Alex entered the I-81 at Binghamton, driving towards Syracuse. It had begun to snow. Mike was snoring in the backseat while Megan Wheeler flipped through some CDs. Bobby sat beside Alex, tired and still annoyed with her, Captain Ross, the department on a whole. But here he was beside her, still employed and now heading west with his partner and the two other detectives. The phrase 'go west, young man' kept popping into his head unbidden. Mike snored loudly, mumbled in his sleep and then turned his head, falling back into slumber. Megan found a CD and leaned over the front seats to pop it into the player. Alex turned the volume up a little to drown out Mike's snoring. Alex hazarded a glance at her partner just as Bobby had decided to do the same. He couldn't determine what the look in her eyes meant and it still hurt. She could see the hurt but part of her didn't care. She was still mad and she had every right to be. She turned her gaze back towards the road and he turned his back to the passing sights, of which there weren't many. They drove a little further, the snow got heavier. Megan had by now fallen asleep, her head resting on Mike's shoulder. Alex wished Carolyn was here; then she'd have some one to talk to, and Mike would have some one whose company he thoroughly enjoyed. Not that Mike didn't NOT like Megan Wheeler, he just missed Carolyn probably more than he should. If she were speaking with her partner, Alex would've asked what the deal was with Mike, but she wasn't so she wouldn't know. Alex focused on the music, surprised to hear Bobby humming along with it.

"…And it's beginning to get to me
that I know more of the stars and sea
than I do of what's in your head
barely touching in our cold bed.
Are you beginning to get get my point
they're always fighting with aching joints
it's doing nothing but tire us out
no one knows what this fight's about…"

Alex furrowed her brow, focusing on the words. The chorus came around again, this time moving her to tears. She focused on the road, slowing down to 55 instead of 65. She again glanced at her partner, who nodded his understanding. He placed a big warm hand on hers, squeezing gently before going back to look out the window. And that was that. Eames and Goren were back.

"ALEX! STOP!" Bobby yelled out suddenly. Alex hit the brakes, sliding and plowing right into the deer that had jumped out of the woods. The car went off into the ditch on the left hand side of the road, where the state troopers usually hung out. From there, the car rolled and rolled and finally stopped. The CD stopped. The snow continued to fall.

A/N: The song is "It's Beginning To Get To Me" by Snow Patrol.