Disclaimer: I don't own Law and Order CI or any of the characters.
Author's notes: So, I came up with this idea while watching the episode F.P.S. The one where Eames has her baby. This scene takes place after the case brings up some memories for Goren about something Nicole Wallace pulled off a while. He was slightly frustrated with Detective Bishop(The girl who took Eames' place during her leave) because she didn't get anything he was trying to tell her. So, he wandered back over to his desk and sat there for a few minutes, thinking and staring at Eames' desk. These are just some of the thoughts running through his head. Enjoy.
He missed her. It was obvious to everyone in the squad room, and to his temporary partner, even though he had tried to hide it. Sure, Bishop was an alright detective, but she just didn't get him. She didn't get his mindless rambling, not like Eames always did. He knew it was silly to try to compare the two, and he really should be giving Bishop more of a chance, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Eames' absence was painful. It was bad when she couldn't come out on the streets with him, even worse when she couldn't come to work at all. Every morning he'd walk into the squad room and instantly look to her desk, hoping to see her sitting there, flipping through files with two cups of coffee on her desk. One for him, the other for herself.
But day after day he was let down. He felt abandoned. Sure, he was aware she didn't really abandon him, but while she was off doing a good deed for her sister by having a baby for her, he was left alone at work, trying to think through the cases while having to re-explain everything to Bishop, hoping she caught on to what he was trying to say.
He knew he was expecting too much out of the younger detective. Goren was aware he had hurt her many times throughout their short partnership. It didn't take much it seemed. Apparently he was good at hurting people. Every time he'd mutter Eames' name, or say something like "Eames would know what I'm talking about" a look of hurt would flash across Bishop's eyes and she would fall silent and simply follow after him wordlessly.
Oddly enough, it hurt him too. He hated being an ass, especially since his temporary partner was trying so hard to stay up with him. He had to give her some credit, she had volunteered to work with him, which was more than most detectives could say. No one would ever volunteer to work with him, not with his reputation.
But that was all besides the point. He sighed and stared across his desk at the empty, pink office chair where Eames would often sit. If she had been sitting there, she would have looked up from her work, tucked some of her hair behind her ear and offered him one of her dazzling, yet subtle smiles. Sighing, he leaned forward on his desk, staring the chair down.
His thoughts turned to the case at hand. Neil...what made him do it? He was aware the computer geek was the one who had killed the girl, but why had he done it? His thoughts drifted back to Eames and a slight frown crossed his lips. Growling under his breath in agitation, he snatched a piece of blank paper from his desk and crumpled it up, throwing it rather viciously at his partner's chair. Then he looked over his shoulder, almost hoping no one had seen his little outburst.
Then it hit him like a semi-truck. Neil had done it to keep his partner, Jack, with him. Amy had been an enemy in Neil's eyes because Jack had been spending time with her, therefore she was taking away his partner.
For a moment, Robert Goren understood what had made Neil do it.
Author's notes continued:Yeah, not my best, but it gets to the point. I just had to get this out before my head exploded or something. Now I better get working on my math homework.