It was the weekend after New Year's and Alex was bringing Maggie to Carmel Ridge for a visit, as she had every week since Thanksgiving, as well as on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. She couldn't deny Frances or Maggie the opportunity for a visit. It was very obvious that they both missed Bobby, and they commiserated well together. He and Mike had taken off and disappeared last week, and she still refused to dwell on his absence. She kept herself busy during the day taking care of the baby and playing with Maggie. She found that in keeping her little daughter close, telling her stories about her daddy and answering her endless questions about everything, she didn't miss him quite so much...until she got into bed at night. When she turned over and reached for him in her sleep, and he wasn't there, that woke her. When she dreamed about him, turning to snuggle against him and finding only cold air where his warmth should be, that woke her. When her body needed his, even if she couldn't have him yet, she sought his touch and reassurance of his love, but he wasn't there...and his absence brought her to tears that she allowed no one to see.

The pain in her heart and the rock in the pit of her stomach never went away. As a baby, Maggie had always felt her tension, responding with a restless irritability that vanished when Bobby took her and cradled her against his chest. If Tommy sensed her unrest, however, he gave no sign. His response seemed to be those soft little noises he made only when she held him as he snuggled deeper into her arms, and she felt oddly comforted. She refused to speculate on what she would do if she didn't have these children, who reminded her so much of him and yet were the biggest source of comfort for her she had ever known, except for their father.

They approached the unit secretary's desk and Maggie bounded ahead of her mother. "Hi, Miss Si'via!"

Sylvia looked up from her work. "Well, hi, Maggie. How are you today?"

"I'm good, and so's my baby. He's keepin' Grandpa comp'ny."

Sylvia smiled. Just in the short time since Bobby began bringing Maggie to visit Frances, the staff had grown very fond of his friendly, happy little girl. They had always liked Bobby, with his kind, gentle manner and loving patience with his mother, even when she was difficult. They often wondered why he always came to visit alone. For years, Frances had mentioned Alex, but always, Bobby came alone. And in recent years, she had talked about Alex's daughter and how much she thought the child looked like her son. And still, Bobby came alone. And then, finally, he brought Alex, and they were surprised to learn that she was actually his wife, pregnant with their second child. She hadn't been his wife for long, but she had known him for years and, in spite of Bobby's anxiety about bringing her to meet his mother, there was no doubt that they did love each other; they never hid their affection. Then they'd brought Maggie and she had charmed them all. Her attachment to Bobby was obvious and heartwarming, and she was always excited to visit her gramma. Sylvia looked at Alex. "Hi, Alex. Where's Bobby today?"

"Still involved with that case he's been working on."

"It's good that you and Maggie call and come to visit. Frances really looks forward to seeing you. When do we get to meet the little guy?"

"Another six weeks or so. The doctors want him to have his first set of shots before he goes visiting."

"We're looking forward to seeing him." She turned her attention back to Maggie. "Your grandma is waiting for you, sweetheart."

"Thank you, Miss Si'via. Come on, Mommy! Gramma needs to see me!"

Alex smiled at Sylvia and hurried down the hall after Maggie. Sylvia smiled. Alex was much more laid back than Bobby tended to be, but, to the best of her knowledge, Alex had never witnessed one of Frances' episodes. Bobby had lived with them nearly all his life. There was always an underlying tension in his manner, no matter how calm and gentle he was, and Sylvia understood that. She expected Alex's attitude to change somewhat once she'd experienced her mother-in-law's disease at its worst. And it would come, sooner than anyone wanted. Bobby wasn't around. That always boded ill for his mother, and it would be for Alex to deal with, if she had a mind to. No one would blame her if she backed off. Most of the staff felt she would. After all, she bore no responsibility toward her husband's mother, even in his absence. But if she chose to come, they would let her choose her level of involvement; Bobby was fine with that. Alex had free access to his mother. But the staff had strict orders from him to never let Maggie near his mother if she were not completely stable, knowing how quickly her condition could deteriorate once she headed away from reality.

Frances looked up when her door popped open and Maggie burst into the room. "Hi, Gramma!"

She ran across the room into her grandmother's arms. Frances folded her into a warm hug. "It's so good to see you, Maggie. Hello, Alex dear." She watched the door expectantly, but her son never came into the room. "Where's Bobby?"

"He's still working on that case. It's been taking a lot of time."

Maggie added, "Santa bringed Daddy and Uncle Mike to me on Chrissmas, but they hadda leave again."

"Haven't you seen him since Christmas?"

"No, an' I miss him."

"But you talk to him, don't you?"

"No. Mommy says they can' call me right now."

Frances hugged her. "What's wrong with him, Alex?"

Alex sighed, deciding that telling her Mike and Bobby had taken off and no one had any idea where they were would probably be a bad idea. "It's a very difficult case. He's just doing what he thinks is best for us."

"Making my granddaughter sad is what's best for her?"

Alex pulled a chair closer, wondering at Frances' sudden argumentativeness. Bobby had not been able to visit since Thanksgiving, but Alex continued to bring Maggie every Saturday afternoon, and she had never missed a visit. Earlier in the month, she had even taken over calling every day, when the investigation had begun to snow him under. Until things had escalated to the point that he had to stay away, he'd made a point to be around to have breakfast with Maggie every morning and he tried to be home in time to tuck her in every night. Some nights he would head back out, but mostly he would spend time with her and then continue working after she went to bed. The only break Bobby had taken in the investigation was for the birth of their son. Then poor Lewis had been injured, that bomb had been rigged at their apartment, Ricky's friends had shown up at her father's house and shot him and Bobby, and now Bobby and Mike were missing. But she couldn't tell Frances any of that. Gently, she said, "It's hard for him to be away, too, but it's out of his hands."

Maggie piped up. "Grandpa's outta the hopsital and we can stay with him again."

Frances looked at Alex. "The hospital? Nothing serious, I hope."

Before Alex could answer, Maggie, who had been brushing her hands over her red skirt, said, "Grandpa gotted hurt when Daddy did, but Daddy gotted better faster than Grandpa did."

Alex groaned to herself. Thanks, Maggie. Frances raised worried eyes to Alex. "Is Bobby all right?"

How could she handle this without lying to her mother-in-law? "When he left town, he was all right."

"But he was hurt?"

"He was, but he was recovering very well."

"Was this related to his job?"

"Yes."

Frances sighed, a frustrated sound. "I worry about both you and Bobby, being police officers. It's such a dangerous job and you have two children to think about. When did you talk to him last?"

"On Christmas. He'll call me when he can."

"Where is he?"

"He had to go out of town. I don't know for sure exactly where he is."

"Is he alone?"

"No. Mike is with him."

"And he will watch out for Bobby?"

"Yes. They watch out for each other." And they always seem to get into trouble doing it.

"What about Lewis? Has he called Lewis?"

"No, he hasn't."

Frances got a stubborn, angry look on her face, much like the look Maggie got when she didn't get her way. With a huff of annoyance, she said, "I will straighten him out when he gets back. How can he worry you and upset Maggie by not calling? I taught him better than that."

She didn't understand; she never would. Bobby had often told her that his mother viewed the world a certain way. Everything was black or white and she made no allowances for any gray. Anything that strayed from her expectations seemed to be beyond her comprehension. Her rules for how things should be were inflexible and she was unable to tolerate much deviation from her norm. "It's 'them,' isn't it, Alex?"

Alex felt a surge of fear at the question. Talking about 'them' was a sure sign that her mind was heading for a break. Sometimes Bobby was able to postpone the break. All she could do was give it a try. Keeping her voice gentle, she said, "Let's not talk about 'them' in front of Maggie, okay?"

Frances' face showed understanding. "Good idea, dear." Her attention diverted before it got a good grip on 'them,' she turned to Maggie who was still on her lap. "So, tell me about your brother, Maggie."

Alex breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Frances was still reachable, if she was indeed heading for a psychotic break. So far she was still stable, well enough that the staff had not yet felt the need to stop Maggie's visits. The oddly ironic thing was that this time, she was right. 'They' were, indeed, after her son, whoever 'they' happened to be.

---------------------------------------------------------------

She noticed the changes. Over the course of the next week, her conversations with Frances became increasingly strange and disjointed. She knew what that meant, and it made her uneasy. Still, she had times when she sounded perfectly lucid and was able to carry on a normal conversation. She didn't know her well enough to understand the nuances of her disease, its triggers, and the patterns she followed when she began to separate from reality. So when she sounded lucid, Alex would let her talk to Maggie, until the day Maggie handed her back the phone in silence and left the room. She knew that her little girl's continued withdrawal was due to her father's absence but she'd always seemed happy to talk to her gramma. It broke her heart to see Maggie smiling less and less; she no longer laughed at all. And she knew of no way to console her.

Alex finished her conversation with Frances and went in search of her daughter. She found her in the bedroom, sitting on Bobby's side of the bed, hugging his pillow and trying not to cry. She sat down and Maggie leaned into her. "I want Daddy," she said quietly.

"What did Gramma tell you, Maggie?"

"She telled me someone's tryin' to hurt Daddy."

"Who?"

"I dunno. She didn' say. All she telled me was they are gonna hurt him."

Eames picked Maggie up and set her on her lap. It was starting...or rather accelerating. Frances' descent from reality had already begun. "Baby, do you remember how we told you Gramma gets sick?"

"Uh-huh."

"Sometimes when she's sick, she says things she doesn't mean or she talks about things she doesn't know."

"So nobody's gonna hurt Daddy?"

"Daddy and Uncle Mike know how to take care of themselves. They'll be okay."

"Where are they?"

"I don't know, Maggie."

"Why won' Daddy call me?"

"All I can say is he doesn't call because he can't."

"And Uncle Mike, too?"

"Uncle Mike, too. He would call if he could."

Maggie sighed. "Can I sleep with you tonight on Daddy's pillow, Mommy?"

"Of course."

She rested her head on Alex's chest and hugged tighter to the pillow in her little arms. Alex knew how she felt. The pillow still smelled of his cologne and hugging it, breathing the familiar scent, made him seem not so far away.