C.J. sat in the clinic waiting room and flipped through the photo album on the table while waiting. She saw pictures of beaming women with their eyes blacked out for confidentiality reasons holding newborn babies.

They all looked so happy, so fulfilled and as the delicately scripted text helpfully pointed out, it had all arisen from their decision to pick this clinic for artificial insemination.

She kept flipping through the pages while Elise looked on.

"Really I had no idea they had so many clients," C.J. said, "and they all look so happy with their babies."

Elise shrugged.

"Well they're trying to sell a product too," she said, "like they do with prize bulls."

C.J. frowned.

"That's what Houston keeps calling it too but it's nothing like back on his daddy's ranch."

"He still giving you a hard time with your decision?"

C.J. paused.

"No not really…but I know he doesn't support it and that kind of hurts," she said, "Maybe support's not the right word but he could accept it. I've done the same when he's gone off and done something crazy and this isn't all that crazy."

"Only a little bit right?"

"Maybe…but I want this so much…more than anything," C.J. said, "It won't be the same without him but I'm going to do it."

Elise smiled.

"I'm sure he'll come around eventually," she said, "He cares about you an awful lot C.J. and I think that's what's behind all this hesitation."

C.J. agreed but it didn't change the fact that she wished it were otherwise, that he'd embrace it at least enough so that she didn't feel he was judging her all the time over it.

"I know that but…oh goodness," she said, looking down at a page, "this woman had triplets."

"Sometimes that can happen," Elise said, "but it's quite rare."

C.J. felt relieved about that. She was ready for one baby but didn't know what she'd do with three of them.

"Of course there are always twins too."

C.J. just flipped through more pages not wanting to imagine that either.

"You think they were totally certain this is what they wanted to do the entire time?"

Elise paused.

"I'm sure there were moments where they might have second guessed themselves but I'm guessing yeah this is what they wanted. They're like you…wanted a kid, didn't want a husband to complicate things."

C.J. bristled just a bit.

"It's not that I don't want a husband," she said, "I just don't know if I'll ever find one and I don't want that to stop me from having a kid."

"You got plenty of time…"

"Yeah not as much as I did," C.J. said, "and if you don't watch it time moves really fast and soon enough…it might be too late."

She didn't want the day to come when she woke up and no longer had the chance in her life to have a child. Why should she have to wait to find a man to get together with, get married and then create a new life together?

No, she just couldn't see herself doing it that way. Not after her last three long-term relationships…Carl, Robert and Randy.

Though it wasn't fair to include Carl in that group because she'd really loved him so much…It'd taken over a year for her to remember him without hurting. The other two…their memories impacted her in a different way. The sting of betrayal by Robert was just the beginning…it'd taken her months before she even trusted herself to be able to read a man before going out with him. What was there to say about falling in love with a man in a matter of weeks who turned out to be a career climbing stone cold killer? When he'd been telling her his plans to kill her, drawing a gun against her head before he knew it was her under the hat and sun glasses and not someone else…that almost kept her from hitting the singles scene again.

But then along came Randy…no need to get into him. No, it was much better this way she'd decided.

"Well then maybe today they'll show you some of the databases of men…well sperm donors anyway and you can get a better idea of what you are looking for in a sire for your child."

"Sire…that sounds like a horse."

Elise shrugged again.

"Same difference C.J…but hey you wanted it clinical rather than the natural way. You got to live with the terminology or at least get with the program."

C.J. bit her tongue with what she wanted to say to Elise and just focused on the binder with page by glossy page of happy mothers and babies.

Matt left the meeting with Hoyt and grabbed a cup of crappy coffee from the ancient machine in the lobby of the police station. The meeting had been a bust as the police detectives still failed to recognize the fact that he and C.J. had chased down Duval Jr. only to lose him. Det. Downey was most obnoxious scribbling in his pad but Matt figured he must just be doodling for all the credence he gave his account of the night's events.

Hoyt almost looked apologetic as Matt and Roy were about to leave.

"I'll try my best but even the brass doesn't want to believe that a Duval would wind up back here ready to take someone out…probably high profile."

Matt sipped his coffee.

"Look Hoyt, I know that's what he's here to do and if your men want to wait until a dead body turns up, there's not much I can do about that…except tell you that Uncle Roy and I plan to find him and whose paying him to kill in this city."

Hoyt reached into his pocket to pop another Tums in his mouth. His heartburn had been hitting overtime since Matt and Roy had first shown up.

"What about C.J.? Why isn't she here?"

Matt hesitated, knowing C.J. wouldn't appreciate it if he went into the whole baby scheme. The thought of her checking out a sperm bank drove him to distraction even though he managed to focus on the meeting with police. Not that it had done much good and he knew his time likely would have been better spent going with C.J. to check these clinics out for her own protection.

"She's busy…in the office."

She'd been industrious in the penthouse suite most of the time when she hadn't been in court. So that was mostly true, just not right now today.

"You need to have a talk with her," Hoyt said, "She can't be running around waving and shooting guns after this guy."

Matt sighed.

"The same guy your bosses don't think exist," he said, "Well if they've got their heads in the sand they can't go blaming C.J. for trying to do their jobs for them can they?"

That silenced Hoyt a bit. His fingers moved towards his Tums again. Matt thought Hoyt should really see a doctor about his stomach but knew the lieutenant wouldn't appreciate the advice.

Hoyt looked at Roy perhaps hoping to find an ally but the older man just had that noncommittal look.

"Just tell her to be careful Houston," Hoyt said, "You both could wind up dead yourselves if you're not careful."

Matt nodded and he and Roy headed back to the car. Roy just shook his head.

"Really needs to get that ulcer taken care of," he said, "Maybe it'll put him in a better mood."

Matt's brow furrowed.

"How do you know he's got an ulcer," he said, "Hasn't even been to a doctor."

"It's obvious my boy. It's written all over his face and he's popping those Tums like Life Savers," Roy said, "Been there myself when I was younger."

Matt and Roy exited the police station and were in the visitors' parking lot.

"I don't know what Duval's up to," he said, "and I don't know where Clover ties into it but if anything happens to her…"

Roy nodded.

"I know she matters a lot to you…and your father," he said, "but we don't know if she's a planned hit…even if she's tied to Duval Jr."

Matt went to unlock his car and looked over at his uncle.

"Of course she's got to be someone he's been hired to kill," he said, "Duval's here on business. He doesn't have family and he doesn't come here to socialize not since he's basically a fugitive."

They both slid into the car seats and Matt started the engine, and then pulled out of the lot to go down the busy street.

His uncle didn't sound convinced.

"Maybe…maybe not," he said, "I learned in my line of work it's always important to keep one's mind open to any possibility out there and not to get too tied to any one of them."

"Uncle Roy…I know but…"

"That applies to other areas of life too," Roy said, "as I'm sure C.J. can tell you herself now that she's on this bold quest."

"You mean this plan of hers to have a baby through a…I don't even want to say it."

"Artificial insemination clinic…or sperm bank," Roy said, "Either is the proper terminology."

Matt just gritted his teeth as he drove down the street, not liking the choice of topics much at all.

"I still can't believe it," he said, "and she didn't want me to come with her to check the place out…make sure it's safe and all that."

Roy just looked at him indulgently.

"Maybe she didn't want you to do that," he said, "especially given your attitude about it."

Matt willed himself to be patient on the issue…but it tapped into so many feelings at one time. But what it came down to was one essential thing.

"Uncle Roy…I just care about her that's all," he said, "I don't want her to get hurt doing this and I know that's what'll happen."

Roy paused.

"Okay then did you explain that to her…meaning in words where you take full responsibility for your own feelings about it?"

Matt didn't answer right away.

"Well…?"

"I…Maybe I need to work on that part," Matt said, "Maybe I was too hard on her."

"Maybe…?"

Matt heard the pressing tone in his uncle's voice.

"Okay I was too hard on her," he said, "but what'll I do to make it right?"

Roy smiled as they pulled into the parking garage of the office building.

"As soon as we get inside the suite, I'll tell you what I think you should do…something I picked up when I worked as a covert operative…"

"You mean a spy…"

"Whatever…"

Matt parked the car and they both walked out to the elevator. He was hoping his uncle would start talking about his idea but he said nothing as they rode the elevator up to the suite.