I'm sorry for the absence. As I said in my other story updates, I've been trying to manage some tough grief and haven't felt like doing much at all for the last month and a bit. I'm trying to get back on my feet. Thank you for your patience and understanding xo.

Happy reading.

Barney had a very tight chest as he watched Tia and Louis hug Caesar almost to death. Then Maya was trying to climb onto him when it was her turn, and Lee had to pull her off. Each of the men then went to fist bump Caesar or pat his shoulder fondly.

"Don't scare us like that again," Toll warned, making Caesar snort.

"You think I liked doing it?" he retorted. "No way, man. I'm out. No more jobs after this."

"Thank God," Tia said, hugging him again.

"Dad retired too," Maya piped up.

"Eh?" Gunner asked, looking a bit startled. "He did?"

"Good," Toll said, grabbing Lee's shoulder next and giving him a shake. "It's about time."

"It just wasn't worth it anymore," Lee said, watching Maya lean into Louis and talk excitedly. Barney smiled at the scene. It was good to see her happy again.

"Are you still leaving us?" Barney asked. He didn't like to share his feelings very often, but it had made him really sad to hear Lee say he was going to go to Seattle. He'd never admit how much he appreciated Lee's friendship because then it would be used against him in a form of mockery by one of the guys. In a friendly way, of course, but albeit very annoying.

"No," Lee answered. "Maya made it clear she's never leaving her family." He gave Barney a meaningful look, and Barney couldn't stop the grin from growing on his face. He loved that little girl. He hated what happened to her and felt really bad about it more often than not, but if it hadn't, she wouldn't have ended up with them and could have had something far worse happen to her. Maya met his gaze then, and she smiled at him, which warmed his heart.

He excused himself a bit later, going to reflect on what he'd seen. Fred was still out there, and now he knew that he'd been in cahoots with Stonebanks. That meant it might be a bit easier to track him down. He couldn't reach Church for some reason; the man had vanished. He was now dealing with Drummer, but it was better than nobody.

"You find anything?" he asked, pressing his phone against his cheek.

"Not yet," Drummer answered. "I told you I'd call if I did."

"I have trust issues," Barney advised, checking the street both ways before crossing to his truck. Drummer scoffed a laugh on his end.

"You're preaching to the choir, Ross."

"He needs to be taken care of," Barney reinforced. "Church understood that."

"And so do I. I'm not an idiot."

"We'll see." Barney hung up on him, tossing his phone onto the passenger seat and starting his truck after slamming the door shut. He headed back to Tool's, feeling weary and like he hadn't slept in months.

It really wouldn't hurt to try and catch up a little bit on some rest since he had some down time.

...

Caesar felt afraid to fall asleep, so he lay there thinking for a while. He was certain there was something he was forgetting. It was right there on the edge of his mind, but he couldn't access it. He thought hard until his head hurt. Whatever it was, it was gone from his memory. He just hoped it wasn't something critically important.

He thought about Tia and Louis next, and he felt so relieved that he was alive. He never wanted to do this to them again, that was a promise. He had too much left to live for.

He lay there for a long time until sleep finally did take over.

A Few Days Later

Lee was at the bar with the team. Tia had agreed to watch Maya and Louis on the condition that Caesar returned before nine. He knew how hard it was to have Caesar home and then take off to be with the team for a bit. He could tell his friend wanted to socialize and feel normal again, though.

He watched Caesar give Barney back his lucky ring, and he chuckled. He sipped his beer and looked around, seeing the younger team members getting ready to sing together. He wondered what the team dynamic would be like once he was gone. Despite being ready to retire and fully commit to Maya, he felt a flicker of sadness that he was losing a piece of his identity that he'd had for so long. If he wasn't a soldier, then who was he?

Well, he was a father now.

"Thank you."

He turned his head at her voice, and his insides trembled at the sight of her. She was sitting next to him, her legs crossed and making her dress show her one leg almost to her thigh. She was resting her chin on her fingers, her index one resting near her lips.

"Not here," he said. "Not now." He was only one beer in for crying out loud.

"I really am thankful," Emily said. "Maya needs you."

"I know that."

"I left her in your hands because I knew you'd put her first."

He opened his mouth to respond, but Toll sat down in the same chair and made her disappear. He blinked.

"You okay?" Toll asked, looking concerned.

"Yea," Lee answered. He sipped his beer again, trying to get her out of his head.

"I have a hard time with stuff like this now." Toll gestured to the others having a good time and laughing.

"I hear you."

"It's like I can't allow myself to be happy, you know? I barely knew her, Lee, but Serena's left this imprint on me that's forever."

Lee saw that Toll had also tattooed Serena's name on his left inner arm above his elbow. He hadn't gone that far himself, but it was a good idea.

"Do you see her?" he asked, unable to help himself. "Hear her voice at all?"

"Sometimes," Toll answered honestly. "I can smell her, too, every now and then. Hits me like a punch when I look and she's not there."

Lee nodded slowly in agreement. Gunner was hollering at Toll now about something, so he got up and left with a tap to the table with his knuckles before he went. The younger team started singing, and Caesar slid into the chair next to him a moment later.

"Hey," he said.

"What's up?" Lee asked.

"I had a crazy idea."

"What's that?"

"You and me going into business together."

Lee lifted a brow in surprise. He sipped his beer again, thinking. It wasn't a bad idea, but what would they even do?

"What kind of business?" he asked.

"We both like fixing up cars. Why not be mechanics?"

"Eh," Lee said with a shrug.

"Builders?"

"Better."

"Professional drivers?"

"For who?"

"Rich people?" Caesar suggested, and Lee started to laugh.

"Nah," he said. "That wouldn't last very long."

"Builders it is then," Caesar confirmed.

"Projects. Not houses," Lee said.

"Yea, I agree. I like carpentry."

"I think it'd be interesting to make a canoe," Lee mused. He'd greatly admired Barney's uncle's canoe, which he'd made.

"We can sell those," Caesar pointed out.

"Definitely."

"So it's settled?"

"Yea. Let's do it," Lee confirmed. He reached to slap Caesar's outstretched hand, and they both laughed. From killers to carpenters...how hard could it be?

"I'll start looking for a workshop," Caesar advised. "I got a lot of different tools in storage that got passed down to me."

"What are you two plotting?" Barney asked, joining them.

"We're gonna build shit," Lee answered, smirking over his beer bottle against his lips.

"With what? Your imaginations?"

"Ha, ha," Caesar scoffed. "I'll have you know that I can build things."

"Like that crib that would have decapitated your son had you stuck him in it before testing it?" Barney challenged.

"I was new then," Caesar said defensively. "I've come a long way since."

"Sure."

"We're gonna build canoes," Lee stated. "How hard can it be?"

"I can give you all my uncle's stuff," Barney said. "He was hard core into that."

"That'd be great, Barns," Caesar said. "Thank you."

"Just make sure it floats when you're done."

"Aaand you ruined it," Caesar sighed, shaking his head.

"Isn't your curfew up?" Barney inquired.

"Man, you're on a roll." Caesar got up and shot him a look. "Did Tia tell you to send me home?"

"Nah. I just like bugging the shit out of you because I can," Barney answered, smirking. Caesar rolled his eyes and scooped his ball cap from the table, setting it on his head sideways.

"Peace, brothers," he said. He bumped his fist against his chest and held out his fingers in the peace sign before loping off.

"That means you should be picking up your kid," Barney said to Lee, nudging him.

"Yea, I know." He finished his beer and swallowed. At least Emily hadn't shown up again. Nothing like looking crazy in front of his best friend to start a conversation he didn't want to have.

"Safe drive," Barney said, holding out his fist. Lee bumped it on his way by. He caught up to Caesar and split a cab with him. Once they got back, Lee hung back while Tia hugged Caesar tightly inside the foyer. Seeing the relief on her face made him feel a twinge of jealousy that she'd gotten her love back and he'd lost his.

"She's in deep with Louis on some game," Tia said to him. "You're gonna have to wait for her."

"Alright."

Lee went inside and meandered to the living room where Maya and Louis were sitting on the floor cross legged and playing some game with hacky sack people. Both were giggling, which made him smile.

"Argh! Stop whacking me!" Louis exclaimed when Maya's character banged him on the head with a frying pan. Lee bit down his laughter, moving to sit behind them. He rested his foot on Maya's back to alert her to his presence.

"Hi, Dad," she said.

"Watcha doing?" he asked playfully.

"Trying to get stickers and survive this level," she answered.

"Ah."

"Noooo don't go there!" Maya exclaimed as Louis's character disappeared from the screen.

"Whoops," Louis said.

"And you wonder why I beat you up," Maya countered.

"Be nice," Lee said to her. She tilted her head back almost upside down to look at him.

"I am. He knows I'm playing around."

"I do," Louis confirmed, not looking at Lee since he was concentrating.

Lee squinted an eye at her, and she grinned before pulling her head up to look at the TV again. Caesar came to join him about ten minutes later, and Lee gave him a suspicious look. He was fairly certain some canoodling had gone on in the other room since the kids had a babysitter: Lee.

"What?" Caesar asked.

"At least hide it better," Lee commented, gesturing to his shirt, which was on backwards.

"Oops." Caesar worked quickly to fix it while the kids had their backs to him still.

"So this is parenting," Lee said, crossing his arms loosely over his chest as he watched the kids keep playing.

"Yup. I wouldn't change it for anything," Caesar replied. Lee was inclined to agree. Maya was teaching him new things every day, and he loved having her be his daughter. Adopted or not, it felt like she was his and always had been.

"I guess we should hit the ground tomorrow and look for a place."

"Tia's got a friend with connections. We can check out the place they've got tomorrow," Caesar said.

"Sounds good." Lee mulled it over in his mind for a bit, and then an idea hit him. He felt kind of stupid for not thinking of it sooner.

"What?" Caesar asked, noticing his face.

"I have two words for you," Lee said.

"Yea?"

"Yea: Bounty. Hunter." He grinned as Caesar smacked a hand to his forehead and started to laugh.

"That's freaking perfect!" he exclaimed. "What the hell were we thinking? Builders. Pfft."

"I still might for side jobs for some cash," Lee reasoned.

"Yea, alright. Still...bounty hunters. My God. We'd crush it."

Lee laughed and bumped his fist. It was settled. They were going to be bounty hunters. It might require some travel, but at least it wouldn't be long time away.

"What is a bounty hunter?" Maya asked, clicking her controller buttons rapidly suddenly.

"Someone who catches the people who jump bail from court."

"What's bail?" Maya wrinkled her nose, trying to understand.

"When someone does something against the law, sometimes they are able to pay a certain amount of money to remain outside of jail while they wait for their court date. If they don't show back up at court as promised, then they are considered a fugitive and have jumped bail," Lee explained.

"Oh, so you'd be the person to find them and take them back to court?"

"Exactly."

"Cool," Maya said. "Is it dangerous?" She looked at him now while there was a pause in the game.

"Not as much," Lee promised. He knew some fugitives might be armed and dangerous but not most of them. It would be peanuts compared to what he was used to anyway.

"Okay."

"Okay, kidlets," Tia said, appearing now. "Time to wrap it up and get ready for bed." She looked much more put together than Caesar had, but Lee saw the shared look she gave him anyway. He smiled to himself, keeping his head facing the TV.

"We're so close to finishing the level," Louis said, looking at her. "Please? Can we finish?"

"You said that fifteen minutes ago."

"It's a hard level. Please, Mom? We're almost there."

"Alright," Tia sighed, "but then you're done."

"Okay."

Tia kissed the top of Caesar's head as she passed, and she gave Lee a playful shake on his shoulder next. It finally felt normal. Lee didn't feel as tense or on guard, and while he still felt sad for losing Emily, he was starting to actually feel like he'd be alright. Maya's burst of laughter along with Louis made him feel warm inside. She was okay, and he was okay.

Everything was going to be okay.

...

Barney finally caught Tool at his work table. The sound of his pen scratching on paper hit his ears, and smoke wafted from his pipe hanging off his lips.

"I knew you couldn't avoid me forever," Barney commented, sitting down backwards on a chair behind him. Tool scoffed.

"I wasn't avoiding you," he answered.

"Sure felt like it."

"I just wasn't around." Tool shrugged.

"That's called avoidance, brother," Barney pointed out.

"Intentionally not being around is. I wasn't doing that."

"Alright," Barney said with a heavy sigh. "Can we skip the dance and get to the blows?"

"What blows? You did something stupid, I told you not to do it, and you ignored me and did it anyway," Tool stated. "End of story."

"And you're mad at me."

"Not mad..."

"Do not say disappointed," Barney interrupted, annoyed.

"...I'm royally pissed off," Tool finished, turning to look at him now. "Damn it, Barns, you put me through the wringer...made me feel like you didn't care about me at all."

"You know that's not true."

"You have a hell of a way of showing it," Tool muttered, going back to his work. Barney waited him out, knowing there was more. He wasn't proven wrong.

"And another thing," Tool finally said, "you ever pull that shit again, I will shoot your ass."

"Duly noted," Barney replied. He hid his smile, and Tool shook his head without looking at him. "We good?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"Fair enough." Barney got up and left him alone. He knew his friend would be fine in a while. He'd be just as pissed off at him too if roles were reversed. Barney realized what he'd done was a death wish, but desperate times called for drastic measures, and he'd simply done what needed to be done.

He would definitely do better next time, though. He really didn't fancy pulling a bullet out of his arse.

His phone buzzed with a text, and he started to laugh as he read it.

Don't worry about your uncle's tools...we've decided to chase bail jumpers, Lee wrote.

Bail jumpers? Really? he replied.

Gotta get that thrill somewhere.

Barney laughed again and shook his head, not even bothering to answer. He could see it, though. Lee and Caesar would make a great team. Despite knowing how big of a hole there would be from the two of them missing on his team, he was happy for them that they were putting family first. It was something he should have done and really regretted not doing.

And since now they weren't going to be building any canoes, Barney got to thinking that maybe he should just for something to do and to be close to his uncle again. It was a thought and one he couldn't shake as he settled down to get some sleep.

A Few Months Later

"Go, go, go!" Lee shouted as Caesar jumped a bin their bail jumper knocked over in attempt to trip them. Lee ran hard and went down a different alley to try and cut him off. He really hated that they had to wear identification indicating they were "bail recovery agents" (Lee preferred bounty hunter if he was honest). It gave away the element of surprise.

"Aaaaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhh!" Caesar bellowed, and a crash ensued. Lee flung around the corner to find his friend had tackled the fugitive and landed on a bunch of crates.

"Ow, ow, ow!" the man hollered. "Get off of me!"

"Next time don't run," Caesar panted, cuffing him and hauling him to his feet. He wiped at his brow. "Damn, that made me hungry."

"I'll buy," Lee offered as he fell into step with the two of them. The man was still whining and moaning and trying to bribe them into letting him go. They ignored him, dropping him off to jail and then heading somewhere to eat.

It had been interesting, taking the courses and getting the appropriate credentials to do this job. Lee and Caesar passed with flying colors and landed at an agency run by Drake. They didn't really care if that was his real name or not. He gave them jobs and paid them when they were completed. That was all they needed from him.

"That was an easy grab," Caesar commented, mouth full.

"Yea," Lee agreed.

"I do like a challenge, you know," he added.

"How about we just celebrate the fact we're not getting our heads almost blown off today?" Lee suggested, and Caesar made a face before nodding.

"I hear you."

Lee chuckled as he sipped his water. He'd finished eating already, having not eaten much since he wasn't all that hungry. He kept thinking about Maya. She was in school and loving it. She'd made a couple of friends. He definitely did rue the day he agreed to let her have a sleepover. He was a master at managing a team of mercenaries when he had to (if Barney wasn't around), but keeping six girls of the age of seven/eight in order was a task that was too impossible for him. He'd ended up breaking down and getting Tia to come help him. He gave her a lot of credit for being able to whip people into shape very quickly.

"What are you doing for Maya's birthday?" Caesar asked, his mouth full again. It was even more full than last time if that was possible. Lee looked at him, lifting a brow. Caesar swallowed. "Sorry."

"I don't know yet," he answered. He stroked his chin thoughtfully. She didn't want for much, didn't ask for anything. He knew he could get her a stack of books and she'd be thrilled, but he wanted to do something special for her.

"Not another sleepover?" Caesar's tone was teasing. He'd heard all about how close to tears Lee had been by the time Tia had gotten there, which was her version of course.

"No." Lee shuddered. Not for a while at least. Who would have thought that cute little girls could be so mean? One of them had comments for everything, and she didn't hold back.

"And that's why I'm glad I have a son," Caesar said with a chuckle.

"Shut up."

Lee's phone buzzed with a text, and he opened his phone to see a photo of Maya trying to bend a canoe rib with her tongue sticking out and a determined expression on her face. He smiled. Barney had taken up making canoes in his spare time, and he let Maya assist. Lee had helped with the first one, learning all about it and marveling at all the work that went into it. Barney had it sold within a week, and he decided to make more. Maya was trying to convince him to make a smaller one for her dolls, and Barney's arm was just about twisted. It was cute to watch her making her arguments for it.

Out of habit, he brought up the photo of Emily he'd taken a shot of from Maya's collection one day when she wasn't around. He'd regretted not having any of his own. He smoothed his thumb over the screen where her cheek was, and he swallowed down the sudden emotion that was trying to surface. This would be her second birthday without her mother, and he knew it was hard for her. It was hard for him too.

Caesar made a noise in his throat, and Lee turned his head to see him looking at the picture too. He wore an unreadable expression on his face before clearing his throat and meeting Lee's eyes.

"She'd be proud of you, man," he commented.

"Maybe," Lee murmured, shutting his phone and putting it away. He crushed his water bottle and stuck it in the bag in the back to deal with later.

"You ready?" Caesar asked, dealing with his garbage too.

"Yea."

Lee started the car and put it in drive. Sometimes, he let the memory of Emily take him down to the darkness where he felt broken and lost. Other times, it was just easier to live in the moment.

And that's where he decided to be for the rest of the day.

...

"What are you doing?" Barney asked with a laugh as he watched Maya move her hands over the canoe ribs like they were piano keys.

"Practising," she answered logically.

"Practising what?"

"A song I'm learning."

"I didn't realize you were learning how to play the piano," Barney said, feeling impressed. He wasn't exactly musical. He'd always thought it would be neat to play some kind of instrument, but he used his hands for other things instead.

"Yep. Miss Lacy is a really good teacher," Maya stated. Barney almost choked on the swig of beer he'd taken and ended up spewing it everywhere. Maya lifted a brow in a very Lee-like style as she watched. Barney coughed and banged his fist against his chest, getting his airway cleared finally.

"Lacy?" he repeated, his voice hoarse. As in Lee's Lacy?! Oh dear God...

"Yea," Maya confirmed. "She's really nice. She doesn't get mad at me when I mess up, but I don't mess up often."

"That...that's good." His head was spinning. Did Lee know this? What would happen if Lee did know this? He couldn't let his friend get back with that two timing, lying little...

"She's really pretty. And sweet. I think if Dad was ever to date again..."

"Oh, I don't think that'll be for a long time yet," Barney interrupted. Been there, done that, never gonna go back, he wanted to add.

"I'm realistic, Uncle Barney," Maya said, smoothing her hands along a canoe rib up and down now. "Dad only knew Mum for a few weeks. I know he loves her, but I also know he shouldn't be alone forever." She met Barney's eyes, and he worked his jaw a little bit. He wondered if she knew his part in all of this, if she knew how much he'd failed Lee when Emily was left in his charge.

"You're almost too smart for your own good, you know that right?" he countered. She smiled a bit shyly now.

"I know."

"Promise me something," Barney said, and she nodded while tucking her hair behind her ear. "Stay a kid for as long as you can, okay? Life comes too quickly as it is, and we only have a short time to enjoy all that being a kid offers."

"I promise," Maya said solemnly. He looked at her for a moment before giving a smile and a chuckle.

"You hungry?" he asked.

"Does a bear fart in the woods?" she countered. He burst out laughing. That wasn't exactly how that saying went, but it was still effective.

"Then let's get you something to eat," he advised, and she trotted alongside him as they headed to the kitchen.

Honestly, he wouldn't trade this moment for anything.

...

Toll was walking down the street when he saw her. The feelings hit him like a sledgehammer, and his heart began to race and pound. She was standing about ten feet away with her back to him, her face turned to the side, but he knew it was her.

"Serena?" he said loudly, but she didn't hear him. "Serena!"

She started moving forward again, and he rushed to catch up to her. He dodged people and jumped over a little dog that darted in front of him. He ran hard once in the clear, rounding the corner and almost plowing her over.

Only to discover it wasn't her.

"Oh!" the woman yelped, startled. She put a hand over her chest as she looked at him, a slightly fearful look in her eyes.

"I...I'm sorry," Toll said, breathing hard from the chase. "I thought you were...I thought..." He suddenly couldn't talk. His throat tightened and he felt his eyes burning.

"You thought I was someone else?" the woman asked, looking empathetic now.

"Yea," he confirmed with a dry laugh. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's alright. I'm sorry I wasn't the person you were looking for," she said.

"It...it was a long shot really," Toll admitted. "She was killed, but I really hoped...for a second I dared to believe..."

"Oh, I am so sorry to hear that," the woman said, resting a hand on his arm now. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Ah, no. It's okay," Toll said with an embarrassed smile. "I'm alright. Have a good day." He backed away from her touch, and she stood there looking a bit sad as he turned and melted into the crowd again. He went down a few blocks before turning into an alley and leaning against the wall. He pressed his hands against his face and tried to breathe.

It was so painful. He felt like crying. He had no idea how he was going to move on from this, but he knew he had to. He took some breaths and cleared his throat roughly. Then he pushed off the wall, shoved his hands into his pockets, and began to walk again.

There wasn't anything else he could do anyway.

I'm not an expert on bounty hunters. I'm just using Google for information.