A/N: Thanks for all the comments & reviews: Caranath, DuffyBarkley, RangerLyn, AlecTowser, SunshineInTheGraySky, MoonlightGypsy!

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Shocked speechless, Frank stood in the living room as Nancy fled, bags in hand.

Damn the woman. She got under his skin, challenged every last thing he said, was out here under false pretenses, snooped in his papers, yet she had the nerve to accuse him of interfering in her case?

"Should I be taking notes on your technique?" Joe said, behind him.

Frank was not going to blow up at his brother. Frank breathed out, once, twice, and again. Calm.

"I mean, making up after a fight is supposed to be the best part, but you might be taking the fight part a bit too far."

"Why does she always have to be so exasperating?"

"Don't forget annoying, frustrating, irritating, aggravating, difficult, and trying. I've kept a list."

"Joe…"

"It's why you like her so much."

Frank held himself still. Calm. Calm. Wiping that grin off Joe's face would result in a whole thesaurus' worth of bad adjectives. It wasn't worth it.

"So she sent the cops after us," Joe said. "That's one mystery solved. Did she say why?"

"She accused us of interfering in her father's case." Think. Frank had to think. "And she thinks I searched her bags."

"I heard that part. Because 'this place' told you to do it. What was that supposed to mean?"

"'This place'. The Center? Or the Association?"

"Bet on it," Joe said. "And I'll bet it's tied into why she has shields, too."

"Guys?" Kris came back in, set the cat carrier down. She had little Rita and Emelio in tow. "Um…Nancy just stormed out of the Center. She had her suitcase and everything."

"We know," Joe said. "It was kind of hard to miss."

"Tag, why was she in my room with you?" Frank said.

Kris froze. "Big brother, I didn't —did she do something? I didn't know, honest!"

"Ritacita, Eme," Joe said, "go back with the kittens, please. Keep an eye on Moggie for us." Wide-eyed, both children looked from Frank to Kris, then darted back through to the brothers' hallway.

"I'm not accusing you, Tag," Frank said, more gently. Her eyes red and raw-looking, Kris looked ready to cry; Frank didn't want to upset her more, nor did he want the whole Center over-hearing. "I'm just trying to figure out what happened, that's all."

"Um…she heard noise in my room and came in." Kris wiped at her face. "She thought someone was messing around. We were talking, and I was going to check on the kittens, since Moggie's been sick, and I asked her to come back with me so we could still talk. She was keeping the kittens busy — they're starting to walk. Um…wobble, I mean."

"Wonderful," Joe sighed. "Even more cats totally fascinated by my crutch."

"You didn't see her do anything else?" Frank said.

Kris shook her head. "All those vomit spots and the diarrhea. I was kinda busy."

"No need to go into details," Joe said.

"Did she…I mean…she did something? Big brother, I'm sorry. I didn't think — I just thought — she's your friend. She was at your desk, and she had three of the babies in her lap —"

"Easy, Tag." Frank managed a smile. "Half the Center's been in and out of there. You didn't have any reason to think Nancy'd pull anything."

"Was our friend, you mean," Joe said. "If she sic'ed the cops on us, I'm not so sure of that."

"She what?" Kris stared.

"We got up close and personal with the SFPD," Joe said. "Their jail graffiti was really interesting."

"You guys got arrested?"

Frank didn't want to go into that right now, not when something more serious was staring him in the face. Nancy had been right on that count; Frank just hadn't wanted to embarrass Kris. Now, serious, stern, big-brother to little-sister, Frank took hold of their little tagalong's shoulders to look down into her face. "Tag. That bruise. How did it happen?"

She tried to pull away. "I told you. Um…I have to get Moggie to the vet."

"Kris."

"I said it was an accident." Kris jerked away and turned, only to find Joe behind her.

"Not good enough, Tag," Joe said. "Not when you show up back here like this. Karma's front row seats are going for thirty bucks a pop legit, not counting your flight and hotel costs. You wouldn't waste all that on just an accident."

"You two are the most annoying, aggravating, irritating big brothers on the face of the planet, you know that?"

"You forgot exasperating," Joe said.

"Joe," Frank said. "Answer the question, Tag."

Arms crossed. Full-on glare. "Vão hit me with a mike stand. Satisfied?"

Frank hadn't expected her to just come out and say it like that. "He hit you."

"Feel like a trip to Seattle, brother?" Joe said. "We need to have a discussion with a certain rock singer."

"Stop it," Kris snapped. "I said it was an accident. He was goofing around with it, I came up behind him, and it clipped me when he turned. Rafe and half the roadies all read him the riot act, and Cy was freaking out royal, trying to make sure I wasn't going to sue them for damages. All right?"

Frank breathed out. He really hadn't wanted to believe it of Vão or Rafe. But still…

"But you came home," Joe said.

"Yes," Kris said, from clenched teeth. "And I'm not going into that with you two, and if you don't move from in front of that door, Joe Hardy, I'll dump you down the stairs myself!"

"You won't dump me," Frank said.

"Bets?" Kris snarled.

Without a word, Joe moved aside. Kris pushed past him; they heard the slam of her door.

"Oh for three," Joe sighed. "We're striking out all over the place today."

"Oh for two, for you. Nancy was all mine." Frank rubbed at his forehead. "Forget it. Everything can wait until I've had my shower. Are you still going to take Jamie to Burn The Tail?"

Joe nodded. "No offense, but if Nancy's not with you, I'd rather have it private."

"Go on. I'm going to track a certain part-time investigator down and shake some information out of her." It wouldn't be too hard. Frank knew what hotel she was supposed to have been staying at; he'd start there.

"Trying to make it oh-for-four? Wow. You're a glutton for punishment, I'll say that."

"We'll see," Frank said.