Chapter 10--I've finished another installment of the cross-fiction story. It's really interesting trying to combine two sets of characters. I hope this story makes some sense, but it's fun to write! I hope you enjoy it and thanks for the comments!

Brody stepped in just in time to prevent Matt from punching the federal agent.

"Matt, you can't do this," he said, stepping in between them.

Matt nodded and withdrew his fist.

"You're right," he said, "But this agent put people's lives at risk during the last time we crossed paths with him."

"I'm not arguing with that," Brody said.

"Make that the last two times."

Walker looked back and forth, first in confusion then in consternation.

"What the hell's going on here," he asked.

The FBI agent brushed off his suit and glared at Matt.

"I'm Federal Special Agent Simon Denton, with the Texas office."

Matt shook his head thinking that right now the world just wasn't large enough.

"What are you doing here," he said.

Simon glared at Matt.

"I was dispatched to respond to a bank robbery and hostage situation in progress," Simon said, "The better question is what you're doing here behind police lines."

Matt shot him a steely look back.

"Why did they send you," he said, "Didn't they know how you handled or rather mishandled the Stefan Kostas mess?"

Simon's face darkened.

"The agency's internal review process fully investigated that situation and found no wrongdoing on the part of my agents or myself."

"What'd they do give you a promotion," Matt said, incredulous, "Don't answer that."

Walker interjected himself between the two men.

"Obviously you two have a history that you're going to both have to put aside," he said, "We need to focus on what's at hand and getting those hostages out of that bank alive."

"I'm willing to do that," Simon said.

Matt nodded.

Simon pulled out some papers.

"These documents authorize us to take control of this situation," he said, "It's now a federal matter."

"What," Walker said, looking at them, "Since when?"

"Since Johnson broke out of a federal facility and we always move in on bank robberies anyway," Simon said.

"I thought this would be a joint operation," Walker said.

Matt set his jaw.

"You better get used to it, Walker," he said, "This guy always takes over a situation and makes a mess out of it. The last time, I ended up in a two day coma and I wasn't even the worst casualty."

"Mr. Houston, we had no idea that Stefan Kostas, the pharmaceutical importer was…"

"Stefan Kostas, the human trafficker and drug dealer," Matt finished.

"You can't blame us for your own actions that put you at risk," Simon said.

The other federal agent walked in and Matt sighed, when he saw him. The world had just gotten a lot smaller.

"Jonathan," he said, "You just passing through to say hi?"

"Hi Matt, "Jonathan said, "What are you doing here?"

"I see you couldn't give up the pin striped suits," Matt said.

Jonathan smiled.

"Actually the FBI uses a much better dry cleaning service than the U.S. Marshals," he said.

"How's the wife?"

"She's settling in Dallas fine," he said, "I think I'm going to like this assignment much better than working in D.C."

"C.J.'s in there," Matt said, "Along with Chris and possibly Fran."

Jonathan nodded, solemnly.

"I knew about C.J.," he said, "Walker said she was there with his wife, Alex."

"So what do you feds propose we do?"

Jonathan sighed.

"I know you don't trust us, Matt," he said, "And maybe you have reason…"

"I'd say so after what happened to C.J. when she worked with them, what happened when she got kidnapped and came to them for help after escaping. Not to mention what happened four months ago in L.A."

Simon's face reddened.

"I can't believe he's got the audacity to blame us for that," he said.

Jonathan raised his hand.

"No, I agree with him," he said, "the FBI screwed up royally. We should have known about Kostas' dark side. After all, you would have thought we would have learned our lesson with Andre Duval."

"But…" Simon stammered.

"And when C.J. told everyone there was something strange about Kostas after she…met him, we should have taken that as seriously as Matt did."

"But…"

"Let me finish," Jonathan said, "We need to answer for the Kostas situation but we need to get through this crisis first and to do that, we all need to put aside our differences and work together as one unit."

Walker sighed, after listening to the conversation for a while.

"I agree," he said, "And we've got to act quickly. Johnson's not the most stable individual and he'll probably start showing signs of that soon."

Simon nodded and gestured to the others.

"You're right," he said, "Let's meet in the planning room in about five minutes."

C.J. and Alex had first met years earlier while C.J. did her stint with the public defenders' office in Houston and Alex had clocked in several years with the District Attorney's office down the street. Fresh out of Harvard Law School, C.J. knew she had only her clerkship with renowned attorney F. Lee Bailey to arm herself against the reality of practicing criminal defense law but she looked forward to what it would be like outside the classroom. Bailey had often told her to talk loudly in court and use that as her stick but she found it challenging at first to put his advice into practice. Still, she loved her job, defending the underdog, those people who were unable to afford their own attorney.

Especially those who were innocent like her client in the case which pitted her against Alex.

C.J. knew her client hadn't committed the crime and she knew she could handle the case but she wasn't prepared to take it to trial in part because she had hundreds of other cases on her plate competing for her time. Her supervisor had praised her talents and her work ethic before telling her she believed she was ready for her first trial. C.J. hoped this case would be it.

In the meantime, Alex and she still ran into each other in the courthouse and even had a quick lunch together at a bustling mall across from the building now and then. A couple times they met for drinks at a Tex-Mex spot after a hard day's work, usually at the end of the week with other young attorneys all willing to toss aside their respective affiliations for a few hours of escaping from their busy careers.

Tonight, a freakish autumn storm had kept most everyone at home but C.J. had ventured out to the restaurant to meet up with any other brave (and bored) souls to kick back with some good food and better margueritas on a slow Friday night.

Alex sat alone looking withdrawn when C.J. pulled up a chair. It didn't take C.J. long to figure out why when she saw the other woman's face.

She reacted despite herself, feeling sick inside.

"Who did that," she asked about the fading bruise on Alex's cheek.

Alex tried to smile but her eyes hid a world of pain.

"I would tell you I hit a wall or a doorway when I wasn't looking but I know that won't wash," she said, with a deep sigh, "So I'll just tell you that my boyfriend is now my ex-boyfriend."

"That must have hurt," C.J. said, "Are you okay?"

Alex nodded.

"I'm now," she said, "But I wasn't the other night. I kicked him out and I'm not seeing him anymore."

"That's good," C.J. said, "The abuse never stops even when they say they're sorry."

Alex shook her head.

"I should have seen it coming, I mean I am a prosecutor and have handled domestic violence cases," Alex said, "But…"

"It's different when it's you, compared to when you're helping someone else who's being abused," C.J. said, "Everything's different when it's personal."

Both C.J. and Alex ordered Margueritas from the waitress, who placed bowls of chips and salsa in front of them. C.J. dove in hers right away, drenching her chips with salsa.

"You're sure hungry," Alex said.

"Yeah, I just got off the phone with Jonathan," C.J. said, making a face.

"He's still upset with you about going away that weekend?"

C.J. nodded.

"I told him that it was a weekend spent in L.A. with my best friend," she said, "Houston and I spent most of the time talking about his company and where he wanted to take it."

"The one he's taken over from his father," Alex said, "the one that Matt wants you to work with him on building up and taking in a new direction."

C.J. dipped another chip in the salsa.

"Well yeah, he's asked me several times to work with him," she said, "But I like my job here a lot. I don't know if I'm ready to just pack up and move. And corporate law, I'm not sure it's a good fit. "

Alex smiled, stirring her drink.

"What did you do the rest of the time in L.A.?"

C.J. picked some lint off of her shirt.

"We just talked, went hiking and we spent time in Malibu with some friends," he said, "Houston's thinking of buying a house there if he decides to stay in L.A."

"So Jonathan was upset because he thought you and Matt are more than friends? That you're…involved?"

Alex could tell by the look on C.J.'s face that she'd hit the nail on the head.

"Yeah, and we're not. I just don't think Jonathan believes that men and women can just be good friends," C.J. said.

Alex finally started in on her chips after staring at them for a while.

"Friendships between men and women can be tricky to navigate through some times because usually at least one person wants more than the other."

C.J. shrugged.

"Not Houston and I," she said, "We've been friends since we were kids."

"Well, if it works for you," Alex said, "Then that's really great."

C.J. dunked another chip in the salsa.

"Besides, Jonathan's graduating from his second course at Quantico in a few weeks and then he gets his new assignment which could be anywhere in the country. So we'd be back to having a long-distance relationship."

"So you're back together with him?"

The waitress brought them their drinks.

"Maybe…I don't know," C.J. said, "I love Jonathan but I just don't think I'm in love with him."

"Ah," Alex said, taking a sip of her drink, "That's where things get awkward."

"Tell me about it. So I don't think we're getting back together," C.J. said, "But I hope we can still be friends."

"That's going to take some working through to see if that happens," Alex said, "But what do I know about friendships with guys? Why that Cordell…"

C.J. brightened.

"Cordell Walker," she said, "He seemed very nice at that party for the judges at the Hilton, but he's not from here…"

"He's based in Dallas," Alex said, "and I don't know if we're even friends. We spent most of that party arguing with each other."

C.J. laughed.

"But it was a good argument," she said, "And he's kind of cute in a take charge kind of way."

Alex snorted.

"I think he just likes to push my buttons," she said.

C.J. cocked her head.

"I think he didn't like the guy you were with and that he was worried about you. He was right about your ex-boyfriend," C.J. said, "I don't think Houston really likes Jonathan that much either but for different reasons."

Alex leaned forward.

"Why is that do you think?"

C.J. thought about it.

"They're so different," she said, "Houston is hard charging, at work and play and he wears his heart on his sleeve, whereas Jonathan's more by the book always, and more reserved."

"Do you think that Matt didn't take to Jonathan or just didn't take to your relationship with him?"

C.J. looked up at Alex in surprise and put the marguerita she nearly sipped back down on the table. She didn't have an answer to that question for quite a while.

C.J. woke up to Fran shaking her shoulder. She looked up at her friend who had a worried expression on her face.

"Is it Chris," she said.

Fran nodded.

"She's having those strange pains again," she said, "You know the ones I said you have to watch out for?"

"I remember," C.J. said, "We'd better go see what's going on with her baby."

The three of them walked over to where Chris lay on the floor. Her face had broken out in a light sweat and she looked uncomfortable. C.J. sat down beside her.

"So what's going on," she asked.

Chris tilted her head up.

"I don't know," she said, "I was feeling like normal and then those funny twinges returned."

"Are they frequent?"

"Not really," she said, "Every 15 minutes or so and they're fairly mild."

Fran studied her friend.

"Yeah, compared to what comes next if you are really giving birth."

Chris gave her an annoyed look.

"Thanks for reminding me of what's in store for me while I'm lying on the floor in the middle of the night in some banker's office," she said.

C.J. ran her hand through her hair, trying to think.

"You're going to be fine," she said, "Just relax and do some of that breathing they tell women to do."

Fran nodded.

"I'll help you," she said, "See, you go like this…"

"Dan and I have been attending Lamaze regularly," Chris said.

C.J. stood up and Alex followed her apart from the other two women. She paced back and forth for a few feet each way trying to collect her thoughts.

"I don't know what these pains mean," she said, "I don't know anything about having babies."

Alex smiled.

"I didn't either," she said, "But it could be Braxton-Hicks contractions."

C.J. nodded.

"Those are the false contractions, aren't they?"

"Yes, the body uses them to get in shape for the delivery usually several weeks before it takes place," Alex said, "When's her due date?"

C.J. counted in her head.

"I think in two to three weeks," she said.

"Then it's possible that these aren't real contractions," Alex said, "But on the other hand, it could be premature labor."

"Oh."

"Yeah, and it could be lengthy meaning it could last for hours or days," Alex said, "or it could happen really quickly."

"Either way, we've got to get Chris to a hospital," C.J. said, "They're just going to have to let her go."

C.J. walked towards the office door. Alex followed her.

"Wait, what are you doing," she asked.

C.J. turned around to face her.

"I'm going to tell these guys they have to release her," she said, "or she might be having her baby inside a bank."

C.J. opened the door and ran into Bruiser still standing guard outside the door.

"I need to talk to whoever's in charge here," she said, "And I'm pretty sure it's not you so please lead me to your boss or get him for me."

Bruiser stepped back and aimed his gun at her.

"Get back," he said, "or I'm going to shoot."

C.J. stood her ground, looking at him.

"Go ahead," she said, "But aim well because like I said, I've been shot before and it hurts like hell until you lose consciousness and that can take forever."

He paused.

"I mean it," he said.

"Look, I'm sure you do," she said, "But now that we've got that established, I'm not leaving until you let me talk to whoever's in charge here."

He stared at her a long moment and she waited for a response. Finally, he lowered his gun and sighed.

"What do you want," he asked.

"That's better," she said, "We've got a pregnant woman who might be going into labor…"

"You're lying," he said.

"Go in the room and look for yourself," she said, "Hopefully, she won't be too far along because then you're likely to pass out from all the blood."

Bruiser's face turned a couple shades paler.

"And when she starts screaming for an epidural, then what are you going to do," C.J. said folding her arms.

"Okay…" he relented, "I'll go talk to him."

"Hurry," she said, "Because there's no telling when this baby will be born and if it's breech…"

But Bruiser had already headed off to find Duke.

Alex stood by the door, having listened to the exchange.

"Good one," she said, "I'm sure those robbers don't want to have to deal with childbirth in the middle of their standoff. They might let her go."

C.J. nodded.

"That's what I'm hoping."

They went back into the office. Fran looked up.

"I'm not sure these are Braxton-Hicks," she said, "But they're still far apart whatever they are."

"I got the robber standing by the door to go tell the ring leader that Chris is in labor," C.J. said, "We've got to act like she could be giving birth any minute."

Fran nodded.

"Gotcha."

Chris looked nonplussed.

"What the hell is going on here," she said.

"We're trying to get you out of here so you can have your baby," Fran said.

"That works for me," she said, "But what about you guys?"

C.J. knelt beside her friend.

"What matters is getting you out of here so you and your baby will be safe," she said, "As for the rest of us, we'll figure out something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know," C.J. said, "We'll deal with that part when we come to it."

Walker sat on the steps outside the mobile center, shaking his head. They had just spent 20 minutes sitting in a meeting with the federal agents hoping to hear about a strategic plan only to learn they didn't have one.

Matt saw him and joined him.

"I could have spent the past half hour pacing here outside and that would have been a more productive use of my time," Matt said.

Walker couldn't disagree with him.

"So didn't these guys do any planning before they flew out here?"

Walker stroked his chin.

"Clearly not," he said, "Though it didn't help matters when you tried to punch Agent Denton right when he came through the door."

Matt sighed.

"Probably not, but you can't be too sure about that. He needs someone to knock some sense into him."

"So he really screwed up that Kostas case," Walker said, "I read about that, what a nightmare."

Matt picked up some stray grass and let it fall through his fingers.

"For some of us, yes it was."

"You mean your fiancée?"

Silence met Walker's question and it took a while for Matt to nod in response.

"She knew from the moment she met Kostas that he was evil. She just didn't know why."

"So you took it to the feds?"

Matt rubbed his forehead.

"We tried to do that," he said, "It didn't work. They don't live outside their own bureaucracy."

Walker digested Matt's words including the anger which laced them.

"They're not all like that," he said, "Most federal agents are good, hardworking men and women."

"Maybe that's true," Matt said, "But let's just say, they've dropped the ball too many times and left innocent people to pay the price and I'm not about to let that happen again."

Walker sighed.

"I can't even imagine what you and Ms Parsons went through during the past year or so," he said.

Matt gave him a hard look.

"No you can't," he said.

Walker pondered that.

"But there will be no similar dropping of the ball by federal agents on my watch."

"Didn't you just hear," Matt said, "You lost control of your own operation. Only the people who are now in charge don't even have a plan to get those people out of there."

"Yeah, there's that," Walker admitted, "They should have come more prepared."

"It's too late for that now," Matt said, "Maybe it's time for us to come up with a plan of our own."

Walker started to say something but Brody and Dan walked up, interrupting them.

"What have you heard," Dan said.

"Not much," Matt said, "Except they have no idea what they're planning to do."

Brody sighed in disgust.

"That's how it was when I was in the LAPD," he said, "They left us in the lurch more times than I could count. But on the other hand, most of them were pretty damn good field agents who probably should have been put in charge over some desk jockeys."

"So what's going to happen next," Dan said, "What are the feds going to do to get those hostages out of there?"

Walker paused.

"It's going to be a long, carefully thought out process whatever happens," he said, "You all being ex-cops and military should know how these operations are carried out and how they go down."

Dan nodded.

"Yeah once they do go down, things happen quickly and can spiral out of control," he said.

Walker agreed.

"That can happen but not here," he said, "and without any hostage blood being spilled."

"There's already been bloodshed," Brody said, "I saw some blood on the floor when I was inside."

They all looked at him.

"How much," Walker asked.

Brody shrugged.

"A good amount," he said, "I think someone was shot, probably when this first went down but I didn't see any bodies or injured people."

Dan closed his eyes and walked away from them. Matt looked at the others and followed his friend.

"Damn, if she had gone on her leave earlier…"

Matt put his hand on Dan's shoulder.

"She might have still ended up inside that bank with C.J."

Dan sighed.

"I just feel like I could have done something," he said, "or said something this morning when she left the house."

"I know," Matt said, "I've been thinking the same thing since this happened. C.J. wasn't well yesterday morning and I should have stayed home and postponed my trip to L.A."

Dan chuckled bitterly.

"Now Chris is in the middle of a hostage siege, nine months pregnant with our child…"

Matt paused for a while, gathering his own thoughts.

"It's going to work out," he said, "We'll have to come up with a way, with or without the feds help."

Dan nodded grimly.

C.J. sat down wearily next to Alex, who handed her a bottle of water. C.J. thanked her and opened it, taking a sip.

"How's Chris," Alex asked.

C.J. looked at her water bottle.

"She's resting," she said, "This could go on for hours even if it is labor and it's been a while since that thug hanging around her went to talk to his leader."

"I don't think they're going to release any hostages, not without getting something in return."

C.J. paused.

"That's what scares me," she said, "Besides this whole thing."

Alex smiled.

"You've held up remarkably well," she said, "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," she said, "Tired, I want to go home."

"Same here," Alex said, "I want a long hot bath with lavender salts and a glass of wine."

"Me too," C.J. said, "Sounds like heaven."

Alex grew quiet.

"I was thinking of how we used to hang out at that Tex-Mex place with the rest of the junior attorney crowd and those great margueritas with real tequila."

C.J. smiled at the memories.

"Yeah, they were perfect for a public defender's salary," she said, "Great food too and...conversation."

"You were a good friend when I needed one," Alex said.

"Things were a bit crazy for me back then too," C.J. said, "Remember that party at the Hilton?"

Alex laughed.

"I talked with Cordell by the bar for a while," C.J. said, "You wound up with the right guy."

"So did you," Alex said, "But I'm not surprised the two of you wound up together."

C.J. furrowed her brow.

"How did you know," he said.

Alex laughed again.

"I spent some time talking with your date," she said, "And he spent the entire time talking about you."

C.J. coughed.

"I'm glad he had a good time," she said, "He didn't like black tied affairs much. He still doesn't"

"I don't think it mattered much if he was pulling at his tie the whole time," Alex said, "Because underneath it all, I saw that he loved you."

Matt and Brody sat outside nursing more coffee when the door opened and they watched as Jonathan and Simon came out followed by other federal agents.

"What's going on," Matt asked.

Brody shrugged as Walker came back to join them.

"Are they finally going to announce what their strategy is," Matt said.

Walker shrugged.

"I think it's called giving a press conference these days," he said, "and there's one starting in five minutes."

Matt and Brody looked at each other and then got up and joined them.