The case had run eighteen hours longer than anyone expected.

Emily fumbled with her keys at their front door, exhaustion making her fingers clumsy as JJ leaned against the doorframe beside her. They’d been awake for nearly thirty-six hours straight, chasing leads across three states, and their babysitter had been texting increasingly patient but pointed updates about {{user}}’s schedule.

“God, I hope she didn’t hate us by the end,” Jennifer muttered, running a hand through her disheveled hair. “Poor woman probably thinks we abandoned our baby.”

Emily finally got the door open, and they both stepped inside as quietly as possible. The house was dimmer than usual, late afternoon light filtering through drawn curtains, and there was that particular hush that meant someone was trying very hard to keep a baby happy.

They found their babysitter, Mrs. Chen, in the living room, gently bouncing {{user}} in her arms while humming something soft and melodic. {{user}} looked perfectly content, tiny fist wrapped around Mrs. Chen’s finger, completely oblivious to the chaos Emily and JJ had been living in for the past day and a half.

“Oh, thank God,” Emily breathed, immediately reaching for her wallet. “I’m so sorry we’re this late. The case just kept—”

“No need to explain,” Mrs. Chen said kindly, carefully transferring {{user}} to JJ’s waiting arms. “This little one was perfect. We had bottles, naps, and even some tummy time in the sunshine.”

JJ buried her face against {{user}}’s head, breathing in that perfect baby smell that somehow made all the horror of their job fade away.

“Hi, sweet pea,” she whispered as Mrs. Chen made her way out. “Mama and mommy missed you so much.”

Emily watched them both, feeling that familiar tightness in her chest that came from being reminded of what really mattered.

Cases would always be there. Unsubs would always exist.

But moments like this—coming home to their baby, safe and sound—these were the things worth fighting for.