The woman clung tightly to the rock face. She felt the trembling deep in her bones as the mountain fell. Avalanche! She held on to her suddenly fragile perch as rocks rained from the sky. All that existed was the mountain and falling rocks. Nothing else, not air, not water, not light or fire, just rock and earth. Terror, a primal fear filled the woman as she struggled to hold on, to not be swept away. Abruptly, even with the mountain shaking and rocks falling, she felt... safe. As if strong arms held her in place, protected her, sheltered her. Angie Ramirez took her first breath in what seemed like eons. A deep ache filled one leg and she knew she'd been hit by one of the falling rocks. She cautiously turned her head toward where the others were and saw them clutching, terrified, to the mountain. Surely it had to stop soon!

An eternity later, it stopped. The earth no longer moved under their hands. Angie almost let go, her relief was so great. That would be brilliant, she thought as she tightened her grip once more. Falling after it was all over. Rollie wouldn't appreciate it at all! She felt surprisingly close to her Australian partner, even though he was well over two thousand miles away. The closest she'd felt since.. Loubar had used Rollie's face to trick her... to rape her. Loubar wanted Rollie isolated from family and friends, to put the Aussie on the run just like he was, and his plan almost succeeded. Fortunately, the bastard hadn't taken into account how truly close she was to Rollie Tyler. Hadn't taken into account her strength nor Rollie's. They still had some problems, but they were working on it.

The special effects expert began to assess their situation. She was cut off from the others and suspected that she'd broken her leg. A little way above her was a small ledge, barely wide enough for her slender body. Above the others was a slightly larger one, wider and deeper. They, at least, were still roped together. She tried to shove from her mind the one who was missing, who had been between her and them. She'd remembered the rope pulling taut almost ripping her from the mountain face, then snapping. She shivered. He was gone, but they still survived.

The leader of their climbing party saw her looking at him and his eyes questioned hers. She gestured up, indicating the ledges above their heads. He nodded slightly, indicating his understanding. Angie's experience had caused him to place her on the end and it stood her in good stead. The blonde watched as he chivied the others up the mountain, toward the ledge. They could wait there for rescue much more easily. She turned her own attention to the tiny overhang above her. Getting there would be a problem, but she had to do it. She climbed cautiously, aware of the pain in her right leg. The entire time, Angie felt as if strong arms held her, steadied her, encouraged her up. She was sweating and shivering slightly with shock when she finally pulled herself onto the little spur. She lay still, panting heavily, regaining strength. Tonight would be a problem, if she fell asleep and moved, she could fall. It's going to be a long night, Angie Ramirez thought to herself as she pushed herself up enough to check her leg. She winced as her carefully exploring fingers found a slight bulge just above her ankle... Definitely broken. She hoped rescue teams found them quickly.

"Are you all right, Angie?" Their leader called to her in his deep voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Steve!" Angie yelled back, lying through her teeth. There was nothing they could do to help her. If they tried, it could easily be to fall to their death below... like Joe had fallen. Angie shoved the pain deep inside, to be dealt with later. Right now, it was a matter of survival. Dwelling on what ifs and might haves would be useless and draining.

Night would fall soon and they had to hold on, tomorrow was the earliest a search party would look for them... IF they were looking by then, it might be the day after, depending on how closely the park rangers expected them to stay with their schedule. So rescue would be tomorrow afternoon at the earliest, the day after perhaps. Supplies were minimal, they weren't suppose to be out more than one night. If they'd done well, not even that long. They needed to stay warm, not easy on the side of a mountain with no fuel to burn and such a small place to rest. Warm food would be nice. A radio or phone would be nicer, she thought viciously. They had trail rations, it would have to do. And they needed a way to attract attention, to bring the searchers as soon as possible.

Angie saw the others settling in for the wait and decided to do the same. She sat up, with her legs dangling over open space, as if she was on swing at the high point. Thinking of it that way, it wasn't so bad. She slipped out of her small back back and placed it beside  her on the ledge. Carefully, the woman extracted the thin space blanket she carried, a couple of granola bars and a small bag of trail mix. Wrapping the blanket around her shoulders and leaning back to hold it in place, she chewed on one of the bars, taking tiny sips from the canteen fastened to her belt. Damn, what a mess! Rollie would be scared, then mad,  and then, once the shock wore off and he knew she was safe, he'd probably laugh his head off. She smiled at the thought. He'd laugh and tease her about him getting in trouble, what about her getting into trouble! Thinking about her best friend warmed her more than the blanket ever could, because it reached inside to the part that was scared. Funny, she still felt like strong arms were holding her, keeping her safe and warm. It was odd, feeling like that, here and now. Angie spent the remainder of the day watching the sky and clouds, glad it wasn't raining and there was no sign of rain anytime soon. She curled carefully up on the ledge and wrapped the blanket tight around her, her back pressed against the mountain, backpack used for a pillow. It was far from comfortable,  but it was better than the alternatives at the moment.

Angie woke with a start, the cry of a bird in her ears. When had she falling asleep?!? She shivered, it would have been so easy, too easy to fall in the night. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and looked up into a beautiful, clear blue sky. A bird flew, spiraling and diving almost directly above her. She squinted to get a better look at it. Hawk, she thought, or maybe an eagle. Angie gasped when it landed on a bulge not too far away and looked at her, it seemed to bow, then peer closely at her again. It was breathtaking to have the predator so close, bowing and peering, for it repeated the display several times. It had deep brown feathers touched with black, it's head and breast were touched with russet and it had a small crest of black feathers. Below it's breast, it was buff, streaked with a brown chestnut color. It's legs were fully feathered. It was beautiful! Warm brown eyes peered at her closely and it gave a string of soft whistles. She felt warm with the bird looking at her, it's eyes seemed so... intelligent.

"Don't move, Angie." Steve called softly.

"I won't," she answered, equally soft. Not because I'm scared, she thought, because I want it to stay.

"I've never seen a raptor like that one before," the guide laughed softly, "and here I thought I knew all the birds in Yosemite."

Angie remained silent, watching the bird as it preened, then called again with a longer string of whistling sounds, slowly at first, then faster until it finished with it's pitch dropping. With a scream, the bird of prey launched itself into the sky. It wasn't very large for a raptor, Angie thought, remembering the larger golden eagle they'd seen earlier the day before, but it's wing span seemed so wide and it soared up, up into the sky, spiraling higher.

The climbing party watched the bird as it spiraled and dove above them. It distracted them from their dilemma. Angie felt warm, the only thing interfering with her pleasure was the pain throbbing in her leg.

Everyone was startled to hear calls below. Looking down, Angie saw that a rescue party was waving at them. How did they find us so fast? She knew their plans were filed with the park rangers, but there were several places they could have been. It was as if they'd known to come straight here and started first thing that morning. Looking up again, she saw the bird was gone and sighed, somehow disappointed. She shivered and tried to wait patiently as they scaled the mountain and worked the stranded party down.

Angie, because of her broken leg, was flown by helicopter out of the park and treated at a nearby hospital. Their climbing party had been remarkably lucky. Only Joe had been killed and except for some minor injures and slight cases of exposure, most of the members were in good condition. Except for my leg, she thought drily, remembering the lecture Steve had given her when he found out it was broken.

The guide confided in her when he checked on her later. Joe had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and this trip was to have been his last, before the rigors of his chemotherapy treatments began. The doctors had possessed little hope it would save him, but seemed determined to try anyway. Steve told her he thought Joe would prefer the mountain's answer. She nodded thoughtfully and slept easier with that truth. The feeling of arms holding her had disappeared with the rescue and she missed it.

Angie sighed as she tried to maneuver her crutches down the aisle of the plane. It was really too narrow to be comfortable. First person on, last person off, she grumbled to herself. She'd decided not to call Rollie and tell him about the accident. He would know soon enough and she was on schedule. A flight attendant followed with her carry-on luggage and she paused at the gate, looking for her partner. Damn it, Rollie Tyler, you promised to meet me! She fumed when she didn't see him. If she had to take a taxi, she was going to be so mad! Angie hobbled out into the terminal and started when she heard her name called. Mira Sanchez, New York City police detective, hurried forward to greet her. The blonde wondered what had come up to cause Rollie to ask their friend to meet her instead. She also wondered what Rollie had promised to get the busy woman to do it.

"Hi Mira," Angie responded watching the woman push her thick, dark hair from her face. Mira had her hair down today, instead of up in the back. "What's up?"

Mira eyed Angie and clucked. "What is it with you two? Can't you stay out of trouble?" Her warm, brown eyes were tired and worried.

Angie became concerned seeing that look. "Me? I didn't ask for an avalanche. Didn't cause it either. Where's Rollie?" She tried to sound casual about it. No reason to worry really... yet!

Mira accepted Angie's carry-on and guided her over to some nearby seats. Urging Angie to sit down, she looked to make sure no one was close by. Taking a deep breath, Mira finally answered Angie's question. "There was an accident, three days ago." She held up a hand to still the flow of questions she knew the blonde would ask. "He's in the hospital. Not because the injury is that serious, it's because he's been running a fever. A line snapped and got Rollie in the leg. He fell into the bay and the gash got infected. The doctors have it under control and he's doing much better. He did hit his head and had a mild concussion as well." She wasn't ready to tell Angie that he'd almost drowned. The stunt man who'd pulled Rollie out had to do mouth-to-mouth and they'd only gotten him breathing again on the way to the hospital.

"Why didn't you call me?"

"We didn't know how to reach you and Rollie wasn't in any condition to tell us at first." Mira suppressed the shiver she felt remembering Rollie's delirium. He'd been delirious for most of the time, mumbling and calling for Angie. Begging her to hold on. Sometimes he would lay motionless on his side in the bed, others he'd twist and turn, but always calling for Angie. He hadn't responded to the doctors or Francis or Sarah or her. Just called desperately for Angie. Late yesterday, the fever had broken and Rollie had fallen into an exhausted sleep. He'd woken briefly that morning and managed to tell Frank about Angie's plane, before falling asleep again.

"But Rollie's okay now?" Angie asked, wondering and worried. It was bad if he couldn't tell his friends how to reach her. She knew it and she suspected Mira did too, just didn't want to upset her more when it was already over and done.

Mira nodded as they stood to leave. "Yes, he's much better. He's exhausted though. The doctor wants to keep him another night, make sure the infection is cleared up, but other than that he's doing fine." The dark eyed woman grinned. "Rollie won't even need to use crutches. Good thing too! One of you is enough."

Angie glared at the police detective and grumbled to herself. Rollie would be bad enough, Mira didn't have to help him!

"Come on, I'll run you by the hospital so you can see Rollie." Mira smiled warmly. "Then I'll take you home and you can crash for a while."

"Good thing I'm not a stunt woman."

"What?"

Angie smiled sweetly. "Never say crash to a stunt man or woman." She thought about it. "Though it might not be wise to say to special effects people either."

"I don't understand." Mira wondered where Angie was going with this.

"We might take you literally." Angie grinned as she swung ahead on her crutches.

"Angie Ramirez, you've been hanging around Rollie Tyler too long," Mira complained as she hurried to catch up.

Angie stared at her sleeping boss. He looked worn, laying there so still like that. The doctor had assured her Rollie was doing fine and should go home tomorrow. She sat in the chair next to his bed and gently stroked his hair. It needed to be washed. Rollie needed a shave too. At least he was still here, Angie thought, relieved.

Rollie's eyes fluttered open and he blinked, slowly focusing on her. "Angie. You're all right." He spoke softly, his throat dry.

"I'm fine, Rollie." Angie picked up the cup of ice chips on the night stand and placed a couple in his mouth. He sucked on them, his throat relieved to receive the moisture. He sat up and carefully stretched, his muscles still aching from the fever.

"How're you feeling?" The blonde asked.

"Better! A lot better. Still kind of tired and achy though." Rollie rubbed the sleep from his eyes and smiled at her.

"Just can't stay out of trouble, can you?" Angie asked, trying to sound stern, but failing.

"Neither can you, it seems." Rollie nodded toward the crutches, leaning against her chair. "What happened?"

"Damn," Angie muttered. She really hoped Rollie wouldn't notice this quick. "There was a rock slide. Broke my leg."

"Uh uh. Rock slide, huh? Don't you mean avalanche?"

Angie stared at him in open mouth surprise. How had he known that? How?!? "Rollie?"

Rollie blinked and looked almost as surprised. "It was an avalanche, wasn't it? And... and you were stuck up on the mountain all night and..." He trailed off as she nodded.

"How did you know?"

"I... I had a dream..."

A dream? Angie mouthed the words, but then she remembered what she'd dreamt once... Rollie, a very young boy, hurting and grieving for the loss of his mother. That had been a dream too, but Rollie told her he remembered her helping him then. Mangela's words came back to her then. "He's the eagle." The eagle? She remembered a member of the search party telling her that seeing the strange eagle was what led them to the missing climbers so quickly. An eagle no one could identify. Oh!

"Angie? Angie? Angela!" Rollie called, increasingly worried when she didn't respond.

Angie realized Rollie was talking to her, trying to get her attention. "Yes, Rollie?"

"Are you all right? You seemed a million miles away..."
 
"Just thinking... Wondering, I guess." No way was she going to mention that eagle to Rollie! It was ridiculous, it hadn't been Rollie! Nope. De nada. That would be like something out of a plot for one of the movies they worked on! Real life did not work that way. It didn't. "You sure have weird dreams, boss."

Rollie scratched his head. "Yeah, funny how most of them happen when I'm sick." He wondered about that. Sure he dreamed, everybody did, but he seemed to dream less than most... and more vividly when he did. Of course, he also slept less too, so he supposed it evened out in the end.

"Uh uh, so you don't dream when you're delirious? Of course, they're weird then."

"Oh... I guess Mira told you I... uh..."

"Yes, so did the doctor. They both said you're doing fine now though."

"Don't suppose they happened to mention when I could...?"

"Tomorrow, Rol. If you're still doing okay."

"Good," Rollie said with a yawn.

"Maybe you should go back to sleep."

Rollie looked a bit sheepish, "I guess." Well, normally he didn't sleep as much. His body seemed to be making up for it now though.

Angie fluffed his pillow. Rollie sighed and laid down. He wanted to talk to Angie some more, but it looked like he'd have to wait. She tucked him into the bed and holding his hand, waited until he'd fallen asleep again. Rollie and an eagle? It was weird, it was impossible... and Mangela would say it made perfect sense. She shook her head and gently kissed Rollie's forehead. Later... Time enough to consider it... later.

Mira and Angie debated where Angie should stay in the car outside the hospital. Unable to reach a consensus, they finally compromised. Angie would stay at the loft, instead of her apartment. That way when Rollie got out of the hospital, they could look out for each other. Mira would drop by later that night to make sure the special effects expert was doing all right on her own. She would also bring something to eat and food to re-stock Rollie's refrigerator. Chiops would remain at the Gatti's for now. Angie was to take a nap and recuperate from the long flight.

Well, Angie intended to nap just like Mira requested, except... Thoughts of the mysterious eagle kept intruding. She just had to identify the eagle and settle... the silly thoughts running around her head, keeping her from sleep. She got up and hobbled down the steps. For a moment, she considered using the setup in the clean room, but decided to use the one on Rollie's desk instead. It was sufficient for what she wanted anyway. She opened the internet connection and set up search criteria on birds of prey, most specifically hawks and eagles. It was probably a hawk that strayed from it's normal territory, Angie thought. Maybe it was used to people, kept by a falconer and hadn't returned to the lure. As good as Angie was exploring the web, she was unsatisfied with her results. She hadn't found any pictures that looked like her bird.

Angie decided there was only one thing for it. Go to the library and check their books. Surely the main New York City Library would have a bird book with information on the bird she'd seen. She just hoped Mira never found out she snuck off to the library instead of taking that nap. It made her feel like a kid again, hiding things from her father. To make sure she got back in plenty of time, she splurged on a taxi. It was easier with the crutches anyway. Thank goodness the cast ended below her knee.

The taxi reached the library quickly enough and the driver agreed to wait for Angie, with the meter running naturally. She hurried inside and asked the research desk for books on birds of prey, particularly ones that included North American and Australian birds, preferably with pictures. The combination got her an odd look, but the woman went to check their computers. About ten minutes later, the librarian returned with three very large books. Angie stared at them just a bit stunned. How in the world could she carry them with her crutches? She couldn't stay here and check them, very aware of the ticking meter and a rather volatile NYPD detective. Fortunately, the librarian was kind enough to take them to the taxi for her after she checked them out. Angie was a little surprised to discover her library card hadn't expired, it had been so long since she last used it. The taxi driver carried the books inside the loft in exchange for a hefty tip. She buried them under a pile of papers on Rollie's desk for later... After Mira was gone.

Angie Ramirez had never been so glad to see some one leave before. Mira was worst than Rollie in full mother hen mode. She meant well, but still... The blonde sighed as she hobbled over to Rollie's desk and opened the first bird book. Finally! She could find her bird and know... She searched two books with no luck, before finding... That was it! Her bird! The colors were a bit different, but... She eagerly checked the caption... Hieraaetus morphnoides... Little Eagle? Native to Australia. There was another, smaller version in New Guinea. Oh my... Angie stared at the picture... The bird she'd seen was a "dark phase" bird and the picture was a "light phase" bird, but it was the same bird. How?!? How in the world had a bird native to Australia ended up in the mountains of North America? She blushed slightly. The circling and diving was part of a display flight the males performed over the females before and during breeding. They also bowed and peered at each other... Oh my and they were thought to mate for life! Angie stared in wide eyed wonder... Mangela's words echoing in her head - "He's the eagle." She knew she could never mention this to Rollie. She wasn't sure about how the eagle had gotten there, but... No, Angie knew she would say nothing. Not for a very long time. If... If Rollie was the eagle, well, they weren't mated yet and this said they mated for life... So, She couldn't say anything. She could not influence Rollie. What happened had to be by his choice. Not hers. Or at least, not just hers. Mated for life, she smiled slightly. Okay, people didn't work that way, but still... Australian birds didn't show up in North America either. And people didn't dream real events... Except Rollie did and he was Australian and... "He's the eagle," Angie whispered to herself. The songline drawn between Angie Ramirez and Rollie Tyler strummed more strongly, singing with a power unfelt for months.