Author's Notes: Still getting my sea legs when it comes to LOCI. It's all new to me. Feedback appreciated.

ooOoo

The restaurant was a shabby hole-in-the-wall but the smells were delicious and the elderly couple who were running the place knew Eames on sight.

"Everything here is good, although I'd stay away from the pig's feet," Eames advised.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Logan's smirk masked his growing uncertainty of accepting this dinner invitation. He wasn't sure how the evening would progress, his discomfort coming from the realization he'd never spent this much time with Eames.

"Logan? What's your order?" She cocked her head at the server.

So lost in his thoughts, he wasn't aware that Eames was talking to him. "Uh, 17. Yeah, I'll have 19 with fried rice."

"You want the pig's feet?"

"Oh, no. Sorry." Logan ducked his head behind the menu and picked the closest thing that he knew he could eat. "I meant number 9, the spicy chicken."

"Mm, good choice," and Eames smiled at him, which, for some reason made Logan feel the need to study the Chinese zodiac placemat in great detail.

ooOoo

They ate and talked, mostly about work and their caseloads. And their partners.

"How's Bobby's mom?"

Eames toyed with her chopsticks and sighed. "Not good; it's only a matter of time before she passes."

"Ah, Jesus." Logan was genuinely sympathetic. "Bobby's not getting any help from family?"

"He has a brother, but he's got his own problems," Eames replied, trying to be circumspect. Everyone had skeletons in the family closet but this one wasn't hers to share.

"I've been through it, taking care of a sick parent on my own." Logan didn't go beyond that. His mind drifted back to Goren, and then to Wheeler which gave way to imaginative goings on between the two detectives.

"Hey, you in there?" Eames was giving him a puzzled look. "I lost you for a minute."

"Sorry about that." Logan met Eames' questioning look with what he hoped was a non-chalent smile. "Work."

Eames nodded. "How are things going with Wheeler? It seems like the two of you are settling in with each other."

Logan thought a moment before answering. "Well, Wheeler's a good detective. Instinct is sound, judgment good. So, fine, I guess." He wasn't sure what she was really getting at so he'd let her work for an answer.

"You guess?" Eames raised an eyebrow. "I would think a brawl with a fire house and an investigation would have brought the two of you a little closer." Professionally, she meant, of course.

"Yeah, you'd think, right?" Logan's mind raced back to Wheeler's announcement of her father's possible resurrection.

"You said she's a good detective, with all the qualifying traits, so what's wrong?" Eames thought for a moment. "You don't you trust her?"

"I have to trust her. I do trust her."

"But?"

"I don't know if she trusts me."

"How do you know that? Wheeler has always stood up for you. From what I heard she had your back before, during and after the brawl."

"Yeah, but there's something that's not right for her. It's this thing with her dad. You heard about Johnny Wheeler who disappeared, right? Well, she won't talk to me about it and I was there when she found out he might be alive. Wouldn't that be something that you'd talk to your partner about? You know that if that was my old partner Lenny…"

"Yeah, but she's not Lenny and Wheeler's probably still getting used to you," Eames said.

"But it's been almost a year. Besides, I've shared some of the gory details of my life."

It was on the tip of her tongue to tease him about his infamous dating life but he looked rather grim so she said, "And she's never said anything to you about it since?"

He shook his head.

Eames sat back in her chair and observed the man across from her. It was his slumped demeanor and sour expression on his face that suggested something else, something that alarmed and intrigued her all at once. "Are you sure that's all that's on your mind? You're not bothered about something else?"

"What do you mean?"

Leaning into the table, Eames looked Logan right in the eye. "Most cops I know of wouldn't be bothered with the 'feelings' of their new partners. Either they do the job or they don't." She paused for a moment and then in a quiet voice said, "Is it possible that your concern about Wheeler, might be out of a more, ah, personal interest"

Logan choked on the rice he was chewing. He had to take a few swigs of lukewarm tea to stop coughing. "You're kidding me, right?" He wasn't sure if he should be insulted or pleased.

Eames shrugged her shoulders and gave a little smile. "Well?"

"Well what?" Logan felt the need to challenge this ridiculous idea that just might be true.

His indignation spoke volumes to her. "You like her don't you?"

Damn! Logan thought. How do women figure these things out? They went from talking about trusting your partner to me 'liking' Wheeler. He fiddled with his food for a moment and sighed. She'd get it out of him one way or another. "Alright, I will admit to taking a deeper interest in her lately."

"And?" Eames was sure there was more to this story.

"And under other circumstances I would consider asking her out, but…"

"And what circumstances would those be?"

"Not being my partner for one. Look, the reason…"

"So you do find her attractive?"

"Sure."

"And just what do you find attractive about her? I always thought you were a big busty blonde kinda guy."

Logan laughed. He liked all women, but didn't say so. "Maybe it's the hair or her nose, but for some reason she reminds me of a pixie."

"You mean like in fairy tales, the creatures that run around in the woods with wands?" Eames was incredulous.

"Yeah, I guess." Logan went on, ignoring her amusement. "Alright, she's the tough pixie that carries a gun. And has freckles."

"Freckles?"

"They're cute," Logan smiled but then was suddenly serious. "I'm being honest here; I'm not worried if she is attracted to me now or ever. I just want us to have full confidence in each other. I want us to be tight. Like you and Bobby."

Eames almost dropped her tea cup, surprised at his observation, although she wasn't sure why. "Yeah, sure. We're close." She wanted to go back to teasing Logan about Wheeler.

Logan watched her. "I'm correct in thinking that, right?"

She nodded again, grateful that the server came by with to-go boxes and the check, interrupting this train of thought.

to be continued