Author's Chapter Notes:

Well, here it is! Finally said and done!

Thankyou to everyone who has stayed with me! I know I take a long time to finish them and a special thanks to everyone who reviewed! You all inspire me and make me strive to be a better writer, so thankyou!


Epilogue


3 years later . . .

Location: A Maximum Security prison somewhere in a harsh desert in the Central United States . . . .

The sound of chains was the first thing that alerted Darien to the arrival of the man he'd been waiting for, the man he'd travelled a very long way to see. All the way from Los Angeles in fact.

The second was the loud electronic buzz a few seconds later that was promptly followed by the metallic sound of a heavy-duty electronic lock releasing.

Darien didn't rise from his seat. He remained leisurely seated in one of the six chairs available, the third along that he'd strategically chosen because it perfectly suited his wish for the little bit of theatricality it would bring when the man he was waiting for first saw him. Seated in his current position, the man he was waiting for wouldn't be able to see him until he was standing right in front of him.

Darien wanted to see his face when the man laid eyes on him for the first time in three years.

And despite the fact that he was in a prison, Darien was completely at ease. For one, he was a visiting Federal Agent who could leave whenever he wished, and two Darien had been looking forward to this for days.

It was time to finally put the last lingering piece of his past to rest.

Which was what had brought him to the visitor's room of one of the US's most secure prisons. There two lines of chairs facing each other with solid metal and unbreakable glass separating the two, protecting the visitors from the inmates and on occasion, vice versa. In the centre of the sheet of glass of each of the six cubicles were specially designed two way speakers that allowed sound alone to travel through.

Darien was looking forward to that look on the man's face, but he was patient. He felt patient. He was in no hurry. He had so few worries in his life these days that he found himself in a near constant state of contented peace.

His was a happy and peaceful life in which he possessed so much more than he ever could've hoped for. Peace and happiness, that was his life now and had been since Cedrone's trial had ended with a guilty of all charges conviction two years before.

Darien had a beautiful loving wife whom he endlessly adored, a woman he loved with all his heart and soul. She still kept him on his toes though, even after nearly three years of marriage, somehow she was still able to get her gorgeous little behind into the occasional bout of trouble despite all his best efforts.

It delighted him to no end that she could still surprise him, good and bad surprises.

Darien had married his wife just six weeks after proposing in a little church in a little town in the northern part of the state of Washington surrounded by his friends and family. It still was one of the happiest days of his life. They had wed using their real names – and a flown in minister who hadn't even known where he was – even though they hadn't been the names they'd been using at the time.

It had been a small thankyou gift from his boss. The downfall of the Cedrone Family had made a lot of careers.

And now Darien's life was perfect and peaceful but never boring, not with his lively spirited wife around.

Darien was still an FBI agent, evidenced by the black suit and blue tie – that was the almost exact shade of blue as his wife's radiant eyes – that he wore and the FBI badge prominently displayed on his jacket's breast pocket, but was just a regular field agent now. He had a desk and all, though he was there only one third of the time. He'd given up his undercover work that would've kept him away from his wife for days, possibly even weeks or months at a time. Instead he now trained undercover agents two days a week. He was also unofficially rumoured to be the director of the FBI someday. His future at the bureau looked bright in deed but that was nothing compared to that of his personal life.

Which was what had brought Darien to the maximum security prison in the middle of the desert today; his personal life, not his work.

Darien was there visiting his father-in-law.

Darien had pulled some serious strings for this meeting as Cedrone wasn't normally allowed visitors. His contact with the outside world – or lack thereof – was carefully and vigilantly controlled. Cedrone wasn't even allowed to send or receive mail. He wasn't allowed access to the prison library so he didn't have access to a computer. He was locked inside of a windowless cell for twenty-three hours a day and would be for the rest of his life. He was permanently locked away from the outside world, he could neither receive nor send information.

Cedrone having any access with the outside world had been deemed far too dangerous to allow and so every step had been taken to prevent it from happening.

It was also a little gift from the Darien and the FBI.

The clinking of chains alerted Darien to the approaching prisoner – the slowly approaching prisoner as it wasn't easy walking in leg irons.

A moment later Cedrone stepped into view around the firmly attached mental divider that allowed each set of prisoners/visitors the illusion of privacy.

Cedrone's eyes zeroed in on him immediately.

An array of emotions flashed across Cedrone's unprepared face and Darien's sharp eyes caught them all. Surprise, anger, confusion, hatred, then back to anger and finally a too-fake delighted expression settled on Cedrone's now grey features.

As Cedrone awkwardly settled into the chair on the other side of the bullet-proof piece of glass with the round metal two-way speaker embedded in the centre of it, ignoring the two prison guards that positioned themselves on either side of him, Darien studied the man who'd once been his life's very unhealthy obsession.

Cedrone was dressed in a prison-orange jumpsuit with the name of the prison stamped on the back in black, and he was handcuffed and manacled, the two attached by a long chain that ran from the middle link of the handcuffs to the middle link of the ankle manacles.

The manacles were very similar to those Cedrone had once intended his own daughter to wear in what had been his very own personally designed breeding cell that he'd once locked Darien and his wife inside of in hopes that they'd give him a grandson.

Cedrone had lost weight, ten pounds if Darien had to guess, and his once black hair was now mostly grey. His once perfectly groomed face was covered with greying growth that made him look "scruffy" but stopped one step short of the "homeless" look. And he'd aged too, there were noticeably more wrinkles on Cedrone's face, especailly around his mouth and eyes.

And even though Cedrone's expression was one of polite mild interest, and his body language was obviously intended to appear laid back and relaxed, the older man just couldn't seem to convincingly pull the aloof off.

Behind Cedrone, two prison guards took post on either side of him.

Ken sat himself down, intent on being civilised regardless of the fact that he was chained up like a dog, whenever he was outside of his cell he was shackled at the wrists and ankles with two guards with him at all times.

One day Ken would get out and then he'd take the young man sitting opposite him apart piece by piece. He had lost everything. The FBI had stolen all his money and assets, all of it, even the well-hidden accounts off shore. They had completely dismantled his organisation, and had either killed or arrested most of his "Family". He had no friends, no allies, no money, no power. Nothing left but his name and the blood in his veins.

And it was all Darien Shields's fault. One day, one day Ken would have his revenge.

"Darien, it's so nice to see you." Ken asked casually. "How have you been?"

Darien hadn't expected Cedrone to be anything else other than falsely cordial. Even behind bars, even after losing everything, Cedrone would forever be the "businessman."

To say that Darien was enjoying himself was an understatement, he was downright smug.

"I'm living the dream," Darien answered with barely contained delighted smugness as he intentionally scratched the side of his nose with his left hand even though he had no itch.

The only thing the gesture achieved was that it flashed his gold wedding band, a slim simple gold band with an engraving on the inside that matched the matching but smaller version of his wedding band his wife wore, 'forever true, forever yours.'

"You?" Darien enquired. Did he have a sparkle in his eye? He felt like he should have if he didn't.

Ken's eyes narrowed at the sight of the wedding band, proof that Darien was out living his life while he was locked up like a dog. Ken wanted to reach through the glass and rip out the young traitor's throat – he should have killed him when he'd had the chance! – but he was careful not to let that show. He would have his revenge, one day.

Let the young FBI Agent enjoying his moment.

"My days are as pleasant as they can be, thank you for asking Darien." Cedrone replied with strained cool politeness. He then leaned back in his chair, it was the best casual pose that Cedrone could manage shackled as he was. "So tell me Darien, what brings you here to my little patch of paradise?"

Now Darien's grin was downright gloating. He crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair, in a perfectly at ease pose, his dark eyes sparkling with taunting delight.

"My wife gave birth last week." Darien stated proudly. "I wanted to pass along the joyous news."

Darien reached into his jackets inside pocket and pulled out a photograph which he promptly laid across his palm and then leaned forward to place it against the glass right in front of Cedrone's face.

It was a coloured photo of his wife Serena in a white hospital gown sitting up in a white hospital bed holding a baby bundled up in a white blanket – her diamond engagement ring and wedding band were visible – gently in both arms to her breast. It wasn't obvious by the photo but the newborn infant was sleeping soundly.

Darien's smile turned darkly gleeful. The glint of victory blazing in his dark blue eyes, making Ken think of a victorious general who'd just squashed every enemy he'd been sent to conquer.

"Take a good look," Darien told him, his voice as hard and as cold as ice. "Because this is all you're ever going to see of your grandchild, of Serena's and my child. This child and any others we have will grow up never knowing that you even exist. Your evil won't ever again touch my family. You will die in here alone and unmourned, and without anyone left to carry on your legacy."

Darien rose to his feet and buttoned his suit jackets only two buttons, but he never broke eye contact with Cedrone, remembering a time when their positions had been reversed. A time when it had been Darien in chains who'd been looking up at Cedrone, who at the time had believed that he'd beaten Darien.

"It all ends with you." Darien told him softly, but there was no kindness in his voice. "Goodbye Cedrone."

And Darien turned and walked away from Cedrone, heading for the locked door that would only open for him at this moment in time.

Cedrone shot to his feet, putting his forehead against the glass, fury turning his face a violent red. He slammed his cuffed hands against the glass at hard as he could in his shackled state.

"What's his name?!" Cedrone demanded furiously, his businessman's mask slipping from his face completely. "Hey! What's his name! Tell me his name! His name!"

Darien paused at the door, only turning his head to look back at him with contempt. But then Darien grinned smugly and reached out to knock once on the door which was promptly opened from the other side.

Darien had known before ever entering this room that Cedrone would ask and what his answer would be.

He would answer and then Darien would walk out of the room and the prison and neither he nor his wife would ever think about this man ever again, let alone see or talk to him ever again.

"Her name is Rini Shields."


By the time Darien stepped out of the external gate of the prison the smile on his face was no longer smug. Instead it was the smile of a man who had everything he'd ever wanted in his life and couldn't be happier.

Darien slid into the front seat of his black sedan borrowed from the local FBI branch office when he'd flown in that morning and he started the engine, pulling out of the parking lot that was nothing more than a large of patch of sand and dirt.

He wanted to get home to his wife and daughter, to Serena and Rini. His family. The pains of the past were well and truly gone, now only a memory. He had happiness beyond that he'd ever dreamed of and he owed it all to the woman he loved today every bit as much as he had when he'd married her nearly three years ago.

Life was perfect. Cedrone's legacy was at an end, but Darien's had only just begun.

He had to get home. He wanted to get home. Serena, his wife and their daughter, were waiting for him.

The past was finally at peace. Now only a happy future laid ahead, and it was bright indeed.