Chapter 18

Brooke sat curled in a chair by the window reading a book and listening to the rhythmic sounds of Tanner sleeping. She'd slept badly. Every moment she'd had a nightmare and finally gave up. Melanie had called to check up on her and begged her to go back to the house, but she couldn't just ditch Tanner and become like everyone else in both of their lives.

Tanner awoke not long later. Stretching his arms over his head he turned and saw Brooke sitting by the window reading. "You're still here. Thought you'd have called Melanie by now."

Brooke turned her head and smiled in greeting. "It's nice to see you too," she said sarcastically before holding up her phone. "Melanie called. She's bringing me a change of clothes and some music to study. I can call and ask her to bring some of your things if you'd like?" She put her book down on the sill and made her way to his bedside, feeling as though her body was made of lead. The only good fortune in her life now was that Tanner was awake and she had Melanie and Bracken, everything else had gone wrong and continued to do so. Her hand pained her constantly and nightmares had begun to occur during the day as flashbacks. But Tanner didn't need to know. He already had enough on his plate.

"My laptop." It was the only thing he could think of other than a pair of loose fitting sweat pants. He preferred to be a bit more covered than he was at the moment.

If he didn't protest to her presence, she wouldn't bring it up and the potentially embarrassing questions regarding why she was there in the first place. "The nurse said to also give you this water to drink when you woke," Brooke said, pouring him a cup and holding it out as she pulled her phone from her back pocket to call Melanie back.

"She didn't drug it did she," he asked, eyeing the cup skeptically. The last thing he wanted was to go back to sleep.

"No, I got the water," Brooke said patting his hand. "Mr. Paranoid." She winked at him teasingly and dialed Melanie's number.

Hearing it wasn't drugged he brought it to his lips and gulped it down. "Forgive me for not wanting to waste my life sleeping while in this hell hole," he remarked, setting the cup back down.

"You'll be out as soon as it doesn't hurt to perform such a simple function as breathing," Brooke said just as Melanie picked up the phone. "Ya, do me a favor and grab some sweats and his laptop? What? No, Melanie you ass. Just go. Whatever. Bye."

Brooke rolled her eyes and hung up, pocketing the phone before pouring herself some water in a second cup.

Tanner quirked an eyebrow at her. "What was that about?"

Brooke looked pained before turning her green eyes on his face. She was not a liar and even if she was, Tanner could spot a lie a mile away. "Melanie is trying to play matchmaker…yet again," she finally said evasively, plunking into the chair by Tanner's bed and running her fingers through her curls.

Tanner chuckled. "Why would she do that? What is it this time?"

Brooke laughed nervously. "She thinks that the two work-a-holics in her life who are both fortunate enough to frequent the hospital would make an admirable pair," she replied, wrinkling her nose at him and playing idly with her cast.

He rolled his eyes. "Only Melanie. You'd think just from seeing you and me when she and I were together she'd know how unlikely that would be."

"I know, right?" Brooke agreed entirely with her face and body but her heart sank into the pit of her stomach. "She's an idealist."

Tanner nodded his agreement and laid his head back against the pillow, staring up at the ceiling. He hoped Mel would get there soon with his laptop. He couldn't sit around one more minute doing nothing. He had work to do.

Brooke watched him and then mentally laughed at herself before rising and walking to the window, staring outside. Moments later Melanie called. "I'll be right back. I just have to run out and get our things," Brooke said quietly as she headed for the door.

"Alright," he consented and watched her go.

Brooke hurried outside and Melanie stepped from Bracken's car with a bundle of items.

"Blue bag is yours. Red is Tanner's," Melanie said and stopped when she saw Brooke's face. "What's wrong?"

Brooke scowled. "You need to stop playing Yente and just get it through your head that me and Tanner is not only improbable, but impossible," she hissed and Melanie's eyes opened with shock.

"Where did this come from?" Melanie asked, hurt by Brooke's outburst.

"You know, your constant meddling. He will never like me. Ever. Every time you even say something you make my childish dreams and fantasies blow up and I'm sick of it. Keep your head in your own business," Brooke snapped and snatched the clothes from Melanie. "I'll call you later."

Melanie watched as the fiery violinist stormed away and couldn't move for a minute. Her heart pained from the attack and she swallowed hard. Turning, she walked back to the car where Bracken waited, wondering how they were going to get past this new wall.

Tanner smiled when he saw Brooke walk in with their bags. If she insisted on staying at least she'd have stuff to do.

"Hello sunshine. Is that a smile I see?" Brooke asked with a half-smile of her own as she lowered the blue bag onto her cot and brought the red one over to Tanner. Her temper was simmering down a bit although it still boiled under the surface. A bit of guilt ate at her for snapping so suddenly but she was still too angry to give it much thought.

"It could be. If I spend one more second in this damn bed with nothing to do I'll lose my mind," he responded with an all too familiar smirk.

"You sure you already haven't?" Brooke asked as she bent over her bag, sifting through her things and pulling out a folder and a laptop.

"I probably have," he agreed pulling his own laptop out.

"You don't mind if I put my headphones in?" Brooke asked, plugging in her laptop and curling up on her bed with her laptop and the open folder by her side. "Unless you want to hear my rather feeble attempts at composition."

"That's alright. I'll have to say right now I'd rather not," he told her, pulling up the case files to add in these last days events on the timeline he had set up monitoring the perp's movements.

Brooke nodded with a shrug. "Go figure," she said to herself, pulling up Sibelius, a music writing and editing program, and opening her latest piece. It was for solo violin and was her most potent composition yet. She hadn't told anyone besides Melanie that she'd taken up composition and now Tanner, but he didn't much care. Staring at the screen, she took a glance at Tanner and then back at the title, 'A Different World'. Melanie hadn't heard it and she didn't intend for anyone to hear it…especially Tanner.

Sighing, she plugged her headphones in and worked on her piece, wishing desperately that she could hold her violin and try out different figurations. She ended up playing air violin and getting very frustrated, almost to tears. Burying her face in her hands, she took a few deep breaths. No one knew what would happen to her hand yet. There was every possibility that she would be able to play once again

Tanner glanced up and noticed Brooke sitting with her face in her hands. He wondered if it had anything to do with her hand and the violin. He had given her the pep talk a thousand times about not knowing what the future held, and physical therapy but she obviously wasn't listening to him and there wasn't anything else he could say on the matter.

Brooke could feel his eyes on her and she glanced up, letting her hands drop slowly towards the keyboard and smiling slightly. "How's work coming?" she asked him, using her good hand to slide the headphones off her head and something snapped. She was done worrying about the future. In her eyes it seemed too bleak to even consider anymore. Her violin career, her stalker, her pathetic love life and her inability to treat the few friends she had well. Whatever happened, happened. The decision she made at that moment, while looking at Tanner, was evident on her face; a sense of finally only worrying about the present. The future was trivial.

He noticed it but didn't comment. "It's fine. How's composing?"

Brooke glanced down at the screen. "Well," she said finally with a satisfied nod. "Once I can play again I'll really know. But I think it might have possibility." However frustrated she was, it was more at her inability to play than the piece itself.

He smiled faintly with a nod of agreement. "Sounds good."

"And I'll play it for my audience of one who will be able to sit up without grimacing," Brooke added, rubbing her cast absently and playing through the piece in her head, already mentally noting a few changes.

He smirked. "However soon that may be." The pain wasn't bad at the moment but it could be pretty fierce if he so much as twitched in the wrong direction.

"Bones don't heal overnight, either. It'll give me time to get back into gear and you to get to the point where you don't need to pop 15 Advil every four hours," Brooke said with a nonchalant shrug, leaning over to grab her water and taking a sip.

"I hope so. By the time I get out of here I'll be weak as a baby. I'll be of no use to the lab," he remarked dryly.

'You'll get to stay home with me until you're stronger,' Brooke thought happily before realizing that by that time, the case would be over. She frowned.

"What's the frown for?" he asked.

Brooke glanced up at him from under her lashes before raising her head. She smiled sadly. "You'll never be of no use Tanner. Out of commission for a time, perhaps. But always of use," she said. "You won't be spending so much time at home once this case is over and you're well."

"Yeah well I don't have time to waste in bed. I'm pretty sure you and Melanie would like your lives back and I can't give 'em back to you if I'm just lying here 24/7. I can't afford to be out of commission."

"Normal lives are pretty tempting right now," Brooke admitted, shrugging one shoulder. "But not just for us, for you too."

His brow lifted in question. "Oh? How so?"

"You wouldn't have a little weasel lurking about your house," Brooke said with a straight face. "Demanding you to teach her things and having to listen to her play music all day. Fighting. Watching girlie movies." Her lips began to curl upwards as she listed the items.

"I could do without the girlie movies," he quipped, the hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"Worried they might be turning you soft, dearest tough CSI?" Brooke quipped, propping her chin in her hand wishing that she could bring the one thing in that could turn him to mush: his new puppy, Gypsy.

"Hardly," he scoffed.

Brooke merely laughed at him and climbed out of the bed to stretch her legs. Then she glanced at the clock and her stomach rumbled. "Oh wow. It's already three!" she exclaimed.

'And three days left,' she thought and shuddered before getting a hold of herself. 'What do you think Tanner is doing at this moment? And Bracken? That's why he couldn't hang with Mel today!'

"Wow. Time flies when you're having fun." It felt like the day was crawling by.

"Or when time is running out," Brooke muttered and her stomach rumbled again. She'd hadn't eaten in over a day. "I think I need to eat. Do you want me to get you anything? I'm going outside the hospital. Because the food here doesn't sound too hot."

He sighed with resignation. He hadn't eaten for a few days and he was starting to get a little hungry. "Sure why not," he agreed.

Brooke nodded and pulled the call button closer to him. While she was there she could get the nurse. She also put his cell phone closer. "Don't hesitate to call if you need me," she said, shouldering her purse and pouring him one more glass of water. "I'll be back soon."

"Ok." Once she was gone he waited a few moments before pushing himself slowly up to a sitting position. It hurt like hell. Pausing a moment once he was sitting up straight the pulled his sweats out of the bag and swung his legs over the side of the bed. It took great effort to pull them on and by the time they were on his forehead was drenched in sweat, his side ached and was now burning. Slowly he let himself back down till he was lying on his back again and shut his eyes to fight against the pain. The effort it took had left him exhausted and he passed out not long after.

Brooke drove to a local Publix and had two sandwiches made, bought some soda and some fruit. It was good to be out of the hospital but it also instilled a bit of worry in her that was hard to shake. She was out here alone, armed only with her purse and the skills Tanner had showed her. Her eyes constantly roamed her surroundings and she performed the check-up on her car that Tanner always did. Hurrying back, she made her way back to Tanner's room. The blond nurse was checking his vitals and checking him out.

"Good looking men like that don't come in often I take it," Brooke commented wryly.

The nurse whirled around, embarrassed to have been caught studying him.

"Just checking up on him," she said and adjusted a dial on a monitor before marking something on his chart.

"Sure," Brooke said and put down the food bags.

"You didn't get that for him did you?" the nurse demanded and Brooke looked at her with wide doe eyes.

"Now why would I do that when your food is just so appetizing?"

The nurse scowled and walked out of the room, glancing over her shoulder as Brooke settled onto her cot which had already been organized into a desk of sorts with a spot in the middle for her to sit. Opening her sandwich, Brooke finally relaxed from her excursion. She didn't realize how much hold fear had on her life now.

Tanner awoke half an hour later with a low groan. 'I'm an idiot,' he berated himself yet at the same time it felt good to actually have clothes on again; felt at least a bit civilized and normal again.

Brooke was lying on her belly with a notebook in front of her full of music which she was marking up. In her left hand was a partially eaten pear. When she heard Tanner stir, she glanced up. "Hello sleeping beauty," she greeted him. "I see you decided that you didn't agree with hospital fashion." The first thing she'd noted was his pain, but didn't want to draw more attention to it. Maybe some humor would help.

His chuckle was pained. "Ya, bare for the world isn't exactly my idea of a suiting fashion."

"The nurse sure didn't seem to mind," Brooke said, glancing down at her music with raised brows before her eyes followed suit, alight with laughter.

"Why do you think she's a nurse, huh? I say it's so she can ogle all the guys and work her charm on them so that when they get out they'll come back and ask her out on a date," he remarked dryly.

"Why didn't I think of that? I'll go put in my application right now!" Brooke said in a high, airhead-like voice.

"You know I think you need some kind of nursing license before they'll even consider you."

"You're ruining my dreams here," Brooke said sarcastically. "I want to wear a skimpy white uniform and pick up men."

"Sorry to burst your dreams here but I don't think the job's for you," he remarked with a roll of his eyes.

"Neither do I," the nurse said, walking in with his medication and smirking at Brooke.

"You wouldn't," Brooke said with a shrug and continued to munch on her pear, not wanting to fight with the blonde.

"How you feeling?" the nurse asked before noticing his sweats. "You're technically not supposed to be wearing those."

Brooke snickered.

Tanner raised a brow in challenge. "What makes you think I care?" He was in pain, he was bed ridden he wasn't in a good mood.

"Oooh," Brooke egged him on and the nurse turned on her.

"I can have you kicked out-" the nurse turned to Tanner "-and the doctor can put you on drowsy if he feels it best," the nurse said angrily, wishing she could just kick the little spitfire out. She seemed to put the man in a bad mood and he was a lot better looking and more amicable when he was in a good mood.

Tanner scowled. "Don't you have anyone else to bug?" he lashed out taking the medicine from her and gulping it down.

"Apparently the doctor," the nurse growled and took the cup from him before writing down his vitals and leaving.

Brooke slid off the bed. "I'm gonna kill her," she said furiously.

Tanner smirked. "Don't do that. I just cleared your name of murder."

The moment was so tense that Brooke couldn't even move. Instead she broke down into laughter, using the end of his bed as a crutch to hold her up.

He chuckled. "I didn't think it was THAT funny."

"It's not," she assured him as her laughter died down. It was a much needed tension reliever. "Although now I feel like a hundred pound weight was just lifted off me for some reason."

She walked weakly over to him and hopped onto the side of his bed, inspecting his I.V.

'While I feel like it just crushed me' he thought seeing as he was stuck in bed and could barely move without upsetting the wound. "Good to know," he said about her though. Least she didn't have to deal with it.

She smiled down at him and took his hand. "You'll be out of here soon," she said kindly before squeezing his hand and getting out of his space. Walking over to her things, she pulled out his sandwich and drink from where she hid it.

"I hope so," he murmured, thanking her for the sandwich and pulling back the wrapper.

"Better than that shit the nurse is going to bring you, huh?" Brooke asked, finishing her pear and tossing it in the trash. "Women's NBA here I come."

"Definitely," he agreed, polishing it off quickly and tossed the trash into the can.

They lapsed into silence, each to his or her own work when a light brushing sound caught their attention.

Tanner glanced up from his laptop. "What is that?"

"It's an envelope," Brooke said, walking to the door and bending down to pick it up.

"Wait!" Tanner called to stop her. "Don't touch it. Who is it addressed to?"

Brooke's brows furrowed and she made a face of annoyance at him before kneeling and inspecting the envelope. "It's just my name in typed black letters. Looks like courier," she said, rising slowly as the hairs on her back stood on end. "Why do I get the feeling that this is not good?"

"There are some latex gloves over by the bed in the far corner, grab them and use them to pick up the envelope and bring over a pair for me as well," he instructed her. Why would someone bother typing on an envelope if they had nothing to hide? At this point he wasn't going to take any chances.

Brooke's face turned stony as she nodded in acquiescence. She quickly retrieved the gloves and pulled one onto her left hand. The cast prevented her from covering her right. She tossed a pair onto Tanner's lap before heading back to the envelope. Her stomach was sending her warning signals in the form of nausea and pain. With her left hand she grabbed the envelope, staring with curious horror as she brought it to Tanner.

Tanner pulled on a pair of the latex gloves and pulled the tray table closer. Carefully he opened the enveloped and pulled out the contents. A neatly typed letter and a stack of photos. His brow furrowed in question and concern. Slowly he laid out the pictures one by one on the tray table, each one in turn: him and Brooke walking Gypsy around a park; Mel and Bracken kissing; Him standing in the parking lot as Brooke kissed him on the day she got the nail in her hand; Taylor leaving Tanner's house…

'Shit!'

He knew the killer had been following Brooke's whereabouts but not this closely. Opening the letter he read what it said silently so as not to further upset Brooke who looked in shock from the pictures alone.

"These are very intimate photographs," Brooke said in her low voice that was steady as ever, but her green eyes glistened with fear. "How did we not notice them being taken?" Her gaze was focused on the letter. She didn't know if she wanted to know what it said.

He held up a hand to silence her a moment while he concentrated on what was written in the letter which read:

'I know I said 3 days but that was too predictable. I liked it better when you were on your toes guessing what'll happen next. That's why I stabbed Tanner a WEEK later then planned and with him out of commission it'd be too easy for me to just get rid of you. Besides while we wait upon his recovery I can perfect the how when and where for taking care of you, Brooke. Anyway, here's a get well gift, some pictures of your life before all this....awww. Enjoy it. There wont be many memories left.'

Tanner picked up his cell phone and dialed the lab. "Jacobs, I need you to stop by the hospital to pick up some evidence. I want the paper analyzed like with the kidnapping case, find the printers trademark symbol then run a test on the printers in shops around the area. Look for prints, fibers, run the seal on the envelope for saliva…standard procedure but I wand thoroughness, I want results, same with the picture…where were they developed? Who dropped them off, fingerprints. I want answers and I want them now," Tanner said giving orders before hanging up.

Brooke sat on her cot staring down at her cast which was fraying on the edges. She picked mindlessly at the threads. This was a foreign world to her, the world of forensics. It dealt with death and that scared her; especially since it had to do with her. By the tone in Tanner's voice, the letter had been a huge step backwards for them.

It had been hours since Agent Jacobs had come to pick up the envelope and Tanner sat staring intently at the phone, anxiously awaiting any news at all about the finds. He knew the processing took time but there WAS no time.

"I can't stay here anymore," he said, yanking the IV from his arm and wincing at the sting. Using the rails he pushed his legs over the edge and forced himself to stand up.

Brooke knew arguing with him was pointless. Instead, she approached his side and untangled him from the sheets.

"I'll get your shirt," she said, walking towards the chair where his bookbag was located.

He carefully put on the navy blue button up she handed him, ignoring the pain in his side. He wore nothing beneath the silk shirt. He didn't want anything extra brushing the wound. Taking a deep breath he steeled himself against the pain and strode from the room as quickly as possible to the front desk.

"I'm checking out."

"Oh no you're not Mr. Daynes." It was the blonde nurse.

Brooke followed quickly after packing her things up and she joined him. "Just leave. I'll do it," she said. She knew how much pain he was in and that it would be better for him to be sitting, not standing and arguing.

Tanner shook his head, leaning his good hip against the counter. His pain be damned he had to get used to being on his feet again; there was work to be done.

"Watch me," he hissed from behind clenched teeth.

"Tanner," Brooke said and she glared at him. "Go to the car. I'll be there in a second. I'll do this. Don't be an idiot. Healthy is better."

"You both can stop arguing, he is not going anywhere. He can hardly stand on his own. He needs to remain here," the blonde nurse cut in.

Brooke turned slowly to face the nurse who was about six inches taller than she was. "Listen Goldilocks. We didn't ask for your 2 cents and nor do we need it. So shove your opinion up your ass and hand me the release papers," Brooke demanded, holding out her left hand. Her forest green eyes were hard as steel.

"I'm a nurse. I know what's best for him. Look at the sweat beading on his brow just standing still. He's going to pass out. It's better if we keep an eye on him a few more days. What'll you do if the wound reopens? Wait till he's lost a lot of blood like when we got to him?" the woman replied.

"I can see that," Brooke snapped. "I know better than to argue with him. I'll be watching him." At that moment a male nurse was walking by with a wheelchair. Brooke grabbed it and pointed to it. "Sit Tanner. And you, give me the papers."

"Give…the papers…to me," Tanner rasped, tired of standing and arguing.

The nurse scowled. "Fine your funeral," she said handing over the release papers to Tanner who quickly signed himself out and then dragged one foot in front of the other out the door.

"Where did you park my car?"

She had told him Bracken driven his car to the hospital, following the ambulance.

Brooke dropped her things at his heels and jogged to the car. She pulled in front of the hospital and ran around the side to open the door for him. "Don't argue. Just sit," she said, pointing inside the car.

He climbed in and sat down slowly, wincing at the intense pain; his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. "I need to go to the lab," he breathed, his eyes closed to fight against the pain.

Brooke nodded and opened the glove compartment as she navigated the hospital parking lot. "Vicadin. Take it. It's what I use for my hand. Just keep the bottle," she said, handing it to him. "For your information I also think you're being very stupid…but I appreciate it. Thank you."

"Your welcome, thank you for listening," he said downing 2 of the pills.

"I told you I would," she said, heading onto the highway and pushing 90. "Just listen to me when I tell you that you need to drink, eat, or sit down. That's all I ask." Her voice was brisk and business-like and it concealed her immense worry. His face held an unhealthy pallor and his brow was beaded with sweat.

"It depends…on how often…" he said trying to be funny, sensing her worry.

Brooke cracked a smile. "Every ten minutes of course. And then those are full-fledged meals with three courses and caterers," she replied sarcastically, falling easily into the joking spirit. She needed to or she'd explode.

"Then no, consider yourself ignored."

"Guess I'll just have to turn around and go back to the hospital," Brooke said with a heavy sigh as she exited off the highway to the street where his lab was.

"You wouldn't dare," he said opening his eyes. "You hate it there as much as I do."

"I hate that nurse." Brooke pulled into the parking lot. "If you rip your stitches, you'll have to answer to me. And you're a bigger moron than I thought you were."

He smirked. "You're implying I was a moron to begin with?"

"Well, I guess I have to give you credit for figuring that out," Brooke said, putting her finger on her chin. "Maybe then you're just an idiot. That's about two IQ points higher than a moron."

They hit a bump and he cursed. "That's messed up," he managed hoarsely. "When I'm no longer crippled I'll repay you in kind."

Brooke apologized under her breath for the speed bump and parked in Tanner's personal space before turning the engine off. "I'll be looking forward to seeing you try," she said with a smirk.

He opened the door and used it to pull himself up. "When this no longer hurts believe me I will."

"You can try," she said again and joined him, standing closely to offer her physical support should he need it. Also, for the mental support. She hated the lab and the things that went on there. She knew it was for the better, that the processes and people inside worked towards the greater good, but it still made her skin crawl.

Tanner draped an arm around her shoulders; he knew she hated this place and sought to offer quiet reassurance. He entered and Jacobs stopped in his tracks.

"I just left you at the hospital…"

Tanner smirked. "I don't stay in one place long."

Brooke leaned closer to him, staring up at Jacobs. She remembered him. He didn't like her. Keeping her silence, Brooke only put her arm around Tanner's waist, low below the wound.

Jacobs raised a brow in question at their distance, or lack thereof, between them.

Tanner noticed it and scowled. "Help me to the office," he said.

He didn't need her help he just made it look like he needed to lean on her to walk as an explanation for close proximity to one another; so she wouldn't be the victim of more rumors.

"Okay," she said, reaching up to take the hand that hung from her shoulders. "Easy now." She glared at Jacobs as she passed but her expression did not change.

Once behind closed doors he slunk down onto the couch and stretched out. "I didn't really need help…I just didn't need more crap written about you…us…in the papers."

"You don't need the help. You should get it anyway," Brooke said, taking a seat in his office chair. "But it was a good move. You took the words out of my mouth."

He watched her head fall back against the chair and her eyes closed, smirking he pushed himself up with a wince and strode silently over to her. When she opened her eyes his face was just inches from hers, his hands on the chair rests holding her captive there. In his condition she could easily slip past him and push him out of the way. "If you're talking about mental help…that's just mean."

Brooke's eyes fluttered open in surprise and she inhaled. Her heart had worked its way into her throat. "Never said I wasn't mean. But lucky for you, I was calling you gimpy," she teased with a self-satisfied smirk. She was one of the only people who would even dare call Tanner that. She made no move to push past him, but merely waited to see what he'd do. Even if she'd wanted to move, she wouldn't have been able to.

"Don't make me make good on my earlier threat. I don't need strength to make good on my previous threat to put you in your place," he said in a low voice.

"Now what threat was that? I can't quite recall. With all this trauma and such. I have such a fragile psyche. I can't be trusted to remember my name," Brooke said in a Southern accent, batting her eyelashes innocently at Tanner although her jade eyes flashed with humor.

"Then let me remind you," he said, leaning closer he pressed his lips to hers. It was going to be a quick tease. However, now he was curious. Last time she'd been shocked or disgusted; would she respond this time? Or did he scare or disgust her?

Brooke was so surprised that he'd actually kissed her rather than continue their repartee that she didn't react initially. But she could feel the warmth emanate from his kiss all through her body. The electricity she'd felt before was still there and it made her both weak and strong. Then she tilted her head to deepen the kiss. Her fingers lightly grazed his cheek of their own accord.

He pulled away after a moment and half smirked, half smiled down at her. "You can't fool me any longer. You don't hate me as much as you pretend to," he said before returning to his place on the couch, every step sending a surge of pain through him.

"Natural reaction," she said with a shrug, turning her head towards the bookshelf and scanning the titles absently.

He chuckled and then cursed. "So you'd have me believe."

Brooke smirked at him. "Stop hurting yourself," Brooke said, rising to stand over him. "Now where's your first aid kit. There's blood staining your shirt. I might as well change that bandage while I got you lying before me."

"I'm fine, it'll pass," he said through clenched teeth waiting for the pain to subside.

"Ya well, I'm more concerned for the well-being of the shirt. Red doesn't go quite well with that particular hue of blue," Brooke said sardonically, raising an eyebrow at him before searching his room. The kit was hung on the wall and she retrieved it.

Tanner sighed in surrender and unbuttoned the shirt so he could undo the bandage.

"I got it Mr. Independent," Brooke said, sitting on the couch beside him and carefully removing the gauze. It was soaked. Guilt flooded her and for a moment she sat staring at the wound before shaking herself out of it. She disposed of the bandage before cleaning the wound and wrapping it again.

He thanked her and re-buttoned the shirt. "This better pass soon, I'll go crazy if I'm out of commission too long."

"Ya well. Push it too much and you will be out of commission for a while," she said, putting the first aid kit on her lap and staring down at the cross. Falling silent, she sat pensively for a moment. "I'm sorry this happened, Tanner. This happened because of me...it shouldn't have happened to you. It should've been me." She'd been having nightmares about his attack. About the night of the murder and Lavinsky. The image of the nail in her hand was permanently ingrained in her mind and now Tanner, pale as a ghost, lying in a hospital room.

"No, it's better it was me. You wouldn't have survived it. I took responsibility for you a tiny cut isn't bad," he said making light of the situation for her sake.

"They had to give you two blood transfusions," Brooke said, rising to replace the kit. Then she leaned against the wall, rubbing her forehead with her hand. "I feel like I've been living like this my whole life. I can't remember anything before this. Before Elizabeth's death."

"Let me remind you then. Star violinist for the New York Philharmonic; Melanie's best friend; hated me with a passion; cold and quiet except when playing music" he said simply his eyes still closed.

"The ice queen of the foster care system and boarding school," Brooke added. "You forgot those." She sat back down in his chair. "Unapproachable and unwantable except by this psycho killer who thinks its fun to tease me. Play with me like a cat does with a string. Or a mouse."

Tanner nodded. That's just what the killer was doing, taunting and withdrawing, playing cat and mouse; in which case they were the mice. "I thought you said you didn't remember anything before Elizabeth," he said instead to get her mind off it.

"Well, nothing good...not like there was much," Brooke said with a dry laugh. "What did I do to anybody to get this kind of treatment? Is anyone baby enough not to take a sarcastic comment?"

"Apparently a lot of people," Tanner replied with a shrug. "But hey forget about it."

A knock on the door.

"Come in," Tanner called to see Jacobs entering.

"I brought you the results on the papers. The envelope can be bought at any Office max, depot or printing shop. There was no epithelial cells or saliva on the seal. It was done with either a sponge or perhaps running water over a latex glove and then smoothing it across the seal. It wasn't licked. The printing trademark on the paper was one from a Kinko's down town off of Fourth and Cherry.

"I'm going down with Bracken to interview the staff show some pictures of suspects see if they recognize any who came in within the last two days, and the pictures…from a one hour photo shop located next to the Kinko's so we're stopping by to interview that staff as well," he informed Tanner, handing him a file with all that information in it. "Sanders says get your ass home. He doesn't want to see or hear you till you're better." Jacobs threw in with a smirk before turning from the room.

"Is there anything you can do while they're down there?" Brooke asked Tanner, feeling an inkling of worry for Bracken. She'd brought him into this too. And through him, Melanie. She never forgot the car accident. If she could take Tanner home, she would.

Tanner cursed and scowled, rising quickly, and as quickly as possible he strode through the room ignoring the pain and burst into Sander's office. "This is MY case! I need to be the one going down there to interview the witnesses!" he growled.

Sanders glared. "Get your ass in your car and home agent! You already almost got yourself killed!"

"But I'm on my feet I can work! This is my case I know what's important, what to ask."

Sanders rose. "I don't give a damn you've jeopardized your own life and potentially the victims and now you're showing stupidity in this! You're getting to close to this case Tanner, and too close to the victim! I'm taking you off the case! And I'll have Brooke removed from your care and taken to a safe house by the end of the week."

Brooke had followed him and at hearting that last statement she cried, "No!" She ran into the room. "You have no right! That is the ONLY place I haven't been harassed. You can't! Tanner's the ONLY one who's made ANY kind of progress!"

"Mind your own business! Our agents are not allowed to get involved with our clients, those we protect. He's getting too close. You WILL be removed to a safe house within the week and the case will be turned over to Jacobs, end of discussion," Sanders said firmly.

"Is it the picture with the kiss? Does that worry you?" Brooke demanded, approaching the desk and leaning close to Sanders. "That was MY doing. It was a dare. I never back down on dares. You gonna punish him because of that? You gonna punish me? I will die within a day if you put me anywhere else!"

"I'd forgotten about that one. Thanks for reminding me. You two are getting too emotionally involved. His judgment could become compromised, biased for you. He's off. Now leave my office or I'll have you taken to that safe house tonight," Sanders growled.

Brooke rounded the desk and slapped him smartly across the cheek. "I never liked you. This is MY life. I will go where I choose. Fuck you. Fuck the safe house," she said scathingly before turning on her heel and storming out of the room.

"You already almost got Dayne's killed! You forego the safe house and get yourself killed he'll have almost died in vain!" Sanders yelled after her.

That stopped Brooke in her tracks. She turned slowly and leaned against the doorjamb. "You don't sound too rational yourself," she said in a low voice. "Too...emotionally involved are we?" Her tone was taunting and her lip curled with disgust.

"No, I'm his boss. I lose him I lose the top agent in the nation. And I don't want it to be because some bitter woman can't obey orders and keep her mouth closed."

Tanner scowled. "Enough!" he said loudly to silence them. "You're making a mistake! There is nothing between us. I was doing my job, keeping her safe and locating a killer."

"Well it's no longer your job. Friday have her things packed and ready to go to the safe house. You're dismissed, some of us still have work to do."

Tanner cursed and strode from the room slamming the door behind him and into his office, he removed the pictures and all the files for the case and through them into a briefcase before storming from the office and out to the car, ignoring the searing pain in his side.

"You're an asshole," Brooke said, her voice dead. She followed Tanner slowly, her back straight and her eyes focused straight ahead. She climbed into the driver's seat of the car without a word. With a violent twist, she started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

……………

Putting down the binoculars was difficult for the gloved fingers were clutching them in a death grip.

"That moron!"

A flame glowed for a moment as it ignited the end of a cigarette and the figure inhaled deeply. Then the dead match fell to the ground and the shadow slithered from the trees and into an unremarkable vehicle. Tossing the earphones to the wiretap on the passenger seat, the car was slipped into reverse.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."

The wind whistled past the tinted windows as the car gained speed.

"This is no fun. This is not what she deserves. Jacobs is worthless. Not a worthy opponent. No, only the best torture for my pet."

A sinister grin curled the lips beneath the mask.

……………

Melanie hung up the phone and sunk shakily into the armchair. "Could things get any worse?" she whispered, putting her face in her hands. Her leg was aching from the strengthening exercises she'd just performed moments before.

A key turned in the door and Bracken entered in time t hear her last words. He had just gotten back from interviewing the Kinko's and one hour photo employees with Jacobs but no one recognized any of the suspects and no one from the night shift had been working. "What happened Mel?" he asked, sinking into the chair beside her with a relaxed sigh.

"Tanner got kicked off the case. Brooke is being thrown in a safe house," Melanie said and shrugged hopelessly. "This is insane, Brack!"

Bracken sighed heavily. "I'd heard. I didn't think Sanders was crazy enough to go through with it though. Tanner signed himself out of the hospital to get back to work he's in pain and pissed. Not a good combination."

"Not at all. He will work himself to death and his condition..." Melanie rose and began to pace. "I feel like we should do something. Is Brooke really safe in a safe house? I mean Jacobs doesn't sound like he likes her and I KNOW she told me she's had a few run throughs with Sanders."

Bracken grabbed her hand and gently pulled her down onto the seat beside him. "I know, none of us are happy about it except for Jacobs, it's the case he's been waiting for…I'll talk to Sander's and see what I can do…until then…"

"We sit and wait and watch them suffer." Melanie glanced down. "Tanner was already miserable when I broke up with him and now this pain. And Brooke...her life has been a tragedy. To top it off I think she's falling for Tanner..."

Bracken raised a brow. "You've got to be kidding! She hated him, only stayed with him so that you wouldn't have to. She's been acting strangely around him but…are you sure?"

Melanie smiled sardonically at him. "I'm obsessed with love. Dreaming of being in true love. I thought I had it with Tanner. I look for it in people everywhere. I know when I see love," she said with a shake of her head. "He gets her like no one does. I think he got under her skin, someone who truly sees past the thorns."

"We all know he gets under her skin. They're cats and dogs…what makes you think love?" he asked.

Melanie glanced up at him. "Her eyes. They're almost always icy. With him...its like they shine or something...I know it sounds cheesy. But she laughs with him, Bracken. Really laughs. I've never even heard that before." She put her hand on his chest, leaning in. "She's...happy when she's around him."

"Hrm…how would she react then if she were taken away to a safe house? If what you say is true?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know. I don't think she'd go quietly. She never does anything she doesn't want to do." Melanie rested her head against his shoulder. "I think besides him watching her, she can watch him. He's been stabbed. Did you see how freaked out she was? She would hardly leave his side."

"I noticed…what a tangled web we weave," he said wryly, running a hand back through his hair.

"No kidding. I'm still...shocked that I like you as much as I do so soon after everything," she said softly, reaching out to grab his hand. "Like I was just...waiting for you or something." She laughed airily. "I'm such a dreamer, huh?"

He smiled softly and brought a hand up to gently push her blonde hair back from her face. "Maybe, I wasn't enough of one. I had to fight myself every time I was with you that you were out of reach."

"I still can't believe that. Brooke tried to tell me once. I never even knew. I always thought you called me "Beautiful" because you were being nice," she said, leaning into his hand with a smile.

He shook his head. "No, I made it seem that way. You really ARE beautiful Mel."

She smiled slowly and felt her heart flutter. It had been so long since she'd felt so cherished. "Thank you," she whispered reaching up to caress his cheek with her hand.

"You're welcome," he said softly, leaning in to kiss her gently.

Melanie enjoyed the soft touch of his lips and how his kiss warmed her to the core. Her hand caressed his cheek and a moment later she deepened the kiss. Her other arm wrapped around his neck and she shivered at the feel of his muscles, the strength he used to protect her.

Bracken smiled against her lips. Tanner had been right. He had dreamed about this several times but it had never been this good.

Melanie felt his smiled and pulled away momentarily, running her fingers through his hair. "This is so...strangely perfect," she whispered, using the fingers of one hand to trace his lower lip before kissing it.

He nodded. "Yeah it is."

She slid off his lap and lay on the sofa, pulling him on top of her. Then she cradled his face in her hands. "Be safe. I don't want what happened to Tanner to happen to you," she whispered before reaching up to kiss him passionately.

"I just ask the questions, he puts himself in dangers way daily but he's off the case now," he explained before giving in to the passionate kiss she'd initiated, wondering again how Tanner had let her walk away so easily.

"Good," she muttered, wrapping her arms around his neck. Soon her breath came in short gasps and she had to pull away. "I said once that you would make some woman very happy...I'm glad its me."

Bracken sifted his fingers through her hair. "Me too."

Melanie leaned up to press kisses to both of his eyes and his nose. "After this is over you can come to a concert to see your girlfriend play," she said, loving the fact that he was even there spending time with her at all.

"I enjoy watching you play, I was just hardly invited," he teased.

"Well, you're invited now," she said with a smirk. "So no excuses."

He chuckled. "None will be made."

"God you're good," Melanie said. "How are you always here for me and able to do such a great job at work? Brooke says you're a fantastic detective."

"My job isn't as long or demanding as Tanner's and even when it is I know when to alter my focus, work from home or take time out for more important things," he replied.

"Maybe he and Brooke can teach each other. But you...ha, I'm never going to stop saying this. Ever since this all happened. You're always there. Always."

"And I'll always try to be," he said gently.

She licked her lips. "Me too," she agreed before kissing him again.

……………

Brooke flexed her fingers and winced. The cast wouldn't come off for another few weeks and she could feel her brain screaming for musical release. But that wasn't the worst worry on her mind although it would've been before this all happened.

Gypsy whined and Brooke scratched behind her ears. "I don't want to go either. I don't know how I'm going to get out of this, but I will. I'll run away if I have to."

Tanner limped into the room. "Run away where? What's on your mind Brooke?" se asked. His side was healing albeit slowly but much better than hen he'd left the hospital a few days ago.

Brooke patted the place on the bed beside her. "Here, lay down." She'd found solace in the quiet of the guest room lately. "I was telling the baby how I didn't want to go. I figured I do what any orphan would do and run away if they put me in a safe house. Seeing as I am an orphan."

Gypsy ran over to Tanner and jumped up so her paws rested on his legs, looking eagerly and adoringly up at him. He smiled and rubbed the pup's ears before lifting her and putting her on the bed and sitting down himself.

"I would've thought you'd be glad to be free of me," he said to Brooke, teasing.

"I would, but your body is such an effective shield. I stand behind you and no one knows I'm even there," she said with a sweet smile.

He chuckled. "Maybe. But at the safe house no one will know you're there either," he was trying to lighten her mood though he didn't necessarily want her to go either.

"It's because they're secretly planning to lock me underground," Brooke said with a shake of her head. "Those animals. But honestly, why don't I get any say in this?"

Tanner scooted to face her and brushed her hair back behind her ear. "It's for your safety Brooke."

Brooke swallowed hard both because of fear and because of his proximity. "Tanner, I'm scared. Sanders doesn't really care about me. He just wants the case solved. I'm…just another pawn on the chessboard. You…you…"

"I what?" he asked gently.

"You do care. I hope. I mean, you wouldn't try this hard if you didn't, right?" she said, scared of his answer but hiding it well.

He shook his head, the hand in her hair coming to rest on her cheek. "No, I don't care at all," he said quietly, leaning closer with each word till his lips touched hers gently. He brushed his lips over hers before glancing up to make sure she was okay with it.

She didn't see it because her eyes had closed, but her hand automatically laid against his chest as she leaned into his kiss.

Seeing she didn't argue he slanted his mouth over hers deepening the kiss, the hand on her cheek holding her to him. He didn't realize at first that it was the first time he kissed her that wasn't based on a bet or a threat.

Brooke's heart fluttered in her chest and she felt like she was lighter than air. Her hand slipped from his chest and up into his hair as the arm with the cast wrapped around his neck. She didn't know that her kiss was all affection for him. It wasn't demanding, or passionate, but just accepting and loving.

He kissed her a moment longer and then pulled his head back a bit. "Just say I was collecting on a past bet," he teased in a voice just above a whisper.

She smiled back at him, her green eyes full of laughter. "Alright. I always pay my dues," she agreed, caressing his cheek with her thumb, feeling the light stubble there. He'd been up fairly late working but she never bugged him about it because he'd been letting her help him take care of his health.

He chuckled as Gypsy stuck her nose between them begging for attention and scoot back from Brooke to pet her.

Brooke's laughter sounded in chorus. "You crazy pup," she said, rubbing Gypsy's belly while glancing sidelong at Tanner and shaking her head.

"What? Why are you shaking your head at me?" he asked noticing her look.

"You never cease to surprise me Tanner." She shot him an off-center smile. "Just when I think I've got you figured out."

"No one can figure me out" he said with a teasing wink before rising. "'"I'll go start dinner unless you want to eat out."

"Let's go eat at that restaurant on the water so Gypsy can come too," she said. "She seems a bit attached to her daddy."

"Alright, let's go then," he said lifting Gypsy and exiting the room to grab her leash and his wallet and keys.

Brooke pulled on her coat and grabbed her purse, checking to make sure the bracelet he'd given her was still secure on her wrist. Then she shut off the lights and locked up as he started the car. Her stride was steady and confident although her face spoke of happiness and excitement.

Tanner already had Gypsy on her leash and was waiting in the car for her.

Brooke locked the door and straightened the halter top she was wearing, one that Tanner had helped her choose. Then she jogged down the steps and got into the car, pulling Gypsy onto her lap. "Ready."

He glanced over at her and nodded. "See black isn't ALL you look good in," he quipped backing out of the driveway.

Brooke blushed but kept her cool. "I'm glad you figured that out," she teased, glancing at him with half a smile.

He smirked. "I've always known. If I remember correctly, it was I who had to tell YOU this."

"It was more of a suggestion really," Brooke countered and giggled as the puppy licked her chin and nosed the window, wanting to stick her head out.

Tanner rolled the window down a bit so the cool air could hit the puppy's face. "Well considering I was the one who bought them it was more than a suggestion," Tanner said pointedly, turning off the exit leading to the harbor.

"You insisted, remember?" Brooke glanced up and gasped. "Wow." The sun was setting as they neared the shore. It'd been years since she'd been on the beach at sunset. As an artist, even of the musical sort, she was sensitive to beauty in all its forms. "I wish I could paint…or Melanie was here to capture this." It was an unusual show of sappy emotion on her part.

He chuckled. "Yeah, the beach at sunset was always my safe haven," he said with a quiet reverence for this place, pulling into a parking spot he helped her out and took the puppy from her. "So how hungry are you?" he asked setting Gypsy down on the sand.

Brooke shrugged. "Pretty hungry I guess, after my work out. I'm still not getting that move," she said, watching Gypsy explore the sand, sniffing at it and then sneezing. "Don't snort the sand, girl."

"Alright we can go to the little outdoor café and tie her up within sight a little away from the tables," he offered leading her over there.

"Okay," she agreed, walking slowly to enjoy the sunset. The wind blew her curls around her face and they tickled her cheeks.

"Table for two?" the host asked, smiling pleasantly at Brooke. She glanced up at him.

"Yes, please," she replied absently, not realizing that his interest was not purely professional.

Tanner's trained senses picked up an added glint in the man's eyes as he leered at Brooke and draped an arm around her waist as a warning for the other man to back off.

Brooke glanced up at Tanner with surprise. He'd never done it in public before unless it was for her safety. With a smile, she leaned into him and looked at the host who was no longer smiling. Hers faded. What had happened?

"Maybe it's a good thing you're leaving," he said one seated. "We're not the only ones who think you look good in color."

"What?" Brooke asked with a laugh as she tied the puppy to a railing and watched as Gypsy tried to smell the other customers passing by. Most bent down to pet her.

"You're so naïve," he said simply and turned to his menu. He didn't want to rile her up or give her a sense of false alarm.

"You sure are free with the name-calling," Brooke said wryly, picking up her own. Then her stomach growled. "Shut up."

He chuckled and waved the waiter over so they could lace their orders.

"I'll have a grilled salmon with a Perrier," Brooke said, handing him her menu.

"Good choice. One of my favorites. And for you sir?"

"Rib-eye medium rare and a Pepsi," he ordered handing the waiter their menus.

"Coming right up," he said, taking the menus and then he left.

"Everyone's so nice here. It's kind of creepy. People in the city are never this nice. But I guess that's why you live outside it, eh?" Brooke said, smiling as Gypsy put her paws on Tanner's thigh. "Man, she loves you and adores you and worships you."

"That's cause the city is fast pace and full of creeps," Tanner said taking a chip out of the basket and feeding one to Gypsy while ruffling between her ears.

"There's still something I love about it, though. Maybe because it's the first place I didn't have people telling me what to do, or where to go, or who to love," Brooke said. "Although boarding school was gorgeous."

Tanner nodded. "I could never live anywhere but the city."

"That's the thing with NYC. You either love it or hate it." Brooke looked out over the ocean. "It's still setting." She wished everything was this beautiful. Or that people in France let her enjoy her boarding school experience; or that the foster care system let her remain with one family long enough to make some ties or have someone actually love her. There is beauty in love.

"Yeah it is, I love this place. I'm a fast paced guy, loves letting the city take him along for the ride but it's always refreshing to come and bask in silence and the still calmness this place offers."

Brooke smiled at him. "Can I ask you a question? It's the kind you definitely don't have to answer if you don't want to."

He nodded. "Do you even have to ask? You know everything else I normally don't talk about, so I'm sure I'll answer." She already knew his darkest secret.

She smiled appreciatively at him. "When I told Melanie I still loved my mother despite everything, she thought I was crazy. I hate her too…but…anyway, I wanted to know if you felt the same about yours. I've been thinking about mine a lot lately."

"I've blocked just about any memory I ever had with them. They have always hated me especially after my brother's death. I don't think about them enough to hate them," he answered honestly.

Brooke nodded. "I understand. I guess it's because she's the only real family I've ever had. My foster families never cared. My house mother at boarding school hated me because I was poor." She stopped to laugh. "I don't even know why I'm rationalizing this. I should hate her. Hate her for leaving me and all I can think about is that she gave birth to me."

"My dad may have fathered me but he was never a father TO me…I'm just a hardass though so what do I know," Tanner said finishing his meal.

"No, Tanner. You're not. You're just realistic," Brooke said, reaching out to take his hand. "And you're right. I'm going to make myself get over this. It's for the best that she gave me up. I can't even imagine what life with her would've been like."

Tanner shrugged. "Much worse," he said remembering their brief encounter when he went to interview her.

She withdrew her hand and finished up her meal. She was a slow eater and never ate very much. "How is your side? I haven't seen you favoring it too much today."

"Eh, it's getting better. Enough to be ignored anyways," he said paying for the meal and then untying Gypsy.

"What a baby," she teased, slipping her arm through his and smiling at the waiter as he passed.

"You're mean," he stated matter of factly before noticing the plastic rainbow bracelet she wore. "That reminds me." He handed her Gypsy and commanded her to stay there a second before going to his car. Opening the glove compartment he pulled out a box before making his way back over to her. "We need to replace that…consider it a going away present," he said handing the box to her and taking Gypsy back.

"Tanner?" Brooke asked curiously. "What is this all about?"

He chuckled. "It's not a ring," he teased. "It's just an upgrade. A going away present."

Brooke smirked. "I never expected a ring. Trust me," she said and began to open the box, but glanced up at him instead. "You didn't have to do this." Her voice was soft. "I give nothing to you."

He shrugged. "Material doesn't matter. Just tell me what you think."

Brooke opened it slowly and removed the tissue paper. "Oh my God." Her jaw dropped and she pulled it out. "Tanner! It's…breathtaking." It was a white gold diamond studded bracelet.

He smiled at her approval. "You can get rid of that cheap thing," he said running his index finger over the plastic rainbow colored bracelet.

Brooke smiled up at him and removed the rainbow bracelet, slipping it into her pocket. She knew what she'd do with it. "Put it on?" she asked him, holding out her left wrist, the one not swollen to the size of a tree limb by a cast.

He clipped it around her wrist and then glanced down at her. "Like it?"

Brooke shook her head. "No."

He smirked. "Fine, then I'll return it."

She returned the smirk and stepped closer to him, laying a hand on his shoulder for support as she stood on tiptoe. Then she whispered into his ear, "I love it."

He nodded and stepped back, heading down the beach at Gypsy's insistent tugging on the leash. "I thought you might."

"What made you think of this?" she asked him, shaking her head in partial confusion. He'd rarely done such things for Melanie except on the appropriate occasions because he was very organized and everything was purposeful.

He just shrugged. "Was in the mall….I told you going away present."

"Thank you," she said softly, glancing out at the now dark horizon. "Do you know where I'm going yet?"

He shook his head. "Sanders won't tell me anything."

"Oh," Brooke said and then shrugged. "If I don't like it, I'm not staying."

"Please don't do anything rash. You won't be at the place long. Just tolerate it for my sake so they can put this case to bed without worrying about you too," he said asking gently that she not make any brash decisions.

"They don't care about me," Brooke said with disgust in her voice. "But alright. I will. Can't say I'll be happy about it though."

"You don't have to be happy. Just adapt for the time being," he said.

"I've been adapting my whole life. I can do it for a couple weeks," she agreed. She didn't really care about being at the safe house. She cared about being along at night. Tanner knew how to make her feel safe, how to dispel her dreams when she saw Lavinsky leering or Elizabeth's body in her mind's eye. She resolved to practice and work out extra hard to hack it on her own. "I can hack it on my own."

"That's where you and I are the same," he said heading back to the car.

"One of the few similarities that Melanie never failed to point out," Brooke said with a wry smile.

Tanner climbed into the car setting the pup in the back and smirked. "Yeah let's not go into Melanie."

"That's one issue I will not step into. Actually, I don't do other people's business," Brooke said with a smirk. "That's between you and her and God. I got enough shit to deal with."

Tanner chuckled. "Good idea."

"I thought so," Brooke said, scratching the puppy's head. Before she could speak again, Tanner's cell phone rang.

"Daynes here," he answered.

Brooke cocked her head to the side curiously. Who could be calling at this hour?

"Daynes I need you down at the station as soon as possible," Sanders said on the other line. "Why? I'm off the case, remember? Plus I have Brooke in the car with me."

"This concerns both issues so hurry down," Sanders ordered then hung up.

Tanner made a U-turn and headed towards the lab.

"What the hell is going on? Why aren't we going home?" Brooke demanded.

"Sanders just called, apparently new evidence turned up that concerns us immediately. It's my agent curiosity driving me to see what could possibly have come up so that he would bring me back after terminating me from the case just a few days ago," he explained.

"Hmm," Brooke said as fear struck her heart. "Then we must go and see." But she didn't want to. Not at all.

"Don't sound so enthused," he teased to lighten her up as he pulled into the Agency lot. He strode from the car his stride showing confidence and purpose.

"What is this you brought us here to see so urgently," he asked Sanders. Sanders said nothing, merely handed Tanner a piece of paper that was in a protective plastic sheet to prevent prints on the paper itself.

Brooke stood in the door and stared at Tanner's hands. That could not be good. It was another sign that someone wanted her dead.

Tanner read it aloud, his way of bringing her in on the case as it was her life at stake and dealt with her as well.

My Dear Mr. Sanders.

It was with great dismay that I learned of Tanner Daynes termination from this case. Jacob's is not a worthy enough opponent. And a safe house is NOT the best place for my little victim. So here's the deal. I want Daynes back on and not only that, in charge of my case and I want Brooke remaining with him. Unlike your Jacobs, that one has a brain on his shoulder and a connection with the victim to where he puts even himself in harm's way for her. It makes the game so much more interesting and fun. We think alike he and I, Jacobs would bore me and then I'd just have to quickly kill the victim since the fun was lost. So hear this, if Daynes is not back on the case in three days before Jacobs has even a breath to utter a single command I WILL have Brooke killed. Heed my warning.

Brooke's face paled and her good hand gripped the doorframe. Her eyes were glued on Sanders. 'A connection with the victim to where he puts even himself in harm's way for her,' she repeated in her mind, feeling her stomach churned. She couldn't have Tanner getting hurt anymore.

"So…the point of this was?" Tanner asked, tossing the paper back on Sanders' desk and then leaning his hip against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest.

Sanders sighed heavily. "I' don't usually give in to a perp's demands but this S.O.B is crazy enough to do what is written. Do you want the case back Daynes? Or do we escort our Vic here to some safe house in some other country or state?"

"I'm here you know. You could ask me too," Brooke chimed in, walking to stand beside Tanner. "It's my life you're talking about here."

Sanders ignored her. "Daynes? Your answer?" Tanner looked at Brooke, "What do you want to do? You heard the threat, do you want to risk staying with me or be moved far from this scene for awhile?"

"I like the longer time to live. I stay with you," she said and turned her icy gaze on Sanders.

"She stays with me then," Tanner said to Sanders who sighed heavily and nodded.

"I'll inform the others that this case is back under your jurisdiction. Tread carefully though Daynes. Mess this case up and I'll have your ass on a silver platter."

"Because if he does it'll make your ass look back," Brooke sneered. If it was up to Sanders, she'd be dead. She had no idea why Melanie had liked the man.

Tanner smirked. "I've never failed yet. Have the paper sent to the lab to be tested for prints, epithelial cells and have the handwriting specialist match it against the other notes," he ordered before ushering Brooke from the room.

They hadn't heard from the killer for a bit so this came as quite a shock for her. Her silence was the only indicator because her chin was held high, her arms straight at her sides and her focus straight ahead.

Tanner stopped her once they were outside the lab. "Hey, what's bothering you?" he asked, resting a hand on her shoulder.

Brooke didn't look him in the eye. "We don't hear from this person for a while and then…he talks about my life as though it means nothing…about yours. What have I gotten you into? Myself?" she questioned, staring at the ground

He took her chin gently between his thumb and forefinger and tilted her head up to look him in the eye. "Hey I'm not worried about me. I'm back on the case leading it again and you're not being removed to who knows where. I can keep an eye on you. This is an elaborate game of cat and mouse. I'm learning the perp's movements…I won't be dragged along on a wild goose chase. Believe me Brooke, I won't let anything happen to you," he promised.

Brooke's lips pressed into a thin line. She licked her lips and he could see the lower lip trembling from an effort not to break down. "I know," she whispered. "I just…"

'…don't want anything to happen to you,' she finished in her mind although everything was overwhelming.

"Hey, I've kept you safe so far right?" he asked running his thumb in a circular caress against her cheek. "Trust me, alright? I'll get you through this."

Brooke nodded and leaned into his caress, closing her eyes. One treacherous tear slipped haltingly down her cheek. "We'll get through this," she said quietly.

Tanner stepped back, and went around the car to the passenger seat not used to showing emotion, ESPECIALLY not towards Brooke. "We'll get this guy behind bars and then you'll be free to move about this city again."

Brooke swallowed hard. "That will be a relief," she said, playing with her cast. "I will be glad to be rid of Sanders and the lab…no offense." The grim work that it did still gave her chills.

He shrugged. "None taken. You won't even have to see me and the memories I'll bring." Since he'd known her they'd been 'enemies' always at each others throat then he was her lifeline; her only hope during the most terrifying time of her life. He'd be a memory best left forgotten.

"You'd only bring bad memories if I saw you at the lab. I will never go there again. But you, I think I could stomach you elsewhere," she said with a smirk.

"Liar," he said pulling out of the lab. "If I were you I'd put me from your mind and move on, focusing on rebuilding your life, not an asshole who you only knew during tragedy."

"Stop presuming to know my thoughts," Brooke said in her usual fashion, defiant to a fault. "If I want you there while I rebuild my life, who are you to question that?" Her eyes flashed.

He smirked. "Careful Brooke, one might think you actually cared," he teased. He still enjoyed riling her up, nothing had changed.

"Well at least I know it won't be you," Brooke shot back with a smirk of her own. "Because we all know how feeble your powers of thought are."

"Then how come I'm the one this person wants? That I'm the only 'Worthy' opponent?" he asked with a proud smirk making light of the situation.

Brooke raised an eyebrow sardonically. "You forget we're talker about a psycho stalker killer who chose a small, weak, violinist as a target. I do not presume to think that he has any semblance of a brain. How am I to know what strange chance made him choose you?" she said evenly although the corners of her lips quirked upwards in a hint of a smile.

"Because I'm the best," he said cockily pulling into his driveway.

"Keep telling yourself that. It might help swell your tiny ego to the proper size," Brooke said, climbing out of the car and trying to hold the eager puppy back. She'd had to wait outside, tied up to a bike rack. As soon as the door was open, Brooke unclipped her and she dashed inside.

Tanner knelt on the floor and Gypsy ran into the house and straight to him, jumping up and putting her paws on his shoulders. He laughed and ruffled her fur affectionately.

Brooke laughed. "Looks like you're feeling better. You didn't even wince when you knelt!" she said with excitement. "See that girl? You're good for him." She kissed the top of the dog's head and ruffled her fur.

Gypsy tried to lap at his face but he pulled away. "Nice try girl, much as I love you I don't appreciate slobber." He glanced up pointedly at Brooke. "Remember that…about the slobber," he teased.

Brooke blushed beat red and rose. "I, um, don't like be compared to a dog thank you very much," she said, facing away from him as she fixed a picture frame on the wall.

"Look at that Gypsy, there's no smart comeback," he said rising after giving her one final pat.

"I don't slobber," Brooke said, whirling around to face him, her cheeks flushed prettily and her green eyes glittering with emotion. A few curls had escaped her bun and caressed her face.

He chuckled and backed her against the wall. His palms pressed against the wall trapping her between it and him effectively. "I was teasing Brooke." He was in a good mood because he'd gotten the case back and was strangely relieved she wasn't taken from his protection.

Brooke's mouth was slightly agape with shock. "Well you know, since we 'hate' each other, I couldn't be to sure," she said as her arms came up to rest on his shoulders of their own accord. Her fingers caressed his ears and played with his hair. "Who knows what's going on in here."

He smirked lowering his head till he could feel her breath. "Yes there is that factor," he said, the smile evident in his voice which was soft, and just above a whisper.

Brooke stared into his eyes and a small smile grew. Her good thumb traced small patterns on his jaw line. "Oh just screw it all," she declared suddenly and pulled him down so she could kiss him. It was passionate and full of all the 'hate' she could muster.

He backed till her back touched the wall, one hand remained on the wall to trap her, though he knew she wasn't going to go anywhere, while the other trailed through her hair and rested on the nape of her neck, drawing her closer to him so he could deepen and take 'control' of the kiss.

Brooke could feel herself surrender to him and a small noise of contentment sounded at the back of her throat. Her fingers ran through his hair and down his neck teasingly. Her body jumped alive at his touch, his attention. Not even the violin made her feel this passionate and it was her first love.

He felt her response and his arms snaked around her waist, pulling her tightly into his arms, pressed against him, away from the wall, enveloped my him. His mouth slanted over hers; he was even unaware of his actions for the moment the irony lost on him.

Brooke looped her arms around his neck and felt so safe in his arms that she knew she was glowing. She fit right into his large, warm embrace. His kiss wasn't insistent or demanding or needy. It was giving, intense, and loving. Pulling away briefly, she pulled him to the sofa, pushing him down. Then she straddled his waist and bent to kiss him again, her hair framing both of their faces. Her lips trailed against his jaw and down his neck before meeting his once again.

He let her move him and push him back onto the couch, shifting when he knee pressed against his wounded side. It was a subtle movement so she wouldn't worry and brought his hands up to rest on her petite waist.

Moments later she pulled away and smirked. He might take it the wrong way but she pulled his shirt up and off, exposing his bruised flesh. Tracing it gently, her lips curved downwards into a frown. Then she backed up a little and bent over his chest, glancing up at him before kissing the edge of his bruise.

The muscles in his stomach clenched tightly and he let out a harsh breath. Sitting up he shook his head and pulled her back up to him for another soft kiss before pulling back.

She smiled and kissed him once more before shifting so she could lay her head against his shoulder and kissing it. Her good arm remained around his neck, caressing his cheek, ear and hair.

His arm draped around her shoulder and ran soothingly down her side. He inwardly frowned, wondering if it was such a good idea to have her stay with him after all.

Tipping her head up, she kissed under his chin and then settled back down, shutting her eyes. Reaching down, she laced her fingers into his free hand and held it to her chest, resting her chin against it.

Tanner leaned his head back against the pillow behind his back and closed his eyes, letting himself relax and 'enjoy' another's presence.

Gypsy seemed to know it was a quiet moment because she lay down at the foot of the couch and made not a sound.

Brooke listened to the steady, almost metronomic, beating of his heart and smiled. His kindness towards her was jsut the type she needed: unobtrusive and subtle. He knew how she thought and what she needed. "I'm sorry about your side," she said, tracing just outside the bruise, his flesh soft and warm. "Whenever I do anything, I go all out." With that said, she giggled.

He smirked down at her. "I noticed," he said. "Don't worry about it, it's almost healed."

She bent and kissed the skin just outside it. "I know," she said and settled back. "It's been an insane day." Her voice was laced with fatigue and she brought up her hand to stifle a yawn before she returned to running her fingers through his hair.

He yawned and rested his head back against the cushions. "I know what you mean. Not a bad day however." He was more than pleased he'd gotten case jurisdiction again.

"No. Not a bad day," she agreed with a smile, burying her face in his neck. He smelled masculine and delicious. Her lips lightly, but innocently, caressed the flesh of his neck as she whispered. "It ended well. I'm with you." She meant for the case, but subconsciously…

He only took it to mean the former, half asleep he missed the double entendre. "Yeah now you can quit whining about running away and causing more trouble for the lab," he quipped dryly.

"I don't whine," she said, sitting up slightly, tracing her finger along his forehead. Leaning down, she brushed her lips across his brow. "Now go to sleep you idiot."

The corner of his lips tilted up in wry humor, a hand coming up to brush through her hair and rest on her cheek. "I would if you shut…up."

Brooke smirked. "I'll shut you up," she whispered, kissing him sensually before settling down. "Night."

He rose and cradled her in his arms against his bare chest. He took her into her room and deposited her into her bed. "You sleep on that couch with me and two things will happen A) you beat yourself up in the morning and B) you're sore as hell from cramped space against a hard ass like me," he said. He knew her too well.

"Actually, hard chest. Don't know about your ass," she teased him, pulling him down beside her and reaching up to touch his cheek hesitantly. "Stay. Please." Her eyes were shining and earnest. She didn't care right now.

He was too tired to argue so he nodded and crawled onto the bed beside her; lying on his stomach and wrapping his arm around a pillow, holding her to him.

Brooke settled on her back, enjoying his presence. Moments later she was asleep. Not a nightmare assaulted her. Not a fear plagued her. For the first time since the murder she slept…with peace.

……………

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