Well, being that it's Christmas, I thought I'd write a holiday themed G/E tome. The story is my own. The characters aren't mine. Big plot boosting thanks to Frank Capra and Philip Van Doren Stern, with a dash of Glenn Gordon Caron.

Our boy Goren is going to get a little schooling from his guardian angel, allowing him to gain insight into how valuable his life and influence is. Maybe he'll gain a little insight into his feelings for Eames too… We shall see. Definitely a bit A/U, but it is Christmas.

4pm-Christmas Eve-1PP

"Didn't you tell Marissa to meet you in the park by midnight?" Goren barked at the scruffy faced man sitting before him in interrogation.

"No…." The man, who's name was Richard Stevens, stayed ever so calm and even managed a smile toward the lumbering detective, who was quickly losing his cool.

Bobby could feel his blood pressure rising, his heart was pounding in his ears. This guy… This Richard Stevens, was a certified monster. One of the worst kind. He was a child killer. And Goren and Eames knew it, but they were having a hell of a time getting him to crack.

"You used your Facebook as a ploy to meet these girls Richard." Eames chimed in. "We all know there's no way you'd ever get to them without it." Eames held up a picture of Stevens' Facebook page. "What, were you maybe twenty here?"

Stevens just laughed.

It was very probable that he was laughing while he killed Marissa Warren too. She was only sixteen, the daughter of a high ranking firefighter, lured by the promise of a fake boyfriend through her Facebook. All she managed to find was the business end of a machete in the bushes of Bryant Park.

Goren had a feeling there were others. He had a slew of unidentifieds under his pile of files. Pictures of mutilated young females that he was jonesing to dangle in front of the monster's face, hoping for a bite.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the route this particular interrogation was taking. Stevens managed to stay calm and deflect everything Goren and Eames threw at him.

And Goren….. Well today, he was another story entirely. Today was the day before Christmas, a holiday that was never high on the Bobby Goren list of enjoyable moments. But this year, another full year after the demise of his entire family.

Ha! Family! What family?

Let's just say he wasn't working at his finest today.

"Damn it!" Bobby slammed his fist down on the table in a very un-Goren-like fashion. "Tell us how you managed to do it Richard? Tell us how why you like to kill little girls?"

Alex jumped, not expecting the fist slam. She had to admit she was on edge around Bobby again lately. He'd been doing better for awhile. They'd been doing better for awhile, but as Christmas started to approach, she could feel the subtle red flags appearing.

He wasn't sleeping.

He wasn't talking.

He was shutting her out.

Here we go again…

Alex tried to shift her thoughts back to the task at hand in time to hear Stevens' response.

Oh so quietly he murmured in an almost seductive whisper, gazing deep into Bobby's eyes.

"Let's be real Detective Goren, you are so obviously not getting any ass. Even your partner won't give it up to you, I imagine. Tell me honestly…. You don't watch them? Those succulent teenaged bodies…. You know you would too…. First chance you got, if you wouldn't get caught."

It may have felt like an eternity but it only took Bobby about a milli-second to trounce Stevens, hands around the monster's throat. A gruff "God damn you!" escaping from his lips in the process. Stevens went limp and Eames reached for her piece. Before she could even position herself to get a round off, a slew of uniforms appeared tackling Goren and Stevens. Whisking the child killer away, while Bobby was left slumped on the floor and Alex was left confused, scared and a bit off kilter. Definitely a destination Bobby Goren had taken her before.

It only took Alex ten seconds to get pissed.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" She loomed over Bobby, offering an arm to help him up off the floor. She saw the look of blank confusion on his face and changed her tone a bit.

"Bobby, are you okay?"

He gazed up at her. Nothing… His expression revealed nothing. Bobby was surfing his abyss again, Alex surmised. She wasn't sure she was up to playing lifeguard this time.

Just then Ross appeared.

"Goren! Eames! My office, NOW!"

Alex's first instinct was to stomp off, away from Goren, and forward to the inevitable verbal shakedown to come. But she made the mistake of looking back down at him again. His expression changed from blank to remorse. Alex's heart took a dip toward her tummy. She grabbed his arm without permission, knowing full well there was no way she could lift him on her own. She did it to guide, rather than lift.

She kept her grip on his arm the whole way to Ross' office.

Like a good lifeguard.

5:02pm-Christmas Eve-1PP

"Close the door Eames." Ross was beyond pissed. He stalked back and forth behind his desk shaking his head.

"Look, I know this isn't the greatest time of the year for you Detective." Ross addressed Goren. "I see the signs again. You're not sleeping, not taking care of yourself… I really don't want to have to do this again."

Bobby started shaking his head, cradling the back of his neck with his hand and looking down.

"With all due respect Captain." Alex chimed in. "Stevens knows what buttons to push and we have to push back…"

"Detective Eames!" Ross cut her off. "You're not saving him this time." Ross looked Alex dead in the eye, then moved his gaze to Bobby.

"Detective Goren, go home. Take the holiday off. Call Olivet, get back on track with your counseling sessions again."

Bobby turned and started toward the exit of Ross' office before he would act out and say or do anything irrational. Before he could leave, Alex plastered herself against the door. She knew damn well the worst thing that could happen, was leaving Bobby unoccupied over the holiday.

"Captain" Alex tried again. "Captain, we're done with Stevens tonight. We'll take a break, review some surveillance tapes from the park. We'll start fresh tomorrow. It'll be fine…."

YOU, Detective Eames, will review the tapes tonight. Detective Goren, YOU will go home and sleep and call Olivet in the morning. That's it."

Ross wasn't budging. Bobby looked at the wall next to Alex like he was going to tear it apart. She figured that was her cue to step aside, and she did, leaving Bobby to barrel through the doorway. Alex felt herself caving into the floor.

On lead legs, she followed him.

Always…

"Bobby, get some rest. I'll talk to the Captain tomorrow and…"

Goren put his palm up to Alex's face. "Stop. Just stop it Alex. You heard Ross, you can't save me, no one can."

"I'm not trying to save you!" Alex squealed a little louder than she would have liked. She could feel various eyes around the room fixing on the two of them.

"I'm just trying to help." She whispered. "Come back tonight after Ross leaves, if you can't sleep, I'll be here all night reviewing tapes. I'll make Ross understand, trust me."

Alex pleaded with Bobby as he dropped his shield and gun on his desk and began to head for the elevators. Walking backwards, Alex stuck by his side as he tried to make his escape.

"Alex… Review the tapes and then get out of here. You have a family. Be with them. Enjoy them.."

"You're my family too Bobby!" She body blocked him, all five feet five inches of her, from the elevator.

This is familiar.

"I'm not your family Eames." He tried to control his tone. He didn't want to hurt her. He was always hurting her and it was the last thing he ever wanted.

"I mean I appreciate the gesture, but I'm no one's family. I'm not even really sure why I'm here anymore. Ross is right you know. I should go home. I have a lot of things to think about."

Alex held her ground in front of him, but felt her strength dissolving. Maybe this is the end, she thought and could feel tears welling in her eyes. Tears she didn't want to him to see. Tears he certainly didn't deserve. Alex's anger was mounting in response to fighting back her sadness.

"Fine! You wanna go… GO! I've had it!" Alex was yelling now, no mistaking it. The audience at 1 PP was getting their money's worth today.

Goren looked at the floor praying that Alex would just move away from the elevator. He could dodge to the other set of doors or head to the stairs, but Eames fury, rendered him paralyzed.

"I've had it with this… With you!" She continued her tirade. "Nine years… nine fucking years.. You wanna end it all, you don't wanna be here anymore, then go. You're right, Ross is right, I can't save you. I can't save you, because you don't want to be saved!" Alex was so close to Bobby right now their bodies were touching. She was backing him into a corner figuratively and literally.

There wasn't much more she could say. The looks on both of their faces spoke volumes. Alex felt her body getting weak and stepped out of Bobby's way to brace herself against the wall. Bobby took his opportunity for escape sliding through the doors of the elevator. She turned to face him one last time. The look of defeat on her face, broke what was left of Goren's heart into a million pieces.

"I never meant for this…. For you… for us.." Bobby couldn't find the strength to finish his thoughts.

"You never mean to Bobby… " Alex shook her head and looked down as the doors shut and Bobby Goren began his Christmas holiday.

I know this may seem a little lame folks, but I have a plan here and this will go places eventually.