The sweat beads on his forehead, rolling down the bridge of his nose and drips from the tip as I hand him a drink, my gaze continuously straying to the front door as I wait anxiously for my team to arrive back.

They've been gone for far too long.

Artemis lazes against the lounge beside Mr. Arden, her head resting lazily in the palm of her hand as she watches me pace in front of them again, my hands running up the side of my thighs.

I'd let my parents know that we had acquired Mr. Arden and that he was safe with us, though the unknown state of his son had caused more worry than my team had needed in that moment. I hadn't told my parents yet, figured I'd tell them about Danny when they got here.

My head snaps to the front door as the sound of two cars driving into the driveway sounds, my feet taking me to the front door as I retrieve my gun and point it towards the ground as I sneak closer to the door, Artemis gets up from the lounge and walks beside me. Situating herself on the other side of the front door as I slowly move the curtain covering the window to the side so I can peak out.

"Is that my son?" Mr. Arden' voice shakes as he awaits any news of Danny.

I shake my head and look back at him as I unlatch the door, "No Sir" A breath leaves me as my family make their way up the driveway, I quickly open the door to let them in before shutting it behind them once Uncle Clay steps over the threshold.

"Mr. Arden" My mother steps forward as he stands up, she takes his hand and shakes it once before gesturing him to sit back down. "We're sorry for how everything turned out, we heard wind of an assassination attempt on your life and had to intervene, we hope you aren't freaked out too much" She takes the seat opposite him on the other lounge, my father walking behind her, his hazel eyes, matching to mine, straying over the windows and front door as he stops directly behind her, shoulders tense and eyes alert.

They catch mine and I smile as he nods his head, his lips mouthing the word 'proud' before he looks back at Mr. Arden with a stricter facial expression.

I feel a presence by my side and turn to Artemis, nodding my head at her as we both stand back, letting the parents take over as we lean against the wall next to the front door, my ears peeled for any sound of my teammates.

Uncle Liam walks around the room, his blue eyes on fire at he searches around.

"Where is Windsor?" he spins to Artemis and I, his hands fisting.

"Where's the boys?" Uncle Clay walks over, the conversation between my parents and Mr. Arden pausing as every face turns towards Artemis and I.

I bite my lip, glancing at Artemis from the corner of my eye.

"They went to get my son" Michael Arden spoke up, his shoulders dropping.

"Your Son" Aunt Cleo speaks up, walking closer from her spot at the furthest window, Aunt Andy by her side. "He wasn't in your file" she looks at Uncle Clay as she says this, her eyebrow raising as he was the one who gathered the information.

He shakes his head "I didn't find any information on any children, we were unaware you had any"

Mr. Arden shakes his head, "It's complicated between his mother and I, she didn't want me on the birth certificate, or anything to do with me" he looks up at us with sad eyes "I was a dumb kid and didn't want the child either, so I agreed until I saw my son for the first time when he was twelve. It didn't go over well and we are still learning. But I love him"

Dad nod his head, "The others, I'm guessing, went to go retrieve him"

"That's one way of putting it" Artemis speaks up and I narrow my eyes at her.

"What do you mean?" Aunt Lilac narrows her eyes at her daughter before those dark familair eyes settle on me "Paisley"

"His son goes to our school" I murmur, not looking at my parents faces. "His names Danny, Reid and him are close so when Reid found out he left to go get him, Ryland and Windsor left not long after to go help. We think the hit men might be going after Danny next"

"How long have they been gone?" Aunt Andy finally speaks up.

"Awhile" I finally look at my parents as mum stands up "Why didn't you ring us?"

"I thought we could deal with it"

Mum closes her eyes and disappointment hits me in the chest like an arrow to the heart, tears threatening to spill down my cheeks.

"Where were they going?" Aunt Lilac speaks up, stepping up beside her sister.

"The school" Artemis says as she steps up beside me, her shoulder bumping into mine in comfort.

"I'll go" Uncle Liam says, "That's my daughter out there"

"I'll go with him" Uncle Sebastian says,  "We'll bring them all back" he says as he nods at Uncle Clay and Aunt Cleo

I thought they'd be fine, they know what they are doing.

I open my mouth to say those exact words when the sound of a car interupts the tense silence.

Uncle Liam is the first to move, his gun in his hand as he creeps up to the door, looking through the same window I had looked through before, his fingers fiddling with the lock as he swings the door open.

Reid stumbles in, Danny by his side as he runs through the door and to his father who wraps him in a fatherly hug.

Ryland and Windsor walk in next, Uncle liam grabbing Windsor and looking over her for injuries.

"You hurt?" he asks her as he glares at Ryland, Reid by his brothers side shaking his head at the anonymity between the two.

"I'm fine" Windsor says as she hugs her father before pulling back, noticing his glare still on Ryland "Stop glaring at him" she snaps and Liam finally does.

"Are you guys okay?" Uncle Clay asks the boys as his shoulders relax, his question also directed towards Danny as he nods at the boy.

"We're fine, nothing we couldn't handle" Reid says cockily

"What happened?" Dad asks as he looks at the boys and Windsor

"I crashed my car" Reid says

"There was a car chase with the three hitmen who were a the museum" Ryland says sternly, glaring at his brother.

"They came to the school" Danny says, looking at his dad, "Reid got me out"

Mr. Arden looks at Reid with a smile, "thankyou"

Reid nods his head.

"All in a days work"

I shake my head at the cockiness wafting off of him, but the tenseness in the room dissipates, silence ensuing as I look at my mother once again, she smiles at me and I know she's not angry.

"So, how does one become a secret agent" Danny breaks the silence.

My head snaps to Danny before swinging to Reid who scratches the back of his head guitlity.

A collective groan resonates in the room, the parents shaking their heads as Aunt Cleo wacks Reid upside the head. 

"Dumbass" Artemis whispers towards Reid as she walks over to her mum and dad.

"We're going to take you to another safe house, Mr. Arden, until the threat is determined and dealt with, is that okay? You can bring your son and his mother as well"

Mr. Arden looked at Danny before nodding his head, "Yes, that's fine, thankyou" he looked at Reid "thankyou for looking after my son" Reid's cheeks redden as he nods his head in acceptance.

Uncle Clay directs Mr. Arden and Danny towards the door "I'll get you settled in"

"I'll help" Reid said as he jogs his way behind them.

Uncle Clay looks at his son and shakes his head with a smile, "Hurry"

Aunt Cleo grins as she watches her husband and son walk out and she looks towards Aunt Andy "I have another ship" she claps before following after them, but not before hugging Ryland and Windsor, "I have so many ships leaving the docks" She pouts and glares at  Uncle Liam as he opened his mouth "Shut up" she left the house and got in the car with Uncle Clay.

A laugh escapes my lips as I shake my own head, walking over to my parents and giving them a hug "Sorry, I didn't tell you"

"You don't have to apologise, we gave you this mission to complete, if I didn't have total faith you could do it, we wouldn't have given it to you"

"You did well" Dad said as he kissed the top of my head, my smile stretching.

"I love you guys" I whisper towards my parents as I pull them into a hug.

Dad chuckles, "we love you too Pais, endlessly" He squeezes me to him, his strong arms wrapping around me and squeezing me to his body as mums laughs at us, my giggle joining hers.