Logan wasn't wrong. As soon as they set foot in the squad room, Deakins was at his office door. "Goren, Logan, get the hell in here!"

Goren sought out his partner, and he recognized the look on her face. She was furious. He looked away. Deakins didn't make him anywhere near as nervous as she did.

The captain turned on them as soon as the door closed. "What the hell were you thinking, going out to Rikers?"

Logan took the ball and ran with it. "We were following up on the shooting last night."

Deakins stared at him. "Ricky Waters has an alibi."

"They did it as a favor to him, though," Logan replied. "He was behind it."

The captain looked at Goren. "Four years, Goren, and you never went after him. The man goes to prison and you throw the first punch. What the hell is up with that?"

Goren met the captain's eyes. "Maggie went to the door with me. I hated the way he was with Eames, but she put herself into that and she was the only one who could step away. But Maggie…she's innocent. I won't stand by and let her be threatened."

Deakins sighed in frustration. "You're a lot of work, you two. Internal Affairs was all over me this morning. Eames talked to them, and you're lucky that was before she found out what you were up to this morning. You need to make your statements for IAB about the shooting last night. Please tell me you didn't know they were cops."

"We didn't," Logan said truthfully, because he didn't know. A little stretch of the truth wasn't going to hurt anyone.

Deakins looked from one to the other before he continued, "As for this morning…I told the warden you were working there under my authority." He shook his head. "Waters is one step away from solitary. You're both very lucky he's a hothead with a history of fights in the lock-up. If you had thrown the first punch, Logan, you'd be in over your head. Goren, since you have always been inclined to step away from fights, your ass isn't in it so deep you can't get out. Fortunately, it has been left up to me to deal with you. I want you both to stay away from Waters, permanently. You are unofficially suspended for the rest of the week. I won't put it in your records, this time. It's a slap on the wrist, boys. File your reports and go home."

"Uh, are we going to get our weapons back?" Logan asked.

"Yes, but not today. IAB will decide when, based largely on your statements. Make them good, so they won't call you in to interview you." He looked at Goren. "You didn't fire first, did you?"

"No, captain."

"Good. Now get out of here."

They left the office and Logan, catching a glimpse of Eames, leaned toward Goren. "Have I ever told you I'd hate to be you?"

"Once or twice."

"Well, I haven't changed my mind."

They went to their desks. Silently, Goren worked on his statement, deliberately refusing to look at his partner. When he was through, he finally looked up at her. Yep, she was still pissed. He sighed. "I've gotta go. Deakins gave us the rest of the week off."

"It's not a reward, Goren."

"I know."

"I'll deal with you both later. And don't try ducking me. I'll find you."

"Don't worry. We'll be around."

She watched him walk with Logan to the elevators. When they were gone, Barek came over and sat at Goren's desk. "Mike told me what happened."

"What did he say?"

"It was all about the baby, Alex. He was furious that she was ever in any danger, and that's the only reason he went out to confront Ricky."

"What about Logan?"

"Moral support."

"Who threw the first punch?"

"Bobby did. First and only time he ever threw the first punch."

"What are you talking about?"

"You mean you still don't know?"

"Know what?"

She leaned forward. "Never let him know I told you this. Ricky started trying to pick fights with him after Maggie was born. It happened a lot, Alex. Bobby never threw the first punch, never filed a complaint, and he never told you what was going on. Half the time when we told you he got hurt screwing around with Mike, it was really after a fight with Ricky. They always got broken up quickly, and Mike was usually there. You have no idea what went on…and he let it continue, to draw Ricky's anger away from you and Maggie. I honestly think it's because of your partner that your husband never hit you."

Eames leaned back in her chair. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Barek looked at her hands for a minute before she looked back at her friend. "Because I agreed with him, Alex. And I didn't want to see Ricky hurt you."

Barek went back to her desk and Eames looked at the pen in her hand. She turned it over and over, thinking about her partner and everything he had done for her over the course of her marriage. And she had never even known it.