Chris woke early the next morning. The sun hadn't even begun to rise when she lay in the bed with her eyes wide open. Her mind was racing, and she couldn't sleep. She was going home today! She had been on that emotional rollercoaster all night. Happy and excited then nervous and worried. Her thoughts would take her from the most beautiful moments she had shared with Street lately, to re-joining the team and going back on shift then to being home alone in her dark house with no one around if things went wrong again.

"Maybe I could ask Street to stay on the couch for a bit?" "No …... no …... no!" The voice inside her screamed, "bad move! You have no self-control around him at the moment!" Then she remembered the scent of him filling her nostrils yesterday when she hugged him and kissed his cheek. The feel of his cheek on her lips, and the way he always made her feel like the only girl in the whole world. She gushed inside about how was able to effortlessly make her feel such profound things then she began to worry about going on shift soon. Would she and Street be ok at work together or was it going to be a disaster? Would she be strong enough? Fit enough? Ready?

"Oh god, stop, you are acting like a crazy person!" she said to herself as she slid off the bed and begun to pack her things up.

"Beep beep…...beep beep …... beep beep" Streets alarm sounded loudly. He didn't want to sleep in and miss his first task today. Collecting Chris from the hospital and taking her home. He smiled broadly laying there in that moment between sleep and being fully awake, remembering the feeling of Chris kissing his cheek yesterday. He swore he could still feel the tingle where her lips had been. He had ridden home reliving it over and over.

Street bopped about getting ready and danced his way into the kitchen, Luca frowned at him, "It's too early for this happy dance man" he said rubbing his eyes.

"Oh, come on Luca… it's good day…. Chris is coming home" he smiled

Luca glanced at Street smiling and bopping around whilst making toast and was happy he was happy, but in that moment wondered to himself if Street was a little too happy about Chris? 'mmmmm…...is there something going on with these two?' he briefly wondered before shaking his head…... 'nuh… doubt it, they are bestie's' he told himself.

Street parked Luca's truck in the parking lot and whistled to himself as he strolled up to her room.

"Hey, you..." he said opening her door, smiling at her as he saw she was all packed up and itching to go.

"Hey…thanks for this" she said zipping her last bag shut. Chris still wasn't allowed to drive, so Street had appointed himself her chauffer.

"You got it" he said. Chris looked around the room, Street saw her pause. She took a deep breath and looked back at Street.

"Feels like the end of a chapter" she said "leaving here and going home I mean…. I've been here forever", Street wondered if now that it was actually happening, she was nervous about it all?

Chris had butterflies in her stomach and was worried about going home to her own place and being alone. She had told herself so many times that that is what she wanted but now she was a little nervous about it. Street could read her like an open book. He could see the fear and worry on her face.

"hey…" he said as he stepped a bit closer "it's ok Chris…. you're doing so well, and this is the next step" he said cautiously. She was still looking out the window and he raised his hand to her arm, "Chris…." he said, and he felt her flinch as he touched her. "It's ok…." he said pulling his hand back.

'Oh, Chris don't pull away from me now' he thought, 'we've been doing so well'.

Chris's mind was racing as she began to panic on the inside, she was trying her best to pull herself together, but she felt scared and was thinking though all the what if scenarios.

'What if something else goes wrong and I'm alone and no one finds me in time? What if I have another clot and die in my sleep? What if I hate being alone so much that I crumble and ask Street to stay? What if he stays and we … well …. go too far? I can't lose him again when we have just gotten back to a good spot!'

"Good Morning," Dr Jamison broke her thoughts and panic, making her and Street spin around …. "I thought I better pop in a say goodbye…... we are going to miss you around here Chris"

Chris smiled and tried to let go of her worries. "Thanks Doc…... I'd like to be polite and say I will miss it here, but that's a lie. I will miss you and your fantastic staff though." She stepped to him giving him a hug.

"Thank you for taking such good care of her" Street said shaking his hand. They both farewelled the Doctor and stood looking at each other. Street flapped his arms and smiled at her. "You ready?"

She looked at him for a moment, then looked around the room…. "Yeah I guess so" she nodded.

Street nodded his head towards the door, "Come on, let's go then". She walked passed Street out the door and he followed her. He could see she was anxious and watched her as they walked the short distance to the elevators. When the doors closed with them inside, she glanced at him sideways. Street could feel the gaze of her deep brown eyes on him. He knew she was a little nervous, and without looking at her he reached for her hand and smiled. She saw it, hesitated slightly before she slid her hand into his hand, smiling as she looked back at the floor. They walked hand in hand to the carpark. Street swung her bags up into the truck and turned to her. He cupped his other hand over hers. "You good?" he asked looking at her intensely.

She slowly nodded. "I will be" her eyes on his. Chris couldn't help but feel a rush again as they stood there hand in hand beside the truck. His brown eyes showing so much care for her. Whenever he was around he had a way of making her feel calm and safe. 'God Chris' that voice started again 'don't you do anything hasty here, stop staring at him like that and get in the damn truck'.

"You sure?" Street said squeezing her hand and furrowing his brows a little.

"Yeah…." she was snapped back out of her own head….. "Thank you" she smiled back at him as he opened her door and helped her inside. They began the drive to Chris's place. Chris stared out her window, the fear of being alone at home was beginning to consume her. Street knowing her so well knew he needed to occupy her thoughts and stop her from freaking out.

"Hey…... do you want me to stop anywhere on the way home? get you anything special? anything you've missed or been craving?" he asked glancing at her briefly. She bit her bottom lip and he watched her in the mirror tilting her head side to side with indecisiveness, then her eyes widened,

"Oh god, my fridge will be a mess" she frowned and laughed turning to look at him. "Everything in there will be mouldy! Oh my god!" She held her fingers under her nose, the look of pure disgust on her face made Street laugh. Her lips were curled up teeth showing as she imagined the horror she would find. "Maybe stop at the grocery store, so I can grab a few things…" she paused and looking at Street laughing at her she added "maybe the white goods store too and we will just haul that nasty thing out and start fresh!"

Street tried his best to suppress his chuckle, "hey, don't stress, your Uncle Sasso and I did a clean out the first week you were there, and we refilled it all last night… it's all good" he answered with a chuckle.

"Really?" She said as she looked back at him amazed, her eyes glided over him, 'Wow he's good to me. He really does care and he is so sweet'.

"Don't sweat it, you are all set" Street said glancing at her quickly and smiling. He kept looking at her in the mirror as they drove, stealing a peak whenever he though she wouldn't notice him staring. Streets heart ached so badly for her, he felt it physically in his chest. Being this close to her only made the feelings stronger. He wondered if she felt that too.

As they drove in a comfortable silence, Chris flicked her eyes to the side to peak at him. His elbow resting on the window and other arm on the top of the wheel. She slid her eyes up his strong forearm and over his body in a stolen glance. 'I can't shake these feelings… he makes me want him so bad… god…... I just need to be honest and tell him….' she sat there so consumed in her own head fighting with herself that she didn't notice they were pulling into her driveway. Street turned off the ignition and looked over at her.

"You okay?" he asked again.

"Ahh…" Chris shook her head a little… "yeah, just thinking about …... stuff"

He eyed her closely, Chris began to reach for the door handle then paused and looked at him.

"I … I haven't been home in 2 months" she swallowed hard.

Street softly patted her knee. "I know this step is scary, but I got you, the team has got you…. We are here for whatever you need. Hop out and I'll help you get your stuff inside."

When Street held the front door open for her, she hesitated a little before stepping inside, breathing in that familiar smell of home made her a bit less anxious. He followed her in and placed her bags on the table. "You okay?"

"Yeah…... not a scary as I thought I guess…." She smiled at him.

"Open the curtains and I'll unload the rest" he said.

As Chris pulled back the curtain to the patio outside, she nearly had a heart attack. The entire team and her family were all out there. Balloons and banners galore.

"WELCOME HOME" they all shouted. She held her chest and began to laugh. She turned at looked at Street who was standing behind her…. "You" she said opening her eyes wide in an accusing way.

He stepped to her, come on he said guiding her outside. She was surrounded by her family and her work family the entire day and felt so loved. As they began to leave at sunset though, her anxiety about being alone tonight began to surface. Street watched her packing up plates and cups and could see the worry on her face every time someone came to her and told her they were leaving.

"You ok?" he asked as he joined her, helping to clear a table.

"Yeah, yeah of course I am" she nodded not looking at him and continuing to fuss about.

Street could see her fear, he knew he needed to help her, but he wasn't sure how to right now. He wanted to offer to stay with her, on the couch only! Just so she knew someone was there, but he knew she wouldn't want to put herself in that situation yet. He quietly approached her,

"Chris… I ….. I would offer to stay on the couch and be here for you but, know you need your time so how can I help? I know you worried about being alone here right now".

Chris knew he was only looking out for her and she hated that he could read her so well.

"I …. I will be fine" she answered abruptly as she passed him headed for the kitchen inside. Street took a big breath and knew pushing her on his could cause her to blow up, but damn she so stubborn. He knew she needed someone to be with her tonight. He wanted to follow her and try again and as he was giving himself the pep talk to go in there and be more forceful Cortez came over, she had been watching Chris too and noted her anxiety. She leant over to Street. "Is Chris gunna be okay tonight here on her own?"

"I … I …..ah was just wondering the same thing" he said glancing at Cortez in a knowing way.

"I'll be back" Cortez said patting Streets arm and heading inside to Chris. Street was watching them when Hondo's hand landed on his shoulder.

"You ok Street?"

"Hey, yeah… just a bit worried for her tonight… I can see she is anxious about being here alone"

"and you don't want to offer to stay because you haven't worked that all out yet" Hondo said squeezing Streets shoulder. Street nodded.

"Cortez has got this" Hondo said nodding in their direction. Street looked questioningly at Hondo before looking back at Cortez and Chris. He saw Chris smile and look relived.

"Cortez is gunna stay with her for a bit until she is ready to be here alone" Hondo explained. Street nodded,

"Thanks Hondo…. I mean it… I"

"Look …. Street… You just remember what we spoke about… You sort you guys out and let us handle the other stuff"

Street nodded. This SWAT family was truly amazing.