Work Text:
Annie Baker spotted an unfamiliar minivan pulling into the parking lot and jabbed her husband. "I think our newest family has arrived," she told him.
George studied the newcomers as they emerged from the black sienna. The wife, he thought her name was Jane, looked quite severe, even in jeans and a blouse. But John, whom he had spoken to, looked like he would fit right in with the other dads.
The group quickly trooped up to the aluminum bleachers, hauling their supplies. Even the little one - who's name George didn't remember - was stoically toting a folded up blanket.
Annie hurried to greet them, "John? Jane? Welcome!"
John dropped the ice chest and shook hands with the couple. "You must be the Bakers!"
If they had once worked for the Maceys and Gimbal's of the underworld, they now worked for Walmart. It wasn't ideal, but the agency provided them with a new cover in a new state, and it kept them well employed.
The agency didn't even mind relocating them again - this time to Nevada, when Atlanta had started closing in on them. John figured that if they only moved every six years, then they were doing alright.
He glanced at Joe, who was handling the move very well, and smiled as the six-year old helped his little sister lay out the picnic blanket. Joe had been a surprise, conceived during that turbulent time when the truth had come out. They were actually in the process of making plans to leave the country when Jane realized that she was late. As with most things Jane, she had never been late or irregular before, and she immediately saw a doctor.
That evening, John erased all their carefully made plans for France and started looking for a new job. The position with Sherman had been perfect, especially when a spot opened up for Jane a few months later.
Now they each had a respectable cover as work-from-home software designers, and Joe was playing in his first T-ball league game. Little Jill was going to be starting preschool in a few months, and he and Jane were doing their best to cope with their new cover life. They had a minivan with handy automatic doors, a shed full of garden tools and cash, and a living room full of toys.
Jane had never quite fit in with the neighborhood girls, but she was a loving mom, and John loved her and the kids. Six years ago his life had been stuck in a rut of silent dinners and business trip assassinations. Now his days were filled with checking coding and watching Sesame Street, and he couldn’t be happier.