worked all night. Then she was laughing to herself, it had been the first time he'd had her lasagna.
His breathing evened as he fell asleep from her ministrations. She kissed him tenderly on his temple and his shoulder before tucking the covers around him. Soberly, she sat and watched him sleep for a few minutes. She ran gentle fingers through the silver streak at his temple, an all too obvious sign of the age that was catching up with them.
-----
Keeley sighed. She was thoroughly sick of morning sickness and completely ready for it to be over with. But the rest of it, she thought she could handle. She wasn't showing much yet, though her clothes were getting tight. Poor Justin was a nervous wreck about her still being on the job, but she didn't figure she had to go on maternity till the baby was ready to be born. She'd just work the desk.
She sighed again as she looked around the clinic. Her OBGYN's office was in a multispecialty clinic. Apparently his wife was an oncologist and they'd decided to open a clinic together. Tapping her foot impatiently, she looked at her watch and noted that it was already thirty minutes past her appointment time. Those ultrasound techs seemed to take their own sweet time.
Just as her eyes made another sweep around the clinic, two men walked into the oncologist's examination room. Her blood chilled because she hadn't seen them in the waiting room. Quickly, she called Justin. "The Jamesons are here at the clinic. Get here now!"
She moved over to talk to the office manager and explained the situation. Keeley was relieved that he handled it calmly. Together they convinced the oncologist to keep the Jamesons occupied while they evacuated the clinic.
Justin and Tyler arrived at the clinic more quickly that Keeley would ever have thought possible. And within a few minutes, the Jamesons were arrested. She thought later that the elder Jameson had given up a long time ago to the cancer. The younger Jameson seemed to have lost the will to fight, perhaps his father's inexorable decline had proved too much for him to handle.
-----
Don watched Justin and Tyler as they debriefed Jameson Jr and Sr respectively. He reared back in disgust at Senior's pride in Junior over Darren's shooting. "Your son never had a chance, you twisted..." he said, out loud.
Megan had her face in her hands. After over thirty years, it still sickened her.
"I miss my dad," he said starkly.
She missed him too. Alan Eppes had been a warm and wonderful man, full of sarcastic wit and fatherly wisdom.
"Well, we can definitely put Junior away. He had the gun with him," David was glad they'd finally caught him. "A group of Darren's friends will be going out to celebrate tonight. Everyone's welcome."
Don nodded. Death threat or no, he would stop by for a drink.
-----
Maggie watched her father and Pierre as they discussed something at the bar. Her eyes swept the room, noted the agents that were on protective detail, and settled back on her father.
"It doesn't ever get better, really," Keeley murmured to Maggie.
"What doesn't?" was Maggie's startled response as she looked in Keeley's eyes.
"Sibling jealousy. And I would know. Trust me." But Keeley was laughing. "Even when you get along with your siblings, there's always a degree of jealousy. It's all in how you handle it. You can handle it well, like I do, or badly, like Tyler here." She nudged her brother, who rolled his eyes at her.
Justin laughed, "That's probably the most entertaining thing about the Granger siblings. Their friendly rivalry. Which, on occasion, spills over to the not-so-friendly category." He handed Keeley the non-alcoholic drink he'd purchased, and pulled her into his arms.
"There's Giselle," Keeley said softly, noting Maggie's fascination with the way Tyler lit up as Giselle came in. "And a prime example of how badly Tyler handled his jealousy."
Giselle laughed at that. Still, she was glad that Tyler had got over whatever it was, and asked her out. She slipped into his arms with a happy sigh.
"That's enough, Keeley," Tyler was exasperated at being the butt of Keeley's commentary.
Keeley grinned, unrepentent, but she gave in and kissed Tyler on the cheek.
"I always wondered how you manage when there's five of you. Is Verity your Dad's favorite?" Maggie was curious.
Smiling faintly as she watched for Tyler's reaction, Keeley replied, "No. Cameron is."
"Cameron? No way! Really?" Darla chimed in. "I remember listening to them argue. Which was pretty much all the time."
"Yeah. Way. And Tyler's Mom's favorite. Which leaves slim pickings for the rest of us."
Maggie wondered how much Keeley's light mocking tone was hiding.
"What amuses me is Brandon stoking the fires, especially between Tyler and Cameron," Justin was grinning as he clapped Tyler on the back. "Made for some interesting brawls."
Tyler shook his head, "I have to tell you that I'm glad that's mostly over with. Cameron's a demon to fight."
Keeley looked at him curiously, "How'd you work it out?" She laughed at the half-smile Tyler gave her, knowing that she wasn't going to be able to get that out of him. Not tonight anyway.
"Erin's been a total surprise," Darla said, a soft smile on her face. She watched them as they came in. "She seems like a totally different person since she met Cameron. More confident. Look at that glow!"
"And we're going to have to watch that one," Keeley indicated Rafe. "He's devouring Verity with his eyes."
Justin laughed, "Wonder how your Dad would fare against a former Navy SEAL?"
Cameron heard that as he and Erin joined the group. Keeley saw the familiar mask drop into place as he said, his voice cold and hard, "Don't worry, it'll never come to that."