I Left My Heart in San Francisco

Introduction: First of all, I dedicate I Left My Heart in San Francisco to ALL the wonderful people in the Dead Room! I want you to know how much I appreciate being able to bounce ideas off of you and being able to go chat when I just couldn't seem to get past my frequent bouts of writer's block. I sincerely doubt that this would have been the caliber of story it is without your help. This is the sequel to I Wish You'd Stay, please enjoy!

P.S. I've busted DS cannon too many times for either of these stories to viable in a DS realm, although this story would not have been possible without an idea from this show. Hope you like the DS moments anyway, fellow Duesies!

Disclaimer: The Nash Bridges show does not belong to me. Never has, never will, unfortunately. I guarantee that no character will be scratched, dented, maimed or used for monetary gain during the story, at least not by myself. I have 'borrowed' a few phrases from several different places as well; I am universally distributing credit to all who deserve it.

********************

Bryn slowly and gracefully sat down in the armchair provided, looking evenly at the two drug lords that sat on the other side of the table. Brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear, she prepared for business as usual. "Do you have what we need? My client in San Francisco is very impatient."

The dark-complexioned man on the right reached underneath his chair and produced a black duffel bag. "Argentina's best, Elaine. We know you'll be satisfied."

Bryn brought the duffel closer to her and removed one of the small Ziploc bags, studying it carefully. "Argentina? I was told the best came from Colombia, Sandino." Replacing the bag, she glanced up at her two suppliers and grinned slyly to let them know she was teasing.

The other man, who also appeared to be of South American descent, returned her smile and shook his head philosophically. "We don't deal with Colombia. That's the country the feds watch; they couldn't care less about the rest of us."

Bryn nodded in agreement and produced the briefcase that had been lying beside her. "And this gentlemen, is what I believe you need." Clicking the latches open, she turned it towards the two men so they could the see money inside.

Wolfish grins spread across the faces of both drug lords, and they reached across the table to shut the briefcase and pull it towards them. "We needed it more than you know. What about transportation? You're in Atlanta, and if this stuff needs to go all the way across the country."

Bryn interrupted him. "I'll be going with it, Cardoza. I don't trust any of your Italian flunkies anyway. Not with this much cocaine." She stood up to leave, smoothing the black silk of her dress free from any wrinkles and daring either one of them to contradict her with a nefarious glare.

Both men stood up quickly, offended at the insult. "Miss Besbriss, I think you of all people in your Family would agree imports are the best way. They perform their duties and leave. No connections remain behind."

Bryn fought to keep her face free from emotion as she thought about why she had originally joined the DEA, to go after one of Cardoza'a imports. ~Even though I wasn't the one that caught him.~ "Perhaps you're right. But things didn't go according to plan with Langostini, did they?"

"Armando was doing his job. Francesca betrayed our Family and she had to be punished. I agree, though; it's a pity he was so proud of being released on a legal trifle. If he had returned to Florence immediately, perhaps he would not have been captured on such a menial weapons charge. It wasn't very dignified, if you ask me." Clucking in disappointment at the recollection, Cardoza clutched the briefcase in his hand and began walking towards the door with Sandino following.

Before closing the door behind him, Sandino stopped and looked at Bryn. "Miss Besbriss, it's been a pleasure. I do hope that this isn't the last time we transact business."

Without standing up or even turning around to face them, Bryn responded with the cold and detached voice of a veteran business professional. "I shouldn't think that it would be."

---

Antwon slapped the file down in front of Harvey, causing his partner to look up quickly. "Whatcha got there, Antwon?"

Grinning in triumph, he explained the contents. "Proof that this Argentinean crack shipment is on its way to good old San Francisco, my friend. Apparently some Mafia hotshot is coming along to make sure nothing happens to it."

Harvey laughed out loud and gave his partner a congratulatory slap on the back. "Must be a big one when the boss watches it this close. When's it getting here?"

"Thursday, Friday, end of the week. The client that's waiting for it is somebody in homicide, it turns out. I'll go talk to Nash, see if we get to take his place." Antwon left to go find their boss; the SIU had been on this bust for almost two months and nobody was going to get in their way.

Poring over the contents of the file to learn as much as he could, Harvey absent-mindedly ran his finger along his ear. He had an unusual feeling about this one, and prayed Nash wouldn't stuff him in a surveillance van like he usually did.

---

Bryn's heartbeat quickened as she felt the plane touch down on the tarmac. When she had left San Francisco, she hadn't expected to return. Now here she was, and Bryn was struggling to act as if she were about to carry out nothing more than another sale.

Her thoughts meandered to Harvey, and she wondered if she would see him while she was here. Bryn realized that her chances were nil, though; it would be impossible for somebody in her shoes to go out of their way looking for a cop.

Bryn closed her eyes with disappointment as the private jet taxied to its required position. She still had the piece of paper Harvey had given her three years ago, and when she was positive that nobody was looking, Bryn would take it out once in awhile and think of Harvey like he had asked her to. ~So close, and yet so far.~

---

Antwon pursed his lips thoughtfully as he spoke. "Friday evening will suit us fine. Where would you like to meet?"

"Us? Too many cooks spoil the soup, Mr. Babcock. I prefer this to be a private meeting." The female voice on the other end of the phone deepened to show her disdain for the idea of such a crowded situation.

Antwon rolled his eyes before answering, temporarily dropping his sophisticated demeanor. "Yeah, right. Meet alone? Lady, we've never met before and we both know that we wouldn't trust each other any further than we could throw. Give me a break."

Bryn let out an irritated sigh before agreeing. "Very well, I suppose you have a valid argument. How many of you will be in attendance?"

Not liking to make such a decision without Nash's approval, Antwon tapped his pencil on the railing in thought. "Four, although I reserve the right to augment that number."

Bryn's heart skipped a beat as she listened to his words. She didn't recognize this man's voice, but the mention of four associates caused her eyes to open wide in surprise for an instant. ~San Francisco, four men - oh, stop this. The world's a small place, but it isn't that small.~

Afraid that this dealer would sense that she had been thrown for a loop, she added as much ice to her voice as she could manage before replying. "That is acceptable. Waverly Hotel, 9:30. Suite 1131. Don't be late, Mr. Babcock, or this stuff goes back to Argentina where it came from and I make sure that you don't do business with anybody ever again."

Alone for the moment, Bryn set the ivory handset back in its cradle and became lost in thought. She tried to concentrate on the details of the upcoming sale, but she kept wandering back to the difficulties of her assignment. Bryn knew full well what would be her world when she had accepted Morrison's offer, but it was starting to take its toll. ~Snap out of it, sister. You've got a job to do.~

---

Antwon clapped the antenna on his cell phone back into place and turned to leave the fantail to find Nash. He groaned inwardly when saw Rick Bettina leaning against the doorframe with a smug grin on his face, but feigned happiness anyway. ~Perfect. What does the little momma's boy want now?~ "Hi, Rick. Anything I can do for you?"

Rick grin grew larger; he was sure he had caught one of the mayor's precious little SIU inspectors at something this time. "Uh, you weren't making a personal call on the city's time, now were you?"

Antwon's phony smile vanished and he resisted the urge to make Bettina swallow the cell phone. Everything he had heard about this man was proving itself true tenfold. "No, Rick, I wasn't. I was setting up a buy with one of the most dangerous crack dealers in the nation, not that it's any of your business."

He attempted to walk past Bettina and let Nash know what was going on, but was stopped when Rick placed a hand on his chest. "Be that as it may, why weren't you using the phone at your desk? That's what they're there for, city affairs."

Taking a deep breath and making a futile attempt to respond without sarcasm, Antwon explained his actions. "Rick, let me clear something up for you. This dealer wasn't born yesterday. Have you heard of a fun little invention named Caller ID?"

Still incredibly sure of himself, Bettina countered. "That's why we have secure lines, Babcock. I would also appreciate it if you would not call me by my first name; I find it very disrespectful."

Closing his eyes and silently counting to three to avoid punching Rick, Antwon answered his bumbling administrator. "That's not what secure means. A secure line means that nobody else is listening in on your conversation. As for your little respect issue, try earning some first. Now if you'll excuse me, I have inspectors to debrief." He pushed past Rick's flustered expression and back to his team's group of desks before Bettina could think of a comeback. ~Harvey was right. Somebody ought to tear that guy down and put up a human being.~

Antwon came up beside his boss's desk and waited patiently until Nash was off the phone. When he had finished, Antwon explained the buy. "We're in, Nash. Tomorrow night."

Nash allowed a devilish grin to spread across his face as he listened to his newest inspector's words. "Beautiful, bubba! Did you have any trouble?"

He shrugged unceremoniously but there was a hint of Nash's glee on Antwon's face. "Yeah, homicide is real thrilled with us, but I think that it's going to end up being worth it."

"I think you're right. I don't like those guys anyway." Raising his voice, Nash called for the rest of his inspectors. "Guys! Michelle! Come here a sec."

When Joe, Harvey and Michelle had joined Antwon's side, Nash stood up and motioned for his team to follow him into an empty interrogation room. Once everyone situated themselves around the dingy table, he began to elucidate what Antwon had set up.

"Okay, bubbas. And sister." Nash cast an apologetic glance towards Michelle before continuing. "Antwon got this started, so I'll let him explain what we've got so far."

Antwon propped his feet up on the table before answering. "I got us an appointment, but that's about it for now. Waverly Hotel, 9:30. Room 1131. She's expecting four of us; somebody's going to have to play lookout. I figured I'd let our fearless leader sort out who goes where."

Nash laughed and placed in his chin in the palm of his hand while he thought for a minute. "Well, let's see. Twon, you're right; somebody's gonna have to camp out in the van and keep an eye open. Michelle, what do you think about hanging back this round?"

Michelle winked at Harvey. "I don't mind, Nash. You feel like giving our resident Dead Head a change of scenery?"

Harvey let out of a sigh of relief that he wasn't the one stuck with a pair of earphones this time. The odd feeling he had in his gut about this assignment was growing stronger and Harvey was anxious to find out why he had it in the first place.

"Yeah, Harv will get his change of scenery, but not until tomorrow night. We'll stake out her hotel tonight as well. Besbriss is at the top of her food chain, and we need to know who or what we're going to be up against."

Joe snorted. "Whatever she brings, we're ready for it. Right, Nashman?"

Nash chuckled. "We're going to get her, Joe. Every LEA in the state is after her Family."

Nash straightened his face and became serious as he made eye contact with each of his teammates. "We're really playing the major league this time and I just want to make sure that everybody understands that. In fact, I have to tell you I'm surprised DEA hasn't stuck their nose in this yet and tried to give us the boot."

Joe leaned back in his chair and glanced sideways at his partner, sarcasm dripping from his words. "Oh, they don't think the little people are good enough to go play with Al Capone's sister?"

"I'm willing to bet that they don't even know we're on this. What do you guys say we settle this before they find out, huh?"

"Sounds like a plan, boss. Antwon, let's go get surveillance set up." Harvey stood up to leave, but stopped before he got to the door. "Michelle, why don't you come with us? We got a new camera for the van; you'll need to learn how to use it for tomorrow." Harvey developed a devilish grin while he waited confidently for the reaction he knew he would get from Michelle.

When he was rewarded with the youngest inspector leaping to her feet in fury, Harvey burst out laughing as Antwon quickly stepped between them to prevent Michelle from choking his partner. "Easy, Chan. All he did he was offer to teach you how to use the camera. What's wrong with that?"

Casting a defiant glare towards Harvey, Michelle relaxed. "Evan and I were on an assignment with Mr. Big Shot here once and he got the impression somewhere that I had never taken pictures before."

Harvey held up his hands in surrender but still kept the grin on his face. "Come on, Michelle. I was only kidding."

"Yeah, I bet. Come on, Antwon, let's go." Michelle stalked past Harvey, trying to pretend that she was still angry but her efforts proved worthless. Collectively grinning at the memory, Harvey and Michelle followed Antwon out to collect the all the equipment they would need.

Nash rolled his eyes, but couldn't keep the laughter from coming. "Well, Joe, isn't nice to know all your children get along?"

Joe shook his head while chuckling softly in agreement. "Well, I don't know if nice is the word for it, but."

---

A cab was pulling up in front of the hotel and Harvey leaned closer towards the monitor so he could see who it was. Elaine Besbriss had failed to show in the two hours that they had been watching for her and everyone was restless for something to happen.

The cabby opened the trunk and produced two suitcases while a young couple spilled out of the back seat. The man handed the driver a few bills and took the luggage while the lady draped herself over his free arm and led them both inside.

Harvey took another bite of his cheeseburger and sighed. "Honeymooners, guys. Nothing."

Michelle ate her last French fry and licked the salt off of her fingertips before crumpling the carton and throwing it behind the seat. "Should somebody try to get inside? Maybe we'll miss her just sitting here in the van."

Antwon chewed his lip as he considered the validity of Michelle's idea. "Well. hey, wait a second. We might have something here, guys." All three inspectors turned towards the monitor to see who was arriving.

A sleek black limo pulled up to the hotel entrance and sat for several minutes. A burly man finally stepped out and looked around cautiously before opening the door.

"Thug's probably a bodyguard." Antwon slurped the last of his Pepsi and tossed the cup beside the empty fry carton.

Michelle moved away from the monitor and began snapping pictures. "Come on, girl, turn your head around. I need a shot of your face." As Bryn turned back towards the limousine to get her purse, Michelle snapped a final picture and set the camera down in her lap. "There. Not full frontal, but it's better than nothing. They're going inside now."

Antwon tapped at the keyboard for a few moments and Harvey moved towards the printer. "See, Michelle? With this new technology-"

As she unscrewed the telescopic lens and placed it back in its case, Michelle stopped Harvey before he could gloat any further. "Knock it off, Leek. I figured out this camera all by myself; I know exactly what it can do."

Harvey surrendered the argument. "Fine, Michelle. Sorry." Once the printer had finished and shut off, Harvey snatched the pictures out of the tray and began looking them over. "Let's see here. Bad guy looks left, bad guy looks right, bad guy opens door, bad girl steps out. There we go."

Holding up the one headshot Michelle had gotten, Harvey stared thoughtfully at the photograph. ~Hmmm. I wonder if I've ever seen her before.~ Harvey laughed softly to himself in disbelief as he handed the pictures to Antwon for his partner to examine. ~Where would you have met a Mafia heiress before, Leek?~

Harvey crumpled up the paper from his now eaten cheeseburger and threw it on top of the growing pile of junk food wrappers. "I wish we could have been watching this place for more than one night, but we'll just have to work with what we have, guys. Michelle, I'll make sure somebody has a mic tomorrow; you'll have to let us know if Besbriss invited anybody else to the party."

"If she's as deadly as Nash says she is, then I'm sure we can count on it, Harv. I'll take care of getting us some help, though; guy over in Gang Task Force owes me one."

Harvey climbed back into the front seat and started the engine. "I'll leave all that up to you, Chan. Let's go home and get some sleep, guys; big night tomorrow." ~Big night. I probably just jinxed myself.~

---

Nash looked off to the side at the lobby fountain as he spoke into the microphone hidden in his collar. "Michelle, it's 9:28. We're going on up. Under no circumstances are you to send in the reinforcements without my signal."

~Watch your backs. Zuko talked to the housekeeper; she told us that it's Elaine and three other guys staying in that room, not just the one like we had thought.~

"Well, at least we're evenly matched. Keep your ears open, sister; we've gotta go." The elevator door dinged, and the four inspectors stepped inside.

"Which floor, sir?" The uniformed doorman bristled uneasily as he eyed the four men in their expensive dark suits. The short Hispanic man with the briefcase was more than likely not carrying papers back up to his room, and he noticed the bulge of a leather holster underneath the jacket of the curly-haired man.

"Eleven." The doorman shivered visibly at the ice in the black man's voice, but straightened quickly at the sideways glance Antwon shot him.

"V-very good, sir."

After an eternity, the elevator arrived at the proper floor, and the doorman breathed a sigh of relief as the four men stepped off the elevator and walked down the hallway towards the odd-numbered suites. ~I need to get transferred to the kitchen; I'm too old for this kind of stuff.~

---

Stopping in front of the door to 1131, Nash arched an eyebrow as he looked at the other three inspectors. "You boys ready to roll?"

Harvey stepped up beside Nash and thumped the gold-plated knocker. The feeling that he'd had about this bust was now stronger than ever, even though he couldn't determine whether the feeling was good or bad. "We're ready. Just nobody blow their cover, huh?"

Harvey's knock was answered and as the door swung open, a dark-haired man who probably could have made three or four of Joe Dominguez appeared in the doorway. Antwon recognized him as the only bodyguard they had seen last night.

Opening the door completely, the man stepped to the side and crossed his arms expressionlessly across his chest. Interpreting the gesture as an obvious invitation to enter the suite, Nash, Joe, Harvey and Antwon complied. Two more stone-faced stood by the bar, silently challenging any of the undercover inspectors to produce a firearm.

The first bodyguard motioned for the four men towards an elaborate cream and gold pinstriped divan. Joe positioned the briefcase by his feet as he sat down and Nash followed suit, his head tilted carefully to the side to keep the earpiece hidden. ~Sometimes I wish I hadn't cut my hair after all.~

Antwon and Harvey glared balefully at the hired protection, Harvey speaking first. "Where is she? We're expected to be on time and then she insults us by being late herself?"

The two men by the bar immediately stiffened, the one on the right moving the flap of his jacket to display a Colt pistol. "Miss Besbriss has insulted no one. She'll come out when she's ready."

Harvey stepped towards the man, reinforcing his tough guy act. "Why don't you tell her that we're ready to deal now, huh? While you're at it, remind her that she isn't the only dealer in the country."

Antwon put a hand on his partner's elbow to catch his attention and shot him a warning look. Harvey took the hint, and the two inspectors joined Nash and Joe. The bodyguard with the Colt knocked softly on an opulent bedroom door before disappearing behind it.

Several moments later, the import reappeared and resumed his position behind the bar. The guard who had opened the door joined his two friends and the three appeared to be finished with their duties for the evening, paying no more attention to the four men on the divan.

The four inspectors shared a look of bewilderment between them before Nash's eye caught the bedroom door reopening. He nodded towards his other teammates and took a deep breath as he waited for Elaine Besbriss to make her grand appearance. Absolutely nothing in the universe could have prepared Nash, Joe or Harvey for who was actually back there.

Three sets of eyes opened wide in astonishment, the fourth in uncertainty at the reactions of his co-workers. Bryn Carson elegantly walked into the room and stood in front of them, crossing her arms unemotionally and fixing the inspectors with a cold gaze. She stared hard at them, her eyes moving back and forth from Joe to Nash, offering no notice of recognition. The slightest trace of emotion crossed her face when she caught Harvey's eye but she quickly looked away, her eyebrows wrinkling ever so slightly in confusion as they passed over Antwon's body.

Bryn's mind raced as she tried to think of something before the genuine convicts in the room realized that these clients were not who they were pretending to be. Without moving, she transferred the iciness from her face to her voice as she ordered her protection out of the room. "Boys, go get me a cappuccino. Treat yourselves to one, too."

The man who had displayed his pistol earlier straightened up and regarded his boss with concern. All three of them knew that Elaine could care less about getting something to drink, but he didn't want to leave his charge with men that he didn't know. "Miss Besbriss, are you sure? These men-"

Bryn whipped around, silently threatening them to continue questioning her authority. "I've done business with these men before and it isn't finished yet." Her eyes narrowed as she watched the men walk out of the room, and they closed in relief once the door was shut.

Turning back to the four inspectors behind her, Bryn's initial shock was gone, but her mouth was still opened slightly in surprise and a million emotions competed fiercely for space within her. Raising her arm and motioning towards her bedroom, Bryn at last found her voice, albeit only a whisper. "Don't say anything; just get in there. Let's go."

---

Michelle sat in the surveillance van with a look of puzzlement on her face. Her first instincts told her to send in the reinforcements anyway; Nash might be keeping quiet under duress. However, her teammates didn't seem incredibly phased by how dangerous this woman was supposed to be; there had been no noise or other signs of a struggle since Michelle had heard Besbriss walk into the room.

Deciding to hold off the unies for now, Michelle waved off Zuko's inquiringly look. "I don't know what's going on either, Charlie. Let's just wait it out for a second."

---

Harvey followed Bryn into the bedroom and turned around to watch her as she shut the door. He couldn't get the look of astonishment off of his face, even if Bryn had been able to. ~I never thought I would see her again.~

Latching the door behind her, Bryn turned around and let her guard down completely for the first time in three years. Practically falling into Harvey's arms, Bryn clung to him like her life depended on it, so grateful to see somebody, anybody from her previous life, for lack of a better phrase.

Harvey reciprocated quickly, slightly startled at Bryn's apparent breakdown, but anxious to comfort her all the same. Harvey wondered for a moment if he felt Bryn's tears dampen his shirt collar and he swallowed hard to keep his own at bay.

When Bryn and Harvey pulled apart, both were eerily reminded of the last embrace they had shared. Bryn looked a thousand questions at Harvey, but Harvey shook his head, knowing that there was too much to talk about to do it here.

Bryn suddenly seemed to remember that Harvey was not the only other inspector in the room, and laughing, she crossed the room to Nash and Joe, hugging them as fiercely as she had Harvey. "Man, it's good to see you guys! I'll never say the world isn't a small place again, that's for sure."

Antwon cleared his throat, bringing the rest of his co-workers back to Earth. Bryn paused, not knowing how to greet him. Bryn naturally would have expected to see Evan here, and she was curious to find out why this man was seemingly in his stead. "Uh, hi. I'm Bryn Carson, Detective with the DEA."

Smiling, Antwon proffered a hand and introduced himself as Bryn accepted it. "I'm Mister Babcock. But you can call me Antwon or Twon, whatever."

Bryn smiled broadly as she recognized the classy voice she had heard over the phone. "Mister Babcock, right. That's why I didn't know about you guys being here; I wouldn't have had any idea who you were. It's nice to meet you, though."

Still wanting to know why Evan wasn't there, though, she cast a smiling glance back towards Harvey. "So where's Evan, guys? Did you lock him in the bathroom or something?"

Nash was the first to respond, his eyes downcast and sad. 'Uh, sister, Evan was-"

Harvey quickly interrupted his superior, again knowing that there was too much to explain at that particular moment. "Not able to be here. He's running a babysitting gig tonight."

Nash looked over at Joe quickly, not agreeing with Harvey's decision to lie to Bryn in the least. His partner shrugged in response, knowing that for the time being, they would have to respect Harvey's judgment.

Bryn saw right through Harvey's bypass, but decided to save it for later and get back to business. She tapped her fingers against her forehead in thought, looking up at Joe when she came to a decision. "Okay. Joey, Paulo and Angelo didn't really leave; they're waiting out in the hallway. That's why we came in here; they would have heard us if we didn't. You guys have to get out of here. Joe, you'll take the money back with you; I'll take care of those three. I might explain what happened tonight to my admins, but I'll probably end up telling them whatever I tell the shadows. I'll be in touch soon, but I don't know when; I've got to go back to Atlanta for a few days since this fell through tonight. Just leave, don't talk to my guys, don't even look at them."

Nash wasn't used to somebody else being in charge, but he had to admit Bryn was awfully good at being the leader. Unable to resist a parting tongue-in- cheek remark, he gave Bryn a quick hug before turning to go. "Whatever you say, boss."

With a brief but half-guilty grin as she also noticed the temporary role reversal, Bryn moved to the door and opened it, regretfully ending the reunion. Harvey was the last one to leave and he hesitated, wanting to make sure this also wasn't the last time he saw Bryn. "You take care of yourself, understand?"

Bryn felt an unfamiliar but sublime rush as the tenderness and concern she had always known in Harvey reappeared in his face. Smiling fondly, she finally answered him. "I always do, Leek."

---

Hearing the pounding on the van door, Michelle obligingly slid it open. Scooting over to make more room, she wagged her eyebrows at Nash. "Didn't you say something yesterday about the DEA not being in on this yet?"

Rolling his eyes as he chose the stool beside the computer, Joe set the briefcase down by his feet for the second time that night. "Yeah, well, you heard what Bryn said about this being a small world."

Michelle furrowed her eyebrows a moment in thought before understanding came over her features. "Bryn. She's why that spot came open on the SIU all of a sudden."

"Yeah, she is." Harvey draped his pinstriped jacket over the front passenger's seat, loosened his tie and unfastened his holster before leaning back against the side of the van and resting his head against the computer table. "Zuko, you wanna drive back?"

"Oh, why not. You guys go ahead and talk; I've got no idea what this is all about anyway."

Antwon focused on the leg of Joe's stool as he listened to Charlie's words. Harvey had told Antwon about Bryn more than once and he knew the torture that his partner must be going through right now. ~Believe me, Charlie; that's for the best.~

---

Bryn looked up from her brandy as her bodyguards came back into the hotel room. She stood up slowly and gracefully, every inch the queen she had been twenty minutes ago.

Paulo, the one who had answered the door, eyed his boss hesitantly, obviously wanting to know what in the world had just happened. "I trust everything is all right, Miss Besbriss?"

Having regained every last bit of her inward composure, Bryn swallowed the last of her brandy before responding. "Actually, no. I smelled bacon and we're going back to Atlanta tonight."

"And the, uh, merchandise?" If 5-0 was sniffing this close, they definitely did not need to be caught with almost two million dollars worth of cocaine.

"I'm selling to the Giancana's after all. They aren't my first choice, but we need to get rid of this shipment as soon as possible. Call Sam's right hand and arrange a meeting. Angelo, get my plane ready; we're leaving immediately."

"Of course, Miss Besbriss."

---

Harvey walked through the door and threw his belongings on the floor, having immediately changed into more comfortable clothes upon return the ferry.

Harvey looked around sadly. Cassidy had agreed to bring Jerry over to her and Nash's apartment and watch him until morning since his normal babysitter was sick. Harvey chuckled softly to himself; he missed his son when he was gone, no matter where he was.

Fending off King's enthusiastic greeting, he lovingly thumped the Great Dane on the head before ordering him to back off. "King, sit! Down, boy!"

King abated and sniffed the clothing on the floor curiously before casting liquid brown eyes back up towards his master. Sighing, Harvey snatched the jacket back up before King could drool on it any more, hung it on the coat rack and threw the rest of the outfit onto the sofa. "Yeah, I know. If it's Armani, why did I put it on the floor?"

Forgetting all about the jacket, King ran into the kitchen and returned with his food bowl clenched firmly between his large jaws. Harvey nodded in agreement before following his dog into the kitchen. "Come on, boy, I know. Sorry I didn't have time to feed you until now. A lot happened tonight, tough guy."

Depositing some kibble into the now dripping-with-drool dish, Harvey slid against the counter until he was on the floor beside King. Fondly stroking the big dog's ears, Harvey enlightened his dog on all that had happened in the past few hours. "We're were going on a bust You know that I've done those a million times before, but I knew that something was going to be different about this one. I was right."

King continued to chomp noisily, not paying a single bit of attention to anything that Harvey was saying. "So we get there, and Bryn is the one we're after. Bryn! Who in the world would have thought of that one?" Dropping his head down into his hands, Harvey sighed and looked back at King through his fingers, his voice slightly muffled. "King, what am I gonna do about this?"

Licking his bowl clean, the big dog pushed his head up underneath Harvey's to catch his attention. Harvey sat up straight and eyed King with a bemused expression. "Have you heard a word I've said, man?"

King responded by whining and licking his master's face. Harvey was forced to laugh at the pitiful whimpering and he stood up, giving his dog a final scratch on the ears. "Alright, son. Go get your leash before I change my mind. Do you realize it's after midnight?"

When the Great Dane returned with his leash, the two headed out the door and Harvey began thinking to himself as they walked along the dark street. ~You've got to tell her this time, Leek. God practically dropped this second chance into your lap and you can't walk away from it.~

---

Bryn crawled into her bed and closed her eyes, trying to sleep. The satin of the nightgown she wore felt cool against her skin, and the plush comforter was soft, but Bryn had never been this uncomfortable before.

Instinctively curling up into a fetal position, Bryn allowed a few tears to moisten her pillow; too many and somebody would hear. "I want to go home. I can't stay here anymore."

Bryn's eyes instinctively opened again and her mind raced as she tried to figure out how she could leave and not bring everything crashing down around her. She knew that Elaine Besbriss could not just walk off the face of the earth. So many lives, including her own, depended upon her maintaining this façade and Bryn became desperate, almost frantic for a solution.

Slowly, an idea began to form through the emotional fog in her brain. Elaine Besbriss was going to die, and people were going to know about it. Although none were as high-ranking, Bryn wasn't the only seed the DEA had planted in the Mafioso. With time, somebody would ascend to her position in the Family. Her absence would substantially hasten the process.

Bryn felt a spontaneous smile spread wide across her face. ~Screw Morrison if he doesn't agree with me. I'm not his prisoner.~ Feeling the weight of the world lifted off her shoulders, Bryn closed her eyes again, falling into a restful sleep she hadn't known since she'd left San Francisco.

---

Nash ran his hand over his hand over his face and sighed. The day had already started off wrong, and it only promised to get worse. He and Cassidy had gotten in a fight over whose turn it was to make breakfast that morning, Bettina was hanging around wanting to play cops and robbers, and he and Joe were scheduled to spend all afternoon in court. "Please, just one decent thing today. That's all I want."

Nash moved his hand from his face to the phone when it began ringing and he made plans to dive out the window if this was about Bettina screwing something else up. "Inspector Bridges. I'll give you a thousand dollars if you have good news."

Bryn smiled sympathetically at the weary tone she heard in her boss's voice. "Hi, Nash. I hope this turns out to be good news."

"Bryn? Hey, sister!" The surprised smile on Nash's face turned to a look of concern quickly and his voice softened considerably. "Where are you? Is everything all right?"

Bryn was grateful for the worry she heard in Nash's voice and she hoped it boded well for what she needed to ask him. "I'm okay, Nash; I'm here in San Francisco now. Are you bus- can we meet for coffee or something?

Nash's eyebrows wrinkled at the disquiet in Bryn's voice and he hoped that everything really was all right. "Are you asking about just me?"

Bryn thought carefully for a moment before answering. She wanted nothing more than to see everybody again, especially Harvey, but she couldn't just yet. "Yeah, I am. For now, anyway."

"Sure, Bryn. I'm walking out the door now; just tell me where."

---

Nash stood in the doorway of the restaurant, looking for Bryn. She was sitting at a table, nervously twisting a pink cloth napkin in her hand and apparently unaware of Nash's arrival. ~I wonder if she's here to talk about what I hope she's here to talk about.~

Walking over to her table, Nash placed a hand on Bryn's shoulder, causing her to start just a little. Feeling remorse at her reaction, Nash apologized but couldn't keep a smile from forming on his face. "Sorry `bout that. Maybe you should switch to decaf, Carson."

Realizing who was behind her, Bryn stood up quickly and turned around. Nash was before her in a gray jacket and slacks, white vest and a bright blue shirt. ~Isn't it funny how you always miss the little things?~ Bryn hugged him tight. "Nash, you have no idea how good it is to see you again."

Nash returned the embrace and felt a lump begin to form in his throat. There had been a hole within him, within his team when Bryn had quit and now Nash knew that it was going to be filled. Pulling away from Bryn, he kissed her cheek before answering. "I think I do, sister. I also think I know why you're here."

Bryn sat back down in her chair and motioned for him to do the same. Fidgeting with her napkin again, she hesitated before answering him. "I feel like the prodigal daughter, Nash. You have every right to say no, but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try." She looked back up at Nash, hoping that he would say yes even though she didn't deserve to hear it.

"Bryn, do you remember the day you told me you were leaving the SIU?"

Nodding faintly, Bryn's eyes became focused on her napkin once more. "I don't think I could ever forget."

Giving her a lop-sided smile, Nash continued. "Then you remember that I told you I thought you were making a mistake by leaving us."

A smile tugged at the corner of Bryn's mouth as she caught Nash's drift, and her right eyebrow rose involuntarily in disbelief. "Just like that, I'm back in?"

The lop-sided smile turned into a grin. "Yeah, just like that. We had somebody fill your spot, but she's going to need a partner with some experience. You belong here, Carson; we weren't the same without you."

Bryn closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. "I wasn't the same without you guys, either."

"I could tell that the other night; that wasn't the Bryn I knew. You were different."

Setting her napkin back down on the table, Bryn agreed. "The DEA, being a fed changed me. That assignment changed me."

"What do you mean?" Nash watched her with concern as he reached over for her coffee; Bryn clearly wasn't interested in it.

"Being part of the mob, that high up. I was practically the head of my Family. A lot of things happened that I had to pretend I didn't care about. I had to order some of them to happen." Bryn shuddered inwardly at the thought of how deeply she had willingly became involved with something so malevolent and dangerous.

Setting the cup of coffee back down, Nash gave Bryn's hand a caring squeeze. "How about the old Bryn? I want her to come back; is she going to?"

"I hope so, Nash. I'm going to do everything I can to find her." Bryn hated the person she had become in the last three years.

"So what happens to Besbriss? I wouldn't think that this would be something you could get out of very easily."

Bryn shrugged as she placed her chin in her hands, still mildly surprised at how easily the ruse had played out. "Elaine died in a car explosion and I had the chance to step in before anybody found out it happened; we're dead ringers for each other. I faked her death and just made sure somebody saw it happen this time. One of the oldest tricks in the book, actually."

Swallowing the last of Bryn's coffee, Nash let out a small laugh. "Whatever brings you back home, sister."

---

Bryn looked around and she tried to steady her nerves before going inside. Antwon was tapping madly at his keyboard and Nash was ostensibly arguing with Joe about something that was written in a file. Harvey was sitting at a table dissecting a tape recorder; a young Asian woman was at his side helping him. Scanning the room one last time, Bryn shook her head in confusion and muttered to herself. "Where's Evan at?"

Bryn unconsciously let her eyes wander back to Harvey's bent form. His facial features were furrowed with concentration as he took the screwdriver being offered to him without looking up. Unsure of how long she had been standing there, Bryn suddenly realized Harvey was looking back at her.

Harvey dropped the screwdriver in surprise. ~She's back. Thank you, Nash.~ Relief that Bryn had come back from the Mafioso safe mixed with the happiness Harvey felt at just being in the same room with her. He left Michelle to deal with the broken equipment by herself as he walked in a half-trance over to where Bryn stood.

There was so much Bryn wanted to say to Harvey, but it all went flying out of her mind as he stood up and started walking towards her. "H-hi, Harvey. How have you been?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing. I'm fine; actually, I'm great now that you're back." Harvey wrapped his arms around Bryn and held her tight, realizing that he had missed her more than he thought, and that had been quite a bit.

Letting go of Bryn, Harvey led her over to the table where he had been working. "There's somebody you ought to meet, Carson. This is your new partner, Inspector Chan."

The Asian woman looked up and brushed her hair behind her shoulders before standing up. "Hi, I'm Michelle. You must be Bryn; I've heard a lot about you." Michelle smiled warmly and shook Bryn's hand firmly. ~I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, folks.~

Bryn returned the friendly smile and handshake. "Maybe we can be friends anyway." Michelle's demeanor held a reckless fire within it, but Bryn also sensed an insatiable commitment to her friends and to her duty as a police inspector. Bryn envied the inseparable friendship Harvey shared with Evan, and was pretty sure she had found it at last with Michelle.

Michelle glanced at Harvey quickly. "Ah, don't worry. It's all been good. I think Nash has our first bad guy waiting for us, if we want to go get started. Harv, can you finish this thing up by yourself?"

Sighing loudly, Harvey picked up the screwdriver and sat back down to work again. "I'll probably end up dragging this thing out back and shooting it, but you guys go ahead."

---

Gun at her side, Bryn peered through the crack in the door. Mario Baptiste sat with his back to Bryn and Michelle, chatting unconcernedly on the phone with a business partner. He was completely unaware of the two inspectors just outside his door.

Bryn stepped back and turned to her partner, keeping her voice low to avoid their discovery. "He's in there, sister. Let's go."

Michelle nodded in agreement. "On my count." Holding up one finger, then two and finally three, she burst through the door, Bryn close behind her. "SFPD! Hands up!"

Baptiste jumped about eight feet in the air, the phone clattering to the floor. Taken aback initially, he quickly recovered. "Oh, how sweet. Where's the third Charlie's Angel?"

Bryn unflinchingly stepped towards Mario. "Shut up, wise guy. Come easy and we all live to tell our grandchildren about this."

"Forget it, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere with you. I'm walking out of-"

Michelle raised her own gun to Baptiste's head and cocked it. "She meant it, bubba. You're coming with us."

"I don't think so." Baptiste reached quickly into a desk drawer and drew a gun, fully prepared to shoot Michelle. Her eyes opened wide and she fought for the time to react and move out of the way.

Bryn was faster, though and fired before either of them, her bullet finding its mark in Mario Baptiste. A yelp came out of his mouth that embodied both surprise and pain and he fell to the ground. Mario's gun landed beside the phone and his hand clutched his bleeding shoulder.

Michelle replaced her gun in its shoulder holster and ran around the desk to where Baptiste was lying on the floor, writhing in extreme discomfort. Kicking his gun to other side of the room, she placed her hand against the gunshot wound to stop the hemorrhaging. "See what happens when you don't drop the gun? Now you have to go to jail and the hospital, bubba."

Bryn suppressed a laugh as she took her cell phone out of her pocket to call for back up. She had a feeling that she and Michelle were going to get along just fine.

---

Bryn stood up and stuffed her keys in the pocket of her slacks. She and Michelle had a good day, but they were both ready to call it quits for now. Bryn still hadn't seen Evan yet, though. She was beginning to wonder why whenever Harvey went somewhere Antwon was never far behind and vice versa. ~Something's going on here; I just wish I knew what.~

Harvey looked up at the sound of Bryn's jingling car keys. He shoved the file he was typing back in the cabinet and rushed after her, hoping to catch up to Bryn before she made it out the door. There was a lot Harvey wanted- no, needed to talk to her about and he wanted to do it before his nerves gave out for the second time. "Bryn! Bryn, wait up."

Pushing her chair back underneath her desk, Bryn stopped and smiled at Harvey expectantly. "Yeah?"

"So, how do you think things are going to work out with Michelle?" ~Oh, great. I'm gonna lose it again.~ Harvey felt his breath catch in his throat for the millionth time at her beauty and he hoped against hope that tonight he would be able to tell Bryn how he felt about her.

"They're going to work out just fine. You should have seen her with this guy, this Baptiste fella today." Bryn laughed out loud at the memory, but stopped at the look on Harvey's face. "What? Harvey, what's wrong?"

Harvey felt like he had been kicked in the stomach at the mention of Baptiste's name. Mario Baptiste was why Harvey had attacked his best friend in the world. He knew that Evan would never intentionally hurt Jerry, but that's what Harvey had accused him of .

"Leek, is everything all right?" Bryn knew for a fact that everything was not all right, but she asked anyway.

With a heavy heart, Harvey realized that she deserved to hear the truth about Evan; he couldn't put it off any longer. "Can I pick you up for dinner tonight, buy you a beer or something?"

---

Bryn closed her eyes as she leaned her head back against the passenger seat of Ranchero. She felt so mixed up right now. Bryn hoped that Harvey was going expound on that piece of paper the night they'd said goodbye. However, she couldn't shake the eerie feeling in her gut that there was something else on Harvey's mind, it wasn't good and it had something to do with Evan.

Harvey watched Bryn out of the corner of his eye as he pulled into his driveway. ~`Did she fall asleep?~ Putting the transmission into park and shutting the engine off, he gently shook her shoulder. "Bryn? Bryn, wake up. We're here."

"I wasn't asleep, Harv. Just thinking." Looking around and realizing they were at Harvey's house, she raised an eyebrow at him, a smile coming full force. "I thought you were going to buy me a beer."

Harvey shrugged as he took the keys out of the ignition. "Well, the beer's in the refrigerator, so technically I already bought it. Besides, there's somebody I want you to meet."

As they walked from the car to his door, Harvey resisted the urge to take Bryn's hand in his. Quietly opening the front door, he held his finger to his lips, signaling Bryn to be quiet. Bryn mouthed that she understood, and Harvey held the door open, allowing Bryn to go through first.

King threw himself at the newcomer, loudly barking a rapturous welcome. Bryn stepped back in surprise as King enthusiastically placed his front paws on her shoulders and began licking her face.

Laughing, Bryn tried to fend off the gregarious canine. "Is this, ick, sit boy, who you wanted me to, yech, meet?" When King finally subsided, Bryn fell against the wall, laughing as hard as she could while still remaining quiet.

Harvey winced apologetically at King's behavior, but soon he was joining in her controlled laughter. Catching his breath after a moment, Harvey explained the Great Dane's presence. "King used to belong to my neighbor, but I took him so he wouldn't have to go to the pound. He's a good boy but just doesn't want to let anybody find out about that. Do you, King?"

Bryn took Harvey's arm and helped herself stand up straight. "So, whom do you want me to meet? Why are we being so quiet?"

Looking down at the floor, Harvey took a deep breath before answering. ~`Now or never, Leek.~ "I want you to meet my son, Jerry. He's supposed to be asleep already."

Bryn tried to keep the look of absolute shock from coming to her face, but she botched it completely. "Y-you're married?" Bryn felt her gut contract involuntarily at that possibility, and she hadn't expected such a reaction from herself, even though Bryn knew she cared about Harvey.

Harvey felt the beginnings of a smile as he shook his head; Bryn responding like that was definitely a good sign. "No. No, I'm not-"

A teenage girl coming down the stairs interrupted Harvey. "Hi, Mr. Leek. I thought I heard somebody come in." Looking over at Bryn and smiling warmly, the girl offered a hand to Bryn. "I'm Heather. I make sure the little tricycle motor doesn't burn the house down while Harvey's at work."

Shaking Heather's hand, Bryn introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Bryn. I work with Harvey."

Harvey reached into his pocket for his wallet and inquired about the evening. "Did you get him to sleep?"

Taking the money from Harvey's hand and putting it in her pocket, Heather lovingly patted King's head. "Yeah, but wonder-mutt here just about wrecked it all when he started barking at you guys. Jerry should sleep pretty well tonight; he played real hard this afternoon."

"Thanks, Heather. See you Monday, then?"

"Did you get the weekend off?"

Harvey grinned. "Yeah, but I'd better take a picture of the calendar because I doubt Nash'll ever let that happen again."

Heather laughed softly as she grabbed her car keys and cell phone of the end table. "Just don't do anything I wouldn't do, okay? Night, Mr. Leek. Bryn, it was nice meeting you."

"You, too. Good night." Once Heather had gotten out the door, she turned to Harvey again. "Can I see him, or do you not want to wake him up?"

Harvey closed his eyes in relief; Bryn wasn't running back out the door at the mention of a kid, she was doing the opposite. ~That doesn't mean she wants a relationship with you, though.~ "Yeah, we can go up real quick if he's as comatose as Heather said he was."

The two inspectors cautiously walked up the stairs and Harvey paused beside a closed door. Easing the doorknob to the right, Harvey gently pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Bryn followed him in and rested her hand on the footboard of a black and yellow racecar bed. A small boy with brown hair very much the shade of Harvey's was nestled comfortably within the blankets, sleeping peacefully. Bryn smiled as Harvey knelt beside Jerry and kissed his forehead. ~I'd love to have kids with that man someday.~

Harvey stood up and opened the window in Jerry's room. "That way we can hear him if he wakes up; I thought we might go out on the front porch."

Walking out of the room and shutting the door behind them, Bryn looked up at Harvey. "You're a great dad, Leek."

Harvey thought he would become lost in her eyes and he longed to take her in his arms right then and there. He wondered if Bryn really would want to be in his life after learning about Jerry. "Well, Jerry makes it pretty easy usually; he's an awesome kid. Even cuter when he's awake."

Letting out a small chuckle, Bryn followed Harvey back down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Where's his mom at?"

Harvey let out a matter-of-fact sigh as he reached into the refrigerator for two beers. "Right now, I don't know. It was pretty ugly, but I finally got sole custody. We haven't heard from Anna in a long time."

"I'm sorry that she split on you guys like that." Taking one of the longnecks from Harvey, she followed him out onto the front porch, stretching out on the swing while Harvey sat on the railing, resting his head against one of the posts.

Taking a swig of his beer, Harvey looked over at Bryn. "So, what's first on the agenda?"

Bryn thought for a moment before returning his gaze, her face completely serious. "How about where Evan's at? He wasn't really babysitting the other night, was he?"

Harvey dropped his head against his chest; the grief he had felt at Evan's passing came rushing back harder than he had thought possible. "No, Bryn. He wasn't babysitting. Baptiste, uh, Evan went through a rough patch for awhile and got suspended because of a case involving Baptiste."

Tears began to slide freely down his cheeks as the horrible memories flooded his mind. "Bryn, Evan's dead; Antwon is my new partner." ~There. I said it.~

Bryn gasped in denial at the words she had just heard come out of Harvey's mouth. ~What in the world is he talking about?~ Shaking her head firmly in disbelief, Bryn set her beer on the floor beside the swing. "No. Harvey, I don't believe you."

Harvey wiped the tears away from his face and joined Bryn on the swing. "You know I wouldn't lie about something like that."

Bryn looked up at Harvey and swallowed hard, knowing that what he was saying was true but still not wanting to believe it. "What happened to him?"

"About- about a year ago, in a casino. Ev was shot and killed in the line of duty." Looking down at his shoes, Harvey's jaw began to tremble and the tears that he had wiped away a few minutes ago quickly returned.

Bryn's own tears came rushing forward as the reality of the situation settled upon her mind; she would never see Evan's laughing face again, would never get to work on another case with him. ~No, God, please, no. Please, I'm begging you; I'll give you anything to take this back.~ "Harvey, I didn't even get to say goodbye."

Harvey set his own beer down, placed an arm around her shoulders and sighed; telling Bryn how he felt about her would just have to wait for later. Bryn laid her head against him and cried even harder. "I know, Bryn. I know. I didn't get to say goodbye either. It happened so fast."

Harvey relieved the day in bits and pieces as he held Bryn close, letting her grieve. Evan had been so happy; he and Cassidy were going to get married. Harvey had heard a gunshot and ran into the room. He was on the floor in the hospital, telling Nash that Evan was dead and Nash was laughing at him. Harvey was cleaning out Evan's desk and found the picture of Evan with Cassidy. Harvey broke down in the middle of the ferry, realizing that his best friend was truly dead.

The anguish tore at Leek at fresh as it had that first day, and he wrapped both arms around Bryn, the two inspectors mourning the loss of one of San Francisco's finest together.

---

Michelle unceremoniously dropped a stack of folders onto Nash's desk. "Here, Nash. Don't ever say I didn't give you anything."

Nash glanced up from his computer screen. "What am I supposed to do with those?"

"Figure something out. Bryn and I hooked 'em, now you get to clean 'em and fry 'em."

Shaking his head, Nash stood up and put his jacket on. "No way. That's what we've got Civilian Aids for. Let somebody else deal with it; I'm going home."

Grinning and shaking her head, Michelle picked up the files again. "I figured you'd say that. Have a good night, Nash. I'll see you in the morning."

"You too, sister." Nash was glad to escape the paperwork for now, even though it would probably be back on his desk in the morning.

Walking past Bryn's desk towards the CA's, Michelle paused. Her new partner was clacking away at her keyboard, but obviously concentrating on something else. "Hey, Bryn."

"Huh, what? Oh, yeah, Michelle. What do you need?"

Shrugging, Michelle nudged Bryn's desk clock with her free hand. "It's after five-thirty. Time to knock it off, sister."

"Really? It's that late already?" She looked around for Harvey and swore silently when she didn't find him.

Giving Bryn a look of confusion, Michelle nodded slowly. "Yeahhh, it is. Where have you been, la-la land?"

Standing up, Bryn hurriedly grabbed her purse. "I'll explain it later. I- I gotta find Harvey before he leaves. Bye!"

Nearly crashing into Joe as she ran past the coffee maker, Bryn apologized. "Sorry, Joe. I'm in kind of a hurry. Do you know if Harvey is still here or not?"

Picking the stack of Styrofoam cups off the floor, Joe motioned towards the holding cells. "I think he's still back there, who knows?"

"Okay, thanks. See you tomorrow, Joe." Bryn turned to leave, but Joe stopped her.

"Hey. I heard that you know about Evan now. Is there anything we can do?" Harvey had told Nash and Joe that she had taken it about as well as one could expect, but Dominguez was concerned anyway.

Bryn hugged Joe, grateful for the moment for his mother-hen streak. "Thanks, Joe. It means a lot to me. That's kinda why I gotta find Harvey; there's something I need to do."

"Sure thing, Carson. You've got our numbers for a reason, though. Don't be afraid to use them." Giving a final smile, Joe went back to his own desk to collect his belongings and go home to Lucia and Inger.

Heading off to the holding cells, she met Harvey coming out of them. "Hi. I thought you would have gone home a long time ago."

Swallowing nervously, Bryn agreed. "I lost track of time. How much longer had you planned on sticking around here tonight?"

"I was just walking out the door now." Looking down into Bryn's disquieted face, Harvey became worried. "Are you okay? Better than last night, I mean."

"Yeah, but I need you to do something for me."

"I'd do anything for you, Bryn. What is it?"

Bryn felt her heart melt at the sincerity in his voice and she swallowed back tears. "I need you to take me to- I need to see Evan's grave. I have to say goodbye."

Harvey closed his eyes for a second, remembering when he had gone there with Cassidy. "Absolutely. Let me drop this file off and we'll go."

---

Bryn cast her eyes skyward as she walked with Harvey through the cemetery. The bright blue sky of a few hours ago was gone, replaced by dark storm clouds that threatened to erupt at any moment. ~A fitting scenario; all I need now is a black hat and veil.~

Harvey was walking a few steps ahead of her, head down and hands in his pockets. He seemed very sure of where he was going and Bryn wondered how many times he had been out here since Evan's death.

Harvey stopped beside a red granite cross and pointed. "That's Evan's stone. Do you want me to stay with you?"

Making no absolutely no effort to restrain her tears, Bryn answered through them. "No, Harvey, it's all- it's all right. I need to do this a-alone.

"Yeah, I know. I'll wait in the car. I need to let Heather know where I'm at anyway." Harvey walked back to the Ranchero and leaned against the passenger side door, keeping a close eye on Bryn while he spoke to his son's babysitter.

When Harvey had gone, Bryn knelt in front of the marker and delicately traced the engraved letters with her fingers. "Oh kid, I don't even know where to start. Evan, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't there when you died.

"I wanted to let you know that I'm back now. I'm back in the SIU; I could tell that you were mad at me in the first place for quitting. I want you to know that leaving was a mistake. I left because of some crazy vendetta, and I know it was crazy. Evan, please don't be mad at me. Please."

Bryn rested her head against the stone and the sobs came faster than she could breathe. "Evan, I'll miss you so much! I can't believe that I'll never see you again. The ferry's going to be so empty without you!"

Bryn tried to catch her breath and calm down; she didn't want Harvey to worry about her. Bryn closed her eyes and allowed images of Evan to float through her mind.

~The surveillance van; Evan was so cocky, so certain that they would pick him, not me.

~The Christmas party; -Evan standing there laughing and smiling while Harvey and I danced.
-"Guys, I thought we said no gifts." "Oh no, you were a very good
boy; we had no choice."
-That kiss! What was I thinking? I'm glad I did it, though.

~That stupid apartment building; -I got a date while he got dumped.
-"So, you're my new stakeout partner?" "Yeah, my parent's worst
nightmare; I'll be living in sin with a police officer."
-"You clearly don't know me. I mean what I'm really about. You see me
as this straightforward kind of guy but let me tell you something.
There's this...this passion, you know, this hunger. I'm looking for a
higher love, you know?" "Wow, that's very Jane Austin of you."

~"Just look at it as money in the karma bank." ~He loved Harvey; Evan was just mad at the moment.~

A loud clap of thunder shook the clouds and brought Bryn back from her reverie. Although a soft mist at first, the ensuing rain quickly develop into large, soaking droplets and she could no longer tell the rain from her tears.

Kissing the top of the stone, Bryn stood up and prepared to leave, having made her peace. "Like I told you before, I'll miss you more than you could ever imagine, Evan."

Harvey opened the door to the Ranchero and let Bryn inside while he walked over to the driver's side and got in. "You gonna be all right?"

Wiping her face dry with a napkin she found in the glove box, Bryn turned to answer him. "I'll be okay, it's just- it's just that it won't ever be the same."

Harvey leaned back against the headrest and sighed. "You're telling me. I'm still not used to coming in and seeing Antwon there at Evan's desk. It just kills me inside sometimes."

The two sat in silence for several moments, listening to the storm drum out a beat on the roof of the car.

Not knowing what else to do, Harvey thought about Bryn. He wanted nothing more than to tell her how he felt, but something always kept happening that stopped him. He didn't think it had been his fault yesterday, but Harvey knew that three years ago it had.

"Thanks for waiting, man."

"What did she say?"

"She didn't say anything, Ev. I didn't have the guts to tell her."

"Did you give her the lyrics?"

"Yeah, I did. She doesn't even know what they are; I told her to wait until I was gone before she read them."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'll feel like talking once I'm too drunk to know any better. Bar or the Dead Room?"

"Dead Room, brother. I'm right behind ya."

Then Harvey knew. If he kept waiting for the perfect moment to arrive, it would never come. Harvey couldn't wait any longer, and he knew Evan wouldn't want him to. "Bryn, there's something I have to tell you."

Bryn spoke without moving her eyes from where a brilliant streak of lightning that had just shot across the sky. "What?"

Harvey had never been so nervous in his entire life; their friendship, everything was ruined if this was an unrequited love. With a shaking voice, he answered her. "I know that my timing is rotten, but Evan let me get away with chickening out once and I don't think he'd let me do it again."

Bryn turned to face Harvey again. The love in his eyes was unmistakable; Bryn didn't have to search for it this time. "You tried to tell me the night I left, didn't you?"

Harvey took Bryn's hand in his and squeezed it gently. She smiled, and he continued. "I tried to tell you last night, too. That's why I wanted you to meet Jerry; I had to see what you thought of him first."

Bryn raised her eyebrow at Harvey, wishing he would just spit it out. "So quit trying to tell me and just tell me, Harvey."

Harvey dropped his head briefly and laughed at her forthrightness. Raising his head to answer her, fear about her reaction replaced the mirth. "I'm going to have to run with the assumption that you read that piece of paper I gave you."

"You don't know how many times." Bryn was again struck by the intensity in his eyes, and she felt her heartbeat quicken.

"What did you do when you read it?" Harvey's nervousness escalated to a level he hadn't thought possible and he felt sure that he would have backed out again if he could have.

Bryn shrugged, not knowing exactly how to phrase her response. "I don't know what I felt; I wondered why you hadn't said something sooner. Why didn't you? Don't BS me, either. Tell me the truth."

Harvey swallowed hard at the expression Bryn used; he knew that she had taken it from their conversation the night she left San Francisco. "I was scared about making a complete fool of myself. I didn't- don't know how you feel about me, Bryn."

Still grasping Bryn's hand, Harvey closed his eyes and prepared to jump off the proverbial cliff. ~Here we go, Leek.~ "If I had asked you to stay that night, would you have done it?"

Bryn thought for a moment, and her heart unfolded like a new rose as she realized the true depths of her feelings for the man whose face was now mere inches from hers. "Yes, Harvey, I would have stayed."

Letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, Harvey brought his hand up to Bryn's cheek, wanting so badly to kiss her. "Bryn Carson, I don't know when and I don't know how it happened, but I've fallen in love with you."

Bryn felt tears coming again, but this time, they were not tears of grief. "When I was in Atlanta, I thought about you every day. I knew that I felt something for you, but until just now, I wasn't sure what it was."

"What is it?" Harvey knew what she was going to say and couldn't keep the smile from his face, even as he tenderly wiped away a single tear from Bryn's cheek. ~I haven't been this happy since the day I found out about Jerry; maybe there really is such a thing as soul mates.~

"It's love. Harvey Leek, I am hopelessly and completely in love with you." Taking his hand from her cheek and placing it against the back of her neck, Bryn wrapped both of her arms around Harvey's neck and pulled him to her.

Neither inspector could have been prepared for the kiss that followed Bryn's declaration. For several long and tender moments, the thunder, rain and lightning continued without them. Had Harvey not have suddenly remembered that they were in a cemetery, he wasn't sure if he would ever have pulled away and broken the most passionate, extreme kiss either of them had ever known.

Bryn was unable to speak as Harvey's mouth separated from hers. As she searched for something, anything, to say to him, the car was filled with a sudden brightness and warmth. Bryn looked around for a moment before realizing what had happened. "Harvey, look! The rain stopped; look at that sun!"

Harvey looked out towards the horizon, his mouth opening in awe as the dark clouds scattered and the sun broke through, quickly erasing all clues of the storm save the wet grass. He didn't see him anywhere, and didn't really expect to, but Harvey was pretty sure he knew who was responsible for the sudden demise of the storm and also why he had done it. ~Thanks, Evan. I owe you one, brother.~

********************

HOLY smoke!!! I can't believe it's finally finished! I shall now move my TV, my phone, my stereo, my dirty dishes and most of my junk food stash back into their proper places, out of the computer room.

I had hoped that this would be an intense experience for me, but I had no idea that I was going to take this as far as I did. This sequel, along with its predecessor (I Wish You'd Stay), are by far my most prized possessions in the 'my stories' folder on my zip disk. Please, I am down on my knees begging for feedback; I don't have an ounce of dignity within me right now!