Author: Cyclone (LOL – I've changed my pen name. Kinda silly, but I'm feeling a little silly atm)
Title: Sure. Fine. Whatever.
Category: A bit of this, a bit of that.
Rating: NC17 if you read it at amorous_intent, but PG 13 for everywhere else.
Summary: He looked at her until she was forced to acknowledge his scrutiny and said, "Come up."
"Why?" Alex whispered.
A/N: Okay, before I get roasted alive on those flames, I want you all to know that I am aware that my Goren and Eames aren't in character. Maybe if Channel Ten hadn't taken the show off air for reasons known only to the Powers That Be, I would have written a more believable fic. But they did, and I don't have any episodes on tape so I'm working entirely from my very imaginative little brain. And let's all remember that it *is* fic, so basically anything goes. ;) Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, I did borrow the title from a classic Scully line in the XF. Yes, I 'borrowed' it – I did not steal it. :P
Further Notes: Many thanks to Riverstar, who not only did a bang up job of beta'ing, but also gave me lots of amazing, wonderful feedback. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.
~x~
"You want a ride home?"
Bobby turned to his partner, who looked just as exhausted and drained as he did, and watched as she shrugged on her coat. "Sure you don't mind?"
"No problem. Besides, I'm not –" she broke off and swallowed heavily. "I'm not ready to be alone just yet."
"Yeah." Their eyes locked and held in mutual understanding. "Company would be . . . good. Nice."
"Nice," she agreed softly. He was nodding at her, and she tried to smile back but failed miserably. The emotions that had been held in check all day threatened to betray her and turn to tears, and she bit down on her bottom lip hard in an attempt to control them.
Bobby noticed her struggle, and feeling pretty much the same he reached out and laid a soothing hand on her shoulder. "Eames –"
"Don't," she warned as her control wavered. She shook his hand off and glared at him defiantly. "You ready?"
"I'm – yeah. Let's go."
The walk to the parking lot was long and silent. They climbed into the car and Bobby waited for her to start the engine. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly but ignored the ignition. Looking out the window she asked tonelessly, "You want to get a drink? Or a coffee . . . or . . . something?"
He shook his head, then realising that she wasn't looking at him he closed his eyes and sighed. "No. I think I just want to . . . go home."
"Sure. Fine." Alex started the engine and drove. "Whatever."
~x~
She pulled up outside his building and left the motor running. "So – here you are."
"Here I am," he repeated.
He unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. "Thanks for the ride."
"Welcome."
Bobby made an effort to pull himself out of the car but then changed his mind and sat back down. He looked at her until she was forced to acknowledge his scrutiny and said, "Come up."
"Why?" Alex whispered.
"To . . . talk. To maybe make sense of this senseless day. To put off the nightmares that we'll probably both –"
She turned off the ignition. "Okay."
~x~
"You want something to drink?" This time it was Bobby that made the offer.
Alex had plopped herself down on the couch and was clutching a cushion to her chest. "What have you got?"
"Vodka, scotch . . . some beer. I'm not a big drinker, sorry."
"I'll have a . . . no, on second thoughts, I'll just have a coffee. I think alcohol is the last thing I need in my system tonight."
He managed a wan grin and went into the kitchen to make it. He was staring at his cupboards trying to remember where he kept the sugar when Alex walked in behind him. "What makes someone do that?" she asked.
"I don't know," he replied.
"Then what good are you? What good are all your profiling, all your psychology and psychiatry if you don't know?"
"Alex –"
"No! Today shouldn't have happened. Those girls . . . those *babies* . . . what chance did they have?"
"I'm sorry," Bobby said gently. "Pedophiles – they're –"
"I know what they are. They're disgusting, vile predators who deserve to die, each and every one of them. No, strike that. Death is too good for them. They deserve to get raped in jail day after day after day. That's justice. Not what we dish out, and certainly not what the courts dish out. This piece of scum will probably be protected in prison - *protected* - because what he did is so abominable that the other inmates would kill him if he were released into general population. " Alex stopped to catch her breath.
"I'm not arguing with you – "
She appealed to him with big luminous eyes. "What he did was bad enough, Bobby, but why'd he have to kill them?"
Bobby took a step closer to her, sensing her need for closeness. "Because in his mind if they weren't alive they couldn't testify against him. Without an accuser, he was safe."
"It's just –"
"I know," he said, and pulled her into a fierce hug. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist and she buried herself in the crush that was Bobby's embrace. They stood there, drawing comfort and losing themselves in each other for a long time before the gurgling of the jug brought them back to the kitchen.
"Coffee's ready," Bobby murmured into her hair, and made a move to untangle himself. Alex dropped her arms and took a step back until she was resting against the bench. She watched him silently as he went about the business of pouring the coffee and adding the sugar and milk, and then started to pose a question that had been haunting her since they'd uncovered the mutilated bodies of the two little girls.
"Why do you think –?"
Bobby smashed his fist into the counter, spilling coffee and milk across the surface. "Stop it!" he yelled, and then felt ashamed when Alex recoiled at the vehemence in his voice. "I'm sorry. I'm just . . . I'm so tired of thinking," he breathed.
He looked at her with sad, hopeless eyes, and she forgave him for snapping at her immediately. He saw the absolution in her face and accepted it gratefully, aware that any solace found on this day was to be held and cherished. Then, as if his legs had a mind of their own, he'd suddenly closed the distance between them and was standing right in front of her. Before either of them knew what was happening one of his arms had wound around her waist again, and they stood so close that they could feel the unsteady reverberations of each other's hearts. After a moment's hesitation Bobby tilted her chin with his free hand and very slowly and deliberately pressed his lips to hers. Alex's eyes fluttered shut and she felt herself responding automatically to the warm pressure of Bobby's lips on hers. His tongue snaked out to tease her mouth open, so smooth and gentle, and she found herself being thoroughly explored.
It was a kiss that seemed to go on forever.
It was a kiss that was over all to soon.
"Alex, I'm sorry," Bobby said again when it was over. "I didn't mean . . . I just didn't want to have to think . . . or see . . . them anymore."
Wrapping her arms around his neck, Alex pulled his head down until their foreheads touched and she could taste his breath. "I know," she soothed. "I don't want to see them anymore either."
"Stay with me?" he beseeched in a husky tone.
"Bobby, Bobby, Bobby," she sighed. "It's not a good idea."
"You got a better one?"
She didn't, and swept her fingers through his hair, knowing that she'd regret her actions later but needing him to wash away the stain of the day too much to really care. So she moistened her lips and whispered, "Close your eyes."
He did as she asked and she raised herself up onto tiptoes to brush a soft kiss across his lips. "It's a bad idea," she reiterated, kissing him in between words. "A. Very. Bad. Idea."
He wasn't sure he could, but he had to ask anyway. "But we're not stopping?"
"No," Alex shook her head. "We're not stopping."
She reclaimed his hungry lips with a passion of her own and moulded her body into his. He moaned into her mouth as his body tensed in response, and then her probing tongue found his and they danced. After some time they broke from kisses that were becoming more and more insistent, and Bobby stepped back and took a moment to study the woman who until recently he'd only thought of as his partner. She was his friend too, sure – hell, she was probably his best friend, but that had been it. Apart from the odd dream where he'd woken in a sticky mess he hadn't particularly thought about her as the kissable type. That had definitely changed though. Now he thought she was . . . well, he wasn't sure what she was, but it didn't matter because her eyes were smiling up into his, spilling over with warmth and trust, and . . . and maybe something else, too.
For him.
That they were here like this, that she was allowing him to take comfort in her after a day where he'd thought comfort would never exist again was a mini miracle. And that she was allowing him to offer that same comfort in return; allowing him to see her vulnerable and grieved, touched him in a way that he'd never expected. He wrapped his arms around her and held her in simple gratitude for granting him the privilege of seeing her so exposed. Alex buried her head in his chest as her arms inched around his body, instinctively understanding his need to simply be held. Their need for comfort met, his body reminded them of other, more primal needs. Alex smiled into his chest at the feel of this other need pressing fiercely into her stomach. And what a need it was. Wriggling out of his embrace, she held him at arms length and looked at him expectantly.
It was all the invitation Bobby needed.
And when he woke in the morning she was gone.
A/N: If you want the NC17 version, head over to amorous_intent@yahoogroups and join up. :)
Title: Sure. Fine. Whatever.
Category: A bit of this, a bit of that.
Rating: NC17 if you read it at amorous_intent, but PG 13 for everywhere else.
Summary: He looked at her until she was forced to acknowledge his scrutiny and said, "Come up."
"Why?" Alex whispered.
A/N: Okay, before I get roasted alive on those flames, I want you all to know that I am aware that my Goren and Eames aren't in character. Maybe if Channel Ten hadn't taken the show off air for reasons known only to the Powers That Be, I would have written a more believable fic. But they did, and I don't have any episodes on tape so I'm working entirely from my very imaginative little brain. And let's all remember that it *is* fic, so basically anything goes. ;) Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, I did borrow the title from a classic Scully line in the XF. Yes, I 'borrowed' it – I did not steal it. :P
Further Notes: Many thanks to Riverstar, who not only did a bang up job of beta'ing, but also gave me lots of amazing, wonderful feedback. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.
~x~
"You want a ride home?"
Bobby turned to his partner, who looked just as exhausted and drained as he did, and watched as she shrugged on her coat. "Sure you don't mind?"
"No problem. Besides, I'm not –" she broke off and swallowed heavily. "I'm not ready to be alone just yet."
"Yeah." Their eyes locked and held in mutual understanding. "Company would be . . . good. Nice."
"Nice," she agreed softly. He was nodding at her, and she tried to smile back but failed miserably. The emotions that had been held in check all day threatened to betray her and turn to tears, and she bit down on her bottom lip hard in an attempt to control them.
Bobby noticed her struggle, and feeling pretty much the same he reached out and laid a soothing hand on her shoulder. "Eames –"
"Don't," she warned as her control wavered. She shook his hand off and glared at him defiantly. "You ready?"
"I'm – yeah. Let's go."
The walk to the parking lot was long and silent. They climbed into the car and Bobby waited for her to start the engine. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly but ignored the ignition. Looking out the window she asked tonelessly, "You want to get a drink? Or a coffee . . . or . . . something?"
He shook his head, then realising that she wasn't looking at him he closed his eyes and sighed. "No. I think I just want to . . . go home."
"Sure. Fine." Alex started the engine and drove. "Whatever."
~x~
She pulled up outside his building and left the motor running. "So – here you are."
"Here I am," he repeated.
He unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. "Thanks for the ride."
"Welcome."
Bobby made an effort to pull himself out of the car but then changed his mind and sat back down. He looked at her until she was forced to acknowledge his scrutiny and said, "Come up."
"Why?" Alex whispered.
"To . . . talk. To maybe make sense of this senseless day. To put off the nightmares that we'll probably both –"
She turned off the ignition. "Okay."
~x~
"You want something to drink?" This time it was Bobby that made the offer.
Alex had plopped herself down on the couch and was clutching a cushion to her chest. "What have you got?"
"Vodka, scotch . . . some beer. I'm not a big drinker, sorry."
"I'll have a . . . no, on second thoughts, I'll just have a coffee. I think alcohol is the last thing I need in my system tonight."
He managed a wan grin and went into the kitchen to make it. He was staring at his cupboards trying to remember where he kept the sugar when Alex walked in behind him. "What makes someone do that?" she asked.
"I don't know," he replied.
"Then what good are you? What good are all your profiling, all your psychology and psychiatry if you don't know?"
"Alex –"
"No! Today shouldn't have happened. Those girls . . . those *babies* . . . what chance did they have?"
"I'm sorry," Bobby said gently. "Pedophiles – they're –"
"I know what they are. They're disgusting, vile predators who deserve to die, each and every one of them. No, strike that. Death is too good for them. They deserve to get raped in jail day after day after day. That's justice. Not what we dish out, and certainly not what the courts dish out. This piece of scum will probably be protected in prison - *protected* - because what he did is so abominable that the other inmates would kill him if he were released into general population. " Alex stopped to catch her breath.
"I'm not arguing with you – "
She appealed to him with big luminous eyes. "What he did was bad enough, Bobby, but why'd he have to kill them?"
Bobby took a step closer to her, sensing her need for closeness. "Because in his mind if they weren't alive they couldn't testify against him. Without an accuser, he was safe."
"It's just –"
"I know," he said, and pulled her into a fierce hug. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist and she buried herself in the crush that was Bobby's embrace. They stood there, drawing comfort and losing themselves in each other for a long time before the gurgling of the jug brought them back to the kitchen.
"Coffee's ready," Bobby murmured into her hair, and made a move to untangle himself. Alex dropped her arms and took a step back until she was resting against the bench. She watched him silently as he went about the business of pouring the coffee and adding the sugar and milk, and then started to pose a question that had been haunting her since they'd uncovered the mutilated bodies of the two little girls.
"Why do you think –?"
Bobby smashed his fist into the counter, spilling coffee and milk across the surface. "Stop it!" he yelled, and then felt ashamed when Alex recoiled at the vehemence in his voice. "I'm sorry. I'm just . . . I'm so tired of thinking," he breathed.
He looked at her with sad, hopeless eyes, and she forgave him for snapping at her immediately. He saw the absolution in her face and accepted it gratefully, aware that any solace found on this day was to be held and cherished. Then, as if his legs had a mind of their own, he'd suddenly closed the distance between them and was standing right in front of her. Before either of them knew what was happening one of his arms had wound around her waist again, and they stood so close that they could feel the unsteady reverberations of each other's hearts. After a moment's hesitation Bobby tilted her chin with his free hand and very slowly and deliberately pressed his lips to hers. Alex's eyes fluttered shut and she felt herself responding automatically to the warm pressure of Bobby's lips on hers. His tongue snaked out to tease her mouth open, so smooth and gentle, and she found herself being thoroughly explored.
It was a kiss that seemed to go on forever.
It was a kiss that was over all to soon.
"Alex, I'm sorry," Bobby said again when it was over. "I didn't mean . . . I just didn't want to have to think . . . or see . . . them anymore."
Wrapping her arms around his neck, Alex pulled his head down until their foreheads touched and she could taste his breath. "I know," she soothed. "I don't want to see them anymore either."
"Stay with me?" he beseeched in a husky tone.
"Bobby, Bobby, Bobby," she sighed. "It's not a good idea."
"You got a better one?"
She didn't, and swept her fingers through his hair, knowing that she'd regret her actions later but needing him to wash away the stain of the day too much to really care. So she moistened her lips and whispered, "Close your eyes."
He did as she asked and she raised herself up onto tiptoes to brush a soft kiss across his lips. "It's a bad idea," she reiterated, kissing him in between words. "A. Very. Bad. Idea."
He wasn't sure he could, but he had to ask anyway. "But we're not stopping?"
"No," Alex shook her head. "We're not stopping."
She reclaimed his hungry lips with a passion of her own and moulded her body into his. He moaned into her mouth as his body tensed in response, and then her probing tongue found his and they danced. After some time they broke from kisses that were becoming more and more insistent, and Bobby stepped back and took a moment to study the woman who until recently he'd only thought of as his partner. She was his friend too, sure – hell, she was probably his best friend, but that had been it. Apart from the odd dream where he'd woken in a sticky mess he hadn't particularly thought about her as the kissable type. That had definitely changed though. Now he thought she was . . . well, he wasn't sure what she was, but it didn't matter because her eyes were smiling up into his, spilling over with warmth and trust, and . . . and maybe something else, too.
For him.
That they were here like this, that she was allowing him to take comfort in her after a day where he'd thought comfort would never exist again was a mini miracle. And that she was allowing him to offer that same comfort in return; allowing him to see her vulnerable and grieved, touched him in a way that he'd never expected. He wrapped his arms around her and held her in simple gratitude for granting him the privilege of seeing her so exposed. Alex buried her head in his chest as her arms inched around his body, instinctively understanding his need to simply be held. Their need for comfort met, his body reminded them of other, more primal needs. Alex smiled into his chest at the feel of this other need pressing fiercely into her stomach. And what a need it was. Wriggling out of his embrace, she held him at arms length and looked at him expectantly.
It was all the invitation Bobby needed.
And when he woke in the morning she was gone.
A/N: If you want the NC17 version, head over to amorous_intent@yahoogroups and join up. :)