The call ended soon after. Both in tears. Lost, hurt and confused. Chris sat on the couch in disbelief, shaking as the sobs took over her body. This was not what was supposed to happen. Why did she just push him away and yank that door closed? Jared was supposed to be her happy. Her everything. And now? Now what? She knew she was scared, that her walls were sky high and that that was why she had reacted like that. But at the same time, she was trying to disarm her defences and be rational about this situation. To tell herself this was for the best. He needed time to explore things with Caitlin if he wanted too. She wanted him to be sure about who he wanted before they went any further. She assumed that would be Caitlin. That she was what he really wanted after all, right? He had planned on proposing to her before she left, and, well, now they might have a second chance. He had really loved her. 'Maybe I am just in the way.' She told herself.

Back in Las Vegas Jared tossed his phone at the sofa. Frustrated and angry. "Damn it!" He shouted as tears ran down his face. He sank down onto the chair and rested his head in his hands. Why had he let her do that? Why didn't he tell her no. He didn't want to take a break. Why hadn't he told her that whatever this stuff was with Caitlin, that well, it didn't matter. Why wasn't he jumping in the car right now to drive to her to fix this?

As he sat crying, he knew why. Even he couldn't answer her completely when she had asked if he still held feelings for Caitlin and was curious about what could be there. He understood that he needed to get his own head straight before he tried to talk to her again. He loved Chris and right now realising this might be it for them, broke him. He hated knowing he had hurt her, and to think that the pain she was in now, was at least partly because of him and his uncertainty about Caitlin. It killed him that he had pushed her this far. He never expected to be sitting here, with the prospect of her walking out of his life being real.

Thankfully, for the next 4 days, 20 David were scheduled for down time. So, Chris decided to take a short trip up the coast and just be alone. She needed to think and work out where she was at, without a distraction. She knew if she stayed in town, Street would pop by or call her, and she really didn't want to see him right now.

So that night emotions and all, she packed up a small bag, threw her things into the back of her truck and began to drive up the coast. She pulled into the first motel, she found that was by the beach. She wanted to listen to the waves tonight as she tried to sleep.

As she got to her room, nothing fancy, more comfortable, she realised there was a text from Jared on her phone

"I'm so sorry Chris. Please just promise we can talk soon."

She swirled her thumbs across the keypad, debating what to write back.

"Sure. But until then, we both need time to work this out. Stay safe."

Early during his next shift, as Jared pushed open the door and climbed out of his patrol car into the busy hospital parking lot, he exhaled and straightened his uniform. Part of him was nervous about the possibility of running into Caitlin again. But after a brief session with the suspect, he left with no awkward meeting. He had to admit part of him felt relieved to get in and out of there without seeing her, but at the same time there was a part of him that was wondering how she was doing.

Later that evening, he drank a few beers and put some sports on TV. All the while staring at the screen blankly as his thoughts flicked between Chris and how she must be feeling, and what he should do about this Caitlin stuff. He was trying to decide if he did feel something like the feelings he used to have for Caitlin, or was he just worried and concerned for her. He hated that he was hurting Chris as he struggled with all of this. But he also knew that they couldn't talk this through and fix things, until he knew exactly what he felt about Caitlin. After a while, he took himself to bed and did his best to sleep off the emotions that swirled and confused him.

The faint rays of sunlight filtering through the sheer curtains woke Chris. She felt a bit more at peace waking to the sound of the ocean. She wore a small smile for a bit before the gravity of her situation hit her again. Jared and she were, well, maybe over, for good. It made her stomach feel a little sick and empty. Their situation was complicated and messy.

A few days passed as she took to walking on the beach, hiking in the mountains, and just spending time alone. Sitting on a cliff above the ocean on her last day she grinned widely as another text from Street appeared.

'Hey there, I know I've sent this text once already, but you not responding is worrying me. Are you okay?'

Chris knew how worried he would be. She swirled her fingers slightly trying to decide if she should write back or not. Eventually she tucked it away and just sat smiling. They could talk about it all when she got back. She realised then that she was smiling, finally, and that that was because she was missing and looking forward to seeing Street. Her best friend. Her support, her confidant.

While back in Las Vegas, Jared was just busy working. He threw himself into the case and spent almost every waking minute at work. He was glad to be able to just fall asleep when he got home. So he didn't have time to think about it all.

Later that afternoon Chris was driving back towards the LA lights as the sun began to set behind her. She still felt the turmoil in her stomach and the ache still sitting in the middle of her chest.

As she reached her apartment and climbed the stairs, she glanced at her phone. There were two more messages from Street.

'Chris, please. Just let me know you are okay." And…. "I'm really really worried about you now. Would you just call me?'

She realised, as she grinned a little, that she really missed him. The silly texts that they always exchanged, the sound of his voice, and the way he always made her smile.

So, the next morning, well rested, her feet pounded the treadmill at HQ. Part of her was nervous about running into Street for the first time since this stuff with Jared. He was a great friend, but he always had a way of reading her though, and with the stuff she had said to him in the hospital that day, the way she had not replied to his recent messages, how she had just taken off and vanished, without a word, well, she was sure he would be wondering what was going on with her.

Down the hall, Street had come in and placed his bag inside his locker, as he did, he registered her things were also there. That put a slight pep in his step, and he headed towards the gym area on instinct. A smile growing across his face as he saw her alive and well, running on the treadmill. He leant on the closest pillar and smiled at her. Slowly she felt his gaze and her eyes found him. He gave her a small wave and a nod, which she returned, but she didn't want to encourage him and be too open right there and then.