A/N: Long time no see. I've been travelling and also a bit blocked about how to keep the story fresh. I hope you're all still interested in my tale. But first bear with me while I ramble on about some old business.

In response to comments. Re. Nicole Wallace, I enjoyed writing the previous chapter with all of it's psychology. Love her or hate her, she was the only reoccurring major character outside of the core crime fighting group. However, if you want to read a child abduction plot let me steer you toward 'Prospect Park'. In this work, I'll (mostly) explore the havoc she can reek in absentia.

I would also like to say, that if you view Wallace as a foil for Goren, rather then a mortal threat or a potential love interest, she is very useful, in helping us understand his motivations (much more so then Gyson). To the guest commenter, I have read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 'A Scandal in Bohemia.' It's a perfect snapshot of Sherlock Holmes. In it you can see the inspiration for (even some physical mannerisms of) Robert Goren. Also as the guest commenter mentioned, it clarifies the fascination with Irene Adler and by extension Nicole Wallace.

Re. the canon question. I say 'welcome to the gap.' I'm writing about all the things we didn't see on CI, and referencing a few of the things we did, to anchor the story. You have to understand canon thoroughly to see how fact and fiction weave together here. Some of the things I flesh out were actual scenes, some of them are scene continuations, others are personal deduction (very Holmesian of me ;-), and others still were things only alluded to. Or, you can just say 'screw the details' and take this story on its face, as a nice angsty romance and an exploration of the human condition. Either way, I like readers :)

PS. vdofan let me know that if you pause 'Great Barrier' over the paperwork in Goren's hands, Nicole's baby's given name is actually Hannah June. Whoops. I've done a lot of pausing and zooming, but I missed that. I may alter chapter 36 at some point to reflect that piece of canon.

Thanks for reading.