Podie1 - This is for you. Thank you so much for reviewing, as always your reviews make me happy. This wasn't going to be posted yet but I decided to do so anyway.

Shadow

Passing trees, passing buildings and speeding traffic. Anything and everything was moving; living, around her. The car window made everything seem slightly unreal, like she was looking at a TV screen, just a witness to everything. After having something covering her eyes for a long period of time, Alex now felt like seeing was almost new. It was a strange feeling for her and she hated it. She closed her eyes and ignored it, well, she tried to ignore it.

With her eyes squeezed firmly shut, she felt movement beside her and she knew that Mike had noticed something was wrong. She had to show to him that she was okay so she slowly opened her eyes and looked at him, a small smile on her face that she hoped didn't show any weakness. Mike looked back at her and gave her a similair smile; weak, like he wasn't falling for it.

They were both sat in the backseat of Carolyn's car as she drove them to Alex's house after she had been released from the hospital. Bobby was sitting in the front passenger seat, his posture and his silence told them he was deep in thought. But for the first time in a long time Alex felt like she didn't care. Whether it was the events of the past few days finally hitting her or the drowsy effects of medication, she wasn't sure but it was how she felt about that.

Mike was still looking at her, his head laying back on the headrest, his neck twisting as he did so. Without thought she lowered her head onto his shoulder and closed her eyes again, once more ignoring the outside world. Maybe it was dark, maybe that's where she wanted to be right now. Mike wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, inviting her to sleep and she took it.

But her sleep was short-lived. The moment the car stopped and the sound of the engine being switched off invaded her senses, she awoke quickly. Immediately knowing where they were. She didn't even get chance to speak, Bobby and Carolyn quickly opened their car doors and closed them behind them. Alex lifted herself up off of Mike and he looked at her with concern, "You okay?" He asked, breaking the silence that had been inside the car from the moment they'd left the hospital. The sound of spoken words were almost piercing. She offered him another weak smile and a nod. "Let's go." He opened the car door and stepped out. He didn't close it though, he stood there and held out his hand for her and she slowly took it. Hesitant and more than just anxious, she stepped out of the car and looked at the building she called a home.

She hadn't been there since...

She shook her head and looked at Mike. She needed to be tough. She needed to be the same strong, resolute person that she always was; she needed to be Alex Eames. The thoughts were similar to the ones that had swam around her head when she'd been hung up, gagged and blindfolded.

"Eames?" Bobby's voice broke through her inner voice. Her eyes broke away from Mike and looked towards her partner. "A-are you coming?" Looking at Bobby and Carolyn she'd could see that they'd already been inside her house. Her mind momentarily wondering why they had the key but she quickly pushed that thought aside with the unmaskable feeling of fear.

She tried to swallow it, she tried to push it away but she couldn't. She looked away from the house, from everyone and looked around the neighborhood. She saw a young man on a pushbike moving slowly passed them, guiding his young son on a smaller pushbike and Alex saw the determination on the little boys face as he pushed down on the peddles and constantly lost his footing, if it weren't for the stabilizers on the back wheel he would've been on the floor. She turned back to her home and felt that fear grip her again. "Alex?" She felt Mike's hand on her arm and she leaned into him, falling into his body, trusting him to be there. Shaking her head as she turned around in his arms that were wrapping themselves around her. She didn't want to say it, she didn't want to do it. She was smart enough to recognise signs of fear and she didn't like, she didn't want it and all she knew was that for some reason it had started here. "Alex?"

Mike's voice seemed to be loosing volume, either that or Alex was loosing her hearing. She looked up at his concerned face and she shook her head at him again. Mike seemed to get the message. Had she spoke out aloud? She knew he understood when he lowered one arm and grabbed her legs from under her and carried her back to the car. She could hear the confused voices of Bobby and Carolyn as they rushed back to the car.

"Logan?" "Mike?" "What are you doing?" "Where are we going?" Their voices were mingling together. What she did notice was that Mike wasn't replying to any of their questions. On her own feet she stepped back into the car and Mike closed the door behind her, turning back to the two that had followed.

Alex leaned back into the seat and steadied herself, trying her best to calm herself down. What was happening to her? This wasn't her. She didn't do this. Looking out the window she could see Mike and Bobby seemed to be talking quite harshly to each other. She couldn't hear them because of their distance away from the car and quiet voices they were using but she could tell that their conversation was far from friendly from the hurt yet intense expression on Bobby's face and the annoyed, frustrated and extremely angry expression on Mike's.

A drowsy feeling filled her, the one that had been hovering over her for the entire journey from the hospital, it took her over and she closed her eyes, allowing it to do so.

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When they reached their destination he didn't wake her this time. Without waiting, he moved quickly. Opening the car door, standing out and reaching in to carry her in his arms. Before he fully picked Alex up, he tossed his keys to Carolyn. "Thanks, Barek." He said, grateful but not overly showing it. Carolyn nodded at him and walked over to Mike's apartment building door, using the key quickly to open it, holding it open for him to walk through.

Bobby, holding a few items from the car, quickly caught up and followed them into the building.

Reaching his apartment, Carolyn quickly opened the door and Mike rushed in and lowered her onto the sofa. He sighed in relief, thankful he hadn't dropped her, knowing that wouldn't have done her injuries any favours. He heard the door softly close behind him and he stood up to look at the two that had driven them around the entire city, put up with his temper and then helped him. "Thanks." He nodded at them and then rubbed his face.

"You're leaving her there?" Carolyn asked, looking at Alex's sleeping form and back at Mike's tired one.

He nodded, "I figured the couch would be easier to reach before I dropped her." In truth, his bedroom wasn't in a fit shape for anyone to be sleeping in and he needed to tidy it before she slept there. He looked at them as they stood near his door, he could see the way they seemed at unease even though they'd been in his apartment before. "Listen, uh, why don't you come in?" He held out his arm towards a couple of seperate chairs. "Make yourselves at home." They slowly walked into his living area and sat down. He looked at them and shook his head to himself, slightly amused by the way they were acting unsure.

If he were in a good mood he'd get a serious kick out of this.

"Alright, help yourselves to food and drink." He told them, rubbing his hair, taking note of how greasy and unclean it really was. He looked down at Alex and noticed the way she was curling up into a some kind of human ball; cold. Mike grabbed the blanket from the sofa and quickly covered her. Then he looked at Bobby and Carolyn, saying, "I'm going to take a shower." He then walked out of the room, leaving them alone. They watched him leave and they sat in silence for a few moments. Both watching Alex as she slept almost peacefully.

"Are you alright?" Carolyn's soft voice ripped through Bobby's thoughts on his partners welfare.

Bobby nodded, "I'll be fine."

"Really?" Carolyn asked, unsure and unbelieving.

Bobby looked at her and then back at Alex. "I've never seen her like that. It doesn't make any sense for her to be-"

"Be a victim?" Carolyn asked, interrupting. Bobby looked at her. "Because that's what she is. She was taken from that house." Bobby nodded, understanding. Carolyn didn't have to explain human behaviour to Bobby, he understood better than anyone. He stood up and began pacing Mike's small living area. Rubbing the back of his head and neck as he did so.

Looking at Alex and then back at the floor, and then repeating that action. "She - She had a panic attack." Bobby stopped pacing and looked directly at Carolyn, "She needs to go back to that house to fight her fear of it."

"I hope you're not suggesting now." Carolyn started, "Because as you saw-"

Bobby nodded, "I know, I know." He stopped pacing, "But it has to be soon." Carolyn sighed and looked at Alex, back at Bobby and then began to worry. She was worried about Alex and how this was all affecting her and she was worried about the tension that was forming between Mike and Bobby, men who both had their own different ways of handling situations. Men who both had a different kind of relationship with Alex that still existed on a deep level, although Carolyn felt that Bobby should take a step back she wasn't exactly sure how to tell him so.

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Somehow the soothing water running over his head and onto his body was not the comfort it was supposed to be. He found it to be deceptive that the water would seem to be so relaxing and then it would actually make him feel worse. Mike thought that he'd been handling this just fine until now. He didn't really know how to help her, he wasn't even sure he was the right person to support her through this. All he knew was that he had to, it was just a matter of how.

The facade of strong that was all around Alex, and himself, was fading fast and even he could see that. He could also see something deep was troubling her but he didn't know what, he wasn't sure he wanted to know because the moment he did know was the moment he'd have to help her and do the right thing and he didn't know what that was yet.

He had to help her the best way he knew how. He had to do this one step at a time, starting with changing his bedding for her and making sure she was comfortable. He'd been the victim of torture before and he knew that all she needed was time, her own time. So that's what he give her; time.

He stood there and allowed the water to wash over him until the water ran cold.

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The TV was on but nobody was watching it, they were all looking at it, but they weren't taking any of it in. It's like they were all in a daze, except for Alex who was still asleep on the sofa, curled up in the blanket. She'd been asleep for a few hours and Mike was going to wait till she woke up before he moved her again. He didn't want to hurt her so he let her stay there, besides he knew from experience that she actually liked his sofa. They'd slept on it several times over the course of their relationship and she'd always slept quite comfortably on it.

This meant that Mike was having to sit on the floor beside the sofa because Bobby and Carolyn were still there, sat on the chairs, pretending to watch TV. Mike really wanted to sleep himself but it didn't seem like Bobby intended to leave anytime soon. Mike knew why, he could even go so far as to understand why, but it was starting to grate on his nerves. Mike knew that the bond between partners was the one of the strongest bonds that existed and he knew that Bobby and Alex were two parts of a tight team but that didn't change the fact that he felt Bobby was being too crowding about it. He also knew Alex would probably explain it as Bobby just being Bobby, that was who he was but still, Mike wanted to go to bed too and he couldn't do that whilst they were there. He was so tempted to just tell them to leave.

Sighing, Mike stood up and stretched his legs, slightly regretting sitting on the floor for such a prolonged period of time. He walked over to the TV and switched it off. He then looked at Bobby and Carolyn, who were now looking at him. Carolyn had a knowing smile on her face and Mike realised that she'd got the hint. She stood up and looked at Bobby, "Come on, I'll drive you home."

Bobby looked at her and shook his head, "What about Eames?" He asked, pointing towards his sleeping partner.

"What about her?" Carolyn looked at Mike and continued, "I'm assuming she's staying here?" It wasn't really a question, she knew the answer to that. Carolyn really didn't want to be driving everyone around the city again. Mike nodded in response anyway. Carolyn looked back at Bobby and held out her hand, offering it to him. Bobby stood up, taking her hand but not really using her to stand up.

They walked towards the door and Bobby stopped, turning around to look back at Mike. "Will - Will you call me if s-she-" Bobby stopped when he saw the expression on Mike's face that told him he'd understood the question but he wasn't going to be calling him. It was strange to Mike how Bobby had gone from not being sure Alex needed to speak to him to wanting to be called in the middle of the night for an update on her.

Mike just said, "Why don't you try and get some sleep?" He looked at Carolyn, "Thanks. I'm sorry we messed you about a bit there."

Carolyn shrugged, "I expected nothing less." Mike chuckled slightly at the remark and then opened the door for them. Carolyn walked out and waited in the coridor for Bobby to follow, albeit slowly.

Mike ushered for him to move along, "She'll be fine." Bobby moved quicker and left the apartment, no sooner had he done so the door closed behind them after Mike said, "Bye."

Bobby sighed and realised how stupid he was sounding. Mike was quite capable of looking after her and she had stayed there before, probably more times than Bobby would want to know but it didn't stop Bobby from feeling guilty that he'd been the reason she was kidnapped and he felt that he owed it to her to look after her but he knew that that was Mike's job. Carolyn looked at him, shaking her head, "Let's go."

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Mike woke up to the strangest sound. This was a new one, one that he'd never heard before. Upon opening his eyes the first thing he realised that Alex was no longer in the bed with him, the covers had been pulled back on her side. He sat up and then noticed her hair at the bottom of the bed, the sound was coming from her and he finally recognised what it was; the sharp, shaky breathing of someone who was trying to hold back tears. He pulled back the covers and swung his legs out of bed, and quickly walked round to the bottom of the bed to see Alex sitting on the floor, her knees up to her chin and her hands covering her face. Her whole body shaking.

She sensed rather than saw Mike and she spoke, "Make it stop." The words were chilling and her voice was uneven and she choked on tears as they flooded from her, uncovering her face she looked up at Mike. He took one look at the panic in her eyes, and the red stains down her face before he too was on the floor next to her, holding her arms so that she wouldn't cover her face again.

"Stop what?" He asked, desperately.

Alex shook her head, "Make it stop, make it stop." She lowered her head onto her knees and covered her face that way. "Make her stop." She was crying; hard. Something Mike had never seen in her, something he figured no one had ever really seen in her. "Please, make her stop screaming!" She lifted her head in time to see Mike pull her towards him, burying her face in his chest instead. Their legs in all directions as he tried to comfort her. He didn't know how to make that stop. It was as if the plug had been pulled out and she was now releasing every tear she'd ever owned. She was visibly shaking and not because she was cold. Mike felt hot tears stinging his own eyes and he realised he didn't know what to do, he didn't know how to stop her from hearing the screams of a dead woman.

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TBC

I appologise for the lack of dialogue in this one, again. But I think it works better without it. Let me know what you thought.