Connor stood in a normal street outside a normal front door. They glanced at each other and Becker patted Connor's shoulder before they went to knock.

"Hello" A girl answered. She was probably in her late teens/early twenties, Connor guessed.

"Hi, um, we're looking for a lady called Anna Rendell. We believe she lives here"

The girl looked suspicious "Who's asking?"

They pulled out their ID cards and showed them to her.

"Wait here." She said taking the cards.

"Not very trusting" Connor said.

"Do you blame her. I wouldn't trust you either." Becker teased.

"Thanks" Connor sulked. "By the way where were you last night?"

"Just because you keep asking, doesn't mean I'm going to tell you." Becker replied evasively.

"Abby reckoned you'd gone clubbing."

"Abby did!" Becker looked at him with eyebrows raised.

"Alright I did. Should our field coordinator be worried?"

"No, she shouldn't and what business is it of yours anyway?"

Connor didn't get a chance to reply as the girl returned and handed back their cards. "Come in."

She showed them into the lounge "Take a seat. Mum's working nights. She'll be down in a minute."

Connor and Becker nervously sat down under the scrutiny of the girl.

"Didn't know all government officials were so good looking." She smiled.

"Thanks." Connor replied hesitantly.

"Shame you're married" She continued. "The ring" she motioned in answer to their surprised looks.

"What about you Captain Becker?" She grinned.

"Probably nearly old enough to be your father." He said trying to deflect the girls attention.

"I'm older than I look" She pouted.

Becker recognised that pout. But he hadn't seen it in years. Something wasn't right here. It made him nervous, like waiting for an ambush.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Anna Rendell swept into the room. "I'm a Doctor at the hospital. I've been on nights all week."

Connor and Becker rose to shake her outstretched hand, mouths open in shock.

The tanned skin, long dark hair and dark eyes full of intense thoughts. They looked at each other and back to the woman who had once been their friend?

"You OK?" She asked.

"Yes sorry." Becker stuttered "You just reminded us of someone. A friend of ours."

"Oh OK. Sarah did you offer them tea?" She turned to the girl.

"No we were busy talking." Sarah smiled.

"Shouldn't you be getting to college?" Anna hinted.

"I have time" Sarah replied. She was curious about these government men and wanted to stay.

"Be early!" Anna said with a look that encouraged Sarah to leave.

"Sorry, she's too nosy for her own good. Please sit down. What did you want to talk to me about?"

Connor glanced at Becker. "We, er, we wanted to talk to you about your son."

The woman dropped her head, hair hiding her face, and took a deep breath. She flicked her hair back as she sat up.

"What is Mac to you?"

"We think we knew his Father." Becker said hesitantly, aware how difficult it must be for her.

"John. How?"

"Not you your husband. His real dad." Connor said cautiously. "Danny!"

"Danny! You knew Danny?" She looked from one to the other.

"What do you know about what happened to them?" Connor asked.

"I didn't see much of Danny. We were very young when Mac was born. Both a little wild back then. I had to grow up quickly. Danny used to visit and he did

love Mac, but as I said we were young. After his brother was killed, Danny became obsessed in finding out what had happened to him. He and Patrick were very

close and it hit Danny hard. He still used to visit. Bring Mac presents but not as often. He knew he couldn't be what we needed. He wanted the best for us. So

when I met John, he backed off and let John be Mac's Dad. He was everything Danny wasn't in terms of stability. When Mac went to Canada, Danny used to

write to him but by then they more like friends than Father and Son. I didn't really hear anything much from Danny until a few years ago when he said he had a

new job. A little while later a letter came for Mac to say that Danny had gone missing. You say you knew him. Is he dead?"

"No, we don't think so" Becker said quietly.

Anna frowned "You don't know?"

"It's complicated" Connor said. "As far as we know he is still looking for Patrick."

"Did he never find him?"

"He did" Connor glanced at Becker as if for help.

"They were reunited and then went away for a while together" Becker assisted.

"I'm glad." Anna smiled.

"Can you tell us what happened to Mac?" Becker asked gently.

"He was going to join the Army. He wanted out of the place we were back then. He was as wild as Danny ever was. Worse in fact. He got in with a bad crowd.

Then out of nowhere this man turns up and offers Mac a job in Canada. I didn't want him to go. It was weird, but this guy seemed to check out and Mac was

over eighteen and looking for adventure." She stopped.

"So... is he... still there?" Connor asked hesitantly. Needing to know the answer, but guessing he didn't really want to know.

She shook her head. "He...he was …...killed."

"I'm sorry" Becker and Connor murmured.

"Freak animal attack. He loved it out there. I could have kept him here but for what. He could have joined the Army and been killed anyway." She looked at

them with tears in her eyes.

"Yes he could" Becker said solemnly. "Why don't I get that tea?"

She nodded. As Becker found his way around the kitchen she spoke to Connor.

"Did you know Danny well?"

"Yes. We worked together for about a year, but in our job we become close friends pretty quickly."

"What do you do?"

"I can't really say. Official secrets and all that."

Anna smiled "Danny said that. How did you find out about Mac?"

"Something came up at work" Connor said

Becker returned with the tea and handed it to her. "Milk no sugar" He said without thinking.

"How did you know?" She looked puzzled.

"Just a guess." Becker covered up. "We had better be going. Are you going to be OK?"

"Yes I'll be fine. " She smiled standing up.

As he stood, Connor pulled a pad from his pocket and scribbled down his number. "If you need to talk about all this, ask any questions, call us. We'll help if

we can."

She took the paper. "Thank you"

"And your daughter, Sarah, is she ….. ?" Connor stuttered.

"Danny's too?" Anna finished. "No. Her and her sister Jade are John's."

Connor nodded "It was good to meet you"

Becker added "Thank you for your time"

"Hope I could help"

"Yes. Thank you" Connor shook her hand tightly, wanting to hug this woman even though she didn't know him.

"The friend I remind you of Captain, was she smart?" Anna asked as she shook his hand.

"Very and beautiful."

.

They reached the truck and Becker sank back against the bonnet arms folded against his chest, eyes staring straight in front of him, focused on nothing in

particular. Connor rested his arms on the roof and slumped his head forward onto them. They were both lost silently in their own thoughts.

Connor eventually looked up at Becker "You OK?"

Becker didn't answer for a moment, before composing himself with a deep breath. "I watched her die." He said quietly.

Connor pushed himself up from the truck and turned to lean next to Becker "It wasn't Sarah, Mate."

"Not in this time. But she could have been or she was before. I don't know"

"You'll drive yourself mad thinking like that. With what we know we could all be something different in the future or we were something different in the past.

We can't try to make sense of it all. Because while we are doing that we don't live the life we have here right now. Sarah died, Danny is missing. We want to

change that but we can't and even if we can we shouldn't. However much we want to. It'll happen anyway. Things changed but Mac still went back and died in

2006. Two different timelines, maybe more, and he still died then. We can't change the past, mate. We can only change the future. Our future."

Becker stood silently for a moment.

"OK?" Connor patted his shoulder.

Becker nodded. "Thanks."

"That's what friends are for" Connor smiled. "Sent shivers up my spine too. Come on let's get back."

As they got into the truck Becker smirked, "Now I know I'm going mad when Connor Temple actually talks sense"

"Oi!" Connor grinned as they drove off "I haven't forgotten that you're hiding something about last night."

"You are going to be so disappointed" Becker smiled.