Rosie was full of nervous, excited energy as she stood outside of the locker room. She wanted to surprise Sam as she came out for her game. Ben was with her and was slowly getting annoyed by her pacing.

"Would you stop?! Relax, she'll be out in a minute."

"I don't want to throw off her night. Maybe I should wait and hide in the bleachers until after the game."

"Whatever you want to-"

At that moment, the team came running out to enter the gym. Sam was a whirlwind, her long blonde locks pulled into a tight ponytail as she jogged past. She was so in the zone that she didn't notice her siblings standing off to the side.

"SAM!" Ben called out. Sam quickly looked back and then did a double-take when she saw the person next to him.

"ROSIE! OH MY GOD!" Sam ran over and practically leaped at her big sister, which was hilarious since Sam was about four inches taller than her. "You're here!"

"Hey, kiddo! I've missed you!"

"Listen, I have to go in, but we have to talk tonight. Beach talk."

"Oh, sounds serious!"

"Do I get to join?" Ben looked at Sam with his best puppy dog face.

Sam rolled her eyes at her brother. "Fine, but you aren't allowed to say anything negative."

"Would I do that?" Both girls looked at him with a snarky grin. "Well, that was just scary. Mom times two."

"Get in there and knock 'em dead, Sam. We are going to find Mom and Dad."

"Do they know you're here yet?"

"Nope- I wanted to see you first."

Sam threw her arms around Rosie one more time. "I love you, Ro. And you too, Benji."

Ben laughed. "You're getting me all misty-eyed. Have fun out there."

Sam ran after her teammates.

"I wonder what she wants to talk about," Rosie pondered aloud, as they made their way to Becca in the gymnasium.

As Rita and Chris pulled into the school parking lot, they saw Lou waiting for them by the main doors. Chris turned off the ignition and took a deep breath. "Remember, let's just talk to him. No decisions yet, okay?"

Rita grabbed his hand in solidarity. "Sounds good."

Lou greeted them as they approached. "It's nuts in there! I figured it would be quieter to chat outside."

Rita nodded. "Yeah, these games have been a little wild."

"I'll get right to it. I want to talk to you both about retirement." As Rita and Chris glanced at each other, he interjected with another word. "Mine."

Rita gasped. "Yours?!"

Lou smiled at the duo. "It's time, Rita. I think I stayed so long because it was the constant in my life that kept me sober. I was afraid to let go of that control, especially after Linda passed away." Lou's wife, Linda, was a remarkable soul, taken too soon by cancer a decade earlier. Lou had almost hit the bottle again after that, but he reached out to his friends and family for help. Rita, Chris, and Roxanne made sure he continued to go to his recovery group. Lou also threw himself into his work and was promoted to Commissioner a year later.

Chris jumped in with a handshake for his dear friend. "I never thought I'd see the day. Congratulations, man."

"Thanks. I'm going to move up to Jacksonville to be closer to the grandkids. I took a position as head of security for the Jaguars. A fun way to retire, don't ya think?"

It was Chris' turn for his jaw to drop. Lou laughed. "Anytime you want tickets, Chris, just say the word."

Rita leaned in and hugged Hudson. "I'm going to miss you! When are you leaving us?"

"I don't start the job with the Jags until training camp in July. I'd like to retire by April to give me a few months to get settled, and also give me time between now and then to train my replacements.

Rita looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Why was that plural?"

Lou looked at the two of them and smiled, using a line from their early years. "You're it, babes."

"What?!"

George and I talked. With the new outreach center on the horizon, the host of other programs you've created, and our regular divisions and rank and file officers, we have the funding to split the job into two Deputy Commissioner positions. It's too much for one person. So… how would the two of you like to be partners again?"

The Sams were speechless. Lou could see the look of excitement and worry on their faces. "I know you were contemplating retirement yourselves. I'm hoping you'll reconsider. I don't think you're ready, and neither does George."

The trio made their way into the school and stood just outside of the gym. At that moment, the bleachers roared as Sam scored a three-pointer.

Chris looked lovingly at his daughter and then back at Rita and Hudson. "I think I can speak for Rita in saying that we decided maybe retirement isn't the right answer. But I'm not sure if this is, either. Already the responsibilities have been taking us away from our family."

"See, that's where the changes are coming in. You can split duties and create your schedules. It's still a ton of work, but you can delegate more to your chiefs and captains. Things I should have been doing all along but invested myself a little too intensely after Linda's passing."

Rita and Chris stood, bewildered and silent, as they continued to digest this news.

Lou gazed out at the gym, watching Sam. "Also, far be it for me to break my niece's confidence, but there's something you should know. Your daughter called me this morning."

"Rosie?"

"No. Sam."

"Sam called you? Why?" Rita frowned, filled with worry.

"She didn't go into detail, but she wanted to know if you turned in your retirement paperwork yet. She asked me to stop you." Chris and Rita exchanged puzzled expressions while he continued. "Give her time. She said she needed a few days on something. But keep your radar up."

Rita watched her baby girl own the court, fiercely determined, looking no different than usual. If something was wrong, why didn't she pick up on it? Yet another reason why the job was becoming too much. Sam had been independent since birth and yet maybe needed Rita now more than ever. Taking on the highest rank in the department was perhaps not the best idea.

Chris was also in deep thought about something Rita hadn't even considered yet. "What about Ben?"

"Oh, goodness. Ben."

Lou interrupted them. "Ben is a grown adult, and he will handle whatever nonsense gets thrown his way. He wouldn't be the first officer with parents in the department. People will talk anyway, even if you retired today. Ben's special, and everyone at the Academy knows it. And that has nothing to do with the two of you being Captains. I would say it has everything to do with the two of you being amazing parents. He's turning heads all on his own. And before you throw in Rosie, she'll be thrilled that you both are giving up Vice and Homicide to sit in meetings and shake hands all day long."

Chris laughed. "Well, I guess you've thought of everything. When do you need our answer? We need time to discuss with everyone."

"Let's enjoy the holidays, and we'll discuss it again in January. If you say no, that still gives me a couple of months to choose other people. Come on, I've kept you from the game for too long. Let's go find seats."

Rita scanned the bleachers. "Ben's waving at us- let's head up."

Rosie and Becca were giggling, huddled next to each other on the bench seat. "Becca, did they see me?"

Becca had Rosie covered with the jacket she brought with her. "I don't think so. I think they just saw Ben."

The girls had become fast friends in the fifteen minutes since they finally met face to face. They had already teased Ben to the point of fury and were now bursting at the seams over the impending surprise.

"What are they talking about down there? I've been under this jacket forever!"

"I don't know," Ben mused, "but it looked interesting. Shhh- here they come."

"Ben-JI!" Chris fist-bumped his son, as he and Lou climbed back to sit behind him in an open spot on the bleachers. Rita squeezed her son's shoulder, and he stepped out so she could make her way over to Becca to say hello. As she went to sit down, Becca chimed in. "Here, let me move my jacket."

At that moment, Sam scored, and Rita turned to look at the game. When she turned back, identical green eyes stared back at hers.

"Rosalie!"

"Surprise!"

Rita fiercely hugged her firstborn child. Chris, distractedly chatting with Lou and Ben, glanced over to see the commotion and erupted into a huge grin.

"Ha!" He slid down the bench and kissed his daughter on the back of her head. "Welcome home, kiddo."

Rosie beamed. Home.