Chapter 7

When their plane landed and they had their bags Robert turned to Anna, "I want you to be prepared, there is a good chance Sean won't know us when we first get there." Anna nodded and took a deep breath. "Last time the first night I was there it was like he knew he should know me but he couldn't figure it out."

"OK," Anna said softly.

"I just want you to understand what we're walking into. I hope we get to see that smile and he knows us the moment we walk through the door but I'm just trying to be realistic."

Anna reached up and touched his shoulder, "You're trying to prepare yourself as much as you are me."

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"Come on Scorpio, our friend is waiting for us. Even if he doesn't know that."

Robert gave her a weak smile then picked up their bags, "Let's get out of here."

They were staying at Sean and Tiffany's so that was where they were headed. When they got there a young woman opened the door, even though they didn't know her well they hugged her like she was a long lost friend. "Hi Ann," Robert said as he hugged her.

"Oh Ann, it's been too long," Anna said when she hugged her next.

"It's good to see you both again. Mom and dad are waiting for you." She smiled at them, "Dad's having a good day." Robert and Anna looked at each other and smiled. "Just leave your bags here. I'll show you both to your rooms later." They followed her through the house to the sitting room where Sean and Tiffany were sitting by the fireplace.

Sean stood up first, "Would you look at this. Aren't you two a sight for sore eyes."

"Hi Sean," Anna said and went over and hugged him. She held him tight, trying not to cry. She leaned back in his arms and touched his face. "I've missed you, Donely."

He put his hands on the sides of her face, "And I've missed you, Devane." He gave her a kiss and hugged her again. Next, he turned to Robert, "Hey old buddy."

Robert walked over and hugged him patting his back, "It's so good to see you, Sean. Oh, I've missed you."

Tiffany was standing with them now as well. She hugged Anna then Robert, "He's been talking about your visit for the last couple hours. He's very excited about this." She hugged Robert again, "I think knowing you two were coming for a visit has helped him a little."

"I am so glad he knows who I am," Robert was trying not to let his emotions get away from him.

Tiffany leaned back and touched his face, "He asked about you a couple of days after you left last time. He didn't understand why you didn't say goodbye so I told him you had gotten a call in the middle of the night to go on assignment." Robert nodded, "He is really happy about this visit."

"So am I, I was just worried Tiff. You and I need to have a nice long talk while I'm here. Sean isn't the only one dealing with memory problems. Anna's were done to her and she's struggling but I'm not allowed to help as much as I want I and I could really use someone to talk to about that."

"Oh, darling we will." She touched his cheek lovingly, "You still love her so much."

"I can't tell her that and I can only do so much to help before she starts pushing me away."

Tiff turned and put her arm through his, "I want us all to have a wonderful visit. We all have a few tears in our eyes right now but I want to hear us all laughing like we use to."

Anna was standing with Sean, their arms around each other. She looked up at him, "I'd like that very much."

"I'll do my best to remember all my best Irish jokes." Sean knew what was happening to him, when he was there he understood and seeing Anna and Robert here all he wanted to do was talk with his oldest and dearest friends and hope that he would be himself while they were here. "First I want to see pictures of my goddaughter and her family."

Robert and Anna both smiled and pulled out their phones. Within minutes the four of them were sitting around looking at pictures and talking happily about Emma and Noah. There were a few videos that made them all laughing.

...

Chase had called Finn to see what he was up to. He just wanted to see his brother and figured since Anna was out of town they could go for supper together. When he got to Charlie's he saw Finn and though he had a drink in front of him. "Hey Finn, what's going on?"

"Hey, just waiting for you. Should we sit at a table?"

"Yeah." They turned and Chase happy to see Finn didn't pick up the glass that was on the bar. "Sorry, I totally thought that was your drink," Chase admitted as they sat down.

"What you think with Anna out of town I'm gonna throw away my sobriety?"

"I don't know, it just seemed odd seeing that drink by you."

"I'm good, really."

"Yeah, all right. So when did Anna leave?"

"Earlier today, they should be there by now. I haven't heard from her but I think she just wants to get there and start visiting."

"That's good, it sounds like these are friends she's known for years."

"I guess, one since her teens, the other she meet after moving here."

"What's bugging you?"

"We got into a bit of an argument before she left. I kept telling her I wanted to go with her. I had even bought a ticket so I could follow her there."

"Why?"

"I thought she needed me there. I now understand Anna doesn't actually need me. She likes having me around, I think but need is a different story."

"Did something happen are the two of you having problems?"

"No, other than the fact I let her sister get into my head." Finn sat back in his chair, "Today it was because I mistakenly thought that she would want my support. I guess I don't really understand her all that well. Anna kept telling me that she was going to see these friends, that Robert was going at the same time."

"That's what this is about, you don't like that she's there with Robert."

"No that's not it, well maybe a little but that's not the point. She doesn't need me there because she will have the support she needs, she will be providing support while she's there. These are old friends that have taken on the world together and won. She's gone to a meeting of superheroes are us and mild-mannered Doc Finn is not needed there."

"Oh, so you're feeling sorry for yourself that's what this is. Poor Finn, dating the hot super spy who happened to be friends with other super spies. One of which is suffering from a terrible condition that is taking him away from the people he loves before his time. Poor you."

Finn looked at his brother, "Tough love?"

"Yeah, if you're gonna sit there and moan about the fact Anna has other people in her life besides you and that you don't always fit in. No couple can't spend every second of the day together."

Finn nodded, "Thanks Chase, I think I needed to hear that." He smiled at his brother, "So tell me about Willow, how are things going there?"

"Good," Chase smiled. "She decided to stay here and since she has there's this change I've noticed."

"Oh?"

"No, it's a good change. She has a fire, a drive and it's sexy," Chase told him with a smile.

"What about that guy from DOD?"

"I don't know, I think that has something to do with why she stayed and the change. She didn't let him chase her out of town and I think she wants to keep an eye on what's going on with that but so far she seems to be steering clear of DOD. Finn, I'm just happy she stayed here."

"So do you think there could a future for the two of you?"

"It's way too early to be thinking about. I like her, I'm pretty sure she likes me and for now we're getting to know each other better."

...

Anna was sitting beside Sean on the couch in their sitting room. Robert was sitting by Tiffany and Ann was right beside her mother. "I am so glad you came back, Uncle Robert."

"I keep telling you Robert is fine."

"Uncle Robert, I am very glad you and Aunt Anna are here. I don't care how many times you say it you two are my aunt and uncle, come on I'm named after her. Dad has been talking about this visit for a couple of days. When he fads away for a little while I knew he was coming back because he would start asking when you were getting here."

"Did you tell him Felicia and Mac are planning to visit soon as well?"

"No, I thought that could be the next short term thing for him to look forward to," Tiffany told him.

"That makes sense, I hope he has some good days while we're here. I really do miss him and it was hard last time."

"I don't understand why he got so angry. The only thing I can think of was that maybe he was in that time when we believed you were dead."

"Seeing me would have been very confusing if he thought I should be dead."

"That still doesn't explain why he was so angry. Why he was yelling at you," Ann said.

"That doesn't matter now, this is much better," Robert told them and smiled over at Sean and Anna.

Sean had his arm around Anna, "Tell me why you won't give him another chance."

"I'm involved with someone else Sean," Anna told him with a little laugh.

"Not as good a match as that guy over there. That moment when you met, I can still remember that sometimes. The memories with you and Scorpio in them, they come back the most. I can remember so much of what we all went through. Tiffany and Ann, I always seem to know they are important to me even if sometimes I'm not sure I know who they are."

"Robert was here not that long ago."

"I know. I think I messed up some when he was here. I don't know what happened but I think we got into a fight. Maybe I was just imagining that, but I think I did yell at him but I don't know why."

"Oh, Sean. I don't know what happened but I know Robert was worried you wouldn't know him. I think whatever happened was really hard on him. He loves you and hates what you're going through."

"I love him too, that man is like a brother to me. I have hurt him, you too but I have always thought of him as my brother."

"Hey, we aren't talking about that messy stuff."

"I'm sure that messy stuff, if it hadn't happened, you wouldn't be telling me about this other guy you involved with. Anna you and Robert, I've never seen anything like it."

Anna smiled and looked over to find Robert watching them. She smiled a little bigger, "I'll always love him, don't tell him that though."

"I'm making no promises. I might not remember this conversation, I might not remember I'm not supposed to tell him that either."

Anna turned and hugged him, "I am so glad I came here to visit you."

Sean studied her face for a moment, "There is something on your mind, talk to me now. There's no guaranty how I'll be tomorrow."

"I have a twin, Alex. I have recently found out that I have some of her memories in my head. I can't be sure what's me and what's her. Apparently, she even did at least one mission for the WSB. Robert looked into it and the case file listed the agent as A.D. so was that me or was that her. She told me that was the memory that was planted. Robert thinks there would have been more than one and I think he has to be right about that."

Sean shook his head, then looked around the room. Suddenly he looked very serious, "Scorpio and Devane can never work with AD. They can never be in the same city as AD."

"What?"

"Agent you can't send Devane to London."

"I wasn't," Anna looked over at Tiffany then back at Sean.

"I have my orders. Scorpio and Devane do not work with AD." Sean looked around then leaned in close, "I was never here, understood." Then he got up and left the room. Tiffany got up and followed him, she had seen that happen before, it was like he was suddenly on an assignment again. It had been a long day maybe he was just getting tired.

Anna came over and stood by Robert and Ann. "He just switched, I was talking to him in the now then it was like he was the WSB chief again."

"What was he saying about us?" Robert asked.

"We could never work with AD." Without him having to ask Anna went on to explain. "I told him about Alex's memories being planted in my mind then about you finding that file with the initials and that was when he started saying Scorpio and Devane can't work with AD."

"That is very interesting," Robert said as he and Anna exchanged looks. This would be talked about again later. In front of Sean's daughter wasn't the time or place.