Disclaimer: I do not own Forever.

"The pictures are real," Hanson sighed, dropping the photos on the table. "Heidi is sure of it."

Jo nodded as she bit her lip. She knew the young analyst would come to the same conclusion that she had, but she wanted to be certain. It didn't matter that Hanson tried to convince her that whoever sent the envelope was just trying to mess with her head. But after she had fallen completely silent, and wiped the first of many tears, he'd gotten a clue and stopped knowing that it was pointless.

"You didn't know." Hanson laid a hand on top of hers.

Hearing Hanson say that didn't lessen the aching that she felt, but she appreciated it never the less. For a moment, she could pretend. "It doesn't matter."

"It does matter he chea-"

"Can we just drop it?" Jo hated the way she sounded but she didn't want to talk about it. Not right now.

Hanson looked at her with concerned filled eyes but nodded. He knew her well enough to know to when to let something go. "Sure thing."

"I'm sorry," Jo closed her eyes. "It's just a lot to absorb."

"Yeah, I can only imagine," he agreed.

Jo carefully tucked the photos away in the envelope and asked. "Have you got anything new on the case?"

It was Hanson's turn to sigh. "You know I'm really getting tired of being interrogated."

Jo smiled weakly. "Henry?"

"I swear if he wasn't so damn smart I would shoot him." Hanson pinched the bridge of his nose. "And then dump his body in the Hudson."

She actually laughed. "That bad?"

"Thirty minutes before you showed up he was grilling me about the case,"

"Wow."

"Yeah, I guess he thought if he asked me a million questions in a million different ways, I would somehow spill the beans." Hanson scoffed. "He finally gave up after I told him I'd lock him in a freezer in the morgue,"

She didn't doubt for a second that he would carry out his threat. "You still haven't answered my question,"

"There isn't anything new," Hanson said after a moment. "I have been sitting at square one for almost a week now,"

Jo noted the frustration in his voice mirrored her own. She had been so caught up in her own drama that for a moment she forgot about the struggles her longtime partner was going through with solving a case. It made her feel ashamed and incredibly selfish.

"I'm sorry," she blurted suddenly.

Hanson raised a brow. "For?"

Jo raked her fingers through her hair and huffed. "For being inconsiderate."

"You're not being inconsiderate Jo," Hanson reached and touched her arm. "I would be a wreck if I was in your shoes too. You just found out your husband was a cheater. Not to mention your brother in- law was murdered for only God's know what."

"I know." Jo whispered.

"You're entitled to be little off your rocker Jo," he said finally. "Don't be too hard on yourself."

Jo felt her eyes stinging again but willed the tears from falling. She gathered her things, feeling the need to leave the room. She said her goodbyes to Hanson and slipped down the hall in the direction of the morgue. Normally she dreaded the trip, but oddly enough she knew the temporary resting space would offer her a semblance of comfort.

Upon entering, she was met by the familiar sharp sterile scent that normally turned her stomach, but at that moment, she felt peace. She padded through the quiet office, thankful that most of the staff was out to lunch or had already gone home for the day. She kept walking until she was at the entrance of Henry's office. She found him thumbing through one of the crime novels he often read when he had down time.

Despite having visited with him earlier, she felt the strongest need to be in his presence. She hated feeling needy and pathetic, but she couldn't deny the heartache she felt. She rapped on the glass door and waited. Out of habit, she touched the band she wore on her necklace. The piece that once provided her comfort.

Henry carefully bookmarked his page and gave her one of his warm smiles. Though it only took mere seconds for him to notice her saddened demeanor. "What is the matter, Jo?"

Multiple reasons popped her head but she settled for the simplest of answers. "I need a friend right now."

XXXX

Henry had settled in his office and tucked his nose in one of his newest guilty pleasures. He deemed it odd at first for his budding obsession for mystery murder novels, when he was indeed a walking mystery and solved them for a living, but he soon found that as far fetch as many of the stories were, he couldn't stop reading them.

Though when his partner walked through the door, with her eyes rimmed with red and her shoulders sagging, he quickly forgot about the fiction in his hands. For the moment, a million things ran through his mind as to what could drive this woman he knew to be tough as nails to tears. Her quiet response prompted him to cross the short distance between them and embrace her tightly.

He couldn't resist tangling his fingers in her dark locks. In any other moment, it would have been inappropriate but couldn't bring himself to stop. He could feel her fingers and the large envelope she was holding pressing into his back. He gave an educated guess as to whatever was in the envelope was the cause of her anguish. Just the thought made him pull her closer to him. Any uncertainties of his boldness was rewarded by her gripping him just as tight.

After a while, Henry couldn't resist his curiosity any longer. "Are you alright?" He mentally scolded himself for asking an obvious question, but he couldn't quite think of anything else.

Jo didn't answer his question, but instead parted from their embrace and handed him the envelope. He carefully took it from her hands and pulled the contents out. Dread twisted at his insides as he looked at the many documents, and some of the pictures. There was an attractive woman and a little boy. A boy who if he hadn't known any better looked just like Sean.

The realization hit him as he tucked away the files. He hazarded a glance at Jo and found she had pursed her lips and was quietly watching him. Normally he could read what lie beyond those rich eyes, but at that moment, he could see nothing but emptiness. That fact alone sent a shiver down his spine.

"Where did you get these?" He gestured to the packet in his hand.

"Someone left them on my doorstep shortly after you left earlier." Jo plopped down in one of the chairs. "And before you ask, I confirmed that they are real."

Henry's mental wheels were turning. Who could have possibly gotten their hands on such sensitive private information? And what could they possibly benefit from putting the documents out in the open? He felt anger bubbling low in his belly. "Someone is trying to tell you something,"

"Yeah," Jo laughed bitterly. "That everyone has secrets,"

He remembered the delicately written note. "Indeed."

"It shouldn't matter," Jo mumbled more to herself than him. "Sean's dead. This is his mess, not mine. I shouldn't be upset about this."

The anger Henry felt instant dissipated. He gently lifted her chin and said. "It does matter Jo. You loved him. To be more correct you still love him. That is why this is bothering you so dearly. The man you loved was unfaithful to you. It doesn't matter that he is deceased. The heart doesn't know the difference in pain."

Jo didn't respond but she held his gaze. He could tell she was trying to accept the truth but was still struggling with the matter. "There's still a part of him out there."

And there it was. The real reason she was broken up about the whole ordeal. It was one thing to have old recordings, and clothing from the deceased but another to know that their flesh and blood was still very much alive. In the form of a child.

"Would it make you feel better to meet this child?" Henry asked carefully. "To get to know him perhaps?"

Jo frowned deeply. "And say what? I was married to his daddy? I used to be his step mother? To tell him that his daddy is dead?" she closed her eyes and sighed. "Tell him that he's the product of an affair?"

Henry was beginning to see some of the old spark return to Jo's eyes. That was good, even if by a little bit. He dropped his hand to his side. "No, I suppose you wouldn't tell him all of that."

"The truth is I don't know what I want right now," she folded her arms around herself. "I don't know what to even feel exactly. I'm not used to feeling conflicted like this."

"You'll have to take it one day at a time," he said knowingly. "Just like you did for Sean's death,"

Jo tightened her arms around herself. "That's just it Henry, I spent the last year and a half with what I thought to be a solid perception of Sean and who I thought he was. Now as I look back, I'm not so sure. I'm not sure that I fully knew the man I was married to. Was it all even real? How many others could there have been?"

Henry opened to his mouth but quickly shut it again. There was no use in trying to convince her otherwise in her current train of thought. She needed time to cool off and collect herself. So he said the only thing that he thought was right. "What matters is that you loved Sean unconditionally and it was indeed real for you. For now, that is all you can hold on to. You can't question it now."

Before Jo could answer, the telephone in the office came to life, effectively ending any further discussion on the matter. He answered the phone swiftly but kept his eyes on Jo who was currently picking at a loose thread on her coat. He wrote down the information that was given to him. The call ended in less than five minutes, and he was moving to grab his scarf and coat.

"We have a case," he explained to her as he wrapped his scarf tight around his neck.

"We?" Jo repeated in disbelief.

Henry nodded slowly. "Reece told me to bring you along."

Uncertainty flashed across her face but quickly disappeared. She glanced at the envelope and carefully slid it under one of his other folders. "I'll be back for it later."

"All right,"

Jo stood and jingled her keys "I'll drive."

Henry couldn't resist the grin that was tugging at his lips. He was secretly turning back flips and leaping with joy to be going back in the field with Jo by his side once more. "Certainly."

She turned and regarded him as if she wanted to say something more but instead leaned and kissed his cheek. It was a quick peak but it left his skin tingling. "Thank you for listening,"

He was too stunned to answer so he nodded.

And with that, they left for their latest crime scene.

A/N: I know it has been so long since I have I updated. This chapter was hard to write given the nature of it. I wanted to keep Jo in character as much as possible given the circumstance. I never really thought of her as one to be overly emotional.

As always, Thank you to those who have favorited, followed and reviewed this story. Thank you for sticking with this story. Tell me what you think, I'm always happy to hear your thoughts.