Sean's POV

The meal was served as Corey and Victor explained their grand scheme. It was clear that most of the leaders didn't fully understand the technology side of the plan, but when it came to the killing side, they were all in. Raven and Dominic took the lead on determining which groups would make contact and how. Each mafia would seek out different services from guns to drugs to sex workers from the Academy. My stomach rolled at the realization of just how depraved the organization had become. I was glad my parents and Phil weren't alive to see it. It would have destroyed them to see the organization they had devoted their lives to had now become worse than the very same people they sought to take down.

I felt her hand tighten around mine and turned to look into those beautiful eyes. "Are you okay," she whispered. She scooted her chair closer to me as I nodded. "I love you."

I gently cupped her chin. "I love you too, both of you," I said, then kissed her gently. She leaned against me as we continued to listen to the discussions. She kept shifting in her seat. I can only imagine how uncomfortable she must be. "Come on, you need to stretch your legs and they obviously don't need our input right now. Raven or Dominic will let us know if they do," I told her, standing and holding my hand out to her. We walked into a large room with plush couches and towering windows overlooking the back of the compound.

She let out a soft sigh as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her forehead pressed against the glass for a moment. "You know, the year I spent here was amazing," she started. "Winston and I were so in love and then we met Dominic later that year and things just fell into place. But even here, the Academy poisoned what I had. I had two missions that year. One took me to Spain with the Toma group, the other was a solo mission," her voice dropped to a whisper, "It was the first time I was ordered to kill someone." She continued to stare out the window for a moment before continuing. "I was so naive. I kept telling myself they trained everyone with weaponry - it was just a precaution. It wasn't until that mission that I knew I couldn't lie to myself anymore."

"Marissa, sweetheart, you can't blame yourself for the things they made you do," I said.

She shook her head and turned to face me. "How do I explain to our daughter that I've killed people, Sean?"

"Why do you have to? If we're lucky, this entire mess will be behind us soon and she won't ever have to know. And you didn't kill anyone - the Academy did." I told her.

"That's easy for you to say," she scoffed.

I stepped in front of her and put my hands on her hips, "No, it isn't. You don't know what each of us has experienced, or done in regard to the Academy, Marissa. Listening to Corey that day, and now hearing you and the others talk, I've been replaying some of our last missions and actions in my mind. I'm questioning everything I ever did with the Academy. How many lives did we take that may have actually been innocent? What crimes did we commit and never know? Hell, we were trained as children - children, Marissa! I was seven damn years old when my parents put me into Academy training. Owen and I were the youngest graduates ever to have our own team. We were eleven!" I needed her to understand that we were all lied to and we all did horrible things that may or may not have been justified. That was the truly sinister part - none of us really knew anymore.

She ran her hand down my face. "I'm sorry Sean, I didn't realize. But at least you have some positive memories of the Academy. I only have bad ones. The people they sent us after were bad, but they didn't want to help their victims. Instead, they were their competition or a political figure that stood against them or one of their operatives. It was like a light clicked in my brain that day Dominic mentioned Harold Roberts." Her whole body shivered when she spoke his name. "He wasn't a judge back then, only a high-profile lawyer, but he still came to my parent's parties. To think that people like him are running the Academy scares the daylights out of me." She leaned into my chest and began to cry again. "I don't care what happens to me, Sean, but if they get her...I don't want her to go through what I did."

I wrapped my arms around her tightly, "Shh, nothing is going to keep me away from you. I will kill every single one of them myself to save you and our daughter." I meant every word. I finally understood in that moment how Axle must have felt when he killed the man in Germany. The thought of our child being groomed like she had been made me want to burn the world down.

A throat cleared behind us. "Ahem, I don't mean to interrupt, but I hoped I could speak with you both," Yasu Tanaka spoke from the doorway, his hands behind his back.

She swiped at her eyes and nodded, "Of course, please come sit." We sat on a loveseat with him across from us in an overstuffed chair.

He sat on the edge of the seat studying us for a few moments before speaking. "How far are you willing to go," he asked. "What price will you all pay for this war you seek?"

"What do you mean?" Marissa asked, her entire body language becoming defensive. "Are the families demanding payment?"

Yasu shook his head, "No, no, you misunderstand." He looked at me, "I'm not making myself clear. Minasan wa risuku o rikai shite imasu ka? Kono sensō de ichi-ri demo ikinokorenakute mo, anata wa futan o ou koto ga dekimasu ka?"

I nodded, finally understanding his concern. "He's worried we don't fully realize the risk we are facing - not just you and our baby, but the entire family. He's worried about one or more of us not surviving and the grief being too much," I explained to her. I squeezed her hand, then answered him, "We do know the risks. We also know if we do nothing, the risk is still there. They won't stop coming after her, not anymore - they've made that very clear. While we haven't had training to the extent Marissa has, we are all Academy trained and prepared to do what we must."

He bowed his head, "That was what I needed to hear, Dr. Green. Your father would be proud."

"What do you mean?" I asked, my eyes narrowing.

"Botan was an honorable man. My father thought very highly of him," he replied. "It took me a few moments to place you after you responded in Japanese. We were small children last we met, Sean."

What? Met, but I've never...and my father certainly, no...

Sensing my confusion, Yasu continued, "We were about six. The festival in Yokohama." My eyes went wide and he laughed, "I still owe you for pushing me into the pond."

Marissa looked between us in confusion. I coughed and tried to hide my flushed cheeks, "Um, well, this is definitely an interesting turn of events. I um, well before my parents placed me in the Academy, we went back to Japan to visit my grandfather. He was in poor health and it was the last time I saw him. My parents took me to a festival in Yokohama and I remember playing with a dark-haired boy. He called me a rather unkind name since I'm not Japanese, and I pushed him into the Koi pond." She covered her mouth and tried to suppress her giggles. "But I don't understand, how did our fathers know one another?"

The grin on his face turned into a full-blown smile, "Your grandfather was Yakuza. He passed the title to my father as mine did to me." I sat staring, trying to process what he was implying.

"Holy shit," Marissa swore under her breath. "Sean, he's your..."

"Cousin," Yasu said, holding out his hand to me. I just stared at his hand in utter shock. When I finally took it, I still couldn't speak. "Sorry for the name-calling back then. I was angry and jealous. I thought you and your father might take the business away from us since he was the eldest brother, but Uncle Botan had no interest. Both he and your mother were skilled doctors and had already chosen your path in medicine as well. It was a sore spot that they had aligned with the Academy even back then."

"Why didn't I know?" I muttered.

"Why would you?" he replied. "It was shortly after that visit that grandfather died, and even then it was only your father that attended the burial. The family will stand with you in this, Sean. And when it is all over, I hope you will all come and visit. Maybe I can teach you how to use one of those swords you always loved to look at." He gave me a mischievous grin.

I snorted, "Or maybe I could teach you a thing or two. Doctors need stress relief, you know."

"Perhaps we should practice while we're both here," Yasu suggested.

"Tomorrow? I'll have to locate a sword. We didn't bring much when we left," I said.

"I think we can arrange something," Yasu grinned, "Tomorrow at ten. Surely Giovanni will allow us to use the grounds. I promise not to embarrass you too much in front of your lovers."

"Let's just see if you can stay out of the water this time, cousin," I taunted, making him roar with laughter. "Now, we should probably rejoin the others." Marissa and I stood, then followed him back to the dining hall. I grinned to myself as I watched my husbands mingling with hardened criminals. Our lives had certainly taken an interesting turn as of late.

Owen's eyes lit up when he saw me and he leaned in, whispering, "Where did you disappear to, my love?"

"Marissa needed a moment, then I discovered a long-lost cousin and we decided to have a sword fight," I said as if I were describing the weather. He sputtered for a moment. I put my finger under his jaw and ran my tongue over his lips. "Are you alright?"

He gave a soft growl, "You better explain that. Who is this cousin and why are you sword fighting?"

I chuckled, "Apparently my parents had secret lives before they adopted me. Yasu is my cousin. My grandfather was the head of the Yakuza and passed it to his father - my uncle. As for the swords, that would be the hubris of your husband. Yasu teased me about teaching me to fight, so I may have sassed him." Owen rolled his eyes at me, "Oh hush, I know how to use them - it's just been a bit."

"I'm well aware you know how, and I'm also well aware of how long it's been Sean," he chided me. "Just be careful and surrender before you get yourself skewered." I gave him an indignant look and scoffed, but he just leaned in and cut me off with a deep kiss. He gave a wicked smirk as he pulled away, "Now, go find some swords and practice." Then he walked out of the room.

Cheeky boy.

Author's Notes:  Warning...the author is no longer in control...the characters have mutinied and taken over.

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