Authors note:

Hello this is all new to me I would like to thank those authors that gave me the pleasure of reading your lovely fanfic of the TV show I grew up watching. I always wanted to do this and I finally gathered the courage to make an attempt. This fic has not been beta and I'm just borrowing these lovely characters and adding some new ones that are mine. Okay here goes nothing….

Chapter 1

Do you believe in fate?

Where the decision you make the path that you choose affects the rest of your life. Some people would say its hog wash that it's not faith but luck and where the chips fall is your destiny.

I used to not believe but then life decides it's was my turn to have my life turned upside down.

My week started simple enough I was looking forward to my girl's weekend with my sorority sisters. We would be leaving for Sin City on Thursday and be home by Sunday afternoon. Houston was letting us use his Private Jet to get us there in style saying nothing was too good for his best friend and he wanted to make sure there would be no issues with my group making it to the plane and back home once we had our fun.

He also joked saying a private plane would be easier to handle all my luggage and if I needed his truck and trailer to lug my bags, he be happy to oblige. I knew he was trying to get a rise from me, but I wasn't biting I was going to Sin City to paint the town red, recharge my batteries and to forget the last couple of weeks.

"CJ are you sure you don't need a security team for you and your sisters I will be more than happy to escort all you lovely ladies I might even have Will and Uncle Roy come along to assist."

I smiled at him I knew he was worried about me.

It had been a stressful month and a half someone was after Houston and wanted revenge and I was the way they extracted it. I had been taken and went missing for 7 days. I was sure this was it, that I wouldn't see my family again.

I had been abducted from the parking garage. It was a typical day I worked on paperwork Uncle Roy and Houston had followed up on a case. Houston had a date with his new flavor of the week Natalie and I was going to pick up Chinese take-out for dinner and go home.

I remember opening the door to get into my car and someone grabbing me from behind I was stunned but fought back I took him down when the second attacker came at me I had kneed him and started to run back to the elevator but didn't make it. The last thing i remembered was being grabbed from behind, a prick on my neck and darkness.

I didn't recall much of the time I was held captive only that every time I'd regain conciseness from my drug induced sleep my abductors would make it a point to tell me why I was taken that they wanted Houston to feel the pain they had felt when he killed their brother. Houston had to pay and they knew I was his weakness and harming me was the only way they knew he would suffer.

They meant to torment Houston and I vowed to myself I would not cooperate. I refused to be a part of making my best friend suffer. Each time I refused I was punished.

I finally broke, the pain being too much to bear I just wanted them to stop so I gave in.

They had me speak to him on the phone, I could hear the desperation in his voice and my captors taunting him that this was the last time he would speak to me since once we hung up, I would be dead. I told him not to blame himself that this wasn't his fault the blame laid on the assholes who had taken me.

One struck me for that comment and I cried out. This was exactly what they wanted Houston to hear I started to swear at them, Uncle Roy would have been proud of my colorful tirade.

I was struck for each word but I wouldn't cry out again I would not give them the satisfaction. I didn't care how much it hurt me. My best friend was living a nightmare and I was done being used to hurt him.

They pulled the phone away from me when I start to lose consciousness. Houston voice was the last thing I heard yelling my name and telling me to hold on he would find me.

The next time I woke up I was in a box with a small light I was having difficulty breathing I tried to push the lid open but it wouldn't budge dirt start to seep through and it dawned on me that I had been buried alive and knew it was only a matter of time, I wasn't going to be rescued my luck had finally ran out.

I held back tears thinking about Houston, the man I had secretly loved all my life but had come to accept that he only loved me as a friend. I knew he would blame himself for not being able to save me and I prayed he would survive this. He had felt responsible when his fiancée had been killed all those years ago and I had been the one to bring him back to the living. We had always been each other's support system and we knew how to talk each other off the ledge. But I wouldn't be there this time. As the light started to flicker, I knew my time had run out, it was getting harder to breathe as hard as I tried to stay awake I finally let the darkness take me with Houston being my last thought.

I heard voices far away. Then an awful pressure on my chest. I made out Houston's voice he was yelling at me and me telling me to open my eyes when I did, I whispered his name and he hugged me.

He had kept his word and found me. Everything else regarding my rescue was a foggy.

I had asked Uncle Roy to fill in the gaps but he was very vague about what had happened. He said I was found buried in that box 6 feet deep in the ground, this was to exact revenge on Houston for killing a brother of the men that had taken me. He took my hand and said Matt had called in every favor he had outstanding and had let the word out on the street that I had been taken and there was a large reward for any information.

With what we did for a living, you make all types of contacts and some even turn out to be friends. I had friends that you might say aren't the upstanding citizen type that like to blur the lines of legality but I didn't care I helped them out with legal advice when they needed it and I never judged a book by its cover. I always saw the good in everyone and that had been the key to me being found.

Uncle Roy said one of my bouncer friends had overheard someone was looking to even the score with Houston and was going to use me to get his revenge. With that tip my kidnappers where identified and had been taken into custody but not before Houston had extracted the information, he needed to rescue me.

"CJ there was no way we would have found you in time. The box had collapsed, the tube that was supplying you with oxygen had been covered and you were covered in dirt. You weren't breathing when Matlock, Hoyt and myself got the box out of the ground." He paused and took my hand and continued.

"He performed CPR gave on you, gave you mouth to mouth but you weren't responding. CJ I thought we had lost you but he wouldn't stop he continued to give you mouth to mouth begging you to breath to come back to him and then he started to yell at you saying you were a quitter that all your life you fought and now when the going got tough you quit. He started to pound on your chest and gave you mouth to mouth one last time. I thought he had lost his mind, but you responded and started to cough, and you asked him why he was calling you a quitter."

I had no memory of this just waking up in Houston's arms he was crying as was Hoyt and Uncle Roy I didn't know why I was hurting and started to nod off when he started to yell at me not to close my eyes and me mumbling it wasn't up to me that they had a mind of their own and to stop yelling at me.

"I will yell at you every time you close your eyes I can't let you fall asleep sleeping beauty unless you want me to give you a kiss to wake you up. That's not such a bad ideal go ahead CJ sleep so I can wake you up." I thought he'd lost his mind and tried to slug him, but my body was not cooperating, as hard as I tried I couldn't keep awake and the last thing I heard was Houston calling my name.

I'd been taken to the hospital and did not wake up for a week my injuries and the drugs that where given to me had taken a toll on my body.

I woke for a minute and heard him asking me to open my eyes which I did his smile greeted me and I smiled back. He kissed my cheek and said he was going to get the doctor I squeezed his hand and he stopped I tried to talk but only a mumble came out and my eyes where not cooperating and lost the battle. The next day I came around this time Uncle Roy was there and I looked around for Houston my heart rate increased and my breathing became rapid. He said he just went to get something to eat and to stay awake if I wanted to see him I nodded.

He left and I was alone looking at my hands there were scabs from cuts next l noticed the bruising on my wrists that I didn't remember how I had gotten. Houston rushed through the door and stopped. I remember looking up and smiling at him. He slowly walk to my side and grabbing my hand. "Hey sleeping beauty I was supposed to have given you a kiss to wake you up but you beat me to the punch but I'm so happy your awake CJ it's been a long week." He kissed my hand and I tried to grasp that I had been in the hospital for week.

Once the doctor checked me out he informed me I need to stay for a couple of more days even after I protested the doctor was adamant that I needed to stay, "young lady you don't know how lucky you are it they had not find you when they did we would not be having this conversation."

Thanking him and promising to be good he announced I had visitors, thinking it was Uncle Roy, Chris and Murray to my surprise I was greeted by Will, Vince Novelli, Mama Novelli and even Matt's dad Bill Houston. I asked why they were here, and Mama started to cry and hugged me.

"What do you mean why are we here CJ you were taken and Houston was out of his mind with worry but he promised me that he would find you. The maniac that took you had sent us all pictures of you and a countdown on when he was going to kill you," Mama cried and held me tight. "Ah you're skin and bones I've been cooking and now you have a freezer full of my dishes so when you get out you will have Mama's food to put some meat on those bones, you need to keep your strength up as does Houston he's lost so much weight these weeks not wanting to eat and running himself ragged."

I didn't know what to say Vince was close to tears and held me saying he was so happy that I survived that he worried what would his best friend do if I had not.

Will said he was so happy that I was found and said he would be there if I needed to talk about what I had been through that I was going to have some rough days ahead that he would help me if I wanted. Then Bill Houston just held me tightly and I could see he was crying I wiped his face and he kissed my forehead.

"Those images are forever embedded in my mind you don't know how happy I am that that monster didn't succeed, you are like a daughter to me CJ we would be lost without you." This encounter had affected all my family and they had come to support me which I didn't know I needed till that moment.

I looked around and didn't see Houston and asked where he was, they said he'd be back he had to tie up some loose ends, I nodded but didn't believe them, "Is he in any trouble because of me?" they all looked at each other and that was my answer. I tried to get up and was told no that he was not in any legal trouble, but he did need to make a statement on other things, but he would be back. The door open and he was there I laid back down and reached out my hand to him. He took it and kissed it.

"Hi counselor haven't fallen asleep again, too bad but there's still time." He waggled his eyebrows. I rolled my eyes and smiled. As the others looked between us and he said inside joke.

They visited a while more and decided to let me rest. Houston lingered and I asked if he was okay and he nodded. I saw he was tired and said he looked and smelled like he hadn't bathed or slept in at least 2 weeks, "Yes ma'am I was in search of my best friend and it took longer than expected." He kissed my hand and asked if I was up to talking to Hoyt and the detective in charge about my abduction. I was silent and he said he'd be there every step of the way I finally said yes.

I was interviewed and showed the pictures my abductors had taken of me, the same ones that had been sent to my family. I knew this had hurt them and most deeply Houston. I said I was drugged most of the time and when I wasn't I was blindfolded and a lot of details where still fuzzy but I would never forget their voices. Hoyt played a recording of their voices and I gasped and started to shake. Houston came to the bed sat next to me and held me, I told him it was them.

I later found out from the detective that my abductors had been sending a live feed to Houston to torment him of what they were doing to me while I was drugged. I didn't tell him I knew this. He would keep this from me to protect me and I really didn't want to know but knew eventually I would remember and I'd deal with it then.

I was released from the hospital and everyone went back to their lives. I'd slowly recovered but occasionally, I'd catch Houston staring at me and turning away when I'd catch him. I'd ask him if he was ok and would always smile and kiss my cheek and said he was now.

He took my hand "Hey counselor where'd you go? I'm still waiting for the green light to be your personal bodyguard. So, what do you say?"

He wanted to protect me but he had to get it in his head that he couldn't be by my side 24/7 I wasn't helping the situation either. I had gotten used to having him close after the first couple of nights that always ended with me screaming and trying to run away to where I didn't care. Every time Houston was there to hold me and calm me down.

We had to move on and try to get back to normal which was me staying at my house alone without Houston spending the night. He was feeling responsible for what had happened to me, but it had to stop.

I had started talking to a psychiatrist on Houston's insistence and it was working. Dr. Ryan taught me to use relaxation exercises to calm myself and my mind before going to bed this helped I was having less episodes of waking and wanting to run and I was starting to get bits of memory of my time being held.

I needed to do this I had to build my walls again. It was only a matter of time till Houston met his next lady friend that would take his mind off me. He deserved to get back to his normality even if it meant me being alone I had to prepare because never say CJ Parson's wasn't prepared for anything.

"Houston no I told you it's a girl's weekend we will be careful I promise maybe you should see who's available on the rolodex you can go away or better yet sail away, I've kept you from enjoying your life I' sure you want to get back to your old ways. I've monopolized you enough it's time for us to get back to normal."

He shook his head, "how many times do I have to shoot that rumor of a rolodex down I don't have a rolodex it's all a lie that some rag made up." I squeezed his hand, "It's been over a month since I got out of the hospital, Im sure you are just itching to sow some oats and this weekend will be a perfect opportunity for you to get back to your old life."

I started to walk away when he stopped me and brought me close, "what makes you think I want to do that? CJ I almost lost you to some maniac out for revenge."

He put his arms around me and whispered, "You weren't breathing your heart stopped. You weren't responding but I couldn't stop I needed you. Do you know I wake up every night thinking if I had stopped you wouldn't be here?"

I shook my head, "Im not going anywhere mister I have too much still to do and I never thanked you for not giving up." I cupped his face and kissed him gently. He responded by holding me tightly and kissing me back with a kiss that made my knees buckle and took my breath away. We had never crossed that line, but this didn't feel like any kiss we'd shared before it felt different maybe he wanted more?

Before it got out of control, we heard the elevator ding and pulled apart.

"Houston are you behind those closed doors?"

Natalie the girl he had been seeing before my kidnapping called out to him. He looked at me and was about to say something when I shook my head and said, "go have fun you deserve it."

The doors open and she walked past me to Houston. "I've been calling you for weeks and you don't return my calls, so I took matters into my own hands and here I am."

She turned around and smiled, "Oh hi CC didn't see you there was I interrupting anything?"

I shook my head and started to walk into my office. Not looking back not wanting to see his face. "Her name is not CC Natalie its CJ and I've been busy taking care of family matters".

I turned around to see him looking at me.

Natalie looked at us and shrugged her shoulders, "Sorry CJ but this man is hard to get a hold of and he owes me big time for standing me up and ignoring me."

"Well Natalie I think he's free this weekend."

She smiled and pulled Houston to her, "So how are you going to make it up to me I have a couple of ideals."

I left them not wanting to interfere any longer knowing the moment we had was gone he would go back to his playboy ways and I would learn to protect my feelings again not wanting to let my mind wish for things that I couldn't have. I didn't want to lose his friendship that meant more to me than anything else in this world. I would put that kiss we had just shared away in the box that was in my heart with the other moments we had shared and making me want more than he was willing to give me.