AN: Christopher mentions a sister more than once in the beginning in the series before we meet Cade and the 'sister' is completely forgotten; never talked about again. I realize it was probably just a mistake on the writer's part or something that was dropped/changed later on, but in my mind, Cade and Chris had an older sister: Elisabeth. These are her thoughts.

III. Lizzy

Elisabeth Ryan née LaSalle had just said goodbye to her 8-year-old son as he had climbed into the school bus and disappeared from view. Another day was starting and, like always, she would be doing her normal routine: go to Walmart, shop for groceries and some other household items, go home and cook dinner, clean the house then watch a bit of television or read a good book until her son would arrive home. Her husband, Harold Ryan was on a business trip in Europe and wouldn't come back for another week. That was something Elisabeth, or as everyone called her: Lizzy, was very well accustomed to. Harold was the leader of a great enterprise together with his father, Harold Senior, and with all the meetings, dinners and workshops didn't really have much time for his family left.

Lizzy always said she didn't understand how or why she had chosen to go from one always busy father to one always busy husband… Of course, at least she knew they'd never have money matters. That was important as well, since as she had expected: it hadn't been her inheriting her father's firm.

No, their father's favorite son: Christopher had.

It didn't even matter that she was the firstborn child or that Cade was the firstborn son. No, their father had chosen his youngest a long time ago to fulfill his dreams and there was nothing either of them could do about it. She had always thought it was incredibly unfair and had tried to talk to her father numerous times – without success. Once the man had made up his mind about something, there was no changing it.

The 'best' about this whole situation was the Christopher had made it clear a thousand times from the beginning that he didn't want to follow in their father's footsteps. He wanted to have an own life, away from it all, and he'd be happy to let any of his siblings take the place reserved solely for him. That was all so messed up!

Christopher had been so adamant about being left out of the family meddling that he moved far away from Alabama as soon as he turned 18, never to look back. He still loved his sibling and kept in touch with them (well, mostly… when he's extremely busy schedule permitted it) but it was easy to see he wouldn't ever return and live the life laid out for him. After their father died, he had gone home for a while but had been and still was very reluctant to take care of business matters. And with Cade's troubles and him being in and out of family life, Lizzy couldn't understand why it couldn't be her!?

She had gone to business school. She had always been there with their father and had listened to his instructions. She was interested; none of her brothers were.

Maybe her being a woman was the problem? Maybe their father had believed women weren't able to make a business successful? He had never said it, per se, but sometimes actions spoke more than words…

Well, it didn't matter anymore. Her father was gone, her mother had died a long time ago and her stepmother was grieving. Cade was… wherever he was, and Christopher was trying to juggle two jobs and still keep his life afloat. As they say: C'est la vie. However she hated it, there was nothing she could do to change things, so, with a heavy sigh, she got into her car and started the engine. If she wanted to roast chicken for tonight she needed to get going.

NCIS NOLA * NCIS NOLA * NCIS NOLA * NCIS NOLA

Hearing about Cade's death left Lizzy devastated. She would never have thought she'd have to bury her own little brother. It also bothered her a lot that it had been her stepmother calling her with the grave news instead of Christopher.

'Don't I deserve to hear about a tragedy like that from my remaining brother? Does he care about me so little that he can't even call me?'

Logically, she knew Christopher did care about her. They were and had always been good siblings. Hell, they had never even really argued. All right, they weren't as close as siblings usually were but that had more to do with their 11-year age difference than anything else. At the time of his birth she'd already been a preteen, more interested in friends, afterschool activities and clothes than a baby. Admittedly, as a child he'd tried to get closer to his 'sista' but by then, she'd been a teenager with a lot to do at school and with lots of friends to hang out with. Okay, perhaps she could have payed more attention to him when their mother had died but she'd been grieving too… Anyway, it was too late to worry about it now. He still could have called her.

- Rose, do you know anything about Christopher? – She asked as soon as the older woman answered the phone.

- He was here a few hours ago, dear. Why?

- Just because he didn't even bother to call me! After Cade… - There was a pregnant silence on the other side of the line while Elisabeth waited for a possible explanation and Rose was thinking about what to say.

- He's very upset. – Was all the woman offered in the end.

- Yes, well: so am I.

- I know, dear.

- So then why is it all right that he's upset and not that I am?

- I didn't say that, Lizzy. Of course you're sad as well. You both have lost a brother… - She gave a small sob and said something that was too muffled for Elisabeth to make out.

- I'm sorry, Rose. I know it's not easy for you, either.

- I'm fine. I'm worried for the both of you. I wish you'd speak and be there for each other. Lizzy: will you call him?

- He could call me…

- Please… He's so alone, he doesn't have a family… His boss was with him here. He seemed like a nice guy and I'm glad Chris is not alone but I'm sure he'd be happy to hear your voice. His sister's.

- All right, Rose. I'll try. Thank you.

Again, it would have to be her trying to get in touch. Great. After much debate, she tried it once but when Christopher didn't answer, she gave up.

NCIS NOLA * NCIS NOLA * NCIS NOLA * NCIS NOLA

Elisabeth was getting angry and disappointed: it had been three days and Christopher still hadn't called her back. Really, didn't it mean anything to him that she was grieving for their brother? Didn't he want to talk to her, offer her an explanation or something?

Because she suspected he knew more than either her or Rose did. No, not suspected; she had no doubt about it. Christopher always just knew things, mainly because his job but it was also more than that. Even when they'd been children, the youngest of them all, Christopher had been the one to catch on things first, be it about their mother's illness, her impending death or their father wanting to marry Rose a few years later. She was sure he knew the real reason for Cade's death as well and he wasn't going to keep it from her anymore!

- Rose, Christopher won't answer the phone and doesn't call me back! – She blurted out immediately, not caring about how petulant she sounded.

- Oh, dear! I've been meaning to call you, I just couldn't- - Rose trailed off, sobbing too hard to continue.

- What… What happened?

- I'm so sorry. So very, very sorry…

- Rose!

- He's… dead. Lizzy: he's dead. Died today… - Rose was crying hard and taking deep breaths as if trying to control herself but failing at it spectacularly. – They're gone… Both of them. And their daddy, too… It's only two of us now…

- What? How…?

- I… don't really know what happened. I believe he went after Cade's murderer. Because, Lizzy, he was murdered. And Christopher, too. It's over now, Lizzy, there's only you and me left…

Elisabeth didn't hear anything anymore. She felt like she couldn't breathe and she was shaking like a leaf. Within just a short few days, she had lost both her brothers. Before that, she'd lost both her parents. Rose had been right: it was only the two of them now.

She would inherit the company, LaSalle Enterprises. It was all hers now, to do as she wished and to maintain. Like she'd always wanted to. What she'd studied and worked for.

For some reason though, she wasn't happy about it. The price she'd payed for it hadn't been worth it.