Cause of death: Undetermined.

"Is that even a valid reason?" Ethan asked looking over Madison's shoulder.

"Apparently at one time yes."

"Sam didn't have any other information?" Ethan asked.

"No, it's amazing he got this much." Madison sighed.

"Why couldn't you just order a copy of the death certificate?"

"We could but it would take a month and there would be a record of the request."

Ethan let out a low whistle.

"Hush Mars, paranoia is healthy in my line of work."

"Whatever you say." He said and kissed her forehead. Jayden was sleeping. At long last. He had listened to the other man pace his room, run a shower, pace more, go silent, pace more and finally silent again. Ethan had dared to crack Jayden's door open enough to listen and heard the even steady breathing of sleep.

Ethan hoped he would sleep until well past midday, he needed it. He had already cancelled or rescheduled his meetings and plans for the week. Family came first; always had but Jayden… he was more than family, in a very real way he was the reason Ethan had a pulse and a family.

"This doesn't help us." Ethan sighed.

"Right, but a phone call and a repaid favor might."

"What?"

"I have a contact in the Boston P.D. I've asked her to check in to Jayden's timeline, anything relating to his address or parents' names that might have occurred around the time of his mother's death."

"Why didn't you say anything before?"

"I was hoping the death certificate would be enough." She sighed and scrubbed her face. He knelt at her side and leaned against her.

"What are you afraid of?" He asked.

"Answers."

"Why?" He probed gently.

"Because sometimes not knowing is best Ethan."

"You can't shield him from this. For one he's way too smart, you could never fool him."

"And for two it would be wrong." She agreed reluctantly.

Jayden slept until the next evening. Madison was ridiculously grateful for the reprieve. If she were honest she couldn't say for sure why she was so reluctant to pursue Jayden's path. She was an investigative journalist for gods' sake. She had never shied from a story in her life. Maybe it was because she cared so much about Jayden, or because she had her own painful, even shameful, memories. Whatever the case she did everything she could to delay calling her contact.

"Sounds like he's up." Ethan said and glanced at Madison. She was crouched at her computer scrolling through emails and ignoring her cell phone.

Ethan and Shaun were sitting at the kitchen island supposedly reviewing Shaun's homework and waiting for pizza to be delivered. Really they were all waiting for Jayden. Shaun knew his father and Madison were helping Jayden, he was an observant and emotionally intelligent boy. He knew that the adults were waiting for Something. He didn't know what the Something was, how it would arrive, or what it's purpose or intention was. He didn't know if it was going to be a person, a package, an email, or a phone call. Still, he could feel it coming and knew that as soon as Jayden made an appearance the Something would be close behind.

He knew he would be facing an early bed time.

Jayden woke feeling like utter and complete shit. His mouth tasted foul, tongue was literally stuck to the roof of his mouth. His muscles ached like he'd pushed too hard on rehab again or run a marathon. He stood shakily and made his way to the bathroom.

Ethan heard the shower in Jayden's room turn on. He immediately thought about Jayden's pale rain soaked face as he raced after Shelby leaving Ethan and Shaun safe and together. Thought about Jayden's battered form limping through the rain to the EMTs, muttering through chattering teeth that Shelby was dead, the relief that followed had been so powerful it almost hurt and then the moisture on Ethan's cheeks was noticeably hotter and saltier as he held his son.

"Dad?" Shaun's concerned voice cut through Ethan's thoughts and the running water was rendered every day normal and not the horrific sound of rain water filling a culvert imprisoning his only surviving son.

"Hey, why don't –" Ethan started to suggest.

"I go finish this in my room?" Shaun suggested with a sigh and picked up his books.

"That kid is way too smart for you." Madison said without looking away from her laptop.

Ethan snorted.

Jayden appeared about a half hour later frowning at his cell phone. He was still pale, hell he would be pale in Bermuda. But the dark circles under his eyes had retreated some. He was sporting two days' worth of stubble. Ethan blinked, surprised at how it changed his appearance, he looked leaner, more thoughtful…better, with the growth.

He was wearing slightly loose jeans and a worn plaid shirt unbuttoned over a clean white T-shirt. He was still barefoot and his damp hair was slightly tousled.

"Lumberjack?" Ethan asked.

Jayden blinked at him, utterly uncomprehending for a moment. "Plaid and jeans plus bare feet big guy." Madison said and poured coffee for the two of them. Ethan waved a mug away and settled at the island.

"Shaun?" Jayden croaked.

"He's fine, I took him to school and back all by myself." Ethan teased gently. Jayden blushed just enough to set off the contrast of the new near-beard. Again Ethan was struck by his appearance. He knew, had always known, that Jayden was an attractive man. Of course for the entire time he had known the man he had been in ill health for various reasons. Insomnia, drug abuse, overwork, self-loathing…

But he had never seen Jayden as just…Norman. Just a guy who lived in his home, protected his son, cooked meals with his lover…

"You look like you just remembered you forgot something important." Jayden said finishing off his coffee.

"Hmm, maybe I didn't forget it." Ethan said cryptically. Madison gave him a curious half frown and returned her attention to Jayden.

"We have some …uh results."

"Results?" Jayden asked suspiciously. It didn't take a profiler to smell something fishy in her word choice.

"The certificate had cause of death as undetermined." She said simply.

Jayden unconsciously tightened his grip on his empty coffee mug.

"Relax, don't choke out the ceramics." Ethan soothed. Surprised Jayden glanced at Ethan, pausing for a moment as he noted Ethan's odd body language, he seemed suddenly and unusually self-conscious.

"Undetermined?" He asked turning his attention back to Madison.

"So I reached out to a friend of mine on the Boston P.D. – off the record. He owes me his badge." She said lightly. Jayden relaxed slightly, Ethan noted color flowing into his white knuckles.

"And?"

"I don't know everything yet Jayden but a copy of the case file is being shipped overnight."

"Stop stalling." He said mildly. Ethan's hackles went up, he had a sure and certain feeling that Jayden was a very dangerous man presently. He knew that Jayden having panic attacks, crying, or shouting at them would be safer than this cold calm Jayden. Suddenly, to his shame, he was very glad Shaun was in his room.

"Did you know anything about your paternal grandfather?" Madison asked carefully.

"He was a police officer." Jayden said in that same strange tone.

"Right. That paid off for your father. The…the marks were caused…" She broke off and looked into her coffee.

"Norman." Ethan said gently and took Jayden's hand off the mug, he was surprised Jayden let himself be touched.

"Your mother did it. Your mother is the one who hurt you. Your father…killed her to stop her." Ethan said gently.

Jayden jerked and for a moment Ethan knew he was going to pull away from Ethan and walk out the door forever. Instead Jayden swallowed hard, gripped Ethan's hand almost painfully tightly and glared at the surface of the island in front of Madison.

"What happened." It was an order not a question.

"She had a history of psychiatric issues and a bad habit of self-medicating with well, anything really but primarily alcohol." Madison babbled and glanced at Ethan.

Jayden recalled the countless empty bodies and cans that had filled his childhood. In retrospect there were clearly too many for a single drinker no matter how dedicated. He nodded for her to go on.

"She snapped basically. A lot of details were left out of the report…cliff notes version is she was …hurting you. Your father told her to stop, she didn't, he tried to stop her and she cut him pretty badly so he. He uh, shot her. His father had pull, the crime scene and uh witness reports matched your father's account so the department and coroner's office did their best to avoid headlines. It was written up as an undetermined death, the coroner went on record stating it was impossible to determine if the fatal wound was accidental or self-inflicted. Case closed." Madison said and looked away from Jayden's rigid staring mask of a face to Ethan.

"That bastard saved my life." Jayden said stonily.

"That doesn't excuse the rest Norman." Ethan said gently. Jayden's grip on his hand slowly relaxed.

"Rebecca will be here soon. You said there were witness reports?" Jayden asked robotically.

"Only abstracts remain Jayden, summaries." Madison said gently.

"The witness was Rebecca."

"Yes, and the land lord. The neighbors uh complained about excessive noise. Apparently there was normally shouting from your parents' apartment but uh not –"

"Children screaming." Jayden said hollowly. He closed his eyes and focused on breathing focused on calm safe things like the shrink had said to do. Focused on Ethan's hand in his, Ethan's hand in his. Hot tears pressed to his eyelids, a lump tried to choke him, he felt shaky embarrassed and angry but Ethan was holding (him) his hand.

"Norman –" Someone said then fell silent.

Jayden straightened and wipe at his face with his free hand then let out a slow breath and took a deep one, repeated this three times and faced Madison.

"Rebecca can't be trusted. She'll come across as a victim, someone to be saved, someone given a raw deal. It works because she is … she was. But she's a predator first and foremost. Whatever she says or does, remember that. If not to protect your own property and the sanctity of your home, then for Shaun's sake. "

Ethan felt a pang as Jayden said, 'your home'. He squeezed his friend's hand again."Our home." He whispered leaning close to Jayden. Jayden turned as Ethan spoke and for a moment, a handful of heartbeats, they were so close they could kiss. Ethan's eyes widened, Jayden's pupils dilated, their lips parted, Jayden smelled Ethan's breath, sweet from brushing after lunch –then the moment was over and Madison was buzzing Rebecca Jayden into the building.

Jayden looked away from Ethan and took another slow deep breath. Ethan's head spun, there had been Something there, something on the verge…

"Do you want us here for this?" Madison asked grounding Jayden. Ethan realized she was pale, recalled she hadn't slept and had barely eaten. Typical behavior for her on a case. What wasn't typical was the lack of fire in her eyes, the resigned slope of her shoulders, the barely visible lines of tension in her face and her stance.

"Please." Jayden said softly looking down at his hand in Ethan's. Madison's sharp mind stuttered and tripped over the request, sifting and sorting the many layers to the request.

Please stay with me, I'm afraid of what I might do or say to my vicious sibling.

Please stay with me, the monster who made my life hell was actually my savior and now I get to unpack and re-examine thirty years of angst and hate.

Please stay with me because I don't want to be alone … with who?

It wasn't just that he wanted back up for dealing with his sister; it wasn't just that they were family, it was…The realization was like the moment a flicked finger strikes the first domino in a line setting off a beautiful and complex series of cause and effect. Please don't go because I love you more than I should and I need you here with me Ethan.

The thoughts and realizations stacked so quickly she didn't really have time to think them through before the front bell rang. Zombie-like she went to answer it. My best friend is in love with my lover….

She pressed pause on that thought, rolled her shoulders back and did her best to focus on Rebecca Jayden in all her dubious glory.