A/N: This picks up directly after my fic, If You Court this Disaster. I thought I would get this up sooner, but as I started writing it, it began to go differently than how I initially intended. Pesky muse…but oh well here's how it ended up. Let me know what you think.

Part One: Coming to Terms

Eames looked at the clock again.

Eight.

Bobby had left that morning around eleven to go back up to Carmel Ridge and she still hadn't heard from him.

Both were exhausted that morning, still reeling from the weight of the night before and processing his mother's confession.

Madison leaned against Eames' side as they sat on the sofa, reading through one of her books. Eames stared off, absently stroking her daughter's arm.

Her head filled with all the things they had been through the past ten months; all the things they had said to each other, the fights, the retreating. She knew she had been as bad as Bobby, preferring to focus on his problems rather than dealing with everything she had been through.

"Momma, what's this word?"

"Uh…" Eames jerked her head down to the page. "Considerate."

"What's that mean?"

"Well…um…" she paused, thinking of the ways Bobby always explained things to her. "It means being kind or polite…" she looked at the unsatisfied look on her face and searched for an example. "Remember when you had the flu last year?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

"And how daddy made your favorite soup to help you feel better? That was being considerate."

"Oh," she nodded again and turned back to her book.

Finally she heard the buzz of her cell phone against the granite of the kitchen island and hurried to reach it.

"Bobby?"

"Hey…I'm sorry…" his voice was quiet and strained. "Uh…she…she's gone."

"When?"

"Um…a couple hours ago…I should have called…I just—"

"It's okay…where are you?"

"A hotel…she…uh…bought a plot at a cemetery here…so…"

"Give me the address."

"What?"

"The address…I'll drive up with Mad tonight," she said and then felt him beginning to protest. "Don't argue."

She heard him sigh and could practically see him pacing.

"O-okay."

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The hotel room was dimly lit by one small bedside lamp. Bobby sat glassy-eyed on a love seat and stared at nothing in particular. Brady's words "you have it in you" and Declan's "you could have gone either way" echoed in his ears.

It took a moment for the knocking at the door to register.

The sight of Eames and Madison standing hand in hand, with over night bags on either of Eames' shoulders made the faintest of smiles tug at his lips.

"Hi, Daddy," Madison said softly as she crawled into his arms.

She buried her face against his neck as he tightly hugged her against him. "Hey, baby."

"Sorry about grandma."

He burrowed his nose into he hair and weakly smiled. "Me too."

Eames tossed the overnight bags onto the bed and stepped toward Bobby, while he kissed Madison's head and let her slide down to her feet.

"Maddie, why don't you get your stuff and go change in the bathroom," Eames said, running a hand over her daughter's hair.

"Okay," Madison nodded.

They watched her grab her purple bag and listened for the click of the door.

Eames wrapped her arms around his middle and he hugged her shoulders.

"How are you doing?" Eames asked, resting her chin on his chest.

"Um…I'm…I'm kind of numb."

Eames softly nodded. "I…uh…called Ross…he said take as much time as we need and…um…Logan and Carolyn have a case, but at least one of them will try and come. Mom and dad offered to take Madison, but I figured she'd calm you…Carrie wants to come with Nathan, and she'll probably bring Cass too, since Lucas isn't sure if he'll be able to get out of his shift, but—"

She was silenced by his lips pressing against hers.

"Thank you," he said and then kissed her forehead. "I…I'm really glad you're here."

"Where else would I be?" Eames asked as she glided her fingers up and down his sides. "Is Frank still around?"

Bobby nodded reluctantly. "He's next door."

"He could afford a room," the words sprang from her mouth before she had the chance to push them back.

He gave her a weary look and she knew he was paying for Frank's room.

"I know you don't—"

"It's okay…he's your brother. He should be here," Eames said smoothing her palms against his chest.

"Momma," Madison called as she came out of the bathroom.

Eames stretched upward and kissed Bobby, before turning toward Madison.

"Yeah, baby?" Eames asked.

"I'm sleepy," Madison said.

"I know," Eames nodded and took the girl's hand. "Come on."

Bobby watched Madison climb into the center of the king sized bed, and then Eames pull the plush floral comforter around her.

Eames kissed her daughter's head before turning back to Bobby.

"I brought you clothes," she said picking up the bags.

Bobby followed Eames aimlessly into the bathroom and shut the white door behind them. She pulled out his sweats and T-shirt, along with a pair of pajama bottoms for herself.

"What did you tell Madison?" he asked softly as he unbuttoned his shirt.

Eames sighed as she peeled off her sweater revealing a dark blue camisole.

"The truth…that grandma was very sick, that the doctor's couldn't help her anymore, and now…now she isn't sick anymore."

Bobby silently changed into his T-shirt and sweats while watching Eames from the corner of his eyes as she replaced her jeans with her cotton pajama bottoms.

"What do we have to do tomorrow?" Eames asked, turning toward him.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Um…I have to go talk to the funeral home…finalize the arrangements…I…I should probably call Lewis…"

"I called Lewis…and Deakins…if there's anyone else…"

"Uh…Jocelyn…she's a friend of mom's…from the old neighborhood…there's no other family…"

His voice trialed and his eyes twitched with tears.

"Bobby," Eames cupped his face in her hands.

He locked his arms around her waist and shifted his head onto her shoulder.

"I was with her," he spoke into the crook of her neck.

She massaged his neck with her fingers and kissed his head.

He let out a long, shuddering sigh and stood straight, forcing Eames arms down to his waist.

"It was so strange," he continued, as he played with the chain around Eames's neck. "She was so clear…more clear than I've seen her in years. I-it's like she knew."

Eames hugged him tightly, unsure of what to do, and felt him kiss her forehead.

"Let's try to get some sleep," she said.

Bobby nodded and let her lead him back to the bed.

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Eames's body was curled around Madison's smaller form with a protective arm wrapped around her and her head safely tucked under Eames's chin.

Sunlight was beginning to creep into the room when Eames opened her eyes. She wasn't surprised by the realization that Bobby wasn't across from her. She looked around and found him sitting on the love seat at the foot of the bed watching them.

"Hey," she said, her voice still hoarse from sleep.

"Hey."

"How long have you been watching us?"

"Uh…a couple hours…I guess."

Eames carefully slipped out of bed and sat next to Bobby with her knees tucked under her chin.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, softly, unsure if she would actually get an answer.

He sighed and shrugged, with his eyes still locked on Madison's sleeping form.

"I don't know what I'm not thinking about," he said, wryly. "I…I just keep thinking what else could there be that I don't know about. And then I feel guilty that that's what I'm thinking about and…and not her."

Eames fingered the short hairs framing his ear, wishing there was a way to come up with a simple solution and take away all of the pain and uncertainty she saw seated in his features.

"You have nothing to feel guilty about, Bobby," she said.

He numbly nodded and she was unsure if he was really hearing her or not.

"I don't think it's really set in…I…I don't know what I'm going to do on Sunday mornings anymore."

She shifted closer to him, while her fingers found the back of his neck and made small steady circles.

"You're going to spend time with your daughter…and your wife. You'll catch up on reading…and all those models my dad keeps getting you for Christmas," she said, pausing at the sound of a soft chuckle. "We'll figure it out. All of it…together."

"You…you say that, but...the idea of Madison having a part of that…"

"She doesn't. She's beautiful and smart and resilient," Eames said. "And all of that isn't just because of me. And that…thing…will have a needle in his arm by the end of the night."

"Whether he's dead or not…it doesn't change the possibility…"

"I told you it doesn't matter," Eames said. "You just need to focus on getting through these next few days."

Bobby nodded. "I just can't stop thinking a-about him. All the hints he gave me…he knew…he knew I might be—"

"Stop!" Eames said, earning the first full on glance she had gotten from him since she sat down. "You have got to stop torturing yourself with this. It won't solve anything…won't change anything."

He nodded again and then stilled to study her hazel eyes. He reached up to cradle her cheek in his palm and then leaned his forehead against hers.

"Tell me you love me," he said so softly that for a moment she wasn't sure if she had imagined it.

"You know I do."

"I…I need to hear it."

Eames wrapped her arms tightly around his middle, leaning her face into his neck and kissed the skin she found there.

"I love you. I love you so much…we both do."

Neither was sure how long they stayed like that, but they didn't pull away until Eames felt the cushion shift and Madison's thin arms wrap around her waist.

"Morning, Maddie," Eames said.

"Morning momma," she said through a yawn. "Hi, daddy."

"Hey, baby," Bobby said as he saw Madison's eyes peer over her mother's shoulder.

Eames gently tugged on Madison's arms and the girl shifted into Bobby's lap, settling her head on his chest. Eames laid her head back down on his shoulder and contently watched her daughter, while her hand stroked the little girl's back.

One of Bobby's hands weaved into a set of dark wavy locks, while the other threaded between dusty silky strands and he could feel little bits of tension leaving his body.

For the first time since his mother's diagnosis or maybe even since Eames's kidnapping, they felt like a real family; safe, warm and solid.

The moment was fleeting as a knock on the door pulled them out of their quiet little box and back to the reality that they had a funeral to plan.

"That's probably Frank," Bobby said.

Eames nodded and sighed.

"Come on, Mad," Eames said, pushing herself away from the warm cocoon of her husband. "Why don't we get a shower and get dressed."

Madison reluctantly climbed out of her father's lap and followed her mother toward the bathroom.

Bobby stood, watching them until they completely disappeared into the bathroom and then headed toward the door.