We are heading for the final stretch. Enjoy.
Their shift is quiet, with nothing to do but train, drills, and paperwork.
Chris is still sitting in her office when Lynch walks in after knocking.
"Alonso, good that you are still here," she opens the conversation while closing the door. "I just got word that Ms. Hicks will represent one of the occupants of the hotel, the wife of the main hostage taker."
Chris looks up, from what Street had mentioned in debrief that was to be expected.
"She has already put in a request to see all our material," Lynch continues and with a wink puts a flash drive on the table. "Might I suggest you show her these beforehand?"
Chris can't even answer and the woman has left again. Sometimes she just makes you want to scream.
She grabs the drive anyway and shuts down her computer. If she wants to shower before dinner with Molly she has to leave now anyway.
On her drive home, Chris tries not to think too hard about what will be on the flash drive but she suspects Lynch would've included the elevator footage.
Before long Chris finds herself with a glass of wine on a barstool at Molly's counter waiting for the pasta dish to be ready. She pats her pocket to make sure everything she will need is there.
Molly makes Smalltalk and they exchange some nonsensical stories about their paperwork-filled days over food.
After the plates are cleared they move to the sofa and Chris can see in Molly's posture she is already trying to figure out a way to ask about the case before she opens her mouth.
"So, that paperwork today... did that include yesterday's debrief?"
Chris can't help the small chuckle escaping her mouth.
"It did," she nods her head and shoves her hand in her pocket, "and I also have this." she places the drive on the coffee table.
Molly's eyes go wide.
"I know you've been asking Benni about that and I can only imagine how you must feel right now with him refusing to talk about it," Chris says emphatically and see's her friend nod. "I have no idea what is all on this thing, Lynch brought it to me and suggested we watch it together before you get the material for your case."
Molly gets up and connects the drive to her TV.
It feels a little odd to Chris to watch herself in that dress and draped all over Benni, walking into that lobby.
"That looks cute. Like a real couple." Molly comments from the side and Chris feels the need to press pause.
Molly turns to her with a furrowed brow. "What? Why did you do that?"
"Look, Molly, we were pretending to be honeymooners, the next part might upset you. I just want to make sure you know there is nothing serious going on. I would never..." Chris rattles off but Molly stops her.
"Chris, stop. I know. In my experience, it will look a lot worse than it is. And like I said to Jim on the scene, as long as someone confirms to me it is all an act, I will be okay."
Chris takes a deep breath and lets the video continue.
Lynch had taken the right approach and cut it together chronologically, so Molly saw what happened inside the elevator before they were in that hallway.
She actually had a smile on her face and laughed at Benni fumbling with the key card.
"Was that acting?" she asks giggling.
And Chris laughs back. "Nope, he really didn't manage to get it in and when the door swung open... well let's say thank god the carpet is plush."
After a couple of minutes of silly laughing and joking Molly turns serious again.
Chris noticed the shift in her friend's expression almost immediately. She shifts her posture to face Molly and waits for her to start talking.
"Chris, can I ask about something else?" Molly asks tentatively and shifts her eyes down for a moment.
Not really knowing what is going on or what the question was going to be Chris just motioned for her to go ahead when Molly glanced up again.
"What do you want to know? More about the operation?"
Molly nods her head and starts. "Yeah, I mean how was decided that you go in? And who made the call that it would be Benni? Or why honeymooners?"
Chirs scoots a little closer and puts a hand on Molly's knee. The memory of that moment in the garage when the guys had filled her in brought a smile to her face.
"Street and Benni came up with the plan and also got the keycard from a couple, that was unfortunately on their honeymoon. We couldn't be sure the intruders wouldn't check. To Benni's displeasure, it was known he had his clothes for your date with him. That got him appointed my pretend husband."
Chris takes a pause and studies Molly again. Trying to figure out if that helped ease her worries, but there is still a confused frown on her face.
"Should I call Street to confirm that story for you?" Chris offers; pulling out her phone.
"No, I believe you." Molly holds up her hand. "I just, I am worried about Jim in that case." she breathes out slowly locking eyes with Chris.
After a moment of silence, Molly continues.
"Chris, I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but I saw it in his posture at the scene something about the situation bothered Jim. And now after watching that footage, " she gestures back to the screen "If he had to watch that, I can see why that had him twisted."
"Molly, no. Come on. It was not that. He has been undercover too many times to misread that. He probably really just wanted to shield you from seeing Benni, engaged in ..." Chris trails off when Molly shakes her head.
"I understand. You really don't want to think about it, as him remembering his feelings for you. I will still talk to Jim about it." Molly just states and stuns Chris into silence. Still, she can't fight back the blush in her cheeks.
If that is the truth I really need to work on setting boundaries again. Runs through her head.
After a while Chris was tired and they said their goodbyes but one thing was still important to Chris.
"Molly, can you ... if... when you talk to him, can you please not mention anything about..." she trails off and motions around the apartment trying to indicate to her friend she shouldn't mention their talk tonight.
Molly pulls her into a hug. "I won't. Promise, but you have to talk to him and not shut him out. Okay?"
After agreeing Chris leaves and turns in for the night.
The next morning she still has no idea what she is going to do next. Even if he has feelings for her, there is just nothing that can happen between them. She is his boss after all.
So she is giving herself another round of "You are friends" in the mirror before driving into work.
To her surprise, she finds Benni outside her office looking a little on edge.
"Morning, is everything okay?" Chris asks with worry.
"I don't know," Benni admits with a strange inflection, and Chris motions for him to enter with her. She had been planning on doing some more paperwork but he looked like he needed someone to talk to.
Chris studies the man sitting slightly slumped in the chair across from her and waits for him to start talking, which he sadly doesn't do.
"Why are you here? What's wrong?" she finally prods gently.
"It's going to sound so petty, and jealous but I need to know." he lets out with a slow breath.
Chris just tilts her head in confusion.
"I know you were with Molly last night, did she say anything at all about ..." Benni continues and now she can see what is in his eyes: fear.
"Okay, now slow down. Yes, we had dinner and I showed her the footage you refused to tell her about but Molly knows it was pretend. There is nothing to fear. She loves you."
"Then why the hell is Street on the phone with her, right now?" Benni all but shouts and then hangs his head ashamed.
Chris rolls her eyes a little.
"Why don't you ask her? It isn't something bad. She is just worried about him." she says softly.
When Benni doesn't react, Chris changes to a more commanding tone to force a reaction: "Go, now and call her. If you don't talk this out ... it can just end. And that would be sad for everyone."
After Benni has left to hopefully talk this out with Molly, Chris takes a deep breath and tackles the stack of paperwork on her desk.
She marks a few dates off in her calendar and blocks the overnight wilderness stay that will finish up their re-qualification and survival training.
No idea how Lynch came up with that idea but that practical part of the eval was planned as a little inter-team competition. 50 David was up first and Chris was looking forward to hearing what they were saying next week.
Having one team "down" meant a little more work for all of the other teams but thankfully the city was quiet and nothing major had interrupted the morning so far.
She checks in with Hondo, what he has in mind for today, and then goes to collect the rest of the team to go have some precision training at the outdoor range.
Tan and Street are in the ring and Benni is still pacing with his phone at his ear.
"Has he been doing that all morning?" she asks the guys.
"No, he got a call like 5 minutes ago. Seemed urgent something about his father." Tan explains and wipes his brow with a towel.
After a little while Benni hangs up and Chris walks over to him.
"Everything okay? Or do you need to take the day to sort out your family stuff?"
"I think it will be. Nothing much I can do now. He fell and probably broke his hip. I'll check on them later," Benni dismisses her questions.
"And the other thing?" Chris prods quietly and hopes he feels safe enough to give her at least a quick answer.
"We talked. Everything is okay."
The smirk on his face confused Chris but she doesn't have the time to dwell on it, remembering why she came to them in the first place.
"Okay, guys get cleaned up and we will hit the shooting range. Hondo thought it might be a good idea to do some longer ranges, seeing as that survival thing is coming up soon, and who knows what Luca and Deac are setting up out there."