One year later

It had taken a lot of work and a lot of patience, but they'd finally found it.

Ironically enough, the ruby missing from the vault in Washington DC was neither planned, nor intentional, just a coincidence since it had been taken out for studying. Unfortunately, once the rest of the jewels had disappeared, the Counters had upped their game and made the jewel vanish.

It had taken a lot of inner spying and many painful interrogations conducted by Eye Patch to finally bring them the most basic information they needed: where it was.

Still in DC, in the depths of the new compound, protected better than the rest of them ever were, because now they finally realized what they were really up against. The new, flattering policy of no tolerance for Grants had made gauging the security around it even more problematic, but finally, almost one year from their last tango with death, Tom was back at it.

"Not much longer now," Kyle said into his headset.

"I know," he mumbled. "I can actually see the end of the vent."

"Just be careful," Angie said, her voice strained.

Tom gritted his teeth, hating that she was watching this, stressing over his safety. Of course, they couldn't see anything except a dot moving between the lines that mapped the ventilation system.

They'd analyzed the building from every angle and it soon became quite obvious that there was no getting in through the front door. But the room with the ruby did have a ventilation system that made sure it didn't become stuffy given that it was locked up tight. And it was through there Tom decided to crawl in and give it a whirl. After all, they never considered a tiny vent to be dangerous. They also didn't consider how street rats worked. Tom could definitely fit anywhere.

"It should've been me," Jimmy mumbled.

"We've been over this before," Tom said, rolling his eyes. "You or Kyle wouldn't have fit through the vent." And Jerry and Sam didn't even try to pretend they would be better at this than the certified street rat.

"You're coming out," Kyle cut in, obviously meaning to put an end to the discussion rather than give him some very obvious information.

He had a point, though. Tom and Jimmy had argued over this for two whole weeks before Kyle had put his foot down and sent Tom to do it. Because it really was crazy dangerous. Even now, a sickly red light filled the tiny room and laser beams danced in a random pattern they had been unable to crack. The only place which the lasers didn't reach was right above the tiny safe which housed the ruby. He had a a safe spot about the width of his outstretched arms which meant he'd have to go all mission impossible on it and hang upside down from the ceiling.

He'd known that. It was why he was perfect for the job, as much as Jimmy cursed and protested.

"I see the safe," he announced. "I'm going for it."

"Are you sure the lasers won't reach him?" Angie asked, obviously not talking to him.

"He can tell that better than we can at this point," Jimmy answered. "Most form my side were just theoretical calculations."

"I'll be fine, babe," Tom said, fixing his magnet and starting his upside down descent between laser beams. Not like they'd kill him if they touched him. Just sound the alarm and have someone else kill him.

"You need to be really careful," Jimmy said.

"I know, you nag. Or am I actually talking to Jerry?" Tom stopped a foot away from the safe. The laser beams danced around him, but didn't touch him. With careful moves, he reached into his multi-slotted vest and took out the tiny laser the size of a pen.

"I'm not being a nag," Jimmy said after a rather long pause. "But that laser I gave you uses a jewel fragment to amplify the beam. It's the only thing which will cut through that thick metal from that position and without making any noise. You have to do it in short bursts."

Tom had sort of gathered that seeing how long Jimmy took to develop the tiny laser and how much he'd tested it before declaring it the only thing small enough and powerful enough to break through the safe. The Counters had made sure it would be thick, resistant and much too heavy to steal directly. Circular saws were no longer an option.

"I'll be fine."

"No. Listen! If that beam hits the ruby, it will kill you instantly. You have to be careful."

Jimmy's words sent Tom's heart to his throat, which was easier than normal since he was hanging upside down. "I hope you left command center." And switched communications to a two-way channel between them.

"Yeah. Angie didn't hear me. Kyle knows."

"Good."

Of course Kyle knew. Kyle knew everything nowadays, the only one of them who actually had all the details, even the unpleasant ones. If they asked, he told them. If not, he made their lives as easy as possible. Jerry immensely appreciated his discretion.

"It really should have been me," Jimmy mumbled. "I could work on the calibration if the metal proved thicker or thinner."

"Well, since you couldn't keep it in your pants, here we are," Tom mumbled back, setting the intensity of the laser to medium.

"Ah, so the real reason is finally out! It wasn't about me being too big to fit. You kept me out because Jessie's pregnant. I'm killing Kyle!"

"You're killing no one." The blood to the head was making it a little hard to concentrate, but Tom pointed the laser at the edge of the safe. "We all agreed that it would be nice for you to meet your kid. I already know both of mine." He pressed the on button and a tiny burst of violet light filled the secure room holding the safe.

Nothing happened afterwards, so Tom pointed his flashlight downwards to check the damage. Jimmy kept talking, but he couldn't focus on both things at the same time, so he decided his mission was bit more important. The laser had put a dent in the metal, but didn't seem to have broken through. He needed to dial up the intensity.

"Tom? You're doing it, aren't you?"

"Yeah. And I sort of need to focus."

"Cut around the edges. The chances are that the ruby would be in the middle of the safe."

"Thanks. Will do."

"Tom."

The finality in his brother's voice stopped Tom from shooting at the vault again. "What?"

"I just want you to know that I'm very proud of you. You can do this."

Tom nodded, forcing himself to continue ignoring the gravity of what they were doing, the danger he was in. He had backup on the outside. Billy, Corey and Eric were with him, keeping watch. But in there, he was alone and in danger of frying himself. But Jimmy was right. He could do this.

"Tom?"

Sam's voice almost made him laugh. "Are we having a family reunion?"

"Not exactly. Just wanted to tell you to hurry up and grab that thing. Don't be your overdramatic self and try to turn it into something poignant."

"Do you know who you're talking to?"

"Yes. That's why I'm asking. Come back so we can end this already."

His twin's voice gave Tom the drive he needed to send a new blast at the safe. This time, the metal gave in and a deep gash appeared in the surface.

"Here we go," he mumbled to himself. "Let's get this over with."

And just like Jimmy said, he started cutting in short bursts around the edges. In what felt like hours, he managed to make a hole large enough to fit his hand through. And blindly, like they always ended up to somehow, he wrapped his fingers around the final jewel.

🧭

"What is taking so long?" Angie mumbled, pacing around the room they'd settled on for their command center.

"It's a delicate mission," Kyle said with a half-shrug, keeping his eyes on the blue prints in front of him. He tried not to show how nervous he was, and not because he didn't trust Tom and Jimmy or their wonderful plan, but because he was much too far away from Tom for his liking.

A few months ago, they'd left the labs in Montana to make sure they didn't stay in the same spot for too long. And Billy had mentioned seeing more strangers in Magnet Town which they took as their cue to get the hell out of there. So, they'd settled in Mexico instead, in Davyn's first base in the jungle. The idea that they were back where they'd found the ruby the first time was bitter sweet and rather poetic. Just like Tom liked it. Like Davyn would have liked it.

But that didn't mean not being in DC wasn't torture. Kyle drummed his fingers over the blueprints, not really seeing them. Tom's GPS dot hadn't moved in what felt like forever. Their watches stayed blissfully silent.

"He's fine, Angie. Tom is a pro," Jessie said, leaning over the table herself.

Kyle could see she was tense, and he wished he could do something for her, but her last trimester of pregnancy had gotten her into a crummy mood, so he respected her personal space more than  ever. Only Jimmy was allowed to touch and hold her, even if she sometimes cursed at him for getting her like that in the first place. Which was rather funny since it wasn't an accident, but something they'd both decided on.

"Yes, I know. I just..." Angie stopped in the middle of the room and groaned. "I hate this. I hate all you guys! I hate that I understand you! That we still have to keep hiding even after a whole year."

"It will be fine," Jerry said from his armchair in the corner. "Once we get rid of the jewels, we can relax a little."

"Yeah, right," Angie mumbled. "As if we don't still have a million pissed off agents after us. And now..." Her gaze drifted to Steve who stood on the other side of the table, his gaze lost on the numerous plans.

"Are you about to rub my failure in my face?" he asked.

In some ways, he meant it in a humorous manner, but Kyle still tensed. Steve had changed a lot after he'd been caught spying and tortured for information about them. They'd busted him out, but the Counters had managed to inflict some permanent damage. There was a deep gash on his right cheek which almost cut into his eye, and his right hand was stiff from the elbow down, taking most of his mobility. At the time, he had joked that he was lucky he was lefthanded, but chronic pain had taken most of his humor.

"Of course not," Kyle said, deciding to end all arguments. "And you didn't fail. You did great. You're the one who found out where the las jewel was. It's thanks to you that we have these plans."

"True," Steve said with an honest grin. "I am pretty awesome."

"Of course you are," Jessie said. "And you're still so very useful to us."

"What can I say? I like bossing Jimmy around."

Kyle gave him a smile, then turned back to the monitor on the wall and his heart jumped. Tom's dot was moving again. Right on cue, Jimmy and Sam burst into the room.

"He got it," Sam announced.

"Oh, thank God!" Jessie flopped into the armchair behind her. Jimmy went to her immediately, putting his hand on her shoulder.

Angie rushed to the table as well, her eyes on the monitor which showed Tom crawling back out of the vent. Her elbows still shook, but the look on her face was one of hope. It took another few grueling minutes, but finally, Tom seemed to be safe.

"There was no need not to trust him," Jerry said, as calm as ever.

"I know that. I just can't help feeling worried." Angie wrung her hands. "I just want him to get here."

"He will," Sam assured her. "In a few hours, he'll be walking through that door."

The door opened, but instead of Tom, Kay came in, holding baby Davyn against her. 

"How's it going?" she asked, her voice trembling the slightest bit.

"Tom got the jewel and is on his way out," Jimmy said.

Kay let out a deep breath of relief. "I knew he could do it. Because he's amazing." She winked to Angie before turning to Kyle. "This means it's about time I got started on dinner. Better make it something fancy. Here, hold this kid."

Kyle tried not to laugh as he took Davyn for her. He reached out with an adorable grin and grabbed his nose. It was maybe the height of irony, but Kay had been right in thinking they were having a boy. And the moment he was born, even if Kyle was still a little unsure about it, it became obvious that they couldn't name him anything else. Unlike Jenny and Alex who had taken traits from both him and Kay, Davyn seemed to be like a miniature version of him, at least according to Maxi. Jet black hair and blue eyes that seem to become darker each day. The name seemed to be more than fitting.

"Do you want me to help with dinner?" Jerry asked, standing.

"No, I still need you here," Kyle said.

Kay raised an eyebrow, probably suspicious as to why Jerry was still necessary, but she'd long learned that if he wasn't saying anything to her, it was probably something she didn't want to know. So she just gave him a quick kiss and let herself out.

"Three kids later and you're still doing that?" Steve asked with a grin.

Kyle narrowed his eyes at him. "There's a lot of other things we still do, even with three kids."

"Please, we really don't need to hear that," Jerry said.

"As if you don't do the same," Jimmy said with a laugh.

"Ugh, not with the kids here," Jessie said, standing. "What's going on? What do you still need Jerry for?"

"There's nothing going on with Tom," Kyle answered instead. "We really do believe he's out of the woods."

"And hopefully into the jungle," Jessie mumbled. "Okay then. Since Kay is cooking, I think we need more babysitters. Angie?"

"Yes, yes. Children," Angie said. Her eyes lingered on Tom's dot for another few moments, but then she headed out as well.

"Um, Steve..." Kyle said.

"I get it. You want me to babysit as well." He gave a shrug that made him wince, but let himself out of the room.

"What's going on?" Jimmy asked the moment they were alone.

"Tom will be back in a few hours," Kyle said, moving Davyn to rest on his hip. "We need to decide how fast we want to do this."

"Oh, you mean go to Brazil?" Sam asked. He bit his lower lip and glanced towards the door as if he dreaded having to leave their temporary safe haven.

"Yes, that." Kyle's insides tightened as well at the thought. 

Even if they'd moved around quite a bit after leaving the labs in Montana, they'd mostly kept to the country, using Davyn's various proprieties and hideouts. The only reason they'd come to Mexico before going for the last jewel was safety, so that they'd be maybe a little harder to reach in a foreign country. Their war with the Counters hadn't died down the slightest bit as they only managed to identify two more important people to interrogate on the matter of their chain of command. Just like Keeves before them, they'd preferred to off themselves rather than give anything useful.

They'd also suffered loses, a part of the recruits from the Counters getting caught in the crossfire. Every death weighed heavily on them, but as Corey had pointed out when it all began, they knew what they were getting into and they wanted to end their former employer just as much, even if their last name wasn't Grant.

Unfortunately, it was what it was, and the only thing they could do about it was make sure the Jewel Project was incapacitated for good, just the way the Serum Project had been once they blew up the facility in California.

The only issue with going to Brazil was having to take shelter in the place they'd finally found out the entire truth about their family. The place Maxi had shot Freider dead. The place Davyn had died and Kyle had lost the father he never knew he had or wanted. Even if it had been a year, he wasn't sure he was ready yet. But it wasn't like he had much of a choice.

"I think we should get it over with," Jimmy said. "Keeping all the jewels together is very risky. Even if they're broken into pieces. You saw the intensity of the lasers I was able to develop using only small fragments."

"Jimmy's right," Sam said with a sigh. "We have to do this. This part of our lives has to be over."

That was a pretty frightening thought on its own, even if Sam was definitely right.

"Okay," he said. "Tom gets back, we let him rest, and then we head for Brazil. Just the five of us."

Jerry, Sam and Jimmy al nodded, their expressions grave. They'd all decided that this was something they had to do alone, even without the girls. And they'd understood that in this case, the less they knew, the better. Because come hell or high water, the secret was dying with them.

"Can we not linger there, though?" Jerry asked, rubbing his arm.

"Scared of ghosts, Jer'?" Jimmy asked with a grin. "Weren't you the one who suggested we stay there?"

"Well, yes, but a lot of time has passed and I'm not sure I'd be able to stomach it. A lot of our lives were turned upside down in that place."

"Don't worry. We're going to be there two nights tops," Kyle assured him. "Depending on the weather. I'll just send Rud  and a few of his boys as lookouts, to make sure the place is still safe."

They all nodded just as the door opened and Maxi slipped inside. "I'm so glad you're all here." She headed forward and took Davyn out of Kyle's arms bouncing him up and down, a soft smile on her face. When she turned her attention back to them, she seemed to realize that she was wrong. "Wait, where's Tom?"

"Out," Sam said. "He'll be back soon." He tilted his head, inviting their mother to speak.

Maxi didn't. Her attention turned back to the baby who had sunk his pudgy hand in her hair and pulled. It only made her smile more and kiss his cheek. "Do you want me to take him out?"

"No, I'm good," Kyle said, reaching out his arms.

His mother handed him back immediately, though she looked a little disappointed. However, over the past year, Maxi had learned to respect boundaries and  help any time she was needed. She read to her grandchildren, helped with the food and was usually pleasant to be around when she didn't lock herself in her room. But even so, this life in the midst of family chaos and danger didn't seem to suit her. She'd grown thin and seemed to be withering, even if they'd all tried to include her in mundane things as much as possible and make her feel useful.

It didn't seem to work. She had days when everything was sunny and days when she refused to even eat. The more the time passed, the less sunny days there were. She'd had a tiny revival when Davyn was born, but since he and Kay had never wanted her butting in too much for obvious reasons, she'd respected their limits. She had so many other kids to entertain anyway, and it's not like she didn't spend time with Davyn, too.

Even so, there was always a lingering air of sadness surrounding her and Kyle wondered if she'd ever get over what happened and be herself again. Whoever herself was.

"The thing is," she said, "I wanted to talk to all of you."

"Tom should be home in a few hours. Maybe talk tomorrow?" Jimmy suggested.

Maxi glanced from him to Sam and Jerry, then back to Kyle. The more she did, something seemed to break inside her. "I don't think I can."

Kyle frowned. "Can what?"

"Put this off any longer. I've been thinking about it for months, and finally drew the courage to let it out into the open. I'm afraid that if I don't..." She raised her eyes to them and they were filled with tears.

"Mom, are you okay?" Sam asked, worry lacing his voice.

She shook her head and stared back at her feet. "No, I'm not." She took in a deep breath and faced them again. "And the thing is, I don't think I will ever be."

"That sounds a little unlikely," Jerry said reasonably. "It's only been a year and you've been doing so well."

"It hasn't only been a year, Jerry." Maxi stepped back and hugged herself. "It's been thirty one years. But as long as they were alive, I felt like I was part of something, however twisted that is. Now that they're gone... I'm alone."

"Alone?" Jimmy asked raising his eyebrows. "You have five kids and a gazillion grandchildren. You couldn't be alone if you tried."

"It's not about that," Sam whispered.

Kyle knew that and he was sure Jimmy knew as well. They were just trying to avoid the obvious meaning of her words, because none of them liked it. It was something they couldn't fix.

"Them?" Kyle asked instead.

Maxi nodded. "Despite everything, I loved Freider in my own way. Built my life with him. And Davyn... I still can't understand why I could never hate him, why I always wished he would come back."

"He did come back," Kyle pointed out.

"Which makes losing him again even harder to bear." She wiped a fleeting tear from her eyes. "Now it's just me, part of a past better left buried."

"Mom..." Jerry reached out, but she took another step back.

"I appreciate what you're trying to do, I really am," she said, her voice filled with tears. "You've all been so great to me given the circumstances, and your kids are a delight. But this isn't my life, it's yours. And I don't belong in it."

"That's not true--" Sam started.

"It is. I feel like I don't belong. I want to go back."

"Back where?" Jerry asked stupefied.

"Back home. Back to Chicago."

"Mom, you do know that if you set foot in Chicago, you're as good as dead, right?" Jimmy asked.

"I know. But here I'm suffocating. I need to go back to where I belong."

A weight plunged into Kyle's stomach. After their last serious conversation over Davyn's body, they hadn't really had a heart to heart. He hadn't needed it and Maxi had changed so much after everything. He'd managed to detach himself from her and love her from afar, without needing her smothering presence. But that didn't mean that her words didn't pierce his soul.

"So you're basically asking for our permission to commit suicide."

Maxi winced at his words, but when she raised her gaze, the determination in it explained for a second what Davyn might have ever seen in her. "I don't have to ask for your permission. I'm asking for you understanding."

"Mom..." Sam's voice was filled with defeat.

"I can't live like this, Sam," she whispered. "As much as I love you... Well, you already know by now that I'm not much of a parent. I don't even know how to be my own person."

"You can learn--" Jerry started.

"I'm tired, Jerry. I just want to go home." The finality in her voice stopped any other protests from their side.

"What about Maman? And Max?" Kyle asked.

Maxi's smile was filled with sadness. "I think they understand this better than you do."

Kyle had nothing else to say to that. It was her decision and he respected it, even if he didn't necessarily agree with it. "Do you want us to take you home?"

She shook her head again. "I don't want you to be in danger. I'll talk to Phillip and figure it out."

"You do know we love you, right?" Jimmy said.

She glanced at him, apparently pleasantly surprised by the declaration. "I know. You've done so much for me. But now it's time for me to go back." She took a few steps forward and placed her hand on Kyle's cheek. "You'll be fine without me."

He knew that, but it didn't make it any easier. So when she leaned in for a hug, he hugged her back, baby and all. Davyn just giggled and pulled on her hair some more. Sam, Jerry and Jimmy joined the hug.

"Just wait for Tom before you go," Sam said, pulling back. "He'll want to say goodbye."

"Of course," Maxi said with a smile, looking more at ease than Kyle had ever seen her.

As she let herself out of the room, he felt as if he'd been struck by lightning. By the looks on his brothers' faces, they seemed to be feeling the same way.

"We're... Um, are we...?"

"I don't think there's anything we can do about this, Kyle," Jerry said with a deep sigh. "If it's what she wants, all we can do is support her."

And just like that, there was nothing left to say.

🧭🧭🧭

Wow, that turned dark. But they have the last jewel, so yay? Yay I guess. 

You do manage to get some details of the things that have happened over the past year. And now, just as the final chapter rolls in, you get to witness the end of the jewels. As a heads up, the next chapter is short. It was meant to be a part of this one, but it turned out too long.

We're SO CLOSE to the end! Vote and comment for support!