Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo.

The next morning...

Brody entered the store with her chocolate colored irises flashing in anger. All night long she had been consumed with anger and fear. No matter how hard she tried to think rationally about everything that had happened to her over the last couple days, she kept coming back to the curse.

"Where is your Mother?" she seethed, at the saleswoman.

"I don't know what you mean," the woman stammered at the wild eyed looking agent.

"Your Mother is ruining my life!" Brody hissed catching sight of the old woman in a mirror that was placed just above the cash register. Pushing away from the counter, Brody crossed the tile floor, forcing the old woman into a corner.

She was just about to speak when heard Loretta's voice called out to her. "Agent Brody, I see you have met Hildy."

Brody looked at the medical examiner with confusion. How did Loretta know?

Lorreta crossed the room, her smile lighting up the room. "Hildy and I go way back. She and I are of the same faith."

Lorreta paused to allow Brody to regain her composure. "She has owned this establishment for over thirty years. Some folks say she's the Voodoo queen reincarnated. In fact it's often said that she likes for her customers to experience the lore behind voodoo. Isn't that right Hildy?"

The old woman blinked her eyes as if she were coming out of some sort of trance. "Loretta!" she said with a warm smile. "What brings you here?"

Loretta's face changed. She was no longer smiling. "You've been playing tricks on my friend, Agent Brody."

"I have?" The woman looked passed Loretta to her daughter, Alyce, who was standing behind the counter.

Alyce circled around the counter. "You remember mama, Agent Brody and her partner were in here the other day. You placed a curse a on her. You said she was non-believer."

The old woman looked at Brody.

"Alzheimer's makes it difficult for my mother to remember sometimes." Alyce said.

"We understand," Loretta smiled politely. "But there's a matter of a rat appearing on Agent Brody's front door."

"That was me," A teenage boy emerged from the backroom. He was hanging his head. "I overheard you telling dad that Grandma placed a curse on her for being a non-believer. I just wanted to help Grandma."

"This is my son, Gabe." Alyce said with disappointment in her voice.

Still looking sheepish, the boy moved towards his mother. "I'm sorry." He told Agent Brody.

A half smile crossed Brody's lips as the realization that the rat had been nothing more than a childish prank. "I can live with the rat. It's the other things I'm having a hard time with." She said, turning for the door.

Once outside, Brody fisted her hair. What was wrong with her? Attacking an elderly woman with Alzheimer's?

For several moments she stood on the sidewalk pondering her actions until Loretta made her way outside.

"How did you know?" Brody asked.

It wasn't hard to figure out. Pride mentioned you believe that you are cursed and then Christopher filled in the rest."

"He told you?" Brody's eyes widened.

"Not of his own free will," Loretta smiled. "Anesthesia makes people say some interesting things."

Brody turned her head. This was becoming more humiliating by the moment.

"Do you really believe you are cursed?" Loretta questioned.

"I don't know," Brody said flatly.

Brody walked into the office to find Abby Borin manning the phones. Although the doctor at the hospital had recommended that she take a couple of days off, the thought of staying at home was going to drive her stir crazy. At the very least, being at work would take her mind off of Chris and the notion that she was actually cursed.

"Where's Pride?"

"Upstairs sleeping. He spent most of the night with LaSalle's brother." Abby said as she hung up the phone. "Evidently, the guy has issues."

Brody nodded as she started for the kitchen. If Pride had to spend the night trying to calm Cade that meant he was either off his meds or was still trying to adjust to a new prescription. Tearing up the hospital waiting room and attempting to assault a security guard were among the things that Brody attributed to the repercussions of her so called curse.

"Do you want some coffee?"

"No thanks, I already had my quota of nasty coffee for the day." Abby followed her into the kitchen. " I would like to know something though." She asked leaning against the counter as Brody opened the cupboard and took out her favorite mug.

"What's that?"

"The officer who took the report last night said LaSalle wasn't wearing his seatbelt. Do you know why that is?" Abby quizzed just as Brody was about to take her first swallow.

Brody nearly spit out the chicory flavored beverage. She hadn't thought about people questioning why Chris had taken off his seatbelt.

Abby's eyes widened at the agent's reaction. "See, I told you it was nasty."

Brody set her cup on the counter and attempted to come up with a plausible explanation." It was stupid. I dropped my phone and he took his seatbelt off so he could pick it up."

"Mmm…I thought maybe you busted out your game and he laid one on you." Abby quipped, as she straightened. "He is a yummy looking man with that cute little accent and all."

"He's my partner," Brody recoiled quickly, hoping that the look on her face didn't give everything away."

"Still, if he weren't an agent I'd consider trying to tap some of that Southern charm of his."

"Southern Charm aside he isn't my type." Brody replied trying to detour Borin.

"My type is anything male and looks good in a pair of jeans." Abby quipped.

It was almost two when Brody entered the ICU ward. For several minutes she stood outside of Chris's room watching him through the glass. A nurse was checking his vitals. The doctors had done a good job of patching him up she thought as the nurse moved away allowing her to catch a glimpse of his face. Given the fact that they'd practically been swallowed alive by broken glass and metal, he had very little bruising on his face. There were a few cuts where the glass had peppered his cheek and neck, but all in all he still looked like the downhome southern boy she'd come to know.

"Agent Brody?" Cade appeared behind her, his cell phone in his hand.

A forced smile spread across her lips as she turned to face the older LaSalle. She been hoping to avoid an encounter with the man that her partner had once worshipped as a child. The guilt was tearing her up inside. She also remembered LaSalle saying something about the two of them attending a game between Alabama and LSU as soon as they wrapped up the case. Guess that wouldn't be happening for a while now.

"Cade."

"I'm glad you're okay. I just got off the phone with the insurance company. The truck is totaled. Cade added. "After seeing the pictures, I can't believe that you walked away from that."

Brody felt the pressure of tears begin to gather behind her eyes. Why had she been the one to walk away?

"How's Chris?" she asked taking in a breath to quell the sting.

"Pretty good all things considered," Cade returned gazing through the glass at his brother. "Damn worried about you though. He said you were bitten by a snake?"

"Cottonmouth," Brody replied showing him her bandage.

Cade cocked his head giving her his best grin. "You must be one lucky woman to survive a snake bite and being hit by a drunk all in the same day."

More like cursed. Brody droned inwardly as Cade invited her inside. "I've got some more calls to make. I'd appreciate if you could stay with him for a bit."

"Sure."

The bed was raised slightly. LaSalle's head was tilted to the left side. To Brody, he appeared to be watching the blip on the heart monitor but in reality he was lost in his own private thoughts. For several moments she stood there trying to find the right words until he noticed her presence.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hey," he repeated wearily.

"I'm sorry about your truck," she said placing her hands on the bed railing.

LaSalle closed his eyes for a moment. "It's just a truck." He said before offering her his hand. "Are you okay?"

Brody looked at his hand. She was almost afraid to take it. She was afraid that he might up in cardiac arrest or worst. "I'm fine." She said consenting to give his hand a squeeze. "I did have an interesting conversation with Borin this morning. She asked me why you weren't wearing your seat belt."

Confusion clouded his eyes. The accident and the events leading it up to were still a bit fuzzy. "I wasn't wearing my seatbelt?"

Brody turned her head sinking her teeth into her bottom lip. "You don't remember taking off your seatbelt?"

She watched as he attempted to search through his memory coming up blank.

"What is the last thing you do remember?" she asked carefully.

"Whataburger and big rat on your front door." He groaned attempting to sit up a little higher in the bed. "Is there something else, I'm supposed to remember?"

"No," she swallowed, attempting to stalk away.

Chris reached out grabbing her wrist and immediately twisted in pain.

"Of course, I remember," he grimaced, as the incision in his abdomen scolded him for moving too quickly. "It would save me a lot of embarrassment if I didn't though." Having to admit to the world that he and Brody had been making out like teenagers when the accident occurred wasn't exactly on the top of his list.

"I should punch you right in the gut," she swore touching the side of his face as his eyes squeezed shut in pain.

When he recovered, he noticed large crocodile tears threatening to spill from her lashes. "C'mere," he beckoned as the tears started to fall.

A/N: This chapter was getting really long and I didn't know where to end it, without it being a cliffy. So, for the moment our heroes are safe in each others arms. ;)