How Could This Happen To Me?

by obsessedwithstabler

She finally took a deep and calming breath. “Please, God,” she pleaded. “Please, don’t take him, and I swear… I swear I’ll take care of him. I’ll take care of him, and I’ll love him until the day I die. Please, don’t take him now. Please.”

14. And The Daddy Is?

Okay, ya'll are absolutely wonderful! 151 reviews! Please keep 'em coming! And because ya'll are so great, this chapter is a bit longer than usual, the identity of Kiska's dad is finally revealed in here! We know that ya'll have been dying to know for weeks, and now ya'll will finally have the answer! Read, enjoy, and please remember to review!

Disclaimer: They're not ours. But oh the fun we would have if they were...

A huge thanks goes out to Delirious Dancer, for being the 150th review. Thanks!

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Mike left Bobby's hospital room, worried about Carolyn, but proud of himself for remembering the baby. He bypassed the elevators and charged down the stairs to the main lobby. He ran out of the hospital into the summer day and looked up and down the street. He wasn't sure where to start, so he decided to make sure she hadn't left in the car. If she had...well, he'd never find her. If she took off again...what was he going to do with a baby?

When he saw the outline of her head and shoulders behind the wheel of the car, he felt a relief he couldn't define. Approaching the car, he lightly rapped on the window and waited for her to acknowledge him

She heard the rap at her window, and she jumped. God, this was it. It was over. More tears poured down her cheeks, and she finally forced herself to look at the window. Mike? She groaned and swiped at the tears, then slowly unlocked the door.

He pulled the door open and squatted down beside her. Not sure what the right thing to say was, he settled on "What happened?"

She tried to take a normal breath, but she couldn't. Instead, she curled herself in the seat and looked at Mike. "I... I thought I could handle it," she finally whispered, wishing that she could reach out and hide in his embrace. Nothing bad ever touched her there.

"Handle what? And speaking of handling things, you left something behind."

"I know. Oh God..." She pressed her hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry..."

"It's okay. We coped."

"I just... I... couldn't breathe. He was there..." She shuddered involuntarily. "I saw him."

"Who was where?"

"The bastard who raped me!" She drew her leg up to her chest and wrapped her arm tightly around it.

He sighed. "The guy on the news?"

"Y-yes." She shivered, suddenly very cold despite the warm weather. She scrubbed at her red rimmed eyes.

"It looked to me like the bastard's dead."

He couldn't explain the disappointment he felt at that. He would have liked nothing better than to take the guy out with his bare hands.

She swallowed thickly, desperately attempting to tamp down the relief that flooded her. "Dead?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah. Killed by a cop. I can make some calls, find out for sure..."

She reached out to him and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"Is that a yes or a no?" he asked, folding his arms around her.

She nodded and buried her face in his shoulder, holding onto him as best as she could.

"Okay. I'll make some calls. You want to stay out here in the car or can we go...someplace else?"

She didn't want to let go of him, but she reluctantly did and slid over into the passenger's seat, handing him the keys. "I'm tired," she finally said dully. "Can we just... go back to the motel?"

"We gonna leave Kitkat where she is?"

She flinched and pressed her fist to her mouth. "No- I mean, we should... Let's go get her." She turned her head and looked around. "Where... Oh, shit... where is she, Mike?"

"I left her with Bobby and Alex. What else was I gonna do with her?"

She sighed and let her head fall back. "Sorry..."

"For what?"

"For running... for leaving her with you. I'm sorry."

"At least I remembered she was there and I took her someplace safe. I'm not a total idiot. Just partly..."

"You're not an idiot. I'm the idiot." She pushed the door open and stood up unsteadily. "Let's go get her. I just... I think I need to lay down..."

"You want to go lay down and I'll go get her?"

She shook her head. "No, I need to see her." She took a step, then another. "I can't believe I did that."

"Forget it. I took care of her."

"She's my daughter. You're still not that comfortable with her." She leaned against the car for a moment, then headed back toward the building.

He followed her. "Hey, she might be mine. And even if she's not, I'm going to be around her a lot. You have to break me in sometime. I think I passed this test."

She nodded and shoved her hands into her pockets. "I... appreciate that, Mike. More than you know."

"I have to take responsibility some time."

They walked back into the hospital, and she didn't say anything else until they reached the door to Bobby's room.

He reached for the door handle and started pushing the door open. "You better be behaving in there," he called. Looking at Carolyn, he said, "I keep interrupting them."

That brought a smile to her face, which widened when she heard Alex call, "Shut it, Logan."

He hesitated and answered, "The door?"

"No, your big mouth!"

He laughed and pushed the door open. He was surprised to see Bobby sleeping. "He okay?"

She smiled brightly at him. "He's fine. But that doesn't mean you can be loud and wake him up. I just got him to settle down."

Logan grinned. "How'd you manage that?"

"Very carefully."

"Did Kitkat give you any problems?"

"Of course not. You're the one who gives me problems."

"And I'm very good at it." He walked over to the bed to look at his sleeping friend. "They medicate him again?"

"Nope. He was just tired."

"Tired from what? They don't let him do much. I thought he was getting stronger."

"He is." She smiled at his sleeping form. "He just needed to sleep."

"Well, I'm glad I didn't interrupt you guys again. I was beginning to get a complex. One more time and I would have brought the popcorn."

She rolled up a magazine and smacked him with it.

"Ow...You wouldn't hear any complaints from me."

She smacked him again, this time harder. "Don't make me get out of this chair, Logan," she growled threateningly.

He moved away from her. "Do that again and I will wake him up," he threatened with a playful grin.

She leaned back in the chair. "Wake him up and see what happens," she said, looking at her fingernails. "I won't hold him back."

"He's never gotten pissed at me for waking him up."

She grinned. "Then go for it. I've got popcorn here somewhere..."

He raised an eyebrow. "I've never taken you for an exhibitionist, Alex."

She nearly choked on the air in her lungs. "W-what?" she sputtered.

He laughed. "You said you have popcorn..."

"Oh... popcorn. Yeah, I do," she stated coolly while discreetly fanning her face. The last thing she needed was him finding out. They'd never live it down...

He watched Carolyn squatting down in front of the baby. "The baby didn't cause any problems, did she?"

"No, she was an angel. Which is more than I can say for you or Bobby," she grumbled, sinking back in the chair.

"What can I say? What kind of trouble did he cause?"

Alex turned on Mike again. "Uh, just giving me trouble about sleeping. That's about it."

"A right hook helps if he gives you too much trouble."

Carolyn gave Alex a small smile and picked up Kiska's car seat. "Thanks for watching her," she said quietly.

"It's fine, Carolyn," Alex insisted with a wave of her hand.

Carolyn glanced at Bobby's sleeping form, then walked out of the room. Alex watched her go with a worried frown.

He frowned when Carolyn left the room. "Uh, I'd better go. See you later, sweetheart."

"Bye, Mike," she said, nodding at him.

He ran out the door after Carolyn.

Alex turned to Bobby's sleeping form and sighed. "I'll never understand those two."

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Carolyn unlocked the door to their motel room, then stepped inside and placed her daughter's car seat on the bed. Realizing she was asleep, she carefully picked her up and laid her in the playpen that Mike had assembled. "Sweet dreams, baby girl," she murmured before walking back to the bed. Her head had begun to pound, and she moved the car seat to the floor before laying down on the bed.

Mike had not followed her into the room. He remained outside, pacing as he talked on the phone, seeking the information he had promised Carolyn he would find. Snapping the phone closed, he went into the room. He studied her on the bed for a long moment before he sat down on the edge of the other bed and let out a heavy sigh.

She heard Mike sit down on the other bed, and she turned her head and looked at him. "What is it?"

"Do you know his name?"

"Who's name?"

"The scum who hurt you."

She shivered involuntarily. "No, Mike. I don't."

"I'm not attacking you. Don't get defensive. His name was Brad Cummings. He raped and murdered a woman yesterday and died in a shoot-out with police. His family is screaming murder so of course the press jumped on the bad cop bandwagon."

She buried her face in her pillow. He really was dead. She could move on. Relief coursed through her, and she raised her head a little and looked over at Mike. "Could you... come over here?" she asked quietly, tightening her arm around the pillow.

Without hesitating, he shifted from the bed he was on to the edge of her bed. He laid a gentle hand on her hip. He didn't know what to say, so he kept silent and he watched her, waiting.

She reached out and covered his hand with hers, then pulled him down. She just wanted him close to her. She had already wasted a year, and she wasn't about to waste another minute.

He let her pull him into her arms, relaxed when she melted her body against his, yielded when her lips covered his. He began to respond...and a baby's wail shattered the moment. His head dropped back against the pillow. "Dammit."

She sighed and rolled onto her back. "She has my timing," she joked, sitting upright.

He grunted. "Yeah. Impeccable."

She stood up and walked over to the playpen, murmuring softly as she picked up Kiska and held her in the crook of her right arm. "She's hungry," she stated as she returned to the bed and leaned back against the pillows.

"Of course she is. That's the only time she tries to wake the dead."

Carolyn rolled her eyes. "You're just as bad when you're hungry," she muttered, raising her shirt and adjusting Kiska so she could nurse.

"I know," he replied, unsettled by the comparison. He was still hoping, for the baby's sake, that Carolyn was wrong, that her desperate longing was unfounded.

Her smile disappeared, and she looked down at her daughter. What would she do if she turned out to be Cumming's daughter? She shook her head. She was so much like Bobby and Mike in so many ways... She closed her eyes and settled back against the pillows.

Silently, he watched her feed the baby, watched her close her eyes and settled back. He decided not to disturb her peace and he remained quiet, waiting for her to change the moment and draw him back into it.

She finished nursing Kiska, then moved her to her shoulder and gently patted her back. "I was... so afraid when I found out I was pregnant," she said quietly. A burp sounded in her ear, and she gently laid Kiska on the bed. "I didn't know how to be a mother." She paused for a moment. "It was... unreal for me. Until the first time she kicked."

His silence encouraged her to continue. His eyes shifted from her face to the baby and back. Keep talking, he urged in his mind. Let it out.

A smile came to her lips as she remembered. "It was the strangest thing. I was in my bedroom, listening to music, and this song came on. And suddenly, she just started kicking like crazy." She carefully brushed her fingertips along Kiska's back.

"What song?" he asked, accepting the invitation to rejoin her.

She smiled. "It was just this silly song. I've always had this... obsession with the Beach Boys. The song was Kokomo."

He smiled. "Little girl was a beach bum even before she was born."

She laughed. "Yeah..." Looking at him, she asked quietly, "Is there anything you want to know?"

He wanted to know everything...and nothing. His mind was such a maelstrom of conflicting emotion, he didn't know what to think. He needed to talk to a cool head, one that was good at figuring things out. But first, the most important question. "Are you all right?"

She exhaled deeply. "I'm not going to lie to you. I'm getting there."

"Until you get those test results back."

She nodded and stretched out on the bed, careful of her sleeping daughter.

"Will you be okay now, for a little while?"

"All things considered? I think so."

"I'm gonna go out for a little while, okay?"

She froze. "Uhm, okay. I'll just... I think I'm going to go to sleep."

"Good. It'll help you. I'll be back in a little while." He leaned over and kissed her softly. "If you need me, just call."

She nodded and sank back into the pillows. "I love you," she muttered softly.

"Love you, too, doll. I'll be back."

She watched him go, and when the door shut, she reached down and pulled the blanket tightly around herself. "He's strange, but he's a good man," she murmured to Kiska's sleeping form.

He pulled the door closed and stood there for a moment. He walked slowly away from the room, thoughts churning. Then he grinned and headed off toward the hospital, making one stop on the way.

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Alex couldn't keep the grin off of her face as she snuggled closer to her sleeping partner and hugged him to her. Even in his sleep, he recognized her, and his arm wrapped around her and held her. She sighed contently, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but think that this was the most comfortable and happiest she could ever remember being.

He stirred, drawing in a deep breath which made him groan at the pain that flared again in his chest. But it was improving. It didn't hurt as bad as it once had. Fortunately, his fight with Mike had really not set him back too far. He opened his eyes, and the sight of Alex snuggled beside him made him smile. "Hey," he said softly, placing a loving kiss against her temple. "S-sorry about that."

She smiled at him. "Don't be. I like using you for a pillow."

He smiled. "I didn't mean to fall asleep. I just...I was so tired all of a sudden."

She snickered. "Hmm, I wonder why..."

He chuckled softly. "God...I needed that," he murmured.

She leaned up and kissed him softly. "I did too."

He kissed her mouth. "Bad," he added, bringing her in for another kiss. He could be gentle now. His body lacked the desperation that had been driving him for the last few days. He was almost content.

She eased one arm around his waist, then broke the kiss reluctantly and rested her head on his chest.

He sighed, sifting his hand through her hair. Pressing his cheek against her forehead, he exerted a little pressure until she turned her face back toward him and he could kiss her again.

The door opened and Mike came strolling into the room. "Hey, guys...oh, geez...Why is it every time I don't knock..."

Alex started, then turned her head to glare at Mike. "Where's that damn magazine?..."

Bobby snorted, meeting Mike's eyes and smiling. Mike raised an eyebrow. He seemed a lot less uptight, almost relaxed. "Did they change your medicine?"

Bobby shrugged. "I have no idea what they give me."

"You look...a lot better."

She smiled at Bobby, then looked at Mike again. "I'm good at taking care of people I love," she said, a hint of pride in her voice.

Bobby kissed the back of her neck, squeezing her waist.

Her smile widened, and her hand found his.

"Before you two go at it again...Alex, can I borrow him for a little while?"

She arched one eyebrow. "What for?" she asked suspiciously.

"I just want to talk to him."

Her eyes narrowed, and she turned her head and looked at her partner. "Bobby?"

He nodded. "I'm okay with it, if you don't mind."

She leaned over and brushed her lips softly against his, touching his face gently. "Okay. I'm going to go get some coffee. Do you want anything to eat?"

He shook his head. "I'm good."

"Let me rephrase that. I'm going to get you something to eat, and I want you to at least try. You haven't eaten all day."

"Whatever," he said with a smile. "I'll try."

"Good." She kissed him again, then slid off of the bed. "Don't give me another reason to get that magazine, Logan," she threatened as she walked to the door.

"I'll be good," he promised, watching her walk out the door. Then he grinned. "Yeah, right..."

"I heard that," she called, but she didn't turn around. She'd get him later.

He laughed and turned to Bobby. "She got some kind of radar?"

"No. She just knows you."

"A little too well," he said with a grin. He approached the bed as he reached into his pockets, producing a bottle of beer from each pocket. He placed one on the tray table at Bobby's bedside and opened the other. He pointed the bottle toward his friend. "Something happened."

Bobby took the beer from the table with a smile and opened it. "What are you talking about?"

"Something's different. She left the room and you didn't panic."

"She's coming back."

Mike shook his head. "It's more than that...she..." His eyes narrowed. "You dog..."

Bobby smiled. "Get out of the gutter, Logan."

Mike shook his head and laughed. "I know you, man. I...no...you did! And I didn't walk in on it...That's a minor miracle. Did anyone walk in on you?"

Bobby took a drink and shook his head. "What did you want to talk about?"

Mike laughed again. "No wonder you were sleeping. She wore your ass out."

"Mike..."

"All right, all right...I need you to help me sort through some stuff."

"About Carolyn?"

"Yeah."

"Like what?"

"I don't know what to do, what the right thing is, you know? What she needs."

Bobby sighed. "She needs you to understand as much as you can about what she's been through. Be supportive."

"I've been doing that. But...she asked me what I wanted to know. I thought that if I knew everything, maybe I would understand her better. But then, part of me doesn't want to know anything. I'm afraid if I do...I might feel...differently about her. That scares me, man."

Bobby took another drink and thought about what Mike had said. He asked, "Would any of it change the way you feel about her?"

"I don't know."

"You need to find out, man. Because if your feelings can be changed by something that happened to her that she had no control over, maybe you need to rethink how you really feel about her."

Mike gave that some thought. "You have a point. You know, I think I may be more afraid of me."

"In what way?"

"The whole thing just makes me feel so damn angry. We just found out that the guy who did it was killed in a shoot out with police. So I don't even get the satisfaction of a jailhouse visit."

Bobby's face was solemn. "That would have been satisfying." He almost grinned. "I would have gone with you."

Mike laughed. "Talk about police brutality. It would even have been worth another stint on Staten Island...and I'd have had company this time."

"Afraid not. I would never have survived that. Alex would have killed me. But I admit, it would have been worth it."

Mike laughed. "So what do you think I should do? I want her to get over this, and I'll help her in any way I can. But I don't want to make it worse. I don't want her thinking anything negative inside me is related to her."

Bobby met his eyes. "So tell her. Don't try to cover it. Be honest with her, Mike. Then you have nothing to worry about. If everything's out in the open, there's nothing sneaking around to bite you in the ass."

"You think that will make any difference?"

"Absolutely. Let her understand you."

"Do you know how scary that is?"

"I sure do. I understand you."

"I know you do. And it makes me worry about you."

Bobby laughed, finishing his beer. Mike held out his hand for the bottle after draining his own. "I'll just take these with me. You don't need to explain an empty beer bottle in the trash to your nurse."

"Or my partner."

"Or your partner what?" Alex questioned, carrying a bag and two drinks as she walked into the room.

"Nothing," Bobby insisted, meeting Mike's eyes.

Mike grinned. "Thanks for the advice, Bobby. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good luck."

"You, too. Bye, Alex."

He headed out the door.

She watched him leave, then turned to face her partner. "I'll never understand him," she sighed in fake exasperation as she set the drinks and bag down.

"He's harmless."

"That's what I keep getting told." She started to sit in the chair, but instead opted to sit down on the bed beside him.

"So what did you get to eat?"

"Food," she teased, digging into the bag and handing him a sandwich.

"Thanks," he said with a smile. His head was spinning a little from the effect of the beer combined with the medicine in his system, but it wasn't a bad feeling. It probably hadn't been the smartest thing to do, but one beer wasn't going to do any harm. Enough of the edge was now gone from his pain that he felt able to eat and keep it down.

She watched him curiously as she ate her own sandwich, but didn't say a word.

His eyes shifted intermittently toward her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Everything go okay with Mike?"

"Fine."

"He didn't... suspect anything... did he?"

"About what?"

She cleared her throat. "Us. He's a freaking blood hound when it comes to those things."

"Us? Oh...that...yeah, well..."

She groaned and shifted in the bed, then laid against his side. "Damn it... That's it. I'm going to shoot him."

He kissed her forehead and laughed. "What did he do?"

"You know, for such a smart guy..." She shook her head and let her leg dangle off of the side of the bed. "I'm looking forward to going back to New York. Garbage trucks, car alarms..."

"Is the peace and quiet getting to you?"

"More than you know. But that's not the only reason."

"Don't like Mike walking in on us all the time?"

"If it happens again..." She let her voice trail off.

He snickered. "Don't let him get to you, baby. He's not the type to find out and tell."

"He had better not. They'll never find his body."

He sighed and leaned back into the pillows. "Don't worry. He knows you well enough to be afraid of you."

"Good." She leaned back against him and gently pulled his arm around her, resting her hand on his arm.

He enjoyed her closeness even more than the buzzing in his head. He kissed her temple and closed his eyes.

"You know," she said softly. "Now that I know what a good pillow you are, you're not allowed to go anywhere."

"Not planning to go anyplace," he murmured.

"Good." She yawned and turned over, draping her arm over his waist and snuggling into his side. As she breathed deeply, she caught the scent of something, and she froze against him. "Bobby..."

"Hmm?"

"He gave you beer, didn't he?" she growled.

"Uh..."

"Damn it, Bobby..."

"What? One beer's not going to do any harm."

She pushed herself upright, frowning at him. "And what if it interferes with the meds?"

"It won't interfere. Beer doesn't have a lot of alcohol in it. All it's done is take more of the pain away and make my head spin a little more...like I've had a few more than I did. But I feel fine. Don't freak out on me."

She glared at him for a few more moments, then slowly settled down beside him again.

He tipped his head forward and gave her a lopsided grin. "Come on"

That smile... He knew that she couldn't stay mad when he smiled at her like that. She shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest, resting her back against his side.

He leaned even further, gently tickling her side. "Come on, baby," he encouraged, nuzzling her neck. "Really...I feel good."

She pushed his hands away half heartedly, then pulled his arm around her. "Another stunt like that, Goren, and Mike's won't be the only body they'll never find."

He nipped her ear and gently sucked on it, trailing his tongue through the sensitive hollow behind her ear. "It's been a good day for me," he murmured softly. "A really good day..."

She shivered and pulled her leg up onto the bed. "Yes, and now I'm going to sleep," she murmured, curling herself into his side again.

He snuggled against her and slipped his hand under her shirt, stroking her skin and murmuring, "Okay. I'll find a way to entertain myself."

She groaned and pushed at his hand. "Guess so."

Not to be easily deterred, he found another pathway through her clothes to her skin, bringing his fingers into light contact and stroking his way closer to her chest.

"Bobby..." She sighed. "You're not going to let me sleep, are you?"

"If you can sleep, go right ahead."

She closed her eyes and rested her arm over his chest, then pressed her face into his shoulder.

"Hey," he complained, unable to find access to his intended target. So he reached around to her waist and slid his fingers into her waistband.

She groaned and slapped his hand. "Are you going to be this bad when I get you home?"

"Worse," he promised.

"And I'm not going to get any sleep there, either, am I?"

"Nope."

Her face took on a thoughtful expression. "Good to know..."

"Want to go back into the bathroom?"

"Will you let me sleep?"

"Wear me out," he laughed.

"I did, but before I could go to sleep, you were up again, all bright eyed and bushy tailed."

He laughed again. "I had a nap."

"I didn't."

He sighed in resignation. "All right. I give. Go ahead and go to sleep. The nurse will be coming in pretty soon anyway. She might take issue with my chosen extracurricular activity."

She laughed at that, then gently poked him. "After my nap, and if you behave yourself, okay?"

"Promise?"

She snuggled into his side. "Promise. And don't breathe on the nurse..."

"Right." He pulled her close and snuggled into her. "Go to sleep, baby. I'll be good."

"Mm..."

By the time the nurse came in to take his vitals and give him his medicine, both of them were sleeping.

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Mike let himself into the room and smiled at Carolyn's sleeping form. On the far side of her, he saw a little hand waving in the air, and then two little feet kicked.

He walked over to the bed. "Look at you," he said.

She smiled at him and cooed. Reaching over, he lifted her into his arms and sat down on the other bed. "So what do you think, kiddo?"

She kicked her feet and giggled. He nodded knowingly. "Yeah. That's what most women tell me. You know something...there's three of us in contention to be your father, but only two of us really deserve it. Well, I'm not so sure about me, but in any event, no matter who it is, you got two of us you can count on whenever you need us."

She wiggled on the bed and cooed at him. He waved a finger at her. "And it's stuff like that that gets me in trouble to start with."

She giggled again and yawned. "It's been a long day."

He lifted her again and laid her in her playpen. He covered her with her blanket. "Good night, Kitkat."

She groaned softly as Mike's voice pulled her back into awareness, and she rolled over onto her side, her hand seeking out her daughter's little form.

"She's over here."

She relaxed and exhaled softly. "Mike?"

"Were you expecting someone else? I told you I'd be back."

She opened her eyes and looked around the room, relaxing when her eyes settled on him. "Are you coming back over here?"

He crossed the room and sat beside her, leaning down to kiss her.

She returned the kiss, then pulled him down beside her and rested her forehead against his chest.

"Had a beer with a buddy and worked some stuff out. I'm better."

"What buddy?"

He fidgeted a little. "Uh...Bobby."

She groaned, then sighed. "I don't even feel like yelling at you. I'll let Alex do that."

"What?"

"You gave him a beer, Mike." She shook her head.

"One beer isn't gonna hurt him. He's not an idiot. If it would do him any real harm, he'd have said no."

Closing her eyes, she muttered, "Forget it. Anything else?"

"No. We just talked. That's all. Oh, and...did you ever take either one of them as risk takers?"

She arched one dark eyebrow. "No, not really."

"Me neither. And I didn't walk in on them...damn."

"What?"

"Let's just say they started working on that baby she wants so bad."

She groaned and buried her face in his chest. "Well," she said, her voice muffled by the material of his shirt. "Guess that proves one thing."

"What's that?"

"They're either really brave... or very stupid."

He laughed. "Or really, really desperate."

"Yeah, that too."

"That's my bet, at least for him. He's gotta be feeling better. It did him a world of good, too."

"I'd imagine."

"He didn't panic when she left the room."

"Good."

He sighed and looked at the ceiling. "Yeah. It's good. We'll be going home pretty soon. I could have used a couple more beers."

Home... That was a concept. She closed her eyes and moved closer to him. The place she lived wasn't in New York, and she hadn't felt at home anywhere in over a year. "I'm sure you could've," she said distantly.

"Hey...what's wrong?"

She pulled away from him a little and rolled onto her back, deciding to just come out with it. "I have to find somewhere to live... if I go back," she said quietly.

He sat up, frowning darkly. "If? If? What the hell do you mean, if?"

She sat upright with him, then reached out and touched his cheek. "Let me rephrase that. Do you want me to? And are you going to want to help me find a place and move?"

"Yes, yes and yes. And I'm not the only one."

"All right." She leaned over and picked at the blanket in front of her. "I just needed to know, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess...I suppose you wouldn't want to make presumptions. But don't scare me like that, will ya?"

"I'm sorry."

He leaned over to kiss her. "We'll get you moved and settled."

She nodded and laid back against the pillows. "That should be fun."

"Me and Bobby, heavy furniture and a case of beer. It doesn't get much better."

"Loads of fun." She tucked her arm under her head and looked up at the ceiling. Tentatively, she said, "I have videos... and pictures..."

"Of the baby?"

"Of everything. Michelle loved to sneak up on me with the camera and the camcorder, at all hours of the day."

He snickered. "Good for her."

She gently poked him. "It made for some very... raw footage..."

He grinned. "You mean, like...for my eyes only kinda stuff?"

"No," she laughed. "More like, me before any coffee. Except I wasn't allowed to have coffee, anyways."

"Maybe we can remedy that?"

"The coffee? Of course."

"That's not what I meant."

She shrugged innocently. "Really?"

"Come on...maybe?"

"On tape? You're out of your mind."

"Can't blame a guy for trying."

She shook her head and stretched. "Only you, Mike. Only you."

He sighed. "But you love me anyway, for all my faults. Don't you?"

"Do you even have to ask? Of course I do."

"Well...you had to ask if I wanted you to move home to New York. I guess we're full of stupid questions tonight."

She rolled onto her side and looked at him. "Any more?"

"Not me. I've met my quota of stupid questions for tonight."

"I meant did you have anything else to ask me? You've got something buzzing, and it's not the beer."

He shifted uncomfortably. "Are there things you really want to tell me?"

She swallowed thickly. "How about... we go one question at a time?"

"There's something you have to understand first. I understand that what happened was out of your control, and you have to know I don't blame you and I don't hold it against you. Not one bit. But I am very angry that it happened at all, and I'm even angrier that I can't do anything about it. That bastard got off easy, but I'm left with no one to hit for hurting you. I need you to understand that. None of that anger is against you. None."

She stared at him for a moment, then reached out and wrapped her hand around his. "Thank you, Mike," she murmured, gripping his hand tightly.

"For what?"

"Everything." She slowly turned over and pressed her back into his side. "Let's get this over with," she said quietly.

"Look, if you aren't ready to talk about it, that's fine. I'll still be here when you're ready."

"No!" She took a steadying breath and waited for his arm to go around her waist. "We can't... we won't be okay... until you have your answers."

"What makes you think I'm that curious?"

"I can almost hear it. You have questions, whether or not they're about that. And you deserve the answers. You've waited for a year."

"You don't have the answers I need."

She closed her eyes. "I'm... I'm glad he's dead," she said finally.

"I get that. The only reason I'm not is because I wanted the pleasure of doing it myself."

She stiffened against him. "Don't even say that, Mike. Just don't. Please."

"I thought we were being honest."

"I am. And if you had... I really would have lost you..."

"Let me tell you something. Bobby and I would have both gone to Riker's to pay the asshole a visit. I would have ended up on Staten Island and Alex would have killed Bobby. But it would have been worth it to both of us. We may not fit in among polite society, but no one, and I mean no one, hurts someone we care about."

She pulled his arm tighter around herself. "And I would have lost two of the most important people in my life."

"Well, it's not an issue any more."

"That's good to know."

"What about you? How are you feeling?"

She was quiet for a few moments. "I don't even know... I'm glad that he's dead. But I almost... can't believe it." She turned over and looked up into his eyes. "I spent a year running from him. I guess it just seems too... neat. I know it sounds stupid, but I keep thinking... that I'll see him on the street, or in the hospital..."

"Or on the television after playing cops and robbers with the right people...the ones with real bullets."

"He's dead, but..." She shook her head. "I'm just being paranoid, I guess. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. Never apologize. It minimizes how you feel, and that's not fair."

She smiled a small smile. "Tomorrow we find out," she murmured, squeezing his hand.

"Uh...find out what?"

"About Kiska." She raised her head and looked at her daughter's playpen. "These past couple of weeks have been killing me."

"You mean about which one of us is responsible for her?"

"If you want to put it that way. I like to think of it as we find out who 'daddy' is."

"All right, Carolyn. Suppose it was him? Then what are you going to do?"

She shook her head. "She's my daughter. I guess it'll just mean that... that there won't be a dad in the picture."

He stared at her, visibly hurt. "You think it takes genetics for a man to be a dad?" He got up from the bed, his anger growing. "Ask Bobby about that. Ask him about how great his dad was. It takes a hell of a lot more than sperm to make a man a dad." He ran a hand over his hair, agitated. ""I thought you knew better. I thought you had a higher opinion of me...of the both of us. God...I can't believe how wrong I was."

Turning, he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

She moved off of the bed and threw the door open, hurrying down the hall to catch him before he was gone. "Mike," she said, grabbing his arm and pushing him against the wall. "I didn't mean it like that. I love you, but I'm not going to push you into being a dad if you don't want to be. And I'm not about to do or say something that could push you away. I'm not." She took a breath and continued to hold his eyes. "I don't know what you want, but I do know that I love you. If that bastard turns out to be her father..." She shook her head. "I want you to be her dad. I do. But what do you want?"

He put his hands on her shoulders and held her at arms' length. "You have two good men--all right, one good man and a halfway decent one who's willing to try hard--telling you that regardless of what that test shows, your daughter will have a father. Do you think we've been fucking blowing smoke? Do you think we're just trying to get you back to New York for...whatever? If you can't trust what we tell you, what I tell you, then what the fuck's the use? Why should I even bother? Go on back in there to your daughter, Carolyn. I...I need some air. I'll see you tomorrow." He released her and walked away.

"Mike." She watched him go, then walked back to the room. Kiska watched her with wide eyes as she gently picked her up and laid her in the car seat. "You and I are going for a little ride, baby," she murmured, fastening the buckle. She grabbed the diaper bag and slung it over her shoulder, then picked up the car seat.

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Mike threw open the door to Bobby's hospital room and marched over to the bed. Ignoring Alex, he shook Bobby roughly. "Hey, man, wake up."

Bobby jerked awake, turning too fast and groaning when his ribs protested the movement. "What the hell...?"

"Get up, man. You and I gotta talk."

Bobby rubbed his eyes and tried to chase the sleep from his mind. "What the hell..? What's wrong with you?"

Alex stirred at the voices, and she opened her eyes and glared at Mike. "What're you doing, Mike?" she demanded.

Mike walked over to the overnight bag he had brought from his apartment with clothes for Bobby, tossing him a shirt. "Come on. It's about time you went for a walk out of this room." He glared at Alex. "I'm taking him for a walk. And don't you dare try to stop me."

Her eyes narrowed in anger. "You need to cool your ass off and start explaining," she snapped.

"That's why I'm fucking here. Come on, Bobby. Before I explode."

Bobby pulled on the shirt and leaned over to give Alex a kiss. "Shh. It'll be okay. I'll find out what's wrong."

She leaned into his kiss. "You'd better," she whispered before leaning back against the pillows again.

He touched her cheek and slid out of the bed. Stepping into his sneakers, he said, "You push the pole. And if you don't calm down we're gonna have another round and you won't win that one."

"Just come on. I don't want to fight. I need to talk."

Bobby looked at Alex. "We'll just be in the cafeteria. I'll be fine."

She nodded, unconvinced.

"Don't worry." He gave Mike a shove toward the door. "You're lucky I didn't slug you, waking me up like that. Idiot..."

Alex sat in the bed, fuming as she stared at the wall. But her attention was drawn away from her anger when she heard someone at the door, and she growled, "Mike, so help me..."

Carolyn walked into the room, looking like she had lost her best friend, and Alex's anger dissolved instantly. "Carolyn, what are you doing here?"

"Mike and I... we had an argument." She looked around the room. "Where's Bobby?"

Alex patted her hand against the bed, and Carolyn gently placed Kiska's car seat in the chair, then sat down on the bed beside Alex. "Mike stormed in here and kidnapped my partner," Alex said, glaring at the door as if it were Mike. "What happened with you two?"

Carolyn sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "We... we had a fight, and he left. I guess this is where he went."

"Yeah, he came up here and woke us up," Alex grumbled.

"Sorry about that."

Alex shook her head dismissively. "Forget about it. He's the one I want to strangle."

Carolyn leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "He makes me so mad sometimes... Why do we even put up with it?"

Laughing softly, Alex said, "For the same reason they try to understand us. We love them."

"I try, Alex. I really do. But sometimes I say the wrong things at the wrong time."

"It happens to the best of us," Alex assured her softly.

"I don't want to lose him. I don't. But he asked me what I would do if Kiska winds up not being his or Bobby's, and I said that she wouldn't have a dad." She groaned and covered her eyes with her hand. "I want him to be her dad, but I don't want to push him. And sometimes, he acts like he doesn't even want to be around her."

Alex shifted on the bed until she was side by side with Carolyn, and she hesitated before hugging her. "Carolyn, I don't know how he thinks, and I'm not even going to pretend to. But I do know one thing. He loves you, very much."

"I know that, but it's not just me. It's me and my daughter." She groaned. "I really screwed things up, didn't I?"

Alex took a deep breath. "He loves you, Carolyn. And as far as I've seen, he loves that baby, whether he knows it or not. I think you're worried that if he's not her father, things won't turn out like you hoped they would."

"I just... I want to know where he stands. If he wants to be here, I want him to be. But if he's going to walk away..."

"And risk hurting Kiska, you think it's better for him not to be around at all," Alex concluded quietly.

"My baby comes before anything, Alex. You're all family to me, but if I thought it was better for my daughter, I would leave right now and not come back, no matter how much it hurt."

"I believe you. But Carolyn, you know that Mike... he's the real thing. Anyone who looks at you two can see it. He would walk away if you asked him to, because he loves you that much, and he wants you to be happy," Alex murmured. "That man would die for you, and I'm not exaggerating. He'd do anything to make you happy."

Carolyn felt a tear fall down her cheek, and she wiped it away. "I wish he would just tell me. If we stay together, he's going to be a big part of her life, no matter her paternity. In a way, he'll be daddy no matter what. That's if I haven't screwed everything up too badly."

Alex drew her in for another hug. "I seriously doubt you have. If you had, he wouldn't have come here and woken up Bobby just to talk," she said reassuringly.

Carolyn returned the hug. "You're probably right."

"You know I am," Alex said, half teasingly.

Sighing, Carolyn slid off of the bed and moved Kiska's car seat, then settled in the chair. "Now what?"

Settling back against the pillows again, Alex stretched her limbs and said, "Now's the fun part. We wait. They'll be back soon." She thought for a moment. "If they're not, I'll hunt them down and rip them both new ones." They both shared a small laugh.

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Bobby watched Mike pace in the elevator, wondering what could have happened to upset him this badly. Mike looked at him. "I don't suppose you can take that out so we can leave the hospital, can you?"

"Well, I could, but the doctor might not be too happy, if there was anything left of me after Alex got through with me."

"I guess coffee will have to do then."

"Mike, I can't drink more than the one I had earlier. You know that."

"Yeah, yeah. Okay, coffee it is."

"I'm usually the one bouncing off the walls. What's up?"

"I am so pissed, man." They got off the elevator and Mike pushed the pole toward the cafeteria.

Bobby tried to keep up with him, but it started hurting too bad. "Slow down, dumb ass. If I go back to the room in pain, Alex will have your head on a platter."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. I forgot about your ribs."

They walked in silence until they got to the cafeteria. Bobby sat down while Mike got two cups of coffee. Then he sat down. "What did you tell Carolyn about the baby's paternity? Did you say anything about what you'd do if you aren't her dad?"

Bobby frowned in confusion. "I told her it didn't matter to me, that Kiska would have a dad, no matter what."

"That's what I thought. Do you know what she told me?" He didn't wait for an answer. "She said if that scum is the baby's father, then she'll grow up with no dad!"

"Calm down, Mike. Did you misunderstand her?"

"How many different ways can you interpret 'then she'll grow up with no dad'?"

"Mike, you haven't exactly been chomping at the bit to interact with Kiska. She doesn't want to shove the baby down your throat."

"Look, she's the one who turned up out of the blue. She had nine months to prepare for it. I didn't. I'm doing my best. I'm not a natural with kids like you are."

Bobby took a drink of his coffee. "You didn't talk to her, did you?"

"No. I was so mad I left. I didn't want to say anything that would make matters worse. I know that they come as a package deal. I'm not stupid but she treats me like I am sometimes."

"Well...sometimes you are."

Mike narrowed his eyes, then laughed. "Like bringing you a beer?"

Bobby laughed. "Not your brightest idea, but I did appreciate it. It got me in a little hot water, thanks."

"I'm doing you a favor by keeping her riled. Makes the sex better."

"You're an ass."

"I know."

"Stop doing me favors, will ya? I can get her riled without any help from you."

"Do you blame me for getting mad?"

"No. It kind of hurts that she seems to think so little of us. I don't get that. But what I think doesn't matter to her. She cares what you think. So you need to talk to her."

"Why bother if she won't listen to me?"

"Keep telling her until it sinks in that you're not going anywhere. It shouldn't matter who her father is if you're going to be with her. Regardless, you're the one who's going to be there all the time. Make sure she knows you're there by choice and not out of any sense of obligation."

"I thought we were past this. Is it going to be an every other day thing?"

"It could be for right now."

Mike groaned. "How am I going to survive that? I'm going to be pissed all the time."

"So work harder to get her past it."

"She's really going to have a meltdown if that guy is the baby's dad."

"She'll really need you then."

"Yeah, okay, I get that. But shooting me down when I didn't do anything wrong is just not cool."

"Tell her."

"I did. I'm running out of ways to reassure her."

"Then repeat yourself. Don't give up unless you're ready to lose her." Bobby sighed heavily. "Can I go back to bed now, Mike? I was sleeping good."

"Oh, yeah...sorry about that. I didn't know what else to do, and I knew you'd be a voice of reason for me."

"I appreciate that you feel that way. But don't ever wake me up like that again."

"Gotcha. Come on, buddy. Let's get you back to bed."

He dropped the two cups in the trash and they headed back toward the elevators.

Alex jerked her head up when she heard the door open, and she quickly slid off of the bed and walked over to the door, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at the two men.

Bobby's eyebrows raised and he did his best to look innocent when he saw the look on his partner's face. "Uh, oh..." he muttered.

"Yeah, uh oh is an understatement. Get your ass back in that bed," she growled, gently grasping his elbow.

"I can do it," he grumbled, annoyed that she was mad at him when he hadn't done anything wrong this time.

She waited until he was settled before leaning over to kiss him deeply.

His annoyance slid away quickly as he lost himself in the deep kiss, returning it with ardor. Once again, she took his breath away and sent his head spinning, making him forget everything in the world, except her.

As she pulled away, she rested her forehead against his and whispered, "Do that again, baby, and I will have no choice but to torture you for the rest of your life. Got it?"

"You can torture me any time," he murmured.

She sighed. "That didn't work. Damn it." Then she turned around and faced Mike, putting her hands on her hips. "Want to explain now?"

He sighed. "Can't you just drill him? It'll make great sex talk."

She turned around and shot a pointed glare at her partner. "What'd I tell you, Bobby?"

"Hey...I didn't tell him. He just...knew."

She threw her hands in the air and shook her head. "Forget it. I'm getting a headache already."

"He's not lying," Mike replied, sticking up for him. "But it wasn't hard to figure out."

She began pacing and muttering to herself.

Bobby looked at Mike. "She's talking to herself. That's not good."

She raised her head and looked at him. "Sometimes, I think I'm the sanest one here."

Carolyn heard voices, and she washed her trembling hands and dried them slowly. She looked at her reflection and washed her face, then dried it, throwing the paper towels away before she opened the door and walked out.

Mike was surprised when the bathroom door opened and shocked when Carolyn came out. He just stared at her.

His stare made her nervous, and she tried to shrug it off by saying, "I needed to get away, too. We think too much alike."

"No. We don't," he answered.

The corners of her mouth fell, but she nodded. "Right."

He walked away from her, to the window on the far side of the room, placing both Bobby and Alex between them. He leaned against the window sill and folded his arms across his chest.

Carolyn chewed on her lower lip for a minute as she stared at Mike's back. She had a choice, and she had to choose. She could walk away with Kiska and stay gone, or she could take that first step and reach out to him. All of this was her fault, too, and she had to find a way to make it right.

Finally she took a step, then another, until she was behind him. Then she reached out and tentatively laid her hand on his arm, almost expecting him to pull away.

When a hand came to rest on his arm, he tensed, struggling with himself. Part of him wanted to demand to know how she could ever have said that. Another part of him didn't want to create another stir within this hospital room. He did have some sense, when he chose to acknowledge it. So he chose not to move.

When he didn't move, she came a little closer, slowly closing her hand over his arm. "I'm sorry, Mike," she finally whispered, moving her thumb slowly over his skin. "I didn't mean it."

He kept his face turned from hers. "So why did you say it?"

She slowly allowed her other hand to settle on his side. "Because I didn't want to scare you off. Would you rather I had said, 'Yes, Mike, you're going to be her dad either way?' I know you. That would have sent you running." She began moving her hand slowly over his arm. "I'm sorry for hurting you."

He started shaking his head. "You were wrong."

"I know."

"What you said drove me away faster that what you could have said. But what you should have said was the truth. Either way, no matter what the DNA shows, Bobby and I are here for her. Always will be. You could have at least acknowledged that. He told you Kitkat would always have a dad, and I thought I made that clear to you as well."

"I know that." Her hand fell away, and she tilted her head back and sighed. "I screwed up, and I said I was sorry. What else can I do, Mike? Tell me."

"Just say it, Carolyn. I've never heard you say it. Forget the fucking pity party. Just say it."

She gently grabbed his arm and pulled him around to face her. "She'll have a dad, no matter what," she said softly. "I'm sorry for not seeing that, and I'm sorry if you thought in any way that I didn't want you right here."

"Tell me what else I need to do to prove it to you and I'll do it. But never say that to me again, or I really will walk."

The thought of him leaving for good made her stomach sink, but she nodded at him. "I'm sorry," she repeated quietly.

"Go back to the motel, Carolyn. I still need to calm down."

"Fine." She turned around and walked away stiffly, picking up Kiska's car seat. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

He leaned against the window again. He was not the bad guy here, he wasn't in the wrong, and he was not going to be made to feel guilty for something he did not do.

Alex moved closer to her partner and slid her arm around him. "Get some sleep, Bobby," she murmured.

Bobby looked from her over toward Mike. He understood why he was hurt. He wanted to say more, but he had no energy left to offer anyone. He shifted sleepily and looked back at his partner through half-open eyes. The room was slowly spinning and he was close to sleep.

Alex couldn't help but smile at the sleepy look on her partner's face, and she reached over and pulled the blanket tighter around him. "Sleep, baby. And remember our deal."

"Deal?" he asked blearily.

She grinned and shook her head. "See? I told you you're fun like this," she teased, kissing his temple and gently smoothing his hair back.

Her gentle touch did him in and he couldn't fight it any longer. He slipped into oblivion.

She gently kissed his forehead, then looked at Mike. "You staying or going?" she questioned, resting her head against her partner's.

"I'll stay if you don't mind, at least for a little while."

"Fine." She draped her arm over her partner and gently pulled him into her arms. "Take the cot if you need to."

"I know I'm a pain in the ass, and I annoy the crap out of you. Sometimes I'm convinced you don't even like me much. But what did you tell her?"

She sighed tiredly. "Mike, I do like you. Hell, I even think of you as family. If I didn't, you wouldn't be standing after that little tiff you had with my partner."

He looked at the floor. "I still gotta make that up to him."

"That's between the two of you. I'm not saying anything else about it."

"Yeah. We'll be fine. But tell me, what did you say to Carolyn?"

"Mike..."

"Just tell me...you didn't try to convince her that I'm wrong, did you?"

"No, I didn't. Why would you think that?"

"Like I said, sometimes I just think you don't have a high opinion of me." He raised a hand to silence her. "I know...I'm not the best catch in the sea. And I don't take things seriously most of the time. I'm a hothead and I can be an ass. But I am sincere about this. I can't believe she would think I'd leave her in a lurch just because some damn blood test said I'm not her biological father. It doesn't take biology to make a good dad. And you don't need genetics to be a dad."

Alex looked at him for a moment, then carefully slid out of Bobby's embrace and stood up, walking over to Mike. "That," she murmured, "is probably the smartest thing I've ever heard you say."

"What? That I'm an ass? You just don't listen to me."

She smiled at him. "You're a good man, Mike, and I know you wouldn't walk away from her unless she asked you to. And even then, you would fight it. You love her and that baby, even if you're not exactly comfortable with her yet. But that doesn't matter, because you will be. I have no doubts about that. That's what I told Carolyn."

He stared at her as if she had grown a second head and was sprouting a third. "You're serious?"

"No, Mike. I just like hearing myself talk," she muttered sarcastically. "Of course I'm serious."

"I...I never knew you thought...I mean..." he sighed. "I thought you just put up with me because Bobby and I are friends."

She arched one eyebrow. "Are you serious? Mike, I would think that you know me better than that. Especially with everything that's happened this past month."

"I'm not a profiler, Alex. I never pretended to be one. I can't read people like your boyfriend can. I'm used to people...not liking me."

"And it takes a hell of a lot to make me dislike people."

He held his hands out. "It doesn't take much for me to turn people off. I still don't know for sure how he puts up with me."

"Think about it for a moment, Mike. I trusted you enough to get through to my partner when I couldn't. Name one other person I would trust to do that."

He laughed quietly. "I appreciate that, Alex. But can you think of another person who would even have a chance of getting through to him?"

"Other than us? Not one."

"I came to the same conclusion."

She smiled at him. "Other than you, I don't think I could trust anyone to reach him. I almost took off Munch's head because he was upsetting Bobby."

Mike sighed. "Okay, now that we're square about where you think I stand with Bobby...what about Carolyn? I really don't try to upset her...but this time...this time I didn't do anything wrong. For once I wasn't being an ass and I didn't deserve what she said."

She rubbed the back of her neck, then sat down in the chair. "Mike, I don't know what happened between the two of you. All I do know is that Carolyn was very upset when she came to me, and she was positive that whatever had happened, it was her fault."

"She hit that nail on the head. But you questioned that, or you should have, if you know me."

Rubbing her temple slowly, she said, "Mike, I don't know what happened between you two, so I couldn't jump out and say that she was wrong, that you had done everything. So I just told her what I know."

"I don't think I want to know what that was."

"I already told you what I told her."

He studied her face. "Bobby's a lucky guy, Alex. I always thought that." He touched her cheek. "Maybe I'll get going. I'm sorry I woke you guys up, but I really needed his...calm, and his insight. Good night, Alex."

He headed past her and headed for the door.

She watched him go, then called softly, "You're a good man, Mike. Don't forget that. And whether or not you want to believe it, I care about you. You would've been dead a long time ago if I didn't."

He stopped for a moment, then chuckled and turned to look at her. "You know...I believe that."

She grinned at him. "Good. Because I would've had to smack you upside the head if you didn't."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

"Night, Mike."

He walked out of the room and headed toward the elevators. Once he got to the lobby and left the hospital, he looked up and down the street. He had a choice, and his decision would be based on how unsettled he still felt. Back to the motel...or down to the bar. A couple of drinks wouldn't hurt. He could sure use the chance to unwind. Making up his mind, he headed toward the bar.

Mike sat on a barstool, looking into his drink. He had decided to have just a couple, enough to take the edge off the bitter hurt he was trying to get rid of. Maybe talking to Carolyn would help, but not if he was still angry. He didn't want to make things worse, and he knew how he got when he was pissed.

He was in the middle of taking a drink when someone stumbled into him, knocking the drink out of his hand. "Hey, watch where you're going," he growled.

The man who had stumbled into him was an inch or two shorter than he was, but he was much stockier. Taut muscle stretched the fabric of his t-shirt. Mike sized him up as he stepped back, folding bulky arms over a broad, solid chest. "You want to make something of it?" he snarled belligerently.

Mike was in no mood to deal with an arrogant drunk, but he had never backed down from a challenge either. He got off the barstool and stood up to his full height. "I don't think you want to mess with me, pal."

The man reminded him of a small mountain. Uncrossing his beefy arms, he glared at Mike and, without warning, swung. He hit hard, a jackhammer blow that sent Mike slamming into the bar. Half-drunk, angry and too stubborn for his own good, Mike got up from the floor and charged the mountain.

It took four men to break up the fight. The bartender pointed a finger in the mountain's face. "I warned you, Garrison. One more fight and that was it. Get the hell out of my bar before I call the cops."

Garrison glared at the bartender, then pulled away from the men who held him and stumbled out of the bar. The bartender turned to Mike. "And you..."

Mike held up a hand. "I don't want any trouble. I'm going."

He limped out of the bar, favoring an injured knee. He felt blood rolling down the side of his face, but he ignored it. Why did things keep going from bad to worse for him?

She didn't know why, but she didn't head back to the motel right away. Instead, she drove around for a while to help calm herself. Kiska was sleeping in the backseat, and she had the radio turned up a little.

As she continued down the street, she saw a man limping down the sidewalk, and she slowed the car down to ask if he was all right. But as she pulled up alongside the man, she froze. "Mike?" There was no other traffic around, so she pulled the car over and jumped out, rushing over to check on him. "Mike, are you all right?"

He pulled away from her, then stopped himself. He shook his head and looked at her. "Yeah...yeah, I'm okay."

She could see the blood on the side of his face, and she took a shaky breath. "No, you're hurt. Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

He hesitated a moment, before deciding that having her help him get cleaned up wasn't particularly a bad idea. He moved unsteadily toward the car.

She saw him falter, and she quickly wrapped her arm around his waist to steady him. Then she helped him to the car.

He didn't resist her help, gently wrapping his arm around her and letting her guide him to the car. Once in the passenger seat, he leaned back and softly groaned. "This is gonna hurt in the morning."

She shook her head and carefully shut his door, then walked back around to the driver's side. Without a word, she slid into the driver's seat and started the car.

Once they were moving, she glanced at him and gripped the steering wheel tightly. "You're a mess," she muttered, staring at the road ahead of her.

"Yeah...I figured."

She sighed and reached out, resting her hand gently on his leg. "I'm glad you're okay."

"I suppose okay is a matter of perspective, 'cause if you ask me, I've never been 'okay'."

She withdrew her hand and rested it on the steering wheel again. "Well, you're in one piece, and you're not too drunk. That's all I'm concerned about right now. That and getting you cleaned up and in bed. You're probably going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow."

"That's a given."

"I suppose it is." The rest of the ride went by in silence, and when she pulled into the parking lot of the motel, she turned the car off and said, "Stay right there."

He looked at her curiously but he had been in enough arguments tonight. He wasn't up to another one.

She climbed out of the car and carefully retrieved Kiska's car seat, then shut the door and walked back over to Mike's door. Very carefully, she opened his door and helped him out. "I'm not going to let you fall flat on your face," she muttered, sliding her arm around his waist again as she kicked the door shut.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

The first thought that popped into his head was where was that concern earlier, when she all but accused him of walking out on her when he'd done no such thing. But, wisely for once, he kept his mouth shut and just let her help him to the room.

Once she had gotten them into the room, she reluctantly released her hold on Mike, then placed Kiska's car seat on the bed. Then she opened her suitcase and began sifting through it.

Finally she found the first aid kit, and she closed the suitcase and stood up again. "Sit down, Mike," she said quietly, opening the kit. "Please."

He waved a hand. "Get the baby settled first. I'm not going to bleed to death."

She ignored him. "She's fine, Mike. But you're bleeding all over the place."

He gently grasped her wrist. "Get her out of her car seat, babe, and get her comfortable. I'll go bleed in the bathroom."

"Fine." She put the kit down, then walked over to her daughter's car seat. "Come on, beautiful," she murmured, picking Kiska up and crossing the floor to lay her in the playpen. After covering her with a blanket, she grabbed the first aid kit again and walked into the bathroom.

He was sitting on the side of the bathtub, watching the blood drip from the side of his face onto the tile floor.

She grabbed a wash cloth and dampened it with warm water, then crouched down in front of Mike. With gentle hands, she reached out and cupped his cheek, then slowly wiped the blood away that had trickled down the side of his face.

He winced when she got to the nasty laceration that ran from his temple to his cheekbone. "Ow..."

"Sorry, babe. It's a nasty cut," she murmured, reaching for the peroxide.

"Wanna get me a scotch and soda?"

She shook her head as she smiled. "Not a chance." Pulling away, she said, "This is probably going to hurt." Then she opened the black bottle and laid the cap on the floor.

"How about bourbon...Jack and coke?"

"Dream on, baby." She carefully grasped his chin and gently tilted his head to the side. "Don't move."

When the peroxide touched the side of his head, he launched himself off the side of the tub, slamming into the doorjamb. He fell back against the door and swore.

She set the bottle down and moved over to his side, gently grasping his shoulders. "Are you okay?" she demanded, instinctively moving her hands over his body.

"No, I'm not okay. I'm bleeding and I just ran into a door." He thought about that and started laughing. "God...this is going to hurt in the morning."

She fell back and sighed, shaking her head. "Oh yeah, tomorrow is definitely going to be fun," she muttered, grabbing a piece of gauze from the kit. Tucking her legs under her, she tenderly cupped his cheek in her hand and blew softly against the wound.

"What are you doing?"

"Drying the peroxide so I can put the gauze on it," she answered softly.

He sighed. "Keep doing that."

She smiled and continued to blow softly against the wound. A few moments later, she gently placed the gauze against it. "Is there anywhere else that hurts?" she asked.

"My eye."

She looked at his eye and groaned. "You're going to have a nice shiner. I'll go get some ice," she murmured, carefully taping the gauze in place.

"Hurry back."

She nodded and gently kissed the injured area. Then she rose to her feet and said, "Stay right here."

He slid down to the floor and leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes and waiting for her to return.

A few minutes later, she returned with a bowl of ice, several plastic bags, and a wad of paper towels. Easing into the bathroom, she set her supplies down and crouched down in front of him. "Hey, I'm back."

"Missed you," he muttered.

She smiled and filled one of the bags with ice, wrapping it in several paper towels before she gently pressed it to his eye.

"You were limping. Did you hurt your leg too?" she asked, gently picking up his hand and guiding it to hold the ice pack over his injured eye.

He held the ice pack over his eye and murmured, "I, um, I think he kicked me in the knee. Wuss..."

She reached down and gently rolled up his pant's leg, frowning deeply. "That's really going to hurt tomorrow," she said quietly, making another ice pack and carefully pressing it against his knee.

He groaned and settled back against the wall. "I think I'll just stay here for the night."

She looked up at him. "No, we need to get you onto one of the beds, or the pain will be even worse. I can promise you that."

"But it's cool down here...and comfortable."

"I'm sure. But you're not sleeping here." She rose to her feet and began putting the supplies away. Once she was done, she stood in front of Mike and extended her hand to him. "Come on. Let's get you into bed before the stiffness really sets in."

He set his hand in hers and tried to stand, stumbling a few steps toward the bathtub.

She quickly wrapped her arms around him and steadied him. "Slow down, Mike," she urged, tightening her arm around him.

He rested his head against the wall and snickered. "I suppose a shower's out of the question?"

"Not unless you can stay on your feet for ten minutes by yourself, tough guy."

She looked him up and down, then gently pulled him in the direction of the beds. "Come on, Mike. We both need a little sleep."

He groaned as he sprawled across the center of the bed. He watched the room spin around him for a few minutes before he laughed, then closed his eyes and faded out.

She looked at him oddly, then sat down on the bed beside him. "Idiot," she muttered, gently straightening his legs out before she pulled the blanket around his sleeping form. She stayed awake for a little while longer, and when he reached out for her in his sleep, she was surprised, but didn't fight him. Instead, she stretched out beside him and leaned against his chest. "Good night, Mike," she whispered before sleep claimed her.

The sound of her daughter's whimpers woke her, and she opened her eyes and groaned. She tried to move, but Mike's strong arm was wrapped tightly around her, and she gently pushed it away. "What's wrong, baby girl?" she asked, carefully sliding out of the bed and walking over to the playpen. Kiska looked up at her with bright eyes, and she smiled and picked her up, then sat on the empty bed.

After changing her diaper, Carolyn settled back against the pillows and moved her shirt away, then settled her down so she could nurse.

She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was after eleven, and she groaned. She needed to go to the hospital... they needed to go, to find out the results of the DNA test. Kiska stopped nursing, and she absently placed her on her shoulder and began patting her back gently.

After burping her, Carolyn stood up and laid Kiska in the playpen again. Then she walked over to Mike's bed and sat down, running her hand along his side. He stirred, but didn't waken, and she slid her hand under his shirt and caressed the bare skin beneath. "Mike..."

His eyes still didn't open, and she rested her hands on either side of his body, suspending herself over him. Then she leaned down and pressed her lips against his neck. "Mikey..." she murmured in a low, teasing voice. "Open those eyes for me." She moved from his neck to drop soft kisses on his eyes.

He groaned and tried to turn over, but something had him pinned to the mattress. His eyelids fluttered and opened as he squinted against the light. Slowly Carolyn came into focus. "Uh, morning."

"Good morning, yourself," she murmured, ducking her head to brush her lips against his. She brushed her fingertips lightly against the gauze on the side of his head, and her forehead crinkled. "How are you feeling?"

"Did you see me last night?"

"Yes..."

"And you have to ask?"

She swallowed the retort. "Just checking. Come on, we have to get ready."

"Ready? For?"

"We're going to go find out about the paternity results," she answered, reluctantly pushing herself upright.

"Oh, man...is that today?"

"Sure is."

"All right...all right...let me shower and see if I can turn myself back into a human."

She grinned. "No way, buddy. I'm getting my shower first."

"Not if I get there first."

She leaned over and kissed him deeply, then pushed herself off the bed and took off toward the bathroom.

"Hey! That's cheating." He struggled to his feet, then stumbled as his knee gave out beneath him. He landed on the other bed with a groan. "Oh, man..." He got to his feet, walking carefully toward the bathroom. "Hey, baby...how about...well, got room in there for me?"

She opened the door and began unbuttoning her shirt. "Only you," she said, trying to keep a disinterested look on her face but failing miserably.

"Here. Let me help you with that," he offered, limping forward.

She looked at him, then awkwardly pulled it over her head. "Too late," she teased, tossing her shirt onto the floor.

"Baby, baby...don't tease...I have the hangover from hell."

Her smirk faded, and she walked over to him and pulled him into her arms. "Okay, no more teasing," she murmured, running her hands over his back.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her hands along his back.

She craned her head up to kiss his cheek, then she said, "Still up for that shower?"

"Oh, yeah..."

She smirked and allowed her arms to drop to her sides, then walked back into the bathroom.

He was right behind her.

She walked over to the shower and turned the water on, then wiggled out of her jeans.

He had a lot more trouble getting out of his clothes. His muscles were stiff and sore, his knee wasn't holding his weight and he was still a little unsteady courtesy of his hangover.

When she noticed that he wasn't right behind her, she stepped out of her jeans and walked over to him. "Here," she murmured, sliding his shirt carefully over his head, then moving to unfasten his jeans.

"Easy...my knee's not cooperating very well right now."

She nodded and carefully slid his jeans down. "I am."

As she lowered his jeans, she knelt down in front of him and examined his knee, which had turned a ghastly mixture of green and purple. Without hesitating, she leaned forward and gently kissed the injury.

He shuddered and almost fell over. "Can we just shower, so I can get off the damn thing."

She stood up again and peeled her panties off, then unfastened her bra and dropped it to the floor. "Come on," she murmured, stepping into the shower.

"Oh, man..." He followed her into the shower.

She stood under the pulsating water, closing her eyes as she allowed her muscles to relax.

He came up behind her, running his hands over her wet skin. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..."

She grinned and reached for the shampoo. "Hey, I'm getting a shower," she said innocently.

"No comment..."

She gently smacked his hand, then poured the liquid into her hand and began massaging it into her thick curls.

After a few moments, she rinsed her hair, then picked up a bottle of body wash. "Turn around," she purred, squirting a large amount of the liquid soap into her hand.

He did as she asked, careful to keep his balance when his knee buckled.

She gently pushed him to the wall, keeping one hand on his waist to prevent him from falling. Then she began gently washing his back with the body wash. "I won't let you fall," she murmured softly as she leaned over to kiss his shoulder.

He sighed softly and rested his forehead against the tile.

She took a step back, keeping her hand on his waist as she let the water wash away the soap on his back. Once the soap was gone, she washed her own body, then rinsed herself and reached over to turn the water off.

Once the water stopped, he said, "Well, that didn't work."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "I had fun," she replied.

"Fun, yeah, but I still don't feel human."

She reached out and grabbed two towels, handing one to him as she said, "Well, then let's go get you some aspirin and coffee, huh?"

"Lots of coffee," he muttered as he limped out of the bathroom, searching for his bag amidst all the baby stuff.

She followed him out of the bathroom, wrapping a second towel around her head to dry her hair. After checking on her sleeping daughter, she reached into her suitcase and picked out a change of clothes. "Do you want to get something to eat before we go up there?" she asked as she dried herself off and began putting her clothes on.

"I said nothing about eating. I said coffee."

"Mike Logan, not hungry? That's a first," she teased, buttoning her jeans.

"So after you eat, what are we doing?"

"I'm not really hungry. Let's just go to the hospital."

"Nervous?"

"More than you know."

"Let me get dressed...I know my bag is around here someplace...and we'll get going."

She nodded and continued to dry her hair.

It took him long enough to find his bag and struggle into his clothes to annoy him, which just added to his already throbbing head and sick stomach.

She watched him struggle with his clothes, and once he was dressed, she picked up her daughter and carefully strapped her into her car seat. "Ready to go?" she asked, slinging Kiska's diaper bag over her shoulder.

He rubbed his temple. "Sure. I guess so."

She headed toward the door, pausing for a moment to touch his arm. Then she opened the door. "Come on, cowboy," she smiled, stepping out of the room.

Limping, he followed her out to the car. For once, he had no problem letting her drive.

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"Here goes nothing," she said softly as they arrived at the door of the lab.

He touched her back. "I don't know what you're nervous about. You know you're her mother."

"That doesn't make me less nervous," she muttered.

"Why? We went through this yesterday. The baby is gonna have a dad no matter what that paper shows."

"I know. I don't even know why I'm nervous. It's hard to explain." She sighed and rubbed her temple. "I've been nervous and worried since the day she was born. I don't think anything can make that go away."

He leaned in, bringing his lips close to her ear. "Let me recover from this hangover and I'll be happy to try."

She smiled. "Try all you want, but I'm pretty sure it comes with the territory."

"Don't count on it."

She turned her head and kissed him softly, then pulled away and opened the door. "Let's go."

He followed her through the door into the lab, wondering if the knot in his stomach was from his hangover or from what the paper Carolyn was going to get would reveal.

Carolyn walked into the lab with Mike right behind her. "Hi, can somebody help us?" she asked one of the lab technicians.

"Sure. What can I do for you?"

"I'm here to pick up the results of a paternity test on my daughter."

"Name?"

"Kiska Barek."

"Hold on."

The tech returned after a few moments and handed her a sealed envelope. "Here you are."

She accepted the envelope. "Thank you."

Tucking the envelope under her arm, she walked back out of the lab and into the hallway. "Are we... should we go to Bobby's room?" she wondered quietly as she looked at the envelope.

Logan nodded. "I think that would be considerate."

She nodded in response, then took a step in the direction of Bobby's room. "Your leg okay?" she asked, turning her head.

"No, but keep going before I stiffen up and you have to carry me piggyback the rest of the way."

She allowed a smile at that, then headed down the hall.

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"I wonder where they are?" Alex mused as she toyed with the small wooden squares.

"Right here," Carolyn said as she and Mike walked into the room.

Alex grinned at them. "Great timing."

"So I've been told," Carolyn said, glancing pointedly at Mike.

Mike looked at Alex, half-amused. "I could always kidnap your partner again."

"Bobby, where's that copy of the Smithsonian?" she asked, poking her partner gently.

Mike pointed a finger at him. "Don't you dare. That sucker hurts!"

Bobby gave Alex a grin. "He has a point. And he's not a bug."

"Really? Could've fooled me," she snarked, moving to sit beside him.

He kissed her softly and turned back to the game, setting out five tiles to build on her letter 'g'. E-N-E-R-G-Y.

She sighed and fell back against the pillows. "Damn it, how do you always sucker me into playing this?"

He grinned and leaned closer to whisper, "I know how to beg just right."

She gently pushed him away and dumped her tiles onto the board. "You win. We're done," she announced, grinning impishly at him.

"For now," he smirked.

Carolyn cleared her throat. "Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds, but I've got something we all need to hear."

Bobby looked at her. "What's that?"

She set Kiska's car seat and diaper bag on the floor, then pulled the envelope from under her arm. "The paternity results," she answered quietly as she opened the manila envelope with trembling hands.

"Oh...So what are you waiting for?"

Slowly she slid the paper out of the envelope, and her eyes carefully scanned it until they reached the answer. As it registered in her mind, she sank back in the chair, resting her hand on her stomach. "Oh, my God, it-it's not him..." she whispered, pressing her fist to her mouth.

Mike looked at Bobby, who raised his eyebrows. Mike shrugged. It wasn't him...that meant...it was one of them. Bobby looked worried, and Mike knew why. As fond as he was of the little girl, he really did want Mike to be her father. And now...Mike didn't know what he wanted.

Several more long seconds went by, and finally Alex slid out of the bed and carefully took the paper from Carolyn, who just leaned forward and buried her face in her hands.

Alex glanced at her partner, then scanned the sheet until she found what she was looking for. "Mike, she's yours," she said softly.

Mike did not miss the relief in Bobby's face or his body. He had really been worried, and he wondered if it even had anything to do with genetics any more as he looked at Alex. She was also awash with relief, her eyes locked on her partner's. Mike didn't move. He had a flood of mixed feelings about this...oh, shit...he was a father...

Alex slowly handed the paper to Mike, then returned to the bed, wrapping her arms tightly around her partner. She was split between relief and guilt. Relief that the baby wasn't Bobby's, and guilt for even thinking or feeling that way.

Bobby slid his arm around his partner, hugging her to him and glancing at Mike, who was looking increasingly shell-shocked. "Mike?" he said softly.

Slowly, it dawned on Mike that someone had called his name and he looked toward the bed. Bobby tipped his head to the side, curiously, and Mike realized he was the one who had spoken. "I...don't know..." he whispered, hung over and sore and in shock, entirely uncertain of what he felt...other than sick to his stomach. But he didn't want Carolyn to think he was rejecting her or the baby, so he swallowed his nausea and tried to look...less green.

Carolyn finally moved her hands away from her face, but kept her eyes glued to the floor.

"Carolyn, are you okay?" Alex asked softly, but Carolyn didn't answer.

Bobby gently nudged her and motioned toward Carolyn with his head, encouraging her.

She nodded and slid off of the bed, crouching down in front of Carolyn. "Hey, are you all right?" she asked again, gently touching her knee. She still didn't respond.

Bobby threw a pillow at Mike, who glared at him. He motioned him closer. When he stepped within striking range, Bobby smacked him and growled, "Stop looking so sick, dammit."

Defensively, Mike protested, "I...I have a hangover...I do feel sick."

"Well, hide it, for Pete's sake, you moron."

"I'd like to see you...oh, never mind...you never fucking look hungover."

"Take a hint, then. You want to upset her?"

Mike glanced across the room. "Too late. She already looks upset...and she hasn't even looked over here."

Bobby smacked him again. "Don't make it worse."

"Can I hide under the bed again?"

"Again? What do you mean again?"

"Never mind." He sank down in a chair. "What am I going to do?"

"Get over there and talk to her, idiot."

"And say what? I'm sorry."

"You want to take a trip out that window?"

"Okay, okay...keep your shirt on...or maybe...put a shirt on..."

"Just get over there."

Carolyn still hadn't moved, and Alex's frown had deepened. She looked over her shoulder at Bobby and Mike, then back to Carolyn. She finally started to speak in a very quiet voice, and Alex leaned in closer to hear her.

"...should've seen it," she whispered, and Alex squeezed her knee.

"Seen what, Carolyn?" she pried gently.

"Her eyes... they have green flecks..." She took a shaky breath. "I just got... everything I wanted, and I don't know what to do."

Alex nodded. "I think he's just as shocked as you are."

Carolyn finally moved her hands and looked at her daughter- their daughter. They had had a child... she wasn't Cumming's... she was theirs. She leaned back in the chair, but her eyes still didn't meet his.

She's Mike's! a voice in her head screamed, and she finally looked up at Mike's ashen face.

Mike walked around the bed and stood there, watching Carolyn, uncertain of her reaction. She didn't seem happy...and he had no idea what to make of it. He looked at Bobby, who nodded at him. When he looked back at her, she was looking his way and he tried not to panic.

She saw him take a step towards her, and with a soft sigh, she stood up and walked over to him, stopping just short of actually touching him.

He had no idea what to do, what she wanted him to do, so he just stood there, staring at her.

He wasn't moving, so she reached a tentative hand out and pressed her palm against his chest.

He fought hard not to tremble, and he looked down at her hand. Then he raised his eyes to meet hers, still confused by her reaction and unsure of his own.

Her hand balled his shirt, and she closed the distance, wrapping her other arm around his waist and resting her head against his chest.

He hugged her, kissing her head. "So...is this a...good thing, or a bad one?"

Another pillow hit him and he shot a look at Bobby.

She tightened her arm around him, whispering, "I love her, and I love you. How could this be bad?"

Alex grinned at Bobby's assault on Mike, and she curled into his side. "He can be an idiot sometimes," she whispered low enough so only Bobby could hear.

"Sometimes?" he returned. He wanted to discuss this with her, but knew it was best to wait. He kissed the side of her head and leaned back on the mattress.

Carolyn felt a tear fall, and she stayed there in Mike's embrace for a few more moments, then slowly pulled away. "Say something, Mike," she urged quietly. "Please?"

He shrugged hopelessly. "Like what?"

She shrugged. "I...I don't know." Then she turned around and walked over to Kiska's car seat, bending over to pick the snuffling baby up. Slowly, she walked back over to the chair and sat down, looking at Bobby and Alex, then Mike. "I am just so... thankful that Cummings isn't her father." She almost spat the last word out.

She retrieved a bottle from the diaper bag and rested Kiska in the crook of her arm, and the baby eagerly latched onto the bottle. The tension was getting to be too much, and finally she said, "So, how about them Yankees?"

"You make being a father sound like a friggin' crime and then you ask about the Yankees?" He threw his hands up in exasperation. "Where does that leave me?"

"Out in left field?" Bobby offered.

That sent Alex into laughter, and soon both she and Carolyn were trying to catch their breaths from laughing so hard.

Mike stood near the foot of the bed, hands on his hips, glaring at his friend. Bobby shrugged and gave him an innocent grin.

Finally, Carolyn stopped laughing, and she stood up and walked over to Mike. "It's not a crime," she said, gently pulling him to face her. "And even if he had been, I guess it wouldn't have been the worst thing, because either way, I have you." She turned her head and smiled at Bobby. "And you and Alex too, Bobby."

Bobby gave her a gentle smile. "Just a phone call away," he assured her.

"And if he's there, I'm not too far behind," Alex added with a grin of her own.

"I'd imagine. I just need to be careful about when I call, right?" Carolyn joked.

Bobby's eyes strayed to his partner, and he made no attempt to hide the passion in them. His fingers brushed over bare skin and he let out a soft sigh.

Carolyn's smile disappeared, and she groaned. "Okay, knock it off. Do I need to get a squirt bottle?"

"Depends," Bobby muttered. "What are you going to put in it?" His eyes sparkled with a playful mischief. "If I remember right, Carolyn..."

"Shut up!" she snapped playfully.

Alex looked at Mike and poked her partner.

"What?" he objected.

She fell back against the pillows, then waited a moment before grabbing his sides playfully.

With a cross between a groan and a chuckle, he covered her mouth with his. He was feeling much better and lately his thoughts were preoccupied...by her.

Carolyn groaned again and turned away from them, facing Mike again. "Now I know how you feel. Do they ever stop?"

Mike finally grinned. "Nah. It's about time, huh?"

She smirked. "Definitely. Two of the world's greatest detectives, my foot," she said with a laugh. She looked down at her daughter- their daughter, and a thoughtful smile crossed her face.

"Want to feed her?" she asked softly.

"Um...not yet...er, not right now...hangover, remember?"

She nodded. "Okay." Kiska began squirming and snuffling in her arms, and she settled her into the crook of one arm and offered her the bottle, which she latched onto eagerly. Making content little noises, Kiska closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into her mother's arms.

She watched her daughter for a few moments, then looked up at Mike. "You... uh, ready to go?" she asked quietly, nodding at Bobby and Alex, who were still kissing.

"Yeah. Let's get outta here before we see something she shouldn't see for another twenty...uh, forty years."

She grinned and nodded toward the diaper bag and car seat. "Can you get that? If I take her bottle away now..."

"Yeah, I got it." He stooped over and picked up a pillow, tossing it back at the bed as he grabbed the two items. "Later, guys."

Alex pulled away from Bobby long enough to glare at Mike. "Smithsonian..." she threatened.

"Yeah...yeah...Go back to what you were doing."

She grinned and pulled Bobby in for another kiss.

With a soft groan, he melted into her embrace.

Carolyn rolled her eyes and headed out of the room, with Mike behind her. Once in the hall, she said, "Let's get back to the motel so I can get your pants off and take a look at that leg."

"You get my pants off and you'll have to deal with more than my friggin knee."

She grinned. "I know. You owe me another shower."

TBC...

A/N: Well, there ya'll have it, everybody. Mike's Kiska's daddy. Next chapter, we see how everyone's handling the news. Thanks for reading, and please drop us a line and let us know how we're doing!