A/N: I know this story has become like the Cinderella step-child of my collection, so I don't blame those of you who have forgotten about it. But if you are still interested, the muse recently came up with this. Picks up where chapter 9 left off.
"Brody wait up!" Chris caught up with Brody just as she was unlocking her car. It had been a long and intense night and he wanted to see if she okay even if she wasn't speaking to him.
"I have nothing to say to you, Chris." She said dully as she slipped into the driver's seat.
Chris caught the door as she started to close it. "Just hear me out."
"What is it that you are going to say?" she demanded. "That you had no choice? Because you always have a choice. If Cade were-"
That's when Chris cut her off. "Accused of murder?" Though it had been several months before Brody's kidnapping, he clearly remembered how skeptical and indifferent Brody had been when it came to looking at all of the evidence. Between Brody and Pride, he'd never felt so alone in his entire life.
"That's not the same thing!"
"It sure as hell is."
"Ok, for argument sake let's say that it is and you didn't tell me about Sophie because you wanted to get back at me."
LaSalle's face went all screwy. "What?"
Now, she was being just plain unreasonable. Reaching into the car, he yanked the keyless start from her hands and chucked it across the asphalt.
"What the hell?" Brody's big dark eyes went wide as she pulled to her feet, ready to fight.
Chris got right in her face. "I'm not the bad guy here!"
Instead of giving him the reaction he was expecting, Brody spoke calmly but kept an edge to her voice. "This is my sister's life and you kept that from me."
Chris started to place his hands on her shoulders, but then pulled back, curling his hands into fists. "I was trying to find her, that's why I left last night. I had a lead… I thought if I could-
Brody cut him off, "Find Sophie without involving me that would somehow make you the hero?"
"What?" She was just grasping at straws, trying to use anything in her power to hurt him. "You've got it all wrong."
Brody put her hands up. "You know what? It's been a long night, I'm tired and angry and I really need time to process this. So if you wouldn't mind, stepping aside so that I can get to my key-"
Chris did one better, he knelt down and picked it up, placing it into her hand.
"Thank you." She clipped trying to sound cold and indifferent as she got into her car.
"You're Welcome." He sighed watching her drive off.
Chris walked back inside the building wondering what he had done that was so wrong. Yes, he understood her anger over him not being able to tell her about her sister, but couldn't she see that his hands were tied? And what about tonight? He had nearly had his throat slit trying to get information about where her sister was being held captive.
She could be so stubborn sometimes.
Walking over to the plasma screen, Chris punched in the number for FBI Agent Gina Lance.
"Agent LaSalle? What can I do for you?"
"I've got a proposition for ya."
Agent Lance listened carefully as Chris relayed the information that he'd given about Sophie from Ross P's contact. It sounded like it could be viable until LaSalle decided to sweeten the deal. The assassin that Chris had killed while trying to save Brody also happened to be Adkom Fod's brother in-law. LaSalle was certain there had be a bounty on his head somewhere within Fod's organization for it. Maybe he could use that to draw Fod out of hiding.
Agent Lance shook her head. "I cannot allow you to do that."
"Then, I know someone who can."
"Do you have a death wish, LaSalle?" Jethro Leroy Gibbs looked like he wanted to slap the younger agent upside the head as they spoke via the plasma screen.
"I'm thinking that the FBI has had this case for months and hasn't done a dang thing about it so why don't we?"
Gibbs made a face, "I'm not disagreeing with you about that."
"The guy I talked to last night has a way to communicate with Fod's organization. If we can get him to work with us, then we might have a way in."
Gibbs looked skeptical. "Correct me, if I'm wrong but didn't this guy just try to slit your throat?"
"Uh…"
Gibbs picked up a rolled newspaper and hit the screen. "Pride, what do you think of all this?"
Pride looked at his surrogate son, what Chris was proposing was risky, a gamble at best. "I think Christopher has a point. If everything were to fall into place it could work to our advantage."
Brody appeared, "What could work to our advantage?" she asked, nodding to the figure on the plasma screen. "Gibbs."
"Agent LaSalle came up with a plan to get a location on your sister." Gibbs replied after returning the greeting.
Brody gave Chris a curt glance. "Has he?"
After receiving a quick briefing from Gibbs and Pride Brody met LaSalle in the locker area, "I thought I told you I don't need you playing the hero."
LaSalle shut his locker and set his bag on the bench. "Look, I'm not trying to gain anything from this. Like it or not, you and I are family. Families help each other out."
"They also don't keep things from one another!" Brody countered icily.
Chris got right up in the face, "You'd rather go in there and let Fod, take another crack at you? Well, then be my guest."
Brody started to shrink, kicking herself for being so cowardice but his words were absolutely terrifying. The thought of being near Fod or any of his people made her want to curl up and cry. Whether or not she would acknowledge it, she hadn't healed yet.
Everything Chris had done to try and help had just been blown to pieces by the sheer power of his words. How was this possible? Why was it that she was still so weak? God, she really hated him right now for making her feel so frightened and fragile.
Chris looked at her with indifference. He hated doing this to her, but he needed her to see that she wasn't ready. He also wanted to her realize that he would walk through hell for her if it meant she could have her sister back. But if a glare could cast daggers he was certain he'd be dead right now.
Still motivated by her anger and fear, she watched his back as he picked up his bag and walked out.