A/N: It's a short chapter, but there's more to come.
He stirred in his sleep, slowly opening his eyes. The stream babbled and rushed its way through the glade, the birds chittered and chirped in the trees, and the woman in his arms nestled closer.
He tightened his arm around her. God, it had been a long time since he'd held someone like this. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. Her hand slid from his stomach up to his chest and he softly groaned. He'd better get up, before this led someplace he wasn't sure he wanted to go.
He slid lightly from her arms and crossed the glade to the stream. Squatting beside it, he splashed the cold water on his face and over his hair. Then he watched the water rush by. He came to the mountains looking for peace, for something, anything, that would help to soothe the pain. He'd never imagined, in a million years, that the something he found would be another woman. No, not in his wildest imagination. But his wounded heart still belonged to another...and Emily knew that. She'd stopped him before letting it go too far. He...would have...to chase the pain away for just a little while. But she knew on some level it could lead to a deeper pain, and she wouldn't let him do that. I'm a band-aid, Bobby, she'd whispered in his ear. What you really need is back in New York.
Back in New York...you need to go home and talk to her. All your answers lie with her, not here in the mountains and certainly not with me. You need to go home, Bobby.
He sighed. A hand touched his shoulder, startling him. He spun, too fast, hitting her leg and knocking her over and down, into the water. "Shit! Emily!"
He reached out quickly and pulled her from the stream. He looked horrified; she was laughing. And in one smooth, deft movement, she hooked her ankle behind his and yanked, hard. She continued laughing as he scrambled from the water and she ran. He caught her easily, pulling her back against him. And he laughed, too. She rested her head against his chest, enjoying the sound of his laughter, real laughter, not just a fleeting glimpse of it he'd been offering before. She turned in his arms, seeing the smile in his eyes. And she let him kiss her.
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Logan shuffled the papers on his desk and called out to Eames. She crossed the squadroom to his desk. Barek rested her chin on her hand and watched him as he began to speak. "Well, I found his car. It's parked at a trailhead up in the Rocky Mountains outside a town called Ouray. The parking stamp on the ticket in his window from the ranger station up the road is dated almost two weeks ago. Apparently, he left from work and took off right away for the mountains. I got his credit card info. He stopped in Denver and bought camping supplies, apparently. He was last in Ouray for supplies...three days ago. It looks like he's staying in that area, and it looks like he's okay. He got supplies and apparently had dinner. There's been nothing since, no motel charges or anything. So...what do you want to do?"
"I guess I'm going to Colorado."
Logan shifted uncomfortably. "He's gonna come back, Alex. According to the captain, he has plenty of leave time, so he's not in any danger of losing his job...like the Chief of D's would let him go anyway. Just wait until he comes back."
Eames smacked the back of his head. "If you'd called me in the first place, he'd never have gone anywhere to begin with. He's hurting, Mike. I can't leave him there like that."
"You gonna go alone?"
"No. You're coming with me."
She glanced at Barek, who nodded and said, "Since you bear some responsibility in this."
Logan leaned back in his chair. "All I did was listen to him. I had no friggin' idea he was out of his goddam mind."
Eames leaned closer. "Thank you for being his friend. Now you're going to continue being his friend and go with me to Colorado."
He looked at Barek. "What do you have to say?"
"I hear Colorado is beautiful this time of year. Bring the captain back something."
