Everything is Wonderful Now

Hello, All. This is a longer fic, with a good number of chapters. It is a post ep for Blind Spot, and an idea that I've written about, and erased, and written up again. Please let me know what you think, and as always, be honest if you think the direction is the right one, or if you think it's so out of character, I must be writing for another show.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They belong (I figure) to Dick Wolf, NBC productions, etc. I have no intention of making money or profit from them. Just my own shameful glee.

Thanks to all who read and respond- as always, constructive criticism is always welcome, and praise fluffs the feathers.

Thanks,

Adair.

Alex Eames looked up from her overnight bag to see her partner in the doorway of her hospital room.

"What are you doing... my sister's supposed to be coming."

Robert Goren took that as an invitation to come in, holding up his cell phone. "Your father called me."

She didn't want to hear what was coming next. "Great. Guy cop to Guy cop. What did he say?"

"He said you needed a ride and a place to stay."

"There is nothing wrong with me. I'm fine." She held out her arms. "See, perfectly fine."

"Yeah, well, you can't go back to your house, yet. When we came in, we, um..."

"Came in like gangbusters", she finished for him. "So I can't stay at my sisters?" She had been looking forward to a few days with her nephew and nieces, at least trying to expel some of the maternal instinct that was usually wasted on the grown man standing in front of her.

"Your father suggested that you... stay with me-" He watched her roll her eyes "- just until the door gets fixed, and everything gets cleaned up. He figured it would be easier. Just a few days, at most."

"And you agreed to this? God, Bobby, does my father even know that you only have one bedroom?"

He blushed involuntarily. "Your dad's kind of scary, Eames. What was I supposed to say?"

She studied him for a moment, tried to find a way out of this. He looked like one of her shell shocked high school dates, and for a moment, she had just a twinge of sympathy for him. She guessed her father hadn't given him much of a say, and she was sure that even if he had, her partner would have never said no after all that had transpired in the past few days.

"Fine", she said resignedly. "If that's what you all want, well, fine, who am I to argue?"

She brushed past him. He grabbed her bag, and followed her out.

She sat in the car in silence as he drove to his apartment.

"I can make dinner", he suggested. "Whatever you want- within reason, of course. Or I can call for takeout."

She looked over at him, then back out the window. He sighed, giving up for the moment, and cursing the impulse that had caused him to take the phonecall from Bill Eames.

"Son", he had said to Goren. Not even a hello. "You need to do me a favor. Look, cop to cop (Eames had been right about him using the buddy cop card) "If this had happened to your little girl, you'd be pissed as hell. In fact, I think you're pissed as hell anyway. And before you start in on some self incriminating bullshit, you caught the psycho who did this to her. This is not your fault."

"Yes, sir", Goren had said. It had seemed the only appropriate response.

"But she's an officer, and a damned good one. And she knows the risks. If she stays with her sister, she'll get coddled too much, and if she needs to talk about what happened, I don't think her sister will understand. But another cop will. So she's going to stay with you for the time being."

"With me?"

"Yep. It'll be good. For the both of you. You can tell her when you go to pick her up. God knows she'll be upset, but she'll get over it. Well, nice talking with you, Detective."

He had hung up before Goren had a chance to respond.

And now here he was, taking her home with him.

She entered his apartment as if she had never set foot there before.

"You can take the bedroom. I'm used to sleeping on the couch", he said, making a line for the bedroom with her overnight bag.

"Okay", she replied, wandering over to the bookshelves, taking in the titles. She slid off her jacket, and draped it on a chair. They faced eachother. Silence filled the space between them.

"Dinner", Goren said. "You must be hungry."

"Sure", Eames replied. "I'm going to shower, I think. Hospital smell."

Goren nodded. "That's fine."

He went into the kitchen, and started rummaging around for food. Halfway through making the baked ziti, he realized he hadn't heard any movement from the bathroom. He padded down the hallway. He heard the shower running, and under the hum of the water hitting an empty tub, he heard Eames trying to stifle her sobs.

He put his head against the door, and listened for a long moment, feeling his own eyes start to well up. Then he went back to the kitchen.

Eames emerged in her pajamas, navy blue t shirt and blue sleep pants with tiny white polka dots and lace trim at the ankles. This casual, vulnerable woman startled Goren. Without her heels, she was even smaller than usual, far more fragile looking tonight.

"Pasta", he said, handing her a plate. "Quick and easy. And pretty good if I don't say so myself."

She smiled, and he followed her to the sofa, handing her the remote control.

"What do you watch", she asked.

"Whatever's on", he replied, taking a seat next to her. She tucked her feet up under her.

They settled on Shane. Goren found himself wrapped up in the movie, until he felt a tap on his arm.

Eames had dozed off, and in the process, landed on him. Her plate was on her knees, but was about to slide off onto the floor. As carefully as he could, he removed the plate. He studied her, looking for the best way not to wake her.

He slid his hands under her knees and shoulders, looping and arm around his neck. He hoisted her up, but she was no weight at all. Her head lolled onto his shoulder. He carried her to the bedroom, smiling at the million office gossips who had just punched the air but didn't know why.

He slid her under the covers as best as he could, tucking them up under her chin.

"Good night", he whispered.

And as he positioned the door so it remained open a crack, he heard her say good night to her dead husband.