Disclaimer:All of the characters are the property of Dick Wolf. I thank him, the writers, the directors and all the great actors who brought them "to life" for our benefit. Any "liberties" I have taken with them stems from my fond admiration (and a few personal quirks I will seek "help" for).
AN: This story is not set within the accepted "canon" for the characters as it is only officially portrayed by the TV series. So I get to "fool around" with them in ways in which they've never been seen, stretching that to the limit and suspending the "reality" that is "fiction" to start with…now there's a contradiction in terms!
(And yeah Goren I know the proper word for that is oxymoron…sure I'll help you get your head out of that pumpkin...soon as you tell me why you did that in the first place)
Don't kill something slow and painfully ...do it quick and do it right...
BLAZE OF GLORY
Eames had concluded some time ago things were going wrong. Very, very wrong.
"Come on Megan" she urged her wounded colleague.
She fired a couple of shots around the corner, grabbed Wheeler and half carried her across the gap in the alley. Return fire was coming at them before they made it and Megan went down. Almost taking Alex with her.
As Eames turned back, three more slugs hit Wheeler square on.
"Alex" she gasped hoarsely.
Wheeler tossed her spare clip towards her and then lay still.
Eames closed her eyes for a moment before accepting she could do nothing more for her.
A short, sharp whistle drew her attention and she realised Goren had somehow made it across the yard and was dug in behind some burned out cars. At least they offered protection from two directions and the next couple of incoming confirmed the shooters had switched positions. She would soon be outflanked if she stayed where she was.
Eames watched Goren change clips, get a firm grip on his weapon and then nod. He began to fire and she ran on the second shot. She tried to ignore the sounds coming across the yard. Hear only her own footfalls on the concrete and Bobby's deliberate fire. Designed to cover her with enough outgoing slugs to make their enemy think twice and yet save ammunition.
She dived onto the ground beside him, he pulled back and unceremoniously grabbed her belt to haul her as close to the vehicles as possible. Eames realised why when dust kicked up just where her legs had been.
"Thought so" he muttered keeping low and peeking round towards the roof of the old gas station.
"One of them made it up there"
Eames got her breath and asked "How many have you got left Goren?"
"Six, maybe seven. You?"
"Same but..." she sighed "I got Megan's clip...she didn't make it"
Goren took the news in grim faced silence.
"Neither will we unless Logan gets here to back us up. Where the hell is..."
Suddenly he turned, popped up recklessly near the trunk of the Chevy and fired three shots in quick succession.
There was a cry from the direction of the gas station.
"Dumb thing to do" he muttered "Standing up with the sun behind you"
Eames looked at the ground and realised he must have spotted it in the shadow cast a few inches from their feet.
"Bobby!"
His head turned to see where she was looking. A red stain was spreading darkly on his upper right arm.
"Just a knick" he shrugged.
"Here take this" she tried to hand over some of Megan's ammo.
He seemed to think about it a long moment and then took only half what she offered him.
"You keep the rest. There's only two of them left now and if I can get over to that truck..."
"That's an insane plan Goren" she snapped "It's suicidal"
Eames could see from the look on his face she was not going to stop him by persuasion and short of shooting him herself, could not do so physically.
"I'll see you later Alex" he said edging round her and getting ready to run "If not...it's been great"
"Yeah Bobby it has"
They reached out and touched fingertips briefly.
Then she was on her knees, weapon in hand and he was gone.
It was so hard not to look, to do what she had to do. Focus on where the fire was coming from. But from the corner of her eye she saw a couple of sprays of crimson and Goren staggered.
She began to shoot carefully at the target to the right to conserve her slugs as long as possible and saw a guy fall forward over some bushes. From his back and struggling to take aim, Goren fired all he had left and the deadly spray coming from the oil drum stopped. But not soon enough as Eames saw her partner slump to the ground and the gun slip from his hand.
Her instinct was to rush to him but she waited to be sure. The silence was suddenly deafening and it felt like she waited forever. Before she stood up slowly and, with weapon held in front of her, she moved sideways.
To the pool of red wetness that was all that was left of Detective Robert Goren.
"Game over!" yelled a voice over a loudspeaker. "Major Case wins again"
Eames lowered the paintball gun and glanced down at Goren. "You okay?"
"Just leave me where I am for a week and I'll be fine"
She grinned as Munch made his way from the roof of the gas station and Finn Tutuola crawled out from behind the drum covered in yellow paint.
"Megan!" called Eames "You asleep over there?"
"No"
Wheeler stood up and began to walk over rubbing various sore spots.
Meanwhile, Elliot Stabler untangled himself from the bush muttering something about poison ivy.
"Where's Olivia?" asked Finn.
"I took her out down by the schoolyard" replied Wheeler.
"Anyone see Logan?" frowned Eames
"Yeah" puzzled Stabler "Sure I only winged him. Oh come on Goren. Enough of the dramatics. It's just a few bruises. Get up"
By the time Goren had gingerly regained his feet, Benson and Logan had emerged from the woods.
"Where the hell did you get to?" asked Eames.
"Weapon misfiring" Logan shrugged.
"Often happens at your age" muttered Wheeler "You could still have stuck with us Mike"
"I think he stuck with someone else" said Goren studying the two late arrivals.
"What's he talking about?" growled Stabler.
"We were firing yellow, you were carrying red and the two of them...both look...rather...orange to me"
With a grin at each other Goren and Eames turned to leave.
"Aaargh!" came a sound from behind them.
Logan was staggering a little from the punch Stabler threw.
The next "Aaaaargh!" was louder as Mike hit him back.
They walked away to the sound of a general melee breaking out.
"Not sure that was the most diplomatic thing to say Goren"
"Really Eames?"
He sounded genuinely puzzled.
"Really. Ready for a beer?"
"Uhuh...ouch!"
AN: Please form an orderly line to apply ice to Bobby's bruises.
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