Present Time, unknown location

"That's a helicopter?"

Sam punches Matt's shoulder, glaring at him good naturedly.

Matt just motions to the worn down helicopter dramatically. The layer of faded silver paint is scraping off, revealing a metallic body beneath, while some parts seem to have been screwed on as an afterthought. It is quite obvious the helicopter has very well seen better days.

"I mean dude, I'm surprised this thing hasn't fallen apart just by sitting here."

Sam just shrugs, his muscles rippling under the light blue long sleeve. "Then that must mean it won't fall apart in the air."

"Your logic is terrible."

A clap resembling that of thunder reverberates the air and both men raise an eyebrow at the man who steps out from behind the monstrous machine. He claps the helicopter on the side once again, recreating the booming sound.

Both Matt and Sam wince.

"Sam! Mi amigo, how are you brother?" The man steps forward, his voice thick with the Spanish accent. He has a rugged 'bad boy' look that matches him well, his jet black hair a light contrast to his tan skin and light brown eyes.

Sam steps forward, enveloping the man in a bear hug. "Gio, thanks for coming on such short notice. I've missed you, brother."

"Anything for you, mi hermano." He then pulls back and shakes Matt's hand heartily. "Me llamo Giovanni Salmeron. You are?"

"Matt." He answers with a friendly smile. He then nods to the large scrap of metal sitting in the middle of the open field. "I'm guessing that's your bird?"

Gio turns back to the helicopter with a smirk. "Yes, she is. I've had her for over a decade but she still works better than most. It will be sad to watch her go." He sighs with a shrug. "But for my friend here, it's a small sacrifice to pay."

Matt furrows his brow in confusion at his words, wondering why Gio is acting as if he'll never see the helicopter again. The pieces click together when Gio hands Sam the keys to said helicopter.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no. I am not riding that thing, especially not with you behind the controls."

Gio raises a bemused eyebrow. "You no trust your amigo?"

Matt laughs nervously. "Of course I trust my amigo. I just don't appreciate his reenactments of the Fast and the Furious in the sky." He looks at Sam pointedly. "Kandahar, 2010? That helicopter we stole from enemy territory?"

Sam chuckles with a nostalgic smile. "That was fun."

"No! No it wasn't." Matt shrieks. "You almost killed us! We barely made it out when the helicopter caught on flames!"

Sam rolls his eyes. "First off, the helicopter had its technical issues. Second off, there was nowhere to land the thing and we were under fire!"

Gio laughs at their antics, clapping Sam's back. "Sam is a terrific pilot. I would trust him with any of my birds."

"Gracias, Gio." Sam smiles, turning to Matt with a challenging smirk.

Matt just shakes his head in amusement. "Okay, fine." He turns to Gio. "But how will we return your helicopter?"

Gio shoots him a confused look. "You don't. Like I said, she is a sacrifice."

Matt stares at him in confusion.

Sam places a hand on his shoulder. "Matt, we don't want to be tracked and I don't want Gio be tied back to us." He shrugs nonchalantly. "So we're crashing the helicopter as a countermeasure."

Matt just narrows his eyes, placing his hands on his hips as he scrutinizes his friend's face in order to determine whether he's simply jesting. At Sam's completely serious expression, Matt's eyes widen comically. "You're serious?" At Sam's nod, Matt clears his throat. "I've been shot at, I've had grenades and bombs thrown at me, I've been stuck in a burning building, I've jumped off cliffs, I've gambled my life fighting multiple targets at once. So yeah, I'm crazy. But you, man? Are insane!"

Sam and Gio just laugh heartily.

Gio sobers, grinning. He chances a glance at his watch and sighs . "Anyways, mis amigos, I must get going. I wish you both the best of luck. Vayan con Dios."

Sam reiterates the salute with a smile. "Gracias, Gio. Que vayas con Dios."

Matt repeats the phrase, noticing it must be custom. "Thanks, Gio. Vayas con Dios."

Gio smiles and waves at them as he climbs into his red pickup truck and promptly drives away.

As soon as Gio is out of sight, both men begin to load their gear and motorcycles into the helicopter, making sure a parachute pack is fastened to each motorcycle. They then fasten a parachute pack on themselves for insurance.

Sam then sits behind the controls as Matt climbs in beside him, both internally wincing at the screeches of protest from the machine. Nevertheless, they turn determined eyes on each other.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

Sam inserts the keys and the rotor blades begin to rotate, hesitantly at first but quickly gaining speed. The machine lifts off the ground with a groan and both men hold their breath, exhaling once they're relatively safely on the air.

And on their way to Halifax.

Present Time, SRU HQ

Jules rereads the letter for what seems to be the hundredth time, disbelieving the words glaring back at her.

Spike reaches over and places a hand on her shoulder as she looks up with worry filled eyes. Wordlessly, she hands him the letter, utter trust in her actions.

Spike takes the letter and reads it, anger and shock coursing through his veins. He resists the urge to rip the letter into pieces as if the action itself would destroy the situation it entitles.

"What do I do, Spike?"

Spike looks over at the young woman he considers a sister, his heart breaking at the tone of her voice which is uncharacteristically infused by fear.

"I don't know if he has Sam. What if it's a trap? What if it isn't? What if I call and he still manages to track us down? What if I don't and he kidnaps my kids?" She slumps down to the floor, her back against the wall. She looks up at Spike, her eyes rimmed with tears she won't let fall.

She takes a shaky breath and continues speaking, although with a soft, almost faraway voice. "I remember when I would wish upon a star for my dad to come back and take me home. I would dream and hope so much. That first year without him, I would walk back to my old house after school and sit on the doorstep, waiting for him to come home. When he didn't, I would run back to Mrs. Nuella's house and ask her if my dad had come or if he at least called." She shakes her head in sorrow. "It took me a long time to realize he wasn't coming back. And it took me way too long to realize what he'd done. And now he's back. A monster. I wish I had never wished him back."

Spike simply lowers himself beside her and gathers her in his arms, offering comfort he can't string together with words. They remain this way for a while, each calming their frazzled nerves with the simple gesture.

Jules suddenly pulls back, her eyes widening slightly in mortification. "Oh god, he's a leader." She bites her lip as she asks hesitantly, unsure whether she wants to know the answer to her question. "Do you think he had something to do with roping Sam into the underground group?"

Spike sighs. "It's possible. That's how I found the group in the first place, you know. Through your father."

Her face falls, a look of utter despair and guilt shadowing her beautiful features. "It's my fault he found us. If only I had never asked you to put together that stupid flash drive. It triggered too many alarms. If anything happens to my family, I will never forgive myself."

"Hey, hey." Spike gently forces her to look him in the eye. "What's past is past and there's no use in wallowing there. What we must do now, is find a way to fight for the future."

A tentative smile begins to form on her face, a flicker of hope in her eyes. "We?"

"I'm in this thing all the way, Jules." Spike affirms.

Jules wraps her arms around him tightly. "Thank you, Spike. For everything."

"Always, Jules." They pull away and Spike adopts a determined look. "Alright then, it's time we formulate a plan and take these monsters by surprise."

Spike rises from the floor and offers Jules a hand which she gladly takes.

Jules begins to pace, her mind running a hundred miles an hour. "First priority are my children. I must keep my babies safe."

Spike nods. "Okay, so we disappear. Since your father knows where you are, we need to go."

Jules nods, knowing it's necessary. "Okay." She frowns. "Spike, we can't tell the team. As it is, they don't know much and I don't think my father would get his hands dirty and get rid of a whole team. Too messy and would raise too many questions. It's me he wants and if I'm not here, he won't hurt them."

Spike nods reluctantly, not liking it but not seeing an alternative that wouldn't entangle the men of Team One even more.

They continue to formulate a plan. A smile on their faces once they have all the kinks worked out.

No one will see this coming.

Present Time, en route to Halifax, Nova Scotia

"She did that?!"

Sam laughs with a huge smile on his face. A wonderful smile he can't help when he's talking about the love of his life. "Yeah she did." He sighs. "I miss her so much. I miss my kids so much."

Matt shakes his head. "Damn, look at you. When I first met you, you were a confirmed bachelor. Then you returned from Alberta and you were a hopeless romantic. Still are, by the looks of it."

Sam grins. "I can't help it, Matt. I love her more than anything in the world. And as cheesy as it sounds, she's my soul mate and my whole world along with our kids. She's the reason my heart beats and she's the reason I wake up every morning."

Matt snorts. "If I ever sound like that in the near future, please do me the favor of slapping me out of it."

Sam laughs, tearing his eyes from the thick clouds to chance a quick glance at his comrade. "When you find the one, you'll understand."

"Man, I doubt anyone loves anyone as much as you love that girl. The things you've done for her..." He trails off, awe in his voice.

"She's worth every single sacrifice in the world." Sam states with conviction. "She and my princess and my little boy."

"I don't blame you though. She is quite the beautiful badass. She's a sniper too, huh?"

Sam nods, pride in his voice. "Yeah. She's an expert profiler and hand to hand combatant too." He smirks. "Doesn't hurt that she's sexy as hell, either, especially now that she's all grown up."

Matt snorts. "I usually forget you snatched the girl when she was, what? 18?"

Sam rolls his eyes. "Snatched isn't the right word. More like she stole my heart at 18."

"Yeah, whatever. Same difference, man."

Their laughter floats out of the helicopter, but quickly dies down as the dark blue expanse of water creeps across the horizon. Sam feels a chill crawl down his spine as he relives that fateful day that resulted in his aversion to swimming.

"Sam! Snap out of it man. It's almost time."

Sam clenches his jaw to keep his fears in check, the lighthearted atmosphere vanished by the increasing sense of dread and darkness that has nothing to do with the low position of the sun in the sky.

"Alright, get in position."

Matt nods as he unbuckles his belt and climbs to the back. He checks that the parachutes are secure on both himself and the motorcycles gear, grabbing a hold of his motorcycle with one hand and his waterproof duffel bag with the other.

"Ready!"

Aa soon as the word leaves his mouth, Matt feels cold air slap him across the face as the helicopter begins to lose altitude. He watches as Sam unbuckles himself and joins him in the back compartment. They both nod at each other and Sam quickly grabs the other duffel and motorcycle.

"Jump!"

They both shoot out of the helicopter, pulling out their parachutes and attempting to do the same with the motorcycles. It doesn't work. Like wet rocks, the motorcycles slip from their grasps and crash into the dark ocean below them, promptly swallowed by the icy waters. The helicopter is not far behind, violently disrupting the night with its self destruction. Both men watch the fiery wreckage as it's swallowed by the waters, preparing themselves to experience the same fate.

And they do.

Sam sucks in a breath as he plunges into the icy waters, panic fighting with his training. His arms flail instinctively as he attempts to escape the traitorous waters. His handle on the duffel bag, however, remains as strong as an iron grip. Fortunately, Sam quickly regains control and smoothly rises to the surface, his lungs greedily taking in the fresh oxygen.

His relief doesn't last long, though.

"Matt! Matt where are you?!"

The waves crash violently against Sam with force, attempting to drag him down. He unclips the parachute, but keeps holding on to the duffel, looking around him wildly.

"Matt!"

He sputters as water seeps into his lungs and his body shivers strongly from the cold seeping into his bones.

"Sam! Right here!"

Sam quickly spins around and spots his friend swimming towards him, looking as cold and exhausted as he feels.

They both join up and begin swimming to shore as quickly as they can, fighting the icy waves and the vast coffin beneath them.

After what feels like hours, but couldn't have been so, they wash up on the shore, coughing and shaking from the cold. They're glad their arrival is veiled by darkness, but they're also conscious that they must watch out for port control. And sure enough, they spot a motor boat speeding to the site of the wreckage, where they suspect the helicopter drowned.

But that is no longer their concern.

They push aside their discomfort and rise on shaky legs, beginning their walk to the shoreline city, their clothes and hair maintaining a steady drip of water. Thankfully, not many people are walking about at twilight, yet, they avoid the risk of getting stopped or questioned by remaining in the shadows as their vigilant eyes search for a motel to stay the night.

Halifax itself is a beautiful city in the maritime providence of Nova Scotia with its cheerfully colorful wooden structures near the shore, and its brightly lit office buildings towards the inner city, all woven together to form a unique landscape.

They, however, are more engrossed in finding a place to set their headquarters, than touring the city. So as soon as they spot a light blue structure with the sign 'Halifax Motel' on it, they don't hesitate to enter.

Bright warm yellow light bathes them both as they enter the small lobby, paintings of the shore and the city's landmark lighthouse decorating the walls.

A red-haired young woman looks up from the large desk set up at the side. Her grey eyes twinkle with unveiled interest as she not so subtly checks out the two extremely handsome men. If she's bothered by their drenched state, she doesn't show. "Welcome to Halifax Motel and thank you for choosing us for your stay! May I get you gentlemen a room?"

Matt steps forward with a smirk, leaning with his forearm against the desk. "Yes please. Can we have one room with two beds?"

The red head smiles and nods, typing into the desktop. "May I have your names?"

"Bucky Barnes and Floyd Lawton."

She furrows her brow at the names and sends Matt a funny look but doesn't ask, instead typing it into the server. She then retrieves a card. "This is the key to room 10. It's upstairs, the last room to your right." She then smiles seductively. "If you need anything, I will be here all night."

They both thank her and head upstairs. And once they're in the relative safety of their motel room, they burst out laughing.

"Dude she was practically drooling!"

"What can I say, I'm an impeccable specimen." Matt laughs.

"And Bucky Barnes and Floyd Lawton, Matt? Really?" Sam asks referring to the names Matt assigned them just a second ago.

"Neither superheroes nor villains. Perfect."

Sam simply smiles. He can't help but agree.

The two special forces soldiers then study the comfortable room. It's spacious with two beds on either side pressed to the opposing walls, a night table situated between them. A door which they suspect to be the entrance to the bathroom is on the right and a dresser sits on the opposite wall. The colors are a neutral tan, with sugar brown sheets covering the beds.

Sam decides he likes it, and for a moment he imagines Jules sitting on his bed with nothing but a sheet wrapped around her slender body, a twinkle in her light brown eyes as she bites her lip seductively. He swallows hard and shakes his head. "I need a cold shower."

Matt waves a hand. "You go first, I need to get the location."

Sam doesn't argue and rushes into the bathroom with his duffel bag. He's glad the duffels are waterproof or the equipment and clothes would have been ruined. He turns on the shower head and stands under it, trying not to imagine how it'd feel if his wife was with him at the moment.

Meanwhile, Matt slips off his wet t-shirt, shoes, and socks, knowing he shouldn't gamble his health in the middle of a top secret mission. He then makes sure the door is locked, the chain in place, before taking the laptop out of the duffel.

He immediately makes sure any activity cannot be tracked by securing their network, and he quickly pins down Hanston's exact location to a Navy base in the inner city. He pens the coordinates and closes the laptop, taking out the burner phones from his duffel. While he carries most of the tech, Braddock has most of the weapons. He activates two burner phones and places them aside, looking up when Sam comes into the room, looking a bit better after the shower.

"Your turn."

Matt nods, motioning towards a phone. "They're burner phones. Get one. And check the weapons. We'll need them for tomorrow - I already have the coordinates."

Sam nods as Matt gathers a fresh set of clothed and closes the door to the bathroom behind him. Sam grabs a cell an lies back on his bed, staring at it. He knows what he's considering is a risk, but in the face of things, it would be a bigger risk not to do it.

So, opening the cell phone, he dials the number he knows by heart.

Present Time, SRU HQ

Team One,

I'm sorry. For the lies. The confusion. Everything. But mostly for this. Spike and I and my kids will disappear. Don't look for us. Don't ask about us. Pretend that none of this ever happened - you'll be safe that way.

Thank you. For being family. For caring. For everything. I love each and, every one of you.

Stay warm.

- J

Ed rereads the note in hopes that its words will morph into a message vastly different from the one he just read.

About an hour ago, Jules took the rest of the day off, saying she would be going back to her house to pack more things for her kids. They would be staying with Greg.

But Jules never came back.

As Ed places his head in his hands he realizes this was the reason behind Jules's open displays of affection towards them - the tight hugs and words of appreciation - before she left with her kids for the supposed packing. Now he wishes he had locked her in his hug.

And Spike.

Thirty minutes ago, the young man had said goodbye, claiming he'd go check on Jules. Like her, he hasn't come back.

And now he knows they probably never will.

"Ed?"

The man in question turns around at the voice of his best friend. He simply clenches his jaw and hands over the note.

Wordy frowns at his friend's agonized expression. Almost dreading its words, he carefully reads over the note. And then his heart falls, and his eyes cannot believe what they're reading. He doesn't know what to say.

"We can't tell Greg."

Wordy's eyes flick upward, questioning his best friend.

In a monotone voice that scares Wordy more than his friend's usually anger infused words, Ed explains. "Jules is like a daughter to him. This will kill him. I don't want to cause him that pain. He's already lost his son."

Wordy simply nods, defeated. Fear and anger replacing his initial shock. Fear because he doesn't know what the woman and man he has come to love are facing. Anger because they didn't let them choose. They could have chosen to fight by their side. Protect them. Damn the risks. They're family.

And then a thought hits him. "Do we tell Lew?"

Ed frowns. "I'm not sure."

"Tell me what?"

Both men turn to the new voice. Lew is standing at the door, his arms crossed across his chest.

Wordy swallows, handing over the note. He watches as the initial shock washes over Lew and then... Understanding?

Lew looks up from the letter and, if Ed and Wordy weren't watching closely, they would have missed his eyes sweep around the room in a quick fashion. Lew then locks his eyes with Ed. "I can't believe they'd disappear on us like this. We should go talk to the Boss."

Ed opens his mouth to shoot down that suggestion, but Lew has already walked out, letter in hand.

So both Wordy and Ed follow him out, a niggling feeling that Lew knows something they don't.

Well, they're about to find out.

Mommy, where are we going?"

Jules wraps her arms around her son and kisses his forehead. "We're almost there."

"Mommy's right Jake. Just a couple more minutes, okay?" Spike smiles through the rearview mirror, attempting to ease the young boy.

Spike then returns his gaze to the dark road ahead, curving past nighttime shadows, trees and shrubs barely illuminated by the moonlight. A couple miles later, he sees the cabin. Surrounded by the evil forest on all sides, he can't help but shudder. He kills the ignition and turns to the family in the backseat.

Jules is the only one awake, her arms protectively around both her children. She nods to him.

He immediately climbs out and they both make quick work of getting both children and the little belongings they packed into the cabin.

Once inside, Jules takes a deep breath, glancing at Spike, who nods.

She opens her cell phone, ready to put the next part of their plan into motion.

But before she can begin dialing her father's number, her phone rings.

It's a blocked caller.

She frowns.

She opens the cellphone, placing it to her ear.

"Jules?"

A/N: I'm at an intersection where I have to make a big choice - include the rest of Team One (Ed, Greg, Wordy, Lew) in the action or leave them out. Please vote and tell me what you all want to read. I have both paths thought out but would like you all to make the decision. (After all, this AU was originally supposed to be a Sam, Jules, and Spike adventure.) Thanks for reading! :)

P.S. Who thinks they know who is calling Jules? Or what Spike and Jules have planned? Or why Lew had that reaction? Or if Sam and Matt will be successful with their first target? Love to hear your thoughts!