“Caid, are you sure about this?” Jemma asked nervously as she braided her hair back.

“Absolutely. It’s going to be fun.”

“I just don’t know if this is such a good idea. I don’t want to bring any trouble to you or your family.” She stood, and he took in her form, which was currently wrapped in a mahogany dress that fell to just above her knees where black boots took over. Damn, she was a sight to be seen.

“Trust me, Jemma.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and pressed a light kiss to her red lips. “It’s going to be perfect.”

She smiled at him and then wiped the lipstick off his mouth with her finger. “All right then, shall we?”

“We shall.” Caid buttoned the front of his suit and stepped out to see Lance, suit clad as well, packing up two pies. “I told you that you didn’t need to bring anything.”

“Who shows up to Thanksgiving with nothing?”

“I’ve been doing just fine for the last twenty-nine years.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you have, and the first eighteen don’t count.” He picked up the pies, and they headed out to the car.

“How’d you learn to cook?” Jemma asked him as Caid pulled out of the drive.

“My mom taught me. Adoptive mom that is,” he added. “We used to cook together, and then I’d go out shooting with my dad. Perfect balance.”

“That sounds amazing.”

“It was. Still is, as it’s our own Thanksgiving tradition.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to spend it with them?”

“Nah, they understand. I’ll see them later tonight.”

“I just feel bad for pulling you away from your family.”

“You’re my family now, too, Jemma.”

She blushed slightly, and Caid reached over to grab her hand. Over the last week, they had grown closer than ever, and she couldn’t imagine what her life had been like before he came into it. She found herself constantly wondering how she had survived so many nights alone without the warmth of his body next to hers.

“So, my family can be a little much,” Caid offered. “My mom is very hands-on and is absolutely a hugger, while my father is the hand-shaker and twenty-questions guy. My sister is great, but she’s eight months pregnant with her second kid and never lets anyone forget it.”

“When we get back, maybe we can work on getting your KD up.”

Jemma laughed and shot Lance a taunting glare. He had been messing with her about her kill to death ratio on Call of Duty. They had played nearly every day over the last week, and she still hadn’t improved. “Be careful. One day I’ll be better than you, and we’ll have to work on your KD.”

“Ha! We’ll just have to see about that,” Lance said with a laugh.

“I’m just going to have to show you both up,” Caid chimed in.

They drove the rest of the way arguing about who was better at video games. The normalcy of it had Jemma smiling to herself. It was strange how some things just fit even when everything else around you was falling apart.

When Caid finally turned into the drive of a quaint two-story colonial, the comfort faded away, and Jemma felt her stomach lurch. How was she supposed to act? How was she going to face an entire functioning family when not once in her life she had ever been around one?

“Come on, Jems, it’s gonna be fine,” Lance whispered and stepped from the car.

“Easy for you to say. You weren’t raised by a monster.”

“You’re going to do just fine, BB.” Caid used her nickname, and it brought a smile to Jemma’s face.

“BB?” Lance asked.

“Badass Barbie.”

Lance let out a laugh that would have woken the neighbors had they been sleeping. “It’s fitting.” He grinned, and they walked up the steps. Before they reached the top, the door swung open and an older woman with dark curls and a beaming smile bee-lined for Caid.

“Caid! Look at you!” she said as she hugged and then looked him up and down. “Have you been eating right?”

“Yes, Mom.” He laughed and turned to Jemma and Lance. “Mom, this is Jemma Saige and Lance Zarbey. Jemma, Lance, this is Tori, my mom.”

Tori stepped to Jemma and Lance, and took each of their hands. “I am so incredibly glad you two are joining us today. Caid has told me so much about you both.”

“Only good things I hope.” Lance grinned, charming the woman instantly.

“Of course, come on in!” She released them, and Jemma felt the beginnings of an attack.

Caid stayed behind and pulled her in for a hug. “All will be fine, Jemma. You can kick the shit out of me later if you need to, but I promise you everything is going to be amazing today.”

Jemma took a deep breath, and then they released. She felt the edges of the panic subside and followed Caid into the house.

It had the feel of a home, and Jemma very nearly teared up as she looked at the pictures covering the walls, the homemade drawings that had been framed as if they were expensive and renowned art work.

She had never been in a house that felt so comfortable before. Even before her mother was killed and she saw her father for the monster he was, Liam’s house had felt so cold compared to this one. “You have a wonderful home, Mrs. King.”

“Thank you, Jemma, but please just call me Tori.”

Jemma smiled and nodded, and followed them down a small hall into an incredibly loud kitchen. Caid’s father was easily recognizable since Caid was his spitting image. They could have been twins if it weren’t for the lines and grey hair that signified an age difference.

A small toddler ran around everyone’s feet chasing a Pomeranian who looked as if it would much rather be hiding somewhere.

It was Caid’s sister that caught her eye though. The woman was dressed casually in leggings and a green sweater, her dark hair cascading down her back, and dark-rimmed glasses framing eyes currently trained directly on Jemma. And not with the welcoming façade everyone else was putting on.

She got up from her stool and headed for Caid. “What the hell is she doing here?” she asked him without bothering to hide the disdain she felt at Jemma’s presence.

Jemma physically winced, and Lance stepped in front of her as if his body could protect her from the verbal lashing.

“Sophia Rose. You will not speak to our guests that way,” Tori scolded her, and Sophia gaped at her mother.

“Do you have any idea who she is? She’s going to get us all killed by being here!”

“You have no fucking clue what you’re talking about,” Caid all but growled it.

Tori cleared her throat. “For the record, I do know who she is. Caid and I spoke about it. She is not involved with that monster and is working with your brother to bring him down. That makes her a hero in my book.” She put her arm on Jemma’s, whose eyes were currently full of tears.

“I should probably go,” Jemma stuttered and headed for the front door.

“You should be damn ashamed of yourself Sophia,” Mikey King told his daughter. “We raised you better than this.”

“How can you say that? Did he also tell you she was missing for a month? How do you know she wasn’t working with him? Devising a plan to get Caid out of the picture?”

“You have no fucking clue what you’re talking about. She was drugged and kidnapped by him, then tied to a fucking chair before being tossed into the damn ocean. She nearly died because she was helping me.”

Sophia crossed her arms. “How do you--?”

Caid put his hand up to stop her. “I don’t want to hear it. Our entire lives we have trusted each other, and now you seem to believe you know better than me? I work for the fucking FBI, if you’ve forgotten. What the hell do you do?” He shook his head angrily when she started to speak again. “Never in our entire lives have I been this angry with you.”

The phone rang, and Mikey picked it up. “Caid, it’s for you.”

Still glaring at his sister, Caid walked to the house phone and lifted the receiver. “Hello?”

“Well, hello, Agent King, hope you’re having a lovely Thanksgiving.”

Caid’s blood iced. He would recognize that voice anywhere. This asshole certainly had perfect fucking timing. “What the hell do you want, Charmont?”

* * *

Jemma had never been so mortified in her entire life. She knew Lance was behind her, but she kept walking until she got to the car, and then continued down the street.

“Jemma, wait up!” he called, but she kept moving, her eyes so full of tears she couldn’t even see where she was going. “Jemma!” he yelled again and then grabbed her by the arm. “Hey,” he said softly and pulled her in for an embrace.

“Maybe I am a monster,” Jemma cried into her brother’s shirt. “What makes me any different from him? He is the one who raised me.”

“We are not our parents, Jemma. Just because he is a terrible human being doesn’t mean you and I are.”

“You didn’t grow up around him.”

“It doesn’t matter. Growing up around him didn’t change you, did it? You are still the same person you were when our mother was alive.”

“Because of me, Caid is in more danger than he’s ever been in. If I hadn’t ever gone to him--”

“Then who knows where’d you be, Jems. Please don’t base your opinion of yourself off some woman who’s never even met you. What the hell does she know?”

“He’s right,” Tori said softly from behind them. “Sophia is a sweet girl, but damn if she doesn’t voice every single thought that pops into her head.” Tori rubbed Jemma’s shoulder. “She is just worried about her brother. They have been best friends their entire lives.”

“I would never hurt him.”

“We know. Hell, she probably knows it too.”

“I’m sorry for all the trouble.” Jemma wiped her eyes.

“You have nothing to apologize for. Now, how about we go and get some turkey?”

* * *

“I want to know where my daughter is.”

Caid gripped the receiver so hard he worried it might snap in half. “How would I know?”

“Don’t treat me like a fool, King. I know about your relationship.” He didn’t even try to hide the distaste on his tongue at the word.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“If you continue lying to me, I’ll have my sniper take out your mother right now. She sure is an attractive woman. Especially in that blue dress. Shall I nick her arm? A warning shot perhaps?”

“No!” Caid yelled and then pulled the phone away from his ear to whisper to his father.

“Go outside calmly and get mom, Jemma, and Lance. Calmly, and do you best to stay hidden from sight,” Caid warned. “Why ask where she is when you can clearly see her?”

Liam sighed. “I wanted to know if you are an honest man, Agent King. Obviously, you are not. You’ve managed to stay hidden, but I knew you’d turn up here eventually. I want you to bring her to me.”

“What makes you think I will?”

“Why must we continue this game?” He sounded more bored than irritated. “If you don’t, I will kill every single person in your family starting with your parents and going all the way down to the little brat you call a nephew.”

“You won’t fucking touch them,” he snarled into the receiver just as Jemma came in.

“Decide, King, her or them.” The line went dead, and Caid threw the phone.

“Son of a bitch!”

“I told you she was trouble.”

“Sophia, can you just shut the fuck up?” Caid said angrily, and Mikey touched his shoulder.

“Caid, calm down and tell us what he said.”

“He’s threatening me. Said he’s going to come after you guys if I don’t stop my investigation,” Caid lied smoothly, but the seed of guilt burrowed in his chest.

“Then stop it.”

“He can’t stop it, Sophia,” Tori said. “This man is responsible for hundreds of lives.”

“Well, we’re going to be added to that list if he doesn’t.” Her eyes filled, and she rubbed her hand over her stomach. For the first time in his life, Caid saw fear in his sister’s eyes.

He swallowed his pride and walked to her. “I promise I’m not going to let anything happen to you guys.”

She nodded, and her husband wrapped his arms around her. “What do you need us to do?” he asked.

“Lance, can your partner get a van and meet us in the alley behind the house after dark? I imagine he’s going to be watching us, but if we go out at night, maybe we can lose the tail.”

“Sure thing.” He pulled out his cell and dialed up his partner.

Caid turned to Jemma. She was pale and breathing heavily. Shit, he thought, here comes the panic.

“Jemma,” he said softly and touched her arms. “I need you to calm down, okay?”

She continued staring blankly, and he noticed the sweat beading on her forehead. “Baby, I need you to calm down. Everything’s going to be fine.”

“Caid, if he--”

“He’s not going to; I promise you, no one is going to get hurt, Jemma.”

She nodded, but Caid could still see the panic gripping at her. “Come on and sit. Dinner is made, how about we enjoy it?”

To his surprise, his family followed him and took seats at the table. Jemma didn’t touch the food on her plate, but the rest of them did their best to eat the meal that had been prepared.

His nephew, not knowing anything was off, kept his parents and grandparents focused on him rather than the madman surely watching them from outside.

Caid and Lance alternated walking to the windows and peering outside all while Jemma sat like a statue.

After dinner was over, his family went and sat on the couch to watch TV. They tried to keep from panicking so his nephew would stay calm, and Caid had to give it to them. They managed to keep the holiday as normal as possible.

Jemma continued to sit at the table while his sister stared at her. Only this time, Caid could see her studying Jemma rather than judging her. Perhaps the visible panic was making Sophia realize Jemma was not the enemy.

Just after dark, there was a knock at the back door. “Thanks for coming, Martinez,” Lance greeted her.

“Anytime,” the soft female voice sounded as she stepped inside.

“This is my partner, Ashlee Martinez.”

“Nice to meet you all.” She smiled and then turned back to Lance. “Van is filled up and ready to go. I didn’t notice anyone when I circled the block, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t watching. We need to hurry.”

Caid nodded. “Let’s go.” He stepped out first, and held up a sheet of plywood from the garage to block the line of sight from anyone who might be watching them. Once everyone, including the dog, was loaded in the van, they ducked down, and Caid climbed into the driver’s seat. He caught Jemma’s haunted look in the rear view, and it broke his heart.

When it didn’t appear they were being followed, Caid let out a sigh of relief.

“Seems he must have lost interest,” Ashlee commented, but Jemma shook her head.

“No, he’s just that arrogant. He doesn’t believe there is anywhere in this city where people can hide from him,” Jemma responded shakily.

“Well, I can’t wait to prove him wrong,” Caid said and then focused on the road.

“Where are we going?” Tori asked

“I’m taking you to the train station.”

“The train station?”

“Yes. You are all boarding a train and getting the hell out of New York.”

“And just where are we going to go?” Mikey asked his son.

“Jersey. It’s not far, but you can use these and check into a hotel,” Ashlee answered and handed Tori an envelope. “I used your current images, so you shouldn’t have any trouble.”

Lance examined one. “These look nice, Martinez. How’d you get them approved so fast?”

“Let’s just say I didn’t go through legal channels. So don’t tell anyone, or you’ll get me fired.”

“Secret’s safe with us.” Lance grinned.