It's me. I promised someone I'd finish this and I will as time permits. APR owes me a lot of booze when I see him next - assuming I go up and not down. Maybe another chapter to finish this. Still not brave enough to tackle the clone thing.

OM

Chateau Almandine
New Years Day

Chuck was awakened by the cramping and ache in his hands, especially the left one. He must have muttered something or groaned because Hannah rolled over and grabbed his hand in hers and started massaging the fingers then the palms of his hands. Her touch seemed to bring almost instant relief and he kissed her in thanks.

"Ugh, Chuck - I have morning breath. No kissing before I brush. When will you let Ellie take x-rays again and see if anything can be done to relieve the pain? It hurts me when you're hurting and I can't do anything about it."

"You massage away most of the pain and stiffness and it seems to last most of the day. No reason to bother my sister. She's dragged me from one specialist to another and they all same the same thing – sorry, nothing we can do."

"Well, maybe acupuncture? Or acupressure? I want you to try everything to relieve this pain."

"Acupuncture? N-Needles? No way!"

"You big baby. You can topple governments with a twitch of your finger but are terrified of needles? Better not let that information appear in public."

"We need to talk to Su-Fi and figure out what this Second Wife stuff is all about. I have more than enough trying to handle one."

"Nicely put, Chuck. Chai says she and I are Hmong so I think we need to start our research there before speaking with Sophie. The more we know, the better off we'll be."

"Chai seemed taken with her last night. Creeped me out. He's too old for her, Hannah. And she's too damned young for anyone. Hell, she's only 17!"

"We think she's 17 but we have no way of knowing without some invasive procedures and I'm not putting our little girl through pain just to satisfy our curiosity."

"She's still too damned young – and beautiful. I better bring a shotgun home from the armory."

Hannah laughed and pressed a kiss onto his chest and then went to brush her teeth. She envisioned spending the morning in bed indulging herself with her husband. She'd missed him and understood his anger with her for leaving but like he always said, 'business is business'.

Arlington, VA
Two Years Later

Jeb Stuart crept out of the guest bedroom and quickly made his way back to his own room. Yve had come over from DC, spent the weekend visiting his parents and finally showed them the small but classy engagement ring he'd presented Yve with on Valentine's Day.

His stepmother had beamed at him and hugged Yve to her, prattling on in French and acting for all the world like old friends. His father, on the other hand, seemed pensive, almost rigid.

"So, Dad, what do you think? We plan to fly over to France and meet her folks in June after she graduates. She's getting her M.A. in International Studies and has already secured a consulting job with an international firm with a branch here in DC."

Mike Stuart took his son by the arm and walked into the study. He really had no objection to the girl. She was smart, beautiful and obviously head-over-heels in love with his son and he with her.

The problem was her family.

"Son, this is a big step, a very big step. You've only 23 and she's so young…"

"Dad, I'm 24 and she's 22…and I'm marrying her. I have the means to support us although Yve is wealthy in her own right. I don't need your permission, just your blessing. Sarah is fine with it. Why aren't you?"

"Yes, Mike, what's the problem?" Sarah had seen her son be escorted into her husband's study by his father and she sensed that something was 'off'. He'd always been warm and cordial to Yve until Jeb had started dating her and then he'd chilled to the relationship.

"Sarah, this is a father & son talk. Please excuse us."

Sarah's face got stony and she whirled on her heel and stomped out of the area. She had never been so…insulted by her husband in all their years of marriage.

"So, Yve, while Mike and Jeb are having their father-son talk, tell me all about your family." She really liked her future daughter-in-law.

"Well, my sister and brother and I were rescued by them from a refugee camp and adopted. My parents were visiting Thailand on their honeymoon and took us home. I could not have asked for more loving parents and my adopted brother and my adopted sister have been blessed with anything and everything."

"Your parents must be very proud of you. Have you told them of your engagement yet?" Okay, they were adopted. No big deal.

"My father would like me to find a job here in the US but I have set my sights on his position. He is Director General of Circus Information Systems but his health…he was kidnapped in Argentina some years ago and suffered terribly. His hands are crippled and the pain is constant. He was deafened somewhat and wears a hearing aide. He is still young looking and handsome and he and my mother act like newlyweds. No, I have not shared my news yet."

"Go on, Yve. Tell me about your mother." She'd heard of the Circus. It was a legitimate intel clearinghouse and was said to be honest and plain-dealing with clients. She knew that the CIA subscribed to several programs offered by the Circus.

"Hannah is wonderful. She was my best friend while I was growing up. She's not much older than I am, really. My sister, Sophie, actually it's Su-Fi but everyone just calls her Sophie, takes after my father, following him around, going on trips with him. Sometimes I am jealous of their bond but I know there's more to it than just hero worship. They share a terrible secret that no one will speak of."

"Your mother is French?"

"Oh, no. Both she and my father are American expatriates. They met in Paris one summer when my Dad was there on vacation and it was love at first sight – Le Clique – is what the French call it. He went to work for my Grandfather's company and built it into CIS."

"It sounds like the Nguyens are a remarkable family, Yve. You must be very proud."

"Nguyen is my mother's maiden name. My dad's name is Windsor but because of the sensitive nature of the CIS, I use my mother's maiden name."

"Your father's name – what is it, Yve? Is it…is it Charles?"

"Why, yes. How did you guess?"

Sarah was making 'connections' that would have made Bartowski proud. The 'terrible secret' was when Shaw had kidnapped Yve's mother and sister. 'But Mike said that Shaw had killed his wife and daughter?'

She thought back to the House hearing when she'd first met her husband. They'd asked questions about Iceland and the Hole and some guy named – Windsor!

'Oh, my God! I had her father kidnapped and interrogated and then dumped in the Hole!'

"Yve, excuse me for a moment. I have to speak with my husband." She got to her feet and felt lightheaded for a moment but then squared her shoulders and walked to the closed door of the study and opened it without knocking.

"Jeb, honey, Yve's feeling a little trapped by all this family drama. How about running out and getting us some pizza and a nice wine while your dad and I go over some details."

She shot Mike a 'move and I'll kill you' glare and then patted her stepson on the back with a 'run along' gesture.

When he closed the door, Sarah opened fire with both barrels.

"You bastard! You knew! You knew all along and you…you played me! The hearings, Windsor, Charles Windsor, the man whose wife and daughter were murdered…that's his daughter out there!"

"Sarah, please, don't pursue this line of questioning. It's a national security issue and you definitely do not have a need to know."

"WHAT! Don't you dare hide behind that 'need to know' crap. I NEED to know if you lied to me all those years ago. I NEED to know if…"

"No, you don't. If you love me, Sarah, if you love our life together, if you have any shred of professionalism left in you, you'll leave this alone."

"Tell me the truth." She took off her engagement and wedding ring and put them on his desk.

"You don't want to know the truth, Agent Walker, because you won't be able to handle the truth. You need to put those rings back on your finger where they belong."

"Windsor, at least tell me who Windsor is, Michael. His wife isn't dead. His daughter obviously isn't dead. Why did you lie to me?"

"I didn't lie to you. When I got that call that morning so long ago it was like a nightmare. Shaw was coming for you. He wanted you dead and he'd kidnapped Windsor's wife and younger daughter, Sophie, and Shaw had told him on the phone that he'd killed one because he didn't need two. That's the truth. Put the rings back on, Sarah, please."

"Who is Charles Windsor, Mike. Tell me. I had that man kidnapped and tortured and then dumped into the Hole in Iceland. He was one of ours and he never broke faith, even with us."

"He's just a man, Sarah, with a wife who loves him, children who adore him and who has been undercover since 2007. That's all I really know. We met in Paris and I took an immediate liking to him. Beckman was our point in common. She set up our meeting and we've kept in touch with the occasional email and you even send them Christmas cards."

She was struggling with the magnitude of what she'd done so long ago to a man she didn't even know.

"And Sarah, he's the man who made those pictures 'go away' when I was running for governor the first time. I owe him, honey, and I won't betray anymore of his history to you. You'll just have to live with what you did, even though you did it with the best of intentions."

She slipped her rings back on and turned and walked out of the study. She needed to find out more about this mysterious 'Charles Windsor' if her son was going to marry his daughter.

Chateau Almandine
June

Hannah and Su-Fi had driven into Paris to pick up Yve and her fiancee. Her husband was out of the country on Ringbusiness but would be returning the next day. His trip was all hush-hush and he'd taken Casey and Hugo with him plus his 'Sacramento Team'. When Hannah heard of his security arrangements, they had a 'confrontation'.

"Chuck, why are you going when it's obvious that it's an unsafe environment. You've never taken the Team with you except for…well, not in years. Why do you have to go? Panzer's your deputy and Ellie's baby isn't due for a month yet so that's not an excuse you can use. Send Hugo and Casey. Your presence is not needed."

"It's just a precaution. I'd take Su-Fi with me but with Yve coming, I don't want you handling all the arrangements by yourself. Besides, with the Team out with me, Su-Fi is additional security. We're meeting with the Far East Ring Consortium and hopefully we'll be able to 'mend fences'."

Their argument went on and on, back and forth until Chuck had finally had enough.

"Hannah, I'm going and that's final. I'll be back as soon as we can wrap up negotiations. Maybe I'll surprise Su-Fi and have Chai come back for a 'meeting'."

Both Hannah and Chuck had been surprised that Su-Fi had taken up with the 'Thai pig' shortly after the New Year's party. Given her loathing of anything Thai, it was a real shocker.

"Jzhuck, it's what you said before. The heart wants what the heart wants. I did not intend to fall in love with Chai but I did. It was not Le Click but he grew on me like moss on a stone…well, what more can I say?"

Hannah tried to warn her about long distance relationships but Su-Fi wouldn't listen. "I love him. He loves me. If I can overlook his being a Thai, why can't you?"

Huffing in frustration, Hannah had left the room. Su-Fi was so much like her father that it was scary.

Next: Wedding/Reunion/Epilogue

OM for APR