Eames woke up with a start. It was dark in the bedroom and she looked at the time. After 8...why had he let her sleep so long? He usually left by now to join Mike for their boys' night out. She had encouraged him to keep going out on Friday nights. It was good for him and she really didn't mind. Sometimes Carolyn came over and sometimes she just enjoyed hanging out with Maggie. She headed out to the living room.

He was sitting on the couch, watching television, with Maggie sound asleep on his lap. As he absently kissed the top of his little girl's head, she reflected how there had never been any doubt that he loved Maggie. And thinking about that, she came to realize that he had never once given her cause to doubt his love for her, either. Never. But there was one major difference: his love for Maggie had never caused him pain. She crossed to the couch and leaned over to softly kiss him before sitting beside him. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Why would I? You need to rest."

"You're usually gone by now."

"I called Mike and told him not tonight."

"Why?"

He looked at her. "Because I want to stay home tonight."

She accepted his explanation. It was something he did every once in a while. And she had to admit, tonight she was glad. She'd had a disturbing dream, common in pregnancy but still unsettling. She was glad he was going to be home tonight. She snuggled against him and he slipped an arm around her. She gently rubbed Maggie's leg. "How long has she been asleep?"

"Not long. We sat down to watch TV about an hour ago."

She looked at the television. Some show on Discovery...she should have guessed. "You bored her to sleep?"

He laughed softly. She could always make him laugh. "No. She wanted to watch that shark special on Animal Planet. I changed the channel when it was over; she was already asleep."

"What are we watching now?"

"A documentary about caesarians."

"Give me that remote, dammit."

"What? I just..."

"We don't know for sure I am going to need one."

"But..."

"No. Give it to me." He handed her the remote. "You worry enough," she grumbled. "And you already know what it's about. I have faith that the baby will find his way into the right position. Maggie did."

"You had this problem with Maggie?"

"Yes. Apparently, your children are more like you than you realize, even before they're born. They don't want to do things the way they are supposed to, either."

"But they do anyway."

"Eventually. My guess is that he'll turn himself in the next week or so." She flipped to another channel. "Oh, look...elephants. If this is followed by a show on whales, I'm going back to bed."

He laughed again and tightened his arm around her, kissing her head. She turned her face toward his and caught his kiss. Then she snuggled into his side and they watched bull elephants fight.

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He slept late the next morning, a rare occurance. He wondered why Maggie hadn't woken him. She was sitting at the table, coloring, when he came through the living room. "Hi, Daddy. I'm colorin' a pitcher for Gramma!"

He kissed her. "Hey, mouse." He looked over her shoulder at the multi-colored cat she was working on. "That's a great picture. Why didn't you wake me this morning?"

"Mommy wouldn' let me."

"Really..."

He smoothed his hand over her head and went into the kitchen. Eames handed him a cup of coffee. He leaned against the counter next to her. "Maggie said you wouldn't let her wake me up."

"I got up early and there was no reason for her to wake you. You deserve to sleep once in awhile."

He bent toward her and kissed her. "My birthday and Father's Day works for me." She laughed and he whispered into her ear, "I like to sleep in with you, Alex."

She hugged him. "Are you sure you have to go in to work?"

"I'm sure. Are you sure you want to go to visit Mom?"

She squeezed him tighter. "I'm sure."

"Thank you."

"Do you want something to eat?"

"No. I need to get going. I'll see you tonight. Be careful."

"You, too."

He kissed her again and returned to the table to kiss Maggie. "Tell Gramma I said hi."

"Where are you going?"

"I have to work."

"Oh. But not Mommy?"

"No, baby. Mommy gets to stay home now until after the baby gets here."

"With me?"

"With you. I'll see you at dinnertime. Be a good girl."

She watched him grab his jacket before she answered, "I'm al'ays a good girl, Daddy."

He laughed and blew her a kiss. "I know. I love you, mouse."

She grabbed at the air and pressed his kiss into her cheek. "I love you, too," she replied as he headed out the door.

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Logan was waiting for him in the parking garage, just like he'd asked him to. "What's up, Bobby? It's friggin' Saturday morning and I don't have a case."

"You do now."

"What? Your socialite?"

"No, not that one. This...is something different. This is from IAB."

"IAB? Are you out of your mind? I'm not their favorite person, if you'll remember."

"I need your help, Mike."

"What's wrong with your partner?"

"She's having a baby."

He never considered anyone else his partner. "I know that. Your other partner, idiot."

"I don't want to bring her into this. This case isn't technically one of Major Case's and Bishop's not Major Case either, not really."

"You're not making sense, man." Not that that was unusual...

"Look, Mike...she's a temp partner and I don't know where this case is going to lead. It involves Ricky Waters and I...I want someone I trust implicitly to back me up in this."

"Waters? He's dead."

"I know...but he was involved up to his eyeballs in some really bad shit. I don't want this...coming back on Alex, in any way. That's why I agreed to take the case. I don't want a partner from IAB. There are other cops involved and I'm not sure how deep it goes. I'll go into it alone before I'll take a partner I don't know or trust."

"Shit, when you put it that way..."

Goren knew he'd agree; Logan wouldn't let him down. "Come on. Deakins is waiting for us."

As they headed for the elevators, Logan grumbled, "Even dead the son of a bitch can't leave us alone."

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Deakins was in his office, pacing. That was never a good sign. Without preamble, he asked Goren, "Did you fill him in?"

"He knows about as much as I do right now."

He looked at Logan. "You're willing to work with him on this?"

"Yeah, sure. It's a switch from being the subject of an IAB investigation."

Slowly, Deakins shook his head. "I sure hope I'm not going to regret this."

"Why would you?" Goren asked. "It's just an investigation, Captain."

"But still..." Deakins sighed. "Alex is okay with this?"

"Alex doesn't know about it."

"Bobby..."

"Let me deal with this my way, sir."

"I don't know...keeping it from her..." He shook his head. "I don't like it."

Goren leaned forward. "She's on maternity leave and she has enough to worry about. I'll tell her when it's time, if I have to. Right now...it's not the time. I don't know enough about what's going on and I won't have her worrying over nothing."

"All right, fine. Do it your way."

Logan hit Goren's shoulder. "You just make sure that when this comes around to bite you in the ass, you let Alex know it was your idea not to tell her, not ours."

Goren waved a hand at him. "It'll be fine, Mike. Come on. We have work to do."

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The days passed quickly as time for the baby's birth drew near. As Alex had predicted, he did get his act together and postioned himself the right way for his impending arrival. The doctor breathed a sigh of relief and so did Goren. The doctor had not been looking forward to telling this particular father his wife definitely did need surgery. There was no reason he could see now for a c-section. Now it was all up to Alex and her baby.

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A/N: This brings us up to the events in Forever and A Day. The rest of this story will take place during the course of that one.