Lanie sighed contentedly as she finished typing up her report. She'd been looking forward to tonight all week. She'd been on days and Dave had been on nights which meant they had limited time together for the last seven days, and she was looking forward to her next two days off. The second one would be devoted to a family night, but tonight, the first one, would be just for her and Dave alone.

She saved her file, then clicked 'Print' to print off the finalized report for Pearlmutter, shoved back from her work bench. She loved her children with all her heart but that was not the only reason she was happy to be getting off shift on time tonight. She was thrilled because the kids had been invited to Miss Agnes' house with Nessa for a kids-only sleepover, something Carey, Violet and Finn always looked forward to. It made them feel grown-up and special that they had their own little dates away from their parents to just be kids. And Agnes, who had grown in leaps and bounds in the two years since her return to New York to be there for her family, absolutely loved having the little ones around. It made her feel needed and useful, fulfilling the purpose and reason she'd moved back in the first place.

Lanie scratched her head as she walked down the hallway to Shane Weaver's autopsy theatre and stopped by the door as she listened to him; the newlywed was clearly on the phone with her beloved who had returned the previous Sunday to Princeton to begin her next semester of medical school. The shine of Shane's wedding ring bounced off the fluorescent lights from above.

'Yeah, I remember physio-four being a real bitch too, Lex...yes I've got the reminder set in my phone this time, not like back in March... yeah I remember that one from the honeymoon, it was a favuorite of mine.'

Lanie cleared her throat and Shane glanced up, nodded. 'Lanie's here, my sweet, so I gotta run... I love you too, I'll see you Friday. Bye.'

'Married life looks good on you so far, Shane,' Lanie said with a song in her voice as she moved over to the printer to pick up her printout. 'How's the distance going so far?'

'It's the same as ever, hellish to be apart and fun when we're reunited,' he replied, running his thumb over his ring. 'I'm going to see her on Friday night, I'm finishing days and start nights on Saturday, so day-trip. Keep up with her laundry and make sure the fridge is full of things other than juice boxes and granola bars and instant fish.'

'You're a good husband, Shane.'

'You've got two days off now, right? Any special plans?'

'Date night with Dave tonight. We're going to Mercadito Grove, place where we had our first date.' Lanie gave a little wiggle. 'Only this time, since it's not our first date, we both know without a doubt the other's going to put out.'

'That sounds like dirty Doctor Seuss.'

'Hilarious yet accurate.'

'Well, while you're having hot bean dip and hotter sex with your man tonight, I am prepping for court so think of me missing Alexis.' Shane gave her a playful pout and Lanie gave his shoulder a shove.

'Big baby, you'll see her in three days.'

'Not soon enough.'

When Lanie arrived home with her work bag on her shoulder and a smile on her face, she wasn't at all surprised to walk into the sounds of Dave, Carey and Violet trying to get Finn to take his bath.

'Come on, Finn, you like bubbles!'

'No! Wan' Mama!'

'Well, Mama is not home now, Finneran, you have to be a big boy like me and do it anyways.'

'No!'

'Zachariah Finneran, here's the deal. Bath time is no or no going to Miss Agnes' house.'

There was a lull, and Lanie could picture it perfectly as she slipped off her shoes - Carey and Violet standing by the tub with Finn pouting in the tub while Dave sat on the closed toilet lid. Rather than give her youngest son an escape hatch, she hung back to listen to the conversation out of sight.

Sure enough, there was a little bit of light splashing, followed by the movement of water and Finn's resigned little voice. 'O-kay Daddy, you coo'.'

'I'm cool? Well gee, thanks son. Carey can you get me a towel?'

'Uh-huh.'

Lanie waited in the hallway and saw Carey come barreling out of the bathroom. He saw her, opened his mouth to cry out she was home but Lanie held a finger to her lips, beckoned him towards her. 'Hi Mama!' he hissed happily. 'Daddy said we need a towel for Finn in his bath. We are packed and ready to go for our sleepover but Finn was being a mule about his bathtime.'

'Okay, you go get his towel, I'm going to go get changed but don't tell Daddy I'm home yet, okay?'

'You wanna surprise him?'

'Exactly.'

Carey nodded, his green-and-brown eyes serious, and he scrunched his left cheek up so he winked at her with the green one. 'You got it Mama.'

Lanie shook her head as Carey retrieved the towel and Lanie slipped into the bedroom where she changed out of her suit, sniffed at herself. She'd mostly teaching that day, working with the newbie MacKenzie Baccarin, showing her how to be efficient in her autopsies while still being thorough. She'd watched while the girl worked her way through the procedure, never flinching as she'd made cuts and removed organs, taking samples for testing. The bottom line - she didn't have the usual chemical stink she had clinging to her skin when she came home after a day in the lab so she would probably be okay with a change of clothes and an extra spritz of perfume.

She stood in front of her closet and heard the rush of water in the pipes - Dave had pulled the plug on the tub which meant Finn had survived a mama-less bath so she went into the hallway and saw her entire family coming out of the bathroom. Finn saw her first and clapped his hands from his spot in Dave's arms.

'Mama! Mama home!'

'Hi Mama!' Violet raced over, squeezed her mother around the legs. 'Were you at a cuh-rime scene today?'

'No, I was in the lab, baby.'

'That's why you suh-mell like that.'

Lanie made a show of sniffing her armpits, looking at Violet. 'I thought I smelled like me.'

'Violet has a very sensitive nose, Mama,' Carey reminded her. 'Remember, she could smell the funny smell at Nona's and she realized the gas was out on the oven?'

'Vi-let nosy,' Finn added in solidarity, make Lanie and Dave laugh. 'Daddy, nee' 'lothes.'

'Okay, okay, we'll get you fixed up. Hello, gorgeous.' Dave paused to give Lanie a three-second kiss which had Carey and Violet both wrinkling their noses.

'Okay, that is enough, Daddy, save it for when you are alone,' Carey admonished his father, then grabbed Violet's hand. 'Come on, we'll pick out a movie to take for Nessa.'

Lanie watched her two oldest children go off, then followed Dave into Finn's room where he immediately began to fasten on a diaper for the boy and pick out his clothes for the night. 'How was your day with the babies?'

'We had a great time, didn't we Finn?'

'Uh-huh.' Finn nodded at his mother. 'We go park.'

'You went to the park?'

'Uh-huh. Give dickies 'nacks.'

'We fed the ducks that god-awful bread my mother insisted we take home after our last visit to Albany,' Dave explained for his wife and saw her nod in both agreement and understanding, then turned to look at Finn. 'The duckies loved it, though, right?'

'Dickies love!' Finn clapped his hands cheerfully. 'Nom nom nom. Daddy, poppin?'

'I think you're allowed to have a little popcorn tonight, Finn. It is a sleepover movie night, after all.'

'Yea!'

When Dave had finished changing him and dressing him, he set Finn on his feet and watched him scamper out in search of his big bro and sister. Alone with his wife, he swooped her into his arms, let his hands clamp over her round backside. 'Hello Doctor.'

'Hello Paramedic.'

'So happy for some quality you and me time tonight. You need a shower?'

'Nah, I'm okay.' Lanie stretched to her tiptoes, gave him an enticing kiss. 'More where that came from later, sexy.'

'My hot chocolate goddess,' Dave murmured and stole one more juicy kiss; it was perfectly timed, too, as his lips had just left Lanie's when he heard Carey holler for his parents.

'Mama! Daddy! We are all ready to go to Miss Agnes' house and visit Nessa!'

Lanie and Dave gave a soft laugh,, still in each other's arms. 'Just think,' she said, 'a whole night kid-free.'

'I wonder what kind of trouble we'll get into.'