Re: Travis/Thomas
"I know you did, and I think there are alternatives, but that's not my choice to make; it's yours," Travis said. "No one can tell you how to do this." He didn't understand the dynamics in that family, he didn't get how parents could treat their children with such disregard, but then he'd always wondered the same thing about his own parents.
"I do. I promised you that I'd have your back, and I take my promises seriously. Besides, you need someone who can train you while you are out there. This isn't a vacation, and you know it, but you've never had to deal with what most people deal with all of their lives and on top of that, you have a government trying to bring you in. You can't do this alone. Very few people can, and those people have had serious undercover experience, so you need me, and I'm going, but remember what I told you during that first conversation?" he asked, looking at Thomas. "I'm not coming along to be your secret service protection. I'm coming as your partner and I do have expectations, like the fact that I expect you to watch my back. I'm going to need you to be clean out there, Thomas. I know it's going to be hard, and you'll be tempted, but I need you to do your part. Do you understand that? You want a chance to do it on your own; well, here it is. You have responsibilities now. My safety is your responsibility just like yours is mine. If you're ready, we're back to my initial question: any plans or are we winging it?"