After Goren slammed the door, Logan got up from the couch and started toward the stairs, but Eames stopped him. "Leave him alone, Mike."

"There was no reason for him to react like that."

Barek studied her partner. "What? No one can be rude to me but you? Listen to Alex."

"Why are you protecting him, Barek?"

"I'm not, moron. I'm protecting you. She's protecting him."

Logan looked from one woman to the other. "Damn, I miss Lennie." He went into the kitchen and came out with a beer. "At least I friggin' understood Lennie."

He sat on the couch beside his partner and watched the flames, a frown on his face. "Don't mope, Mike," she gently chided.

Eames sat on the other side of him. "He'll get over it, and he'll apologize to Carolyn. He never means it—it's not in him to intentionally be rude. It just slips out every once in awhile. The best thing you can do is ignore him for now."

"And what about you?"

"I'm his partner. I don't have that luxury. And I am responsible for how he's feeling anyway. So I have to fix it, if it can be fixed."

Logan spun the beer bottle lazily in his hands. "You think it can't be fixed?"

"I don't know. He's always…unpredictable when we deal with Nicole."

"It's not easy, is it, Alex? Being his partner." Barek asked.

"Nothing about Goren is easy. But being his partner is worth it." She got up and headed for the stairs. She was not looking forward to this, but she knew she had to do it. Yes, being his partner was worth it, but more than that, he was worth it, and that was what really mattered to her. Him.

Logan watched her slowly climb the stairs. He heard her knock, then the door opened and closed. He looked at Barek. "What do you say we watch a movie or something before we turn in?"

"Sure. I'll let you pick the movie, but no science fiction or war movies."

"What else is there?"

She just looked at him. "Ok, ok…but no chick flicks, either."

"Ok, fine. I don't know what your problem is with chick flicks. Bobby watches them with us."

Logan raised his eyebrows and looked at her. "'Us?'"

"Yes, 'us.' Sometimes when Alex and I hang out after work, he stops by. He watches whatever we happen to be watching, and he never complains."

"I don't guess he would."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that he always seems content just to be with her. I've given up trying to figure him out."

"Welcome to the club."

"How about The Pink Panther?"

"Sure."

He put it into the DVD player, got two beers from the kitchen and sat beside her on the couch facing the television. He handed her a beer. They settled in to watch the movie, and she snuggled against his side. "Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"You have this ability to really piss me off, but you have a counterbalance that makes me really feel good about myself, and us. I am happy being your partner."

He slid his arm around her and leaned back. "Thanks, Carolyn."

Once the movie was over, Logan and Barek headed up the stairs after one last check to make sure the cabin was secure. "Somehow, I doubt a few locks and a couple of panes of glass can keep her out of she has a mind to get in," Logan observed.

"Thanks for that, Mike. I'll sleep well tonight."

He grinned at her. "Come on to my room. I'll protect you."

"In your dreams."

"Every night, sweetheart."

"Logan, you're a pig."

"Yeah, I've heard that before."

"I'll give you fair warning—I'm sleeping with my gun."

"Ok, now you're turning me on."

Barek rolled her eyes. "Hopeless…" she muttered. With a long-suffering sigh, she shoved her partner toward Goren's room. "Go check on Bobby. Make sure you get an answer from him. I'll check on Alex."

"Tell me you don't want to go check on him."

"Logan, contrary to what that testosterone-laced brain of yours may think, I do not want to hop into bed with every guy I meet."

"Well, I can vouch for that…"

"Just go, idiot." She headed to Eames' room. Not getting an answer when she knocked, she went in. The room was empty. Barek turned back into the hall where Logan was hovering outside Goren's door. "She's not in there."

"Imagine that." He knocked on Goren's door, turned the knob and pushed it open. The small lamp was still on. Logan looked over his shoulder as she came over to join him. "Well, go on over and make sure he's ok," she told him.

"The hell with that. You do it. I don't particularly want a black eye. He won't hit you."

Barek glared at him. "If you get a black eye, Bobby's not the one who's going to give it to you." She crossed over to the bed. Gently shaking Goren's shoulder, she called his name. He groaned but didn't waken. "Come on, Bobby. Open your eyes."

Slowly, his eyelids fluttered and he finally did turn his head to look at her. "What? Is something wrong?"

"No. I just wanted to make sure you're ok."

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Ok, go on back to sleep. I'll check on Alex and leave you guys alone."

He mumbled something she didn't catch as his eyes slid closed. She smiled at him. Given all the rumors she'd heard about him, she had been surprised by his kind and gentle demeanor. In a way, she could understand Logan's jealousy. But it was clear that Goren was off the playing field. She walked around the bed to where Eames was sleeping in his arms. "Alex? Wake up for a minute."

Eames roused much more easily. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. We're just checking on you."

"Oh." She winced as pain flared in her side, gently moving Goren's arm off her side. "Thanks."

"Good night."

She followed Logan from the room. "Uh, Mike?"

"Yeah, what?"

"Do you think it's possible for you not to be an ass for at least a few hours?"

"Sure. I don't usually get into trouble when I'm sleeping. It's no guarantee…" He shrugged. "Why?"

"I…" she trailed off, looking for a graceful way to ask what she wanted to ask. The thought of Wallace lurking around outside the cabin made her skin crawl. She knew Logan had been joking with his invitation, but she was starting to seriously consider it. He stepped up to her, putting a finger under her chin and guiding her face up so he could see it. Without saying a word, he lowered his face toward hers and kissed her. She pushed against him, forcing him backwards around the railing toward the other side of the stairs, where their rooms were. Her fingers worked the buttons of his shirt, and it fluttered to the floor as he backed through the doorway into his room. They left it where it fell and the door closed.

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Goren rolled over in bed, his head throbbing. Beside him, the bed was empty. Slowly, he got up, dressed and left the room. He raised his eyebrows at the sight of the shirt on the floor in the hall as he headed down the stairs, and he smiled. Crossing the great room toward the kitchen, he automatically scanned the room for anything out of place. Nothing caught his attention. Eames was busy scrambling eggs when he entered the room. She smiled at him. "How do you feel?"

"I'm…better."

He stepped up behind her and slid his arms around her, kissing the side of her head. She leaned back into him. "Are Logan and Barek up yet?"

"I don't know."

"Well, sit down and eat something. How's your head?"

"It hurts. How are your ribs?"

"Don't ask."

"I really am sorry, Alex. I…I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Stop apologizing. I think a bullet in my chest would have done a lot more damage."

She dished out the eggs, adding bacon from the pan at the back of the stove. He filled two mugs with coffee, adding milk to his and milk and sugar to hers. As she set the plates on the table, Logan and Barek came down the stairs. Goren looked at them with an amused smile. "You left something in the hall last night."

"Yeah, well…never mind," Logan decided against antagonizing his partner first thing in the morning.

Eames sat down beside Goren. "Breakfast is on the stove."

Barek took a seat across from Eames. "I don't know if I'm relieved or more nervous that nothing else happened last night."

Goren looked up at her. "I…I'm sorry I snapped at you last night."

She smiled. "It's ok. Did you…get things worked out?"

He nodded, returning his gaze to his breakfast. She looked at Eames, who just smiled. "What about you?" Eames asked.

Barek looked at Logan as he set a plate of eggs in front of her. "Yeah." She salted her eggs. "So, do we have a plan for today?"

Goren nodded. "Logan and I are going down to the lake to check out the last place you saw her."

Eames looked at him. "You are?"

Logan also looked at him. "We are?"

Goren just nodded. "We are."

"Just how hard did you hit your head?" Logan asked.

The big cop frowned. "I am not going to just sit here and wait for her to make the next move. We need to draw her out." He looked at his partner. "You need to stay out of sight, Alex. If she really does think she got you, we want her to keep believing that."

"Just be careful, ok?"

"We will."

Once breakfast was over, Goren and Logan made sure their guns were loaded and ready. Eames laid a hand on her partner's cheek. "Please be careful."

He gave her a gentle kiss. "Don't worry."

Logan grinned at Barek as he slid his gun into his holster. "See ya soon."

She touched his chin. "Don't do anything stupid." Kissing him lightly, she added, "And watch out for each other, ok?"

"We'll be fine."

They headed out of the cabin, crossed the porch and were gone. Eames and Barek watched them cross the clearing and enter the woods beyond.