I never want to see Goren and Eames become more than crime fighting super heroes on screen. Never. Really.
However with fan fiction anything is possible.
No copy write infringement is intended or implied. They belong entirely to Mr. Wolfe etal and not to me. - Dix.
If
If Bobby loved Alex and Alex loved Bobby, they'd get married, don't you think?
- - - - -
It was a terrible way to start the week. Just after dawn Monday, they were standing in an alley behind an apartment block east of the Park. The husband's naked body lay bloody and cold behind a dumpster in the alley. Upstairs his newly minted widow sat prim and serene in the kitchen.
When they were done at the scene, they headed back to the squad room. Eames sat behind the wheel of the car. At the first red light she said, "If she killed him, I'm done with love and marriage."
"What?" Bobby said looking up from his binder.
"How many cases have we caught this year already? Twelve or fifteen? And in all those, how many did the husband kill the wife or the wife kill the husband? Five or six at least?"
Bobby shrugged. He knew the answer, but sometimes it was best to let her talk.
"What is it about love and marriage that makes people do that to one another?" Eames shook her head. "If she killed him, I'm done." she said. "I'll never look at another guy."
"Way to put the pressure on." Bobby said quietly.
"What?" She turned to look at him.
"Light's green." he said pointing.
- - - - -
The next day they invited the wife to come in and answer some questions concerning her recently deceased husband. She brought her boy friend to the meeting.
Eames left the office after the interview shaking her head. Bobby followed her into the squad room. "It's her. You know it's her." She said.
Bobby said. "Are you busy this weekend?"
Eames said, "What?" She turned to look at him.
"Vegas." He said looking at something in his binder. "There's a seat sale. We should get out of town. You need a break."
"I need a break?" She said.
"Yeah."
She thought for a moment before answering. "Yeah," she agreed. "I need a break."
- - - - -
Thursday afternoon, Eames made eyes at the boyfriend in the interrogation room while Goren had a conversation with the widow in the observation room. Before five, the widow and boyfriend were in cells awaiting arraignment and Goren reminded Eames to put herself on days off.
"You were serious about Vegas?"
"Yes."
"OK." She said wondering at this turn of events. They worked together. They ate together. They drank together. But they'd never gone away together. There was never more than work between them. "You booked the flights already?"
"Yes."
"OK." She said, resigned but not unhappy. "Let me know what I owe you."
- - - - -
Friday evening they were seated over the wing. Goren was on the aisle. Eames was in the middle seat and a bubbly Twenty Something with an I pod, a fashion magazine and a wad of bubble gum sat beside her in the window seat. They'd been airborne a little more than fifteen minutes. The "fasten your seat belt" sign had been turned off. The flight attendants were beginning the 'in flight' service.
"What's wrong with you?" Eames asked when he elbowed her again.
"Me?" He responded innocently. "Nothing."
"Nervous flyer?"
"No - just trying to get something out of my pocket." He leaned her way and this time, his fist came out of his jacket triumphantly. "Got it."
Eames eyed him suspiciously.
"I didn't reserve hotel rooms." He said putting the little square velvet box on her tray table. Her eyes travelled slowly from his face to the box and back again.
"You didn't reserve a place to stay?" She said. The twenty something popped her ear buds out and gave her gum a loud snap. Eames glared at her, then refocused on the box. From her expression, Bobby guessed her next move might be to call the bomb squad.
"You didn't book a place to stay because" she said slowly. She lifted her eyes to his face.
"I thought if we got married in Vegas, we'd only need one room, instead of two. But then I thought you might want to wait and get married later, in a church or something with your family and our friends. So we'd need two rooms after all."
She snatched up the box, snapped open the lid and set it back on the tray. She turned her head and looked up at him. The Twenty Something emitted a little squeal of pleasure at the sight of the ring. Heads in the aisle turned. There was a general rustling behind and in front of them as those that could hear but not see elbowed those who were minding their own business.
"I could swear you just proposed." Eames said in a slightly hushed voice.
"I know you're done with love and marriage, but I thought maybe since I was so close to the deadline you'd let it go."
Her throat was dry. She was having trouble swallowing. "I need something to drink." She said clearing her throat.
"Water?" he said reaching for the call button.
"Vodka." She replied.
"Champagne?" Bobby asked when the steward arrived. "Two" He said glancing her way.
"Certainly, sir."
They sat quietly until the steward returned with two tiny bottles and two plastic cups. He was unscrewing the lid of the first bottle when he saw the ring box.
"You're celebrating!" he said smiling broadly.
"Maybe in a minute." Bobby said. "She hasn't said yes yet." Bobby said this to the steward but his eyes never left her face. The woman across the aisle nudged her husband and the teen aged boy just ahead swivelled his head to eavesdrop.
"But she will." The steward said, nodding quickly.
Bobby shrugged. "I'm not sure. I can never read her body language."
"Miss," the steward said as he poured her champagne and set the little plastic glass beside the ring box on her tray. "You should at least try the ring. That may help you to decide." Eames took a swig of champagne, and made a face.
She set the glass down and pulled the ring out of the box. The diamond glittered hypnotically. The band was smooth and cool in her fingers. Twenty Something whispered, "It's beautiful." Bobby took it from her and held her hand a moment. He looked into her eyes and said. "I love you. Will you marry me?"
And then several things happened at once. Applause erupted from the captive audience seated around them. The steward said in a loud voice, "Congratulations on your engagement!"
And then without waiting for a reply, Bobby slid the ring onto her finger. Just as he did, the plane lurched, the glasses of champagne slid across the tray tables, the empty bottles toppled and the ring box tumbled to the floor and landed out of her reach. The steward tottered down the aisle.
Alex looked at the ring and then up at Bobby's smiling face and through clenched teeth said, "I could kill you for this."
Around them, people were reaching over the seat and across the aisle to shake Bobby's hand and Twenty Something was squeezing Alex's arm and saying "That was sooooo great!"
- - - - -
The cab dumped them off in front of "Misty's Chapel of Love - Notary Services Available - Open 24 Hours" a few minutes after 11. They would have stood on the sidewalk and talked about the next step, but the drizzle drove them inside.
A woman looked up from the reception desk to the left of the door. "Good evening." She said rising. "You're here to get married?" She came towards them with a clipboard in each hand. "You need to fill out these forms. There's a fee of 450.00, payable in advance, for the wedding license, certificate and a ceremony lasting approximately ten minutes." She handed each of them a clipboard. "Our standard ceremony will do the trick, but if you like you can choose something different from this booklet." She handed the coil bound book to Alex.
Bobby and Alex sat a chair apart in the reception area and completed the forms. When she was nearly finished, Alex said "Are you sure?"
Bobby didn't look up and didn't stop writing. "Yes" He said. When she didn't pick up her pen again, he put his pen down and looked at her. "We could have a longer engagement or we could just have a great weekend in Vegas. But I think I could be a really terrific husband, if you'd give me a chance. I'm loyal, I've got a decent job and I was kind to my mother."
Eames snorted. Then back peddled when she saw his face. "That's what the women's magazines say to look for in a husband."
Bobby shrugged, "So I don't just read 'The Smithsonian'."
She grinned at him. "You're a well read guy too."
"Right."
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "There's a lot you don't know about me."
He nodded at the clipboard on her knee. "Fill in the blanks, I'll show you mine and you can show me yours." She nodded.
The sight of his familiar sloped hand writing on his form, gave her confidence. He wasn't a stranger. He'd been her partner and her friend for a long time and she'd been his. The promises they would make to one another if they got married were already in practice in their relationship. There was loyalty and respect and if she was honest with herself, there was love. It wasn't a bad place to start. There were no surprises for her on his form.
So she asked, "You don't have any weird fetishes or obsessions, do you?" She said it in a teasing voice, but it was a serious question.
He reached across the empty seat and put a hand on her arm and she looked him in the eyes. "Just you," he said. "I'm obsessed with you."
The ceremony was straightforward and mercifully brief. 'Do you "state your full name" take this man/woman to be your lawfully wedded husband/wife?' The only difficulty came at the end, when the minister said "You may kiss the bride." For two people who'd never held hands except in the performance of their duties, their first kiss was awkward and short. He leaned in slightly and she stretched up a bit and then it was over.
- - - - -
They found a place to stay just off the strip. They ate pancakes and eggs at midnight in the restaurant across the street after they checked in. Then they went back to the room.
Hours later when Alex became conscious again. She was naked and cold. Natural light slanted around the curtain where before there was flashing neon. She felt the pitch and roll of the king size bed and then his face came into view. He kissed her on the lips and then began to kiss her other places. "Bobby," she said reaching for him "You're gonna kill me if we keep up this pace."
- - - - -
Epilogue:
Unfortunately, no matter how terrific the weekend, Monday morning always follows. They'd talked about it a little on the flight back. There were a lot of people to tell. For some reason, Eames was particularly looking forward to laying it on Captain Ross. Bobby settled himself at her desk for the best view.
"Morning Captain," Eames said as she went through his open office door. She stood in front of his desk.
"Eames." He looked from the open file on his desk to her face. "What's up?"
"I thought I should tell you that I got married over the weekend."
Ross stood and came out from behind his desk. He shook her hand between both of his.
"Congratulations. That's terrific news. Who's the lucky fellow?" He was beaming at her.
Eames used her thumb to point out into the squad room.
"Goren" She said.
Ross quit shaking her hand; the smile froze on his face. He slowly turned his head to follow the direction she was pointing. Goren gave him a little smile and a wave.
"You two are going to be the death of me." he said.
- Fin -
With apologies to reindeergames ... because I think I might have - hypocritically - put them in bed together without demonstrating sufficient cause. YIKES!
Your comments, and corrections are important to the process. Is it as funny as I think it is or did I miss the mark? - Dix.