Phillip was staring at him intensely. "Let's go into the other room. I'll make you another sandwich. Also, that story you told them about the tree house. I seem to remember it had a little different ending. I got the chainsaw from the garage and threatened to cut down the tree to get you two out of it." Phillip laughed. "Yeah well, I wanted you to know I was on your side. That's also why I told them that bit about their not being microphones outside too. Figured we would get more information if they thought it was safe to talk outside. Told them I didn't know the codes either even though I'm pretty sure I was the first one Lee gave them too. Anyway, I'll be right back. Need to get something out of the storage room."

Phillip disappeared and Amanda took Matty's hand, and they went to the little kitchen in the game room. She made Phillip a sandwich. Then she said, "You want another one too?" Matty nodded no. Then Phillip came out with a box. "Oh my gosh no. Phillip those must be over 10 years old. And I am not sure they were fresh when Lee bought them." Phillip smiled. "Mom these are supposed to last forever. It says so right on the box." She rolled her eyes at him. "Well, if you are going to make him eat one of those. You take a bite first. Make sure they aren't moldy or anything."

Phillip opened the box and took out a bar. It was in a shiny blue and pink wrapper. Phillip unwrapped it, took a bite, and he gagged. "Oh my god that's horrible." His mom spoke. "Well do not make your brother eat it then." Phillip smiled. "No mom it tastes just as bad as I remember. I don't think they have gone bad. I mean I don't think it's possible." He spoke to Matty. "Take a bite of this dude. Trust me."

Matty looked at his mother. He really did not want to eat something gross. She sighed. "Just a tiny one sweet boy. Otherwise, he is never going to stop." Matty nodded. He took the bar and sniffed it. It did not smell like food. It had a chemical kind of smell. He took a tiny little bite. It was not disgusting at all. He was fairly sure that it was supposed to taste like graham crackers, raspberry, and peanut butter. It did not really taste like that though. It was a chemically sweetness that was in that family.

He took a second bigger bite, and it tasted amazing. It was chewy and sweet and weird in just the right way. Matty wolfed the rest of it down. Then he pointed to the box and looked at his mother hoping he could have another one. She nodded and Matty grabbed one from the box but with his fingers messed up he couldn't unwrap it so he handed it to Phillip. Phillip had the hugest smile on his face. "Holy crap! It is you." And he came over and picked him up and hugged him hard. Matty felt his shoulder starting to get wet and he realized that Phillip was crying.

"I'm so sorry. It was all my fault." Phillip was saying over and over again. His mom came over and put her arm around Phillip. "Oh sweetheart. It is ok. None of it was your fault. I almost lost you too that day. You were so brave." Phillip wiped his tears with the palm of his hand. "God how did I not recognize my own brother? The granola bar thing was a joke. Mom's right they are old. I did not really think... It is really you. You used to love those things. Lee bought all the boxes from Leatherneck when you were like 2 or 3 years old. I mean you were still on the first box but there are like 10 more boxes of them back there because you loved them so much. Lee bought the whole supply. God I cannot believe I doubted you for a second mom. I also cannot believe I am crying like a girl."

His mom still had her arm around Phillip. "Sweetheart, its ok to cry. I cried too when I first realized it was really him." Phillip sighed. "Yeah, but you are a girl mom. Its ok for you." She looked at him. "It's ok for you too." Then Phillip looked at Matty as he wiped his tears away. "I am so sorry for what happened to you at the agency. Henderson is a grade a douchebag. Seriously I would have done a lot more than just punch him if I had realized you, were my brother."

Matty just put his hand on Phillip's shoulder and smiled. He wanted to tell him its ok. Then he hugged him again. Phillip hugged him back. "Do not make me cry again little dude. God, I forgot how sickeningly cute and sweet you are."

Then Phillip said, "Ok so we know you cannot talk, you cannot sign, but you can read lips. Right?" Matty nodded yes. Then Phillip went to the bookshelf, grabbed an almanac, and opened it to a map of the United States. "Ok little dude. Where were you all this time? Do you know?"

Matty looked at the map and nodded no. Phillip said. "You don't know where you were?" Then Matty pointed where it said United States and nodded no. Matty flipped to the table of contents using his thumb and looked up what page Europe and England was on. He flipped the map to the British Isles map and pointed to London.

"You were in England?" Matty nodded yes. There was a picture in the corner of Buckingham Palace with the changing of the guard. Matty pointed to it. Then Phillip said, "You were with the Queen?" Matty laughed a little and nodded no. Then he pointed to where London would be in England. His mom spoke. "You're trying to say you were in London, right?"

Matty smiled and nodded yes. Then he remembered his trainers. He took one off and opened the heel. He handed the shoe to Phillip because with his fingers he could not get the heel off. Then he pointed to the heel and motioned for him to push and pull.

Phillip did so and the heel opened, and he pulled out the piece of paper. "Holy crap there's a note in here." Phillip read it. "Dear Mr. Melrose. Mind your manners. This boy has clicked his heels together three times and wants to go home. Please help him. Sincerely, Mr. Barnstorm 838220."

Amanda spoke. "Oh my gosh. Lee hid you with Barnstorm when the warehouse exploded didn't he?" Matty nodded yes. She touched his face. "Did they treat you ok? Barnstorm. Who were you with? Why are you back now?" Matty wanted to tell them everything, but he could not talk. He could not write with his broken arm and his broken fingers. Then he started tapping in Morse code. "What is that?" Matty hoped his mom would recognize the "I love you" forehead tap thing his dad always did to him. He went over and tapped "I love you" on his mom's forehead. "Morse code. Is that what you are doing? Morse code. Your daddy used to always tap that on your forehead. You remember that?"

Matty remembered it because his dad did it to him every day and they talked to each other in morse code all the time. "You can do morse code?" Matty nodded yes. "It has been a while since I took that class. Phillip your closer to your training classes. How good is your morse code?" Phillip nodded. "Still know it. Just go-slow little dude. I'm a little out of practice." Matty nodded. He started tapping. "MATTHEW WINTHROPE." Phillip wrote it down. "Who is Matthew Wiinthrope?" Then Matty pointed at himself. "You are Matthew Winthrope." He nodded yes. "That's the name you have been using." Then he tapped. "MATTY" and pointed at himself. And Amanda said, "You want us to call you Matty instead of Alex?" He nodded yes. "Ok sweetheart. That is your middle name anyway." Then she said, "Who took care of you?"

Matty tapped again. "MICHAEL WINTHROPE" Then she looked at him. "That's the name of the man that's been taking care of you? It sounds familiar. Is he part of Barnstorm?" Matty nodded yes.

She smiled at him. "Was Michael Winthrope with you when you got taken by the Agency?" Matty nodded no. He felt his face getting warm. He tapped. "DEAD" Phillip wrote it down. "Dead? Michael Winthrope is dead?" Matty nodded yes and started to break down in tears. He missed his father so much. He had not cried since it happened. The stress of the past couple of days and everything that happened was coming out. His mother held him and Matty just poured his grief out to her.

She rubbed his back and rocked him gently. He was crying into her shoulder, but he knew she was saying soothing words to him. He could feel her saying something. He was in pain. He missed his dad. He wanted to go home. He was tired and scared. It was nice being with his mom and Phillip. But he wanted his dad and to go home. It had all been a lot. His mom kissed his forehead. "No more questions today. Ok sweetheart. How about you go lay down a little bit. I'll stay with you until you fall asleep. Matty nodded yes.

He was home. It was Christmas. There was a huge train set going all around their little guest house. His dad was playing with it and laughing with him. Then Matty was signing for his dad to make the train go faster. And it went flying off the tracks into the wall. And his dad said, "Uh oh Derailment." They were laughing and then his dad grabbed him and turned him upside down and started tickling him.

Then the scene changed, and he was in a damp dark room that smelled like mildew and the ocean. The air was thick. He was tied to a chair. He smelled Gregor as he walked in the room. He smelled like sweat, cigarettes and cheap cologne. His heavily accented voice said, "Unlucky number 13 has not learned his lesson on listening from last time. Well, this time. You are going to learn to listen and follow orders. You are worth too much money to kill, unfortunately but when I am done with you. You are going to wish you were dead. Let us start with listening, shall we?" Gregor lit a cigarette and took a couple of puffs and Matty screamed as Gregor brought it to his ear.

All the sudden there were arms around him. He felt love surrounding him. Bringing him out of that place. He opened his eyes and saw his mom's staring at him. "Your safe sweet boy. I've got you. It's just a bad dream. Your safe here with Phillip and me. We will not let anyone hurt you ever again" Phillip was in the room too. "If anyone even thinks about touching you. I'm going to make them wish they were never born."

Matty snuggled into his mom. She could not make him feel as safe as his dad did. But she made him feel loved. He wished his dad had known she was still alive. God his dad had missed her so much. He should tell them that he had been alive. That he had been with his dad all this time. But he did not want to make them sad again and the story was so complicated. He would tell her when he could sign again. Did his mom even know sign language?

"Do you fellas want some dinner? I brought the leftover lasagna downstairs. I can heat that up. We could watch a movie. Do you want to stay in bed sweet boy? I can bring the food in here. There is a tv down here. Or do you want to watch in the other room? "Matty pointed to the other room.

His mom gently grabbed his hand. Even though he had broken fingers. She was holding very gently so it didn't hurt. She led him to the couch. "I'll start heating up dinner. Phillip show your brother where the movies are. Let him pick it out." Phillip looked at her. "Mom I would have anyway. I only give Jaime a hard time about his movie selections. Just little dude please not the Strawberry Shortcake or Care Bear movie. Trust me kid you are going to get your fill of those." Matty was confused but he figured before he was taken, he had been five years old. Maybe he liked those movies when he was little.

Matty stared at the movies, and he chose Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. "Very nice choice." Phillip said. Phillip set up the movie and then he put his arm around him. Then his mom came with two plates for them. "Mom, he picked Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. I can't believe I ever doubted you." She smiled. "Well, I did appreciate you wanting to be my roommate at the funny farm." "Matty, sweetheart. Thumbs up if you want milk or thumbs down if you want iced tea. Just nod no if you don't want either." Matty gave her a thumbs down for iced tea." They ate together and then then they watched the movie. His arm was really starting to hurt. He was trying not to let the pain show though. But his mom held him tighter, and he winced a little. Then she said, "Oh my gosh you are so much like your daddy. You are in pain, aren't you? Phillip go into the bathroom and grab that pain medication from when Jamie got his wisdom teeth out. I will give you a half dose."
Phillip ran into the bathroom and grabbed it. Then she broke the pill in half. "You take this. It will help with the pain." Matty did not want anything. But she looked at him and smiled. "We know you are a tough guy. Your daddy was the same way. Made the same face when he was in pain and never wanted to take anything ever. Now you are a lot quieter and a lot less grumpy than he was but you're going to take this."

Matty yawned and she had him put his head down on her lap. He tried to stay awake for the rest of the movie. But it was comfortable laying on his mom. She was gently rubbing his back. He fell asleep.

He was at home playing video games. Then Irene came in the room and signed. "Hi sunshine." Her and Tony liked calling him that. "Your dad had to go away for a little bit but he's coming back really soon."

Then it jumped to them walking up the driveway. He watched his dad get shot opened his eyes, and he was in the bedroom again. But his mom and Phillip weren't there this time. He crept out of bed and went to the bathroom and washed his face.

Then he started walking to the game room. He did not turn the light on, and he stayed in the shadows. His mom and Phillip were talking on the couch. "Well, he promised he would go to your dad's first. But knowing him, he might try to sneak down here too. I hope he knows the house is being watched." Phillip nodded. "He's not that much of a worm brain. Are you going to tell grandma?" "I will but her and Leanne are at Lillian's until Saturday. I do not want her bringing Leeann back yet. I will call her tomorrow after we see how the showdown plays out."

Phillip looked at her. "What are you going to do with her if it does drag out mom? We should at least warn Grandma if they send agents to Vermont" His mother sighed. "Let's see how the showdown goes in the morning. I am sure your dad would let Leann and Grandma stay at his place anyway. He is a lawyer that will offer them some protection if Dr. Smyth tries to use them. It's Jaime I'm more worried about the Agency grabbing. He's more likely to do something hot headed. Phillip smiled. "I'm the hot-headed one remember? Jaime's the smart one." Then his mom smiled, "You both can be hot-headed. Jaime's just quieter and more devious about it."

Matty watched from the hallway shadows. Leann who was she? He wondered. He continued listening.

Phillip then smiled at her. "I know it should not be, but I have not had this much fun in a long time. And Alex he is the same mom. Unbelievable. He is still the same smart and sweet kid after everything he has been through. I wish he could talk." She nodded. "We are going to have to learn sign language. Phillip nodded. "Yeah, I know a little from the Junior Trailblazers. But Jimmy the deaf kid was more Jaime's friend. Remember?"

His mom smiled, "I remember. God it will be good to see Jaime again too. Have all my fellas together and your sister. All 4 of you." Phillip smiled. "All 4 of us have never been together mom. It will be the first time." Amanda grinned. "I know. I can't wait until I have all my babies in the same room together. We will have to have a welcome home party for Alex if we ever get out of this mess."

In the shadows Matty's jaw dropped. He had a sister?