Brian gave Mia a slight smile and nodded. "You, too."
He placed his hand on her arm before she could leave and looked her in the eye. "No more stunts, Mia, okay? If he shows up you call me, nothing more. Promise me that."
A little softer he added. "I don't want you to get hurt."
Then he pulled her into a hug before he turned and left.

He stopped her befor she could enter the room. "I promise I will call you if I see Sam," she let him know as he hug her, Mia return the hug and whisper to him one last time. "Take care," Finally, they separated and she walked inside the room. "Ma´am, there´s something you need to know about your son..."

As to be expected Sam wasn't at his apartment as Brian found out after picking his lock. He didn't find many personal items there, no sign of his kids anyway.
Brian took a moment to look through drawers and the desk. He found a few receipts and kept one for the credit card number. There was no phone or computer, which was a good source of information. Sam was a pro, he knew how to leave no traces.
The only thing useful were a few pictures of his during his military time and then with his mother. There was also a girl in the picture who looked like it could be a sister or girlfriend.

Brian took it and then left the place.
He gave Mia a call. "He's not here, nobody's here. I'm coming back to pick you up."

Soon he walked down the hallway where she was sitting holding a plastic cup pf machine coffee. With hanging shoulders he stated. "I guess he didn't show."

She sat in the waiting area after breaking the news to Sam´s mom feeling bad she had to know who really Sam was. She tried to relax but it wasn´t working, she really hope Brian found those babies. Mia was sure Sam was going to show up... after all who wouldn´t run to their mother´s side knowing she was in danger but then again, he couldn´t risk getting caught.

She looked down at the cup of cold coffee in her hands as she answer her phone. "Okay," was all she said before she ended the call. Moments later he showed up. "No, he didn´t show..."

"He's not going to." Brian answered truthfully. "He knows we're here plus he's busy holding my kids hostage." His voice was dripping with bitterness and sarcasm.
Holding out his hand he waited for Mia to take it. "Did you tell his mother?"

Together they walked down the hallway all the while Brian was struggling to keep his nerves and fear in check but he felt like he was running a marathon because his heart was beating so hard.
His own hands felt sweaty against hers and when they stepped outside and looked at his parking job they found the car right across the white parking lines with one wheel on the curb.

She took his hand and exited the hospital. "I did," it was hard to hide her sadness remembering how she explain the situation to Sam´s mom. "Poor woman..." She eyed Brian, he was trying so hard to appear calm on the outside, his sweaty hand revealed how he was really feeling.

It was no surprise when she noticed too how the car was parked. "I´ll drive..." he was in no condition to do so, she waited for him to place the key in her hands... she didn´t know what else to do, where to turn...

Brian couldn't feel for Sams mother. He had no compassion for anybody who was related to the guy but he remained silent. The woman didn't concern him.

When Mia held out her hand for the car keys Brian only looked at her blankly. He was willing to hand her the keys because she was calmer than him but he asked. "Where to?"
Now that they checked both locations that were known to him he didn't know where to search.
Leaning his back against the door he reached into his pocket and handed it to her.
Covering his face with his hands he tried to think where else to go or whether to call the police.
"Do I report this? Should I get his face plastered all over every TV station?" Brian already knew the answer so he pulled the door open and slumped into the passenger seat.

"I don´t know either..." There was nothing else they could do, nowhere else to look for Sam. She didn´t answer his question because they knew it wouldn´t do any good to go to the police... He had to sleep, but he was going to refuse. Honestly, where could they go at this time? She ran her hand through her hair, she was tired, worried for those kids. She couldn´t imagine how Mira must be feeling...

Mia seemed just as clueless and helpless as he was but her presence was the only thing that still kept him going. Without Mia Brian would have crashed already.
He didn't look at her but he choked a few words out. "Thanks for being here right now."
Brian didn't need to elaborate any more why or how, nor could he. From one second to the next he broke down crying. Brian hardly ever did but now he was crying like a little child, sobs violently shaking his body while he burried his face in his hands. It was embarassing but he couldn't hold it back any longer. If a guy was ready to cut off his brothers fingers, what would he do to two little babies that actually still needed to be in the hospital?
The more he thought about it, the more he got lost and couldn't stop his desperate tears.

OOC: Some character development?

He was suffering a lot and they knew nothing about his kids, it killed her too to see him like this. And Sam... first torturing Jack and now stealing the babies, but if he wanted to kill them, he would´ve already done that, wouldn´t he? And sent proof to Brian, right? "I will always be there for you no matter what..." she let him know once his sobs subsided wiping away one of his tears with her thumb. She waited a little more for him to calm down... afraid to start driving wanting for him to let it all out, his rage, his pain, his desperation and frustration.

Brian didn't want to face her even though she said that she'd always be there. It was good to hear but the wrong moment.
Instead he reached for the door handle and got out of the car just to lean his back on it and get some air because he felt like this situation was suffocating him.
Hardly ever had he felt this desperate although there had been a few hairy moments in his life and times when he wished that he had never become a cop or friend of Dom for that matter.
It took him a few minutes to calm down and get a grip on himself before he got back into the car.
"All we can do is make sure Jack comes through with the money."
He finally pulled his shirt up to wipe his face clean and then looked at her.
"Thanks."
When she started the engine Brian didn't say anything anymore, nor did he talk or look at her. Just out the window. The houses and cars washed by forming one big, long blurr before he passed out from exhaustion.

Five minutes into driving she looked at Brian just to find him asleep and decided to drive around town for a little while instead of going straight home, the streets were all empty, it was rare to see a car around at this time. She kept driving getting near and looking at the Starbucks Sam used to go to.

She then made a U turn going straight home. She parked and took a look at her house then at Brian, the sound of his lights snores only confirm to her it was going to be hard to wake him up and out of the car.

The weather was nice too making it harder for her to exit the car, so instead she stay tiredness wining over her and soon she was asleep too.

Well, Dom made his case to Jack about going to the hospital, but the guy simply wouldn't budge, and Dom wasn't one to force a man from his will. Hell, he hated hospitals himself. So instead he walked the house perimeter a few times, shotgun in hand, making sure no one got any ideas to come to sneak around in their backyard. The rest of his time was spent sleeping along with Jack in the living room, and left Cole to watch duty. How that guy wasn't absolutely exhausted was beyond him, mob work must have made him accustomed to long nights.

Soon enough though, he heard the sound of a familiar engine, which brought him out of his light sleep. He finally got up when after 15 minutes or so there was no one coming through the door. Looking outside, he saw Brian's Subaru, and the figures of two people in it. If nothing else, at least it looked at though they had made amends. He stumbled outside along with Cole and made his way to the car. To his surprise, both Brian and Mia were out. They probably couldn't have picked a more dangerous spot to sleep. He gave a solid knock on the passenger side window. "Get up." He commanded through the glass.

The hours or so of sleep did Brian well but it made it all the much harder to wake up to the harsh reality of his life. So he ignored the first knock and drifted back off to sleep but when the second one sounded right next to his ear he drousily opened his eyes trying to figure out where he was. The inside of his car and to his left mia in the driver seat. She was sleeping as well with her dark hair cascading over her face, shoulders and body.
"Always a pretty sight." He said to himself before He turned his head to see her angry brother staring into the car.
He gently shook her. "Mia, wake up."

Brian opened the door rubbing his face. His eyes were still red rimmed and he was visibly exhausted.
"Sorry, fell asleep."
Then he turned back and waited for Mia to get out as well.

Without Dom asking the question he tried to hide his emotions by simply stating. "We didn't find them. Where's Jack?"

She wished she had more time to sleep, her eyes felt heavy and couldn´t help but groan as Brian started to wake her up. "What..." she started to say rubbing her eyes. It took a little for her to get out of the car.

She closed the door and covered her mouth with her hands as she yawn, noticing Dom was there too, he didn´t look happy. Mia didn´t bother to say a thing to her brother, the last thing she wanted to do was start a fight.

Dom's obvious first concern was Brian's children, but he hastily answered that before he had the opportunity to ask. His answer gave one hell of a sinking feeling to Dom, though he had to say that he wouldn't have expected the kids would be easy to find. "He's inside." Dom answered rather disinterestedly about Jack. "You have to have an idea of where the kids are if you know who took them." Dom slightly raised a brow, if push came to shove with the man who took them, then so be it.

Dom began walking back to the house. "Let's get inside, sleeping out here is stupidly dangerous. "

Dom's words almost sounded insulting, as if they hadn't tried everything they could to find their babies.
"We checked everywhere we knew. Nothing. Okay? So back off." Brian pushed passed Dom knowing damn well his friend was almost as worried as he was but his nerves got the better of him once again.
Inside he briefly stopped to cast a nasty glance at his brother who had the nerve to sleep right now. Maybe he was as exhausted as Brian was.

He turned to see a very tired Mia walk in and asked. "Can I sleep upstairs for a bit?"

Soon he passed out on Mia's bed emotionally and physically exhausted. Brian had no dreams, no nightmares, he didn't wake until the next morning. But when he woke, he woke with a start because the reality of what had just happened hit him like a slap in the face. A glance at his watch confirmed that time was running out.

Downstairs he found the others half awake having a coffee to get ready for the big day.
"Any calls?" Brian enquired hoping that there would be none unless they were good.

"Dominic!" she looked at her brother, giving him a look to shut up. How could he say that? Brian was right they checked everywhere. She shook her head as she entered the house. "Yeah go ahead," she told Brian s he went upstairs, Mia had no energy to walk a few stairs so she slept on the couch.

The next day she was the first one to wake up, little by little the guys started to wake up giving them a cup of coffee. She took a sip of her own coffee and look up as she heard footsteps coming from the second floor. "No," she said to him placing her cup on the sink.

Thankfully Brian accepted a hot cup of coffee from Mia and sat down on the kitchen table. For a moment he let his eyes linger on her. She's was still wearing yesterdays clothes and her hair was all over the place. Brian guessed she had slept on the couch. No wonder he had taken up her bed and there was no way in hell she's share it.
"Sorry for taking over your bed."
He pulled out his phone to see whether Mira had called but nothing so he decided to call her.
With his coffee in his hand he walked outside and called her explaining what had happened the night before and enquiring about any news. Mira sounded upset but also angry so Brian warned her not to make any stupid moves.

When he was done he came back inside where he found the rest of the bunch gathering.
"We're running out of time. I've made a decision last night. I'll go with Jack to recover his stuff. We have to make damn sure he gets it back so we get my kids back from Stephano. Mira's dad has something planned to take the guy down. I think our best bet is if you, Mia and Dom, go to the race and help Cole. The more of us there, the more of these mobsters we'll be able to eliminate."
He rubbed his eyes with his index finger and thumb before he looked up at the others. "I have to say thank you. I don't know what I'd do without all of you."
This time roles were reversed.

Getting up that morning was rough. Cole wanted nothing more than to lay in bed for practically the rest of the day. Hopefully this would be over after a day or two, the constant stress just wore him through, though he thought his emotions must have been minor compared to what Brian was dealing with, poor guy.

He lazily stepped out into the living room just in time to see Mia handing out coffee. Graciously he accepted and took a chair among everyone else, keeping quiet at first. They all basically watched Brian as he stepped outside to handle his call, and listened as he made his declaration. "That race is going to be dangerous, I'm not sure it's worth it for you guys to put yourselves on the line there. I can handle myself." He said definitively, sometimes he was more independent than what was good for him, but he felt he had this handled between him and Hobbs. Besides, all he was really doing was providing a distraction.

At first, Cole hardly registered what Brian said at first, but then he replayed his words and his expression suddenly changed. "Wait, why the hell did we wait until now? If you had the damn shipment the whole time then why hold it?" Cole asked to Jack in particular, obviously irritated that this whole mess could've been avoided.

OOC: I kinda have to alternate between posting Cole and Dom guys, otherwise it gets to be too much...