A Nice, Quiet Thanksgiving

Too much angst involved with owning any Law and Order Characters. That's what I tell myself, because I don't own them.

Friday November 7, 2008

11AM

They were sitting at their desks looking at the mounds of paperwork when Eames's cell phone rang. She checked the display and answered.

"Hey Liz" she continued writing "what's up?" She glanced over at Goren and stood up turning her back to him and started to speak in hushed tones. Goren lifted his eyes a bit and continued to pretend to write. She glanced quickly back at him and he heard her say, "No. No. I er...I haven't asked him yet." She stole another look at him, but he looked like he was intently working on the paperwork.

Inside he was cringing.

Oh no. Oh no,no,no. Eames is going to ask me to join her family for Thanksgiving this year. Damn. How am I going to get out of this? He appreciated the sentiment. He really did. She knew he was alone, and was probably worried about what he would do, being all alone. But he just could not face another family event with Eames right now. All her family events were the same. Loud. He knew exactly what would happen. Her mother would hover over him and say at least three times during the dinner "Robert, dear, have you had enough to eat?" Hello? She's seen him at least six times in the past year. Is he eating enough? He actually chuckled at this, at which point Eames heard him and turned around and looked at him with questioning eyes. "Hang on Liz...what's so funny, Bobby?"He shook his head, and waved her off and pretended to get back to work. When she turned back around, he listened some more.

"I don't know what he's doing Liz. I said I'll ask" She whispered.

He sighed and went back to thinking about dinner with the Eames'.

Her Father. Oh god. He scrubbed his hands over his face.. Everytime, the same thing.

"Bobby my boy, you a scotch man?"

"No sir".

"Really? I could've sworn you were a scotch man".

"No sir."

"Have I asked you that before?"

Only about a thousand times. "No sir".

Then. The clincher. "Bobby", he'll say as he put his arm around his shoulder, "When you gonna make an honest woman out of my baby?"

"Sir, you know we only partners? At work?"

"Work, riiiight." Her dad will say. And wink. And then for the rest of the night, he'll have to get those images of him and Alex as more than just work partners out of his head.

The ones that sometimes come into his head at the oddest times. Or in his dreams.

Not that it means anything. Anything at all.

He was brought back into the present again by Alex's hushed words, "It's personal time. I don't want to sound like I'm imposing."

Good. Good. Maybe she won't ask. Ofcourse, she could always put her nephew up to it. That was the other thing about Thanksgiving with her. Her nephews and neices. There were like twelve of them. Or some large number of children. He liked them. He liked that her nephew, the one she gave birth to, called him "uncle bobby". That was cute.

But her sister and brothers? They were another story. Her older brother would always ask some inane question "Hey, Goren, what's the smallest animal in the world" Bobby would answer and then they would all laugh. "See I told you he knows everything." Or "Hey, Bobby, tell us again about the time you put octopus tentacles up your buddy's nose." And he would repeat the story for the zillionth time.

Or, his personal favorite. It didn't matter what family event it was. Alex's sister Liz would drink a little too much and end up announcing to everyone "Hey...did you know that Bobby wears a size 13 shoe? Then she would giggle and say "Bobby, the biggest shoe size anyone I this family wears is a 10".

And how and why did Liz know that story anyway?

Ohhhh, and the fighting.

The Eames' were always fighting. And it didn't matter what it was about. One year, at a barbeque, Bobby had to actually pull apart Eames' brothers because they were fighting about charcoal grills versus gas grills. They really did get into a fist fight about it, until Alex grabbed Bobby's arm and said "Bobby...do something". He did and as he pulled her brothers apart, he fell backwards into the lake. Everyone laughed hysterically except Bobby. Yeah. That was funny. He rolled his eyes at the memory.

No. Not this year. And yes, he was alone. But that was the way he wanted it. He wanted time to reflect. Quiet time. Him, some beers, some football, and maybe, just maybe he would pull out some old family pictures and try to remember the few happy times he had. He didn't want to hurt Eames, but she would have to understand. This was his choice. His only obligation was to himself. He sighed again and looked up as Eames snapped her phone shut.

"Bobby...that was Liz. I wanted to ask you..." He cut her off and put his hand up.

"No, Eames. I'm sorry. I just can't. Not this year. Sorry".

"But...Bobby..."

"Eames. I can't. It's my personal time." He repeated her words back, hoping that would be the end of it.

"Well. I didn't expect that. Liz wanted some help moving Christmas decorations from her attic Tomorrow , since my brother-in-law broke his leg. Sorry I imposed." She glared at him.

Bobby's mouth dropped open. "Wait. Tomorrow? Uh...Sure Eames. I'd be glad to help. I just thought.."

" What? You thought what?" She asked with her hands on her hips

"Nothing."

"Fine. Thanks. I'll tell Liz it's a go".

"You do that Eames. I'm happy to help."

She picked up her files and started towards the file room.

She called out behind her. "Oh, and Bobby, my family expects you at Thanksgiving. Okay?"

His mouth dropped open and no words came out. She turned around and looked at him again.

"OKAY?"

"Okay Eames." He said softly

"What?"

"OKAY." He shouted back

She curtly nodded her head and continued into the file room.

A Nice Quiet Thanksgiving. He thought, scratching the back of his neck.

Well, Maybe next year.