Abbie wakes slowly, then suddenly, stretching for a moment before sitting bolt upright, eyes wide, as she looks around her bedroom.

Oh yeah. I'm home.

I'm home.

She looks down at the space beside her to see the unmistakable rumple left by another body. Crane. She listens, and can barely hear him puttering about the house. She can tell he is taking extreme care to be quiet so as not to disturb her, because he is normally not so silent in the mornings.

She looks at the clock on the bedside table. It is after 10 a.m. "Damn," she murmurs, impressed with how long she's slept.

She stretches again, then reaches up to pull the scarf from her hair. She chuckles when she hears the bang of the dryer door, followed by a curse word that isn't as quiet as Crane probably thinks it is. She laughs harder when she hears him shush himself.

Remembering her promise to Jenny, she grabs her phone and sends a text. She knows she was supposed to call, but this will suffice. She's probably been texting Crane every 15 minutes to see if I'm up yet.

Abbie stands and looks around her room. It is exactly as she left it, save the disheveled bed. Then something catches her eye on the dresser, and she slowly walks towards it.

Her coin is sitting in the shallow dish where she always kept it at night. "Charon, what did you…?" she mutters, picking it up and inspecting it.

It is definitely her coin. She recognizes each mark, running her thumb over a small scratch near the top before flipping it over. She ponders it another moment before setting it back in its dish.

She finds her fuzzy slippers, opens the door, and heads out to face Crane. She's feeling a little trepidation about seeing him this morning. Yes, we kissed. Boy, did we. He told me he loved me. I didn't say it back. We slept in the same bed together.

Where do we go from here?

"Hey," Abbie says, finding him on the couch, blankly staring at the television.

"Lieutenant," Crane replies, immediately standing and walking towards her. He stops just out of arms' reach. "I… trust you slept well?" His fingers briefly flex at his sides.

"Yeah," she nods, absently reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "Better than I have in a long time. I think."

"I also slept quite well," he replies. "Better than I have in a month's time at least," he adds.

"Is that how long I've been gone? A month?" she asks, stepping closer. "I didn't really… you know… feel time… down there. Not even sure it passes at the same rate."

He thoughtfully nods, then glances at the clock. "I trust you alerted Miss Jenny of your wakefulness?" he asks.

"Yeah, I sent her a text about ten minutes ago," she answers. "Look, Crane, about last ni…"

He holds up his hand. "Abbie, you do not need to explain yourself. I did not expect you to return my… declaration. I merely wished for you to know where my heart stands."

"Because you never know what might happen," Abbie whispers, looking down. She steps past him, sits on the couch, then expectantly looks up at him until he gets the hint and joins her.

"Indeed," he agrees. "However… I must point out that you did return my kisses," he adds, reaching out and taking her hand in his. "Most enthusiastically, if memory serves."

"And it always does," she murmurs, smiling a little. "Yes, I did." She looks up at his face and sees an entire range of emotions behind his eyes. "Don't worry, I don't regret it. I'm not going to ask that we pretend it didn't happen or blame it on the heat of the moment. If I didn't want to kiss you, I wouldn't have."

"I am much relieved to hear you say those words," he exhales, then lifts her hand to his lips and kisses it.

"I wouldn't play with you like that."

"I know you wouldn't."

They hold one another's stare for a long moment. Then, Abbie speaks again. "I do have… feelings for you, Ichabod," she says, blinking away from his gaze. "Feelings beyond friendship. I can admit it now. I want to see where this," she gestures between them with her free hand, "goes. How it develops." She goes silent for another moment, remembering how Hades referred to him as her lover more than once and how she hadn't bothered to deny or contradict him. He knew. Of course he knew. She opens her mouth to say more, but Crane speaks first.

"I know you are guarded, Abbie. No one knows this more than I," he says, kissing her hand again. "But I promise you—"

"No. No promises," she stops him, placing her fingers on his lips. "We both know you are capable of saying all kinds of pretty things."

He nods and gently takes her other hand, kissing her fingertips before removing them from his lips. "Actions speak louder than words, as they say," he replies.

She smiles, grateful he understands. Then she looks around the living room. It looks exactly like she remembers it. Exactly. The books on the coffee table are in the same place they were a month ago. The coaster on the end table is still hanging slightly off the edge. The throw pillow on the chair is still upside down.

"You only kept the house neat because you were never here," Abbie observes.

"Well, 'never' is a strong word," Crane lightly protests. "I believe 'rarely' would be a more apt description of the time I spent here." He sighs. "It was simply too… full of your presence, but so, so empty."

She gives him a sad smile and frees one hand to lay it on the side of his face. He looks even thinner, which she didn't think could be possible. Thinner yet heavier, the burden of his worry and grief having weighed him down for so long that it is difficult for him to now shed. "I missed you, too," she tells him, hoping to help alleviate some more of his concerns. And unburden herself a little as well. "Remembering you – and Jenny, and Joe – were still here, waiting for me… it kept me going. Kept me putting one foot in front of the other."

"I…" Crane starts, then stops and looks down.

"What is it?" Abbie gently prompts.

"I very much wish I could have saved you from that place," he quietly admits. "If you will forgive my hubris, I would have loved to have been your… your hero."

She smiles and allows her fingers to lightly stroke his beard, marveling at the feel of it. "But you did," she says. "That's what I was just saying. You did save me." She boldly traces his lower lip with her thumb. "And you are my hero, Ichabod," she softly adds.

He suddenly leans forward and pulls her into a hug, as though he had been holding himself back all this time. "It is you who are my hero, Lieutenant," he whispers, his voice thick as his eyes once again fill with tears. He tightly squeezes her, afraid of letting go. "Abbie, I… I was so lost without you. I was empty. A… husk of a man, reckless, caring for nothing apart from finding a way to bring you back," he says, his voice husky with emotion.

She wraps her arms around him, hugging him back. The angle is a bit awkward and her back is straining, so she scoots closer until he finally pulls her onto his lap. He buries his face in her neck and deeply inhales. "I should be furious with you," he whispers. "Furious for doing something so… so selflessly, bravely foolish. For leaving Miss Jenny and me, thinking we could live on this earth without you."

"I'm sorry," Abbie whispers. "I'm sorry, but I had to. It had to be returned." She clutches him hard, her hand in his hair. She can feel his tears wetting her neck and soaking into her shirt. "I… can't really explain why I did it. But you did survive without me. You did."

He lifts his head. "Surviving is not living, Miss Mills," he says. He fixes her in his gaze and says, "You would not allow me to make you any promises, but I will ask one of you."

She wipes his tears. He wipes hers. "I promise I won't leave you like that again," she says, then places a small kiss on his lips.

If he notices her careful word choice, he gives no indication of it. Abbie isn't really sure if she phrased it that way purposefully or not. However, she is fairly certain that if for some reason she does wind up back in the Underworld, she will not be allowed to leave quite so easily.

xXx

Jenny and Joe come bursting in a few minutes later, causing Abbie and Crane to leap apart like guilty teenagers. They were still on the couch, but their conversation had turned into one that does not use words.

"Wow, maybe we should have knocked," Jenny says. She sets a bag and a tray of coffees on the dining room table before coming back and hugging her sister for a long time. "So how was it?" she asks in her sister's ear.

Abbie lightly smacks Jenny's shoulder. "We didn't do anything," she quietly says, her face heating.

Jenny gives her a look, then hugs her again because she just can't help it. "I'd be disappointed if I wasn't so happy to see you."

"Shut up," Abbie laughs. "Okay, we did sleep together, but it was just sleeping."

Jenny's head lands on Abbie's shoulder and she starts snoring, feigning sleep brought on by boredom. Abbie pulls away from her, laughing.

"Okay, since it's so late, we brought brunch instead," Jenny explains, looping her arm around her sister's shoulder and guiding her to the table where the men are pulling food out of bags.

"Did you order everything on the menu? And who all are you feeding?" Abbie asks, sitting. On cue, her stomach betrays her and loudly growls.

"You and whatever that is living in your stomach," Jenny says. "Though Crane here could do with some solid meals, too."

"I believe you are throwing stones while residing in a house of glass, Miss Jenny," Crane pipes up.

"Yeah, neither of them were eating or sleeping very much," Joe explains. "I felt like I was their Dad."

Abbie stands again and hugs Joe. "Thank you," she says, giving him an extra squeeze.

"You didn't feel like you were my dad all the time," Jenny says, a sly smile on her face.

Joe turns red and suddenly finds his fingernails very interesting.

Abbie looks between Jenny and Joe. "Wait, when did this happen? Here you were all up in my business when you were keeping yours from me? How is that fair?" she asks.

"Didn't really have time, what with my being possessed and you deciding to be the big hero and everything," Jenny answers, reaching for a french fry. "It happened literally right before you guys went to go turn the berserkers against each other. When Joe came to take some of my blood."

"He take anything else?" Abbie asks, raising an eyebrow.

Joe chokes on his coffee. Jenny laughs. "Damn, I have missed you, Abbie," she says, her laughter turning into tears as she looks at her sister.

"I missed you, too, Jenny. I missed you so much. All of you," Abbie says. She passes a napkin to her sister. "And I'm really happy for you guys."

Jenny dabs her eyes. "Eat first. Then you can tell us about what happened. Oh. I sent a text to Agent Reynolds last night to tell him you turned up," she adds. "We're gonna have to come up with some sort of story about what happened to you."

"Ugh, I know," Abbie says. She half-shrugs. "I guess I can always say I don't remember."

"Not unheard of," Joe adds, reaching for the club sandwich he got for himself.

"Yeah. We know," Jenny says, huffing a small laugh and giving her sister a knowing look. Abbie nods her agreement.

"I do not trust Agent Reynolds," Crane says. "So the less information we tell him, the better." Abbie gives Crane a curious look, and he adds, "Miss Jenny and I will explain our suspicions later. But first, you must tell us about your journey."

Abbie stabs a waffle with her fork and puts it on her plate. "Okay." She begins telling them all about her descent and long walk.

"Wait, wait," Jenny interrupts. "There was an explosion when the tree closed."

"Was there?" Abbie asks. "I didn't hear a thing. Were you hurt or anything?"

"Crane bruised his ribs, and I was unconscious for a little bit," Jenny answers. "Joe was outside when it happened, but he came running."

"I didn't know that was going to happen," Abbie says, frowning slightly.

"Yeah, we know," Jenny replies. "You can't imagine how we felt… watching you go through, then… boom."

"I didn't think I'd get them out of there," Joe adds. "This one was especially unwilling to leave," he nods at Crane. "Of course, Jenny only cooperated because I was carrying her…"

"And that was just because I was completely wiped out," Jenny clarifies, then looks back at Abbie. "Though it would serve you right if one of us broke a leg or something because of what you did."

Abbie opens her mouth to say something, but closes it.

"Sorry," Jenny apologizes. "That wasn't fair of me. What you did saved us." She sighs. "It's just confusing as hell to deal with."

"No, I don't blame you," Abbie says. "I already apologized to Crane, but I want you – and Joe – to know: I'm sorry I left you. I was… thinking of the big picture and what needed to be done and…"

"I know," Jenny says, reaching over and squeezing her sister's hand. "Doing things for the greater good can be a real bitch when people love you." She glances at Crane and sees him nodding his agreement. "Okay. Continue," she says, waving her hand.

"Thank you," Abbie says. She picks up where she left off, telling them about Charon and her coin.

"But I just found that coin in your trouser pocket when I gathered your things to do laundry." Crane interrupts this time. After he had washed one of Abbie's favorite lip balms, he quickly learned to check all pockets.

"I know. I saw it on my dresser," Abbie replies. "I don't know how I got it back. I hated to give it up, but I knew I wouldn't get across if I didn't."

"Curious," he thoughtfully says, reaching for another biscuit.

"Yeah, so Hades was surprisingly handsome," Abbie continues, looking at Jenny.

"Seriously?" her sister asks.

Abbie nods. "Like… Chris Hemsworth hot. Young Brad Pitt hot."

"Wait, Hades is a blonde white dude?" Jenny asks, chuckling.

"Yep. And I didn't realize jackals didn't have black fur," Abbie continues. "Anubis. He was there, too. The fur on his head was light brown, but his skin was dark. Oh, and he was gigantic, too, but… I didn't get any real feeling of danger from him either, come to think of it. He simply wanted his shard returned."

"Whoa, now you lost me," Jenny says, holding her hands up. "Anubis was with Hades? Was he, like, an exchange student or…?"

Abbie explains to them what Hades told her about them having multiple names and how he was actually somewhat charming. "And I don't know if he's always a blonde white dude," she thoughtfully adds. "I think he can probably look like whatever he wants. Maybe it changes based on which name he's using at the time." She shrugs.

"Interesting," Crane says. "Did he have anything helpful to impart?"

"Not really," Abbie says, twisting her mouth to the side. "Well, just that you and I have been reincarnated a bunch of times to do this Witness gig."

"I had suspected as much already," he replies.

"Yeah, Pandora said something to that effect, too." She takes a sip of her coffee. "So anyway, he told me that the… realms were out of balance with me down there and you," she points at Crane, "up here, and that I could go."

"That's it? 'So long, nice meeting you, drive safely, text when you get home'?" Jenny asks.

"Not exactly," Abbie answers. "He didn't tell me how to get back."

xXx

Abbie thanks Hades for his hospitality and turns to go. Only she has no idea where. Returning the way she came seems too obvious; plus, she's not sure how to get out of the tree should she even reach it. And there is always a chance that Pandora and her husband are on the other side, waiting for her to emerge.

"Right," she quietly says, and begins walking out of the chamber. She ignores Hades' soft chuckles following her as she walks. Her eyes scan the room, taking in all the details, calling on her police and FBI training to assess her situation.

Only one door. She slows down a little, knowing there should be another option. Anubis came from another direction. Where does that lead? She turns, looking that way. A moment later, she turns in a direction completely opposite the single door and marches confidently towards it. It isn't the way Anubis took, but if Abbie learned anything from her time in purgatory, it's that these realms are all about intentionally messing with people. Especially if said person is not dead.

When Hades grows silent, Abbie becomes pretty sure she is on the right track.

She reaches what appears to be a wall, she sees it fade before her eyes.

She almost smiles, but then she sees Cerberus on the other side. And this time he is not placid. This time he is the snarling, snapping beast of lore, menacingly standing in her way.

Now Abbie knows she is going the right way.

"Abigail."

Abbie whirls around, looking for her mother. She knows that voice anywhere. "Mama?" she whispers, deciding to be quiet just in case her mother isn't supposed to be helping.

"You can do this, Abbie." Her mother's voice is sounding in her head, but she cannot see her.

"I need to get back, Mama," she whispers. "I need to get back to Jenny. And Crane."

"I know, Baby. You will. Remember what I taught you. Remember… remember the good things."

She says this last bit so pointedly Abbie knows it must be a clue. Remember what she taught me. Eyes open, head up, trust no one. That I can do. Remember the good things…

The good things.

Abbie closes her eyes. She hears Cerberus' incessant barking growing louder, more agitated. She opens her eyes and steps forward.

The demon dog lunges, but doesn't reach her.

Then, she takes a deep breath and opens her mouth. "You are my sunshine…"

As she sings, the dog begins to quiet. She takes another tentative step, her voice growing in confidence as she sees her efforts succeeding. She repeats the song, knowing there are more verses and wishing she knew them.

As she comes within arms' reach of the dog, he whines softly and sits, all three heads tilting this way and that as she continues her song.

Bravely, Abbie reaches out and pats a massive foreleg as she walks past. She keeps singing for a long time, eventually switching from "You Are My Sunshine" to "Proud Mary".

Once she can no longer see or hear Cerberus, she stops and sighs, wishing she had a drink of water but knowing that eating or drinking anything is a very bad idea. "Thanks, Mama," she says aloud. "And thanks, Harry Potter, too," she adds.

She looks around. She appears to be in some sort of wilderness. It reminds her of purgatory, but it is quite different. Less disturbing, somehow. It is dark; black on black, but she can see very well, as though everything around her has its own internal light source. If she closes her eyes, she can hear distant sounds. Screaming. Moaning. Pleading.

No longer guided by the shard, she needs to really think about which way she is going. She needs to figure this place out so she can get herself home.

She turns her head and hears another sound. Water, like a stream or river. I crossed a river to get here; maybe I need to cross it again to get out.

The only problem is she no longer has any money.

Abbie decides to worry about that when she gets there. She walks over the soft ground. It feels like the forest in autumn; spongy with fallen leaves and pine needles. There are trees, but they are eerily still as there is no breeze to move their branches.

She occasionally sees movement, but always in the fringes of her vision. When she turns her head, there is nothing there. After another unknowable amount of time, she sees the river through a break in the trees, black and shining in the odd light, lapping softly at its shores.

It's much narrower here. She can see the other side. Instinctively, she knows swimming it would be a bad idea – there's no way of knowing what is in that water. There are no fallen trees or anything she can use to fashion a crude bridge, and even if there were, she's not sure she would be able to build such a thing.

As she stares over the river, a boat silently floats up to her, a hooded figure at the helm.

The first thing she notes is Charon looks taller. Broader. And his hood wasn't up before.

She steps closer, and a large, surprisingly robust-looking hand beckons her into the boat.

Abbie is just about to step in, but hesitates.

Then Charon looks up. It's not Charon.

"Hey, kiddo." The soft gravelly tones of a familiar bass voice draw a gasp from Abbie. The twinkling, wise blue eyes meet hers for a second before he winks at her.

Abbie steps into the boat on wobbly legs, realizing she's more nervous for her mentor and friend than she is for herself. She doesn't know how Corbin got Charon's boat and robe, and is afraid he's going to have to suffer some dire consequences if he is found out.

"Have faith," he whispers, and pushes off from the shore. "And trust. You were never very good at that."

"I know," she replies. "But everyone I trust… and love… winds up leaving me."

"Not this time," he counters. "This time, you did the leaving."

Abbie nods.

"Feel any better that way?"

Abbie shakes her head "No". He chuckles softly, then stops the boat on the far side of the river. "Hug your sister and my son for me," he says.

"Thank you," she says, stepping out.

"Anytime," he replies. "I'd love to stay and help, but someone is waiting for me to return his boat." He winks again, then pushes off.

So he didn't steal it. Abbie watches him for a bit, then takes in her surroundings again. The moans and cries are much louder now, so she thinks she might need to walk towards them. Even though Abbie is afraid of what she might encounter when she reaches them, she heads in that direction.

She begins seeing the poor souls begging for help. Crying, wailing, even screaming, arms reaching out for her. Some are on the ground. Some bound to trees or rocks. Some half-buried in the earth. Some are whole. Some are missing pieces.

All are horrible and heart-wrenching. She can see their numbers only increase ahead of her. As a person who instinctively helps others, she has to consciously control her natural impulse to alleviate their torment. Somehow. A hand reaches out and she wants to grasp it in comfort. A voice cries out and she wants to soothe its speaker.

"You must persevere."

Abbie looks around. The voice is familiar, but she can't quite place it. She knows she has heard it before, and she knows it is benevolent, but…

"Grace," Abbie whispers as her ancestor appears on the path about ten feet ahead of her.

Grace nods. "I do remember meeting you, Abigail," she says, a small, kind smile on her face.

"The spell was supposed to undo…" Abbie says.

"And it did. Yet I still remembered you," Grace explains. "Perhaps because I was assisting with the spell, but I never forgot meeting you. Please, keep walking. You are close."

Abbie nods and keeps walking. Grace keeps pace ten feet ahead of her. When she speaks again, she doesn't turn, but Abbie can hear her quite well.

"I was tempted many times to write you a personal message in my journal," she says.

"You know we have it?" Abbie asks, choosing to concentrate on her conversation with Grace to try to drown out the wraiths around her.

"I do. It is as I intended. I did not know the reason I felt compelled to keep a journal until after I met you. After we undid what the witch Katrina had done, I remembered nothing from that day except for meeting you. And I knew I must give you as much information as I was able."

"Thank you," Abbie says. "It has helped us out more than you can imag—Aah!" She stops with a slight shriek as one of the moaning souls has managed to grab her jacket. His grip is like steel, and she briefly struggles, trying not to touch him for fear that if she makes contact she is doomed. She pulls with all her might, mindful that there is another one behind her, ready to grab should she stumble back.

Just as she is about to remove her coat, the hand falls away. It falls away and lands on the ground, separated from its owner.

Abbie looks up with wide eyes to see Grace standing with a long rapier in her hand.

"I cannot stay and help you any longer," she says, her voice soft but urgent. "I… shouldn't have intervened that way." She opens her hands and drops the sword on the ground. It disappears. "Be strong, Abigail. Remember: your battle is not over. The world needs you. Your sister needs you. Ichabod needs you."

"Thank you, Grace," Abbie says just as she disappears. She takes a deep breath, checks her coat to make sure there is nothing else clinging to it, squares her shoulders, and walks forward, through the throng.

xXx

"It felt like I was walking forever," Abbie says. "After Grace left, I had no one to distract me, and it was just me and all those… people." She leans back, done eating. "I had to start thinking of them as 'things' instead of people," she says, explaining her hesitation. "It was the only way I could get through it. Especially when they started looking familiar."

"Familiar?" Crane asks. She knows what he is really asking.

Abbie reaches over and takes his hand. "Yes, I saw Katrina and Henry," she says, knowing his thoughts. "They called out to me. Especially Katrina. Henry… he was actually taunting me. Every time he said something to me he was hurt more by whatever was tormenting him, but he was undeterred. Luckily, he was stuck in the ground up to his waist."

"Well, you did kill him," Jenny says. "Sorry," she apologizes to Crane, who simply nods, not offended.

"Katrina was begging for help like I was her best friend," Abbie says. "It was rather…" she trails off, not really sure how Crane will react to what she wants to say and not wanting to hurt him in any way.

"Pathetic," he supplies, surprising them all. "She revealed her fickle, tempestuous nature in the end, so it would follow that she would plead with you for aid."

Abbie sighs and shakes her head. "Trickery. That's all it was. I mean, I couldn't have helped her even if I wan— I mean, even if I was able to."

"Those places are designed as traps. Purgatory, the Underworld… they wanna be like those old roach motel commercials," Jenny says.

Crane's brow furrows, and Abbie chuckles. "It's a box to catch bugs. 'Roaches check in, but they can't check out'. It was the slogan on the commercials," she explains.

"Ah. In that case, it is an apt analogy, Miss Jenny," Crane declares.

"Luckily, this little bug had some help," Abbie says.

"Yeah, thank God for that," Jenny says, pushing away any nagging feelings of jealousy that threatened because her sister has gotten to meet their amazing ancestor twice now. Plus she got to see Corbin and their mother, too. She knows Abbie had to deal with horrible circumstances in order to see these people and that her sister didn't choose her fate. And Jenny has become fairly certain that she was chosen to play a part in all this as well, even if that part involves getting possessed a couple of times. She stands, walks around the table, and engulfs her sister in another tight hug. "I'm so happy you're back, Abbie," she whispers.

"Me too," Abbie answers, and both sisters are crying again; crying and laughing all at once. They separate and dab their eyes with napkins from the table. "So… besides you and Joe becoming 'You and Joe', have I missed anything else in the month I've been gone?"

"You mean apart from us searching for a way to bring you back here, Crane finally realizing what Joe and I already figured out, and trying to keep your bossman off our backs by sending him on wild goose chases? Not much. Oh. There were some gremlins in a machine shop and a literal boogeyman that got too close to a schoolyard, but we could have handled those in our sleep," Jenny answers.

"I think I may actually have done so," Crane adds. "I think our primary concern now should be settling on a story to feed Agent Reynolds that sufficiently explains your whereabouts for the past month."

"Yes," Abbie agrees, reaching her hand over to him. He happily takes it, even scooting his chair closer to her.

"I think your idea about not having any memory is a good start," Joe says. "I can even put together some paperwork—"

Joe's words are cut off by Abbie's cell phone.

"Speak of the devil," Abbie says, seeing the name REYNOLDS on the screen.

"Don't answer it," Jenny advises. "Not till we have our story."

"It's all right, I got this," Abbie replies. "Agent Mills," she answers, deciding to keep it formal. She also puts him on speakerphone, since they told her about being suspicious of him.

"Abs, you're really back!" Reynolds sounds extremely relieved, causing Crane to glower.

Abbie squeezes his hand. "Yeah," she tiredly answers. "I am."

"I'm going to need to know everything you can tell me," he says. "You disappeared without a trace for an entire month. I need details."

"Sir—"

"Oh, I'm not going to send anyone over to take a statement for the report today, don't worry. It can wait till you come back to the office."

"Reyno—"

"Whenever you're ready. Take the rest of the week if you need to," he presses on. "Even some of next wee—"

"Danny!" Abbie finally shouts. "Did you forget I turned in my badge?"

Crane, Jenny, and Joe all stare at her with shocked expressions, but thankfully stay silent.

Reynolds is also silent for a minute.

"You still there?" Abbie asks.

"Yeah. I… I guess I didn't think… I mean, you can come back, Abbie. I never submitted your resignation."

"I don't know if I can do that, Danny. I need time," she replies. She can see Crane slowly nodding beside her, and knows that he understands what she is doing. Gaining the upper hand.

"Of course," Reynolds says.

"And if I come back, I'm gonna need you to respect my boundaries. Stop trying to get inside my head and leave the past in the past."

He quietly sighs, and Abbie's not sure she was meant to hear it. "Understood."

"You're going to have to find a way to accept that there are things I cannot tell you about my life," she continues.

"That might be difficult, especially if there's a case involved," he answers after a moment's hesitation.

"I know that. I also know it might be a deal breaker for my keeping a job there, but unfortunately, that's not a choice I can make," Abbie says.

"What does that mean?" Reynolds asks.

"That means when I say I can't tell you something, it means I cannot tell you something," she explains.

"I… I'm not sure I understand, but I'll give you the time you need to figure things out. Call me when you're ready to make a statement. I don't want to lose you, Abs," he says. "As an agent, I mean," he quickly adds.

Jenny rolls her eyes, and Abbie replies, "I'll be in touch. Goodbye, sir."

"Have a good day, Mills," Reynolds answers, obviously seeing the wall she's just put up between them.

"Well done, Lieutenant," Crane says.

"Yeah, that was great," Jenny agrees. She looks at the clock. "Joe and I have a… thing we need to do, so… we're going to go. Do you want to meet for supper and we can tell you about how shady Danny was while you were gone then?"

Joe looks puzzled enough by Jenny's statement that Abbie knows the "thing" they need to do is one another, but she doesn't say a thing. "Yeah, sounds good. We'll order some pizzas," Abbie suggests.

"Sounds good," Joe says with a nod.

They clean up all the takeout containers, there are more hugs, and soon Abbie and Crane are alone again.

"So, Miss Mills," Crane says, stepping close to Abbie, effectively trapping her against the closet door, "how do you recommend spending the afternoon?" He reaches up and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear, then caresses her cheek.

"I think you and I have some catching up to do," she says. "And not just for the last month."

"Indeed," he rumbles, drawing the word out as he leans closer.

"My man," she softly replies, tilting her face up to meet his.

-End-