Tony slept soundly, waking to the sound of Michael babbling but, to his relief, not crying. Sunlight peeked through the blinds as he slowly sat up to find David tending to him, with a smile on his face so genuine, one Tony realised he'd never seen before.

David looked over at him. "Coffee?"

He nodded, feeling the cheap hotel mattress creak as he stood. Moving to where they were, Tony felt a warmth in his chest as Michael made a noise of glee when he saw him. He watched David set him down and move to the small kitchenette, pouring him a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

They sat in silence for a while, and Tony realised just how familiar David seemed with what he was doing. All the little but important details of tending to a newborn came so naturally to him. Tony realised this couldn't be his first time. This only added to his endless list of questions about David.

He must have been very deep in thought because when David spoke, he didn't quite register what he said.

"What do you want to know?" David repeated.

Tony went to open his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He wasn't sure where to begin but recalled something David had mentioned early on. It was one of the only things he could remember from the past few weeks.

"You said you'd been eyeing me out since I was released from prison. Why?"

"Because as someone who got screwed over by the government in the same way you did, I figured you and I would get along quite well."

Tony furrowed his brow.

"I was a lot like you a long time ago. I wanted to serve my country and protect people. So I did. For a number of years." His eyes crinkled. "But then I met someone. I fell in love. We had two children. And I realised that I'd done my time, that I deserved to watch my children grow up without fear. So I told myself that my current tour would be my last. I'd left the day after their fourth birthday, twins they were." David's voice fell to a chill. "Eight months later, I came home to discover they'd been killed in a car wreck. And that nobody had bothered to tell me."

"I'm…I'm sorry."

He sighed. "They even had the audacity to claim it was an accident when deep down I knew that wasn't true. A few other men I'd served with came home to similar losses, and the government that was supposed to protect us, console us, support us, did nothing. So after a brief stint doing some private work, I disappeared. Eventually, I made myself a crew of people I could trust, and for once in my life, I decided to do things for my benefit, not the government's, not anybody else's."

He nodded slowly.

"So when I'd learned about the kind of 'reward' you were given for your hard work, naturally, I thought you'd be a good fit. But before I could make my move, you'd re-married, you'd found a way to make your own satisfaction the way I had by being with her and having a family." David tilted his head. "But then that fateful morning happened, and I realised that maybe I could still bring you in after all, if only to protect you and your son."

Tony wasn't sure how he felt about that. He was grateful for what David had done, for how far he'd gone just for the small chance that Michael had survived a few seconds longer than Michelle. But at the same time, while he was sympathetic to David's cause, to what he'd lost, to what he'd been through up until now, he didn't know how to feel about what he was doing about it.

"You went to so much trouble…you would have had to be so careful to extract him…why? So you could use him against me?"

"No." He tutted. "I saved him because as a father who's lost two children, I knew it was worth risking everything because I do not wish that kind of pain on anybody. I might be resentful towards the government, and I might do some things that aren't exactly the most morally righteous, but I'm not heartless. On the contrary. It's because I've been so hurt by what's happened to me that drives me to do all of this."

There was so much emotion in David's voice, and Tony knew the words he was saying weren't empty.

"I'm not expecting you to do anything for me, Tony. Especially not now, when your son needs you more than anything. I believe in loyalty, but I also believe in letting people genuinely choose the causes they devote themselves to. If I blackmailed you into working for me, you'd hold a grudge and always look for a way out. So I don't mind if I have to wait. I have faith that you'll see my perspective eventually."

"And if I don't?"

He shrugged indifferently. "It's your choice. But I know you want what's best for your son. And right now, I'm all you have. I am the only guarantee you have of keeping him safe."

Tony looked over at Michael, pressing his lips together.

"I will also help you hunt down each and every one of the people that killed your wife." He said seriously. "I never had my chance to hunt down the people who killed my family. I haven't set foot in London since I faked my death and left. But I give you my word when I say I will get justice for your wife and son."

Revenge hadn't even crossed his mind since he'd woken up in David's compound. He'd killed Henderson, but to think there was more where that came from made Tony's blood boil. He never wanted to let anybody hurt him or the people he loved again. More than that, he was barely pushing past the pain now. If something happened to Michael, God forbid, it would destroy him entirely. The apprehension he'd felt about David wasn't there anymore. In fact, Tony found himself agreeing with practically everything David said. He understood.

"So, Tony…will you come back? Will you let me do this for you?"

"Yes." He said sincerely, meeting David's eyes.