"The ocean returns to itself,

tide after tide, forgetting nothing."

Jane stepped into Derrick Mallory's office building, flashing her badge to the receptionist and asking to see his supervisor. After a short wait, she was led to a corner office where a middle-aged man with glasses and a neatly pressed suit sat behind a desk.

"Detective Rizzoli," she introduced herself, shaking his hand. "I'm investigating Derrick Mallory's death. I was hoping you could tell me a little about him."

The man, who introduced himself as Mr. Harris, leaned back in his chair, a somber expression crossing his face. "Derrick was one of our best employees. Always punctual, he met all his deadlines and kept his workspace immaculate. I can't imagine why anyone would want to harm him."

Jane nodded, pulling out her notepad. "Did you know much about his personal life? Friends, relationships, anything that might give us a sense of who he was outside of work?"

Mr. Harris shook his head. "I'm afraid I didn't. Derrick kept his personal life pretty private. He was polite and professional, but he didn't talk much about what he did outside of the office. If anyone here knew him better, it'd be one of his coworkers."

"Anyone in particular?" Jane asked.

"There are two I can think of—Sam and Rachel. They worked closely with Derrick on a few projects," Harris said, scribbling down their extensions on a sticky note and handing it to Jane. "They might have more insight."

Jane thanked him and made her way to the shared workspace where Sam and Rachel were seated at adjacent desks. After a brief introduction, she got straight to the point.

"Mr. Harris said you both worked closely with Derrick," Jane said, her gaze shifting between the two. "Can you tell me anything about him? Did he ever talk about his personal life?"

Sam, a lanky man with nervous energy, shrugged. "Not much. Derrick wasn't really the type to open up. But I remember a few times we all went out after work. He was... kind of distracted."

Rachel, a woman with a sharp bob and a direct gaze, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he spent most of the time texting. Always on his phone, responding to his girlfriend. I remember thinking she must've been pretty controlling."

"Controlling how?" Jane pressed, her interest piqued.

Rachel exchanged a look with Sam before continuing. "Just the way he acted. He'd laugh at something on his phone, then get all serious. Like she was checking in constantly or asking where he was. It felt… intense."

Jane jotted down notes, her mind racing. "Did he ever say her name? Mention anything specific about her?"

Sam shook his head. "Not that I remember. He didn't talk about her much, just said he had plans with her sometimes."

Jane closed her notebook, offering a small smile of thanks. "Alright, I appreciate your time. If you think of anything else, give me a call." She handed them her card and walked out, her thoughts already turning over this new piece of information.

Jane strode into the precinct, her expression a mix of determination and disbelief. Spotting Frost and Korsak huddled around Frost's desk, she made a beeline for them, dropping her notepad onto the desk with a small thud.

"Alright," she began, crossing her arms. "I just came from Derrick Mallory's office. His boss had nothing but good things to say—guy met all his deadlines and kept his workspace spotless."

Korsak raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like the model employee. Doesn't really fit the profile of a guy with over a hundred dating accounts."

Jane nodded. "Exactly. But here's the kicker—his coworkers said that when they did hang out with him, he spent the whole time texting his girlfriend. Or at least, that's what they thought. Turns out, he was glued to his phone almost constantly."

Frost leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a knowing look. "That tracks. I finished analyzing all his devices. Found a total of 145 dating profiles, and get this—he was actively dating 12 women at the same time."

Jane blinked, her jaw dropping slightly. "Twelve? Like, as in one-two?"

"Yep," Frost said, pulling up the data on his screen. "He had different chats and meetups with each of them logged on his devices. Guy was juggling relationships like a full-time job."

Korsak whistled low, shaking his head. "Twelve women? How does one person even manage that?"

Jane threw up her hands. "No wonder he was always texting while he was with his coworkers. He was probably trying to keep up with all of them."

Frost smirked. "It gets better. Most of the women he was dating were significantly older than him—like, 15 to 20 years older."

Jane rubbed her temples. "Great. So not only do we have a guy with a double life, but now our suspect pool is enormous. Twelve women, plus anyone connected to them who might've found out what Derrick was up to."

Korsak sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Sounds like we've got our work cut out for us. Any idea if one of these women might've been more serious than the others?"

Frost shook his head. "Not yet. I'm cross-referencing their messages and trying to figure out who he was talking to most often, but it's a lot to sift through. One thing's for sure—whoever did this probably found out he wasn't exactly exclusive."

Jane groaned, running a hand through her hair. "This guy didn't just make enemies—he built a whole army of them."

Korsak chuckled dryly. "Guess it's time to start narrowing down the list. Let's see if any of these women have a reason to want Derrick dead."

Jane nodded, her resolve hardening. "Alright, Frost, keep digging. Let us know as soon as you find anything that stands out."

"Will do," Frost replied, turning back to his screen.

Jane glanced at Korsak. "Let's get started. We've got a long list to work through, and we need answers fast."

The bustling precinct quieted slightly as Maura strode into the bullpen, a bag of takeout in hand. She smiled warmly when she spotted Jane leaning over Frost's desk, deep in conversation.

"Jane," Maura called softly, catching her attention.

Jane turned, her expression softening as she spotted Maura. "Hey, Doc. What's up?"

Maura held up the bag. "I thought you might need lunch. I'm guessing you haven't eaten yet. Would you like to join me in my office for lunch?"

"Sure, I think we are at a breaking point." Jane looked around the room, and Korsak nodded. Jane and Maura then headed to the elevators and down to her office.

"So what do we have for lunch, Maur? Burgers?" Jane smirked.

"Not quite, but it is a sandwich." Maura smiled as she pulled out two wrapped sandwiches and two bags of baked chips.

Jane opened the sandwich; scrunching her face, she looked at the sandwich with lettuce and other vegetables. "Come on, Maur, what kind of sandwich is this?"

"Pesto Chicken, with cucumber, onion, lettuce, tomato, and sprouts." Maur smiled watching Jane still inspecting the sandwich. "Just give it a try; I think you will really like it."

"Maur," Jane tentatively took a bite. Her face instantly changing as she took another bite.

"Not bad, huh?" Maura smiled.

"Ok, I will give you this one. It is pretty good, but I still think too many green things are on it." Jane smiled as she opened the chips.

Maura pointed to a report. "The murder weapon was a large, flat-bladed object. After a closer examination of the wound patterns and the residue, I'm confident the weapon was actually a bayonet."

Jane blinked, her brow furrowing. "A bayonet? Like the old military weapon? Are we dealing with a history buff or something?"

Maura nodded, already flipping through a file to point at diagrams. "Yes. The wound depth and edge characteristics match the triangular cross-section commonly found in bayonet blades.

Additionally, the residue from the grease and paint suggests it was mounted on something industrial or recently restored. Likely not just a collector's piece but possibly a functional item used in reenactments or even construction displays."

Jane held up her hand, stopping Maura mid-explanation. "Okay, Doc. You don't have to go full science lesson on me. I believe you."

Maura hesitated, her lips curving into a small smile. "I suppose I did get a little carried away."

Jane smirked. "A little? I just wanted to know what kind of weapon we're looking for, not the whole dissertation."

Maura rolled her eyes but laughed softly. "Well, now you know. A bayonet is highly specific and not something easily overlooked. It could help narrow down our suspects—assuming it's tied to a specific collection or community."

Jane nodded, her mind already racing with possibilities. "Good point. I'll have Frost and Korsak dig into anyone with ties to reenactments, military collections, or antique weapon sales. This might be the break we need."

Maura stepped closer, her tone softening. "A weapon like this isn't just unusual—it's personal. Whoever used it likely had a deep connection to it."

Jane leaned back, digesting both her sandwich and the information. "Good work, Doc. Between this and Frost's mountain of dating profiles, we're starting to piece things together."

Maura raised an eyebrow. "Dating profiles? How is it going sifting through all of them?"

Jane sighed, shaking her head. "Yeah. Turns out our victim was juggling twelve different women at the same time. No wonder his coworkers thought he was glued to his phone."

Maura's lips twitched into a small smile. "Twelve? That's… ambitious."

"Ambitious is one word for it," Jane muttered. "And now we've got a dozen suspects—or more—if you count jealous exes or angry relatives."

Maura tilted her head, her voice soft but playful. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm more of a 'one-person' kind of woman. Twelve sounds exhausting."

Jane smirked, her eyes meeting Maura's. "Yeah? Good to know."

Maura's smile deepened, but she quickly returned to her notes.

Jane nodded, grabbing the trash from lunch and standing. "You're the best, Doc. Thanks for the food and the info."

Maura stood as well, following Jane to the door. "Let me know if you need anything else. And Jane?"

"Yeah?" Jane asked, turning back.

Maura smiled softly. "Be careful."

Jane grinned, her tone light. "Always, Maur."

Jane was seated at her desk, sifting through a growing pile of files with Frost and Korsak as they worked their way through the ever-expanding suspect list. The bullpen buzzed with the usual hum of activity, but Jane's focus was razor-sharp as she flipped through names and notes.

"Alright," she said, leaning back in her chair. "Let's cross-check these names against antique weapon sales. Maybe one of them has a connection to a bayonet."

Before Frost could respond, Jane's phone buzzed on the desk. She glanced down, seeing a text from Angela:

Angela: Beni's not feeling well. He's running a fever.

Jane's chest tightened immediately, and she noticed Frost and Korsak exchanging a look. Before she could respond, Maura came running into the bullpen, her face a mask of concern.

"Jane," Maura said, her voice tinged with urgency. "Angela just texted me about Beni. I'm going home to check on him."

Jane hesitated, her expression torn. She glanced back at Korsak, clearly conflicted about leaving the case.

Korsak waved her off, his voice gruff but understanding. "Go, Rizzoli. We've got this. Frost and I can handle names for now."

"Thanks," Jane said quickly, grabbing her jacket and motioning for Maura to follow her.

The ride to Maura's house was tense. Jane kept one hand on the wheel, her other resting on the gearshift, while Maura sat in the passenger seat, her phone in hand.

"We don't have a pediatrician yet," Maura said, her voice tight as she scrolled through search results. "How could I have overlooked that? I should've arranged it as soon as Beni came to stay with us."

"Hey, calm down," Jane said, glancing at her briefly. "You're a doctor, Maura. You'll know what to do."

Maura shook her head, her worry etched in every line of her face. "I haven't studied pediatric medicine since med school. There's a reason it's a specialty, Jane."

Jane reached over, her hand briefly brushing Maura's arm. "You're the smartest person I know. If anyone can handle this, it's you. Let's just get home and see how he's doing. If we need to, we'll take him to urgent care or the ER."

Maura nodded, her fingers clutching her phone tightly as she took a deep breath. "You're right. I just hate seeing him like this."

"Me too," Jane admitted, her grip on the wheel tightening. "But we've got this, Maur. Beni's tough, and he's got the best team on his side."

By the time they pulled into the driveway, Maura seemed slightly calmer, though the worry in her eyes hadn't lessened. Jane parked and quickly got out, leading the way into the house where Angela was waiting with a pale and tired-looking Beni on the couch.

The moment Jane and Maura walked through the door, Beni's teary eyes lit up, and he stretched his little arms toward them, crying, "Jane! Maura!"

Jane didn't hesitate, scooping him up and holding him close. "Hey, buddy, we're here," she murmured, rocking him gently. His small body trembled against hers, his tears dampening her shirt as he clung tightly. "It's okay; we've got you."

Angela stepped out of the kitchen, her expression a mixture of relief and concern. "He's been like this for the past hour—fussy, crying, and didn't want to eat. I found the stash of children's medicine Maura ordered and gave him some Tylenol for the fever, but he still feels warm."

Maura immediately set her bag down on the coffee table and pulled out a digital thermometer. "Thank you, Angela," she said, her voice calm but focused. "Let me take a closer look."

Jane gently shifted Beni into Maura's arms. "Alright, buddy, Maura just wants to check a few things, okay?"

Beni whimpered but didn't resist, his tear-streaked face burying into Maura's shoulder.

"It's okay, Beni," Maura murmured, smoothing his hair back as she gently placed the thermometer under his arm. "We're just going to see how warm you are."

Jane kneeled beside them, her hand resting on Beni's back, her gaze unwavering as she watched Maura work.

The thermometer beeped, and Maura pulled it away to check the reading. "101.7," she said softly, her brow furrowing. "It's not dangerously high, but it's definitely a fever."

Angela hovered nearby, her arms crossed. "I thought it might be higher—he's been so flushed."

Maura nodded, setting the thermometer aside and reaching for her stethoscope. "Fevers can be tricky. They're not always indicative of how severe the illness is, but we need to monitor it closely."

She listened carefully to Beni's breathing, her hand resting lightly on his chest. "Lungs sound clear," she said after a moment. "No signs of congestion."

Jane exhaled quietly, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "That's good, right?"

"Yes," Maura replied, reaching for a penlight. She gently tilted Beni's face up to check his eyes, nose, and throat. "But we still need to determine what's causing the fever."

Beni sniffled, his tiny hand clutching Maura's shirt. "Owie," he mumbled, pointing at his ear.

Maura's gaze sharpened. "Your ear hurts, sweetheart?"

Beni nodded, his lower lip quivering.

Maura grabbed her otoscope from the bag, carefully examining his ears. "The right ear is red and inflamed. He likely has an ear infection."

Angela let out a small sigh of relief. "At least it's something treatable."

Jane looked up at Maura. "What do we do next?"

Maura sat beside Jane on the couch, her brow furrowed as she stared at her phone. "I really think we should have him seen by a pediatrician first," she said softly, glancing at Jane. "It's always best to confirm the diagnosis and ensure we're not overlooking anything."

Jane nodded without hesitation. "Whatever you think is best, Maur. I trust you."

Relieved, Maura quickly located a nearby pediatrician's office that accepted walk-ins. "There's an office about ten minutes from here," she said, standing up and gathering her bag. "They should be able to see him."

Jane adjusted her hold on Beni, who was snuggled into her chest but whimpering softly. "Alright, let's get going."

The drive to the pediatrician's office was quiet, save for Maura softly humming to Beni in an attempt to keep him calm.

When they arrived at the office, Jane carried Beni inside while Maura checked them in. The waiting room was bright and colorful, filled with toys and cheerful posters, but Beni seemed unimpressed. His face scrunched up, and his grip on Jane tightened.

"It's okay, buddy," Jane murmured, bouncing him gently. "We're just here to make sure you're feeling better soon."

After a few minutes, a nurse called them back to an exam room. Maura jumped up following Jane and Beni, her calm demeanor masking her own nerves.

The moment they stepped into the room, Beni's whimpers turned into cries, his little hands clutching Jane's shirt as tightly as he could.

"Jane! No!" he wailed, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Jane sat down in the chair, holding him close and rocking him back and forth. "Shh, it's okay, Beni. I'm right here. Maura's right here too. Nobody's going anywhere."

Maura crouched beside them, her hand gently stroking Beni's hair. "Sweetheart, the doctor just wants to help. I promise it won't take long, and we'll stay with you the whole time."

The pediatrician entered the room moments later, a kind smile on her face. "Hello, I'm Dr. Patel. I hear you're not feeling well, Beni."

Beni buried his face in Jane's shoulder, his cries softening but his little body still trembling.

"It's alright," Dr. Patel said gently, crouching down to his level. "We're just going to take a quick look, okay? I'll be very gentle."

Jane exchanged a glance with Maura, who nodded subtly. Together, they worked to soothe Beni, speaking in calm, reassuring tones as Dr. Patel began her examination.

When it came time to check his ear, Beni squirmed and let out another wail, but Maura stepped in, her voice soft and steady. "Beni, sweetheart, look at me," she said, crouching in front of him. "I'm right here. Hold Jane's hand, and I'll hold yours."

Beni sniffled but obeyed, clutching Maura's hand tightly as Dr. Patel finished her assessment.

When the exam was over, Dr. Patel stood, her expression reassuring. "It's an ear infection, just as you suspected," she told Maura. "I'll prescribe antibiotics, and you can continue with the Tylenol for his fever."

"Thank you," Maura said, visibly relaxing.

As they left the office, Beni clung to Jane, his tears finally subsiding. Jane glanced at Maura as they reached the car. "See? We've got this, Maur. One step at a time."

Jane and Maura sat in the corner of the pharmacy, waiting for Beni's prescription to be filled. The quiet hum of the store was occasionally broken by the ding of the cash register or the murmur of other customers, but all Jane could focus on was Beni's soft, tired whimpering in her arms.

"Shh, buddy," Jane murmured, rubbing slow circles on his back. "We're almost done, I promise."

But Beni wasn't having it. He turned his tear-streaked face toward Maura, his little arms reaching out. "Maura!" he cried, his voice breaking. "Maura, hold!"

Maura's heart clenched at the sound, and she immediately stepped closer, her arms outstretched. "Of course, sweetheart. I'm here."

Jane carefully transferred Beni to Maura, who settled him against her chest. His tiny hands clung to her blouse as if it were the only thing tethering him to safety.

"You're okay," Maura whispered, gently swaying back and forth. "I've got you, Beni. We're right here."

Jane watched the scene, her heart softening at how naturally Maura comforted him. "He's got good taste," Jane said with a small smile. "Knows who's the best cuddler."

Maura glanced at her, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "I think he just knows we both love him," she said softly, brushing her fingers through Beni's hair.

The pharmacist called Maura's name, and Jane stepped forward to retrieve the bag. She glanced back at Maura and Beni, who were still wrapped up in each other.

"Alright," Jane said, returning with the prescription. "Let's get this little guy home and feeling better."