Lee stared at the ring in the palm of his hand. Barney's "good luck" ring. How the hell did it get into John's hands? He knew Barney had been wearing it the day he died.

"Lee?" John prompted, making Lee finally look at him.

"Who sent this to you?" Lee demanded. He felt fury inside of him. Was it a trick? A prank? Was someone messing with them?

"I don't know," John answered. He pulled out a piece of paper then. "This came with it." He handed it to Lee, who unfolded it, still looking at John. Rita had no idea what to look at. Her eyes bounced back and forth between Lee, John, the ring, and the piece of paper.

"Read it," Rita urged. Lee scanned it quickly.

But things AReN't what thEY seem. With this ring, I bid thee viel gluck.

"What the hell is this?" Lee asked, shoving the paper back at John, who fumbled it before getting a hold of it.

"It's from Barney," John said.

"How do you know?"

"Let me see," Rita said, holding out her hand. John stared at her.

"It's all right. She is my wife," Lee added. John handed it to her then, and she looked at it, frowning.

"He's spelt out his name," she said.

"Where?" Lee asked, looking at it with her.

"See? He's capitalized letters to spell 'Barney.'"

"Then what's with the ending?" Lee asked, feeling stupid for not catching that right away. His anger and confusion was clouding his senses.

"Viel gluck," she murmured. "It's German. I think he's trying to say he's in Germany."

"Viel gluck means good luck," John chimed in. "Luna figured that out."

"What the hell is he doing in Germany? I saw him die!" Lee shouted, banging his fist on the countertop. Both Rita and John flinched.

"Obviously he's saying things are not what they seem," Rita said timidly, handing him the note. "So I guess perhaps he didn't die after all."

"Or it's someone being a wise ass and is trying to lure me into a trap," Lee snapped. "I'm not falling for it."

"We didn't either, but then we got this," John said, holding up his phone and hitting "play."

"Drummer here. News has come to us that one of your old Expendable teammates is in trouble in Germany. We were sent photos. It's not good. Rally up your crew and come meet me in the old meet spot ASAP."

"Have you gone?" Lee asked him. John shook his head.

"We wanted to find you first."

"How did you know where to find me?" Lee questioned.

"We read the article about you and...and her," John answered carefully, looking at Rita. "You two were on the team that fought in Verdun. It was big news back home. It also mentioned London was the last place you were seen, so we took a guess."

"Drummer found me, didn't he?"

"Well...yes. He said he wanted us to talk to you. He didn't think you'd listen to him."

"So was the ring mailed to you or to him?"

"Him," John admitted. "He thought it would help you make your decision if it came from just me."

"What are you going to do?" Rita asked nervously. Lee hesitated. If Barney was alive and in trouble, he wanted to rescue his friend. He owed him that much. At the same time, though, he didn't want to leave Rita. He had a strange feeling this whole thing was a trap of some kind. Who was behind this? He didn't like it. There was too much of a sinister feeling behind all of this. Barney wouldn't wish him good luck. He'd say something else that was more direct or at least smart ass. That note felt orchestrated by someone else. A flash of Barney being killed before his eyes replayed in his mind. It was too real. There was no way he'd survived that.

"You tell Drummer I'm out," Lee said.

"What?" John exclaimed. "What do you mean, you're out? It's Barney!"

"I don't know that for sure," Lee cut him off. "Until I am, I'm not going anywhere."

"So...so I have to tell Drummer..."

"I'm out," Lee repeated. "Go on."

"Lee," John tried.

"Go. On," Lee said firmly, pointing. John reached for the ring, but Lee held onto it.

"I'll look after it," he said as John started to stammer about Drummer and evidence.

"Okay," John said. He left the house then, and the door slammed behind him. Lee exhaled and bent over the counter, the ring still in his hand.

"Lee?" Rita said, moving her hands onto his back. "Are you okay?"

"None of this makes any sense," Lee replied, looking at the ring. "I saw him die, Rita. I saw them all die. There's no way he's still alive."

"I believe you," Rita said. She didn't know what else to say. Her phone chirped then, and she looked at it.

"Brady wants to do dinner," she said, looking at him. He'd stayed in touch since Lee had saved his life in Verdun after all.

"Not tonight," Lee responded, pulling away and retreating to the bedroom. He needed to think. Rita replied to Brady's text thanking him for the invite but asked to do it another time. She set her phone down, looking after where Lee went. She knew they were in for a long night.

...

"BARNEY!" Lee shouted, thrashing. Rita woke up in time to avoid the flying fist. She sat up and started to shake him.

"Lee!"

"Run! Run, dammit!"

"LEE!" Rita yelled. His eyes flew open, and he sat up, one hand grabbing her wrist and the other her throat. His eyes were wild, and she knew he wasn't fully awake yet.

"Lee," she choked, pulling at his fingers. First anger, then panic, then recognition hit his face.

"Rita," he said, releasing her. "Oh God, I'm so sorry."

"You were having a nightmare," she said, massaging her throat. He gripped his head in his hands. He couldn't believe he'd hurt his wife like that.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"It's okay. You didn't know it was me," she soothed.

"That's no excuse. I nearly strangled you," he argued. She moved into his lap then, putting her hands on his face and resting her forehead against his.

"I could have kicked your ass if I really wanted to," she told him, smiling a little. "So no, you wouldn't have strangled me."

"That doesn't make me feel better," he said, looking at her. "You shouldn't have to defend yourself in bed from your husband."

"Nightmares are part of trauma," Rita started.

"I don't have trauma," he growled.

"Yes, you do, whether you like it or not," she said, gripping his face. "Now, do you want to talk about it or not?"

"Talk about what?"

"The fact that you just learned your best friend could still be alive?"

"He's not."

"Lee..."

"And so what if he was?! I can't go traipsing across Germany looking for him. I...I have a different life now," he finished.

"That's a lie, and you know it. We both know you want to go," Rita said, giving him a stern look. "You don't have to lie to me, Lee. If you miss your old life, it's okay."

"I can't go with a bunch of rookie kids," Lee said bitterly. "I'll be dead in the first five minutes."

"Then I'll go with you," Rita offered. He stared at her.

"What?"

"You heard me. I'll go with you. I'm a very good shot, if you recall," she added.

"I don't want you anywhere near this. I can't risk losing you."

"Look, I'm tired of being just a teacher. Believe it or not, I miss action...fighting. I want to go with you," Rita said fiercely. Lee didn't say anything for a while until he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She felt his heartbeat against her chest as her chin rested on his bare shoulder.

"This might get us killed," he said eventually, his face against her hair.

"I know."

"You really want to come with me?"

"Yes."

"All right, but you have to promise to do what I say, got it?"

"I understand, but don't forget I am the sergeant major," she reminded him. "Some also have called me the Full Metal Bitch."

"This is a different kind of fight, Rita," Lee said solemnly.

"And the Mimics were just a walk in the park?" she challenged.

"No, I guess not, I just..."

"I'll be fine, Lee. I'll follow your lead, and we'll find your friend."

"I'll call Drummer tomorrow."

"Will you be all right now?" she asked.

"I'm not exactly tired," he confessed. He didn't want to close his eyes again. He didn't like watching his team get slaughtered even if it was just a dream.

"Perhaps I can help with that," Rita suggested.

"In what way?" he asked, knowing full well what she meant. He gripped her to him when she started kissing him. Rita didn't want to think of it as the potential last time. She just wanted to distract them both from what they were about to face. In no time, she had him pressed down on his back while he tugged off her slip. She lost herself as his hands and lips roamed. A flash of memory of the first time they did this threatened to interrupt, and she pushed it away. She still had guilt that he didn't remember it and she did. She couldn't talk to Jenny about it because Jenny didn't know about Rita's past ability to relive the same day over and over again. That was just looking for trouble if she told her.

"Yea?" Lee's voice interrupted. He was looking at her for the go ahead.

"Uh huh," she replied. She forced her mind to stay in the present as Lee flipped her onto her back and rested on top of her. He was quite good at this, she had to admit. Not even her dead ex husband had made her feel this way.

"Rita," he groaned in her ear, making her shiver. After, Lee pressed his lips into her neck before lying beside her.

"Tired now?" she asked, joking.

"Oh yea," he answered, drifting off slowly. She rolled to her side, putting an arm over his chest and burying her face into his neck. She felt him slide his other arm around her to hold her in place just before she gave in to the blackness of sleep.

The Next Day

Lee opened his eyes to see that Rita was gone. He sat up, looking around. Then he remembered yesterday. John, Barney, and that damn ring. Sighing, he got up. He might as well see what the hell was going on. He found Rita in the kitchen cleaning her guns.

"Subtle," he teased, opening the fridge and getting something to drink.

"I'm thinking of buying some other ones. What do you think?"

"I think you need to come to my garage," Lee answered, finishing his juice and setting the glass down. "Come on."

"What do you have in the garage besides an old car?" she asked, curious. He took her hand and led her to see for herself. She watched him unlock the hatch in the back of the garage in the office part and climb down the ladder. She followed gingerly. Once at the bottom, he flicked on the light. She gasped.

"Lee!"

"What?" he asked innocently. She gaped at all the guns, knives, explosives, and vests he had.

"Where did you get all this?!"

"I accumulated it. Some of it is my old stuff. I had a contact bring it for me," Lee answered. He perused through his options, picking out what he wanted. Rita put her hands behind her head, slowly spinning around and taking it all in.

"Old faithful," he said, tapping his knife in the palm of his hand. "Of course she's coming."

"She?" Rita asked.

"It's like a car or a ship. It's a she," Lee answered as though it was the most logical thing in the world.

"This is insane," she said.

"All right, if it's that insane, I could say it's a he, but it feels weird," Lee went on.

"Not the knife!" she said loudly. "All of...this!" She gestured wildly. "This stuff is insane. How did I not know you had it all down here?"

"I didn't tell you?" he said as a question. She crossed her arms and gave him a sharp look.

"So you weren't really satisfied with our quiet life," she countered.

"You weren't either," he pointed out. "You said so last night right before you shagged me."

"Lee," Rita said impatiently. "Stop deflecting. Why did you keep all this stuff if you liked our life?"

"I don't know," Lee said truthfully. "I guess I just liked to have it on hand for something like this."

"I need some air," she said, going back up the ladder. Lee finished collecting his weapons of choice and put them in a bag, which he carried up the ladder on his shoulder. He put it in the back of his truck and shut the door. He paused then, sensing something was off. There was a familiar tingle on the back of his neck, as though he was being watched. He fingered his knife, which was tucked up his sleeve, as he walked slowly to the house. He stopped when he saw a man holding a gun to Rita's head. She had a bloody nose, which meant she had fought back and lost.

"Lee Christmas," the man said. "We thought you were dead."

"Surprise," Lee said. He didn't know who it was. He didn't recognize him.

"Why don't you drop your little knife, huh? No one needs to get hurt," he went on, pressing the gun into Rita's head further. She looked at Lee, and he could see she was scared. He obeyed, keeping his eyes on Rita.

"The gun too."

He tossed it in front of him.

"Come on inside," the man said. "I have something to show you." Lee walked slowly behind this stranger as he dragged Rita into the house. There were three more men inside, and one had a laptop.

"Who are you?" Lee asked once they were in. Two of the three men grabbed a hold of his arms. Rita was passed to the third guy.

"Oh, you don't know me, but you were familiar with my brother. You see, I don't like when people murder my family."

"Refresh my memory," Lee said. "I've killed a lot of people."

"Vilena," the man said softly. Lee swallowed. Images of that fight came into his mind and the showdown at the end.

"I see."

"James Munroe was my brother, my best friend. I didn't take too kindly to his death," the man went on.

"Sorry about that."

"Not as sorry as you're gonna be," the man said, opening the laptop. Lee flinched when he saw the live feed of Barney being beaten. Rita made a noise, but Lee ignored her.

"You're crazy if you think you can keep him down," Lee said softly. The man leaned into his face then.

"He's been down for about a year, thanks to you abandoning him. I've had him since the War. His pals too."

"What?" Lee asked, his stomach coiling now. The camera panned to shots of Toll, Doc, and Gunner.

"Sad to say, Caesar was lost to his wounds from those aliens."

"They're dead," Lee insisted. "I saw them all die by Mimics."

"Did you? See, they weren't quite as dead as you thought when my guys picked them up," the man laughed. "The only bad thing was you got away. Then we couldn't find you, but here we are."

"You sent the ring," Lee said.

"Bingo," the man answered. "I knew Drummer would flush you out for us. So, I think it's time to say goodnight. It's a shame you've got such a pretty thing to be killed alongside you, but that's on your head."

"Don't you touch her," Lee warned.

"When I'm done here," the man said, sneering. "You will never forget the name Scott Munroe, even in the afterlife."

"Lee," Rita said, frightened. Scott punched Lee in the face then, making him go down.

"Lee! No!" Rita cried. Her captor twisted her arm, making her cry out. Lee was picked up by the other two, and Scott smiled at him.

"Take care of them," he ordered his men. He looked back at Lee. "Ta ta." He sauntered out of the house.

Lee could tell the one holding Rita was going to snap her neck, and the two hanging onto him were probably going to shoot his brains out. It looked a little grim, but then again, he was Lee Christmas after all. He met Rita's eyes and gave the slightest nod. Her eyes widened, but she understood.

"Merry Christmas, boys," Lee said. He head butted the one as Rita elbowed hers in his face, making him lose his grip of her. She threw him onto the counter while Lee grabbed the kitchen knife and stabbed the one before throwing it into the other's throat.

"Wait! Wait!" the third shouted when Lee approached.

"Shoulda thought of that before you came in here and tried to kill my wife," Lee said, snapping the man's neck.

"Oh my God," Rita said, shaking. Lee went to her, and she threw herself into his arms.

"I'm going to be sick," she said. "Lee, I'm going to be sick."

"It's all right," he reassured her. "They're dead. We'll get the other bastard."

"He was going to kill us."

"Yes he was. Do you see what I mean now?" Lee asked, making her look at him. He wiped her face gently with his shirt to get the blood off. "Are you sure you want to be a part of this?" Rita looked at the dead men on her kitchen floor and back to Lee, and she knew she couldn't be separated from Lee now.

"I'm a part of this already. We do this together," she said.

"All right. You-" Lee stopped short. There was a whining sound, one that was usually associated with a bomb.

"What?"

"Shit. Get out!" he shouted, grabbing the laptop and her hand and yanking her to the door. They ran hard down the steps and out onto the driveway just as the house blew up. Rita was thrown roughly to the ground by the blast, and Lee landed beside her. She put her arms over her head, waiting for more. Lee jumped to his feet.

"Come on," he urged. "Get up." He pulled her to his truck and grabbed his bag. Then they headed for the shed.

"Where are we going?" she asked as he pulled the tarp off his bike. He stuffed the laptop into his bag and handed it to her.

"Put it on," he ordered. She did so while he grabbed helmets. He pulled another gun out of a box and loaded it. Rita felt her heart hammering as he started the bike and got on. She climbed onto the back, wondering if this was the safest way of travel. Lee figured if his house had been rigged, then their vehicles probably were too. He turned down the road and floored it. Rita gripped him hard, afraid of falling off. Lee had no idea where to go, but he knew he needed to get a hold of Drummer somehow. Any other time he would have called Tool, but he had heard through a contact that Tool had died of a heart attack not long after hearing his team had "died" in the War. Lee knew he'd really died from a broken heart from thinking he'd lost his family. He felt Barney's ring in his pocket and hoped to God it would bring them luck even though he had always been skeptical of it.