Day 8

Washington, D.C.

FBI Headquarters

11 a.m. EDT

Once Martin explained the situation, Jack had readily granted the extra time off. Martin had then booked a flight to D.C. the next morning. Vin marveled that he'd flown more in the past six months since finding Martin than he'd flown in the past five years. Though not as uptight about flying as he had been, it was still not an extremely enjoyable experience.

When they reached Fitzgerald's office, Martin noted that yet another secretary was seated behind the desk. He took a second to ponder the fact that his father went through secretaries faster than most people went through toothpaste.

"May I help you?" she sweetly asked. Yep, probably hasn't been here much more than a month.

"Tell him Martin Tanner is here to see him," he said, making sure to emphasize his newly minted name.

"Is he expecting you?" she asked, sickly sweet smile still in place.

"He'll see me," Martin countered, knowing the secretary's questionnaire by heart. This was merely a formality, after all. The last time he'd been here, he'd walked straight past the secretary's desk. This time, he made sure to stop, knowing the girl would have to give his name to her boss. He was making his point that he was no longer a Fitzgerald.

Unsure about the men standing before her, and not wanting to get fired, she scurried through the imposing maple doors separating them from Victor's office. The deputy director was on the phone when she walked in. She didn't want to interrupt him, but she didn't know what to do, so she quietly cleared her throat.

"Just a second," he told the person on the line, then covered the mouthpiece with his hand. "Yes?"

"Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's a Martin Tanner here to see you."

"What?" he asked, voice rising several decibels at the name. He turned his attention back to the phone, "John, I'm going to have to call you back."

He hung up a bit more forcefully than necessary and told her to let him in. Even more afraid for her job, she hurried back out to where the identical mystery men waited.

"He'll see you now."

Martin traded a look with Vin before going through the ominous doors.

You ready?

Let's get this over with.

They had just barely closed the door behind them when Victor started in on them.

"Martin, what's this I hear about you changing your name? Let me guess, you did it just to spite me, hm? You think something so petty is going to make me pay for a decision I made over thirty years ago?"

"Joining the FBI I did to spite you," Martin corrected, doing his level best not to let his temper flare as it usually did around Victor. "Changing my name I did for me. I always was a Tanner, and I always will be a Tanner."

"Please, I did you a favor, taking you from that God-forsaken place. No telling where you'd be now if I hadn't. You at least owe me some thanks for that. Your entire life you've been set against me, despite all I did for you."

"You're right, we do owe ya thanks," Vin chimed in before Martin could speak up. "No matter the road our lives took, we're better men for it. We wouldn't be where we are if it weren't for you. So thank you. We owe our very existence to the fact that you're a cheatin' asshole."

"Thank you for bein' a selfish bastard that cares about no one but himself," Martin continued. "Thank you for makin' my life hell. Thank you for showin' me what kind of man I don't wanna be. Thank you for embodyin' every evil in the world so I can avoid 'em."

"You're going to break your mother's heart," Victor said after a brief pause.

Martin shook his head. It was a weak play, and Victor knew it, but Martin could tell he was scrambling.

"That never seemed to stop you," Martin said. "I'm done playin' by your rules. We're done here."

Vin leveled his best Larabee glare at Victor before following Martin out of the office. Their business with Victor over, they had one last stop before returning to New York.

Falls Church, VA

Fitzgerald Household

12:30 p.m. EDT

"Oh, and Mary, make sure the wine is chilled," Katherine directed as she moved through the house to answer the door for her overloaded housekeeper. "You know how Mister Robbins gets. I'd rather avoid another incident over something as stupid as room-temperature wine."

She opened the door and was met with a sight that stopped her dead in her tracks. "Martin?"

"Mom, there's someone I want you to meet: my brother, Vin."

Martin smiled as he watched the variety of emotions cross Katherine's face. Vin greeted her and offered her his hand, and that seemed to make up her mind for as to how to react.

Swiftly, she crossed the threshold and wrapped her arms around him in an embrace that reminded Vin much of how his mother had held him. He wasn't a very touchy-feely person, and he'd had more hugs in the past few days than he usually had in a year, but there was something inviting about Katherine that had him returning the embrace.

Martin looked on with pleasure. He'd known Katherine would latch on to Vin instantly, and he was glad to see Vin hesitantly accepting the gesture.

Presently, Katherine stepped back releasing Vin and wiping a stray tear from her eye.

"I was just about to have lunch," she said, leading them into the house. "Would you boys care to join me?"

Martin cast a glance at his brother, letting Vin decide.

"That'd be nice, ma'am," he replied. "We can't stay for too long, though. We gotta get back to New York."

"We're havin' dinner with Uncle Roger," Martin smiled.

"Have you warned him about Claire?" Katherine chuckled.

"I think he can handle her," he replied with a laugh of his own.

"Oh, and Vin, please call me Kate," she directed. "Katherine is far too stuffy, and Mrs. Fitzgerald makes me feel far too old. Besides, it reminds me of that bastard I'm married to."

"You could leave him, Mom," Martin gently told her.

"No, I knew what I was getting myself into when I married him," she protested. "I made my bed. Now I have to sleep in it. But enough of that. I want to hear about you two."

Epilogue

New York City

LaGuardia International Airport

3:45 p.m. EST

"Keep it up, and ya might get to like flyin'," Martin chuckled at his brother's expense.

Vin simply glowered at him in response, "I stand by my belief that if man were s'posed to fly, he'd have wings. It just ain't natural."

"And you were an Army Ranger, imagine that," Martin took one last jab, ducking as Vin swatted at his head.

As they waited for Vin's flight to be announced, the brothers both took time to reflect on the past few days. Vin was taken aback by how welcoming Martin's family had been—with the obvious exception of Victor, of course. Katherine—Kate, he corrected himself—had welcomed him with open arms, literally. She had not been surprised to find out Martin had changed his name. "You never really were a Fitzgerald," she had said with a small smile.

Martin's uncle and cousins were surprised to find out about Vin, but they were just as welcoming. Vin now understood the warning about Claire; the girl reminded him a lot of JD in temperament. His first introduction to her was comprised of her opening the door for them and, after a brief pause, shouting, "Holy crap, there are two of them!"

Martin chuckled at the memory, mainly because that had been the Seven's reaction to him. It was nice to be on the other side of the fence.

Vin now understood why Martin had felt more at home with the Tolands than he had with his parents. Everything about them was warm and inviting. Bonnie's influence, Martin had said. Vin was only sorry he would never meet her; everything he'd been told made him think her not unlike Nettie.

All to soon, Vin's flight was called. The brothers stood, preparing for goodbye.

Not too sick of hugs, are ya? Martin asked.

Nah, Vin replied, after a moment's consideration.

"Good," Martin said, wrapping his arms around Vin.

"Watch your six," Vin told him, returning the embrace.

"You too. Tell the boys that any that don't have plans for Thanksgivin' are welcome," Martin added, stepping back.

"Will do," Vin said, slinging his duffle over his shoulder.

With one last smile and wave, Vin left through the gate. With a sigh, Martin turned and went back to his car. He'd spent almost all of the past week with Vin; it would take a bit to get into the groove of things without him. But Thanksgiving wasn't too far away.

He'd reached his car when his phone rang.

"Tanner," he answered it, the name coming even more naturally than Fitzgerald had. "Yeah, I'm leavin' LaGuardia now… That's not too far. I can meet her in twenty minutes… Got it. On my way."

Martin started the car and turned to meet Samantha at a missing person's home address. There was no time to dwell. Life goes on, and he had work to do.

Fin.