It was her eyes that struck him. They were the palest green. Her features were delicate like a doll. Her skin was the lightest brown. Her hair was an enormous nest of dark brown zig-zag curls, her cheeks and nose lightly dusted with freckles that were barely noticeable. But it was her eyes...wide-set, darkly lashed, and cat-like. Goren almost lost his train of thought.

"So, uh, you say you saw the guy run in here and start shooting?" He pointed akwardly around the restaurant.

She was a waitress at a small diner in Harlem. There had been a shooting, and the vic was suspected to be a serial killer they had been looking for since 2002. Goren and Eames were assigned to the case. He searched the waitress face, taking in her delicate shape, she was shaken up, she still seemed braced for another maniac with a gun to run through the door at any minute, she spoke, her voice shaking,

"Yeah, I had just got double-sat and I was takin' this lady drink order, and then next thing you know, this dude is runnin' through here with a gun, screaming...I don't really know what happened, I just got down when I heard shots."

"How many?" Goren asked, looking shyly at the young woman.

"Four." she looked down at the floor. Eames nodded her head and frowned,

"Thanks. If you think of anything else, give us a call." She handed the young woman her card and then noticed Goren's eyes glued to her, he was absentmindly shifting his weight and peering down at her inquisitively. Eames chuckled to herself. The waitresses' bone structure was immaculate, her lips were full and her mouth sweetly shaped, but it was those eyes. She flashed up at him, looked briefly confused, and then shook it away.

"Aight, thanks." she said to Eames, accepting the card, she glanced at Goren once more and then walked off. Eames looked up at him, giving him a knowing smirk.

Eames drove back to the station, and Goren took his quiet time in the car to reflect on his meeting with the waitress. In that short time, something about her burned onto his mind. He wanted to know her name. Eames had spoken to her first, collecting her information, he knew she had to have written it down somewhere, or he could catch the girls name in the report. She must be bi-racial he mused. Her beautiful green eyes flashed through his mind again and again. She's young he thought, too young for me, he wanted to add. Then he stopped himself. He focused back on the road, gazing out the passenger window.

Eames left work, several hours before he did. Goren looked at the clock. 11:15 pm. He decided to turn in. He collected his things for the night and headed home. As he walked out he thought about her again. I wonder if she's working... Thirty minutes later, he found himself standing outside the same restaurant he had been to earlier in the day. He looked through the windows and then he saw her, smiling and setting down two plates at a booth. Her full, curly, hair was swept up into a huge bun with loose curly tendrils sticking and hanging out in every direction. Goren entered the restuarant and took a seat in what he guessed would be her section.

He sat there alone, thinking to himself, what am I doing here? He looked over his shoulder, wondering if she could be just a few feet away, or if she had even noticed he had come in at all, maybe it wasn't too late to leave. It was. She came to the table, looking at him cautiously. She spoke, sounding unsure of herself,

"Can I get you something to drink...or is this...more questions?" her eyes scanning the floor.

Goren took a deep breath and looked up, her shyness was contagious.

"Some coffee would be fine."

She smiled now, relieved, she didn't have to answer more questions. Her smile lit her face from within, Goren felt himself stir. He shifted in his seat.

"K. It's on the house."

She came back, setting the coffee, creamers and sugars on his table. "Anything else, Detective?" she asked casually. Goren took in the pattern of the curls in her hair. He responded, sounding more unsure of himself than usual,

"Um...just..one thing. Y-your name?"

She exhaled, smoothing out her apron, "Leah Jackson" she titled her head, after a beat, "...can I get you anything else?" her voice soft.

Goren shook his head no. "Aight" she responded, walking off. Goren felt silly, he came all the way to Harlem to see a girl, who he had nothing in common with, he paused, but her eyes...they etched into his mind. They drew him in like a good mystery. She was so stunning, she seemed out of place in her harsh surroundings. He sipped his coffee, and reviewed his notes and paperwork. Leah came back to the table.

"You should try the apple pie. It's, like, really good...like, really, really, good." her lips twitched playfully.

Goren looked up, his eyes meeting hers for what seemed like the first time. Time seemed to momentarilly slow between them, he whispered, half-smiling, "I'd like some pie."

She came back from the kitchen with one piece of pie and two forks. She sat the plate on the table and then plopped down across from Goren, taking him off gaurd.

"So you think, you gonna catch that crazy dude?" she asked, picking up one of the forks and digging into the pie. She seemed more relaxed than before and he picked up the remaining fork.

"Probably...but it's nothing for you to worry about...the last place he would ever come is back here..I'm suprised you're working, I mean - so soon after the shooting." Goren made a mental note to resist talking too much. Resting his elbows on the table, focusing now on eating the pie to remove his slight embarrasment.

"Well, I got bills to pay...so..." she trailed off into a light laugh. He nodded his head, showing understanding.

Goren asked a question he hoped he wouldn't regret.

"How old are you?...I mean-If you don't mind me asking?"

She laughed again, and answered "Nineteen." Pulling her fork through her teeth.

Goren exhaled slowly, unsure of what to say, he knew she was young, but not that young. They finished the pie quietly and then when the plate was empty, they sat. Leah smiled to herself, he was a nerdy detective, but something about him was kinda cool. She looked at the stuble on his chin, his solid bone structure, dark hair and eyes. Something about him was intense, but tender. She wondered about his height. She spoke across the empty plate,

"How tall are you?" her eyes fluttered shyly, lacking confidence in her choice of statement, but the silence was getting uncomfortable.

"6'4." Bobby answered.

She raised her eyebrows, "Did you ever play ball?"

"Little bit." he shrugged. Goren scratched the side of his face. Leah got up from her seat, taking the plate,

"Aight, well, I needa get goin'...my bus is comin' soon." she paused, then smiled "but you didn't even tell me what you thought of the pie?"

Goren met her eyes, something moving behind them, "Perfect."

She repeated the word, "Perfect." She smiled inside. The door rattled and every head in the diner turned to the front door. A tall dark-skinned man with long dread locs loomed, rushing towards their booth. Goren braced himself, his instincts heightened, as he tried to prepare for the unexpected. Leah intersected the man just a few feet from the table.

"Oh my God, Kalif!" He grabbed her up by the arm and tried to pull her out the door. She struggled with him, Goren heard her say, "Stop it" and he knew he had to act. He got up from his seat, catching the attention of Kalif, who now pushed Leah back and screamed in her face, "Bitch!"

She's on the floor before she knows it, her head throbbing and ears ringing, she hears Goren and Kalif struggle, grunting, throwing punches while keeping eachother gripped. And then Goren draws his gun, Kalif's eyes widen and then glaze with anger, his locs swinging in his face, he backs out of the restaurant, yelling, "I'm gonna kill your stupid ass, bitch!"

Leah is pulling herself off the floor, when Goren comes to her side, gently helping her up. A knot was already forming on the side of her head, where she had been hit, his hand touched hers, he was close enough to smell her. She let out a deep sigh that sounded to Goren like a moan, exhausted by the days events, she looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, she seemed as if she could fall over at any moment,

"I don't even know where to go..." her lips shaking, tears filling in her beautiful eyes, "I live with, Kalif..."

Goren frowned, "Uh, does he- do stuff like this...often?"

Leah suddenly felt ashamed, she took a step back, removing her arm from his touch, something about her softened him, he couldn't even explain to himself, why he had come back to the diner in the first place. The words came out his mouth.

"You can stay with me." the phrase hung in the space between them, he tried to lighten it, "I mean-for the night-you know, its late-and," he realized he was fumbling. He hushed himself, placing his fingertips on his lips, tilting his head, "If you need some place to stay, I have an extra room."

She nodded her head slowly, she really had no other options, and at least he was a police officer, she had to admit the idea did make her feel safer. Kalif had beaten her more times than she could remember, it angered her, but she couldn't afford to live on her own. She saved as much of her tips as she could, hoping one day to get enough to move.

They caught a cab, and Leah fell asleep in the car, leaning her throbbing head against the window. When they entered Bobby's apartment, she could immediately tell he didn't have a girlfriend and he rarely spent time there. It was cold and unorganized. She wished she had gone back to get clothes. She wanted to shower, but didn't even have any clean panties. Goren handed her a towel, old t-shirt, and the smallest shorts he could find. She thanked him and got into the shower.

The steam warmed her face. She lathered herself and rinsed over and over again, hoping to just wash the entire day away. Leah wondered what brought the detective all the way back to the diner in Harlem when his apartment was a 25 minute cab ride away. She let the shower massage her back. Goren walked back to his bedroom to change clothes, catching sight of Leah in the shower, through a crack in the door. He stopped in his tracks, her back was towards him and all he could see was her wet curls hanging down into the dip of her back and her full hips and bottom. She was definitely pear shaped, her thighs were taut with youth and honey brown. He swallowed. Knew he should stop looking, that she could turn around at any second, and see his frame hovering through the crack in the door. Soap and bubbles eased down her body in fluffy masses, her skin slickened by the water, she ran her fingers through her hair, lifting and shaking her curls, she exhaled, sighing. The sound startled Goren, he took off quickly down to his bedroom, his heart racing.

She came out the shower to find him on the couch with a drink. She was drowning in his t-shirt, it was so long, he couldn't tell if she had even put on the shorts. Her voice was sweet, song like, "Make me one pleeeeeasseeee" she smiled.

Goren smiled, turning towards her, "If I remember correctly, you are not 21, miss. I could get in a lot of trouble if anyone found out." he hoped the joke would lighten the fact that he wasn't going to give her a drink. Leah just shrugged her shoulders, "Whatever, do you mind if I smoke?"

"You smoke?" he asked, lifting his eyebrows.

She shrugged again, and pulled open the living room window, pulling a chair up. She lit what looked like a cigarette, but Goren knew immediately by the smell, it wasn't. He knew pot when he smelled it. He took another full swallow of his drink, debating on whether to make a big deal about it. He was techinically off duty. Leah inhaled, her eyes beginning to redden, becoming more relaxed, her question cut into his thoughts.

"Why are you doing this for me?"

Goren didn't know what to say. He didn't know the answer to her question. He couldn't tell her why, all he knew was what. She realized he wasn't going to answer her. She changed the subject.

"Do you want to hit this?" Leah motioned the joint to him, burned now half way, rolled tightly in white paper, "It's just a lil J, and its burnin' quick..." her eyes met his, he felt himself melt, her eyes flashed giving him all the persuasion he needed, her voice flatened, "...just hit it."

Goren reached taking it from her hand, he put the joint to his lips and inhaled deeply, the smoke filling and burning his lungs, he resisted the urge to cough. They finished the weed, passing it between them, and before he knew it Goren realized he was talking...a lot. Leah listened taking in his stories about work and different cases he had encountered and countries he had visited, then suddenly the subject turned serious, Goren's eyes darkened.

"So...this.. Kalif, how long have you been dating him?"

Leah exhaled deeply, "I wouldn't call it "dating"..I mean-he's cool...sometimes-but the main thing is we kind of...cohabitate. I mean-I'm not stupid enough to believe he really loves me." she dropped her head, Goren suddenly became struck by how small she appeared in his clothes.

"How long has he been abusive?"

Another silence and then Leah looked away, "Too long."

"Well, why don't you just leave him, you know, just move, I mean- do you have family or friends, or.." he could see his questions were pushing her into an uncomfortable place. He knew there were always complex reasons why women stayed in abusive relationships, whether for children, finances, or psychological reasons. He knew better than to judge...or push. The marijuana had him feeling relaxed and he waved his hands, changing the subject.

"See, I'm here, running my mouth...tell me something about you, uhhh- what do you like to do?"

Leah still didn't turn in his direction, still looking out the window. She spoke,

"I write poetry sometimes." he voice sounding like it was brushed with sugar.

"Really?" he asked, still trying to keep it light, "Alright, so let's hear it. Give me something."

His mood finally caught on and Leah laughed turning towards him now, her face soft and pretty. She exhaled, and then spoke without hesitation, launching into the poem,

"and they began to cough up the universe's distortion...a yellowish mucus that clogged their nose and chest...they slept..and dreamt...in startling clarity, awake they would stare into seemingly blank space...perhaps...they could not decipher what they saw, but that is probably not the case...they were sick with understanding... an understanding that practically dripped from their nose and ears...many of them believed they were dying...they sat in their beds refiguring their diets...they thumbed through books adding up their symptoms to determine specific ailments..they created tonics...and dug up age old remedies..."

Her eyes closed now, and Goren was drawn into the sound of her voice, trying to decipher the meaning of her words, gathering the tones and sounds of her poetry, letting her phrases sculpt images in his mind.

"but it was which was age old that they were coughing up...balls of tissue heaped like pyramids at the side of a bed...they were not used to this brand of understanding...that charged them with the inevitable power of breaking comfort zones...in a new age, such as this, comfort zones are the first to go, when two or three gathered, they would glow...attracted...to eachother like crystal clusters...the very likes of which remain on her fingers..the question remains...like steaming heaps of ruins of newly bombed cities...we wander aimlessly, perhaps, only to find the ring of a loved one, now gone...and i pose questions as if there were a camera.."

He was impressed, admitting to himself, he may have underestimated her intelligence. She did use a lot of slang, but that could be attributed to her area. He didn't know what to say, but he looked at her with a small amount of admiration, she had taken him by suprise. He looked down at the ground suddenly aware of the fact that he had one of the witnessess from an open case in his apartment smoking marijuana. He didn't even want to attempt to explain his actions, he knew he would explain to her in the morning, that no one could ever know about her staying here, and she would have to leave. He looked at her, his insides gnawing. She got up and walked over to where Goren was sitting, he wasn't expecting it, but she wrapped her arms around him, embracing him in a hug. She smelled like soap and her skin was impossibly soft, brushing against him. She whispered in his ear, "Thank you so much, Detective." she sounded as if she meant every syllable, and the heat from her breath, danced across his ear and neck. He felt his heartrate increase, but the hug was quick, he could still feel her body on his even as she padded down the hall and into the guest room. He was startled by the sound of his cell phone, vibrating on the table. The screen lit up. Eames.

Goren picked up the phone quickly and answered trying to sound normal.

"Hello?"

Eames sounded rushed, "Bobby, I'm on my way over there. I need to talk to you. It's important."

His mind flashed to Leah in the other room and the aroma of marijuana in his apartment.