Chapter 22

"I can't believe that's it." Tom said to Sasha, he'd prepared for a gun battle; prepared for some kind of danger to arise but Vogel verified the validity of the bonds and diamonds. That was it, Yasmin got up and left the table with her payment. Not without parting one last gem on Daniela that she would grow bored of being a 'good' person. When she did, to not cross Red Circle again as Yasmin would not be so forgiving next time.

"She's left pretty quickly," Sasha remarked as she received a text from Burk telling her as much. She sent out a text letting those on the team that their job was finished and also a thanks for the assist. "Hopefully the feds will pick her up before she gets too far." She added as their job was done.

"What? When were the feds on this?" Wolf asked in disbelief.

"The feds have been monitoring Daniela ever since she came to America. So they saw the ransom exchange. It's not illegal to pay a ransom. But it is illegal to take and or receive ransom money. They are probably following her right now, making sure they can charge her with more than kidnapping and extortion." Sasha said smugly.

"That money is now evidence." Wolf reminding her that she would never see it again. But it didn't bother Sasha in the least.

"Don't care. Daniela is off the hook and Mike will have both his gets a real start at a better future." Sasha said as she looked to Hannah who was talking with Daniela and Meylan. She turned to Tom, "How are you?" she asked Tom.

"Good, we should get Hannah home." Tom said to Sasha, she gave a nod as Mike was probably going out of his mind. They should call him but wanted to surprise him.

"How are you doing? Need anything?" Mike asked Courtney as he tucked the blanket around her legs as they sat on the lounge. the doctors had said she was ok to go home as long as she kept her fluid intake up and rested.

"I'm ok, Daddy." Courtney assured him, "thank you." she added, it felt surreal to be back home. She never thought she'd make it back, let alone her father being here. She just wished her mother had survived long enough to say goodbye as she could see her father was in pain. She felt it herself.

"Hannah will be home soon." Mike assured her, he hoped he was right.

"Why didn't you go for her?" Courtney asked, she hadn't been helpful as she hadn't known anything that was going on. All she had known was that she was owned by Red Circle and now she was free. It didn't make sense and she could barely remember any information. It killed her that she had been torn away from Hannah given she was supposed to take care of her.

"I needed to be here with you. My friends are better qualified to get Hannah back to us." Mike told her, Courtney gave a nod and looked down at her hands; she wrung them with the stress she felt at being home and knowing Hannah was still out there.

"Why did it take so long to find us?" Courtney asked in a small voice, Mike gave a shrug as he looked troubled by her question. She knew in her heart he hadn't abandoned them but she had to ask.

"I don't know, I've been trying to find you, Hannah and Mommy for years.I'm so sorry, I couldn't find you." Mike told her sincerely. He wished he could change the past but it was beyond his capabilities.

"It's ok." Courtney said seeing her father's guilt. It was clear he had tried really hard. She was too tired to summon anger as she just wanted everything to get back to normal. She wanted to move on.

"It's not. My job is protect you, to keep you safe. I just hope you and Hannah can forgive me." Mike told her.

"I already do, Daddy." Courtney assured him, Mike took a sharp inhale as he had expected a fight but all he saw was defeat and resignation. He couldn't help himself as he pulled her into his arms.

"I love you, kiddo." he told her, sincerely.

"Love you too." Courtney replied in a hushed voice as it was good to be home. They might be missing a couple members but they still had one another.

A car door slam sounded outside. Mike rose from the couch and moved to the front window. He watched as Tom opened the back door of his car and Hannah jumped out. He went to the front door and opened it; he couldn't believe it.

Hannah saw him, she smiled as she dashed up the front path way. He opened his arms and caught her as she launched herself at him. He held onto her tight.

He didn't even realise he was crying until Hannah whispered in his ear. "It's ok Daddy, you don't have to cry. We're ok." she told him.

"Horrifying isn't it?" Daniela asked in amusement as she came out of the bathroom dressed in his shirt and nothing else from the looks of it. The make up was washed from her face, revealing mottled bruised skin and abrasions.

"It'll heal." Meylan said as he pulled her gently into his arms. "You did really well today." he told her, he had to admit he liked how the day went. There was no paperwork bar the two missing persons' case being closed but that was the Police's paperwork. Mike had his kids back, no one was killed, no guns were fired.

"Mmm hopefully my last foray into my former life." Daniela told him as she leaned against him, soaking up his warmth. Her arms wrapping around his waist.

"I hope so too." Meylan said as he wasn't going to lie on the matter. Daniela's expression softened as she ran her hand down the side of his face.

"Joseph. It tears me up to think that I could ruin your life with my past. It's only been a couple weeks and I've made a mess. I know I should just walk away from you, but I can't- I don't want to because what we have is very special to me. But I'll understand-"

"I've made my choices and I'd do it all again. I want you with me and my life and career can survive anything from your past. But I appreciate your concern." he said as he caught her hand with his own and pressed a kiss into her palm. "So don't give it another thought as I want you safe-"

"And noisy in your bed." Daniela finished, she gave a smile of amusement as Meylan chuckled. Her heart was in full bloom as she kept giving him an out and he just stayed with her. She knew better than to push her luck and right now, she wanted to belong in his world, belong at his side more than anything else.

"Among other places." Meylan told her, before pressing a soft kiss to her lips. She beamed up at him, his heart skipped a beat as he loved seeing her happy. "Mike is probably going to want to thank you." he added.

"He can thank me by being a better father than mine was which should be easy for him." Daniela said thoughtfully.

"You get a fresh start yourself. No more bank loans unless you're buying a legitimate property." Meylan advised her, she smiled at the subtle nudge that she play by the law. Also knowing that he was letting her past go.

"I'm lucky to have you." she said.

"Damn right," he replied with a sly closed lip smile.

"I don't think I can go back." Tom said as he placed his car keys back into the bowl as he and Sasha came into his house. He wanted to take a shower and sleep. It was barely midday.

"Back to what?" Sasha asked.

"The Navy, I think I gained more grey hair and lost about 5 pounds of sweat in a simple meeting." Tom told her.

"It was not a simple meeting." Sasha said, it hadn't been but in comparison to what the Navy had to handle; it was an easy mission. He had barely kept it all together. He could fake his confidence but he couldn't ignore how shaky he felt now, how unnatural it had felt to be back in his 'old' skin.

"It was, I can't handle myself like I used to." Tom told her.

"To be fair, you've been through a lot. You don't need to make any decisions yet." Sasha told him.

"Maybe, or maybe it's time for me to take a proper break. Do something else." Tom said.

"Like?" Sasha asked.

"I don't know, something that doesn't involve ransom negotiations and strapping on a gun." Tom said, he watched as she took a moment to digest what he was saying. Their careers had been entirely dedicated to the Navy, the idea of Tom leaving it behind was shocking to say the least.

"You could always go back to teaching. Naval college or even a University would benefit greatly from you. Your knowledge, experience as a sailor and strategist would be invaluable to future generations." Sasha offered, surprising Tom with her suggestion.

"I guess, I never thought about it." Tom said thoughtfully.

"Maybe you should, you were really good at it." Sasha told him.

A few days later,

"Are you sure I look ok?" Daniela asked Meylan, he pulled to a stop out front of Slattery home. Meylan smiled as Daniela happily faced off Yasmin and any number of bad people but here she was nervous and twitchy about a family lunch. She pulled on her loose floral tank top and wondered if it was appropriate with the skinny jeans and cream knitted kimono cardigan.

"You look beautiful, so relax, Mike and the girls want to thank you." Meylan told her, Daniela gave a nod as she tried to relax.

"They really doesn't have to." Daniela said, her bruises were starting to heal and the swelling had gone down. But she still caked on the make up in a way that made it look like she wasn't injured at all. He wished that he could've stopped her from being hurt from the beginning but he couldn't change the past. But he was going to do his best to keep her safe.

"It makes you uncomfortable." Meylan stated amused by her discomfort at going inside. He knew it was down to her clearly not having much history relating with children or being around 'normal' families. But she'd adapt as she always did and Mike's kid didn't appear to be feral. If he were honest, he liked seeing her around kids. It made him think about their future and introducing her to his family.

"I didn't do anything. If anything, I messed it all up." Daniela told him, there it was. She didn't feel like she deserved the gratitude.

"But it worked out in the end. You found the girls, in the end where others failed. Speaking of, I made a few calls while you were asleep this morning." He said changing topics. he could see she felt conflicted on how to feel when it came to her mother. He wasn't going to get involved but figured it would give her a chance to decide if she wanted to meet her mother.

"Oh?" Daniela asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Your mother will be here on Monday in a fortnight." he told her.

"Wow. Wolf will be over the moon." Daniela said shocked but also thoughtful,before she looked a little scared. "The apartment is a mess." she told him.

"He and the boys will sort it out before then." Meylan assured her, as far as he knew the apartment had been released and tidied up. Daniela was outside of the loop only due to her injuries. She had spent majority of her time sleeping and eating him out of house and home. He didn't mind at all as he liked the company, he wasn't sure he was ready for her to leave. In fact he wanted to officially ask her to move in, but finding the right moment to ask had been an issue. "Think you might want to meet her?" he asked.

"I don't know." Daniela replied honestly.

"Well, let's just get through this 'thank you' with Mike and his girls." Meylan offered, a sly grin played across Daniela's luscious lips.

"You know, I'd like to thank you for everything you've done for me." she said leaning in close to him.

"Mmm, I'll settle for holding you in my arms until you're not so freshly bruised." Meylan replied.

"Orgasms are the best form of pain relief." Daniela drawled, Meylan was about to kiss her when a couple loud thuds sounded from Daniela's side of the car. They both turned to see Hannah's tiny face pressed up to the window.

"Hello!? I can see you!" she shouted through the glass. "Daddy says lunch is going on the table super soon. Aren't you going to come in?" she added, Daniela and Meylan couldn't help but laugh.

"We're here." Daniela said as she reluctantly moved away from Meylan and opened the door to get out.

Tom pulled up in front of Andrea's home, his heart skipped in trepidation. Part of him wanted to turn the car around go back to the hotel, pack up and fly home to Norfolk. Sasha was back at the hotel, doing whatever she did when he wasn't around. He had her mobile number. He could just call her and it was time to go. But he couldn't be that guy who avoided his responsibilities or the things in life he wanted out of fear.

So he opened the door and stepped out. He took in the house. It was a normal suburban home, lawn mowed, garden well kept. He swallowed his issues and walked up the front path. He made it to the front door and barely knocked when a loud barking sounded. It was followed by scratching at the door and snuffling noises. Presumably Bruno,

Tom knocked on the door, the barking sounded and Tom stepped back from door and down a couple steps as he waited. It didn't take long as the door opened and Tom found himself with a armful of Dog. Tom moved his face away as the dog tried to lick his face.

"Bruno, down." Andrea chastised, the dog complied dropping away from Tom but he kept sniffing around Tom's leg like he were a novelty item. Andrea smiled at him. "Tom, so good to see you alive." she said, Tom couldn't help but share her smile.

He walked up the two steps and they shared a brief hug as old friends. She pulled away and gestured to the house. "Come on in. I wasn't expecting you for a couple more hours so I got the kids cleaning their rooms." she told him.

"Really?" he asked in disbelief.

"I run a tight ship." Andrea told him in a serious manner, he believed her. He walked into the house taking in the cosy warmth of the atmosphere. "Chandlers, get your asses out here." She shouted.

"We brought a salted caramel brownie trifle as promised." Daniela said as Meylan placed said dessert into the fridge to keep it chilled.

"It's thanksgiving lunch! We have turkey with Daddy's special sauce, coleslaw, sweet potato and marshmallows salad, bread rolls..." the list went on and the table was piled with enough food for 10 people not five. "We have like three of them to catch up on. I said we got to celebrate how thankful we are to be together again." Hannah told her.

"Isn't thanksgiving later in the year?" Daniela asked confused but also moved the idea.

"Yeah, but we got to get these ones out of the way before the main event of this year." Mike said as he came out the kitchen to greet them.

"I'm impressed." Daniela told him, he pulled her into a hug which was awkward on many levels given they didn't have that level of intimacy.

"You'll be taking leftovers." Mike assured her, before he released her and smiled. He looked so relaxed and unlike the man she knew as the Captain of the Nathan James. He and Meylan shook hands in greeting.

"I'll take some for Wolf too. He could use some variety in his diet." Daniela said as she knew she'd have to apologise to him for what happened to his apartment and talk. Food would probably smooth over well given it was her fault their place was trashed and she owed him a new TV.

"Works for me, you remember Hannah and my eldest Courtney." Mike said gesturing to his kids.

"Hi." Courtney said with a wave, she looked a lot brighter than the last time they'd seen her. In fact all the Slattery family looked well.

"Hey, how are you?" Daniela asked her.

"Better, looking forward to eating all the food." She said with a smile.

"I bet you guys spent all morning in kitchen." Meylan said looking to the table, the fridge was also filled to the brim. He'd expected a small affair not a feast.

"Yep!" Hannah replied with a smile as they all sat down at the table with exception of Mike.

"Drinks?" Mike asked Daniela and Meylan.

"Water is fine for me." Daniela said, he gave a nod and looked Meylan.

"Meylan, a beer?" Mike offered.

"Sure." Meylan replied.

"Dig in." Mike told them as he went to get the drinks.

Tom watched as Ashley and Sammy came out their rooms into the living area. They looked so much older than he remembered. Sammy's floppy locks were cut into a short hairstyle that Tom normally wore when he used to be on duty, Ashley's hair was much longer than he could recall.

Tears welled his eyes, his throat became thick as he hadn't realised how much he had missed. Or how deeply he missed them, he had always assured himself that they'd be cared for. That they'd be happier without him, that they didn't need him and yet all he wanted was to take them back to Norfolk. But the demon voice in his head reminded him, he may be their father but he didn't have the right to rip them out of their life here.

"Daddy." Ashley said.

"Yeah." Tom said, both of them rushed at him, he knelt down on one knew and pulled them into his arms. He gripped them tightly as he loved them so dearly, and needed this. "I'm so sorry I couldn't get here sooner." he whispered to them.

The kids pulled back and he took a closer look at them. They looked as emotional as he was. So happy to see him. "You two look good." he told them, he pulled them back into his arms. "I missed you both so much." he whispered to them. He looked over his shoulder back at Andrea. He knew he could never repay her, he mouthed thank you at her. She gave a soft smile and moved deeper into the house to give them privacy.

"Mmm, best thanksgiving meal ever." Daniela told the Slattery family as she scrapped the last of part of what was her second serving of lunch.

"Probably your first too." Mike quipped, he took a sip of water. He looked on amused as he and Meylan had had sufficient after their first serving but Daniela was putting them to shame. But he couldn't feel too intimidated by it as it seemed to encourage the girls to eat their fair share of the food.

"Yes, I never thought marshmallows and sweet potato would compliment one another but I was pleasantly surprised." Daniela told him.

"We haven't even gotten to dessert." Meylan quipped.

"Hmm, I can see why you only do this once a year. It's delicious." Daniela told them with grin as she reclined back in her chair. "Thank you." she told them, she really enjoyed the meal and seeing Mike interact with his daughters and them. Not that the lunch was a test but it comforted her to know that everything she had endured had been worth it. She still found the concept of family as what Mike had with girls as a foreign concept but she was glad it existed. He truly loved them, wanted the best for them.

"I'd say anytime, but I got a figure to maintain." Mike quipped, he rose from the table clearing up empty dishes.

"I'll help." Meylan said as the girls had been about to jump up to take over.

"So, you still got your warrior princess outfit?" Daniela asked Hannah across the table.

"Yeah, you wanna to see it?" Hannah asked her, Daniela nodded as she was wondering what a normal home filled with love looked like. "Come on, I'll show you my room." she said with smile.

"What happened here?" Tom asked in amusement as he gestured to his own hair as reference to Sammy's hair. They sat around an old dining table in the kitchen sharing milk and cookies.

"Cadets." Andrea informed him when Sammy ducked his head sheepishly. He had been adamant from a young age that he'd have long hair forever. Tom looked at his son in surprise, he didn't think Sammy was interested in the Military.

"Air Force Cadets." Andrea added with an evil grin.

"Oh, break my heart buddy." Tom said clutching his chest and chuckling in mock playacting as though his heart was injured.

"They get to fly fighter jets." Sammy explained with a shrug.

"You want to fly?" Tom asked, he didn't mind what Sammy did as long as he was happy and dedicated to see it through. Tom would help him get where he needed to be.

"Maybe." Sammy said noncommittally before he chomped down on a cookie.

"If you want to fly, then you should do it." Tom told him, he looked to Ashley. "So let me guess, Army? Marines?" he asked.

"No, and no." Ashley answered.

"Politics?" Tom asked with a mock look of concern.

"Reality TV star." She deadpanned, Tom couldn't help but laugh as he knew she was just messing with him. At least he hoped so.