"Hey, are you alri…..." he went to ask, and Chris just squeezed his hand and nodded, as if to tell him to not say anything more. Molly walked up the steps, her phone in her hand. She looked up to grab the door, and immediately her eyes landed on Chris. She froze for a second but then took a breath,

"Oh hi," she smiled as she dropped her phone in her bag.

"Hi," they answered in unison, slightly awkward. Molly seemed a tad uncomfortable too.

"I um," she began as she stepped out of the doorway to allow another man to walk in. Standing at the foot of their table, she nervously tapped her leg slightly. She drew her gaze from Chris to Jared as she spoke again, "I am uh, hey, I am really sorry about yesterday, I didn't know you knew Caitlin and I…"

"It's okay." Jared said. "None of us knew she would be there, just one of those things, a life surprise." He tried to laugh it off.

"Yeah," Molly cleared her throat. "She is an impressive woman though." Then she shook her head realising that was the wrong thing to say as Chris glanced down and Jared swallowed hard. "Sorry, I.." she pointed at the door.

"It's okay, we have all, ah, had some awkward days lately." He answered smiling kindly.

"Yeah," Molly nodded, as her gaze shifted to Chris,

"Well, I better get going, gotta hurry and get to court," she finished. Chris just nodded and smiled with a small wave.

As Molly walked inside Jared let out a nervous laugh and gritted his teeth. "Awkward…."

"Uh huh!" Chris nodded and smiled.

"You okay?" He asked her, reaching for her hand.

"Yeah, I," she dropped her eyes and looked at their hands. "It's just when she is around, it makes me feel like I did the wrong thing, that's all." She paused and sighed as she intertwined their fingers and squeezed his hand. "It's just a situation that doesn't feel resolved or settled but I guess with time, it might. I just hate feeling like that."

"I know you do, but babe." He said gently letting his thumb stroke her hand. "You just need to remember that you didn't cause their situation." He tried to reason with her.

"Yeah, I know," she said. Briefly though, that night, in Sarzo's granny flat, when she admitted her feelings had been mutual, played on her mind.

As she sat lost in her thoughts Jared knew he needed to keep her mind off that stuff as best he could, so he pulled his chair around next to hers and leaned in into her kissing her cheek.

Chris chuckled, "What? What are you doing?" As he held his face close to hers and grinned at her.

"I'm keeping you in the present. Here with me, not lost in your head because Molly walked past."

Chris smiled rolling her eyes. "Sorry, You're right." She leaned her forehead on his and closed her eyes smiling.

"Mmmm, you smell good." She whispered.

Making him chuckle slightly, "Get closer, I taste good too."

Chris burst out laughing as she opened her eyes. "God, you're so sleazy." She teased him as he grabbed her neck and kissed her hard. They were both smiling as they drew apart. Chris rested her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you." She whispered. "I needed that."

"So did I." He added, "You have no idea,"

Molly wandered back past with a wave and a nod as the waitress stepped out with their food. Chris waved back and gave her a smile. She knew being angry or weird with Molly wasn't going to help.

They enjoyed their breakfast, before walking hand in hand back to the courthouse. As they arrived in the cool fall morning air, they immediately spotted Caitlin and ADA Green talking ahead of them. Chris squeezed Jared's hand and looked at him as they approached them.

"Hey, you okay?" She asked glancing at him.

"Yeah, It's fine. We're all adults here." He said looking back at her with a smile.

"Good morning," ADA Green nodded as they climbed the stairs.

"Morning," they both answered. Jared giving them a pursed lips kind of smile.

"Hi," Caitlin nodded, a little awkward as she looked at Jared and nodded at Chris.

"See," Jared laughed, once they entered the building and approached the security desk, "Nothing to it." He playfully nudged himself against Chris and she laughed lightly.

"Kinda still awkward though? Yeah?" She hesitated.

"Yeah, it is, but who cares, a few more days and that's it."

"Right." Chris nodded as she showed her ID and began to go through the security processes. Soon they sat in the courtroom. As the seats slowly filled around them, she got a text from Deacon.

"We learned some things yesterday about the shooter in your case, and the guy from the courthouse. Call me when you can." Chris smiled reading it. Finally, hopefully she could at least put that issue to bed in her head. As she sat smiling at her phone, Jared nudged her,

"What?" He asked frowning at her. She passed him the phone. Jared grinned and rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised. You're like a dog with a bone." Chris thumped him slightly as she laughed.

"At least I can stop obsessing over that then." She answered him.

He eyed her, "I dunno whether that's a good thing or not."

"It is," she chuckled slightly. "At least then my mind will be preoccupied." She added, implying that it would keep her from worrying about other things. Jared knew what she meant and just smiled with a slight nod as the days hearing got underway.

As soon as the judge called a recess and they could leave Chris made her way outside to call Deacon, she was really curious as to what he had uncovered.

"Hey," Deacon answered on the third ring.

"Hi, how is HQ?"

"Oh, you know same same." Deacon explained. "But I know why you're calling so I'll make it quick."

"Thanks," she smiled.

"Well after we got back to HQ, we confirmed that your courthouse shooter is Lilly's biological father, Adrian Allbut. He has been in witness protection for the last 3 years."

"Oh, that makes sense, why? What did the case involve and..."

"Well, hang on, he is connected to an old case of Lt. Lynch's. And in contrast to how our usual cases go, this is more tangled. It appears that somehow the crew he was put into witness protection to hide from, found out where his wife and daughter were. The marketplace shooter that 50 David bought in was Allbut's brother. He wasn't trying to hurt anyone; he was trying to protect Lilly and Ms Monti from the crew that were looking for them. He claims to have seen 2 of the crew following them round the markets."

"If only we had of looked into that after the market shootings, we could have avoided yesterday."

"Yeah, but Chris, like Lynch explained. We didn't have jurisdiction, US Marshall's did. We were simply caught in the middle."

"So now what?" She asked pacing along the steps as she spoke to Deacon. Her curiosity about SWAT's plan here was driving her insane. "What will happen to Lilly, and her mom and Allbut now?"

"Well, after the hearings they will again all re-enter witness protection together, including his brother, your market shooter."

"Yeah, but have they figured out how this crew found Lilly and her mom to begin with? Or this is all just gunna happen all over again." She added her voice rising with frustration and annoyance.

Jared had wondered back towards her, with two coffees and a bag of bagels. He paused watching her pace back and forth getting cranky with Deacon. He decided to head over and see if he could try and calm her before she got herself all wound up again.

As he approached, she saw him and gave him a smile and a nod whilst holding up her hand at him to wait. She continued to pace and listen to Deac.

"Okay, but Deac," She almost shouted that interrupting him, "Lilly and her mom are coming to court today, what if this crew that want revenge on Lilly's dad….?"

"Chris!" She was stopped mid-sentence by the voice of a small girl running towards her. She turned to see Lilly coming at her full pace with her arms open.

"Oh, wow, Hi Lilly." Chris hugged her, whilst looking about to see where she came from. She saw a woman approaching with a man, she immediately spotted as a plain clothed US Marshall.

"I'm so sorry, Lilly, come here..." her mother spoke.

"No, it's okay," She smiled and nodded at them both, "I'll call you back Deac." She hung up and glanced in Jared's direction, he softly smiled at her before she turned her attention back to Lilly, slowly squatting down to her eye level.

"Hey there, how are you?" She smiled at her.

"I'm good." Lilly smiled. "I made you this." She pulled out a piece of rolled up paper from the backpack she had on and handed it to Chris. It was a painting of Chris, Lilly and a man, all holding hands and smiling.

"Thank you, that is so kind of you." Chris smiled as she looked from it back to Lilly, "Who's this?" She asked pointing to the man in the picture.

"That's the man that helped me." Chris smiled a huge smile and looked up to Jared, who was still watching her with Lilly.

"Oh, well you know what?" Chris asked poking Lilly's belly lightly. Lilly's wide brown eyes watched her,

"What?" She asked.

Chris leant over into her ear, whispering. "He is here too." She leant back and watched the smile grow on Lilly's face as she stood up slightly taking Lilly's hand.

"This is Jared. He…."

"Hi," Lilly smile seeing him, and Jared immediately placed down the things in his hands and bent down to her.

"Hey Lilly." Lilly stepped closer and hugged him. She seemed a little nervous at first, but soon she was holding Jared's hand as they chatted about the life of a four-year-old girl. It made Chris smile. He was great with her. She could see how he had convinced her to hide so well that day.

Chris introduced herself to Lilly's mom, Ms Monti, and the US Marshall they had escorting them. As they all stood smiling and talking briefly, Caitlin and Molly walked out. Chris saw them watching them. She knew Molly would want to speak with them so she explained that they should probably leave them to talk and go back in.

"I'm glad you love my painting." Lilly smiled as she hugged both Chris and Jared and waved goodbye as they headed off, making space for Molly and Caitlin to talk with them before court resumed.

With a last glance at Lilly, over her shoulder, she felt Jared slide his hand around her waist, guiding her inside and nudging the coffee and bagel bag into her hands.

"Thanks," she said as her smile slowly returned.

"That was nice hey," he said observing her smile.

"Yeah, it was, but" she paused and glanced back again. "I'm worried now too, about what Deacon said and..."

"What did he say, you seemed mighty annoyed with him..."

"No, I wasn't annoyed with him, I am just frustrated about not being able to help and." She paused and drew in a breath, calming her thoughts so that she could explain things to Jared. "Okay. So, Lilly and her mum are being chased by members of the crew that landed her father in witness protection…." She began to relay her discussion with Deacon, and her worries about the "What if's" that were raging in her mind, like what if they try to get to Lilly and her mom again?

"Hey, like I am sure Deacon told you," he said stopping and squeezing her hand so that she looked at him. "There is nothing you, personally, can do right now, other than what you need to be here for."

Chris shook her head and rolled her eyes, "I know, but."

"Hey," He stepped even closer making her stop speaking. She looked up to him with worry all through her big brown eyes. "I get it Chris, but we have to let them do their jobs and we need to do what we can here for Lilly and her mom." Chris frowned and nodded. She knew he was right. "If you keep going, I will kiss you to shut you up." He threatened with a tease, making her laugh and shove him playfully.

"Hey, you were so great with her back there."

"Thanks, but she is very fond of you too, must be thanks to this 'treat everyone like family' mantra."

Chris chuckled and nodded as they navigated the crowds to find their seats. She grinned remembering Jared talking with Lilly about her new pink gumboots and her brown teddy named "Teddy". The sight of him with a small child, who was so engrossed in what he had to say, laughing like she did, made her almost picture him with his own kids someday.

As Caitlin came back in and walked past their seats, Chris took in her confident strides and meticulous presentation. She seemed to show no emotion, no hint of things going on in her mind. Chris wondered if she hid her own turmoil that well.

As she stared off at the flags on the wall, her thoughts turned back to her conversation with Deacon. To the crew that were after Lilly's father and seemingly willing to use Lilly and her mom to get to him. She had never finished that conversation with Deac. He had left her with a,

"Relax, do your thing, we have it covered." but what did that mean? Chris had every confidence in her teammates, she trusted them with her life daily. But she wanted to know the plan, answers for all of the "What If's" in her head.

As Chris sat lost in her own mind, Caitlin drew aimless doodles on her note pad. Her mind was raging, but like Chris observed, no one would have known. She had learnt how to put up that barrier, that false wall, so that no one sees the mess inside too. After listening to the case developments and the contingencies in place, she was hating that a beautiful little girl like Lilly, was caught up in such a horrible and dangerous situation. She gripped her pen tightly and glanced back at Chris and Jared briefly. Chris was watching the courthouse security officers, Caitlin assumed her training was kicking in, if she knew about the details too, and Jared was watching the Judge. She bought her own gaze back to the front of the courtroom, as she had to admit to herself that she hadn't quiet processed what having Jared actually back in front of her felt like.

Soon Molly entered, with a very nervous Ms Monti and Lilly close behind, as Chris watched intently where the Marshall positioned himself.

"Hey, relax." Jared squeezed her knee and whispered in her ear.

"I'm trying." She muttered back, but both she and Jared knew that Chris was on edge now.