Moving Forward

Always Growing and Learning - Epilogue

Owen's POV

Life was strange in several ways, where we ended up was rarely what we expected. The past ten years had gone by quickly and there had been few dull moments. My life had changed in so many ways and I had trouble believing that I had resisted them at the beginning.

Finding Sean and my brothers, it was the best thing that happened to me. I used to think it was the Academy but that had turned out not to be true. I had ignored my problems and concentrated on the boys, believing that I couldn't change my status as a ghost and that I would be thrown out of the Academy if I tried. I thought that if I could improve my brothers' lives, it was acceptable for mine to remain in the shadows. Sven Ericson and Sean made it clear that it wasn't true and they dragged me into the sunlight. I would like to say that I trusted their judgment and let them lead me without protest, that wasn't true. Sean likes to claim that I kicked and screamed the entire way. I disagreed; I would never be so undignified.

We completed the Ashley Waters mission by the end of the school year. I must admit that it had been a learning experience. In the end, I was thankful that we had Shan, Foxy, and the Toma Team on the mission with us. It took all of us to untangle the twisted web of deceit that Hendricks had created to cover his theft. His fingers had been everywhere, from Insurance Fraud to bilking the State and Federal Government out of millions. The hardest part had been to locate the offshore accounts the money was being stored in and retrieving it without his knowledge. What made it difficult was that we had to have enough evidence to send him to prison without the school losing the money it needed to operate. It took some doing, hours of collaborating and tossing ideas before we found our answer. The last day of school we stood and watched as the Police entered the school and arrested him in front the entire school body, taking several teachers and students with him. The Superintendent and his nephew were also arrested. They had been operating their own crime ring, from drugs to Racketeering. One of the things that angered me the most was that he had known about McCoy's proclivities and used them to further his hold on the school. He had been handing him students that he wanted to be removed, ones who knew too much and were in his way.

Sven accomplished a miracle for me; he was able to track down everything needed to make me a registered citizen in two countries. I was British through my mother and was born there, allowing me citizenship. My father was a U.S. citizen, giving me dual citizenship. I was born a twin, just as my father had been. It was true that my twin and I had different fathers, just as my father and his twin had. From what Sven had been able to find out, my mother had relations with both twins. Everyone he had talked to had said that she hadn't known, that the brothers had looked so much alike that it was hard to tell them apart. My brother and I were separated at birth, given to our respective fathers. My mother had been told that my brother had died shortly after birth, which wasn't true. He died at age two, shortly before we moved to the States. My Uncle had listed my name on the Death Certificate to punish my parents, my mother hadn't been told and my father hadn't cared. My father had killed my mother but he died that night as well. My Uncle had killed him and dumped the body in the ocean, leaving me an orphan. He had followed us to Charleston and ended up in the Academy, becoming my mentor. He had a way about him that drew people to him and it allowed him to gain information on anyone. Like my father, he was a master manipulator. I won't go into detail on everything he had done but I can tell you that he targeted me because I lived and my brother didn't. He intentionally trained me wrong and tried to set me up to take the fall for his crimes. He was the one who had been stealing the teams' money and who had falsified our records so that we would appear on three teams. He murdered three Elders to gain their wealth and was now serving three life sentences in a maximum-security prison.

Thanks to Sven, I was now legal. I had my high school diploma and a college degree in Music. I was in charge of the Musician wing of the local museum and arranged small concerts for our patrons and schools. I kept my job at the paper; I enjoyed reviewing the concerts and restaurants. I also did a weekly column on proper etiquette and entertaining business associates. It was the Ann Landers of Manners; I gave advice and answered questions from my readers. It was quite popular and had quite a following. People enjoyed my dry wit, my extensive knowledge of etiquette and my blunt replies. I didn't sugar coat my answers, it wouldn't have been right.

My brothers, they too have thrived. Sean had a flourishing practice and he was monitoring the training for future doctors. The High Council felt that he was the best one for the job that he would make sure no one rushed through his or her training as he had tried to do. I was quite proud of him; he was turning out to be a great mentor. Kota and Nathan attended Berkley together. Nathan is a Child Psychologist; he has been working with many of the Academy's newer members. Kota is a Certified Public Accountant, our brothers have started calling him Beans much to his dismay. I find it amusing because he is the one who keeps them out of hot water during tax season. Silas is an Occupational Therapist; he mainly works with children who suffered severe injuries. North, he still tinkers with cars but his vocation is children without families. He is the new director of the children's home our team adopted. The kids all love him and they have a fierce protector in him, he goes the extra mile for every one of his kids. Gabriel was becoming famous; his painting sold opening night of any show they are included in. He has a unique style; he calls it Urban Chic with a touch of dazzle. Whatever it was, patrons loved it and wanted more. Luke dropped out of culinary school and studied International Law instead; he is now a full partner in Sven's Law firm. Victor performed for the occasional Benefit or Charity, along with Raschel Ericson, especially when it had to do with children and the elderly. Victor opened his own Electronics Company; he specializes in gadgets for the Security Industry. As for Raschel Ericson, she was a bit of everything. Helping those of us when needed or off somewhere learning something new.

In spite of the cliffs we had to climb and the pits we had to cross, I am proud to say that we made it. We may not all be on the same team, we were still brothers and closer than before. Sean and I were a couple's team, although we worked closely with our brothers. It was my choice and one I don't regret. I was putting myself under so much pressure to be perfect for the boys, to solve their every problem and make them the best team. I had been a powder keg ready to explode. Now that we were equals, they walked away when I became too overbearing in my need to control. That was one of the hardest things for me to accept, that I didn't have all the answers and never would. I had to learn that it was okay not to be perfect, to ask others for help and to place trust in those I made my family. I understood now, trust was a two-way street and it was worthless when it only went one way.