A/N: Since I'm not quite ready to end this, this chapter is for TriStateCopFan since it was her suggestion that gave birth to it. :-) Conflict makes it interesting...but resolution makes it all worthwhile.

Logan hit the pause button and got up from the couch about halfway through the movie. He went into the kitchen. Barek called after him,"You can't be hungry again."

"Why not?"

"You're impossible, Logan."

"You want a sandwich?"

"No thanks. But I'll let you bring me a beer."

"You will? Should I feel privileged?"

"I don't know. Do you?"

He laughed and returned to the couch a few minutes later, handing her a beer as he sat beside her and took a bite of his sandwich. She looked at him suspiciously. "Did you shake it up?"

"You're a woman after my own heart, Barek. Paranoid. But no, I didn't, in deference to our esteemed captain and his furniture. Now when we're at my place, all bets are off."

"I'll remember that."

They both looked up toward the upstairs landing when they heard a door open and close. Goren came down the stairs and sat down at the far end of the couch. Logan leaned forward and looked at him. "You ok?"

"I'm fine."

"Where's Eames?"

"She'll be down soon."

Logan grinned broadly. "What'd you do to her?"

"Nothing she didn't, uh, want me to do."

"You're gonna hafta do better than that, Goren."

Barek smacked his shoulder. "Leave him alone."

"Like you and Eames aren't gonna be talking about it in another twenty minutes."

"Does the phrase mixed company mean anything to you, Logan?"

His reply was cut off when the phone rang. "Saved by the bell, Logan?" Goren laughed as he got up and grabbed the phone. "Goren...Hi, Captain...Yeah, we're fine..." His face faded into a frown and he crossed the room, stepping into the game room to continue the conversation.

Logan shrugged. "Maybe something with his mom. You know how he gets about that." He looked up as Eames came down the stairs. "Hey, tiger."

She smiled. "Where's Bobby?"

"In there, talking to Deakins."

"Is something wrong?"

He shrugged. "No idea."

She headed to the game room and slipped in the door. Goren was immersed in conversation. "No, sir...I don't have a 'thing' for anyone. It's just, she was alone all her life, chasing off anyone who ever tried to love her because she couldn't feel any love herself...No, hate is a different kind of passion. I feel...contempt, anger, certainly...I know, but just dumping her is hardly any kind of resolution...I am doing this for Eames...No, I don't think so. This is one thing I don't think she'd understand...Ok, thanks, Captain."

He closed the phone and turned around, stopping dead when he saw her standing there, knowing by the look on her face that she'd heard too much. "Eames..."

"Don't. You're burying her."

"No. I'm just paying for it."

"Damn you, Goren..."

"Come on...just listen to me..."

"I'm done listening."

She stormed out of the room, slamming the door. Logan looked at Barek. "Uh, oh."

Goren came out of the room after her. "Eames..."

"Don't talk to me."

"Uh, what's going on?" Logan asked.

Eames turned on him. "He's paying for Wallace's funeral."

"No, I'm not," he protested. He looked at Logan and Barek. "Just her cremation. And I need to explain..."

"Don't bother!"

She stormed up the stairs and they heard her bedroom door slam. Goren ran his hand over his head. "Aw, fuck!" He punched the air and headed for the door. "I give up. This is just too damn hard."

The door slammed and he was gone. Logan and Barek looked at each other. "Paying for her cremation," Barek mused. "This is a new one."

"You get used to that with him."

"But this is Wallace..."

"And that's Goren."

"I don't blame her for getting mad."

"But she won't even let him explain. He's always got a reason."

"Maybe her obsession wasn't one-sided."

"Oh, bullshit, Barek. He had nothing for her. It's all Eames for him. You weren't there, in Seaside. Nicole was nothing to him; Eames is. He damn near lost it when Wallace took her."

"So why is he doing this?"

"I never said I understood him, so don't ask me to explain him. You gotta ask him to explain this one."

She sighed. "I'll go talk to her. You go find him."

"Find him? He's out there in the woods--which, might I remind you, I don't particularly get along with--in the middle of the night, all pissed off, and he's got a gun. Do I look stupid?" She just glared at him. "I guess I do. All right. I'll go find him. But my death is gonna be on your shoulders, partner."

He started toward the door. "Oh, Logan?"

"What?" She stepped forward and smacked him on the shoulder. "Ow! What was that for? I'm going!"

"That was for defending him."

"You're always defending him!"

"Right. I'm allowed to."

"And I'm not?"

"Nope. It's against the rules."

"Rules? What rules? What about you and Eames ganging up on us?"

"That's allowed."

"I need to get me a copy of this damn rule book."

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It didn't take him long to find Goren. He was down by the lake, pacing and muttering to himself. Logan leaned against a tree and just watched before he said, "You got a friggin' death wish?"

"I must. H-How is she?"

"What gives you the impression I even thought about going up there to talk to her?"

"God, I really screwed up this time, didn't I?"

"Well, I just found out that apparently, there's a whole set of rules that we never get told about until we break 'em, and I'm just guessing, but you must have broke a whole bunch of 'em." When Goren just nodded, offering no protest, he frowned. "Why the hell does everyone know about these rules but me?"

"I...I'm not sure how to make this right, Mike."

"You go and make her listen to you."

"Make her? Have you ever tried to make a woman do anything?"

"So how come they can make us do shit all the time?"

"I guess it's in the rule book." He hadn't stopped pacing and running his hand over his hair. "You know what? This is bullshit. I didn't do anything wrong, dammit. I...aw, the hell with this."

Confused, Logan watched him head back toward the cabin. "Goren..."

But he was already halfway to the cabin, and Logan decided to stay where he was for the time being. Fireworks were nice, but not indoors...unless it involed a nice warm body and maybe a bottle of wine...and hell, it really was a nice lake...

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The front door slammed and they heard heavy footsteps on the stairs. Barek looked at Eames. "Do you think..."

She never finished her sentence. The bedroom door banged open and Goren stood there, a dark, angry look on his face. He met Barek's eyes and nodded his head toward the hallway. "I need to talk to my partner," he growled.

Barek hesitated, looking at Eames, who nodded. "I'll be downstairs."

Once the door closed, he turned to her. "You have no business getting upset. You jumped to conclusions and wouldn't even let me explain. You convicted me on no evidence and condemned me without a trial. That's not fuckin' fair, Eames!"

She crossed her arms in front of her, feigning indifference. "Ok, fine. Tell me why."

He was too agitated to calm himself down. So she waited. He was pacing, clenching and unclenching his fists, unable to burn off enough energy to settle into a conversation. Finally, he looked at her. "I will...but dammit, doesn't it count for anything that I love you?"

He was gone from the room. She heard him go down the stairs, skipping two or three steps at a time, and she listened to Barek's voice, but did not hear him reply. The front door closed, but didn't slam. She went down to the great room and looked at Barek. "Where did he go?"

She shrugged. "He wouldn't talk to me."

"Don't feel bad. He decided not to talk to me, either."

"Then what was with all the shouting?"

"That was him, telling me I'm not being fair."

"And are you?"

"Nothing is fair where Nicole Wallace is concerned. He should know that." She looked around. "Where's Logan?"

"Good question. He went out after him the first time he left. Maybe Bobby tossed him in the lake."

Eames shook her head. "He was mad at me. He wouldn't have taken it out on Mike."

"Unless Mike pissed him off. He has a real gift for that."

As if in response to their concern, the door opened and Logan came in. "Did you see Bobby?" Eames asked.

"The last time I saw him, he was heading up this way. Didn't you see him?"

"Yeah, but he left again."

"Then no, I didn't see him. Just leave him alone. He'll do one of two things. He'll either calm down and come back, or he'll walk back to the city."

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The glow of dawn was brightening the eastern sky when he came back to the cabin. Logan and Barek were long in bed, and Eames had fallen asleep on one of the couches. He headed for the stairs, until he saw her on the couch. Standing there, he watched her sleep, debating in his mind the wisdom of waking her. Finally, he walked over to the couch and eased himself onto the edge of the cushion beside her. Tenderly, he brushed her hair from her face. No matter what happened, he could never deny that he loved her. She stretched and opened her eyes. Letting her gaze scan his body, she returned her eyes to his face. "Are you ok?"

"If I say yes, are you going to kick my ass?"

She laughed. "No, not this time. Bobby, I am so sorry. You were right. I should have listened to you before getting so angry. I mean, when Mike Logan is the voice of reason, what the hell does that say about me?" She sighed. "I guess neither of us is very rational when it comes to Nicole Wallace."

"I thought I was being rational for a change. She...caused you a lot of grief, and so did I. They were just going to dump her body in an unmarked grave."

"And you think she deserves better?"

"No. I think you do. She's dead, but somehow, nothing is ever final with her. So I am making it final. I told Deakins to have her cremated. No urn, no memorial, nothing like that. Just cremated. That way, she's gone, for good. She won't be coming back, ever...well, except in my nightmares." He shrugged. "But that's my problem. I'm sorry I upset you. I certainly didn't mean to. I never intended for you to find out I was behind it, because I was afraid you'd react the way you did. I...I love you, Alex...and only you."

She sat up and slid her arms around his neck. She kissed his cheek, sliding her mouth to cover his. He closed his eyes and lowered her back onto the couch, pressing his body against hers. He groaned. "Bobby?" she muttered against his mouth.

He pulled his head back and looked at her. "What, Alex?"

"Sit up."

He did as she asked, leaning his head back. She ran her fingers through his hair. "I was wrong, ok? I should have let you explain, and I'm really sorry. I...should have known better, and I'm ashamed I didn't. I just...I hear her name and my brain shuts down. I just see red."

"I'll remember that, and I won't mention her again. I'm done with her, Alex. I've suffered enough...and so have you."

She nodded in agreement and got up from the couch. She leaned down suddenly, pressing her mouth firmly against his, sliding her hand under his shirt and lightly running her fingers over his skin. He caught his breath, then relaxed as she lowered herself onto his lap. Pulling back, she slipped his shirt up over his head, then kissed him deeply, sliding her tongue past his lips. Drawing another moan from him, she jumped up, with another smile and a kiss. "I'm not going to have Logan walk in on us, Goren," she whispered into his ear. "He gives us enough shit as it is."

She gently nipped his ear and headed up the stairs. He groaned softly. "Dammit, Eames..." Rule book, hell...this was how they did it... He pushed himself off the couch and chased her up the stairs again.