Title: Family Ties

Author: I AM GRUMPY BEAR

Rating: PG 13 (for later Chapters)

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I promise you I don't own.

Summary: Sequel type thing to Problems with the Past. Hazel is back with a new partner to help Gary and Crumb with a problem. (Really bad summary.)

Note: Reviews and help would be greatly appreciated still

Family Ties

Chapter Five: Brotherhood

"Often in life we have no time for our friends, but all the time in the world for our enemies."

Hazel rode the elevator up to her floor and got off. She walked down the hall to Nikki's room and knocked on the door. "Hold on," said Nikki from inside. Hazel waited for a moment while Nikki unlocked the door.

"Hey, Nikki," said Hazel once the door was opened.

"Damn," said Nikki. "I thought you were room service."

"Are you gonna let me in?" asked Hazel.

"Yeah," said Nikki. She let Hazel into the room and then closed the door.

"Did you find out anything?" asked Hazel.

"Yeah," replied Nikki as she sat down at the table in the room. "Bostwick had a younger brother."

"Did you find out anything about him?" asked Hazel as she sat down too.

"Yeah," said Nikki. She picked up a sheet of paper and read off of it. "His name is Samuel Wayne Bostwick. He was born in 1955."

"So that makes him five years younger than his brother was," said Hazel.

"Yeah," said Nikki. "How did you know that?"

"I remember these things," replied Hazel. "Anything else?"

"He actually did work for the FBI," said Nikki.

"So him and his brother were like 'Goofus and Gallant,'" said Hazel. "What did he do for the FBI?"

"He was a criminal psychiatrist," replied Nikki. "He was brought in to assess criminals and see if they were insane or not. It wasn't his main job. He worked at an institute for the criminally insane."

"Anything else?" asked Hazel.

"Not that I know of," said Nikki. "Tom says he'll fax us a picture of him once he can find one."

"That'll be good," said Hazel.

"Where did you go today?" asked Nikki.

"Around," replied Hazel. "What did you do?"

"I read a newspaper," answered Nikki. "I already told you that."

"Sounds interesting," mumbled Hazel as she rolled her eyes.

"Can I ask you a question?" asked Nikki quietly.

"Sure," replied Hazel.

"When Anderson asked me to take time off with you he said something about not having partners that stuck," said Nikki. "He said your first partner did, but not the others after that. What happened to him?" Hazel didn't say anything. "I asked you a question, Hazel."

"I never said I was going to answer," said Hazel quietly.

"Tell me, Hazel," said Nikki. "I'm not just your partner, I'm your friend."

"I started to work for the FBI in December of 1993," said Hazel. "My first partner was a man named Harrison Morris. We were partners till 1995. That's when the FBI first got involved with the Bostwick case."

"What happened?" asked Nikki.

"Morris received a tip on the whereabouts of Bostwick," continued Hazel. "We went to this old warehouse building in Knoxville. He told me to wait outside for backup. I didn't want to, but I was still considered a rookie so he had more authority than I did. I heard a gunshot and ran inside. When I finally got to the scene, Bostwick was gone. He had shot Morris. By the time back up got there, there was nothing then could do. An ambulance took Morris to the hospital, but it was too late for him. He died later that night at the hospital."

Hazel looked down at her hands and Nikki sat there quietly for a few minutes. "What about your other partners?" she finally asked.

"My second partner I got almost immediately after Morris died," said Hazel. "They don't normally let rookies go off on there own. I ended working on a raid with and to make a long story short, a stay bullet hit me in my leg. As you probably guessed, that partnership didn't last long."

"You said you had three before me," said Nikki.

"My third partner," said Hazel, "ended his own career in the FBI."

"How?" asked Nikki.

"There hostage situation in the Bostwick case," said Hazel. "He held three police officers hostage for two days. He wanted us to tell him where Robin was. We were trying everything to try and get around it, but we were failing. My partner was new. He told Bostwick where Robin was. Let's just say his career went down hill after that."

"So you were partner-less for how long?" asked Nikki.

"Couple of weeks," answered Hazel. "Then you came."

"Sorry for raining on your parade," said Nikki.

"I didn't have that much luck with partners," said Hazel. "I just figured I would do better working on my own."

"Did you?" questioned Nikki.

"I don't know," said Hazel. "I never really got the chance. Now that you've asked me a whole bunch of questions, can I ask you some?"

"Shoot," said Nikki.

"Why did you decide to work for the FBI?" asked Hazel. "It just doesn't seem like it would fit you."

"My father and mother wanted me to be a doctor or something like that," answered Nikki. "I thought this was more me."

"Why?" asked Hazel.

"I don't know," said Nikki. "What about you? You definitely don't seem like the FBI type."

"I think we've talked enough," said Hazel. She got out the chair and left the room.

Nikki sighed and shook her head. "Just when I thought I was getting through to her," Nikki muttered to herself, "she does something like that."

???

Gary slowly opened his eyes. Both his head and his side hurt. Gary tried to push himself up, but his arms were tied behind his back.

"It's about time you woke up," said a voice from somewhere in the room. Everything just seemed to echo in his head.

"Where am I?" asked Gary weakly. He tried to look around the room and see who was talking, but it was too dark.

"Right now," said the man. "You're on a need-to-know basis. Basically you don't need to know anything."

"Who are you?" asked Gary.

"My name is Samuel Bostwick," said the man. "You're Gary Hobson."

"What do you want?" asked Gary quietly. He was having trouble staying awake.

"I already told you what I want," said Bostwick. "I don't like to repeat myself." He walked over to where Gary was lying on the floor. Bostwick grabbed Gary by the front of the shirt and pulled him to his feet. "I want revenge," Bostwick said angrily to Gary. He let go of Gary's shirt and Gary collapsed to the floor. Bostwick kicked Gary's already injured side and then left the room leaving Gary in complete darkness.

???

Hazel knocked on the door of McGinty's again and waited. For a moment, no one came to the door, but Marissa finally came.

"It's Hazel again, Marissa," said Hazel.

"I know," said Marissa as she let her in.

"You did?" said Hazel. "How?"

"Who else was going to be knocking on the door this early?" replied Marissa. "Good point," said Hazel. "Do you think you guys might be able to help me get a hold of Crumb?"

"What?" asked Marissa apparently confused.

"I have no idea where to find Crumb," said Hazel. "I thought maybe Hobson or you might be able to help me find him."

"Gary told me he got a hold of Crumb yesterday," said Marissa. "He said he was going to call you this morning."

"How early?" asked Hazel.

"What time is it?" asked Marissa.

Hazel looked at her watch. "Ten past eight," answered Hazel.

"You should have known by now," said Marissa nervously.

"Well maybe it slipped his mind," said Hazel. "He's busy sometimes. Where is he now?"

"I don't know," said Marissa. "I figured he had something to do early this morning."

"Alright," said Hazel. "Can you have him call me cell once he gets back."

"Sure," said Marissa. "What's the number?"

Hazel gave her the number and then left McGinty's. She was worried now. She heard her cellphone and reached into her pocket. "Hazel," she said into the phone.

"You need to be more polite on how you answer the phone," said Nikki.

"What do you want, Nikki?" asked Hazel impatiently.

"Tom finally found a picture of Bostwick's brother," replied Nikki. "He faxed it to the hotel."

"Can you tell me what he looks like?" asked Hazel.

"I can," said Nikki, "but I don't know how much good it'll do. Just hurry up and get back to the hotel."

"Fine," said Hazel.

"And another thing," said Nikki. "Anderson wants you to call him and tell him what that letter said."

"Alright," said Hazel.

"Be careful, Hazel," said Nikki.

"Can do," said Hazel. "Bye."

"Bye," said Nikki.

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Another chapter. Things will make sense soon.