ALPHA DOG: MISSING SCENES

"Thanks for picking me up." He pushed an unruly curl out of his eyes. "I appreciate it. I know the traffic around LaGuardia is a real pain."

"Hey…Dealing with traffic is a small price to pay for getting my partner back," she answered. "Especially for this case. I see you've gone back to the woolly look."

He smiled sheepishly as he buckled his seatbelt. "I forgot to pack my razor. And I haven't had a chance to get a haircut."

Alex deftly maneuvered the SVU through the airport's lanes. "You're not going to get a chance to get one for a while. The paparazzi and the Brass are all over this one."

Bobby winced. "And you just got through one of those with Nichols…"

"Yea, lucky me," Alex said. She smiled wanly. "Just a warning…Both Ross and Rodgers are in bad moods…"

"And I'm one of their favorite targets…"

"Don't worry," Alex assured him. "I'll run interference for you."

Bobby stared out the window. "You…You shouldn't have to do that…"

"No, I shouldn't…They both should know by now that you're right most of the time and they can trust you." She stopped at an intersection. "So, your place or the scene?"

"Scene. I can unpack later."

Alex turned the SVU towards Manhattan. "I think I knew that answer."

Bobby was relieved that he continued to be in sync with Alex. It may have been because it was the sort of case involving the rich and famous trying to get away with stuff just because they were rich and famous that always angered and energized both of them. It may have been because Alex took great pleasure in bringing Ross to a slow boil. It may have been because Bobby simply enjoyed watching Alex at the top of her form, which she certainly was with this case. Whatever the reason, everything felt like it used to, before everything.

"C'mon," Alex said when she returned from speaking to Degari's wife. "I want to talk to you about the wife someplace away from Ross' eyes and ears."

Bobby seized his binder and followed her out of the squad room.

"If Ross wants us to pull rabbits out of hats," Alex declared as she paid for her coffee. "He could at least wait until we've got a rabbit."

"Or a hat," Bobby said.

"We may have that," Alex said. She sat on a bench that offered a clear view of the entrance to One Police Plaza. "Degari's wife is terrified of him. I think she always has been, but she knows something about Hamp's death."

"He's a bully," Bobby said. "Unfortunately a bully with power and money…We need to be careful…"

"You're not afraid of him…"

"Well," Bobby smiled wanly. "I'd like to keep my job now that I'm back on it…But…In terms of him being a suspect…Just because he's a bully and a jerk that doesn't make him a murderer…Even if we want him to be…"

Alex sipped her coffee. "Point taken…I guess no more than Hamp's charity work made him a saint."

"True," Bobby said. "You don't like Hamp."

"I don't like the way he treated women. You usually don't like men who treat women like that," Alex answered.

"I don't like the way he treated women," Bobby responded. "But…Everyone knew his reputation. He seems to have been honest with the women he had sex with. Even the women he had these casual relationships with seem to care for him. He certainly treated his friends and the people who worked for him well."

"You're defending him." An edge slipped into Alex's voice.

"Not everything he did," Bobby said. He chose his words carefully. "But…I think you have to judge people by the best and worst things that they do. When Hamp was good…He seems to have been very good and to have done a lot of good for a lot of people. And when he was bad…I'd never defend his sexual life, Eames. But I don't think a lot of guy in his position would act much differently…At least he didn't do the boasting about it…That came from other people…And he wasn't cruel about it…"

Alex considered Bobby's words. "All right," she said after a moment. "I'll concede that Hamp had his good points. He's nothing like Degari at least."

"Degari knows deep down that his "conquests" are because of his money. He thinks he's in competition with every guy he meets. I bet Hamp didn't even acknowledge Degari…Which would enrage Degari even more." Bobby stared into his coffee. "I wonder if they crossed each other more than that one time…Even if only in Degari's imagination…"

"Stash must be getting paid very well to work for a guy like Degari," Alex said. "When I knew him he was a good cop and a good guy…But that was several years ago…And he spent a long time in vice." She shook her head. "Vice can suck out your soul if you're not careful."

"People say there are victimless crimes," Bobby said. "I'm not sure I believe that."

"I have to agree with you about that," Alex said. "So…What about you? You think you could resist temptation if you were twenty-five and had perfect abs?"

Bobby smiled wanly. "Well, I was twenty-five once, and if I didn't have perfect abs, I had decent ones. And I wasn't able to resist temptation."

"Rumor has it you didn't resist it when you were forty," Alex said.

A shadow passed through Bobby's eyes, and Alex regretted her words. There was a time when they could tease each other about their private lives, or lack thereof, but that had been before everything.

"I…I hope…I wasn't…" He turned the coffee cup in his hands. "I…I hope I didn't have a reputation….I…I wasn't a jerk, was I? I…I always tried to be honest…To let women know that…I wasn't…Couldn't…Be involved in anything permanent."

"My impression is that no one ever felt you'd lied to them or made any false promises." Alex treated the subject with the seriousness Bobby wanted and needed. "Some women might have hoped…But it wasn't because you led them on…"

Bobby crumpled his cup. "I bet they didn't hope for anything more once they got to know me…Or found out about…"

"Bobby…"

He stood and tossed the cup into a trash can. "We better get back. Ross is in enough of a state about this case."

Troubled, Alex followed Bobby back to the squad room. Ross grew more unhappy with the direction the case was taking. Alex defended herself with snark; Bobby by patiently answering even the most obvious and annoying of Ross' questions and refusing to respond to his attacks. As they sat in the office one early morning Bobby presented his plan to get Degari to Alex.

"You sure this will work? Degari intimidates. He doesn't get intimidated."

"I think it'll be easier to intimidate him than he'd like to think," Bobby said calmly. "Besides…We don't have to get him…We just have to show his wife that he can be frightened…That he can be scared…"

"Ross isn't going to like this…"

"I thank that's an understatement," Bobby said dryly. "You…You don't have to deal with him…I just need you to…"

"Uh-uh." Alex shook her head. "We're in this together, partner."

"Ok." Bobby studied his computer screen for several seconds. "It would be good if you could come in when he starts to break. Powerful, strong women…He doesn't like them…"

"How will I know when to come in?"

"You'll know," Bobby said confidently. "Just like you'll know what to say once you get in there."

Alex smiled. "You have a high opinion of me…Oh…Ross approaching. And he's on the warpath." She stood. "I'll intercept."

"Thanks…"

"Sometimes," Alex said several minutes later as Degari was taken away by uniforms. "I enjoy this job way too much."

A relieved Ross moved towards their desks. "The wife is ready to talk." He looked at Alex. "She wants to speak with you. She also wants to talk with the SEC and the FBI. Apparently she knows a great deal about her husband's dealings; apparently a lot of it is illegal. Even if the murder charge doesn't stick…"

"It'll stick, Captain," Alex declared. "You should know by now that our cases stick."

"I'm sorry we blindsided you," Bobby said. "But we had to have him for a few moments where we could show his wife that he was weak…That he was vulnerable…"

"She won't look back now," Alex said. "I'll get her statement."

"I'll get started on the paperwork," Bobby said. "We can get him arraigned first thing this morning."

"That was Jack McCoy's thinking as well," Ross said.

Alex and Bobby looked up in surprise and interest.

"I called him to warn him. He wasn't happy to hear of Degari's troubles, but he wasn't unhappy either. The DA's office has had its eye on Degari for some time, but could never make anything stick. I don't think McCoy thought he'd be charging him with murder-let alone the murder of a male model-but McCoy's taking the case personally."

"More nails for Degari's coffin," Alex said cheerfully. She stood and moved to the interview room.

Ross waited until Alex was out of earshot before he turned to Bobby, who waited stoically for the rebuke he knew was coming.

"What would you have done if that trick hadn't worked, Detective?" Ross asked.

"I was pretty sure it would," Bobby answered calmly. The only sign of his irritation with his captain was the restless jumping of his left leg, something Ross couldn't see. "I knew his psychology. And Eames was with me. If she'd said no, I wouldn't have tried it."

"You're not always right…"

"No, Sir, I'm not. But if you look at my record, I'm right a lot more of the time than I'm wrong. And when I work with Eames…Our record should speak for itself. Captain…" Bobby dove into the murky deep end of the pool. "This case came down to guys trying to protect their pitiful little pieces of territory. I'm tired of dealing with dogs trying to prove who's the alpha one." He looked up at Ross. "I'm not territorial, Captain. You know that. You've seen me at my worst, God knows. But you've also seen me at my best. I know I've put you though a lot and put black marks in your jacket. I'm sorry for that. I know you've protected me and you've done things to help me that I don't know about and that I don't deserve. I'm grateful…More grateful than you can imagine. But…I'm not competing with you. I'm not interested in any competition with you. I just want to do the job. And I think I can do it pretty well. I'd just like a little trust." Bobby stood. "If you'll excuse me, Sir…I need to make a copy…" Bobby hesitated and turned back to his stunned captain. "I respect you, Sir…I do. But I'm not challenging you. I don't want your job. I don't want to play politics. I want to do my job."

Alex and Bobby managed to finish the paperwork and even grab a couple of hours of sleep in the crib before the arraignment. When they arrived at the courtroom they discovered almost as many defense lawyers inside it as photographers outside. They surrounded their pale and quiet client.

"Duke looks awfully small right now," Alex whispered to Bobby.

Bobby nodded. "He's going to be humiliated in ways he never dreamed of. Even if he has enough money to buy his way out of the murder charge…Which I don't think will happen…His life will be exposed in the tabloids…"

There were motions and counter motions, but in the end the judge accepted Jack McCoy's argument that if there ever was a flight risk, Degari was it, and refused to grant bail. The DA's position was strengthened by the wife's statement and the rest of Bobby and Alex's case, as well as the appearance of several federal attorneys giving notice of other pending prosecutions. McCoy turned to the detectives as guards escorted Degari from the courtroom.

"I've already been approached by his lawyers for a deal," McCoy told them. "Your case is apparently as good as you think it is. But then," he smiled. "You have a reputation for building good cases. Thank you. This makes my office…and me…look very good."

"It's not our case," Bobby said as McCoy walked away. "It's his fear of humiliation. That everyone will know the only way he could get people was by buying and selling them. Degari thought he could buy anything and everyone. But no one can buy youth…"

"Or love." Alex yawned. "God…I'm tired."

"You go on home…I can get the paperwork…"

"Nope." Alex shook her head. "The two of us can get it done twice as fast…We can check each other's work. I don't want anything to give this guy's lawyers a chance to get him off. And…I'd like to keep you and Ross apart…"

Bobby reddened. "I…I didn't think anyone was around…I tried to stay very cool…"

"No one heard you," Alex said softly. They walked out of the courtroom and into the hall. "Ross told me about it. And he said you were very polite and calm."

Bobby rubbed the back of his neck. "I…I…It's just…I'm tired of him second guessing us. I know he has a tough job. I know I've given him a hard time, and he's defended me. But I also know that I…We…Do a good job."

"Well, good," Alex declared. "Bobby Goren stood up for himself."

"Uh…How upset was Ross?"

"Oh, no," Alex said. "Don't you take two steps back after taking a step forward."

Bobby rubbed the back of his neck again.

"He told me he was fine, once he got over the shock," Alex said. "Said you were right…He should stop hovering over us…But it's how he manages…A bad habit."

"I…I didn't mean to put you in the middle of…"

"I'm not," Alex said as they walked out of the courthouse. "I'm with my partner. We're able to deal with those big dogs."

Bobby smiled. "Whoof," he said.

END