Eames sat quietly in the chair by his bedside. After catching Maggie when she jumped into her arms, her side was now throbbing. She was such an exuberant child. Again she wondered if Bobby had been anything like his children when he was little. It was hard to imagine him as a child, knowing what his childhood had been like. She wondered, again not for the first time, what he would be like now if he'd had parents like hers, strict but loving. But such ponderings were mostly a waste of time. Regardless of the past, she loved him now, for the man he had become, and the man he was when he was with her.

Father, husband, partner, lover, friend, cop, son...the roles that defined his life, in the order of importance to his heart. Cop and partner used to be first, until Maggie had come into his life. Then all his priorities had been reordered. She never minded taking a back seat to their children. She knew that over the long haul, when they were grown and had families of their own, she would still have Bobby. They were only children once. They only had one chance to get it right, and Bobby was determined not to screw it up. She knew where she stood with him; she knew she had his heart and his soul. He quit playing games long ago. She had broken his heart once by marrying Ricky Waters, and she was determined never to hurt him again.

She stood up and walked to the bedside, watching him sleep. She reached out and traced her fingers over his warm skin, around the white bandages on his chest. Inside that broad, muscular chest beat a strong but tender heart. He stirred, shifting his position and groaning softly. She touched his face and he opened his eyes. He smiled at her. "Eames..." he whispered, raising his hand to touch her cheek. "I...missed you."

She leaned down to kiss him. "Even in a coma?"

He slid his hand into her hair and gently pulled her back down for another kiss. "Even in a coma," he said softly.

She pulled back and took his hand in hers. "Oh, Bobby... What did you do? You were on the other side of the driveway, but they found you with me, across my body so I didn't bleed out."

"I remember finding you...you were hit. I-I don't remember much else. Just pain...and I-I couldn't breathe."

"You gave everyone one hell of a scare, you know."

"Sorry."

"I talked with Deakins this morning. Wallace was arraigned yesterday."

"Why'd Carver wait?"

"He wanted to see if he had to add another...murder charge."

He was quiet. "So I'm a potential murder charge to Mr. Carver?"

"Not any more."

"What did he charge her with?"

"Child endangerment, child abuse, kidnapping, attempted murder, aggravated assault causing grievous injury, assault with a deadly weapon, three counts of attempted murder and assault of a police officer, and two counts of murder. I don't think I missed anything."

"It's enough, isn't it?"

"No."

"Alex..." He squeezed her hand and gently kissed it. "What choice do we have but to trust Carver to put her away for good?"

"I just wish...we had done our job right."

"Don't say that. Mike feels guilty that he didn't do just that and finish her off. He doesn't need that guilt."

She snorted. "And you don't need half the guilt you carry around with you."

"So that means he does?"

"No, that's not what I meant. He has no reason to feel guilty."

"But he does feel guilty."

She sighed. "You two are a lot of work, do you know that?"

His mouth twitched into a small smile. "But you still love us."

Her frown faded and her face relaxed into a warm smile. "Yes, I do."

"How did we get so lucky?"

"Beats the hell out of me." Years of experience had taught her how to read her partner, and right now she saw pain and deep fatigue. "Go to sleep," she whispered, kissing him softly. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

He tightened his grip on her hand before he allowed his fatigue to claim him and draw him back to sleep.

Family, Eames reflected. Logan had called them family. And he was right. Every time Bobby needed someone when she was unavailable, Logan was there. When she got married, it was Logan who had seen to it that Bobby made it home. Over the four years of her marriage to Ricky, Logan was always there for him. Through her divorce and then, when IAB had dropped a case in Bobby's lap at the end of her pregnancy with Tommy, it was Logan who stayed by his side, backed him up, and worked with him as a partner...the only other partner he could work with. Logan had gone with him to Atlantic City and almost died with him on a Texas highway. Bobby had a brother who had stepped out of his life many years ago...but a new brother had stepped in to take his place. And Mike had never let him down.

Now she watched Logan laughing as he joked with her husband. Bobby was trying hard not to laugh, because it still hurt, which made Logan laugh harder. Goren grabbed a biscuit from the tray in front of him and threw it at Logan, who caught it and popped it in his mouth. That was it. Goren lost the struggle and gave in to laughter, wincing and holding his right side.

Goren was in a regular hospital room now, and had been for a week and a half. He was feeling a lot better. The nurses made him get up and walk every few hours, but they didn't see the times he got up to sit on the floor with his children. And they certainly never saw the times Logan would help him sneak out of his room to go down to the courtyard, just for the hell of it. Eames had thrown a fit when she found out about it. The last thing she wanted was for him to make his condition worse by overdoing it, and she'd jumped all over Logan for instigating it, which she knew he had. She called him a troublemaker, but he'd seen the smile in her eyes. Bobby had been right. She did love them.

Barek, too, had shown a steadfast devotion to the friendship she had forged with Eames. She was always there, whenever she needed someone to talk to. During her marriage to Ricky, she had been able to confide in Carolyn when she couldn't confide in Bobby. And now, seeing her growing closer to Logan, it just made everything seem...right. Mike deserved to be happy, and Carolyn would make certain he was. He already made her happy, just by being himself.

Maggie was sitting on the floor, rolling a ball to Tommy and trying to get him to send it back to her. He succeeded once out of every three tries and she kept encouraging him. But something was not right. Maggie's eyes frequently held a haunted look, and her sleep was disturbed by nightmares, to the point that more than once, she or Logan had been forced to bring her up to her father's room, so she would be reassured that he was okay. Something had to be done.

While the children were occupied, she crossed the room and leaned against the bed. Logan grabbed the apple from Goren's tray and said, "I see a 'we have to talk' look on Alex's face. You want us to go for a walk or something?"

"Do you mind?"

"Nah. October in New England...it's a great time for a walk." He grabbed Tommy and swung him up from the floor into his arms. Looking at Maggie, he said, "How about taking us for a nice walk, bunny?"

"Ok, Uncle Mike." She looked at her father. "Are you gonna come, Daddy?"

"Not this time, mouse." The nurse who'd caught him out earlier in the day had made a series of not-so-subtle threats, describing what she would do if he left his room again on her shift. He had three more hours to wait. Barek lifted Maggie up so she could give him a kiss. "Be good."

"I'm al'ays good, Daddy," she giggled.

"Then make sure Uncle Mike behaves."

"Ok! Bye, Mommy."

"Have fun, baby."

Once they were gone, he turned his attention to her. He was in a good mood, and she hated to destroy that, but she had put this off for too long. He still tired easily, but his strength and his energy were coming back quickly. He had the stamina of a man half his age; once his body gained momentum, he healed quickly. Before starting with what she had to say, she let him pull her close and kiss her. "So, what's up?" he asked.

"We need to talk about Maggie."

His eyes suddenly became guarded. He knew where this was going, but she was surprised when he became defensive. "What about her?"

"You can't tell me you haven't seen it."

"Seen what?"

"Don't even try it, Goren. I know you too well. I know what you see and how well you can read people. Maggie is an open book. Damn it, Bobby, how many times this week have we had to bring her up here in the middle of the night because we can't settle her down after one of her dreams? And that haunted look in her eyes...it breaks my heart."

He looked away. He knew exactly what she was talking about. She hopped up onto the bed to sit beside him, facing him. There was nowhere for him to retreat to, except inside himself, and it had been a long time since she'd let him get away with that. Her thigh was pressed against his. Physical contact...she knew him too well...knew what he craved and when he craved it. "What do you want me to do, Alex?"

"She won't talk to any of us, Bobby. Not even me. That just leaves you. You're the only one who hasn't tried."

"I...I don't know...if I can."

"You can, because you have to. She needs you, and you won't let her down."

"If Wallace did anything..." he stopped, unable to complete the thought.

"There's nothing we can do about it now, Bobby, except damage control."

He was clenching and unclenching his fist, until she laid her hand over it. "I'll have Mike bring her up."

"Alex..."

She leaned closer. "You have to."

He knew she was right. Finally he nodded. "Okay, I'll talk to her."

She kissed him, then hopped off the bed and was gone before he could tell her he'd changed his mind...which he did...seven times to be exact between the time she left and the time Logan arrived with his little daughter. And he changed his mind one last time. He couldn't take the coward's way out. He had to talk to Maggie.