Title: The Briefest of Moments Part one of Two

Characters: Bobby Goren and Alexandra Goren

Fandom: Law and Order: Criminal Intent

Spoilers: Season Six and Season seven; including July 6th episode

Disclaimer/Author's Note: I so don't own Goren or Eames; though
sometimes I wish I did. I don't write CI fic; infact, I gave up
writing fic over four years ago; but something said write this. So
here it is.

The case got to you. I didn't see it as we stood there facing Marla or even as I slowly backed into that room. I don't even think it dawned on me as I realized it got to me. No, you still have that look, like it was just the job and nothing else. And inside, that frustrated me; that yet again you were worry free and I was all twisted up.

It wasn't till later; after we had booked her and were doing the paperwork that I realized it had gotten to you too. That it was twisting you up just as bad. We've been off for months; and almost all of that's my fault. I wish I knew of a simple fix; wished I knew how to get back to the Bobby and Alex days (even if I won't call you Alex to your face). Instead, we're stuck at Goren and Eames; like we were in the beginning.

And mostly it's because I'm stuck as Goren. Bobby started to die after you were kidnapped; but he was buried when my mother went downhill. You put up with it for weeks; actually months; but even you, the one who knows me so well, reached her breaking point.

When did we stop reading each other? That's my biggest concern. Two years ago, I would have known the case was getting to you. I would have seen that it was eating away at you. But I didn't. Not till we were sitting at our desks; silence between us; did I realize you were hurting. Probably even more than I was. It was a brief flash. I would have missed it if I hadn't glanced up; but I did and I got to see the long buried Alex. That one look as you held your nephew's picture. It said it all. How bad this case had gotten to you; how hurt you were. Even in that small, irrational part that we all still have; how scared you were. As I said, it was brief but I saw it. And it was then I knew we could get back to Bobby and Alex; that we could eventually leave Goren and Eames behind.