Alex Eames stretched as she got out of bed. Two weeks off and she felt a whole lot better. God, that last case had been brutal...it had almost done her in. She was actually very surprised that her partner hadn't come by to see how she was doing. Of course, she'd told him not to, but when did he ever listen to her?

She had so needed this time to get her head on straight about him. The last case had thrown them for a loop, and she had damn near landed in his bed. That would really have sent him scurrying for cover. It was only by the skin of her teeth that she had escaped that mess. Not that she wouldn't welcome sharing his bed...but to risk their partnership for a roll in the hay after a difficult case. No, it wasn't worth it and she knew he would agree.

She got ready for work and headed in to the squad, calling him on the way. But his phone went right into voicemail. That was weird. She parked the car in her usual spot in the parking garage and headed up to the eleventh floor. The first thing she noticed stepping into the squad room was that he was not at his desk. What the hell...?

She walked to Deakins' door. "Hi, Captain."

"Hi, Alex. You look a lot better. How do you feel?"

"I'm fine. Where's Bobby?"

Deakins shifted uncomfortably. "I, um, I don't know, Alex."

"What? What do you mean, you don't know?"

"Just that. He took off a few days after you did. He said he needed some time off, told me he'd be at home, but he's not. I called Carmel Ridge. He hasn't seen or spoken to his mother since he left. I've had Logan going over there every day. His car is gone, he doesn't answer his phone, and I have no idea where he is."

"He hasn't even called his mother? That's very odd. Are you trying to find him?"

"I put out a BOLO on his car."

"Nationwide?"

"Yeah. No one has called on it."

"What happened? Why did he take off?"

"He wouldn't tell me, Alex. Maybe he talked to Logan. Ask him."

She was gone from the captain's door, heading for Logan's desk. He looked up in time to see her approach. "Well, look who's back!"

"Mike, where is Bobby?"

"You're asking me? I thought he was off with you."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Logan looked confused. "Come on, Alex. You take some time off to recover from that case, and he was just as haunted by it. Three days after you take leave, he does. Do the math."

"You're doing the math and coming up with two plus two equals five, Logan. I haven't seen him."

He frowned. "Really?"

"Yeah, really." She leaned closer to him and hissed, "I am not sleeping with my partner, asshole."

"No shit? I would have sworn you'd finally given in."

"Given in to what? Peer pressure?"

"No, Alex. Passion. He..." He raised his hands and shook his head. "I'm just gonna shut my big mouth now."

"Oh, no, you don't. You spill your guts, Logan, or I'll spill them for you all over the squadroom."

He leaned toward her. "This isn't the time or place, Alex."

"Fuck that." She grabbed his tie and dragged him toward the elevators. "Hey, come on, Eames.."

Barek was on her way back from the copier, watching with amusement as Eames dragged her partner from the squadroom. "Hey, Logan..."

He waved a hand at her. "I'll be right back, Barek. We, uh, need to have a little...gak...Hey, watch it!"

She released his tie when the doors opened and shoved him into the elevator. A couple of detectives in the elevator snickered, but one look from Eames stopped it cold. He followed her out of the elevator almost sheepishly. "Damn, now I know how Goren feels."

Ignoring him, she headed out of the building and down the street. Half a block away she stopped and looked at him. "Now talk or I swear to God I will kick your ass to who wouldn't have it."

"The night before he took off, he and I went out drinking and shooting pool. He really got trashed...I've never seen him like that. He told me--and I don't know why the hell he did--but he told me he...he said he was in love with you, Alex. And something about finally driving you off. Said he was a lot to take and you'd finally had your fill."

"He...? He said that?"

"Yeah. He was really miserable. I just thought it was the alcohol talking."

"What the hell does Barek tell you about thinking in those circumstances?"

"Look, I don't need it from you, too."

"Oh, you're going to get it from me like you've never gotten it before. Why the hell didn't you call me?"

"Why should I have? He always gets weird when he drinks...well, weirder."

"And nothing he said threw up any red flags with you?"

"If he'd been sober, there would have been alarm bells and whistles all over the place. But he was drunk, Alex. I never put any stock in what he says after he's had a few too many. Do you?"

"It depends on what he says, Mike. Drunk or sober, he was saying I'd left him. You have to realize what that would mean if he really believed it."

"Sure--if I thought he believed it."

"He took off and no one knows where he is, Mike! I'd wager a year's pay he believed it."

"Just what did you tell him?"

"I was feeling really burned out after that last case and at that point I really wasn't sure I could continue. And things started to get...out of hand with my feelings for him. I mean, the night before we closed that case, I swear if he'd told me he wanted to, I would have done anything he asked. I needed time off and I told him that. I..." The color drained from her face. "Oh, my God...what have I done?"

"You lost me there, sweetheart."

"I told him..oh, shit, Mike. Everything I said could be misconstrued after what happened that night. He thought...no, no, no! I..oh, God...what do I do? How the hell do I fix this if I can't even find him, the big ape?"

"Alex! Have mercy on a poor stupid guy here and let me in on the secret. You lost me somewhere between 'I told him' and 'the big ape'."

"He thought I was talking about us! Nothing could be further from the truth, but he misunderstood everything I said. Oh...poor Bobby. No wonder he took off. I know better...but I was so damn strung out and tired and I just blabbered the first thoughts that came to mind, without considering how I sounded. I am so used to him knowing where I'm going with stuff, I just thought he'd know. I forgot that he can't really read my mind, and that's just what I expected him to do. I never intended to leave him!"

"I can just imagine how fucked up he is now. Nice job."

He ducked her swing. "Hey! I didn't mean anything by it!"

"Then why say it?"

"These things just pop out of my head from time to time before I can think them through. Sorry."

"You are going to help me find him."

"What? How am I going to do that? It's a friggin' big-ass country, Alex, and he could be anywhere in it!"

"I don't care anything about where's he's not, Mike. You are going to look until you find out where the hell he is if you have to check out every damn parking lot between here and LA."

He touched her shoulder tentatively, folding his arms around her when she stepped into them. "It's ok, Alex," he said softly. "I'll find him." And if there's anything left when you're done with him, I owe him a smack upside the head or two.