The next morning Lanie woke up alone in the massive bed not at all surprised but entirely humiliated for her actions the night before. She sighed and reached for the wheelchair by the bed. She felt better however and just like she said the nightmares hadn't come back all night.

She pulled herself into the wheelchair wincing at the pain in her hands she settled herself into the chair and lifted her leg up where it was supposed to go. She used her wrists to wheel herself into the main room of the house where Esposito was finishing a cup of coffee while pulling on his tie.

He saw her and turned briefly after swallowing his last sip of coffee and putting the cup in the sink. He thought of a lie, one she would believe. She didn't know Ryan was on sick leave.

"Hey, Look I'm going to run to the station quick and then to the store. Do you need or want anything?" She shook head head and he glanced at his watch.

"I thought you had time off. Is there a reason you're so rushed?"

"Oh, I overslept I want to catch Ryan before he might leave for any reason and he should be there now" She nodded and he slowed a second looking at her. He didn't like lying to her.

"Will you be alright? Do you need me to stay here?"

"No, I'll be fine" She shook her head.

He hesitated a minute then grabbed his coat off the hook.

"I just want to see how the case is going and grab some things from the store I promise I won't be gone long" She followed him slightly and he stopped suddenly.

He turned to her and caught the sides of her chair stopping her.

"Don't answer the door" She looked up at him then nodded he waited a heartbeat and then turned and was gone.

She sighed and looked around her surroundings. She rolled herself into the living room. Poor Esposito after the way she behaved last night he was probably never coming back.

She had been alone in his apartment for only about thirty minutes when someone knocked. She looked at the door and felt her heart speed up. Something had him concerned and she worried. She couldn't clearly see the door from where she sat only the hallway leading to it.

She waited and the knocking quit then she heard the door open whoever was there had a key. At first the thought it might be Esposito and she smiled waiting. She was surprised when an older lady and a young girl stepped into the living room.

"Javier?" The lady stopped when she saw Lanie.

"Oh, Hello" She smiled.

She was tall and had a nice figure and skin like Esposito and she had his black hair and dark brown eyes. Lanie guessed she was in her mid to late fifties. The girl beside her looked no older then her twenties. She had the same beautiful skin and jet black hair which was long and straight she was strikingly pretty and thin.

"Hello" Lanie spoke.

"I'm Javiers mother Maria and who might you be?" She seemed nice.

"I'm Lanie. I work with your son" She offered a weak smile and Maria moved to sit on the couch the girl followed.

"Well, I'm happy to meet you Lanie. Javier speaks so very fondly of you"

Lanie was shocked. He talked about her to his family?

"Thank you"

She looked at the girl who was very quiet but seemed equally nice and Lanie wondered if she was Espostios girlfriend.

"So, Lanie. How long have you been staying here?"

"Only a day so far. I...was injured at work and couldn't be at my own apartment your son offered me a place here until I was better"

"Well, I hope you're better soon" The quite girl spoke and Lanie smiled ignoring the pang of jealousy.

"Thank you"

"Oh, Goodness where are my manors? This is Rosalee" Maria smiled at the girl beside her who turned to Lanie.

"Rosie is fine"

Lanie offered her a weak smile.

"So, How long have you and Javier been...well" Maria smiled and Lanie blushed.

"Oh, But I thought Rosie was his..." Maria interrupted.

"Little Sister" Lanie smiled now and shook her head.

"We're just friends" Maria leaned over and smiled putting her hand on Lanies need.

"Not the way he talks about you sweetheart"

When Esposito had finished with his secret meeting, Stopped by Ryans just for the sake of not having told a complete lie and gone to the store it had been a good three hours and he rushed home. Balancing the many bags filled with groceries he leaned against the door to find his keys and when it swung open he dropped the bags his hand going for his gun.

He crept down the hallway in typical police fashion gun in front of him. He heard women laughing and wondered if Lanie had invited some friends over. He slid around the corner and his sister gasped dropping a cup. Lanie jumped and his mother simply rolled her eyes and spoke.

"Oh Javier put that thing away" She was sitting at his counter drinking what looked like hot tea. His sister stood beside her now kneeling to clean hers up off the floor Lanie was in her wheelchair beside them a cup in her hands.

He holstered his gun.

"Ma, What are you doing here?" She looked at him.

"Well I was in town and thought I'd just see if you were home and your sister was hoping if we swung by the station you're partner might join us for lunch" He looked confused and Lanie nodded.

"It's true poor Rosie is terribly in love with him" She took a sip of her tea.

He just stared wondering how she had clicked into his family so easily.

He liked the way she looked sitting in his kitchen smiling at him when he came in the door. Laughing with his mother and bonding with his sister. Maybe minus the wheelchair and adding a little bundle of joy. He backed up wondering where the thought had come from.

"I've got to get the groceries" He turned and his mother shook his head.

"Javier always was a little shy and socially awkward"

"He's been really generous" Lanie smiled.

Rosie slid onto a stool beside her mother.

"After father died Javier really took over as the man of the family he's really protective of the people he loves"

Esposito came back into the room and set the bags on the counter before unpacking them. His mother watched him a second then spoke.

"Javier for years I've been begging you for a grandchild and you always had the same excuse"

He glanced at Lanie briefly before putting something in the fridge and speaking to his mother.

"It's not an excuse mother I just haven't met the right woman yet"

"Well it's obvious to me you haven't really been looking or you would have seen Dr. Parish"

He froze a second then took a deep breath and went back to stocking shelves. Lanie blushed and looked away his mother continued.

"She's lovely Javier and we get along so perfectly. You haven't had a single girlfriend that I've admired so much. How could you have not seen it?" He shrugged but didn't reply when he did speak he changed the subject.

"So, Rosie how long have you had eyes on Ryan?" She blushed and looked down into her cup he gave her a grin that Lanie could tell he only used on his little sister.

"I don't know awhile since last thanksgiving maybe" He laughed and moved to give his sister a one armed a hug.

"Maybe?" He teased and she grinned wider.

"Definitely, You won't tell him will you?" Esposito laughed and shook his head.

"I won't say a word. Besides he's better then that guy you dated in high school"

"Greg. His name was Greg" He shook his head and moved away.

"Hey I have a thought" Espositos mom smiled and they each looked at her.

"Why don't you take Lanie out and maybe invite Ryan and possibly your lovely little sister could tag along"

Rosie brightened and smiled hopefully at Esposito who looked at his mother then Lanie.

"Maybe"

After another hour of visiting Rosie and Maria got ready to leave. They each gave Lanie a warm hug and promised another visit and Esposito walked them to the door.

"Think about it please Javier" Rosie begged and he grinned giving her a hug. He loved his sister and Ryan was as close to a brother as he would ever get.

"I'll think about it Rose, I promise" He kissed her forehead and turned to his mother.

"Javier..." He interrupted her as he gave her a hug.

"I noticed Ma, She's beautiful and I know that. I'm not blind and I'm not stupid" She gave her son a warm smile.

"I know you notice. It's written all over your face you need to tell her that you notice" He grinned and kissed his mothers cheek opening the door.

"I'll call you this week" He promised as they left and at that moment his life felt complete not as empty as it usually did. He went into the living room and Lanie looked up at him with a smile and his heart melted.

"Are you really going to let Ryan take your sister out?" She asked and he smiled.

"I don't know. He's got a girlfriend but I promised Rosie to think about it, Besides Ryan is always around her at my house at least once a month for dinner and every holiday sometimes on the weekends he stays if I go home and he feels like tagging along. I think he pictures her more like a sister"

"I didn't realize you and Ryan were so close outside work"

"He comes to my house on every holiday and at least once a month for dinner sometimes if I go home for a weekend or the holidays he just stays over but not always"

"How old is Rosie?"

"She's 26 which is young but only 6 years younger then Ryan" Lanie nodded and decided that wasn't bad at all. After all Lanie was 34 and here she was crushing on Esposito.

"She's a fine young woman" Lanie told him and he nodded.

"Yeah she is. She was a great kid really and she always took to Ryan even when he and I first made partners and he came home with me for Christmas she was captivated" He laughed at the memory.

"How long have you been partners?"

"Six years. I've only known you the last four and a half though. Rosie was only 20 when he came home that first Christmas and when we were out on the porch drinking our wine she tried to talk some out of Ryan thinking he would believe she was 21 but he knew I was eight years older then her" He laughed.

So he was only Lanies age and she had believed him younger but she supposed it was because he was always with Ryan who was obviously younger then her.

He moved into the kitchen and glanced into the fridge.

"What would you like to have for dinner tonight?" He asked her and she shrugged.

"It doesn't matter to me honestly what ever you feel like making" He turned back to the fridge and tried to think of the fanciest meal he knew how to cook.

She sighed and wheeled over to the large winow seat in the corner of the small apartemnt and tried to see out it onto the street. His apartment was nice she decided dark green walls and hard wood floors through out and of course it wasn't very decorative since a man lived here. Even the window seat in the corner had onyt a plain green cushion no pillows or curtains.

She was still straining to see out the window when he came up behind her putting his hands on the back of the chair and leaning down to her ear. "Would you like help up?" She jumped and when she did the back of her head collided with his face with a sickening crunch.

"OW" He jumped back.

"Oh. Oh I'm so sorry" She turned in the chair reaching for his arms which were bent so he could cover his face with his hands.

"No, No. It's alright really" He winced but when he pulled his hands away wasn't bleeding.

She felt terrible and she shook her head dropping her hands away from his arms.

"Would you like help onto the window seat?" He asked still wincing slightly.

"If you don't mind" He moved around the wheelchair laughing when he spoke.

"Only if you promise not to punch me in the face again" She smiled and he reached over carefully helping her onto her good leg. He eased her onto the window seat and helped her put her bad leg onto the seat before sitting down beside her.

"I'm really sorry" She said sitting up she putting a hand on his arm.

"No. It's fine honestly" He shook his head and she leaned closer moving her hand to his cheek almost with out realizing it.

He realized and every muscle in his body tightened and every nerve heated. He swallowed past the lump in his throat his eyes meeting her dark brown ones.

"Lanie..." When did his voice become so broken and deep?

She leaned closer and he moved cupping her face with his hands her eyes fluttered closed and he leaned in the rest of the way barely and inch away from kissing her. Kissing Lanie the woman he had pined after since he first laid eyes on her.

The loud knock made her jump and his hand slid from her face when she did so. She looked at the door and he shut his eyes for a second to regain his composure before standing.

He went to the door and jerked it open hard enough that Ryan who was on the other side jumped.

"Geez bro, Am I interrupting something?" Esposito looked at him.

"Yeah as a matter of fact you are" He moved and Ryan stepped into the hall.

"Sorry, I just wanted to see how you were doing. Are you taking the pills the doctor gave you?"

"No. I'm not" He looked at Ryan who gave him a pointed stare.

Esposito sighed and leaned back against the wall in the hall way.

"I'm sorry I snapped. I was just..."He shook his head.

"Hey, It's alright I know you're stressed." Ryan smiled and then looked into the livingroom.

"How is she doing?"

"Well I told you she's sleeping in my bed and I am too so that's hard and my mother and Rosie both love her already other then that. She's fine"

Ryan brightened at Rosies name and Esposito wondered why he never noticed that before.

"How is Mama Maria and Rosie Posey?" Ryan asked and Esposito thought about telling him Rosie was crazy about him but didn't.

"Fine. They stopped to see if we wanted to go for lunch today and Lanie spent all day with them. They really hit it off"

"Well, Lanie is a nice person and your family is wonderful Esposito" He nodded they were great he loved his family and he loved her.

"Yeah. Rosie and Lanie want to go see a movie some time this week and uh...being that I don't want to be the only man I thought maybe you'd like to come..You can bring Hannah"

He hoped seeing Ryan with Hannah might be the easiest way for Rosie to find out about him having a girlfriend. Ryan got a strange look.

"Yeah, Well the thing is that Hannah broke it off"

"What, Why?" Ryan shrugged but didn't seem upset.

"I'm fine with it really I just didn't have any of those feeling for her. I'd love a movie night though I haven't seen Mama Maria or Rosie in a good month."

"Why don't you stay for dinner?"

"you don't have anything romantic planned?" Esposito laughed and shook his head.

"No"