Andy grinned, handing over a chocolate bar to Hope.

"You catch on fast. Hey, Sharon! We might have a maths genius in the family. About time..."

Hope blushed, carefully unwrapping the bar and eating it. "It seems easy enough. Give me harder questions."

Andy chuckled, taking the rest of the bar away from her. "As her royal genius requests. We'll spend another half hour or so on this before moving on to English okay? Science will be tomorrow when Sharon takes you to the zoo."

Once hearing her name again, Sharon entered the dining room, wiping her hands with a dish rag. "Oh, it will be fun! Shame Rusty has to make up his hours tomorrow." She sighed, sitting beside Hope to see her answers. "You're really clever. I'm sure Rusty will be happy to see that."

Blushing, Hope excused herself to the bathroom, hanging her head down.

"What it something I said?" Sharon frowned, alarmed.

Andy sighed, shaking her head. "She's been like this for a little while. I think she just wishes her mother was here to see this."

"Hmm, yes. Well, you better finish up soon, dinner's ready."

Her husband kissed her cheek before heading outside with his phone. Sharon decided to take the time for their team to update her on the ongoing case regarding Sharon Beck. She knew that it would be time until Hope had moved on since losing her mother for four years without knowing where she was for all those years on the street. She knew that Rusty had felt guilty, being part of the reason for his little sister to suffer the same fate he did when he was just a little bit older than her. Living on the streets, doing unbelievable things to get by but now working hard just for her seemed to be his only goal.

"...See you soon."

"Who was that?" Sharon asked as Andy joined her in the kitchen.

"Rusty. I called him."

"Is he staying for dinner?"

Andy shrugged. "Says he'll be here around eight. His roommate's staying with some friends so he's taking Hope for the night."

"Oh..." Sharon mumbled. "Do you think that is wise? He's going to work at six tomorrow morning."

"He's taking the morning off to look after her. He wants to know what's been making her sad."

Sharon nodded. "I guess it's good he's coming over. I've been updated on the case."

"So it is a murder-suicide?"

"Yes. I'll sort out the funeral arrangements."

Andy shook his head, sighing. "We knew all along what it was but since it's now official... how are they going to feel? I'm worried about Rusty."

"Me too..." Sharon confided. "Rusty has always freaked out when he thought that I was dead all those years ago. Even the slightest slap or punch got him attached to me like a lost puppy."

Andy was about to respond when Sharon's phone went off. She sighed, answering it but as moments continued, her faced began to pale by the minute.

"Sharon?"

Sharon ended the call and turned to face him, Darth Raydor making an appearance. "They found the guy who hurt Hope. He was hit by a car and taken to hospital under a fake name but one doctor recognised him."

"Who is he, I thought those two suspects that we had did it?"

She gulped deeply. "They didn't. It was Stroh." She whispered just as Hope entered the kitchen with a grin.

"Is dinner ready, yet?"

Andy planted a grin on his face, quickly placing the child onto his lap. "Not yet, Sharon's got to make dessert."

"Does it have chocolate?"

He nodded, making Sharon smile. "Lots and lots of chocolate!"

"But none until dinner is finished. Rusty is on his way." She told the young blonde before going back to cooking. "Hope, lovely... If you ever saw the man who hurt you, would you recognise him?"

Hope's eyes widened. "I have to see him again?!"

"No! No!" Andy exclaimed, hushing the child against his chest. "No, we just want to know if you'd know who did it."

"I remember everything..." Hope whispered against Andy's chest as she closed her eyes tightly. "He-He..." She sniffled. "He had dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. They hated me. The eyes hated me. He wore a suit like Rusty wears to work. He smelt horrible! This muddy-"

"Musky?"

"Yeah! This musky smell..." Hope sighed in Andy's arms, tears slipping down his cheeks. "He said it wouldn't hurt. He said 'it is him who caused this'. I don't know what he meant."

Andy's eyes reached Sharon's frightened ones. "He knows..." Sharon mouthed to him.

The doorbell rang and she rushed to answer it, letting Rusty in who held up a bottle of expensive wine. "Stopped by the store to get this for you. As a thank you for all that you're doing for Hope and me." He said, kissing her cheek. "Where's my number one girl?"

"We need to talk, first."

Rusty's smile disappeared a little before returning. "She's a little prodigy, isn't she? I knew Dad couldn't handle not being the most academic in the family."

He walked past her, into the kitchen to place a kiss on Hope who had seemingly returned to a normal state as she sipped orange juice whilst colouring on the breakfast nook table.

"Hey, honey."

"Hi."

Rusty shrugged before sitting beside her and uncorking the bottle. "Wine, anyone? Except for Hope."

His mother nodded. "Just half for me though. I have an early night." Sharon told him, patting his shoulder.

"Hope and I will stick with orange juice," Andy replied.

"Oh, yes. Well, I'm having a full glass. I won another case today and was rewarded with three days off so I got time for my favourite girl."

Hope blushed, grinning. "Can we go to the beach?"

"Beach, laser tag. You name it, honey." Rusty told her. "You guys look like you've seen a ghost, are you all right?"

"Yes," Sharon smiled. "Of course. Let me just serve dinner, we can sit at the breakfast nook since it's no hassle."

She gave Andy a look and he nodded in reply. Not now.