Author's Notes – Right so I've prolonged this damn ending enough. For everyone who offered me ideas I thank you, and they did help, so I hope you all enjoy. Now to just finish 'Raising a Ranger', 'Playing Nice', 'Just a Little Problem', and 'Forever and Always'… I need a life.

Also I know, surprisingly, some people were looking forward to a Tommy/Mercer romance and I do apologize, I was torn between making it that and just a father figure type thing. In the end, especially after the last chapter, I've decided it's best for this story that it be that father figure relationship not romance. Sorry, I promise to do another short lil Tommy/Merc romance in the near future.

Summary – Let's wrap it up people.

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'An Understanding'

Mercer

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(Next morning)

Where is it? I know it's here somewhere. Shifting through the stacks of papers, I should have organized this better. Though in all honesty I didn't think I'd need it. After all my lawyers have a copy and I was just going to let them handle it next month as planned. But no, he had to be all cooperative, and open, and honest last night, I'd rather not leave it up to those blood suckers now. "Damn it where is it?"

As a folder slips from my grasp and falls to the floor I see the desired contracts spill out. Aha. Retrieving the papers and knowing it's just in time as I can hear him moving around in the room above me now, I just hope he receives this well. With him it's always a toss up.

Now if I can just get the rest of the files and papers put back away before-

"Merc?" Damn. Poking his head into the study and looking a little weary, he is quite a site to behold. Hair mussed from sleep, eyes not fully open, clothes wrinkled, if I had a camera this would make excellent blackmail.

"Morning Thomas. Sleep well?" Just ignore the disaster area that is my office. With any luck he will as I know from past experiences he's anything but his best and most alert first thing in the morning.

Wincing minutely, his hand finds his head signaling that he clearly has at least a trace of a hangover. He really does have a low tolerance for alcohol doesn't he. "Yeah, kinda wish I'd stayed asleep. Don't suppose you have any aspirin do you?"

Grabbing the ever present bottle from my desk drawer, I hand it to him before leading him out of the study and into the kitchen. Picking a glass from the cabinet and filling it with water I turn in time to see him dry swallow two of the pills without blinking an eye. And here I thought I took a lot of that stuff. Suppose that's the price you pay when working with teenagers. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Don't drink coffee anymore, but thanks." Taking the water from me and having a few sips, he slides onto a stool at the breakfast bar. "What happened to your office? It's not like you to have anything out of place and here I walk in to the see you've got papers and folders thrown all over the room. Everything okay?"

Noting his concerned look and tone, I have to smile a bit. "It's fine, I was just trying to locate some contracts." Holding up the papers for him to see, I suddenly realize I'm holding them a bit too tightly.

"Important business, huh." Continuing to sip the water, he makes a thoughtful noise. "You know you'd probably recover a lot quicker if you took a vacation. I'm sure running around, stressing yourself out over your companies and everything is only prolonging this withdrawal sickness. Maybe you should take a week off and go somewhere with Trent, like camping or something."

"Camping?" Raising an eyebrow at this, I can't imagine where he ever got the notion I camp. True I did work on the dig sites every now and then, but he's well aware that myself and most of my staff spent the evenings in the nearest hotel.

"Just a thought." Apparently feeling a bit better, he moves to the fridge. Pouring himself a glass of orange juice he looks to be debating something before pleading brown eyes are cast in my direction. "Don't suppose I could convince you to make some breakfast."

"I will, but I'd like to give you something first." Gesturing for him to sit back down, I only hope he doesn't jump to the wrong conclusion. "Despite the kids interfering I just want you to know that I was going to have this delivered to you next month. Sort of a way to show my appreciation for what you did for Trent and myself." Handing him the papers I'd been clutching ever since we entered the kitchen, I unconsciously hold my breath.

"These are…" Yes they are. "What does this mean?" Eyes coming up from skimming the contracts he still doesn't trust the intentions behind it, but I can see the beginning of a smile.

"It means that I bought the land that your house and lair are on along with the surrounding woods just to be on the safe side, to insure that no one would be able to weasel you out of it and accidentally stumble upon your secret." Handing over the rest quickly before he can begin to worry, I continue. "And these mean that after doing so I've decided to sign it over to you so you'll have some peace of mind and not have worry about me having any ulterior motives."

"This is amazing. I…I don't know what to say."

Offering up shrug and retrieving myself a cup of coffee from the pot, I don't really know what to tell him, which is a first for me. "You don't have to say anything, I just wanted to give you some peace of mind after all the years I spent making you worry about everything. I never…I never meant to hurt you, Tommy. I kept my distance from you specifically because of that. I know you think it's not true because I let Trent remain here with me, but I didn't have that option with him."

"I know." Looking at the papers, but not really seeing them, he looks so much older than he should. It's a look I know all too well, comes from too little sleep and too much stress. "About what I said last night I, I understand why it's different. I don't like it, but I do understand it and you're right, Trent still needs you." Well look at that, when did he go and grow up into a mature adult.

Sitting down across from him, I reach out a tantive hand and brush my fingers over his arm in much the same way I did last night at the restaurant. "Just because you don't need me doesn't mean we have to go back to being enemies or strangers. I'd really like it if we could at least go back to being friends. It's up to you though, those contracts, they're yours no stipulations or conditions attached."

"I don't trust you." Damn. "Yet." Raising his eyes, I can see a small smile on the little brat's face. "Not fully. Not saying it'll be that way forever, or that we can't be friends, just know that right now you're still sort of on my 'handle with caution' list." That's probably a wise idea.

"I think I can live with that. Especially considering what I'm going to do to Trent when he gets home." Wait until I see my son, he is definitely going to pay. Though not as much as I'd originally intended when the night started out.

Going for more juice, he pauses at the fridge. "He's not here?" Don't sound so disappointed, it's for the best, trust me.

Moving myself to get out the pans I'll need to make us some eggs and bacon, I check the clock about the stove. Only nine in the morning, chances are he was up most the night with his friends and will have slept in. Plenty of time to feed Tommy and get things ready for the little conspirators. "No, he left a note saying he was spending the night at Connor's to give us some 'privacy'. I'd bet anything when he returns it'll be with all of them in hopes I won't kill him in front of witnesses."

"How clever." Indeed. Handing me the cartoon of eggs, he moves to get the plates and silverware, amazingly enough still remembering where everything is kept. "What are we going to do to them?" There's the little troublemaker I know, the one that 'accidentally' pushed Smitty into all those holes on the dig sites.

"There's a pair of leather pants and a set of handcuffs in the den." And I do hope you'll be the one wearing them as I don't think I could pull such a thing off. I want to scar the kids for life after all, not kill them.

When he smiles, I think I have my answer. "Classy."

"I try."

The End