"Hey King." LaSalle greeted opening his front door. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Just wanted to check on Brody."

"There I was thinking you were visiting me!" Chris grinned. Although Pride had known him long enough to know that Chris's jovial spirit was only covering his concern for his partner. "Is that food?" He asked as his nose guided his eyes to the bags Pride was carrying.

"Sure is."

"Come on in then. I'll take it to the kitchen, Brody is just through there."

"Thanks." Pride said handing over the bags in his left hand before going towards the room Brody was in.

"Hey." He greeted from the doorway. "How are you doing?"

"Fine." Brody said.

"Uh huh." Pride said moving towards Brody and sitting down. "You know I'm here if you want to talk?"

"I do and I appreciate that, but right now I just need to process."

"Fair enough."

"And that event that my father kept referring to in my past." Brody said. "I'd like to keep it in the past."

"Understood." Pride nodded, knowing not to push his agent, just yet. "But first I have to ask, are you sure there is no connection to whatever happened in your past and this?"

"I'm sure." Brody said.

"You sound very confident." Pride said.

"I am, this bunch were way more polite."

For a moment Pride stared at Brody, not comforted by her answer. Finally though he said.

"Loretta got you some clothes to keep you going. I'll leave the bag here for now."

"Thank her for me."

"Will do."

"So did either of them tell you anything useful?" Brody asked as Chris came in with three plates full of food.

"Eat something and I will tell you." Pride said. "I am sure you are meant to have the painkillers on a full stomach."

"I don't need painkillers."

"That is not what Loretta said. She also said she will cancel her date tonight to come here and ensure you take them. Now I told her that wouldn't be necessary, but if you prefer I can call her." He said holding out the pills to Brody.

"Fine I will take them." Brody reluctantly conceded, taking them from Pride before swallowing them.

"Good."

"So how did my father fake his death?" Merri asked as started to eat the food Pride had brought round.

"He says he didn't. He claims that whilst he was posting the disk his car was tampered with and then stolen."

"Wait a sec, someone planted a bomb then some dumb car thief stole a car and got himself killed as an act of mistaken identity?" LaSalle asked.

"That's the story. There is CCTV by the courier's office so we should be able to confirm it soon." Pride said before looking at Brody and saying. "They both claim that your mother didn't know he wasn't dead until he showed up at her hotel room. Unfortunately he has no idea what the password is, nor what is on the disk. But Patton is working on it."

"So we still don't know anything useful?" Brody asked.

"Not yet. But what I do know is we are going to keep you safe and we will catch these people."

-00-

An hour later with Pride gone LaSalle sat down next to Brody and asked. "You need anything?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"I am. But LaSalle?"

"Yeah."

"Thank you, for everything."

"No problem, as I keep telling you, you are family." Before Brody could respond the doorbell rang bringing a frown of confusion to LaSalle's brow. "Be right back." LaSalle said getting up and pulling out his gun. Carefully he moved to the front door and peered out to see his brother. Cursing himself for forgetting he was coming Chris holstered his gun and opened the door. The second it opened Cade walked straight past him.

"Sorry I'm late. I got stuck at work. Doesn't sound like I have missed much though." However, on seeing someone sitting on the couch he said. "Then again, I may be wrong on the nothing happened. Am I interrupting?"

"Sorry Cade I forgot you were coming." LaSalle said following his brother into the lounge.

"Agent Brody." Cade smiled moving round to see the Agent. However, on seeing her battered state he sobered and asked. "What happened?"

"Long story." Brody replied.

"I'm sorry. I'm interrupting I should go." Cade apologised.

"No, please don't. You two had plans don't let me ruin them." Brody said feeling guilty. Seeing Cade's hesitation she added. "Seriously I am okay. Besides LaSalle is starting to smother me, you can keep him under control."

"Rarely have I managed to do that." Cade smiled. "But I really don't want to impose."

"You won't be." Brody said, still feeling guilty for ruining her partner's plans. Cade turned to his brother who shrugged and said.

"She's the boss. Take a seat and get the game on. I'll get you a drink."

Still confused about what had happened Cade sat next to Brody and asked. "You sure you're okay with me staying?"

"Of course. I'm the one intruding. Besides I think I'm going to head up. It's been a long couple of days."

"You need some help getting up there?" He asked when he saw how slowly she was moving.

"Thanks, but I can manage."

"Here you go." LaSalle said re-entering the lounge. "Where's Brody?"

"Went to bed. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You didn't. I'm sorry I didn't ring, it's been kinda crazy." Chris said. "But I'm glad you're here."

"Want to fill me in?" Cade offered.

-00-

A few hours later the brothers were reminiscing when they heard Brody scream. Cade, closest to the door, beat his brother out of the room and to Brody's room, where the Agent was thrashing in her sleep, gripped by a nightmare.

Hurriedly moving to her side Cade sat on the bed and gently tried shaking Brody awake whilst calling to her. When her eyes finally flew open he was shocked to see the raw fear swirling in them. He immediately drew her into his chest and tried to comfort her as LaSalle looked on helplessly.

"It's over. You're safe now." Cade soothed.

Unsure what to do LaSalle backed out of the room and left Cade to look after Brody.

TBC

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up tomorrow.