Setting: Season 6 (shortly before War at Home)

Spoiler: Tiniest of spoilers for Masquerade, Siren Call

DISCLAIMER: The Law & Order characters are owned by Dick Wolf. No infringement of rights is intended. This story is written for entertainment purposes only.


To his surprise, as the elevator doors opened on the eleventh floor, Bobby Goren heard laughter. His partner, Alex Eames, glanced up at him – she was amused and curious. The detectives and staff of Major Case got along well, but they generally kept a serious work atmosphere. Joking and laughter in the squad room were unusual.

"I bet Captain Ross is out," Eames said. "They don't know him well enough yet to cut loose like that."

Bobby shook his head. "No bet." She was probably right. Ross had only been in Major Case for a few months. Bobby wondered when the captain would warm up and show some trust.

"Wonder what we missed?" she said.

They were returning from the District Attorney's office, where they'd signed off paperwork on a recent case. It was a raw, wet day; the large umbrella Bobby held was still dripping. As they rounded the corner into the squad room, he looked across to the captain's office - sure enough, it was unlit and empty.

A few detectives were standing near or sitting on the paired desks of Detectives Solinski and Marzin, and the rest of the squad seemed to have their attention focused there as well. Some heads turned guiltily, but when they saw him and Eames they relaxed. Bobby guessed they were gossiping.

"You were right," Bobby said to Eames as he dropped his binder on his desk. She hung up her coat, and moved aside for him to lean the umbrella against the gun locker.

"I bet Goren could help you out, John!" Detective Marzin called.

"Here we go," muttered Eames, deliberately turning her back on the boisterous group.

Bobby removed his coat as he turned toward Marzin and the others. He smiled, but didn't reply. What were they talking about? John Solinski looked embarrassed, but not annoyed. The women were hanging back at the edge of the group; Bobby knew some who wouldn't be present if the topic was too raunchy.

Logan called, "Goren, take my advice and get the hell out while you can!"

More laughter.

Marzin said, "We're trying to do Solinski a favor here, but you're looking at lame bunch of losers."

Marzin's comment prompted some cheerful insults, including a quick snort of laughter from Eames, who'd opened her laptop and was typing away as though she was hard at work. Bobby still had no idea what they were talking about.

"No, come on, guys!" Marzin said, spreading his hands wide. "Goren, don't you have a little black book to fix John up with someone? He needs a date for a wedding next weekend."

"Don't keep them all to yourself, Goren!" another detective called.

A wedding date - that explained why the women were keeping their distance. Bobby wished the captain would choose this moment to return. He didn't let his expression change as he observed Solinski, a man in his late thirties. He was a decent-looking guy, and Bobby recalled hearing him talk about a girlfriend. Why on earth would he subject himself to this embarrassment?

And why did anyone think Bobby could help? It had been a long time since he kept anything remotely resembling a little black book. These days all his personal calls were to his mother or her doctor – did they think he spent that phone time setting up dates with scores of women?

He darted a quick glance at Eames; she kept her eyes on her computer screen, but she was grimacing and shaking her head. She must know that the last time he had dinner with a woman – besides her or his mother, that is – was when he'd used the occasion to interview Beth Harner about her daughter's murder. That definitely did not count as a date – he'd been alone with Beth only because his partner deserted him at the doorstep.

Bobby slowly sat down and leaned back in his chair. He wasn't going to offer any personal information. "I thought you had a girlfriend, Solinski."

Logan groaned. "This is where we came in, Wheeler. Don't we have witnesses to interview?" He rose and jingled the car keys.

Wheeler reached for her jacket and umbrella. "In Connecticut, I hope."

Solinski replied to Bobby. "We broke up a couple months ago."

"Go alone," Bobby said. "Or don't go at all."

As Logan passed, he whispered, "Almost makes you wish for a crime spree – anything to get you out of here." Eames looked up at him, arching her eyebrows, and they shared a grin.

"I have to go - it's family," Solinski replied, sighing. "My sister's daughter is getting married, and my mother expects..."

Marzin laughed. "He didn't tell Mommy he broke up. Hey, Eames, maybe you could-"

In an instant Eames was pointing her finger at Marzin. "Maybe you could leave me out of this!" She didn't raise her voice, but the intensity was unmistakable. Bobby turned his attention to his partner. Marzin had struck a nerve with her. Up till that moment she'd been enjoying the joke as much as anyone in the room.

Logan's voice carried from the elevators. "Captain Ross! We're just on our way out to a witness interview."

Everyone instantly shifted into work-like poses. The detectives at Marzin's and Solinski's desks snatched up papers, and others lifted phones to their ears, so that when Ross entered the area it looked and sounded like the usual mid-afternoon busy squad room.

Bobby was facing away from the entry so he couldn't tell if the captain noticed anything different. Bobby was certain he would have sensed the sudden change in the sound level. Everyone had been staring at Eames or Marzin when Ross's elevator opened, and now they were trying to behave normally.

Ross stopped beside Eames's desk. "Everything okay here?"

She pushed her hair behind her ear and nodded. "Yes, sir. We just got back from the DA's office."

"Right. The ADA was going to send me a copy of Simon Fife's latest competency request," Ross said. "Did you...?"

Bobby opened his binder. "I have it here." He offered a large envelope to the captain.

"Okay, thanks." Ross headed for his office, and as he passed Marzin and Solinski he paused and said, "Try and keep it down to a roar, Detectives."

So the captain had noticed! Bobby glanced at Eames. She shook her head and returned to her computer, avoiding further eye contact with Bobby.


Half an hour later Detective Marzin approached Bobby and Eames.

"We've got witnesses coming in at four-thirty," Marzin said. "Any chance we could have that room?" He pointed to the visitor office Bobby and Eames had been using to organize research for their investigation. The walls were decorated with maps and photos, and the table was covered with books and papers.

"Sure," Bobby answered. "We don't need it any more. Right, Eames?"

She stood. "I'll get a couple boxes and we can pack up our stuff."

"Look, I, umm," Marzin said, "I didn't mean to embarrass anyone – well, except for John, of course. But I was just, you know, just kidding. Okay?" He looked back and forth between the partners.

"No problem," Bobby said, shrugging.

Marzin's teasing words earlier hadn't been offensive; it was unusual that he felt the need to apologize. Bobby looked at his partner. She was staring down at her desk.

"Eames?" Bobby said.

She nodded her head. "Yeah, no problem, Eddie. I'll get those boxes." She was gone before either man could have replied. Marzin walked off in the other direction.

Bobby's curiosity was kindled. The apology had obviously been directed at Eames – why? In his mind he replayed the conversation from earlier. What had set her off?

"Coming?" Eames had returned with two empty file boxes. She lightly bounced one of them against Bobby's arm as she passed him on her way to the visitor office.

They worked quietly, and in ten minutes the room was clean. Bobby tried several times to catch her eye, but she avoided him, becoming more and more restless. When they were done, he closed the door to keep her from leaving, and then stood there, gazing at her until she finally looked squarely at him.

"What!" she said, forcefully shoving down the lid of the box. "What is your problem?"

Bobby didn't flinch. "You're angry."

"Keen observation."

"Is it because of Marzin?"

Her only response was to cross her arms over her chest.

"Eames, it's... it was a little embarrassing for Solinski," Bobby said, "but he obviously told Marzin he needed a date – he opened himself up for it."

"It's not that." She wouldn't meet his eye.

"Then what?" he asked, not sure if her irritation was about weddings or blind dates or Marzin. "I mean, if I needed a date for a wedding, I might, um, I might ask..."

"You might ask me?" she said, and her piercing glare told Bobby he'd touched a sore spot. "And just whose wedding are you talking about? Did you get an engraved invitation?"

He'd been trying to lighten the mood, but now she was angry again. He had no idea how to respond.

"Look, I'm sorry," Eames said. "You didn't... I just..." She dodged around Bobby and out the door.