Cherry Hill Park. Washington, D.C. Saturday evening. August 7, 2004.

Even though Henry had left after giving in to the pain of losing his father and everything Robert had done, the festival continued. Most people didn't know the guest of honor had departed to spend the rest of the night on his grandfather's sailboat.

Neal was talking to one of his Caffrey Caravan cousins about the watercolors featured on a set of postcards in her stall when Angela rushed up to say, "Neal, there's someone looking for you. This way." She grabbed his hand and led him toward the campsite.

As they neared a set of recreational vehicles, Mike Chan stepped forward. "Thanks, Angela. I'll take it from here."

Angela looked to Neal for confirmation, and he said, "It's okay. I know Mike. He's a good guy." With that Angela returned to the festivities.

"What's going on?" Neal asked.

"We're relocating Ellen now that your uncle Robert is no longer a threat. She wanted a chance to see you, and we arranged to swing by here. We can't stay long, but it's better than nothing." As they approached, Mike gave a thumbs up to a marshal standing guard in front of a beige RV.

"If you aren't guarding Ellen, why didn't you go with Angela to find me?" Neal wondered.

"We aren't supposed to attract attention."

"So?"

"Kid, you've got the whitest family I've ever seen. I'd stand out like a sore thumb."

Neal chuckled. "It's that Irish complexion. You either get ghost white or freckles. I lucked out. Maybe it's my dad's genes added to the mix, but at least I can tan."

###

Henry's birthday had been a rollercoaster for Noelle Winslow. It had started out fun combined with a layer of worry that her son was repressing his grief. Next thing she knew, she was assisting Neal with a plan to bring Henry's emotions to the surface. That had been followed with concern it hadn't worked, then relief to hear it had been successful, mixed with regret that she hadn't been there to offer comfort. She was sad that Henry would be going away sooner than expected, and then happy to run into an old friend.

But for sheer shock value, nothing beat facing the twin sister who'd been in WITSEC the last twenty-two years.

Meredith stood in an RV that was parked on the outskirts of the caravans. She looked at her sister with trepidation, as if unsure of her welcome.

Tongue-tied, Noelle simply stepped forward and hugged her sister. She noticed that Meredith was stiff at first, as if she hadn't been hugged in a long time. "Meredith, it's so good to see you!"

"It's been so long, I hardly even recognize Meredith as my name anymore." She gestured for Noelle to sit down on the small sofa.

"I used to fantasize about what I'd say if I saw you again, and now it's all flown out of my head," Noelle admitted. "I'm still having a hard time believing you're here."

"I heard about Robert," Meredith said, and Noelle nodded.

"The funeral was last weekend. Today's Henry's birthday. He's twenty-eight now."

"I saw him – and Mom and Dad – in the interview with Tom Brokaw. When I heard about the appearance in the Local Devastation concert I recorded it. It was good to watch all three kids... Henry and Angela – hard to believe she's the baby I remember – and..." She trailed off, as if afraid to say his name.

"And Neal. I first spoke with him in January, and we met him in February. Well, it turns out he'd been friends with Henry for years. He's working for the FBI now, and he's turned out to be an amazing young man. So smart, and kind, and... and fun. He's going to Columbia in the fall to get a dual masters in art."

Meredith almost smiled. "Dad must be pleased."

"He couldn't be prouder." Noelle reached for the small bag she carried to find her cell phone. "They're going to be so excited to see you. I have to call them."

"No." Meredith briefly put a hand on Noelle's arm. "I'm only allowed to talk to one family member while I'm here."

"But..." Noelle nearly stuttered in dismay. "Neal is here. You have to see him."

"He's talking to Ellen – you knew her as Kathryn Hill."

"But couldn't you both see him?" Noelle protested.

"I needed to talk to you." Meredith handed her an envelope. It was slightly yellowed with age, and was sealed. It had been pre-printed with the name and return address of a medical clinic.

"You never opened it?" Noelle asked in surprise.

"No. When we went into WITSEC I gave it to the marshals. At the time I thought I'd let Neal open it when he turned eighteen, but in the end I chickened out. Hearing we were protected witnesses was such a shock to him, I couldn't add on more. Instead I got drunk." She shrugged. "I did that a lot those days, more and more as his birthday approached. I had a feeling he wouldn't react well to the news, that I should have explained things earlier or found a way to ease him into it more gradually, but it was too late. One of my many failures as a mother."

Noelle's heart ached, and she wished she could have been there as a sounding board for her sister all those years. "Neal still loves you, you know."

"I wish I could believe you." She glanced at the envelope. "I was going to have you open it here, but I've changed my mind. I don't want to know what it says." She looked back up at Noelle. "Open it with Mom. She'll know what to do."

"She's going to be upset she didn't get to see you."

"Not as upset as she'd be if she did see me. I'm not the same person anymore."

Noelle had to agree. Usually after being reunited, within minutes the twins were on the same wavelength, almost reading each other's minds, but that wasn't happening now. Her hand shook slightly as she put the envelope in her bag.

"Have you told him?" Meredith asked.

She shook her head. "No. I promised I wouldn't. It was always your call what to tell him and when." It had been tempting, recently. Her mother had been encouraging her, saying that old promise was meaningless now.

"We were different people when we made that promise. Back then, who would have imagined where we'd be now?"

"Do you want me to tell Neal?" Noelle asked, needing to be certain what Meredith intended.

"Yeah, if... No. No ifs. Do it." She reached down and pulled a brown paper sack out from under the sofa. "And give him this. When he ran away and the marshals told me he wasn't coming back, they had me get rid of most of his stuff before they moved me. This is one of the few things I kept." She clutched the bag a moment before thrusting it at Noelle. "Tell him... Tell him I know it was bad for him, having me as a mom, but that he was the source of the greatest joy in my life. Even if I didn't show it all the time. After the drinking and everything Vance did when he abducted Neal, I didn't think I deserved happiness. I rejected it, and to a kid like Neal it probably felt like I rejected him."

Noelle looked in the bag. It held a battered – no, make that well-loved – stuffed animal. Not just any stuffed animal, but the brown dog Henry had given Neal a few weeks before the marshals took them away. She looked back up at her sister. There was so much she wanted to ask, so many memories to share. It might take all night –

"You have to go," Meredith said.

"What?"

"We need to leave soon. And... And I can't contact you anymore. The marshals made that clear. No more calling you at Christmas."

"But Robert's gone. Now that he's no longer a threat, why –"

"The marshals say they'll be watching, to make sure we don't try to break the rules again." She shook her head as Noelle tried to protest. "I know we could find a way around it, but I don't think we should. I need to move on. Trying to hold on to the remnants of my old life is too painful. I can't pretend to be Meredith anymore. I've been Deirdre too long. That's who I am now." She stood and ushered Noelle out. "Goodbye." Then Deirdre looked at Annina. "I'm ready."

Marshal Annina Brandel nodded. "I'll be there in a minute."

The door to the RV closed, and Noelle stared at it in shock, still clutching the brown paper bag.

"You're lucky," said Annina. "Most people never see their family members who've gone into WITSEC. You've got Neal back, plus a visit from your sister."

"Will she be all right?" Noelle asked, still trying to fathom the person with her sister's face who had felt like a stranger.

"As good as she can be," Annina said.

###

"Roosevelt Island?" Neal repeated. "That's a lot closer than I'd expected."

"Don't come looking for us," Mike warned. "In a few years, if there are no incidents, the Marshals will let me reach out to you, since I'm not in WITSEC. I can pass some messages back and forth, maybe discreetly let you know where Ellen and I will be."

It was more than Neal would have expected possible, so he didn't complain about the long wait. Ellen looked blissful. Not only was she ecstatic to see Neal, but she and Mike were also wearing shiny new wedding rings. All too soon the marshal knocked on the door and said it was time they were on their way. Neal hugged the couple goodbye and then waved them off.

He noticed a blue RV followed behind them. And then he saw Noelle, who had been standing on the opposite side of that vehicle. She was staring after it and seemed lost. He walked over and realized her cheeks were shining. "Are you crying?" he asked. At first he thought she was more upset than she'd let on about Henry leaving, and then the implication of the second RV hit him. "Was that...?"

"Meredith," she confirmed with a sniffle.

It was a shock to realize she'd been right here. So close, and yet no contact. Not even an attempt. She could have at least looked out and waved goodbye when they pulled away. Presumably she knew Ellen was in the next RV and that Neal had been talking to her. It took a moment before he gathered his thoughts enough to ask, "How is she?" Why didn't she want to talk to me?

"She looks the same. Well, she looks like a brunette me, that is. But she's a stranger now." That didn't really answer Neal's question, but Noelle started to cry and when he reached out to her, she latched onto him and shook as a storm of tears soaked his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said a few minutes later. "I'm sorry about the tears. I should be sorry you couldn't talk to her, but I'm not. It hurt too much." She wiped her eyes. "How was Ellen?"

"She's great," Neal said, feeling somewhat guilty that his visit had been so much more positive. What had Meredith said that had left Noelle so upset? He led her toward the festival and picked up a bottle of water. "Here."

"Do you think I shed so many tears I'm dehydrated?" she asked, managing a small smile as she opened the bottle. She took a sip. "Thanks, sweetheart."

"Do you wanna find Dor and Dressa and head back to their house?"

"Yes, please."

She said little when they found his grandparents and walked toward the car. Irene made a comment about how Henry was in excellent hands, and Noelle let them think that her silence was a reaction to her son leaving. Noelle and Neal shared the backseat of the car. As Edmund drove, Noelle clutched a brown paper bag as if her life depended on it. Minutes away from the house she seemed to notice Neal's questioning gaze. "Oh. This is for you." She handed it to him. "Your... she kept it, and wanted you to have it."

He looked inside the bag, but under the street lights couldn't make out what it held. It wasn't until they were in the garage that he saw what it contained. "Henry!" he said in surprise.

"Where?" asked Irene, looking around for her other grandson. "Isn't he on Graham's sailboat?"

Neal shook his head and held up the stuffed animal. "I named it after Henry when I was a little kid. I'd told Noelle about it a few weeks ago and we made a pact never to tell him."

"Good idea," said Irene. But as they entered the house she glanced pointedly at Noelle. She didn't need to say anything; it was obvious she wanted to know how her daughter had gotten Neal's childhood toy. Neal wanted to know more about that, too.

"I'm going to call Graham to find out his schedule," Noelle said. "I'd like to stop by tonight or first thing in the morning to see Henry off. Neal, would you mind packing Henry's things? Then I can drop off his suitcase when I go."

"No problem," said Neal.

###

Henry hadn't brought a lot of stuff with him, since he'd only planned to stay a few days. Packing took a matter of minutes. Then worry set in.

What had Meredith said? Noelle mentioned something about how she couldn't talk to Neal. Was that because they had limited time? If so, why hadn't she at least opened a damn window to say hello to her son before the RV pulled away? Meredith could have figured out a way to speak with Neal if she wanted to.

He considered any number of possibilities and then decided to take the suitcase downstairs and simply ask his questions. To his surprise, the kitchen and living room were both dark. He didn't hear any voices at all, but a quick investigation showed a light spilling out from under the door of Edmund's study.

Okay. They had something to talk about and they wanted privacy. Given the events of this evening, the topic was almost certainly Henry or Meredith. Whatever it was, Neal wanted to hear. He'd had enough of secrets as a kid, and now he regretted that he hadn't pushed for answers then.

Last night Henry mentioned that the twins had sometimes snuck out of their room, climbing up a gable to grab the branches of a nearby tree. Neal had already viewed that route with a cat burglar's eye, out of habit and competitiveness. If they could do it, he was sure he could. Edmund's study was right beneath that tree, and on mild evenings like this one he usually opened the room's window to let in a breeze.

In no time Neal was sitting on the lower branches. Shielded by the leaves, he couldn't see in the window, but he was at the perfect angle to eavesdrop.

Noelle's voice was clearest. Neal guessed she was sitting on the window seat. "I hate to admit it, but she was right. No matter how much she resembles my sister, she isn't Meredith anymore. Talking to her was spooky. She seemed... I'd call it empty. I don't think she smiled once the whole time. Although I suppose she doesn't have much to smile about. At first I was insisting that she should talk to Neal, but by the time she told me to leave I thought it might have been for the best that he was spared the experience. It felt like she'd encased herself in ice, and that she's decided not to let herself feel things anymore. It gives me the chills just remembering."

"What else did she say?" Irene's voice was further away, but being an actress had taught her great projection. Neal could hear every word.

"She gave me this."

"Ah," said Irene. "This brings back memories. She never opened it?"

"No, and she decided at the last minute she didn't want to know what it says." Noelle paused. "Will you open it, Mom? I don't think I have the nerve."

"Of course, honeybunch. Not that I need to. I know what it says."

"Did the doctors tell you?" Noelle asked.

Doctors. Was Meredith sick?

"No, but it was obvious," Irene said.

"Nonsense," said Edmund. "Just because you want something to be the answer, that doesn't change the facts. This is medical science."

"This is family, and love. I look with my heart and know the answer," Irene argued.

Edmund made a huff of impatience. "Regardless, we'll tell the boy what it says."

"On that we agree," Irene said. "He has a right to know."

Noelle sighed. "Meredith freed me from my old promise not to tell. So, yes, before Neal goes back to New York I'll... Or rather, we'll tell him. I'd like you to be there."

Now Neal felt a twinge of guilt for eavesdropping. They weren't planning to keep him in the dark.

"Meredith should have been the one to tell him," Edmund said.

Yeah, Neal agreed. There's a whole lot she should have told me.

"Yes," Noelle said, "she made some mistakes, even though I honestly think she meant well. But that flight instinct of hers, it leads to avoidance. And as she said this evening, when we started out we had no idea of the things that would happen. We always assumed... Mom?"

"I knew it!" said Irene.

"Let me see," Noelle said. There was a pause, followed by, "Oh. Oh, Mom." It sounded like she was at a loss for words.

"For the love of God," said Edmund. "Whatever it says, there's no need for all this fuss. It doesn't change anything."

"How can you say that?" asked Irene.

"No, Mom, he's right. We love Neal. That's the ultimate truth here. No piece of paper can ever change those feelings."

Neal slipped back up to his room. He kicked off his shoes and sat on one of the beds, leaning against the pillows as he stared out the window.

A sheet of paper from a doctor. A diagnosis? But it was something they recognized, and was therefore from before Meredith had gone into WITSEC. What kind of diagnosis would a person get and decide not to look at for twenty-two years? In fact, it sounded like Meredith had decided to leave without ever knowing what it said.

It hit him for a moment that he was thinking of her as Meredith now, instead of Mom. He was distancing himself, much the same way Henry had when he started calling his father Robert.

He picked up the stuffed animal he'd named for his cousin. It was scruffy and one ear was loose, but it was clean. What did she mean by leaving this for him? It was nice that she'd kept it, right? But to give it to him now... Was this some kind of final goodbye? Did it indicate she thought he'd need the comfort he used to get from the toy?

He heard a knock on his door, and had no idea how much time had gone by. "Neal?" It was Irene's voice.

"Yeah. Come in." He sat up straighter as his grandmother entered the room.

"That's Henry?" she asked. She sat beside Neal and he handed her the dog. "I think I remember this fella," she said as she looked it over. Then she handed it back to Neal. "How are you?"

He didn't know what to say, so he shrugged and made a grumbling sound.

"Not a happy bear," Irene declared. "Well, we're both justifiably grumpy. I'm sure we could have gotten around that silly restraint of the marshals that Meredith could only see one person."

"Right!" Neal hopped off the bed. "What was she thinking?"

"She had an important message for Noelle, and I suspect that distracted her from everything else. And I think she's lost the adventurous spirit we still have. In fact, Noelle says she's so different in personality we would have found it painful to talk to her. Noelle still seems shaken by it."

"Is she okay?" Neal asked.

"Noelle will be her usual magnificent self soon enough. I think seeing Henry in the morning and then spending the day with the two of us will do wonders for her. Meredith, on the other hand..." she shrugged. "If she's really the stranger Noelle described, then I don't know what to say."

"What was the message you mentioned?" Neal asked.

"That's for Noelle to share, since Meredith entrusted her with it."

"More secrets?" Neal asked, not managing to keep all the bitterness out of his voice.

"There were too many secrets growing up, I suppose. I'm sure Meredith thought she was protecting you."

"And now Noelle is?"

Irene stood and put an arm around him. "No, dear boy. Give her a day or two to get used to what she learned and to decide how to tell you. Meredith gave her a challenging script, and it will take a little time to set up the scene correctly. You deserve the right setting for this. You both do. Can you trust me and be patient a little longer?"

How could he not trust her, when love for him shone in her eyes? But to be clear how much this was asking of him, he said, "Make sure she tells me before I leave for New York, or I start calling you Granny instead of Dressa."

"Well, really. There's no need to be rude." She pulled him close and kissed his cheek. "Behave."

When she left, he closed the door and called Peter.

"Hey, how was the party?" Peter asked. There was background noise, probably a baseball game on TV.

Neal described the festival atmosphere, and how they'd gotten Henry to show the pain he was feeling. "He's on the Executive Decision now, and they plan to go sailing for a while."

"Poor kid," Peter said, "but it's good that Graham's there for him. You're going to miss him, though."

"Yeah, especially... Listen, the reason I called is about Monday. We said we'd meet at the FBI headquarters, but can we go someplace a little more private?"

"My hotel would be best. We can... Hold on. El, can you...? Sorry about that. Satchmo was ready for his walk, and El's taking him out." He told Neal the name of the hotel where he'd be staying. "Wait for me in the lobby. We can go to the bar, or up to my room if you want."

"Thanks, Peter."

"You know, we can talk now. Whatever's bothering you, it doesn't need to wait till Monday."

"That's the problem. I don't know what it is yet. The marshals brought my mother to the party this evening, just long enough to tell Noelle something. She seems pretty shaken up by it. It must be a big deal, because apparently she needs a day or so to work up to telling me. I've extracted a promise that I'll get the truth before I leave."

"And Noelle's a strong woman. She wouldn't be shaken up by something minor."

"Exactly."

"Well, the offer stands. You can call me before Monday if you want. Either way, I'll be at the hotel lobby at 4pm, ready to listen to whatever it is."

###

Sunday morning Irene and Noelle went to see Henry off, and Edmund took Neal back to Cherry Hill Park. A few groups planned to stay another day, but most were packing up to head to their next venue. Edmund was there as host to say farewell, and many people from the older generation wanted to chat and offer invitations for Edmund and his family to catch up with the caravans next summer. Members of the younger generation wanted to talk to Neal about Urban Legend, and he received a few offers to join the caravan if he ever wanted to escape city life. It was nearly 1pm when Edmund took Neal to a restaurant downtown, where they met Irene and Noelle.

"How's Henry?" Neal asked.

"He has a long way to go," Irene said, "but it's a journey he was meant to take. He'll be stronger when it's over."

"That's kind of profound," Neal said.

"It's also a line from one of her movies," Noelle added.

"That doesn't make it any less true," Irene countered. They paused to tell the waiter their orders, and then she said, "We thought after lunch we'd go to the National Gallery of Art. We'd like to see the art through your eyes, Neal. And for the evening Noelle made reservations at the Carlyle Club. They have dinner and dancing."

Neal nodded. It sounded like an enjoyable day, but it differed from what Noelle had originally told him. The museum visit had been planned for the next day. "What's on the agenda for Monday?"

Irene slid a glance toward Noelle. "We're working on that."

He guessed that meant the big revelation – whatever it was – would happen tomorrow. As the day went on, he was torn between being glad he was braced for something shocking, and regretting that he had the distraction of that worry. At the National Gallery, for instance, he didn't get as much pleasure as he usually did from the paintings.

As he described what he knew of the painters and their techniques, he stopped the longest at Raphael's St. George and the Dragon. There was another painting by Raphael featuring St. George at the Louvre in Paris, but this version had been Kate Moreau's favorite. When Neal hadn't been able to find her, he'd seriously considered stealing this painting and replacing it with a forgery, just to get her attention. He'd even gone so far as to ask Mozzie to procure the museum schematics and security information.

His life had certainly taken a sharp turn from those days. Now Neal described the painting with all the admiration it deserved, but he was grateful a chance encounter with Peter had sent him down a different path.

Later at the Carlyle Club he again reflected on how his life had changed. This time last year he never would have imagined having a relationship with his grandparents, much less celebrating their wedding anniversary with them. He admired Dor and Dressa as they danced to "The Embassy Waltz" from My Fair Lady – an appropriate choice for an ambassador, he supposed. He took a spin around the floor with his grandmother to "Let's Face the Music and Dance," while Noelle danced with her father. Neal couldn't help wondering if the song selection had another meaning. Was he supposed to face the music on Monday?

During the meal Noelle became more talkative than she'd been all day, until her mother put a hand over hers and said, "It's all right, dear. Don't be afraid." It reminded Neal of something Noelle had said when he'd asked about his mother a few months ago. She had described Meredith as being silent and hiding when she was afraid, whereas Noelle became more talkative in the face of fear.

What was she afraid of?

A/N: As always, Silbrith had great suggestions as she endured multiple rounds of edits. As location scout, she found the Carlyle Club. Describing Meredith as encased in ice was also a comment from Silbrith that I decided needed to be included.