Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story except Karen and Jerry. Everything else belongs to Dick Wolf.
Karen and Jerry
"Goren and Eames in my office at 2:00. No excuses. There's a very important meeting and you two are vital." Captain Deakins was aggravated about something and he was short with everyone.
"Yes, Captain." Eames said quietly. In all the years she'd known him he was never this short with them for no apparent reason and, as far as she knew, they hadn't done anything wrong in days.
"He's upset over something." Bobby told her unnecessarily. He watched the captain stalk back to his office.
"Could he be upset that I'm going on maternity leave again? I could stay a bit longer." Eames said uneasily. She was 7 months pregnant with their third child and she tended to get uneasy about her growing girth and the fact that she was now on restricted duty.
"No, you're going on leave. We can't risk the baby and I won't risk you. I'll be fine because you will be at home with our kids and I'll be home every night, Alex. I think that's more important than this job."
Alex jerked in surprise when the baby suddenly bumped the side of her abdomen. "You're son or daughter is a pushy child. I just got kicked good and hard."
"Are you alright?" Bobby was all concern.
"I'm fine. Just surprised. I shouldn't be though, his father keeps me on my toes all the time." She smiled at her husband.
"He's probably reacting to you being upset. The book says that they can react to emotions in the fourth month." Bobby had been reading child development books almost non-stop for weeks. It would have been adorable if Alex hadn't already been through this twice before.
"Did the book say anything about how upset the mother will get if the father doesn't stop spouting facts at her over the length of the pregnancy?" she quipped.
"No, it…..oh, sorry. I forgot you asked me to stop that."
Alex laughed softly at her big, adorable teddy bear of a husband. He was quite sensitive about her feelings and tended to pamper her outrageously. At least that was still pleasant if a bit overdone.
The doors to the outer part of the building beyond the squad room and all eyes looked that way as a reflex action against possible danger. Anyone who came through a squad room looking for trouble and they really needed to be examined by qualified medical personnel. This time there was a large man in slacks and a cashmere sweater, looking like he was straight out of a large mans catalog. He looked like a model. Except he sported a gun in a holster and a badge on his belt.
"I'm looking for Captain Deakins?" he announced to the room at large.
Twelve people pointed to the captains office and he looked that way. He spotted Goren and Eames. "I know you, don't I?" he asked Bobby.
Bobby cocked his head at the man and squinted. He did not answer right away. Then he rose to his feet. He reached out to shake his hand. "Jerry Wilkes from the 314th, right?"
"Right. And you're Goren, uh, Robert."
"Bobby." Goren said. "This is my partner, Alex Eames."
Jerry Wilkes stepped over to shake Alex hand, and saw her physically very obvious pregnancy. "Very nice to meet you and congratulations."
"We're very happy about it." Bobby said in a slightly lowered voice. There was an obvious warning in his voice.
Jerry was very perceptive and glanced from one to the other then nodded. "I have a 2:00 appointment. I'd better see if the Captain is busy. Excuse me? It's a pleasure to meet you."
He strolled confidently toward the appointed office and knocked on the closed door. The voice from inside bid him to enter and he did, closing the door behind him.
"How did you remember him?" Eames asked her husband.
"He always dresses like he just walked off the runway of a magazine. He's a good officer, but he's a clothes horse. His nickname at his house is Horse. I saw him at the policemens ball last month. He seems amiable enough, but he's kind of flighty."
"Flighty? From you?"
Bobby shrugged and smiled. "That was how he was described to me."
Once more the outside door opened and a young woman walked through the door. Unlike the previous entrant she was dressed in well worn jeans and a sweater that had been new several years ago. She wore a gun in a holster her badge was also worn on her belt. Those were the only similarities to the previous new admittance. She wore well used and comfortable looking cowboy boots on her feet and her hair was pulled back in a French braid. She looked around and didn't ask for directions. She started for the Captains office on her own.
"Look at Annie Oakley." Someone called.
The woman turned and grinned at the direction of the group of men where that comment had come from. "Just remember how fast and accurate Annie was. She passed that trait down to all her ancestors." She quipped and continued on her way. She too knocked on Deakins office door and was admitted.
A minute later, Deakins appeared at his door and gestured for the two senior detectives to join him. Bobby and Alex exchanged glances and walked to the office. Inside on two different sides of the office were the other occupants. Jerry looked amused. The unidentified young woman looked murderous and she was looking at Jerry.
Deakins closed the door behind himself and looked at everyone crowded into his office. "Let's get this started. This is Jerry Wilkes, Alex Eames, Bobby Goren and Karen Wesson. As of this minute, you are a team. All of you."
TBC