Chapter 11: Full circle

[Two days later]

Back at Langley, things were just beginning to settle down. Angel, having no-where to run and fearful for his own life, eventually handed himself back into CID. General Stockwell personally made sure that both he and Colonel Sieu were taken back to prison under protective custody. Luckily, no-one had discovered that he had the team, so his secret collaboration with them was still intact.

As Hannibal had predicted, the US Marshals had not been very pleased that CID had interfered with one of their witnesses and there had been serious repercussions for all those who had been involved in the incident.

Murdock's injuries were healing well and things were back on track between him and Face again. Ellen had been in contact with Face and there were encouraging signs that their strained relationship was starting to mellow.

Then out of the blue, they were told that Joanne had made a request – through the Witness Program US Marshal - to see Face again. This time all the team were in attendance when they met! Hannibal insisted that they were the only people he trusted to keep Face – and each other - safe.

The meeting was set up in a quiet area of one of the local parks. Hannibal and Frankie were in the van, near enough to get to Face if there was any trouble, whilst BA and Murdock were patrolling the immediate surroundings. The newly-appointed marshal who had brought Joanne to meet Face parked his sedan next to the van and nodded officially at Hannibal, as he waited for her in the car.

Face and Joanne were sitting close by on a bench near the duck pond. Joanne ran her hand nervously through her hair, a characteristic that Face couldn't help noticing was very similar to what he would do in the same situation. After an awkward silence, Face finally broke the ice.

"What happened, did you miss your flight?" he asked, with just a touch of sarcasm.

"I never actually got on the plane," said Joanne. "I waited in the tunnel until all the passengers had boarded and when Mr Kendrick's man left the boarding lounge I came back out and rang the Program emergency number. They came and got me and took me back to one of the safe-houses."

"Oh, so are you planning on staying, then?" said Face, a glimmer of hope flickering in his eyes.

Joanne shook her head, woefully.

"I can't stay here, Richard," she said. "I'm scared of what might happen if I do. There are people after you, just like there were with AJ and Samantha. The less I know about you and who you are involved with the better. Then if anyone gets to me, I can't lead them to you. But I had to see you before I go. I couldn't leave things the way they were."

"It's okay," said Face, in a resigned voice. "I get it. You don't owe me any explanations. It's nothing that I haven't heard before."

"I just wanted you to know I'm not proud of what I did," said Joanne, tearfully. "But I'm not going to make any excuses for it now. I've spent so long blocking out past memories that I kind of forgot about the person I was before. It's hard to get close or feel a connection with anyone now. It's like my whole identity has been swept away."

Suddenly the stress and strain of her burden was too much for her to handle. She broke down into a flood of tears, crying inconsolably. Face put his arm round her and pulled her into a protective embrace. He knew exactly how she felt. After all, he was the original master of disguise! For most of his life he had surrounded himself in a web of false identities and different lifestyles. It was no easy task pretending to other people that you weren't the person they thought you were. But it was even harder admitting that to yourself.

Joanne finally pulled away from Face, dabbing at her eyes and nose with her hanky. She gazed up at Face and gave him a half-smile.

"You look very much like your momma," she said, gently taking his hand in hers.

"Is there anything you can tell me about her?" asked Face.

"We were very close as sisters," said Joanne. "She was always looking out for me. We used to tell each other everything. AJ was her first love. They were childhood sweethearts and they got married when she was only 16 when she fell pregnant with you."

"Was I the only reason they stayed together?" asked Face.

"Oh, no!" asserted Joanne. "AJ really did love Samantha and believe it or not, in the beginning he was a doting and caring father. But he was ambitious and craved for a life that was different to the one he had been given. Mama and papa knew this and tried to warn Joanne, but she wouldn't listen. They didn't go to the wedding and disowned her shortly after you were born."

Face tutted his disapproval.

"You mustn't blame them, Richard," said Joanne. "They were very strict and this went completely against their religious beliefs and upbringing. Besides, it's a decision that they had to live with many years down the line and one which they took to their graves."

"But you told Murdock that they were trying to find out where she was?" said Face.

"Yes, that's right," replied Joanne. "Samantha had made various attempts to get back in contact with us when AJ left her. In the end, when we realised how desperate she had become, my parents just wanted to bring you both home. But she was constantly on the move and eventually we lost track of her. Then we started to receive visits from the Luciano family. They were so desperate to find AJ that they started making threats towards us. They wanted us to tell them where Samantha was, because they thought that would draw AJ out of hiding."

"So your parents got the FBI involved," sighed Face. "Murdock told me what happened to the investigating officer."

"An official from the FBI came to our house and told us that Samantha was dead," said Joanne, her eyes filling up with tears again. "We were just about to have tea. He said for our own safety we had to leave because the Mob would be out for revenge. We left with nothing but the clothes we stood in and I remember mama's pasta sauce was still simmering on the stove."

"It must have been terrifying for you all," said Face softly.

"We knew you were still out there somewhere and that the Mob would have used you too as a pawn to get to AJ," continued Joanne. "But we were too terrified to try and find you, even though we knew you could be in danger. For six years we lived in fear that they would find us. The FBI moved us around from one safe-house to another. It wasn't much of a life. You didn't get much protection back then. Things got better when we got put on the Program. But it was still very surreal. You get given a new name and you spend your whole time making sure you don't reveal anything from your past to anyone. This is the first time in over 20 years that I've heard anyone calling me "Joanne Robinson"."

Joanne paused briefly, as her emotions took hold of her again.

Face gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. He hated to stress her out even more, but there was so many questions he wanted to ask her about his momma.

"Murdock also said that momma died of a heroin overdose," he ventured, carefully.

"That's also true," said Joanne, sadly. "There's no easy way to tell you this, but your momma was burdened down with a lot of hang-ups in life. When she was found dead by the FBI agent, the Organisation took care of her body and made all the funeral arrangements. We couldn't even attend the service. They made arrangements for her to be buried in a church near to where she lived called The Sacred Heart Church. It was all very hush-hush. I believe they even got someone to pose as her relative, so the clergy wouldn't get suspicious."

Face's eyes widened at hearing the name of the aforementioned church. It was ironic that his momma had been laid to rest so near to where he she had left him. But he didn't say anything to Joanne as she was visibly distraught and shaken up at having to reveal this information.

The moment was interrupted by the marshal getting out of his car and waving his hand towards Joanne.

"I've got to go," she said, as she rose from the bench. "Maybe one day, when this is all over and you're a free man, we can pick up from where we left off? I'm sure you will be able to find me."

"I'd like that," said Face, getting up from the bench.

"About the money," said Joanne. "I'll put some in an account for you. You might be able to use it when this is all over."

"I don't need the money, Joanne," said Face. "You keep it. I guess you've earned it."

"Nevertheless," frowned Joanne. "It's what Samantha would have wanted."

Face shrugged his shoulders as he politely held out his hand to say good-bye. But Joanne shrugged his hand aside and pulled him into a bear-like hug.

"You were a beautiful and happy baby, Richard," she said, as she softly stroked his cheek. "My parents didn't know, but I came to see you in secret every opportunity I got. I went to Sam's wedding and your christening, even though it was against my parents' wishes. And don't ever forget that my sister loved you more than anything in the world. Her face just filled with pride every time she looked at you. She would be so proud of you."

Giving her nephew one final hug, she finally let him go and hurried over to the waiting car. As Face watched her go, that familiar feeling of lost opportunity and hope weighed down heavily on him. Seeing the team bounding towards him, their faces full of concern, he bent down and picked up some stones. He threw them at just the right angle into the water, watching them skim across the surface.

"You okay, Amigo?" enquired Murdock, as the guys gathered round him.

"I think so," replied Face, tentatively. "There's a chance here, Murdock. I'm not gonna pin my hopes on promises made in the heat of the moment, but I think we can make this work."

"And in the meantime you've still got us!" declared Murdock. "We ain't going any-where, are we Big Guy?"

"Murdock's right," assured BA. "Family ain't always about blood, Face. It's about the people in your life who want you in theirs that count."

"Why BA, what wonderful sentiments!" enthused Murdock. "You really are just the biggest, cuddliest mudsucker ever!"

"Shut up, sucker!" barked back BA.

Murdock and Frankie continued to tease BA, whilst Face watched with a relieved smile on his face, grateful for the distraction. Hannibal stood close to Face as they watched the playful banter between the three men.

"There's a grave," said Face, his voice quiet and discreet so that only Hannibal could hear.

"You wanna go there, kid?" asked Hannibal.

"Maybe one day, Hannibal," replied Face. "When the time is right. I don't wanna bring more trouble to her graveside. I reckon she had enough grief to deal with in her lifetime without me turning up with Decker in tow!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

[Timeline: 2 January 1988 – New York City]

It was the day after the team had received their pardons. Face stood in the graveyard of The Sacred Heart Church yard, armed with flowers and various gardening implements. Murdock had wanted to come with him, but this was one task that Face wanted to do on his own. He patiently stopped and read the names on all the gravestones. It was a big graveyard, but Face was not daunted in his mission in finding his momma's grave.

After a short time, he finally found what he was looking for. He was surprised to find that the grave looked relatively tidy and well-maintained. He had expected it to be overgrown with weeds and dirt.

He also noticed that extra words had been engraved on the headstone, giving the appearance that they had been added at a later date. The original wording, which had faded quite a bit in comparison to the other words just read "Samantha Jane Bancroft (nee Robinson)". But underneath that the words "loving daughter, sister, wife and mother" had clearly been added.

Face knelt down on the ground and proceeded to pull out the few weeds and bits of straggly grass that had just started to sprout out. He tossed away other pieces of dirt and debris and wiped the gravestone with his handkerchief, rubbing the words slowly with much care and reverence.

He placed the flowers on her grave and leant back. Closing his eyes he bowed his head in silent reflection.

"Merciful Jesus!" exclaimed a voice behind him. "If it isn't little Alvin Brennar!"

Face opened his eyes and jumped up all in one startled, automatic movement. There wasn't many people in his life who had called him by that name. It was the name that the Irish priest at the orphanage had given him. In fact … no it couldn't be … could it?

"Father Magill!" he spluttered, as recognition finally hit home. He looked incredulously at the old man standing before him. The last time he had seen the priest was when he had visited him on his sickbed some years back during one of their first missions as soldiers of fortune. He had been so poorly, Face didn't think he would ever see him again.

"In the flesh!" announced Father Magill.

"I can't believe it," said Face in astonishment. "You were so ill when I last saw you. I didn't think you were going to make it."

"Well, you'll be pleased to know that there's life in the old dog yet!" chucked Father Magill. "I've retired from the priesthood now, of course, but I'm still very much attached to the church and the people in this community."

"Is it you who has been tending to my momma's grave?" asked Face.

"You might say, I made a promise to look after it for someone," said Father Magill. "T'was a fine-looking woman who moved into the parish about eight months' ago. She came to Sunday service every week and spent countless hours tidying up your mom's grave. I remember she had a disturbed look in her eyes that would have put the fear of God in the devil himself."

"Father, this is very important," said Face, urgently. "I think I know who the woman is. Can you tell we where I can find here?"

"Ah, my boy," sighed Father Magill. I believe she's finally in a place where she can be at peace with herself and the world."

"What do you mean?" said Face, a sudden feeling of dread overpowering his body. "Where is she, Father?"

Father Magill pointed to a grave that was positioned a few feet away from his mom's, bearing the name "Joanne Marie Robinson".

"Oh, no!" cried Face in a distressed voice. "Please, God, no!"

"She spoke about you often," said Father Magill, putting a comforting hand on Face's shoulder. "It took a while to gain her confidence, but we became staunch friends in the end. Especially when we discovered we had you in common. She didn't have many friends as far as I could tell and no family contacts with anyone. She liked to keep herself to herself."

"What happened to her?" said Face.

"She had a massive stroke," said Father Magill. "She was such a jittery little thing. Lived on her wits and her nerves, so she did."

"Then I'm too late," said Face shaking his head sadly.

"She never gave up hope that one day you'd find your way back here," said Father Magill. "She lived a simple life and didn't have many possessions that were worth anything. That is, except for a vintage floral necklace and a paper bag full of money left to her by the CID!"

"That money was supposed to be for her," lamented Face. "So she could set herself up in her new life."

"Well, I don't think the money meant that much to her in the end," surmised Father Magill. "I think being with her sister and the hope that one day you would come back into her life, was worth much more to her. She asked me to keep the items safe. Just in case she couldn't give them to you herself. They're back in the house and you can come and collect them anytime you want."

"OK, Father," said Face. "Can I just have a few moments here alone?"

"Certainly, my boy," said Father Magill. "You'll be knowing where to find me?"

"Sure, Father, I remember," said Face.

Father Magill patted Face's shoulder affectionately, before leaving the young man alone with his thoughts. Face continued to stare at Joanne's grave, shaking his head in sorrow. It was then that his eyes were drawn to a short inscription that was etched underneath her name:

"Those we love don't fade away. They walk beside us every day."

He smiled, sadly. It was if she had written the words especially for him. Because he knew that at last his momma and her sister had found each other again. And in their reunion, he felt a presence and a love that would stay with him forever.

Fini

[AN: Thanks to everyone (reviewers and faithful followers) for reading and sticking with the story. I have really enjoyed reading all the reviews and comments and made some new friends along the way.Special thanks to LAGC -you know I wouldn't have finished this if you hadn't spurred me on – gracias muchacha!]