Eames had a healthy and uneventful pregnancy. Her father or her sister accompanied her to her maternity appointments, and she asked Goren to take her twice. She always tried to include Ricky first, even though he wanted nothing to do with the entire process. He was still angry with her for getting pregnant in the first place and he constantly told her that since she got herself into that condition, she could deal with it herself. He refused to acknowledge that he had even had a hand in it, since he hadn't wanted kids at all.

During her first week of maternity leave, Eames became bored and restless, so she called Barek, to see if she was interested in getting together with their partners and keeping her company. There was no way she was going to have anyone, most especially not her partner, at her house when Ricky got home after his shift ended at three, so they made arrangements to go out.

Late April in the city is a nice time of year and it was nice outside. It was Saturday, and no active cases were being investigated, so no one had to go in to work. Since Eames wanted to spend time outside, they went to Central Park.

Barek picked Eames up at her house and they met Goren and Logan at the park. When they got there, they found them in the middle of a rough game of one-on-one football. Barek laughed. "You need to watch this."

"There's only two of them. What's the objective?"

"Well, the guy who receives the ball has to get it past the other one without getting tackled. Sounds simple, but it can get really rough. You know how competitive Mike gets. Bobby can get just as rough. This is good for them—they don't hold back at all."

"Do they ever get hurt?"

"Sometimes. Mike sprained his ankle once, and Bobby damn near broke his arm. Usually it's bruises or minor bloodshed—laceration here or there or a bloody nose, but they've both ended up with concussions. I have never heard either of them complain, though. You should have seen them play in the snow."

"I've been missing a lot, haven't I?"

Barek sighed. "I wish you hadn't. We all do."

Eames watched the game, cringing when Logan hit Goren hard, shoulder to gut. But they both got up and continued with the game. "When I became his partner, few people would have anything much to do with him. No one understood him or was even willing to give him a chance. I understand why, but over time, things changed. Everyone said I was the one who changed him, but I don't think that's the case. I never tried to change him."

"When I came to the squad, Mike really resented him. He gradually came to respect him, but when you got married, and he stepped into a friendship with him, everything changed. I think this is the only good thing that's come out of your marriage."

Eames cringed again. "It won't be if they kill each other."

Barek laughed. "You get used to it. I have no idea why, but they really like this game. They aren't much gentler when they play basketball either."

When the game was over, Barek ran over to one of the vendors and got a couple of hot dogs and some soda. Goren and Logan sat on the grass near the bench and ate. Logan looked at Eames. "Are you sure you should be eating a hot dog? That can't be good for the baby."

"Try to take it away."

He held up his hands. "No way. You want it, enjoy!"

She studied the two exhausted men. Logan had a small laceration on his left temple and Goren's right eye was already bruising. "So is the object of your game to see who can inflict the most harm on the other?"

Goren was lying on the grass, watching the clouds travel across the sapphire sky. "Sometimes," he admitted.

Logan shrugged. "Today was kind of tame."

"Tame?"

She looked at Barek, who nodded. "I've seen them play much rougher. I played with them a couple of times, but they seem to get hurt worse when they try to hold back."

Logan grinned. "I like my partner. I don't want to kill her." He looked at Goren and nudged him in the leg. "Wake up."

"I'm awake."

Eames quietly said, "Let's go for a walk."

Goren lifted his head off the ground to look at her. "You sure you're up for it."

"I'm not going to break, Goren. Yes, I'm up for it." She smiled. "I didn't just play tackle and kill."

He laughed as he got up off the ground. Logan also laughed. "If it's all the same to you, I'm going to just sit here and take it easy."

Goren looked concerned for a moment. "You get hurt?"

"My knee's still sore from last weekend."

Barek said "If Deakins ever saw you guys play that, he'd have a heart attack. I'll stay here with you, Mike. Another hot dog sounds good. You want one?"

He nodded. "Make mine with kraut, please."

Eames headed off down the path with her partner. She watched the activity around them, noticing the buds beginning to open on the tree limbs. "I love spring in the city. Everything comes back to life."

She stopped suddenly. He turned to her, concerned, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She took his hand and placed it on her swollen belly so he could feel the baby kick.

He smiled. "Does he do that much?"

"All the time. I swear he's going to be ready to play ball with you and Mike as soon as he's born."

He tilted his head at her, an odd look on his face. But he turned away and continued walking beside her. "I never thought about that," he mused.

"About what?"

"About being part of your baby's life. I guess since I only see your nephew from time to time, I thought it might be kind of the same."

"You can be as involved or as distant as you want, Bobby."

"What about Ricky?"

"What about him? He has had no involvement in this pregnancy and he says he wants no involvement with the baby. As far as I'm concerned, he has no say."

"He may change his mind when the baby arrives."

"Are you sticking up for him, Goren?"

"Not hardly. I just can't see how he could remain uninvolved. It's a baby."

She sighed. "All men don't think like you do, you know. Sometimes that's a good thing, and sometimes it's not."

He nodded. "Mostly not, I'd say."

"I would agree, but I know you better than that."

She fell silent as they continued walking. Truth be told, she didn't wish that her husband was more like her partner. She wished that her husband was her partner.