When Ryan flopped into bed after Dell and Mallory were both tucked in, he lay there like a dead fish - eyes glazed over, tongue poking out between his lips. He was utterly exhausted and ready for a little cuddle with his wife followed by some much needed sleep.

He felt the weight on the bed shift, then his wife's hands on his naked back and nearly whimpered in delight.

'Oh yeah, honey, that's it,' he sighed, making Honey-Milk chuckle.

'Figured you'd want one of these after being on the go for so long today. How did it go in Westchester?'

'Suburbs scare me and Beckett.'

'Ah, my true-blue New Yorker.'

Ryan stretched and writhed under her touch like a dog getting his belly rubbed. 'A little to the right, mmm yes. Mostly it's the mentality that you can't raise a family with proper values and a sense of community in the city, that it's cold and distant. The suburbs are smaller, they are way more screwed up.'

'I think Andrea's home-life as a child proves that in spades.'

'I think so too. We had to break up a fight at her place just before end of shift, it's why I was late.'

'A fight?' Honey-Milk's massaging hands paused on Ryan's back. 'Her and Daniel were fighting? Did he hit her?'

'No, no, not Dandrea. Andrea and one of her sisters, who tried to pay Daniel to break up with Andrea so that there would be no more deaths. Turns out, that's the tipping point for Andrea.'

'I'd imagine so. It's the golden rule of family. Siblings can talk smack to each other all they want, it's their brother or sister. But you shoot your mouth off at their spouse, the hammer's gonna ring down.'

'Exactly. I can get away with calling Kelsey Keiko the Killer Whale while she's still taking off her preggo pounds, but anyone else tries it and they're in for a surprise nose-job.' But it had Ryan's brain clicking away once more. 'What if that was the point?'

'What, getting Andrea angry?'

'Yeah, what if they were going to try and make it look like Andrea's the guilty party? I've been thinking about this all night, why would it be Gerry who went to Andrea and cause such a ruckus? It's always been Cora who's caused the majority of Andrea's problems.'

Honey-Milk nibbled her lower lip, pondered it herself. 'You're right, that is weird. Any time I've talked to Andrea about her sisters causing problems, it's usually centred on Cora.'

'Cora's the one with the link to the company, she's the one who stands to lose the most from the marriage, because Andrea gets a really nice inheritance from her father as a wedding gift. Cora's cooking the books on a company that's facing Chapter Eleven bailout. If something happens to Andrea, whether it's incarceration or death, they would take control of that money.'

'What about her own bank accounts?'

'No, Andrea had her will changed that all of her money goes to her spouse and if she's unmarried, it goes to charities of her choice. Her sisters can't touch one red cent of it.' Ryan rolled over, gave his wife a smacking kiss. 'Give me two seconds to write this down, then you and I are getting naked and nasty, babe.'

'Should I be happy I helped you talk it out or disturbed that you want to have sex after a possible break-through in the case?' Honey-Milk laughed.

'Happy. The tip might not pan out, but you helped me think of a new line of investigation, and that always helps.'

When he was gone from the room, Honey-Milk stripped off her t-shirt and shorts, dug into her bedside table for the little box of massage oils Meredeth had given her on her birthday - all exotic fruit scents, and she decided to go with passion-fruit. It was one of her husband's favourite fruits to eat so why shouldn't she use it for their play-time too?

He came back in the room, and she saw the sparks of excitement in his eyes. He stepped out of his boxers, and pounced on her, rolling so she was sprawled on his chest.

'You are one sexy mama, Jenn,' he told her, pecking at her lips.

'I still feel like I could drop these last ten pounds from Mallory, though.'

'If you do or if you don't, it doesn't matter to me.' Ryan reached down, squeezed her bottom. 'Just reminds me you've had my two babies.'

Tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, Honey-Milk shifted to press her pelvis against his, then arched an eyebrow. 'Guess you're not so tired anymore, huh?' she said with a teasing smile.

'Naughty.'

'You love me for it.'

'Very much.'

When they were finished making love and wrapped together in the post-orgasmic drift, Ryan combed his fingers through her hair, down her back once more. His children meant the world to him, but he'd chosen the one to make them with, and he knew on days like today, when he'd come home late and she was there with understanding that he'd chosen right. There were the other times too when he'd come home late without a chance to call first and she'd given him shit for it, but whether he'd apologized right away or snapped back and they'd mutually apologized, his wonderful Honey-Milk was always there for him.

It made him think of Dandrea, that solid unit, and he made a mental note to call them in the morning, to make sure they were still holding on.

R&R&Enjoy