Saturday dawned crisp and clear. Logan rolled over toward the phone and groaned. He knew who it was and he was tempted to ignore it, but he also knew the damn phone would just keep ringing until he picked it up. Goren was stubborn that way. He lifted the receiver. "What the hell do you want?"

"Get up. I'll be there in a half hour."

"What did I ever do to you?"

"Come on. I'll buy lunch."

"Lunch? What time is it?"

"Quarter to twelve."

"Ah. You let me sleep in. Thanks."

"Thirty minutes."

"You expect me to get up, shower and be ready to go in a half hour...after..." He did a mental calculation. "Less than six hours of sleep and, uh, well, too much damn beer..."

"So don't shower. We're going to play ball anyway. You can shower later."

"Are you human? How can you drink that much and be so rarin' to go the next morning?"

"I handle it better than you do. You know that."

"Yes, and I hate it. Give me forty-five."

"Right. See you then."

Forty-five minutes later, he let Goren into his apartment. He pointed a finger at him. "What makes you think I'm ready to play ball?"

"Once you get moving and eat, you'll be fine."

"I hate it when you do this. You know that. What's bothering you?"

Goren shook his head. "I'm fine."

Logan studied him. He was definitely agitated about something. "I don't believe you."

Goren began to pace. "She...she's three days old," he muttered.

"Who is?"

"M-Maggie...uh, Eames' daughter."

Logan frowned. "And?"

"I-I have no idea...how to..." He sighed. "I'd like to see her again...soon."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "I just...want to. She...God, Mike, she's beautiful. So...tiny...and perfect...I...don't know how to describe it."

"You sure you're not using her as an excuse to see her mother?"

He gave that some thought, and he shook his head. "I'm not. But how do I tell Eames...and then there's Ricky..." He groaned. "How am I supposed to deal with this?"

"I've got no idea what you're dealing with, and all I can say is just call her. What's the worst she can say? Bobby, you sat with her all night, and you were there with her when she gave birth. Why do you think she would tell you that you can't see the baby if you want to?"

"She's not mine...I have no reason, no claim...All I have...is what I feel."

"And you think that won't be enough for her?"

"She's Ricky's daughter, Mike. He's not going to like me having anything to do with her."

"Let Alex deal with him."

"You don't get it. I don't want to be the cause of her having to deal with anything more."

Logan shook his head. "How do you dig yourself in to these situations?"

Attempting to steer away from an encroaching despair he'd been fighting over the last few days, a pain he couldn't explain that only got worse whenever he thought about the baby girl he was desperate to see, Goren changed the subject. "Come on, Mike. Let's eat. I want to play ball."

Logan picked up his keys, not sure what to make of him. "Fine...you're gonna run me into the ground today, aren't you?"

As they stepped out of the apartment, Goren answered, "Why do you say that?"

"Because you're all worked up and that's never good for me."

"I'll try to go easy on you."

"Just cut me some slack until I warm up, okay?"

"I'll try."

They headed out of the building.

Logan wasn't wrong. Agitation fueled an already boundless supply of energy and he was having a hard time keeping pace. He was relieved when Goren's phone rang and he called for a time out.

Expecting a call-out, Goren was surprised to see Eames' home number on the display. He flipped it open. "Hello," he said quietly.

"What are you up to?"

"Just playing ball. How's Maggie?"

His first question was always about the baby. He could hear the smile in her voice. "Maggie?" she asked, amused.

He had called her every day to ask how she was feeling and how the baby was doing, but he had not asked to come to visit, which surprised Eames. This was also the first time he'd ever called the baby by name. He was securing what she saw as an already deep connection to the little girl.

"It...suits her," he explained.

"Yes, I guess it does. She's fine. Still fussy, but I'm doing my best to settle her."

"How is Ricky with her?"

"Why do you ask?"

He frowned at her sudden defensiveness. "Never mind. I was just curious. Uh, did you want something, Eames?"

"I'm sorry, Bobby. Ricky...hasn't been home much. He's working an extra shift this week."

The news made him feel oddly reassured and he mentally chastised himself for it. Ricky was her husband and the baby's father. He had no right to feel what he was feeling. Eames interrupted his racing thoughts. "What would it take me to convince you to have dinner with us?"

He looked at the ground as Logan approached. "Um, not much...maybe. Where?"

"At my house. I'll make dinner for you."

Logan frowned as he watched Goren's entire demeanor change. "I...I'm sorry, Eames. I...I just can't..."

"Why not?"

"You know why," he softly hissed, not meaning to sound annoyed.

"Ricky is working tonight."

Now he was annoyed. "Eames, I'm not going to sneak around behind his back like I'm doing something wrong. And I'm not going to come around when he's there because of the way he feels. I will not be the cause of any more trouble for you than I already have been, especially now."

"Bobby..."

"I'm sorry. I really am. Please...give the baby a kiss for me. Maybe I'll call you later."

He snapped the phone shut with more force than he intended and slid it back into his pocket. Logan watched him. "I thought you wanted to see the kid."

"I do, but not at the cost of causing her mother any grief."

"You're not doing anything wrong," he said.

"I know that."

"So where's the harm in going to see her?"

"It's all in appearances, Mike. If I only ever show up when her husband's out, it can make things seem...well, you know...and her neighbors...if Ricky gets the wrong impression..."

"Ricky already has the wrong impression."

"Look, I just can't do it, all right?"

"What about having her come over to your place?"

"Mike..."

"Hey, I'm trying to help. You said you want to see the baby. Isn't that what it's about anyway?" When Goren didn't answer, he gave his shoulder a gentle shove. "Call her and see if she'd be willing to come over to your place."

"That's not really any better."

"So invite her over to my place. I'll chaperone if you don't think you can trust yourself."

"I can trust myself, dammit."

"So what's the problem? Your neighbors don't give a shit."

Before he could reply, his phone rang again. He wasn't surprised this time by the caller ID. He flipped it open. "I...I'm sorry," he apologized.

"It's all right. I understand. Would it make you feel better to have dinner with us at my parents' house?"

He didn't know what to say, and he wondered why she was pushing this. "Eames..."

"Do you want to see Maggie, or don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"Then you're going to be stuck seeing me, too, because she's only three days old."

"That's not it and you know it."

"Then what's the problem?"

He sighed and gave in. "There is no problem. What time?"

"Six?"

"I'll see you then."

"Good."

A great deal less agitated, he slid the phone back into his pocket. Logan shoved the football at him. "You make things a lot more complicated than they need to be. I'll go long."

He took off running. Goren watched him, then threw the ball at a point beyond him. Logan had to jump to catch it and when he landed, his momentum knocked him off balance. He continued to roll until he recovered his feet, and then he ran toward Goren, feinting to the left when he got closer to go around him. But Goren could read him too well and, after a brief feint of his own, he slammed his body into Logan's. They both went down hard , but they came up laughing, and Goren recovered the ball. Logan hit him in a flying tackle and they went back down. Goren hit the ground head first and didn't recover as quickly, but didn't fumble the ball. "You okay, Bobby?" Logan huffed, catching his breath.

"Uh...yeah. I'm okay."

He touched his temple and his fingers came away bloody. "I must have hit a rock or something."

"Lemme have a look at it." He studied the injury. "It's not bad, but it's gonna bruise. You'll look pretty for your dinner tonight."

"Great."

"It's just Alex and the baby..."

"And her parents. I don't get why, but her mother worries about me."

"The curse of mothers everywhere."

"Except for mine." He shoved the ball at Logan and stood. "Your turn."

Logan shook his head as he watched him trot across the field. He didn't get the guy at all, but that didn't stop him from liking him. He did notice, though, that something was very different about him. In the past couple of days, something had changed. Goren denied that anything at all was different. But something was, and Logan would bet money it had to do with the new baby girl who seemed to have made such a deep impression on Goren. He threw the ball and headed on a collision course with his friend. Different wasn't always bad, and this time, Logan was certain, it was a good thing, if it was indeed the baby who was responsible.

Eames opened the door at her parents' house to let her partner in, immediately concerned about the bruising that extended from the side of his eye back into his hairline. Reaching out, she touched his cheekbone. "What happened to you?"

He withdrew enough to avoid contact. "Nothing. I got tackled."

"That game you play with Logan?"

He grunted softly, wishing she wouldn't make a big deal out of it. He frowned when he heard the baby crying. "What's wrong with her?"

"I'm not sure. I told you she's been fussy. I just set her down so I can help Mom in the kitchen. She fusses whether she's held or not."

He crossed the living room to the bassinet and looked down at the crying baby. She was wearing a yellow sleeper and her face was red from the effort she was putting into giving her lungs a workout. Bending down, he gently lifted her from her bed and cradled her in his arms. "Little girl sure makes a big noise," he said to her.

She continued to cry, but not as loud, so he kept talking. "What's the matter? Did Mommy put you down? She does have other things she needs to get done, you know?"

Calming to soft sobs, Maggie stared up at him with big dark eyes. He ran a finger along her jaw to her chin. Eames watched him gently and effectively calm the baby and she was amazed. Then, she smiled, not just at his effort, but at the expression on his face and the baby's response to him. She headed for the kitchen, where her parents had witnessed the entire thing. "They seem captivated by one another," her mother observed with a warm smile.

Eames nodded. "It was like that the minute she was born," she said with a quiet laugh. "I have never seen him like that."

"The baby settled right down, too."

"I noticed that. For whatever reason, she seems just as enamored of him as he is of her."

Mary Eames stirred the gravy on the stove as John went into the living room to greet Goren. She looked at her daughter. "It's a good thing, honey."

"I know, Mom. I don't know why, but I really want him to spend time with her, to get to know her."

"Nothing bad can come of it, Alex...for either of them."

"Maybe it's because Ricky refuses to even acknowledge that she exists, except for when she's crying. She has a father, but no dad."

Mary looked into the living room, where her husband was talking to her daughter's partner. The baby was still in his arms, and she noticed the confidence with which he held her. Then she watched as he smiled and looked down at the little girl in his arms. The two men sat down, and Mary smiled. "I don't think that's true any more, Alex."

Dinner was almost ready. Eames left her parents in the kitchen and sat beside her partner on the couch. He was leaning into the corner of the couch and the baby was settled on his chest, snuggled under his chin. He braced one hand under her butt and patted her back gently with the other. She had never seen him look so content, ever. Laying a hand on his arm, she smiled, "She hasn't been this settled since she was born."

"Don't exaggerate," he said softly.

"I'm not. It's almost like she was looking for you."

He snorted. "That's ridiculous."

"Maybe it is. I guess some babies just have a harder time adjusting than others. But she sure seems happy now." She met his eyes. "And so do you."

"I...like holding her."

"Dinner's about ready. Do you want me to take her?"

"I can manage...unless you'd rather..."

She shook her head. "Hold her, if you want to."

She started to get up, but he grabbed her arm. "Thank you, Eames."

"For what?"

"For...letting me see her."

She smiled, and her heart went out to him. She didn't understand him, but she appreciated him. She wasn't certain what had happened to him in that hospital room, but when her little girl arrived in the world, something changed. She didn't know what it was, but it was profound...and it had turned his life inside out.

When he got home from work Monday night, he entered his apartment and stopped dead in his tracks. Eames was pacing the floor, gently bouncing the baby. She smiled at him. "I used my key. I hope you don't mind. I thought you would have been home sooner."

"I had dinner with Mike. What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"

"No. I just wanted to bring the baby to see you."

"You could have called."

"I wanted to surprise you."

"You did."

She crossed the room and offered the baby to him. He slipped off his jacket and draped it over the back of the easy chair, then he pulled off his tie and took the baby. She stretched and made a series of soft noises before settling against his chest with a sigh. He smiled, then looked at Eames. "I, uh..thank you...but I'm not sure it's a good idea for you to just show up here, alone."

"I'm an adult..."

He sighed, frustrated. "You know what I mean."

"Bobby, do you want to see her or don't you?"

"Yes, of course I do."

"And she seems to want to be around you. I can't put her in a cab and send her over."

He frowned. "I..."

"Please, don't argue. If you make this difficult, I'll stop coming over and you'll see her even less."

"If Ricky..."

"If Ricky gave a damn, maybe it would be different," she snapped.

Her tone gave him a moment's pause. "He cares..."

"About me, yes. About where I am and who I'm with, yes. About the baby, no. You do care about her, though, and I want her around you as much as I can manage it. All right?"

He was quiet for a moment, and Maggie moved against his shirt. "All right," he finally consented. "Just...call first, please?"

"I will. Sorry to surprise you like that."

"If you want something to eat or drink..."

"I'm good for now."

He sat down on the couch with the baby and she sat beside him. "Bobby, do you mind if I lay down for a little while? I didn't sleep last night."

"No, go ahead. Down the hall...you can't miss it."

"If she gets hungry, there's a bottle and formula in the diaper bag over there on the table. One scoop for every two ounces of warm water. There's diapers..can you change a diaper?"

"Can I or will I?"

"Both?"

He finally smiled. "We'll be fine. I'm not afraid to change a baby's diaper. Go lay down."

"Thank you."

He watched her walk down the hall, and he wondered what the hell Ricky's problem was. He had everything, and he appreciated none of it. If he had what Ricky seemed to take for granted... he groaned softly and chased away the pointless longing. It wasn't for him to have a life like that. He was stuck with what he had. But now, it seemed, Eames was willing to let Maggie be part of his life, and that did something to him. He brushed his lips over the soft curls on the baby's head, and he felt better.

She moved against him, and made a little noise. Tipping her slowly back away from him, laying her on his arms in front of him, he looked at her little face. She looked back at him and he smiled. "Mommy's laying down because you kept her up last night. Not even a week old and you're causing trouble." He kissed her forehead. "You are your mother's child. I wouldn't know about your father...but I know what it's like to have a father who...has other more important things to be concerned with than his child. So I'm going to make you a promise. Whatever happens, if he never comes around to be the father you need him to be, you will always have me. No matter what, Maggie, I will always be your...uh, well, whatever you need me to be. Okay?"

She continued to look at him, as though she understood what he was saying. He wasn't sure that she didn't.