Outside in the van, Tyler, Joe, and Miranda sat down in the chairs that Tyler had set up in front of his surveillance equipment.
Tyler grinned at Miranda, "It sure is good to see you, cousin of mine, so what happened? We have been worried sick about you."
"I just woke up out of a coma a few days ago," she told him, using her normal voice, "the day you had my memorial. I flew home the next day, and here I am."
"So, did you surprise the hell out of everyone?" he grinned.
Miranda laughed. "Yes, my chief fell out of his chair."
Tyler laughed, "I can only imagine. I suspect Stratton now knows who you are."
"He does, but Cole is really slow on the uptake."
"I noticed, so where should we start?" he asked.
"I don't know," she said. She pulled out the original chip and handed it to him.
"This wouldn't have anything on it."
"No, probably not, how did you get this?"
"Stole it from Tyrone after I shot him."
"How did you escape?"
"I shot Tyrone then ran out and told everyone that there was a mutiny, they believed me. I jumped into his car, and took off."
Tyler laughed. "A mutiny?"
"Yeah," she grinned.
"So, where else should we look for that number?" Tyler asked
Miranda then remembered the necklace in her pocket.
"I think I have something," she said, but as she went to pull it out, Tyler's phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey Tyler, look there was a call that just came in and someone said that there are people sneaking around Tyrone's place, go check it out, the three of you," the Chief told him.
"We're on our way," he said.
He turned to Joe and Miranda. "Boss says there are people at Tyrone's so he wants us to go over there."
The two nodded and Tyler hopped into the front seat of his van. The other two buckled up and they were on their way.
Inside the precinct, Cole sat at his desk pondering. Suddenly he felt like he had just been punched in the gut. That woman was Miranda. He would bet his life on it. The things she had said, and the things that the Chief had said, it only made sense.
He ran to the Chief's office. "I'm headed over to Tyrone's also," he said.
The Chief nodded, "I'm sending more backup," he told him as Cole ran out the door.
As they pulled up to the mansion, Miranda took a deep breath.
"Bad memories, huh," Joe said.
She nodded.
"You don't have to come in you know."
"What, and miss out on the fun? Of course, I am coming," she said and took off her sling.
"Is that a smart thing to do?" he asked as they got out of the van.
"Probably not, but I can shoot easier without it," she pointed out.
He nodded and the three snuck up to the crumbling home.
Tyler moved aside the police tape and the three walked into the house.
As soon as the three walked in, they heard a noise coming from up the stairs. Tyler put his finger to his lips, and the three crept up the stairs. He was the first one into Tyrone's room.
"Hands up, FBI," he said. Miranda heard a thump on the floor of the room, then a man tried to run out, but Tyler took him down with the butt of his gun. Miranda then noticed a door down the hall open, a man stuck his arm out and fired at them.
Miranda fired back and took off after him. He was just climbing out of the window when she ran into the room.
"Hold it right there, and drop your weapon," she warned him.
He turned slowly around.
"I said drop your gun."
He grinned suddenly and she hit the floor as a bullet whistled over the back of her head, hitting the man headed out the window, instead of her.
He crashed through the window to the outside, then Miranda kicked back, bringing the man behind her to his knees.
He grunted and grabbed her leg. She kicked him in the face with her foot. He swore at her and went for his gun. Miranda then kicked him in the groin.
"You stupid witch," he growled and lunged for her.
She moved out of the way, as he grabbed her hair, pulling off her wig.
His face went pale. "You, you are dead."
"That's right, I am a ghost."
"If you are a ghost, let's see if you feel pain," he snarled, and pulling out a wicked-looking knife, he leaped at her. She was still on the floor and shot him as he leaped.
He fell by her. "You are a ghost," he whispered.
"No, but you are," she told him as he took his last breath.
"A ghost huh?" said a voice in the doorway.
She looked up and smiled.
"Cole!"
He grinned at her.
"Hey, stranger. I see you took him down, I was coming to your rescue, but I see I wasn't needed."
She nodded and turned back to the man, feeling for his pulse. He was dead.
"I missed you," Cole admitted to her.
"I missed you also," she smiled at him.
She then heard a noise behind Cole and aiming her weapon, he thought for sure she was going to kill him. "Duck," was all she said.
The look on her face and the determination in her eyes scared him.
She shot her gun. He waited for the pain, but there was none. But he heard a thump behind him.
He turned to see a man, dead on the floor behind him.
Joe appeared in the doorway behind Cole.
"You two okay in here?" he asked.
Cole nodded and stepped aside.
"Yes, barely. I thought Miranda was going to shoot me in the head, but she took out that guy," Cole said, pointing to the man on the floor, a bullet in his head.
"Thanks," Cole said, pulling her to him to kiss her, but instead she pushed him away. "Stay here," she whispered and hurried away.
The men then heard a gunshot and hurried after Miranda.
When Miranda had walked into the room, a man had been looking out the window. He turned when he saw her and fired his weapon, hitting Miranda.
She dropped to the floor. Chuck lowered his weapon and went absolutely pale. He had just shot a cop.
Joe and Cole ran into the room and saw Miranda lying on the floor, blood spreading from a wound on the side of her head.
"Chuck! You just shot Miranda you stupid fool!" Cole yelled.
"She surprised me," he said lamely.
Cole knelt by Miranda. "Joe, get the ambulance here now!"
Joe nodded and pulling out his phone, he called for help.
Cole ripped off his shirt and held it to Miranda's wound.
The pressure on her head woke her.
"Ouch," she said.
Cole laughed in relief.
"Hey, you scared me there," he admitted.
"Chuck just nicked me, I think. Good thing he's a bad shot, or I would be dead."
"Chuck is going to be on unpaid leave for a month for shooting an officer," Cole growled.
"I am so sorry," Chuck said, kneeling down by Miranda.
But she wasn't even looking at Chuck, she was watching Cole, and he was watching her.
"I love you," he told her.
"I love you," she said, closing her eyes.
"Stay with me Miranda, I don't want you dying on me, I want to marry you," he told her.
"Marriage huh?" she asked, keeping her eyes closed.
"I love you, Miranda. I really missed you, and I apologize for the things I might have said or done while you were pretending to be your decoy, and after. You almost died so many times since I saw you last, and it tore me in two. I almost died when that chopper went down. I love you with every bit of my soul, Miranda Dylan."
But she didn't hear him, she had blacked out.
Cole leaned over her and pulling her into his arms, he wept.
Tyler and the Chief walked into the room then and saw Cole holding Miranda, her head covered in blood.
Tyler went very pale.
"Is she?" he asked.
"No, but she is bleeding a lot. Chuck shot her," Cole said angrily.
"What?" the Chief yelled loud enough for the whole house to hear him.
"Chuck, as of now you are on unpaid leave for a month," he growled.
"I am sorry Chief, but she surprised me."
"That is absolutely no excuse. If she dies I will personally prosecute you for her death. I mean it, Chuck, she is the best damn cop this country has, she has survived everything, and then a stupid rookie cop has to be trigger happy and shoots her in the head. What the hell were you thinking?"
"I obviously wasn't," he mumbled.
"Obviously, now get out of here before I get even angrier."
"Yes sir," he said, and standing, he left the room.
The paramedics came into the room then and gently loaded the unconscious Miranda onto the stretcher. Cole followed them out, feeling awful. He couldn't let her die, and if she lived they would have some serious making up to do.
Tyler found Cole another shirt in his van, and Cole slipped it on as the paramedics loaded Miranda into the ambulance. He climbed in after her. She was awake again.
"Hey," Cole said, sitting down by her.
"Hi," she whispered.
"How's your head?"
"How do you think?"
"Sorry, dumb question, how's your shoulder?"
"It wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't landed on it when Chuck shot me."
"Your shoulder?" the paramedic asked.
"I was shot in the collar bone a few weeks ago," she told him.
"We'll make sure it is x-rayed when we get you to the hospital," he assured her.
The ambulance turned on its lights and sirens, and two police cars pulled out in front of them to lead the way.
"Wow, police escort," the paramedic grinned, "you must be something special."
"She is very special," Cole acknowledged.
When they pulled up to the hospital, several nurses and two doctors were waiting for them. They helped get Miranda into the hospital and rushed her down the hall.
"I love you, Miranda Dylan," Cole yelled to her departing figure.
Joe, Tyler and the Chief walked in then.
"They take her into emergency already?" Tyler asked.
Cole nodded. "Yeah, they did."
"Idiotic Chuck," the Chief muttered. "I should have his head."
About an hour later, Miranda came walking out. Her arm was back in the sling, and she had a bandage wrapped around her head.
"Hey," Joe said, jumping up. "Aren't you supposed to be staying here?"
"Joe, you know how I hate hospitals, and besides, I'm not dying. I lost some blood and banged up my collar bone again."
"You look awful," he told her as he kissed her cheek, as he eyed her blood-soaked shirt and very pale face.
"I know, can we go back to the hotel? I need some rest."
"I would like to take my girl back to the hotel if that is okay," Cole said, glaring at Joe, but Joe didn't relinquish his hold on her.
"If you need anything," Tyler said, looking at her in concern.
"I will let you know, for now, just some sleep. Then we will get to work."
"Okay," he told her, then leaning down he kissed her. It was something he had always wanted to do, and he didn't even care if Cole was watching.
She smiled at him, making Cole grit his teeth with jealousy.
"Nice Tyler, but it felt like kissing my brother," she teased.
"Ouch," he said, "well, at least I know where I stand."
"Yeah, me too," Joe said, "she told me the same thing when I kissed her once."
Tyler laughed. "Maybe we should start a 'shunned by Miranda Dylan club."
Miranda shook her head at the men, "Would you two quit it? I am really tired."
Joe grinned, "Yes princess, let's get you back to your palace."
"Joe," she warned.
"Don't mess with her," Tyler grinned. "I hear the warning in her voice."
"I know, whenever she says, 'Joe,' in that tone of voice I know I am in trouble," he grinned down at his partner.
"You had better believe it," she told him, "now come on."
He nodded and the two of them headed out, followed by Cole.
Cole rode with Miranda and Joe since his car had been taken to the precinct by another officer.
Cole sat in the back seat with Miranda. She laid her head against him and he pulled her closer so she was comfortable.
When they got to the hotel, the same one that Miranda had been in before, but a different room, Cole carried her inside. She tucked her head against his chest as he carried her up to her room, grateful she was going to be okay.
Joe took the key and opened the door for them, and Cole walked inside with Miranda. He then took her to the bedroom and laid her onto the bed.
"Thanks, Cole," she whispered.
"Anytime my love."
"Get some rest, I'll be next door," Joe told her and left the room.
Cole leaned down and kissed Miranda softly. "I'll pull out the couch so that I can keep an eye on you, okay?"
She nodded sleepily. "Okay," then she closed her eyes and fell asleep.