Kael covered the distance between them and gestured at the woman as he continued their heated discussion. Raising her palms defensively, the woman took a step back, then placed her hand on his shoulder as if trying to calm him down. He pulled away from her efforts; his voice rose just about the rest of the hum. He moved to walk past her, but she stepped in front of him. Her face tilted up to meet his as the argument continued.

I couldn't help but stare. How he could be here, arguing with an Interpol agent no less, was beyond my comprehension. I was so fixated on the two that I jumped when someone slammed my door shut.

Staring down at my lap, I recalled the scene in my head. The more I thought about it, the less it made sense. I wished my arm would stop throbbing. I looked back up at the door. The thought of that woman returning without him made it hard for me to breathe. Now that I knew he was here, I wanted him with me.

I pulled my sweater around my shoulders and moved to stand.

At that moment, the door was flung open. It hit the opposite wall with a loud thud. Kael stood in the doorway. The woman was close behind him.

She called out desperately, "See? I told you! She is fine!"

Kael's gaze flew to mine. Visible relief flooded his face. Before I could stand, he had come to pull me into his arms, forcing all air from my lungs with his embrace. I hugged him back with my good arm, surprised at my own emotions. "I was so worried," he breathed into my hair. He backed away just enough to look into my face and asked, "You're ok?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine." A smile split my face. I was surprised at how relieved I felt. "Thank God you're alright," I added.

"Well you've done it!" The woman's words were called from the doorway and they shattered the emotion of the moment. She slammed the door. Coming to stand at the opposite side of the table, her heels clicked with every step. She sounded furious as she said, "I don't think there's any way to do damage control now. Congratulations!"

Kael turned toward her but kept his arm around me. "She almost died, Ava! I don't care."

"Ava?" I asked. I looked across the table with wide eyes. Was it just a coincidence?

The woman ignored me. She leaned across the table, glaring darkly at Kael. "Of course you don't! It was my hard work that got us this far, so it's only right that your sloppiness should bring us back ten years. Honestly, Kael, she's useless. Would you explain to me what your angle is here?"

Kael slammed his fist on the table. The force knocked my water over. Ava jumped away to avoid getting wet. Still, he managed to get moisture on her skirt.

"Angle? I'm done, Ava."

"Hey!" I shouted at the two, tired of being ignored, "You're Ava?" I stared accusingly across the table at the woman.

"Yeah, Ava Price." She responded as she wiped the droplets from her skirt with an annoyed flick of her hand. Adding sarcastically, "Why, you've heard of me?" she met my stunned gaze and then realization dawned. She looked up at me, eyes wide, "You've heard of me?"

Kael interjected, "Madeline told her about your efforts to turn in Gideon all those years ago. Calm down. There's nothing she can do with that intel anyway."

Kael reached across the table and took her laptop, flipping it open.

I couldn't stop staring at the woman. Ava Price was not dead. What about the rest Madeline had told me? Was that all a lie?

"That's not all she told me..." I started, but Ava interjected.

"That is all." She looked at me pointedly, and said, "You and I can relive history later."

Her eyes shifted to Kael who never looked up from the computer screen. Her gaze flickered back to mine and somehow I knew. I knew what she was trying to convey. Kael doesn't know I'm your mother.

"Alright. Later." I agreed, struggling to suppress my curiosity. Her hair color was similar to mine. While her features were more aged than my own, I could be convinced of a resemblance.

Obviously sensing he had missed something that had passed between us, Kael glanced up.

"The news reports that there was a gas leak at the old castle. The whole thing is covered up." He turned the screen to face Ava, and asked, "Satisfied?"

I interrupted again, "How do you two know each other?" I looked between Ava's annoyed face and Kael's evasive one. My suspicions could not be suppressed. "Kael, you weren't arrested were you?"

He glanced at Ava before wincing and replying with a quiet, "No."

Ava moaned and turned her back to us muttering, "It's fine; your cover is blown with her anyway."

"You're an Interpol agent?" I gasped in surprise, backing away from him.

Kael rubbed the stubble on his cheek. Taking a deep breath he said, "Harper, I haven't been completely honest with you, but we'd have gotten nowhere without my cover identity."

I backed up and tried to process this revelation. I couldn't believe I was hearing this. He never lied. That was something on which I depended. Within an hour he had gone from being in danger of the law to being the law.

"He had no choice. We had to find a way to Gideon. Kael was our best option. Whether or not you see it is up to you, but it's a fact," Ava pointed out. She crossed her arms and started to pace.

Kael glared at her and turned back to me. "Basically," he said as he ran a hand through his hair in his familiar gesture, "I'm able to provide intel about criminal organizations using our transportation services. The cargo leads us to larger criminal organizations further along. So far, no one's figured out where the leaks originate. We've gotten some major names convicted. Before, we'd have no way of finding them." He pulled himself up to sit on the edge of the table, unconsciously holding his injured side and said genuinely, "I am sorry I couldn't tell you, but if anyone found out, the entire operation would be over."

Not to mention you'd be killed, I thought but all I said was, "I don't know what to say." My hand covered my mouth, unconsciously hiding that my jaw had slid open during his speech. Not only had I just met my biological mother, but he had sprung this on me. I stared blankly at the table. Even when Ava started to move I didn't raise my eyes.

Turning on her heel, she mumbled to Kael, "Why did you have to come in here?"

She started toward the door but held onto the handle a moment and thought out loud, "I've got some things to work out. Not sure where you should stay. To be honest I'd rather that you weren't out of my sight." Eying us both she said, "Wait here."

The door closed softly behind her. Kael turned to me, but I backed away. Shaking my head I said in disbelief, "All that time, when I was so upset about turning you in, why didn't you say something! I thought you were this monster and here you're..." I gestured at him with my good arm and added wearily, "...You should have told me."

"I couldn't," he said simply. He flipped one of the chairs around and sat down, leaning his arms on the back. The look in his eyes begged me to understand.

Eventually perhaps, I could. After all we'd been through though, he should have told me. I frowned down at him, "So you never just worked for Gideon. There was always this double life. What's wrong with you? How can you live like that and ever have a real life?"

"I didn't want a life."

He could see my expression wasn't softening so he sighed. Forcing himself to explain, despite his distaste for long speeches, he said, "When Ava approached me ten years ago, I wasn't aware of the full extent of Gideon's business. She knew all about his crimes and had failed to bring him down herself when she was younger. While she'd never given up on catching him, she needed a way back in to make any progress. I provided her that. But once I had his trust, we realized there was so much more we could do with my access than just bring down Gideon Harper. For me, this brings some atonement for my father's sins, meaning to Kiley's death. This is my life, Harper. This is all I wanted."

His eyes pleaded for me to relate to the meaning this life brought him. I loved how open he was in that moment. I loved that he had finally strung more than three words together. I wanted to understand. In time, I guessed I would.

The door opened and Ava walked in. She stopped short, staring. Neither of us moved.

"I don't like this," she said bluntly and waved her hand at us.

"Oh, Ava. Don't like what?" Kael turned around, sliding off his chair.

She shifted her gaze between us. "You know what. How close you two have become. I didn't know about this."

Kael seemed unaffected by her speech. I, on the other hand, was rather put off and replied heatedly, "If you had any idea what we'd been through..."

She entered the room, addressing me, "You can't stay here any longer. Your presence has already raised some eyebrows." To Kael she continued, "We must preserve what we can of your cover."

I asked suspiciously, "Is his position not known here?"

"Let's just say it's not acknowledged. I've had their blessing, but if this goes south, everyone will deny a relationship with him existed." Gathering her laptop, she lowered her voice and ordered, "Harper, you can come stay with me while we sort this out. Until we find Gideon, you won't be safe on your own. Kael, go stay at your flat in the city. Lie low, and I'll be in touch."

Kael had a place in the city? I was reminded yet again, how little I knew about the man.

*****

It's out. Kael's an agent, Ava's alive and, on top of it, his handler at Interpol. Surprised? Happy? Sad? Let me know what you think. And we've still got to find Gideon Harper... ;)

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