A/N:OMG I UPDATED!!! I'm so so sorry it took me this long and I know nothing will change that fact. Life has been busy and I really wish I had written the whole story out before posting the first chapter and not just most of it. I'm going to do that for every new story that I write from now on, so you guys don't have to wait so long (for those of you who will read any of my future stories.) Also the document manager wouldn't let me upload new documents. I exported an old chapter and pasted this in its place. I hope it works. Once again, sorry. Please Review!

Chapter Nine: Told You So

12pm- Entranceway of the Hospital

"I'll go see how Colby is doing tracking down the guy Gina and Max hired," Megan said quietly, "I'll grab David too, fresh eyes will help."

"Fresh eyes?" Don questioned looking at his friend, "Megan none of us had any sleep last night. But yeah Colby will need the help. Maybe check out some more of those folders we found at the Cranbrook house?"

"Good idea, but I don't know how much more we'll find," Megan rubbed her head wearily, "Maybe we can get a handwriting analysis done on whoever sent the letter to the Cranbrooks about Charlie, and I have a feeling there is something we're missing from the Cranbrook house."

"You think we're gonna get them?" He sighed with a sad look on his face, lately everything he'd believed had completely unraveled in front of his eyes.

"I know we are Don," Megan reassured him with a small smile, "These guys aren't all that smart... I mean they messed with you didn't they?"

"Thanks Megan," he gave her a weak grin, "Let's do this." He looked around the hospital parking lot and gave out a long sigh. A blue car flashed through his vision as it drove by him. Afterwards he gave Megan a smile that was a little bit stronger than the last, "What are we waiting for?"

"You," she smiled back bravely and climbed into her car while Don got into the passenger's seat. His leaned back in the seat as she began to drive, thinking about how crazy and hectic the past 48 hours had been.

He had found the little brother who was supposed to be dead, and a nephew he never knew existed, before losing them both again. Then they were brought back to him, but there were so many horrors that came with it. His brother was mourning the loss of his daughter and now their father was at death's door. He rubbed his face in his hands for a moment, absorbing it all.

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12:34pm- Old Warehouse

"I really don't see the point, James," Jace rolled his eyes at his cousin's violent tendancies. He was all about business and violence was simply a tool he sometimes utilised.

"He's a witness, like evidence or something," James protested, thinking it over in his head, "Jace, the boy saw me, my face. It won't take long for them to put together that you're the leader of all this."

"We'll get caught if we don't get out of the country, now," he pressed this fact on his younger cousin, "And I will not let you get me caught James. You may be my cousin, but I am not going to jail, not even for you."

"We'll get caught if we don't take care of the evidence. All I'm suggesting is we go back to Max's place and take the hidden files. Those feds will find them eventually," he spelled out his little plan, "So I say we find and destroy them before they can read them."

Sighing softly and knowing he wouldn't be able to talk him out of this one, Jace relented, "We're in and out in ten minutes, no longer, no matter what. As for the kid, forget about him. Once we're relaxing in Mexico, he won't matter anymore."

A rush of adrenaline flushed through James's body and he let out a smile that resembled that of the Grinch, "Let's just go to the house and get the files." Soon it would all work out. With the survellience he had on the feds and Charlie, he knew a little fact, one that he hid from his cousin. Soon he would be the one who was in charge and there would be no more piggy-backing off Jason's crimes. No... they would be all his own.

"Remember James, this is business, not pleasure," Jace lectured seriously and his cousin just smiled and nodded serenely.

"I know, I know," but for him, it was always about pleasure.

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1:06pm- Cranbrook house

"This is useless James, where are the friggen hidden files?!" His cousin snapped impatiently, glaring at the younger man, his eyes flashing with noticeably anger.

"They're here, man," he argued back and sifted through some papers, "Wait, hey look, there's a panel or something underneath this desk."

"And usually the only thing I find under desks is old chewing gum," a voice told them from the doorway, "FBI! Put you're hands where I can see 'em."

James looked at his cousin and gave him a brief nod. He made to pull out his weapon, but when Jace pulled out and fired, he dropped down and rolled, making for the backdoor while Don was busy handcuffing cousin. He heard footsteps behind him, but they seemed to fade into the background and he knew he'd made good ground. He'd beaten Jace at his own game and found a way to avoid the feds.

"Stop right there," he found a gun in his face and a pretty woman had a grim smile on her face as she aimed it at him steadily.

"Well hello there," he shifted an eyebrow, giving her a little smile, but Megan didn't buy it. She snatched the gun from the waistband of his pants and tossed it to one of her partners.

"On your knees and hands on your head," she demanded, eyeing him seriously and with a long sigh, James dropped onto his knees, but he still wore a smug little smile.

"Anything for a lady," he placed his hands on the back of his head and Megan yanked them behind his back so she could cuff them. She did him no favors, making sure they were uncomfortably tight.

"Wipe that smug little grin off your face," she ordered him curtly, "You're going away for life. And you know, not even convicts like child killers." That did it, James was no longer smiling.

Megan smiled at her boss as they put both suspects were handed off to the backup and on their way to federal lock up, "Told you we'd get them."

"Yeah," he smiled a little bit weakly. Catching those two didn't feel as good as he thought it would, but then again... it didn't change that his father was fighting for his life in the hospital. "I guess you did."

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"Hey Charlie," Don gave his little brother a short wave as he sat down next to his bedside in the uncomfortable hospital chair, "I have something I want to show you... and I need you to tell me if these are the guys."

He nodded softly, "I'll try not to pass out this time," he attempted at a joke and smiled weakly. Don showed him the mugshots of Jason Marcobson and James McNeal. Charlie stared for a moment, before coughing frantically.

"Charlie? Buddy are you alright?" Don looked at him worriedly and went to press the call button for him, but Charlie stopped him as he began to slowly calm his burning throat.

"M'fine," he whispered softly, "Yeah... it's them. Did you... did you get them?"

"Yeah Charlie, I did," Don smiled a little bit and changed the subject, "Any news on Dad?"

"They told me," Charlie began quietly, and cleared his throat again, "That he's going to survive, but he'll need someone to take care of him for awhile. They told me he woke up."

"That's- well that's a relief," Don sighed, thanking God for a moment for his momentary good fortune, "I'll just have to move in with him and help him out."

"Actually..." Charlie trailed off and let out a small breath, "I-I don't think I can keep living where I...where I lost Meg. Besides I think Dad might like having a kid around and maybe... we could make up for lost time or something. I know it won't change anything, but..."

"I know Charlie," Don smiled gently. He heard footsteps and saw Eddie come into the room, followed closely by his new friend Megan. "Hey Kiddo," he greeted his nephew and Eddie grinned a little too.

"Hey Eddie," Charlie's face light up a little bit at the sight of his little boy, "I want to talk to you okay?"

"Otay Daddy," Eddie said quietly and climbed up onto the hospital bed and hugging Charlie tightly.

"I want you to see somebody... to help you," Charlie exhaled quietly, "I know losing Meg was hard and I think you should talk to someone." Eddie nodded, not uttering a single word, just holding onto his father. "There's only so much time in the world," Charlie murmured softly, looking up at his older brother. "I wasted so much and I'll never get it back."

"The pain will never really go away," Don mentioned to his brother softly, "I know that much from Dad, but it will fade and get easier to deal with. You can put back all the pieces, they just might not fit the same, but... We're going to be fine Buddy."

"I know," he whispered softly and squeezed his son gently, before giving up a tiny, but genuine smile, "I know."

FINIS

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A/N: Not the best ending I know, but it's where my muse lead me. Please review, but no all out flames.