A/N: Sorry it took so long, but I'm officially back with this story. Two chapters left after this one, and I plan to have them up before season 5 starts. Thanks guys!

Street had officially broken up with Molly. It wasn't easy to do, as he really did care for her, but he also knew that she didn't deserve to be strung along. Deep down, he knew he was too in love with Chris to be in a relationship with anybody else. Speaking of Chris, Street was still really worried about her. Maybe now more than ever, because something had been wrong ever since Erika's death. He was happy that she was finally coming back to work, but honestly he hoped she was ready. No one would've blamed her if she needed a little more time off.

It was the Monday morning after the breakup, and officially Chris' first day back. She was getting ready to walk out of the locker room as Street came in. He stopped her before she could move past him though. "Hey. I'm glad you're back. How're you doing?"

She wasn't looking directly at him, but he could've swore he seen her roll her eyes. "I'm fine."

There was a lot Street wanted to say… like it was okay to admit she wasn't fine, and she didn't have to lie to him. Instead, he simply nodded, not wanting to set her off. "Okay. Well, like I said, I'm glad you're back. The place hasn't been the same without you."

Chris scoffed. "This place will never be the same, Street." With that, she made a quick exit.

He had wanted to tell her about the breakup, but quickly realized that it wasn't a good time for that. Anyways, Chris had enough on her mind, especially now that she was settling back into the team. He at least wanted to tell her by the end of shift, seeing as how she was mad at him for how he'd been treating Molly. He couldn't blame her, but he wanted to let her know that things were over… he needed to, or she was still going to be pissed.

…

It wasn't until later that evening when Street got the chance to talk to Chris again. He caught up to her as she was walking towards the motor pool. "How's it feel to be back?" It had been a pretty standard day, but 20-Squad had remained busy for the most part.

He was rewarded with a small smile from her. "It feels good. It'll be nice to get back into some sort of routine."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Chris looked like she was about ready to walk away, so Street quickly spoke again. "Uh, I wanted to tell you… it's over with Molly." He couldn't tell whether or not she looked surprised. "I knew I shouldn't string her along anymore. You were right when you said she didn't deserve that."

Chris slightly nodded. "Well, if your heart wasn't in it then you did the right thing."

Street desperately wanted to tell her that his heart wasn't in it with Molly, because it already belonged to her, but he knew that would only lead to Chris shutting him out yet again.

"I should go. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." Chris was already walking away, but Street didn't move until her truck was out of sight.

…

Three days later, Street knew he hadn't been wrong in worrying about Chris. Once again, they crossed paths in the locker room, but this time she was sporting a painful looking black eye. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, a blender fell from one of the shelves when I was unpacking." She shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal.

"Oh really? Was it on crush mode?" Despite his concern, he couldn't help himself… because her eye looked bad.

Chris gave a smug look, and even though Street didn't believe her lame-ass excuse, which he was pretty sure even she knew he didn't, he smiled at her next remark. "You should see the blender."

After she left, Street turned to Tan, who had been in there the whole time. "A blender, really?" He couldn't help his completely disbelieving tone, because he would've been totally dumb to not realize somebody had done that to Chris. That alone would've made his blood boil, however he knew she could take care of herself… and as she said about the blender, he would love to see whatever idiot dared to put their hands on Chris Alonso.

Street shook his head, and focused his attention back on the questions Tan was asking him. Tan seemed to think Hicks was still unaware of the break up with Molly, otherwise, Street would be paying penance in the armory. Everything about Hicks scared Street, especially when it came to his daughter, so he wasn't looking forward to what was in store. Those thoughts couldn't be dwelled on however, because after talking to Tan for a few more minutes, he realized he needed to have conversation with the commander about a whole different matter… something was up with Mumford.

SWATSWAT

Chris was well aware of all the concerned looks she'd been receiving. Not only did she have the black eye, but her whole overall appearance was screaming that she'd been to hell and back. Okay, so maybe the reason she used for her black eye wasn't really helping… even she'd admit that it wasn't her best excuse, but she guessed it was better than telling the whole SWAT team that she'd been in a bar fight.

It really hadn't been her fault. She was always going to protect herself, so when that bastard from the bar thought he could come up and touch her ass, she was going to teach him a lesson. It had been a rather quick lesson, because he only got the one punch in before he was laid out on the floor, almost unconscious. It wasn't Chris' best moment, but she was damn pleased with the end result.

She hadn't considered herself drunk, but she was planning to play it safe and call a cab. That didn't work out though, because the bartender took her keys, and she ended up having to call Tan because how would she have gotten in her apartment if she didn't have keys? Her first thought had been to call Street, but he was dealing with his recent breakup, so the next person on her list was Tan.

Calling Tan ended up not being the best decision though. Due to his concern for her well being, he had seen the state of her apartment up close and personal. Empty plates and take-out containers were strewn about almost every surface, and laundry littered the floor.

Tan helped her clean up some, then went to grab her some ice for her bruised eye… that only resulted in him finding all the alcohol bottles that she had stored. She could tell he didn't really believe her when she told him they had been for the housewarming that never came about. He even asked her if he should be worried, but she just brushed it off with the fact of winning TLI, and told him not to tell anyone.

Now, she was getting ready to assist her team in a raid. This was something she missed while she was gone, so her adrenaline was pumping with the thoughts of what they were about to go in on.

The building was an arcade and fun house, luckily not open to the public at the time they were getting ready to enter. As soon as they did, their suspect took off running, and Chris knew this place was a maze. Her and Tan branched off to the right, but they didn't have eyes on the suspect. They moved quickly, going deeper into the large building, but with all the twists and turns, not to mention the crazy mirrors, it was difficult to see where the man had went.

It was easy to get disoriented by the mirrors, so when Chris and Tan finally had eyes on the suspect, Chris was concerned as to whether or not he was actually right in front of them.

He bolted again, so Chris nodded at Tan to go after him, and she would follow suit. "I'll cover you."

Tan hesitated, and it only took a split second for Chris to realize why… he didn't trust her. She huffed out a breath, and stepped in front of him. "Fine, you cover me." She took off, not waiting on a reply.

After that, it didn't take long for the suspect to be brought in. He jumped into a ball pit and ended up cornered by Hondo and Deac.

Getting back to HQ, Chris immediately branched off to the locker room. She was utterly pissed right now. Despite her knowing it shouldn't be, most of that anger was directed towards Tan… which was why she barely managed to keep from throwing some of her gear when he joined her in the locker room.

"Chris, we really need to talk." He approached her calmly… not really how she would describe her own demeanor.

"Damn right, we do. You really didn't trust me back there, did you?"

"Chris, come on. You know how it goes with this job. I will always have your back, but you've got to be one-hundred percent to do the same for me."

Chris scoffed. "Are you sure this is about today, or does it have to do with Erika?"

Tan looked a little perplexed. "Erika? What does… hold on. Do you think I blame you for what happened?"

Chris shrugged. "I would, if I was in your position."

"Chris, I don't blame you at all… it wasn't your fault."

"The hell it wasn't! I'm the one who got her to join 20-Squad that day. I'm the reason she was at that compound."

"No. You weren't. She was there because she wanted to be."

Chris didn't say anything, but she could feel her hands shaking. She wasn't sure if that was from anger, or some other pent up emotion, but she clenched her fists in an effort to make it stop.

"Listen to me, you have to let this go… and I know that's easier said than done, but if you don't, it will destroy you."

Chris kept her eyes focused on the floor, as she listened to Tan talk about how he coped with the death of his dad.

His voice was soft as he continued. "You have to find an outlet, a healthy way to grieve. Since you're not crazy about surfing, how about getting in the ring. You can even take your frustrations out on me."

Chris finally met his eyes. "I'll think about it. Thanks Tan."

He nodded and left her alone in the locker room.

After their talk, Chris wasn't really upset with Tan anymore… she was more upset with herself for being in a position where her teammate felt she couldn't have his back.

…

Chris kept a steady grip on her rifle, and her eyes trained on 20-Squad's surroundings. They finally had a location on their suspect, and it was time to put an end to this case.

It felt good to be back in the field with her team, but Chris knew she needed to keep a cool head. She couldn't afford to make a mistake… her team was counting on her.

Taking a deep breath, she continued to walk alongside Black Betty, which was being driven by Tan, as they all made their way towards the suspect's hideout. She briefly met Tan's eyes through the window, and his small nod was reassuring.

As they made it to the residence, Hondo told Chris and Tan to stay outside and cover the front. Chris retook a position beside Tan, where she had a clear visual on the house.

The following minutes went by in a flash. Soon after the rest of the team entered the house, they discovered that their main suspect was about to flee from the garage. His vehicle crashed through the garage door, and Chris scrambled to get a safe shot before he got too far. The SUV collided with two police cruisers, but Chris managed to shoot one of the tires before it could hit anything else.

The vehicle quickly screeched to a stop, and Tan tackled the driver as soon as he jumped out. The suspect scrambled out of the other side, but Hondo was onto him in a second. All in all, the takedown went well, as the only injuries were to the suspect's buddies.

A few minutes later, Chris let out a sigh of relief as she unclipped her helmet. She took survey of her team, and found Street giving her a curious, yet concerned, look. She gave him a soft smile, hoping to reassure him that she was fine. She was getting tired of feeling like she was under a microscope, but she couldn't find it in her self to be mad at Street when he was obviously still worried about her.

They held each other's gaze for a long moment, but Chris' thoughts were interrupted when Tan approached her. She tore her eyes from Street as Tan fist bumped her.

"Good work, Chris."

"Thanks. You too."

"Have you thought anymore about my offer?"

Chris nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm going to take you up on that."

SWATSWAT

It had been a long day, and everyone was exhausted after finally closing Mumford's case. Street hadn't been able to keep as much of an eye on Chris as he would have liked, as he was too busy trying to convince the commander that something was going on with Mumford, but he had noticed that she kept popping Tylenol every four hours and would wince every time she was exposed to bright light or loud noises. If he had to guess, he would say she was fighting a headache, and that coupled with her pale appearance, he wouldn't have been too surprised to learn it was because of a hangover.

Drinking on a work night wasn't like her though, so that put Street's concern on overdrive. Tan seemed to know more than he let on, but Street thought it best not to pry. After all, every other time he meddled in Chris' business, she pushed him further away. He knew she was struggling, and he desperately wished he could help… but he couldn't do that if Chris wouldn't let him in. He just wanted her to come to him, but that apparently wasn't going to happen.

Seeing her and Tan at the punching bag, Street almost stepped over to say good night… but after a second thought, he figured he should just walk away.

SWATSWAT

Chris could finally admit that Tan was right. Dealing with her anger, while doing something she loved anyway, was proving to be therapeutic. After warming up with the bag, she jumped in the ring with Tan. She didn't know how much time they spent sparring, but by the time they finished, her muscles were burning, and sweat was covering every surface of her body. It was a good feeling though, it made her feel alive… something she hadn't felt much of lately. She was appreciative of Tan…they had just closed a major case, but he still stayed late to help her deal with her struggles.

She was getting ready to head to the locker room, but she turned to bid Tan a good night. "Thanks, Tan. I really needed this." She didn't resist when he pulled her into a brief hug.

"Anytime, Chris."

She gave an appreciative nod, and left in search of a cool shower. Forty minutes later, she was at her apartment, pulling all of the alcohol from her fridge and cabinets. She'd convinced herself on the drive over that it was time to get rid of it… time to start fresh. She tossed bottle after bottle into the trash can, even surprising herself when she realized how many she actually had.

She felt a moment of pride in herself after finishing with her task… but then it all came crashing back down around her within seconds. She hadn't realized it before, but there was a small notepad at the back of the counter, and on the front of it was Erika's familiar handwriting. It was just a simple grocery list that Erika had made, for what looked like the housewarming party, but the sight of it was too much for Chris.

It was crazy how much emotion was evoked from that simple piece of paper. She tried, desperately tried not to reach for one of the discarded bottles… but it was the only thing she could think to do, as the memories flooding her mind were too overwhelming. Her head was spinning, and she couldn't help but grab the bottle of vodka. After downing way more than she should have, Chris stood in the kitchen wondering what in the hell she was going to do to get over this.

…

The next morning, Chris was going into work with a hangover, so she did what she could to lessen it by drinking a little vodka… not enough to get drunk, but just the amount to make her headache bearable. She tried fixing the makeup under her eyes so that the dark spots wouldn't be so prominent, but after a few minutes, she gave up and just hoped she didn't look as bad as felt.

By the time she arrived at HQ, she could already hear a familiar voice. She couldn't help but smile when she realized Luca was back from Germany. She had really missed him… phone calls and video chats didn't live up to seeing him in person.

She watched as the rest of the team greeted him, before taking her own turn to hug him. They stood around talking for a few minutes, but Chris looked over as Street's phone started buzzing. He looked at the number for a moment, seemingly contemplating what to do. "You okay?"

"Yeah, it was just a wrong number." He deflected and walked away, but she didn't miss the fact that he turned slightly pale after looking at the screen.

Suddenly it was just Chris and Luca, and she felt the need to apologize for constantly calling him while he was away. When he asked her how she was dealing, she didn't really know what to say, so she settled for 'I'm hanging in there.'

He didn't look like he believed her, but wasn't able to comment as they were both getting alerts about a developing situation.

SWATSWAT

The team wasn't able to celebrate Luca's return for long, because they were quickly called to a report of shots fired. When they arrived on scene, Street was paired with Chris, and he was once again happy that she was back in the field.

As they moved together to their designated side of the house, Street smiled to himself as he noted how in sync they were. The happy feeling didn't last though, as everyone took stock of the situation. Street was horrified to learn that a little girl was threatening her dad with a gun, in hopes of protecting her younger sister.

It took a tense few minutes to get the girl to lower the gun, and everyone realized things were a lot worse than they had originally thought. They quickly called in Child Protective Services, and got everyone moved into HQ.

While they were waiting on Hondo and Deacon to return from one of their only leads, Chris and Street decided to check in on the little girls, Eme and Nimla. They quietly waited outside the doorway, exchanging concerned glances, until the social worker finished.

Chris was glad to hear that the girls were doing better, but she knew they had a long way to go. She could tell Street was kind of antsy, it seemed this case was really getting to him.

Street made a point of asking the social worker about the girls' mother, and Chris didn't miss the defeated look on his face when she mentioned foster care. After she shared all that she could find out, she left Chris and Street alone in the hallway.

The buzzing of Street's cellphone cut through the air, and Chris couldn't help but see 'Pleasant Green Hospital' listed on the screen. She didn't say anything as he hit decline. She knew it wasn't a wrong number, like he claimed earlier, but now wasn't the time to discuss it.

Street turned to her as he pocketed his phone. "We need to get started on a warrant, so can you get the new info to the rest of the team?"

Chris looked at him suspiciously. "What are you doing?"

"I want to talk to Eme and Nimla."

She went to protest, thinking maybe he was getting himself in too deep, but he was already defending his decision.

"I get it, DCFS can handle it, but since I went through something similar, maybe I can help stir some memories about their mother." He didn't wait for a response, just took a deep breath and headed for the door.

Chris watched him walk away, hoping whatever was happening in his personal life wasn't messing with his head too much.

…

Street didn't get too much from the girls, but he was hoping to keep them at HQ a little longer. He spoke to the social worker again, and she was willing to leave them there if the commander signed off on it.

He was trying to be optimistic about finding their mother, but at this point, anything could have happened to her. Street hated that Eme and Nimla were having to go through this. He knew the pain of it all too well.

He made his way to Hick's office, not really sure where he stood with the man right now. He still didn't know if Molly had told him about the break up, but he at least hoped to stay on his good side long enough to help those girls.

Knocking on the door, Street hesitantly stepped in. "Sir, I'm sorry, but I was hoping to get your approval on something. I, uh, talked to the social worker again, because I'm wanting to keep the girls here for a little longer. If we can get more information on their mom, maybe we can keep them from going into foster care. I know it's not my job, but I really want to make sure they're taken care of." Street knew he was kind of rambling, but the look he was getting from the commander was making him a little nervous.

"I can let them stay until the end of today, but that's it. They ended up with a lousy father. After all, it's a dad's job to protect his daughter… at all costs."

There was that look again. Hick's had to have heard about the break up, so Street was ready to get out. "I appreciate you letting them stay. I'll let you get back to…" He trailed off when he saw that Hick's wasn't paying him any attention. "Thank you."

Street left the office, shutting the door behind him. He made his way through HQ, stopping at the Eagle's Nest when Luca called for him.

"Hey, any leads on the girls' mom?"

"Not yet… and I'm hoping I don't get fired before I'm able to do some more digging."

"Oh? What did you do this time?"

Street shook his head and leaned up against the table. "I think Hicks knows it's over with Molly. He was so cold with me just now, I'm lucky I didn't get frostbite."

Luca smirked. "Well, you can't say I didn't warn you."

"Gee, thanks. You're so kind. He's fine professionally, but it makes me think that he's planning some torture for later on. I should probably say something to him, right?"

"Oh wow, so now you want to take my advice? Okay, are you having second thoughts about the break up?"

Street shook his head. "No, I couldn't commit to Molly one-hundred percent, but she deserves somebody who can. It wouldn't have been fair for me to drag things out any further."

"That's what you should say. It's simple, but respectable."

"Did you get wise while you were gone?"

"No, smart-ass. You're just now wise enough to see how brilliant I am."

Street laughed, and started to head out. "That must be it." Now, it was time to hunt for more leads. He was determined to find out what happened to Eme and Nimla's mom.

SWATSWAT

Chris really respected what Street was doing for the little girls. He had a big heart, and she could tell that he really cared about what was going to happen to them… but she was still convinced that something else was going on.

With that in mind, she approached him in the armory, where he was cleaning his gun. She watched him for a minute before stepping farther in. "Hey, you okay?"

He glanced up, barely pausing in his task. "Those little girls are terrified, not to mention really confused about what's going to happen to them. The social worker just talked them through what the arrest means."

"They've had a long, hard road in their few years."

"Yeah, and thanks to their no good father, it might stay that way."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he's altered all of their official records, so now it's that much harder to find their mom… but the good news is, if he's gone to all that trouble, surely she's out there some where. I'm really trying, Chris." He let out a soft sigh.

Chris was silent for a moment, and Street must have read something in her expression.

"I'm doing a good thing." He put down the rag he was using, and met her eyes.

"I know you are, Street. I really hope things work out, and that you're able to keep them out of the system."

"Okay, so what was that look for?"

Chris didn't want to beat around the bush any longer. "Who's in the hospital?"

"Chris, I told you that was nothing."

"Okay, so answer the question." She was tired of him trying to deny it, when she knew there was obviously something going on.

Street glanced outside the door, making sure no one else was around. "I guess my mom's been sick for a while, and they had to transfer her to Pleasant Green from the infirmary."

Now his behavior about today's case was starting to make more sense. "I'm sorry about that, Street. Have you spoken to her lately?"

Street shook his head. "I'm done with her bullshit, and trying to save her all the time."

Yeah, this explained it all. "Now you're trying to save Nimla and Eme instead, by looking for their mother."

He looked a little perplexed, but he didn't deny what she was saying. "That's a very simplistic way of putting it."

"Yeah, well some things in life are simple. Look, I know Karen has failed you as a mother, and I'm glad that you're holding your ground… but your feelings don't go away by burying them in someone else's issues."

Street barely met her eyes when he replied. "Does that go for you too? Pretending your feelings for me don't exist doesn't make them go away either."

That wasn't what Chris was expecting, but she didn't want to get into that. She couldn't. "Don't even go there." She turned and left the armory, feeling his eyes on her as she went. He just wouldn't let that go. She knew he was right about her feelings, but nothing had changed. It was something that couldn't happen between them, so what was the point of bringing it up?

…

It was nearing nine o'clock that evening, and 20-Squad's case was over. Street was thrilled. He had finally tracked down Eme and Nimla's mother. They were currently skyping with her, and their joy was contagious. Street lost track of how long he stood outside the doorway, catching bits of the conversation, before Hicks approached him.

"Uh, how'd they get separated?"

Hicks sighed, and Street knew this case had taken a toll on everybody. "Their dad took them out of daycare one day, and threatened to kill them if their mother tried tracking them down. After everything he put all of them through, she believed it."

Street shook his head. "I can't imagine. That has to be the worst nightmare for a mother who truly loves her kids." He knew not all moms were like that, but this one seemed devoted to rebuilding a life for her daughters. Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye, Street turned and was met with Chris' warm gaze. She had her bag slung over her shoulder and was on her way out. She met his eyes, and they shared a smile before she left. It was always good to see her smile.

Street was brought back to the conversation by the commander informing him that the girls' mother would arrive the next day, and that he was going home for the night. He realized that now was as good of time as any to mention something about the breakup, so taking a quick breath, he asked Hicks to wait a second. "Sir, I actually wanted to speak to you about Molly."

Hicks' gaze slightly hardened. "If you're talking about breaking up with her, I already know all about it."

Street's throat suddenly became dry, and he feared where this conversation was going to lead. "Sir, I truly respect your daughter, I want you to know that."

"I do. Molly made it plain that you didn't mess around, and you handled the situation well."

Street was a little surprised to hear that, but he'd take it.

"Street, my daughter is hurting over what happened… so are you my favorite person right now?"

Street shook his head, doubting that he was ever the commander's favorite person.

"No, you're not, but I appreciate how you handled the situation."

"I assure you, I was the problem. It had nothing to do with Molly."

Hicks smirked. "I have absolutely no doubt." With that, he walked off, leaving Street to breathe a sigh of relief. That went a lot better than he expected.

Street looked in on the girls one more time before deciding to head home himself. Chris had been right about what he was doing today. His thoughts were with his mom, and it was hard not to think about his situation when he saw Eme and Nimla. He was happy that thy were being reunited with their mother, but his heart ached with the thoughts of time he never had with his own mom.

Approaching his bike, Street sighed, knowing it was time to make the inevitable phone call… he'd been avoiding it for a while now. Of course he cared about his mom, and what happened to her, but he was cautious. He knew how easy it was to get sucked into her lies and manipulation. That's why he hadn't wanted anything to do with her for a while.

He listened to the steady ring of the phone before someone at the hospital finally picked up.

"Pleasant Green Hospital. How can I help you?"

"I'm calling about a patient. Her name is Street… Karen Street."

"Okay, and who's calling?"

"I'm her son, Jim Street."

It wasn't a long call, but Street was surprised to hear that Karen really wasn't too good. Her liver was failing, and she wasn't approved for the donor list. He felt bad that he hadn't taken it very seriously before, he honestly thought she'd been exaggerating… but it was apparently very real. He still didn't think he was ready to see her though. He would go eventually, but he knew it would be the same as it always was with her, and that pissed him off.

Shaking his head, he climbed on his bike and got ready to head home for a restless night.

SWAT

It was six o'clock in the morning, and Street and Luca were getting ready for work. Street was lacing up his books and shook his head at his roommate, who was mixing something up in the blender. Street's phone started ringing, and he half expected it to be Hondo wanting them in early. He was surprised to see Chris' name… after all, she never really called him much anymore. He quickly answered, hoping she was okay. "Chris?"

"Uh, hey…"

He frowned at her pause. "You alright?"

"This is really embarrassing. Please don't judge."

"Never, I promise. Chris, what's going on?"

"I'm at a motel in Hollywood, but the thing is, I don't know where my truck is. I don't even know I got here."

She said the last part so low that Street wasn't sure if he heard her correctly. Plus, Luca was running that stupid blender, so he was straining to hear anyway. What was Chris doing at a motel?... Or even in Hollywood for that matter. "Okay. I'll be right there." He grabbed his jacket and keys, and headed for the door.

"Where're you going?" Luca hollered from the kitchen.

Street held the phone away for a second. "I'll see you at HQ." Once he was outside, he focused back on Chris. "What motel?"

She quickly told him the motel and room number.

"I'm on my way, Chris."

"Thank you."

"Of course." He hung up and took off towards Hollywood. The ride was filled with worry over his best friend. He was still confused about the situation, but was glad that he was the one she had called. He was surprised at that, seeing as how lately she seemed to be relying on Tan when she needed someone. Regardless of the situation, Street would do whatever he could to help her out… he just hoped this one wasn't as bad as he suspected.

He stopped off to get two coffees, figuring they both would need some caffeine, then found the motel as quickly as he could. It was pretty run down, and he was wondering, yet again, what Chris was doing here? The room wasn't hard to find, but once the door opened, Street was startled by Chris' appearance. She looked drained, physically and emotionally.

She immediately reached for the coffee that he was holding out, and ushered him inside.

Street took a look around the room, and at the strewn bedsheets. "Okay, what's the plan?"

"Well, we can drive around to find my truck, then head into work."

Street was already shaking his head. "No, you're not working today."

"I'll be fine after I finish this coffee." She bumped her cup to his, but he was still disagreeing.

"No, Chris. You can call Hondo, and tell him you're sick. I'll back you up."

Chris didn't fight him, instead just stared blankly at the floor.

Street stepped a little closer, his worry only intensifying. "What happened to you last night?"

"I…" She took a deep breath, and glanced around the room. "I'm not even sure. I went to the bar. There was some guy. I remember coming here, and paying with a credit card. Other than the fact that we had sex, I don't know much else."

That's definitely not what Street wanted to hear. He closed his eyes for a second, not wanting to think about her being with another guy.

"Damn, I hate this." Street's eyes snapped open, as she sounded on the verge of panic.

"It's okay. We'll figure it out, and we'll find your ride." He pulled out his phone, and searched for bars that were close to the motel, while Chris put on her jacket.

"My guess is that we didn't drive very far. I mean look at this place." She motioned around her, and Street gave her a tight smile.

"I've been in worse." He took one last look around before shutting the door behind them.

"Thanks for coming to the rescue." Chris spoke softly, and Street hated to see the pain etched on her face… no doubt from regretting some off the decisions she may have made.

"Anytime. Okay, I've got a few locations. Do any of these seem familiar?" He gave her his phone, and she studied the places that were listed.

"Um, maybe that one right there." She pointed to a name and address on the screen, and Street looked over her shoulder.

"Okay, we'll check it out." It was a short ride to the bar, and sure enough, her truck was parked out front.

Chris let out a sigh of relief, as she fished her keys from her pocket. "Thanks again, Street."

He frowned as she stepped towards her truck. "Are you sure you're okay to drive? I mean I can take you to your place, and we can pick your truck up later."

"I'm fine, and I'd rather not leave it here any longer than it has been."

"Okay. I'll see you at your apartment." She looked confused, so he elaborated. "I'll follow you home, and make sure you get there safely."

"Street, you don't have to do that. I'm good, and you have to be at work."

"I'm not taking no for an answer. If you don't want me to, I don't even have to go inside." He knew she wasn't as 'good' as she claimed, so he didn't feel comfortable not going with her.

She finally nodded, and they both made the drive to her apartment complex. Street pulled in beside of her, but he didn't make a move to go in.

"I really do appreciate you coming to help."

"Chris, you know I'm here for you, whatever you need."

She gave a small smile, and surprised the hell out of him when she reached over and pulled him into a hug. It didn't last long, as she was quickly pulling back and making her way to the door, but he still savored the contact for what little bit he could.

Realizing that he was going to be late if he didn't get a move on, he quickly hopped onto his bike and sped towards HQ. When he got there, Luca was looking at him questioningly, but he just shrugged it off and went to the locker room. It didn't take long for Hondo to approach everyone about a case.

Two hours later, they realized the case was much more complicated than expected, and they were nowhere close to solving it. Tensions were running high, and Street tried to focus on the information that he and Luca were exchanging, but his mind kept wandering to Chris. He had never seen her like she was this morning, and that sort of scared him. She really seemed to be spiraling, and he wasn't sure how to help.

Luca must've noticed that his attention was elsewhere. "Hey, it's not any of my business, but that phone call you got this morning… was that Chris?"

"Yeah, she wasn't feeling good." He kept his eyes on the screen, but he could tell Luca was giving him an incredulous look.

"Okay, so why'd she need you in person? Look, all I'm saying, I've been worried about her ever since Erika's death. She called me several times while I was in Germany, and she always seemed… I don't know, it's just something wasn't right with her."

Street nodded, not wanting to say what was actually going on." I'm going to go check on her later."

Luca agreed that was a good idea, then changed the subject, but all Street could think about was when he'd get to see Chris.

…

Knocking on Chris' apartment door, Street wasn't exactly sure what to expect… and admittedly, that made him nervous. He hadn't been able to concentrate much all morning, as all his focus was on his best friend.

When Chris came to the door, she was smiling, but Street could already tell she'd been drinking. She ushered him inside. "Well, I finally figured it out?"

Street raised his eyebrows. "Oh really? What conclusion did you come to?" He wasn't exactly sure if he wanted to know or not. He didn't think he could deal with anymore news like this morning.

"You know the bar where my car was parked?" She continued after he nodded. "I was with the bartender."

That wasn't exactly what he was expecting, but he figured it was a little better than some of the other thoughts that crossed his mind.

"So, I guess I made a safe choice."

"Except you don't remember all of it, so how much of a choice was it?"

"Him and I, we were friends."

Well, that wasn't a great sign. "Chris, don't you think that if you're friends with the bartender, you've been spending a little too much time at the bar?"

She glared at him, clearly not happy with what he just said. "Why are you even here? I liked you better before you became such a prude. I'm fine, go save the rest of the world."

Street sighed, as she walked away from him. She seemed to do that a lot. "Chris, you're not fine. You're still grieving Erika, and I understand that… but this is a terrible way to handle it. This is just self-destruction."

She curled up on the couch, not meeting his eyes. "I appreciate your brilliant insight."

He took a seat on the chair across from her, and softened his voice a little. "You and me, we know how this goes. Both of us are children of drunks, so none of this is new to us. Chris, I can tell you've been drinking now. A little hair of the dog?"

Chris was silent for a few seconds, confirming what Street already knew. "It helps."

"Look, I know you didn't plan any of this… getting blackout drunk, the bartender, the fleabag motel… but it happened."

Chris finally looked up, but she had a coldness in her eyes that Street wished he hadn't seen. "I shouldn't have even called you, but what else was I going to do? I've already leaned on Tan and Luca. There's no way I could have called Deacon or Hondo. You were the only one left, so don't pat yourself on the back too hard."

Street felt as if she'd smacked him in the face. A part of him knew she was hurting, and probably just lashing out… but he couldn't be completely sure. That look she had a minute ago made it seem like she really meant what she said… she called him only as a last resort.

He quickly stood up, needing to get out of there. "I'll check in later."

"Don't bother, you've already made your point."

He turned to look at her one last time, but she was still curled up on the couch facing away from him. "It's no bother." He shut the door, and stood outside of it long enough to take a deep breath. Maybe he shouldn't have said everything he did, but he needed to get through to her. She couldn't keep going like this.

…

Chris didn't know long she stayed curled up on the couch, but that was normal as of lately. She already felt guilty about how she had spoken to Street, and knew it was finally time to do something… for real this time. This morning had been a wake up call, and she cringed even thinking about it.

Street had just dropped everything to come help her, and she gave him hell in return. She was a mess, and if she didn't pick herself up now, it wasn't ever going to happen. She couldn't end up like her mother, she wouldn't allow it for herself.

With that in mind, she set to work doing some research. She liked Dr. Hughes, but she didn't feel like one-on-one sessions were cutting it for her, maybe she could look into a group, into some people who shared a similar experience.

After about an hour of looking online, Chris finally found something that interested her. There was a grief group scheduled to meet at a community center at seven this evening. She dug a little deeper into it, and knew she had to give it a shot.

She cleaned herself up a bit, and seen it was almost time for her team's shift to end. She wanted to see if Street could go with her, as she wasn't too thrilled about going by herself the first time, and it would give her a chance to apologize to him. She knew he was worried about her, but she just kept shutting him out.

Nothing could happen between them, it just couldn't. There were too many things standing in the way, but she could at least admit to herself that she missed the easy friendship they had before. Nothing had been the same since their kiss nearly two years ago, but Chris was longing for that to change. She could hope that maybe today would be some sort of turning point.

SWATSWAT

Street was surprised to see Chris parked beside of his bike. When she stepped out of her vehicle, he was relieved to see a smile on her face. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

She waited until he got closer to speak. Keeping her hands in her pockets, she almost looked nervous. "Well, after you left earlier, I took the time to do some serious thinking. I guess I never know how to deal with my own emotions because I'm always the tough chick helping everyone else. After all, I helped Erika get dead."

"Come on, Chris. You've got to stop that… negative rumination. Isn't that what Dr. Wendy said?" He hated that Chris was still blaming herself for Erika. It broke his heart to see her in the state she had been the past few weeks.

"I know. I'm a mess, and I haven't been doing such a good job of fixing it. I did some research though, and there's a group just for grief counseling. They meet tonight… and I was wondering if maybe you could come with me?"

Street was relieved that she was finally seeking the help she needed, and that she was relying on him in the process. He wanted her to know that she could count on him to be there no matter what. "You didn't even have to ask, Chris. Your wheels or mine?"

Chris smiled, one that actually met her eyes. "Yours."

"I'll go slow." He would leave it up to her whether or not she acknowledged the double meaning.

Her eyes gleamed. "Is that a threat, or a promise?" Oh yeah, she definitely picked up on it.

He only grinned in response before handing her his extra helmet. As soon as she slipped onto the bike behind him, she wrapped her arms around him, and Street decided that it was the best feeling in the world.