Disclaimer: I do not own Law & Oder: Criminal Intent.
Rain rain go away
Come again another day
All the children want to play
Rain rain go away
Bobby Goren had been reading the same form for the past ten minuets and he still had no idea what it said. His mind was preoccupied with Alex. She was already twenty minuets late and hadn't called. With a sigh he gave up trying to do paperwork and checked his phone once again for missed calls. Nothing.
Bobby looked up at the clock and back to the doorway she would appear through. The rain was coming down hard enough that he could hear it over the drone of the eleventh floor noise. Starting to get worried he tried calling her cell phone and when she didn't answer that her home. She didn't answer either.
Hanging up from his fourth attempt to track down his partner Bobby's mind began to whirl. So many things could have happened to her, especially since she was pregnant. If somebody tried to rob or kidnap her there wouldn't be much she could do. What if…
The big detective shook his head to clear them of all the worst-case scenarios. 'Maybe she's sick and is sleeping. She probably called Deakins and he got too caught up in something to tell me. Yeah. That's probably it.'
With that decided Detective Robert Goren got up out of his chair and with one last glance to the doorway headed to his captain's office. Surely he could clear this up.
Jimmy Deakins looked up from the paper he was filling out at the sound of his door opening. As he looked up he saw Bobby closing the door behind him. He couldn't put his finger on it but something was off. Missing even. But what?
As his detective turned to face his the last puzzle pieces clicked together. Eames wasn't with him. "Is something wrong, Goren?"
"I was wondering if…" He paused for a moment before continuing. "If Eames has talked to you. You know, called in sick or anything."
"You mean she's not here yet?" Deakins asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No. I tried her cell and home a few times but she didn't answer. I was hoping she had called in sick and you just hadn't told me yet." Bobby was getting anxious. Where on earth could his partner be?
"Well, she hasn't called me." Seeing the look that his detective was getting Deakins attempted to calm him down. "I'm sure she's fine. She probably slept in a little late and will be here any minute."
"Yeah but what if-"
Anything that Goren was going to say was cut off as Alexandra Eames stormed into the office. Speak of the devil.
The relief didn't last long as he took in her current state. She was soaking wet and shivering. That itself would have been bad enough on a regular day but she was also tired. It wasn't easy getting into a comfortable sleeping position when your stomach's the size of a watermelon.
Out of the three Alex was the first one to speak. "I'm cold, tired, and I can't see my feet. If the two of you don't mind I'm going home for a hot shower and my bed."
Deakins didn't bother asking what happened and just nodded. Really, who was he to deny her what she wanted?
Alex barley waited for his consent before making a beeline for the elevator. No way was she sticking around any longer than she had to. Besides she had to hail down a cab since her car decided that it would be a great day to break down.
Bobby made a quick detour to his desk in order to grab his things. Then hurried over to where Alex was waiting for the elevator doors to open. Fortunately his long legs made for long strides and he easily made it in time.
No sooner than he arrived that the doors opened and people filed out. As they exited onto the eleventh floor, he helped his partner in. Being careful not to hurt her and that she wasn't pushed by anyone on accident they made it inside with out incident.
As the doors closed Bobby placed his things on the ground and shook out his coat a bit before draping it over Alex's shivering figure. Let it never be said that he wasn't a gentleman.
Alex was miserable to say the least. Her day had started out normal enough until she was halfway to work and her car stopped running. It was than that she realized that her phone had died and she wasn't carrying an umbrella. By the time she hailed down a cab she was lightly soaked and running late.
Another fifteen minuets and she was at work. She had just paid her cabbie and was about to head inside when someone thought it would be fun to drench the tiny pregnant lady. Whoosh! A car speed right by her, successfully sending a wave of street water over her entire being. No way in hell was she spending the rest of her day filling out paperwork.
She was jerked out of her thoughts when she felt something warm but heavy being place over her shoulders. Glancing down she immediately recognized the big black coat as Bobby's. Besides the warmth the first thing that came to her mind was, 'I forgot how tall he is compared to me.'
Sure Alex had always known that he was taller then her. Heck almost everybody she knew was taller than her. It's just he never really seemed all that big to her. He tended to talk quietly and seemed to… shrink somehow. Though seeing the coat ending around her ankles reminded her of their height difference. Strange that you can work with someone everyday and never really notice the obvious.
Wrapping the coat tight around her form she attempted to get warm. Sure she wasn't expecting the chivalrous act but it was welcomed all the same. Alex was never one to look the gift horse in the mouth. Once she was certain that her teeth wouldn't chatter if she spoke she talked to him. "Thanks for the jacket."
"You were cold." Bobby stated simply. "You'll get sick if you stay in those wet clothes. How did you get so drenched anyway? Even if you forgot your umbrella it would be a short run from your car to the building."
"Well, I looked out my window this morning and thought to myself, 'It would be a shame to miss out on a beautiful day like this. I think I'll walk to work.' Turns out it was a better plan in theory than real life." Alex answered with a roll of her eyes.
Bobby let out a light chuckle. Beneath the soaking wet exterior was the strong and sarcastic Alex he came to know and love. "You don't seem the rain type to me. You look more like a snow kind of person."
"You know me all too well." Alex replied. "But only if I'm allowed to stay how with a cup of hot chocolate and my old friends Calvin and Hobbes. Otherwise it's a pain in the but checking out dead bodies or sitting in a car for hours waiting for some guy to do something."
"That does tend to put a damper on a nice evening." Bobby agreed. "But seriously what happened?"
Alex sighed and leaned against the elevator wall. "My car broke down on my way to work and my phone was dead. I didn't grab an umbrella before leaving so I was standing in the rain with out cover while I got a cab. Then when I finally got to work some jack ass speed by and drenched me."
They finally got to the ground floor.
"Now I'm heading home before I fall asleep on my feet." Alex stepped out of the elevator and watched her partner gather all his things. "By the way where are you going?"
Now that he had all his things Bobby was ready to go. Leaving the elevator he placed a hand on Alex's shoulder and guided her out of the building. "I thought it would be best if I went home with you. To make sure you got there okay."
"So you're going to follow my cab?" Alex asked with an arched eyebrow.
"Actually now that I've heard about your car I was going to offer you a ride." Bobby opened his umbrella as they stepped outside. "Besides I don't think you'd have much luck catching a cab in this weather."
Alex looked up at the pouring rain. "Well I can't argue with that and if you're sure…"
"I'm sure." Bobby stated as he placed the umbrella over the both of their heads. "Come on I didn't park far from here."
He stepped out onto the sidewalk and waited for his partner to follow suite. So Alex followed the black umbrella to Bobby's car and just as she was about to breath a sigh of relief she noticed it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw yet another speeding car coming down the street. How fortunate that it came just as they were walking by a giant street puddle with no parked cars to shield them from the impact.
And better yet she had chosen to walk so that she was closer to the street. The car sped by and as Alex attempted to cover herself she thought. 'You'd think I'd have learned my lesson by know?'
But as she stood there and braced herself for another wave of cold it never came. Daring a look she opened her eyes to find that Bobby had moved at some point so that he stood between Alex and the curb. Thus his back and umbrella had taken most of the wave.
"Bobby! What'd you do that for?" Alex questioned him from under the safety of his umbrella. "Now your soaking wet and I have your coat."
Bobby shoulder had tensed from the initial shock of the cold water where staring to relax. "If I hadn't moved you would have been drenched… again."
"Yah but now we're both cold and wet." Alex said as she struggled to get out of his giant coat while grumbling under her breath. "Stupid thing won't come off."
Bobby switched his umbrella from his left hand to his right so he could help Alex. Grabbing the collar of the jacket he firmly placed it back on her. "There you go. Good as new."
"I was trying to take the thing off." Alex explained as she renewed her efforts. "I'm not going to wear you big warm coat while you stand there wet and cold."
He once again put the coat on her properly. Afterwards he switched his umbrella back to his left hand and put his right in between her shoulder blades, gently nudging her along. "Then let's walk. I still need to drive you home"
Left with little choice Alex followed Bobby's lead. Once they were in his car Bobby turned up the heat and took off his suit jacket. It was no use to him wet. They sat there in silence as they let their limbs warm up a bit. When he could feel his fingers again, Bobby started up the car and headed for Alex's apartment.
The ride was relatively short and when they finally arrived Bobby wasted no time in getting out and helping his partner. Holding the umbrella in his right he helped Alex out of the vehicle and up to her apartment. Normally she would have protested this treatment but she was tired and eager to get into dry clothes.
So she simply followed Bobby and mumbled thanks when he held her door open for her and locked it behind them. She immediately headed for her room where she pulled out some clothes for Bobby. He had left them there at some point or another. Scurrying back she found her partner standing next to the stove shuffling his feet in an attempt to stay warm. He had also put on a teakettle.
When he caught her questioning look he waved the warming teakettle. "I though it would be nice to have some hot chocolate. I knew where everything was already so I just..."
"It's fine. Hot chocolate sounds perfect right now." Alex interrupted him. She walked until she stood next to him and placed the clothes in his hands. "You might want to change into these."
Bobby blinked a few times before responding. "Uh, yeah. Thanks."
"It's no problem." Alex too off his big coat and went to drape it over the couch. Then she headed back to her room. "I'm going to change. Make yourself at home."
Once Alex had disappeared into her room Bobby wasted no time heading for the bathroom. He quickly changed into his dry clothes and used a spare towel to dry off a little. By the time he came back out he felt much better and the kettle was steaming.
He turned the fire off and took down two mugs from the cabinet along with the hot chocolate mix. After placing generous scoops in both mugs he poured in the hot water and some milk to cool them down. When they where both stirred to perfection he put a few marshmallows in Alex's mug and took both over to the couch. He took a seat and put the cups on the table in front of the couch. He waited patiently.
He didn't have to wait long. Alex soon appeared in a pair of gray sweatpants and a big navy blue NYPD sweatshirt, looking much happier now that she was dry. Taking a seat next to Bobby she tucked her feet underneath her legs so they would stay warm.
Together they picked up their mugs and tapped them together in a toast. Alex closed her eyes in bliss as the hot liquid went down her throat. This is just what she needed and she voices it. "You sure know how to make a girl feel special."
Bobby rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "Uh, what about a movie? You want to watch something?"
She waved her hand towards the DVD player across from them as she finished taking a drink. "Just click play. I was about to start a movie yesterday when I got caught up in something and I want to finish it."
Bobby simply nodded as he picked up the nearby DVD remote. Clicking play the television automatically turned on with the movie. It was a few minuets of black before it opened up to two cards of heart appeared holding a sign that was followed by an image of a white rabbit with a pocket watch which was succeeded by a little blond girl standing in front of a doorknob with a face. It was about then that music started playing…
Alice in Wonderland
How do you get to Wonderland
Over the hill or underland
Or just behind a tree
The movie continued but Bobby turned his attention to his partner who looked slightly embarrassed. Feeling the need to explain her self Alex spoke up. "I was looking for a movie to watch when I found this. I hadn't seen it in forever and I had a sudden urge to watch it."
Bobby just gave her a knowing smile.
"Oh be quite." Alex said as she smacked his arm with a conveniently placed pillow.
He raised his hands in a mock defense. "I didn't say anything."
Alex shifted as she placed the pillow between her back and the couch. To get more comfortable she also grabbed the blanket that was draped over the armrest and placed it over her big belly and legs. "You didn't have to. I knew what you were thinking. Now shush! The movie is playing."
Bobby obediently shut up and went back to watching the movie at which point a white rabbit was singing about being late. Feeling a nudge in his side he turned his head to find Alex offering a piece of the blanket, which he gladly accepted.
They spent the rest of the movie in relative quiet. On the occasion Bobby would comment on a scene or something they said and every so often he could hear Alex sing along softly to one of the songs or laughing quietly.
When the movie was finally over they sat in since until Bobby coughed and said, "That was… interesting. I've never seen anything quite like that."
At this Alex chuckled and stretched out her arms. "It's a good movie even if it's one giant hallucination." Picking up their mugs Alex stood up and put them in the sink talking along the way. "You know I once had a very in-depth discussion about it with my niece, Julie."
"Really?" Bobby had also gotten up and was now standing next to Alex who was starting on a small pile of dishes. "What'd you two talk about?"
"Well she had just finished studying drugs in her health class when we watched the movie." Alex paused as she remembered. "When it was all over with she pointed out that it was full of bad messages. That it was a drug trip."
She let out a short burst of laughter at the look on Bobby's face. "Yeah don't worry. You're not the only one who thinks that."
"Well the clues weren't exactly…subtle." Bobby said as He dried a dish that Alex had handed him. "The potions she drank… the emotional outbursts… her inability to remember herself and losing track of time…"
Alex clucked her tongue. "Those are all true but your forgetting the obvious hints; the opium smoking caterpillar, her eating mushrooms, and the white rabbit. Actually the white rabbit in more of an alcoholic than a junkie."
"I can see everything working except the rabbit." Bobby said with a raised eyebrow. "How'd you come to that conclusion?"
"Actually it was my nephew, Michael, who pointed it out. He walked in while Julie and I where talking about it and he pointed out that the rabbit was suffering from a hangover." Alex handed Bobby another dish. "Think about it. He's always running late and his eyes were blood shot."
He thought about this for a moment before, "Yes I see it know but did you notice the tea party scene? The hatter and the hare kept changing seats. It represented them trying to get clean but failing every time."
"You sure put a lot of thought into this." Alex chuckled as she handed him the last dish and drained the sink. "All drug hallucinations aside it's a good movie."
Bobby handed her a towel to dry her hands on. "It was. So what do you want to do now? We still have half a day ahead of us." He glanced out the window. "But I wouldn't recommend going outside."
Alex followed his gaze. "I say we stick around here. Maybe there's a movie on or something."
So resettling on the couch Alex began flipping through channels until the sound of a familiar and famous theme song of an old TV show came on…
Just two good old boys, never meaning no harm
Beats all you never saw, been in trouble with the law
Since the day they was born.
"I haven't seen this in forever." Alex made herself comfortable as she set down the remote. "This was my all time favorite show as a kid. Maybe this day is staring to look up after all."
Bobby smiled. He was also a big fan of the 'Dukes of Hazard' and was pleasantly surprised that Alex liked it too. Actually he shouldn't have been that surprised, she did love cars and there wasn't a more famous car than the General Lee. "So, Alex?"
She didn't even bother looking up from the screen as the show started. Instead she settled for waving her hand in a gesture for him to continue.
"Where you a Bo or Luke fan?"
Alex thought about it for a moment before responding. "To tell you the truth I always liked the General Lee."
"You chose the car over the Duke cousins? You're probably the only woman who would." Bobby smirked at his partner's answer.
"Did you see that car? It jumped barns, creeks, trucks, and streets. It raced through the country and was shot at more times than you or me combined. I'd be crazy not to want that car." Alex said in her defense. "What I wouldn't give to go for a spin in it."
At this Bobby couldn't help but laugh.
Alex glared at him before a thought struck her. With a smirk she asked, "I wouldn't be laughing so hard if I were you. I'm willing to bet my pension that you were a Daisy Duke kind of guy."
At this Bobby shut up and tensed ever so slightly.
That didn't escape Alex's ever-watchful eyes. "Aha! I knew it! So tell me what was it about her? Her dazzling intellect? Over all good nature? Kindness? The way she didn't let anyone walk over her? Or maybe it was the way she looked in those shorts?"
At her last statement Bobby started sputtering and it was Alex's turn to laugh.
And so they enjoyed the rest of their day. As it turned out it was an all day marathon and Bobby had to spend most of that marathon trying to defend himself against Alex's teasing of Daisy Duke shorts.
The day was defiantly turning out better than the morning.