Goren was sitting at his desk, leafing through a file folder. Pulling out the report he wanted, he looked it over, searching for one particular statement. The phone rang. Without looking up, he lifted the receiver. "Goren."

"This is Carver, detective. Do you and your partner have a moment to come over here to see me?"

"Sure. We'll be there shortly."

"Thank you."

He set the phone back in its cradle and looked across the desks. "Carver wants to see us."

She nodded as they got up from their desks. "It's probably the Bedford case. It's been giving him a headache and he wants to share."

He laughed as he followed her toward the elevators.

Ron Carver looked up as the two detectives came into his office. He waited until they were seated before he said, "Nicole Wallace."

The name elicited the expected response from the couple in front of him. The tension in the room became palpable. "What about her?" Eames asked warily.

Goren held up a hand. "If you're going to tell us she escaped..."

"No, detective. Nothing like that. She is under heavy guard. Ms. Wallace is not going anywhere. I had a phone call from Shaeffer this morning. She is medically ready to continue with her trial. I didn't tell you this before, but last month, after Maggie's last testimony, he approached me, asking for terms for a plea bargain. I told him there were no terms. His client was going to stand accountable for every act of hatred and aggression she perpetrated in October. I talked with Judge Burrows right before I called you. The trial will continue Wednesday morning at nine."

"Shaeffer's had nearly six weeks to work on it," Eames observed. "Are you expecting him to pull any rabbits out of his hat?"

"He's not that good a magician, detective."

Goren asked, "Do you think he'll put Wallace back on the stand?"

"If he's smart, no. But I don't know if he's that smart. What he should do is rest his case and move to closing arguments. In that case, the jury will go into deliberation. I am certain Maggie's testimony will remain clear in their minds. Few people will forget that testimony. I know I never will."

"Neither will I," Goren muttered.

Eames lightly brushed his hand with her fingers and he settled, but his face was still grim. Carver said, "I wanted you to know, in case you wanted to be there for the remainder of the trial."

Goren leaned forward. "I don't care what tricks Shaeffer pulls, Maggie is not going back on that stand. She's finally sleeping through the night again without nightmares about Wallace coming back to take her and Tommy again. I will go to jail this time, make no mistake. She's done with Wallace for good."

He got up from his chair and left the office. Carver looked at Eames. "I do not anticipate needing Maggie to testify any more."

"Keep it that way, Mr. Carver."

She got up to go, but Carver called her back. "There is one more thing, detective. Wallace has requested to see your partner."

Eames felt her gut clench. "Why?"

"I don't know. I said I would pass the message along."

"Thank you, Mr. Carver."

He watched her leave the office. Well, that went better than he'd anticipated. He sighed and turned his attention back to the paperwork spread out across his desk.

Why would Wallace want to see him? That troubled her. He had handled the last few meetings with her, including her testimony, better than she ever expected he could. But talking to Nicole Wallace was never a good thing for him.

She walked up behind the bench he was sitting on, bringing her hands to rest on his shoulders. He didn't move, but she could feel the muscles under her hands relax, even through his jacket. "He's not going to recall her, Bobby."

"He'd better not. I...can't put her through that again."

"Her...or you?"

"I...either. Her nightmares have finally stopped, Alex."

"What about yours?"

"You-you know the answer to that."

She kissed the top of his head. "Come on, Goren. Our case isn't going to solve itself."

He sighed and got up from the bench. She fell into step beside him. "It's going to be okay, you know."

"Yeah, I know. I am just ready for it to be over, once and for all."

"That makes two of us."

She waited until they were almost back at headquarters before she said, "Bobby, Wallace wants to see you."

He stopped. She stopped as well, several paces ahead of him. She didn't turn; she couldn't look at his face. "Why?" he asked.

His tone was odd and she did not like it at all. "I don't know. Shaeffer just passed the message on to Carver."

He started walking again, resting his hand against the small of her back when he stepped to her side. She continued walking beside him. He said nothing more about it, and she knew he was going to go to see her...alone.

Eames sat at her desk, tapping her pencil restlessly. Logan dropped into her partner's empty chair. "Where's Bobby?" She looked at him blankly for a moment. He reached toward her and waved his hand in front of her. "Earth to Alex. Hello?"

"Oh, Mike. Sorry. I was thinking."

"No, you weren't. You were worrying." She nodded tightly. "Where is he?"

"Rikers."

The light, friendly look left Logan's face. "Why?"

She sighed. "Wallace asked to see him the other day."

He didn't look surprised. "And he really did go alone?"

"Yes. He didn't tell me that was where he was going. But I know it was."

"You, uh, you want me to head out there?"

She gave it serious consideration before shaking her head. "No, Mike. But thanks. Whatever happens, it was his decision to face her alone. He has to deal with it."

"And you get to pick up the pieces."

She shook her head. "Not this time. He didn't have to go out there alone, Mike. He could have taken either one of us."

"So, what are you gonna do, Alex? Ignore him? Punish him for confronting her alone?"

She met Logan's eyes. "I am sick and tired of being protected, Mike. I am not fragile. I can handle myself...and him."

Logan sighed. "You think you have him pegged, don't you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Let's go for a walk." He motioned to his partner. "We're gonna make a coffee run."

"Bring me a mocha latte."

"You got it."

They rode in silence down the elevator. Once out of the building, Eames looked at him. "What are you talking about, Mike? I know my husband."

"Yeah, I know you do. And you know him well. That's why you think he's protecting you. But this time, it's not about you, Alex. This time it's about him."

"What? You mean he wants to see her alone?"

"No. He doesn't want to see her at all. But he realizes he has to. This is about proving, once and for all, to himself and to Wallace, that he really did win this thing. She's been waging a war on two fronts. First, it's been a battle between you and her...for him. And she didn't take her defeat well at all. Second, she's had this psychological war going with him...that 'tit for tat' shit they played. On the first front, you won, hands down, because you have him. She used to think that maybe she had a chance with him until she realized you had a firm hold on his heart. Then...he married you, and that was the last straw. That was why she took the kids, to punish him for marrying you. So that part of it's over and she knows it. On the second front, the victory is not so clear. As long as you are there, he knows he can keep a handle on everything. With you right there, he's damn near impervious. She can't get to him like she once could, and he knows that. Her words can't hurt him any more. But that's you, Alex. He has to know, for his own peace of mind, that he can stand on his own against her, that he really did win the war. Then he can make it clear to her, too, that it's finally over. He had to go alone...and he doesn't need you to step away from him in this. Don't turn your back on him. He couldn't take that."

"He talked to you about it when you guys went out the other night, didn't he?"

"Yeah. He wanted to know what I thought."

"So why didn't he tell me any of this?"

"Because you hear her name and your brain shuts down. You stop listening and let your anger take over. You've been dealing with her as long as he has and you're as deeply invested in this war she's waged with him as he is. He would have said 'I want to see her alone,' and you would have gone off on him. He didn't want to fight with you, so he didn't tell you. He was right and you know it."

She thought about it. "I guess so."

"You know so. Just accept this as something he had to do and let it go. See how he is when he gets back and go from there. If he's gonna be able to let this go and move on, this is something he had to do."

He opened the door to Starbuck's and held it for her. She didn't say anything more until they left with their coffee and headed back toward 1 Police Plaza. "I know I've said this before, Mike. My marriage to Ricky was an unhappy, painful time, for both of us. But one very good thing came of it, and that was your friendship with Bobby. Sometimes I think he leans on you as much as he does me."

"Nah. He turns to me when he feels he can't turn to you, or when he doesn't want to trouble you. But don't think he doesn't need you. Never think that. He'd be lost without you."

She was quiet most of the way back to the squad room. When they stepped off the elevator, she touched his arm. "Thank you, Mike."

He just gave her one of his grins and headed for his desk to give Barek her coffee.