Coming Home

The house they approached was like any house in the neighbourhood. It looked simple, like any normal family would occupy it. However, Terry hoped differently. If there was one thing she wanted it was for this to be the house Charlie was in. She wasn't sure if she had the brain capacity to really work this case much longer without losing her objectivity. She would be jumping down people's throats like Don was by next week if this wasn't the place she was looking for. She and Caleb decided to go up first, calmly, and knocked on the door.

"Hello?"

"Adam Kay?" Caleb spoke up.

"That's me."

"We have a few questions for you…" but before Caleb had even finished the sentence the man was off like a shot. Terry, who was paying attention to him and not the attempt to keep him calm, sped after him through the house. They raced out the back door and he tried to hop the fence. Terry pulled him down hard and cuffed him. Caleb wasn't far behind.

"Damn, girl, you're fast,"

Terry smiled at the compliment.

"Just because I moved doesn't mean I didn't keep up," she answered, dragging Kay off the ground. Caleb just shook his head in amazement and amusement.

"You've got thirty seconds to tell me where all this is going down and then we'll consider dealing," she growled out as she dragged him to the SUV. The suspect didn't speak. Terry shrugged, the picture of indifference.

"Alright. You can rot in jail for 25 to life, I don't care."

"That's pushing it, lady."

"With the charges piling up against you, I'd say it's pretty damn close. Tell me where Dannacher is and you'll get a good deal." Still he didn't speak.

"If the hostage dies, it's on your head," Terry tried again. "You're in as deep as the rest of them and are just as responsible for his murder."

"How…?"

"You arrested the brother of a federal agent. Probably not your smartest move."

"Federal agent?"

"Half the bureau wants to put this kidnapping on someone and it isn't just the LA branch. You've got hunters in Washington, New York, Indiana…" Terry let the sentence trail off. She knew that her words weren't the total truth, but the man in front of her probably wasn't bright enough to realize it.

"I don't know much about it. I was waiting for a part to fix a circuit board in Ray's computer…. Computers," he quickly amended seeing Terry's disbelieving face.

"You've got to know more than that. Where are the computers?"

He looked panicked for a minute.

"I want my attorney," he managed. Terry let out a breath and annoyance.

"You'd better hope he can do something for you."

Terry stood in the interrogation room, Caleb beside her and Adam Kay, with lawyer, across the table.

"I'll ask again, but if I have to ask you a fifth time, there won't be a deal. Where's Dr. Eppes and the rest of your friends," Terry growled out. This man, well his lawyer actually, was grating on her last nerves. The first thing the lawyer had done upon walking in the door was tell his client to shut up and sit still. Damn it.

"What are the terms?"

"Depends on the information we get but the longer the hostage is out there, the more likely he's dead. Then we've got your client on accessory to murder," Caleb spoke up and Terry tried not to flinch at the thought of Charlie Eppes dead.

"Haynsworth?" Caleb looked up at the intruder and then to Terry who nodded her head. She'd be okay without him.

"Look, this really was a coincidence, that the bank things fell in with the kidnapping, but the hacking, the pilfering of the money… they're felonies. I'm sure the prosecutor will be willing to bring down the charges if you're willing to help us out, Mr. Kay." Still there was silence. Terry had seen his house, watched him as terrified as he was to be shoved into the back of an FBI SUV.

"Dannacher told you that you were the weakest link, didn't he? He predicted that if they ever got caught you'd be the one to sing, right?" She could see the anger hardening Kay's eyes. She hadn't wanted to exploit the weakness and put pressure on a bleeding wound – it could very well be as dangerous for her as it was for his credibility – but this was getting old.

"Agent Lake…" But before the lawyer could finish, Adam Kay gave the table – metal and heavy – an almighty push at her. Terry gasped as the metal impacted her stomach and sent her overbalancing to the floor, knocking her side on the edge of the metal chair as she went. She cried out as pain seared her side. Interestingly enough, Adam Kay was down beside her, as well as his lawyer.

"I'm so sorry, Agent Lake, I didn't mean to lose my temper like that." To be honest, Terry was more winded than injured – though if she moved her body justso something protested and she was going to have to get them checked out – and waved him off.

"Then why'd you do it?" This was from his lawyer, now probably afraid he'd have to worry about a law suit on attacking a federal agent.

"She… she's right."

Terry tried to smile, but it was a pained one.

"Habit," she said with an ironic smile. "I'll be fine." Both men helped her to her feet as Caleb came rushing back in.

"Lake!"

"I'm good. Probably just a couple bruised ribs. I promise when we finish here I'll go get them looked at." Then she turned to Adam Kay, who was looking more than fearful. She sighed, unwittingly pulling on her side.

"Listen, I want a court appearance just as much as you. Here's the deal. You tell us everything you know and I'll do my best to pull your arrests down to kidnapping, minimum. I'll even drop any possibility of charges for what just happened." She knew she was going above and beyond, but all she wanted at this point, was Charlie back alive.

"Okay…"

Terry walked slowly on to the floor above hers, eyes peeled for Don. She found him, and the rest of his team, crowded into an interview/layout room. She slipped in silently; content to just watch him at work.

"Alright. We'll finish this up tomorrow. Everyone go home," he ordered. It wasn't until he turned around from the maps and pictures that he noticed her.

"Hey," he greeted softly.

"Hey," she replied. "Want to do me a favour?"

"For you, anything," he answered and she could see the sincerity in his eyes.

"Take me to the hospital?" Alarm spread over his face.

"It's nothing fatal. I got whacked with a table in interrogation today and I hit the edge of my chair pretty hard. I just want to make sure nothing's broken."

He couldn't help the smirk. "You promised Haynsworth you'd get it checked."

She blushed. He knew her way too well for her own good. She would have worked the rest of the day – and the rest of the week – without getting it looked at if she could help it.

"Alright." He kept a hand on the small of her back as they made it to his desk where he gathered up all of his things. He then replaced his hand and left it there until they got to his car. It was a feeling Terry hadn't wanted to deal with. She'd felt it last night when he'd wrapped his arms around her, she'd felt it years ago when he held her and she'd felt it two months ago when he'd loved her.

"Can I have details?"

She loved how he asked and didn't prod. They'd managed to fix things like that up. He didn't push, she didn't push, and it worked for both.

"Not much more to tell. I hit the nail a little too hard on the head. His only choice was to take his anger out on the table. There's nothing in those rooms, you know." The last was said with a teasing note, one he took in stride.

"How'd the table end up hitting you?"

"Not the table, the chair," she corrected, "and he pushed it away from him. Knocked me off balance and off my chair. I fell funny. Don't worry about it Don, I'm sure its nothing serious." Regardless of her reassurances, his face contorted in worry.

Terry rolled her eyes affectionately. "I'm letting you take me to the hospital, am I not?"

He gave her a tight smile to show that he conceded to her point. He pulled up to the hospital not long after.

"You don't have to come in if you don't want," she stated softly.

"I'm not letting you go alone. Who knows what the doctor will tell you and which parts you'll ignore."

Terry rolled her eyes good-naturedly, having hoped but not expected him to turn down the invitation.

They weren't long in the hospital. A couple of bruised ribs had been the diagnosis with the orders to be extremely careful and not do anything extensively strenuous. Terry wanted to groan. The words would send Don into overprotective mode, a notion she swore to do away with as soon as she got into the car.

"They're just bruised, you know," Terry said once they were on the road back to his apartment.

"Yeah…" The trail of his voice meant he was looking for an explanation.

"Meaning I'm not invalid. I can still take care of myself."

"Terry…"

"Don't, Don. Seriously, I'm good. I promise I'll be careful, but I'm not going to slow down because of a couple of bruised ribs."

He was silent, showing he really wasn't ready to just shrug off the injury. She wanted to roll her eyes.

"I promise. I'll even make sure to bring someone else with me when I go."

"I know I can't stop you from doing your job Terry."

She hated it when he spoke in that resigned tone of voice. Of course, she knew he wanted her to take the time off to heal. Her only strength was in Charlie, and her need to find him.

"Don, I would take the time off…"

His look told her he knew better. She did too.

"Okay, I wouldn't, but this case is important to me. I need to finish it for my own closure."

He shot her a confused look when they stopped at a red light.

"Just… trust me, okay? This is for me."

"Swear you'll be careful."

She smiled affectionately. "Of course I promise."

Terry woke again to groaning from Don's room. Slowly, she pulled herself off of the couch, out of the warm comfort of her blankets to his room. Sure enough, he was tossing and turning, obviously in the throws of a nightmare.

"Don, wake up," she said into the room. She didn't bother to keep her voice down. However, he didn't wake. She slowly made her way to his beside, where she settled herself on the edge. Terry shook her shoulder as she called his name again.

"Charlie! Terry!" Don sat upright with the force of the end of his nightmare.

"I'm here," she said immediately. He was still breathing heavily as he wrapped her in his arms. She winced as he squeezed her once, pressing on the bruise. She gasped softly before he relaxed his hold on her.

"God!"

Terry allowed herself a second to melt before her worry took over again.

"What happened?"

He didn't say anything, just continued to hold on tight. She allowed him his moment, wrapping his arms around him for his comfort as much as hers. Then she asked him again.

"I…Charlie…You…" He couldn't give her a complete coherent sentence.

"Breathe, Don. I'm here and we're going to find Charlie alive and well. Don't worry."

"Dead."

"No." Her vehemence startled him back to semi-coherence.

"Listen, Don. I'm here, alive and… well, injured, but I'm breathing. Charlie will be too, when we find him."

He settled back against the headboard, not releasing his grip on her. For a few minutes, she didn't protest, seeing his necessity to feel her alive. However, she soon felt herself drifting off to sleep.

"Don, I need to get back to bed."

"Stay."

"Don…"

"I'm sorry, Terry… it… it was bad." T

erry sighed as she relaxed against him again, her body stretched out along his. Her pulse was already jumping, her heart pumping fast against her ribs. She could feel the bruises stretching and his arm was pressing tightly against them, but Terry would allow herself a bit of discomfort if he would calm down.

"Can we at least lie comfortably?"

His eyes widened and he immediately shifted, letting her go for long enough to settle in the sheets and for her to find a more comfortable spot, one that didn't press on her ribs. Then his arms were around her again.

"Thank you for doing this," he said softly. She settled her head on his shoulder, for his comfort more than hers, and closed her eyes.

"Mm," was her only response as she drifted off to sleep.

Don stayed awake longer, worried about his nightmare and the worry about Charlie's life. It was bad enough his brother was missing, but then to have to worry about the death of Terry, a woman who had waltzed back into his life without warning – or if he was honest with himself, never left – was putting him on edge. Her body beside his was a welcome weight, one that seemed to hide the pictures of her bloody body from his mind when he closed his eyes. The last time he closed his eyes, the minutes before he slipped off to sleep, the weight of her head was settled on his shoulder and the warmth of her body next to his left his mind much clearer and sleep came easier.

Sorry about the awkwardness of most of this. Still hope it was a good combination of fluff and case and lordy I hope it makes sense. Let me know.