Hello, again! To say it's been a while would be an understatement. Thanks to those of you who have stuck around all of these years. I hope everyone is staying safe, healthy, and sane during these strange times. Here is toward the conclusion we have all been waiting for …

"Where have you been?!" Maddy yells hysterical. "Do you know what your sister and I have been through?"

Markus Reynolds stands in the doorway of the Shannon's apartment facing many determined faces, the business ends of two guns, and an irate Madelyn. "You're okay," he manages rather than answering.

"Pardon my language," Ken says, managing to appear even more relieved than when Laura's ruse came to light. "But, fucking hell! You scared the shit out of us!" Mark smirks at the memory of waking a sleeping Ken when he was supposed to be on duty and entering the home of the Shannons under similar circumstances.

"I'd have sent a letter, but this isn't a social call," Mark quips, stepping inside as everyone moves out of the way. His expression turns grave. "Curran isn't who we think he is."

Maddy snorts, "We're already well ahead of you there."

Mark quirks his eyebrows. "Okay, then you know about Phoenix?"

"Want to be more specific?" Laura requests.

"I called in a favor with one of my friends on the job," Mark explains. "We ran background on Curran which led us to some sketchy recruitment deals, and we found out the Phoenix army is in their pockets. The organization's gotten into bed with this businessman named Weaver who controls the army."

Elisabeth frowns immediately. "How does Terra Nova plan to make use of businessman and mercenaries?"

"More importantly," Mark continues, "we saw a notification mobilizing a group from the army to a civilian address. This address."

"Recruitment isn't coming here," Maddy realizes. "They're sending killers." She starts violently shaking her head. "Emily was wrong, they're not just going to send you guys to the internment camps for illegals, to work in the factories, they're going to … to kill … oh my god …"

Elisabeth grabs her daughter up in a fierce hug. "No one is dying," she says in a tone so harsh the kids have heard it from their mother all of three times in their lives. But frightened tears still drip down Maddy's ghastly face as Elisabeth sits her down on the couch.

Mark walks over, kneeling in front of the girl who, naturally, is more afraid of what will happen to the people around her than what she may face herself. "No one is dying," he repeats gently, lightly touching her knee. "Maddy, look at me," he asks, and she eventually raises her puffy eyes to meet his. "You officially met my sister?" he tries to distract her. "Hopefully it went better than your first interaction."

And despite everything, Maddy lets out a watery laugh. "Hardly." She frowns, looking up at her mom. "I'm going to have to turn myself in to recruitment," she says. "I only have passage if I do what they want. I can't just waltz into Hope Plaza alone and expect for there not to be questions."

Foster intervenes, assuring, "They'll be too worried about getting you through the portal at that point. "Everyone with a badge is going to be looking for you until then. You have the leverage; I'd bet solid cash that you not showing up frightens them more than you showing up last minute."

"I agree," Reilly says. "But assuming Reynolds is sticking around, maybe you two should keep your distance from Josh and Zoe. It'd be safer that way. And if Phoenix really is coming, we have to leave." She glances at Foster. "I feel as though we can be on a first name basis at this point – Ken, I'm sorry but it'd probably be in your best interest to let me hold a gun to your head again but in the hallway where there are security cameras."

Mark, having missed the entire situation prior, doesn't seem to understand why Foster trips out the door with his hands in the air, followed by an armed Reilly, but given the circumstances it seems like the last thing that warrants questioning.

The Shannon family and Mark prepare to follow the guards into the hall when Elisabeth pauses. "I almost forgot," she murmurs with a heavy sigh. She disappears into the back bedroom and reemerges with a locked box. After punching in a code and scanning her eyes, the lid pops open. "Josh," Elisabeth says sternly. "I'm trusting you to look after yourself and your little sister, you hear me?"

Josh rolls his eyes, promising he doesn't need a lecture in what's at stake, but he silences himself quite quickly when his mother retrieves a gun from the box. "Your father's service weapon," she says shortly. "And Mark?" She hands the former guard a small black pistol.

"Mom?" Josh's eyes are wide.

"The state hospital doesn't often house the friendliest atmosphere," Elisabeth says. "A while back Jim wanted me to have protection."

Josh's voice breaks, "I don't know how to use a gun."

Mark assures that he hopefully won't have to but pulls him aside and runs him through the basics.

Maddy hesitates by the door. "Mom?" she asks shakily. "I'm … I'm scared. What if we don't make it? What if I'm the only one that goes through, I need you. All of you, even Josh. I don't think I can do this."

"Madelyn," Elisabeth says levelly. She cups her daughter's face, wiping away her tears. "You are brilliant, love. And I am so sorry that you didn't have the childhood you deserved, and that you are caught up in all of this now, but I am your mother. No one is going to take my baby girl away, you hear me?"

Maddy surges forwards, wrapping her arms around her mother, refusing to let go in case it is the last time she is privilege to this comforting embrace. "We can't give up now; we have to keep going," Elisabeth whispers in her hear, encouraging her. "We will be right behind you every step of the way. I'm going to be right there."

Mark, having finished helping Josh, brushes Maddy's arm, softly repeating her name, but the young girl acts young for one, refusing to let go and sobbing softly into her mother's neck. "I love you," she says.

"This isn't goodbye, Maddy," Elisabeth pulls her daughter back, staring right into her identical brown eyes. "It's see you later."