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Leon Vance ([info]leon_vance) wrote in [info]omega_reality,
@ 2012-10-02 08:28:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:*complete, 2012 10, character: alexis castle, character: april kepner, character: brian kinney, character: bud hammond, character: claudia donovan, character: derek morgan, character: derek reese, character: dominic vail, character: douglas hammond, character: elaine barrish hammond, character: eliot spencer, character: emily prentiss, character: g callen, character: john connor, character: margaret barrish, character: marty deeks, character: nell jones, character: robert callen, character: sam hanna, character: savannah monroe, character: sean hanna, character: thomas hammond, character: tim riggins, character: travis marks, character: troy bolton, dead: eric beale, dead: jenna hanna, dead: leon vance, dead: mike renko, dead: nathan ford, dead: nick green, dead: sheldon cooper

RP: Decision time
Who: Everyone
Where: Dining Room
When: 0800, October 2, 2012
Summary: Leon shares some news

Leon waited for people to have breakfast. He wanted everyone's attention before finally starting the meeting that would change their lives once again, because this time it wasn't just moving to a different location, but changing the way they did things. Their covers would not about names, but about pretending to fit in a world that wasn't theirs while working their own agenda and hoping to succeed before a new attack.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if I might have your attetion. I'm sure you all understand why actions must be taken. While our job is to survive and find a way home, we can't let others with our powers destroy the people here. Only we have the knowledge and powers needed to stop them, or at least keep them in check. Last night, I had a meeting with President Allen, and she wants to reinstate ICIS." It was so much easier to hide behind names, titles, federal structures. Both sides were using them for their own purposes, Leon knew that, but at this point it was the best they could do to protect all involved.

"I agreed with her. We will be stationed at the base again. However, it won't be a full brigade. We will have instead a special troops battalion and support battalion. Each battallion will have its own Colonel and they will report to me. For those who don't know about military structure, the special troops battalion includes the MPs, a support platoon, a CBRN Reconnaissance Platoon, a Military Intelligence Company, Network Signal Company and Combat Engineer Company. While the support battallion includes a Distribution Company, Maintenance Company, Medical Company, two Infantry Platoons, one Cavarly RSTA and Fires Platoon, al Forward Support Companies. The MPs will run security through the base. Medical will still run the hospital. We will need the forward support company and the CBRN platoon to help out with the cleaning up at the WTC. However, that means that we have four platoons with capabilities of taking us out." He didn't want anyone to forget that little part.

"This move will mean that our lives will change radically. As some of you know, ICIS is a federal agency and as such we must work within an established framework of rules and titles. You will have official positions that might not reflect your real job. It also means that suddenly we have military answering to us and we need to deal with that." He turned to the two people who helped the most in the office. "Ms. Jones, Mr. Kinney, you will have planty of work, but they aren't going to be the only ones. Mr. Callen, Mr. Morgan, the President wants a more regulated agency, which means titles, dress codes. On the other hand, I have obtained some leeway on how to deal with arrivals. Not everyone will have to be a field agent, however that's something to be used very rarely and for good reason: disability, age. Again the fact that everyone will have to qualify doesn't mean that we need everyone in the field.

"For those you were here before, you will have backpay into your account. That's close to $90,000 for the year, minus all deductions. We'll need someone to make taxes, file it retroactively. Once we figure out what's left, I'd ask 10% from each of you to give to the new people. Also, you will need to decide what to do about marriage status. We'll need to create marriage licenses and birth certificates for the children for taxation purposes." He stopped for a moment, giving them time to assimilate everything. "These perks come with lots of strings attached, like the fact that we can never be safe. It's only an apparent safety that we have, and everyone should remember that. The reason I'm saying all of this is because while I told the President that ICIS will return, I am gving you the option to leave. Now, remember that our primary mission is to find every dimensional traveler. If you don't join us, you will have to stay off the grid. We'll provide new documents and even some money, but after that, you are on your own. If you pop up in any records, we will have to find you and bring you in for your own safety. If you chose to go, you can also find us at the base at a later time. The cover story will be very simple. While on the run, people were given the option of going off on their own. You heard ICIS was back, you returned. However, this is a one time deal. If you choose to stay, that's it. If you choose to go, you do it now. If you choose to come back, it's a one time thing. Unfortunately you don't have time to think, we need to close down this facility and try to be at the base by the end of the week, which gives us only a few days. I need to know now so that arrangements can be made. Also after we're done with this, I need to see all four leads. Training is done for the rest of the week. Ladies and gentlemen start pack things up, decide what you want to bring with you and what you'd like to have stored in case we have to run again.

"So does anyone want to leave?"


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[info]april_kepner
2012-09-29 06:54 pm UTC (link)
April stared at the Director. Had he lost his mind? Did he really think that it was such an easy decision to make that you could make it at the drop of a hat without even discussing it? There was no way she was answering this without properly discussing it with Eliot first, there was too much at stake.

"Sir, with all due respect, I need to discuss this with my husband first. The safety of our child on the line. Can we have a moment to talk about this in private?"

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]leon_vance
2012-09-29 07:14 pm UTC (link)
Leon turned to glare at her. He understood that some people couldn't make decisions quickly, but to play the child's card, as if that made them special had him see red. "With all due respect, Doctor, this is about the three thousand people who died, it's about the safety of every man, woman and child in this outfit, it's about the safety of all the people of this country. Everyone's safety is on the line."

He nodded, though, because he didn't want anyone changing their minds the next day. "You can have until I speak with the leads, but before I dismiss you, anyone else has any questions, concerns or does not want to come."

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[info]hammond_tj
2012-09-29 08:44 pm UTC (link)
TJ had stood in the back, listening. He remembered the year that followed when this happened in their world, still at school at GW. The demonstrations had started on campus shortly after he gave up and left. But, he was too high at the time to really care much about what was happening. He'd watched on that day with the rest of the world, then gone to get high because it was all too much. Once the smoke cleared on the horizon, when most of his life at the moment had been on campus, it was easy to forget and try to get lost in the parties and drugs and sex, all the things they'd excused as life-affirming, but were really an escape from everything.

And he knew he couldn't help these people. Even if he had wanted to, he wasn't that guy. He wasn't the guy who helped or thought of others. He wasn't the guy who did anything unless it was to garner his parents' approval or to piss them off. Travis hadn't been wrong, even if TJ wouldn't admit it. The idea of being someone on his own, not having to answer to those expectations was a dream. But, not one he had ever been able to try for.

Only, now, he might have that chance.

If he was strong enough to take it.

He didn't really give a damn what these people thought of him. He didn't owe them anything and he hadn't volunteered to join up with them in the first place. The only ones he felt enough remorse at leaving behind that it might change his mind, were Doug and Nana. No matter what he did, his parents would find fault. But, he'd never not had contact with his brother. Even when he was avoiding his parents, he'd never ignored Doug's calls. And Nana wouldn't understand, period. She still believed he could get better with his family easier than without.

For Doug, he might stay. Nana might guilt him into it.

But, TJ's natural impulsiveness and tendency toward rash actions in his personal life and he was speaking up before he had a chance to stop himself.

"I'd like to go. I'll take the out and leave now."

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[info]elaine_hammond
2012-09-29 08:50 pm UTC (link)
Elaine never even considered the possibility of not going. They needed the knowledge and money that these people had, but more than that, this was a nation crashed by recent events and it was their duty to help. This was why they ran, to make sure that terrorists were stopped, people were helped and they had the advantage of having gone through this.

With that in mind, she wasn't prepared for TJ's request. "Nonsense, sweetie. I know you're upset, but you can't just leave and forget about this. We have to go and we have to help. We all do." She didn't mention that TJ had no chance in hell to survive on his own. He'd never done it and to do it under the circumstances was unreasonable. "We'll go to New York, and we'll do our part."

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[info]hammond_tj
2012-09-29 09:18 pm UTC (link)
"No, Mom, we don't." He should have known there would be an immediate argument. When had his family ever just accepted that he'd made a decision for himself? When had his mother ever accepted that he could think and reason and have opinions that didn't match theirs? "You have to go because you are the great Elaine Barrish, out to save us all. And Dad wouldn't be able to stay away from a political emergency if his life depended on it." He left Doug and Nana out of the argument, even though he knew Nana would never leave her daughter and Doug couldn't say no to their mother in his life. He never had been.

"There is no reason for me to go. None. I'm not a politician or a cop or a soldier, agent, whatever else people are that do these things. I'm no good to anyone out there and you know it. God, you and Dad have told me often enough. So, you go. You do what you always do and go. But, I'm not going. I didn't sign on for this insane asylum and if he's offering a way out, I'm going to take it."

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[info]doug_hammond
2012-09-29 09:27 pm UTC (link)
Doug had stayed quiet, hoping that TJ would come to his senses when their mother spoke up, but he could tell that this was shaping up to be another family drama, but this time, it would be in front of all of these people. Their lives sucked.

"This isn't about Mom or Dad. We have to go, because we'd one this before. We know the problems that came up, we know how people did searches with no masks and got sick, we know how the psychiatrists used incorrect techniques causing more people to be depressed. We know and we can help," he said.

"There's a very good reason for you to go. Even if you don't want to help, you still need to come, because what's the alternative. You've never worked in your life, you don't have money, you don't know how to be undercover." He shook his head. "You can't even stay clear. Come on, TJ, are you high? Because this is really not the time to make decision while flying high. We're going, we're all going, let's stop this."

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[info]hammond_tj
2012-09-29 09:53 pm UTC (link)
TJ huffed irritably as soon as Doug started speaking. He should have known his brother would side with their mother. Some days, Doug seemed to get it, treated TJ like a brother. But, more and more often lately, he started to sound just like them and TJ couldn't take it.

"No." He spoke quietly and shook his head. "None of you will believe it, I know. You never do. But, I'm not high and I'm not going. There is nothing I can do to help those people, to help these people. I can't even help myself, isn't that what you're really saying?" He put his hands on his brother's shoulders and squeezed. "I can't do it, Dougie. I can't...do this anymore. For you, I would have stayed. For you. But, not for them. Not if all you can do is parrot what she says. I'd stay for my brother, my twin brother. But, not for the Chief of Staff at State. If I can't help myself, how can you expect me to help anyone else? I'm not you. I'm not like any of you. I'm tired of living up to the expectations of a life I didn't ask for and never had any choice in. I have a choice now and I'm going to take it.

"Besides, I'll probably fail anyway, right? I don't know anything. And then I'll have to come back and you can all tell me how you were right and I was a fool to go because I've always been too weak to do anything. Isn't that really what this is all about? Poor TJ. He doesn't have the heart for this life and isn't strong enough to survive without us? Maybe it's time we test that theory. I'm thirty-one years old and I have no life or identity outside this family. How fucked up is that?"

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[info]doug_hammond
2012-09-29 10:01 pm UTC (link)
"I believe you," Doug answered just as softly, "but that's not a good enough reason, TJ. You need to stay here, with your family, and I don't care what you can and can't do, but I need you safe, and the truth is that you are more like us than you are like them," he said waving toward the rest of the group.

"We're not robocops and super soldiers. We're a political family, we know how to do that, we can do that, and we'll help that way, and in the meantime, you are safe." He cupped his brother's cheek. "If you fail, you can end up dead and if you succeed, I might still not see you again. I can't survive without you. You make this family as much as any one of us. Please, TJ, this isn't the time to want to be on your own."

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[info]hammond_tj
2012-09-29 11:13 pm UTC (link)
"Dougie..." His brother had almost had him. If his brother needed him, TJ would stay. But, he didn't. He was arguing for the family again. And TJ couldn't play that game anymore. This couldn't be about the family because he knew once he gave in to the family this time, he'd never escape this cycle. He'd be crushed under the family machine.

"You've never needed me to survive, little brother. You're the strong one, the smart one who always knows what to do. You'll probably be better off without me. This family certainly doesn't need me to survive. I'm the one that always needs help, always needs to be told what to do because when I'm let out on my own all I do is screw up and then all of you have to clean up after me to protect the family reputation. I'm the one that hurts this family more than anyone because I'm the one who's not a politician. I'm not a cop or a soldier, no. Spoiled little rich boy, maybe, but I'm not a politician and I never will be."

Pulling his brother close, TJ hugged him and his voice dropped to a true whisper. "If you were me, what would you do? If you were me? Someday that life will kill me, too. I'm not strong like you. I don't want to leave you, Doug. But, I don't want to die never knowing who I am, if I'm anyone at all."

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[info]doug_hammond
2012-09-29 11:34 pm UTC (link)
Doug held his brother tight. No matter how much he complained that 'little brother' always got to him, because no matter the names and birth order, Doug had always felt like the older brother, the one that needed to take care of TJ, and then TJ remembered who was supposed to be the older one.

"It's not fair, TJ. I don't want to lose you like this." He pulled back, and God, only his brother could make him feel so much. "You're going to find what you need to and then you'll find us, because if you don't, I will find you and kick your ass, do you understand? You come back to me, okay? Because I can't-" He looked away, trying to rein in his emotions, before looking back at his twin. "I need you, too. I'm not as strong as you think."

Elaine looked at the two like they had both lost their minds. "Doug, don't indulge him. He can't go."

"Mom-" He turned to his mother. "I love you, Mom, but you need to let him choose. He's not a kid anymore, and you can't make the decisions for him."

"He's going to die, Dougie. Is that what you want?" Elaine asked. "TJ, how are you going to stay undercover? How long before they found you? How long before you need to get a job?"

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[info]hammond_tj
2012-09-30 12:44 am UTC (link)
"You're not getting rid of me that easily. I'm like the black cat that never goes away, right?" Trying to smile reassuringly at Doug, TJ pressed their foreheads together. "Love you."

He loved his brother even more for the unexpected show of support in front of their mother. That Doug not only let him go, but stood for him in front of their mother instead of staying quiet meant more than TJ would be able to say. Possibly for a long time. Fuck. Was he sure he wanted to do-

Oh, yes. He was sure. The moment she turned her attention on him again, TJ knew he had to do this. "I don't know, Mom. But, I'll figure it out. Maybe I'll find a rich married man to screw until he leaves me for his wife. That's what you're really afraid of, isn't it? Poor little TJ never knows what's good for him? You've never given me credit for anything, never taken a chance on me. And you can't protect me here, Mom. The Hammond name, the Barrish name? They don't mean shit here and I can't hide behind them forever."

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[info]elaine_hammond
2012-09-30 12:50 am UTC (link)
"Oh Jesus Christ, TJ, grow up." They were making such a scene in front of these people, and TJ couldn't seem to keep any of their- his dirty laundry from the rest. "I don't care about Sean or any politician you want to fuck. This isn't about that. You've grown up with Secret Service protecting you. The Sigs pointed at possible dangers weren't held by you or any of us. Just because I'm not the next president doesn't mean that we stop thinking."

She looked at her husband and mother. "Say something. Maybe he'll listen to you since both of them have lost their minds."

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]travis_marks
2012-09-30 12:57 am UTC (link)
Travis was listening, picking up a little more than the rest, simply because of how much time he'd spent talking to Thomas, but what really got to him was how none of them seemed to really talk to each other, but talked at each other, scoring points and never trying to see the other's point of view. Moment like these made him truly happy about his foster families.

He cleared his throat and took a step forward. "If I may. Thomas, your mother is right; no matter how good these guys are, you can't learn the skills needed to survive undercover in a week. But with all due respect Ma'am, you can put an addict on a military base and not expect something bad to happen. Maybe a compromise. He's been my unofficial partner since we started training, so I'll go with him," he said. "I'll train him while we're away, and when he's ready to deal with things on his own, then I'll come in, or we'll come in if that's his choice, but regardless, by then he'll have the skills to survive here, if that's what he wants to do. Thomas, are you okay with that?"

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[info]hammond_tj
2012-09-30 02:01 am UTC (link)
"That's what I'm trying to do, Mo-"

TJ turned to stare at Travis as he stepped forward and began speaking. For a moment, he wanted to growl in frustration at what seemed like the other man's betrayal. After all his pretty words about having TJ's back, he was agreeing with the rest that TJ wasn't capable without them. But, then he went on and TJ's jaw nearly dropped. Not only was he seemingly standing up to his mother, but offering to come with TJ.

Of course, that also negated TJ's push to get out on his own. But, he could be honest with himself if with no one else. He didn't have the first clue about staying off the radar or taking care of himself. He was probably just as helpless as his family painted him to be, despite this need to prove to himself he could live without them.

"Yeah, I can live with that." He nodded, watching Travis curiously. He still didn't know what to make of the man. But, if it was going to get him out of here, out from under his parents' rule, he'd take the offer.

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[info]travis_marks
2012-09-30 02:08 am UTC (link)
Travis didn't look at Elaine Barrish or Bud Hammond, but turned to Vance. "Sir, if it's all right with you, Thomas and I will need to start making a list of what we need, passports, social securities, credit cars, guns, ammo, maybe a decent car, a place to relocate. We probably should be out of here, before you're ready to move."

Leon thought for a moment. He really hadn't expected anyone to take him up on the offer, and now they were people leaving, but at least with Marks there, this young man might stay alive long enough to get cleaned and come back to the base. "All right. Give work with Ms. Jones and Mr. Kinney. We do have covers prepared in advance that you'll be able to use and we'll give you what we can, but Mr. Marks, they have your face on record. We won't be looking for you, but if you're on their radar, we'll have to bring you in."

"Understood, Sir. We'll be fine." He wasn't sure if that was going to be the case, but one of them had to have some confidence and it wasn't going to be anyone else."

"All right, if there's nothing else, you're dismissed," Leon said. "Mr. Spencer, Doctor, I'll be waiting for your answers as well. Leads, to my room."

(Reply to this) (Parent)

April and Eliot
[info]april_kepner
2012-09-29 08:38 pm UTC (link)
April was not unobservant, she didn't fail to observe how offended a lot of them were of her words, but she would not take them back or apologize for wanting to put her child's well being first. There was nothing she could do for the people who had already died, and the others' decisions were their own to make. She said nothing about this, however, just waited until they were dismissed so that she and Eliot could go off and talk.

They hadn't talked much yesterday, instead they'd watched in horror with the others. Eliot was pissed off and quiet and when things calmed down a bit they'd talk about it, but now they had a decision to make and not nearly enough time to make it.

Taking Cody as they headed outside, they let him run as they walked. "So what do you want to do?" she asked once they were alone. "I know I'm being selfish, and it's not that I don't want to help the victims of all of this, or do what I can to stop this from happening again, but returning to the base scares me, especially where our daughter is concerned."

"What if they attack us again? They know so much more than what they did when they attacked last time and this time we'd be carrying her as well as our go bags. I want to help, but I'm afraid." She forced herself to stop talking.

"What do you want to do?"

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Re: April and Eliot
[info]_eliot_spencer
2012-09-30 10:46 pm UTC (link)
Eliot's first response was to help. It was always to help those that needed helping, since Nate and the others came into his life back home. But with the move to the school, it was pretty damned clear that his help wasn't wanted in ways that mattered. Neither was April an integral part of anything, other than being available to babysit the kids.

"You're not selfish, you're a parent, and every single other parent with children there was thinking the same thing. If they didn't, they suck as parents. Vance's children are safe at home, not being put directly in the line of fire, which is what's happening here. I know from Nate that the life of your own child is worth more than the life a thousand strangers. It doesn't mean that you don't care, it's just how it is."

Eliot pushed his hand through his recently cut hair, blowing out a breath of frustration. "Vance said we'd be ICIS agents again. We're both certified, but with my disability and your pregnancy, I don't think we're going to do anything. You're not going to work medical. I strongly doubt I'll be going into the field. The only, and I mean only, reason to stay would be to protect the children of those parents who are staying, who are all needed elsewhere. That's if Vance and the others even let us take care of the children full time, and we know exactly how Callen and Renko feel about us."

There was also Nate to consider. Though, if they went, Eliot would simply hogtie the man and take him with them.

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Re: April and Eliot
[info]april_kepner
2012-10-01 05:39 pm UTC (link)
It might be how it was, but it didn't stop April from feeling guilty about it. Yesterday she, like everyone else, had watched in horror as those towers came down, remembering the first time she'd seen the same thing. She'd been nineteen then, still in Ohio, never having been anywhere.

Things had changed since then. She'd seen those towers in real life, she'd been in the city where they had stood. It was easier to imagine when it wasn't just images on a TV screen, and when some of the people around you had actually been there when it happened the first time.

Still, she couldn't just blindly go back to the base when her instincts told her it was dangerous for her child. But then not going was dangerous too. If they went she'd be bringing their child into the lions den, if they didn't they were facing a life on the run and a delivery at home with no assistance. Neither was a safe option.

She moved closer to Eliot, slipping her arms under his and burying her face in his chest. "There is a hospital at the base, anything not power related they're better equipped to handle at this point," she said. She might read as much as she could but as much as she loved reading she couldn't make up for lack of training. With every passing week and months she knew her skills were slipping. It was inevitable. Easy, standard procedures and smaller injuries wouldn't be a problem, but if someone was truly seriously injured they would be safer at the hospital than with her at this point, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"They won't let you take care of them because of your eyesight," she said. "Me, they'll reluctantly trust because there is no one else." Maybe that should be enough reason to make her stay, but she was still uncertain.

"If we stay, we'll help them but we'll risk our own daughter's life. If we leave, we're faced with always living in hiding, with never finding a way to a dimension where we'll be free, with handling the delivery by ourselves since it's not safe to go to a hospital with her being able to display her power - whatever that might be - already at birth. Neither option is good."

"I guess the question is which is safer for her, and if we truly can make a difference if we stay." She looked up at Eliot.

"You never said what you want to do," she said. "What does your gut and heart tell you to do?"

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Re: April and Eliot
[info]_eliot_spencer
2012-10-01 06:11 pm UTC (link)
"To help, because help is needed," Eliot replied. "But that doesn't mean my help is wanted. Being here at the school proves it. I stock groceries and fix things on occasion. The rest of the time I've been aimless. What am I contributing? An extra hand at meals?" Eliot shook his head. "Being a burden on their resources when I'm not useful isn't helping anything."

Eliot glanced at April. "I can't tell you what's safer for her, though. If you're still babysitting, you'd protect her, but I have too many doubts that Callen or Renko would bother if the rotation continues. There's safety in numbers. There's a different type of safety in being off the grid. And you're right, if we're gone, we'd never know if they found a way out of this dimension," he said.

"What about you? When it comes down to it, what do you want to do? Stick with the group, even if we're just there doing nothing, or make our own way?

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Re: April and Eliot
[info]april_kepner
2012-10-01 06:40 pm UTC (link)
"I don't know if we'll be allowed to help, or how much," she said with a sigh. She brushed away his hair from his face. "At least with the babies I'm doing something, though mostly it's just providing an extra pair of hands in care of an emergency."

"Then again, the risk of an emergency is a lot higher at the base. Everything we do will be different at the base."

"I don't know," April answered unhappily, feeling absolutely torn. She'd never hesitated about going with the group before, not once, but this was different than just staying hidden with the group. Could she run with their child if the attack came - or rather when the attack came? Also did she want to live through that one more time? Did she want to be forced to kill people again? She didn't question that she'd do it, to protect her child and her family she'd do anything, but to put herself in a position where it was very likely to happen...? No matter what the people in there thought, it wasn't an easy choice to make.

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Re: April and Eliot
[info]_eliot_spencer
2012-10-01 07:46 pm UTC (link)
Eliot didn't know what to do. What was apparently easy for everyone else wasn't for them. Then again, they were all family and could rely on each other without question. Eliot and April only had Nate. They were going to be sitting in the laps of those that tried to kill them a year ago, and it was just a matter of time before they did it again. There were no guarantees that any of them would get out alive, but the lack of trust that there'd be someone who would help April and eventually their child was a glaring negative to staying.

"I really don't know, April," Eliot finally said after a prolonged silence, as Cody romped around the yard. "Who's well and truly going to help us if and when we need help? We're as alone in this group as we'd be away from them. The move from the ranch has managed to ostracize and belittle us. Sitting around talking in the common room in the evenings doesn't integrate us because during the day we're not involved in any of the 'important' things that are happening."

Eliot usually didn't talk about it, about how unhappy and useless he felt since coming to the school. He'd tried to be an integral part of things at the ranch and thought he'd finally gotten into the 'group', only to be put to pasture upon moving. Even his friendship with Morgan had seemingly vanished, though he saw the other man daily.

"They have resources, technology, powers, and numbers, but does that mean anything for us, I don't know. I don't know at all."

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Re: April and Eliot
[info]april_kepner
2012-10-01 08:04 pm UTC (link)
"We have friends, Eliot," April said, because she knew that to be true. "And there is Nick." He might not be as close to them as he'd once been, which for his sake was a good thing, but the fact that he was more distant from them didn't mean that they cared less. At least it didn't mean that she cared less. Nick would always hold a reserved place in her heart. The thought of leaving him behind hurt more than the thought of leaving anyone else.

"Even if we have no one, they'll help because it's their responsibility, because it's in their code of ethics. It's the same reason that they're helping the very people who targeted us a year ago, because it's what they do. It's who they are. They'll help because it's the right thing to do."

"Well most of them." She couldn't see Robert helping them if he could get away with not doing it, and she wasn't sure about Mike though he wasn't as hostile as Robert. But then it was hard to be as hostile as Robert.

Moving, April put her hand to her stomach, a movement she'd started doing more and more as her stomach grew. It was soothing and relaxing and reminded her about what really mattered. She'd never see why people disliked pregnancy, she loved every minute of hers. "I wish we could have more time to decide," she said. "How are we expected to make this kind of decision in no time at all?"

"I keep coming back to the delivery though. Who is going to deliver her if we're on our own?" she said. "And what if something happens? At least there we'll have a hospital if something goes wrong." If Vance let them use it that was.

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Re: April and Eliot
[info]_eliot_spencer
2012-10-01 08:14 pm UTC (link)
"I think I would've preferred not to be given a choice. There's an attack, we move together, we do our best to keep everyone safe, the end." Eliot pinched the bridge of his nose. They were going in circles, getting nowhere. How could he weigh the responsibility to his wife and child if the options were bad on both sides of the scale?

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Re: April and Eliot
[info]april_kepner
2012-10-01 08:26 pm UTC (link)
"So we stop thinking and we stop reasoning because there is no logical answer, and I can't believe I just said that but it's nevertheless true," April said. "We can't make this decision based on logic, so we'll base it on our gut instincts."

She still wasn't sure, but she'd asked what Eliot wanted to do and it was the only solid answer they had since her mind - and gut - was too torn. "We stay and help, and pray that when the attack comes we'll be prepared enough."

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Re: April and Eliot
[info]_eliot_spencer
2012-10-01 08:35 pm UTC (link)
Eliot exhaled heavily. "I reckon I'd better tell Vance. I can only hope people will be too busy to hold it against us for not immediately jumping on the bandwagon, like we didn't care what happened in New York."

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Re: April and Eliot
[info]april_kepner
2012-10-01 08:46 pm UTC (link)
"Don't hope too much," April said. "I know I insulted half the room in there, but I won't regret thinking of our child. I can't. We're won't be the only one protecting her, but we're the only ones who put her before anything and everything else."

She leaned up and kissed him. "Now go tell Vance before we change our minds. Again." She wasn't sure they'd just made the right decision, but in the end it was the only one they could make. She just hoped they wouldn't end up regretting it.

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Leon and the Leads
[info]leon_vance
2012-09-30 01:12 am UTC (link)
Leon asked the four leads to follow him to his room. There was no reason to use the office when they'd spend the day packing things up. He gestured toward the couch and chairs, although there was one person he wasn't expecting to sit.

"Sorry for the short notice, but the meeting ran late last night." Not that he would have asked their opinion, but he would have given them the heads up if he had the opportunity.

"A few things that I didn't mention downstairs. The area where the homes were standing has been leveled out. We'll have a plane there, and we'll need to see the roads for take off. Robert was with me last night and he's already indicated that it's doable and looking at military planes that we can use. That leaves us with the problem of where to leave, but I'm not going to make decisions until we have a head count.

"We'll pack everything up and we'll ship it off. We already have a property we have bought. Again, Robert has been there to bring our things while on vacation. We'll need people to drive the trucks there. We'll be leaving everything there, furniture, bikes, cars, trucks, medical equipment, planes." He sighed. "We all know that the base is temporary despite the President's reassurances, and I want to be ready for next time." Leon leaned back. "Unfortunately, we don't have much time. We need to move everything, clean up all the bombs and alarms here and be in New York by the end of the week. Training is out the window, naturally. We need to get this done.

"I need you to divide people for the different jobs. I'd like to make a single trip with everything, drive the trucks, cars and plane. We'll actually take public transportation this time," he said with a snort.

"They are insisting on a stricter structure, and we'll give it to them, at least in the surface, although we can use it to create our own chain of command. Everything we discussed in terms of training is now obsolete and so are teams. In all the spare time, I want you to work with Mr. Morgan to create a new training that will also leave all of you time to go out on rotation. We all need qualifications for all members for all the different weapons. It's going to be a busy month." He looked at all four. "This is when you tell me how insane this is and all the problems that I haven't already mentioned."

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Re: Leon and the Leads
[info]g_callen
2012-09-30 04:12 am UTC (link)
"Insane is our stock in trade," G commented dryly. While he would have liked the advanced warning, he couldn't fault the Director for this one. The day before had been a case of deja vu he could have lived without. There were things they could do to help and it was their duty to offer that help. It wasn't a question, in G's mind, of if this was right, but how to make it happen.

"What kind of weapon clearances are we going to have for getting back onto the base? Are we being allowed our own service weapons? Or are they insisting on providing weapons so they can keep track? It might be best to leave everything, rifles, explosives, security equipment, etc. at the property and have Robert bring someone back for it in secret once we get a lay of the land there as far as housing and restrictions. We'll still want to put in our own protections and security, particularly at the residences. But, I don't imagine we're going to be very popular when we arrive. So, keeping that covert sounds like the best option. They'll expect the charges next time, though. So, we'll have to get creative in setting any so they're not found. Sam, Morgan, maybe the two of you should talk to John and see what you three come up with before we go, since he's primarily been the one helping both of you with security and demolitions since we lost Westen."

Training was going to be a bitch and a half, even more than it had been before. "Ideally, how do you want to do this, Sir? As I see it, we have three main objectives, officially: find new arrivals, ferret out the criminals, and hunt down the terrorists. If we have to reorganize the units anyway, what do we need the official version to look like as far as unit assignments? Like before with a split between OSP and MCRT? We can build what we need unofficially under what we need officially for the cover. I assume anyone who we can turn into a field agent officially and who wasn't certified before will need to be certified in addition to the re qualifications we all need? How fast do you want to put them through? Twenty weeks is still too long. But, is seven weeks going to be enough for some of them?"

Losing Marks like this was a blow. The man wasn't an agent, but he was a good cop. Like Deeks, he had a good amount of potential and if they were going back to that base, they needed all the top people they could get.

"And what about the kids? We've got five infants we didn't have last time and one more on the way, if they stay. How are we arranging care for them during the day? It has to be from ours, not the military, although I don't imagine we can keep the current system.

"Also, ground zero, the pentagon, the school...By the time get to the base, there will be little we can do in the way of helping or finding survivors. But, are they going to want or allow us to send people in to investigate? Or will we be limited to surveillance video?" G wasn't sure there was even anything they could find at any of the locations that would count as useful evidence. What was he expecting? A big sign saying 'Terrorist fingerprints here'? But, there had to be something they could use these blasted powers for, didn't there? "If so, we'll have to choose who goes carefully. And, if not, how soon can we get our hands on whatever tape they have? Has anyone come forward to claim responsibility, yet?"

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Re: Leon and the Leads
[info]leon_vance
2012-09-30 04:44 am UTC (link)
There it was, the lead agent that went a mile a minute and covered all of his bases. Leon had told him that Callen was their best weapon and he still believed it and not because of his gun, but his brain. "We are technically in control of the base and the agency. While we could bring our weapons, it's best to leave them behind, and we can order new ones at the base. I'd ask that people do have their service weapon, not that I think we want to travel without them. One thing that does make life easier is that we can get the weapons we want.

"In terms of housing, we really have two choices. The houses in Colonel's Row, or the townhouses. The problem with the big homes is that we can run out of room as before. The townhouses are small, you can fit a three, four people, less with the children. It would leave a lot of people without cover," he said. "Also when we arrive, I doubt they will provide for furniture. We'll have to travel with the sleeping bags and stay at the homes until we settle. The other option is the hotel, but considering that we killed their people, I'm reticent of living there, even on a temporary basis."

Ideally, he wanted his teams to do what they were doing, but that wasn't happening anymore. "We've tried the FBI way, we're doing the NCIS way this time. I'll have a deputy, mostly because it gives me another place for people that can't go out there. I was thinking Elaine Barrish. She can deal with the politicians while I actually work with the teams. You and Morgan will be Assistant Directors and not the FBI kind that sits in an office," he added. "You'll be on the field. Mr. Hanna and Ms. Prentiss will be Supervisory Special Agents and we certify as much as possible. Because of the size, just make teams. We keep it the same as here. Teams of four, who cover what needs to be covered, because were too small for a clear break." He nodded. "You assume correctly for he certifications. We can play it loosely for people like Marks, if he comes back, but that's something that we'll have to worry about later. Keep it seven weeks, they get certified, they keep training with the teams until such time you feel they are ready to go out or sent as support."

The children were the big problem. "I don't know about the nursery. One option would be, Doctor Kepner, but that's neither here nor there at this point. I was thinking about longer hours. Since we do work longer than 8 hours per day, we might be able to do a 4 day week for the agents, and that would give us the ability to rotate as we have been. The other option would be to take them to a nursery outside the base or hire a civilian to come in, but both options are less than optimal."

Leon looked up at Callen with a sad expression. "There are no more survivors, Mr. Callen. If we have Mr. Spence, we will have him there to find the bodies, at least the ones who are in big enough pieces that he can see. Too many are nothing but ash. We'll have access. To be honest, with the madhouse down there, anyone with a badge has access, which is the bigger problem. You won't have to worry about who you send in; it's how to keep people out. You have twenty blocks of debris."

"Even if we can go in there, it took what? Six weeks just to clear the debris at the base of the towers and bring it to Staten Island?" Derek said. "We'll have to go through things there, and it will take time, but it'll help us more than being at the scene. Still, if these are bombs, I'd want to see them. They need to have great amount of fuel, so we're looking at huge gas tanks, metal ones, I'd say."

"You'll be able to visit the landfill they'll be using to bring the debris and Ground Zero. There are no tapes except for whatever newscaster and amateurs recorded, nothing official, and i believe it since we didn't have it at home either." It had been a clusterfuck the first time and it looked like it the second time wasn't any better. "You might have better luck at the Pentagon and the school."

Derek nodded. "That would give me an idea of the bomb signature and what to look for."

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Re: Leon and the Leads
[info]g_callen
2012-09-30 06:06 am UTC (link)
"Just as well. We're assured of an arsenal waiting when we have to leave again this way." And he certainly didn't mind stocking up on the government's dime. They'd get the best toys that way. "We'll want to reiterate the previous policies on keeping cash and everyone contributing funds for whatever secret supply purchases we might need to make while we're there. If we can manage it, we can avoid dipping into our current reserves for as long as possible while we're on the base. They're paying us, we can use it like we did before. Those back wages are going to set a lot of minds towards extraneous shopping, which is fine in moderation. But, we should remind them that these funds are not going to be unlimited and they may have to last for sometime after we're forced to leave again."

They'd work out details of some things later. G was sure this was only the first of several meetings they would likely have in the course of getting ready to go and settling in after they arrived. But, he was still thinking things through anyway. "Housing and units we'll have to decide on when we see if anyone else wants to leave. But, that's enough to start with. We'll want to consider unit assignments carefully as we'll need at least one person with experience in counterterrorism on each unit. Going after the men who did this is not going to be like going after the individual criminals we were training them to do before." G definitely didn't mind being in the field. Although, keeping the units in line with the chain of command their cover would require some creative assignments. "Not to sound paranoid, but given she's already questioned your way of doing things, and especially now that she'll likely be pissed at you for letting her son go off on his own like this, is it wise to put Barrish in such close contact with the politicians? I get that it's what she's qualified for, but it's exactly her level of experience and expertise that worries me. Can we trust her to work in our best interests?"

"It's a shame we don't have anyone we could plant on the outside as a daycare," Emily interjected on the subject of the children. "If we had someone the parents could trust, who'd arrived after the attack on the base, we could set them up as a civilian, have them watch the kids and act as an outside point of contact between us and those choosing to leave."

"Most of those who've arrived are too new, unfortunately," G said. "Not trained enough themselves for the parents to trust with the protection of their children. And off site care is a mixed bag. It'd be easier for them to get away if the base was attacked during the day. But, it'd be just as easy for them to be taken, as well." The director's ideas of longer hours might work. But, that was something else G would need to think about over the next couple days.

"I didn't expect there would be survivors, Sir. My concern was, for once, more along the lines of something Morgan might suggest. I'm less concerned with security and practical issues, than the effect being there would have on some of our people who would otherwise be part of the field units investigating. Something of that magnitude might be more than some of them can handle. I'm not expecting much in the way of evidence and I know it will take a lot of time for little we can use. But, it's that very amount of time, time spent in there, that worries me where our people's mental states are concerned.

"Morgan, you might want to see about taking Nell with you when you visit the other two sites. If you're looking for metal fragments, she might be able to help with that much, especially if you can identify a first fragment and she can focus on that specific metal." G fell silent, thinking. "Is ICIS going to be leading the investigation? Do we have any conclusive proof besides our own knowledge of what happened in our dimension, that this was not the work of a group from this dimension? The last thing we need is an opportunist taking credit for this and plunging this dimension into it's own war, which might very well be the intentioned endgame of our adversaries if they don't come forward to claim credit themselves. On the other hand, can ICIS take point without also having to contend with the media and risking our covers?"

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Re: Leon and the Leads
[info]leon_vance
2012-09-30 03:02 pm UTC (link)
"I'm not concerned about the money as much as I'm concerned with the fact that we will be forced to leave again. We've seen them get complacent in the past. The hostility that we will get from the people there might help remind them that we haven't found a permanent solution. We all know that we killed soldiers and they will hold it against us regardless of what chain of command says. That's something else to point out to the people who are too blind to see it," he said.

Leon chuckled. "Mr. Callen, I'd be more worried if you didn't sound paranoid, but we need someone. Hetty was the perfect balance of politics and field experience, but we don't have that right now, and the only other person I can see doing that job is busy working the field. Besides, she won't hurt the team, she wants to go home. Now, her husband would if it suited his ego. The endgame for both of them isn't the team, it's my job. They want to undermine me and take over. Let them see what we're dealing with, and if something were to happen to me, you'd be on the run again and that means that you don't have to listen to politicians. I expect the new Director to come out of this room, regardless of titles. Now, let's go back to the investigations. Two people I don't want at ground zero are Alexis and Renko. I also don't want them on the same team. They'd feed on each other's memories. Renko had family in those towers."

"With the names we have at the moment, we can keep the teams as they are," Sam said, "send people out as pairs as we need. We'll be all over the place anyway, and it'll be impossible to move in four."

Derek nodded. "I also don't think we can call this terrorism, even if it mimics it. Terrorists makes claims and grandstanding, they have an ideology, there is a reason behind the killing, no matter how crazy it is." He shook his head. "No, this is a serial killer. He picked the most lethal way to do it, but it's not about ideologies, but about ego. Emily and I can give you a pretty decent profile, without even being on the scene." He looked at his partner,knowing that they could and that was the sad part.

"Let's not jump to conclusion and see if there are any claims, but it does look like this comes from our dimension, or someone similar, also it was the anniversary of my arrival. I always assumed that i was the only one arriving that day, but maybe I'm wrong," Leon said. "You were still working through agencies back then, not on US soil, but there was no lead agency. Everyone was doing its own thing: NYPD, FBI, FDNY, CIA. The city is already arguing with the feds. ICIS is technically going to facilitate communications through the different agencies, which will let us stay in the shadow, but it also means a lot of time talking to other agencies and playing nice with them. I want Mr. Morgan to take lead on the field. Of the four of you, he's the only one who was here and knows the practical problems that existed. While it won't go exactly the same, perhaps we can avoid some of those problems before they even start. On the other hand, I know how well you two work together. You decide the work as you see fit, but that's something to worry about when we get there. Right now, we need to get this school ready. I want everything shipped out by Thursday. We'll have a commercial truck rented to bring our things to the base. We'll leave on Friday, we set up as best we can and we can work through the weekend."

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Travis/Thomas
[info]travis_marks
2012-09-30 02:20 am UTC (link)
Travis moved faster than any of the Hammonds. He didn't think for a moment that the discussion was over, but he didn't have time to waste. He also didn't think that Thomas had any clear idea of what this entailed, and he needed to get them ready to leave in only a day or two.

God, what the hell was he doing? He'd lost his mind. This was why he needed Wes to tell him to shut up and think, but on the other hand he couldn't abandon Thomas.

Pushing the doubts aside, he grabbed, Thomas' arm. "Come on, we have to get things ready. We're doing this in my room where no one bothers us." He'd come down later to deal with Kinney and Nell. He also wasn't waiting for an answer and went straight upstairs, waiting for Thomas to get inside, before closing the door.

Travis stood and stared for a moment. "You know when I said to be yourself, I didn't mean go off on your own. Do you have any idea where you want to go? How are you going to support yourself? Anything at all? Because I'll come up with a cover, but I need to know what you want, otherwise, you're just going from one person telling you what to do to the next." He went to the bed and sat down. "Sit and tell me what you want and we'll go from there."

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Re: Travis/Thomas
[info]hammond_tj
2012-09-30 06:14 pm UTC (link)
"And I told you it won't ever happen while we live under the same roof." TJ shrugged, although inside he was starting to freak out a little. Despite the bravado he'd shown out there, TJ wasn't so sure his family wasn't right about his chances of surviving on his own. He'd really only thought as far as take the money and go. Just go with no clear direction and stop wherever appealed to him. Find a place to stay, consider how to get money after. The extensive list Travis had rattled off never crossed his mind.

But, standing up and making the choice had felt right, it felt good. And, in the end, Doug had stood by him despite their mother's protests. So, maybe there was still someone who believed in TJ and would give him a chance?

Regarding Travis in curious silence for a moment, he shook his head. He couldn't sit down. Too much in his head. Standing, pacing a little, work off the nervous energy. It was either that or find a drink and he didn't think that option would go over well. Of course, he still didn't understand why Travis was doing this. He got it if he stayed here. For whatever reason Travis felt it was the right thing to do, to watch out for TJ, even if TJ never understood the reasons. But, TJ was leaving. Travis didn't owe him anything. If anything, despite the agreement that he wouldn't, TJ owed Travis, would owe him more if the man seriously came along with him. "You don't have to do this, you know. I appreciate the back-up down there. But, you don't want to go. You shouldn't go just because of me. I can figure this out if you want to go back and tell them you've changed your mind."

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Re: Travis/Thomas
[info]travis_marks
2012-09-30 06:27 pm UTC (link)
"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?"

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Re: Travis/Thomas
[info]hammond_tj
2012-09-30 07:31 pm UTC (link)
"There aren't. Not really. Not with them." They'd never believe he could do anything without relying on them, never believe he was anything but helpless. And they'd already poisoned the others here to think the same. The fact Vance had assigned Travis to him in the first place was proof of that. This chance may never happen again. TJ was a drain on resources more than anything else. He wasn't meant to help. They only wanted him there because they didn't think he'd live and if this was the kind of thing they were going to face, he was likely to just get someone killed. "It's better this way, for everyone. Except you, maybe."

What Travis was saying was almost as bad, however. First because he didn't sound like he had a whole lot of confidence TJ could do this, either. And, second because what expected TJ knew he couldn't do.

"Travis...you need to stay. I appreciate it. I honestly do. But, you heard them. I can't do any of that. You even said it right now. I can't do this. I'm just going to get you killed." He'd never been responsible for anyone. He wasn't allowed and wasn't capable. Running his hand through his hair, TJ started pacing for real. This? This part was insane. "No, if I get myself killed, that's one thing. I can't...I never asked you to be Secret Service. I've never asked for your protection. You don't owe me anything and I can't do this. I can't even take care of myself, how can you even want me to...No. I've changed my mind. I'm going alone. Thank you, very much. But, no. I can't go out there with you and get you killed and that's the only outcome. No one thinks I can stay alive. There's no way I can keep you alive, too."

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Re: Travis/Thomas
[info]travis_marks
2012-09-30 07:58 pm UTC (link)
Travis wasn't going to argue about the Hammond family. It wasn't his place, and what he thought was irrelevant in the end, because it wouldn't help Thomas deal with them. "As long as it's the right choice for you, that's all it's important right now."

The freaking out wasn't unexpected. He'd worry more if it didn't happen. Travis got up and went to stand in front of the other man, hands on his shoulders. "You don't know how to plan and take precautions. That's my job, but I will teach you. As long as you're clean and paying attention, I know you can do the rest. If I didn't think we could survive this, I wouldn't have volunteered," he said. "I'd have found a way to change your mind, even if I had to talk for the next week, and you know I'm pretty stubborn."

He didn't take his eyes from Thomas as he spoke, almost wishing that the man could believe him for once. "I think that you can stay alive. I don't think it's going to be easy. I know it's going to be a cultural shock for you, but we'll figure it out together, and when we go back, and we will, you will be as good as any person on any of those teams. You and I are going to work together to make you ready for this life, and trust me, if- when you're ready for this, you can face anything, but there is a trick. You need to trust yourself and me. If you can't do that, then we both should stay. If you can, then we start planning, and I want to do it with you, so you know what's needed, you can see what goes into a cover. We'll start with small things, names, relationships, places of birth, dates of birth and then we move to the bigger things. You're smart; you'll do fine."

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Re: Travis/Thomas
[info]hammond_tj
2012-09-30 08:34 pm UTC (link)
TJ snorted. "And you're not planning on talking for the next week anyway?" Travis talked more than most people TJ knew and that was saying something considering his life was spent surrounded by politicians.

His own family didn't believe in him, why was Travis always so adamant about making TJ think better of himself than the people who'd known him his whole life? No one ever really believed in him at all. But, Travis could stand here and say all the right things, seeming so sincere. So damned sincere. And TJ wanted desperately to believe him. He just...knew himself better. TJ hadn't done anything right since he was kid. He knew every failing, every disappointment.

And Travis was putting himself on the line anyway because he claimed to believe TJ could do this?

"You're insane. You know this, right? We do this? I'm going out there and put my life into the hands of a lunatic who jumps in to watch the backs of people he doesn't know a thing about." Falling quiet, TJ just stared. He realized he hadn't even tried to get away from the proximity yet, just stood there and kept talking. God, was he actually starting to trust this man? "I want another promise. I want your promise that if I fuck up big time, you're not going to do something stupid to keep me from getting killed. You leave me and you come back here and make sure my brother's safe. You promise me that and I'll try to learn how to trust us both."

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Re: Travis/Thomas
[info]travis_marks
2012-09-30 09:41 pm UTC (link)
"I didn't say that. I said I was going to talk you out of this. It doesn't mean that I won't say other things," he said, chuckling.

Travis laughed as he nodded. "I'm aware of that. Most of my unit knows that. Pretty much everyone knows that I'm insane. That's a given, so you're not really discovering anything new." He squeezed Thomas' shoulder. "I promise you that if you fuck up big time, I'll do what I always do: I'll have your back and I will bring you back to your brother. In fact, I'll go a step further and tell you that you won't fuck up big time, because you're not doing this for me, for your family or the world. You're doing this for yourself, and that will make the difference. We'll be fine. Now, can we plan this or are you changing your mind? Because we need to be out of here by Thursday if they are leaving on the weekend, give us the chance to put some distance, look into a car, weapons we want, clothes and not the fancy kind. Time to think."

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Re: Travis/Thomas
[info]hammond_tj
2012-09-30 10:26 pm UTC (link)
"Thought as much," TJ replied with a smirk.

Shaking his head, TJ sighed. It was for him, but it was also for Doug. Without TJ they stood a better chance of surviving on that base. Doug had always protected him. In his own fucked up way, TJ was protecting him. It was best for everyone all around as much as he was doing it for himself. "At least promise me that if you can't do that, if something happens to me, you'll come back and help him. I need to know he'll be okay, Travis, please. He took a risk out there to stand up for me. I've already disappointed him so much. Promise me that much and then we can plan this."

TJ knew he had no right to ask anything of Travis. But, he was asking anyway. He didn't care about his own life. never had. He'd tried to take it himself, after all. He cared about his brother's. TJ had failed him over and over their entire lives. But, he'd told Doug he'd come back and if he couldn't, he wanted Travis to be there for his brother.

"At least to reassure him you're not stalking me," he added, smiling a little.

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Re: Travis/Thomas
[info]travis_marks
2012-09-30 10:50 pm UTC (link)
"Nothing will happen, but if it does, then I promise. I'll come back and he can start to wonder if I'm stalking him now." He squeezed Thomas' shoulder again. "You took a chance down there. He backed you up. This is your doing and you won't disappoint him. I know you won't, but I promise to find him and protect him if something happens to you."

Travis nodded toward the bed. "Now ca we sit down and do this? I really need some idea of what you want. Just because it'll be hard, we don't need to make you miserable."

He let go and sat down. "First thing would be geography. Do you have any idea? If you want to stay close then Pennsylvania or Delaware. They have the best gun laws. Vermont too, but I'd rather not stay instate. If you want to go anywhere else, we can find a state other than California. Permits there are a pain and they have my face on file. I'm thinking of taking the Glock, a 38 for the ankle and maybe a few AR 15." He smirked. "We can be Bonnie and Clyde. You'll be Bonnie. You're as high maintenance as any woman I've dated. Maybe more."

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Re: Travis/Thomas
[info]hammond_tj
2012-09-30 11:33 pm UTC (link)
"Thank you." TJ wasn't sure he was as confident in himself as Travis wanted him to be. But, he wanted his brother safe and he needed to know if he could learn how to live out from under his parents' thumbs.

Nodding, he moved to sit on the bed so they could figure things out. Travis was right. TJ never would have thought of half of what he was bringing up and this was just about what state to go to! Take the money and go wherever the wind blew him was starting to sound like the stupidest idea ever. He wasn't thinking guns or gun laws, hadn't even thought to bring a gun along. Away from these people, he couldn't see needing one when he couldn't shoot it. He'd just blow his own foot off if he was lucky.

TJ sighed and shook his head. "I hadn't thought..." Trying not to appear as foolish as he felt, he shrugged. "I just figured I'd take the money and go and stop wherever felt right." TJ returned the smirk with one of his own, slightly more arrogant ones. "And if you keep comparing me to your ex-girlfriends, I'm going to start thinking you really do want to fuck and are just too shy to jump me outright."

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Re: Travis/Thomas
[info]travis_marks
2012-10-01 12:01 am UTC (link)
"You're welcome," he said, clapping Thomas' leg as he sat down, and watching him as he thought things over.

"It's okay. I didn't think you were worrying about gun laws, but I will teach you how to shoot which means we need to pick a place that will allow us to shoot without worrying about it," he said.

Travis snorted. "Yes, I'm so shy. It's the other thing that everyone knows about me." He smiled at Thomas. "All right, so let's stay close enough that we can drive to New York. Pennsylvania or Delaware? Does either one sounds better than the other? Also we want to pick a place where we don't end up in fights because you're gay, so many a somewhat bigger city, but close enough to larger spaces. Not Philly, since they have special gun laws, but the rest of Pennsylvania is pretty liberal with their gun laws. Also what do you want to do in terms of covers? Friends, relatives, lovers? Once we figure that out, I- we can start looking at jobs and things around that area. I'm also thinking big, old car, in case we need to move around. It'd be big enough to carry everything we own and we can sleep in it."

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Re: Travis/Thomas
[info]hammond_tj
2012-10-01 02:34 am UTC (link)
TJ couldn't help thinking, while he listened to Travis lay things out, that he needed a drink. He didn't know what he was even supposed to consider in making some of these decisions. The idea of learning to shoot didn't really bother him. Although TJ had never taken to it, there'd been rifles and such around Grandpa Hammond's. But, having so many options to choose from was actually daunting. He didn't think he'd ever had so many options before.

"Friends, relatives, or lovers? Really? Other than blue eyes, we look nothing alike. And I think we've done enough sharing a bedroom on a long-term basis at Disney World, which rules lovers out. Friends is definitely the better choice." Wait. Had he said-? "Did you say sleep in the car?? I'm not naive enough to think they're going to send us off in the lifestyle I'm accustomed to. I've seen how we've lived here. But, seriously? You don't there's even going to be enough money for a deposit on a cheap apartment somewhere?"

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Re: Travis/Thomas
[info]travis_marks
2012-10-01 02:47 am UTC (link)
"So? I'm adopted," he said with a shrug. "Cousins, foster brothers. Not everyone has the blood family." Oh the assumptions, it was so good that they were talking now. "I don't mind being friends, but you do understand that we might be in places where being in separate bedrooms is simply not an option, right? We'll look for something with two bedroom, but friends don't spend as much time together as we will."

He looked at Thomas for a moment. "So we need money for a car, security, first month, furniture, gas, insurance, house ware, sheets, food, clothes. That's what? Four, five thousand dollars, yes? And we need to keep money for ammunition, because that's kind of vital, and there's no guarantee that we might have to leave everything at the drop of a hat because we're in danger, which means we're suddenly moving to a different city with little money and once again need security, first month, furniture, house ware, and by then we don't have that five thousand dollars, we have no job, and we need to find a new place, but while we do, we need to sleep and maybe we'll find a cheap room in some motel, and maybe not, and that's when the car is very useful. Or what? Do we call and ask for money? I'm not saying it's an issue now, but we have to think of possibilities.

"Winter is coming. We also need to get things like winter jackets, snow boots. I'll ask if we can take someone's TV, our laptops and phones. Hell, even sheets and plates and utensils, anything to minimize what we have to buy, but we need to be prepared for the worse. You can always be pleasantly surprised," he said, with a smile.

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Re: Travis/Thomas
[info]hammond_tj
2012-10-01 08:12 pm UTC (link)
Why was he even asking in the first place if he knew TJ's answers were going to be wrong? If they had to move so quickly, did they really have time for futile tests they both knew TJ would fail? "I may not be a great undercover agent, but I know about playing parts and there is no down time. There is who you have to be and whoever you are or want to be is pushed down so far you forget it exists yourself sometimes. So, what would you suggest, then? Knowing that you'll have to tell me how your version of family acts because I'll never be able to do it without coaching. You've seen what I know of family."

Throwing his hands up in the air, TJ stood up and started pacing again when Travis went on. "Fine, so we're sleeping the damned car. Would like to point out any other ways in which I'm being stupid? Or stop asking questions you know I don't have answers to and give me the explanations before setting me up like an idiot?"

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Re: Travis/Thomas
[info]travis_marks
2012-10-01 08:22 pm UTC (link)
"I'm not setting you up." Travis said. "Remember that night at Disney? I prepared you for what you were supposed to do if I died. This isn't any different. I can tell you what to do, or I can slowly teach you how to think by asking you the questions, by showing you the problems, by reasoning this aloud so you can see my thought process."

He took a deep breath. "Did you consider the possibility that I'm the one who gets killed and then you have to make all of those decisions without me? I don't expect you to know now, but I plan to teach you, and you get pissed, because you think I'm trying to make you look like a fool, or you can accept that I'm trying to teach you years of experience in days, weeks, whatever we have. I will continue asking the questions until I know what you'll answer, before you say anything. I will take you to a range until you can shoot as well as me. I will teach you how to run and fight until you can defend yourself and others. I will show you how normal people with no money survive until you can weather any situation. When you can do all of that without help, that's when we come back, because I know you care for your family and we will come back."

He got up. "Let's go see Brian and Nell. Let's find names and location and when we have the location, we'll work out a better cover, okay?"

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