A/N: Thank you for your patience and sorry my updates have slowed. I'm working on it while we're trying to get settled. Here's the next chapter :-)
Goren and Deakins went to Ricky's arraignment; both men insisted that Eames remain back at the squad. When the issue of bail came up, Ricky's lawyer argued that he was a decorated police officer with no disciplinary actions against him. Carver stood up and adjusted his tie. "Your honor, this man and three of his friends assaulted a brother officer and put him in the hospital."
"Do you think he's a flight risk, Mr. Carver?"
"No, your honor, but I do feel he represents a significant threat to at least two other officers."
The judge seemed to consider this, but finally shook his head. "I am going to release Sergeant Waters on his own recognizance."
The ADA met Deakins and Goren at the back of the courtroom, watching Ricky as he laughed with his friends. They headed toward the doors, and Ricky stopped, looking directly at Goren. "This isn't over, Goren."
The big cop didn't respond or look away. Ricky followed his friends from the courtroom. Deakins frowned. "Well, that wasn't very smart."
Goren shook his head. "Don't worry about it."
Carver frowned. "What are you going to do, detective?"
Goren put a hand on the back of his head and looked toward the door. "I'm not going to do anything, Mr. Carver." He looked at the ADA and then at Deakins. "Not yet. But I will protect Eames and her little girl, make no mistake about that."
He left the courtroom. Deakins looked at Carver. "Don't look so worried, Counselor. We'll take care of it."
He proceeded from the courtroom after his detective.
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Mike Logan took two blankets from the closet and threw one at Goren. "I don't get why you just don't go in there and sleep in your bed."
"It's not right. Not while she's married."
Logan snorted, dropping a pillow from the couch onto the floor. "So because of your high and mighty moral attitude, one of us has to sleep on the floor."
"You don't have to stay, Logan."
"Yes, I do. Deakins wants them protected, and you and I have been given that job. I am not going to skip out on it. You can sleep on the floor tonight."
He threw a blanket at Goren and dropped onto the couch.
Deep in the night, Goren opened his eyes and sat up. He wasn't sure what had woken him, but he was certain something had. There it was again…an odd noise…familiar, but not enough that he could identify it. He got up and flipped the light on. Logan sat up. "What's wrong?"
Goren was shaking his head. "We have a mouse."
"A what?"
The big cop nodded toward the other side of the room, where Maggie was looking through her toy box. Logan frowned. "Does that kid have night vision?"
Goren walked over and squatted beside the little girl. "What are you doing up?"
She held up a ball and smiled. "We can play ball."
"Not right now. It's time to sleep, not time to play."
"Mommy sleeping. Shhhhh…"
"That's right. And Maggie should be sleeping, too."
"No. Maggie play."
He took the ball from her hands and placed it back in the toy box. "No. Maggie sleep."
She pouted at him, but he shook his head, gathering her into his arms as he stood up. "Don't even try that, little miss. Now put your head down and go back to sleep."
"No."
He pressed his forehead against hers and said, "Yes."
She giggled and slid her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. Burying her little hand in his hair, she rested her head on his shoulder as he turned off the light. Logan swore softly. "I swear you planned this. You can have the couch now, since you have the baby."
"I can put her back in her bed."
"And she'll just toddle her little self back out here to be with you. Neither of us will get any sleep tonight. Go on back to sleep on the couch, dammit."
Goren walked around the apartment with the baby until he knew she'd gone back to sleep. Then he lay down on the couch and went back to sleep.
He opened his eyes when he heard movement in the room. Maggie was still sound asleep on his chest, and Logan was snoring on the floor. He gently rolled and slipped out from under the sleeping baby, walking to the kitchen doorway, where he watched Eames making coffee. She looked at him over her shoulder. "When she wasn't in her bed, I figured she'd be with you."
"She wanted to play ball at three this morning."
"Did you play?"
"No. I put her back to sleep."
"Generally you give in to her."
"Logan would have had a cow if I had," he grinned.
"You spoil her, you know."
"It's in my job description."
She smiled. "Bobby, you can sleep in your bed. I've slept on the couch before."
"It's ok. You're the one being inconvenienced by this protective detail. You should at least be comfortable. And Maggie's bed's in there anyway, so it just makes sense for you to sleep in the bedroom."
She walked over to him and looked into his face. "You can…"
He shook his head. "We've been over this, Eames. I let it happen once, but I can't do it again. Once your divorce is final, it'll be different. Until then, you're married."
"Are you punishing me for getting married?"
"Punishing you? Why would I do that? Being married to Ricky was punishment enough, don't you think?"
She walked over to him and gently kissed him. "I've put you through a lot these past few years. I'm sorry about that." She pressed her forehead into his shoulder and lightly stroked his hand. Then she moved away and headed down the hall to get ready for work.
When they were ready to leave, Logan took Eames in to work and Goren took Maggie to her grandfather's for the day. And that's how their routine went as they waited for Ricky to go to trial.