After several failed attempts at trying to change the subject, Bobby sighed and shook his head. Kneading the muscles in his neck, with both hands, he tilted his head to the side and stared at the floor.

"Bobby-" Mike was trying to start again, his face paler than before.

"Mike, I shouldn't have said anything, okay? I-I need to leave before I say anything more." He stood up abruptly, making a choking sound when Logan's hand shot up and grabbed his collar. "Mike," Bobby nearly plead, "Please let Kathleen tell you the rest…it's not my place."

"You started it," the man growled, "So you better finish it." His hold on Goren's lapel tightened, despite his weakened state. Looking down at Logan's hand, Bobby slumped forward.

"Okay, Mike." He sat down and looked at the floor once again, before hesitantly looking up to meet Logan's eyes. "Okay, okay…" taking a deep breath, he plowed on, "She didn't tell me, just so you know. I guessed it."

Logan's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "You guessed it?"

"Well, yes."

Rather than pursue that line of thought, Logan shook his head. With a resigned sigh, he nestled his head back into the pillow behind him. He rubbed his temple, as the beginnings of a headache set in. "Was she planning on telling me?"
"Yes." Bobby studied his colleague with a sympathetic expression. Leaning over the railing, he decided this was his in. "Mike…you need the surgery."

He groaned, although pain wasn't the source of it. "I won't risk it, Goren."

"But you'd-you'd risk causing more damage to yourself in the future? Irreversible damage that, that could cost you your life?" he gesticulated wildly with his hands, trying to convince the bull headed detective to see things his way.

Chewing the inside of his cheek, Logan furrowed his eyebrows and nodded. However, the expression gave Goren hope that he could crack Logan's tough exterior. "I grew up without my father. I mean…the man there, if he ever was, cannot be considered my father…or a father to anyone. A father raises his child, loves it unconditionally…plays with him, takes him to ball games and teaches him how to burp and flirt with the ladies."

Mike smirked at that, but refused to meet Goren's gaze. "Don't you want to be the man to do that? To be the hero for a little boy…or, or a little girl." Logan's breath expelled in an audible whoosh.

Deciding to let Mike sit with those thoughts, Goren stood up once more and made his way out of the room. "Think about it Logan."

Pulling out his cell phone, Bobby answered it with a doleful, "Goren."

"Bobby? Where are you?"

Running a hand over his haggard face, he looked around the hallway and answered. "The hospital. I was trying to convince Logan to consent to the surgery."

There was a pause before Eames asked, "How'd that go?"

"I don't know," he admitted, "I left him thinking about it when I left though."

"Close enough," and Goren smiled when he imagined her shrugging. "Anyway, I called to let you know Marvin is ready to be picked up." When he didn't answer immediately, she adopted a worried tone. "Are you okay, Goren?"

He sighed and pressed the phone to his ear, taking a step back to be narrowly hit by a nurse pushing a stretcher. "Yeah, I'm fine Eames. It's been a long day…and…" he trailed off and shook his head. Raising a hand to scratch his graying temple, he closed his eyes and said, "I'm going to pick up Marvin, okay? I'll, uh, I'll swing on by and pick you two up…if, if you want me to."

"Sure. Kathleen wants to see Logan again, discuss their…well to discuss a lot of things I guess." She laughed softly and Goren smiled shyly, not missing the appreciative look from a nurse across the way. His smile widening, Goren turned to lean his shoulder against the wall and tilted his head away from the young onlooker.

"Good, I'm on my way out then. See you two soon."

"Bye," she drawled, and he nodded despite her unavailability to see it.

Bobby sat impatiently in the obscenely small waiting room. Although he and an elderly man clutching a birdcage were its only residents, he had trouble imagining it full of animals on a busy day. Unable to keep still, and his racing thoughts at bay, he began drumming a beat against his thigh until a young woman stepped out from a side room and met his eyes.

Smiling widely, she stepped forward and met him with a firm handshake. "I'm Dr. Elaine Giordano, but everyone calls me Lainey…" she greeted him, adding the nickname as an option.

Standing to meet her when she came over, he looked down and nodded. Looking down at their hands, he pulled it back with an embarrassed laugh and replied, "Uh, Robert Goren…Bobby…but everyone calls me Detective."

Laughing, she gave him a charming, white-toothed smile. "Okay, Detective-"

"Uh, Bobby…please," he interjected as he followed her down a narrow hall, "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

Furrowing her eyebrows, she shook her head. "Don't apologize, it's perfectly alright." Meeting his gaze with bright green eyes, she motioned to a nearby door. "Well, your dog seems to be doing fine." Entering the examination room, she led him to where the lethargic animal lay on a metal slab.

Marvin lifted his head drowsily and licked Goren's outstretched fingers.

"We found traces of diazepam-"

"A valium," he said softly, gazing down at the dog.

"Yes. But with a lot of rest and plenty of water, he should be up and running around in no time." She looked at the dog and smiled his Goren found a sweet spot behind the dog's left ear.

Realizing her eyes were on him, he cleared his throat and pulled his hand away from the dog's head. Holding it out for her to shake, he muttered an apology and quickly offered his left hand, the one he hadn't used to touch the dog with. "Thanks for everything, Dr."

"Lainey," she corrected, "And you're very welcome." Watching him pick up the large dog, she added, "He will need to be brought in again, for a check up, a week or two from now."

"Okay," he responded, making no effort to leave the room, despite the heavy weight of Marvin in his arms. He looked at her from half-lidded eyes, a small smile pulling at his lip. Goren admitted that he enjoyed the fact that she didn't flinch or break the gaze, despite his intimidating presence. After a few moments, he cleared his throat and thanked her again.

"No problem…Bobby." As he made it to the entryway of the room, she called out, "Nice meeting you."

Startled by that, he nearly tripped. Pausing, he hesitantly said, "Likewise."

As he found himself outside the building, Goren stopped and gently placed Marvin on his feet. Making sure the dog was able to walk the rest of the way to the car, he tugged gently on the leash and nearly made it halfway there. He pulled up short when he heard footsteps behind him. Turning, he found himself face to face with the blonde hair Lainey.

Her cheeks tinged with pink, she handed him a card. "In case you need to call me…for Marvin." She backed away, biting her bottom lip, before offering him a small wave and reentering the building.

Glancing down at the card with a smirk, he turned it over to find her home and cell number scribbled on the back. Laughing, he pocketed the white card and heaved Marvin into the backseat of the vehicle.

Sniffing at his pocket, Marvin pawed at the breast pocket in which the card rested. Looking down at his jacket, and back at the dog, Goren shook his head. "Sorry boy, I think that's for me. But who knows," he scratched the dog's head, "She may have a Lassie waiting at home."

After picking up both Eames and Kathleen, and dropping off a sleeping Marvin, the trio found themselves outside of Logan's room. Hands in his pocket, Goren turned to face the women with a small shrug.

Sighing, Eames placed a hand on the other woman's shoulder. "Go ahead, get everything out in the open. He may be a bull headed moron, but he's a good guy."
"I know," she sighed. Raking a hand through her dark hair, she turned away from the door. Reassured by the presence of both Goren and Eames, she turned back and placer her hand on the slightly open door. Pushing it open further, she could saw the large form of Logan trying to reach for a glass of water.

Before he could knock it over, or further injure himself, she hurried in and came to his aide. "Here," she said, helping him take a drink of the clear liquid. Looking up at her from underneath his thick brows, he sucked on the straw slowly.

"Thanks," he replied softly when she pulled the empty glass back and set it on the stand beside him.

Nodding, she pulled the visitor's chair closer to his side and promptly sat down. Wishing he would be the one to start speaking, she decided to plunge in first. "After apologizing profusely, Goren told me what he told you."

"Yeah," he grunted, staring straight ahead with an unreadable expression.

Placing a hand on his wrist, she forced him to look at her as she asked, "So? How do you feel about it?"

Sighing heavily, he met her eyes. "I don't know," he admitted, "I really don't. I just never saw myself as the father…type. You know?" Taking a deep breath, he went on to say, "I did have a girlfriend once, who became pregnant. But she had an abortion before we could discuss anything."

Quiet for a moment, she squeezed his wrist and softly asked, "How did you feel about that?"

Logan shrugged, wincing as he did so. "I was a little disappointed. I decided right then and there that it wasn't meant to be…it just wasn't in the cards."

"And now?" she pressed; her blue eyes darted back and forth over his face, trying to read his stoic expression.

Rubbing his eyebrow with his free hand, Logan tilted his head back and offered her a timid smile. "I guess I was playing with a faulty deck."

Laughing with relief, she resisted the urge to hug him. Glad that the first topic was out of the way, she lifted his arm and placed a kiss on the inside of his wrist. Intertwining his hand with hers, he muttered, "Shaw?"

"Dead," she replied without hesitancy. "He's finally dead."
Meeting her eyes, he turned serious. "Why didn't you tell me? I could have helped…"

Heaving a sigh, she pulled her hand away from his and stood. She began pacing the length of his bed. "I guess I thought I was finally safe. I can tell you I certainly felt that way when I was with you." Wringing her hands, she added, "I just didn't want to burden with you with my problems, my past."

The occasional bleeps and beeps of the monitors filled the near silence that ensued, until Logan suddenly asked, "How's the mutt?"
Surprised, Kathleen answered, "Goren took him to a vets. They found diazepam in his system. Plenty of water and rest, and Marvin will be just fine."

"Good."

She frowned as she studied his profile closely, before touching his swollen lip. "Where's this from?"

"Goren."

"Goren? What do you mean Goren?"

Turning to face her, he growled, "I mean, I punched Goren. So naturally, he hit me back."

"Why, why would you hit him?" she demanded incredulously.

"I was angry, and scared- I couldn't find you! I was…upset."

"So you hit the one man that could have helped you find me?"

"Eames was there too!" He protested with a wave of his hand, although it sounded completely out of place.

"That doesn't matter, Mike!" She hit his arm, "You big lout!"

"Hey, hey, take it easy Bud." He began reasoning, wishing no more harm on himself. The drugs may have dulled his pain, but it didn't annihilate it.

"Don't you 'Bud' me Michael Logan. I can't believe you hit that nice man."

Logan scoffed, "'Nice man?' He looked at the files!"

Glowering, she muttered, "So did I."

Freezing, he rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the ceiling. "Yeah, you shouldn't have done that."

"Well I did. Mind telling me why there are files on me?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Logan began worrying his bottom lip. "Julian approached me outside our building, and Marvin and him didn't seem to like each other. I wanted to check him out, and besides…he threatened me."

"Damn it, Mike," shook her head, "You should have told me!"

"I should have told you? I wasn't the one hiding an entire past, Kathleen!" he pointed to himself and punctuated his words with exaggerated facial expressions.

Slumping into her seat, she muttered, "You're right."

His dark eyebrows shot up, "Say what?"

"You're right?"

"That will be the first and last time I will ever hear those words from a woman ever again." He sighed and fell back into his pillow.

"And I'm sure this won't be the first time I tell you to apologize to Bobby, will it?" her tone was tight, but her eyes twinkled.

He grimaced, "Probably not."

"He's a really good guy, Mike, give him a chance. He did just save your life. Had he not been so quick to apply pressure to your back, you could have bled out…" her hand shot out and knocked his own away from the gauze on his neck, "And stop picking at that!"

"It's driving me nuts," he growled.

"And you're driving me nuts," she kid, sliding a hand into his hair and pulling his head over for a soft kiss. "I'm glad you're okay," she whispered against the pink flesh before pulling away.

"Huh." Looking over at him, she could see that he was drifting off again.

Smiling, she attempted to brush his hair down. "You need a haircut."

"Yeah," he murmured, before grabbing her hand and saying, "Hey Bud?"

Leaning down she whispered, "Hey what?"

"I love you."

Closing his eyes, he drifted off to sleep. Kathleen placed a kiss on his temple and repeated the sentiment in kind.

End.

It seems like a good place to stop, and leave their future to your imaginations.

Thanks for the reviews, but more will never hurt.