Law and Order Criminal Intent does not belong to me.
The title What Logan Wants is a bit of a misdirect, because this story isn't really about Mike Logan, although he has the most lines and the most screen time. Go figure. - Dix.
What Logan Wants
Mike Logan watched her from his stool at the bar. There were six couples on the tiny dance floor at the far end of the room moving to the music. A small smile flitted across her face when the man she was with leaned in and spoke. The music was too loud and the distance too great for Mike to have any idea, what he said. The song ended and the man released his hold. They shared another moment and then moved off the floor. Eames came back to the bar. Logan watched her progress through the tables.
She edged between him and Goren and levered onto the stool. "Have fun out there?" Mike asked. She nodded reaching for the fresh martini Goren had ordered while she was gone. "It beats the treadmill." She said grinning.
"Yeah," he agreed. "Never saw the point of that."
Goren looked up from the crossword puzzle he was contemplating. "I like it," he said. "It gives me time to think."
Eames covered her reaction by sliding the olive off the pick into her mouth. Goren's focus returned to the puzzle. Logan felt the brush of a body close behind him. Eames turned in her stool. The man between them asked her to dance. "Sure." She responded. She took a long sip of the drink in her hand before following him to the floor. Mike watched her go. Goren pencilled in another answer.
"So is it always like this?" Mike leaned across the empty stool to make himself heard.
"What?" Goren asked without turning his head.
"Alex and the dancing."
Goren looked up, first at Mike and then over his shoulder at Eames.
"She likes to dance." He said with a nod in her direction.
"You ever dance with her?" Mike swivelled on the seat so he had a better view of the dance floor.
Goren looked at him contemplating the question and looking again at Eames. "Christmas party maybe."
Mike nodded and Goren returned to the paper. "Is she seeing anybody?" Logan tried again.
Goren ignored the question until Mike asked again a little louder.
"Is she seeing anybody?"
Goren didn't lift his head. "Ask her." His response was intended to end the conversation, but Logan never knew when to back away.
"So you ever asked her out?"
Goren sighed and set the pencil down. He turned sideways and looked Logan in the eye.
"You want to ask her out Mike. Ask her."
"Hey man, it's no big deal. Sometimes you work with somebody for a while and - uh - uh - you know how it is."
Goren eyed him for a full minute. Then shrugged and emptied his glass. He folded the paper and stuffed it his pocket. "See you tomorrow," he said.
When Eames came back, Logan was waiting.
"Where's Bobby?" she asked sitting beside Logan.
"I scared him off. "
Alex grinned. "I doubt it. What did you say to him?"
"I asked him if you were seeing anybody."
Her eyebrows lifted. "And what did he say?"
"He said I should ask you."
She grinned then and nodded. "Very good advice." She said. "You think the question frightened him?"
"I don't think he liked the idea of me asking you out."
Eames laughed. "I don't imagine Bobby would care one way or the other. What really pisses him off Mike is when someone talks to him while he's doing the puzzle."
"Oh." Mike said and after a moment, "Well I guess I pissed him off."
"Yeah well he has a short memory."
"So, "Logan said. "You wanna dance?"
"Thanks, Mike, but I think I'll head home." She pulled a couple of bills out of her pocket and slid them under her glass.
He raised a hand in farewell and watched her manoeuvre through the crowd. Then he turned back to his nearly full glass of beer.
--
Bobby Goren was leaning on the trunk of her car in the parking garage when she got there.
"You could have had a long wait." She said. There was a twinkle in her eye.
Goren shrugged. "Thought I'd take the chance."
She unlocked the door and he climbed into the passenger seat. He didn't say anything until they were over the bridge.
"Did Logan ask you out?" He asked trying not to look at her.
"He asked me to dance." She said. Then she answered the other question; the one Goren couldn't bring himself to ask. "I'm not interested in Mike Logan," She said with a special emphasis on not.
Goren nodded. "It would be complicated, somebody on the squad."
She glanced at him, her foot on the brake as they approached the yellow light, "Did Logan rattle you? Or was it something else?"
It took him a moment to find the words. "This suit you?" He asked.
"Yes." She answered simply.
He stared out the window as they came to a stop. Finally when she accelerated through the green he said, "There's so much we can't do together and I don't like keeping secrets, it's like lying."
Eames nodded concentrating on the road ahead. "You're right, Bobby." She bit her lip and swallowed hard. "But what are the alternatives - get reassigned or get over it."
He turned to look at her; then reached a hand to her face and with a finger drew a loose tendril of hair behind her ear. She glanced at him and smiled gently.
"That's the real problem, Eames. I can't imagine either one."
"Me neither. Bobby, me neither." She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze.
Fin
Well? What do you think? - The first reviews suggested that this is incomplete as it is written. I can see their persepective and will see if I can do something about that by adding another chapter. I make no promises however. - Dix.