Author's Notes: This story came about because of the conversations about a Deathstroke tv-series. Yeah, Slade said that Deathstroke was gone, but we all know that once the djinn is out of the bottle, he's not so easily put back in. He can, however, be … re-purposed. And that's what this is. Think of the original Knight Rider, only with a terrifying, bad-ass ex-soldier and mercenary, rather than an ex-cop, and that's what I'm going for. More than that, Slade is seeking atonement. His actions once the Mirakuru finally left his system and he reconciled with Oliver went a long way toward that, but given the sort of man Slade is, I don't see that as being enough in his own estimation. So … this is where he starts, while he's looking for Joe and Grant. I'm not someone who believes in this business of 'finding his light in someone.' Honestly, I find it more than a bit creepy, because we all have dark sides. Nor do I believe in the equally creepy idea of having someone around to remind him of his humanity. No. Just, no. Those characters end up being incredibly smug and arrogant, and exactly the opposite of what they're supposed to be. Meg and Angel (along with the rest of the denizens of the entirely fictional Destine, MO) are, however, part of his support system, something everyone needs … even scary bad-ass ex-soldiers.

Disclaimer: Slade Wilson does not belong to me … he's part of the greater DCU. I'm just borrowing him for a little while, and fully intend to return him in hopefully better condition than I got him. Joe and Grant Wilson also don't belong to me, but I'm honestly not sure how much I'll be doing with them. Meg and Angel Carvalho, their friends and neighbors and family, on the other hand, do belong to me. If you want to borrow one or both of them, that's fine … just please ask first, give credit where credit is due, and above all, return them to me intact. I don't expect unscathed, but definitely intact.

Chapter One

Leaps of Faith

Destine, Missouri

Early December 2017

He left Calgary after confirming there was nothing more he could do there. The kid already left for his city, left to reunite with his own son. There was nothing for him in Calgary … except this was where he found his son again, after the Mirakuru drove him away from his boy. He told Oliver that while he remembered what happened, what he did while the Mirakuru coursed through his veins, it was like a bad dream. That was true … but some parts were clearer than others. Hurting Joe … killing men whose only crime was being in his way. Those memories were painfully clear. And now, he had another one to haunt his dreams.

Joe saw him kill. His boy (still so very young) saw him kill, and just when Slade Wilson thought he couldn't possibly fail his children more than he already had, he was proven wrong. He couldn't give up on Joe … but as he told Oliver, it was long past time he sought out Grant as well. Joe had the right of it: Joe was always more his son, while Grant was always more Adeline's. But Grant was still his boy, as Joe was. And he wasn't sure why both of his sons were in North America, but the last clue he had for Grant led him to this small town in Missouri.

Destine, Missouri: population thirty-five hundred, a small town in the southeastern corner of the state, near the Missouri/Illinois border. It was nothing special, at least not at first glance. Not that Slade would dismiss the town on that basis. There was a reason he warned that 'assumption was the mother of failure.' Nearly all failures could be traced back to making assumptions, rather than gathering facts. But he'd learned with past investigations that the best places to ferret out information were bars and diners. Destine's favorite eatery, it seemed, was a place called 'Dory's Diner.' It was early, he was hungry, and if he was going to be here for a while, it seemed likely that this would also be a good place to find a place to stay for the duration.

Just like the town itself, Dory's Diner was nothing to look at … a simple brick building that could have just as easily been a meeting place or a town hall. Still, he mounted the steps that led to the diner, and opened the door. As soon as he stepped inside, he found himself relaxing. He didn't let down his guard, as such, but he found it easier to breathe. It was warm, for one thing … and for another, the smell of fresh brewed coffee permeated the air. A few people looked up as he entered and nodded to him, looking curious more than suspicious. One of these people was a teenager … a petite pixie of a girl with glossy dark hair and a mischievous smile. He saw her mouth form the word, 'Mom' and the woman with her turned. The girl's mother gave him an appreciative once-over and a small smile, and then she turned back to her breakfast.

Slade appreciated the woman's action and found a seat at the counter. It was a rickety old stool, but sturdy. His first choice would have been a table in the back, where he could observe the entire room, but all tables and booths were already claimed. Which, now that he thought about it, was a bit strange for this early on a Saturday morning. A diminutive woman in her late sixties or early seventies bustled up to him with a broad smile, saying, "Morning, sweetheart … what can I get for you today? You're new in town, aren't you?" In spite of himself, Slade found himself smiling at her … somewhat bemused, but a smile nonetheless. It wasn't that he trusted her … he just met her … but he'd learned in the last several months that returning someone's smile was a simple thing that cost him nothing. In fact, he couldn't count the number of times just returning someone's smile and admitting that he was looking for his sons got him further than any degree of intimidation might have.

"I am. Could I get a coffee and …?" his voice trailed off. What did he want? With his years of being first stranded, and then imprisoned, on Lian Yu, he really wasn't sure what he wanted to eat. The aberration of his years as Deathstroke were just that … an aberration. Even with the months he spent in the kid's city after Prometheus blew the island up, food was still a struggle for him. He struggled to think of something simple but warm, before he heard himself finish, "An omelet?" Okay … that was a bit unexpected, but it would work.

The woman beamed at him, answering, "I surely can. How long you gonna be stayin,' honey?" Good question … Slade had no idea, and he said as much. And, hoping that it would work as it had in the past, admitted that he was looking for his sons. He dug out his picture of his boys and showed it to the woman. Her eyes softened and she replied in a voice laced with gentleness, "Oh, honey … I can't say that I've seen either of those boys, but you let Dory work her magic."

After his time in the States, he was used to hearing Southern women use endearments without a second thought … and strictly speaking, Missouri wasn't the South. But when he looked into Dory's green eyes, the man who believed in very little and almost no one … he could actually believe that this tiny, fierce woman really could work magic.

And of course, that's when the trouble began.

SWSWSWSWSWSWSW

"Are you sure you don't need me to get a job, Mom? I mean, I'm pretty sure I can get a job here at the diner right after school. Dory's always said that she wanted me to come work for her when I was old enough, and I'm pretty close to that now."

Margreet Carvalho looked up from her notes to smile at her fifteen year old daughter, answering, "I'm sure, honey … I have some money in my rainy day fund and unemployment will last us a few months. And you know the department will help out as much as they can. Now, if you want to get a job to pay for things you'd like to have between your birthday and Christmas, we can work something out." Angelique bit her lip and ducked her head. Meg reached across the table to squeeze her daughter's hand, murmuring, "I promise, if I need help and Gran isn't able, I'll let you do something. But for now, I just need you to stay focused on your schoolwork."

"Yes, Mom," Angel sighed, sounding exasperated as only a fifteen year old girl could. Meg grinned and returned her attention to the updates she needed to make to her resume. It was nearly two weeks since the law office where she worked for the last ten years closed its doors. It wouldn't be easy, and she wasn't about to say otherwise. She was over forty, and she knew it wouldn't be easy for her to find a new job. But these were the cards she was dealt, and she would have to play them to the best of her ability.

There were people who told her when she lost her job that she could look on this as a chance to make changes within her life. Of course, she was still reeling from the shock of being suddenly unemployed, and wasn't entirely inclined to listen to those attempts at comforting her. Because, yes, that was exactly what they were. And now that some of the shock had eased, Meg couldn't deny that she wanted something new for herself. A little young for a second childhood, aren't you, Meg, she thought a bit cattily at herself, too young for a second childhood and too old to be playing Moneypenny. And it wasn't even that she wanted to play spy or anything like that … no, what she really wanted was to make a difference.

And she was making a difference … she knew that. She and Angel both volunteered at an animal shelter and in a neo-natal unit, and often pitched in with the local fire department's fundraisers. That was, after all, why she and Angel were up at seven am on a Saturday, eating breakfast at Dory's Diner before heading over to the fire station. She … they … were making a difference to those animals and to those babies, they would be making a difference to the little kids who would be meeting 'Santa' this morning. But, as she observed dryly to Dory while the older woman refilled her coffee, there was a part of her that remained an idealistic teenage girl, not so different from her daughter. There was a part of her that wanted to help save the world. Who would imagine that practical, sensible Meg Carvalho would think in such terms? Dory merely laughed and told her that those feelings never really went away. Huh. Who knew?

That was neither here nor there. She shook herself and returned her attention to her resume, making a face when she realized she would need to wait until she got home to do more. She'd made all the notes she could … now she needed to organize it, and get it typed up. And since she and her daughter were helping out at the Breakfast with Santa function at the fire department this morning, that would have to wait until later. Angel was still plowing through her breakfast, so Meg turned her attention to the want ads, taking an occasional sip of her coffee. Of course her preference was for a full-time job with benefits, but she would take what she could get.

Angel's whispered, 'Mom' drew her attention and her daughter nodded to the door. Meg shivered a bit at the blast of chilly air and glanced over her shoulder as an unfamiliar (and very handsome) man walked into their diner and took a seat at the counter. Mother and daughter, along with the entire diner, heard Dory say cheerfully, "Morning, sweetheart … what can I get for you today? You're new in town, aren't you?" Meg didn't even bother hiding her smile. Typical Dory. She would be totally lost if she didn't have someone to look after … or a newcomer to question.

The man's response was inaudible, and Dory answered, "I surely can. How long you gonna be stayin,' honey?" Meg returned her attention to the want-ads, making a small face at the clerical positions. She'd already applied for most of these. Hmm. It had been over twenty years since she worked in a warehouse, but it might not be a bad idea to check out those openings as well. Meg was pondering whether it was worth it to start circling the most promising ad when Dory said, her voice almost impossibly tender, "Oh, honey … I can't say that I've seen either of those boys, but you let Dory work her magic."

Meg raised her head and looked over at Dory, all five foot one of her, standing beside the newcomer, who was turned on the stool to face her. The man turned to face her, and for the first time, Meg noticed the eyepatch. That was … unexpected. A recent injury? She knew from talking to her husband's brother officers, many of whom served in the military before joining the force, that prosthetic eyes were available. She also noticed her daughter staring at the man, and lightly tapped Angel's ankle with the toe of her boot. When the girl looked at her, Meg shook her head. No staring! Angel mouthed, 'but Mom, he's hot!' Meg rolled her eyes … she would have said, 'ridiculously attractive,' but her daughter was fifteen and hadn't yet learned the various degrees of attractiveness. Then again, maybe she should be grateful that her teenage daughter could appreciate an attractive man over the age of twenty-five. She thought of all the trouble that could lead to and winced. Yeah, on the other hand, maybe not so much.

Naturally, that was when things took a turn for the worse. From the back of the diner, a petulant voice demanded, "Who do I gotta sleep with to get a damn refill around here?" Meg face-palmed and Angel looked like she wanted to crawl under the table. Meg caught her daughter's eye and nodded to the table. If Gordon started trouble, she wanted her daughter out of the line of fire. And if she was correct that he was a) off his meds and b) drunk, anyone in this diner would be in the line of fire, even if they had nothing to do with the coming confrontation. Angel smiled gratefully, although she still looked scared.

Not surprisingly, Dory didn't look even remotely impressed as Gordon ambled up to her, his gait unsteady. Then again, Gordon excelled at being unimpressive, among other things. And oh, look, he was also definitely drunk. Damn, this could get ugly. But Dory stood her ground, as she always did, even if a six foot tall man with impressive muscles didn't stand at her back. Not for the first time, Meg wondered how it was possible for a small woman to look down her nose at a man who was at least a foot taller than she was. And yet, Dory was doing just that, as she retorted, "I just got you a refill, Gordon Alexander … you are not the only person in this diner! And I know this isn't how your momma raised you!" Meg bit her lip to keep from laughing, because she knew that Dory was the same age as Gordon.

Gordon rocked back on his heels, for just a moment. Then his eyes narrowed, and again, Meg glanced first at Angel, then at the table. Angel hesitated only for a moment, and then dove under the table. She'd seen Gordon having a meltdown once before … that was more than enough. With her daughter safe, at least for the moment, Meg turned her full attention to the growing confrontation between the diner's owner and the town drunk. Uncharitable, she knew … but Gordon was a jackass even when he was sober and on his meds. He was damn near intolerable when he was like this. Even so, Meg caught herself gasping when Gordon's balled up fist swung toward Dory's face …

Only for it to be stopped a matter of inches away. Meg heard the newcomer speak for the first time, saying in a gruff voice as his fingers encircled Gordon's wrist, "You don't want to do that." Meg's eyebrows shot up at the voice, and at the accent. Oh, not just not a local (she didn't technically qualify as a local after only thirteen years, after all), but from outside the United States. He sounded like he might be from Australia … or maybe New Zealand? She was leaning more toward Australia, as most of the accents from New Zealand she heard while she worked in the law office tended to be closer to Irish or Scots. She could be wrong, though.

"Let him go, son … I've been dealing with Gordon since you were in diapers, and probably even before then. Angel, sweetheart, come up off that floor. Nothing's gonna happen," Dory said. Angel emerged from her hiding place with a sheepish grin, sliding back into her side of the booth. Dory offered Meg's daughter a grandmotherly smile, saying, "You've got nothing to be embarrassed over, honey. I know you've been in here when Gordon's torn it apart. But that's not gonna happen this time." The stranger hesitated, and then released Gordon, who stumbled back. Meg guessed it was a while since anyone physically restrained Gordon in any way, judging from the way not just Gordon was staring at him in shock, but so was everyone else in the diner. Meg wasn't naïve enough to think that was because anyone was especially fond of him, but there was a reason for it. There always was.

That's when the second surprise happened. In all the years she'd known Dory, the kind-hearted woman never turned anyone away. But it seemed even her legendary patience was at an end, as she added with a vicious glare at Gordon, "And as for you? I want you out of here. If I have to, I'll call my oldest grandson, and you can sober up in one of the cells, but I want you out of my diner. And you won't be permitted back until you can behave like an adult. You are sixty-eight years old, not a child!"

Gordon stared at her in shock, before sputtering, "You … you can't do that." The handsome stranger at Dory's back actually growled at him (Oookay, that was sexier than it should have been), and Meg was treated to the sight of Gordon backpedaling rapidly. Dory reached behind her and patted the stranger's arm, as if telling him to relax. Gordon repeated, actually sounding desperate … and a little afraid, "Dory, you can't do that! You can't do that, I … I'll sue! And Ruby wouldn't want you to do it, either!" Meg groaned and face-palmed. Evidently, he never heard the adage, 'when you're in a hole, stop digging.' And Dory, if that was possible, looked even more unimpressed. And for the first time, Meg saw two deputies rising to their feet. She wondered at first why they were getting involved, and then she remembered … until Dory was willing to do something about Gordon, they couldn't get involved. And now that her patience was running out, now they could do something. She nodded to her next door neighbor, Deputy Leah Townshend, who nodded in turn. At Leah's side stood her partner, Adrian Houston. And then, as one, all three returned their attention to the ongoing confrontation.

"You're going to sue me? When you've reduced my diner to splinters more than once, when you've terrified my customers? If anything, I should have done this years ago! The only reason I didn't was respect for my sister's memory, but that was a mistake. If I wanted to honor Ruby's memory, I should have kicked you out years ago!" Dory retorted. Meg blinked at that. She never knew that … she knew that Dory lost her sister in a devastating accident, and that Gordon's wife was killed, but she never knew that they were the same woman.

Gordon was still staring at Dory in shock, too stunned to react even when Leah lightly grasped his forearm. She murmured as Adrian followed with their coffees, "Come along quietly, Gordon … we'll give Heather a call at the station." Still stunned, he numbly walked between the two deputies, and Dory relaxed. Heather, Meg knew, was Gordon's only child … she was in her early thirties, a widow like Meg, and trying to raise her two boys and take care of her father at the same time. At the best of times, he didn't make it easier for her. And now knowing that Dory was her aunt answered a few questions Meg could never bring herself to ask.

Dory sighed quietly, shaking her head as she stared after her brother-in-law. At last, however, she turned to the stranger and said quite firmly, "Now, young man, you are going to sit back down. I am going to feed you, and then we're going to look for your sons, even if I need to involve the entire town." Looking stunned, the stranger did just that. Meg caught her eye, and Dory swept over to her, asking softly, "Is this something you can do? I know you just lost your job, honey, and I can pay for your printer ink, but this boy needs help finding his sons." Meg didn't bother pointing out that the 'boy' was at least forty years old, quite possibly even older … that wasn't the point, especially since Dory was pushing seventy. To her, they were kids.

"Of course. It'll have to wait until after the Breakfast with Santa function, but absolutely, I can do that. Any idea on how the boys disappeared?" Meg asked softly and Dory shook her head. It probably didn't matter … but then again, it might. She wasn't a cop, but she knew what sorts of questions they would be asking. And one thing that made her wonder was why the stranger was here. Well, yes, she knew it was because he was looking for these two young men, but what brought him here, what led him to believe that either or both of his sons were here?

"No … he just said that he had a falling out with the older boy, Joe, a few weeks back. And … he needs help, honey. Not just finding those boys, but he reminds me of my Nick before he joined the fire department. He's lookin' for a purpose, somethin' to keep his hands busy. After he eats, maybe you should take him over to the fire department with you and Angel?" Dory suggested. Meg blew out her cheeks with an exhale, considering that. Dory patted her shoulder, adding, "You think about it, sweetheart, I need to fix that boy some breakfast."

Meg bobbed her head. It wasn't that she objected to taking the newcomer with her and Angel, as such. She didn't even know the man's name, she didn't know if he would be interested in helping at the function, she didn't even know what he could to help. The one thing she did know was that Dory had a pretty good sense of people, except when it came to her own family. And that wasn't strictly fair, either. Still, Meg saw the stranger stand up for a woman he just met; more than that, Dory was right far more than she was wrong. And when all was said and done, Meg might be wary of strangers, but she believed in Dory.

As the older woman bustled around the counter opposite the stranger, Meg caught her eye and nodded very slightly. Dory beamed at her, before turning her attention to the stranger and saying, "Slade, honey, I want you to meet Meg Carvalho and her daughter Angel. Meg, Angel, this is Slade Wilson. He's in town looking for his boys. We're gonna do our best to help him find them." Meg long ago came to terms with the knowledge that on the days your life changed forever, you seldom received any warning of those changes.

As he would prove to make a habit of doing in the days and weeks to come, Slade Wilson blew that theory all to hell.

TBC