"I um, will be at work tomorrow, you know. You didn't have to come here on your way home." She smirked walking towards him, carrying her groceries.

"Oh, hey," he smiled, a little surprised snapping out of his daze and sliding his phone back into his pocket, as he took a heavy bag from her. "Come on, you tell me he is gone after being here for less than 24hours. Of course, I'm coming by to check on you."

She could hear the concern fill his voice. He assumed the worst, that Jared had left after they fought and maybe broke up. She had to admit it was nice of him to come and check on her.

"I'm okay." She nodded pulling out her keys and opening the door. She stepped in a nudged the door open for him to follow. He walked in behind her and placed the grocery bag on the bench, watching her as she moved about unpacking them,

"So, how did last night go?"

"Well, like I said. Danielle isn't his, we um talked about that and then this morning he got a call about a case back in Las Vegas and had to go."

He eyed her and could see the way she was giving him minimal details and not telling him it all. "Right, I got that, but come on. What happened? Stop giving me the spoilers and tell me the whole thing. I've been worried about you."

She swallowed hearing the emotion in his voice, steading herself as she hid her face in the fridge before she turned around. "God, I'll need a stiff drink for this." She mumbled taking two beers out, opening them and passing him one with a cheers clink to the necks of the bottles.

He watched her curiously as she put the last few items away and leant on the counter across from him, picking at the label on her beer bottle. Was the story she had to tell really that bad? He knew she wasn't herself. That whatever it all was, was weighing on her.

"Just start at the start Chris." He gently prompted.

"Yeah, well," she mumbled shifting back and forth. He tilted his head watching her. He wanted to say something, anything that might make this easier for her, but he had no clue what that would be.

"The start, he came and saw you… and?"

"No, well, he actually went and saw Caitlin before he came here." She corrected him; Street frowned at that. "But," she added holding up a finger at him. "I asked him to do that remember. I needed that information before I could figure out how I feel…... but… I still am not sure where we are or what I want."

"Okay," Street paused. Seeming to think what to prompt her with. "So, Jared went and saw Caitlin and?" He watched her as she chewed her lip.

"Yeah," She sighed. "They had coffee. He said that that conversation started with him asking about their past first. Like why she left him all those years ago?"

"Okay," Street nodded. "And why did she leave him? No hang on," he said standing up a bit and frowning. "Didn't you say they had this talk when the trial was on? Why again?"

Chris shook her head and shrugged. "I dunno. He said he was still curious and didn't think that their brief chat that day gave him closure. So anyway," she continued waving her hand. "She left because she thought he wanted a housewife and kids, but she wanted to get her degree and have a career in law in the city."

"Right?" Street let out slowly.

"Then she explained she adopted Danielle as a newborn almost 3 years ago. It was a long story about a case Caitlin was working on when her mother died, and left Danielle orphaned. That is apparently when she decided she wanted her."

"So, why am I sensing that there is something else that is pissing you off more than the Danielle paternity thing?"

"Well, after they had that talk, she invited him to meet Danielle and they apparently hung out at the park, and he played with her and stuff." Chris looked down at the floor.

"And that made you feel?" He asked gently. She looked back up at him and shrugged, shaking her head trying not to let him see the tears in her eyes. "Chris?" He said stepping forward a bit closer to her.

"Like shit, uneasy, I dunno. My gut is warning me that something is off here." She looked away from him as the tears threatened to fall.

"Did you bring this up with him?" He asked placing his beer down and studying her.

"Not really," she answered. Clenching her jaw to keep the tears at bay.

"Why?" He sighed, a little frustrated by how she handled this.

"Because I didn't want to fight with him again. Every time we have been together lately, we have had a disagreement or fight or something and…..."

"And?" He prompted as her tears began to fall. She turned from him and tried her best to blink them away. But as he stepped to her and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, she was racked with sobs.

"I just wanted to reconnect with him. To see if we could just get passed it. If that magic was still there." He tugged her into a hug and held her.

"Am I right in guessing it wasn't?" He asked with a grimace.

"I mean, we spent time together, but" she paused. "I felt off and weird and I shouldn't feel like that with him." She sobbed. He held her tighter and swayed slightly.

"It's okay Chris, I am here." He soothed her.

As she regained control and blew away the tears, she swiped at her face. It felt so nice in his arms. And that's when it hit her. That no matter what they went through together, his arms were ALWAYS her safe place. She started to sob again when she realised Jared's were not the same for her. She felt Street wrap his arms tighter and rest his cheek on her head. "I got you. It's okay." He mumbled.