Disclaimer-- I don't own the characters. Damn

Note From the Author-- Almost done folks; just this chapter and one more

After stopping briefly at his place to shower and change clothes, Flack headed in to question James Greene. He didn't expect it would be easy or even remotely amusing, and he was right.

"Why did you do it James?" he questioned, standing rather imposingly over the man with his arms crossed.

Greene shook his head. "Keep asking me that; just wanted my daughter back."

It was becoming perfectly clear to Don that James Greene wasn't firing on all cylinders, but he continued the line of questioning. "You can tell me that as much as you want James, but that doesn't explain why you did what you did."

"She's my daughter!"

"Yeah she's your daughter." Flack's palms slapped down on the table. "But only by blood. She had a family, a mother and a father, and you took them away from her!"

"She isn't theirs!" Greene screamed, his eyes burning. "She's mine!"

Flack shook his head and when he spoke again his voice was harsh and hard. "She's never been yours, and she never will be. You think that anyone would have given you custody of that little girl? A drug addict with no means of supporting her and no future other than ending up dead in a gutter like Amelia's mother? No one in their right mind would let you have that little girl!"

Greene muttered unintelligibly under his breath.

"When you realized that they wouldn't let you have Amelia you started planning everything out. You would break in, take out the Simmons and take Amelia. But why do what you did to them James? Why?"

He looked up at Flack with determined knowledge written on his face. "They deserved it. They stole my daughter from me, they took my happiness. So I took their happiness, their lives, and I took my daughter back. They deserved what they got," he mumbled.

Hours later Stella was sitting in her hospital bed praying for something other than a soap opera to come on. She'd only turned the TV on to combat the deafening silence of the room, but she was seriously considering giving up. She was actually reaching for her phone to call and beg somebody to bring her a book when Flack walked in. He had evidently left his jacket in his car and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up past his elbows. The shadows under his eyes seemed to have deepened since the morning.

"You questioned James Greene?" she asked as he folded himself into the chair he'd spent the night in.

"I did, and let me tell you an insanity plea would not be pushing the limit," he told her, running a hand over his face. "It got worse the longer I talked to him.

"We knew he wasn't stable," Stella told him. "I guess now we just have the solid proof."

Flack shook his head. "Solid as a brick wall; you know what he told me? He told me that the Simmons deserved it. No matter what I said, he just told me they deserved it."

"I guess this time all that matters is that we've got him; and one way or another he won't get to Amelia Simmons again."

"You're right, but something about this still seems off."

"The whole case has been off."

He smiled. "True enough. At least I know I can look that little girl in the eye and tell her we got the man who killed her parents."

"Exactly." She reached out and took his hand. "We've got him, and now everyone can sleep easier."

"Easier when you've got a spotless bill of health," he told her.

Stella smiled. "I'll get there eventually." Her smile took on a sinful edge as her eyes lit. "For now I feel it's only fair to tell you that my pain medication is working much better than last night."

"Really? Good to know they're taking good care of you."

"Taking pretty good care of you too," she said, tugging on his hand to pull him down to her. Still smiling he took her mouth. Though Stella said her pain was gone, the kiss was gentle. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her more. Even so, under the gentleness ran a strong current of urgency. The chemistry between them was undeniable, but Flack reigned himself in and pulled back. No matter how much they both wanted or needed she was still in poor shape.

"Guess we need to remember we won't be doing anything strenuous for a while," she said.

"Flack flashed a boyish grin. "You're probably right, but for now…"

He was leaning back in when they heard Hawkes speak from the door. "Sorry to interrupt. But I've got something you need to hear."

Flack and Stella straightened themselves. "What have you got?" he asked.

Hawkes tapped the folder against his palm momentarily before he spoke. "DNA came back on the original crime scene. We found a female profile that didn't match Amelia, her mother or her grandmother. However the sample shares common alleles with James Greene."

Stella and Don's eyes met and she shook her head. "Damn it."

Not even an hour later Flack pulled up in front of the same tidy gnome guarded home he'd visited only days before. In Stella's absence Hawkes had come with him. As they knocked and waited he fought back a sigh. When Jenna Greene answered the door she looked at him with sad brown eyes and nodded. "I figured you would be back detective, please come in."

The scene moments later was eerily familiar as Flack and Hawked sat across from Jenna Greene in her living room. This time there was no hot tea, and the topic of conversation was even less pleasant.

"We know you were there Jenna. Why don't you tell us what happened."

"I lied about the last time I saw my son," she told them, the Southern lilt of her voice smoothing over the lies. "He came to me with a plan. He told me he was going to go in with a fake knife and a gun with blanks; he said he just wanted to scare them enough that they wouldn't resist and he could take Amelia."

"Why did you go along with it, Jenna?" Flack asked.

She shook her head and both men saw the tears that had begun to fall. "He's my son. I truly believed that he wouldn't harm them. I went with him and stayed outside to keep watch. Everything seemed to be going fine. When I heard the screams I though it was just because they were scared." Her eyes squeezed shut but she continued. "Then James came running out; it was a miracle no one saw him. He had Amelia in his arms; she was crying and covered in blood. I asked him what happened but he wouldn't tell me. He just screamed that he needed my car keys and… and I gave them to him. I went inside but I was barely through the door when I saw them."

"Why would you give her to James?" Hawkes asked.

"I don't know, I wish I did."

Don shook his head. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"How could I?" she asked. "How could I admit my son had done something so horrible? That I had let him? I told you all I could tell you about James and where he might be taking her. I knew you would find them."

"But you didn't know that for sure Jenna. We found him, but only after he locked Amelia in a basement so he could be sure she wouldn't run from him. Only after he put a knife in my partner and she nearly bled to death."

She shook her head. "I never dreamed it would go the way it did. I just wanted my son to be happy; to have the family he never felt he had."

Flack nodded as he stood. "I believe that." He motioned for her to stand. "Unfortunately it doesn't matter. Jenna Greene you're under arrest…"

Flack felt completely wrecked by the time he got back to the hospital. That certainly wasn't the way he'd expected his day to go. But then nothing had quite gone the way he'd expected it to lately. He yanked his tie loose as he came out of the elevator and breathed a sigh of relief. When he came around the corner to Stella's room he took a moment to take in the scene. Stella was sitting up in the bed and Amelia Simmons sat next to her. Amelia's grandmother occupied the room's single chair. He leaned against the doorframe and watched as they laughed together. Amelia looked up and saw him, shooting him a toothy grin.

"Hi Detective Flack," she said brightly.

Stella looked up and smiled. "Hey, how did it go?"

He shrugged as he walked the rest of the way into the room. "About like we expected." He sat down on the side of the bed that wasn't occupied by Amelia. "How are you?" he asked the little girl.

"I'm okay. Better since you caught the bad man. Detective Bonasera told me."

Don smiled as she tripped a little over Stella's last name. "We did get him, and you don't have to be afraid of him anymore."

Amelia nodded solemnly. "I know. Thank you for getting him."

"You're welcome sweetie," Stella told her.

For a moment they all sat in companionable silence. Flack poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher on the bedside table and didn't notice Amelia's careful study of him and Stella.

Finally the curious child spoke up. "Are you and Detective Flack boyfriend and girlfriend?" she asked Stella.

Both Stella and Flack froze for a moment, not sure how to respond. Before either of them had a chance to answer Amelia's grandmother spoke up. "Amelia, what have you been told about asking personal questions?"

"I know grandma, but I just thought if they had babies they'd have pretty eyes like Detective Flack."

Said pretty-eyed man choked on the drink of water he'd just taken. As Stella fought to contain her laughter he changed the subject rather intelligently. "Have you been sleeping alright?" he asked Amelia.

She shrugged. "I've had a few bad dreams; mostly I miss mommy and daddy; but grandma says they're in a better place and now that they know the bad man can't hurt me they can be happy and peaceful. I think she's right."

"I think she's right too," he told her.

When Amelia and her grandmother left a while later Flack sat back down and ran both hands over his face, laughing. "Kids say the damndest things."

"Yeah, they do. It never ceases to amaze me."

Dropping his hands he leaned toward her. "So Detective Bonasera, when are they letting you out of here?"

"Not for a couple of days I'm afraid."

"Want me to sleep on the chair until then?" he asked with a smile.

She shook her head. "I appreciate the effort, but I'll be fine. I've been handling the whole hospital thing pretty well so far, I think I can make it. Besides, you need to get some sleep. How're you supposed to save the citizens of New York if you can't stay upright?"

"If you're sure."

"I'm sure."

Still smiling, he leaned forward and kissed her softly. "Rest. Maybe if you get enough they'll let you out of here sooner."

"You too."

He stood up and headed for the door. "I'll see you in the morning."

She nodded and watched as he left the room. Settling back against the pillows she thought over the events of the past few days. If someone had told her days before that she'd end up in a…. well whatever it was, with Flack, she wouldn't have believed it. She had been sure that she wouldn't let her emotions carry her away again, but this time it seemed right. It felt right. Only time would tell if it would last or fizzle out but she would savor every moment of it, whether it lasted for six weeks or sixty years.

Note From the Author-- I had to add this little piece with Amelia in. Mostly because I have a five year old cousin and I know that kids that age are incredibly precocious and have a propensity for saying stuff like that :)