How?

A laugh escapes JT's lips at Bree's admittance and he just grins, watching her face grow red. Hearing Gunner might have gone to kiss her makes him wonder if maybe his guess had been right - that these feelings weren't just one-sided. "Well... if it's meant to be, it'll come."

Letting her changes the subject, he's hit full force with a reality check. Bree's mother might be his sister, but for a long time now, he had no feelings for that family. They'd mistreated Bree as a child, causing her to go off the deep end, winding up in a mental hospital worse than Northside. It was amazing she was living now as well as she was, and JT blamed her parents for any consequences of the past.

"Alright, don't panic." JT forces himself to keep his voice calm and he reaches out to give Bree's hand a reassuring squeeze. "You're safe, remember? You're a grown woman with your own rights now. They can't bully you like they did when you were underage. Now... did your mother leave a message?"


Kip grins as he stands up and takes a deep breath. "It didn't take me long to get here, but walking, it'll take just as bit to get back, if you don't mind."

Leading the way, Kip does manage to take a few shortcuts through property owned by people he knew, shortening the walk by a little. He remains quiet most of the way. He'd divulged enough dark information to Karla, he really didn't want much more of that for a while. As for his reasoning to invite her back to the house... he had no idea. But she had a certain air about her that he liked... something that told him she was okay.

Finally getting back to the family's house, Kip leads up the long driveway and to the house. Getting to the doors, he pauses and glances at Rin. "He'll be okay inside if you keep him close to ya. Nobody should mind."

Letting Karla go in ahead of him, Kip cocks his head, listening for voices, and he finds them coming from the dining room. He didn't think much of the house anymore... the grandness of it was normal to him, so bringing Karla into the huge room didn't seem anything special to him.

Erik stands from the table. "Kip? What...?"

"Hey, guys." Kip nods to Erik, Twila, Alice and Kyle. "This is Karla and Rin. I asked her over for breakfast."

Erik blinks, trying to figure out what was going on. He didn't trust Kip's choice of friends, but he wasn't about to be rude. He forces a smile to the attractive young woman. "Hi, Karla. I'm Erik and these are our friends Twila, Kyle and Alice. We've got half a pan of breakfast casserole left yet, so please... help yourself."


Jade nods to Dan, knowing they didn't have much of a choice right now. Seeing him gone, she sniffs and wipes her eyes with the palm of her hand, trying to look halfway decent in case Mick saw her. She's surprised by a clean bandanna being offered to her. "Thanks, Sparky."

"No problem." He gives her shoulder a pat. He didn't like taking sides, but right now... he knew too much about Mick to turn a blind eye. Whether he'd admit it or not, he still had ill feelings for his brother right now, and if he could help Jade, well... he would.


"Why?" Gunner looks at Reese, a little upset to be chosen to stay here during the Texas case. Only a few from the meeting had been selected to go, as Reese had wanted to keep the team small and stealthy. But Gunner had thought for sure that he'd go.

"Gunner, don't make me explain myself." Reese sighs as he stares up from his desk. "You're staying here. I think you should be glad of it."

"Well, I'm not. Now why are you making me stay?"

"Alright, you really want to know? Because you're head's not back in the game yet. You know it, and I know it. I wish you would have taken more time off work, but since you insist on remaining in action, I'll keep your busy here."

Gunner grits his teeth and turns to the door. There was no point in continuing this conversation.

"Gunner, wait just a-" Reese stop and shakes his head as his words are met with the closing door.

Gunner wanders back to his cubicle, flopping down into his chair. Swiveling back and forth for a few minutes. He finally tries to concentrate on work, but it's hard. Not only did he have things on his mind about his past and about himself, but about Bree now too.

It's a while later and he's finally had enough of battling his own thoughts. Leaning back in his chair, he scoots towards the cubicle opening and sticks his head back to see the wall of Nate's own space. "Hey, Nate...." He waits until he hears a response, and he keeps his voice at a tone just so Nate could hear and no one else. "I remember you and Laura... worked here quite a while before... well before getting married and all that."

He feels funny talking about this. At the same time though, if he had ever had this experience as a teenager, he didn't remember it now. So whether he had or not, it was all new to him at this point. And no one could blame him for that, right? "How did you... well how did you know you were more than friends?"