He knew she would be. Logically, he knew it. She was smart, had good instincts, had all the skills she needed - some of which she'd learned from him. But when it came to Ellie, his brain and his heart were often at odds with each other.

Still, though, he was exhausted, quickly running out of steam, and he would need to sleep soon, no matter what.

"All right," he said, with a sigh, leaning back against the display case. If nothing else, he would sleep better knowing she was okay. As well as he ever did, anyway.