itle: A Case of Deja-vu

Chapter title: If That's What it Takes

Summary: Brandt's worst nightmare comes to life as he is forced to relive his demons when a kidnapping turns into a protection detail … and this time he is determined not to fail, no matter the cost.

Author's note: So always, before we begin, I would like to thank SPN4eva556, Skewbald and Spontaneous Me for reviewing and Skewbald for following. Thank you for your continued support

Disclaimer: I do not own. If I did, I would certainly not be sitting here, writing about it.

"Struggle is proof that you haven't been conquered, that you refuse to surrender, that victory is still possible, and that you're growing"

"What do you mean they're coming here?" Ethan asked. His stress level was far too high for any more problems to arise. But it seemed like that was what about to happen.

"I mean they are coming for Claire. There must have been more than we anticipated because apparently they trailed us for the first three hours of our getaway or followed our tire tracks somehow …" Benji started to mumble out speculations but then he stopped himself. "Anyhow, the point is they've picked up our scent and is now headed in our direction."

"But they haven't found us?" Ethan impatiently guessed.

"No, not yet."

"Jane, how fast can you pack up?" Ethan turned his attention to the female agent.

She quickly calculated in her head before she opened her mouth to answer. But she got no further as Benji interrupted her, saying "I don't think there is any time for that. I mean, they haven't found us yet but they're close. If we decide to move out we might get caught and who knows what might happen."

"So what you're saying is that we're stuck here?" Jane said.

"Well, not in those words …" Benji hesitantly answered and then nodded his head. "But yes."

Brandt twisted and turned around in his bed. The sheets tangled around him as he continued to move around restlessly and his head twitched now and again. He mumbled inconsistently and his eyes flickered wildly underneath his closed eyelids. Memories from the mission long ago raced around in his brain and the images presented themselves as nightmares in his fitful sleep.

The leftovers of Julia Hunt, his mind knowing it really wasn't her but deliberately disobeying it for the sake of his insanity.

The guilt of not warning Ethan and Julia when he had had the chance.

The call he overheard when Ethan was thrown in jail.

The decision he made when he pulled himself out of the field.

The horrible feeling of facing Ethan, who seemed oblivious to the fact that he had been responsible for his wife's death.

The sinking sensation in his stomach when he sensed the words 'protection detail' echo in the safe house.

The failure he felt when it backfired … again.

Claire McGregor's open and lifeless eyes staring up at him, judging him for killing yet another innocent soul.

Brandt shot up from the bed with a loud gasp. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears along with the sound of his heavy breathing as he struggled to regain control. The sheets that were entangling him was moist the places where it was touching his now sweaty bare skin.

He covered his eyes with his fingers and tried to squeeze the disturbing pictures out of his mind. They remained in there, though, haunting him every time he closed his eyes.

He removed his hand from his face and, with his breathing still heavy, he looked over at the phone the team all had. It was lying discarded on top of his bag, dark and silent.

He was still a bit surprised that Ethan had only tried to call him once since he left. After that, the phone had been comfortingly silent. But he guessed he made himself pretty clear before he had stalked out of that door in the safe house.

But know he was uncertain. Or, he knew exactly what he had to do. But he was uncertain if he could do it. He knew that if he failed, if the team failed, he could never forgive himself. It would be a repeat of the mission years before and the outcome would be the same. He would leave. And he wasn't sure that he wanted to leave, not when he was finally back in the game. Not when he had a team who he could trust with his life.

But he was sure he couldn't stand by and watch. He had to do something.

And he knew what he should and would do.

Brandt let out an irritated sigh while he shook his head.

"Shit," he mumbled to himself as he got out of the bed and headed towards his bag containing his clothes.

"Benji, anything new?" Ethan asked the British technician.

He looked up from the plans of their own safe house and various other papers that littered the wooden table. Jane was opposite of him, still examining the plans, while Benji was sitting in the sofa with one earphone plugged in so he could listen to the Italians' plans and their progress in finding the IMF team's safe house.

"They have tracked down our area but not the location … yet, but they are approaching fast," he answered. "We can't leave without getting noticed so if we're going to put this shebang together I suggest we do it quickly."

Ethan sighed. He was positive that they could make it out of there, but with a small and terrified girl with them the job got a lot harder. Neither of them had to state the obvious and that was that Claire McGregor was a liability in their current situation. It did not help that they were suddenly down a man. He shook his head.

Dammit Brandt.

He hadn't heard from the analyst, though he had called him. The agent hadn't picked up and Ethan didn't have the time to follow through. Wherever Brandt had went after storming out the door, the team leader would just have to trust that he was safe. Everything else that was going on with the younger agent, Ethan would have to take care of later. Right now, they had other things to focus on.

"What do we do with Claire?" Jane asked, breaking Ethan's train of thought, and nodded her head towards the closed bedroom door. "We can't risk her getting into the line of fire."

"One of us will act as her guard. The other two will make sure our backs are covered and create a safe line of passage when we get an opening," the team leader answered. He eyed the plans critically and sighed in sudden annoyance. "This would be easier if we were four."

It seemed like fate decided to be dramatic and grant them a little luck. Just as the words left his mouth the sound of their front door opening broke everyone out of their planning and all three agents drew their weapon and aimed it at the moving door.

However they quickly lowered them when they saw the familiar face standing sheepishly in the doorway. "Do you need another man?"

"Brandt?" Jane asked cautiously. It wasn't very questioning but it did demand some sort of explanation of why he was suddenly showing up after declaring himself out.

"My damn conscience wouldn't let me leave," Brandt explained jokingly. His voice was light but his pained expression begged them not to ask further into it. He was here now and that was all that mattered in the moment.

"Very well," Ethan smiled, understanding. "Let's get to work then."

Throughout the rest of their planning, Brandt was completely silent. He listened intently and asked questions if he was in doubt of his own role but other than that he didn't intervene or voiced any ideas or opinions he might have. It was easy to see that he was still anxious and fear and pain were evident in his eyes every time he looked at one of his team members. He didn't talk and none of the others forced him to. They could all see what a big decision it had been for Brandt to come back when it was so painfully clear that he would rather be anywhere else.

While the rest of the team was setting up the final pieces of the plan, Ethan stepped aside and called Senator McGregor to let him know that they had rescued his daughter but that she wasn't out of danger yet. The politician had complained and yelled for quite some time when he was told Claire wouldn't be returned to him immediately. It was only when Ethan started yelling himself and even threatening to paint a pretty graphic picture of what could happen if they pulled out now that McGregor complied. Pleased and relieved they wouldn't have to deal with the wrath of a worried father, Ethan had told him roughly what they planned. He purposely left out any part that sounded dangerous for Claire.

Their plan had come together nicely and it was quite simple, really. The safe house was obviously safe for any prying eyes, but it wasn't a fortress. It was made to blend in and offer a sanctuary to any IMF agent who might need it. This meant there was a weapon closet filled with IMF gadgets and a back door emergency exit that led to an open alley. The plan was to guard the front door with as much fire power as possible to keep the Italians at bay so they could smuggle Claire out the back. Ethan, Jane and Brandt would provide the back-up while Benji would take Claire through the back door. When she was safe and if the remaining IMF agents couldn't escape, Benji would circle back and offer his help. And if Giovianni really was coming that meant all of his men would be too so it seemed very likely that they would need as much fire power as possible if they would have any hope of defeating a large part of the Italian mob.

To help them, they had raided the house's armory clear of different kinds of smoke bombs; plenty of guns and ammunition; along with two devices, one that shot out a net and one that could place small explosives for later detonation. They also found a bulletproof vest.

While they were on the look-out for any sign of Giovianni, Brandt was strapping the bulletproof vest around Claire's tiny body. As he tightened the last strap he noticed her scared look and quickly smiled reassuringly at her.

"Hey. I'm gonna need you to be brave now, okay?" He kept his voice low but steady. "Can you do that for me?"

She looked him in the eyes. Then she nodded slowly, unsecure.

"Good. I know things are scary right now and they are going to be scary for a little while longer, but then we are going to get you home to your daddy, alright?"

"You promise?" Claire answered. Her little voice was clearly frightened for what was about to happen but she seemed much calmer this time than when they first rescued her.

"I promise," Brandt replied, smiling at her.

Jane walked past them just then saying, "I'm going to examine the emergency exit to make sure we have a clean escape route." Then she disappeared down the hall with her gun in her hand.

A few minutes passed. The phrase 'calm before the storm' suddenly made sense as a chilling silence filled the tense safe house. But then:

"We have company," Ethan's voice broke the silence. He had been guarding the front door and kept peaking through the peep hole for any sign of trouble and now three black cars pulled up on the empty street. He saw how the driver of one of the cars rushed out and opened the car door of the back. Out stepped a man with slick black hair, dressed in a shiny grey designer suit, smiling wryly.

Giovianni.

Just then Jane came running out of the same hall she had disappeared in five minutes earlier. "Guys, we have a problem," she breathed urgently.

"Just one?" Ethan said, his voice holding a hint of dark humor.

"They have surrounded the whole building. The emergency exit is blocked. We're trapped."

"Blocked? Blocked how?" Brandt asked while his hands tightened slightly around Claire's shoulder.

"They don't seem to know it's there, but Giovianni has placed men around the entire building. Even if we managed to sneak out we wouldn't make it five miles."

"That son-of-a-bitch has the whole thing figured out," Ethan sighed. Then a sort of grim expression crossed his features. "He's making us shoot our way out."

TBC

The plot thickens! Stay tuned for more! :D