I own nothing and L&O CI belong to their writers.
Old images…..new eyes.
He sat in the dark watching the flickering images, as he did his mind was working trying to understand what the hell had happened, where their magic had gone. Not for the first time he asked himself what had happened to the people he watched on the screen. He turned his attention back to the tape; he'd been asked to find a tape to use in interview technique training for new detectives and had chosen this one from their 2nd year together.
It was late and the majority of the Major Case squad had gone home, the skeleton night shift was scattered throughout the floor, and he was as alone as he ever would be here. So here he was sat in the dark in the Captains office watching old images.
He took a drink of his coffee and continued to watch the couple on the video, who looked so relaxed in each others company, and they were a close partnership back then and the right word was a "couple".
He watched as they interrogated the suspect, they performed a dance around the suspect and moved around the room in perfect sync….now - now it was sometimes painful to watch and more difficult to be apart of their disjointed dance. Yes they'd got better, back on track, yet still on occasion they lurched around each other to the same music but it was almost as if they heard it at different tempos, he moved to the waltz, while she danced to the tango.
Over the months they'd moved on and now at least they were not as desperate as they listened to the music. Their relationship was at times still so raw that for now they were both relieved to be at least dancing at the same time even if sometimes to the wrong tune.
On the job there was no debating they were good the best....even in disharmony they were the best detectives in Major Case, but was it enough for them, it had to be for now. But if people took time to look properly you could see they'd papered over the cracks for the outside world. But was the paper thick enough to stop the rot, he hoped so he really did. For he believed neither of them could properly function without the other although they wouldn't come out and say so. She protected him and he her…each defended each other in different ways yet for the same reason.
Watching the tape a smile crossed his face as he watched the younger version of Eames on the TV…then his attention was diverted as the present day Eames came across the floor, he turned off the TV as she crossed the floor toward her desk…through the glass he watched as she placed the coffee she was carrying on the desk, removed her jacket, checked the phone for messages, opened her laptop and took notes from the phone messages…taking sips of the coffee.
He wondered why she was there so late, just as he went to call out…. Goren arrived ….so Ross sat back and his partner he put all his stuff including his ever present folder on his desk opening it he started to read.
They worked in silence occasionally handing back and forth papers…then Goren's attention was caught by something and although he never spoke, Ross watched as Eames looked up in sync with her partner and her eyes met his …Goren handed over the paper which she read before turning to the laptop.
He never noticed the big man move but suddenly Goren was standing behind Alex reading the information on the screen over her shoulder his hand resting on the back of her chair.
The case they were on was a tough one and they had been working hard, he wondered how many hours of unrecorded time they had put in, and doubted they tell him if he asked this was one of the reasons they were his best detectives they followed through.
Tonight there was something different about them, he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Goren moved back to his chair sitting back in it *his thinking position* Eames continued to work they had still not spoken a word….more papers crossed the desk, and then she glanced across at the same time he did and they smiled. Ross had seen Alex smile on occasion but maybe not as much as she used to but it wasn't as rare a sight as Gorens smile…..it changed his face. Ross immediately realised it was a smile he rarely showed and when he did their Captain would now put money on the fact, that this smile was shared mostly with his partner.
The smiles reached their eyes…neither seemed willing to break the contact….but her laptop beeped and Eames broke the contact.
Ross watched Gorens face as he shifted in his chair then stood and fetched a fresh cup of coffee placing it in front of her removing the cold one as he did, she glanced up and smiled but this time it was a different smile, one Ross couldn't quite identify…there was something else.
Goren paused then rested his hip on the corner of her desk his back to the Captain. Eames moved toward him and Goren dipped his head, then Bobby threw back his head and laughed out loud, really laughed. Alex smiled and flapped her hand at him….as if to shoo him in the direction of his desk, after a second he moved back.
As he did so his hand brushed her shoulder she caught his eye and winked. If he hadn't been watching he'd have missed it. But the wink like the touch was reassurance nothing more or less, Ross smiled.
Then Ross realised what was different it was Goren and Eames themselves they were relaxed more relaxed than Ross had ever seen them……he wondered if this is how they were when not being observed by the squad and he moved slightly in his seat …or watched by him.
Ross wasn't certain at first what kept Goren here in the squad…but now he realised it was "this" relationship between his two best detectives this unrushed uncluttered ease with which they worked together, sometimes out of sync yet always together. Robert Goren stayed because this is what he did best solve puzzles, and to do his to the best of his ability he needed his partner and she was a cop through and through, he reacted, she acted. From Eames you rarely saw emotion yet Goren was nothing but emotion.
Ross's attention went back to them as suddenly without raising his head from the papers he was reading Goren spoke;
"Eames"
Ross smiled, even alone he called her Eames…..she rose and crossed to him as he motioned at the paper, his hands frantically moving as he explained something to her…she lowered her body so her head almost but not quite resting on his shoulder. Then she stood back and spoke quietly, shaking her head….whatever she said caused the big man to jump from the chair it hit the floor with a clatter…he paced back and forth and then grabbed the paper back from the desk read it again and then started wildly waving his arms.
Ross watched as a tired and possibly pissed off Gored moved around the floor, to many his erratic movements would be a scary sight he was intimidating. Ross prepared to intervene, yet she wasn't phased…..Eames stood still in the storm that was Goren, then returned to her desk and moved through a stack of paper tapping her finger on one piece….Ross watched as Goren paused in his ranting…righting his chair first, he glanced at his partner almost sheepishly before crossing to stand begind her again, resting his hand on the back of her chair. She pointed out something to him….Goren smiled a slight smile then rubbed the back of his neck, returning to his seat taking the paper she's shown him and started reading.
Silence again, then Ross jumped as Goren leapt up; their Captain wondered how Eames nerves stood working with such a cannonball….she never appeared to flinch, Goren was across the floor in two long strides….he almost but not quite slammed the paper onto her desk…pacing while waiting for her to read it…..she did not even look at him but finished what she was doing first before she lifting the paper and reading….all the while Ross watched Goren, his large frame was turned toward her, his body language almost screamed out for what her… approval maybe.
Rosshad always known as smart as Goren was he and Eames were a true partnership. Eames looked up and then gave the same half smile Goren had earlier………and nodded, Goren jumped and punched the air.
Ross laughed out loud. Luckily the Captains laughter drown by Goren's whoop of happiness, as he rushed back to his desk and started writing in his folder.
Eames continued working then stretched, she reached out and closed down the laptop, took a last drink of the coffee…then picked up her jacket. Goren continued to write she crossed to stand by him watching him for a moment or two till he paused, then she folded her body not quite in half, but in a familiar if little seen Goren pose these days….Goren ;ooled at her and smiled…... her face was level with his, and Ross found himself holding his breath as she moved her hand out then across and closed his folder. Without a word he stood and followed her.
Ross stood up, and wondered what he'd hoped would happen, he mentaly slapped himself he'd spent to much time with Logan.
He watched his two best detectives realising they actually were in step…then it happened Goren did a small movement like a dance but so quick Ross almost missed it.
Over the years Ross wondered if Deakins had, had the best of them before the baggage and heartache encroached into their partnership, their lives, the job...…and now he realised that he had the best of them.
Now the friendship and partnership had stood not only the test of time but was forged by an unbreakable trust, it made them what he saw now.
An overweight middle aged greying man who wiggled his ass for his partner to make her smile after a hard day…and a tired woman who saw her partner for what he was a flawed man.
Goren reached to call the elevator and Eames ducked under his arm. Suddenly Goren spun around on his heel moving his hands, to face her. And this time Eames laughed…it was almost music to his ears.