This chapter was written several days ago, however, Christmas swept me away from the computer and obviously I couldn't get back. I hope you all had a fantastic time so far.

A/N. You'll notice the very last scene, at the hospital, where you looking through the window at Goren and Eames, you can only see one side of the bed? Well, Mike's on the other side ;)

Shadow

"Jo?" Alex swallowed hard. Her mind almost running away with itself. Her first thought of Jo was always her sister, Joanna, so she had to quickly squash that image, she knew well enough to know that he wasn't referring to her sister. "Jo Gage?" She asked when she remembered there was another Jo she should be aware of and Alex watched Bobby as he nodded slowly, very slowly. Alex closed her eyes but she could still feel Bobby presence on her left side and Mike's on her right. The hospital room usually had this feeling of being big but right now it felt small and she was trying to fight the claustophia she was starting to choke on.

She felt Mike brush his fingers of her hand and she opened her eyes, being pulled back into reality. He didn't know who this Jo was but he still hated her for it, gender didn't matter to him. This Jo was responsible and he hoped she paid for it. "Why?" Alex asked Bobby as he leaned forward in his seat.

Bobby looked at Mike, who also seemed to want to know the answer to that question. Bobby swallowed hard and looked at her. "She, uh, she wanted her fathers' attention."

Alex shook her head, "No, why did she take me?" Alex didn't want to know about why Jo had become a serial killer, that wasn't her concern at all. She didn't care about Jo's background or what made her the way she was. That was always what Bobby did, she just wanted to know why she had to have been kidnapped by her. Mike looked at her, continuing to provide comfort by holding her hand.

Bobby sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Be-because of the attention her father gave to-to me." Bobby stuttered, this was the first time he'd said that out aloud, the first time he'd admitted it to himself. Maybe it was his fault, he should've paid attention to Jo as well, maybe she wouldn't have turned out that way. "I'm sorry."

Alex looked at him and sighed, "I don't want to hear that." Her voice was so quiet and Bobby could see that she was struggling with her own emotions. Annoyed with himself for starting to put his on her as well, he stood up and looked at their surprised expressions; although he didn't notice them.

"I'll, uh, be back." He spoke quietly and then left the room. Alex frowned and looked at Mike, who shrugged. Mike didn't have an explanation for that.

Alex sighed, "What did I say?" she asked Mike, who shrugged again.

Mike shook his head, "I don't know." Mike saw the way it was starting to effect her so he gave her a look. "Don't do that to yourself. I'm sure it has nothing to do with you." Mike saw that his words were having no effect. "Listen, I heard Gage was his mentor, right?" Alex nodded, "Well, maybe that's what's eating at him." Alex didn't even have chance to contemplate that when she heard a knock at the door and saw her father at the door.

"Hey." He said, there was almost the sound of cheer in his voice. John Eames looked at them both. "Can I come in?" Alex smiled and nodded, pleased to see her father.

Mike nodded at him in greeting, "Yeah, uh, I'll be back." Alex looked at Mike in surprise. "I'll only be a minute." Mike kissed her cheek and then smiled at John before leaving the room.

John looked at his daughter and took in her obvious ill state. "How are you holding up, really?"

Alex smiled at him before sighing, "I'm sick of this hospital." she then added almost ruefully, "And I'm tired of people asking me that. How are you?" Her father had to suppress the chuckle. It seemed her attitude had survived the ordeal. But he knew her well enough to know that the wall she was putting up was hiding something painful and she'd never admit it.

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"Hey." Mike's deep voice caused Bobby to turn around quickly. Sighing because he'd hoped to be alone. That's the reason he'd come outside of the hospital, to get some air, to be allowed to think on his own and be with his own thoughts and feelings. "What the hell was that?" Mike asked, the obvious tension in his voice.

"I don't have to explain it to you." Bobby replied, wishing Mike would leave him alone for the moment while he tried to sort things out in his mind.

Mike pulled his arm to get Bobby to turn back to him, "The hell you don't!" Mike pushed.

"Logan-" Bobby started, getting irritated.

Mike interrupted, "-No, you hear me out. Don't do this to her." Mike pointed towards the hospital building, in the general direction of where she was.

With a sigh, Bobby looked at him, respecting him for this but annoyed all the same. "She needs to get better. She doesn't need me in there. She needs you." Bobby argued, knowing he was right.

Mike sighed, he hated arguing with Bobby. "Look, I don't care what's going through your head right now but, she does!" Mike was once again pointing towards the building. "You're partners. You should be talking about this. Don't push her away, you're the only one who can explain this to her!" Mike was insistent and his determination paid off when Bobby sighed, showing signs of defeat.

Defeat that wouldn't last obviously but it was good enough to send Bobby back into that hospital room and see her again. Mike knew he wasn't that good at being convincing and certainly not that quick so he guessed it would only be a matter of time before Bobby did that again but hopefully she wouldn't see it and that it wouldn't be whilst she was in hospital. Mike just wanted her to get better without being given any extra stress or any extra reason to worry.

Bobby agreed to go back in, only so he could explain the things that she didn't know about because he felt he owed her for that. But he knew that he had a huge weight in his mind and that he didn't want to shove any of it onto her, which just made him feel heavier inside. He had to bare his guilt alone; that's what he thought.

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Bobby had done that. He'd gone back into the hospital room, explained to Alex, Mike and John what had happened with Jo Gage and her father. The circumstances that led to Alex's kidnapping and the charges that were being brought up against Jo. Alex had seen in his eyes that he was holding something back, she had an idea of what it was but she was too tired to find out. That and she was still in the hospital meaning she couldn't exactly go charging about after him.

Not that she'd know quite what to say if she did. She was still struggling with her own feelings on the subject and she ddin't want to make it worse by trying to understand his; she needed to be on her best to do that with Bobby and she wasn't there yet. Of course, she had been told that they would let her out of the hospital today if they were satisfied with the tests they ran on her earlier. She could see Mike twiddling his thumbs next to her bed and she smiled. He'd been the only constant she'd had over the past few days. He was still wearing the same shirt and pants that he'd been wearing the day she was brought in. But for some reason, he didn't look dirty, just tired. "Do you think they're gonna let you go?" He asked, seeing she was looking at him.

Alex shrugged, "They'd better do." She looked at him, "You need a shave."

Mike chuckled at her but he knew he'd find that more funny if her happiness went from her smile all the way to her eyes. But it didn't, when she smiled she wasn't all there and he could see that. Mike rubbed his chin, "You think so?"

Alex nodded, finally giving him a better looking smile that at least did something to her eyes, not alot but it was 'something'. She was stopped from commenting further by the Doctor that walked into the room, suddenly hoping for good news, she sat up a little so she could see him better. "How are you feeling?" He asked, politely, looking at Alex.

Alex looked at him, "Fed up."

He nodded, getting used to her comments, "Don't worry. We're going to let you go home." He replied with a small chuckle. The sigh of relief from both Alex and Mike was expected and they didn't disappoint. "But I still want you on bed rest and I want you to come back in a weeks time for us to check your progess." Alex nodded, not willing to argue with the doctors orders. "I still want you to limit the use of your arms for now, that will take a couple weeks to recover." He ordered and Alex nodded again, looking at Mike who smiled at her. "The nurse will get your medication for you and the release papers." The man held out his hand and she shook it, wordlessly thanking him. Inside she was suddenly filled with excitement because she was leaving the damned hospital and anticipation because she suddenly realised she hadn't been home since she'd been taken from it.

Since something had happened to Polly...

Why was this the first time she remembered? Mike could see she suddenly changed from happy to worried so he smiled at the Doctor, who nodded and left. "Hey, you okay?" He asked, concern filling his features.

Alex nodded, numbly. "Yeah." she replied, quietly. She looked at him, shaking herself out of it and giving him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine." A smile that Mike didn't believe for a second but he just smiled back at her. Silently wondering if he was doing the right thing. "You're, uh, sister bought you some clothes over last time she was here." Mike told her and Alex nodded, still in her own thoughts but aware enough to hear his words.

They didn't make a movement for those clothes though; they just sat there, thinking, until someone knocked on the door.

Mike looked up to see Bobby and Carolyn stood at the door. This was the first time he'd seen his former partner since she'd left for Special Victims Unit but that didn't register to him. He just pulled a face of recognition and motioned for them to come in. Alex finally realised there was someone else in the room, so she shook herself out of the haze that she'd been in and looked at them. She saw Carolyn and smiled at her. Carolyn walked over to her and leaned forward to give her a warm hug. "So, how are you?" Carolyn asked.

Alex looked at her, biting back a remark about being asked that annoying question again 'how are you'. She swore to herself that if she heard those words again it would be too soon. Instead she said, "They're letting me go."

"Eames, CSU released your house yesterday." Bobby told her, Alex looked at him with a frown, unsure of where he was going with this. "And they fixed the door for you as well."

"Oh." Alex said quietly, realising that that meant she could really go home. Alex had a puzzled expression on her face as she thought about it. "I don't remember the door being broken." Bobby looked at her and Alex quickly realised that the door must've been broken when they were looking for her. "Oh." she repeated. Alex had a remark on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't bring herself to say anything, she just kept quiet. A quiet that was concerning everyone else in the room.

Another knock on the door and a nurse walked in carrying a clipboard and some medicine packets and bottles. "Alex Eames?" She asked, reading the board above Alex's head for the answer. Alex nodded though. The nurse smiled and put the items she'd been carrying on the bedside table. "Okay, if you people could just go out into the coridor for the moment." The nurse gestured towards the door. Mike looked at Alex, who nodded to say he should go. They all left the room, glancing back at her as they did so and Alex just gave them a little wave, whether it was an annoyed wave or a sad wave they couldn't tell. "Right, so these are your discharge papers." The nurse spoke as soon as the others had left the room. "And I'll go through the instructions for the pills for you." Alex nodded. "Where are your clothes, sweetie?" The nurse asked, Alex looked at her. Annoyed by both her sweet voice and the choice of words she'd spoken with.

"I can dress myself." Alex told her, stubbornly. The nurse shook her head.

"The doctor told you to limit the use of your arms. I'm only going to help you." The nurse was also stubborn and Alex groaned in defeat and frustration.

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Sitting out in the coridor on those uncomfortable chair, the three of them were quiet until Carolyn spoke up, "So, is she alright?" She asked Mike, who looked at her for a second before turning away.

"She'll be fine." Carolyn got the impression that Mike didn't want to reveal anything and judging by the look on Bobby's face he thought differently.

Bobby shook his head, "She's not fine. She has the physcological fall-out to deal with. She needs to see a-"

"A what? A shrink?" Mike asked, annoyed. "Let's give her a chance to get better before we shove her in front of one those, huh?"

Carolyn looked at them both and shook her head, "Okay, I'm not quite sure why you two are arguing over this but it isn't going to help her. She needs your support, you can't give that to her if you're arguing about it." They both knew she was right but neither of them moved to say so. Mike sighed and rested his face in his hand for a moment. He didn't like this, he didn't want to argue about it but he'd be damned if someone was going to be telling him how he should help her.

"Let's just get her home." Mike said, lowering his hand away from his face.

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TBC

Let me know what you think so far? Happy New Year everyone!!!!!