The next morning, Jo wasn't surprised that Henry had made breakfast before she'd even awakened. The memory of Lucas and him red-faced and handcuffed in the back of the police car last night, brought a smile to her lips. Her smile and good humor faded into somberness when reminded of the reasons behind their unorthodox actions.

"Sean was murdered," she whispered to herself, admitting that the thought had crossed her mind more than once almost from the moment she'd learned of his death. It wasn't just an unfortunately-timed heart attack that had taken him too soon from her. Someone had deliberately ended Sean's life, nearly causing her to want to end her own.

Jo looked at her plate of food and marveled at the fact that Henry had been able to scrounge up so much from her refrigerator and kitchen cupboards. She just didn't do that much grocery shopping now for just herself. But her plate held scrambled eggs, Canadian bacon (when did she buy that?), English muffins, strawberry jam, and he'd made coffee. Henry was seated across from her, so comfortable looking. Like he belonged there. She shook that thought out of her head only to notice that he'd been watching her eat.

"Making sure that I clean my plate, Papa?" she asked teasingly.

"I've seen you eat what you say passes for breakfast, Detective," he replied, shuddering and sucking in a breath between his teeth. "There's a lot to be said for starting the day with the proper nutrients."

"Thank you, anyway, for whipping this up for me," Jo told him, appreciatively. "You and Abe really make sure that I'm properly fed." She laid her fork down in her plate and looked apologetically at him. "Kind of forgot myself last night when I said that you might have been shot and killed." She sighed and said, "Sorry." The unspoken between them was that, of course, they both knew he could be killed. He'd just come back. But Lucas didn't know that.

"But I was taking a risk both with Lucas' life and with maintaining the secrecy of my condition, so ... " he conceded as his voice trailed off.

"So, you owe him. Big time," she told him and he nodded, smiling.

"For a lot of things," he acknowledged. "Next on my agenda getting that taken care of," he promised her.

"Well, you get on that and I'll get on finding out what could be on this disc," she said, turning her attention to finishing her breakfast and the disc.

"Jo, ah, since you are not supposed to be investigating either of these two cases - " he began.

"Who said I'm investigating?" she replied, feigning innocence. "I simply found a funny disc, I mean, you found a disc while we ... were ... " she bobbed her head up and down searching for words.

"While we were inspecting the, ah, ghastly wallpaper in your bedroom - "

"Bathroom," she quickly offered as a correction. "Ghastly?" she asked, frowning. "I wouldn't ... dark, maybe and somber, but, okay, ghastly." She rolled her eyes at the smug expression on his face.

"Yes, your bathroom," he repeated and then continued spinning the story of how they'd discovered the disc. "I noticed an anomaly near the floorboard directly behind the loo - "

Jo squinted at him at the mention of 'loo'.

"The toilet," he conceded as she smiled and nodded. "I investigated and found the disc," he finished. He then scratched the side of his neck and asked, "Exactly who should I give it to, Jo?"

Jo thought for a moment and then told him, "Give it to Lieu. She'll know what to do with it. In fact, I'll call her." She stopped herself and rolled her eyes upward as she corrected herself. "You will call her and alert her to the find."

He gave her a thumbs up once they'd successfully concocted a plausible scenario that would not cast suspicion upon either of them or disqualify whatever evidence the disc held. They then finished their morning meal and cleaned up behind themselves. Henry waited for her near the front door while she grabbed her jacket and purse. They then headed out to her assigned police car. Once inside, she pulled the disc from out of her purse and gave it to Henry.

As she started up the car, she asked, "Shouldn't I drop you by your place so you can change? What would people think if you walk into work wearing yesterday's outfit?"

Henry considered her words and replied, "Perhaps you're right. Just hate to face Abe," he grimaced, "since I failed to call him last night to let him know that I'd be staying over at your place." He shot her an apologetic look. "My son can be so presumptuous at times and so ... potty mouthed with his thinking."

Jo snickered and drove the car into the rush hour traffic.

vvvv

Det. Mike Hanson was working hard to concentrate on reading the statement of a new person of interest in a cold case from seven years ago. He'd not been the investigating detective at that time but as a patrolman assigned to the 11th precinct back then, he was still very familiar with the case that had involved the death of an investigator from the DA's office. The new twist in the case might mean a successful resolution this time.

'Yeah, looks like we lucked out with this new person of interest,' he told himself. If only they'd had as much luck with the Moore and Trent murder cases. He shot an annoyed look again at the back of Frederickson's head where he sat at Jo's desk, awaiting her arrival. Like several times before, just as Frederickson turned his head to look over his shoulder at him, Mike buried his nose back into the papers in front of him. It really steamed him that the FBI hotshot wannabe chose to constantly overstep his boundaries where Jo was concerned. 'Now he's got the nerve to sit in her chair at her desk like he owns the place. Like he owns her.' He fumed again at the sound of Frederickson's voice.

"Hey, Detective, uh, Detective ... Hansel?" the agent asked, snapping his fingers.

Mike drew an angry breath in and out. "Hanson," he coldly replied. "Detective. Mike. Hanson." He raised his eyes and gave him an equally cold glare.

"Yeah, uh, sorry, Hanson, Hanson," Fredrickson replied uncaringly. "About what time does Jo, er, uh, Detective Martinez come on duty?"

Mike returned his attention to the papers in front of him. "We don't exactly have 9 to 5 hours here, buddy. Just because she's not here at a certain time doesn't mean she's not on the job," he tersely replied. "Believe me, Jo doesn't have a lot of time to warm her butt at somebody else's desk like some folks I know."

Fredrickson, annoyed, swiveled around in the chair to face him. "Exactly what is that crack supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"Oh, are we feeling a little butt sensitive today?" he asked, feigning concern.

Fredrickson jumped up and stomped over to his desk, hovering over him. "I don't think I like your attitude, Detective," he spat out.

"Yeah? That makes two of us!" Mike snapped back at him.

"Do you have ANY idea of who you're talking to?" Fredrickson demanded louder.

Mike scoffed, placing his fists on his hips and eyeing Frederickson up and down. "Yeah, I've been to the circus lotsa times and I know a clown when I see one!"

"Oh, yeah?" Fredrickson angrily countered.

"Yeah!" Mike angrily yelled back.

"Gentlemen." The authority in Lt. Reece's voice hit hard against their eardrums. "And I use the term loosely." She walked quickly over to stand near them, a scowl of disapproval on her face.

"In my office, Detective," she said with a flick of her head toward her door. Mike lowered his eyes and left his desk for her office. Reece turned her disapproving scowl to the FBI agent, who opened his mouth to say something but closed it when his eyes met her expression.

"That type of behavior is never allowed in my precinct, Agent Fredrickson," Reece told him, managing to maintain a calm demeanor in spite of her annoyance with him. "Why don't you take a walk?" It was more of an order than a suggestion. She wouldn't mind if he took a long walk off a short pier.

"Look, Lieutenant," he began before she cut him off.

"Walk!" she repeated more forcefully. He heaved a deep sigh and still appeared to want to say more, but then thought better of going up against the She Rock of Gibraltar, as some called her. As he backed away, he looked around at the others in the room who eyed him with daggers, their hands on their weapons if needed to defend one of their own, including their Lieutenant. Even against an FBI agent. As he stormed away, Reece called after him.

"I'll be speaking with your superiors soon, so expect a call from them," Reece called after his retreating form. She then walked into her office and paused briefly in the doorway as everyone in the bullpen applauded with hoots and celebratory gestures. Smiling slightly and shaking her head, she closed the door. The Lieutenant then turned around and walked over and sat down in the chair behind her desk.

Hanson stood facing the window with one hand on his hip, running the fingers of his other hand through his hair and down the back of his head. His face was still flushed with anger. "Sorry, Lieu. He just got to me, that's all."

Reece eyed him for a few seconds, then advised him to take a seat, which he did. "I can understand your annoyance with him, Mike," she began. "He rubs most people the wrong way and you, like a lot of others here, can't figure out why Jo has chosen to ... overlook ... his shortcomings. Am I right?" she asked, her eyelids fluttering, her head tilted.

Mike growled his reply. "Basically, yeah." One hand flopped up and down in frustration. "I mean I don't get it. The guy's a jerk. Not the kinda guy Jo would really go for, ya know?"

Reece nodded in agreement, both eyebrows arched up.

"He, he waltzes in here, flashes his lousy badge like it's the golden ticket in the Wonka movie," he continued, his voice rising, and Reece stifling a laugh. "Confiscates Trent's body, all the evidence - probably destroyed it - and pre-TENDS to look for a connection between her murder - yeah, I'm talkin' more and more like the Doc - and Sean's murder. Murder!" he emphasized and dropped his hand from his hair in frustration.

Reece smiled, pleased and proud to see how dedicated one of her best detectives apparently was to his job and to his colleagues. "Cheer up, Mike," she said. "He doesn't have all the evidence."

He slowly straightened up in his chair and looked into her smiling face. "Wait, Lieu. What are you not telling me?" he asked, his previous frustration and anger replaced by piqued curiosity.

"Simply that there is other evidence being uncovered by others as we speak," she calmly replied. "FBI agents aren't the only ones who investigate, you know," she said, giving him a knowing look. "Sometimes MEs with a knack for solving puzzles get involved."

"Oh, I see," Mike slowly replied as the thought of Henry actually uncovering real evidence behind Fredrickson's back sank in. He sat forward, frowning. "You're saying the Doc's undercover?"

"Not exactly," Reece quickly replied.

Mike chuckled softly and said, "Imagine that. The Doc investigating all on his own after that jerk told him to back off."

"Oh, c'mon, Mike," she scoffed, rearranging a notepad and pencil on her desk and reaching for her desk phone's receiver. "When have you ever known Henry to allow himself to be sidelined on a case? Whenever that's happened to him in the past, it has only served to light a fire under him and he goes off on his own in search of a solution."

Mike smiled and nodded in agreement. 'Yeah, hate to admit it, but the Doc's got the knack. And with him on the trail, Mark-ee Mark doesn't have a chance.'

vvvv

Henry, although freshly showered and dapperly dressed in a fresh outfit, was drawn to the kitchen above the antique shop by the delightful smells of Eggs Benedict and fried potatoes. In spite of not really having gotten much sleep last night, his spirit was still buoyed at the remembrance of his and Jo's almost kiss in her living room. Because of that, a smile had remained on his face most of the time both before and after his short slumber on her couch. He smiled broader at the sight of his son seated and eating at the small table.

"Morning, Abraham," he greeted him as he poured himself a cup of tea. "How was your evening?" He took his place at the table opposite his son. As he began to sip his tea, Abe replied in a markedly dejected voice.

"What's so good about this morning? Last night my daddy didn't call to let me know where he was or that he was alright." He sniffed and continued with a poutingly sad face. "I was some feared." He sniffed again and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand but failed to contain his laughter.

"Abe," Henry muttered, shaking his head.

Abe's laughter gradually ended and his face took on a more serious expression. "But you usually let me know that you're okay so I don't worry."

"My apologies, Abraham," Henry breathed out, genuinely surprised at and disappointed with himself. "I do usually call you if I'm going to be late. There was no reason for me to have not done so last night. Rather, early this morning."

"Oh, I can think of at least one reason," Abe replied with his hand on his chin and his eyes rolled upward. "It's about 5'6", long, brown hair, big brown eyes, and a smile that has a tendency to turn a certain Immortal ME into jelly ... " his voice trailed off as he lowered his eyes to meet his father's and his smile widened.

Realization swept over Henry's face prompting a warm flush to his cheeks. "Abe, you make it sound like ... " He swallowed, abandoning the rest of that thought. "I simply forgot. Which is why I left her house after only a few hours of sleep and - "

"Dad, Dad, you don't have to explain," Abe assured him with a wave of his hand. "You're spending time with Jo and next thing you know you're forgetting about everything and everybody else. Understandable," he acknowledged with a shrug.

"Abe, ... we did nothing." He saw the skepticism on Abe's face and repeated, "Nothing." He settled back in his chair and turned his attention back to finishing his cup of tea. "She asked me to stay and keep her company last night since it was so late."

"Ri-ii-ight," Abe drew out, nodding.

"I slept on the couch and cooked breakfast for us this morning, and ... Why am I explaining myself to you like this as if - as if you were the parent?" he asked, frustrated more with himself than with his son. In a calmer voice, he repeated what he'd told him earlier. "Jo and I did nothing. We ... behaved ourselves."

"Hmmm," Abe said quietly, though chuckling to himself about how the scales that balanced their father/son relationship tipped either way from time to time, such as now.

"Too bad," he continued, not yet ready to let his father off the hook. "Well, better luck next time." Ignoring his father's glare, he continued eating and reading the obituaries, occasionally circling one.

Henry paused briefly as he rose from his chair and his thoughts about his and Jo's relationship came to mind once again. He realized that it could blossom into something more than just professional, more than just friendship. Last night's almost kiss was proof of that. He'd fought against his own desires that he'd surprisingly but happily seen mirrored in Jo's eyes. It had encouraged him but caused him to feel more hesitant at the same time. As much as he wanted to, the thought of beginning a romantic relationship with her made him feel a bit selfish.

Jo had been doing well coming to terms with the loss of her husband only to now be forced to revisit that grief. Something he was all too familiar with because of the thirty years he'd nursed a broken heart over Abigail's leaving him, and had kept the hope alive that one day she'd return to them. Finding out 30 years later that she'd died only a few years after she'd left, had devastated him. The old grief had been dredged up and mixed in with the new after Adam had filled him in on his part in Abigail's death. The grief, coupled with a vengeful wrath against Adam had almost been more than he could bear. He didn't know what he would have done if he hadn't had Abe in his life to help him through those years and that particularly difficult time. Jo was going to need his help as a colleague to find out who was responsible for her husband's untimely death. And, afterward, she'd need him to be there for her as a friend. Not as a lover. As a friend.

None of his colleagues had known at that time about his condition or that the old bones pulled from a shallow grave in Tarrytown had been those of his wife, Abigail, but they'd still offered their friendly support when they'd recognized the grief in him. They didn't fully understand but they had all still been there for him. Regretting his earlier terse reply to Abe, he felt the need to explain why he hadn't 'made his move' on Jo last night.

"Abe, now is simply not the right time to pursue a relationship with Jo," he explained. "It appears that her supposed romance with this Agent Fredrickson may all be a charade in order for her to find out one way or the other if he were involved with the death of her husband."

Abe reacted with a nod, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Once these two cases are solved and she can truly put her husband to rest ... "

"I understand, Pops." Abe's voice held contriteness. "No more pushing you at her and no more teasing." Henry smiled fondly. Abe began reading the obituaries again and added, "For now."

Henry rolled his eyes with his familiar half-smile as he dialed Lt. Reece's office from the landline phone.

vvvv

"Thar, she blows," Mike Hanson comically announced as Jo Martinez walked into the bullpen and set a large latte down on her desk. Breakfast was great but she needed more caffeine than that one, small cup to get through the day. She paused before seating herself, an amused frown on her face.

"Well, Ahoy, Matie, to you, too," she chuckled and sat down. "What's got you in this jovial, nautical mood this morning?"

"Uh, mid-morning, muh Lady," he teasingly corrected her, pointing to his wristwatch. "And how is Captain Morgan doing today?" He grinned mischievously behind her back, waiting for her reply/reaction that might fetch him a pretty penny in the Jenry dating pool, so dubbed by Lucas.

She swiveled around in her seat to face him. "If you are referring to Doctor Morgan, how would I know? He's fine, I guess. Happily digging around in a cadaver's chest cavity down in the morgue," she added offhandedly, swiveling her chair back around to face her desk. 'Where was he, by the way? He's supposed to be delivering the disc to Lieu.' She clicked on her keyboard, bringing her computer to life.

"Hmmm, a little birdie told me different," he replied. When she shot him a don't-go-there glare, he cleared his throat and wiped the smile from his face. "But what do I care? None of my business, right?"

"Ex-ACT-ly," she said. "Now, can we move on to more intelligent conversation? How about something work-related?"

"Oooh," he winced, slapping his hand over his heart and lowering his head. "Gotta watch those slings and arrows, muh Lady."

They finally settled down to briefly discuss the new person of interest in the cold case from seven years ago. His desk phone rang and he answered it. Jo turned back to her desk and wondered again why Henry hadn't made it up to Reece's office yet. Just as she decided to phone the shop, she saw Henry exiting the elevator and briskly walking into the bullpen.

"Good morning, Detective," he cheerily greeted her, patting his jacket pocket as he passed by her desk.

She smiled her reply and watched him knock on Reece's door and disappear into her office. At the same time, Mike ended his call and rose from his desk and strode over to hers.

"That cold case we were just discussing?" he excitedly began. She nodded, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Well, the guy, the new person of interest, wants to make a deal. Says he has information on - get this - the Trent case." Smiles broadened over both of their faces.

"He's down in the Interview Room. I'm headed there now. Wanna come?" he asked.

Jo opened her mouth and stopped herself from rising out of her chair. She closed her mouth as her smile left her face and settled back down in her chair. "Off limits for me, remember?" she regretfully reminded him. 'Dang! That's three cases I can't be involved with!'

He frowned, then remembered. She was right. Calming his features, he nodded mutely and walked out of the bullpen toward the elevators.

Jo watched the elevator doors close, wishing that she could accompany him. Looking again at Reece's door, she wished that she could be inside with Henry explaining about the disc, too. 'Okay, Martinez, just take it easy and work on this pile of paperwork in front of you.' Did that pile ever really go down? she wondered.

Ten minutes had passed per the clock on the wall but it seemed like an hour for Jo before Henry and Reece emerged from her office. They nodded to each other and, disc in hand, Reece walked into the area where the techs were. She spoke briefly to a male techie and handed the disc off to him. Henry walked smilingly over to Jo's desk and sat down in the chair next to it. Trying her best not to look too curiously at either Reece or him, she pretended to busy herself with the paperwork pile on her desk.

"So, what's up?" she asked nonchalantly as she flipped through a three-page crime scene report. One that she'd read already and wondered why it was still in her 'To Do' box.

Henry frowned, his eyes trained on Reece and the techie, then answered, "Oh, just shop talk." He watched Reece re-enter her office and he looked again at the techie as he removed the disc from the small Ziploc bag and placed it into the slot on his computer. He uncrossed his legs and sat forward but kept his hands clasped and his eyes trained on the techie's computer screen. But even from this distance, he could see the screen displaying the same error message that had been displayed on Jo's laptop screen. He sighed and sat back in his chair, his frustration as evident as that of the techie, who ejected the disc from its slot and walked over to another computer to his left but out of Henry's line of sight.

"This may take more time than we had thought," he said, then rose from his chair. "I'll ... busy myself in the morgue but- are you free for lunch?" he asked hopefully. Hopeful that last night was the last time that Fredrickson would be a part of her dating life.

"Um, well, I'm actually meeting my sister-in-law, Janie, for lunch," Jo told him. She'd actually only remembered just at that moment and was disappointed to have to swallow the 'Yes' that wanted to jump out of her mouth. This luncheon was important, though, since she'd only recently found out that Sean had spoken with his sister more than once during the last few days of his life. "We meet for lunch every so often," she truthfully told him.

"I see," he replied, fighting to hide his own disappointment. "Well, enjoy your time together, Detective." He bowed slightly and turned and exited the bullpen.

She really did enjoy Janie's company but she wasn't so sure that Janie would like the topic of conversation this time. But Jo felt strongly that she had to find out what she and Sean had discussed in those last few days.