He woke to a kiss, opening his eyes to look King in the face. He laughed softly. "Ok, hold on."

An arm was draped across his side, her hand flat against his stomach. He liked waking up this way. He really liked it. King licked his face again. "I'm coming, King."

He slid out from under her arm, dressed quietly and left the room with the dog. Logan was snoring on the couch until King went over and licked his face. He snorted, coughed and rolled over, wiping his face in his sleep. Goren laughed and left the apartment with the dog.

He went to the deli down the street and got three coffees, a danish, a buttered roll and a fried egg sandwich. They headed back to the apartment where he set down the food and coffee and went back into the bedroom. She was just waking up. She smiled at him through her hair, and he was charmed, as he always was by her. "Good morning," he said softly.

"How long have you been up?"

"I don't know. Forty-five minutes or so, I guess, maybe an hour. King needed to go for a walk and I got breakfast."

"A danish?"

"Cherry."

"And coffee?"

"Of course."

"I love you." She was up and halfway to the door when she stopped and turned back to him. He looked unsure. She walked to him, placed a hand flat against his chest and leaned up to kiss him. "I do love you."

He placed his hands on her hips and drew her closer. "I love you, too," he whispered, kissing her again. She slid her arms around him, surrendering to his kiss. She didn't know how he did it, and she didn't care. He still made her knees buckle. She took a deep breath when he pulled back a little. "What about your breakfast?" he asked, his eyes bright.

"Will King eat it?"

"No."

"Then it will wait." She leaned back in for another kiss.

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

Logan groaned and rolled over, the wrong way. He rolled right off the couch and onto the floor. "Shit!"

"Good morning," Goren called from the kitchen.

"Speak for yourself," he grumbled.

Eames appeared by the couch. "Grouchy this morning, aren't we?"

He raised his eyebrows, looking up at her from the floor. She was wearing one of Goren's t-shirts, a baseball jersey that actually looked really good on her, even if it was big, and a pair of jeans. "That's not what you were wearing last night."

"I've always kept a change of clothes here. Don't jump to conclusions."

Goren handed her the coffee he had just reheated and she passed it to Logan. He looked past her at Logan. "It's not the first of my shirts she's stolen."

"And it won't be the last," she retorted with a smile.

Logan's eyes narrowed. "So where'd you sleep, Goren?"

"Who says I slept?" He tossed a paper bag to him. "Eat your breakfast. Eames and I are taking King home. You're welcome to stay if you want. Just lock up when you leave."

Logan looked from one to the other, but their faces told him nothing. King came from out of nowhere and licked his face. "Yeah, yeah, good morning to you, too, King." He got up from the floor, returning his attention to Goren and Eames. "Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"Like what?" Eames asked.

"Like where the hell he slept."

"As long as it wasn't with you, what do you care?" Goren asked.

"You could have slept with me and I'd never have known it." He rubbed his head with a wince. "Man those shots packed a wallop last night." Goren laughed. "What the hell are you laughing at?"

"Ask Barek. Come on, Eames." He gave Logan's shoulder a playful punch. "I'll call you later."

"Yeah. Ask Barek what?"

"Ask her how you got so damn plastered. Later, Mike."

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

Eames parked the car by the curb in front of a large house with a big yard on Long Island. Goren got out and let King out of the back seat as Eames joined them on the sidewalk. Young voices yelling "King!" came across the lawn from the house as the front door banged open and three boys leapt from the porch. King disappeared in a tangle of boys. Solomon and his oldest son, Matt, stepped onto the porch as Goren and Eames reached the steps. Barry hugged his old partner. "What happened to you?" he asked, nodding at the sling.

"Gunshot wound."

The three cops sat down on the porch, watching the boys play with King. Matt stood off a little way, also watching his brothers. Solomon smiled at the scene. "King doesn't look any worse for the wear."

"Sorry about getting him shot."

"Matt, get some coffee for us, please."

"Sure, Dad."

Once he was in the house, Solomon turned back to them. "Tell me how it happened before you apologize. Did you get the bastard who killed my baby?"

"Yeah, we got him."

"I knew you would, if anyone could."

"I can't say we'd have gotten him without King."

Eames leaned forward. "I wouldn't have a partner any more if it wasn't for King."

Solomon looked confused. "Why do you say that?"

Eames shot a glance at her partner. "I'm not surprised he didn't tell you. He and another detective went with King after the perp. Bobby put himself in the line of fire so Stabler could get around to take the perp into custody. King got between Bobby and a bullet that would have killed him."

Solomon looked at the two partners, then at his dog, playing on the lawn with the boys. "That dog gets steak for dinner."

Goren softly chuckled. "Don't worry. Eames has spent a lot of time spoiling him."

Matt came onto the porch with three mugs and a coffee carafe, which he set on the table. He looked at Goren and Eames. "Did you guys get him?"

Eames nodded. "Yes, we did, Matt."

His face was very serious. "What's going to happen to him?"

"He's going to jail for the rest of his life."

"How fair is that? We have to spend the rest of our lives without Lydia and he gets three squares a day and cable TV? I promised I'd teach her to ride her new bike without training wheels, and how to play soccer and basketball. I liked having a little sister." Tears spilled over and ran down his face as he spoke. "The world just isn't the same without her." He glared at Goren. "You have known her all her life, and you didn't even bother showing up when we buried her. She always loved seeing you. We all did. We looked up to you."

Goren looked away, not trusting himself to speak, not because he was mad at the boy, but because he felt he was right. Eames, however, knew that he wasn't. "He couldn't go, Matt. He was in the hospital. He had surgery the night before and there was no way he could have made it, or we both would have been there."

Matt studied him. "What kind of surgery?"

When Goren didn't answer, Eames did. "He got shot going after the man who killed your sister."

Finally, Goren looked up at the teenager. Eames and Solomon both knew him well enough to be disturbed by the look on his face. "You have to know I do care about you and your family. I really am sorry, Matt."

Matt looked down at the ground. "I...I didn't know. I'm just angry and I don't know how to handle it." He looked up again. "Is he gonna be on death row?"

"No. But let me tell you something. Prisons have their own code of justice, believe it or not. Trust me, he's as good as on death row."

"Justice isn't always swift or merciful," Eames added. "But things have a way of balancing out. He will pay for what he did, one way or another."

Matt shook his head. "I'm just gonna miss Lydie every day for the rest of my life."

He headed back into the house. Solomon shook his head. "Sorry, Bobby. I should have stopped him. He's very angry, but it's not your fault."

"I am sorry we didn't get to the funeral."

Solomon took a deep breath. "I'm glad you didn't. It was really hard."

"How much longer are you going to stay out here?"

"Until we can sell the house and get another. I can't go back there."

King came bounding up onto the porch. He put his front paws on Solomon's lap and licked his face. "Hey, boy, we missed you." He examined the dog's shoulder and looked at Goren. "Remember when he jumped into the dumpster with us and cut his side open?"

"Yeah."

"That was worse than this."

"Yeah, but he was a younger dog, then."

"Where'd you take him?"

"Same place the department takes its K-9s."

"Good."

King got down and walked around to lay down between Goren and Eames. Solomon smiled. "He always liked you, Bobby."

"Yeah, but he loves Alex."

They laughed. Goren looked out across the yward, where the boys were playing ball. Matt had come out to join them. "How are they doing, Barry?"

"They'll be ok, Bobby. How are you doing?"

Goren looked at Eames. "I'll be ok, too."

Solomon understood. Partners took care of each other. "You're both welcome to spend the day, if you'd like."

"No, thanks, Barry. We need to get going," Goren replied, getting to his feet.

Solomon nodded. "I hope Matt didn't upset you."

"No. I understand how he feels. But make sure he gets help if he needs it, Barry. Don't let him carry all that anger around. I don't want him becoming one of our cases."

"I'll take care of him, don't worry." He gave his old partner a hug, and then he hugged Eames. "I remember what a handful he was," he said into her ear. "You take care of him, huh?"

"I will," she replied with a smile.

Goren dropped to a knee and called King to him. He hugged the dog, burying his face in the fur on his ruff. "Be a good boy, King."

The dog wagged his tail happily and licked his face, then ran over to Eames, who also hugged him. Goren smiled. "That's a happy dog."

"I can see why," Solomon joked. "I'd be happy, too, if I had someone like her spoiling me."

Goren smiled but he didn't reply to the comment. "Take care, Barry. We'll get together sometime."

"You can bet on that. I have some stories to tell your partner that I think she'll get a kick out of."

"Don't do me any favors," Goren retorted.

"I'll look forward to that, Barry," Eames answered as she poked Goren in the ribs. Solomon laughed and turned back toward the house with King at his side.

They waved to the boys as they headed for the car. As they reached the sidewalk, a voice called out to them. Matt came trotting across the lawn. "Hey, Bobby, I'm sorry about before. I know it wasn't your fault. You caught the case after it happened. Thanks for getting the guy and for taking care of King." He gave Goren a tight hug. "I still remember what you did for Dad when you were his partner. I'll always be grateful to you." He smiled at Eames. "It was nice to meet you. Bye."

He ran back toward his brothers, catching a pass thrown at him by one of the twins. By the time they got in the car, he was ready for his partner's question. "What happened when you and Barry were partners?"

As she started the car and pulled away from the curb, he explained, "We were undercover. Some rookie blew a bust bigger than shit and the guy we were after drew a knife on Barry. I took it in the gut for him. He had a wife and four kids. I had no one. It was a no brainer. We nailed the guy, so it was worth it."

"Worth taking a knife in the gut?"

"Hey, I didn't have to watch those boys bury their dad. Yeah, it was worth it."

"You've always taken care of your partners."

"I tried to. But it wasn't ever enough to get past...well, me."

"Barry seems like he was a good partner."

"He was the best one before you came along, but he didn't want to transfer when I moved on to Major Case, so I had to find a new partner. You know all about that fiasco."

"I'm glad you went through it, though."

"You are?"

"Yes. If you'd found another partner, Deakins would never have had to put us together."

"You have a point there." He smiled. "Then I guess it was a good fiasco."

She laughed. "So I take it you and Barry got into some trouble?"

"Some."

"You want to tell me about it?"

"Not really."

She laughed. "I'll take that as a challenge, then."

He smiled and turned to look out the window. She headed back toward Manhattan, and he was quiet for awhile. "Eames?"

"What, Bobby?"

"Um, last night...I know you were drunk, and I...I'm not sure..." He trailed off, no longer sure he wanted to continue with his question.

"You're wondering if it was some drunken fling?"

"No. I know better than that."

Her voice was soft. "I know exactly what I did and I meant every touch and every kiss. Yes, I knew exactly what I was doing, and I did it because I knew you wouldn't. And I knew you would let me go on once I started."

"I, uh, I didn't have much choice." He closed his eyes. "Would you have let me walk away?"

"Did you want to?"

"No. But if I did..."

"Of course I would have let you. And I would have been pissed as hell."

"Really? Why?"

"Why? Were you there? Shit, Bobby, I don't know how you do it, but when you kiss me, my legs turn to jello. Any man who can do that to me, I am not letting go far."

"Jello?"

"Yes, Goren, jello. Ok? You turn me into a quivering mass of flavored gelatin."

He laughed. "I like the flavor," he muttered, smiling when she blushed. Reaching over, he traced a finger along her arm, watching with interest as goosebumps formed on her skin. She shook her arm. "Cut that out, unless you particularly want me to pull over."

"In broad daylight? Deakins probably wouldn't like that."

"He'd have had a heart attack about last night."

"Yeah. What are we going to tell him?"

"Unless you're suicidal, not a damn thing."

"And if he finds out?"

"Is he bugging your apartment?"

"I don't think so."

"Then he won't find out."

He shrugged. "Ok." He was quiet for another few minutes. "Um, I, uh...I really liked waking up this morning. It was...nice."

"I had coffee and a danish. I was thrilled."

"I'll have them for you every day if it makes you happy."

"You know what I figured out, Bobby?"

"What?"

"You make me happy."

He smiled. "As long as I can keep doing that, then I'll be happy. I...I love you, Alex."

She glanced at him and she smiled back. There was real happiness in his eyes, and she preferred that infinitely more than the look that was usually there. He looked...young when he smiled like that. "I love you, too, and as long as I can keep you smiling like that, life is great."

He slid his hand into hers and squeezed. "Yeah, it is." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. He was still haunted by many things, but he found that when he was in her arms, he could let them go for a little while and let himself be happy. She was going to save him from his worst enemy--himself. There was no way he could thank her for that, except to love her, and in her book, that was more than enough.

fin.