They drove down the gassy lane and up the hill before the top of the Lansing estate could be seen. Jennifer seemed excited at the prospect of searching through Greyson’s files, but both Steve and John remained unusually quiet during the car ride. Kayla glanced at Steve often noting his pale complexion and worried expression. When she did happen to catch his eye, he would always smile back at her and softly rub her hand. But as soon as Kayla turned her head, the smile would immediately vanish.

John was silent for almost an entirely different reason. If it were true, that somewhere among Greyson Lansing’s papers or files were clues as to who he really was, then finally, the nagging truth of his former life would be known. He never dared to dream all these past years, always assuming his past lost would never to be retrieved or recovered. He married, he had children, he moved on. His heart was beating strong within his chest as he looked out at the expanse of lawn and the car turned into the main lane leading straight up to the house.

He had left his wife behind, he pushed aside his worries for his daughter to come here. Unsure of even finding an answer, he placed his life on hold. It wasn’t fair to Marlena or Belle. John wanted to feel angry. He wanted Greyson to still be alive so he could question him personally. The small hope he had before they heard the news of his death was so short-lived. Each time it seemed to get easier, another roadblock was placed before him.

John looked over at Steve and watched him fidget in his seat. Kayla had been casting him worried looks and he tried hard to calm his fears when he would face her. John sympathized with the man, though he was also jealous of him in the same breath. Steve was halfway to remembering all, while he, just made his first baby steps.

Steve felt his stomach lurch and jump up to his throat when the car stopped and they were parked. The front door opened and a middle-aged couple came to greet them. Elliot had exited the car first and spoke directly with them. Introducing the couple as his father’s housekeeper and butler, they moved quickly to gather all the luggage and brought them inside.

John gave a momentary glance to the building before entering. Elliot turned to speak with the driver as Jack pointed out to Jennifer the gardens just around the corner. The car was soon emptied of all it’s occupants, then moving out of their way, it was brought round the back section of the house and quickly disappeared from the view. Elliot followed John soon after, looking back just once to where Steve and Kayla stood. Jennifer glanced up at the impressive home, whispering to her husband how nice it must be to have a country home like this.

Steve turned his head at her words and looked up as well to face the front balcony on the second floor. While his brother and sister-in-law entered next, Kayla started for the door too. He remained where he was, just looking at the structure, wondering how it could possibly be both intimidating and beautiful at the same time. Kayla had paused just at the front entrance and turned back to look at him. Steve could feel his wife’s eyes on him and still he could not move.

It had been a chilly morning, but it wasn’t the cool weather that sent the cold running throughout his body. He almost couldn’t bring himself to say it, to admit but he was scared. His hands shook slightly as his throat suddenly dried. He swallowed hard but still the fear did not leave him.

Kayla saw his stare and walked back to his side. As she reached to pull at his hand, Steve felt stiff and unbending. The house seemed to be waiting, watching him as he decided whether or not to return. In Steve’s mind, it was taunting him, revealing it’s outward beauty, while the darkness, the chains were waiting to trap him again. But it was just a house, he kept trying to tell himself. It was layers of brick and stone with piles of wood, marble and glass that he could break through and shatter.

That’s what his hands ached to do, to shatter all the windows there so the air would be all around him and he could breath. Kayla pressed harder at his hand as he finally looked back at her. The sun was casting a soft glow around her head, and the highlights shot out from every curl. Perhaps it was the clean, English, country air, but her skin seemed even more translucent here. If he could just spend their rest of their stay staring at her, Steve thought, maybe then he could get through this night and the next day.

"Steve?" She called him softly and he gave her a small smile. Her hand reached up and cupped his face as a kiss followed.

He let the kiss deepen before she pulled away and he wrapped his arm around her. "Thank you, Sweetness."

"I needed one too." She teased then took a step, pulling him along. He gave out a sigh and nodded as the distance between him and the door lessened. He was counting every step, hearing the crunch of the gravel beneath his boots until it stopped and touched the hard stone of the doorway. Out of his own choosing, he had to return there to find more answers. Steve now hoped the answers were worth knowing.

The others had gathered just in the living room when he and Kayla joined them. Afternoon tea had been brought in and Jack was already helping himself to one of the finger sandwiches. John however stood anxiously by a cabinet, not wanting to wait another minute. He looked purposely towards Elliot, expecting the younger man to sense his impatience and bring him to his father's room. Steve eyed Elliot too and found it peculiar that the man just smiled back at him, almost pleased by his presence there. It may have been a homecoming for Elliot, but it certainly wasn't one for Steve.

If they were lucky enough to locate something that afternoon, Steve would be the first one out of there and taking the last train back to London. He tried to relax as best he could and went to pour himself a cup of tea when John came to his side.

"So? Where are the files?" He demanded loud enough so everyone heard him as well.

"John just relax first." Steve answered. "Look... we're all a little tired... so just sit back and wait a bit. Why don't you have some te..." His words were cut off instantly when John pushed the pot back on the serving tray.

"I'm not thirsty and I'm not hungry." His angry eyes stared back at everyone, as they all grew silent and turned to watch him. "I didn't come half way round the world to have tea." Looking to where Elliot stood, he marched over to him and demanded some answers. "If you want to sit around here, drinking and eating cakes, fine! But all I want are to see those files. Just show me your father's room and I'll search around myself."

Kayla saw how agitated he was and tried to talk some sense into him. She seemed to have a soothing affect as his features softened slightly and he seemed a bit embarrassed now by his behavior. But as to taking a break, he still was opposed to the idea. He needed to start looking, he told her. He just needed to know.

"Fair enough Mr. Black." Elliot told him. "You're correct in that this is not a social visit among... friends." He had paused a moment on the last word but no one would argue that fact right now. "My father's room is that way." He said pointing to the door that led to Greyson's room.

The last time Steve was there, a young woman showed them the way. It didn't dawn on him at the time to wonder who she had been. Maybe a relative or simply just a servant in his household? She had not made an appearance so far, so perhaps she had been an employee. Jennifer had stood up then, holding her cup and saucer, looking very eager to start on their search.

Jack turned to Steve, giving him a cautious look, but his brother just returned his stare with a brief glance.

Elliot looked back at all of his guests, though no one made any attempt to move. It finally fell to Steve to take the first step. Walking up to Kayla and taking her hand, he passed John and both Jack and Jennifer as he headed straight to the door. Elliot turned and walked beside him as they both reached the door in the same instance.

"It's not locked Mr. Johnson." The young man's eyes looked brightly back at him as Steve felt a moment of fear. Elliot seems to know what he was thinking and anticipated his move. Placing his hand on the knob he turned and opened the door, then walked slowly back inside Greyson's private sanctuary.

Most of Greyson's files were in the drawers of his desk, which right then, looked as though a bomb hit it. John had gone through every drawer and pulled out everything he saw, scattering it on top. Both Steve and Kayla took several sheets and started to go through them as Jennifer set up her laptop and tried a few of the discs they found. Jack spotted more papers in the curio at the far wall corner, but so far, it was all military based papers relating more to standard procedures then any top-secret assignments.

Slamming his hand down hard on the desk, John startled everyone as they jumped at his loss of control. "We're not going to find anything in these." He motioned to the papers now scattered all over the room. "The man's not going to leave out in the open, any top secret work for just anyone to come across. Where ever those files, papers are, they are hidden." He stood up then and faced Elliot. So far, he had been keeping out of everyone's way and sat across from Kayla in one of the armchairs.

He had helped somewhat, reading through some of his father's files, but mostly he just tried to keep clear of things and remain as inconspicuous as possible. Now back to being the center of attraction once again. All eyes fell on him as John's question hung in the air between them. "Well Elliot? Where are they?"

He looked worried for a moment as Steve actually felt a bit of sympathy towards the young man. John was directing a lot of unnecessary anger towards him. For all the generosity he had been extending to them so far, this tirade was not the way to repay him. Elliot was not his father. For a moment, Steve was reminded of the young boy who used to watch his train day after day. He had always felt like a caged animal at the zoo when the boy would watch his every movement. It bothered him tremendously that he had become the child's source of entertainment. But at that moment, he suddenly realized that Elliot had been as much a prisoner as he was. The only difference was his cage had been larger and could look into his.

"John!" Steve called back at him. "This isn't helping."

"These papers are useless!" He answered back and tossed them in the air. Watching the papers fall to the floor, Steve looked disgusted at his friend's action but he couldn't deny his own frustration at finding nothing. He sighed deeply and looked down at Kayla. She tried to offer a comforting smile, but it seemed to fall short. Jack moved to take a few steps and caught his foot on the area rug behind the sofa and stumbled forward, knocking down the vase that was placed on the table there. Luckily for him, it fell on the couch and landed beside Kayla, who picked it up and placed it on the coffee table instead. Jennifer rose from her seat to check if he was okay. "Jack? Did you hurt yourself?"

He grinned back at her and stood shakily rubbing at his side. Jack had fallen hard against the table and he was lucky it didn't break under his fall. "I'm okay.' He answered. "See... still in one piece."

Steve could feel an urge to remind his brother to be careful especially because of his clumsiness when he saw Jennifer staring down at the turned up rug. It had been half lifted and the section of a small door now appeared.

"Is that a door?" Jennifer asked aloud as everyone went over to take a look. Pulling the rug further back, Steve moved the table aside too as what appeared to be a trap door was now seen.

Both Kayla and Jack looked at Elliot who stood just at the foot of the door, seemingly unsurprised at their findings. "Of course." He told them. "How could have I forgotten this."

"Does it lead to the cellar?" Jennifer asked.

"No. It's a smugglers box. Many of the older homes have them. Families used to hide their valuables in these. Later it was used to hold illegal contraband like brandy or silks. Of course father would have used it. I had nearly forgotten it was here."

He pulled the handle lifting the door panel open and looked inside. The hole was merely that, a hole. It was close to three feet in dept and was three feet by four feet in length and width. But it wasn't the size of that hole that drew everyone's attention. It was the large metal trunk that sat at its center that all eyes focused on. Bending down, Elliot lifted at one end as John pushed himself forward and grabbed hold of the other. Together, they pulled it up and carried it over the Greyson's desk. Jack closed the door and returned the rug back over it.

There was a combination lock on the handle, but Elliot thought for a moment and entered a sequence of numbers. They heard a click inside and the lid popped open to reveal a trunk full of papers and discs. Close to four-dozen discs were stacked on one side as folders of papers lined the other. Pulling everything out, each person grabbed a healthy amount and started to go through them. Jennifer and Jack worked on the first group of discs, inserting them one by one into Jennifer's laptop, but all that came up were gibberish.

"It's encoded!" She said disappointed. "We would need a password." Looking around, she searched the faces hoping someone could suggest a possible answer. "Steve? Any ideas?"

Steve gave Jennifer a wary look and offered a name.

"Try... Gabriel."

Typing it in, he held his breath, but Jennifer frowned back and shook her head at him. He thought again and suggested another.

"How about, Portia?'

Once again Jennifer tried the word, but still was locked out. Kayla turned to Elliot and asked him if he knew what he password was, but he just shook his head at her. Steve thought some more and suggested Arch Angel.

John looked to him when he offered that suggestion. As Jennifer made another attempt, hoping for success, she was greeted with the same error message citing incorrect password. Jack sat down next to his wife as he attempted his hand at trying to break the code. He tried taking the laptop into his hands, which resulted in Jennifer pulling it away from him, and a tug of war ensued between them

"Jack, don't...you'll break it."

"No. I won't... will you just let me try..."

"Why didn't you bring yours? Stop it!" She tried slapping at his hand, but his grip was too firm.

"Look, I know some tricks of the trade."

"You don't know anymore than I do. Now give it over."

"Why don't you work on the papers instead?"

"Cause this is mine."

"I just want to try something... and if you just let go... I could see if it works!"

"Well tell me what it is and I'll try it."

"It's better if I do it first hand."

"Why?'

"Because... it's my idea."

"You're being childish!"

"I'm being childish? Looks who's pulling at the other end."

"That's because you won't let go. So... let go!"

Their bickering was just growing more ridiculous that Steve finally had to stop them. "Jack!" He yelled out at his brother. "Enough. Just look through the papers... will you."

"All right, you don't have to yell." Releasing his hold, Jennifer pulled back hard and fell back against the chair, her laptop held possessively in her arms... He gave her a sulking look as he grabbed at the nearest stack and began looking through them. John sat at Greyson's desk, having already gone through three folders, found an interesting entry in the fourth one.

"Found something." He said aloud as Steve and Kayla went over to where he sat. "Right here, this must be referring to your mission." Written as a report, Lansing typed in the results from the job two of his men were sent on.

John slowly closed the folder and stared silently back at Steve. He felt as though the wind was knocked out of his as he contemplated what the report could possibly mean. Two deaths? Two unnecessary death could very well mean the woman and child were dead. Steve had already told him that they had been injured. If this report were to be believed, it would point to the fact that most likely, the victims in question had been them. But still no names were given and it was ambiguous enough to still present some doubt. It they were the one killed, why not come out and say so directly.

Kayla watched her husband, a myriad of emotions flashing across his face. It was falling to him to remember what happened next, but nothing came to him. Each time he would try to recall, Steve could only remember up to when he found them, injured in the snow. If they lived or died afterwards, he just didn't know. He looked back at John and answered the question the man had yet to ask.

"I don't remember what happened John. I don't."

**********

He walked over to the double glass door and just stared out into the lawn. The grass was green now, unlike during their first visit when it was mostly brown. Steve could still hear Jack and Jennifer arguing behind him and he tried to close both his eye and ears to them. So far all of the disc were unreadable and Elliot had been unable to provide any help. Any suggestion he had also came up empty and he sat across from Kayla, putting the papers and files back in order.

Kayla turned around to look at him, but he kept his back to her. She had gone through a smaller stack of files, but most dealt with the British equivalent of military exercises. If there were a clue in there, she would be the last person to find it. John buried his head in yet another large group of files and kept away from everyone. From time to time, he would toss more papers to the floor, clearly frustrated, but had not made any other outbursts.

Steve stood staring, seeing not too far off in the distance the walls to the gardens. In his mind, he could picture himself again, leaning against the walls and inhaling the scent of roses. The apple tree he would rest at was still there, and the first small crop of fruit had already sprung on its branches. In all the years he waited by the tree, he never once picked at the fruit. Whether it had been sweet or tart, Steve never knew.

He had been kept ignorant of so many things. Locked away in his quarters, he would always stare out at the lawns, hoping to see, something. A new face, a stray animal, something strange and out of place, an angel come to rescue him. Day after day he looked and it was always the same. It was empty, bare, never changing, never ending. Each day merged into the next, and at the end of the day, he would come back to his cell. It was always the same. It was his routine. It had become his life.

The missions he was sent on were the only things that gave him a temporary escape from the monotony of his existence here. It was a chance to see something other than the four walls of his room. Steve knew his chances for survival grew less and less each time he was sent out. A Gabriel was destined to die a painful and harsh death. They had been told that and all that went before him had died. They all died, but him. He didn’t die. Not yet. Not physically or emotionally. He was the exception.

The noises in the room seem to dim as Steve takes several deep breaths to relax himself. Slowly his heart slows and a strange calmness comes over him. He feels slightly dizzy as the room starts to sway, but he holds himself erect and focuses hard. The memory came sharply at him, nearly catching him off guard. But this time Steve was expecting it. Especially now, that he was in Greyson’s inner sanctum, he was more the ready to recall the reprimand he received there for the failed mission.

Jennifer had been watching Steve for the last few minutes. She saw him rise earlier and walk towards the window. Kayla had glanced over in his direction a few times, but remained sitting and went through several more files. When Jack made another attempt to take over her system, she elbowed him instead and motioned towards his brother.

"Is he okay?" Jennifer whispered. She was feeling worried about him. In the last ten minutes, the man barely moved from where he stood.

"It's hard for him." Jack told her. "This is where he was held. I know... I know he'd rather be any place else but here."

"Oh God, Jack! Why didn't we just get rooms at the Inn?"

"Steve wanted to stay close to Elliot." They both turned then to their host as he moved another group of files, replacing them back into the metal chest. He had remained pretty quiet himself, though he also cast an occasional glance towards Steve when he though no one was looking.

"Did Steve mention anything about... well you know... about being here?"

Jack shook his head and gave her a small smile. "Not to me. I know he told Kayla some things, but even she said he's been closed mouth about it."

"I don't blame him. I just can't imagine what he must have gone through." Heaving a deep sigh, Jennifer looked back at the screen and saw the same error message she had been seeing since she started working. "I don't know what to do. I've tried everything... it just won't work without the password."

"Have you tried Elliot's name?"

"Yes!" She told him rather annoyed. "Of course I did. I also tried Greyson and the name of the town. I just don't know enough about the man to come up with anything else."

Jack leaned back in his seat and thought a minute. When he told Jennifer to try the word Green, she just started strangely back at him.

"You want me to try what word?"

"Just type the word Green."

"What's so special about the color Green?'

"It's was Portia's favorite color... so... maybe? Go on." He urged as she typed the letters. The word, like all the others before it, was rejected too. "Well that's the last "G" word I can think of."

"Huh?"

"It was one of the clues Portia had left for Steve. When she hypnotized him, she made a point of stressing the importance of that letter. If Greyson or Gabriel wasn't the answer, I though maybe Green would be."

"Well I'm not going to type in every word that starts with the letter G."

"No. We just need to find something else that Lansing would consider important... but what?"

Looking around the room, Jack tried to pinpoint something there, but nothing popped out at him. Seeing the display of pictures in the corner table he got up and walked over to take a closer look. Elliot saw him go there and watched a moment before returning to his work. Kayla glanced up at Steve again, noting how still he seemed standing by the doors.

"Kayla?" Jennifer called out to her sister-in-law, as Kayla turned back and gave her a comforting smile. "Maybe Steve should get a little rest. We could finish up in here. I still haven't broken the password to these discs so it maybe a while before we know anything."

"It sounds like a good idea... but I don't think he'll want to stop." She turned her head back towards her husband and felt her heart ache. She knew how uneasy he was feeling, but she just didn't know how to help him right then. So far, he had said very little about his time there. If only he would open up to her, maybe she could help more. She just didn't know what to do for him. "I guess he's thinking about the garden again."

"Garden? What garden?"

Kayla bit at her lower lip as she told her sister-in-law about the walled garden outside. "Steve used to train just out there... on the lawn. There's a walled garden off to the side. You can just see the far end of the wall from here. Everyday, he would stop to rest and catch his breath by the walls. He said he could smell the scent of roses along one part, by an apple tree. It drove him mad not being able to go in there to see those flowers. All he wanted to know was what was on the other side of the wall, and he never got a chance to see. Not once."

Her face full of sympathy, Jennifer looked to Steve's back. "I'm so sorry, Kayla. Maybe... maybe he'll get a chance... now that he's here?"

"I'm not sure. He hasn't said anything about trying to look. Maybe it's too late to try now."

Staring down, the flashing curser teased at her again, as Jennifer narrowed her eyes at it and poised her fingers over the keyboard. She thought for a moment and gave a slight shake of her head. Jack suggestions were commonly off, but there was always a grain of truth in all of them. A word that begins with the letter "G", she thought again. Heaving a big sigh, she just tried it. The worst that could happen was that it was wrong. When she typed the word Garden, she expected the same annoying message to appear, but the screen went completely black and then the first thumbnails appeared

Dozens of pictures started coming up on the screen as Jennifer yelled out to her friends. "I'm in! I got in! Everyone, I found the password!"

Jack turned so quickly, he spun around and nearly fell over his own two legs. John came from around the desk and took position just behind Jennifer's chair. Steve moved last, allowing Elliot to reach John's side first as he knelt down on the floor and looked at the screen. Kayla had taken the seat next to Jennifer and placed her hand over her husband's shoulder as he leaned back against her knees.

Click on one of the thumbnails, a picture of Steve with Greyson and two other men appeared on the screen. They all wore similar military uniform. Steve looked hard at the picture as Elliot lowered his eyes on seeing his father's face.

"That the first Gabriel. "Steve told them pointing to the man on the far right. He was big, dark, heavily muscular and sported a crew cut. His face was menacing and by looking at his picture, they could all sense how dangerous a man he seemed to be. The other man was assumed to be the second Gabriel. It was strange he told them, that he really didn't remember that other man yet. He just felt he must be the second one. Just about as tall as Steve, he was also blond and but slighter in build than the first Gabriel.

More pictures of other groups were brought up. It would have been safe to assume they were the other group leaders with their men. None of them looked familiar at all, so Jennifer just scanned down the page until she nearly reached the bottom. A single thumbnail was off at the bottom right of the screen, separated from the others. When she clicked on that last picture, instead of another group of soldiers, this one was completely out of place and caught everyone by surprise.

The picture was an old one. The scratchy look and faded edges made them all think of old Polaroid type pictures from the nineteen eighties or even earlier. The persons in the picture consisted of a man and woman and baby. Steve felt a tear form in his eye as he stared back at the woman in the picture. She looked exactly the same as when he had to guard her that winter day.

"That's her." He said softly then turned to look back at John. "That's the woman I was instructed to guard. This must be an old photo of her. The baby would probably be her son."

John gave Steve a momentary glance, but all his attention was focused on the picture. Standing next to the woman, his arms around her, was a dark haired man. He was smiling up at the camera while she had her head lowered towards her baby. It looked like such a happy family picture. But the happy ending obviously never came to them. Being found here in one of Lansing's discs made it all seem so wrong. There was only one reason for it to be there. The picture had to have been given by Stefano as a way to identify his chosen victims.

Jack peered down, trying to push his way closer and finally commented on the man. "He kind of looks like you... " He said to John. "...But then again, he doesn't."

Kayla also remarked on several of the similar features as she studied the picture. "He could be your brother John, or at least a relative?"

"It's not, Sweetness." Steve told her. "That is John."

"What?" Jennifer said aloud. "How can you be sure?"

But Jack jumped in, seemingly unwilling to believe just yet. "It's just a guess Jen. Right Steve?"

Behind them, both John and Elliot had remained quiet. Elliot turned away first, almost embarrassed at what they had found in his father's possessions. But John looked hard at the enlarged picture on the screen. He didn't need to any more proof to know he was staring at an old picture of himself. He felt his heart fall to the pit of his stomach and a cold chill ran all over his body. So that was what I looked liked, he thought to himself. He squinted and clenched his jaw, then swallowed hard as he wrenched the words from his throat.

"That was me... before I got my new face."