He had spent two weeks confined to that horrible hospital room. He had to have some sort of physical therapy because his lung had taken a hit but now, he was declared fit to go home. Not fit for duty but fit to go home.

He called for a cab, because his team was on call and he just didn't want to be a burden. One of them had always been with him when they had a free minute – sometimes they even came on shift. "Just to check in and make fun of him!" as Chris had put it with a fake smile on her face. He knew because her eyes had somehow lost their sparkle for a while. Jim knew Luca had everything prepped for him back at the house and so he took the cab. There just was one stop he wanted to make before heading home.

Kira.

She had visited him almost everyday in the hospital when she had been in town and he owed it to her to come by and say thank you in person. Maybe she would also get over the fact that he had been shot on duty. And there still was the not so little matter of his white lie of being just a cop.

The cabbie turned onto her street and he looked out of the front window. Jim could see a couple walking in their direction down the block. He blinked a couple of times but when he recognized the guy as Ty. He told the driver to just get him home.

This was a shock he had to work through first on his own.

The girl he admittedly only dated to get Chris out of his head was also dating Chris! The universe really has a sick sense of humor.

When he finally arrived at home he sunk down on the sofa and closed his eyes. His thoughts kept swirling around. What should he do now? Should he tell Chris?

After a long while of arguing in his head and possibly some audible shouting he decided to not drag Chris into this mess and keep her out of it. He would break it of with Kira, not telling her anything and try to never run into the trio ever. Maybe never ever using a dating app again.

Jim decided to put his plan in motion, first deleting the app and every other dating related application on his phone and computer. The second part was going to be a little more difficult.

He held his phone in his hand and contemplated what to write now.

In the end he decided on: Hey, I am back home. Listen I had a lot of time in that hospital bed and I am sorry, but I can't see you anymore. It is just not working out for me. Please don't be sad. You deserve all the happiness in the world and I just can't give that to you. – J

After hitting the send button, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding and laid back down. He hadn't moved an inch, but the emotional exhaustion had taken a toll.

He still was lying on the sofa when Luca walked in with Chinese take-out. "Why didn't you call me? How did you get home?" Jim felt the worry emanate from Luca's eyes, so he sat up feigning total relaxation: "You were on shift and the cab was just there. Don't worry, everything is in the green and in two-three weeks I'll be back with you, the team and Black Betty!"

"Speaking of the team…" Luca started but trailed off and just stared at Street for a while. Jim knew what his friend wanted to ask. Was he ready to face them all at the same time, or did he need a day or two of settling in time?

There was only one right answer, because one thing was clear: He couldn't face Chris alone.

"Invite them over. This will be fun!"

There is only one planned chapter after this one and I am sorry I can't promise it will be ready as quick as the last two were. I kind of got hit with guilt of having let some of my stories hanging in a rather messy place and managed by accident to rediscover my original outlines (yes I actually have them, but they tend to fly out the window when the characters want something different!)