A/N: Just a quick note, this chapter takes place about the same time as the previous chapter. Now, we see two people who weren't at the funeral service, but we ought to check up on.

Sunday morning was typically a quieter day down at the Langley Police station. Helen found it particularly silent as three of her detectives were all attending a funeral. As chief, she hung back were that phone to ring. It hadn't so far today.

With no citizens in need, Helen just had some forms to go over when someone knocked on her open door.

Her heart skipped when she looked up.

"Hey," sighed David Vega.

"About time you showed up!" she smirked trying to keep it cool. "And how did you get past Sikowitz?"

He shrugged.

"I told him I was Tori's dad, and he let me in."

She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, so you name drop Tori and that's the magic key?"

"People seem to like her up here," he grinned. "Even you."

Helen squinted her eyes with a devilish smile to match.

"Oh, wow! That's what all of this paperwork is for!"

"Paperwork?" David chortled. "What paperwork?"

She leaned on her desk and thumbed through some papers.

"Just this chief from the LAPD who's been this HUGE pain in my butt, requesting a transfer!"

He sat down in a chair while she remained perched on the edge of her desk. Helen's brow creased as he just regarded her silently.

"What?"

"You look great, Helen."

The standing chief blushed, unable to hide her smile.

"I mean, especially when compared to me!" he added.

"Maybe if you shaved, you could be...presentable."

David touched the coarse grayish hair on his chin.

"It's been a crazy few days."

Helen was a little hurt that it took David until the end of the week to show his face. But it was understandable. When he had heard of Tori's (most recent) trauma, he dropped everything and headed to Washington. And once he landed, it was straight to the hospital.

It was there he met his daughter's new girlfriend, Jade.

When it was apparent that Tori's condition was stable, the air in the room was a bit more relaxed. In the past 12 hours, David found out his youngest almost died and she was also a lesbian. At least, he thinks. Tori didn't date all that much growing up, so he had no handle on where she stood in that regard. But spending the day with them, he could see that Tori picked an amazing woman. Jade was smart and charming and achingly beautiful.

They don't grade fathers but your daughter landing a doctor is not bad at all.

"So, what did you do the rest of the time?"

David sighed.

"Pretty much set up a remote workstation at the motel."

"Motel?" Helen asked with a raised brow.

"Yep," he coughed. "Apparently, Tori didn't need the room anymore. Or, her rental car."

She folded her arms.

"Now, that wouldn't have anything to do with our resident medical examiner, does it?"

David held up his hands.

"They're both adults. It's none of my gosh darn business!"

"So, you've been working?" she asked.

"Uh-huh!" he nodded. "Turns out the chief just leaving on a whim has consequences."

Now that she studied his features, he did look tired. David entertained the thought of accompanying everyone at the funeral but was worried that he would nod off during the quiet ceremony and that wouldn't be respectful.

"I'm..." David swallowed. "Not staying for much longer in town."

He caught onto Helen's exasperated sigh and reached for her hand, which gave her pause.

"No, Helen listen!"

David stood up so that they were easy to be eye to eye.

"I'm retiring."

Her lovely dark eyes got bigger.

"What?"

"Mm-hmm," he replied.

"Why?" she asked with a blink.

The man huffed long and weary.

"I don't know how it is up here, but down there is KILLING me! I mean, I ain't sugarcoating it, it's a shit show. I was able to tough it out for a few decades but I'm running out of fucks to give, you know? But it's going to take a little time, like a couple of months, until I find a suitable replacement."

"What will you do with your impending freedom?"

He flashed his eyes toward her and smiled.

"It's been a thrill seeing Tori wanting to follow in my footsteps, but I think for once I should take a page from her," David took a step closer. "And move here."

"W-w-what about L.A.?"

"Both of my daughters moving away, not a lot keeping me there. But I've found a good reason to stay here."

Helen has thought about this moment more than once. David in his widower slump didn't think of throwing his hat into the dating ring. But he had the fleeting thought of Helen. If you were to ask the kids they went to school with, they were the biggest "will they/won't they?" in their class. They've always been on good terms but when feelings got too real...it was easy to distract.

It could be with work. Or another relationship.

But that was the past and they aren't getting any younger. Helen was a woman who went after what she wanted. That included this chief position, which wasn't easy. But she worked harder than anyone else to get where she is.

And now, the man that got away, the one thing she wanted but couldn't find the courage to pursue was standing in front of her.

Younger Helen would've guessed that David meant Tori being the reason to move up here. Although...Trina also moved away from Los Angeles, but David wasn't talking about starting over in Arizona. He wanted to come to Langley.

Did he really have to spell it out for her?

David then touched her hand, being very gentle.

"Would that be okay?" he asked.

Helen swallowed and smiled.

"That would be very okay."

He eyes the clock on the wall.

"When is the chief off duty in this town?"

"Five."

David smirked and nodded.

"Alright then. Dinner?"

"I'll pick you up!" she pointed.

His smile only broadened.

"Sounds good."

He then surprised her with a hug. Helen reciprocated without any hesitation. David could not ignore how nice she smelled. Did she always and he just never noticed? Or dared to notice?

They were both reluctant to break it off, but it had to end eventually.

David made his way to the door when Helen cleared her throat. He wordlessly looked back.

"Do something about that stubble and put on a clean shirt!" she pointed with a wry grin. "Don't hide how handsome you are."

"Yes, ma'am."

That evening, just as the sun was setting, David was waiting outside of his room when a red KIA Soul parked nearby. He craned his neck and saw it was her and smiled. He walked around the car and got into the unlocked passenger door.

"Hello there!" he smiled.

"Hi," Helen smiled back.

She was pleased to see that he followed her instruction and put his best foot forward with a nice button shirt on top of being clean shaven. Helen couldn't resist reaching over to feel with her thumb and forefinger the smooth face.

"Isn't that better?"

"You're right," David sighed. "And I only cut myself once."

Helen chuckled and put it in drive.

"So, where are we going?"

"You'll see," she coyly replied.

Ten minutes later, they were seated at a fine seafood restaurant in town.

From the moment they parked to when they were shown their table, David found himself admiring what Helen was wearing. It was an all-black dress that was very flattering to her figure, very classy. Her hair was flawless as always; those bouncy curls slay no matter how she wore them. And the cherry on top were golden hoop earrings, big ones like she wore back in the day. Helen still rocked them outside of work, feeling they were a bit flashy for the chief of police.

But this was Helen Dubois in a night on the town sitting across from the strong jawed man she admired. In another life, they would've been high school sweethearts instead of high school "what ifs?"

"Man, Helen..." he sighed, leaning on his propped hand. "I think I should take back that great comment from earlier. Because what do I call you right now?" David touched his chin, trying to be cute. "I know, gorgeous!"

Helen shook from the giggles his flattery caused.

"So, this is okay?" she asked, referring to her outfit.

"It's very okay," he shrugged.

They spent the better part of the dinner catching up. It felt so much better being face to face than over the phone. David forgot how much he liked her company; it's been so long. When they covered family matters and other personal stuff, they dovetailed into work-related business.

David admitted that the past few months have been maddening for him, not to compare to Langley's murders but this was pretty bad. The corruption in the LAPD was such a ubiquitous problem, it just became too much for him to handle essentially on his own. He was proud that his daughter of all people was one of the good ones, resisting the temptation of short-term rewards in exchange for compromising her ethics.

Helen agreed that Tori was one-of-a-kind, and it's been a privilege getting to know her.

He held up his drink.

"To new beginnings!"

"And old friends," she added, lifting her glass.

They lightly clinked and drank. Helen limited herself to the one alcoholic beverage early in the dinner and kept strictly with sweet tea for the rest of the meal. Being the head of the Langley police force, she's supposed to set a good example.

Feeling rather contented from dinner, they were waffling on ordering dessert and settled on sharing one.

Good thing, too because that dessert was really rich. Helen spotted it on the menu, and it sounded good based on the server's recommendation. It was a brownie pie, and it was as scrumptious as the name implied, being somehow both things at the same time. It was also served with a side of vanilla ice cream which contrasted nicely with the warmth of the main attraction.

They battled the decadent delicacy with their forks, not saying as much this time around. David lamented that they should've asked for two glasses of milk to go with it. Helen just chuckled as she swallowed another bite.

At the evening's end, the pair was back in the red KIA and heading back to the motel.

"This was fun!" he said, getting out of the car. Helen followed suit.

"Next time, let me pick up the check," she pointed. "I was the one taking you out."

David held up his hands with a grin.

"Don't be upset! Just a reflex."

"Mm-hmm..." she folded her arms. "Was it also a reflex when I caught you looking at my ass?"

He blushed. Cold busted.

They stopped at his door and stood there for a moment.

"It was great seeing you again," David told her. "I'd like to see more of you."

"Excuse me, Mr. LAPD! This is only the first date."

"That's not what I-"

She grabbed his collar and smirked.

"What is your policy for kissing on the first date?"

"If she...I mean you...uh..." he swallowed. "I-I-I wouldn't say no."

"Good."

Helen brought him close for a kiss on the lips. Seconds later, his hands wandered to her back and pulled her in tighter. The way he held her was unlike other times they've hugged in the past. The kiss for starters. But also, the way his hands rested on the top of where Helen's butt began.

(I KNEW you were looking!)

They stared at each other for a bit, forgetting the snap in the air as they created substantial heat between them. She never noticed how strong his hands were until she was very much in his grasp. And he only now realized how pretty her eyes were.

"How much longer until you retire?" she asked.

"Like...sixty days max!"

Helen shrugged.

"I've waited this long, what's two more months?"

She walked back to her car while he leaned against the door. After starting the car, she rolled down her window.

"Hey, David!"

"Yeah?"

The chief just bit her lip.

"Next time you kiss me, Vega...don't be so timid with those hands."

She then pulled away and got onto the main road.

David fumbled with finding his handle for some time until he was able to open the door.

A/N: The next update will be the FINAL CHAPTER, which I want to work extra hard on to be perfect!