Hmm... well, there's not too much to say for this author's note. We're glad ya'll enjoyed the last chapter, and here's the next one! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not ours! Darn...

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His head was pounding and he felt sick to his stomach, and when he moved, he was aware of a secondary pain, not as prominent, deep in his side. Most of it was hidden behind a too familiar haze and he realized something had gone very wrong somewhere along the way. He tried to move, but even with his eyes closed, he could feel the room spinning wildly and he groaned.

His groan startled her from sleep, and she quickly leaned forward and rested one hand on his chest, and the other over his arm. "Hey, partner," she whispered, fighting to keep the tears at bay.

His eyes fluttered open, but he quickly shut them and murmured, "Hold the room still."

She chuckled and smoothed the back of her hand against his cheek. "Shh," she murmured, rising out of her seat to kiss his forehead. "You took a pretty nasty hit. Two of them, actually."

"I feel...like I was run down by a bus."

"A bullet, actually." She was quiet for a moment. "I missed you."

"A b-bullet?"

"Yeah." She allowed her small hand to wander over to his injured side, just barely touching the bandage that covered the injury.

He tried opening his eyes again, but she swam into his field of vision and dipped back out, and his stomach flipped. He swallowed hard and snapped his eyes shut again, willing the world to stop spinning and lurching. "Wh-where?"

Her brow furrowed. "What do you mean, where? Baby, in North Carolina. When you went in and tried to arrest Michelle."

"What...are you talking about?"

Her mouth twisted in a frown, and she tightened her hand on his arm. "Bobby, you and Mike went to North Carolina to get Kiska. Once she was safe, you told Mike to get the baby back home, and he did. Michelle shot you the next day."

"K-Kiska...is she okay?"

She nodded and gently stroked his arm. "She's fine. Mike took her home so they could both get some sleep." She rose to her feet. "I'm going to go get a nurse."

He remembered a mouth, warm and searching against his, a mouth that wasn't Alex's. Bedroom, she whispered, and then a scream...a missing baby...police...a cold shower and an empty bed... And that was all.

She sensed his agitation, and her concerns grew when he suddenly went completely still under her hand. She abandoned her original plan and leaned forward, gently hugging him to her as much as her abdomen would allow. "Shh, it's okay," she whispered, kissing him softly as she stroked his wayward curls. "We'll figure this out, baby. Don't worry."

He swallowed a surge of bile and groaned deeply. "I...I feel sick," he muttered. "Wh-what happened?"

"You hit your head after she shot you." She slid her hand into his and squeezed it reassuringly. "You've got to stop scaring us like this, baby."

"You...you think I meant to get shot?"

"No. But that doesn't make me any less scared or worried."

He tried opening his eyes again. The room was a little more stable, even if his stomach wasn't. "Sh-she found out...?"

"Michelle? I don't know. You'll have to call Logan and ask him. I think he talked with the officers who were there with you."

"I-I could have sworn...that she bought my cover. She figured out I was a cop..."

She nodded. "It was probably a dead giveaway when you showed up on her doorstep to arrest her."

"Didn't he go in with me?"

"No. And he's beating himself up about it."

"Why?"

"Because you were injured trying to protect his daughter."

"Protect her? She was back? I thought Mike brought her home. We didn't grab the wrong baby, did we?"

She chuckled. "No, baby. You didn't. But he thinks that because he didn't leave the baby at the hotel or get on the first plane back, that this is all his fault."

"Leave her at the hotel? Unattended? I'd have kicked his ass all the way home."

She couldn't help but grin. "I know you would have. And when he comes back up here, you can tell him that yourself."

He paused as another wave of nausea washed over him. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead and he leaned back against the pillows. As it subsided, he opened his eyes to look into a face that was deeply concerned. "I-I can't remember what happened. I-I remember taking a shower and talking to you...an-and that's the last of it. I can't remember going back to Michelle's to arrest her. Did I really go alone, with no backup?"

"From what I heard, you didn't. There were three other officers there with you." She gently ran the back of her fingers up his arm. "Don't try to remember right now. Just relax."

"God, I read her wrong...and if I went after her alone...Ross is going to have my head mounted on his wall."

"Don't worry, he is. Both you and Mike."

He groaned. "I don't get...why..."

"Shh, calm down, Bobby." She carefully eased herself onto the bed beside him, resting a gentle hand on his abdomen.

"Did I read her that wrong, that I thought I didn't need backup?"

She continued to caress his abdomen. "You probably didn't think that she'd try to hurt you the day after she tried to get into your pants."

"I know better," he murmured.

"But for such a smart guy, you can be stupid sometimes."

"Thanks, Eames."

"Any time, Goren," she teased.

But he wasn't amused. He was seriously angry with himself for the position he placed himself in, jeopardizing his life...and risking the chance his baby would grow up without him. With a dark frown, he rolled onto his side, away from her.

Her smile disappeared, and she laid a hand on his shoulder. "Bobby, don't do this," she said quietly.

"I don't feel good right now, Eames. I need to rest."

She nodded and smoothed her hand over his side before sliding off of the bed. Leaning over to kiss his temple, she fingered a curl and murmured, "I'm going home. Are you going to be okay for a few hours?"

"As long as I don't have to go arrest anyone," he muttered bitterly.

She sighed deeply, realizing that there would be no getting through to him any time soon. "I love you. I'll see you in a few hours, when I don't feel like I could play the lead in Night Of The Living Dead," she joked lamely.

His only reply was a brief nod, which sent his stomach lurching again. Once it settled, he replied, "No rush."

She thought for a moment before walking around to the other side of the bed, where she could see his troubled eyes. Then she leaned down and framed his face with her small hands, and she kissed him deeply. When she finally let him go, she whispered, "I love you. Try to get some sleep."

His eyes closed when her lips met his, and he could not help responding to her. When she pulled back, she sent the room spinning around him. When he opened his eyes, his stomach rebelled again and he snapped them closed again, finding himself unable to reply. A bead of sweat trickled down his face and the throbbing in his head intensified. He struggled to control it so he could respond to her, but everything went black before he got to that point.

"Damn it," she cursed, caressing his forehead before she walked out of the room to get a doctor. Once she was assured that he would be fine, she left the hospital and headed home.

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When Carolyn awoke again, her ribs did not protest as badly to her sitting up. "Alex?" She waited for a reply. "Mike?" When she realized the room was empty, she fumbled along the side of the bed until she found the button to summon a nurse.

A couple of minutes later, she heard footsteps, then a cheery female voice asked, "Yes, Miss Barek? What do you need?"

Carolyn turned her head in the direction of the voice. "I want to go see my friend. He was admitted here yesterday, I think."

"What's your friend's name?"

"Bobby Goren."

"Oh, yes. I know him. I don't know if your doctor wants you moving around just yet. Hold on a minute, and I'll see what I can do, okay?"

Carolyn nodded, and the footsteps faded back out of the room. Several minutes passed, and finally Carolyn heard footsteps and a squeaking noise. "All right, Miss Barek, you can go see your friend. But you have to ride in a wheelchair."

Her mouth turned down, but she silently pushed herself upright and allowed the nurse to take her by the arm and help her down into the chair. The chair began moving, and Carolyn inwardly sighed. Would it always be like this? Being ushered around from one place to the other with the help of another person? She shuddered at the thought.

Finally the chair came to a stop, and the nurse said softly, "I'll leave you two alone, okay?"

Carolyn nodded. "Thank you." The nurse's footsteps faded away, and Carolyn waited until the door closed before she said quietly, "Bobby?"

He studied her for a moment. "I'm here," he answered, trying to keep his voice even. So many emotions were assaulting him and he was very on edge.

She sighed a little. "I want to come closer, but while this makes for good racing down the halls..."

He got off the bed, hesitating for a moment when the motion tilted the room. Once it righted itself and was stable again, he guided her from the wheelchair to the chair beside the bed. The he moved the wheelchair out of the way and pulled up the other chair so that he was facing her. Sitting down, he leaned forward and held her hands in his.

She was surprised when he helped her into a normal chair and she felt his hands cover his, but she squeezed them. "Thanks. How are you? No one's really told me anything."

"I'm sore as hell and just as angry," he replied honestly.

"I'm glad you're okay." She ignored her protesting ribs and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you, Bobby," she whispered.

"I, uh..." He sighed. "You're welcome. I had to...do something."

"No, you didn't have to do anything. You had no obligation to. But you did, and you brought my baby back to me." She slowly pulled away from him, but kept her hands in his. "You have no idea what that means to me."

"You didn't think I would just sit back and do nothing, did you?"

"No. I guess I didn't." She wanted to see his face, to look him in the eye when she said this, and the fact that she couldn't only reminded her of what she had lost. She took a deep breath to quell the surge of emotions. "Bobby... I'm sorry. I'm sorry about the way I've treated you and Alex these past few months, and I'm so sorry that you were hurt doing what I should have been doing." She paused to catch her breath and rub her eyes, which had started stinging a little.

"Believe me, Carolyn, you would not have done what I did."

"What are you talking about?"

"Mike didn't tell you how we got her out?"

She bit her lip. "Mike and I... had a fight. He didn't tell me how you got her out."

"Maybe it's better that way," he mused.

Her curiosity piqued. "What? What did you have to do?"

He sighed. "She didn't know me...so I, uh, I played her a bit, to, uh, distract her, so Mike could climb into the baby's room and get her out."

At his uncomfortable silence, she smiled a little. "And you distracted her with your... dazzling wit?"

"Uh, not quite."

When she heard his fidgeting, her small smile grew larger. "You hit on her, didn't you?"

He was glad she couldn't see his face. "Hard," he admitted.

She covered her mouth with her hand, but it was useless. Her laughter escaped, and a twinge of pain went through her ribs. "Ow, ow," she gasped through the laughter.

He raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

She rubbed her ribs for a moment, then raised her head again. "N-nothing. I can just see your face being that delightful shade of red," she teased before dissolving into laughter again.

He closed his eyes briefly and a small smile touched his mouth.

She cleared her throat after a minute, then groaned softly. "Damn, I've got to stop laughing like that."

"I haven't heard you laugh like that in a very long time," he said softly.

Her smile faded, and she said softly, "I haven't laughed like that in a long time."

He sighed, "She got me good, Carolyn. And I walked right into and set myself up for it. I wish I could remember what I was thinking, trying to go after her with no backup..." A powerful shudder coursed through him. "How could I do that...to her...to them...?"

"Hey..." She reached out and squeezed his hand as tightly as she could. "You did what you thought you needed to. And I'll never be able to thank you for that."

"I would never ask you to."

"I know. But... thank you." She pulled her hand away and drew him into another hug.

He folded his arms around her. "How is she?"

"She's fine. Mike has her right now."

"So what'd you fight about...if you don't mind my asking?"

She pulled away a little. "You, and Alex," she answered honestly.

He frowned, puzzled. "What?"

"Bobby, I've screwed up these past few months. Really badly. I've... I haven't treated you two the way I should have, and I'm so sorry about that." Tears began falling, but she stubbornly wiped them away.

"Hey...hey..." He pulled her into his arms and held her against his chest. "You...had a hard time...a lot of adjustment to make...I understand...how hard it can be."

When he pulled her against him, the tears began falling faster. "But it's... no excuse," she whispered, pressing her face into his shoulder. "You two have been amazing, and I had no right."

"That's crap. You have every right to your feelings, Carolyn. But if I've done anything to contribute to what you feel..."

"No, no you haven't. You never have."

His face became thoughtful. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Uh, h-how...how can I make this up to her?"

"Alex? Make what up to her?"

He drew in an uneven breath. "First of all, I almost feel like I've been unfaithful...and then...I was stupid...I don't know what the hell is wrong with me..."

She reached out an unsure hand and laid it against his cheek. "Bobby, you weren't unfaithful," she stated, using her other hand to squeeze his.

"I-I know that. But I still feel bad about it."

She tried a different tactic. "Did she say she was angry? Or look like she was?"

He snorted softly. "Actually, she reacted a lot like you did."

She let a smile curve her lips. "Then she's fine. You know how she is, Bobby. If she thought you had cheated on her, she would've kicked your ass from here back to North Carolina."

He smiled. "I know. And I did what I had to do to to get your daughter out of there. I know that. But knowing doesn't change how I feel. But I feel even worse about letting myself get shot. If I'd had backup, it wouldn't have happened."

She snorted. "Yeah, and if I had been paying more attention, none of this would have happened," she said, motioning to her eyes.

He let out a long slow breath. "Tell me what you're doing to cope with everything that's happened to you."

Even without her sight, she could feel his piercing gaze, and she shook her head guiltily. "I... d-don't."

"You don't what?" he frowned. "Don't tell me you're not doing anything."

"What is there to do, Bobby? The bastard that raped me is dead, so forget about closure there. It's done. Michelle's going to jail, and my daughter is home."

"And your thoughts and emotions are so scrambled you can't sort one of them from the other. Come on, Carolyn. You're smart. What would you tell anyone else in your situation?"

She lowered her head and closed her eyes, not caring that it didn't make a difference. "It hurts, Bobby. So bad that I can't even talk to Mike. How can I talk to anyone else, if I can't even talk to the man who says he loves me?" she whispered.

"Have you thought that maybe he's just a little too close, that talking to someone not so involved might be easier?"

She shook her head.

"You can talk to me, or to Alex about anything, but we're not professionals." He leaned in, bringing his face close to hers. "You have to work through this, or it will continue to tear your life apart until there's nothing left." He brushed his lips gently across her cheek. "If you won't do it for yourself," he whispered. "Then do it for the people you care about, for Mike, for your daughter. Don't rob them of getting to know the woman I knew two years ago."

His words brought another torrent of tears, and she leaned over and rested her head against his shoulder.

He held her, murmuring soothing words of comfort as he placed a soft kiss on her temple. Dating had not worked out for them, but he had never stopped caring for her, loving her.

"Sorry," she murmured sheepishly a few minutes later, wincing at her aching ribs.

"Sorry?" he asked. "What are you sorry for?"

"I'm a mess right now." She wiped at her eyes and let out a small laugh. "But like you and Mike like to say, I've always been a messy person."

"You're entitled to be a mess, I think, after all you've been through. But this mess can be cleaned up, baby. You need to talk to someone who can help you."

She mulled that over in her mind for a moment. Then she asked quietly, "Got anyone in mind?"

"There's a psychologist who works for the department...she's very good, very understanding. Mike knows her very well. Her name is Elizabeth Olivet."

She nodded. "I've heard of her."

"She can help you."

She swallowed thickly. "Maybe."

He remained close to her. "Do you want help, Carolyn?"

She nodded. "I do, and I want Mike to understand. But... I guess that second one is just a little much, huh?" she asked, smiling sadly.

He pushed her hair back from her face and answered, "What do you think he doesn't understand?"

She shivered and leaned into his hand. "I've tried talking to him about it, but he gets so mad," she said quietly. "He thought that I didn't appreciate you getting Kiska out of that place, because I didn't thank you. But he didn't even give me a chance to say that I would have thanked you, if I'd been able to see you."

"Anger is Mike's first gut reaction to anything that upsets him. And I'm not looking for anything from you. I did what I did because I didn't trust anyone else to do it. There's no need to thank me. I'm just sorry I messed it all up by being stupid and getting hurt." He touched his forehead to hers, knowing she needed the physical contact since she had no visual one. "I'm glad we got the baby out of there when we did."

A tear slid down her cheek, and she reached out and caught one of his hands in hers. "And I am so thankful you did. I don't know what I would've done if you two hadn't gone after her." A small smile appeared. "I almost walked out... twice. I got sick of not being able to help."

"Don't do anything stupid. I think I've got that well covered. Just let yourself heal. We don't need you getting run down by a cab because you can't see."

"You and Mike seem to have a monopoly on that corner." She sighed loudly. "What are Alex and I going to do with you two?"

"I don't have an answer for that." He squeezed her hand. "Listen to me, Carolyn. Physically, you healed from the rape, but you never addressed the emotional fallout, and that's what's rearing its head inside you now. You can't deal with it on your own, and I'm not trained to help you. Go to see Dr. Olivet. She can help you complete your healing. If you can't find it in you to do it for yourself, then do it for the ones you love. Do it for your daughter, and for Mike. If nothing else, do it as a favor to me."

She leaned forward and buried herself in his arms, sighing quietly. "I will, Bobby. I will."

He held her close, tenderly running a hand over her hair, comforting her. "It'll be all right. Mike will get over it. And if he gives you any more grief, send him to me. I'll set him straight. I owe him one anyway."

She smiled. "Thanks," she murmured, her voice muffled by his shoulder.

He felt her begin to relax against him, and he knew what that meant. Gently, he coaxed her onto the bed, intending to return to the chair after settling her in.

She sighed softly when she settled onto the bed. But when he pulled away, she grabbed his arm and squeezed it gently.

He understood the gesture, but hesitated, wondering just how much trouble he was going to find himself in if he gave in to her, even if it involved nothing more than holding her. But she was reaching out for comfort, something she desperately needed and was finding nowhere else. He didn't have it in his heart to turn her away. Sliding onto the bed beside her, he grabbed the book Alex had left for him, glad that the nausea and dizziness had gone away. His side was still painful, but he'd suffered worse pain in the fractured ribs he'd had a few months ago. He settled back, letting Carolyn curl into his side. Draping one arm around her, gentle and comforting, he opened his book to read.

In the back of her mind, a small voice was screaming about how wrong this could be, but she ignored it. She needed comfort, someone to understand, and right now, that was Bobby. She knew where she stood with him, and he with her. She heard the rustle of turning pages, and she smiled a little before snuggling her head into the pillow and fading off to sleep.

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Mike talked quietly to the baby as he headed down the hall toward Carolyn's room. "Maybe Mommy will be in a better mood. Maybe she'll talk to someone other than you and me."

The baby just smiled toothlessly at him, her brown eyes wide and understanding.

He pushed the door open and stopped to stare at the empty bed. "What the...? Where could she have gotten to?"

He walked out to the nurses' station, struggling to swallow a quickly growing panic. "Carolyn Barek?" he demanded. "Where is she?"

A nurse looked up at his frightened face, and she frowned. "She should be in her room."

Another nurse spoke up. "I thought I saw Tammy taking her down the hall an hour or so ago."

"She didn't have any tests or anything scheduled."

The first nurse, Melody, looked at Mike sympathetically. "Does she have any friends here, or anyone she might want to visit?"

"I love the way you people keep track of your patients," he snapped irritably, not listening past his anger. "But don't worry. I'll do your job and find her."

He stalked off, heading for Bobby's room, to see if he'd seen her.

Melody shook her head at the man's retreating form, but she couldn't help but smile. "There's a man in love, if I ever saw one," she declared, and the other nurses nodded and murmured their agreement.

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Pushing open the door to Bobby's room, he said, "Hey, man...have you seen..."

He stopped in his tracks, staring at the sight before his eyes. Carolyn was laying beside Bobby, curled into his side, sound asleep. Bobby set aside his book and studied Mike's face, gauging his reaction before he spoke.

An intense slurry of emotion cascaded across Mike's face. "What the hell...? What...?" He found himself unable to form a coherent question. Finally, he shifted furious eyes toward Bobby. "You son of a bitch..."

Bobby slid off the bed, careful not to wake Carolyn. He raised a hand. "Calm down, Mike. Do not jump to conclusions here..."

"Jump to conclusions? What makes you think I'm jumping? I know what I see!"

"And it's not what you think."

"All right, genius, tell me what I'm thinking."

"You're upsetting the baby. Calm the hell down."

"I'll calm down when you tell me why you're in bed with my girl."

Bobby sighed heavily. "I wasn't..."

"The hell you weren't!"

"Will you shut up and listen to me," he hissed quietly.

After discovering Carolyn was missing from her room, Alex stepped into Bobby's room, feeling much more refreshed and rested than she had in days. "Hey baby, have you seen-" Her voice trailed off when she saw the two men and Carolyn sleeping on the bed, and she immediately stepped between them.

He was surprised when Alex suddenly appeared between them.

Mike growled. "Take the baby and get out of my way, Alex."

She frowned at him and gently pushed him back against the wall. "No, Logan. Not again. You hold your daughter and stay right there."

Then she turned on her partner. "Bobby, what's going on?"

He wasn't surprised to see anger in her eyes, but he wasn't certain just where it came from or where she was going to direct it. He held up his hands, like he did when confronting a violent suspect. "I haven't done anything wrong here, Alex."

She reached out and grabbed his hands, squeezing them. "That's not what I asked, Bobby. I want to know why I walked in here, and you two were looking like a couple of high school kids about to fight. What is going on?"

"He won't listen, that's what. He jumps to conclusions and they become law."

"That's not true," Mike shot back. "I'd have listened to you...after I hit you a couple of times..."

Bobby shook his head. "I am not taking that crap from you when I didn't do anything out of line."

Her brow furrowed when it dawned on her, and she looked behind Bobby to where Carolyn was still sleeping peacefully on Bobby's bed. "Did she talk to you?"

"Yes," he said, his voice intense.

"About everything?" He nodded, and she turned around and looked at Mike. "So, she did the one thing that you've been wanting her to do for months, and you're mad? What, because she didn't talk to you?" She took a step closer. "Let me remind you, Mike, of that short temper you have. So she went to Bobby and actually talked to him." She shook her head. "Mike, you've got to stop this. She loves you and respects you too much to do what you think she did."

Bobby started to laugh, quietly. "You thought? Here? In a hospital room?" He shook his head. "That takes the cake, Mike. Look...it's over between her and me, and I thought you understood that. Why would you think I would ever jeopardize what I have with Alex, for something that I willingly gave up and put behind me, a long time ago?"

Mike looked from Alex to Bobby and back, feeling a little ganged up on. "Look, I didn't know..."

Bobby leaned over, closer to Alex's ear. "He jumped to conclusions."

She smiled and stepped forward, putting one hand on the baby's back. "It's what he's best at. Well, one of the things," she said, a teasing note in her voice.

Bobby pulled back, eyebrows raised in interest. "And how would you know what he's good at?" he asked, his voice carrying a tone of more than interest.

"Well, let's see..." She played along. "He's good at being nervous, losing his mind..."

Bobby stepped closer, placing his hands on her waist and smiling at her. Mike stepped forward and shoved the baby into Alex's arms. "Cold shower mean anything to you, man? Chill out. What did Carolyn tell you?"

"Who, me?" She batted her eyes innocently.

He snorted and looked at Bobby. "Come on, man. Just tell me. What did she tell you and how did she end up sleeping in your bed?"

"She told me you had a fight, and she thanked me for helping you bring the baby home. Where did she get the idea that she has been treating Alex and me wrong?" His eyes didn't waver from Mike's face.

Mike frowned. "She has been, and don't pretend you haven't noticed."

Bobby rubbed his temple gently. His head was starting to throb again and his side was burning from the tension in his body. "You're a jerk, do you know that?"

"Nothing else was working and I was fed up with her attitude."

Alex reached over and gently ran her hand over Bobby's side, then carefully shifted the baby to her hip.

He laid a gentle hand on Alex's back and pointed a finger at Mike, anger in his tone. "You are too hot-tempered and too quick to jump to conclusions. You need to get over that. She was upset, and she needed to have a calm rational conversation with someone who would listen to her. You haven't been willing to do that. I was. She was so upset, and so worked up she exhausted herself. She started to fall asleep in that chair and I knew she'd be more comfortable in the bed, so I let her sleep there. I was going to sit in the chair, but she needed...contact. She needed comfort. So I gave her that, just by sitting with her and letting her touch me."

Mike stared at him for a long moment, then he walked over to a chair, sat down and buried his face in his hands. Bobby pressed both hands against his throbbing temples and squeezed his eyes shut.

Alex looked at Bobby, then gently ushered him into the other chair. "Sit down," she murmured, gently massaging his shoulders with her free hand when he was situated in the chair.

Mike lifted his head and looked over at Bobby and Alex. "You in pain?" he asked softly.

Bobby waved a hand at him. "It comes and goes. Have you calmed down?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I guess I would have really gotten in hot water if I'd have hit you, huh?"

"Ask Alex that."

She gently poked Bobby. "I'm right here." Then she looked at Mike. "And yes, you would have."

"I'm such an ass," he groaned.

She looked at Bobby, then gently placed Kiska in his lap and walked over to Mike. "You can be sometimes, Mike," she agreed, squeezing his shoulder. "But you're a good man." She shifted her eyes toward the bed, then back to Mike. "And that's why she loves you. And your daughter, too."

"And you guys?"

She smiled. "Yes, and us too."

Mike looked skeptically at Bobby, whose eyes were closed as he propped his throbbing head on a hand. Opening one eye, he looked at his volatile friend. "I am not going to kiss you," he growled. After a moment of silence they both laughed.

Alex joined in the laughter, ruffling Mike's hair before she walked back over to Bobby and rested both hands on his shoulders. "You two always amuse me," she smirked, bending down to kiss the top of his head.

"That's one of our most important jobs," Bobby answered, placing his hands on hers.

Her laughter faded, and she freed her hand and placed it under his chin. Then she gently tilted his head up and covered his mouth with hers. When she finally pulled away, she sighed quietly and closed her eyes.

Surprised by the kiss and overwhelmed by its intensity, Bobby leaned back in the chair with his eyes closed.

She finally opened her eyes and grinned at him. Then she threaded her fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead.

Carolyn groaned softly and shifted her hips as sleep slipped from her grasp, and she opened her eyes, then closed them again. "Can someone please turn the sun down?" she groaned, resting her arm over her eyes and her other hand on her stomach.

"Carolyn?" Mike got to his feet and approached the bed.

She froze, then moved her arm and opened her eyes again. They slowly focused, and she reached her hand out and whispered, "I... it's so good to see you, Mike."

"See? You can see me?"

She smiled gently and slowly blinked. "It's a little fuzzy, but I can see you."

He pulled her into his arms and held her. "I'm sorry for being such a jerk," he muttered.

She rested her head against his shoulder and slid her arms around him. "It's okay," she murmured.

"I probably could have handled it better."

She slowly pulled back and framed his face with her hands, then studied his face carefully. Then she kissed him lightly, running her thumb over his jaw as she said, "You need sleep. And a shave."

"Yeah, well, Kitkat wasn't at her most cooperative last night."

She rested her forehead against his and smiled. "She's her father's daughter."

"We're both in trouble then."

"What did she do?"

"She just wanted to play all night, and she wouldn't let me sleep." He looked over at the baby, sound asleep in Bobby's lap. "And next time she does that I'm bringing her to you!"

She turned her head and looked at Bobby and Alex. "Hi," she murmured.

Alex returned her smile. "Hi, Carolyn."

Bobby met her eyes and gave her a soft smile, but he didn't say anything.

She sighed quietly and looked at her sleeping daughter, and tears slowly spilled down her cheeks. "Thanks, Bobby," she said quietly, her eyes focused intently on his.

He nodded, pleased he was able to help her. Then he grinned. "Too bad there's no way to undo stupidity," he said with a sad grin.

Her smile disappeared. "Alex, could you hit him for me for being an idiot?"

Alex grinned and poked her partner. "Bobby..."

"Well, if I hadn't gone in there with no back up..."

"Yeah, there are plenty of ifs lately. But you can't let those rule you, remember?" Carolyn reminded him.

"Hold on," Mike said. "What are you talking about?"

Alex stepped in. "Retrograde amnesia, Mike," she said quietly. "He doesn't remember most of the trip."

Mike frowned. "You didn't go in without backup, bonehead. You're smarter than that." He took a deep breath. "I should have been your backup. Then you wouldn't have gotten shot. I was your partner; it was my job to be there. I'm sorry I wasn't."

Bobby shook his head. "How could you being there have changed the outcome?"

"I talked to Sergeant Coulter. She and the two uniforms with her waited outside. She got worried and went in by the back door just as Michelle shot you. I would have been in there with you. There's the difference."

Bobby tipped his head back and looked at Alex. "I guess I did have backup."

"See?" She leaned over and kissed his forehead.

"See what?" he asked, still trying to handle the throbbing in his head.

"You're not completely hopeless." She kissed his nose.

He grinned. "You don't know that yet."

Carolyn shifted a little, then looked at Bobby and Alex. An unspoken question was written in her eyes, and Alex understood. Wordlessly, she carefully took Kiska from Bobby's lap and walked to the bed. Without waking the baby, she laid her in Carolyn's arms.

Carolyn sighed softly as Alex stepped back, and she touched their daughter's cheek.

"So," Mike said. "Are you moving in here, or should we get you back to your room so a doctor can look at you?"

She smirked and brushed her lips against his cheek. Then she handed him the baby and said, "Yeah, let's go." She looked at Bobby and Alex. "Alex, take care of him."

She nodded and squeezed Bobby's shoulders. "I always do."

"I need taking care of?" he protested.

She leaned down and whispered in his ear. "Yes, you do."

He shuddered. "Prove it," he challenged.

She pressed her forehead against the side of his head and smiled. "Wait until they're gone," she breathed.

He groaned as Mike helped Carolyn off the bed. "Let's get out of here before I start to get another complex."

She smiled at Alex and Bobby as she leaned against Mike. Then she looked around the room before looking at them. "Keep it quiet," she chuckled, and Alex rolled her eyes.

"Get out of here, Carolyn. I'm sure Mike just can't wait to get you alone," she teased back, and Carolyn blushed furiously.
"I'm sure he can't."

"Alone?" Mike smirked. "Are you volunteering to watch the baby, Alex?"

She looked at Bobby, then back at Mike. "Give me a couple of hours," she grinned.

Bobby raised his eyebrows. "Hours? You have a lot of faith in me there, Alex. I just got shot and my head is going to explode. Give me thirty minutes and you'll wear me out right now." He lowered his voice. "But get me home..." He trailed off with a grin.

She laughed and gently pulled him to his feet, then led him over to the bed.

"Okay, we're going," Carolyn said, laughing softly.

Mike gently guided her toward the door, leaning closer. "Move quicker. If the past is any indicator, in two seconds they won't care who's in the room."

She laughed harder and nodded. "I'd run if I could, but I can't."

Alex watched Bobby settle carefully onto the bed, then she sat down beside him, resting a gentle hand on his chest.

He groaned softly as he eased his pounding head back into the pillows, then he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, hoping it would chase away the pain from his head.

She deepened the kiss, resting her hands on either side of his head and suspending her upper body over him. "At least... you get to... go home sooner," she whispered between kisses.

"Shh," he murmured, pulling her down into his arms. "Just...make the pain go away."

She smiled softly. He trusted her to make things better, as he always did. And she didn't let him down. She spent the next hour reminding him of how much she loved and trusted him.

And when they were finally sated, she collapsed beside him, content to just drape her arm over his stomach and snuggle into his side. She could feel one big hand stroke her hair and another caress her arm, and she tightened her grip on him as they both surrendered to an exhausted sleep.

CICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICICI

"I can't wait to go home," Carolyn muttered, grimacing as she lowered herself onto the bed and shifted until her ribs were no longer making it difficult for her to breathe. She looked hopefully at Mike. "You think they'll let me out now?"

"I hope so. I'm tired of hospitals."

"You and me both, hon."

"It's not good for Kitkat, either, being here."

She nodded and extended her arms. "Here, let me have her for a few minutes. I've missed seeing her," she said softly.

He handed the baby to her with a smile.

She smiled back at him, then at their daughter. "Hey, little girl," she murmured, cradling Kiska in the crook of her arm. Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away and tickled Kiska's belly, making her squeal and laugh. "I missed this smile," she said softly, studying the baby's smiling face.

The baby laughed again and reached up, patting her chubby little hand against Carolyn's cheek. Carolyn smiled and kissed the baby's hand, then pretended to nibble on her fingers, and the baby shrieked and babbled at her.

Carolyn nodded, pretending to be in deep thought. "Uh huh... yeah, that's exactly what your daddy tells me, too."

Kiska paused for a moment, then turned her head to look at Mike. "Da!" she chirped, waving her hands at him.

Mike tapped her nose. "Monkey. Let me go get a doctor. Maybe they'll spring you from this place today or tomorrow."

"Great. It's getting boring around here."

"Trust me, honey. This is not a place where you want excitement."

She rolled her eyes and shifted Kiska to her other arm. "No, sweetie. You can't go with Daddy right now. He'll be right back." Kiska yawned and snuggled into her mother's side, and Carolyn smiled and stroked her soft head.

After a few minutes, Mike returned, quietly laughing. "The doctor will be in soon. He's at the other end of the floor."

"What's so funny?" she asked in amusement, though she had a sneaking suspicion.

His grin widened. "Alex is going to shoot me."

"What did you do now?"

He snickered. "I was passing by so I stopped in. I snuck over to her side of the bed and called her name. Scared the crap out of her."

She shook her head. "Your daddy is very mature," she murmured to the sleepy baby. Then she looked at Mike again and said, "I'm not going to stop her when she comes after you with a baseball bat."

"If it makes you feel any better, your boyfriend never moved. It takes a bullet and a whack to the head to get him to sleep like that."

"Hey." She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down closer, then kissed him deeply. When she finally broke the kiss, she said, "My boyfriend is standing right here."

He grinned. "Yeah, I know. But why should you be immune? Alex needs a break from my rapier wit occasionally."

"Charming."

"I know I am."

She scooted over a little in the bed, laying the baby against her shoulder as she said, "Come here."

He sat beside her and looked at her curiously. His face became serious. "Did talking to Bobby really help you?"

She carefully moved closer to him and slid her hand into his. "Yeah, he did," she admitted quietly.

He looked thoughtful. "When he gets out of here, he and I are going out. I owe him that, for several reasons."

She smiled softly and raised her head, brushing her lips against his cheek. "I'm glad you understand."

"I don't know if I understand as much as I really don't care who you talked to. I know I can be as difficult as he is understanding. I'm just glad someone was able to help you."

"Well, what he really did was push me in the right direction. I'm... going to call Dr. Olivet when I get out of here."

He raised his eyebrows. "Really? You are?" He shook his head slowly. "Damn...good job, buddy. If I buy that guy all the beer I owe him, he's not gonna be able to walk," he laughed.

She smiled. "He told me that if I couldn't do it for myself, then I should do it for you and Kiska. And he was right."

"He's a smart guy. He knows what he's talking about."

"Yes, he does." She sighed softly and pressed herself into his side.

He put his arm around her, glad she was ready to step on the road to recovery.

She snuggled into him and closed her eyes. "Where's that doctor?" she grumbled, her eyelids growing heavy. "I want to go home."

He kissed the top of her head and smiled at the sleeping baby. He was still adjusting to this...having a family. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but he was beginning to like it.

She closed her eyes and didn't protest when Mike reached over and gently took the baby from her. She forced her eyes open again and yawned. "Never would've thought it," she murmured, caressing the baby's cheek.

"Thought what?"

"Us. Having a baby." She yawned again and relaxed completely against him. "Wake me up when the doctor gets here."

When she was asleep he nodded. "Yeah...who'd have ever thought it...me...a father?" He kissed the baby's head. "Pretty funny, huh, Kitkat? I just hope you never regret it."

TBC...

A/N: So, I thought that was a good place to end the chapter, with a sweet and fuzzy MikeKiska moment. We got a comment on the last chapter, that Carolyn should finally open up to Mike. Well Delirious, there ya go. And don't worry, Bobby will get a chance to do that over again. The right way... Because like I said, that's no light at the end of the tunnel. It's a train! And coming up in the next chapter, the collision! So review, everyone, and we'll update again soon!