The drive back to LA was long, so 5 hours later, boy was she glad to finally reach her apartment. To throw her things down and collapse onto the couch exhausted. It was more mental and emotional strain that was weighing on her. As she rested her head back and closed her eyes, she knew she needed to let him know she was home. But on her drive, she had gone around and around about what to do next. She felt anxious about talking to him. Somehow driving home, towards here had made her feel off about this situation again. But tossing her overthinking aside she knew she needed to let him finish up his case and come to see Caitlin, but something in the pit of her stomach also dreaded that. Maybe dreaded that because she was scared it would be the end of them.

She swallowed hard and lent forward to grab her phone, which lay face down on the coffee table. As she picked it up, it began to ring in her hand. She assumed it was Jared seeing if she was home yet, so she hit the green answer button before she registered that the name on the screen was actually Street.

"Hey, God, Thank God. I am so glad you answered." He said, worry and concern filling his voice.

"Hey," she mumbled quietly. Secretly cursing at herself for answering it.

"Are you okay? Where are you?" He asked quickly.

"It's fine, I'm fine. I'm home. I said I was okay." She responded quietly with distance in her voice.

"Chris, after seeing you like that, then you just disappear, what am I supposed to think? I've been so worried." He explained, doing his best to contain his emotion.

"I'm sorry, I just..." She began, hearing his voice and the worry for her, was comforting, but she felt bad for making him worry too. "I just, I just had something..."

"Can I stop by?" He interrupted.

"Oh, I, um, I am really exhausted and,"

"I just want to see you, make sure you're okay, be your friend." His rambling made her smile. She could feel how worried he was. Again, she remembered how she had felt with the Nate thing and when he shut her out, so she reluctantly agreed.

"If it's only a quick visit. I'm turning in early."

As Chris hung up, she chewed her lip. Was that the wrong thing to say. Should she just be pushing him away right now? Being honest, she just missed her friend. Missed having someone to talk to. Still trying to reason with herself she called Jared, explaining that she was home and exhausted. A mild white lie, yes, but she wasn't sure how to explain the fact Street was coming by to him right now. She moved about unpacking the overnight bag and starting to get her stuff for work out for tomorrow, when before long, he was knocking on her door.

"Hey," she opened it smiling sheepishly.

"Hey! It's so good to see you." He said as she stepped back to let him in.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. I'm okay." He watched her and knew her well enough to know that she was not okay. She turned back and looked at him. "What?" She asked, frowning at the way he looked at her. He seemed nervous to say anything.

"Is Sasso and everyone okay?" He asked. Then it hit her. She kept saying it was family stuff she was dealing with, but she knew he knew it was probably something else.

"They are." She answered fidgeting as she sat on the sofa.

"So, this family emergency was…" He waited for her to finish the sentence. She flicked her eyes to him and sat silently, then slowly looked back at her hands and scrunched her mouth.

"A lie."

He sighed. "What? Why lie to me Chris?" She heard the hurt in his voice. "You're still that angry with me? We are still that broken?" She swallowed and looked back up at him. The hurt in his soft brown eyes was killing her. After all they had been through together, he was still right there for her. Yet again, she kept pushing him away.

"Sorry. I, I just didn't think, we were..."

"We were what? Friends?" There was hurt in his voice. "Is that really how you feel?"

She again lowered her head. This time a few sobs escaped as she curled herself up on the sofa away from him. He sighed and moved closer. To sit opposite her. He hesitated slightly before he extended his hands to her arms that were covering her face.

"Hey, would you look at me?" He said softly. "I'm sorry for being angry, but seeing you upset and then you not letting me in, it is scaring me." She couldn't lift her eyes to him. She just squeezed her eyes shut, trying her best to block the pain.

"Is it Jared?" He asked, knowing that she was guarded right now and still might not tell him the whole truth. "Did he hurt you?" Street added with a tone of defensiveness in his voice.

Chris shook her head and then shrugged. "No, I mean, yes it related to Jared, but no it's not his fault, I think."

Street frowned confused trying to follow her. He held up his hand for her to stop.

"Take a deep breath." He said doing the same and waiting for her to do it. "Good, now, start at the start and tell me why you were crying the other day on scene."

Chris shut her eyes and frowned. "I kind of should start before that."

"Okay" he nodded surprised, trying to suppress his anger that this dude might have hurt her.

"That court case, while Jared was here," she said quietly, pausing as she debated if telling Street this was a good idea.

"Yeah?"

"Well, I met his ex-girlfriend. She was lead counsel." Streets eyes widened a little and his brows furrowed at his confusion.

"Oh, I thought he was from Las Vegas?"

"He is, I mean they were. But she moved here after they broke up."

"Right, is she why you were crying? Something happened between them?"

"No, I mean they talked once, but no. They hadn't spoken since the breakup. She hurt him a lot. But" Chris stood up and paced a little. "The other day at the school, while Tan and I were reuniting kids and parents. She came and picked up a 3yrold girl."

Street sat confused for a few moments, watching her. She looked out the window as she spoke, then sat in silence looking at her hands. Her voice had been shaky and timid. Not the confident, kick ass woman he usually knew.

"The little girl called Caitlin mommy." She almost said in a whisper.

'Why on earth would her picking up her daughter upset Chris so much?' But then, finally, what she had said hit him and he understood.

"Oh Chris!" He sighed, as he moved a fraction closer. "You think that child is Jared's?" He asked reaching his hand to her arm. She just shrugged, shaking her head a little and sighed. "I'm sorry. I wish I knew what to say." He added.

"It's fine." She began, standing up to move to the kitchen. "It will be what it will be."

Watching her walk away, he could feel her walls were sky high, to him and probably to Jared. He could tell she was retracting herself into her own little safe bubble. But he was determined not to let her shut him out completely. He knew she needed a friend.

"So," he began as he watched her walk to the kitchen and begin unpacking the dishwasher. Clearly, she was trying to distract herself from their conversation. He followed her and leant on the end of the bench. "So, is it, over? Or?" He asked cautiously. His words making her stop and glance at him. She would swear there was a hint of hope in his voice that he tried to disguise.

"No, it's not, but I, I dunno," She shook her head and continued to the cupboard to put away the bowl she had taken from the open dishwasher. "I honestly don't know what is happening right now."

"Well, I take it you talked to him? Or did you just take some time to yourself?" He asked hinting to the fact she had disappeared after last shift.

"No, I went to see him." She let out as she turned back to the tray of dishes. Street stepped closer to her and as she stood up, holding two glasses, he placed his hands on her arms.

"Chris, stop." He said taking the glasses from her. "Stop this," he continued motioning to her doing things and gestured for her to sit back down. "Come and just talk to me please. Let me help."

Chris laughed an indignant laugh. "Help? How are you gunna do that?" After it came out, even she cringed at how cold and angry it was. He just blinked and sighed.

"Sit," he said again with kindness. "Please." She flapped her hands against herself in protest before his firm, but kind stare made her begin to move slowly to the sofa. As she sat down, she curled up and hugged a pillow against her.

"Okay, now tell me, what happened?" He asked.

She scrunched her mouth before she formed her words. "I went to see him, to ask him, to see if he knew anything about her."

"And?" He asked slowly.

"He didn't. Like I said he hadn't spoken to Caitlin in years, and she never mentioned a child to him."

Street inhaled and held it in briefly as he processed her situation. "Right, well, I guess you can't blame him for that." He mumbled. "What's happening now then?"

"He will come and talk to her, face to face, once this big case he is leading is over. Until then, I dunno. I dunno how to feel, what to think, what I should do, I just dunno." Chris tried to explain her mixed feelings.

He nodded dropping his gaze from her. She felt his silence. She knew he was probably trying to work out what to say next. She glanced at him and gave him a sad smile with a shoulder shrug.

"What?" She asked.

"What?" He glanced up, shrugging back at her, a slight chuckle in his voice.

"Just say whatever it is that you're thinking."

"I'm not thinking anything that..." He began

"Yes, you are. I know you." She interrupted.

"Well, I guess, I'm thinking you need to decide what you want. I mean if this child is his, what do you want? To continue seeing him or?" He asked as he stepped back towards the sofa and sat on the arm of the chair closest to her.

She hugged the pillow tighter and buried her face towards it. "I have no idea." She mumbled.

"Chris, let it out," he began, trying not to let her shut down. "Just tell me what's worrying you and …..."

"I don't know Street!" She shot out, looking up frustrated, "I have gone around and around and around about all of this. And I honestly, have no idea what it should be or what I even want." She huffed squeezing the cushion tighter in frustration. He watched her quietly for a second. Letting her anger slightly subside. He was conscious she could always throw his ass out again and …... well… that wouldn't get them anywhere.

"Do you love him?" He asked, as he lifted his eyes from his hands to her. She shot up her eyes and glanced at him. Hearing him ask that, the crack she was sure she heard in his voice that he tried to cover, seeing the fear on his face as he looked back at her, it all made her heart ache.

She exhaled and buried her face down into the cushion again. "It's not that simple."

He glanced up at the roof and turned the corner of his mouth into a small smile as he shook his head. She always made things more complicated than they needed to be. She had done this with whatever it was between them so many times. He paused thinking about the way she had used their careers, her rules about dating cops and the fact that they were friends and teammates, as a barrier to anything ever happening with them. And it made him sad. His own heart felt like a pin cushion. He wished deep down that life hadn't given her the chance to come up with so many obstacles. That one day she would see how much he loves and wants her.

Right now, though, she was raw, hurt and struggling. And he needed to put his own feelings down and help her. Help her feel better, talk things through, whatever she needed. He wished he could tell her to leave him. To give him a chance instead, but that was his own wish and daydream. He inhaled and steadied himself, she needed to come to that realisation, if that is what was supposed to happen, on her own.

"Hey," he said slowly. "I get that you two have a complicated situation, even before this addition of the ex and a possible child, but if you really care about him Chris?"

She listened but didn't look at him. Both of her eyes locked on her feet which were curled up to her. He watched her, she looked like a scared little child.

"I mean, do you still want things to work with him?" He asked.

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "I, I, I just." She dropped her eyes back to her fingers. "When I'm with him. It's amazing. He is amazing. He makes me feel, God, it's hard to explain. But as I drove home, got further from him, I realised that I don't really know what I want. I'm scared."