They discussed the revised plans over three pans of lasagna Blair had sent up from the restaurant. Sam had appeared at some point, deciding on a seat beside his older brother rather than eating in the kitchen with the rest of the kids.

Victor looked from him to Blair, but she was purposely avoiding his gaze. Her hand firmly entangled in Todd's. For the first time I found himself wishing Tea was there. She tempered some of the pull towards his brother's wife.

"So." He cleared his throat. "I'm going to need to talk to Walker." All eyes at the table shot to him. "Tonight."

"That's a terrible idea." His brother snorted.

"It's a great idea." Victor countered. "He'll be thrilled to see me. I'll give him a few lovely catch phrases and he'll accept me as the prodigal son. He'll tell me where to take Jack. Hell, we might not even need to take Jack anywhere."

"Riiiiggghttt." Todd nodded. "That's how easy all this is. That's how I found you. I just walked in, whispered a few lines of scripture and they were like, right this way Mr. Manning."

"Then enlighten me, Wise One!" Victor sneered back. "How do we play this?"

"I don't know." Todd answered honestly. "But I know you don't go charging in there and get yourself turned in the first five minutes."

It stung. It stung worse that everyone at the table noticed how bad it stung. For the first time all night Blair's eyes had flicked towards his and he didn't like what he saw it them, they both looked quickly away.

"Boys maybe this should be a private conversation." Vicki said softly.

"Yeah." Todd whispered, picking up his fork and moving the food around his plate before dropping it and rubbing his face. "Sorry."

"You're not wrong." Victor sighed, leaning forward and propping his chin up on his elbow. He pinched at the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"We decided that Tina and mom will stay here while you all are gone." Jess added in a brave attempt to move the conversation back to neutral ground. "It's safest."

"I like that plan." Todd whispered.

"Me too." Victor chimed in.

"Oh yes." Vicki slid her eyes between the two of them before making her voice sound ancient. "Someone has to look after poor mother."

Victor looked at his sister and winced.

"You don't suppose Mommy Dearest is still alive?" Victor asked. "Or re-alive or whatever it is we're calling it."

For the first time in a long time Victor thought his twin looked genuinely afraid when he glanced back at him, his mouth slipped open and his face stilled. Victor found it extremely unnerving. He moved his eyes to Blair who had her lip between her teeth and was leaning just a little more heavily against Todd's shoulder. He watched her rock back and forth and he could almost feel her hands stroking the muscles of his thigh. Todd swallowed hard, his chin jerking towards his wife, like he had just been reminded in that very moment that she was there. Or more likely that he was there, at the dining room table surrounded by his relatives.

"I hadn't really.." He cleared his throat. "I hadn't really thought about it."

"I didn't mean to-." Vicki looked between her brothers.

"No. No I mean, it's a good question. We kind of got stuck on Tony I mean it could have just as easily been her. She was obsessed with Jack. He was one of the first-." He gulped heavily. "Targets. It-." He pulled his napkin off his lap and tossed it on the table. "We should-." He nodded over his head towards the stairs. "We should run that."

Victor turned to look at the kitchen with more than a little longing.

"Todd, you know, Victor just reminded me earlier in the week that we've never had all the kids together before." Blair said soothingly, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly. "How nice it would be, to get some pictures. Maybe tell some old family stories?"

"We don't want to give the kids nightmares, Babe." He muttered.

"Todd." She cooed, splaying her fingers up his shoulder to his neck.

"No. Hey Vic you should stay." He nodded. "Catch up with Vicki and everyone. I'm gonna-." He pointed upstairs again. "Victor knows all my stories anyway, he can tell them." The table watched him go in silence.

"Sorry." Victor muttered to Blair when they heard a door shut upstairs.

"That really shook him." Dani breathed, her lips as motionless as her father's had been moments before. Her eyes darted to her Uncle who tried to smile in reassurance.

"Your Dad's just really focused on the mission." He told her lamely.

"Jack, Honey, will you make sure everyone has what they need?" Blair asked airily. Her palms pressed against the table as she rose. "Todd's right." She looked at him now and her attempt to save face for her husband made Victor feel things he didn't want to feel. "You should stay." She elongated the a, her mouth splitting into a smile. "Enjoy your family. Todd and I have a lot of prep work to do."

She turned her eyes to Jack who nodded at her, before she quickly hurried up the stairs.

….

Blair found her husband with his back to her, staring out to the windows of their bedroom. She made her way across the room and touched him. He winced and she pulled back like she'd been burned.

"How did I not think of this?" He hissed.

"Todd, don't do this." She pleaded.

"No? I mean come on Blair I missed public enemy number one here." His voice was high and frantic in away she hadn't heard in years. "I mean she's the one person who ever got to me right? The one person." He turned and her heart learched at the pinch of his face and the way he'd drawn his arms up around him like a barrier. She knew that posture and it hurt.

"She's dead Todd." Blair reminded.

"Is she?" His voice broke.

"If not we'll kill her again." She sighed. "You've already beat her."

"Have I?" He winced deeper. "She convinced me I killed my brother from beyond the damn grave, that's when it all went crazy."

"Victor's alive."

"That's why I kidnapped Tomas, framed him, started lying to you- because I had already told you what I thought was the truth-."

"It was the truth. And Tomas kidnapped you first." She reminded.

"He was following orders right?" Todd exhaled sharply. "I mean, that's what you said."

"That doesn't absolve him." She sighed.

"You still loved him."

"Loved him!" Blair scoffed. "I didn't even know him. He was just a guy who showed up with a picture." Her face softened and she moved towards him again. He didn't move away, but he didn't uncross his arms. "A picture of a time when I felt loved. Todd, I didn't love him. Not any more than I loved Max, or Cord, or Patrick Thornhart!" Todd snorted and Blair pulled at one of his arms until it dropped away. "I didn't love any of them, maybe Victor and that's only because he was you. I didn't even know what love was until I loved you."

"Then how'd you teach me?" He whispered taking her hand in the one she'd freed from his body.

"We learned together." She smiled.

"I can't beat her." He confessed softly. "She gets in my head."

"You couldn't beat her alone." She countered. "You're not alone now." She gestured towards the door. "Your children and your brother-. Hell, your whole messed up family is down there. And they all have your back." She slid her hand beneath the arm he still had pressed against his torso like he was cradling an injury, pushing it away and replacing it with her warm body. "And I'm here." She reminded him. "I'm here and I don't care about Tomas Delgado or his stupid orders or who shot Victor like four years ago, none of that will change anything. I'll still be here when the dust clears. I'm not going anywhere." He exhaled slowly, his body sagging into hers. "I never really have."

His arms snaked around her and he sat them on the bed.

"I'm sorry about Carly." He pressed his face into her shoulder.

"Carly?" She laughed softly, her hands fluttering onto his hair and around the back of his neck. "Todd I haven't thought about Carly Jax in-." She laughed again, pulling back and pressing her mouth to his. "Carly."

"And Tea for that matter." He closed his eyes and let her kiss him.

"I love Dani, Todd." She breathed, touching her lips to his in little pops. "It was all worth it for our fiery girl."

"And Sam." Todd moved his chin into her neck and she kissed the bridge of his nose.

"Sam is here because you loved me, Todd. He'd be here in one incarnation or another, no matter what."

"I like this incarnation of him." Todd sighed, she pressed her mouth to each of his eyelids. "I want this version."

"Me too." She moved her mouth back to his. "Anything else you want to apologize for?"

"How long you got?"

"For you?" She smiled, cupping the side of his face with her palm. "Forever."

"My mother scares the shit out of me, Blair." He confessed softly, with a half panicked laugh.

"Parents have always been a weak spot for you." She smiled at him sadly. She pressed her lips to his temple. "I've got your back on this. She doesn't scare me."

"I wish I could have seen you smack her." He smiled, leaning his face against hers.

"Maybe you'll still the the chance." She shrugged.

"I lost my shit down there." He exhaled softly, before smirking. "Anybody notice."

"No one hid under the table." She raised her eyebrows, "But they were rattled."

"I should go back down." He made no move to get up and Blair smiled, pushing back until they were laying against the pillows. "Project an air of confidence. Rally my troops."

"You should." She agreed, looping her leg over his protectively.

"Maybe it could wait.. just a little while.." He moved his hand to her face and she hummed a little.

Blair watched his eyes close, pressing a kiss to his wrist.

….

"What if you're right?" Victors voice called from the other side of the town car.

"I usually am." Todd whispered to his brother.

"I mean it Todd, what if I can't-."

"Then we find out now. With me standing right there with McBain on the other side of the glass." He shrugged, lazily turning towards his twin. "Better than when Jack's life's on the line."

"Yeah." He looked at the roof like it held answers.

"For the record, If I thought you would we wouldn't be here." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Pretty sure of yourself."

"I usually have a pretty good handle on how the family will vote." He raised an eyebrow. "No one wants to send you over to the dark side."

"True." He exhaled. "I might have gotten Blair, she's pretty pissed at me right now."

"She's really not." Todd sighed.

"I'm pretty sure she is." He raised his eyebrows. "All the yelling tipped me off."

"I think that was because she was mad at me." Manning rubbed his face.

"Not all of it." Victor shrugged.

"No." He stopped and looked at his brother. "Not all of it."

"Do you ever.. fell this way about Tea and I?"

"What jealous?" He chuckled.

"It's. Not. Exactly. Jealous." He winced.

"I don't want anything bad to happen to Delgado. I feel a sense of.. responsibility.." Todd swallowed and looked out the window. "I feel like an ass, for some of the things that I did. How I acted.. but I don't want her or anything. I'm not sure I ever did."

"It's not like I'm trying to steal your wife." Victor sniffed. "I just.. she still has.. parts of me still want to -."

"Oh God don't say it."

"Protect her." Victor sneered. "I want to keep her safe. I want to take away that look she gets you know? Where she gets the little lines.." He gestured between his own eyes and Todd's face melted into a a sappy grin. "And that fake tight smile. I just want to put my hand between her shoulder blades and-."

"Apply just the right amount of pressure to make her exhale." He finished for Victor.

"I'm literally programmed to calm her."

"Yeah." Todd sighed. "It's hard for her too." Victor blinked at him with mild interest. "You were me for eight years, she can't just forget all that. It didn't always suck. You were good to her."

"You were good to her Todd." His brother huffed. "It was you. Not me. I don't know how I am."

"I don't believe that." Todd snorted. "It's been years. You've changed. You have a sense of self. You always kind of did. It's not like you were some carbon copy."

"Yeah, maybe."

The car rolled to a stop and the brothers met eyes.

"Ready?" Todd asked softly. Victor adjusted his cuffs so that the thick black curve of the copy of his former tattoo Dani had meticulously drawn on with sharpie showed just enough.

"Let's do it." He nodded at his twin as he got out of the car.

"I'm right behind you." Todd mumbled, watching the other man's shoulders relax just a little.

"Good." His brother answered gruffly.

…

John McBain watched the Lord Twins exchange glances as they approached the two way mirror and looked at Walker Lawrence.

"We're sure that's who he is right?" Todd asked McBain. "Not some long lost triplet someone forgot to mention?"

"His prints match Lawrence." John chuckled.

"Well.." Victor looked through the window. "Do I just-?"

"Whenever your ready." Todd told him. "And listen, don't be a hero. You feel even the smallest twinge and you give the signal and we'll get you out okay?" Victor didn't move. "Okay?"

"Okay, Dad! Shit you sound like Vicki."

"Just sayin'." Todd mumbled.

"Yeah well. Stop." He took a deep breath before clapping his brothers shoulder a few times. "Go team."

John watched Todd gulp as Victor walked through the door and Walker's face lit up.

"This was a shit plan." Manning mumbled.

"He'll do fine." John told him reassuringly.

….

Victor Lord felt like his head was going to explode. He swallowed a few times and approached his double.

"Victor." Walker grinned at him like a loonatic. "We feared you'd been lost."

"No." He widened his eyes to match his target. "I've been found."

"Praise the Lords." Lawrences hands attempted to reach for the heavens, but the chains pulled them back to the table.

"Forgive me Brother." Victor gestured to the shackles. "I need to be sure."

Walker nodded soundly.

"Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart." He told Victor his eyes shining.

"Yes." He smiled at him. "Yes. And I have good news. My son wishes to return home."

He looked at the table, raising his face with teary eyes. "He has parted ways with his mother and rejected Judas' betrayal."

"Praise the Lords."

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Victor pasted on the stupidest of smiles. "We must take him to Lazareth. Has he risen? Like I have?"

"Not yet." Walker reported with a sigh. "Not yet, but father will be happy to receive his son. He'll be pleased."

"Father." Victor crooned reverently. He was so close. "He is with Orpheus?"

"No." Walker whispered. "He is home. He'll wait for Brian's arrival."

"How will we know? How will they know of our arrival?"

"Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us!" He lifted his hands up to again. Victor looked at the chains.

"Yes." He said softly. "Yes. Lets." He backed up towards the door and slipped back in side.

"It's Tony. It's gotta be." Todd mumbled, John looked hard at Victor. "Home where the fuck is home?"

"Unchain him." Victor listened as his voice echoed in the small room. "We have to unchain him."

Todd's jaw clenched as he looked from his brother to the man in the other room.

"Todd he'll take us there." Victor ground out. "We'll put him in the car and pick up Jack, you and Blair can follow us. He's fully immersed right now. He'll lead us right there."

"Too easy." Todd shook his head. "It's too easy."

"What?"

"Why Walker? Why now?"

"They saw I was in town. The saw a chance to grab Sam, they took it!" Todd shook his head and Victor smacked the table. "This is our chance!"

"It's too easy!" Todd yelled back.

"Todd's right." John answered.

"Of course, because Todd's always right! Our fearless leader, unless our mommy is mentioned."

"Victor calm down!" John yelled, but Lord's eyes were on his brother.

"This is our chance!" He yelled again. Todd held firm. He turned back to McBain. "Give me the keys." He moved forward again. "Give me the damn keys, John."

"Get back." John lifted his hand. "Just calm the hell down and-."

"Three Branches, One Tree." Todd said firmly.

"We are one!" Victor yelled automatically, his eyes flashing back to his brother just in time to see Todd's shoulders sag. He froze, and his twin held his eyes for a moment before reaching out and putting his hand on his shoulder. "Fuck." He whispered to himself before screaming it. "FUCK!"

"Sit down." Todd instructed, Victors head bobbed back in disgust but he dropped into the chair anyway. "It's okay." Todd assured him, pulling his phone from his pocket. "You did good." He raked his hand over his face and focused on his brother's voice. "You did good. Hey Sis." Victor looked up at Todd, who was looking back evenly. "Vic just wanted to check in on Tommy. Can you let him know what he's been up to? Here he is."

"Hey Sis." Victor repeated as Todd handed him the phone. "He being good for you?" He closed his eyes and let Vicki's voice was over him, his shoulder still firm in his brothers grasp. "Yeah he just started doing that."

….