Charles Devane walked through the hospital hallway with a sense of urgency, purpose. He'd heard that McCall was home, thought he'd seen her at the funeral, but hadn't gone to visit yet. The truth was he wasn't sure what to tell her, what comfort to offer. She'd felt like a daughter to him and he'd hoped she would be happy in her new life. He had never seen partners as close as Hunter and McCall were, so close that it scared him sometimes what would have happened had something like this occurred. It was why he'd been so glad to see her go, even if it meant she wouldn't be around any longer. McCall's leaving had been a disaster, looking back on it now. It was like a death in the family; Hunter had never been the same again. Jolene had seen the difference and commented on it before she passed. This was the hardest part of being commanding officer, knowing how to help his people, if there was even any help at all.

He heard the arguing before he came to the hospital room, not that it surprised him, much less shocked him. The man was possibly the most argumentative that he had ever known. "Sit down, calm down, and let me explain."

"You told my mother that I was dead, Charlie." Rick Hunter's eyes flashed. "She's lost enough." His father, his brother, and the closest things that Liliana had ever gotten to daughters had all left, in one way or another. She'd lost them all. Now this.

"I didn't. Not personally. I couldn't…" He sighed. Explaining was futile. "I don't think it's just your mother."

"Chris can handle it." He wasn't worried about Novak at all.

"Chris is the only one who knows, besides me. We'd like to keep you alive, Hunter, so this guy doesn't try it again."

"Then who?" If Charlie had thought he was angry before, it was nothing compared to what was coming. "You told her!"

"Again, I didn't tell anyone. Your mother heard it from the news. I'm not sure where McCall heard it. I'm not even sure she's here, but…I think I saw her at the funeral." He winced, bracing himself.

"The FUNERAL!?" Rick jerked the IV out of his arm as the nurse protested. "I'm fine, lady, just relax will ya?" He looked at Charlie again. "You think?"

"The face looked like McCall or her twin, but she didn't come stand with us or your mom." He paused, not knowing how Hunter would handle this. "If it's McCall, she's pregnant."

Rick was quiet for a moment, still. He had hoped at her wedding that she was getting everything she'd ever wanted, everything she deserved, but the thought of her pregnant with another man's child made him physically ill. She hadn't wanted a cop; it's all he knew how to be. There'd been no chance with them. Still, he couldn't help but think about what might have been. He hoped Alex knew how lucky he was. Being married to DeeDee, having a child with her, it would have been a dream come true.

"I need to check on my mom. I don't want her going through any more pain." He didn't understand why DeeDee hadn't stood with his mother at the funeral, even if she didn't identify with the cops anymore. She was his family, always and forever. Why had she been alone? It had to be someone else. He had to focus on his mother at the moment and on staying alive.

"I guess it's useless for me to say I don't think it's a good idea." Charlie tried.

"You let my mom think her only son was dead. And my partner, who may or may not be pregnant, may or may not have stood alone at my funeral. If you think those were good ideas…" Why had she been alone? He had only met Alex once but surely he would have accompanied McCall if she were pregnant and going to a thing like that. There was no way Hunter would have let her out of his sight.

"I'll drive."

"Works for me. At least the damned car won't break down on the way there."

****

Liliana's life had felt out of control for so long with her husband's business and murder, her son overdosing from drugs, and her other son in and out of trouble. DeeDee was a stable influence on Rick; it's one of the reasons she appreciated the girl so much. He finally had someone to look after, someone to belong to, until it fell apart. Since then, he'd gone back to the way he was before and her life felt out of control again. Cooking helped. It was why she spent so much time in the kitchen, keeping her hands and mind busy. It even came out the way it was supposed to if the rules were followed, orderly, wonderful, so unlike the mess that was everyday living. She could focus on cooking, even at times like these, and it made her feel better because everything would turn out okay.

"Ma?" Rick watched her for a moment or two. She was cooking, but that was nothing new. She loved to cook, had since before he could remember, since she was a little girl in Italy. He always claimed that she should have opened a restaurant, but back then none of the wives of his parents' friends worked and she'd never gotten the chance.

"Ricky?" She dropped the platter to the ground in shock, running to hold her son, tears streaming from her eyes and, if he were to be honest, his as well.

"I'm sorry, Ma. I didn't know. I didn't…" He kissed her head, although she wasn't much shorter than he was. His family was all 'big' as McCall used to call them and he was sure it seemed like it to her, a foot shorter and much smaller than he was.

"Upstairs." Was all Liliana could say without crying. Maybe it would work. Maybe life, fate, had given them another chance to do things right.

"What? No, Ma, I'm all right." He was tired from running, his injuries, and the whole ordeal, but he'd be all right. "Let me help you clean up this mess." He looked at it. Not eggplant parmigiana, but close: Neapolitan pizza. "Upstairs?"

"Upstairs." She smiled at him, kissing his cheek.

Charlie had come in too, wanting to make sure that Hunter wasn't walking into anything and was all right after signing out against medical advice. He helped Liliana clean the mess up while Rick took to the stairs two at a time.

McCall had been exhausted from the past few days' events and fallen asleep a few moments after her head hit the pillow. She hadn't even heard Liliana drop the dish, so soundly was she asleep. Hunter sat on the bed for a few moments, watching. She was so beautiful, always had been, even, especially, now. Charlie was right; she was pregnant. So many things weren't adding up for him though: why she was alone, why she wasn't wearing her wedding ring, why she had stood alone at his 'funeral', why she was here. Some were a little easier to figure out than others, but, all the same, he needed answers.