Disclaimer: I own nothing, and so on.

A/N: Wow, I have the most patient readers ever! Super sorry for the long wait, I've been busy with life and Nano and such. Thanks for your patience, though, and enjoy this chapter!

Max grinned as his infant daughter toddled toward him.

"That's it, Leah," his wife Elizabeth cooed. "Go to Daddy. Go to Daddy!"

Just as the baby stumbled into his arms, Max's phone rang. Pulling up his daughter with one arm, he grabbed his phone.

"Yellow?"

"It's me."

Max leaned back on his couch, holding the phone between his ear and his shoulder, letting Leah play with his fingers.

"Hey Pop. Leah's walking. You want to come see her while you're in town?" he asked.

"Your sister's missing."

Max stiffened.

"Where?" he demanded.

"We're at her place."

"On my way."

Max hung up the phone and stood up, handing Leah to his wife.

"Where are you going?" she spluttered.

"Family business, babe," he said grimly, kissing her. "I'll be back later."

Pecking Leah on the cheek, he grabbed his jacket and headed out for his car. As he climbed in and hit the garage door button, he reached for the glove compartment handle and pulled it open. He pulled out his pistol and cocked it. "Nobody messes with my sister," he muttered.

"What's your name again?"

David groaned and reluctantly pulled his lips off his dance partner's neck.

"David," he panted. "Yours?"

"Elinor, but most folks call me Nellie."

"I have a sister named Nell," he told her, wincing slightly as she bit down on his neck. "Ow! What are you, half vampire?"

"I am from Washington," she purred. Her hands slid down his back and then, suddenly, the dance was over. She leapt back, screaming. The music was cut off and everyone stared at him—or, more importantly, at the gun sticking out of the back of his jeans.

"If it makes you feel any better," he remarked as several hulking guys lumbered forward, "the safety's on."

They howled and charged him and he took off. His phone buzzed as he exploded out of the building and he grabbed it. "Hello!"

"Hey son. Is this a bad time?"

"Uh, no, it's fine," David answered, swerving into an alley. "What's up?"

"Nell's in trouble. I need you to come in."

"OK! Yeah! Great," David answered, clambering down the subway stairs. "I'll be there asap."

"See you there."

"Bye Pop!"

Alec blew on the side of the gun, rubbing it with the rag before squinting at it.

"That looks about right," he said to himself, grabbing his can of Budweiser and taking a swig. The alcohol burned its way down his throat and he belched loudly. He excused himself, and then realized that he was alone. "Oh, I could've sworn there was someone else here."

There probably had been, he thought, at some point. He vaguely remembered his roommate bringing home a girl—Mary or Marcy—but whether or not they were even still in the house was up for grabs.

His cellphone blared out "Eye of the Tiger" and he grabbed it.

"Hey," he said. "What's up?"

"Your sister's missing."

"Come again?"

"You heard me. Meeting at her place," his father explained.

"Sounds like a plan. I'm on my way."

"OK. Alec?"

"Yeah, Dad?"

"Bring something big."

Alec grinned.

"Music to my ears," he answered before hanging up. He downed the rest of his Budweiser and crumpled the can, pitching it before turning to face his gun rack. "OK, something big…which one's it gonna be?"

David met Max at the door. The two did a one-armed hug, chatting as they walked into Nell's house.

"Do any jobs lately?" David asked.

His younger brother shrugged.

"Not really. I ran a few boxes down to Mexico, but that's about it. Elizabeth and I have been spending a lot of time with Leah. She walked today."

David grinned.

"That's great, man. I look forward to seeing her soon."

"Yeah, it's great. Hey, once we get Nellie back, we should all go out for dinner, you know? Just us and Pop, a family thing," Max suggested.

David nodded.

"I'd be game," he reasoned as they entered the kitchen, where everyone was gathered.

"Pop," Max said, nodding to their father.

"Hey," David answered, looking around the room. Besides the usual men, there was an African-American man, a dark haired woman, and two blond guys, one of whom looked like a nerd and the other who looked like a beach bum.

"Who's the bum?" Max asked, nodding toward the guy.

"Hey!" the "bum" cried, spreading his hands.

"Max, David, these are Special Agents Blye, Hanna, and Beale, along with Detective Deeks," Dad said, motioning to each one in turn.

David nodded to each of them.

"We work with your sister," Agent Blye explained.

David faced his father.

"So she's missing?" he asked.

"She was taken with a comrade of hers. We have an address for her, but I'm not sure if she'll still be there. Our last phone call was interrupted."

"We heard what sounded like a struggle," Hanna explained.

"I've got some of the boys headed there now," his father added.

"Do we know who did it?" David asked.

Agent Beale held up a piece of paper.

"The address is registered to a Santiago Rivera," he announced. "He's pretty bad. Drugs, murder, kidnapping, theft. You name it, he's done it."

"Sounds like fun," said a voice.

Beale let out a yelp as Alec appeared in the doorway, a large machine gun slung over his shoulder. He nodded to the agents and faced his father.

"We have a game plan yet?"

"Not yet," Dad sighed. "We're waiting to hear back from some of the boys."

His phone rang and he grabbed it, speaking for a few moments before hanging up. "The address was abandoned."

"Eric, check for any other property under Rivera's name," Agent Blye ordered.

As he headed back into the living room, David saw Alec's eyes lock on the female agent. He stifled a groan. He knew that look.

"Hola," Alec said to the woman, giving her his most charming. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name, Miss…?"

"She didn't drop it," Deeks grunted.

Alec ignored him, taking Agent Blye's hand and kissing her knuckles.

"It is so nice to meet you," he told her. "I'm so grateful to know that you care about Nell as much as we do."

She glanced around and David tried to give her look that conveyed his sympathies and that he'd understand if she broke Alec's hand or something. It wouldn't be the first time. He himself had almost gotten a finger chopped off for messing with the wrong woman.

"Focus," Dad ordered. "We're going to call him again, I want you to talk to him, David. Tell him his options, and stall if you can. We'll trace it as best as we can and Alec, Max, I want you two on the road. We get that address, you two go."

David nodded and sat down. Alec and Max filed out, patting him on the arm as they left.

He watched as his father dialed the number. It was time to talk to the person who'd taken his sister.