Disclaimers:
*My 'sister' helped me out with this story, so if you don't like it, it's her fault, not mine! Haha! Just kidding! I just want to thank her for taking the time to discuss the plot with me.
*Obviously, I'm not making money out of this. (You really think I could make money as a writer? Hahaha!!!!).
*Please, review. Even if you hated it!


PMS ... stands for:


One Police Plaza
Tuesday, 7:11 p.m.

Eames stood up from her chair, grabbed her coat and the car keys before asking Goren.
"Hey, ya wanna a ride home or you're staying up late?"
"I'm pretty much done here, yeah, I could use a ride. Just a minute so I can turn off the computer". He replied without looking at her.
"OK, I'll be near the elevator".
He watched her walking away. He didn't look at her on purpose. He knew she wasn't in a very good mood that day. She had been oddly quiet. Not even a single sarcastic comment. Her body language showed she was feeling uncomfortable. She wouldn't stop moving, as if she was waiting for a call or something. She was having trouble on concentrating herself on the work - both paper and field work. She drank twice as much coffee she usually did and her eyes showed a mixture of anger and anxiety.
Goren read that. He knew his partner was hiding something and it was personal. He didn't want to nose too much but it was bothering him. Eames represented the balance picture for him. From his eyes she was physically balanced and probably emotionally too, since she didn't show any signs of the contrary. But for some reason she was out of her usual self. He wondered about it for a little while and decided he'd find out what was going on. Goren shut off the computer, drank some water and went to the elevator. He stared at Eames for a while - without her noticing that, of course. Still a mixed picture coming out of her.
They got into the elevator. Mute. She pressed the 'underground parking' button. The elevator stopped at two floors before reaching the private parking lot of One Plaza Police. Still no word. Only the sound of the key opening the doors of the car. They jumped in, fastened the seatbelts. She started the car and it started moving.
"Do you mind if I, ah... turn the radio?" Goren asked.
"No. It's ok"
He tuned the radio and began searching for a station. Pop female voice, heavy metal - someone screaming like if he was being killed -, country... he wanted to find something that would fit the already dark and cloudy sky. He surfed a little more until he finally made up his mind and left at a classic music station. The piano chords sounded sweetly inside Goren's ears. He really liked piano and wished he had a chance to learn more.
"What kind of music is that? Sounds like Tom chasing Jerry in the kitchen!" acid voice tone.
"It's the Great Brilliant Waltz #1, by Chopin, and yes, they used it in a few cartoons, including a couple scans for Woody woodpecker back in 1968".
She sighed in response and that was all until they reached Goren's place.



750, 14th Street, New York, NY
Goren's place, 7:57p.m.

Eames managed to park in front of the building where Goren lived. She stopped the car and waited for Goren to leave. But he didn't. Instead, he was still enjoying the song. After the song was finally over, a couple minutes later, he was still there.
"What are you looking at?" she asked realizing he was watching her like he did with suspects in the interrogation room.
"Nothing in particular" he gave a slight smile. "I was just watching how, how impatient you are today".
"You can't get enough by watching all those perps now you have to watch me?"
"It's different. The perps have an apparent reason to be nervous. You don't".
"Really? And what makes you think that?"
"Doesn't matter"
"You know what Goren, you're gonna have to try harder". Her voice wasn't friendly.
"What's bothering you, Alex?"
"I don't want to talk about it"
After her answer Goren slowly grabbed a couple of files he was bringing home with him, set them in his brown folder and meant to leave the car when Eames, already impatient with him, broke the silence.
"Actually, the problem is you!" she said with a harsh voice.
He hesitated for a moment. He was prepared to listen something like, "Someone dumped me" or "My father's sick", but nothing related to him. He definitely didn't expect that.
"Wha...what you mean?" he replied with a question, trying to gain time to set up an action plan and get more info about the situation.
"It's you, Goren. You and your 'know-it-all' attitude!"
"I...I don't understand" his body unconsciously leaned back as a defense sign. Now he was playing too. He wasn't at an advanced position anymore, like doctor-patient. He had become one of the players, who would have to fight.
"You know everything, you get the damn suspects to talk and from a single detail you are able to figure everything out! It all happens while I'm busy taking care of legal procedures, trying to contact people and make connections. It's like my work is useless once you can, out of the blue, figure everything out!"
"But...why does it bother you?"
"I don't want to sound like I'm envious, because I do respect you for being such a smart ass, after all there's nothing wrong about it. But the thing of it is, is that I end up feeling like crap when you get to solve the mystery, like a Sherlock Holmes".
"Sherlock Holmes always had Watson by his side"
"Yeah, that little bastard who did nothing besides watching Sherlock's back". Eames sighed deeply. "Damn it Goren! Why do you have to be so freakin' good?"
He didn't reply to her. Not right away. He knew he bothered people acting like that, but not Eames. She was always so understandable, so nice. And he didn't think she was useless. If it wasn't for her he could never get his job so well done. She was the one who kept him from getting lost among the mess investigations could turn up into. She was always there to say the right thing so he would, 'out of the blue' as she put it, get the whole picture of the situation and find a way out. It made her essential to him.
"You know I...I'm sorry. I had no idea it c.."
"Please, don't. You don't have to be apologize for being smart!" she interrupted him.
They both drowned into their own thoughts for a while. Another mute moment. Nothing to say. Every word would seem to sound stupid. And it was the last thing any of them wanted to happen, to say something stupid.
Eames grinned to herself. Goren couldn't avoid but doing the same.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said any of this" she was still grinning.
"It's OK, really" he grinned back. "Probably your hormones' fault"
"You're right. Damn it, once again you're right!" They both laughed.
"How about a cup of coffee... or maybe tea?" he invited her.
"Ok. Sounds good"
"Let's go".