The cat gets released

"No, Claire, it's fine. Trust me, it won't be a problem for me to bring Iris down to the station. Yeah, there's someone who'll be there who can watch her…. No, he's our head psychic detective, and acts like a child himself, they're a perfect match…. All right, I'll see you tomorrow then, bye Claire," Karen hung up the phone as she put the last dish from the dishwasher away, and sighed audibly.

"What's the matter?" Carlton asked as he stepped into the kitchen.

"Iris's babysitter isn't able to make it today, so I have to bring her with me to the station."

"Well that won't be a problem, get Spencer to watch her, do us both a favor."

She laughed as he leaned down to give her a kiss, "That's what I told her I would do."

"See, great minds do think alike," he smiled as he rinsed off his breakfast plate and put it in the dishwasher.

"I guess we do huh?"

"You got that right," he gave her another kiss, "Well, I'd better be off, I'll see you at the station."

They kissed again, "Bye Detective."

…and again, "Good-bye Chief…" and yet again.

"All right, go before we take things upstairs again like last night," she gave him a small push and they both laughed as he let himself out.

"Mommy?" Iris called as she came walking into the kitchen.

"What is it Iris?"

"Is daddy going to sleep over often?"

Karen smiled inwardly remembering the past few nights, "Sometimes baby girl." Her daughter frowned and Vick asked confused, "What's wrong?"

"Why can't he sleep over all the time? Like my real daddy did?"

Wow… she's acting as if Bill is dead or something… well for all I know he could be since we've had no contact since the hearing all those months ago. She's wrapped her own heart around Carlton's pinky finger, and latched onto him, replacing Bill.

She picked up her daughter and kissed her cheek, "Maybe he will Iris, someday he might want to do just that, but for now we're just seeing how it works."

Iris's frown faded, "Ok."

Putting Iris back on the ground she said in a jokingly serious voice, "Now go get your things, you're coming to work with me today."

"Will daddy be there?"

"Yes… daddy, will be there, but try not to call him daddy in front of other people, they'll get confused."

Iris cocked her head to the side, "Why would they get confused?"

"Because the people at work don't know that your real daddy doesn't live here anymore."

"Oh…"

Iris grabbed hold of her mother's hand and skipped along, with her backpack swaying back and forth in her hand, as they walked from the car into the station.

As Karen's office came into view, so did Lassiter… "Daddy!" Iris dropped her bag, released Karen's hand, and ran towards the detective, who's back was turned on them, and Karen froze, eyes wide, to meet the same expression from Lassiter as he turned around.

Oh… shit…

The whole floor became silent as eyes turned to see a miniature version of Karen running towards Lassiter with a smile on her face. Reaching Carlton the girl jumped up and glommed unto his waist squeezing tightly.

Double… shit…

"Baby-cake, could you come back please?" Karen asked.

Iris dropped from Lassiter's waist, only to grab his hand and practically drag a still shocked Detective to her mother. Releasing his hand she covered her eyes, "Ok, I'm not looking mommy, you can kiss him now."

Oh… ^&*$%*^& ...

Shawn nonchalantly swaggered towards the shocked 'couple' and knelt down beside the small girl, tapping her shoulder, "Hey, are you Iris?"

Iris turned around, taking her hand away from her eyes, and smiled, "Yup, that's me. Seven and counting, though my momma still calls me her baby."

"I see, why are you calling Detective Lassiter your dad?" Shawn asked.

"My daddy doesn't live at home anymore, and he's," she pointed to Lassiter, "at home all the time, helps finish making dinner, then we watch a movie. He even spends the nights sometimes."

Oh… double… ^&*$%*^& ...

"That's very interesting…"

"Iris, could you do mommy a favor? Take your bag and go into the room right there," Karen pointed to her office, "and start drawing some pictures to hang on the fridge."

"Ok mommy," Iris beamed as she picked up her bag then looked back at Shawn, "He's even thinking about sleeping over all…"

"All right Iris, don't bother Shawn, I have some important business to discuss with everyone so I need you to close the door for me as well."

Iris frowned, but nodded, as she walked into her mother's office and closed the door behind her. The rest of the station was silent… but of course… Shawn had to be the one to break it, "Sleep overs?…" he snorted, then broke out into an uncontrollable fit of laughter as he practically rolled around on the wood floor.

"Spencer shut it or so help me God I will-"

Lassiter started but Vick cut him off, "Carlton, there's no use in getting violent."

The detective gave her a look and she glared back, "Fine…" he grumbled as he shifted his weight to keep from punching the still laughing Spencer in the jaw.

Karen rubbed her eyes then addressed the whole room above Shawn's slowing laughter, "Yes, everything my daughter said is true. My husband and I got a divorce five and a half months ago after years of fighting and an affair he was having, which I found out from Mr. Lawrence, the man found dead a month ago."

A clamor broke out through the room and she barked at them to shut up, "Lassiter, the lead, might I remind you, on the case, already knows of this so I was not in anyway hiding possible evidence of motive from the case, just from everyone else. My ex and I have had no contact since the hearing and he has even moved out of the apartment he had moved into…" she sighed, "And yes, Detective Lassiter and I are in a steady relationship, and if you say a single thing about it I will make your life a living hell…"

Karen paused to stare every single person in the room straight in the eyes before saying, "Understood?"

"Yes ma'am!" The crowd answered, and Karen then walked into her office, closing the door behind her.

Sighing she sat down at her desk and ran a hand through her hair, "Not the way I planned for that information to get out…" she mumbled to herself as she pulled some files from her inbox and began flipping through them.

"Mommy?"

"Yes baby?" She said in a strained voice, without looking in direction of her daughter.

"Did I do something wrong…? Are you mad at me?" Karen looked up at hearing the sadness in Iris's voice and saw a tear slid down her daughter's cheek.

Sighing she closed the file she was looking at and sat down next to her daughter, gathering Iris into her lap, "No, you didn't do anything terribly wrong. Unexpected, unplanned for, slightly uncalled for, and very unprepared for, but I'm not mad at you."

Iris curled her arms around her mother and held on tight, "I'm sorry."

"It's ok baby, mommy will be able to fix it, and then everything will be fine."

"Daddy won't leave me right? Like my real daddy did?" Karen could feel the girl's tears soaking through her shirt.

"No, he won't leave, he's not angry either, just shocked and a little upset."

"Can I go say I'm sorry?"

Karen looked outside her office to see Lassiter sitting at his desk staring aimlessly at something she couldn't see sitting on top of it. The rest of the station was sneaking glances at him (and her office) as they pretended to do work… "Sure, I think he would like that."

Iris released her mom from her death grip and stood up. Joining her daughter Karen took hold of Iris's hand and walked out of her office over to Lassiter's desk. She could practically feel everyone's eyes boring into the three of them… all wondering what was going to happen.

"Daddy…" Iris said softy. Lassiter turned to look at her as she rubbed a few tears off her cheeks, only to have them replaced by a few more, "I'm… sorry… I made you… upset…. Please… don't leave me… and mommy… like my real… daddy did…."

Carlton's lips twitched into a very small smile as he picked up the girl into his arms, holding her close, "I'm not going anywhere darlin'."

"I love you daddy."

"I love you too Iris."

Haha! How's that… you nosey people like that? Go ahead and pry into each other's lives but leave mine alone. This is what you get for being nosey when it comes to your superior officers.

Karen smirked proudly to herself as she saw a few jaws fall open and Shawn's eyes grow two times too large for his face. She basked in the glory of shocking the station into utter silence… even Spencer wasn't saying a single thing. Lassiter looked at her and she smiled, a gesture of which he returned before he carefully stood up and planted a passionate kiss against her lips, all while still holding her daughter in a big bear hug, with Iris's arms wrapped tightly around his chest, her legs around his abdomen, and her face buried deep against his shoulder.

"I love you as well Karen."

"And I love you too Carlton," she smiled.