AN: Sorry guys, time gets away from me. If anybody is still reading this, here you go.

As I sat there longer as she tried to sleep, a thought hit me so hard I nearly fell out of my seat. I got up quietly and left the room, and ran down to my car. I went into the trunk and pulled out the vest I had been wearing that day.

I know it sounds stupid to keep it with me after everything that happened, but I felt like it held some kind of significance. If it wasn't there, than I wouldn't be here. I shut the trunk and laid the vest on top of the car, silently running my hands over the fabric. I felt the starchy stiffness where Chris's blood had covered the vest and felt a shudder roll through me. I had forgotten how much of the blood had covered me. The shirt from that day had already been burned and replaced.

So, I collected the vest up and shuffled back into the hospital. I had a feeling that having Chris see the vest and how it had literally saved my life, would help her out. I did manage to collect some strange looks on the way back to Chris's room, I mean how often do you see someone carrying a blood soaked, broken bullet proof vest in a hospital.

I opened the door softly and crept to my chair. When I looked back up at Chris, I realized she had been watching me the whole time. I grinned at her sheepishly.

"You could have told me you were awake instead of watching me creep around like an idiot." I laughed. She grinned at me softly and nodded her head at my arms.

"What's that?" She wheezed lowly. I pulled the vest slowly from my lap. Her eyes widened and then immediately narrowed.

"Shit Jim," She sighed and fell back into the pillow. Her eyes were transfixed on the vest. She motioned with her left hand at me.

"Let me have it." She reached for it, and when the weight was pressed into her hands she winced hard, but somehow managed to lug the vest into her lap. Her gaze was dead stuck on the vest, and her left hand ran lightly across it. She finally looked up at me and whispered.

"It's broken."

"I know," I answered softly. "If you hadn't have shoved that vest on me, I wouldn't be here. I know that won't justify what happened to you, but I just need to thank you for saving my life...again." She scanned me with a heavy gaze.

"You made up for it man," she answered. "You and the guys, I owe you all more than my life."

"No way girl, we're even," I laughed and took the vest back. "No more heavy shit. When are you getting out of here?"

"As soon as I can roll my ass, unassisted, in a wheelchair through one lap of this floor," she shrugged tiredly. "So maybe in a week, a couple a days, but who knows?"

"You're gonna be back at your house, or your mom's?"

"What are you kidding? My house. I mean, I love her, but we don't get along." Chris said simply.

"It didn't seem like that," I mused.

"Well, you didn't see her how she is normally. I mean, I almost died, what was she supposed to do?" She rolled her eyes at this, and I laughed.

"Come on, didn't you notice how she kind of dissappeared?" I looked around the room, almost like I had to see that Chris's mom wasn't there for myself. I felt my eyebrow's scrunch up in confusion. This definantly did not explain some of the conversation I'd had before.

"But, she said you talked alot about me?" Chris quickly jumped in to make me understand.

"I only talked to her like three times in the last year and it was always about work. And you, being my partner, would be talked about."

"Oh," I agreed, trying desperately to hide the mocking tone from my voice, and switched back to the original subject. "So it's going to be just you and Eliza?"

"Naw, my mom is going to keep Eliza for like another week so I don't have to worry about her. So it's just...me I guess."

"You sure, I mean, maybe you should have someone around in case you need something?" I scowled at the thought of Chris having to stay home alone; it just wasn't safe.

"Look, I'll be fine Jim, that's it." she finished. So I let it go for the moment, afraid of causing another argument. But I wasn't going to give this up completely just yet.

"Girl, you look tired, let me go so you can sleep." I sighed, sensing her exhaustion. I stood, picked up my vest, and left her to rest.

On the whole way to the car, I was cooking up a scheme to make sure Chris wasn't alone when she first got home. At the very least, not for the first day.

I drove home, and fell into my couch. Rizzo jumped on top of me and started licking the hell out of my face, like she had been since I came home. I think she had been feeling severly neglected, so she had been living like a queen. She was getting steak for dinner, and long long walks. But, what can I say? Rizzo's my girl.

After the little love fest, Rizzo followed me the kitchen while I started up my Hungry Man, then grabbed the phone to make a couple calls.

"Hello?"

"Yo, Box, It's Jim," I said while doing a little tango over Rizzo to head back to the couch.

"Hey Street, what's up man?"

"Not much, but I was wondering if you and the Mrs. wanted to come to help Chris get settled back in next week?"

"Heck yes we would, Sanchez is getting ready to go home?"

"It'll probably be next week, but she doesn't know for sure yet."

"All right then, you tell me when, and Carolyn here will be there in a second."

"Alright man," I laughed, "You tell your lady hello for me."

"Ok Jim, later."

"Bye Box." I hung up the phone to the microwave beeping angrily. So I pulled my hungry man out and peeled it open to dig in. As I was chewing, I called Deke and Jess, and they were both just as hyped up to help get Chris back home and back on her feet.

"Nice work today Street."

"Thanks Hondo, glad to hear it." I yelled back as I peeled a sweaty shirt over my head. Deke smacked my shoulder.

"Hey man, back in the game, huh?" He grinned. "What took you so long?"

"Let's just say somebody started kicking my ass." I answered, eyeing Jesse from across the room. He laughed and just shook his head. Boxer strutted into the locker room like he was the shit, and we all busted up laughing at him.

"What? You guys can't take it that I took down that dealer today?" He bragged.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Jesse piped up. "Don't forget that you're part of a team!"

"Yeah, but who was leading you all?" I said. giving myself some props.

"Save it boys, you wouldn't have gotten no where if I wasn't covering your asses." Deke finished. I chuckled as I pulled my new T-shirt over my head and walked towards the door.

"Hey later guys," I called, and shut the door behind me. Before I could get out of the building though, Hondo called me back.

"Jim let me talk to you for a second."

"Yeah Hondo," I answered, and followed him to his office.

"Have a seat," He said, sitting down and pointing at the chair across from him. I set my bag down, and fell into the chair.

"What's this about Hondo?" I asked, confused.

"I wanted to tell you good work today." Hondo rested his elbows on his desk. "That was a damn good bust." I grinned, proud again for this first time in a long time.

"Thanks sir," I grinned.

"But I had something else I needed to talk to you about," He said, and his eyes dropped in seriousness. I felt a pang of worry, was I getting fired or transfered or what?

"Go ahead Hondo, what is it?"

He sighed deeply, and brought his chin to his hand. He thought hard about whatever he was going to say for a long time, and me waiting silently was awkward to say the least.

"Look Jim, there's no easy way to say this..."