A/N: Happy New Year, everyone!!!!

Best Intentions

Episode: Badge

Character: Bobby Goren and Alex Eames

Genre: General

Trigger: "The two children you smothered with the same hands you tuck your daughters in bed with at night. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that you won't be around as a role model for them any more." --Goren

"The best intentions." --Eames

Disclaimer: The usual. Don't own 'em, don't profit from 'em. Just doing this for fun.

The processing of Terry Randolph didn't take long, but it was still late once all the paperwork was done. Eames went in to tell Deakins the security officer had been booked on charges of grand larceny and murder, and her bail hearing was scheduled for the next afternoon.

"Good job, Alex. Where's Goren?"

The truth was she didn't know for certain. "He's around somewhere."

"Both of you, take a day."

"Thank you, Captain."

She found her partner in the conference room, taking down the pictures of the Sherwood family murders. He already had most of them gathered in his hand. She watched him take down the rest and shuffle them together, with the exception of two pictures, the pictures of William and Sarah, their lives smothered from them in their beds. He turned to place the pictures he held into the casefile folder, and he noticed her. He met her eyes, but neither of them spoke.

Turning, he pulled something from his pocket and returned to the wall. He pinned another picture beside the pictures of the Sherwood children. When he stepped back to lean against the table, Eames saw the third picture: Terry Randolph's daughters. Goren folded his arms across his chest as Eames stepped up beside him. "The children..." he said, resting his left index finger beneath his lower lip. "All four of them..."

Eames nodded, understanding. "Two young lives ended..."

"And two young lives irreversibly altered. All innocent. All victims."

"All tragic," she added.

They sat in silence for a moment before Eames asked, "How can a loving, nurturing mother do that to any children?"

"Tunnel vision, Eames. She had her eye on the end of the road so she was able to ignore the detours along the way."

"Children are not detours," she said, still staring at the heart-breaking images on the wall, her voice soft, mournful.

"You, uh, you didn't have children," he said, his voice gentle, his statement open-ended.

She shook her head slowly. "No. We never had the chance. We thought there was time and we wanted to get our careers established before we took that step, you know, to be stable, more financially secure. We were still...getting to know each other, enjoying what we could get out of life before we decided to share it. Then...time suddenly ran out."

"Life...can be cruel."

Something told her he was speaking from experience, but he did not elaborate. His eyes shifted back to the pictures of the children on the wall. She pushed gently. "Life has taught you some hard lessons."

He noticed that it wasn't a question. He shrugged, dismissing the comment. "Isn't that part of life, learning to roll with the punches?"

He stepped away from the table and took down the pictures, shoving them into the file with the others. He had become a master at rolling with the punches at too early an age. Gathering the file, he said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Eames."

"Captain said to take a day."

He hesitated at that. He didn't need a day off, didn't want one. He shook his head, then continued from the room.

Eames watched him leave, a feeling of unease settling over her. She met him at their desks as he gathered his binder and grabbed his jacket. "Bobby, I didn't mean to..."

He looked up sharply. "You didn't. Like you said, Eames. Best intentions. Good night."

Again, she watched him leave. Gathering her things together, she grabbed her own jacket and left for home.