A/N: I am so sorry this took so long to get up, life happened and despite this story being "finished" I have revisited this a few times and wanted to fulfill my promise of the three part holiday special, so here it is, most likely more to come in the nearish future….

Cassidy's POV

That Same Morning

Connor and I were still snuggled up on the couch when we heard the front door open and Colin yell out for me. I got up off the couch just as Colin embraced me in a very tight hug. I shrunk down to hug him and I never wanted to let him go, especially after everything that has transpired over the last day. While I had taken the mantle of mob boss before Colin was born, he was now my motivation for everything that I did and I was beginning to worry that my lifestyle was becoming to dangerous for both me and him. I held onto my son for an abnormally long time before finally releasing him.

"What's wrong mommy?" Colin asked stepping back looking at me confused because of the long tight hug I had just given him.

"Nothing sweety, I'm just really glad to see you, Mommy misses you when you're gone" I smiled giving him a kiss on the cheek and picking him up. Colin hugged my neck and I looked over him at Connor and I could see that he was having similar thoughts about his lifestyle and the impact it had on our son. I walked over to Connor with Colin on my hip and we shared in a family hug. Connor looked at his son with such adoration and then looked up to lock eyes with me. He silently reaffirmed what he had said earlier about protecting him and I let go of the breath that I didn't know I had been holding.

Later on I found Connor in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee and I smiled at him as I began to pour myself a cup still trying to wake myself up after the events of the previous day.

"What are we going to do?" I questioned sitting down at the kitchen table and heaving a worried sigh. I was wracking my brain trying to understand how Simone could have found out I was secretly killing off her men, she seemed so nice and we seemed to be getting alone so well, but I guess it was all a ruse.

"What we do best" He responded with no ounce of sarcasm. I looked up quickly and nodded when we locked eyes as a way of telling me that we would do anything and everything necessary to protect our family.

"What are you guys looking so glum about?" Melanie walked into the kitchen with Seamus in her harms. Connor and I exchanged a look before I turned back to Melanie.

"You better go get Murphy" I replied and he smile dropped and she furrowed her brows in determination before leaving the room to fetch her husband.

"Ok, the kids are preoccupied with the TV and Seamus is asleep, we have about twenty minutes, spill" Melanie stated as her and Murphy walked into the kitchen at sat at the table with us. Connor and I took turns explaining the situation we were currently in. I made sure to tell them about Agent Smith and the fake homeland agent that turned out to be hired by Simone. Finally I pulled out the burner phone that I had taken from Ivan that was still in my pocket.

"Lastly, we found this and I have no idea what to make of it" I finished and handed Melanie the phone so that her and Murphy could examine it closely.

"Isn't that your parents?" Melanie questioned and I nodded my head.

"And that is Joe and I when I was about two years old, but I have no idea who that other boy is, I don't remember mom and dad ever talking about him and I certainly don't remember him from when I was a kid, so what is he doing in this picture" I left the question open for us all to think about before I continued, "Ordinarily I would ask my uncles" I paused and looked between Connor and Murphy with a playful yet solemn look on my face, "Clearly that is no longer and option, and considering the guest house and this house have been previously destroyed I don't have any of the photo albums to do research on this, it's just very odd" I shook my head still not quite understanding it.

"What about the guys at the department, is there a way they can help with this and anything else this Ivan guy may have had in his phone?" Murphy asked and I looked at Connor silently asking the same question. I had fallen out of touch with Duffy, Dolly, and Greenly after the boys went to jail partially because I felt responsible for their incarceration, but ever since they got out we have made it a point to stay in frequent contact with them both personally and professionally.

"I'll call Duffy and see if we can pay him a visit" Connor stated before reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone.

"I thought it was appropriate to inform you guys of what has been happening, it's just been such a mess lately" I sighed leaning back in my chair and rubbing my face trying to make all the stress melt away.

"You can count us in" I was startled by Murphy's voice and turned to look between him and Melanie. Connor had just gotten off the phone and I looked from him to Connor before taking a deep breath and nodding.

"Are you sure?" I questioned silently implying that they had two kids as opposed to our one. I took some comfort in the fact that if something did happen to Connor and I they would be here to take care of Colin, but if they were willing to fight with us where would that leave our kids. They nodded in unison and I returned the nod.

"So where exactly did you get this phone again?" Duffy asked as he, Connor, and I walked into an interrogation room at the precinct. As we sat down to talk I noticed Connor looking around the room with a small smirk plastered on his face, I shook my head and focused my attention back on Duffy before speaking.

"Guy broke into the house, tried to arrest me claiming to be homeland security, turned out he was hired by Simone the head of the Russian mob to take me out" I paused and Duffy just stared at me before shrugging and shaking his head, "I want to know what information we can get off his phone and most importantly I want to know about a picture on his phone of my family with a complete stranger"

"I'll see what I can dig up" He placed the phone in his pocket before standing up and waiting for us to do the same, "In the mean time, try not to get killed will ya" He smirked before embracing me in a hug then shaking Connor's hand before we all left the interrogation room.

The Next Day

I had made it back home after running some errands in the city and I was still very tense from all the stress and decided to try and relax by watching some TV. I walked into the living room and sat down next to Melanie as she nursed Seamus. I smiled at my cousin and eased myself into a confortable position on the couch before focusing my attention on the TV. The next thing I knew I was being shaken awake by Melanie as she held Seamus out to me.

"Hey, can you watch him for a little bit, I need to go tend to Emma?" Melanie asked and I nodded before taking Seamus from her. Seamus was the most well-behaved and adorable baby I had ever encountered. When Colin was born I thought he was the most precious thing in the world but I hated to admit it but Seamus was cuter. I smiled down at his little face as he looked up at me in wonder.

"What are you up to little man?" I asked and he automatically started smiling and giggling, "Oh you think that's funny?" I asked and he laughed even harder before I started tickling him and making faces to continue his laughter.

"He adores ya" I turned to see Murphy standing there watching me play with his son.

"Well he is easily won over but I'll take it" I smiled before standing up and handing Seamus over to his father. I watched as the baby automatically clung to his father and stared at him in absolute awe, "Seems to me like you are his superstar" I smiled softly at him.

"How do ya do it?" Murphy asked and I looked at him confused, "How do you raise a boy in the world we live in?" I still wasn't completely understanding what he was asking so I waited for him to continue, "I know Emma won't follow my path, by the time she's a teenager she will want nothing to do with me, but Colin and Seamus, how can I tell my son not to hurt people when I've been doing it for so long, how do I keep him from becoming me?" Murphy looked up at me and I could see the fear in his eyes.

"Unfortunately, our children, no matter how hard we try to keep them from becoming us, will always be just like us, but it is our job to make sure that they are better, that we improve ourselves through our children" I paused and thought about it for a second, I would be lying if I said I wasn't terrified that Colin would follow in his father's steps and become a saint or my steps and be involved in the mob, but I was confident that we would shelter him from the harsh realities of our daily lives, "We have to do these things to create a better world for them and that extends to this house and the parts of our world that they see" I smiled at Murphy before placing a soft kiss in the top of Seamus's head.

Murphy's POV

Connor and I had decided to go out and get in touch with some of our contacts in order to mediate the current situation with the Russian mob, so naturally we were having some drinks at McGinty's.

"Have you ever thought about hanging the guns up?" I turned to look at my brother and he just turned slowly to look at me with a confused look on his face.

"What is bringin' this up?" He asked making himself more confortable as he faced me on his bar stool.

"Jus' been thinkin' bout the kids and what it would do to me if anything happened to them" I shook my head trying to push back all the horrible thoughts that automatically popped into my head, "Ya know it was bad enough havin' ta worry about Melanie, but Emma and Seamus are so innocent, I can't help but tink dat I'm infectin' them with this" I took a long swig out of my beer before heaving a sigh and looking at Connor.

"We do this so that our kids live in a better world, by doing this we are protecting them" I couldn't help but laugh at Connor's response.

"Ya know your girlfriend said damn near the same thing earlier today" I shook my head as Connor and I laughed about it.

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm rubbin off on her more or if she's rubbin' off on me more" Connor laughed before taking a drink of his beer, "Don't get me wrong brudder, I worry about how all of this impacts Colin everyday, but just like we taught the girls that these things are necessary I have to keep telling myself that I'm doin' this for him so he doesn't have to" Connor furrowed his brow as he talked and nodded his head as a way of not only convincing me but also himself.

"I suppose you're right, I just don't think I want my kids to live the same life we did" While I had, had a happy life with Connor and Melanie and the kids this wasn't a life I would necessarily wish on others, it was hard and any day could be my last. Suddenly the advice that Cassidy had given me earlier finally sank in, my life but better is what I wished for my kids and in order to ensure that I needed to continue my original crusade with my brother to rid the city I loved of evil.

A Few Days Later

Cassidy's POV

Connor and I had been busying ourselves with taking out some Russians that we still had on our list. If Simone knew that I was killing her men and was willing to send someone after me I was willing to send a message right back, a message that said I was not going to back down. Due to the late nights Connor and I had been sleeping late and eating at weird times, but for the first time in a few days I was awake in order to make dinner for everyone. I was just about to put the finished pasta dish in the oven to melt the cheese when the doorbell rang and I heard a faint knock on the door. I grabbed a towel and washed my hands before proceeding to answer the door.

"Hello, can I help you?" I asked after opening the door.

"Hello ma'am my name is Arthur Mackenzie" The man named Arthur extended his hand to me. I took in his appearance in a flash, he was wearing black slacks, a blue button down shirt with a black tie, but what really caught my attention was the FBI patch that was sewn onto his windbreaker.

"Hello Mr. Mackenzie, what can I help you with?" I asked trying to be as polite as possible.

"Do you recall talking with an Agent named Edward Smith?" He asked and I nodded affirmatively, "When was the last time you spoke with him?" He asked and I shifted my weight onto my heels and contemplated my answer. In reality I had seen him not too long ago, dead, but there was no way I was going to tell him that.

"I think it was about five or six years ago if I recall correctly, why do you ask?" I asked playing dumb.

"Well ma'am it appears that Agent Smith has not been heard from for some time and we are just following up with some of his case files in order to piece things together" He explained and I feigned shock when I heard that he was missing.

"One more question ma'am" I nodded and waited for him to continue, "Have you had any contact with a Homeland agent by the name of James Boyd?" He looked up at me and it took everything I had not to react to that questions. Clearly I knew that the James Boyd that I had originally met had turned out to be Ivan, but I had no clue that there was a real Agent Boyd.

"No, the name doesn't ring a bell, was he working with Agent Smith?" I asked curiously.

"He was assigned to Smith's case and was supposed to come talk to you just as I am doing, but he failed to report back to his superior and has not been heard from since he landed in Boston" Agent Mackenzie explained to me and this time I didn't have to fake shock because I was taken back by the news and I also had a sneaking suspicion as to who was responsible for the disappearance of Agent Boyd, Simone. I finished talking with Agent Mackenzie and wished him luck before closing the door and leaning up against it. Not only did I have to worry about Simone, the dead body of Agent Smith, and this mystery person in the photo, but now I had to worry about another missing federal agent that could no doubt bring down everything that I loved. I took several deep breaths and slid down the door so that I was now sitting on the floor. I brought my knees in close to my body and rested my head on them, I wasn't sure how I was going to get through all of this while being a girlfriend and a mom.

"Sadie, is dinner almost-" I heard Connor speaking but he cut himself off when he saw me sitting on the floor in front of the door, "Sadie what's wrong?" He asked slowly walking over to me. At the sound of him calling me Sadie I lost it and automatically started crying. I had been trying to keep it together for him and Colin and everyone else, but the stress of everything was getting to me and I needed to release it. Connor came over and sat down next to me and wrapped me in his arms and let me cry without saying a word.

"Conn, I'm so close to losing everything again and I don't think I can take it" I shook my head as I wiped away the tears that had fallen.

"Don't worry, you will always have me, I left once but I'm not going anywhere again, promise" Connor placed a hand under my chin and lifted my head so that he could bend down and kiss me. Sometimes Connor knew just what to say to me.

The Next Day

Today I was scheduled to have my routine meeting with Simone to discuss mob business. Up until this point the meetings between Simone and I had been very professional and things got accomplished, but this meeting was not going to be that way, not after she sent Ivan after me. I finished getting dressed and headed downstairs to finished getting ready. I walked to the liquor cabinet to grab my gun and looked at the empty bottle of whiskey that was bought in celebration of the birth of my brother Joe.

"I wish you were here Joe, I could really use your advice, things have been good for so long and now everything seems to be crashing down around me" I shook my head as I brushed my hand against the bottle, "She threatened us Joe, she threatened your nephew, my blood and I will make her pay" I nodded to myself and let my "brother" be before I headed to the garage. While I had been driving the minivan for the sake of Colin and the other kids I was looking forward to taking my 30th birthday present for a drive. I walked to the far bay of the garage and preceded to take the tan car cover off of the 2016 royal blue Chevy Camaro, if I was going to confront Simone, might as well do it in style.

A rational person would maybe talk to someone before jumping to violence, but when you threaten my kid and my family that rational aspect of my brain shuts down. I walked into the conference room with my gun drawn and cocked and immediately walked over to Simone and started demanding answers.

"Why did you send Ivan?" I paused hoping to get an answer, "Were you the one that planted the body in my warehouse?" I raised my voice slightly getting angry at the calm and quiet demeanor of Simone, "I assume you killed Agent Boyd as well since Ivan was impersonating him, so don't bother answering that question" I smirked at her, "You do realize that there is now another FBI agent snooping around and I would be more than happy to send him your way if you feel like confessing" I chuckled to myself taking a few more steps towards her. I stared into her eyes and wondered if she was ever going to say anything.

"What about this picture I found" I showed her the picture on the phone, "Where did you find this, did you have someone photo shop it, is it even real?" I questioned, "Tell me what you know about this boy!" I demanded getting more angry. Despite all the other things I wanted to know I needed to know who the boy was, there was a part of me that desperately wanted him to be real and to be family because I had so little of that left, "Tell me!" I screamed and Simone just started laughing at me. This only made my blood boil.

"Oh, so you think now is a good time to laugh" I fake laughed to myself before shoving Simone so hard she fell to the ground I climbed on top of her and pressed my still cocked gun into her forehead, "This is sooooo funny right, no tell me what I need to know or I will kill you where you lay" I threatened and stared deep into her eyes.

"Fine, yes my men killed and planted Smith's body in your warehouse, we were going to do the same with Agent Boyd's body as well, but after Ivan was disposed of we decided against it" She stated and some of the weight of all my stress lifted off my shoulders.

"What about the FBI agent that came to my door today was he real or is he another one of your men sent to kill me!?" I spoke quickly and angrily still pressing the gun into her skin.

"Not mine" She spoke through gritted teeth.

"What about the boy in the photo?" I asked softer now but immediately regretted it when Simone smirked back at me, "Tell me about the boy damnit, I know you know something, what is it!?" I was yelling at this point wanting my suspicions to be confirmed or denied, "Who is he?" I demanded once more but was distracted by the door opening and someone walking in. I turned and almost gasped because the man that was standing there looking at me was about two or three years older than me and was the spitting image of my father when he was young. By the time I had recomposed myself Simone had punched me in the face and grabbed the gun. I was no longer in control and I was frantically trying to regain it. Simone had me pinned and was now pointing the gun at me. Suddenly I head a series of gun shots and loud noises before the door opened again and three people walked in. I no longer saw the man that had distracted me, but I looked up from a pair of black boots into the concerned eyes of Connor. I turned back to Simone and smirked before speaking.

"Just do it already or do you not have the balls!" I yelled at her laughing when she just stared at me, "Do it!" I yelled again and Simone hesitated just long enough for me to punch her and smack the gun out of her hands. I crawled over to Murphy and reached for the Rambo style knife he kept strapped to his calf. I quickly returned to Simone and stabbed her to ensure that she could no longer hurt me or my family. I stood up and brushed myself off before turning to face my new family.

"The family that kills together stays together, am I right?" I smirked and Melanie, Murphy, and Connor smiled and laughed. Suddenly I remembered the man that had distracted me and I frantically looked around the room but did not see any sign of him.

"What are you lookin' for?" Connor asked wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

"Nothing" I said taking one last look around before leaning into him and exiting the building.

The Next Evening

Connor walked into our bedroom as I laid in bed thinking about the man I had seen that looked so much like my father.

"Colin is fast asleep, hopefully he stays that way" Connor interrupted my thoughts as he preceded to get ready for bed.

"You're so good with him, he looks up to you ya know" I smiled when Connor's ears turned red from embarrassment. Connor finished getting ready and joined me in bed. I rolled over and rested my head on his chest and finally relaxed, home at last.

"So are you going to tell me what's on your mind?" He asked startling me. I sighed heavily and then explained everything that had happened before he had come into the conference room with Simone and I, "Maybe I imagined it all, it was all just an adrenaline fueled hallucination" I shrugged trying to suppress the feelings that came up when thinking about that. I wanted it so badly to be real because I missed my parents and my brother despite all the problems and if that man I had seen was family I needed to find him because he was possibly the only family I had left.

A/N: So here is the third part of that Christmas special that I wrote forever ago. I am sooooooo sorry that it took me so long to get this written and to get this up. I was busy in grad school and a bunch of other things and after being away from this story for so long it was difficult to get back into the swing of things, it required a lot of outlining which I usually never do. But I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it, I still love these characters to this day and will most likely continue to revisit them when I need to live vicariously through Cassidy. Much Love!