"Della, you may need to have Natalie move into your apartment. I don't think she's going to want to be there after the police comb through it." Della nodded after Perry made the comment once they made it back to the office,

"I was considering asking her at the police station but I think she needs some time to process what just happened to her."

They heard a knock on the back door,

"Come in, Paul." It was Paul Drake Jr who walked in with a sigh,

"Hi, Perry, Della. What's up?" Perry nodded,

"We got a new client. Her name is Natalie Henderson, she's 17 and was recently charged with the murder of her Aunt and Uncle. I need you to keep a close eye on her apartment complex and let us know if anything strange happens." Paul nodded,

"How is she?" Della sighed,

"Distraught, as anyone who's been charged with murdering someone would be. She's also afraid that this murder charge will get her kicked out of USC and their law school." Paul nodded,

"Where is she now?" Perry nodded as Della left,

"Della's heading to Natalie's apartment to help her pack up and move into her place during the trial." Paul nodded.

Natalie was trying not to shake as she worked to pack her things up and jumped a little when she heard the doorbell.

"Who is it?" She asked as Della answered,

"It's me, Miss Street. Can you let me in Natalie?" Natalie opened the door and when Della walked in, she folded as Della held her close as they sat on the couch.

"It's OK, Natalie. We're going to make sure that you're cleared on this murder charge and you get to go to college. I know how important this is to you." Natalie looked up as she wiped her eyes,

"Why are you here?" Della nodded,

"I was going to suggest that you move in with me during the trial. Mr. Mason and I don't want you living in a toxic environment during this time." Natalie nodded,

"Thank you, Miss Street." Della nodded and broached her next sentence carefully,

"We're having our private investigator, Paul Drake Jr, keep an eye around here to see if there's anything that points to your innocence." Natalie nodded,

"That's more than alright with me. I could use all the help in the world right now." Della nodded and when everything was at her apartment,

"Why don't we rest for awhile? You look exhausted." Natalie nodded as she crashed on the couch as Della worked on a nice comforting dinner of chicken and dumplings. Something that always made her smile when she had it as a child.

A few hours later,

"Hey, Natalie. C'mon, time to eat. I made chicken and dumplings, something that comforted me when I was a child." Della said as she shook Natalie awake as Natalie smiled,

"Thanks, Miss Street." Della nodded and after they ate,

"You can call me, Della, Natalie. I don't mind." Della started as Natalie nodded,

"And you can call me, Nat."

Della smiled sensing that a close and strong bond was going to form between her, Perry, especially Paul and Natalie. Della wasn't even mad or concerned about that happening.

Natalie needed some semblance of a family at the moment and if she was going to be a part of that, she felt exceptionally blessed.

Early the next morning,

"…Alright, thank you and Natalie will be back on Monday." Natalie heard as she walked into the living room.

"Della, what's going on?" Della sighed,

"I've excused you from school for the remainder of the week. They're sending your class/homework here so you can work on it, and hand it in when you go back on Monday." Natalie nodded,

"I'm venturing to guess that a delayed reaction happening at school is something that we don't want to happen." Della nodded as Natalie sat next to her and began to cry,

"I didn't sleep at all last night. Nightmares. Which again is to be expected, I've had friends who have had traumatic things happen to them and they had nightmares for weeks after the event." Della sighed and hugged Natalie gently.

"You're going to be alright; I know it." Natalie nodded,

"I hope you're right. I want to go to USC, Aunt Joyce and Uncle Gregory were so proud of me when I got the letter before Christmas."

It was the third week of January. Della smiled,

"I think you've made an impression on Mr. Mason. I could see his eyes gleam in happiness to know that he's made an impact on someone. To see someone who wants to be like him." Natalie smiled,

"I hope you don't mind my asking, but do you love him? I saw how you looked at him while he interviewed me at the police station. I haven't seen that look outside of how Aunt Joyce looked at Uncle Gregory." Della smiled and told Natalie about her and Perry.

While that was happening,

Paul was stationed across the street from Natalie's apartment and he noticed a man and a woman acting strangely as he followed them into an alley, keeping his distance but was unable to hear what they were saying as their voices were far too low for him to hear.

He shook his head and made his way to the office and stopped in his tracks when he saw a distraught Natalie looking at her schoolwork, sitting at the conference table as he sat next to her.

"Hey, Natalie. Do you need help with your schoolwork?" He asked gently as Natalie jumped a little as the tears began to flow again.

"Why did yesterday have to happen?" Natalie asked through her tears as Paul hugged her gently,

"I'm sure you hear this all the time, and you have full permission to not listen to me when I say this. Bad things happen to good people all the time. I can't even imagine what you're going through. But, I've had some hard times myself." Natalie looked to him as Paul felt the tears come,

"I know you were only a little girl when you lost your father. I was 19 when my father died of a heart attack. It still hurts to this day, knowing that he died in such a tragic way." Natalie was still crying as she snuggled on the couch as Paul sighed as he walked into Perry's office,

"I noticed a man and a woman who were acting strange but when I followed them, I was unable to hear what they were saying and I didn't even get any ID's on them. I'll have one of my operatives get pictures of them and run the pictures by the police." Perry nodded,

"That's a start, no matter. I heard you talking with Natalie, how is she?" Paul nodded,

"Not good, but I wasn't expecting her to be any better only a day after what had happened. She needs someone like you Perry to be that father – figure for her. She lost the people who were basically her parents, even though they were her Aunt and Uncle. Go and sit with her. That's all she needs right now."

Perry nodded and he went to sit by Natalie as she looked up and scooted closer to him, as sobs began to wrack through her body as Perry held her – letting her cry.

Della looked at the scene as she sighed, as she began to look over the police report with Paul.

This was going to be a long and hard case to get through. For everyone.