A/N: Here is the much-asked-for sequel to No Stone Unturned. I cannot guarantee baby Logan will be born in this one...more likely it will be the next one. This is my first cross-over with a series outside the Law and Order realm, so, of course, I chose House. An oft-told piece of advice to writers is to 'tell of which you know.' Unfortunately, I tell much of this story through the eyes of experience. Enjoy!

A/N2: I know I have a couple of other stories in the works. I have just updated one (Shifts of Fortune) and have two more updates waiting to be uploaded while the third is nearly done, but FFN will not let me upload right now. They'll be posted during the week. I uploaded this chapter in anticipation of a later posting, but now I'm bored, so...here's the next piece of Choices...

Disclaimer: They belong to Dick Wolf, except for Maggie and Tom, who are mine. House belongs to David Shore and Fox.

Eames dug the hole a little deeper, then stepped back and watched her little son jump into it, giggling. Maggie returned from the surf with her bucket filled with water and announced, "Here comes-a storm, Tommy!"

Tommy covered his head with his arms and she dumped the bucket of water over his head. He laughed hysterically and she ran back toward the ocean for more. Eames was glad to watch their carefree play. They had recovered well from their ordeal at the hands of Nicole Wallace eight months ago. Tommy, she was certain, had no memory of it and suffered no lasting effects. Maggie still had the occasional nightmare, but on the whole, she was fine.

She looked up and down the beach, but saw no sign of her husband. He'd gone for a run after dinner and had not yet returned. Sensing his mother's concern, Tom looked off in the direction she was searching and said, "Dada?"

She was continually amazed by the little boy's ability to tune in to her emotions. As much in tune with Bobby as Maggie always was, so Tommy was with her. "I don't know where Daddy is, Tom. But he should be back soon."

She wasn't a bit surprised when Maggie was the first one to spot him down the beach. "There's Daddy!" she announced.

She started running toward him. Tommy climbed out of his hole and ran after her. With a laugh, Eames got to her feet and followed the children as they ran the entire way into their father's arms. She leaned up for a kiss and said, "They missed you."

"I wasn't gone that long."

"You didn't have to be."

He set the kids down and they ran back to their sand toys and Tommy's hole. Goren watched the little guy disappear below the sand. "She's not trying to bury him, is she?"

"No. The hole was his idea, and I helped him dig it. She's just pretending to be a storm and trying to drown him."

"Oh. That's so much better."

She laughed. They walked in silence, hand-in-hand, toward the children. She looked up at him and said, "Is something bothering you, Bobby?"

"No. Why?"

"You seem restless."

"I'm always restless, Alex. You keep pointing that out."

"If something were bothering you, would you tell me, or would I have to force it out of you?"

He dropped down into the sand beside the baby's hole. "I'm getting better," he said. "I tell you things."

"Not always."

"I'm trying, Alex." He grinned mischievously. "Though sometimes it is more fun getting forced."

She gave him a shove and he laughed. It was an easy, genuine laugh, and she felt reassured. Sometimes, Bobby just needed time alone with his thoughts, and she had come to understand and accept that about him. She had a harder time with it than Maggie did, but she also lacked the connection and the deep understanding of him that their little girl seemed to have. She had her father's perceptive intuition, for certain, and she seemed to be attuned to people's feelings in a way she had never seen in a child. Tommy seemed to have the same sensitivity. There was no doubt in her mind that these were Bobby's children.

Stretching out his legs, Goren leaned back on his arms and watched Maggie chase her bucket around at the edge of the surf. The breakers crashed into the beach and she laughed as the water chased her up the sand. When the water reached its apex on the shore, she would turn and chase it back out to sea. Then the surf caught her bucket and she ran closer to the water, trying to grab it. She let the waves crash around her legs and stumbled from the force of the water. "Maggie," Goren called. "Not so far out."

"Okay, Daddy. But my bucket is swimmin' away."

"I'll get it."

Eames watched as he got lightly to his feet and headed toward the surf. Just as he got to the waterline, a big breaker swept in and crashed over Maggie's head, smashing into him hard enough to knock him back a few steps. He swore as Maggie disappeared in the surf and he dove into the water after her. Eames jumped to her feet, powerless to do anything but panic and trust Bobby to find her under the waves.

The icy fear that gripped her heart eased when she saw him out in the surf, chest deep in water, but obviously holding her in his arms and talking to her. As he made his way in toward the shore, Maggie's crying drifted to her ears over the noise of the crashing surf. Lifting Tommy from his hole, she headed toward the waterline to meet them. Maggie was still sobbing and holding on to Bobby for dear life as he walked from the water. He was pale. She reached out and laid a hand on Maggie's back as the little girl coughed and spit water down her father's back. "Are you okay, baby?" she asked.

"The w-water tried-a eat me, M-mommy!"

"Are you okay, though?"

"Daddy got me away from it."

Eames met his eyes. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head. He was anything but okay at the moment. "Um, let's go back to the cabin."

A friend of Bobby's had a nice cabin on a private beach south of Belmar, New Jersey, and they thought it would be nice to take the kids away for a few days. They loved the beach and Maggie was fascinated by the ocean. Tommy preferred the sand...in his hair, in his diaper, in his mouth... He made his mother laugh every evening when she tied to de-sand him. Now, as they headed back to the cabin, Eames carried the baby and watched her husband and daughter closely. Maggie was no longer sobbing, but she had not released her grip on him. She rested her head on his shoulder and her eyes were half-closed. Tommy reached out a hand toward her. "Maga?" he said softly.

She reached out and took his hand in hers. Goren turned his head to look at the baby, then shifted his eyes toward Eames. She touched his cheek, and he closed his eyes for a second. He still felt shaky. He kissed Maggie's head and let out a heavy breath, struggling to keep it steady.

Within a few minutes, they were in the cabin. Eames took Tommy to the bathroom to clean him up and Goren took Maggie into the bedroom she was sharing with her brother. He changed her into her pajamas and gently combed her wet hair. He caressed her cheek. "I'll be right back. I need to get changed."

She nodded and hugged her rabbit while he was gone. When he returned, she held her arms out to him and he lifted her up. "Do you want some juice or something, mouse?"

"No, Daddy."

"Do you want to sit with me on the couch?"

She nodded. "I feel bad."

"How?"

"Just...bad. My tummy hurts and I feel...shaky."

He pulled her into a hug and gently kissed her. It was probably a combination of the seawater she had swallowed when the wave washed her under and the fright she'd had. He still felt shaky inside. He carried her into the living room and sat down on the couch, leaning back against the arm. She curled up against him, with her head on his shoulder. She had begun to get away from her lifelong habit of burying her hand in his hair, but when she was sick or scared, or otherwise unsettled or stressed, she sought comfort in his arms and always nestled her hand into his hair. It was what she did now, and he rested his head back against the couch and closed his eyes.

The next thing he knew, Maggie was whimpering. He stirred, glancing at the time. It was after nine. Gently, he pressed his lips against her temple, shocked at the heat that met his skin. "Alex?"

"What's wrong?"

She got up from the table and crossed the room to the couch. He sat up. "She has a fever."

Eames rested her hand against Maggie's forehead and met his worried eyes. "Maybe we should take her to the hospital. Just to be sure she's all right." He didn't argue, and she didn't know whether to be worried or reassured. "I'll get Tommy."

"I'll put her in the car."

When she opened the back door of the car to put Tom in his carseat, Maggie was already in hers, awake and holding tightly to her father's hand. "How do you feel, sweetheart?"

"Bad."

Eames didn't doubt it; she looked like she felt bad. Touching her cheek, she was shocked at the heat that radiated from Maggie's skin. Her fever was escalating. Sliding behind the wheel, she headed toward the closest hospital, located in nearby Tom's River. She wasted no time getting there.

The emergency room was not busy, so they were able to take them right back. They took Maggie's temperature, blood pressure, pulse, respirations, and then they started an IV right away. She barely made a sound when the needle slipped through her skin, and that worried both of her parents. The nurse said, "Her blood pressure is a little low, and she has a good fever."

Goren looked at her with a frown. "What the hell is a good fever?"

"Bobby..." Eames said softly. "Don't."

He turned his attention back to his daughter and the nurse let it go. She dealt with distraught parents all the time. "How long has she been sick?"

Eames answered, "She had a minor disagreement with the ocean this afternoon. She went to sleep afterwards and woke up with a fever. We brought her right in."

"What kind of disagreement?"

Eames glanced at Goren, but he was now hyperfocused on Maggie, so she went on. "She got washed under by a breaker on the beach."

"How long was she under?"

"Not long. Her father got right to her."

"Did she stop breathing or anything?"

"No. But she was scared, and she probably swallowed some water. She was coughing and she regurgitated some water after he brought her out."

"Was she in the water to begin with?"

Goren looked toward her again. "By herself? Absolutely not. Why would you think we'd let her play in the surf by herself? She was near the waterline and when she got too close, I went after her. A large breaker caught her by surprise before I got to her. I went right in and got her out."

"How long was she under?"

"I don't know. It wasn't long but it felt like forever."

"She never lost consciousness?"

"No. She started crying as soon as we broke surface, and she coughed and spit out a lot of water."

The nurse wrote what they told her into Maggie's chart and said, "Dr. Cassidy will be in shortly."

Eames paced back and forth at the foot of the stretcher in the small cubicle with Tommy sleeping on her shoulder. Goren sat in a chair beside Maggie, watching her and smoothing her hair back off her hot, sweaty forehead. Eames was worried about Maggie, but she worried about him, too. He was too still. She always worried when he got still.

The nurse returned a few minutes later and drew blood from Maggie's IV. "What's that for?" Goren asked.

"The doctor ordered some bloodwork."

"What did he order?" He raised a hand before she could give him a condescending answer. "My mother has been ill all my life. I understand the tests."

She nodded as if understanding him a little better. "A CBC, a basic chemistry panel and a blood culture."

"A blood culture?"

"Because of the fever. If she does have a blood infection, we need to know right away."

He nodded and turned his attention back to Maggie without another word. Eames followed the nurse from the cubicle and said softly, "He's not usually like this."

"It's all right. I do understand."

Eames smiled and watched her walk away before she returned to the cubicle. Goren glanced at her, his face unreadable. "You don't have to apologize for me, Eames."

"I wasn't apologizing. I was explaining."

"Same thing."

Again he turned away and she shook her head. He was never pleasant when he was stressed. If Maggie got any worse, his attitude would disintegrate, too.

More than an hour passed, and she knew he was getting increasingly uneasy. She hoped the doctor would come in before Bobby got it in his mind to go and get him. As if reading her thoughts, the curtain moved and a young doctor came into the cubicle. Goren got to his feet as the doctor extended his hand to each of them in turn. "Good evening, folks. I'm Dr. Cassidy. Tell me, how much time passed between the time Maggie went under the waves and the time she developed the fever?"

Eames looked at Goren and said, "A couple of hours."

He nodded. "I sat down on the couch with her because she didn't feel good. I thought it was from swallowing too much seawater."

"How did she not feel good?"

"She said her stomach hurt and she felt bad. Shaky."

Cassidy nodded. "You made a reasonable assumption."

"But a wrong one," Goren added, not asking but asserting.

"Not necessarily." He looked at the clipboard in his hand. "Some of her electrolytes are a little off but not bad. Her CBC is all right. But her fever is very high and we aren't sure exactly what's causing it. Has she woken since you brought her in?"

Goren shook his head. "When she has a fever, she sleeps."

The doctor stepped to the side of the stretcher and gently examined her. "Her lung sounds are a little coarse. Do you think she inhaled any water?"

"She could have."

The doctor nodded and gently laid his hand on her chest. "Maggie?" he said quietly, trying to wake her. She didn't respond and he looked at Goren, then at Eames. Both faces showed alarm. "Does she usually waken easily?"

"Too easily, sometimes," Eames replied. "She has never been a heavy sleeper. Not even when she's sick. Try to wake her, Bobby." To the doctor she explained, "If she doesn't respond to him, something is very wrong."

Goren felt the bottom drop out of his gut when Maggie failed to waken for him. He swallowed his panic and sought comfort by gently stroking her hair again. Eames was also fighting down panic. Something was not right.

Cassidy grabbed a blood pressure cuff from the wall and took her blood pressure, frowning deeply. He shook his head slowly. "I'll be right back."

Goren grabbed his arm and leaned toward him, not caring if his body language was menacing. "What's wrong?"

The doctor winced at the power in his grasp and he forced himself to loosen his hold. Calmly, Cassidy answered, "She's showing signs of shock. I don't know what's wrong. I need to make a phone call."

Goren met his eyes, distressed by the worry in the young doctor's eyes. He released his hold on the man's arm and let him go. Pointedly avoiding his wife's face, he turned back to Maggie. Eames sighed. She made her way over to him and gently placed Tommy in his arms. He looked at her, and she leaned up and kissed him softly. "My arms are tired," she lied.

He shifted, setting the sleeping baby on his shoulder and resting his other hand on Maggie's hot head. Eames stood beside him, watching Maggie with worried eyes as she held her daughter's hand and leaned against her husband's arm. She did not have to look at Bobby; she could feel him settle down. He was still agitated, and very worried, but holding the baby took the edge off his agitation, and she helped him to calm simply by touching him. She leaned closer and spoke softly, "Try to keep it together. You won't do her any good at all if you give the doctors a hard time."

"I know."

She ran the fingers of her free hand along his cheek, then gently rested her hand along the small of his back and watched Maggie while they waited for the doctor to return. Cassidy came back into the cubicle and looked from one to the other. "I will be honest with you. I have no idea what is wrong with your daughter, but she is very sick. With the fever and symptoms of shock along with her rapid deterioration, I don't want to take any chances and I've called for an air evacuation to a nearby hospital, a teaching hospital with some of the best doctors I know on staff. They will be able to tell you more than I can."

"Is she going to be all right?" Goren asked, momentarily calm.

"I'll let the intensivists at Princeton-Plainsboro address that question. I don't have an answer for you. The helicopter is on its way, and one of you may accompany Maggie. The nurses can supply the other with directions to the hospital."

Neither of them noticed Cassidy's departure. Eames said quietly, "I'll get the directions and start out now. We'll meet you there. You stay with Maggie."

She leaned up and gently kissed his cheek. He touched her jaw with his fingertips and turned into her kiss, letting it linger. He felt himself settle, though he knew it was temporary. She whispered, "Try to stay calm, Bobby. I love you."

"I love you, too," he replied, his voice tight with worry.

She caressed his cheek for a moment, then turned and kissed Maggie. Goren placed a gentle kiss on Tommy's head. The baby sighed softly as Eames took him from his father's arms. "I'll see you shortly."

"Be careful."

She met his eyes one last time and headed to the nurses' station for the promised directions. By the time she got to the car, set Tom in his carseat and headed on her way, the helicopter was landing on the roof of the hospital building.

Goren watched miserably as they got Maggie transferred onto the stretcher for the helicopter transport. All his brain would process was how small she looked on the stretcher. She had her mother's petite size and now, she looked even smaller.

They motioned for him to come with them and headed for the helipad on the roof. Once situated in the aircraft, the pilot took his place while the paramedic and the flight nurse briefly introduced themselves as they prepared for liftoff.

It was a brief flight, but for Goren it was interminable. Halfway to the hospital, Maggie stopped breathing.