The only thing worse than being abandoned is knowing that you're not even worth an explanation. - Unknown
What affected one affected them all. Bancroft definitely proved that. Hannibal had watched his team carefully, making sure their unique methods of dealing didn't go down the wrong path.
Naturally, Frankie was the least affected by it. He thought it was great that Face finally had some clue to his personal history. He had no insight into the barage of questions racing through Face's mind since then.
BA was at sea. He still remembered how he'd felt when his own father had died, but Face wasn't feeling the loss of a father's love. He'd never had that. The only thing BA could do was to accept, unconditionally, his friend's anger and frustration at the opportunity lost. That, and make sure he was always close at hand in case Face needed to vent those feelings in a more visceral way.
Then there was Murdock. On the surface, he and Face acted okay, but Hannibal could see that connection they'd had for years just wasn't there any more. A sad combination of the remaining pilot's guilt and Face's resentment. Feelings that deep didn't just go away. And he knew it went farther than Bancroft. Murdock had no idea how far. How bad the damage really was.
Hannibal had known Face longer than any of them and had a much better understanding of the ramifications. Knew where his lieutenant's thoughts had gone. Face finally knew what his father's excuse was. Heard it second-hand, no chance to ask questions, get answers, but he knew the 'why'. And he was slowly - very slowly - learning to deal with it. Dealing, not yet accepting. But before he could get anywhere near acceptance, it hit him. And hit hard.
Samantha.
The woman who had supposedly dropped him in front of the orphanage and walked away. Not even leaving a note to tell them his name or when he'd been born, let alone why she was abandoning him. Nothing.
Hannibal could almost name the exact date Face had gone down that dead-end road. Shortly after they'd gotten back from Hong Kong. BA's description of how determined and single-minded Face had been. It wasn't an ego that told Hannibal why. Found and lost Bancroft and then suddenly facing the thought that he might lose Hannibal, too. The final nail in the coffin?
It had been downhill ever since. His comments more biting than banter, his temper flashing more often, his need for solitude increasing seemingly by the day. The guys were more skittish around him, his defensive responses sparking at even the most obvious teasing.
Hannibal had already made some attempts to find out more about Samantha. He hoped to at least get her maiden name. He'd contacted Ellen, to see if she would dig through Bancroft's papers. It would take time, but she promised to work on it. He'd also tried to find the marriage or birth certificates, but even Stockwell couldn't break through the strict California privacy laws. Not without creating questions about his organization. And that, as the general stiffly informed him, would never do.
Their last mission settled things for Hannibal. Face had almost gotten killed, and it wasn't just bad luck that caused it. He knew Stockwell had another mission planned, and he wasn't about to accept it. The team needed some serious down time, and he intended to take Face away from the compound. Just the two of them. It was time they developed their own plan - and that included getting those pardons. Once they were free of Stockwell, they could begin the search for Samantha and, God willing, answer at least some of the questions that were slowly crushing his man.
One way or another, he would get Face back.