Bobby and Nola looked at one another. "I don't like that look Goren." Nola said. Bobby shifted in his chair and reached for the cane. "I know what you're thinking, and I'm NOT gonna help you!" She continued.

"Who's asking?" He said pushing himself up.

"Goren lets just wait for them to call. They're gonna call, probably any minute."

"Yeah well, while I wait for the call I can pack a bag."

"Pack a bag? You can hardly stand, you got one arm, one leg…what use will you be to anyone?" He wasn't listening so she moved to intercept him. Hands on her hips she stood in his path.

"Really Falacci, I have about a 150 pounds on you…"

She reached up and pressed her hand against his chest, over the bandaged area she could see outlined under his shirt. Bobby flinched and took an unsteady step back; fixing her with an expression that could only be described as part pain, part fury, and part frustration. Before either could say anything there was a knock at the door and both their cell phones rang. Their cell phones were on the desk next to Bobby's laptop where'd they been watching the interrogation. Falacci moved quickly to pick them up and handed Bobby his as she answered hers and went to the door to let Oscar into the apartment.

"Alex!" Bobby said into his phone.

"Bobby, you saw?"

"Yeah. What was that? What was he talking about?"

"I don't know. It fits though, we found footprints at the Rt. 17 site, clearly a women's boot. Nothing substantial but, you know even though we are all trying to be rational here, Mike's got one of his hunches, and I feel like it's a lead…."

"I'm coming up there."

"What! No you're not."

"Alex…."

"No Bobby. Dammit I KNEW you'd react like this. So help me if you show up here we are through! AND I'll put you in for a reprimand!"

"No you won't."

"Probably not, but you are in no condition…Bobby I need you to heal, get better. If you come charging up here and have some kind of relapse…just tell me what do you think you could accomplish by coming up here?"

"I'd be with you." He said softly, longingly.

It was times like this that frustrated Alex most; the times when Bobby revealed his vulnerable side, the insecurities that made her want to hold him. How many times in their acquaintance had she wanted to do just that? "Please Bobby, for me, stay put."

"You know I would do anything for you."

"Then stay there. Give me your word you wont try and come up here Bobby."

"You have it."

"Thank you. When do you expect Oscar?"

"He's here now."

"May I speak with him, please?"

"Uh, ok." He looked around and saw Oscar politely minding his own business as he unpacked his medical bag, and waved him over.

He took the phone from Bobby, "The partner?" He asked and Bobby nodded. "Hola Partner!" Oscar said into the phone.

'Hello Oscar, my name's Alex, I work with Bobby."

"I know, he told me about you."

"Oh, ok. Well, I just wanted to know how you think Bobby is doing. Do you think he'll be able to travel soon?"

"He's doing good; his wounds are starting to close so we can work the muscles now. He's is the best patient. Does everything I tell him. But, maybe Thursday, or Friday? Then maybe he can travel."

"Thank you Oscar, I am very glad to hear it."

"You want him back to work by Monday, eh?"

"I'd like that very much, but I don't want to rush him."

"I won't let him rush. Maybe he'll have to sit at the desk a little while, no chasing criminals over fences, like on TV!"

"OK," Alex said chuckling. She definitely liked Oscar. "Can I talk to him again?"

"But of course. Bye partner." He said, handing the phone to back Bobby.

"Satisfied now?" Bobby asked into the phone.

"Yes. Thank you. We will probably be back before then, but Oscar says you could probably travel by Thursday, if not. Maybe you could come up then."

"Count on it." Bobby said. There was an uncharacteristic silence between them for a moment, and then Bobby asked, "What's your next move?"

"We're going to bring in the passenger of the Impala and go over him to corroborate the driver's story. I have a hunch of my own though, I want to go over the site of the Impala crash. We didn't really canvas the area, just impounded the car, but I think maybe we had better."

"What do you expect to find there?"

"Like I said, it's only a hunch, but I think we might just find ladies size boot prints in the snow."

"Please be careful Alex."

"I will. Mike and Hannah will probably be with me, and a couple large, capable State Troopers, a Forest Ranger or two, maybe even the K-9 unit." Alex sighed, "I don't want to hang up, but I have to get going Bobby…."

"Wait, Alex, I have one more question. Did Hannah ever tell you if he talked to the Chief of Ds about the security detail being recalled?"

Now Alex was uncomfortable. She didn't want to lie to Bobby. They had finally resolved the trust issues they had encountered in their partnership. "You know Bobby, I think you should probably talk to Hannah about that."

"I want to. I have been waiting about 24 hours for him to call me back!" Alex said nothing. "You know something, don't you?"

"Bobby, I don't know the details and I don't want to misinform you. You really need to talk to the Captain."

"Yeah? Why don't you just tell me what you know?"

"Look, I can't. I'm not at liberty to discuss it…"

"What! 'Not at liberty to discuss it?' Alex, this is ME you're talking to, not some witness!"

"OK, remember when you went undercover, remember how you obeyed orders, maybe for the first time in your career? Well, that's what I'm doing now. I'm obeying orders! Something you know damn well I've always done!"

"So that's what this is, payback? Really Alex?"

"Oh come on Bobby! You know better than that! I just need you to understand where I'm coming from." Was this the first fight of their new relationship? Alex didn't like how this felt at all. In the past when they argued the degree of emotional investment was less intense simply because they had refused to acknowledge their feelings for one another. If only they could be together, this wouldn't be happening.

"I'm sorry Alex. I've got cabin fever here. I really don't like being on the outside like this. I shouldn't be putting you in the middle. Look, tell Hannah to call. Falacci has been stuck here. She really needs to go home to her family. There is absolutely NOTHING suspicious going on outside."

"OK, well he's been out all morning in a helicopter with the State Forestry service. I'll tell him to call you soon as he gets back, ok?"

"Ok." There was a tense silence between them now. "Alex, I really am sorry."

"I know. It's just that you act like you're the only one struggling with this separation, like I don't miss you as much as you miss me."

" 'MISS' no longer describes how I am feeling Alex. Now knowing someone is after you specifically…and I can't do ANYTHING about it…but you're right, I am being selfish. I wish I could do more than say 'I'm sorry.' "

Alex didn't want to end their conversation on this tense truce so she said, "You're forgiven. And next time you see me, well, you can do more than just say you're sorry."

Bobby sighed, letting his breath out slowly. "Alex, stay safe, please."

"I will. Good-bye Bobby."

"Good-bye." Bobby said and hung up his phone. He turned and saw Nola watching him. He had to assume she had heard at least some of his conversation with Alex, but at the moment he didn't really care if she'd been able to glean the depths of his feelings for Alex.

"Look, Goren. I'm sorry. About before, I…."

"Forget it. I know you meant well. But if you ever do it again, I'll shoot you!"

Nola laughed. "Ok, deal."