I woke up the next morning back in the hotel and sat up on the bed, I had fallen asleep the moment my head hit the pillow and had rolled a couple of times onto my side, bad idea considering it pulled the stitches and I needed to clean and mend the dressings. I got up and had a quick shower and clean up and got dressed as I looked outside the window; Toronto was covered in snow and it was going to be a long day trapped in the hotel with little to do but wait on a phone call and a visit from the Feds. A couple of the hotel employees had recognised me from an incident here last year, they chatted to me as I wandered about the place and headed out to grab some food at the coffee shop across the road. My phone beeped and I looked down at the message, I had received it at 11am, it was now 11.54. I scrolled down to it and clicked the icon.

'Target acquired and contained – Federal Agents on way with Halloran to your hotel – meet in lobby at 12.'

I ignored my food order and hobbled back over the road and five minutes later reached my room and packed my gear up, slinging across my shoulders I grabbed the elevator and headed down to the lobby where the Commander was dressed back in SRU uniform. I headed over and stopped in front of him; he looked at me and nodded.

"The military have him at the base with your friend – time to get some answers!" he whispered as he took one of my bags.

"Commander I need to apologise about all this trouble I have caused….." I started.

His hand went into the air and I closed my mouth at his expression.

"Not your fault Mac, these guys were good – we were better – come on, let's get you cleaned up and back into your uniform!" he replied passing me my uniform bag and an envelope.

Two hours later I was checked out for my leg and cleared for active duty again with the SRU as the details from Darren's mission were explained, he had contacted the Federal Agency with his unit and given clean Intel of what the subjects had been planning and how their operation had run so well. They provided all documents and evidence to clear everyone of wrong doing and had video and audio of both Toth's ordering operational directives on the team. The Feds had then contacted the MOD and they had allowed their counterparts in Toronto to take charge as long as Toth was charged fairly.

I stood in the corridor back in my tactical gear, damn it felt good to wear it again and to know that my hands were clean and my team and family were safe; I had managed to get a long talk with Halloran who explained that he was aware there was an inside leak after the Feds had been contacted by SIU, the chatter on the Terrorism network had spiked and the familiar names of a rogue SF team thought to be dead kept coming up. They made their plans for me to become separated from my team to flush the other subjects out – a plan that worked but left me pissed off at the length of time it was taking them to do everything. I received a full apology from the Feds and Halloran, my record was wiped clean and a full notice put into my file for future reference that no action can be taken against me, and I was being put forward for an accommodation award for valour. I didn't want it or need it, but it was being put forward by the SIU for actions above and beyond the call.

I could hear the men being interrogated from behind the door, I wanted in there but had been banned immediately knowing that I would end up going psycho on their asses; Halloran came back out with Darren who grabbed my shoulders and I thanked him for all the help he and his team had done for me and my friends; he nodded and I stepped back out of sight as a guard escort came along the corridor to remove the suspects to secure holding.

"Let me see him at least, I need to see what his body language is like, if he might have anything else planned?" I requested.

Darren and the Commander looked at each other and then me, I was blank faced and just wanted to know why?

"She's been trained by the best in the city, she'll know if there is something planned," replied Darren.

Halloran and the Federal agent agreed and I was allowed into the gallery to witness what was happening in the room, I didn't expect to see the broken man sitting in the chair as a medic checked him out for transport. I looked up at Darren and he handed me a notebook, I frowned and then opened it up.

"He kept a diary, there is a room full of them that I am getting transported across for you – I think it would be good if you read them, maybe it will help you get over the guilt you feel."

I looked up at him, he wasn't aware of the pain I felt after I lost the team in the desert – how badly I was injured and how fucked up I was – how did he know?

"I've known for a while. Your team love you, Spike loves you and they explained what has happened over the last couple of years and what you have had to deal with. Why didn't you call?" he whispered.

I ducked my head, shame running through me – a weakness of not being able to handle my demons – I was embarrassed. He raised my chin and looked me straight in the eyes and nodded.

"Because I was stubborn, and I thought I could handle it myself. I was wrong, put those guys through hell and it took a trip back to the desert to clear my head with the old squad." I replied honestly.

He chuckled and patted me on the shoulder.

The doctors were getting Nathan strapped onto the stretcher and we followed them out of the building towards the military ambulance; he had spotted me and sneered at me, shouting insults and what he was going to dream of at night. I stood facing him and watched as the medics moved him in and hooked up his medication to sedate him, and also to monitor his vitals due to the Angina attack he had suffered when captured. We turned away as the ambulance pulled away and I noticed something on the ground, it was a box of matches that was empty with the strip removed.

'Nitro-glycerine patches are highly flammable if improperly used'

I turned back round to the medics and shouted on the officer to get his men to stop the ambulance at the gate, Darren and me ran down the road and saw the driver and doctor lounge out the ambulance as the back was set on fire by a spark – I ran full speed down the driveway and was only stopped by Darren lifting me off my feet; the ambulance was fully on fire and all I heard was a gunshot above Darren shouting on me to keep still as I tried to get out of his arms and towards the ambulance to help those inside.

I was body covered as the ambulance burst into a fireball as the oxygen tanks exploded, Darren slammed me into the ground and shielded me with his body as the hot air seared the air over our heads.

The fire fighters came and went; the coroner came, saw and evaluated the mess the ambulance was in and the now charred body in the back of the scrap. I never moved from my spot on the road, I had to deal with this now – this final wicked salute he made me witness as he took his life for real in an explosion and GSW. I was sick to my stomach; it brought every emotion up and made me relive every flash of memory from that day I lost them the first time round. But this time I knew he was really dead and couldn't come back to harm me. Darren had passed the dog tag from my files to Nathan before transport, it was the first thing I asked the coroner to look for in his hands – they found it.

It was now after 6pm and I was fried, the Commander wanted debriefed back at the barn and we still hadn't seen the team yet after SIU was explaining what was going on and what had been achieved. I contacted Halloran and advised him of the last hour's events and the suicide of Toth; he advised me to meet him at the main entrance and we would go in together to finish explaining what was going on.

Darren and his team had to leave for the airport about half an hour ago so one of the soldiers gave me a lift back to the station where I met Halloran outside; he pulled me in for a supporting hug and stood me at arm's length.

"I am damn proud of you, of all of my teams – now get back to work, your paperwork is well overdue Officer Fraser!"

I grinned, saluted and headed towards the main desk where I noticed the shutters were down over the meeting room, Winnie was back on the desk and I snuck upon her and she squealed in delight as I hugged her; she told me to stand in front of the shutters so they could launch the surprise on the team and hooked me up to the radio link so I could hear what was being discussed.

"You have a new team mate joining today for their first shift; I believe you may know them?" Halloran said to everyone.

The shutters lifted and I was standing there in the doorway grinning like an idiot, seconds later I was being passed around the place like a beach ball and got thrown at Spike so he could get his fair share of cuddles back.

"It's over – he's dead!" I whispered.

"I know – Darren sent me a message and let me know – your home now!" he whispered back kissing me.

I snuggled into his arms and grinned at everyone assembled around us and felt the love.