All recognizable characters in this fic are property of Showtime. I claim ownership only to the story written and any characters not recognized (OC).

Season 8, Episode 4: Untouchable

"Brian, my brother. I haven't seen him since I spared Jonah's life over a year ago in Nebraska. Our ill-fated road trip ending with him disappearing into the night as I drove back to my life in Miami."

His imaginary sibling approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder before speaking to his internal thoughts.

Brian: "Just look at you now, unafraid to go against what Harry Morgan would want you to be. Finally, you are beginning to embrace who you are and what you truly want. It's the freedom that I always wanted for you, Dexter."

Dex stared out into the dark ocean while feeling his brother's hand squeeze his shoulder to further drive home his approval of his actions.

"Is it? As I recall, you wanted me to go on a mindless killing spree just to watch the blood flow. I hope you're not expecting that of me now. Just because I'm going against Harry doesn't mean that I'm throwing away the life I built. I want to add to it with Hannah, not destroy it."

Brian smiled and let out a chuckle before sitting down on the side of the boat with his arms folded.

Brian: "You don't think I know that, little brother? Just because you haven't seen me in over a year doesn't mean that I haven't been with you since. How else do you think you came up with a plan for Hannah to beat her charges so quickly?"

Moser used an index finger to tap against the side of his own head to show that he was the master mind behind Dexter's plan to help Hannah. Brian had never left his brother's side, yet it had been Harry's view that would win out to dictate Dex's actions.

"Impressive."

Dexter smiled slightly at the idea that he had come up with the plan to aid his girlfriend thanks to his dead older brother. The idea of the proverbial devil and angel on each of his shoulders was quite comical when he stopped to think about it.

Brian: "In fact, if you would have listened to big brother, Brian, more often than you would never turned in the woman you claim to love so deeply for the selfish and neurotic Lieutenant Morgan. Honestly Dexter, I don't know why you didn't let Hannah finish what she started. You took care of Daddy McKay, she takes care of foster sister, Deb; Killing in the name of love, it brings a tear to my eye."

Dexter's smile quickly faded as he moved away from his brother's hand before muttering a reply:

"Well you better wipe that tear away, because it's not going to happen. I took away Deb's evidence against Hannah, she's no longer a threat. I'll make sure Hannah knows that."

Satisfied by his reply to his brother, Morgan sat down at the helm of his boat and fired up the engine. With a broad smile, Brian took a seat in the back of the boat, his arms stretched out across the length of the back cushion as Dexter began to turn the boat back around.

Brian: "You, Hannah, and Deb: one big happy family, huh?"

Dexter allowed the sound on the boat's motor drown out his brother's remark. He needed to get back to Hannah with a late dinner and an explanation of the day's turn of events. There was much for them to discuss.


The Homicide division of Miami Metro was quiet. The fluorescent lights overhead were all out except for the one inside Lieutenant Morgan's office. Other than Debra, Sergeant Batista was the last officer to be calling it a night. He let out a sigh, turning off his desk lamp before putting on his signature fedora hat. Instead of heading for the elevator, Angel walked in the opposite direction toward the Lieutenant's office. He knocked softly before entering.

"Deb?"

There was Debra fast asleep. Her head lying in the sea of paperwork that littered her desktop like it was her pillow. Her name being called out through the silence did not even cause her to stir. She was out.

While Batista didn't like disturbing her, he didn't want to leave her sleeping in the office for the night. Quietly, he walked over to her and then gently gave her a nudge. The movement caused Morgan to awake abruptly. A printed out copy of her warrant for Arlene's cell phone records stuck to the side of her face when she lifted her head. She swatted it off before focusing her eyes on Sergeant Batista.

"Fuck me, what time is it?"

"About half past nine. You should call it a night. Vamos, I'll walk you to your car."

Debra brought her right hand up to her face to massage her forehead. She must have over indulged with her Xanax prescription yet again. The scary thing was that she had no recollection of even falling asleep. Her plan had been to stop by the court house immediately after work to have a judge sign off on the warrant. So much for getting that done today. She promised herself that she would make it a top priority tomorrow.

"Okay, let me just grab my stuff, I'll meet you at the elevator." She finally replied.

Angel nodded. Judging by the disheveled paperwork on her desk, he figured that she needed to put it all into some kind of order, maybe even packing it all into her work satchel. Debra was always known for taking her work home with her.

The first thing that Deb did when he left her office was grab her purse from the confines of the bottom desk drawer. She let it plop in front of her, unzipping it with one quick motion She paused for a moment. Her eyes darted over to the top right drawer. Reaching over, she slid it open. The orange clear cylinder bottle of Alprazolam snapped into her focus immediately.

What was she doing? She should just leave it in the office for the night. How many doses did she take that day? One or was it two, or maybe three. She couldn't remember. Debra shook her head and then forcefully closed the drawer. She then began bunching all of the paperwork into unorganized stack that she then shoved into her nearby work satchel. Removing her cell phone from her purse, she checked for any notifications. There were none. So much for her big brother checking up on her. She hadn't seen him since the morning crime scene, and he clearly did not see the need to touch base with her. Deb thought about calling or texting him, but decided against it.

After muttering a single obscenity, she tossed her phone back into her purse. She thought that having Maria's blood on her hands would have made Dex open up to her more, since she did it to protect him. She had been wrong, in fact, he had become even more distant; preoccupied with his own agenda, whatever that was. She was being left in the dark.

Debra felt her chest tighten as a wave of sadness and disappointment flooded over her. She gave a few staggered breaths in an attempt to calm herself down so she didn't lose her composure. Batista was waiting for her at the elevator, she needed to get out there before he came back to check on her. Her brown eyes fell to the same draw she had closed only moments before.

"I fucking need it." She muttered to herself aloud as justification.

Deb threw the drawer open and snatched her medication. With the bottle in her purse, she was ready to head out. At least she knew that she would be able to get some sleep tonight. A beer and a few pills would make sure of that. It was something that she could count on for comfort, unlike her selfish, serial killer brother.

Debra stared blackly at the closed metal doors as she stood in the elevator with Angel. She didn't want to look him in the eyes or even have small talk with him. Batista was a great guy. He always looked out for her like she was his little sister. This wasn't even the first time he had walked her to her car when she was pulling a late night at work. But that was before. Before Deb killed his ex-wife in cold blood. God, if he knew that she was the one responsible for Maria's murder. That thought was enough to make Debra take another Xanax right then and there in the elevator shaft. She wanted to get out of there. The time it took them to descend to the ground level of the police department felt like an eternity. And then finally, the bell chimed, and Morgan moved immediately to the exit like a race horse out of its gate.

"¿Cuál es tu prisa? Deb, slow down, don't make an old man hustle." Batista called after her as he too began to walk briskly.

Debra decreased her stride upon his request. Using her casted left hand, she swept a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"Sorry, I just want to get out of here. We sure as shit spend enough hours in this place as it is." She explained as the exited the building.

Both of their automobiles were parked in close proximity. Debra was still driving an issued unmarked police vehicle after her BMW was totaled thanks to Hannah's attempt on her life. Fucking Dexter should have to buy her a new Beemer. She loved that car. Dexter. Why was her mind constantly shifting to him? As she began driving the streets of Miami, she started to wonder where her brother was at that very moment. It was well into the evening so it would make sense that he was home with Harrison. Well, that was where he would be if he was a loving, responsible father.

As if on autopilot, she began driving in the direction of her brother's apartment complex. Shit, she didn't need an invitation to check in on him and Harrison. She was family. And just because Dex was being an ass, didn't mean that Harrison had to go without seeing his aunt. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but perhaps part of the reason she was going there unannounced was because she just didn't want to be alone.

Sooner than she expected, she was standing in front of apartment 10B. A few knocks on the door and it was Jamie who greeted her from the other side.

"Oh, Deb, hi." Jamie piped with a look of surprise on her face. The random visit from Dexter's sister was unexpected.

"Hey, I just stopped by to catch up with Dex. I was so busy I didn't get to see him today at the station." explained Morgan while cocked her head to the side to peer into the apartment behind the sitter for any sign of her brother.

"Oh, well Dexter is working late tonight. I don't know when he's coming home, but you're more than welcome to come in and wait for him."

"Fucking great..."

Jamie looked a bit confused as she moved from the doorway. Little did Dexter's nanny know, Deb was sure her brother was out committing a murder to pacify is own egotistical need. Of course, the needs of his family weren't a priority. She wasn't the only one being neglected, little Harrison was too.

Upon her entry, Morgan looked around the tidy main living area. There was no sign of her nephew, only his toy trains that were neatly lined up along the coffee table. On the same surface were a few lit candles. The lights were dimmed and the television was on but set to a low volume.

"Where's Harrison?" questioned Debra without even considering the obvious answer.

"He's asleep in his room. You can go in and check on him if you want. You don't have to worry about waking him up, he's a pretty sound sleeper."

Deb folded her arms in front of her before venturing to peek into her nephew's room. Despite the fact that she couldn't see herself having any children in the future, she loved spending time with Harrison.

There was a small glow in his room thanks to his sailboat nightlight on his bedside table. She crept in quietly and peered down at the sleeping child. Harrison looked so innocent and peaceful in his slumber; He knew nothing about his father's heinous deeds and Debra vowed to keep it that way. Dex had already destroyed so many lives, including hers, in the wake of his "dark passenger". She would do whatever it took to protect her nephew from that same fate.

When Deb went to fix his covers, his small red fire truck fell to the floor. She smiled and remembering how it and Thomas were his two favorite toys. She bent down and retrieved it. It was when she went to place the toy on the nightstand that her eyes focused on a picture of her brother and Hannah McKay.

"What the fuck?" She muttered silently.

In one quick motion she snapped up the framed photo. Due to the nightlight, she could clearly see both Dexter and Hannah's smiling faces as the posed together in what looked like Hannah's garden. Just the sight of her face made Debra want to smash the framed photo into a million pieces. She restrained herself from doing so, only because of her sleeping nephew. Why was this still in the house, let alone in Harrison's room?

Deb heard Jamie speaking out from the living room. She figured her brother had finally arrived home. And what perfect timing it was on his part, he had some explaining to do. With the picture still in her possession, she walked back into the living room to meet them. Much to her surprise, it wasn't Dex who had arrived, it was Joey Quinn.

"Sorry I'm a little late. I had a shit ton of paperwork after we had a break in a double homicide."

He leaned in and gave Jamie a quick kiss on the lips, completely oblivious to the fact that his ex-girlfriend and superior was standing only a few feet away.

"Are you kidding? You brought over Bacardi, all is forgiven." She giggle taking the brown paper bag from him that contained the booze for the evening.

Quinn chuckled before bringing his lips to her neck for a few quick kisses, but Jamie moved away from his advances when she noticed Debra standing there awkwardly like a third wheel.

"Oh Deb, I'm sorry. I invited Joey over tonight to hang out since Harrison is already in bed. Dexter knows and he's okay with it." apologized Jamie.

When Debra's presence was made known, Quinn immediately retreated from Jamie. His eyes were then focused intently on Morgan before he decided to speak up.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were gonna be here." Joey admitted sheepishly.

"It's fine. I just showed up looking for Dexter." Debra muttered before quickly shifting the topic to the framed picture that was still in her hand. "I found this in Harrison's room. What was it doing there?"

"Oh, that's suppose to be on Dexter's desk. Harrison loves looking at that picture. He really misses Hannah." Jamie explained reaching out for the picture, which Debra moved.

"This belongs in the fucking trash along with everything else having to do with Hannah McKay. Dexter and Harrison will get over her soon enough without shit like this in the apartment." Deb argued holding to frame up while she spoke.

"That's for Dexter to decide." Jamie answered back plainly before finally succeeding in gaining possession of the photo. She moved to place it back on its usual spot on her boss' desk.

Dex had already made his decision when he chose to give her the evidence to put Hannah away forever. It made no sense for him to keep anything from that poisonous relationship. He should be moving on, counting his blessings that neither her or Harrison were killed because he had been thinking with his dick.

Debra scoffed and was about to make a rebuttal, but quickly thought better. The fact that Jamie was Angel's little sister as well as Harrison's main caretaker kept Deb from flying off the handle like she was so used to doing. Besides, the young woman obviously had no idea who Hannah McKay really was. The girl was blindly putting her trust in what Dexter had told her about the situation with Hannah.

"I'll take it up with Dexter." muttered Deb.

Without saying another word, Morgan took her leave. She didn't even bother to acknowledge Jamie when she told her that she would let Dexter know that she had stopped by. It was completely unnecessary, because she was going to call him. As soon as she got into her car, she found his number from the contact list of her phone and hit the 'call' button.


Dexter stood motionless at the foot of the bed where Hannah was sleeping. She was lying just like he had left her when he came to remove the hefty bags from the motel room. And now he was back with a late dinner that he had already setup for her at the table. Brian stood by his brother's side, but was looking at his younger sibling instead of Hannah.

Brian: "Are you just going to stand there and watch her sleep?"

"She's sleeping so peacefully. Even in this dimly lit room, she looks so radiant. It's almost as if she's glowing in the darkness."

Brian let out a chuckle before he moved to take a seat in one of the hotel room chairs. He then commented back:

Brian: "Well, you did knock her up. First Rita and now Hannah. I'm guess good ol' Harry and Doris Morgan never had the talk with you about protection. "

The sound of Dexter's cell phone ringing brought him back from his imaginary dialogue with his brother. He quickly removed the phone from his pocket to view the caller. It was his sister. The noise caused Hannah stirred in her slumber. Dex quickly tapped the "ignore" button to send the call to voice mail before moving to the side of the bed. He sucked in a breath of air and held it while watching her eyes flutter open to meet his.

"Hey." Hannah whispered giving him a weak smile.

"Hey." He echoed in an exhale. His mouth pulled into a grin. "Brought you a late dinner."

"Thanks."

Hannah's eyes shifted and she turned in the direction of the room corner where he had left the hefty bags piled that were no longer there.

"I already took care of that while you were asleep." Dex commented, knowing right away what her question was going to be.

She let out a tired sigh and laid flat on her back, closing her eyes again. There was a moment of silence between them before Dexter spoke out again in a whisper.

"You were right." He admitted.

"About what?" She asked back, her eyes still closed.

Slowly, Dexter brought his hand to her flat stomach. He gently caressed her abdomen with his fingertips where their unborn child was growing. His touch caused her eyes to open and snap to his like they were guided by a magnetic force. Hannah smiled wide as her blue eyes began to glaze over with tears.

While it has her who had voiced the belief that she was pregnant, part of her wouldn't let herself believe it. It was some sort of self preservation. Not allowing herself to get excited about the possible pregnancy would ensure that she couldn't be devastated when she lost it. But after the blood test, Dex was telling her that this pregnancy was indeed real. She only hoped that this time would be different.

"Really?" She asked in a gasp like she was wanting him to say it out loud.

Hannah sat up. Leaning forward, she rested her forehead against his. And then, she cupped her hand over his giving it a loving squeeze that was followed by his verbal confirmation.

"We're pregnant." He breathed in an exhale.

She giggled with delight before pressing her lips to his. They both sighed in unison as she brought her hands to his face. The tender kiss lasted only a few seconds more until it was broken by Hannah. Her eyes cast away from his; her happiness being replaced with a sense of sadness.

"Are you okay?" Dex asked, sensing the sudden disconnect between them.

Hannah hesitated for a moment before turning her focus back to her lover who was waiting patiently for an explanation of her sudden change of emotion.

"So what happens now, Dexter? I can't hide in this shit hole forever." She pointed out in a low voice that mirrored her feeling of hopelessness about the situation.

"You won't have to." He muttered back with a slight raise of his eyebrows before continuing. "I didn't just throw those hefty bags into the ocean tonight."

Her eyes narrowed. What was he talking about? She had no idea. Instead of asking, she allowed him to further explain.

"The aconite laced pen: The one piece of evidence that the police have on you. I took care of it."

Hannah's mouth fell open in response to his admission. Had Dexter really just gotten rid of the single piece of proof that she poisoned Sal Price? Did he really blatantly betray Debra and steal police evidence for her?

"So it's really gone?" She asked before biting softly on her lip.

"Just the cap, I replaced it. Any retesting of the pen for aconite will come back negative. I couldn't just make the pen disappear from evidence. If I did, Miami Metro would know that one of their own had taken it."

"Tampering with evidence, won't Deb suspect you? She wants me in prison more than anyone." Hannah commented, mentioning the obvious.

"Don't worry about Deb. Without tangible evidence against you, she's no longer a threat."

She raised her eyebrows and smirked and then replied to him.

"Seriously? What makes you think that will stop super cop Debra from coming after me, especially if she finds out that we're still together?"

"Because I won't let her." Dexter quickly retorted in a low voice.

On his face, Hannah saw a look of sincerity. She couldn't help but give a slight smile in response to his words. He was actually saying that he would protect her from his adoptive sister. If only he would have stepped in when Deb first starting threatening her with jail, so much could have been avoided.

"Deb will eventually realize that she no longer holds the moral high ground. Her hands are no longer clean, even if it is because of me." muttered Morgan when his eyes shifted away from his girlfriend's gaze.

Hannah's face contorted into a look of confusion. Dex had hinted that Debra was very stressed out over something besides her escaping from police custody the morning after they reunited. She wondered what the Lieutenant had done that would have knocked her off her self-righteous pedestal of justice.

"What are you not telling me?" She finally questioned in a whisper.

"Deb killed Captain Laguerta. Maria found out I was the Bay Harbor Butcher and had warrants for Deb and my cell phone records. I had an elaborate plan where I was going to lure Laguerta into the shipping container that I killed Estrada in and Debra just showed up with her gun drawn. Maria told her to shoot me, but she couldn't do it." divulged Dexter with a faraway look in his eyes.

McKay's jaw dropped before her lips slowly curled into a smile. The irony was almost poetic. The same cop who had stood before her in a court room and called her a liar and a killer ended up killing an fellow cop to protect her brother from the law. Debra Morgan really was a hypocrite.

"She killed the Captain? How did you get her out of that one?" chuckled Hannah as if what he had told her was joke.

"I made it look like Estrada and Laguerta killed each other in a struggle. The FBI is in charge of the case and they are already wrapping it up. I took care of all the loose ends that would possibly put Deb or me at the scene."

"And the Bay Harbor Butcher investigation?" She inquired.

"It died with Laguerta. I destroyed all of the evidence she had when I was erasing all ties to her murder."

"Wow, sounds like you always think of everything. It makes me wonder how you're going to help me beat a murder charge."

Dexter smiled menacingly before pulling Hannah into his arms so that she was now straddling his lap. He gave her a quick kiss before he spoke.

"Trust me, I have a plan. I would never have fixed the evidence if I didn't. Everything is in my control." He voiced with confidence before bringing his mouth to her neck.

Hannah grinned as a soft moan escaped her mouth when she felt his wet kisses traveling up along her neckline. His assertion then eliciting a hushed response from her:

"Of course it is. You're untouchable."

Her words caused his kisses to cease. He brought his hands up to her head, sweeping away her blonde locks of hair on either side of her face before responding.

"I am, and soon you will be too." Dex promised, flashing her a mischievous smirk.

Hannah mirrored his facial expression before bringing her hands to his collared shirt. Her fingers began to fiddle with the buttons. He remembered the fact that he had returned to the motel room with a late dinner for her.

"Don't you want to eat the food I brought you? A Cesar salad dinner is healthier than the fast food lunch." He offered, not forgetting about her delicate state. He looked down at his shirt as he watched her undo each button, starting with the top.

"That's not what I'm hungry for." She whispered back, making her eyebrows raise, while she continued to undo the clothing.

"It isn't? What did you want?" He asked, wondering if he should have woke her up and asked her when he had first arrived there that night. He was obviously oblivious to her sexual innuendo.

His response made her chuckle. Slowly, she slipped her hands down between their bodies and grabbed hold of him. Dex gasped under her touch, while Hannah brought her lips to his ear and breathed in a sultry whisper:

"I want you to fuck me."

And Dexter gave her what she wanted without the slightest hesitation. Their naked bodies entwined with heated passion that completely consumes the both of them. Unlike the night before, this time, their love making was gentle; without a struggle for dominance nor any blood.

It was after, that Dex shared his plan with his lover. Hannah listened intently as she laid in his arms. He was meticulous with his description of how she would need to set things into motion. Every facet of the plan had to be carried out exactly as he specified if it was going to work.

"You can't stay with me the rest of the night?" She asked with a hint of disappointment in her voice when Dexter left the bed and began to dress.

"I wish I could, but I need to get back to the apartment. I want to be there for Harrison in the morning."

Dexter mentioning his son made Hannah immediately smile broadly. She pulled the wrinkled covers up over her naked body and then spoke.

"Make sure you give him a hug and a kiss from me."

Dex nodded in agreement as he finished getting dressed. Before departing, he gave his girlfriend one final kiss and reminded her to stick to the plan that would begin with a phone call. It was on the drive back to Miami that Brian reappeared to him by sitting in the passenger seat.

Brian: "Remind me why we're going back to your place at three in the morning when you could spent the rest of the night in bed screwing your hot blonde? She's got a great body, little brother, a perfectly symmetrical form, truly a work of art."

Brian had been obsessed with the female form, more specifically the arms and legs. A psychologist would have speculated that it was witnessing a chainsaw tearing apart their mother that had made him a devotee to pieces of women.

"Yes, she does, but I need to be there when Jamie and Harrison wake up."

Brian: "No, you don't. You have a nanny, that's what you pay her for."

"There's no sense in me trying to explain it to you. You never had kid, a family depending on you."

Brian: "You are my family, Dexter. I know that it's going to take you a while to stop behaving the way you think Harry Morgan would want you to. Getting rid of the evidence on Hannah was your first step. You have so much potential."


Just like the night before, Dex successfully slipped into his apartment and completed his usual morning routine. He began cooking breakfast after sunrise and was just about finished its preparation when both Jamie and Harrison came into the kitchen.

"Dexter, wow, breakfast looks great." Jamie commended, before verbalizing her observation, "Another late night at work? I swear, you are the most dedicated blood spatter analysis in the history of the profession."

"What can I say? I love the job." Morgan commented back with a smile.

He then turned his attention to his son who he picked up and spun around in the air. Harrison laughed playfully, he loved it when his daddy played with him.

"I love you too, buddy." Dex added, bringing the three year old into an embrace that was followed by a kiss on the cheek.

Jamie offered to serve the food while Dexter got his son situated in his booster seat at the breakfast table. It was when they sat down to eat that Jamie spoke of Debra's unannounced visit the night before.

"Debra, stopped by last night looking for you. She seemed a little agitated, especially when she found out that you still have a picture of you and Hannah in the apartment. What's that all about?"

Dexter simply shrugged his shoulders before taking a sip of fresh squeezed orange juice. He wasn't about to explore the mutual hatred between Debra and Hannah with his son's nanny. The last thing he needed was someone else in his life being a part of the drama.

"I'll see Deb at work. Whatever is going on, I'll smooth it over."

"Speaking of work, is there any chance you could be home at a decent hour? I'd like to have the night off. Joey wants to take me out to dinner."

"Joey? As in Joseph Quinn?" He then asked narrowing his eyes.

"Yes, I asked you yesterday if you were all right with him coming over. He was here last night. You don't remember?" She replied helping Harrison with his food.

"Uh, no, I guess it slipped my mind. I can be home early, that's no problem."

Dexter's cell phone alarmed causing him to reach for it.

"Crime scene, I've got to get going." He muttered after looking at the display. Dex gave his son a quick pat on the head before reaching across the table to snag a banana for the road.


"A brutal crime scene first thing in the morning. Just another beautiful day in sunny Miami, Florida."

Dexter was eating his pealed banana with one hand while holding his steering wheel with the other. Arriving at the blocked off highway entrance, he was forced to throw his breakfast aside to expose his Miami Metro laminate to one of the officers on the scene. The cop gave a nod before letting him drive down the cleared highway where the Miami Metro Homicide team was gathered.

Immediately, Dex observed that one of the Miami Metro squad cars was a part of the crime scene. As he approached, he saw that the victim was a male officer. Debra was standing next to the body with her arms folded. Rightfully so, she was clearly upset by the murder of a police officer.

"Hey Deb, do you know the story? Officer killed in active duty?"

His inquiry caused her to turn toward him. Dexter's eyes met his own reflecting in her aviator shades. He waited patiently for a few seconds thinking she was going to give him information about the scene, but instead, Debra walked away from him in quite a huff. His narrowed eyes followed after her while he tried to figure out if he had said or done something to piss her off.

"She must still be upset about finding the picture of Hannah last night. If something that small can have that effect on her, I can only imagine how she's going to react when my plan begins to unfold. Deb will probably end up wishing that she never got out of bed this morning."

Batista approached Dexter with Quinn at his side. He too had noticed Debra's behavior:

"She's upset like we all are. He was one of our own, Dex. Carlos Melendez, a upcoming officer who was assigned to highway patrol. This guy had two small children and a wife at home. Esto es desgarrador. We think he was murdered during a traffic stop that turned quickly turned ugly before he could call for backup."

Masuka chimed in as he snapped a photograph of the road with a camera."It was a motorcyclist that he pulled over. At least that's what these black rubber marks on the road say."

After setting his kit down and putting on his gloves, Dexter went to the body and began to give a description of the bloody wounds he had sustained.

"The victim was cut across his abdomen. The location and angle of the laceration suggests that the perpetrator did so while he was sitting on the motorcycle. Dex began to scan its relationship to the tire marks that Vince had pointed out.

Morgan went over to the tire marks and bent his knees to mimic being seated on a motor cycle.

"Looks like Officer Melendez approached the biker from the left. He pulled a blade with his left hand and sliced into him with one quick motion. The blood pooling suggests that the victim fell to the ground immediately."

Dexter moved his arm in the air to reenact the motion the biker had taken when inflicting the wound to the officer. He then stepped back over to where the victim was laying.

"The pattern of blood from the tracks to where the body is shows that Melendez tried to pull himself away from his attacker."

Joey spoke up, making his confusion known, "All this over being pulled over for a ticket? Once the cop was down, why would the guy come after him? Why wouldn't he just take off?"

Dexter explained, making the motions of the crime as he stood over the body, "For whatever reason, he wanted to finish him off. The blunt force trauma to the victim's skull, and the subsequent cast off pattern show that the attack stood over him and repeatedly bludgeoned him with a weapon that had some weight. This was the cause of death, the cut was superficial."

Masuka stood by him and continued snapping pictures of the scene as Angel pointed out a detail:

"Weapon? Like an issued metal nightstick? His is missing from the duty belt around his waist."

"That definitely could have been the murder weapon." Dexter replied with a nod.

Quinn angrily retorted pointing in the direction of the squad car."The fucking savage even busted the driver side window of the cruiser and stole the dash cam and smashed the mounted laptop. He then took the time to write the word 'PIG" in blood on the windshield."

"Stealing the dash cam obviously made him brazen enough to leave a message; Possibly showing his disdain for law enforcement." commented Dex, before coming back with a question:

"Did any witnesses come forward? Somebody had to have seen something."

Batista replied, "Nada, it was called in anonymously and no one is stepping forward with any information. I'd be willing to bet that our perpetrator has gang affiliations."

Joey shook his head in dismay before commenting, "If that's true, we can forget about anyone testifying as an eye witness."

Lieutenant Morgan finally rejoined her team after standing on the sidelines since Dexter's arrival:

"Let's wrap this shit up and head back to the station for the morning briefing. If we want to catch this mother fucker, we aren't going to do it standing around here. We've collected all of the evidence we're going to find here."

The team took the Lieutenant's direction without question, immediately beginning to pack it in. Dexter was quick to reassemble his kit, before hurrying from the crime scene to catch up with his sister.

"Deb, do you want to talk about it?" He offered when approached her just as she was getting in her car.

"No, I wanted to talk last night, but you obviously couldn't even take my phone call!" She retorted in anger, plopping down into the vehicle's driver seat.

"I'm sorry, I had my hands full last night, I should have returned your call, it's just-"

"Go fuck yourself, Dexter! I don't care what your excuse is! I've got a dead cop with no leads in sight. I need to focus on getting justice for one of our own! I don't have time for your bullshit!" Debra hollered, completely cutting her brother off before he could come up with some lame excuse as to why he had ignored her call.

Her rebuttal was quickly followed by her car door slamming shut. Dex stood there silently as the engine started and Debra drove off.

"Deb's under stress. Like Harry, she takes the murder of a cop especially hard, maybe even more so because she knows that she was solely responsible for the death of one. I can only hope that the Melendez case can deter her focus away from Hannah."


When the members of Miami Metro Homicide made it back to the station, they all gathered in the briefing room to go over the details of the Melendez case. Debra played her role as Lieutenant by leading the morning briefing.

"Looks like we have our first break in the case that comes from Carlos Melendez's wife. When we contacted her with the news of her husband's murder, she was quick to inform us that a member of the Aryan Brotherhood had made a threat against Melendez after he arrested him on domestic abuse charges a few months back."

Quinn remarked, "I'll look into the case records, come up with a name. I'd think we should bring him in for questioning."

Batista was quick to reply, "With what evidence? No hair, fiber, or fingerprints were left at the scene. All we know is that the perp was riding a motorcycle. Any idea how many bikers there are in the state of Florida?"

Deb folded her arms in front of her and replied, "Well we can't just do nothing, Angel. This guy's wife said that he was threatened by a white supremacist and guess what, most of those skin head fuckers are bikers. I'd hardly say that it's a coincidence."

Before any members of her team were able to respond to her annoyance, one of the department secretaries came in and whispered something to the Lieutenant. From his seat, Dexter focused intently on his sister. Her face quickly changed from a look of frustration to one of surprise.

"And it's showtime."

Deb spoke to her team before quickly hurrying from the conference room."I have to step out. Batista, you take over for me."

She quickly made her way back to her office with the secretary following closely behind her, letting her know that the call was on hold at her office phone.

"Lieutenant Morgan." She said into the receiver as soon as she took the call off hold.

"Good morning, Lieutenant, I'm Thomas McMullen attorney at law. I represent Ms. Hannah McKay."

"You know that your client is a fucking fugitive from justice, right?" Debra answered back before the lawyer had an opportunity to explain why he was contacting her at Miami Metro.

"I'm well aware of that, I am calling on behalf of Ms. McKay to strike a deal. She is willing to surrender herself if a single condition is met. Now I understand that this issue would have been taken up with the Captain, but I was informed that the position was currently vacant."

"Terms of surrender? Are you shitting me? Is this a fucking prank, because I'm not finding it funny." scoffed Debra as she shook her head.

"I assure you that my client and I are quite serious, Lieutenant. Ms. McKay only wishes to prove her innocence in the crime she was being accused of. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't working out a deal to have a fugitive voluntarily surrender to you make your job all that easier? I'm sure you have other cases to invest your time in."

Morgan took a deep breath before sighing. The lawyer had to ask if she was still on the line before she spoke:

"All right, I'll bite. What does she want?"

"My client is requesting that an independent lab test the one piece of evidence that your department collected. That's all. I have this writing and I can fax it to you. It needs your signature."

"So let me get this straight, Hannah McKay is willing to turn herself in as long as the pen is re-tested by a laboratory outside of Miami Metro?"

"That's correct, Ms. McKay has made it clear that there is reason for her to question the validity of the results and it is due to a personal history with an employee of Miami Metro."

Debra's eyes rolled as she let out a chuckle. It was clear that Hannah believed that Miami Metro had tainted the testing on the Sal Price pen because of her breaking up with Dexter. Deb knew that it had been Masuka who had tested the pen for traces of aconite upon it being logged into evidence. She trusted Vince's forensic knowledge and precision with her life. There was no way that any other lab could find conflicting results. Hannah McKay was simply tired of running, and was now grasping at straws to find a way out. She had to know that she would be caught eventually.

"Fax over the paperwork. I'll sign it and agree to export the evidence to an independent lab for testing."

By the time Debra left her office, the morning briefing had concluded. Dexter knew what had beckoned her away from the briefing. He had decided it would be best to distance himself from the chain of events as much as possible to keep any suspicion of his involvement at bay.

Unfortunately, Deb chose to approach him first with the news:

"Hannah's defense attorney contacted me. She wants to surrender."

Debra's words caught the attention of both Quinn and Batista who were within earshot at their desks. She was studying her brother's face after giving him the news that his ex-girlfriend was giving herself up. Deb wanted to gauge his reaction to see how much he still cared for her.

"Really? Just like that?" Dex asked, narrowing his eyes. He would have to do his best to play the part of the innocent party so that his sister wouldn't see right through him. Luckily, he had a lot of experience doing that.

"Well, with one condition, she wants the pen to be re-tested by an independent lab. Talk about a waste of time and resources, but if it's what takes to bring her in. Once we get her back into custody, there's nothing that can save her from going to prison for the rest of her life." Deb said with confidence.

Debra's words caused Angel to chime in, "Hannah is turning herself in? Talk about making our jobs a lot easier, but why now? It just seems to come out of nowhere, doesn't it? We had no leads to find her, why wouldn't she just skip the country?"

"Don't start questioning it, Angel. Chalk it up as a win for Miami Metro and move on. The last thing I need is for him to tip off Deb."

Joey was quick to offer his hypothesis as he shrugged his shoulders, "Unless she had connections to score a convincing fake passport, there is no way she could leave the country. She probably figured that if she turned herself in now, it would be seen as being cooperative to a judge who would be handing down sentencing. I'm sure her lawyer talked her into it."

Lt. Morgan quickly retorted, "She has charges for first degree murder and escaping police custody, her ass is going to prison for life. This is a win for us. I signed and faxed the paperwork back to her lawyer. She'll be back behind bars before the day is over. In the meantime, let's work on finding out the identity of Carlos Melendez's killer."

As the officers of Miami Metro brought their focus back to the Melendez murder, Dexter began to calmly stroll back to his lab. On his face was a hint of a smirk.

"Deb agreed to the terms of arrest. She thinks that she has Hannah exactly where she wants her. The problem is that Debra doesn't know that I tampered with the Sal Price pen. That's a secret that only Hannah and I share. I almost feel bad for my sister."

When Dexter entered his confined laboratory, Brian was there waiting for him leaning against the his lab equipment.

Brian: "Almost. It's like fish in the barrel, baby brother. It's all too easy. Once the independent lab comes back with a negative test for aconite, the D.A. will have no choice but to drop the murder charge. I can't wait to see the look on Debra's face. I wonder if it will compare to when she found out that, I, her loving fiancé, Rudy Cooper, was the Ice Truck Killer. She never saw it coming."

"Deb won't see this coming either."


It was well into the afternoon when Hannah McKay arrived at Miami Metro with her lawyer. As soon as she stepped of the elevator, Dexter's eyes were immediately drawn to her through his lab window.

"There she is, out of hiding."

Hannah's lawyer stayed by her side as they made their way through the department. Debra had not yet been alerted of her arrival and was still in her office. It was Angel who stepped in to meet them.

"Ms. McKay, I don't know if you remember me, I'm Sergeant Batista. I'll be in charge of booking you into police custody."

Before Hannah could reply, her lawyer stepped in and spoke on her behalf:

"No, the agreement was for my client to turn herself in only after we have the results of the independent lab test. We will be happy to wait until that time."

Angel was polite in his reply, "Of course, I'm sure the results are on en route. We can have you wait in our cross examining room in the meantime. It's right this way."

"I've been there before, I know where it is." Hannah commented, shooting a slight smirk in Batista direction.

In the room, Hannah and her lawyer sat on the same side of the table facing the door. Being a nice guy, Angel even offered both of them a beverage, which they both declined. It was when he was exiting the room, that he saw Debra coming toward him.

"Is she in there? The results should be on their way soon. I want to be in charge of booking her. I was the arresting officer, it's only right." Deb insisted. She was chomping at the bit to throw Hannah behind bars again.

"She is, her attorney is in there with her. Listen, I think you should let me handle this. You're clearly too emotionally involved in this case. Let me take it from here." Angel offered, trying to reason with his Lieutenant.

"Fuck no, her ass is mine!" She hollered back causing quite a stir in the department.

Masuka was seeing what was going on from his forensic station. He quickly moved to peek into the laboratory where he knew Dexter was still working.

"Dude, Hannah McKay just showed up with her lawyer looking smoking hot as ever. Your sister's about to go toe to toe with her in the cross examination room. It's probably going to turn into a cat fight."

"All the more reason for me to stay out of it, Vince. I care about Hannah, but I don't want to get in the way of Deb doing her job." replied Dex.

"Suit yourself, I'm getting front row seats for this chick fight. Huhuhuhuh."

Masuka then scurried to where a group of detectives were already huddled around the TV monitor. They had collectively decided to turn on the monitor the moment Deb entered the room with Hannah. However, much to their disappointment, Batista was quick to come over and shut it off.

"Lieutenant." Hannah muttered. A smirk had been plastered across her face the moment Debra entered the room.

Deb's brown eyes pierced like daggers in the direction of Hannah. Anger burned in the pit of her stomach when she saw how complacent McKay looked. She had remind herself that she was the Lieutenant of Homicide and, therefore, was not permitted to engage in an physical altercation with a woman she so deeply despised. Morgan took a seat directly across from her.

"You can wipe that fucking smirk off your face. The results from the lab will be here within the hour, and when it shows that you poisoned Sal, your ass is going right back to prison." commented Debra as she smiled wide at the thought.

The attorney interjected, "Excuse me, Lieutenant, but comments like that are unwarranted. My client has yet to be found guilty of any crime."

"She did this to me," Deb added, holding up her casted hand, "so yeah, it is warranted. She tried to poison me, just like she did to Price."

Hannah's eyebrows raised. Her mouth pulled taunt into a full smile as she spoke calmly:

"I didn't poison Sal, and that independent lab test will prove it. You've been out to get me ever since you found out I was dating Dexter. Your lab made a mistake and in your Xanax induced stupor, you used those results to have me arrested."

"Bullshit! You faked a seizure so you could escape jail because you knew-"

McMullen interrupted before Deb could finish her rebuttal."Ma'am, I'm going to ask that you again to please calm down."

Hannah began to chuckle slightly. She couldn't believe that Deb was still point a finger and calling her a liar and a killer. If only she knew that Dexter had shared with her about Captain Laguerta's fate.

"Seriously, this again? You know, my grandma has saying: 'the only thing worse than a liar is a liar that is also a hypocrite.' How long do you think you can hide behind that shiny Lieutenant badge, Debra?" asked Hannah, her eyes were narrowed and focused on Deb,

Her words caused Debra to freeze with her mouth parted. Her eyes darted away from McKay's icy stare. Hannah was echoing the same words she had said to her at the court house. This time, however, they were ringing all the more true.

Hannah could see that what she was saying was getting under Debra's skin. She reveled in the fact that she knew Lieutenant Morgan's deepest and darkest secret. Her and Dexter now held all the cards, and his adoptive sister was simply going to be along for the ride.

McKay had no problem lying for her survival. She had done it before when she had been arrested as a juvenile, and now, she was doing it again. She knew how to convincingly play the role of a victim.

"And just so you know, I didn't fake the seizure. It's documented with the hospital that I was brought into the emergency room unconscious. I woke up completely disoriented and I no recollection as to why I was tied to a hospital bed. I was so frightened, I didn't know who I was or where I was so I ran." Hannah explained starting to tear up.

She was the epitome of manipulative with her fake tears. Her defense attorney was obviously buying into her shit as he handed her a tissue from his coat pocket. Debra, however, looked to be completely unmoved by McKay's display of emotion.

Deb sneered, "That was a fucking Broadway worthy performance, I'll give you that, but, we both know that there was no seizure. You knew exactly what you were doing."

Before Hannah's attorney could speak out, the door opened and Batista asked Debra to step out to speak with him. Debra smiled, knowing that the interruption meant that the result had finally arrived. Quickly, Deb left her seat and met Detective Sergeant Batista outside of the room.

Debra commented, "Please tell me the results are in and I can take that bitch to booking."

Angel let out a sigh and paused. He really didn't want to be the one to be the bearer of bad news No one else in the department wanted to be the one to do it, so it had fallen on him. He lifted his fedora hat and wiped sweat from his receding hairline before putting it back on.

"Deb, the results came in. They were sent directly to the D.A. The independent lab's testing came back negative for poison. The word just came down, they are dropping the murder charge."

Deb was in shock. Nothing had mentally prepared her for this outcome, because it didn't make any sense. There was no way that Masuka's lab work could have been wrong. Miami Metro didn't make mistakes like this. Hannah McKay was guilty, she knew it in her gut.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" She shrieked when she finally found her voice.

"I'm not. And we will be lucky if Hannah doesn't decide to sue Miami Metro for our screw up."

"This is bullshit, Angel! She escaped police custody, how the fuck can they think that she's innocent?"

Batista continued on, "Turns out Hannah's lawyer was able to get written testimony from a physician assistant who was on staff in the emergency room when they brought her in. This person verified the legitimacy of the seizure and the possibility of her being disoriented and having temporary amnesia. The District Attorney dropped those charges as well."

"Jesus motherfucking Christ!"

Lieutenant Morgan brought both hands up to her head, while letting out a frustrated sob. Her fingers clawed handfuls of her hair as she felt like the room was closing in around her. She couldn't believe that that bitch was going to get away with what she did. Where was the justice for Beverly Gray and Sal Price? And what about her? Hannah had tried to kill her too. One thing was for certain: the devil was taking care of his own.

After overhearing the news, Masuka decided that he needed to speak up. It was his forensic work that was being disputed and he taking it personally. Forensics, pornography, and tattooing, in that order, were his life.

"Shit, I've never made a mistake like this. She's going to sue me, I know it. It'll be because I'm Asian. We're suppose to be meticulous, not make any mistakes. I'm fucked worse than a prostitute in a donut shop."

Dexter was silently watching the events unfolding in the department. He was purposefully continuing to make himself scarce from the scene.

"The Miami Metro Homicide division is in a panic. They are trying to make sense of it all, but can't. I'm the puppet master pulling the strings as I create a new narrative for Hannah. But there are no strings tying me to the evidence tampering. I'm merely a shadow in the background, unseen, yet still present in the moment."

Batista thought it was best that Debra keep her distance from Hannah. He instructed her to take a seat at his desk while he go back into the room to speak with McKay and her attorney. Deb had agreed. She knew that there was no way she could control herself; self control had never been a tool in her skill set.

Quinn to a seat on the edge of the desk next to Deb. She hissed, "Look at that fucking bitch She thinks she's untouchable; smiling because she knows she got away with murder."

Hannah was grinning smugly as she walked out of the cross examiner's room with her lawyer. Dexter's plan had gone off without a hitch. She stopped for a moment, allowing her attorney to speak with the Sergeant while her eyes scanned the department floor for her lover. And then she saw him in the laboratory window. Their eyes met for a brief moment.

Lieutenant Morgan took note of the fact that McKay was looking in the direction of the forensics lab. Deb peered behind her and saw her brother.

"Oh fuck no..." Morgan breathed aloud before bringing her focus back to the other side of the room where McKay was standing.

The two women's eyes met causing Hannah's eyebrows to raise as if on cue. McMullen tapped on Hannah's shoulder as he voiced that it was time for them to depart. Hannah McKay was a free woman who could go back to her life like the ordeal never happened.

"See you around, Debra." McKay sneered before she retreated toward the elevator.

The snide remark set Deb off like a firecracker. She went to bolt from the chair, but Quinn moved fast to impede her from standing:

"Deb, don't, you're the Lieutenant. You can't make a scene." Joey reasoned getting down to her eye level as she seethed in the chair.

"Joey, either you get the hell out of my way or I'll punch you in the fucking throat!" She threatened through gritted teeth.

Batista made an announcement as he walked back to his desk with a happy Vince Masuka trailing behind him:

"Fortunately for us, Hannah's lawyer made it clear that she has no intention of suing Miami Metro Homicide nor any of its employees."

Masuka commented with glee, "If she wasn't already Dexter's squeeze, I'd totally French Hannah. She's the first woman who decided not to try and press charges against me. Huhuhuh."

Vince's comment caused Joey to shoot him a look of confusion before he spoke:

"You've had chicks try to press charges against you? What for? Wait, forget it, I don't wanna know." Quinn commented, putting his hand up before Vince could respond.

Deb's mind was racing just as fast as her heart rate. Her thoughts kept dwelling on the pen. It had been stored in the Miami Metro evidence locker since Christmas day when her brother had given it to her. Other than Masuka testing it, that's where it had stayed.

"I'm going to go check the logs in the evidence locker." muttered Deb as she pushed by Joey so that she could get up and leave.

She walked away with a purpose, not waiting for a reply from any members of her team. Instead of using the elevator, Morgan raced down the four flights of stairs like they were nothing.

"I'd like the list of Miami Metro personnel who have visited within the last two weeks." Deb immediately told the cop behind the caged reception area.

"Here you are, Lieutenant Morgan, printed names and signatures with the time stamps." The officer said handing the clip board through an opening in the cage.

Without even a 'thank you', Debra began sifting through the various names and dates. It was three pages in that she knew that she had found what she was looking for. Dexter Morgan. Visited lock up yesterday.

Like a woman on a mission, Debra stormed back up the flights of stairs and went straight to the Homicide's forensics lab. She barged in without even pausing to knock. Her abrupt arrival caused Dex to turn and look at her.

"What the fuck were you doing in the evidence locker yesterday?" She hollered, getting right to the point with what she had just discovered.

"I had to go over the new evidence in the double homicide for my blood report that Masuka had already cataloged and stored down there."

Debra narrowed her eyes like she didn't believe a word he was telling her. Her reaction compelled Dex to add an alibi for his story.

"You don't believe me, ask Masuka. He was the one who told me about the new evidence and that I needed to examine it before I wrote the final spatter report. What the hell is going on, Deb?"

Dexter gave his very best 'concerned big brother' look while he pretended to be completely in the dark about what had transpired while he was in the lab.

"Hannah McKay just walked out of my department a free fucking woman! How in the hell does that happen, Dexter?"

"Evidence tampering and story fabrication coming together seamlessly."

"I don't know what you want me to say, Deb. I'm just as surprised as you are."Dex responded in a calm voice. His lie rolled right off his tongue with ease.

Debra's eyes narrowed. She folded her arms in front of her and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down before she spoke again.

"Are you? You were the one that gave me that pen. You knew it was laced with aconite when it was taken in as evidence. The second test coming back negative can only mean one of two things: either the independent lab forged the results or that pen was tampered with while it was in our evidence locker, which you were in yesterday. Guess which theory I'm leaning toward."

Debra's eyes stared right into his when she spoke to him. The look on her face made it clear that she suspected that he was somehow responsible for the charges being thrown out.

"So I voluntarily gave you the pen as evidence to have Hannah arrested and brought up on murder charges and then I tampered with the evidence to get the case dismissed. Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?" Dex asked back with a chuckle, discounting her theory.

"Fuck me, I don't know anything anymore! I'm so losing my shit! I can't-"

Her voice cut off with a strangled cry. She began to sob as she brought both her hands up to cover her face. First one of Miami Metro's own had been found murdered and then Hannah McKay had slipped right through the cracks of justice. She didn't think the day could possibility get any worse.

"It's going to be fine, Deb. What you need to do is focus on the Melendez case. The guy was a good cop, and his killer needs to be brought to justice. You know that Dad would have insisted that the case would be top priority until it was solved. You need to make Dad proud."

Dexter knew exactly what he was doing by shifting the focus from Hannah onto the dead cop. Additionally, bringing Harry into the mix would only further cement the importance of the new case into his sister's mind. If Dex could keep her focused on her work, he could possibly delay the inevitable when his sister would find out that he was back with Hannah.

Mention of her father only caused Debra to get more emotional. Before Dex even had time to react, she pulled him into a hug. She held him tight while she bawled into his shoulder. Awkwardly, he brought his hands to her back and began to pat her in an attempt to provide her with some comfort. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Brian. His imaginary brother was repeatedly banging the back of his head against the wall he was leaning against.

Brian: "This is painfully pathetic, Dexter."

"Deb, I need to get back to work. I promised Jamie that I'd be home with Harrison at a decent hour because she's going out tonight." explained Dex as he pulled away from his sister.

His words caused her to take a step back. Her face was flushed, her eyes already puffy and red. She sucked air in before retorting with voice that was trembling with anger.

"Is everything always about you, Dex? Fuck!"

Dexter's jaw dropped in response to her sudden emotional shift. Her emotions seemed to be on a swinging pendulum; first she was screaming at him over Hannah McKay, then she was crying in his arms, and then she was back to cursing at him.

He didn't know what he should reply, but it turned out that he didn't have to say a word, because she stormed right out of the laboratory in the same manner she had entered it.

Brian: "I can't believe I was even able to pretend to be in love with that woman. She's an emotional cripple and you're her crutch. You should have just told her the truth. She'll find out sooner or later. At least then you can stop putting on this elaborate charade."

"With everything that happened today, the dead cop, Hannah being set free, I don't think she could handle it."

Brian rolled his eyes. He then walked over to where his little brother was standing and put an arm around him.

Brian: "Who cares if she can handle it? You're not free if you're having to lie about who you really are."

"I care, she's still my sister, blood or not. She proved her loyalty to me in that cargo container on new year's eve. Explaining to her about why I helped Hannah now would only further upset her. She needs some time to cool down, then I'll sit her down and tell her everything."


After her emotional blow up in front of her brother, Debra had sought sanctuary in the confines of her office. She kept telling herself over and over again that she needed to channel her thoughts to the details of the Melendez case. Unfortunately, her mind kept deviating to the release of Hannah McKay.

The fingers of her right hand began to tap repeatedly on her desk as she contemplated reaching in her desk draw for his Xanax prescription. A pill now would surely take the edge off and allow her to get back to work. Before she could move for the desk draw, a knock at her office door caused her to snap to.

"Come in." She said with a hint of nervousness to her voice while she tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.

The door opened and Detective Quinn came through it with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Hey, I thought you could use a little-pick-me-up. It's been a hell of a day." He explained with a smile as he handed her the cup.

"Yeah, no shit, thanks for the coffee." muttered Deb with a hint of a smile.

"You're welcome. And I've got some good news that might also help lift your spirits. We were able to I.D. the suspect who threatened Carlos Melendez by looking through his closed cases. His name is Angus Gibson and he has well known ties with the Aryan Brotherhood. We plan on bringing him in first thing tomorrow for questioning."

"Well, that's the best fucking news I heard all day. You should let Dexter know about the lead. If we have the profile of the suspect, he can cross reference it with the blood spatter analysis he collected at the crime scene."

"I would've, but he just let for the day. I filled Masuka in though."

Deb instinctively narrowed her eyes at the mention of her brother already leaving work. She hadn't left his lab more than a few minutes ago, and now he was already gone? Dex had mentioned to her to her that he was going home early to be with Harrison, but was the really the case? How many times had he used a convenient lie to conceal what he was really up to? Was this one of those instances? She could drive by his apartment, see if he was really there playing the role of good father to her nephew.

"Deb, you okay?"

Joey's voice brought her back to reality and she quickly answered back.

"Yeah, umm, just make you leave a copy of the that case on my desk before you leave for the day. I'm going to be taking off too."


Dexter had kept his promise to Jamie. After leaving Miami Metro, his first stop was home to pick up his son. The nanny seemed pleased that he was taking Harrison out of the apartment for some father-son time. She was already wanting to get dolled up for her evening with Joey.

"Daddy's taking you to see someone special." Dex informed his three year old, glancing back at him in the rear view mirror.

Harrison had not even asked where his father was taking him. He was, of course, unaware of what had transpired earlier in the day. All he would know was that Hannah had returned from her far away trip in order to be with him and Daddy.

The Ford Escape pulled up alongside the familiar pink and white house. To Dexter's surprise, Hannah was in the driveway unloading potted flowers from her van. She ceased her activity when her eye caught sight of his arrival.

"When you truly love someone, you are willing to risk everything to be together; a career, the acceptance of those you care about, even your own freedom. Hannah and I took that risk together and it paid off."

Hannah smiled when she saw Dex emerge from his SUV. She thought about running to greet him, but froze when she saw that he was going in to one of the back passenger doors. As if on cue, her smile intensified when she saw him lift Harrison out of his seat and set him on the sidewalk. Dexter bent down to his son's eye level before giving him instruct.

"Look who's standing over there."

The blonde haired little boy peered in the direction his father's finger was pointing. Immediately, his face lit up when he saw Hannah.

"Hannah!" The child shrieked with excitement.

McKay slipped her gardening gloves into the back pocket of her jeans. She crouched down when she saw the three year old running full force toward her.

"Harrison! Hi, sweetheart, I missed you!"

Dex couldn't help but grin while he watched his son run into his girlfriend's arms. She pulled him into a loving embrace before lifting him off the ground and perching him on her hip. Once in her arms, Hannah showered him with kisses on both of his rosy cheeks.

"I'd be lying if I said that I was keeping Hannah only for my own selfish need. The truth is that I did it for son as well. His attachment to her made it clear to me how much he wants her in his life. Rita would have wanted him to have a maternal figure besides a live-in nanny. "

Dexter walked over to join his girlfriend and son. Upon approaching, he wrapped an arm around Hannah. His hand cupped the small of her back ushering both of them into his embrace. The couple's smiles mirrored one another before they kissed tenderly.

"Your plan worked perfectly." She commented once their kiss broke.

"I knew it would. Now you know that you don't have to try and solve every problem on your own. You can trust me to protect you. I love you." He muttered back as he brought a hand to her face to caress her.

"I know I can. I love you too." whispered Hannah bringing her forehead to his.

Dexter and Hannah were so engaged in their own little world that neither of them noticed Debra's unmarked police vehicle that was parked across the street a house or two down the road. Deb was just sitting there. Her eyes fixated on her brother and Hannah as her jaw trembled. Tears collected in the brims of her eyes. She blinked causing two watery trails to cascade down her face. Dexter had lied to her.