Apologies for taking this long. I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue this story and once I decided to go on, work/real life got difficult and I hit a major writer's block. Anyway, to the few people that might still be interested in reading this, hope you enjoy!

15 minutes later he's sitting in the window seat of Toby's Coffee Shop impatiently checking his phone. The place is slowly getting empty, the usual morning crowd already on their way to work. George isn't there yet and Tommy feels his confidence fading with every passing minute, the situation he's currently in making him more nervous than he's willing to admit.

Lindy comes back with two cups of coffee and doughnuts. Despite everything she seems happier than he has seen her in a long time. This isn't how he planned for the things to unravel but damn if he's not secretly proud of his influence on her mood, if it is indeed the case (and he likes to think it is).

"If it's your last breakfast as a cop, I thought you could go for a little cliché," she jokes but he can see worry clouding her face.

She takes a seat next to him and casually places her hand on his thigh. He still has trouble processing that this is them now, that being with her is no longer a troubled fantasy ignited by a basic want and stifled by his guilty conscience. They're broken people and if anything they will always have that in common. He wonders how much of her heart belongs to him now. He quickly wishes these thoughts away; it's too easy to drown in self-pity they create, too easy to remind him of his best friend. He knows he wouldn't be here if Ben was still alive and that's just messed up. He knows a part of her died with him because a part of his own heart died that night. A lifetime of memories ripped to shreds with a knife that cut Ben's throat and left them all bleeding.

"We'll figure it out, all right? I know how much your job means to you," she tells him with a conviction he's currently lacking, clearly mistaking his pensive look for a concern over his professional future. He gives her a small smile but doesn't share his thoughts. There will be a more appropriate moment for such confession.

She doesn't seem surprised by his silence, instead she simply pushes the plate inviting him to grab one of the pastries. He shakes his head, breakfast is the last thing on his mind. Besides, knowing her appetite none of it will go to waste. How Lindy manages to look this slim with the amount of food she can inhale will forever stay a mystery to him.

She takes a bite of her doughnut and groans in delight.

"It's not exactly how I imagined our morning after but at least now there's decent food," she grins at him and he laughs back. "You really have to try the chocolate one. So good."

She looks adorable excited by such simple things and he can't resist. He leans forward to slowly kiss her, gently tugging on her bottom lip, his right hand automatically reaching to softly touch her neck.

"You're right. Tastes fantastic," he whispers huskily, transfixed by her mouth.

Someone clears their throat behind him and he's instantly jolted out of his reverie. He straightens in his seat and grabs a cup of coffee carefully avoiding any eye contact with their newly arrived friend. Before Lindy PDA was never his thing, making him feel too visible, too vulnerable. How things can change.

"George, finally!" she exclaims. "You used to be quicker than that."

"Oh I'm sure you've found something to keep you busy," George replies with a knowing smirk. He puts down his laptop bag and unceremoniously steals a doughnut from Lindy's plate. She shoots him an amused, indulgent look but doesn't comment on the obvious allusion.

"So I suppose you didn't call to update me on your relationship status. What's going on?" George says through a mouthful of pastry. He sits down at the opposite side of the table and starts unpacking his bag.

"It's kind of a long story," Tommy begins the explanation but pauses unsure if he should reveal anything they got regarding Lindy's sister.

"Sara faked her kidnapping and Tommy's being framed for hacking some FBI files," Lindy summarises swiftly seeing his hesitation. Her hand is still on his thigh, reassuring and warm.

"Clearly it wasn't that long," George chuckles. "But wait, what do you mean she faked it? Why?"

"To keep me safe, apparently. We're still unsure exactly why," Lindy says dismissively, obviously trying to minimise the importance of this revelation. Tommy can sense she's not really comfortable sharing this story.

"Ok, we'll get back to that. And the fact that you never told me," George replies with a slightly accusatory tone.

"Now what is about you hacking the FBI?" He turns to Tommy. "And you didn't even call me! Man, I miss out on all the fun."

"I didn't hack them. Why does everyone think I would? I'm the cop here, remember?"

His denial sounds weak and George looks like he really wants to point something out but graciously decides against it. They all know Tommy doesn't exactly play by the book when Lindy's involved. Instead he asks, "So you two think it's connected to Sara?"

They exchange quick looks and simultaneously shrug.

"Might be," Lindy admits with a sigh. "I asked Tommy to check some people for me and next thing we know this FBI mess happens."

She sounds guilty, like she already decided it was her fault and Tommy doesn't like it.

"Or it could be a coincidence," he adds immediately. "I'm sure there's a few people I've arrested that wouldn't mind setting me up in revenge."

"Or people you didn't catch," George hints carefully. "that might still hold a grudge against you."

"It's not sophisticated enough to be Bubonic's work," Lindy observes, instantly identifying the subject of his suggestion.

"There was nothing interesting about those codes, nothing that Bubonic would sign with his name," Tommy says firmly. "And I'm sure he would want me to know it was him."

"So if it's not an old foe, it must be a new one," George hypothesises out loud. He suddenly grins devilishly. It's not a good sign. "Right, so when are we going to discuss the fact I caught you two making out?"

"Seriously, George, there are more important things than sharing private details from our personal lives," Lindy warns him but Tommy can hear amusement in her voice.

"As the best friend to both of you it just hurts my feelings that you didn't tell me," George says in a mocking, overly dramatic tone. "But fine, if that's how you treat your faithful friend let's just go straight to the business. What do you want?"

Tommy rolls his eyes and hands him the keys to his apartment.

"Can you do a security sweep for me? As discreetly as possible, of course. And check Lindy's place too, just to be sure, ok?"

"Now why would you even think I have the necessary tools-" Tommy shoots him an incredulous look at that. "Fine, I'll bring my toys. Bugged apartments are all the rage with the psychos lately. Ironic considering it's so oldschool government-"

"George, we really don't have time for this!"

Their discussion is suddenly interrupted by Tommy's phone vibrating on the table. He checks the messages and exhales loudly.

"Catherine," he confirms. "FBI is waiting for me."

They start gathering their things and George suggests driving Lindy to work.

"I'm still not telling you anything!" She informs him laughingly and Tommy chuckles at George's disappointed pout. "Call me once you're done with Mulder and Scully, ok? I finish work at 7. I can come over after if you want?"

He nods and reluctantly lets go of her hand. She leaves him with a small peck and a smile before disappearing in the crowd. Her presence was a much needed reassurance and he doesn't feel as invincible now.

The FBI guy looks nothing like either Mulder or Scully. He's a short, balding man in an ill-fitting suit that seems to be as threatening as an insurance salesman. He's chatting with Shaw and judging by the annoyed look on her face their conversation must be anything but thrilling. She spots Tommy and for a second she seems relieved, like she wasn't quite sure he'd show up. She calls him over with an impatient wave.

"Detective Calligan? I'm Special Agent Tolson. Your Sergeant just suggested we use her office instead of an interrogation room. It is, after all, just a friendly chat."

"Exactly, Agent Tolson," Catherine confirms icily. "As long as there are no official charges, I set the rules for this meeting."

"Of course," he replies with a reassuring smile. "We're all on the same team here."

They move to the familiar room and Tommy can feel everybody's eyes following him. It's not that rare for the CCU to have a visit from the FBI but considering the latest string of dull, easy cases his colleagues must suspect this isn't exactly work related.

Tommy takes a seat, suddenly feeling like a teenage troublemaker about to get reprimanded by a principal. Growing up he's been in this situation too many times to count and if it wasn't for the warning look that Catherine is giving him, he'd laugh at the irony of it all.

"I'm sure you've been informed about the situation, so let me cut to the chase," Tolson tells him in a cold, condescending manner. Gone are earlier pleasantries and Tommy slouches in his chair a bit. "Our files are classified for a reason and we don't like it when some rookie detective snoops around them."

"Then I guess it's a good thing that I didn't," Tommy replies a bit too defiantly.

"Right. So your sergeant keeps telling me."

This comes off as a surprise. Tommy didn't think that Catherine would've defended him, not after their earlier conversation. Tolson takes out a bunch of papers from his briefcase and opens a large brown folder. He silently goes through the documents, a look of boredom quickly forming on his face.

"You're a bit of a cliché, aren't you, Calligan," he finally says throwing the file on the desk. "Joined the force to catch dad's killer? Doesn't look like it worked that well."

"That's enough, agent," Tommy hears Catherine object behind him. He clenches his fists, trying to control his anger.

Tolson raises his hands in mock surrender and grabs another stack of papers.

"So how about we play a little game," he says. "Very simple rules, detective. I show you some pictures and you tell me how you know these people."

One by one he's given photos to look at, some taken by surveillance cameras, others clear mugshots. He recognises maybe five of them from the list that Lindy gave him to check but he dismisses them anyway. He doesn't really know any of these people. It goes like that for a while and Tommy starts to get some of his confidence back until he sees one photo that makes him hesitate. He knows this man. He met him for the first and only time earlier this year. He had a lousy coffee in his messy kitchen before going back to New York empty handed and heartbroken. Tommy knows he can't lie about that one.

"That one looks familiar," he admits with a heavy sigh. "John Sampson?"

"Yes," Tolson confirms almost happily. "Of course you'd be stupid to deny, that name is all over your file. One might even think you're obsessed with that family."

"Then one is wrong," Tommy replies testily. "His daughter was a source in a major case last year. That's it."

"That's it," Tolson repeats, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "And out of all these people Sampson is the only one you recognise, right?"

"Exactly. This is a big city, agent," Tommy says calmly. He can already feel a dull headache building up and he desperately wants this meeting to end.

"And of course the Golden Circle has nothing to do with it," Tolson adds in a measured tone.

It immediately catches Tommy's attention. His genuine confusion must be showing because Tolson quickly changes the subject. It's the first time the agent doesn't have an upper hand in this conversation.

"So if you didn't try to access our files, who did?"

"I don't know," Tommy replies honestly. "A random cracker?"

"A random cracker who would mimic your police credentials? Detective, we both know this seems more personal than that."

Tommy shrugs defeated. He doesn't think there's much more to add. Either this man believes him or not and something tells him this was a lost case from the start.

"I think you got what you wanted, agent Tolson," Catherine declares after a few seconds of tense silence. "If you're not charging Calligan with anything, our meeting is done. I'm sure you're a busy man with a tight schedule."

Tolson nods his agreement and slowly starts packing the documents back to his briefcase. He seems far from convinced and Tommy is certain this isn't over yet. But at least they're done for the day and that alone is a relief.

"We'll be in touch, Sergeant," Tolson tells Catherine before heading out.

She closes the office door behind him, sits in the vacant chair opposite Tommy and crosses her arms. She fixes him with a hard, indecipherable look but doesn't say anything.

"So that went well," Tommy says sarcastically just to break the uncomfortable silence.

Shaw sighs and shakes her head. He's suddenly reminded of his mother that one time she caught him at four in the morning, trying to sneak back home drunk out of his stupid 15-year-old mind. He recognises the look now. She's disappointed.

"I've counted seven... Seven lies you told him," she explains. "Unlike Tolson, I've known you for a long time. Then again, that man is well trained so something tells me he's counted more than just seven."

Tommy doesn't even try to deny it. It's the first time he realises how much he cares about Shaw's opinion. He's always respected her. She's excellent at her job and until recently she seemed to appreciate his ideas and firm convictions. Ben would teasingly call him "teacher's pet" after their unit meetings.

"I didn't lie when I denied hacking them," he replies quietly, ridiculously hoping this would be enough.

She nods and after a moment adds, "I know you'll disagree with me, detective but this mess? It's not yours."

Tommy huffs instantly irritated. He knows perfectly well she's talking about Lindy.

"Listen to me, Tommy," her voice is unexpectedly concerned. "I actually like that girl. She's a feisty little thing but we both know she's wasting her talents chasing ghosts. I don't want to see you throw your life away."

"That won't happen," he declares with a pretended certitude.

"Miller told me the same thing."

Tommy takes a deep breath and bites his lip so hard he can almost taste blood.

"Take the rest of the day off, detective," she says dismissively. "Think about what I told you."

He can't get out of the building fast enough, ignoring questioning looks from his colleagues and Yeager shouting his name. He only stops running halfway to his place. He sits on the stairs of some unknown building trying to calm himself down. He finds his phone and sends a short message to Lindy. He doesn't want to alarm her and it's not like he was suspended or arrested anyway. It's all good then, right? She texts him back almost immediately and he can't help but smile. For a moment there it truly is all good. He finally calls George and he's relieved if not a bit surprised to learn that both apartments are clean.

"But Boris seems a bit unhappy," George tells him amused. "I think he's jealous. You must be so busy with your new girlfriend that-"

"Sorry, George, I gotta go," he disconnects with a laugh.

He gets home in a slightly better mood. He takes Boris (who seems indeed to be sulking) for a longer walk and once they're back, he grabs a bottle of beer and opens his laptop. The Golden Circle. Tolson's slip earlier got him curious and if he's already deep in trouble, it won't matter if he gets a bit deeper. A simple search turns out fruitless, that is unless the FBI is investigating a popular tourist route in Iceland. He finally opts for a shower and a reheated take-out, leaving his research for later.

Lindy arrives after 8. She kisses him hello and plays with Boris for a moment before noticing open laptop on the kitchen counter.

"So are you planning holidays or just fleeing the country?" she asks pointing to the open search pages. "Either way I was hoping we'd go somewhere warmer. Puerto Rico maybe?"

He chuckles at that, planting a small kiss on top of her head.

"You know how I told you everything was fine with the FBI?"

Her posture changes instantly. She crosses her arms defensively, clearly ready for a fight.

"I didn't lose my badge so it did go better than I thought," he tries to justify his earlier message. She's not buying it. "I need to ask you something. Have you ever heard of a Golden Circle?"

Lindy looks confused, "No, just what I read on your laptop two minutes ago."

"Are you sure?" Tommy pushes a bit. "It's important. Think, maybe you heard your family mention it."

"Tommy, what's going...," the realization hits her. "By my family you mean my father. Maybe I heard my father mention it."

"His name came up," he finally admits. "That FBI guy wanted me to identify a bunch of photos. Your father's was there as well."

She nods and takes a few steps back, putting a distance between them.

"I knew it. I knew it was linked to Sara. This is my fault," she says with a heavy sigh. "It's exactly what I was trying to avoid."

"I'm not some naive kid, I made my choices," he observes dryly dreading already where this conversation is going. "You couldn't predict this would happen."

"Oh but I knew it would. It's precisely why I left, remember?" she says bitterly. She pushes the laptop away and adds quietly, "I should have never-"

"Don't," he interrupts immediately. "Don't you dare telling me this."

There's an unexpected anger in his voice and for a fleeting moment she looks startled. She quickly covers it with a typical determination written all over her face.

"I'm not going to give up," she tells him sternly.

"I'm not asking you to."

"Don't ask me to give up on Sara," she repeats.

"I'm not! You never do what I ask anyway," he exclaims, throwing his hands in frustration.

"Then what are you asking me, Tommy?"

He feels his headache reappear with a force and he closes his eyes for a second. With difficulty he's biting back the venomous words poisoning his mind. Choose me. Choose us. Stop looking for her. I don't want to be your second choice. I don't want to feel like I'm still competing with Ben. He can't say any of that. They're his doubts and he's the only one who can deal with them. Instead he grabs her wrist and pulls her closer to him, quickly wrapping his arms around her.

"Just stay here tonight," he whispers.