He was sleeping soundly, but when something touched his mouth, he was immediately brought to awareness. He recognized it as a hand...a very small hand...too small to be Maggie's. Besides, she rarely touched him to wake him anymore. She just stood there and watched him. It never failed. But this wasn't Maggie, so that narrowed things down considerably. Opening his eyes, he looked into smiling brown eyes beneath wisps of blond hair that were beginning to curl. "Dada..."

"How'd you get out of your crib?"

A big smile. Goren lifted his head, looking around for his son's partner in crime, but Maggie wasn't in the room. He glanced at the time. Not even four. Geez...

He sat up and lifted the baby from the floor, giving him a kiss and setting him beside his mother. Eames opened her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Go back to sleep."

"I didn't hear him crying."

"When does he ever cry? I'll be right back. Lay down with Mommy, Tom."

The baby snuggled happily into his mother's arms as Goren got up and pulled on his boxers. He went out into the hall. Tommy's door was open, but Maggie's wasn't. He poked his head into the baby's room. There were toys on the floor, but the side of the crib was still up. He looked behind the door. One of his big trucks was parked there. No, he thought to himself, silently hoping Maggie was up.

He went to her door and silently eased it open. She was still sleeping soundly. He pulled the door closed noiselessly. Then he groaned softly. He returned to the bedroom and went to the window, looking out into the white street. It was still snowing. He got back into bed. Her hand reached out and lightly fingered his hair as Tommy snuggled against his arm. "So what's up?" she whispered.

"Um, we're in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"Was our bedroom door closed all the way?"

"No. I left it open when I came out of the bathroom. Why?"

"But Tom's door was closed, right?"

"Yes. You're starting to worry me."

He laughed softly. "Maggie is still sleeping, and Tommy just woke me up."

"How did he get out of his crib?"

"I'm assuming he climbed out. Then he moved his dump truck in front of the door so he could reach the doorknob and open it."

"Please tell me you're kidding."

"Do you think I'm kidding?"

"Great. Time to get him a toddler bed."

"I'll bet money Maggie taught him how to climb out."

She nodded. "Probably. Just be glad he came in here and didn't go into her room to wake her up."

"That will occur to him eventually."

"And what time is it?"

"Ten til four."

"Another kid with your sleep patterns. Great. Thanks a lot, Goren."

He smiled and leaned over to kiss her. "At least I'm right here to take care of this one."

He shifted his arm to wrap it around the baby, who cuddled into him. Alex turned onto her side and curving her upper body around the baby, resting her head against Bobby's shoulder. She sighed when his cheek pressed against her head and his fingers lightly caressed her side. She easily returned to sleep.

He noticed when her breathing changed and he kissed her head. Tommy also was soon sleeping. But sleep eluded him once again as his thoughts turned to the memory of Maggie's testimony at trial and the testimony that was yet to come. He thought about getting up, but there was no way for him to do that without disturbing the sleeping baby and his mother, so he stayed put and fought down his restless urge to move.

He wondered how successful he'd been, though, when she leaned up to kiss him and gently pulled the baby against her and away from his side. "Go on and get up," she whispered against his ear.

"Sorry."

"Forget it." She lightly teased his ear with her lips for a moment, then snuggled back down into the bed with the baby. He watched her hold the little guy close and smiled before he rolled out of bed, tucking the blanket back around them, and headed into the bathroom to shower.

He was on the phone when Eames came out of the bedroom two and a half hours later. "No, I'll be there. Okay. Thank you."

"Who was that?" she asked as she poured a cup of coffee.

"Carver. They're going ahead with the testimony today."

"There's a foot of snow out there."

He shrugged. "Deakins said we don't have to come in to the office today unless a case comes in. So you can stay here with the kids."

"And leave you to deal with Wallace's testimony alone?"

"Logan..."

"No way. I am not leaving the two of you unsupervised in the same building with Wallace."

"Alex..."

"No. She doesn't intimidate me, Bobby. I am not afraid to face her."

"I know you're not. But she...she carries a lot of resentment toward you. A lot of...jealousy."

"I know. That doesn't threaten me. I have no reason to fear her...and neither do you."

He shook his head and walked away from her, but she wasn't going to let him get away with that. She grabbed his arm and yanked him back. He turned, not surprised to see the anger that blazed in her eyes. "Do not dismiss me, Goren."

"Don't underestimate Nicole Wallace, Eames."

"In a courtroom full of people, including cops?"

Again he shook his head. She didn't understand. He moved his face closer to hers. "Don't underestimate her," he repeated.

She studied his eyes, the set of his jaw, the tension in his manner. "Why do you let her do this to you?"

He pulled his arm from her grasp and headed into the kitchen. "Go back to bed, Eames. You don't have to go to work today."

He set his coffee cup in the sink and walked past her, grabbing his tie from the back of a chair. She watched him put it on and tie it, then grab his jacket. "Where are you going?"

"I have to get something from my desk before I head to court."

"Like what? You're just avoiding the answer to my question."

"No, I'm not. I have no answer for it because I don't know. She gets to me. She always has. I don't know why." He went to the closet and pulled out his overcoat. Heading for the door, he stopped. Dropping his chin to his chest, he closed his eyes and sighed. No...Wallace was not going to come between him and his wife. He was not going to leave her like this. He dropped his coat over the back of the closest chair and returned to her, pulling her against him and holding her tight. He tipped her face toward his with a finger beneath her chin and kissed her. Her response to the kiss made him want to stay...but he couldn't. He had to go, to safeguard Maggie's testimony, something he didn't quite trust Carver to do.

But he didn't pull away. He let her slide her arms beneath his jacket and untuck his shirt. He groaned softly when she nipped at his lips and his tongue. He didn't object when her hands played with his belt. He backed her into the kitchen, against the wall beside the refrigerator, bracing her there with his body...until they heard a crash in the living room. She slid her arms around him and squeezed, slipping beneath his arms to see who was up. He leaned against the wall, eyes closed, and whispered, "Damn."

Eames went into the living room, where Tommy was pulling toys from the toybox he had toppled onto its side. "What are you doing, you little monkey?"

He smiled. "Mama!"

He toddled over to her and she picked him up. He squeezed her neck and laughed. Such a happy little guy. She went to the kitchen doorway and watched as her husband finished tucking his shirt back in and did up his belt. "I wish I could turn it off so damn easily," he complained.

She walked over to him and kissed him. "Sorry. I think we're outnumbered."

"Yeah..." He kissed the baby's head. "I'd better go."

He was halfway to the door when she called his name. He turned back to look at her as he picked up his overcoat. "I love you," she said softly.

He smiled warmly. "I love you, too, baby. Give Maggie a kiss for me."

When he closed the door, she picked up the phone and dialed as she carried Tom to his bedroom to get him dressed.

The squad room was empty when he arrived, except for a handful of detectives working on cases. He sat at his desk and rested his chin on folded hands. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he pulled open a drawer and removed a file folder. This file contained a summary of every case, every interaction they'd had with Nicole Wallace. Most of it was inadmissible, he knew...double jeopardy and all that. He knew Carver was familiar with all of it. But he was going to be ready for anything. He'd learned that much from dealing with Wallace. Expect the unexpected. He slid the folder into his binder and headed for the elevators. It was quarter after eight. Time to head to the courtroom.

He stopped by Carver's office. The ADA looked up from his desk. "You didn't have to come in today."

"Yes, I did."

"I will not allow Wallace any leeway, detective."

Goren shrugged. "I'll see this trial to its end. If she gets off, you know my family won't be safe."

"I have no intention of letting her get off."

"That's what you said about her after she killed Croyden, remember? She was acquitted."

"That will not happen this time. After hearing Maggie's testimony, that's become a hanging jury. They won't acquit."

"And if she throws any question on what Maggie said?"

"She won't."

"The law will not prevent Wallace from perjuring herself."

"Did your daughter lie at all, detective?"

"Of course not. Everything she said is supported by the physical evidence. You know that, Mr. Carver."

"Then relax. The jury has all of that evidence. Have a little faith."

He frowned. "That's just it. Where Wallace is concerned, I have very little faith."

Carver watched him leave and he shook his head. The system had failed that man more than once where Wallace was concerned. He had no intention of letting it fail him again...not when the safety of his entire family was at stake.

Goren entered the courtroom and looked around, expecting Logan to already be there. But it wasn't Logan he found. He lowered himself into the seat beside her. "What are you doing here?" he asked quietly.

"I told you I wasn't going to leave you two unattended in the same building with her."

"Eames..."

"What?" She turned her head to look at him. "Are you going to tell me to leave?"

He hesitated. "No." Actually, he was glad she was there. He leaned forward and braced his arms on his knees. "Is Logan babysitting?"

"Yes."

"How did you manage that?"

"I asked really nice, and promised him a good dinner."

"I figured there'd be a food bribe in there somewhere."

"Maggie was disappointed that you were gone when she got up. She had to settle for oatmeal."

"I'll make it up to her."

"She's counting on that."

He laughed. "It figures." He turned his head to look at her. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Just for knowing what I need, and making sure I get it."

"That's my job. I've been doing it for more than a decade and I've gotten pretty good at it."

"Yeah, you have."

The murmur of conversation died out as the door behind the bench opened and Burrows entered the courtroom. "All rise."

It was time for the defense to refute the prosecution's case.

When the session adjourned for lunch, Wallace had still not been called to the stand. Shaeffer had spent the morning trying to find a dent in the detectives' characters. All he'd been able to prove was that they were the best in their field and devoted parents to boot. By all accounts, their personal relationship had never interfered in their professional one, and their solve rate remained among the highest in the department. He confirmed that Goren was unconventional and sometimes difficult, but that was not a slur against his character. Shaeffer was searching for something that was not there...and he was finding it impossible to fabricate the testimony he needed. Wallace was visibly furious. The afternoon session, when she took the stand, was going to be interesting.

Eames looked across the table, where Goren was moving his spoon around the bowl of soup for the thirty-eighth time. "Are you going to eat that or just play with it?"

"I'm not hungry right now."

She set down her spoon and leaned over the table toward him. "Listen to me. She knows you're in the gallery. So when she takes the stand, expect her to say things to get to you. She knows how to do that."

"The tables were reversed the last time we interrogated her."

"Don't expect her to let us get away with that. She's going to want the last word, and she didn't get that last time we talked to her."

He smiled. "No, Eames. You effectively took that away from her."

"Don't let her push your buttons, Bobby. She's going to try to do that."

He reached across the table and lightly stroked the back of her hand. "I know. She'll really be pissed when she realizes you're in the gallery, too."

Eames smiled. "I know."

He laughed softly and she poked his arm. "Made you laugh."

He grabbed her hand and lightly kissed it. Sliding his bowl toward her, he said "I'm going for a walk. I'll meet you back in the courtroom."

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I just need to burn off some of this energy you're constantly complaining about."

She watched him head out of the cafeteria, overcoat draped over his arm, binder tucked safely under the other arm. She wished there was some way she could reassure him and settle his mind...but nothing was going to do that until this trial was over. Perhaps Wallace's own testimony would be the final blow to the defense's case. Carver had the ammunition he needed to break her. The question was...would he use it?

A/N: I promise Nicole's testimony is coming in the next chapter!