By Megan Marie Irvin
 
 

Part One

Emily Tyler woke up suddenly to the irritatingly loud buzzing alarm clock. It was supposed to just buzz but it got stuck on a mix of buzz and music. Emily hit the sleep button, then immediately moved the switch over to off. Sitting up in bed and stretching, she saw she still had plenty of time that morning for a quick jog.

After changing into her jogging clothes, a pair of sweat pants and a baggy T-shirt, she left her apartment and started jogging down the fairly busy sidewalk.

Coming to a stop at Brewery lane, she knocked on the familiar building door

"Who's there?" A voice came over the intercom.

"It's Emily, dad." She replied, as the door opened.

"Your here, bright and early. Don't you have to be at work?" The taller, and older man replied, giving his daughter a hug.

"Not for another hour." She answered. "So, what do you have to eat?"

"Just like your mother, come home from running, roller blading, jogging, or any other kind of exercise, the first thing out of her mouth would be, 'have anything to eat?'" He told his daughter, shaking his head, chuckling softly. "And to answer your question, I'm not sure what's in the fridge."

"Dad, when was the last time you went to the store?" She asked, looking into the fridge seeing it nearly bare.

"Um, your mom went last week right before she went to visit your brother, David." He replied, quickly. David, was their second oldest, two years younger than Emily, and lived in Australia. Since a young age he had been in love with Australia. He told his parents he wanted to go to college in Australia and when that happened Angie told him he had ot go the first two years near home, not wanting to let her son leave. He agreed and how now been living in Australia six years.

"You've been living off of what's in this thing since then?" She asked, pointing into the fridge.

"Of course, not. I've been going to the store for like milk and stuff like that and I've been so busy on the new film, that I just get take out or something." Emily's father replied, leaning against the counter. "Without your mother here to help with the film its harder to do. And I'm not as young as I used to be. So I've been to busy to worry about my fridge. I still eat."

"All right. But I'm going to stop at the store for you tonight on my way home." She replied, smiling. "And it doesn't matter how old you get your movies are still as great as ever. And I still love you."

"Thank you." He replied. smiling. "Now, I think i have some left over pizza from last night, if you want."

"Sure." She replied, as he walked over to his work station and grabbed the pizza box. Two slices were left. Taking both slices, and with a mouthful of pizza she kissed her father on and cheek, thanked him for the food, and left to go get ready for work.

Getting home, she took a quick shower and changed into different clothes.

Within, fifteen minutes of walking she was at Midtown South. After an hour of working on paper work at her desk, a call came in of a murder about eight blocks away.

She arrived at the scene, already packed with cops. She walked over to where the dead body was laying on the ground in the coroner bag.

"What do you think your doing, miss?" A male voice from behind her asked, as Emily was bending over the dead body examining it.

Emily looked up, to find a man, taller than herself, with black hair, and well built, standing in behind her. She stood, up, standing inches from the man, not letting her smaller size to him intimidate her in any way.

"I'm examining the body. And that's Miss Detective Emily Tyler too you." She replied, strongly, hands on hips.

"Well, detective Tyler, you have any right to be here examining the body?" He asked, staring down at the smaller woman. Neither of them noticed they were being watched by a smaller man a few feet away.

"Of course I do. A call from my captain to come down here! What about you? You have any rights to be here?!" She asked, her anger growing towards this man.

"Yes. Detective Anthony Cox's. I came from the airport with my new captain." He answered.

"Okay, you two. Before you two start drawing blood, be quiet." The man who had been watching them, stepped forward, and intervened.

"Yes, Captain Gatti, sir." The two bickering detective's said in unison then looked at each other wide eyed.

"Now, get back to work looking for clues you two." He replied, walking away.

A few hours later, back at the station, Emily had just got back from grabbing a quick lunch when she was called into the captain's office.

"Detective Tyler, take a seat." Captain Francis Gatti, told his best young detective, the daughter of one of his closest friends. pointing to the one free seat in front of his desk. The other chair was occupied, with the man Emily had a dispute with earlier at the crime scene.

"Detective Emily Tyler I'd like you to meet Detective Anthony Cox." Gatti started. "But you two already met earlier today, I guess introduction's aren't that important now."

Emily looked at the man sitting next to her to find it was the same man at the murder scene. He smiled at her, hand extended towards her. "Nice to meet you again, Detective."

"Why don't you save that and wait till we get to know each other better and see if you still mean that then." She replied, smiling sweetly back at him.

Francis, tried holding back a chuckle at that. She wasn't only the spitting image of her mother by looks but by attitude too. Cox had no idea what he was getting himself into. Emily Tyler was one stubborn person. And a great cop too. She had been a detective for close to two years now and was a great asset to the precinct. From Cox's record he was the same way, stubborn and all that, that Tyler was. This was why he put the two detectives together.

"Detective Tyler, Detective Cox is your new partner." The captain told the young woman, leaning back in his chair, watching her face grow from annoyed to horrified.

"What?!" She demanded standing up.

"You heard what I said Detective." He told her sternly. "Now, we got a murder to solve. You two get on it."

"Yes sir." Both detective's replied in unison, walking out of the office together.
 

Part Two

Captain Gatti looked up from his paper work when someone knocked on the door to his office. He saw Rollie Tyler, standing in the door frame with a large paper bag in his hands.

"Too busy to eat Francis?" Rollie asked, stepping into the room.

"No! I'm starving. Hadn't had a chance to eat yet." Gatti replied, motioning for Rollie to take a seat.

"Good. I got us a couple of sandwiches from the deli down the street." Rollie told his friend.

"Sounds great."

"So, how's everything going?" Rollie asked.

"If you mean at home, great. If you mean at the precinct, normal. If you mean with your daughter, I think she's a little peoed at me." Francis replied, taking a bit of his sandwich.

"Oh? Now why's that?" Rollie asked, curious.

"I assigned her with a new partner today."

"Well, I don't see anything wrong in that......"

"I assigned her with the same detective she had some tension with at a murder scene this morning." Francis explained.

"Oh boy." Rollie muttered shaking his head. He knew his daughter's stubbornness and temper. There had been plenty of other times she had trouble with other detectives. They were mainly the male detectives who thought she was just some weak woman who couldn't handle the job. She quickly proved them all wrong.

Emily Tyler, walked towards her desk, just coming back from the coroner, to see if they came up with any test results on the murder they were investigating. The murder took place at a fairly high security tech lab. The victim was a professor who had been found in a broom closest.

She was looking down at the folder of results the coroner gave her, when she passed the captain's office and saw her father in there. Shaking her head she continued on to her desk, where her new partner was sharing with her.

"I got the report from the coroner, about Professor Hemlet." Emily told her partner, sitting down and handing him the report.

"Good." He replied, glancing at it, before he closed the folder and stood up. "I'm gonna get some more coffee. You want some?"

"No. I don't drink coffee. And before you start in, I get along just fine without it." Emily told him, sternly, staring down at some paper work.

"All right. Fine. No need to snap at me, I didn't say anything. My sister doesn't drink coffee either, and she's got three kids, a three year old set of twin boys and a six month old daughter. How she does it without coffee, I have no idea." Anthony told her, smiling a bit, as he walked off to the coffee machine.

A few minutes later a commotion irrupted in the room from behind Emily. Turning around she saw a man who had been bought in for fraud, had a gun pointed to a hostage. "Oh, great." Emily muttered under her breath, seeing the hostage was Detective Cox.
 

Part Three

"What's all that noise about?" Francis asked, getting up from his desk, walking toward the door, with Rollie behind him.

Stepping out of the office Francis saw most of his officers pointing their guns in the direction of the coffee stand, where a man had a gun pointed at the head of his new detective.

Rollie stood at Francis's side. Seeing what was going on, he started immediately looking for his daughter. The Aussie, found her, gun raised, slowly approaching the man, who had a gun pointed at another man. He knew this was her job as a detective, but for a second he saw himself looking at his long dead nemesis Victor Loubar, Emily's biological father.

"Come on, man, let him go. You don't want this man." Emily started to talk to the man who had her partner. "He's no good to you. I'll shoot whether you have him with you or not. Doesn't matter to me if the bullet hits him. I don't like him anyway."

"Tyler!" Anthony called out, eyes wide, as she continued to provoke the man who had a gun shoved into the side of his head. "You gonna let him go? Or am I'm going to have to take a shoot?" Emily asked, tilting her head slightly, getting ready to shoot.

The crook, didn't know what to do. This woman did not look like she was kidding. She was gonna shoot whether or not he let go of his hostage. She didn't care if he lived or not. Now of the other men and women in the room were doing anything to stop him or the woman.

"Well?" She persisted, stepping closer.

Rollie watched in horror as man, let go of his grip of his hostage and pointed his gun at Emily. As the sound of a bullet went off, Francis had to hold Rollie back, from rushing to his daughter.

"Get off me you........ you.. jerk!" Emily exclaimed, not knowing what else to call her partner. When the man let go of Cox and pointed his gun at her, and got ready to shoot, Cox rushed over to Emily and tackled her, as she pulled the trigger of her own gun, hitting the man who caused all the ruckus.

"Emily!?!" She heard, called out from across the room. The voice was very very familiar. Looking up she saw her father rushing towards her, with the captain following behind.

"Daddy? What are you doing here?" She asked, shoving Cox away from her and standing up.

"Are you okay?" Rollie asked anxiously, grabbing his daughter in his arms and checking of over.

"I'm fine. Just a little sore" She told him sternly, turning to give Cox a sharp look. "Which
could've been prevented if you didn't have to go shoving me down!"

"Sorry! I was just trying to save your life." Detective Cox replied, holding his hands up in front
of him. "After all you saved mine."

"I didn't or don't ever need your help! I had it under control." She replied, putting her gun away.
She turned and looked down at the man who was about to shoot at her. He was laying on the
ground moaning and holding on to his bleeding shoulder, screaming, "She shot me!"

"Get him out of here!" Francis ordered, as two officers picked the slightly injured man up and led
him out of the room. He then turned back to, the two bickering detectives. "You two stop it! This
is the second time you've been at each other's throats and that's just in one day!"

"Let me guess, you must be my daughter's new partner, huh?" Rollie said, grinning, as he hold his
hand out to the young man.

"Yes, detective Anthony Cox." The man replied, taking the older man's hand and shaking it. "So,
your Emily's father?"

"Yep, Rollie Tyler." Rollie introduced himself.

"Rollie Tyler? As in Rollie Tyler, of Tyler FX?!" Cox asked anxiously.

"Yep." Rollie replied, nodding his head, smiling at the younger man.

"Oh man! You don't know how much of a big fan I am of your work!" Anthony exclaimed,
forgetting about the past few minutes events. "I grew up watching your movies!"

"Come on, Cox, we have work to do." Emily broke in, stalking off to her desk, fed up. "Bye dad.
I'll talk with you later."

Rollie shook his head, chuckling slightly as Anthony Cox went to catch up with Emily. He turned
around and went back to Gatti's office to say good bye, then left.
 

Part Four

That afternoon Emily and Anthony were at the tech lab the murder of Professor Hemlet took place. There were no witnesses. Nothing that could help them with the case. From the autopsy report, Hemlet had been strangled and died as a result of suffocation.

They were now trying to get information on what kind of project Hemlet had currently been working on at the moment but no one wanted to tell them.

"So, your father is Rollie Tyler? That must've been cool growing up with him." Anthony said, on the drive back to the station, as Emily drove.

"Yeah it was." She replied trying to ignore him.

"How'd you get involved with being a cop? I mean since both your parents are in the movies?" Anthony asked.

"It was just something I wanted to do. If you know anything about my father it's that he always and sometimes still does help the cops out. That was something else I grew up with." Emily told him, a bit surprised she had told him that much about herself.

"Oh, neat." He replied, nodding his head.

"How 'bout you? What made you decide to be a cop?" Emily asked, then sat there driving shocked. Where had that come from? She wanted nothing to do with this detective. Was trying to ignore him. But still. She was talking to him.

"My father was in the Marines. A week before I was born he was being a courier for some highly classified thing. He was intercepted and killed. No one found the murder." Anthony told her, for so much ease and no hesitation, Emily had the feeling he had told this story over and over.

"So, that's what made you decide you wanted to be a detective?"

"Yeah, pretty much. I grew up hearing about my father all the time from my two older sisters and my mother. I guess I wanted to somehow honor his death or something like that." Anthony told her.
 

Part Five

The week passed by slowly. Emily still had troubles with her new partner. She saw him as a pain. He tried all he could to impress her. She ignored him. From Francis's point of view it was all quite comical.

They were still investigating the murder of Professor Hemlet. The lab wouldn't give them any inf. at all.

Emily was sitting at her desk going over the paper work of the professor's murder, when her phone rang.

"Detective Tyler speaking."

"Hey, Sweetie."

"Dad, what are you calling me for here? You know I don't like it when you call me during work." Emily said into the phone.

"I know. But it's been lonely here since your mom left to go take care of your brother after he broke his leg. You know she was out of here so fast I had no idea what was going on. For the first day I thought she had left me finally." Rollie told her. Emily could here his smile through the phone.

"I know. You called me that night confused, and asked me what was going on." Emily replied. "Now, did you have a reason for calling me at work besides telling me something I already knew?"

"Yeah, I want you to ask Anthony to come along with you tonight when you come by for dinner." Rollie told her, knowing she was probably close to having a fit now.

"What?!' Emily exclaimed, trying to keep her voice low.

"You heard me. I got to go. Don't forget to ask him. See you later." Rollie replied, grinning.

Emily hung up the phone, trying to figure out what her father had told her and why, just as Anthony approached the desk and sat down.

"What's wrong with you?" Anthony asked, seeing his partner's perplexed face.

"Um.... Nothing. I gotta take these somewhere." Emily said, grabbing some folders and standing up. "Oh, and my father wants you to have dinner with us tonight. That's unless you already have plans."

"No plans at all. I'd love to join you. Thanks for asking." Anthony replied, as Emily nodded her head and quickly walked away, leaving Anthony smiling.

"I gotta make a quick stop at my place to pick up dessert." Emily told her partner, as she pulled out onto the road from Midtown South.

"All right." He replied, nodding his head.

That was the end of their conversation till they got to her apartment. Emily still couldn't believe her father would do this to her. He knew perfectly well she didn't like her partner.

"You can just wait in the car if you want." Emily said, as she pulled to the curb outside of her apartment building.

"Well, if it's okay I sort of was hoping to use your bathroom." He replied, getting out of the car and following her.

The building was a brick six story apartment complex. The inside looked like it needed painting and you could here shouting and TV's blaring loud.

"You live here?" Anthony asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah. What's wrong with it?" Emily asked, slightly offended.

"Well, it's just that I thought someone with Rollie Tyler as a father would be living some more........ more...... more fancy like." Cox told her, waving his arms around.

"Look, I may be Rollie Tyler's daughter and he may be well off but I'm not taking any of that money. Ever since I joined the police force I've made my own way with my own money." Emily replied, stopping and turning around to stare at him.

"Sorry." He replied meekly.

They walked up another floor before Emily stopped in front of a door. She got her keys out and unlocked the door. She turned on the light and stopped short. Her apartment was in shambles. Stuff thrown everywhere.

"What's wrong?" Anthony asked, from behind her. He peeked over her shoulder, seeing the mess.

Emily and Anthony slowly stepped into the apartment, both had their guns drawn. Emily went into her kitchen and then into her bedroom and bathroom. No one was found. She walked back into the living room where Cox was. He was standing in the middle of the room staring at a wall.

On the wall the words, "I'm Back" were written on it.
 

Part Six

Thirty minutes later Emily's apartment was crawling with cops. Francis had come down as soon as he heard what was happening. So far no fingerprints were found or anything else that could help them identify who did this. Emily had no clue who it could've been.

"Emily!?"

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Emily asked as her father came over to her frantic.

"Your captain called me. I was getting worried anyway when you and your partner didn't show up for dinner on time." Rollie told her, letting her out of his embrace. "What happened here?"

"Someone broke in, and wrote those words on the wall." Anthony answered the older man, pointing behind Rollie.

Rollie turned around and looked carefully at the large words on the wall.

I'M BACK

"Do you have any idea who did this?" Rollie asked, still looking at the words a strange sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Nope. I can't think of anyone who would've done this or wrote that." Emily replied, sitting on the couch.

Rollie stared at the wall a few minutes longer, then walked over to Francis, who was standing on the other side of the room.

"I don't like that look on your face Rollie." Francis told the Aussie.

"Well I don't like this." He replied, waving his arms around the room, and at the wall.

"You think you know who did this?"

"Yeah but I hope with al the money in the world I'm wrong." Rollie told the captain. "Loubar."

"I think you could be right. But don't go getting all upset and overact till we really know." Francis told the Aussie.

"I'm gonna get as upset as I want. I don't need proof to tell me this was Loubar. I can feel it." Rollie told him trying not to let Emily hear. Right now she was too busy bickering with her partner.

"I know. And I can understand. Look I'll put a call into you-know-where in the morning and find out about Victor Loubar. Okay?" Gatti told the upset father.

"Yeah." Rollie muttered. This was his worst nightmare. He moved over to a near by chair and sat down. Putting his head in his hands he thought over what happened twenty-eight years ago. Up in the mountains Loubar, after taking Angie and Emily, had nearly killed him. Instead Mira and Francis had got there in time to shoot Loubar down. Francis had told them Loubar was dead. A few days later Francis had come by and told Rollie that Loubar wasn't dead. He just said that for Angie's and Emily's sake. They had Loubar transferred to a high security prison on a small island up by Greenland. Rollie continued to let Angie believe Loubar was dead. He didn't want to worry her. She didn't need it. Everything had been just fine up till now. Loubar had stayed put. Bloody. Bloody. Bloody. Bloody. Bloody. Bloody.

"Is everything okay?" Emily asked, coming to stand next to Rollie, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah everything's just fine sweetie. Why don't you get some of your stuff. I want you to stay at the loft with me for awhile." Rollie told her as she opened her mouth to protest. "No buts. I mean it this time. Now go."
 

Part Seven

The next morning Rollie was making some coffee when someone knocked at the door. It was Francis and Anthony.

"Hey Rollie." Francis said stepping into the building, following Rollie into the kitchen, leaving Anthony bewildered at the place still standing by the door.

"Hey Frank. You got any news?" Rollie asked anxiously, throwing a quick glance upstairs where his daughter was still sleeping.

"Yep." Francis replied. "I just got off the phone with the prison. Rollie, Loubar, he escaped last week."

"Bloody." Rollie started but was cut off by seeing Emily, just out of the shower, standing by the kitchen listening. "Emily."

"Who's Loubar?" Emily asked, seeing how much what her caption just told her father affected him.

"I think this should wait till later." Rollie told his daughter.

"No, tell me who's Loubar?" Emily persisted. "Fine. I'll call mom and see if she knows."

"Emily don't, please. I don't want her to know right." Rollie stopped her as she moved to the lounge with a phone in hand.

"You don't want her to know what? Will someone tell me what's going?" Emily asked. She hated being left out in the dark.

Rollie looked at Emily, knowing she wouldn't back down on this. Taking a deep breath he said, "All right I'll tell you."

"Um, come on Cox I think we should go now." Francis said starting towards the door.

"No, Frank, I'd like you to be here. You might as well stay too Anthony." Rollie told them, sitting in a chair across from the couch where his daughter was sitting.

"Who's Loubar?" Emily asked again.

"Victor Loubar. A dangerous killer." Rollie started, choking on his next words. "He's also your biological father."

Emily just sat there looking at her father, or at least the man she thought was her father. What did he just say? This Victor Loubar was her father? What? She couldn't speak. She just stared.

"A little over two years before you were born Loubar made a mask of my face and impersonated me. Nearly ruined my life then. he fell off a bridge and into a river. I thought he was dead. A few months later he turned up again. In London impersonating a FBI agent. It wasn't till after me and your mother helped him back to the states we knew who it really was. He escaped again. That December he took me and gave me a drug that put me in a coma for three days. He took over my life over those three days. He decided to hurt me using your mother. And the result of that was you." Rollie told her, stopping to take a breath. Tears were coming to her eyes the same as his. "Six months after you were born Loubar turned up again and took you and your mother. I found you both. And Loubar was put in a high security jail. Your mother thinks he's dead."

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Emily asked, strangely calm.

"You mother and I didn't think you needed to know. She and I both agreed before you were born you'd be raised as my daughter with no exceptions. We just didn't want to upset you." Rollie told her.

"You didn't want to upset me?! What does it look like I am now? I'm upset!" She exclaimed jumping up from the couch and running out the door.

"Emily!" Rollie called out after her, about to go after her but Francis stopped him.

"Maybe you should just leave her be for a little while?" Francis suggested.

"Your probably right. Anthony would you go with her?" Rollie asked the younger man who had watched the growing fight between Rollie and Emily silently.

"Um..... sure." He answered running out the door after her.
 

Part Eight

"Go away." Emily said, leaning on her car, seeing Anthony come out of the building.

"Maybe I don't want to go away." He replied walking up next to her.

She glared at him and moved over to the driver's side of the car, getting in.

"What are you doing? Get out." She said, as Anthony got in the passenger side of the car as she was about to drive away.

"I'm not going anywhere. You'll just have to go where your going with me here." He told her.

Emily was about to reply, but instead she stomped her foot on the gas pedal and drove away. At the moment she really didn't care if her partner was with her or not. She just needed to get away. Let out stress.

Nothing was said between the two detective's, as Emily navigated through New York morning traffic. Emily was close to sobbing up a storm but she managed to keep it under control. Her eyes were filled with tears, making it a bit hard to see, and ended up going through a few red lights.

Finally after about fifteen minutes or so, they came to a screeching halt at a curb side. They were at the precinct. Wiping her eyes, Emily got out of the car and entered the building, with Anthony behind her following silently. He followed her down to the basement where the firing range was. Signing in she entered the room where the firing was done. She and Anthony were the only two there.

"Do you think you having a gun in your hands right now is a good idea?" Anthony asked. Big mistake.

She had put the protective ear wear on and without caring if Anthony had his on, she shot at the target, hitting it right in the heart.

"Why?! Because I just learned the man I thought was my father isn't really my father!? And that now I'm a emotional wreck!" She exclaimed between bullets.

"Yeah, well, that reason did cross my mind." He replied, putting his pair of protective ear wear on. "We'll you stop for a minute and talk?!"

"I don't want to talk!"

"Then what do you want to do? Scream? Hit someone? I don't care what you do just stop shooting for a minute!" He shouted over the bullets sounds.

She stopped shooting, but not because of what Anthony said but because she ran out of bullets.

"There. That's better." Anthony said, taking off his ear wear. It was too hard to hear with those things on. He watched as Emily turned around and kicked the wall hard with her foot. She kept on kicking it, yelling in frustration.

"You know your gonna break your foot if you keep doing that." Anthony told her.

"You said if I stopped shooting I could do anything I wanted! And know your telling me to stop kicking my foot against the wall!?" Emily exclaimed, turning around staring up at her partner.

"I didn't say that. All I said that if you didn't stop you could break your foot." He replied, calmly. He knew she was trying to pick a fight. And he wasn't going to give her one.
 

Part Nine

"Do you think I was wrong in telling Emily about Loubar, Frank?" Rollie asked his captain friend. It was over an hour since Emily stormed out of the building and Anthony went with her.

"I don't know Rollie. Only you can answer that. If you felt it was right then it probably was. Emily wouldn't of backed down anyway." Francis replied, sitting across from the Aussie. "You gonna call Angie?"

"I don't know. A part of me wants too. I'm worried Loubar might go after her. And Angie's gonna skin me alive when she learns I didn't tell her about Loubar being alive. But she does have a right to know." Rollie answered, looking over at the phone thinking about what to do.

"Well, it's eleven in the morning here, so, that makes it what? Midnight in Perth?" Francis asked. The time zones always confused him.

"Yeah, that's about it. Angie and David are probably already asleep. Angie planing to call me tonight around ten or so. I'll decide if I want to tell her then. She'll probably guess something is up anyway." Rollie said, running a hand through his graying hair.

"I better get back to work now Rollie. I'll cal if we get anymore information about Loubar. And if I find out where Emily and Anthony went." Francis told his worried friend, standing up.

"Thanks Francis." Rollie replied absently.

"Maybe you should go back and talk to your father?" Cox suggested. They were still in a firing range room. Luckily no one else had shown up. Emily was still high on frustration.

"Which father? The man I thought was my father isn't really my father. And, from what I quickly hear, the man who's really my father is a murder and escaped from prison." Emily snapped back.

"The man who've always thought was your father is still your father. Sure maybe not by blood. But you grew up with his guidance and help. He was there for you when you needed him? And even when you didn't need him? Right? He loves you? From all that I think that pretty much sums up what a father is. I don't think blood or DNA or any of that biological junk has anything to do with it." Anthony told her.

"You just don't get it." Emily mumbled, looking away from him.

"Get what? What don't I get? From what I heard back at Tyler's place, it sounds like Loubar was or is an enemy to the man who raised you as his own child. I say that takes guts to raise and love the child of a enemy. I've got work to do upstairs." Anthony told her. Was Emily ever going to get what he just told her through her head?

Emily watched as her partner left, leaving her alone in the firing range, tears running down her checks, she slid down to the ground, leaning on the wall behind her, knees drawn up to her chest. She hated feeling like this. Venerable, helpless, out of control. She was one who usually could keep her emotions under control, but right now, she felt like the bag she kept her emotions wrapped up in had been split open and the emotions were spilling all over her.
 

Part Ten

On his way to his office Francis caught the sight off Cox sitting at the desk he shared with Emily. Looking around he didn't see Emily anywhere.

"Detective?! Where's Tyler?" Gatti asked his new detective walking towards him.

"Last time I saw her was in the firing range, sir." Anthony replied closing and hiding the folder he was looking at.

"I thought you were supposed to be keeping a eye on her Cox?!"

"I was but......"

"But, she was being unbearable and all that, right?" Francis asked, shaking his head.

"Yeah."

"I want you to go back down there and find her. And I want you to stay with her at all times." Francis told the detective. "We still have to find the person who broke into Emily's place. Yes, we think it's Victor Loubar. But we have to find him first. If he's the same as he was twenty-eight years ago we'll have trouble finding him. All we know for sure now is that he's gonna go after one of the Tyler's and right now it looks like Emily he's going after."

"Yes, Sir." Anthony replied, grabbing his coat.

"And I've decided till this case is solved, your previous case, on the Hemlet murder will be picked up by MacBride and Wilkes." Francis said, referring to two other detectives.

Nodding his head, Anthony waited till Francis wasn't looking, and grabbed the files he had under a pile of other folders and started for the stairs.

Entering the firing range, Anthony found the room now occupied with two men. No Emily. Asking the man who signed people in, Anthony found out Emily had left about half an hour before. Running upstairs and outside, Cox found her car gone.

"Okay, Cox, if you were her, where'd you go? Not to her father's. " Anthony asked himself, looking around. Then he got it. Finding his car, that he had left there the night before, Anthony left Midtown South.

About fifteen minutes later Anthony came to a stop in front of Emily's apartment building. Going up three flights he stopped in front of her door, knocking.

"Emily, if your in there open up!" Cox yelled through the door. "I'll stay out here as long as it takes if I need to."

A few minutes later the door opened slowly.

"What do you want?" Emily asked, peeking through the door.

"Can I come in?"

"Why should I let you in?"

"Because I got something you might want to see." He told her, waving some files in front of her face.

"What are they?" Emily asked.

"They're records on Victor Loubar." Anthony answered. He was quickly let in to the apartment, Emily grabbing the files him his grasp.
 

Part Eleven

"How did you get these?" Emily asked, sitting down on the couch, and holding the thick folder in her hands, but now opening it.

"I have contacts high up. I actually had some trouble getting hold of these. But I got them." Anthony answered. He sat on a chair across from Emily, watching her. "Well, aren't you going to look at it?"

"I....... I.....Don't..... Not now." She stumbled, placing them on the coffee table. She was scared to look. She heard what Rollie had said, 'Victor Loubar. A dangerous killer.' She didn't want to look now. She wanted to know, know more about her biological father, but she just couldn't look.

"I can go wait outside if you want? The captain gave me orders not to leave you alone, so waiting out the door or in another room is the best I can do." Anthony offered standing up.

"No. It's okay. I.... I just can't look now." Emily confided in him.

"Okay. Um.... Gatti gave the Hemlet case over to MacBride and Wilkes." Cox told her.

Emily just sat there nodding her head. Whenever the captain would try to give a case of hers to another detective she usually throw a fit. But this time she didn't feel up to it.

She stood up and walked around the room, stopping in front of the wall where the words that had been written on it the night before were still there.

She couldn't believe this. She thought it over and over for hours. The man she knew as her father wasn't her father. At least not biologically. Since Anthony left her alone in the firing range room she thought about what he said what makes a real father. Deep down she knew he was right. But right now she was just too angry. Angry. Because no one told her the truth before. Because of why and how she was brought into the world. Because of a hundred other reasons too.

A knock at the door interrupted Emily's thinking. But she didn't move to get it. She was only half aware of Anthony getting up and answering the door.

"Emily you got a package." He told her, coming back from the door and handing her a large brown envelope. Her name was written on it, with no return address.

Taking the package and moving over to the couch, she sat down and started to open it. Sliding the contents out on the coffee table she let out a gasp. They were photos. Of her. Of her in her apartment. Going and coming back from work. Things see remembered doing over the past few days. There was even a photo of her that morning storm out of Tyler FX.

"I think we better go see the captain." Anthony suggested looking at the photos.
 

Part Twelve

"Who are you calling?" Emily asked her captain. After getting the photos she and Anthony rushed over to Midtown South. Seeing the pictures, Francis picked up the phone.

"Your father. Rollie." Francis replied, dialing the number. "Don't even think about protesting Detective. He's part of this. He's known Loubar longer than any of us. And your his daughter. No buts there either. He's worried."

Emily sat back, like a tiny child being scolded. Maybe she did deserve it. Emily had so many of parts of her spitting out different feelings and the feeling she was getting the now most was stubbornness, for not to forgive.

She absently listened to Francis's side of the quick conversation on the phone. She was staring at the photos, trying to remember when each one was taken.

"Your father is on his way." Francis told her, hanging up the phone.

"Yes, sir." Emily answered back, looking closely at a photo she was holding, of her and Rollie. It was taken the morning she met Cox. At her father's when she stopped there for breakfast.

Emily wasn't sure how much time had passed till Rollie showed up. She kept going back from calling him 'Rollie' or 'her father'. Both titles seemed too strange for her.

"Hey Rollie." Francis greeted the man, who sat down in a chair next to Emily. Francis saw Rollie looked uncomfortable. Emily didn't say anything, and Francis saw she looked a bit uncomfortable too.

"What's going on?" Rollie asked Gatti, deciding right now, even though he wanted too, maybe it wasn't a good idea to try to talk to Emily. Let her come to him first.

"These photos were left at Emily's about an hour ago. Left by a courier. Anthony tracked him down on his way out of the building. Right now Cox is integrating him." Francis told the Aussie handing him the photos. And as if on cue, Anthony stepped into the room. "Cox, get anything from the courier?"

"Nope. Says that all he knows is some guy came in yesterday and gave him the package to deliver. The man left no return address or anything. I called the courier company here and the guy that actually took this package, said he remembered getting it, from a teenage boy. He did leave a name on the signature. James Avery. I ran a check through records and came up zip." Cox told them, standing next to Emily's chair, noting her father was now there.

"Okay. Thanks Cox." Francis said.

"Did you call mom yet? Or are you planning to keep her in the dark about this too?" Emily asked breaking the silence in the room, referring to what Rollie had told her earlier about Angie not knowing Loubar was alive.

"It's too late now in Perth. I'm gonna tell her when she calls tonight." Rollie answered her calmly. "Are you going to be there to talk with her?"

"I think it might be best if we keep Emily away from her apartment and the loft, Rollie. It may not help much, considering Loubar, but it might be best to keep her somewhere else." Francis spoke in for Emily.

"I'm not staying at a safe house. I'm not leaving." Emily protested.

"I know. That's why you're staying with Cox at his place, as long as it's okay with him." Francis said, not knowing what Emily's or Rollie's reaction would be to that. He knew for sure Emily didn't like him, but did notice a small change in her reaction to Cox being around since this thing with Loubar started. And Gatti knew Rollie liked Cox but as for Emily staying at his place, the captain wasn't sure how the father would take it.

"It's fine with me sir." Anthony replied.

"Rollie? Emily? Okay with you two?" Francis asked.

"Yes sir." Emily responded. Why was she starting to get butterflies in her stomach with the mention of staying with Cox?

"If you think it's for the best Frank." Rollie answered. He actually liked Cox and didn't even mind the idea of his daughter and Cox getting together one day. But he wasn't sure if he liked this idea, right now, when the truth about Emily being Loubar's daughter just came out and his daughter was vulnerable. Looking over at Anthony and staring at him for a few minutes, he could tell Cox  wasn't going to try anything.
 

Part Thirteen

Before going over to Anthony's apartment, Emily and Cox stopped at her place so she could get some of her stuff together, including the files on Loubar. A pair of officers had been placed outside of her place just to see if anyone suspicious was crawling around while she was gone.

Emily was in her bedroom putting some clothes into a overnight bag. Pulling some stuff out of her night stand she found a small photo album, her mother had given her on her graduation. It was a collection of photos taken over the years. They were of Emily alone. Emily and Angie. The whole family. She even had some of Rollie and Angie before she was born. But a lot of them consisted of Rollie and Emily together.

"You ready to go?" Emily looked up startled to find Anthony standing in her door frame.

"Um.... Yeah in just a minute." She replied closing the photo album and stuffing it into her over night bag, zipping it shut.

Once the two detectives left the apartment and started down the hall, Emily turned back around and unlocked her door. She ran straight for the coffee table, grabbing the files Cox had got for her. Putting them inside her bag she relocked the door and followed her partner down the stairs.

It didn't take long for them to get to Cox's apartment building.

"Excuse the mess. With work and just moving in here four days ago I haven't had much time to unpack." Anthony apologized stepping around the piles of boxes spread through the living room. "Want anything to drink? Right now all I have is water and beer."

"Water will be fine, thanks. Well, for just being in the city for a little over a week, you found a place fairly quickly." Emily said, sitting down on the couch, as he went into the kitchen.

"Yeah. The Captain arranged it for me a week before I came out here." Anthony said.

"You never said, why were you transferred here from LA?" Emily asked, for the moment forgetting her family problems.

"I don't know. I just didn't like LA anymore. Wanted to get out. I always wanted to live in New York. And my captain in LA just happened to be a previous partner of Gatti's. Mira Sanchez." Anthony told her, coming back with two glasses of water, and finding Emily's head leaning against the arm of the couch, fast asleep.

"I guess that story wasn't as interesting or funny as I thought." Anthony mumbled, putting the cups down on the coffee table, then moved into his bedroom, "Might as well look for some extra blankets now, then see what I have in the fridge for supper."
 

Chapter Fourteen

Emily woke to the smell of something cooking. And whatever it was it smelled good. Much better than the fast food stuff she usually ate. Stretching she stood up and made her way in the direction of the food.

"What smells so good?" Emily asked entering the kitchen and walking towards where Anthony was standing.

"Nice to see you awake again." Anthony said. "And to answer your question it's homemade vegetable soup. And it's just about ready to eat. Hungry?"

"Yeah. Starving." Emily replied, sitting at the kitchen table, remembering she didn't eat anything all day long.

"I hate to say it, but this is actually really good." Emily told Cox, sipping at the soup.

"Thanks." Anthony replied, smiling. "Most people can't believe I can cook. They think I order the food from a fancy restaurant or something."

"Where did you learn to cook like this?" Emily asked, hiding the fact that what he just told her was just what she was going to accuse him of doing.

"Where else? My mom and two sister's. My one sister, not the one with the kids who doesn't drink coffee, the other one, is a head chef of a famous restaurant in France." Anthony told her.

"Impressive." Emily said.

"Yeah I guess so." Anthony said. "So, you never said, where's your mom?"

"In Australia, with my brother. The idiot broke his leg. And called his 'mommy' for help." She replied, smiling.

"How many siblings do you have?"

"It's just the brother. He's two years younger than me." Emily said, deep in thought. "And I guess, really, he's my 'dad's' first born."

"You know, you seem to be putting all the blame on Tyler. What about your mother? She kept this a secret too." Anthony reminded her.

"You're right. I'm.... I'm just having such a hard time with this. Right now, he's the only one here, to blame. My mother isn't." Emily tried to explain, not just to Anthony but to herself too.

"Emily, you're parents aren't the first and won't be the last to keep secrets to their children." Anthony told her. "From the day I was born till I was ten, my mom told me my father went to live with the Smurfs. And I actually believed her."

"The Smurfs?!" Emily asked, forgetting her own problems and started to laugh hysterically.
 

Chapter fifteen

Emily was sitting in the living room, Anthony was still in the kitchen making some tea

"Here ya go." Anthony said, handing her a mug of tea.

"Thanks." Emily replied, absently grabbing the mug, staring intently at the file laying on the coffee table in front of her.

"You know, if it's so hard for you to look at it I can look at it for you and tell you what's in it, not ot be snoopy or anything." Anthony offered, kindly.

"No, it's okay. Thanks though. Maybe later okay?" She answered, actually not feeling mad that he offered to look at it for her.

"Okay." He said, nodding his head, giving her a slight smile. They just sat together on the couch in silent, sipping their tea, for the few few minutes.

"So, you want to take the bed or couch?" Anthony asked, breaking the silence. He already knew somehow she'd say the couch.

"Couch is just fine." Emily confirmed what Anthony knew she'd say.

"All right. I'll make up the couch for you and you can go take a shower if you want." Anthony suggested, taking the two empty mugs into the kitchen and returning.

Emily nodded her, heading, not protesting, and grabbing her overnight bag, made her way into the bathroom. A shower sounded pretty good at the moment.

Twenty minutes later she came out of the shower, wearing her regular night attire, a pair of shorts and tee.

"Hey." She said, announcing her presence in the room to Anthony who was still making up the couch, his back turned to her.

"Hey. Couch is already." Anthony told her turning around and found himself staring at her. Okay, Cox, maybe this wasn't such a good idea having her stay with you.

"Thanks." She said walking over to the couch, noticing him look at her. "What you staring at."

"Oh, um, nothing." He stumbled, looking past her. "Save any hot water for me?" Though he knew he'd be using cold water for his shower that night.

"Yeah. There should be some left." Emily answered, knowing there was plenty left, considering she used all cold water.

"Good." He said, as she started towards him, where he was standing in front of the couch. As she got closer she tripped on a pair of shoes. Acting fast he, managed to balance her.

"Damn......." She muttered, tripping on a pair of shoes, leaning forward, only to be caught by Anthony. She looked up, his hands still on her shoulders, only a few inches from his face. Their eyes met and before she knew what happened they both leaned into a lip locking kiss.
 

Chapter Sixteen

Emily and Anthony slowly broke apart, looking at the other, not sure what to do or say. Anthony quickly let go of Emily's shoulders and backed away, looking embarrassed.

"I, um, I'm sorry. I shouldn't of done that." Anthony started to apologize.

"No, it's okay. I mean, um, I mean, it wasn't your fault. I think..... we both did it." Emily stumbled along with her words.

"Well, maybe I should let you get some sleep." Anthony told her, head down and walking past her. "Good night. Need anything just shout."

"Night." Emily mumbled, sliding into the couch made up bed. Oh boy. What did they do? And why did she enjoy it? She laid on her back thinking about what just happened between her and her partner. The day before she despised the man. Now she, willingly........ and stupidly....... kissed the man. Every time she started to think of him she got a wild stomach ache. She finally drifted off to sleep with him on her mind. Her last coherent thought was, was she going totally insane or what?

Emily had a restless sleep, waking up early in the morning, at six. But to her surprise Anthony was already up, and had been for the last hour.

"Didn't sleep good either? Or do you always get up this early?" Emily asked, sitting up on the couch, pulling the covers up to her chin, it was cold in the early morning. Cox was sitting in a chair by the couch, a coffee mug in hand.

"Both." He replied. "Want some coffee? Or wait, I forgot, you don't drink coffee. Want some tea instead?"

"No it's okay. I'm still trying to wake up." She said with a smile.

"Okay. Well, I was just about to go down to the bakery that's next door, and get us some breakfast. Want anything in particular?" Cox asked, sitting his cup on the coffee table and slipping some shoes on.

"Whatever you bring back will be fine." She answered, as he got up and left and she went to take a shower.

Fifteen minutes later, Anthony was back with breakfast and Emily was in the living room, dressed. Their breakfast, of croissants went by in silent. Neither one brought up the night before. As Cox went into the kitchen, Emily picked up the file on Victor Loubar. The moment seemed right to open it. But she just couldn't get herself to do it.

"Will you?" Emily asked, handing the file out to Cox as he came back into the room and sat down next to her.

"You sure?" He asked, looking into her eyes, as they both ended up swallowing hard.

"Yes."

"Okay." He said, taking the file, as his hand brushed against Emily's momentarily. "Victor Loubar, born August twenty-four 1963."

Emily listened, as Anthony ran down of list of crimes listed Loubar had committed. Her eyes filling up with tears as the list kept going and going and the charges getting worse and down. He killed more men and women than all the detective's had killed combined. She was the daughter to
this man.... this monster. She had his blood in hers. For a brief moment she had an understanding on why her mother and the man who raised her didn't want to tell her.

Anthony stopped reading, looking up and seeing Emily was an emotional wreck. He put the file down, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders pulling her closer to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder and started crying uncontrollably.
 

Chapter Seventeen

After a half hour of crying Emily had cried herself into a deep sleep, as Anthony continued to hold her while she slept, finally falling back to sleep himself.

By eleven they both woke up to a knock at the door. Anthony got up to answer it, leaving Emily at the couch rubbing her eyes.

"Can I help you?" Anthony opened the door to a tall and lanky man, with brown hair and a cast on his leg.

"Yeah, I'm looking for my sister." He said, looking at the man sternly. Glancing into the apartment he caught sight of his sister sitting on the couch, and pushed his way in. "Emily!"

"David?!" Emily looked up, seeing her brother step into the room and come over to her. She stood up and he gave her a big hug. "What are you doing here? How'd you know where I'd be?"

"Mom and I left as soon as dad told us what was going on. We just got in about an hour ago. Dad told me you were staying with your new partner." The young man replied, glancing at Anthony, and in a whisper said to his sister, "though he didn't tell me your partner was a man."

"Anthony this is my brother, David. David, my partner, Anthony Cox." Angie introduced the two men, ignoring her overprotective brother's comment.

"Nice to meet you." Cox said, shaking the younger man's hand.

"Yeah." David mumbled, glaring at the other man.

"Where's mom?" Emily asked, wondering how much he knew.

"Yelling at Dad." He replied simply.

"What?"

"Yeah. She's mad at him for lying to her about this guy Loubar." David told her, taking her hands, sitting down on the couch slowly. "Mom told me EVERYTHING on the way over here. Are you okay?"

"I think so." She answered, giving a quick glance up at Cox, who was still standing by the door looking at them.

"I'll go in the other room, to leave you two to talk." Anthony started.

"No. It's okay. You can stay." Emily told him quickly, knowing her bother was just about to say the opposite thing.

"I heard about your apartment and the pictures you were sent. Get anything else?" David asked, ignoring the fact his sister told her partner to stay.

"No. Not yet." Emily replied. "Is mom really mad at dad?"

"Oh yeah. She was screaming up a storm, when I left. She's mad about him not telling her Loubar wasn't really dead." David told her, shaking his head.

"Sounds like mom." Emily replied smiling slightly.
 

Part Eighteen

"You sure your doing okay?" David questioned his sister, as Anthony silently moved into the kitchen, and Emily stared after him.

"Yeah. I don't know. I think I'm getting there. Anthony's helped." Emily told her brother, seeing his somewhat disgusted look. She knew he hated her partner. He hated every man that was around her.

"Mom wants to see you." David told her. "She's worried about you."

"I want to see her too." Emily said, looking at Anthony as he stepped back into the room. She knew the captain didn't want her going anywhere other man Cox's place but she didn't care. She may be upset with her parents but she needed her mother.

"I'll drive." Anthony said. He knew she would go, not caring what Captain Gatti had told her. He would be with her anyway.

Twenty-five minutes later they pulled up in front of the Tyler FX. Emily stepped into the building first, quickly spotting her father in the lounge, sitting on the couch, looking depressed.

Rollie looked up seeing his daughter and son and Cox come in. Emily didn't look have as mad at him.

"Your mother is upstairs. I think she stopped talking to me." He said, letting out a sigh. He watched as Emily nodded her, head and walked up the stairs. He sunk back down on the couch. Rollie turned his head, looking at the two men still standing by the door. Anthony looked uncomfortable and David was glaring at him.

"I'm gonna make some tea. Want to give me a hand Anthony?" Rollie asked getting up and feeling sorry for the young man, who was being silently integrated by a overprotective brother.

"Sure." Anthony replied quickly following the older man.

"Mommy?" Emily asked quietly, seeing her mother, in her parent's room, sitting on the bed, looking at a photo album.

"Emily." Angie said quickly quietly, looking up at her daughter, and holding her hand out, as Emily walked over to her. "I'm so sorry about all of this."

"Oh, honey, I... We.... should have told you sooner. I was scared. I didn't want you to know. It was too hard for me. Rollie and me both." Angie tried to explain. "Were you told how it happened? Loubar?"

"Don't really." Emily replied.

"It was December. The man who I thought was Rollie, and I went to went to a wrap up party together, for "Red Storm"." Angie started, Emily needed to know it all. "Red Storm" was one movie title of their works Rollie and Angie kept silent from Emily. "I had a feeling he was acting funny. I should've knew something was wrong. When we got back here, he poured us each a glass of champagne. Started acting more emotional than I was used too. He asked for a hug. I didn't find anything wrong with it. Then he started kissing me. Now that got me. I didn't know how to react expect to kiss him back. I don't know when but sometime we moved up to his bedroom."

Emily sat silent listening to what her mother was telling her. Her eyes watering.

"The next morning I woke up alone in the bed. I went downstairs. he was sitting at one of the computers. He acted like he was thrilled about the night before. I saw what was the computer screen then. It was of what we did that night in his room. He got up and started to leave. I started yelling at him asking what was going on, he hit me. Then he took his mask off. He wasn't Rollie. He was Victor Loubar." Angie was crying now, tears running down her checks. "Later that day Rollie turned up again. Loubar had drugged him, put him in a three day coma. Rollie didn't know right away what had really happened. He just thought Loubar hit me. That was all."

"I found out where Loubar lived. And I went there. I called Rollie and he didn't want me to go in. Last time Rollie went into a house of Victor Loubar's it exploded, close to killing Rollie and some FBI agents. I went in anyway, got the computer files. Left just as it went off. It was then that I told Rollie what happened but not how. We were at the last stop Loubar had made with Rollie's face, the place that catered Red Storm. I was in the van, when I figured out what Loubar's real plan was. I let something slip. Rollie found out the truth then about that night. He didn't know what to do or say. I wouldn't let him talk."

"We found the hotel Loubar was staying at. As Rollie went in, Loubar came out. Rollie chased Loubar though Central Park. I find Loubar's gun on the ground. And while Rollie and Loubar were fighting in the lake, with the same face, I ended up shooting Rollie in the shoulder. Loubar got away. I told Rollie nothing had changed."

"Everything was okay for two months. Then I found out about you. I was scared to tell Rollie. I gave a note to Mira, then a detective, to give to him. She went by right after taking me to the airport and my flight was delayed, so he had enough time to get to the airport. He talked me into coming back here to talk. And I'm glad I did."

Angie continued to tell Emily the rest of the story, up to the time Loubar was supposedly killed.

"So, you two really did love each other? You and Rollie?" Emily asked, her mother.

"Oh, yes. Dearly." Angie replied, holding her daughter's hands. "We both loved you too when you were born and even before then. Rollie already had you spoiled rotten, by the time you were a week old."

"I'm really sorry we didn't tell you. We both agreed months before you were born you'd never be told about Loubar. As far as we were concerned Rollie Tyler was your real father." Angie explained, drying the tears from her daughter's eyes. "I can understand you being upset with Rollie, your father, I am too, but for different reasons. Please talk to him."
 

Part Nineteen

"So, who's that young man that your brother is down there glaring at?" Angie asked, as she and Emily stood at the top of the stairs about to go down.

"Anthony Cox. My new partner." Emily told her smiling.

"You like him, don't you?" Angie said, smiling, receiving a horrified and embarrassed look from her daughter. "Okay, okay. But I'm not gonna wait forever for grandchildren. God, knows, your brother isn't doing anything about it."

"Mom!" Emily replied, rolling her eyes, and starting down the stairs. She had to admit her mother was right about her brother. he wasn't even sure if the guy had even been out on a date yet. With the exception of her and her mother, David, was extremely shy around the female species.

"Cox, this is my mother, Angela Tyler." Emily said ot Anthony walking towards the loft, with her mother following.

"Hello, Anthony." Angie replied, shaking his hand, looking him over.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Tyler." He replied, smiling at the older and smaller woman.

"Dad, can I talk to you.... alone?" Emily asked Rollie.

"Of course." Rollie replied, catching she said 'dad'. He stood, giving his wife's shoulder a gentle squeeze, as he followed his daughter up the VR chamber. For many years, that was the place he and Emily would go to talk.

"So, Anthony, Emily's told me so little about you. Start at the beginning." Emily heard her mother say to Cox, sitting down next to him on the couch, as she and Rollie went into the VR chamber.

"I'm sorry about getting mad at you before." Emily started.

"No, don't be. You were just feeling hurt. I understand that." Rollie told her, looking at her in the eyes. "You look so much like your mother, you know that? Your blonde hair. Blue, green eyes."

"When you look at me do you see him? Loubar?" Emily asked, slowly.

"No! You look nothing like him. Honestly. Even all that temper of yours, I can tell comes totally from your mother." Rollie told her, brushing some of her hair out of her eyes. "Yes, there are a couple of moment's when I see you with your gun, like last week, at Midtown South, gun raised on the man who had your partner. I may get a glimpse of Loubar then. But I see your eyes. They NEVER have the same hatred in them as Loubar always did."

"How could you raise me? And Love me? Knowing I had the blood of you enemy in me?" Emily asked, starting to cry.

"Sweetie, you may have his blood, but you don't have his heart. You have a heart of kindness and gentleness. You have your mother's heart. I could tell that the moment I looked at you for the first time. I knew you'd be the total opposite of Loubar. And I was right." Rollie told her, sincerely.

"I love you, Daddy." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck, tightly.

"And I love you, sweet heart." He told her, his face buried in her shoulder length hair.

Their favorite program running, as they stood there holding each other tightly. It was of images Rollie he collected over the years of Angie. That was Rollie's and Emily's favorite program. They would sit in the VR chamber together and talk, watching that program, many times.
 

Chapter Twenty

Emily and Rollie came down the stairs from the VR chamber and immediately went over to the kitchen where they heard noises coming from. David was sitting at the counter cutting vegetables. Angie was by the stove stirring something. Rollie started to pick at the carrots David just got done cutting up. Angie turned around staring at her daughter asking her a silent question, while Emily smiled back silently answering the question.

"Where's Anthony?" Emily asked, looking around the loft, standing next to her brother.

"Outside." Angie replied, as David was just about to speak.

"Thanks." Emily said, about to turn and go outside, looking down at her brother who was cutting onions and crying. "Wimp."

As she stepped outside a gust of spring air went passed her. It left good, it was getting hot in the loft. As far back as she could remember the loft was always hotter than it should be. Her father always had a hard time with cold weather. She liked it. It sure left better than hot weather at least. Emily remembered, when she was little, in the winter, after everyone had went to bed she would go downstairs and change the thermostat so it wasn't as hot. And then in the morning when it was just at the right temperature Rollie would change it back and start complaining about the cold and Angie and Emily would roll their eyes.

Emily spotted Anthony by his car, hanging up his cell phone.

"You called the captain?" It was more of a statement than question.

"Yeah." Anthony confirmed. "He wasn't as half as mad about you coming her against orders. He didn't even yell."

"What did he say?" Emily asked, Captain Gatti was a very close friend to the Tyler family, she knew he would've understood her coming here, needing to talk to her mother and father.

"To keep a good eye on you." Anthony replied, trying ot sound serious.

"Oh."

"So, you get things worked out with your mother and Tyler?" Anthony asked.

"I think so. I'm beginning to understand why they didn't tell me. It still hurts, you know. But you were right." Emily told him, smiling.

"I was? About what?" Anthony asked puzzled.

"That DNA and blood doesn't make a father. That love and being there does. I was just too upset to see it. I do now." Emily told Anthony, leaning against his car, head tilted up, looking up at the sky. "Thank You. I know I've been a pain the past couple of days."

"The past couple of days?! ha! You've been a pain since I got here." Anthony replied smiling and laughing.

"I have not!" She replied, receiving a 'yeah right' look from her partner. "Okay. So maybe I have. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I bet your sorry. You enjoyed being mean to me. I could see it in yours eyes." Anthony replied, still smiling, advancing on her as she started to back away, smiling too.

"Okay so maybe I did. But I really didn't like you." Emily answered, as she made a circle around the car, then broke out in a ran as Anthony started after her.

It didn't take long for him to catch her, from behind, his arms wrapped around her waist. He turned her around so they were facing each other. They were both laughing.

"Let go." Emily said.

"First answer my question." Anthony said. "You like me now?"

"Yes!" Emily shouted, laughing trying to get away from him. Then she did something she wish she didn't. She looked up in his eyes. And he looked down into hers. They both stopped laughing. They were so close to kissing again........ till a throat being cleared interrupted them. Anthony and Emily both turned to see David standing by the door of the loft, looking at them disapprovingly. The two young detectives parted from each other.

"Mom, wants to know if your planning to stay for dinner, Detective Cox?" David said, glaring at the man.

Anthony looked at Emily, then back at the younger man. "Sure." He answered. maybe that wasn't a good idea, but the captain made it really clear in his last phone call to him that as long as Emily was planning to be at the loft Cox had to be in sight of her at all times.

"He doesn't like me, does he?" Anthony asked, as David went back into the building.

"Not really. Just ignore him. He's been that way since I went out on my first date at fourteen. He ended up punching the kid in the nose." Emily told her partner, thinking back to her first date.

"What?" Anthony asked subconsciously touching his nose.

"Yeah. I was coming back from my date. And I was this close to getting my first real kiss, when my brother opened the door and pulled me inside and hit the boy." Emily replied nonchalantly.
 

Chapter Twenty-one

After a pleasant dinner of stew at the loft, Anthony and Emily went back to his place. Emily quickly fell asleep on the couch.

By morning she was up before Cox. Looking out the window she saw it was going to be a nice day. So, changing into her running clothes and leaving Cox a note she left the apartment. Unaware she was being watched.

Cox was starting to get worried. He was sitting on the couch with the note Emily left him in his hand. It had been two hours since he woke up. She hadn't returned. The note said she just went for a jog, she'd be back soon.

He had the phone in his hand. He didn't know who to call first. Her parents. She could've been there. But what if she wasn't? He didn't want to worry them right now. He made his choice. He'd call the captain.

"Captain Gatti." Came the response on the phone.

"Captain, it's Cox. We got a little problem." Anthony started. "I think Emily's missing."

"What?!" Gatti exclaimed loudly, from his office at Midtown South. "You were supposed to be watching her Cox!"

"I know. I woke up this morning and found a note on the coffee table. She said she was going for a jog. I woke up two hours ago." Anthony explained. "She could just be at her parents, But I didn't want to call. In case she isn't there."

"Okay. You stay there. Call me if Emily shows up. I'm gonna go to the loft. I'll call you if she isn't there." Francis said hanging up.

Anthony had now started pacing. Emily hadn't shown up yet. And he didn't get a call yet. Oh, just great. he should've watched her better.

The young man was startled out of his thoughts by the phone. "Cox."

"Detective, get down to the precinct now. Emily wasn't at her parents. They're with me here at my office. " Gatti told the young man, quickly.

"Yes Sir." Anthony replied hanging up and rushing out of his apartment.

Emily woke with a strong headache. What the hell happened? She was in a dark room, tied to a hard chair. She remembered running. Then she passed a alley, she was pulled back and that was all she remembered. Maybe Victor Loubar finally got her.

At that moment the door opened. By the size of the person, it was a man. He stepped into a shimmer of light.

Oh god, Emily thought. This man was defiantly not Victor Loubar.
 

Chapter Twenty-two

Anthony rushed over to Midtown South, and immediately went for his captain's office. On his approach he saw Mrs. Tyler, sitting in a chair, and her husband, standing behind her, with his hand on her shoulder.

Stepping in, and shutting the door behind him, he was quickly pushed back against the closed door, by David, who had been standing on the side of the room.

"I thought you were supposed to be my sister's great protector! And now she's missing! Right from under your nose! It's you fault!" David shouted, being pulled away, by his father.

"David, stop! Get hold of yourself." Rollie told his son. He was just as upset as David, but he wasn't going to take it out on the young detective.

"David, why don't you go get me a cup of coffee?" Angie asked, looking at him, as he stared at Anthony hatred clearly showing. "David. Go."

"Mr. and Mrs. Tyler, I'm sorry about all of this. Your son is right, Emily's disappearance is my fault." Cox apologized.

"No, it isn't your fault. Emily knew she was in danger. She made the choice to go out jogging, alone. You had no way of knowing. You were sleeping. And we didn't expect you too stay up twenty-four hours straight keeping an eye on her." Angie tried to calm the younger man, taking his hand. She really wasn't mad at him. It wasn't his fault. She knew that. He did what he could. She saw it in his eyes. Anthony Cox cared deeply about her daughter.

Anthony stared at the older woman and then her husband. These people didn't blame him for their daughter's disappearance. But he blamed himself. And he wouldn't stop blaming himself till Emily Tyler was back safe and sound.

"Hello, Emily, dear." The man said, smiling. "Long time no see."

"I thought you were in prison." Emily said coldly.

"I was. But now i'm not." He replied.

"What do you want, Clay?" Emily asked the man. This man, Jonathan Clay, the man who had murdered her roommate and best friend in college.

"I want you of course." He replied coming closer.

Emily tried to kick out, as he got closer, she found her legs tied to the chair. Her eyes grew wide, as the man turned on a over head light, and she saw what covered the walls.

"You're the one who sent the pictures of me and messed up my apartment." Emily stated. It wasn't Loubar. It was this man..... a man she never wanted to see again.

"Yes. Who else would it be?" He questioned, brushing his hand up against her cheek as she tried to pull away. "You know, I never got to tell you how sorry, I was for the death of your friend so many years ago. I didn't mean for it to happen. I wasn't even looking for her. I was looking for you that night. I thought it was you who was alone in the college dorm room, not her. My mistake."
 

Chapter Twenty-three

"You know, I wish it was me too, in that dorm alone the night you killed Jenny. Then maybe I could've stopped you." Emily replied, glaring at the man, she hated his guts. She was being strong on the outside but in the inside she was sick to her stomach at the sight of this man. She was starting to wish this man was Loubar and not Clay. Why did she have to go out jogging?

"I'm sure you would've tried to stop me. We can always make up for that night today." He replied, snickering, then whispered in her ear. "And you'll fail in stopping me the same you would've that night eight years ago if you had the chance."

Emily so much wanted to throw up at that moment, but she managed to control herself. She was calmed by looking down at her wrist. She was so happy that her father had convinced her to let him do this........

"Cox, what was Emily wearing this morning?" Rollie asked suddenly, as they were going over Emily regular jogging routine.

"Um..... I don't know. I was still sleeping. Why?" Anthony replied.

"Did you notice if her watch was laying around your place anywhere?" Rollie continued to ask, not giving Cox any clues why he was asking.

"I saw her lay it on the coffee table last night. I don't remember seeing it this morning. But I can't be sure." He answered, puzzled.

"Rollie, what's going on?" Francis asked, puzzled as much as Cox, but he could see Rollie knew something.

"Last night when Emily and I were alone, before she left, I had her let me put a tracker on her watch." Rollie confessed.

"What?! Rollie! You let me sit here worrying over the last forty-five minutes and you have a tracker on our daughter!?!" Angie exclaimed, looking at her husband, shocking Cox.

"Angie, I'm sorry. I just remembered. I was just as worried about Emily. It just came to my mind." Rollie tried to explain, understanding his wife yelling at him.

"Rollie, can you get her signal on where she is?" Francis asked, trying to break the couple's fight up. Anthony was still standing on the side, a little confused. David was still banished out of the office, sitting at Emily's desk.

"Yeah, if she does have the watch on. All I need is my PDA." Rollie answered, holding his wife's hand. He was trying not to get his hopes up. He knew that a plan could go sour in the matter of seconds.
 

Chapter Twenty-Four

Fifteen minutes later, Rollie returned with his PDA. "I got it." Rollie exclaimed, after clicking a few buttons on the PDA, and showing it to Cox and Gatti.

"It's only eight blocks away from my apartment." Anthony exclaimed. He was starting to jump out of his skin knowing she was so close.

"It's coming from a low class hotel." Rollie said.

"Okay. Cox, your with me. Rollie, Angie, you two stay here." Francis started.

"No. Francis I'm coming with you. She's my daughter." Rollie'd replied sternly standing up.

"Rollie......." Francis said, giving up. He knew it would be no use. It would just waste time fighting about it anyway. "All right. You can come. But you listen to what I say. Angie you stay."

"Yes, Angela. Please." Rollie looked down at her, pleading with her.

"Just go and get our daughter." She replied gripping his hands. She didn't feel like putting up a fight about this. "Go."

Anthony, Francis, Rollie and a few uniformed officers left the building, leaving David and Angie to comfort each other.

Emily watched as Jonathan Clay knelt down in front of her, his left hand resting on her knee, and his right hand stroking her hair. She wanted to kick him. Fight. Anything. But she was tied up. Tied up tight. But her mouth....... Nothing was covering it. She tried screaming. But she just couldn't. No sound came out.

She had closed her eyes by the time he stopped stroking her hair and moved his other hand from her knee. He was now untying her.

"How 'bout we have a little fun now?" He whispered in her ear, picking her up and moving her ot the bed in the room. It made her sick.

It didn't take long for the detectives to get to the location Rollie was getting of Emily.

"Rollie you stay out here. No protests about it." Francis told the Aussie, as he and Cox and some of the uniforms were about ready to bust into the hotel.

Rollie stayed silent, standing by one of the police cars. he watched as the detective's rushed into the hotel.
 

Chapter Twenty-Five

Anthony moved to the left side of the hotel room door the signal that was coming from Tyler's PDA. Francis was on the other side of the door. About three or so uniforms were on each side of Cox and Gatti. They had the manager of the hotel come up with them with a key. He was there unlocking the door now.

"1.... 2..... 3......." Gatti said slowly, gun out. They then busted into the room, eyes quickly settling on the bed.

A man was one top of a rope tied and struggling Emily Tyler, her mouth now stuffed with cloth.

"Freeze! Get off of her now. Slowly!" Gatti shouted at the man, who raised his arms, and was pulled off the bed by two uniforms and handcuffed.

Anthony quickly, moved over to Emily, putting his gun away. First he took the old rag out of her mouth, and then started untying her arms and legs from the bed posts.

"Hey, it's okay now. He's gone." Anthony tried to calm the upset and crying woman, picking her up in his arms, and carrying her out of the room and down the stairs of the old run down hotel.

Rollie was pacing anxiously outside. A few minutes after they arrived an ambulance came to the scene in case it was needed. Rollie looked up, hearing a bunch of noises at the front of the hotel. He saw Anthony come out carrying his daughter.

"Emily!" Rollie shouted, Emily looking up through tear stained eyes.

"Daddy." She replied, at that moment she didn't care who heard her say that. She didn't care if she sounded weak that moment. She just wanted her father. And this whole mess to be over with.

Emily was taken to the hospital to be checked out, even though she looked fine, besides a few bruises. Angie and David had turned up at the hospital shortly after Emily and Rollie did. Emily was laying in a hospital bed surrounded by her mother and father and brother, when Gatti and Cox came into the room.

"How's our best detective doing?" Francis asked, smiling, standing next to her, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Fine." She replied, sitting up, and shooing her brother away, who tried to help her.

"Jonathan Clay has been booked. He confessed to the whole thing." Anthony said, not mentioning the fact he got kicked out of the integrating room for hitting the man, for making rude remarks about Emily.

"So, this had nothing to do with Loubar?" Angie asked, still uncertain.

"Nope." Francis told her. "Turns out a horrible mistake was made on the high security prison's part. Seems, it was not Victor Loubar that escaped, but the man in the next cell. Victor Loubar is dead."

"What?!"

"Yep. Dead. This time it's for real." Francis confirmed, nodding his head.

Rollie put his hand on Angie's shoulder, gently squeezing it, as she looked over at her daughter, who was staring down at her hands, that were folded in her lap. Angie watched as Emily looked up at Anthony then, taking hold off his hand, smiling. The mother then turned her head and glared at David, who sitting in the corner pouting, also watching the exchange between the two detectives.

The next day Emily was released from the hospital and was staying at the loft for a few days. David decided to stay in New York till his cast came off his leg, which would still be a few more weeks.

Two days after Emily release from the hospital, the Tyler family was invited at the Gatti's house for dinner. All of Frank's and Sarah's girls were in for the weekend.

Emily went outside, sitting on Frank's porch swing. She looked up hearing someone step up on the porch. It was Cox.

"Hi." He said quietly, walking towards her.

"Hi." She replied, as he sat down next to her.

"I think I'm late." he said, looking at his watch and glanced at the front door.

"It's still gonna be some time before supper is done." She replied, knowing he was also invited by the captain over for dinner.

"Okay." He said. "So, how you doing?"

"Good. The bruises on my wrists and ankles are going away." Emily told him, nodding her head. "Captain Gatti, says I can come back to work next week."

"That's good." Anthony replied.

"What you looking at?" Rollie asked, coming up behind his wife, as she stood by one of the front windows looking out.

"Our daughter and her partner." She replied, smiling.

"Oh?" He said, raising his eye brows. They seemed closer after the last week.

"Those two remind me of us." Angie told her husband, as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she leaned her head on his shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, Angie saw David, who was in hearing distance of his parents, stand up and start for the door.

"David John Tyler, sit back down and leave your sister alone." Angie told her son sternly.

The End for now