Disclaimer. I own nothing.

Some of the dialogue is directly from the episode, the rest is all mine. For better or worse

CHERRY RED

He wasn't behind her.

She should have known, sighing slightly she turned and almost left him there he looked so happy. At that precise moment the look on Robert Gorens face told her he would have sworn under oath that, Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and ET were all real.

Smiling she retraced her steps. His eyes refused to meet hers; he was captivated. Alex allowed him a moment. Smirking as she recalled the events that had led to this.

When Bobby had opened the car door uttering the words "I think I need to get inside" and again "I really need to get inside." She'd caught the look of loss on Rogers face spoke volumes, as her partner had slid his 6ft4 frame into the car. Immediate satisfaction settled over Bobby's face and he looked like all his birthdays had come at once, his words had merely been conformation to her. But a red rag to Roger, "I wish I could tell you how this feels, I can't do it in mixed company, but I wish I could."

When he'd revved the engine she had to admit the sound was pure. That obviously got through to Roger, as he'd lurched forward needing to be restrained, his shout echoing in the air. "You son of a bitch!"

Her partner had merely smiled, and she'd almost had to look away because the smile was one that could have been shared by lovers as he'd muttered as much to himself as them. "You have no idea"

The smell of the interior as he'd opened the door was enticing, and now as she returned to extract Goren from the vehicle Alex caught it again. He was right. There was nothing like Italian leather. Bobby had compared the car to a wet dream, which was possibly true given the look on Rogers face as Goren had entered the car. Roger had been frozen like a man watching someone else make love to his beloved, of course the look on her partners as he had not helped dispel the idea. He was touching everything he could reach and savouring it.

Men and their cars.

Almost 2 years they'd been partners now, and now mostly they didn't need words. It was a good "marriage" previously she'd disliked that term for a partnership in the dept but it was a good description. Their partnership was now past the honeymoon period, but still getting at the getting to know you stage. Neither of them were the most demonstrative of people, but surprisingly Goren was more so. The trust was building slowly. Both had a toe in the water testing always testing before offering a little more of themselves.

Alex Eames knew that the other officers looked at her partner as though he were "odd" which was true but now she went with the flow and got in first with the remarks about his quirks. Disarming the barb that would be there is spoken by others. Not that he appeared on the surface to care about the remarks at first she'd thought he really didn't. But now she knew better they bothered him but he didn't know or couldn't seem to be able to stop them. So he'd chosen over time to ignore them. But she couldn't he was her partner and no one was going to allowed to throw jibes at him on her watch. She deflected them and occasionally stood directly in front and took the shot throwing back her own remark more cutting than disarming. Officers now looked and treated him in a different way because if they didn't they were cut off at the knees.

But it went both ways. To both cops and perps Alex was a woman. Goren treated her as a detective. And expected others to do the same he would step into anyone who disrespected her. The thought of tangling with Goren was not high on anyone's agenda; he was an unknown quantity, dismissive of remarks about him but not of his partner.

He had her back as she had his. They were fast becoming a formidable partnership, their solve rate was rocketing. Their result stood. Theirs was a good marriage.

Goren had been surprised by her love of cars and her knowledge, but having brothers she'd learnt fast. And she knew his friends were from a diverse base, and enjoyed meeting them. But she'd been surprised that Lewis already knew about her. She hadn't considered Bobby would have mentioned her to his friends, but it seemed he had and Alex found she liked the fact.

They had already got a good partnership, now they were moving towards friendship as well. Trust was getting easier to give and accept.

Bobby had won his inner battle in getting himself under control. He engine revved for the last time, and her attention flicked back to him.

"You have to come out now"

His face fell. For a moment she thought he was going to ignore her, but he didn't. Alex didn't miss the petulant down turn of his lips, reminding her of a small boy being taken away from the party early.

Extracting his body from the dream machine was not it seemed, as easy as getting in. She reached out a hand to steady him which he took. Bobby dipped his head a little sharing a small smile of delight. His free hand lovingly stroked the paintwork before he pulled himself back to reality and moved away.

She handed him his folder.

Alex moved around him so quickly he didn't have chance to react. She slid into the drivers' seat….the leather still warm from her partner. At the clunk of the door Gorens face was a picture…"Eames w-what are you doing?"

Moving the seat forward, Alex glanced up as he spoke…and smiled.

"Eames…"

The look of innocence and desire that flashed across her face as she revved the engine encouraged him. Game on.

He crouched down his slacks were suddenly tight again; his discomfort was evident not only in his face, Thank God for the folder.

Eames noticed but had a problem of her own and fought to sit still.

Goren swallowed hard, but had to ask, "What does it feel like?" his voice was so soft that Alex almost blushed, in reply she moved her foot again to the gas…and with a saucy wink she revved the engine.

Her eyes flicked to where the uniformed officers stood. "I wish I could tell you, I can't do it in mixed company, but I wish I could."

Their laughter echoed around the container. Another brick in the wall of trust had been fixed into place.

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