'What a day,' Frost thought, as he buckled his seatbelt.  The plane 
was preparing for takeoff.  It hadn't been cheap, but he had managed 
to get a chartered flight back Los Angeles.  He looked across the 
aisle to where Doyle sat.  

Doyle was straped into his seat.  His hands were holding onto the 
armrests as tightly as he could manage.  He still couldn't do 
anything for himself.  
 
"Doyle?"  Frost asked.  Doyle's eyes fluttered open. "I just thought 
I'd warn you, we are about to take off."
 
Doyle nodded slightly then closed his eyes agian. 
He had only said one thing the entire day.  
 
The Black Coach had shown up outside Gran's Inn
during the night.  It hadn't taken long for the three to eat 
breakfast and say goodbye.  Frost had half guided, half carried
Doyle out to it, settling him onto one of the back seats.  
Laurella had gotten in behind Doyle.  Frost chose to sit up front, 
in the driver's seat.  He had decided to give the other two 
sometime to themselves.  It had only taken thirty minutes for the 
Coach to get to St. Louis. Barinthus had been waiting, with Cel.  
Frost had politely tapped on the window.  He then waited a moment 
before opening the door.  Laurella stepped out.  It was obvious she 
had been crying.  She went quietly to Cel, never saying a word as the 
two went inside the building. Barinthus had driven them to the 
airport.  Frost sat in the back with Doyle.  Once there, it had taken 
a matter of minutes to board the chartered plane.  That was when 
Doyle had said it.  He had looked up at Barinthus before boarding the 
plane and whispered hoarsely, "If she can find a way to love him, 
tell her I said she should.  It will make it easier.  And tell him 
that if he ever hurts her, it won't matter who's son he is."
 
Frost shuddered as he thought of that.  He had never
seen Doyle look scarier then he had when he had said the last part. 
Barinthus had nodded and left.  They had boarded the plane.  Doyle
had not said another word.  
 
The jolt of the plane touching down in Los Angeles jarred Frost 
awake.  He glanced over at Doyle to find him looking at Frost.
 
"Do you think you can handle your guns?"  Frost asked.  He had known 
Doyle wanted weapons.
 
Doyle nodded.  Frost went in search of the two bags that held Doyle's 
weapons.  Finding them, he helped his friend slip on the shoulder 
holster that held two of Doyle's smaller guns.  He wasn't sure his 
friend had the strength to actually draw them yet. 
But he knew that if it came down to it, sheer will counted for alot. 
Doyle would somehow run a marathon right now, if it would keep
someone he cared about safe.
 
The plane taxied to a complete stop and the pilot opened the outer 
door.  Merry, and Rhys stood waiting at the bottom of the steps.  She 
ran up them when she saw Frost standing there.  He grabbed her to 
him, and held her tightly.  "I missed you," he whispered.  
 
She pulled back.  "I was scared, Frost.  Next time something happens, 
we will come up with a different plan.  I don't think I cared much 
for yours.  I don't like not knowing, and being scared."
 
Frost laughed.  He kissed her gently and then turned to help Doyle.  
He saw the look Doyle threw Frost when he saw that only Rhys standing 
outside.

"Where's the others?"  Frost asked.  
 
"They are out on various assignments for Jeremy. Rhys is going to 
St. Louis to help Andias dispose of Kevames.  He will go back on the 
plane that brought you here.  It'll just be the three of us for two 
or three days,"  Merry replied as she picked up one of the weapon 
bags and started to head to where she had parked.
 
"So I will need to go with you to work for the next few days?"  Frost 
asked.
 
"No, I took the week off.  There has been a lull on assignments that 
are good for me, so I decided to use up some vacation time."  
 
"We all thought the two of you could use sometime alone after all of 
this," Rhys added.  "Hopefully you can figure out who set those traps 
for Merry, and then we can get to the bottom of all of this mess."  
He grabbed his bag out of the trunk and headed back to the plane.  
 
They all climbed into the car, Frost and Merry in front, Doyle in 
back.  Frost quietly filled Merry in on all that had happened as they 
drove, occasionally sneaking glances at Doyle.  He appeared to be 
asleep.     
 
Merry shut the car off when they were in front of the house.  Without 
saying a word, the two got out of the front seats and carried the 
bags in.  Merry went to her room and turned the covers of her bed 
down.  Kitto was in the corner.

"You need me to sleep elsewhere, Merry?" the little
goblin asked.

"Can you keep watch tonight, Kitto, and wake us if
you need to?"

"Of course."  He quickly went out the door, as Frost came in carrying 
Doyle.  Merry went to their room.  She returned with two pairs of 
sweatpants and a large tshirt.  She gave Frost the sweatpants, and 
grabbed a pair of hers out of a drawer of her dresser.  Frost changed 
his clothes.  Then he helped Doyle change.  He settled Doyle into the 
middle of the king-size bed.  Frost then climbed in himself.  Merry 
came out of the bathroom and climbed in on the otherside of Doyle 
from Frost.  It didn't take long for the three of them to fall into 
an exhausted sleep..