Thanks to all my reviewers for the birthday wishes! It made my day much better- otherwise, it pretty much sucked, although there was a "you can't make this up" moment during a game of movie trivial pursuit. I KID YOU NOT, the final question to win the game was 'What accident occurred on the set of Red Eye?', the answer of course being "Rachel McAdams was knocked unconscious while filming'. Won the game, obviously. :D Actually, there were quite a few Cillian Murphy movie questions- a few on Sunshine, one on Inception, and one on 28 Days Later. No wonder I won. :P

trudes193- Lisa is definitely making progress through Jackson's walls. It just remains to be seen where she will end up.

Guest- There are not enough "aws" to express my reaction to being called "lovebug". I'm glad you enjoy my story so much. Honestly, you readers are the main inspiration to keep at this story. :)

Clavis Salomonis- It totally makes sense, and thanks for saying so! Dialogue is my weak point, in my opinion, so it's always great to hear that it sounds realistic (and entertaining) to someone who isn't in my head. :D The last few chapters of mirroring their original meeting have been a blast and a half to write.

KnoKnayme- I KNOW, RIGHT? I just want ONE clip. An interview would suffice, but noooooo, he keeps it to himself (and probably his wife). Lisa is a trooper- that's what makes her so much fun to write. They bring out the best in each other.

Pirate Gyrl- I wrote the first paragraph of this chapter with you in mind. I was going to do a small recap-ish type thing, but I elaborated a little more for you.

She Who Shines- I love that you notice the little things. It's my favorite thing about you- a woman after my own heart (you have it, by the way). And yes, Lisa completely beats him in his own game. Looks like he's going to have to rethink his strategy now. :D

son-of-puji- Thanks for the support as well as being there to discuss ideas that are not talked about openly among nice people. :D I love you. That is all.

Astrianne- Thanks! You know how to make a girl blush.

Jesscah- You LIVE! JOY! You also notice the small things, and you're definitely one of the reasons that I go over my chapters a few times to polish the little details. I won't lie- the winter line came from a response that I gave to my cousin in Florida once. So I guess I stole it from myself.

ZOMGMIAMI:

Chapter 19: Come Together

Lisa and Jackson made their way through the airport. The remainder of their flight had been fairly uneventful. Lisa had learned that Jackson didn't like birds and that he thought driving a convertible made a person "look like an asshole", as well as other things. His enthusiasm for his dislike of birds led Lisa to accuse him of being afraid of them. He had threatened to stick a spider in her shoe in response, and she dropped it. Near the end of the flight, she had grabbed his pen as a joke, but he had taken it right back, pretending to be unamused.

Lisa kept her head down, her hat and glasses in place. Even though people were looking for a blonde, she didn't feel safe in Miami. Jackson took her hand in his for support, turning on his phone with the other. She pressed her shoulder to his, walking as closely as she could without making them into Siamese twins.

"Jeff's picking us up," Jackson told her, checking a text on his phone. Lisa nodded.

"Who is he?" she asked, gripping her bag tightly.

"A courier," he replied. "He picks up packages and drives us around. He's very good at doing what he's told. He's the one who got me from your house and me and Caleb to Minnesota."

Lisa glanced up at him. "Is he safe? How do you know that he isn't with Robert?"

"Because I do," Jackson replied flatly. "There isn't a big conspiracy here." He lifted his phone to his ear, checking his voicemail. Lisa continued to watch the floor, trying to keep her face hidden without looking suspicious. She felt Jackson's hand tighten, and looked up again to see his jaw clenched. He obviously didn't like what he was hearing.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Jackson shook his head and moved onto the next message. The two walked past baggage claim, as they had only their carry-ons.

Jackson shut his phone and put it back in his pocket. "Change of plans. I'll explain later," he said, and pulled her to a stop. "Another thing-" He glanced down at the floor, looking a little uncomfortable. "Do me a favor and don't..." he ran a hand through his hair, "...don't let on to Caleb that there's anything going on between us." Lisa frowned. She didn't understand. "He's going through a lot right now..."

Lisa's eyes widened, and she nodded. Jackson was probably right. Any affection was probably one of the last things that Caleb wanted to see.

The pair left the airport, and Jackson led Lisa to a waiting vehicle. He opened the back door for her, tossing his bag in the empty seat next to her. He slid into the passenger seat and greeted Jeff. Lisa slid on a pair of sunglasses and slumped in her seat as Jeff pulled away from the airport.

"The gun will be at Florida Armory tomorrow," Jeff explained to Jackson. "Cal and Cheryl are at my house- he decided not to go to a hotel." When Jackson eyed him, he elaborated. "He told me their real names...he's kind of a mess, man. He decided that a hotel was more trouble than it was worth in case Cheryl put up a fight, plus getting her through the lobby when she was like that- he has her heavily sedated."

Lisa eyed Jeff. He definitely seemed to be all-business. Perfect for Jackson.

"Ben left me a message," Jackson replied. "Apparently he decided to run his own scheme. I know," he added when Jeff glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "He told Robert's crew that I'm on my way to kill him." Lisa sat straight up at this, but Jackson continued before she could say anything. "He said that he was testing their loyalties, to see who would go tell Robert. Looks like we have two still on our side and two with Robert."

"Sounds like Robert's rounding up his whole team," Jeff remarked.

Jackson nodded and rubbed his eyes. "Yeah. But this way we can take care of all of them at once." Lisa furrowed her eyebrows.

"Are you sure that you can trust him?" she spoke up from the backseat. Jackson turned and gave her a warning look. Jeff glanced back, amused surprise on his face.

"Yes," he repeated. Lisa bit her lip. She didn't see how Jackson could be so trusting of these people. She had a nagging feeling that they were walking right into a trap.

"Won't that show Robert that he's working with you, though?" Jeff asked, interrupting their stare-down. Jackson turned his attention back onto his courier.

"He said he told Robert that he was tricking me into giving information so they could be prepared," he explained. Red flags were popping up all over Lisa's head. Obviously, this Ben was either playing Robert or Jackson. How could he be so sure that he wasn't being betrayed? "He said Robert will be at King of Diamonds tonight, and they'll be with him."

Lisa raised her eyebrows. "He's hiding in a strip club?" she asked, incredulous. That wouldn't have been her first choice.

"Gentleman's club," Jackson corrected her, grinning.

"They have high security," Jeff added, pulling off the freeway. "Metal detectors, pat downs...and it's a very busy place." Jackson shrugged.

"So we'll get him out of there," he stated, leaning back in his seat. "Heavy security means that they won't tolerate fighting." Jeff nodded.

"You taking Cal?" he asked. Lisa looked out the window. She was pretty sure that they were in Overtown. She hadn't been there, but of course she had heard stories about how dangerous it was. Did Jeff live there?

"Probably not," Jackson replied, "Right now we're three on three."

Lisa frowned. Didn't he mean four on three? Himself, Robert's two men, and Jeff? Or didn't Jeff actually do any killing?

Jeff shrugged. "Might be a good idea in case something goes wrong. You could definitely use him."

Jackson laughed bitterly. "Oh, he's out of the game," he replied, turning to look out the window. "He won't kill anyone."

"Well, he seems to think that he's going," Jeff informed him.

"It might actually be beneficial to stay here," Jackson said, not acknowledging what Jeff had told him. "Even if someone recognizes Lisa here, it's not like anyone is going to call the cops."

Jeff nodded. "Not a lot of room though," he replied, pulling into a pothole-ridden driveway. Lisa sank down in her seat. She couldn't believe that they were staying there. Jeff glanced back and scoffed, but said nothing. He exited the car as Jackson reached back for his bag.

"I don't want to stay here," Lisa said quietly. "It's dangerous." She didn't want to be difficult, but she was incredibly uncomfortable.

Jackson sighed. "It's fine," he replied, straining to grab his bag. "Just relax." Lisa scowled. She hated that he dismissed her so easily sometimes. She grabbed both bags and quickly got out of the car, walking after Jeff. Jackson grabbed her arm.

"What?" he asked, confused. Lisa yanked away her arm.

"Oh, you don't know?" she asked with sarcastic surprise. "I thought you knew everything! My opinion is irrelevant, right?" Jackson groaned.

"It's not like that and you know it," he replied, taking his bag.

Lisa shook her head sadly. "No I don't. Weren't you the one who said that I know nothing about this stuff? That I should just listen to you?" She flung her bag on her shoulder, staring at her feet.

Jackson ran a hand through his hair. "I never told you not to have an opinion," he replied, and lifted her chin.

Lisa pulled away. "Just to keep it to myself," she replied bitterly. She nudged him. "Just go. Caleb's waiting. We can talk later." Jackson stared at her for another moment, but then turned and headed for the front door. "I'll just sit in the corner and keep my mouth shut," she muttered, following him.

Jackson could tell how upset Lisa was, but he didn't know what he could do about it. He had meant what he had said earlier, but he still felt guilty for ignoring her feelings. She had obviously been raised upper middle class, and so many people in those circles had exaggerated ideas about the lower classes and criminals. He was aware that Overtown had a higher crime rate than she was used to, but he also knew that it didn't mean that they were actually in danger. She was just going to have to deal with it.

His thoughts were interrupted when he walked into the house and saw Caleb sitting on the floor of the living room, leaning on the couch. He felt an urge to hug the younger man, but instead tossed the bag onto the couch and took a seat next to it. He nudged Caleb with his foot, giving him a small smile. Caleb looked over his shoulder at him, giving a weak smile of his own.

Jackson wasn't sure what to say. He wanted to talk, but Lisa was sitting in a chair nearby and he could hear Jeff moving around in the other room. They were hardly alone. He glanced at Cheryl, whose sedative had apparently mostly worn off. It was jarring to see her in the chair, bound like a hostage. His initial sympathy instantly vanished when he remembered what she had done. He didn't have to look at Lisa- he could feel her dark stare on him. She was probably thinking that he should be offering Caleb some kind of comfort.

"What's the story?" he finally asked. Caleb shrugged.

"She's not talking," he replied. "Said she'll only talk to you." Jackson groaned, dropping back against the cushion. What kind of game is this? He looked down in front of Caleb, studying the array of handguns and bullets.

"We'll deal with her later. What are you doing?" he asked, leaning down to get a better look.

"I'm getting ready," Caleb responded, and rose to his feet. "Take off your shirt," he ordered, walking to get one of his bags. Jackson hesitantly obeyed. He hadn't seen Caleb like this in years. He was closed off, short, just like he was when they first started working. He sat up straight as Caleb knelt in front of him.

"Christ," Caleb murmured, removing the bandage over Jackson's lung. "Have you been cleaning this at all?" Jackson glanced down at his wound. He had known that it was infected, as well as the one near his stomach, but he hadn't been able to fix it. He said nothing, knowing that Caleb's question was rhetorical.

"What's wrong?" Lisa asked quietly from her chair.

"Infection," Caleb replied, filling a syringe as Jeff walked back into the room. He set two beers next to the twins and handed Lisa another, dropping onto the floor near the couch. Jackson continued to avoid eye contact with Lisa, instead staring at his brother. Caleb wiped the wounds, and glanced at Jackson. He smiled reassuringly.

"It's not that bad yet," he conceded, "I just want to be safe. If it gets worse, at the very least, they'll have to be drained." He gave Jackson an injection of antibiotics. "Not to mention that if it gets infected under the sutures, I might not be able to tell which bacteria it is and how to take care of it."

Jeff leaned over to see more clearly. "Looks a lot better than it did," he remarked, taking a drink. "Remember when that one opened?" He motioned to Jackson's stomach and made a face. "That was pretty bad." Jackson rolled his eyes, and Caleb scoffed.

"Totally forgot about that," Caleb grinned. "Stitching people up in a moving vehicle on the freeway is getting boring," he said in an affected tone. Jackson glanced at Lisa, who was taking a large drink from her bottle.

"It wasn't that bad," he reminded Caleb, although he was speaking for Lisa's benefit. "It's not like the whole thing came open...just a small skin tear."

"Oh right," Caleb replied, re-bandaging the wounds. Jackson narrowed his eyes. Caleb was too cheerful now- it was obviously forced. When Caleb applied the last of the tape, Jackson held tight to his wrist.

"Let's go talk," he said quietly. Caleb broke eye contact, his smile fading.

"Do we have to?" he murmured, setting the syringe aside. Jackson pulled his shirt back on.

"Yes," he said, and glanced at Jeff. The other man nodded toward the door.

"You can use my room or go outside. Whatever," he said, getting to his feet. "I have to pick up some things."

Jackson stood, hooking a hand under Caleb's arm and pulling him to his feet. "Keep an eye on Cheryl," he said to Lisa. She nodded, and Jackson would have had to be blind to miss the frustrated expression on her face. She would have to wait, though. He escorted his younger brother out of the house and dropped onto the front steps. He lit two cigarettes and passed one to Caleb. They sat in heavy silence. Jackson studied his brother, who had taken a seat on the lower step. Caleb spread and clenched the fingers in his free hand, occasionally flicking at the air. Jackson saw the tension in his shoulders and his hunched posture.

"You look about ready to explode," Jackson remarked, staring at his brother. Caleb stared at his feet and leaned back on his elbow.

"I was thinking," he said, eying Jackson. "Do you remember Doug ever being around before Dad died?" Jackson frowned, confused.

"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked.

"I said I was thinking," Caleb replied, irritated. "Do you? I don't remember Mom even talking about him." Jackson rested his elbows on his knees. Their family had never gone anywhere for holidays. His grandfather on his father's side had died in Korea when his father was only a year old, and his grandmother had a heart attack when Jackson and Caleb were seven. He had no siblings. He couldn't remember their mother ever talking about any of her family except her parents, who had died in a car accident before the twins were born.

"I guess not," Jackson conceded, "So? She said he was her brother." He still had no idea why Caleb was bringing this up.

Caleb scoffed. "Yeah, a brother who lived a few towns away that she never mentioned and we never met until he was there to take us in. Sounds legit."

Jackson rolled his neck. "What's your point? Maybe they didn't get along, but there wasn't any other option."

Caleb kicked a rock off the steps. "My point is that it's weird," he replied defensively.

"But not important," Jackson countered, nudging his brother with his foot. "Is that really all that's on your mind?"

Caleb shifted away from Jackson. "What do you think would happen if we went to see her?" he asked, staring down the street.

Jackson sighed. "Well, we won't. I don't know what would happen if you did. Maybe she'd talk to you, and maybe she would kick you out." Caleb turned toward him, frowning.

"Don't you ever think about her?" he asked. "Don't you miss her?"

Jackson took a long drag from his cigarette, wincing slightly. "You know how I feel about her," he reminded him. "I have less of an interest in seeing her than she does in seeing me." Caleb opened his mouth to reply, but Jackson cut him off. "I mean it," he snapped. "And we're also not going to say another word about her, Doug, Dad, your first car, or anything other than you- you right here, right now."

Caleb turned back around. "It doesn't matter," he muttered, slouching forward again.

"What's wrong with you?" Jackson snapped. His patience had finally run out. He was sore, running on a few hours of sleep for the past two days, Lisa had been provoking him in a slow descent into insanity, his stomach was so empty that it hurt, and he still had a murder to plan.

"It doesn't matter," Caleb repeated through clenched teeth. His feet were rocking on the cement step.

"Why are you doing this?" Jackson asked. He couldn't deny that he was hurt and a little offended. Caleb was treating him like a stranger. "Since when are you the quiet one?"

"What good does talking about it do me?" Caleb muttered, crushing his cigarette under his shoe. "Why don't you just say it?" He turned to face Jackson again, anger clouding his face. "I told you so, right?"

Jackson did a double-take. "You think I'm smug about this? Are you insane?" Of all the ways he imagined their conversation going, this didn't even make the list.

Caleb lit another cigarette. "Hell, this will probably work out just fine," he said, seemingly ignoring Jackson. "You're the one she wants anyway." Jackson jumped to his feet and started pacing in front of his brother.

"You've seriously lost your fucking mind," he snapped. "'This will probably work out fine'? What does that even mean? If I'm the one Cheryl wants, which I don't even know why you would think that, what difference does it make? She's a dead woman." He shook his head. "And why in the hell would you think that I'd gloat over this?"

"Oh please," Caleb replied, miserable. "She was always flirting with you. I was her second choice."

Jackson tossed his cigarette to the ground. "Stop trying to rationalize what she did." He ran a hand through his hair. "And she was not flir- not that it matters!" he interrupted himself when he Caleb started to argue. "Why would I gloat?"

"Because you never wanted me to marry her," Caleb replied, dropping his face into his hands. Jackson grabbed the cigarette from his fingers before he could burn his hair.

"Because I was jealous, not because I didn't trust her!" Jackson yelled, completely losing his composure. "And not jealous of you, jealous of her because she was more important to you than I was! Christ, I've been driving myself crazy worrying about you on the way here, and you sit there and accuse me of being smug about it!" Jackson quickly turned away and walked away from his brother, who was sitting on the steps in stunned silence. He leaned against the garage door, running a hand through his hair roughly and down the back of his neck, trying to calm himself.

He pulled away when he heard Caleb approach him. "Fuck you," Jackson muttered, releasing his neck and sliding across the garage door.

"I didn't know you felt that way," Caleb murmured, moving closer to stand next to him.

Jackson scoffed. "You called it, remember?" he asked, referring to the fight in their apartment.

Caleb shook his head. "I just thought you were angry because I was leaving and wasn't doing what you wanted...I'm sorry." Jackson grimaced. What in the hell was wrong with him? Caleb was the one whose life was falling apart, and Jackson had somehow twisted the conversation into his own problems and was now receiving an apology?

"I mean it," Caleb continued. "I wasn't thinking, it was-"

"Stop," Jackson interrupted. He wasn't hurt that Caleb had misunderstood. He just felt guilty that they were talking about it when there were more important things going on. He regretted going off and sharing more than he had intended. "I shut out everyone else the last few years, why not you, too?" he remarked bitterly. He took a drag and passed the cigarette back to Caleb. "I'm sorry too, for what it's worth." He draped his arm over Caleb's shoulders, and the two stood in silence.

"I'm not that hurt," Caleb confessed after a few moments. "I don't understand it. My wife wants me dead, and I was more surprised and angry than hurt."

Jackson looked at him. "I don't know. You said things weren't going well for you. Maybe in some way you knew something was wrong." He yawned. "Maybe it just hasn't hit you yet."

"You think I'm avoiding it?" Caleb asked, stubbing out the cigarette. Jackson nodded. He recognized the symptoms- constant twitching, changing the subject, irritability, and lashing out when pressed. Caleb just wasn't as good at burying problems as Jackson was. "You're probably right," Caleb admitted. He nudged the ground with his foot. "I was her second choice, though. Why else would she be doing this and then refusing to talk to anyone but you?"

Jackson shrugged. "I don't know, but it doesn't matter. If she does have feelings for me, it's not mutual. Never has been." He doubted that Cheryl had any feelings for him. They had only spoken a few times a year since the wedding, and she had been with Caleb almost since the two met. Caleb was just imagining things. Jackson shifted his weight. He wished that they had brought those beers out with them.

"Why do you think that you were thinking about Mom?" he asked, breaking the silence. He still couldn't get over how weird that conversation was. After ten years, why did it suddenly come up? Lisa would probably know. He half-smiled, thinking about the new psychologist extraordinaire and her ability to come up with some theory to explain anything that she saw. His smile faded when he remembered that she currently upset with him, and the more time he took to talk to her, the more upset she was probably getting.

Jackson was surprised to find that a part of him wanted to share his new relationship with Lisa. Caleb had predicted that it would happen when they were back at his home, but he probably never expected the changes that Jackson had been going through in the last few days. He kept his mouth shut, though, knowing it was better that way for the time being.

He glanced at Caleb, who was still silent. He led his brother back to the staircase, where they sat again. "I was thinking about the beginning, when I met Cheryl," Caleb finally replied. "I guess I started thinking backwards, about joining the agency, and Doug." He smiled grimly. "I always hated that man," he recalled.

Jackson nodded, remembering how miserable Caleb was when they moved in with their uncle. Doug had no tolerance for Caleb's sensitivity, and made the his life hell as a teenager. When Jackson was around, Doug could only get one hit in before the older brother would step in with a few hits of his own. Doug never got mad at Jackson, though. He blamed Caleb for needing to be defended. Jackson always knew that Caleb was plenty capable of standing up for himself, but he had never been able to suppress the urge to step in. He had never understood how Doug thought it was okay to treat Caleb like that, considering the circumstances that led to the two boys living with him.

"He did help you with your shooting though," he offered. Caleb shrugged. Jackson thought about lighting another cigarette- he was still too on-edge. His throat and lungs were already burning, though, so he decided not to. "He got what was coming to him." Jackson still remembered vividly the night he got the call from Marie, who was told by the director at the time that Doug had failed in his mission and was killed in the process. It was his first real lesson in the potential dangers of failure. Only the target knew where the body was dumped. Doug was just alive one day and gone the next. There was no record of him, and so no funeral, no arrangements, nothing.

Caleb nodded. "Do you really hate Mom?" he asked quietly. Jackson remained silent. He honestly wasn't sure if he did or not, but he knew that he didn't want to see her. "Well, I miss her sometimes," he added, rubbing his temples.

Jackson sighed in exhaustion, but he wasn't sure if it was more mental or physical. "Let's talk about this later," he offered, feeling as though that was becoming his new slogan. He felt as though he was in a sliding puzzle, and the image was far from completion. "I should get things over with with Cheryl. You go check on Lisa. I think she's fine, but you would know better." Caleb agreed, and the two stood to go back in the house.

Jackson grabbed Caleb's arm, stopping him in his tracks. "If you need to talk more, you know you can, right?" he asked hesitantly. Caleb stared at him, his blue eyes still troubled. Jackson tightened his grip. "I mean it," he insisted. "I don't want you to be afraid to talk to me." Anymore, he added silently. Caleb nodded and pulled Jackson into a tight hug. Jackson fought back a wince at the sharply increased pain as he wrapped his arms around his brother. It was worth it.

Eventually, the brothers parted and walked into the house. Jackson stood in the doorway, watching Caleb lead Lisa down the hallway and into Jeff's room. He looked away quickly when Lisa shot him another frustrated glance. Instead, he eyed Cheryl, who stared right back at him. It was time for the conversation that he had both been looking forward to and dreading all day.

So, July 21st will be the two year anniversary of this story. I was thinking that it's time to go back to chapter 1-4 (before the dumb hiatus) and revise them so they will suck less. As a result, I might not be posting chapter 20 as quickly as the last three have come. But on the other hand, when chapter 20 DOES get posted...there will be blood (maybe, depending on how long Cheryl and Jackson talk).

R&R, s'il vous plaît. If you guys don't want 1-4 to be revised, then I'll start on 20 instead. Let me know!