"The stars, ancient and distant,

witness lifetimes without flinching."

Just as Jane leaned in to pull Maura into another kiss, a small voice called out from down the hall.

"Jane! Maura!"

The sound of Beni's tiny, slightly whiny tone made both women pause. Jane sighed, her forehead dropping onto Maura's shoulder.

"Well, so much for the moment," Jane muttered, though there was a hint of affection in her voice.

Maura smiled, brushing a hand over Jane's arm. "He's our priority, remember?"

Jane pulled back and rolled her eyes playfully. "Yeah. Let's go see what the little boss wants."

They walked together toward the sound of Beni's voice, finding him sitting up in bed clutching his stuffed bear and rubbing his eyes.

"Hey, buddy," Jane said softly, crouching beside the bed. "What's wrong?"

Beni looked up at her with a sleepy pout. "Dreamed bad."

Jane's heart tugged, and she scooped him up without hesitation. "Aw, it's okay. We're right here."

Maura stood beside them, running a gentle hand over Beni's hair. "Do you want to come sit with us for a while?"

Beni nodded, burying his face in Jane's shoulder.

Jane exchanged a glance with Maura. "Looks like our little guy just earned a spot on the couch for a bit."

Maura smiled. "I'll grab a blanket."

As they settled back into the living room with Beni nestled between them, Jane leaned over and whispered to Maura, "Rain check?"

Maura chuckled softly, her eyes warm as she whispered back, "Always."

As they settled onto the couch, Beni snuggled into Jane's lap, his little hand clutching his stuffed bear tightly. He looked up at Jane with his sleepy, curious eyes and frowned slightly.

"Why no PJs?" he asked, pointing at Jane's work clothes.

Jane chuckled softly, brushing a hand over his hair. "I was gonna change in a little bit, buddy. Don't worry, I'll have my pajamas on soon."

Beni seemed satisfied with that answer for a moment, but then his brow furrowed again. "Maura, stay home?"

Maura smiled, sitting close to them on the couch. She reached out to tuck a stray curl behind Beni's ear. "Tomorrow, you're going to spend the day with Nonna," Maura explained gently. "She's very excited to spend time with you."

Beni's pout deepened as he clutched Jane tighter. "No, Nonna. Maura, stay."

Jane glanced at Maura, whose face softened with affection and a hint of worry.

"Hey, bud," Jane said, her voice soothing. "Nonna's gonna make it so much fun. And you know Maura and I will be back before you know it. Right?"

Beni looked at Jane, then at Maura, his lips trembling slightly. "Promise?"

Maura leaned closer, brushing a kiss against his temple. "I promise, sweetheart. We'll always come back for you."

Jane squeezed him gently, her voice steady. "Always."

Beni relaxed slightly, nodding as he rested his head against Jane's chest. Maura leaned into Jane's side, her hand resting lightly on Beni's back.

After Beni had fallen asleep, Jane and Maura headed to bed, carrying him and letting him claim the middle of the bed, which had become their routine.

Jane woke to the sound of soft footsteps and the faint scent of Maura's perfume. Blinking against the morning light, she turned her head to see Maura stepping out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her as she moved toward the closet.

Beni, still sound asleep, was sprawled across Jane's chest, his little hands gripping her shirt. Jane smiled to herself, the peaceful moment grounding her before the rush of the day began.

Maura, now dressed in a tailored blouse and slacks, walked over to the bed. She leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to Jane's lips, then another to Beni's messy curls.

"Good morning," she whispered softly.

Jane grinned sleepily. "Morning. Heading out?"

Maura nodded. "I need to check in at the morgue, but I'll be back this afternoon. Angela said she'd be here in a bit to help with Beni."

Jane glanced down at the little boy still snuggled on top of her. "Guess that means I'm on breakfast duty."

Maura chuckled, brushing her fingers lightly over Jane's hand. "You'll do great."

With one last kiss, Maura grabbed her bag and headed out, leaving Jane to the quiet hum of the house.

A few minutes later, Beni began to stir, his tiny body squirming as he blinked up at Jane.

"Hey, buddy," Jane said softly, brushing his hair back. "You hungry?"

Beni nodded sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

"Alright, let's get you some breakfast," Jane said, scooping him up and carrying him to the kitchen.

By the time Angela arrived mid-morning, Jane was sitting at the table, sipping coffee while Beni happily munched on a plate of scrambled eggs and toast.

"You two look cozy," Angela said with a smile as she walked in.

Jane stood, handing off the reins. "Your turn, Ma. I've got to get to work."

Angela gave her a mock salute. "Don't worry, Detective. Beni's in good hands."

Jane kissed Beni on the top of his head. "Be good for Nonna, okay?"

Beni grinned, his face still smudged with a bit of toast. "Okay!"

Jane strode into the bullpen, finding Korsak and Frost already huddled over a computer. "Alright," she said, setting her bag on her desk. "Where are we with the mystery girl?"

Frost glanced up, his expression a mix of determination and frustration. "Still working on it. She gave a fake name when she set up the social media account, which is making it harder to track her down. Nina's running some background algorithms now, but it's slow going."

Jane frowned, leaning on the edge of Frost's desk. "What about Travis? Any movement there?"

Frost nodded, his tone grim. "I'm pretty sure he's back in town. He's dodging us, though—every time we try to pull him in, he's conveniently 'out of town' or unreachable. But I've been tracking some activity on one of his accounts, and it lines up with places nearby."

Jane exchanged a look with Korsak. "Then it's time we stop waiting for him to come to us."

Korsak nodded, already grabbing his jacket. "Let's stake out the apartment. If he's coming or going, we'll see him."

Jane turned back to Frost. "Keep digging into that girl. If she's tied to Travis or Derrick in any way, we need to know."

"You got it," Frost said, already refocusing on his screen.

As Jane and Korsak headed out, Jane's mind was racing. If Travis was as slippery as they suspected, catching him in the act was their best shot.

"We're going to need patience for this one," Korsak said as they got into the car.

Jane smirked. "Patience? Never heard of it."

Korsak chuckled, shaking his head. "This is why I bring snacks to these things."

As they drove toward the apartment, Jane couldn't help but feel the familiar buzz of anticipation. If Travis thought he could stay hidden, he was about to get a rude awakening.

Jane leaned back in the car seat, her eyes scanning the apartment complex they'd been watching for hours. The monotony of the stakeout, combined with her restless thoughts, finally pushed her to break the silence.

"Korsak," Jane began, her voice hesitant.

He glanced over, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

Jane fiddled with the coffee cup in her hand, avoiding his gaze for a moment. "Can I… confide in you about something?"

"Always," Korsak said, his tone steady.

Jane took a deep breath, still watching the apartment. "It's about me and Maura. We're, uh… we're together. Like, together together."

Korsak's expression softened, and a slow smile spread across his face. "Well, it's about damn time."

Jane let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "You're not surprised?"

"Jane, I've known you two for years," Korsak said, leaning back in his seat. "The way you look at each other, the way you always have each other's backs—it's not exactly subtle. I'm happy for you, kid."

"Thanks," Jane said, finally looking over at him. "It's new, and we're still figuring it out, but… it feels right."

Korsak nodded. "It shows. You've been a little less cranky lately."

Jane rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Don't push it, old man."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Jane spoke again, her tone more serious. "There's something else. Maura and I… We're thinking about fighting to keep Beni. Permanently."

Korsak's eyebrows rose slightly. "That's a big decision, Jane."

"I know," Jane admitted, her voice quieter. "But he's already part of our lives. I can't imagine him being anywhere else. We just want to give him a real home."

Korsak nodded thoughtfully. "You've got my support. No question."

Jane hesitated before asking, "Would you… would you be a character witness for us? If it comes to that?"

Korsak didn't miss a beat. "Absolutely. You and Maura would make amazing parents, and anyone who says otherwise can answer to me."

Jane laughed softly, the knot of anxiety in her chest loosening. "Thanks, Korsak. That means a lot."

"Hey," Korsak said with a grin. "What are friends for?"

The conversation continued to flow over the next few hours while sitting and watching the door to the apartment building. They had no luck with catching even a glimpse of Travis entering or exiting. They decided their time was better spent elsewhere, and they called in a patrol unit to replace them.

"Let's head back to the precinct and see if Frost found anything more." Jane replied.

Jane stepped into the morgue, the familiar sterile scent greeting her. Maura stood at her autopsy table, focused on her work as she dictated notes into her recorder. Despite the clinical setting, Jane always felt a sense of calm seeing Maura in her element.

"Hey," Jane called softly, not wanting to startle her.

Maura looked up, pulling off her gloves. "Jane. How was the stakeout?"

"Unproductive," Jane admitted, leaning against the doorframe. "Travis never showed, so we handed it off to a patrol car."

Maura nodded, setting her recorder down. "That's disappointing. Hopefully, the patrol officers will catch something."

Jane hesitated for a moment before stepping closer. "I, uh… I told Korsak about us."

Maura blinked, clearly surprised, but her expression quickly softened. "You did?"

"Yeah," Jane said, shoving her hands into her pockets. "He's happy for us. Said it's about time."

Maura smiled, a hint of relief in her eyes. "Well, I'm glad. It's good to have his support. Are we putting everything out in the open now?"

Jane shrugged. "I figured we might as well start. Speaking of which… I think Ma knows too."

Maura raised an eyebrow. "Angela? Did you tell her?"

"Not exactly," Jane admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. "She has this way of pulling things out of me. You know how she is."

Maura chuckled softly. "She does have a gift for reading people."

Jane smirked, leaning against the table. "She's thrilled, by the way. Probably already planning a big family dinner to celebrate and probably planning our wedding also."

Maura shook her head fondly before sobering slightly. "Jane, there's something else we should talk about."

Jane straightened, her expression turning serious. "Actually, I wanted to bring something up too. What do you think about filing the paperwork to make us official parents for Beni?"

Maura's eyes widened briefly before her face softened with affection. "Jane, that's a big step. Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Jane said without hesitation. "I know it's a lot, but I can't imagine him being with anyone else. We're already raising him, Maura. He's ours."

Maura reached out, placing a hand on Jane's arm. "I want that too. But we should talk to the social worker first. There's a process, and we need to make sure we're doing everything the right way."

Jane nodded, her resolve steady. "Okay. We'll talk to her. But I don't want to wait too long, Maura. He deserves to know he's staying with us for good."

Maura smiled warmly, her hand lingering on Jane's arm. "And he will. But Jane, we need to do this with Beni's interest in mind. We need to make whatever decision, no matter how hard it is for Beni."

"I agree, Maur. I wish I could stay longer, but I need to head back up. I'll see you later; this case isn't going to solve itself, apparently," Jane smiled as she placed a quick kiss on Maura's forehead.

Jane walked into the bullpen, running a hand through her hair as she approached Frost, Korsak, and Frankie, who were huddled around Frost's computer. The faint glow of the screen reflected their furrowed brows, the frustration palpable.

"Alright, what've we got?" Jane asked, her voice tinged with exhaustion.

Frost leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the desk nervously. "So, here's the thing. The girl we've been chasing—the one Derrick was messaging? She might not actually exist."

Jane blinked, crossing her arms. "What do you mean, she doesn't exist? We've got photos, messages—everything points to her being real."

Frost clicked through a few windows, pulling up side-by-side images of the girl's social media photos. "At first glance, yeah, it looks legit. But when I ran a deeper analysis, the facial features didn't line up perfectly. It's subtle, but the photos are composite. Someone pieced together features from multiple different girls to create what looks like a new person."

Frankie leaned over Frost's shoulder, shaking his head. "So we've been chasing a ghost?"

"Basically," Frost confirmed. "Whoever did this knew what they were doing. It's sophisticated. They probably used a combination of AI and editing software to make the photos convincing."

Korsak frowned, his arms crossed. "So what's the endgame here? Why go through all that trouble?"

Jane threw her hands up, pacing around the bullpen. "And we're still nowhere closer to figuring out who actually set this up or why Derrick was talking to 'her.'"

"Not necessarily," Frost said, scrolling through another set of files. "The messages Derrick exchanged with her—or whoever was behind the account—were mostly about money and personal messages. If we can trace where those funds were going, it might lead us to whoever created the profile."

Frankie raised an eyebrow. "Think it could be Travis? Maybe he set it up as another layer to their scheme?"

"It's possible," Frost admitted. "But if it's him, he's playing a long game. He'd have to be covering his tracks meticulously."

Jane stopped pacing, turning to the group. "Then we focus on the money. I don't care how sophisticated this fake profile is—if it's tied to Travis, we'll find the connection."

Korsak nodded. "Agreed. We'll keep digging. But Jane, you might want to step back for a bit. You've got enough on your plate with Beni and everything else."

Jane shot him a look. "I'm fine, Korsak. Let's just figure this out."