With Street's return to work, Chris finds more and more of her time filled by Helena and Sarzo.
"You don't have to thank us every time we take you to physical therapy," Sarzo tells Chris one afternoon, making her avert her gaze. Sighing, Sarzo continues.
"You're not pulling me away from work when I own the company, Sweetheart."
Chris knows she doesn't have an argument to stand on, so she nods and lets it lie, promising herself that she'll make it up to them when she can. Her eyes scan her bare fridge, the light exercise leaving her ravenous and exhausted in an unwelcome way, but she comes up empty. There's a massive pile of clean Tupperware containers on the edge of her counter to be returned to their owners, and Chris groans when another pang of hunger hits her.
"Let me by," Sarzo says, gently maneuvering himself around Chris to open her freezer door, too. When he turns to look at her, Chris's eyes find the top of the cabinets, falling to Sarzo's like if she moves slow enough, he won't notice.
"Dios mío, Christina." He scolds her, disbelief written across his face. "It's a wonder you don't starve to death. I thought your Aunt was exaggerating when she told me your fridge was practically empty."
With no other option and nothing to say, Chris moves towards the couch as Sarzo carries on, opening her pantry only to speak louder.
"What did Helena say when she came that first morning?" He asks, voice caught between care and aggravation that only hides more care. Chris shrugs.
"Ask Street. I was asleep."
"Lucky for it," Sarzo mumbles. He closes everything up in the kitchen and grabs his keys, walking over to plant a kiss on Chris's forehead.
"I'll be back in half an hour." He promises, waving Chris off when she tells him to take her credit card. The door swings shut behind him and Chris lies back on the couch, exhaling.
Chris's apartment is fuller than she ever imagined it would be for dinner the following evening.
"You sure you're okay?" Street asks Chris as he sets her water down. Her leg is stretched out across another dining room chair, one of the guest room pillows underneath, and she nods.
"I'm fine, thanks." Chris says with a smile. Convinced, Street sits down to her right, and starts to tell her about the case until Sarzo and Helena join them. After dishes of pork and rice are passed around, talking falls away to chewing until they're half-done.
"How was work today, Jim?" Sarzo asks. "Didn't see anything crazy on the news."
Chuckling softly, Street says it was good.
"We're working a drug smuggling case right now, mostly just talking with the DEA to solidify their tracking routes so we can plan a bust. Nothing too exciting."
"Oh, nothing too exciting at all," Helena teases, and Chris groans.
"There's a reason I don't tell you about my work, I don't want you to worry. Getting Street to give you details won't change that." Chris assures them. Sharing a look, Sarzo reaches across the table to squeeze her hand.
"We're going to worry about you either way, we might as well hear the good stuff, too." He says. Street takes another bite, glancing between the three of them.
"I promise, if there's one person who can handle herself, it's Chris." Street cuts in, not defensive, but trying to take some of the pressure off Chris. A blush starts to climb up her neck, though, and Chris drops her chin so her hair covers it.
"We'd be more certain if Chris told us anything," Helena counters, tone high, and Street tries to hide his wince.
"Okay," Chris says, breaking up the thick air. "I love you both, but I'm a grown woman. You don't lecture Tomas about not cutting his hand off in the table saw, I don't need a lecture on how to bust a suspect."
Eyebrows raised, Chris doesn't break eye contact until they relent, but not without a final word from Sarzo.
"I have to lecture your cousin about that at least once a month with how loud he keeps his music in the shop."
"Call the cops next time." Chris says, laughing.
The rest of dinner passes easily, loose conversation about work followed by old stories about Street's days with Long Beach PD and the Alonso family. Chris keeps up as much as she can, but the injury still makes her tired quicker than she'd like, and not long after they move from the table to the living room, she's yawning.
"Leave the dishes, I'll do them in the morning." She tells them, missing the look that Street gives Helena from behind her, mouthing that he'll get it done. Standing when she passes, Helena keeps a warm hand hovering over Chris's back as she walks to the bedroom with her.
Chris goes to the bathroom while Helena throws new pajamas on the end of the bed and pulls back the covers. She takes in the photos lining Chris's dresser and nightstand, of her family, her team, and can't help the pride she feels. The water turning off catches her attention, and Helena fixes her face back into something neutral.
"Here, Sweetie," Helena hands Chris the pajamas. Leaning the crutches on the wall, Chris braces herself on Helena's shoulder when she needs to, and then falls into bed with a sigh of relief. Getting her leg up means Chris has to muster another burst of energy, and she exhales when she's finally settled onto the mattress.
"Everything okay?" Helena checks, tucking the covers around Chris and then running a hand down her face. Chris's eyes flutter open.
"I'm good, Aunt Helena, thank you."
Leaning down, Helena kisses Chris's forehead and says okay. Warmth rises in Chris like it's dawn, and thoughts of the conversations in the desert and with Miguel cross her mind. Having what she could've lost right in front of her makes it impossible for Chris not to talk.
"I never thanked you," Chris says, stopping Helena in her tracks from where she's setting a water bottle and painkillers on the nightstand. Questions sparkle in her eyes, and Chris takes one of her hands when Helena sits on the bed again.
"I don't want you guys, or anyone, to worry about me, really," Chris reiterates, Helena nodding along. "I can handle myself out there because of you, and everything you've done for me. Thank you for that."
Tears flood Helena's eyes, and she blinks them back to keep Chris from needing to manage more than she already has to.
"Thank you, Chrissy," Helena says, feeling Chris squeeze her hand.
"You're one of the best things that's happened to us. Nothing could make us not worry, but we know you can take care of yourself. Especially with your team."
A watery laugh passes between them, and a few deep, connected breaths. Opening her eyes, Helena sees Chris's still closed, and whispers to get some rest.
"So you can get back out there with them. I love you, Chrissy."
Smiling small, Chris tells Helena she loves her, too, almost asleep before the door closes.
"So," Sarzo says from the chair once Helena and Chris are out of sight. Street's eyes snap from her closed bedroom door back to Sarzo, heart speeding up.
"Yeah?" He asks, trying to keep his voice even and reminding himself to breathe. It only gets harder and Sarzo's gaze travels over him, once and then twice, before relaxing back with a wry smile.
"Relax, Jim. I'm not going to question your intentions with Chrissy. If she ever thought I would have to, we wouldn't have met in the first place."
Like the air from a balloon, all of Street's tension drains, and he gives Sarzo a nervous smile.
"You're good people, the whole team," Sarzo continues.
"Chris is the best of all of us," Street says, the words soft and slipping out like it's a thought he thinks a million times a day. Nodding, knowing, Sarzo smiles.
"Why'd you volunteer to stay? I'm surprised she let you. She would've fought us on it."
Street's mind trips over itself as he takes in Sarzo's words. Emotions run through him, harder to hide, and Street finally gives into them and looks at Sarzo.
"Chris isn't just my partner in the field, she's my best friend."
So many things run through his mind: their first kiss, Nate, Erika, his liver donation.
"We've, the whole team, has been through a lot the past few years. Chris has always had my six, I'll always have hers."
Sarzo hums, sees the way talking about Chris puts Street at ease.
"Thank you for that."
"Your whole team," Sarzo adds, though it's thin. Street nods and wipes his hands on the front of his pants.
Conversing with Hicks about Molly always made him feel like his stomach was going to bottom out. This feels like talking about someone he loves with someone else that loves her, and Street's heart clenches, his eyes finding her bedroom door again.
"It took me and Helena a while to figure things out." Sarzo says, unprompted, pulling Street's attention.
"She came from a hard background. Getting to this country, getting her to trust me, giving her space when she needed it. We've had our share of ups and downs, but she's been worth every second."
Mouth opening and chest swelling, Street wants to say something about how incredible Helena is, Chris's whole family, but Sarzo keeps going, staring at Street.
"Chris reminds me so much of her. That same grit, passion."
"They're both amazing," Street gets out around the growing urge for confession that he needs to stay where it is. More hangs around them, advice and insight and unsaid, mutual understandings, but they start to dissipate when Chris's bedroom door opens. Smiling, Sarzo stands and claps him on the arm.
"As long as Chrissy is happy and healthy, that's all we really care about."
Helena comes into view not a second later, and Sarzo leaves Street to take her place saying goodnight. Giving Street a once over, his gaze bright but distant, she smirks.
"Sarzo didn't try to say anything too intimidating, I hope," Helena says. Shy, Street shakes his head and bites his lip, taking a second before looking at her.
"No, I swear."
"Good," Helena laughs. "Everything's been okay here? The physical therapist said it's going well, considering it's the first week."
"Yeah," Street assures, "mostly just talk of how fast she can get back in the field."
"Sounds like our girl." Helena says, catching Sarzo's eyes as he returns.
"She was already asleep," he whispers, like he's afraid to wake her now that he knows. From the back of the couch, Helena grabs Sarzo's jacket and hands it to him, the three moving towards the front door.
"Thanks for dinner. It was delicious, as usual."
"There'll be more if Chrissy's fridge stays as barren as it was the other morning." Sarzo says, making Street laugh.
"I'm not complaining. Have a good night."
"Good night, Jim. Call us if anyone needs anything." They both say, exchanging hugs and hands on shoulders. Closing the door behind them fills Street with a calmness he never got from saying goodbye to his own mother, and he relishes in it as he turns to finish the dishes.
hello! long time no see. thank you for reading and to everyone who continues to read! i hope you enjoyed!
comments/kudos always appreciated and loved 3 we're reaching the major turning point! i've got a few more chapters coming up that i really hope are as fun to explore as a reader as they were as a writer. it means a lot how much support this has gotten. wishing everyone well wherever you may be!
xo, A