When Matt meant lunch, he meant them going to this charming Mexican restaurant that had grown famous for its tamales. They both ordered several and settled for eating some chips and salsa while they discussed what Matt had learned about Dean's family.

"I didn't even remember him from high school," C.J. said, "I wouldn't have known anything about his family."

Matt looked at her and noticed that she looked strained from her testimony this morning. He didn't know how he'd take what he had to tell her but she needed to know.

"It turns out that Dean had a younger sister as we told you," he said, "named Abigail. She's living up in the Bay Area according to some records. Dean was interred there after his death."

The one that C.J. had caused but in self-defense, not wanting to be another person to die at his hands as he had killed at least twice and nearly killed their friend Too-Mean.

"I don't remember a sister but like I said, I don't know much about him except what I found about him before he attacked Too-Mean."

He heard the trace of sadness in her voice because like him, she still missed the ex-football player turned protection for hire. He'd given up his own life so Matt could rescue his cousin who he'd believed dead for over 10 years.

"She went to school at a girl's academy in Austin," Matt said, "then to college at MIT before earning her post-graduate at Caltech."

"What does she do now?"

Matt sighed.

"I'm not sure," he said, "Her specialty was computer technology that could be applied to geological surveys."

C.J.'s eyebrows rose.

"So she's a computer expert."

Matt watched her carefully.

"Yes she is…and she apparently was very close to her brother," he said, "visiting him in the sanitariums where he stayed after commitment."

C.J. sipped her drink as the tamales arrived.

"So she must have been upset when she found out he was dead," she said, "and who killed him."

"C.J…."

She shook her head.

"No Houston, I did but I didn't know what else to do. I didn't want to die."

He studied her face watching the emotions play over it, as she remembered that day on the ridge. Dean had found out from an officer that she'd been hiding at Matt's cabin until Dean's capture and then had somehow gotten there before Matt figured it out and sprinted quickly to the helicopter knowing he didn't have much time. He had been hovering over the ridge, distracting Dean who had been welding a knife at C.J. as she stood at its edge just long enough…and she pushed him over it, his body crumbled as it fell several hundred feet hitting the rocks at the bottom.

"I know…and you didn't," he said, "Thank God."

She bit her lip.

"But did she blame me for it," she said, "Did she hate me enough to help Robert?"

Matt sighed.

"I don't know C.J. but we'll find out and if she did, we'll make sure she gets put away for it."

C.J. bit into her tamale, clearly enjoying it. But Matt knew the news had shaken her though she didn't show him that. She didn't want him to worry about her but he couldn't help it. He wouldn't stop until every party guilty in any way to what had happened to his best friend was put away for good. Either locked up in prison or buried six feet deep, it didn't matter to him. He wanted her to feel safe again.

"We don't have enough to take to the police," Matt said, "but Hoyt's looking into a couple areas for us."

"Unofficially," she asked.

Matt nodded.

"He'll call me back if he finds anything and I have Roy checking out some names in the report back at the office."

She sipped her drink again and smiled at him.

"I know you're not going to stop with this but be careful," she said, "I don't want anything to happen to you."

Matt knew she worried about him too, as he did about her. It seemed to be almost instinctual to both of them because they'd known each other so long.

"I'll be fine," he said, "After you finish testifying today, Roy's invited us for dinner with him and Will tonight."

"I'm staying there and I promise I'd help him with dessert."

A brow of his arched her way.

"And what would that be?"

She smiled softly.

"It's a surprise," she said, "You'll find out after dinner…if it turns out right."

He smiled back at her knowing that she felt self-conscious about her cooking skills sometimes.

"It's nice of Roy to let me stay there."

"He enjoys your company," he said, "and like me, he just wants you to be somewhere you feel safe."

She wrapped her arms around herself, her face troubled.

"I wish that was my house but…I just can't face it," she said, "I'm working on it with the counselor."

"Just take it at your own pace," he said, "There's no rush. The neighbor said it's doing just fine."

C.J. nodded knowing that the plants in her gardens were doing just fine but she missed them so much and the time she spent at home. But the last time she'd been inside her home, it'd been a crime scene.

"I just hope I can get there soon," she said, "I hate them having that much control over me."

"It won't be forever," he said, "You'll regain your life one piece at a time."

She resumed testifying after Matt dropped her back at the courthouse and she answered the questions that were asked, trying to put them in some place apart from herself so she wouldn't be drawn back to that night. Sometimes she almost succeeded but when she felt the emotions start pushing up through her, Millicent would stop and allow her to collect herself, to sip some water before continuing. She remembered as difficult as it appeared now, it would be much more so if she went to trial because then she'd be cross-examined by an attorney solely to cast doubt in the minds of the jurors on her veracity.

"Okay I think we're finished," Millicent said finally, "the people rest Your Honor."

The judge nodded and then said she could have her final words the following morning but for C.J., her part was done so after saying goodbye to the prosecutor, she left the courtroom and the grand jury. She hoped that the men and women sitting there would decide to issue indictments against Robert and Millicent said she'd notify her as soon as the decision was reached either way.

For now it'd be a waiting game and C.J. didn't want to dwell on that part of it so she focused on heading back to Roy to work on the dessert menu for tonight.

Matt got there early after changing into his casual attire and started tossing a football with Will out in the yard. Being a star quarterback back in college, Matt tried to cut his cousin a few breaks but Will proved to be pretty fast with his hands, a quick study even though he'd been more of a soccer player while growing up.

"So C.J.'s done then."

Matt nodded.

"The grand jury will then have to decide whether to indict Robert on conspiracy charges."

Will shook his head.

"I can't believe it, I mean I know she had to turn him in but he had to know she had no choice."

"He didn't care Will," Matt said, "He just wanted his revenge and he'll win unless he goes down."

"He's already doing life Houston."

"I know but he needs to be held responsible for this crime just like the others," Matt said, "C.J. deserves that for the hell he put her through."

"She's a strong woman."

Matt knew that but he also knew the future she faced to heal from such a traumatic experience. She'd been injured in more ways than physical, he knew that when he looked at her even when she tried not to show him.

"She is but it's been so hard on her," Matt said, "She shouldn't have had to go through it."

Will sighed holding the football as they both went to sit on the steps.

"You couldn't stop it…no one could," he said, "You can't blame yourself. Hell, you had just lost the woman you almost married."

"I know but if I hadn't left…"

Will shook his head.

"Stop it Houston," he said, "You're not responsible for what that animal did to her…just like you weren't for what happened to me years ago."

Matt just watched him in silence. That wound wasn't nearly as raw as it had been for years but it still smarted because he had felt responsible for Will. But now he had gotten him back and his cousin had been rebuilding a new life for himself albeit having to navigate through some bumpy patches. Not too long ago, he had nearly killed himself but Matt and C.J. and Roy had stopped him from going over the brink and he had worked hard to live with what he'd lost and his PTSD.

C.J. arrived and got out of her car walking towards both of them.

"Hi guys…you beat me here."

Matt looked at Will.

"I owned him a couple scrimmages."

C.J. smiled at Will.

"How'd that go?"

Matt's cousin smiled broadly, jostling Matt with his shoulder.

"I let him down easily," he said, "and let him think he won."

C.J. shook her head at the both of them, one of her hands on a hip.

"I got to go change and then I'll start the dessert but no peeking."

Matt and Will looked at each other as if neither would even consider it but she knew better.

"I bet it's banana cream pie…"

"No strawberry shortcake," Will countered, "She always made the best."

C.J. just chuckled at them as she walked inside, as they both watched. Then Will gazed back at Matt.

"She's looking pretty good to me," he said, "But then she always was easy on the eyes. A real beauty."

Matt narrowed his eyes at Will who just chuckled back.

"Hey I'm a guy and she's sure pretty," he said, "but before you even ask cuz, I'm not thinking that way."

Matt sighed.

"She's been through a lot Will."

His cousin looked at him and sighed.

"That's not why and you know it," he said, "It's because I don't move in on my cousin's girl."

Matt looked at him sharply.

"What are you saying?"

Will just looked at him.

"Oh, that I know that you don't just think of her as being your best friend," he said, "That's the one constant that I remember from way back when that didn't change all the time I was gone."

Matt just looked at Will not knowing where he planned to go with this talk. He and C.J. had always been best friends and they always would be.

"Don't give me the best friends speech either," Will continued, "because I know it's more than that. You love her cuz…but you won't admit it."

"I do love her, always have as my best friend."

Will shook his head.

"No…you're in love with her and you know it. I know it…and you finally figured it out and you don't know what to do because everything's changed."

Matt sighed.

"You don't know what you're talking about," he said, "We're friends and that's what she needs right now not anything else."

Will watched him carefully and Matt knew he'd noticed something that Matt had let slip out.

"You're right about that but some day you're going to be at the same crossroads you've put yourself in before when it's come to her and you're going have to decide…"

Matt flexed his jaw, starting to get up.

"I need to hear this from you," he said, "The last thing she needs right now is a boyfriend."

"No you're right she needs you," Matt said, "and you've always been in love with her whether you know it or not and that's not going to change."

Matt just looked at his cousin wondering where all this was coming from but he didn't need it right now and C.J. definitely didn't either. He just shook his head again as he left his cousin sitting on the porch, but his words followed him into the house.

Because deep inside, Matt knew his cousin did know him that well.