Update for this FF. This chapter and last introducing characters from a couple other shows. Guess which shows and which characters.

Matt woke up more than a bit hungover over the previous night's festivities and for that split second wanted so much to be somewhere else. Back home, conducting business in his office with one of the best views of L.A. or kicking back with a beer and not much else in his jacuzzi.

Then he realized where he was, spending his days out deep sea fishing under the hot tropical sun and his nights, trying not to miss his old life.

He'd left without really saying goodbye to the people who mattered, who would worry about him if he just dropped out of sight, or off the face of the earth. People like…

He closed his eyes and even covered them with one of his arms as he lay half covered by a sheet in the bed in his bungalow. The memories he could fend off during the day pressed against his closed eyelids at night.

Serena, who ran the only real communications center authorized or otherwise on the island had suggested he check back in with his people and he had...just to find out that they'd moved on with their lives assuming he was some personal soul searching journey stretching out as far across the earth as his millions could take him.

Only he hadn't touched base with C.J. Whenever he called the headquarters in L.A., she'd been unreachable. HIs friend Scott would say she was busy or out of the office. Chris and Murray in Houston were equally evasive.

Obviously his best friend was living her life and keeping herself very busy. With that thought, he got out of bed and reached for his sweat pants. He figured it was not long after sunrise but already he felt the beads of sweat on his forehead and on his back.

He grabbed a gray tee shirt and threw it on and headed towards the main building where breakfast would be waiting to fuel them before they took the boat out to haul in some fish.

An easy routine to fall into after that latest operation to liberate some children kidnapped from their villages who'd been turned into an army of slaves.

Zeke saw him and they fell into step with each other.

"Houston, nice morning with some fishing. Brady and the crew are already getting the boat ready."

Matt signed.

"We had a good haul yesterday. Should be better today. Another boat caught a couple of good sized marlin this week."

Zeke shrugged.

"Hope we land a few. Sell a couple at market and keep one for ourselves. Still you never know."

Matt knew that for sure. Few things in life were easy to predict and there were always plenty of surprises including some that knocked you off your feet or the breath right out of you. Still at least with the marlin they might get lucky. But he had other things on his mind.

" I have been thinking a lot about Kostas and what he offered us. He seemed different than when I met up with him in Germany…"

A few months that felt like a lifetime ago. But they had connected and had spent time together along with that woman...two ships in the night they'd been but somehow Matt didn't think she and Kostas had been total strangers. Just a feeling he'd had but he hadn't crossed paths with her since.

Zeke opened the door into the main building and they both walked inside. Breakfast awaited them and they went to serve themselves.

"Houston he offered us an assignment, nothing more nothing less. Great money attached to it, not many questions asked but for what it's worth...I think you were right to turn him down."

Matt blinked as they sat at the table with their food.

"You do? I wasn't sure that I wasn't the only one who had second thoughts."

Zeke plowed into his omelet.

"Hardly Houston. I agree with you. I think this Kostas character is more than knee deep in trafficking and wants us to hunt down one of his women who gave him the slip and got away."

"You do? Zeke, I can't pinpoint any reason why I didn't believe his story. It's...just a feeling...I don't know that he's lying and that this woman whoever she is...I'm not going to take a penny to return her to him...or anyone else."

Zeke smiled.

"I thought so so we don't take his offer. We just do a lot of fishing until you get bored of your lifestyle and head back home."

Matt closed his eyes for a moment.

"I don't think that'll be anytime soon. After that run in with the stingray...I do know what I want in my life but I still have a lot to sort out."

"I figured as much but Serena has helped you try to check in back home hasn't she?"

Matt sipped some much needed coffee.

"Yeah but Scott's the one I've talked to the most. Somehow, CJ is always out of the office…"

"Maybe your timing is just off?"

Matt sighed.

"Maybe...but I'd really like to touch base with her since she's been running the agency since…"

Since he reacted to his wedding day with Elizabeth crashing and burning by packing up his bag and walking away, intending to drop off the face of the earth for a while.

Zeke frowned.

"Are you worried?"

Matt paused, then took a bite out of his own omelet.

"No...I'm sure she's very busy. I left her a heavy workload when I decided to take time off. I'm sure she's just very busy…."

C.J. crawled out of bed in the morning. The cat that shared the bed with her had already left and though her muscles ached, she got out and got dressed. It was still dark outside but the morning on a working ranch always started before sunrise.

She showered and got dressed walking down to the kitchen where Thea and Jed were dining on huevos rancheros and some rather strong coffee. They both looked at here as she walked into the room. Thea got up and gestured for her to come sit with them.

"Come get some food and sit with us. There's a storm front coming in and Jed and the hands herded the horses down to the barn. Including Cisco. He got out again."

C.J. went to fill her plate with food before joining them at the table.

"You need anymore help out there. With the cattle?"

Thea and Jed looked at each other. Jed sipped some coffee.

"No, we're ready for the storm. We just have hunker down until it's over. Storm's supposed to last a couple days."

C.J. nodded.

"Okay, if you're sure everything's okay…"

Thea smiled.

"Yeah everything's fine. It's a good day to snuggle by the fire under some blankets and read a good book."

"Okay...nothing from Jonathan?"

"Nothing...and we won't hear from anyone until the storm's over. I'm going to settle in the living room with the latest Women's Murder Club book."

C.J. exhaled slowly.

"Okay, I'll join you. If everything's okay…"

Jed cleared his throat.

"All the work is done. A good time to make the best of the storm and catch up on your reading…"

C.J. looked at the both of them and nodded.

"Okay I'll do that...at least until I hear back from Jonathan."

That was the best that she could do. At least for now.

Stefan chased down his shot quickly then turned towards Clarissa.

"We can't worry about Serena. We have to keep our eyes on the prize."

Clarissa drank her shot and shrugged.

"I guess we can't worry about her. We're not sure who she's working with. She's not one of us and as far as I know she's not working for Andre either."

Stefan emptied his glass then shook his head.

"She's not. She's a completely unknown player. Got another player on the line. An Alex Zorgen and I have no idea who he is."'

Clarissa's eyes widened

"How did someone life that find out about us? He...from what I know his clientele are serial killers. No we can't have anything to do with that."

Stefan sighed.

"No we can't. I shut him down. I got no time for someone like that. Besides, someone like him is going to attract attention. I don't need that."

Clarissa couldn't argue against that.

"No you don't. You need to remain focused on your purchase that got away. We'll find her even if we need to use the US Marshal's office, the FBI to help us. You know we got people there."

Stefan nodded.

"We do but so does Andre and he'll use them. He'll try to find her first."

"But he won't...we will find her…"

Stefan poured himself another shot.

"Yes we will…."