Release

How long they stood in the middle of the cell, just holding each other, Alex wasn't sure, but it must have been a long time.

"Hello? It everything okay? Alex?" Olivia's voice echoed down the corridor. Reluctantly, Alex drew away from Bobby.

"It's time to -" she started, looking around for her pants.

"I know," Bobby said. "Time to finish this and go home." Alone, Alex added silently, with just a hint of sadness. She quickly slipped into her clothes.

"Are you two ... finished?" Olivia's voice was right on the other side of the curtain. Alex glanced at Bobby as he pulled on his jeans.

"It's okay, Olivia," Alex called. "We're decent." Olivia pushed through the blankets, her large, dark eyes wide and cautious, as if she didn't quite believe Alex and was afraid she'd catch them in the act. Alex waited for the inevitable 'What the hell happened to you?' as she caught sight of Bobby's face, but it never came.

"Are you ready? John says we better get moving if we want to do this before dawn."

"Before dawn?" Alex repeated, only half listening. Was Olivia not looking, or was light bad? She glanced up at Bobby, and her mouth fell open. The blood was gone from his face, along with the welt she'd left, and the shiner Elliot had given him.

"Yeah, apparently, something bad will happen if the sun rises in the middle of the spell. What are you doing?" Bobby had been trying to button his denim shirt, but Alex pushed his hands away and quickly undid the few he'd managed to fasten. She tugged at one side of the shirt, trying to pull it off his shoulder.

"What's going on, Eames?" Bobby asked, a slight frown on his face.

"How's that lip?" she replied. He touched the point of injury, his frown deepening. He reached up and plucked the bandage off the cut above his eye. Alex's eyes widened. It was healed without a mark. In a moment, he'd stripped his shirt off and turned his back toward her.

"You want me to leave?" Olivia asked, taking a step toward the curtain. They ignored her. Alex loosened the edge of the surgical tape that held the bloodied gauze pad in place. Fast or slow, this was going to hurt. She took hold and ripped downward, bringing a hiss of pain from her partner. One by one, she picked off the suture strips, but after the second, it was clear what she would find. Silently, Alex guided Bobby to take a step backward, nearer the bars, and Olivia gasped. "What - ? How?" Alex looked up at Bobby.

"Two damn good questions," she said.