"Gail? Oh, my gosh. How are you?"

Hearing Holly's voice almost made Gail tear up. Their relationship was the peak of her adult life. After Holly left, it went on a downward slide. Stabilized now but nowhere near as high as she was. "I'm good, yeah. What's going on with you?"

"Oh, nothing too exciting. New job is nice, challenging but rewarding.

"That's good to hear. Mine's the same."

They both giggled at that. "But you know, as cool as San Francisco is, It's not home. I miss it," Holly said.

"Well, Home misses you Miss Stewart."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, the new lab geek is completely boring. Sometimes I mistake him for one of the corpses."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah, he is. Nice guy, probably, but no personality. Anyway, what can I do for you?"

"Uh, you called me."

"Oh, right. Am I interrupting? Because I was hoping to get you message machine and leave you one and you could call me back when it was convenient or not if you didn't want to but I forgot about the time change and then you answered, and now I'm rambling…"

Holly laughed a little. No, it's okay. I was just wrapping up for the day but I always have time for an old friend."

"Hey, last time I checked I was younger than you."

"Your right, I take it back."

"Good, just so we understand each other," Gail tried to sound serious but cracked and laughed at the end. After composing herself, in actual seriousness now, "Holly, you remember Sophie, the girl I was trying to adopt?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that didn't work out."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Gail. Truly."

"Yeah, it was a rough patch for me, paired with my brother getting arrested."

"What-"

"Another time, Holly. Anyway, there's another girl that I came across on the job ,her mom just died and her family doesn't want her."

"Not much f a family."

"No, but anyway she's getting placed in the system. He case worker is the same lady that handled Sophie so that would make it easier. What I'm getting at is, do you think I should try to go through that again? I mean, I don't really even know Lacie, the little girl all that well. But I don't want to go into the process and stat to know her and like her just to have it fall apart again. I don't know if I could handle it."

Holly didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"Yes? That's it? You didn't even think about it."

"I didn't need to. Gail, when you told me about Sophie that night in the locker room, that was the happiest I've ever seen you. That look in your eyes, the glow in your pale face. It was clear to me that being a mom was the most important thing in your life. That's why I never pressured you to come with me. I ever even asked you again because I knew Toronto was were you needed to be. Just because Sophie didn't work out, especially considering that your life sounds like it was a bit messed up at that time, doesn't mean you can't be a mom to a child. So, yes, Gail. I think you should go for it. Definitely. Even if Lacie isn't the one, some little kid out there is looking for a parent and you are going to be that for them."

"Thanks Holly, I really needed that."

"Anytime Gail. Listen, don't be a stranger. You still got the same number?"

"Yeah."

"Cool, I'll text you so you have my new one."

"Okay, yeah, that'd be great."

"Take care Gail, talk soon."

"You too, Lunchbox."

When she hung up, she collapsed back on her bed and let tears flow, Tears of happiness, of joy. Now she was reassured, she knew what she was going to do. And she wasn't going to give up or let anything get in her way.

"I got nothing, all dark here." Dov was camped down the block from Blackstone's house. He and Frankie had been casing it for the last couple nights. To this point there was no activity.

"Same here," Frankie replied over the walkie. She was parked behind the house with a sight on the alley way incase anything came out the back.

"I'm about ready to call this. Two nights of no activity at home. Three days of no-showing work. He's gone."

"I agree. But still, this wasn't a complete waste. At least we confirmed a suspicion."

"I didn't peg you to be the 'on the bright side' type."

"I'm not. But I'm taking a small victory when I can."

"So, we're pulling out?"

"Yeah, we'll rendezvous with Swarek tomorrow. Talk about next steps."

"You got it." Dov pulled away and headed towards home. He checked his phone when he got there, a little after 3 a.m. He was due back on shift in 6 hours. He hurried inside and quietly came through the door. The apartment was quiet, his roommates must either be asleep or out. He hung up his coat at the door and slipped out of his boots. At his door, he tried to gingerly open the door and step in without waking Chloe, who he knew to be on the other side, but the floor creaked just enough to cause him to look towards the bed. However, he didn't wake his fiancé. She was already up and waiting.

"Hey there," Dov said and shut the door behind him. "What are you still doing up?"

"Oh, I decided I'd wait up for my man. You know, to make sure he got home safely."

"Here I am," Dov smiled.

"Yeah, at," she looked to the clock on the bed stand, "3:12 in the morning."

"About that, I was out surveilling with Detective Anderson."

"Two nights in a row? And what about Swarek? He's still your partner, isn't he?"

"Yeah, yeah, this is just something we were working on while he was still off. We were just following up the last couple nights on something."

"Something you can talk about?"

"Uh…, I shouldn't."

Chloe gave him a sideways look. "C'mon Dov. You're out all night. Working a mysterious case and can't even be straight with me."

"Baby, I'm not lying. I really have been with Frankie. Swarek knows. He's even helping us out too. It's just that the case is very sensitive, and well…"

Chloe stared at him, clearly waiting for him to continue. Dov sat down on the bed next to her.

"I shouldn't be saying this," he began, "so you have to promise that this stays between us. Don't even tell Anderson or Swarek that I told you. Okay?"

"If it's that important, yes. Dov, I just don't want to be shut out."

"I don't want that either." Dov took a breath, and organized his thoughts. "The case is not only sensitive. It's off the record. We were told to leave it be. But we couldn't do that."

"Your invested."

"Yes, I am. All three of us are. We think we are dealing with a dirty cop."

"From 15?", Chloe wore a look that indicated her worry. Nobody was ready for that so soon after Steve.

"No, not from 15."

"Do I know him?"

"Yeah, you do. We all do. It's Jacob Blackstone, we think he could be dirty."

"When Nick and I were undercover we had our disagreements with Blackstone. He had his way of doing things. But we never thought he was dirty," Andy told Sam. He had been up late pouring through files that Anderson had copied for him and Andy talked him into opening up about it.

"Yeah, I was the same. We butted heads on that but he came through on the heroin laced with anthrax. But looking at the facts we have, it's undeniable he's up to something."

"But Sam, it doesn't mean he's dirty."

"Then where is he. He lies to us about the investigation, and then goes completely off the grid. Doesn't show up for work. Anderson and Epstein say he hasn't been home either."

"Wait, Dov's in on this?"

"Yeah, he is. He and Anderson were on this while I was still on leave. They brought me in."

"Who else?"

"From what I know, nobody. Nash and Ward were helping try to make connections but when Blackstone said to walk away and Oliver said to let him handle it, that's what they did."

"Sam, I know you follow your gut, and that works out for you a lot. But you can't be wrong on this."

"I know. That's why we are keeping this off the books and under wraps until we have something solid."

"And then what? You're going to go to your best friend and tell him you completely ignored what he said and investigated this?"

"Technically, he didn't tell me to leave it."

"Sam…"

"I know Andy. I know it's risky, but we need to get to the bottom of this. Plus, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."

"As long as you're sure about this, then I'll support you. If anybody asks, I know nothing."

"That's my girl." Sam kissed his wife. "I love you. And thank you, for understanding."

"Thank you for trusting me."

"Let me get this straight Anderson. You'd rather spend your evenings in a car chatting with Epstein, staking out Blackstone, than with Gail Peck?" Gail was in her room at the apartment talking to Frankie on the phone.

"Gail it's not like that. And don't say that too loudly. This whole thing is very unofficial."

"Sure, sure, I get it. I've been on some secret task forces."

"Right, except you weren't going behind your bosses back. And involving others.

"Others?"

"Yeah, it's not just Epstein."

"Who else?"

"Right now, just one. Swarek. But look, don't even tell them you know. We promised we wouldn't tell anyone. Not even our significant others."

"Couple things. The new Sam isn't going to keep anything from Andy. He's tried that before and payed deeply. Secondly, Dov is so stupid in love with Chloe that he also couldn't keep anything from her. In fact, you probably held out the longest."

"Well in that case, I guess it's a good thing the stakeouts are over. God, only two days but if I had to spend another night in such a boring, quiet neighborhood, I'd go crazy."

"Wait I thought you said you were staking out Blackstone."

"We were. His house has been dark and quiet."

"But see that the thing. Okay, this is back when I was with Nick. At the end of that relationship. He and Andy had been undercover and I was convinced he had cheated on me with her. So, I got really drunk and had a one-night stand with Blackstone."

"What? Seriously? Thanks for that image."

Yeah, I'm not proud of it either. But my point is, we left the penny and went to his apartment. It wasn't far from there."

"When was this?"

"About a year-and-a-half ago. Maybe a bit longer."

"Gail, he's had this house for 6 years."

"So, why would he also have an apartment downtown."

"That's a great question. And why wasn't that mentioned in his file. Do you think you could find it again?"

"Yeah, I think so. I may have been drunk but I was still a cop."

"Feel like going for a ride?"

"Right now? I'm not even dressed. And I have to be back in at 9."

"So do I. C'mon, it'll be quick. I just want to cruise by to get eyes on it. See it for myself."

"Yeah, sure. What the hell."

"Great, I'll pick you up in ten."