She was hard to crack, a tough cookie if you will. Her reluctance about revealing her pregnancy shows she's either embarrassed about her situation, or she thinks people will think less of her. She's all business, though. I guess I'll see how long her façade lasts…
Wheeler sat in her desk across from me, ruffling through some paperwork on the case we had just solved. I had actually gotten her to eat lunch with me after the confession and arrest. She picked at her few leaves of lettuce the entire time and made faces at me downing my corned beef sandwich. I don't know too much about being pregnant, but I do know puking randomly comes along with it and that these puking episodes can be instigated by even the subtlest smell. However insensitive it may sound, I hoped the entire time that she would not puke on me.
She looked up at me.
"What?" Self-consciousness rippled across her freckled face.
"Oh, nothing. I was just admiring your beautiful complexion!" She gave me a look that wiped the smile off of my face. I would have fun with her, so much fun. Not only did she take the humor, but she reciprocated it.
"So, I hear a lot about Goren and Eames, especially Goren. I hear he's a whack-job."
"He is, which makes me think you two will get along really well." A smirk spread across her face.
"You haven't seen 'nothing yet, honey!" I leaned back in my swivel chair and gave her a large grin. I leaned back in my swivel chair. The room around us was a blur. People ran to and fro, asking questions making phone calls, and, oh yes, eating jelly donuts. "When do I get to meet them?"
"I'm not sure. Eames asked me to meet her for a drink tonight. I'll call her to bring Bobby so you boys can play."
"A drink? She should know a woman in your condition shouldn't be drinking. You might have a deformed child that has an arm sprouting from its head or extra baggage, or something-"
"Alright! Enough!" Wheeler raised her hand to quiet me. The smile returned, signaling that she knew I was joking. It is so great to have someone around that understands my humor.
"So, what shall you do, Detective Wheeler?" Sip a glass of water while the rest of us are getting smashed? That means you're the designated driver! I'll just give you a heads up, if you need my keys, they're in my back pocket." I raised my eyebrow at her.
"Well, Eames doesn't exactly know my "condition", and I wouldn't go into your back pocket even if there was a one hundred dollar bill there." She stood and gathered some files into her hands.
"Really? She hasn't noticed? Its kid of hard to miss!" She walked away rolling her eyes and leaving me to my lonesome. As she walked away, I couldn't help but mutter "We'll see about the pocket thing." She was cute, and I've definitely noticed.
I sat there for a bit, admiring my drawing of her eye. I had hidden it underneath a portfolio so she wouldn't see. It was a shame she had to be in that situation, pregnant with the ex-fiancée father in federal prison for 12 years. I have always believed that every woman needs a partner to help raise a kid. Captain and I have both offered our services, but seeing as how Captain has his own kids to worry about and I have none of my own, I think I'd be the prime candidate for that. I've only known her a couple of weeks, but I am sure I would do anything to help her, absolutely anything.
I glanced up from my drawing and saw a tall, broad shouldered man sway across the squad room. He made his way to a desk about ten yards away from mine. Who was this man? Why hadn't I seen him before? I've only been here about a month, but everyone's in the same room, so I figured that I'd see every face by the end of my second day. This man must have escaped me.
The man was now sitting at his desk. Nothing personal was on the desk, no pictures, no memorabilia, just papers and folders. He was rubbing his temples; his elbows leaned on the impersonal desk. He opened a large book and began reading from it, occasionally taking notes on a loose sheet of legal paper.
We sat there for a while, him reading, me watching. There was something analytical about him, something more than what was before me.
A young man walked to the detective's desk.
"Detective Goren, the ME is on line 3"
Aha! So this was the famous Robert Goren. He didn't look as great as he supposedly was. Instead of the showy, fancy suits you'd expect of someone of his caliber, he just had a worn out gray suit with scuffed up black shoes. His hair needed a cut, the gray curls frayed out every which way. The only colors on the entire man were the shiny badge and the tie clip that glinted in the fluorescent light.
'This is my chance!' I thought. I jumped from my chair and straightened myself up. I relaxed my shoulders, and then began walking towards him.
By the time I got to his desk, he had ended his conversation with the ME. He was reading once more.
"Hi, there. I'm Detective Zach Nichols, Wheeler's new partner?" I tried to sound cheery, but it came off as cheesy as a 50's sit-com.
Goren looked up at me. At first he just stared, then he stood up. He was a good 3 inches taller than me, with the build of a bouncer. I shoved my hand out to shake his. He looked down at my hand awkwardly suspended in between us, then made eye contact again.
"Robert Goren…" He took my hand and we shook. His face remained serious despite my goofy grin. His eyes were troubled, frustrated even, as though he had never achieved internal peace. I had heard a lot of rumors about him, his botched and unofficial undercover job, his crazy interrogation antics, how he drove a suspect to commit suicide. Despite all this, though, I knew I liked him. There was something in this tormented being that just attracted me.
"Well, Robert Goren, I would like to extend to you an invitation to wherever the Hell our partners are going tonight. We can crash the chick party. What do you say? I'll buy you a beer!" We let go of each other's hands. I continued to smile at him. He seemed like he need a hug, but hugging strange men is not one of my favorite things to do.
"Uh, yeah," he turned to look at his desk, his hand to his forehead. He turned back to face me. "Yeah, I'll come."
"Perfect! I'll see you at whatever time, and wherever they're going. I'm sure your partner knows." I winked at him, then turned to walk away. Halfway back to my desk, I turned to look at Goren. He had resumed his studying and his fingertips had found their way to his temples once more.
"Oh yes, it shall be fun here…"