All was silent. Chapman looked at me as if he was now worried about telling them what I already knew. Derik spotted the strangeness of the situation and turned to me.

"Lex?"

I felt my pulse speed up. None of this had been my fault, so why did I feel slightly responsible?

"Uh, well Mel-"

But before I could finish my sentence the devil herself walked through the door. Everyone's attention fell onto her and off of me. I was grateful. Now that she was here, the reason behind all of this could come from the reason herself.

I raised my hand towards her. "Why don't you ask Melissa what happened?"

Her eyes switched to me and then scanned the other three in the room She dropped her guard. Just for a moment I felt sympathetic, but when I remembered my time in prison the pity was gone.

But instead of cowering in the corner like I assumed she would, she stood tall and held her ground.

"I was working with the GIB," she revealed. The tension in the room shifted. "They were holding my father hostage and threatened that if I didn't help them find Victoria, they would kill him."

I wanted to look away and see what expression lied on Derik's face, or maybe even Willi's, but I found myself captivated. A hunger for the truth kept my attention locked on her.

"They only wanted Victoria at first, but after Stanley's arrest they changed their conditions. They wanted you too, and at that point I didn't feel like I had much time to make a different decision."

Eventually I was able to pull my eyes away and look over to Derik, who looked like he wanted to be angry but was instead confused. Willi on the other hand looked more shocked than anything.

"Kyle's alive?" Willi asked in a whisper.

Melissa just nodded. I could see tears threatening to fall.

I watched Willi take a seat in one of Chapman's chairs as Derik did the same. It had to be much harder for them than it had been for me. I had gone to prison already knowing the truth. They had been completely blindsided the night of the arrest.

Then Derik looked at Chapman. "Where's Victoria?"

That's when I felt the atmosphere darken. A darkness thickened the air in this room. I knew Victoria had been kidnapped, but there was a haunting realization that Chapman hadn't told me any information on her possible whereabouts.

Chapman shook his head. "I couldn't tell you."

My heart fell to the floor. The look on Melissa's face was sad enough to make you believe she had a heart. You could practically feel anger radiating from Derik, and Willi was dead silent. Everything was now much worse after the two months of being locked away in prison, and in the month of Chapman being in charge he had found absolutely no leads on where Victoria could be.

"We're working on locating her, but when the government wants something kept under wraps it's really hard to find leads," Chapman admitted.

I tried my best to control my anger. None of this was his fault. After we helped him close his case he wasn't obligated to continue helping us, but he had. He didn't have to help break me and my friends out of prison, but he did. And he didn't have to keep looking for Victoria, but he was. So getting angry with him felt wrong. There was only one other person I could direct my anger towards.

"We have to find her," Derik demanded. Did he felt responsible for all of this too? I believed so considering we had all trusted Melissa.

"We will," Chapman answered. "But until my team can find any trace of where they could have her, we're at a dead end."

Once again I surrendered to the burning rage I had towards Melissa. Yet, everyone else seemed to let her off the hook. How was I the only one who seemed to be angry with her?

Even though her motives made sense she had been willing to sacrifice our lives for her father! Even Willi seemed to be calm about this whole situation. But here I was, trying not to overreact and make a fool out of myself.

"I want to go home," Derik announced.

Chapman nodded. "Of course, but give us a bit more time. If authorities find out there are two federal inmates missing from the prison all hell will break loose. If I'm not contacted within the next few minutes you can leave."

I watched Derik and Willi debate on what to do, and both decided it was best to leave the office. I didn't want to follow. Soon the door was closing, leaving me alone with Chapman.

He looked at me. "I'm not sure if it's smart to say this, but Derik and Willi took that awfully well."

I shook my head. "I don't understand."

He leaned forward on his desk. "There's more to the anger you're feeling, isn't there?"

"What?"

"Feelings are a dangerous thing, Alexa. But you know that now," he claimed.

I knew what he was referring to, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it. His mentioning of my previous relationship with Melissa made my body hot with anger.

"Don't worry about my feelings, Chapman," I countered.

This time I stood. Why on earth had I stayed in the first place.? I headed for the door.

But before I could exit he called me back.

"There's something else I should mention before you go."

I faced him. "What?"

"My job offer is still on the table," he claimed. His hands folded on his desk.

This was a shock, but maybe it shouldn't be. He had broken me out of prison for a reason. And if I knew anything about Chapman, it was that he did nothing without a motive. He had something to gain, and that was for my inclusion on the NIA's team. I hadn't believed my help was considered that important to him up until now.

My silence provoked him to continue.

"The next training program begins Monday, and if you're still interested I need to make travel arrangements."

The training program, that's right. It was a requirement.

I still wanted to work, but the thought of leaving my family again prevented me from making the jump. Yet, I knew this was necessary if I wanted to further my career.

"If I left I would only have one day with my family," I claimed.

Chapman just nodded stiffly.

It was a hard decision. I wasn't sure if I could make it. Deep down I knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I wanted to take full advantage of it. But I missed my sister, and leaving again would only continue to rip us apart. I wanted to be in her life right now.

"How long is this program?" I asked.

"Fifty days," he answered. "You'd be home before Thanksgiving."

Fifty more days away from home. Another two months I would have to be in a foreign environment with no communication with my sister. The thought was so scary I almost declined, but if I could do two months in prison I could do fifty days at this place. It would be hard in the beginning, but the payout would be worth it. Right?

"When would I have to leave Monday?"

"The flight to Reno leaves at six in the morning." Chapman stood from his seat. "From Reno a bus will take you to northern California where the camp is located."

It was clear this kind of thing didn't waste any time, but then again I had been separated from reality for two months. If everything hadn't fallen apart on our last run to the GIB, Chapman and I would've discussed this in length. Once again, Melissa had found another way to screw up my life.

I went with my gut. "Okay."

"So it's a definite yes?"

I just nodded.

He gave me a smile. "Alright then."

With that he walked me over to the door to leave. I figured he had things to get done and my presence was just holding him up. Plus, now had to make arrangements for whatever training facility I would be shipped off too.

"Since I haven't heard any word from the prison you and your friends are free to go," he stated. "Pack light, no electronics, and bring necessities. I'll have your plane ticket waiting for you at the airport."

I realized this was the last time I would see Chapman for a while. Maybe thankyous were in order. After all, he was the reason I was free in the first place.

"Thanks Chapman," I said. "For everything."

He just leaned on the doorframe, a small smile played on his lips. "I have faith in you, Cortez."

And with that I left. There was a warmth in my chest I hadn't felt in a while. Another shift was happening, a shift I felt unprepared for. There were a lot of things I needed to get done within the next twenty-four hours before leaving again, and making things right before doing so felt necessary.

I found Derik and Willi in the cafeteria, alongside my father who was talking animatedly with both of them. Melissa was nowhere to be seen, and I quickly wondered where she had gone.

I walked up to the table. "Chapman said we're free to go."

Derik exhaled as Willi stood out of joy. We had overcome the last obstacle preventing us from complete freedom. This is what we had wanted for months, and now we finally had it.

My dad stood with us, but remained quiet. He seemed to want to say something to me but held back.

I walked up to him. My hands trembled in my pockets. "I want you to come with me."

Those brown eyes that resembled mine lifted, as if he didn't believe a word I was saying.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

I nodded. "I believe it's necessary before I leave for training."

He lifted his head. He already knew what I was referring to. Chapman had to have told him of our plans, and that if I decided to go it would require me to leave as soon as possible. Even when I had yet to forgive my father, Anna needed to decide for herself. I wouldn't determine her future, she would. 

"Okay," he answered with a nervous smile.

Willi and Derik waited at the door, as if they were contemplating the possible outcome of me and dad's discussion. They smiled when he followed me.

We climbed into the car and dad took the driver's seat while Derik rode shotgun. Willi sat next to me in the back.

I gazed out the window and wondered how this was going to pan out. Of course, I was nervous, but there was also a good possibility that this could kick off the healing process our family so desperately needed. 

The initial shock of dad showing up would hit them hard, like it had for me, but it was overdue. The truth needed to be told, whether mom and Anna were ready or not.

We pulled up to Derik's house. You could feel the nerves in this car. Two months without contact was a long time, and showing up unannounced would be shocking. Not to mention showing up with my long-lost father at my side.

I exited the car first and walked straight up to the door and knocked.

It didn't take the other three long to join me at the front steps. My heart was about to beat right out of my chests. I hadn't been this nervous in a long time, but all of that went away when mom answered the door alongside Mia.

"Oh, thank God."

Mia moved in first and wrapped her arms around Derik.

It was mom I worried about. Her face was pale and dark circles hung under her eyes. A trembling hand came up to her mouth as her eyes watered in the same moment. The image managed to break my heart, but I had expected this.

"Alexa," she whispered. Then she moved in and pulled me into an embrace.

My arms instinctively held her close. I took in the familiar scent of perfume as her hand cradled the back of my head.

Then she pulled away. Her sad eyes locked onto her husband who had abandoned her ten years ago. But when she addressed him I was blindsided, once again.

"It took you ten years." She shook her head. "But you finally did it."

"Not quite," my father answered.

I blinked as if someone had slapped me. "Don't tell me..."

"Come inside," Mia ordered, knowing that there was a serious discussion blossoming.

Of course my mother already knew truth behind my father's disappearance and had refused to tell me. Betrayal was becoming awfully familiar, but I didn't know the whole story. Yet.

"I'll get Anna," I said.

If we were about to have some sort of intervention she needed to be around. I didn't know how she would react, or how this would affect her, but the truth was always the best way.

I headed upstairs and tried to prepare myself. When I made it to her door I knocked and let myself in.

There she was, asleep in her bed with a book on her chest. After only two months she managed to look different. Her brown hair was longer and smeared makeup dirtied under her eyes.

I sat at the foot of her bed and hoped that when I woke her everything would go better than expected. Although, I knew that was a long shot.

"Anna," I whispered as I brushed my hand against her forehead.

She stirred. Suddenly my chest was tight. I told myself to calm down and held an impassive expression until she faced me.

"Lex?" she spoke. She was still half asleep when she sat up.

I just smiled. "Hey."

Her arms wrapped around my neck and pulled me into her. I reciprocated the embrace. Finally, being able to see Anna had mended something deep in my soul.

"I-I thought I wouldn't see you again..." she murmured.

I pulled away to look at her. "I know, and I'm so sorry."

"What happened?"

Her hands shook in my own. A sense of guilt plagued my heart. This was never supposed to happen.

I just looked at her, unsure if we should keep everyone waiting downstairs.

"I'll will tell you everything that later," I promised.  "But there's something more important you need to know."

She looked worried, and that was probably due to the expression I had on my face. I was so scared to tell her about dad, because I had no idea how to go about it. Eventually I felt there was no right way and just tried my best.

"Dad..." I hesitated. "He's here."

At first she was confused, because Anna's most recent memory of our father was when she was four. Ten years later she hadn't expected to hear that sentence.

She shook her head. "What?"

"Come downstairs," I said, hoping she would take this better than I had. Then again, I had found out my father was alive through a mugshot on Chapman's computer.

After convincing her to follow me I realized this was when we would finally get the truth about everything. It made me upset knowing it had taken ten years, but it was better late than never.  And at least it would be before I left for training. Just the thought of telling Anna I would have to leave again made my heart ache all over.

When we emerged at the top of the staircase I watched my father's eyes take in his two daughters that were nothing but strangers to him. Anna gasped behind me. Her hand squeezed mine just a little tighter. This was all new to her.

Dad stood, but he made no sudden movements to approach us. There was a similar look in his eyes that resembled the one the night we had arrested Stanley. Shock, ease, and all kinds of other emotions.

Anna and I sat on the couch across from him.

He looked dazed, but we waited patiently. We were finally about to get an explanation we deserved from everyone involved. Derik and mom weren't off the hook just yet.

"So when were you guys gonna tell us the truth?" I jabbed.

Dad glanced at mom and then Derik, seeing clear guilt in his eyes. All of them held similar expressions, but by this point I was no longer hurt. I was just tired of being in the dark.

Mom started. "Alexa, none of this was supposed to be drug out this long."

"When I left there had been a clear goal, but things got tricky and I realized it would take longer than I had predicted," Dad included.

"You should start from the beginning," I demanded. "So Anna can understand."

Dad's eyes met my sister's, which caused her to shift next to me.

He just nodded. "Okay."

And so he did. He touched on before we had even left Arizona to move to Los Angeles. He had been involved with the NIA way before then, which obviously explained his constant absence years before the house fire. It wasn't until one of his most recent jobs that he had discovered an opportunity to infiltrate the largest drug cartel in history.

"I had gone to Mexico to release an agent who had been imprisoned for reasons I can't remember," dad continued. "That's where I met Derik."

"Unfortunately," Derik joked.

"Alexa knows this already, but I offered Derik freedom in exchange for everything he knew about this drug ring. Of course, he complied, but I had asked him to watch over my family if I ever had to leave."

I listened but this was information I already knew. What I didn't know was why Derik had been in jail in the first place. Of course, bringing it up now was unnecessary considering this was dad's side of the story.

"When I got back to Los Angeles I brought Derik with me and pitched the lead to Director Fallon. She believed I was the agent for the job. In the end, I decided to do the job."

I was aware of Anna's presence as I attempted to read her without looking at her. She was tense, but I didn't sense any anger. She was reacting calmly. Nothing like I had. Then again, Anna had always been the more rational one.

"We staged a house fire," my dad confessed. "Erased all previous records so you all would be protected in case anything happened to me. Then we moved you to Los Angeles, close to Derik, and I left."

The way he had ended the story pulled my heart in a way that was unfamiliar. He had chosen to do this, but there was obviously regret in his tone. He had missed a lot, but I didn't have to remind him of that.

I looked at mom. "And you knew the entire time?"

"Yes," she admitted. "But this had been your father's decision. I tried to convince him to stay, but..."

At this I grew annoyed. "And what was your reason for accepting this job? When you had a family to raise?"

My dad seemed to be hurt, but he wasn't the only one. My body ached for truth, but it also ached of betrayal.

When he didn't answer, mom did.

"Your father had this idea that he was going to save the world and be this hero... He told me this is what he had always wanted to do. To be the good guy..." she explained.  "So I told him to go, but he wouldn't have a family to come back home to."

This stung, and I wondered how Anna felt right about now. If she was anything like me, I already had an idea.

I shook my head. "She gave you the ultimatum and you still left?"

We all knew the answer, so I wasn't sure why I had asked. All this time I had figured there hadn't been a choice, but in the end, there was. There had been a willingness to let him back into this family, to let him repair what he had broken and possibly forgive him, but my mind was quickly changing.

"Yes, your mother gave me the ultimatum, but we agreed on one thing. That if I came back within two years I could stay in you and Anna's lives," he defended "I had been confident I could do it."

"But you didn't," Anna stated, shocking everyone.

I looked at her, and surprisingly her gaze was locked with our father's.

"Anna, honey things were a lot more complicated than I had expected." Dad leaned forward. He was worn, even after two months of being back he still wasn't how I had remembered him. Maybe he never would be.

In the moment, I looked over to mom, who I now understood so much better with an explanation. She had this look in her eyes, like she was staring at an old family photo from years ago. The only thing I recognized in her gaze was the love she still had for him. That had never changed.

"You know what was complicated?" Anna stood.

The suddenness of the situation caught us all off guard.

Everyone just stared at her.

"Watching mom lose her mind over you leaving... and watching Alexa try her best to keep this family together-" she choked up. I had never seen Anna lose her cool like this.

I put my hand in hers. "Anna..."

Yanking her hand away she ran it through her hair. I saw her shaking, and I knew she would take this hard but I didn't expect her to react this way.

"Anna I know it's hard-" Mom coaxed.

"You know it's hard?" Anna nearly cried. "No mom, math is hard. Waking up in the morning is hard, but watching Alexa leave this house while trying to ignore the thought that she might never come back isn't hard. It's torture."

I had a feeling the conversation was over. And when Anna stormed up to her room without another word, no one followed. For a moment, we were silent and unable to react coherently to what had just happened.

"She's gonna need some time," I admitted.

With that, dad nodded and stood to leave.

I wasn't going to ask him to stay even though it had been my idea to invite him here. The conversation hadn't gone well, but I hadn't expected it to. This was a wound that would heal slowly with time, and rushing it would only make it worse. Everyone would grieve and move on in their own way, including Anna.

I stood outside with him and mom, but there was no ignoring the betrayal I felt. I was just too tired to dwell on it. I felt there was no other choice but to try and move on.

Dad addressed me. "Are you planning on telling Anna soon?"

I already knew what he was referring to, but neither Anna nor mom knew about the job offer, much less the training program I was required to attend.

"Tell Anna what?" Mom asked.

I took a deep breath. "Chapman offered me a job as an agent. The plane to the training program leaves Monday morning."

I watched her chin rise, as if she had expected something like this but not quite this soon. I was sure Anna had told her what she could before the whole arrest. It was no secret we had been involved in the NIA's investigation. But no one had known about the job except my friends and dad.

"You just got back," mom claimed.

I sighed. "I want to do this, mom."

The tension was thick but I tried not to let it bother me. I had held this family together for so long. I had sacrificed my own wants and dreams to do so. Now there was an opportunity for me to better myself, to contribute to society and I would be damned if I didn't take it. It was a second chance.

"You shouldn't wait too long to tell her then," mom advised.

I smiled. "I won't."

I looked over to dad and saw an unreadable expression. There had been many times I had been told I too was unreadable, but sharing traits with this man only made me want to change them.

"I hope your training goes well," dad said, unsure of what else to say.

There was a small desire to do something affectionate but I held back. Affection was also something I lacked, even with family. Although, this man had stopped feeling like family a long time ago.

"If Anna comes around she'll let you know," I claimed.

"I just wanna make this right, Lex."

Then he turned away and disappeared into the car. I just stood there and wondered what I would come back home to in another two months. Would dad stay around? Would Anna and mom forgive him and accept him back into their lives? Would I eventually be able to do the same?

I took everything in with a deep breath.

Mom touched my shoulder. "Are you sure you want to leave? You could wait till next time, settle back into your life and see if you really want to do this-"

"Mom," I cut off. "This is what I want. It's an opportunity I can't pass up, no matter how hard it is to leave again."

There was a glow in her eyes, and I wasn't sure if it was from the sun or something else.

"You're like your father," she stated. "But you have a lot more figured out than he did at your age."

I looked down at the ground because I disliked the idea of reminding my mother of the man who had left her years ago. The way she had said it made it sound like a good thing, but I wasn't quite sure.

"Just promise me you'll continue taking care of Anna," I finished.

She looked up and the soft expression was then replaced with a hard gaze that radiated confidence.

"Lex, I'm better. I promise."

I blinked away the burningsensation in my eyes, knowing now wasn't the time to break down. Hopefully Iwould be able to talk to Anna soon, because if I only had one day left in LosAngeles before leaving again I wanted to make the best of it with her.

* * *

I sat alone outside. The October wind whipped around me as I gazed into the darkness of the night. The mug of tea heated my palm as debated whether I wanted to go up to Anna's room or not. She had locked herself away after the discussion earlier, but it had been hours and I was worried.

Then the back door opened and Derik walked up with two beers in tow.

He sat next to me but stayed silent. He set the second beer on the table while he sipped his own. For a second I was confused as to why he was out here, but decided to enjoy the company. Not to mention there was still a lot I had to say to him, but I had no idea how to go about it.

"So you're gonna be an agent," he said, as if he was trying to convince himself rather than remind me.

I set my mug on the side table. "It feels right."

He looked down the neck of his bottle. "I know." 

I wanted to ask if this whole situation bothered him more than he liked to admit. Derik, like my father and myself, wasn't the one to talk about what he was feeling. He was stone-faced most of the time, but right now his guard was down.

"How do you feel about that?" I asked.

"I believe you're making the right choice," he admitted with a laugh. "At least, now I do."

Two months ago, when he found out I had been offered a job, there had been bitterness and disapproval. Now it was different, and the tone of his voice indicated he had come to a realization.

"Why the change of heart?" I asked.

"You deserve better, Lex," he mumbled. "You've never had a real chance until now, and you're diving in head first. You're not meant for this kind of life anymore, and I just have a good feeling about it."

I was now thoroughly convinced he was drunk, but I let the information sink in. Derik being sentimental was nice, but it didn't hide the fact that something was bothering him.

"You don't think I should stay around for Anna's sake?"

He shook his head. "You may not believe this, but that was never your job. Yet, you did it anyway. You left high school to help her, to be there and support her. Now you don't have to anymore. I know you still want to, but there's also a desire to do something for yourself. And I believe you should."

His response caught me off guard, but mostly because I had never had this kind of discussion with Derik. At least not this in depth.

I signaled to his beer. "How many of those have you had?"

He laughed. "Too many."

"It's been a hard few months."

"More like a hard few years."

I looked at him and wondered what Derik had been through before he had met my father. It was something we had never talked about because I hadn't known about their relationship until recently. Was it a good time to bring it up now?

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"I know nothing about your life before you moved here to Los Angeles," I confessed.

"There's a reason."

A darkness lingered in his voice, but I tried not to assume things. Derik wasn't open about much, but right now there seemed to be an exception.

"How did you end up in prison down in Mexico?"

I watched him stare at the ground for a while before he sipped his beer again. Suddenly, I wondered if this was hard for him to relive.

"I wasn't very smart when I hit my early twenties," he stated. "But I was really good at getting myself into horrible situations."

I figured he wasn't elaborating on purpose, so I decided not to push him.

"Guess I'm a lot like you were," I joked.

For a minute, he just looked at me and debated if he wanted to tell me the truth. I wouldn't blame him if he didn't.

"It started at a club in Rio de Janeiro," he started again. "I was there with a few of my buddies I had met while on my European excursion. We had been traveling for months and they all knew I was running low on money. Anyways, one of them claimed they knew a guy that knew a guy and one thing led to another..."

I waited patiently for him to continue.

"He ended up bringing me into a back room of the club we were in, where this guy in his early thirties asked me if I had ever seen coke before. Of course, I had, so I told him yeah. Then he asked me if I ever considered moving it."

This of course made a lot of sense and corresponded with what I already knew.

"I ended up agreeing to a few jobs that earned me quite a bit of money before everything went to shit. They approached me and demanded I do a more dangerous job that none of the higher ranks wanted. You couldn't tell these guys no. Anyways, the job fell through and I got arrested. A few days later I met your father, and the rest is history."

He chugged the rest of his beer and shook his head when he finished. I felt bad for bringing it up but it was nice to know Derik on a deeper level. I just wished he didn't have to be drunk to go there.

"It's not something you like talking about," I observed.

"No," he answered. "But I don't want you to have to go through what I did.  Crime is something I chose to get myself into, and now getting out is near impossible. But it's not too late for you."

Hearing Derik talk like this reminded me why I had trusted him for so long without much effort. Even after lying to me, I still trusted him more than my own biological father.

"Freaks me out when you get all fatherly on me," I joked.

He smiled. "Well, you're the closest thing I have to a daughter."

His voice fell at the end of the sentence. Never once had I heard Derik talk about wanting a kid, I had always assumed parenthood just wasn't his thing.

"Ever thought about having one of your own?"

"Plenty of times," he confessed. "Mia would love to have kids, but she takes my opinions seriously."

"And your opinions don't match hers?" I guessed.

He shook his head. "It's not that I don't want kids. I just don't want to disappoint them. I don't know if you've realized, but I'm not exactly the grade-A citizen."

He was referring to his past. The Derik who had done nothing but take. But after we had stopped pursuing crime to insure our freedom, I had seen something in him change.

He hadn't liked the stress of being involved with the NIA, but it was only because he was afraid of meeting up with my father. He had wanted to help Chapman and Monroe by the end of it. Helping them made Derik feel good, just like it had for me, and I knew he didn't want to continue down this road anymore. He wanted something stable. He wanted a family. But being afraid of his past was preventing it.

"You're a free man, Derik," I reminded him. "Your records are clean and you could change your life tomorrow if you wanted."

"I may be free right now, but there's still family that's in trouble."

The thought of Victoria resurfaced and reminded me that she was still in fact missing and we had no idea where she was. Chapman was working on it, but if I left and he found something what did that mean? Would he pursue rescuing her without me or would he include Derik and Willi? Everything was too messed up right now for me to think clearly.

"Chapman will find her," I stated.

I was sure he would at least discover some sort of lead. I had faith in him, just like he had faith in me.

"I hope so," Derik said. Then he looked at me. "I think you've put off talking to your sister long enough."

He was right, but I was scared. Just the thought of going back upstairs made my body shake with nerves.

I played with my hands. "Think she'll take it well?"

He sucked in a tight breath. "One can hope, but Anna's understanding."

I stood from my seat. If there would be any hope in leaving my sister Monday morning, I needed to talk to her now. It couldn't wait anymore, and the longer I sat here avoiding it the harder it would become.

Derik called me one last time. "Alexa?"

I turned from the backdoor and saw an expression on his face I couldn't read.

"Yeah?"

"Remember what you told me the day before the GIB job?"

I did remember. I remembered the conversation vividly. It was when I had basically confessed that I considered Derik my father.

"I remember," I answered.

"For the record..." He looked down at his empty bottle. "I consider you my daughter, too."

Pain flowed through me. Never in my life had I believed Derik would declare such a thing, but here he was opening his heart after years of being guarded.

"Thanks," I said with a smiled. "But this doesn't mean I'm gonna call you dad. That's just too weird."

This got him to laugh, which felt good after the seriousness of our conversation.

"Now go talk to Anna."

Without any more hesitation I disappeared inside the house. My pulse sped up with every step I took. I stood at her door and picked up my hand. My knuckles grazed against the wooden door as I hesitated to knock. Why was I so nervous? This was Anna. She would understand I had to do this, not just for myself but for her too.

I knocked lightly and heard her shift on her bed.

"It's open," she called.

I peeked inside. "Are you okay?"

She had one earbud in while a book rested on her chest. She probably hadn't wanted to be bothered. I felt bad for intruding, but there were things I needed to tell her.

"I guess." She sat up. "I didn't mean to blow up earlier."

I shook my head as I sat next to her. "You have every right to be upset."

"It's just not fair, you know? He chose to leave, knowing there were consequences if he didn't make it back, and he just didn't care."

What she said was true. But we didn't know the context back when all this had happened. There could've been more to the story that we had yet to discover. 

"I wouldn't say he didn't care," I claimed. "But yeah, he had a choice and he made the decision to leave."

"When did you find out?"

I hesitated. "I found out he was involved with the drug cartel a few days before I met him at the bust in Pasadena."

She eyed me. "And you didn't tell me because...?"

"I was still coming to terms with it myself," I stated. "But at the time I couldn't tell you the truth. Not before we cleared our names."

"Were you going to tell me when you got back that night?"

I just nodded. There weren't any more words I could conjure up for her sake.

She was silent for a moment. A look of contemplation flickered across her expression. I could tell she was trying not to stay upset with me, that it hadn't been my fault I didn't come back that night, and I was so grateful she was doing so.

"Why didn't you come back? I mean I knew you had gotten arrested but that wasn't until later, when that man Chapman showed up..."

"He didn't tell you what happened?"

She shook her head.

Great. Now I had to relive that night once again to make sure my sister understood the girl she had trusted just like the rest of us was nothing but a liar. Another heart break for her on this never-ending crap day.

"Melissa turned us in," I confessed. "She was working with the GIB the whole time."

"What?" Anna asked.

"She was being blackmailed, and they had her dad hostage and demanded she help them find Victoria. She agreed," I said. "But after we helped arrest Stanley in Pasadena they wanted all four of us. She turned us all in."

Anna's eyes switched between my own, as if she was trying to read how I felt. But at the moment, I felt impassive, like there was no emotion behind what I was saying. Ad if I had told this story a million times and it made no difference.

But Anna saw through the mask I believed to have on. She was always able to do that. Her hand fell onto mine as she searched for words her fourteen-year-old brain probably couldn't find.

"Lex..." she tried, but I didn't want to talk about Melissa.

I shook it off. "I'm fine, don't worry. There's a lot more I have to tell you."

She retracted her hand, as if she had gotten the hint that I didn't want to elaborate on the whole Melissa betraying me thing.

"Before we got arrested, Chapman offered me a job as an agent," I said quickly. It was time to rip off the band aid. "But there's this training program I have to go to before..."

I felt my confidence slide as I watched her expression change. She was putting the pieces together, and she was trying so hard not to overreact for my sake.

"You're leaving again," she stated.

Suddenly I questioned everything. Was this even the right choice? Anna needed me. She still needed me and here I was, after two months of being separated from her, planning to leave her side again. What was I thinking?

"I won't go. I'll stay. I can get another job somewhere in town-"

"No." Anna interrupted. "No, you have to do this."

I could do nothing but stare at my sister in confusion. How could she seem so sad yet confess that this is what was right for me? Did she want me to leave? Was she still upset? Or did she genuinely think this was where I needed to go?

She continued. "Lex, you've sacrificed enough for me. If you want to do this, then I want you to go."

My brow was furrowed, but not in confusion. Rather, in awe. At fourteen I had been completely opposite of Anna. I had been rebellious and wild, feeling like the world was out to get me while Anna saw everything in a different light. 

"Anna, I can wait..."

"You've waited long enough," she confessed.

We were silent for a good minute, which allowed the information to settle in each of our brains. I realized I had never been so proud. Here she was, ignoring the oncoming pain of separation because she wanted me to better myself. Maybe me making sacrifices for her had set a good example.

"When do you have to leave?" she wondered.

I took a deep breath. "Monday morning."

I watched her bite her lip. She was trying to keep it from quivering. Then she blinked away her tears.

"At least we have tomorrow," she concluded.

To keep myself from breaking down I forced a smile. "We can stay up and watch movies, and tomorrow we can go to the beach. The weather is supposed to be awesome, and we can go to the pier..."

"Would it be okay if mom came too?"

I smiled. "Of course."

"Alexa I'm not mad that you're doing this."

My heart was warm. "Thank you. You don't know how scared I was to tell you."

She smirked. "I can be pretty intimidating."

I lied down next to her and decided that if we were going to stay up all night, I wanted to hear what I had missed over the past two months.

"So tell me, how's high school? Are you still dating that boy? Made any new friends?"

And with that she opened up like a book. Words spilled from her mouth like she had bottled them up for years. We may have been broken, but I wasn't going to leave her here with bad memories. I would repair what I could before leaving, and hopefully leave her strong enough to endure two more months without me. And if she could forgive me in the end, then maybe she could forgive dad as well.

And if my younger sistercould find the will to forgive, then maybe with time I could do the same thing.

* * *

Sunday Anna and I had woken up early, which had been difficult but we were determined to make the best of today. Mom joined us for breakfast at one of the nearby cafés and I was glad Anna had wanted her to come along. It had given me the opportunity to discover the woman she had become after the victorious succession of rehab, and if felt good to have her around again.

Walking on the beach was nice now that the temperature  was slowly cooling. Anna told me about her classes and all the new people she had met. Mom had talked about her painting habit and the reuniting with old friends she had lost touch with.

Of course, it saddened me to know I had missed this, but at least the time I was away Anna and mom had bonded. Anna had never had the mom I did, at least not until she was fourteen. Mom would never fully be able to make up for it, but she was trying hard, and Anna was understanding and mature enough to allow it. I was proud of them.

And it helped me find relief knowing they would be okay for the fifty days I would be gone.

It wasn't until late afternoon when we made it back home that I was met with a surprise.

When I walked through the door Derik was holding up a duffel bag with my last name embroidered on it.

"Looks like Chapman got you an early graduation present," he said.

I took the bag from him and opened it up to see a bunch of necessities I would need for camp. I hadn't expected him to do this, but it was a nice surprise to come home too.

There was also a note sitting on top. I opened it up to read aloud:

"Dear Agent Cortez, I know you're technically not an agent yet, but I have faith in your ability. I hope you like this small gesture. Hopefully it'll make training easier to bear. It'll be tough, but it's nothing you can't handle. Best of luck, Executive Director Kent Chapman."

I took notice to everything inside the bag and realized Chapman wasn't letting me leave unprepared. Two boxes of toothpaste, some shampoo and conditioner, soap and even a brand-new tooth brush.

"Guess all I have to pack now is clothes," I admitted.

"He must really like you," mom stated. "Your father didn't get a complimentary bag when he went off to training."

"I was his favorite," I joked.

I looked at Derik as he just smiled.

I remained silent and peered down at the bag now that everyone else had fallen into conversation. This was it. This was the beginning of a new chapter, of a new life, and I was more than ready to get started.  I could feel the anticipation of leaving, but the life I knew would change drastically when I got back. Was I ready for that?

"I'm gonna go upstairs and pack," I announced.

Alone time was needed, because not only was I feeling anxious about leaving but I was also still worried about everything I was leaving behind. Mom would take care of Anna as long as she kept herself sober, which I believed she would. Chapman would continue looking for Victoria and most likely keep Derik and Willi updated on the situation. And hopefully Anna came around and contacted dad while I was gone. I understood that Anna was hurt and trusting him would be difficult again, but everyone deserved a second chance.

But when I stepped in my room it brought me back to the night before our last job when Melissa and I had kissed. There was a pull in my heart. An unfamiliar pain that was trying to ruin my mood. No matter how many times I tried to forget, it was no use.

I threw my bag onto my bed and began to pack. I recalled everything Chapman had told me along with Melissa's pleas for me to listen to her side of the story. Shutting her out had been a defense mechanism, but for some reason her betrayal hurt worse than everyone else's.

I found myself staring at my cellphone that rested on my side table. Was it worth holding on to the grudge? To the hate I had towards her?

I shook the thoughts from my head and finished packing. It was probably best to leave everything alone. There was a part of me that craved the truth. A part of me that I wanted to know if everything Melissa had told me before had been a lie. But reopening old wounds before camp wouldn't be a good idea.

Looking back, I couldn't help but wonder if the feelings had been real, or if it had all been some sort of act? Was sleeping together part of the plan too? Just so she could gain my trust and inevitably turn me in?

Eventually the exhaustion of the day was too much to fight, and I had no choice but to succumb to it. Sleep only meant tomorrow would be here faster, but my life had stopped and started many times. Tomorrow only marked another starting point, another challenge I would have to overcome.

And I was ready.

* * *

Waking up had been easy. The excitement and nerves blossomed in my stomach and fueled me early in the morning. Boarding had been quick and painless after saying my goodbyes to my family, and knowing the flight would only be a little over an hour made my anxieties fade. After everything I had been through you would think flying wouldn't be as scary, but it still was. Luckily the flight attendant had seen my angst and offered me one of those tiny bottles of alcohol. I willingly took it.

I was seconds away from falling back asleep when a presence sat next to me.

"Did I wake you up?" she asked.

Her voice was soft and smooth. Ocean blue eyes locked with mine as she tucked a small piece of blonde hair behind her ear. I found myself staring a little too long for comfort before realizing she had asked me a question.

"Um no, you're good."

She smiled a toothy grin. White teeth complemented her summer tan. She had to be from around here, but I silently wondered if she was heading to training camp to. There was a delicateness about her, so it seemed unlikely.

And with that it fell silent again, but as soon as I went to turn my gaze back towards the window another pair of eyes caught my attention.

For a second I thought it was a joke, seeing Melissa here on the same plane as me. I was half expecting Chapman to pop up and yell "gotcha!", but that never happened, and when she passed me in the aisle all she did was tear her gaze away.

I forced myself to turn away and try to think rationally, but it was no use. No matter how hard I tried my past seemed to always haunt me.

And it seemed that it wouldbe no different for the next fifty days.