July 19th, Present Day, Doggett Residence...

Monica's parents had quite obviously stayed at the house with their daughter. There hadn't been much talking the previous night, but there hadn't been the need for it. Now in the harsh light of day Monica was faced with having to answer her parents many questions about what she would do, and how she would cope as a single mother.

The only saving grace was that they had insisted upon Monica going to work, and they would watch Anna. Anna was resistant at first but at her mother's insistence she had finally accepted that her grandparents would be taking care of her for the day. Monica promised to try and get home early and hated seeing Anna look so upset as she got into the car and drove away to work.

When she got to work Monica was surprised to find she had arrived before Phoebe again, but sat down to calm herself for the day ahead before concerning herself with the absence of the young woman in her office. Monica made coffee and sat down to lose herself in her thoughts whilst thinking about Anna and her parents, and the Mathers' family that she had met the day before. She didn't want to call it a family because they weren't living together in the same house, loving each other, and making their lives about protecting each other.

When Phoebe finally showed up she did so with a dismal look on her face and repeated apologies.

"It won't happen again."

"It's ok, really."

"But I shouldn't let my personal life effect my job."

"Phoebe would you calm down. My God, if I had a dollar for every time John or I had let our personal lives interfere with our work, well then I wouldn't need to work anymore because I'd be rich."

Phoebe managed a small smile as did Monica. This was what they had both been striving for without much success. They had reached a mutual ground and understanding. Now they could work together.

After a good day at work Monica was looking forward to getting home in the hope that her good day with Phoebe would continue into a good night with her parents. When she got home she could hear Anna in the garden and went outside to find her dad and Anna playing with her dolls on a blanket. They both looked up at her arrival and stood up to walk to her. Monica lifted Anna up for a kiss and held her as Monica's dad kissed her.

"How was work?"

"It was good. I have a new partner, and I think it's going to work out."

"Good. You're mother went shopping, she says your cupboards are empty and you have no healthy food for her granddaughter."

Monica laughed and kissed Anna again before letting her go to play with her dolls again.

"I'm seeing a whole new side to you papa, dolls?"

"She's my granddaughter, and I told her we could do whatever she wanted."

"Well I appreciate it. I wish I could be with her, but I have to work."

"Your mother has plenty of thoughts on that topic."

"Yeah, I figured she might."

"I'm proud of you Monica."

Monica looked at her father surprised at his comment. She was close to her parents, but they didn't see each other much and her father wasn't one to wear his hear on his sleeve. He pulled her to hug him and then went back to Anna and her dolls as she gave him an education on each of their names.

Monica's mother cooked for them, and Anna tried as hard as possible to pick out all of the strange food and vegetables that she didn't like the colour or the taste of. Monica was reminded of her own childhood and wanted to laugh as she watched her parents looking at Anna and her actions. After dinner Anna was bathed and in bed earlier than usual but had been told she was allowed to play quietly for half an hour in her room first. Monica sat with her parents in the garden with a glass of wine and waited for the questions to roll in.

"Monica, you're sure about this work thing?"

"Mom, this 'work thing' is my job. It's going to keep a roof over mine and Anna's heads, and food on our table."

"But now more than ever Anna needs you close to her."

"I am close to her. And I have friends that she's grown up knowing as family to help take care of her."

"Grown up? Monica she's four years old. Four going on forty, how wise she is."

"And that's a problem?"

"She's still a baby. You need to show her that."

"Mom, I know how to take care of my daughter, and I appreciate your being here, I really do, but you gotta let me do this my way. I need to work."

"Not if you came to live with your father and I..." Monica and her father both looked at Mrs Reyes astounded at what she had said before looking at each other. Her father mumbled something in Spanish under his breath and Monica looked at her mother.

"Mom, I can't do that. And I know you know I can't do that. It's so good having you here, but don't make the day come when I want you to leave. I want you to be able to leave and me miss you. I can do this, you know I can." Monica stood up and kissed both of her parents before going inside. Her parents looked at each other and sighed.

"She's a strong woman Sophia, let her be who she is."

"I'm so worried about her. She adored that man."

"And she still does. But she knows what she's doing. You know that."

"I know. That's what scares me."

July 2nd, Present Day, Silver Spring, Maryland...

Monica had let John drive them to Silver Spring knowing that had she driven herself she wouldn't have had the presence of mind to drive carefully enough. This just kept getting harder and harder. And the more that happened the further away from a suspect they came. Maybe nobody in the house had killed the Gooding's. Maybe Monica had been right all along in saying that she didn't believe any of the children had done it. But as they arrived at the children's home they both got out of the car knowing that this wasn't personal anymore, it was serious. They needed answers and they needed for this to be over.

In the children's home they searched high and low for Mia Dukes aided by two officers from the local PD, but they couldn't locate her. They had been led to believe she entered the house that morning and they hadn't seen her leave so assumed she was still there. But when John found a wide-open bathroom window he knew that Mia was onto their need to talk with her and she had run away from them and their questions. John found Monica and showed her the window, she cursed under her breath before going back out to the car and waiting patiently for John to get in beside her.

"Where to?"

"Police station. We can't leave until I've spoken with Mia. She'll turn up somewhere."

"Where do you think she is?"

"I don't know. But I don't know that I believe she's so innocent in all of this anymore."

"Why the change of attitude?"

"Why run if you're guilty of no crime?"

"But Mon, her mother just died. For all we know she could just be upset and alone."

"Why your change in attitude?"

"I guess I just came to see it from your point of view. You have a way of making people see the sense in things the way you see it." Monica smiled and kissed John's cheek.

"What was that for?"

"For believing in me, despite my constant change of mind."

"All part of the service ma'am." Monica laughed as they pulled off and headed to the police station totally unaware that Mia Dukes was watching them from across the road.

At the police station Monica was ushered to one side by Detective Alan who had some news for her.

"Adam Davies is here, he wants to talk to you, he says he knows who murdered the Gooding's, but he'll only talk to you." Monica looked at John and nodded as his way of saying she had to do this. So she went into the familiar room she had been in with Adam before and sat down at the table opposite him.

"Adam..."

"I don't want any questions, I just wanna tell you what I know and get the hell out of here."

"Ok..." Monica looked at Adam and saw that he was terrified. She was desperate to know who or what of.

"Adam, who killed Mr and Mrs Gooding?"

"Mia Dukes."